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HARBIN - Police in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province have caught 13 people allegedly involved in illegal hunting and trafficking of migratory birds, authorities said Wednesday.

According to the public security department of Baoqing County in Shuangyashan City, more than 100 migratory birds, including endangered wild geese and ducks, were found poisoned to death in April around the county's Dongsheng nature reserve.

After 15 days of investigation, police busted three gangs responsible for the birds' death and caught 13 main suspects. Seven other suspects are still at large.

The police found the suspects had spread pesticides mixed with corn and soybean oil near the nature reserve. They killed and hunted hundreds of birds, and sold the dead or live birds for illegal profit.

Police are pursuing the other suspects and the nature reserve has reinforced its patrolling and animal protection.

According to China's wildlife protection law, those who hunt, sell, purchase or transport wild animals that are under special state protection can be punished and subject to criminal prosecution. Enditem
Left to right: Pradeep Nair, Managing Director, Autodesk, India & SAARC along with Apurva Chandra, Principal Secretary (Industries) of the Government of Maharashtra.

Mumbai: Autodesk, a 3D design technology company, announced that it will provide advanced design technology to - local MSMEs from the manufacturing sector as per a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Maharashtra.

Beginning May 5, Autodesks cloud-based software tool for Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Fusion 360, will be made available for free to MSMEs registered with the Department of Industries, Government of Maharashtra, and with annual turnover less than INR one crore.

Additionally for MSMEs in Maharashtra with annual turnover over INR One crore) it will be available at a price of Rs 1999 (plus taxes) with a two years validity, through the Mahaonline portal of the Maharashtra Govt.

This initiative was agreed upon between Autodesk and the Government of Maharashtra during the Make in India week in February earlier this year.

The Government of Maharashtra announced its intention to introduce a dedicated industrial policy for MSMEs, providing necessary incentives and facilities for setting up their businesses in the state.

The MSME sector is a major focus area for the government as it is also the largest employment generating sector in the state. Initiatives such as this, would help MSMEs in the state to become internationally competitive with easy access and availability of proven technology and tools and give a boost to Chief Ministers Make in Maharashtra efforts.

Commenting on the initiative, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis said, Our Prime Ministers vision for Make in India, Skill India, Digital India, Start Up India gets a boost with our partnership with Autodesk to offer Fusion 360 to MSMEs. This will enable our MSMEs to uniquely design and manufacture their products as per international standards. This partnership of Government of Maharashtra and Autodesk will create a potential for Maharashtra MSMEs to become globally competitive and locally productive.

Autodesk also launched the customer showcase portal which will help promote the work of MSMEs who derive greater business success by using Fusion 360.

Further, the company will help the MSMEs to showcase their work at national and international platforms. Autodesk would also be training around 8000 franchisees in the state on the optimum usage of Fusion 360 design platform.

Autodesk would also be training around 8000 franchisees in the state on the optimum usage of Fusion 360 design platform.

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Hyperconvergence is a relatively new buzzword but Westborough, Mass.,-based Simplivity is already boasting of creating version 3.0 of this emerging IT model. In this installment of the IDG CEO Interview Series, Simplivity CEO Doron Kempel talked with IDG US Media Chief Content Officer John Gallant about how Simplivitys OmniStack outperforms competitors like Nutanix and claims customers deploying workloads on Simplivity can save 22% to nearly 50% compared to running them on Amazon Web Services. Kempel also talked about Simplivitys partnerships with Cisco, VMware and Lenovo and explored why it took nearly four years to bring the companys vision of hyperconvergence to reality.

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LAS VEGAS -- Cyber insurance can pay out millions of dollars to cover the cost of data breach liability, but buying the policies can be a nightmare for info security pros, and premiums for similar coverage can vary wildly, an Interop audience was told.

On the flip side, the insurance companies lack underwriters with IT knowledge, a good model for assessing risk, a common vocabulary to discuss policies clearly, and face a looming threat that a single successful attack of just the wrong kind could mean a major financial hit, says Dave Bradford, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Advisens.

+More on Network World: Hot products at Interop 2016 | See all the news out of Interop +

Regardless, cyber insurance is such a good idea that security vendors recommend it and the market is expected to boom over the next five years, he told an infosec audience at the Dark Reading Cyber Security Summit at Interop.

The market for cyber insurance in 2015 was $2.5 billion. For 2020 its estimated anywhere between $5 billion and $10 billion. By comparison, workers compensation insurance is a $55 billion market.

Companies not buying cyber insurance are the ones being hit most, he says. More is being bought by larger companies, but 60% of the attacks that result in harm are directed at small companies, most of which dont have the insurance, he says.

The exact coverage they are passing up varies depending on which insurance company is selling the policy, but common coverage includes forensics, restoration of the network, public relations, attorney fees, notification of victims, call centers to field inquiries, litigation, extortion payments, fines and penalties and business interruption.

+More on Network World: Interop: 12 killer (and free) tools for network engineers+

They cover data breach and privacy claims, incident response costs, liability for damages, defense costs, civil fines and penalties, industry fines and penalties (such as payment card industry), business interruption costs, and media liability. The latter is for Web site content that is libelous.

They also cover pre-incident services such as certain network security costs, employee training, and incident planning, all of which come before a breach occurs but that can help mitigate the ultimate cost.

Generally not covered are reputation damages to the company because they are hard to quantify. Cyber-related bodily harm and property damage, and stolen intellectual property are also generally not covered, again because its difficult to put a price tag on them, he says. Funds-transfer fraud  think of whale phishing  is also not covered. (Thats when the CFO carries out the CEOs order to cut a big check to a third party only the email was spoofed and an attacker gets the money.)

Bradford separates companies that buy cyber insurance into two groups. Those with less than $500 million in revenue pay $2,000 to $5,000 per year for payout limits from $1 million to $5 million. Those with more than $500 million in revenue pay $100,000 to $500,000 per year for $5 million to $20 million in payout limits.

Its difficult to say how much any given customer needs, but Im not sure $1 million gets you very far nowadays, he says.

[ ALSO: Corporate culture hinders cyber insurance buy-in ]

The biggest financial issue for insurers is that a single security incident affecting a large chunk of companies means they have to make payouts to most of their customers all at once. A breach of a major cloud provider, for example, could trigger such an outcome, he says.

More than 60 insurers offer cyber coverage, with just seven of them landing 65% of the business.

Some existing types of insurance (general, product and professional liability as well as insurance covering directors and company officers) cover some aspects of cyber damage, depending on the policy. The trend, though, is that this coverage is being cut back and separated out into stand-alone cyber-insurance policies.

Purchasing nightmare

Buying cyber insurance is a mammoth undertaking, he says. Its hard to understand exactly what is covered and its even harder to explain it.

Talking about cyber insurance is complicated by the lack of a common vocabulary for insurers and their customers to use. For insurance companies the term risk means how much should they charge for premiums. But for a customer, risk means how likely is it that the network will be breached resulting in harm. Definitions of other terms might vary even between insurance companies, further muddying the process of comparing policies, Bradford says.

The policy language is so dense that many insurers recommend that agents  who sell directly to customers but represent many insurers  refer potential clients to the companies themselves for explanations. Trying to compare and contrast different policies from different insurers is even more difficult.

Writing the policies is no picnic either. Underwriters are feeling their way because there are no established risk models to help them decide whether a particular customer meets criteria to be insured. The underwriters, in general, dont have infosec experience or education to help them discern whether customers have sufficient defenses in place. As a result they rely on consultants or use internal infosec staff at the insurance company to help out. Some insurers use risk-rating platforms such as BitSite so they have a number to help sort it out, he says.

Because cyber insurance is a new frontier without good risk models, its hard to figure what premiums to charge, Bradford says. Similar coverage from competing insurers can vary from $10,000 to $50,000.

The complexity of the applications that insurance buyers have to fill out also varies widely depending on how big their companies are. A small company might fill out a form with four or five questions as basic as, Do you use anti-virus and other basic security measures?, Do you encrypt sensitive data?, Do you encrypt all data at rest?, Have you suffered breaches before?, and Are there complaints against you about data protection and security?

Larger companies might get five-page questionnaires.

The attitudes of corporate executives have a lot to do with how easy it is to buy cyber insurance, he says. Many companies are making the decision at board level, and if the board is opposed its hard to get the purchase approved.

Some audience members who are infosec pros say they have trouble convincing CEOs that the insurance is worth it. Others say that since the insurance doesnt cover loss of business or future business based on damaged reputation from a breach, perhaps executives would approve hiring more security analysts to stave off such damage.

Insurers in some cases are going to court to argue that their policies dont cover what the customer think they do. Theres not much litigation yet, he says, so the interpretation of policies is fluid now.

This story, "Cyber insurance can be your worst nightmare, best friend" was originally published by Network World .
OK, the presidential primaries are winding down, and while I expect lots of name-calling, insults and general sophomoric behavior this summer and fall, its time for both parties to step up with a strong plan for cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity? Youd really never know that its a national issue based on the proceedings so far. Gov. Jeb Bush put out a two-page overview, while Dr. Ben Carsons team drafted a high-level proposal. Neither one of those documents really dug into existing policies, domestic challenge, or international issues. With the exception of John McAfee, no one has gotten into any detail on this topic.

+More on Network World: Obamas new cybersecurity agenda: What you need to know+

Now, I know cybersecurity can be the geekiest of geeky topics so the presidential candidates need to address it at the right level. The best plan will appeal to voters personal interests, offer financial incentives and opportunities, and demonstrate U.S. leadership in international affairs. Additionally, the plan should align cybersecurity issues with technology innovation and a changing economy.

Ive been thinking about a national cybersecurity plan for the past 20 years. Here are a few more specific suggestions for the candidates (in no particular order):

1. Create and fund a national strategy for cybersecurity education.

While all candidates talk about bringing jobs back to America, many high-paying cybersecurity jobs remain vacant for months at a time. This is a pervasive problem. ESG research indicates that 46 percent of organizations claim to have a problematic shortage of cybersecurity skills (note: I am an ESG employee). Personally, I believe this is a national security issue, putting our private data and critical infrastructure at risk and thus impacting all citizens.

The next president should address this with a national cybersecurity education plan that includes awareness campaigns, funding for scholarships, curriculum development and special incentives to encourage states and commercial sector organizations to become partners in cybersecurity education investments.

A national cybersecurity education plan should be centrally managed and planned with the goal of improving cybersecurity education, creating opportunities and filling jobs. In other words, it should be viewed as a program to benefit all Americans, not just those living in particular congressional districts that accrue pork barrel spending.

2. Develop a national cybersecurity public awareness campaign.

The feds dabble in this with efforts like National Cybersecurity Awareness month, but these are token gestures that dont play outside the Beltway. Whats needed is a systemic national campaign that spans from K-12 to outreach programs targeting senior citizens. The president should preach a we are all in this together message and be a leading participant in this effort.

As part of a general government outreach program, the president should also appoint a federal cybersecurity liaison to work with the private sector, investors and cybersecurity technology vendors. These responsibilities are currently spread across multiple agencies and done haphazardly at best. The president could really push his or her agenda with a trusted champion leading the way.

3. Offer tax incentives for private sector cybersecurity investment.

Business leaders are already investing in cybersecurity to mitigate risk, but too many organizations still have their heads in the sand. The president has the power to translate cybersecurity issues into a language these laggards understandmoney. For example, the president could offer tax breaks to companies that adopt and commit to the NIST cybersecurity framework. A savvy commander in chief could also enlist the help of the insurance industry, as it also has a vested interest in seeing the cybersecurity framework proliferate.

4. Insist on federal IT leadership and transparency.

President Obamas Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) called for a $19 billion increase for federal cybersecurity spending in the 2017 budget, a 35 percent increase. The problem here is there is very little indication of where this money will be spent. The next president should address federal cybersecurity with a tabula rasa by appointing a federal cybersecurity watchdog to question every dollar of public funding. For example, why should the feds continue to throw hundreds of millions of tax dollars at the Einstein program when this functionality could be easily replicated by cheaper commercial technologies?

Additionally, the feds should establish purchasing standards where IT vendors must have a stringent security baseline before they can sell to the government. Finally, federal cybersecurity leaders must reach out to the private sector in a more organized and coordinated way to improve communications and collaboration.

5. Push for a national dialogue on data privacy.

This debate is long overdue. The next president must stop hiding behind scare tactics and push for a candid national debate on data privacy that includes legislators, law enforcement and intelligence services, as well as privacy advocates, technology vendors, telecommunication service providers, etc. Technologies have changed exponentially since the Clipper chip debate in the early 1990slet alone since the Church commission in 1975. Its high time we acknowledge this and update our laws accordingly.

Oh, and while we are at it, lets not just focus on surveillance and national security. Lets also make sure to address who can collect data on private citizens and what they can do with it. Former Chief Justice Louis Brandeis had some good ideas on this when he was wrote the right to privacy in the Harvard Law Review in 1890. Hmm, maybe the time is right to chat about his ideas 126 years later.

6. Lead a multi-lateral international cybersecurity effort.

The U.S. has been lukewarm about an international cybersecurity agreement in the past. Why? Military and intelligence leaders are afraid that an international standard could limit their offensive and surveillance capabilities. I get, this but there has to be room for some type of compromise that helps the U.S. mitigate risk and stem the flood of cyber crimes that cost our economy billions of dollars on an annual basis. A strong president can demonstrate American leadership and willingness to compromise by pushing an agreement and getting buy-in from assumed cyber adversaries like China and Russia.

I could go on for several more pages, covering topics like critical infrastructure, drones and IoT devices, but I work for an analyst firm, not a Washington think tank. Yup, the six points I cover here just scratch the surface, but this blog is like the Magna Carta compared to the cybersecurity proposals of the remaining candidates.

A strong cybersecurity policy wont get either candidate many votes, but it is a critical issue that hasnt received appropriate attention in the past. The next president should push for a pragmatic and prudent cybersecurity strategy that appeals to both parties. He or she should then monitor, measure and change the plan to maximize its success. Regardless of your party affiliation, wed all benefit from this.
Twitter made a fauxpas in its location-tagging service that showed Jammu as part of Pakistan. (Representational image)

New Delhi: Creating a flutter among its own users, popular social media platform Twitter on Thursday made a fauxpas in its location-tagging service that showed Jammu as part of Pakistan and J&K as being in China.

When contacted, a Twitter spokesperson did not give any immediate comment.

However, sources in the company said the problem has been identified and it would be resolved soon.

External Affairs Ministry said the goof-up by Twitter will be taken up with the micro-blogging site. "I am sure this will be taken up," Spokesperson in the MEA Vikas Swarup told reporters.

While posting a new tweet, Twitter gives an option to the user to tag his or her location, wherein the microblogging site was today found to be showing Jammu as being part of Pakistan.

Besides, a user seeking to tag Jammu and Kashmir as a location was being shown the option of this place being in 'People's Republic of China'.

A number of Twitter users criticised Twitter for the goof-up, with some terming it being biased against India.

.@Twitter has made a blunder as the site is showing the region of J&K as parts of Pakistan and China.... https://t.co/dlIrnIYQuh  Rahul Jain (@rahuljaen) February 18, 2016

@TwitterIndia Bad thing about Twitter is showing #Indian locations Jammu in Pakistan and China.  SRINATH (@isrinathv) February 17, 2016

how come jammu and J&K in Pakistan and Chine @TwitterIndia really. pic.twitter.com/2pd8xmceVR  Anil Agrawat (@HariyaneKaChora) February 17, 2016

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Attack happened in Thornford Park Hospital

A PSYCHIATRIC patient at Thornford Park Hospital attacked a nurse with a syringe, injecting her with powerful drugs before she could escape.

The terrifying incident happened in a secure unit at the Crookham facility, New-bury magistrates heard.

Helen Waite, prosecuting on Thursday, April 28, said a colleague who rescued the nurse Dawn Watts saw two puncture wounds on her upper thigh and fluid from the drugs running down her leg.

It was the second time in months that 47-year-old Timothy David Randall had attacked a hospital staff member, the court was told.

He was flanked in the dock by a burly, uniformed man from the hospital team, while three more sat in the public gallery nearest to him.

Ms Waite said that, on the latest occasion, Ms Watts was administering medication in the form of an injection to Mr Randall.

She added: It was a fortnightly injection and needed to be given in the buttocks. At first he was co-operative and she inserted the needle.

Without warning, the court heard, Mr Randall leaped up and grabbed the syringe.

In a statement to police, nurse Watts said: He swung it towards me and stabbed me in the upper thigh. Then he did it again.

Ms Waite said: A male assistant confirmed her account. She had two puncture wounds and moisture from the drugs on her leg. Fortunately she suffered no major effects from the drugs injected into her.

The defendant told police afterwards that the needle had hurt him and he had grabbed it in anger.

Mr Randall, a married man who used to live at Pigeons Farm Road, Greenham, admitted committing one offence of assault by beating on October 1 last year.

The court heard he was convicted of a similar charge involving a different staff member last August.

That incident happened around the time of a scheduled visit from his wife, which was to be supervised by a member of staff, magistrates were told.

The fact that he could not be alone with her angered Mr Randall, the court heard on that occasion, and magistrates were told he had thrown punches at a staff member, resulting in minor injuries.

Sarah Neighbour, defending, said her client had been in Thornford Park Hospital for three years and had no foreseeable release date, adding: His treatment is ongoing.

She told the court: He has spent six weeks in isolation as a result of this latest incident, so he has been penalised already.

District judge Davinder Lachhar made Mr Randall subject to a 12-month conditional discharge. She also ordered him to pay 85 costs plus 50 compensation to nurse Watts.
May Day celebrations in the sun

MORE than 150 years after the Green Man was last spotted at the Kintbury May Day celebrations, he is back.

Villager Sam Wimbridge revived the ancient pagan tradition at this years festivities.

The 19-year-old history enthusiast and former pupil of Kintbury St Marys Primary School looked into the history of the Green Man and spent a day putting together an outfit adorned with branches and leaves and decorating his face green.

Mr Wimbridge said: Its good to be bringing old traditions back.

He joined fellow maypole dancers Garston Gallopers and the Kintbury May Maids as they paid homage to this years May Day royalty, pupils from Kintbury St Marys school, May Queen Sophie Lawrence, May King Jamie Dancey and their attendants Eleanor Clare and Sam Sneath.

The pupils wove colourful ribbons by dancing around the maypole, surrounded by a variety of stalls, including the popular coconut shy, duck shooting and a Year 6 craft club stall.

In all, hundreds of children, parents and other villagers made the most of the afternoon sunshine.

Cath Whittington, who led the organising team for the school PTA, said: We are very proud to be continuing this village tradition for the benefit of the whole village, while raising valuable funds for the school.
Gyanraj Rai, who made headlines when he staged a hunger strike, drops into town

A GURKHA veteran who made headlines around the world three years ago, after staging a two-week hunger strike, has given a talk in Newbury.

Gyanraj Rai, a veteran from the Nepalese brigade, famously camped outside Whitehall in 2013 and threatened to starve himself to death in his fight for equality for Gurkhas.

He called off the strike when a group of MPs announced plans to hold an inquiry into Gurkhas pensions and other grievances.

Last week, Mr Rai was in Newbury as guest speaker at a meeting of the Newbury and West Berkshire Labour Party, to talk about the Gurkha Veteran Campaign for Justice.

Mr Rai told the meeting that the Gurkhas had loyally served Britain as soldiers but were now living in poverty.

We have been exploited, we have been disadvantaged, and we have been abused. We are just asking for help from the British public.

The veteran, now a Reading bus driver, added: If we had to write our all our griefs, it would be 100 pages long. When the British public were signing our petition and were reading our grievances, they were dripping their tears on the paper.

The Government is not listening. We dont want to go on hunger strike, its not good for us, its not good for this country.

Party member Gary Puffett said: It is always a pleasure meeting Gyanraj and extremely humbling to hear his story. His longstanding campaign for justice has meant it has taken up a great deal of his life and it is unfortunate to think he and his colleagues have been forced into this position.

The Gurkhas have a long and distinguished association with the British Army and have served with honour for over 200 years. It is very disappointing that so many veterans live in poverty but Im sure once the British public is made aware of the situation they will fight for the Gurkhas as they have fought for us.
Mumbai: Apple is currently going through a rough patch; the company recently informed that it suffered its first major drop in quarterly revenue after 13 years, as a result of the latest iPhones not performing as it was expected.

Read: Apple iPhone sales decline, first revenue drop since 2003

However, CEO Tim Cook pointed out that the future of Apple is bright and it will further strengthen its position with the release of it's next handsetthe iPhone 7.

According to several media reports, Cook has claimed that the upcoming device will compel customers to buy the product. He said that the new handset will offer functionalities which users wont be able to live without.

While the statement is a bold one, the company has no choice but to up the ante; all of their devices since the iPhone 6 have accompanied minor updates, except the 3D touch feature on the iPhone 6S.

Even the recently launched 4-inch iPhone SE failed to capture the attention in the market due to numerous factors, the main reason being the irrationally high price, which is not at all commensurate with the offered specifications.

Cook has acknowledged the fact that a major reason for this decline is the low-upgrade cycle of the iPhone 6S in contrast to its predecessors.But he also highlighted the fact that the company has, time and again, managed to introduce disruptive products in the market, which have helped them capture huge chunks of the vast Android smartphone market in less than a year.

Taking cues from this achievement, the company aims to keep its stronghold in developed markets and make inroads in developing markets like India and China.

Read: Government turns down Apples plan to sell revamped phones in India

The company is expected to launch its latest iPhone 7 in September, and there have been countless gossips overflowing from the rumour mills regarding the specifications.

Several media reports indicated that the handset will come without a headphone jack; it will probably be wireless or accompany a smart connector. The device might also come along with a dual-camera setup for crystal clear images, and an updated chipset.

While none of the aforementioned details have been confirmed, the company has to come up with disruptive functionalities to retain its position as a market leader.

Also, Samsungs latest flagships S7 and S7 Edge are really good devices and Apple needs to pull something extraordinary out of hat to get the better of its rivals latest offerings.

When Apple came out with its iPhone SE, customers seemed unconcerned as there was nothing new in the handset apart from its size mod.

Read: Apple may soon cut production of iPhone SE

Even the 6S had minor updates including an updated chipset, and 3D Touch, but was still criticised by numerous technology experts for the low upgrade count.

Although the company has managed to muster decent profits amid recent quarterly losses, this is a very crucial time for the company and it should really look to up the ante with its upcoming offering.

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Sanders needs more delegates to win than are available in the remaining contests, meaning he would need supredelegates to support him in order to win the nomination.

Washington: Bernie Sanders triumphed over Hillary Clinton in Indiana on Tuesday  and reiterated his vow to fight on to the end of the Democratic primary despite his narrow path to the party nomination.

Its an uphill fight for us. But you know what? I started this campaign 60 points behind Secretary Clinton. Weve been fighting uphill from day one, the Vermont independent said. We will continue to fight uphill and I think we still have a narrow path toward victory.

Sanders needs more delegates to win than are available in the remaining contests, meaning he would need supredelegates to support him in order to win the nomination. With 93% of precincts reporting in Indiana on Tuesday night, Sanders led Clinton 52.4% to 47.6%.
The law thrust North Carolina into the center of a debate over equality, privacy and religious freedom in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that legalized same-sex marriage. (Photo: AP)

North Carolina: Federal authorities told North Carolina's governor on Wednesday that a new state law limiting restroom access for transgender people violates the US Civil Rights Act.

In a letter to Republican Governor Pat McCrory the Justice Department said North Carolina was "engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against transgender state employees." The letter, seen by Reuters, said the state had until Monday to say whether it would remedy the violations.

McCrory said in a statement that his office will review the letter "to determine the next steps."

"The right and expectation of privacy in one of the most private areas of our personal lives is now in jeopardy," McCrory said. Republican state legislative leaders said they still supported the law despite the federal warning.

In March, North Carolina became the first U.S. state to require transgender people to use restrooms in public buildings and schools that match the sex on their birth certificate, not their gender identity.

The law thrust North Carolina into the center of a debate over equality, privacy and religious freedom in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that legalized same-sex marriage.

Prominent entertainers canceled performances in the state to protest the law, associations relocated conventions and companies halted projects that would create jobs in the state.

State legislative leaders, who say the measure protects women and children from sexual predators in bathrooms, reiterated their support after the notice from Democratic President Barack Obama's administration.

"This is a gross overreach by the Obama Justice Department that deserves to be struck down in federal court," state Senate leader Phil Berger, a Republican, said in a statement.

The state law is being challenged in federal court by critics including the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal, which advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights.

"It is now clearer than ever that this discriminatory law violates civil rights protections and jeopardizes billions of dollars in federal funds for North Carolina," said a joint statement from the activist groups in response to the Justice Department's letter.

Federal officials are asking North Carolina's governor to refrain from enforcing the law. If he does not comply, a Justice Department official said the agency preferred to continue federal funding to the state, and had other options to enforce the order.

The Justice Department told the governor it sent similar letters warning the state's Department of Public Safety and the University of North Carolina that the state law violated federal statutes applying to their operations.
Washington: Billionaire Donald Trump set about unifying a fractured Republican party on Thursday, fortified by the support of a key party leader as he launches into battle for the White House against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Late Wednesday the top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, publicly endorsed Trumps candidacy to prevent what would be a third term of Barack Obama.

As the presumptive nominee, he now has the opportunity and the obligation to unite our party around our goals, McConnell said in a statement. Trumps commanding victory in Indianas primary on Tuesday pushed remaining challengers Ted Cruz and then Ohio Governor John Kasich out of the race, leaving the real estate tycoon an uncontested path to the nomination.

Their capitulations brought the curtain down on one of the most contentious and chaotic nomination battles in generations, in which Trump pummeled no fewer than 16 rivals into submission. Now well unify the party, Trump, 69, told Fox News on Wednesday. Were going to get people together, he said.

But with unfavourability ratings among the highest of any modern presidential candidate, and concern within his own party about his temperament, the real estate mogul swiftly sought to assuage concerns about how he would govern.

I know people arent sure right now what a President Trump will be like, he told The New York Times.

But things will be fine. Im not running for president to make things unstable for the country. They loved me, he said. Trump also began discussing the idea of his possible running mate, telling ABC News he wanted a person with political experience to compliment his own business acumen.
Contact with the aircraft was lost around 5 pm (0900 GMT) during a short flight from the state's interior to its capital Kuching, Department of Civil Aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman was quoted as saying by Malaysian media.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A helicopter believed to be carrying six people including a Malaysian deputy minister and a parliament member went missing Thursday over the Borneo island state of Sarawak, reports said.

Contact with the aircraft was lost around 5 pm (0900 GMT) during a short flight from the state's interior to its capital Kuching, Department of Civil Aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman was quoted as saying by Malaysian media.

He added that authorities had launched a search and rescue mission in the rugged, sparsely populated state.

The Star newspaper's website reported that Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Noriah Kasnon and parliament member Wan Mohammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad were believed to be among those aboard.

The purpose of their travel was not immediately clear, but much of the country's political attention has been focused for weeks on election campaigning in Sarawak, which holds state polls on Saturday.

The elections are being closely scrutinised for signs of a voter backlash against the national ruling coalition headed by Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has taken a battering over the past year due to allegations of massive corruption.

Parties in the ruling coalition, however, have long held firm control of resource-rich Sarawak and are widely expected to comfortably retain it.
Seoul: North Korea said today a campaign was helping to cut the number of smokers, although its leader Kim Jong Un is frequently seen with a cigarette in hand in photographs in state media.

The government has cut the total area planted with tobacco "as much as possible" and health warnings are required on cigarette packs, the North's official KCNA news agency said.

"The number of non-smokers is remarkably increasing with each passing day," KCNA said, adding the number of male smokers was 8 percent lower in 2013 compared with four years earlier.

The news agency made no mention of leader Kim's habit and the fact that he is frequently seen with a cigarette in hand in public, including at an event where he declared success in miniaturising a nuclear warhead while standing next to a large object that looked to be a ballistic missile.

Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, was also believed to be a heavy smoker, seen puffing on a cigarette on state media in 2009, a year after he was thought to have suffered a stroke, despite claiming several years earlier to have quit.

The elder Kim died in December 2011 of a heart attack while on a train, the North's state media said.
From Britain, the President will travel to India on May 13 on an invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend a religious meeting. (Photo: AFP)

Colombo: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will travel to Britain and India next week to attend an anti-corruption summit and a religious event in the two countries respectively, foreign ministry officials said on Thursday.

President Sirisena will leave for London on May 11 to attend the Anti-Corruption Summit hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron on May 12, they said.

Cameron had invited Sirisena when the two leaders met at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Malta last year.

The summit, a first of its kind, will bring together world leaders, business and civil society to agree a package of practical steps to expose corruption, punish the perpetrators and support those affected by corruption and drive out the culture of corruption wherever it exists.

The summit will seek to galvanise a global response to tackle corruption.

From Britain, the President will travel to India on May 13 on an invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend a religious meeting.
Prakash, who is believed to have relocated to Syria in 2014, joined two other Australian ISIS fighters on the United Nations sanctions list. (Representational Image)

Sydney: An Australian citizen believed to be a top recruiter for the ISIS has been killed in a US airstrike in Iraq, disrupting the militant group's ability to lure new fighters, the Australian government said on Thursday.

Attorney-General George Brandis said the United States had advised him that Prakash, who was linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the United States, was killed in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29.

Melbourne-born Prakash had appeared in ISIS propaganda videos and magazines and had actively recruited Australian men, women and children, and encouraged acts of terrorism, Brandis said.

"He is considered to be Australia's most prominent ISIS recruiter," Brandis said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Marise Payne. "His death disrupts and degrades ISIS's ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts."

Australia last year announced financial sanctions against Prakash, including threatening anyone giving financial assistance to him with punishment of up to 10 years in jail. The country is on alert for attacks by radicalised Muslims or by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East.

Prakash, who is believed to have relocated to Syria in 2014, joined two other Australian ISIS fighters on the United Nations sanctions list, Mohamed Elomar and Khaled Sharrouf, who appeared in images last year holding the severed heads of Syrian soldiers.

Brandis said he had also been advised by the US government that a second Australian citizen involved in the radical Sunni group, Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad, was killed on April 22 in a US airstrike near Al Bab in Syria.

Mohammad and her Sudanese husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, were both active recruiters of foreign fighters on behalf of ISIS, and had been inspiring attacks against Western interests, Brandis said.

Mohammad was also the sister of Farhad Mohammad, the 15-year-old boy who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng at police headquarters in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta in October. Farhad Mohammad was killed in a gunfight with police outside the building.
Police have arrested the third suspect in connection with the Germany terror attack. (Photo: PTI)

Berlin: A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the terror bombing of a gurudwara by suspected Islamist militants in Essen that injured three persons including a Sikh priest.

A special police unit took the unidentified man into custody at Essen's central railway station on Wednesday evening on an arrest warrant issued against him by a district court in the city, police said.

A person accompanying him was also detained and kept in custody, police added.

Police gave no further details, but media reports identified the third man arrested as jihadist Tolga I from Wesel in the state of North Rhine Westphalia, who gave the orders to the two main suspects to carry out the terror attack.

Sixteen-year-old secondary school students Mohammed B and Yussuf T were arrested four days after they allegedly detonated a fire extinguisher filled with explosives at the entrance of the Nanaksar Satsangh Sabha Gurudwara on the evening of April 16, as India expressed "distress" over the attack.

The strength of the Sikh community members in Germany is estimated around 15,000.

The two teenagers are currently in preventive custody.

A priest of the gurudwara was seriously wounded and two others suffered minor injuries in the blast which ripped through the entrance hall of the gurudwara at the end of a wedding ceremony.

Seventeen-year-old Tolga I met the two terror suspects in the Assalam Mosque in Essen just hours before they exploded the bomb, ARD TV network reported in its 'Report Muenchen' programme.

He had formed a twelve-member WhatsApp group in which the two main suspects are members, the report said.

Tolga I also has links to a group of jihadists in Dinslaken town and to the "Lohberger Brigade", a group of radical Islamists, who have joined the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group as fighters some years ago, it said.

Regional newspaper Westdeutsche Allgeneine Zeitung (WAZ) reported that Tolga I was already detained by police on April 20 on suspicion of involvement in the gurudwara attack, but suspicions against him could not be substantiated and he was set free.

Immediately after the bomb attack, Yussuf T had sent a message to Tolga I via WhatsApp about the operation, the report said.

The newspaper said Tolga I is known to police as an ISIS sympathiser and local authorities have placed a restriction on his travel abroad and impounded his passport because they feared he may join IS in Syria or in Iraq.
Davutoglu, who had fallen out with President Recept Tayyip Erdogan, announced he was stepping aside following a meeting with executives of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, which has dominated Turkish politics since 2002. (Photo: AP)

Ankara, Turkey: Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced his resignation on Thursday, paving the way for the country's president to pursue a tighter trip on power.

"I decided that for the unity of the (ruling party) a change of chairman would be more appropriate. I am not considering running at the May 22 congress," Davutoglu told the nation.

Davutoglu, who had fallen out with President Recept Tayyip Erdogan, announced he was stepping aside following a meeting with executives of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, which has dominated Turkish politics since 2002.

The decision is not effective immediately. The party will hold an emergency convention May 22 to select a new party leader who would also replace the premier.

Read: Turkey's turmoil rattles investors as PM bows out

Davutoglu indicated he did not plan to resign from the party, saying he would "continue the struggle" as a ruling party legislator. He also pledged loyalty to Erdogan, saying the president's honor was his honor, and suggested he would not be a party to any efforts to divide the party

"I feel no reproach, anger or resentment against anyone," Davutoglu said.

The shake-up is seen as the outcome of irreconcilable differences between Erdogan, who would like to see the country transition to a presidential system, and his once-trusted adviser. It comes a day after Davutoglu's government scored a victory of sorts, with the European Union's executive commission recommending approval of a deal to give Turkish citizens the right to travel to Europe without visas.

After being elected president in 2014, Erdogan chose Davutoglu to succeed him as premier and leader of the AKP party. Davutoglu was expected to play a backseat role as Erdogan pushed ahead with plans to make the largely ceremonial presidency into an all-powerful position.

But the former professor, foreign minister and adviser to Erdogan tried to act independently on a range issues and often proved to be a more moderating force to Erdogan, who has adopted an increasingly authoritarian style of government.

Crisis talks between the former political allies dragged out for nearly two hours late Wednesday but clearly failed to resolve their differences.

Divisions between the Erdogan and Davutoglu camps first spilled into the open over the conflict with Kurdish militants in the southeast.

Erdogan took issue with Davutoglu after he spoke of the possibility of resuming peace talks with the PKK if it withdraws its armed fighters from Turkish territory. Erdogan said in a speech that it was out of the question for the peace process to restart, saying military operations would continue until the very last rebel is killed and the PKK threat is removed.

More fissures were apparent over Davutoglu's opposition to the pre-trial detention of journalists accused of spying and academics accused of voicing support for the PKK. Erdogan spurned Davutoglu and even suggested that anyone deemed to be supportive of extremists should be stripped of citizenship.

Crucially, Davutoglu gave only half-hearted support to a powerful presidential system, which Erdogan wanted to see "rapidly" introduced.
London : A group that is listed as an affiliate of the Muslim Council of Britain has said that women of their faith should not be allowed to travel for more than 48 miles if they are not accompanied by a male escort.

According to a report in the Telegraph, the Blackburn Muslim Association has mandated that a woman has to have her husband by her side or at least a close male relative if she is traveling long distances.

The groups Department of Theology published these instructions in the question and answer section of the site, asserting that traveling alone is not permissible for Muslim women. It also advised women to cover their faces and men to grow beards.

Read: UK Muslim schools segregates male, female staff

The section where these instructions were put up, answers queries of members on social, religious and financial issues based on Sharia laws. The catchphrase of the section was Allah knows best.

Justine Greening, the International Development Secretary, hit out at the Asscociation and called its views disgraceful and that such regressive belief had no place in modern Britain .

Her remarks came after a Tory MP raised the matter in the Commons and wondered if the governments effort to fight for gender equality would be made easier if organisations like the Blackburn Muslim Association were not putting out information to people that women should not be allowed to travel more than 48 miles without a chaperone?.

Leading Mulim scholars too condemned the association for its views and felt it was regressive.

I believe this is offensive in this day and age that such a restriction should be placed on any woman against her wishes. This practice was a very old tradition which had been followed by some when there was no security for women and when women were at risk of being abducted when travelling alone. - this was a tradition at the very beginning of Islam, said Dr Sheik Howjat Ramzy, an Oxford-based scholar and former head of the MCBs education committee.
After 6 years, Newport skate park closer to becoming a reality

Friends of Newport Skatepark has advocated for the city to offer space for a new public skatepark since 2016. Now a plan is in place.
Syrian citizens and firefighters gather at the scene where one of rockets hit the Dubeet hospital in the central neighbourhood. (Photo: AP)

Beirut: A double bomb attack on Thursday in central Syria killed at least 10 civilians and wounded 40 others, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

State television reported that at least six people were killed and 28 seriously wounded in the suicide attack and car bombing in a square in Mukharram al-Fawqani in Homs province.

The area, controlled by President Bashar al-Assad's regime, is located between the cities of Homs and Palmyra, which was recaptured by the Syrian army from jihadists last month.

The blasts come just days after the Islamic State group seized the nearby Shaer gas field, one of the biggest in Homs, in an attack that killed at least 16 regime troops.

The Syrian regime controls most of Homs, the country's largest province, except for certain areas held by rebels or IS.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Windy and becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 77F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low 61F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Dhaka: Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the death sentence of top Islamist party leader Motiur Rahman Nizami for war crimes, paving the way for his execution within days.

Nizami, head of Bangladesh's biggest Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, was convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of intellectuals during the country's 1971 independence struggle.

"We're satisfied. Now there is no bar to execute him unless he seeks clemency from the president and the president pardons him," Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told AFP after the Supreme Court dismissed Nizami's final appeal.

Clemency has never been granted to a convicted war criminal in Bangladesh, and the 73-year-old is likely to be hanged within days.

Security has been stepped up in Dhaka, already tense after a string of killings of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities by suspected Islamist militants.

In 2013 the convictions of Jamaat officials triggered the country's deadliest violence in decades, with around 500 people killed, mainly in clashes between Islamists and police.

Nizami took over as leader of Jamaat in 2000 and was a minister in the Islamist-allied government of 2001-2006.

Prosecutors said he was responsible for setting up the Al-Badr pro-Pakistani militia, which killed top writers, doctors and journalists in the most gruesome chapter of the 1971 conflict.

Their bodies were found blindfolded with their hands tied and dumped in a marsh on the outskirts of the capital. Prosecutors said Nizami ordered the killings, designed to "intellectually cripple" the fledgling nation.

He was convicted in October 2014 by the International Crimes Tribunal, which was established in 2010 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government and has sentenced more than a dozen opposition leaders for war crimes.

Rights groups say the trials fall short of global standards and lack international oversight.

Attorney general Mahbubey Alam told reporters after the judgement, Now there exists no bar in executing the verdict, once the court issues it in writing, which is expected soon."

Several hundred activists of Ganojagaran Mancha, which was waging a campaign for the maximum punishment for war criminals, rallied at Shahbagh area in the capital to rejoice the verdict while 1971 members of 1971 victim families appeared in private TV channels to express their satisfaction.

During the over three-hour review hearing on Tuesday, the court heard both Alam and Nizami's chief counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.

In the apex court, the chief defence counsel appealed to the court to reduce his client's punishment, saying Nizami was not "directly involved" in mass murders, arsons and rapes despite being the Al-Badr chief.

Alam opposed the argument, saying Jamaat had sided with Pakistani troops in carrying out the atrocities during the Liberation War and as the Al-Badr chief, Nizami could not avoid the responsibility.

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) originally sentenced Nizami to death on October 29, 2014 and after an appeal hearing the apex court found the punishment appropriate for him as it pronounced its judgement on January 6 this year.

The prison authorities served Nizami the death warrant on March 16 as the apex court decision reached them in writing through the ICT-BD following the Jamaat chief sought review of the Supreme Court judgement, exhausting his last legal opportunity to overturn the verdict.

"It would be a failure of justice, unless he is handed down the death penalty," the ICT-BD commented as it handed down Nizami the capital punishment in October 2014, convicting him of "superior responsibility" as the chief of the infamous Al-Badr militia forces in 1971.

The so-called elite militia force is blamed for running a systematic campaign to massacre a large number of top Bengali intelligentsia just ahead of Bangladesh's December 16, 1971 victory.

But Nizami was particularly found guilty of systematic killings of more than 450 people alone in his own village home in northwestern Pabna, siding with the Pakistani troops.

Mujaheed, who was also Nizami's top aide then, was executed on November 22 last year along with Chowdhury of BNP, currently the key-opposition outside parliament. They were hanged immediately after President Hamid rejected their mercy petitions.

Bangladesh has so far executed four war crimes convicts since the belated process to expose to trial the top Bengali perpetrators of 1971 atrocities in line with the 2008 electoral commitment of the incumbent government.

Two others, former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam and ex-BNP minister Abdul Alim, earlier were handed down "imprisonment until death" penalty instead of capital punishment on grounds of their old age as they exceeded 80. They subsequently died in the prison cells of a specialised state-run hospital due to old age ailments.
Boo said: Your boy's place in history is secure, he will leave with the worst economic record in history. Record debt, he will be the FIRST President to not have even ONE year with a paltry 3% GDP. Click to expand...

Answer the question. Could you run the country better than him? If yes then you're one arrogant moron. If no, then you're less than a piece of ****. Or, you at least have to admit Obama's not a piece of ****. In any case you lose. So, what's your answer?And in response to your post: He has executive power but little to no legislative power. That's the way the American presidential system works, it focuses so much on checks and balances that often enough stalemates occur. Congress kept blocking Obama's moves to put domestic policies into action, and so in reality we're looking at a terrible Congress.No matter what, Obama will be remembered as the President who got Bin Laden.
Patients with a low-grade type of brain tumor called glioma who received radiation therapy plus a chemotherapy regimen, including procarbazine, lomustine and vincristine (PCV), experienced a longer progression-free survival and overall survival than patients who received radiation therapy alone, according to the results of the clinical trial, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 9802 published in the April 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"This is the first phase III trial to demonstrate conclusively a treatment-related survival benefit for patients with grade 2 glioma," says Jan Buckner, M.D., the study's lead author. Dr. Buckner is an oncologist and chair of the Department of Oncology at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester, Minnesota.

"Our early results, reported at a median patient follow-up of 5.9 years, showed that radiation therapy plus PCV chemotherapy was associated with a statistically significant prolongation of median progression-free survival, but not with overall survival. However, additional follow-up demonstrated an improvement in overall survival as well for these patients," Dr. Buckner says.

Between October 1998 and June 2002, 251 patients with low-grade glioma were enrolled in the RTOG 9802 trial. Patients enrolled were at high risk, compared to other patients with low-grade glioma, because they were 40 or older, or had a less-than-complete surgical removal of their tumor.

Patients were randomized to 1 of 2 trial arms, radiation therapy plus six cycles of PCV chemotherapy or radiation therapy alone. Before treatment, researchers conducted a pathology review on tumor samples and prepared for samples for correlative laboratory studies to assess mutational status and identify prognostic variables.

At a median follow-up time of 11.9 years, 67 percent of enrolled patients were identified as having tumor progression, and 55 percent of patients had died. Patients in the radiation therapy plus PCV chemotherapy arm had longer median survival times, compared with those in the trial arm who received radiation therapy alone (13.3 versus 7.8 years, respectively; p=0.003). Median progression- free survival time for patients receiving radiation therapy plus PCV chemotherapy versus radiation therapy alone was 10.4 years and 4.0 years, respectively. Ten-year, progression-free survival and overall survival rates for patients in the radiation therapy plus PCV chemotherapy arm versus those in the radiation therapy alone arm were 51 percent versus 21 percent and 60 percent versus 40 percent, respectively.

Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

For progression-free survival and overall survival distributions, a difference between treatment arms became apparent only after two to four years following randomization. The favorable prognostic variables researchers identified for progression-free and overall survival included the radiation plus PCV chemotherapy arm and oligodendroglioma histology.

As expected, treatment toxicity was greater in the PCV chemotherapy arm and consistent with patients receiving multiagent chemotherapy regimens. The most common toxicities were fatigue, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, which were mostly grade 12 in severity with the exception of grade 34 neutropenia.

"Our results indicate that initial radiation therapy followed by PCV is necessary to achieve longer survival in patients with grade 2 glioma and that salvage therapy at relapse after radiation therapy alone is less effective," says Dr. Buckner. "It has also been hypothesized that other genetic alterations may be responsible for a small subset of patients whose glial brain tumors are chemotherapy-resistant. However, radiation therapy plus PCV appears to represent the most effective treatment identified to date for the majority of patients with grade 2 glioma," Dr. Buckner says.

While grade 2 glioma constitute only 5 percent to 10 percent of all brain tumors, they are responsible for progressive neurologic symptoms and premature death in nearly all patients diagnosed with this type of brain tumor.

"RTOG 9802 involves a network of investigators across the U.S. and Canada working through the National Cancer Institute's National Clinical Trials Network," says Dr. Buckner. "This trial could only have been conducted through a publicly funded national clinical trials network."
The quality of anaesthesia services at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals has been recognised with accreditation from the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

The Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) is a mark of quality that recognises good practice across anaesthesia services.

Sheffield received praise for the services leadership and ethos, care pathway, equipment, facilities and staffing, patient experience and clinical governance.

Only eleven other hospitals in the country have full ACSA status, and Sheffield is the largest Trust to receive it.

Accreditation was awarded after a period of self-assessment and an ASCA review team visit to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Northern General Hospital and Jessop Wing maternity hospital.

Clinical care was found to be exceptionally well organised and delivered, with the review team confident patients receive very good service. The services pro-active ethos also impressed.

Consultant Anaesthetist Dr Guy Veall said: This is a prestigious award that will provide our patients with the reassurance that they will receive top quality care during surgical operations conducted here at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

Whilst we are flattered by the comments made by the Royal College it is important to recognise the huge commitment and hard work undertaken by all members of our team in this success.

The Accreditation scheme is a very new one but we felt that the service that we provide is of such high quality that we could demonstrate this against the high standards required by our national standard setting body.

Under the scheme the Trust will also benefit from ongoing support and advice with service improvement work.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals is one of the UKs largest NHS Foundation Trusts and one of the largest and busiest teaching hospitals. We have over 15,000 staff caring for over a million patients each year at our five hospitals and in the local community:

The Royal Hallamshire Hospital

The Northern General Hospital

Charles Clifford Dental Hospital

Weston Park Cancer Hospital

Jessop Wing Maternity Hospital

We offer a full range of local hospital and community health services for people in Sheffield as well as specialist hospital services to patients from further afield in our many specialist centres. The Trust is recognised internationally for its work in neurosciences, spinal injuries, renal, cancer, transplantation, neurosciences and orthopaedics.

The Trust has been awarded the title of Hospital Trust of the Year in the Good Hospital Guide three times in five years and we are proud to be one of the top 20% of NHS Trusts for patient satisfaction.

The Trust is a recognised leader in medical research for bone, cardiac, neurosciences and long term conditions such as diabetes and lung disease. We also play a key role in the training and education of medical, nursing and dental students with our academic partners, including the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam.
New knowledge: Children with ADHD sleep both poorly and less

A new study from Aarhus University has now documented that there is some truth to the claim by parents of children with ADHD that their children have more difficulty falling asleep and that they sleep more poorly than other children.

Studies have shown that up to seventy per cent of parents of children with ADHD report that the children have difficulty falling asleep and that they spend a long time putting them to bed. However, scientific studies that measure sleep quality using electrodes have so far failed to demonstrate a correlation between sleep quality and ADHD. But a new Danish study now shows that children with ADHD actually do sleep worse than other children:

"Our study will confirm what many parents have experienced, which is that children with ADHD take longer to fall asleep at night. With our measurements we can also see that these children experience more disturbed sleep including less deep sleep. If you only look at length of sleep, children in the ADHD group sleep for 45 minutes less than children in the control group," says PhD from Aarhus University and medical doctor at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital, Risskov, Anne Virring Srensen, who is behind the PhD study.

Two out of three children with ADHD have one or more additional psychiatric diagnoses in addition to ADHD, which probably increases the risk of sleep disturbance. But even when the researchers look at the children who have only been diagnosed with ADHD, they see a big difference in the sleep patterns of the control group and the ADHD group.

Opposite sleep patterns during the day

The researchers also studied sleep patterns during the day. The findings surprised the researchers.

"Unlike in the evening we could see that there was a tendency for the children with ADHD to fall asleep faster during the day than the children in the control group. This is somewhat surprising when you take into account that ADHD is associated with characteristics such as hyperactivity. But this hyperactivity could be compensatory behaviour for not being able to doze off during the day" says Anne Virring Srensen.

The fact that researchers have not previously been able to demonstrate a correlation between ADHD and poorer sleep could be due to different measuring methods.

"In our study the children had electrodes attached to their heads for what is known as a polysomnography at the hospital in the afternoon, but they slept in their familiar home surroundings. In previous studies children have been admitted to specialist sleep centres at hospital to measure sleep via a polysomnographic study," says Anne Virring Srensen.

Many children with ADHD are currently given medicine to help them fall asleep. Anne Virring Srensen emphasises that none of the children received medicine while taking part in the study.
Computer simulations of disease processes and detailed digital models of our organs could provide more accurate monitoring and outcome measurements for clinical trials, according to research being presented in Sheffield today.

Musculoskeletal models: Simulation of walking using a subject specific musculoskeletal model. Experimental markers used in motion capture are represented as redspheres. Muscles are colored blue or red depending on their level of activation (blue: inactive, red: active)

Visitors to this years Insigneo Showcase (5th May at The Octagon Centre in Sheffield) will hear how in silico medicine - computer simulations of the human body and its disease processes  can help improve diagnosis and prognosis for conditions like Parkinsons and pulmonary vascular disease. Although ultimately destined for the clinic, the technology looks likely to move quickly into use within clinical trials, as it can enable more effective monitoring of the impact of new drugs and treatments.

Insigneo Institute Research Lab: An image of the facilities at the Insigneo Institute

The University of Sheffields Insigneo Institute is Europes largest research centre dedicated to this innovative approach to medicine. The Insigneo Institute hosts an annual showcase bringing together some of the worlds leading in silico experts, with clinical translation as the theme of this years event.

At this years Showcase, Dr Andy Swift, Insigneo Senior Clinical Research fellow, will present his work to develop a model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) using MRI technology. Currently the condition is diagnosed by inserting a catheter into the patient, often in the neck or groin to test the pressure in the pulmonary artery. Its an invasive test that can be distressing to the patient.

Inside the viewing room: The viewing room, protected from the X rays by lead glass, is currently the province of the Physiologist, who monitors the patients blood pressure, heart rate and heart rhythm. In the future, the Radiographer will be able to run the VirtuHeart system and let the Cardiologist know, within minutes of completion of the angiogram, whether and where stents should be inserted."

Dr Swift and his team have developed a non-invasive test that uses MRI scan data to quantify changes that occur in the heart and provide an equivalent pressure reading. His model combines data on hypertrophy (the thickening of the heart muscle of the right ventricle), distortion of the septum (the wall which separates the right and left ventricles), distortion of the artery and the forward and backward flow waves in the pulmonary artery.

In a recent study of data from 450 patients, researchers were able to use the model to diagnose PAH accurately.

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Two-thirds of the patients we assessed could be correctly diagnosed with PAH using our model, which meant only those patients where diagnosis was unclear would have had to have the catheter test if this was in full clinical use, said Dr Swift. Many clinical trials in pulmonary hypertension also use the catheter test as an outcome measure, but it could provide a significant advantage to be able to replace it with a less invasive MRI scan, as our model also provides more detailed information on physical changes to the heart itself.

At the showcase, Dr Swift will discuss the role of modelling data from MRI in patients treated at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Neurological disorders such as Parkinsons disease, where there are no objective measures of disease progression, is another area where in silico medicine could be used in a trial setting to test the effectiveness of new treatments.

Insigneo Senior Clinical Fellow Dr Alisdair McNeill will present his work on the use of gait analysis to develop a model able to assess disease progression in neurological disorders. He is working initially with patients with 22q11 deletion syndrome (a chromosomal defect), who are at high risk of developing Parkinsons disease.

There are known to be changes to gait that are linked to Parkinsons disease, such as shortening of step length, said Dr McNeill. Our model will use data including walking speed, step length and rhythm of walking plus other parameters to see if we can pick up changes as the disease progresses or at risk individuals develop Parkinsonism. Although this type of analysis is less likely to be easily translated to the clinic, it could be very effective for clinical trials, as so many of the current tests for progression of Parkinsons disease and impact of treatments are very subjective and not sensitive to changes in clinical state.

In addition to presentations on the latest research from the Insigneo Institute, the Showcase will also feature presentations and debates involving some of the most prestigious names in in silico medicine from across the world, including Frederic Turquier (Director, Research and Development, Surgical Innovations, Medtronic); Norbert Graf (Professor in Paediatric Oncology, University of Saarland, Germany); and Peter Varga (Director, National Center for Spinal Disorders, Budapest, Hungary).

Marco Viceconti, Executive Director at the Insigneo Institute said:

At the Insigneo Institute, our work aims to use the speed and accuracy of digital modelling to bring substantial benefits, both to clinical care and clinical trials.

The Insigneo Institute is at the forefront of clinical translation  ensuring that the developments in the laboratory benefit patients as quickly as possible.

In the future, such detailed digital models of diseases and the structure of organs could be used to help diagnose conditions, understand the impact of surgical interventions and even run digital drug trials. The presentations and debates at this years Insigneo Showcase show how both research and industry are moving closer towards this goal. Marco added.
A new University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus study finds that hormones in breast milk may impact the development of healthy bacteria in infants' guts, potentially protecting them from intestinal inflammation, obesity and other diseases later in life.

The study, published Monday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, examines the role of human milk hormones in the development of infants' microbiome, a bacterial ecosystem in the digestive system that contributes to multiple facets of health.

"This is the first study of its kind to suggest that hormones in human milk may play an important role in shaping a healthy infant microbiome," said Bridget Young, co-first author and assistant professor of pediatric nutrition at CU Anschutz. "We've known for a long time that breast milk contributes to infant intestinal maturation and healthy growth. This study suggests that hormones in milk may be partly responsible for this positive impact through interactions with the infant's developing microbiome."

Researchers found that levels of insulin and leptin in the breast milk were positively associated with greater microbial diversity and families of bacteria in the infants' stool. Insulin and leptin were associated with bacterial functions that help the intestine develop as a barrier against harmful toxins, which help prevent intestinal inflammation. By promoting a stronger intestinal barrier early in life, these hormones also may protect children from chronic low-grade inflammation, which can lead to a host of additional digestive problems and diseases.

In addition, researchers found significant differences in the intestinal microbiome of breastfed infants who are born to mothers with obesity compared to those born to mothers of normal weight. Infants born to mothers with obesity showed a significant reduction in gammaproteobacteria, a pioneer species that aids in normal intestinal development and microbiome maturation.

Gammaproteobacteria have been shown in mice and newborn infants to cause a healthy amount inflammation in their intestines, protecting them from inflammatory and autoimmune disorders later in life. The 2-week-old infants born to obese mothers in this study had a reduced number of gammaproteobacteria in the infant gut microbiome.

"I eagerly anticipate our follow-up studies to know whether these early results will help us understand what factors help make up a healthier immune system in infants born to obese mothers over the first year of life," said Jed Friedman, corresponding author and professor of pediatrics at CU Anschutz. "What happens if you restore these bacteria in the infant born to an obese mother remains an open question."

To examine the role of breast milk hormones, leptin and insulin, researchers analyzed the bacteria present in stool samples from 30 two-week-old infants who were exclusively breastfed -18 infants born to normal weight mothers and 12 born to obese mothers. The researchers not only analyzed what bacteria were growing, but the metabolism of the bacteria that were active in the infants' intestines.

"Just like children learn language and social cues as they grow, their digestive system learns how to regulate itself," said co-first author Dominick Lemas, now an assistant professor at the University of Florida. "What we've found is that hormones in breast milk are linked to the development of infants' microbiome, potentially having long-term effects on children's intestinal and autoimmune health."

Young and Lemas hypothesize that human milk hormones affect the microbiome by binding to specific receptors in the infants' intestines. These hormones may stimulate the body to produce proteins, called anti-microbial peptides, which kill off certain types of bad bacteria and may stimulate infant intestinal cells to secrete molecules that allow good bacteria to flourish.

Source: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Monday, 1 May will see ITL celebrate an important milestone, as the company marks three years since launching its US operation, ITL Virginia.

ITL began operating from Richmond, Virginia in May 2013 and has been evolving ever since. Initially providing servicing and aftersales support for products manufactured by ITL in the UK and sold in to the US market, the Virginia facility is now working towards providing a domestic contract manufacturing service. It also provides a route to market for companies looking to break in to the US medical device market. As well as expanding into manufacturing, ITL VA now offers a pay-as-you-go medical device consultancy service for product development too.

The milestone has given the company an opportunity to reflect on the success to date and look to the future.

Thomas Jull, ITL VA's Vice President, said:

This is an exciting milestone for ITL Virginia and its fantastic to realise what weve achieved over the past three years. Since setting up our operation weve made great progress on growing our footprint in the U.S and building our customer base Weve made substantial developments since setting up here - last year we were able to move to a larger facility and obtain FDA GMP certification. This year weve been able to recruit new talent and grow our expert team. Opening an office here has always been a customer-focused decision  and a decision that has enabled us to better serve our American customers. Our presence in the US has opened up immeasurable new opportunities  and it looks like weve got an optimistic future ahead of us.

Home to over 200 life science companies and with great connections and support available, Greater Richmond has proved itself to be the ideal location for the US division.

ITL VA will continue its mission to grow its reputation in the US, organically expand its customer base and hep bring more ground-breaking medical innovations to market.
Researchers have found that a variety of conditions are more common in women before and after sexual assault.

Compared with women without a known assault experience, those who experienced sexual assault were more likely to have diseases of the circulatory and respiratory systems, epilepsy, and liver disease, both before and after the assault. They were also more likely to develop cervical cancer after the assault.

The investigators also found that the number of visits to a general practitioner was significantly higher in exposed women both before and after the assault. Complications associated with childbirth were not statistically different between the groups.

"The susceptibility of women exposed to a sexual assault is demonstrated by an increased somatic morbidity before as well as after the assault," said Dr. Mie-Louise Larsen, lead author of the Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica study, which included 2,501 women who attended the Centre for Victims of Sexual Assault in Copenhagen and 10,004 women without a known assault experience.
A simple arm test that employs a novel wearable technology can rapidly and accurately identify physiological frailty in older adults, according to study results published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons in advance of print publication.

Older adults undergo 35.3 percent of inpatient procedures and 32.1 percent of outpatient procedures in the United States, according to the National Hospital Discharge Survey. As the population continues to age, and the rate of surgical procedures in older adults is likely to increase, accurate tools to assess risk of adverse outcomes are more necessary than ever. Frailty--a condition characterized by weight loss, weakness, and lack of physical resiliency--is how a physician tells whether an aging patient is healthy and could probably recover from an operation.

Although frailty is one indicator of postoperative complications and disability, a quick and simple frailty assessment tool is not yet available for trauma settings. The aim of this study was to find out if a biotechnology-based test was a reliable and practical tool when used on bed-bound trauma patients.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and University of Arizona, Tucson, developed a 20-second upper arm extension test (called upper extremity frailty: UEF system) to assess biomarkers of frailty such as slowness of motion, weakness, and exhaustion. The research team previously validated this novel wearable technology, which uses sensors found in cell phones in community-dwelling older adults.

"This test provides valuable information to help trauma surgeons decide whether a patient can tolerate an operation, how long they should keep a patient in the hospital, how they should manage the discharge process, specifically, whether the patient should go home or to a nursing facility," said study investigator Bijan Najafi, PhD, professor of surgery and director of the Interdisciplinary Consortium on Advanced Motion Performance (iCAMP) at Baylor College of Medicine.

The study involved 101 patients, 65 years and older, who had been admitted to the hospital due to traumatic falls. Frailty was measured using the Trauma-Specific Frailty Index (TSFI), a questionnaire that is considered the gold standard for assessing this disabling condition. (The downside of the TSFI is that it is a subjective and time-consuming tool that is difficult to use for routine care in busy hospitals). The patients then performed the 20-second arm extension test while wearing the UEF system. The agreement between UEF score and TSFI was quantified using the Pearson Correlation test, which yields a correlation score (r-value) with a range from -1.0 to 1.0, whereby the value closer to one equals perfect agreement with the TSFI, meaning that both measures are exactly the same.

The data showed a high agreement (r=0.72; an r value greater than 0.7 is considered to be high agreement) between the TSFI score and UEF system. The second research goal was to evaluate the traditional patient who cannot undergo the standard walking test, by using this technology as an alternative measure. The timed walking test (gait asessment) involves instructing a patient to stand from a chair, walk 10 feet, then return to the chair and sit. In the study, 57 percent of the patients were not able to walk at the time the measurements were taken.

"The study demonstrated that we can get the similar results as gait assessment by testing the kinematic and kinetic of the upper arm and elbow flexion extension," Dr. Najafi said. "This finding is very valuable because gait assessment is often not practical in a busy hospital setting. Even if patients can stand up and walk, usually there is often no adequate space in a hospital that can be used for gait assessment without distraction. Therefore, having an alternate modality that can deliver similar results could be very important for the evaluation of frailty, moving ability and the prediction of adverse events."

The researchers also performed the test to predict the moving ability of patients before admission to the hospital. The data showed significant correlations between UEF markers and the number of falls patients had within a prior year. The highest correlation was seen for elbow flexion slowness (r=0.41; this value shows the correlation is significant).

"Despite the fact that the test is very simple and convenient, we have demonstrated very promising results compared to other conventional tests that have been used," Dr. Najafi said. "We are using bio sensors in an innovative way. There is a big gap in the medical field for this type of tool, and we hope to close this gap."
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have demonstrated that distinct types of glioblastoma, the most common form of brain cancer in adults, tend to develop in different regions of the brain. This finding provides an explanation for how the same cancer-causing mutation can give rise to different types of brain malignancies. Results of the study were published in the May 2 online edition of Oncotarget.

"It is now well-documented that cancers that look the same under the microscope actually contain different genetic changes, or mutations, and respond differently to therapy," said Clark Chen, MD, PhD, senior author and vice-chair of research and academic development in the Division of Neurosurgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "What remains unclear is how the exact, same mutation can give rise to different subtypes of tumor."

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To study this mystery, Chen's team developed a new computational method to define where different glioblastoma subtypes develop in the brain. Using clinical images derived from 217 brain tumor patients, Chen's team discovered that proneural and neural glioblastoma subtypes tend to occur closer to the center of the brain in a region called the subventricular zone (SVZ). In contrast, mesenchymal and classical glioblastoma subtypes tend to develop farther from this region.

The subventricular zone is a unique region of the brain where neural stem cells, which ultimately give rise to all cell types in the brain, reside. During brain development, these stem cells migrate outward from the center region. During this process, the stem cells transform into the dozen or so different cell types that compose the human brain.

"Our study suggests that if a cancer-causing mutation occurs in the neural stem cell population in the SVZ, it gives rise to the proneural or the neural glioblastoma subtype. On the other hand, if the same mutation occurs in a different cell population located farther away from the SVZ, it will give rise to other subtypes," said Chen.

Through a mouse model of glioblastoma developed by Lionel Chow, MD, PhD, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Chen's team was able to confirm this hypothesis. In Chow's model, all glioblastomas arise as a result of the same mutations. Nevertheless, the brain tumors that form closer to the SVZ tend to be proneural or neural subtypes, while tumors form farther from the SVZ tend to be classical or mesenchymal subtypes.

"Because glioblastoma subtypes respond differently to distinct therapies, subtype discrimination will be increasingly important," said Bob Carter, MD, PhD, chair of neurosurgery at UC San Diego Health. "Refinement of this non-invasive method for determining glioblastoma subtypes may achieve the goal of personalizing glioblastoma therapy without subjecting our patients to surgery."
Thiruvanthapuram: The post-mortem report of Kerala Dalit law student revealed that there were at least 38 injuries on her body, including bite marks. The cause of death is strangulation and internal injuries, the report added.



According to police, the 30-year-old woman, hailing from a poor family, was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp-edged weapons before being murdered at her house at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28.



The crime has been dubbed "Kerala's Nirbhaya" for its chilling similarities to the gang-rape in 2012 of a young Delhi student on a moving bus.



She was found dead in a pool of blood at her one room home at 8 PM on the same day by her mother when she returned from work.



Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav had said there were signs of strangulation, smothering and injuries on the woman's neck, chest and at several other places of the body. Some reports said that the victim's intestines were spilled out.







(With additional information from PTI)
Mumbai: The prosecution on Wednesday wrapped up its argument opposing the bail application of former media baron Peter Mukerjea arrested by CBI in Sheena Bora murder case.



Special public prosecutors Bharat Badami and Kavita Patil argued that investigation was still underway and CBI will be placing more documents related to the case before the court.



"Though Peter was in the UK (in April 2012 when the murder took place), he was in constant touch with (his wife and prime accused) Indrani," Badami said.



The murder was a fall-out of a conspiracy to which every accused was party, he noted. CBI also submitted the case diary before the court.



Investigation was at a crucial stage and tampering with the evidence was possible if the bail was granted, the lawyers added.



Peter's bail application had been rejected once earlier. He was arrested on November 19, 2016. Other arrested accused are Indrani, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyamvar Rai.



Indrani, Rai and Khanna allegedly strangled Sheena (24), Indrani's daughter from earlier relationship, inside a car in April 2012. The crime came to light last August.



According to CBI, the crime was linked to financial transactions.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi stresses on 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao', in a Haryana village girls face the threat of getting raped while commuting to and fro from their homes to school in a neighbouring village.



The fear has resulted in most of the girl students of a village in Rewari district of the state giving up school after local boys allegedly gangraped a class nine student in April.



After the incident, the local panchayat decided not to send girls of the village to another.



Amar, a village resident, said, "We spoke to the minister but no solution has been found. We have decided to teach our children in the village only."



His sentiments are shared by others. Jitendra, another resident, too, opines that they would ensure the education of their children in the village itself.



The girls have appealed to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and the Prime Minister to upgrade the village school so they can continue their studies without fear.



Though the local administration has deployed police personnel outside schools and colleges to reassure the students, officials have also asked the girls to be on the alert.



Pooja Dabla, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rewari, said, "We have positioned people around the school and institutions."



'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' has been projected as a priority of the Modi government and is talked about by Haryana government too. But looking at the ground reality, it seems it is proving to be nothing more than a mere election slogan.




Mumbai: The Mumbai Sessions Court has convicted all four accused in the Keenan-Reuben murder case. The four convicts -- Jitendra Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhaj and Dipak Tival -- have been given life imprisonment for the murder of the two youngsters.



On October 20, 2011, Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez were stabbed outside Amboli Bar and Kitchen in Mumbais suburb of Andheri West when they confronted a group of men who tried to molest their female friends.



While Keenan died on the same day, Reuben was admitted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries 10 days later. The incident sparked mass outrage and then the Maharashtra Government ordered a high-level probe.



Before the court pronounced the judgement, Rana pleaded in court for lenience, citing he has a family to support. "I have a family and a child. I have never done anything like this before," he said on Thursday.



The state government had in 2012 shifted the case to a fast-track court, but the case dragged on for four years.


After the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, two other defence deal signed during the UPA 2 regime are under the NDA government's scanner. According to government sources, the Defence Ministry has ordered probe into the selection of the Pilatus and Rafale deals.



The decision to probe the two deals comes even as the government and the opposition are engaged in a fierce battle over the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. While the government has accused the Congress leadership of corruption, the opposition has accused them of inaction in the alleged scam case.



Sources said that names of officers involved in Agusta negotiations have already been given to the Enforcement Directorate. The Defence Ministry has also asked the ED and the CBI to fast-track the Agusta scam probe.



In May 2015, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had said that UPA government's proposed deal for 126 Rafale fighter jets was economically unviable and not required.



He had also raised questions on the tendering process initiated by former defence minister AK Antony. According to Parrikar, his predecessor had "hammered" the tender in such a way that the Rafale deal would have never seen the light of the day.



Rafale had won the MMRCA deal in 2012 to supply 126 fighters at a then estimated cost of Rs 42,000 crore. The MMRCA race had seen six vendors - Russia's MIG-35 (RAC MiG), Swedish JAS-39 (Gripen), Dassault Rafale (France), American F-16 Falcon (Lockheed Martin), Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and Eurofighter Typhoon (made by a consortium of British, German, Spanish and Italian firms)  taking part.



Under the terms of purchase, the first 18 MMRCA aircrafts were supposed to come in a 'fly away' condition while the remaining 108 manufactured under Transfer of Technology.



The Indian Air Force has already started inducting Swiss made basic trainer aircraft Pilatus. The aircraft is used for basic training of all IAF pilots, in addition to those of the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Police on Thursday detained two migrant labourers in connection with the death of 30-year-old Dalit woman, who was allegedly raped and brutally murdered in Perumbavoor.



The Kerala government has formed a 20-member team to probe the case. The Deputy Superintendent of Police of Perumbavoor area has also been replaced to handle law and order situation.



The police on Wednesday had released a sketch of a suspect. The post-mortem conducted at Alapuzha Medical College Hospital confirmed that the victim was subjected to brutal torture and rape. Her body bore 38 wounds, big and small.



With the incident snowballing into an embarrassment for the state which is in the midst of campaign for May 16 assembly elections, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy met the victim's family. He assured that government would spare no efforts in bringing the culprits to book.







The government on Wednesday announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the woman. A government job will also be provided to the sister of the woman, an official press release said.



The law student was subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered. She was found dead in a pool of blood at her one room home at 8 PM on the same day by her mother when she returned from work.
New Delhi: Spanish premium fashion brand Massimo Dutti will be making its debut in India with the launch of its first store here on May 13.



The Massimo Dutti store is poised to start operations in the national capital at Select CityWalk Mall here with 5027 square feet of retail space and will house womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories and personal tailoring, read a statement.



The opening will mark the foray of the Spanish premium brand into the Indian market at the behest of Inditex, the Spanish retail group which owns the brand.



Quality lies at the heart of the Massimo Dutti collections which offer contemporary styles in next generation fabrics. Globally, the brand has 755 stores across 73 countries.
The ongoing spat of Kangana Ranaut and Hrithik Roshan has gained attention of every who's who of the industry. While a lot of people decided to stay mum on the subject, Amitabh Bachchan on Thursday expressed admiration for the three time National Award winning actor Kangana Ranaut. The two of them were snapped together at the awards ceremony celebrating their victories.



The actor, who visited Mumbai for the trailer launch of his upcoming film 'Te3n' said that its difficult to judge what a person is going through by just sitting next to her. While addressing the reporters present at the press conference, the veteran actor said, "Kisi ke bagal main beeth ke hume kese pata chalke ke unke vyawahar kaisa hai ya unpar kya beet rahi hai yeh kisi ko kaise pata ho sakta hai" (How can one know what a person is going through just by sitting next to that person?)



The actor also added that he's a big admirer of Kangana Ranaut. "I am a big admirer of Kangana Ranaut. She is a wonderful actor, he said.



The two actors have been involved in a nasty feud since the 'Queen' actor allegedly called Hrithik her 'silly ex'. The whole scenario turned ugly when both of them slapped legal notices on each other. While Hrithik was the first to send the legal notice, he demanded an apology from the latter to which Kangana responded by saying she wasn't a 'dim-witted' teenager and sent off a counter-notice to the 'Bang Bang' actor.














SRK must learn from mistakes of kamal and not listen to near n dear ones who are stopping him from becoming a Mega Rajnikant.  Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) April 23, 2016

: Maverick filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who earlier lashed out at superstar Shah Rukh Khan, saying that he might lose his star status to Salman Khan just like Kamal Haasan did to Rajinikanth, has clarified that his statement was a 'compliment' for him.Varma took to Twitter on April 23 to question Shah Rukh's movie selection process, saying that he "should learn from Kamal's mistakes and just be (like) Salman".Asked to justify his statement on the 'Chennai Express' star, Varma, who was in the capital on Wednesday to promote his forthcoming film 'Veerappan', said: "It is still the same. It was a compliment (for Shah Rukh). I am a fan of Shah Rukh Khan and I would like to see him as a star and not just anything else.In a series of tweets previously, the 'Satya' filmmaker took digs at Shah Rukh's recent decision to turn into an obsessed fan in "Fan". He also lashed out at the upcoming Aanand L. Rai's project in which Shah Rukh will be seen as a dwarf and hinted at Kamal Hassan's "Appu Raja".He shared: "Megastar SRK becoming ordinary fan, dwarf etc. is as big a same blunder as what Kamal Haasan did to lose his stardom to Rajinikanth (Salman Khan). Kamal was as big a superstar as Rajinikanth till he started doing dwarf, fat, tall etc. and as a fan, I hope SRK doesn't listen to wrong advisers."He added: "SRK must learn from mistakes of Kamal and not listen to near and dear ones who are stopping him from becoming a Mega Rajinikanth."The 'Satya' director also shared that "great actors" are available in abundance, but being a star comes as a blessing.He shared: "Great actors are dime a dozen in NSD (National School of Drama), stage etc whereas stars like SRK come blessed by God/Allah/Buddha etc, which is what SRK is not realising. Clint Eastwood super star for 30 years being himself and then is critics Hero. I don't believe in God but as fan I pray to Allah SRK realises truth".
The Karnataka government on Thursday ordered an inquiry into reports that eight goats were sacrificed at a soma yaga conducted by a group of Sankethi Brahmins near Shimoga in Karnataka.



"The government has sought a detailed report from the Shimoga Deputy Commissioner. Animal sacrifices are banned by law. We will decide what to do next, once we get a detailed report. We can't act on media reports," state Law Minister TB Jayachandra told News18.



Shimoga district Deputy Commissioner (DC) VP Ikkeri said he has already asked zilla panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to get a detailed report from the spot.



Under the Karnataka Prevention of Animal Sacrifices Act (1959) sacrifice of animals and birds in temples or other places of worship is banned.



The ancient ritual reportedly took place at Srikantapura village near Shimoga city, in which participants sacrificed goats and partook of soma rasa ( ritual brew).



The ceremony came under severe criticism, from both animal rights activists and members of other Brahmin communities in the state. Brahmins in the southern parts of the country are vegetarians.



Sanskrit scholar Dr Sanath Kumar, who had presided over the yaga , first defended the ritual saying it was his religious right, and then in the space of 24 hours, changed his statement twice to say no sacrifice took place.



Commenting on the pictures that went viral, Sanath Kumar said the goats were only tied to a pole near the fireplace as per religious tradition and that they were not sacrificed.



Local villagers, however, contradicted him saying the animal sacrifices were held during the five-day yaga. Local media reports even claimed the yaga was held on behalf of a top political leader in Tamil Nadu.
AUDITIONS

The Majestic Theatre will hold a free audition-workshop for kids from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 7, for the chance to perform in Majestic Adventure Theatre Day Camp production of Disneys The Jungle Book. Kids will be able to meet directors Cherie Gullerud, Chuck Skinner and Stephanie McCormick, as well as student staff members Brenna McCullough, Daniel Abbes and Juliana Rodriguez. The workshop-audition serves as the primary audition for the production, but all students that sign up for the camp will be in the production. The performance-based day camp experience will run July 18 - 30, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This for kids ages 6 to 18. The cost for the two week camp is $350 for Corvallis residents and $437.50 for out of city residents, with a $100 discount for siblings. For more information, majestic.org/audition-info.

The Majestic Readers Theatre will hold auditions at 7:30 p.m. May 9 and 10 for the The Full Monty. Call backs will come May 11. The musical comedy directed by Ruth Mandsager with musical direction by Jim Martinez is based on the movie. The directors are looking to cast 12 to 15 men, 8 to 10 women and 1 boy. The performances are September 30 through October 16. For more information about auditions and specific roles or crewing this production, contact director Ruth Mandsager at rudyeleven@me.com.

Oregon State University Theatre will hold auditions for the summer production of Bard in the Quad at 6 p.m. May 15 and 16, in the Withycombe Hall Main Stage Theatre, 2901 S.W. Campus Way, Corvallis. Call backs will come May 17, if needed. Bard in the Quad, an annual production featuring Shakespeare plays in a casual, outdoor summer atmosphere, will return for its eleventh season with a production of the romantic comedy, Loves Labours Lost. Performances run Aug. 4 8, and 11  14. A full-text version of the script is available online at http://shakespeare.mit.edu/lll/full.html. Those auditioning should read the script beforehand and be prepared to perform cold readings and movement exercises. Auditions are open to all students, staff, faculty and community members.

Albany Civic Theater, 111 First Ave. W., Albany, will hold auditions at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 16, and Tuesday, May 17, for Neil Simons classic comedy The Odd Couple, directed by Shauna Kiefiuk. Call backs will come May 18. The production calls for a cast of six men and two women. Performances for The Odd Couple will be July 15-30 at the Albany Civic Theater. For more information on specific roles, see https://www.facebook.com/events/118645448479059 or contact director Shauna Kiefiuk at theatregirl21@yahoo.com.

Lebanon Association for Theater Arts (LAFTA) will hold auditions at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 16, and Tuesday, May 17, for its production of Oklahoma at Cascades Elementary School, 2163 S. Seventh St., Lebanon. Call backs will come May 18. People wont have to prepare a solo, but should come prepared to sing. Performances are August 2-8. For more information on specific roles, email lafta.board@gmail.com.

The Majestic Theatre, 115 S.W. Second St., Corvallis, will hold auditions at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 16, and Tuesday, May 17, for the Tony Award-winning play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, written by Christopher Durang and directed by Sarah Sheldrick. Call backs will come May 18. Play description below. People interested in auditioning should be prepared for a lip sync battle. Come prepared with a song of your choice to perform for about 90 seconds to show your physicality of character and imaginative energy. Bring one song on a CD or Youtube Link, for tech person clearly identify the time codes you will be performing. People will also be asked to read short scenes to see different combinations. Scripts will be available for check out at the Majestic Business Office, beginning on April 18. Performances will be August 19-28. For more information, see majestic.org/audition-info or contact director Sarah Sheldrick at s.sheldrick@gmail.com.

WRITING WORKSHOPS

The Majestic Theatre invites beginning writers of fiction and nonfiction (ages 15 and up) to Dip Your Toes in Prose! with a new writing workshop from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday May 14. Intrigued by creative writing, but can't commit to a nine week course? Have a great idea for a short story, but can't get it off the ground? This workshop is just what you need! It includes prompts to get you started, tips for muffling your inner critique, and easy techniques for writing entertaining stories that will create a colorful movie in your readers' minds. Bring paper and pencils, memories and/or your fiction ideas. The workshop will be taught by award-winning author and Calyx editor, C. Lil Ahrens. The cost is $50 for residents and $62 for non-residents. Nine openings remain. The last day to register is May 13. For more information and to register online for the class, see https://apm.activecommunities.com/corvparksandrecreation/Activity_Search/21777.
Kolkata: Hitting out at the opposition and the Centre for creating "an emergency type situation" during the Assembly polls, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she felt "ashamed" to witness the "most scandalous and malicious" poll campaign in the history of Bengal politics.



"The Central forces have created a havoc. In the name of conducting polls they have created an emergency like situation. They have stopped voters, heckled handicapped voters, misbehaved with candidates of our parties. We have never witnessed such a scenario in Bengal."



"We have also conducted Panchayat polls in 2013 and municipal elections but not a single person died during that period. But in last two months, about 12 of my party workers have been killed," she said.



Banerjee said the central forces tried to intimidate the voters by asking them whether they were voting in favour of opposition CPIM, BJP or ruling TMC.



Expressing confidence of returning to power for the second time, Banerjee said she can feel the "positive" pulse of the masses more than the leaders of opposition parties.



"I always stay with the masses throughout the year. I can feel their pulse and read their body language. They are with me. They are with TMC. The so-called alliance by Congress and CPIM is a desperate attempt by both the parties to save themselves from being irrelevant in the state politics," Banerjee said.



The Chief Minister said she felt ashamed as there has been so much scandalous and malicious campaign by the opposition political parties in the ongoing state Assembly polls.



"There has been so much of malicious and scandalous poll campaign by political parties that I feel ashamed. Never before in the history of Bengal there has been so much of malicious campaigning," Banerjee said.



Over 81% electorate exercised their franchise in the polling for the fifth and penultimate phase of West Bengal Assembly election on April 30.
New Delhi: Taking a jibe at the foreign visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday alleged the opposition tried to ensure the failure of odd-even scheme as the initiative was being praised "world over".



He said the opposition was worried after Delhi government's scheme was praised by a noted international magazine.



"They had a fear. After the last odd-even, there were talks about it world over. Even Fortune magazine discussed about it....(Modi) is going around the globe, but not being praised," he said, without taking Modi's name.



"The AAP government people did not visit a single place, but even then they are being discussed world over. So they thought the odd-even scheme has to fail" Kejriwal said.



He was speaking at the 'thanks-giving' event to celebrate the odd-even "success."



Kejriwal said the opposition tried to ensure the failure of the scheme from day one.



"They tried to orchestrate a strike of auto-drivers but all of them are with the AAP government and their (opposition) first attempt failed.



"Then their MP (Vijay Goel) said that he will do a 'civil disobedience' movement and violate the odd-even scheme. Not a single person stood behind him, not even his party men. They resorted to setting fire in Bhalswa and Gazipur (dumpyards).



All their attempts failed. Truth cannot be hidden," Kejriwal said.
Polling has begun for the sixth and final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections covering 25 constituencies in two districts. 170 candidates, including 18 women, are in the fray for the last phase.

An electorate of over 58 lakh is eligible to cast their ballots at 6,774 polling stations between 7 AM to 6 PM. For the first time since Independence, residents of border enclaves in Cooch Behar district will be able to exercise their franchise, thanks to the formal inclusion of the enclaves in the Indian territory in 2015.

Maintaining a tight security cover, the poll panel has deployed 361 companies of central forces who are assisted by a contingent of 12,000 state police personnel.

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The Uttar Pradesh Government on Thursday turned down Centre's help for providing water to the drought-affected Bundelkhand region in the state. The train with 10 water wagons reached Jhansi on Thursday and was scheduled to arrive at Mahoba on May 6. But the UP Government refused to let the train enter the region claiming there was no need for additional water.



Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's government reportedly wrote to the Railway Ministry that UP does not have a Latur-like water crisis and will inform the Centre if it requires water from outside the state.



UP Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan also asserted that the situation in the region is under control. "We have bought the tankers. If we require anything then we will ask for Centre's assistance. As of now, we don't need the train as the situation is under control," he said.



Yadav is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the drought situation in the state and water crisis in Bundelkhand in Delhi on May 7. According to officials, 40 villages in Mahoba in Bundelakhand are facing acute water shortage.



Meanwhile, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has hit out at the UP Government calling it a deaf and dumb regime. "UP government is deaf and dumb. The entire UP, especially Bundelkhand, is facing a drought but the CM is enjoying. Time has come to remove the SP government," BSP leader Sudhendra Bhaduria said.



Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had on Wednesday assured all help for Bundelkhand in Uttar Pradesh. "Bundelkhand is suffering from water shortage. We are working on supplying water through trains, putting Logistics in place to help our brethren, Prabhu tweeted on Wednesday.




The first Thursday of May is observed as World Password Day. This year it falls on May 5. The day is a a global celebration to promote better password habits. Passwords are the critical gatekeepers to our digital existence and it is very important to make sure your passwords are strong.Here are seven ways to fortify your passwords:The recommended minimum is eight characters, but 14 is better and 25 is even better than that. Some services have character limits on passwords, though.Use combinations of letters and numbers, upper and lower case and symbols such as the exclamation mark. Some services won't let you do all of that, but try to vary it as much as you can. "PaSsWoRd!43" is far better than "password43."Avoid words that are in dictionaries, even if you add numbers and symbols. There are programs that can crack passwords by going through databases of known words. One trick is to add numbers in the middle of a word - as in "pas123swor456d" instead of "password123456." Another is to think of a sentence and use just the first letter of each word - as in "tqbfjotld" for "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."Substitute characters. For instance, use the number zero instead of the letter O, or replace the S with a dollar sign.Avoid easy-to-guess words, even if they aren't in the dictionary. You shouldn't use your name, company name or hometown, for instance. Avoid pets and relatives' names, too. Likewise, avoid things that can be looked up, such as your birthday or ZIP code. But you might use that as part of a complex password. Try reversing your ZIP code or phone number and insert that into a string of letters. As a reminder, you should also avoid "password" as the password, or consecutive keys on the keyboard, such as "1234" or "qwerty."Never reuse passwords on other accounts - with two exceptions. Over the years, I've managed to create hundreds of accounts. Many are for one-time use, such as when a newspaper website requires me to register to read the full story. It's OK to use simple passwords and repeat them in those types of situations, as long as the password isn't unlocking features that involve credit cards or posting on a message board. That will let you focus on keeping passwords to the more essential accounts strong.The other exception is to log in using a centralised sign-on service such as Facebook Connect. Many websites give you the option of using your Facebook username and password instead of creating a separate one for the video site. This technically isn't reusing your password, but a matter of the website borrowing the log-in system Facebook already has in place. The account information isn't stored with the website. Facebook merely tells that website's computers that it's you. Of course, if you do this, it's even more important to keep your Facebook password secure.Some services such as Gmail even give you the option of using two passwords when you use a particular computer or device for the first time. If you have that feature turned on, the service will send a text message with a six-digit code to your phone when you try to use Gmail from an unrecognized device. You'll need to enter that for access, and then the code expires. It's optional, and it's a pain - but it could save you from grief later on. Hackers won't be able to access the account without possessing your phone. Turn it on by going to the account's security settings.
Let's say "Captain America: Civil War" opened in theaters in Gotham City and Metropolis right around the time Batman and Superman were about to go at it, and let's say Bruce Wayne hosted a star-studded benefit premiere, and Clark Kent covered it for the Daily Planet.

When the lights went down and the storyline kicked in, Bruce Wayne would have been nodding in agreement with Tony Stark, while Clark Kent would have been thinking: I like the way Captain America thinks.

As was the case with "Batman v Superman," there's a major rift between iconic superheroes over "collateral damage," i.e., the loss of innocent human lives that occurs during epic battles between the forces of good and evil.

"Captain America: Civil War" is a lighter and much more crowded film, with so many superheroes zipping around and exchanging blows that at one point it felt like the Marvel Universe equivalent of one of those music awards show all-star jams where everyone from Paul McCartney to The Weeknd to Taylor Swift to Adele is onstage.

And although there's no shortage of dark and violent moments, with personal tragedy motivating some characters to attempt to maim, cripple and kill, the overall tone is relatively light (albeit in a PG-13 kind of way). Iron Man and Captain America and the Black Widow and the Scarlet Witch and Falcon and Hawkeye and Ant-Man, among others, often exchange quips even while in the midst of intense combat sequences.

There's a LOT going on in this movie. A lot.

Kudos to co-directors Anthony and Joe Russo and the team of writers for juggling more than a dozen comic book characters and nearly that many plot lines, and only occasionally getting us lost in the geek weeds. They also seem to realize a movie about superheroes can respect the genre while also taking pause once in a while to acknowledge the sheer giddy silliness of the whole endeavor.

The battle lines in "Civil War" are drawn after an overseas mission led by Chris Evans' Captain America inadvertently causes the death of a number of innocent civilians.

Cap and his team, including Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), are deeply affected by the tragedy  but they still firmly believe they're saving far more lives than could be lost during their takedowns of terrorists.

Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark doesn't agree. World-weary and emotionally exhausted from decades of seeing the carnage caused by weapons of mass destruction, Tony agrees with U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) and the leaders of 116 other nations, who have drafted a phone-book-thick accord giving the United Nations the power to decide if and when the Avengers will be called into action.

Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and War Machine (Don Cheadle) side with Iron Man, but Captain America refuses to sign the accord.

Next thing you know, Iron Man and Captain America are squaring off and picking sides as if they're the captains of all-star superhero teams.

Even with a running time nearing 2 1/2 hours, "Civil War" keeps things moving along, with a solid balance of character soul-searching and kinetic action sequences.

The wonderful actors reprising their superhero roles are as excellent as you'd expect them to be, although I did feel the mega-talented Downey might be getting just a tad restless inhabiting Tony Stark/Iron Man yet again.

Chadwick Boseman makes a strong first impression as Black Panther, as does Tom Holland as the latest Spider-Man.

"Captain America: Civil War" is a classic example of what the big-ticket summer movie experience is all about.
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Karen Simonton, Chief Administrative Officer for the Lynchburg region of OrthoVirginia, will be Central Virginia Community Colleges commencement speaker, the college announced in a news release Wednesday.

Simonton attended CVCC in 1982 after graduating from Brookville High School at the age of 16. She went on to graduate from CVCC in 1985 and attended Lynchburg College, where she earned a bachelors degree in accounting, the release said.

I was fortunate to find out that CVCC counselors and faculty were interested in seeing every student do well, Simonton was quoted saying in the release.

Simonton, a Lynchburg resident, is an active member on the boards for the Jubilee Family Development Center and CVCCs Education Foundation, according to the release.

The graduation commencement address is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Liberty Universitys Vines Center, 1971 University Blvd., Lynchburg.
1921  2016

Richard Kirk, 94, of Lebanon passed away Tuesday, May 3. He was a native of Oregon.

He was a combat veteran of World War II. While there he helped to liberate three prison camps and assisted in the Battle of the Bulge.

Richard worked as a new construction and maintenance supervisor in the state of Alaska. He was a dedicated husband and father and enjoyed fishing and hunting.

Richard is survived by his wife of 73 years, Arene, two children and four grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his three siblings.

A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Monday, May 9, at Sweet Home Evangelical Church. Burial and military honors will follow at Gilliland Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Lebanon Veterans Home Nursing Unit, 600 N. Fifth St., Lebanon, OR 97355; or Samaritan Evergreen Hospice, 1046 S.W. Sixth St., Albany, OR 97321.

Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements (www.sweethomefuneral.com).
Red Hulk, Ronin, and more: 10 Heroes and Villains whose secret identities were hidden from readers

There's a longstanding superhero tradition of hiding the identity of certain characters even from readers
Home News Sports Social Obituaries Events Letters Looking Back Health Jewels Stitch in Time Burn permits required beginning May 10 May 4, 2016 Starting May 10, Idahoans must obtain a burn permit from the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) before starting certain controlled burn activities. The permits can be obtained online at http://www.burnpermits.idaho.gov, or in person at IDL offices statewide.



The burn permit is free of charge and good for 10 days after it is issued. Permits issued through the self service web site are available seven days a week, issued immediately, and valid immediately.



Idaho law (38-115) requires any person living outside city limits anywhere in Idaho who plans to burn anything, including crop residue burning and burn barrels, during closed fire season to obtain a fire safety burn permit. No permit is needed for recreational campfires. Closed fire season is May 10 through October 20 every year.



Residents also are encouraged to contact their local city or rural fire department before burning because some incorporated cities and towns may require their own burn permit.



IDL will not issue burn permits within districts where local burn bans are in effect. Additionally, residents should contact the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for air quality information by calling (800) 633-6247 or visiting http://deq.idaho.gov/air-quality.aspx.



The burn permit system informs fire managers where burning activities are occurring, which reduces the number of false runs to fires and saves firefighting resources for when truly needed. It also enables fire managers to respond more quickly to fires that escape, potentially reducing the liability of the burner.



After a record breaking fire season last year, Idaho Department of Lands reminds residents to burn responsibly and have all necessary tools readily available to extinguish their fire to prevent an escaped burn.



Contact information for IDL offices where burn permits can be obtained in person is available at http://www.idl.idaho.gov/areas/index.html.

Questions or comments about this article? Click here to e-mail!
Dec. 10, 1942  May 3, 2016

Roy Glenn Crook, 73, of Lebanon passed away on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, at the Veterans Home of Lebanon.

Roy was born Dec. 10, 1942, in Grand Island, Nebraska, the son of Glenn and Florence (Pressler) Crook. He grew up and went to school in Hastings, Nebraska. He joined the Navy in 1963 and served during the Vietnam War. He was stationed in Northern California, Virginia and later in San Diego. He retired as a chief petty officer in the early 1980s. He continued working as an electrical engineer for various companied until retiring in the mid-1990s. In 2004, he moved to Lebanon where he has resided since.

Roy enjoyed working with computers and on cars and riding motorcycles. He also enjoyed shooting guns and was a past member of the Navy marksmanship team.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Margarita; son James; and daughters Teresa Crook and Maria Kaiser.

He is survived by sons Stephen Crook of Lebanon and Michael Crook of Santee, California; sister Kay Hall of Salem; and six grandchildren.

A memorial service will be at noon Saturday, May 14, at the family home, 651 E. Grant St., Lebanon. A private interment will be in Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.

Memorial donations can be sent to gofundme.com/22ckgexw to help with final expenses. Huston-Jost Funeral Home is in care of final arrangements.
Business call for equitable industrial court

Speaking with journalists after a consultation among members of five of the countrys leading business organisations at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business in mid April, Tewarie said that as the IRA is designed at present, an individual cannot go to the Industrial Court on his own accord. We would like to see that changed.

Tewarie said members of the business organisations who attended the consultation were concerned about the judgements coming out of the court, fearing that they ran counter to the best interests of their companies. He said, Right now, there is not the kind of predictability and linkback to impact on the operations of the company that we think was intended when the court and its rules were set up. Weve had examples from companies, from owners, who say that it is difficult to deal with issues of discipline and issues related to productivity on the job and that those things are affecting their ability to run their businesses profitably.

Tewarie added, You dont want Industrial Court judges who have to worry about the impact of their decisions on their tenure, for example. Asked whether any of those who attended the consultation had indicated that they had reason to believe Industrial Court judges were fearful of losing their jobs because of any judgement they might deliver, Tewarie responded that many people who spoke, spoke about the environment generally and the need for us to look holistically at the different elements of the environment including the Industrial Court and some of our thoughts and recommendations on that and the impact of some recent judgements on business.

And Chief Executive Officer of The Energy Chamber, Dr Thackwray Dax Driver, added that the major change the business organisations wanted was to see the IRA become an employee rights legislation which gives people access to all employees in the country, expanding the scope of the act to make it apply to all employees in the country, making it a rights-based piece of legislation which ensures people the basic employment rights enshrined within the various I.L.O. conventions to which Trinidad and Tobago is a signatory.

The business bodies were meeting to formulate a joint position on recommendations to Minister of Labour and Small Enterprise Development, Jennifer Baptiste-Primus as part of a consultative process involving the trade union movement and the business sector around reforming the I.R.A and the countrys industrial relations climate. Dr. Driver said there had been a large consultation at the Energy Skills Centre about five or six weeks earlier at which many issues were raised and the Labour Minister had asked the busines sector to make a written submission to her by the end of April.He said the chambers had been working together to develop a position on what they felt needed to change in the countrys industrial relations climate in order to have a competitive and productive relationship and the changes they felt needed to be made to the IRA. The members of the various chambers held their own consultation at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, Mt. Hope, on April 20, 2016. It was attended by more than 150 people from companies of all sizes. Weve taken on board what they have said and we are putting those into the recommendations to the Minister of Labour, Driver said.

Tewarie said participants were concerned about the declining productivity and increasing uncompetitiveness of the country, especially in this environment where competitiveness and efficiency are going to be key factors in taking us out of this period of economic uncertainty into periods of growth that will benefit all of us, businesses, employees of organisations and, of course, the country as a whole. He said the consultation shared some information which had been presented by the International Labour Organisation (I.L.O) to a meeting of the Joint Trade Unions either late last year or early this year which showed that Trinidad and Toabgos productivity over the five year period 2008-2013 is declining, Jamaicas is flat, Barbados is improving and the productivity in the U.S. has improved tremendously. He said this was consistent with what the chambers had been hearing from their members: that their output as a result of productivity is decreasing and they are becoming less competitive than they would like and that their ability, even with the right management tools being employed to deal with issues surrounding productivity is limited by the current industrial relations climate And so we feel it is in everybodys interest to have a reformed industrial relations climate.

He said the bodies had examined the legislation and various reports and developed some main areas in which they would propose changes and reforms but they understood that these proposals would have to be discussed with government and the labour movement taking into consideration fundamentally employers rights as well as their responsibilities, employees rights and responsibilities and the role and functioning of the Industrial Court to create that more competitive environment. Tewarie said the feedback from business owners and industrial relations and human resource professionals is that many of their businesses are suffering, with some even on the brink of closure as a result of their inability to deal with an industrial relations climate or have an industrial relations climate that does not allow them to take decisions that would keep people employed and keep their businesses operational. And that, we think, is a very serious issue which we must confront. He added that a lot of the members of AMCHAM are multinational companies which were constantly reviewing their position in this market partially as a result, and significantly so as a result of the industrial relations climate and so if we want to grow and we want to diversify and we want to export, we must have a competitive environment and a dynamic industrial relations environment where businesses and employees can take decisions to redeploy resources strategically going forward to be competitive.

Dr Ramesh Ramdeen, Chief Executive Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) said that the manufacturing sector wanted to operate in an environment that is predictive, transparent and fair and having an industrial relations climate that speaks to these values is very important for us as it would create the enabling environment that would tie in productivity with competitiveness.He said the TTMA was working with the other organisations to ensure that we create that opportunity to have an enabling environment where the industrial relations climate is concerned for our members in Trinidad and Tobago and everyone who is concerned with respect to having a framework that best represents their interests. He said the association did not think that was the case at the moment and intended to make representations to achieve this.

Radha Permanand, an attorney who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of Services Industries (TTCSI), said there was general agreement that the legislative agenda needed to be reformed to reflect what was happening at the international level so that we can, in fact, be competitive. She added, weve also agreed as a group that there is need for continued dialogue and consultation as we move forward.That way we can have the buy-in of all the parties and all the stakeholders. She said that one of the important contributions at the consulation was the effect of conflict. When we have a system that is as conflicted as ours, it spills over and has societal effects and one of those necessarilly is a lack of trust. And no working environment can be conducive to productivity or sustainable development if we dont have trust between employers and employees and amongst the groupings that operate within the environment.

Driver added that in the current environment in which the country has undergone a structural economic transformation and is experiencing low commodity prices which are likely to last for quite a long time, businesses have to restructure and we are also in an extremely competitive international marketplace where the nature of work itself is also changing very quickly so businesses have to constantly be able to adapt and to change and one of the things which was presented to us was that the number one issue coming out of a global survey of businesses done by DeLoite was that organisationsl redesign was the number one issue which human resource managers were trying to address. And the feeling is that the current industrial relations legislation in Trinidad and Tobago is not one that facilitates that flexibility and the ability of companies to redesign to meet the changed environment. We need to have an industrial relations environment which creates that ability and that flexibility for companies to make changes that they need to make in order to remain competitive and to remain in business.

In response to a question, Tewarie said the point was not about sending home people but that economic cycles change and organisational redesign was comparable to what would happen in someones personal lifestyle if their finances changed. We will have to adapt many things in our lifestyle whether it be how we get to work, how many cars we drive, how many times we drive them, what we spend on, what food items we can forego, what luxury items we can give up on a regular or one-off basis and so on. We need that kind of flexibility in our labour environment. He said the business bodies were not trying to make it easier for them to be able to dismiss workers, adding, We want to create more jobs in this economy, we, as member organisations want to have more members, we as business organisations want to have more business activity happening in the economy and that would mean more people employed, more foreign exchange earned, hopefully higher standards of living and then hopefully we can have conversations not talking about minimum wages but living wages and what people need as a minimum standard of acceptable living in this country, but to do that you need to have economic activity and you need businesses to be able to survive in the first instance and to grow in the second. And you need to have the environment in which you can encourage good behaviour and penalise bad behaviour, and we think that every actor in the tripartite arrangement, labour, organised labour, government and businesses should be interested in that.

Dr Ramdeen added that their employees are the most valuable resource for all manufacturers and business people in the country.He said the process they were involved in was not about sending people home, but about having an environment that is convenient and in which all can benefit. Far too often we are seeing that the outcomes that are coming from the Industrial Court seem to be favouring one set and there is no equity and what we are asking for is a predictable, transparent environment, one that speaks to predictability and equity. We would like coming out of this whole framework where employers and employees can benefit from the process, the trade unions get their just due, everybody gets their just due from the process so I want to reiterate this is not about sending home anyone, we are all for productivity. He said that if businesses could grow and prosper, it will enhance our competitiveness, it will allow us to survive in the global environment that we are finding ourselves operating in today. So it is very important that we have the right ingredients in place that would allow for an industrial climate that is fair to all parties concerned.

Permanand said the overal objective of the legislative changes being proposed by the business groups was to create a labour landscape that promoted a competitive, productive and equitably treated workforce. We are looking for mutuality in the employment contract, based on a win/win proposition, one which balances employee rights and employee obligations. She said the agenda focuses first of all on the employee-rights approach and union responsibility and governance and Industrial Court reform.
TT best place for nature holidays

In the first installment of the competition in 2015, the newspaper in partnership with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) invited readers to vote for their country of choice in a variety of categories. According to The Telegraph, which has been around for over 160 years, the awards aim to highlight the diversity of holiday experiences across the region, with thousands of Telegraph readers voting for their favourite islands and hotels across ten different categories. TT beat second runner-up St Lucia for the award for best location for nature holidays.

Such a recognition would hardly surprise local environmentalists, professional hikers, nature walkers and tour guides who for years have seen the value of the many jewels of this land we often overlook. We are one of the most important sites in the Western Hemisphere for the nesting of sea turtles, particularly the leatherback.

Over 100 species of birds can be found in the Bush Bush Wildlife Sanctuary at Nariva Swamp.

Tobagos Main Ridge forest spans 14,000 acres and is the oldest protected rainforest this side of the globe. This is just a mini sample of what TT has to offer for nature lovers.

In presenting the awards, Carol Hay, marketing director of the CTO stated, We believe that the region will go from strength to strength, continually meeting the needs of future travellers to the Caribbean. In which case, TT needs to do more to ensure that when nature travellers do visit the islands, their experience continues to be a memorable and worthwhile one.

People who venture on a nature holiday are seeking an enjoyable trip to places with spectacular wildlife and outdoor scenery. They want to get close to tamed and untamed flora and fauna; capture with their cameras exotic species of birds and butterflies; witness up close such things as the ritual of egg laying by the leatherback turtle.

They are looking for more than just sandy beaches and all-round sunshine.

They wish to go deeper and uncover some of the hidden gems of the landscapes of the country they are visiting. Some are also just looking to satisfy their appetite for wanderlust through self exploration of some of our natural beauty whether that entails a drive along the coast to the cliffs at the Toco lighthouse or a rejuvenating hike to one of our easily accessible waterfalls along clearly marked trails.

However, there remain barriers to travel to nature spots here. Lack of clean and properly-maintained facilities close to eco sites or within the nearby communities is one such barrier. Furthermore, nature-based travel entails at times going into the bush to get close to wildlife.

As the saying goes, it is a jungle out there. And as the 2013 Travel Guard Update Report indicates, tourists to these kinds of locations are concerned about suffering injury in remote locations; flight delays and cancellations, inclement weather; contracting a tropical disease and so on.

Do stakeholders in our tourism industry have measures in place to adequately address these concerns? If we are, is that information out there for locals and foreigners to access easily? Are all of the locals who take visitors on tours properly trained guides, knowledgable about our poisonous animals and plants and are they equipped to handle emergencies while on a tour? Todays travellers are using websites and social media to plan their trips and provide post trip updates of their experience. Yet, many of our business, government and community websites are woeful in providing useful information especially for people planning a trip to some of our exotic locations.

TT s ability to surpass the likes of St Lucia had more to do with the quality of the experience it offered nature vacationers rather than the number of visitors to the islands.

We need to therefore build on this to further enrich the travellers experience while also growing the number of people coming here for our natural beauty. Will we top the category again this year? Well soon know in about a months time.
Art competition to celebrate biodiversity

The geography, climate and geological history of TT have blessed our country with an incredibly rich and diverse natural heritage. Nature is an integral part of our history and cultural heritage, and as such, the competition should engender national pride. The value of our natural heritage cannot be underestimated as it is vital for preserving natural resources and biodiversity, ensuring sustainable development, and helping mitigate the effects of climate change.

Launched recently, the TT FNCs nationwide Schools Art Competition calls upon children between the ages of five to 16 to focus their creative skills on representing the beauty and importance of our natural heritage: our native plants and animals, our protected habitats, and the value of even our smallest, often overlooked species  for example the insects and the fungi.

Each age category is presented with a heading to spark inspiration.

Younger artists (five - eight years) are asked to consider a favourite native species, while nine to 12-year-olds are encouraged to think about important habitats on our islands. The oldest participants (13-16 years) are given the clubs ancient Latin motto as a starting point: Nature is Greatest in the Little Things. After that, artists can take their piece in whichever direction they wish.

Prizes in each age category include digital cameras, binoculars and wildlife guides to aid the budding wildlife enthusiast, as well as art materials. Winning schools and schools with the most entries will also be rewarded.

The competition has the support of the Ministry of Education.

Winners will be presented with their prizes at a public ceremony in July. Winning entries will be shared on social media, displayed during the clubs other birthday celebration events, and printed in the clubs quarterly magazine, The Field Naturalist The club has a history of recognising the value in combining natural history and art.

Over the years several specialist groups have been established within the club, including an art group, which takes members on field trips and on museum visits as locations for drawing and painting.

Club secretary Amy Deacon observes that this group has been very successful in encouraging members to combine their fascination with the natural world with their passion for art, the two go hand-in-hand extremely well.

By looking at nature with an artists eye, you gain an even greater appreciation for its beauty and value, which is what we hope to achieve in schoolchildren through this exciting new competition. The art competition is the first of a series of events to mark this special anniversary for the club. Among other things, there will be an exhibition at the National Museum, Port-of-Spain, between May 20 and June 18.

Founded in 1891, the TT FNC is one of the oldest clubs in TT , bringing together those with a shared passion for the natural world.

Membership is open to all, and members enjoy monthly lectures, hikes and field trips.

The club is keenly aware that if it is to ensure its continuation for a further 125 years, engaging and enthusing young people will be vital.

Competition details There are three age categories: five to eight years, nine to12 years and 13 to 16 years.

Submissions must be accompanied by an entry form For more info and/or entry form: email admin@ttfnc.org or visit their Facebook page or YouTube channel http://tinyurl.com/ttfnc, Kris Sookdeo: 749-9638 or Amy Deacon: 390-0826
Amend abortion legislation, FPA advisor

The amendment should cover, Sharpe said, a broader number of social and economic issues facing women, in addition to current provisions catering for the womans health and mental well-being, and provision must be made to make abortion services generally accessible.

Sharpe was one of four panellists who spoke yesterday to a full audience at the Noor Hassanali Auditorium, University of the West Indies St Augustine Campus on the topic, Abortion: Her body, her choice. We need to develop clear protocols and guidelines for public health services to address the issues of termination of pregnancy under the current laws, so that both women and health care providers in the public and private sector can have appropriate and safe, legal abortions, Sharpe said.

Also needed, she said, were comprehensive sexuality education for young boys and girls, the scaling up of family planning services to deal with methods of contraception, access to emergency contraception and medical protocols for all female rape victims of reproductive age, as well as, post abortion care - safe and unsafe - including counselling and access to contraception.

These views were basically shared by two other panellists, former health minister Dr Fuad Khan and former UWI senior lecturer, Merle Hodge.

However, Roman Catholic priest Fr Clyde Harvey said abortion was seriously wrong and that according to the Catholic churchs catechism, human life must be respected and protected absolutely, from the moment of conception. Noting that Sharpe mentioned that the law provides for abortion to protect the womans mental and physical health, Harvey said, nowhere was reference made as to the welfare of the child. That is a consideration, we must look at, he said.
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Eight male Bangladeshi nationals as part of the Islamic State of Bangladesh were detained under the Internal Security Act this year. Their plan to organise terror attacks in Singapore was revealed, announced the Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs Tuesday.

The chief leader was 31-year-old Rahman Mizanur. He was an S-Pass holder while the others were Work Permit holders. Aged between 26 to 34, the men were employed in the local and marine industries.

Their names are: Rahman Mizanur, 31; Mamun Leakot Ali, 29; Sohag lbrahim, 27; Miah Rubel, 26; Zzaman Daulat, 34; Islam Shariful, 27; Md Jabath Kysar Haje Norul lslam Sowdagar, 30; and Sohel Hawlader lsmail Hawlader, 29.

"ISB [Islamic State Bangladesh] poses a security concern to Singapore because of its support for ISIS and its readiness to resort to the use of violence overseas," the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

The men were part of a clandestine group called the Islamic State in Bangladesh, created by Rahman in March this year. While initially, they planned to join ISIS as foreign fighters, they changed their mind and decided not to travel to Syria, but instead, concentrate on returning to Bangladesh. They plotted to overthrow the government through force and then establish an Islamic state in Bangladesh, aligned with ISIS' self-declared caliphate.

Documents seized by the Ministry revealed various Bangladeshi government and military officials who could be attacked, along with information on weapons and bombs. They had allegedly raised funds to buy firearms.

In the past few years, atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers have been attacked. A series of killings going back to February 2015 killed 20. ISIS and some al Qaeda militants claimed responsibility.

Meanwhile, there is no information on when the eight detained men are expected to be charged or deported. They are the first detentions under the Internal Security Act related to a foreign workers' cell.

The statement confirmed that there had been no signs of planning to attack Singapore.
Bernie Sanders declared on Tuesday that the battle against Hillary Clinton is not over. He pointed to his success in Indiana and his strength in impending races to indicate his durability.

"I know that the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong," Sanders said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from New Albany, Indiana. "Maybe it's over for the insiders and the party establishment but the voters today in Indiana had a different idea."

After defeating Clinton in Indiana's primary, he said he would get "more victories in the weeks to come" in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, and California. Though he agreed that he faced an "uphill climb" to the Democratic nomination, he affirmed that he was "in this campaign to win and we are going to fight until the last vote is cast."

In Louisville on Tuesday night, Sanders had pointed out: "in primary after primary, caucus after caucus, we end up winning the vote of people 45 years of age and younger," proving that "the ideas that we are fighting for are the ideas of the future of America and the future of the Democratic party." His campaign, he said, "is a political revolution."

However, Sanders' Indiana win is not likely to affect Clinton's lead of more than 300 pledged delegates. Though she is about 90% of the way to getting the Democratic nomination with superdelegates, elected officials and party leaders can swing either way.

Sanders feels that he is in the best position to defeat Republican Donald Trump. "There is nothing more I would like than to take on and defeat Donald Trump, someone who must never become president of this country."

He disagreed that he wanted to drop out, and rejected the idea that criticising Clinton's record on issues like trade, campaign finance, and the Iraq war would support Trump.

"There is nothing that I have said about Secretary Clinton that the Republicans are not more than aware of. They must have dozens and dozens of opposition researchers," Sanders said. "They will go into areas that I have chosen not to go into. They will be talking about emails. They will be talking about the Clinton foundation."

He added that he wanted to debate Clinton in California later this month. Both their campaigns had agreed to organise the forum in what is the country's largest state.
Robert Foster "Bob" Bennett was a United States Senator from Utah, and a member of the Republican Party. Bob Bennett, 82, died Wednesday after battling pancreatic cancer and suffering a recent stroke, the Salt Lake Tribune reported .

He served three terms in the Senate, from 1993 to 2011. His father was U.S. Sen. Wallace Foster Bennett, who represented Utah from 1951 to 1974.

According to the Tribune, Bob Bennett had a moderate political attitude who sought compromise rather confrontation. More clearly, he was the type of Republican that tea party activists sought to remove from Washington.

Bennett was a popular and reliably conservative senator for most of his tenure, earning high ratings from conservative activist groups such as the National Rifle Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Conservative Union. However, in 2010 Bennett became one of the most prominent targets of the Tea Party Movement, which criticized his support of the Bush Administration's bank bailout and argued that Bennett was insufficiently conservative. Despite an enthusiastic endorsement from Mitt Romney, Bennett was denied a place on the primary ballot by the 2010 Utah State Republican Convention, placing third behind two Tea-Party-backed candidates.

Social media sites flooded with tributes from his family and friends on Wednesday. Along with many other colleagues Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney to expressed their emotions.

In a Facebook post, Romney wrote: "What I will remember most about Senator Bennett is his unwavering commitment to principle; his is an example of integrity and character that will long live in the memories of all of us who knew him. God be with you, Bob, till we meet again at Jesus' feet."

Rest in peace!
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Vietnams banks are cutting investments in government bonds as the economy continues to grow, boosting demand for funds.

Vietnam's State Treasury said just VND30.3 trillion ($1.4 billion) was raised through government bond auctions last month at the Hanoi Stock Exchange, down 11.3 percent from March.

At the previous auctions of government Vietnamese dong-denominated bonds in March, the Treasury raised nearly VND34.3 trillion dong.

The Hanoi Stock Exchange, where the Treasury holds weekly bond auctions, said bond sales in the first few months of this year have slowed down.

Statistics show sales of government debt in April continued to decrease from March after having plunged by nearly 26 percent from February.

Commercial banks, which have been biggest buyers in recent years, prefer to invest in medium-term bonds, including three-year bonds at yields of between 5.52-5.55 percent and five-year bonds at between 6.39-6.4 percent.

Bonds have remained one of the key sources of fund for government spending.

In addition, Vietnam has to seek funds as its fiscal position has weakened in recent years, according to the United Nations in its latest report for the Asia-Pacific region, The country's budget deficit reached 6.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) last year, while the public debt jumped to 61 percent of GDP.
Kolkata:

West Bengal registered 84.24 per cent turnout in sixth and final phase of assembly polls, the Election Commission (EC) said on Thursday. Over 74 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise till 3 PM in the sixth and last phase of Assembly election in West Bengal today. While East Midnapore district recorded 75.19 per cent polling, 72.31 per cent votes were cast in Cooch Behar. The overall average till 3 PM was 74.15 per cent.

For the first time since Independence, 9,776 residents of border enclaves in Cooch Behar exercised their franchise, made possible by the formal inclusion of the enclaves in the Indian territory last year. Among them was 103-year-old Asgar Ali who came along with family members of three generations to cast ballots for the first time.



An electorate of over 58 lakh were eligible to cast ballots at 6,774 polling stations till 6 PM in 25 constituencies. In all 170 candidates, including 18 women, are in the fray in this phase.



The poll panel had deployed 361 companies of central forces who are assisted by a contingent of 12,000 state police personnel. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were promulgated today to curb any unlawful assembly.



Members of the Trinamool Congress lodged a complaint against Congress activists for assembling with arms near booth number 236 and jamming booth numbers 14, 107 and 249 of Moyna constituency in East Midnapore district.



Security personnel arrested five persons on the charge of giving food to voters near booth no 231 at Gobra in Moyna constituency. The police said two groups belonging to TMC and Congress were allegedly distributing food among voters. Securitymen chased them and most of them fled but the five were caught.
Coimbatore:

Congress President Sonia Gandhi will share the dais with DMK chief M Karunanidhi in Chennai on May 5 in support of DMK-Congress candidates, while Vice President Rahul Gandhi will address election meetings in three cities on May 7 to drum up support for the combine for the May 16 Assembly polls.



Sonia Gandhi will share the dais with Karunanidhi at a meeting scheduled in Chennai on May five, TNCC President E V K S Elangovan told reporters here. Rahul Gandhi would address an election meeting at Chennai on May 7 and in Coimbatore and Madurai the same day, he said.



The TNCC President and Congress candidates and senior leaders were here to inspect the VOC Grounds where Gandhi is scheduled to address the meeting. There was also a proposal for him to campaign in Tirunelveli and Nagercoil, he said.



Asked about the prospects for the alliance, he said this election would prove to be the death knell of AIADMK. With massive support from people from all sections of society, there was no doubt that the alliance would have a landslide victory, winning more than 210 seats, he said.
New Delhi:

Former IAF chief S P Tyagi was today questioned by the ED in connection with the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal after being quizzed for days by the CBI in the case.



Tyagi arrived at the zonal office of the agency here just before 11 AM and agency sources said he will be questioned and his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).



The ex-IAF chief was questioned in the same case by CBI for the last three days. This is the first time that the ex-Chief of Staff of the Indian Air Force has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate.



Agency sources had earlier indicated that Tyagis questioning was necessary in the light of a recent judgement of a Milan (Italy) court which had sentenced Italian defence and aerospace major Finmeccanicas 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.



Tyagis name cropped at various points in the said judgement.



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 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.



Tyagi, however, has denied any wrongdoing on his part.



On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanicas 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.

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New Delhi:

A Mumbai special court on Thursday found all four accused guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment till death in 2011 Keenan-Ruben murder case in which two youngmen died while fighting eve-teasers who allegedly misbehaved with their female friends.



Keenan Santos (24) and Reuben Fernandez (29) were stabbed by eve-teasers after a scuffle near a paan shop in suburban Andheri on October 20, 2011. The duo were attacked when they tried to protect their woman companions from the group of men who were misbehaving with them. The group, after retreating, returned to the spot with over ten aides and brutally assaulted Keenan and Reuben in full public view.



While Keenan succumbed to his injuries on the same day, Reuben died ten days later. Police arrested Jitendra Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhajand Dipak Tival the next day after the incident. In October 2012, the court had framed charges against four accused for murder, conspiracy and molestation.

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Vietnams annual economic growth rate this year must reach the target of 6.7 percent, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in the first meeting with his cabinet on Wednesday.

Vietnam wrapped up its leadership transition last month, and the new administration has aimed for a change in the way the government runs.

The new government will shift from enforcing administrative orders to proactively creating the conditions to serve the public interest, said the Prime Minister.

The government will refrain from issuing administrative orders to control the economy so that it can let the market economy run by itself as much as possible, said the Prime Minister.

He also added that ask-give mechanism, which is widespread at all levels of administration and common in many governance activities, will soon be eliminated since the mechanism changes people who are supposed to be served to the ones who are managed, not let alone the mechanism creates loopholes for corruption.

We need to boost decentralization, local authorities are supposed to be left to deal with what they are capable of handling well, the central Government and the Prime Minister are not supposed to hold on to such things, said the Prime Minister.

The central government will focus on shaping policies, developing legal framework and creating favorable business and investment conditions, Prime Minister Phuc highlighted.

Start-up spirit

Vietnam is determined to uphold the spirit of boosting the growth of the business sector.

The government has a high opinion of businesses. [It] will try to resolve difficulties in time so that businesses can grow, said Prime Minister Phuc, adding that the government will maintain its protection of peoples rights over holding property and doing business.

The government is working on a draft policy on how to support businesses so that they can become the momentum of the economic growth.

Statistics show that more than 35,000 companies were newly established in the first four months of this year and doubled the registered capital to VND248 trillion ($11 billion) from the same period last year.

This drastic change is due to the enforcement of Investment Law and Business Law which has help improved the business and investment environment, said Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung.

However, many things still need to be done, as the new cabinet suggested. They include easing regulations and rules so that businesses can get better access to resources such as land, capital and labor.

Sustainable development

With the growth target of 6.7 percent, the government has also promised to ensure social welfare and improve the peoples well-being.

The government will step up the fight against unsafe and contaminated food following the public outrage about food safety and hygiene.

For instance, the government has introduced new law on food safety which sentences offenders to as many as 20 years in prison.

Concerning recent massive fish deaths along the central coastal areas, the Prime Minister requested related authorities to find the cause as soon as possible, examine discharge process at manufacturing facilities, help people in the affected areas to recover from the aftermath, and punish individuals who exploited the mass fish kills and promoted public disorder.
Panaji:

Goa police today arrested former state Education minister and expelled Congress MLA Atanasio Monserratte for allegedly raping a minor girl after buying her from her mother for Rs 50 lakh.

Monserratte has been placed under arrest. We will be soon moving the court to seek his remand as we need his custodial interrogation, Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Karthik Kashyap told PTI.

The girls mother too was arrested on the charge of human trafficking, he said, adding that another woman, wanted in the case, was absconding. Monserratte appeared before the crime branch officials at 3.10 pm today, and was placed under arrest at 8.30 pm.

He has been booked under IPC section 376 (rape), 328 (poisoning), 342 (wrongful confinement, 370 (A) (trafficking) and the provisions of Goa Children Act and the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act.

A senior police official said that police had examined ten witnesses and also recorded the girls statement before a magistrate.

According to the 16-year-old girls complaint, her mother and another woman hatched a conspiracy and sold her for Rs 50 lakh to Monserratte in March this year for sexual exploitation.

Monserratte kept her in confinement, administered some stupefying substance and had sexual intercourse with her several times without her consent, it says.

Monserratte, who was out of Goa yesterday when the FIR was registered at the Women Police Station, today returned and drove to Ribander office of Crime Branch, accompanied by his wife Jeniffer and a few supporters.

Police had issued a summons to him, asking him to remain present before Investigating Officer Sudiksha Naik.

I have not done anything wrong. The complaint is totally false and bogus. This is just to frame me, he told reporters before entering the Crime Branch office.

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New Delhi:

A team of scientists, who are working with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO) experiment, have received a Special Breakthrough Prize in fundamental physics. The LIGO experiment had discovered the gravitational waves in September 2015. Since 2012, the Breakthrough Prizes have been given for breakthrough achievements in mathematics, physics and the life sciences. Along with each prize also comes a reward of whopping $3 million. (Also read. NASA's Fermi Telescope detects Gamma-Ray Burst near gravitational wave source)



A ceremony will be held in the fall of 2016 in which the laureates will all be recognised, website of the Breakthrough Prize says. The international LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), which involves thousands of scientists and engineers, maintains and operates the LIGO. Two subsets of the LSC will receive the prize of $3 million out of which $1 million will be distributed among the three conceivers of LIGO  Kip Thorne, Ray Weiss and Ron Drever. The another $2 million will be distributed among 1,012 scientists who helped discover the gravitational waves.



According to the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Bengaluru, 37 researchers from around India belong to the second subset. Seven, including including Bala Iyer, a notable veteran of gravitational physics research, are from the ICTS itself. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated the Indian scientists for receiving the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. (Also read. Gravitational waves study: LIGO project in India expected to be functional by 2023)

"Congratulations to the Indian scientists who are among the recipients of the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. These scientists have been awarded for detection of gravitational waves, an exceptional scientific accomplishment", the Prime Minister tweeted.

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New Delhi:

An impudent IAS officer faced ire over Twitter after his photo in hospital went viral. In the photograph, the officer can be seen talking to a sick childs mother with his left foot being kept on the steel railing of hospital bed.

This act can be deemed as arrogance, impudence of the officer, Dr Jagdish Sonkar, the 2013-batch IAS officer. He is a sub-divisional magistrate of Ramanujganj in Balrampur district.

The IAS probationer is a doctor himself, he was on a visit to a primary health center(PHC) it was when someone present there clicked him in unusual pose and circulated it on social media.

Chief Minister Raman Singh also expressed his displeasure over the officers act. Twitter also did not take kindly to what they considered this as an insolent act and came up with these reactions.

Chattisgarh IAS Officer Puts Foot on Hospital Bed, Gets Suspendedhttps://t.co/nL8u7uzMLx@drramansingh @TheQuint  Anil Dubey (@anilscribe) 4 May 2016

What an arrogance from IAS #JagdishSonkar- do such people deserve respect from a common man? pic.twitter.com/ZETYVFRaYD  aaaaaa aa (@bhartiyabhakt) 4 May 2016

The picture of Jagdish Sonkar SDM in Chattisgarh inspecting CHC is shocking and it's unacceptable  IAS Association (@IASassociation) 4 May 2016

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Melbourne:

Australias most wanted Islamic State terror recruiter Neil Prakash, who is of Indian-origin, has been killed in a US military airstrike in war-torn Iraq, that authorities today said could disrupt the groups ability to attract vulnerable people.

Melbourne-born Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi who was linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the US, was killed in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29, Attorney-General George Brandis said, citing American inputs.

Neil Prakash was the highest value target from an Australian point of view in the Middle East. He was the individual more than any other who had been actively inspiring and inciting domestic terrorism attacks within Australia, the Senator said.

Brandis said Australian authorities were instrumental in providing US allies with the location of Prakash - the Australian of Fijian-Indian and Cambodian background - in Mosul. Australia did cooperate with United States in relation to the identification and location of Prakash, he said.

Brandis said Prakash was the most prominent and dangerous Australian and had networks in both Melbourne and Sydney. He was very actively involved in terrorism recruitment.

Prakashs death is considered significant in disrupting the militant groups ability to lure fighters because of his highly prominent and influential role as a senior recruiter. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called Prakashs death as a very, very positive development.

Neil Prakashs death is a very, very positive development in the war against Daesh and the war against terror, Turnbull was quoted as saying, using another acronym for the dreaded Islamic State (ISIS).

His death disrupts and degrades ISILs ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts, Brandis said.

Earlier, in January, media reports quoting an ISIS member had said that Prakash was killed in Syria. The terrorist, who allegedly had contact with some of those accused of plotting a terror attack on Anzac Day - that commemorates martyrs, flew to Syria in 2013.

Prakash has also appeared in ISIS propaganda videos, including one last year in which he called for attacks in Australia.

US officials also reportedly informed that an Australian woman Shadi Jabar, the sister of the 15-year-old western Sydney boy Farhad Jabar who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng in October last year, was also killed in a separate airstrike in Syria.

Prakash was killed in the ISIS stronghold in northern Iraq, while Jabar died seven days earlier in the Syrian city of al Bab along with her husband Abu Saad al-Sudani, AAP news agency said.

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Beijing:

China today released the first evern Chinese translations of the collective works of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, a rare honour to the famed poet who enjoys iconic status among generations of Chinese people.

In all 33 volumes containing 16 million words covering his poetry, essays, novels and drama sections were released ahead of Tagores 155th birth anniversary at the China Radio International (CRI) which broadcasts in Bengali language besides host of Indian and intentional languages as diplomats from India and Bangladesh also attended the function.

Considering his popularity, Tagores works have been widely translated in China mostly from English translations but this is the first time his entire works barring songs were translated into Chinese directly from Bengali.

Eighteen Bengali scholars from CRI, state-run Xinhua news agency, Chinese foreign ministry, Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and the Central Communist Party School worked on a five-year project to complete it.

The Complete Works of Tagore is of great significance for the researches concerning works of Rabindranath Tagore and south Asian culture in China, said chief translator Dong You Chen who studied Bengali in Russias Leningrad University in 1960s. He was deeply influenced by Tagore after reading some of his novels in his early years.

His humanism not simply confined to India but also China and the rest of the world appeals to Chinese greatly, he said speaking to the media on the sidelines of the meeting.

Tagores prose and his poetry are perhaps mostly regarded. His works are frequently noted for their rhythmic, optimistic and lyrical nature, he said adding that all the translators honestly followed the great poets theories while translating his works.

Tagore, who had visited China thrice, has a fanatical following in the country with several devoting their lives to learn Bengali and English to translate his works.

One young translator, Cao Yanhua who studied Bengali in Bangladesh and worked as Chinese diplomat there for sometime before joining the CRI Bengali service said she liked Tagore because his works are very romantic, which is the reason why he appealed to the young Chinese.

Tagore became popular in China because he took a stand against opium use among Chinese encouraged by western powers. The only comparable foreign writer who is equally famous is Shakespeare whose 400th anniversary falls this year. Cao said her team faced many difficulties in translation because there was no Chinese to Bengali language dictionary.

Previously his works were translated from English but this is the first time his works were directly translated from Bengali to Chinese. Problems came with many Sanskrit words, she said. But most importantly the translators received very little money, about 60 yuan (Rs 600) for 1,000 words of translation.

It is not the money but the passion for Tagore which drove us to work hard, Cao said. Most of the help was from Bengali experts from Bangladesh while no assistance was sought from India, she said.

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Riyadh:

Saudi police shot dead two suspected terrorists and two others blew themselves up during a raid near the holy city of Mecca today, the interior ministry said.

The terrorists started shooting towards security, which they responded to, leading to the deaths of a pair of suspects while the others committed suicide by blowing themselves up with suicide belts, the ministrys spokesman said in a statement.

Police had surrounded the suspects hideout between the holy city of Mecca and Taif this morning when the shootout occurred.

A simultaneous raid occurred on a hideout in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where two people were arrested, and they are being investigated for their involvement in this cell, the spokesman said. He added that the raids were part of surveillance and followup, including to what happened in Bisha on Friday.

At that time, two suspects died in a shootout with security forces who foiled a car bombing in Bisha, southwestern Aseer region. A third suspect, Iqab Mujab al-Otaibi, fled but was later arrested wearing an explosives belt, the ministry announced last Sunday.

According to the ministry, Otaibi allegedly took part in a deadly shooting at a Shiite mosque in 2014 and a bombing that targeted security forces at a mosque in Aseer last year.

Both attacks were among several bombings and shootings claimed by the Islamic State group of Sunni jihadists since late 2014 in Saudi Arabia.

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New Delhi:

Police Inspector Amit Kumar has been arrested in connection with journalist Pooja Tiwaris mysterious death. Pooja was in a live-in relationship with Kumar.

Pooja was working with an online news portal who had jumped to her death from the fifth floor of a building three days ago.

According to police, the victim Pooja Tiwari and her friend Anuj Mishra, were recently booked for allegedly extorting Rs 2 lakh from a hospital owner.

A case was registered against Dr Anil Goyal, his wife Dr Archana Goyal and Dr Dhawal, for allegedly driving Pooja Tiwari to take the extreme step.

As per the complaint filed by the victim's brother, Pooja had done a sting operation on the accused doctors regarding their role in sex selection, they said. However, the victim lost her job and a case was filed against her by the doctors, police said.

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Chinas continued military build up on contested islands in South China Sea is boosting risk of conflict

(NationalSecurity.news) Chinese plans to construct facilities and military installations on an island near the Philippines is making regional conflict more likely, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told lawmakers last week.

During testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carter was asked about the strategic significance of Beijings plans to build military facilities on disputed Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by Manila but which China occupied in 2012. The island is located well within missile range  120 miles  of Subic Bay, Philippines, where the U.S. will base some of its warships.

Carter said that the island is a piece of disputed territory that, like other disputes in that region, has the potential to lead to military conflict.

Thats particularly concerning to us, given its proximity to the Philippines, Carter told the committee, which had met to discuss the Islamic State terrorist group, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

The defense secretary also noted that ranking Pentagon officials also hold similar views about several island disputes in the South China Sea, where Beijing has been claiming much of the region as its maritime territory while demanding that other nation-states, including the U.S., stay out of the region.

Carter spoke in response to questioning from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, who revealed during the hearing that Scarborough Shoal is the third vertex of a triangle of Chinese military bases that could be employed to threaten U.S. and Philippine military assets on the main island of Luzon.

A map Sullivan produced showed Woody Island in the Paracels and three others in the Spratly chain that are currently undergoing military transformation by China as part of its island-building program.

The Chinese have already established two legs of that triangle. The fighters and radars are part of that radius that you see around the Scarborough Shoal, said Sullivan, with Carter stating that the map was absolutely accurate in its depiction of Chinese efforts to create a triangle of bases to blanket the region.

After the hearing Sullivan told the Washington Free Beacon that he is very concerned by reports China plans to make Scarborough Shoal the third site for missiles and warplanes that close to Subic Bay.

In addition to seizing and building on a shoal long claimed by the Philippines, a militarized Scarboroughwith an air-search radarwould give the PRC full overwatch of flights in and out of northern Philippines, and the deployment of coastal defense cruise missiles there would allow the PRC to hold U.S. forces based and operating in the Philippines at risk, Sullivan said, using the acronym for Peoples Republic of China. The strategic implications for U.S. and allied forces operating in Southeast Asia are undeniable.

During the hearing the committees chairman, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., lashed out at Carter for refusing to confirm U.S. military movements in the region that have been publicly reported.

This is the second time, Secretary Carter, that youve refused to confirm what is well known in the media. Thats not fair to this committee. Its all been reported there were flights into the area around those islands, McCain said, as reported by the WFB.

But to classify the fact that we are sending our ships and airplanes into international waters and have that classified, when it should be magnified throughout the world that United States is asserting our respect and adherence to international law, is something that is confusing and befuddling, McCain added.

Why would we want to classify the fact that we are doing what every nation in the world should be able to do? And thats sail or fly wherever we want to. Why should that be classified information?

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/ Jarret Liotta

NEW FAIRFIELD - Sen. Chris Murphy wants to see for himself how a student-led leadership program inspired by the loss of a Sandy Hook first-grader is making school communities more empathetic.

So Murphy will visit New Fairfield Middle School on Friday to observe how the Wingman program helps children build empathy by being supportive and positive.
/ Brian A. Pounds

BRIDGEPORT - The judge presiding over the wrongful death lawsuit by families of Sandy Hook shooting victims against the nations oldest gunmaker said Thursday she will not allow the trial to be delayed.

Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis denied a request by Bushmaster Firearms to delay the exchange of evidence with lawyers representing families who lost loved ones in the 2012 massacre of 26 first-graders and educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
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The state legislature approved a bill Wednesday night that will prohibit most employers from asking about an applicants criminal history on a job application.

Senators voted 35 to 1 to pass the proposal, which had been approved last week by the state House of Representatives. Sen. Rob Kane (R-Watertown) was the only legislator to oppose the bill.

The new law, known as Ban the Box, will prevent employers from inquiring about a candidates prior arrests, criminal charges or convictions before an interview process begins.

Employers such as school districts and law-enforcement agencies, which are required by law to check every applicants criminal background, would be exempt.

Aileen OConnor, vice president of development for Community Solutions Inc., which provides services to ex-offenders in the Danbury area, said the criminal background box is one of the biggest obstacles for those convicted of a crime.

I know how difficult it is when clients are looking for a job, she said. They can have great education, great experience, but as soon as they check that box... its very disheartening.

Research shows most employers are reluctant to hire applicants with criminal records. A study conducted in New York City by the National Institute of Justice found a criminal record reduced the likelihood of a callback or job offer by nearly 50 percent.

First impressions are invaluable, OConnor said. But with that box, youre more apt to overlook someones qualifications.

In a testimony before a House committee earlier this year, a Connecticut resident said removing the criminal history box would give ex-offenders a fair chance to prove in an interview they have been rehabilitated.

Upon release, every application I filled out shook me to the core, having to mark down the crime I had committed, which I already served time for, Dan Varley wrote.

noliveira@newstimes.com, 203-731-3411, @olivnelson
This is a letter to U.S. Senator Chris Murphy and Governor Dannel Malloy:

Youre wrong.

I am utterly disgusted at the fact that you currently represent Connecticut and cannot wait for your defeat in 2018.

On Aug. 28, 2015, Poppy Harlow brought Senator Murphy in on her show to discuss gun violence. In that interview (full version: http://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2015/08/31/sen-chris-murphy-admits-that-gun-control-legislation-from-washington-probably-wont-stop-shootings-n2046161), Senator Murphy said:

 I just dont accept that we can do nothing and Im speaking directly to the Republican leadership of the House and the Senate. They should be bringing anti-gun violence bills to the floor that can get consensus votes this fall or the Congress is complicit in these murders. .....

I dont think that we should expect that anything that were going to enact in Washington is going to stop shootings, but there are plenty of instances  including the Connecticut shooting and the South Carolina shooting  in which better gun laws could have made a difference.

Im going to capitalize this for effect: YOU CANNOT SIT AROUND AND EXPECT OTHERS TO DO THINGS FOR YOU, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO DO NOT NECESSARILY FEEL THE NEED TO REGULATE FIREARMS.

YOU should be bringing legislation in. YOU should be making rational, logical arguments to your Republican colleagues in the Senate. YOU should stop wasting my tax dollars, sitting around and twiddling your thumbs while you wait on the Republicans to do something. The Republicans, who have wasted the countrys time and money without thought over the last eight years.

You have admitted, very clearly, that you are complicit and have done nothing to prevent future gun violence, yet you dare to point fingers when it comes to Senator Sanders, who does not take money from the NRA, unlike your idol, Mrs. Clinton, and who has taken the following stance on gun regulation:

Bernie has voted in favor of a nationwide ban on assault weapons, a nationwide ban on high-capacity magazines of over ten rounds, and nationwide expanded background checks that address unsafe loopholes.

If someone driving a Ford F150 kills a family in a DUI crash, would it make sense to sue Ford? No. Manufacturers are only responsible if their final product is flawed, not the purchaser.

Im sure you both can see why Im disgusted with you both and why I implore you to walk back your comments. If you have any respect for yourselves or your citizens, you will walk these comments back and make a full apology. Regardless of whether or not you choose to apologize, I look forward to voting for your challengers in 2018.

Erin Carroll is a resident of Ridgefield.
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Two men from North Carolina have been identified as the people being pursued and arrested by State Police on Wednesday.

Troopers say the driver of the car being pursued by police was traveling at more than 85 mph.

The high-speed chase on Interstate 95 ended with with the two men from the Tar Heel State in police custody after their vehicle crashed into another at Exit 2 in Greenwich on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Police said they located and seized 370 grams of cocaine.

On Thursday, Trooper First Class Kelly Grant released more details of the pursuit.

On Wednesday at around 12:30 p.m., troopers were conducting motor vehicle enforcement on I-95 south in the area of Exit 10 in Darien. We observed a silver Chevy Sonic (with North Carolina license plates) traveling in the left lane of four traveling behind other vehicles unreasonably close within an active construction zone, according to the criminal information summary.

After initiating a motor vehicle stop the silver Chevrolet engaged us in pursuit. Following a brief chase, the silver Chevrolet off Exit 2 and was subsequently involved in a motor vehicle accident.

The two men inside the vehicle were taken into custody.

Antonio Alexander Freeland, 26, of Burlington, N.C., was charged with reckless driving in excess of 85 mph, first-degree recekless endangerment, driving violations in a construction zone, sale of a controlled substance, posession of narcotics, interfering with an officer, destruction of property before, during and after search and seizure, engaging in pursuit and failure to drive a reasonable distance apart in a construction zone, He was held on $350,000 bond.

Michael Leonard Lundy, 41, of Raleigh, N.C. was the passenger inside the car. He was charged with sale of a controlled substance and possession of narcotics. He was held on $250,000 bond.

Stamford police officers, responding with drug-sniffing dogs after hearing that the suspects may have tossed narcotics from the car during the pursuit, found a large amount of cocaine just north of exit 8 on the northbound side of I-95, said Stamford police Capt. Richard Conklin.

The accident, reported around 1 p.m., backed up traffic about three miles. Greenwich police helped with the accident scene, said Public Information Officer Lt. Kraig Gray.

The crash did happen within the Greenwich Police Departments jurisdiction and we did arrive at the scene as first responders after the crash to assist, Gray said.

Reporters John Nickerson and Rob Marchant contributed to this story.
International patented steel frame energy efficient home solution begins building in California

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, May 5, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - BONE Structure, Canadian designer and builder of luxury custom homes using a patented light steel frame building technology and integrated process has launched its first U.S. office in San Francisco, CA. The company's tested and proven building system is a scalable solution to meet California's 2020 Net Zero Energy (ZNE) new home building requirements.

"We believe that the process of building a custom home should be exciting, simple and transparent, and we refuse to conform to the old adage: We've always done it this way."



Founded in 2005 by President Marc A. Bovet in Laval, Quebec, Canada out of a frustrating personal construction experience, BONE Structure has patented, in 42 countries, a technology that combines aesthetics, flexibility, efficiency, and respect for the environment. "We have been building houses the same way for 400 years. The cost keeps going up and the quality down." Bovet says, "A BONE Structure custom home is one that is healthy, energy efficient, and built to last generations." With a background in retail and advertising, Bovet was part of the management team at Bombardier, the global leader in aerospace and transportation manufacturing, for many years. His experience and observations led to the idea of applying the same assembly technologies to home construction.

Charles Bovet, Vice President of Business Development at BONE Structure will lead the company's expansion to the U.S. Bovet received his Masters of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction in 2013 from Stanford University after completing his Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering at McGill University in Montreal. Following Stanford, Charles looked to his graduating class to build a multidisciplinary team and opened BONE Structure in San Francisco, with the idea of disrupting the housing industry.

"California was an obvious choice for our first U.S. location," said Charles Bovet. "It is the home of innovation and the birthplace of world-changing smart technologies. Similarly, BONE Structure is world changing smart technology for the building industry," he said. "We believe that the process of building a custom home should be exciting, simple and transparent, and we refuse to conform to the old adage: We've always done it this way."

Quality construction is the foundation of an energy efficient structure. "We have developed a building system that makes it possible to build energy efficient homes at scale," said Charles Bovet. "Our plan is to bring the cost of our building technology down from the high-end custom home to a mid-priced custom option, to an affordable, beautiful, desirable, healthy, comfortable, energy efficient home for the masses. Our shells are net zero ready, meaning they are extremely energy efficient and with the addition of a small solar system they can produce more energy than they consume," he said.

Architects have greater flexibility with the BONE Structure system, due to the strength of its steel parts, homes can have a very large open plan interior space and double height ceiling allowing for natural light throughout and future reconfiguration as needed. The home's shell produces near zero waste, is made of 89 percent recycled steel, and is 100% recyclable, seismically resilient and safe from damage by termites and mold.

Each custom, tailor-made home is designed for assembly using a battery powered drill, and one type of self-tapping screw, thereby allowing a significant reduction in labor hours. A BONE Structure's set of laser cut steel components include pre planned, ready-made "highways" to accommodate building systems: plumbing, electrical, and heating ventilation and air conditioning. This avoids any potential clashes between the various trade workers on the jobsite. Precut insulation panels clip into place between the steel columns and soya-based polyurethane foam insulation is sprayed on the exterior that tightly seals the building and acts as a vapor barrier. Together, the steel structure, insulation panels, spray insulation, and the roof create a tight, energy efficient envelope that translates into a very comfortable interior environment for its occupants.

This morning BONE Structure started to build a new home in Palo Alto and another 15 residences are under contract in the Bay Area and Southern California. The company expects to build 50 new homes in California in 2016 and has manufacturing resources across Canada with the ability to produce 1,000 residences per year.



For additional information, please visit: www.BONEstructure.ca/california-media-room

ABOUT BONE Structure

Founded in 2005, BONE Structure specializes in the design, development and commercialization of technologies for residential construction. It employs more than sixty professionals, architects, technologists, engineers, and urban planners and has integrated expertise to provide unmatched customer experience. The company also collaborates with architectural firms and other outside professionals. BONE Structure has a network of Canadian manufacturing facilities and is proud to contribute to more than 700 jobs in the steel transformation industry. They also have authorized builders composed of general and specialized contractors, project managers, developers across Canada and California who also share the company's corporate values of Respect, Transparency, Loyalty, Security and Fun. BONE Structure is a member builder associations across Canada and of the NAHB in the US. They have also received a number of awards throughout the years for innovation, architecture, sustainability and integrated processes.

For more information, please visit: www.BONEstructure.ca.

SOURCE BONE Structure

Image with caption: "BONE Structure Launches California office (Left to right: Guillaume Bazouin, Charles Bovet, Gabrielle Labrosse, Jorge Gonzalez) (CNW Group/BONE Structure)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160505_C2714_PHOTO_EN_683386.jpg

For further information: Stefan Belina, Director of Marketing, [email protected], 514-970-0029
OTTAWA, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - Canada Post welcomes the review of postal service in Canada announced today by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, the Honourable Judy Foote. We are committed to actively participating in the process to help determine the best path forward given the ongoing challenges faced by the postal system.

The review comes at a critical time in the 253-year history of postal service in Canada. While the postal needs of Canadians are changing rapidly, the postal system remains a vital component of our national fabric. For example, the demand for paper-based letters, bills and statements has declined 32 per cent over the last decade, yet mail remains important to Canadians. At the same time, Canadian retailers of all sizes are utilizing Canada Post's vast network for parcel delivery to reach customers across the country and around the world.

Securing the future of the postal service for all Canadians is an incredibly important task. We look forward to this national discussion.

SOURCE Canada Post

For further information: Media relations, 613-734-8888, [email protected]
OTTAWA, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Nurses Foundation is excited to announce its One Million in One Year campaign, being launched at the annual CNF Nightingale Gala in Ottawa on May 5, which aims to raise $1 million to help support indigenous nursing and education.

"CNF, in collaboration with stakeholders, is committed to make change happen through its support of indigenous nurses," says Christine Rieck Buckley, CEO, Canadian Nurses Foundation, adding that the CNF's goal is to double the number of scholarships it currently funds for indigenous nurses.

Funding will also support initiatives to increase the knowledge and skills of indigenous nurses in mental health.

Given the increased incidence of suicide in these indigenous communities, this initiative will result in more access to timely mental health services.

"It is our goal that CNF TD Aboriginal Nursing Fund award recipients will share their stories of success and inspire other indigenous youth to become a registered nurse and help meet the health care needs of their communities," says Rachel Bard, CNF Board Chair.

"Recruiting more indigenous nurses will help us to address issues like mental health and suicide. It will also inspire other young people to get involved in health care in our communities," says Hunter Tootoo, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Indigenous nurses are often the first point of contact and the only health care providers in indigenous communities but Canada currently does not have enough people to meet the health care challenges they face. This campaign will help fill this gap.

CNF believes that working in partnership with the health, education and business community on this campaign will help to improve the health of indigenous people. This campaign will build on CNF's current programs and develop new and exciting initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of indigenous communities across Canada.

Version francaise: http://cnf-fiic.ca/fr/soutenez-les-soins-infirmiers-autochtones/

SOURCE Canadian Nurses Foundation

For further information: For more information and prospective partnerships: Annette Martin, Canadian Nurses Foundation, 613-680-0879 ext. 223 | [email protected], http://cnf-fiic.ca/support-indigenous-nursing/
CALGARY, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - Canadian Pacific (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) today announced it will make a donation of $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross  and match all employee donations  to support fire relief efforts in and around Fort McMurray, Alberta.

CP is also releasing additional resources to support firefighting efforts in the area.

As an Alberta based company, CP stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Fort McMurray, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and all affected residents and customers in Northern Alberta as they deal with this catastrophic event.

To support the ongoing and necessary efforts, CP is encouraging its employees to make a donation to the Canadian Red Cross, which CP will match.



About Canadian Pacific

Canadian Pacific (TSX:CP)(NYSE:CP) is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to eight major ports, including Vancouver and Montreal, providing North American customers a competitive rail service with access to key markets in every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of Canadian Pacific.

SOURCE Canadian Pacific

For further information: Media: 24/7 Media Pager: 855-242-3674
MONTREAL, May 5, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Montreal Mayor and president of Metropolis, the world association of major cities, the Honourable Denis Coderre, is in Washington, D.C. today for the Climate Action 2016 conference, in which he will participate in two important panels. One will address the challenges and roadblocks faced by cities and the solutions put in place to cope with them to encourage mobilization, organized by Bloomberg and the Compact of Mayors, and the other will touch on sustainable mobility, organized by the World Bank.

"Climate change has a direct impact on our citizens' quality of life, and Montreal, like all the world's large cities, must adapt to this reality. Cities are the leaders in local environmental initiatives to counter greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Today this is widely recognized. We saw it during the Paris Conference, and on April 22nd in New York, when representatives of 171 countries came to sign the Paris Agreement," declared the Mayor of Montreal.

Climate Action 2016

The Climate Action 2016 summit takes place two weeks after the Paris Agreement signature ceremony and eight months after the Declaration of the Climate Summit for Local Elected Officials. It will serve as a reminder that cities, as the local governments, are at the heart of the changes.

The summit is an opportunity to deepen and broaden coalitions of governments, businesses, philanthropists, civilian society and senior university representatives.

Mayor Coderre will participate more specifically on the City and Sub-National Implementation - Age of the Local Leader: Unlocking the Power of Mayors to Solve Climate Change panel and on the Transforming the World's Mobility - Galvanizing Action and Investments panel.

Mr. Coderre will also have the opportunity to speak with several global leaders including His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, Michael R. Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York and United Nations Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, Muriel Bower, Mayor of Washington, D.C. and many others.

Review of Montreal's actions in environment and sustainable development

The City of Montreal has already adopted some 30 metropolitan-wide policies, plans and strategies that touch in some way on reducing GHG emissions and adapting to climate change, including:

2010-2015 Sustainable Development Plan for the Montreal Community

2012-2021 Canopy Action Plan

Montreal Emerald Ash Borer Action Plan

The 2008-2018 Transportation Plan  Reinventing Montreal

The Mount Royal Protection and Development Plan

CMM Metropolitan Urban Development Plan

Policy for the Conservation and Enhancement of Undeveloped Lands

Montreal Sustainable Development Policy for Municipal Buildings

Parks Amenities Improvement Program

Montreal Water Strategy

Greater Montreal Green and Blue Belt

Concrete results include the planting of 300,000 trees by 2025, the creation of an Office of Priority Measures for Buses and Bicycles, the BIXI system of self-service bicycles, the creation of a Green Chemistry cluster, phytoremediation projects, bylaws on wood heating appliances and plastic bags, the collection of organic waste, a growing network of electric vehicle recharging stations, and the OCPM public consultation on the reduction of dependence on fossil energies, an initiative totally supported by the City.

"All our actions, notably the adoption of the 2015-2020 Greater Montreal Plan for Adapting to Climate Change and the Plan for Reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions, help to position Quebec's metropolis as a leader in the fight against, and adaptation to, climate change, both in Quebec and abroad," added Mr. Coderre.

Note that Montreal has joined the ranks of the Compact of Mayors, the largest coalition of local leaders committed to reducing and monitoring the evolution of GHG emissions and to adapting to climate change. It is also the only Canadian member city of the 100 Resilient Cities network.

SOURCE Ville de Montreal - Cabinet du maire et du comite executif

For further information: Source: Marc-Andre Gosselin, Attache de presse, Cabinet du maire et du comite executif, 514 290-1194; For Information: Genevieve Dube, Relationniste, Service des communications, 514 868-5934
TORONTO, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Franco-Nevada Corporation (TSX: FNV; NYSE: FNV) is pleased to report its financial results for the first quarter of 2016. All figures are in U.S. dollars unless noted and highlights include:

Record 106,621 Gold Equivalent Ounces (1) ("GEOs"), a 25% increase over Q1 2015;

("GEOs"), a 25% increase over Q1 2015; Record $132.0 million in revenue, a 21% increase;

in revenue, a 21% increase; Net Income of $30.0 million , or $0.18 per share;

, or per share; Adjusted Net Income (2) of $28.0 million , or $0.17 per share;

of , or per share; Adjusted EBITDA (3) of $103.7 million , or $0.62 per share;

of , or per share; $500 million acquisition of a precious metals stream with reference to production from Antapaccay;

acquisition of a precious metals stream with reference to production from Antapaccay; $883.5 million of net proceeds raised through a bought deal equity financing;

of net proceeds raised through a bought deal equity financing; Quarterly dividend increased 4.8% to $0.22 per share.

"Franco-Nevada's recent investments at Antamina and Antapaccay helped generate the record quarterly GEOs and revenue results," stated David Harquail, CEO. "These investments have further strengthened and diversified our portfolio with long duration quality assets. Thanks to the support of our investors, Franco-Nevada was able to raise equity financing and is again debt free. The Company now has over $186 million in cash and short-term investments and $1 billion in available credit facilities so is well positioned to continue to grow the portfolio. I am particularly proud that Franco-Nevada has today raised its dividend for the ninth consecutive year since its IPO. This speaks to the strength of the portfolio and the business model."

REVENUES AND GEOs BY ASSET CATEGORIES











For the three months

ended March 31, 2016

For the three months

ended March 31, 2015

Revenue (in millions)

GEOs(1) #

Revenue (in millions)

GEOs(1) # Precious Metals - Gold $91.5

76,753

$86.1

70,511

- Silver 26.8

22,627

5.6

4,676

- PGM 7.6

5,196

9.7

7,983 Precious Metals - Total $125.9

104,576

$101.4

83,170 Other Minerals 2.5

2,045

2.3

1,911 Oil & Gas 3.6





5.5





$132.0

106,621

$109.2

85,081

For the first quarter of 2016, revenue was sourced 95% from precious metals (69% gold, 20% silver and 6% PGM) and 82% from the Americas (13% U.S., 16% Canada and 53% Latin America). Costs and expenses increased due to higher depletion and cost of sales as a result of the recent Antamina and Antapaccay acquisitions. Oil & gas production levels were stable while associated revenue was down slightly year over year due to lower average oil and gas prices. Cash provided by operating activities before changes to working capital was $99.4 million.

Corporate Updates

Antapaccay: On February 26, 2016 , Franco-Nevada acquired for $500.0 million a precious metals stream from Glencore plc with reference to production from the Antapaccay mine located in Peru .





On , Franco-Nevada acquired for a precious metals stream from Glencore plc with reference to production from the Antapaccay mine located in . Equity Financing: On February 19, 2016 , Franco-Nevada completed a bought deal financing with a syndicate of underwriters for 19.2 million common shares at $47.85 per common share. Net proceeds were $883.5 million . As the existing shelf prospectus was mostly utilized, a new $2 billion shelf prospectus was filed on May 2, 2016 .





On , Franco-Nevada completed a bought deal financing with a syndicate of underwriters for 19.2 million common shares at per common share. Net proceeds were . As the existing shelf prospectus was mostly utilized, a new shelf prospectus was filed on . Debt Repayment: In March, all outstanding debt balances were repaid. At the end of the quarter, Franco-Nevada had $186 million in cash and short-term investments and $1 billion in available credit facilities.

Portfolio Updates

Precious Metals  U.S.: GEOs from U.S. precious metals assets were essentially unchanged year over year with increases from Goldstrike largely offsetting decreases at Stillwater and Gold Quarry. The South Arturo project currently being advanced by joint venture partners Barrick Gold and Premier Gold Mines is expected to contribute later in 2016. Klondex Mines is reporting exploration success at Fire Creek where Franco-Nevada has a 2.5% royalty. Franco- Nevada has agreed to restructure its existing royalties at the Castle Mountain gold project into a single 2.65% royalty covering a larger property.





GEOs from U.S. precious metals assets were essentially unchanged year over year with increases from Goldstrike largely offsetting decreases at and Gold Quarry. The South Arturo project currently being advanced by joint venture partners and Premier Gold Mines is expected to contribute later in 2016. Klondex Mines is reporting exploration success at Fire Creek where Franco-Nevada has a 2.5% royalty. Franco- has agreed to restructure its existing royalties at the Castle Mountain gold project into a single 2.65% royalty covering a larger property. Precious Metals  Canada : GEOs from Canadian precious metals assets decreased compared with the first quarter 2015 with higher contributions from Detour Lake, Hemlo and Musselwhite being more than offset by a weaker quarter from Sudbury due to PGM prices. Operatorship of several Canadian royalties moved into stronger hands with Lake Shore Gold being acquired by Tahoe Resources and St Andrew Goldfields by Kirkland Lake Gold .





: GEOs from Canadian precious metals assets decreased compared with the first quarter 2015 with higher contributions from Detour Lake, and Musselwhite being more than offset by a weaker quarter from due to PGM prices. Operatorship of several Canadian royalties moved into stronger hands with Lake Shore Gold being acquired by Tahoe Resources and St Andrew Goldfields by . Precious Metals - Latin America : GEOs from Latin American precious metals assets increased substantially as a result of the recent investments in Antamina and Antapaccay. Antamina delivered 17,781 GEOs while Antapaccay delivered 8,918 GEOs. The Antapaccay precious metals stream was acquired during the quarter and the GEOs received reflects only two months of deliveries during a seasonably weak period. Candelaria also had a strong quarter and Lundin Mining has revised its guidance higher for 2016. The Cobre Panama project continues to advance and Franco-Nevada expects to advance $25-35 million in the second quarter.





GEOs from Latin American precious metals assets increased substantially as a result of the recent investments in Antamina and Antapaccay. Antamina delivered 17,781 GEOs while Antapaccay delivered 8,918 GEOs. The Antapaccay precious metals stream was acquired during the quarter and the GEOs received reflects only two months of deliveries during a seasonably weak period. Candelaria also had a strong quarter and Lundin Mining has revised its guidance higher for 2016. The Cobre Panama project continues to advance and Franco-Nevada expects to advance in the second quarter. Precious Metals  Rest of World: GEOs from Rest of World precious metals assets decreased slightly year over year mainly due to timing of deliveries from the Sabodala fixed ounce obligation. Karma contributed an initial 1,250 GEOs in the quarter with 12,500 GEOs scheduled to be delivered in 2016. True Gold, the previous operator of the Karma mine, was acquired by Endeavour Mining subsequent to quarter end. Kinross has announced it is proceeding with a Phase One expansion of the Tasiast mine, on which Franco-Nevada has a 2% royalty, which it expects will increase average production to 409,000 ounces per annum from 2018 to 2027. Kinross also indicated that it is studying a larger Phase Two expansion which could result in even higher production.





GEOs from Rest of World precious metals assets decreased slightly year over year mainly due to timing of deliveries from the Sabodala fixed ounce obligation. Karma contributed an initial 1,250 GEOs in the quarter with 12,500 GEOs scheduled to be delivered in 2016. True Gold, the previous operator of the Karma mine, was acquired by Endeavour Mining subsequent to quarter end. has announced it is proceeding with a Phase One expansion of the Tasiast mine, on which Franco-Nevada has a 2% royalty, which it expects will increase average production to 409,000 ounces per annum from 2018 to 2027. also indicated that it is studying a larger Phase Two expansion which could result in even higher production. Oil & gas: Revenue from oil & gas assets was $3.6 million in Q1 2016 compared with $5.5 million in Q1 2015. Most of the decrease in revenue is attributable to lower realized oil prices.

Dividend Declaration

Franco-Nevada is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share. The dividend is a 4.8% increase from the previous $0.21 per share quarterly dividend and marks the ninth consecutive annual dividend increase for Franco-Nevada shareholders. Canadian investors in Franco-Nevada's IPO in December 2007 are now receiving an effective 7.3% yield on their cost base.

The dividend will be paid on June 30, 2016 to shareholders of record on June 16, 2016. The Canadian dollar equivalent is determined based on the noon rate posted by the Bank of Canada on May 3, 2016. Under Canadian tax legislation, Canadian resident individuals who receive "eligible dividends" are entitled to an enhanced gross-up and dividend tax credit on such dividends.

The Company adopted a Dividend Reinvestment Plan ("DRIP") commencing with the October 2013 dividend. Participation in the DRIP is optional. The Company will issue the additional common shares through treasury at a 3% discount to the Average Market Price, as defined in the DRIP. However, the Company may, from time to time, in its discretion, change or eliminate the discount applicable to treasury acquisitions or direct that such common shares be purchased in market acquisitions at the prevailing market price, any of which would be publicly announced. The DRIP and enrollment forms are available on the Company's website at www.franco-nevada.com. Registered shareholders may also enroll in the DRIP online through the plan agent's self-service web portal at www.investorcentre.com/franco-nevada. Beneficial shareholders should contact their financial intermediary to arrange enrollment.

This press release is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer of securities. A registration statement relating to the DRIP has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and may be obtained under the Company's profile on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov.

Shareholder Information

The complete Condensed Interim Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis can be found today on Franco-Nevada's website at www.franco-nevada.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Management will host a conference call tomorrow, Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to review Franco-Nevada's first quarter 2016 results.

Interested investors are invited to participate as follows:

Via Conference Call: Toll-Free: (888) 231-8191; International: (647) 427-7450





Conference Call Replay until May 12 : Toll-Free (855) 859-2056; International (416) 849-0833; Pass code 91205248.





Webcast: A live audio webcast will be accessible at www.franco-nevada.com.

Corporate Summary

Franco-Nevada Corporation is the leading gold-focused royalty and stream company with the largest and most diversified portfolio of cash-flow producing assets. Its business model provides investors with gold price and exploration optionality while limiting exposure to many of the risks of operating companies. Franco-Nevada is debt free and uses its free cash flow to expand its portfolio and pay dividends. It trades under the symbol FNV on both the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. Franco-Nevada is the gold investment that works.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, respectively, which may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future events or future performance, management's expectations regarding Franco-Nevada's growth, results of operations, estimated future revenues, carrying value of assets, future dividends and requirements for additional capital, mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, production estimates, production costs and revenue, future demand for and prices of commodities, expected mining sequences, business prospects and opportunities. In addition, statements (including data in tables) relating to reserves and resources and gold equivalent ounces ("GEOs") are forward looking statements, as they involve implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, and no assurance can be given that the estimates and assumptions are accurate and that such reserves and resources and GEOs will be realized. Such forward looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Franco-Nevada to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward looking statements. A number of factors could cause actual events or results to differ materially from any forward looking statement, including, without limitation: fluctuations in the prices of the primary commodities that drive royalty and stream revenue (gold, platinum group metals, copper, nickel, uranium, silver, iron-ore and oil and gas); fluctuations in the value of the Canadian and Australian dollar, Mexican peso, and any other currency in which revenue is generated, relative to the U.S. dollar; changes in national and local government legislation, including permitting and licensing regimes and taxation policies and the enforcement thereof; regulatory, political or economic developments in any of the countries where properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest are located or through which they are held; risks related to the operators of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest, including changes in the ownership and control of such operators; influence of macroeconomic developments; business opportunities that become available to, or are pursued by Franco-Nevada; reduced access to debt and equity capital; litigation; title, permit or license disputes related to interests on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; whether or not the Corporation is determined to have "passive foreign investment company" ("PFIC") status as defined in Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; potential changes in Canadian tax treatment of offshore streams; excessive cost escalation as well as development, permitting, infrastructure, operating or technical difficulties on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; actual mineral content may differ from the reserves and resources contained in technical reports; rate and timing of production differences from resource estimates, other technical reports and mine plans; risks and hazards associated with the business of development and mining on any of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest, including, but not limited to unusual or unexpected geological and metallurgical conditions, slope failures or cave-ins, flooding and other natural disasters, terrorism, civil unrest or an outbreak of contagious diseases; and the integration of acquired assets. The forward looking statements contained in this press release are based upon assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including, without limitation: the ongoing operation of the properties in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest by the owners or operators of such properties in a manner consistent with past practice; the accuracy of public statements and disclosures made by the owners or operators of such underlying properties; no material adverse change in the market price of the commodities that underlie the asset portfolio; the Corporation's ongoing income and assets relating to determination of its PFIC status; no material changes to existing tax treatment; no adverse development in respect of any significant property in which Franco-Nevada holds a royalty, stream or other interest; the accuracy of publicly disclosed expectations for the development of underlying properties that are not yet in production; integration of acquired assets; and the absence of any other factors that could cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. However, there can be no assurance that forward looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Investors are cautioned that forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Franco-Nevada cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward looking statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. For additional information with respect to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, please refer to the "Risk Factors" section of Franco-Nevada's most recent Annual Information Form filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities on www.sedar.com and Franco-Nevada's most recent Annual Report filed on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on www.sec.gov. The forward looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only and Franco-Nevada does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

NON-IFRS MEASURES: Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA are intended to provide additional information only and do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under IFRS. Other companies may calculate these measures differently. For a reconciliation of these measures to various IFRS measures, please see below or the Company's current MD&A disclosure found on the Company's website, on SEDAR and on EDGAR.

(1) GEOs include our gold, silver, platinum, palladium and other mineral assets. GEOs are estimated on a gross basis for NSR royalties and, in the case of stream ounces, before the payment of the per ounce contractual price paid by the Company. For NPI royalties, GEOs are calculated taking into account the NPI economics. Platinum, palladium, silver and other minerals were converted to GEOs by dividing associated revenue, which includes settlement adjustments, by the average gold price for the period. For Q1 2016, the average commodity prices were as follows: $1,181/oz gold (2015 - $1,219/oz); $14.83/oz silver (2015 - $16.71/oz); $914/oz platinum (2015 - $1,193/oz) and $524/oz palladium (2015 - $786/oz).



(2) Adjusted Net Income is defined by the Company as net income (loss) excluding foreign exchange gains/losses, gains/losses on the sale of investments, impairment charges related to royalties, streams, working interests and investments, unusual non-recurring items, and the impact of taxes on all these items.



(3) Adjusted EBITDA is defined by the Company as net income (loss) excluding income tax expense/recovery, finance income and expenses, foreign exchange gains/losses, gains/losses on the sale of investments, depletion and depreciation, non-cash costs of sales and impairment charges related to royalties, streams, working interests and investments.

Reconciliation to Non-IFRS measures:



Three months ended March 31, (expressed in millions, except per share amounts)

2016

2015 Net Income $ 30.0 $ 19.2

Income tax expense

8.1

9.0

Finance expenses

1.3

0.4

Finance income

(1.1)

(0.8)

Depletion and depreciation

65.5

51.7

Non-cash costs of sales

1.8

1.1

Impairment charges

-

0.1

Gains/losses on sale of investments

(1.5)

-

Foreign exchange (gains)/losses and other (income)/expenses

(0.4)

2.6 Adjusted EBITDA $ 103.7 $ 83.3 Basic Weighted Average Shares Outstanding

166.8

156.5









Adjusted EBITDA per share $ 0.62 $ 0.53





















Three months ended March 31, (expressed in millions, except per share amounts)

2016

2015 Net Income $ 30.0 $ 19.2

Foreign exchange (gains)/losses and other (Income)/expenses,

net of income tax

(2.0)

3.2

Mark-to-market changes on derivatives, net of income tax

-

-

Impairment charges, net of income tax

-

-

Indexation adjustment

-

(0.4)

Valuation allowance

-

0.9

Impact of change in depreciation rate

-

-

Impact of tax rate increases

-

- Adjusted Net Income $ 28.0 $ 22.9 Basic Weighted Average Shares Outstanding

166.8

156.5









Adjusted Net Income per share $ 0.17 $ 0.15





























FRANCO-NEVADA CORPORATION







CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION







(unaudited, in millions of U.S. dollars)





























March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015









ASSETS







Cash and cash equivalents (Note 4) $ 176.3 $ 149.2 Short-term investments (Notes 5 & 8)

10.6

18.8 Receivables (Note 8)

49.9

65.1 Prepaid expenses and other (Note 6)

32.5

41.6

Current assets

269.3

274.7









Royalty, stream and working interests, net

3,749.5

3,257.5 Investments (Notes 5 & 8)

114.0

94.8 Deferred income tax assets

16.4

16.1 Other assets (Note 7)

32.0

31.2











Total assets $ 4,181.2 $ 3,674.3





























LIABILITIES







Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 18.2 $ 18.0 Current income tax liabilities

1.7

2.8

Current liabilities

19.9

20.8









Debt (Note 13)

-

457.3 Deferred income tax liabilities

27.1

33.2

Total liabilities

47.0

511.3









SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (Note 14)







Common shares

4,626.7

3,709.0 Contributed surplus

42.5

44.3 Deficit

(310.7)

(302.2) Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(224.3)

(288.1)

Total shareholders' equity

4,134.2

3,163.0











Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 4,181.2 $ 3,674.3











The accompanying notes are an integral part of these interim consolidated financial statements and can be

found in our Q1 2016 Report available on our website.





FRANCO-NEVADA CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (unaudited, in millions of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts)





















For the three months ended March 31,



2016

2015









Revenue (Note 9) $ 132.0 $ 109.2









Costs and expenses









Costs of sales (Note 10)

24.4

22.4

Depletion and depreciation

65.5

51.7

Impairment of royalty, stream and working interests

-

0.1

Corporate administration (Notes 11 & 14(c))

5.4

4.1

Business development

0.3

0.5



95.6

78.8











Operating income

36.4

30.4











Foreign exchange gain (loss) and other income (expenses)

(Note 5)

1.9

(2.6) Income before finance items and income taxes

38.3

27.8









Finance items









Finance income

1.1

0.8

Finance expenses

(1.3)

(0.4) Net income before income taxes

38.1

28.2









Income tax expense (Note 12)

8.1

9.0









Net income $ 30.0 $ 19.2









Other comprehensive income (loss):







Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit and loss:









Unrealized gain (loss) in market value of available-for-sale

investments, net of income tax of $0.2 (2015-income tax

recovery of $1.1) (Note 5)

15.8

(6.7)

Realized change in market value of available-for-sale

investments

(1.5)

-

Currency translation adjustment

49.5

(89.2)

Other comprehensive income (loss):

63.8

(95.9)









Total comprehensive income (loss) $ 93.8 $ (76.7)









Basic earnings per share (Note 15) $ 0.18 $ 0.12 Diluted earnings per share (Note 15) $ 0.18 $ 0.12









The accompanying notes are an integral part of these interim consolidated financial statements and can be

found in our Q1 2016 Report available on our website.





























FRANCO-NEVADA CORPORATION







CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS







(unaudited, in millions of U.S. dollars) For the three months ended March 31,



2016

2015 Cash flows from operating activities







Net income $ 30.0 $ 19.2 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided

by operating activities:









Depletion and depreciation

65.5

51.7

Other non-cash items

(0.5)

0.1

Gain on sale of investments (Note 5)

(1.5)

-

Non-cash cost of sales (Note 10)

1.8

1.1

Deferred income tax expense (Note 12)

2.6

1.7

Share-based payments (Note 14(c))

1.3

1.4

Unrealized foreign exchange loss

0.2

2.5

Mark-to-market on warrants (Note 5)

-

0.2



99.4

77.9 Changes in non-cash assets and liabilities:









Decrease in receivables

15.2

16.2

Increase in prepaid expenses and other

(14.6)

(22.8)

Decrease in current liabilities

(0.9)

(1.9) Net cash provided by operating activities

99.1

69.4









Cash flows from investing activities









Proceeds on sale of investments

10.6

-

Acquisition of investments

(0.7)

(21.6)

Proceeds from the sale of gold bullion

24.9

14.2

Acquisition of royalty, stream and working interests

(516.1)

(12.9)

Purchase of property and equipment

-

(0.1)

Purchase of oil & gas well equipment

(0.7)

(0.7) Net cash used in investing activities

(482.0)

(21.1)









Cash flows from financing activities









Net proceeds from issuance of common shares (Note 14)

883.5

-

Repayment of Credit Facility (Note 13)

(460.0)

-

Payment of dividends (Note 14(b))

(28.3)

(23.9)

Proceeds from exercise of stock options (Note 14(a))

10.2

0.3 Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

405.4

(23.6) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

4.6

(18.7) Net change in cash and cash equivalents

27.1

6.0 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

149.2

592.5 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 176.3 $ 598.5









Supplemental cash flow information:







Cash paid for interest expense and loan standby fees during

the period $ 1.2 $ 0.3 Income taxes paid during the period $ 5.5 $ 9.8









The accompanying notes are an integral part of these interim consolidated financial statements and can be

found in our Q1 2016 Report available on our website.

SOURCE Franco-Nevada Corporation

For further information: please go to our website at www.franco-nevada.com or contact: Stefan Axell, Director, Corporate Affairs, 416-306-6328, [email protected]; Sandip Rana, Chief Financial Officer, 416-306-6303
Programme follows successful trial of Oxitec's mosquito in Cayman Islands that reduced Aedes aegypti by 96%

GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - Oxitec and the Cayman Islands Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) announced a new plan to fight wild Aedes aegypti, the dangerous mosquito that spreads dengue, Zika and chikungunya, to prevent the threat of these diseases on the island of Grand Cayman. MRCU, a global leader in mosquito control, is planning a multi-phase roll out of Oxitec's solution to help reclaim the island from this disease-carrying pest. In March, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended pilot deployment of Oxitec's solution to respond to the Zika crisis and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on Oxitec's solution for an investigational trial in the Florida Keys.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150630/227348 )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364091LOGO )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364092 )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364093 )



Dr. Bill Petrie, Director of MRCU said, "We have wanted to remove this invasive pest for a long time, but this has proven very difficult using currently available tools on an island the size of Grand Cayman, so we have been looking for new approaches. The decision to deploy the Oxitec solution comes after the success of a peer-reviewed trial. We believe this environmentally friendly tool can greatly reduce the population of Aedes aegypti and has the potential to eliminate it from Grand Cayman."

MRCU performed the world's first suppression trial with Oxitec's OX513A self-limiting mosquito - a genetically engineered non-biting male that mates with disease-transmitting wild Aedes aegypti females - which successfully reduced the target mosquito population by 96%. The Sister Islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are not threatened by the diseases as their populations of Aedes aegypti remain below transmission threshold; the aim is to achieve the same for Grand Cayman.

Chief Officer in the Cayman Islands Ministry of Health, Jennifer Ahearn, Ministerial Councillor for Health, Councillor Roy McTaggart, Dr. Petrie and Oxitec's Dr. Renaud Lacroix, on Monday (18 April) finalised the partnership by signing the agreement between MRCU and Oxitec to reduce the numbers of Aedes aegypti in the Cayman Islands.

"Oxitec is very proud of our continuing partnership with MRCU. We have benefited greatly from their expertise both for the original suppression trial and in the process of preparing for the current project," said Glen Slade, Head of Business Development at Oxitec. "The first trial proved that this approach works, and now we have the opportunity to help protect more people from this mosquito."

Ms. Ahearn, who is responsible for the health policy, said "During the time that we have been planning this project it has unfortunately become all the more urgent, with first chikungunya and now Zika threatening Cayman, the Caribbean and the Americas. Fighting the Aedes aegypti vector and potentially eliminating it from the Cayman Islands, is the surest way to protect our residents and tourists from the dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses."

The first phase of the project will include a series of activities to inform the community about the programme. Over two months, Oxitec and MRCU employees will provide information to local residents about the programme, how the solution works and why it is effective. "Before we release our mosquitoes, which we refer to as 'Friendly Aedes aegypti', it is important to explain that the males do not bite, do not transmit diseases and do not persist in the environment," said Dr. Renaud Lacroix, the project manager. "Our scientists and staff are delighted to talk about this programme, and will be available to answer questions."

The next phase will be deployment of Oxitec's solution initially to treat an area with about 1,800 residents in West Bay, Grand Cayman and an equivalent area without Oxitec treatment will be used for comparison. Then, subject to appropriate approvals and funding, the goal of the programme is to expand from the northwest end of Grand Cayman, where West Bay is located, across the remainder of the island to reduce the population of dangerous Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and help eliminate the diseases they carry for residents and tourists alike.

Describing the Oxitec mosquito release process, Dr. Alan Wheeler, Assistant Director of the MRCU, says, "It is one of those times where you are very grateful to see a mosquito, because you know it's going to do its job, and there will be fewer mosquitoes around to bite and transmit disease once it's done."

Activities to be conducted by MRCU and Oxitec this week:

Thursday 5 th to Saturday 7 th May, 2016: Information booth at the West bay dock.

to Saturday 7 May, 2016: Information booth at the West bay dock. Saturday 7 th May, 2016: Information Desk at a West Bay location to be announced.

May, 2016: Information Desk at a location to be announced. Thursday 5th to Saturday 7th May 2016 : House visits in the treatment area.

A town hall meeting will be planned at the John A. Cumber Primary School within the coming weeks.

Diseases spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito

Dengue Fever infects an estimated 400 million people globally every year with about half of the world's population at risk.

Chikungunya swept into Central America and the Caribbean in 2014 with an epidemic spiking to over a million cases within only a year.

and the in 2014 with an epidemic spiking to over a million cases within only a year. Zika virus is rapidly spreading into new countries and has caused a state of emergency in Brazil where it has been linked to a sudden increase in birth defects (microcephaly) and nervous system disorders (Guillain-Barre syndrome).

where it has been linked to a sudden increase in birth defects (microcephaly) and nervous system disorders (Guillain-Barre syndrome). Yellow Fever remains a major health threat. Globally, there are an estimated 200,000 cases of yellow fever, causing 30,000 deaths each year, with 90% cases occurring in Africa .

About Oxitec

Oxitec is a pioneer in using genetic engineering to control insect pests that spread disease and damage crops, and was founded in 2002 as a spinout from Oxford University (UK). Oxitec is a subsidiary of Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON), which engineers biology to help solve some of the world's biggest problems.

SOURCE Oxitec Ltd

For further information: Press contact: Oxitec: Matt Warren, [email protected], +44-(0)1235-832393, Site: http://www.oxitec.com, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/oxitec, Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/oxitec; MRCU: Dr. Bill Petrie, MRCU Director, +1-345-949-2557, Site: http://www.mrcu.ky
EDMONTON, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Labatt Breweries of Canada is mobilizing its Canadian Disaster Relief effort to immediately donate more than 69,000 cans of emergency drinking water in aid of Canadians forced from their homes and firefighters on the ground in the wake of a wildfire sweeping through Fort McMurray, Alberta. An additional 131,000-plus cans are at the ready and will be shipped if emergency conditions warrant later this week.

Today, a truck carrying more than 2,880 cases of water canned to disaster specifications departed from the brewer's Alberta distribution centres. The shipment is destined for same-day delivery at the Edmonton emergency centre for donation to firefighters and displaced residents with the greatest need.

Charlie Angelakos, Labatt's vice president, legal and corporate affairs, said, "At our Edmonton brewery and across the country, the people of Labatt are alarmed and deeply concerned by the devastation of the wildfire that has overtaken Fort McMurray. Our priority is to shift into high gear with our Disaster Relief Program and do everything we can to help."

Today's donation is Labatt's fourth under its Canadian Disaster Relief Program in as many years. The company made its first water donation in 2013, when severe flooding caused Alberta to declare Canada's first-ever provincial state of emergency, also flying out a team of Labatt employees to help with the flood clean-up effort on the ground. In 2014, the company came to the aid of flood victims in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and, in 2015 it coupled financial donations with donations of safe drinking water for fire fighters and residents when forest fires broke out in BC and Saskatchewan.

Labatt's Canadian Disaster Relief Program was first established in 2012 to provide safe drinking water to Canadian communities that have experienced a natural disaster. The company's Hometown Brewery in London, Ontario packages its own water and maintains a constant inventory of fresh and safe canned water exclusively for this purpose. Since 2012, Labatt has donated more than 220,000 cans of safe drinking water to Canadian communities under emergency conditions.

"Labatt is one of Canada's founding businesses and oldest brewers and we're grateful to be able to give back to this country by leveraging our strengths and resources to get safe drinking water to Canadians in need," said Angelakos.

About Labatt Breweries of Canada

Established by John Kinder Labatt in London, Ontario in 1847, Labatt Breweries is one of Canada's founding businesses and its leading brewer. The company today has more than 3,000 employees, six breweries, three stand-alone craft brewers, and a portfolio of 60 quality beers, including Budweiser, Alexander Keith's, Labatt Blue, Kokanee, Stella Artois and Corona. Brands also include ready-to-drink beverages such as Palm Bay and Mike's Hard Lemonade. As part of the Anheuser-Busch InBev family, Labatt is committed to being The Best Beer Company Bringing People Together for a Better World, making a positive contribution through multiple programs that support its communities, promote responsible drinking and protect the environment.

SOURCE Labatt Breweries of Canada

For further information: Ilan Cooley (Alberta), [email protected], 780-497-1445; Caitie Wallman (National), [email protected], 416-320-4178
Major donation of $100,000, fundraising drive in branches and proactive efforts to contact affected clients via email, cell or other methods

MONTREAL, May 5, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - National Bank is announcing a series of measures to assist the victims of the forest fires in Fort McMurray, with the goal of contributing proactively to relief efforts and providing solutions tailored to the specific needs of evacuated clients.

"National Bank has a long history in Alberta, and these major events are of direct concern to us," stated Louis Vachon, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank. "That's why we will donate $100,000, half of which originates from employee contributions, to assist the victims. In addition to making an institutional donation and collecting funds in branches, we will contact our clients affected by this disaster to see what we can do to quickly address their financial concerns, as we have done in the past in similar situations."

National Bank will donate $100,000 to local organizations and/or the Canadian Red Cross to fund first aid efforts and the reintegration that will follow these events. The Bank will also be accepting donations from the public in all its branches across Canada from May 6 to June 6, 2016. Cheques and donations should be made out to "Canadian Red Cross  Alberta Fires Appeal."

The Red Cross will issue tax receipts for all donations of $20 and over. All funds collected through National Bank branches will be remitted to the Red Cross and used to provide immediate assistance to the victims.

Support measures for clients of National Bank

Since the evacuation began, National Bank teams have been working hard to identify local clients and inter-provincial workers, in all business segments, who have been directly affected by the disaster. These efforts are going well.

Over the next few hours, the Bank's main business units will implement a coordinated strategy to proactively contact the clients identified via email, cell phone or any other method at their disposal in order to reassure them and address their specific needs.

The measures offered include, among other things:

Deferred payments on personal loans

Deferred payments of principal and interest on personal mortgage loans

Personalized, case-by-case agreements for affected business clients

Affected clients who cannot be reached are invited to contact their branch to discuss their case.

About National Bank of Canada

With $219 billion in assets as at January 31, 2016, National Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, forms one of Canada's leading integrated financial groups. The Bank has close to 20,000 employees and is widely recognized as a top employer. The Bank's securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA). Follow the Bank's activities at nbc.ca or via social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE National Bank of Canada

For further information: (The telephone number provided below is for the exclusive use of journalists and other media representatives.): Jean-Francois Lauzon, Advisor - Public Affairs, National Bank of Canada, Tel.: 514-394-6097
TORONTO, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - NextGear Capital, a Cox Automotive brand, is pleased to announce today the appointment of Joe Carusella to National Vice President, Canada Operations. Carusella brings over twenty-one years of experience in the automotive industry.

"We are excited to have Joe join the Canadian operation team in this newly created position" said John Wick, Chief Strategy Officer of NextGear Capital. "Joe's breadth of experience in the industry coupled with his excellent reputation in the business will no doubt add bench strength to our operation in Canada."

"In this newly created role, Carusella will focus on building on the successful momentum of NextGear Capital in Canada, by offering useful client solutions and continuing to diversify into other related industries," said Maria Soklis, President, Cox Automotive Canada. "We are especially pleased with the results that NextGear has delivered in Canada as an industry lending leader and look forward to continuing this positive trajectory into the future."

Carusella, an industry veteran has experience in the areas of operations, sales and finance. Prior to joining NextGear Capital, Joe served as Senior Director at Desjardins Credit Union. He headed up the automotive and durable goods business unit with finance, retail and business development. Additionally, Carusella held the position as Branch Manager and Officer at Automotive Finance Canada (AFC). A native of Montreal, Carusella holds a graduate degree from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.

In response to his recent appointment, Carusella added, "I am excited to get to work and be a part of a great organization here at NextGear Capital in Canada, and I am truly delighted to be part of a progressive company like Cox Automotive where the opportunity is seemingly unlimited."

About NextGear Capital

NextGear Capital serves more than 23,000 automotive dealers globally with inventory financing services across the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The company is a part of Cox Automotive, which includes industry-leading brands Dealer Track, vAuto and Manheim. With more than $4.08B U.S. receivables outstanding and over 2 million forecasted vehicle floors in 2016, NextGear Capital has become the global leader in inventory finance for independent auto dealers.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive is a leader in vehicle remarketing services and digital marketing and software solutions for automotive dealers and consumers. Cox Automotive, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, includes Manheim, Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, and a host of global businesses and brands serving customers such as auto dealers, manufacturers and financial institutions. Headquartered in Atlanta, Cox Automotive employs over 30,000 team members in over 200 locations worldwide. We partner with more than 40,000 dealers and touch over 65 percent of all car buyers in the U.S. with the most recognized brands in the industry. We unite over 20 brands in this space, providing an end-to-end solution to transform the way people buy and sell cars every day.

About Cox Automotive Canada

Cox Automotive Canada provides products and services through Manheim, vAuto, NextGear Capital, HomeNet, VinSolutions, XTime, Dealertrack and RMS.

SOURCE Cox Automotive Canada

Image with caption: "Joe Carusella, NextGear Capital National Vice President, Canada Operations (CNW Group/Cox Automotive Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160505_C8397_PHOTO_EN_683477.jpg

For further information: Jack Sulymka, Cox Automotive Canada, 416-254-4037, [email protected]; Anne Yourt, Zeno Group Canada, 416-849-8939, [email protected]
"The Bad Mother": Just in Time for Mother's Day!

HAMILTON, Canada, April 27, 2016 /CNW/ -- Pollinator Films today announced their dramatic comedy The Bad Mother is now available for rent, purchase and gift worldwide via Video On Demand at badmothermovie.com.

The acclaimed film stars a real family and tells the story of Tara, a mid-30s woman who has to lean out of her career to take care of her kids. The lid of her frustration is blown off when her five-year-old son accidentally posts a private rant she wrote about her husband's evil workplace to the Internet. Tara and her family must deal with the dizzying consequences which include drug cocktails, the humbling eye of her own mother, and a reunion with her ex-boyfriend, played by superfood "rock star" David Avocado Wolfe.

Made in Canada with Canadian cast and crew, The Bad Mother was filmed in Hamilton, ON and Creston, BC and is screening on Father's Day as part of the Niagara Integrated Film Festival in St. Catharines on June 19, 2016.

Teaser Trailer: https://youtu.be/IVtLDCJD9IU

Full Trailer: https://youtu.be/UUfDjjLWfmA

Clip 1: Tara's mom informs her that she's looking older.https://youtu.be/nkyfnQ_cljo

Clip 2: Tara's best friend Joan questions her sanity. https://youtu.be/jwFdCsl_PQk

Clip 3: Tara's ex-boyfriend and old colleague Francis (played by David Avocado Wolfe) misses her. https://youtu.be/JwOPTZpZ_h0

Download full quality files for broadcast

Download Press Photos and Graphics

The film about the stresses of work vs. kids has made audiences both laugh and cry, often at the same time.

"None of it's true and all of it's true," laughs writer and star Sarah Kapoor. "I knew there was a hungry audience for this film, but there was no movie out there for them," says Kapoor, who literally put in her blood, sweat and tears to make the film.

For working moms (and Dads!) and stay-at-home Moms alike, this totally relatable, yet totally fantastic Kickstarter-backed film has had audiences literally ROFL.

"Flowers die. And unless you're writing the poem, cards are trash waiting to happen," says Director / Producer David J. Fernandes who is encouraging gifting the movie to hard working moms this Mother's Day.

Written and starring Sarah Kapoor and her whole family, the film was co-directed and co-produced by Pollinator Films' David J. Fernandes and Sarah Kapoor, and financed completely independently.

The movie has already been nominated for Best Feature, Best Actress and won Best Cinematography Prize at the Hamilton Film Festival. Audiences have loved the creative soundtrack featuring indie musicians Cobario, interwoven with powerhouses Bonnie Tyler and Doris Day.

Movie-goers are calling it a "must-see" and saying, "I laughed, I cried, I peed a little."

TO BOOK AN INTERVIEW:

Jenny Vasquez

Executive Assistant

1-289-931-4345

[email protected]

About Pollinator Films

Pollinator Films Inc. is the creative collaboration between Sarah Kapoor and David J. Fernandes. They write, direct, and produce thought-provoking content. The Bad Mother is the company's first feature film.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Pollinator Films Inc.
QUEBEC CITY, April 21, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - iA Financial Group (Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc.) (TSX: IAG) will disclose its earnings results for the first quarter of 2016 on Thursday, May 5, 2016. Management will discuss the results during a conference call to be held at 11:30 a.m. (ET), followed by the company' Annual Meeting at 2:00 p.m.

First Quarter 2016 Earnings Results

The conference call will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 5, 2016. The conference call can be accessed by calling 1-800-681-1621 (toll-free). Please note that the question and answer period following will be reserved for financial analysts.

A webcast of the conference call (in listen-only mode) will be available on the iA Financial Group website at www.ia.ca.

A replay of the conference call will be available for a one-week period starting at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, 2016, until midnight on May 12, 2016. To listen to the replay, call 18005585253 (tollfree) and enter access code 21807897.

A transcript of the conference call will be posted the week following the conference call on the company's website at www.ia.ca, under About iA, in the Investor Relations/Financial Reports section.

All documents related to iA Financial Group's first quarter earnings results will be published on the company's website at www.ia.ca, under About iA, in the Investor Relations/Financial Reports section, at around 9:00 am (ET) on Thursday, May 5, 2016.

Annual Meeting

Mr. John LeBoutillier, Chairman of the Board, and Mr. Yvon Charest, President and CEO, invite the media to attend the iA Financial Group Annual Meeting, which will be held on Thursday, May 5, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. (ET), at the Quebec City Convention Centre, 1000 Rene-Levesque Boulevard East, in Quebec City. A webcast and a videoconference of the Annual Meeting will be available on the company's website at www.ia.ca under About iA, in the Investor Relations/Events and Presentations section.

Mr. Charest will be available after the Annual Meeting to meet with media. Journalists who cannot attend the press conference and who would like to schedule an interview with Mr. Charest are asked to contact Pierre Picard, Public Relations Manager, at 418-684-5000, extension 1660.

SOURCE Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc.

For further information: Investor Relations: Grace Pollock, Office: 418-780-5945, Email: [email protected]; Public Relations: Pierre Picard, Office: 418-684-5000, ext. 1-1660, Email: [email protected]
Isn't it time to take a WOWcation?

MONTREAL, May 5, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The snow has finally melted. Are you looking forward to your next adventure? Let Uber Quebec and WOW air help make your planning effortless.

On May 5, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, allow yourself to be transported to a world of geysers, the Northern Lights and breathtaking landscapes. Request UberWOW and we'll bring you Iceland in the backseat! Once aboard your UberWOW SUV, you'll be treated to an immersive virtual reality experience with the sights and sounds of Iceland. We'll also hook you up with some of our favourite Icelandic imports. All lucky riders will receive a pair of plane tickets (for two) to Iceland, for real! Now's your chance to make your next adventure come to life!

QUICK FACTS

On Thursday, May 5 , from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm , select the UberWOW option in your Uber app.

, from , select the UberWOW option in your Uber app. Request UberWOW by selecting this option on the slider at the right side of your screen.

If connected, a car will arrive at your location with a world of surprises waiting for you in the backseat.

You'll get a 15-minute ride, receive some Icelandic goodies and a virtual reality experience, as well as a pair of tickets to Iceland !

! All UberWOW rides will be free and will end at the pickup location.

The operation zone includes downtown Montreal , Plateau Mont-Royal, Mile-End, Old Montreal and Griffintown.

QUOTES

"Uber Quebec is pleased to welcome WOW air to Montreal and offer a chance to win a pair of tickets to Iceland. Uber is proud to partner with companies like WOW air that put customer service at the centre of the way they work." - Jean-Nicolas Guillemette, Uber's General Manager for Quebec

"WOW air is excited to come to Montreal and offer more than 450,000 Quebec Uber users a chance to win a round trip to Iceland. We always strive to provide an affordable option for people to travel to Europe from North America. Uber and WOW air share the same vision, which is focused on putting the customer first." - Skuli Mogensen, CEO and founder of WOW air

About Uber Canada

Co-founded by Canadian entrepreneur Garrett Camp in 2009, Uber is a smartphone app that connects riders with drivers. Uber now operates in over 40 communities in Canada, Uber offers more than 22,000 Canadian driver-partners a new way to earn a living in their spare time by offering a more affordable transportation alternative to hundreds of thousands of riders across the country. For more, visit: uber.com.

About WOW air

WOW air is Iceland's only low-cost airline. The airline offers the lowest fares, a modern fleet with the lowest emissions and the biggest smile; this is the WOW air promise to its valuable customers.

As of Summer 2016, the airline services 28 destinations across Europe and North America including London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Montreal and Toronto.

Created in November 2011 by Icelandic serial entrepreneur Skuli Mogensen, the purple airline flies Airbus A320 aircraft across Europe and Airbus A321 aircraft that service its transatlantic routes.

WOW air was ranked as the 7th best low-cost airline in Europe at the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Skytrax World Airline Awards and was the youngest airline in the top ten.

SOURCE Uber Canada Inc. (Quebec)

For further information: Jean-Christophe de Le Rue, [email protected]
TORONTO, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) has set up a special hotline and process for its clients and employees who have been impacted by the destruction caused by wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alberta. In addition, Sun Life Financial will be providing a corporate donation of $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to help residents who have been evacuated and have lost their homes, businesses, and livelihood. Additionally, employee and Sun Life advisor personal donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to an additional total corporate maximum of $25,000.

The devastating fires in Fort McMurray have had a significant impact on Sun Life Financial's clients, employees, and advisors who live and work in the area. "We are deeply saddened by the news and our thoughts are with the tens of thousands of people who have been forced from their homes and communities," said Kevin Dougherty, President, SLF Canada.

"We recognize the ordeal our clients, advisors and employees are facing and are committed to working with them at the appropriate time to find solutions that best meet their individual needs," said Dougherty. "Whether that means providing quicker access to funds and benefits, extension of payment terms or any other special handling that is required, we're here to help and talk through what's meaningful for them."

Sun Life Financial and Sun Life Global Investments are encouraging impacted clients who require special assistance to call 1-866-220-1230, or contact their Sun Life Financial advisor.

Sun Life Financial's contribution to the Canadian Red Cross will come from the Sun Life Financial International Response Fund at the Canadian Red Cross, which enables support to be deployed rapidly to areas in need. These fires represent the largest evacuation in Alberta's history and Red Cross teams are prepared to respond.

The Sun Life Financial International Response Fund, the first international corporate sponsorship of its kind, was established in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross in 2005 to help accelerate emergency response to large-scale international crises. Administered by the Canadian Red Cross, the Fund has helped provide immediate relief and resources to natural disasters and crises in Canada and around the world.

Canadians can make a donation to the Alberta Fire Appeal to support the Canadian Red Cross response efforts.

About Sun Life Financial

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Sun Life Financial has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2015, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $891 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc.

For further information:

Media Relations Contact:

Alessandra Nigro

Manager, Corporate Communications

T. 416-979-4884

[email protected]


Service from Toronto starts May 11th

MONTREAL, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - WOW air, Iceland's ultra low-cost airline, received a warm Canadian welcome earlier today as one of its bright purple planes touched down on Canadian soil for the very first time. As passengers on the inaugural flight arrived at the gate, they were greeted by a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, making it a true Canadian welcome.

"I'm thrilled to be aboard the first WOW air flight to Canada, and to start connecting Canadians with Europe at super low fares," said Skuli Mogensen, sole owner and CEO of WOW air. "The fact that the first plane is touching down in Montreala city I lived in for nearly a decademakes this extra special, as Montreal means a lot to me and my family."

"Aeroports de Montreal is extremely pleased to welcome WOW air," said James Cherry, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aeroports de Montreal. "With its very attractive fares for flights to Iceland and Europe, WOW air represents an interesting option for our passengers. Today, the airline officially becomes the first ultra low-cost carrier flying out internationally from Montreal-Trudeau."

WOW air announced its entry into the Canadian market in October 2015, at the same time tickets went on sale. "We've been so pleased with the demand that we made the decision to increase capacity on both of our Canadian routes," said Mogensen. "We are excited about the response to our super-low fares that start at $99 CDN, and will continue adding even more interesting destinations across Europe at great prices for Canadian travellers, which already includes cities such as Paris, Lyon, London and Frankfurt, to name a few."

There are now five flights per week servicing Montreal and six each week servicing Toronto.

Originally launched in November 2011, flights to Iceland and other European destinations will depart Toronto's Pearson (YYZ) and Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau (YUL) via Reykjavik, offering travellers the cheapest connection between Europe and Canada. They will be operated using WOW air's fleet of new Airbus A321 Extended Range aircraft. The airline's Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 family of aircraft will carry passengers between Reykjavik and other European destinations.

Tickets for the Canada flights are on sale at www.wowair.ca.

About WOW air

WOW air offers the lowest fares, a modern fleet with the lowest emissions and the biggest smile; this is the WOW air promise to its valuable customers.

As of Summer 2016, the airline services 28 destinations across Europe and North America including London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Montreal and Toronto.

Created in November 2011 by Icelandic serial entrepreneur Skuli Mogensen, the purple airline flies Airbus A320 aircraft across Europe and Airbus A321 aircraft that service its transatlantic routes.

WOW air was ranked as the 7th best low-cost airline in Europe at the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Skytrax World Airline Awards and was the youngest airline in the top ten.

Notes to editors:

Skuli Mogensen is available for a limited number of in-person interviews in Montreal on May 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Mogensen is the founder, CEO and sole-owner of WOW air and spent 20 years as an entrepreneur before setting up the airline in 2011. This included setting up OZ Communications in Montreal, then sold onto Nokia in a multi-million dollar deal. This success, combined with initiatives such as the WOW Cyclothon have led to Mogensen being likened to the Icelandic Richard Branson.

SOURCE WOW air

Image with caption: "Ultra low-cost Icelandic airline WOW air landed in Canada for the first time on May 4. Passengers arriving in Montreal received a warm and true Canadian welcome. (CNW Group/WOW air)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160504_C6479_PHOTO_EN_683112.jpg

For further information: for more photos of the inaugural flight's arrival earlier this evening, please contact: Dana Frank, 514 447 3938, [email protected]
Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday, paid glowing tribute to his late boss, former President Umaru Musa YarAdua, who passed on May...

Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday, paid glowing tribute to his late boss, former President Umaru Musa YarAdua, who passed on May 5, 2010, exactly six years ago.Jonathan who took to his Facebook page to eulogise Yaradua, described him as a servant leader and a stickler for the rule of law.Ex-President Jonathan lamented that he had lost a dear friend and partner in democracy, peace and progress, six years ago.He said: Six years ago, I lost a dear friend and partner in democracy, peace and progress. President Umaru Musa Yaradua was a servant leader and a stickler for the rule of law.He may be gone but he is never to be forgotten. I pray for his soul and for him to rest in al Jannah firdaus.Umaru Musa YarAdua born August 16, 1951 died on May 5, 2010.He was the 13th President of Nigeria. He served as governor of Katsina State from May 29, 1999 to May 28, 2007.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday reserved judgments in two appeals filed by spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oli...

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday reserved judgments in two appeals filed by spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh and pro-Biafra campaigner, Nnamdi Kanu.A three-man panel headed by Justice Abdul Aboki told parties after they adopted their various briefs of argument that dates for the judgments will be communicated to them.Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited, are appealing the ruling by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which rejected their no-case submission and ordered them to enter defence in their trial for money laundering and unlawful receipt of funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).Kanu is appealing the ruling of Justice John Tsoho (also of the Federal High Court, Abuja) which agreed with the prosecutions request to shield its witnesses in Kanu and two others trial for treasonable felony.Metuh and his company are being tried on a seven-count charge.After the prosecution completed its case earlier this year, having called eight witnesses, the court asked the defence to open its case.Rather than conducting their defence, Metuh and Destra Investment Limited elected to make a no-case submission, which the judge rejected in a ruling.The judge argued that the prosecution has provided sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against the defendants in the matter.
Christian leaders yesterday described the Fulani herdsmen as new forces of Jihad committed to the islamisation of Nigeria, urging the ...

Christian leaders yesterday described the Fulani herdsmen as new forces of Jihad committed to the islamisation of Nigeria, urging the Federal Government to checkmate its nefarious activities.The Christian leaders alleged that, since the intelligence service is being used to promote Islamic ideology, the security organ has become a veritable tool for coercing, subverting and intimidating Nigerians.According to them, the nation is in a state of emergency and the Federal Government should declare it thus, if indeed, the security of Nigerians is of paramount importance to this administration.A member of the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), Moses Ihonde, said in a statement that the overhauling of the intelligence service is overdue so that it fulfill the mandate of protecting people, instead of promoting a religious ideology.He said the security agencies should have a national outlook, instead of building on its perception as a northern institution for the promotion of Islam.Ihonde said to resolve the lingering security crisis, Nigerians should support the call for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the implementation of the 2014 National Conference to foster restructuring of the polity and restoration of true federalism.Describing the attack on the Nimbo community in Enugu State by the herdsmen as an act of genocide, he said unless urgent steps are taken, the forces of Jihad will spread their tentacles of terror and destruction to all parts of Nigeria in their bid to enthrone a Sharia state.He noted that a prominent Christian leader, Cardinal John Onaiyekan narrowly escaped death along Benin-Ekpoma Road, Edo State when his vehicle was shot at.Ihonde added: We condemn in all totality all these unwarranted attacks targeted primarily at Christians and Christian communities by the forces of Jihad seeking to redefine Nigeria from a democratic nation into an Islamic theocratic nation.The Christian leader frowned at what he described as the indiscretion of the 19 Northern governors who protested the labeling of the herdsmen as Fulani, despite their penchant for killings, rape, destruction of farmlands and invasion of Christian communities.He wondered why Middle Belt governors, whose states have borne the brunt of the attacks, could maintain silence when the Borno State governor denied the identity of the herdsmen.Ihonde said: International observers have noted that the fourth most dangerous terror organisations in the world is the Fulani herdsmen. We consider this assertion by the northern governors as cruel, inhuman, and insensitive. Governor Shettima should immediately apologise to the nation.Ad Here: x
It was a very scanty plenary today at the Nigerian upper legislative chambers, as most of the senators were absent.





It was a very scanty plenary today at the Nigerian upper legislative chambers, as most of the senators were absent.According to reports, the senators present were not up to 37, the quorum (one-third) of the total numbers of senators.As a result, the Senate President adjourned plenary for one week to enable members of the Peoples Democratic Party, in the chamber, to attend the on-going partys congresses.
The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has refuted the report that he and some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South...

The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has refuted the report that he and some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West were having issues over the forthcoming election of the national chairman of the party.Specifically, he said he had no score to settle with the Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; and a former Vice-Chairman of the PDP in the South-West, Chief Bode George, over any leadership matter in the party.Fayose stated this while speaking at a meeting of the South-West leaders of the party, held at the International Event Centre, Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday.He said, I read it in the newspapers that Chief Bode George abused me, but you can see me and him sitting beside each other here. He and I have come a long way, we are together. Dr. Mimiko and I have no score to settle too, we are together, we are bound to agree.While urging the leaders of the party to embrace unity for the party to move forward, the governor told the members of the party to elect people with ideas at the forthcoming national convention of the party.There is nothing wrong with the PDP but the individuals in the party. I want us to push forward people with great ideas. Nigeria is too big for an octogenarian to be the President. We need young people with energy to do this job for us, Fayose added.In his remarks, Mimiko called on all the leaders to come together and work for the success of the party.He said the failure to do this might cause the total downfall of the party.
Former President Goodluck Jonathans cousin, Azibaola Robert, has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to order his release from the Eco...

Former President Goodluck Jonathans cousin, Azibaola Robert, has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to order his release from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCCs) custody.Robert, a lawyer and environmental activist, is held for alleged financial crimes.EFCC said it is investigating the alleged payment of $40 million to Robert in September 2014 by former National Security Adviser Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd), for supplying tactical communication kits.The commission said he received another N650 million from Dasuki on December 8, 2014.Robert sued the EFCC, attorney-general of the federation and the Federal Government for his continued detention.His lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, yesterday, said his client honoured an invitation to EFCCs Abuja office, on March 23, and has been detained since then.Robert prayed the court to stop the Federal Government from applying for a new remand warrant against him because it was a ploy to keep him in custody indefinitely.He asked the court to hold that sections 293 and 294 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, which the EFCC relied on, were for murder, armed robbery, kidnapping or treasonable felony for which a legal advice from the attorney-general was required. He said the sections do not apply to financial crimes.Robert also prayed the court to hold that EFCCs alleged attempt to force him to implicate Jonathan was contrary to Section 7 of the ACJA, which he said outlawed the practice of arresting a citizen in lieu of another.The applicant said the Federal Government engaged him to meet with stakeholders in the Niger Delta to explore how to prevent oil pipelines vandalism, oil bunkering and crude oil theft, among others.
Deputy Whip of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Hon. Omotayo Oduntan has said the death sentence for kidnappers should also be extended ...

Deputy Whip of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Hon. Omotayo Oduntan has said the death sentence for kidnappers should also be extended to public office holders who embezzled money to serve as a deterrent to others.Oduntan made the call during a chat with Assembly correspondents in a programmed tagged, Time out with the press organised by correspondents for lawmakers in the House at the Assembly complex Thursday.According to her, if capital punishment is introduced for public officers who dip their fingers in the national till it will reduce embezzlement.The lawmaker who represents Alimosho 2 also advised that such public officials who embezzled the type of humongous sums of money that is being reeled out on a daily basis by newspapers needs to be taken to psychiatrist hospital to have their brains examined to see if they are normal.She said, accumulation of such huge sum of money and property that will last up to their fifth generation would only make their children wayward and unserious because they have so much money to play around with and at the end of the day the children end up not being useful to themselves, their parents, anybody and the society at large.On death sentence for kidnappers, she said she is in support of the death sentence as prescribed by the National Assembly members.She however advised the Federal Government to provide more jobs for Nigerians as joblessness is partly responsible for the increase in cases of kidnapping.Joblessness is partly responsible for the spate of kidnapping; by the time somebody graduates from school and stays at home jobless for three to ten years, they take to kidnapping to survive.If more jobs are provided kidnapping will be on the decrease, because joblessness is part of the reason why people take to kidnapping after waiting for three to ten years without job, they resort to kidnapping, she said.
It is exactly six years today that late President Umaru YarAdua took his last breathe within the confines of the Aso Rock presidential vi...

It is exactly six years today that late President Umaru YarAdua took his last breathe within the confines of the Aso Rock presidential villa. He became the second sitting Nigerian leader that did not come out of the presidential villa alive. The first leader that lost his life at the presidential villa was late General Sani Abacha, who coincidentally is also from the North-West geopolitical zone.Though late YarAdua did not complete a single tenure, he left an indelible mark within the short period he presided over the affairs of the country.YarAdua took over from former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the peak of the Niger-Delta crisis. The zone was a hotbed for criminal activities, especially the destruction of crude oil related installations concentrated in the region. This resulted to substantial human causalities and kidnap forcing multi-nationals to flee the region.Unlike his predecessor who organised series of jamborees in the safe confines of Aso Rock where he hosted some leaders of the restless militants, YarAdua moved his Vice, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and other Niger-Delta leaders to the creeks to meet with the militants and negotiate peace. The peace moves culminated in the amnesty programme which signalled the end of militancy in the rich oil producing region. The YarAdua administration confronted the problem headlong through the creation of a ministry dedicated to the region. YarAdua on June 25, 2009 came up with an unprecedented decision, proclaiming amnesty for all militants in the region. This proclamation and its subsequent acceptance by militant groups brought some measure of peace and stability.The YarAdua administration confronted other security challenges facing the nation. Also, a 16-man Presidential Committee on the Reform of the Nigeria Police Force was set up on January 9, 2008. It was led by a former Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Dikko. This was in line with the security component of the seven-point agenda.At his inauguration, YarAdua regretted that despite the transformation the country has undergone in the last half century, the police force has remained stuck in the past.To fulfil a major part of his campaign pledge, he also set up a Presidential Committee on Land Reform, under the chairmanship of Professor Akin Mabogunje.Receiving the land reform committees interim report, former President YarAdua gave an assurance that his administration would implement their recommendations.Another major achievement of the YarAdua administration was the decision to commence the dredging of the River Niger. This was after being on the drawing board for more than 40 years.The project when completed would revolutionise transportation in the country and allow ships to carry heavy goods from the ports to the hinterland, thereby easing the pressure on the nations road network.Another major area that the YarAdua administration tried to tackle was the power sector. He had promised during the campaigns to declare a state of emergency within the sector. It also embarked on the attainment of at least 6,000 megawatts of electricity by December 2009.Perhaps, one area that late President YarAdua will be remembered in the annals of Nigerias democratic project is electoral reform. When he assumed office as president on May 29, 2007 at the Eagle Square, Abuja, before a tumultuous crowd of teeming Nigerians, he was humble enough to acknowledged that the electoral process that brought him into office was deeply flawed and promised in his inaugural speech entitled The Challenge is Great; The Goal is Clear that he was going to reform the electoral system.On August 28, 2007, late YarAdua kept his promise to reform the electoral system when he inaugurated a 22-man Electoral Reform Panel led by Justice Muhammed Lawal Uwais, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria.The Uwais-led panel at the end of its assignment submitted a comprehensive report which was tabled before the National Council of State. It received their approval, after which the YarAdua administration sent bills to the National Assembly based on the reform proposals, noting that the bill would address key challenges to the nations democracy.The stage set by the late president led to various reforms in the electoral process which guided the conduct of one of the most credible general elections in 2011. Even within his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, YarAdua, as the leader of the party, insisted that electoral reform must begin within the then ruling party. The internal cleansing initiated by him drastically reduced the impunity that was hitherto associated with primaries and imposition of candidates.Late YarAdua was born in Katsina Town, Katsina State, in 1951.He started his primary education at Rafukka Primary School, Katsina, in 1958 and left Rafukka for Dutsinma Boarding Primary School in 1962 from where he completed his primary education in 1964.Between 1965-1969, he was at the Government College, Keffi, in present-day Nasarawa State for his secondary education.He then moved to the famous Barewa College, Zaria, for his Higher School Certificate between 1970-1971. For his university education, former President YarAdua attended the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, from 1972-1975 where he obtained the Bachelor of Science Degree in Education/Chemistry. He returned to the same university from 1978-1980 for his Masters Degree in Analytical Chemistry.YarAduas working career began at the Holy Child College, Lagos, for the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, between 1975 and 1976.He was a lecturer at the Katsina College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, between 1976 and 1979. He moved to Katsina Polytechnic as a lecturer in 1979 and was there until 1983 when he left public service.His movement to the private sector started at Sambo Farms in Funtua, Katsina State, as its pioneer General Manager between 1983-1989.He served as a Board Member, Katsina State Farmers Supply Company between1984-1985, member, Governing Council of Katsina College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, and Katsina Polytechnic between 1978-1983, Board Chairman of Katsina State Investment and Property Development Company between 1994-1996.He served as a director of many companies including Habib Nigeria Bank Ltd. 1995-1999; Lodigiani Nigeria Ltd. 1987-1999, Hamada Holdings, 1983-1999; and Madara Ltd. Vom, Jos, 1987-1999.He was Chairman, Nation House Press Ltd, Kaduna, between 1995-1999.YarAduas foray into politics began as a lecturer when he became an active member and mobilizer for the defunct Peoples Redemption Party, PRP.During the transition programme of former President Ibrahim Babangida, YarAdua was one of the foundation members of the Peoples Front, a political association under the leadership of his elder brother, the late Major-General Shehu Musa YarAdua.That association later fused to form the Social Democratic Party, SDP. YarAdua was a member of the 1988 Constituent Assembly. He was a member of the partys national caucus and the SDP State Secretary in Katsina. He contested the 1991 governorship election, but lost to the candidate of the National Republican Convention.At the inception of General Abdulsalam Abubakars transition in 1998, he founded the K34 political association which later teamed up to form the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He contested and won election as Governor of Katsina State in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003.Governor YarAdua is best remembered as the first governor to publicly declare his assets and promised to do the same again at the end of his tenure.During his tenure as governor, the state went through an unprecedented development, culminating in profoundly transformation of the education and health institutions, provision of rural and urban roads, electrification, water supply and agriculture. YarAdua won the National Primary Education Productivity Merit Award in 2004 and the Central Bank of Nigerias Best Governor Award under the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme, ACGS, in 2005.He was happily married to Hajia Turai Umaru YarAdua, his first wife, who he married in 1975 and later to Hajiya Hauwa, whom he married in the 90s. He had nine children.Until his death, the former chemistry teacher, who became Nigerias third democratically elected president, was also the first leader to take over power in a civilian-civilian hand over.
The Federal Government has set out conditions under which it would go into a partnership with any interested party for the re-establishme...

The Federal Government has set out conditions under which it would go into a partnership with any interested party for the re-establishment of a national carrier.The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, noted that interested parties must have plans for direct transfer of technology through training of Nigerians and also put in place plans for local manufacturing of basic maintenance equipment and spare parts.A statement issued on Thursday by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Affairs in the ministry, James Odaudu, said the minister spoke in Abuja during a visit by representatives of Airbus.He said the conditions were indicative of the seriousness attached to the project by the federal government, adding that it is the only way to ensure that the proposed national airline comes on stream on a sound footing.Sirika stated that the whole process of the establishment and the choice of partners would be transparent.He said the vision of the government was to establish a national carrier that would not only be internationally competitive and profitable, but also efficiently and professionally managed while also being affordable and customer-centred.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has donated Patience, a chimpanzee in his Wildlife Park, to Pandrillus Foundation, a conservation organ...

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has donated Patience, a chimpanzee in his Wildlife Park, to Pandrillus Foundation, a conservation organisation.According to Liza Gadsby and Peter Jenkins, founders of the organisation, the former president said he decided to place the three-year old animal in the care of Pandrillus because he realised the special care needs of chimpanzees.They said Obasanjo wants Patience to grow up in the forest as part of the large chimpanzee group at Drill Ranch Afi Mountain.The founders, who have been operating in Nigeria since 1988, said Obasanjo visited Drill Ranch in 2001, and made a follow-up visit in 2011. They thanked the former president for his gesture, and pledged to take care of the animal.Patience is a fantastic chimpanzee who has been well cared for by the staff of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Wildlife Park, they said.Once she has completed her medical screening in Calabar, she will join the group at the newly completed Nigerian Chimpanzee Center  located at Drill Ranch Afi Mountain in Boki LGA of Cross River state.Pandrillus thanks Mr. President and his staff for their logistical support and hospitality during Peter and Lizas working visit. Welcome, Patience!Pandrillus said it has embraced the challenge of preventing the extinction of the highly endangered drill monkey Mandrillus leucophaeus, and its mission has expanded to include chimpanzees, and other wildlife that share the drills habitat.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Thursday explained how he got involved in a letter forwarded to ex-President Goodluck...

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Thursday explained how he got involved in a letter forwarded to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan by a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, challenging the non-remittance of $49.8 billion oil windfall to the federation account.Amaechis media office in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday condemned reports in the media saying the former Rivers State governor surreptitiously and clandestinely leaked the letter.The media office insisted that the reports were far from the truth.It said, A concerned and patriotic Nigerian, who felt sufficiently troubled with what was happening then, gave a copy of the Sanusis letter to Amaechi, in Amaechis capacity as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF). Like Amaechi, we should appreciate that concerned Nigerians patriotism.When Amaechi got the letter, he spoke with Sanusi, who was still the CBN Governor, to confirm the authenticity of the letter. Sanusi confirmed to Amaechi that he wrote the letter.During their conversation, Amaechi made it abundantly clear to the then CBN Governor that the bleeding of the nation had to be stopped, all non-remitted funds remitted and that he was going to use the letter to do whatever is in the best interest of the nation and Nigerians, which was the stoppage of the non-remittance and the recovery of all the non-remitted funds from oil sale. The CBN Governor did not agree with Amaechi on the way forward.Considering that the letter was given to Amaechi as Chairman of the NGF, he shared the letter with his colleague governors first, and with Senator Bukola Saraki (now Senate President), who before and around that period was doing some work or/and investigation around the oil sector in the Senate.Around that period, a delegation from the United States government, from the offices of the Secretaries of State and Defence, visited Amaechi in Port Harcourt to discuss the problem of oil theft in Nigeria. From their records, they gave Amaechi figures of billions of dollars (about $7 billion dollars annually) that was being lost to oil theft in Nigeria.They were discussing the issue and figures of oil theft, and that was how the CBN Governors letter to President Jonathan came up. In the presence of journalists covering the visit, Amaechi brought out the Sanusi letter to the visiting American delegation to buttress the point that Nigeria was losing far more money to non-remittance of proceeds from oil sale into the federation account, which everyone seemed to concur, was in itself, another form and another dimension to the problem of oil theft.
One of the most challenging things to write about is religion. This is because, religion-an institution created by man-has been so abused ...

One of the most challenging things to write about is religion. This is because, religion-an institution created by man-has been so abused by the class of animals that created it in the first place. In many cases one is either applauded for a position or chastised depending on the religious beliefs of the person who is exhibiting the reaction(s).If you dare remind some Muslims that a verse as violent as this: ''And when the sacred months are passed, kill those who join other gods with Allah wherever ye shall find them; and seize them, besiege them, and lay wait for them with every kind of ambush' (Quran 9:5)exists in the Holy Quran, the reply you will get will either be, You have to look at the context Allah reveals that verse or you are told not to interpret the Quran literarily.Most interpreters of the good Book find no arguments in it for the murder of innocents. But it would be naive to ignore in Islam a deep thread of intolerance toward unbelievers.The use of religion for extreme repression, and even terror, is not restricted to Islam. For most of its history, Christianity has had a worse record. From the Crusades to the Inquisition to the bloody religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, Europe saw far more blood spilled for religion's sake than the Muslim world did. Many Christians will deny that Jesus the Christ made a statement such this: I have brought you not peace but sword in the New Testament (Matthew 10:34).Questions that this writer often asks himself are: Why is religion so misunderstood by those who should even know better? Why do some people do negative things in the name of religion?At this point let me bring in a quote from foremost Western Philosopher Bertrand Russell who writes:Religion is based...mainly upon fear...fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand in hand.... My own view on religion is that of Lucretius. I regard it as a disease born of fear and as a source of untold misery to the human race. The truth is that fear often make people turn to something other than themselves in the peak of disaster or calamity which they consider bigger than them. They look for freedom, often without responsibility. They hope, but not on faith. They believe, but with no faith. This appears to be the case with our so-called religious people in Nigeria.Instead of worship, what we have is warship. The leader is seen as a reincarnation of God or something. The leader tells the followers what to do and they accept without question(s). Only the leaders interpretation(s) of the Holy Books are acceptable. The rivalry between Sheik Gumi and Sheik el-Zakzaky, both preaching Islam but of different traditions, with the former being Sunni and the latter being Shiite, is legendary. Both mens supporters are reported to have clashed on several occasions in Kaduna.One will wonder why anyone will want to fight for God. If God is so big or massive, who are His creatures to fight for Him? I imagine a situation where a school bully beats up my four-year old cousin and comes home to report for me to come to his aid. This is normal because my boy can be powerless to deal with the bully. Let us look at another case where I was slapped by a bus conductor at the commercial motor park only for me to get home to report to my four-year old boy to fight for me. That sounds absurd isnt it? This is the case with anyone fighting for God.To show that most of us, especially in Nigeria, appear to now be more Catholic than the Pope. We will do anything in our power to fight for God. Recently, the Kaduna state Government introduced what itcalls A Bill For A Law To Substitute The Kaduna State Religious Preaching Law, 1984 popularly known as Preaching Bill.Inasmuch as bodies representing Islam and Christianity have condemned the bill, professional politicians hiding under the large cover of religion, in their attempt to score a point set up an us-versus-them argument. Some of them went as far as saying that el-Rufai, the Governor of Kaduna will die if he does not withdraw the bill. The passion with which these people speak one will think they love their religion that much. Their supporters, forming a congregation, believe them so long as it is coming from their father in the Lord. They take whatever they say as gospels, no matter how false their messages are. The displays of some of these politicians hearing from God do not deter their members at all. These ones capitalize on the fears of the people. They mirror their own fears in the minds of the people as Gods anointed My own Bible tells me tobelieve not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1), but not our religious people who have been infected by the disease of religion!Still on the controversial bill, let us be quick to add this writer is no fan of the Kaduna Governor as some might have speculated. To regulate preaching is highly needed if we are not to produce outlaws like Terry Jones. Many may probably not remember him as the man who, in 2010, threatened to burn over 2000 copies of the Muslim Holy Book, the Quran on the ninth anniversary of 9/11 by calling Islam a religion of the devil. The pastor (if not so-called) of the Dove World Outreach Center, Florida, a church with less than 50 members, invited Christians to his Church on the said date to burn the Muslim holy book. Though, he would later cancel the planned event, his congregation did burn the Muslim holy book in March 2011 and in 2012, his Church promoted an anti-Muslim film. All three incidents sparked violence in the Middle East and Afghanistan.Let us be clear at about some points now. Mr Jones, on his own, did not physically attack anyone. He promoted his ideas, his religious beliefs (as he knows it) under existing laws. His Constitutionally-protected freedom of worship is guaranteed to express himself (burning of the Quran), within his Church and on his congregation. Again, at the time, no one could arrest him, other than appeal to him to shelve his planned burning of the Quran since US does not regulate religious expression.The effect of this rascally unregulated behavior, transcend the US border, reached far away Afghanistan!To those who said about regulating or minimizing the effect of a dis-ease, We do not have a problem, regulate your own people only proves to me how soon something that is supposed to be a symptom becomes an epidemic. Its time to put a check on this rampaging dis-ease in our land!
The military talked tough yesterday on the rampaging herdsmen across the country. Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS) General Abayomi Gabr...

The military talked tough yesterday on the rampaging herdsmen across the country.Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS) General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin, told Fulani leaders that following President Muhammadu Buharis directive, the military and other security agencies would fish out perpetrators and punish them accordingly.The CDS, represented by Defence Headquarters Director of Administration, Maj- Gen. Fatai Alli, told leaders of Meyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association at a meeting in Abuja, that the military will not tolerate any form of violence from any group that takes up arms against another.Following the killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen during an invasion of Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani local government of Enugu State last week, the President said: Let me use this platform to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the attack perpetrated on the Ukpabu Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State on Monday.I deeply sympathise with all those who lost dear ones, as well as those who lost their properties in the attack. I have directed the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector-General of Police to secure all communities under attacks by herdsmen.During yesterdays meeting, the military chief and Miyetti Allah leaders expressed concern over the incessant attacks. The CDS said he had constituted a committee to interface with stakeholders.He said: We call on all to shealth their swords and embrace peace or else the full wrath of the military will come down on these perpetrators. We are a responsible military and we respect the rules of engagement and our operation is in line with best international best practices.Leader of Miyetti Allah, Senator Kabir Alkali, said his group welcomed the presidents crack down order on those attacking communities.He lamented that millions of cows have been taken away by Boko Haram terrorists in the Northeast states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. He said his group brought the list of grazing reserves and grazing routes that had been Gazetted since 1886 to the federal government for implementation.
Former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) Prof Bola Akinterinwa, in a paper delivered at the Afr...

President Mohammadu Buhari (PMB) paid his first visit to China as President of Nigeria on Sunday, 10th April, 2016. It was a 4-Day State Visit aimed at enhancing bilateral relationship with China and securing the support of the Chinese for Nigerias development agenda. For this purpose, PMB led a high-level delegation to China.The visit took place amidst many controversies: complaints about the many travels of PMB: the visit to China being the 28th in ten months of his tenure; refusal to sign the 2016 budget before travelling to China; unending crisis of fuel scarcity; deepening discontent over power outage; the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki; unveiling of high-level corruption charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against public officials, notable elder statesmen and professional politicians; and perhaps most importantly, controversy over how to fund the 2016 budget deficit.The visit is now a fait accompli, yet the aftermath is still generating a lot of controversies: should the $6 billion Chinese loan be taken or not, especially in light of the conditionality attached to it? China has subjected the granting of the loan to Nigerias readiness not to have any dealing with Taiwan. Apart from this, Nigeria can access the loan without any further requirement of negotiation and agreement.In this regard, to what extent is the deal beneficial to Nigeria or mutually beneficial to both countries? To what extent did the visit help to further consolidate the goodness in the relationship? It is useful to note that the foundation of Nigeria-China relationship was not strong. When, for example, the Chinese Premier, Zhou En-lai, embarked on a tour of ten (10) African countries in the later part of 1963, Nigeria was excluded from the list of countries visited. Probably for reasons of reciprocity, Nigeria didnt receive the visiting Chinese delegation to Nigeria in 1964 warmly, showing no disposition for an alliance with the communist nation. Nigeria did not show favourable disposition to an alliance with the communist nation. Again, probably as a result, thereafter, China also excluded Nigeria from the infrastructural assistance she provided to other African countries at that time. Thus relations between both countries at that time were not only minimal but also largely predicated on little regard for one another.However, the misunderstanding was later removed, thanks to some centrifugal dynamics, to the extent that the relationship has moved from ordinary cooperation up to that of strategic partnership. In this regard, in whose benefit has the bilateral relationship been or who is benefiting more than the other in the relationship? In fact, what is the nature of the relationship? Is it exploitative in character? In which way is it different from Nigerias bilateral relationship with any of Nigerias traditional allies? In attempting some explanations to the foregoing questions, it is useful to explicate, briefly, the main dynamics of the relationship on the one hand, and Sino-Nigerian foreign policies, on the other. The two analyses will enable the provision of an analytical background to PMBs visit to China, assist in determining whether the visit is worth it, as well as help to determine the possible foreign policy directions of the two countries.Issues in PMBs StateVisit to ChinaThree main issues were raised before and following PMBs visit to China. Before thevisit, many observers considered that Mr. Presidents many foreign trips as too frequent, frivolous and of no benefit, but this will not warrant attention here. However, even though the trips generated much debate, PMBs visit to China led to the signing of some agreements which have raised the issues of offer of assistance and loan, on the one hand, as well as the issue of Currency Swap, on the other.Offer of Assistance and LoanOn Wednesday, 13th April, 2016, Chinese President, Xi Jinping, offered Nigeria a $15 million agricultural assistance for the establishment of fifty demonstration farms across the country. The President and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Mr. Jianqing and the Chairman of China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation (SINOSURE), Mr. Wang Yi signed a $2 billion loan from the Industrial Commercial Bank of China Limited for two cement plants in Beijing.China granted Nigeria a loan of $6 billion for infrastructural development, accessibility to which is subject to two main conditions: identification of projects for which the funds would be expended; and no official dealings with Taiwan. This was followed by the signing of an agreement meant to establish one of the biggest granite and processing plants in Africa. In this regard, Shanghai Machinery Company Limited and Nigerias Marble Limited signed an MOU to establish plants for assembling mining equipment and to support capacity-building for the industry.The loan has not only raised many issues but has also attracted proponents and opponents. Some Nigerians have opposed the loan, arguing that Nigeria is again being brought to the path of deepening indebtedness. For instance, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has expressed much concern about the agreements, especially in terms of their legal framework. As he expressed it: Iam concerned that such a complicated process was finished in one week. Im concerned about what legal framework was used because in international trade, there are two frameworks: multilateral, under the WTO, which this is not, or bilateral investment negotiations. So I dont know if this is bilateral investment or simply bilateral trade. These are very important clarifications because they carry different consequences.Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, has advised PMB to tread cautiously when dealing with bilateral trade and strategic cooperation with the Peoples Republic of China. As she put it, inasmuch as President Buhari is consolidating the bilateral relation that exists between the two countries, I want him to take a firm stand in the areas of quality. Nigeria should not be a dumping site for fake and sub-standard products. The best way to tackle this is to create dynamic quality control units.Dr. Ayodele Fayose, the Governor of Ekiti State, is not only strongly opposed to PMBs visit to China, but has actually written a letter to the President Xi Jinpin of China, requesting that no loan should be given to the Government of PMB. The letter, in itself, has generated a new controversy. The ruling party, All Progressives congress (APC), has condemned the $2 billion loan request by the Federal Government of Nigeria and considered Governor Fayoses letter as a seditious conduct that must not go unchallenged. Taiwo Olatunbosun, the Public Secretary of the APC, says even though Fayose has the right to entertain himself being a jester as he has always been, this should not be taken to the extent of constituting a security risk to the Federal Government.As also noted by Adeleye Akintola, the General Secretary of the Asiwaju Grassroots Foundation (AGF), the recent outburst and action of the Governor is a violation against Nigeria and its people. The Governors letter is an affront and a sabotage that can only be compared with staging a coup against the country.Governor Fayoses reaction, describing his critics as hypocrites, is noteworthy. He did not see any wrong doing in his action because it is on record that APC wrote to the United States not to sell arms to Nigeria, reported the country to the European Union, United Nations, and went to the bizarre extent of reporting the then Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Iherijika to the International Criminal Court. He noted further that on one occasion, a certain APC stalwart insinuated that Jonathans visit to Chad was to plan further attacks on the North.Consequently, Governor Fayose not only gave reasons as to why China should not grant any loan to Nigeria but also asked why a loan should be taken. In his words, with the $200 billion they claimed is coming from the United Arab Emirates, $700 million raw cash they said was found in Diezani Allison-Maduekes house, N3 trillion said to have been saved from the Treasury Single Account (TSA), and N4.5 trillion the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) said it will generate this year, what then is the rationale behind the Federal Government seeking any loan?Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has argued in the same vein, suggesting that Nigeria should not increase her indebtedness but should seek other avenues for revenue generation. He suggested that Nigerians in Diaspora constitute a good source as they are currently the single largest source of foreign direct investments to Nigeria. He noted that in 2015, more than US $20 billion was injected into the Nigerian economy by the Nigerian Diaspora. Besides, policies that would reduce, if not eliminate completely fraud and risks, should be adopted by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and, above all, even though loan taking has merits, there is still the need for Government to think creatively.The issue of the loan to be taken from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) was also raised. It is argued that the loan agreement was not done with the Chinese Central Bank or Government of China directly. In other words, the ICBC is not owned by the Government of China. This is true but there is nothing to suggest that the loan can be detrimental to Nigerias interest or inhibit Nigerias capacity to meaningfully take advantage of it because of the private character of the creditor. For as long as the ICBC has the support of the Chinese government, the loan is in order. However, where the critics of the loan may be right is in the area of conditions of the loan which have not been made known to the public. It is necessary for this to be made known for the purposes of transparency.Currency SwapAdditionally, the Nigeria-China currency swap deal is another issue currently generating controversies in the print and electronic media. Currency swap is an arrangement by which countries facing foreign currency liquidity challenges agree to trade in their own local currencies, at a negotiated and pre-determined rates of exchange without the use of a third currency. As noted by Joseph Uwaleke, there has been an increasing currency swaps agreements by Central Banks, following the financial crisis of 2008. The currency swap agreements generally are done for three years and are meant to stabilise the international financial market as well as facilitate bilateral trade and investment.Like the case of the loan from the ICBC, the currency swap agreement is still shrouded in secrecy. There is no information on the size, duration, cost and effective date of the swap. Besides, the Foreign Minister reportedly had said that there was no currency swap between Nigeria and China contrary to many other reports. However, according to Lin Songtian, Director General of the African Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, the currency swap means that the renminbi (Yuan) is free to flow among different banks in Nigeria and the renminbi has been included in the foreign exchange reserves of Nigeria.In the same vein, Mr. Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, Governor General of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has explained that the agreement on the currency swap with China will definitely benefit Nigeria because the essence of the mandate is to ensure that Nigeria is designated as the trading hub with China in the West African sub-region for people who want the renminbi as a currency denomination. He noted further that using the renminbi will improve trade with China, as this will encourage importers to open Letters of Credit in the Chinese currency for the importation of raw materials, equipment and machinery from China, rather than other trading regions, so the agreement will encourage trade between countries.Johnson Chukwu, Chief Executive of the Cowry Asset Management Limited, a Nigerian Financial Advisory and Research Firm, also has it that about 22% of Nigerias exports will be settled in the Yuan instead of the US dollar, which will relieve the country of much pressure on foreign reserves at this time.Concluding question:In whose larger benefitis the relationship?We believe, and strongly too, that the present state of Nigeria-China relations, and particularly PMBs visit to China is mutually benefitting. At the level of China, the Chinese are seeking to assert themselves as a global power. They want to grow their economy. They want their currency, the Yuan, to have the same international value and impact in international financial relations. Nigeria is internationally recognized as a terra cognita for profitable business and genuine and honest business investors. China is therefore much interested in Nigeria. Without doubt, the Chinese are also actually indirectly challenging the domination of the US dollar and leadership in global affairs.At the level of Nigeria, there is the need to fund the 2016 budget deficit of about $11.1 billion. The financial outlay is about $30 billion out of which $13 billion is for recurrent and $9 billion is for capital. How should this challenge be addressed? In this regard, Nigeria reckons with the fact that China currently accounts for about 22% of total importations from Nigeria but only 2% of Nigerias total global imports. China is seen as a possible strategic source of alternative funding, as well as a source of tension reducing at the level of foreign exchange liquidity challenge in terms of access.This is why PMBs visit to China is currently adjudged as the best of all his foreign visits to date for obvious reasons. First, as noted earlier, China has offered a credit line facility of US $6billion on preliminary two conditions: articulation of projects for which the loan is to be expended and no official dealings with Taiwan. We talk about preliminary conditions for now because tomorrow is difficult to predict. On the issue of projects, it is agreed that the funding will be largely for transport infrastructural development: railway, airport, road, etc. There can be no problem in articulating Nigerias priorities at this level.Regarding the conditionality of no dealing with Taiwan, this is at best irrelevant because Nigeria has been supporting Beijing on its policy of One China, Two Systems since the inception of the policy in the 1970s. This was why Nigeria promptly accepted the change of status of Hong Kong, initially regarded as a trading post, to that of Consulate General when it was returned to China in 1997.China has also offered $15 million for agricultural development assistance. The gains of this development assistance cannot but first be for Nigerians and for the Chinese later. They will come back to reap part of what they would have sown. Agreements were done in the same vein in the areas of civil-military partnership, trade and investment, aviation, and scientific and technological cooperation. All these agreements are nothing more than intended investments that are expected to yield positive results in the near future.In the eyes of the general public, the deepening of relations with China, though coming late is still a most welcome development.In conclusion therefore, it can be rightly posited and submitted that, as at today, the relationship is more benefitting to the Chinese but in the long run, there is no way it will not be more benefitting to Nigerians. The extent to which Nigeria and China will not forge a formidable alliance contrary to Chinas foreign policy on the matter is a matter of speculation. Time will tell. The same is also true of Nigerias sovereign right to decide to form an alliance with China. The truth is that, for now, it is very difficult for Nigeria as a sovereign state to breathe well on the basis of how Western countries relate with Nigeria in the area development politics.It should be recalled that PMB made it clear in China that he would honour all the obligations required in the agreements signed by his predecessors. The implication of this is renewal of commitment and seriousness which can only ginger the Chinese to reciprocate. Consequently, PMBs visit to China is a consolidation visit, a follow-up visit meant to renew the seriousness of purpose of the Government of Nigeria. Contrary to some suggestions, it is not a radical shift from the values of westernisation to socialism, cordial relationship is to make the traditional partners see more clearly before the rain is gone (to borrow from Johnny Nash) that Nigeria cannot continue with the current international economic order to her own detriment.The summary of Nigerias relations with, and PMBs visit to, China and is nothing more than making new friends, but keeping the old, for one is silver, the other is gold. On this basis, and in a Gowonian style, no victor, no vanquished but potential winners and winners if the Government of and people of Nigeria will not allow the good opportunity provided by the commitment and goodwill of PMB to permanently nip institutional corruption and mismanagement of scarce resources in the bud in Nigeria. But so far, it is a win-win situation.
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Bergen Community College in Paramus as seen from a drone. (Courtesy of Bergen Community College)

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PARAMUS -- A $25.5 million building dedicated to healthcare education will open at Bergen Community College May 17.

More than 1,000 students will use the 63,000-square-foot Health Professions Integrated Teaching Center each year, the college said in a statement announcing its opening.

Simulation laboratories will let students experience labor and delivery, an emergency room and ambulatory pediatrics. The first floor will house a 24-chair dental hygiene clinic to allow students to complete 600 hours of clinical practice and provide low-cost dental care to the community.

The college built the center with funds from the $750 million Building Our Future Bond Act. New Jersey voters in 2012 approved the funding, which allowed colleges in the state to construct and renovate academic buildings.

Bergen offers nine certificate and degree programs in health professions, including diagnostic medical sonography, medical office assistant and nursing. It also offers eight non-credit certification programs.

Nearly 470 students graduated from health professions programs at the college last year.

The college will celebrate the opening of the building with a ribbon cutting May 17.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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Richard Zaragoza said E-ZPass ignored his dozens of requests for the agency to stop sending violation notices for a license plate that was stolen from him.

(Lee Zaragoza)

Richard Zaragoza's E-ZPass customer service nightmare began nearly a year ago when the Delaware man's mailbox filled up with E-ZPass violation notices from New Jersey.

Zaragoza repeatedly gave proof the violations weren't his, but E-ZPass kept sending more notices.

More than 140 in all.

Zaragoza's case concluded earlier this week with the arrest of a man who was the subject of a previous Bamboozled column.

Mug shot of Erich Niemann. He was arrested this week on one charge of theft by deception and one charge of receiving stolen property.

Erich Niemann, owner of Restore the Shore Contracting, was arrested by state police and now faces criminal charges -- third degree theft by deception and receiving stolen property -- for using a license plate that was stolen from Zaragoza.

Niemann racked up nearly $50,000 in unpaid tolls and fees, although only a portion of that was linked to the stolen license plate, according to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

More on that in a moment.

It all started when Zaragoza received two E-ZPass violations on June 7, 2015. Both notices showed a photo of a large commercial trailer with a Delaware license plate.

But Zaragoza doesn't have a large commercial trailer.

He does have a small boat trailer. He checked his registration and saw the tag listed on the violations matched the tag for his boat trailer.

"Clearly, the large trailer in the 'First Notice' photos bore no semblance to the type of trailer that was identified in the license tag's registration," Zaragoza said.

Zaragoza went to the boat yard and his tag was gone.

Zaragoza reported the stolen tag to police on June 10.

He then re-read the violation notices, which said if the violation occurred before a theft was reported to police, he still had to pay.

So he paid, but he attached an explanation about the theft. He never received a response.

"Ever since those first 'First Notices' were received, I have been deluged with 'First Notices,' 'Second Notices,' letters and 'Final Notices' based on the thief's use of my stolen license tag on vehicles that he/she may own," Zarazoga said.

In all, Zaragoza received more than 140 communications from E-ZPass.

With each one, Zaragoza responded with letters of explanation, copies of the police report and copies of license registrations showing the tag was for a smaller trailer.

He never received a response.

"Repeatedly, E-ZPass has represented in its form letters that they 'carefully reviewed' my responses but E-ZPass continues to send me reminders and requests to pay," Zaragoza said.

In November, Zaragoza tried another strategy, requesting his local motor vehicle agency in Delaware contact E-ZPass to straighten everything out.

Delaware sent a letter confirming Zaragoza wasn't responsible for the violations, but that didn't help either, and the notices kept coming.

By this time, E-ZPass started sending second notices for new violations with no first notice, so Zaragoza couldn't even see what vehicles were using the stolen tag, he said.

Zaragoza continued to answer the violation notices with his evidence of the theft.

But still, the violations kept coming.

"E-ZPass needs to be made accountable by requiring it to demonstrate that it actually read my responses, that it truly gives full consideration to my undisputed representations and proof that the tag was stolen and is being used by persons unknown to me, that it officially close all past matters involving the stolen license plate, that it agree not to involve me in any other instances where someone may be using my stolen license plate, and that E-ZPass send me a letter to that effect," Zaragoza said.

TO CATCH AN ALLEGED THIEF

We reviewed Zaragoza's detailed timeline of his contact with E-ZPass, and we reached out to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority on his behalf.

On April 22, the agency called Zaragoza.

The representative had reviewed Zaragoza's file and ordered the dismissal of all violations and a refund. She also said she would be on the lookout for any new notices so they could be intercepted before they were mailed.

"[She] apologized for the repeated notices and explained that Delaware continued to inform New Jersey that the tag was registered to me, even though it had expired," Zaragoza said.

The representative also said the New Jersey State Police were on watch for the stolen tag.

One of the violation notices captured a business name on the side of a vehicle, said lead investigator Det. Thomas Holmes of the Troop D Criminal Investigation Office.

Holmes said investigators tracked the business to Niemann, and they found the vehicle in question with the stolen license plate attached.

At least one E-ZPass violation notice included a photo of a company registered to Niemann.

"The vehicle was unregistered and uninsured, and [Neimann] did say it was his vehicle and he was aware that the plate was a trailer registration from Delaware, but beyond that, he refused to provide any information or comment," Holmes said.

In total, Holmes said, the vehicle with the stolen plate went through 151 tolls, racking up $216 in toll charges. With fees, that total came to $5,666, according to the Turnpike Authority.

Niemann's other vehicles accumulated another $1,674 in unpaid tolls after 829 trips, the authority said. With fees, the total owed is $42,699 and change.

The third degree theft by deception charge carries a maximum of five years in prison, while the stolen property charge is considered a disorderly persons offense and is handled on the municipal court level.

The charges come on top of other legal trouble for Niemann's businesses.

Back in August 2015 when we wrote about a reader's dispute with Niemann's Restore the Shore Contracting, 15 civil lawsuits had been filed against Niemann and/or his seven companies. Six of the lawsuits resulted in judgments against Niemann or his companies.

Public records show three more lawsuits against him and/or his companies since that time. Two resulted in judgments.

In December 2015, Niemann started a new company called Restore Funding, public records show. There are no lawsuits against it.

As of August 2015, the Division of Consumer Affairs had 11 complaints against the companies. There are now 17. The division said the basic allegations are "non-fulfillment, failure to provide a refund, unsatisfactory repair, and unconscionable commercial practice. All are under review."

The Turnpike Authority said it's working with management at the E-ZPass customer service center so similar incidents can be better handled in the future.

"We can't prevent people from stealing license plates, but we can do a better job of communicating with victims like Mr. Zaragoza," spokesman Tom Feeney said. "The process should not have been this difficult for him."

We'll keep you posted on the case.

Zaragoza said he's happy his E-ZPass nightmare is over.

"I hope that the person or persons who stole and fraudulently used my license plate, and who caused me almost a year's worth of anxiety and drudgery responding to the seemingly endless E-ZPass notices of toll violations, are punished to the maximum extent of the law," he said.

Staff researcher Vinessa Erminio contributed to this report.

Have you been Bamboozled? Reach Karin Price Mueller at Bamboozled@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. Find Bamboozled on Facebook. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com.

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Editor's note: Ninety-two percent of shareholders approved the compensation of the company's executive officers at the meeting on Thursday, Verizon said.

Striking Verizon employees have asked that a cap be placed on how much the company's executives are paid.

About 250 of the workers, part of the company's 36,000 striking employees, were protesting at Verizon's annual meeting Thursday in Albuquerque, N.M, according to Reuters. At least 15 were arrested.

Police took them into custody after the protesters spread a large banner on the street to impede traffic, the report said.

While the union owns $1.3 billion in Verizon stock, their resolution for a salary cap isn't likely to generate enough to support to pass, CNN.com said.

Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam made $18 million last year. His pay, along with the compensation of other executives, was to be set at the meeting. Shareholders were also expected to hold an election for 13 board of directors spots.

The strike began April 13 over a dispute involving offshore call-center jobs, job relocations healthcare coverage and pay. Verizon said it last week offered a 7.5 pay increase over the life of the contract, according to the Reuters report. The unions rejected the deal

The unions' "Day of Action" includes dozens of protests in New Jersey, New York City as well as in Philadelphia and its suburbs. Among the legislators who showed up at pickets in New Jersey were state Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D-3) and U.S. Rep Donald Norcross (D-1), Communications Workers of America spokesman Joshua Henne said

Verizon issued a statement in response to the rallies.

"Our employees need to start asking union leaders why they continue to stage circus-like street rallies rather than engage in meaningful negotiations, spokesman Rich Young said in a statement emailed to NJ Advance Media. "Each day union leaders stage these pointless rallies is another day lost at the bargaining table and another day of lost wages for our employees.

"It's time for union leaders to get serious about bargaining and put the needs of our employees first -- rather than their misguided, personal agendas."

Verizon said 1,300 workers have crossed picket lines and are back on the job, according to CNN.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
WILLINGBORO -- Advertisements for a community event titled "Black Family Day" are causing controversy in the township, according to a Fox 29 report.

The event, which is to be held May 7 at Mill Creek Park, is sponsored by the Jack & Jill organization, which aims to develop African American leaders, according to its website.

Ashley Cawley told Fox 29 that she was driving and saw a sign for the event, which she says segregates other groups and that if there was a "white" family day it would be considered racist.

She posted a photo of the sign to Facebook to get feedback and opinions from her friends, and many agreed with her.

Organizers of the event told Fox that Black Family Day doesn't exclude anyone and that "black family doesn't speak to the audience, it speaks to the mission."

The Jack & Jill website describes Black Family Day as an opportunity to "promote the solidarity of family" through the community principles of "education, health, respect and unity."

The theme of this year's event is "Let's work, let's play, let's live together."

Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand.Find NJ.com on Facebook.
PISCATAWAY -- Rutgers University on Friday is expected to announced how its graduating students can win more tickets to see President Barack Obama speak at the university's May 15 commencement ceremony.

The university intends to hold a lottery to distribute additional tickets after imposing a three-ticket limit in the first distribution, spokesman E.J. Miranda said.

Miranda could not yet say how many tickets will be available in the lottery, he said. The lottery is only for graduating students who had already registered for tickets, according to the university's website.

Tickets for the commencement ceremony at High Point Solutions Stadium have been in high demand since the White House announced Obama's visit last month.

The stadium can hold about 52,000 people for commencement, including more than 12,000 graduates who are expected to attend, according to the university.

Rutgers invited its graduating classes from the Newark and Camden campuses to sit in the stands, but no tickets have been made available to the general public.

The three-guest limit upset some students who said they wanted to bring more guests to the ceremony. Other students tried to capitalize on the limited seating by offering to sell the free tickets for as much as $250 a piece.

Rutgers on Wednesday rescinded premium seats sold to some students prior to Obama's decisions to come to Rutgers.

Obama's speech will mark the first time in Rutgers' 250-year history that a sitting president will speak at commencement, according to the university.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Cinco de Mayo is a day of merriment if not mayhem. (And, no, it's not Mexican Independence Day, despite what some people mistakenly assume. It celebrates the Mexican Army's victory in the Battle of Puebla.) But when it comes to Mexican food this or any other day most people head to the nearest chain for their tacos, enchiladas and burritos.

That may be authentic chain Mexican food, but it's not authentic Mexican, and I'm here to help the next time you want to head south of the border without leaving New Jersey.

Here are 20 recommended authentic Mexican restaurants from around the state. None are big or fancy; some are deliciously divey. They all feature first-rate, reasonably-priced food, and may have you swearing off that chain Mexican forever.

Have a favorite Mexican restaurant? Let me know in the comments below. Who did I miss?

Aby's Mexican Restaurant, 32 Main St., Matawan; (732) 583-9119. Right across the street from the train station, Aby's is a great place to get sauced. No, not the adult beverage kind, the cover-your-tacos kind. There are eight sauces, from salsa verde and aguacate (fresh avocado, jalapenos, cilantro, onions, garlic, green tomatillo) to mole, arbol (made with arbol peppers, cilantro, onions and jalapenos) and a hot chipotle sauce.

Benji's Taqueria, 14 Main St., West Orange; (862) 520-1997. A fresh, feisty newcomer to the Mexican restaurant scene, Benji's provides eye candy (Lucha Libre wrestling posters, inspirational messages) and excellent food. There are six kinds of tacos (try the campechanos, a mix of pastor and carnitas). I loved the carnitas torta, with crispy shredded roasted pork, queso, pico de gallo and cream of avocado.

Casa Maya, 615 Meyersville Road, Gillette; (908) 580-0799. Longtime favorite in Meyersville (remember Archie's Resale Shop?) offers Sonoran style food, known for its subtle spices. The restaurant is aglow with chile lights that make every visit seem like Cinco de Mayo or Christmas, and the green booths offer a cheery privacy. The salsa is spicy, tangy and terrific; the burritos huge, and the mole enchiladas recommended. There is another location in High Bridge, right by the train tracks.

Cinco de Mayo, 1039 West Ave., Ocean City; (609) 399-0199. It's only fitting there's a Cinco de Mayo on this list. The owners, Roberta and Rosa, are from Oaxaca, and they offer "real'' Mexican food. Bistec encebollada (beef sauteed with onions), carne a la tampiquena (enchiladas dipped in mole sauce with a grilled steak and fresh cheese), and entomatadas (four handmade tortillas dipped in tomato sauce) are among the not-so-ordinary dishes.

Costa Chica, 314 Handy St., New Brunswick; (732) 545-2255. This used to be, believe it or not, a Volkswagen dealer; I bought my second car here eons ago. Now it's a muy colorful Mexican eatery with portions that are, according to the owners, "generous'' and "obviously delicious.'' Hey, if you don't have confidence in your food, who will?. The food's good, though, and it's a fun hangout.

Dos Amigos, 1403 Route 47, Rio Grande; (609) 886-1223. A Mexican restaurant in Rio Grande seems a natural for this list; this Rio Grande is the one along Route 47 in Cape May County, minutes from Wildwood. Skip the assembly-line burrito and ubiquitous sour cream (don't get me started on that subject) and order the tasty ceviche mixto and the Bisteck a la Mexicana, with tomatoes, onions and jalapenos.

Don Jose Mexican Restaurant, 20 Route 10 west, East Hanover; (973) 781-0155. Ignore the sterile strip mall surroundings; one step inside Don Jose and you'll be tripping Tijuana style, with the kaleidoscopic array of lights, streamers, paintings, chairs and tables. There's even a guitar by the rest rooms (in case you want to serenade yourself in the bathroom?). Recommended: the chicken Don Jose, sauteed chicken with mushrooms, white wine, cilantro, garlic and lemon juice. There is another location in Netcong.

El Matador, 418 Broad St., Bloomfield; (973) 748-1707. For me, a good measure of first-rate Mexican food is the sauce - is it different and distinctive, or right out of some bottle? The hot sauce at his cozy little spot takes no prisoners, and it's tasty besides. The Mexican lottery tickets on the wall provide a folksy alternative to the usual sombreros and murals, and the food's good and reasonably priced. Tortillas are handmade, and one house specialty is cemitas, sesame seed bun tortas.

Jose's Mexican Restaurant, 101 Route 71 south, Spring Lake Heights; (732) 974-8080. Small, no-frills Shore eatery with Mexican TV playing in the corner and a walk-up counter where you can get an up-close-and-personal look into the kitchen. The steak tacos feature a fistful of quality meat. Good guacamole, too.

La Esperanza, 40 E. Gibbsboro Road, Lindenwold; (856) 782-7114. It's easy to find this restaurant; look for the pretty-in-pink house just off the White Horse Pike. Tacos are fat and filling, and the salsa rojo and salsa verde take no prisoners.

Lino's Mexican Cafe, 22 Shrewsbury Ave., Red Bank; (732) 530-9772. Uh, sorry about that, Munz. And if the secret's out, I'll blame our Brian Donohue, who tipped me to Lino's. There is something about the sight and smell of chicken over fire that pushes all my barbecue buttons, and the whole chicken here is a treat.

Los Chilitos, 233 Main St., Lebanon; (908) 437-0190. It's easy to miss this small eatery, set off Route 22 in Lebanon. It's located next to the Stewart's, which you can't miss. The tacos boast a simple, honest flavor, like they were made in the kitchen by somebody's mom. Cinco de Mayo specials today include a burrito, chips and salsa, and soda, for $9, or all appetizers for $6, dine-in only.

Mi Pequeno, 81 Ferry St., Newark; (973) 344-7600. The Ironbound is not all Spanish and Portuguese restaurants, cafes and markets. Mi Pequeno, open since 2000, has the usual murals of brave warriors and beautiful women, but there the formulaic ends. The mole poblano is enlivened with hot peppers and other seasonings, and the tortas, often overlooked in the Mexican menu trinity of tacos, burritos and enchiladas, are a tasty break from that burger you were going to have for lunch.

Panchos Mexican Taqueria, 2303 Arctic Ave., Atlantic City; (609) 344-2062. I love this place. Spare, unassuming, and located next to AC's most iconic food landmark, White House Subs. Homemade tortillas, and a Spanish-speaking staff and clientele. The tacos al pastor may be the best I've had in New Jersey. The enchilada, topped with clumps of cotija cheese and red mole sauce, is so far from the chain restaurant version it may as well be on another enchilada planet.

Riviera Maya, 340 Route 206, Branchville; (973) 948-6292. Good Mexican at the top of Jersey, Riviera Maya is colorfully kitschy, with tables painted with bright suns, smiling parrots and hard-working villagers. Recommended: mixiote (tender marinated pork loin); cactus steak, and the ceviche. There is another location on Route 46 in Rockaway.

San Pedro Tierra Mexicana, 115 S. Black Horse Pike, Bellmawr; (856) 931-2072. Practically hidden in a dreary-looking strip mall, this humble restaurant delivers tasty, inexpensive food and sassy, spicy sauces.

Tacos Cancun, 20 N. Main St., Lambertville; (609) 397-3182. Another simple, spare eatery with food big on flavor and value. House favorites include tostadas, quesadillas, and chicken enchiladas in mole sauce, and the burritos are monstrous. Also in town is the bigger, livelier Mexican/Peruvian restaurant El Tule.

Taqueria Viva Mexico, 133 Morris St., Jersey City; (201) 433-3477. Can't get into immensely popular Taqueria Downtown? Try this small, quiet eatery tucked into the city's Paulus Hook neighborhood. There are a dozen kinds of tacos, and the chilaquiles and flautas are among the popular dishes. There are tables outside, too, if summer ever arrives.

Taquerias Veracruz, 434 51st St., West New York; (201) 770-0789 . Lively, popular neighborhood spot with legendary guacamole and salsas, generous portions, and not-so-ordinary taco fillings - cabeza, lingua. That would be head and tongue. Try it, you'll like it.

Taquitos Buenaventura, 10 3rd Ave., Long Branch; (732) 222-6804. Long Branch does not lack for Mexican/South American restaurants; this colorful green-trimmed eatery is located around the corner from a McDonald's. The spicy pork tacos are some of the best you'll find anywhere.

Peter Genovese may be reached at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PeteGenovese or via The Munchmobile @NJ_Munchmobile. Find the Munchmobile on Facebook and Instagram.
NEWARK -- Nearly 5 years after receiving a 3-year prison sentence in a homicide case, an Irvington man is now facing as much as 30 years behind bars following his conviction Thursday in a carjacking case.

Following a five-day trial, James Johnson, 25, was convicted of carjacking and related offenses for stealing a man's car and wallet in Newark on Dec. 9, 2013, according to a news release from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

Johnson was caught after authorities discovered he used the victim's credit card the following day to purchase balloons, teddy bears and other items at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, the release states.

In addition to carjacking, Johnson was found guilty of conspiracy to commit a carjacking, possession of a handgun, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, credit card theft and forgery. He was acquitted of aggravated assault.

On the carjacking charge alone, Johnson is facing up to 30 years in state prison. His sentencing is scheduled for June 17 before Superior Court Judge John Zunic.

"While he is only 25 years old, this defendant poses a threat to the community. Even before this conviction, this defendant had a long criminal history," Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Allison Korodan, who tried the case, said in the release. "When he is sentenced we will be seeking an extended prison term."

The latest conviction comes about five years after Johnson and his co-defendant, Dashawn Gibson, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2011 to reckless manslaughter and related charges in connection with the May 17, 2009 fatal shooting of Desean Hamilton, 19, of Newark, court records show. That incident occurred in the area of Aldine Street and Forest Place in Newark.

At the time of the killing, Gibson and Johnson were both 18 years old.

Under plea deals, Gibson and Johnson were each sentenced on June 20, 2011 to three years in state prison and they received credit for about two years of time served.

Following Gibson's release from prison, he ultimately shot and killed Altariq Davis, 28, of Newark, on March 20, 2014 on the 200 block of South 6th Street in Newark.

After pleading guilty under a plea deal on Nov. 13, 2015 to a reckless manslaughter charge, Gibson was sentenced on Jan. 8 to five years in state prison. Gibson received credit for nearly two years of time served.



Following his sentence in 2011 in the homicide case, Johnson was released from prison on June 15, 2012, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

At the time of the carjacking on Dec. 9, 2013, Johnson was a passenger in a Range Rover that rear-ended the victim's car in the area of Springfield Avenue and South 14th Street in Newark, authorities said. The victim was a man in his 40s who was in Newark on business, authorities said.

When the man got out of his car to inspect the damage, Johnson exited the Range Rover and pulled a gun on the victim, demanding his car keys, authorities said. After the victim refused, Johnson ripped a gold chain from the man's neck, authorities said.

Johnson then returned to the Range Rover, but came back and jumped into the driver's side of the victim's car, authorities said. Johnson sped off as the victim dangled from the passenger side of the vehicle, authorities said.

The victim ultimately escaped and Johnson drove off with the car, authorities said. The man's wallet was in the vehicle, authorities said.

The following day, Johnson used the victim's credit card to buy $140 worth of balloons, teddy bears and other items at the hospital gift shop at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, authorities said.

Authorities said Johnson was identified on security cameras as one of the two men in the store who made the purchases. The second man was never identified, authorities said.

In addition to Thursday's conviction, Johnson has been arrested as an adult more than 10 times, authorities said. Besides the 2011 manslaughter conviction, Johnson was previously convicted of eluding twice, two burglaries and receiving stolen property - a stolen car, authorities said.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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The historic former New Jersey Bell building in downtown Newark, which has been sold to a developer for $16.5 million. (Dan Ivers/NJ Advance Media)

NEWARK - Verizon's iconic downtown headquarters has been sold to a developer that plans to turn it into a modern high-rise apartment building.

The 20-story building at 540 Broad Street, known for its art-deco design, was sold to a company affiliated with New York-based L&M Development for $16.51 million, according to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. The board, which must approve the sale of any assets by Verizon or other utilities, signed off on the deal in January.

A source familiar with the deal said L&M plans to convert its 436,000-square feet into a residential tower.

The building will undergo a wholesale renovation to create 260 units, 20 percent of which will be set aside as affordable housing, a spokeswoman for the developer said. Inglese Architecture and Engineering is set to renovate the building, she said. The building's fourth floor is home to a Verizon switching station, which will continue to operate.

Built in 1929, the structure was initially home to the New Jersey Bell telephone company before being taken over by Verizon. While no larger than many other building in downtown Newark's skyline, it is widely known for its distinctive brick and sandstone facade, much of which is awash in orange lights after dark.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, meaning the National Park Service will also need to approve all renovation plans.

Verizon spokesman Raymond McConville confirmed the building's sale, but said he could not divulge where existing jobs in the building will be relocated.

Verizon had a deal in place to sell the building for approximately $35 million in 2008, but eventually opted to stay after receiving more than $20 million in tax breaks from the state.

L&M owns several properties in the Newark area, including the former Hahne's department store building just a few hundred feet south of the Verizon property - where a Whole Foods is set to open as early as next year.

Story first reported by Essex County Place. Corrected to include the correct number of rental units and architectural firm.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
MONROE TWP. -- Anthony Longo says he won't forget the experience for the rest of his life.

His wife, Joan, was eating dinner Wednesday night when she choked. She suffered a stroke several years ago and her husband is careful to cut up her food, including the ravioli and meatballs she had for dinner that evening. She apparently sampled a piece of food that hadn't been cut up.

"I called paramedics and a police officer got there before they showed up," Longo said. Monroe Township Police Officer William Pintozzi used the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the blockage. "He saved my wife's life."

Pintozzi said he was on the other side of town assisting another officer on a call when he heard the 911 call for a choking victim shortly after 5 p.m. He made his way to the Longo home and got to work. "I could hear her gasping for air," he recalled. "She was getting blue in the face."

The 26-year-old officer performed a series of abdominal thrusts, which eventually dislodged a whole ravioli, Pintozzi said. From there, her condition immediately improved, he said. While she couldn't speak, she shook the officer's hand to show her appreciation. EMTs took her to the hospital for evaluation.

Anthony Longo, 74, has been careful to cut up Joan's food since last year, when she had a similar incident. His wife, 76, choked on coffee cake and ended up in the hospital for six days, he said. "We almost lost your wife," a doctor told him in that incident.

The couple has been married 49 years and moved to Barbados Drive several years ago after living in Philadelphia. Joan suffered a stroke in 2009 and her husband has been her caregiver since then.

Pintozzi met up with the Longos again on Thursday morning.

"I wanted to check on his wife and see how she was doing," Pintozzi said. "She looked great."

Longo praised the officer's professionalism and said he wanted to give him a token of his appreciation, but was told police could not accept gifts. That's when he decided to contact news outlets.

"He's a very nice young man. No matter how many times I thank him, it will never be enough," Longo said, thinking back to the harrowing experience. "It will be in my mind for the rest of my life. If it wasn't for this police officer, she'd be dead."

For his part, Pentozzi said he became a police officer so that he could help others in their time of need.

"The best thing about this job is being able to help someone like that," he said. "I wanted to make a difference in somebody's life. I'm proud to say I was able to help out."

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- A two-alarm fire on Beach Street last night injured two firefighters and killed a family pet, officials confirmed today.

The fire was reported at about 9:30 p.m. on the the first floor of 141 Beach St., causing damage to neighboring 139 Beach St., city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said.

Morrill said two firefighters were injured -- one suffered a sprained ankle and the other reported head and neck injuries -- and were treated at Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health. They have both since been released from the hospital, she said.

Off-duty firefighter John Bolger, who lives directly across the street from the two-story duplex that caught fire, said he was taking the garbage out last night when he noticed smoke coming from the front door of his neighbor's house.

He said he went over to the house and everyone had already evacuated the building and that "there was a lot of fire on the first floor."

"I know she has a dog, so I went in there and tried to get the dog, but there was no luck, there was just too much fire," he said.

Bolger said two other dogs made it out of the house safely.

While Morrill said it was not yet clear how many residents were displaced from the fire, Bolger said he believed four people needed to be relocated. He said a woman and her niece live at 141 Beach St. while a mother and her daughter live at 139 Beach St.

One resident in the neighborhood said the flames were "big" and watching the house burn was "scary."
Directors and employees at EL PAIS, during Wednesdays 40th anniversary celebrations. J. ARCA

At the end of the lunch that on Wednesday brought together the staff of EL PAIS, together with the exhibition dedicated to the 40-year history of the newspaper in Madrids Cibeles Palace, the five editors who have been at the helm of the daily blew out a giant candle to celebrate these last decades.

The editors  Juan Luis Cebrian, who was the first and is now the chairman of both the paper and parent group Grupo Prisa; Joaquin Estefania; Jesus Ceberio; Javier Moreno; and the current chief, Antonio Cano  blew out the candles with gusto, as if they were trying to make the logo-shaped candle fly, and with it, the history of the paper, onto a flight path that, as Cebrian and Cano pointed out during their speeches on Wednesday, will take the publication to a future that, in some way, opened up yesterday. When the candle went out, the editors past and present and all of the 549 attendees  including most of the 332 members of the newsroom  sang Happy Birthday.

In such a context, and in front of so many people, it appeared normal that Canos voice would falter, but he held on enough to say that today is a great day, a consequence of a marvelous adventure in freedom.

In such a context, and in front of so many people, it appeared normal that editor Antonio Canos voice would falter, but he held on enough to say that today is a great day

He reinforced the values that have always made EL PAIS contemporary  a paper that has been committed to democracy since it was brought into existence by Jose Ortega Spottorno, Jesus Polanco and Cebrian himself.

Now, explained Cano in his speech to the assembled staff, EL PAIS is a digital newspaper, a great digital newspaper, and it is a printed newspaper, a great printed newspaper.

In reference to the fears of some with regard to the digital transformation, he said: We are not going to stop ahead of any kind of innovation that helps us get to more people, to improve what we offer, and to continue being a reference point in terms of quality and rigor. While we are proud of our past, we have irreversibly arrived in the future.

For his part, Cebrian spoke from his heart and his guts. He explained how he had been persecuted in the worst moment of Spains Transition to democracy: he has been accused of being a KGB spy; his house was searched in the hunt for Antonio Maria Oriol Urquijo, who was kidnapped by Maoist terrorist group First of October Anti-Fascist Resistance Groups (GRAPO) in 1976; he was accused of stealing money from Canal+ And now there is a small revolution, which neither concerns him nor would he be addressing. In the face of this little revolution  in reference to the accusations in certain media outlets that he is linked to the so-called Panama Papers  he contrasted this very important moment for Spain, in which EL PAIS is playing a key role in a society that is ever more confused.

EL PAIS is a product of teamwork. Thousands of people have created it, and it has reached millions of readers, Cebrian explained. The names of those former employees who have passed away were shown on a projection screen, but Cebrian chose to focus on one in particular: Andres Fraguas, a mail room employee who was killed in 1978, when a far-right group sent a parcel bomb to EL PAIS. That death, Cebrian explained, had always stayed with him.

Cebrian also recalled when Jesus Polanco, the former chief of Grupo PRISA, warned him that EL PAIS had many enemies. But we have more friends, Cebrian pointed out on Wednesday. In the last 40 years, EL PAIS has sold 5.2 billion copies, it has more than 60 million digital users every month and counts on 12 million followers on the social networks.

With a glass of cava, the chairman and first editor of EL PAIS raised a toast, to the cry of Happy Birthday! Moments later the song was sung, before the candle was blown out in the presence of those who work to create what is now the biggest newspaper in Spanish in the world.
A group of journalists demonstrate against the assassination of Francisco Pacheco. YURI CORTEZ (AFP)

More information Mexico: el pais mas letal de America para los periodistas

The last news story that Francisco Pacheco covered was about the chaos caused by several shoot-outs between various drug gangs on the night of April 24 in the most touristy area near the Port of Acapulco in Guerrero state. The next morning, the 49-year-old journalist was killed on his doorstep in Taxco, 170 kilometers from the capital. Pacheco wrote for a small news website and he was a contributor for local newspapers. Job insecurity and the weakness of the Mexican state in some areas of the country have made journalism a dangerous line of work. Pacheco was the fifth reporter to be killed in 2016.

International organizations have denounced the dangers journalists face in Mexico. The United Nations, Reporters Without Borders, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Inter American Press Society have all criticized the climate of impunity that allows assassins to retaliate against informants. Article 19, an NGO that studies freedom of expression, reported 397 assaults in 2015 including beatings, intimidation, cyber attacks on news websites and even grenade launches at TV stations. In 2015, a media outlet or journalist was attacked in Mexico every 22 hours, while seven reporters were killed, the group says.

In 2015, a media outlet or journalist was attacked in Mexico every 22 hours, while seven reporters were killed

According to the IACHR, Mexico is the most dangerous place in the Americas for journalists. Three reporters have disappeared and another 19 have been killed since President Enrique Pena Nieto took office in December 2012. Ninety-two informants have been assassinated since 2000.

Besides Pacheco, four other journalists have been killed in 2016 so far. Moises Dagdug Lutzow was assassinated in Tabasco, Reinel Martinez and Marcos Hernandez Bautista were killed in Oaxaca and Anabel Flores died in Veracruz. Veracruz is the most dangerous area for journalists in the country. Sixteen reporters have been killed there since Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) Governor Javier Duarte took office in 2010.

English version by Dyane Jean Francois.
Exonerated, dead and still on trial: In Glenn Ford's case, judge gets in a last kick
Armenian alumni to aid people with disabilities

Armenian Alumni from U.S. Exchange Programs Win U.S. Department of State Grant to Aid People with Disabilities A team of Armenian alumni of U.S. Government-sponsored exchange programs were awarded a grant Tuesday through the U.S. State Departments 2016 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund competition. The Armenian teams winning proposal, a project called Unlimited Movement, will address the challenges and the issues that people with disabilities face in society. More than 829 projects from 137 countries were submitted to the competition, and 61 were selected for funding. More than $1.25 million is being provided by the U.S. State Department globally. The Armenians who go on exchange programs in the U.S. represent some of the most dedicated and active members of Armenian civil society. They are passionate about building a stronger, more resilient nation. And I think that passion shone through in their application to the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund, said U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, Jr. I think their focus, building up an inclusive society, is one that resonates in Armenia. More and more Armenians realize that people with disabilities can be productive members of society. I think that reflects well on Armenian culture. The group of exchange alumni will be using the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund grant to fund performances that focus on the potential and the abilities of people with disabilities to be active members of society. The five-person team leading the effort is made up of Shoghakat Galstyan, Arina Araratyan, and Artur Sahakyan  former participants in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP); Hayk Vardanyan  an alumnus of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program; and Tsolak Galstyan  a past participant in the USAID Community Connections Program. We are really very thankful that the American community and government support inclusive projects, said Shoghakat Galstyan. With this help we have an opportunity to help people with disabilities become more immersed into our community. We also appreciate the fact that we have the opportunity to do this as alumni. Being an alum means having responsibility for our community. With the help of the U.S. we will try to make a community where we dont have social limits. The International Visitor Leadership Program is the State Departments premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program provides scholarships for high school students from Eurasia to spend an academic year in the United States. USAIDs Community Connections program offers homestay-based practical training opportunities in the U.S. for entrepreneurs, local government officials, legal professionals, non-governmental organization leaders and other professionals. These exchanges, and others offered by the U.S. Government, are designed to help build bridges between the U.S. and Armenia. When they return, alumni have the opportunity to apply for a number of different grants to help strengthen their communities. Additionally, membership in the U.S. Alumni Association of Armenia (www.usaaa.am ) provides a variety of networking and training opportunities. There are so many great, active alumni throughout Armenia, Ambassador Mills said. Whether involved in the Alumni Association or pursing efforts to benefit the larger community, this is a group that is helping to build the future of Armenia. US Embassy to Armenia
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Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan

Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement

With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building

OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh

USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens

ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression
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.
Many Iowans have moved to South Dakota seeking lower taxes in exchange for colder winters.

Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett is touring the state, including a visit to The Daily Nonpariel office Wednesday, promoting that Iowa do something to ebb the flow of people, and money, to its northwest neighbor.

We lost a lot of wealth to South Dakota, Corbett said.

Educating the states young people and concerns about water quality are issues also on peoples mind, he said. He said those perspectives should be expressed publicly.

Society isnt good when debate is shut down, Corbett said in Council Bluffs.

Thats why last summer Corbett launched a think tank called Engage Iowa, which hopes to start a statewide debate on some of Iowas most serious problems.

The goal is to present research-based issues of importance to Iowa, to offer pragmatic and common sense solutions and to foster an exchange of ideas about the problems and solutions. Corbett said the three main issues requiring a statewide debate are education, the economy and the environment.

Clearly, Iowa has an income tax problem, Corbett said, which is a key reason many Iowans have moved to nearby states. Billions of dollars in income has been lost in the last 20 years, with Iowans making between $40,000 and $50,000 per year having a higher effective tax rate than those making $1 million per year, Corbett said.

We suggest Iowa look at a flat tax, a more simple solution, said Corbett, who is a Republican and has served as mayor of Cedar Rapids since 2009.

The Engage Iowa website states that $373 million has been lost to South Dakota, along with $678 to Florida, $360 to Texas and $380 to Arizona. It states that working families in 46 other states have lower marginal tax rates than Iowans.

Water quality is another hot-button issue, especially when it comes to funding it, Corbett said. He opposes solutions with federal regulations, claiming this is an Iowa problem and should be solved by Iowans.

Instead of taking money meant for schools, Corbett suggests raising the states sales tax by 1 cent. Three-eighths of any such sales tax increase would go to protecting natural resources. This would create tens of millions of dollars annually for that cause, Corbett said.

The legislature has never addressed it, he said.

Corbett was speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives in the late 1990s. The Gazette, a newspaper serving Cedar Rapids and the surrounding region, said launching the think tank surely will fuel speculation that the mayor is positioning for a Republican run for governor in 2018, according to a August 2015 article.

Since its founding, the Engage Iowa Facebook page has seen 13,000 people participating in discussing these issues, Corbett said. To find out more, visit engageiowa.org.

 Deputy News Editor Scott Stewart contributed to this report.
Ali Khan, dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, will discuss global and local impacts of climate disruption at the next Omaha Science Cafe at 7 p.m. on May 10 at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St.

A former assistant surgeon general, Khans career has focused on health security, global health and emerging infectious diseases. He completed a 23-year career as a senior director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he led and responded to numerous high profile domestic and international public health emergencies including: Hantavirus, Ebola, monkeypox, avian influenza, Rift Valley fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome, the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.

He was one of the main architects of the CDCs public health bioterrorism preparedness program. In 2015, Khan responded to the West Africa Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone as a World Health Organization consultant and enrolled the University of Nebraska Medical Center as a member of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.

Science Cafes are open to anyone 21 and older. Pizza will be provided for the first 50 people. For more information about Science Cafes, go to unmc.edu/sciencecafe. Podcasts of previous Science Cafes also are available on the website.
Hranush Hakobyan: We are concerned over Garo Paylans security

Armenpress: Minister of Diaspora of Armenia Hranush Hakobyan is concerned over the personal security of Armenian member of Turkish parliament Garo Paylan, Minister Hakobyan told Armenpress, commenting on the violence and attacks on the MP in the recent days. The footage that appeared on the internet in the recent days clearly shows that the Turkish MPs attack Armenian MP Garo Paylan in an in-advance planned manner, subjecting him to physical violence and shouting offensive words addressed to his Armenian identity. These are overt attempts of silencing calls for justice and a racist demonstration of ethnic discrimination, which, unfortunately, continue in Turkey for over 100 years. The Armenian MP, believing that the parliament is a platform for free expression of opinions, voiced about the brutal assassination of 7 Armenian MPs during the Armenian Genocide, raising the issue of the investigation of those murders and reburial of the MPs. This irritated the representatives of the ruling party. The MP, that enjoys trust of the people, is subjected to physical, psychological and moral tortures, while the international community is indifferent to this situation that has no links with civilization. We are really worried over the personal security of Garo Paylan. We know that years ago Hrant Dink was killed in Turkey for freely and boldly expressing his ideas, the trial of which continues up till now, periodically taking a form of farce, Hranush Hakobyan said.
Freedom to Jndi Amaryan: Qyaram Sloyans father also participating in action (video)

12:42 At the moment the representatives of the Yazidi community continue their protest action with the demand to release Jndi Amaryan outside the Prosecutor Generals Office. They marched from the Presidential Palace to the Prosecutor Generals Office, vociferating Freedom to Jndi. They are sure that Jndi is innocent and has no connection with extortion he is charged with. 11:02 Today representative of the Yazidi community have gathered outside the Presidential Palace holding posters reading: Freedom to Jndi Amaryan, We shall not tolerate injustice, Judging the innocent, you become guilty. They are demanding to release their compatriot, confidently claiming that he is innocent. To remind, Jndi Amaryan was detained on April 2 charged with extortion. The action participants note that he was taken to the police station just from his mothers grave, as that day his mothers funeral took place. The action participants also noted that bail is used as a precautionary measure even in case of murder, why cannot it be applied to Jndi? The action participants must also hand in a letter to Serzh Sargsyan and then march to the General Prosecutors Office. Father of Qyaram Sloyan is also taking part in todays action. To remind, Qyaram Sloyan was killed during Four-day Artsakh war. Sloyans father is also demanding to release Jndi Amaryan, noting that he left his grief and came to support the Yazidi people.
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Glencores Kidd Operations in Timmins has received a 2016 Towards Sustainable Mining Excellence Award from Mining Association of Canada .

Glencores Kidd Operations in Timmins has received a 2016 Towards Sustainable Mining Excellence Award from Mining Association of Canada.

The company was recognized for raising the bar for corporate responsibility in the Canadian mining sector during the annual awards gala for the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) in Vancouver.

In a release, it was noted that the company has donated close to $4 million for community initiatives since 2007.

In anticipation of the mines closure in 2022, it has changed its approach to giving to mitigate impacts of its eventual exit and to ensure that it is contributing to long-term capacity building and sustainability in the community.

Through a new social investment program, Community Partnerships, the company engages with stakeholders to design collaborative, multi-partner projects that contribute to the long-term sustainability of the community at large.

Kidd Operations has done lots of work to extend the life of mine and we continue to challenge ourselves to go on even further, said Steve Badenhorst, general manager at Glencores Kidd Operations, in a release.

However, we must also start thinking and planning for ultimate closure and what that will mean for our community. Our Community Partnerships program celebrates our venerable 50-year history of community contributions, but it also looks to the future.

Other Northern Ontario contributors to mining were also recognized by CIM.

Allan Akerman, of Akerman Consultants in Sudbury, received the McParland Memorial Award.

Damien Duff, of the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation in Sudbury, received the Julian Boldy Geological Society Service Award.

Peter Edmunds, of Atlas Copco in Sudbury, earned a CIM Fellowship.

Oliver Koski, of the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation in Sudbury, received the CIM Community Service Award.

CIM Sudbury received the Mel W. Barley Outstanding Branch Award.

DeBeers Canadas Victor Mine in the James Bay Lowlands was recognized with the John T. Ryan Safety Trophy, National Select Category.
Recognizing the NKR independence, we will put an end to the negotiations process (video)

The NA lawmaker Edmon Marukyan received an offer from Heritage lawmaker Zaruhi Postanjyan to join her and the Armenian National Congress (HAK) party member Hrant Bagratyans legislative initiative on Recognition of Artsakh Republic. Edmon Marukyan told A1+ that he hadnt joined the initiative, If I thought, it was time, I would join the draft, at present I abstained from such proposals. I think at present it will be of no use, as the security level will not be raised, nor will be promoted the process of international recognition. First and foremost before the recognition process, an opinion must be formed at different international platforms as well as diplomatic corps of different countries that they should begin recognizing Artsakh. Only after that we can take such a step. He thinks that at present it can be of brilliant propaganda significance, if the military-political authorities of Azerbaijan again resort to adventurism; one of the bullets of our arsenal can be considered that draft law, One of the bullets is considered to be the agreement on mutual military assistance with Artsakh, about which Serzh Sargsyan spoke. But it became known from his press secretarys statement that draft law on the NKR recognition will not be approved, and I also think that it isnt time for it; we have other things to do. By recognizing, in essence, we put an end to all the negotiations process, the Minsk Group might be dissolved, in case of which we will not leave any option to Azerbaijan than entering into large-scale war.
EVANSTON, Ill. --- A Northwestern University researcher attempting to create ever-elusive dark matter with the worlds most powerful particle collider will receive $750,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Kristian Hahn, assistant professor of physics in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, is one of 49 young scientists from across the country to receive 2016 Early Career Research Program funding, announced Tuesday by the DOE Office of Science. His work, currently underway at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland, aims to elicit vital information about the substance scientists say makes up roughly 85 percent of the physical universe.

The LHC collides beams of protons at an unprecedented energy of 13 TeV, which is equivalent to squeezing the energy of an aircraft carrier traveling at 20 kilometers per second down to the diameter of a human hair.

The origin of dark matter is one of the most interesting questions in science, Hahn said Tuesday, one day after returning from a dark matter workshop in Seoul and while preparing to leave for another in London. The universe is filled with a vast ocean of material we know almost nothing about.

Hahn intends to create dark matter as a product of the incredibly powerful proton collisions occurring inside the Large Hadron Collider. He and his research team expect to break new ground as a result of recent upgrades made to the particle collider.

Recent improvements made to the LHC are not unlike those that preceded the historic discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, Hahn said. People had been searching for the Higgs boson for years, but they couldnt find it because we did not have a powerful enough energy collider.

When scientists extended the reach of the collider, the Higgs boson particle was soon revealed.

Similarly, the eventual High-Luminosity LHC, which will increase proton beam intensity by a factor of 10, will extend our reach even further, said Hahn, who is redesigning data acquisition systems to capture the massive amount of information produced by the collisions.

Its an incredible amount of data, Hahn said. Beams collide every 25 nanoseconds; the detector, which records information about the resulting spray of particles, generates a petabyte of raw data per second. We need to develop new techniques for reducing this to a manageable rate at the High-Luminosity LHC.

The Department of Energy Early Career Research Program, now in its seventh year, is designed to bolster the nations scientific workforce by providing support to exceptional researchers during crucial early career years, when many scientists do their most formative work.

We invest in promising young researchers early in their careers to support lifelong discovery science to fuel the nations innovation system, said Cherry Murray, director of DOEs Office of Science. We are proud of the accomplishments these young scientists already have made and look forward to following their achievements in years to come.

Under the program, university-based researchers will receive at least $150,000 per year to cover summer salary and research expenses. Selection was based on peer review by outside scientific experts.

To be eligible for the DOE award, a researcher must be an untenured, tenure-track assistant or associate professor at a U.S. academic institution or a full-time employee at a DOE national laboratory, who received a Ph.D. within the past 10 years.

Hahns research falls within the award category for high energy physics. Additional qualifying research topics include advanced scientific computing research, basic energy sciences, biological and environmental research, fusion energy sciences and nuclear physics.
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Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

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The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

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STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan

Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement

With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building

OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh

USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens

ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression
Ceremony of taking the oath of the NKR Ombudsman took place

May 5, the regular plenary meeting of the third session the NKR National Assembly was held. NKR National Assembly adopted: -the NKR law "On Amendments and Additions to the NKR Law" On Ensuring Road Traffic Safety", according to which the list of medical contraindications, medical indications and medical restrictions on the exploitation of vehicles will be established. Adoption of the law is also due to the need to bring it into compliance with the requirements of the acting Code of Administrative Offences; - the NKR law "On Amendments to the Law of the NKR "On State Pensions, according to which in determining eligibility for  pension and appointment of a pension and restoration of payments to confirm the information about registered persons according to the State Register of Population. The law also envisages calculation of the Armed Forces military pensions, entitled to a military pension for longstanding service period of combat duty on the contact line to be calculated at double the rate starting from July 2016. The law removes restrictions on the deadline for submission of documents required for obtaining a pension after the death of the pensioner and the minimum period of work of the person after the appointment of pensions needed to recalculate retirement pensions and disability pensions. During the session, the National Assembly also reviewed the question of the appointment of the NKR Human Rights Defender. As a result of the secret ballot vote ratio 27- "for" and 2 "against" Ruben Norayr Melikyan, the MPs proposed candidate was appointed the NKR human rights defender. In his speech, the new Ombudsman noted that the top priority of his activity will be to consistently declare issues related to the gross violations of human rights as a result of the April 2 aggression imposed by Azerbaijan and the whole anti-legal policies implemented by the authorities of Azerbaijan against NKR citizens with hope for an adequate response. "I will work on strengthening and development of the international relations of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh and try to use new platforms and rostrums," said Ruben Melikyan. Then the ceremony of taking the oath of the NKR human rights defender took place. The last item on the agenda of the meeting was the annual report on the activities of the Chamber of Control for 2015, which was presented by Chairman of the NKR Control Chamber Ernest Avanesyan. At the end of the meeting the NKR National Assembly President, Ashot Ghoulyan congratulated them on the Victory Day, NKR Defense Army and the liberation of Shushi. At the end of the meeting the Head of the NKR National Assembly Ashot Ghoulyan congratulated those present on the forthcoming Victory Day, the NKR Defense Army Day and the liberation of Shushi. "These days our people have demonstrated an exceptional ability to consolidate, become a fist, to strengthen the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora trinity in all national ways, to stop all criminal and terrorist intentions of the enemy, to show the world the willingness and ability to protect its freedom and independence," noted in his speech the Head of the Parliament.
Statement of RA MFA on recognition of the NKR

Rumors regarding the conclusion of the Government about the initiative on recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, submitted by two parliamentarians of the National Assembly of Armenia, are irrelevant. The conclusion of the Government does not imply an endorsement of that initiative. On numerous occasions Armenia has clearly declared in which case it will recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. In case of making such an important decision, as a credible and reliable partner, the President of the Republic of Armenia, would inform beforehand his partners and, first of all, the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries. We hope that Azerbaijan will be reasonable enough to refrain from the repetition of its adventure, unleashed in early April. Only through the acknowledgment of the lack of alternative to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue it is possible to return the process onto the negotiation track and find a just and effective way for the full implementation of the right to self-determination by the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
WASHINGTON  The national GOP party chairman has urged all Republicans to unite behind Donald Trump now that he is the last man standing in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

But that call failed to produce a stampede of enthusiastic support Wednesday from top Republican leaders in Iowa and Nebraska.

There is a process in place for choosing our nominee, and it is still going on, said Tom Doheny, a spokesman for Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. When it concludes, the senator will support whoever prevails.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have both dropped out. Only Trump remains, although he still needs to amass a few more delegates to clinch the nomination.

But while the outcome seems inevitable, many Republicans are clearly wary of embracing the bombastic billionaire as the smoke clears after the scorched-earth primary contest. Some Republicans say they wont support Trump in the general election, and even those planning to back him hardly seem thrilled.

He and I have very different approaches to governing and dealing with others, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said Wednesday, although she said she plans to vote for the Republican nominee.

Said Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts: I will support the nominee of our party, and it looks like the nominee is going to be Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., released a statement saying he would support the GOP nominee in order to prevent a Hillary Clinton presidency. But he never mentioned Trumps name.

Thats something that Democrats are sure to do. They promise to tie Trump  and all of his controversial statements  to any Republicans facing tough re-election battles this year.

For example, Iowa Democrats were quick Wednesday morning to continue their efforts against Rep. David Young, R-Iowa. They pointed to comments that Young made last year about Trump tapping into voters general frustration as evidence that the first-term congressman is on the same page as Trump.

In response to a World-Herald request, Young said in a statement that he will support the GOP nominee. Like Smith, he didnt utter Trumps name.

I will also continue my independent-minded approach to serving the people of Iowa, which means my support of the nominee is not a blanket endorsement of every word, idea and position of the nominee, Young added. This is my position regarding any candidate I run on the ballot with both now and in the future.
This Friday night's Women's Trans-Tasman Test will be a redemption tale of sorts for Kiwi Ferns back-rower Annetta Nuuausala, who is set to make her full debut for New Zealand.

Nuuausala represented the Kiwi Ferns at the Auckland Nines in February but failed to play the final two games of the series due to a lack of fitness.

The younger sister of Raiders firebrand Frank-Paul Nuuausala became quite emotional when quizzed about her stint at the Auckland Nines and said it was her "lowest point".

"The Nines experience did help me heaps. It helped with my club footy and I took it back with me and now I'm one of the senior players which gives me a boost. I'm back now for the Kiwis and I can't wait. It is redemption," Nuuausala told NRL.com.

"Being here now makes me feel more confident. I'd never thought I'd be here, it's been five years in the making so I'm pretty stoked.

"I was nervous last week but I think now that I'm here [in Newcastle] I'm more excited. It's time for me to steal my brother's spotlight now."

Nuuausala is now ready to embark on the path her brother has set for her over his decade-long NRL career.

Frank-Paul has managed 15 Test caps for the Kiwis so far in his career, as his little sister gears up for her first.

"He set the bar for us younger ones. He gave me a path to follow I guess. League wasn't really my sport back then but to see him get to where he is now he's inspired us younger ones," Nuuausala told NRL.com.

"I was playing netball before I made the move and it was just too soft for me. I needed a contact sport.

"It was cool then to watch him from New Zealand make his own path. He wasn't doing so well and then I guess the Roosters helped him and I'm so happy for him now."

Nuuausala's usually softly-spoken brother has been calling her all week so far in effort to give her advice.

"He's been telling me to get out there and make a name for myself," she said.

"He called me [on Tuesday] and told me just before he went to the airport that a reporter called him [about me]. I said to him back 'now it's the other way around and I'm making you famous'," she laughed.

As for the Jillaroos, Nuuausala is cautious of one individual in particular: their skipper Ruan Sims.

"I saw her and she's real big. I'll probably just pat her head and tell her 'I'm a big fan'," Nuuausala laughed. "I rate her to be honest. I think she's better than her brothers."
CROWN POINT  The Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana kicked off its 2016 Call for Nominations at the Purdue Technology Center on Thursday.

The event was the kick-off for a five-month process to select innovators to become members of the society.

Were looking for (people) who stand out and can lead our Region to greater heights, said Richard Maxwell, chair of the Society of Innovators and president/CEO of RCM Tissue Bank Prosthetics.

The Society of Innovators honors groups or individuals deemed thinkers, dreamers, doers, innovators and entrepreneurs. The keynote speaker on Thursday was one such innovator, environmental entrepreneur Robert Colangelo, founding farmer and CEO of Green Sense Farms, headquartered in Portage.

Colangelo used a video to help introduce people to his business. The society backs people and their companies as they start to grow, he said. "I think were a good example of that, he said.

Green Sense Farms, with its 30,000 square foot facility in Portage, is a leader in the indoor vertical farming industry and is set to build 20 such farms in China. Colangelo chose Northwest Indiana for his company's headquarters because 80 percent of the U.S. population is within a days drive of the Region, he said.

The Society of Innovators itself is a project of the Gerald I. Lamkin Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Ivy Tech, based out of Ivy Techs Gary campus.

Those interested in nominating people or groups for the Society of Innovators will have until July 5 to do so. Nominees should come from Jasper, Lake, La Porte, Newtown, Porter, Pulaski, or Starke counties. Six new fellows will eventually be selected, and two teams will be co-recipients of the Chanute Prize for Team Innovation.

All nominations will be taken online this year, thanks to a partnership with SMDG LLC, a social media company out of Gary. Nominations will be taken at www.nwisoi.org/, and those interested may submit as many names as they like. Those who wish more information may visit the website, or contact John Davies, Managing Director for the Society of Innovators and Assistant Director at the Lamkin Innovation and Entrenpreneurship Center at (219) 981-1111, ext. 2292, or at jdavies8@ivytech.edu.
CROWN POINT  A Merrillville man admitted to his role in helping dispose of the body of a Crown Point woman who was killed in 2014.

Nathaniel A. Porter, 19, pleaded guilty Wednesday to assisting a criminal, a Level 5 felony. As part of the plea agreement, he could face up to two years in prison.

During a hearing in front of Lake County Criminal Judge Salvador Vasquez, Porter admitted that on July 3, 2014, he helped Alyssa Barrett and Damarius R. McGriggs remove DeCarol Deloney-Cain's body from her Crown Point home.

Deloney-Cain, 54, was stabbed to death and died from blunt force trauma, according to court records. She was Barrett's mother, and McGriggs was dating Barrett at the time.

After Deloney-Cain was killed, Porter admitted to arriving at the home with De'Shawn D. Fuller and helping remove her body. Porter then drove to Gary with Barrett and McGriggs following in Deloney-Cain's vehicle.

Deloney-Cain's decomposing body was found July 7, 2014, in the trunk of her abandoned car in the area of 21st Avenue and Mississippi Street in Gary.

After leaving the car, Porter drove the group in his car to the mall, according to court records. Porter also admitted to getting money for helping Barrett and McGriggs.

Lake County Criminal Judge Salvador Vasquez asked Porter if he agreed that he committed the offense of assisting a criminal. Porter answered, "Yes, sir."

Vasquez set a sentencing hearing for June 22. A charge of assisting a criminal was still pending against Fuller as of this week.

Barrett, 19, was sentenced earlier this year to 50 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to murder in the case. McGriggs, 20, was sentenced last month to 40 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct who drove the car after DeCarol Deloney-Cain's body was left in Gary.
ST. JOHN  Former police Cmdr. Michael Fryzel is accused of sexually battering three women and of receiving pay for hours he didn't work, according to court records.

Fryzel, 54, was charged Thursday in Lake County Criminal Court with three counts of sexual battery, five counts of official misconduct, two counts of theft and three counts of battery.

His defense attorney, Thomas Vanes, said Fryzel would surrender Thursday to police and intended immediately to post the $75,000 surety, or $7,500 bond, issued in the case. In a previous statement, Vanes said Fryzel was confident he would be vindicated once the full truth was known.

Fryzel, a former St. John Town Council member, resigned from the department in March 2015, days before federal lawsuits were filed accusing him of sexual harassment.

In the charges filed Thursday, one of the women, who worked for the St. John Police Department, told Indiana State Police that in 2013 Fryzel commented on how he wished she would apply for a position so he could see her breasts during a physical test required for the position, according to the affidavit.

The same woman told police that on Jan. 27, 2015, Fryzel pressed his groin against the woman while she was sitting down, according to the affidavit.

Another woman, who worked for the department, told investigators that on Feb. 2, 2015, Fryzel smacked her buttocks. Two days later, Fryzel commented on the woman's breasts. The woman questioned another officer who was present if the comments were in violation of policies he had just written.

Fryzel answered, "Those policies don't apply to me. I am a commander so they don't apply," according to the affidavit.

During another incident, he is accused of poking the woman's breasts while explaining that her body was the reason he was a, "sick (expletive)," according to the affidavit.

A third woman, who worked as a janitorial contractor, told detectives Fryzel frequently called her a name that was a reference to a sexual position. According to the affidavit, Fryzel and former Police Chief Fred Frego would ask if she had sex with a black man.

Fryzel also is accused of smacking her buttocks, according the affidavit.

While police were investigating the allegations, investigators compared the department's payroll with police dispatch logs from the Lake County sheriff's department. An analysis determined Fryzel was paid $5,356.97 from 2011 to 2015 for hours he didn't work, according to the affidavit.

The charges come months after women filed federal lawsuits against Fryzel, the department and the town. One of the lawsuits was settled, though the details were sealed. The other two remain pending.

Last year, the prosecutor's office announced it would convene a grand jury to investigate allegations involving the St. John police. Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said his office instead decided to file the charges directly.

"After reviewing the case and speaking with the investigators, we decided to file it directly," Carter said.

Vanes said he was suspicious of the timing surrounding Thursday's filing.

"For at least six months, the prosecutor has been talking about a grand jury," Vanes said.

"Then it got stalled, by them not us. Then all of a sudden they are taking a short cut. I smell a lot of outside pressure to file something."

He wasn't sure where the pressure was coming from, but he said there were a lot of people looking to make money.
INDIANAPOLIS  U.S. Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., still wants the next president to fill the empty seat on the U.S. Supreme Court  even if that president is Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.

Spokesman Matt Lahr said Wednesday that Coats has not changed his mind about the need to wait until after the November election and January inauguration of a new president to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

"Sen. Coats continues to believe the right thing to do is to give the American people a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice," Lahr said.

On March 16, President Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated for the Supreme Court Merrick Garland, chief judge of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., so far has refused to allow the Republican-controlled chamber to debate or vote on Garland's selection.

Garland cannot join the nation's high court without Senate consent. His absence has resulted in several 4-4 ties at the Supreme Court, effectively leaving major questions of law unsettled.

U.S. Rep. Todd Young, R-Bloomington, who won the Republican nomination to succeed Coats on Tuesday, agrees a new justice should only be seated after the election.

Senate Republicans are gambling that Trump's presidential bid will not lead to the election of Democrat Hillary Clinton and a Democratic-controlled Senate ready to confirm a Clinton-nominated justice more liberal than Garland.
HAMMOND  The Lake County prosecutor's office has reduced drunken driving charges against a Lake County union official for the second time in five years.

City Court records made public Wednesday indicate Randolph L. "Randy" Palmateer, 37, of Crown Point, pleaded guilty Monday in Hammond City Court to reckless driving, a class C misdemeanor.

Palmateer is business manager for the Northwestern Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council and serves on numerous public boards.

His plea was part of a deal in which the prosecutor dropped two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, including one that, if convicted, could have resulted in a year imprisonment.

Palmateer agreed to undergo alcohol counseling, pay court fees and costs of $383 and submit to supervision of the court's probation department for 180 days.

The prosecutor and the judge agreed to suspend jail time and a $500 fine for Palmateer as well as send an order the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to remove from Palmateer's permanent driving record any allegation he refused a chemical test for intoxication at his arrest last month, which could have resulted in one year suspension of his driving privileges.

In 2011, the prosecutor charged Palmateer with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and endangering a person in Crown Point, but dismissed that count after Palmateer pleaded guilty to reckless driving in that case.

Neither, Palmateer, his attorney Thomas Mullins, Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter or Special City Judge Gerald P. Kray returned calls seeking comment.

Hammond police alleged they were conducting a sobriety checkpoint as part of their St. Patricks Day/March Madness traffic safety blitz March 25 in the 7200 block of Kennedy Avenue when Palmateer drove up "in an unsafe manner."

Hammond Officer T. Laurinec said Palmateer failed two out of three field sobriety tests. She alleged he took a portable roadside breath test, inadmissible in court, which measured his blood alcohol content at 0.155, almost twice the legal limit of 0.08. She said he refused a second breath test at the police station.

A Times analysis of Lake County court records last year indicated the majority of operating while intoxicated cases filed in Lake County courts are reduced to reckless driving, far more than in neighboring Porter County.

Although this common practice is opposed by victims of drunken driving, the Lake County prosecutor said last year it results in convictions for serious traffic violations. He said a harder approach could swamp already overcrowded court docket, possibly leading to dismissals of charges in too many cases.
PORTAGE  Residents and business owners here will pay an additional tax beginning next year that will pave the way for additional road projects.

The City Council approved in a 4-3 vote Wednesday night a wheel tax that will go into effect Jan. 1.

The decision followed a 90-minute meeting in which hundreds of residents packed the Portage High School auditorium, most speaking against the new tax.

Resident George Stahl, who opposed it, left the auditorium with many others some yelling to city officials they would remember who voted for the tax and would remember that during the next election.

"It was a waste of time. I'm very disgusted," Stahl said, after the meeting.

Introduced at the council's meeting earlier this month, the wheel tax would collect $25 per residential vehicle and $40 per commercial vehicle registered within the city. An amendment introduced at Wednesday's meeting lowered the tax to $12.50 for motorcycles, motor-driven vehicles, recreational vehicles and personal trailers.

Portage Mayor James Snyder, a Republican, said a bipartisan group of himself, Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham, a Democrat, and City Council President Mark Oprisko, a Democrat, proposed the wheel tax as a source of continuous revenue for road projects. He said their proposal already included using the $954,000 in 2016 as a grant match for road paving.

Snyder said the city must adopt the wheel tax by June 30 to have matching grant funds in 2017 and beyond. He said several municipalities, including Portage, pushed for the legislation to allow cities to adopt a wheel tax for additional revenue for infrastructure improvements.

Stahl, who was the first of several residents who lined up to speak, said it was one of the first times he has spoken out against a city proposal.

"It's not necessary. It's a bad time, especially for poor people," Stahl said.

Retired resident Beto Barrera also criticized the wheel tax.

"I'm here opposing it. It is a burden and will be a burden to many. And it's also anti-businesses since they will be hit hard," Barrera said.

A few residents, who were booed by many in the audience, spoke in favor of the wheel tax.

Resident Eric Ballard, one of those tax advocates, said he's a proud homeowner and also the owner of several vehicles.

"We can all agree that there's more work needed to be done on our streets. I'll get hit pretty hard but it's a worthy investment," Ballard said.

Those voting in favor of the wheel tax included council members Liz Modesto, D-1st; Pat Clem, D-2nd; John Cannon, R-4th and Mark Oprisko, D-at-large.

Those voting against it were council members Sue Lynch, D- at-large; Scott Williams, D-3rd and Collin Czilli, D-5th.

Lynch, Williams and Czilli had all gone on record previously at a news conference held Friday morning outside Portage City Hall.

During the news conference, the three said they wanted the city to step back before handing residents another tax.

The three said they believe the wheel tax should be tabled right now. Instead, a $954,000 one-time distribution from the state of local option income tax should be used as the match.

Williams also suggested the city could use the $800,000 it is saving by recently raising the trash fee for road funding.

"We already have the match money rather than impose a wheel tax," Lynch said.

All three repeated their earlier messages at the meeting.

"I'm opposed to the wheel tax because we're rushing into putting a forever tax on the residents," Lynch said.

Oprisko, one of four council members voting in favor of the new tax, said the state has done absolutely nothing to help cities like Portage pay for road repairs.

"I don't like to be taxed myself but I've driven around our streets and the streets are going bad. I'm going to vote for the tax," Oprisko said.

Cannon said that the cost to repair vehicles damaged by bad roads is much more expensive to a family than paying the wheel tax.

"Folks, no one wants to raise taxes, but if we don't do it now it will quadruple in 10 years. I will be voting for the tax," Cannon said.

Diane Bowman, a field director for Americans for Prosperity, a right-wing political advocacy group founded by billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, stood at the entrance of the auditorium prior to the start of the meeting.

Bowman handed signs saying no to the wheel tax proposal as well as T-shirts.

She said Indiana residents are already paying their fair share to repair roads.

Crown Point officials also have raised the issue of a similar wheel tax.
CALUMET CITY  Refuse rates in Calumet City increased by 1.4 percent Sunday, Treasurer Gerry Tarka said in a memo placed on file at Thursdays City Council meeting.

Calumet City garbage rates are raised or lowered annually based on the Chicago regions consumer price index. That index increased by 1.7 percent during the calendar year of 2014 and fell by 0.3 percent in 2015.

Commonwealth Edison also will hike its delivery charge for residents. The increase is for all ComEd customers in northern Illinois and goes into effect in January.

The increase will amount to about $2 per month on the average bill, Tarka said.

Tarka also informed the council of a decision made in 2014 to establish a credit card account for the city with MB Financial Bank to speed up payment of certain transactions.

In a memo placed on file during Thursdays meeting, Tarka said the banks revenue sharing promotion was an opportunity for the city to earn cash back while paying bills.

Tarka said Calumet City has earned $17,388.24 in 2015. The money was added to the citys general fund and can be used like any other revenue source.

Tarka also announced that grants facilitator clerk Deborah Costello received confirmation from the U.S. Department of Justice that she completed the grants financial management course. Costello will report on grants received and applied for by the city.

This is yet another example of the treasurers office raising the bar on our professional training, Tarka said in the memo.

In other business, payment for work to continue the ongoing rehabilitation at Fire Station No. 1 was approved last week.

Lakeside Masonry and Construction will infill openings in the interior walls and reinforce masonry in the facility. The council approved a payment of $12,000 for the work.

Alliance Environmental Control will remove asbestos and do additional demolition and abatement for mold at the fire station. Two payments were approved for $5,300 and $9,900.

Cosgrove Construction will do structural repairs for $5,450 and Penco Products will be paid $16,223.37 for installing new lockers.

The council authorized the Police and Fire Commission to hire a police officer to replace retiring Officer Rob Jones.
GARY  An attempt to build an immigration detention center in Gary has failed.

A request for variances on property that was to be used for the detention center in Gary failed 9-0 Wednesday night.

The GEO Group Inc., a large multinational operator of prisons and detention facilities, wanted to construct a 788-bed immigrant processing facility on land across from the Gary/Chicago International Airport. A subsidiary of the company sought the variance for the project to move forward.

We are disappointed by tonights vote," said Pablo Paez, vice president for corporate relations for The GEO Group. "Our proposed facility would have been an $80 million investment in Gary, created hundreds of construction and full-time jobs, generated $1 million in new tax revenue without having to raise local property or business taxes, and created local contracting opportunities worth more than $1 million.

Opponents complain some of the work would have been done by detainees for $1 a day and characterize it as slave labor. They also have argued that the jobs at the facility have a high turnover rate and are concerned employees will come from outside the area.

Prior to Wednesdays meeting, chants of No g-e-o rang out from opponents rallying outside the council chambers.

The eyes of the country are on Gary, said the Rev. Charles Strietelmeier, head of the Northwest Indiana Federation of Interfaith Organizations, who led the list of speakers opposed to the detention center.

On April 12, the citys Board of Zoning Appeals voted 3-1 to recommend the request for variance be rejected by the City Council. The council took up the matter on April 19, but by a 4-4 vote failed to move it to committee for a hearing. Councilman Herb Smith, D-at large, who is in favor of the project, then announced he wanted the matter to be heard at the next meeting.

Smith on Wednesday asked that the issue be deferred, which caused shouts of no to erupt from the audience. Some council members and audience members thought the action at the prior council meeting already had killed the variance request.

The majority of the council did not want to defer the matter, but wanted to take a final vote Wednesday.

At a rally prior to Wednesday nights meeting, a coalition of groups opposed to the immigrant detention facility again held a rally urging the council to reject the zoning variance.

The groups, that include the Northwest Indiana Federation of Interfaith Organizations, Black Lives Matter  Gary, Baptist Ministers Conference of Gary & Vicinity, and the Indiana branch of the League of United Latin American Citizens among others, wrote an open letter earlier saying that GEO is bad for Gary." In addition to complaints about the immigrant detention procedure and how GEO operates its facilities, the group contends that the facility will deter other commercial development from locating around the airport.

GEO officials have defended the operation of their facilities, which they say undergo annual inspections by the government and other agencies. They also contend it could attract other companies to the area to serve the facility.
GARY  For state Sen. Earline Rogers, being honored Thursday by the YWCA of Northwest Indiana was like coming full circle.

Rogers, who is retiring from both the Legislature and teaching this year, got her start at the YWCA and has had a long, close relationship with the group.

"The YWCA means a lot to me. My very first job was at the YWCA when I graduated from high school," she said Thursday.

It was there, she recalled, that then-director Ruth Wiles and others encouraged Rogers to go back to school. She began taking education classes at Indiana University Northwest while she still worked as a clerk/typist for the YWCA.

Rogers' relationship with the YWCA continued through the years.

She said people know not to call her between 9 and 11 a.m. because she's at the Y taking part in exercise classes, something she plans on continuing into retirement.

She was also instrumental in securing Build Indiana Funds for the YWCA several years ago for construction of its facility.

"This is really gratifying," she said.

Rogers was honored Thursday as the YWCA's Distinguished Woman of the Year.

YWCA Executive Director Caren Jones said they usually honor four women, but told the crowd gathered at the Genesis Convention Center that Rogers "encapsulates all the abilities we usually give to the four different categories."

Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and others lauded Rogers for her years of work for Gary, the Region and the state.

"She deserves every accolade that she will be and has been given," Freeman-Wilson said through a video message. "She's touched many lives as a teacher and she's touched many lives as a mentor.

"She has been generous to this community with her time as an educator, a member of the Gary Common Council, a state representative and a state senator," Freeman-Wilson said.

In addition to honoring Rogers, the YWCA also presented the June M. Brown Scholarship to Sarita Crosslin of New Tech Innovative Institute, Adrianna Johnson of Wirt Emerson Visual Performing Arts and Niah Lane of New Tech Innovative Institute for their "excellence, leadership and integrity."
VALPARAISO  Property assessments are up 2 to 3 percent across the county, which is either good or bad news depending on how one looks at it, according to Porter County Assessor Jon Snyder.

"Porter County remains a stable to healthy market," he said, putting a positive spin on the numbers.

But higher assessments could result in higher tax bills depending on whether the local units of government put a hold on spending or seek more money, Snyder said.

The assessment figures, which are based on property sales from last year, are being sent to the state for approval, he said. Once approval is granted, the county will send out notices to individual property owners that will likely arrive in August.

Property owners will then have 45 days to appeal their assessments from the time the notices are mailed out, Snyder said.

A quick look at the proposed assessments show general 3 percent increases in Center, Washington and Union townships, he said. Westchester Township had a general increase of 1 to 2 percent.

"It's continued, steady growth," he said of the county's property values.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  Florida's Supreme Court wrestled with whether an inmate sentenced to death under a system found to be unconstitutional should have his punishment reduced to life in prison, and the lives of nearly 400 other condemned prisoners may depend on the decision.

David Davis, the attorney for inmate Timothy Lee Hurst, argued for the lesser punishment Thursday after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that Florida's death sentencing system gave too much deference to judges, not juries.

Hurst was convicted of the 1998 murder of his manager at a Pensacola Popeye's restaurant. A jury voted 7-5 in the favor of death, and the judge agreed and imposed the sentence.

"I represent Timothy Hurst. As for him, he should get a life sentence. I'm going to leave it to the Supreme Court and other lawyers to sort out how much retroactivity it gets," Davis said.

The Florida Supreme Court did not immediately rule, and will use the arguments to help decide whether to reduce Hurst's sentences, and perhaps those of the state's 389 death row inmates. Two executions have been halted since the Supreme Court's ruling in January, and attorneys for those inmates have asked the court to impose life sentences for all inmates sentenced to death under the state's old system.

Florida Assistant Attorney General Carine Mitz argued that Hurst should not receive a life sentence. She said the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling didn't declare the death penalty unconstitutional, just the sentencing process.

She said if Hurst's death sentence is tossed out, he should get a new penalty phase.

The arguments Thursday were the second round of oral arguments in Hurst's case, an extremely rare move for the court that shows the gravity of its forthcoming decision, said University of Florida Levin College of Law professor Teresa Reid, a death penalty expert.

"If the court accepts (Hurst's) interpretation of (Florida law), then Hurst and others on death row would have their cases remanded and life sentences imposed," she said.

Since January's U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Florida passed a new law that requires at least 10 of the 12 jurors to recommend execution. Under the new law, prosecutors must also explain to jurors why the death penalty is the appropriate punishment before a murder trial begins, and the jury has to decide unanimously if at least one "aggravating factors" justifies it.

Nancy Daniels, who is Leon County's public defender, said she thought that the state has conceded that 50 prior cases were going to need to be remanded for life sentences, but added that she did not know what those cases were and that great uncertainty remains after the Florida Legislature passed new sentencing schemes for the death penalty.

"That's one of the hardest thing about the whole situation because the new statute says it is prospective only and that leaves a gap on what all the pending cases should be. We thought there might be more discussion on that today," she said.

Davis added that he agrees with Justice Barbara Pariente that the new statute has some constitutional problems remaining because it does not require jury unanimity. Florida and Alabama remain outliers in that a 10-2 jury decision is required for the death penalty.

"Evolving standards are it should be unanimous. If they approve the current statute then we are going to postpone the inevitable for 10-15 years until the U.S. Supreme Court takes another Hurst case," Davis said.
The Childers family was one of the earliest to settle the Kankakee Marsh in Lake County. Thomas Childers was born in 1810 in Miami County, Ohio.

In 1831, Thomas married Sarah Hopkin. They had six children that are known.

In 1834, Thomas and Sarah made the trek to Lake County. Thomass brother Joseph either traveled with them or followed soon after. Presumably they traveled the trail that followed Ridge Road in northern Lake County. It is believed Sarah was pregnant with her second child during the journey to Indiana but lost it soon after arriving in Lake County.

Thomas and Sarah originally settled in Cedar Creek, however, Native American presence caused then to move further south.

In October 1834, they built their cabin on a site about two miles north of what is now the town of Schneider. The area was first known as School Grove, later changed to Oak Grove.

Solon Robinson, founder of Crown Point, arrived in Lake County on the last day of October 1834  soon after the Childers. Thomas became involved with the growing community of south Lake County. He was a member of the Squatters Union, Overseers of the Poor and later Road Commissioner in Porter County. Diseases were quite common at that time and struck down even the hardiest pioneers. Thomas died of scarlet fever in 1843 or 1844 at age 33.

Thomas's youngest sons, George W. and John, served in the Civil War. George later became a successful farmer in Porter County and was active in the post-war Grand Army of the Republic fraternal organization. John, Thomas's youngest son, became ill shortly after joining the 73rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He succumbed to measles just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

George W. Childers was born in 1838. In 1850, records show him living in Porter County along with his mother and siblings. In 1857, George married Tryphena Ferguson. After returning from his service in the Civil War, he and Tryphena settled on a 10-acre parcel one mile east of Baums Bridge. George and Tryphena had five children  three lived to adulthood. George passed away in 1920, three years after Tryphenas passing.

George and Tryphenas youngest son was William Porter Childers  born in 1860.

Porter treasured the Kankakee River. His poems of the Kankakee earned him the name of Poet of the Kankakee." He spoke eloquently of the Kankakee, drawing on his love of the river and gift of expression. In 1934, Porter was interviewed for The Vidette-Messenger.

Most of his life, Porter knew the Kankakee before it was channelized. Sorrowfully, Porter told of the loss of the old river when it was converted into a dirty ditch, which ended it for all time to come. I remember when nature had her own wild way, you didnt have to have a rule cut on your fishing rod to measure the fish you caught. There was never any to throw back. But there's not much fishing now because, for one thing, the water's too swift.

William Porter passed in 1936. His poetry remains as a testament to the beauty of the Kankakee. Many Thomas and Joseph Childers family descendants remain in the area to this day.
The good news is that about double the percentage of region voters cast ballots in the Tuesday primary compared to primaries of recent years.

The bad news is a majority of Northwest Indiana's registered voters still stayed away from the polls, abdicating a central right and responsibility of living in a democratic republic.

Election workers in Lake, Porter and LaPorte county polls reported steady streams of voters throughout the day Tuesday.

In Lake County, about 34 percent of registered voters selected either a Republican or Democratic ballot to vote for their preferred party nominees in county, state, judicial or federal elections, the county's elections board reported.

That's nearly twice the 17 percent of registered voters who cast ballots in the 2015 municipal primary.

Porter County saw a 40 percent turnout of registered voters this year, and 35 percent of LaPorte County voters hit the polls Tuesday, according to officials in those counties.

Pat Gabrione, Lake County's assistant elections director, dubbed his county's turnout "fabulous" Wednesday, noting anemic primary voting since the whopping 50 percent-plus voter participation in the highly charged 2008 presidential primary.

In one sense, Gabrione is right. Those who helped improve the Region's voter turnout Tuesday should be proud, regardless of their political affiliations or choices.

But the numbers also show us less than half of Northwest Indiana voters bothered to exercise their fundamental rights.

Some might complain about the quality of candidates. Others might claim they were too busy to vote. Still others may lament the Indiana primary voting requirement essentially forcing voters to declare a party as being too limiting.

The system isn't perfect, but no amount of excuses make right a citizenry that has a choice and fails to exercise it.

For those who stayed away from the primary polls, it's not too late to make it right in 2016. The November general election will be the final referendum on the presidential race as well as the same local elections featured in the primary.

Let's all work to keep our voter turnout numbers moving in the right direction.
INDIANAPOLIS  Students throughout Indiana will get a chance to make their choices for president, governor and senator through a mock election this November.

The students will vote Nov. 8, the same day adults go to the polls for the general election.

Organizers say the Indiana Kids' Election is based on the premise that voting is occasionally done by inspiration, but more often by habit. The program seeks to emulate the election process. Students participate in voting milestones such as registering to vote on or before Oct. 11.

Under Indiana law, schools are required to give instruction on the election process two weeks preceding a general election for all students in grades 6-12.

The Indiana State Bar Association, Indiana Secretary of State and the Indiana Department of Education are sponsoring the program.
A retired NYPD officer has been arrested, accused of possessing child pornography.



Nassau County officials say 47-year-old Frank Castro was arraigned Wednesday for possessing a sexual performance of a child and promoting sexual performance.

The Nassau County district attorney says investigators from her office traced the images to Castro's computer at his home in East Meadow, Long Island.

Bail was set at $50,000.

Castro is due back in court Friday.

He faces up to seven years in prison.
The NYPD is investigating after officers shot and killed a dog in Manhattan Wednesday night.

Investigators say two officers saw a pit bull attacking a smaller dog shortly after 6:30 p.m. near Nagle and Hillside Avenues in Inwood.

The pit bull then attacked a man who tried to separate them.

The officers fired four shots, killing the pit bull.

The smaller dog also died from its injuries.

NY1 spoke with that dog's owner, and the man who tried to save it.

"I still have blood, look. I got blood here, I got blood on my feet. I have blood all over. I kicked him, I hit him, with everything I hit him," said the man.

"I don't think those dogs should be allowed, they can harm people. So I don't even think they should be allowed. I love every type of dog, but you need to know how to handle your pets," said the smaller dog's owner.

Witnesses say the pit bull was not on a leash when it attacked the other dog.
Hundreds of thousands of L train riders are bracing for a massive reconstruction project that will disrupt their daily commuting routines. On Thursday night, MTA officials will go public with their plans for just how bad it will be. NY1's Jose Martinez filed the following report.



Riders on the L train are in for some pain.



The MTA must rebuild the line's tunnel beneath the East River, which was badly corroded when 7 million gallons of saltwater poured in during Hurricane Sandy.



"No one is saying this is going to be easy and there won't be any pain. There will be some. But quite frankly, you know, it's something we have to do," said Richard Barone of the Regional Plan Association.



The agency must replace miles of track and third rail, rebuild crumbling duct banks and replace power cables. On Thursday night, the agency will hold a public meeting at the Marcy Avenue Armory in Brooklyn to detail two options to carry out the work.



One option would shut the stretch of the line between Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn and the 14th Street/Eighth Avenue station in Manhattan. Riders would have to take shuttle buses between Manhattan and North Brooklyn, or take the nearby J, M, Z or G lines as an alternative.

"Wow, that would be really difficult. I would have to take the long way to get here, and that would take me about two hours," said one commuter.



The second option would take double the time - three years - but allow for some limited train service between the Bedford Avenue stop and 14th Street/Eighth Avenue. There would be shuttle bus service instead of trains between the Bedford and Lorimer stops.



MTA officials say that option could create 12- to 15-minute waits between trains during rush hour on the system's fastest-growing line.

"At 20 trains, we're already packed at Bedford. So with only five trains, can you imagine how congested it would be?" Barone said.

"It wouldn't be as bad because of the fact that certain times, it would still be available, you can still take that train. But the only fault of that is, three years, that's a very long time," said one commuter.



The MTA expects to choose an option in the next two to three months, but not before taking the temperature of local officials and riders on both sides of the East River.

After Thursday night, the next public public meeting on the Canarsie Tube's reconstruction will be held next Thursday, May 12 at 5:30 pm. That will be at the Salvation Army on 14th Street in Manhattan.
A Metropolitan Fair is to be held in the Metropolitan City of New-York, commencing 28th of March, 1864, for the relief of the sick and wounded of the National Army. It is designed to be something much larger than a "fair" in the modern acceptation of that term. Every branch of agriculture, trade, industry and art, will be invited to contribute its choicest and costliest products for exhibition and sale. Musical and dramatic artists will be invited to aid the common cause with their talent and genius. All the material resources of the great City of New-York and of the region directly tributary to it, are to be invoked. The farmers of New-York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New-Jersey, and the adjacent States, will send in specimens of their finest stock; our factories will contribute locomotives, grand pianos, sewing machines, steam plows and all the mechanical products of Northern intelligence and industry, in aid of the great cause of National Unity.

Every class that can give anything or produce anything that will furnish the means of succoring our national camps and hospitals will make itself tributary to a great "National Exposition for purposes not of more ostentation, but of substantial aid to the country.

Two Committees -- one of ladies, and another of gentlemen -- have been appointed to carry out this undertaking. You are invited personally to cooperate in it, or, if you cannot do so, to give it the influence of your name, example and position. By a "Fair such as we contemplate in New-York, Chicago has just raised nearly sixty thousand dollars for army relief. This sum may well save to the nation the lives of ten thousand soldiers. Who can tell what these may be worth in diminishing the cost and duration of the war?

Boston has already realized one hundred and forty thousand dollars through her "Fair, and Cincinnati is doing the same thing, with every promise of a result equally splendid. Cannot and should not the City of New-York, and the wealthy region of which it is the centre, do more for this great national object than Chicago, Cincinnati or Boston, or than all three together?
Carl Fredrik Reutersward, a whimsical Swedish artist whose sculpture of a pistol with a knotted barrel became an international symbol of peace, died on Tuesday in Helsingborg, Sweden. He was 81.

Thomas Millroth, a friend and board member of the Carl Fredrik Reutersward Art Foundation, said that he died in a hospital, where he had been taken about a week ago for treatment of pneumonia.

Mr. Reutersward did not conform to any particular art movement. He painted riotous geometric abstracts, reminiscent of Miro or Kandinsky, and made often humorous conceptual works, like an Ernest Hemingway story with everything but punctuation marks removed.

Carl Fredrik Reutersward is very much a man on his own in todays art world, John Russell wrote in a 1987 review in The New York Times. Much of what he does is so light as to be almost weightless, but it has a distinct and curious flavor.
Charles Gatewood, a boundary-pushing photographer who mapped, provocatively and disturbingly, the subcultures of strippers, sex-club devotees, bikers, body piercers and fetishists, died on Thursday in San Francisco. He was 73.

The cause was complications of injuries he sustained after plunging from the balcony of his third-floor apartment on April 8, said his sister, Betty Gatewood. She added, There is no doubt that his death was the result of a suicide attempt, as he left several notes behind.

Mr. Gatewood earned his first paycheck as a photographer when, working for a Swedish news agency, he photographed Bob Dylan at a 1966 news conference in Stockholm. The photograph, Dylan With Sunglasses and Cigarette, was syndicated to publications around the world, and Mr. Gatewood was on his way.

He went on to work as a freelancer for Rolling Stone, producing a series of portraits of the writer William S. Burroughs in the early 1970s, and covered political demonstrations, gay pride parades and the downtown music and arts scenes in New York. He gravitated toward extreme behavior, extreme people and extreme situations, epitomized by his annual expeditions to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, which he recorded as a Dionysian rite of drunkenness, nudity and sexual excess.
The success of Frieze New York can be attributed to its points of difference  fine-food offerings and a serpentine, unusually light-filled tent  but also some basic market factors.

We all chase our tails from one art fair to another, but the heart of the matter is that New York, and America, are the absolute center of the commercial art world, Mr. McCaffrey said.

Victoria Siddall, formerly the director of Frieze Masters, which is based in London and takes place in the autumn, has taken over as the director of Frieze New York for the first time this year. She said the fair had been expanding its focus beyond just fresh-off-the-easel contemporary pieces.

We have been bringing in the blue-chip, New York galleries, Ms. Siddall said. Last year, we added Acquavella Galleries and Per Skarstedt, and they were showing Dubuffets and Picassos, which we hadnt seen before. And there was a lot of demand for that. Two newcomers, Dominique Levy Gallery and Mitchell Inness & Nash, will be beefing up the blue-chip lineup this year.
These works, which had never left the Berlin museum  many of which were painted by Jewish artists and others who came to Germany and fled to other countries during and after the Nazi era  have become a revelation for both the throngs of viewers and for those who mounted the exhibition.

Israelis are very thirsty for the expression of a time that is so critical to our history, said Adina Kamien-Kazhdan, the exhibitions curator. They know what happened to our people, they know the history, and now theyre able to see how these avant-garde artists commented on those living through that era.

What that means for viewers  and for Ms. Kamien-Kazhdan and her colleagues  is a visual and emotional journey to an era long depicted in movies, archival footage and history books, but rarely through such a collection of works that represent so many artistic styles.

The 50 pieces were available as the Nationalgalerie undergoes an extensive renovation, and Twilight Over Berlin evolved as a collaborative effort to mark the 50th anniversary of the Israel Museum and of diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany.

There have been a lot of requests to the Nationalgalerie over the years to consider allowing these iconic works to leave, but we felt it was ideally timed for these two important anniversaries, said Udo Kittelmann, director of the Nationalgalerie. Its the very first time that such a collection of important German art has gone to Israel. It was also important to allow them to stay in Israel for quite a long time, as this exhibition is doing.
AMSTERDAM  One hundred years ago, six leading Amsterdam shipping companies commissioned a group of architects to build a headquarters for them close to the busy harbor, the IJ.

The Scheepvaarthuis, or shipping house, is unlike any other building the city. Art Deco gargoyles adorn the exterior brickwork. A high vaulted stained-glass ceiling depicts a world atlas. Ornate interior built-ins like sculpted banquettes are upholstered in hand-made Art Nouveau fabrics.

Built between 1912 and 1916, the building, now a national monument, is known as gesamtkunstwerk, or synthesis of the arts  a combination of architectural and interior design. Its blending of Expressionist and Art Deco elements with hints of Indonesian design was hailed as a unique Dutch achievement and quickly given a name: the Amsterdam School style.

The architects involved in the project  Joan Melchior van der Meeij, Michel de Klerk and Piet Kramer  went on to create other monumental buildings in the city, all now landmarks: Het Schip, a residential building in the shape of a ship; De Dageraad, workers residences for the socialist housing association De Dageraad (The Dawn); and some elements of the Tuschinski Theater. But their own work and that of their collaborators on the interior elements have mostly been forgotten. because it fell out of favor after World War II.
ROME  Parma and its region were an artistic backwater until the end of the 15th century, but then produced two artistic geniuses: Antonio Allegri, known as Correggio after the town of his birth, in or around 1489, and Francesco Mazzola, nicknamed Parmigianino, born in 1503. This duo put Parma firmly on the artistic map and made it an essential destination for art lovers for centuries to come.

Correggio and Parmigianino: Art in Parma in the 16th Century, curated by David Ekserdjian, a leading expert on Renaissance art in Parma, is the first exhibition devoted to comparing and contrasting their lives and works.

It brings together, at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome, more than 100 works from nearly 40 collections by Parmas two most celebrated artists and by the principal local painters inspired by them during the first half of the 16th century. The show continues until June 26.

Although Parmigianino was never formally Correggios pupil, the younger artist worked alongside him on his two great monumental commissions in Parma: the stupendous fresco projects for the Benedictine monastic church of San Giovanni Evangelista and for the Duomo.
Gerard Depardieu plays a longtime mayor battling for his legacy in Marseille, Netflixs new French-language series. A delightfully dysfunctional family tries to hold itself together in Flowers. And its a mini-reunion of The West Wing on Mom.

Whats Streaming

MARSEILLE on Netflix. Sex, drugs, corruption, betrayal, jewelry heists and mafia warfare  no vice seems left unturned in Netflixs first original French-language series. A sneering Gerard Depardieu stars as Robert Taro, the longtime mayor of Marseille now facing a re-election campaign against Lucas Barres (Benoit Magimel), his merciless former protege. Its clear that you represent the past, and I represent the future, Barres threatens in an intriguing, subtitled trailer, which is all that was made available to watch before the Thursday premiere. Ill snatch Marseille from your grasp, and youll end up alone, all alone, with nothing. To which Taro responds: I am a crocodile. Ready to bite, eat, kill. Consider it fair warning. (Image: Mr. Magimel, left, and Mr. Depardieu)


The nations consumer watchdog is unveiling a proposed rule on Thursday that would restore customers rights to bring class-action lawsuits against financial firms, giving Americans major new protections and delivering a serious blow to Wall Street that could cost the industry billions of dollars.

The proposed rule, which would apply to bank accounts, credit cards and other types of consumer loans, seems almost certain to take effect, since it does not require congressional approval.

In effect, the move by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau  the biggest that the agency has made since its inception in 2010  will unravel a set of audacious legal maneuvers by corporate America that has prevented customers from using the court system to challenge potentially deceitful banking practices.

Honing their plan over decades, credit card companies, banks and other lenders devised a way to use the fine print of their contracts to push consumers out of court and into arbitration, where borrowers must battle powerful companies on their own. Without the ability to pool resources, most people abandon their claims and never make it to arbitration.
This announcement reaffirms our concern from the outset that Tribunes board never intended to engage with us, necessitating that we make our proposal public, John Jeffry Louis, chairman of the Gannett board, said in a statement. It is unfortunate that Tribunes board would deny their shareholders this compelling, immediate and certain cash value by rejecting our offer without making a counterproposal or otherwise negotiating or providing any constructive feedback.

Gannett, which owns USA Today, went public on Monday with its intent to solicit so-called withhold votes ahead of Tribunes annual shareholder meeting. This tactic, infrequently used in the world of deal making, encourages shareholders of the target company to essentially boycott their votes for director nominees. Gannett said it had filed preliminary proxy materials, urging investors to withhold their votes in the election of eight directors. The move is primarily symbolic, in that it will probably not block the nominees from being elected.

We intend to give Tribune shareholders the opportunity to send a clear message to the Tribune board that its lack of engagement with our board and management team regarding our highly compelling premium offer for $12.25 per share in cash is unacceptable, Gannetts chief executive, Robert Dickey, said in the statement on Monday.

Gannett missed the nomination window to submit its own slate of directors, a move that might have put even more pressure on Tribunes board.

On April 12, Gannett sent a letter to Tribune Publishings management team with an offer of $12.25 a share. After waiting two weeks for an answer, Gannett tried to bring Tribune Publishing to the table by disclosing the bid and corresponding letter. If the acquisition were to go through, it would expand Gannetts portfolio to nearly 120 newspapers and give it more of a presence in major markets, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Baltimore.
DETROIT  Tesla Motors said on Wednesday that it was confident it could accelerate production to meet high demand for its forthcoming Model 3 electric vehicle, despite the departure of two top manufacturing executives.

The carmakers chief executive, Elon Musk, said that Tesla expected to produce a total of 500,000 vehicles by 2018, two years sooner than previously announced.

The goal represents a huge leap from Teslas production of about 15,000 vehicles in the first three months of this year. But Mr. Musk expressed confidence that the company could meet the ambitious target, and begin filling more than 325,000 orders for the Model 3 by late next year.

I think we have done a good job on the design and technology of our products, Mr. Musk said in a conference call with analysts. The big thing we need to achieve in the future is also to be the leader in manufacturing.
Two weeks after being photographed in front of the Taj Mahal, following in the footsteps of her mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Cambridge has struck another similar pose: as the cover girl of British Vogue.

The duchess, Catherine, may be one of the most photographed women in the world, whose every clothing choice is chronicled and dissected (and spurs a thousand sales). But until this week, when she was unveiled as the star of Vogues centenary edition, which went on sale on Thursday, the duchess had never before posed for a glossy magazine shoot.

To be able to publish a photographic shoot with H.R.H. the Duchess of Cambridge has been one of my greatest ambitions for the magazine, said Alexandra Shulman, the editor of British Vogue.
She addressed a private letter to Adolph S. Ochs, the publisher of The New York Times:

My dear Mr. Ochs, As one of the S.P.C.A. members who are trying to put the Society on a better basis by an honest investigation of its methods, I write to ask if, in speaking of yesterdays meeting editorially, you will bring out as forcibly as possible that the two motions carried yesterday by Mr. Haines & his friends have resulted in cutting off all investigations and silencing the members for one year. The best service that can be done by the Press to those desirous of reforming the S.P.C.A. is to lay emphasis on these facts, & also on the fact that Mr. Haines voted for both motions, & that at least four of those voting with him (by his own admission) were employes of the Society. Irrespective of personal sympathies, we want the public to know that the members have been gagged. Sincerely yrs, Edith Wharton

Image Edith Wharton Credit... Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, via Wikimedia Commons

What brings her to mind this week is the fire on Sunday that consumed the chapel near Madison Square Park in Manhattan where she and Edward Wharton were married in 1885.

Both Whartons were devoted to animals; she to dogs and horses, he to cows, sheep, ducks and hens.

Dogs  small dogs and preferably Pekinese  were among the main joys of her being, and had been since she was a child, R. W. B. Lewis wrote in Edith Wharton: A Biography (1975).

The Timess account of the stormy meeting noted Mrs. Whartons assertion that the Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Paris and Rome  of which she was also a member  did far better with less money than the New York society. The article reported that opponents of Mr. Haines had adjourned to the Whartons home to draft a statement that in smothering further criticism, the society is put on record as fearing to face charges of negligence and inefficiency.
It is as iconic an image from the criminal underworld as the Tommy gun or the getaway car, a grim last act for the unfortunate soul whose life is about to end in a new pair of footwear.

Cement shoes.

One would be hard-pressed to think of a worse way to die than being fitted, as the saying goes, for cement shoes  fate hardening with every passing minute until the time comes to be dumped, feet first, into a watery grave, never to be seen again.

Never again  that is the whole point, and it is exactly why cement shoes are the unicorn of true crime. Everyone can describe them, but who has seen them?

Before Monday, precious few. Which makes the discovery that morning in Brooklyn of a cement-shoed corpse all the more remarkable.
ALBANY  Mayor Bill de Blasio went to the State Senate on Wednesday to argue for a seven-year extension of mayoral control of New York Citys schools, a year after the Senate and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo humiliated him by extending it for only one year.

For the most part, the senators who attended the hearing in Albany did not question Mr. de Blasio aggressively on his education policies, but one Republican, Terrence P. Murphy, who spoke last, invoked the many investigations swirling around the de Blasio administration to ask why he should trust the mayor with control of the citys schools.

Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, cited the increase in the citys graduation rate under mayoral control to over 70 percent, his successful expansion of prekindergarten and after-school programs, and improved test scores.

Those prove real achievement, and that alone would be a reason I think to support a renewal of mayoral control, he said. The mayor added, with reference to the investigations: In a democracy, we dont judge by allegations. We judge by facts and through due process.
A man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to criminal charges in the rape and strangling of a girl in the Bronx a week before her 16th birthday, prosecutors said.

The man, Luis Vega, 38, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and a first-degree criminal sexual act in State Supreme Court in the Bronx for the 2012 death of the girl, Destiny Sanchez, who was the daughter of his sisters boyfriend, prosecutors said.

Mr. Vega will be sentenced this month to 25 years in prison for the manslaughter charge and 20 years for the criminal sexual act, prosecutors said; he will serve the sentences concurrently. He will also be sentenced to 10 years of postrelease supervision and will have to register as a sex offender, prosecutors said.

His lawyer could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

The authorities said that on Nov. 22, 2012, Destiny left her fathers home with Mr. Vega and went to an apartment building on Barretto Street in the Hunts Point neighborhood, where Mr. Vega gave her alcohol. The next morning, the authorities said, she was found unconscious in the lobby with her clothes askew and bleach poured over her body.
A federal jail guard was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in prison after an inmate gave testimony about how he raped her inside a Manhattan jail.

It wasnt consensual sex, the unidentified woman told the guard, Rudell Mullings, as she read from a statement in federal court in Brooklyn. It was rape.

Mr. Mullings pleaded guilty last year to a charge of sexually abusing a prisoner, which carries a term of up to three years in prison under sentencing guidelines.

The inmate, who was sentenced to 30 years for a homicide, told Judge Edward Korman of Federal District Court that Mr. Mullings had harassed her for several weeks before accosting her on Feb. 14, 2015, in a hallway where she was waxing the floor.
David Berube was flying home to Connecticut in his single-engine plane on Tuesday when he called air traffic controllers for help. He was having difficulty maintaining control and experiencing problems with the instrument panel, officials said.

Then, officials said, the plane broke apart in midair over Long Island, killing Mr. Berube, 66, and his two passengers.

Mr. Berube, a businessman, had flown for decades, his brother Bruce Berube said. Something terrible had to have happened, he said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. Its not like hes some new guy.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is considering two proposals to shut down the L train tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn that would close the subway line under the East River or reduce its service by 80 percent, officials said on Wednesday.

The proposals that will be outlined at a public meeting in Brooklyn on Thursday are closing the entire tunnel for a year and a half to repair damage from Hurricane Sandy, or closing one tube at a time over a three-year period. Any shutdown  a growing source of anxiety among people who live along the crowded subway line  would not begin until early 2019, officials said.

If one tube remained open, trains would run every 12 to 15 minutes, up from the current interval of three to four minutes during the morning rush, officials said at a briefing for reporters. Trains could carry about one-fifth of the 225,000 riders who currently take the L train under the river each day.
(Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.)

Good morning.

Heres what you need to know:

 G.O.P.s day of reckoning.

Republican leaders are trying to stop the party from splintering now that Donald J. Trump is its likely nominee. Mr. Trump is reaching out to the partys establishment for advice on his general election campaign.

Mr. Trump would be the first presidential nominee since Dwight D. Eisenhower to have never served as an elected official.

Hes already looking ahead to his first 100 days as president, but polls show that if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, she would be the favorite  as would Bernie Sanders  in a race against Mr. Trump.
Going through airport security, which has never been pleasant, is becoming a hellish experience as wait times increase around the country, in some cities to several hours.

Security lines have gotten longer in part because more Americans are flying and government spending on security has not kept up with that growth. Passenger traffic was up nearly 5 percent, to 807 million trips, in the 12 months that ended in January, according to the Department of Transportation. But the number of authorized employees in the Transportation Security Administrations airport security operation is down nearly 3 percent from the 2015 fiscal year.

In fact, the number of screeners has fallen every year since 2013. And even though the needs are growing, the Obama administration has asked Congress for a modest addition of only 323 positions, or less than a 1 percent increase in staffing, for the 2017 fiscal year.

On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security, of which the T.S.A. is a part, appeared to act with more urgency. It said that the government would hire more airport screeners and increase the number of bomb-sniffing dogs. Money for these measures will come from other parts of the T.S.A. budget, but the department and Congress need to do more.
This morning we woke up in a nation where Donald Trump is going to be the Republican nominee for president of the United States. No Game of Thrones analogies. This is the real thing.

Were going to start winning again and were going to win bigly, believe me, he said on primary night. It had been quite a day. His chief opponent held a press conference to announce that Trump was an utterly amoral narcissist and friend to rapists who was proud of being a serial philanderer. Armed with that information, Indiana voters raced off to the polls and awarded Donald a huge win.

In his victory speech, Trump spoke in the much-promised presidential style, and the big news is that when Donald Trump is being presidential he is incredibly boring. Also pretty incoherent:

We have great relationships with many foreign countries, but they have to respect us and they have to understand where were coming from. And you know it is a two-way street. And the two-way street means that were going down one side and theyre coming up the other.

Or:

Now, we can keep things going and were going to keep things going very nicely. But we owe, soon, $21 trillion.  And were just not in the position that we were in 30 years ago, 40 years ago, 50 years ago, when a lot of these things took place and began taking place.
Five years ago, Mr. Kalin said, he could have talked about being sacked for days. Now, Im just really grateful for my experiences with Etsy, and Im so glad Im not the C.E.O. of a publicly traded company, he said. I got off the ride not when I thought I would, but I take a very karmic view of things. If the universe gives you a hint and you dont listen, it gives you a kick.

Mr. Kalin and Ms. Delridge moved here full time the year he was fired and got married; their daughters were born in 2012. The couple are now separated, and Ms. Kalin runs an avant-garde fashion boutique in Hudson, N.Y. We are trying to be kind to each other and just be good parents, Mr. Kalin said. Having kids is a gigantic emotional reset. Its been a clarion call for me to try and figure out the way I want to live my life for my kids.

This town of just under 12,000 has welcomed Mr. Kalin and his collaborators, said Kay Stamer, the executive director and founder of the Greene County Council on the Arts. After the blows of the last recession, we are on the upswing again, she said. Not the least of it is thanks to Rob and Trevor and company, who have opened their hearts and space to us.

The town may still be searching for its cultural identity, said James Male, the principal of House Hudson Valley Realty, but Mr. Kalin has been a course correction for the place. The cultural identity that its wrapping its arms around now is crafts, the arts and dance, Mr. Male said. Last year, his office sold a 19th-century former lumberyard complex to the American Dance Institute, now based in Maryland, which plans to turn it into a performance space and artists housing, opening in 2018.

Mr. Male and an associate, Michele Saunders, have been selling Main Street properties to artists relocating from SoHo, Brooklyn and Beijing, he said, with prices about half what they are in nearby Hudson. My clients who want to be over there dont want to be in the hubbub of Hudson, he said. People who could live anywhere they want choose to live in Catskill, because its still under the radar. It also has a great food truck.

Not anymore. In 2013, Mr. Kalin bought a food truck and hired a chef to create a Vietnamese menu for it, as a way of sticking his toe into the waters of food service.
May 4

Collective Design

First-rate examples of vintage 20th-century design from an international group of dealers, as well as cutting-edge creations. This year, there will also be an exhibition celebrating the influence of the Tokyo firm Nendo and a new feature called Collective Concept, with presentations by talents like Apparatus, Lindsey Adelman and Fort Standard.

Through May 8 at 550 Washington Street; collectivedesignfair.com.

Voutsa Pop-Up

The wallpaper company Voutsa opens an immersive pop-up space with its exuberant patterns applied to walls, furniture and clothing, with collaborators like Sasha Bikoff, Tzelan and Paul Marlow.

Through May at 179 Mott Street; voutsa.com.

May 5

Downtown Design Festival

A 12-day series of events at the South Street Seaport (now called the Seaport District) will include conversations with prominent designers, an exhibition by Parsons School of Design and family workshops on animation (May 7) and architecture (May 14) sponsored by the Childrens Museum of the Arts, as well as a design market presented by WantedDesign.

Through May 17 at 19 Fulton Street (the Parsons show is at 117 Beekman Street); southstreetseaport.com/seaport-culture. The design market continues through June.
It was an act of desperation that led us to write the email. My wife and I felt overwhelmed and hopeless. Two years into our marriage, we began discussing the possibility of seeking professional help. The problem was our home.

We had finally acquired some furniture, including a dining table and chairs, a credenza, a properly proportioned couch and a side table. Considering I had lived as a single man with little more than an overlarge sofa and a TV on the floor, it was a big improvement. But our rental apartment still wasnt coming together.

Framed art sat on the floor because we didnt know where to hang it. The furniture floated independently with no cohesion. We went to stores and shopped online, but the thought of buying anything caused paralysis: We feared wed make a costly mistake.

In the bathroom, I had already painted the walls glossy black years earlier, a decorating disaster. The space also lacked storage and needed a new recessed medicine cabinet. Neither of us are Bob Vila types. These were jobs for a decorator and potentially a contractor. But we had no clue how to find reputable professionals.
Its not a pastiche of the 1970s, says Chloe Lonsdale, the founder of the nostalgia-infused womens denim line M.i.h Jeans, which this week marks its 10th anniversary with a just-opened pop-up shop in Londons Soho. We could have sourced shag-pile rugs and gone all Austin Powers  but thats not what were about. Denim grounds us and keeps us more real. The space has a light and airy feel thats true to the way the brand balances old with new: The 1950s wicker hanging chairs in the window are offset by a contemporary Tobi-Ishi table by B&B Italia.

The stores residency on Upper James Street runs through the end of May, and Lonsdale has overseen everything with a forensic eye for detail  right down to the harvested cow parsley installed by Mayfairs TukTuk Flower Studio on the shops facade that also fills the rainbow-hued ceramics by Mexican artist Milena Muzquiz. They make me smile, she says of the vessels, which sit alongside wooden bowls filled with limited-run sew-on patches to jazz up your jeans (the I Love Avocado patch is already a social media hit) that can be applied at the Patch Bar. Visitors can also bring in jeans of any brand to custom-crop in the store.
In a similar laissez-faire fashion, when it came to decorating Lonsdale didnt buy much. Instead, each room is arranged around a well-loved piece of furniture. The only shift she made from city to country living was adding a few warm, tactile accents achieved easily with cozy sheepskin pelts and velvet upholstery. A long antique oak table she topped with a hammered piece of zinc anchors the dining area. I love it, because its so hard-wearing. We prep food on it, the kids color on it, we have giant dinner parties around it. The patina is the best part, she says. The living room is centered around a time-tested sofa from B&B Italia in a coarse-weave canvas, a Philippe Starck Ghost mirror she bought for her first flat in London and a new indigo-hued velvet ottoman that doubles as the kids trampoline on lazy Sundays.

I dont want to live in a house that looks straight out of an interiors magazine. I want my surroundings to have a personal significance and, most importantly for the country, a practical function, Lonsdale says. Ive never once in my life put on a brand-spanking-new outfit. I always wear something I treasure and build around that. I work the same way when appointing a room. Her newly designed studio in Londons Brook Green  a former Victorian-era school building  is an extension of this idea. After peppering the space with family heirlooms like vintage Robin Day chairs and Ethiopian wool tapestries from the 70s, Lonsdale collaborated with the young London furniture designers Matteo Fogale and Laetitia de Allegri on sustainable white and silver-flecked tables and clothing racks that look like marble but are made from recycled yogurt cups. Lonsdale attributes her aesthetic approach to her father, who was one of the first people to import American denim brands  Wrangler, Levis, Lee  to the U.K. via Jean Machine, his chain of denim-only shops famous in 1970s London. The designer is celebrating that legacy (and the 10th anniversary of the founding of her own brand) with the opening of her first store this month  a temporary spot in Londons Soho area, which will be filled with vintage furniture culled by Lonsdale and flowers by Silka Rittson-Thomas of the TukTuk Shop in Mayfair. The pop-up will also carry a small offering of special denim pieces designed with her fathers substantial collection of old jeans in mind. Dad still has the same 40 pairs hes always worn. Its his uniform, and he has lived with it his whole life, Lonsdale says. I learned about style from him. The idea of disposable fashion, or furniture for that matter, has never been something thats interested me.
At a drilling platform off the coast of Texas, thousands of gallons of oil have begun hemorrhaging into the Gulf of Mexico. Its a horror for the environment, sure, but that doesnt really register with Jaime Kurtz, the central character of Jordan Jaffes dark new eco-comedy, Crude.

Jaime, the spoiled 20-something scion of the Houston company that owns the platform, has a more pressing worry: that the business his family built could be wiped out by this single disaster, taking his money with it.

Did Exxon go under after the Valdez spill? his old friend Aaron (W. Tre Davis) asks, trying to lift his spirits. Did BP go under after the Macondo blowout?

Those were different, Jaime (Nico Tortorella) replies. They were bigger companies. Plus, no one cares about Alaska or Louisiana.
But the measure died Tuesday in the Senate when its president, Andy Biggs, would not allow it to come to a vote. He suggested that he did not trust future legislators to resist public pressure and cut off the benefit if the federal funds dried up.

The national debt is at an all-time high, the federal government is still engaging in massive spending, and KidsCare is one of the examples of a program that they have no revenue to pay for, said State Senator John Kavanagh, a Republican from Fountain Hills northeast of Phoenix. We dont want our children and grandchildren to foot the bill.

When budget negotiations began last week, Republicans in both chambers shut out Democrats from the meetings, effectively excluding them from final decisions over school funding, the makeup of the State Supreme Court and the childrens health care program.

Tensions flared and a tenuous bipartisan coalition that had won the programs approval in the House of Representatives disintegrated. Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, stood on the sideline. The reason for the opposition here lies somewhere in Arizonas messy and deeply divided politics. Whether it is immigration, abortion or the right to bear arms, conservative lawmakers often take hard-line stances against federal social programs.

The fight over the childrens health care program is, at its core, a battle over the states identity, with both sides arguing they have the best interest of children at heart. Some 30,000 children could enroll in the program. That represents about 20 percent of the 160,000 uninsured children in Arizona, the third-highest such population in the country.
LOS ANGELES  California will become the second state in the nation to raise the smoking age to 21 and will begin regulating electronic cigarettes like other tobacco products under legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday.

Mr. Brown, a Democrat, signed both bills without comment hours before the deadline to act. He vetoed a bill that would permit local governments to impose taxes on tobacco products.

The tobacco legislation was passed overwhelmingly by the Democratic-controlled Legislature over objections from the tobacco industry. Backers of the legislation said it would accelerate similar efforts in other parts of the country.

One of the bills raised the legal age for buying tobacco  for smoking, vaping or chewing  from 18 to 21. Hawaii is the only other state that has raised the age for smoking. The California bill includes an exemption for active members of the military between the ages of 18 and 21.
LOS ANGELES  The homeless population in Los Angeles County jumped 5.7 percent last year, with a sharp increase in tents and homeless encampments offering daily evidence of the problem sweeping this region, county officials said Wednesday.

Yet the findings, based on a three-night block-by-block census of homeless people living on the street, also described reason for optimism: a 30 percent drop in the number of homeless veterans and an 18 percent decrease in homeless families.

Officials said that these reductions were a result of spending on housing vouchers for veterans and increasing temporary shelters for homeless families, and that the success showed that there were ways to achieve even broader cuts in the homeless population.

Where we invest, we see results, said Peter Lynn, the executive director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which oversees the homeless fight in the region. Still, he said, homelessness is a crisis in Los Angeles.
SOUTHWEST

Texas: Child Care License Is Delayed

For Immigration Detention Center

A state court judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked state authorities from licensing as a child care facility a federal immigration detention center holding migrant children and their mothers. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services was preparing to issue a child care license to the center, located in Dilley, where families seeking asylum, including very young children, are detained. Ruling on an emergency request by Grassroots Leadership, a prison advocacy group, Judge Karin Crump of Travis County found it was probable that new regulations adopted by the department to support the license were inconsistent with state law. On Friday, Texas issued a child care license to a similar detention center nearby in Karnes City. JULIA PRESTON

PLAINS

Oklahoma: Law School Drops Name

Of Founder With K.K.K. Ties

The name of a founder of the University of Tulsa law school, John Rogers, will be removed from campus because of his ties to the Ku Klux Klan. Trustees voted Wednesday to remove the name from the law school building. Mr. Rogers was a lawyer and philanthropist who helped found the law school in 1943, served as its unpaid dean for years and was a trustee for decades. He also helped incorporate the K.K.K.-affiliated Tulsa Benevolent Association. It was founded months after the 1921 Tulsa race riot that left about 300 black residents dead and a thriving section of downtown  known as Black Wall Street  decimated. (AP)
Former Senator Robert F. Bennett, a conservative Republican from Utah who played a central role in shaping the bank bailout legislation during the 2008 financial crisis, an act of compromise that made him a stunning casualty of the Tea Party movement, died on Wednesday in Arlington, Va. He was 82.

The cause was complications of a stroke, said a spokeswoman, Tara Tanner, who added that he also had pancreatic cancer.

In his three terms in the Senate, Mr. Bennett, though a stalwart conservative, sometimes sought compromises on major issues like immigration, health care and the 2008 economic downturn.

But those efforts, plus a long record of earmarking federal grants for his state, drove Tea Party Republicans to block his bid for a fourth term in May 2010. He finished third in state party convention votes in Salt Lake City, a result that under Utah law barred him from a primary election.
Tensions between Iran and the United States, never far from the surface, showed signs of worsening on Wednesday, with the Iranians threatening to block a vital Persian Gulf access route and protesting what they called the American meddling approach and tone.

The Iranian messages, conveyed in statements by a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and by the Foreign Ministry, came a few days after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, expressed exasperation with the United States, questioning the longstanding deployment of the Navys Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf.

It is Americans who should explain why they have come here from the other side of the world and stage war games, the ayatollah said in remarks widely reported in Irans state news media.

Together, the messages appeared to reflect a steady buildup of anti-American sentiment in Iran recently despite the nuclear agreement that took effect in January, which, on paper at least, eased the countrys economic isolation. American and Iranian diplomats had hoped the agreement would help lead to a new period of detente in the estranged relations between their countries.
New York City Ballet, founded in 1948, has always had a nonpareil record for its abundance of important new choreography. From the last century, I remember City Ballet galas that presented world premieres by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. On Wednesday, the companys 2016 Spring Gala was principally about 21st-century choreography.

Its second half consisted of two world premieres, bringing the companys tally for the 2015-16 season to eight, by seven choreographers. (Two have been by City Ballets resident choreographer Justin Peck; hell make a third for the companys Saratoga Springs season in July.) But whereas its five new ballets of fall 2015 were all fresh affairs that gave hope for the future of ballet, the two on Wednesday were slickly unoriginal.

The choreographers, Nicolas Blanc and Christopher Wheeldon, have very different levels of experience. Mr. Blanc, whom many will remember as a dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, is a novice at dance-making; Mr. Wheeldon has been choreographing for world-class dancers for 20 years. Though I find Mr. Blancs nine-minute Mothership flashy, it has merits: It shows real organizational skill, it abounds with high energy within the academic language of ballet and it gives opportunities to eight highly appealing young dancers.

All too many aspects of Mr. Wheeldons American Rhapsody, however, just feel  from the first  fake. It is a sequel to the 2015 Broadway musical production of An American in Paris, which Mr. Wheeldon directed and choreographed; it was conducted on Wednesday by Rob Fisher, who adapted and supervised that shows musical side. An American in Paris used songs by George and Ira Gershwin; American Rhapsody used George Gershwins orchestral classic Rhapsody in Blue.
City of Science

Walking on water isnt an activity associated with ordinary humans. Dont be surprised, however, to see children doing just that on Saturday at Lehman College in the Bronx.

Religious miracles wont play a role in this feat  just a shallow pool of cornstarch-filled water.

If you try to stand on its surface, you will sink, said Brian Greene, a professor of mathematics and physics at Columbia University. But if you walk briskly across it, the motion of your feet causes the liquid to momentarily solidify, and you wont sink.

This demonstration of what is known as a non-Newtonian fluid will be among about two dozen exhibits at the first City of Science, a World Science Festival satellite event. The annual world festival, founded in New York in 2008 by Dr. Greene and Tracy Day, always culminates in a free street fair at Washington Square Park. City of Science, which is presented by Con Edison and is also free, takes that fairs highlights indoors and outside Manhattan.

These major exhibits will travel to each borough, said Ms. Day, the festivals chief executive, who is married to Dr. Greene. (The World Science Festival is June 1 through 5; the City of Science dates for Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island havent been announced yet.)
I wanted to have a more human relationship with the person who was representing my work, Julian Schnabel said. A dialogue between a dealer and an artist is important.

Mr. Schnabel was discussing why he is leaving the Gagosian Gallery for Pace, effective immediately.

Ultimately, its about friendship, said Mr. Schnabel, 64. You want somebody to be on the other end of the line, which Arne always has been.

Arne is Arne Glimcher, chairman of Pace Gallery, where Mr. Schnabel spent 20 years before leaving to join Larry Gagosian in 2002. Mr. Glimcher said that he had remained a fan of Mr. Schnabels work, collecting it himself.
57 Years Ago

The letter from Fidel Castro to the American people read like this:

I wish to invite the American tourists and the American business men to come back to Cuba.

We are back to normal in Cuba, a Cuba where there is liberty, peace and order, a beautiful land of happy people. Our hotels, shops and offices are open and we want our friends from the United States to come and see Cuba, which can now be counted among the countries where freedom and democracy are a reality.

This was not the invitation that led an American cruise ship to sail into Havana on Monday, the first from the United States to dock there in 40 years. Other forces and figures smoothed those choppy waters. Rather, this invitation, according to a report in The Times, was issued by Mr. Castro in January 1959, shortly after he overthrew the government of President Fulgencio Batista.

Just months earlier, in November 1958, Mr. Castros rebels were still fighting hundreds of miles from Havana, and it was Batista who was trying to revive tourism.

To the visitor, Havana continues to be a charming, cosmopolitan city which is rapidly becoming one of the most modern in Latin America, The Times reported on Nov. 2.
It sounds like the setup for a joke: An eminent composer and pianist walks into a fish market and starts to play a Chilean protest anthem.

But there it is on YouTube: a 2015 video of Frederic Rzewski pounding out his 1975 masterpiece, an hourlong fantasia on The People United Will Never Be Defeated, on an upright piano at Wholeys, a Pittsburgh institution.

Well, its kind of strange, Mr. Rzewski (pronounced ZHEV-ski) recently recalled thinking of the invitation from the market, where his son works as a cashier. But why not?

From fish market to floating concert hall: On Friday, Ursula Oppens, who gave the premiere of The People United, will play it at the cozy Bargemusic, just south of the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo, as part of a rare New York visit by Mr. Rzewski and a weekend-long immersion in his work, which is both rigorous and eclectic.
LONDON  The mystery behind who created the online currency Bitcoin deepened on Thursday.

Craig Steven Wright, an Australian entrepreneur and computer programmer who earlier this week said he was that person, on Thursday withdrew an offer to prove his assertion, removing the contents of his blog and replacing it with a post simply titled, Im sorry.

I believed that I could do this, Mr. Wright wrote on his blog. I believed that I could put the years of anonymity and hiding behind me. But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke. I do not have the courage. I cannot.

Mr. Wright was first identified as Bitcoins founder in December 2015 by Wired magazine and the technology website Gizmodo, but he did not come forward then. This week that changed, and he said in interviews with the BBC, The Economist and GQ that he was the digital currencys creator, known by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.

Almost as soon as Mr. Wright announced he was the creator of Bitcoin on Monday, skepticism surfaced in the Bitcoin community about the authenticity of his claims.
LONDON  Barclays said on Thursday that it had sold a 12.2 percent stake in the Barclays Africa Group for 13.05 billion South African rand, or about $882 million.

The British bank is cutting its 62.3 percent stake in the African business to free itself from regulatory and capital requirements that have dragged on its balance sheet.

Barclays, which has operated in Africa for more than a century, said on Wednesday that it would make its first sale of its stake in the African business after announcing plans in March to do so. The bank would like to reduce its holdings to below a controlling level, or to sell the stake entirely.

On Thursday, Barclays said in a news release that it had sold 103.6 million shares of Barclays Africa at a price of 126 rand a share.
NRG Energy, moving to complete its reorganization after the ouster of its chief executive last year, is paring back involvement in two of its alternative energy ventures as it seeks to cut costs and streamline operations, the company announced on Thursday.

The company, whose large fleet of conventional power plants has made it a leading independent power producer, will sell a majority stake in its electric vehicle charging business, EVgo. And its home solar division will sell the future customer agreements it originates to two partners, Sunrun and Spruce, once the systems are up and running.

That approach will allow the residential solar business to break even by next year, Mauricio Gutierrez, NRGs chief executive, said in a conference call with analysts.

We dont have any grand aspirations in terms of the total sales and installations that we want to have for the year, Mr. Gutierrez said, declining to disclose financial goals. Under the new business model, he added, we sell, install and flip to a third party.
Life is short, read the slogan of The New Day, Britains youngest national newspaper. Lets live it well.

Unfortunately for the publication, the first half of its slogan proved prophetic.

Barely 10 weeks after its start as a counterintuitive print-only experiment, The New Days publisher, Trinity Mirror, announced on Thursday that it was shutting down the newspaper amid a precipitous decline in newsstand sales that the company conceded was financially unsustainable.

Targeting what it believed was a significant potential audience of lapsed print readers in Britains famously crowded newspaper market, Trinity Mirror, one of Britains largest media companies, began The New Day in late February with a goal of reaching as many as one million paying readers a week.

But unlike most of the worlds major publishers, which have pushed aggressively to distribute their content online and on mobile platforms, The New Day made a conscious decision to forgo those options as a way of keeping operating costs down and simplifying the business model.
The streets of Philadelphia are a romantic hunting ground for the four main characters in Beautiful Something, Joseph Grahams bleak, agonized study of gay men looking for connection.

Brian (Brian Sheppard) is a poet seeking more than a quick hookup. The infuriatingly bratty Jim (Zack Ryan), an aspiring actor, is the live-in boyfriend of Drew (Colman Domingo), an older world-famous metal sculptor who adores him. But Jim is so jealous of Drews devotion to art that he feels neglected and threatens to move out.

Bob (John Lescault) is a rich, sleazy Hollywood talent agent in his mid-60s who cruises around in a white limousine looking to pay for sex. Why hes in Philadelphia, of all cities, is never explained. The gay street scene depicted in the movie feels more like the 1970s than now, and the films dominant mood is one of feverish desperation and hunger. Lessons are learned, but the movie is in dire need of character development and a wider social context.
To summarize this film is to present a solid argument that its one of the most unusual ever made: Belladonna of Sadness, making its New York premiere on Friday, is a 1973 Japanese erotic animated musical inspired by the 19th-century French historian Jules Michelets account of witchery in the Middle Ages.

The reality of the movie, directed by Eiichi Yamamoto, is odder still. Opening with a jazz-rock song and lyrical, static imagery of attractive Western figures in watercolor, it features narration telling of Jean and Jeanne, young French provincial marrieds smiled upon by God. But not for long. Jeanne is subjected to a brutal, surrealistically rendered gang rape by the village lord and his claque. The film then lays out an imaginative, and sometimes overwrought, narrative exegesis, positing that the power of feminine sexuality is essentially demonic. While weaving thread one afternoon, post-trauma, Jeanne is visited by a small, phallus-shaped imp.

Are you the Devil? she asks.

I am you, he replies. Thus begins Jeannes triumph and ruin.

Belladonna of Sadness is compulsively watchable, even at its most disturbing: The imagery is frequently graphic, and still, after over 40 years, it has the power to shock. The narrative, however implausible, is seductive. And the meticulously executed visual freakouts are awe-inspiring: The Black Death, which, of course, spices up the story line, gets its own four-minute production number. The variety of graphic modes  with references to fashion magazines, pop art, psychedelia, underground comics, arty pornography and much more  is dizzying.

Belladonna of Sadness is undoubtedly a landmark of animated film, and arguably a masterpiece. But its a very disquieting one. After experiencing the picture, you are left with the nagging suspicion that its retrograde ideology and its ravishing imagery are not contradictory attributes but are, rather, inextricably codependent.
Everythings in service of the images in Bridgend, a stylishly shot, eerily scored and moodily acted film that wants for nothing but a plot. Depending on how you like your movies, this is either a walkout or a must-see.

No matter which side you fall on for this fictional film, its based on a morbidly intriguing real-life tale. In the county of Bridgend, Wales, dozens of young people have killed themselves over the last decade, many by hanging. There have been theories about the deaths, but few solutions to end this so-called suicide cluster, which seems to be continuing.

In this film, Sara (Hannah Murray) and her father, Dave (Steven Waddington), arrive in a village to relocate for Daves new assignment as a police officer. Sara soon falls in with a group of mysterious youths who seem connected to a spate of recent deaths.

By and large, thats it. We watch Sara party with her friends, walk with them in the woods and mourn some of those who have taken their own lives. Magnus Nordenhof Jonck, the cinematographer, creates an unnerving atmosphere despite the static story and pretentious, repetitive shots of skies and of people blurred through windows.
Theres nothing harder than defining oneself, Yitzhak Rabin says during an interview shown in Rabin in His Own Words. Still, this documentary, consisting almost entirely of his recollections in his own voice, does a pretty good job of outlining his life and his terribly dangerous times.

Rabin (1922-1995) was born in Jerusalem, and after his early studies joined the military and rose through the ranks. He was twice elected Israeli prime minister, and in 1994 won the Nobel Peace Prize (with Shimon Peres and Yasir Arafat).

With a few exceptions, the film relates these milestones by piecing together interviews and speeches he gave and employing videos, letters and photographs. Along with his historical analysis, we hear personal recollections from this often-reticent leader.

Recalling his time commanding the Israel Defense Forces, Rabin describes the stress of waiting, with its tensions, worries and a tremendous amount of cigarette smoke. He adds, Twice I suffered severe nicotine poisoning. We learn of his wedding: I was so embarrassed that Ill never do that again. This was my last wedding.
Kelvin Tongs The Offering, a muddled horror film, falls over itself incorporating as many genre elements as possible. The result is the cinematic equivalent of combining every paint color on a canvas: a murky mess.

When Jamie (Elizabeth Rice), a Chicago reporter, learns that Anna, her sister, has died in Singapore, she heads there to investigate. The police show her a video of Anna asphyxiating herself. But Jamie soon finds that Anna may have encountered a demonic entity in her home, which might also threaten Annas young daughter, Katie (Adina Herz). As it happens, Annas house has a history of family homicide. And other grisly deaths around the city seem connected as well.

I could recite a list of the hoary supernatural-invasion cliches on parade here, but suffice it to say that the only innovations appear to be garments flying off an outdoor clothesline and, um, a suspicious deep-sea-diving helmet.

Through two investigating priests (Colin Borgonon and Adrian Pang), we learn that a plot is brewing to resurrect the biblical Tower of Babel; evidently, binary code has become the one planetary language that the Bible warned us against. And a monster, the leviathan, is on its way, too. It all leads to the possession of Katie and a demon-eviction ceremony featuring, yes, the spinning-head effect straight out of The Exorcist.
PARK RIDGE, N.J.  The walls in Kendra and Allan Daniels townhouse are crowded  very crowded. There are folk-art paintings. There is an original drawing from Winnie-the-Pooh. There is a watercolor by Humphrey Bogarts mother.

Even the bathrooms are something to see. A first-floor one is filled with framed originals by an illustrator for children, Nura Woodson Ulreich. One on the second floor has a watercolor by Yves St. Laurent.

If there is such a thing as collectionitis, the Daniels have it. They have already reduced their holdings with what amounted to his-and-her sales  his at Christies in 2001, hers at Sothebys in 2011  and with steady gifts to museums. Still the four levels of their townhouse are overflowing with objects. Twenty-six hundred square feet can hold only so many 19th-century weather vanes, old carousel giraffes and camels and display drawers with St. Laurent necklaces.

Its like living in a submarine, Mr. Daniel said. Very tight.

And it is going to get tighter.

After the exhibition Mystery and Benevolence closes at the American Folk Art Museum in Manhattan on Sunday, 10 or so items will be sent back to the Daniels, who donated to the museum the 190 other objects that were part of the show  signs, plaques, banners, clock faces, carved picture frames, even a wooden grave marker.
An inmate on the verge of parole eligibility was on the run on Thursday after escaping from a prison in southern New Jersey, prompting residents to stay in their homes, local schools to lock down and dozens of law enforcement officers to fan out in a manhunt, the authorities said.

The inmate, Arthur W. Buckel, 38, was last seen on Tuesday during a 6 a.m. bed check at a minimum security satellite unit of Bayside State Prison on the grounds of Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Hammonton, officials said. Mr. Buckel is serving a three-year sentence on charges that included aggravated assault and burglary, and would have been eligible for parole on May 21, officials said.

The State Corrections Department said it was investigating how Mr. Buckel had escaped.

Mr. Buckel was previously convicted of aggravated manslaughter in 1996 in the beating death of his girlfriends 10-month-old daughter in Jersey City. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, without the possibility of parole for 12  years, and was released in June 2010.

Image Arthur W. Buckel Credit... Barnegat Police Department, via Associated Press

On Wednesday, a man the police said was Mr. Buckel could be seen on surveillance video entering a CVS store in Barnegat, a township on the Jersey Shore about an hours drive northeast of the prison unit from which he escaped.
The ubiquitous, easily torn, often doubled-up plastic bags from the grocery store  hoarded by dog owners, despised by the environmentally concerned and occasionally caught in trees  will soon cost at least a nickel in New York City.

The City Council voted 28 to 20 on Thursday to require certain retailers to collect a fee on each carryout bag, paper or plastic, with some exceptions. Mayor Bill de Blasio has expressed support for the measure.

Passage of the bill came after two years of debate and at least one other attempt by the citys elected officials to charge a fee or tax on disposable bags. The legislation, modeled on similar laws in California and Washington, D.C., encountered an unusual amount of resistance and resulted in what council members said was one of the closest votes in years, on par with the extension of term limits passed during the tenure of Mr. de Blasios predecessor, Michael R. Bloomberg.

The vehemence of the opposition could perhaps be traced to plastic bags daily presence in the lives of New Yorkers, who often shop for groceries spontaneously and then lug the crinkly bags home to be reused as trash-can liners or to pick up after pets. As with previous measures adopted by the 51-member Council to prohibit smoking in bars and to include calorie information on restaurant menus, the impact of the bag bill, which would take effect in October, is likely to be immediate for millions of people.
In addition to leading a repressive and abusive regime, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt also appears to be running an increasingly incompetent one. On Tuesday, the Interior Ministry accidentally released confidential guidelines to stop critical reporting by the news media, including instructions not to admit mistakes and a proposed rule to stop all coverage related to the torture and murder of an Italian student.

The leak, which the ministry explained as a technical malfunction, offered evidence, if more was needed, of the military governments brutal and destructive approach to the wave of discontent sweeping Egypt.

Mr. Sisi, the former chief of the Egyptian armed forces, came to power in the political struggle that followed the Arab Spring protests of 2011. The Muslim Brotherhood government of Mohamed Morsi, elected after the ouster of the dictatorial former president, Hosni Mubarak, was overthrown by the military in 2013, and in short order Mr. Sisi began a crackdown on the Brotherhood as well as any form of criticism, including that of human rights activists and independent journalists.

The intensification of political repression has been accompanied by one crisis after another, including an outcry in Italy over the torture and murder of an Italian graduate student, which the Italians believe was carried out by Egyptian security services. The unlikely trigger for the current spate of protests was the transfer of two uninhabited Egyptian islands to Saudi Arabia. With political passions running high, the transfer provoked a furious reaction from Egyptians who believed the government was peddling Egyptian land for Saudi dollars. The ensuing demonstrations led to mass arrests and confrontation with journalists, who rallied again in Cairo on Wednesday, demanding the dismissal of the interior minister.
A controversial deal signed between the European Union and Turkey in March has reduced the flow of refugees and migrants to Greece from Turkey. Now, the European Union is turning its attention to migrants from Africa heading across the Mediterranean to Italy.

The deal with Turkey was roundly criticized by human rights groups and the United Nations for violating international law protecting asylum seekers. The deal was signed with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an autocrat, who has attacked the news media and freedom of expression. If the European Union does not do better on dealing with migration from Africa, it will further damage to its credibility as a model of democracy and human rights.

Some 100,000 people are expected to cross the Mediterranean from Africa to Italy this year alone. As of the end of last month, 28,000 people had already arrived in Italy; nearly 1,000 others drowned, or are missing and presumed dead. Clearly, this catastrophe must be addressed. But Europes focus is on heading off migration from Africa, where population growth is outstripping economic opportunity.

Last year, the E.U. approved a 1.8 billion-euro fund to address the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa. The idea is to tackle migration from Africa at the source, by promoting security and development. This makes sense: Most people would not travel to war-torn Libya and pay smugglers exorbitant sums to risk their lives at sea if they had decent options closer to home.
The Department of Justice has given Gov. Pat McCrory of North Carolina until Monday to abandon the states discriminatory law barring transgender people from using public restrooms based on their gender identity. The law also blocked Charlottes antidiscrimination ordinance, and prohibited cities and counties from enacting similar laws.

In a letter issued Thursday, the Justice Departments top civil rights prosecutor, Vanita Gupta, warned the governor that the statute, which was passed in March, violates federal civil rights law. She said that the Department of Justice may sue North Carolina and that the Department of Education may withhold federal funding for its schools.

The state law peddles the malicious idea that transgender people are sexual predators and that allowing people to use a bathroom that reflects their gender identity violates the rights of others. It immediately drew a strong backlash from civil rights groups, religious leaders and businesses. Major corporations have decried the law, calling it an impediment to recruiting and retaining top talent. Employers have already suspended plans to expand operations in North Carolina, costing the state hundreds of jobs.

Mr. McCrory, a Republican, and his allies in the states legislature, the General Assembly, have tried to cast themselves as the victims of a radical progressive agenda. Yet the governor may be belatedly recognizing that he is the one pursuing radical ends in a society that has come to more deeply understand and accept variations of gender identity.
To the Editor:

How to Get Brutal Guards Out of the Jails (editorial, May 2) makes several suggestions, but they wont cure the culture of impunity and violence in our prisons.

Improving a small percentage of investigative staff, while commendable, wont change the bias inherent in having the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision investigate itself.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos proposal giving the prison agency the power to terminate staff members convicted of crimes is tinkering at the edges. Staff members are rarely referred for prosecution and even less likely to be convicted.

Staff discipline shouldnt remain in the hands of arbitrators. Rather, the department needs the power to dismiss and remove staff members from their posts whenever they have cause to believe that the employee has engaged in serious misconduct, and then to exercise that power.
With the Islamic State still in control of large parts of the country and oil prices depressed, Iraq is on the verge of a meltdown. But instead of working to solve the countrys problems, Iraqs political class has been consumed by a power struggle. Last weekend, protesters in Baghdad lost their patience and stormed the Parliament building, threatening further action if serious reform is not enacted soon.

This eruption was a long time coming. Last August, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi promised to improve government services and eliminate corruption. Unsurprisingly, he has failed to deliver. In response, protesters have demanded a new government and the abandonment of the sectarian quota system that has underpinned Iraqi governments since 2003. Mr. Abadi has tried to respond by putting forward a technocratic cabinet, but he hasnt been able to get it approved by Parliament.

Ordinary Iraqis are furious. Moktada al-Sadr, the Shiite cleric who has long acted as a leader of Iraqs underclass, has tried to capitalize on this by leading the protest movement. But even he cannot control the anger Iraqis feel toward their leaders.

The cause of Iraqs political paralysis is neither ideological nor sectarian. In fact, most of the main actors in the continuing dispute are Shiite Islamists. The disagreement is instead based on mutual distrust, which is fueled by the incompetence and corruption that have formed the basis of Iraqs political system since 2003. That dynamic has made it impossible for state institutions to present any viable solutions to the crisis.
In the summer of 2010, the troop surge in Afghanistan was underway, and for months my infantry unit  part of the 101st Airborne Division  had been training for what we were told was going to be a big and possibly bloody fight. On a tiny base in Kyrgyzstan, the day before we flew into Afghanistan, I met a soldier who had just left the district in Kandahar where my unit was headed for a yearlong tour. He told me it was bad, and I could tell that he wasnt lying. He said a lot of us were going to die.

To say I was scared is an understatement. I was petrified. Alcohol is off limits when youre deployed, so to calm my nerves, I went to the Internet cafe on base and began looking up famous battles from American history. I wanted to read about others who had faced the kind of heavy combat I was certain Id soon experience. I needed real-life examples of bravery, of men who had experienced the level of fear I was experiencing and had pushed through it. A pep talk from some officer wasnt going to cut it.

Ordinary people doing extraordinary things in combat: Thats the stuff I was after. And of course I found plenty of examples in valorous awards citations of enlisted American soldiers who had fought in World War II. I read their stories late into the night. Reading them didnt cure my fear, not by a long shot, but they provided me with the perspective I needed at that moment. If those soldiers could do what they did, and on battlefields as perilous as the ones they encountered in places like Bastogne and Iwo Jima, I could handle the improvised explosive devices and sniper fire that awaited me in Kandahar, which, by comparison, seemed manageable.

This week, those stories came back to me when I heard that James Bradley, the author of Flags of Our Fathers, which chronicles the raising of the American flag during the battle of Iwo Jima, acknowledged that his father might not have been one of the Marines featured in Joe Rosenthals iconic photograph. For many people, Id imagine, this isnt a big deal. After all, its just a photo. And Mr. Bradleys father, John, a Navy corpsman who was wounded during the battle, did, in fact, raise a flag at Iwo Jima that day, but he wasnt a member of the patrol that raised the second flag  the scene that would become legend.
This not only sounded nice, it actually worked nicely for a while. In its first eight years in power, the A.K.P. enacted liberal reforms and adopted liberal rhetoric. Turkeys fundamental problem, the party said, was an overbearing state that trampled on citizens rights. Opposition to the state, such as the Kurdish nationalist movement, had to be understood as reactions to authoritarianism, not as plots by traitors or imperialists. Stability would come from more rights and freedoms, not fewer. As a result, the A.K.P. became the darling of Western capitals and Turkish liberals  myself among them.

But the story wasnt over. After the A.K.P. won major victories in a constitutional referendum in 2010 and in elections in 2011  and subdued the military  the partys liberal rhetoric waned and its social conservatism came to the fore. Then it got worse. When the A.K.P. felt its power challenged in 2013, first by popular protests and then by a corruption investigation that many, myself included, believe was politically motivated, the party adopted the very authoritarian habits it used to oppose. Opponents turned into enemies to be crushed. The A.K.P.s vision of democracy proved to be nothing more than the tyranny of the majority. Those who tried to stay loyal to the more liberal founding principles, including its founder Abdullah Gul, were pushed aside.

Turkeys secularists see an Islamist conspiracy behind this: The A.K.P had hidden its true colors until the right time. But I think that the partys changes involved less planning  and fewer principles. The A.K.P. adopted a liberal discourse out of mere necessity, without giving it much thought or going through a real ideological transformation. Once the party grabbed power, its members were tempted, intoxicated and corrupted by it. The cadres and classes that now rally behind Mr. Erdogan have found wealth, prestige and glory for the first time in their lives. They seem determined not to lose them  regardless of what that means for Turkish democracy.

But just because the A.K.P. failed as a model of liberal Islamism doesnt necessarily mean that all Islamists threaten liberal democracy. Tunisias experience shows this. There, the Islamist Ennahda Party has proved not only popular and triumphant but also reconciliatory. Consequently, Tunisians have been able to accept an admirably liberal constitution with broad national consensus  something that looks like a distant dream for us Turks. One of their secrets, perhaps, is that Rachid Ghannouchi, a founder of Ennahda and its intellectual leader, is less a Machiavellian politician and more a principled scholar.

None of this means that Turkey should be pushed away from the West. Nor should anger at Mr. Erdogan and his party lead to the assumption that Turkey is always wrong or its foes are always right. Under the Erdogan government, Turkey has helped Syrian refugees more than any other country. Western countries should acknowledge this and offer support. And Turkeys worries about Kurdish separatists are not unfounded, as proved by two recent suicide bombings in Ankara claimed by secular Kurdish militants.
A former police sergeant has been held without charges in a federal detention cell in Philadelphia, part of an effort by the authorities to pressure him to decrypt two computer hard drives believed to contain child pornography.

The case reveals yet another battle line for law enforcement and digital privacy advocates over encryption, this time on an Apple computer, not an iPhone.

The sergeant, Francis Rawls, was ordered by a federal court last August to hand over the two hard drives, which were seized from his home because they were suspected to contain the illegal pornography.

Mr. Rawls was shown to a private room at the district attorneys office to comply with the order. Once there, according to a court document, he spent most of the time staring at the computer and then said he could not remember the passwords to turn off FileVault, a feature of Macs that encrypts hard drives when a user logs out. He was taken into custody, and this week he started his eighth month in a federal detention center, all without ever being charged with a crime.
Equally important to the future of progressives in the Democratic Party is Mr. Sanderss strength in the white working-class areas where Mr. Bradley, Mr. Obama, and both Mr. Brown and Mr. Tsongas faltered. It was Mr. Sanderss strength among these voters that let him stay fairly competitive, even though he lost half of the traditional left-liberal coalition.

Mr. Sanders won white voters without a college degree by a double-digit margin in Connecticut, as he did in Maryland, Wisconsin, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Illinois, Oklahoma, Indiana, Vermont and Michigan. He probably did so in Rhode Island as well (no exit polls were conducted there).

Outside the South, Mrs. Clinton probably won white voters without a college degree only in Ohio (the exit polls there show she prevailed with that group by one point).

One possible explanation, again, is policy. Income inequality has become a vastly more important issue to Democrats since the Great Recession, and its reasonable to assume that white working-class Democrats might be especially drawn to the issue. This is the best case for the progressive left; it would mean that a future progressive populist could count on similar levels of support with a strong, class-oriented message.

The evidence for this view is somewhat mixed. According a compilation of exit polls, around 40 percent of white voters without a college degree wanted more liberal policies than those of Mr. Obama, and Mr. Sanders won these voters handily. The highest number was in Vermont, where 46 percent of white voters without a degree wanted more liberal policies than Mr. Obamas.

Thats a big bloc that progressives can count on in the future, but its not a majority and its less than Mr. Sanderss share of white voters without a degree. Thats in part because Mr. Sanders also won among those white working-class voters who wanted less liberal policies than those of Mr. Obama, a fact that makes Mr. Sanders look as much like a protest vote against Mrs. Clinton as the harbinger of a new Democratic socialism.

But it is nonetheless striking that so many white Democrats without a degree wanted more liberal policies than Mr. Obamas. In fact, white voters without a college degree were often more likely than either college-educated white voters or minorities to support more liberal policies.
The Senate races in swing states look correspondingly promising for Democrats, with their chances for overall control of the Senate now being listed at 62 percent, from 57 percent a few days ago.

President Obama tried to apply pressure to vulnerable G.O.P. senators in swing states this week, holding interviews at the White House with local news stations from some of those states and pressing Mr. Garlands nomination.

Heres why Republicans may want to hold their ground (apart from whether its the right thing to do):

 As The Upshot noted in February, a Supreme Court With Merrick Garland Would Be the Most Liberal in Decades. Republicans dont even want to think about the potential of such a huge shift on the court, and as long as some hope is alive that a Republican can win the presidency, they dont have to. In the meantime, they can avoid 5-4 losses this year.

 Republicans have no reason to hold a hearing now if they can hold one immediately after the election should Mrs. Clinton win. Richard Lempert of the Brookings Institution was prescient in foreseeing the selection of Mr. Garland, but added:

To make the moderate move effective, however, Obama would have to credibly threaten to withdraw the nomination unless it was approved by a certain date. Otherwise the Republican Senate could wait until it saw how the electoral winds were blowing, confirming Obamas nominee if a Democrat appeared poised to win the presidency and rejecting it if the Republican candidate seemed likely to prevail.

 There hasnt yet been widespread public clamor for a hearing. Or as The New York Post put it: Sorry, Liberal Media, No One Cares About Merrick Garland. Michael Walsh of The New York Post wrote:

Its amazing how often the press takes as a point of fact that elected officials will be punished for one decision or another. In that same Pew poll, 58% of Republican respondents said not to confirm Garland. Those are the voters Republican Senators care about! Democrats wont vote for them. And independents, if there really are still mythical creatures who change parties during elections, will no doubt be thinking of a lot of other things besides Merrick Garland.

Some Republicans, no doubt worried about future primary fights, are looking over their shoulder at their base, which has felt betrayed on all manner of issues. If Democrats push through a Clinton nominee next year without Republican support, at least Republican senators cant be blamed.

This week, Mr. McConnell is insisting that he will hold the line. But a day after Mr. Trumps victory in Indiana, Leon Wolf of the conservative website RedState said Republicans should confirm Merrick Garland ASAP:

This is not even a close call. There is absolutely no reason to drag this out any longer. Garland is not a great choice, but he is not a terrible one, either. And more than anything, he is old (for a modern Supreme Court appointment) and will be up for replacement in probably 10 years instead of 20 or 30. Republicans must know that there is absolutely no chance that we will win the White House in 2016 now. They must also know that we are likely to lose the Senate as well. In fact, if I were the Republicans, my main concern right now would be that Barack Obama would withdraw Garlands nomination today. The fact that Merrick Garland still exists as an option right now is a gift that should not be squandered.

The chances of a vote on Mr. Garland have risen in the last few days in the markets, to roughly 45 percent from 35 percent. Basically, the markets think there is a very high probability that there is a vote in the lame-duck period for Mr. Obama, Mr. Rothschild said. But while Obama says he will leave the nomination, if the Democrats sweep the Senate and presidency, Obama could withdraw the nomination.

By driving such a hard bargain, Republicans may not get a bargain at all. Then again, Republicans have said they might consider blocking a Supreme Court pick next year, by filibuster if need be  even after voters have their say, which is the stated reason the G.O.P. is blocking Mr. Garland in the first place. How does this end?

Dahlia Lithwick of Slate has suggested the single most fantastic thing that could ever happen to resolve the blockade of hysteria that now threatens both the court and the country: Mr. Garland could simply show up to the Supreme Court to work, with the understanding that the Senate has essentially confirmed him by choosing not to vote against him.

Its hard to put a percentage on that one, but it would be tough to beat for court drama.
MOSCA, Colo.  Wes Arneson planted his bare feet in the mud and prepared for the fight of his life: a tussle with a 400-pound alligator called Big Bertha who lives in a geothermal swamp under a willow tree in high-desert Colorado.

Bertha opened her jaw like a lion and let out a hiss like a snake. Ride it like a cowboy, someone yelled. Mr. Arneson hopped on.



Residents call the San Luis Valley, a vast alpine desert in Southern Colorado, one of the weirdest patches of the West. Sparsely populated and largely free of light pollution, the valley lays claim to more than a dozen spiritual centers, a U.F.O. watchtower and a roadside attraction called the Colorado Gators Reptile Park.



Here, the headline activity is the alligator wrestling course, a three-hour endeavor in which novices wrangle carnivorous reptiles with names like Pitbull, Darth Gator and Sir Chomps-a-lot. The cost: $100.
LOS ANGELES  Victors are said to write history. But in California, history is being written by a committee that is at the center of a raging debate over how to tell the story of South Asia as it tries to update textbooks and revise curriculums for Grades 6 and 7.

The dispute centers on whether the region that includes modern-day India, Pakistan and Nepal should be referred to as India or as South Asia, to represent the plurality of cultures there  particularly because India was not a nation-state until 1947. It also touches on how the culture of the region is portrayed, including womens role in society and the vestiges of the caste system.

It might seem somewhat arcane. But it has prompted petition drives, as well as a #DontEraseIndia social media campaign and a battle of opinion pieces.

When the committee met earlier this spring, dozens of students turned out at the State Capitol, some in tears, earnestly telling the educators that anything other than India would amount to erasing their heritage.
The bodies of murdered young women began turning up one by one more than 30 years ago in South Los Angeles. The killer became known as the Grim Sleeper, so named because he apparently took a long break between victims. On Thursday, a jury convicted a small-time car thief, Lonnie D. Franklin Jr., of 10 murders, capping nearly three months of wrenching testimony and decades of uncertainty for the victims shattered families.

[Grim Sleeper serial killer dies in California prison.]

Mr. Franklin was found guilty of 10 counts of first-degree murder, and one count of attempted murder because one of his victims escaped.

Family members of the victims in the courtroom sobbed as the verdicts were read. Its just unimaginable how you feel once you get what youve been waiting to hear, said Porter Alexander, 75, whose daughter Alicia Alexander was killed in 1988. Im so glad.

In the trial that began in February in Los Angeles Superior Court, prosecutors said Mr. Franklin had stalked a fairly circumscribed area of South Los Angeles from the mid-1980s until 2007, when the last known victim was found. Most had been shot with a .25-caliber pistol, and some had been strangled. DNA or ballistics evidence linked Mr. Franklin, 63, to each of the victims  nine women and one teenage girl  prosecutors said.
The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it had opened an investigation into complaints by a Transportation Security Administration manager who said he was instructed to provide the names of Somali-American leaders visiting the agencys office in Minnesota so they could be screened against national security databases for terrorist ties.

The departments Office of Inspector General said it would look into allegations made by Andrew Rhoades, an assistant federal security director at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport that he was advised by his supervisor, David McMahon, to check potential Somali visitors to the agencys offices with the field intelligence officer to determine if we want them in our office space or meet elsewhere.

The public disclosure of the comments by Mr. McMahon quickly drew accusations of racial profiling.

Somali leaders in Minnesota condemned the remarks, saying the episode would damage outreach efforts by the T.S.A. and other federal agencies, and called for an inquiry. Members of Minnesotas congressional delegation, Representative Keith Ellison and Senator Al Franken, both Democrats, followed quickly with their own requests for an investigation by Homeland Security.

Jaylani Hussein, a Somali-American who is the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he welcomed the action by the inspector general.
A man suspected of sprinkling a combination of mouse poison, hand sanitizer and water on produce in grocery stores in Michigan was arraigned on Thursday in district court in Ann Arbor, Mich., on four felony counts of poisoning food and drink.

The man, Kyle Andrew Bessemer, 29, had been arrested after he was identified by members of the public when images from surveillance video showing him in a grocery store with a red shopping basket were published online, the F.B.I. and the local police announced on Tuesday.

The authorities said Mr. Bessemer, of Ann Arbor, had intentionally contaminated food in open food bars and produce sections by spraying the items with the mixture at stores, including a Whole Foods Market, a Meijer and a Plum Market, over the last two weeks.

It was not clear if anyone had been sickened by the poison or how it had been detected. The authorities did not provide a motive.
Wednesdays letter from the Justice Department brought new urgency to a debate that has surrounded the General Assembly for more than a month. In a letter to Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, the departments top civil rights lawyer warned that the law was a violation of the Civil Rights Act because North Carolina was engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against transgender state employees.

The letter notes pointedly that the Justice Department could seek a court order to ensure compliance with the Civil Rights Act when it has reason to believe that such a pattern exists.

Mr. McCrory, who is in a tough re-election fight, signed the law hours after the Legislature approved it in a one-day special session in March, arguing that it was a common-sense matter of privacy and public safety.

But the law, which also prohibits local governments from passing anti-discrimination ordinances, prompted a fierce outcry from gay rights activists, as well as several major corporate leaders, some of whom canceled plans to create jobs in the state.

That has brought severe headaches for Mr. McCrory, allowing his Democratic rival this autumn, Attorney General Roy Cooper, who has said he will not defend the law in court, to argue that the governor has not been the good steward of the state economy that he claims to be. In local and national news media, the debate over the law has largely eclipsed Mr. McCrorys argument that he has engineered a Carolina Comeback by cutting corporate tax rates and enacting other pro-business policies.

Mr. McCrory  who is not as conservative as the legislative leadership and has clashed with them in the past  remained silent on Thursday amid speculation that he might be considering some kind of unilateral action to stave off litigation by the Justice Department.

But several legal experts, as well as some members of the General Assembly, said the governor did not have the ability to suspend or revoke the law. Gerry Cohen, a lawyer, lobbyist and former bill drafting director for the Legislature, said that the matter was settled by the North Carolina Constitution, which states that no authority may suspend a law without legislative consent.
No sooner had Senator Ted Cruz of Texas exited the Republican primary on Tuesday night than Hillary Clintons partisans on social media began calling for Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to follow suit.

Sanders supporters answered those calls with a hashtag that quickly started trending on Twitter: #DropOutHillary.

With his victory in Indiana, Mr. Sanders seems all but certain to remain in the race for at least another month, taking his insurgent presidential campaign to the California primary on June 7. But there is one thing he will definitely leave behind if he ultimately abandons the Democratic nomination fight: an army of online foot soldiers unmatched in size, influence and capabilities, more than ready to join the next battle.

The only question is whether that battle will involve Mrs. Clinton.

According to Personal Democracy Media, which studies the intersection of politics and technology, roughly nine million Sanders supporters have organized through hundreds of Facebook pages, Reddit forums and Slack channels. And Mr. Sanderss digital corps is not some loose network of supporters informally sharing articles and videos. It is a driving force behind his campaign, soliciting tens of millions of dollars in donations an average of $27 at a time, routinely mobilizing volunteers to perform impressive feats of organizing, and developing cutting-edge technology to aid Mr. Sanderss run.
Soon, the campaign plans to put a transition team in place to prepare for a Trump administration, and on Thursday announced Steve Mnuchin, the head of a private investment firm, as the teams national finance chairman.

As the presumptive nominee, Mr. Trump will begin raising money for the Republican Party and various congressional committees, his campaign said. He has largely self-funded his campaign so far  a fact he often promotes as evidence that he is not beholden to special interests  but has signaled he will raise money for his general election effort.

He also did not rule out the possibility of accepting public matching funds, saying, I dont know enough about it, but he added that he would receive a briefing on the topic on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Ed Rollins, once Ronald Reagans campaign manager, joined Great America PAC, a super PAC supporting Mr. Trump, as a chairman. On a call with prospective supporters of the group on Wednesday, Mr. Rollins said its goal would not be to spend large amounts on television ads, but instead to try to plug holes for the campaign. I think what we want to do is really examine what are the pieces that are missing, he said.

Since last month, Mr. Trumps congressional team has held meetings on Capitol Hill every Thursday morning when Congress is in session. It said that attendance at the meetings, which often feature a guest speaker from the Trump campaign, had swelled after the recent string of Trump victories, and that it would announce more than half a dozen endorsements in the coming weeks.

Mr. Trumps fund-raising efforts could help court lawmakers.

Dollars matter a lot in these tough races, so to the extent that Mr. Trump is helping us raise money, money that will help us protect our majority, hes going to win a lot of friends in Congress, said Representative Chris Collins of New York, one of Mr. Trumps congressional chairmen. Thats going to soothe a lot of folks and show he does care about the House maintaining its majority.

The campaign has begun reaching out to Washington consultants and operatives from rival campaigns, as well as meeting quietly with Republican leaders in swing states where it believes Mr. Trump can win in November.
No chance, no way, never.

Yet, here we are: Donald J. Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Maybe its not fair to call out the knowing skepticism of the political thinkers who once declared Mr. Trumps nomination an impossibility. Many people thought he was a long-shot (not everyone, though). Democrats were quick to mock when he declared his entry into the race on June 16. News organizations struggled with how to cover him.

Heres a quick look at how unthinkable it all seemed before voting began.

There is no way voters in the country will nominate him

Senator Rand Paul spoke with certainty about that in August.

During an interview on NBC News, Mr. Paul, who was still in the race, attributed Mr. Trumps strength in the polls to the free advertising of media coverage.
The Cook County states attorney, Anita Alvarez, who was widely criticized for her handling of the killing of a black Chicago teenager in October 2014, asked to recuse herself and her office Thursday from the prosecution of a white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the case.

After originally opposing activists who said the case should be handled by a special prosecutor because the states attorney was too closely allied with the Police Department, Ms. Alvarez, who lost the Democratic primary in March, asked the court to appoint a special prosecutor to handle the prosecution of Officer Jason Van Dyke in the killing of Laquan McDonald, who was 17.

While it is has not been an easy decision, I believe that it is the right one because it will help to avoid unnecessary legal delays and provide continuity in the handling of this very important and complicated case, she said in a statement after Thursday mornings court hearing. It would also ensure that one designated prosecutor will handle this case as it proceeds to trial.

While there is no legal conflict of interest that would prevent the states attorneys office from continuing the prosecution of this case, I believe that the results of the recent election and the impending transition of this office make this the best and most responsible decision.
On Thursday, a Supreme Court justice, Teori Zavascki, ruled against Mr. Temers powerful ally, Mr. Cunha. As the speaker of the lower house of Congress who oversaw the vote in April to impeach Ms. Rousseff in the Chamber of Deputies, Mr. Cunha had adroitly fended off charges of taking as much as $40 million in bribes.

Scholars and political analysts described the initial ruling by Justice Zavascki, which the 11-member court later endorsed, as reflecting the capacity for Brazils legal system to curb abuses of power. Joaquim Barbosa, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court, called the move extraordinary and courageous.

The ruling to remove Mr. Cunha, an evangelical Christian radio commentator, sidelines a top political opponent of Ms. Rousseff after much of his role in impeachment process had been completed. The impeachment decision is now in the hands of the Senate, which is expected to vote against the president on May 11.

Mr. Cunha can appeal the ruling against him, and he is expected to do so. A spokesman for Mr. Temer said he would not appeal his conviction and would pay a fine of about $23,000. (Mr. Temer, 75, has already signaled that if he were to become president, he would not run for re-election.)
JAKARTA, Indonesia  Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines agreed on Thursday to conduct coordinated sea patrols and establish a hotline to combat piracy and kidnappings in waters bordering the three Southeast Asian nations.

A meeting among the countries foreign ministers, held in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, was prompted by the recent kidnapping of 10 Indonesian sailors in the southwestern Philippines by Abu Sayyaf, a militant organization that has functioned as a kidnap-for-ransom group for more than two decades.

The 10 sailors, abducted in late March, were released on Sunday. Indonesian officials said that no ransom had been paid.

Abu Sayyaf has kidnapped at least 19 people, including foreigners, in the past year and a half. On Monday, the head of one hostage, a Canadian citizen, was found in the southern Philippine town of Jolo.
Friday is the start of North Koreas most important political meeting in 36 years: the seventh congress of the ruling Workers Party. Thousands of delegates from around the country are in Pyongyang, the capital, whose residents have been mobilized to welcome them. But beyond the choreographed pageantry and fervor, there are reasons to watch the proceedings closely.

What is the congress?

In theory, the Workers Party rules North Korea, and the congress is where its most important decisions are made. Delegates will elect the partys central committee, which will choose the Politburo and the partys top boss, the first secretary. (Kim Jong-un is, to say the least, highly likely to retain that post.) The congress also reviews past policies and adopts new party lines.

Thats the theory. In reality, all decision-making power is concentrated in one supreme leader, Mr. Kim, and all political events are dedicated to ensuring what the country calls his monolithic leadership. The charter of the Workers Party commits it to upholding Mr. Kim as its center while abiding by the Kim Il-sung/Kim Jong-il ideology as its only leadership philosophy (referring to North Koreas two previous supreme leaders, Mr. Kims grandfather and his father).
In the case of Ms. Wilson, 60, the Australian government confirmed her identity, and her father, Brian Wilson, appealed for her release in an interview with the British newspaper The Daily Mail.

I presume shes a hostage, and that theyll do their best to keep her alive and not harm her, simply because they want to have something or other in return and its not very good having a dead hostage, the paper quoted Mr. Wilson as saying.

Ms. Wilson ran the Zardozi organization, which promotes the work of Afghan artisans, particularly women, and sold their handicrafts primarily to foreign residents here and abroad. The groups items were sold in Ganjina, a popular handicraft venue in central Kabul that has shut down because of security concerns and a decline in customers.

The Afghan police believe that many of the kidnappings of foreigners have been carried out by criminal gangs motivated by ransom. The fear is that such groups could sell their hostages to extremist organizations. Several of those kidnapped, such as the German and Dutch citizens taken last year, have been released, but it is not known whether ransoms were paid.

Afghan citizens working for aid groups are frequently kidnapped while in the field, but in most cases they are released unharmed after negotiations with insurgents and community leaders. That was the case with five Afghan employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who were abducted in Ghazni Province in February but released unharmed after four days. Last year, however, five Afghan workers for the Save the Children charity were abducted and murdered in southern Oruzgan Province.

The kidnappings of foreigners in Kabul have been concentrated in the Taimani neighborhood, where many foreign aid workers and journalists have homes and offices. The attempt on Monday also took place in Taimani, said Fraidoon Obaidy, who leads the criminal investigation division for the Kabul police. Despite the embassys statement, however, he said it was apparently an attempted carjacking of the aid groups vehicle. There was no proof that showed it was a kidnapping attempt, he said.
SYDNEY, Australia  An Australian who had recruited for the Islamic State in the Middle East and urged fellow Australians to commit terrorist attacks at home has been killed in an American airstrike in Iraq, officials said on Thursday.

Neil Prakash, whom the attorney general, George Brandis, called the most dangerous Australian involved with the extremist group, was killed in the city of Mosul on April 29, Mr. Brandis said.

Mr. Prakash had appeared in ISIL propaganda videos and magazines and has actively recruited Australian men, women and children, and encouraged acts of terrorism, Mr. Brandis said in a statement, using an alternate term for the Islamic State, which is also known as ISIS.

About 110 Australians overseas are believed to be fighting for the Islamic State or actively supporting the group, according to the Australian government, which is part of the United States-led effort to fight the extremists. Mr. Prakash left Australia in 2013 and had been based mostly in the Syrian city of Raqqa, officials said.
UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations says it wants to rethink how humanitarian aid is delivered to the worlds spreading crises.

But as of Thursday, only about 90 of the 193 countries recognized by the United Nations had promised to attend the big event it is organizing to do just that: the World Humanitarian Summit. And the medical aid charity Doctors Without Borders announced that it would pull out, calling the conference a fig leaf of good intentions and saying that countries in conflict were ignoring systemic violations of international humanitarian law.

Disappointing, the spokesman for the United Nations, Stephane Dujarric, said Thursday in response to the decision by Doctors Without Borders.

He said the summit meeting, scheduled to start on May 23 in Istanbul, was expected to address the issues that Doctors Without Borders regarded as priorities, including the obligation of warring parties to grant unimpeded access to humanitarian aid.
Britain secured control of Gibraltar in the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. To this day, the British government handles Gibraltars defense and international relations, while Gibraltars government has significant autonomy over trade and industry issues, as well as the ability to set its own tax rates, including a 10 percent corporate tax that is half that of Britains.

After the release of the Panama Papers  a huge leak of documents from a Panamanian law firm working for the worlds wealthy to keep their money offshore  Spain renewed its accusation that Gibraltar functions as a tax haven. That claim is firmly denied by Gibraltar.

Image Jose Antonio Rodriguez, who found work in Gibraltar after losing his job in Spain, has been crossing the border every day for the last year. Credit... Samuel Aranda for The New York Times

Miguel Ferre, the Spanish secretary of state for budgetary issues, said in an interview in April with ABC, a Spanish newspaper, that the goal is that there is no territory left that can be considered fiscally opaque, in particular Gibraltar.

Gibraltar, however, says that it developed financial services, as well as a big online gambling sector, thanks to fiscal incentives similar to those used by Ireland and some other European countries.

Gibraltars location, at the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea, has also made it an obvious hub for bunkering  where ships avoid docking costs and instead refuel and change crews off Gibraltars coast.

Four-wheel-drive vehicles made by Toyota that are used by the United Nations and other nongovernmental organizations in Africa travel through Gibraltar to be customized, without entering the European Union and having to comply with European regulations.
At the biannual NATO summit meeting in Warsaw in early July, the main issues are expected to be east-west (read Russia) and north-south  how to deal with threats to members like Turkey and Greece from the chaos of Syria, Iraq, Libya and the Islamic State. The phrase arc of instability has re-emerged in NATO-speak.

There is confusion about what useful purpose NATO can serve in the south. But there is more clarity on Russia, after its annexation of Crimea and armed involvement in eastern Ukraine, its threats to the Baltic region and intervention in Syria.

Talk of strategic partnership is gone; instead, there are calls to abandon the NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997, which spoke of shared values and a commitment to peace. There is less emphasis on finding common ground with Russia than on setting clear limits.

The intention in Warsaw is to move from reassurance of eastern NATO allies to deterrence of Russia. That means more troops and equipment, longer deployments, bigger exercises and a persistent presence of NATO and American troops in countries like Poland and the Baltics.

At the 2014 NATO summit meeting in Wales, the alliance decided to rotate small numbers of troops through the Baltic region; now NATO is planning to deploy four combat battalions of roughly 1,000 troops each in Poland and the three Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Two of them are likely to be American, one German and one British. And Washington will add a third combat brigade in Europe.
BEIRUT, Lebanon  More than 30 people were killed Thursday when warplanes struck a tent camp for displaced Syrians in the northern Syrian province of Idlib, according to antigovernment activists and opposition groups.

The attack took place shortly after insurgents launched an offensive against government forces in neighboring Aleppo Province just hours into what was supposed be to a new, 48-hour truce there.

Video images from the Kamuna camp in Idlib showed smoke billowing from rows of tattered and blackened tents as well as a pickup truck packed with wounded people moaning and crying. Women and children appeared to be among the victims.

In the remains of the camp  whose name means cumin in Arabic  scattered clothing, cooking pots and charred body parts could be seen.
JERUSALEM  Israels military said it found another tunnel on Thursday burrowed from Gaza into Israeli territory  the second in three weeks  as officials revealed the arrest last month of a Hamas operative who had disclosed much information about the groups digging.

The Israeli effort to find tunnels from Gaza, which Hamas considers a strategic asset, has led to a flare-up of violence along the border in recent days. Hamas militants have fired at Israeli forces along the border for the first time since a cease-fire brokered by Egypt ended 50 days of fierce fighting in the summer of 2014. The Israelis responded with tank fire and airstrikes. Medical officials in Gaza said that a Palestinian woman, identified as Zayna Al-Amur, 55, was killed by Israeli shelling in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency.

The Hamas operative under arrest, Mahmoud Atawneh, 29, was detained in early April after he crossed the border fence into Israel armed with two knives, according to Shin Bet, Israels domestic security agency.

The Shin Bet announcement fueled speculation over whether Israels recent success in detecting tunnels was the result of a tip, rather than some unique technological breakthrough as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel had suggested last month.
The Viennese were standing and laughing. Finally they got the Jews out!  Ms. Ungar, who was born Mina Tepper and was one of only 36 from that transport to survive the war, recounted in video testimony. We scraped the ice from the windows  we were so thirsty. We didnt have water. We didnt have anything, she said of the train journey.

Her journey across a wintry Europe can now be traced on a database that documents about 1,100 transports, searchable by train (or boat or bus) or victims name. A project of Yad Vashem, Israels Holocaust memorial and research center, the database sheds new light on the cross-border, Europewide nature of the stages leading to the mass extermination of some six million Jews, known in Hebrew as the Shoah.

Very often people think of the Shoah as something that took place in the camps and killing sites in Eastern Europe from a geographical perspective, said Joel Zisenwine, who has directed the Transports to Extinction project since 2008. By focusing on the transports, I think we provide a more precise image of the Final Solution, he said. This is a continental enterprise, if that is the right word.

The database first went online in 2010, but Yad Vashem is promoting it now in connection with Israels annual Holocaust Remembrance Day on Thursday, because it has amassed enough information to map most of the deportations from Western and Central Europe. Dr. Zisenwine said the research illuminated how railroad companies and the local government authorities were complicit in the transports, and how many of them ordinary people saw.
In 1980, the German artist Sigmar Polke traveled the world, from Indonesia to Tasmania to Thailand. The trip informed Polkes subsequent work  his use of unconventional materials and brilliant, sometimes chemically toxic, colors. Now the David Zwirner Gallery is presenting a show, Eine Winterreise (Winter Journey), that focuses on the theme of travel in Polkes work, from his playful take on 1960s tourist scenes to his layered paintings from the 1980s that explore intellectual as well as physical journeys.

The exhibition, at Zwirners West 20th Street location, is the first since the gallery announced last fall that it had taken on representation of the Polke estate. (Polke died in 2010.)

Curated by Vicente Todoli, the show includes large-scale paintings  like Magnetische Landschaft (Magnetic Landscape), an abstract mountainscape from 1982, and the Lapplandische Reise (Lapland Journey) series from 1984  as well as experimental films documenting Polkes experiences.
RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE

By Kate DiCamillo

272 pp. Candlewick Press. $16.99. (Middle grade; ages 8 to 12)

Perhaps the sincerest aim of any fairy tale is not to introduce young readers to the quixotic pleasures of magic and fantasy but rather to initiate all readers into lifes unspeakable verities: Parents desert families, orphaned children often go hungry, and even the most loyal beloveds are capable of astonishing acts of betrayal. Early on in Kate DiCamillos captivating new novel, Raymie Nightingale, we learn about an older woman who regularly feeds a bevy of swans, seeming like something out of a fairy tale. Ten-year-old Raymie Clarke, an anxious heroine, considers the possibility that its a fairy tale that hadnt been told yet. Thats an irresistible promise to begin a novel with, and DiCamillo is up to the challenge. With its short, vibrant chapters and clear, gentle prose, this triumphant and necessary book conjures the enchantments of childhood without shying away from the fraught realities of abandonment, abuse and neglect.

Set during the summer of 1975, Raymie Nightingale features an unlikely threesome of girls who bond over a series of disastrous baton-twirling lessons as they prepare to vie for the fantastic title of Little Miss Central Florida Tire. Raymie, fretful and sensitive, hopes to win the crown, become famous and lure her father, who has run away with a dental hygienist, back home. Louisiana Elefante, an angelic-looking orphan living with her grandmother in penury, sets her wide eyes on the prize money  confident that the winnings will keep her out of the county home and the clutches of the mysterious Marsha Jean. Beverly Tapinski, the unflappable, streetwise daughter of a former beauty queen and a New York City cop, is committed to sabotaging the entire pageant. Louisiana dubs the girls the Three Rancheros, and with their every misadventure and escapade, the Rancheros pledge to rescue one another from their troubled lives.

DiCamillo, a former National Ambassador for Young Peoples Literature and the author of the Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie as well as two Newbery Medal winners, The Tale of Despereaux and Flora and Ulysses, has returned to her Florida roots and to the careful handling of such thorny issues as loneliness and parental desertion. In Raymie Nightingale, DiCamillo uses her light touch and boundless humor to deliver the difficult news that adults are fallible and that children must learn to develop an unwavering sense of self-reliance and self-acceptance. Summoning the wit of Flannery OConnor and the sweet melancholy of John Prine, she elegantly connects her characters wild actions to their roiling emotions. She writes with compassion and grace about both childhood traumas and adult transgressions.
Tell us about your favorite movie adaptation of a book.

This is not perfectly without bias, as I have a supporting role in it, but Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is one of my favorite films of all time. The writing (book and screenplay by Jesse Andrews) so successfully captures the sloppy realism of teenage life, with such well-earned laughs that then pay off with a powerfully surprising emotional impact. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon directed the film with an ambitious vision that is usually prohibited by the limited budget of an independent feature, but boy howdy did he shoot a doozy. The age of the three beautifully rendered main characters is misleading, as this is so much more than a film about high school; 5/5 stars.

Which book would you most like to see on the big screen?

I generally find the book to be better than the film, so its a tricky proposition. There are a couple of Cormac McCarthy titles I would be thrilled to see, namely, Blood Meridian and Suttree. Both contain some very dark sides of humanity but also a healthy dose of gritty humor. But hold the phone! I know what I want more than anything: the Illuminatus! trilogy, by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. That would make for a delicious and freaky repast. If anybody gets that one greenlit, do please holler at me and I will deliver you the most commanding Hagbard Celine that I can muster.

Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine? Your favorite antihero or villain?

For hero, I was going to list Patrick OBrians Capt. Jack Aubrey, but then I thought of Flashman in the series of humorous historical fiction novels by George MacDonald Fraser. Both protagonists yield such great humor as they attempt to satisfy their prodigious appetites and see victory, or at least escape with their hides intact, in their respective adventures. I suppose Captain Jack would be considered a hero, and Flashman is rather more in the anti department, given his seemingly unquenchable lascivious and cowardly motives.

What kind of reader were you as a child? Which childhood books and authors stick with you most?

Narnia, LEngle, Tolkien, My Side of the Mountain, Little House on the Prairie. I blame the Laura Ingalls Wilder books for my perpetual obsession with woodworking and making things  they opened my eyes to the sensibility of making a life for oneself and ones family with the raw materials of ones locality. I remember being quite taken with Pas ability to mend buildings and farm tools with little more than a tree root, some hand tools and his ingenuity. The idea of heading into town for a few yards of gingham or calico fabric and then turning those lengths of cloth into the familys wardrobe always imbued Ma Ingalls with a touch of magic, to my way of thinking. It didnt hurt that my own heroic mother made some of our clothes, and my dad could apparently fix anything with the contents of his toolbox.

What book read for school had the greatest impact on you?

In fourth or fifth grade I took part in a school contest called Battle of the Books, for which we, in teams of three, were required to read a list of maybe 25 or 30 books and then answer questions testing our reading comprehension at a live spelling-bee-style event. Bridge to Terabithia, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Caddie Woodlawn and the like. My Side of the Mountain had a massive influence on me, connecting my love of the outdoors with the written word, particularly the clever woodsmans survival techniques by which young Sam the runaway literally carves out a living for himself in the wilderness of the Catskills.

If you had to name one book that made you who you are today, what would it be?

My best friends in college turned me on to lots of counterculture materials of which my childhood had been deprived. Among the writers were William S. Burroughs, Robert Anton Wilson, Margaret Atwood, Jim Thompson, Umberto Eco, Ken Kesey, Milan Kundera and plenty more. Steal This Book, by Abbie Hoffman; The Anarchist Cookbook; Henry Miller; Bukowski  all this stuff blew my small-town Illinois mind, but the book that really spoke to me like a personal set of instructions was The Book of the SubGenius: The Sacred Teachings of J. R. Bob Dobbs, by J. R. Dobbs and Rev. Ivan Stang. This book is the bible of the Church of the SubGenius, a satirical religion that was started in Dallas in the late 1970s or early 80s. As a young, aspiring artist seeking to free myself from the oppressive conservative (racist, homophobic, sexist) values in my small Midwestern town, the path of enlightenment became crystal clear when I read this hilarious and inspiring sendup of religion and capitalism. The church takes the greed and hypocrisy of American society quite strongly to task while celebrating those of us who are considered weird and outside the conformity practiced by the normals. Identifying with this tome certainly awakened my confidence to choose projects that appealed to my own gut rather than what I thought the population would like, choosing the Guinness stouts of the world over the Coca-Colas, as it were.

Whom would you want to write your life story?

Jeez. George Saunders springs to mind as a writer who is able to wring great humor, pathos and interest out of the seemingly mundane peccadilloes in the life of a human male with foibles galore. I dislike trying to write about Georges writing, because I cant help but feel clumsy myself when I think of his work. His ability to satirize people while simultaneously hugging them with gentle sincerity would give me confidence. I think he would embarrass me by telling the justifiable truth, but with such elan that I would have to shrug and say, It was worth it. If anybody could pull it off, I believe Mr. Saunders would have the tools and talent necessary to render the woodshop traumas of sandpaper and spokeshave, the roller coaster dynamics of a character actors life in showbiz, and my relentless penchant for filling a room with noxious gases into a palatable narrative. George  if youre reading this and youre up for it  before you dive in, I would just like to say that I think youre very handsome.
Of course, the figure of the terrorist has long been irresistible to novelists  and dangerously so. Some of the attention is rivalrous; as Don DeLillo argued, the terrorist has in some ways supplanted the writer. Years ago I used to think it was possible for a novelist to alter the inner life of the culture, the writer in Mao II says. Now bomb-makers and gunmen have taken that territory. They make raids on human consciousness. After Sept. 11, Western writers flocked to the topic with touching and clumsy avidity in a bid, it seemed, for relevance. In the effort to understand just what creates a terrorist (then as now the dominant question when it comes to terrorism), couldnt the novelist  that specialist in the dark, cobwebby corners of the soul, that diagnostician of how the private life intertwines with the public  prove himself useful? But with a few notable exceptions like Secret Son, by Laila Lalami, and the richly researched Harbor, by Lorraine Adams, there was a series of belly flops from our major writers. The fictional terrorist remained a creation of both condescension and envy, a tissue of projection, anxiety and stereotype informed by little curiosity or context. John Updike infamously relied on The Koran for Dummies while writing his 2006 novel Terrorist, which imagined an American high school student of Irish and Egyptian descent who becomes a suicide bomber.

What makes Jaber so unusual is his indifference to terrorists. Hes not curious about what impels them  he rarely bothers to even name them; theyre figures of vague dread rather than glamour. Its a perspective he seems to share with Karan Mahajan, the author of The Association of Small Bombs, a new and singularly intelligent novel about a 1996 bombing in New Delhi. In an interview with his publishers, Mahajan (who grew up in India and now lives in Texas) expressed exasperation with much Western fiction that has treated terrorism as some kind of performance art. Conrad saw that terrorism was just another mode of pettiness, of stupidity, of expression, he said. We shouldnt unnecessarily exalt terrorists because of their recent successes. In Mahajans book  as well as a handful of others to emerge out of India, Pakistan and the Middle East, including the work of Mohammed Hanif and Bilal Tanweer  terrorism is neither aestheticized nor shorn of its relationship to history or other kinds of violence. The war will never end, because its inside us, the Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury wrote in his 2012 book Broken Mirrors (translated into English last year). Brutality is revealed as boring, repetitive, frequently ridiculous: A man in The Mehlis Report survives the tremendous blast of a car bombing only to be killed by a shard smaller than a lentil, which pierces his heart. Its survival, however tenuous  especially when tenuous  that proves intriguing.

Which is to say that I suspect Jaber, like the unknown photographer I admire, would be less interested in the boy and his gun than in the woman and her thick, cropped hair, the sunflower print on her dress; it is she who dominates the frame, she who commands our curiosity. Is it a cauliflower shes holding? Is she hiding from the small boy with the gun  or waiting for him? Jaber is interested in what it means to live in and with fear, not for one season but for a whole generation, two generations, three. Hes interested in the bones of Beirut, a city that has had to rebuild itself repeatedly after being razed in war in 140 B.C., then devastated by the earthquake of 551, then again during the civil war, a city whose name derives from the Canaanite beerot  wells  the water table that still sustains it. Hes interested in what lies beneath, what nourishes us without our knowing, how the sight of a parked car can set off panic  It wasnt a car anymore. It was a ghoul, the narrator of The Mehlis Report frets. Was it my time to die? Would the ghoul explode and splatter me all over the street? And yet: Beirut is tense. Everyone is skittish. But the steam still rises from the teacups. And the cake smells sweet.

This attention to endurance, to life that goes on because it must go on, takes a particular form. Its not so much realism cut with fantasy as fiction poised between the land of the living and the dead. The dead watch the living on closed-circuit television, call their relatives on the telephone and obsessively revise their memoirs in The Mehlis Report. In Confessions, the living feel they might be phantoms themselves. The narrator cannot understand why everyone has always reacted to his face with such horror, why he provokes his sisters to tears, his brother to violence and the neighbors to gawking. Gradually he learns the truth: He is the replacement for a child who died. He even bears his name. The man he calls his father has murdered his real family and kidnapped him.

The city itself is a kind of ghostly palimpsest. There is the Beirut of the dead superimposed on the Beirut of the living, Jabers translator has said of The Mehlis Report, which takes the form of aimless walks as the protagonist, an architect, clinically evaluates passing women and takes stock of his city as it finally rebuilds after the civil war. He is both comforted and repelled by the changes: The skyscrapers promise growth, but he rues each missing mulberry and olive tree; the old movie theater, now a burnt-out husk, its charred seats looking like rows of tombstones; a dried-up river that was once filled with pink-and-white fish. This is a recurring scene in Jabers fiction: A character stops in front of one of Beiruts modern buildings and tries to remember what used to stand there, Robyn Creswell wrote in The New York Review of Books. Classical poetics in Arabic calls this scene the nasib: A nomad-poet halts at an abandoned desert campsite and, while figuratively sifting the ashes through his fingers, recalls the good times he once had there.
Hicks builds up that friendship with realistic care. Rat has a great deal to teach Kai, not just about how to fly across rooftops, but also what it means to be a member of a conquered class. Kais growing awareness of his own privilege is particularly resonant in light of Americas role, for better or worse, in current global conflicts. Fortunately, Hicks gets the message across without being particularly didactic.

The themes in The Nameless City are heavy  conquest, dictatorship, oppression  but young readers who grew up with The Hunger Games have certainly seen them before, and The Nameless City could have benefited from a more complex story. Still, neither Kai nor Rat is strictly heroic or villainous. They are still learning the rules of their complicated world. The adults in The Nameless City are not as well drawn, though Kais awkward relationship with the father he barely knows is touchingly handled. We also briefly meet a fascinating character called the General of All Blades when Rat stumbles upon a plot against him. The novel is the first in a planned trilogy, and readers will look forward to more of him.

The artwork is breathtaking, with its subtly shifting color, rendered by Jordie Bellaire, lending each panel a richness that appropriately reflects a multifaceted culture. In Hickss sweeping scenes of the city, as well as her respectful attention to invented details of architecture, armor and clothing, she avoids the pitfall of creating a vaguely Asian world that is insultingly monolithic. Many of the panels showcase the citys beauty so intensely that readers will wish it were real. But Hicks doesnt shy away from the darker parts of the city. While she doesnt wholly delve into the distressing underbelly that is an unfortunate feature of any conquered land, her treatment of the native inhabitants anger and the struggles in their lives reflect our own world all too realistically.

Hicks excels at depicting movement  Kai taking a painful beating from his fellow Dao students, Rats gracefulness as she moves over the rooftops. But its the quiet images  Kai eating street food with his father or observing a nighttime festival  that are the most powerful, allowing the reader to take a breath and appreciate perhaps the books most important character: the magnificent city itself.
Theres another supposed decoding of its name, and the key to understanding its place in the Korean pantry: Special Army Meat. For decades after the Korean War, American G.I.s stationed in Korea ate from the bounty of the new industrial-food revolution, and a taste for these ingredients spread outside the bases, evolving in Korean hands. Thus you have dishes like budae jjigae, army stew, a bubbling pot of Spam, hot dogs, kimchi, tofu and a dozen other things. Thus you have spicy ramyun noodles blanketed by pasteurized process-cheese food. Thus you have Grace Lee, who will not make kimchi fried rice without Spam. (Although she concedes that you can make it without Spam.)

It isnt hard to find these dishes in Koreatown restaurants, but its arguable that the cross-cultural spirit that invented cheese ramyun may not have traveled easily with the restaurateurs whove left Korea. Lee was born there but raised in Ohio, Minnesota, California, Georgia and Seoul, and makes it a point to try Korean restaurants wherever she is in the world. From Mexico City to Rome, the food has tasted just as it might in Korea.

This is especially fascinating in Midtown Manhattan, where Koreatown is packed tight with restaurants, bars, groceries, hair salons, book and cosmetics stores but where relatively few Koreans actually live. Its a commercial hub without a built-in local clientele, and yet even here, the restaurateurs havent really gotten into the cooking-for-foreigners game, to reconfiguring their food or style to fit non-Korean customers tastes. The neighborhood exists because Koreans will travel there to be surrounded by Korean things. The Koreans I know are intensely proud and nationalistic, Lee says. They never talk about Korea. We always say woori nara  our country. 
Midway through A Bigger Splash, the latest hedonistic trip from the Italian director Luca Guadagnino, Ralph Fienness character, Harry, puts on the Rolling Stones Emotional Rescue album and starts to dance. His shoulders twitch, his body flails, and in a sort of drunken ritual set in the middle of a luxurious vacation home on an island off the coast of Sicily, he tears through the house, his awkward movements getting bigger and more daring  the music propelling him into a state of almost fearsome abandon.

It is a climactic scene for Harry and the other characters in a film in which the body and its capacity to revel in all the senses  be it through music, food, sex or the heat of volcanic rocks  are pushed to the extreme.

Based loosely on the 1969 French New Wave thriller La Piscine, or the The Swimming Pool, the movie, which opened May 4, stars Mr. Fiennes as an outlandish music producer and the ex-lover of Marianne Lane, played by Tilda Swinton. A rock star in the vein of Chrissie Hynde or David Bowie, Marianne has had surgery on her vocal cords and has traveled to the remote island of Pantelleria to recuperate with her current boyfriend, Paul, a much younger filmmaker (Matthias Schoenaerts). But when Harry and his recently discovered daughter, Penelope (a Lolita-esque Dakota Johnson), pay an unexpected visit, much sex, emotional tussling and intrigue ensue on a vacation that goes violently awry.

With the migrant crisis looming in the background, the brutal natural beauty of the island becomes a sort of fifth character. But music, particularly by the Stones, also plays an outsize role. I wanted to create a movie that is rooted in the nostalgic world of rock n roll, Mr. Guadagnino said by phone, explaining that Marianne, Paul, Harry and his daughter are the last to enjoy the freedom of the rock n roll revolution, a revolution that was about endless enjoyment, it was meant to never finish. So what happens when the party ends? Or when one person doesnt want it to?


From them, she made a play that became her thesis. Titled The People vs. the God of Vengeance, it cuts back and forth between Aschs drama and the trial, at which the playwright never appeared.

Image Sholem Asch Credit... Pictorial Parade/Getty Images

Feeling unsatisfied with her script but unwilling to let the subject go, Ms. Taichman went in search of a playwright collaborator. Thank goodness, she said, that shed grown up some by the time she finally got an introduction to Ms. Vogel, five or six years ago. By then, Ms. Taichman understood that her own task was to give Ms. Vogel all my knowledge that she wanted, not clinging to her own conception of the play but instead trusting whatever Ms. Vogels vision turned out to be.

Infused with music, movement and dance, Indecent revolves around a troupe of actors who perform and cherish The God of Vengeance through the decades, and a sweet stage manager called Lemml  his name a homage to Ms. Taichmans grandfather, his function a nod to Ms. Vogels affection for Our Town by Thornton Wilder. (At the Yale School of Drama, where she began teaching long after Ms. Taichman had graduated, she would sometimes soothe an upset student by taking a drive to Wilders old house nearby and sitting outside to talk.)

The trial has a smaller role, and lyricism a more prominent one, in Indecent than in Ms. Taichmans play. But for both her and Ms. Vogel, Aschs actions leading up to the Broadway production and his no-show status at the trial are knotty issues. Why did he allow the rain scene to be cut from the script? Why didnt he defend his colleagues and his work?

Ms. Taichman believes that in the political climate of 1923, he was afraid, just as she believes fear drove some Jewish objections to the show.

Thats what I think makes it a really complicated story, she said. There was enormous anti-Semitism. Nobody knew what was coming, but it was genuinely ominous. So what, in that moment, when you feel at risk, do you put out into the world about who you are?
Why is it so hard to find good fajitas?

Thats a question I found myself asking recently as I went on a fajitas crawl in Los Angeles, where I live, to check in on that essential and once fashionable Tex-Mex dish. The sizzling platters that arrived at my table never varied; they came bearing the requisite grilled strips of skirt steak, chicken or shrimp, usually overcooked, with seared onions and peppers that were greasy and underseasoned. Alongside were the predictable bowls of grated yellow Cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa.

They were a far cry from the fajitas I used to eat at backyard barbecues with Mexican-American families in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where I lived and worked in the 1970s.

Image Cilantro is stirred into the mix after the onions and peppers have cooked and the pan is deglazed. Credit... Rikki Snyder for The New York Times

My friends would grill cumin- and chile-rubbed skirt steak, at that time a cheap cut of meat, slice it thin and serve it on irresistible, freshly made flour tortillas. They would cook onions and chiles, sweet peppers and sometimes corn on the same grill until the vegetables were nicely charred, and serve them along with the meat on the warm tortillas, with grated Cheddar and crumbled queso fresco, fresh tomato salsa and homemade guacamole that they mashed in the molcajetes  mortar and pestles made from volcanic rock  that we routinely brought back from Mexico when we went across the border to shop.
Minerality, one of wines most hotly contested words, is often assailed as imprecise and too general, even as it is widely used among wine professionals. I find it far more useful than bothersome.

Here in Wine School, we try to talk about wine clearly and meaningfully. The use of this term, which came up repeatedly in our recent discussion about Austrian riesling (partly because of my prompting), may seem to run counter to our bias against jargon. Yet it is practical in describing a wines salient characteristics without descending into the sort of hyper-specific terminology that often ends up reducing the essence of a wine to a grocery list.

We hope not to get too bogged down in the minutiae of tasting descriptions. In an effort to explore the varieties of wine-drinking experiences with an eye toward better understanding our own tastes, we aim to drink as many different sorts of wines as we can. We evaluate our reactions, both rational and emotional. This includes articulating not only how a wine smelled and tasted, but also how it made us feel and how it acted with food.

Image Credit... Serge Bloch

As we do each month, I recommend three examples of a particular wine, and you drink it in a relaxed setting, with a meal. If you are so inclined, I ask you to share your thoughts and insights about the wines by commenting at nytimes.com/food.
BEIRUT  A new partial truce in Syria has been extended to the divided city of Aleppo, U.S. officials and Syrian state television declared Wednesday, after days of diplomacy by American and Russian envoys to halt catastrophic fighting there.

But the details of the partial truce  and whether it imposed new conditions on the Syrian government, insurgents or their international backers  remained murky, with no immediate confirmation of the deal from Russia.

The parties did not even agree on precisely when the truce began to apply in Aleppo. The State Department said it had begun at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, and Syrian state television said it would take effect at 1 a.m. Thursday.

Nor did their statements clarify the main disagreement between the United States, which backs some insurgents, and Russia, the most powerful ally of the Syrian government, over which rebel groups are fair game for government and Russian airstrikes.

The crux of the problem is that Nusra Front fighters, affiliated with al-Qaida, are intermingled in parts of insurgent-held territory with rebel groups that have agreed to the partial truce. Russia says those groups can therefore be targeted, while the United States has argued against Russias position.

Aleppo, the main hub of northern Syria, is a crucial battleground, split between government-controlled and insurgent-held territory. Nearly 300 people, mostly civilians, have died in renewed fighting there, with government airstrikes pummeling the rebel section and rebels shelling the other side.

The fighting has shattered a two-month respite provided by a partial cease-fire that tamped down the death toll across Syria, now in its sixth year of war. But the violence never ended entirely, especially amid sharp disagreements between Russia and the United States over what constituted a violation. The Nusra Front and the Islamic State were excluded from the deal.

In a statement, a State Department spokesman, Mark C. Toner, said that after an agreement Friday to restore a truce in the Damascus suburbs and in the northern province of Latakia, Russia concluded arrangements late Tuesday to extend this effort to Aleppo province, including Aleppo city and its surrounding areas.

Since this went into effect today at 00:01 in Damascus, we have seen an overall decrease in violence in these areas, even though there have been reports of continued fighting in some locations, Toner said.

But Syrian state television quoted the Syrian Army Command as saying that a cease-fire would apply in Aleppo starting at 1 a.m. Thursday.

Russia made no official statement, but earlier Wednesday, Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov told Rossiya Segodnya, a state-owned news wire, that Russia, the United States and its allies, and the Syrian government had all agreed on terms for a cease-fire but that the Syrian government said the opposition continues to shoot.

Lavrov said the United States had tried to define the territory of the truce in such a way as to include a significant part of the positions held by the Nusra Front.

He added, This was absolutely unacceptable, and at the end we managed to strike it down.

At an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday afternoon, the undersecretary-general, Jeffrey Feltman, told diplomats that an agreement even on a day of silence in Aleppo  meaning a one-day truce  had proved challenging.

He gave no new details on the reported new truce, saying only that he had received news of the announcement by the State Department.

Also appearing before the Security Council, the U.N.s top relief official, Stephen OBrien, chronicled attacks on an ambulance, two hospitals and two U.N.-supported primary health centers in the last two weeks. He singled out the Syrian government for denying permits to health workers to immunize children.

Earlier in the day, in Geneva, Jan Egeland, a Norwegian diplomat who is a senior adviser to the United Nations relief effort in Syria, warned that thousands of Aleppo residents were at risk of siege.

Besiegement is worse in Syria than in any other place on Earth, he said.
Terrell Holmes was chasing after sea gulls that were after her nuts on Saturday when she felt what she thought was a bee sting.

But when the 61-year-old looked back on the sand at Crystal Cove State Beach, she was shocked when she saw what had bitten her.

A small rattlesnake was slithering on the sand, just feet away from where Holmes  along with her three young grandchildren  had set up for a relaxing day at the beach. The area is far from crowds and few people line this tucked away stretch of sand, which butts up to a sandy cliff and has brush beyond trails down to the beach.

I didnt think it would be a rattlesnake, I didnt think they would be on the beach, said Holmes, speaking from her home in Seattle with her leg still swollen and propped upright. At the time, I didnt feel pain.

She asked her son, Dean Sheldon of Utah, to check the snake out. The former Eagle Scout quickly identified it as a young rattlesnake, about a foot and a half long, and told his mother to lie down immediately while he called 911.

She had four puncture wounds on her foot, and a bit of blood started coming out. Lifeguards reached her, then called for an ambulance to transport her to Hoag Hospital Presbyterian. It wasnt long before the venoms effects started kicking in.

I had tingling all through my extremities, my head felt like it was blowing up with pressure, Holmes said. Even my teeth felt like they were swelling. I thought I could die from this stupid little snake. It was a scary thing.

For three days, doctors gave her fifteen vials of antivenin.

Orange County State Parks spokesperson Kevin Pearsall said rattlesnakes are populated throughout California, especially in drier areas, and Crystal Cove has a population of the venomous snake.

He said signs are posted throughout the park, especially in the back country. He said they get a few calls a year about rattlesnakes on the beach, and most of the time, they just relocate it. Its been a few years, however, since hes heard about a beach-goer actually bitten by a rattlesnake.

Its is a serious thing and something that needs immediate medical treatment, he said.

The rattlesnake is the states only venomous snake, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. They are generally not aggressive, and strike when threatened or deliberately provoked, but given room they will retreat. Most snake bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone walking or climbing.

Rattlesnakes account for more than 800 bites each year with one to two deaths, according to the California Poison Control Center. About 25 percent of the bites are dry, meaning no venom was injected, but the bites still require medical treatment.

Pearsall warns that beachgoers should always stay on trails and use caution, and most important, to keep their distance if they see a rattlesnake.

We tell everybody, just walk around it, walk away from it, Pearsall said.

Holmes joked that her son couldnt even get a $15 refund on his parking pass as they left the park for the hospital.

You need to call the park system and tell them they owe you a yearly pass, she joked.

But Holmes is serious about the need for more signage warning beach-goers  especially with small children in tow  about the rattlesnakes presence.

It could have gotten one of them, she said of her grandchildren, ages 3, 5 and 7. They need to know that that is going on down there and to be careful. If that sign had been there, my kids would not have taken their children there. Adults can watch out for themselves, but children cannot.

Contact the writer: lconnelly@ocregister.com
The government should not be able to act with the motive of retaliating against a person for his or her speech. Although this proposition seems unassailable, it is not one that the Supreme Court always has followed. The courts decision April 26 in Heffernan v. City of Paterson is important in protecting government employees from retaliation for their expressive activities.

Jeffrey Heffernan worked in the office of Police Chief James Wittig in Paterson, N.J. Wittig had been appointed by Mayor Jose Torres, who was running for re-election against Lawrence Spagnola. During the campaign, Heffernans mother, who was bedridden, asked Heffernan to pick up for her a large Spagnola lawn sign. Heffernan did this and, while doing so, had a conversation with Spagnolas campaign manager and staff.

Members of the police force saw Heffernan, with the Spagnola sign in hand, talking to campaign workers. Word of this quickly spread through the police force. The following day, Heffernans supervisors demoted Heffernan from detective to patrol officer in response to what they perceived as Heffernans active involvement in Spagnolas campaign. This, though, was a mistaken perception; Heffernan was just helping his mother by getting her a lawn sign.

Heffernan sued, contending that the demotion violated his First Amendment rights. But both the federal district court and the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected this argument on the ground that Heffernan was not actually engaged in First Amendment activity. The appellate court explained that a free-speech retaliation claim is actionable  only where the adverse action at issue was prompted by an employees actual, rather than perceived, exercise of constitutional rights.

The Supreme Court reversed, 6-2. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the majority and began by explaining that the Constitution prohibits a government employer from discharging or demoting an employee because the employee supports a particular political candidate.

The court concluded that there is a First Amendment violation when the government acts to punish an employees speech, even if that employee was not actually engaged in First Amendment activity. Justice Breyer wrote: When an employer demotes an employee out of a desire to prevent the employee from engaging in political activity that the First Amendment protects, the employee is entitled to challenge that unlawful action under the First Amendment  even if, as here, the employer makes a factual mistake about the employees behavior.

This is surely correct. Actually, the court made this case much more complicated than it needed to be. Contrary to the courts assumption and the lower courts conclusion, Heffernan was engaged in First Amendment activity: picking up a campaign lawn sign and talking to campaign workers is expressive activity. The court could have found those behaviors to be speech, regardless of whether the lawn sign was for Heffernan or for his mother.

Heffernan was demoted to punish what was perceived as his political activity. The court rightly said that this violated the First Amendment.

The Supreme Court has been inconsistent as to whether the governments motive matters in free speech cases. For example, in United States v. OBrien (1969), the court upheld a federal law that made it a crime to knowingly destroy or knowingly mutilate draft registration certificates. The clear purpose of the amendment to the Selective Service Act was to stop draft-card burning as political protest. Yet the court said that this motive was irrelevant. The court said that [i]t is a familiar principle of constitutional law that this court will not strike down an otherwise constitutional statute on the basis of an alleged illicit legislative motive.

This was wrong; the government should not be able to act with the motive of suppressing speech. The courts decision in Heffernan thus is important in holding that the government violates the First Amendment if it acts with the motive of punishing speech.

The decision is remarkable because it is the first time the Roberts Court has ruled in favor of the speech rights of a government employee outside the context of upholding the First Amendment rights of nonunion members. Most significantly, in Garcetti v. Ceballos (2006), the court held that there is no First Amendment protection for the speech of government employees on the job in the scope of their duties.

Heffernan v. City of Paterson should have been an easy case, even for a court that finds little protection for the speech of government employees. Hopefully, it is the beginning of greater speech protections for those who work for the government.

Erwin Chemerinsky is dean of the UC Irvine School of Law.
SANTA ANA  A federal grand jury indictment accusing eight men of running an international scheme to launder more than $60 million in illegal drug proceeds was unsealed Thursday, after four of the men were taken into custody.

The group, which includes a Fullerton resident, is suspected of being involved in a Black Market Peso Exchange that converted millions of dollars in drug sales from the United States into pesos for drug trafficking organizations in Mexico, Department of Justice officials said.

Authorities described 59-year-old Gustavo Barbra as the leader of the scheme through offices his company  Barbra International, Inc.  operated out of Guadalajara and the Los Angeles jewelry district.

Prosecutors allege that Barbra and his co-defendants acted as Peso Brokers using the need for Mexican drug traffickers to launder massive amounts of U.S. currency and the desire of legitimate businesses to avoid fees or taxes on payments to American suppliers and manufacturers.

Barbra was arrested on Tuesday evening while trying to enter the United States through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Department of Justice officials said. After his arrest, a 32-count money laundering indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana in July was unsealed.

Among those since taken into custody is Isaias Navarro, 37, of Fullerton, who is accused of running Barbra Internationals office in Los Angeles. Authorities are still searching for two alleged couriers, as well as Barbras father-in-law.

Cutting off flow of illicit profits to drug cartels is a key component in the battle against international drug traffickers, U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said in a statement following the arrests. As banks implement controls to shut down money laundering and as regulations make it more difficult for drug cartels to move money, these organizations seek out new ways to collect money from illegal drug sales. We are responding accordingly.

Among the agencies that assisted with the federal investigation were the Santa Ana, Placentia, Irvine, Orange, Seal Beach and Cypress police departments, along with the Orange County District Attorneys Office.

Contact the writer: semery@ocregister.com
LOS ANGELES  The estimated cost of a massive gas well blowout that spewed methane uncontrollably for nearly four months and uprooted 8,000 Los Angeles families has more than doubled to $665 million, Sempra Energy announced Wednesday.

San Diego-based Sempra had estimated costs of $330 million in its annual report in February, but that was before courts forced its Southern California Gas Co. to continue paying to house thousands of relocated residents.

The gas leak at the Aliso Canyon storage facility was the largest-known release of climate-changing methane in U.S. history, according to scientists. It spewed an estimated 107,000 tons of methane over 16 weeks.

The blowout reported Oct. 23 sickened residents in Porter Ranch and surrounding San Fernando Valley suburbs who complained of headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and other symptoms as the foul-smelling gas wafted over neighborhoods.

SoCalGas has pointed out that public health agencies have found the air quality in the area has returned to normal, though many residents have continued to complain of maladies since the leak was capped in February. Some 3,700 households remain in short- or long-term housing, many because of fears of returning until they are assured their homes are clean and safe.

Dennis Arriola, president and chief executive of SoCalGas, said that 54 percent of relocated residents had returned home and more were returning each week.

He said the latest cost estimates, which were included in Sempras first-quarter earnings, reflected the expectation the company will continue to pay housing for relocated families until June 7 when another court hearing is scheduled.

Judges have repeatedly extended orders for the company to pay relocation costs while the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health tests homes for carcinogens and other compounds found in natural gas.

The company has begun moving families from hotels to apartments, which it said was being done to provide more space and amenities such as kitchens. Arriola said it also allowed the company to cut costs because it wont have to pay $45 per person each day for meals.

Arriola said the lions share of the latest cost estimate  70 percent  is for relocation expenses. The other 30 percent is split equally between: costs for stopping the leak and investigating its cause; and legal and other costs.

The estimates do not account for possible damages from 138 pending lawsuits or civil or criminal penalties that could be brought by a swarm of government agencies investigating the leak.

The company said it has four types of insurance policies to cover more than $1 billion in costs. In its first-quarter earnings report Wednesday, Sempra said SoCalGas has recorded an insurance receivable of $660 million.

Sempra said the estimated costs had no material impact on earnings in the quarter. Net income for Sempra was down 28 percent from the same quarter last year and earnings fell short of Wall Street expectations.

Arriola said the company expects an investigation into the cause of the leak to be completed by early 2017.

He reiterated plans to complete a battery of tests on the remaining 114 wells at the field so the company can resume storing gas underground.

Aliso Canyon is the largest gas storage facility west of the Mississippi River and a major source of energy for the Los Angeles area. Energy officials have warned of possible blackouts this summer if it is not able to operate.
COSTA MESA  A proposal by Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer for a $20 million bond measure to provide more affordable housing in the city died before reaching voters.

The City Council on Tuesday night voted 3-2 against a resolution that theres a public interest and need for the city to add affordable housing by issuing a bond. Righeimer, who wanted the measure on the November ballot, and Councilman Gary Monahan voted yes. The resolution required four of the five votes to move forward.

Councilman Katrina Foley and public speakers criticized Righeimers proposal as a tax on residents without a specific plan.

Im a right-wing conservative Republican, Righeimer responded. No new taxes, I get all that. OK? But Im telling you we have homeless on our streets. We have people that we have to help.

In an attempt to increase affordable housing, Costa Mesa officials have launched an effort to clean up Harbor Boulevard motels, which some see as havens for prostitution and drug use and others see as low-cost lodging for the poor.

Some past and present council members also have requested the city consider adopting inclusionary zoning, which forces developers to include housing at below market-rate prices for low-income residents.

Righeimer stirred controversy at the April 19 council meeting when he called inclusionary zoning socialist and made the following statement: If you cannot afford to live here, and your kids cant have decent housing, you should look at where you can afford. That is not an elitist statement.

According to Righeimers bond proposal, residents would have to pay up to an estimated $9.42 per $100,000 assessed value of their property each year over 20 to 30 years.

In return, the city would use the money to buy or build affordable rental housing for low- to moderate-income families outside its single-family zones.

Righeimer said the $20 million itself may only allow the city to fund several projects. But the city can leverage the money to receive county funds and federal credits, he said.

The lack of affordable housing has been a hot issue in Costa Mesa and throughout Orange County.

Rent averaged $1,928 a month for a large-complex apartment in Costa Mesa this past winter, and the median price for a Costa Mesa home was $675,000 in March, real estate market trackers reported.

More than 101,000 low-income Orange County households cant find affordable rentals, according to the San Francisco-based nonprofit California Housing Partnership Corp.

Kathy Esfahani, a representative from the Costa Mesa Affordable Housing Coalition, said Tuesday she couldnt take a stand on Righeimers bond measure because she didnt know enough about how the money would be used.

Its a risky endeavor to have the council put all their eggs in one basket, Esfahani said. It shouldnt be this bond is a way we are going to meet the affordable housing needs in the community. Theres a lot that the council can do immediately to start addressing those needs.

Staff Writer Jeff Collins contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 949-445-6397 or tshimura@ocregister.com
TUSTIN  A meeting about the Orange County Sheriffs Departments policy of handing over deportable inmates to federal immigration officials was cut short Wednesday when opponents loudly interrupted it to denounce the practice.

More than 25 immigrant-rights activists stood up and shouted, Hutchens, listen! Immigration is not your business! referencing Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens as audience members waited in line to address representatives of the department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Hutchens was not present at the meeting.

Federal immigration and local law enforcement officials have long touted the program, known as 287G, which targets serious offenders as a way to keep the public safe. However, immigration advocates have said the law breaks up families and targets the most vulnerable population.

Alexis Nava Teodoro, 28, of Santa Ana, with members of RAIZ, an Orange County group working to stop deportations, was forcibly escorted from the meeting at the sheriffs Regional Training Academy after standing and chanting with other protestors.

Local law enforcement have no business in enforcing immigration law, he said. Theyre supposed to protect us and keep safe, but they do the opposite by participating in these programs.

On the opposite side of the room, supporter Raul Rodriguez Jr., of Apple Valley, chanted Throw them out! at the mostly young crowd of opponents.

I dont approve of lawlessness, he said. They come to this country illegally, theyre lawbreakers.

It was common practice for police to hold undocumented immigrants convicted or accused of non-immigration crimes at the request of federal authorities.

Potentially deportable inmates were held beyond their sentences until they could be taken by federal immigration officials.

A federal court in 2014 deemed that unconstitutional. Instead, the department now notifies ICE before an inmates scheduled release, giving the agency time to pick the inmate up.

We are talking about people who are convicted of felonies and major crimes, said Assistant Sheriff Steve Kea. That doesnt include (traffic) infractions as was mentioned inside (the meeting).

Prior to 2014, the county would hold or transfer 100 to 150 detainees a month. That number plummeted following the policy change.

Orange County is the only county in the state that partners with the agency to initiate proceedings against inmates on behalf of ICE.

But not every inmate is eligible for federal detention, said ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice.

When we become aware of a case that may be of an individual whos potentially deportable, we do an exhaustive scrub of that case, she said. Our focus is on individuals who we believe present a threat to public safety  national security.

Supporters said that still more needs to be done to thwart crimes committed anyone in the country illegally.

The death toll keeps rising of people being murdered by people who have no business being here, said Orange resident Mike McGetrick. We want law enforcement to be dealt out to these people.

The issue of detaining undocumented immigrants has been contentious, particularly in cities like Santa Ana, where the future of its jail remains unresolved.

The Santa Ana City Council last month discussed the facility since deciding in February to not expand a contract with ICE that includes a detention facility for LGBT detainees. Transgender and immigrant-rights advocates claimed jail officers mistreat and abuse detainees and want the city to stop housing inmates under ICE custody.

They are asking the city terminate its contract with ICE, which ends in 2020.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@ocregister.com
HUNTINGTON BEACH In a move local environmentalists are hailing a milestone resolution, the Bolsa Chica Land Trust has entered an agreement to purchase the final 11.1 acres of disputed property overlooking the Bolsa Chica wetlands.

We have come to an agreement, where Signal Landmark is willing to sell, Kim Kolpin, executive director of the Land Trust, said Wednesday morning as she stood on the 6.2-acre Goodell property, one of two pieces of adjacent land that will be sold collectively.

To me its a thrill that as the executive director I can start to seriously focus on protecting and restoring the land, she said.

The agreement ends decades-long disputes between developers and environmentalists over one of the largest coastal marshlands in California. The Bolsa Chica Land Trust was created 23 years ago out of the nonprofit Amigos de Bolsa Chica organization to advocate for and save the upland areas above the wetlands.

After the California Coastal Commission in 2012 cleared the way for 111 single-family residences to be built on 23 acres west of Graham Street, all that remained were the Ridge property and adjacent 6.2-acre Goodell property.

Over the years, the Huntington Beach City Council approved zoning plans that would have allowed building on the sites. The latest, by land owner Signal Landmark, would have left the Goodell property open and allow for 22 homes to be built on the Ridge site.

The company later withdrew that proposal in the wake of community protest and concerns from the Coastal Commission, according to Todd Cunningham, president of Woodbridge Pacific Group, which represented the land owners.

Ownership determined this was the best outcome for all the stakeholders, Cunningham said Wednesday of the decision to sell.

The deal was praised by local officials.

Im very happy for them, said Huntington Beach Councilwoman Jill Hardy. I know theyve wanted this for a long time.

The Bolsa Chica Wetlands and adjacent mesa and uplands comprise about 1,700 acres of which about 1,200 acres have been saved as open space, according to Kolpin.

Under the agreement, the Bolsa Chica group, working with a national land acquisition nonprofit, has 18 months to raise the money to buy the land with the option to extend if needed.

Kolpin said the purchase price was not yet determined and dependent on an appraisal. She would only say that Bolsa Chica Land Trust had agreed to pay $1 million toward the property.

Kolpin added she was very confident the sale could be completed within 18 months and that her group already had half of the money it needed to contribute.

With the agreement, the Bolsa Chica Land Trust will dismiss lawsuits against the city and land owners arguing that development would destroy environmentally sensitive habitat and Native American artifacts and cog stones dating back 9,000 years.

The land would be kept for less structured activities, with a cultural node designed by Native American groups, Kolpin said. The Land Trust would also look at installing hiking trails and other uses.

The vacant land is also popular among BMX bicyclists, who have build a series of ramps and jumps on the property.

Well deal with that after we get the land, Kolpin said.

If the Land Trust is unable to purchase the land, Signal Landmark plans to develop 2.5 acres and leave the remaining 8.6 open, rather than developing more than 5 acres as previously proposed, Cunningham said. But he stressed this was not the preferred outcome.

Gina Fromer, director of the California State Trust for Public Land, called Bolsa Chica a local treasure.

Everyone who lives in or visits Huntington Beach should be able to experience both its natural beauty and deep historical presence, she said in a statement.
Wal-Mart Stores will begin deploying employees to all its entrances and exits in a move to deter shoplifters and improve customer service, reviving a door-greeter program that had languished in recent years.

Greeters will return to Wal-Marts U.S. superstores in multiple forms, the company said on Wednesday. At two-thirds of locations, a standard greeter will be stationed at the entrance. Many of these stores had relocated the workers to other areas, such as the main shopping aisle.

The remaining stores, which the company has identified as having more theft, will get an employee focused on preventing shoplifting who will periodically check receipts. These workers, called customer hosts, will be younger than traditional greeters and better able to deal with an encounter that could turn hostile. They will be designated with a bright yellow vest and a radio.

Wal-Mart began testing a program last year to see how effective it would be to add more staff at the door. The results were positive. At two stores in Arlington, Texas, having employees check receipts helped reduce calls to police by about 40 percent over six months, said Kevin Kolbye, assistant chief of the Arlington police. Wal-Mart also put in place eye-level security monitors and other theft-prevention technology, and a program for first-time offenders so they dont have to be arrested, he said.

The changes, announced to employees on Wednesday, will be rolled out over the summer, the company said. Wal-Mart will also create a new position to have an employee oversee the self-checkouts, an area prone to theft.

Theft has been an increasing problem for Wal-Mart, with the company saying it contributed to lower earnings last year. At some stores, police are called four times a day to arrest shoplifters stealing everything from a $2 pack of gum to a cart full of televisions. While Wal-Mart doesnt break out how much merchandise disappears from its stores, retailers typically lose 1.4 percent of their sales to theft and administrative errors, according to the National Retail Federation.

The store greeter was a hallmark of Wal-Mart under founder Sam Walton, who believed having a friendly face at the door could give a neighborhood feel to the companys massive supercenters. This time around, Wal-Mart hopes the greeters and customer hosts will not only deter theft but also help improve customer service  a key focus for the company as it tries to reignite sluggish store traffic growth.

Wal-Mart expects to fill the new staffing with existing employees, so headcount probably wont increase.
HONG KONG  A man believed to be the last person still in prison for participating in the 1989 Tiananmen protests is scheduled to be released later this year, a human rights group said.

The man, Miao Deshun, was given an 11-month reduction in his sentence this spring, which means he should be released in October, according to the Dui Hua Foundation, an organization based in San Francisco that has lobbied for Miao and other prisoners from that era.

Miao was convicted of arson for throwing a basket onto a burning tank and was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in August 1989. He was one of more than 1,500 people sentenced to prison after the crackdown in June 1989 on protesters in Beijing and other cities left hundreds, possibly thousands, of people dead.

Miao, 51, was a worker from Hebei province, and his harsh sentence may have been connected to his lowly status. Workers involved in the protests generally received longer jail terms than students.

Former prisoners who knew Miao recalled him as extremely thin, and one said that guards would not shackle him, probably because he did not have the strength to move with chains around his feet, the BBC reported in 2014.

Dui Hua said that Miao has had no contact with the outside world in years and that he has hepatitis B and schizophrenia.

The group had raised Miaos case in 17 prisoner lists submitted to Chinese authorities since 2005. He was given a one-year sentence reduction in 2012, and his sentence was reduced again in March for good behavior, making him eligible for release in October.

We welcome this news, and express the hope that he will receive the care he needs to resume a normal life after spending more than half of it behind bars, John Kamm, executive director of the Dui Hua Foundation, said in a written statement.
Electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc. brushed off a big first-quarter loss and cheered investors with news that it plans to accelerate its production plans.

Teslas loss rose 84 percent to $282 million in the first quarter as it struggled with parts delays for its new Model X SUV. The companys stock-based compensation costs also more than doubled during the quarter to nearly $90 million.

The loss, of $2.13 per share, far exceeded Wall Streets forecasts. Analysts polled by FactSet expected a loss of 87 cents per share.

But Teslas shares jumped 3 percent to $229.48 in after-hours trading after the company said its pushing ahead its plan to make 500,000 vehicles per year to 2018, two years earlier than scheduled. Thats up from 50,000 vehicles in 2015.

Tesla said it remains on track to deliver 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles this year after resolving the Model X production issues. It also reaffirmed that production of the lower-cost Model 3 car will start in 2017. Tesla has set July 1, 2017, to start production of the Model 3 and wants to make 100,000 to 200,000 cars in the second half of the year.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has a desk and a sleeping bag at the companys Fremont, California, factory, said he celebrated the first flawless production of a Model X at 3 a.m. last Friday  eight months after the company started deliveries to customers.

He stressed that the Model X  with its gull-wing doors and free-standing rear seats  is much more complicated than the Model 3, so industry watchers shouldnt assume the company will have similar production problems. Tesla also will be tougher on suppliers who cant meet its deadlines, he said.

No element of Model 3 can be approved unless manufacturing says its easy to manufacture, Musk told analysts in a conference call Wednesday evening.

Tesla unveiled the Model 3 on March 31. With a starting price of around $35,000, it will be the most affordable car in the companys 13-year history. Tesla said more than 325,000 people put down a $1,000 deposit to reserve the car in the first week after the unveiling. Musk said customers should order now if they want to receive their car in 2018.

Musk also called for manufacturing experts to join the company. The plea came as Tesla confirmed that its vice presidents of manufacturing and production are both leaving the company.

Tesla is going to be hellbent on becoming the best manufacturer on earth, Musk said. Its easy to get wrapped up in a bunch of short-term issues, but in terms of what matters for the future, I think thats the most critical thing.

Tesla delivered 14,810 Model S sedans and Model X SUVs in the January-March period. That was lower than expected, largely due to the Model X delays. But it was still a 48 percent increase in deliveries over the same period a year ago.

First-quarter revenue rose 22 percent to $1.1 billion. The company said Model X prices  which start around $80,000  were about 30 percent higher than for the Model S.

Tesla says unadjusted figures do not reflect its true performance because accounting rules limit how it records revenue for leases. On an adjusted basis, the company lost 57 cents per share, beating Wall Streets forecast for a 60 cent loss.
Conventional movie wisdom would suggest that there can only be diminishing returns with long-running franchises. There must be a breaking point, right? Especially at movie four, five, six and beyond. There are exceptions, sure, but even the painstakingly plotted Marvel films have had low points.

And yet in the ashes of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the brain trust behind Marvel Studios and directors Joe and Anthony Russo have built what is easily one of the strongest films of their so-called cinematic universe with Captain America: Civil War, an engaging, lively and just flat-out fun use of the characters weve gotten to know across the last eight years and 12 films.

As our interest waned in the prospect of yet another supervillain threatening to destroy an entire city or planet, Marvel smartly pivoted and turned the conflict inward. With the near inevitability of a civilian death toll any time the Avengers are involved in an incident, the UN steps in with an accord proposing regulation and oversight. Essentially now, the Avengers need permission before they jump into action.

Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) is for it. Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) is against it. And the rest of the Avengers must decide where they side, leading to some interesting alliances  like Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) going against her pal Cap, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) positioning against his friend Black Widow, and so on.

Some of it is rather silly, especially the villain Zemo, whose somewhat nonsense plan leaves a lot to chance and coincidence. Daniel Bruhl, as always, is great in the role, but still little more than a plot device  as though the screenwriters thought that it would be too dark for the good guys to fracture without a push from a manipulative outsider.

The good news is that this Avengers movie in disguise keeps everything rather intimate for a superhero movie. There are only so many times these films can get away with scenes of massive destruction  the thrill (and horror) of the spectacle starts to dull. In Civil War the combat is mostly hand-to-hand, the stakes are personal, and the set pieces small. The showdown of the superhero teams is confined to an airport runway, for instance.

That airport sequence, by the way, is exceptionally entertaining. Its both witty and visually engaging and worth the price of admission. Cap, Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Hawkeye, Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) face off against Iron Man, Black Widow, War Machine (Don Cheadle), Vision (Paul Bettany) and the two newbies, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman).

Its also hard not to be a little cynical about the obvious corporate machinations of Civil War, like the introduction of Spider-Man and Black Panther  two characters who we already know are getting their own movies. Every moment with them feels like a trailer, and like the best trailers, we see only the finest stuff. Civil War dares you to not be won over by Hollands youthful comedic charm and Bosemans depth as the stoic prince in the killer suit.

We also can conjecture, for instance, that Spider-Man doesnt ultimately have much of an impact on the plot because the actual Spider-Man movie will eventually come from Sony, not Disney. Does any of this really matter if the movies are good? No, of course not. We just know too much about the roadmap to make any of it seem spontaneous, surprising and organic. Characters cant just break out from the pack on their own merits. If they could, Marvel probably would have resurrected the idea for a Black Widow movie by now.

The thing is, Marvel makes it funny, and that charm and care is what has and will keep audiences coming back over and over again.
RIO DE JANEIRO  A senator selected as a fact-finder by a special Senate commission considering the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff recommended Wednesday that she be put on trial for possible removal from office.

The Senates website said Sen. Antonio Anastasia made the recommendation for a Senate trial in a 126-page report he presented to the 21-member commission.

Rousseff is facing impeachment over allegations her administration violated fiscal laws by shifting around government funds to plug holes in the budget. Her critics say it was done to prop up flagging support before elections. Brazils first female president insists the procedure amounts to an attempted coup against her.

The full Senate is scheduled to decide whether to try Rousseff in a vote next Wednesday. If a majority of senators, or 41 out of 81, vote in for impeachment, Rousseff will be suspended from office for up to 180 days as a full impeachment trial goes ahead. Vice President Michel Temer would become the interim president.

Meanwhile, Brazils attorney general has asked the countrys highest court to authorize an investigation into Rousseff over obstruction of justice allegations, according to major Brazilian news organizations.

The countrys top newspapers and the Globo television network said late Tuesday that Rousseff was among 30 people targeted by Attorney General Rodrigo Janots requests. Others include former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Solicitor General Jose Eduardo Cardozo as well as opposition politician Aecio Neves, who lost to Rousseff in the 2014 presidential race, and House Speaker Eduardo Cunha.

The attorney generals office, which needs the Supreme Courts permission to investigate legislators and high-level government officials, declined to comment on the reports.

The media stories said Rousseff is suspected of trying to undermine the snowballing investigation into corruption at the state-run oil company Petrobras by appointing her predecessor, Silva, as her chief of staff this year. Silvas nomination was later suspended.

The newspaper o Globo in Rio de Janeiro reported that Janots request accuses Silva of being the ringleader behind the scheme that saw big construction firms pay bribes in exchange for inflated contracts with Petrobras, with some of the money ending up in the coffers of political parties across the ideological spectrum. The case has already ensnared leading politicians and businessmen.

This criminal organization could never have functioned for so many years and in such a wide and aggressive manner within the federal government without ex-President Lulas taking part in it, the newspaper quoted Janots petition as saying.

The reports said the attorney generals requests grew out of the plea bargain testimony by Sen. Delcidio do Amaral, formerly the governments leader in the Senate who was detained after recordings emerged suggesting he was plotting to spirit a key player in the Petrobras scandal out of the country.

Silva and Rousseff have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Rousseff on Wednesday sought to cast doubt on Amarals testimony, saying the senator is in the habit of lying.

She added that the leaked news of Janots requests appeared to have been timed to do maximum damage to her and her close collaborators.

Teori Zavascki, the Supreme Court justice in charge of the Petrobras investigation, will decide whether to grant Janots requests. The news reports said there is no timetable for a decision.
TUSTIN  Two Orange County men in their 20s both died early Thursday morning as passengers in a car that flipped during a crash when the driver veered off the freeway, officials said.

Isaac Sauceda, 19, of Santa Ana was driving at 12:11 a.m. on the southbound I-5 freeway, just south of the 55, when he veered off the road, according to a California Highway Patrol report.

The maroon 2008 Scion TC then crashed into a raised asphalt curb before going airborne and overturning onto its roof into a dirt and ice plant area.

Officials said the passengers  a 21-year-old Santa Ana man and a 22-year-old Tustin man  both died at the scene with severe head injuries. Their names were not immediately released.

Orange County Fire Authority firefighters used the jaws of life to extricate them from the mangled vehicle by cutting off the roof and popping open the doors, OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

Sauceda was not intoxicated at the time of the crash, CHP Officer Florentino Olivera said.

He was sitting on the side of the freeway when out firefighter paramedics arrived, Concialdi said. He was transported in moderate condition with a head injury to Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana.

Investigators are asking any witnesses to call the CHP Santa Ana office at 714-567-6000.
ANAHEIM  Star Wars fans flocked to Disneyland on Wednesday, some dressed in apparel reflecting the movie franchise, telling one another, May the fourth be with you.

They were playing off of the date  and the line made famous by the films: May the force be with you.

A 35-year-old Long Beach man, wearing a Jedi robe and walking around Tomorrowland with his light saber, took it a step further.

A really big step further.

In March, he legally changed his name to Anakin Skywalker, a major character in the films. To prove it, he offered a California Identification Card.

Im a real fan, he said of the movies. I love how its always been about the adventure, the love, the heroes, the villains and redemption.

While I think Anakin deserved redemption, I dont think Kylo Ren deserves redemption. He killed his father, and hes too far gone.

Years ago, May 4th became an unofficial Star Wars holiday, with fans on the internet writing May the fourth be with you to one another. A few years ago, Disneyland tapped into it.

On Wednesday, the park offered special merchandise such as T-shirts with the slogan on the front, and special pins.

In the past, fans dressed up in full Star Wars costumes. Beginning last year, for safety precautions, adults arent supposed to dress like the characters but many still wore some attire.

Brandi Hatzenbuehler, with her husband and children, arrived as Princess Leia but settled for twin hair buns and white boots.

I had the whole Princess Leia costume on, but they turned me away at the gate  so I went back to my room and took off the dress and put on jeans, the Denver resident said.

Kids can stiill wear costumes, and many did, including seven-year-old Samantha Simon of Redondo Beach. The young Princess Leia held onto two things.

My light saber is more important then my churro, she said and took a bite of the cinammon-flavored treat.

Staff writer Tony Saavedra contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: meades@ocregister.com
Subway is breaking into the billion dollar coffee market with the alternative brand Subway Cafe in Orange  a hybrid shop hoping to hook millennials with foot-long subs and fake Frappuccinos.

You can order any high-end drink you find at Starbucks, cafe owner and Subway franchisee Daniel Riscalla said.

The cafe, which opened Friday near Chapman University, features a barista bar, lounge seating, communal tables, free Wi-Fi and a bounty of outlets for device-tethered customers. It is the third to open in Orange County in the last two years.

On a Tuesday afternoon, Subways strong brand appeared to be working against the worlds biggest fast-food chain. A handful of customers bought sandwiches and bypassed the espresso counter completely.

I had no idea they sold coffee, said Lindsay Rawls, a Chapman sophomore studying on her laptop.

Student Christine Cherekdjian, also studying on a computer, was bold enough to bring her own coffee  a grande vanilla swirl latte from the Starbucks on campus.

Cafe owner Riscalla said hes not concerned by the coffee conundrum. He said itll take time for word of mouth to spread about Subways coffee offerings, which include lattes, cappuccinos, coffee-infused smoothies, hot tea and iced coffee. Subway Cafe also sells pastries such as tarts and croissants, which are baked on-site.

Though Starbucks is a competitor, Subway Cafes ironically serve Seattles Best coffee  a Starbucks-owned brand.

Most people are not used yet to the fact that we offer coffee, Riscalla said. I am confident over time, it will grow.

But how does he compete with a year-old Starbucks on campus on the ground floor of Beckman Hall?

Riscalla said Subway can beat Starbucks on price. We have lower prices and higher quality pastries, he said.

Subways lattes range from $2.79 to $3.69. The same size beverages at two Starbucks in Oranges historic downtown sell for $3.15 to $4.25.

The Coffee and Snack Shops industry, led by Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, is expected to reach $39.9 million in sales in 2016. That represents a 3.6 percent revenue increase from 2015, according to market research firm IBISWorld.

Restaurant analyst Darren Tristano said Subway is looking to capture share in a hot market.

They are seeing the success at Starbucks and Dunkin (Donuts), and they want a piece of it, said Tristano, president of market research firm Technomic in Chicago.

The cafe concept has been a slow-growth brand.Subway Cafe debuted in 2008, and has grown slowly with nearly 100 locations scattered around the U.S. The cafes were initially developed to suit the needs of high-end office towers  where busy professionals can grab sandwiches, baked goods and coffee all day long without leaving the building.

In Orange County, the first two Subway Cafes opened in office towers, also in Orange. The first launched in 2014 inside a medical tower across from St. Joseph Hospital. It is owned by Riscalla, who also operates a Subway in Laguna Beach.

Initially I tried to tell him not do it, said Bob Grewal, who owns the master development rights for Subway restaurants in Orange County, Los Angeles, Virgina, Washington D.C., Maryland and Ontario, Canada.

As a so-called Subway development agent, Grewal works with franchise operators like Riscalla to open restaurants in his territory. Of the 2,100 Subways under Grewals franchise umbrella, 12 are Subway Cafes.

Riscalla was the first franchisee in Orange and Los Angeles counties to pitch the idea of a Subway Cafe. Grewal, the largest Subway developer in the world, approved the concept with caution.

I was kind of scared, Grewal said.

But Riscalla convinced him the idea would work. The medical tower was the perfect fit to try the alt-brand because it gives busy medical professionals a one-stop shop for sandwiches and java.

Today, if you go to the St. Joseph cafe, its zoo, Riscalla said.Sales are roughly 30 percent above a standard Subway because customers are ordering sandwiches, baked goods, and espresso drinks.

The cafes sales convinced Grewal to open his own Subway Cafe in an office building on State College Boulevard in Orange.

In Old Towne Orange, the cafe model is tweaked as it is geared more toward a younger demographic.

Exclusive touches have been added to attract nearby Chapman students, who are part of a generation known for being trendsetters, adventurous eaters and social media maniacs.

The coffee house features comfy lounge seats, communal tables, free Wi-Fi and roughly 30 outlets for powering devices. The cafe also uses Rockbot, a digital jukebox where music is controlled from your mobile phone.

We want them to stick around and do work, Riscalla said.

The restaurant near Chapman University also is the only Subway restaurant in Orange County with a Pepsi Spire machine. The touch screen soda dispenser is the counterpart to the more prevalent Coca-Cola Freestyle machine. The soda machine allows customers to choose from dozens of Pepsi options.

I love this machine. I was able to mix lemonade with raspberry tea, said Andy Gomez, a high school teacher who stopped by the cafe for lunch on Tuesday.

The cafe next to Chapman University has design touches added for its millennial customers: comfy lounge seats, communal tables, and Rockbot, a digital jukebox controlled from a mobile device. The contemporary decor could be part of a larger brand refresh at Subways across the country, said Grewal.

The company is going through a major rebranding right now, Grewal said. This is the first restaurant we were allowed to test elements of the new design.

The layout appears to be paying off.

Rawls said she came to the cafe to escape the hustle and bustle of campus. She didnt notice the barista bar, which is a separate from the sandwich counter. Next time, she said shell give it a try because she likes the atmosphere.

Its really convenient. They have a lot of outlets here, she said while studying for a psychology class.

Cherekdjian, who lives in dormitories a couple of blocks away, said liked the open floor setting and communal tables.

Ill probably come back to do my homework here, she said

Contact the writer: nluna@ocregister.com
Hector Louis Tirado sat in the radio room of a Boeing B-17 bomber, wearing his veteran cap and jacket adorned with World War II patches.

As the pilot revved the engine, smoke found its way inside and the smell of oil filled the cabin. Tirado could feel the blood pulse quickly throughout his body in anticipation of the take off  a sensation that mixed with a sense of nostalgia.

There are things you never forget, the 95-year-old Laguna Woods resident said.

Tirado had seen and taken photos of B-17s since the war, but on Wednesday he got to ride in a bomber for the first time in 72 years. He joined a flight from Riverside Municipal Airport to John Wayne Airport, as the Collings Foundation moved its B-17 and B-25 planes as part of the nationwide Wings of Freedom Tour.

The World War II vintage planes will be on display at the Lyon Air Museum until Sunday before the tour heads to Van Nuys.

The last time Tirado flew on a B-17 a German fighter plane shot down his aircraft. Tirado and six fellow crew members parachuted to the ground, but were captured by the Germans. They spent the next eight months as prisoners of war. The pilot and the tail gunner died in the air battle on Sept. 12, 1944.

Tirado was drafted to the U.S. Army Air Corps, the forerunner of the Air Force, in his early 20s, leaving home his wife and 2-month-old baby. He was sent to Europe and assigned to a B-17 as a ball turret gunner.

The B-17 bomber gained the name Flying Fortress because of its capability to fly long-range and withstand enemy fire.

Tirado said he still remembers his first mission on a B-17. He saw flak whizzing by and heard the ping of bullets hitting the plane.

The air was coming through the windows, Tirado said. Its not airtight like the planes you fly today. And its noisy. Youve got four engines so you can hear them.

The plane soon became his second home and the crew his family. They relied on one another for survival, Tirado said.

Tirado, the only living member of his B-17 crew, said Wednesday he had no hesitation about riding the plane that almost took his life.

It protected me as much as I tried to protect that plane, Tirado said.

Dolores DeCarlo, Tirados daughter, said her father didnt talk much about his war experience until later in his life. The ride on the B-17 was one thing her father had long wanted to check off his to-do list, DeCarlo said.

After the approximately half-hour flight from Riverside on Wednesday, the B-17 descended upon a runway at John Wayne Airport, where Tirados family and friends from Saddleback Church were waiting to greet him.

Tirado hopped out of the plane onto the tarmac with the swiftness of a former airman.

I didnt need a parachute this time, he quipped, with a grin on his face.

Contact the writer: 949-445-6397 or tshimura@ocregister.com
BRUSSELS  European Union authorities proposed visa-free travel in the bloc for Turkish citizens on Wednesday, a significant step for the group of 28 nations as it struggles to come to terms with the migrant crisis and hew to its humanitarian values.

An accord reached on March 18, in which the bloc pledged to introduce visa waivers by the end of June, has helped bring the blocs migrant crisis under greater control, but that deal prompted widespread criticism that it neglects human rights and rewards President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

The proposal from the European Commission, the blocs executive arm, could be modified and still needs approval from a majority of the blocs national governments and the European Parliament. The commission also took two other steps  it proposed changes to a quota system for asylum seekers, and recommended keeping in place some internal European border controls for at least another six months  as part of a package that represents one of the most comprehensive efforts to manage the migrant influx.

Here are some of the questions surrounding the debate in Europe over how to deal with the migration crisis.

Q. Why is Turkey a central player in the migrant crisis?

A. More than 1 million migrants reached Europe last year, and the route across the Aegean Sea to Greece from Turkey, though not without risk, is one of the most direct for many migrants to reach the continent.

Cooperation with Turkey  which shares a border with Iraq and Syria, the homeland for a significant portion of migrants fleeing war and conflict  has been the most effective way to cut off the influx from the Middle East.

The flow of migrants to Greece has slowed markedly since the accord with Turkey took effect. The EU-Turkey Statement has clearly yielded results, Frans Timmermans, first vice president of the European Commission, wrote on Twitter. Average daily arrivals in Greece now low 100s, not 1000s.

However, there has been an increase in migrants using the more hazardous Central Mediterranean Sea route to Italy, although most of them are from Africa.

Q. What does Turkey want?

A. Visa-free access to Europe is widely sought by citizens and the leadership in Turkey, which aspires to EU membership. It also provides a feather in the cap of Erdogan and other Turkish leaders who extracted significant concessions from the European Union.

The March 18 deal called for Turkey to receive about $6.6 billion to help organizations look after the migrants there; to accept the return of most migrants and refugees who travel across the Aegean to Greece, to remove an incentive to make the journey to Europe; for the eventual resumption of negotiations on Turkeys membership to the European Union; and the promise that the European Union would resettle one Syrian from a camp in Turkey for each Syrian who used an irregular route to reach Greece, a measure that would decrease the burden on Ankara.

Even if the visa-waiver proposal is ultimately approved, the chances of mass arrivals from Turkey appear slim. To qualify for entry, Turkish citizens would be required to hold passports that contain fingerprint and facial data embedded on a chip  passports that Turkey will not start producing until June.

Q. What is the source of EU resistance to a deal?

A. The extent to which the European Union is willing to compromise its principles in pursuit of a migration deal is a source of significant unease.

Offering Erdogan a political prize like visa waivers strengthens his appeal and confers legitimacy even as he pursues actions that cannot be reconciled with the blocs views on human rights.

Turkey is cracking down on freedom of expression, threatening minority groups and members of the opposition, and it has pressured Germany to prosecute a comic who ridiculed Erdogan while in Germany.

Turkey must still fulfill five of more than 70 requirements laid down by the commission before its citizens can qualify for visa waivers. The most difficult benchmark for Ankara to complete could be revising laws and practices to balance the fight against terrorism with respect for human rights, and the European Parliament said Wednesday that it would not vote on the proposal until all of the requirements are met.

There is still work to be done as a matter of urgency, but if Turkey sustains the progress made, they can meet the remaining benchmarks, Timmermans said Wednesday.

Q. Why is the Dublin Regulation important, and why is it being changed?

A. The Dublin Regulation, which requires refugees to register in the EU country in which they first arrive, penalizes countries by geography: It places a disproportionate burden on front-line states  namely Greece, but also Italy and Malta  to accommodate migrants.

The new rules would require other member states to accept a certain number of asylum seekers when those front-line states are overwhelmed.

Because previous attempts to enforce the relocation of migrants have largely failed, the European Commission is proposing financial sanctions that would require countries that refuse to participate to pay 250,000 euros ($290,000) for each refugee they do not accept as part of the quota (or corrective allocation).

Changing the Dublin rule could also ease human rights concerns, because migrants seeking to move northward across Europe to destinations like Germany have been effectively trapped in inhospitable conditions. There are nearly 58,000 stranded migrants and refugees, mostly in Greece.

Q. Can the Schengen border zone be saved?

A. EU authorities have made saving the Schengen area, which allows passport-free travel through much of the bloc, a priority.

The EUs strategy is to allow for temporary suspensions of the open-border policy, for six months at a time, to restore it entirely at a future date.

Right now, the prospect of another migrant influx makes open borders for some countries untenable. So Brussels is making an effort to reassure those countries that they can put checks in place if the influx is revived.
Something strange is going on at the Rogue Ales Brewery in Newport, Oregon. Brewers there are developing an ale made from wild yeast harvested from the beard of Rogues award-winning brewmaster, John Maier.

He hasnt shaved since 1978, and that apparently makes his beard the perfect place to harvest yeast. Im just kidding, its far from perfect, but Rogue Ales president, Brett Joyce said he was looking for a different place that might have some magic yeast in it and decided to try out Maiers facial hair. The guys at Rogue had tried developing some new yeast strains from some of their own hopyard, but came up empty-handed, so as a joke they had their lab guy take a couple of Q-tip swabs from John Maiers fluffy beard. Amazingly enough, he found a yeast cell, did some fermentation tests and the unique beard beer was born. What started out as a joke turned into something really special, since they never expected to find the new yeast they were looking for right in their brewmasters beard. This really is the needle in the haystack John Couchot, Rogue Ales self-described mad scientist said.

John Maier understands the initial eeww feeling some people might get when they first hear about the beard beer, but says theres nothing to be disgusted about. Youre really not drinking the beard youre drinking a great beer that happens to have a yeast in it that comes from a beard, he said, adding that yeast is everywhere. Right now the weird ale is being fined tuned, but after taking a sip, Maier said it tastes like its got some spices in it. That must be the salt and pepper of his personality.

So, will you run out and get yourself some cans of beard beer when it comes out, or is it just too gross for you?

via Huffpost
While most employees complain of being overburdened at work, one Frenchman is suing his former employer for not giving him enough to do. According to Frederic Desnard, his job as a manager at perfume company Interparfums had him suffer a bore out between the years of 2010 and 2014. He is now seeking 360,000 (approx. $400,000) in compensation and damages.

Desnard told Agence France-Presse that during his stint with the company he was given tasks that had nothing to do with his original responsibilities, leaving him destroyed with serious depression. He claimed that the lack of stimulation at work even triggered an epileptic fit one time, while he was driving. He was then signed off work for seven months, and the company later used his prolonged absence that disturbed the smooth working as an excuse to fire him in September 2014.

I went into depression, he said. I was ashamed to be paid to do nothing. The worse part of it was denying this suffering.

Photo: video caption

But Interparfums lawyer Jean-Philippe Benissan pointed out serious inconsistencies in Desnards claims, adding that he had never complained of boredom during his time with the company. He had only complained of burnout, following which he went on a sick leave. If he had nothing to do for four years, why did the company keep him on? he questioned. And if he actually had nothing to do over these years, why didnt he mention it?

Owing to the lack of evidence to prove that Desnards job ruined his health, a court actually ordered him to pay his former employer 1,000 for defamation, in December 2015. But he came back with a stronger appeal, this time seeking a whopping 360,000 compensation, including holiday pay and for missing out on a potential promotion.

The lawsuit specifically mentions the term bore out, which is not recognised by French law. But according to labor law specialist Sylvian Neil, Frances higher courts have recognised 244 cases in which employees were intentionally sidelined. This is apparently tantamount to moral harassment. So Desnard might just have a fighting chance at winning the compensation he seeks.
Parenting is tough at the best of times, but it has been nothing short of harrowing for Jackie and Matt Moravek, from Kalamazoo, Michigan. The young couple had to make the awful decision to have their four-year-olds leg broken a total of 300 times over four months  thats three times a day  just to save her from amputation.

Little Elsie Moravek was born with a rare disability known as proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD), which caused her left leg to be deformed and much shorter than her right leg. The two treatment options presented to the Moraveks were amputation and prosthesis, but they managed to find a third way that could potentially lengthen Elsies leg by just over four inches. Sadly, the gruesome procedure involved breaking her leg three times a day for four months.

A few local doctors suggested amputation, and we considered it because the leg lengthening process is so difficult to endure, said Jackie. We asked ourselves if we were being cruel to put our daughter through this and whether it was worth it. But we knew it was the right decision. We wanted Elsie to have the best life possible.

Photo: Jackie and Matt Moravek

It was when Jackie and Matt met Dr Shawn Standard, an expert in leg lengthening at the Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, that they finally decided to go ahead with the procedure. Elsie had her first surgery at 6 months old  a six-hour operation to reconstruct her knee, ankle and hip. She was then fitted with a prosthetic foot that bridged the gap between her real foot and the floor, after which she was able to walk for the first time.

But that was just the beginning of the ordeal. At age three she went through another surgery to surgically split apart her thigh and calf bones. Her leg was fitted with an external fixator device with ten pins piercing through her skin, muscle, and bone. And to prevent the break from healing, Jackie had to manually turn the screws on the device, pulling apart the femur and tibia bones by 0.039 inches a day.

Photo: Jackie and Matt Moravek

By doing this, Elsies body was able to grow new bone, muscle, and skin in the gap and her leg gradually lengthened by four inches over four months. Throughout that time, the little girl was constantly on pain medication to withstand the agonizing treatment. I felt very helpless, Jackie recalled. I was very pleased with her progress but it was hard to see her in pain and crying. Cleaning the open wounds where the ten pins had been drilled into her bone was the worst. It was agony for her. I felt upset watching her go through it, but we had a goal in mind.

I would have to put my mum hat on and push through it because I knew what the end result would be, she added. And she was right  Elsies legs are now even for the first time in her life. But sadly, they will grow out of sync again as she grows older because of the growth deficiency in her left leg. Once she reaches her full height, she will need to go through another round of surgery to lengthen her leg again. As difficult as that sounds, Jackie says that all the pain and effort is worth it to keep Elsie from losing a leg.

Photo: Jackie Moravek/Twitter

We wanted to give Elsie the best life possible and we thought the best option was to lengthen her leg, she said. That means she wont need a prosthetic or to get her leg amputated so she can do everything other girls her age are capable of. We made a lot of sacrifices for this but every single one of them was worth it.

via Daily Mail
The citizen uprising against the Westhampton, N.Y., library board continued at its April 13 meeting with demands that the entire board resign. Four of the five directors did so last year.

The new board, led by Thomas Moore, husband of Westhampton Beach Mayor Maria Moore, infuriated citizens present by giving a financial report but refusing to discuss it.

Board members were accused of lying and there was yelling from both sides, according to the report by Erin McKinley in the April 21 Southampton Press. Board secretary Jennifer Mendelson angrily left the room and Moore called a recess in a move to calm things down.

The board has been resisting for more than a year citizen demands that it be elected rather than appointed. Switching to elected status would open the library to lawsuits, the board said, and it would have to follow civil service law if it gave up its private corporation status. Projects over a certain amount would have to be put out for bid and employees would have to be paid prevailing wages.

Such arguments fall on deaf ears of the citizens and deserve nothing but their contempt.

Ad in SH Press Urges Defeat of Budget

Their only recourse against stonewalling officials is the vote on the library budget that comes up May 17. An ad by the citizens in the May 5 SH Press urges defeat of the librarys $2.7 million budget. The library could still operate under the old budget but a message of disapproval would have been sent.

An elected board is a long term solution but two emergencies confront both the library and village boards that demand immediate action.

Maria Moore

There is little difference between the two boards since Tom Moore and Maria Moore, husband and wife, head the library and village boards, respectively. This tie destroys the independence of the library board.

Both boards are suffering from political, moral and intellectual paralysis. They just cant take meaningful action on pressing problems. Boards are notorious sinkholes of vacuity. Board members lose half their I.Q.s and all their guts, board expert Nell Minow wrote long ago.

Kill Wi-Fi in Library, Schools, Now

Immediate shutting down of the Wi-Fi systems in the library and the schools of WHB is needed. The 54 precautions on the use of cellphones and computers compiled by Camilla Rees should be posted in the library and schools. She also describes the harmful radiation from thousands of cell towers, wireless utility meters and numerous other sources.

Wi-Fi has been removed from all the schools in Haifa, Israels third largest city.

The blind/deaf/dumb pose of officials worldwide with respect to the dangers of pulsed radiation mirror the attitude of Captain Stanley Lord of the S.S. Californian, who when told of rockets of distress being seen a short distance away (from the Titanic!) went to sleep. Also sleeping was the wireless operator.

More than 1,500 people drowned or froze to death in the icy waters. David Dyer has written The Midnight Watch that explores that historic snubbing.

Both boards need to throw off their intellectual stupor and attack the threat of millions of dollars in fines and legal costs that the East End Eruv Assn. is threatening if WHB does not sign permanent permission for the EEEA to erect Jewish religious symbols on 48 utility poles.

Bryan Tymann and Rob Rubio were elected WHB trustees last year on the promise that no such agreement would ever be signed. Permanent religious symbols on public property is a monstrous insult to the U.S. Constitution and a black eye for the Orthodox community that is pushing it

Southampton and Quogue have caved to threats of millions of dollars in fines and penalties and are allowing this desecration of public property. WHB officials should call the bluff of the EEEA and await the attempt to collect millions from the village.

WHB could fight that in court for years and the stink would be smelled worldwide. EEEA would be revealed as the Godzilla monster that it is.

Stubborn Public Officials Abound

Stubborn public officials in the U.K. resulted in the death June 11, 2015, of Jenny Fry, who hanged herself because of numerous illnesses caused by the Wi-Fi at her school.

Officials up and down the line refused to listen to the pleas of her mother Debra Fry. We have sent that story to Mayor Moore and the library board. As usual, all emails to either are unanswered and unacknowledged.

Mayor Moore is the Mayor in hiding. She has never had a press conference and blocks anyone from talking to her at village board meetings by limiting them to five minutes. She just sits there and listens. Moore failed to show up last summer at the Westhampton Country Club for the reception following the funeral of poplar restaurant operator Joe Milo, who died in a plane crash. She should have been there to offer the villages condolences.

I saw her at the head of the St. Patricks Day parade this year but she was unidentified. People I was standing next to did not know who she was.

Flynn Asks Indictment of Canadian Officials

One of the strongest voices pleading for action is that of retired Canadian Armed Forces Captain Jerry Flynn who is calling for the criminal investigation of the inaction of Canadian officials on the pulsed radiation issue. Flynn spent 26 years in electronic warfare and related areas for the army. Wi-Fi was a weapon to be used against an enemy.

He has sent the following to Health Canada:

Since May, 2015, the majority of the world's electromagnetic 'radiation' (EMR/EMF) scientists (currently 220 from 42 countries) have signed the "International EMF Scientists Appeal" calling on the United Nations and the World Health Organization to: 'Protect Mankind and Wildlife from the dangers of EMF and wireless technology.'

In 2014, fifty-three scientists from 18 countries openly condemned Health Canada's radiation "Guidelines" (Safety Code 6) and called on Health Canada to: "intervene to help prevent an emerging health crisis"! Also in 2014, 55 Canadian doctors condemned SC- and called on Health Canada to: "protect Canadians from RF (radio frequency) exposure."

Scientists say that the astonishing unchecked growth of microwave-emitting wireless radio products mirrors the frightening growth mankind is experiencing in disease epidemics in communities around the world! Such is the scourge of radio / microwave frequency radiation  at even the weakest levels - that no living person or thing can escape it! Yet Prime Minister Trudeau and his key 'ministers responsible' are oblivious to the dangers wireless technology poses to Canada's National Security and to the health, well-being and safety of every person in this country!

This preposterously evil crime against humanity could not happen were it not for two things: 1) provincial health officers have no education, qualifications or expertise in low-level, pulsed non-thermal RF radiation; and 2) North America's mainstream news media remain sinfully silent on what is happening here and in other countries, especially in Europe, where enlightened people and many governments are struggling to fight back against this same 'Perfect Storm.'



Only a Federal Criminal Investigation  utilizing only the best available independent, non-conflicted EMF scientists  can save Canada's national security, its people - and all future generations--from this invisible but pernicious radiation whichnow bathes us and all living things constantly."

Sincerely,

James G. ("Jerry") Flynn, Captain (Ret'd.)

Bowser, B.C., V0R 1G0
Andrew Walton

Despite an economic bounce back from the 2008 crash, the banking sector is still in recovery. Financial services professionals are inundated with new layers of regulation that aim to avoid the next big scandal and appease the concerns of politicians, economists and the public. Theres a lot at stake: any infraction can impact a firms ability to transact or even recruit and retain talent.

But good compliance processes can take you only so far in the highly scrutinized banking sector. Altering corporate culture is the secret ingredient in creating lasting change and regaining trust. Are employees predisposed to behave ethically, or do they simply comply with regulations only when a manager is looking over their shoulder? Real change cant be superficial. Financial services firms must build powerful immunity to future-proof against economic shock and preserve reputation.

Here are five insights that will help you turn your organization inside out and get to the root of change as you develop the culture needed to succeed in the post-crash era.

Tone starts at the top

For employees to take change seriously, they need to hear it and see it from the most senior levels of the organization. Modeling is the key to prompting desired behavior, especially when it comes to high ethical standards. This is crucial for values to permeate to employees on the front lines.

Example: Executives from the C-suite down must clearly articulate the need for shifting the companys identity and what this will mean for employees. Driving cultural change is more likely to be successful if the approach is a commercial one, explained in business terms.

It takes two

Communications is a two-way street. Your listening skills will make a difference in addressing concerns that may arise. Make sure you select a communications framework that facilitates information flow across levels. Millennials are a great source of intel, especially where theres a disconnect between values and behavior.

Example: Arrange lunches with small groups or go out for coffee to get outside and speak to an employee to learn about any roadblocks. Escape familiar surroundings and find a place where you can build trust and probe about inconsistencies.

Money matters

What is your compensation structure? Think about how that influences your business priorities and the risks you take. In the same vein, incentives must be aligned as you adjust the genetic code of your company. If compliance is a priority, desired behavior should be built into performance scorecards. As an example of an emerging best practice, clawback arrangements allow a firm to reclaim bonuses over the long term based on performance or special circumstances.

Example: Put your money where your mouth is, and make sure culture is represented in employees compensation packages. Are they rewarded for taking risks or perhaps adhering to or exceeding compliance requirements? Infuse messages about obeying the letter and the spirit of regulations and acting in customers best interest as direct links to culture and business goals.

Consistency is key

Inconsistent standards can put a firm at risk. Firms with a global footprint suffer unique challenges in this new, stricter environment because of cultural differences. Depending on the country, employees might have varying cultural norms; whats acceptable in the U.S. may not pass muster in the EU. While the same standards will not be adopted overnight, leaders should think carefully about creating guidelines without disempowering a team across the pond.

Example: If youre working across countries or even in a matrix structure, consider the differences that drive behavior. Change management becomes more than a buzzword when employees understand expectations and standards.

Repetition counts

Cultural change is not a one-time undertaking. It requires ongoing reinforcement of key messages and behaviors to transition to an evolved future state. Culture is not a set-it-and-forget-it activity and must be shaped trough regular communication.

Example: Training sessions (both computer-based and face-to-face) frequent manager discussions, and recognition programs are starting places for making sure a firms DNA is altered for good.



* * *

Andrew Walton is a senior managing director in FTI Consultings Strategic Communications segment and Global Head of Financial Services for the group. He is also a contributor to FTI Journal.
If you choose to email a question to this forum, then you must conduct yourself accordingly. Therefore, the following rules are in order:

1. Do not write your email to me IN CAPS. If you do so, I will print out your question and do terrible things to it.

2. Do not request a personal e-mail response. Since I get thousands of questions each month, trying to answer them all would cut deeply into my leisure time, which I value more than your current state of confusion.

3. Try to spell at least in a semi-correct fashion. If you choose to mangle the English language, expect no mercy from this quarter. You might be mocked severely.

4. Do not ask for me to send you copies of my many manuals and literature. I am not in the library business, nor do I want to spend the bulk of my day at the copy machine just because you're too lazy to ask your dealer, or look around a bit.

5. Don't bother me with truly stupid questions, like how to get 50 more horsepower for a buck and a half

6. Now that you know the rules, think carefully and have at it!

Oh yes Ill leave your e-mail unedited, for what its worth.

Send your questions to [email protected], Attn: Don't Ask, or leave your questions in the comment section below.

Previous Don't Ask Columns

April 2016

March 2016

February 2016



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SUBJECT: THE AMA IN RETROSPECT

Hey Rick -

I recently finished reading Monkey Butt and as you've already been told thousands of times, thank you so much for com piling your experiences, insights and humor for all of us.

I especially liked the recounting of your meeting with Ed Youngblood regarding the MIC. I always speculated it was the MIC and Joan Claybrook who effectively killed off the right side shifting euro models as well as impacting Harley Davidson's bottom line by being forced to retool and engineer the Sportster to left side shifting.

What role do you believe the MIC had in persuading the A.M.A. to ban works bikes in Pro Motocross?

Best Regards,

Mike Baldwin

The AMA didn't have a whole a lot to do about where the bikes shifted, but they did have a tremendous amount of pressure on making four-strokes the only kind of bike you could race in Pro racing. Think about this for a second: in the 80s and the 90s you could get a decent bike for a few thousand dollars. Nowadays, it's going to cost you close to $10,000, if not more. And when it comes time to rebuild it, which is about every 30 hours of operation, it's going to cost you around three grand. Now does that make sense? I think not.

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SUBJECT: AHH YES, THE YAMAHA YZ 490

I have a 1987 YZ-you guessed it-490. The bike has more power than anything I've ridden and handles quite well. (completely rebuilt motor) I noticed that you said "most years", and is 1987 one of the good years? I'm just wondering why its such a bad bike in your opinion.

When I first tested the Yamaha YZ 490, I was initially impressed with the power. Then after I got on the track and put some serious laps in, it started to rear its ugly head. The vibration was terrible and I got tired very quickly on the bike. That weekend, I took the bike and entered in a race at Saddleback Park. At the end of two 45-minute motos, both of my hands had calluses pulled off. I was more beat up than any bike I had ever ridden to that point. Yes, if you just want to play around a little bit, the 490 is probably okay, but if you want to go out and do some serious racing on it, forget it.

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SUBJECT: WHAT IS A HUNKY?

Dear Rick:



First, a question on the name: am I right in assuming its a bike term I never heard of here in Appalachia? The reason Im asking is that, being of 100+% East European descent, Hunky is an old pejorative term for us former Austro-Hungarian subject peoples, now having passed into obscurity.



The second question is this: I have a 67 Jawa 250 Trials. A slug but loveable. Ive never seen another one; are there any left out there?



Thanks,

John C. Kovalo





Yes indeed, the word hunky is a term that supposed to cover people from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Ukrainia and anyone else from that region. I got the nickname because I used to be an Olympic weightlifter and the guys in my club gave me a jersey with SUPER HUNKY on it. The label sort of stuck over the years. Now you know.



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SUBJECT: GETTING A MAICO 400

Hi Rick,

I was searching for information on a 1977 Maico aw 400 when I came across your article about your garage queen. Super nice restoration! I recently purchased a 1977 Aw 400 off of Eric Eaton who now owns a KTM dealership in Tacoma Wa. I'm waiting on the shipper for delivery. Anyway, I picked up a lot of good info from your garage queen story. There's not much technical information out there so thanks for sharing.

Best Regards,

Billy Russell







I've been a Maico fanatic since 1971. The 1977 400 is an excellent bike and probably the best 400 ever made.



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SUBJECT: NAME THAT YAMAHA

I traded for a old Yamaha yesterday and wondered if you could identify year and model. I was told it's a mid 90's 500cc. Pretty sure it's way older than that.

TIA

-Jason

The photo you sent us was almost unusable, but we were able to compare it to other photos and chances are your bike is a 1980 TT 500. Photo courtesy of us.

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SUBJECT: SAVE BIG BUCKS - SHOOT YOURSELF

I see these anti-depressant drugs advertised on television. Depressing as Hell. The side effects include suicide. So, what good does it do to blow all that money on the drugs when a bullet only costs a quarter? Think of the money saved, Rick!



David (as usual) Fruhling



We're not quite sure how to take this email Dave, but well pass it on to our readers.

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SUBJECT: CENTER PORT CZ

Rick, as a young man I raced 250cc & 400cc CZs and just loved them over any other machine at the time ( heavy or not ) and now have both in my shop for riding in West Texas now and gain. In the 70s there was company that advertised for sale a 195 pound CZ with a center port engine, have you ever run across one of these, if so do you think one could be purchased. I have looked at lot of sites for one of these but never seem to even get a hint of one.

Thank you,

John Hesser

You can contact FlashBackRacing @Yahoo.com and they'll build one for you, no kidding. There are several companies in the 70s that made the center port unit, but they all are out of business at this time.



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SUBJECT: MR. MOW IT ALL!

I received the following photo from Vic Krause and proceeded to laugh my ass off. As you might now, Krause was the original Mister Know It All and did that column for years. Well, Krause was walking down the street, saw this and did a double take.



***



SHAMELESS PLUG

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A component supplier to the medical device industry, headquartered in San Clemente, California announced today that it is establishing a new medical tubing manufacturing operation in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, with the support of IDA Ireland. Kelcourt Ireland Pte Limited will create 55 new jobs over five years and is making a significant capital investment in its building at the IDA Business and Technology Park in Tullamore.

A component supplier to the medical device industry, headquartered in San Clemente, California announced today that it is establishing a new medical tubing manufacturing operation in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, with the support of IDA Ireland. Kelcourt Ireland Pte Limited will create 55 new jobs over five years and is making a significant capital investment in its building at the IDA Business and Technology Park in Tullamore.

Kelcourt Plastics, Inc is a division of PPC Industries Inc of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. In late 2010, Kelcourt was acquired by PPC Industries, Inc, a flexible packaging company which focuses on value added packaging for medical, food and industrial markets. PPC also has a growing presence in Europe and is considering options for flexible film conversion in the Kelcourt Irish facility. Kelcourts medical tubing capabilities and PPCs medical packaging portfolio create perfect synergy into a broad range of key medical device applications that will be locally sourced in Ireland. The company also plans to target the European market with its range of medical tubing and packaging solutions.

The Irish operation will also establish a product development function to work closely with client R&D teams on new product concepts. The specialized tubing that will be manufactured at the plant will be used in hundreds of diverse medical products including anesthesia, urology, cardiology, surgery, IV systems and emergency medicine.

Making the announcement today Patrick Mickle, President, Kelcourt said, We searched for the right location to establish an operation to meet the demand for our medical and speciality tubing capability as well as our packaging capabilities in Ireland. We are very excited to establish a manufacturing facility in Tullamore and we look forward to finding the right calibre of staff to ensure our success here. This also creates the perfect gateway into the growing European market.

Commenting on the announcement IDA Ireland, CEO Barry OLeary said, Kelcourts decision to locate this operation in Ireland enhances the medical device supplier base here. Irelands reputation as a hub for Life Sciences continues to grow with 8 of the top 10 pharmaceutical and 15 of the top 20 medical devices companies worldwide with operations here.

IDAs strategy, Horizon 2020, sets out to achieve balanced regional development in Gateway locations, and todays announcement for Tullamore builds on the strong medical device cluster in the Midlands Gateway, concluded Mr OLeary.
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Ballantyne Strong, an Omaha digital technology firm, on Wednesday reported a net loss in the first quarter of $600,000, or 4 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $10.2 million, or 72 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.

Net revenue for the first quarter, which ended March 31, was $20.5 million, compared with $22.5 million a year ago.

In an investor call Wednesday, Ballantyne Chairman Kyle Cerminara said the company has made significant progress over the past several quarters with its continuing focus on expense reduction.

About a year ago, the firm appointed new board members, a process that was initiated by activist investor Fundamental Global Investors, an investment advisory firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ballantyne continues, Cerminara said, to reinvest in its core cinema and digital media divisions and divest itself of underperforming businesses.

 Cinema revenue was $13.2 million in the first quarter, down from $15.7 million a year ago. The primary driver was a decrease in digital projector sales, the company reported.

 Digital media revenue was $7.7 million in the first quarter, compared with $7 million during the same period a year ago. The company attributed the uptick to higher demand from the service business and an increase in equipment sales and project revenue from its digital signage business.

Ballantyne, which began as a maker and seller of movie projectors and lighting equipment in the film era, has diversified its product line to include services such as digital screen messaging.

Ballantynes annual shareholders meeting will be May 23 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Depending on how this years meeting goes, Ballantyne may consider bringing the annual shareholders meeting to Omaha, Cerminara said.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1142, janice.podsada@owh.com
Three candidates interviewed for the top job in the Bellevue Public Schools on Wednesday night were quizzed on federal aid and their budgeting savvy.

The school district narrowed its search for its next superintendent down to a few candidates earlier this week: Robert A. Moore, Dean Gorrell and Jeff Rippe, the districts assistant superintendent.

A fourth candidate, Dan Brigman, was offered the job of superintendent for the Decatur City Schools in Decatur, Alabama, and withdrew from consideration.

The new superintendent will replace Frank Harwood, who has accepted the same position at the De Soto Unified School District No. 232 in northeast Kansas. He was paid a base salary of $220,000.

The school board asked each candidate the same questions, including inquiries on federal impact aid and managing a budget.

Bellevue schools are losing federal aid that for decades helped cover the cost of educating the children of military personnel because the districts share of military students fell below the threshold to qualify for such aid.

The district is considering its first bond referendum in 42 years to cover millions of dollars in projects and improvements identified in a study of facility needs.

Rippe, who has been assistant superintendent for 13 years, is very familiar with the challenges Bellevue has faced in recent years and is the only candidate who has worked with federal impact aid in the past.

If faced with more budget cuts in the future, Rippe said he would want to include principals, teachers, custodians and food workers in the process early on to get ideas on ways to save money.

When it comes to a superintendent making budget decisions, no one person is greater or bigger than the organization, said Moore, who is the assistant superintendent of secondary curriculum and instruction for the Rogers Public School District in Arkansas.

Moore said that while he isnt specifically familiar with federal impact aid, he comes from a military family. He also said that lots of families move in and out of his current school district in Rogers because of the nearby headquarters of companies Walmart and Tyson.

His job would be to create destination Bellevue so that the military families moving into the area enroll their students into Bellevue Public Schools and want to stay in the schools.

Gorrell, a Maquoketa, Iowa, native is the superintendent of the Verona Area School District in Wisconsin. He pointed to his leadership of the school district during the controversial 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, which addressed the states budget deficit and led to massive protests in the state capital.

I do what I say Im going to do, Gorrell said. And that includes when what I do is unpopular.

When asked whether he had experience with federal impact aid, Gorrell said he did not but that he spent time seeking funds from the state government.

The board plans to announce the next superintendent within the next two weeks.

Contact the writer: emily.nitcher@owh.com, 402-444-1192
UP ATS nabs 8 with links to al-Qaeda and its affiliate from UP, Uttarakhand

Aspiring terrorists of India find it easy, thanks to DIY manuals

Feature

oi-Vicky

The "Do It Yourself" manuals have become an instant hit with aspiring terrorists. While in Bengaluru, Church Street blasts case, it was found that the accused had relied on a 'do it yourself' manual shared with him on WhatsApp, the same has been found during the probe launched by the Delhi police after the arrest of alleged Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives.

Yesterday the Delhi police had arrested several persons alleged to be part of the Jaish-e-Mohammad and accused them of planning attacks in the crowded areas of Delhi.

The similarity between the probe in Delhi and the one by the NIA in connection with the Church Street blasts is that both accused had allegedly relied on 'do it yourself' manuals to prepare bombs.

DIY manuals, a boon for aspiring terrorists:



Terrorism has witnessed a change worldwide. There are no longer camps and radicalisation meetings. There are self radicalised persons who turn into lone wolves. They never take funds from terrorist outfits to strike and neither seek their blessings.

Instead they raise the funds themselves and strike as lone wolves before giving credit to a terror group.

In such cases the DIY manual has come in handy. It is a highly circulated manual on WhatsApp.

The accused in the Churchstreet blasts case was in possession of one such manual he had received from a group on WhatApp. Even in the Delhi case, a similar modus operandi has been found.

These persons who were part of a group had received the manual on to prepare the bombs. They were referring to the same and managed to prepare one bomb.

However, during the making of the second bomb, it misfired and one of them ended up burning his hand.

Too much material:

An intelligence bureau official said that it is extremely difficult to keep a tab on everything and anything that goes on in WhatsApp groups.

Yes it has become problematic and material is too easily available. These manual provide step by step instructions on how to prepare a bomb, the officer also says.

It is not necessary that the same manual is in circulation through out the country. Various terrorist groups especially the al Qaeda and the ISIS have prepared similar manuals and circulated it around not just in India, but also the rest of the world, the officer also informed.
Bengal: Finally, 2nd longest poll of 2016 (after US) ends today

Feature

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

Finally, the West Bengal election comes to an end on Thursday (May 5). This year's election, which went on for seven phases (technically six) for more than a month is the longest the state has seen. The gap between the last polling day and the declaration of the results (May 19) is also the longest.

Assembly Polls 2016 Coverage; What happened in May 5 phase

Only the US presidential election is a longer poll exercise this year

To expand the horizon, the month-long election in Bengal made it the second-longest polling exercise this year after the presidential election in the United States. The primary/caucus phase of this year's presidential election in the US started on February 1 and the general elections will be held on November 8 after the Republicans and Democrats finalise their respective nominations.

In fact, the election in Bengal started when the GOP in the US had three presidential runners and when it concluded on Thursday, only Donald Trump was left in the fray. [After Ted Cruz, John Kasich also withdraws]

Bengal can't be compared to US but even TN with 234 seats have a single-day election

But there can be no comparisons between the US presidential election and the state election in West Bengal. The former is the national election of a country which is far bigger than India and includes polling in 50 states of the Union. The Bengal election, on the other hand, is just about the election in a small state of India. Was it a real loss of face for Bengal? Even Tamil Nadu, a much bigger state than Bengal with 234 seats (60 less than Bengal) is going to a one-day election on May 16. [Did a long election hurt Mamata Banerjee?]

It's certainly not a matter of pride that Bengal has to go through such a long election procedure like the biggest state of UP (403 seats) or the national election (543 seats) for it only means bigger expenditure of time, money and man power. [Mamata's superhuman efforts in covering month-long election]

But given the state's record in political violence, was there another way?

But at the same time, given the state's record of political violence, the election authorities could do little else other than taking constituency by constituency.

The Election Commission and the central forces started slowly in this election but slowly gained momentum to ensure that the election is as free as possible. Still however, death of a Left poll agent couldn't be avoided in the violence-prone Domkol constituency in Murshidabad. But compared to high count of deaths in even local polls in Murshidabad district, the Assembly election this year was much peaceful.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed her anguish after learning about the seven-phase election in Bengal and said it was a kind of injustice to the state. No ruler likes the election to drag on for it gives enough opportunity to the Opposition, especially if it is on a weak wicket, to compete till the last. But the EC, with which Banerjee had an ugly fight later during the election, couldn't help and rightly so.

Election is, after all, a festival of the people, by the people and for the people. Hooliganism and violence can not be allowed to rule the roost on days when the basics of a democracy are at work. True, for the politicians, voters, election officials and the media, the last one month has been hectic but yet all sides can take consolation from the fact that it was a worthy exercise.
Peter 'loves' to 'hate' Indrani Mukerjea; How Sheena Bora had a complicated environment

Feature

oi-Pallavi

The recent love letter sent by Peter Mukerjea to his wife Indrani Mukherjea, both jailed for conspiring the death of Sheena Bora, has sent the media on a tizzy. The already murkier case, has taken another complicated twist here.

The very next day after sending this love letter, Peter's lawyer issues a bail plea, saying that he was 'keen on divorce' and that getting a bail was a mandate for that. Peter seems to have compared himself and Indrani to Romeo and Juliet who are in love, but never unite.

An Odessey long drawn

In the letter, dated January 3, Peter wrote:

Mumu, my dearest. Today is the special day in your life and mine too. Therefore, your birthday is a day we have always spent together since we met and this is the first year we're so close and yet so far! What can I say, other than to wish you a Happy Birthday in the now. Have a pleasant day, as much as you can.

[Read: Sheena Bora case: Peter keen on divorcing Indrani Mukherjea ]

Remember that I am thinking of you throughout. You pray that you get through your innocence and get clear of this nightmare in good times. I hope this reaches you and you get to see it so it gives you a moment of joy in all the sadness that everyone is going through, you and me, most of all. God is great and will see an end to this, and like Romeo and Juliet, we will hopefully see each other soon," Peter further wrote, finally ending the letter with: "No more emotional stuff. Smile today, no matter what, my love, and you'll feel better for that. This year brings us more joy and happiness than 2015 did. Lots to look forward to, my treasure. Hugs and love, happy birthday girl!

Yours,

Pxxxxx.

A Faux pas per se, Peter acted strangely the very next moment and issued the bail plea, citing that all the charges be bestowed on Indrani Mukerjea since he was kept in dark and did not know anything about the murder.

[Read: Sheena Bora Murder: When Indrani Mukerjea became 'Good Samaritan', confused all]

RIP Sheena, the media is taking your share of drama

Given the confusing situation above, one can very well imagine what Sheena may have gone through when she was alive. So much so that confused by her own family tree, she started dating her half brother.

[Read: Sheena Bora murder mystery and the curious case of Indrani Mukerjea ]

Her mum was not her mum, but her 'sister', so the former decided to share the latter's share of fortune.

Sheena too had problems, certainly! But the complicated environment, devalued by the spuriousness of her mother and her step father accentuated her mental 'instability'.

Has jail confinement gotten on Peter's head

The jail restrictions seem to have had severe solitary-confinement like repurcussions on Peter's psyche. According to a study of inmates at California's Pelican Bay State Prison, psychologist Craig Haney said that the prisoners in solitary confinement lose their abilities to initiate or to control their own behaviour or to organize their own lives.

Peter's behaviour toward Indrani is on similar lines. He does not exactly know what he wants, a ladylove, a muse or freedom from her?

[Read: Sheena Bora Murder: When Indrani Mukerjea became 'Good Samaritan', confused all ]

But amid this, media and the common man is losing its insanity. The story will hit the headlines again and a harrowing time will begin figuring out locating Sheena in Indrani's family tree.
Admission time: HRD ministry launches "Know Your College" portal

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 5: As many as 22 'fake' universities are functioning in the country, with a maximum of 9 in Uttar Pradesh and 5 in Delhi, government told the Rajya Sabha, adding states have been asked to initiate action against these.

HRD Minister Smriti Irani also said that the Ministry is in the process of writing to Ministry of External Affairs to seek a list of all fake varsities and institutions abroad so that students do not get trapped and duped.

"As per information available with the UGC, there are 22 universities (in the country) which have been listed in the UGC list of fake universities and are functioning in contravention or violation of the UGC Act, 1956 in different parts of the country," Irani said.

Besides UP and Delhi, there are two in West Bengal and one each in Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha, she said.

Replying to questions, she brushed aside charges that the Centre was washing its hands off in taking action against such varsities, saying the government had fulfilled its duties in informing the state governments for action against the concerned.

"Law and order is a state issue and only states can take action as per federal structure. No state government has so far said it is not taking action against such universities and have instead shown inclination of taking action," she said.

Irani said the regulator on its part has started a portal "KnowYourCollege" and a mobileApp providing details about universities and colleges so that gullible students are not duped such fake institutions. There is also an inbuilt mechanism for redressal in this portal.

She said if complaints come to the regulator, then the UGC also acts against such complaints. "We are also making attempts to have direct interaction with students besides this 'KnowYourCollege' portal to help students identify fake universities," she said.

"It is an endeavour to persistently act on injustices meted out to our students through such fake institutions through protection given by the regulator," she said, asking members to share information on fake institutions with UGC.

Irani said there are universities abroad which try to mislead Indian students and "We are in the process of writing to MEA to ensure that all missions are appealed to give us a list of fake universities or institutions overseas so that we can appropriately inform our states to help students not get duped by such institutions."

To a question on foreign tie-ups and off-campus centres, she said, "Many universities have tried to set up off-campus centres which are unauthorised and UGC has taken cognisance of this fact and ordered shutdown of illegal off-campus centres."

With regard to fake universities tying up in order to Indianise education by trying up with a foreign partner, she said UGC gives an opportunity for a twinning programme only when there is an Indian partner that makes a disclosure to the regulator that such an arrangement can be facilitated.

PTI
SC grants interim bail to Azam Khan, asks him to move regular bail before concerned Court

Sibal who filed nomination with SP backing was lawyer who secured Azam Khan bail

Azam Khan triggers controversy: Here is what he advised to Yogi Adityanath

India

oi-Jagriti

Gorakhpur, May 5: Azam Khan, the state parliamentary affairs minister in Uttar Pradesh known for triggering controversies in past, has advised BJP MP Yogi Adiyanath to tie the knot.

Khan advised controversial BJP MP to get married to prove his masculinity.

"Yogi Adityanath should first get married and prove his masculinity," Khan told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Tuesday.

Replying to question on whether he considered all sages in the country did not possess masculinity, Khan said, "they are frustrated." "How would a Mahant know what love is ... he should first get married and help in growth of generation," he said.

Following his remarks, a fuming Adityanath advised Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to sack him so that people can set him right. He said Khan has lost his mental balance and needed medical attention.

Meanwhile in Lucknow, state BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya said such a statement only indicated Khan's mental bankruptcy.

Yogi Adityanath on a rant spree; says Azam Khan should be sent to Pakistan

"The SP should apologise for the same," he said, adding the minister has degraded the dignity of sages. The remarks also invited wrath of various Hindu outfits who held a dharna against Khan and burnt his effigy in protest.

Khan also attacked another BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj and said there are many serious cases against him which are condemnable. The BJP legislator from Unnao had recently described the provision of triple talaq (divorce) in Muslim community as an injustice to women.

OneIndia News (With inputs from agency)

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, May 5, 2016, 10:42 [IST]
Prashant Kishor claims Nitish Kumar in touch with BJP says don't be surprised if he joins hands with it again

BJP asks Cong to act against Harish Rawat

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 5: BJP today asked Congress to take action against former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat who was summoned by CBI for questioning over a sting video in which he was purportedly seen offering allurement to rebel party MLAs.

"Congress talks about morality of others. If it has morality, it should act against Rawat. By trying to bribe his own party MLAs, he has brought shame to democracy. "It is a clear case of corruption.

Law is taking its own course," party's media in-charge Shrikant Sharma said reacting to CBI's move to call him for questioning. With the Supreme Court hearing the matter of President's rule imposed in the state, he said the party will act in the best interest of Uttarakhand and in accordance with whatever verdict the court gives.

PTI
Prashant Kishor claims Nitish Kumar in touch with BJP says don't be surprised if he joins hands with it again

Bihar's Gopalganj by-poll to see a tough fight between BJP and RJD

BJP expresses concern over Kerala law and order

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, May 5: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation led by Union minister J.P. Nadda on Thursday met the Election Commission in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a Kerala law student, and expressed concern over the law-and-order situation in the southern state.Kerala is slated for Assembly elections on May 16.

"We raised the issue of the law student's rape and murder. This is worse than the 2012 case of Nirbhaya," Nadda, who is also the election in-charge of the party in Kerala, told mediapersons.

He added that Kerala Police acted only after the matter was raised in Parliament.

Expressing concern over the "deteriorating" law-and-order situation in Kerala, Nadda also referred to the alleged atrocities suffered by Dalits in the state.

"We also informed (the Election Commission) about the atrocities faced by the Dalit community in Kerala," Nadda said soon after meeting the poll panel officials.

The BJP delegation also demanded that paramilitary forces be deployed in Kerala and the assembly elections be conducted under their supervision.

Besides Nadda, the delegation comprised BJP leaders Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Meenakshi Lekhi and Anurag Thakur.

IANS
Chopper scam: Congress' top leadership will go to jail, says Subramanian Swamy

India

oi-Mukul

New Delhi, May 5: Amid raging controversy over Agusta Westland VVIP chopper deal, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has said that Congress top leadership will soon go to jail for their alleged role in the scam.

When asked about Ahmed Patel's comment that he will leave politics if found guilty, Swamy told Zee News that Patel needs not to do so as he will be found guilty in Rs 3,600 crore scam.

Targetting Sonia Gnadhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel, BJP leader said that his conviction will automatically end his political career.

Patel's name has been dragged into the controversy because of an initial 'AP' reportedly found in the documents recovered in connection with probe by the Italian authorities.

While participating in debate on the chopper controversy in Parliament, Patel on Wednesday said that "propaganda" against him was due to baseless allegations to defame his party and its leaders.

Earlier, Swamy on Wednesday took swipe at Sonia Gandhi. While speaking in Rajya Sabha on chopper deal, he said that the CBI can, as per the law, question the person mentioned as the "driving force" behind the AgustaWestland deal.

"The CBI has the right under Section 156 of CrPC to question the person who is mentioned in the Italian court judgment as the 'driving force' behind the AgustaWestland chopper deal", BJP leader said.

Swamy said that although the Indian Air Force in 2004 said the VVIP choppers must be able to fly up to 6,000 metres for safety reasons, the Agusta choppers could not fly above 4,500 metres altitude.

He alleged that conditions were manipulated by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to egg out the rest of contenders.

"The internationally accepted standard for a chopper's cabin height is 1.45 metres. But in this case, the cabin height specification was set at 1.80 metres.

Only AgustaWestland could fulfill this condition and the rest were out," he said. "Secondly, field trials were done with a different model than the one purchased, and the AW101 was cleared on the basis of these trials. Does it not attract prosecution under Section 420 of IPC?" he added.

OneIndia News

(With inputs from IANS)
AgustaWestland: After saying witness may have died, ED cites a little birdie to say he is alive

AgustaWestland: ED wants to make approver Rajiv Saxena an accused now

Chopper scam: PM lauds Defence Minister's speech; watch Parrikar's RS address here

India

oi-Mukul

New Delhi, May 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for his excellent Rajya Sabha speech on AugustaWestland chopper deal.

Heaping praise on Parrikar, Modi termed Defence Mnister's speech as one of his best one.

"Wednesday's speech by parrikar in the Rajya Sabha was one of the best speeches, displaying best parliamentary traditions", PM in one of his tweets said.

Chopper scam: Congress' top leadership will go to jail, says Subramanian Swamy

Appealing people to check his speech, Modi in another tweet said, "He rose above politics & placed all relevant facts on the table".

Yesterday's speech by RM @manoharparrikar in the Rajya Sabha was one of the best speeches, displaying best parliamentary traditions.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 5, 2016

RM @manoharparrikar rose above politics & placed all relevant facts on the table. Urging you all to hear his speech. https://t.co/2YhvBDqn4o  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 5, 2016

Earlier, Defence Minister on Wednesday said the probe in the AgustaWestland helicopter graft case will focus on those named in the Italian court judgment.

"There is an agreement that corrupt practices were involved in procurement of AgustaWestland helicopters. The previous government recognised these and put on hold the group in 2014, and the present government passed the order," Parrikar said in the Rajya Sabha.

OneIndia News
This is 21st century, where have we reached in name of religion: SC on hate speeches

Implement health warning rules: SC to tobacco companies

India

oi-Pallavi

New Delhi, May 5: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Tobacco companies to ensure that a pack cigerattes should be 85% covered with health warnings. Refusing to stay the Centre's regulation on the same, Justice PC Ghosh said that all petitions challenging the rule be diverted to Karnataka High Court and be heard afresh within 8 weeks.

The court further suggested that Tobacco companies should act responsibly and add awareness regarding the issue to help curb the ill effects of consuming Tobacco.

Last month, a few tobacco companies, backed by some foreign companies, shut down production in protest against the 85% clause, up from the current 20 % of the principal display area on packets of tobacco products.

When the SC was told that yje Dharwad bench of the Karnataka High Court jas stayed the implementation of the new rules, the former said any stay granted by any court shall not be implemented until the final order is passed by Principal Bench of the Karnataka High Court in Bengaluru.

The court said, "We request all the petitioners that till the disposal of matters by the Karnataka High Court, it will be the endeavour of all the parties to implement the rules whatever as amended. This order will not stand in the way of the Karnataka High Court deciding the matter on merit."

A total of 27 cases have been registered against the pictorial regulation in Delhi, Bombay, Karnataka and Gujarat. In fact, the Karnataka Beedi Industry Association had approached the Supreme Court, saying that the regulation would bring the industry to a grinding halt.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, May 5, 2016, 14:49 [IST]
D-Syndicate raises its ugly head again: This time on the target are Hindu leaders

India requests 6 countries to seize Dawood Ibrahim's properties

India

oi-Jagriti

New Delhi, May 5: If report is to be believed then India has sent legal appeals to six countries to seize the properties owned by Dawood Ibrahim there.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has supposedly sent Letters Rogatory to United Kingdom, Australia, UAE, Turkey, Cyprus and Morocco to seize Dawood's property there, reported Aaj Tak.

According to definition, Letters Rogatory is a formal written request made by one judicial body to another court in a different, independent jurisdiction that a witness who resides in that jurisdiction be examined through the use of interrogatories accompanying the request.

The sale deed and agreement papers of the Dawood's properties have been enclosed with Letters Rogatory. ED has also provided evidences of money laundering.

Dawood Ibrahim's royal life filled with parties, prostitutes in Pakistan

If these assets are seized Dawood Ibrahim will not be able to use these properties.

India's intense effort to bring him back always resulted into vein as Pakistan has always denied his presence on its soil. Though, his hideout in Pakistan is considered as world's most open secret.

It is alleged that the 1993 Mumbai blasts were organised by Dawood Ibrahim under pressure from the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan

US designated him as a global terrorist with links to terror groups in 2013.

Media reports in April claimed that Dawood Ibrahim has been diagnosed with life-threatening gangrene in his legs . However, Dawood's deputy Chhota Shakeel had rubbished the reports about his illness.

OneIndia News
IRCTC's affordable Dubai tour package: All you need to know

IRCTC update: 140 trains cancelled on October 20; here is the complete list

Shocking! IRCTC website hacked, data of around 1 crore people feared stolen

India

oi-Mukul

New Delhi, May 5: IRCTC, Indian Railways' e-ticketing portal has been hacked. As per news reports, data of around 1 crore commuters, who fill their personal details while booking tickets, is feared to have been stolen from the server of the website.

Railway which fears about the safety and security of lakhs of passengers, was informed about the data theft by Maharashtra cyber cell.

"The data is a valuable asset and can be sold to corporations who may use it for targeting potential consumers", a Railway sources was quoted.

Indian Railways changes ticket cancellation charges, refund rules: All details explained

IRCTC, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited, is India's largest e-commerce website. Lakhs of passengers daily use this platform (website) to book their online tickets. Passengers submit their personal details including PAN number while booking tickets to the various destinations.

Meanwhile, latest reports say that Railways denied that IRCTC website has been hacked.

OneIndia News
Truth has come out, says Sasikala in reaction to OPS's remark before panel

Jayalalithaa DA case: we have proof that every cheque transaction was illegal

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, May 5: Karnataka on May 5 told the Supreme Court that the transactions made by J Jayalalithaa and others in the form of cheques are completely illegal. The submission was made by special public prosecutor B V Acharya before a Bench comprising Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy.

Acharya who is filing his rejoinder in the J Jayalalithaa disproportinate asstes case also sought more time till Tuesday to conclude his arguments.The court will resume hearing on the matter on Tuesday,May 5.

Acharya stated that Jayalalithaa and others made transactions through cheques to make it look legal. However these transactions are entirely legal. We have evidence for it and even submitted the same before the trial court which had appreciated it he said.

Further Acharya also brought to the notice of the court about the companies and the trnasactions. He said that these companies were floated with a specific intention of carrying out illegal transactions. Every transaction made through these companies were illegal and we have demonstrated that several times, Acharya also added.

Acharya argued that there is a clear trail that shows Jayalalithaa transferring money in the form of gifts to Sasikala Natrajan. After this transfer was done, she got the same back as debts and showed it as lawful income.

Further Acharya also argued that companies had been floated on behalf of Sasikala Natrajan and others. This was done with the sole purpose of converting unlawful income into lawful income, Acharya also submitted to the Supreme Court.

OneIndia News
Karnataka question paper leak: Evasive accused leads CID nowwhere

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, May 5: The Criminal Investigation Department is having a tough time cracking Shivakumar the alleged kingpin in the II PU question paper leak case, Karnataka.

During his questioning, he is leading the investigators on to his nephew and terming him as the real kingpin, CID officials say.

Shivakumar was arrested after a month long chase by the CID. After the II PU Chemistry paper was leaked twice in ten days, the police launched a probe and during the course of the investigation found that the racket was masterminded allegedly by Shivakumar.

I am not the kingpin

Shivakumar during his questioning has been evasive. He is trying to lead us on to another person called Kiran who he says is his nephew, the CID official also informed.

Shivakumar further said that after he had been arrested three years back in connection with a similar case, he had given up on this business.

Karnataka PU question paper leak: Principal and 3 teachers on radar

He said that the business is now being run by his nephew, Kiran. He however has no answer when asked if he was innocent why did his chose to abscond for so long.

A long trail:

The CID is trying to ascertain more information so that they could lead up to the original trail. Some one in the PU board may have provided him with the question papers which he allegedly sold to colleges, the officer says. The PU board is the original source of the question paper.

The CID is also planning on questioning some board officials and also those who had prepared the papers.

We are at a preliminary stage of the probe and are confident that Shivakumar will spill the beans which will let us get to the bottom of the case, the CID official also informed.

OneIndia News
Kerala CM accuses Gov of 'acting as RSS tool' on his order to VCs to resign

Kerala rape case: Police release main suspect's sketch

India

oi-Shalini

Perumbavoor (Kerala), May 5: Six days after a Dalit woman was brutally raped and murdered at her residence in (Perumbavoor)Kerala, police officials released a sketch of the key suspect in connection to the case.

The sketch has been made with the help of a neighbour who claims to have seen the alleged suspect after the crime took place though it has not been confirmed yet.

As of now no arrests made in the case where 28 -year old, Jisha was found dead by her mother in a pool of blood at her home on April 28.

However, police is investigating the case. So far four people have been detained for further investigation. According to the postmortem report, there were 38 big and small wounds found on the victim's body.

The autopsy report revealed that the victim's intestines were ripped out and that she had suffered a brutal death. There were also two deep stab wounds on the chest. She is said to have been killed between 2pm and 5pm on that particular day.

This shocking incident of rape and murder in Kerala has left country in shock and anguish. On Wednesday, May 4 , the issue echoed in both the Houses of Parliament and government sought stern action for this heinous crime.

Out of trauma and shock of her daughter's murder, Jisha's mother is hospitalised. Many VIPs marked their presence in the poll bound state and sought strict action against the crime. After negligence over the case, Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy visited the hospital and assured proper investigation and strict punishment for the culprit.

Meanwhile, the opposition targeted the ruling government over the negligence in the case. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Ghandi will also visit the victim's mother during their campaign schedule in next week.

Police releases sketch of suspect in the law student rape and murder case in Kerala. pic.twitter.com/l6BT1UQ4rF  ANI (@ANI_news) May 5, 2016

OneIndia News
Indian-origin teenager stabbed to death in Israel after brawl at birthday party

Kidnapped teenager rescued; 4 abductors held in MP

India

oi-PTI

Bhopal, May 5: A 14-year-old boy, who was kidnapped three days ago, was today rescued and four abductors arrested, a senior police officer said here.

Mohit Meena, son of a farmer from Barai village in the district, was kidnapped on May 2 and the abductors had allegedly demanded Rs one crore as ransom from his family, Inspector General of Police, Bhopal, Yogesh Choudhary said.

The boy was rescued from the accused identified as Arun Meena (20), Malkhan Meena (20), Rahul Lodhi (19) and Raja Sallam (20), he said, adding, Arun had kidnapped the boy and other three are his accomplice.

A case has been registered in this connection, the IG said, adding further investigation is on.

PTI
Security at all time high as Lashkar, JeM look to strike at heartland

Death keeps no calendar: The writing on the truck that JeM terrorists came in

Masood Azhar our hero, say alleged JeM operatives arrested in Delhi

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, May 5: The operation that led to the arrest of Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives in Delhi was a well coordinated one by the Intelligence Bureau and the Delhi Police.

For several months now the IB was on the trail of three persons, Sajid, Shaikh and Sameer who were planning on targeting crowded areas in the national capital.

It was the arrest of these three persons which led to the trail of ten others who were also picked up by the Special Cell of the Delhi police yesterday. The police say that this module was meant to carry out attacks in India at the behest of the Jaish-e-Mohammad and would have assumed the role of a home grown outfit.

Inspired by Azhar

The arrested trio said that among the terrorist outfits they had a leaning towards the Jaish-e-Mohammad. This outfit headed by Maulana Masood Azhar has been responsible for the Parliament and Pathankot attacks.

During the questioning of the trio they said that they were a group of like minded youth who were inspired by Azhar.

They would meet every week at their home and discuss plots apart from watching the speeches of Azhar online. They began this exercise two years back and over the next couple of months they managed to rope in many more like minded youth into their fold.

Further they said that they managed to get in touch with a Jaish-e-Mohammad operative by the name Yusuf who had become their handler. The Jaish-e-Mohammad wanted them to carry out attacks primarily in Delhi and nearby locations.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad which has been under the scanner following the Pathankot attack found it feasible to have a home grown outfit, the Delhi Police also say.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Thursday, May 5, 2016, 8:46 [IST]
Karnataka MPs who have spent the most on welfare

Sorry sight: Only 6% of criminal cases against MPs, MLAs ended in conviction, say govt data

What is Centre doing to cure selfie disorder? BJP MPs query embarrasses their own govt

MPs not "super citizens" to get special treatment at airports: Civil Aviation Minister

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 5: Members of Parliament are not "super citizens", Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju said in Lok Sabha today when a BJP member demanded that they be given a "little priority" at airports.

Responding to a series of supplementaries during Question Hour, the minister said MPs are treated with respect and his ministry will do everything "practically possible" to make their air travel more comfortable.

"But MPs are not super citizens," he said responding to a demand by a BJP member that they be given a "little priority" at airports.

Modi Govt bars scribes covering Civil Aviation from entering Ministry

The member said ground staff of private airlines do not recognise the MPs and even when they display their identity cards, they are offered little assistance at airports.

Countering him, Raju said MPs are recognised at the airports as most of them are members of airport committees.

When A P Jithendra Reddy (TRS) suggested that upon showing their identity cards, MPs should get upgrades based on availability of seats in the higher class, the minister said he would see "how it can fit in the commercial pattern".

Reddy claimed that bureaucrats got upgrades easily but the MPs were denied.

Responding to a question on whether upgrades can be granted to sick people, senior citizens and people with special needs, the minister said while there is a humanitarian angle, there is also a commercial angle to it.

He said Air India, as well as other airlines provide upgrades based on commercial considerations.

PTI
Supreme Court to hear plea on COVID-19 protocol violation in Kumbh mela, Assembly elections

'Pandals' collapse at Ujjain's Kumbh Mela, 7 killed

India

oi-Mukul

Bhopal, May 5: Seven people were killed after 'pandals' collapsed at Ujjain's Kumbh Mela on Thursday evening.

Reportedly, the pandal fell down due to strong winds and rainfall in the city.

As per latest reports, over eighty people also got injured in the accident. They have been admitted in nearest hospital.

Pictures of pandal that fell down due to strong winds & rainfall in #SimhasthKumbh2016 (Ujjain) claiming 5 lives pic.twitter.com/aMwvd0MAe9  ANI (@ANI_news) May 5, 2016

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Naredra Modi has condoled the loss of lives in the pandal collapse and wished speedy recovery of those injured.

"Anguished over the loss of lives at the Kumbh due to heavy rains. May Almighty give strength to the bereaved families to overcome the grief," tweeted PM.

I hope the injured recover quickly. I pray for the safety & well-being of all saints, pilgrims and tourists at the Kumbh.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 5, 2016

More informations are awaited.

OneIndia news
Propaganda artists pose major security risk, IB to Home Ministry

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, May 5: The utmost priority for the Union Home Ministry would be to ensure that Kashmir remains stable.

There have been a series of incidents that have taken place in Kashmir in the recent months which have spiralled out of control and the Home Ministry would look at ways at monitoring the situation and ensure that the state remains peaceful and stable.

At the meeting that was held in New Delhi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Intelligence Bureau chief, Dineshwar Sharma advised that more emphasis needs to be given to the situation in Kashmir as there is a pattern that has been noticed which aims at disrupting peace.

Beat the propaganda:

Over the past couple of months the Intelligence Bureau has been closely monitoring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The recent incident in which a girl was allegedly assaulted led to large scale violence. While the protestors blamed the army for it, it later turned out to be false.

The IB chief told the Home Minister that these were incidents which were a result of false propaganda against the army.

There are several sensitive areas in the country where such propaganda is being spread in a bid to create unrest. However both the NSA and the IB chief said that the concern area remains Kashmir.

The security forces would work along with the political mechanism in Kashmir and other sensitive places to ensure that violent incidents do not take place. Moreover a drive is being carried out to ensure that propaganda artists are identified and also brought to book.

The IB in particular spoke about a chain reaction that has been going on across the nation thanks to false propaganda spread by a few vested interests.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Thursday, May 5, 2016, 14:38 [IST]
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

Rajnath speaks to MP CM on Simhastha tragedy

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 5: Home Minister Rajnath Singh tonight spoke to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and expressed his "deep sadness" over the killing of six persons in a thunderstorm at Simhastha Mahakumbh in Ujjain.

During the telephonic conversation, the Chief Minister told the Home Minister that normalcy will be restored in the temple town by tomorrow morning. "Shivraj Chouhan himself is monitoring the situation at Ujjain.

He is leaving no stone unturned to improve the situation on the ground," Singh tweeted. Six persons were killed and around 40 injured this evening when heavy rain accompanied by lightning and squall wreaked havoc at the site of the ongoing Simhatha Kumbh Mela here, flattening and uprooting pilgrims' tents.

PTI
"Kick us out if we don't do anything": How Modi's emotional appeal resembles that of Mamata

Suvendu sends legal notice to Surya Kanta Mishra

India

oi-PTI

Tamluk (WB), May 4: Trinamool Congress candidate in Nandigram Suvendu Adhikari tonight said a legal notice has been sent to CPI(M) state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra for "making false allegations and sullying his and party's reputation".

Mishra had yesterday complained to the Election Commission alleging that Adhikari had held a meeting on May 1 at a college at Panskura in East Midnapore district with officers-in charge of Moyna, Haldia, Marishda, Ramnagar and Panskura police stations to keep the central forces away from action during tomorrow's polling in the district.

"I have sent a legal notice to Mishra against such utterly false allegations levelled at me to harm my and TMC's reputation. No such meeting had taken place," Adhikari told PTI tonight.

The Election Commission had earlier in the today said that it has not found any substance in the complaint made by the CPI-M that Trinamool Congress candidate in Nandigram Suvendu Adhikari had held a meeting with some police officers recently in poll-bound East Midnapore district. "We had sought a report from the district authorities, who said the complaints could not be substantiated," additional chief electoral officer Dibyendu Sarkar said.

PTI
In UP 166 criminals killed in encounters in past five years: Yogi

This UP village lights up on Diwali, for the first time ever!

Uttar Pradesh refuses Modi Govt's water-train for drought-hit Bundelkhand

India

oi-Avinash

Lucknow, May 5: Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh has refused to take Modi Government's help to provide relief to drought-hit Bundelkhand region in the state.

The UP government has returned the water-train sent by Indian Railways -- just like the ones sent to drought-hit regions on Marathwada -- to the parched Bundelkhand region, saying there is no Latur-like situation there.

"We have no Latur-like problem here," the state's Akhilesh Yadav government has reportedly said in a letter to the railway ministry, referring to the district in Maharashtra where, to tackle a severe crisis, two water trains were sent, a NDTV report said.

The Akhilesh Yadav government further stated in its letter, "If we need water, then we will inform the railways."

(Rs 1,400 cr in UP budget for drought-hit Bundelkhand)

The water train was intended to leave for Mahoba area of Bundelkhand, where around 40 villages are facing drought-like situation. Half the hand-pumps have dried up due to the receding water levels.

This region in Western UP faces water shortage almost every year and thus becomes a core issue during polls. Political parties, during poll season, pitch for improving the condition of the region and its development.

Thus, allowing water-train in the region could prove disastrous for the Akhilesh Yadav government which is eyeing a comeback in the assembly elections next year.

Samajwadi Party leaders are accusing the BJP of taking credit for the good relief work Akhilesh Government is doing for the people of Bundelkhand.

Union minister Uma Bharti along with Lok Sabha members from the parched region on Wednesday called on NITI Ayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya to discuss special package for the affected swathe.

During the meeting, it was decided that the parliamentarians will submit proposals for improving supply of drinking water in the region to the Ayog within three days for further action, Water Resources Ministry spokesperson Samir Sinha said.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Thursday, May 5, 2016, 13:08 [IST]
17 civilians killed in US bombing in northern Iraq

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Baghdad, May 5: At least 17 civilians, including 12 children and three women, were killed in a US bombing in northern Iraq's Tal Afar city in the early hours of Thursday, Xinhua quoted Al Jazeera's Arabic channel as saying.

The United States deployed additional forces to Iraq last month and make Apache attack helicopters available to support the country's troops.

The United States heads an international coalition that is carrying out strikes against IS and also providing training and other assistance to forces fighting the jihadists in both Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

It has been bombing IS since August 2014, but most of the strikes are carried out by planes or drones.

US to deploy additional forces to Iraq: US Secretary of Defence

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant ground from the jihadists.

IANS
Fact Check: This video of a bus being attacked is from Egypt and not related to the ongoing violence in Iraq

Tom & Jerry responsible for violence across Arab world, says Egypt official

International

oi-Shubham

Cairo, May 5: Ambassador Salah Abdel Sadek, chief of Egypt's State Information Service has blamed popular cartoon characters Tom and Jerry, video games and 'violent' movies for the rising violence and extremism across the arab world.

Speaking at a conference titled 'The Media and the Culture of Violemce' at the Cairo University, Sadek said Tom and Jerry teach the viewer's mind that violence is natural.

"[Tom and Jerry] portrays the violence in a funny manner and sends the message that, yes, I can hit him...and I can blow him up with explosives. It becomes set in [the viewer's] mind that this is natural," said Ambassador Sadek.

He said after watching the video games for long hours, the young people then face the social pressure to resort to violence for they think it is normal.

Following Sadek's statement, privately-owned Youm7 published an article titled "Five Accusations Tom and Jerry Faces in Egypt", which said that cartoon teaches children about negative habits like drinking, smoking, and stealing.

The author of the article added that Tom and Jerry curb the idea of justice, help children come up with dangerous plans and encourage violence with the use of sharp instruments.

Oneindia News
Trump interested in vetting Kasich as his deputy

International

oi-PTI

Washington, May 5: Republican presidential presumptive nominee Donald Trump has said he is interested in vetting Ohio Governor John Kasich, the last among his party rivals to opt out of the race to the White House, as his vice presidential pick.

In an interview to CNN, Trump said he and his campaign has started to shortlist and compile "potential vice presidential" running mates which would include some of his former rivals in the Republican presidential primaries - Ben Carson and Chris Christie.

As per the excerpts of the interview released by the television news channel, although Kasich has been critical of Trump's rhetoric and many of his proposals on the campaign trail, the real estate mogul insisted that he has "a very good relationship with John".

"I think John will be very helpful with Ohio," Trump said of Kasich and his home state, which will once again be a battleground state in November's general election, it reported.

Ted Cruz drops out of race; clears pathway for Donald Trump

Trump emerged as the presumptive nominee after his massive win in Indiana. In less than 24 hours of the results, two of his rivals  Senator Ted Cruz from Texas and Kasich  withdrew from the race to the White House, thus clearing his pathway to the nomination. Primary elections in nine states are yet to be held.

Since Trump is the only candidate left in the race, he being the party's presidential nominee at the Cleveland convention in July is merely a formality now.

PTI
Gap between rich and poor has widened, needs to be bridged: Gadkari

SC rebukes former Left govt on Singur land acquisition

Nagpur

oi-Shubham

New Delhi, May 5: The Supreme Court on Wednesday rebuked the previous Left Front government on the Singur land acquisition issue saying it 'rushed' through the exercise and violated the procedure. It also called the land acquisition for Tatas' Nano car project a "farce".

The bench of Justices Gopal Gowda and Arun Mishra was surprisd when they learned that the then Left government had not carried any survey before acquring and allotting the land to the Tatas. The government of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had also failed to forward any proposal to the West Bengal Development Corporation. [Will you vacate Singur if there is adequate compensation, SC asks Tatas]

While hearing the petitions challenging the acquisition by the erstwhile Left government, Justice Gowda said the survey should be conducted by the district collector who "must exercise his power independently".

The Tatas had also filed an appeal against the current Trinamool Congress government's 2011 legislation for reclaiming the land.

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Shortly after hitting limelight, during an interview, reggae/dancehall singer, Patoranking described his brand of reggae music as a morally inclined variation of dance-hall music, but in the music videos of four of his songs, Girlie O, Daniella Whine, Available, and Suh Different, he contradicted himself with a lot of nudity.

In a chat with Showtime, the versatile singer explained why it seems like he contradicted himself in the mentioned music videos.

Music, as I always say is a spirit and a painting. Like all paintings, it contains uncountable colors and different expressions explain the vibe it has. So, also these listed songs were for the portrayal of the vibe behind the inspiration of the songs. It was all about dance and I chose the physical feminine expression of it to connect with my female fans as well as appreciate how cool they interpret sounds and rhythm, he said in defense.

Speaking about his music sojourn since he gained stardom, he said; Its been a hard journey naturally, as nothing comes easy, but most importantly; its been one of thorough self-growth and lessons. Im not where I am going yet but Im aware that Im not where I started either and Im super grateful for that. Its been an adventure and Im looking forward to more milestones.

He added that the long duration he had to wait for before gaining stardom challenged him to become successful.
President Tran Dai Quang and Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Cecilia Piccioni (Source: VNA)

Speaking of the Italian Parliaments ratification of the Vietnam-EU Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), the President asked Italy to support Vietnam's candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure and Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thaos candidacy as a member of the International Law Commission (ILC).

Vietnam will advocate Italy running for the post as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2017-2018 tenure, he affirmed.

The State leader expressed his delight at the positive development of the two countries multi-faceted collaboration over the past years, which was reflected through their establishment of the strategic partnership in 2013 on the occasion of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs visit to Italy, as well as the visit made by Italian President Sergio Mattarella to Vietnam last November.

The bilateral economic and trade ties have seen several effective cooperation models that need to be expanded upon in the time ahead, he added.

Both host and guest shared the point of view that cooperation in politics, economics and culture are the three pillars in the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership.

The President suggested the two nations intensify high-level delegation exchanges, expand connectivity not only at ministerial level but also at local level, and step up collaboration in defence, security, culture, and education and training.

The diplomat confirmed that Italy attaches importance to its relations with Vietnam, especially after the visit to Vietnam by President Sergio Mattarella.

She told the host that Vietnam is Italys biggest trade partner in ASEAN and Italy now ranks second in importing Vietnamese goods and fourth in exporting products to Vietnam among European countries.

She took the occasion to convey President Sergio Mattarellas invitation to pay a State visit to Italy to President Tran Dai Quang.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Italy reached USD4.3 billion in 2015. The two countries are striving for USD5 billion per year./.
Ghanaian actress, Ella Mensah, was shocked when a lesbian proposed to her at a mall because she had acted as a homosexual in a movie. Recalling the incident in a chat with Sunday Scoop, Mensah said, The craziest experience Ive had with a fan was when a lesbian approached me in a mall in Lagos and said she wanted to marry me. Because I acted as a lesbian in a particular movie, she assumed I was one in real life. I had to explain to her that I am straight.



Mensah, who stated that she could get married to a man who is 70 years old and above, noted that she didnt see anything awkward about young actress, Regina Daniels marriage to Delta State-born billionaire, Ned Nwoko. She said, Personally, I dont see anything wrong with that. Marriage has nothing to do with age. It is love and money that matter. We all know love alone is not enough in any relationship. Love doesnt pay bills. It wont get you a business or put food on your table either. Love is not enough; so, she did the right thing.

The actress added that she would not change her daring style of dressing because of any man. Firstly, there is nothing wrong with the way I dress. Secondly, marriage, to me, is not a union where one has to change who one is to fit in. Whoever I end up marrying will like me for who I am, period! I am a good dresser. Posting sexy pictures on Instagram is just a way of admiring myself. I dont have a perfect body; so, I just admire the one I have, she stated.

Speaking on her business experience, Mensah said, Before acting, I was a businesswoman. Ive always been doing business  buying and selling anything I could lay my hands on. Running my business, Hair by Ella Mensah, is not new to me. The only difference is that, since Im in school now, it has become a bit stressful but I have people helping out. Its been great. At the moment, Im in school in New York. Its not an acting school, but for now, I will keep it private. When Im done, I will announce it.
Photo: nhandan.com.vn

Commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, General Pon Saruon, Vietnamese military attache to Cambodia, Colonel Nguyen Anh Dung, as well as officers and students from the officer training school attended the inauguration ceremony.

During the ceremony, General Pon Saruon stressed that the Vietnamese army had always assisted the Cambodian army and people in national protection and construction.

He went on to say that the assistance had contributed to the building of a stronger and stronger army, and to the completion of the mission in protecting the nation.

The officer training schools 2-storey headquarters was built on an area of 600 square metres with a capital of USD240,000.

The headquarters can serve the study and working activities of some 450 lecturers and students.

Based on a protocol on defence cooperation, in 2015, the Vietnamese army gave assistance worth some USD4 million for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in basic constructions.

After the inauguration ceremony, General Pon Saruon and Colonel Nguyen Anh Dung participated in the opening ceremony of the 20th officer training course, with the first students studying in the new headquarters./.
Former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, has raised alarm of plot to arrest him.

This was contained in a statement by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, on Sunday.

It said due to Atikus insistence of existence of a server used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), his enemies attributed a false comment on mass protest to him to prepare ground from his incarceration.

Ibe said: I wish to emphatically state that such a statement did not emanate from Atiku Abubakar or his privies.

It is the work of mischief makers who want to mar his spotless pro-democratic record and lay the ground work for their threatened actions against him on false charges of being a threat to national security.

For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku Abubakar believes in the rule of law and in the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In his almost four decades in politics, he has never taken action or spoken words against democracy and will not start now.

Atiku Abubakar and his team have confidence in God and thus call on those bent on mischief to have the fear of God and retrace their steps.

Democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. The culture of fear being created now cannot rein in our democracy. Nigeria and Nigerians have a consistent history of outlasting tyranny and will continue to do so by the grace of God.

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As parts of effort to tackle insecurity, the Osun State Government has said it will engage the services of vigilante groups and local hunters to provide security for the residents.

Speaking on Saturday on the sidelines of the installation of the immediate past Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Dr Najeem Salaam, as the Oluomo of Ejigbo, the Deputy Governor of the state, Gboyega Alabi, said the state government would do everything legitimate to protect the people.

Alabi said the government had been engaging members of vigilante groups and local hunters in regular meetings before the recent rise in highway crimes in the state.

He warned against the use of social media to create panic, saying the security situation in the state was being hyped on the Internet.

Not that the security situation in the state is that bad, but we are being proactive to ensure that it does not escalate beyond our capacity; that was why the governor went to the Chief of Army Staff, Alabi said.

He gave an assurance that major stakeholders would be involved in an all-encompassing security strategy that the state government was planning to introduce to tackle crimes.

The lawmaker representing Osun West in the Senate, Senator Adelere Oriolowo, said local vigilante groups had been put on alert to provide security across the state.

He urged residents to be vigilant and keep close watch on movements around the state in order to prevent infiltration by bad elements.

Salaam, in his remarks, called for the cooperation of the residents to guarantee maximum security, adding that with good security, the state would experience more development.

Punchng.com

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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc meets with Japanese Minister Hiroshi Hase (Photo: VNA)



He expressed his delight at the two countries signing of the strategic cooperation programme on education while highlighting the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan.

Educational collaboration has been brought to fruition, he said, noting that there are

increasing numbers of Vietnamese and Japanese students in each others country.

Vietnams Ministry of Education and Training inked agreements with 17 universities in Japan on support and tuition fee reduction for students. The two Governments have also actively carried out training programs to help Vietnam have skilled manpower.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the Japanese Minister to press on with the strategic cooperation program on education, supporting Vietnam in human resources development, boosting affiliation between the nations universities, and fostering the partnership in scientific research.

He considered the profound relationship between the two peoples a good condition for expanding their cultural ties.

On this occasion, the leader also expressed sympathy for Japan on the heavy damage caused by the recent earthquake. He highly values the Japanese peoples spirit during infrastructure rebuilding and life stabilisation.

At the meeting, Minister Hiroshi Hase informed the host about the education - training cooperation outcomes, adding that the application of the Japanese education model in Vietnam will be continued.

His country is ready to give training to Vietnamese doctors in cancer treatment using radiation therapy, which Japan has strength in. It will also work with the Southeast Asian nation to preserve old cultural publications, he said.

The official also conveyed PM Shinzo Abes invitation to his Vietnamese counterpart to visit Japan in the near future./.
President Tran Dai Quang and UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson (Source: VNA)



Vietnam wants the UN to continue upholding its role in maintaining global peace, security and helping member states successfully realise agreements of historic significance adopted last year, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, he said.

President Quang thanked the UN agencies in Vietnam for their joint work to devise the 2017-2021 Vietnam  UN Joint Cooperation Plan as well as the urgent humanitarian assistance for victims of drought and saltwater intrusion in the south central region, Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta, including adding Vietnam into the list of 22 countries in need of global support.

Eliasson, in reply, hailed Vietnam for supporting the initiative One UN and its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 tenure, adding that he backs the countrys bid for the same position for 2020-2021.

He wished that Vietnam would continue integrating the UN sustainable development goals into its socio-economic development and achieve more successes.

The UN Deputy Secretary General stated that the UN is fully aware of difficulties caused by drought and saline intrusion in Vietnam and the UN will join hands with Vietnam to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change.

The guest also spoke highly of Vietnams efforts in exercising human rights and respecting the UN Charter./.
Bombs traced to the civil war should not be around over five decades after

The bomb explosion in Eziorsu community of Oguta Local Government Area in Imo State must have brought back the gory memories of the Nigerian civil war, to the people living within the area and other war theatres. According to the police public relations officer in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, three persons, namely Elvis Ukado, Kasiemobi Uzoma and Justice Adiemea, were killed in a scrap dump site, arising from the explosion of unexploded ordinance (UXO). An UXO refers to explosive weapons that did not detonate when deployed.

Sometimes, it may lie in wait for decades or centuries, posing danger, until it is detonated. Of note, some of the UXO deployed during the first and second world wars still pose danger in areas where the bombs were dropped. Significantly, UXO poses great danger because all the safety mechanisms have been removed at the point they were expended, and can easily explode, once put under any form of pressure.

The victims in Oguta are scrap metal collectors, and one of them was beating a metal in other to compress it, when it exploded. Considering the effect of weather on an UXO, it can explode if a child kicks at it as a play object. Such a device beneath the land surface can blow up if anyone steps on it. It can also go off under the tyre of a moving vehicle.

So, an UXO is so dangerous that it can only be handled by bomb detonation experts, to avoid the kind of calamity witnessed in Eziorsu. We therefore urge the Federal Government to take necessary steps to avoid a recurrence of such calamity. It should retain experts to comb the entire war zone, especially the areas that suffered the highest concentration of bombing during the war.

It is difficult to justify that a citizen was killed by a bomb expended in a war that ended nearly 50 years ago. The casualties of the recent incident do not deserve to die from a war ordinance when the nation is not at war. Indeed, they deserve some form of compensation from the government which has been remiss in clearing the unexploded ordinances after the war.

Educating the people about the existence of such ordinances is also important in the areas concerned. The state government and local authorities should join efforts to get the people to know the danger posed by unexploded ordinances. The warning of the commissioner of police to members of the public to promptly report any metal device suspected to be Unexploded Ordinance or Explosive (UXO), for possible examination, evacuation, and possible destruction, should be standard information promptly disseminated using all local mediums and channels.

The report that the blast reverberated across the town should also be investigated to find out if any building was affected. The state and local governments should send out experts to check the effect of the explosion on the buildings within the community, so as to avoid casualties from any building collapse. Also, trained experts should be deployed to survey whether the elderly and the young were unduly affected by shocks from the blast.

It is not proper to treat the incident as a mere security challenge and once the police have reported a return to normalcy, those who died or are affected in one way or the other are left to their individual designs. Such treatment from government authorities breeds the kind of citizens that have little or no patriotic feeling. It also provides impetus for the extremists who want to divide the country.
Under the theme Climate change adaptation through climate sensitive flood management in the lower Mekong Basin, the cooperation project conducts in total four such adaptation projects, one in each of the MRC member countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam).

GIZ implements these projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety. In total, the first pilot project in Dong Thap province has provided support to around 582 direct beneficiaries (in which women account for 45%) and thousands of indirect beneficiaries. GIZ is now assessing the initial results of the pilot project and officially handing over the project to the commune.

Training course in Dong Thap province

The overall purpose of the adaptation pilot projects is the provision of a vulnerability assessment which identifies, assesses, and implements small scale and low cost adaptation measures to reduce vulnerability to floods in flooding hotspots. An innovative methodology was used for the vulnerability assessment. It integrated social and economic vulnerabilities to formulate, priorities and cost justify the selected adaptation measures.

To achieve sustainable outcomes, the project has provided both non-structural measures including training and awareness raising on flood risk as well as practical small scale infrastructure. Besides, the project conducted four training courses on topics such as search and rescue methods during floods, obtaining fresh water and sanitation during floods, and community-based disaster risk management for local leaders.

It has also provided a loudspeaker system to provide early flood warnings for the people, motor boats for carrying out search and rescue missions, and water storage tanks and filters to provide clean water during floods. Each phase of the pilot projects was guided by a series of consultations with stakeholders at the national, provincial, and local levels, producing a set of adaptation options that was well-suited to the unique needs, constraints, and opportunities of each hotspot.

The operation of loudspeaker system

Mr. Nguyen Hong Dan, Vice Head of the Phu Thanh A commune Peoples Committee summarized the results of the project activities, saying that the capacity building and training activities of the adaptation pilot project has enhanced the knowledge of the community particularly the poor, women and children on flood risk reduction and reduced their vulnerability to the negative impacts of flood and climate change.

The flood risk and climate change impacts were integrated into the approved 2016 socio-economic development plan of the commune.

Following the finalization of all pilot projects, key stakeholders from all MRC member countries will gather in Cambodia for a regional workshop to discuss lessons learned. Ultimately, these pilot projects provide a basis for scaling up the adaptation process throughout the Lower Mekong Basin.

The Lower Mekong Basin is one of the most severely affected regions by flooding. Climate change will increase the risk of flooding, it is therefore necessary to support rural communities in becoming more resilient to floods, said GIZ project Director Dr. Philipp Magiera./.
Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia:

Hedge fund manager Bill Browder, founder of Hermitage Capital Management and leader of the global "Justice for Sergei Magnitsky" campaign, has provided details on the extent of the Klyuev money laundering network in London that was uncovered during a 6-year investigation by the late Sergei Magnitsky.

Magnitsky was Hermitages outside legal counsel who was killed in Russian police custody after giving testimony about Russian officials complicity in the $230m fraud  the largest known tax refund fraud in modern Russian history. Browder also launched a website dedicated to Magnitsky called *Law and Order in Russia*, to seek justice for his death.

In the testimony given to the UK Parliaments Home Affairs Committee, Browder identified more than $30m in proceeds which came to the UK through the Klyuev money laundering network.

The head of the network, Dmitry Klyuev, was sentenced in Russia in 2006, and was sanctioned by the US Government in 2014 for his role in the Magnitsky case under the US law, "Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act."

Klyuev was the owner of 'Universal Savings Bank, which received a portion of the stolen $230m directly from the Russian treasury. Some of these proceeds, through a series of shell companies, ended up in the Cyprus bank accounts of his two connected BVI companies, Altem Invest and Zibar Management, which then wired funds to ......................

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Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia:

Australias market regulator, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) provided new update on aspects of the Stronger Super regime aimed at providing the superannuation industry with certainty around the start dates for key superannuation reforms.

The start date for portfolio holdings disclosure reporting and choice product dashboard requirements will be deferred until 30 June 2017 to allow time for the Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2016 to pass and to give the federal government further time to consult on the detail of the requirements. These requirements were due to start on 1 July 2016.

Additionally, ASIC has extended previous relief that allows registrable superannuation entities (RSE) licensees to provide a product dashboard with a periodic statement through a website link, rather than requiring a hard copy of the dashboard to be included with the periodic statement.

The start date for certain disclosures required under section 29QB of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SIS Act) for standard employer-sponsored sub-plans has also been further deferred until 1 July 2017. This deferral is to give RSE licensees enough time to transition to compliance with the full requirements of section 29QB of the SIS Act. From 1 July 2017, RSE licensees must comply in full with the s29QB requirements, including for relevant sub-plans.

The deferrals will provide industry with certainty abo......................

To view our full article Click here


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As a child the first thing I did when presented with a new dictionary was check for the swear words. I already knew what they meant, but their presence validated the authenticity of the reference; if I could be trusted to know that these words existed, then surely the rest of the contents were worth exploring. Unfortunately, my daughter accidentally found this weekend that her school does not have that same trust in her.

While answering questions for her history assignment my daughter found that her text book did not provide her with the information that she needed for Ho Chi Minh and turned to the web for additional assistance. Using her school issued Chromebook she typed in the name of the former President of North Vietnam into Google. Unfortunately, instead of relevant information she was informed that the search results had been blocked.

Following the directions on her screen, my daughter e-mailed her teacher to ask why the results had been blocked. Unfortunately, he could not solve the problem. Perhaps this was not something he wanted to deal with on a Sunday or maybe he did not actually hold the power suggested by the message. In any case, he told her that he had no idea why the system had blocked the search results and suggested that she answer the questions using what was available in the text book.

This answer only served to stoke my daughter's curiosity. Her first inclination was that the censorship was based on ideology. However, typing "Karl Marx" into the search engine provided the expected results without being blocked. We brainstormed together and thought that maybe it had something to do with him being on the opposite side of us during the Vietnam war. This was proven wrong when typing in "Ho Chi Minh City" triggered the same blockage. We were now both stumped.

It was not until several hours later (the power of latent thinking) that I had a new idea. She keyed in "Chi Minh" and finally was able to access the needed search results. Apparently, the filter the school uses determined that students need to be protected from the word "ho". Sailors should find a new way to announce the sight of land and Santa should be red-faced over his chosen expression of glee.

The Internet provides a wealth of information at our fingertips and some of this was not meant to be accessed by minors. For example, a filter for pornographic images should be mandatory on computers issued by a school. However, these filters need to be smart enough to allow images like the 1972 Pulitzer Prize winning picture of children running from a napalm attack even though one of the girls had had her clothes burned off and was naked.

Censorship presents a particular danger to intellectualism whenever it tries to block the use of words. I have always taught my children that there are no such thing as "bad" words. Instead, they may be inappropriate in certain contexts. The "ho" in this story illustrates the point.

____________________________________________

I am a candidate for the District 2 seat on the LAUSD School Board, founder of Change The LAUSD and member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. Opinions are my own.

(Article changed on May 5, 2016 at 11:34)




Submitted by Rama Rao, Written by Amir Hossain, Advisory editor of Daily Sun, Dhaka



Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Gazipur unit holds protest demonstration demanding immediate release of #FreeNizami

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The anti-liberation political party in Bangladesh, Jamaat-e-Islami is passing through the worst time of its history as its top leaders are being punished one after another for committing crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation in 1971 and the rank and file are extremely enervated. The party is seriously confounded and unable to carry on its usual destructive activities. But yet it is making motivated propaganda and is raising baseless allegations with a view to deriving political benefits.

The Jamaat-e-Islami has even appointed lobbyists in the West to carry on motivated campaign against the war crimes trial and also against the Awami League (AL) government. The Jamaat has been spending lavishly to build anti-government opinion in the international arena.

Jamaat's malevolent campaign is going on unabated and some international media and human rights bodies are helping them in this regard. The latest instance of such connivance is an article written by Jamaat assistant secretary general Barrister Abdur Razzaq, now staying in Britain. The article titled 'Citizens are also responsible for Bangladesh violence' was published on Al Jazeera's news portal. It was also carried by some other media.

Barrister Razzaq, in his article, has directly shifted the responsibility of the crimes committed by the Jamaat and its allies to the innocent people who are the victims of the atrocities unleashed in the name of movement for democracy. During the anarchic movement of the BNP-Jamaat to oust the government, more than one hundred innocent people were burnt to death last year by hurling petrol bombs and torching vehicles carrying passengers including women and children.

Earlier, Jamaat-Shibir had killed or injured a number of cops during a widespread mayhem launched to resist the trial of the war criminals mostly belonging to this anti-liberation party. It is known to all that Jamaat vehemently opposed the liberation of Bangladesh and collaborated wholeheartedly with the Pakistani occupation forces in their barbaric acts of genocide, destruction, looting and raping the women.

Concealing such black records of his party, Barrister Razzaq in his article tried to paint a picture of himself as a concerned, law-abiding citizen who was traumatised by the violence and put the blame for this on the innocent people who are the helpless victims of the crime. He seems to make an attempt to convince the foreigners that the Jamaat is a clean and law abiding organisation and that the some other people are behind the misdeeds attributed to it.

But anyone willing to cross check the controversial background of the Jamaat and its ideology and anti-people role will be able to understand easily that the efforts of Barrister Razzaq are aimed at masquerading himself and his party men as law abiding citizens and the remaining Bangladeshis as wrong-doers. Strangely, he advised the people to be ashamed of the deaths and destruction in the country. The readers in the West who are unaware of the Jamaat's ugly face and politics of violence may be misled by his propaganda.

It is not that violence and killings have not been taking place in Bangladesh. Investigations have revealed that militants, religious extremists and organisations are behind these incidents.

Barrister Razzaq mentioned about the incidents of violence and forced disappearance in the last year quoting the 'Odhikar', a human rights organisation of Bangladesh. But he conveniently forgot the 'Odhikar' report of 2013 which blamed BNP-Jamaat for indulging in violence and repression of religious minorities. Besides, they caused deaths and injuries to scores of innocent public to force the government to resign.

A section of analysts said that Jamaat was then trying to create anarchy and instability in the country to push the government to the brink of collapse so that it did not get time and strength to finish the trial of those involved in crimes against humanity in 1971.

Barrister Razzaq wrote, "The degeneration of our society is a root cause. Ours was a healthy society; ours was a caring society. In the not-too-distant past, our people used to follow certain norms in all matters - be they social or political."

Well, can he deny the responsibility of his party and alliance for causing the 'degeneration'? Is not it a fact that the political culture of attacking police, hurling petrol bombs at running vehicles and burning innocent men, women and children to death for political gains were introduced in the country by the Jamaat-BNP alliance? One may genuinely ask why the people should be blamed for the misdeeds done by Jamaat and its allies. Is not it political dishonesty?

It is useless to expect political honesty from Jamaat leaders as their politics is based all along on falsehood, treachery and anti-people role. The history of the party is full of such incidents. On the eve of the creation of Pakistan, the then Jamaat-e-Islami led by Maulana Moududi termed the proposed new state as 'Na-Pakistan' and opposed it. But after Pakistan was established Moududi and his associates migrated from India to Karachi and ultimately became the self-styled custodian of the religion-based state.

Then, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, the Jamaat opposed independence and collaborated with the Pakistani occupation troops in their genocide and other atrocities. But after the killing of Bangabandhu, the anti-liberation Jamaat was rehabilitated by the BNP and its two leaders were made ministers also. Now the party is plunged in the worst debacle of its history, but yet trying to survive by shifting the responsibility of its atrocities to the shoulder of the people who are still haunted by the nightmare of Jamaat-BNP mayhem.

When the Jamaat leader writes that "As a nation we all share responsibility in our failure," it appears that he moves to confess to the guilt. But it should be made clear to all that 'all' have no reason to share the 'responsibility' of the misdeeds or failure of Jamaat or any other political group.

The role played by Jamaat in Pak army's genocide and also in the mayhem of 2013 and 2014 is known to all at home and abroad. Yet by dramatizing few incidents, Barrister Razzaq may succeed in befooling some readers in the West, but not the millions of people of Bangladesh who are the victims of the atrocities of this party of war criminals.

Side by side with the trial of the war criminals, steps may be taken through legal process to ban the Jamaat as a political party for its anti-liberation role and crimes against humanity in 1971. If that happens, Jamaat leaders will try to re-emerge in politics under a new name. Preparations to that end are already in progress. But Jamaat is now racing against very hostile time and cruel history. The leaders of the party seem unable or unwilling to read the writing on the wall and realise that they have lost whatever public support they had at home and lobbying and propaganda abroad will not be able to help them make up this loss.
Donald J. Trump is now the Republican Party's presidential candidate for the 2016 elections. Already the party's chairman, Reince Priebus, who was once aloof and hands-off when the GOPs primary circus was in full swing, has now effectively changed his tune now that the writing is on the political wall. He's on record saying that Trump was "probably good for our party and we're going to get behind the presumptive nominee." Noteworthy here is that fact that the RNC chairman did not offer his congratulations to Donald Trump. However, with that 360 degree pivot it is worth pointing out here that the Republican Party has absolutely no integrity, no principles and, in my humble opinion, has lost every rationale for its being.

Is it the end of Republican-style conservatism, the modern party's guiding principle, that now renders it no longer a viable political party but a lose gathering of people with vastly different interpretations of what conservatism is? Has the GOP lost its relevance in today's highly charged and meritocratic American political society? Naturally, that's a debate that the party, now tattered and torn, must have if it is to compete effectively in American politics beyond 2016. Within this context, with Donald Trump now its nominee, the party has effectively embraced as new core principles of both bigotry and xenophobia.

But is it Trump who has rendered the Republican Party presumably irrelevant, splintered beyond repair, and who has dealt a deathblow to GOP conservatism?

To my mind, Trump may be many things -- many bad things -- but all of the above did not begin with his decision to run for the president of the United States. The malaise of the Republican Party in American politics began in the pre-Reagan years. Today, the Republican Party and its leaders are now split between the #NeverTrump s and those who say they will support Donald Trump. In this scenario the consensus is that the GOP, if not already split, is on the verge of a very significant divide. And as political analysts, party elders, and GOP establishment leaders grapple with this extraordinary moment in American politics it perhaps apropos here to remind "John Public" that American political parties have not ever permanently splintered. Infact, American political parties are incredibly resilient institutions and have withstood many rocky, bumpy and turbulent periods.

The splintering or break up of political parties has a lot to do, not only with party politics, Republican or Democratic, but with demographics and geography. For example, American political history tells us that political parties that rely on the Southern United States as part of their social coalition have sometimes fallen apart. The best example of this that has relevance today in 2016 is the now extinct Whig Party that competed in presidential elections between 1836 and 1852 eventually disintegrating, splintering and dying.

The demise of the Whig Party started exactly along the lines of today's Republican Party -- internal division in ideology and a serious fracturing along geographic lines. These divisions, the first step in the disintegration, gave rise to extremism and conservatism that further split the party along political lines with the end result that the rise of the extreme wing made the party unable, reluctant and hesitant to confront the deepening divide and the extremism driving it.

It is noteworthy here to point out that within the Whig Party it was that divide driven by the resulting extremism and failure to deal with it that gave rise to the birth of the Republican Party. The geographic and political divide within the Whig Party was whether to embrace or reject slavery that took on a North vs. South character with some former Northern Whig Party members led by Abraham Lincoln breaking away to form a political organization dedicated to preventing the expansion of slavery in the United States that was to become the Republican Party.

So now we come to 2016 and the Republican Party is again in the throes of reorganizing, redefining and transforming itself or will again give birth to a new hybrid political child. Whatever happens, the party will not be polarized along geographic lines. There is no North vs. South divide on any national issue. Politically, the Republican Party does not draw or depend on the American North East, North West, or the upper Midwest, for its existence. These are the more liberal parts of the United States. The party continues to have a stranglehold and draw its membership from traditional bastions of republicanism -- the South and the interior West (Rocky Mountains and the Plains States). These areas, like the more liberal parts of America, are united along ideological party lines and socio-economic issues. It's here that Donald Trump draws his majority of support.

And those who write off the Republican Party and predict its impending demise are in for a very rude awakening. This is a party that has gone through many political undulations, fissures and challenges that always appear to others that it's teetering on the brink of impending doom. Not so. And that has to do with both geography and demographics. The GOP, like the Democratic Party, is first and foremost a COALITION of state political party organizations. At the state level the Republican Party's brand, local organization, and support mechanisms are intact, strong and in place. So the likelihood of the national Republican Party splitting and fracturing while not impossible is, on the face of it, quite remote. The reason? Its organizational strength in so-called "red states and blue." It's that infrastructure that will hold the party, both parties, together even as its divisive presidential standard bearer pushes it to unbelievable political contortions.

So let's get back to Donald Trump, the new leader of the GOP. Let me first say that Trump is not the first rogue leader of a major political party in America and he certainly will not be the last. The danger for the party is not about Trump himself but his well-documented history or racism, xenophobia, misogyny, arrogance and political illiteracy. His broad policy positions that drove the rise of the angry, disenchanted sections of the Republican Party has no basis in the party's value systems and are based on emotion, populism, political opportunism, and empty rhetoric. So that as the standard bearer the GOP's fear is that he'll remake the party in his own image -- something that is not sustainable in both the short and long terms.

Don't get me wrong. There is a commonality of purpose between the Republican Party and Donald Trump -- a kind of love/hate - when it comes to hating President Barack Obama, Democratic policies and Hillary Clinton, who they both see as a continuing of Obama's policies. The problem is that the Republican Party Establishment and elders are afraid because they have not been able to CONTROL Trump. That fear is further driven by the fact that Trump is unpredictable and has publicly stated that American domestic and foreign policy should not be predictable.

Indeed, the clear and present fear of the Republican Party is that Trump will damage its brand (if he's not already done so) and cause significant long-term party defections at the state level, especially in more conservative and "swing" states. While Trump's base comprises the GOP's blue collar workers, Tea Party supporters and angry white men that allowed him to win his party's nomination, that's only good for Republican Primaries. In a general election, Trump MUST appeal to women, African-Americans, Hispanics and, most importantly, independent voters, if he's to become the president of the United States. So the Republican Party pundits are nervously scratching their heads because he's alienated these key constituencies and insulted women at every phase of his campaign.

Remember that in the late 1970s and early 80s there was a significant internal problem in the Republican Party when evangelicals, especially Southern evangelicals, became a strong ultra-right movement not unlike the Tea Party Movement of today. Back then the evangelical movement in the GOP was the main opposition to deep conservative positions like pro-choice and pro-abortion that was thrust onto the party's national platform. This threatened to splinter the party. But history tells us that the party not only survived but today its evangelical wing, although still a significant plank in the GOP is not nearly as strong as it was in the 1970s.

Finally, for both Donald Trump and the Republican Party the overarching issue is the presidential election mathematics --the magic 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House. Trump will have to sweep ALL of the Southern States to have a shot of winning, no matter who his running mate is, no matter who he insults or no matter how much he mouths off about "Making America Great Again." So far, as of today, by all projections Democrats can count 217 Electoral College votes to Republicans 191. What that means is that as of May 4 there are 130 states that are called "toss up states" -- meaning they can go any way - Democrat or Republican.

So Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic Party's nominee, if things remains as they are by November, has to win 53 of the toss up states to become the President of the United States while Trump needs 71. His lift will be heavier if Ms. Clinton wins New Mexico (which is presently in the Democratic column with 5 electoral college votes). But in politics November 2016 might well be a lifetime away and a lot, a heck of a lot, can still happen.
Reprinted from Mike Malloy Website

Well Truthseekers, the last few days saw the strangest melange of news items in recent history. The Indiana primary, JFK conspiracy theories, venereal disease, adultery, bathroom wars, Bernie's upset win, Cruz' unexpected bow ... and it's only Wednesday!

Now, it seems the mainstream media have decided the battle of the Big Dollars will pit Trump v. Clinton in the Fall, even though Bernie just won Indiana; even though Clinton is in the midst of a federal investigation by the FBI and Justice Department. Why doesn't anyone in the media talk about that? More bizarre, the Trump machine has been weirdly quiet about that little juicy news nibblet. The Donald is fearless when questioning Obama's birth certificate, or mocking Ted Cruz' wife, or Carly Fiorina's looks, or implying that Cruz' dad might have been involved in the JFK assignation ... yet not a peep about an actual Real Live Potential Indictment of his presumptive opponent? We cannot believe that he's too restrained to mention Hillary's unmentionables, so what gives?

Does Trump's silence on this HUGE potential scandal strike anybody else as strange? Is it possible that the tin-foil-mad-hatters are right and Trump is a covert Hillary mole working to get her elected? No? Too crazy?



Okay, but what is taking the FBI so long to conclude their investigation? In April there was buzz that Hillary would be subpoenaed "within days" and that hasn't happened yet. It does seem that there must be some political motivation for the delay, whether to harm her or help her is the big question. It's another crazy twist in an already seriously twisted election season. And what happens if the FBI concludes there is evidence of some kind of criminal mishandling of classified information? The Department of Justice is then left with a potentially devastating choice: If the DOJ doesn't present the evidence to a Grand Jury, it sets a terrible precedent and makes the FBI and its agents look like fools. But if the DOJ does presnt the eviodence to a Grand Jury, it makes the Democratic Party and the State Department appear to be co-conspirators. (Anybody remember that "third-rate burglary" at the Watergate a few decades back?)

The press has done a piss-poor job of reporting this story thus far. And it wasn't helped by Congressional hearings that focused on deleted email instead of the probability that classified Intel was passing through her private server. What is interesting, however, is that those incessant Benghazi hearings may not have been as redundant as we believed. Was there really something there that the mental midgets on the Committee failed to uncover? And is it possible that the killing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. personnel at the lightly guarded U.S. "consulate" in Benghazi, Libya, on 9/11/12 was a direct result of Clinton's -- intentional or accidental -- transferring of classified info over an unsecured server?

How could that have happened? Well, we can assume Clinton accessed this unsecured server to read her email over her cellphone, tablet, notebook, etc., while traveling in foreign countries. How hard would that be to hack? I saw a teenager do it in a mall on Dateline NBC. Surely ISIS has somebody at least that skilled on their team.

Most of the information relating to this potential scandal comes from notoriously debased websites like Newsmax or Brietbart. And almost all the reporting is a result of Judicial Watch's multiple FOIA State Dept. lawsuits over the last few years. I'm no fan of Judicial Watch or their well-funded, longstanding witch hunt against anything Clinton, but sometimes even the questionable sources turn up valid information (see: National Enquirer and the John Edwards affair).

(Where are the SPOTLIGHT journalists when you need them?)

Long story longer, Judicial Watch sued the State Department under FOIA to release key facts about information transferred over Clinton's private server, and as a result the State Department had to admit it withheld at least one important Benghazi email. This is from (forgive me) Breitbart:

"The Obama State Department admitted last week that it withheld a key Benghazi email of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from Judicial Watch since at least September 2014. Had the department disclosed the email when first supposedly found, Clinton's email server and her hidden emails would have been revealed before she authorized the alleged deletion of tens of thousands of emails.


3D Scales of Justice Owner: StockMonkeys.com at flickr.com/people/86530412@N02/ License: Attribution (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

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Note to Editor: Dear Rob 5 months of research and ending reminds of the future and who backs Trump.

If necessary perhaps OEN might publish it in segments with the continuation below the 1st part.



Quoting from the Russia-Insider article by Daniela Pozzati, republished from Italy's Panorama Magazine, Putin-Medvedev Divorce? It's Only a Matter of Time , 1/28/2014 "President Putin is about to dismiss Prime Minister Medvedev over the latter's appeasing attitude towards the West, according to Panorama, Italy's leading political weekly."

russia-insider.com/en/2015/01/28/2871



"In January of 2014, a Russian documentary film on the Libya crisis openly accused Medvedev of "treason" for his compliant, pro-Western handling of the crisis, and supine acceptance of its outcome.

Among the first Siloviki to point the finger at Medvedev were Evgeny Primakov, former prime minister and head of Russia's foreign secret services, and Vladimir Chamov, Russian ambassador to Libya at the time of the crisis, removed for objecting to the very toppling of Gaddafi.

Retired general Leonid Ivashov said during the Libya documentary: "Unfortunately Russian presidents cannot be prosecuted for treason."

The above quoted, phrases, "appeasing attitude towards the West," and "accused him of 'treason' for his compliant, pro-Western handling of the crisis," refer to Medvedev, when he was President, ordering his Ambassador to the UN not use Russia's veto power to block the No Fly Zone resolution that would permit the destruction of wealthy Libya and the assassination of the protector of its socialist revolution Muammar Gaddafi.

Before we read Medvedev's explanation to world media of why he had Russia facilitate an air and sea attack on Libya, let us look at a peaceful and prosperous Libya, just five weeks before the UN Security Council voted to bomb it, to the first week of February 2011, when the UN Quality of Life Index of 2010 had Libya ranked the 53rd highest nation, ahead of nine European nations (including Russia), a beautiful well kept Arab Socialist country, where everyone owned their own home, enjoyed free and modern health care, free good education up through PhD, a low infant mortality, the cheapest imaginable gasoline for cars everyone had and free from exploitation as even all wage labor was strictly forbidden in the Libyan constitution of a real decentralized democracy in which everyone participated at the local assemblies level where all issues of state concern were discussed before sending delegates to the central assembly of government in Tripoli. Political parties, or gangs of foreign backed profession politicians, were illegal.



[In Gaddafi's Libya was Africa's Most Prosperous Democracy, Zimbabwean Garikai Chengu a fellow at the Du Bois Institute for African Research at Harvard University, writes, "Contrary to popular belief, Libya, which western media described as "Gaddafi's military dictatorship", was in actual fact one of the world's most democratic States," and describes this in detail. "Even the New York Times, which was always highly critical of Colonel Gaddafi, conceded that in Libya, the intention was that "everyone is involved in every decision"Tens of thousands of people take part in local committee meetings to discuss issues and vote on everything from foreign treaties to building schools."



CNN, NY Times et al. have never reported that Libya, as opposed to desperately poor Egypt and Yemen had been enjoying a higher standard of living than nine European nations including Russia. Rather, they continued emphasizing Western media concocted misnomer 'Arab Spring' and long term condemnation of Gaddafi over his entire four decades of leadership of Libya and funding the movement for African Union as it Chairman.







Gaddafi had revived Nkruma's African Union and was funding organizations that were fighting against the genocidal machinations of continuing European exploitation of Africa through financing tribal strife as the colonial powers have always done. Gaddafi was blocking US military's AFRICON penetration in North Africa. Highly dangerous for the US and European establishment, Libya had begun minting part of the 44 billion US$ in gold held in Libya's State Bank, threatening the US dollar as world currency.



Gaddafi, whose position officially was Defender of the Revolution, had made himself a greater target of assassination and vilification than Fidel Castro was for the speculative investors in neocolonial plundering who dominate the planet. In addition, Gaddafi, by his recent apology to African leaders on behalf of Arab nations for past Arab involvement in the African slave trade had infuriated extremists in neighboring Arab nations tightly allied with, and serving the foreign policy of Western powers.



Controlled media ridiculed Gaddafi, when he spoke as Chairman of the African Union in his 2009 address to the UN General Assembly. Gaddafi was the first and only delegate to ever to call for investigation of the UN itself for its role in the horrific loss of lives in Palestine and Korea. He demanded that besides those in Vietnam, Iraq, and that all bombings, invasions and occupations by US NATO forces must be investigated to seek justice and compensation for victims and survivors. Gaddafi bitterly explained the UN Charter's provisions were all negated by the domination of a 'Council of Terror' (Security Council) controlled by the Colonial Powers.



After forty years of building up Gaddafi as a villain and hateful brutal dictator worth assassination even at the cost of a hundred innocent Libyans as in President Reagan's ordered criminal 1988 airstrike, an abysmally uneducated and diseducated American public and its propagandized allied citizens in Europe, were ready to believe whatever infantile lies US criminal media drummed up.



America's CIA fed war establishment media had had little difficulty getting public opinion to accept their pinning the bombing of a Pan Am passenger plane on him. The world satellite audience of a CNN-New York Times led media cartel would never question the absurdity that a successful leader of a revolution that had saved tens of thousand of lives in bringing his once colonially impoverished people to have the best living standard in Africa, could have possibly have had an motive to order the mass murder of a plane load of innocent human beings. Gadaffi, in an unfortunate rush to see lifted the sanctions unjustly put Libyan oil for an unproven accusation, showed an amazing willingness to trust a Western court in an setup arena. The trial, according to the most highly placed legal authorities observing, was a travesty of justice. See [The case remains unsolved, as the man convicted died before his second appeal came up. See US News & World Report 1/2/2009 The Lockerbie Case by Nathan Thrall lockerbiecase.blogspot.com]



Though the 2008 Humanitarian U.S.-Libya Comprehensive Claims Settlement Agreement contributed to by American companies in Libya, unequivocally stated that "this agreement is being pursued on a purely humanitarian basis and does not constitute an admission of fault by either party," Western media easily brought most viewers around the world to believe to the contrary that Gaddafi had admitted bombing the plane.



Medvedev would have had to have had access to all this basic information about Libya and the West's murderous attempts on Gaddafi's life. Medvedev also had to have known of General Wesley Clark revelation in 2007, "the Pentagon secretly planned back in 2001 to to take out seven Middle East countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran." Medvedev would have known of the US history of interventions in 'civil wars' created for the purpose economic and political control starting with Korea, Greece, Congo, Vietnam, Laos, Dominica Republic, Panama, Haiti, Grenada, and all the falsities promoted in corporate media to justify those bombings, invasions and occupations as humanitarian. Libya was an obvious rush to 'humanitarian attack.' He would, as a schoolchild, have studied the history of the US invading the newly founded Soviet Russia with two armies and how American corporations had invested and joint-ventured with Nazi Germany to build Hitler's Wehrmacht up to world's number one in five years, supposedly only as a bulwark against the USSR, but obviously to invade the USSR. Once President, Medvedev, like all of us, would have also read in Western periodicals of US military preparations in expectation of eventual war with China and Russia.



So how to explain Russia giving a green light to just one more 'humanitarian intervention blitz? Was there pressure on Medvedev to cut a favorable economic deal with the West from Russia's business community still heavily dominated by the oligarchs who arose to power buying up state enterprises of the self-dissolving Soviet Union? In line with our synopsis that points to understanding private investment finance capital as driving before it everything else, is an article of economic interest published in Russia a week into the bombing.

"Bombing of Libya -- Punishment for Gaddafi for His Attempt to Refuse US Dollar' ,

kir-t34.livejournal.com/14869.html - Bortovoi Journal, Russia, 3/26/11



"China had announced minting of golden yuan and the Eastern countries also discussed the possibility of golden standard. Mummar Ghaddafi became the earliest initiator of the idea of refusing dollar and euro and called on Arab and African nations to use a new currency instead, the Persian gold dinar. In 2002 Malaysian prime minister Muhammad together with Mummar Ghaddafi proposed initiative to launch golden dinar. At the beginning this idea was approved by Iraq, Sudan and Bruney, next, Indonesia, United Arabian Emirates and other countries joined to it. They began work on this idea. there were some sessions of Ministers of Finance of these countries and the project about refusing from dollar and euro and using golden dinar began to began to come to life. There was a pilot project where golden coins already minted began to be used in Malaysia, Indonesia and Iran. They were even used in common shops and they are still can be used there as well as common banknote money. Once Muammar Ghaddafi comes to drop the bank system and start trading only in gold, he will trade only with countries that have gold. (China has almost cornered the gold market?) " A chain reaction would be expected because everyone is tired of being a slave for the USA Federal Reserve and its head Mr. Bernanke. Because Bernanke gives money in debt for USA (Federal Reserve Font gives money to central Bank of USA). If Muamman Ghaddafi found time to launch golden coins before the war started, not only muslim countries would follow him. There would be many countries, including maybe even Germany. Everyone in the world who doesn't want to be a slave of Bernanke wants to trade for gold.

Gaddafi suggested establishing a united African continent, with its 200 million people using this single currency. During the past year, the idea was approved by many Arab countries and most African countries.

If the Gaddafi government goes down, it will be interesting to watch whether the new central bank [created by the rebels in March] joins the BIS, whether the nationalized oil industry gets sold off to investors, and whether education and healthcare continue to be free."



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Seattle's socialist councilwoman Kshama Sawant

(Image by ThisCantBeHappening!) Details DMCA



Philadelphia -- You wouldn't know it from reading or watching or listening to the corporate media, or even, incredibly, to most of the alternative media, but a huge grass-roots campaign has sprung up promoting a mass four-day demonstration in Philadelphia during the July 25-28 Democratic Convention . The promoters of this campaign so reminiscent of the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago are backers of Bernie Sanders who totally reject the idea of seeing their candidate, Bernie Sanders -- or themselves -- just rolling over at the end of this year-long effort and endorsing Hilllary Clinton.

Sanders has won nearly ten million votes in the primaries so far including his latest strong come-from-behind win in Indiana, and that is only a fraction of his national base of support, given that many states have closed primaries where independents -- his strongest backers -- have been barred from voting.

If only one in 10 or one in 20 of those backers were to make their way to Philadelphia, the scene here could end up making the Pope's recent visit look like an ordinary rush hour, or maybe a Mummer's Parade.

What Sanders has been saying lately -- that he wants to give the Democrats the "most progressive platform in history" -- is a joke. Sanders knows it, and so do all his backers. The party and its candidates never pay any thought to platforms, which have always served as simply a sop to keep disgruntled progressives on the plantation.

What the demonstrators planning to pour into Philly want is for Sanders, if as expected he loses his campaign for the Democratic nomination, to walk away from the convention and the Democratic party and to announce plans to run in the general election, either as an independent or, better, as the nominee of the Green Party, should that group will accept him (the Greens hold their own convention in the first week of August). Some in the Green party have been trying to discuss the idea with Sanders, though others oppose the idea.

You haven't read about it on Common Dreams or at Truthout, or heard about it on Democracy Now!, but Kshama Sawant, the feiry socialist city councilwoman from Seattle, has a petition out calling on Sanders to run as an independent . That petition now has 21,000 signatures and counting. Sawant and the Green Party 's likely presidential nominee, Dr. Jill Stein, have been reaching out to Sanders privately too, so far to no effect.

What the demonstrators planning to pour into Philly want is for Sanders, if as expected he loses his campaign for the Democratic nomination, to walk away from the convention and the Democratic party and to announce plans to run in the general election, either as an independent or, better, as the nominee of the Green Party, should that group will accept him (the Greens hold their own convention in the first week of August). Some in the Green party have been trying to discuss the idea with Sanders, though others oppose the idea.

You haven't read about it on Common Dreams or at Truthout, or heard about it on Democracy Now!, but Kshama Sawant, the feiry socialist city councilwoman from Seattle, has a petition out calling on Sanders to run as an independent. That petition now has 21,000 signatures and counting. Sawant and the Green Party 's likely presidential nominee, Dr. Jill Stein, have been reaching out to Sanders privately too, so far to no effect.

What Sanders backers hope is that by showing up in the tens or hundreds of thousands in Philadelphia streets, calling for him to not back Clinton, and to run through to November, is that they will move Sanders to do the right thing, and not undermine or destroy the "political revolution" that he did so much during these last few months to kick-start.

To get a sense of the thinking behind this campaign, which has sprung up almost over-night, check out this Facebook page .

The idea of a third party run clearly spooks many traditional Democrats. As one local Democratic activist in my community put it, "Bernie may be the better candidate, but there's no chance he'll ever be elected as a third-party candidate. He'll just help to elect Trump!"

There's a view on the hard left too that Sanders running as a Green or even as an independent would be a mistake -- not because it might elect Trump, since on the left, there's not much difference seen between Clinton and Trump, and Trump is even viewed more favorably by some, who see his foreign policy ideas as more isolationist that Clinton's neocon proclivities for promoting conflict with Russia and China and regime-change in third-world nations. Rather, some on the left feel that Sanders shouldn't be able to simply usurp a top spot on the Green Ballot, or that he doesn't merit it because he hasn't taken a stand against US empire and militarism, and that the Greens should build their party on their own, not by riding some candidate's notoriety.

Both perspectives are misguided, though. Clearly the Sanders phenomenon, which has picked up where the 2011 Occupy Movement left off, and catapulted anti-corporate thinking and democratic socialist ideas like Medicare for all and free college tuition into mainstream political discourse, is historically unprecedented. It which has already energized tens of millions of people -- especially young people.

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This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

[Note for TomDispatch Readers: Don't forget that Nick Turse's powerful, firsthand report from the planet's newest nation, now also a war crimes zone, is the latest Dispatch Book. Next Time They'll Come to Count the Dead: War and Survival in South Sudan is a stunning work of journalism and an odyssey of the first order, a must-have for TomDispatch readers! As always with Nick's books, for a contribution of $100 or more ($125 if you live outside the U.S.), you can get a signed, personalized copy and in the process help ensure that more Dispatch Books appear in the world. Check our donation page for the details. Above all, I urge every TomDispatch reader to buy a copy. Help make the latest Dispatch Book a genuine success. With that in mind, I've asked Haymarket Books, the fantastic publisher of our imprint, to offer TD readers a discount on it. Here's all you have to do: click on this link, which will take you to the Haymarket website. Then click "add to cart," select the number of books you want, and click on "checkout." After you've filled out your shipping and billing information, you will be asked to enter a "coupon code." To purchase one book, enter TURSE25 and you'll get 25% off the cover price; for five or more books, enter TURSE40 and you'll get 40% off. Tom]

Here's a riddle for you: What do Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have in common? And no, it's not that if Donald Trump were a woman he'd garner less than 5% of the vote. And it's not that Hillary rolls her eyes just like Mary Pat Christie when she hears The Donald going after women. And it's not that Hillary attended The Donald's wedding to Melania (though she did). And while The Donald is the first American presidential candidate to openly campaign on a platform of American decline, Hillary is still stuck in a world of too-many-superlatives for the waning American century. ("Despite what other candidates say, we believe in the goodness of our people and the greatness of our nation.")

So none of the above. And yet they do have something in common, an address they share. And no, it's not Trump Tower in New York City or even the Trump International Hotel and Towers in Panama City that TomDispatchregular Nomi Prins, author of All the Presidents' Bankers: The Hidden Alliances That Drive American Power, discusses in today's post. It's 1209 North Orange Street, a "squat, yellow brick office building" in Wilmington, Delaware, one of three states -- the other two being Nevada and Wyoming -- that operate right in this country like onshore Panama Cities. It's there at the blandly named Corporation Trust Center, according to Rupert Neate of the Guardian, that Trump and Clinton (along with Apple, Walmart, Coca-Cola, a pile of other Fortune 500 firms, and several hundred thousand more outfits) have registered companies capable of taking full advantage of "strict corporate secrecy rules, business-friendly courts, and the 'Delaware loophole,' which can allow companies to legally shift earnings from other states to Delaware, where they are not taxed on non-physical incomes generated outside of the state."

So, as Prins points out today, the two leading candidates for the presidency actually share a secret life. Think of it as a kind of private assignation -- for their monies, if not themselves -- in a place that may still be located in the United States but is nonetheless offshore from where most of the rest of us live. They are both, in other words, tax haven aficionados, and in this election season if you want to become one, too, then head offshore with Nomi Prins into the borderless world where so much of our money disappears. Tom

Gimme Shelter (From the Tax Man)

Disappearing Money and Opportunistic Candidates

By Nomi Prins with Craig Wilson There's a pile of money hiding offshore. It's true that jobs are also leaving the United States because American companies find it convenient to cut labor costs by moving manufacturing abroad, the economic issue you're hearing most about in this election season. But the stunning amount of money that continues to flow across American borders (and those of other countries), and eventually disappears into the pockets of the corporate and political elite, ultimately causes even more damage to our finances and our lives. While the two leading candidates for the presidency, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, have indeed suggested cosmetic fixes for a situation that only grows more extreme with the passage of time, they have themselves taken advantage of numerous tax "efficiency" strategies that make money evaporate. Of course, you shouldn't doubt for a second that they'll change their ways once in the Oval Office. As with so much in our American heritage, there's a history to the "offshore" world, too. Finding places to shield money from tax collection first became commonplace among upper-crust industrialists, bankers, and even public servants back in the 1920s. Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon, a millionaire mogul who served presidents Calvin Coolidge, Warren Harding, and Herbert Hoover (and had a knack for cutting taxes on the wealthy), left office under mounting congressional probes into his tax evasion strategies. Fast-forward about a century and tax dodging has been woven into the fabric of the lives of the affluent and corporate worldwide in an extraordinary way. According to an April 2016 Oxfam report, the top 50 U.S. companies are hoarding more than $1.4 trillion in cash offshore. What's more, for every dollar that these firms spent lobbying Congress for "favorable" tax treatment (a collective total of $2.6 billion between 2008 and 2014), they received $130 dollars in tax breaks and $4,000 in subsidies from the U.S. government. These companies, including Pfizer, Goldman Sachs, Dow Chemical, Chevron, Walmart, IBM, and Procter & Gamble, created "an opaque and secretive network" of more than 1,600 company subsidiaries located in tax havens that they decided to disclose. (Because of the weak reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, there could be thousands more.) According to a March 3rd report from the Citizens for Tax Justice, the Fortune 500 companies are now saving $695 billion in federal income taxes on a total of $2.4 trillion in offshore holdings. Americans can't afford to ignore such tax games, since we're the ones who, in effect, wind up paying the taxes these firms don't. For government policymakers, such tax evasion is a grim matter of attrition, since the U.S. (and other countries) plunge ever deeper into debt thanks to such antics and then find themselves cutting services or raising taxes on us to cover the gap between the money they're losing and the taxes they're collecting. Not only are such firms unpatriotic, they are parasitic and while they're at it, they use similar techniques -- let's not call it theft (though it is) -- to avoid tax payments in the poorest places on Earth. As Oxfam reports, "the biggest burden" of tax havens "falls on the poorest people." In the process, they only increase already oppressive levels of inequality globally. Tax "secrecy" specialists -- people working in the money-hiding field -- help rich individuals, multinational corporations, political leaders, terrorists, and organized crime groups divert cash and capital, sometimes in staggering amounts, from local economies into an obscure, complex, multi-layered global financial network that operates outside any national or international regulatory or tax system. Given this, isn't it a little surprising that the top candidates for the presidency barely pay lip service to the impact of such hidden money? What toothless policies they have proposed to deal with the phenomenon will do little or nothing to change it. The Panama Papers U.S. trade agreements generally include rosy promises about partnering with regional economies around the world to encourage the flow of goods and services across borders. At the same time, they generally are focused on the obliteration of barriers that in any way restrict money from flowing out of the United States or into the embrace of other nations. The free movement of capital, or financial globalization as it's called, has been a bedrock Washington policy for a century and, since the 1980s, places like Panama -- a renowned tax haven -- have abetted this process.

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Don't look now, but in the latest hypothetical general election poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports, Donald Trump leads Hillary Clinton.

According to the survey, which was conducted from April 27 to 28 among 1,000 likely voters:

Trump now has the support of 73% of Republicans, while 77% of Democrats back Clinton. But Trump picks up 15% of Democrats, while just eight percent (8%) of GOP voters prefer Clinton, given this matchup.

Among voters not affiliated with either major party, Trump leads 37% to 31%, but 23% like another candidate. Nine percent (9%) are undecided.

Hmmm, I do not think 32% are lining up to vote for Jill Stein or Gary Johnson. So these are voters who at this point are not supporting anyone likely to be on the ballot in November.

Give the voters the option of staying home and the same poll has the race tied.

Rasmussen Reports did not poll a hypothetical Sanders versus Trump matchup. Other polls all show Sanders beating Trump by more than 10 points. Those same polls have the race closer between Clinton and Trump.

Talk about a race to the bottom, the two most unpopular candidates in either party will likely be the nominees of the two major political parties.

Now let's look at some other indicators of electability.

Favorability: (Huffington Post average)

Sanders: 52%

Clinton: 47%

Trump: 35%

Unfavorability: (Huffington Post average) Trump: 61%

Clinton: 55%

Sanders: 40% Honesty: (yougov.com poll) Sanders: 47%

Trump: 29%

Clinton: 27% Dishonesty: (yougov.com poll) Clinton: 56%

Trump: 52%

Sanders: 24%

When asked by Peter Hart and Associates in an April poll, all voters chose Sanders as the candidate they could support at higher levels than any other candidate.

Here is the exact question, Q13: "I'm going to mention a number of people running for president in 2016. For each one, please tell me, yes or no, whether you could see yourself supporting that person for president in 2016. If you don't know the name, please just say so."

Sanders: 49% yes 48% no

Clinton: 41% yes 58% no

Trump: 31% yes 68% no

If these numbers are true, why isn't Sanders winning? The answer is simple: These numbers are among all voters, many of whom are shut out of the nominating process. Hillary Clinton's numbers are better if you only ask Democrats. Donald Trump does better among Republicans.
Updated Friday afternoon

As the weekend approaches, check out what's on tap.

The 14th annual Filmed by Bike festival kicks off Friday with a street party outside Velo Cult Bike Shop in the Hollywood District.

Also, don't forget that Cheers to Belgian Beers is coming up next weekend, May 13-14. And Fred Fest, 1-5 p.m., Hair of the Dog Brewing, May 15.

Also on our radar:

Beer for keeping: The Commons Brewery releases an Ambree-stylee Biere de Garde inspired by French farmhouse beers and Steve Jones, a Portland cheesemonger. The Commons describes it as "a soft, clean, malt-forward ale dry hopped with French grown Strisselspalt hops." It will be available in 750 ml bottles. On tap will be a keg-conditioned version available only in their tasting room.

Biere de Garde bottle release, 3 p.m., Friday, May 6, The Commons Brewery, 630 S.E. Belmont St.

Stammtisch anniversary and Maifest: Stammtisch, the Northeast Portland sister restaurant to Prost!, is celebrating its two-year anniversary, which happens to fall on Maifest, a German celebration of spring. To mark both occasions, Stammtisch says, it will have several Maibocks on draft and house-made maiwein (May wine) with doner kebabs on a rotisserie.

Stammtisch 2nd anniversary, Saturday, May 7, 11:30 a.m.-close, Stammtisch, 401 N.E. 28th Ave.

Happy 4th: Van Havig and Ben Love will celebrate four years of Gigantic Brewing. For the event, Gigantic collaborated with Magic Rock Brewing in Huddersfield, England, to make Holy Oak Bourbon Barrel Aged Sour Beer. They will have it on draft and in 22-ounce bottles. All draft beers will be $2. Pro tip: Look for Gigantic's latest releases, Hearts & Stars Saison and Vivid Imperial IPA.

Gigantic Brewing's 4th Anniversary, 3 p.m., Monday, May 9, Gigantic Brewing taproom, 5224 S.E. 26th Ave.

Eye on the sky: Ecliptic Brewing, which keeps its eye on the stars and planets as much as it does its brewing tanks, will have coffee, doughnuts and a telescope at the ready at 8:30 a.m., Monday, May 9 for the transit of Mercury. What? Oh, yeah, that's when Mercury passes between the earth and the sun, which doesn't happen very often.

Transit of Mercury, 8:30 a.m., Monday, May 9, Ecliptic Brewing, 825 N. Cook St.

Drink for a good cause No. 1: Every Tuesday in May, Deschutes Brewery in Portland will donate $1 per pint sold to Luke-Dorf, a nonprofit community mental health agency.

Drink for a good cause No. 2: Hopworks Urban Brewery and Imperial Bottle Shop & Taproom are raising money for Hosford Middle School, starting at 4 p.m., Wednesday, May 11 at Imperical, 3090 S.E. Division St. HUB is donating a keg of Gear Up IPA and Imperial is donating kegs of HUB Lager and Cran Perry Cider. All of the sales go to Hosford.

-- Sue Jepsen
A man suspected of robbing the same Vancouver bank twice this year -- and attempting to rob it a third time last month -- was arrested Wednesday morning.

Marx Wayne Coonrod, 59, faces three counts of first-degree robbery and a single first-degree attempted robbery charge, according to a Scappoose police news release.

Coonrod was arrested without incident near his home in Scappoose, police said. He's being held in the Columbia County Jail and will be extradited to Clark County, Vancouver police said in a news release.

Coonrod is accused of robbing the Umpqua Bank branch at 10705 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd. in Vancouver in February and March, according to Vancouver police. He's accused, as well, of trying to rob the bank on April 22.

His Oregon record includes three separate felony convictions for first-degree theft from 1999 to 2001, according to court records.

The Columbian reports Coonrod was sentenced in 2008 to eight years in prison for robbing a Washington Mutual Bank branch in the Minnehaha area two years prior -- as well as planning heists at two other banks.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
Two Vancouver residents are facing drug charges after Clark County authorities served a search warrant Wednesday at a rag-tag home across the street from a middle school.

William G. Rathgeber, the 55-year-old homeowner, faces four charges that include possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, the Clark County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. And Allen W. Vandemarr, 20, is facing a meth possession charge.

Both are booked in the Clark County Jail, according to jail records. Rathgeber is suspected of dealing meth from the property -- selling the drug and trading it for stolen items, deputies said.

His home, located in the 6100 block of N.E. 112th Ave., has been the subject of more than two years of complaints to county code enforcement officials, deputies said. It's also directly across the street from Covington Middle School.

Clark County and Vancouver police detectives served a search warrant for narcotics and stolen items at the home and found six people there, deputies said.

Deputies said the site is home to "deplorable living conditions" and "growing garbage piles." The main home is "uninhabitable," they said, and multiple homeless people live on the property.

People have also done unpermitted construction and other work at the property, deputies said. And they said a motorhome is also on the property, as of late.

The case remains under investigation, deputies said.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
May in Oregon is (optimistically) a transitional month. The persistent rain and drizzle typically relents a bit and we are often lucky enough to experience warm, sunny afternoons and weekends. That being said, you just never know exactly what's going to happen -- a planned early-season barbeque might quickly become an indoor meal with the arrival of unexpected showers. So to my mind, its important to have dinners planned that will cook equally as well outside on the grill as inside on the range.

So I recommend holding off on the extra-thick steaks, double chops, and beer-can chickens in favor of quick-cooking items. Sure, burgers and such will do, but why not think more international with something like Lebanese-style lamb kibbeh? Flavored with bulgur (cracked, partially cooked wheat) and a host of spices and herbs, grilled kibbeh patties can be a welcome change of pace, come together quickly, and definitely taste as good sauteed or broiled as they do grilled.

Kibbeh is simple stuff. It'll take a little more work than your average burger, but the payoff is well worth it. And it's a terrific way to eat lamb if it is a meat that you may not typically reach for. The bulgur and spices temper its stronger flavor, erasing any of the "gaminess" detractors claim lamb has.

Recipes included with this story: Grilled Lamb Kibbeh With Yogurt Dipping Sauce; Orange-Cumin Cabbage, Carrot and Radish Salad.

Kibbeh begins with fine-ground bulgur, which is hydrated in a slurry of grated onion and tomato pulp (for both piquancy and sweetness). Bulgur is available in a host of textures, so shop wisely -- coarse-grained bulgur requires a steady simmer to become palatable and doesn't work here (if in doubt, World Foods keeps fine bulgur in stock).

Lebanese-style lamb dishes are often flavored with a warm spice mix called baharat. You can buy a bag at World Foods, or blend your own as I do -- for a fuller, fresher flavor (especially if you grind your own spices). Baharat typically contains a mix of cardamom (a woefully underused spice), allspice, cayenne or black pepper, and sometimes nutmeg. It's a terrific blend and as good on beef as it is on lamb.

Along with the spices go herbs (mint and parsley), and sumac, a crushed berry used throughout the southern Mediterranean to add a sweet-tart edge to countless dishes. Track it down and use it (often -- you'll find countless uses for it). Sounds like a lot to do for a simple meal, but its more assembly than cooking -- all the ingredients go into one large mixing bowl and are kneaded together by hand. You can even shape the patties hours in advance, making them a boon for entertaining.

As for grilling, think a medium-hot fire that will crisp the bulgur in the kibbeh and cook the lamb to a rosy medium -- three to four minutes per side. If cooking inside, a hot cast-iron skillet glazed with a little olive oil is your best bet.

I usually make a yogurt-based dipping sauce to accompany the kibbeh. Full fat, Greek-style yogurt makes everything better, especially when loaded up with chopped herbs and garlic (grated to a pulp). With the raw garlic, don't make the sauce too far in advance; otherwise it'll be biting and acrid.

If you like, serve the kibbeh and yogurt sauce with pita bread or lavash to roll up into sandwiches (and greens and tomato or roasted pepper if you like). Or with a simple pilaf and all manner of leafy greens, especially garlicky sauteed kale, or a crunchy, spiced slaw. I particularly like a red cabbage, carrot, and radish version flavored with a spicy blend of cayenne pepper, coriander and cumin. Orange zest and honey sweeten and balance the spices in a simple white wine vinegar and olive oil vinaigrette. While you don't have to grind the spices fresh for the vinaigrette, I do recommend it-coriander has a particularly fleeting flavor and pre-ground coriander simply can't compare.

Red cabbage resists wilting better than green, so a terrific option for a make ahead salad. I've consciously omitted alliums (garlic, onion, scallion) from the recipe, which might "bloom" with storage and come on too strong. This slaw actually pairs well with most any grilled meat or fish -- or for a quick meal with bean-and-cheese quesadillas.

-- Matthew Card is a Portland food writer and a former contributing editor to Cook's Illustrated magazine.
holocaust remembrance day.zip

Portland's Yom HaShoah reading drew only a handful of local Jews at a time in 2015. Here, survivor Ruth Bolliger takes her turn reading from the list of Jews killed in the Holocaust.

(Melissa Binder/The Oregonian)

At 10:40 a.m. Thursday, Evelyn Banko will step up to a microphone in Pioneer Courthouse Square. She'll read roughly 110 names, each accompanied by a year and location: Warsaw, Treblinka, Auschwitz.

All were Jews less fortunate than she.

Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, began at sundown Wednesday. Thursday, Jews and community leaders are gathered in cities across the world to read aloud the names of Jews killed in the genocide. Every community has a different list.

Event details

Want to listen today as volunteers read the names of Jews killed in the Holocaust? The reading begins at 10 a.m. in Pioneer Courthouse Square and goes until about 5 p.m.

In Portland, the downtown gathering is sponsored by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education and the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. Banko has participated in the reading for several years.

Banko escaped Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 with a move to Latvia. In 1940, young Banko and her parents got immigration papers to move to the United States. They road the Trans Siberian Railroad from eastern Europe to China, flew from Japan to the Pacific Northwest and made a home in Portland, far from the horrors of the Holocaust.

We invited Banko, now 80 years old, to write a brief essay about why she reads names each Yom HaShoah and what the experience is like for her as a survivor.

Evelyn Banko, survivor:

I lost two grandfathers, a grandmother, two aunts, two uncles and many cousins as well as many other relatives during the Holocaust. I read names each year to honor all these people and more, in my family as well as countless other families, so that they won't be forgotten. They deserve to be remembered.

These names are a tiny drop in an enormous sea. Multiply one loved one who perished by the hands of the Nazis by the 6 million Jews and 5 million others that perished in the Holocaust. Then, you can, perhaps, get a sense of the vast numbers of human beings who died without a final resting place. It is my honor to play my part to honor the lives of those people who lost their lives. By doing this, I honor those that loved them, were connected to them, and were descended from them, as well as the hopes for love, family, and descendants that were unfulfilled for these individuals. I read their names but, as long as I live, I will never be able to fully understand or accept the unfathomable suffering and genocide connected with these names. I read these names, and I pray "Never Again".

Many of the names read are the names of children. We tell their age when they died. As a child escaping Nazi occupied Austria, I realize how lucky I am to have escaped and how easily one of those names could have been my own. All day long, one after the other, switching readers every ten minutes, public officials and volunteers continue reading from 10:00 a.m. until late into the afternoon. This goes on in many cities throughout the USA and all over the world, and they never complete the list. So many names!

What always strikes me is how strange it is that so many people walk by, oblivious to this Day of Remembrance. Some stop to watch, but many more walk past in a hurry to go on with their daily lives. Although reading these names is very depressing, I feel a real responsibility to do this each year and I will continue every year that I am able.

We also invited Judith Margles, director of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, to write about the broader importance of marking the holiday with the reading ceremony each year.

Judith Margles, director of Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education:

Jewish holidays and commemorations begin in at sundown. Yom HaShoah, the Jewish Remembrance Day that memorializes the millions of victims of persecution and mass murder during the Holocaust, began last evening. Today, in the nation of Israel, air raid sirens blow throughout the country, announcing two minutes of silence, during which Israeli Jews stand wordlessly in place - traffic stops, pedestrians stop, all join to remember the dead. Here in Portland - as in Jewish communities around the world - we gather to read the names of the men, women, and children murdered by Nazi Germany and its European collaborators between 1933 and 1945. On this Yom HaShoah we read aloud names of those confirmed to have died in the Holocaust. There is no definitive list of those who perished. The list we read here in Portland is comprised of names archived at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust remembrance center in Jerusalem.

Memory, remembering, memorializing - these are practices anciently familiar to Jews. During Passover, which ended last week, we remember the exodus from Egypt; at Shavuot in mid-June, we will remember the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Jews have a 4,000-year-old history and we continue to survive, in part, by remembering our history through a variety of narratives. Remembering the Holocaust is yet another traditional way to save history from oblivion.

Chaja Brajtsztajn died 1942 Treblinka; Beryl Solowjczyk died Wilna 1942, Rywka Fyhrer died Auschwitz 1943; Rachela Szucht died Warsaw 1944; Lina Stern died 1944 Theresienstadt. Throughout our Remembrance Day members of the community -dignitaries, clergy, and people like you and me - will read these names out loud in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square. One cannot help but reflect on the once living spirit and body of these lost individuals. Some names sound familiar and others seem like a cluster of consonants that we can barely pronounce. But though we didn't know them personally, they belonged to our family, and we miss them. Is the obligation to mourn them any different than that of any other family member?

-- Melissa Binder

mbinder@oregonian.com

503-294-7656

@binderpdx
New MRI suite at OHSU

Doernbecher Children's Hospital offers many state-of-the-art services like this magnetic resonance imaging machine that takes pictures during an operation and retracts. The hospital has seen an uptick in central line infections since September and doesn't know why.

(Oregon Health & Science University)

Doernbecher Children's Hospital is experiencing a surprising and perplexing increase in patient infections caused by central lines that are inserted to deliver drugs, fluids or nutrients, The Oregonian/OregonLive has learned.

The hospital is trying to figure out why.

"This has my full attention," said Dr. Dana Braner, physician-in-chief at Doernbecher. "These children tend to be the sickest and most complex children that a children's hospital deals with."

Doernbecher, located in Southwest Portland adjacent to OHSU Hospital, offers a range of care, from cardiology to oncology to transplants and behavioral therapy.

Patients are treated with antibiotics. If the infection drags on, the line is taken out. Braner said the hospital hasn't had any deaths related to the infections.

The cases started to rise last September. That compares with nine months of no central line-associated infections between April and August 2014, with just a few cases the other months.

Though the recent increase is small, ranging from two to five cases a month between September and this past March, the percentage change is great: nearly a five-fold increase compared with the same period the year before.

That compares with a drop of about 15 percent in central line infections at OHSU Hospital during that period and over the previous 12 months.

Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel said its numbers have dropped but officials declined to provide the data or release any details. Shriners Hospitals for Children in Portland didn't respond to a request for data.

Overall, the infection rates in Oregon hospitals are lower than than the national average, said Mary Post, director of infection prevention at the Oregon Patient Safety Commission.

Every year about 40,000 patients in the United States experience a central line-associated infection and one in four dies, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These infections are preventable, and Doernbecher has tried to eliminate them.

"We've worked very hard to get to a level of harm from these devices that is significantly below the national average but that's nowhere near good enough for us," Braner said. "We seek to get to a level of harm that is zero."

This week members of a national group, Solutions for Patient Safety, have been meeting in Denver to discuss an uptick in central line infections among some hospitals in the 90-plus member group, which includes Doernbecher.

Dr. Anne Lyren, clinical leader of the safety group, said a change in the definition of the infections by the CDC in January 2015 could account for some of the uptick but not all.

At Doernbecher, hospital executives were quick to spot the increase, said Dr. Windy Stevenson, the hospital's chief quality officer. She said that wouldn't have happened before the hospital's focus on these infections in the past five to 10 years.

These days they're identified in days. Officials talk to patients, their families and providers to try to find a reason for the infections and connect the cases.

"We have examined every detail of every infection both individually and collectively," Stevenson said.

Managers huddle weekly to talk about the situation. Signs are posted reminding staff of the effort, and hospital leaders make the rounds every week to talk to nurses and other staff to hear what's happening in the units.

Following a complaint about new caps on the end of IV tubing, which were difficult to work with, the hospital had them replaced.

But still the infections have persisted.

If not placed correctly or kept clean, germs can enter the bloodstream through the catheter. Stevenson said the hospital has ruled out placement as a problem.

That leaves maintenance, which includes the changing of dressings. The young patients themselves could also be a factor in the infections by spreading germs on the dressings, Braner said.

The Oregon Patient Safety Commission, which works with hospitals to reduce infections and other issues, has produced guidelines on correct procedures for inserting a central line. It's now working on protocols for maintenance.

At Doernbecher, officials intend to work with experts elsewhere and internally maintain their surveillance and focus to reduce central line infections. Braner is confident the hospital will succeed.

-- Lynne Terry
A man who spent more than two decades on the run after being charged with the Portland kidnap and torture of two young women admitted to his crimes Thursday in Washington County Circuit Court.

Paul Erven Jackson, 46, pleaded guilty before Presiding Judge Charles Bailey to all charges against him in two separate cases: eight counts of first-degree kidnapping, six counts of first-degree sodomy, six counts of first-degree rape, three counts of first-degree sex abuse and two counts of unlawful sexual penetration.

His sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday. As part of a plea deal, he faces 18 years in prison.

Jackson, shackled and standing between defense attorneys Seth White and Ted Occhialino, spoke only to answer the judge's questions about his plea petition.

Jackson was arrested last fall in Mexico, where he apparently had lived for several years under the name Pablo Bennett Hamilton and worked in electronics, U.S. marshals said. He had been at large since 1991 after skipping out on court, according to records. Mexican immigration authorities worked with the U.S. Marshals Service to arrest him in Guadalajara.

Following his arrest, Jackson was held in the Washington County Jail on a failure to appear warrant, with bail set at $10 million.

Police say Jackson and his older brother, Vance Roberts, kidnapped prostitutes, drove them to Roberts' home in Hillsboro and held them captive for days. After the brothers' 1990 arrest, their mother bailed them out and they vanished. Roberts surrendered in 2006 without explanation. He denied kidnapping and raping the women, and he never gave up Jackson's whereabouts.

Convicted in 2007, Roberts is now serving a 108-year prison sentence for his crimes.

Police believe the men may have additional victims, but the two they know of are Michaelle Dierich, kidnapped in 1988 at age 20, and Andrea Hood, abducted in 1990 at age 17. They were working as prostitutes in Portland when they were kidnapped.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff Lesowski told the court Thursday that the brothers kidnapped both Dierich and Hood in a Dotson pickup. The women were chained in the back, and Jackson drove to Hillsboro while Roberts sexually assaulted the women, the prosecutor said.

After holding her for six days, Roberts ended up releasing Dierich back in Northeast Portland, Lesowski said. Hood threw herself through a window to flee her captors.

Soon after Hood's escape, police served a search warrant on Roberts' house, finding Polaroids of women in bondage, women's underwear, rope, sex toys and chains. A soundproofing project was underway in the bedroom closet.

Police circulated the photos among officers, hoping to identify the women. A Portland officer recognized one of the women as Dierich. They weren't able to identify any others.

Hood and Dierich have talked publicly over the years about what happened to them, hoping that drawing attention to the case would lead to Jackson's capture. Dierich told The Oregonian/OregonLive this week that she credits much of the work leading to his capture to media coverage and efforts by Hood and her to draw attention to the case.

CNN's "The Hunt with John Walsh" featured Jackson's case last July, and after the episode aired, a tip came in that helped authorities find him, according to the marshals.

Dierich and Hood both plan to attend Jackson's sentencing next week.

Emily E. Smith of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.

-- Rebecca Woolington

503-294-4049; @rwoolington
Johnny Manziel made his first court appearance in front of judge Thursday morning after being indicted on a misdemeanor assault charge.

Manziel's charge is a Class A misdemeanor that carries up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine in Dallas. The judge told Manziel that he could have no contact - no calls, no texts, no emails, no letters, no visits - with Colleen Crowley, Manziel's ex-girlfriend who has alleged that Manziel struck her during an incident in January.

Manziel turned himself in to authories Wednesday, leading to a mug shot in which Manziel appears to be smiling.

Manziel the tweeted -- later deleted -- a joke about the mug shot.

"Just thankful I had a shirt this time," he wrote.

Manziel was referencing to his 2012 arrest in which he failed to properly identify himself to police after a fight in College Station, Texas. Manziel was shirtless for that mug shot.

The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner and former Texas A&M star was indicted by a Dallas grand jury in April after Crowley alleged he struck her and threatened to kill her during a night out in January.

After turning himself in to authorities Wednesday, Manziel was released after posting bail of $1,500.

-- Geoffrey C. Arnold | @geoffreyCarnold
Serbian Premier loses ground - Rightists advance to parliament

A second far-right party won seats Wednesday in the Serbian Parliament, and the overall winner, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, still lost ground in a repeat election held on a small number of polling stations because of irregularities.

GALLERY

Opposition supporters hold placards and banners reading in Serbian Cyrillic letters: Vucic you thief, you stole the elections (L), referring to the Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, and Because of freedom (C), during an opposition rally in Belgrade.

Former Serbian President Boris Tadic (2-L) talks to supporters who hold a picture of Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic reading in Serbian Cyrillic letters: It is finished.

Opposition supporters hold placards and banners reading in Serbian Cyrillic letters: Vucic you thief, you stole the elections (L), referring to the Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, and Because of freedom (C), during an opposition rally in Belgrade.

Belgrade (dpa) - The coalition grouped around the extremist movement Dveri will take 13 members in the 250-seat parliament, after collecting barely more than 5 per cent of votes in the total tally. Before the repeat vote on 15 polling stations with fewer than 20,000 registered voters - out of the 6.7 million votes in Serbia - Dveri was short of the mark by a single vote.The balloting was repeated there because of irregularities reported by both the authorities and opposition in April 24 elections. Had Dveri again failed to clear the hurdle, seven of their seats would have gone to Vucics conservative Progressive Party, reducing their losses.The outcome is a tough blow to Vucic, who will now command 131 votes in parliament - 27 fewer than before the elections he called halfway through his term, saying that he wants to cement his authority for reforms and EU membership talks. Vucic and the group lined up behind his Progressive Party (SNS) did clearly win the elections - 48.2 per cent of the vote, nearly exactly as much as in polls he also called early in 2014.Then, however, only four parties won seats in parliament, which led to a massive redistribution of votes dispersed on non-qualifiers, which heavily favoured the SNS as lopsided winners. Now seven tickets won seats and far fewer votes were available for redistribution, leaving Vucic with a majority only six above the halfway mark of 125 in parliament.The Socialist Party, junior partners in the outgoing government coalition, won 30 seats. It is unclear whether the two blocs will renew their alliance after they skirmished in the campaign. The far-right Radical Party returns to parliament after two years. Headed by Vojislav Seselj, who was cleared of charges in March at the UN war crimes tribunal, it has 21 seats.A newcomer reformist bloc, called Enough, and the once mighty Democratic Party won 16 seats apiece, while the group led by the former Democrat leader and Serbian President Boris Tadic and Dveri have 13 seats each. Ethnic minority representatives hold the remaining 10 seats.The outcome is a surprise, as pollsters predicted that the SNS would win more than 50 per cent of the vote and be close to claiming a two-thirds majority in parliament.
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Rebecca Thomson

Law, Politics and Philosophy

Following her passion to study Philosophy gave Rebecca Thomson an edge when it came to her career.

Rebecca combined Philosophy with Politics and Law, graduating with a BA (Hons) and LLB (Hons).

Straight from University, she landed a sought-after contract as a Judges Clerk at the Supreme Court in Wellington.

At the end of a brilliant two years she gained a position as a District Court criminal prosecutor in Auckland.

Both jobs involved rigorous selection processes, and Rebecca believes her double degree was a factor in her success.

Because so many people do law degrees these days, having another degree is a huge bonus in the eyes of an employer.

If anything, doing Philosophy was the best combination with Law that I could have had. Philosophy teaches you a method of thinking.

You learn about theorists and what they said in the past, but the focus is always on what your response is to what they said and how you phrase that in a way that makes sense to other people  which is obviously a hugely important skill for law, and politics as well.

I tutored for the first year paper on critical thinking, which was such an advantage too, because its all about how you structure arguments.

Doing a double degree doesnt have to limit your social life, says Rebecca, who recommends the activities available through clubs and societies.

You feel study will take over 24/7 but you actually have more free time than you might think.

Take advantage of all the opportunities to do interesting things that you wont have after you leave. You can enjoy making a fool of yourself occasionally as a student but its not such a good look when youre a criminal lawyer!
Service members with the 51st Fighter Wing, 8th Fighter Wing and the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade stepped in to aid four local community members and an Airman escape from a building fire in the Songtan shopping district outside Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, April 29, 2016.

With no help and no other choice available, the residents of the building were forced to escape through a fourth story window. At that moment, service members were walking by and noticed the heat, fire and smoke emanating from the building.

Staff Sgt. Cierra Rogers, an administrative assistant with the 731st Air Mobility Squadron, was among the five individuals trapped inside the apartment. After realizing the smell of smoke was due to a fire in the building, she reacted quickly to help a mother and her children escape from the building.

Rogers explained that after realizing they could not go through the main doors, she kicked through one of the windows leading to the apartments patio, which provided the only means of escape from the smoke and growing flames.

From then I made a decision because you can easily die from choking on smoke, said Rogers.

Despite the deep laceration she suffered from kicking through the glass, Rogers continued to push forward to get herself and the family closer to safety.

She looked down on the alley below. She attempted to scale down the building using wires near the patio. A few steps down she slid down the wire, falling 15 feet to the ground.

Several service members quickly rushed to her side to provide self-aid buddy care until first responders arrived.

All of sudden I saw the lady with kids, said Tech Sgt. Stefan Haynes, a passport official with the 51st Force Support Squadron. Thats when me, a father of five kids, was like, no, this is not going to happen.

With the help of local Korean vendors, service members gathered blankets and used them to break the fall from the fourth floor.

The mother and her three children landed safely in the blankets held by the Airmen and Soldiers.

Local first responders arrived minutes after the five escaped the building.

I really appreciate what happened that very day. I dont know how I can explain my thanks, said Prince Enyioko, husband and father of the family that was saved. Without them I dont know what I would do  I am so grateful for the wisdom of the military men and women.

A couple of days after the incident, Team Osan members involved in the rescue returned to the fire site to meet Enyioko so he could personally thank them all.
Air Force officials name SARC of the year

An Air Force captain earned the services 2015 Exceptional Sexual Assault Response Coordinator Award during a ceremony April 28 at the Pentagon.



Capt. Elizabeth Belleau, a behavioral scientist, earned the award for her work both as the SARC at Kadena Air Base, Japan, and while deployed as the SARC for the 435th Air Expeditionary Wing, U.S. Africa Command.



We have a lot of SARCs doing amazing things to support our Air Force family, but Elizabeths dedication to the Airmen she serves and her consistent record of innovation to improve victim services made her the clear choice for this recognition, said Maj. Gen. James Johnson, the director of the Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Office.



The award recognizes the Air Force SARC whose work has been particularly noteworthy and demonstrates outstanding service in support of service members.



As the only deployed SARC within AFRICOM, Belleau led 42 victim advocates at 15 geographically separated operating locations, to support more than 7,000 joint force service members. She established evacuation procedures from locations that lacked a certified provider for victims in need of forensic exams.



Belleau also adapted provider pre-deployment training requirements while deployed, limiting the medical airlift need for sexual assault victims, saving evacuation costs, preserving forensic evidence, and improving victim care.



While at Kadena AB, Belleau led 68 victim advocates, serving 35,000 Airmen. She created new sexual assault prevention and response initiatives specific to Kadena AB that affected the entire community.



Her efforts led to a SAPR prevention summit, two leadership panels, a photo campaign, quarterly combat Airman fitness events, quarterly victim advocate performance awards, and quarterly outreach events for Airmen housed on the base.



Elizabeth and the Airmen she leads perform a valuable role in keeping our Airmen ready to fly, fight and win, Johnson said. Leaders and innovators like her shape the future of our force and develop the teamwork that enables us to succeed.
YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea - With the sounds of propaganda songs coming from the woods near South Korea's Demilitarized Zone, 168 Soldiers trudged along a steep hill, beginning a journey only 20 would complete.

The Soldiers were candidates for the Expert Field Medical Badge, a two-week test of various medical skills. For these candidates, the final testing week ran Apr. 25-29. According to event graders, more often than not, those who attempt to earn the badge can't make the grade .

"This is my second try to earn the EFMB," said Pfc. Jeffery Doucet, 65th Medical Brigade. "Even though I'm quite aware of what they expect from me in this test, it doesn't get any easier because we still have to stick to the tough time schedule."

Since only about 10-20 percent of candidates Army-wide succeed in earning the EFMB, candidates must demonstrate superb competence and performance, said EFMB instructor Spc. Robert Perkins, 65th Medical Brigade.

EFMB has three combat testing lanes and each lane focuses on difference skills, Perkins said.

"Lane one deals with medical tasks whereas lane two is mostly about warrior tasks," Perkins said. "And lane three is muscle related ."

Perkins added that candidates are required to finish the three combat testing lanes along with day- and night-land navigation and a forced march with weight during the test week.

According to EFMB candidate Staff Sgt. Zachery Holder, 38th Field Artillery Brigade, candidates begin the test with a seven-day standardization period, during which candidates are introduced to expected performance measures for each of the tests.

Holder said that they have to take a written exam after they are shown the standard for each individual task. After the written test, candidates must perform hand-on tests at the combat testing lanes.

"It was actually more difficult than I thought," said Capt. Matthew Mellor, 65th Medical Brigade, of the test. "Not only did I have to memorize new skills for combat testing lanes, but I had to perform them perfectly under pressure."

Mellor said he wasn't familiar with a lot of the skills he needed for combat testing lanes since he is a dentist.

"Placing IVs and triaging patients. These are the ones that I hadn't got a chance to experience before," said Mellor. "So these lanes definitely required some medical skills that I hadn't learned back in my unit."

On the final day only 20 Soldiers had successfully made it to the final evaluation: a timed 12-mile ruck march.

Carrying at least 35 pounds of equipment inside their rucksacks, Soldiers were required to complete the march in less than three hours. Even with two weeks of demanding training completed, all 20 of the remaining candidates successfully completed the requirement.

"I feel relieved to be done," said Mellor. "The biggest challenge was to actually make it through the end."

Completing the training provided Mellor a chance to reflect upon his accomplishment and the value of the training.

"You don't get many good experiences like this where you actually get to go out and act out the scenarios," said Mellor. "Rounds firing, bombs blasting, triaging patients -- you have to perform your tasks perfectly while all the other things are going on."
KADENA AIR BASE, JAPAN -- Theres always room for improvement, but overall I feel like they did well, and they accomplished the mission, which was to eliminate the threat and provide safety to all the bystanders, said Tech. Sgt. Joseph White, 18th Security Forces Squadron Wing Inspection Team member.

Moments before the would-be gunman entered the building, it was business as usual  paralegals and lawyers were assisting clients as they would any other day, and the clear, warm weather outside set a mood that betrayed the events that would soon unfold.

Meanwhile, a moulage team was preparing a few simulated victims, complete with fake blood, clay gunshot wounds, and makeup cuts and bruises in order to add even more realism to the event.

This exercise added an additional element to the mix to shake things up: simulated ammunition with painted tips.

According to White, breaking away from normalcy is all part of the plan.

Any real-world incident is going to be different from the last one, so we like to come up with different kinds of scenarios, White said. I feel like this was a great training opportunity because this was the first time Wing Safety approved the use of simunition for a wing-level exercise, so I feel like our responding members got a real, accurate assessment of what its like responding to an active shooter.

Alongside his fellow WIT members, its Whites job to monitor the responders in each of the scenarios and provide training based on their performances.

A Security Forces Airman since 2007, White has encountered countless exercises and innumerable lessons along the way, especially since joining WIT.

However, according to him, it wouldnt matter how long someones been in or how much experience they have; theres always something new to learn.

Theres always a moment of learning, White said. No one ever truly knows everything, so this has been a great learning experience for me as well. Its fun, and its exciting to come up with the exercises, see the planning and then, once the exercises actually go into play, to see the execution of the exercise.

Capt. Heather Houseal, assistance judge advocate at the base legal office, was an unexpected participant during the exercise.

When the faux gunman entered the building, Houseal said she was assisting a client when she was caught off-guard, not fully aware of the events that were unfolding.

When they first rolled in, I heard a lot of noise, but we always have a lot of noise at the legal office, Houseal said, I was on the phone with the (Area Defense Council), so I wasnt sure what was going on and wasnt sure whether it was important.

Houseal explained that during her phone call, the shooter burst into her office where she became one of the first few victims. Though it was only an exercise this time, she said she certainly walked away from the situation with a few new lessons under her belt.

Its definitely a good learning experience just to have that situational awareness and to understand whats going on and listening for things around you, and also to just respond when you hear it because it could happen in real life, she said.

Kadena periodically holds exercises like these to keep Airmen ready for the unthinkable while still maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.

In a push to better prepare the 18th Wings Airmen, recent exercises have given Airmen here little to no warning before unfolding into often gruesome or stressful circumstances. Though theres no telling when or where the next scenarios will occur, luck almost always favors the prepared.
Unlike some decades, if you remember the '90s, you probably were there.

Delious Kennedy, co-founding father of All-4-One, is glad he was ... Macarena, ripped jeans, boy bands, Beanie Babies and all.

Swear. And with good reason.

The vocal quartet, who grew up in tandem as military brats on desert bases in Southern California and have remained bonded since, were the decade's unofficial roving romantic troubadours.

They didn't turn up outside your bedroom window to serenade you, but they were all over the radio, 24/7.

Paving the way was their Grammy-winning 1994 smash "I Swear," which became the mid-decade's biggest single (11 weeks at No. 1), followed by a string of like-minded ballads ("So Much In Love," "I Turn to You," "I Can Love You Like That," "These Arms," "Beautiful As You" and "Someday," the love theme from Disney's "Hunchback of Notre Dame").

The romance continues 20-plus years on as Kennedy, Jamie Jones, Alfred Nevarez and Tony Borowiak bring a little harmony to the "I Love the '90s Tour" headed May 12 to Bloomington's U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

Kennedy admits that they are the odd men out in a caravan loaded down with the decade's mainstream rap/hip-hop purveyors.

Among them: Salt 'N Pepa, Color Me Badd, Coolio, Tone Loc and Young MC (other tour dates have also included Vanilla Ice, Kid N Play, Kool Mo Dee and Rob Base ... none scheduled for the Coliseum show).

"It's been awesome, actually," testifies Kennedy, who was leery of the offer when it first came in last fall as part of a '90s nostalgia night slated for a one-night stand in Los Angeles.

"Our manager called last September and said they wanted us for a show called 'I Love the '90s,' with Salt 'N Pepa, Kid N Play and Rob Base," recalls Kennedy. "Well, I thought, we're not going to fit in with a bunch of rap and hip-hop acts. So I was hesitant at first about being the only R&B group."

After the initial reservations waned, though, Kennedy and his band-mates thought, "Well, OK, let's just do it and have some fun."

The pleasures of that one-night stand have evolved into a long-term committed relationship: the L.A. concert was deemed such a success that it was ramped up into a national tour that began in February and, at last count, was scheduled through at least November.

"It's actually a lot of fun getting on stage with that whole '90s vibe going on, and the audience coming dressed in their '90s clothes. There's just a great nostalgia in the air," Kennedy has decided three months into the tour.

"The audience is all grinning and smiling in its ripped jeans and all the other fashions, and it's like a time warp."

All-4-One likes doing the time warp, and Kennedy isn't fazed by the fact that "I Love the '90s" is, at the end of the day, a golden-oldies tour of the all-star brand that has been touring since the '50s and '60s onward.

"I'm not surprised this has been such a success," he continues. "Music is cyclical, like a big circle that goes around and comes back in due time."

Though they are the evening's token balladeers, All-4-One doesn't stick out like the sore thumb Kennedy initially feared.

"As Jamie (Jones) mentioned, the other groups and people are now regarded as regular hip-hop acts, but back then they were all crossing over to the pop charts ... they all had Top 40 hits."

But none quite so indelibly as All-4-One, who already had scored a Top 5 single with their very first release, "So Much In Love," an a cappella remake of the Tymes' 1963 hit, released in late 1993.

An album didn't exist yet, just the single, Kennedy recalls.

Its success forced the group's label to whip one together, pronto, with the four members working three different recording studios overtime to lay down enough tracks for what would become the self-titled "All-4-One."

"We had five weeks to do it ... very stressful, nobody got any sleep," Kennedy recalls.

To round out the package, they were offered a little number by the label's president called "I Swear," originally a No. 1 country hit for John Michael Montgomery.

A country song for the R&B group's debut album ... c'mon.

C'mon indeed: 11 weeks at No. 1 later, along with a Guinness Record Book listing as 1994's biggest-selling singles, the band was too caught up in the song's whirlwind success to reflect on their original incredulity.

What they do notice 22 years later is the dearth of Top 40 love affairs.

"Those types of songs are so scarce now ... don't get me started," says Kennedy of the current musical landscape.

"What's apparent to me is that the music of today is not the music that it was back in the day. When a song hits No. 1 today, it's not about love ... it's about booty."
URBANA  Two weeks after being found injured and suspended from a bridge in rural Ford County, his feet barely touching the ground, Bear the dog is eating and recovering from his injuries as police continue to investigate the case.

Christine Beuoy, a spokeswoman for the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital, where Bear is being treated, said Wednesday the dog is getting better but she didn't know how long Bear will need to stay at the hospital.

He is still recovering and still needs 24-hour care, she said.

Bear suffered several injuries, including gunshot wounds that shattered his jaw.

However, Dr. Maureen McMichael, head of the hospital's small animal emergency and critical care services, said in an update, The decision was made not to surgically repair Bears jaw because he is eating very well and has normal occlusion, meaning his top and bottom jaws line up nicely.

McMichael added, He is now sleeping outside of his cage on a huge dog bed/blanket at night, surrounded by students and technicians petting him.

No arrests have been made in the case, but the investigation is continuing.

Ford County Sheriff Mark Doran said previously the dog, found by a neighbor on April 20, will not be returned to his owner while the investigation in under way.

Meanwhile, more than $21,500 has been raised through a crowdfunding effort to pay for Bear's veterinary care. Angie Cleary of rural Paxton, who does animal rescue work in Ford County, created the GoFundMe webpage, https://www.gofundme.com/2wek3bjw.

Money left over after paying for Bear's needs will be used for homeless animals in need, she said.
BLOOMINGTON  Video of an altercation between two Bloomington police officers and a man who tried to keep them from entering his home has attracted more than 14,000 viewers on social media and a call from his fiancee for a police investigation into the incident that involved using stun guns in front of her children.

Bloomington patrol officer Aaron Veerman called for backup officers around 3 p.m. April 21 after he observed a man he believed to be Diante Hardeman, a 21-year-old with an outstanding warrant for misdemeanor shoplifting, enter a home at 1406 N. Lee St.

Veerman and officer Ty Carleton went to the door where they were met by Loleta McDonald, Hardemans mother. McDonald refused to allow the officers inside without a copy of the arrest warrant.

A cellphone video taken by one of McDonalds sons shows the altercation from both perspectives: police looking to arrest a suspect and residents who demanded proof of the officers right to enter.

Things quickly intensified when Veerman insisted he did not need paperwork to enter and wedged his foot against the open door, said McDonald.

Her fiance, Jimmy Holmes, 43, became involved after he overheard the commotion at the door. A shoving match between the officers and Holmes escalated to multiple firings of a stun gun by Carlton toward Holmes chest.

Present during the altercation were McDonalds 9-year-old twin sons and 15- and 17-year-old sons.

After he complied with officers orders to get on his knees, Holmes was handcuffed and taken to jail where he remains, charged with five felony counts of aggravated battery of both officers, disarming a police officer and resisting arrest. He is set to be arraigned Friday.

A group of about eight officers spent about 10 minutes searching the house after Holmes was placed in a squad car, but Hardeman was not found.

An hour later, about a dozen squad cars blocked the intersection of Lee Street and Seminary Avenue while officers  this time with a search warrant authorizing them to look for drugs and guns  went through the house a second time.

Police told McDonald they found a scale, an item considered drug paraphernalia by police, in her sons bedroom. Bloomington Police Chief Brendan Heffner said officers also reported finding marijuana in the home.

Officers left with the scale, but again did not find Hardeman. More than a week later, he has not been arrested and no drug charges have been filed.

In a probable cause statement read by a prosecutor at a hearing where Holmes was ordered to post $10,000 to be released from jail, the state alleged he came at officer Veerman with his fists balled up before striking the officers on the face and knocking the stun gun to the floor.

In her written complaint filed this week with the police department and in comments to The Pantagraph, McDonald takes issue with the police version of events.

When I opened the door, he told me there was a warrant for my son. I said, Let me see the warrant and he said, I dont have to show you anything. Im coming in here, said McDonald, referring to Veerman.

McDonald said her fiance was stunned shortly after officers resisted his efforts to close the door.

Heffner defended the officers actions, saying they had a right to enter the home without producing a paper copy of the arrest warrant.

They didnt use excessive force. They acted lawfully, said the chief, adding the complaint is under review.

Heffner did not fault officers for using their stun guns.

The chief also said the video showing the scuffle does not depict everything that occurred, specifically the interaction at the door between McDonald and the officers.

According to McDonald, the officers' decision to come to her door may have been based on a misidentification of her 17-year-old son.

McLean County State's Attorney Jason Chambers said officers cannot carry paper copies of all arrest warrants, adding, "In a perfect world I can see where people would have that expectation.

The threshold for when officers should use force to enter a home is up to each department to decide, said Chambers.

The American Civil Liberties Union advises people to ask police for proof of an arrest or search warrant before allowing officers to enter.

People really should have an opportunity to review it before letting an officer into their home, said Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the ACLU of Illinois, adding that with advancements in technology, police agencies should be able to find a way to produce warrants.

McDonald said she has been willing to speak with police on previous occasions, but insisted that they have paperwork to enter, a request other officers didnt challenge.

I obey the law. I dont have anything to hide. But I think somebody has to stand up when they treat us like we dont have rights, she said.
BLOOMINGTON  An arbitrator has upheld the firing of a former Bloomington police officer who admitted to filing false traffic tickets in order to meet performance standards set by the department.

Brent VanHoveln, a 19-year veteran of the department, was fired in May 2014 after he was accused of issuing false compliance violation tickets to drivers for problems that could be corrected, such as broken taillights and equipment violations.

In October, a jury acquitted VanHoveln of official misconduct and forgery allegations related to the citations.

Bloomington Police Chief Brendan Heffner said Wednesday the arbitrator's ruling "supports my decision to terminate his employment. It was nothing personal, strictly in the best interests of the department, law enforcement and our citizens."

The decision follows a January hearing by an arbitrator who heard lengthy testimony from VanHoveln, McLean County State's Attorney Jason Chambers and other police officers. The hearing was closed to the public.

Arbitrator William E. Sigler of Oregon, Ill., said in his ruling that "the falsification of 11 tickets, in and of itself, is more than sufficient grounds for termination," adding that VanHoveln used "calculated and intentional actions" to help him increase his traffic ticket numbers.

Bringing VanHoveln back to the department would be extremely detrimental to the department, Sigler concluded.

"It is not an officer's job to question the law. It is an officer's job to enforce the law. By his very admissions, he has stated he cannot in good conscience perform the tasks of his position," said Sigler, referring the VanHoveln's decision-making process on who should receive tickets.

Drivers involved in weather-related incidents received a break from VanHoveln, who did not issue tickets that could have cost them money, the defense told the jury.

VanHoveln was not available for comment on the ruling.

In VanHoveln's trial, the defense challenged the city's inability to produce the alleged tickets that disappeared from a sergeant's desk after he met with VanHoveln and told him to stop the practice.

Compliance tickets are voided without penalty when a driver shows police the problem has been corrected.

At his hearing, the lawyer for VanHoveln argued he was not fired for lying and that he had been disciplined by a sergeant after the false tickets were initially discovered. An internal investigation was later initiated by a lieutenant, according to arbitration records.

In 2013, VanHoveln and two other officers were recognized by BPD for "going above and beyond the call of duty" and he was given an "extra effort award" for his role in solving a theft of charity Christmas gifts.
Five years have passed since CBS "60 Minutes" correspondent Lara Logan was sexually assaulted by a mob of crazed men  and rescued by a small group of brave Egyptian women  in Cairo's Tahrir Square during the fall of Hosni Mubarak's dictatorship.

The widespread coverage given to that attack brought a new focus to a growing problem that had been looming in the shadows for years: sexual assault against journalists.

In the first four months after Logan's attack, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists interviewed more than four dozen journalists who had undergone sexual violence. The offenses ranged in severity from gang-rape to aggressive groping by multiple attackers.

Unfortunately, the usual conflict between safety and press freedom on such assignments is complicated by the double-bind in which many female journalists find themselves: They want the dangers of sexual violence to be acknowledged, but they don't want that knowledge to give their editors cold feet about sending women on dangerous assignments.

New York Times reporter Kim Barker, for example, whose war memoir, "The Taliban Shuffle," has been turned into a Tina Fey movie, recalled in a 2011 ProPublica essay how she was grabbed and groped as a Chicago Tribune reporter in Pakistan in 2007.

"I knew other female correspondents who weren't so lucky, those who were molested in their hotel rooms, or partly stripped by mobs," she wrote. "But I can't ever remember sitting down with my female peers and talking about what had happened, except to make dark jokes, because such stories would make us seem different from the male correspondents, more vulnerable."

She would never tell my bosses, she said, "for fear that they might keep me at home the next time something major happened."

Indeed, even the Committee to Protect Journalists  on whose board I am honored to sit with Logan and other distinguished colleagues  had unwittingly joined in the silencing of those women. CPJ kept tabs on how many journalists were killed or imprisoned around the world, Barker noted, but did not keep data on sexual assault and rape, partly because "most journalists just don't report it."

That's changed. Every year CPJ releases "Attacks on the Press," a book-length analysis of which countries are abusing journalists the most. This year is different. In response to growing concerns, the new "Attacks" is focused on sexualized violence, online harassment and other intersections of gender and press freedom.

In an all-women panel sponsored by CPJ and moderated by Martha Raddatz, ABC News chief global affairs correspondent, at Washington's Newseum last week (viewable at CPJ's website, www.cpj.org), Logan recalled how she had been pressured by male colleagues to join other journalists who were leaving war-torn Iraq.

"I remember being heavily criticized, because they said, 'You just want to get your face on TV. ... But if something happens, we're going to have to come get you'," she recalled. "If I was a young guy, and I wanted to stay, no one would have said anything like that."

Besides, as the panel pointed out, women are not the only victims of sexual violence. Male journalists also have been targeted, usually in captivity or detention, even if they tend to be even more reluctant than the women to report the crime or talk about it.

One notable exception, Umar Cheema, a prominent Pakistani political reporter, described to CPJ being abducted, tortured and sodomized with a wooden pole in an Islamabad suburb in 2010 in retaliation for his political reporting.

His decision to speak out "has made me stronger and made my enemies more cowardly," he told CPJ in 2011. "Their efforts to intimidate me backfired."

As Logan said in her 2011 "60 Minutes" interview about the attack, women journalists "do it for the same reasons as me  they are committed to what they do. They are not adrenaline junkies, you know, they're not glory hounds, they do it because they believe in being journalists."

What is to be done? I think we make a mistake, whether as news content providers or news consumers, if we make the false choice between safety and good journalism. We need to have both. Women have shown in growing numbers that they deserve a chance to prove themselves as much as men do.

We also need to acknowledge that discrimination and harassment are problems that women tend to face more often and intensely than men do. We need to talk more about it, not try to hide it.
Resolute to Permanently Shut Down One Newsprint Machine at Augusta Mill

May 5, 2016 - The president and chief executive officer of Resolute Forest Products, Richard Garneau, today announced the permanent shutdown of one newsprint machine at Resolute's Augusta, Georgia newsprint mill.

The capacity reduction tonnage was not disclosed.

In Resolute's first quarter earnings report, the company said, "This decision is motivated by the ongoing structural challenges in the newsprint market and is necessary to avoid costly rotating downtime."

Mr. Garneau added, "Long-term market conditions remain challenging for newsprint, particularly for our U.S. mills, which are especially vulnerable in the present U.S. dollar environment. We never take such permanent closure decisions lightly and we understand the impacts this action will have on our employees, their families, and the community. As is customary, the company will work with employee and community representatives to mitigate the impacts of this decision."

The Augusta mill has the capacity to produce 397,000 metric tons per year of newsprint on two machines. The mill employs about 250 people.

Resolute Forest Products is a global leader in the forest products industry with a diverse range of products, including newsprint, specialty papers, tissue, market pulp and wood products. The company owns or operates over 40 pulp, paper, tissue and wood products facilities in the United States, Canada and South Korea, as well as power generation assets in Canada. To learn more, please visit: www.resolutefp.com

SOURCE: Resolute Forest Products Inc.
US Education Secretary John B. King Jr. has spoken up about the bathrooms laws in the states of North Carolina and Mississippi. He tagged these legislations as "hateful" for the LGBT community, especially transgenders.

The Daily Signal said King called for such laws to be repealed as these could cause problems in schools. The legislations in these states dictate that people should use the bathroom based on their gender at birth. He also expressed that his department could investigate cases like these in some states.

"I don't want to get ahead of enforcement actions we may take in regards to North Carolina and Mississippi," he noted. "My hope is legislators will realize they have made a terrible mistake."

In a document issued last April 2014, the Education Department expressed its goal to protect transgender students from discrimination as stated under federal Title IX. This provision provides protection to both students and teachers who could fall victims to discrimination because of their gender preference.

"Bathroom bill" and other transgender policies across the country: Where do they stand? https://t.co/ms0ej3WBGT pic.twitter.com/AC8NCZ3LqV  CNN (@CNN) April 28, 2016

According to Inside Higher Ed, King has highlighted on its goal to protect gender identity as promoted by the administration of US President Barack Obama. It claimed that Obama's leadership is also investigating whether these policies violate the provisions under Title IX.

"Treating a student differently from other students because his birth-assigned sex diverges from his gender identity constitutes differential treatment on the basis of sex under Title IX," read a statement of the US Justice Department as quoted by ABC News. It clearly points to the violations done to individuals and the discrimination among transgenders.

The US President has fought for these discriminating laws to be overturned. Obama said transgender students should be allowed to use restrooms based on their gender identity.

ABC News added that an April 2016 ruling of a federals appeals court said that a high school in Virginia discriminated a transgender student who was not allowed to use the bathroom for boys. The case was later on sent back to a lower court for trial.
A woman from Illinois was declared brain-dead after a random shooting incident along Wisconsin interstate. The woman was heading home with her husband and children when the tragic shooting happened on Interstate 90/94. With all of the incidents of gun violence in the U.S., President Barack Obama also spoke about implementing stricter gun control laws.

Tracy Czaczkowski, a mother of two kids, is currently on life support but only to preserve her body organs for donation, ABC News reports. The woman has zero chance of recovery and it is correct to say that she is already dead, according to a statement from Sauk County coroner Greg Hahn.

Czaczkowski's husband works for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. However, investigators say that the incident has no connection to her husband's work. "Tracy was a loving wife of 15 years, a mother of two tender age children, daughter and good friend to all," the DEA stated.

Buffalo Grove woman dies after Wisconsin shooting on family drive home: Tracy Czaczkowski and her family were... https://t.co/OGr86FCjAC  Royal W Johnson (@RoyalWJohnson) May 3, 2016

Czaczkowski and her family were returning home after a weekend stay in a resort city in Wisconsin when a shooter inside a Chevrolet Blazer opened fire on their car, hitting Tracy in the neck. Police officers were able to stop the Chevrolet Blazer using a spike strip. The shooter was then shot by the cops when he got out of the vehicle still holding a gun.

The shooter was identified as 20-year-old Zachary T. Hays from Milwaukee, who was with his two brothers when the crime occurred. Hays is still confined at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and no charges have been filed against him. The investigators believe that Hays also shot and killed Gabriel Sanchez, a 42-year-old man in West Allis, hours before killing Czaczkowski.

President Barack Obama recently spoke about stricter implementation of new gun control laws that could reduce the rate of gun violence in the U.S. These laws include better background checks for gun purchasers, providing more accessible mental health centers, adding more protection for public areas such as schools, and implementing "Smart Guns" -- a technology that would make a gun work only in the hands of its registered owner, Inquisitr reports.
On May 3, U.S. law negotiators advanced a bill that involve parents in sex education and student testing. The bill was a state Senate rewrite of Rep. Wes Keller that was rejected by the House previously.

The bill, which the committee recently adopted, requests certified teachers contracted by a school or a person approved by the local school board and working under the supervision of a teacher, whose credentials can be reviewed by parents, to teach sex education.

What's Included In The Sex Education Bill?

The Washington Times states that the broad bill covered parental involvement in greater local control, education and student testing. It also asks local school boards to adopt policies that recognize parental rights to object and withdraw their kids from necessary classes, state tests and activities. Parents should also be notified of any sex education classes two weeks in advance.

The bill further asks for a two-year break in required standardized state exams. The break can end if the federal government threatens not to release education funds for failing to test. The bill also calls for a plan to create and choose statewide tests approved by school districts.

The longer bill provisions stated who can teach sex education. The bill only requires the person to be approved by the school board before teaching the subject. No particular individual is prohibited from presenting on sex education.

Challenges To The Proposed Sex Education Bill

According to Ktoo, Jessica Cler, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, said that the bill would create more barriers for students to acquire comprehensive sex education. Cler added that the bill, as a result, would make sex education the most difficult to teach and approve in Washington.

The House disagreed to the bill version twice before. However, Keller and others said that there may be enough votes for the Senate version to adequately clear the House, which is why they are expert efforts to push the sex education bill.

Senate President Kevin Meyer also said that not a lot of time is apparently needed to delve on Kellers bill. Keller allegedly discussed the matter with other House members.

The conference committee would then be an opportunity to pass the bill. Meyer added that if the sex education bill still fails, they will no longer focus on it.

Parents and schools have mixed reactions regarding the advanced sex education bill. Some parents like the idea that they have more control over the testing procedures and sex education of their children, while others prefer to give schools more options.
Just when this kid thought that murdering his father would make him an heir to millions of dollars, he should have verified his data first. This Princeton graduate couldn't accept that his father was slashing his weekly allowance by $200. Financial data of his father also showed that he was only worth $585,555.50.

No Millions Of Dollars

Spoiled Princeton graduate Thomas Gilbert Jr. was told by Thomas Gilbert Sr. that his weekly allowance will be reduced by $200. Gilbert Jr. didn't readily accept this, having been used to his lavish lifestyle.

New York Post said that the elder Gilbert's hedge-fund Wainscott Capital Management was not in a very good financial position. Hence, cost-saving measures were sought after by the poor father.

Thinking that he would be an heir to the hedge-fund business perceived to be worth millions, he allegedly murdered his father. It was quite unfortunate that the millions Gilbert Jr. expected was only a little bit over $500,000.00.

Plea Of Insanity Rejected

According to Daily Mail, Gilbert Sr. was once successful, but his foray into the hedge-fund business started his financial demise. Gilbert Jr., on the other hand, has gotten so used to the lifestyle of the rich in New York City's Manhattan that he could no longer bear the thought of getting a lower allowance.

Reports have it that Gilbert's Jr. lawyer was banking on a plea of insanity to exonerate him. However, last November, such plea was rejected, which made him stand trial. Alex Spiro, Gilbert Jr.'s attorney is paid by his mom, Shelley Rea Gilbert.

Rich Kid's Drug Use

While studying in Princeton, Gilbert Jr. reportedly used illegal drugs which include marijuana, cocaine, LSD and magic mushrooms. He used to make statements about people "infecting his mind."

"He talked a lot about his dad and how mean he was to him and how nothing was good enough," said Anna Rothschild, the ex-girlfriend of Gilbert Jr. She also said that Gilbert Jr. often complained about his father being "hypercritical of him" and that for his father "he couldn't do anything right."

During the trial, the spoiled Princeton grad complained about having no cable TV in his cell. If this was his attitude, then perhaps, Gilbert Sr. may have some grounds why his allowance should be reduced.
A California mom is fighting for the life of her 2-year-old son. Moved by a mother's love, she is giving it her all to keep her toddler alive after doctors told her that her little boy was brain dead. Is there hope of survival for the toddler?

No Brain Activity

Doctors in charge of Israel Stinson told his parents that the boy has no brain activity, refusing any additional procedure to be applied on him. One pediatrician, Dr. Angelica Ha, during an interview with Fox 40 said that in terms of determining brain death, they follow the accepted standards by the medical community.

Yahoo mentioned that the little boy was brought to the hospital for an asthma attack at the start of April. However, things didn't go well for their son. What made it worse was when doctors declared Israel to be brain dead, they also refused to give the boy a feeding tube and ventilator tube.

Seeking Help From Federal Court

Now, the distraught parents are seeking the help of a federal court to compel the doctors to give the mentioned tubes to their son. According to Jonee Fonseca and Nate Stinson, parents of Israel, their son is very much alive.

The parents took a video of Israel on his hospital bed and it clearly showed that the boy was moving after his mom touched and tickled him. Dr. Ha rationalized the video clip saying that the movements were involuntary reflexes. She said that brain death is an irreversible condition.

Fox 29 said that although Israel's parents understand that he will not be the same, it does not mean that they need to plan a funeral. The parents are planning to take Israel to New Jersey where the laws on brain death are not the same.

Before they can do that, they have to put Israel on a feeding tube and ventilator. The problem that Israel's parents are facing now is that California doctors don't perform the said procedures on a brain dead patient.
"Frozen 2" became a platform to push LGBT as proponents call on Disney to make the sequel a gay-themed film. The social media LGBT call for Disney to partner Elsa in "Frozen 2" with another "Queen," hash tagged #GiveElsaAGirlfriend, is intensifying.

According to Opposing Views, the "Frozen" plot of self-acceptance and identity resonated strongly with LGBT proponents. The first "Frozen" story was taken by LGBT members of the community as an allusion to the acceptance of one's own sexual orientation.

Morning News USA reports that the call to turn "Frozen 2" into an LGBT tale asks Disney to stop defaulting to heterosexual team ups. The "Frozen 2" LGBT campaign for Elsa to be paired with a girlfriend rather than a prince was started by Twitter user Alexis Isabel.

The call to Disney has been growing louder since. Like-minded social media users took up the campaign to turn "Frozen 2" into an LGBT love story.

Part of the intention of LGBT individuals, who have been sending out their request to Disney, is to push for normalizing homosexuality. An LGBT character in the family oriented "Frozen 2" will further this agenda.

Newsweek points out that depicting Elsa as a lesbian and partnering her with a girlfriend in "Frozen 2" is an unworthy LGBT compromise. If members of the LGBT community are to be given a representation in a Disney film, the character reportedly should be more central than "Frozen 2" would afford.

According to the media agency, LGBT proponents should call on Disney to create an intentional representation in a separate film. An addition of the LGBT agenda to "Frozen 2" would simply seem too much like an afterthought.

LGBT-themed or not, "Frozen 2" is scheduled for a 2018 theater release. Idina Menzel as Elsa, Kirsten Bell as Anna and Josh Gad as Olaf will return as "Frozen 2" stars under the direction of Jennifer Lee.
Katie Holmes' ex-husband Tom Cruise was reportedly "seduced" by Scientology church leader David Miscavige. A book called "Ruthless," written by the father of Scientology church leader David Miscavige, alleged that Tom Cruise was exploited.

According to an exclusive by The Daily Mail, Ron Miscavige revealed in "Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me" that Tom Cruise was wooed with gifts and special treatment. Allegedly the Church Of Scientology head, David Miscavige, personally took time and effort to make Tom Cruise feel a valued member of the religion.

"Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me" stated that David Miscavige made Tom Cruise feel as if they were brothers. "I did not see them interact much but I have been told that they developed a sort of brotherly competitive spirit, each trying to outdo each other," Ron Miscavige wrote.

Just got back from a weekend in New Orleans to see my old friend @TomCruise and discuss a little Top Gun 2. pic.twitter.com/vA2xK7S7JS  JERRY BRUCKHEIMER (@BRUCKHEIMERJB) 26 January 2016

Katie Holmes' ex-husband and David Miscavige first crossed paths in 1990. Then, Tom Cruise and former wife Nicole Kidman were undergoing auditing at Scientology's Sea Org. David Miscavige took the time visit Tom Cruise while Katie Holmes' ex-husband filmed "Days Of Thunder."

"Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me" attested that the church leader saw Tom Cruise's potential then. Besides the PR potential that Tom Cruise could bring Scientology, David Miscavige allegedly saw personal advantage in befriending the actor.

David Miscavige pulled all stops for Tom Cruise to be impressed with the leader and with Scientology. David Miscavige even commissioned the former chef of Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard to make meals for Tom Cruise.

I loved seeing my fans at the Japanese Premiere and I'm thrilled to share Mission: Impossible with you. #MIJP pic.twitter.com/vpU55IpHHC  Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) 3 August 2015

The church leader's strategy reportedly paid off as Tom Cruise became the most famous face for Scientology. When AMC TV series "Preacher" made a religious gag, Tom Cruise was picked out to represent Scientology. Screen Crush reports that Tom Cruise was not happy about the Scientology cameo.

Tom Cruise and David Miscavige have been close for over 20 years now. David Miscavige was best man when Tom Cruise married Nicole Kidman. The Scientology church leader was also best man when Tom Cruise wed Katie Holmes.

Scientologists claimed that Ron Miscavige is after money rather than an exposition of the truth with "Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me." The Scientology tell-all was released on May 3.
The United States has funded abstinence and faithfulness programs to curb the HIV/AIDS rate in Africa. However, a new study found that those programs are ineffective among sub-Saharan Africans.

The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, has an ABC approach: abstinence, be faithful and correct and consistent condom use, Fox News reported. Between 2004 and 2013, PEPFAR funded more than $1.4 billion for programs to carry out these practices.

Despite the efforts, the PEPFAR investment didn't affect the numbers pertaining to teenage pregnancy, the age when Africans had their first sexual intercourse and their sexual partners in the past year. Specifically, there were no differences recorded between nations that were funded or weren't funded by PEPFAR, according to the study published this week in Health Affairs.

HIV/AIDS Problem Is Rooted

PEPFAR has been successful in some ways. The program reportedly provided HIV/AIDS drugs that helped save over 5 million people worldwide and prevented almost 1 million babies from acquiring HIV/AIDS from their mothers, NPR wrote. Aside from sex education classes in schools, PEPFAR also put public health announcements on billboards and the radio.

Dr. Eran Bendavid, an internal medicine doctor at Stanford Health Care, said PEPFAR's programs aren't enough to alter young Africans' views about sex. He said the people's sexual behavior and preferences are "much more deeply rooted," NPR further reported.

Focus Should Be In West And Central Africa

The Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors Without Borders, said the HIV/AIDS response should also focus in West and Central Africa. The MSF said PEPFAR, the Global Fund and UN and European agencies should develop faster strategies if they want to eradicate HIV/AIDS in Africa by 2020.

According to MSF, efforts are only made in sub-Saharan Africa while the West and Central Africa are being put to the sidelines. Granted, the numbers of HIV/AIDS carriers in West and Central Africa are low compared to the whopping rate in sub-Saharan Africa, but this doesn't mean that the people should be neglected. HIV/AIDS will thrive and escalate in numbers in the West and Central regions if the neglect continues.

African Women Are More Affected

HIV/AIDS infection rates among young African women are higher compared to young men, the Washington Post reported. This is because of the country's gender-based violence, extreme poverty and the prevalence of child marriage. With a male-dominated society, young women often lack the power to seek safer sex or access to health care services.

To curb the HIV/AIDS infection rates among young African women, norms should be altered and empowerment should be practiced. Keeping girls in school also helps lessen the HIV/AIDS infection rates.
A biotech company, which intends to conduct a clinical trial on the dead, has just been granted approval by the U.S. government to proceed with their study on brain death. If successful, the research could result in bringing the dead "back to life." However, it's not quite as scary as it seems as no zombie-like creatures are going to return from the grave.

The trial, which will be facilitated by Bioquark Inc. with Revita Life Sciences and the Anapum Hospital in India, will look into the brains of 20 clinically dead patients who have succumbed because of traumatic brain injuries. The researchers will study the dead's central nervous system using various therapies and stimulation techniques that have already been proven to awaken patients from a coma.

The researchers will also inject stem cells into the brain to see if it will regenerate. The trial is expected to take several months, with the researchers monitoring the brain for regeneration. The dead participants will be attached to a life support to "keep them alive," per Telegraph.

Yes - Death can be reversible! - eyes on the Reanima (https://t.co/yee78SBDo7) project - https://t.co/15e1Z58zVO pic.twitter.com/r5Ktk8GgED  IraSamuel Pastor (@IraSamuelPastor) April 3, 2016

Clinical Trial on Brain Death: ReAnima Project

The trial is named the ReAnima project, which has been approved by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The experts are confident that their undertaking will have some results within three months. "This represents the first trial of its kind and another step towards the eventual reversal of death in our lifetime," said Dr. Ira Pastor of Bioquark Inc.

Can stem cell injections revive a dead brain? Ambitious 'Reanima Project' aims to find out https://t.co/FrDFBriCHu pic.twitter.com/MS0MgbqS2A  Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) May 4, 2016

Clinical Trial On Brain Death: Are Researchers Playing God?

Medical Daily reports that the researchers want to find out if it's possible to reboot the central nervous system after it has been declared brain dead. If the injected stem cells do grow and form a new brain, it could partly awaken the dead patient's consciousness.

The researchers are not planning to create Frankenstein with their study. "It is a long term vision of ours that a full recovery in such patients is a possibility, although that is not the focus," said Pastor. For now, the experts only want to find ways to improve treatments for patients who are in a state of coma and who have degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Cinco de Mayo, which translates to May 5, is one of the most misunderstood Mexican holidays. For many Americans on Thursday, Cinco de Mayo is just another reason to have a good time with a few margaritas.

Many people mistake the holiday for Mexico's Independence Day, which actually falls in September. Cinco de Mayo remembers the Battle of Puebla when the Mexican army defeated the French militaries of Napoleon III on May 5, 1862.

Since Mexico couldn't pay back war debts to European countries, France arrived in Mexico to collect their debts. At the same time, Napoleon III wanted to use the opportunity to create an independent empire out of Mexican territory.

While the battle was not a major strategic win in the greater war against the French, the success of the Battle of Puebla represented a great success for the Mexican government. The Battle also bolstered the Mexican resistance movement.

A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, which is primarily observed in the state of Puebla, Cinco de Mayo is popularly celebrated in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Chicano activists raised much of Cinco de Mayo awareness in the 1960s.

Today, the holiday represents proud Mexican culture and heritage, according to USA Today. In the U.S., however, Cinco de Mayo plans typically involve alcohol and a lot of partying.

In the 1970s and 1980s, beer companies based in the U.S. began to look for ways to target the Spanish-speaking population, according to Jose Alamillo, a Chicago studies professor from California State University Channel Islands. Cinco de Mayo soon took on the party-friendly connotation it is widely known for today, according to Time.

Cinco de Mayo is marked with parties, parades, street festivals, and Mexican folk dancing across cities and town. Cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston celebrate some of the largest Cinco de Mayo festivals in the U.S. The holiday also revels in traditional foods such as tacos and mole poblano.

Unfortunately, many non-Americans have no idea about the significance of Cinco de Mayo, according to Carlos Tortolero, president of the Chicago-based National Museum of Mexican Art. Tortolero explains that Cinco de Mayo is a reminder that regardless of the number of times Mexico was invaded by other countries, this was one time Mexico won the battle.
Several fans were saddened when the popular Korean series "Descendants of the Sun" has finally came to a close. Now, Song Joong-ki and Song Hye Kyo reportedly revealed that they had difficulty speaking some of the English dialogues as they are not native English speakers.

Song Joong-ki, Song Hye Kyo admits difficulty in speaking English 'Descendants of the Sun' lines

Song Joong-ki and Song Hye Kyo were forced to speak English in the "Descendants of the Sun" series as NEW had ensured to reach a wider audience beyond Korea and China. The producer of the 16-episode Hallyu attempted to enter the international market, which is the very reason why some of the lines in "DOTS" had to be delivered in English.

However, Song Joong-ki and Song Hye Kyo admitted in a VIU TV interview that speaking English is difficult for them. Hence, learning to speak conversations in English by heart was really a challenge for the two much-loved stars and they had to practice it several times.

"There are some English conversations that I didn't speak fluently, so I have to improvise," Song Joong-ki divulged. The 30-year-old actor added that he is hoping that "Descendant of the Sun" viewers will still like the part when he spoke English despite his speech impediment.

Song Hye Kyo, on the other hand, had to tap some professional doctors to teach her countless medical terms in English. "There were a lot of professional words and I didn't know them. But the doctors instructed me a lot," she said.

Song Joong-ki, Song Hye Kyo reportedly dating secretly even after 'Descendants of the Sun'

Meanwhile, new reports are claiming that Song Joong-ki and Song Hye Kyo are already a couple. A lot of speculations about the "Descendants of the Sun" star being in a relationship have arisen when a Dispatch cover photo of the two has surfaced in the internet.

Dispatch is a Korean publication that is popular in exposing secret relationships among celebrities in Korea. Despite all the clamor that it caused, Song Joong-ki and Song Hye Kyo remained silent about the issue until now.

Did Song Joong-ki and Song Hye Kyo deliver English "Descendants of the Sun" dialogues well? Do you think Song Joong-ki and Song Hye Kyo are really in a relationship now? Share to us your thoughts in the comment section below.
New York mom Beth Newell gave birth to her daughter at the back of her Honda on May 1. She sent the car company a photo of the birth on its Twitter account and she got a response from Honda. They offered to give her a present.

Beth Newell, who works as a comedienne, writer and director, sent Honda a message and photo on Twitter to ask the company something after she soiled her car's backseat. "@Honda, earlier today I gave birth to my daughter in the back of a Honda Fit," Newell wrote on her Twitter. "It is a mess. Can I have a free car?"

@Honda, earlier today I gave birth to my daughter in the back of a Honda Fit. It is a mess. Can I have a free car? pic.twitter.com/Iicf8NaS8R  Beth Newell (@bethnew) May 1, 2016

When Twitter users read her message, most encouraged Honda to give in but there were a few who thought this was just a marketing gimmick. It took Honda a few days to respond. "Congrats on your beautiful new baby girl," Honda wrote on its official Twitter account. "We'd love to get your contact info to see how we can be of service. Can you please DM us?"

Netizens cheered on hoping that the new mom's bold move could land her a new car from Honda, but as it turns out, the car company didn't give her a replacement. Instead, they gave the new mom the next best thing by paying to have her car thoroughly cleaned. Honda also offered to replace the backseat at no charge, per Buzzfeed.

@bethnew Congrats on your beautiful new baby girl. Wed love to get your contact info to see how we can be of service. Can you please DM us?  Honda (@Honda) May 2, 2016

So, how did Beth end up giving birth inside her Honda car? She was actually on the way to the hospital with her husband and doula, but her baby just couldn't wait. "We quickly got into the car but didn't make it five minutes down the road before my daughter's head was out," she said. A few minutes later, Maeven was born. The mom describes her baby as "happy, hungry and clearly does what she wants when she wants to."

Beth said that she didn't think she'd get something out of her message to Honda. She only wanted to crack a joke, given how crazy the birth had been.
Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Dr. Priscilla Chan have announced that James H. Shelton III will be heading the education arm of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic organization. Shelton is a former deputy secretary of the United States Department of Education.

Shelton previously headed the education efforts at the Gates Foundation, USA Today reported. Shelton was also the president of an education technology company.

As part of the Obama administration, Shelton "help[ed] run programs that aimed to improve education and combat poverty in urban and rural neighborhoods," according to Mercury News. Shelton was also said to have supervised a fund that provided grants to both education agencies and nonprofit organization who were working to enhance student achievement creatively.

Facebook Initiative To Focus On Two Main Areas

"Priscilla's work as a pediatrician and a teacher has taught her how important life outside the classroom is to a child's ability to learn inside it. And now Jim will bring all of his own experience in improving personalized learning and helping underserved communities," Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post. Personalized learning and underserved communities will be the two main areas of the Chan Zuckerberg Education Initiative, Zuckerberg said.

Zuckerberg said that the Initiative will seek "to empower teachers and parents to bring personalized learning to their schools." He added that they will also focus on eradicating obstacles to success for the most vulnerable kids.

Facebook Hiring Part Of Growing Trend

The New York Times reported that Shelton's hiring in Facebook is part of a trend of government officials going to work for large technological companies. Former press secretary Jay Caney is now the senior vice president for corporate affairs at Amazon while former Obama senior adviser David Plouffe is Uber's chief adviser and board member.

Last March, former education secretary Arne Duncan was called in by the Emerson Collective "to lead an effort focused on young people in Chicago." The Emerson Collective was set up by the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs.

What do you think about Facebook's education initiative? Share your thoughts and comments below.
UNICEF found that children need more educational support in crises-hit nations all over the world. These children do not have access to proper education due to the humanitarian crises their country is currently going through.

Millions Of Children Unable To Go To School

There is a lack of educational support for about 75 million of children aged three to 18 living in damaged countries, BBC reported. In these crisis-hit countries like Syria, girls are 2.5 times more likely to remain out of school than their male counterparts.

The ongoing conflict in Syria, for example, has resulted in the displacement of millions of children, BBC wrote. Six thousand schools have been damaged since civil war erupted in the country. After those schools were attacked by armed groups, they have been turned into emergency shelters for the military.

Aside from education, UNICEF is also working to provide food, clean water and health care to Syrian children, as well as protection from abuse, exploitation and violence, according to a press release from the organization.

Efforts Made By UNICEF

A new emergency education fund called Education Cannot Wait will be introduced at the World Humanitarian Summit, which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey on May 23 and 24. The new funding will raise almost $4 billion in five years to provide education and emergency aid to 13.6 million children globally.

Funding for the Education Cannot Wait program will come from new donor nations, philanthropists, foundations, religious groups and the commercial sector, the Huffington Post reported. Around 462 million of school-age children live in countries suffering the consequences of crisis like wars and environmental disasters.

In Ecuador, more than 280,000 schools have been destroyed by the earthquake that recently hit the country, according to a press release from UNICEF. As a result, around 120,000 children are unable to go to school, specifically in Muisne, Pedernales, Jama, Portoviejo, Manta and Chonethe worst affected parts of the country.

Education Shapes A Child's Future

UNICEF Education Chief Josephine Bourne said education has a huge impact on the lives of children living in impoverished and crises-hit countries, the Huffington Post wrote. When children go to school, they are less susceptible to be trafficked and recruited into armed and terrorist groups.

Education is also an important facet in the children's future because with it, they can improve their lives and give back to their communities. Children going to school are also less likely to be forced into child marriage and child labor as well.
At the time, the popular TV series from Disney Channel, "Girl Meets World" is on hiatus. However, it is expected to return soon. According to new reports, "Girl Meets World" season 3 will bring a lot of drama.

'Girl Meets World' Season 3 Brings A Lot Of Drama

It is already given that Riley, Maya and their friends will be heading to high school in "Girl Meets World" season 3. This huge change is expected to bring a lot of drama to the characters.

Per Day Herald, there are reports that the love triangle between Riley, Maya and Lucas will end in "Girl Meets World" Season 3 because he will finally pick one of the girls. However, he will keep his friendship with the other girl, which brings another round of drama.

However, the love triangle will not be the focus of "Girl Meets World" Season 3. Parent Herald previously reported that there would be no love triangle in the new season.

"If the audience perceives that what this is about is a love triangle, then they don't know us," "Girl Meets World" Season 3 co-creator Michael Jacobs told the Wrap. "There is a much bigger and broader conceptual question that we are answering with what appears to be a triangle between Riley, Maya and Lucas."

Well, big changes always come with drama. So, this could be about the teens transitioning to high school. However, the "Girl Meets World" gang will never be left on their own because Uncle Josh will be there for them. He will help the girls survive in their new world.

New 'Girl Meets World' Season 3 Promo Teaser Released

According to Just Jared Jr., a brand new promo for "Girl Meets World" Season 3 is out. The short clip featured the gang in high school where Riley told Maya, "Promise me that no matter what happens, we'll always stick together" as a group of students passed between them and separate them apart. Meanwhile, the footage ended with Lucas telling Riley "You are just too much for me, Riley."

Does this suggest that Lucas has chosen Riley or will choose Maya? Are you excited to see the "Girl Meets World" gang in high school? Do you expect so much drama in "Girl Meets World" Season 3? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

"Girl Meets World" will have a two-part premiere event this June. The new season is expected to return this spring.
Captain America: Civil War is right around the corner, and fans could not be more excited to see two friends punching! But why are they punching? Heres seven popular fan theories from two very unpopular fans:

Iron Man says it was Courtney Love. Captain America also thinks it was Courtney Love, but he says he thought of it first. And although they both agree on the guilt of 1994s favorite punching bag, the only way to settle this is for Cap to punch a Hole...through Iron Man!

Iron Man thinks he knows everything and loves to talkjust like a Bernie Bro! Captain America, however, wants to vote for George Washington. Hes from the 40s, and he doesnt really remember how voting works. Can ladies do it? Can orphans?

Captain America is scared of curly fries, because they didnt have them in the 40s. Iron Man is also scared of curly fries, from that time aliens invaded New York, and took all his curly fries. Its a battle of iron wills! Thats not a reference to Iron Man. Tony Stark is actually a very weak-willed individual. Especially when it comes to mixing Alcohol and Ketamine.

Iron Man just doesnt trust it! Its Alcohol and Ketamine forever for Tony Stark! In Captain Americas time, childrens candy was full of asbestos, and would actually kill you. But hes still not that dumb, he has an iPhone now. Lets hope Captain America knocks some sense into Iron Man. Come on, Tony. Youre a brilliant inventor. Thomas Edison didnt avoid Kosher salt because he thought itd attract murderous bands of Jews! Oh wait, he did? Oh, thats terrible.

Both men are confused, and punching each other out of sheer bewilderment. Who is Chris Parnell anyway? Punch I dont know, isnt he that short guy from The State? Punch Thats Joe Lo Truglio! Punch Is he the guy from those SNL things who never got to do his own SNL thing? Wipes off blood You mean Tim Meadows? Wipes off brains No, the other one! Jan Hooks! Punch again Yeah, Chris Parnell is Jan Hooks.

Captain America says no. Iron Man says thats so Taurus of him! Captain America is sick of Iron Man using Mercury is in retrograde as an excuse to do selfish things. You cant eat all of Captain Americas guac just because a planet is doing a thing. Captain America was just learning to accept Chipotle into his heart! Mexicans were sure to follow!

Iron Man knows buildings dont just pancake like that. And Cap doesnt trust our government, even though his name is literally Captain America. And whats up with the Saudis, or as Cap calls them, Our Mesopotamian friends? Time to team up and solve this case once and for allby punching each other!
A 10-year-old boy in Helsinki, Finland just became $10,000 richer. The boy, Jani, discovered a bug in Instagram, so the companys owner, Facebook, paid him $10,000 as a thank-you. Now thats the kind of promotion any kid wants from their average allowance.

In an interview with Finlands Iltalehti newspaper, Jani said, I wanted to see if Instagrams comment field could withstand malicious code. Turns out it couldnt.

Jani describes that he was able to write malicious code and alter any written content on the platform, noting he was able to delete any users comments, even Justin Biebers, if he wanted.

Jani is an aspiring security expert and emailed his discovery to Facebook. He then verified the report by deleting a comment the company posted on their test account, a spokesperson told Forbes.

Though this news is just now breaking, the bug was reported and resolved at the end of February and Facebook paid Jani his $10K in March. The reward comes out of Facebooks bug bounty program, which offers a monetary compensation for users who find bugs or weaknesses in its platform.

On the bug bounty page, Facebook says it will investigate all legitimate reports and will work toward quickly resolving the issues. The page reads that, We recognize and reward security researchers who help us keep people safe by reporting vulnerabilities in our services. Monetary bounties for such reports are entirely at Facebooks discretion, based on risk, impact, and other factors.

Since launching the bug bounty program in 2011, Facebook has awarded over $4.3 million to over 800 researchers. In 2015, they awarded $936,000 to 210 researchers with the average payout close to $1,780.

In his interview with Iltalehti, Jani says he plans to use the money for sporting goods and computers for his brothers.
Mumford and Sons recently went to Africa, and by the time they left, theyd recorded five songs over the span of two straight days in a Johannesburg studio. The fruits of those labors will be released on a mini-album (curiously not an EP) called Johannesburg on Jun. 17, the band announced.

They worked with Senegalese musician Baaba Maal, South African band Beatenberg and British-Malawian DJ duo The Very Best on the album. Because theres nothing else to report about Johannesburg right now, well give you a short geography lesson instead. This is where Senegal is located in Africa:

Its capital is Dakar, which used to be the largest exporter of slaves in the world and also happens to be the westernmost point in Africa. The country achieved independence from France in 1960 and has since done relatively well for itselfit had a peaceful, democratic transition of power in 2012, and its tourism industry thrives. Still, many of the socioeconomic problems that beset the rest of Sub-Saharan also affect Senegal: female illiteracy is rampant, its very much reliant on agricultural exports, and the life expectancy is just 57.5 years. One of the countrys most enduring contributions to global culture in recent years has been musician Youssou Ndour, whom we profiled in 2008.

Meanwhile, heres Malawi:

Its capital is Lilongwe, it achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1964, and its one of the worlds least developed countries. Mumford has shown a commitment to ending global poverty with projects like Global Citizens Metamorphoses, an upcoming compilation spearheaded by the bands Ben Lovett, so wed surmise that Johannesburg might have the same philanthropic intent upon its release.
The New York Times is getting in on the Uber-for-our-taste-buds market.

Today the media giant announced a multi-year deal with meal kit delivery startup Chefd. The service will see the media outlet providing food aficionados meals based on NYT Cooking recipes. The deliverable cuisine menu will be overseen by NYT food editor Sam Sifton.

For those that plan on taking advantage of the services offerings, youll be able to order meals beginning this summer both individually and as part of the subscription service. Prices for NYTs plates havent been confirmed but Chefd meals for two typically fall within the $19 to $39 range.
This November, in Wichita, Kansas, fundamentalist and conservative evangelical parents will gather at a conference to create betrothals for their marriageable childrenwith emphasis on the word children. This conference is called Let Them Marry and will be held by fundamentalist writer Vaughn Ohlman. Ive avoided writing about Ohlman here for a while now, but this conference is so the last straw.

Let me start with how a parent can know if their child is ready to be married off:

1) The youth ready for marriage has breasts. A woman who is to be married is one who has breasts; breasts which signal her readiness for marriage, and breasts who promise enjoyment for her husband. (We believe that breasts here stand as a symbol for all forms of full secondary sexual characteristics.)

No, this is not satire. That is what it says.

2) The youth ready for marriage is ready to bear children. Unlike modern society Scripture sees the woman as a bearer, nurser, and raiser of children. The young woman is the woman whose body is physically ready for these things, physically mature enough to handle them without damage.

Okay, hang on a moment here. Girls bodies are physically able to have children far before it is fully safe for their bodies to bear children. The United Nations is trying to eradicate child marriagei.e. the marriage of those under age 18in part because early and mid-teen female bodies are not truly ready for childbearing. If Ohlman were serious about young womens bodies being physically mature enough to handle childbearing without damage he would be telling parents they should not marry off their underage daughters, but he is most emphatically not doing so.

Lets look further:

The Bible provides many reasons for marriage, and most if not all of them demonstrate that marriage typically ought to happen in the youth (as in, before the age of 20).

Ohlman says young people should get married before they reach age 20, but hes also not telling parents that means they should encourage their children to marry at age 18 or 19. No, hes suggesting that those ages are the oldest ages at which young people should marry. The United Nations considers all marriages before age 18 child marriages, and these are just what Ohlman is encouraging with his writings and his conference:

We also quote some old commentators (Calvin, Gill, Luther) who assign particular age ranges to clarify what we should already know to be youth. (Seriously, most churches today have youth groups, which are for their teenage population.) And we generally agree with these men. John Calvin defines the flower of her age (1 Corinthians 7:36) as from twelve to twenty years of age. Likewise, John Gill defines it as one of twelve years and a half old. And Martin Luther says, A young man should marry at the age of twenty at the latest, a young woman at fifteen to eighteen

Yes, really. Ohlman does add this:

We do not endorse marriage at ages as young as twelve.

Why quote those writers suggesting age 12 at all, then?

In various articles, Calvin, Gill, and Luther are quoted to support the Biblical view of young marriage. These do also mention an age of 12 as the youngest age, but we use them because they mention the age of 20 as the very latest someone (without the rare gift of celibacy) should marry and that the person would be in active sin as a result; we do not quote them because we believe that twelve year olds are ready for marriage.

Let me explain why quoting Calvin, Gill, and Luther is a bad idea here. Ohlman believes 12 is too young for marriage, but he doesnt really explain why, and how does he know parents reading his articles, in which he approvingly quotes these writers, will agree with him rather than with these writers? He wants parents to come away thinking okay, I need to get my kids married off by age 20, but how does he know they wont come away thinking wow, Calvin, Gill, and Luther are well respected and instrumental church writers, they must have been right about this?

But for Ohlman its the magic number 20 that matters, over and over:

[W]e are certainly in agreement with the commentators that marriage (in order to be timely and to accomplish its purposes) ought to happen before the age of twenty for almost everyone.

It just so happens that those who marry before age 20 are more likely to divorce than any other group. Im sure Vaughn assumes that his children are exempt from this, but he would do well to ask why this group is so likely to divorce. The truth is that teenagers are still finding themselves, still growing into mature, adult individuals, and marrying them off before theyve found themselves is unwise, because it assumes theyll grow into people who are compatible, when they cant know that. Of course, Ohlman is almost certainly against young people finding themselves to begin with.

Ive seen some discussion of whether this event may de facto be a form of sex trafficking, and I do think there is some reason for concern. Consider this:

Bride price: What is it, and why is it important? Wouldnt a bride price be like selling your daughter? A bride price is anything paid or given by the man or his representative at the time of his betrothal or receiving his bride. Scripture certainly teaches about it, but it is not mandated, however, except in the case of a couple of laws. The law concerning bride price (Exodus 22:16-17) indicates that . . . the bride price was a normal part of the marriage process. The bride price plays a significant function: It shows the womans value, and the point isnt that the father gets the money but that he keeps it for his daughter, if her husband should ever abandon her.

In other words, were talking about young men (and their parents) paying the parents of a girl who may be only 15, 16, or 17, a bride price in exchange for receipt of the girl. So lets ask a question. Does the girl have a choice in this matter?

What if the person objects to the prospective spouse? Is there an opportunity to veto? . . . Considering it is their parents who would be finding them a spouse, what would be their basis for objecting? Looks? How much money they have? Their hobbies or interests? Maybe their personality? All of these things can change and likely will change over the course of a marriage. Even a persons beliefs may change over time. . . . Finally, we must understand that a wife (or husband, as the case may be) is a gift. A gift from God first and foremost, and a gift through our parents as representative agents. What should be our attitude about someone who is ungrateful and who rejects a gift they have been given? Preferences, hopes, and desires are not wrong in and of themselves. Perhaps they should even been actively sought when possible and when appropriate. But it is a problem when we begin to make non-essentials into essentials. . . .

That makes it sound like any girl (or teenage boy) who objects to a match arranged by their parents should be seen as ungrateful and out of line. The amount of pressure to accept such a match, especially at a highly charged and isolated conference such as this will be, will surely be enormous. Where is there any room to object?

What about after the conference? Can a young person back out?

. . . there is no decision to be made once a betrothal is final. There is no approval required or veto allowed.

So thats a no, then.

And actually, Ohlman goes on further as follows:

Doesnt a legitimate marriage require the consent of both the people marrying? Scripture speaks of the father of the son taking a wife for his son, and the father of the bride giving her to her husband (Jeremiah 29: 6; Judges 21: 7; Ezra 9:12; Nehemiah 10: 30; 1 Corinthians 7:36-38). It gives example after example of young women being given to young men, without the young woman even being consulted, and often, in some of the most Godly marriages in Scripture, the young man is not consulted.

I really wish this was a joke, I really really do, but its not.

How this might look today is this: A Godly man, raising Godly children, should raise them in such a way that they understand that, in general, the provision of a spouse is something that should come from their father. He should, in his conversations with them, assure himself of their understanding of, and compliance with, this concept. Then, when he has been assured, and when they are of an age where marriage is appropriate for them, he should agree with another father as to their betrothal. Then, in wisdom, he, along with the other father, should again go to his own child to assure himself of their integrity of purpose before announcing their new betrothed spouse to them. Then, the son or daughter, must consent to the marriagebut it is very important to realize that this type of consent is the kind of obedient consent we see in the examples of Adam, Eve, Isaac, Rebecca, and Christ. It is consent where the son or daughter, realizing that their father has bound them and then submits to the covenant as binding, recognizing the good gift their father has given them.

I cannot even with this.

So, lets review. Young people should marry before age 20. Girls should have breasts, but not be 12. So probably like at least 15. The betrothal, which happens before the official legal marriage, is binding. This way parents can betroth children who may not yet be legally able to marry in their state. The matches should be arranged by the fathers, and ideally the teenage boys father should pay a bride price to the teenage girls family. The young people in question are expected to accept the matches their parents arrange for them, period and full stop, and there is no reason to consult them in the processit is their duty to accept the arrangement.

And while were at it, the FAQ reads like it was written by someone who spends way too much time thinking about the bodies (and breasts) of underage girls.

I really wish I could just gawk at this, I really do, but I was homeschooled and I knew families who were into things like this. If this had been around when I was a teen, it is very likely that families I knew would have goneand it is barely possible that my own family might have considered it (though I very much hope they wouldnt have). These are real people were talking about, and the number of fellow homeschool alumni I know who entered into early marriages like these and are now divorced seems to be growing by the month. Need I add that young women typically exit these marriages with little in the way of education, skills, or career prospects?

This is beyond not okay.
I have to say that Im beginning to understand why evangelical ministers protest about their 501(c)(3) restrictions on speaking up about candidates at official functions or in their publications.

Im feeling their frustration as I am muzzled by the same rules at my Secular Humanistic Jewish congregation at a time when I really want to speak up about Donald Trump. I guess Ill just have to do what everyone else does and blog about it.

Today I want to talk to any Jewish Republicans who might be considering throwing their support to Trump.

According to the Forward, many of them are already falling into line behind their furher. Sorry, I meant to type leader. Anyway its the same word. In tribute to his authoritarian personality and German roots, Ill stick with furher.

First in line is former W. spokesman, Ari Fleischer, who says hell vote for Trump over Hillary any day. The Republican Jewish Coalition has not endorsed him, but has congratulated him. An endorsement shouldnt be too far behind. Sheldon Adelson was asked a while back if he would throw his support behind Furher Drumpf and replied, Why not?

Why not??!!

Hey Adelson: Maybe you should take a look at what real Jew-haters (not those kids who support BDS) are saying. Because actual, real neo-Nazis are supporting him. Somehow they have the idea that hes going to put Jews and Zionists in their place. Real neo-Nazis at websites like the Daily Stormer (named for Julius Streichers Nazi Jew-hating newspaper) are celebrating Trumps victory. Also, the KKK loves him. And lets not forget Louis Farrakhan whose hatred of the Jews gives white supremacists a run for their money.

Why not??!!

Because youre getting into bed with those people. You scream and cry and moan about a bunch of college students who support BDS but now Stormfront, the Grand Wizards of the KKK, and Minister Farrakhan are okey-dokey political partners? And you want young Jews to take you seriously? Maybe you should ask yourself what kind of values those groups identify in Trump to make them love him so much. Maybe you should wonder if those values are something you want to associate yourself with.

One thing Ive learned from listening to Republican Jews for Trump. If they were looking for a uniter, theyve found one in him. After all, hes managed to unite neo-Nazis, the KKK, Louis Farrakhan, and Sheldon Adelson.

Who could have seen that coming?
Motihari: Careful not to stir a controversy, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain, at a press conference in Motihari on Thursday, said it was the prerogative of the party's parliamentary board to choose the Chief Ministerial candidate and he would be okay with the board's decision in the run up of the Assembly elections in Bihar.

"We have a number of leaders who are capable of running the state effectively and efficiently including former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Nand Kishore Yadav, and party state chief Mangal Pandey. However, it is up to the BJP parliamentary board to decide who should be projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state," Hussain said.

The senior BJP leader who is being viewed as a formidable candidate for the state's top post in his own right further said that the goal was to win elections in Bihar regardless of the face or name of the BJP candidate.

"Our goal, as set by Amit Shah (BJP national President), is to win a minimum of 185 seats out of a total of 243 seats in Bihar and that is what we all are striving for," he said.

Hussain said that any credibility that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had; he lost it when he shook hands with his former adversary and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

"Crime has soared in Bihar and voters in Bihar have become very disillusioned with Nitish Kumar. Now they are pining for change that would put Bihar on the path of peace and prosperity," the BJP leader said.

As expected, he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing Land Acquisition Bill that he said was in the best interest of the farmers, and keeping prices of essential commodities under check.
"We're not used to seeing growth in our check business," said Deluxe's Tracey Engelhardt, who reports a 6% to 7% increase in revenue for check orders from businesses and consumers in each of the last three quarters, driven by various factors originating from the pandemic.
Iran Bans American Cars After Critical Speech By Khamenei

05/05/16

Source: RFE/RL

Iran has stopped importing U.S.-made cars because of a speech by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticizing them, news agencies report.





Iranian-made automobiles have received low marks on quality and safety

(cartoon by Amin Montazeri, Iranian daily Shahrvand)





Although U.S. car manufacturers have been barred from selling cars directly to Iran for decades, Tehran previously had allowed 24 models manufactured by Chevrolet, a General Motors division, to be imported through other countries.

Tehran's new ban on such imports was imposed on May 1 after a speech by Khamenei on April 27 questioning why Iranians should drive American cars at all.

"Americans themselves don't use U.S.-made cars," Khamenei said. "We have seen this reflected in American media. They argue that fuel consumption is high and the cars are heavy."

General Motors, which sold 259,557 vehicles in the United States last month, told AP that it had no plans to enter the Iranian market anyway, though the Islamic republic is a large market that has been mostly untapped by Western companies.

While most Western countries lifted economic sanctions prohibiting the sale of cars to Iran in January, the United States continues to bar most commercial ties with Tehran, a GM spokesman said, and the company will continue to honor those sanctions.

Currently, there are very few American cars in Iran other than those made before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

U.S.-brand vehicles can be bought in free-trade zones, but their owners face restrictions on where they can be driven.

Since sanctions were lifted under Iran's nuclear accord with world powers, Iran has announced ambitions to become a significant manufacturer as well as consumer of automobiles.

Tehran has been in talks to set up joint manufacturing plants inside Iran with major European automakers, including Fiat, Mercedes Benz, Peugeot, Renault, and Volkswagen.

Under sanctions, domestic auto production fell sharply from 1.65 million units in 2011 to 740,000 in 2013.

Production crept back up to 1.1 million in 2014, and Iranian officials say they now are hoping to manufacturer 1.6 million cars by 2018, 2 million by 2022, and 3 million by 2025.

With reporting by AP and AFP

Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Jailed Iranian bloggers released for medical reasons

05/05/16 Source: Radio Zamaneh

Jailed Iranian blogger Hossein Ronaghi Maleki was released on Wednesday May 4 from Evin Prison. Ronaghi Maleki was finally able to secure the approval of the prosecutor's office for his release on medical grounds.







Hossein-Ronaghi-Maleki with his family





Ronaghi Maleki was arrested in the aftermath of the election protests of 2009, after he ran a blog reporting and commenting on the crackdown on protesters.

He was sentenced to 15 years in jail but was released in 2011 for medical reasons after several hunger strikes. He was arrested again for collaborating with independent groups to organize aid to earthquake survivors in Azerbaijan.

Jailed lawyer's family demands hospital care for prisoner

The family of jailed lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani has expressed serious concern regarding the failure of prison authorities to provide him with adequate medical care.

On Tuesday May 4, the family reported that in the past five years of imprisonment, he has only been allowed a four-day furlough and authorities are deliberately preventing him from receiving necessary medical treatment.





Abdolfattah Soltani



An informed source reports that Soltani's wife, Massoumeh Dehghan, had made all arrangements for his hospitalization, but at the eleventh hour, the prosecutor's office prevented his transfer.

The report adds that Soltani has been experiencing severe chest pain, but the only treatment he gets is through the prison infirmary.

Soltani was arrested in the aftermath of the election protests of 2009 and prosecuted for his membership in the Human Rights Defenders Centre and his defence of political prisoners.

He was sentenced to 18 years in jail and a 20-year ban from practicing law.
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Tens of millions of stolen credentials for Gmail, Microsoft and Yahoo email accounts are being shared online by a young Russian hacker known as the Collector as part of a supposed larger trove of 1.17 billion records.

Thats according to Hold Security, which says it has looked at more than 272 million unique credentials so far, including 42.5 million it had never seen before. A majority of the accounts reportedly were stolen from users of Mail.ru, Russias most popular email service, but credentials for other services apparently were also included.

Hold discovered the breach when its researchers came across the hacker bragging in an online forum. Though the hacker initially asked Hold for 50 rubles for the initial 10GB stash  thats equivalent to about 75 cents  he eventually turned it over to them in exchange for likes and votes for him on social media.

Some 40 million of the credentials came from Yahoo Mail, 33 million were from Microsoft Hotmail, roughly 24 million were from Gmail, and nearly 57 million were from Mail.ru, according to Reuters. Thousands of others came from employees of large U.S. companies in banking, manufacturing and retail, and hundreds of thousands more reportedly were from accounts at German and Chinese email providers.

In an email message, Google declined to comment on the incident but said users should establish a recovery phone number for their Google accounts.

Yahoo, Microsoft and Mail.ru did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
So much for that. Australian businessman Craig Wright has declined to provide further proof supporting his claim that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, the enigmatic creator of the virtual currency, Bitcoin. As the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke, Wright wrote in a post entitled Im Sorry on his personal website. I do not have the courage. I cannot.

Wright has since cleared out previous posts from his site in which he claimed to be Bitcoins creator. The posts are still available in Googles cache.

On Tuesday, Wright promised to prove once and for all that he was Nakamoto after making his initial claim a day earlier. Wright said he would post independently-verifiable documents in a series of blog posts over several days to support his claim. All of that would lead up to the big finale when he would transfer some bitcoins known to be held by Nakamoto. Since their creation, the bitcoins linked to Nakamoto have never moved.

When it came time to do the deed and prove to critics that he had access to something only Nakamoto would, Wright retreateda decision that will only further support arguments that Wright is not the creator of Bitcoin.

Wrights week gone wrong

BBC via IDG News Service Craig Wright claims to be Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto in this still taken from a video interview broadcast on May 2, 2016

Wrights saga began on Monday when the Satoshi claimant conducted interviews with the BBC, The Economist, and GQ attempting to prove he was the Bitcoin creator. As part of his proof, Wright also published a cryptographic signature on his blog on Monday linked to Satoshi Nakamotoa move that many critics quickly called into question. Nicholas Weaver, a security researcher at UC Berkleys International Computer Science Institute, even went so far as to call Wrights evidence provably fraudulent, passing off an old signature as new, as Ars Technica reported.

Despite the doubts, major figures in the Bitcoin community backed Wrights claim including Gavin Andresen, an early collaborator with Satoshi Nakamoto and the chief scientist for the Bitcoin Foundation. Andresen later backed away from Wright in an email exchange with security researcher Dan Kaminsky.

The story behind the story: This was not the first time it had been suggested that Wright was the creator of Bitcoin. In late 2015, Wired ran a story about the possibility Wright was Satoshi. The magazine later followed up on its report with a story saying Wright could be a hoaxer. This latest failed Satoshi Nakamoto unmasking follows an earlier notable attempt to discover the Bitcoin creators identity. In early 2014, Newsweek claimed a California man named Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto was the creator of the virtual currency.

Will the real Nakamoto please transfer some bitcoin

The reason Nakamoto has remained so mysterious is that the Bitcoin creator only ever interacted with others online. No one actually met with Nakamoto in the flesh during his work on Bitcoin. For that reason, no one knows if Nakamoto is a single individual or a group of people who worked under a pseudonym. Nakamoto stopped communicating online in 2011. Since then he has only surfaced once in March 2014. Using an online forum account linked to Nakamoto, the Bitcoin creator came forward to say he was not Dorian Nakamoto. By September 2014, that same forum account appeared to be hacked.

The mystery continues.
Dr. Jana Webb-Delone, a Riverside pediatrician and Moreno Valley resident, thinks girls and women should dream so big it scares you.

Dreaming big and going beyond what she thought she was capable of opened windows to the world, helped her successfully serve the health care needs of impoverished people in Africa and motivated her to move past challenges faced as a woman of color in male- and white-dominated enterprises.

Thats the message Webb-Delone had for African American middle and high school girls attending Sacred Sistahs Inc.s sixth annual Seeking Excellence in Science, Health Care, Arithmetic and Technology Conference on Saturday, April 30, in Pomona.

Timidity doesnt accomplish anything for the individual, she said in incorporating the conference theme, See It to Be It: Envisioning The Future, to encourage girls to enter challenging careers.

The message of Webb-Delone, a graduate of Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, perfectly fits the goals of Sacred Sistahs, a Fontana-based nonprofit organization of professional women mentoring black girls in Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, said Sacred Sistahs founder Tonia Causey-Bush of Fontana, who is also is Fontana Unified School Districts director of teaching and learning.

Webb-Delones first step outside of her Inglewood neighborhood comfort zone took her to Westchester High School, a previously all-white school that used a lottery system to recruit ethnically and culturally diverse students.

Her older sister Kim was among the first 200 winners, making it possible for Jana and brother Halford to attend Westchester later.

Our parents stressed faith, education and good teeth, Webb-Delone said, chuckling about how her folks made sure their four children had good teeth. Their efforts hit home when she journeyed to Africa and saw so many children with poor nutrition and bad teeth in rural and remote villages.

I had parents who loved me and told me I could do anything. They said it so often, I finally believed them. Thats at the root of why Ive been able to do what Ive done and overcome racial and gender discrimination, Webb-Delone said.

That confidence took her to UC Irvine to earn a bachelors of science degree in biological sciences. Then, just because she wanted them, she earned a masters of public health at UCLA and a second masters in international and biblical studies from Virginias Regent University.

Imbued by international students enthusiasm about using their degrees to become leaders in their homelands, Webb-Delone decided to go to Nigeria and Ghana in 1988 on a six-week public health mission. She was again dreaming big, she said.

Her next challenging dream involved becoming World Vision Internationals grants manager from 1988 to 1991. She traveled extensively throughout the U.S., looking for people and small nonprofits delivering services, answering needs and helping others overcome challenges.

She found a couple with three biological children who adopted 38 ethnically diverse children and put all 41 through college and into professional careers; a family with a childrens tutorial program in their garage; a woman who taught girls self esteem and leadership skills; Christian outreach volunteers lifting families out of poverty; and hundreds of people doing things out of the box, not waiting for government assistance and engaging entire neighborhoods in inspiring programs.

Webb-Delone wasnt a physician when she moved to Mozambique to work as a child survivor health officer from 1991 to 1995. Despite a civil war in the southeast African country, she and her co-workers targeted rural villages and prayed the villages werent torched before they arrived by convoy or plane to provide basic health care for children, families and pregnant women.

Ex-patriots from all over the world working with her in Africa called her doctor before she was one, so Webb-Delone accepted their suggestion to go to medical school and become one. She came to Western in 1995 and was mentored by Beverly Guidry of Riverside, Westerns vice president of enrollment management and university student affairs. Guidry is the liaison for the Sacred Sistahs conference that relocated from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont to Western University this year.

Webb-Delone and her husband, accountant Raymond Delone, tell their daughters  Raynisha, Janaya and Jaylah  to dream so big it scares them. Then make those dreams come true by being tenacious, leaping over hurdles, jumping around challenges and being willing to make sacrifices.

Contact the writer: imani.tate@langnews.com or @ImaniTate on Twitter
Three candidates for Californias open U.S. Senate seat will be debating in Wine Country this month.

Former state Republican party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro, Rancho Cucamonga urban planner Tom Palzer and Antelope Valley substitute teacher Karen Roseberry have committed to the debate  sponsored by the Temecula Valley Republican Women Federated  on May 17 at Wilson Creek Winery.

The program will begin at 11 a.m., and lunch is included. Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers.

Guests are asked to RSVP by Monday by calling 951-223-3500 or emailing cnielsen14@road runner.com.
A family filed a lawsuit against the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department after suffering injuries during a pursuit last year that ended when a deputy in a sheriffs helicopter shot a fleeing suspect on the 215 Freeway.

The lawsuit was filed in San Bernardino Superior Court last Thursday by lawyers from the Layfield & Barrett and V. James DeSimone law firms on behalf of the Villegas family, of San Bernardino, according to a news release sent Wednesday.

PHOTOS: San Bernardino deputies shoot pursuit suspect from the air

On Sept. 18, 2015, a husband and wife and their 13-year-old son were traveling in their Dodge Durango when a man, later identified as 32-year-old Nicholas Johnson, who was driving the wrong way on the freeway at speeds of 100 miles per hour, struck their vehicle after he was shot and killed by Deputy Paul Kowalski from a sheriffs helicopter.

The father suffered a fractured leg and subsequent lung complications, according to officials with the law firm, Layfield & Barrett. His wife had six fractured ribs, a fractured wrist, water in her lung, internal stomach bleeding and trauma to her neck and jaw.

Their 13-year-old son, who was born with a kneecap issue, suffered further damage to his leg in the crash. He is currently in a wheelchair and cannot walk, officials said.

RELATED: Shooting from air should be last resort, experts say

According to the court documents, the Villegas family has incurred millions of dollars in medical expenses as a result of the shooting.

V. James DeSimone, an attorney on the case, said that by shooting at the suspect from the air, deputies guaranteed that his car was going to be out of control on the freeway.

The family has been very badly injured as a result of this decision to fire at a car from a helicopter, he said. Were looking to get fair compensation for the Villegas family. We think there were safer ways to apprehend the suspect than shooting and killing him (from the air).

Sheriffs officials said the Civil Division had not been served with the lawsuit as of Wednesday afternoon.

Deputies tried to pull Johnson over shortly before 1 p.m. on Sept. 18, 2015 but ended up in a high-speed chase on Fontana and San Bernardino streets before he began heading south on the northbound 215 Freeway, authorities said.

During the chase, Johnson showed no regard for public safety, running several stop signs and red lights, narrowly missing several pedestrians, a sheriffs news release said.

The stakes were too high to let the wrong-way chase continue, Deputy Olivia Bozek said at the time of the shooting.

In an interview at the time of the shooting, retired Placer County sheriffs Sgt. Rocky Warren, a police use-of-force expert, said shooting a suspect from a police helicopter is both extremely rare and very difficult.

The last time Warren  a former SWAT team sniper  said he knew of such an incident was in Alaska in 1984, when spree killer Michael Silka was fatally shot by a state trooper from a helicopter.

However, sheriffs spokeswoman Jodi Miller said the sheriffs helicopter crews consistently train for the possibility of having to shoot at a target from a moving helicopter.

They train from the air every 90 days at a minimum, she said in a September interview with The Sun. All of our deputies/tactical flight officers qualify with the same weapons that they carry in the aircraft through and within department qualifications.

It was the seventh such deputy-involved shooting from the air, since a 2001 incident in Apple Valley, she said.

Staff writer Doug Saunders contributed to this story.
Lorraine Martinez and a friend were hiking above Cherry Valleys Bogart Park about noon Tuesday when Martinez saw someone on the trail ahead of them, bending over.

Strange, the Beaumont woman thought. Whys he wearing a jacket? Its hot out.

The man stood up and made eye contact with Martinez  who got quite a shock.

It was in fact a bear. And another was close by.

It was scary and cool at the same time, Martinez said Wednesday. A frequent hiker, she said she knew bears exist in the area but had never seen one.

The park is at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains in the community of Cherry Valley, north of Beaumont and southeast of Redlands.

Bears are indigenous to that area, said Kyla Brown of the Riverside County parks district, which oversees Bogart Park. Signs are posted in the park warning visitors that bears might be present, Brown said.

These are black bears, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman wrote in an email. Hunters eradicated the grizzly bear from the state by 1922, he wrote.

As the weather warms up, bears visit Bogart Park to fish in its pond and rummage for food in campsites and trash cans, Brown said.

Tuesdays bear sighting, coming a couple weeks after a campsite hosts sighting, has spurred the county parks department to post more warning signs and to install locks on dumpsters, Brown said, likely within the next two weeks.

Martinez said when one of the bears stood, it appeared to be 5 or 6 feet tall. She said she and her friend knew not to run and tried not to be scared. They called law enforcement on a cellphone.

Soon after, a helicopter appeared overhead for a few minutes and then flew off. The pair hoped it scared off the bears. Cautiously, they turned on their cellphone radios and picked up a couple rocks.

Normally they run down a trail after hiking up it, Martinez said, but this time they walked so as not to encourage a bear to give chase.

When they returned to their car, law enforcement officers were waiting to make sure they were safe. Martinez said they were told the helicopter crew spotted three bears.

Martinez said shell continue hiking in the area, but will buy bear spray and a horn.

Were in their territory, she said. You just got to be prepared.

Contact the writer: jblodgett@pressenterprise.com
Add Republican Assembly Leader Chad Mayes to the list of GOP officials who are reluctant, if not outright opposed, to expressing support for Donald Trump now that the billionaire entrepreneur is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Mayes, who lives in Yucca Valley, tweeted, then re-tweeted his tweet of a link to an interview with House Speaker Paul Ryan, who told CNN hes not readyto support Trump.

I believe so strongly in what @SpeakerRyan says, Im retweeting myself https://t.co/70idoQJNyX  Asm. Chad Mayes (@ChadMayesCA) May 5, 2016

In his original tweet, Mayes wrote that Trump hasnt proven ready for POTUS.

Earlier this year, Mayes endorsed GOP presidential contender John Kasich, who has since withdrawn. With Ted Cruz dropping out, the path is clear for Trump to win the GOP nomination and take on likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Besides Ryan and Mayes, former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush are not ready to endorse Trump, according to published reports. Mitt Romney, the GOPs White House nominee in 2012, will skip the Republican National Convention this summer after he denounced Trump and urged the partys voters to choose someone else.
Don Packham, a 95-year-old veteran who served as a fighter pilot in World War II, enjoyed a fitting end at San Diego International Airport to a momentous tour of war memorials in Washington D.C.

The Hemet resident was part of an Honor Flight San Diego group of 76 veterans. They were treated to the trip by the San Diego chapter of the national nonprofit organization that pays for flights and hotel stays during weekend trips to the nations capital.

It is worthy effort to honor veterans. Some require assistance with oxygen and walkers.

I brought money, but I didnt take it out of my pocket, he said. I didnt spend a dime.

The veterans, accompanied by escorts, flew from San Diego to Washington Friday, visited six landmarks Saturday and returned home Sunday.

Many of the veterans, like Packham, were in their 90s. many of them utilized wheelchairs during their visits to patriotic sites that stirred memories of their service.

The return trip home might have been even more momentous.

When Packham was wheeled off the plane by his son, Ray Packham, he was greeted by service members in uniform offering salutes. They stood in two lines to form a corridor for the veterans.

When he left the airports security area, he was stunned when greeted by a rousing ovation from relatives, youth groups, military supporters and people who happened to be there to catch flights.

His bride of 70 years, Mary Packham, could see tears in his eyes as he was applauded by the big crowd. She waited with her son, John Packham, and his wife, Ginny Packham.

I couldnt keep the tears back either, she said.

She vividly recalled her husbands service that began at Hemet-Ryan Field in 1943. He served during the Army Air Forces transition from the Army Air Corps to todays Air Force.

He met her while she was a hostess at a USO facility in downtown Hemet.

He asked me to dance, she said. It was not love at first sight, but I could see he was something special.

He broke a rule by walking her home. He later visited her family for dinner. He took her to an air-field dance when he graduated from flight school.

They considered marriage, but decided to wait until after he returned from war. He flew P-38 and P-47 planes in Europe.

He was shot down in Germany in April 1945 during his 71st mission and taken prisoner. He was liberated by U.S. troops after four days, treated for wounds and embarked on a long trip home by ship and train.

The couple married upon his return, tried dairy farming and ranching for seven years in Idaho and returned to Hemet in 1952. He worked in the dairy industry until 1969 before switching to a career in real estate.

They have four sons, nine grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren  and counting.

Last weekends trip was a highlight of his life. He applied for the Honor Flight trip when he visited March Air Reserve Base with his sons to listen to a speech by a P-38 pilot. He was accepted and flew out of San Diego with his son as a helpful escort.

Packham appreciated how the war memorials educated young visitors about the war and what veterans did for freedom. Witnessing the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery was impressive.

So was the airport reception in San Diego.

I was floored that they were there to greet us. They thanked us for our service, he said. It felt great, but I couldnt help think of the guys who didnt come back. They are the real heroes.

Contact the writer: bpratte@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9078
Sunday services at Pathway Church will go on as planned, after a fire Tuesday damaged a preschool and classroom building.

Doug Collins, student pastor at Pathway, said one of the classrooms will be restored in time for Sundays services, but preschool services will be set up elsewhere on site.

PHOTOS: Firefighters battle Tuesdays blaze at Pathway Church

Things are fully operational and fully running. Were just having to play a little Tetris, Collins said.

No one was in either of the buildings Tuesday at the time of the fire. The classrooms are used during Sunday services and for midweek programs.

The cause was determined to be accidental as a result of roofing work being performed on one of the buildings, according to a city news release.

The property damage is estimated to be $300,000 and content damage $75,000, according to city spokesman Carl Baker in an email Wednesday.

Collins said the church family has been donating items lost during the blaze, such as diapers and wipes.

Church members today will be going out to purchase more preschool supplies in time for Sundays services, he said.

Our church family has been amazing. People have quickly responded with donations, Collins said.

Collins said they have been given a six-month timeframe for restoring the most severe damage.

Its an inconvenience. Thats really what it is and were just having to work around it and just keep doing what were doing, Collins said.

Several fire agencies, including those from San Bernardino County, San Bernardino City, Colton, Yucapia and CalFire, were called to help with the blaze. After the fire was knocked down, which took about 45 minutes, a San Bernardino City firefighter fell through a portion of the building, his booted foot seen sticking out of the roof. He was not seriously injured, and after retrieving his helmet, went back to working on the smoldering fire.

A county firefighter suffered a back injury, Baker said.

The firefighters will return to full duty within a few days, Baker said in the email.

Staff Writer Beatriz Valenzuela contributed to this report.
Tribune Publishing Co. on Wednesday rejected Gannetts more than $388 million buyout offer, saying its too little for the company that owns The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and other newspapers.

USA Today owner Gannett wanted to buy Tribune Publishing so it could expand its USA Today Network, an effort to unite USA Today with its more than 100 local daily newspapers.

It made an unsolicited offer last month of $12.25 per share for Chicago-based Tribune Publishing, which it said had refused to have meaningful discussions about a deal.

But Tribune Publishing said Wednesday that after thorough consideration its board decided the proposal from Gannett Co. understates its true value and is not in the best interests of its shareholders.

Tribune Publishing is in the early stages of a compelling transformation that will be better for shareholders, CEO Justin Dearborn said in a statement. While the companys board is open to evaluating credible offers, Gannetts opportunistic proposal is not up for further discussion, he said.

Gannett, based in McLean, Virginia, was critical of the analysis that led to the decision.

Chairman John Jeffry Louis said the Tribune Publishing decision to reject the bid reaffirms his companys view that Tribunes board never intended to engage with us.

Gannett reiterated that it wants Tribune shareholders to withhold votes for its board member nominees up for election in June to send a message to resume takeover talks.

Tribune Publishings rejection of the Gannet offer Wednesday came as it also reported a first-quarter loss.

It lost $6.5 million, or 22 cents per share, for the three months that ended March 27. After adjusting for restructuring and layoff costs, the company earned 23 cents per share.

A year ago it earned $2.5 million, or 10 cents a share.

Total operating revenue for the period was flat at $389.2 million as a drop in advertising revenue was offset by gains in circulation revenue.

Shares of Tribune Publishing jumped 4 percent in after-hours trading following the announcements. Its shares have lost 36 percent of their value in the past 12 months through the close of regular-session trading Wednesday.

Gannetts shares were unchanged in extended trading.
Officials at Chaparral High School are telling parents and students that the schools prom has sold out, news that came as a shock to Pumas who have already purchased clothes or arranged transportation to the dance.

SOLUTIONS: Prom sellout causes scramble

Brandy Coral, parent of a Chaparral student, said she had been told the cut off for buying a ticket was 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 4.

But when she tried to buy a ticket at 9:30 a.m. she was told that the event was sold out.

Other parents have posted similar stories on Facebook and students are weighing in on Twitter (to the chagrin of administrators.)

Coral said her son found out later in the day that he had been put on a waiting list and that he was eligible to buy a ticket but shes heard the waiting list was/is four pages long.

I dont know how many other kids are not getting in, she said.

As of 2:45 p.m., Chaparral Activities Director Don Jones was reportedly dealing with the ticketing issue, which involved what sounded like a full day of meeting with parents and students.

The demand for tickets is unprecedented, according to a school official, who referred a call for an official comment to Jones voicemail.

Weve never sold out, she said.

The school booked passage on the Hornblower, a ship that cruises around the San Diego Bay, for the dance, which is open to juniors and seniors.

The ship has a capacity of around 1,000 but there are 1,400 or so juniors and seniors at the high school.

In response to the news, some Temecula residents have expressed interest in staging a local prom for all the students who werent able to get tickets but details on that event werent firm as of Wednesday afternoon.

One of the leaders of the local prom effort, Casey Lynn Erway, said anyone interested in helping out can email her at cerway@c21wright.com.

My office is trying to help as much as we can, she said in an email Wednesday afternoon.

Dozens of people responded to Erways efforts on a Facebook group page frequented by Temecula residents, pledging their support and offering to volunteer, set up photo booths and bake cupcakes.

In that same group, there are people trying to buy tickets for their children but Laura Boss, spokeswoman for the Temecula Valley Unified School District, said reselling tickets is not allowed for security purposes.

The tickets are tied to the students ID, she said. If a student no longer wants to go to the prom they can go to the school and get a refund only. The newly available ticket would then be offered to a senior on the waiting list.

Boss said the district will be able to provide more information tomorrow about the waiting list and how many students need a ticket.

The school needs time to reconcile numbers and see what can be done. The boat holds 1,000 people in total. Historically, with similar class size numbers, the school has not sold over 814 tickets. So no one has ever been denied. They have never had an issue, so this is unprecedented, she said.

There has been some speculation online that the prom was crashed by freshmen and sophomores but Boss said sales were restricted to juniors and seniors.

This is a developing story. Check back later for more information.
Now that Donald Trump has a clear path to the Republican presidential nomination, the party will rally around him and the noise of the primaries will subside, GOP leaders said Wednesday, May 4.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich dropped out of the race Wednesday, the day after Ted Cruz ended his White House run, leaving Trump with no challengers from a field that once numbered 17 candidates in a race filled with insults and name calling.

Theres always passion whenever anyone has a candidate in the race, said Republican Paul Chabot, a candidate in the 31st Congressional District in San Bernardino. The alternative to Trump is Hillary (Clinton) and that would be devastating to the United States of America.

Scott Mann, chairman of the Riverside County GOP, said the vitriol that has led to this point is the nature of politics  with social media, a 24-hour news cycle and long primary.

Absolutely, we will rally around Donald Trump, Mann said, adding that he thinks Trump will become more moderate with the primaries over. He will truly become more presidential and temper his comments.

Redlands Tea Party Patriots cabinet member John Berry, a Cruz supporter, said hes ready to embrace Trumps candidacy and stop the Democrats.

We lost. They won. Family feud is over, he said in statement.

Howard Katz, chairman of the Riverside County Democratic Party, said he hopes to see the same unity in his party, where many people are firmly behind either Hillary Clinton, who enjoys a sizable lead in delegates, or Bernie Sanders, who won Indiana on Tuesday and is counting on a strong victory in California to keep his long-shot bid alive.

Im hoping those people that are for Bernie and said they wouldnt vote for anyone else but Bernie, see the light that Democrats have to rally around whichever candidate is the Democratic nominee, he said.

Judging by poll numbers, Katz said, a Trump nomination could bode well for Democrats.

An ABC7-Southern California News Group poll released Monday found likely voters preferred Clinton to Trump 56 percent to 34 percent in a general election match up.

I would think his victory would maybe grease the skids for a Clinton triumph, Katz said.

And Trumps anti-illegal immigrant rhetoric  hes said some Mexican immigrants were rapists and others came to the U.S. bringing drugs  has fired up Latino immigrants who are becoming citizens so they can vote against him.

Trump also wants to build a wall along the Mexican border, vowing to make Mexico pay for it.

Its history repeating itself, said Luz Gallegos, community programs director at TODEC Legal Center, an Inland-area immigrant-rights group.

She noted the rise in citizenship interest when Republican Pete Wilson was governor.

Wilson championed Prop. 187, a 1994 law that would have barred immigrants who came here illegally from services, including public education and non-emergency health care. Although it was never enacted, Latinos were energized by the battle against it.

Gallegos said she recently had a 99-year-old woman ask for help in becoming a citizen in order to vote this election season.

Some immigrants children who are citizens also are registering to vote, Gallegos said.

They want to make sure their vote counts, she said. They have parents that are still in limbo.

Javier Hernandez, of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, said his organization is going to continue to do what weve been doing all along, which is continuing to register voters in the region.

We believe that our community will support the candidates that  support our issues and that support our values of family unity and of welcoming immigrants and welcoming refugees in this country, he added.

Contact the writer: cshultz@pressenterprise.com, amolina@pressenterprise.com
The Volta Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Peter Amewu, is accusing government of diverting state resources to neighboring Togo in exchange for votes in the November polls.



According to Mr. Amewu, government is transporting farming equipment to Togo to entice residents to register in the ongoing limited voters registration exercise.



John Peter Amewu at a news conference in Ho said the NPP will resist any attempt by government to have foreigners register in the exercise.

As I speak now, logistics such as spraying machines, weedicides, boots, and cutlasses are being sent to the Republic of Togo to give to those people and entice them to come and vote in Ghana. What about the same Ghanaians sitting in Ghana, who are going to vote for them.? Dont they deserve better?



He further noted that while communities in the Volta Region do not have electricity, the NDC has extended electricity to some communities in Togo such as Kametonuin.



Its clear evidence from hereyou can follow me to Kametonu and you will see how the NDC has extended electricity from Ghana to these communities just to entice them to vote based on the promises they made to them. They extend electricity to Sasanu in the Republic of Togo instead of constructing roads to towns like Vlitodzi. Up to today, there is no good road to that end. You cannot move a vehicle to that place, the NDC chose rather to construct road from Likpetodome to a neighbouring Togo community called Dzedrame, he added.



NPP doing lazy politics -NDC



But the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region, has dismissed the accusations an untrue.



Deputy Volta Regional Secretary, Mustapha Ghande, told Citi News that the NPP is only engaging in what he calls lazy politics.



He denied claims that the government is offering freebies to some Togolese nationals in a bit to coerce them to vote for them in the November elections.



He said, I havent even seen any farming equipment going there. Admitting the fact that we have been doing that, how does that become a crime? Each political party has to undertake one or two exercises to get votes. I think that it is a lazy way of doing politics and its a lazy way of thinking because they are not ready to think to have proper strategies that will win them an election and they think that every day they should be accusing one person or the other, he added.



Mustapha Ghande instead accused the NPP of fomenting trouble in the region in the ongoing voters registration exercise.



Come and see the Volta Region, the NPP has flooded the whole place with violence, the NDC Regional Secretary alleged.

Source: citifmonline.com









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Here is a shortlist of the ways the Australian media holds influence over our nations asylum seekers and our detention policies:

It serves as a foundation for news, discussion and debate by informing  within the confines of the law  the public about what exactly goes down on Manus Island, Nauru and the like;

and the like; It brings attention to all the ways our government may or may not be succeeding in its policy goals, and asks questions of those with real control over them;

It collects top-notch lels by way of Peter Dutton photoshop jobs to contrast the horrors Australia might just be culpable for.

Notably absent on this list is inadvertently encouraging detainees to set themselves on fire in the hopes the notoriously stubborn Department of Immigration will change its ways.

Yet, thats exactly what Dutton implied today when he said there are some media outlets in this country who need to reassess their approach to the issue.

He said like advocates, holding false hope out to people that somehow, through different resistance methods, that theyre going to come to Australia, they are wrong and they are frankly, I think, prolonging the difficulty of these people.

They may think that theyre smart and well intentioned, but theyre not.

The comments come in response to a spate of refugees who have set themselves on fucking fire in response to the desperation they experienced in Australias offshore detention centres.

Before Iranian refugee Omid Massoumali died, he cried out this is how tired we are, this action will prove how exhausted we are. I cannot take it anymore. That, quite unambiguously, is a cry for help, before it was ever a calculated political play spurred by a complicit media.

Of course, these comments come days after Dutton placed some of the blame at the feet of refugee advocates, when he said they can provide offers of support, that is reasonable. But to provide advice otherwise is very dangerous.

In this horrible blame-game, it seems the only relevant party not criticised by Dutton has been his own. The one thats actually in charge.

Source: ABC.

Photo: Stefan Postles / Getty.
True crime fans, youre in for a real treat with this one.

Today, dozens of family members of the victims of the Bowraville Murders will march on the NSW Parliament, in an attempt to persuade them to grant them what they want: justice.

The murders, which many of you may be unaware of, were a series of three killings carried out over a five month period some 25 years ago.

Two 16-year-olds  Colleen Walker and Clinton Speedy-Duroux  along with 4-year-old Evelyn Greenup were disappeared from the rural NSW town of Bowraville between September 1990 and February 1991. Evelyns remains were found six months after her disappearance. Clintons body was discovered two weeks after he went missing. Colleens body has never been found, but her weighted down clothes were discovered in the nearby Nambucca River.

The subsequent police investigation has been scrutinised and highly criticised, as at first authorities insisted that the children  all indigenous  had simply gone walkabout, and a dedicated investigation into the disappearances was not set up until after Clinton and Evelyns bodies were found.

Politicians and experts have been savagely critical of the original police investigation, with many asserting that the interest in, and effort put into, the cases would have been significantly different had the victims been white.

Detectives involved with the case firmly believe the perpetrator of the heinous crimes to be a man named Jay Hart. However, when Hart was put on trial (twice, separately, for the murders of Clinton and Evelyn), evidence linking the cases was not presented to the jury. A second police investigation uncovered stark evidence that was never heard by a court. Hart was found not guilty in both cases, and has since moved away from the small town and changed his name.

The cases, and the push for an appeal linking all three crimes as serial killings, are the subject of an investigation conducted by The Australian, which has resulted in a Serial-style investigative podcast.

The first episode of The Bowraville Murders podcast was released late yesterday evening, and features crime reporter Dan Box delving into the history of the crimes. The five episode series will the investigation into the crimes and the missteps of authorities, the suspect at the centre of the on-going mystery, the botched trials that saw him exonerated, and the accusations and subsequent new evidence that points towards a true guilty party.

You can follow the series as it progresses, and the accompanying journalistic investigation at the Australians Bowraville Murders subsite.

Its a push for justice some 25-years in the making, and its seriously as heartbreaking as it is absolutely riveting.

Source: The Australian.
Today, New South Wales Labor MP Penny Sharpe urged the state to adopt laws enforcing buffer zones around abortion clinics, prohibiting protesters from harassing the women who use them.

She said allowing police to move protesters along within a 150-metre vicinity of a clinic would stop more vocal protesters labelling women and medical practitioners child murderers and flashing very graphic images of foetuses.

Sharpe said the push was partially motivated by the seeing protesters surround a clinics in Surry Hills and Albury  demonstrations that have recently seen counter-protests from groups like My Body, My Right.

?? @philippa_bateman Yesterday on Devonshire Street #mybodymyright got bark Thanks #surryhills for your overwhelming support for #safezone legislation in #NSW @mikebairdmp are you listening yet? A photo posted by @mybody.myright on Apr 15, 2016 at 7:09pm PDT

As a womans right to decide what happens in her body is still somehow the subject of debate, anti-abortion campaigners have labelled the move a likely attack on free speech. Of course.

The thing is, Sharpes argument to amend the Summary Offences Act comes at an incredibly fortuitous time, cause Victorias fast-tracked buffer-zone laws have already come into affect. And affected parties are absolutely beaming.

Dr Susie Allanson, a clinical psychologist at a Melbourne fertility clinic, said on Tuesday the zone allowed workers to enter the facility without harassment for the first time in 30 years.

There have been no protests this week, there has been no harassment of women, there have been no women and their children coming into the clinic in tears Its a bit strange after putting up with it for so long, but we like this kind of strange.

Victorias Health Minister Jill Hennessy also praised the move, saying for too long, women accessing abortion services have been unfairly abused and intimidated, and its time it stopped.

Similar moves have also been made in Tassie and the ACT, adding credence to the whole idea.

While the laws regarding abortion differ between states  in NSW, its only offered in cases where a pregnancy is deemed a risk to a womans health or mental wellbeing  such a clear demonstration of the new laws working has got to count for something.

Source: ABC / The Guardian.

Photo: My Body My Right / Instagram.
Yesterday, Ted Cruz  the US politician described by a party leader as Lucifer in the flesh  dropped out of the race to be the Republican candidate in the upcoming Presidential election. He also dropped an elbow into his wifes face during his concession speech.

Ted Cruz ends campaign by accidentally hitting, elbowing his wife in the face pic.twitter.com/epO1tzKgTT  Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) May 4, 2016

If those two points dont scream leadership material to you, take heart in the fact one Donald J. Trump agrees with you. Well, he did, until his admission today hed given a serious think to picking The Zodiac Killer the Texan senator as his Vice Presidential running mate.

Speaking to Fox News, a disquietingly demure Trump said hes certainly a capable guy, so its something we can think about. While Cruz is technically capable  hes widely known as ferocious, if pigheaded litigator  Trumps new statement stands at odds with, well, everything else hes ever said:

Wow, Lyin Ted Cruz really went wacko today. Made all sorts of crazy charges. Cant function under pressure  not very presidential. Sad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2016

Shows how weak and desperate Lyin Ted is when he has to team up with a guy who openly cant stand him and is only 1 win and 38 losses.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2016

Lyin Ted Cruz even voted against Superstorm Sandy aid and September 11th help. So many New Yorkers devastated. Cruz hates New York!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2016

Can you believe that Ted Cruz, who has been killing our country on trade for so long, just put out a Wisconsin ad talking about trade?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2016

Lyin Ted Cruz steals foreign policy from me, and lines from Michael Douglas just another dishonest politician.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2016

AND SO ON. Thats not even including the utterly reprehensible shit-flinging the pair had over their wives, which was a social media meltdown so obnoxious it actually deserves to be sealed to the vaults of forgotten history.

Curious and curiouser, right? Well, some particularly cynical observers have been kicking around the idea Trump has deliberately blustered his way to the presumptive Republican nomination, only for him to return to the less pants-on-head crazy ideals hes spouted in the past.

He also told Fox hed consider also-ran John Kasich. Notably not discussed: stunned mullet Chris Christie. Sorry, bud.

Thatd mean all of the rabid clawing on display so far has been nought but an act. And thats almost crazier than hiding the fact youre one of the most notorious serial killers of all time.



Source: ABC.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty.
I mean, weve all fantasised about it. Maybe some of us have tried mashing random button combinations on the ATM in the hope of cracking its Konami code.

But like what would you actually do if you happened to wake up one morning and discover that the bank has accidentally gifted you a fucking fortune?

The answer to that, as it turns out, is not spend that shit on handbags, because thats precisely the predicament thats seen a 21-year-old Sydney woman saddled with a raft of high-level fraud charges.

Around four years ago, when the woman was 17, a Westpac system glitch inadvertently gifted her access to an unlimited overdraft account, which made some $4.6million available to her as credit.

Rather than alert the bank to the error, or leave the overdraft be, the woman instead went absolutely boonta on it and spent some $3.3million on an absolute shitload of luxury handbags.

Overdrafts are essentially unsecured loans that form a part of just about everyones regular banking account, and theyre one of those things that the bank absolutely expects you to repay.

With the net apparently closing in around her, the woman was reportedly arrested last night as she attempted to flee to Malaysia after sussing an emergency passport.

Appearing in Waverley Local Court today, Magistrate Lisa Stapleton stated that the amount was money we all dream about, and after hearing that the amount outstanding was spent on items including handbags, remarked:

Thats a lot of handbags.

Ya dont bloody say.

Police have been keen to speak to the student for a good while now, and a warrant for her arrest was issued in March. Shes officially up on charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

She was granted bail with strict conditions, and is due to front court again in June.

Source: News.com.au.
PEDESTRIAN.TVs throwing together a mini-festival at Sydneys Metro Theatre on May 21 to raise much-needed money for Youth Off The Streets. Gird your loins for a night of bonafide bangers from acts such as Sophie Lowe + Collarbones, and embrace the generally good feels knowing all donations on the night are going towards youth homelessness. RSVP HERE and help us give back.

Weve all got the one mate who, when listening to music, constantly barrages us with the question, havent you heard these guys?.

No, you tit. No I havent.

To avoid looking like a disconnected member of our generation, we offer up statements like, their name rings a bell, or, yeah I think Ive heard this one before, just to deny them the pleasure of oneupmanship. Get the jump on your wanker friend (and enjoy some decent bangers while youre at it) by adding the below acts to your rotation.

SIDE NOTE: A couple of em are doing their thang at our mini-festival at Sydneys Metro Theatre on May 21  grab a ticket HERE to show your douchelord friend who truly, musically speaking, reigns supreme.

VENUS COURT

Photo: Facebook.

Any enterprise thats a family affair is sure to deliver decent results, especially in the realms of music. Brothers Jake and Sam OBrien have an extremely busy year ahead of them after the release of their self-titled EP launch in January. Check out Venus Court on Soundcloud HERE.

IVAN OOZE

Photo: Soundcloud.

Jacking his signature mantle from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers character, Ivan Ooze is delivering a form of Australian hip hop that, not only doesnt make you want to vomit, but is also extremely enjoyable. Get around him HERE.





SOPHIE LOWE

Its all happening for 25-year-old slashie babe Sophie Lowe. After supporting sold-out shows for Meg Mac and Montaigne, featuring in Flumes Never Be Like You music vid and scoring an acting gig alongside Willie Nelson in feature film Waiting For The Miracle To Come, the multi-faceted artist has also dropped EP 2  a seven-track album boasting her personal, captivating and seductive sound. Even with a heccas schedule, Sophie is chuffed to be involved in P.TV and YOTS gig. Im excited to be a part of this special event. Youth Off The Streets is a wonderful cause and I cant wait to sing my heart out for it. Check her Soundcloud HERE and Facebook HERE.

STRICT FACE

Photo: NLV Records.

The last place one would hunt for anything remotely close to grime would be Adelaide, but alas, the city of churches has somehow produced an extremely talented producer of the genre. Listen to Strict Faces thumping bangers on Soundcloud HERE.

SAMPA THE GREAT

Photo: Facebook.

Sampa The Great opened for Kendrick Lamar. Sampa The Great is good. Listen to her on Soundcloud HERE.

GREEN BUZZARD

Photo: Soundcloud.

Theres a hell of a lot of buzz buzzing around about Green Buzzard including Rolling Stone Australia, who described their debut EP Eazy, Queezy, Squeezy as, an eclectic seven song sampler held together by the best glue available  pop sensibility. Check em out on Soundcloud HERE.

SABLE

Photo: Soundcloud.

While its easy to allot Sables sound in the same vein as that of Wave Racer or Cosmos Midnight, it really is entirely its own. For dank drops and supple sounds to enjoy while bent out of shape, head over to Sables Soundcloud HERE.

LUEN

Photo: Supplied.

Pint-sized Brissy babe Luen Jacobs is a permanent fixture on Sydneys local music scene with her spin offering full of hip hop, trap, electronica, dancehall and all things groovy, baby. LUENs industry know-how extends to music editor at Sneaky Mag and sometimes-event runner for VICE Aus. Listen to her tunes on Soundcloud HERE and follow her on Facebook HERE.





THE HARD ACHES

Photo: Facebook.

South Australian Duo The Hard Aches are punny. We like punny people round these parts, almost as much as we enjoy unadulterated talent. Resident P.TV wordsmith/legend, David Adams, reckons the bands, for fans of The Smith Street Band, Luca Brasi, sleeveless flannel-shirts, yelling love songs, and skateboarding. If thats a collection of elements you can see yourself enjoying, check out The Hard Aches on Bandcamp HERE.

A.B. ORIGINAL

Photo: Facebook.

A.B. Original is a pretty epic collaboration between rappers Briggs and Trials. Operating under Hilltop Hoods label Golden Era Records, and Briggs own Bad Apples Music (Australias first indigenous hip-hop label), A.B. Original is set to deliver some fire music this year  having already dropped three songs from their album in March. Check out 2 Black 2 Strong below.

JULIA JACKLIN

Photo: YouTube.

Julia Jacklins sound is comparable to that of Sharon Van Etten, Gillian Welch and Angel Olsen  and just like those compared, its v decent. Head to her Soundcloud HERE for all the indie/rock/roots vibes youll ever need.

GILL BATES

Thanks to Gill Bates (not to be confused for the Microsoft magnate), Australias modern and always-growing RnB Hip Hop movement is stronger than its ever been. Hailing from Brisbane, the man has an energy that borders sensual and abrasive, plus background beats that let his lyrics slay. Needless to say, were completely into it. Check his Soundcloud HERE and Facebook HERE.

In addition to adding these primo acts to your musical rotation, you may as well see a few of them live. Sophie Lowe, Gill Bates and LUEN (+ Amateur Dance, Australia, Bad Deep DJs, Collarbones, Peals, Polographia, ROOF and Wax Witches) will be playing our first ever Pedestrian HELP event at Sydneys Metro Theatre on May 21. RSVP below, frands.
FLINT, MI -- President Obama made a vow to people filling the Northwestern High School gymnasium and tens of thousands others across the city that every drop of water in the city flowing to Flint homes would be safe.

He called the need for clean water part of the "basic government responsibility" and said he wants to make sure it's safe to drink, cook and bathe in.

Obama stressed the water is safe to drink with a filter, sipping from a glass of water on a raised platform on the gym floor after be began coughing at one point in the speech.

"The bad news is this should not have happened in the first place," Obama said, calling the water crisis going on for more than two years an avoidable, preventable occurrence and pointed out government officials weren't as attentive as they should have been.

Obama told the room he did not believe that anyone consciously wanted to hurt the people of Flint and that his speech was not going to be a platform to "resolve every screw-up that happened" over the last two-plus years.

Some of the issues that led to the crisis, Obama said, were underinvestment in pipes and bridges, emergency manager decisions to cut costs, and the disregard for poor, underprivileged communities.

Addressing the city's residents on a whole, Obama said "While you are waiting to get your pipes replaced, you need to have a filter installed and use that filter and if you do use that filter then the water is safe to consume for children over the age of 6 and women who are not pregnant."

A member of the crowd disputed the president's remarks, to which Obama told him if the scientists he has on his staff were to steer him wrong that person would be out of a job.

Obama held a community roundtable earlier in the day, speaking with residents about their accounts on the water crisis and recalled the words laid on him from a pastor.

"It made us feel like we didn't count and you can't have a democracy where people feel like they don't count," he said, wanting to reassure those in the crowd he would not back off the issue.

"I told them that I understood why you'd be afraid, not just for yourself but for your kids," Obama said. "I also wanted her to come tell you that I've got your back."
Two men who were wanted for trafficking heroin from Philadelphia to Lancaster turned themselves in Thursday.

Carlos Rivera-Diaz, 26, and Angel Luis Arroyo, 24, both of Philadelphia, are accused of trafficking heroin after a traffic stop on April 19 where police 4,000 thousand bags of the drug in the car the men were traveling in. Both were arraigned by District Judge William Reuter on Thursday afternoon, according to a news release form the Lancaster County district attorney's office.

Arroyo was released on $100,000 unsecured bail. Rivera-Diaz is being held at the Lancaster County Prison on $100,000 bail.

Lancaster County Drug Task Force detectives were investigating Rivera-Diaz and Arroyo for drug trafficking prior to the traffic stop. The heroin found in the car was valued at around $40,000.

A Lancaster police officer and city detectives stopped the men in a Honda Civic on the 400 block of Dauphin Street but could not detain them while they waited for a search warrant for the car. After a warrant was obtained, authorities found the heroin in hidden compartments inside of the vehicle.

Both men are charged with felony counts of possession with the intent to deliver and conspiracy to deliver. Both are scheduled for preliminary hearings at 9:15 a.m. March 13.
Power has been restored to most of the businesses in a shopping center at the foot of a hill where a giant crack had formed.

"We were able to complete temporary hookups for 40 of the 50 customers in that mall early this morning around 2 a.m.," Penelec spokesman Scott Surgeoner said Thursday.

The formation of the massive crack on the mountainside behind the Logan Town Center in Altoona prompted the closing of the mall on Wednesday, WTAJ in Altoona reported.

Power has been restored, and stores inside the shopping center that were closed overnight have been reopened, several of the shops confirmed Thursday.

This is a unique situation that he has never seen before, Surgeoner said, explaining that the crack is located about 14 feet up the hill behind the mall.

Running along the base of the hill near a service road are Penelec power lines with a high-voltage transmission circuit as well as lower-voltage distribution circuits that run to businesses in the shopping center. These lines would have been in jeopardy if the hillside slid any further, Surgeoner explained.

To fix the problem, Surgeoner said, "We took temporary wires from areas that were safe and extended them to the 40 customers in the mall."

Civil engineers with the EADS Group are working the stabilize the hillside, WTAJ reported. Engineers could not yet be reached for comment.

The Altoona Mirror reported last week that the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency had given the center's owners an emergency permit to allow repairs to be made.

Blair County Emergency Management Director Mark Taylor told the Altoona Mirror, for a story published April 28, that photos provided to him in recent weeks show the crack was about a foot wide, but now it's about 10 feet wide and 15 feet deep in some areas.

This story has been updated to provide additional details.
PA-school-band-director-to-marry-student-he-corrupted.PNG

Ex-high school band director, Jeremy Leidhecker, 29, of Williamsport, Pa., is planning to marry the former student he has plead guilty to "corrupting" when she was a 17-year-old student in York County.

(via Twitter)

An attorney for the former band director at Northern High School in York County says his client and the musician's new fiance "just want to move on with their lives."

Only problem is, the ex-band director, Jeremy Leidhecker, 29, of Williamsport, was accused of having sex with his former student when she was 17, according to the Associated Press and the York Dispatch.

This week in an attempt to move on, Leidhecker pleaded no contest to a charge of corrupting a minor in the case, which dates to 2013.

Defense attorney Rick Robinson says the girl was nearly 18 when the relationship began. And under terms of the plea agreement, Leidhecker paid court costs but wasn't fined or otherwise punished, AP wrote.

Now, the couple is engaged to be married with bright prospects for the future, according to the attorney, who told this to the York Dispatch:

Leidhecker now composes music for marching bands, but won't go back into teaching. Instead, he has other job offers in Los Angeles and Ireland.

So was justice served?

Tell us.
HARRISBURG- Today is May 5th, so you know what that means: Sinkhole de Mayo.

What. You've never heard of that?

Well, that's because it's a stunt by an advertising company to have a little fun at the city's expense while highlighting a problem with their property. Namely, they haven't been able to use their parking lot since November, when a hole opened up in the street in front of their parking lot.

Employees at Pavone, at 1006 Market Street, initially thought it would take three, maybe four weeks to repair. But here they are, six months later, and still, no access to their parking lot.

To draw attention to their plight, they came up with an employees-only celebration called Sinkhole de Mayo, which will start in their "sad, vacant lot" at 4 p.m. Friday. They plan to string banners around the barricades in the street that prevent vehicles from driving over the hole, which is covered by a steel plate. One banner will read: "Six months and counting. Pls! Pls! Fix Market Street!"

The owner of the company, Michael Pavone, is particularly peeved because he's seen no work on the street, received no updates on the project and has to pay for 22 parking spaces in another lot while his lot remains off-limits.

City officials, for their part, clarified that the hole in the street is not technically a sinkhole since there is no dirt involved. The hole in the street is in a bridge over Paxton Creek.

Further, city officials said, they're not to blame for the delay. They earmarked the money and hired a contractor to design the repair last May but they must wait on the required permits from the Department of Environmental Protection's bureau of waterways, engineering and wetlands.

"It has not been forgotten," City Engineer Wayne Martin said. "Once we have the permits, we can bid out the work."

A DEP spokesman did not return an email for comment Wednesday.

The hole represents a failed bridge repair from many years ago, said Martin. A steel plate was placed on the bridge and asphalt was put on top, but the plate bent and started working its way downward, pushing through rocks of a stone-arch bridge below.

The deficiency was noticed on a routine bridge inspection last year, Martin said. It looked like a pothole forming from the surface, but a large hole was opening up underneath. The damage started getting progressively worse, so in November, PennDot insisted that the city shut down a lane of Market Street and restrict access to the Pavone lot to decrease the stress on the area until the street could be repaired.

And that's the rub for Pavone: they're not sure when the work will get done.

"We're fortunate to draw national clients and top shelf talent from around the nation to this forgotten and neglected area of the city," Pavone said. "I'm very proud of my team and our clients. However, when StarKist Tuna visits us this week and Sun-Maid Raisins flies in from California next month, I'll be embarrassed because they can't even park in our parking lot."

Pavone also feels its unfair that his business has to absorb the cost of the 22 parking spaces indefinitely, especially after facing an increase in the city's local services tax that was just tripled this year.

"I'm happy to pay my fair share of taxes," he said. "But, the fact is, I'm not seeing any value whatsoever. We're trying to bring more national business and talented employees to the city. I would hope that more people--including the city of Harrisburg--would recognize that and make it easier for us to do that."

The section of Market Street that is reduced to one lane is just off Cameron Street and causes confusion for motorists, Pavone said.

But Martin said city officials haven't noticed any traffic backups or disruptions at the location. He said he had not been contacted by anyone from Pavone to ask about possible alternatives, or if there could be a way for them to access their lot.

City officials are just as frustrated as everyone else by the delay, Martin said, but the repair work is complex and involves several agencies. He noted that the bridge is 119-years old and needs to be replaced entirely.

City officials are trying to get the bridge, which is federally funded, on a prioritized list for replacement, Martin said. But that project is likely at least 15 years away.

As an interesting side note, Martin pointed out that the Pavone parking lot was constructed over a portion of an old, unused city bridge for Lyme Aly, which formerly linked to Cameron Street.

City officials will eventually want to dismantle the old bridge, since its not being used and to avoid required inspections every two years. It's unclear, however, how intertwined the old bridge may be with the parking lot's foundation.

Pavone said the parking lot appears to have been in existence since the 1950s. The building was constructed in 1921 and formerly housed a bank.

Pavone renovated the building in 1999 and moved in.

Market Street never posed a problem for the company. Until now.

"We're a nationally-recognized communications firm, so we're handling things the best way we know how -- with smart, breakthrough, attention-grabbing communications," Pavone said. "We also like to have fun, so if we can send that message while having a good time, that's even better."
David Carmichael.jpg

David Carmichael, Pennsylvania's state archivist, addressed neighbors at a community meeting Wednesday night at the city's fire station.

HARRISBURG- When some Harrisburg residents heard that a new state archives building was planned for a three-acre lot along North Sixth Street, their first thought was: "Great. Another tax-exempt property."

The city already struggles to cover its operational expenses in part because half of the city's assessed property value is tax-exempt as state buildings or nonprofits.

But the new state archives building will more than pay for itself, Mayor Eric Papenfuse explained to residents Wednesday night at a neighborhood meeting about the $24 million project.

The meeting at the city's fire station at 1820 North Sixth Street drew about two dozen residents along with many state and local officials. It was the first of a series of meetings designed to keep the public informed about the project, which is expected to be completed in about three years.

The city nearly lost the new construction project and the state archives building under previous Gov. Tom Corbett, who had planned to move the archives out of Harrisburg. That would have removed at least 30 jobs, along with the earned income and local services taxes paid by those employees. Those taxes alone outweigh the current property taxes assessed for the tract, Papenfuse said.

The three-dozen parcels are supposed to generate $2,521 in annual city taxes, according to an analysis by city officials, but many of the accounts are in arrears, the mayor said.

The new building will also take a load off of the city, at a value of $100,000 annually, when it takes over the city archives, Papenfuse said. That's how much it would cost the city to secure and make its treasured and historical documents available to the public.

The city's archives are currently stored at the mansion at Reservoir Park in less than ideal conditions, Papenfuse has previously said.

State archives employees have inspected the city's collection, which was in "much better condition than most municipal archives I've seen," said David Carmichael, the state archivist, noting that he was comparing the collection to other cities that did not have professional paid staff.

"We're looking forward to having them," Carmichael said of the city's archives. "I've stood in basements, ankle deep in water, where municipalities said, 'Here, take our collection.' And that's a lot of work. But we don't have any of that here."

In fact, some of the city's collection will dovetail nicely with state documents, he said, such as the city's records about the City Beautiful campaign. The city's archives will be bar-coded and stored among state records, he said.

Residents who attended Wednesday night's meeting asked whether the building would benefit neighbors.

The new archives building also should help stimulate additional development, such as restaurants and services, which will generate additional income taxes and raise property values, Papenfuse said.

Other residents asked about parking and increased traffic flow.

Parking will be provided on site and will be free, officials said.

Carmichael said the archives would have a similar impact to a neighborhood as a library. The building draws about 1,000 visitors annually, so additional motorists will come to the area but not an onerous amount. He noted that the building would likely get a single truck shipment about once per quarter.

The new building will be designed to be secure and welcoming, Carmichael said. The current 20-story windowless behemoth next to the State Museum wasn't known as welcoming and likely wasn't intended to be so.

The current building was designed back in a day when paper records ruled and when only professors and scholars desired access to the dusty documents. The new building will invite the community inside with its design, which will include a community room and exhibit space, Carmichael said.

The new multi-story building won't be as tall as the current one, because best practices frown on large "chimney-like" buildings to protect documents in case of fire. The new building also will be designed to accommodate the growing archives, with compact mobile shelving. It should serve the state well for "many, many years," Carmichael said.
Jeffrey King.jpg

Jeffrey King

(submitted)

The general manager of a Mechanicsburg concrete business is accused of defrauding his employer of $272,000, including giving himself a 92 percent raise, Upper Allen Township police said.

Jeffrey King, 61, of Spring Grove, general manager of Valley Supply Inc. of Mechanicsburg, is accused of the thefts between 2011-2013, which included increasing his own salary from $90,000 to $173,000, court records state.

Owner Frank Bingman told police he discovered the alleged theft in 2013 when the company was financially struggling and had cut his own salary in half to $60,000, records state.

Bingman said King told him he increased his pay because his wife no longer had her teaching job, records state. King was terminated Aug. 22, 2013, after the company hired an accountant to investigate the alleged theft of funds.

King is accused of $211,378 in unauthorized pay increases and bonuses to himself; $30,749 in unauthorized pay increases and bonuses to other employees; $33,022 in unauthorized charges to American Express cards; and $21,799 from 22 unauthorized checks, records state.

King surrendered to police May 3 and was charged before District Judge Mark Martin. He was released from Cumberland County prison on $15,000 bail.
UPDATE:

A massive and growing crack in a hillside above an Altoona-area shopping center has prompted 52 businesses there to close Thursday as crews attempt to fix the problem, according to WTAJ TV in Altoona.

WTAJ reported that Penelec, which provides electricity in the region, shut off power to businesses in the center out of concern that a portion of the hill could slide, and take down power lines above the Logan Town Center.

"There is the potential that exists for that mountainside to slide into our facilities and knock those facilities to the ground," Penelec spokesman Scott Surgeoner told WTAJ. We don't want to see that. It would result in unsafe conditions for customers or store owners in that area."

The Altoona Mirror reported last week that the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency last week gave the center's owners an emergency permit to allow repairs to be made.

Blair County Emergency Management Director Mark Taylor told the Altoona Mirror, for a story published April 28, that photos provided to him in recent weeks show the crack was about a foot wide, but now it's about 10 feet wide and 15 feet deep in some areas.

The Logan Town Center was completed and opened in 2006.
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Alexis Barnett, 19, of Washington, Pa., was shot and killed and another woman was wounded while walking along a street in western Pennsylvania Wednesday night.

(screen shot/WPXI)

A group of friends was walking down a street Wednesday night in western Pennsylvania when shots rang out, presumably from a passing car. When the shooting was over, two in the group were hit, including a 19-year-old woman who would lose her life, according to WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh.

A group of friends was walking down a street Wednesday night in western Pennsylvania when shots rang out, presumably from a passing car. When the shooting was over, two in the group were hit, including a 19-year-old woman who would lose her life.

The deceased victim has been identified as Alexis Barnett, 19, of Washington, Pa.

She was shot, along with another person in her group, around 9:40 p.m. in the city of Washington in an apparent drive-by shooting Wednesday night, WPXI reports.

A car pulled up alongside the group of friends walking along, and then someone inside the car began shooting at the group, police tell WPXI, which adds:

Barnett was taken to Washington Hospital, where she later died.

Another woman shot and wounded in the incident was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. No information on her condition was immediately available.

No arrests have been made in the case.
WILLIAMSPORT -- A large western Pennsylvania health system is planning a move into the northcentral part of the state.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Susquehanna Health announced Thursday they have signed a letter of intent to pursue an affiliation. Susquehanna is a four-county integrated health system based in Williamsport that serves patients from 11 northcentral counties.

Questions including what benefits UPMC expects from the proposed affiliation will be addressed as a definitive agreement is developed, Paul Wood, vice president and chief communications officer for UPMC, said.

He would not comment on whether UPMC had plans for future expansion into central and eastern Pennsylvania and its role in operating Susquehanna.

It is the right thing for the community, patients, doctors and nurses, said Steven P. Johnson, Susquehanna president and CEO.

Susquehanna has been exploring partnership options for about two years and UPMC emerged as the best choice, said Susquehanna Board Chairman Ann Pepperman.

Susquehanna just completed a major expansion project at the Williamsport Regional Medical Center and has an excellent bond rating, she noted.

The affiliation will require the approval of the state attorney general for anti-trust reasons.

When the formal affiliation occurs, the health system will be known as UPMC Susquehanna Health, she said. The local board will retain a meaningful role, she said.

Current relationships Susquehanna has with the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute and the Cleveland Clinic on heart services will continue, Johnson said.

The community will benefit by being able to better recruit top doctors and by having another option for health insurance through UPMC's more than 2.9-million member health insurance division, he said.

The affiliation is expected to result in an increase in jobs and services, Pepperman said, citing what UPMC has done with hospitals in Erie and Altoona.

"Since the beginning of this process above all else, our goal has been to do what is in the best interests of our community," she said.

There are many steps to be taken before the affiliation becomes reality, Johnson said. They include detailed discussions on how the two organizations can work together, he said.

There will be no changes for patients, employees and physicians at Susquehanna during this process, he said.

"We were looking for a compatible fit with our faith-based, service-oriented culture and a relationship that enables us to grow services for our community and continue to add family-sustaining jobs," he said.

Two of Susquehanna's hospitals, Divine Providence in Williamsport and Muncy Valley in Muncy, were part of Providence Ventures that is affiliated with the Catholic order of the Sisters of Christian Charity.

UPMC maintains the Catholic tradition of its member hospital, UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh, Johnson said.

Susquehanna Health, which has nearly 4,000 employees, was established in 1994 with the alliance of Williamsport, Divine Providence and Muncy Valley hospitals in an effort to avoid duplication.

Laurel Health System that includes Soldiers and Sailors Hospital in Wellsboro became part of the health system, in 2012.

UPMC, which is affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh, has more than 20 hospitals and 60,000 employees.
It could've been the most passive-aggressive exit of any GOP candidate, but it wasn't real.

Numerous supporters and anyone else who visited tedcruz.com thought the Texas senator gave a veiled endorsement to Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton before he unexpectedly dropped out of Republican primary on Tuesday.

So https://t.co/ctuSclqPDK (not the official @tedcruz website) has a pro-Hillary message splashed across the page. pic.twitter.com/2KtltmKRoB  Steph Solis (@stephmsolis) May 5, 2016

But Ted Cruz didn't say she's the next president, and his website is actually tedcruz.org.

Also, he was less passive and more aggressive when he called GOP frontrunner Donald Trump a "pathological liar," "narcissist" and "serial philanderer" during a CNN interview Tuesday before losing the Indiana primary.

But Cruz's Twitter account and real website on Thursday morning simply offered a thank you to the "Cruz Crew" of supporters.
john estey

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)

(File photo/Associated Press)

Even in the clubby and insider world of Harrisburg politics, John H. Estey stood out.

Maybe it was the breeding. Estey's father was chairman of what became Philadelphia's powerful Montgomery, McCracken law firm.

Maybe it was quiet confidence with which all attorneys seem to carry themselves.

Maybe it was the proximity to power. Estey had the ear of a former governor (Ed Rendell) and state Supreme Court chief justice (Ron Castille).

Maybe it was all of it.

Whatever it was, as he sped, trim and gray haired (even though he was only in his 40s) through the halls of the state Capitol, a trail of reporters' unanswered questions often extending behind him, it was pretty clear he was loving every minute of it.

The unassuming Estey moved effortlessly between worlds, from government to lobbying and finally, to the Hershey Trust.

And last week, it all blew apart with the news that the 53-year-old lawyer had been cooperating with federal authorities for at least five years and would plead guilty to a lone count of wire fraud.

He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The deal, which would not become final unless approved by Judge John E. Jones III, does not include a specific sentencing agreement.

And the only question worth asking was how could have this veteran operator, who went toe-to-toe with some of Harrisburg's and Philadelphia's most seasoned politicians - possibly have gone so wrong.

Longtime friends and colleagues were shocked. The tightly knit team that made up Rendell's first-term inner circle exchanged saddened phone calls and texts.

John Estey, the straight-shooter in sweater vests, the one who had always told them "No, you can't do that," had been caught doing something he never would have let them do.

"It's just not who John Estey is," one of them said.

But, improbably and disappointingly, it was.

As my colleague Matt Miller reported, Estey was given $20,000 by an "undercover operation" created by the FBI.

"In discussions with undercover agents, Estey identified a number of members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly Estey claimed would draft, introduce, control and support legislation beneficial to the business interests of the undercover corporation," court documents read.

Estey suggested the $20,000 payment, investigators said.

They said the money was to be given to Estey and then passed to the legislators as campaign contributions from Estey himself, a convenient end run around a state law banning direct corporate contributions.

In fact, it's the only state law governing campaign finance contributions.

As Miller writes, the scheme called for Estey to give $5,000 each to three lawmakers and another $5,000 to one of the four legislative caucuses.

Mind-bogglingly, Estey gave only $7,000 in contributions and apparently kept the rest for himself.

In the real world, thirteen grand is a lot of money. In politics, unfortunately, it's chump change. That's especially true if you're Estey, who was then working for the white shoe Philly law firm Ballard Spahr.

So why?

No one I talked to has a really good answer for that. And the court documents don't help.

As The Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week, in addition to not identifying the lawmakers, court documents also don't identify the dummy company or its make-believe legislative interests.

One thing is for certain, there are probably lot of people in Harrisburg who are sleeping with one eye open these days.

That is, if the other one wasn't open already thanks to a rash of federal pleas by wire-wearing and wired political defendants.

The Estey revelations mark at least the fifth time in 18 months that the feds have come down - hard - on Democratic operatives and elected officials.

In February 2015, former state Treasurer Rob McCord pleaded guilty to shaking down donors to his failed gubernatorial campaign. He has yet to be sentenced. That is most likely because he is still cooperating with federal authorities - and if the Estey case is a barometer, it could be a while.

And last month, Mike Fleck, a onetime adviser to Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski pleaded guilty in connection with a federal investigation tied to city contracts.

City officials in nearby Reading, including the former City Council President Francisco Acosta, have similarly pleaded guilty to federal charges. The Allentown and Reading cases are believed to be part of the same investigation.

So on one level, the Estey case is just another in a depressing cycle of corruption, one that politicos always swear will be broken with the latest arrest or conviction.

On another, though, there is something about the Estey case that sticks.

There's something wrong when it turns out that the guy everyone thought was above reproach turns out to be just as flawed as the rest of us.

Or maybe there isn't anything surprising about it after all.

And that's even worse.
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A new state Pennsylvania Health Department report finds there are at least 1,852 "rape kits" containing evidence from sexual assaults that have been awaiting scientific analysis for more than a year.

(File)

A new state Health Department report has found nearly 2,000 rape evidence kits have been in storage at police departments for more than a year, awaiting analysis by crime labs.

The numbers emerged from a new, but not foolproof, reporting requirement included in a law passed last year to professionalize sexual assault evidence collection and testing statewide.

The department's count - which lacked responses from Harrisburg and a number of other communities - showed a backlog of 1,852 rape kits in various local law enforcement agencies as of Dec. 31, 2015.

More than two-thirds of the year-plus samples are from Philadelphia.

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said Wednesday he plans a special report to find out more about the causes for the backlogged cases, ways to tighten future reporting, and how the number can be drawn down.

Some observers noted there can be valid reasons for some cases to be delayed, including a sexual assault victim's refusal to give the consent needed to proceed with formal testing.

That happens, said Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape spokesman Kristen Houser, because victims are always encouraged to let post-assault evidence be collected in order to preserve their option to pursue a case.

But sometimes, for any variety of reasons, they may decide not to go forward.

The point of DePasquale's audit is to find out how many cases are in that category, and how many can be cleared.

It should be, he said, a top priority for state policymakers.

"The value of having these kits tested promptly lies not only in achieving justice for previous victims, but also in protecting potential future victims," DePasquale said. "This process could help identify repeat sexual offenders and rapists, which could assist in preventing future crimes."

So-called "rape kits" include all kinds of evidence collected after a sexual assault that could lead to a DNA identification of a perpetrator, from clothing to fingernail scrapings to hair samples to vaginal swabs.

They are particularly helpful in cases of stranger assaults, Houser noted, but she added that analysis can often have a multiplier effect since DNA typings go into a larger federal database through which other crimes can be solved.

Thus far, most law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania have not seen crime lab backlogs as a major problem here. In fact, the main Pennsylvania State Police crime lab says its average turn-around is 185 days.

But Houser noted until this Act 27 report, advocates really had no way to inventory how many evidence samples were in police department storage.

She and DePasquale agreed that the closer the number gets to zero the better.

"Behind these long-untested kits are victims who are awaiting justice," the Auditor General said. "I want to understand what legislative changes or additional funding may help bring this number down."

Other aspects of the law, sponsored by state Rep. Brandon Neuman, D-Washington County, are aimed at making sure sexual assault evidence in new cases is handled in a timely fashion.

Investigators would have to submit collected evidence within 15 days of receipt and proper consent from victims. Labs would be required to process the evidence within six months.

The law also enables Pennsylvania to draw down federal funding to help meet the new standards, Neuman said.

Besides Philadelphia, other police departments and law enforcement agencies reporting large numbers of backlogged rape kits were Norristown, 99; Allentown, 97; Altoona, 68; Berks County Forensic Services Unit, 43; and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office, 29.

In Central Pennsylvania, State College had 15 backlogged samples, Lancaster City 14, Carroll Twp. police in York County, 13, and Swatara Twp. police in Dauphin County, nine.
Due to the Municipal Building renovation the Petersburg Borough Assembly now meets in the Conference Room upstairs in the Hallingstad-Peratrovich Building.

The Petersburg Borough Assembly approved this year's $9.6 million budget after reallocating it's community service grant funding where it reduced funding to Petersburg Mental Health Services for the first time in decades.

The assembly reduced PMHS funding by $20,000 and directed it towards Petersburg's domestic violence prevention and victim advocacy non-profit Working Against Violence for Everyone (WAVE).

Annette Wooton, WAVE Director and it's only full-time employee, this year made a one-time funding request of $46,000 to weather a gap year loss of state funding. In the previous two budget readings, assembly members voted to partially fund WAVE but some members alluded to decreasing PMHS funding and redirecting it towards WAVE.

Assembly Member Jeigh Stanton Gregor, absent during the first two budget readings, opened up the discussion by urging the assembly fully-fund WAVE.

"WAVE is a critical piece of community infrastructure," Stanton Gregor said. "I stress the word critical. Further they're the only agency who has stated that this request is a one-time request. This is not a long-term financial relationship they're looking for."

According to its submitted balance sheet PMHS has $874,263 in the bank and $2.7 million in total assets. PMHS typically receives $85,000 annually from the Petersburg Borough. PMHS offered to reduce it's funding request to $75,000 if the Assembly would give the other $10,000 to WAVE. Assembly Member Eric Castro thought the organization could afford to take a bigger cut.

"So we remove the $20,000 from that and they're still looking at over $50,000 of funding which is greater than any other community service aspect portion of the budget and with their residual money they have saved up for 22 years of hard savings. I still feel that they have the ability to get through this short period of time, this single year, better than WAVE does," Castro said.

Assembly Member Nancy Strand asked Borough Finance Director Jody Tow if there was any other place in the budget the money could come from. Tow said they could draw from the $90,0000 budgeted contingency funds or from the anticipated $23,000 budget surplus.

Assembly member Bob Lynn and Mayor Mark Jensen both said they weren't in favor of digging into contingency funds. Assembly member Cindi Lagoudakis asked if there was a way to identify that the assembly would fund PMHS's additional request if there is indeed a surplus at the end of the budget cycle.

"We don't know until we've been audited and we get that financial report in December what our true surplus is for the year if we have a surplus at all," Tow said. "It's kind of difficult to promise an organization money that we won't know until the next fiscal year."

PMHS finance director Kathy O'Rear asked the assembly to consider taking WAVE's funding out of the borough's reserves and that not funding PMHS would make it more difficult for PMHS to secure state grant funding.

"They've (Alaska Department of Health and Social Services) asked for grant applications," O'Rear said. "It's not guaranteed we're going to get that money. If you cut our local position back it shows the state the locals don't support mental health to the degree that it did before. It will also directly affect what we can do with our partners, which here in the community are the police department, the hospital and the school system."

Wohlhueter said it will show the state the borough is trying to make sound financial decisions and this is the beginning of difficult financial decisions for the road ahead.

"I don't think the state's going to look upon us as not caring enough about mental health in this community when they themselves are going to be reducing the mental health budget in the state," Wohlhueter said. "I think they're going to look at us as being fiscally responsible. I think we've got another couple of really tough years to go. I think a lot of departments are going to be really upset with us."

The assembly ultimately voted 6-1, with Strand voting against the motion, to reduce PMHS funding to $55,000 and provide an additional $20,000 to WAVE-funding that organization $45,000 in total.
East Jordan asks voters for fire equipment millage

East Jordan is asking voters for a 1.5 mills increase for fire equipment in the upcoming November election.
Venezuela desperation roils PDVSA bonds after output plunge



PDVSA's notes have slumped 2.6% since report on oil production down across all regions in country came out Tuesday.

SANTIAGO

Petroleumworld.com 05 05 2016

Cash-strapped Venezuela's plunging oil production is spooking bond investors.

The state-owned oil company has seen its notes, with a face value of $12.5 billion, tumble 2.6 percent since energy consultant IPD Latin America said in a report Tuesday that the nation's crude production fell across all regions for the first time since 2008. That day, Reuters said that Petroleos de Venezuela SA had to pay off its debt to some suppliers including Fairfield, Connecticut-based General Electric Co. with securities that have a cross-default clause with its bonds.

The reports are the latest signs of Venezuela's worsening finances and increasing desperation as it grapples with its worst recession in decades and a collapse in oil prices over the past two years. Last month, Schlumberger Ltd., the world's largest provider of oilfield services, said it planned to scale back operations in Venezuela after PDVSA racked up more than $880 million in unpaid bills. Other companies -- including Halliburton Co. -- have also said they're owed money.

It's a reality check, said Siobhan Morden, the head of Latin American fixed-income strategy at Nomura Holdings Inc. If they drive out the suppliers and production suffers, then it's a much more difficult process to rebuild the economy.

Venezuela's oil output totaled 2.59 million barrels a day in the first three months of the year, down 188,000 barrels from an average of 2.78 million in 2015, IPD said in an e-mailed statement Tuesday. PDVSA is also considering issuing $2.5 billion of bonds to pay service providers, according to IPD.

The oil company, which struck a deal with GE for $310 million, is discussing another $1.5 billion package of securities to settle debts with other firms, Reuters reported.

Officials at PDVSA didn't respond to e-mailed requests for comments on the company's plans for bond issuance and its debt to suppliers.

PDVSA owed major suppliers $7 billion in September, according to a document provided by Antonio Barreto, a lawmaker on the oil committee of the Venezuela's National Assembly.

Hard-currency reserves fell to a 13-year low of $12.6 billion last week. Venezuela, which relies on crude shipments for 95 percent of its export revenue, and PDVSA have $12.3 billion of payments due on their overseas bonds in the next year.

Converting its arrears into financial debt highlights how severely PDVSA's liquidity is impaired, Casey Reckman, an analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG in New York, said in a note to clients on Wednesday.






The mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) led by Ron Van Rooden will work in Kyiv on May 10-18 as part of the second review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program, the fund said in a statement on Thursday.

"An IMF mission led by Mr Ron Van Rooden will be working in Kyiv during May 10-18. The mission will continue policy discussions with the Ukrainian authorities in the context of the 2nd review of the Extended Fund Facility," IMF Resident Representative in Kyiv Ukraine Jerome Vacher was quoted as saying.

As reported, IMF Chief Christine Lagarde at a meeting with Ukrainian delegation on the sidelines of the spring meeting of the Fund and the World Bank in Washington on April 20 said that the IMF mission intends to visit Ukraine soon. After that the new Ukrainian government led by Volodymyr Groysman decided to raise the natural gas price for households to the market level, which is one of the key conditions for the continued cooperation with the Fund.

The four-year EFF program for Ukraine totaling SDR 12.348 billion (about $17 billion), opened by the IMF in March 2015, originally foresaw quarterly revisions of the program, the issue of four tranches to Kyiv in 2015, another four in 2016. However, at present the country has received only the first tranche of funds for $5 billion and the second one worth $1.7 billion.

The IMF official representatives said that the Fund needs more clarity about the status of the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian parliamentary coalition for the completion of the second review of the EFF and the provision of the third tranche.
The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumers' Protection has allowed imports of beef from Poland.

According to a report on the agency's page on Facebook, in late April a working meeting was held between the representatives of the service and the Chief Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland.

During the meeting, the parties signed a veterinary certificate for imports of beef (excluding mechanically separated meat) from Poland to Ukraine.

In addition, the parties discussed current cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the epizootic situation as for African swine fever and rabies, as well as the results of the program to combat rabies in Ukraine, which is funded by the European Union.
China's soybean acreage will increase by 400,000 hectares this year as a result of a government-led initiative to increase the supply of domestic soybeans.

Yu Xinrong, vice-minister of agriculture, told a news conference Thursday that a survey of farmers' planting intentions indicated that the corn acreage in China will decrease by close to 1.33 million hectares. This is noted as the first decreasing year of corn acreage in 13 years.

He said the increase in soybeans acreage will mainly take place in the northeastern provinces where farmers are encouraged to switch from the cultivation of corn to soybeans.

According to a guideline issued by the ministry on the adjustment of the crop structure in the next five years, the country will seek to stabilize the production of staple foods and grains. It will also try to stabilize the level of self-sufficiency in cotton, edible oil, and sugar during the period.

In March, Reuters reported that China has accumulated an estimated 250 million metric tons of corn in its reserves, which is more than it consumes in a year.

China's grain production has increase for 12 consecutive years mainly thanks to an increase in the corn acreage.

China introduced floor prices for farm products in 2006 to protect farmers from price volatility. The government buys products including wheat, corn and cotton for State reserves when market prices fall below floor prices.

The central government announced an end to the floor price for corn in late March, due to large inventory. The government will instead provide subsidies for farmer in the main cultivation areas to protect their interests.

Yu said in the conference that the abolishing of the floor price scheme means corn farmer will be encouraged to sell their products based on the fluctuation of prices of the market, and different market entities will also be able to purchase grains from farmers freely, as opposed to the fact that farmers sell their corn solely to the State reserves in the past.

Chen Xiwen, deputy director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, said in an interview with Caixin Magazine that the authority could also roll out similar measure to abolish the floor price for wheat and rice in the near future. The Central Rural Work Leading Group is China's top rural affairs decision-making agency.
KSG Agro S.A. (Luxembourg) with assets in Ukraine has signed a preliminary letter of intent with Credit Agricole Bank (Kyiv), related to restructuring a total debt of $3 million.

According to a company report on the website of the Warsaw Stock Exchange, a memorandum for debt restructuring in 2016 and subsequent years was signed in the first quarter of 2016.

Credit Agricole Bank in 2015 filed a claim with the requirement to repay the debt, which as of December 2014 was $3.051 million, as well as $920,000 of additional payments (fines, penalties, interest for the first half of 2015, etc.).

As reported, Credit Agricole Bank opened a multicurrency credit line of UAH 24 million to KSG Agro for three years.

KSG Agro at the beginning of April 2016 signed preliminary letters of intent with international lenders (including export credit agencies, banks and international suppliers), related to restructuring a debt for a total of about $20 million.
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Meeting of PrivatBank shareholders fails, next scheduled for June 24

Ukraine's largest bank PrivatBank (Dnipropetrovsk) has failed to hold a meeting of shareholders on April 29 due to a lack of quorum.

The press service of the financial institution, the next meeting is scheduled for June 24 with the same agenda.

According to the agenda of the shareholders' meeting, scheduled for April 29, according to preliminary unaudited data, PrivatBank in 2015 saw a net profit of UAH 230 million, which is 4.8 times higher than in 2014 (UAH 48 million).

The bank's net worth in 2015 increased by 12.9%, to UAH 27.656 billion, charter capital by 17.4%, to UAH 21.257 billion.

The number of employees in the past year decreased by 2,983 people, to 20,936.

According to the agenda, the shareholders planned to consider using part of profit for the previous years to increase charter capital.
2016 EPT Grand Final Main Event Day 4: Adrien Allain Bags a Big Lead with 28 Left

May 04, 2016 Remko Rinkema Contributor

French pro Adrien Allain finished with the lead over the final 28 players of the 2016 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo Casino EPT Grand Final 5,300 Main Event with 3.9 million in chips. PokerStars team pro Vanessa Selbst remained still in the hunt for her first EPT title, but with 389,000 in chips she's one of the short stacks after Day 4.

Day 4 Top 10 Chip Counts

Rank Player Chips 1 Adrien Allain 3,900,000 2 Joao Vieira 2,710,000 3 Jan Bendik 2,447,000 4 Antoine Saout 2,147,000 5 Benjamin Philipps 2,130,000 6 Thi Xoa Nguyen 2,100,000 7 Mohamed Aissani 1,750,000 8 Andjelko Andrejevic 1,622,000 9 Jimmy Guerrero 1,200,000 10 Benjamin Pollak 1,118,000

Allain has a strong track record with $1.6 million in career live tournament earnings and an APT Macau victory for $391,580, according to Hendon Mob, but he'll be trailed by some tough competition, such as Portuguese pro Joao Vieira. Vieira finished in second place with 2.7 million in chips and was followed by former EPT Player of the Year Jan Bendik with 2.4 million.

Three 10 Spin & Go qualifiers managed to make Day 5: Jan Bengelmann from Germany with 774,000, Luc Tu from Canada with 796,000, and Asan Umraov from Kazakhstan with 744,000.

The most fascinating storyline of Day 5 will be that of Thi Xoa Nguyen and Jimmy Guerrero, a couple from Paris. Nguyen had a top stack for most of the day and closed with 2.1 million, while her boyfriend ended the day with 1.2 million, which was also above the average. The couple's trip has already amounted to a guaranteed payday of nearly 50,000, but they have a chance at so much more and this is a story you'll want to keep your eyes on.

Other notables still in the hunt included Benjamin Pollak (1.118 million), Ariel Celestino (1.02 million), Roman Korenev (775,000), Dario Sammartino (581,000), Erwann Pecheux (553,000), and Paul-Francois Tedeschi (490,000).

Marcin Chmielewski started the day with the chip lead and 1.3 million, but things didn't turn out good for him. Chmielewski battled for most of the day, but got knocked out in the last level, collecting 19,760 for finishing in 32nd place.

Two former EPT champions, Joseph Mouawad and Aaron Gustavson, were eliminated in 68th and 35th places, respectively. Joining them were Nacho Barbero (65th - 14,11), Nicolas Cardyn (63rd - 14,110), Michel Abecassis (57th - 14,110), Thiago Nishijima (16,830), Jason Gray (16,830), Ivan Soshnikov (16,830), Govert Metaal (46th - 16,830), Fatima Moreira de Melo (44th - 16,830, Ihar Soika (19,760), and Randy Lew (30th - 22,740).

Make sure to tune back in on Thursday for the penultimate day of the EPT Season 12 Grand Final, as PokerNews.com will bring you all the live updates in sync with the broadcast of the live stream.

While you wait for Day 5 to come around, check out the following video with Vieira talking about storming back to a big stack after nearly being eliminated.

Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!
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The Warrior Jeep Team is raising awareness and generating support for wounded military veterans and their families and Copernio is donating its Public Relations and Social Media services to this important cause. With a fully customized 2015 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock Edition, the Warrior Jeep Team will be the first Jeep to navigate the Trans-America Trail in one contiguous adventure. The Warrior Jeep Team started its trek across the trail April 29.

Beginning in Southwestern North Carolina and ending at the Pacific Ocean in southwestern Oregon, the Trans-America Trail covers over 5,000 miles of mostly off-road driving. The route uses dirt, gravel, jeep, forest and farm roads with numerous sections of mud, sand, snow and rocks.

"Even though special operations forces are widely recognized as the most elite military units, they often have more challenges in receiving their veteran benefits from the government due to the sensitive nature of their work," commented Susan van Barneveld, president of Copernio. "We are truly honored to have the opportunity to work with the Warrior Jeep Team to support and raise awareness for these veterans."

The Warrior Jeep Team was formed in 2015 around support for Special Operations U.S. troops who were wounded or died in combat, with the purpose of raising awareness and generating support for these veterans and their families who often do not receive government benefits. The team is comprised of veterans from various branches of the military including special operations, many having been wounded in combat.

The Warrior Jeep Team aims to be the first to navigate a Jeep the entire length of the Trans-America trail. After the trip and all follow up events are completed, the Jeep will be auctioned off with all the proceeds going to support the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Fisher House, who generously assist wounded veterans and their families.

Copernio, in conjunction with The Warrior Jeep Team and Special Operations Warrior Foundation, is reaching out to other public relations professionals across the U.S. to work with them to educate the public, raise donations, and effect real change to see that our Special Operations Veterans are taken care of.

"We couldn't be happier to have Copernio's support, through the firm's efforts we have already seen our reach and results increase exponentially," said David Phillips, Warrior Jeep team lead. "While we do enjoy off-roading and plan to have a lot of fun over the next few months, our main goal is to help raise awareness and funds for the thousands of U.S. special operations veterans currently in need, (and our efforts wouldn't be nearly as impactful without Copernio's help)."

About The Warrior Jeep Team

Formed in 2015 by the Phillips family - David, Sojourner, Jacoby and Justine, the Warrior Jeep Team (www.warriorjeep.us) consists of five U.S. military veterans, many of whom were wounded in combat. The team was built around support for U.S. troops who were wounded in combat, with the purpose of raising awareness and generating support for these veterans and their families. The team will complete the Trans-America Trail; a 5,000-mile coast-to-coast route across the U.S., with a custom built 2015 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock Edition. Raising money along the way and auctioning off the Warrior Jeep after the expedition, all proceeds will go to support the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Fisher House.

For more information visit www.warriorjeep.us

About Copernio

With more than 55 years of communications experience, and an affiliate network that spans the globe, Copernio is a rare breed of boutique agency specializing in public relations, influencer marketing, and social media. Copernio's personalized, creative approach enables it to effectively integrate digital, broadcast, and print media with innovative influencer campaigns and social media initiatives for start-ups through Fortune 100 clients, according to the company. Comprised of specialists with expertise in crafting customized programs, Copernio's team works with its clients to deliver results with a high ROI that relate directly to their goals. Copernio prides itself on its long-term client relationships and numerous industry awards.

For more information, visit www.copernio.com.
There are no obstacles to visa liberalization by the European Union for Ukraine, the European side is completing formalization and related procedures, Ukraine's Ambassador-at-Large Dmytro Kuleba said.

"There are neither objective nor subjective obstacles to this process, one should wait until all the necessary bureaucratic procedures have been completed in accordance with the EU rules," he told TV Channel 5 on Wednesday.

He also announced that at the meeting of the Visegrad Four foreign ministers, Ukraine had received assurances from those countries that their involvement in the visa liberalization process would be maximum.

Commenting on the EU member states' plans to develop a mechanism to suspend the visa-free regime for all the countries where it works, Kuleba said that it was not Ukraine this mechanism was being created for and it had nothing to do with the alleged disruption of its visa liberalization plan.

"In fact, it goes about the creation of a mechanism which would allow, if the flow of people across European borders becomes a serious threat to the Schengen member countries, the suspension of visa-free travels for a certain period of time. It means that this is a temporary tool to manage migration flows," he explained.

He also stressed that the "it has been officially recognized at the EU's level that Ukraine poses no migration threat from the perspective of the visa-free regime, which operates under normal conditions."
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Elizabeth Warrens devastating series of election night tweets about Donald Trump has brought former Massachusetts senator and carpetbagger Scott Brown out of the woodwork.

According to Brown in a Wednesday interview with Boston Herald Radio, Warren was drunk tweeting. Probably because the only way a Republican can tell the truth is if theyre drunk. They cant conceive of somebody actually doing it intentionally.

Brown was aided and abetted in this stupidity by Herald Radio host Jaclyn Cashman, who agreed with Brown:

I envision her with a glass of Chardonnay in Cambridge, she quipped to Browns laughter. I guarantee that she was half in the bag tweeting last night.

Speaking of drunk tweeting, Boston Herald Radio reminds us of a little incident Brown might prefer to forget:

Brown has addressed questions about his own tweeting in the past. In 2013, the former Republican senator posted a series of misspelled, dismissive tweets on a late night. bqhatevwr, he infamously wrote. Critics at the time questioned whether Brown was drunk when he sent the mangled tweet.

In response, Brown claims he hasnt been drunk since his bachelor party. Im sure he just put his fingers on the wrong keys of his keyboard. Right?

He has never come across as the GOPs best and brightest, like the time he didnt know what state he was campaigning in during an interview with the same Boston Herald Radio, back in 2014. And it wasnt just a matter of him forgetting what state he was in, but for which state he was campaigning to be senator: New Hampshire, not Massachusetts.

And then there was the time he forgot he wasnt actually serving in Afghanistan like he claimed, but just training to be a lawyer in the Guard. Suffice it to say, Brown isnt his own best character witness.

It might seem like Brown is holding a grudge from back when a triumphant Elizabeth Warren kicked his Tea Partying a** to the curb  er, umFox News in 2013, but there might actually be a bit more to it than sour grapes, as Tyler Cherry writes at Media Matters for America:

Scott Brown, a former Republican Senator for Massachusetts, was hired by Fox News in 2013 after a failed Senate campaign, and left the network soon thereafter to run for office in New Hampshire. During his 2014 Senate bid, Brown received widespread support and praise from Fox, often with no disclosure of his prior affiliation with the network. Following his Senate loss in 2014, Brown re-joined as a contributor. Fox hosts have regularly hyped Brown, who is still a Fox News contributor, as a potential running mate for Trump during the 2016 presidential primary.

Ohwell, running mate for Donald Trump. That means Brown figures he better start sounding like Trump. If Brown has paid any attention to Trumps twitter history, you have to wonder how he could come to the conclusion that Warren, and not Trump, was drunk tweeting.

Brown, who accomplished nothing of note while senator, claimed Warren hasnt accomplished anything of note while in office. You might remember, as previously noted here, during his time in the Senate, Brown missed all six hearings that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held, even though Brown was a committee member.

But he says Warren isnt doing her job.

The conclusion of the former senator is that the current senator cant possibly have anything important to say and criticizes her for being critical. What she said is completely irrelevant. It doesnt matter, he says.

She had her chance to make a difference. She hasnt even bothered to endorse anybody, so it just is a continuation of her phoniness and her inability to make decisions that really have her stand on her own two feet.

According to Brown  and keep in mind Brown has endorsed Donald Trump  Warren does nothing but say bad things about people:

All she does is yell and criticize and demean and belittle people instead of working for the people of Massachusetts. If its the new norm to go down there and yell and scream at people and divide people, shes doing a great job at that.

Judging by his own record, Browns biggest endorsement seems to be of hypocrisy.

Brown seems to believe its better to be saying a bunch of stuff just to be saying it because thats what Republican men do. Thats what Trump does. Just talks and talks and talks and never really says anything of substance. Sort of like Scott Brown here.

Notice his entire attack on Warren has nothing to do with issues or policy positions. He does not address the individual charges Warren brought against Trump. Instead, his response is one giant ad hominem attack  he ignores the issues in favor of attacking the person.

Brown could have responded in kind, could have made a cogent refutation of Warrens tweets, could have taken issue with her positions, but that would imply that Brown actually has the intellectual chops to understand those issues and go toe to toe with somebody of Warrens caliber, and he has just proven he does not.
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Jesse Benton the former Ron Paul strategist/Mitch McConnell campaign manager/man running the pro-Trump Make America Great Super PAC has found guilty of four violations of campaign finance laws.

Dave Weigel of The Washington Post reported:

Jesse Benton, a political strategist for former congressman Ron Paul who went on to run the pro-Trump Great America PAC, has been found guilty on four charges relating to the 2012 Paul presidential campaign. Benton, alongside two other former aides to the Paul campaign, was found guilty of conspiracy, causing false records, creating false campaign expenditure reports and making false statements. The trio of Benton, John Tate and Dimitri Kesari concocted a plan to pay then-Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson in exchange for him endorsing the campaign and helping it organize in early states.

Benton was caught on tape trashing Mitch McConnell while he was working as the now Senate Majority Leaders campaign manager, and admitting that the only reason he was working for McConnell was that he promised to help Rand Pauls White House run in 2016, if Rand helped to make Mitch Majority Leader. Benton resigned from the McConnell campaign after the bribery scandal which led to todays conviction blew up in the media.

Benton was facing criminal charges, yet he was running a Trump supporting super PAC. Not since the dark days of Richard Nixon has America seen a presidential candidate who is supported and surrounded by such shady figures. Trump campaign co-chair Jerry Delemus was arrested by the FBI on nine charges related to his participation in the Bundy standoff.

If a candidates character can be judged by the company that he keeps, Donald Trump is sending out red flags up the wazoo that he should never be allowed anywhere near the White House.
Next meeting of Normandy Four to focus on ways to make progress in Donbas settlement

The next meeting of the foreign ministers in the Normandy Format will focus on the ways to advance the Donbas conflict settlement, as the situation there has not changed much, Ukraine's Ambassador-at-Large Dmytro Kuleba has said.

"The key topic will be the overall concept of the settlement, in particular the current stage [of the conflict] and where we are going," Kuleba said on TV Channel 5 on Wednesday.

According to him, the situation in Donbas remains unchanged, the ceasefire regime is constantly violated and heavy machinery is being used.

"Therefore, the first issue is how Russia is going to ensure the ceasefire and secondly, how to create secure conditions for holding elections in accordance with Ukrainian legislation and OSCE standards," Kuleba said.

As reported, the foreign ministers of Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France may meet in Berlin on May 11.
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All Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia and Crimea are subject to exchange, according to the Minsk agreements, Ukraine's Ambassador-at-Large Dmytro Kuleba has said.

"All our Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia and Crimea must be returned. As for the exchange of political prisoners in Russia, we recognize the "all-for-all" principle laid out in the Minsk agreements," Kuleba said on TV Channel 5 air on Wednesday.

He said Ukrainian pilot and MP Nadia Savchenko, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison in Russia, would be exchanged as per a political agreement, the legal nuances of which are being settled.

"Negotiations are ongoing on the political and legal levels to find the formula which will enable Nadia's comeback," the diplomat said.

"[Ukrainian Foreign Minister] Pavlo Klimkin brings up a point of Savchenko's release along with other political prisoners in Russia at the next meeting of Foreign Ministry heads of so-called "Normandy Four"," Kuleba added.

Moscow's treatment of other (Ukrainian) political prisoners, such as Stanislav Klykh and Mykola Karpiuk, is as follows: Russian courts sentence them after show trials in an "imitation of justice".

"For that reason it is necessary to wait for (court) sentences and then secure their release," Kuleba said.
Dear Dave: At my company, you will never get people to share the knowledge they have with their co-workers. Everyone keeps their "intellectual property" to themselves. I know we could make so much more progress if people started sharing their knowledge with each other  instead of being knowledge misers. Your thoughts?  R

Dear R: I think anyone who hoards information at their place of work  and does not share it with those who can benefit from it  are guilty of a gross infraction. Good companies encourage their staff to realize "knowledge is king" and to unselfishly disseminate it in the right ways to the right people at the right times.

Organizations are more productive and effective when knowledge sharing is encouraged. Statistics show the best-producing companies are those that provide their employees with the right knowledge and allow knowledge to circulate freely and appropriately within the organization. I believe leaders in organizations should make it a mission to ensure knowledge sharing is deliberately and unselfishly practiced.

I think it is essential to create a "knowledge-sharing culture" as part of the overall organization strategy. You cannot plan without doing research and I believe there always smart are people in various places within a company who have valuable knowledge that will benefit both the planning and implementation of sound strategies. The trick is to draw them out and have them share what they know.

Only effective collaboration and communication  which spans across the whole company  will give knowledge management the emphasis and impact it deserves. I always tell my business students the individuals that rise in an organization are not those who hoard information, but rather, those who openly and freely share their knowledge and expertise with their colleagues.

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Creating a knowledge sharing culture

Organizations need data and information to make sound decisions, solve nagging problems and exploit growth opportunities. This requires a culture that "deals by the truth" and a culture that does not guess or assume everyone has all the information needed to make the right choices  they investigate things and share their findings.

To create a knowledge-sharing culture, managers need to encourage people to work together more effectively, to collaborate and to share their knowledge and expertise and to gather and store useful information and feedback as they do their work. To do this, managers can try the following:

Model knowledge sharing:This first step is to practice knowledge sharing at your level. If you preach the value of sharing knowledge, you must live the philosophy all day and every day. When your workers come to you looking for information, don't act like you are giving away the keys to paradise  tell them what they need to know.

Incorporate knowledge-sharing technology:Train and educate people in its effective use. Nothing beats the combination of people with the appropriate knowledge-sharing mindset and the appropriate knowledge-sharing technology to support them. This pairing will rapidly bring about a knowledge-sharing culture that helps you better meet your business objectives.

Motivate knowledge sharing:Help people see for themselves that knowledge sharing is in their best personal interest. If people understand that sharing their knowledge helps them do their jobs more effectively, helps them retain their jobs and helps them in their personal development and career progression, then knowledge sharing will become a reality.

Reward knowledge sharing:What gets rewarded, gets repeated. Catch people sharing their knowledge and expertise and recognize them for doing so. Make knowledge sharing part of your employee appraisal process and then pay people for their performance.

In summary, to get most things done in an organization today requires a collaborative effort. If we try to work alone, we will not be as successful as we would be engaging and collaborating with others.

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We need to make knowledge sharing a part of the work culture and an emphasis item when new people start in the company.
Two Ukrainian servicemen have suffered injuries in Donbas, Ukrainian Presidential Administration spokesman for the army operation in eastern Ukraine, Oleksandr Motuzianyk, has said.

"None of the Ukrainian servicemen were killed in the hostilities over the past day, but two suffered injuries. That happened when they hit antipersonnel mines in the search for explosive devices near the town of Slavne, in Maryinka district of Donetsk region," Motuzianyk said, at a press briefing in Kyiv, on Thursday.
Zach Ohly was born and raised right here in Rochester. After graduation from Lourdes High School, he went on to the University of Minnesota in Duluth. During those four years, he cooked in chain restaurants. While the food there was rather one dimensional, he found it a good introduction to the culture of restaurants.

Having always enjoyed cooking, he decided to enroll in culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in the Twin Cities. While there, he got a job at the Saint Paul Grill. "That was my first taste of upscale, scratch cooking," says Ohly.

During culinary school, he met a woman who is now his fiancee. At the time, they both wanted to get away. They visited Chicago but decided it was not far enough away. Instead, they wound up moving to Denver. They remained there for almost five years. It was his culinary experiences here, "in chef-driven restaurants," that provided a progression for Ohly to experience, learn and acquire much of the insight required to deliver a fine-dining experience.

However, Ohly was driven to go further. Truth-be-told, from the time he entered culinary school, he set a goal for himself, and a high goal at that. Shortly into his culinary studies, he was introduced to the French Laundry Cookbook. "That book really showed me what food could be, including an outlet for passion and creativity," he recalls. "It represented the pinnacle of our craft." He was inspired and determined to strive for that level of workmanship in his own cooking.

When he learned the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group was looking for chefs to stage, or trial, in the kitchen, leading to an opportunity to work at one of its prestigious restaurants, The French Laundryin Napa, Calif., Ohly applied. There was no hesitation when the call came asking if he would consider a "look and see." He recalls undergoing 32 hours of shadowing in just two days, at the end of which he wrote a five page essay on how to make a consomme. "It was the most intense thing I ever did," says Ohly.

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A job offer followed, and a couple months later, Ohly found himself at the group's Bouchon Bistro in Yountville (Napa region) until he moved over to The French Laundry when some remodeling was completed.

Ohly describes the expectations there as "perfection or nothing." He still is in awe over the emphasis on technique, the quality of product and the respect for food. He quickly was promoted to a "Chef de Partie"  a system where an individual chef is in charge of a station or particular aspect of the food preparation.

When the time came to make the long-term commitment to stay in California, the reality for both he and his fiancee was, after almost seven years away, to return home to Minnesota. Ohly was excited to bring his acquired skillset back home. He joined the Nova Restaurant Group, initially helping to launch Terza before moving over to Pescaraas executive chef almost three months ago.

With the change of season, the timing offered an additional opportunity for Ohly  that of showing Rochester the food he can make and make well. It was a joint effort with owners Scott Foster and Pat Woodringto make recent menu revisions. Clearly patron favorites, such as the Lobster Bisque, Tuna Tartare and walleye, were not going away.

What has changed is that patrons will find what Ohly describes as "more composed" entrees. In addition, he will have the opportunity to showcase more signature dishes and small plates. Ice creams and sorbets  "bold flavored at that"  are being added to the menu.

During the weeks and months ahead, it will be exciting to see what unfolds as Ohly finds his stride back at home.
These days, the line between legitimate opera and musical theater is a bit blurred.

There's no confusion which category "The Shining," set to make its world premiere at The Minnesota Opera on May 7, falls into.

Yes, the modern horror classic, by prolific populist writer Stephen King, has been adapted into a genuine opera, not content to rest on its laurels as a best-selling novel, hit Stanley Kubrick Hollywood film, and even more fulsome 1997 ABC miniseries. This time around, the residents (both living and dead) of the eerie Overlook Hotel are set to sing their guts out.

"The Shining" comes to the Minnesota Opera courtesy of its New Works Initiative, which has commissioned similarly unlikely works such as "Doubt" and "The Manchurian Candidate," with music by Paul Moravec and a libretto by Mark Campbell. Almost everything about the enterprise seems downright bone-chilling, and that includes menacing press photos of Minnesota Opera favorite Brian Mulligan, who is set to play the homicidal lead Jack Torrance.

With its out-sized emotions, gruesome themes, and relentless terror, the opera house seems an ideal place to make the King characters sing their way to life (which includes a family staying at a haunted hotel, cut off from civilization and sanity over one endless winter), and it's a sure bet the opera company is hoping to draw in curious ticket buyers by offering up such a well-known title.

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Stephen Sondheim, whose his own gruesome masterwork, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," has been performed in both opera houses and Broadway theaters, has famously said opera is defined by the ear and eye of the beholder. For those who chuckle at the notion of a musicalized "The Shining," they might well enjoy the popular unauthorized musical parody YouTube version "Redrum." For the more serious-minded, "The Shining" opera will run through May 15.

Doubtless the Minnesota Opera isn't banking on their version to stir a fit of giggles; they seem to have settled on scaring everyone out of their wits.

Your reservation at the Overlook awaits.

What: "The Shining"

When: May 7-15

Where: Ordway, 345 Washington St., St. Paul

Tickets: Adults $12, seniors/students $10, ages 5-17 $6, 4 and under free.

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On the web: www.mnopera.org/season/2015-2016/the-shining/
Co-chairs of the Group of Strategic Advisors for Support of Reforms in Ukraine, Leszek Balcerowicz and Ivan Miklos, have named the key reforms, which Ukraine needs to hold as soon as possible.

"Economic growth has started and it will continue if the reforms continue," Balcerowicz said at a briefing in the presidential administration of Ukraine on Thursday.

According to him, the key task for the Ukrainian authorities is to hold reforms to strengthen the stability of the financial sector, the budget and the economy, to ensure the further economic growth, the fight against corruption and the decentralization reform.

Balcerowicz also mentioned the importance of improving the business environment, encouraging competition, and deregulation and privatization of state-owned enterprises.

"Public ownership means the power of politics over enterprises. This always ends in losses. It is a characteristic feature not only of Ukraine, this happens everywhere and in order to strengthen the economic growth it is necessary to strengthen the budget to avoid any losses..." he said.

For his part, Miklos noted that it is important to establish macroeconomic stability, without which there will be no economic growth and no improvement of lives of Ukrainians. "I must say that much has been done. More reforms have been done over the past two years after the Maidan, than in 22 years before that. But on the other hand, it must be said that it is necessary to do more than was done in these two years. Miklos stressed the importance of judicial reform and the reform of the prosecutor's office, the fight against corruption, and the process of privatization of state-owned enterprises.

"As for privatization, I must say that over the past two years, almost nothing has been done and this process should be accelerated," he said.

At present, the difficulties in holding the reform are rather political than technical, Miklos said. "The biggest threat to the reform and Ukraine's successful future is populism," he said adding that populism does not offer solutions and does not serve the community, but the interests of individuals.
The man accused of causing a head-on crash that left a young nurse critically injured  then disappearing for more than a year  has pleaded guilty in the case.

James Lee Morseth, 26, of St. Paul, left his hospital room without speaking to authorities after sufficiently recovering from his own injuries sustained in the Feb. 6, 2015, crash.

Morseth and his passenger, who were both hurt, had no identification with them  then gave false names to officials. The other man suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash.

Though a warrant was issued for his arrest, authorities were unable to find him. They believed his relatives were hiding him, but early last month, law enforcement officers in Ramsey County arrested Morseth on a warrant of their own  then learned of the local warrant.

Morseth was brought to Rochester and arraigned in Olmsted County District Court on two counts of felony criminal vehicular operation, one count of gross misdemeanor criminal vehicular operation and misdemeanor counts of reckless driving and driving after suspension.

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He recently pleaded guilty to all three criminal vehicular operation charges; in exchange for the plea, the misdemeanors are expected to be dismissed at sentencing, which is set for June 27.

Morseth was convicted in March of leaving the scene of a crash in Ramsey County.

The crash that night left Molly Riese, 24, trapped in her crushed vehicle for nearly two hours as responders worked to rescue her. She was conscious for everything but the impact, she said in an August interview.

Her left arm was badly broken; both femurs  "everything from the waist down, basically," Riese said  were among the 20 broken bones she sustained.

Morseth was southbound, passing a van in a no-passing zone at Olmsted County roads 4 and 5, near Oxbow Park, when his car struck the northbound vehicle driven by Riese.

She spent 30 days in the hospital, unable to walk until the middle of May, after weeks of intensive rehabilitation.

Reise has undergone multiple surgeries, beginning with one to repair the compound fracture of her lower right leg immediately after her assessment in the emergency room.
A Rochester man who called authorities to stand by while he picked up some personal belongings ended up getting tased multiple times, then arrested.

The incident began about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, when Laverne Aaker, 45, called police for assistance. He needed to pick up some items from a home where "he was no longer welcome," said Capt. John Sherwin, and wanted law enforcement present.

Perhaps unknown to Aaker, however, an apprehension order had been issued by his probation officer for a violation of probation conditions, Sherwin said. When officers tried to take him into custody, Aaker tried to flee, then resisted arrest and tried to get rid of drugs, the reports say.

Police deployed stun guns "several times" before being able to arrest Aaker, Sherwin said.

In addition to the probation violation charge, he also faces drug charges. A small amount of methamphetamine and a pipe were allegedly found in his possession.
OSCE mission to regard appearance of heavy weapons in Donetsk, Luhansk on May 9 as breach of Minsk agreements

The use of heavy weapons in the May 9 celebrations, in Donetsk and Luhansk, will be a breach of the Minsk agreements, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) said.

Alexander Hug, deputy chief monitor of the OSCE SMM, said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday that the OSCE will regard this as a breach of the Minsk agreements. He specified that the OSCE does not regard a parade as a breach of the Minsk agreements, but only believes the use of weapons would be a breach of the agreements.

At the same time, Hug said, according to the OSCE SMM Twitter account, that "Historical heritage important but heavy weapons in #Luhansk, #Donetsk cities are violations of Minsk & threat to people."
The Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the OSCE has said that the number of ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine decreased in the past week.

"If you look at our daily reports, you will know by now that there has been a considerable decrease in the level of violence in Donbas over the past week," Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE SMM Alexander Hug.

He said that this moment should be seized for adhering to commitments to withdraw the heavy weapons from the security zone, to demine the territory and restore infrastructure.

Hug also said that the free movement of monitors was obstructed by armed formations of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republic. "In areas not under government control, this has been particularly problematic," the deputy chief monitor said.

Increasingly, armed members of the so-called 'DPR' demanded to see passports of SMM monitors at checkpoints, he said.
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari asked an audience at the Kahler Grand Hotel not to take it easy on him.

"I'd like you to show me respect by asking your toughest questions," he said as part of his introductory remarks for a town hall-style meeting. Kashkari is on an ongoing listening tour where he hopes to learn firsthand about communities in the 9th District of the Federal Reserve.

Since taking over the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Kashkari has announced his initiative to "end the problem of too-big-to-fail banks." That, he admitted, might sound strange coming from the man who oversaw bank bailouts under both President George W. Bush and President Obama.

"The U.S. economy had a massive heart attack," he said. Without the bank bailouts, the problem would have been worse. "It would have had depression instead of recession. We need to make sure that never happens again."

Town hall moderator Annie Baxter, a senior reporter for Marketplace, a provider of syndicated radio content, took the first crack at asking tough questions, grilling Kashkari on his plans behind ending the too-big-to-fail banks and monetary policy.

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Kashkari said there are several ways to end the threat of big banks to the economy. The first would be to put a cap on bank sizes. The government could tax leverage, or borrowed funds that are invested speculatively, in the financial sector, which would encourage banks to hold less debt. A third option would be to put more regulations on banks to reduce their risk.

Some options, though, come with drawbacks. For example, regulations that reduce risk will mean the risk in the economy simply takes another form, one that may not be as well regulated.

"If you make the banks really safe, you push the risk to nonbank," he said. That means more risky investment in hedge funds, risk through insurance companies and shadow banks.

Baxter questioned Kashkari about his reputation as a rebel within the Federal Reserve system.

"I make no apologies for coming out punching," he said of his announcement to end the risk to the economy of big banks so soon after taking over in Minneapolis in January.

From the audience, the questions ranged from whether the Dodd-Frank Act  a response to the 2008 recession designed to add accountability to banking  was a failure to how moral hazard, the concept that investors take excessive risk because someone else bears the costs of that risk, played into the bank bailouts during the recession.

"I wouldn't call it a bust," he said, referring to Dodd-Frank. Today's banks have more capital, deeper liquidity and are better able to withstand stress. "But my gut tells me it has not gone far enough."

On moral hazard, a concept that came to light big as banks took risks knowing they would be bailed out by taxpayers, Kashkari said he is disappointed that no one has been prosecuted in the United States over illegal banking practices. Fines, he said, are a poor substitute.

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"The notion that if a bank does a bad deed, you're punishing the shareholders," he said. "People need to be prosecuted."

Baxter asked if Kashkari, a Republican who ran for governor of California in 2012, would surprise the 2005 version of himself with his talk of regulation in banking.

"Probably," he said, adding that when he worked under President Bush, the thought was banks that took risks assumed the responsibility of that risk, and failure was a real consequence. "We were dragged to the bailout table. But since then, I've learned there are consequences to truly unregulated free markets."
Rochester's Pridefest celebration took an important step towards maintaining its downtown presence on Wednesday night.

The Pridefest committee recommended that the Gay and Lesbian Community Services approve a split venue with the first three days being held at Wicked Moose Bar and Grill and Sunday's vendor fair hosted in the Peace Plaza. GLCS will consider the recommendation at its May 18 meeting.

If approved, Pridefest would be celebrated July 14-16 at Wicked Moose and the final day would be held at Peace Place. Rochester Downtown Alliance Director Jenna Bowman confirmed that Peace Plaza remains available to rent on July 17.

"There was a lot of discussion," said Gale Julius, co-chair of the Pridefest committee. "It was not a unanimous decision, but we did recommend that it be moved to downtown. We had received a lot of telephone calls and emails that helped us make that decision. The community spoke to us."

The annual event that celebrates and raises awareness of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community has been a fixture in downtown Rochester for nearly two decades, but was shifted out to the belt line after RDA raised the rental price for Peace Plaza and Wicked Moose offered its space for free.

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However, that decision caused a backlash within the community among those who preferred that it remain in a highly-visible public venue in downtown Rochester. It also prompted an immediate fundraising effort that raised a sufficient amount to cover the RDA's increased rental fees, Julius said.

While Julius said the exact dollar amount remains unclear, Pridefest had targeted at least $2,500 to cover the cost of renting Peace Plaza and any ancillary costs. A GoFundMe account raised more than $1,000, while the organization itself has received direct donations through its website.

Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede also dipped into his discretionary mayoral fund to support the group's presence at Peace Plaza, Julius said.

"We heard from our community in a big way and we made our decision accordingly," Julius said. "We're grateful for Mayor Brede  and we're so glad to have the support of the Kutzky Park neighborhood."
The European Union should immediately relax visa rules for Ukraine and Georgia in terms of fulfillment by them of all necessary requirements, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Siarto said in an interview with Radio Svoboda (Radio Liberty).

"Ukraine should obtain visa liberalization with the European Union immediately. When I say 'immediately'  I literally mean it. I don't mean it in institutional aspect, but I mean what I say  immediately. Ukraine and Georgia have fulfilled all requirements of Brussels, thus, they should receive visa-free regime as soon as possible," the minister said following the meeting of Visegrad Four Foreign Ministers and Eastern Partnership states in Prague.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has initiated a cancellation of personal sanctions imposed on Russian journalists in September 2015, proposing to substitute them for new ones.

A respective decree No.341 as of April 20, 2016 "On proposals to apply and cancel personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)" was posted on the government's website on May 5.

The government backed proposals of Information Policy Ministry of Ukraine to amend the sanction list gave it fore review to Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC).

Recommendations include a proposal to amend and supplement appendix 1 of the NSDC decision dated September2, 2015 "On application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)" that came into force under the president's decree as of September 16, 2015.

The list is to include certain Russian media figures who regularly spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda and issue false information about the events in Ukraine.

After the council's decision to impose new anti-sanctions takes effect, the list will be sent to the appropriate agencies in the EU, US and other states for review and possible action.
One-month examination of 18 provinces and regions to look at effectiveness in carrying out directives from the State Council

China will conduct a one-month, sweeping examination of a series of incentives encouraging private investment that were designed to boost the role of such investment in the country's economic development.

The examination will review implementation of 39 State Council documents released in 2014 that have encouraged social investment in key innovation sectors. It will be conducted throughout May in 18 provinces and regions across China.

The review was announced at Wednesday's executive meeting of the State Council, or China's Cabinet, which was presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

"Any decline in private investment will affect the vitality of China's economy," Li said.

"What's more, private investment is a crucial driving force for the country's private economy, which provides over 80 percent of the country's total employment opportunities," he added.

China's economy increased by 6.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, within the 6.5 to 7 percent yearly growth target that the government set in March. This has to some extent steadied nerves internationally regarding China's economic performance, after the year began with stock markets tumbling and negative expectations at home and abroad.

However, there were concerns because the country's private investment rose in the first quarter by only 5.7 percent, down by 7.9 percentage points compared with the same period last year.

The premier called on local governments and ministries to provide support for private investment. "We should not offer umbrellas on sunny days and take them away while it is raining," Li said.

While China is going through an economic transition from being an export-oriented economy to one that is consumption-driven, private investment momentum is considered to be a long-term driving force for economic growth. It is also seen as reflecting the private business sector's confidence in the nation's economy.

Since 2005, the State Council has been carrying out incentives to encourage private investment. A number of major infrastructure projects that were previously off-limits to private investors were gradually opened up for social investment. Private entrepreneurs can now invest in projects in transportation, energy, water and environmental protection, as well as urban utilities.

However, implementation of these incentives has faced various setbacks, such as local red tape and difficulty in getting loans.

"What bothered me most is that we private investors are not treated the same as our public counterparts, and we still face too many restrictions," said a private entrepreneur who requested anonymity.

The comprehensive examination, which is to be completed by the end of the month, is expected to keep steady the momentum of China's private investment growth.

"Problems found during the examination need to be handled appropriately, and a third-party evaluation will be carried out toward the implementation of incentives in encouraging private investment," the premier said.
BEIJING, May 4 -- Four officials from Tianjin city and Guizhou Province have been placed under investigation on suspicion of corruption, China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said on Wednesday.

The highest ranking of the four is Wu Xuemin, former general manager of Hong Kong Jinlian group. A procuratorate in Tianjin has decided to prosecute Wu after completing an investigation.

The suspect from Guizhou is Yang Dehua, former vice mayor of Tongren City. The local procuratorate has decided to investigate Yang on suspicion of taking bribes.

The other two from Tianjin are Shi Jizhuang, former deputy head of Heping District, and Zhang Hongbao, former deputy head of Dongli District.Local procuratorates have started investigating them.

Shi and Zhang have been placed under "coercive measures" which include summons by force, bail, residential surveillance, detention and arrest.
WASHINGTON, May 4 (Xinhua) -- With Donald Trump now being the likely Republican Party (GOP) nominee, he will start to focus his attacks on likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, slinging mud in her direction in what is sure to be a knock-down, drag out fight for the White House.

After Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich dropped out of the race after Trump's big win in Indiana Tuesday, Trump is the last Republican candidate standing in a primary season that started with a dozen candidates.

The New York real estate mogul, who just last summer was dismissed by pundits and political prognosticators as a flash in the pan, has steamrolled through several states and galvanized Republican rank-and-file voters like no other GOP candidate in years.

After virtually securing his nomination, Trump is now ready to focus on a single target -- Hillary Clinton, who is his likely Democratic rival in the November general elections.

"Trump will begin in earnest attacking Hillary Clinton," Brookings Institution's senior fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. "He will call her 'corrupt Hillary' and knit together Benghazi, email server, Whitewater, and her husband's infidelities into a narrative that seeks to make her unacceptable to American voters."

Indeed, Clinton has had her share of scandals over the years. More than two decades ago she was implicated in a failed land deal that became known as the "whitewater scandal."

While in the office of Secretary of State, she was blasted for alleged incompetence -- critics called it negligence -- for not providing better security for the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, resulting in the 2012 terrorist attack that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Clinton has also taken heat for allegedly using a personal email server while she was secretary of state, instead of a government server. Critics said she could have jeopardized U.S. national security, and a U.S. Justice Department investigation over the issue is ongoing.

Finally, Trump is sure to dredge up her husband's numerous marital infidelities, as former President Bill Clinton was known in the 1990s for his affair with then White House intern Monica Lewinsky, plus numerous other affairs.

In speeches and public appearances, Trump has already taken to referring to Clinton as "crooked Hillary" -- a label intended to paint her as corrupt and dishonest.

"(Trump) will throw 100 pieces of mud against the wall, in hopes that something will stick and torpedo her candidacy," West said. "He will use the National Enquirer to leak unfounded stories against her," he said, speaking of a U.S. tabloid newspaper.

Clinton already has high negatives, but they are likely to increase due to the bruising campaign, he said.

While Trump will not soften his rhetoric on Clinton, he will make an effort to appear more presidential, such as in the realm of foreign policy.

Indeed, the brash businessman recently made a foreign policy speech in which he steered clear of his usual bombast, but instead outlined several serious points in a cogent argument.

Trump hired a speech writer, and analysts argued that he appeared more presidential than usual, in a bid to start looking and playing the part of the commander in chief.

"He will do several serious policy speeches to buttress his substantive credentials. He already has done one on foreign policy and will do others as well. He needs to cross a threshold of seriousness so that people see him as a legitimate possibility for the presidency," West said.

While Clinton lost Tuesday's Indiana primary, she will more than likely still win the Democratic nomination and is looking ahead and focusing her sights on Trump.

"Hillary will not get distracted by Sanders. She is very close to winning the delegates she needs for the nomination and will devote all of her attention to Trump," West said.
ST. PAUL  The fate of tens of millions of dollars worth of local building projects remains uncertain as Democrats and Republicans in St. Paul haggle over construction spending.

Democratic leaders blasted House Republicans on Wednesday for not releasing their $600 million construction borrowing bill  also known as a "bonding bill." DFL Gov. Mark Dayton said it's vital lawmakers pass a bonding bill this session to fund critical projects across the state. He rejected Republicans' description of the bonding bill as "dessert."

"To me, this is part of the main course. Having a bonding bill is essential to the water-quality projects I've proposed, essential to higher education at the University of Minnesota and MnSCU campuses (and) a lot of local communities have projects," said Dayton, who previously put forward his own $1.4 billion construction proposal.

But House Taxes Committee Chairman Greg Davids said Republicans want agreements on tax cuts and transportation spending before passing a bonding bill.

"They are all linked. We are not going to have the dessert and not work on the meat and potatoes and vegetables. If there is no tax bill or no transportation bill, there won't be a bonding bill," Davids said.

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Senate to vote on $1.8 billion bill

The Senate is expected to vote today on a $1.8 billion construction spending package. The DFL-backed plan needs at least two Republican votes in order to pass  assuming all Democrats vote for the bill.

Rochester Sen. Dave Senjem, the lead Republican on the Senate Capital Investment Committee, predicts Democrats will have a tough time getting the GOP votes they need. Senjem said he won't vote for the bill  even though it includes funding for several Rochester projects. He said the bill is simply too big and funds projects that are not the state's responsibility  such as fire halls and a wellness center.

"This is way beyond my ability to support. It's too expensive, too much debt," Senjem said.

Rochester GOP Sen. Carla Nelson declined to say how she plans to vote but noted the bill would fund key local projects. Included in the bill is $5 million for Rochester International Airport's U.S. Customs office expansion, $20 million for Rochester Community & Technical College's Plaza and Memorial Halls renovation and $1.5 million for The Reading Center/Dyslexia Institute of Minnesota's planned expansion. In addition, Nelson successfully fought to get $1 million added to the bill on Wednesday for the Chester Woods Trail.

"My job is to represent the people who sent me here and do what's best for this Senate district," Nelson said.

A big unknown is whether all Democrats will get behind the bill. Seven DFL senators recently sent a letter threatening not to vote for the bill unless it included funding for the proposed Southwest Light Rail Transit project. But Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk downplayed that threat on Wednesday, saying he expects all Democrats to back the bill. He noted the Senate DFL's transportation plan does fund the light rail project.

Austin DFL Sen. Dan Sparks said it's crucial lawmakers pass a bonding bill this session or the state's infrastructure will continue to deteriorate. He said it's time House Republicans step forward and release their proposal so negotiations can get underway.

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"It's important with about three weeks left (in the legislative session) that we at least got something out for the public to look at  whether they support it or don't support it. At least we are willing to begin negotiations and show the House where we stand," Sparks said.

Enough votes in the House?

Even if Republicans put forward a $600 million bonding bill, there's no guarantee it will get the votes necessary to advance. Bonding bills require a two-thirds majority to pass, meaning the proposals must have bipartisan support.

Not all House Republicans are on board with the idea of a $600 million bonding bill. Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, said he likely wouldn't vote for such a proposal because it's too large. He would rather see a small, narrow bonding bill of up to $250 million that is focused on transportation and water infrastructure. One of his major concerns is that debt service is the fastest growing part of the state's budget.

"I just find it remarkable and unbelievable that Democrats want to stack a huge mountain on top of a mountain that we already have of debt," Drazkowski said.

Rochester DFL Rep. Kim Norton said she doubts a $600 million bonding bill will be able to get the DFL votes necessary to pass. Still, she remains optimistic that Democrats and Republicans can come together in the remaining weeks and pass a bonding bill.

"This is just the chess game that we play, and I'm not unduly concerned at this point," Norton said. "People are still maneuvering, but we need to make a move soon because at the end of the day, we need a bill that people have time to make sure they have support for."
UNITED NATIONS, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Wednesday urged Syrian parties to abide by cessation of hostilities in Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria which has witnessed an escalation of violent fighting.

At a Security Council meeting on the situation of Aleppo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman noted that the United States and Russia have agreed to extend a nationwide truce to Aleppo.

Feltman said "we urge parties to abide by this immediately and comprehensively."

Earlier on Wednesday, the Syrian army confirmed that a 48 hour regime of silence will start in Aleppo from Thursday.

The truce came after the city has witnessed more than ten days of violence which killed over 120 people and injured hundreds of others.

"The current levels of violence in Aleppo in particular negatively impact the ability of the Syrian parties to engage in negotiations," said Feltman, noting that the only way for peace in Syria is through a political solution.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O' Brien briefed the 15-nation council that roughly 300,000 people in eastern Aleppo live in constant fear of air-strikes.

"The estimated 1.3 million people living in western Aleppo city are crowding into basements, seeking refuge from volleys of shells and mortar rounds, which continue to slam into what's left of their homes," he said.

Intense fighting between the Syrian government forces and the opposition erupted over the past days in Aleppo, despite continued diplomatic efforts to restore the ceasefire agreement reached in February.

The Syrian government has blamed the rebels in Aleppo for violating the truce, while oppositions accused Syrian warplanes of striking rebel-held areas in the eastern part of the city.
East China Navy Fleet conducts a training exercise in the South China Sea on September 28, 2014, in a bid to temper the combat capability of the troops in complex environment.[Photo: Xinhua]

Three naval ships of China's Nanhai Fleet left a naval port in Sanya, Hainan Province, on Wednesday, kicking off an annual combat drill in the South China Sea and neighboring waters.

The three ships include missile destroyer Hefei, missile frigate Sanya and supply ship Honghu. They will later be joined by missile destroyers Lanzhou and Guangzhou, as well as missile frigate Yulin, which are now carrying out other duties.

With three helicopters and dozens of "special warfare" soldiers, the fleet will be separated into three groups that will sail to areas of the South China Sea, the east Indian Ocean and the west Pacific, to conduct varied drills.

The fleet will mobilize naval air force, garrison forces in the Xisha and Nansha islands, and forces of the Beihai Fleet along the way to take part in the drill.

The drill aims to enhance combat readiness and practise coordination between ships and aircraft, and other forces, the navy said.
Not long ago, media members asked Gov. Mark Dayton for his thoughts regarding the remainder of the 2016 legislative session.

In a very partisan and condescending manner, the governor took issue with the way the Republican-led House is conducting its business. He told reporters he would not negotiate with House members over their "garbage" budget bills and that he'd prefer the Minnesota Legislature "go home."

These are very troubling, unhelpful comments. Now, I have an idea of how stressful and difficult it must be leading this state, and the press may have caught the governor at a bad moment.

The problem is, when the governor says things such as "go home," people actually think he means it. That he no longer wants to be a part of the process. That he doesn't want to improve the lives of Minnesotans.

We have a tremendous amount at stake this session. Long-term transportation funding is a top priority for both Republicans and Democrats, and we are on the cusp of finding a compromise. That disappears if legislators actually hit the road.

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We can approve a bipartisan bonding bill that can fund important infrastructure projects statewide. Improvements to college buildings, wastewater facilities and township roads and bridges all vanish if lawmakers head for home.

We have the opportunity to approve a robust tax relief plan that would benefit hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans. As tax chairman, I've spent the past two years looking for ways to bring needed relief to our seniors, students, veterans, Main Street business owners, farmers and the middle class. We have the opportunity to approve something historic, but it won't happen if the governor check out.

Don't stop believin'.

Sure there are political differences, but cooler heads can prevail. The governor shouldn't abandon us. He shouldn't quit on lawmakers. He shouldn't quit on Minnesotans. We're here to do the people's business, and we need the governor to be active and engaged. We have work to do, and we can do it in a bipartisan way.

If nothing gets done this session, people are going to remember that the governor got mad and told us to go home. They'll think he wasn't serious about having a productive year. They'll question his motives. No one wants that.

Vince Lombardi once said "winners never quit and quitters never win." Gov. Dayton can't quit on us; there's too much at stake. He needs to end the calls to send us home, so we can work together.

Greg Davids, a Republican from Preston, represents District 28B in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He can be reached by phone at 651-296-9278 or by email at rep.greg.davids@house.mn
Disappointment echoed through this week's Rochester City Council meeting.

A group of about two dozen residents held signs expressing their disappointment regarding a lack of gender and ethnic diversity on city advisory boards and commissions.

Council member Michael Wojcik voiced disappointment regarding inaction. "This is something I've been concerned with for three years, and we haven't gotten anywhere," he said, submitting a resolution aimed at examining how board and commission members are selected.

Mayor Ardell Brede was disappointed in what he called Wojcik's divisive comments in the days before the council meeting. "It appears some people didn't get their favorite person on a board," he said.

Council member Sandra Means acknowledged her disappointment in not being invited to help draft the resolution, which Wojcik said was largely prepared by residents. She said goals needed to be defined. "We really need to define what we're talking about when we say the word 'diversity,'" she said.

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Other council members also voiced their disappointments. Mark Bilderback noted the mayor should have been brought into the loop earlier; Nick Campion wished the timing had been better, and Mark Hickey said the proposal should be part of a different discussion. "'Other business' should be used for time-sensitive items  or trivial issues," he said. "This is neither."

We have our own disappointment in the handling of the issue Monday night. We repeatedly have raised concerns about the lack of diversity on some boards and councils, but trying to pass a resolution during the final minutes of a council meeting was a wrong move.

The hurried approval of a 14-member advisory committee to help guide the design of the Heart of the City Destination Medical Center district spurred renewed discussion of the issue, so it's difficult not to note the irony of Monday's proposed resolution.

The Heart of the City committee approval was a last-minute addition to the April 4 agenda, meaning the opportunity for public comment was reduced. Likewise, Wojcik sought a vote on creating a task force after the chance for public comment had passed.

While the advisory committee was approved, action on Monday's resolution was delayed, which was the right move. The topic needs further discussion.

We agree the process for selecting members of volunteer boards and commissions needs more transparency. If people feel they are being overlooked for the wrong reasons, the process needs more clarity. If miscommunication leaves questions about the decision-making process, more openness needs to be considered.

The process for considering the options, however, needs the same transparency. It must be part of an open, scheduled council discussion.

At the same time, we applaud those who rallied Monday, as well as others who have been voicing concerns. We hope to hear more from them as the issue moves forward. When residents feel they are wronged or pushed aside by local government, they should let elected officials and the public know.

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Likewise, when residents feel they can benefit boards and commissions, we encourage them to participate despite the decisions of the mayor and council. While those assigned to board and commission seats typically have louder voices, a squeaky wheel can still draw attention to important issues.

As we encourage the council to address the issue and increase transparency, we hope we are joining the chorus of squeaks seeking change.
Catherine Herridge and Pamela Browne advance the mind-boggling story of Hillary Clintons use of a private email server to conduct official business as Secretary of State with a blockbuster. We noted their report that the the Romanian hacker Guccifer was extradited to the United States last month in Enter Guccifer.. Guccifer is in detention at a federal facility in Virginia.

Herridge and Browne have now interviewed Guccifer on one occasion in person and subsequently in recorded phone calls. They report that Guccifer claims to have hacked Clintons server. He says it was easy and that he saw evidence of hacking by others:

The infamous Romanian hacker known as Guccifer, speaking exclusively with Fox News, claimed he easily  and repeatedly  breached former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons personal email server in early 2013.

For me, it was easy  easy for me, for everybody, Marcel Lehel Lazar, who goes by the moniker Guccifer, told Fox News from a Virginia jail where he is being held.

Guccifers potential role in the Clinton email investigation was first reported by Fox News last month. The hacker subsequently claimed he was able to access the server  and provided extensive details about how he did it and what he found  over the course of a half-hour jailhouse interview and a series of recorded phone calls with Fox News. Fox News could not independently confirm Lazars claims.

The former secretary of states server held nearly 2,200 emails containing information now deemed classified, and another 22 at the Top Secret level.

The 44-year-old Lazar said he first compromised Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthals AOL account, in March 2013, and used that as a stepping stone to the Clinton server. He said he accessed Clintons server like twice, though he described the contents as not interest[ing] to him at the time.

I was not paying attention. For me, it was not like the Hillary Clinton server, it was like an email server she and others were using with political voting stuff, Guccifer said.

The hacker spoke freely with Fox News from the detention center in Alexandria, Va., where hes been held since his extradition to the U.S. on federal charges relating to other alleged cyber-crimes. Wearing a green jumpsuit, Lazar was relaxed and polite in the monitored secure visitor center, separated by thick security glass.

In describing the process, Lazar said he did extensive research on the web and then guessed Blumenthals security question. Once inside Blumenthals account, Lazar said he saw dozens of messages from the Clinton email address.

Asked if he was curious about the address, Lazar merely smiled. Asked if he used the same security question approach to access the Clinton emails, he said no  then described how he allegedly got inside.

For example, when Sidney Blumenthal got an email, I checked the email pattern from Hillary Clinton, from Colin Powell from anyone else to find out the originating IP.  When they send a letter, the email header is the originating IP usually, Lazar explained.

He said, then I scanned with an IP scanner.

Lazar emphasized that he used readily available web programs to see if the server was alive and which ports were open. Lazar identified programs like netscan, Netmap, Wireshark and Angry IP, though it was not possible to confirm independently which, if any, he used.

In the process of mining data from the Blumenthal account, Lazar said he came across evidence that others were on the Clinton server.

As far as I remember, yes, there were  up to 10, like, IPs from other parts of the world, he said.

With no formal computer training, he did most of his hacking from a small Romanian village.

Lazar said he chose to use proxy servers in Russia, describing them as the best, providing anonymity.

Cyber experts who spoke with Fox News said the process Lazar described is plausible. The federal indictment Lazar faces in the U.S. for cyber-crimes specifically alleges he used a proxy server located in Russia for the Blumenthal compromise.
From Trumps Playboy magazine interview in 1990too good not to share these bits:

Besides the real-estate deal, youve met with top-level Soviet officials to negotiate potential business deals with them; how did they strike you?

Generally, these guys are much tougher and smarter than our representatives. We have people in this country just as smart, but unfortunately, theyre not elected officials. Were still suffering from a loss of respect that goes back to the Carter Administration, when helicopters were crashing into one another in Iran.

That was Carters emblem. There he was, being carried off from a race, needing oxygen. I dont want my President to be carried off a race course. I dont want my President landing on Austrian soil and falling down the stairs of his airplane. Some of our Presidents have been incredible jerk-offs. We need to be tough.

A favorite word of yours, tough. How do you define it?

Tough is being mentally capable of winning battles against an opponent and doing it with a smile. Tough is winning systematically.

Sometimes you sound like a Presidential candidate stirring up the voters.

I dont want the Presidency. Im going to help a lot of people with my foundationand for me, the grass isnt always greener.

But if the grass ever did look greener, which political party do you think youd be more comfortable with?

Well, if I ever ran for office, Id do better as a Democrat than as a Republicanand thats not because Id be more liberal, because Im conservative. But the working guy would elect me. He likes me. When I walk down the street, those cabbies start yelling out their windows.

Another game: Whats the first thing President Trump would do upon entering the Oval Office?

Many things. A toughness of attitude would prevail. Id throw a tax on every Mercedes-Benz rolling into this country and on all Japanese products, and wed have wonderful allies again.

Would you rescue our remaining hostages in Lebanon?

Number one, in almost all cases, the hostages were told by our Government not to be there. If a man decides to become a professor at Beirut University, when he was told not to be there, and that person is captured

He deserves it?

You feel very bad for him, but you cannot base foreign policy on his capture. With that being said, when they killed our Colonel Higgins, I would have retaliated militarily immediately. I would have hit something vital to them. And hit it hard. In any other case, I would let the takers of hostages know that theyd have one week to return that hostage. And after that week, all bets would be off. You would not have any more hostages taken, believe me. Weakness always causes problems.

Do you think George Bush is soft?

I like George Bush very much and support him and always will. But I disagree with him when he talks of a kinder, gentler America. I think if this country gets any kinder or gentler, its literally going to cease to exist. I think if we had people from the business communitythe Carl Icahns, the Ross Perotsnegotiating some of our foreign policy, wed have respect around the world.

What would President Trumps position on crime be? I see the values of this country in the way crime is tolerated, where people are virtually afraid to say I want the death penalty. Well, I want it. Where has this country gone when youre not supposed to put in a grave the son of a bitch who robbed, beat, murdered and threw a ninety-year-old woman off the building? Where has this country gone?

What would be some of President Trumps longer-term views of the future?

I think of the future, but I refuse to paint it. Anything can happen.
The military hospital involved in a case in which a dying cancer patient accused search engine giant Baidu of providing misleading medical treatment information suspended all its services on Wednesday for a "thorough investigation".

The Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps said it will respond by Saturday to requests from other patients seeking compensation, The Beijing News reported.

"Due to the hospital undergoing education and rectification, we will from today (Wednesday) temporarily suspend all external services," the hospital said in a notice. The services include emergency care, outpatient and inpatient services.

The People's Armed Police Force said it would cooperate fully with the investigation.

In a brief statement released on the Chinese military's news website, the force said it paid great attention to the case and had already sent its own team to the hospital.

A patient weeps in front of the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps on Wednesday. [Wang Zhuangfei / China Daily]

Wei Zexi, a student at Xidian University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, died in early April after receiving immunotherapy treatment at the hospital.

Earlier media reports and some patients claimed that the hospital said in its promotional material that the techniques it used for cancer treatment came from Stanford School of Medicine in the United States.

Jana Chow, manager for media relations at Stanford Health Care, said in an e-mail to China Daily on Wednesday, "Stanford Health Care and Stanford School of Medicine have no connection to this hospital, or to this case."

Becky Bach, Stanford School of Medicine's media specialist, said that Stanford has never had any cooperation with any Chinese hospital in the cellular treatment sector, including the hospital involved in the case. She doesn't understand why the hospital emphasized that the techniques were introduced from Stanford, according to Caixin magazine's WeChat account.

Wei was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare, often ternimal cancer of the soft tissue, in 2014 and his parents sent him to the hospital last year after learning on Baidu that the immunotherapy used there had been developed at Stanford and was very effective.

Wei disclosed this in an online post in February, two months before he died.

Families and relatives of patients who have received or are receiving similar treatment said they turned to the hospital after learning from websites or newspapers that the therapy is effective and had been introduced from the US.

According to descriptions on Baidu of the therapy used by the hospital, it treats diseases by extracting immune cells from patients, reproducing large numbers of them that are re-injected into the patient to kill a disease or virus.

Families and relatives of patients receiving the therapy at the hospital confirmed the descriptions.

The website of Stanford School of Medicine states that the school has immunotherapy programs, but the research is still at the clinical trial stage.
The European Union (EU) said on Wednesday in Abuja that its member countries were desirous of a stronger economic partnership with Nigeria to strengthen the cooperation existing between them.

The Head of the EU delegation to Nigeria, Michel Arrion, said at a pre-event briefing heralding the forthcoming security summit to celebrate 40 years of EU-Nigeria partnership, that over the years the relationship between Nigeria and EU had developed from a loose economic cooperation to a vibrant partnership on a number of issues, including climate change, trade, governance, human rights and security.

Mr. Arrion said the signing of the Lome 1 Convention between Europe Nine and 46 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries in 1975 and the subsequent establishment of the European Economic Commission, EEC, Mission in Nigeria, marked the effective beginning of the partnership.

He described the cooperation over the years as dynamic, pointing out that it had helped change the political and economic realities and priorities of the partnering countries, particularly in the areas of trade and development aid.

After 15 years, the EU envoy said the cooperation between Nigeria and the European community shifted to human resources development in the rural sector, conservation, protection and re-development of the environment, agriculture and expansion to support the productive sector.

After 40 years of engagement with Nigeria, he said the EU funded development projects aimed at stimulating the economy, reducing hunger and disease, enhancing institutional capacities, strengthening good governance and fighting insecurity.

In 2008, Mr. Arrion said the EU decided to bring its relationship with Nigeria to a new level by agreeing on a broader political framework based on principles, guidelines and priority subjects for enhanced dialogue and cooperation on areas of mutual interest.

These include peace and security, migration, good governance, and democracy, human rights, trade and regional integration as well as development issues as energy, food security, environmental sustainability and climate change.

He lamented the low level of exports of agricultural products from Nigeria to the EU countries pointing out that this would not help the current economic challenges the country is facing.

There are potential exports like rubber or tiles that could be developed. The EU will be delighted to import and to buy more rubber and cocoa from Nigeria. The problem is that the production is very small. That is why we are buying most of our cocoa from Ivory Coast and Ghana, he said.

He said although 13 member countries of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, have so far signed economic partnership agreement, EPA on trade and economic cooperation with the EU, Nigeria was the only country that has refused to do so.

Emphasizing the need for competitive pricing of Nigerian products like palm oil, Mr. Arrion said he sees a potential market for the export of the commodity from Nigeria to EU if prices were competitive.
The Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria, Valeriy Aleksandruk, has said that his country is ready to invest one billion dollars into Ajaokuta Steel Company in order to revive the plant.

This is according to a statement by Alex Okoh, Head, Public Communications, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) in Abuja on Thursday.

The statement said that the ambassador made the disclosure when he paid a courtesy call on the Acting Director General of the BPE, Vincent Akpotaire.

It also stated that Aleksandruk said that the Ukrainian company that built the plant -Tiajpromexport (TPE)  had presented a proposal to the Federal Government to that effect.

He said that the steel company has a lot of potentials which his country wanted to take advantage of and that already, meetings were on with relevant people in Nigeria for the realisation of the planned takeover of the plant.

Aleksandruk emphasised that Nigeria has a very good relationship with Ukraine especially in areas of trade and investments adding that there was a big Nigerian community in his country.

He, however, added that Ukraine was ready to open a new page in its relationship with Nigeria and pledged to assist the Bureau in its training needs to become a foremost privatisation agency in Africa.

The statement said that Akpotaire in his response, said that the Bureau would review the proposal by the Ukrainian government.

He said it would also review that of Morgan Stanley, the multinational financial services firm that would provide the one billion dollar investment before taking any further steps.

He added that the Federal Government was desirous to get the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and the Nigerian Iron Ore Mill Company (NIOMCO) Itakpe running.

Akpotaire urged the Ukrainian Government to invest in other sectors of the Nigerian economy, especially in developing the downstream of the steel sector that would service several sectors including the automobile sector.

(NAN)
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has appointed Asset Management Partners (AMPs) to assist in the resolution of over six thousand accounts with loan balances of N100 million and below.

The AMPs are consortia with specialist skills to recover and resolve debts in banking, legal, valuation and accounting.

The new partners are currently involved in an induction programme prior to the final selection of successful qualified firms.

At the induction ceremony in Lagos on Wednesday, AMCON Executive Director, Kola Ayeye, said collaborating with AMPs would ensure that the total loan portfolio of over 12,000 accounts of various sizes and sectors still lingering for over six years were established.

Mr. Ayeye, who was represented by the Managing Director/CEO, Ahmed Kuru, said when AMCONs staff strength of approximately 300 was considered, there was need for a strategic approach to improve coverage and strengthen the capacity for more recoveries.

We are convinced that the AMP programme is key to the success of AMCON, and we will give them all the necessary support to make them succeed in this exercise. A new sub-sector should emerge with desirable job creation and multiplier impact, Mr. Ayeye said.

The Executive Director urged the AMPs to take the assignment seriously as AMCON intends to nurture its transformation into the preferred model for recovery and resolution of non-performing loans, NPLs in the banking sector and financial services industry.

AMCON said the AMPs is to be vested with the powers granted by the enabling Act, and would, among other things work with it to trace, identify and locate obligors (both pledged and unpledged) to resolve their outstanding indebtedness.

They would also be involved in tracing, identifying and locating assets of obligors to enhance the Eligible Bank Assets (EBAs) value and achieve set recovery objectives, negotiation of settlement and restructuring terms with identified obligors in line with approved guidelines.

AMCON was established in 2010 as a resolution vehicle to purchase the non-performing loans from banks, inject liquidity into the banks and subsequently recover the purchased bad loans.
By Chai Hua in Shenzhen and Meng Jing ( China Daily ) 08:55, May 05, 2016

A private car is seized by transport authorities in February because its driver offered rides for payment and failed to provide the required licenses in Beijing.[Guo Qian/For China Daily]

Teacher attacked with knife by driver from ride-hailing service

The alleged murder of a young woman by a Didi taxi driver on Monday evening triggered public concern over the safety and supervision of online car-hailing services.

The Transport Commission of Shenzhen on Wednesday told China Daily it will release detailed supervision measures after the Ministry of Transportation launches the regulation for online car-hailing services later this month.

Local police said that the 24-year-old woman was murdered by a Didi driver in Shenzhen on May 2.

The woman, surnamed Zhong, was an English teacher at a primary school in Shajing, Baoan district. She hailed a Didi taxi from her home near the Shenzhen Hi-tech Industrial Park to go back to school on Monday evening.

Shenzhen police on Tuesday evening announced that the driver, surnamed Pan, was arrested and Zhong's body had been found.

Pan, 24, admitted picking up Zhong at about 9 pm and taking her to a remote road, where he forced Zhong to hand over valuables with a knife and then murdered her.

Didi also disclosed the suspect did not have a criminal record and was reviewed by his previous 18 passengers as "a qualified driver with no record of complaints".

The killing made a splash on local media and triggered calls for more attention to be paid to the safety of online car-hailing services.

Tang Yi, a Didi driver in Shenzhen, said the company told drivers to ensure that their information is complete.

To register at Didi, the driver needs to fill in his/her name, ID, mobile phone number, city, license plate number and car brand online.

But Tang said drivers can start to take passengers without the information being double checked.

He added that some drivers even use photo editing software to change the car license and suggested Didi set up an offline verification system. Some drivers use one car to register with two different, even fictitious, license plate numbers, so that they can receive more orders.

Last July, a driver who registered on Didi with car information he found online raped a female passenger in Beijing. The driver had a criminal record of patronizing prostitutes.

In March, the Shenzhen transportation bureau had a meeting with major service providers in the city and asked them to provide driver information, but Zhai Yuhui from the bureau said only partial information was handed in.

"After checking this information with the police database, we can ensure the personal and car information registered on these platforms is authentic, but whether they are hired is not our decision," Zhai said. He added that these companies also need to make sure drivers use the registered car and license plate to take passengers.

Didi states it checks driver registration information with the criminal record database approved by law enforcement agencies and driving record data from the Department of Vehicle Administration.

The company said it will launch an in-app 110 police number to further enhance safety protection.
At least 110 Nigerian individuals and companies have so far been identified by PREMIUM TIMES in the leaked internal data of Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonsecca, as operators of offshore shell companies in tax havens.

Prominent among the new names being revealed today, in addition to the several that were published in the past one month, are the founder of telecommunication company, Globacom, Mike Adenuga; Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sadiq Sani Bello and the late Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuwade, among others.

The list also contained names of Arik Chairman, Joseph Arumemi-Johnson and his wife, Mary, as well as two serving senators  Andy Uba (Anambra) and Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto).

Other top business persons, politicians, and their family members were also found in the infamous database, including those currently holding public offices. See full list below.

The publication details names of companies, their owners and the particular tax havens the offshore firms are domiciled.

PREMIUM TIMES is the only Nigerian media organisation with exclusive access to the documents obtained by German newspaper, Suddeutsche Zeitung, and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) with over 80 media organisations around the world.

Since April 3, 2016, when the news of the unprecedented leak broke worldwide, PREMIUM TIMES has published series of exclusive reports about the offshore assets of prominent Nigerians named in the database that is now globally referred to as #PanamaPapers. Some of them, who are public officer holders, held the assets in violation of Nigerian law, failing to declare them to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

The investigation revealed the assets of some of Nigerias most powerful individuals, including Africas richest man Aliko Dangote; President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki; convicted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori; the boss of Oando, Nigerias biggest indigenous oil firm, Wale Tinubu, in tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands, Panama, and Seychelles.

The unprecedented year-long investigation involving 11.5 million secret documents  which stretch from 1977 to December 2015  exposed the hidden underground of the world economy, a network of banks, law firms and other middlemen that utilize shell companies, sometimes using them to hide illegal wealth.

The 2.6 TB files, involving 214,488 entities, also revealed hundreds of details about how former gun-runners, contractors and other members of the spy world use offshore companies for personal and private gain.

The investigation unveiled the cloak of secrecy provided by Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm that specializes in creating offshore companies, some of which have been used by con men and women to hide Ponzi schemes, predatory lending scams, and other financial frauds from their victims and from the authorities.

The use of shell companies is not illegal and there are individuals and firms who incorporate them for purely legitimate purposes.

Below is a comprehensive list of other Nigerians named in the leak, although this may not be final as this newspaper will continue its investigation in the weeks and months ahead.

Follow all our #PanamaPapers coverage here.

EDITORS NOTE: This post has been updated. Two wrong photographs erroneously used to illustrate Tajudeen Ayokunnu, and Olanrewaju Olumuyiwa were removed after we became aware that those were not the faces of the actual persons referred to in our report. We apologise to the Olanrewaju Olumuyiwa and Tajudeen Ayo Yusuf, a member representing Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, for the mix-up.
The Defence Headquarters on Thursday confirmed that armed men suspected to be members of a militant group in the Niger Delta attacked a major platform of Chevron Nigeria Limited.

Chevron, an operator of a joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said the attack occurred at about 11.15 pm on Wednesday.

It is the latest in a series of attacks on oil facilities since President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to treat vandals and saboteurs in the region as terrorists.

Its Okan offshore facility in the Western Niger Delta region was breached by unknown persons, said Chevron in the statement.

The facility is currently shut-in and we are assessing the situation, and have deployed resources to respond to a resulting spill, the company added.

A group, the Niger Delta Avengers, which had earlier claimed responsibility for the sabotage a Shell Petroleum Development Company facility in the Forcados areas of Delta State, also took responsibility for the latest attack.

The group said in a statement signed by Madoch Agninibo, that it planned to attack other oil installations outside the Niger Delta in Abuja and Lagos as well as multinational oil companies operating in the Niger Delta, to pressurise government to meet their demands.

This is what we promised the Nigeria Government. Since they have refused to listen to us, we are going to bring the countrys economy to zero.

We want to pass this message to the all international oil companies operating in the Niger Delta that the Nigeria Military cant protect your facilities. They should talk to the federal government to meet our demands else more mishaps will befall their installations.

Not until our demands are met, no repair works should be done at the blast site. Whoever is going there for any repair work will be doing that at their detriment, the group warned.

The militants group is asking for greater control of the oil revenues from the region.
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja urged the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to facilitate faster recovery of Nigerias stolen wealth stashed abroad.

Receiving the Executive Secretary of UNODC, Yury Fedotov, President Buhari said the process of recovering the stolen assets had become tedious to the consternation of many Nigerians.

We are looking for more cooperation from the EU, United States, other countries and international institutions to recover the nations stolen assets, particularly proceeds from the stolen crude oil.

It is taking very long and Nigerians are becoming impatient, the president said.

President Buhari told Mr. Fedotov that his government has worked very hard in the past 11 months to reverse the very negative global perception of Nigeria on corruption.

Our genuine efforts to deal with corruption and drugs have earned us international respect and this has encouraged us to do more.

We know that by fighting the scourge of drugs and corruption and rebuilding trustworthiness, integrity, good business practices, and imposing discipline on youths to avoid drugs, we are not doing a favour to the international community, we are doing a favour to ourselves,  the President said.

President Buhari also promised that his administration will work with the UN agency to rehabilitate young Nigerians who have been misled into consumption of illicit drugs and drug trafficking.

Mr. Fedotov told President Buhari that UNODC has chosen Nigerian as a pilot country for support and strategic cooperation in the fight against drugs and corruption.
The spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, has withdrawn his application for stay of proceedings at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

Mr. Metuh is standing trial at the Federal High Court for alleged corruption.

The PDP spokesperson had, through his counsel, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, asked the appeal court to halt his trial, pending the determination of his application challenging a previous ruling of the high court.

Justice Okon Abang of the federal high court had dismissed an earlier application from Mr. Metuh seeking a no case submission.

Mr. Metuh challenged the ruling and asked the appeal court to prevent his trial till the determination of the appeal.

But on April 25, a three-member panel of judges, led by Abdul Aboki, told Mr. Metuhs counsel, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, that the court would not stop the trial at the lower court.

On Thursday, the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, told the court that the application for stay of proceedings was still before it, saying the applicant had not withdrawn the said application.

His request that the application be refused was interjected by Mr. Aboki who noted that the court had already made it clear that it does not grant such application.

We have stated it severally that we do not do that here, said Mr. Aboki.

Subsequently, Mr. Ikpeazu informed the court that his client would focus on its main application before it and withdraw the application for stay of proceedings.

The application was therefore withdrawn.

Responding to Mr. Ikpeazus submission regarding the main application, Mr. Tahir also asked the court to dismiss the application which seeks to contest the ruling of Mr. Okon, stressing that the application was lacking in merit.

Mr. Tahir said for the appeal by Mr. Metuh to be considered valid, his counsel ought to have sought the leave of the trial court as well as the Court of Appeal, which they failed to do before making their application.

He therefore prayed the court to dismiss the appeal.

But counsel to Destra Investment, Tochukwu Onwubufor, however noted that Mr. Tahir did not include the reason he is objecting the application in his grounds of arguments filed before the court.

He said the verbal objection raised by Mr. Tahir was unconstitutional and should therefore be dismissed.

Mr. Onwubufor then prayed the court to set aside the ruling of the lower court.

The case was adjourned till a date to be communicated later.
Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State said on Thursday that President Muhammadu Buharis visit to the state on May 9, is not for political reason, but to promote the states economic potentials.

At a press conference in Katsina on the forthcoming Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit, Mr. Masari said that the visit would help to focus the attention of the world on the states vast investment opportunities.

The president will visit the state to actively participate in the Economic and Investment Summit that is geared to uplift the economic status of the citizenry of the state.

The people of the state should accord high respect to the coming of the president as a citizen and indigene of the state.

The president should not be insulted as the gathering was not a political programme but an investment and economic summit, he said.

Mr. Masari said the government had extended invitation to all officials of the 21 political parties with presence in the state, to also participate in the summit.

I call on the political class not to turn the economic and investment summit into a political affair.

The government through intelligence report has gathered that some disgruntled elements are planning to sponsor restive youths to stage demonstration so as to disrupt the summit.

The Katsina state government will not fold its arm and allow mischief makers to scuttle the programme that was designed to create an environment for investors, he said.

The governor said the state was blessed with human and mineral resources that needed to be harnessed for the overall benefit of the citizens.

Commenting on the security situation, Mr. Masari said the state was completely safe for investment as there were no cases of kidnapping or cattle rustling.

He said the state government had dislodged all the cattle rustlers in Rugu forest and recovered 11,000 cows which had been handed over to their owners. (NAN)
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has appealed the ruling of a Federal High Court denying him bail.

Mr. Kanu is held by the Nigerian government on charges of treason. He has been in detention since last October.

Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court had on January 29 dismissed an application for bail for Mr. Kanu and two of his associates, Benjamin Madubgwu and James Nwawuisi.

The judge said bail could not be granted because the allegations against the trio constituted a threat to national security, and could attract a penalty of life imprisonment, if found guilty.

The judge also cited Mr. Kanus dual citizenship as another reason for the bail denial. Mr. Kanu holds Nigerian and British passports.

Mr. Kanu is now asking the Court of Appeal to review the ruling.

In a motion filed by his counsel, Chucks Muoma, Mr. Kanu asked the Court of Appeal to determine whether or not Mr. Tsoho was right in citing Mr. Kanus dual citizenship an excuse for refusing him bail.

In his reply, the Director of Public Prosecution, office of the Attorney General, Mohammed Diri, told the court that the case was properly assessed by the trial judge at the lower court before the ruling was given.

He therefore prayed the court to dismiss the application for want of merit.

The court said judgement would be given on the matter on a later date.
The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, on Thursday said the importation and cultivation of good and nutritious grass will put a stop to the clashes between herdsmen and farmers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr. Ogbeh said this in Lagos during an interactive session with the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).

He said that Nigerian cows, which should be among the best breed in the world, lacked the capacity to produce quality milk because they wandered about.

The largest ranch in the world, dairy farm in the world is in Saudi Arabia; 135,000 cows in one farm, but they are the most comfortable cows on planet earth, they live in air-conditioned tents.

They eat and they produce milk; they give 40 litres of milk per day. We do, sometimes, half a litre of the milk. Thats why Saudi milk is all over the gulf.

Where do they get their grass? They get their grass from the U.S.; import alfalfa grass from the U.S. and from Sudan.

Our cows are wandering and the herdsmen are at war with farmers; a crisis we must bring to an end as quickly as possible. And the solution is: grow grass.

I have said it before, but I came up against a barrage of assaults. Is it grass now? Na grass you go import? They said.

With all due apologies to the commentators, they do not know as much as I do about this business of cattle; I keep some.

There is no way you can keep cows without good grass to feed them and the grass must have a minimum of 18 per cent protein, trace elements and amino acids, then the cow will give you good meat, he said.

NAN reports that Mr. Ogbeh was accompanied to the session by the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, and the Minister of Environment, Aminat Mohammed.

The NPAN was represented by its President and Publisher of Thisday Newpapers, Nduka Obaigbena, and Comfort Obi of The Source Magazine, among others.

(NAN)
Azibaola Robert, a relation to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has petitioned the House of Representatives, alleging that he was illegally detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mr. Robert said he was picked up by operatives of the commission on March 23, 2016 and had remained in their custody since then.

In the petition signed by Faith Robert and presented to the lower chamber on Thursday in Abuja by Kingsley Chinda (Rivers-PDP), Mr. Robert said his arrest and continued detention violated his fundamental rights.

He, therefore, urged the leadership of the house, especially the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, to intervene in his ordeal and restore his rights.

Mr Azibaola Robert is the Managing Director of Kakatar Engineering and Construction Company Limited and its sister company, One Plus Holdings Limited.

He is a cousin to former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and a law-abiding and peace loving Nigerian.

Recently, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested the said Mr Azibaola Robert over allegations of a 40 million dollar-contract with the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The contract was awarded to One Plus Holdings Limited for the surveillance and security of oil pipelines across the Niger Delta.

The ONSA is at present indebted to the company (One Plus Holdings Limited) to about four million dollars, being final payment for the said surveillance/oil pipeline security contract, the petition stated.

According to it, Mr. Robert was arrested and taken into EFCC custody on March 23, 2016 and has since spent over a month in EFCC detention, without any formal charge brought against him.

Preceding his arrest, however, was a raid on his house by scores of heavily armed mobile policemen who in the process subjected his wife and young children to the most dehumanising and traumatic ordeal.

In EFCC custody, Mr Azibaola Robert has been denied access to his family, lawyers and medical care and repeatedly bullied, harassed, threatened and psychologically traumatised by EFCC operatives, and no formal charge brought against him.

Curiously, his interrogators have told him in very clear terms to say something to implicate former President Goodluck Jonathan, his cousin as a front or beneficiary of the contract, else he would face the `Dasuki treatment.

We note the clear provisions of Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, dealing with Fundamental Rights, particularly the right to dignity of the human person (S.34), right to personal liberty (S.35) and right to fair hearing (S. 36).`

Equally instructive is the fact that upon an application for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on April 7, 2016 granted Mr Azibaola Robert bail, the petition said.

The petitioner claimed that after meeting the bail conditions, a production warrant of the same court was served on the EFCC on April 12, which was not honoured.

We are deeply concerned about the health of Mr Azibaola Robert whose demeanour, countenance, co-ordination and cognition are reported to have significantly changed.

And, such conditions according to his personal physician could be indicative of a systematic poisoning with psychotropic/psychoactive and other lethal drugs by EFCC operatives, the petition stated.

The house received the petition and referred it to its Committee of Public Petitions and adjourned sitting till Thursday.

(NAN)
The Nigerian Army says troops from 223 Battalion, 1 Brigade, on Wednesday, prevented cattle rustlers from attacking two villages in Adamawa State.

Eighteen of the armed bandits were killed, while several others were wounded by the troops during the encounter, said a statement released on Thursday by the army.

The statement, signed by the acting Director of Army Public Relations, Sani Usman, said the troops, acting on tip off, laid ambush for the bandits who were on their way to attack Ruwan Tofa and Babban Doka, in Dansadau District of Maru Local Government Area.

The bandits were in large numbers, and were riding on motorcycles, the statement said.

The troops recovered 11 AK-47 rifles, one G3 rifles, one locally-made pistol, 11 magazines of AK-47 rifle, a magazine of G3 rifle and 161 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunitions.

The army said the troops went further to destroy the bandits camp at Babban Doka general area.

The army said the troops were combing the area for the remnants of the bandits, and appealed to members of the public to continue to assist the army with information on cattle rustlers and other criminals in the area.

Nigerian troops, who were carrying out clearance and rescue operation in Sambisa forest, Borno State, were able to successfully repel an attack from Boko Haram fighters, Wednesday, the army said.

The Boko Haram terrorists, said to have driven in five Toyota Hilux trucks, mounted with anti-aircraft guns, attacked the troops around 7p.m.

The army said the attack lasted for 40 minutes, and at the end, the troops were able to overpower Boko Haram, and killed an unconfirmed number of its fighters.

The troops recovered an 81mm mortar tube from the terrorists.

The army said troops from 7 Division, during a special operation at Chingurimi, Walasa and Masa villages on Wednesday, rescued more than 400 persons who were held hostage by Boko Haram.

Quite a number of Boko Haram fighters were killed, while the troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, six rounds of 7.62mm, 295 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO), 12 Dane Guns, 21 unserviceable mobile telephone handsets and one serviceable as well as150 different SIM cards.
Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau says he has recovered N2.7 billion looted through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) by the past administration in the State.

Mr. Lalong made the disclosure at a session with Correspondents Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists as part of activities to mark his 53rd birthday in Jos on Thursday.

The governor said N4.7 billion was still outstanding in the same SUBEB and assured that he will make sure that the money was recovered completely.

He said his administration would do everything possible to recover all the funds looted from the state treasury by the previous administration.

We have done a lot of investigations and a lot of arrests have been made, some past government officials have been invited by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to make some clarifications.

As I speak, a former commissioner in the state is in the custody of the EFCC because of looted funds.

Over N2 billion which was meant for Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (SMEs), was diverted in the past administration and the case has been reported to the EFCC.

Because of this , the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has refused to give the state additional funds for SMEs; because the state is yet to account for N2 billion and this has caused a setback in empowering the youths, he said.

Lalong assured the people of the state that his administration would complete all critical projects initiated by his predecessor Jonah Jang in spite of dwindling resources.

These projects are for the benefit of the people of Plateau and not the previous administration and we will not abandon them.

This is in line with the directive of Mr President that critical projects inherited must be completed, he explained.

On his recent trip to China, the governor said it would soon bring fruitful benefits to the people of the state.

Investors are already coming to invest in our tourism, solid minerals and agricultural sectors.

We are really working on increasing the tourism potentials of the state; especially the Wild Life Park, the Pandam Wild life Park, the Wase Rock and others.

Our state is one of the richest states in the country in terms of solid minerals and we are working on how to take advantage of the policies concerning revenue generation with respect to solid minerals, he stated.

Lalong commended the people for the peace being enjoyed in the state, saying it wouldnt have been possible if the people had not cooperated with government.

According to him, peace and security are number one on the state governments Five Pillar Policy Thrust; adding without peace investors would not be able to visit our state.

He also said he would continue to unite the different ethnic groups and to ensure that peace continues to reign in the state.

(NAN)
London, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to Britain, has demanded stopping meddling in the South China Seadispute by some politicians and media outlets in the United Statesand Britain, in a signed article to the Times published Wednesday.

"The issue of the South China Sea is being ramped up by those in the US and the UK who accuse China of causing tension in the region. They proclaim the principle of free navigation and over-flight but in reality their prejudice and partiality will only increase tension," he said.

Their suggestion that China's "hard line" position about the sea increases friction is not based on fact, Liu said, pointing out that China was the first country to discover and name the Nansha islands and reefs and the first to govern them.

Although more than 40 of them are now illegally occupied by other countries, "our talks with neighbors to resolve our differences show how committed we are to regional peace and stability," Liu said.

China's construction on its own islands and reefs is a matter for itself. These actions are not targeted at any other country. Apart from minimum defense facilities, the building works are primarily civilian in purpose, Liu said.

The claim that there is a threat to the freedom of navigation and overflight in the sea is false, he said, adding that more than 100,000 vessels pass through the sea unimpeded every year.

"Is the freedom of navigation that every country is entitled to really the issue? Or is it the 'freedom' of certain countries to flex military muscle and moor warships on other nations' doorsteps and fly military jets over other countries' territorial airspace?" he asked.

"If it is the latter, such 'freedom' should be condemned as a flagrantly hostile act and stopped," he said.

To accusations that China is "not abiding by international law" and "undermining the rule-based international system," Liu said that China made a clear declaration in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2006 to exclude compulsory arbitration on sovereign disputes and maritime delimitation.

"More than 30 other countries, including the UK, have made similar declarations," he pointed out.

"The world will see clearly who is making trouble in the South China Sea. These nations should desist from meddling and muddling. Such actions pose a threat to regional stability and world peace," the ambassador said.

Stop meddling in South China Sea dispute, Chinese diplomat demands

Source: Xinhua2016-05-05 05:51:30

London, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to Britain, has demanded stopping meddling in the South China Seadispute by some politicians and media outlets in the United Statesand Britain, in a signed article to the Times published Wednesday.

"The issue of the South China Sea is being ramped up by those in the US and the UK who accuse China of causing tension in the region. They proclaim the principle of free navigation and over-flight but in reality their prejudice and partiality will only increase tension," he said.

Their suggestion that China's "hard line" position about the sea increases friction is not based on fact, Liu said, pointing out that China was the first country to discover and name the Nansha islands and reefs and the first to govern them.

Although more than 40 of them are now illegally occupied by other countries, "our talks with neighbors to resolve our differences show how committed we are to regional peace and stability," Liu said.

China's construction on its own islands and reefs is a matter for itself. These actions are not targeted at any other country. Apart from minimum defense facilities, the building works are primarily civilian in purpose, Liu said.

The claim that there is a threat to the freedom of navigation and overflight in the sea is false, he said, adding that more than 100,000 vessels pass through the sea unimpeded every year.

"Is the freedom of navigation that every country is entitled to really the issue? Or is it the 'freedom' of certain countries to flex military muscle and moor warships on other nations' doorsteps and fly military jets over other countries' territorial airspace?" he asked.

"If it is the latter, such 'freedom' should be condemned as a flagrantly hostile act and stopped," he said.

To accusations that China is "not abiding by international law" and "undermining the rule-based international system," Liu said that China made a clear declaration in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2006 to exclude compulsory arbitration on sovereign disputes and maritime delimitation.

"More than 30 other countries, including the UK, have made similar declarations," he pointed out.

"The world will see clearly who is making trouble in the South China Sea. These nations should desist from meddling and muddling. Such actions pose a threat to regional stability and world peace," the ambassador said.
The House of Representatives on Thursday urged the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, to immediately re-seal the Kogi State House of Assembly pending the resolution of its crisis.

The order followed the recommendation of an ad hoc committee constituted by the house to reassess the assemblys impasse.

The committee, which had the Majority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila as Chairman, recommended the reprimand of the IGP for undermining the authority of the legislature by unsealing the assembly recently.

The house resolved that all resolutions, laws and actions taken by the Kogi assembly from the date of the National Assemblys resolution to seal it were null and void.

The Governor of Kogi State is to send the state budget and other executive bills to the National Assembly for consideration as stipulated in section 11 of the Constitution, the representatives said.

The lawmakers described the actions of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Arase as an affront on the legislature and the countrys democracy by ordering the reopening of the assembly without recourse to the house.

Mr. Gbajabiamila dismissed the Attorney-Generals submissions that any matter in court could not be discussed on the floor of the house.

(NAN)
The Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital branch of the Association of Resident Doctors has protested the sack of resident doctors in the hospital.

The associations president, Adeyinka Owolabi, told journalists in Osogbo on Wednesday that the sack was connected to the lingering industrial crisis between the association and the management.

Mr. Owolabi said there were no efforts at resolving the impasse, contrary to information making the rounds.

He called on all Nigerians to intervene in the lingering industrial crisis between it and the Osun State government.

The resident doctors at the Hospital have been on strike for more than seven months over issues relating to unpaid salaries and other welfare packages.

Mr. Owolabi urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, to accede to their demands to avoid the collapse of health care delivery in the state.

He said the state government and their representative have taken to blackmail, intimidation and victimisation of their members.

Mr. Owolabi maintained that the ongoing strike by the resident doctors would continue until all pending issues were resolved.

He also claimed that every attempt made within and outside the state to resolve the issues had failed.

Activities at the hospital have remained paralysed since September 28th 2015 when the industrial action by the resident doctors began.

The Chief Medical Director of LAUTECH, Akeem Lasisi, when contacted, said those the hospital asked to go had overstayed the duration of their residency programme.

He said the sacking followed a forensic audit carried out in the hospital, adding that it was not targeted at the resident doctors alone.

According to the CMD, the sacking had nothing to do with the strike embarked on by the ARD since September 28th, 2015.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday condemned what he described as the rivalry for supremacy among Yoruba monarchs.

Obasanjo was speaking when the new Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, paid him a courtesy visit at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun.

The former president described the rivalry as a distraction which can result to setback.

He said that good governance and welfare of citizens should be paramount to the monarchs.

Obasanjo advised the monarchs to guard the honour accorded to their offices jealously and to also demonstrate mutual respect for one another other.

I think that what is more important is to give good governance to the citizens and also have mutual respect for ourselves.

When I was president and even now, I usually accorded respect to all presidents, particularly to the ones with small populations.

I do this because I realised that no matter how densely populated a country might be, it has the same one vote at the United Nations, just as a country with few people.

For instance, Nigeria with a population of about 180 million has the same vote with Sao Tome with a population of 150, 000.

The former president recalled how he consulted with Gov. Abiola Ajumobi of Oyo State during the tussle for the obaship of Ibadan, commending the governor for taking a right step.

Obasanjo, who noted that it was God who enthroned the Ibadan monarch, prayed that the same God would strengthen him to succeed.

The former president noted that from experience, like the Egbas in Ogun, the people of Ibadan in Oyo State were not easy to govern.

He advised the Ibadan monarch to be trustworthy and to ensure that he dispensed justice.

Although all mankind are difficult to govern but I also know from experience that the people of Egba and Ibadan particularly, are not easy to govern.

I pray that God who put you there will help you to succeed.

What is most important to any leader, be it traditional, political or religious is for him to be trustworthy.

Nobody is perfect, but once you are queried over some issues and you are able to defend yourself well, you can then leave the rest to God.

In his response, Adetunji commended Obasanjo for his role in his emergence as the 41st Olubadan.

He called for unity among monarchs in Yorubaland to move the people forward.

(NAN)
130-year-old tunnels in Australia being lightened by Glow Worms (Photographer: Chen Tang)

SYDNEY, May. 5 (Peoples Daily Online) -- Helensburgh, roughly 50 kilometers south of Sydney, is the home to 7 Helensburgh tunnels whth a history of around 130 years. In addition to the history behind the tunnels, glow worms have turned these tunnels into unique sceneries that have become a popular attraction worth visiting in New South Wales, Australia.

Helensburgh train tunnels were built between 1884 and 1886 and were abandoned a few years later. The first Helensburgh station was put into use on 1 January 1889 that connects Helensburgh tunnel and Metropolitan tunnel. Helensburgh tunnel at the time was 80 meters long while the Metropolitan tunnel was 624 meters long.

Following the closure of the tunnels, Metropolitan tunnel was turned into reservoir and mushroom farms. As the mushroom production continues to decline, there is a rapid growth in glow worm population that resides inside the tunnel. Now, metropolitan tunnel is believed to be one of the largest colonies of glow worms in New South Wales that attracts a large number of tourists, photographers and hikers.

Due to the historical significance, Helensburgh tunnels have been listed as an Environmental and Heritage Reserve in New South Wales. The government suggests that tunnels should be treated with care in regarding to protections of the natural habitat.
ATLANTIC CITY -- City Council narrowly passed a resolution Wednesday night to award B&B Parking a contract to run the citys parking operation.

After going into executive session to discuss the matter, the council approved the deal by a 4-3 vote. Under the two-year agreement, B&B Parking will remove, replace and maintain the citys parking meters at no cost to the city. The company will collect and share 55 percent of the parking revenue with the city.

Councilman Jesse Kurtz, the resolutions sponsor, said it was important to act Wednesday to ensure the new meters can be installed by the summer season. The city hopes the new meters are online by July 1.

The city received two bids in its request for proposals. The other bidder, ABM Parking Services of Cleveland, Ohio, offered to share just 14.47 percent of the parking revenue with the city.

One is giving us a little more than 14 percent and the other one is 55 percent. For me it was a no brainer. Im actually surprised how close the vote was tonight, Kurtz said.

Councilmen Frank Gilliam, George Tibbitt and Chuen Jimmy Cheng voted against the measure. Gilliam said he thought the city was going in the direction of creating an independent parking authority instead of going out to bid with a private entity.

The administration stated they were going to find a consultant, come back to us with the insight or the result from that study, Gilliam said. We have not gotten that. The only thing we got was someone being awarded a bid in the end.

B&B Parking, based in the city, is responsible for the signage, painting of no parking areas, recommendation of ordinances and other contracted expenses, the citys request for proposals said. The company must develop other parking management strategies, like increasing the number of spaces.

The city will still be responsible for enforcement and prosecution of parking violations, the request for proposals said.

A separate resolution related to B&B Parking was pulled until the next council meeting. That resolution would allow B&B Parkings Boardwalk Tram Service to collect an optional donation of 7 cents for each $2 fare. The trams recently started collecting a state luxury tax for each transaction after being fined $40,000 by the state. That made the fare an awkward $2.18. The 7-cent donation would allow customers to pay $2.25. The donation would go to the Atlantic City Police Foundation.

But the resolution was pulled over concerns that allowing the optional donation would violate the contract with the city. Other companies who bid for that contract may have considered the luxury tax and other costs when making their bids, Tibbitt said. And Councilman William Marsh wanted council to reconsider the recipient of the donation, suggesting a youth foundation instead.

Your price is your price, Tibbitt said. When it comes to public contracts, you cant reopen a bid and give more money because somebody forgot something as part of their business model on their charges.

Councilman Aaron Randolph ran the meeting in Council President Marty Smalls absence. Small, who is receiving a masters degree in educational leadership from Cheyney University, was at his graduation reception.

609-272-7215

@_Hetrick
BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP  Barnegat officials said Thursday afternoon that they believe escaped convict Arthur Buckel is no longer in the area.

Sgt. Jeffrey Ryan said police on Thursday started returning to more regular schedule after more than 24-hours of searching for Buckel. Schools will stall have a police presence on Friday.

The New Jersey Department of Corrections, which has taken the lead on the investigation, did not comment on how Buckel may have escaped the area or why authorities believe he is no longer in Barnegat.

A Department of Corrections spokesperson said they do not want to tip off Buckel as to where theyre now searching.

For Barnegat Mayor John Novak, the news that Buckel reportedly left the area served was a relief for on-edge residents.

Ive been getting phone calls and emails all last night. People were concerned, people had questions, Novak said. This is not normal for Barnegat. Baseball games, softball games and people taking bike rides, thats normal for Barnegat.

Buckel, 38, was discovered missing Tuesday from the Bayside State Prison unit at Ancora in Winslow Township in Camden County during a morning headcount.

Winslow Township police described Buckel as 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds. He has brown hair, blue eyes and a small tattoo under his left eye.

Despite some nervousness and unrest in the town, schools remained open on Thursday.

Police were present as students were dropped off in the morning. Parents praised school officials for keeping them in the loop. Lynn Dennerlein, parent of two, said her children were escorted from the parking lot to school.

At about 8 a.m, police cruisers were in the parking lot of Cecil S. Collins Elementary School. As parents pulled into the lot to drop of their children, two officers stood nearby surveying the parade of vehicles.

On Thursday afternoon, pre-school children arriving in a bus were just beginning their own school day. Lorraine Kipila, 67, held her grandsons hand as she walked him toward the bus.

My son in law was kind of scared to send the kids to school, but I said that the cops were there, Kipila said.

Buckel was three weeks away from parole eligibility, according to the state Department of Corrections website. He was serving a three-year sentence on aggravated assault, burglary and drug charges.

Previously, Buckel was 18 when he killed his girlfriends 10-month-old daughter in 1995 by slapping the girl to death because she was crying, the Jersey Journal reported.

On Wednesday morning, Buckel allegedly left a stolen 2015 Chevy Silverado in a CVS parking lot on Bay Avenue.

That day, authorities searched for along roads and in backyards for the convict. Police used bloodhounds, but the dogs lost his scent in the rain Wednesday, police said.

The incident rattled the township, and also became the most popular topic of discussion.

Every minute or two someone is talking about it, Wawa employee Anthony Curren said. I wouldnt say people [were] afraid. Its more like wow, something is actually going on around here. Its crazy though. Its like something out of a movie.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account.
Niujiaozhai Buddha. (Photo/West China Metropolis Daily)

The Niujiaozhai Buddha, China's biggest Buddha statue featuring only the top half of the figure, will soon undergo restoration, a reporter from West China Metropolis Daily learned from the Cultural Relics Bureau of Renshou County, Sichuan province on May 3.

Built in 707 AD, the Buddha has been seriously damaged from years of exposure to the elements. The local cultural relic protection authorities plan to renovate the Buddha within the next five years to restore its original look.

Currently, the right portion of the Buddhas face is dark green. Dong Dewu, a local villager, told the reporter: "Last year, the pavilion on top of the Buddha collapsed. Since then, whenever it rains, water and leaves fall onto the face of the Buddha. Then moss began to grow on its face, and we can no longer see the Buddha's right eye."

The Niujiaozhai Buddha is quite popular among locals. Every year, many people come to burn incense and pray. They hope that the cultural relic experts are able to repair the Buddha and "open" its right eye.

According to the Cultural Relics Bureau of Renshou County, the renovation will last five years. Starting from an investigation of ecological system conditions, the experts will find the cause of the erosion and curb the water. Then they will remove the moss and renovate the weathered parts.
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.




On the evening of May 2, a worker was pierced by a reinforcement bar at a construction site in Xiamen, in southeast China's Fujian province. The rebar, with a diameter of 28 millimeters, pierced the worker's abdomen. Both sides of his T-shirt immediately became red with blood. "He fell from 6 or 7 meters up and accidentally landed on a standing rebar," a co-worker explained.

Firefighters and first aid workers were soon on the scene. They decided to trim the protruding rebar before sending the man to the hospital. To ensure that the injured man remained still, co-workers and firefighters propped him up from below. Several firefighters gripped the rebar to minimize vibrations and movement caused by the cutting machine. Several minutes later, the protruding rebar was cut off and the man was hurried to the hospital.

However, when he arrived at the hospital, doctors said that the remaining rebar coming out of the man's back was still too long to do a CT scan.

Firefighters cut the rebar again, but this time it was even harder. In order to protect the worker from additional injury, they cut the bar with a relatively gentle polishing machine and controlled the temperature of the metal by sprinkling it with water to cool it down when necessary. Finally, the rebar was successfully removed.

After more than three hours of emergency treatment, the rebar left inside the man's body was removed by doctors and his injuries were stitched up. He is currently under observation in the ICU.
About 10 girls from a university in Chengdu, Sichuan province put on a flash mob on Wednesday. By throwing their bras in the air, they aimed to call for awareness of breast health of the young women.
DUBLIN, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Canada Attorney Rate Report 2017" report to their offering.

The Canada Attorney Rate Report 2017 is the most comprehensive analysis of the Individual Attorney billing rates of Canada's largest Law Firms and non-Canadian firms with offices there. Hourly Rates and Legal Fees in Canada have been on the rise and in some instances equate to the rates charged in New York and London. The Canadian Legal Market is dominated by 30 Domestic Canadian Firm plus large multinationals as mentioned earlier. The Report covers those Firms.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Section 1: Rates by Individual Law Firm (including Practice Areas and Cities)

Section 2: Rates by Practice Area (Consolidated for all Firms)

Section 3: Rates by City (Consolidated for all Firms)

Section 4: Rates by Industry

Section 5: Competitive Intelligence Section - Rates by Canadian Companies Represented by non-Canadian Firms.

Companies Mentioned

- Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

- Arnold & Arnold, LLP

- Baker & McKenzie LLP

- Bennett Jones LLP

- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

- Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

- Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP

- Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

- Chaitons LLP

- Davies Ward Phillips & Vinberg, LLP

- Day Pitney LLP

- Dentons

- Duensing, Casner & Fitzsimmons

- Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP

- Fisher & Phillips LLP

- Forman Holt Eliades & Youngman LLC

- Goodmans, LLP

- Gowling LaFleur Henderson LLP

- Heenan Blaikie LLP

- Hogan Lovells LLP

- Holland & Hart LLP

- Kirkland & Ellis LLP

- Kutak Rock, LLP

- Lunny MacInnes Law Corporation

- MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP

- May, Potenza, Baran & Gillespie, P.C.

- McCarthy Tetrault

- McCullough Khan, LLC

- McDermott Will & Emery LLP

- McInnes Cooper

- McMillan LLP

- Miller Thomson LLP

- Norton Rose Fulbright LLP

- Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

- Perkins Thompson, P.A.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/43xdbl/canada_attorney

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PUNE, India, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

RnRMarketResearch.com adds "Esophageal Cancer - Pipeline Review, H1 2016" market research report that offers comprehensive information on the therapeutic development for Esophageal Cancer, complete with comparative analysis at various stages, therapeutics assessment by drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type, along with latest updates, and featured news and press releases. It also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Esophageal Cancer and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects.

Complete report on H1 2016 pipeline review of Esophageal Cancer with 83 market data tables and 16 figures, spread across 448 pages is available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/esophageal-cancer-pipeline-review-h1-2016-market-report.html .

The report also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Esophageal Cancer and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects. The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. It strengthens R&D pipelines by identifying new targets and MOAs to produce first-in-class and best-in-class products.

Companies discussed in this Esophageal Cancer Pipeline Review, H1 2016 report include Adaptimmune Therapeutics Plc, Advantagene, Inc., Advaxis, Inc., Advenchen Laboratories, LLC, Almac Discovery Limited, Amgen Inc., ArQule, Inc., Array BioPharma Inc., Aslan Pharmaceuticals Pte. Ltd., ATLAB Pharma SAS, Bayer AG, Betta Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Celgene Corporation, Celldex Therapeutics, Inc., Cellectar Biosciences, Inc., Cerulean Pharma, Inc., Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Genmab A/S, Glycotope GmbH, Hutchison MediPharma Limited, Ignyta, Inc., ImmunoFrontier, Inc., ImmunoGen, Inc., Immunomedics, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc., Komipharm International Co., Ltd., MacroGenics, Inc., Mebiopharm Co., Ltd., MedImmune, LLC, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Omeros Corporation, Omnitura Therapeutics Inc., Oncolys BioPharma Inc., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Pfizer Inc., Proteo, Inc., Puma Biotechnology, Inc., Shenzen SiBiono GeneTech Co., Ltd., Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd., Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Symphogen A/S, Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taiwan Liposome Company, Ltd., Takara Bio Inc., tella Inc, TG Therapeutics, Inc., Transgene Biotek Limited, VioQuest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Virocan Therapeutics Private Limited.

Drug profiles discussed in this research report includes (tipiracil hydrochloride + trifluridine), 1-BB1, ADXS-HER2, afatinib dimaleate, AL-3818, ALM-301, alpelisib, AMG-337, apatinib, ATL-101, binimetinib, CDX-1401, Cellular Immunotherapy for Oncology, Cellular Immunotherapy for Oncology, Cellular Immunotherapy to Target CD-3 and HER-2 for Oncology, Cellular Immunotherapy to Target NY-ESO-1 for Oncology, cetuximab biobetter, CGX-1321, CRLX-101, CYC-140, Cytokine Induced Killer Cells + Dendritic Cells, dacomitinib, DKN-01, donafenib, durvalumab, elgemtumab, erdafitinib, futuximab, ganetespib, gedatolisib, Gene Therapy for Esophageal Cancer, Gene Therapy to Activate p53 for Oncology, GSK-3377794, HMPL-309, I131-CLR1404, icotinib hydrochloride, IMF-001, IMGN-289, KML-001, margetuximab, MBP-426, MMD-37K, Monoclonal Antibodies to Inhibit PD-L2 for Esophageal cancer, MVXONCO-1, neratinib, nimotuzumab, nintedanib, nivolumab, OBP-301, OMN-54, paclitaxel albumin bound, panitumumab, pasireotide ER, PCA-062, pembrolizumab, pralatrexate, rAAVVICN-003, RXDX-106, S-222611, S-588410, sacituzumab, selinexor, sirotinib, Small Molecule to Antagonize GPR39 for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Obesity-Related Type-2 Diabetes, Small Molecule to Target LGR5 for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma, Small Molecules to Inhibit Histone Demethylase for Esophageal Cancer, SMYD-2BAY02, TBI-1201, TBL-0805E, TGR-1202, tiprelestat, tisotumab vedotin, tivantinib, TLC-388, triciribine phosphate, Vaccine for Esophageal Cancer and Colorectal Cancer and varlitinib.

Order a copy of Esophageal Cancer - Pipeline Review, H1 2016 market research report @ http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/purchase?rname=539820 .

Scope of this report: The report provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Esophageal Cancer and reviews pipeline therapeutics for Esophageal Cancer by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources and key players involved Esophageal Cancer therapeutics and enlists all their major and minor projects. The report summarizes all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects with latest news related to pipeline therapeutics for Esophageal Cancer.

Another newly published market research report titled on Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer - Pipeline Review, H1 2016 reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects. It strengthens R&D pipelines by identifying new targets and MOAs to produce first-in-class and best-in-class products. Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Pipeline market research report of 456 pages is available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/metastatic-pancreatic-cancer-pipeline-review-h1-2016-market-report.html .

Explore more reports on Cancer Therapeutics.

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HATFIELD, England, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

FOR EU MEDIA ONLY: NOT FOR SWISS/AUSTRIAN MEDIA

Eribulin is the first and only single agent to show a significant improvement in overall survival for people with advanced liposarcomas

People with advanced liposarcomas in Europe may now be able to receive Halaven (eribulin), the first and only single agent therapy to show a significant survival advantage in this type of soft tissue sarcoma.[1] The European Commission has approved a variation to the terms of the Marketing Authorisation (MA) of eribulin for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable liposarcomas who have received prior anthracycline containing therapy (unless unsuitable) for advanced or metastatic disease.

The decision is based on the results of Study 309 which is now published in The Lancet. This is a randomised, open-label multicentre Phase III study comparing the efficacy and safety of eribulin mesilate to dacarbazine in 452 patients (aged 18 or over) with leiomyosarcomas or liposarcomas.[1] Data show a median overall survival improvement of 2.6 months (13.5 months versus 11.5 months) in patients with leiomyosarcomas or liposarcomas treated with eribulin versus dacarbazine (HR=0.768, 95% CI 0.618-0.954; P=0.017).[1] A subset of people with unresectable advanced or metastatic liposarcomas treated with eribulin lived a median 7.2 months longer than those treated with dacarbazine (15.6 months versus 8.4 months median OS, HR = 0.511; 95% CI 0.346-0.753; P=0.0006).[1] Eribulin's toxicity profile was consistent with prior experience, with no unexpected or new safety findings.[1]

"This decision marks an important milestone for people in Europe with advanced liposarcomas. There are currently limited treatment options available, but now, we are a step closer to being able to offer them a treatment with a proven overall survival benefit. Eribulin was the first-ever single agent therapy to show such a survival benefit, which makes today's news all the more important for patients and clinicians across Europe," comments Patrick Schoffski, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium.

Eribulin is a microtubule-dynamics inhibitor, structurally modified analogue of halichondrin B, originally isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria okadai. Its mode of action is distinct from other tubulin inhibitors and involves binding to specific sites on the growing positive ends of microtubules to inhibit their growth. Recent data for blood perfusion show that eribulin may lead to remodelling of the tumour vasculature, resulting in an oxygenated environment.[2] Cancer cells thrive in a deoxygenated (hypoxic) environment and therefore improving tumour perfusion may lead to a decrease in tumour metastatic potency.[3]

Only 50% of people with soft tissue sarcomas are expected to live for five years.[4] 29,000 people are diagnosed with soft tissue sarcomas each year, approximately 1% of all cancers diagnosed in Europe.[5] Liposarcomas (adipocytic sarcomas) originate in fat cells and can occur anywhere in the body.[6]

Eribulin is also indicated for the treatment of women with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who have progressed after at least one chemotherapeutic regimen for advanced disease. Prior therapy should have included an anthracycline and a taxane in either the adjuvant or metastatic setting, unless patients were not suitable for these treatments.[7]

"At Eisai, our first thought is with people in Europe who now have access to this new treatment and the benefit it may have for them and their families. This is the second form of cancer in which eribulin has demonstrated an overall survival benefit when compared to active therapy. We are encouraged by the Commission's decision, and will continue with our commitment to develop and discover products that have a positive impact on patients and their families," comments Gary Hendler, Chief Commercial Officer Oncology Business Group, Chairman and CEO EMEA.

In January 2016 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved eribulin for the treatment of people in the US with unresectable or metastatic liposarcoma who have received a prior anthracycline-containing regimen. License was granted in Japan to extend the indication of eribulin to treat patients with soft tissue sarcomas in February 2016.

Eisai is dedicated to discovering, developing and producing innovative oncology therapies that can make a difference and impact the lives of patients and their families. This passion for people is part of Eisai's human health care (hhc) mission, which strives for better understanding of the needs of patients and their families to increase the benefits health care provides.

Notes to Editors

Halaven (eribulin)

Eribulin is the first in the halichondrin class of microtubule dynamics inhibitors with a novel mechanism of action. Structurally eribulin is a simplified and synthetically produced version of halichondrin B, a natural product isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria okadai. Eribulin is believed to work by inhibiting the growth phase of microtubule dynamics which prevents cell division.

About Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Soft tissue sarcoma is a collective term for a diverse group of malignant tumours.

Unlike other cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), soft tissue sarcomas are mostly diagnosed with localised disease, and many are amenable to complete surgical removal, yet relapse rates can be as high as 50 percent.[8] Outcomes for patients with advanced disease are poor, with median survival around one year or less. Due to the rarity of these tumours, evidence for prognostic factors is weak and not well understood.[9]

Global Phase III Clinical Study 309[1]

The primary endpoint of the study was to compare overall survival between patients treated with eribulin mesilate (1.4 mg/m intravenously on days 1 and 8) and those treated with dacarbazine (850 mg/m, 1000 mg/m, or 1200 mg/m [dose dependent on centre and clinician] intravenously on day 1). The additional endpoints included progression free survival and quality of life.

Patients were aged 18 years with advanced high/intermediate grade leiomyosarcoma or dedifferentiated, myxoid, round cell or pleomorphic variants of adipocytic sarcoma (ADI) incurable by surgery and/or radiotherapy were enrolled. Patients had ECOG status 2 and had received 2 standard systemic treatment regimens including an anthracycline. Patients were randomized 1:1 to eribulin mesilate (1.4 mg/m2, IV on D1 and D8) or dacarbazine (850-1200 mg/m2, IV on D1) every 21 days until disease progression.

Overall, 452 patients (67% female; 79% <65 years) were randomized (228 eribulin; 224 dacarbazine). Median OS for eribulin and dacarbazine was 13.5 and 11.5 months, respectively (HR=0.768, 95% CI 0.618-0.954; P=0.017). PFS was 2.6 months in both arms (HR=0.877, 95% CI 0.710-1.085; P=0.229). PFS rate at week 12 was 33% and 29% for eribulin and dacarbazine, respectively. Eribulin had a toxicity profile consistent with prior experience, with no unexpected or new safety findings. In this study, the most common adverse events observed in the eribulin arm were neutropenia, fatigue, nausea, alopecia and constipation, which is consistent with the known profile of eribulin.

Eisai in Oncology

Our commitment to meaningful progress in oncology research, built on scientific expertise, is supported by a global capability to conduct discovery and preclinical research, and develop small molecules, therapeutic vaccines, and biologic and supportive care agents for cancer across multiple indications.

About Eisai Co., Ltd.

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a leading global research and development-based pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan. We define our corporate mission as "giving first thought to patients and their families and to increasing the benefits health care provides," which we call our human health care (hhc) philosophy. With over 10,000 employees working across our global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to realise our hhc philosophy by delivering innovative products in multiple therapeutic areas with high unmet medical needs, including Oncology and Neurology.

As a global pharmaceutical company, our mission extends to patients around the world through our investment and participation in partnership-based initiatives to improve access to medicines in developing and emerging countries.

For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit http://www.eisai.com.

References

1. Schoffski P et al. Eribulin versus dacarbazine in previously treated patients with advanced liposarcoma or leiomyosarcoma: a randomised, open-label, multicentre, phase 3 trial. The Lancet. 2016

2. Kawano S, et al. Antimitotic and Non-mitotic Effects of Eribulin Mesilate in Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Anticancer Research 2016; 36; 1553-1562

3. Kevin L Bennewith and Shoukat Dedhar. Targeting hypoxic tumour cells to overcome metastasis. BMC Cancer 2011;11:504

4. National Cancer Institute - http://www.cancer.org/cancer/sarcoma-adultsofttissuecancer/detailedguide/sarcoma-adult-soft-tissue-cancer-survival-rates

5. ESMO Guidance. Available at: http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/content/25/suppl_3/iii102.full.pdf+html Accessed: May 2016

6. Macmillan. What are soft tissue sarcomas? Available at: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Softtissuesarcomas/Aboutsofttissuesarcomas/Softtissuesarcomas.aspx . Accessed: May 2016

7. SPC Halaven (updated November 2015). Available at: http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/24382 Accessed: May 2016

8. R Pollock. Soft Tissue Sarcomas, A Volume in the American Cancer Society Atlas of Clinical Oncology Series. 2012

9. Fletcher, et al. World Health Organization Classification of Tumours of Soft Tissue and Bone (4th Edition). Lyon: IARC Press, 2013

SOURCE Eisai
LONDON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Farfetch announced it has completed a US $110 million Series F round of investment. The round was led by new investors Temasek, IDG Capital Partners and Eurazeo with existing investor Vitruvian Partners also participating in the round.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363673 )



This round of investment, advised by Qatalyst Partners, follows a very strong growth path for Farfetch, which grew total transaction value more than 70% in 2015, to more than US $500 million.

Alexandre Quirici, Partner at IDG Capital Partners commented, "We are excited to back Jose and his team in the company's next stage of development internationally. We are particularly excited about the growth of Farfetch in China where we hope to help them achieve even greater success."

The funds will primarily be used to continue the expansion of the company's proprietary technology platform, to establish it as a leading omni-channel platform for both boutiques and brands globally and to further develop this offering for the global fashion industry; as well as consolidating a leadership position in China, Farfetch's second largest market, Japan and other APAC countries.

China itself represents 12% of the company's sales with APAC collectively representing a further 14%. These new strategic investors will provide insights, networking and support, driving continued growth in these markets. Farfetch also welcomes the expertise which will come from Eurazeo's knowledge of luxury fashion and marketplaces.

Jose Neves, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Farfetch remarked, "The vision for Farfetch was always to seamlessly integrate physical retail with digital platforms, which we have been doing since 2008, first starting with boutiques and 12 months ago adding brands to our global platform. This investment comes after strong inbound interest from investors, some of which we felt could really help Farfetch in our largest and fastest growing markets, or had exposure to marketplaces and luxury fashion."

Virginie Morgon, Deputy CEO of Eurazeo, declared: "We were enticed by the Farfetch model which covers the sectors in which we have already gained a solid foothold: digital technology, luxury goods and brand names. In addition to its international profile, multi-channel model and its perfect understanding of the rules governing the luxury goods industry, we were very impressed by the company's ground-breaking business model and the quality of its implementation, particularly from a technological perspective. We salute the omni-channel vision and digital expertise of the management team, in particular the company's Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jose Neves."

Significant developments to the Farfetch business over the past year include expanding the site's roster of retail partners to include direct contracts with brands in March 2015, with over 75 global brands now selling through the platform; acquiring London-based boutique Browns in May 2015 in order to create a retail-tech incubator in which to develop innovative customer experiences; and developing Farfetch Black & White, the white label platform solution, that launched its first client site ManoloBlahnik.com in March 2016.

In addition to the Series F, Farfetch also put in place a secured US $50 million Growth Capital Loan Facility with TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. in March 2016. Neves added "This additional facility demonstrates the strength of the Farfetch business model, as well as confidence in future development plans."

NOTES TO EDITORS

Farfetch's current investors also include: - Advent Ventures Partners, Index Ventures, Conde Nast international, Novel TMT, e.Ventures, DST Global, Richard Chen (Venture Partner at Chinese VC firm Ceyuan), Felix Capital

About Farfetch

Farfetch is a revolutionary way to buy fashion. The pioneering website brings together products from more than 400 of the world's best independent designer boutiques and global brands from more than 37 countries including Paris, New York and Milan to Bucharest, Kuwait and Tokyo.

Our partners have been carefully selected for their unique approach, forward-thinking attitude and diversity, and include such renowned boutiques as Browns in London, L'Eclaireur in Paris, H. Lorenzo in LA, Kirna Zabete in New York and Excelsior, Milan; and brands including Derek Lam, J.W Anderson, Roksanda, AMI Paris, Dion Lee and La Perla.



Founded in 2008 by the Portuguese entrepreneur Jose Neves, the site is now translated in 9 languages servicing over 190 countries. For lovers of beautiful fashion Farfetch offers the chance to indulge a passion and shop the world.

http://www.farfetch.com @Farfetch

About Temasek

http://www.temasek.com.sg

About IDG Capital Partners

http://www.idgvc.com

About EURAZEO

http://www.eurazeo.com

About Vitruvian

http://www.vitruvianpartners.com

SOURCE Farfetch
NEW YORK, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Persistence Market Research (PMR) delivers key insights on the Rheumatoid Arthritis Market in its latest report titled 'Global Market Study on Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis Tests: Increasing Efficiency of RA Test Kits to Drive Growth of the Market during the Forecast Period, 2015 - 2022'.The rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market is expected to be valued at US$ 738.7 Mn by the end of 2022, expanding at a CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period (2016-2022).

Based on type of tests, the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market is segmented into serology test and treatment monitoring tests. Increasing incidence of autoimmune diseases, off-label prescription of NSAIDs and other pain management drugs are projected to increase demand for RA diagnosis. In addition, extensive focus on the high specificity and sensitivity of RA kits from kit manufacturers and favorable regulatory guidelines for rapid RA diagnostic kits are expected to fuel market growth. Commercialization of rapid diagnostic test, especially in anti-CCP test would provide key growth opportunities for RA test kits manufacturers. However, higher costs of these test kits and limited sensitivity when performed as individual test are major restraining factors for this market. Revenue contribution of anti-CCP test segment has been estimated to be the highest, accounting for 31.0% of the total rheumatoid arthritis market share in 2015 and is expected to be one of the most lucrative segments over the forecast period. Limited sensitivity of other tests such as ANA antibody and RF test provide competitive advantage over anti-CCP test. However, availability of these tests at remote location of Asia Pacific region is a major challenge for the market.

To get sample report: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4788

Commercialization of cost-effective drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis is expected promote growth of RA diagnosis tests market, as these medications require continuous monitoring of patients. Moreover, application of biomarker test for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis could be the future for RA diagnosis, as various companies are focusing on development of biomarker test owing to limited efficacy of test kits currently available in the market.

On the basis of test type, the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market is segmented into serology test and RA treatment efficiency monitoring tests. Serology test segment is sub-segmented into Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Tests, Rheumatoid Factor (RF) Tests, Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) Tests, Antinuclear antibody (ANA) tests, uric acid tests and other tests. Anti-cyclic Citrullinated Peptide (anti-CCP) Tests sub-segment exhibits highest growth potential in overall serology test segment, and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period; this is mainly attributed to its high sensitivity in early stage diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. RA treatment efficiency monitoring test segment is further sub-segmented into salicylate level count test, muscle enzyme tests (CPK, Aldolase) test and creatinine test. Salicylate level count test sub-segment has been estimated to hold highest share of ~46% in terms of revenue in 2015, owing to increase in off-label prescription of pain killer drugs such as Aspirin as RA treatment.

On the basis of geography, the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Europe and Asia Pacific regions have been estimated to collectively account for around 60% revenue share in 2015, owing to higher adoption of RA diagnosis test and increasing prevalence rate of autoimmune diseases. However, high RA prevalent region (North America) tend to become saturated in terms of revenue generation, owing to increasing awareness and healthcare spending for RA treatment and monitoring.

To View Full TOC: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4788

The report begins with an overview of the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market in terms of value, and a detailed analysis of key trends, drivers and restraints, and opportunities, which are the main factors impelling growth of the rheumatoid arthritis test market. Impact analysis of key growth drivers and restraints based on the weighted average of each of these factors in a model-based approach is included in the report. The report provides in-depth information on potential scope of high-end confirmatory testing kits to provide clients with crystal clear decision-making insights.

Key players operating in the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market include Abbott Diagnostics (Abbott Laboratories), Antibodies Inc., Beckman Coulter, Inc., Euro Diagnostica AB, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Qiagen NV, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. These companies are focusing on commercialization of cost-effective, highly-sensitive and rapid test kits. However, there is stiff competition from local manufacturers owing to low entry barriers and limited awareness about RA test efficiency among physicians.

Browse through the full Global Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis Test Market Report at http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/rheumatoid-arthritis-market.asp

About Us:

Persistence Market Research (PMR) is an innovative provider of market research reports and consulting services. The three PMR pillars of strength that have helped us win clients for years are: Quality Research, Quick Research, and In-depth Research.

Contact

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SOURCE Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.
LONDON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Firm Receives High Commendation for Global Agency of the Year, Wins Three Additional PRWeek Global Awards

Ketchum, a leading global public relations firm, and its work on behalf of MasterCard was awarded Campaign of the Year at last night's PRWeek Global Awards, held at the Hilton Bankside Hotel in London. The firm also received three awards on behalf of its client work in addition to a high commendation for Global Agency of the Year.

Rob Flaherty , senior partner, CEO and president, said, "My colleagues and I are very proud that the impact of our work has been recognised on this global stage. This year we partnered with our clients to deliver some tremendous campaigns, with work that takes bold creative risks and harnesses the latest technology. I'm grateful for the trust our clients place in us to deliver not just breakthrough communications, but also genuine change."

Ketchum's award-winning client programs include:

AWARD WINNERS

Campaign of the Year

"Selfie-Nomics"

MasterCard with Ketchum

Public Sector

"G7 #WelcomeDahoam"

Bavarian State Chancellery with Ketchum Pleon

Consumer Launch

"Selfie-Nomics"

MasterCard with Ketchum

Global Partnership

"Selfie-Nomics"

MasterCard with Ketchum

HIGH COMMENDATIONS

Global Agency of the Year

"Tomorrow's PR Today"

Ketchum

Corporate Social Responsibility

"Age Shamelessly"

Pfizer with Ketchum Brazil

Global Event Activation

"4000 Voices, 1 Message"

World Hepatitis Alliance & World Health Organization with Ketchum

Global Impact Award

"Selfie-Nomics"

MasterCard with Ketchum

Healthcare

"High 5 for World Arthritis Day"

EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) with Ketchum

Non-Profit

"4000 Voices, 1 Message"

World Hepatitis Alliance & World Health Organization with Ketchum

The PRWeek Global Awards reward transformative work that crosses borders, builds brands and establishes trust, while enabling the growth of international enterprise. They specifically focus on the factors that make PR the most powerful tool in a marketer or company's arsenal.

These latest award wins follows a number of high honours bestowed on Ketchum in recent months. In March, Ketchum and its clients were honoured with three PRWeek U.S. Awards. In November, Ketchum was named CorpComms Magazine's Agency of the Decade. In June, Ketchum won three Cannes Lions and four Silver Anvil awards; and last May, Ketchum won a total of 10 SABRE Awards at the Americas and EMEA SABRE Awards events.

About Ketchum

Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. The winner of 17 Cannes Lions and an unprecedented five PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a part of the DAS Group of Companies, visit http://www.ketchum.com.

About the DAS Group of Companies

The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (http://www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

SOURCE Ketchum Ltd
TSX:ORV

(All amounts in US dollars unless otherwise stated)

Q2 2016 production of 17,116 oz of gold and 3.3 million pounds of copper and gold equivalent production of 24,529 oz

Q2 2016 gold sales of 14,777 oz of gold and copper sales of 2.4 million pounds

Q2 2016 gold consolidated head grade up 2.28 g/t compared to 2.10 g/t in Q1 2016

Cash position at March 31, 2016 of $15.0 million

Financing for Don Mario carbon-in-leach circuit re-commissioning expected to close in May 2016

Committed to satisfy $5.7 million (5.0 million) bond requirement in respect of environmental reclamation at El Valle

Revised production guidance: narrowing of gold guidance at El Valle and timing change at Don Mario

TORONTO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Orvana Minerals Corp. (TSX:ORV) (the "Company" or "Orvana") announced today financial and operational results for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 ("Q2 2016"). The Company is also providing financial and operational results for its OroValle (El Valle Mine) operations in northern Spain and for its EMIPA (Don Mario Mine) operations in Bolivia.

The unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements for Q2 2016 and Management's Discussion and Analysis related thereto ("MD&A") are available on SEDAR and on the Company's website at www.orvana.com.

2016 Consolidated Operating and Financial Highlights















Q2 2016 Q1 2016 Q2 2015 YTD 2016 YTD 2015 Operating Performance









Gold











Grade (g/t) 2.28 2.10 2.32 2.19 2.42

Recovery (%) 76.1 81.5 76.4 78.7 75.9

Production (oz) 17,116 17,789 19,403 34,905 41,598

Sales (oz) 14,777 15,955 18,636 30,733 40,296

Average realized price / oz $1,176 $1,105 $1,226 $1,139 $1,213 Copper











Grade (%) 0.78 0.78 1.06 0.78 1.10

Recovery (%) 62.5 71.1 75.5 66.9 76.5

Production ('000 lbs) 3,320 3,951 6,014 7,271 13,004

Sales ('000 lbs) 2,438 3,814 6,091 6,251 13,024

Average realized price / lb $2.07 $2.23 $2.62 $2.16 $2.83 Silver











Grade (g/t) 16.36 22.43 19.32 19.47 18.29

Recovery (%) 73.7 73.7 62.2 73.7 64.5

Production (oz) 119,175 171,664 131,535 290,839 266,840

Sales (oz) 103,873 160,565 111,563 264,438 258,702

Average realized price / oz $14.62 $14.85 $16.75 $14.76 $16.61 Financial Performance (in 000's, except per share amounts)









Revenue $21,279 $22,497 $30,108 $43,776 $68,878 Mining costs $19,045 $20,806 $23,944 $39,851 $51,914 Gross margin ($821) ($3,869) $78 ($4,690) $2,526 Net loss ($2,670) ($3,076) ($4,130) ($5,746) ($3,392) Net loss per share (basic/diluted) ($0.02) ($0.02) ($0.03) ($0.04) ($0.02) Operating cash flows before non-cash working capital changes (1) ($81) $871 $2,662 $790 $10,117 Operating cash flows ($535) $1,575 $4,528 $1,040 $19,486 Ending cash and cash equivalents $15,006 $17,535 $21,512 $15,006 $21,512 Capital expenditures (2) $2,745 $3,716 $3,596 $6,461 $6,057 Cash operating costs (by-product) ("COC") ($/oz) gold (1) $1,100 $1,004 $871 $1,050 $777 All-in sustaining costs (by-product) ("AISC") ($/oz) gold (1)(2) $1,411 $1,316 $1,230 $1,361 $1,080















(1) Operating cash flows before non-cash working capital changes, COC and AISC are non-IFRS performance measures. (2) These amounts are presented on a cash basis. Each reported period excludes capital expenditures incurred in the period

which will be paid in subsequent periods and includes capital expenditures incurred in prior periods and paid for in the

applicable reporting period. The calculation of AISC and AIC includes capex incurred (paid and unpaid) during the period.

Jeff Hillis, Interim Chief Executive Officer, said "We have made tremendous progress at Don Mario recently in transitioning to mining from the LMZ and securing debt financing for our CIL Project. We believe the CIL Project best positions Don Mario to take advantage of the higher gold grades in the LMZ and other known opportunities. At the OroValle operation in Spain, we continue to face challenges during this transition period as we work to make necessary infrastructure investments in order to improve production for the longer term. We look forward to reporting updates on our progress at both our operations."

Operational Update and Growth Initiatives

El Valle

Gold and silver production for Q2 2016 at El Valle was 11,775 ounces and 28,947 ounces, respectively, representing a decrease of 17% and 36%, respectively, compared with Q1 2016. Copper production was 0.7 million pounds, a decrease of 56% compared to Q1 2016, primarily due to a decrease of 26% in tonnes milled. This decrease in tonnes milled was slightly offset by an increase to gold average head grades of 7%, while copper and silver production were also impacted by decreases in average head grades of 30% and 24%, respectively.

COC (by-product) of $1,067 per ounce of gold sold in Q2 2016 were $89 or 8% lower than in Q2 2015. AISC (by-product) of $1,264 per ounce of gold sold in Q2 2016 were $68 or 5% lower than in Q2 2015. COC and AISC in Q2 2016 were lower compared with Q2 2015 due to lower fixed mining costs, offset by a decline in by-product revenues.

Skarns production declined slightly by 2% over Q2 2016, compared with Q1 2016. Lower production was anticipated due to new underground areas requiring additional development for new mining zones.

Oxide production decreased significantly in Q2 2016, primarily through March. Poor ground conditions were encountered in some areas and unplanned bypass waste development was required to access ore zones. These bypasses were completed during March and development continued through the end of the second quarter in the oxide areas.

Dewatering and power issues continued to impact production. The water table is now actively being lowered and an additional pumping system with increased capacity is being designed based on a hydrological study completed in Q2 2016. Power studies were completed in the first quarter and interim solutions to increase power capacity were initiated during the second quarter while negotiations continue on the construction of a permanent power line.

Resource drilling continued to expand known inferred resources and convert inferred resources to indicated and measured resources. Drilling was focused on the A208 and Black Skarn West brownfield targets, as well as infill drilling targeted in the Boinas East Skarn zones to upgrade inferred resources for an additional stoping zone.

Don Mario

Gold production for Q2 2016 at Don Mario increased by 37% to 5,341 ounces compared to Q1 2016 primarily as a result of higher head grades mined from the Lower Mineralized Zone ("LMZ"). Copper and silver production decreased by 3% and 30%, respectively, to 2.7 million pounds and 90,228 ounces of silver compared to Q1 2016 due to lower grades and recoveries. Higher gold grades and continued lower copper and silver grades are expected as the Upper Mineralized Zone ("UMZ") is mined out through Q3 2016.

At Don Mario, historical mining took place in the LMZ underground gold mine up until 2009. Reviews were successfully carried out in 2015 to investigate the potential of mining the upper extension of the LMZ. Additionally, exploration drilling was performed around known mineralized zones north-west and south-east of the UMZ (collectively known as "Cerro Felix"), located approximately 600 meters from the LMZ. Based on the results obtained, the Company published resource estimates for the LMZ and Cerro Felix areas in November 2015.

Don Mario previously processed ore from the LMZ and Cerro Felix in the carbon-in-leach ("CIL") circuit where it achieved an average gold recovery of over 80%. EPCM Consultores SRL, together with Lycopodium Minerals Canada, completed a capital cost estimate to recommission the CIL circuit (the "CIL Project"). For the selected process option, the capital cost estimate is $6.4 million to an accuracy estimate of +/- 15% including owner's costs and 15% contingency. Results of a metallurgical testing program undertaken by the Company indicate potential gold recovery of higher than historical rates can be achieved by processing LMZ resource material through a re-commissioned CIL circuit.

To fund the capital costs estimated for the CIL Project, the Company is nearing completion of project financing with a Bolivian regional bank, and expects to close this financing in May 2016. During April 2016, the Company initiated the purchase of long-lead components of the CIL Project and expects the project to be fully underway by the end of May 2016 with an estimated execution period of seven to nine months.

Outlook and going concern

The Company continues to pursue a number of initiatives at El Valle and Don Mario in order to meet its objectives of optimizing production, lowering unitary cash costs, maximizing free cash flow, extending the life-of-mine of its operations and growing its operations to deliver shareholder value. It will also be pursuing strategic alternatives such as mergers or acquisitions.

The Company is currently monitoring its liquidity position closely and continues to assess its capital needs for the remainder of the fiscal year and beyond. The liquidity outlook of the Company has changed in large part due to the recent commitment to satisfy an additional $5.7 million (5.0 million) environmental reclamation bond in Spain.

El Valle continues to focus on de-bottlenecking the mine through investments in power and water pumping infrastructure in order to meet lagging mine development requirements and increase productivity rates. The Company requires investment of additional capital to address these operational issues and, until these issues are rectified, the Company's forecasts indicate that El Valle Mine will incur continuing losses and cash outflows from operations.

At Don Mario, the Company is planning to execute the CIL Project, subject to closing the external financing expected in May 2016. The CIL Project together with the existing flotation plant best positions Don Mario for the future and is expected to result in the operation maximizing the value of the recently defined resource material, generating expected free cash flow through fiscal 2017. Furthermore, the CIL Project could provide enhanced processing capabilities to leverage other known opportunities in the future.

The Company believes that it will require external financing through debt, equity or other sources to support its activities over the next eighteen months, excluding financing for the CIL Project expected to close in May 2016. Although the Company has been successful in raising equity and debt financing to support its activities in the past, there can be no assurance as to the success of its future financing efforts or as to the timing and sufficiency of financing that may be obtained.

These circumstances may cast significant doubt as to the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, and the ultimate appropriateness of the use of accounting principles applicable to a going concern.

In managing volatility risk, during April 2016 the Company entered into a limited amount of gold and copper fixed price arrangements with Auramet International, LLC. In respect of gold, the Company has committed to sell 1,300 ounces per month (approximately 25% of consolidated production) from May 2016 to July 2016 at a fixed floor price of US$1,210 per ounce with full upside participation commencing at US$1,265 per ounce. Also, as a result of the US$1,265 participation level, any future mark-to-market exposure from a rising gold price is capped at US$1,265. In respect of copper, the Company has entered into fixed forward pricing arrangements for approximately 348,330 pounds (158 metric tonnes) each month produced from May 2016 to July 2016, at prices of approximately US$2.17 per pound to US$2.20 per pound.

The following table sets out the results of Orvana's second quarter of fiscal 2016 as well as its updated fiscal 2016 production and cost guidance:













YTD 2016 Actual FY2016 Revised Guidance El Valle Mine Production







Gold (oz)

25,668 43,000  46,000

Copper (million lbs)

0.7 4.5  5.0

Silver (oz)

72,378 120,000 - 130,000 Don Mario Mine Production







Gold (oz)

9,237 20,000  21,000

Copper (million lbs)

5.4 11.0  12.0

Silver (oz)

218,461 330,000  370,000 Total Production







Gold (oz)

34,905 63,000  67,000

Copper (million lbs)

7.3 15.5  17.0

Silver (oz)

290,839 450,000  500,000 Total capital expenditures

$6,461 $17,000 - $19,000 COC (by-product) ($/oz) gold (1)

$1,050 $1,000 - $1,100 AISC (by-product) ($/oz) gold (1)

$1,361 $1,300 - $1,400

(1) FY2016 guidance assumptions for COC and AISC include by-product

commodity prices of $2.10 per pound of copper and $15.00 per ounce

of silver and an average Euro to US Dollar exchange of 1.15.

Orvana revised its gold production guidance in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 as follows: (i) narrowed gold production guidance at El Valle from 43,000 to 48,000 ounces to 43,000 to 46,000 and (ii) decreased gold production guidance at Don Mario from 24,000 to 27,000 ounces to 20,000 to 21,000 ounces. Guidance was lowered at Don Mario as gold production estimates previously included the contribution impact of the CIL Project commencing in August 2016, which was delayed by a longer than expected financing timeframe.

As a result of the above gold production changes, Orvana also revised its COC and AISC guidance during the second quarter of fiscal 2016 as follows: (i) increased COC from $850 to $950 per ounce to $1,000 to $1,100 per ounce, and (ii) increased AISC from $1,150 to $1,250 per ounce to $1,300 to $1,400 per ounce.

Changes to Board of Directors

On May 3, 2016, Mr. Gordon Bogden stepped down from the board of directors of Orvana. The directors and management of Orvana thank Mr. Bogden for his contributions, support and guidance to the Company over the past two years.

We are also pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Edwards, a seasoned mining executive with over 35 years of operating experience in the mining business, as a new director of the Company. Additionally, Mr. Edwards has served on numerous mining company boards.

About Orvana

Orvana is a multi-mine gold and copper producer. Orvana's operating assets consist of the producing gold-copper-silver El Valle mine in northern Spain and the producing gold-copper-silver Don Mario mine in Bolivia. Additional information is available at Orvana's website (www.orvana.com).

Cautionary Statements - Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this information constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, potentials, future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "believes", "expects", "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "are projected to" be taken or achieved) are not statements of historical fact, but are forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements herein relate to, among other things, Orvana's ability to achieve improvement in free cash flow; the potential to extend the mine life of El Valle and Don Mario beyond their current life-of-mine estimates; Orvana's ability to optimize its assets to deliver shareholder value; the Company's ability to optimize productivity at Don Mario and El Valle; estimates of future production, operating costs and capital expenditures; mineral resource and reserve estimates; statements and information regarding future feasibility studies and their results; future transactions; future metal prices; the ability to achieve additional growth and geographic diversification; future financial performance, including the ability to increase cash flow and profits; future financing requirements; and mine development plans.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. The estimates and assumptions of the Company contained or incorporated by reference in this information, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to, the various assumptions set forth herein and in Orvana's most recently filed Management's Discussion & Analysis and Annual Information Form in respect of the Company's most recently completed fiscal year (the "Company Disclosures") or as otherwise expressly incorporated herein by reference as well as: there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, whether due to labour disruptions, supply disruptions, power disruptions, damage to equipment or otherwise; permitting, development, operations, expansion and acquisitions at El Valle and Don Mario being consistent with the Company's current expectations; political developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations; certain price assumptions for gold, copper and silver; prices for key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; production and cost of sales forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; and labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Orvana's current expectations.

A variety of inherent risks, uncertainties and factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, affect the operations, performance and results of the Company and its business, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Some of these risks, uncertainties and factors include fluctuations in the price of gold, silver and copper; the need to recalculate estimates of resources based on actual production experience; the failure to achieve production estimates; variations in the grade of ore mined; variations in the cost of operations; the availability of qualified personnel; the Company's ability to obtain and maintain all necessary regulatory approvals and licenses; the Company's ability to use cyanide in its mining operations; risks generally associated with mineral exploration and development, including the Company's ability to continue to operate the El Valle and/or Don Mario and/or ability to resume operations at the Carles Mine; the Company's ability to acquire and develop mineral properties and to successfully integrate such acquisitions; the Company's ability to execute on its strategy; the Company's ability to obtain financing when required on terms that are acceptable to the Company; challenges to the Company's interests in its property and mineral rights; current, pending and proposed legislative or regulatory developments or changes in political, social or economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates; general economic conditions worldwide; and the risks identified in the Company's Disclosures under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties". This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements and reference should also be made to the Company's Disclosures for a description of additional risk factors.

Any forward-looking statements made in this information with respect to the anticipated development and exploration of the Company's mineral projects are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Forward-looking statements are based on management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements made in this information are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future operating activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Jeffrey Hillis, CFO and Interim CEO, T (416) 369-6281, E jhillis@orvana.com; Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer, T (416) 369-6275, E jjobin@orvana.com

Related Links

http://www.orvana.com



SOURCE Orvana Minerals Corp.
LONDON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Roskill has released its new lithium market report with forecasts out to 2025. It is essential reading for anyone needing a comprehensive overview of this rapidly evolving industry.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150909/264974LOGO )

Lithium: Global Industry, Markets & Outlook, 13th Edition, 2016 is now available from Roskill Information Services Ltd, 54 Russell Road, London SW19 1QL UK. Click here to download the brochure and sample pages.

Tesla has already had an impact on lithium, but it's not just hype

Tesla and its Gigafactory has been dominating press coverage of the lithium market in recent years, but while the company's plans for a mass-market electric vehicle (EV) could strongly impact demand going forward, this story has masked underlying issues within the lithium industry - partly caused by Tesla's success to date - that are now starting to influence supply availability, and in turn prices.

Rechargeable batteries were the leading use for lithium in 2015, accounting for 37% of total global consumption at around 66,000t of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE). Growth in lithium-ion battery use in the early 2010s was dominated by smartphones and tablets, but since 2013 the automotive market has started to have a much larger impact, with EVs accounting for 30% of the lithium-ion battery market in 2015. The Chinese EV and e-bus market surged in 2015, adding to the 25% share of the EV battery market built up by Tesla. Meanwhile European and Japanese manufacturers have been rapidly hybridizing their fleets amidst the emissions scandal that has engulfed them.

Battery-grade lithium hydroxide is now the fastest growing lithium product, as high-nickel-containing and liquid-phase-manufactured cathode materials have evolved to meet the change in lithium-ion battery performance requirements. As lithium producers in China and the USA chase this higher priced and higher margin market, supply of technical-grade hydroxide and lithium carbonate (a feedstock for hydroxide production) has tightened. Contract prices for hydroxide jumped by around 20% in 2015 and carbonate consumers are experiencing similar rises in 2016, with non-contracted (spot) material increasingly expensive to source.

M&A activity and project delays add to price strength

When Rockwood announced its intention to acquire Talison Lithium in 2013, the reaction from Talison's largest customer and distributor Tianqi Lithium, faced with losing control of feedstock supply to a downstream competitor, was to outbid them. Other Chinese plants breathed a sigh of relief. However, now highly leveraged, Tianqi sold 49% of Talison to Rockwood in 2014 and began processing more material captively. Rockwood, with its brine expansion in Chile delayed for several years, has capitalised on its Talison stake by increasing its downstream supply through greater tolling in 2015. With supply of mineral concentrate to other converters decreased, competition in China, typically a weight on commodity prices and lithium's swing supply, has been dramatically reduced.

The previous lithium boom catalysed several new projects into development, and the additional lithium supply from them would have been more than sufficient to meet the recent increase in demand and address the growing supply imbalance, had it not been for financial and technical hurdles. These claimed RB Energy (Quebec Lithium) to bankruptcy in 2014 and delayed Orocobre's ramp-up in Argentina in 2015. Galaxy also stuttered in China before Tianqi stepped in to further add to their conversion capacity by acquiring its Jiangsu plant. Oversupply in the early 2010s, which negatively impacted pricing alongside the brief 2009 consumption downturn, has quickly turned into a deficit which is expected to deepen in 2016 as supply growth fails to keep up with surging demand.

Uncertainty surrounds future growth levels

While demand from the battery industry is forecast to almost triple by 2025, weighing down lithium's future growth potential is a group of industries driven by macro-economic trends: ceramics, glass-ceramics, glass, grease, metallurgical powders and polymers. Roskill's overall base-case growth forecast is 6.4%py through 2025, but this could rise to 9.3%py if lithium requirements for EV and energy storage system (ESS) battery increase.

The upstream and downstream battery supply chain will remain a largely Asian phenomenon, despite the Gigafactory and similar large-scale battery plants planned or underway elsewhere, meaning Asia will remain the growth engine for lithium demand going forward. China, Japan and Korea could account for 70% of consumption by 2025. Hydroxide demand will continue to outperform carbonate, as cathode makers focus on the EV and ESS markets, but from a lower volume base, meaning carbonate demand growth will still be significant. Product flexibility will be important, especially as battery technology evolves, with sulphide and metal potentially becoming more important lithium products longer-term.

Existing producers' assets have some expansion potential, but cannot meet all future supply requirements, necessitating additional suppliers. If incumbent producers are to retain market share, further M&A activity is inevitable, as exemplified by SQM's joint venture with Lithium Americas in Argentina. Argentinean brine projects, now with several deep-pocketed companies like SQM, Eramet and POSCO involved in their development, plus integrated mineral-conversion projects, are next in line, but with both sources relying on new processing routes, delays are still possible. In the short-term, demand will be met by increased mineral conversion in China using output from existing and new Australian mineral supply, supply from Orocobre and the ramp-up of Rockwood's additional Chilean capacity. Price growth should ease in 2017 and 2018 as supply catches up to demand, but with a high-degree of corporate control remaining, and rising costs, especially for new projects using unconventional technology, a correction is unlikely. End-users and the battery supply chain will have to think cleverly about incentivising supply, beyond loose off-take agreements, such is the growing importance of lithium to their own success.

For further information, contact Richard Pell - Richard@roskill.com.

For marketing information, contact Dimpal Hirani - Dimpal@roskill.com

Phone: +44(0)208-417-0087, Fax +44(0)20-8417-1308. Email: info@roskill.com Web: http://www.roskill.com

SOURCE Roskill Information Services
Customer Service Team of the Year Category for Oracle and SAP Application Support and Managed Services

DENVER, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Spinnaker Support, the fastest growing provider of third-party support, managed services, and consulting for Oracle and SAP software applications, was named the winner of a Silver Stevie Award in the Customer Service Team of the Year category in The 14th Annual American Business Awards. More than 3,400 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364225LOGO

"Congratulations to our highly deserving SAP and Oracle customer service teams," said Matt Stava, CEO of Spinnaker Support. "Winning the Stevie Award validates our business model, ISO 9001:2008-certified customer engagement and support delivery processes, world-class software engineers, and our groundbreaking set of high-value service offerings. The award was earned, in large part, based on the high satisfaction and loyalty of our more than 500 worldwide customers  the most crucial measurements of great customer service."

More than 250 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year's Stevie Award winners. "The judges were extremely impressed with the quality of entries we received this year. The competition was intense and every organization that has won should be proud," said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.

Spinnaker Support received highly positive comments from the judges:

"Great business, run by solid management, heading in the right direction."

"Thank you for providing the evidence and documentation to rank you a 10! Customer service teams should always deliver customer service, however, you have shown how your team affects the bottom line and gave evidence to support your claims of customer satisfaction."

"Effectively painted a picture of the impressive feats that Spinnaker Support's Customer Service Team realized in 2015."

"Strong investment and approaches to customer service. Nicely done."

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2016 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

About Spinnaker Support

Spinnaker Support is now the fastest growing global provider of third-party support, managed services, and consulting for Oracle and SAP enterprise software and database applications. According to our more than 500 clients, spanning 77 countries, we consistently deliver a higher caliber of service for a fraction of what they've previously paid to the ERP vendors. Spinnaker Support is headquartered in Denver, Colorado with regional operations centers located in London, Mumbai, Singapore, and Tel Aviv. We support more than 4,000 instances of Oracle E-Business Suite, JD Edwards, Siebel, Oracle Database, and SAP for enterprises of all sizes and industry segments.

Spinnaker Support provides third-party support, managed services, and consulting for SAP, Oracle E-Business Suite, Oracle Database, Siebel CRM, and JD Edwards software applications. To learn more about Spinnaker Support, visit www.spinnakersupport.com, call +44 (0)20 8242 1785 internationally or 877-476-0576 in the U.S./Canada. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Spinnaker Support Contact: Michelle Wilkinson

720-457-5442

media@spinnakersupport.com

Related Links

http://www.spinnakersupport.com



SOURCE Spinnaker Support
LONDON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

New research shows that 45 per cent of British adults who have or should wear glasses are refusing to wear them because they want to look good.

This increases to 77 per cent for the 16-24 year old age group.

And of those who need glasses or contacts for driving, over a quarter (26.4 per cent) admit they have even driven without their specs at least once. This rises to 31 per cent of men.

The research[i] by specialist eye hospital group Optegra Eye Health Care, also reveals that women in particular are putting their looks first with 30 per cent admitting they have avoided wearing prescription glasses several times.

The consequent mishaps caused by not wearing glasses include saying hello to the wrong person (17 per cent), buying the wrong item in the supermarket (8 per cent) and texting the wrong person (9 per cent).

One in 20 adults admit getting into the wrong car and also getting lost while driving, due to their lack of glasses.

And for women, added mishaps due to not being able to wear glasses all the time include using the wrong bottle in the shower (12 per cent) and accidentally putting make-up into their eye (15 per cent).

The situations most likely for British adults to abandon their specs are:

going on a night out (46 per cent)

on a date (38 per cent)

at a wedding (35 per cent)

a special family occasion (32 per cent)

at work (31 per cent)

Rory Passmore, Managing Director of Optegra Eye Health Care, said: "While glasses and contact lenses can be a frustration, it is clear how much they are needed, if people are having such mishaps! And if roads are less safe, we would encourage people really to consider the safety impact of not wearing the vision correction they need."

Optegra Eye Health Care offers a range of options to correct long and short sight, from lens replacement (ClarivuTM) and laser eye surgery to cataract removal, so there is no need for people to put up with glasses and contacts if they do not wish to.

http://www.optegra.com

i. Optegra Eye Health Care commissioned the research from Censuswide. 1,000 British adults who wear glasses and/or contact lenses were interviewed online between 29.4.16 and 3.5.16.

SOURCE Optegra Eye Health Care
DUBLIN, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Carbon Market in United States: Business Report 2016" report to their offering.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160330/349511LOGO )



The report presents analysis of carbon market in United States.



Report Scope:

Brief country profile includes general information and main economic indicators and specifies business environment in United States

Carbon market is analyzed by different parameters including domestic production and consumption. Future market development is also estimated

The report presents profiles of leading producers and lists major suppliers in the country

The report also lists buyers within the sector, and provides results of the purchase activity monitoring, which is achieved by tracking various tenders databases, websites and marketplaces.

Reasons to Buy:

Readers will gain an unrivalled in-depth knowledge about the market.

The report will help to manage business environment. This will be achieved through the report's unique analysis providing detailed information about the internal and external factors that affect the market.

Your company's business and sales activities will be boosted by gaining an insight into the carbon market in United States .

. The report will help you to find prospective partners and suppliers.

Detailed analysis provided in the report will assist and strengthen your company's decision-making processes.

Key Topics Covered:



1. UNITED STATES: COUNTRY PROFILE



1.1. General characteristics

1.2. Economic review



2. CARBON MARKET IN UNITED STATES



2.1. Overview of carbon market



2.2. Producers of carbon in United States, including contact details and product range



3. UNITED STATES'S FOREIGN TRADE IN CARBON: VOLUME,STRUCTURE, DYNAMICS



4. MAJOR WHOLESALERS AND TRADING COMPANIES IN UNITED STATES



5. CONSUMERS OF CARBON ON AMERICAN MARKET



5.1. Downstream markets of Carbon in United States

5.2. Carbon consumers in United States



For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/q4pgn4/carbon_market_in



Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716



SOURCE Research and Markets
Accelerates Company's Growth Strategy and Elevates Leadership Position in Cloud Communications

HOLMDEL, New Jersey, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG) ("the Company") has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Nexmo, Inc. ("Nexmo"), a global leader in the Communications Platform as a Service ("CPaaS") segment of the Cloud Communications market, for $230 million in cash and stock. Nexmo is the world's second largest CPaaS company as measured by revenues. This acquisition accelerates Vonage's growth strategy, deepens the Company's technology capability and elevates its leadership position in Cloud Communications.

Innovative Technology Platform

San Francisco-based Nexmo provides communication application program interfaces ("APIs") for text messaging and voice communications, allowing developers and enterprises to embed contextual communications into mobile apps, websites and business workflows via text, social media, chat apps and voice, creating better customer engagement for their business.

"In 2014, we set out on a mission to become the clear leader in Cloud Communications for business. With the acquisition of Nexmo, we are now uniquely positioned to lead the market," said Vonage CEO Alan Masarek. "By combining Vonage's rapidly growing Unified Communications as a Service ("UCaaS") business, with Nexmo, the second largest player in CPaaS, we are creating the future of Cloud Communications. These companies represent a set of strategic, technology and human resources assets that deliver the broadest services offering in our industry."

Significantly Expands Vonage's Total Addressable Market

Industry analyst IDC expects CPaaS to grow to an $8 billion market by 2018. This rapid growth is being driven by the demand for communications within business apps and workflows, and the needs of new economy companies such as Uber, Alibaba and Snapchat, and traditional companies like KLM Airlines and Daimler, each of which are important Nexmo customers. With the addition of Nexmo, Vonage will have a total addressable market of nearly $28 billion by 2018.

"Vonage's acquisition of Nexmo creates a Cloud Communications company that can not only help an enterprise's employees be more productive using robust UCaaS solutions, but can also enable enterprises to improve how they engage with their customers through embedded, contextual communications, on any platform and on any device," said Mark Winther, VP Worldwide Telecom Consulting for IDC.

Vonage + Nexmo Set New Standard

Founded in 2011, Nexmo has offices in London, Hong Kong and Singapore in addition to its San Francisco headquarters. Nexmo has the largest global network of interconnected carriers, 650 in total, delivering the best API-based communications platform for messaging, programmable voice and chat apps. Vonage's strength in voice, coupled with Nexmo's robust communications platform, will position the combined company as a best-in-class leader across the two dominant modes of communication today  voice and messaging. By joining Vonage, Nexmo will benefit from the power of Vonage's carrier-grade voice network, the strength of the Vonage brand, broad sales distribution in the U.S., and significant operational and financial scale and resources.

Today, Nexmo has more than 350 tech-savvy enterprise customers worldwide, more than 114,000 registered developers and processes 5 billion API calls annually. Nexmo also represents a platform and entry point for Vonage to expand its brand globally and sell its solutions in EMEA, Asia Pacific and other attractive geographies.

Tony Jamous, co-founder and CEO of Nexmo, commented, "Nexmo was founded to make it easy for developers to create greater business efficiency and customer engagement through communications. Our success has been tied to our vision to reinvent communications for every app, everyone and everything."

Mr. Jamous continued, "Our API technology, global network of interconnected carriers, and messaging expertise, combined with Vonage's powerful brand, industrial-strength infrastructure and second-to-none voice capabilities, will enable us to provide an unmatched value proposition to businesses."

Mr. Jamous has nearly 15 years of experience building high growth technology businesses with a focus on cloud, communications and mobile. Upon closing, he will join Vonage as President of Nexmo, a Vonage company, along with co-founder Eric Nadalin, Chief Technology Officer, and Nexmo's 170-person team.

Transaction Terms and Financing

Under the agreement, Nexmo shareholders will receive consideration of $230 million, with an additional earn-out opportunity of up to $20 million dollars contingent upon Nexmo hitting certain performance targets. Of the consideration, $195 million will be paid at close, consisting of a minimum of $159 million of cash and a maximum of $36 million in stock. Vonage may elect at close to substitute $23 million of additional cash for stock. The remaining $35 million of the $230 million purchase price is in the form of restricted cash and restricted stock for Nexmo management and employees, both subject to vesting requirements over time. Vonage believes this structure will provide significant long-term incentives and retention value for Nexmo management. The earn-out opportunity is payable in cash or stock at Vonage's election.

Vonage is financing the acquisition through a combination of cash on hand and revolver capacity, including a portion of the existing accordion feature in the 2015 credit facility. Pro-forma for the transaction, net debt to EBITDA will be approximately 2.25 times.

Vonage believes that the deal consideration, including payment of the earn-out opportunity, represents a multiple of less than 2 times projected Nexmo 2017 revenue. Annual cost synergies of $5 million are projected, primarily in the areas of Cost of Telephony Services and G&A.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as lead financial advisor to Vonage and provided a fairness opinion to the Board of Directors. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal counsel to Vonage. G2020 Advisors, LLC served as financial advisor and Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal counsel to Nexmo.

Conference Call

Vonage will discuss further details of this transaction at 8:30 AM Eastern Time on May 5, 2016 during the Company's First Quarter 2016 earnings call. To participate, please dial (877) 359-9508 approximately 10 minutes prior to the call. International callers should dial (224) 357-2393.

The webcast will also be broadcast live through Vonage's Investor Relations website at http://ir.vonage.com. Windows Media Player or RealPlayer is required to listen to this webcast. A replay of the call and webcast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call through May 11, 2016 and may be accessed through Vonage's Investor Relations website at http://ir.vonage.com or by dialing (855) 859-2056. International callers should dial (404) 537-3406. The replay passcode is: 90282662.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) statements about the benefits of the merger; (ii) future financial and operating results following the merger; (iii) the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; (iv) the competitive position and opportunities of the combined company; (v) the impact of the merger on the market for the combined company's products; and (vi) the timing of the completion of the merger. In addition, other statements in this press release that are not historical facts or information may be forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are based on information available at the time the statements are made and/or management's belief as of that time with respect to future events and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to be materially different. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to: risks related to the integration of Nexmo and the anticipated future benefits resulting from the acquisition of Nexmo; the combined company's ability to react to trends and challenges in our business and the markets in which we operate; the combined company's ability to anticipate market needs or develop new or enhanced products to meet those needs; the adoption rate of the combined company's products; the combined company's ability to establish and maintain successful relationships with our distribution partners; the competition we face; the expansion of competition in the unified communications market; our ability to adapt to rapid changes in the market for voice and messaging services; our ability to retain customers and attract new customers; the risk associated with developing and maintaining effective internal sales teams; the risk associated with developing and maintaining effective distribution channels; risks related to the acquisition or integration of future businesses; security breaches and other compromises of information security; risks associated with sales of our UCaaS services to medium-sized and enterprise customers; our dependence on third party facilities, equipment, systems and services; system disruptions or flaws in our technology and systems; our ability to scale our business and grow efficiently; our reliance on third party hardware and software; our dependence on third party vendors; the impact of fluctuations in economic conditions, particularly on our small and medium business customers; our ability to obtain or maintain relevant intellectual property licenses; intellectual property and other litigation that have been and may be brought against us; failure to protect our trademarks and internally developed software; obligations and restrictions associated with data privacy; uncertainties relating to regulation of VoIP services; results of regulatory inquiries into our business practices; fraudulent use of our name or services; our ability to establish and expand strategic alliances; risks associated with operating abroad; liability under anti-corruption laws; governmental regulation and taxes in our international operations; our dependence upon key personnel; our dependence on our customers' existing broadband connections; restrictions in our debt agreements that may limit our operating flexibility; our ability to obtain additional financing if required; any reinstatement of holdbacks by our vendors; our history of net losses and ability to achieve consistent profitability in the future; and other factors that are set forth in the "Risk Factors" section and other sections of Vonage's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. While the Company may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, and therefore, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to today.

About Vonage

Vonage (NYSE: VG) is a leading provider of cloud communications services for businesses. Vonage transforms the way people work and businesses operate through a portfolio of communications solutions that enable internal collaboration among employees, while also keeping companies closely connected with their customers, across any mode of communication, on any device. The Company also provides a robust suite of feature-rich residential communication solutions. In 2015, the Company was named a Visionary in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications as-a-Service, Worldwide and also earned the Frost & Sullivan Growth Excellence Leadership Award for Hosted IP and Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) Services. For more information, visit www.vonage.com.

Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage America Inc. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage. To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/vonage.

About Nexmo

Nexmo is a global cloud communications platform leader providing innovative communication APIs for voice, text, messaging and phone verification services. Nexmo enables applications and enterprises to communicate with their customers reliably and with ease, no matter where in the world they are located. High-volume communication companies such as Alibaba, and Viber send millions of messages per month using Nexmo APIs. Nexmo has been recognized by Roaming Consulting Company as a Tier 1 A2P SMS Messaging Vendor in 2015, a Top 20 Most Promising API Solution Providers in 2015 by CIO Review and was selected as an Aragon Research Hot Vendor in Real-Time Communication and Collaboration Platform as a Service in 2015. www.nexmo.com

(vg-f)

SOURCE Vonage Holdings Corp.
Brands are eagerly trying to build trust and loyalty with consumers in the U.S. through social media, but it appears many may be missing the mark according to a new Harris Poll conducted on behalf of Lithium Technologies. Results reveal that direct targeting on social via ads can actually lose you customers, and that a far more effective method of reaching today's digital generations is to be present on the channels they frequent, and let them seek you out. An infographic highlighting the study findings is here: http://www.lithium.com/pdfs/infographic/lithium_extreme_expectations_study.pdf

"Pushing out ads on social media is the surest way for brands to alienate consumers, especially the younger generations who make up more than 50 percent of the population," said Rob Tarkoff, President and CEO of Lithium Technologies. "That's a lot of purchasing power, and it's only going to grow as these generations reach their prime spending years. The promise of social technologies has always been about connecting people, not shouting at them, and the brands that don't do this risk their very existence."

"I go on social media to see and know what my friends are doing. I don't want to see ads clutter my news feed. If I'm interested in a product or service, I know where to look," said 23-year-old recent graduate, Mallory Benham. "Social media is a place for us to connect with our friends, not be attacked by advertisements."

Today's younger consumers, raised almost entirely in the digital era, are much more likely to trust information they seek out themselves  whether on blogs, websites or online communities. The survey indicates where younger and older generations place their trust in online sources.

Where's the Trust? Source Younger Generations ( Gen Z and millennials) Older Generations (Gen X and Baby Boomers) Online sites with Product Reviews (e.g., Amazon, Yelp) 85% 66% Company/Manufacturer web sites 66% 44% Communities of like-minded individuals (e.g., chat rooms, forums, user groups) 65% 44% People they follow online 57% 31% Social networks (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) 53% 29% Celebrity endorsements 40% 28%

Trust in online sources is fairly strong across generations but the results show that the younger, digital natives tend to place more trust in them  something brands need to bear in mind as millennials and Gen Z mature.

Millennials and Gen Z comprise over 50 percent of the population (Goldman Sachsi), so meeting their expectations should be of utmost importance to brands. When millennials reach out online, 79 percent of them expect a response back within the same day, compared to only 73 percent for Gen X and 71 percent for Baby Boomers. Brands who are not actively responding, monitoring and engaging with their customers online stand to lose them and jeopardize brand loyalty.

"Social implies a two-way conversation and that means paying attention and participating," said Tarkoff. "Brands who break that contract are going to lose a generation of customers."

About Lithium:

Lithium builds trusted relationships between the world's best brands and their customers, helping people get answers and share their experiences. Customers in more than 34 countries rely on Lithium to help them connect, engage, and understand their total community. With more than 100 million monthly visits over all Lithium communities and 750 million online profiles scored by Klout, Lithium has one of the largest digital footprints in the world. Using that data and the company's software, Lithium customers boost sales, reduce service costs, spark innovation, and build long-term brand loyalty and advocacy. To find out how Lithium can transform your businessand to share the experience enjoyed by 300 other leading brands around the world, visit www.lithium.com, join our community at community.lithium.com, or follow us on Twitter @LithiumTech. Lithium is a privately held company headquartered in San Francisco.

The Lithium logo is a registered Service Mark of Lithium Technologies. All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.

Methodology

The adult portion of this survey was conducted online within the United States from January 19-21, 2016 among 2,057 adults ages 18 and older, by Harris Poll on behalf of Lithium Technologies via its Quick Query omnibus product. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

The youth portion of this survey was conducted online within the United States from January 19-29, 2016 among 317 youths ages 16-18, by Harris Poll on behalf of Lithium Technologies via its YouthQuery omnibus product. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, parental education, school urbanicity, and region were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Poll avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Poll surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Poll panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

i "What if I told you," by Goldman Sachs, 2015.

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SOURCE Lithium Technologies

Related Links

http://www.lithium.com


WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Bankers Association and the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business have collaborated to present Enterprise Risk Management, a new advanced professional development program designed for senior risk management professionals across the banking industry. Registration is now open for the five-day program, which will be held Oct. 31  Nov. 4, in Washington, D.C.

"As banks maneuver through a variety of threats and opportunities, the challenge of maintaining a strong risk management program and culture can be daunting," said Jim Edrington, executive vice president of ABA's professional development group. "More is expected of risk managers today. This program will help them develop and sustain an effective risk governance framework that enables their institution to quickly and easily make sound risk-taking decisions."

The ERM program helps senior risk compliance professionals further build the critical knowledge and management skills necessary to develop, implement and monitor effective risk programs, and to take action with confidence. The curriculum takes a holistic approach, exploring each of the industry's primary risk categories including credit risk management, asset-liability management and business risk. It is designed to foster in-depth learning through expert instruction, team exercises, active learning modules and case studies. The program is limited in size and places attendees in small teams guided by a faculty of experts from government agencies and the private sector, including the Smith School's executive-in-residence Clifford Rossi and other accomplished chief risk officers, who will share their knowledge and experience on each of the various risk categories.

"The ERM program takes the best of what Smith and ABA have to offer and creates something very special," said Gary Cohen, associate dean of executive programs at the Smith School of Business. "Bankers attending this program will learn from academics who also have extensive field experience and know how to put theory into practice."

Participants who complete the program will earn the Enterprise Risk Management Advanced Professional Development Certificate from ABA and the Smith School of Business to go along with a deepened understanding of ways to mitigate the current and emerging risks facing their institution. They will also walk away with an expanded network of industry peers. To register or to learn more about this program, visit aba.com/ERMP.

About the American Bankers Association

The American Bankers Association is the voice of the nation's $16 trillion banking industry, which is composed of small, regional and large banks that together employ more than 2 million people, safeguard $12 trillion in deposits and extend more than $8 trillion in loans.

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, specialty masters, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia. More information about the Robert H. Smith School of Business can be found at www.rhsmith.umd.edu.

ABA Media Contact:

Mike Townsend

[email protected], 202-663-5471

University of Maryland Media Contact:

Carrie Handwerker

[email protected], 301-405-5833

SOURCE Robert H. Smith School of Business

Related Links

http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu


WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In honor of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, "Modern Family" actor Reid Ewing joined the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in Washington D.C. for a national discussion on how to improve access to behavioral health care services for children and youth.

This year's event"Finding Help. Finding Hope."explored how communities can increase access to behavioral health services and supports for children, youth, and young adults who experience mental or substance use disorders and their families.

The national event featured a highly interactive format in which youth and family leaders, educators, law enforcement officials, and behavioral health professionals shared how communities are working to ensure that children, youth and families can connect to community-based behavioral health services and supports. As part of the event, the in-person and webcast audience participated in the onstage conversation via social media and other digital platforms.

Ewing, who played "Dylan" in the hit comedy Modern Family, served as honorary chairperson of the event at The George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs Jack Morton Auditorium. Kana Enomoto, SAMHSA Principal Deputy Administrator, presented him with a Special Recognition Award for speaking out about his experiences with depression and body dysmorphic disorder  a condition recognized as a form of obsessive compulsive disorder.

"We applaud Reid for his openness and honesty in sharing very difficult personal experiences," said Enomoto. "His efforts to educate the public about mental health issues make him an influential voice in support of youth and young adults with mental disorders. Through advocates like Reid, we can show people that help is out there, treatment works, and people do recover."

Through his media interviews and his personal blog posts, Ewing contributes to the conversation on mental health and the importance of accessing behavioral health services.

"People with body dysmorphic disorder often become addicted to cosmetic surgery and yet no one stepped in to suggest my issue could be psychological instead of physical." said Ewing. "I hope sharing my experiences will encourage youth and young adults with similar challenges to make informed choices and seek out healthy support systems. We all have a right to realize our full potential."

Panelists discussed strategies for improving behavioral health care through the education, law enforcement and juvenile justice systems. Youth and family leaders shared their unique perspective as catalysts for systems change in their communities.

Panelists for the event included Paolo del Vecchio, Director, SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services; Lt. Chris McKee, Town of Windsor (CT) Police Department; Olga Acosta Price, PhD, GWU Milken Institute of Public Health, youth leaders Amanda Lipp of Sacramento, CA; Nyamuon "Moon" Nguany of Portland, ME and Brendan Ward of Bowling Green, KY; and family leaders Regina Crider of Champaign, IL; Hugh Davis of Hartland, WI and Janet Pereyra-Herrera of Miami, FL.

NBC4 Washington News Anchor Aaron Gilchrist moderated the discussions and shared questions posed by local and national audience. In addition to SAMHSA, NBC4 also livestreamed the event to their vast audiences.

SAMHSA's Awareness Day national event complements more than 1,100 communities and more than 150 national collaborating organizations and federal partners.

For more information about Awareness Day, new publications, or to view the webcast of the event, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/children.

Follow #HeroesofHope to join the conversation about Awareness Day 2016 on Twitter.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.

SOURCE Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Related Links

http://www.samhsa.gov


NEW YORK, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC honored three women who have demonstrated courage and vision in the service of humanity.

Samia Sleman, a teenage Yazidi refugee; Deborah Lipstadt, an Emory University professor and Holocaust expert; and Lauren Bush Lauren, founder and CEO of FEED; were honored at the AJC Women's Leadership Board Spring Luncheon, attended by nearly 400 people. AJC is the premier global Jewish advocacy organization.

The awards event took place hours before the onset of Holocaust Remembrance Day, a point AJC CEO David Harris emphasized in his keynote remarks. "We are living in a defining time, when our cherished values are threatened," said Harris. "Here in the U.S., we have the gifts of freedom, pluralism, security, and opportunity, together giving us the power to speak out and act. Yet, these fundamental values, these gifts, are fragile. If we don't work to defend them, there are others who seek to destroy them and our way of life."

Sleman, a 15-year-old Yazidi, received AJC's Voice of Conscience Award in recognition of her outspoken advocacy for international recognition of the genocide ISIS is perpetrating against the Yazidi minority in Iraq. After surviving more than six months of brutal captivity, sold and resold as a sex slave, Sleman escaped Iraq and currently lives in Germany.

"Victimized but never conquered, you have courageously lifted your voice in the name of all who struggle against abuse and terror, who cry out for freedom," states the AJC Voice of Conscience Award presented to Sleman.

"What happened to the Yazidis is genocide," said Sleman, who passionately told her personal story. "The world should help the Yazidis, punish those who committed crimes against us, and rescue those in captivity, especially women and kids."

Lauren received the AJC Women's Leadership Award for creating FEED, a socially responsible business whose mission is making products to help feed the world. FEED bags and other products sold since 2007 have provided over 87 million meals around the globe.

"I'm inspired by the resiliency of the human spirit," said Bush. "It is in our power to improve the lives of people, one person at a time." Bush established FEED after working internationally and coming face to face with people who do not have regular access to food.

The AJC Women's Leadership Award honors Bush as a "witness to hunger who refused to remain silent, an innovator helping feed the world, a model of creative engagement," and declares, "Your vision and resolve have won our great admiration."

Lipstadt, the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, received the AJC Jewish Leadership Award for being a "champion of the Jewish people and the rights and dignity of all people, guardian of historical truth and memory," noting that "your great dedication and ceaseless efforts inspire us all."

Lipstadt is one of the top experts on Holocaust denial and modern anti-Semitism. Among her books are "History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving," and "Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory."

"I am very grateful to AJC," said Lipstadt, referring to the financial and staff resources the organization provided from the very beginning to help her successful defense against a libel suit filed by Holocaust denier David Irving. The legal ordeal in London lasted five years. It will be the subject of a Hollywood feature film scheduled to be released later this year.

"In Judaism, taking care of the dead is the most generous act of righteousness because one cannot receive anything in exchange," said Lipstadt. "For five years, I stood up for the six million dead."

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


CLEVELAND, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Aleris Corporation today reported results for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

First Quarter Summary

Adjusted EBITDA of $45 million , down from $55 million in the first quarter of 2015

, down from in the first quarter of 2015 Global automotive volumes up 23 percent; global aerospace volumes up 20 percent from prior year

Regional plate and sheet volumes in Europe up 9 percent from prior year

up 9 percent from prior year Positive Adjusted EBITDA generated by Asia Pacific

Unfavorable impact of $19 million from challenging metal spreads and a weakening U.S. dollar

from challenging metal spreads and a weakening U.S. dollar Pro forma liquidity of $469 million as of March 31, 2016, after giving effect to the April 2016 issuance of $550 million of 9% Senior Secured Notes due 2021 and the repayment of the Senior Notes due 2018

Second Quarter Outlook

Year-over-year performance expected to improve despite negative scrap spread and foreign currency impacts

Global automotive and aerospace volumes expected to exceed prior year

Improved North America building and construction and distribution volumes

building and construction and distribution volumes Order patterns for regionally-based Europe plate and sheet products expected to outpace prior year

plate and sheet products expected to outpace prior year Aleris Operating System expected to drive favorable productivity as operating performance improves

"Strong demand in the global automotive and aerospace industries and positive trends in our regional businesses, especially in North America building and construction, helped to offset the impact of headwinds from metal spreads and currencies, as well as some operational issues early in the quarter that impacted our ability to maximize results," Aleris President & CEO Sean Stack said. "We are now gaining traction on a number of operational excellence initiatives that will enable us to capture the full benefit of this strong demand going forward.

"In addition, we are pleased with the steady progress we have made on our strategic growth projects including the Lewisport, Kentucky autobody sheet project and the ramp-up of our Zhenjiang, China aerospace plate facility. We believe these will significantly strengthen our position over the long-term to serve these growing industries."

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For the three months ended



March 31, 2016

March 31, 2015 (Dollars in millions, metric tons in thousands)

(unaudited) Metric tons of finished product shipped (1)

205

200 Revenue

$ 662

$ 746 Commercial margin

$ 293

$ 302 Segment income

$ 58

$ 72 Loss from continuing operations

$ (6)

$ (26) Adjusted EBITDA

$ 45

$ 55

(1) Metric tons of finished product shipped excludes slab and billet sales from the Voerde and Koblenz cast houses.

First Quarter 2016 Results

Adjusted EBITDA totaled $45 million for the first quarter of 2016 compared to $55 million for the first quarter of 2015. First quarter results were impacted by the following:

unfavorable year-over-year scrap spreads in North America caused by continued low aluminum prices and reduced scrap availability, as well as the increased use of purchased slab in Europe , decreased Adjusted EBITDA by approximately $12 million ;

caused by continued low aluminum prices and reduced scrap availability, as well as the increased use of purchased slab in , decreased Adjusted EBITDA by approximately ; changing currency exchange rates decreased Adjusted EBITDA by approximately $9 million . The U.S. dollar weakened 4 percent in the first quarter of 2016 while it strengthened 11 percent in the first quarter of 2015. This resulted in $3 million of losses on the remeasurement of U.S. dollar working capital in Europe during the first quarter of 2016 and $5 million of gains in the prior year;

. The U.S. dollar weakened 4 percent in the first quarter of 2016 while it strengthened 11 percent in the first quarter of 2015. This resulted in of losses on the remeasurement of U.S. dollar working capital in during the first quarter of 2016 and of gains in the prior year; an increase in volumes, including 23 percent higher global automotive volumes and 20 percent higher global aerospace volumes, increased Adjusted EBITDA approximately $6 million ; and

; and improved rolling margins in Europe and North America increased Adjusted EBITDA approximately $5 million .

Losses from continuing operations totaled $6 million for the first quarter of 2016 compared to $26 million for the first quarter of 2015. The change was primarily related to the following:

a $29 million favorable change in unrealized gains on derivative financial instruments as a result of aluminum price movements and derivative settlements;

favorable change in unrealized gains on derivative financial instruments as a result of aluminum price movements and derivative settlements; a $10 million decrease in depreciation and amortization expense resulting primarily from the closure and sale of certain North America segment facilities in 2015;

decrease in depreciation and amortization expense resulting primarily from the closure and sale of certain segment facilities in 2015; a $9 million reduction in interest expense due to lower debt levels and increased capitalized interest;

reduction in interest expense due to lower debt levels and increased capitalized interest; a $2 million reduction in business development costs as a result of the finalization of the sale of the recycling and specification alloys and extrusions businesses in the first quarter of 2015;

reduction in business development costs as a result of the finalization of the sale of the recycling and specification alloys and extrusions businesses in the first quarter of 2015; a $2 million decrease in restructuring charges; and

decrease in restructuring charges; and a $1 million decrease in stock based compensation resulting from the departure of certain senior executives in 2015.

Partially offsetting these favorable items was the decrease in Adjusted EBITDA discussed above as well as:

an $11 million unfavorable change in the provision for income taxes;

unfavorable change in the provision for income taxes; a $10 million unfavorable variation in currency exchange losses/gains on debt;

unfavorable variation in currency exchange losses/gains on debt; a $3 million increase in start-up costs resulting from our North America autobody sheet project; and

increase in start-up costs resulting from our autobody sheet project; and a $2 million unfavorable variation in metal price lag ( $4 million favorable in the first quarter of 2016 compared to $6 million favorable in the first quarter of 2015). Metal price lag represents the difference between the price of primary aluminum included in our revenues and the price of aluminum impacting our cost of sales net of hedge gains and losses.

In the first quarter of 2016, capital expenditures were $122 million, the majority of which was spent on our North America autobody sheet project at our Lewisport, Kentucky facility and related spending to upgrade critical equipment and capabilities at the facility. That project continues to progress on schedule with shipments anticipated to commence in 2017.

As of March 31, 2016, Aleris had liquidity of $379 million, which consisted of approximately $317 million of availability under our 2015 ABL Facility plus $62 million of cash on hand. In April 2016, Aleris issued $550 million of 9% Senior Secured Notes due 2021. Net cash received totaled $90 million after the repayment of the Senior Notes due 2018 plus the payment of accrued and unpaid interest, prepayment premiums, fees and expenses.

North America

North America segment income decreased to $24 million in the first quarter of 2016 from $32 million in the first quarter of 2015. Segment Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $21 million in the first quarter of 2016 from $29 million in the first quarter of 2015. Performance drivers included:

unfavorable scrap spreads resulting from low aluminum prices and the related tightening of supply decreased segment Adjusted EBITDA approximately $10 million ;

; improved rolling margins increased segment Adjusted EBITDA approximately $1 million ; and

; and favorable cost absorption more than offset a weaker mix of products sold, resulting in an increase to segment Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $1 million . Total shipment volumes were consistent with the prior year as improved building and construction and distribution volumes were offset by lower truck trailer volumes.

Europe

Europe segment income decreased to $33 million in the first quarter of 2016 compared to $41 million in the first quarter of 2015. Segment Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $33 million in the first quarter of 2016 from $39 million in the first quarter of 2015. Performance drivers included:

increases in volumes, including 15 percent, 9 percent and 9 percent increases in automotive, aerospace and regional plate and sheet volumes, respectively, increased segment Adjusted EBITDA approximately $5 million . This increase was partially offset by unfavorable cost absorption, resulting in a net increase of approximately $1 million . In the first quarter of 2015, increasing quantities of finished goods resulted in additional production costs being capitalized. This did not recur in the first quarter of 2016;

. This increase was partially offset by unfavorable cost absorption, resulting in a net increase of approximately . In the first quarter of 2015, increasing quantities of finished goods resulted in additional production costs being capitalized. This did not recur in the first quarter of 2016; changing currency exchange rates decreased segment Adjusted EBITDA approximately $7 million primarily as a result of the unfavorable impact that the weakening U.S. dollar had on the U.S. dollar working capital balances in the current year compared to the favorable impact of the strengthening U.S. dollar in the prior year;

primarily as a result of the unfavorable impact that the weakening U.S. dollar had on the U.S. dollar working capital balances in the current year compared to the favorable impact of the strengthening U.S. dollar in the prior year; an increased use of purchased slab decreased segment Adjusted EBITDA approximately $2 million ; and

; and improved rolling margins resulting from strong demand increased segment Adjusted EBITDA approximately $4 million .

The decrease in segment income was further impacted by a $2 million unfavorable variance in metal price lag, in addition to the factors that drove the increase in segment Adjusted EBITDA.

Asia Pacific

Our Asia Pacific segment reported segment income and segment Adjusted EBITDA of $1 million in the first quarter of 2016 as compared to segment loss and segment Adjusted EBITDA of $2 million in the first quarter of 2015. The increase was primarily due to an improved mix of product sold, including a substantial increase in aerospace volumes, that offset the impact of a temporary shut-down to expand the horizontal heat treat furnace.

Second Quarter Outlook

We estimate second quarter 2016 segment income and Adjusted EBITDA will be higher than both the first quarter of 2016 and the second quarter of 2015. Factors influencing anticipated second quarter 2016 performance include:

Global automotive and aerospace volumes expected to exceed prior year;

Improved North America building and construction and distribution volumes expected to more than offset lower truck trailer volumes;

building and construction and distribution volumes expected to more than offset lower truck trailer volumes; Order patterns for regionally-based Europe plate and sheet products will continue to outpace prior year;

plate and sheet products will continue to outpace prior year; Unfavorable metal spreads, tight scrap supply and a weaker U.S. dollar will continue to impact results, although the year-over-year impact is expected to be less significant than in the first quarter; and

Aleris Operating System expected to drive favorable productivity and improved operating performance to capitalize on strong demand.

Capital expenditures during the second quarter of 2016 are expected to be higher than the second quarter of 2015. We expect capital spending of approximately $350 million to $375 million in 2016, including the amounts spent in the first quarter of the year.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Aleris will hold a conference call and webcast on May 5, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Sean M. Stack, president and chief executive officer, and Eric M. Rychel, executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer, will host the call to discuss results.

The webcast can be accessed through the Company's website, www.aleris.com. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 1-877-870-4263 or 1-412-317-0790 (for international callers) and ask for the "Aleris call". A replay of the call will be posted on the Company's website in the Investor Relations section.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements under headings with "Outlook" in the title and statements about our beliefs and expectations and statements containing the words "may," "could," "would," "should," "will," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "estimate," "target," "project," "look forward to," "intend" and similar expressions intended to connote future events and circumstances constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements about, among other things, future costs and prices of commodities, production volumes, industry trends, anticipated cost savings, anticipated benefits from new products, facilities, acquisitions or divestitures, projected results of operations, achievement of production efficiencies, capacity expansions, future prices and demand for our products and estimated cash flows and sufficiency of cash flows to fund capital expenditures. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statement. Some of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) our ability to successfully implement our business strategy; (2) the success of past and future acquisitions and divestitures; (3) the cyclical nature of the aluminum industry, material adverse changes in the aluminum industry or our end-uses, such as global and regional supply and demand conditions for aluminum and aluminum products, and changes in our customers' industries; (4) increases in the cost, or limited availability, of raw materials and energy; (5) our ability to enter into effective metal, energy and other commodity derivatives or arrangements with customers to manage effectively our exposure to commodity price fluctuations and changes in the pricing of metals, especially London Metal Exchange-based aluminum prices; (6) our ability to generate sufficient cash flows to fund our capital expenditure requirements and to meet our debt service obligations; (7) our ability to fulfill our substantial capital investment requirements; (8) competitor pricing activity, competition of aluminum with alternative materials and the general impact of competition in the industry end-uses we serve; (9) our ability to retain the services of certain members of our management; (10) the loss of order volumes from any of our largest customers; (11) our ability to retain customers, a substantial number of whom do not have long-term contractual arrangements with us; (12) risks of investing in and conducting operations on a global basis, including political, social, economic, currency and regulatory factors; (13) variability in general economic conditions on a global or regional basis; (14) current environmental liabilities and the cost of compliance with and liabilities under health and safety laws; (15) labor relations (i.e., disruptions, strikes or work stoppages) and labor costs; (16) our internal controls over financial reporting and our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent all possible errors that could occur; (17) our levels of indebtedness and debt service obligations, including changes in our credit ratings, material increases in our cost of borrowing or the failure of financial institutions to fulfill their commitments to us under committed credit facilities; (18) our ability to access the credit or capital markets; (19) the possibility that we may incur additional indebtedness in the future; (20) limitations on operating our business as a result of covenant restrictions under our indebtedness, and our ability to pay amounts due under the Senior Notes; and (21) other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the sections entitled "Risk Factors" contained therein. Investors, potential investors and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether in response to new information, futures events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to the results reported in accordance with GAAP, this press release includes information regarding certain non-GAAP financial measures. Management uses EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, segment Adjusted EBITDA and commercial margin as performance metrics and believes these measures provide additional information commonly used by the holders of the Senior Notes and parties to our 2015 ABL Facility with respect to the ongoing performance of our underlying business activities, as well as our ability to meet our future debt service, capital expenditures and working capital needs. In addition, EBITDA with certain adjustments is a component of certain covenants under the indentures governing the Senior Notes. Adjusted EBITDA, including the impact of metal price lag, is a component of certain financial covenants under the credit agreement governing the 2015 ABL Facility. Management also uses commercial margin as a performance metric and believes that it provides useful information regarding the performance of our segments because it measures the price at which we sell our aluminum products above the hedged cost of the metal and the effects of metal price lag, thereby reflecting the value-added components of our commercial activities independent of aluminum prices which we cannot control.

Our EBITDA calculations represent net income and loss attributable to Aleris Corporation before interest income and expense, provision for and benefit from income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and income from discontinued operations, net of tax. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA excluding metal price lag, unrealized gains and losses on derivative financial instruments, restructuring charges, the impact of recording inventory and other items at fair value through purchase accounting, currency exchange gains and losses on debt, stock-based compensation expense, start-up costs and certain other gains and losses. Segment Adjusted EBITDA represents Adjusted EBITDA on a per segment basis. EBITDA as defined in the indentures governing the Senior Notes also limits the amount of adjustments for cost savings, operational improvement and synergies for the purpose of determining our compliance with such covenants. Adjusted EBITDA as defined under the 2015 ABL Facility also limits the amount of adjustments for restructuring charges and requires additional adjustments be made if certain annual pension funding levels are exceeded. Commercial margin represents revenues less the hedged cost of metal and the effects of metal price lag.

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, segment Adjusted EBITDA and commercial margin, as we use them, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. We calculate EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and segment Adjusted EBITDA by eliminating the impact of a number of items we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance, and certain other items. You are encouraged to evaluate each adjustment and the reasons we consider it appropriate for supplemental analysis. However, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, segment Adjusted EBITDA and commercial margin are not financial measurements recognized under GAAP, and when analyzing our operating performance, investors should use EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, segment Adjusted EBITDA and commercial margin in addition to, and not as an alternative for, net income and loss attributable to Aleris Corporation, operating income and loss, or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP, or in addition to, and not as an alternative for, cash flow from operating activities as a measure of our liquidity. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, segment Adjusted EBITDA and commercial margin have limitations as analytical tools, and they should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for, or superior to, our measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

About Aleris

Aleris is a privately held, global leader in aluminum rolled products production. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Aleris operates 13 production facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.aleris.com.



The information disclosed in this press release is believed by Aleris to be accurate as of the date hereof. Aleris expressly disclaims any duty to update the information contained in this press release. Persons engaging in any transactions with Aleris or in Aleris's securities are cautioned that there may exist other material information regarding Aleris that is not publicly available.

Aleris Corporation

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(unaudited)

(in millions)













For the three months ended



March 31, 2016

March 31, 2015 Revenues

$ 662.5

$ 746.2 Cost of sales

589.0

689.4 Gross profit

73.5

56.8 Selling, general and administrative expenses

50.3

61.3 Restructuring charges

0.8

2.9 (Gains) losses on derivative financial instruments

(1.0)

9.1 Other operating expense, net

0.4

1.0 Operating income (loss)

23.0

(17.5) Interest expense, net

18.1

26.6 Other expense (income), net

2.5

(16.2) Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

2.4

(27.9) Provision for (benefit from) income taxes

8.7

(2.3) Loss from continuing operations

(6.3)

(25.6) Income from discontinued operations, net of tax



131.1 Net (loss) income

(6.3)

105.5 Net income from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest



0.1 Net (loss) income attributable to Aleris Corporation

$ (6.3)

$ 105.4

Aleris Corporation

Operating and Segment Information

(unaudited)

(in millions)

















For the three months ended

March 31, 2016

March 31, 2015







Segment income (loss):





North America $ 24.2

$ 32.0 Europe 32.9

41.4 Asia Pacific 0.9

(1.9) Total segment income 58.0

71.5







Depreciation and amortization (26.3)

(36.6) Other corporate general and administrative expenses (13.1)

(17.9) Restructuring charges (0.8)

(2.9) Interest expense, net (18.1)

(26.6) Unallocated gains (losses) on derivative financial instruments 9.2

(19.6) Unallocated currency exchange (losses) gains (0.1)

10.4 Start-up costs (6.3)

(3.8) Other expense, net (0.1)

(2.4) Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes $ 2.4

$ (27.9)

Aleris Corporation

Operating and Segment Information

(unaudited)

(Dollars in millions, except per ton measures, metric tons in thousands)































For the three months ended



March 31, 2016

March 31, 2015

Metric tons of finished product shipped:







North America 119.8

120.0

Europe (1) 82.0

75.0

Asia Pacific 4.9

5.1

Intersegment shipments (1.4)

(0.4)

Total metric tons of finished product shipped 205.3

199.7





















Revenues:







North America $ 334.1

$ 409.8

Europe 312.7

333.5

Asia Pacific 21.3

21.5

Intersegment revenues (5.6)

(18.6)

Total revenues $ 662.5

$ 746.2











Commercial margin:







North America $ 138.6

$ 154.9

Europe 144.8

139.2

Asia Pacific 10.1

7.7

Total commercial margin (2) $ 293.4

$ 301.8











Commercial margin per metric ton:







North America $ 1,156.6

$ 1,291.0

Europe 1,766.4

1,854.3

Asia Pacific 2,066.8

*











Segment Adjusted EBITDA:







North America $ 20.7

$ 28.8

Europe 32.6

39.1

Asia Pacific 0.9

(1.9)

Corporate (9.7)

(11.0)

Total Adjusted EBITDA $ 44.5

$ 55.0





















Segment Adjusted EBITDA per metric ton:







North America $ 172.9

$ 239.9

Europe 397.9

520.5

Asia Pacific 180.9

*

Aleris Corporation 216.8

273.4











* Result is not meaningful.









(1) Finished product shipped excludes slab and billet sales from the Voerde and Koblenz cast houses. (2) Amounts may not foot as they represent the calculated totals based on actual amounts and not the rounded amounts presented in this table.

Aleris Corporation

Consolidated Balance Sheet

(unaudited)

(in millions, except share and per share data)



















ASSETS

March 31, 2016

December 31, 2015 Current Assets







Cash and cash equivalents

$ 61.9

$ 62.2 Accounts receivable (net of allowances of $8.1 and $7.7 at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively)

278.1

216.2 Inventories

485.5

480.3 Prepaid expenses and other current assets

34.1

28.7 Total Current Assets

859.6

787.4 Property, plant and equipment, net

1,225.8

1,138.7 Intangible assets, net

38.4

38.9 Deferred income taxes

112.6

112.6 Other long-term assets (1)

81.9

82.9 Total Assets (1)

$ 2,318.3

$ 2,160.5









LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY







Current Liabilities







Accounts payable

$ 269.4

$ 223.2 Accrued liabilities

210.2

233.8 Current portion of long-term debt

18.0

8.7 Total Current Liabilities

497.6

465.7 Long-term debt (1)

1,211.9

1,109.6 Deferred income taxes

6.0

2.5 Accrued pension benefits

152.3

149.1 Accrued postretirement benefits

38.0

38.8 Other long-term liabilities

67.6

67.6 Total Long-Term Liabilities (1)

1,475.8

1,367.6 Stockholders' Equity







Common stock; par value $.01; 45,000,000 shares authorized and 31,892,441 and 31,768,819 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively

0.3

0.3 Preferred stock; par value $.01; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued



 Additional paid-in capital

423.0

421.9 Retained earnings

81.4

87.7 Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(159.8)

(182.7) Total Equity

344.9

327.2 Total Liabilities and Equity

$ 2,318.3

$ 2,160.5

(1) The retrospective first quarter adoption of Accounting Standards Update 2015-03 "Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs" decreased both "Other long-term assets" and "Long-term debt" by $2.3 million and $2.6 million at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.

Aleris Corporation

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(unaudited)

(in millions)

































For the three months ended



March 31, 2016

March 31, 2015 Operating activities







Net (loss) income

$ (6.3)

$ 105.5 Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided (used) by operating activities:







Depreciation and amortization

26.3

36.6 Provision for deferred income taxes

3.3

78.7 Stock-based compensation expense

1.7

2.7 Unrealized (gains) losses on derivative financial instruments

(9.2)

17.4 Currency exchange gains on debt

(0.4)

(11.3) Net gain on sale of discontinued operations



(205.3) Other

2.0

(8.1) Changes in operating assets and liabilities:







Change in accounts receivable

(55.9)

(161.6) Change in inventories

5.1

19.7 Change in other assets

4.3

(3.3) Change in accounts payable

46.1

19.4 Change in accrued liabilities

(5.8)

(10.7) Net cash provided (used) by operating activities

11.2

(120.3) Investing activities







Payments for property, plant and equipment

(122.0)

(65.2) Proceeds from the sale of businesses, net of cash transferred



518.0 Other

(0.1)

(0.4) Net cash (used) provided by investing activities

(122.1)

452.4 Financing activities







Proceeds from revolving credit facilities

110.0

159.5 Payments on revolving credit facilities

(0.2)

(377.6) Net (payments on) proceeds from other long-term debt

(0.3)

0.9 Debt issuance costs

(0.4)

 Other

(0.4)

(0.8) Net cash provided (used) by financing activities

108.7

(218.0) Effect of exchange rate differences on cash and cash equivalents

1.9

(4.0) Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents

(0.3)

110.1 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

62.2

36.0 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$ 61.9

$ 146.1

Aleris Corporation

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to

Net (Loss) Income Attributable to Aleris Corporation and

Cash Flows Provided (Used) by Operating Activities

(unaudited)

(in millions)



























For the three months ended





March 31, 2016

March 31, 2015

Adjusted EBITDA

$ 44.5

$ 55.0

Unrealized gains (losses) on derivative financial instruments of continuing operations

9.2

(19.5)

Restructuring charges

(0.8)

(2.9)

Unallocated currency exchange gains on debt

0.1

9.8

Stock-based compensation expense

(1.7)

(2.7)

Start-up costs

(6.3)

(3.8)

Favorable metal price lag

3.8

5.6

Other

(2.0)

(6.3)

EBITDA

46.8

35.2

Interest expense, net

(18.1)

(26.6)

(Provision for) benefit from income taxes

(8.7)

2.3

Depreciation and amortization

(26.3)

(36.6)

Income from discontinued operations, net of tax



131.1

Net (loss) income attributable to Aleris Corporation

(6.3)

105.4

Net income from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest



0.1

Net (loss) income

(6.3)

105.5

Depreciation and amortization

26.3

36.6

Benefit from deferred income taxes

3.3

78.7

Stock-based compensation expense

1.7

2.7

Unrealized (gains) losses on derivative financial instruments

(9.2)

17.4

Currency exchange gains on debt

(0.4)

(11.3)

Net gain on sale of discontinued operations



(205.3)

Other

2.0

(8.1)

Change in operating assets and liabilities:









Change in accounts receivable

(55.9)

(161.6)

Change in inventories

5.1

19.7

Change in other assets

4.3

(3.3)

Change in accounts payable

46.1

19.4

Change in accrued liabilities

(5.8)

(10.7)

Net cash provided (used) by operating activities

$ 11.2

$ (120.3)



Aleris Corporation

Reconciliation of Segment Income to

Segment Adjusted EBITDA

(unaudited)

(in millions)

































For the three months ended



March 31, 2016

March 31, 2015 North America







Segment income

$ 24.2

$ 32.0 Favorable metal price lag

(3.4)

(3.2) Segment Adjusted EBITDA (1)

$ 20.7

$ 28.8



















Europe







Segment income

$ 32.9

$ 41.4 Favorable metal price lag

(0.3)

(2.4) Segment Adjusted EBITDA (1)

$ 32.6

$ 39.1



















Asia Pacific







Segment income

$ 0.9

$ (1.9) Segment Adjusted EBITDA (2)

0.9

(1.9)





























(1) Amounts may not foot as they represent the calculated totals based on actual amounts and not the rounded amounts presented in this table. (2) There was no difference between segment income and segment Adjusted EBITDA for this segment.

Aleris Corporation

Reconciliation of Revenues to

Commercial Margin

(unaudited)

(in millions)







































For the three months ended





March 31, 2016

March 31, 2015

North America









Revenues

$ 334.1

$ 409.8

Hedged cost of metal

(192.1)

(251.7)

Favorable metal price lag

(3.4)

(3.2)

Commercial margin

$ 138.6

$ 154.9













Europe









Revenues

$ 312.7

$ 333.5

Hedged cost of metal

(167.6)

(191.9)

Favorable metal price lag

(0.3)

(2.4)

Commercial margin

$ 144.8

$ 139.2













Asia Pacific









Revenues

$ 21.3

$ 21.5

Hedged cost of metal

(11.2)

(13.8)

Commercial margin

$ 10.1

$ 7.7













Aleris Corp









Revenues

$ 662.5

$ 746.2

Hedged cost of metal

(365.3)

(438.8)

Favorable metal price lag

(3.8)

(5.6)

Commercial margin

$ 293.4

$ 301.8



SOURCE Aleris Corporation

Related Links

http://www.aleris.com


NEW YORK, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alleghany Corporation (NYSE-Y) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. A complete, full-text news release for Alleghany's 2016 first quarter results is available on Alleghany's website at www.alleghany.com and is also contained in a Current Report on Form 8-K that has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and is available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In conjunction with the release, Alleghany has also posted its financial supplement to the company's website at www.alleghany.com.

About Alleghany Corporation

Alleghany Corporation (NYSE-Y) creates value through owning and managing operating subsidiaries and investments, anchored by a core position in property and casualty reinsurance and insurance. Alleghany's property and casualty subsidiaries include: Transatlantic Holdings, Inc., a leading global reinsurer; RSUI Group, Inc., a national underwriter of property and liability specialty insurance coverages; CapSpecialty, Inc., an underwriter of commercial property, casualty and surety insurance coverages; and Pacific Compensation Corporation, an underwriter of workers' compensation insurance, primarily in California. Alleghany's subsidiary Alleghany Capital Corporation engages in and oversees strategic investments and acquisitions.

SOURCE Alleghany Corporation

Related Links

http://www.alleghany.com


MADRID, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

First quarter highlights (three months ended March 31, 2016)

Revenue increased 13.2%, to 1,120.0 million.

EBITDA grew 15.2%, to 448.8 million.

In the Distribution business, total air travel agency bookings 1 rose 2.4%, to 141.2 million.

rose 2.4%, to 141.2 million. In the IT Solutions business, Passengers Boarded increased 63.0%, to 269.5 million  excluding Navitaire Altea Passengers Boarded grew 9.9%.

Amadeus IT Holding, S.A., a leading technology partner for the global travel industry, reports year-on-year financial and operating results for the first quarter of 2016 (three months ended March 31, 2016). Adjusted profit for the period grew 17.0%, to 245.6 million supported by a revenue increase of 13.2%, to 1,120.0 million and EBITDA growth of 15.2%, to 448.8 million. Free cash-flow generation expanded 17.9% in the quarter, in the context of a robust capital structure, with leverage at 1.43x EBITDA.

Luis Maroto, President & CEO of Amadeus, commented:

"We have experienced a strong start to the year, delivering solid financial results and various successful business announcements in both Distribution and IT Solutions.

"In Distribution, we continued to grow our business steadily and revenues increased 4.2% in the quarter; whilst in IT Solutions, revenue grew at a pace of 37.6% in the first quarter of 2016, driven by underlying strong double-digit growth, combined with the consolidation of Navitaire and the 2015 acquisitions.

"We are focused on technology as a means to always serve our customers better and to support long-term growth. We look forward to the rest of the year with confidence."

Summary of operating and financial information

Summary of KPI

Figures in million euros Jan-Mar 2016 Jan-Mar 2015 % Change







Operating KPI





Air TA competitive position1,2 42.6% 41.9% 0.7 p.p. Air TA bookings (m)2 141.2 137.9 2.4% Non air bookings (m) 15.8 16.5 (4.0%) Total bookings (m)2 157.0 154.4 1.7% Passengers Boarded (m) 269.5 165.3 63.0%







Financial results





Distribution Revenue 751.7 721.6 4.2% IT Solutions Revenue 368.3 267.7 37.6% Revenue 1,120.0 989.4 13.2% EBITDA 448.8 389.6 15.2% EBITDA margin (%) 40.1% 39.4% 0.7 p.p. Adjusted profit3 245.6 209.9 17.0% Adjusted EPS (euros)4 0.56 0.48 17.0%







Cash flow





Capital expenditure 142.3 137.0 3.9% Free cash-flow5 264.5 224.3 17.9%









31/03/2016 31/12/2015 % Change Indebtedness 6





Covenant Net Financial Debt 2,267.4 1,611.6 40.7% Covenant Net Financial Debt / LTM Covenant EBITDA 1.43x 1.09x



Competitive position is measured as our air TA bookings in relation to the air TA booking industry, defined as the total volume of travel agency air bookings processed by the global or regional CRS. It excludes air bookings made directly through in-house airline systems or single country operators, the latter primarily in China , Japan and Russia , which together combined represent an important part of the industry. Air travel agency bookings were positively affected in the first quarter of 2015 by a one-time seasonality impact linked to the way Topas group bookings were made. This impact reversed in the second quarter of 2015 and the Topas booking dynamics normalised. For comparability purposes, we have made a reclassification between the first quarter and second quarter of 2015 for such air travel agency bookings, slightly impacting industry growth and competitive position. Note first half and full-year 2015 figures are not impacted by this reclassification. Excluding after-tax impact of the following items: (i) accounting effects derived from PPA exercises and impairment losses, (ii) non-operating exchange gains (losses) and (iii) other non-recurring items. EPS corresponding to the Adjusted profit attributable to the parent company. Calculated based on weighted average outstanding shares of the period. Calculated as EBITDA less capital expenditure plus changes in our operating working capital less taxes paid less interests and financial fees paid. Based on the definition included in the senior credit agreement covenants.



Amadeus Air TA Bookings

Figures in million Jan-Mar 2016 % of Total Jan-Mar 2015 % of Total % Change











Western Europe 56.3 39.9% 56.9 41.3% (1.0%) Asia and Pacific1 25.1 17.8% 22.8 16.6% 9.7% North America 24.1 17.1% 22.6 16.4% 6.9% Middle East and Africa 16.7 11.8% 15.8 11.5% 5.6% Central, Eastern and Southern Europe 11.1 7.9% 11.7 8.5% (4.6%) Latin America 7.8 5.5% 8.1 5.9% (3.7%) Total Air TA Bookings1 141.2 100.0% 137.9 100.0% 2.4%

1 Air travel agency bookings were positively affected in the first quarter of 2015 by a one-time seasonality impact linked to the way Topas group bookings were made. This impact reverted in the second quarter of 2015 and the Topas booking dynamics normalised. For comparability purposes, we have made a reclassification between the first quarter and second quarter of 2015 for such air travel agency bookings, slightly impacting industry growth and competitive position. Note first half and full-year 2015 figures are not impacted by this reclassification.

Total PB

Figures in million Jan-Mar 2016 % of Total Jan-Mar 2015 % of Total % Change











Western Europe 101.7 37.7% 67.0 40.5% 51.8% Asia and Pacific 89.2 33.1% 47.0 28.5% 89.6% Latin America 29.7 11.0% 19.1 11.6% 55.2% Middle East and Africa 27.7 10.3% 24.7 14.9% 12.0% Central, Eastern and Southern Europe 11.8 4.4% 6.6 4.0% 77.1% North America 9.5 3.5% 0.8 0.5% n.m. Total PB (Altea and Navitaire) 269.5 100.0% 165.3 100.0% 63.0%

Business highlights during the first quarter

Distribution

Revenue increased 4.2%, to 751.7 million.

Air travel agency bookings 1 rose 2.4%, to 141.2 million  outperforming GDS industry growth 1 of 0.8%.

rose 2.4%, to 141.2 million  outperforming GDS industry growth of 0.8%. Air travel agency competitive position1 expanded by 0.7 percentage points, reaching 42.6%.

Around 75% of airline bookings made through the Amadeus system worldwide are with airlines that have a content agreement with Amadeus. Over the first quarter, new contracts or renewals of existing content agreements were signed with 12 carriers including LATAM Airlines Group S.A. ("LATAM")  which serves more than 70 million passengers a year  Virgin Australia and Etihad Airways, whose contract also included expanded rich content capabilities for displaying images for ancillary services such as exit row seating.

Increasingly, travellers want to compare airline offers  including both the basic fare and ancillary services  before booking to ensure they gain the best services and price from the airline they choose whatever their preferred channel of purchasing. Amadeus has long been at the forefront of developing solutions that anticipate and fulfill the traveller need for both price comparison and purchasing ancillary services. During the quarter our customers continued contracting our merchandising solutions. As of end of the quarter, 138 airlines had signed-up to Amadeus Airline Ancillary Services, including LATAM, with 100 customers  including Aeromexico recently  having implemented the solution. Amadeus Fare Families Solution, which allows airlines to distribute branded fares, had 36 contracts in place with airlines, including Scandinavian Airlines. 26 customers have now implemented the Fare Families Solution, including Canada's WestJet.

The trend for travel agencies adopting merchandising solutions continued with the online travel agency Travix recently introducing Amadeus Fare Families across its 35 website brands, including CheapTickets.nl, BudgetAir.com, and Vayama.com. Egencia, the travel management company owned by Expedia and whose services are available in 65 countries, on March 1 began using Amadeus Web Services to offer business travellers the ability to book extra baggage whilst booking flights  offering merchandising content to its clients from more than 10 airlines, including Air France, its pilot airline partner.

Furthering our commitment to our subscribers, in the UK market, Amadeus launched Selling Platform Connect, the world's first fully cloud-based GDS booking and fulfillment platform, accessible anywhere from any device with internet access and without the hassle of a complicated installation. This product brings key benefits including flexibility, real customization capabilities and an innovative "Cryptic Magic" tool that allows users to switch seamlessly between cryptic and graphic during any part of the booking process.

Continuing our growth in the important growing Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) sector, travel agents using the Amadeus system can now book Ryanair's Business Plus Fare, which includes benefits such as one free 20Kg checked-in bag, a premium seat with extra legroom or a speedy exit (subject to availability), and Flexible ticket changes without fees. The majority of corporate travel is booked through the indirect channel, and Amadeus is the only GDS with Light Ticketing technology that allows travel agents to book flights with LCC and hybrid carriers in the same way as they do with full-service carriers. This quarter Amadeus saw a 12.4% increase in total LCC bookings by travel agencies, compared to the same period last year. Today, more than 80 LCC and hybrid carriers distribute their fares to travel agencies through Amadeus.

Amadeus took another step forward in the world of personalised shopping for travellers when it launched the world's first self-service online rebooking solution, Amadeus Ticket Changer (ATC) Shopper. Customers of participating travel agencies can go online to rebook their flights any day, any time. This helps online travel agents greatly reduce the number of calls to call centres, lowers the risk of errors, and improves customer satisfaction and loyalty. Tickets Travel Network, a leading Eastern European online travel agency, was amongst one of the first agencies to test Amadeus' new ATC Shopper functionality.

Rail

AccesRail, an IATA travel partner and content aggregator specialising in intermodal travel, strengthened its commitment to a door-to-door travel future through an extended partnership with Amadeus. Using Amadeus' Air-Rail Display, travel agents are now able to book 18 rail and bus operators across 26 countries on the same screen as air travel, including Deutsche Bahn's stand-alone services in Germany and National Express bus routes in the UK. This link allows railways to broaden their reach in a key sales channel and increase revenue.

Meanwhile RENFE, the Spanish rail operator that transported a record 31 million passengers on its high speed trains in 2015, agreed to distribute its rail content to Amadeus subscribers globally. Search, booking, ticketing, payment and settlement flow for the travel agency are all handled by Amadeus.

IT Solutions

Navitaire consolidation significantly contributed to strong IT Solutions performance.

Revenue grew 37.6%, reaching 368.3 million.

Passengers Boarded rose by 63.0% to total 269.5 million, with 87.9m from Navitaire.

Altea Passengers Boarded grew 9.9%, 4.5% of which came from the organic growth of existing Altea carriers and the rest coming from the full year impact of migrations during 2015 and more recent additions such as Swiss International Air Lines and China Airlines.

Airline IT:

In January Amadeus announced that, following regulatory approval, it had closed the deal to acquire Navitaire, a provider of technology and business solutions to the airline industry, from Accenture for 766.5 million. The addition of Navitaire's portfolio of products and solutions for the low-cost and hybrid segments complements Amadeus' Altea Suite of offerings for its largely full-service carrier customer base, giving the company the ability to serve a wider group of airlines. Amadeus will market and sell the two product portfolios separately and will continue to invest in both platforms, enhancing the services and functionality availability to all types of carriers.

At the end of the first quarter 132 airlines globally were contracted for both Altea Reservation and Altea Inventory, 121 of which were contracted to use the full Altea Suite (which additionally includes Altea Departure Control); 127 airlines had already been implemented for Altea Reservation and Altea Inventory, 110 of which were already using the full Altea Suite. The Altea Suite enables the same traveller experience across alliance members by facilitating closer integration between partner airlines that need to share availability, fares, customer and booking information.

Migrations onto the Altea platform continued, with Swiss International Air Lines and Brussels Airlines migrating to Altea Departure Control towards the end of the quarter following its migration to Reservation and Inventory earlier in the year. Swiss International Air Lines and Brussels Airlines flew more than 16 million and 7 million passengers respectively in 2015. China Airlines, the largest airline and flag carrier of the Republic of China (Taiwan), along with its subsidiary, Mandarin Airlines, have now migrated to the Altea Reservation and Inventory modules as part of their contract for the full Amadeus Altea Suite  making Altea available in the Chinese language for the first time.

Existing Altea customers continued to contract additional solutions from the airline IT portfolio. The Lufthansa Group, which was already an Altea Reservation, Inventory and Departure Control Customer Management user, contracted to complete the full Amadeus Altea Suite across all its airlines through the addition of Amadeus Altea Departure Control Flight Management. Starting with Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo, Amadeus will work with the Lufthansa Group to automate aircraft load control and will eventually optimise loads for the group's 3,000 daily flights. Additionally, the relationship with Singapore Airlines was deepened when the airline contracted the full suite of Amadeus Revenue Management solutions, which are specifically designed to counter the 'buy-down effect' generated by traditional revenue management practices. By providing the airline with the necessary platform to future-proof its revenue management capabilities, Amadeus will allow the carrier to react more nimbly in the face of a rapidly evolving landscape. Singapore Airlines will also adopt the Amadeus Dynamic Pricing and Amadeus Altea Group Manager solutions.

Airport IT:

Quebec City's Jean Lesage International Airport is implementing next-generation cloud-based Amadeus technology, to provide a more efficient passenger departure experience and create substantial cost and energy savings. By introducing the Amadeus Airport Common Use Service (ACUS), which revolutionises check-in technology by using application virtualisation, and deploying self-service kiosks at the airport, Amadeus' solutions will increase operational flexibility to respond to peak demand.

Additionally Copenhagen Airports, the company that owns and operates the Copenhagen airports of Kastrup and Roskilde, has chosen to harness the power of the cloud through a ten-year IT partnership with Amadeus. By improving operational performance and the customer experience as part of an ambitious vision to become a world-class hub for Northern Europe, they hope to grow from 25 to 40 million passengers per year. Both airports will remove their current Air Traffic System and replace them with nine Amadeus solutions to transform operations across a diverse range of areas, including Airport Collaborative Decision Making Portal, Airport Operational Database and Baggage Reconciliation System.

Additional information from the first quarter:

Norwegian Air Shuttle announced that generous passengers have donated approximately 3.3 million NOK (Almost USD 0.390 million) since June of 2015 via the Amadeus Donation Engine, which allows travellers to contribute funds to UNICEF when purchasing flights online. Passengers simply 'Click for Change' when finishing ticket purchase and a small donation of choice goes directly to support UNICEF's work for children.

The Amadeus commitment to its employees was recognised earlier this year when it was awarded the Top Employers 2016 Certification in Spain for the fourth consecutive year, in Germany at our data centre for the third consecutive year, for the first time ever in Thailand at our Bangkok regional office, and at our UK & Ireland Amadeus Commercial Office. The Top Employers Institute is a well-known independent organisation that assesses the employee offerings of companies around the world against international standards.

1 Air travel agency bookings were positively affected in the first quarter of 2015 by a one-time seasonality impact linked to the way Topas group bookings were made. This impact reverted in the second quarter of 2015 and the Topas booking dynamics normalised. For comparability purposes, we have made a reclassification between the first quarter and second quarter of 2015 for such air travel agency bookings, slightly impacting industry growth and competitive position. Note first half and full-year 2015 figures are not impacted by this reclassification.

Notes to editors:

Amadeus is a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (e.g. airlines, hotels, rail and ferry operators, etc.), travel sellers (travel agencies and websites), and travel buyers (corporations and travel management companies).

The Amadeus group employs around 13,000 people worldwide, across central sites in Madrid (corporate headquarters), Nice (development) and Erding (operations), as well as 71 local Amadeus Commercial Organisations globally.

The group operates a transaction-based business model.

Amadeus is listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange under the symbol "AMS.MC" and is a component of the IBEX 35 index.

To find out more about Amadeus please visit www.amadeus.com, and www.amadeus.com/blog for more on the travel industry.

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SOURCE Amadeus

Related Links

http://www.amadeus.com


VANCOUVER, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - American Lithium Corp. ("American Lithium" or the "Company") (TSXV: LI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dana Brock to the management team as Vice-President of Geosciences and Engineering.

Dana Brock is a field oriented Civil Engineer, Geologist and Engineering Geologist. For over 30 years, he has performed and directed investigations, designed facilities and supported construction and remediation. His experience spans a broad range of projects in the U.S. and ten other countries, including facilities development for geothermal well fields (Calpine, Unocal Geothermal, Kiewit, CalEnergy, Coso Operators); exploration, drilling and resource management for low temperature and mineralized waters (Sonoma Mission Inn, City of Calistoga and 29 Palms, Crystal Geyser and Mendocino Mineral Water); private and municipal water supply, distribution, impoundment and disposal (Cities of San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and Burlingame, Kendall-Jackson Wines and DeLoach Wines); basin management and due diligence and technical support for legal issues involving geothermal and oil well fields, mineral prospects and underground construction (Deutsche Bank, Florida Power and Light, Mission Energy, Gordon & Rees and Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority).

Michael Kobler, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented "Dana's experience with water resources, aquifer characterization and development are unmatched. Being both an Engineer and geologist makes him uniquely qualified to help manage the Company's ongoing projects, from initial characterization, permitting through development. Dana and I have worked together for over twenty years, he was instrumental in the startup of OSUM Oil Sands Corp, a successful junior oil sands startup. Dana has that get it done attitude and project knowhow that American Lithium needs going forward."

The Company also announces that it has completed the grant of 1,000,000 incentive stock options to certain directors, officers and consultants of the Company. The options vest immediately, and are exercisable at a price of $1.13 per share for a period of five years.

On behalf of the Board,

American Lithium Corp.

Michael Kobler, Chief Executive Officer

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE American Lithium Corp

Related Links

www.americanlithiumcorp.com


TEMPE, Ariz., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Amtech Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASYS), a global supplier of production equipment and related supplies for the solar, semiconductor, and LED markets, today reported results for its second fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2016.

Second Quarter Fiscal 2016 Financial and Operational Highlights:

Customer orders of $45.0 million (solar $28.0 million )

(solar ) Quarter-end backlog of $67.3 million (solar $51.3 million )

(solar ) Net revenues of $22.5 million (solar $9.8 million )

(solar ) Book to bill ratio of 2.1:1 (solar 3.0:1)

Gain on the sale of sales and service rights of $2.6 million (pre-tax)

(pre-tax) Net loss of $1.5 million , or $0.11 per share

, or per share Unrestricted cash of $31.8 million

Mr. Fokko Pentinga, Chief Executive Officer of Amtech, commented, "We are pleased with our $45 million of total bookings in the second quarter, including $28 million of solar orders, which is the highest solar bookings since the March quarter of 2011. With those bookings, we now have a backlog of $67 million which is a 57 percent increase since December 31, 2015 and the highest in four years. We are positioning for the next wave of growth in solar with expectations to continue to expand our market reach, develop current and new customer relationships, and continue to be recognized as a market leader for our distinguishable technology solutions.

Pentinga continued, "New orders and backlog for our electronics and LED businesses reflect sequential and year-over-year improvements. We look forward to continued improvement in semiconductor capex spending in the second half of calendar 2016 and the opportunity to more fully optimize our operating efficiency in a more robust marketplace."

Customer orders in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 were $45.0 million ($28.0 million solar), compared to $35.6 million ($23.0 million solar) in the preceding quarter and $30.9 million ($16.7 million solar) in the second quarter of fiscal 2015.

At March 31, 2016, the Company's total order backlog was $67.3 million (solar $51.3 million), compared to total backlog of $42.9 million (solar $31.3 million) at December 31, 2015. Backlog includes deferred revenue and customer orders that are expected to ship within the next 12 months.

Net revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 was $22.5 million compared to $22.1 million in the preceding quarter and $24.3 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. The decrease from the prior year quarter is due primarily to lower shipments caused by the cyclicality of the semiconductor industry and the polishing segment.

Gross margin in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 was 27%, compared to 27% in the preceding quarter and 28% in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. The slightly lower margin in Q2 2016 compared to a year ago resulted primarily from lower usage of previously reserved inventory in the solar segment and lower sales volumes in the polishing segment.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 were $7.4 million compared to $7.6 million in the preceding quarter and $8.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. The decrease compared to a year ago results primarily from lower legal and consulting expenses related to activity that led to the Company's acquisition of BTU in January 2015, as well as lower commission expenses, partially offset by the inclusion of BTU for a full quarter in Q2 2016 compared to a partial quarter in Q2 2015.

Research, development and engineering (RD&E) expense was $2.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 compared to $2.3 million in the preceding quarter and $0.8 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. The higher RD&E expense compared to a year ago is primarily due to lower grants earned resulting from the deconsolidation of Kingstone in fiscal 2015, and increases in spending resulting from inclusion of BTU and SoLayTec RD&E since acquisition, partially offset by lower spending due to the deconsolidation of Kingstone.

Depreciation and amortization in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 was $0.7 million, compared to $0.8 million in the preceding quarter and $0.9 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015.

Income tax expense was $1.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 compared to $0.3 million in the preceding quarter and $0.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Income tax expense in Q2 2016 is primarily related to tax on the $2.6 million pre-tax gain on the sale of the exclusive sales and service rights for the Kingstone ion implanter.

The net loss for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 was $1.5 million, or $0.11 per share, compared to a net loss of $4.0 million or $0.31 per share in the preceding quarter and a net loss of $2.3 million, or $0.19 per share for the second quarter of fiscal 2015.

Unrestricted cash and cash equivalents at March 31, 2016 were $31.8 million, compared to $22.6 million at December 31, 2015. The increase in cash and cash equivalents is primarily due to cash received from the sale of our exclusive sales and service rights for the Kingstone ion implanter, as well as customer deposits, partially offset by operating losses.

Outlook

The company expects revenues for the quarter ending June 30, 2016 to be in the range of $30 to $33 million. Gross margin for the quarter ending June 30, 2016 is expected to be in the mid 20s percent range, negatively impacted by product mix, with operating margin slightly negative.

Operating results could be impacted by the timing of system shipments, the net impact of revenue deferral on those shipments, and recognition of revenue based on customer acceptances, all of which can have a significant effect on operating results.

A substantial portion of Amtech's revenues are denominated in Euros. The revenue outlook provided in this press release is based on an assumed exchange rate between the United States Dollar and the Euro. A significant decrease in the value of the Euro in relation to the United States Dollar could cause actual revenues to be lower than anticipated.

Conference Call

Amtech Systems will host a conference call and webcast today at 5:00pm ET to discuss second quarter fiscal 2016 financial results. Those in the USA wishing to participate in the live call should dial (844)-868-9329. From Canada, dial (866)-605-3852, and internationally, dial (412) 317-6703. Request "Amtech" when connected to the operator. A replay of the call will be available one hour after the end of the conference call through May 16, 2016. To access the replay please dial US toll free (877) 344-7529 and enter code 10084716. Internationally, dial (412) 317-0088 and use the same code. A live and archived web cast of the conference call can be accessed in the investor relations section of Amtech's website at www.amtechsystems.com.

About Amtech Systems, Inc.

Amtech Systems, Inc. is a global supplier of advanced thermal processing equipment to the solar, semiconductor / electronics, and LED manufacturing markets. Amtech's equipment includes diffusion, ALD and PECVD systems and solder reflow systems. Amtech also supplies wafer handling automation and polishing equipment and related consumable products. The Company's wafer handling, thermal processing and consumable products currently address the diffusion, oxidation, and deposition steps used in the fabrication of solar cells, LEDs, semiconductors, MEMS, printed circuit boards, semiconductor packaging, and the polishing of newly sliced sapphire and silicon wafers. Amtech's products are recognized under the leading brand names Tempress SystemsTM, Bruce TechnologiesTM, PR HoffmanTM, R2D AutomationTM, SoLayTec, and BTU International.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release is forward-looking in nature. All statements in this press release, or made by management of Amtech Systems, Inc. and its subsidiaries ("Amtech"), other than statements of historical fact, are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements" (as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "would," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology or our management are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements regarding Amtech's future financial results, operating results, business strategies, projected costs, products under development, competitive positions, and plans and objectives of Amtech and its management for future operations. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. The Form 10-K that Amtech filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for the year-ended September 30, 2015, listed various important factors that could affect the company's future operating results and financial condition and could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results and expectations based on forward-looking statements made in this document or elsewhere by Amtech or on its behalf. These factors can be found under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Form 10-Ks and investors should refer to them. Because it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors, any such list cannot be considered a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contacts:

Amtech Systems, Inc.

Robert T. Hass

Interim Chief Financial Officer

(480) 967-5146 [email protected] Christensen

Investor Relations

Patty Bruner

(480) 201-6075 [email protected]

AMTECH SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ: ASYS) May 5, 2016































Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations Unaudited (in thousands, except per share data)

















Three Months Ended March 31,

Six Months Ended March 31,

2016

2015

2016

2015















Revenues, net of returns and allowances $ 22,483

$ 24,273

$ 44,557

$ 36,669 Cost of sales 16,482

17,384

32,601

26,352 Gross profit 6,001

6,889

11,956

10,317















Selling, general and administrative 7,448

8,075

15,044

14,459 Research, development and engineering 2,160

750

4,447

2,586 Operating loss (3,607)

(1,936)

(7,535)

(6,728) Gain on sale of other assets 2,576

-

2,576

- Income from equity method investment 688

-

671

- Interest expense and other income, net 33

(217)

(169)

(120) Loss before income taxes (310)

(2,153)

(4,457)

(6,848)















Income tax provision 1,670

170

1,970

350 Net loss (1,980)

(2,323)

(6,427)

(7,198)















Add: net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interest 481

2

914

(317) Net loss attributable to Amtech Systems, Inc. $ (1,499)

$ (2,321)

$ (5,513)

$ (7,515)















Loss Per Share:













Basic loss per share attributable to Amtech shareholders $ (0.11)

$ (0.19)

$ (0.42)

$ (0.69) Weighted average shares outstanding 13,169

11,997

13,161

10,914















Diluted loss per share attributable to Amtech shareholders $ (0.11)

$ (0.19)

$ (0.42)

$ (0.69) Weighted average shares outstanding 13,169

11,997

13,161

10,914

AMTECH SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ: ASYS) May 5, 2016











































Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands, except share data)































































March 31, 2016 September 30, 2015 Assets



























(Unaudited)

Current Assets













Cash and cash equivalents





$ 31,818 $ 25,852 Restricted cash







535 638 Accounts receivable











Trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts of $3,537 and $5,009 at 16,641 14,488 March 31, 2016 and September 30, 2015, respectively)





Unbilled and other







6,089 8,494 Inventories









24,054 23,329 Deferred income taxes







2,050 2,050 Notes and other receivable







- 7,079 Other









3,888 3,772 Total current assets







85,075 85,702





















Property, Plant and Equipment - Net





16,896 17,761 Deferred Income Taxes - Long Term





430 430 Other Assets - Long Term







1,167 3,356 Investments









3,404 2,733 Intangible Assets - Net







4,568 4,939 Goodwill









11,188 10,535 Total Assets









$ 122,728 $ 125,456





















Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity









Current Liabilities













Accounts payable







$ 15,021 $ 15,646 Current maturities of long-term debt





747 919 Accrued compensation and related taxes



5,242 5,605 Accrued warranty expense





859 793 Deferred profit









3,431 4,873 Customer deposits







10,495 7,154 Other accrued liabilities







2,180 3,551 Income taxes payable







2,400 830 Total current liabilities







40,375 39,371





















Long-term Debt









9,351 8,448 Income Taxes Payable - Long-Term





5,960 4,990 Total liabilities







55,686 52,809





















Stockholders' Equity











Common stock; $0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; shares issued and outstanding: 13,173,197 and 13,150,469 at March 31, 2016 and September 30, 2015, respectively







132 131 Additional paid-in capital







110,930 110,191 Accumulated other comprehensive loss



(8,611) (8,666) Retained deficit







(34,335) (28,822) Total stockholders' equity





68,116 72,834 Noncontrolling interest







(1,074) (187) Total equity









67,042 72,647 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity



$ 122,728 $ 125,456

AMTECH SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ: ASYS) May 5, 2016







































Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows





Unaudited













(in thousands)

















































Six Months Ended March 31,















2016 2015 Operating Activities













Net loss









$ (6,427) $ (7,198) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net







cash provided by (used in) operating activities:







Depreciation and amortization





1,529 1,641 Write-down of inventory





74 81 Deferred income taxes





(5) 901 Non-cash share based compensation expense

708 568 Gain on sale of other assets





(2,576) - Income from equity method investment



(671) - Reversal of allowance for doubtful accounts



(122) (281) Changes in operating assets and liabilities:







Restricted cash







97 844 Accounts receivable







475 (1,406) Inventories







(656) (7,482) Accrued income taxes







1,939 (922) Other assets







(120) (2,027) Accounts payable







(707) 7,664 Accrued liabilities and customer deposits



1,515 5,269 Deferred profit







(1,440) (643) Net cash used in operating activities





(6,387) (2,991)



















Investing Activities













Purchases of property, plant and equipment



(192) (125) Acquisitions, net of cash acquired





- 8,595 Proceeds from partial sale of subsidiary



7,012 - Proceeds from sale of other assets





4,884 - Net cash provided by investing activities



11,704 8,470



















Financing Activities













Proceeds from the exercise of stock options



30 55 Payments on long-term debt





(259) (121) Borrowings on long-term debt





830 335 Net cash provided by financing activities



601 269



















Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash





48 (508)



















Net Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents



5,966 5,240 Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Period



25,852 27,367 Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Period





$ 31,818 $ 32,607

SOURCE Amtech Systems, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.amtechsystems.com


TAMPA, Fla., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Swedish Energy Agency, in partnership with five Swedish municipalities, launched a global Intelligent Energy Challenge to identify innovative solutions to support the transition to distributed solar energy resources.

Amzur Technologies, a Tampa, Florida-based software firm, was one of four international winners selected. Each winner has received a 10,000 prize.

Renewable energy sources like solar power and wind energy present a challenge to electric power providers since the sun is not always shining and winds are quite variable. The solution  forecast solar production and energy demand and reduce electricity demand or store excess energy in batteries.

Amzur partnered with the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Labs to propose an open source software based Distributed Energy controller. The energy controller forecasts on-site energy consumption and local energy supply - solar PV generation and available energy (battery) storage. Based on these forecasts, the system can decide, based on a set of user-defined rules, to buy electricity from the local utility, discharge the batteries, or delay when an air conditioner turns on.

The winning teams will now be invited to negotiate with the participating municipalities and private firms. The next phase of the challenge has up to 250,000 available to pilot their proposed solutions.

Raymond Kaiser, Amzur's Director of Energy Management Systems, said that "the rapid adoption of solar energy throughout the world is creating new challenges for traditional utilities and new opportunities for companies seeking to reduce their energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. At Amzur, we are committed to designing and implementing open-source software solutions that integrate the reliability of the electric grid with the resiliency of distributed energy resources like solar power and battery storage."

About Amzur Technologies and OpenDEM Distributed Energy Resource Management Solution

Amzur Technologies, based in Tampa, Florida, is an information technology solutions, consulting and support firm. Amzur provides custom and customizable secure mobile to cloud applications and services.

OpenDEM is a modular suite of open source applications that can monitor, manage and control Distributed Energy Resources locally and remotely  from a single building to a campus, to a diverse portfolio of buildings, or a large service territory.

For more information about Amzur Technologies Energy Management solutions, please visit us at http://www.amzur.com/products/opendem or email us at [email protected]

SOURCE Amzur Technologies, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.amzur.com


LONDON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details

The latest report from business intelligence provider visiongain offers comprehensive analysis of the global anti-counterfeit packaging technologies market. Visiongain assesses that this market will generate revenues of $18.14 bn in 2016.



The trade of counterfeit goods is a trillion dollar industry and one of the fastest growing economic crimes worldwide. According to the World Customs Organisation, 7% of the total world trade is counterfeit. Today, counterfeit goods not only include luxury and high-priced items such as designer handbags, watches and perfumes, but also an array of illicit products such as medications, cigarettes, baby formula, toothpaste, electronic equipment & parts, airplane & automobile parts and agrochemicals have been recorded. Due to the reduction in the cost of advanced technologies, counterfeiters can imitate goods almost exactly. This illegal activity threatens the economies of both developed and developing countries, damages new investments and increasingly endangers public health and safety.



In the long-term, we anticipate the prospects of anti-counterfeit packaging technologies to remain bright due to an array of innovative and cost-effective anti-counterfeit solutions which are expected to be launched into the market. Growth will be driven by the increasing publicity of technological solutions for track-and-trace purposes and serialization. Furthermore, innovative technologies particularly from the fast growing RFID sectors will also help in driving revenue growth in the global anti-counterfeit packaging technologies market. Innovations in the RFID sector are also expected to help drive sales up significantly in the emerging economies as these technologies begin to gain market penetration. Along with advancements in anti-counterfeit technologies, tougher government legislations for protecting intellectual properties as well as stronger collaboration of organizations and manufacturers for protecting brand integrity will further support the anti-counterfeit packaging technologies market in the developing and emerging markets.



How this report will benefit you?

This report is intended to provide an in-depth analysis of the latest trends prevailing in the global anti-counterfeit packaging technologies market and its growth and development in the next decade. Globalisation, a sluggish global economy, developing infrastructure, innovation and advancements in technologies, emerging economies, consumer spending behaviour, per capita income, macroeconomic factors, rising GDPs, market expansion, ecommerce, and evolving laws and regulations are key trend-setting factors which will affect the anti-counterfeit packaging technologies market.



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- Anti-counterfeit packaging technologies submarket forecasts from 2016-2026 covering Apparel, Handbag and Wallets, Watches and Jewellery, Pharmaceuticals, Electronics and Parts, Personal Care, Optical Media, Beverages, Food, Tobacco and Other;



- Analysis of the key factors driving growth in the global, regional and country level Anti-counterfeit Packaging Technologies Markets from 2016-2026;

- Profiles of the leading 20 anti-counterfeit packaging technologies companies in 2015 including 3M;Alien Technology; AlpVision; Impinj Inc.; TruTag Technologies; Zebra Technologies; and others.

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Who should read this report?

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About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

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LONDON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details

Visiongain assesses that the global demand for military armoured vehicles will reach $12.4bn in 2015. Armoured vehicles have always been a key component of military ground forces. This armoured vehicle market report looks at demand for military vehicles that are designed to withstand some level of hostile fair and also resistance to mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Armoured vehicles have always been sought as a force multiplier through the firepower they bring to military operations and also in support of infantry that they either carry themselves or also those outside armoured vehicles.



In the past several years, the armoured vehicle market was driven in significant part by the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan where US-led forces were deployed but with the withdrawal from those areas, the US and other countries are now able to focus on other priority vehicles. Also, for countries that were not involved in those conflicts, the development and procurement of armoured vehicles to replace legacy vehicles continues.



Visiongain's 240 page report keeps you informed and ahead of your competitors. Gain that competitive advantage.



This report answers questions such as:

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- AM General

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- Hyundai Rotem

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- Iveco Defence Vehicles

- Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW)

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- 101 armoured vehicle programmes

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About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

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For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


CALGARY, May 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - Bankers Petroleum Ltd. ("Bankers" or the "Company") (TSX: BNK, AIM: BNK) is pleased to provide its 2016 first quarter financial and operational results.

During the first quarter, Bankers achieved a cash margin of US$6.91 per barrel. All amounts listed in this news release are in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

"The first quarter was challenging for the Company. We navigated the volatile and competitive heavy oil commodity markets and maintained firm footing as a business. At the same time, it was an exciting quarter, as the proposed acquisition by Geo-Jade Petroleum Corporation ("Geo-Jade") brings forth the opportunity for shareholders to crystallize value at a significant premium to the prevailing market valuation," commented President and Chief Executive Officer, David French. "Bankers has been working alongside Geo-Jade to complete the necessary steps to ensure a timely close of the proposed transaction. Our Management team and Board of Directors remain in full support of the transaction, and believe it to be in the best interest of shareholders."

Results at a Glance Three Months Ended ($000s, except as noted) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 March 31, 2015 Financial







Oil revenue 33,091 56,880 72,404

Net operating income 3,448 23,235 24,868

Net income (loss) (11,971) (8,391) 879



Basic (US$/share) (0.05) (0.04) 0.00



Diluted (US$/share) (0.05) (0.04) 0.00

Funds generated from operations 1,447 34,326 24,890



Basic (US$/share) 0.01 0.13 0.10

Capital expenditures 12,676 24,651 49,945 Operating







Average production (bopd) 17,363 18,137 19,767

Average sales (bopd) 17,280 18,558 20,283

Average Brent oil price (US$/barrel) 33.94 43.76 53.94

Average realized price (US$/barrel) 21.04 33.31 39.66

Netback (US$/barrel) 2.19 13.60 13.62

Cash margin (US$/barrel) 6.91 24.01 23.32













March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 March 31, 2015

Cash and restricted cash 52,996 69,141 57,842

Working capital 144,211 159,868 174,209

Total assets 1,238,380 1,261,390 1,264,256

Long-term debt 95,188 98,628 98,872

Shareholders' equity 708,318 719,294 718,552

Highlights

Bankers reached several key financial and operational achievements during the first quarter of 2016 as described below:

Arrangement Agreement:

On March 20, 2016 , Bankers Petroleum Ltd. entered into a definitive agreement with an affiliate of Geo-Jade Petroleum Corporation, for the purchase of all the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company at a cash price of C$2.20 per common share of the Company. The transaction will be effected by way of a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act. This transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of court, shareholder and regulatory approvals required under the Investment Canada Act, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Albania. The transaction is expected to close before June 30, 2016 .

, Bankers Petroleum Ltd. entered into a definitive agreement with an affiliate of Geo-Jade Petroleum Corporation, for the purchase of all the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company at a cash price of per common share of the Company. The transaction will be effected by way of a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act. This transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of court, shareholder and regulatory approvals required under the Investment Canada Act, and the Republic of Albania. The transaction is expected to close before . Materials have now been distributed to all Bankers Shareholders for their vote at the Special Meeting to be held on May 31 , 2016. All Directors and Officers of Bankers remain committed to this transaction and recommend voting in favor. The Circular and other documents are available at www.bankerspetroleum.com or www.sedar.com.

Operational Highlights:

Average oil production for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was 17,363 barrels of oil per day (bopd) compared to 18,137 bopd in the previous quarter and 19,767 bopd in the first quarter of 2015.

was 17,363 barrels of oil per day (bopd) compared to 18,137 bopd in the previous quarter and 19,767 bopd in the first quarter of 2015. Oil sales averaged 17,280 bopd for the first quarter of 2016 compared to 18,558 bopd for the previous quarter and 20,283 bopd for the first quarter of 2015. Crude oil inventory at March 31, 2016 increased to 260,000 barrels compared to 256,500 barrels at December 31 , 2015.

increased to 260,000 barrels compared to 256,500 barrels at , 2015. During the first quarter of 2016, capital expenditures were $13 million . The Company did not drill any wells during the quarter. Capital expenditures were $25 million for the previous quarter and $50 million for the first quarter of 2015.

Product Margin Highlights:

For the three months ended March 31, 2016 , operating and sales and transportation (S&T) costs, primarily originating from Albanian-based companies and their employees, were $25 million ( $16.16 /bbl) compared to $26 million ( $15.40 /bbl) for the previous quarter and $37 million ( $20.48 /bbl) for the first quarter of 2015.

, operating and sales and transportation (S&T) costs, primarily originating from Albanian-based companies and their employees, were ( /bbl) compared to ( /bbl) for the previous quarter and ( /bbl) for the first quarter of 2015. Net operating income (netback) in the first quarter of 2016 was $3 million ( $2.19 /bbl) compared to $23 million ( $13.60 /bbl) for the previous quarter and $25 million ( $13.62 /bbl) for the first quarter of 2015.

( /bbl) compared to ( /bbl) for the previous quarter and ( /bbl) for the first quarter of 2015. Cash margin for the first quarter of 2016 was $6.91 /bbl compared to $24.01 /bbl in the previous quarter and $23.32 /bbl in the first quarter of 2015. Cash margin represents netback inclusive of the realized gain on commodity contracts.

Financial Highlights:

For the first quarter of 2016, revenue was $33 million ( $21.04 /bbl) compared to $57 million ( $33.31 /bbl) in the previous quarter and $72 million ( $39.66 /bbl) in the first quarter of 2015. Field price realization represented 62% of the Brent oil benchmark price ( $33.94 /bbl) for the first quarter of 2016 compared to 76% of the Brent oil benchmark price ( $43.76 /bbl) in the previous quarter and 74% of the Brent oil benchmark price ( $53.94 /bbl) in the first quarter of 2015. The reduction as a percentage of Brent compared to the previous quarter and first quarter of 2015 was due to competitive pricing differential pressure resulting from weakness in commodity prices.

( /bbl) compared to ( /bbl) in the previous quarter and ( /bbl) in the first quarter of 2015. Field price realization represented 62% of the Brent oil benchmark price ( /bbl) for the first quarter of 2016 compared to 76% of the Brent oil benchmark price ( /bbl) in the previous quarter and 74% of the Brent oil benchmark price ( /bbl) in the first quarter of 2015. The reduction as a percentage of Brent compared to the previous quarter and first quarter of 2015 was due to competitive pricing differential pressure resulting from weakness in commodity prices. Royalties to the Albanian Government and related entities during the first quarter of 2016 were $4 million (13% of revenue) compared to $7 million (13% of revenue) for the previous quarter and $10 million (14% of revenue) for the first quarter of 2015.

(13% of revenue) compared to (13% of revenue) for the previous quarter and (14% of revenue) for the first quarter of 2015. Funds generated from operations were $1 million ( $0.01 per share) for the first quarter of 2016 compared to $34 million ( $0.13 per share) for the previous quarter and $25 million ( $0.10 per share) for the first quarter of 2015.

( per share) for the first quarter of 2016 compared to ( per share) for the previous quarter and ( per share) for the first quarter of 2015. The Company continues to maintain a strong financial position at March 31, 2016 with cash and restricted cash of $53 million and working capital of $144 million . At March 31, 2016 , the Company had drawn $120 million of its approved credit facilities, as compared to $119 million at the end of 2015. Working capital for December 31, 2015 and March 31, 2015 was $160 million and $174 million , respectively.

with cash and restricted cash of and working capital of . At , the Company had drawn of its approved credit facilities, as compared to at the end of 2015. Working capital for and was and , respectively. At March 31, 2016 , Bankers has hedged 5,000 bopd under costless collar contracts with an average floor of $52.09 /bbl and an average ceiling of $54.64 /bbl (all prices are referenced to Dated Brent) for the balance of 2016. In the first quarter of 2016 the hedge program generated proceeds of $7.4 million . The remaining 2016 hedge program at March 31, 2016 , is valued at $16.2 million . These contracts are designed to protect Bankers against further volatility in oil prices in 2016. Subsequent to the end of March, the Company added another 1,000 bopd costless collar contract for the balance of 2016, thereby representing 6,000 bopd at an average floor of $51.52 /bbl and an average ceiling of $53.78 /bbl.

, Bankers has hedged 5,000 bopd under costless collar contracts with an average floor of /bbl and an average ceiling of /bbl (all prices are referenced to Dated Brent) for the balance of 2016. In the first quarter of 2016 the hedge program generated proceeds of . The remaining 2016 hedge program at , is valued at . These contracts are designed to protect Bankers against further volatility in oil prices in 2016. Subsequent to the end of March, the Company added another 1,000 bopd costless collar contract for the balance of 2016, thereby representing 6,000 bopd at an average floor of /bbl and an average ceiling of /bbl. During the quarter, the Company signed a formal binding agreement with the Albanian National Agency for Natural Resources (AKBN) and the Minister of Energy and Industry to engage third-party international experts to assist in resolving the outstanding cost recovery audit. The work by the independent auditor and consultant has commenced and is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2016.

Outlook:

Production in the second quarter to date is 16,704 bopd, 3.5% lower than the first quarter average of 17,363 bopd. The Company is focused on optimization of current production levels and is monitoring the economic return of all wells in accordance with the current oil price environment.

Activity in the second quarter includes 2 to 4 additional well conversions to injection to expand the EOR program, completion of the Pad D and Pad H vapor recovery units for gas conservation, completion of the Pad D inlet expansion and west emulsion gathering system to improve transportation costs and treating efficiency. The producing water and polymer patterns continue to perform well and Bankers continues to monitor production from the fifty-four (54) existing patterns.

In the second half of the year, Bankers' activity focuses on further expanding the EOR program with up to 12 additional injector conversions, managing existing production and drilling new horizontal wells as commodity price improvement allows.

Transaction Update:

Bankers and Geo-Jade continue to work together to complete the necessary steps to ensure a timely close of the previously announced corporate transaction ("Arrangement"). Bankers has filed its Management Information Circular (the "Circular") and related proxy materials on SEDAR and its website (www.bankerspetroleum.com), in advance of the Company's special meeting of shareholders to be held on May 31, 2016 (the "Special Meeting"). The purpose of the Special Meeting is to seek shareholder approval of the Arrangement with affiliates of Geo-Jade.

Benefits of the Arrangement include:

Cash price of C$2.20 per Bankers Share

per Bankers Share Bankers debt will be handled separately by the purchasing Company and will not affect the stated purchase price of $2.20 per Bankers Share

per Bankers Share The Arrangement is an opportunity for shareholders to crystalize value representing a premium of 98% over Bankers' closing share price on the TSX of C$1.11 on March 18, 2016 , and 109% over the 30-trading day volume weighted average trading price of Bankers Shares of C$1.05 per share ending on March 18, 2016

on , and 109% over the 30-trading day volume weighted average trading price of Bankers Shares of per share ending on The Arrangement has received the unanimous approval of the Board of Directors of Bankers and carries the full support of Bankers' Management team

Shareholder Voting:

Bankers' Board of Directors unanimously recommends that shareholders vote in favor of the Arrangement.

Shareholders who have questions regarding the Arrangement or require assistance with voting may contact the Proxy Solicitation Agent below:

Laurel Hill Advisory Group

Toll Free: 1-877-452-7184

International: +1 416-304-0211 outside Canada and the US

By Email: [email protected]

Special Meeting for Shareholders:

The Special Meeting will be held at The Metropolitan Centre (Strand/Tivoli Rm), 333 4th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. (Calgary time).

Bankers will provide further information with respect to the timing of closing of the Arrangement and the delisting of the Bankers Shares from the TSX and AIM as updates become available.

Supporting Documents:

The full Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A), Financial Statements and updated corporate presentation are available on www.bankerspetroleum.com. The MD&A and Financial Statements will also be available on www.sedar.com.

BANKERS PETROLEUM LTD. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 (Unaudited, expressed in thousands of US dollars, except per share amounts)



2016

2015 Revenues $ 33,091 $ 72,404 Royalties

(4,231)

(10,144) Revenues, net of royalties

28,860

62,260 Realized gain on financial commodity contracts

7,423

14,130 Unrealized loss on financial commodity contracts

(3,800)

(2,039) Total operating revenues

32,483

74,351









Operating expenses

17,717

23,495 Sales and transportation expenses

7,695

13,897 General and administrative expenses

7,141

4,652 Contract settlement expenses

-

355 Depletion and depreciation

26,658

30,119 Share-based compensation

252

1,182 Total expenses

59,463

73,700 Operating income (loss)

(26,980)

651









Net finance expense

(164)

(8,888)









Loss before income tax

(27,144)

(8,237) Income tax (expense) recovery









Current

(267)

-

Deferred

15,440

9,116



15,173

9,116 Net income (loss) for the period

(11,971)

879









Other comprehensive income (loss)







Currency translation adjustment

476

(1,420) Comprehensive loss for the period $ (11,495) $ (541)









Basic earnings (loss) per share $ (0.046) $ 0.003 Diluted earnings (loss) per share $ (0.046) $ 0.003

BANKERS PETROLEUM LTD. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION (Unaudited, expressed in thousands of US dollars) ASSETS



March 31 2016 December 31, 2015 Current assets





Cash and cash equivalents $ 37,958 $ 51,963 Restricted cash

15,038 17,178 Accounts receivable

53,752 56,592 Inventory

4,316 4,597 Deposits and prepaid expenses

81,219 67,514 Financial commodity contracts

16,200 20,000



208,483 217,844 Non-current assets





Property, plant and equipment

1,019,130 1,034,791 Exploration and evaluation assets

10,767 8,755

$ 1,238,380 $ 1,261,390 LIABILITIES Current liabilities







Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 40,604 $ 39,156

Income tax liability

1,032 765

Current portion of long-term debt

22,636 18,055



64,272 57,976 Non-current liabilities





Long-term debt

95,188 98,628 Decommissioning obligation

29,655 29,264 Deferred tax liabilities

340,947 356,228



530,062 542,096 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Share capital

365,045 365,045 Contributed surplus

94,818 94,299 Currency translation reserve

1,993 1,517 Retained earnings

246,462 258,433



708,318 719,294

$ 1,238,380 $ 1,261,390







BANKERS PETROLEUM LTD. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31 (Unaudited, expressed in thousands of US dollars)



2016

2015 Cash provided by (used in):









Operating activities











Net income (loss) for the period

$ (11,971) $ 879

Depletion and depreciation



26,658

30,119

Accretion of long-term debt



220

250

Accretion of decommissioning obligation



352

315

Unrealized foreign exchange gain



(2,691)

(778)

Current income tax expense



267

-

Deferred income tax recovery



(15,440)

(9,116)

Share-based compensation



252

1,182

Unrealized loss on financial commodity contracts



3,800

2,039





1,447

24,890

Change in non-cash working capital



2,918

7,839





4,365

32,729 Investing activities











Additions to property, plant and equipment



(10,664)

(49,818)

Additions to exploration and evaluation assets



(2,012)

(127)

Restricted cash



2,140

(591)

Change in non-cash working capital



(9,237)

(5,718)





(19,773)

(56,254) Financing activities











Issue of shares for cash



-

211

Change in long-term debt



1,081

7,762





1,081

7,973 Foreign exchange gain (loss) on cash and cash equivalents

322

(233) Decrease in cash and cash equivalents



(14,005)

(15,785) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period



51,963

68,036











Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

$ 37,958 $ 52,251











Interest paid

$ 222 $ 45 Interest received

$ 87 $ 96

BANKERS PETROLEUM LTD. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (Unaudited, expressed in thousands of US dollars, except number of common shares)

Number of common shares

Share capital

Contributed surplus

Currency translation reserve

Retained earnings

Total























Balance at December 31, 2014 261,084,393 $ 363,670 $ 86,409 $ 4,410 $ 262,047 $ 716,536























Share-based compensation -

-

2,346

-

-

2,346 Options exercised 100,000

403

(192)

-

-

211 Net income for the period -

-

-

-

879

879 Currency translation adjustment -

-

-

(1,420)

-

(1,420) Balance at March 31, 2015 261,184,393 $ 364,073 $ 88,563 $ 2,990 $ 262,926 $ 718,552























Share-based compensation -

-

6,197

-

-

6,197 Options exercised 239,935

972

(461)

-

-

511 RSUs exercised 133,056

-

-

-

-

- Net loss for the period -

-

-

-

(4,493)

(4,493) Currency translation adjustment -

-

-

(1,473)

-

(1,473) Balance at December 31, 2015 261,557,384 $ 365,045 $ 94,299 $ 1,517 $ 258,433 $ 719,294























Share-based compensation -

-

519

-

-

519 Net loss for the period -

-

-

-

(11,971)

(11,971) Currency translation adjustment -

-

-

476

-

476 Balance at March 31, 2016 261,557,384 $ 365,045 $ 94,818 $ 1,993 $ 246,462 $ 708,318

Caution Regarding Forward-looking Information

Information in this news release respecting matters such as the expected future production levels from wells, future prices and netback, work plans, anticipated total oil recovery of the Patos-Marinza and Kucova oilfields constitute forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company.

Exploration for oil is a speculative business that involves a high degree of risk. The Company's expectations for its Albanian operations and plans are subject to a number of risks in addition to those inherent in oil production operations, including: that Brent oil prices could fall resulting in reduced returns and a change in the economics of the project; availability of financing; delays associated with equipment procurement, equipment failure and the lack of suitably qualified personnel; the inherent uncertainty in the estimation of reserves; exports from Albania being disrupted due to unplanned disruptions; and changes in the political or economic environment.

Production and netback forecasts are based on a number of assumptions including that the rate and cost of well takeovers, well reactivations and well recompletions of the past will continue and success rates will be similar to those rates experienced for previous well recompletions/reactivations/development; that further wells taken over and recompleted will produce at rates similar to the average rate of production achieved from wells recompletions/reactivations/development in the past; continued availability of the necessary equipment, personnel and financial resources to sustain the Company's planned work program; continued political and economic stability in Albania; the existence of reserves as expected; the continued release by Albpetrol of areas and wells pursuant to the Plan of Development and Addendum; the absence of unplanned disruptions; the ability of the Company to successfully drill new wells and bring production to market; and general risks inherent in oil and gas operations.

Forward-looking statements and information are based on assumptions that financing, equipment and personnel will be available when required and on reasonable terms, none of which are assured and are subject to a number of other risks and uncertainties described under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis, which are available on SEDAR under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information and forward looking statements.

About Bankers Petroleum Ltd.

Bankers Petroleum Ltd. is a Canadian-based oil and gas exploration and production company focused on developing large oil and gas reserves in Albania and Eastern Europe. In Albania, Bankers operates and has the full rights to develop the Patos-Marinza heavy oilfield, has a 100% interest in the Kucova oilfield, and a 100% interest in Exploration Block "F". In 2015 Bankers acquired an 85% interest in the rights to explore the Puspokladany Block concession within the Pannonian Basin located in north eastern Hungary. Bankers' shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the AIM Market in London, England under the stock symbol BNK.

SOURCE Bankers Petroleum Ltd.
WESTBOROUGH, Mass., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. (BJ's) announced today that Lee Delaney has been appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Growth Officer effective May 9, 2016. Mr. Delaney will be responsible for the Company's merchandising and supply chain organization, and will report directly to BJ's President and CEO Chris Baldwin.

"I am very excited to welcome Lee to the BJ's team," said Chris Baldwin, President and CEO of BJ's Wholesale Club. "Lee's strategic capability, extensive experience and high credibility in the industry make him a perfect fit for our team. With a talented merchant organization already in place, adding Lee to our team will ensure that we will not only maintain but accelerate our progress."

Prior to joining BJ's, Mr. Delaney was a partner in the Boston office of Bain & Company, and a leader in the firm's Consumer Products practice. While at Bain, Mr. Delaney advised clients on corporate strategy, created new market entry plans, supported client acquisitions, and advised on large cost reduction programs. Prior to joining Bain in 1996, Mr. Delaney worked for Electronic Data Systems and Deloitte Consulting advising clients on a variety of engagements.

"I am delighted and feel privileged to have the opportunity to join the BJ's team," Delaney said. "BJ's holds a unique position in the wholesale club retail channel. I look forward to working with BJ's executives, merchants, and all of BJ's Team Members to unlock the tremendous value I see in this segment of the market."

Cameron Breitner, Partner of CVC Capital Partners, said, "We are delighted to welcome Lee to the BJ's team. Lee is highly regarded in the retail industry for developing growth strategies for retail and consumer products companies. We are confident in Lee's ability to translate strategy and vision into execution, and couldn't be more pleased to have him join the BJ's team."

Jonathan Seiffer, Senior Partner at Leonard Green & Partners, said, "Lee is a proven leader in the retail industry. He has broad and deep experience with realizing the value in a business, and we look forward to partnering with him and the BJ's leadership team to further establish BJ's as a leading player in the U.S. retail landscape."

About BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.

Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's is the leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the Eastern United States. The company currently operates 213 clubs and 128 BJ's Gas locations 15 states.

BJ's provides great value in a one-stop shopping destination filled with top-quality, leading brands including its exclusive Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen brands along with USDA Choice meats, premium produce and delicious organics in many supermarket sizes. BJ's is also the only membership club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and, for greater convenience, offers the most payment options.

To check out all the MORE BJ's has to offer, visit www.BJs.com and for exclusive content find us on Facebook, Twitter , Pinterest and Instagram.

BJ's is wholly owned by affiliates of Leonard Green & Partners, CVC Capital Partners and its management team.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151210/295152LOGO

SOURCE BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.bjs.com


WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, in partnership with the Miami International Airport and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, will unveil a new program to welcome and guide international travelers through the arrivals process, as well as inspire them to fully experience the region of the USA they are visiting. Officials will launch the campaign during National Travel and Tourism Week on Thursday, May 5 at Miami International Airport's Concourse D and J federal inspection service areas.

"Brand USA and our partners can provide the most inspirational and compelling storytelling about our country around the world," said Christopher Thompson, Brand USA president & CEO. "That story begins the moment international travelers arrive in the United States where we have the opportunity to extend the spirit of hospitality to and thank our guests for choosing the USA for their travel experience. The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and Miami International Airport are leaders in recognizing this critical need and will provide a model as we roll out the program around the country."

Miami International Airport is the first airport in the nation to implement the program as an integral part of Brand USA's new branding and marketing strategies. The program also dovetails with the U.S. national goal and airport-specific action plans developed by the Departments of Homeland Security and Commerce in response to President Obama's Presidential Memorandum of May 2014. The national goal calls for the United States to "provide a best-in-class arrival experience, as compared to our global competitors, to an ever-increasing number of international visitors while maintaining the highest standards of national security."

Comprised of welcoming and informational signage, the program is designed to provide travelers a warm and seamless arrival experience from the moment they enter the airport and continuing on as they proceed through immigration and passport control, and baggage claim.

"MIA is proud to have been chosen by Brand USA as the launch airport for its new Market the Welcome campaign,' said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. Gonzalez. As the second-busiest US gateway for international travelers, millions of visitors to Miami-Dade County and to our country will now receive the warm welcome that this new campaign delivers."

The Market the Welcome program is designed specifically for gateway airports, offering customized display graphics and templates with welcoming messaging, impactful photography and more  all of which is customized to feature local attractions, history, cuisine and personality. It features high-impact signage and digital displays and focuses specifically on the environment inside the federal inspection service areas and international baggage claim prior to clearing customs.

"With more than 96% of overnight visitors to Greater Miami arriving by air, it is vital to the continued success of Miami's #1 Travel and Tourism Industry to provide an entry process that is welcoming and efficient," says Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau President & CEO William D. Talbert, III, CDME. "Almost 50 percent of overnight visitors to Greater Miami and The Beaches are international  the highest percentage of any destination in the nation. We're delighted to partner with Brand USA and Miami International Airport (MIA) to enhance the entry process which paves the way for an enjoyable visitor experience."

"The United States wants more legitimate travelers to visit the USA and experience all our great nation has to offer," says Executive Director of the National Travel and Tourism Office at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Kelly Craighead. "Knowing that a first impression is a lasting impression, we have set our sights on providing the best arrivals experience in the world to all of our international visitors, while simultaneously maintaining the highest standards of national security. Today's unveiling of this cooperative 'Market the Welcome' visual upgrade to the international arrivals area at Miami International Airport is a terrific example of how we are working in public-private partnership with Brand USA and others to attract and welcome international visitors. Kudos to the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and Brand USA for coming together to help tell the USA's story!"

Brand USA has a similar program with U.S. embassies in which display graphics, video, photography, and informational travel pieces adorn Consular rooms. This public-private collaboration on the front lines helps improve the visa application experience and showcase a wide breadth of experiences that travelers can have in the United States.

In 2014, 75 million international travelers who visited the U.S. spent a record $221 billion on goods and services, with direct support for 1.1 million jobs from international visitor travel-related spending, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Overseas visitors spend approximately $4,300 per trip, stay an average of 17 days, and generate tax revenue in communities across the United States without burdening local services.

About Brand USA

Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, was established by the Travel Promotion Act as the nation's first public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and to communicate U.S. visa and entry policies and procedures to worldwide travelers. The organization's mission is to increase international visitation to the USA in order to fuel the U.S. economy and enhance the image of the United States worldwide. Formed as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in 2010, the public-private entity began operations in May 2011 and does business as Brand USA. According to studies by Oxford Economics, over the past two years Brand USA's marketing initiatives, Brand USA's marketing initiatives helped welcome more than 2 million incremental visitors to the USA, benefiting the U.S. economy with nearly $15 billion in total economic impact, which has supported, on average, 50,000 incremental jobs a year.

For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit www.TheBrandUSA.com. For information about exceptional and unexpected travel experiences in the United States, please visit Brand USA's consumer website VisitTheUSA.com (global) or GoUSA.cn (in China).

SOURCE Brand USA
RICHMOND, Va., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW) will offer a listen-only broadcast of its 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held at 9:00 a.m. (ET), May 12, 2016. The accompanying slide presentation materials will be posted to the company's website, http://investor.genworth.com, by 8:00 a.m. on May 12, 2016.

The broadcast will be accessible via telephone only. The dial-in number for the event is

877 888.4034 or 913 489.5101 (outside the U.S.); conference ID # 671804. A replay of the broadcast will be available until May 25, 2016 at 888 203.1112 or 719 457.0820 (outside the U.S.); conference ID #671804. The presentation materials will be archived for one year.

About Genworth Financial

Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW) is a Fortune 500 insurance holding company committed to helping families achieve the dream of homeownership and address the financial challenges of aging through its leadership positions in mortgage insurance and long term care insurance. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Genworth traces its roots back to 1871 and became a public company in 2004. For more information, visit genworth.com.

From time to time, Genworth releases important information via postings on its corporate website. Accordingly, investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll to receive automatic email alerts and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds regarding new postings. Enrollment information is found under the "Investors" section of genworth.com. From time to time, Genworth's publicly traded subsidiaries, Genworth MI Canada Inc. and Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia Limited, separately release financial and other information about their operations. This information can be found at http://genworth.ca and http://www.genworth.com.au.

SOURCE Genworth Financial, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.genworth.com


Harvest Hill has already seen success with its reinvigoration of the Juicy Juice brand, launching new Juicy Juice products such as Juicy Juice Splashers and Juicy Juice Teasers as well as a national advertising campaign supporting the brand. Following the acquisition of American Beverage Corporation a year ago, Harvest Hill has also launched a variety of new products and flavors to revitalize the Little Hug and Daily's product lines.

"Harvest Hill is a leading player with iconic brands in multiple beverage segments, providing a wealth of growth opportunities for the company," commented Gillespie. "The team has already created significant marketplace momentum that we can use to take the business to the next level."

Gillespie will be based at the Harvest Hill headquarters in Stamford, Conn. The company has approximately 400 employees across its national operations.

About Harvest Hill Beverage Company:

Harvest Hill Beverage Company, based in Stamford, Conn., was formed by Brynwood Partners VII L. P. in June 2014 to acquire the iconic Juicy Juice brand from Nestle USA, Inc. Juicy Juice is the largest 100% juice brand in the U.S. and is focused on the children's segment. The company markets Juicy Juice products in single-serve and multi-serve formats to the retail and foodservice channels. In March 2015, Harvest Hill acquired American Beverage Corporation from Wessanen, a publicly-traded food and beverage company based in Holland. With the American Beverage Corporation acquisition, Harvest Hill added the Little Hug juice drink brand and Daily's cocktail brand. The company intends to grow both organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions. For more information on Harvest Hill, please visit www.harvesthill.com.

About Brynwood Partners:

Brynwood Partners, founded in 1984 and based in Greenwich, Conn., is an operationally-focused private equity firm that makes control investments in North American-based lower middle market companies in the consumer sector. Brynwood Partners currently manages more than $700 million of private equity capital for its limited partners, which include U.S. and international pension funds, funds-of-funds, endowments, high net worth family investment offices and institutions. For more information on Brynwood Partners, please visit www.brynwoodpartners.com.

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SOURCE Harvest Hill Beverage Company

Related Links

http://www.harvesthill.com


"It is an honor to be chosen for this leadership position and I look forward to working with our executive team to support our continuing growth and expansion efforts," said Patter. "We have an impressive group of professionals in our firm, a very enjoyable culture, and many opportunities before us. As Managing Partner, I am excited about leading the realization of our vision of making Carlile Patchen & Murphy the best law firm and the best place to work."

Patter joined the firm in 2015 when his former firm, Campbell Hornbeck Chilcoat & Veatch, combined practices with Carlile Patchen & Murphy to build a strengthened team of attorneys in similar practice areas. The strategic merger, combined with an increased physical presence in Central Ohio, has led to new clients in several key industries and steady growth across the firm's business departments. Patter was the Managing Partner at Campbell Hornbeck Chilcoat & Veatch, and was formerly General Counsel of Honda of America Mfg., Inc.

Patter will continue to maintain his thriving business, litigation, and employment law practice. He routinely represents businesses of all sizes and has extensive experience in large-scale sales and acquisitions of corporate entities, real estate transactions, intellectual property matters, commercial and banking transactions, and corporate governance. He is also Co-Chair of Carlile Patchen & Murphy's Litigation Department and of the firm's employment law practice.

Patter has lived in Columbus for over 30 years. He earned his J.D. from Capital University Law School and his B.A. from the University of Mount Union. Patter is an active member in the Columbus community. He serves as counsel to the Resurrecting Lives Foundation and has devoted extensive services to the Columbus Speech & Hearing Center over the past 20 years.

For nearly 50 years, Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP has concentrated on responsively serving the legal and business needs of Central Ohio businesses and their owners and executives. The firm lends its extensive experience in counseling on business financing, tax planning, and mergers & acquisitions. In addition, the attorneys at Carlile Patchen & Murphy provide skilled guidance in the areas of: estate planning, litigation, labor and employment, real estate, banking, securities, and family law.

For More Information

Contact: Brenda Jump 614-628-0789

[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364115

SOURCE Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP

Related Links

http://www.cpmlaw.com


BEIJING, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --China Distance Education Holdings Limited (NYSE: DL) ("CDEL" or the "Company"), a leading provider of online education in China focusing on professional education, today announced that it will hold its 2016 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders ("AGM") at O'Melveny & Myers LLP, 31st Floor, AIA Central, 1 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong on May 26, 2016 at 10:00 am local time. Shareholders listed in the register of members at the close of business on April 22, 2016 are entitled to receive notice of, and vote at, the AGM or at any adjournment that may take place. Beneficial owners of the Company's American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") who wish to exercise their voting rights for the underlying ordinary shares must act through the depositary of the Company's ADS program, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas.

Copies of the notice of AGM, which sets forth the resolutions to be proposed and seek adoption from shareholders, the Proxy Statement and the Company's 2015 Annual Report are available on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at http://ir.cdeledu.com.

About China Distance Education Holdings Limited

China Distance Education Holdings Limited is a leading provider of online education in China focusing on professional education. The courses offered by the Company through its websites are designed to help professionals seeking to obtain and maintain professional licenses and to enhance their job skills through our professional development courses in China in the areas of accounting, health-care, engineering & construction, and other industries. The Company also offers other professional education courses for the national judicial examination, online test preparation courses for self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees, test preparation courses for university students intending to take the nationwide graduate school entrance exam, and online language courses. We also offer third-party developed online courses through our Online Open Learning Platform, a proprietary education platform that allows people to share their educational content or deliver live courses online. For further information, please visit http://ir.cdeledu.com.

Contacts:

China Distance Education Holdings Limited Investor Relations Department Tel: +86-10-8231-9999 ext1805 Email: [email protected] The Piacente Group | Investor Relations Brandi Piacente Tel: +1 212-481-2050 Email: [email protected]

SOURCE China Distance Education Holdings Limited

Related Links

http://ir.cdeledu.com


WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cengage Learning joined the nation's leading businesses today at a White House ceremony to commemorate the 5th Anniversary of Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative calling on Americans to rally around service members, veterans and their families and support them through wellness, education and employment opportunities. First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden led the event recognizing more than 50 tech companies that have pledged to train or hire veterans and military spouses over the next five years.

Cengage Learning is providing 100 scholarships to help veterans and military spouses access the company's wide range of online certificate training programs at higher education institutions. These programs provide skills leading to tech sector employment. In addition, Cengage Learning will partner with local veteran agencies to post jobs, share information on the company's application process and participate in events (e.g., webinars, local workshops) that help veterans and military spouses with resume-building and interviewing skills.

"Cengage Learning is honored to join Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden to help veterans and military spouses find tech sector career opportunities. Our pledge, along with those of the other tech companies, will provide much-needed support for these individuals who still face too many barriers in finding employment in our growing sector," said Michael Hansen, Chief Executive Officer, Cengage Learning.

Cengage Learning provides services and solutions to support military members for a smooth transition into civilian jobs, either to start a new career path or strengthen their existing skills. For more information on Cengage Learning's offerings for veterans -- including career and job skills training, certification exam preparation, online high school diplomas, and resources for the job search and interview process -- please visit: http://solutions.cengage.com/WorkforceDevelopment/Military/

To learn more about commitments of Joining Forces visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces/.

About Cengage Learning

Cengage Learning is a leading educational content, technology, and services company for the higher education and K-12, professional, library and workforce development markets worldwide. The company provides superior content, personalized services and course-driven digital solutions that accelerate student engagement and transform the learning experience. Cengage Learning is headquartered in Boston, MA with an office hub located in San Francisco, CA. Cengage Learning employees reside in nearly 40 different countries with company sales in more than 125 countries around the world. www.cengage.com.

Media Contacts :

Susan Aspey

Cengage Learning

202-695-6012

[email protected]

Lindsay Stanley

Cengage Learning

203-965-8634

[email protected]

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SOURCE Cengage Learning

Related Links

http://www.cengage.com


CHICAGO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A so-fresh-it-will-slap-you seafood pop up comes to Chicago! On Thursday, May 19th, eco-seafood guru Chef Andrew Gruel, founder of Southern California's heralded Slapfish, will be serving up a deliciously bib-worthy, fresh, and sustainable pop up in the Windy City.

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After taking seafood head on in California with his wildly successful Slapfish food truck, Gruel opened seven restaurants in just three years. His partnerships with the Aquarium of the Pacific and Seafood for the Future allow him to source the highest quality, healthiest seafood available. Gruel, seen on the Food Network, Cooking Channel, and FYI Network, has always had the goal to make sustainable seafood approachable in all the biggest food cities outside of Southern California, including Chicago.

During the one-night pop up, located at the Ampersand space inside the Kinmont Restaurant, Chef Gruel and his team will showcase both local and sustainable seafood. The dinner will highlight some of the most bib worthy, one-of-a-kind dishes on the Slapfish menu. Packed with healthy seafood, the menu is a sneak peak of what's to come in Chicago over the next few years.

Wild Pacific Albacore Poke

Avocado, Radish, Yuzu

Clam Chowder Fries

Chunky Potatoes, Thick Bacon, Crispy Clams

Surf n Turf Burger

Shrimp and Crab "Sauce", House Cut Chips, Lobster Dip, Quick Pickle

East Coast Lobster "Roll" Tacos

Yellow Corn Shell, Celery, Butter

Why is this so important? "Sustainability is about keeping the human race healthy without destroying the environment. The ocean, being so vast and resilient, is the perfect resource to sustain a growing worldwide population when managed properly. The ocean can feed millions of people and provide millions of jobs. People need to eat more seafood, and the right types of seafood because sustainable tastes better," says Chef Gruel.

Reservations are being taken for the exclusive dining event with two seatings (6pm and 8pm) on Thursday, May 19th. Tickets are available ($55) on SlapfishChicago.com and AmpersandPopUp.com.

About Slapfish

Founded by Chef Andrew Gruel, Orange County's noted food truck-turned-restaurant Slapfish is a modern seafood shack giving a real American seafood experience that centers on fresh, sustainable fish prepared simply with an ocean-fresh menu emphasizing bib-worthy dishes and bold flavors.

Working closely with multiple organizations to ensure that they are utilizing the most current data on over-fishing, harmful fishing practices, and responsible fish farming, Slapfish partners with the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA and Seafood for the Future, assuring the highest quality, healthiest seafood sources. The menu includes a variety of daily and seasonally changing features like Chowder Fries, Clobster Cakes, East Coast Style Lobster Roll, Award-Winning Fish and Chips, Baja Fish Tacos, and Lobster Toast. For more information, visit slapfishrestaurant.com.

Contact: Rachel Krupa, Krupa Consulting

Email / t. 323.656.6995

SOURCE Slapfish

Related Links

http://www.slapfishrestaurant.com


NEW YORK, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chemical Engineering, a widely respected information source for the chemical process industries (CPI), is hosting a "Bulk Solids Handling Workshop" on September 15, 2016 at The Warwick, Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The workshop will bring together experts in the field of bulk solids handling to present some of the fundamental principles of bulk solids behavior that can help to solve and prevent handling problems in practical situations.

The workshop is intended for anyone who is responsible for designing, installing or operating bulk solids handling equipment. This can include process, production, design and process development engineers as well as R&D scientists.

A Keynote address by Herman Purutyan, CEO of Jenike and Johanson will kick off the workshop and the following sessions will follow:

Bulk Solids Characterization

Sampling of bulk solids; measuring key parameters for system design; powder flowability measurement; particle size measurement

Presenter: Timothy A. Bell, P.E., Engineering Fellow and Group Technology Leader, DuPont Engineering Research and Technology

Flow of Solids

Common flow problems; material testing; design considerations; design tools

Presenter: Andres Orlando, Ph.D., Project Engineer, Jenike & Johanson

Combustible Dust Safety

Identifying, assessing and controlling dust explosion hazards; Dust Hazard Assessment (DHA) requirements of the new NFPA 652 standard

Presenter: Vahid Ebadat, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, Chilworth Technology

Feeders and Rotary Valves

Types of feeding devices; requirements for feeders (uniformity and control); types of rotary valves; rotary valves as feeders for pneumatic conveying systems

Presenter: Timothy A. Bell

Pneumatic Conveying

Basic component of pneumatic conveying systems and troubleshooting

Presenter: Brian Pittenger, Senior Consultant, Jenike & Johanson

The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a continental breakfast available at 8:008:30, and a networking session with refreshments from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

For more information, visit www.chemengonline.com/bulksolids

About Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering is a brand that serves chemical engineers and related technical professionals in the chemical process industries (CPI). Our monthly magazine was launched in 1902, and has been a leading source for technology and news for the CPI community, worldwide, ever since. Our readers are "technical decision-makers," who apply chemical engineering principles to making technical and business decisions. www.chemengonline.com

Editor in Chief

Dorothy Lozowski

Contact

Sarah Garwood

[email protected]

SOURCE Chemical Engineering

Related Links

http://www.chemengonline.com


ZHONGSHAN, China, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Limited (NYSE: MY) ("Ming Yang" or the "Company"), a leading wind energy solution provider in China, today announced that it has called an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the "EGM"), to be held on June 6, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. (Beijing Time) at Ming Yang Industrial Park, 22 Torch Road, Torch Development Zone, Zhongshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China, to consider and vote on, among other matters, the proposal to authorize and approve the previously announced agreement and plan of merger (the "Merger Agreement") dated as of February 2, 2016, by and among the Company, Zhongshan Ruisheng Antai Investment Co., Ltd ("Holdco"), Regal Concord Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Holdco ("Parent"), and Regal Ally Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent ("Merger Sub"), the plan of merger required to be filed with the Registrar of Companies of the Cayman Islands in connection with the Merger (as defined below) (the "Plan of Merger"), and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger.

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement and the Plan of Merger, Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company (the "Merger") with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation in accordance with Cayman Islands Companies Law. If completed, the Merger would result in the Company becoming a privately-held company, which will be beneficially owned by the buyer group. The American depositary shares of the Company (each representing one ordinary share) ("ADSs") would no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the American depositary shares program for the ADSs will terminate. In addition, the ADSs and the ordinary shares of the Company represented by the ADSs will cease to be registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The Company's board of directors, acting upon the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of the Company's board of directors composed entirely of independent directors who are unaffiliated with Parent or Merger Sub or any member of the buyer group or the management of the Company, authorized and approved the Merger Agreement, the Plan of Merger and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger) and recommended that the Company's shareholders and ADS holders vote FOR, among other things, the proposal to authorize and approve the Merger Agreement, the Plan of Merger and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Merger).

Shareholders of record at the close of business in the Cayman Islands on May 13, 2016 will be entitled to attend and vote at the EGM and any adjournment thereof. The record date for ADS holders entitled to instruct Citibank, N.A., in its capacity as the ADS depositary, to vote the shares represented by the ADSs at the EGM is the close of business in New York City on May 13, 2016.

Additional information regarding the EGM and the Merger Agreement can be found in the transaction statement on Schedule 13E-3 and the proxy statement attached as Exhibit (a)-(1) thereto, as amended, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which can be obtained, along with other filings containing information about the Company, the proposed Merger and related matters, without charge, from the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). Requests for additional copies of the definitive proxy statement should be directed to the Company's Investor Relations Department, at +86-760-2813-8677 or via email at [email protected]. INVESTORS, SHAREHOLDERS AND ADS HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY THESE MATERIALS AND OTHER MATERIALS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS.

The Company and certain of its directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be "participants" in the solicitation of proxies from our shareholders with respect to the proposed Merger. Information regarding the persons who may be considered "participants" in the solicitation of proxies is set forth in the definitive proxy statement and Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement relating to the proposed Merger. Further information regarding persons who may be deemed participants, including any direct or indirect interests they may have, is also set forth in the definitive proxy statement.

This announcement is neither a solicitation of a proxy, an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities and it is not a substitute for any proxy statement or other filings that have been or will be made with the SEC.

About China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Limited

China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Limited (NYSE: MY) is a leading wind energy solution provider in China, focusing on designing, manufacturing, selling and servicing megawatt-class wind turbines, including cutting-edge SCD (Super Compact Drive) solutions, and providing post-sales value-added maintenance and technology upgrade services to wind farm owners. Ming Yang cooperates with aerodyne Energiesysteme, one of the world's leading wind turbine design firms based in Germany, to co-develop wind turbines. In terms of newly installed capacity, Ming Yang was a top 10 wind turbine manufacturer worldwide and the largest non-state owned wind turbine manufacturer in China in 2015. For more information, please visit Ming Yang's investor relations website at http://ir.mywind.com.cn.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "if," "will," "expected," and similar statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include: uncertainties as to how the Company's shareholders will vote at the meeting of shareholders; the possibility that competing offers will be made; the possibility that financing may not be available; the expected timing of the completion of the merger; the possibility that various closing conditions for the transaction may not be satisfied or waived; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in documents filed with the SEC by the Company, as well as the Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement and the proxy statement filed by the Company. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations as of the date of this press release. You should not rely upon these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For more information, please contact:

China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Limited

Chao Zhang

+86-760-2813-8677

[email protected]

http://ir.mywind.com.cn

SOURCE China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Limited

Related Links

http://ir.mywind.com.cn


ZURICH, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Christians in the Middle East have been abandoned to their fate," the veteran Middle East correspondent Daniel Williams said here on Wednesday. In an event sponsored by Christian Solidarity International (CSI), Williams noted that CSI had issued a Genocide Warning for Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East in 2011. And while the U.S. State Department recently declared that the Islamic State's campaign against Yezidis, Christians and other groups does indeed amount to "genocide," Williams observed that "almost in the same breath, they said that they would do nothing about this."

Williams, the author of the new book Forsaken: The Persecution of Christians in Today's Middle East, surveyed the current crisis throughout the region in his talk. In war-torn Iraq, he said, "Christians have no advocates  period - and they are being persecuted and driven from their homes." Meanwhile, in Syria, "it is difficult to think of a future for Christians, regardless of the war's outcome," he continued.

But Williams, a former Middle East correspondent for the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, emphasized that persecution is taking place outside of the context of war. "Iraqi Christians were not fleeing warfare when they fled Mosul," he said. They remained in the city for over a week after its fall to the Islamic State, and only fled when the order came for the subjugation or forced conversion of Christians. In Egypt, which is not at war, Williams claimed, "Christians are subject to mob rule, and the police don't protect Christians. Christians are killed with impunity." And Palestinian Christians, Williams noted, face persecution from the Hamas government in Gaza, where their population has been halved in eight years, and feel increasingly isolated by the Islamization of the Palestinian national movement in the West Bank.

Speaking of his long experience observing anti-Christian persecution as a journalist and a researcher for Human Rights Watch, Williams said, "I didn't put it together as a pan-Middle Eastern issue until I was in Egypt during the Arab Spring. But there's an ideology at work. There's an idea behind Christian persecution." Williams detailed the growth, since 1967, of the ideology of radical jihad out of the Islamic puritanical Salafist and Wahabist movements. This ideology views Christians as "a bad thing," and conflates them with the imagined and historic enemies of Sunni Islam, such as the Crusaders and governments led by heterodox Muslims. "This is why, in Syria for example, Jabhat al Nusra feels it necessary not only to conquer towns, but to burn churches and desecrate Christian icons once they have done so," Williams said.

While Christians may now be bearing the brunt of its assault, "the Muslims are next in line," Williams said, noting many examples of Muslims being targeted with jihadi terror, from renowned novelists and scholars to women seeking equal rights and ordinary Iraqis trying to protect their Christian neighbors. "The Islamic State's murder of Christians sends a message to ordinary Muslims: 'We can do whatever we want,'" Williams said.

Williams charged Western leaders with neglecting the threat to Christians, including former President Bush, who dismissed the Vatican's warnings about the consequences of the Iraq War for Christians, and President Obama, who Williams said uses "sophistry" to deny the reality of Christian group persecution. This negligence is even more egregious, Williams said, given that, "The West bears responsibility for intensified persecution of Christians, because of its invasion of Iraq and its tolerance for governments that violate human rights."

Williams called for Western powers "to be consistent in advocating for equality in the Middle East," and to increase aid for Christian refugees in the region. Syria's two million Christians, in particular, he said, must find a "proper refuge" in Syria and in neighboring countries. "How is it possible that in five years, neither Europe nor the United States nor anyone in the Middle East has made proper preparation or consistent help for refugees from the Syrian war?" he asked.

The full video of Williams' talk can be seen at www.middle-east-minorities.com. The talk was part of a lecture series on The Future of Religious Minorities in the Middle East being sponsored by Christian Solidarity International (CSI).

CONTACT: Joel Veldkamp, [email protected], 515-421-7258

SOURCE Christian Solidarity International (CSI)

Related Links

http://www.csi-int.org


Victory Media's annual Military Spouse Friendly Employers list recognizes those companies that hire spouses of active duty service members and promote workforce development policies that acknowledge the unique challenges of military life and the skills that military spouses learn through those challenges.

"Victory Media recognized our organization as the number one Military Friendly Employer in the country in both 2015 and 2016, validating our efforts to create meaningful employment opportunities for our military veterans once they leave the service," said Arthur Kandarian, SVP, Business Development for Combined Insurance. "But, it is equally important to us to support our military while they are serving our country. The best way for us to do that is by providing career opportunities for military spouses that offer them the flexibility they need to manage their unique military lifestyles. This is a very exciting achievement for Combined Insurance, and confirms that we have created an effective program."

The annual Military Friendly survey is open to companies with $100 million or more in annual revenue. A portion of the survey considers specific recruiting and retention practices and policies for military spouses, including whether companies:

provide spouses with time off while a service member is deployed;

offer flexibility for spouses who are managing the nuances of military life; and

work to keep spouses employed when they inevitably have to relocate.

"More than ever before, companies like Combined Insurance are recruiting from this trusted and valuable workforce," said Kate Dolack, editor-in-chief of Military Spouse magazine. "Military spouses are expert multi-taskers. They thrive under pressure, and are highly educated and mobile. Organizational leaders recognize these attributes and want them to be part of their workforce."

For more information on Combined's military veteran and military spouse recruiting program, visit www.combinedinsurance.com/military.

About Victory Media

Based in Pittsburgh, Victory Media is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that connects classrooms to careers for the nation's next generation of professionals. Our data-driven ratings are published in G.I. Jobs, Military Spouse, Vetrepreneur and STEM JobsSM media, and featured in national media, including USA Today, Wall Street Journal, FORTUNE, Bloomberg, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, Fox News and others. Learn more about us at www.victorymedia.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

About Combined Insurance

Combined Insurance Company of America (Chicago, IL) is a leading provider of individual supplemental accident, disability, health and life insurance products and a Chubb company. With a tradition of more than 90 years of success, Combined Insurance is one of Ward's Top 50 Performing Life-Health Insurance Companies and was named the number one Military Friendly Employer by G.I. Jobs magazine in 2015 and 2016. Combined Insurance is committed to making the world of supplemental insurance easy to understand. For more information about Combined Insurance products, career opportunities or to contact a local sales agent, call 1-800-490-1322 or visit www.combinedinsurance.com.

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CombinedIns

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CombinedInsuranceUnitedStates

Connect with us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/combined-insurance

View our videos on YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CombinedInsuranceUSA

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/combinedinsurance

Read more on our blog, Supplementally Speaking: www.combinedinsurance.com/blog

About the New Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. The company is distinguished by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength, underwriting excellence, superior claims handling expertise and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 30,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.new.chubb.com.

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SOURCE Combined Insurance

Related Links

http://www.combinedinsurance.com


CHICAGO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A Chicago woman who was raped by a man she met on dating site Match.com --- two years after Match.com was warned that the same man had raped another Match.com customer --- has settled her lawsuit against the social networking company.

According to the victim's attorney, Daniel S. Kirschner, a partner at Corboy & Demetrio, "This was an egregious case of corporate irresponsibility, and unfortunately not an isolated one." Kirschner added, "For over two years, Match.com had actual knowledge that it had an alleged rapist as a member of its matchmaking service, and it did nothing to remove him from its site, which would have prevented him from meeting and raping Jane Doe."

"Match.com did everything it could during the course of this five-year litigation to derail Jane Doe's claim and avoid taking responsibility for the tremendous harm it caused her," Kirschner said. "Match.com moved repeatedly and unsuccessfully to dismiss this rape victim's lawsuit, delved relentlessly into her most personal emails, and even filed an affirmative defense blaming her for being raped," Kirschner explained.

Kirschner added, "Jane Doe is very satisfied that justice has now been served with respect to Match.com. She hopes that her courage in pursuing this groundbreaking lawsuit will give other dating service rape victims the will and resolve to come forward and assert their rights."

The lawsuit is captioned Jane Doe v. Match.com, LLC, a limited liability company, et al., Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, docket No. 13 L 4197. On April 28, 2016, Judge Moira Johnson entered an order dismissing Match.com pursuant to the above settlement. The lawsuit remains pending against the perpetrator. The settlement was reached through mediation with the assistance of both Judge Stuart Nudelman (ret.) and Judge William Haddad (ret.) of ADR Services.

About Corboy & Demetrio

Corboy & Demetrio is one of the nation's premier law firms. The personal injury law firm represents individuals and their families in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases and is renowned for its achievements in the courtroom and for its contributions to the community. The firm has acquired nearly $4 billion in settlements and verdicts and has attained almost 600 settlements and verdicts in excess of $1 million.

To contact Dan or another Chicago personal injury lawyer at the firm, call 312-346-3191 or toll free at 800-356-3191. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about our law firm go to corboydemetrio.com.

Media contact:

Helen Lucaitis

Corboy & Demetrio

312-550-2077

http://www.corboydemetrio.com

SOURCE Corboy & Demetrio

Related Links

http://www.corboydemetrio.com


CALGARY, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Canadian Pacific (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) today announced it will make a donation of $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross  and match all employee donations  to support fire relief efforts in and around Fort McMurray, Alberta.

CP is also releasing additional resources to support firefighting efforts in the area.

As an Alberta based company, CP stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Fort McMurray, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and all affected residents and customers in Northern Alberta as they deal with this catastrophic event.

To support the ongoing and necessary efforts, CP is encouraging its employees to make a donation to the Canadian Red Cross, which CP will match.



About Canadian Pacific

Canadian Pacific (TSX:CP)(NYSE:CP) is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to eight major ports, including Vancouver and Montreal, providing North American customers a competitive rail service with access to key markets in every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of Canadian Pacific.

SOURCE Canadian Pacific

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LOS ANGELES, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Daniel Pearl Foundation (www.danielpearl.org) is proud to announce that Aoun Sahi, a Daniel Pearl/Alfred Friendly Press Partners Fellow in 2010, was a member of the Los Angeles Times reporting team that won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news in connection with its coverage of last year's mass shooting in San Bernardino.

Reporting from Islamabad for the Times' front page stories, Mr. Sahi was the first to report on Tashfeen Malik's radicalization process, including her studies of a fundamentalist strain of Islam in Pakistan and extremist Facebook messages. His on-the-ground reporting played a key role in the Times' coverage.

Mr. Sahi stated, "This wonderful recognition is the result of a team effort by a number of dedicated and courageous reporters backed by talented and supportive editors. I am particularly proud that my profile of the "Saudi girl" was one of the main prizewinning entries."

In an email to Dr. and Mrs. Pearl informing them of the Pulitzer Prize, Mr. Sahi expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to work with an American newsroom as a Daniel Pearl Journalism Fellow. "In a very real sense, the Pearls are responsible for my receiving this very special honor."

"I would like to dedicate this achievement to two courageous journalists. First, to Daniel Pearl, who was brutally murdered by terrorists while pursuing a story, and second to my late older brother, Asad Sahi (a senior journalist) who was my mentor, friend and inspiration. He died last year in April. I received notification of this recognition exactly one year after his death. He would have been so pleased," Mr. Sahi added.

"We could not be more delighted for the well-deserved recognition that Aoun has received," stated Dr. and Mrs. Pearl. "He has been like family to us and we are extremely pleased that his time as a Daniel Pearl Journalism Fellow played a role in his growth and development as an award-winning journalist."

"Many former Daniel Pearl Fellows have distinguished themselves by their achievements as journalists committed to reporting the facts, often in the face of tremendous obstacles and at personal risk," Dr. and Mrs. Pearl added.

Mr. Sahi was selected as a Daniel Pearl/Alfred Friendly Press Partners Fellow in 2010 and worked as a reporter for five months at the The Wall Street Journal's Atlanta bureau. In 2011 he became a special correspondent for The Times of London and the Los Angeles Times in Islamabad. He won successive journalism awards from the International Labor Organization in 2014 and 2015. He is currently Editor/Bureau Chief for Channel 24 in Islamabad, as well as a Los Angeles Times Special Correspondent, a Pakistan representative for Prince Steer International Films, a Los Angeles based film company, and has contributed articles to the Washington Post.

The Daniel Pearl Journalism Fellowships

Established in partnership with the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships, the fellowships bring mid-career foreign journalists from the Middle East and South Asia for nearly six months to work at mainstream U.S. newsrooms, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Daniel Pearl Fellows also spend a week at the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, for which some continue to write and blog. At the end of their stay, Fellows share their experiences at a public event hosted by the Los Angeles Press Club. The impact of the fellowship through their work reaches hundreds of thousands of people in their countries when they return.

Daniel Pearl Foundation

In 2002, the world was shocked by the senseless brutal murder of Daniel Pearl, a journalist who dedicated his life to bringing joy and understanding to the world. The Daniel Pearl Foundation was formed by Danny's family and friends to continue Danny's mission and address the root causes of this tragedy, in the spirit, style, and principles that shaped Danny's work and character. These principles include uncompromised objectivity and integrity; insightful and unconventional perspective; tolerance and respect for people of all cultures; unshaken belief in the effectiveness of education and communication; and the love of music, humor, and friendship.

SOURCE The Daniel Pearl Foundation

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http://www.danielpearl.org


PETACH TIKVA, Israel, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Emerald Medical Applications Corp. (OTCQB: MRLA) ("Emerald" or the "Company"), the Israeli-based company engaged in the development and sale of DermaCompare, its proprietary artificial intelligence technology and application for the early diagnosis of melanoma and other skin cancers, today announced that Dr. Perry Robins has joined the Company's Medical Advisory Board.

Dr. Robins is Professor Emeritus of Dermatology and was Chief of the Mohs Micrographic Surgery Unit at New York University Medical Center for over forty years. He has performed more than 47,000 Mohs surgical procedures, and trained doctors from around the world. He is also the Founder and President of The Skin Cancer Foundation, an international organization dedicated to skin cancer awareness, research, and public and medical education.

In addition to his work as a surgeon and at his foundation, Dr. Robins continues to be extremely active in other aspects of his field, including:

Founder-President of the International Society for Dermatologic Surgery;

Founder and former President of the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery;

Former President of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery;

Honorary Fellow at the American Academy of Dermatology for outstanding contributions in dermatology;

Authored five books and published over sixty articles in leading medical journals and is the founder of the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery and Oncology and the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.

Commenting on the appointment, Lior Wayn, CEO of Emerald, said, "This is such a significant appointment for us. Dr. Robins is known around the world for his contributions to the field of dermatology, in particular the treatment of skin cancer where his dedication to patients and commitment to education have benefited millions of patients. His experience, insight and expertise will be invaluable as we work to commercialize our DermaCompare technology."

Dr. Robins went on to say, "I am very excited to join Emerald. I have dedicated a large portion of my long career in dermatology to the treatment of skin cancers, but I have never seen anything like DermaCompare. I believe their ability to combine the power of artificial intelligence with the utility of a mobile app will revolutionize the way we detect and diagnose melanoma, and I look forward to working with the company on this endeavor."

About Emerald Medical Applications Corp

Emerald Medical Applications is an Israeli-based medical technology company that utilizes proprietary military image processing technology and state of the art data analytics to improve the analysis of medical images. Emerald's flagship solution, DermaCompare, is an FDA Class #1 approved, HIPPA-compliant, skin cancer (melanoma) screening platform that enables physicians to identify and monitor changes in their patients' skin health, specifically the early detection of cancerous moles and skin anomalies.

The DermaCompare patient application is available in Mac or Android based platforms and works using virtually any digital camera, including cell phones, iPads, tablets and other similar devices, to take Total Body Photography ("TBP") images and, in real-time, transmit these images for dermatological evaluation and identification of suspicious moles, lesions and other skin conditions. These images are then compared using Emerald's cloud database, as well as the patient's previous Total Body Photography images, which will dramatically enhance a physician's ability to detect Melanoma earlier, more accurately and more efficiently than other means of diagnosis.

For more information, visit: http://www.dermacompare.com/

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, about Emerald's expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding, among other things, its product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects. In addition, from time to time, Emerald or its representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in writing. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "may," "should" or "anticipate" or their negatives or other variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. These forward-looking statements may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made by Emerald with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made by or with the approval of one of Emerald's authorized executive officers. Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause Emerald's actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause Emerald's actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors summarized in Emerald's filings with the SEC. In addition, Emerald operates in an industry sector where securities values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond its control. Emerald does not undertake any obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Reference is made to the disclosure under "risk factors" included in our Registration Statement on Form S-1 which was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on January 20, 2016.



Contact:

Lior Wayn, CEO

+1-917-7242059

+972-50-6816300

[email protected]



SOURCE Emerald Medical Applications Corp.
A member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine, Lifton graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth College, received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University, and served his medical residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He has been a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 1994, and he co-chaired the planning committee for President Obama's Precision Medicine Initiative in 2015. Many leading scientific societies have honored him for the quality and impact of his research, and he was recognized with a 2014 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.

"Rick was our unanimous first choice to be the next president of The Rockefeller University," says Russell L. Carson, chair of the university's Board of Trustees. "He has achieved international prominence in both basic and clinical research and has long played a leading role in helping to set the national research agenda. Additionally, he has demonstrated leadership at many levels of the academic research enterprise, including a proven commitment to fostering diversity in recruitment and to mentoring the next generation of scientists. In all settings, he is a strong, persuasive advocate for the importance of science in improving human health and society. We are confident that Rick is going to be an exceptional president."

"I am thrilled to join Rockefeller University's remarkably vibrant and unique scientific community," says Lifton. "Human health is advanced via fundamental understanding of basic biomedical processes, which in turn is driven by technological innovation. Rockefeller scientists have an unparalleled record of transformative contributions to science and medicine owing to a culture that supports and values exceptional creativity. Rockefeller is ideally positioned to extend its spectacular record of leadership in science and medicine. I look forward to helping shape the bright future of this great university."

After his medical residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Lifton became an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in 1991. In 1993, he joined Yale University as an assistant professor of internal medicine and genetics and, in 1997, became a professor of internal medicine and genetics. The following year, he was named chair of the Department of Genetics and director of the Yale Center for Human Genetics and Genomics. In 2002, he was appointed the Sterling Professor of Genetics. In 2009, he founded the Yale Center for Genome Analysis and has served as the center's executive director since then.

In his research, Lifton has pioneered the use of genetics and genomics to understand fundamental mechanisms underlying human diseases, including cardiovascular disease, neoplasia, kidney disease, and osteoporosis. His work on hypertension, a common disorder affecting 1 billion people, showed that mutations that increase or decrease renal salt reabsorption respectively drive blood pressure to the highest and lowest levels compatible with survival. This work has provided the scientific foundation for modulating salt balance to both prevent and treat high blood pressure, informing public health efforts and therapeutic strategies now used worldwide. He also was a developer of exome sequencing, a method for rapidly and inexpensively sequencing all the genes in the genome, and has led the application of this technology for both discovery of new disease genes and for clinical diagnosis.

Lifton has served as an advisor to science-funding federal agencies and private foundations, major research universities, and leading biopharmaceutical companies. Currently, he is a member of the advisory committee to the director of the National Institutes of Health. He is a member of the juries for the Lasker Award, the Gruber Foundation Genetics Prize, and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. He also serves on the scientific advisory bodies for the Broad Institute at MIT and Harvard, the Whitehead Institute, the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Simons Foundation for Autism Research, and the JPB Foundation. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Life Sciences and for the pharmaceutical companies Roche and Genentech. Lifton is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has served on the governing councils of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.

In addition to the 2014 Breakthrough Prize, Lifton has received the highest scientific awards of the American Heart Association, the American Society of Nephrology, the Council for High Blood Pressure Research, the American Society of Hypertension, the International Society of Hypertension, and the International Society of Nephrology. He also received the 2008 Wiley Prize for Biomedical Sciences.

About The Rockefeller University

The Rockefeller University is the world's leading biomedical research university and is dedicated to conducting innovative, high-quality research to improve the understanding of life for the benefit of humanity. Our 78 laboratories conduct research in neuroscience, immunology, biochemistry, genomics, and many other areas, and a community of 1,800 faculty, students, postdocs, technicians, clinicians, and administrative personnel work on our 14-acre Manhattan campus. Our unique approach to science has led to some of the world's most revolutionary and transformative contributions to biology and medicine. During Rockefeller's 115-year history, 24 of our scientists have won Nobel Prizes, 21 have won Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards, and 20 have garnered the National Medal of Science, the highest science award given by the United States.

Contact:

Franklin Hoke

212-327-8998

[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364262

SOURCE The Rockefeller University

Related Links

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FORT WORTH, Texas, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Encore Vision, Inc., a privately-held ophthalmic pharmaceutical company, presented positive results today during the Ophthalmic Innovation Summit from their Phase I-II study evaluating the safety and efficacy of EV06 ophthalmic solution 1.5%. EV06 is a novel topical therapy that targets presbyopia by restoring crystalline lens flexibility, thereby allowing the lens to focus on nearby objects.

After 3 months of twice-daily treatment with one drop of EV06 (n=50) or placebo (n=25), subjects in the EV06 group demonstrated improvement in all distance corrected near vision acuity (DCNVA) efficacy measures. By Day 91, 82% had 20/40 DCNVA or better in the EV06 group compared to 48% in placebo, with baseline values of 30% and 28%, respectively. Similarly, 60% of EV06-treated subjects had 20/32 DCNVA or better at Day 91 compared to only 24% in placebo; the baseline value for this measure in both groups was 8%. Additionally, more than double the amount of subjects in the EV06 group had combined DCNVA scores of 20/20 and 20/25 at Day 91 compared to placebo (36%-EV06; 16%-placebo), and these were both 0% at baseline.

A significant improvement from baseline in DCNVA in favor of EV06 was evident as early as Day 15 (p=0.017). DCNVA in the EV06 group improved from 0.397 LogMAR at baseline to 0.206 LogMAR at Day 91, which was significantly better than the placebo group (0.408 LogMAR at baseline to 0.313 LogMAR at Day 91; p=0.005). Lastly, a statistically significant proportion of subjects treated with EV06 gained 10 or more letters (DCNVA) by Day 15 (28%) compared to zero subjects in the placebo group (p=0.003). This trend continued throughout the study period and by Day 91, 36% of subjects gained 10 or more letters in the EV06 group compared to 16% of patients in the placebo group.

Dr. Richard L. Lindstrom, founder and attending surgeon of Minnesota Eye Consultants and Adjunct Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota, Department of Ophthalmology commented, "The positive results in favor of EV06 across multiple safety and efficacy endpoints provide a positive step forward in the development of the first ophthalmic drop addressing the root cause of presbyopia."

Bill Burns, President and Chief Executive Officer of Encore Vision, Inc. stated, "A follow-on study at days 120 and 270 post-dosing is now underway to assess the duration of EV06 treatment effect among subjects who participated in the prospective multicenter study just completed. Initial results will be reviewed and reported later in 2016."

EV06 was very well tolerated in the study population, with an average comfort rating of 3.0 (scale of 0-10; 0=very comfortable). This was comparable to the placebo group, which had an average comfort rating of 2.7. There was no change in best correct distance visual acuity, and no subjects discontinued the study due to adverse events, safety concerns, or tolerability.

"It is projected that nearly 2 billion people globally will have presbyopia by 2050, with the U.S. prevalence rising to over 120 million," said Mr. Burns. "Topical EV06 has the potential to address a massive unmet need and improve quality of life by restoring near vision and lessening or even eliminating patient dependence on 'readers'. We are encouraged by these promising results and will continue on our clinical development path toward initiating the next round of clinical studies, ultimately leading to a New Drug Application."

About Presbyopia

Presbyopia is the natural, gradual loss of the eye's ability to focus on nearby objects. It is generally noticeable around 40 to 45 years of age and caused by a stiffening of the lens of the eye. To focus on nearby objects, the human crystalline lens must be flexible enough to change shape by thickening at its center and increase its focusing power, which is referred to as accommodation. With age, the lens stiffens and loses elasticity thereby losing accommodative focusing power, manifesting in presbyopia. Presbyopia can have multiple effects on quality of vision and quality of life and if uncorrected, results in an inability to perform once-effortless near tasks at a customary working distance without experiencing visual symptoms.

Presbyopia is the most prevalent eye condition in the United States and by age 45, has often advanced to the point where some type of optical correction, such as reading glasses or bifocals, is required. An estimated 1.2 billion people in 2010 worldwide had presbyopia, and this number is expected to soar to 2 billion by 2020. Although there are a number of approaches to managing the visual disability associated with presbyopia, all of the currently available treatments are compensatory rather than corrective.

About the EV06 Phase I-II Study

The Phase I-II prospective, randomized, doublemasked, multicenter study examined the safety and efficacy of EV06 compared to placebo over 90 days for the treatment of presbyopia. Four sites across the United States enrolled a total of 75 subjects between the ages of 45 and 55 with distance corrected near visual acuity (DCNVA) worse than 20/40 and best corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA) of 20/20 or better in each eye. The study population included subjects who did not require any visual correction prior to the onset of presbyopia (i.e., emmotropes) as well as myopes and hyperopes. Subjects were randomized 2:1 to receive EV06 or placebo. Mean change in DCNVA and BCDVA was evaluated throughout the study, along with additional secondary outcomes.

About EV06 Ophthalmic Solution

EV06 (Lipoic Acid Choline Ester, 1.5%) is a firstinclass new chemical entity that targets a biochemical cause of presbyopia, believed to be associated with an increase in the formation of disulfide bonds between the crystalline proteins within lens fiber cells. EV06 is intended to increase lens flexibility by breaking these bonds, thereby restoring elasticity, allowing the lens to focus on nearby objects. EV06 is a prodrug that penetrates the cornea and is subsequently broken down into lipoic acid and choline, two naturally occurring substances. The lipoic acid in EV06 is reduced to dihydrolipoic acid in lens fiber cells and is responsible for breaking the disulfide bonds, therefore increasing lens flexibility. Administration of EV06 may potentially halt or reverse the stiffening that occurs, allowing the lens to maintain or regain its ability to accommodate.

About Encore Vision, Inc.

Encore Vision is a privatelyheld eye care company focused on developing novel therapies for the treatment of presbyopia. Encore Vision's lead product candidate, EV06 ophthalmic solution, is based on its proprietary, patented prodrug technology that seeks to reverse the aging process responsible for presbyopia. In addition, Encore Vision is exploring additional methods and compounds to treat presbyopia. To learn more, visit http://www.encorevisioninc.com/.

SOURCE Encore Vision, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.encorevisioninc.com


HOUSTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Completes First Economic Enhanced Oil Recovery Test in U.S. Horizontal Shale Reservoir Concludes Four Pilot Projects in the Eagle Ford Adds New Reserve Potential at Single Digit Per Barrel Costs Generates High Net Present Value Delivers Rates of Return on Investment Exceeding 30 Percent at $40 Oil Price Extends EOG's Horizontal Technology Gains

Announces Successful South Texas Austin Chalk Exploratory Results

Reports Strong Quarterly Operating Results, Exceeds U.S. Oil Production and Cost Reduction Targets

EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE: EOG) (EOG) today reported a first quarter 2016 net loss of $471.8 million, or $0.86 per share. This compares to a first quarter 2015 net loss of $169.7 million, or $0.31 per share.

Adjusted non-GAAP net loss for the first quarter 2016 was $455.4 million, or $0.83 per share, compared to adjusted non-GAAP net income of $16.8 million, or $0.03 per share, for the same prior year period. Adjusted non-GAAP net income (loss) is calculated by matching realizations to settlement months and making certain other adjustments in order to exclude one-time items. (Please refer to the attached tables for the reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures.)

Lower commodity prices more than offset significant well productivity improvements and cost reductions, resulting in decreases to adjusted non-GAAP net income, discretionary cash flow and EBITDAX during the first quarter 2016 compared to the first quarter 2015. (Please refer to the attached tables for the reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures.)

Operational Highlights

In the first quarter 2016, EOG implemented its previously announced strategy to focus capital in areas which generate premium rates of return. This move significantly improved average well performance and contributed to EOG's strong production in the first quarter 2016. U.S. crude oil volumes exceeded the high end of the company's forecast in the first quarter 2016.

In addition, EOG continued to reduce costs across its operations. During the first quarter of 2016, lease and well expenses decreased 29 percent and transportation costs decreased 12 percent compared to the same prior year period, both on a per-unit basis. Total general and administrative expenses decreased 7 percent compared to the first quarter 2015, excluding expenses related to a voluntary retirement program.

EOG's East Irish Sea Conwy project in the United Kingdom achieved first production in March 2016.

EOG also continued to improve capital efficiency. For the first quarter 2016, exploration and development expenditures (excluding property acquisitions) decreased 61 percent, while total crude oil and condensate production declined by only 10 percent, compared to the first quarter 2015. Total natural gas production for the first quarter 2016 decreased 3 percent versus the prior year period.

"Our premium drilling strategy is extending EOG's performance leadership in the upstream industry," said William R. "Bill" Thomas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Excellent well performance and cost reductions drove tremendous capital efficiency gains and gave EOG a great start on another successful year. EOG is steadily approaching its goal of becoming one of the lowest cost global oil producers through its sustainable advantages in asset quality, technology, cost reductions and operational execution."

Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)

EOG confirmed success of its internally developed EOR process in the Eagle Ford following more than three years of testing in four successful pilot projects with 15 producing wells. These four pilot projects, located across the field, demonstrated consistent reservoir responses from a group of mature producing wells. The pilots generated significant increases in crude oil production with relatively low capital cost. One additional EOR pilot project that encompasses 32 producing wells is planned for 2016.

EOG anticipates many benefits from the application of this new technology, including high incremental net present value and rates of return on investment, low finding and operating costs, reduced severance tax rates, lower production decline rates and increased reservoir recoveries. EOG's Eagle Ford shale acreage position possesses unique geologic properties ideally suited for the company's proprietary EOR techniques. These methods require very strong geologic containment that may not exist in most horizontal oil plays.

"Today's introduction of EOG's enhanced oil recovery potential for the Eagle Ford shale is another technical breakthrough to further enhance the value of EOG's Eagle Ford assets," Thomas said. "Our proprietary EOR capabilities and first-mover advantages uniquely position the company to create substantial incremental shareholder value through this long-life project."

South Texas Austin Chalk

EOG expanded its inventory of high rate of return crude oil plays with successful drilling results in the South Texas Austin Chalk, which sits on top of the South Texas Eagle Ford shale. The initial test well, the Leonard AC Unit 101H, came online with average 30-day initial production rates of 2,100 barrels of oil per day (Bopd) with 295 barrels per day (Bpd) of natural gas liquids (NGLs) and 1.9 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) of natural gas. A second Austin Chalk well, the Denali Unit 101H, was brought online in April 2016, with average 20-day initial production rates of 2,265 Bopd with 415 Bpd of NGLs and 2.7 MMcfd of natural gas. EOG intends to drill seven additional Austin Chalk wells in 2016 to further delineate the formation's potential.

"EOG continues to demonstrate its organic growth capabilities by discovering a new geologic concept in an existing play," Thomas said. "Although the industry has known about the Austin Chalk for many years, it took a new approach to turn it into a high rate of return play which competes with EOG's top-tier assets. We expect the Austin Chalk to make a meaningful contribution to our future success."

South Texas Eagle Ford

EOG continued to achieve strong well performance and capital efficiencies in the Eagle Ford during the first quarter 2016. In Gonzales County, EOG completed the Stills Unit 2H with average 30-day initial production rates of 2,775 Bopd, 345 Bpd of NGLs and 2.2 MMcfd of natural gas and the Neets Unit 9H with average 30-day initial production rates of 2,355 Bopd, 255 Bpd of NGLs and 1.7 MMcfd of natural gas. Also in Gonzales County, EOG completed the Fleetwood Unit 5H-8H wells in a four-well pattern with average 30-day initial production rates per well of 2,330 Bopd, 320 Bpd of NGLs and 2.1 MMcfd of natural gas. In Lavaca County, EOG completed the Boedeker 18H with average 30-day initial production rates of 2,305 Bopd, 220 Bpd of NGLs and 1.4 MMcfd of natural gas.

Delaware Basin

EOG's advancements in precision targeting and completions technology continue to drive superior well results and rates of return in the Delaware Basin. In the Delaware Basin Wolfcamp in Lea County, N.M., EOG completed the Rattlesnake 21 Fed Com #701H and #702H with average 20-day initial production rates of 2,670 and 2,870 Bopd, 450 and 480 Bpd of NGLs and 3.7 and 4.0 MMcfd of natural gas, respectively. Also in the Delaware Basin Wolfcamp in Lea County, N.M., EOG completed the Lomas Rojas 26 State Com #701H - #704H in a four-well pattern with average 30-day initial production rates per well of 1,910 Bopd, 300 Bpd of NGLs and 2.4 MMcfd of natural gas.

EOG continues to improve well and completion designs in the Delaware Basin, which led to increased well productivity in the first quarter 2016.

Hedging Activity

For the period April 12 through April 30, 2016, EOG had crude oil financial price swap contracts in place for 90,000 Bopd at a weighted average price of $42.30 per barrel. For the period May 1 through June 30, 2016, EOG has crude oil financial price swap contracts in place for 128,000 Bopd at a weighted average price of $42.56 per barrel.

For the period March 1 through May 31, 2016, EOG had natural gas financial price swap contracts in place for 60,000 million British thermal units (MMBtu) per day at a weighted average price of $2.49 per MMBtu. For the period June 1 through August 31, 2016, EOG has natural gas financial price swap contracts in place for 60,000 MMBtu per day at a weighted average price of $2.49 per MMBtu.

A comprehensive summary of crude oil and natural gas derivative contracts is provided in the attached tables.

Capital Structure

At March 31, 2016, EOG's total debt outstanding was $7.0 billion with a debt-to-total capitalization ratio of 36 percent. Taking into account cash on the balance sheet of $668 million at the end of the first quarter, EOG's net debt was $6.3 billion with a net debt-to-total capitalization ratio of 34 percent. A reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures is provided in the attached tables.

Conference Call May 6, 2016

EOG's first quarter 2016 results conference call will be available via live audio webcast at 9 a.m. Central time (10 a.m. Eastern time) on Friday, May 6, 2016. To listen, log on to the Investors Overview page on the EOG website at http://investors.eogresources.com/overview . The webcast will be archived on EOG's website through May 20, 2016.

EOG Resources, Inc. is one of the largest independent (non-integrated) crude oil and natural gas companies in the United States with proved reserves in the United States, Trinidad, the United Kingdom and China. EOG Resources, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is traded under the ticker symbol "EOG."

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, including, among others, statements and projections regarding EOG's future financial position, operations, performance, business strategy, returns, budgets, reserves, levels of production and costs, statements regarding future commodity prices and statements regarding the plans and objectives of EOG's management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. EOG typically uses words such as "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "strategy," "intend," "plan," "target," "goal," "may," "will," "should" and "believe" or the negative of those terms or other variations or comparable terminology to identify its forward-looking statements. In particular, statements, express or implied, concerning EOG's future operating results and returns or EOG's ability to replace or increase reserves, increase production, reduce or otherwise control operating and capital costs, generate income or cash flows or pay dividends are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. Although EOG believes the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable and are based on reasonable assumptions, no assurance can be given that these assumptions are accurate or that any of these expectations will be achieved (in full or at all) or will prove to have been correct. Moreover, EOG's forward-looking statements may be affected by known, unknown or currently unforeseen risks, events or circumstances that may be outside EOG's control. Important factors that could cause EOG's actual results to differ materially from the expectations reflected in EOG's forward-looking statements include, among others:

the timing, extent and duration of changes in prices for, supplies of, and demand for, crude oil and condensate, natural gas liquids, natural gas and related commodities;

the extent to which EOG is successful in its efforts to acquire or discover additional reserves;

the extent to which EOG is successful in its efforts to economically develop its acreage in, produce reserves and achieve anticipated production levels from, and maximize reserve recovery from, its existing and future crude oil and natural gas exploration and development projects;

the extent to which EOG is successful in its efforts to market its crude oil and condensate, natural gas liquids, natural gas and related commodity production;

the availability, proximity and capacity of, and costs associated with, appropriate gathering, processing, compression, transportation and refining facilities;

the availability, cost, terms and timing of issuance or execution of, and competition for, mineral licenses and leases and governmental and other permits and rights-of-way, and EOG's ability to retain mineral licenses and leases;

the impact of, and changes in, government policies, laws and regulations, including tax laws and regulations; environmental, health and safety laws and regulations relating to air emissions, disposal of produced water, drilling fluids and other wastes, hydraulic fracturing and access to and use of water; laws and regulations imposing conditions or restrictions on drilling and completion operations and on the transportation of crude oil and natural gas; laws and regulations with respect to derivatives and hedging activities; and laws and regulations with respect to the import and export of crude oil, natural gas and related commodities;

EOG's ability to effectively integrate acquired crude oil and natural gas properties into its operations, fully identify existing and potential problems with respect to such properties and accurately estimate reserves, production and costs with respect to such properties;

the extent to which EOG's third-party-operated crude oil and natural gas properties are operated successfully and economically;

competition in the oil and gas exploration and production industry for the acquisition of licenses, leases and properties, employees and other personnel, facilities, equipment, materials and services;

the availability and cost of employees and other personnel, facilities, equipment, materials (such as water) and services;

the accuracy of reserve estimates, which by their nature involve the exercise of professional judgment and may therefore be imprecise;

weather, including its impact on crude oil and natural gas demand, and weather-related delays in drilling and in the installation and operation (by EOG or third parties) of production, gathering, processing, refining, compression and transportation facilities;

the ability of EOG's customers and other contractual counterparties to satisfy their obligations to EOG and, related thereto, to access the credit and capital markets to obtain financing needed to satisfy their obligations to EOG;

EOG's ability to access the commercial paper market and other credit and capital markets to obtain financing on terms it deems acceptable, if at all, and to otherwise satisfy its capital expenditure requirements;

the extent and effect of any hedging activities engaged in by EOG;

the timing and extent of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates, inflation rates, global and domestic financial market conditions and global and domestic general economic conditions;

political conditions and developments around the world (such as political instability and armed conflict), including in the areas in which EOG operates;

the use of competing energy sources and the development of alternative energy sources;

the extent to which EOG incurs uninsured losses and liabilities or losses and liabilities in excess of its insurance coverage;

acts of war and terrorism and responses to these acts;

physical, electronic and cyber security breaches; and

the other factors described under ITEM 1A, Risk Factors, on pages 13 through 21 of EOG's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 , and any updates to those factors set forth in EOG's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K.

In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events anticipated by EOG's forward-looking statements may not occur, and, if any of such events do, we may not have anticipated the timing of their occurrence or the duration and extent of their impact on our actual results. Accordingly, you should not place any undue reliance on any of EOG's forward-looking statements. EOG's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and EOG undertakes no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) permits oil and gas companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose not only "proved" reserves (i.e., quantities of oil and gas that are estimated to be recoverable with a high degree of confidence), but also "probable" reserves (i.e., quantities of oil and gas that are as likely as not to be recovered) as well as "possible" reserves (i.e., additional quantities of oil and gas that might be recovered, but with a lower probability than probable reserves). Statements of reserves are only estimates and may not correspond to the ultimate quantities of oil and gas recovered. Any reserve estimates provided in this press release that are not specifically designated as being estimates of proved reserves may include "potential" reserves and/or other estimated reserves not necessarily calculated in accordance with, or contemplated by, the SEC's latest reserve reporting guidelines. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in EOG's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, available from EOG at P.O. Box 4362, Houston, Texas 77210-4362 (Attn: Investor Relations). You can also obtain this report from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330 or from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, reconciliation and calculation schedules for non-GAAP financial measures can be found on the EOG website at www.eogresources.com.

Investors

Cedric W. Burgher

(713) 571-4658

David J. Streit

(713) 571-4902

Kimberly M. Ehmer

(713) 571-4676

Media

K Leonard

(713) 571-3870

EOG RESOURCES, INC. Financial Report (Unaudited; in millions, except per share data)













Three Months Ended

March 31,

2016

2015











Net Operating Revenues $ 1,354.3

$ 2,318.5 Net Loss $ (471.8)

$ (169.7) Net Loss Per Share









Basic $ (0.86)

$ (0.31) Diluted $ (0.86)

$ (0.31) Average Number of Common Shares









Basic

546.7



545.0 Diluted

546.7



545.0























Summary Income Statements (Unaudited; in thousands, except per share data)













Three Months Ended

March 31,

2016

2015 Net Operating Revenues





Crude Oil and Condensate $ 753,711

$ 1,260,244 Natural Gas Liquids

75,319



111,990 Natural Gas

165,503



287,782 Gains on Mark-to-Market Commodity Derivative Contracts

5,435



76,208 Gathering, Processing and Marketing

333,953



570,270 Gains on Asset Dispositions, Net

9,147



1,607 Other, Net

11,281



10,437 Total

1,354,349



2,318,538 Operating Expenses









Lease and Well

240,865



361,481 Transportation Costs

190,454



228,312 Gathering and Processing Costs

28,524



36,009 Exploration Costs

29,829



39,449 Dry Hole Costs

246



14,670 Impairments

71,617



69,436 Marketing Costs

340,854



638,662 Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization

928,891



912,788 General and Administrative

100,531



84,297 Taxes Other Than Income

60,679



106,429 Total

1,992,490



2,491,533











Operating Loss

(638,141)



(172,995)











Other Expense, Net

(4,437)



(9,991)











Loss Before Interest Expense and Income Taxes

(642,578)



(182,986)











Interest Expense, Net

68,390



53,345











Loss Before Income Taxes

(710,968)



(236,331)











Income Tax Benefit

(239,192)



(66,583)











Net Loss $ (471,776)

$ (169,748)











Dividends Declared per Common Share $ 0.1675

$ 0.1675















EOG RESOURCES, INC. Operating Highlights (Unaudited)













Three Months Ended

March 31,

2016

2015 Wellhead Volumes and Prices

Crude Oil and Condensate Volumes (MBbld) (A)

United States

265.8



298.6 Trinidad

0.7



1.0 Other International (B)

1.4



0.1 Total

267.9



299.7











Average Crude Oil and Condensate Prices ($/Bbl) (C)









United States $ 30.87

$ 46.71 Trinidad

22.78



39.78 Other International (B)

32.33



43.06 Composite

30.85



46.68











Natural Gas Liquids Volumes (MBbld) (A)









United States

79.4



77.4 Other International (B)

-



0.1 Total

79.4



77.5











Average Natural Gas Liquids Prices ($/Bbl) (C)









United States $ 10.41

$ 16.10 Other International (B)

-



2.46 Composite

10.41



16.08











Natural Gas Volumes (MMcfd) (A)









United States

829



905 Trinidad

361



337 Other International (B)

25



31 Total

1,215



1,273











Average Natural Gas Prices ($/Mcf) (C)









United States $ 1.27

$ 2.27 Trinidad

1.88



3.09 Other International (B)

3.63



3.28 Composite

1.50



2.51











Crude Oil Equivalent Volumes (MBoed) (D)









United States

483.6



527.1 Trinidad

60.8



57.1 Other International (B)

5.5



5.3 Total

549.9



589.5











Total MMBoe (D)

50.0



53.1













(A) Thousand barrels per day or million cubic feet per day, as applicable. (B) Other International includes EOG's United Kingdom, China, Canada and Argentina operations. (C) Dollars per barrel or per thousand cubic feet, as applicable. Excludes the impact of financial commodity derivative instruments. (D) Thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day or million barrels of oil equivalent, as applicable; includes crude oil and condensate, natural gas liquids and natural gas. Crude oil equivalent volumes are determined using a ratio of 1.0 barrel of crude oil and condensate or natural gas liquids to 6.0 thousand cubic feet of natural gas. MMBoe is calculated by multiplying the MBoed amount by the number of days in the period and then dividing that amount by one thousand.



EOG RESOURCES, INC. Summary Balance Sheets (Unaudited; in thousands, except share data)













March 31,

December 31,

2016

2015 ASSETS Current Assets









Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 668,481

$ 718,506 Accounts Receivable, Net

780,625



930,610 Inventories

538,926



598,935 Assets from Price Risk Management Activities

4,070



- Income Taxes Receivable

39,045



40,704 Deferred Income Taxes

177,057



147,812 Other

157,608



155,677 Total

2,365,812



2,592,244











Property, Plant and Equipment









Oil and Gas Properties (Successful Efforts Method)

51,159,332



50,613,241 Other Property, Plant and Equipment

4,004,310



3,986,610 Total Property, Plant and Equipment

55,163,642



54,599,851 Less: Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization

(31,362,209)



(30,389,130) Total Property, Plant and Equipment, Net

23,801,433



24,210,721 Other Assets

171,178



167,505 Total Assets $ 26,338,423

$ 26,970,470











LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current Liabilities









Accounts Payable $ 1,182,025

$ 1,471,953 Accrued Taxes Payable

93,077



93,618 Dividends Payable

91,569



91,546 Current Portion of Long-Term Debt

6,579



6,579 Other

174,722



155,591 Total

1,547,972



1,819,287























Long-Term Debt

6,979,029



6,648,911 Other Liabilities

985,713



971,335 Deferred Income Taxes

4,420,221



4,587,902 Commitments and Contingencies





















Stockholders' Equity









Common Stock, $0.01 Par, 640,000,000 Shares Authorized and 550,576,063Shares Issued at March 31, 2016 and 550,150,823 Shares Issued at December 31, 2015

205,506



205,502 Additional Paid in Capital

2,951,861



2,923,461 Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

(31,131)



(33,338) Retained Earnings

9,308,463



9,870,816 Common Stock Held in Treasury, 383,609 Shares at March 31, 2016 and 292,179 Shares at December 31, 2015

(29,211)



(23,406) Total Stockholders' Equity

12,405,488



12,943,035 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 26,338,423

$ 26,970,470















EOG RESOURCES, INC. Summary Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited; in thousands)













Three Months Ended

March 31,

2016

2015 Cash Flows from Operating Activities









Reconciliation of Net Loss to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:









Net Loss $ (471,776)

$ (169,748) Items Not Requiring (Providing) Cash









Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization

928,891



912,788 Impairments

71,617



69,436 Stock-Based Compensation Expenses

32,380



33,052 Deferred Income Taxes

(196,696)



(97,241) Gains on Asset Dispositions, Net

(9,147)



(1,607) Other, Net

5,442



12,469 Dry Hole Costs

246



14,670 Mark-to-Market Commodity Derivative Contracts









Total Gains

(5,435)



(76,208) Net Cash Received from Settlements of Commodity Derivative Contracts

17,687



367,707 Excess Tax Benefits from Stock-Based Compensation

-



(8,858) Other, Net

1,407



1,616 Changes in Components of Working Capital and Other Assets and Liabilities









Accounts Receivable

132,398



353,100 Inventories

57,578



(62,172) Accounts Payable

(289,627)



(677,875) Accrued Taxes Payable

2,460



2,105 Other Assets

3,946



59,176 Other Liabilities

7,992



(31,855) Changes in Components of Working Capital Associated with Investing and Financing Activities

2,228



259,992 Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

291,591



960,547











Investing Cash Flows









Additions to Oil and Gas Properties

(547,399)



(1,428,733) Additions to Other Property, Plant and Equipment

(25,792)



(116,866) Proceeds from Sales of Assets

6,667



1,118 Changes in Components of Working Capital Associated with Investing Activities

(2,228)



(259,741) Net Cash Used in Investing Activities

(568,752)



(1,804,222)











Financing Cash Flows









Net Commercial Paper Repayments

(259,718)



- Long-Term Debt Borrowings

991,097



990,225 Long-Term Debt Repayments

(400,000)



- Dividends Paid

(92,170)



(91,661) Excess Tax Benefits from Stock-Based Compensation

-



8,858 Treasury Stock Purchased

(12,672)



(15,459) Proceeds from Stock Options Exercised

2,688



3,984 Debt Issuance Costs

(1,592)



(1,603) Repayment of Capital Lease Obligation

(1,569)



(1,521) Other, Net

-



(251) Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities

226,064



892,572











Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash

1,072



(8,691)











(Decrease) Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents

(50,025)



40,206 Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period

718,506



2,087,213 Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period $ 668,481

$ 2,127,419













EOG RESOURCES, INC. Quantitative Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income (Loss) (Non-GAAP) to Net Loss (GAAP) (Unaudited; in thousands, except per share data)























The following chart adjusts the three-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 reported Net Loss (GAAP) to reflect actual net cash received from settlements of commodity derivative contracts by eliminating the unrealized mark-to-market gains from these transactions, to eliminate the net gains on asset dispositions in 2015 and 2016 and to add back certain voluntary retirement expense in 2016. EOG believes this presentation may be useful to investors who follow the practice of some industry analysts who adjust reported company earnings to match realizations to production settlement months and make certain other adjustments to exclude non-recurring items. EOG management uses this information for comparative purposes within the industry.













Three Months Ended

March 31,

2016

2015











Reported Net Loss (GAAP) $ (471,776)

$ (169,748)











Commodity Derivative Contracts Impact









Gains on Mark-to-Market Commodity Derivative Contracts

(5,435)



(76,208) Net Cash Received from Settlements of Commodity Derivative Contracts

17,687



367,707 Pre-tax MTM Impact

12,252



291,499











After-Tax MTM Impact

7,884



187,580











Less: Net Gains on Asset Dispositions, Net of Tax (Pre-tax $9,147 and $1,607, respectively)

(5,937)



(1,011) Add: Voluntary Retirement Expense, Net of Tax (Pre-tax $22,391)

14,409



-











Adjusted Net Income (Loss) (Non-GAAP) $ (455,420)

$ 16,821











Net Loss Per Share (GAAP)









Basic $ (0.86)

$ (0.31) Diluted $ (0.86)

$ (0.31)











Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per Share (Non-GAAP)









Basic $ (0.83)

$ 0.03 Diluted $ (0.83)

$ 0.03











Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per Diluted Share (Non-GAAP) - Percentage Decrease

-2,867%

















Average Number of Common Shares (GAAP)









Basic

546,715



544,998 Diluted

546,715



544,998











Average Number of Common Shares (Non-GAAP)









Basic

546,715



544,998 Diluted

546,715



549,401















EOG RESOURCES, INC. Quantitative Reconciliation of Discretionary Cash Flow (Non-GAAP) to Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities (GAAP) (Unaudited; in thousands)

The following chart reconciles the three-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities (GAAP) to Discretionary Cash Flow (Non-GAAP). EOG believes this presentation may be useful to investors who follow the practice of some industry analysts who adjust Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities for Exploration Costs (excluding Stock-Based Compensation Expenses), Excess Tax Benefits from Stock-Based Compensation, Changes in Components of Working Capital and Other Assets and Liabilities, and Changes in Components of Working Capital Associated with Investing and Financing Activities. EOG management uses this information for comparative purposes within the industry.













Three Months Ended

March 31,

2016

2015











Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities (GAAP) $ 291,591

$ 960,547











Adjustments:









Exploration Costs (excluding Stock-Based Compensation Expenses)

23,357



32,097 Excess Tax Benefits from Stock-Based Compensation

-



8,858 Changes in Components of Working Capital and Other Assets









and Liabilities









Accounts Receivable

(132,398)



(353,100) Inventories

(57,578)



62,172 Accounts Payable

289,627



677,875 Accrued Taxes Payable

(2,460)



(2,105) Other Assets

(3,946)



(59,176) Other Liabilities

(7,992)



31,855 Changes in Components of Working Capital Associated with









Investing and Financing Activities

(2,228)



(259,992)

Discretionary Cash Flow (Non-GAAP) $ 397,973

$ 1,099,031











Discretionary Cash Flow (Non-GAAP) - Percentage Decrease

-64%





















EOG RESOURCES, INC. Quantitative Reconciliation of Adjusted Earnings Before Interest Expense, Income Taxes, Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Exploration Costs, Dry Hole Costs, Impairments and Additional Items (Adjusted EBITDAX) (Non-GAAP) to Loss Before Interest Expense and Income Taxes (GAAP) (Unaudited; in thousands)











The following chart adjusts the three-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 reported Loss Before Interest Expense and Income Taxes (GAAP) to Earnings Before Interest Expense, Income Taxes, Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Exploration Costs, Dry Hole Costs and Impairments (EBITDAX) (Non-GAAP) and further adjusts such amount to reflect actual net cash received from settlements of commodity derivative contracts by eliminating the unrealized mark-to-market (MTM) gains from these transactions and to eliminate the net gains on asset dispositions. EOG believes this presentation may be useful to investors who follow the practice of some industry analysts who adjust reported Loss Before Interest Expense and Income Taxes (GAAP) to add back Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Exploration Costs, Dry Hole Costs and Impairments and further adjust such amount to match realizations to production settlement months and make certain other adjustments to exclude non-recurring items. EOG management uses this information for comparative purposes within the industry.













Three Months Ended

March 31,

2016

2015











Loss Before Interest Expense and Income Taxes (GAAP) $ (642,578)

$ (182,986)











Adjustments:









Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization

928,891



912,788 Exploration Costs

29,829



39,449 Dry Hole Costs

246



14,670 Impairments

71,617



69,436 EBITDAX (Non-GAAP)

388,005



853,357 Total Gains on MTM Commodity Derivative Contracts

(5,435)



(76,208) Net Cash Received from Settlements of Commodity Derivative Contracts

17,687



367,707 Gains on Asset Dispositions, Net

(9,147)



(1,607)











Adjusted EBITDAX (Non-GAAP) $ 391,110

$ 1,143,249











Adjusted EBITDAX (Non-GAAP) - Percentage Decrease

-66%



















EOG RESOURCES, INC. Quantitative Reconciliation of Net Debt (Non-GAAP) and Total Capitalization (Non-GAAP) as Used in the Calculation of the Net Debt-to-Total Capitalization Ratio (Non-GAAP) to Current and Long-Term Debt (GAAP) and Total Capitalization (GAAP) (Unaudited; in millions, except ratio data)











The following chart reconciles Current and Long-Term Debt (GAAP) to Net Debt (Non-GAAP) and Total Capitalization (GAAP) to Total Capitalization (Non-GAAP), as used in the Net Debt-to-Total Capitalization ratio calculation. A portion of the cash is associated with international subsidiaries; tax considerations may impact debt paydown. EOG believes this presentation may be useful to investors who follow the practice of some industry analysts who utilize Net Debt and Total Capitalization (Non-GAAP) in their Net Debt-to-Total Capitalization ratio calculation. EOG management uses this information for comparative purposes within the industry.













At

At

March 31,

December 31,

2016

2015











Total Stockholders' Equity - (a) $ 12,405



12,943











Current and Long-Term Debt (GAAP) - (b)

6,986



6,655 Less: Cash

(668)



(719) Net Debt (Non-GAAP) - (c)

6,318



5,936











Total Capitalization (GAAP) - (a) + (b) $ 19,391

$ 19,598











Total Capitalization (Non-GAAP) - (a) + (c) $ 18,723

$ 18,879











Debt-to-Total Capitalization (GAAP) - (b) / [(a) + (b)]

36%



34%











Net Debt-to-Total Capitalization (Non-GAAP) - (c) / [(a) + (c)]

34%



31%













EOG RESOURCES, INC. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Financial Commodity Derivative Contracts







Presented below is a comprehensive summary of EOG's crude oil and natural gas derivative contracts at May 5, 2016, with notional volumes expressed in Bbld and MMBtud and prices expressed in $/Bbl and $/MMBtu. EOG accounts for financial commodity derivative contracts using the mark-to-market accounting method.















Crude Oil Derivative Contracts





Weighted

Volume

Average Price

(Bbld)

($/Bbl) 2016





April 12, 2016 through April 30, 2016 (closed) 90,000

$ 42.30 May 1, 2016 through June 30, 2016 128,000

42.56















Natural Gas Derivative Contracts





Weighted

Volume

Average Price

(MMBtud)

($/MMBtu) 2016





March 1, 2016 through May 31, 2016 (closed) 60,000

$ 2.49 June 1, 2016 through August 31, 2016 60,000

2.49















$/Bbl Dollars per barrel





$/MMBtu Dollars per million British thermal units





Bbld Barrels per day





MMBtu Million British thermal units





MMBtud Million British thermal units per day















EOG RESOURCES, INC. Direct After-Tax Rate of Return (ATROR)

The calculation of our direct after-tax rate of return (ATROR) with respect to our capital expenditure program for a particular play or well is based on the estimated proved reserves ("net" to EOG's interest) for all wells in such play or such well (as the case may be), the estimated net present value (NPV) of the future net cash flows from such reserves (for which we utilize certain assumptions regarding future commodity prices and operating costs) and our direct net costs incurred in drilling or acquiring (as the case may be) such wells or well (as the case may be). As such, our direct ATROR with respect to our capital expenditures for a particular play or well cannot be calculated from our consolidated financial statements.



Direct ATROR Based on Cash Flow and Time Value of Money - Estimated future commodity prices and operating costs - Costs incurred to drill, complete and equip a well, including facilities Excludes Indirect Capital - Gathering and Processing and other Midstream - Land, Seismic, Geological and Geophysical

Payback ~12 Months on 100% Direct ATROR Wells First Five Years ~1/2 Estimated Ultimate Recovery Produced but ~3/4 of NPV Captured



Return on Equity / Return on Capital Employed Based on GAAP Accrual Accounting Includes All Indirect Capital and Growth Capital for Infrastructure - Eagle Ford, Bakken, Permian Facilities - Gathering and Processing Includes Legacy Gas Capital and Capital from Mature Wells



EOG RESOURCES, INC. Quantitative Reconciliation of After-Tax Net Interest Expense (Non-GAAP), Adjusted Net Income (Non-GAAP), Net Debt (Non-GAAP) and Total Capitalization (Non-GAAP) as used in the Calculations of Return on Capital Employed (Non-GAAP) and Return on Equity (Non-GAAP) to Net Interest Expense (GAAP), Net Income (Loss) (GAAP), Current and Long-Term Debt (GAAP) and Total Capitalization (GAAP), Respectively (Unaudited; in millions, except ratio data)























The following chart reconciles Net Interest Expense (GAAP), Net Income (Loss) (GAAP), Current and Long-Term Debt (GAAP) and Total Capitalization (GAAP) to After-Tax Net Interest Expense (Non-GAAP), Adjusted Net Income (Non-GAAP), Net Debt (Non-GAAP) and Total Capitalization (Non-GAAP), respectively, as used in the Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) and Return on Equity (ROE) calculations. EOG believes this presentation may be useful to investors who follow the practice of some industry analysts who utilize After-Tax Net Interest Expense, Adjusted Net Income, Net Debt and Total Capitalization (Non-GAAP) in their ROCE and ROE calculations. EOG management uses this information for comparative purposes within the industry.



























2015



2014



2013



2012 Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) (Non-GAAP)













































Net Interest Expense (GAAP) $ 237

$ 201

$ 235





Tax Benefit Imputed (based on 35%)

(83)



(70)



(82)





After-Tax Net Interest Expense (Non-GAAP) - (a) $ 154

$ 131

$ 153





























Net Income (Loss) (GAAP) - (b) $ (4,525)

$ 2,915

$ 2,197





























Add: After-Tax Mark-to-Market Commodity Derivative Contracts Impact

430



(515)



182





Add: Impairments of Certain Assets, Net of Tax

4,125



553



4





Less: Texas Margin Tax Rate Reduction

(20)



-



-





Add: Legal Settlement - Early Leasehold Termination, Net of Tax

13



-



-





Add: Severance Costs, Net of Tax

6



-



-





Less: Net (Gains) Losses on Asset Dispositions, Net of Tax

5



(487)



(137)





Add: Tax Expense Related to the Repatriation of Accumulated Foreign Earnings in Future Years

-



250



-





























Adjusted Net Income (Non-GAAP) - (c) $ 34

$ 2,716

$ 2,246





























Total Stockholders' Equity - (d) $ 12,943

$ 17,713

$ 15,418

$ 13,285























Average Total Stockholders' Equity * - (e) $ 15,328

$ 16,566

$ 14,352





























Current and Long-Term Debt (GAAP) - (f) $ 6,660

$ 5,910

$ 5,913

$ 6,312 Less: Cash

(719)



(2,087)



(1,318)



(876) Net Debt (Non-GAAP) - (g) $ 5,941

$ 3,823

$ 4,595

$ 5,436























Total Capitalization (GAAP) - (d) + (f) $ 19,603

$ 23,623

$ 21,331

$ 19,597























Total Capitalization (Non-GAAP) - (d) + (g) $ 18,884

$ 21,536

$ 20,013

$ 18,721























Average Total Capitalization (Non-GAAP) * - (h) $ 20,210

$ 20,775

$ 19,367





























ROCE (GAAP Net Income) - [(a) + (b)] / (h)

-21.6%



14.7%



12.1%





























ROCE (Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income) - [(a) + (c)] / (h)

0.9%



13.7%



12.4%





























Return on Equity (ROE) (Non-GAAP)













































ROE (GAAP Net Income) - (b) / (e)

-29.5%



17.6%



15.3%





























ROE (Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income) - (c) / (e)

0.2%



16.4%



15.6%





























* Average for the current and immediately preceding year















































EOG RESOURCES, INC. Second Quarter and Full Year 2016 Forecast and Benchmark Commodity Pricing























(a) Second Quarter and Full Year 2016 Forecast























The forecast items for the second quarter and full year 2016 set forth below for EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG) are based on current available information and expectations as of the date of the accompanying press release. EOG undertakes no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise this forecast, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise. This forecast, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying press release and EOG's related Current Report on Form 8-K filing, replaces and supersedes any previously issued guidance or forecast.























(b) Benchmark Commodity Pricing























EOG bases United States and Trinidad crude oil and condensate price differentials upon the West Texas Intermediate crude oil price at Cushing, Oklahoma, using the simple average of the NYMEX settlement prices for each trading day within the applicable calendar month.























EOG bases United States natural gas price differentials upon the natural gas price at Henry Hub, Louisiana, using the simple average of the NYMEX settlement prices for the last three trading days of the applicable month.



























Estimated Ranges



(Unaudited)



2Q 2016



Full Year 2016 Daily Production





















Crude Oil and Condensate Volumes (MBbld)





















United States

255.0 -

265.0



256.0 -

271.0 Trinidad

0.3 -

0.5



0.4 -

0.6 Other International

4.0 -

8.0



4.0 -

8.0 Total

259.3 -

273.5



260.4 -

279.6























Natural Gas Liquids Volumes (MBbld)





















Total

71.0 -

79.0



72.0 -

80.0























Natural Gas Volumes (MMcfd)





















United States

785 -

805



770 -

800 Trinidad

290 -

340



290 -

320 Other International

20 -

26



20 -

25 Total

1,095 -

1,171



1,080 -

1,145























Crude Oil Equivalent Volumes (MBoed)





















United States

456.8 -

478.2



456.3 -

484.3 Trinidad

48.6 -

57.2



48.7 -

53.9 Other International

7.3 -

12.3



7.3 -

12.2 Total

512.7 -

547.7



512.3 -

550.4























Operating Costs





















Unit Costs ($/Boe)





















Lease and Well $ 5.00 - $ 5.50

$ 5.00 - $ 5.80 Transportation Costs $ 3.70 - $ 4.30

$ 3.80 - $ 4.30 Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization $ 17.60 - $ 18.00

$ 17.90 - $ 18.40























Expenses ($MM)





















Exploration, Dry Hole and Impairment $ 110 - $ 130

$ 425 - $ 475 General and Administrative $ 80 - $ 90

$ 325 - $ 355 Gathering and Processing $ 30 - $ 35

$ 115 - $ 135 Capitalized Interest $ 7 - $ 9

$ 28 - $ 32 Net Interest $ 69 - $ 71

$ 275 - $ 285























Taxes Other Than Income (% of Wellhead Revenue)

6.8% -

7.3%



6.3% -

6.8%























Income Taxes





















Effective Rate

32% -

37%



32% -

37% Current Taxes ($MM) $ (50) - $ (35)

$ (180) - $ (160)























Capital Expenditures (Excluding Acquisitions, $MM)





















Exploration and Development, Excluding Facilities











$ 1,925 - $ 2,025 Exploration and Development Facilities











$ 350 - $ 400 Gathering, Processing and Other











$ 125 - $ 175























Pricing - (Refer to Benchmark Commodity Pricing in text)





















Crude Oil and Condensate ($/Bbl)





















Differentials





















United States - above (below) WTI $ (3.50) - $ (1.50)

$ (3.75) - $ (1.75) Trinidad - above (below) WTI $ (10.75) - $ (9.75)

$ (13.00) - $ (10.00) Other International - above (below) WTI $ (8.00) - $ (6.00)

$ (5.25) - $ (3.25)























Natural Gas Liquids





















Realizations as % of WTI

29% -

33%



29% -

33%























Natural Gas ($/Mcf)





















Differentials





















United States - above (below) NYMEX Henry Hub $ (1.20) - $ (0.50)

$ (1.20) - $ (0.50)























Realizations





















Trinidad $ 1.70 - $ 2.30

$ 1.75 - $ 2.35 Other International $ 3.00 - $ 4.25

$ 3.30 - $ 3.90























Definitions





















$/Bbl U.S. Dollars per barrel





















$/Boe U.S. Dollars per barrel of oil equivalent





















$/Mcf U.S. Dollars per thousand cubic feet





















$MM U.S. Dollars in millions





















MBbld Thousand barrels per day





















MBoed Thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day





















MMcfd Million cubic feet per day





















NYMEX New York Mercantile Exchange





















WTI West Texas Intermediate















































SOURCE EOG Resources, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.eogresources.com


ATLANTA, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) today announced that the Equifax Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share, payable on June 15, 2016, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 25, 2016. Equifax has paid cash dividends for more than 100 consecutive years.

About Equifax

Equifax powers the financial future of individuals and organizations around the world. Using the combined strength of unique trusted data, technology and innovative analytics, Equifax has grown from a consumer credit company into a leading provider of insights and knowledge that helps its customers make informed decisions. The company organizes, assimilates and analyzes data on more than 800 million consumers and more than 88 million businesses worldwide, and its databases include employee data contributed from more than 5,000 employers.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs approximately 9,200 employees worldwide.

Some noteworthy achievements for the company include: Ranked 13 on the American Banker FinTech Forward list (2015); named a Top Technology Provider on the FinTech 100 list (2004-2015); named an InformationWeek Elite 100 Winner (2014-2015); named a Top Workplace by Atlanta Journal Constitution (2013-2015); named one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies (2011-2015); named one of Forbes' World's 100 Most Innovative Companies (2015). For more information, visit www.equifax.com.

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SOURCE Equifax Inc.

Related Links

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TORONTO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Franco-Nevada Corporation (TSX: FNV; NYSE: FNV) announced that the nominees listed in the management proxy circular for the 2016 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders were elected as directors of the Corporation. Detailed results of the vote for the election of directors held at the Annual Meeting yesterday in Toronto are set out below.

Nominee Votes For % For Votes Withheld % Withheld Pierre Lassonde 88,428,940 96.59% 3,117,212 3.41% David Harquail 91,486,198 99.93% 59,954 0.07% Tom Albanese 89,926,851 98.23% 1,619,301 1.77% Derek W. Evans 91,477,030 99.92% 69,122 0.08% Graham Farquharson 91,207,472 99.63% 338,680 0.37% Dr. Catharine Farrow 90,193,580 98.52% 1,352,572 1.48% Louis Gignac 91,195,005 99.62% 351,147 0.38% Randall Oliphant 85,871,592 93.80% 5,674,561 6.20% The Hon. David R. Peterson 88,912,446 97.12% 2,633,706 2.88%

Corporate Summary

Franco-Nevada Corporation is the leading gold-focused royalty and stream company with the largest and most diversified portfolio of cash-flow producing assets. Its business model provides investors with gold price and exploration optionality while limiting exposure to many of the risks of operating companies. Franco-Nevada is debt free and uses its free cash flow to expand its portfolio and pay dividends. It trades under the symbol FNV on both the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. Franco-Nevada is the gold investment that works.

SOURCE Franco-Nevada Corporation

Related Links

www.franco-nevada.com


DALLAS, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Freeman, the leading global provider of brand experiences, is proud to announce the recognition of Chief Design Officer Bruce Mau as a winner of the 2016 National Design Awards. The prestigious awards recognize excellence and innovation across a variety of disciplines. Mau was awarded the Design Mind, given in recognition of a visionary who has had a profound impact on design theory, practice or public awareness. The award recipients will be honored at a gala dinner Thursday, Oct. 20, in New York City.

"It's an honor to be recognized by Cooper Hewitt with a National Design Award and be amongst the leaders and visionaries in design," said Bruce Mau. "It's critical that design continues to be a recognized medium, as it has such an impact on our quality of life."

Mau is also the co-founder of the Massive Change Network, which promotes the transformative power of design thinking to generate new ideas and help institutions and businesses innovate. He has worked with leading companies, including projects with Coca-Cola Company, McDonald's, Herman Miller, Walt Disney Imagineering and Freeman; the governments of Denmark, Guatemala, Panama and Saudi Arabia; and the architects Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas and SOM.

"This award recognizes Bruce's incredible contributions to experience design, and we are proud to have Bruce serve as Chief Design Officer for Freeman," said Bob Priest-Heck, Freeman's President and Chief Operating Officer. "He is the leader in design thinking, and his vision has been essential to our ability to support our clients by creating new and innovative ways to grow their business. We're excited to continue transforming the industry and growing the brand experience channel with Bruce as a key part of our leadership team."

The award nomination process begins with an open call for nominations, which are solicited from leading designers, educators, journalists, cultural figures, corporate leaders and design enthusiasts from every state in the nation. Winners are selected by a jury of design leaders and educators, convened by the museum, based on the level of excellence, innovation and public impact of their bodies of work. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum will celebrate outstanding achievement in American design this fall with its 17th annual National Design Awards program.

First launched at the White House in 2000 as a project of the White House Millennium Council, the National Design Awards were established to promote design as a vital humanistic tool in shaping the world. The awards are accompanied each year by National Design Week, which will take place Oct. 1523 and includes a variety of public education programs, panel discussions and workshops.

About Freeman

Recognized by Advertising Age as one of the world's largest brand experience companies, Freeman uses the power of integrated digital and live brand experiences to move markets, connect people, support growth and generate revenues for the world's leading organizations. A design-driven company, Freeman generates insights that define program strategies, target audiences and deliver messages that generate meaningful results. Through its expansive global network of offices, talent and partnerships, Freeman has the reach and access that is unmatched in the industry. A family- and employee-owned company, Freeman is known for its 89-year history of stability, strength and customer service achievements. Freeman is a values-driven company with a strong and purpose-built culture that is dedicated to connecting people in meaningful ways. This is accomplished through a process of continuous innovation and improvement. Freeman produces more than 4,300 expositions annually and 11,000 other events worldwide. Freeman has been awarded six consecutive J.D. Power awards for the excellence of its Customer Call Center. For more information, visit www.freemanco.com

Social Networks:

Web: www.freemanco.com

Blog: www.blog.freemanco.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/freemanco

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freemanfans

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-freeman-company

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FreemancoVideos

SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/freemanco/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freemancompany/

About Bruce Mau

Bruce Mau is a brilliantly creative optimist whose love of thorny problems led him to create a methodology for whole-system transformation. He has been a serial entrepreneur since he was nine. Twenty-five years in the business of design gave Bruce the practical, holistic insights for going into the design of business with his Massive Change Network five years ago. In doing so, he laid the foundation for the new discipline of enterprise design, successfully applying his design thinking methodology to economic, cultural, governmental, environmental and social change.

ABOUT COOPER HEWITT, SMITHSONIAN DESIGN MUSEUM

Founded in 1897, Cooper Hewitt is the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. On Dec. 12, 2014, Cooper Hewitt reopened in the renovated and restored Carnegie Mansion, which offers 60 percent more exhibition space to showcase one of the most diverse and comprehensive collections of design works in existence. The renovation of the Carnegie Mansion and museum campus was recognized with LEED Silver certification. Currently on view are nine exhibitions and installations featuring hundreds of objects throughout four floors of the mansion, including the fifth installment of the museum's contemporary design exhibition series, "BeautyCooper Hewitt Design Triennial," "Thom Browne Selects" and "Pixar: The Design of Story." Visitors can experience a full range of new interactive capabilities, including the opportunity to explore the collection digitally on ultra-high-definition touch-screen tables, draw their own designs in the Immersion Room and address design problems in the Process Lab.

SOURCE Freeman

Related Links

http://www.freemanco.com


The Best Practices Awards are presented each year to companies that are predicted to provide significant growth in their industries, have identified emerging trends, or have created advanced technologies that will catalyze and transform industries in the near future.

Frost & Sullivan industry analysts compare market participants and identify best practice companies by measuring performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and secondary research. The companies demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance are recognized with prestigious Best Practices Awards in a variety of regional and global markets.

The banquet proceedings will kick off during the day with an Executive Growth Workshop exclusively for company leaders seeking to grow their brand and increase demand. The workshop uses a diagnostic and development process to help identify the greatest areas of strength and vulnerability. Later in the evening, recipients will celebrate their success and network with other industry game changers over dinner and a formal presentation of the Awards.

For more information, please email Ana Arriaga at [email protected]. You can connect with Frost & Sullivan on social media for the latest news and updates, and we invite you to join the conversation using #FrostAwards.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants.

Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.

provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation. The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

Contact Us: Start the discussion

Join Us: Join our community

Subscribe: Newsletter on "the next big thing"

Register: Gain access to visionary innovation

Contact:

Ana Arriaga

[email protected]

210.247.3823

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SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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LONDON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This BCC Research report provides an in-depth, state-of-the-industry analysis of the current market on GM foods technologies and forecast the industry's trends and developments through 2020.



REPORT HIGHLIGHTS



The global production of genetically modified field and specialty crops will grow from nearly 108.0 million tons in 2015 to 121.6 million tons by 2020 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.4% for the period of 2015-2020.



This report provides:



- An overview of the global markets for genetically modified foods.

- Discussions of controversies, benefits, risks and consumer perceptions.

- A look at the regulatory framework and its effect on the market.

- Analyses of global market trends, with data for 2014, and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2020.

- Evaluations of market size, plantings and yields, seed prices, and trends and developments for field and specialty crops.

- Examination of key industry strategies and market influences.

- Identification of regional market sizes and trends.

- Analysis of relevant patents.

- Profiles of major players in the industry.



Scope of the report



The scope of the Genetically Modified Foods: Technologies and Global Markets report provides an in-depth coverage of GM crops for human consumption. Excluded from the report are GM crops used for forage, animal feeds, biofuels, industrial applications, pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements. Laboratory-derived GM chemical additives (amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, etc.) are also excluded.



The market research report is organized into the following chapters:



- Chapter One: Introduction

- Chapter Two: Summary

- Chapter Three: Overview

- Chapter Four: GM Field Crops

- Chapter Five: GM Specialty Crops

- Chapter Six: Industry Structure and Competitive Analysis

- Chapter Seven: International Aspects

- Chapter Eight: Patent Analysis

- Chapter Nine: Company Market Shares and Profiles







Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3612041/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


WALTHAM, Mass., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This weekend, four talented math stars from Georgia will face off at the 2016 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition in Washington, D.C.

Holden Watson (grade 7 of Roswell), Lawrence Zhou (grade 7 of Lilburn), Anup Bottu (grade 8 of Cumming), and Johnny Fang (grade 8 of Johns Creek) will vie for the titles of National Champion and First Place Team in the nail-biting, game-show style competition, which empowers bright, hardworking middle school students to reach their full potential in mathematics.

The final 224 competitors who compete in the Washington, D.C., finale will represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and schools from the Departments of Defense and State. They overcame heart-pounding competitions involving some 100,000 students from more than 5,000 schools at local and state levels. Raytheon Company is a title sponsor of the 2016 MATHCOUNTS National Competition.

"The Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition creates an environment where students like Holden, Lawrence, Anup and Johnny who have a passion for math and for STEM activities can excel and display that passion," said Lou DiGioia, executive director of MATHCOUNTS. "Our nation has a critical skills shortage in STEM fields and our partnership with Raytheon helps us provide engaging and enriching math programs to U.S. middle school students, expanding their future opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics."

In addition to bragging rights, the winners will win substantial prizes: The individual Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition Champion will receive the $20,000 Donald G. Weinert College Scholarship, along with a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. The runner-up, as well as members of the winning team, will also receive college scholarships.

About MATHCOUNTS Foundation

MATHCOUNTS is a nonprofit organization that strives to engage middle school students of all ability and interest levels in fun, challenging math programs, in order to expand their academic and professional opportunities. Middle school students exist at a critical juncture in which their love for mathematics must be nurtured, or their fear of mathematics must be overcome. For more than 30 years, MATHCOUNTS has provided free, high-quality resources to educators and enriching, extracurricular opportunities to students to lay a foundation for future success. Materials and information are available at www.mathcounts.org.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2015 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 94 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. Visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

Media Contacts

MATHCOUNTS

Amanda Naar

[email protected]

+1 703-299-9006

Raytheon Company

Allison Jeannotte

+1 781-522-5145

[email protected]

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SOURCE Raytheon Company

Related Links

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JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New Jersey City University (NJCU) now offers the NJCU Debt-Free Promise Program designed to make college education accessible and affordable for New Jersey residents who are pursuing their first undergraduate degree as incoming full-time freshman students.

The goal of the program is to eliminate the need for students to take out loans to cover the cost of tuition and fees. Starting in fall 2016, all New Jersey residents who are admitted to NJCU from high school and attend full-time, with a family household income of $60,000 or less, will be offered a scholarship in lieu of having to take out a loan (after federal and state financial aid is awarded).

In announcing the program, NJCU President Sue Henderson said, "NJCU is proud to offer this debt-free program to New Jersey families that are in most need of this opportunity. Affordability is a major concern that we take very seriously. In fact, in 2015, Washington Monthly named NJCU second among colleges in New Jersey serving students in need."

NJCU students already graduate with the lowest rate of indebtedness (tuition and fees) of any other public college in New Jersey. The NJCU Debt-Free Promise Program seeks to ensure that every student graduates with a clean financial slate by eliminating the need to take on unnecessary debt so that they can begin their professional careers unencumbered by financial burdens.

To apply for the NJCU Debt-Free Promise Program, students must be admitted to NJCU and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by July 1. Students remain qualified for the program each year, if they submit a FAFSA, are in good academic standing, and register for 15 credits each semester.

For additional information, contact the NJCU Admissions Office: 1-888-441-NJCU or visit http://www.gonjcu.org/nodebt/ or learn more about NJCU at http://www.njcu.edu/about.

SOURCE New Jersey City University

Related Links

http://www.njcu.edu


SEATTLE, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Glass Distillery, an artisan vodka distillery, is very pleased to announce the addition of Melaina Moustakis as Head Distiller.

In her new position, Melaina reports to founder and CEO Ian MacNeil and oversees the production of all of the ultra-premium vodkas - Glass Vodka, Glass Kona, Glass Nectar, Glass Spice, and Gridiron Vodka - in the Glass portfolio. In addition, she will also lead the team to develop new products for the premier brand.

From day one, Melaina hit the ground running on so many levels. From creating a Glass Vodka Special Edition Distiller's Cut Glass Vodka that will be released this spring, to winning a number of awards including the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Silver and Bronze Award for Glass Vodka products to the prestigious Individual Award for US Distilled from Grape Vodka of the Year Award from the Berlin International Spirits competition.

Melaina comes to Glass Distillery from E&J Gallo Winery where she learned her craft from the ground up and honed her skills. She oversaw the production of New Amsterdam Vodka and all of the flavored Gallo brandies. By incorporating the latest blending techniques using optimization concepts, Melaina launched and delivered to market product of the highest quality. Her degree in Enology came from California State University, Fresno, which is known worldwide for its excellent academic and research programs with a hands on approach to learning.

"The addition of Melaina is an exciting step forward for Glass," says Ian MacNeil. "We are so pleased to have someone of her caliber join us as we grow and expand our family of spirits. Her exceptional palate coupled with her diligence and expertise will drive us to continue to produce the most exceptional vodka in the market."

"I am thrilled to be joining Glass Distillery," says Melaina. "I look forward to combining my passion for developing great products with Ian's vision of producing distinct and inspired, Connoisseur-Class vodka. To join this team and be instrumental in the growth of this very unique brand is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

In addition to bringing on Melaina as the new head distiller, Glass Vodka is expanding their brand on a number of levels. With an extremely loyal and passionate core following plus being distributed in 10 states and in select cities in Mexico, Glass is poised to expand their reach considerably in 2016. New brand associates in all 10 markets are being secured and a plan for expansion into more states is the strategy for 2016.

About Glass Distillery

Glass Distillery, founded in 2011, is an artisan distillery based in Seattle, Washington dedicated to producing Connoisseur-Class vodkas using only the finest in Washington wine grapes. The distillery's premier spirit offering is Glass Vodka, an elegantly crafted vodka made from wine grapes, gives this classic spirit a modern and personal distinction. These artisanal spirits are produced using a hand-made copper kettle and two double column stills imported from Germany. Glass Vodka, is 80 proof/40% ABV, and can be purchased at the distillery, in many retail outlets throughout the USA and found behind the bar at many of the finest cocktail establishments.

For More Information:

http://glassdistillery.com

https://www.facebook.com/GlassDistillery/

Media Contact:

Mary Bacarella

Silver Scout Partners

206-355-9607

[email protected]

PRLog ID: www.prlog.org/12555658

SOURCE Glass Distillery

Related Links

http://glassdistillery.com


Despite the availability of effective therapies, glaucoma remains a leading cause of blindness. Nearly 3 million people in the United States have the condition. It is often marked by elevated internal eye pressure, called intraocular pressure. Medicated eye drops taken daily or twice daily can lower internal eye pressure to help prevent damage to the optic nerve. But studies show that many patients do not take glaucoma eye drops as directed due to factors such as forgetfulness or physical limitations like arthritis. 1 Some studies show that half of patients stop taking their prescription glaucoma eye drops after a year, leaving them vulnerable to vision loss. 2

Researchers are tackling this challenge of medication adherence with new drug delivery methods. One technology involves a thin silicone ring suffused with medication that slowly releases over time. An ophthalmologist fits the patient with the ring. No surgery is required. The ring is designed to be replaced by an ophthalmologist every six months. This eliminates the need for glaucoma patients to regularly put in medicated eye drops themselves.

Ophthalmologists at 10 sites nationwide tested the ring in a phase 2 clinical trial on patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. In the study, 64 patients received the topical ocular insert containing the glaucoma drug bimatoprost. They were also supplied artificial tears. The control group of 66 patients wore an insert treated with no drug but twice a day used 0.5 percent timolol drops, the regulatory benchmark for glaucoma drugs. Eye pressure in the bimatoprost group fell 3.2 to 6.4 mmHg over six months, in comparison to 4.2 to 6.4 mmHG for the timolol group. Overall, eye pressure decreased in the group wearing the bimatoprost ring by about 20 percent from the initial measurements over six months.

Authors said the device was well-tolerated and safe, with a high retention rate of 89 percent for both groups at six months. The ring became dislodged in 15 patients but was replaced each time, allowing therapy to continue. Some patients experienced itchiness and eye redness, which is not unusual for patients taking glaucoma medication.

"In making effective treatments easier for patients, the hope is that we can reduce vision loss from glaucoma, and possibly other diseases," said study author James D. Brandt, M.D., director of the UC Davis Medical Center Glaucoma Service. "What is exciting is that this is just one of several sustained-release drug delivery methods designed to help patients who have trouble taking daily eye drops."

A phase 3 study of a larger group of patients is expected to begin later in 2016. The authors noted the device could also be used for non-glaucoma medications, with potential applications for dry eye, allergies and inflammation. In addition, the non-invasive nature of the device and its relatively large surface area make this technology a potential candidate for delivering multiple ocular drugs at once, further reducing the burden of self-administration on patients.

"Six-month IOP Reduction with a Topical Bimatoprost Ocular Insert: Results of a Phase 2 Randomized Controlled Study," Brandt, et al. Ophthalmology, article in press, May 2016. DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.04.026. The results are also being presented today at the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit in New Orleans. The authors receive financial support from ForSight VISION5, manufacturer of the bimatoprost ring.

For more information on glaucoma, visit the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeSmart public information website, www.aao.org/eye-health.

About the American Academy of Ophthalmology

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's largest membership association of eye physicians and surgeons. A global community of 32,000 ophthalmologists, we are passionate about protecting sight and fighting preventable blindness. For more than 120 years, we have been educators, innovators and advocates for the public and our profession to ensure the highest-quality medical and surgical eye care. Our EyeSmart program is a preeminent source of eye health information for the public and empowers people to preserve their vision. For more information, visit www.aao.org.

About Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology, the official journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, publishes original, peer-reviewed, clinically-applicable research. Topics include the results of clinical trials, new diagnostic and surgical techniques, treatment methods, technology assessments, translational science reviews and editorials. For more information, visit www.aaojournal.org.

1 Patterns of Glaucoma Medication Adherence over Four Years of Follow-Up, Newman-Casey, et al. Ophthalmology, 2015.

2 Adherence and persistence with glaucoma therapy, Schwartz, et al, Survey of Ophthalmology, Nov. 2008

Video - http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/AAO-Bimatoprost-Ocular-Insert-Demo.mp4

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SOURCE American Academy of Ophthalmology

Related Links

http://www.aao.org


"Preventable healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) continue to burden hospitals worldwide, which is why we have added a customized multimodal approach to maximize hospital compliance in hand hygiene," said Dr. Klaus Ruhnau, senior vice president, disinfection at HARTMANN GROUP and managing director of Bode GmbH. "We are now going further to partner with hospital management and healthcare professionals for effective hygiene system solutions and better outcomes for patients."

It is assumed that up to 90 percent of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)[1] are transmitted via the hands. Improving compliance in hand disinfection can reduce HAIs by 40 percent[2].

The Evolution concept aims to help prevent HAIs by connecting HARTMANN hygiene and disinfection consultants with hospital management to assess their current compliance status and identify opportunities to improve hygiene performance.

HARTMANN's six-step concept consists of the following content modules to help hospitals improve hand hygiene compliance:

Value of alcohol-based disinfection (i.e. hand washing vs. rubbing);

Proper dispenser placement;

Training on the right rub-in technique

Interactive e-learning tools on the five moments for hand hygiene; and

Two apps for monitoring and process optimization

Clinics can now request information to participate in Evolution here.

"Around the world, the latest findings on hygiene practices and infection prevention call for a closer look at hand-hygiene procedures," said Dr. Henning Mallwitz, director of research and development at Bode GmbH. "We see an opportunity to apply our experience to help health care centers improve their processes and systems."

The World Health Organization, the latest study from the Journal of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, and the BODE Science Center (HARTMANN's competence center for infection protection) all suggest that a multimodal hand-hygiene process, with an emphasis on an alcohol-based solution, is more effective at killing germs.

In collaboration with BODE Science Center, the Evolution concept was initially presented at the German Society for Hospital Hygiene (DGKH) annual conference in Berlin in April, where it was well received by the attendees as an efficient solution to improve hand hygiene compliance rates.

Press contact:

Jeremy Whittaker

PAUL HARTMANN AG

Tel.: +49 7321 36 1313

E-mail: [email protected]

About the HARTMANN GROUP

The HARTMANN GROUP is one of the leading providers of medical and hygiene products, with its core expertise being in wound treatment, incontinence care, infection prevention, surgical supplies and personal healthcare. With its headquarters in Heidenheim, Germany and group companies worldwide, the company is in close touch with the global market. The HARTMANN GROUP achieved sales revenues of some EUR 1.941 billion in 2015, with a workforce of just over 10,300 employees.



PAUL HARTMANN AG, which is based in Heidenheim, Germany, forms the heart of the corporate group. It is one of Germany's oldest industrial companies, having been originally founded as a textile factory by Ludwig von Hartmann in 1818. In 1873, the latter's son Paul Hartmann, began production of absorbent cotton wool and later the company evolved into the flagship of an expanding dressing materials industry worldwide. The HARTMANN GROUP encompasses not only numerous sales companies abroad but also, among others, BODE Chemie (Hamburg), Karl Otto Braun (Wolfstein), Sanimed (Ibbenburen) and Kneipp (Wurzburg).

For the latest healthcare industry insights from HARTMANN leadership and more, visit New Perspectives or follow @HARTMANN_GROUP on Twitter. To learn more about the HARTMANN GROUP, visit: https://hartmann.info/.



[1] Kramer A.(2006) Hand hygiene - patient and staff protection. GMS Krankenhaushyg Interdiszip 1(1):Doc14

[2] Kampf et al. (2009). Hand Hygiene for the Prevention of Nosocomial Infections. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 106(40):649-55

Video - http://youtu.be/DGtjkmRvjN0

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363854

SOURCE PAUL HARTMANN AG

Related Links

https://hartmann.info


Global SuperTanker Services, LLC's Spirit of John Muir dazzled nearly 300 guests with a low fly by, at just 400 feet, and a demonstration drop of nearly 10,000 gallons of water. The converted 747-400, a Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT), will be soon be available to the hardworking men and women of the U.S. Forest Service and emergency responders across the country as they continue to fight the ever-growing threat of wildfires.

Following the drop, John Hickenlooper, Governor of Colorado; Doug Lamborn, U.S. Representative for Colorado's 5th Congressional District; and John Suthers, Mayor of Colorado Springs, addressed a crowd of aviation, firefighting, and U.S. Forest Service leaders. Global SuperTanker executives, including CEO Jim Wheeler, also spoke, as did Harry Toll of Alterna Capital LLC, Global SuperTanker's shareholder.

Marking the occasion, Governor John Hickenlooper stated, "The Spirit of John Muir is an important new asset supporting the men and women engaged in the herculean task of firefighting. We are pleased it is based here in Colorado. It represents a significant opportunity and will be an unparalleled asset in combatting fire around the world."

2015 was one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in American history, with more than 10 million acres of land burned and billions of dollars of damage inflicted on homes and property. The U.S. Forest Service has warned that this record may not stand for long: fire seasons are starting earlier and burning longer every year. Already in 2016, millions of lives and livelihoods have been threatened by serious fires in Virginia, Oklahoma, and Kansas: elsewhere in North America, wildfire rages in Alberta.

The Spirit of John Muir is the world's youngest VLAT, and has almost twice the capacity of the next biggest aerial tanker. The John Muir is capable of delivering single or multiple drops of nearly 20,000 gallons of water or fire retardant, either of which can be released at variable rates, producing a tailored response to the firefighting need.

Congressman Lamborn said, "Thank you to President Jim Wheeler and the entire team for your willingness to step forward and provide this fantastic aircraft that will help protect lives and property all over the world."

"The Spirit of John Muir differs from other firefighting planes not just because it is capable of variable rate drops," said Jim Wheeler, President and CEO of Global SuperTanker, "as the world's largest aerial firefighting asset, the John Muir can fly 600 miles per hour for long ranges at efficient altitudes, reaching and combatting any fire in the Western U.S. in less than three hours."

"The converted 747 can stand ready on the ramp at its home-base, Colorado Springs, fully loaded and able to respond on very short notice," continued Wheeler.

Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers commented at the launch, "We are honored to serve as the home for this firefighting resource, and are appreciative that the John Muir has chosen Colorado Springs Airport as its home. Having witnessed several devastating wildfire events in and around our city, I know I speak for the residents, our fire department, and people across the region when I say, we are very glad to have this resource headquartered here. Further, the arrival of this global supertanker is yet another nod to our growing airport operations."

The Spirit of John Muir's firefighting scope isn't limited to the U.S.: from Colorado Springs, the plane can fly anywhere in the world in under 20 hours. "Longer and more destructive fire seasons are a global problem, and Global SuperTanker can deliver a global, rapid solution," CEO of Global Super Tankers Jim Wheeler noted.

Wheeler, an experienced leader in the logistics and transportation fields, heads a respected and experienced team: Global SuperTanker's management brings together a combined 259 years of aviation and related wildfire fighting experience.

"The proven technology behind the Spirit of John Muir could not have been implemented without the immensely talented team at Global SuperTanker, as well as the support of the state of Colorado and city of Colorado Springs," said Harry Toll, Managing Partner of Alterna Capital Partners LLC, whose portfolio company, Cyterna Air, LLC, owns Global SuperTanker.

"Fighting wildfires has many similarities to a military operation. The frontline ground teams and smokejumpers, incident management, support teams and equipment, and range of air assets, including different types and sizes of helicopter and fixed wing aircraft, all work together to fight as a team, protecting people, forests, and property. We are proud to be able to add a more powerful tool to support them when needed," continued Toll.

Attachment: Video footage of the Spirit of John Muir performing a fly by and water drop.

For more information about the launch of the Spirit of John Muir in Colorado Springs on May 5th and/or about Global SuperTanker Services, LLC, please contact Moira Whalen. [email protected] (203.299.7696)

Video - http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/Global-SuperTanker-Spirit-of-John-Muir.mp4

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160427/360845LOGO

SOURCE Global SuperTanker Services, LLC
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE: GDDY), the world's largest technology provider dedicated to small businesses, is pledging to hire 500 military veterans or spouses over the next five years. The commitment was made public today in the nation's capital by First Lady Michelle Obama as part of the Joining Forces initiative she launched with Dr. Jill Biden five years ago.

GoDaddy, founded by decorated Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps Bob Parsons, has long committed to supporting and hiring military veterans. In addition to putting veterans to work since it was founded in 1997, GoDaddy has donated more than $1.4 million dollars to the Semper Fi Fund over the years, which helps injured service men and women, and their families, from all branches of service. GoDaddy employees have also established an internal GoDaddy Veteran organization known as "GDVets," which offers a variety of support resources, guest speakers and other events.

GoDaddy is one of the 52 companies honored for their enduring commitment to support veterans and military spouses through economic opportunities at a special ceremony today at the White House. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched the Joining Forces initiative in 2011, calling on Americans to rally around service members, veterans and their families to support them through wellness, education and employment opportunities. The project works with the public and private sectors to ensure that service members, veterans and their families have the tools they need to succeed throughout their lives.

At this morning's ceremony, First Lady Michelle Obama thanked military members and their spouses in the audience for their service and also praised representatives from more than 50 companies committed to hiring and training veterans. "You know our veterans and military spouses are some of the most dedicated, skilled, talented people in this country. I am thrilled you all have pledged to hire more than 110,000 of them," she said. "If anyone can make it happen, it's all of you. You are all some of the most innovative, successful businesses in the history of this country."

Mrs. Obama pointed out that since Joining Forces was founded five years ago, companies have hired or trained more than 1.2 million veterans and military spouses. During that same period, the unemployment rate for veterans was cut in half.

"Hiring and supporting the brave men and women who serve our country is part of our GoDaddy DNA," said GoDaddy Chief People Officer Auguste Goldman. "We proudly hire and support our veterans, and their families, who are mission-focused, service-minded and committed, which are all qualities that work well in our culture. In fact, it is our hope to exceed our 'Joining Forces' pledge to hire 100 vets every year for the next five years."

Earlier this year, GoDaddy was recognized as one of the FORTUNE magazine's top 100 "Best Companies to Work For." Employment opportunities range from technical, to consultative customer support, to legal, accounting, marketing, and more.

GoDaddy is now serving 53 markets, in 26 languages and 44 currencies. GoDaddy employs approximately 5,000 people and is headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., with facilities across 15 other locations, including Washington State, Massachusetts, Iowa and California in the U.S., as well as Asia, Brazil, India, Canada, Mexico, U.K., Australia and The Netherlands, internationally.

To find out about career opportunities, visit www.GoDaddy.com/Careers.

To find out more about Joining Forces, visit www.JoiningForces.gov.

Connect with GoDaddy on Facebook,Twitter & LinkedIn

About GoDaddy

GoDaddy's mission is to radically shift the global economy toward small businesses by empowering people to easily start, confidently grow and successfully run their own ventures. With more than 14 million customers worldwide and more than 62 million domain names under management, GoDaddy gives small business owners the tools to name their idea, build a beautiful online presence, attract customers and manage their business. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.

 2016 GoDaddy Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150330/195302LOGO

SOURCE GoDaddy Inc.

Related Links

http://www.godaddy.com


GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Programme follows successful trial of Oxitec's mosquito in Cayman Islands that reduced Aedes aegypti by 96%

Front row: (l-r) MRCU Director Dr. Bill Petrie; Ministerial Councillor for Health, Councillor Roy McTaggart; Ministry of Health's Chief Officer, Jennifer Ahearn; and Oxitec's Project Manager Dr. Renaud Lacroix sign agreement. Back row: (l-r) MRCU Research Manager, Fraser Allen; Ministry of Health's Senior Policy Advisor, Janett Flynn; Ministry of Health's Deputy Chief Officer, Nancy Barnard; MRCU Assistant Director, Dr. Alan Wheeler; Acting Policy Advisor (Environmental Health), Natasha Powell. (PRNewsFoto/Oxitec Ltd) Front row: (l-r) MRCU Director, Dr. Bill Petrie; Ministerial Councillor for Health, Councillor Roy McTaggart; Ministry of Health's Chief Officer, Jennifer Ahearn; and Oxitec's Project Manager, Dr. Renaud Lacroix. Back row: (l-r) MRCU Research Manager, Fraser Allen; Ministry of Health's Deputy Chief Officer, Nancy Barnard; Acting Policy Advisor (Environmental Health), Natasha Powell; Ministry of Health's Senior Policy Advisor, Janett Flynn and MRCU Assistant Director, Dr. Alan Wheeler. (PRNewsFoto/Oxitec Ltd) OXITEC Logo (PRNewsFoto/Oxitec)

Oxitec and the Cayman Islands Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) announced a new plan to fight wild Aedes aegypti, the dangerous mosquito that spreads dengue, Zika and chikungunya, to prevent the threat of these diseases on the island of Grand Cayman. MRCU, a global leader in mosquito control, is planning a multi-phase roll out of Oxitec's solution to help reclaim the island from this disease-carrying pest. In March, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended pilot deployment of Oxitec's solution to respond to the Zika crisis and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on Oxitec's solution for an investigational trial in the Florida Keys.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150630/227348 )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364091LOGO )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364092 )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364093 )





Dr. Bill Petrie, Director of MRCU said, "We have wanted to remove this invasive pest for a long time, but this has proven very difficult using currently available tools on an island the size of Grand Cayman, so we have been looking for new approaches. The decision to deploy the Oxitec solution comes after the success of a peer-reviewed trial. We believe this environmentally friendly tool can greatly reduce the population of Aedes aegypti and has the potential to eliminate it from Grand Cayman."

MRCU performed the world's first suppression trial with Oxitec's OX513A self-limiting mosquito - a genetically engineered non-biting male that mates with disease-transmitting wild Aedes aegypti females - which successfully reduced the target mosquito population by 96%. The Sister Islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are not threatened by the diseases as their populations of Aedes aegypti remain below transmission threshold; the aim is to achieve the same for Grand Cayman.

Chief Officer in the Cayman Islands Ministry of Health, Jennifer Ahearn, Ministerial Councillor for Health, Councillor Roy McTaggart, Dr. Petrie and Oxitec's Dr. Renaud Lacroix, on Monday (18 April) finalised the partnership by signing the agreement between MRCU and Oxitec to reduce the numbers of Aedes aegypti in the Cayman Islands.

"Oxitec is very proud of our continuing partnership with MRCU. We have benefited greatly from their expertise both for the original suppression trial and in the process of preparing for the current project," said Glen Slade, Head of Business Development at Oxitec. "The first trial proved that this approach works, and now we have the opportunity to help protect more people from this mosquito."

Ms. Ahearn, who is responsible for the health policy, said "During the time that we have been planning this project it has unfortunately become all the more urgent, with first chikungunya and now Zika threatening Cayman, the Caribbean and the Americas. Fighting the Aedes aegypti vector and potentially eliminating it from the Cayman Islands, is the surest way to protect our residents and tourists from the dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses."

The first phase of the project will include a series of activities to inform the community about the programme. Over two months, Oxitec and MRCU employees will provide information to local residents about the programme, how the solution works and why it is effective. "Before we release our mosquitoes, which we refer to as 'Friendly Aedes aegypti', it is important to explain that the males do not bite, do not transmit diseases and do not persist in the environment," said Dr. Renaud Lacroix, the project manager. "Our scientists and staff are delighted to talk about this programme, and will be available to answer questions."

The next phase will be deployment of Oxitec's solution initially to treat an area with about 1,800 residents in West Bay, Grand Cayman and an equivalent area without Oxitec treatment will be used for comparison. Then, subject to appropriate approvals and funding, the goal of the programme is to expand from the northwest end of Grand Cayman, where West Bay is located, across the remainder of the island to reduce the population of dangerous Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and help eliminate the diseases they carry for residents and tourists alike.

Describing the Oxitec mosquito release process, Dr. Alan Wheeler, Assistant Director of the MRCU, says, "It is one of those times where you are very grateful to see a mosquito, because you know it's going to do its job, and there will be fewer mosquitoes around to bite and transmit disease once it's done."

Activities to be conducted by MRCU and Oxitec this week:

Thursday 5 th to Saturday 7 th May, 2016: Information booth at the West bay dock.

to Saturday 7 May, 2016: Information booth at the West bay dock. Saturday 7 th May, 2016: Information Desk at a West Bay location to be announced.

May, 2016: Information Desk at a West Bay location to be announced. Thursday 5th to Saturday 7th May 2016 : House visits in the treatment area.

A town hall meeting will be planned at the John A. Cumber Primary School within the coming weeks.

Diseases spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito

Dengue Fever infects an estimated 400 million people globally every year with about half of the world's population at risk.

Chikungunya swept into Central America and the Caribbean in 2014 with an epidemic spiking to over a million cases within only a year.

and the in 2014 with an epidemic spiking to over a million cases within only a year. Zika virus is rapidly spreading into new countries and has caused a state of emergency in Brazil where it has been linked to a sudden increase in birth defects (microcephaly) and nervous system disorders (Guillain-Barre syndrome).

where it has been linked to a sudden increase in birth defects (microcephaly) and nervous system disorders (Guillain-Barre syndrome). Yellow Fever remains a major health threat. Globally, there are an estimated 200,000 cases of yellow fever, causing 30,000 deaths each year, with 90% cases occurring in Africa .

About Oxitec

Oxitec is a pioneer in using genetic engineering to control insect pests that spread disease and damage crops, and was founded in 2002 as a spinout from Oxford University (UK). Oxitec is a subsidiary of Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON), which engineers biology to help solve some of the world's biggest problems.

Press contact:

Oxitec:

Matt Warren

[email protected]

+44-(0)1235-832393

Site: http://www.oxitec.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/oxitec

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/oxitec



MRCU:

Dr. Bill Petrie

MRCU Director

+1-345-949-2557

Site: http://www.mrcu.ky

SOURCE Oxitec Ltd
LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 14, 2016, Granite America will host a grand opening event at their new location. Louisville's Mayor Greg Fischer will be present to perform the official ribbon cutting. The event showcases Granite America's state-of-the-art digital fabrication techniques such as robotic cutting and CNC waterjet technology, the first of its kind in the region. Granite America directly imports granite from around the world.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364063

Granite America Hosts Grand Opening Featuring First Stone Fabrication Robotic CNC Machine in Louisville, KY

"I love natural stone. It is amazing that Mother Nature can create such beautiful masterpieces," says Deepa Kamat, president of Granite America. "Importing from multiple countries allows us to offer several exotic stones that are not easily found, and gives us a wonderful advantage providing our customers with a wide selection of truly inspirational colors sent directly from the quarry."

The companywhich is a one-stop-shop for new countertops by offering templating, fabrication, and installation in residential or commercial applicationshas been in Louisville for more than 15 years. The new 20,000-square-foot building is perfectly suited for continuing to develop innovative product lines. The technology is fully digitalized and automated.

"Having a robot allows a significant increase in production, while enhancing both precision and the overall product quality," says Kartik Kamat, vice-president of Operations. "The machines will provide a faster turnaround time for Granite America customers. The company's new facility will also bring many jobs to the area."

The new facility is a long-time dream for siblings Deepa Kamat and Kartik Kamat, who together run the company. They grew up wanting a high-tech fabrication facility and they are excited to celebrate their dream coming to fruition.

About Granite America

With a reputation for providing great customer service, Granite America carries thousands of slabs of natural and engineered stone on site. Customers are even able to hand select the slabs for their project. Because they are importing from places such as Brazil, Italy, India, and Norway without any middlemen, their prices are unmatched. Granite America presently has four locations: Louisville, Lexington, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati. Moreover, Granite America just starting franchising and are now offering franchise opportunities nationwide. To learn more about Granite America and franchise opportunities visit www.graniteamericausa.com.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Granite America

Related Links

http://graniteamericausa.com


TSX: GPR

NYSE MKT: GPL

VANCOUVER, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED (TSX: GPR; NYSE MKT: GPL) ("Great Panther"; the "Company") today reported financial results for the Company's three months ended March 31, 2016. The full version of the Company's unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements, and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") can be viewed on the Company's website at www.greatpanther.com, or SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All financial information is prepared in accordance with IFRS and all dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

"Great Panther continued to deliver strong performance from its operations in the first quarter, including continued reductions in cash costs and all-in sustaining costs, while staying on track with our full year operating guidance," stated Robert Archer, President and CEO. "Our mine operating earnings before non-cash items increased 16% over the first quarter of the prior year due to significantly lower cash costs and favourable foreign exchange rates. Consolidated cash cost for the Company continued the declining trend of last year to reach US$4.20 per payable silver ounce, an impressive reduction of 52% from the first quarter in 2015."

For the first quarter of 2016, the Company reduced all-in sustaining costs per payable silver ounce ("AISC") by 36% to US$9.25, which contributed to strong operating earnings and free cash-flow margins from the Company's operating mines. While lower cash cost per payable silver ounce ("cash cost") was the primary factor in the reduction in AISC, lower than normal development and sustaining capital expenditures relating to the Company's operating mines also contributed to the decline in AISC. These factors were mainly due to the timing of expenditures and AISC is expected to trend towards the Company's guidance range during the remainder of the year. Despite the significant reductions in cash cost and AISC, and strong mine operating earnings, the Company reported a net loss of $4.5 million for the first quarter of 2016, mainly due to unrealized (non-cash) foreign exchange losses of $6.4 million on inter-company loans and advances to the Company's subsidiaries which are marked to market exchange rates in the accounts of the subsidiaries at the end of each period. In addition, a $1.5 million increase in exploration, evaluation and development ("EE&D") expenditures over the first quarter of 2015 contributed to the net loss. The increase in EE&D expenditures is primarily associated with the Coricancha and GDLR projects for which the Company entered into or signed option agreements in the second quarter of 2015. The Company terminated its work and the option on the GDLR Project in the first quarter of 2016.

Highlights of the first quarter 2016 compared to first quarter 2015, unless otherwise noted:

Metal production increased 2% to 1,009,828 Ag eq oz;

Silver production of 539,472 ounces, a decrease of 10%;

Gold production increased 19% to 5,599 gold ounces;

Cash cost decreased 52% to US$4.20 per ounce;

per ounce; AISC decreased 36% to US$9.25 per payable silver ounce;

per payable silver ounce; Revenues decreased 9% to $18.5 million ;

; Mine operating earnings before non-cash items increased to $7.7 million compared to $6.7 million ;

compared to ; Adjusted EBITDA increased to $3.7 million compared to $3.6 million ;

compared to ; Net loss totalled $4.5 million , compared to a net income of $3.6 million ;

, compared to a net income of ; Cash flow from operating activities, before changes in non-cash net working capital, amounted to $4.0 million , compared to $4.8 million ;

, compared to ; Cash and cash equivalents were $17.0 million at March 31, 2015 compared to $17.9 million at December 31, 2015 ; and

at compared to at ; and Net working capital increased to $35.5 million at March 31, 2015 from $33.2 million at December 31 , 2015.

OPERATING AND FINANCIAL RESULTS SUMMARY













(CAD 000s, unless otherwise noted) Q1 2016 Q1 2015 Change Q4 2015 Change OPERATING









Tonnes milled (excluding custom milling) 88,683 99,252 -11% 94,874 -7% Silver equivalent ounces ("Ag eq oz") produced1 1,009,828 987,887 2% 1,002,584 1% Silver ounce production 539,472 597,111 -10% 553,189 -2% Gold ounce production 5,599 4,703 19% 5,637 -1% Payable silver ounces 478,098 622,339 -23% 502,170 -5% Cost per tonne milled (USD)2 $ 95 $ 102 -7% $ 97 -2% Cash cost (USD)2 $ 4.20 $ 8.71 -52% $ 8.14 -48% AISC (USD)2 $ 9.25 $ 14.47 -36% $ 15.10 -39% FINANCIAL















Revenue $ 18,454 $ 20,250 -9% $ 17,152 8% Mine operating earnings before non-cash items2 $ 7,746 $ 6,652 16% $ 4,907 58% Mine operating earnings $ 6,147 $ 524 1,073% $ 3,226 91% Net (loss) income $ (4,461) $ 3,588 -224% $ (4,860) 8% Adjusted EBITDA2 $ 3,733 $ 3,688 1% $ (557) -770% Operating cash flows before changes in non-cash net working capital $ 4,001 $ 4,827 -17% $ (775) -616% Cash at end of period $ 16,981 $ 18,694 -9% $ 17,860 -5% Net working capital at end of period $ 35,532 $ 36,904 -4% $ 33,252 7% Average realized silver price (USD)3 $ 16.19 $ 16.99 -5% $ 13.57 19% PER SHARE AMOUNTS















Earnings (loss) per share  basic and diluted $ (0.03) $ 0.03 -200% $ (0.03) 0%

_________________________________

1 Silver equivalent ounces are referred to throughout this document. For 2016, Aq eq oz are calculated using a 70:1 Ag:Au ratio and ratios of 1:0.0504 and 1:0.0504 for the price / ounce of silver to lead and zinc price/pound, respectively, and applied to the relevant metal content of the concentrates produced, expected to be produced, or sold from operations. Comparatively, in 2015 Aq eq oz were calculated using a 65:1 Ag:Au ratio, and ratios of 1:0.050 and 1:0.056 for the price/ounce of silver to lead and zinc price/pound, respectively, and applied to the relevant metal content of the concentrates produced, expected to be produced, or sold from operations. 2 The Company has included the non-IFRS performance measures cost per tonne milled, cash cost, AISC, mine operating earnings before non-cash items, cost of sales before non-cash items and adjusted EBITDA throughout this document. Refer to the Non-IFRS Measures section of this MD&A for an explanation of these measures and reconciliation to the Company's reported financial results in accordance with IFRS. As these are not standardized measures, they may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures used by others. 3 Average realized silver price is prior to smelting and refining charges.

REVIEW OF FINANCIAL RESULTS

The $1.8 million or 9% decrease in revenue during the first quarter of 2016 relative to the first quarter of 2015 was primarily attributable to the 16% reduction in metal sales volumes, which was due to the timing of concentrate shipments. The effect of the lower metal sales volumes was an estimated $4.3 million reduction in revenue and was partly offset by an estimated positive $2.0 million impact from the stronger US dollar/Canadian dollar ("USD"/"CAD") exchange rate in the first quarter of 2016, as well as the impact of a 13% increase in average realized gold prices (as expressed in USD), which accounted for an approximate $0.2 million positive impact on revenue. Due to the lower metal sales volumes, smelting and refining charges were also $0.2 million lower than during the first quarter of 2015, which had a positive impact on revenue.

Mine operating earnings before non-cash items for the first quarter of 2016 were $7.7 million, an increase of $1.1 million compared to the first quarter of 2015. This was predominantly the result of the impact of favourable exchange rates. The stronger USD relative to the CAD during the first quarter of 2016 had the effect of increasing revenue in CAD terms. Conversely, the CAD strengthened 9% against the Mexican peso ("MXN"), which had the impact of reducing MXN production costs in CAD terms. In addition, the Company's mine operating earnings benefitted from the increase in average realized gold prices relative to the first quarter of 2015, as well as from the decrease in smelting and refining charges. These factors were offset by the impact of the lower metal sales volumes, which was due to the timing of shipments.

Exploration, evaluation and development ("EE&D") expenses were $2.5 million for the first quarter of 2016, an increase of $1.5 million compared to the same period in 2015. This was primarily a result of exploration and evaluation programs related to the Coricancha and the GDLR projects, which commenced after the Company entered into option agreements for these projects in the second quarter of 2015, and continued into the first quarter of 2016.

Finance and other expense increased significantly due to a $6.1 million net foreign exchange loss recognized in the first quarter of 2016, compared to a $6.0 million foreign exchange gain recorded during the same period in 2015. The net foreign exchange loss for the first quarter of 2016 includes $6.9 million in foreign exchange losses, $6.4 million of which relates to intercompany balances, partly offset by a fair value gain of $0.7 million recorded on the outstanding foreign currency forward contracts as at March 31, 2016.

The net loss of $4.5 million for the first quarter of 2016 is primarily attributable to a $6.1 million net foreign exchange loss incurred in the period. This compares to a $6.0 million foreign exchange gain incurred in the first quarter of 2015. In addition, the $1.5 million increase in EE&D expenses and a $0.3 million increase in income tax expense contributed to the net loss in the first quarter of 2016. These factors were partly offset by a $5.6 million increase in mine operating earnings, as well as the $0.3 million decrease in general and administrative ("G&A") expenses.

Adjusted EBITDA of $3.7 million for the first quarter of 2016 was comparable with that of the same quarter of the prior year.

CASH COST AND ALL-IN SUSTAINING COST

Cash cost was US$4.20 for the first quarter of 2016, a 52% decrease compared to the first quarter of 2015. The decrease in cash cost was predominantly the result of higher by-product credits per payable silver ounce from an increase in gold production due to the increase in production from San Ignacio which has higher gold grades. In addition, the strengthening of the USD compared to the MXN reduced cash operating costs in USD terms.

AISC for the first quarter of 2016 decreased 36% to US$9.25 compared to the first quarter of 2015, primarily due to the reduction in cash cost described above. The reduction in G&A expenses, sustaining EE&D expenditures and sustaining capital expenditures also contributed to decrease in AISC. The Company expects an increase in sustaining capital expenditures and EE&D expenses in subsequent quarters, which is expected to increase AISC from the levels reported in the first quarter of 2016. However, the Company is maintaining its guidance for 2016 cash cost and AISC as detailed in the Outlook section below.

Please refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for further discussion of cash cost and AISC, and for a reconciliation to the Company's financial results as reported under IFRS.

OUTLOOK

The Company's previously-announced production and cost guidance for the year ending December 31, 2016 remains unchanged:









Production and cash cost guidance Q1 2016 Actual FY 2016 Guidance FY 2015 Actual Total silver equivalent ounces1 1,009,828 4,000,000  4,200,000 4,159,121 Cash cost (USD)2 $ 4.20 $ 5.00  $ 7.00 $ 7.50 AISC (USD)2 $ 9.25 $ 13.00  $ 15.00 $ 13.76 Exploration drilling  operating mines (metres) 2,135 11,000 17,680

The Company's previously-announced guidance for capital expenditures and EE&D expenses for the year ending December 31, 2016 remains unchanged:









Capex and EE&D expense guidance (in CAD millions) Q1 2016 Actual FY 2016 Guidance FY 2015 Actual Capital expenditures  buildings, plant & equipment $0.4 $3.5  5.0 $3.2 Capitalized development costs  operating mines $0.1 $0.5 $3.2 EE&D  operating mines $0.6 $7.0  8.0 $4.6 Exploration and evaluation expense  Coricancha $1.2 $1.0  3.0 $2.7

_______________________________

1 For 2016 guidance, Aq eq oz have been established using a 70:1 Au:Ag ratio, and a ratio of 1:0.0504 for the US dollar price of silver ounces to the US dollar price for both lead and zinc pounds. For 2015, Aq eq oz were calculated using a 65:1 Ag:Au ratio, and ratios of 1:0.050 and 1:0.056 for the price/ounce of silver to lead and zinc price/pound, respectively. 2 Cash cost and AISC are non-IFRS measures. Refer to the Non-IFRS Measures section of this MD&A for an explanation of these measures and reconciliation to the Company's reported financial results in accordance with IFRS. As these are not standardized measures, they may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures used by others.

WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL TO DISCUSS FIRST QUARTER 2016 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Great Panther will hold a live webcast and conference call to discuss the financial results on May 5, 2016, at 8:00 AM Pacific Standard Time, 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time. Hosting the call will be Mr. Robert Archer, President and CEO, and Mr. Jim Zadra, CFO and Corporate Secretary.

Shareholders, analysts, investors and media are invited to join the live webcast and conference call by logging in or dialing in just prior to the start time.

Live webcast and registration www.greatpanther.com U.S. & Canada Toll-Free 1 866 832 4290 International Toll +1 (919) 825 3215 Conference ID 99233135

A replay of the webcast will be available on the Investors section of the Company's website approximately one hour after the conference call.

NON-IFRS MEASURES

The discussion of financial results in this press release includes reference to mine operating earnings before non-cash items, adjusted EBITDA, cash cost, and AISC, which are non-IFRS measures. The Company provides these measures as additional information regarding the Company's financial results and performance. Please refer to the Company's MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2016, for definitions and reconciliations of these measures to the Company's financial statements.

ABOUT GREAT PANTHER

Great Panther Silver Limited is a primary silver mining and exploration company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange trading under the symbol GPR, and on the NYSE MKT trading under the symbol GPL. Great Panther's current activities are focused on the mining of precious metals from its two wholly-owned operating mines in Mexico: the Guanajuato Mine Complex, which includes the San Ignacio Mine, and the Topia Mine in Durango. The Company holds an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Coricancha Mine Complex in the central Andes of Peru where an active exploration program is ongoing.

Robert A. Archer

President & CEO

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements may include but are not limited to the Company's plans for production at its Guanajuato Mine Complex and Topia Mines in Mexico, exploring its other properties in Mexico and Peru, the overall economic potential of its properties, the availability of adequate financing, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to be materially different. Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to potential political risks involving the Company's operations in a foreign jurisdiction, uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, uncertainty in mineral resource estimation, physical risks inherent in mining operations, currency fluctuations, fluctuations in the price of silver, gold and base metals, completion of economic evaluations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, permitting risks, the inability or failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's most recently filed Annual Information Form and Material Change Reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at www.sedar.com and reports on Form 40-F and Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov.

GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION (Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)

As at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (Unaudited)











March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015















Assets



















Current assets:









Cash and cash equivalents

$ 16,981

$ 17,860

Trade and other receivables

13,162

12,576

Inventories

8,229

8,536

Other current assets

1,454

1,110

Derivative assets

737

-





40,563

40,082 Non-current assets:









Mineral properties, plant and equipment

19,461

21,252

Exploration and evaluation assets

5,155

5,427

Intangible assets

51

111

Deferred tax asset

325

413





$ 65,555

$ 67,285











Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity

















Current liabilities:









Trade and other payables

$ 5,031

$ 6,830















Non-current liabilities











Reclamation and remediation provision



4,846



4,762

Deferred tax liability



3,909



3,998







13,786



15,590













Shareholders' equity:













Share Capital



126,618



125,646

Reserves



14,700



11,137

Deficit



(89,549)



(85,088)







51,769



51,695





$ 65,555

$ 67,285

GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share data)

For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 (Unaudited)









For the three months ended March 31,



2016



2015









Revenue $ 18,454

$ 20,250 Cost of sales











Production costs

10,708



13,598

Amortization and depletion

1,550



6,000

Share-based compensation

49



128



12,307



19,726











Mine operating earnings

6,147



524











General and administrative expenses











Administrative expenses

1,658



2,074

Amortization and depletion

69



63

Share-based compensation

207



98



1,934



2,235











Exploration, evaluation, and development expenses











Exploration and evaluation expenses

1,836



772

Mine development costs

587



144

Share-based compensation

27



57



2,450



973











Finance and other income (expense)











Interest income

30



139

Finance costs

(26)



(21)

Foreign exchange gain (loss)

(6,143)



5,966

Other income

23



26



(6,116)



6,110











(Loss) income before income taxes

(4,353)



3,426











Income tax expense (recovery)

108



(162) Net (loss) income for the period $ (4,461)

$ 3,588











Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax











Items that are or may be reclassified subsequently to net income (loss):











Foreign currency translation

3,580



(2,054)

Change in fair value of available-for-sale financial assets (net of tax)

4



-



3,584



(2,054) Total comprehensive (loss) income for the period $ (877)

$ 1,534











Earnings (loss) per share











Basic and diluted $ (0.03)

$ 0.03

GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars)





For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 (Unaudited)









Three months ended March 31,



2016

2015









Cash flows from operating activities





Net income (loss) for the period $ (4,461)

$ 3,588 Items not involving cash:







Amortization and depletion 1,619

6,063

Unrealized foreign exchange loss (gains) 6,425

(4,816)

Income tax expense (recovery) 108

(162)

Share-based compensation 283

283

Other non-cash items 15

(118) Interest received 17

49 Income taxes paid (5)

(60)



4,001

4,827 Changes in non-cash working capital:







Increase in trade and other receivables (1,353)

(2,946)

Decrease (increase) in inventories (395)

94

Increase in other current assets (374)

(636)

Increase (decrease) in trade and other payables (1,516)

505

Net cash from operating activities 363

1,844









Cash flows from investing activities:







Additions to mineral properties, plant and equipment (575)

(1,325)

Advances under Cangold Loan -

(932)

Net cash used in investing activities (575)

(2,257)









Cash flows from financing activities:







Proceeds from exercise of share options 668

9

Net cash from financing activities 668

9









Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents (1,335)

1,130









Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (879)

726 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 17,860

17,968 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 16,981

$ 18,694

SOURCE Great Panther Silver Limited

Related Links

http://www.greatpanther.com


SAN FRANCISCO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Responding to overwhelming demand from clients within the worldwide smart car vehicle ecosystem, Global Advisory and Executive Search firm Heads! Executive Consultancy announced today Mark Webster's appointment as Global Practice Co-Leader of a new Smart Car Vehicle Practice, located in their San Francisco and Palo Alto offices.

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"For some time, Mark has been advising clients on talent strategy within the increasingly integrated industries of automotive and TMD (telematics, media, digital) vehicle technology. Mark's deep roots in Silicon Valley and world class knowledge of the smart car ecosystem position him to lead this burgeoning practice," said Jeff DeFazio, Managing Partner, San Francisco.

"Our recent work in the valley with BMW, Volkswagen, QuantumScape, Tula Technology and Wrightspeed along with Marks deep knowledge of battery and digital technology, made this decision essential to better serve our global clients and advise them on talent related matters in EMEA, N. America and APAC," said Barbara Hartmann, Co-Practice leader, Munich Germany. Talent migration and talent pedigrees are radically changing within this ecosystem. No one understands and coordinates better across our firm and in this smart car vehicle eco system than Mark and Barbara.

Mark Webster is a Managing Partner in Heads! Palo Alto office. Mark is a Member of the Advisory Board US LADAR (an EO System design company with the primary goal of providing state-of-the-art synthetic vision with emphasis on autonomous navigation enabling technology). He is a member of the Advisory board for IONU Security, Inc. and Moasis Global, a software company with an Intelligent Location Engine powered by Geo-Grid Technology, as well as Range Technology, a hardware/software company with Active Fuel Management devices for cars, trucks and SUV's.

About Heads! International

Heads! is global executive consultancy focused on advising leaders on their most critical hiring needs including recruiting both senior-level executives and non-executive directors; advising Public, Private and Investor-backed companies in Smart Car Vehicles, Digital & Technology, consumer/Retail, Financial Services and Industrial sectors on leadership capital imperatives. Established in 1998 by a number of high profile executives as well as search and consulting professionals to challenge the predominant approach to executive search, Heads! has 40 partners and 12 offices across North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia all operating under one P&L.

Heads! Offices

San Francisco| Palo Alto | New York | London | Paris | Zug | Frankfurt | Munich | Riyadh | Dubai | Hong Kong | Tokyo

www.headsinternational.com

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Heads!

Related Links

http://www.headsinternational.com


SAN DIEGO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Affordable Care Act requires healthy employees to pay the same insurance premiums as their unhealthy coworkers, even though they account for a significantly lower proportion of their employer's health care spend. Many perceive this imbalance as a ripoff. A new video report from behavioral expert SelfHelpWorks shows employers how to effectively engage unhealthy employees and get them back on track.

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The Health Insurance Problem

Health insurance costs have skyrocketed in recent years, reaching an average of $6,251 for single coverage in 2015 according to a Kaiser Family Foundation/HRET employer survey. Many employees feel the high insurance rates are a ripoff. The biggest cost driver is chronic disease, which accounts for 86% of the nation's health care costs according to the CDC. As chronic disease creeps up in an organization its health care costs are driven upwards, resulting in higher premiums and fewer benefits for everyone.

Ironically, most chronic disease can be prevented or reduced by simply making healthier lifestyle choices. Yet the Affordable Care Act essentially requires employees of the same age and gender to pay the same rates regardless of health status. This effectively penalizes employees who work at staying healthy, causing them to view their health insurance as a ripoff.

Help For Those Who Need It Most

In response, employers have implemented corporate wellness programs in an effort to help employees adopt healthier behaviors. However results are generally poor when it comes to creating sustained behavior change among those who need it most. While these people want to break free of unhealthy habits like junk food, tobacco or excess alcohol, the vast majority simply find it impossible to do so for any length of time.

"The problem is that the issue is not being tackled correctly," said Lou Ryan, founder and CEO of behavior change firm SelfHelpWorks. "Behavior begins in the mind, not the body. Unless you change the way a person thinks deep down at a core level, the unhealthy behaviors will keep coming back. That's why we made this video report  to show employers how to effectively help employees eliminate unhealthy behaviors. This information is critical for employers to improve employee health and productivity  we hope they take advantage of it."

To view the 3-minute video report: www.selfhelpworks.com (scroll to the bottom).

Media Contact:

Bryan Noar, VP Marketing & General Manager

SelfHelpWorks

2970 5th Avenue, Suite 320

San Diego CA, 92103

619-296-6001 X 248

http://www.selfhelpworks.com

SOURCE SelfHelpWorks, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.selfhelpworks.com


"Today we celebrate the dedication of our Alabama team in bringing a very innovative new pickup truck to market," said Jeff Tomko, president of HMA. "I congratulate all of our associates for their commitment to our customers as the Ridgeline returns with new features that will deliver even more of what today's truck customers want and need."

Designed, developed and manufactured in the U.S. by Honda R&D Americas, Inc., the new Ridgeline will launch with features and capabilities unlike anything else on the market today, including:

Superior on-road performance  with the segment's best handling, ride quality, cabin quietness and all-weather traction capabilities  courtesy of its unibody construction, sophisticated chassis, and available i-VTM4 torque-vectoring AWD system

Class-leading space  with the largest and most versatile cabin and the only 4-foot-wide flat bed space in the midsize pickup segment, along with payload capacity at the top of the midsize pickup class

Innovative and class-exclusive features, including an In-Bed Trunk, Dual Action tailgate and the industry's first Truck Bed Audio system  making Ridgeline the ultimate tailgating vehicle

Leading edge connectivity with 8-inch Display Audio featuring Apple Car Play and Android Auto compatibility

The Ridgeline is produced in the same plant in Alabama alongside other members of Honda's award-winning light-truck lineup, including the Pilot sport utility vehicle and Odyssey minivan, as well as the Acura MDX luxury SUV.

Honda Manufacturing of Alabama (HMA) employs 4,500 associates at its 3.7-million-square-foot Lincoln facility has the capacity to produce as many as 340,000 vehicles and engines each year. Over the past three years, HMA has invested more than $510 million and added 450 jobs in expansion efforts designed to enhance manufacturing flexibility and increase annual production. The Alabama plant is celebrating its 15th year of production.

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SOURCE Honda Manufacturing of Alabama
CALGARY, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Horizon North Logistics Inc. ("Horizon North" or the "Corporation") (TSX  HNL) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Karoleena Inc. and its affiliates (collectively, "Karoleena") and has agreed in principle with DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. for the utilization of their ICE Interactive Software.

Karoleena Acquisition

"The strategic acquisition of Karoleena will help drive Horizon North's permanent modular offerings as we move further into residential, retail and commercial prefabricated buildings. While coming from different markets, both Horizon North and Karoleena have numerous similarities including, among others, belief in modular construction, a focus on customers through a full service mentality, and a commitment to first time quality." noted Rod Graham, President and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon North. "We remain excited about the market opportunity posed by permanent modular construction and incorporating the design flair of Karoleena into Horizon North product offerings, including office complexes, hotels and multi-family residential dwellings. The combination of Horizon North's world class team, manufacturing excellence, and an unparalleled health and safety program with Karoleena's innovative product approach, start-up culture and an excellent understanding of the marketplace and buyer mentality outside of the traditional Horizon North customer base will result in synergies and position Horizon North for continued growth."

Karoleena is a manufacturer of designer prefabricated modular homes. Karoleena focuses on providing premium modern homes with superior design, quality, speed and craftsmanship through its pre-fabrication process. Karoleena homes are constructed in a modern fabrication facility located in Okanagan Falls, British Columbia and then delivered to and installed on site. Karoleena is able to offer its customers a move in ready home within six months of commencement of manufacturing. Horizon North and Karoleena have agreed to a purchase price of $2.5 million, payable in a combination of cash and Horizon North common shares. Closing of the acquisition is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2016 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. For further information about Karoleena, please visit their website at www.karoleena.com

ICE Interactive Software

Horizon North is pleased to announce the selection of DIRTT Environmental Solutions and their ICE Interactive Software ("ICE") for use in Horizon North's design process. ICE provides graphical, interactive modelling which will allow Horizon North to produce real time, three dimensional designs for its customers. "We continue to focus on our expansion into residential, retail and commercial designer prefabricated buildings. ICE is intended to support this expansion and will complement our lean manufacturing philosophy and assist us to find further efficiencies and reduce waste." noted Rod Graham. For further information about DIRTT, please see their website at www.dirtt.net

About Horizon North

Horizon North is a publicly-traded company that provides full service solutions in camp management accommodations and catering, matting and soil stabilization, remote power and energy generation systems, and relocatable and permanent modular structures. Horizon North provides a full range of these services to top tier clients in the LNG, oil sands, oil and gas, energy, mining/exploration, forestry and construction sectors. As a result of our diverse product and service offerings, Horizon North is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of our customers anywhere in Canada and Alaska. To find out more information about the Corporation, visit www.horizonnorth.ca

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Horizon North. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "will", "expects", "anticipates" and similar expressions. This press release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to, among other things, the following: timing of completion of the acquisition; the aggregate purchase price of the acquisition; the issuance of Horizon North common shares as part of the purchase price for the acquisition; the synergies and potential growth opportunities created by combining the business of Karoleena with Horizon North and approvals for the acquisition, including regulatory approvals.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Horizon North as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. The estimates and assumptions of Horizon North contained in this press release, which may prove to be incorrect, include the ability of Horizon North to receive all required regulatory approvals; the ability of Horizon North to satisfy the conditions to the acquisition; the anticipated benefits of the acquisition; and successfully integrating Horizon North and Karoleena as a single entity following closing.

Forward-looking information is based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of risks, which could cause actual results to vary and in some instances to differ materially from those anticipated by Horizon North and described in the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information. The material risk factors include, but are not limited to: failure of Horizon North to obtain necessary regulatory approvals; failure to realize anticipated synergies and failure of the parties to satisfy, in a timely manner, the other conditions to closing of the acquisition. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. Failure to obtain the necessary approvals, or the failure of Horizon North to otherwise satisfy the conditions of the acquisition may result in the acquisition not being completed on the proposed terms, or at all.

Although Horizon North believes that the material factors, expectations and assumptions expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information available to it on the date such statements were made, no assurances can be given as to future results, levels of activity and achievements and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Horizon North's actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue importance or reliance on the forward-looking statements. Statements including forward-looking statements are made as of the date they are given and, except as required by applicable securities laws, Horizon North disclaims any intention or obligation to publically update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Horizon North Logistics Inc.

Related Links

www.horizonnorth.ca


ATLANTA, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles are typically late-model, low-mileage vehicles that come with a host of perks like manufacturer-backed warranties, roadside assistance and more. While nearly every manufacturer offers a CPO program, the terms and benefits vary greatly. To make it easy for car shoppers to discover which CPO programs stand out, the experts at Autotrader analyzed all brands' CPO terms and selected the 10 best luxury and 10 best non-luxury CPO programs, with one overall winner and nine honorable mentions in each category. For 2016, Autotrader selected Hyundai and Lexus as the winners for Best CPO Programs in their respective categories.

"The number one benefit of any CPO program is the warranty, so we decided that the length of warranty should be the top criteria when choosing this year's Best CPO Programs," said Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader. "Hyundai's CPO warranty is an extension of its exceptional new car warranty, and Lexus's warranty is simply the best in the luxury category."

CPO vehicles offer many of the same benefits of a new car without the higher price tag and steep depreciation. Each vehicle undergoes an extensive inspection defined by the manufacturer and must meet a variety of guidelines from age to mileage. Once certified, these vehicles come with a manufacturer-backed warranty, giving buyers the confidence they desire when purchasing a pre-owned vehicle. In fact, 64 percent of shoppers say that the certification process and warranty give them peace of mind.1

Hyundai earned top honors in the non-luxury category this year with its impressive CPO warranty, which offers five years or 60,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper limited coverage and 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage from the car's original sale date. Hyundai's selection was cemented by the fact that the warranty offers a relatively low deductible of $50, and the warranty is fully transferable to subsequent owners in a private sale.

Meanwhile among luxury automakers, Lexus's CPO program "L/Certified" won top honors primarily due to its excellent warranty along with other alluring benefits. L/Certified offers limited bumper-to-bumper coverage for up to six years and unlimited mileage from the vehicle's original sale datea risky proposition, but one that shows the brand is willing to firmly stand behind its vehicles. Lexus's program boasts no deductible for covered repairs, meaning that owners won't have to pay a penny if their cars suffer a warranty claim. Icing on the cake is the fact that Lexus's program touts complimentary maintenance covering the next four factory-recommended services for two years or 20,000 milesa small benefit, but one that's certainly worth mentioning.

Autotrader's Best CPO Programs for 2016:

Best Non-Luxury CPO Programs:

Best Luxury CPO Programs: Hyundai (Best Overall)

Lexus (Best Overall) Chevrolet/GMC

Acura Ford

Audi Honda

BMW Kia

Infiniti Mazda

Jaguar MINI

Land Rover Mitsubishi

Lincoln Subaru

Porsche Toyota

Volvo * honorable mentions listed alphabetically

The selections for this year's Best CPO Programs were based primarily on warranty coverage, with a minimum of six years/100,000 miles for powertrain coverage. Other factors included bumper-to-bumper limited warranty length, warranty transferability and deductible amount.

To find out more about these CPO programs and why the experts at Autotrader selected them for top honors, check out the following articles: 10 Best Non-Luxury CPO Programs for 2016 and 10 Best Luxury CPO Programs for 2016.

[1] 2015 Autotrader Certified Pre-Owned Study

About Autotrader

Autotrader is the most visited third-party car shopping site, with the most engaged audience of in-market shoppers. As the foremost authority on automotive consumer insights and expert in online and mobile marketing, Autotrader makes the car shopping experience easy and fun for today's empowered consumer looking to find or sell the perfect new, used or Certified Pre-Owned car. Using technology, shopper insights and local market guidance, Autotrader's comprehensive marketing solutions guide dealers to personalized digital marketing strategies that grow brand, drive traffic and connect the online and in-store shopping experience.

Autotrader is a Cox Automotive brand. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Autotrader, Dealer.com, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital, vAuto, Xtime and a host of other brands. The global company has nearly 30,000 team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues of $18 billion and approximately 55,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com.

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SOURCE Autotrader

Related Links

http://www.autotrader.com


The winning companies of the 2014-2015 Top Brands from China , core award of Top Cloud Connect Awards have collected their trophies at Interop Las Vegas, which was a highlight at the expo. They are 21Vianet Group, Inc., Bingo Software Co., Ltd, H3C Technologies Co., Ltd, ChinaCache Xin Run Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Shanghai Yovole Networks, GDS Services Ltd, Chinac Corporation, Ltd, Dr. Peng Group Co., Ltd. The fact that more Chinese companies are showing at Interop, whether as sponsors or as attendees indicates the rising confidence and improvement of their technology and products.

The annual Top Cloud Connect Awards are the most important concurrent activity with Cloud Connect China. Its five awards are to applaud the outstanding and innovative companies, individuals and products to the Chinese cloud computing industry, and help domestic companies go global. Its core award - Top Brands from China is announced at Cloud Connect China and will have a separate ceremony at next year's Interop & Cloud Connect Las Vegas. This is also a perfect chance for those winning companies to connect the North American market and explore overseas business opportunities.

Networking may not be the hottest topic in computing these days, but it remains the fundamental technology that ties together all of our devices and services. In other words, without networking there is no Internet, no cloud. That's also the reason why Interop is still discussing networking. Interop & Cloud Connect 2016 gathers nearly 300 companies at it Expo, including Cisco, VMware, DELL, IBM, Akamai, NEC, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, AT&T, American Express, HUAWEI and 21Vianet Group, which cover a variety of products and solutions in the industrial chain. The Keynote receives tech leaders from companies like Salesforce, Cisco, Google, Walmart Lab, and Coco-cola as important speakers. The brand-new Startup City and InteropNet Demo Lab for practice are also popular onsite.

After the conclusion of this year's Interop & Cloud Connect Las Vegas, Cloud Connect China, the 4th edition, will take place on September 20-22 at Shanghai, China. If you intent to sponsor or visit, you may turn to: http://www.cloudconnectevent.cn/en-us/index

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Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364053

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SOURCE UBM China
CALGARY, Alberta and HOUSTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Intervale Capital ("Intervale"), an energy-focused private equity firm, has made a growth equity investment in Dynacorp Energy Services ("Dynacorp"). Dynacorp provides innovative sand management solutions, well testing and production processing equipment to operators and service providers in the oil and gas industry.

Justin Morin, Dynacorp's co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, sought the investment as part of a broad recapitalization of the company. Justin has served in numerous roles and leadership positions throughout the company since joining in 2002. Justin commented, "Operators face growing sand management challenges, which are made more acute in today's tough industry environment. Dynacorp offers innovative equipment and cost effective, full-service solutions to these challenges. We are excited to partner with Intervale, and look forward to working with them to accelerate our growth strategy across North America."

Patrick Connelly, Partner at Intervale, added, "We are thrilled to partner with Justin and his entire team. With a differentiated approach, proprietary equipment and a strong customer service culture, we believe Dynacorp is well positioned to fulfill operators' needs."

About Dynacorp:

Dynacorp is a Canadian designer and manufacturer of proprietary sand filtration, well testing and production processing equipment. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta with a manufacturing facility in Grand Prairie, Alberta, and has deployed equipment across North America.

www.dynacorp.ca

About Intervale Capital:

Intervale is an energy-focused investment firm with offices in Houston and Boston. Intervale focuses on middle-market energy services and manufacturing companies. The firm has raised $1.3 billion of committed capital since its inception in 2006 and is currently investing from its third fund.

Other Intervale portfolio companies include Tier 1 Energy Solutions (wireline and completions in Canada), Team Oil Tools (downhole completions equipment and services), Aegis Chemical Solutions (production and specialty oilfield chemicals), Energes Oilfield Solutions (well testing, flowback & safety services), Antelope Oil Tools (downhole casing and cementing technologies), Epic Lift Systems (artificial lift equipment & production optimization services) and Certus Energy Solutions (oilfield inspection services and rental equipment), among other investments.

www.intervalecapital.com

Contact:

Patrick Conroy

Vice President

Intervale Capital

(281) 605-3900

[email protected]

SOURCE Intervale Capital

Related Links

http://www.intervalecapital.com


Cooper has worked for JCA since 2003, starting out as a Senior Consultant and moving quickly through the ranks as Director and then COO. Cooper is credited with helping develop JCA's relationships within the nonprofit cultural sector.

"Matt has demonstrated proven leadership at JCA, helping grow our revenue by more than 80% over the past five years while streamlining our back-office operations," said Jacobson. "I'm extremely pleased to have Matt take on this new role."

Before joining JCA, Cooper served as the Director of Ticketing Services for the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, PA. He played an integral role in the creation of Ticket Philadelphia, a joint venture of the Kimmel Center and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Prior to that, Cooper was the Ticket Operations Manager for Carnegie Hall in New York, NY. An expert in his field, Cooper is a frequent speaker at industry conferences on best practices in ticketing and philanthropy technology. Cooper holds a BA degree in History with a minor in Music from Washington University. He is a member of the International Ticketing Association (INTIX), and is the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Commonwealth Youthchoirs, Pennsylvania's premier youth choral organization.

"I'm excited to take on this new challenge as JCA continues to grow," says Cooper. "JCA is uniquely suited to help nonprofits organize and leverage the wealth of information they collect. Ultimately, we want nonprofits to be able to focus on the work they do."

About JCA

Founded in 1988, JCA is the nation's largest independent technology consulting firm focused on nonprofit organizations. JCA has a stellar reputation in the world of nonprofit management as a company that provides industry-leading products and consulting services. JCA serves clients in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia/New Zealand. JCA's clients include many of the world's leading nonprofit organizations, including the American Museum of Natural History, Brown University, Carnegie Hall, Children's Hospital Foundation, Texas Children's Hospital, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Science Museum of Minnesota, and Sydney Opera House.

Contact: Susan Hornung

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 212-981-8418

Website: www.jcainc.com

Facebook

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LinkedIn

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SOURCE Jacobson Consulting Applications, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.jcainc.com


"Jon has done an exceptional job assisting in the restoration of First Sound Bank's health," said Fahey. "And he will continue to be a great asset while serving as president and chief operating officer."

Shelton, who has over 46 years in community banking, began his career in 1969 with First National Bank of Oregon in Portland. He then spent 19 years with Washington Trust Bank in Spokane, while serving as chief lending officer and senior vice president and manager of the bank's Commercial Banking Division. In 1997, Shelton joined Frontier Bankheadquartered in Everett, Washington where he was eventually promoted to senior vice president and manager of the bank's Western Region. Shelton joined First Sound Bank in January of 2012.

Shelton is a graduate of Eastern Washington University, and an honors graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington Graduate School of Business and the Stanford Executive Program, which is affiliated with the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Throughout his career, Shelton has remained very active in numerous community and civic clubs and organizations.

About First Sound Bank

Seattle-based First Sound Bank offers customized banking for small- to medium-sized businesses, organizations, not-for-profits and professionals in the Puget Sound region. The Bank is committed to delivering personalized service, convenient access and competitive rates to support the needs of the business community. First Sound Bank offers online banking at www.firstsoundbank.com plus an expansive array of cash management services, as well as ATM banking throughout the country and abroad.

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SOURCE First Sound Bank

Related Links

http://www.firstsoundbank.com


PUNE, India, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Juice Concentrates Market by Type (Fruit, Vegetable), Application (Beverages, Bakery & Confectionery, Soups & Sauces, Dairy), Ingredient, Form, Brand, & by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America) - Global Forecast to 2021", The Juice Concentrates Market is projected to reach a value of USD 93.94 billion by 2021 at a CAGR of 6.0%.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )



Browse 160 market data Tables and 111 Figures spread through 249 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Juice Concentrates Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/juice-concentrate-market-220829333.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

The market is driven by factors such as increasing demand for convenience food & beverage products, rising health consciousness among consumers, and use of juice concentrates as a substitute in the bakery & confectionery industry. The high growth potential in emerging markets and untapped regions provides new growth opportunities for market players.

Vegetable concentrate is the fastest growing segment in the Juice Concentrates Market by type during 2016-2021

Vegetable concentrate is projected to grow with a higher CAGR from 2016 to 2021. Vegetable juice concentrates are in demand due to their exceptional health benefits. Health-conscious consumers demand for vegetable juice beverages in developing as well as developed regions, such as North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific which can lead to the growth of the vegetable concentrate market.

Beverage segment depicts high potential for the Juice Concentrates Market

Fruits and vegetable concentrates are widely used in the beverage industry. Fruits concentrates are especially used in the production of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The increasing demand for health-related drinks has driven the beverage market globally. The increasing health awareness among consumers especially in regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific has led consumers to demand for beverages that have fruit and vegetable content in them. This in turn has led to the demand for fruit and vegetable concentrates in order to satisfy consumer's demand. Moreover, the hectic lifestyle of the consumers has resulted in the demand for convenience food & beverages that are easy to consume and this in turn has increased the production of those beverages that are healthy as well as convenient to consume. In addition, fruit and vegetable juice concentrates in beverage act a convenient and suitable substitute for carbonated soft drinks and aerated drinks.

Make an Inquiry: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=220829333

Significant growth for juice concentrates is observed in the Asia-Pacific region

Asia-Pacific has a high growth potential for juice concentrates. This region has many emerging countries, such as China and India, which have considerable cultivable land to grow crops. Moreover, China is among the leading countries for juice concentrates as the country faces technological growth in agriculture and urbanization which has led to the higher standards of living among consumers, resulting in the rise of convenience food & beverage products. Moreover, China is one of the major exporters of juice concentrates in Asia-Pacific and the rise in the consumption of healthy beverages has prompted the growth of the Juice Concentrates Market in the country.

This report includes a study of marketing and development strategies, along with the product portfolio of leading companies. It includes the profiles of leading companies such AGRANA Investment Corp (Austria), Archer Daniels Midland Company (U.S.), Ingredion Incorporated (U.S.), Sudzucker AG (Germany), and SunOpta, Inc. (Canada).

In terms of insights, this research report has focused on various levels of analyses industry analysis and company profiles, which together comprise and discuss the basic views on the competitive landscape, emerging & high-growth segments of the global Juice Concentrates Market, high-growth regions, countries, and their respective regulatory policies, government initiatives, drivers, restraints, and opportunities.

Browse related reports:

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients Market by Type (Concentrates, Pastes & Purees, NFC Juices, Pieces & Powders), Application (Beverages, Confectioneries, R.T.E, Bakery, Soups & Sauces, Dairy products), & by Region - Global Trend & Forecast to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/fruit-vegetable-ingredients-market-109075059.html

Soft Drink Concentrates Market by Application [Carbonated (Cola & Non-cola), & Non-carbonated (Orange, Apple, Mixed, Grape, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Mango), End Use (Mass Merchandise, Food Service, Fountain Machine), & by Region - Global Trends & Forecast to 2019

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/soft-drink-concentrates-market-110119060.html

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
SEATTLE, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kineta, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the translational development of novel immune modulating and antiviral drugs announced today that the company will receive a Wellcome Trust Translation Fund Award of up to $7.2M. This award will advance the development of a novel antiviral therapy to treat Lassa haemorrhagic fever.

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The funded collaboration will enable manufacturing, preclinical development, regulatory filings and first in human clinical studies for the antiviral lead LHF-535. Preclinical milestones include characterizing the efficacy of LHF-535 against Lassa fever in animal models and completing IND-enabling toxicology studies. The goal of the collaboration is to complete Phase 1a and Phase 1b safety studies in human subjects and position LHF-535 for Phase 2 evaluation in Lassa fever patients where no approved treatment is currently available.

"We are excited to collaborate with the Wellcome Trust on our Lassa fever program. They are a global leader in supporting research and improving health in infectious diseases, and we are honored to join the community of Wellcome Trust researchers," said Kineta's CEO, Shawn Iadonato. "This Translation Fund Award positions us to complete the Phase I program for LHF-535 and prepare for studies to evaluate the efficacy of this novel medicine to treat Lassa fever, a viral disease with no approved treatment options," Dr. Iadonato added.

About LHF-535

LHF-535 is a small molecule antiviral with potent activity against Lassa and other arenaviruses. It inhibits virus entry into target host cells and serves to suppress viral replication. LHF-535 is an optimized lead compound with good oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetics, supporting once-daily administration. It has demonstrated safety and efficacy in preclinical models, including reduced virus titers and enhanced survival in animal models of arenavirus pathogenesis. A clear development path for LHF-535 was established after a successful pre-IND interaction with FDA in mid-2015.

About Lassa Fever

Lassa fever is an acute viral illness that is known to be endemic in Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and parts of Nigeria, but probably exists in other West African countries as well.1 Lassa fever causes 100,000-300,000 infections and is responsible for ~5000 deaths annually in West Africa. Death rates are particularly high for women in the third trimester of pregnancy, and fetal loss occurs in nearly all infected pregnant women.2 The Lassa virus is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or feces. Person-to-person transmission also occurs, particularly in hospitals lacking adequate infection control measures.1

1. WHO Lassa Fever Fact Sheet http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs179/en/

2. CDC Lassa Fever Fact Sheet http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/lassa/pdf/factsheet.pdf

Kineta, Inc. is an emerging and sustainable biotech company that fills a void in the biopharmaceutical industry by efficiently advancing therapies from discovery to clinical proof of concept. We actively collaborate with a broad array of private, government and industry partners to advance our innovative research in autoimmune diseases, antivirals and chronic pain. Kineta has established and is expanding on a diverse pipeline of novel life improving therapies that address critical unmet patient needs. For more information on Kineta, Inc. visit our website, www.Kinetabio.com

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to improving health. We support bright minds in science, the humanities and the social sciences, as well as education, public engagement and the application of research to medicine. Our investment portfolio gives us the independence to support such transformative work as the sequencing and understanding of the human genome, research that established front-line drugs for malaria, and Wellcome Collection, our free venue for the incurably curious that explores medicine, life and art.

NOTICE: This document contains certain forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding Kineta's plans for pre-clinical and clinical studies, regulatory filings, and anticipated drug effects in human subjects. You are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties inherent in Kineta's business which could significantly affect expected results, including without limitation progress of drug development, ability to raise capital to fund drug development, clinical testing and regulatory approval, developments in raw material and personnel costs, and legislative, fiscal, and other regulatory measures. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Kineta undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the issuance of this press release.

Contact:

Jacques Bouchy

Email

(206) 378-0400

SOURCE Kineta, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.Kinetabio.com


OAKLAND, Calif., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Labor Commissioner's Office is accepting applications for the Motor Carrier Employer Amnesty Program (AB 621) from eligible commercial trucking companies performing drayage services at any California port. For a limited time, the voluntary program allows qualifying companies to reclassify their drivers as employees and avoid liability for misclassifying them as independent contractors. The amnesty program ends December 31, 2016.

Since 2011, port truck drivers have filed 799 wage claims with the Labor Commissioner's Office for misclassification, seeking reimbursement for unlawful deductions and expenses. The Labor Commissioner has awarded more than $35 million to misclassified port truck drivers in 302 cases.

"The sheer number of claims filed and wages awarded to misclassified port truck drivers over the last several years demonstrates a significant problem in the industry," said Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su. "Worker misclassification is a form of wage theft as it denies workers all the rights and benefits of employee status. This amnesty program provides an opportunity for motor carriers to remedy these problems and correct past abuses."

Under AB 621, port drayage trucking companies can enter into a settlement agreement with the Labor Commissioner and Employment Development Department (EDD). The motor carrier must agree to pay all wages and benefits owed to drivers misclassified as independent contractors, pay all taxes owed to the State as a result of misclassification, and agree to classify commercial drivers as employees. The settlement agreement will relieve motor carriers of liability for statutory and civil penalties based on previous misclassification of drivers.

Eligible motor carriers can apply for this voluntary program by filling out the Motor Carrier Employer Amnesty Program (AB 621) application and mailing it to Labor Commissioner's Legal Section, 300 Oceangate, #850, Long Beach, CA 90802. The application may also be emailed to [email protected].

DIR protects and improves the health, safety and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws.

DIR's Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), also known as the Labor Commissioner's Office, enforces prevailing wage rates and apprenticeship standards in public works projects, inspects workplaces for wage and hour violations, adjudicates wage claims, investigates retaliation complaints, issues licenses and registrations for businesses and educates the public on labor laws.

Employees with work-related questions or complaints may contact DIR's Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734). The California Workers' Information line at 866-924-9757 provides recorded information in English and Spanish on a variety of work-related topics.

Members of the press may contact Paola Laverde or Peter Melton at (510) 286-1161, and are encouraged to subscribe to get email alerts on DIR's press releases or other departmental updates.

The California Department of Industrial Relations, established in 1927, protects and improves the health, safety, and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws. DIR is housed within the Labor & Workforce Development Agency. For general inquiries, contact DIR's Communications Call Center at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734) for help in locating the appropriate division or program in our department.

SOURCE California Department of Industrial Relations, California Labor Commissioner's Office

Related Links

http://www.dir.ca.gov/


GROVE CITY, Ohio, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Latham & Phillips Ophthalmics (LPO) announced today that Garrett O'Connell has been appointed as president of the company. Mr. O'Connell brings more than 25 years of industry experience and was most recently vice president of sales, marketing & new product distribution for Enhanced Medical Services.

"We are pleased that Garrett will be joining us," noted Marc Abitbol, CEO of Luneau Technology Group, "He brings the right blend of manufacturing and distribution insight to help us with our planned expansion of the LPO business."

Mr. O'Connell's prior assignments include a variety of sales, marketing and general management positions at leading companies including Notal Vision, Carl Zeiss and Bausch & Lomb. He succeeds Travis Lindsay who filled the position on an interim basis during the company's search process. Mr. Lindsay continues to consult with the company on business strategy and product marketing.

Latham & Phillips has served the ophthalmic community for over 20 years, providing sales and service for leading manufacturers. The company was acquired in 2013 by Luneau Technology Group, a leading global manufacturer of wavefront-based instrumentation. For more information visit www.lpoproducts.com.

SOURCE Latham & Phillips Ophthalmics

Related Links

http://www.lpoproducts.com


RESTON, Va., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a national security, health, and infrastructure solutions company, today announced its renewed commitment to the White House's Joining Forces initiative in support of America's veterans, service members and their families. Leidos has pledged a goal to hire 3,000 veterans and military spouses over the next five years.

Leidos has a long-standing commitment to supporting military veterans and their families, as demonstrated by the company's Operation MVP military veteran hiring program. Nearly 18 percent of Leidos' workforce is comprised of veterans, many of whom are actively involved in the company's Military Alliance Group. Leidos was also recently named as a Best for Vets: Employers 2016 by Military Times, a Most Valuable Employers (MVE) by CivilianJobs.com, a Top 100 Military Friendly Employer and Top 100 Military Spouse Friendly Employer by Victory Media, and a Top Veteran-Friendly Company by U.S. Veterans Magazine.

"Veterans offer an immense value to our workforce, and embody the characteristics we look for in employees  integrity, ethics, perseverance, honor and commitment," said Leidos Chief Human Resources Officer Sarah Allen. "We're incredibly proud to renew our commitment to the Joining Forces initiative."

Joining Forces is a nationwide initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden calling on all Americans to rally around service members, veterans, and their families and support them through wellness, education, and employment opportunities. Joining Forces works hand in hand with the public and private sectors to ensure that service members, veterans, and their families have the tools they need to succeed throughout their lives.

About Leidos

Leidos is a science and technology solutions leader working to address some of the world's toughest challenges in national security, health and infrastructure. The Company's 18,000 employees support vital missions for government and the commercial sector, develop innovative solutions to drive better outcomes and defend our digital and physical infrastructure from 'new world' threats. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $5.09 billion for the twelve months ended January 1, 2016. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 1, 2016, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

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SOURCE Leidos

Related Links

http://www.leidos.com


NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The overall level sensors market is expected to reach USD 4.89 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 5.4% between 2016 and 2022. The increasing government regulations for controlling pollution, gradual decrease in sensor sizes, increasing production of vehicles, and the economic growth of Asian countries such as China and India are the major factors driving the growth of this market.



"Industrial manufacturing is expected to lead the end-user industry segment of the level sensor during the forecast period"

The market for industrial manufacturing is expected to grow at the highest CAGR among all end-user industries. The growth in the industry can be attributed to the increasing integration of automation systems in the manufacturing sector. The increasing worldwide production of vehicles is also a major contributor to the growth of this market.



"APAC expected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period"

APAC is expected to be the fastest-growing market for level sensors during the forecast period. Industrial manufacturing and oil & gas are major sectors driving the growth of the level sensors market in APAC. China and India are the leading countries in the level sensors market in this region. The growing industrialization and government initiatives in these countries are further expected to drive the market in APAC. Currently, North America holds the second-largest share of the level sensors market. It is the most technologically-advanced market for level sensors owing to the greater penetration of these systems in this region.



Furthermore, the U.S. invests heavily in the petroleum and aerospace sectors.



To determine and verify the market size for several segments and subsegments of the level sensors market gathered through the secondary research, extensive primary interviews have been conducted with key people. The break-up of the profiles of primary participants is shown below:



- By Company Type: Tier 1  55%, Tier 2  20%, and Tier 3  25%

- By Designation: C level  60%, Director level  25%, Others  15%

- By Region: North America  10%, Europe  20%, APAC  40%, RoW  30%



The geographic segmentation in the report covers four major regions, namely, North America, Europe, APAC, and RoW. The report also profiles the major players in the level sensors market, namely, ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), AMETEK, Inc. (U.S.), Emerson Electric Co. (U.S.), Endress+Hauser AG (Switzerland), First Sensor AG (Germany), GEMS Sensors and Controls Co. (U.S.), Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.), KROHNE Messtechnik GMBH (Germany), Pepperl + Fuchs GmbH (Germany), Siemens AG (Germany), VEGA Grieshbaer KG (Germany), and Nohken Inc. (Japan).



Reasons to Buy the Report:

This report caters to the needs of leading companies, end users, component manufacturers, and other related stakeholders in this market. Other parties that could benefit from the report include government bodies, environmental agencies, consulting firms, business development executives, C-level employees, and VPs. Our report would help analyze new opportunities and potential revenue sources and enhance the decision-making process for new business strategies. The quantitative and qualitative information in the report, along with our comprehensive analysis, will help the player gain a competitive edge in the market.



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SOURCE Reportlinker

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WICHITA, Kan., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Busily scurrying around Northwest Arkansas one recent week, a video production crew captured audio and images from a pair of family-owned farms that raise turkeys for Honeysuckle White, and scouted a third farm for a future taping session. While curious, the turkeys were mostly oblivious to the activity related to videotaping efforts that will result in 60-second online vignettes celebrating farmers who produce the turkey we enjoy eating.

This is the second phase of a campaign that kicked off in January with a 30-second television ad featuring a Missouri turkey farmer. The first of the new online video vignettes will be placed on Facebook, YouTube and brand websites on May 8, 2016. The second vignette will debut in late May, with a third appearing mid-summer.

These online vignettes complement that 30-second television commercial, which aired on the ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC networks during the winter months, and was also available on "Connected TV" (television that has Internet), including Hulu Plus, Netflix and HBO GO. An extended (90-second), video version of the TV ad is available via social media channels including Facebook.

"These short videos capture the essence of family farming, spotlighting the people who produce our turkeys. Our vignettes also help increase awareness in the marketplace for Honeysuckle White turkey products," said Jan Hood, head of marketing for the brand.

"We know consumers want a better connection to the people who produce food, and our campaign is a conduit for linking these two important groups. Families at the 700 farms that raise our turkeys work hard to ensure high quality products are available 365 days-a-year for people across America. Through our videos, we show how fans applaud our independent family farmers for their commitment and passion for raising turkeys."

The vignettes also highlight that Honeysuckle White turkeys are raised without the use of antibiotics for growth promotion purposes.

Northwest Arkansas farms featured in the online video vignettes include: Lazy J Farms, owned and operated by Tammy and Jeff Plumlee; Usrey Farms, owned and operated by Justin and Chana Usrey; and Double L Farm, owned and operated by Jeff and Gloria Lindsey. More information about Honeysuckle White turkey products can be found at www.honeysucklewhite.com.

About Cargill

Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 150 years of experience. We have 149,000 employees in 70 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

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SOURCE Cargill

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CHICAGO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- LimeGreen Moroch took top honors in the "Best Multicultural Event Campaign" category at the 2016 Ex Awards. Hosted by Event Marketer Magazine, the annual Ex Awards ceremony is the world's largest and most prestigious recognition program for experiential marketing. The Chicago-based cross-cultural agency won the Ex Award for its Kia Motors' "Inspirationally Crafted" events, which targeted African American consumer tastemakers and opinion leaders, promoted the brand's corporate diversity initiatives, and highlighted vehicle design, quality and technology.

"While African American consumers had been over-indexing general market consumers in terms of Kia ownership, competing automobile brands outranked Kia in terms of sales," said Michon Ellis, CEO of LimeGreen Moroch. "Kia Motors approached our agency to help shift that trend by boosting its engagement and strengthening the emotional connection between the brand and African American consumers in a fun, exciting way. We were honored to have been given this opportunity by Kia and are just as honored to have our work recognized by industry leaders."

Judged entirely by brand-side marketers, this year's Ex Awards featured 23 categories spanning every type of brand experience. Each year, the founders of Event Marketer announce the winners live during an evening dinner gala often referred to as the event industry's own 'Golden Globes,' held during the Experiential Marketing Summit. This year's Ex Awards took place May 4th at the Colorado Convention Center.

"We are proud of "Inspirationally Crafted," said Ella Britton Gibson, SVP, Group Management Director of LimeGreen Moroch. "The metrics are outstanding, such as 100% positive sentiment and jaw-dropping ROI. Our consumers love the Inspirationally Crafted experience and that love is elevating brand perceptions and strengthening emotional connections to the Kia brand."

LimeGreen Moroch partnered with luxury lifestyle magazine, UPTOWN, to develop the "Inspirationally Crafted" campaign in order to celebrate influential African American tastemakers and game-changers in various industries. Events were held at premium, popular venues in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City, and were promoted through a mix of traditional media, experiential, interactive and social media programs.

For more information on LimeGreen Moroch and to view the "Inspirationally Crafted" case study, please visit www.lgmoroch.com.

About LimeGreen Moroch

Thought-Leaders in urban culture and multicultural lifestyles, LimeGreen Moroch (founded in 2004) is a cross-cultural marketing/advertising agency and certified Minority Business Enterprise headquartered in Chicago. The agency has regional offices in New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit and Philadelphia. Focused on elevating brands that elevate people, LimeGreen Moroch develops strategic and cultural insights to create integrated consumer campaigns that drive engagement and brand connections. LimeGreen Moroch is part of Moroch Holdings Inc., a privately-owned family of integrated marketing and communications companies. LimeGreen Moroch's clients include McDonald's, Kia Motors America and Namaste Laboratories. For more information visit: www.lgmoroch.com.

Media Contact:

Monica Esposito

214-252-1713

[email protected]

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SOURCE LimeGreen Moroch

Related Links

http://www.lgmoroch.com


California has long been a leader in tobacco prevention and control, but 40,000 of its citizens still die each year from smoking, and it costs the state over $9 billion in extra health care expenditures. Driven by predatory marketing, focusing on candy flavors and celebrity endorsements, teen use of e-cigarettes, hookahs, vape devices and small cigars has exploded, largely erasing a decade of hard-won declines in kids' use of traditional cigarettes. With the Tobacco 21 bill, state leaders have drawn a bright line against adolescent addiction.

The US Surgeon General predicts that if the current trajectory is maintained, 5.6 million American kids alive today will die prematurely from smoking. Early nicotine use is also strongly associated with abuse of other substances as well as adolescent depression, anxiety and suicide. Raising the access age for all nicotine products is a common-sense regulation designed to give adolescents more time to mature. Importantly, the vast majority of kids ages 17 and under get their cigarettes from social sources aged 18-21. Raising the access age to 21 helps squeeze that pipeline. One of the earliest adopters, Needham, Massachusetts, demonstrated a 48% reduction in high school smoking when a Tobacco 21 law was enacted.

The effectiveness of increasing the sales age to 21 is underscored by the rabid reaction of the tobacco industry to this legislation. The California tobacco lobby has promised a "scorched earth" attack on legislators who stood up to them, and have vowed to bring the issue to an expensive referendum. Fortunately, polls in California and across the U.S. demonstrate tremendous popular support for this logical reform. More than 75% of Americans including all demographic groups and political ideologies endorse the change, including 70% of smokers.

Governor Brown and the California legislature should be congratulated on their courage and leadership. More than 150 cities across the country have adopted age 21, but only one state, Hawaii, has managed to overcome the entrenched tobacco lobbies that dominate statehouses. Now that our most populist state has embraced Tobacco 21, we can expect other state leaders to take action to better protect their kids. Thank you, California.

Contact:

Thomas Geist: 614-766-2211, [email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363981

SOURCE Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The March of Dimes, the nation's leading nonprofit organization advocating for maternal and child health, today commended the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for deeming e-cigarettes to be tobacco products subject to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as Amended by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. This decision will empower the agency to regulate e-cigarettes like other tobacco products, such as traditional cigarettes and cigars.

"E-cigarettes are clearly tobacco products, and they should be strictly regulated as such," stated March of Dimes President Dr. Jennifer L. Howse. "Lack of regulation has allowed these products to be marketed and sold without limits, including to pregnant women and youth. The March of Dimes praises the FDA for moving to protect public health, including the health of women and infants, by regulating these products appropriately."

The FDA's decision is a critical step toward imposing appropriate regulations on the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes. With this announcement, manufacturers will be required to comply with a range of current regulations for tobacco products. Manufacturers may only make claims of lower risk if FDA confirms that adequate, appropriate scientific evidence supports that claim. In addition, manufacturers and vendors will be prohibited from selling these products to underage youth or distributing free samples.

"The March of Dimes is especially concerned that e-cigarettes are being pitched by some as a 'safe' alternative for pregnant women," Dr. Howse added. "Absolutely no evidence exists to indicate that e-cigarettes are safe for pregnant women. The March of Dimes urges pregnant and breastfeeding women to avoid e-cigarettes and all other tobacco products to reduce the likelihood of preterm birth, low birthweight, and other health consequences."

The FDA's deeming rule would cover not only e-cigarettes but also cigars, pipe tobacco, waterpipe (hookah) tobacco, and novel products like nicotine gels and dissolvables. The March of Dimes has urged FDA to prioritize research into the effects of e-cigarettes and other nicotine products on pregnancy and birth outcomes. One study indicated that 40 percent of pregnant women surveyed believed electronic cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes; only 57 percent believed that e-cigarettes contain nicotine; and fewer than two-thirds of the women thought that e-cigarettes could be addictive. No data exists to indicate that e-cigarettes are safer or less addictive than traditional tobacco products, and many versions of e-cigarettes contain considerable levels of nicotine.

About March of Dimes

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose volunteers and staff work to improve the health of infants and children by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education and advocacy. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.org or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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SOURCE March of Dimes

Related Links

http://www.marchofdimes.org


WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Gov. Rick Scott's veto to the Florida alimony reform bill put an end to weeks of intense lobbying and suspense which caused an avalanche of more than 11,000 calls and emails to his office.

His response was, "As a husband, father and grandfather, I understand the importance of family and the sensitivity and passion that comes with the subject of family law. As such, we should be judicious and carefully consider the long-term and real-life repercussions on Florida families."

The governor's issue was the provision in the bill (SB 668) that would require judges to begin divorce proceedings with a premise that both parents are entitled to approximately equal time with their children.

Although many were disappointed in his decision, one individual who expressed great disapproval was Matthew Brickman, founder of iMediate Inc., a prominent family and divorce group in Palm Beach County.

He opened by saying, "For forty years data has been collected showing the effects when a dad is not willing or even allowed to be in child's life on a regular basis. The Tender Years Doctrine and the mother state are no more in the state of Florida yet Rick Scott still denies equal timesharing between the mother and the father."

His full comments can be seen in the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMrhymJjMD4

He went on to say, "As for alimony marriage equals indentured slavery after divorce. Scott believes slavery still should be the norm and not change. So much for making a difference."

Gov. Rick Scott has been under fire in the media recently when a woman at a Starbucks in downtown Gainesville recently gave him an earful on decisions on issues he made that she felt adversely affected her. The video can be seen here.

About Matthew Brickman:

Matthew Brickman has been certified by the Supreme Court of Florida as a county civil family mediator who has worked in the 15th and 19th Judicial Circuit Courts since 2009 and 2006 respectively. He is also an appellate certified mediator who has mediated a variety of small claims, civil, and family cases that number in the hundreds.

Website: http://www.ichatmediation.com

If you are a law firm and wish to schedule your mediation you can use this form to schedule your mediation online: Law Firm Scheduler

If you are an individual and wish to schedule your mediation you can use this form to schedule your mediation online: Individual Mediation Scheduler

iChatMediation - Family Mediation Services, 1200 Town Center Drive #424, Jupiter, FL 33458 (877) 822-1479

Contact:

Matthew Brickman

(877) 822-1479

Photos:

http://www.prlog.org/12555498

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE iMediate Inc.

Related Links

http://www.ichatmediation.com


INDIANAPOLIS, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- After the Marion County Election Board awarded Elections Systems and Software (ES&S) a six-year contract to provide voting equipment and support last December, preparations began for the May 3 Primary in Indiana. Marion County, which includes Indiana's capital Indianapolis, has over 650,000 registered voters and includes several excluded cities and towns. The county is also home to 600 precincts.

Poll workers and voters alike took advantage of the state of the art voting equipment, including the DS200 in-precinct scanner and tabulator, the ExpressVote Universal Voting System and the DS850 central scanner and tabulator. Voters were given the option to either fill out paper ballots and feed them into the DS200 once completed, or use the ADA compliant ExpressVote touch screen to complete their selections. Poll workers were greeted with easier opening and closing procedures with the units and utilized the DS850 central scanner to tabulate absentee ballots quickly.

"We are both honored and humbled to be able to continue our professional association with the Marion County Election Board and the Marion County Clerk, Myla Eldridge," said Matt Nelson, Senior Vice President, Corporate Sales. "We understand the tremendous responsibility that comes with providing election services, and are looking forward to an equally successful November with Marion.

"We are most pleased with the simplicity of the ES&S voting system. The ease of set-up, operating and closing makes it ideal for poll workers and election administrators" said Myla A. Eldridge, Clerk of the Marion Circuit Court and Secretary of the Marion County Election Board.

To learn more about the full ES&S suite of voting solutions, please visit www.essvote.com/products.

ABOUT ES&S: Election Systems & Software's visionary approach to election equipment, software and solutions has helped improve the voting experience throughout North America for nearly 40 years. We are committed to developing integrated voting solutions that improve the marketplace and are flexible enough to meet multiple jurisdictions' needs and voter preferences. Learn more about ES&S at www.essvote.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/essvote.

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SOURCE Election Systems & Software

Related Links

http://essvote.com


ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Diagnostic imaging has been on the decline for nearly a decade due to concerns that these tests cause health care costs to spike. However, new advances in the approach to imaging, as well as the adoption of new guidelines are ushering in a new era of medical peripherals that help health care providers cut costs, while helping patients receive better care. Ampronix advanced medical imaging is a renowned authorized reseller of the medical industry's top brands as well as a world class manufacturer of innovative technology.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/364014

EMERGENT POLICY & GUIDELINES

Since its introduction to the medical industry, imaging has become an instrumental asset for diagnosis and surgery. In fact, the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute Report states that it is linked to declines in mortality, longer life expectancy, effective emergency room triage as well as shorter and less hospital visits.

The report also found that cost-cutting policies from 2007 have adversely impacted use of imaging. From 2006 to 2010, Medicare recipients saw a 21 percent drop in costs associated with diagnostic imaging. For privately insured individuals, a 5.4 percent drop was reported from 2009 to 2010.

However, policy changes are not the only cause of imaging utilization reduction. For instance, the Choose Wisely campaign, an initiative by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), advises patients to engage with their doctors to discuss wasteful or unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures.

Their intentions of this campaign are clearto protect patients. The initiative's guidelines advise doctors to order tests and procedures only if they are truly necessary and are not duplicative of other tests. U.S. physicians will be obligated to consult guidelines before ordering high-cost diagnostic exams by 2017.

CONCERNS ABOUT RADIATION EXPOSURE

According to U.S. News & World Report Health, current notions about radiation exposure dates back to the 1950s, during the height of the Cold War. Amid concern of nuclear bomb detonation, the Linear No-Threshold model (LNT) was devised. The LNT holds that a person's risk for developing cancer is directly proportional to their level of radiation exposure.

Dr. James S. Welsh, President of the American College of Radiation Oncology and Dr. Jeffry A. Siegel, President and CEO of Nuclear Physics Enterprises, co-authored the report that argued the LNT model is outdated and is negatively affecting modern medicine.

Since the model was established, new research concerning radiation exposure suggest that cells can heal themselves after low level radiation exposure. They cite evidence that nuclear power plant workers, who are regularly exposed to low level radiation, do not show evidence of higher cancer rates than the general public.

THE SOLUTION

In order to meet the demand of lower radiation exposure and increased patient outcome, health organizations have taken new measures. New guidelines are already in effect to ensure physicians balance cost-effective and quality care.

The use of computerized programming have given physicians the ability to receive immediate feedback as to if they ordered the right test. In addition, new tools that allow radiologists to track their performance have been introduced.

With the advent of precision medicine, a combination of genetics and medical imaging, physicians will be better equipped to understand their patients. 3D optimization and artificial intelligence has also been making waves in the medical community, with clearer imaging making diagnoses more accurate.

"Ampronix is at the crossroads of this new age. We believe it is imperative to make the best technology at with the lowest possible price point whenever possible." Said Jamie Nguyen

Our Modalixx display screens were created so health organizations only need to replace CRT screens instead of entire modalities, allowing clients to both save time and lives.

In addition, our all-in-one Versapaxx display can be used anywhere; angiography lab, operating room or cath lab, among others. The interactive display facilitates advanced analysis by allowing the medical professional to record, edit or zoom.

The effect of shifting industry best practices on medical imaging has been very pronounced in the last decade. As advances in medicine such as molecular imaging and precision medicine are made, Ampronix will be at the forefront of creating the newest necessary medical technology to give medical professionals cost efficient ways of integrating such changes.

Contact Ampronix:

International Sales: +1 949-273-8000

Domestic Sales: 1-800-400-7972 for US and Canada

Email: [email protected] or Contact Us Here

Follow Us:

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

About Ampronix:

Ampronix is a renowned authorized reseller of the medical industry's top brands as well as a world class manufacturer of innovative technology. Since 1982, Ampronix has been dedicated to meeting the growing needs of the medical community with its extensive product knowledge, outstanding service, and state-of-the-art repair facility. Ampronix prides itself on its ability to offer tailored, one-stop solutions at a faster and more cost effective rate than other manufacturers. Ampronix is ISO 13485:2003, ISO 9001:2008, and ANSI/ESD S20.20-2007 registered and certified.

For more info visit our Homepage

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Ampronix

Related Links

http://www.ampronix.com/


WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mesothelioma Victims Center is now urging a US Navy Veteran recently diagnosed with mesothelioma to call them anytime at 800-714-0303 so they can discover if they were stuck on a navy ship during an overhaul or retrofit at a shipyard. In many instances, the mesothelioma compensation potential for these types of people can ramp up dramatically because these types of Veterans were stuck on the ship during these overhauls, 24-7.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363566

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363567

By assigning the sailor to stay, sleep, and work on their ship while at a shipyard, these types of Veterans were potentially exposed to asbestos levels that would be hard to comprehend. Only shipyard workers would have had similar extreme exposure to asbestos, but their job would have allowed them to go home after their shift; most US Navy Veterans stuck on their ship did not have this luxury. http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

The Center says, "If you talk to a US Navy Veteran who was stuck on any frigate, destroyer, cruiser, battleship, amphibious assault ship, or aircraft carrier during a retrofit or overhaul at a shipyard, the extreme nature of the asbestos exposure is hard to even comprehend. It is a wonder that every US Navy Veteran who was stuck on their ship as either a worker or in a support role at a shipyard does not have mesothelioma because the asbestos exposure was typically off the charts.

"We offer US Navy Veterans with mesothelioma several unique services that few other groups do and they are as follows:

"Instant access to the nation's leading mesothelioma lawyers on the spot. These professionals have well over one decade of helping US Veterans get the very best financial compensation on a nationwide basis.

"We do everything possible to see to it that the US Navy Veteran is talking to the nation's most renowned medical doctors that specialize in the treatment of mesothelioma. This is a much better alternative than the caliber of expertise a Veteran with mesothelioma will get at most VA hospitals.

"Evaluation of a possible mesothelioma financial claim in an expedited fashion. The last thing we want to see happen to a US Navy Veteran with mesothelioma is to get pushed to the back of the line when it comes to compensation or treatment. Before you hire a lawyer for mesothelioma please call us anytime at 800-714-0303." http://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

For a listing of current or former US Navy Shipyards please refer to the following website: http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/3public.htm

According to the CDC the states indicated with the highest incidence of mesothelioma include Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, Washington, and Oregon. However, based on the calls the Mesothelioma Victims Center receives a diagnosed victim of mesothelioma could live in any state. The average age for a diagnosed victim of mesothelioma in the United States is 72 years old.

High risk work groups for exposure to asbestos include US Navy Veterans, power plant workers, shipyard workers, oil refinery workers, steel mill workers, manufacturing or industrial workers, plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, roofers, machinists, miners, or construction workers. Typically the exposure to asbestos occurred in the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, or 1980's. US Navy Veterans make up about one third of all US Citizens who are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.

The Mesothelioma Victims Center says, "Before you hire a law firm to advance a mesothelioma compensation claim please call us at 800-714-0303, and compare our qualifications to any other lawyer, or law firm in the nation." http://www.belluckfox.com/

For more information about mesothelioma please refer to the National Institutes of Health's web site related to this rare form of cancer: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mesothelioma.html

Media Contact:

M. Thomas Martin

866-714-6466

SOURCE Mesothelioma Victims Center

Related Links

http://mesotheliomavictimscenter.com


MetoKote has been providing high-temperature, liquid paint services to Cardington Yutaka Technologies for their exhaust components for over 15 years. This award was granted for the outstanding scheduling flexibility and part turnaround given to Cardington throughout the past year. "The plant staff and employees are very excited to win this award," stated Mark Blasiman, Sales Account Manager for MetoKote Corporation. "We view Cardington as a partner and we strive to offer them top-notch service along with an exceptionally well coated part."

High-temperature resistant coatings are designed to withstand temperatures ranging from 300 F to 1,200 F while providing excellent protection against corrosion. MetoKote provides two color options to Cardington, silver and black, and apply the single-component material utilizing two highly efficient robotic systems. Heat resistance coatings are primarily used with exhaust system components due to the extreme temperatures to which these components are exposed.

The MetoKote  Lima facility, established in 1972, is one of thirty facilities located in seven countries, and it is the largest and the most diverse MetoKote location. Located next to the corporate office, this facility has been certified to ISO/TS 16949 since 2005 and is often used to test next generation coatings, as well as launching new specialty coatings. In addition to the high temperature liquid paint, the plant also offers electrocoat, powder coat, aluminum pretreatment and general-purpose metal cleaning services to many different industries.

About MetoKote

MetoKote Corporation, established in 1969 and headquartered in Lima, Ohio, serves its many customers in 30 facilities throughout the United States and the world. MetoKote provides environmentally sound and cost-effective coating solutions including equipment, coating application, and related management and support services to a wide variety of industries such as agriculture, appliance, automotive, computer, construction equipment, electrical, furniture, industrial equipment, recreational, and truck and bus. For more information, visit www.metokote.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363800

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SOURCE MetoKote Corporation

Related Links

http://www.metokote.com


COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE: MTD) today announced first quarter results for 2016. Provided below are the highlights:

Sales in local currency increased 4% in the quarter compared with the prior year. Reported sales increased 1% as currency reduced sales growth by 3% in the quarter.

Net earnings per diluted share as reported (EPS) were $2.40 , compared with $2.19 in the prior-year period. Adjusted EPS was $2.46 , an increase of 9% over the prior-year amount of $2.25 . Adjusted EPS is a non-GAAP measure and excludes purchased intangible amortization, discrete tax items, restructuring charges and other one-time items. A reconciliation to EPS is provided on the last page of the attached schedules.

First Quarter Results

Olivier Filliol, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We had a solid start to the year with our first quarter results. Americas had another quarter of good sales growth while Europe came in a little below our expectations. Emerging markets had solid growth including growth in China. With good execution and benefit of productivity initiatives, we achieved solid growth in EPS despite currency headwinds."

EPS in the quarter was $2.40, compared with the prior-year amount of $2.19. Adjusted EPS was $2.46, an increase of 9% over the prior-year amount of $2.25.

Sales were $539.7 million, a 4% increase in local currency sales, compared with $535.7 million in the prior-year quarter. Reported sales increased 1% as currency reduced sales growth by 3% in the quarter. As compared to the prior year, local currency sales increased 6% in the Americas and 4% in Asia / Rest of World. In Europe, sales in local currency were constant with the prior year. Adjusted operating income amounted to $102.0 million, a 5% increase from the prior-year amount of $97.3 million. Adjusted operating income is a non-GAAP measure, and a reconciliation to earnings before taxes is provided in the attached schedules.

Cash flow from operations was $35.7 million, compared with $58.6 million in the prior-year quarter.

Outlook

The Company updated its outlook for 2016 and noted that forecasting remains challenging.

Based on today's assessment, management anticipates that local currency sales growth in 2016 will be approximately 4% and Adjusted EPS is forecasted to be in the range of $14.25 to $14.35, an increase of 10% to 11%. This compares to previous guidance of local currency sales growth in the range of 3% to 4% and Adjusted EPS in the range of $14.10 to $14.30.

For the second quarter 2016, management anticipates that local currency sales growth will be approximately 4% and Adjusted EPS is forecasted to be in the range of $3.09 to $3.14, an increase of 10% to 12%.

Adjusted EPS excludes purchased intangible amortization, discrete tax items, restructuring charges and other one-time items. While the Company has provided an outlook for Adjusted EPS, it has not provided an outlook for EPS as it would require an estimate of non-recurring items, which are not yet known.

Conclusion

Filliol concluded, "We are pleased with the start to the year but remain cautious on the global economy as uncertainty remains. Our initiatives remain on track and we expect to continue to benefit from new product introductions, Field Turbo investments, Spinnaker sales and marketing programs and continued productivity measures. We are focused on continued strong execution and believe we can continue to generate above-market growth."

Other Matters

The Company will host a conference call to discuss its quarterly results today (Thursday, May 5) at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. To hear a live webcast or replay of the call, visit the investor relations page on the Company's website at www.mt.com/investors. The presentation referenced in the conference call will be located on the website prior to the call.

METTLER TOLEDO is a leading global supplier of precision instruments and services. The Company has strong leadership positions in all businesses and believes it holds global number-one market positions in a majority of them. Specifically, METTLER TOLEDO is the largest provider of weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial and food retailing applications. The Company is also a leading provider in analytical instruments for use in life science, reaction engineering and real-time analytic systems used in drug and chemical compound development and process analytics instruments used for in-line measurement in production processes. In addition, METTLER TOLEDO is the largest supplier of end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging for food, pharmaceutical and other industries. Additional information about METTLER TOLEDO can be found at www.mt.com/investors.

Statements in this press release which are not historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our businesses' actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. For a discussion of these risks and uncertainties, please see the discussion on forward-looking statements in our current report on Form 8-K to which this release has been furnished as an exhibit. All of the forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed under the captions "Factors affecting our future operating results" and in the "Business" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of our annual report on Form 10-K for the most recently completed fiscal year, which describe risks and factors that could cause results to differ materially from those projected in those forward-looking statements.

METTLER-TOLEDO INTERNATIONAL INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (amounts in thousands except share data) (unaudited)















































Three months ended













Three months ended















March 31, 2016

% of sales



March 31, 2015

% of sales









































Net sales



$539,674 (a)



100.0







$535,701





100.0



Cost of sales



239,767





44.4







236,896





44.2



Gross profit



299,907





55.6







298,805





55.8











































Research and development



28,973





5.4







28,461





5.3



Selling, general and administrative



168,921





31.3







173,038





32.3



Amortization



8,424





1.6







7,528





1.4



Interest expense



6,580





1.2







6,725





1.3



Restructuring charges



880





0.2







907





0.2



Other charges (income), net



(284)





(0.1)







(817)





(0.2)



Earnings before taxes



86,413





16.0







82,963





15.5











































Provision for taxes



20,739





3.8







19,912





3.7



Net earnings



$65,674





12.2







$63,051





11.8











































Basic earnings per common share:



































Net earnings



$2.44















$2.24











Weighted average number of common shares



26,931,293















28,115,220



















































Diluted earnings per common share:



































Net earnings



$2.40















$2.19











Weighted average number of common



27,421,019















28,762,935











and common equivalent shares











































































Note:





























(a) Local currency sales increased 4% as compared to the same period in 2015.



















































RECONCILIATION OF EARNINGS BEFORE TAXES TO ADJUSTED OPERATING INCOME















































Three months ended













Three months ended















March 31, 2016

% of sales



March 31, 2015

% of sales









































Earnings before taxes



$86,413















$82,963











Amortization



8,424















7,528











Interest expense



6,580















6,725











Restructuring charges



880















907











Other charges (income), net



(284)















(817)











Adjusted operating income



$102,013 (b)



18.9







$97,306





18.2











































Note:



































(b) Adjusted operating income increased 5% as compared to the same period in 2015.





METTLER-TOLEDO INTERNATIONAL INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (amounts in thousands) (unaudited)











































March 31, 2016



December 31, 2015



















Cash and cash equivalents



$110,595







$98,887

Accounts receivable, net



387,296







411,420

Inventories



227,323







214,383

Other current assets and prepaid expenses



141,485







138,125

Total current assets



866,699







862,815





















Property, plant and equipment, net



521,496







517,229

Goodwill and other intangibles assets, net



564,173







561,536

Other non-current assets



82,905







75,059

Total assets



$2,035,273







$2,016,639





















Short-term borrowings and maturities of long-term debt



$17,381







$14,488

Trade accounts payable



120,536







142,075

Accrued and other current liabilities



406,875







438,564

Total current liabilities



544,792







595,127





















Long-term debt



681,872







575,138

Other non-current liabilities



265,276







265,917

Total liabilities



1,491,940







1,436,182





















Shareholders' equity



543,333







580,457

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity



$2,035,273







$2,016,639























METTLER-TOLEDO INTERNATIONAL INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (amounts in thousands) (unaudited)























Three months ended









March 31,









2016

2015

















Cash flow from operating activities:











Net earnings



$65,674

$63,051

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to











net cash provided by operating activities:











Depreciation



8,122

8,301

Amortization



8,424

7,528

Deferred tax benefit



(3,304)

(1,670)

Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements

(5,805)

(441)

Other



3,579

3,480

Decrease in cash resulting from changes in











operating assets and liabilities



(40,990)

(21,653)

Net cash provided by operating activities



35,700

58,596

















Cash flows from investing activities:











Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment



135

42

Purchase of property, plant and equipment



(14,348)

(18,539)

Acquisitions



(4,329)

(200)

Net hedging settlements on intercompany loans



2,128

(8,384)

Net cash used in investing activities



(16,414)

(27,081)

















Cash flows from financing activities:











Proceeds from borrowings



229,413

150,996

Repayments of borrowings



(124,467)

(77,486)

Proceeds from exercise of stock options



5,909

9,546

Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements



5,805

441

Repurchases of common stock



(125,000)

(123,745)

Other financing activities



(125)

-

Net cash used in financing activities



(8,465)

(40,248)

















Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents



887

(1,171)

















Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents



11,708

(9,904)

















Cash and cash equivalents:











Beginning of period



98,887

85,263

End of period



$110,595

$75,359

































RECONCILIATION OF NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES TO FREE CASH FLOW















Net cash provided by operating activities



$35,700

$58,596

Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements



5,805

441

Payments in respect of restructuring activities



1,841

806

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment



135

42

Purchase of property, plant and equipment



(14,348)

(18,539)

Free cash flow



$29,133

$41,346



















METTLER-TOLEDO INTERNATIONAL INC. OTHER OPERATING STATISTICS























































SALES GROWTH BY DESTINATION (unaudited)



































Europe

Americas

Asia/RoW

Total































U.S. Dollar Sales Growth (Decrease)

























Three Months Ended March 31, 2016



(2%)

5% (1%)

1%





























Local Currency Sales Growth (Decrease)

























Three Months Ended March 31, 2016



0%

6% 4%

4%





















































































RECONCILIATION OF DILUTED EPS AS REPORTED TO ADJUSTED DILUTED EPS (unaudited)







































Three months ended













March 31,













2016



2015

% Growth





























EPS as reported, diluted







$2.40



$2.19

10%





























Restructuring charges, net of tax







0.02 (a)

0.02 (a)





Purchased intangible amortization, net of tax







0.04 (b)

0.04 (b)

































Adjusted EPS, diluted







$2.46



$2.25

9%





























Notes:























(a) Represents the EPS impact of restructuring charges of $0.9 million ($0.7 million after tax) for both the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which primarily include employee related costs. (b) Represents the EPS impact of purchased intangibles amortization, net of tax, of $1.1 million and $1.0 million for the three month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

SOURCE Mettler-Toledo International Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mt.com


LOS ANGELES, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- mitu, the largest digital media brand for Latino millennials, in partnership with the top civic empowerment groups in America, launches the T.A.C.O. Challenge (Take Action. Commit Others). This is a nationwide social campaign dedicated to registering one million Latino millennials to vote by October 8, 2016. Latino millennials account for 44% of eligible Hispanic voters, yet only 38% of Latino millennials voted in 2012. mitu aims to change that with this nationwide digital and grass roots movement. mitu enlisted the most prominent voter organizations to join in this groundbreaking civic engagement campaign along with celebrities, musicians, athletes and social influencers.

"We will use mitu's massive social reach through its video content to engage and inspire Latino millennials to have a say in how our country will be run and encourage them to get out and vote.

We are excited that so many celebrities and social influencers have joined our T.A.C.O. Challenge by agreeing to take action and commit others to vote," said Beatriz Acevedo, President and Co-founder of mitu.

The T.A.C.O Challenge asks Latino millennials to encourage their social network to register to vote! Participants can spread the word and challenge others to join in through Instagram or Twitter using #TACOchallenge and by tagging @wearemitu. Once the challenge is accepted people can register to vote through the voter registration site, Latinosvote2016.org or by downloading the free Latinos Vote mobile app. The app is available for iOS and Android operating systems.

Danny Trejo, Eugenio Derbez, Russell Simmons, Magic Johnson, Aloe Blacc, Jazmin V., Tatyana Ali, Marco Antonio Regil, are among the notables that have accepted the challenge and will support via social media.

In conjunction with the social initiative, mitu is taking the T.A.C.O. Challenge to the streets with the T.A.C.O. Tour. The Tour will kick off in Los Angeles at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes on Saturday, May 7, 2016. In addition to California, other target states include Texas, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Ohio and North Carolina. These special events will feature live performances, food and voter registration booths. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is a supporter of this movement and will be onsite helping to get voters registered.

"Civic engagement is at the heart of our democracy," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "That's why my Step Forward LA initiative works with thousands of legal permanent residents to introduce and complete the naturalization process. When immigrants become part of our civic discourse  when they can vote, earn better wages, and pursue higher education  it lifts up our entire community. Today, we join mitu's T.A.C.O. challenge to promote voter registration among millennials across the country, because when we vote, we impact who leads our country and how it is run."

Other expected event guests include Rosario Dawson, Richard Cabral, Diego Boneta, Nick Gonzalez, Jackie Cruz, Efren Ramirez, Chef Marcela Valladolid, La Santa Cecilia, Maya Jupiter, Kat Dahlia, Eric Ochoa "SUPEReeeGO", Luan Palomera, Yulema Ramirez and more TBA.

Rosario Dawson is excited to join the movement and attend the event. "Latino millennials are the face of the new American majority. Together, we have a responsibility to transform our democracy and ensure that every person has a voice in the political process," said Dawson. "That's why I'm proud to be a part of a historic effort to register and activate 1 million Latino millennials. This election will be decided by us, all of us, and we must do everything in our power to ensure that we create the kind of future that we know is indeed possible," she continued.

About mitu

mitu is emerging as the voice of young Latinos in the U.S. and worldwide. As the fastest growing digital media brand with the highest engagement rate amongst young Latinos, mitu is focused on creating culturally relevant content and experiences for today's Latino youth culture. For more information, please visit www.mitunetwork.com.

Organizations dedicated to helping mitu reach the voter registration goal include, City of Los Angeles, Revolve Impact, Toberman Neighborhood Center, Divine Forces Media, NCLR, FWD.us, Rock the Vote, CHIRLA, Voto Latino, Define American, Mi Familia Vota, LULAC, United We Dream, NHMC, NALIP, Homeboy Industries, Center for Community Change , LifeBoxset ,

Communities in Schools, Youth Justice Coalition, Homies Unidos , Gathering for Justice , Project Kinship , Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Sankofa, The Courage Campaign, Inner-City Struggle, New Earth, Street Poets, Alliance for Community Empowerment, Arts for LA and All of Us or None Los Angeles.

About Step Forward LA:

Step Forward LA is an initiative launched by Mayor Eric Garcetti aimed at engaging and encouraging more than 350,000 legal permanent resident immigrants in Los Angeles to take the necessary steps to become U.S. citizens. By visiting the Step Forward LA website, Angelenos can determine their eligibility and find out about available naturalization resources and citizenship workshops in their area.

SOURCE mitu

Related Links

http://www.mitunetwork.com


NEW YORK, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MultiPlan, Inc., the industry's most comprehensive provider of healthcare cost management solutions, today announced that affiliates of Hellman & Friedman have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire control of the company from Starr Investment Holdings, LLC and Partners Group. Starr and Partners Group will retain minority investments in the company on behalf of their clients. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1980, MultiPlan is the nation's largest provider of transaction-based solutions that reduce medical costs. The company uses technology, analytics and data to generate over $13 billion in savings annually for commercial, property and casualty, and government payers of medical claims. Its solutions reduce about 40 million medical bills annually through analytics- and network- based cost containment strategies, and analyze well over 300 million bills to identify opportunities for improved claims payment integrity.

"As a technology-powered, data-driven, cost management company, MultiPlan is firmly committed to reducing the costs of medical claims," said Mark Tabak, Chief Executive Officer of MultiPlan. "We are equally vigilant in ensuring claims payment integrity for our clients, with a focus on identifying possible clinical waste and abuse. We are pleased to be partnering with Hellman & Friedman, an experienced investor in both healthcare and technology, and look forward to our next chapter with them."

Mr. Tabak added: "Starr and Partners Group helped guide MultiPlan through a period of significant growth. We thank them for their contributions to our success, and welcome their continued support as investors."

"MultiPlan is a trusted cost management partner to healthcare payers and providers through its unmatched network and analytics. Mark Tabak and the team have built an excellent business by delivering outstanding service and continually expanding solutions for clients," said Allen Thorpe, Managing Director at Hellman & Friedman. "We are thrilled to invest further to strengthen the Company's capabilities and expand its footprint."

"Our partnership with MultiPlan, the culmination of a multi-decade relationship, has been a period of innovation highlighted by the continued development of its technology-enabled solutions allowing the Company to expand into new markets and drive unprecedented growth," said Geoffrey Clark, Senior Managing Director of Starr Investment Holdings.

"We are very proud of the impressive growth MultiPlan has achieved throughout our partnership and are delighted to have the opportunity to continue to support the business. The Company has strived to enhance and expand its offering and today contributes significantly towards easing pressure on national healthcare expenditures," said Joel Schwartz, Managing Director of Partners Group.

As part of the transaction, GIC, Singapore's Sovereign Wealth Fund, and Leonard Green & Partners will invest alongside Hellman & Friedman. Barclays, Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett are advising Hellman & Friedman. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Kirkland & Ellis LLP are advising MultiPlan and the seller.

About MultiPlan, Inc.

MultiPlan, Inc. is the industry's most comprehensive provider of technology-enabled healthcare cost management solutions. The company provides a single gateway to a host of analytics- and network-based solutions for managing the financial risks associated with medical claims, as well as solutions that improve payment integrity by resolving waste, abuse and fraud before payments are made. Clients include insurers, health plans, third party administrators, self-funded employers, HMOs and other entities that pay medical bills in the commercial healthcare, government, workers compensation and auto medical markets. For more information, please visit www.multiplan.com.

About Hellman & Friedman

Hellman & Friedman is a leading private equity investment firm with offices in San Francisco, New York, and London. Since its founding in 1984, Hellman & Friedman has raised over $35 billion of committed capital. The firm focuses on investing in superior business franchises and serving as a value-added partner to management in select industries including healthcare, financial services, software, internet & media, business & information services, energy & industrials and retail & consumer. For more information on Hellman & Friedman, please visit www.hf.com.

About Starr Investment Holdings, LLC

Starr Investment Holdings, LLC ("SIH") is a multi-billion dollar New York-based investment adviser that leverages the Starr Companies' unique duration-agnostic capital together with that of select institutions and family offices. SIH invests in privately-held technology-enabled services businesses with strong market positions in industries such as healthcare, financial services and consumer. SIH partners with world class management teams, supporting them with flexible capital and strategic resources that enable their companies to achieve their full potential. For more information, please visit www.starrholdings.com.

About Partners Group

Partners Group is a global private markets investment management firm with over USD 50 billion (EUR 46 billion) in investment programs under management in private equity, private real estate, private infrastructure and private debt. The firm manages a broad range of customized portfolios for an international clientele of institutional investors. Partners Group is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, and has offices in San Francisco, Houston, New York, Sao Paulo, London, Guernsey, Paris, Luxembourg, Milan, Munich, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo and Sydney. The firm employs over 800 people and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (symbol: PGHN) with a major ownership by its partners and employees. For more information, please visit www.partnersgroup.com.

SOURCE MultiPlan, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.multiplan.com


MONTREAL and NEWTON, Mass., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NATIONAL Public Relations, Canada's leading public relations firm and one of the world's leading independent communications firms, today announced that SHIFT Communications, an integrated communications agency with offices in Boston, New York City, Austin and San Francisco, is joining its ranks.

SHIFT Communications & NATIONAL join forces to create communications powerhouse. Front row from left, from SHIFT Communications: Amy Lyons, Managing Partner; Todd Defren, Founding Partner; Jim Joyal, Partner; Paula Finestone, Executive Vice-President, Operations. Second row, from NATIONAL Public Relations: Valerie Beauregard, Executive Vice-President; Jean-Pierre Vasseur, President and CEO; Royal Poulin, Executive Vice-President and CFO.

The transaction is part of NATIONAL's long-term growth strategy focused on maintaining and diversifying the Firm's international client base and capabilities. When added to the Firm's already flourishing specialist healthcare consultancy, AXON Communications in New York's Hudson Valley, NATIONAL is now poised to quickly emerge as an industry leader in the U.S.

"Our story is one of sustained targeted growth. Over the last 40 years, NATIONAL has grown from a two-person Montreal-based public relations shop to the 24th most important PR agency in the world, now with 550 employees and 17 offices across North America and Europe," said Andrew Molson, chairman of NATIONAL Public Relations. "We are thrilled to welcome SHIFT into the NATIONAL fold. Their stellar industry reputation, notably in data-driven PR, and their geographical footprint add significant value to our current and future service offering."

SHIFT was founded in 2003 by principals Todd Defren and Jim Joyal, and quickly established itself as a pioneer in the PR industry with its early thought leadership and adoption of social media. More recently SHIFT has pushed the boundaries of the definition of public relations. By blending earned and social media with marketing technology and creative elements, SHIFT is bringing the vision of "data-driven PR" to life. Through this process SHIFT is leading the evolution of public relations into a true strategic driver for marketing at the C-Level. And in a unique turn, last year SHIFT entered into a strategic agreement with Google to become a Google Analytics Certified Partner (GACP), a significant milestone for the Agency and for the public relations industry as a whole.

"We are delighted to join the NATIONAL family," said Defren. "This is a deal that began  and crossed the finish line  because from our first meeting, we recognized an immediate alignment on values, culture and vision. We're very much looking forward to helping NATIONAL expand its North American footprint, and believe we have found the right partner to help us achieve our own ambitions for delivering a new style of data-driven PR."

SHIFT will retain its name, leadership team, marketplace agenda and geographic footprint following the transaction and the firm is committed to ensuring a seamless transition for all of its stakeholders. The success of existing client programs and priorities was a central consideration in the structuring of the transaction, and both parties look forward to collaborating in support of our teams and clients.

About NATIONAL Public Relations

NATIONAL Public Relations connects clients to the people who matter most; delivering the right message, at the right time. Grounded in research, insight and deep sector understanding, we bring together teams of discipline experts from across our network to provide creative communications solutions that move people in thought and actions. For 40 years, NATIONAL has been at the centre of issues and industries that matter, leading change for today and tomorrow.

NATIONAL is Canada's leading public relations firm, servicing clients across a wide range of sectors, with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, Halifax and St. John's. The NATIONAL network also includes NATIONAL Equicom, the industry's foremost investor relations and financial services communications practice; healthcare specialists AXON Communications, with offices in New York, Toronto, London and Copenhagen; and Madano, a UK strategic communications consultancy based in London. NATIONAL Public Relations is part of RES PUBLICA Consulting Group, and is affiliated internationally with public relations firm BursonMarsteller, a WPP company. For more information about NATIONAL, please visit our website at www.national.ca or you can follow us on Twitter.

About SHIFT

Established in 2003, SHIFT Communications is an award-winning, national public relations firm that represents some of the best-known enterprise and consumer brands, including Citrix, Demandbase, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, McDonald's, Orchard Supply Hardware, Red Hat, RSA Conference, Webroot and Whole Foods Market. SHIFT Communications' 150+ employees are located in the Boston, San Francisco, New York and Austin metros. For more information on SHIFT's data-driven approach to marketing and public relations visit www.shiftcomm.com .

INFORMATION:

NATIONAL Public Relations media contact info:

Scott Anderson

[email protected]

416-586-1954

SHIFT media contact info:

Derek Lyons

[email protected]

617-779-1838

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SOURCE SHIFT Communications, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.shiftcomm.com


The formation of the Innovative Lending Platform Association and the launch of the SMART Box initiative follows an in-depth analysis of the small business marketplace that began in 2015 and is informed by small business organization survey data, including recent findings from an industry study underscoring small business customer preferences and priorities. Starting today, the Association is open to all small business lenders and stakeholders to engage on the SMART Box initiative via www.innovativelending.org .

The SMART Box initiative will be open to industry stakeholders for engagement to ensure that the new model disclosure is comprehensive, well-informed, and truly empowers small business borrowers to make an apples to apples comparison for different lending options. The AEO, with the mission of creating economic opportunity for underserved entrepreneurs, will serve as the engagement facilitator, and process feedback received from interested stakeholders.

Together the three founding companies of the Innovative Lending Platform Association have provided access to more than $12 billion dollars in working capital to small businesses to help drive growth and hiring.

Beginning in June 2016, the Innovative Lending Platform Association will commence a 90-day "national engagement period" in which it will seek feedback on the SMART Box initiative from interested lenders, trade associations, policymakers, and non-profit organizations. In September 2016, the Innovative Lending Platform Association will encourage those interested in promoting the responsible development of the small business lending industry to voluntarily adopt or support the model disclosure.

Founding Member Quotes

"OnDeck is one hundred percent focused on responsibly serving small businesses and we are proud to join other industry leaders in this groundbreaking initiative to establish transparency best-practices that benefit the marketplace," said Noah Breslow, chief executive officer, OnDeck. "In the days ahead, we look forward to working with other lenders, trade associations, policymakers, and non-profit organizations to create a national model for small business lending disclosure."

"As our industry rapidly evolves, we believe it is critical to provide the tools and transparency businesses need to make informed borrowing decisions," said Kathryn Petralia, co-founder and COO of Kabbage. "We founded Kabbage based on the fundamental premise that businesses can use the power of their own data to grow in ways never before thought possible. We are thrilled to take our commitment to SMBs to the next level by joining this group of fintech leaders to launch a clear methodology for how fees are calculated and communicated to borrowers. We look forward to continuing this open dialogue with our peers, customers, policy makers and regulators to support small business growth in the United States."

"Ever since our company was started by a small business owner 18 years ago, CAN Capital has believed that the key to the success of our industry rests on the success of the small businesses we serve," said Daniel DeMeo, chief executive officer, CAN Capital. "This means providing clear disclosures on pricing, ensuring products are represented accurately and providing the highest level of customer service. We are excited to work with our fellow leaders in alternative small business finance and other stakeholders in the sector to publish best practices that can help support the small business owners that are the backbone of America's economy."

Partner Quote

"The SMART Box Initiative could be a game changer in driving small business ownership through greater inclusion to capital access," said Connie Evans, AEO's President and CEO. "We are proud to be part of a collective cross-sector effort to bring creative solutions to the complex issue of improving capital access to Main Street. It should go far in helping business owners, particularly those in underserved communities, navigate the new frontier of lending options."

The Association has begun engaging with other organizations that represent a broad set of small business capital providers interested in advancing standards. To engage with the Innovative Lending Platform Association in the development of the SMART Box initiative, please go to: www.innovativelending.org.

About the Innovative Lending Platform Association

The Innovative Lending Platform Association is focused on advancing small business online lending education, advocacy, and best practices. To promote common disclosure verbiage and standardization, the group's first priority, launched in partnership with the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), the leading advocate for microbusiness in the United States, is an initiative to create a model small business lending disclosure called the SMART Box. Together the three founding companies of the Innovative Lending Platform Association  CAN Capital, Kabbage and OnDeck - have provided access to more than $12 billion dollars in working capital to small businesses to help drive growth and hiring. Organizations seeking to engage with the Innovative Lending Platform Association in the development of the SMART Box initiative, please go to: www.innovativelending.org.

About OnDeck

OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK) is the leader in online small business lending. Since 2007, the company has powered Main Street's growth through advanced lending technology and a constant dedication to customer service. OnDeck's proprietary credit scoring system  the OnDeck Score  leverages advanced analytics, enabling OnDeck to make real-time lending decisions and deliver capital to small businesses in as little as 24 hours. OnDeck offers business owners a complete financing solution, including the online lending industry's widest range of term loans and lines of credit. To date, the company has deployed over $4 billion to more than 50,000 customers in 700 different industries across the United States, Canada and Australia. OnDeck has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and operates the educational small business financing website www.businessloans.com. For more information, please visit www.ondeck.com.

About Kabbage

Kabbage Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, has pioneered the first financial services data and technology platform to provide fully automated funding to small businesses in minutes. Kabbage leverages data generated through business activity such as accounting data, online sales, shipping and dozens of other sources to understand performance and deliver fast, flexible funding in real time. Kabbage is funded and backed by Reverence Capital Partners, SoftBank Capital, Thomvest Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures, BlueRun Ventures, the UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund, ING, Santander InnoVentures, Scotiabank, TCW/Craton and additional investors, including Ron Conway's SV Angel, David Bonderman, founder of TPG Capital, and Warren Stephens, CEO of Stephen Inc. All Kabbage and Karrot U.S.-based loans are made by Celtic Bank, a Utah-Chartered Industrial Bank, Member FDIC. For more information, please visit http://www.kabbage.com and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter.

About CAN Capital

CAN Capital, Inc., established in 1998, is the pioneer and market share leader in alternative small business finance, having provided access to over $6 billion in capital for small businesses in a wide range of locations and different business types.

As a technology-powered financial services provider, CAN Capital uses innovative and proprietary risk models combined with daily performance data to evaluate business performance and facilitate access to capital for entrepreneurs in a fast and efficient way.

CAN Capital, an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company, makes capital available to businesses through business loans made by WebBank, a Utah chartered Industrial Bank, member FDIC, and through CAN Capital's subsidiaries: Merchant Cash Advances by CAN Capital Merchant Services, Inc., and business loans by CAN Capital Asset Servicing, Inc. For more information, please visit www.cancapital.com and follow the company on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.

About AEO

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) is the leading voice of innovation in microfinance and microbusiness in the United States. For twenty-five years, AEO and its more than 450 member organizations have helped millions of entrepreneurs contribute to economic growth while supporting themselves, their families and their communities. AEO members and partners include a broad range of organizations that provide capital and services to assist underserved entrepreneurs in starting, stabilizing and expanding their businesses. Together, we are working to change the way that capital and services flow to underserved entrepreneurs so that they can create jobs and opportunities for all.

Media Contacts:



OnDeck

Miranda Eifler

[email protected]

(917) 677-7112



Kabbage

Katie Hutchison

[email protected]

(415) 592-5960



CAN Capital

Michele Koch

[email protected]

(678) 564-3002



AEO

Tammy Halevy

[email protected]

(202) 650-5580 ext. 52

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SOURCE OnDeck
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Education Foundation (NEF), the national nonprofit leader in K-12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education solutions, has announced Lehighton Schools, PA the winner of its 2016 STEM Leadership Award for $10,000.

Lehighton students advanced a grade level in math and reading in 26 and 27 learning hours respectively, a phenomenal achievement.

The STEM Leadership Award celebrates the exemplary implementation of the NEF-SUNY (State University of New York) STEM education solution including personalized learning, teacher stipends, student rewards, teacher and parent training.

According to Lehighton Superintendent JJ Cleaver and STEM academy director Charlie Bachert, "It is a great honor and privilege to be recognized with an award of this magnitude from such a prestigious group as NEF. We are fortunate to have such a strong partnership with NEF, and look forward to expanding our STEM program districtwide."

NEF Chairman Dr. Appu Kuttan and NEF national STEM academy director Prof. Anthony Betrus of the State University of New York at Potsdam stated, "NEF is concerned that the US is ranked 27th out of 34 countries in math and science. Our world-class STEM Academies across the nation will help students of disadvantaged schools improve their STEM skills, and better prepare them for jobs in the highly competitive 21st century global economy."

Lehighton's success stands out as a clear example of how to cost-effectively improve student achievement by involving and motivating all the stakeholdersstudents, teachers, parents and administrators.

School districts in Canton, NY, Sidney, NE, Steubenville, OH, and Warren County, PA have also been recognized for their distinguished achievements in STEM. These distinguished honors carry monetary awards from NEF.

In addition to these annual awards, NEF provides 80% STEM matching grants to disadvantaged school districts nationwide. Lehighton's STEM+ academy was fully funded by the Federal QZAB (www.qzab.org) program and NEF's significant matching grant.

Through the QZAB, STEM+ and Adopt-A-School grant initiatives, NEF has created the most cost-effective and high-quality STEM+ education solution in the U.S, mapped to every state's standards.

NEF has STEM+ Academies in 20 states and in several major cities. NEF's ultimate goal is to provide STEM+ education to students in most disadvantaged school districts in the U.S. by 2020.

For information about NEF's grant programs for students, jobseekers, teachers and veterans, contact NEF at 703-823-9999 or visit www.cyberlearning.org

For STEM+ Academy Grants, visit: www.cyberlearning.org/stemgrant

SOURCE National Education Foundation - CyberLearning

Related Links

http://www.cyberlearning.org


THERMAL, California, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

New Global Energy, Inc. (OTCQB: NGEY) ("the Company"), a public company focused on Aqua-Farming, Agriculture, and Health & Wellness, announced today that its Board of Directors has approved the launch of Moringa Reserve, LLC to develop, operate, distribute and sell Moringa-based products to U.S. retail markets.

Moringa Reserve, LLC will be operated as a joint venture between New Global Energy and Moringa Energy, LLC, whose principals are the owners of the world's largest Moringa farm located in Leon, Nicaragua. The 180-acre farm is a leading source of nutrient rich Moringa and will ensure that Moringa Reserve has access to the finest quality Moringa in sufficient supply to meet demand. The companies signed a definitive operating agreement and production is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2017.

"Our Moringa is all natural and organically grown without any chemicals on extremely fertile land from volcanic origin. We also don't use Gama-irradiation, which destroys many of the nutrients in the leaves. We do not use binding agents, fillers or laboratory-made synthetic chemicals that our bodies can't absorb and can have negative side effects. No artificial sweeteners, MSG or gluten are found any of our products," said Moringa Energy Founder Jacobo Arguello.

"We are pleased to finalize our joint venture and are confident that we will have enough Moringa to meet future demand. The U.S. market is now more receptive than ever to new Moringa products. It is considered the most nutrient rich plant on earth with over 92 nutrients and can radically benefit one's overall health in literally hundreds of ways," said Chief Executive Officer Perry D. West.

New Global Energy is already a leader in Moringa and uses it as a key component of the proprietary fish feed formula that is one of the cornerstones of the company's sustainable fish farming operation. In response to growing consumer demand for healthy seafood, New Global's fish formula is free of GMOs, antibiotics and chemicals and includes an optimized blend of Moringa, nutrient rich algae and a proprietary blend of other ingredients.

About New Global Energy, Inc.

New Global Energy, Inc. (http://www.newglobalenergy.net) is a public company focused on acquiring high-growth firms, assets and properties in the Aqua-Farming, Agriculture, and Health & Wellness industries. The trading symbol is NGEY traded on the OTCQB. New Global Energy seeks to create sustainable projects and protect the environment.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E and/or 27E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements as to the future performance of the company and the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to raise necessary financing, retention of key personnel, timely delivery of inventory from the company's suppliers, timely product development, product acceptance, and the impact of competitive services and products, in addition to general economic risks and uncertainties.

For more information please contact:

Charlotte Luer, Director of Investor Relations

[email protected]

+1-239-404-6785

SOURCE New Global Energy, Inc.
DALLAS, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Criminal defense attorney Nicole Knox has been named to D Magazine's exclusive 2016 listing of the Best Lawyers in Dallas for her extensive work in the courtroom and community.

Ms. Knox focuses her practice on white-collar crime and general criminal defense in Texas state courts and multiple federal district courts. This is the first time she has been named to the list of Dallas' top lawyers.

"This is a tremendous honor that means a lot to me, particularly considering the other excellent criminal defense lawyers who are included," Ms. Knox says. "It's satisfying to know that my peers consider my work worthy of this recognition."

D Magazine editors conduct a rigorous vetting process to compile the annual list. Lawyers are invited to cast votes based on their direct, professional knowledge of their peers. Once votes are tallied, an anonymous panel of attorneys reviews the nominations and makes recommendations to the editorial staff. The complete Best Lawyers in Dallas list is featured in the May 2016 issue of D Magazine and can be viewed at http://www.dmagazine.com/.

Ms. Knox is one of a small group of women lawyers practicing criminal defense law in Dallas. In addition to her legal work, she served as the 2015 President of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association (DWLA), where she continues to be an active member of the board. In addition to this most recent honor, Ms. Knox has been named for the second time to the annual Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars list of the state's top young lawyers. She also was named a "Star on the Rise" by the Dallas County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

The Law Office of Nicole Knox is dedicated to providing high-quality criminal defense for a variety of individuals. Her track record includes a long list of not guilty verdicts, dismissals and other positive outcomes. Visit http://www.nicoleknoxlaw.com/ to learn more about Ms. Knox and her practice.

For more information on the recent honors for Ms. Knox, contact Mark Annick at 800-559-4534 or [email protected].

SOURCE The Law Office of Nicole Knox

Related Links

http://www.nicoleknoxlaw.com


"Private fleets play a critical role in our national transportation infrastructure and the professionals who support this sector demonstrate their commitments to safety, efficiency and productivity every day," state Steve Mitgang, CEO of SmartDrive. "We are honored to collaborate with NPTC to acknowledge the efforts of these outstanding professionals who epitomize the very best of the commercial trucking industry."

The Dan Smith Life Achievement Award, the Council's highest and most prestigious honor, was awarded to Harry J Haney, III, Associate Director of Loyola University Chicago's Supply & Value Chain Center. The Center works with member companies to provide educational events, networking opportunities, training, recruiting students for internships/ full time placement, and access to academic resources (faculty and students) for consulting projects. Prior to this role, Harry was with Kraft Foods for 30 years, holding increasingly responsible supply chain roles, both in field and corporate locations. He has extensive experience in transportation management including private and dedicated fleets with Kraft. Harry is committed to the betterment of the industry, having served in a number of industry association leadership roles including chairman and treasurer of NPTC and the Coalition for Transportation Productivity. He is currently a board member of the Madison International Trade Association. He also has experience as a sole-proprietor consultant in both corporate and not-for-profit organizations emphasizing high-impact, practical, implementable solutions with a key focus in the transportation space. He holds a bachelor's degree in Transportation and Logistics from Ohio State University and an MBA from Eastern Illinois University.

The Private Fleet Executive of the Year went to Bedford Monday, (CTP), Facilities Operations Manager for The Schwans Food Company, where he oversees warehouse and shuttle operations for 12 facilities in the South. He started with Schwans in 2005 and has held several positions in logistics both in warehouse and transportation operations. Most recently he was zone warehouse manager for Schwans Consumer Brands, where he managed warehouse, shuttle, and DSD Fleet operations for the Mid-Atlantic Zone. Prior to Schwans, Bedford managed the private fleet for Toys-R-Us in Houston, TX and McDonough, GA. He also worked for over 19 years at United Parcel Service in the West Carolina District. He started his UPS career as a loader in 1981, and also held positions as a driver, supervisor and center manager. Bedford has served as chairman of the NPTC Board of Governors, chairman of the NPTC Executive Board and is currently treasurer of the NPTC Board. He earned his CTP designation in 2005 and was the top graduate.

The Private Fleet Member of the Year was presented to Ed Porter, Senior Director of Transportation Services for Upstate Niagara Cooperative. Early in his career, Ed spent four years in the U.S. Air Force, then entered the transportation industry in 1971, joining the Pillsbury Company. He subsequently held roles with Red Red Wing Foods and Kraft Dairy Group, and opened the first-ever office and distribution network for Kraft Dairy Group west of the Mississippi River in Seattle in 1983. This assignment was bringing Breyers Ice Cream to the Northwest U.S. Ed was responsible for sales and distribution throughout eight states and established Kraft DSD routes in the Seattle area. Since 1991, he and his family have lived in Niagara, NY, where he plans to retire on May 6.

The Private Fleet Safety Professional of the Year was awarded to Cameron Hafer, CTP, Manager of DOT Compliance and Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Development, Trans Papa Logistics, Inc. (Papa John's Pizza). Cameron manages very robust compliance and driver development programs that keep Trans Papa Logistics on the leading edge with best practices, and quality products and people. As Papa John's grows with its new private fleet, it is striving to upgrade capabilities and IT infrastructure by deploying state-of-the-art safety technologies and providing its people with the education and tools to ensure continuous improvement. With a culture of collaboration and a safe environment to suggest improvement, the company achieves a high level of service and customer satisfaction. Trans Papa Logistics has 490 drivers operating 130 power units out of 10 quality control centers nationwide. Cameron is a nine-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He received his bachelors and masters degrees from Chapman University and earned his CTP in 2015.

The NPTC Excellence in Membership Award went to Meghan Chan, CTP, Fleet Safety and Compliance manager for Mondelez Global LLC. Chan began her career in manufacturing with Frito-Lay but quickly discovered an interest in logistics. She transferred to the transportation department and served as a fleet manager for five years. In 2012, Meghan joined the transportation team at Mondelez Global, LLC and served as the company's private fleet manager for three years, managing maintenance programs and supporting the vehicle specification and fleet technology programs for the North American DSD fleet. In her current role, she supports DOT compliance and all safety initiatives for the Mondelez fleet. She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2006 with a bachelors' degree in Business Management and received her CTP designation in 2014. Meghan was elected to the NPTC Institute Board of Governors this year.

The Allied Member of the Year was presented to J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. the nation's leading provider of fleet compliance and safety products and services. With over 1,400 associates, J. J. Keller serves more than 420,000 customers - including 90% of the Fortune 1000. Subject matter expertise spans nearly 1,500 topics, and diverse solutions include E-logs and mobile technology; training via online courses, streaming video or DVD; online management tools; managed services; consulting and advisory services; publications; forms and supplies. Fleet professionals rely on J. J. Keller's in-house expertise and wide selection of products and services to reduce risk and improve regulatory compliance, performance management and operational efficiency. As a long-time allied member of NPTC, J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. actively supports NPTC members and customers within the private fleet industry. J. J. Keller and Associates, Inc. is a five star member that exhibits annually at the Education and Management Conference and Exhibition, and is actively involved in NPTC committees including Board of Governors, Annual Planning Committee, Safety Committee and participation in the National Safety Conference. J. J. Keller and NPTC also work together to jointly conduct numerous educational and informative webinars annually to NPTC members further advancing the development of thousands of fleet professionals and their companies. Currently, eight J. J. Keller associates hold an active CTP designation.

About NPTC

Founded in 1939, the National Private Truck Council is the only national trade association exclusively representing the interests of the private truck industry and corporate/business private truck fleet management. With an actively engaged leadership team of Board representatives, member volunteers and staff, NPTC in the past decade has grown significantly to serve a rising professional class of private fleet practitioners meeting the challenges of modern corporate transportation. NPTC is the leading learning resource center, government affairs advocate, and business networking culture for America's top private fleet and supplier member companies. The Council produces benchmarking, best practices, and economic data reports on the private fleet market; administers the highly regarded Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) training program, and conducts some of the most successful events in the trucking industry including the Annual Conference and Trade Show, the Private Fleet Management Institute, and the National Safety Conference. For more information about the Council's activities and programs, visit our website at nptc.org.

About SmartDrive Systems

SmartDrive Systems, the recipient of Frost & Sullivan's Customer Value Leadership Award for Video Safety Solutions, gives fleets and drivers unprecedented driving performance insight and analysis, helping save fuel, expenses and lives. Its video analysis, predictive analytics and personalized performance program help fleets improve driving skills, lower operating costs and deliver significant ROI. With an easy-to-use managed service, fleets and drivers can access and self-manage driving performance anytime, anywhere. The Company, which is ranked as one of the fastest growing companies by Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, has compiled the world's largest storehouse of more than 140 million analyzed risky-driving events. SmartDrive Systems is based in San Diego, Calif., and employs over 500 people worldwide. For more information on SmartDrive Systems, please visit www.smartdrive.net.

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SOURCE SmartDrive Systems

Related Links

http://www.smartdrive.net


CORAL SPRINGS, Florida, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Nutrient rich & eco-friendly ingredients appear to not only be fuel for the human body, but also the agricultural sector as companies race to develop advancing, naturally harvested components. With new, JV projects, research and products being introduced daily, companies with current developments of note in the markets today are New Global Energy, Inc. (OTC: NGEY), Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON), Syngenta AG (NYSE: SYT) DuPont Co. (NYSE: DD) & Agrium Inc. (AGU).

New Global Energy, Inc. (OTCQB: NGEY) ("the Company"), a public company focused on Aqua-Farming, Agriculture, and Health & Wellness, announced today that its Board of Directors has approved the launch of Moringa Reserve, LLC to develop, operate, distribute and sell Moringa-based products to U.S. retail markets. Moringa Reserve, LLC will be operated as a joint venture between New Global Energy and Moringa Energy, LLC, whose principals are the owners of the world's largest Moringa farm located in Leon, Nicaragua. The 180-acre farm is a leading source of nutrient rich Moringa and will ensure that Moringa Reserve has access to the finest quality Moringa in sufficient supply to meet demand. The companies signed a definitive operating agreement and production is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2017.

Read the full New Global Energy (NGEY) Press Release at: http://www.financialnewsmedia.com/profiles/ngey.html

"Our Moringa is all natural and organically grown without any chemicals on extremely fertile land from volcanic origin. We also don't use Gama-irradiation, which destroys many of the nutrients in the leaves. We do not use binding agents, fillers or laboratory-made synthetic chemicals that our bodies can't absorb and can have negative side effects. No artificial sweeteners, MSG or gluten are found any of our products," said Moringa Energy Founder Jacobo Arguello. "We are pleased to finalize our joint venture and are confident that we will have enough Moringa to meet future demand. The U.S. market is now more receptive than ever to new Moringa products. It is considered the most nutrient rich plant on earth with over 92 nutrients and can radically benefit one's overall health in literally hundreds of ways," said Chief Executive Officer Perry D. West.

New Global Energy is already a leader in Moringa and uses it as a key component of the proprietary fish feed formula that is one of the cornerstones of the company's sustainable fish farming operation. In response to growing consumer demand for healthy seafood, New Global's fish formula is free of GMOs, antibiotics and chemicals and includes an optimized blend of Moringa, nutrient rich algae and a proprietary blend of other ingredients.

In other Agricultural operations, news and recent developments: Monsanto Company's (NYSE: MON) Mike Frank, chief commercial officer, will address investors in New York on Tuesday, May 10, at the Wells Fargo 2016 Industrials and Chemicals Conference. Frank will discuss the company's strategic initiatives and long-term growth drivers, future expectations, product performance and other matters related to the company's business. Frank's session will begin at 10:35 a.m. ET (9:35 a.m. CT). A webcast link and slides for the event will be available at http://www.monsanto.com/investors.

Syngenta AG (NYSE: SYT) said former DuPont Co. (NYSE: DD) director Erik Fyrwald will take over as chief executive officer to steer the Swiss agrochemical maker through the final stages of its $43 billion takeover by state-owned China National Chemical Corp. Currently CEO of U.S. chemical distributor Univar Inc., Fyrwald will replace John Ramsay, who has run Syngenta on an interim basis since November after the sudden departure of Mike Mack, the Basel-based company said in a statement on Wednesday. Fyrwald left DuPont after 27 years in 2008 and joined Univar four years ago. Syngenta AG, an agribusiness company, engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of a range of products designed to enhance crop yields and food quality worldwide. E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company operates as a science and technology based company. The companys Agriculture segment offers corn hybrid, soybean, canola, sunflower, sorghum, inoculants, wheat, rice, seed products, herbicides, fungicides - SOURCE: Bloomberg

Agrium Inc. (NYSE: AGU) announced this week its 2016 first quarter earnings results, with net earnings attributable to equity holders of Agrium of $2-million ($0.02 diluted earnings per share) compared to $12-million ($0.08 diluted earnings per share) in the first quarter of 2015. The reduction in net earnings was driven by weaker selling prices across all nutrients. This was largely offset by excellent results achieved from our Retail operations and strong Wholesale operational performance. Read the full AGU report at http://finance.yahoo.com/news/agriums-solid-first-quarter-results-213000432.html

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DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNMG) is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNMG is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNMG and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNMG's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNMG is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNMG has been compensated one thousand nine hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued by New Global Energy, Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNMG HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

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SOURCE FN Media Group, LLC
NBI works by filtering white light into specific light wavelengths that are absorbed by hemoglobin, providing enhanced visualization of capillary networks and mucosal morphology. NBI is the world's only patented endoscopic light technology that enables effective targeting of biopsies not seen under white light and with no dyes or drugs used.

"Urologists who have seen the visualization advantages of HD and NBI have reported their excitement about the advancements," said Todd Usen, President, Medical Systems Group at Olympus Corporation of the Americas. "Earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment of urologic diseases not only improves patients' lives, but also helps to address many facilities' goals to reduce treatment costs, improve clinical outcomes and increase patient satisfaction."

Designed with performance and patient safety in mind, Olympus' suite of therapeutic devices help physicians deliver value to patients and help healthcare facilities meet the following key healthcare reform initiatives:

Increased Quality of Care: Olympus' therapeutic energy platforms contribute to easier, more precise access to complicated anatomy, potentially reducing the risks of trauma and complications. The OES Elite HD Telescope technology contributes to better visualization, which can mean earlier detection and efficient management of the disease.

Olympus' therapeutic energy platforms contribute to easier, more precise access to complicated anatomy, potentially reducing the risks of trauma and complications. The OES Elite HD Telescope technology contributes to better visualization, which can mean earlier detection and efficient management of the disease. Decreased Costs: Earlier detection and management of disease can often mean decreased costs of care, because more invasive and complicated procedures can be prevented. Bladder cancer currently has the highest lifetime treatment costs per patient of all cancers. [ii]

Earlier detection and management of disease can often mean decreased costs of care, because more invasive and complicated procedures can be prevented. Bladder cancer currently has the highest lifetime treatment costs per patient of all cancers. [ii] Enhanced Patient Satisfaction: A reduction in more complicated procedures can mean less pain, better quality of life and shorter recovery times, all of which would contribute to increased patient satisfaction. Patients whose physicians use NBI may experience reduced discomfort during treatment and avoid more invasive forms of the disease that lead to bladder removal and creation of a neo-bladder.

The OES Elite 4mm HD Telescope will be showcased at the American Urological Association's annual meeting to be held on May 7-10 in San Diego, Calif. Healthcare providers are invited to visit the Olympus Booth #3833 for a product demonstration. For information about the new telescope technology, please contact Olympus customer service at 1-800-848-9024 or visit http://medical.olympusamerica.com/products/4mm-telescope.

About Olympus Medical Systems Group

Olympus Medical Systems Group, a division of global technology leader Olympus, develops solutions for healthcare professionals that help improve clinical outcomes, reduce overall costs and enhance quality of life for their patients. By enabling less invasive procedures, innovative diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, and early stage lung cancer evaluation and treatments, Olympus is transforming the future of healthcare.

For more information, visit Olympus at medical.olympusamerica.com.

[i][i] Li, K., Lin, T., Fan, X., Duan, Y., & Huang, J. (2013). Diagnosis of narrow-band imaging in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Urology, 20, 602-609. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23113702

[ii] Sievert, K., Amend, B., Nagele, U., Schilling, D., Bedke, J., Horstmann, M., Stenzl, A. (Jun 2009). Economic aspects of bladder cancer: What are the benefits and costs? World Journal of Urology, 27(3), 295-300. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2694315/

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SOURCE Olympus Medical Systems Group

Related Links

http://www.medical.olympusamerica.com


WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA-02) announces a major grant for the Philadelphia Enterprise Center. The $304,475 grant is from the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).

The MBDA supports economic expansion through its strategic partnerships, network of business centers, and collaborations with federal, state and local governments. A senior member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS), Fattah has been instrumental in securing increased funding for the MBDA. In the FY 2016 CJS bill, Congressman Fattah pushed for an additional $2 million dollars for the MBDA, bringing its total funding level to $32 million.

"The Enterprise Center helps launch, grow, and support minority entrepreneurs and startup businesses in Philadelphia. The grant will help to support the endeavors of the Center, including capacity building, job creation, and job retention," Congressman Fattah said. "Our neighborhoods depend on small businesses to provide needed services and I am proud to support organizations such as The Enterprise Center as it advances expansion in our local communities."

The Enterprise Center has operated the MBDA Business Center of Pennsylvania since 2004. This center is part of a larger nation-wide network of centers whose mission is to foster and grow minority businesses. Over the last 10 years, MBC-PA has generated more than $270 million in contracts for clients throughout the Philadelphia region. The $304,475 grant will help support the Enterprise Center's efforts to offer strategic consulting and other support services to eligible minority businesses throughout the area.

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah

Related Links

http://www.fattah.house.gov


PUNE, India, April 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

RnRMarketResearch.com adds new market research titled "Polycythemia Vera - Pipeline Review, H1 2016" to its store. The report provides an overview of the Polycythemia Vera's therapeutic pipeline. The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. It strengthens R&D pipelines by identifying new targets and MOAs to produce first-in-class and best-in-class products.

Company Profiles discussed in this report includes Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Galena Biopharma, Inc., Gilead Sciences, Inc., Italfarmaco S.p.A., Karus Therapeutics Limited, Merck & Co., Inc., miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l., Novartis AG and PharmaEssentia Corporation. Drugs Profiles discussed in this research includes anagrelide hydrochloride CR, dasatinib, givinostat, idelalisib, KA-1463, M-009, M-012, MGN-4893, MRLB-11055, NMSP-113, ropeginterferon alfa-2b and sonidegib phosphate.

Complete report on H1 2016 pipeline review of Polycythemia Vera with 24 market data tables and 12 figures, spread across 75 pages is available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/polycythemia-vera-pipeline-review-h1-2016-market-report.html .

This report provides comprehensive information on the therapeutic development for Polycythemia Vera, complete with comparative analysis at various stages, therapeutics assessment by drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type, along with latest updates, and featured news and press releases. It also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Polycythemia Vera and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects.

Scope of this report: The report provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Polycythemia Vera and reviews pipeline therapeutics for Polycythemia Vera by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources and key players involved Polycythemia Vera therapeutics and enlists all their major and minor projects. The research covers pipeline products based on various stages of development ranging from pre-registration till discovery and undisclosed stages. The report features descriptive drug profiles for the pipeline products which includes, product description, descriptive MoA, R&D brief, licensing and collaboration details & other developmental activities and assesses Polycythemia Vera therapeutics based on drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. The report summarizes all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects with latest news related to pipeline therapeutics for Polycythemia Vera.

Order a copy of this report @ http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/purchase?rname=525939 .

List of Tables:

Number of Products under Development for Polycythemia Vera, H1 2016

Number of Products under Development by Companies, H1 2016

Comparative Analysis by Late Stage Development, H1 2016

Comparative Analysis by Clinical Stage Development, H1 2016

Comparative Analysis by Early Stage Development, H1 2016

Products under Development by Companies, H1 2016

Assessment by Monotherapy Products, H1 2016

Number of Products by Stage and Target, H1 2016

Number of Products by Stage and Mechanism of Action, H1 2016

Number of Products by Stage and Route of Administration, H1 2016

Number of Products by Stage and Molecule Type, H1 2016

Polycythemia Vera Therapeutics - Recent Pipeline Updates, H1 2016

Polycythemia Vera - Dormant Projects, H1 2016

Polycythemia Vera - Discontinued Products, H1 2016

Another newly published market research report titled on Anal Cancer - Pipeline Review, H1 2016 provides comprehensive information on the therapeutic development for Anal Cancer, complete with comparative analysis at various stages, therapeutics assessment by drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type, along with latest updates, and featured news and press releases. It also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Anal Cancer and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects. The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. It strengthens R&D pipelines by identifying new targets and MOAs to produce first-in-class and best-in-class products. Companies discussed in this pipeline research are Advaxis, Inc., Amgen Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Genticel S.A., ISA Pharmaceuticals B.V., Novartis AG, Oryx GmbH & Co. KG, PDS Biotechnology Corporation, Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Ltd. and Taiwan Liposome Company, Ltd. Anal Cancer Pipeline market research report of 86 pages is available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/anal-cancer-pipeline-review-h1-2016-market-report.html .

Explore more reports on Cancer Therapeutics.

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SOURCE RnR Market Research
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand Spoken Press announced that Policy Walking: Lighting Paths to Safer Communities, Stronger Families & Thriving Youth, the new book by author, speaker, and policy advocate John A. Calhoun (Brand Spoken Press; $17.95; ISBN: 978-0997292244), will be released on May 26, 2016. The book is now available for preorder on Amazon.com.

Policy Walking: Lighting Paths to Safer Communities, Stronger Families & Thriving Youth by John A. Calhoun John A. "Jack" Calhoun, Author, Speaker, Policy Advocate

About the Book

Policy Walking: Lighting Paths to Safer Communities, Stronger Families & Thriving Youth is the culmination of a lifelong career spent restoring fragile communities, pulling youth back from the edge, supporting vulnerable children and their families, and helping build communities that don't produce crime. Policy Walking weaves the wisdom of years on the path with stories and profiles of compelling courageous, and memorable "walkers" met along the way.

Calhoun not only chronicles his own "policy walk," but also highlights the pressing policy issues confronting communities today and the dedicated individuals who walk with those policies in communities all across the country. With insights into leadership and key lessons learned, Calhoun shares human stories of the creative preventative programs and approaches that strengthen communities, families, and youth. Those in the midst of this important work at all levels will see themselves in the pages and raw emotion of this both timely and timeless book.

About the Author

Sought-after moderator and keynote speaker, Jack Calhoun has been on his policy walk for more than 50 years working at every level  from community organizer to presidential appointee. An innovator and leader, Jack has launched several programs that have changed the face  and the policies  of prevention, intervention, support of youth and families, and rehabilitation of offenders. As the founder and president of the National Crime Prevention Council, Jack helped to redefine crime prevention from a focus on protection and detention to a mindset of hope: preventing crime, engaging youth and enhancing quality of life by building vital communities that don't produce crime.

"Policy Walking: Lighting Paths to Safer Communities, Stronger Families & Thriving Youth"

by John A. Calhoun

Publisher: Brand Spoken Press

ISBN-10: 0997292245

ISBN-13: 978-0997292244

$17.95; 203 pp; 6" x 0.5" x 9"

Media Contact:

Brand Spoken

[email protected]

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SOURCE Brand Spoken

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PUNE, India, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report "Production Printer Market by Type (Monochrome, Color), Technology (Inkjet, Toner), Production Method (Cut Sheet, Continuous Feed, Sheet Fed, and Web Based), Application and Geography - Global Trends & Forecast to 2022"", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market is expected to reach USD 7.74 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 5.5%, during the forecast period.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )



Browse 71 market data Tables and 75 Figures spread through 158 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Production Printer Market".

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/production-printer-market-29764400.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

Meanwhile, the global shipment of production printers is expected to reach 75,087 by 2022. The high demand for production printers in the media and advertising industry and the growing demand in the publishing application are expected to drive this market during the forecast period.

Transactional application is expected to lead the production printer market

Production printers are extensively used for the large-scale printing of transactional documents including bills, statements, invoices, checks, insurance documents, and other transaction-related documents. The increased demand for printing of transactional documents with less cost is driving the production printer market for the transactional application. The market for the label & package application is expected to grow at a high rate in the production printer market. The label & package application includes the printing of packages, boxes, cartons, bags, tags, and labels among others. High quality, low cost, and fast turnaround are the key factors driving the adoption of production printers in this market.

Color type production printer market expected to show high growth during the forecast period

Color type production printers are extensively used in the production printer market as they offer high reliability with spectacular image quality and a wide range of options for document finishing and professional color management. These printers are widely used in the commercial, label & package, and transactional applications among others.

The market in APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The Production Printer Market in APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2022 because of the growing usage of production printers, especially in Japan. The increasing demand for the production of books, magazines, catalogs, and manuals among others at a low cost is expected to drive the demand for production printers in APAC.

The report analyzes the market trends for each of the segments as well as their respective growth rates. Apart from the market segmentation, the report also covers in-depth analyses such as Porter's Five Forces analysis, value chain analysis with a detailed process flow diagram, and market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges for the growth of the production printer market. The report also provides a qualitative and quantitative description of the applications considered for the market. It also gives a detailed view of the market across four geographic regions, namely, North America, Europe, APAC, and RoW. North America is currently the largest market, while APAC is expected to grow at the highest rate.

Inquiry Before Buying: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=29764400

This report profiles the most promising players in the production printer market including Xerox Corporation (U.S.), Hewlett-Packard (HP) (U.S.), Ricoh Company Ltd. (Japan),Canon Inc. (Japan), Konica Minolta, Inc. (Japan), Agfa and Gevaert N.V. (Belgium), EFI Electronics Corp. (U.S.), Eastman Kodak Company (U.S.), Inca Digital Printers Ltd.(U.K.), and Miyakoshi Co., Ltd (Japan).

Browse Related Reports

Large Format Printer Market by Print Width (17" to 72" and Above), Ink Type (Aqueous, Solvent, UV-Cured, Latex and Dye-Sublimation), Application (Apparels, Signage, Advertising, Tile Murals, and CAD), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/large-format-inkjet-printers-lfp-market-523.html

3D Printing Market by Printer Type, Material Type (Metals, Plastics, Ceramics & Others), Material Form (Powder, Liquid, Filament), Process, Technology, Software, Service, Application, Vertical and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/3d-printing-market-1276.html

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NEW YORK, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Synopsis

Timetric's 'Reinsurance in Lebanon, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2019' report provides detailed analysis of the market trends, drivers and challenges in the Lebanese reinsurance segment. It provides values for key performance indicators such as written premium, reinsurance ceded and reinsurance accepted during the review period (20102014) and forecast period (20142019).



The report also analyses information pertaining to the competitive landscape in the country, gives a comprehensive overview of the Lebanese economy and demographics, and provides detailed analysis of natural and man-made hazards and their impact on the Lebanese insurance industry.



The report brings together Timetric's research, modeling and analysis expertise to enable reinsurers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and access profiles of reinsurers operating in the country.



Summary

Timetric's 'Reinsurance in Lebanon, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2019' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the Lebanese reinsurance segment, including:



- The Lebanese reinsurance segment's growth prospects by reinsurance ceded from direct insurance



- A comprehensive overview of the Lebanese economy and demographics



- Detailed analysis of natural and man-made hazards and their impact on the Lebanese insurance industry



- The competitive landscape in the Lebanese reinsurance segment



Scope

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the reinsurance segment in Lebanon:



- It provides historical values for the Lebanese reinsurance segment for the report's 20102014 review period, and projected figures for the 20142019 forecast period.



- It offers a detailed analysis of the key categories in the Lebanese reinsurance segment, and market forecasts to 2019.



- It provides a detailed analysis of the reinsurance ceded from various direct insurance segments in Lebanon, and the reinsurance segment's growth prospects.



Reasons To Buy

- Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Lebanese reinsurance segment, and each category within it.



- Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Lebanese reinsurance segment.



- Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories.



- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Lebanese insurance industry, and their impact on companies and the industry's future.



Key Highlights

- In terms of gross written premium, the Lebanese reinsurance segment posted a CAGR of 6.5% during the review period.



- The Lebanese reinsurance segment is competitive, with both domestic and foreign reinsurers



- Reinsurance contracts related to political violence are being placed on a facultative basis, leading to a doubling in premium rates.



- The reinsurance segment is expected to post a forecast-period CAGR of 8.5%, due to natural disasters, favorable government policies and the country's economic growth.



- Growth in all three primary segments drove reinsurance during the review period, a trend that is expected to continue over the forecast period.

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03572871-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A 2016 election season of unprecedented surprises on the campaign trail will be no less confusing in ballot boxes across the country as states start implementing a dizzying array of voting rule changes. The National Press Club on Friday, May 13, at 10 a.m., will hold a Newsmaker news conference looking at the changes to voting across the country and likely problems voters, and especially minority voters, will face this November.

Speakers in the club's Zenger Room include: Kristin Clarke, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Wade Henderson, the President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Mark Dimondstein, President of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU); and Cory McCray, Member of the Maryland House of Delegates.

In 2016, states such as Texas and North Carolina are making it harder for citizens to vote by imposing new identification requirements at the polls. Other states, like Florida, are disenfranchising thousands of former felons, while in Maryland and Virginia former felons are gaining the right to vote. Some Arizona voters stood in line for hours at polling places in the March primary, while in Oregon, voters this month will cast their ballots by mail.

Many of the variations in election law resulted from the 2013 Supreme Court decision Shelby County v Holder, which eliminated federal oversight and allowed sweeping changes to election rules previously barred by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The 2016 presidential election will be the first since these changes were approved.

In addition to Election Day modifications, many states are altering voter registration rules. California and Oregon are expanding access this election cycle through automatic voter registration and 25 other states are considering similar actions.

The National Press Club is located on the 13th Floor of the National Press Building, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C. This event is open to credentialed media and NPC members, free of charge. No advance registration is required.

Contact: Jamie Horwitz, NPC Newsmaker Chair, 202-549-4921, [email protected]

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SOURCE National Press Club

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DUBLIN, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

A cyber security firm has uncovered hundreds of millions of hacked email usernames and passwords being shopped around Russia's criminal underground. Alex Holden, of Holden Security, told Reuters they had found over 250 million stolen accounts from some of the world's most popular email services, including Google, Yahoo and Microsoft.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160330/349511LOGO )



Holden's company monitors conversations and activities in underground forums and chat rooms. They have previously uncovered high profile data breaches affecting users at Adobe Systems, JPMorgan and Target. It has become a prevalent issue for enterprises, with the global big data market expected to reach a valuation of $212.4 billion over the next decade. This latest hack came to their attention after a young Russian hacker started bragging in a forum that he had collected a large number of stolen credentials.

The widespread adoption of cloud-based services and the emergence of IoT has led to IT systems becoming more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Vendors are spending more on integrated security solutions, with the market forecast to grow 12.13%. A recent survey by the Cloud Security Alliance found that stolen online credentials are to blame for 22% of data breaches. In the BFSI sector, cyber security solutions are being adopted rapidly for authentication processes, video management systems and for storing biometrics information.

The vast majority of accounts were from Mail.ru, Russia's leading email service. But the cache did contains tens of millions of credentials from the likes of Gmail and Microsoft, as well as thousands from German and Chinese email providers. Holden says the hacker asked for as little as $1, but eventually agreed to give up the data-set for some favorable comments in the hacker forums.

For further information on this topic, and a full list of all related documentation, please visit the IT Security section at http://www.researchandmarkets.com/rm/OJPN

About Research and Markets

Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cyber-passwords-idUSKCN0XV1I6

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SOURCE Research and Markets
SAN FRANCISCO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The 13th Annual MIT Sloan CIO Symposium has announced Rocana as one of ten finalists for the Innovation Showcase taking place May 18, 2016 on the MIT campus in Cambridge, Mass. Amidst the world's most creative and influential IT executives, the Innovation Showcase highlights outstanding early stage companies with cutting edge solutions that combine both value and innovation to Enterprise IT.

"At Rocana, we believe the role of IT Operations is rapidly evolving to become a source of information and innovation, both to IT teams and the business units they support. Rocana Ops is the only solution that can provide IT Operations with total visibility into their event data in one place, eliminating the silos that typically exist between application, network, and infrastructure data," said Omer Trajman, CEO and Co-Founder, Rocana. "We look forward to discussing our unique approach with the world's top CIOs and enterprise IT leaders at this prestigious event."

"We are thrilled to invite these top 10 companies to our 2016 Innovation Showcase," said Anton Teodorescu, Co-Chair of the Innovation Showcase. "Their technologies are leading edge, and will be vital to empowering the future digital economy."

The Innovation Showcase will take place at 5:30PM EDT in the Kresge courtyard tent on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at MIT in Cambridge, Mass. The full agenda of the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is available at www.mitcio.com/agenda.

For more information:

About Rocana

Rocana provides enterprises with the ability to gain control of their modern, global-scale infrastructure. By using big data and advanced analytics, Rocana augments staff skills to increase efficiency and awareness, thereby improving service assurance. Unlike brute-force, legacy log management tools that lack scalability, are slow, and have poor cost-to-value ratios, Rocana Ops is optimized to manage huge amounts of data and encourage analysis that shows a complete picture of IT operations.

Founded in 2014 by veterans of Cloudera, Vertica, and Experian, Rocana is backed by Google Ventures, General Catalyst, Vinny Smith (founder of Toba Capital and former Chairman of Quest Software), Paul Sagan (Vice Chairman of Akamai Technologies), and Brian Stevens (VP of Platforms at Google). Rocana has offices in Boston and San Francisco. To learn more, please visit http://www.rocana.com .

About the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is the premier global conference for CIOs and digital business executives to become more effective leaders. In one day, CIOs and senior IT executives explore enterprise technology innovations, business practices and receive actionable information that enables them to meet the challenges of today and the future. The Symposium offers a unique learning environment by bringing together the academic thought leadership of MIT with the in-the-trenches experience of leading, global CIOs and industry experts. The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is organized and developed by the MIT Sloan Boston Alumni Association, the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy (IDE), and the MIT Sloan Center for Information Systems Research (CISR). Visit www.mitcio.com for more information and registration.

Press Contact

Mike Tomlinson

Public Relations Manager, Rocana

+1 (415) 846-9632

[email protected]

SOURCE Rocana

Related Links

http://www.rocana.com


SAN FRANCISCO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ROSS Intelligence is proud to announce that AmLaw100 law firm BakerHostetler has agreed to retain use of ROSS Intelligence's artificial intelligence legal research product, ROSS. ROSS Intelligence Co-Founder Andrew Arruda officially announced the partnership at Vanderbilt Law School's "Watson, Esq." conference in Nashville, Tennessee in April. BakerHostetler will license ROSS for use in its Bankruptcy, Restructuring and Creditors' Rights team.

The ROSS platform is built upon Watson, IBM's cognitive computer. With the support of Watson's cognitive computing and natural language processing capabilities, lawyers ask ROSS their research question in natural language, as they would a person, then ROSS reads through the law, gathers evidence, draws inferences and returns highly relevant, evidence-based candidate answers. ROSS also monitors the law around the clock to notify users of new court decisions that can affect a case. The program continually learns from the lawyers who use it to bring back better results each time.

"At BakerHostetler, we believe that emerging technologies like cognitive computing and other forms of machine learning can help enhance the services we deliver to our clients," said Bob Craig, Chief Information Officer. "We are proud to team up with innovators like ROSS and we will continue to explore these cutting-edge technologies as they develop."

"BakerHostetler's commitment to the future of the legal practice and ensuring they continue to deliver the highest level of value to their clients completely aligns with our vision at ROSS Intelligence," said Andrew Arruda, CEO/Cofounder. "BakerHostetler has been using ROSS since the first days of its deployment and we are proud to partner with a true leader in the industry as we continue to develop additional AI legal assistants."

About ROSS Intelligence

ROSS Intelligence began out of research at the University of Toronto in 2014 with the goal of building an AI legal research assistant to allow lawyers to enhance and scale their abilities. In June of 2015, after receiving funding from famed Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator, ROSS Intelligence relocated from Toronto, Canada to Palo Alto, California. Just ten months after they began teaching ROSS bankruptcy law, the company has been commercializing its first offering. The company is currently in the process of teaching ROSS a variety of other practice areas with the aim that every legal practitioner in the world will have ROSS as a member of their legal team.

About BakerHostetler

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding this year, BakerHostetler is a leading national law firm that helps clients around the world to address their most complex and critical business and regulatory issues. With five core national practice groups  Business, Employment, Intellectual Property, Litigation, and Tax  the firm has more than 940 lawyers located in 14 offices coast to coast. BakerHostetler is widely regarded as having one of the country's top 10 tax practices, a nationally recognized litigation practice, an award-winning data privacy practice, and an industry-leading business practice. The firm is also recognized internationally for its groundbreaking work recovering more than $10 billion in the Madoff Recovery Initiative, representing the SIPA Trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. Visit bakerlaw.com

Media contacts:

ROSS Intelligence, Andrew Arruda, 650.422.9354, [email protected]

BakerHostetler, Tracy Hager, 303.764.4090, [email protected]

SOURCE ROSS Intelligence
RACINE, Wis., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SC Johnson announced today that it will open its tour season beginning May 6 with a new exhibit, "Building Relationships: Wright, Johnson and the SC Johnson Campus," showcasing rare Frank Lloyd Wright artifacts and furniture, and art inspired by his designs. The exhibit explores how Wright's work influenced other famous architects and features models of local landmarks. One of the featured Wright designs is the famed chair with three legs that has been "exploded" to show the design. The chair was specially designed for SC Johnson, and Wright lobbied hard to gain acceptance of the three-legged chair, arguing that if a person had proper posture the chair functioned correctly. Wright eventually approved the SC Johnson chair design with four legs.

"This new exhibit on SC Johnson's campus headquarters in Racine exemplifies the rich heritage of the relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and our company's third-generation leader, H.F. Johnson Jr., which greatly advanced the field of business architecture," said Kelly Semrau, Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs, Communication and Sustainability. "We are thrilled to continue our tradition of sharing Wright's important legacy in our state with the world by being a part of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail, with stops at the SC Johnson campus and Wingspread."

In 1936, SC Johnson leader, H.F. Johnson Jr. sought the expertise of Wright, and a legendary partnership began. Wright went on to design the company's Administration Building, which opened in 1939 and the Research Tower which opened its doors in 1950. With Wright's signature organic design that was heavily influenced by natural elements, these spaces provided an innovative atmosphere that inspired SC Johnson employees to develop new approaches, methods and products. This new direction eventually changed the company's trajectory, diversifying SC Johnson beyond its famed wax products to become one of the world's most trusted consumer product goods companies.

Experience Frank Lloyd Wright on SC Johnson's Campus

Along with visiting the newly curated exhibit in the SC Johnson Gallery, located inside the Lord Norman Foster-designed, 7,000 sq. ft. Fortaleza Hall, guests will be able to explore several Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieces. This includes H.F. Johnson Jr.'s refurbished 1940s penthouse office* in the Administration Building. Opened in 1939, the office has been expertly restored to its original state and features original Wright-designed desk and chairs, as well as memorabilia that provide a deeper look into SC Johnson's rich history and family legacy.

The tour continues in the Administration Building's famed Great Workroom, featuring its signature lily pad-like columns, and then moves on to the Research Tower, the space that served as the hub of creativity where some of the world's most beloved household products were developed, including Raid, Glade, OFF!  and Pledge. Both the Administration Building and the Research Tower are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The SC Johnson Campus Tour  This guided tour is designed for guests who want a comprehensive look at SC Johnson's Wright-inspired architecture. The tour includes the Wright-designed Administration Building, including H.F. Johnson Jr.'s office and the Great Workroom, as well as the Research Tower. Visitors will also be able to see the Foster + Partners-designed Fortaleza Hall, designed by Wright-enthusiast Lord Norman Foster , The Lily Pad , a gift shop that features exclusive SC Johnson memorabilia and Wright-inspired items, and The SC Johnson Gallery , featuring the new "Building Relationships: Wright, Johnson and the SC Johnson Campus" exhibit. In addition to the famous three-legged chair that has been "exploded", the exhibit features original drawings of the Research Tower and a scale model of the interior of the Great Workroom.

 This guided tour is designed for guests who want a comprehensive look at SC Johnson's Wright-inspired architecture. The tour includes the Wright-designed Administration Building, including office and the Great Workroom, as well as the Research Tower. Visitors will also be able to see the Foster + Partners-designed Fortaleza Hall, designed by Wright-enthusiast Lord , , a gift shop that features exclusive SC Johnson memorabilia and Wright-inspired items, and featuring the new exhibit. In addition to the famous three-legged chair that has been "exploded", the exhibit features original drawings of the Research Tower and a scale model of the interior of the Great Workroom. Wingspread Tour  Located about five miles north of SC Johnson's main campus, the guided tour of Wingspread brings guests into the home Frank Lloyd Wright designed for H.F. Johnson Jr. and his family. At 14,000 square feet, the Prairie-style house is the largest in Wright's portfolio and has remarkable features, such as the disappearing dining table, a teepee-inspired clerestory ceiling in the great room, and the cantilevered "Romeo and Juliet" balcony bedroom.

All tours begin at the company's Golden Rondelle Theater, which was designed for the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair and redesigned for the SC Johnson campus by Taliesin Associated Architects, the architectural business formed by Wright's apprentices after his death. The theater is currently presenting two films:

Carnauba: A Son's Memoir is a one-hour film that depicts fourth-generation leader Sam Johnson's 1998 recreation of his father's 1935 expedition from Racine, Wis. , to Fortaleza, Brazil in search of natural resources for the company's wax products. At its core, the film depicts a journey about family, reconnecting with memories to reinvigorate SC Johnson's spirit of adventure.

is a one-hour film that depicts fourth-generation leader 1998 recreation of his father's 1935 expedition from , to in search of natural resources for the company's wax products. At its core, the film depicts a journey about family, reconnecting with memories to reinvigorate SC Johnson's spirit of adventure. To Be Alive! is an Academy Award-winning 20-minute film commissioned by SC Johnson for the 1964-1965 World's Fair that celebrates the similarity of cultures around the world.

The 2016 tour season opens on May 6 with eight tours available Thursday  Sunday. There is a morning tour at 10 a.m. and a 2 p.m. tour each day. Tours are free for all visitors. To receive more information about visiting SC Johnson's campus or to schedule a free tour, please use the online scheduling tool at www.scjohnson.com/visit.

The New Frank Lloyd Wright Trail

On March 21, 2016, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed legislation that established the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail, connecting many of Wright's architectural sites across Wisconsin to make it easier for tourists from around the globe to experience and enjoy Wright's legacy in his home state. The Trail includes five stops between Racine and Spring Green, Wis.

Standing 153 feet high and located in the heart of SC Johnson's global headquarters at 1525 Howe Street in Racine , the Research Tower is an inspiring example of cantilever construction featuring more than 7000 Pyrex glass tubes used to construct the Tower's windows. Visitors are taken back in time to experience how the Tower operated in its heyday with a full mock-up of a 1950s laboratory. To receive more information about visiting SC Johnson's campus or to schedule a free tour, please use the online scheduling tool at www.scjohnson.com/visit. A short five miles north of the Research Tower along Lake Michigan , visitors can tour SC Johnson's Wingspread, a dedicated National Historic Landmark that is the last and largest of Wright's iconic Prairie homes located at 33 East 4 Mile Road in Racine . To receive more information about visiting Wingspread or to schedule a free tour, please use the online scheduling tool at www.scjohnson.com/visit. Traveling northwest to 1 John Nolen Drive in Madison , stop at Monona Terrace to experience Frank Lloyd Wright's "dream civic center" designed in 1938, a curvilinear community and convention that links the shore of Lake Monona to the Wisconsin State Capitol that incorporates modern technology with organic design. Parties of fewer than 10 do not require reservations, but groups of 10 or more should schedule a reservation. To learn more about reservations and ticket pricing, please visit https://www.mononaterrace.com/guided-tours. Stay in Madison and head to the First Unitarian Society Meeting House located at 900 University Bay Drive to see one of the most innovative examples of church architecture, designed in 1946, and designated as both an American Institute of Architecture example of Wright's contributions to American culture and a National Historic Landmark. Guests are encouraged to visit the Unitarian Society's website to learn about tour schedules so as not to conflict with church functions. For more information on tours or to book a group tour, please visit https://www.fusmadison.org/tour. Last, but certainly not least, head to 5481 County Road C in Spring Green to visit Taliesin, Wright's winter home completed in 1911. Discover the physical embodiment of Wright's commitment to the creation of exceptional environments that harmonize architecture, art, culture and the land by touring the space that stimulated his creativity. Guests are encouraged to book tours and purchase tickets in advance as tours often sell out. For more information on visiting Taliesin: go to http://www.taliesinpreservation.org/visit/tours-tickets.

*H.F. Johnson Jr.'s office is only available on weekend tours. **The Research Tower is accessible only via stairs. If you have a special need, please contact the reservation office at 262-260-2154 or email [email protected] prior to your visit.

About SC Johnson

SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE, KIWI, OFF!, PLEDGE, RAID, SCRUBBING BUBBLES, SHOUT, WINDEX and ZIPLOC in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN, TANA, BAMA, BAYGON, BRISE, KABIKILLER, KLEAR, MR MUSCLE, and RIDSECT. The 130-year-old company, that generates $10 billion in sales, employs nearly 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

SOURCE SC Johnson

Related Links

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LONDON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The following documents (the "Documents") are available for viewing:

Prospectus Supplement dated 3 May 2016

Shell International Finance B.V. Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2015

Prospectus Supplement dated 4 May 2016

Royal Dutch Shell plc (NYSE: RDS.A)(NYSE: RDS.B) unaudited consolidated interim financial statements as at and for the three month period ended 31 March 2016

The Documents must be read in conjunction with the Information Memorandum dated 11 August 2015, as supplemented by the first supplement dated 24 August 2015 and the second supplement dated 29 October 2015, the third supplement dated 15 February 2016, the fourth supplement dated 10 March 2016, relating to the Programme. The Information Memorandum constitutes a base prospectus for the purposes of Article 5.4 of Directive 2003/71/EC as amended. Full information on Shell International Finance B.V. and Royal Dutch Shell plc is only available on the basis of the Information Memorandum.

The Documents are available for viewing at the 'Financial Reporting' section of Shell's website. To view the Documents, please paste the following URLs into the address bar of your browser.

Shell International Finance B.V. Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2015

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/shell-international-finance-bv-reports.html

Prospectus Supplement dated 3 May 2016

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/euro-medium-term-note-programme.html

Royal Dutch Shell plc unaudited consolidated interim financial statements as at and for the three month period ended 31 March 2016.

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/quarterly-results.html

Prospectus Supplement dated 4 May 2016

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/euro-medium-term-note-programme.html

Other content available on Shell's website and the content of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on Shell's website is not incorporated into, and does not form part of, this announcement.

The Documents have also been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at http://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm.

DISCLAIMER - INTENDED ADDRESSEES

Please note that the information contained in the Information Memorandum may be addressed to and/or targeted at persons who are residents of particular countries (specified in the Information Memorandum) only and is not intended for use and should not be relied upon by any person outside these countries and/or to whom the offer contained in the Information Memorandum is not addressed. Prior to relying on the information contained in the Information Memorandum, you must ascertain from the Information Memorandum whether or not you are part of the intended addressees of the information contained therein.

This publication does not constitute an offering of the securities described in the Information Memorandum for sale in the United States. This is not for distribution in the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or under any relevant securities laws of any state of the United States and are subject to U.S. tax law requirements. Subject to certain exceptions, the securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons, as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act. There will be no public offering of the securities in the United States.

Your right to access this service is conditional upon complying with the above requirement.



Enquiries:



Shell Media Relations

International, UK, European Press: +44(0)207-934-5550



Shell Investor Relations

Europe: +31-70-377-3996



SOURCE Shell International Finance BV and Royal Dutch Shell plc
LAKE CITY, Fla., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sitel, a leading global customer care provider, today announced the availability of 200 new career opportunities at its Lake City, Florida customer experience center. Additionally, the site will host a job fair on May 12 to recruit for the permanent, full-time positions. The new opportunities include both agents and managers to support clients in the telecommunications and healthcare industries.

Sitel will be hosting an onsite job fair at its Lake City customer experience center located at 1152 SW Business Point Drive on Thursday, May 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Applicants interested in a career with Sitel are encouraged to bring their resume to the event or apply online at the "Careers" tab of www.sitel.com. Previous customer service experience and strong computer knowledge are preferred.

"The dedicated Lake City team has continually provided high-quality customer care for clients which has helped grow business demand and the need to expand the current team," said Aline Mercado, site director for Sitel Lake City. "We look forward to meeting with more exceptional talent in the Lake City community to add to the current team to provide even more meaningful experiences for our clients' customers."

Career path development is a foundational building block for Sitel, with a long reputation for promoting team members through the ranks to management positions. Sitel provides competitive compensation and benefits packages, including medical, dental, vision, 401K, paid vacation and holiday time as well as lucrative bonus and incentive opportunities.

About Sitel

As caring for customers becomes the differentiator that drives consumer engagement and spend, Sitel is advancing its position as a world leader in outsourced customer experience innovation. With over 30 years of industry-leading experience, Sitel's 75,100 passionate and talented associates support more than 400 clients in 48 languages from 146 facilities strategically located in 22 countries. Combining comprehensive customer care capabilities, leading omnichannel solutions and unparalleled expertise across industries, Sitel collaborates with some of the best known global brands to help consistently deliver outstanding customer experiences. Sitel is a subsidiary of Groupe Acticall. Visit www.sitel.com to learn more.

Media Contacts:

Shirley Loebsack Joe Palladino/Amanda Fountain Sitel MSLGROUP +1 877.95.Sitel +1 781.684.0770 [email protected] [email protected]

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SOURCE Sitel

Related Links

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RALEIGH, N.C., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the largest automotive marketing agencies in the East is on the move again. Sokal Media Group has relocated its headquarters to 11550 Common Oaks Drive in Raleigh. The move consolidates more than 80 of their more than 100 employees in a newly designed, spacious, 20,000 square foot environment.

Sokal Media Group founder and CEO Mark Sokal moved to Raleigh with his family in 2003 from New Jersey. "I owned a Kia store when the terrible events of 9/11 occurred at The World Trade Center. Like many businesses in the Tri-State Area, we suffered a loss of business in the months that followed. But for us, our business simply never came back. It was a very painful time."

Sokal eventually found work as a sales manager in another dealership. "It was a fine relationship, however I was still very upset about having lost a business that was mine," said Sokal.

But a friend and fellow member of his church would lead him and his family in a new direction. "My friend had been employed by the City of New York. He had to comb through the Twin Towers debris field every day, a gruesome job. I know how depressed he had been." But in 2003 Mark's friend seemed like a new person. "He told me he was shifting gears and moving his family to North Carolina. He talked about a more favorable cost-of-living, family values and the warmer climate. I liked what I was hearing," said Sokal. "It seemed that God was showing us a new way forward, leading us in a new direction." It was time to leave New Jersey.

In an old, used car and little money in their checking account, the Sokals and their three children headed for North Carolina. "We spent a lot of days searching for a rental home suitable for our family. It was daunting," said Cindy Sokal, Mark's wife and partner. "I prayed for God to give us a sign that we were on the right path. Were we hearing what God was really saying to us?"

The answer came quickly. The Sokals found a perfect home in South Raleigh. Cindy recalls, "We were standing on the front lawn finalizing the rental agreement when I looked up and saw a rainbow shining brightly over the roof." God had answered their prayers.

"I had another soul-searching choice to make," said Mark. "Should I sell cars again? I really needed work." With counsel and encouragement of his associates in the advertising industry, Mark thought he might better serve his family and new home by re-positioning himself as an automotive marketing advisor.

"One of the New Jersey advertising agencies I had worked with believed in me and, just like the character Kevin Costner plays in the movie 'Dances with Wolves,' I was the lone outpost, representing that firm here in Raleigh," said Sokal. But cold calling on businesses was very different from having car buyers coming to one's store. "After some disappointing attempts, I really didn't think I had what it takes."

Encouraged by an advertising agency friend, Mark came to realize that he had plenty to offersomething no other ad agency rep could provide: first-hand knowledge of the dealer's business. As he embraced this principle he saw that area dealership owners were eager to hear what he had to say. "I also had a lot of help in getting started," said Sokal. "The folks at Curtis Media Group and Time Warner Cable were very supportive." And with a few introductions from a member of his new congregation, over time Sokal acquired quite a few clients.

By 2010, the lone outpost was flourishing. And by mutual agreement, Mark bought out his partner and established Sokal Media Group, moving the office to Cary, N.C.

Mark knew that the traditional ways of marketing were changing and was one of the first automotive advertising agencies to establish a dedicated digital marketing division within his company, today, branded as Webstreak.

"Auto Dealers are used to dealing with traditional advertising agencies that handle their radio, television, and direct mail. The challenge is that on the digital side, clients usually deal with four to eight different vendors to manage their PPC, Social Media, Website, Mobile, Inventory Marketing, Reputation, and more," said Sokal. "Sokal Media Group, and our digital division, Webstreak, is a fully integrated advertising/digital marketing agency that allows dealers to have a holistic approach to their communications."

Today, Sokal Media Group has grown to serve more than 300 clients. His company now employs more than 100 people in the Carolinas. In addition to their new Raleigh HQ they maintain an office in Charlotte and have field representatives in New York/New Jersey, Colorado and Florida.

The Chris Leith Automotive family of dealerships is one of Sokal's first clients. "We met Mark way back when he was a one-man band with a pool secretary and a part-time artist in a shared office suite in Raleigh," said Chris Leith. "He came in with ideas we had never seen before, always fresh and effective. We even harnessed his experience to help train our desk managers and salespeople. All of us at Chris Leith Automotive are proud to have been there from the beginning and congratulate his entire team. We wish them all the best in their new complex."

For further information, visit online at http://SokalMediaGroup.com or http://Webstreak.com.

*VIDEO: https://youtu.be/YWpCA7EKDJs

*PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0505-sokalnew-300dpi.jpg

This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE Sokal Media Group

Related Links

http://sokalmediagroup.com


PRINCETON, N.J., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Soligenix, Inc. (OTCQB: SNGX) (Soligenix or the Company), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases where there is an unmet medical need, announced today that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has exercised an option for RiVax bulk drug substance and finished drug product process scale-up and technology transfer that will support preclinical studies and manufacturing in accordance with current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs). The overall objectives of the contract are to advance the development of Soligenix's thermostabilization technology, ThermoVax, combined with the company's ricin toxin vaccine, RiVax, as a medical countermeasure to prevent the effects of ricin exposure.

The exercised option for contract #HHSN272201400039C will provide Soligenix with an additional $4.3M in funding (total awarded to date under this contract: $13.5M). If all contract options are exercised, the total award of up to $24.7 million will support the preclinical, manufacturing and clinical development activities necessary to advance heat stable RiVax with the FDA.

"The exercise of this option validates Soligenix's success on contractual work completed to date and reflects NIAID's ongoing commitment to advance development of viable thermostabilization technologies that can be applied to important vaccine preparations," stated Christopher J. Schaber, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Soligenix. "It also highlights the government's commitment to identification and development of countermeasures to protect both the public and, more likely, first responders, in the event of ricin exposure. We thank NIAID for its past and present support and look forward to advancing RiVax development toward potential FDA licensure and government procurement."

About Ricin Toxin

Ricin toxin is a plant toxin and potential biological weapon because of its stability, high potency, and availability as a by-product of castor oil production. Ricin comes in many forms like powder, mist, or pellet. Ricin can also be dissolved in water and other liquids. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates the lethal dose in humans is about the size of a grain of salt. Ricin toxin illness causes tissue necrosis and general organ failure leading to death within several days of exposure. Ricin is especially toxic when inhaled. Ricin works by getting inside the cells of the body and preventing the cells from making the proteins it needs. Without the proteins, cells die, which is eventually harmful to the whole body.

There are currently no effective treatments for ricin poisoning. The successful development of an effective vaccine against ricin toxin may act as a deterrent against the actual use of ricin as a biological weapon and could be used in rapid deployment scenarios in the event of a biological attack.

About RiVax

RiVax is Soligenix's proprietary recombinant subunit vaccine developed to protect against exposure to ricin toxin. With RiVax, Soligenix is a world leader in the area of ricin toxin vaccine research.

RiVax contains a genetically altered version of a RTA chain containing two mutations that inactivate the toxicity of the ricin molecule. A Phase 1A clinical trial was conducted with a formulation of RiVax that did not contain an adjuvant. This trial revealed dose dependent seroconversion as well as lack of toxicity of the molecule when administered intramuscularly to human volunteers. The adjuvant-free formulation of RiVax induced toxin neutralizing antibodies that lasted up to 127 days after the third vaccination in several individuals. To increase the longevity and magnitude of toxin neutralizing antibodies, RiVax was formulated with an adjuvant of aluminum salts (known colloquially as Alum) for a Phase 1B clinical trial. Alum is an adjuvant that is used in many human vaccines, including most vaccines used in infants. The results of the Phase 1B study indicated that Alum-adjuvanted RiVax was safe and well tolerated, and induced greater ricin neutralizing antibody levels in humans than adjuvant-free RiVax. In preclinical animal studies, the Alum formulation of RiVax also induced higher titers and longer lasting antibodies than the adjuvant-free vaccine. Vaccination with the Alum-adjuvanted RiVax formulation in a large animal model provided 100% protection (p<0.0001) against acute exposure to aerosolized ricin, the most lethal route of exposure for ricin. The protected animals also had no signs of gross lung damage, a serious and enduring ramification with long-term consequences for survivors of ricin exposure.

The development of RiVax has been sponsored through a series of grants from both NIAID and the FDA, which were granted to Soligenix and to the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) where the vaccine originated. To date, Soligenix and Dr. Ellen Vitetta and colleagues at UTSW have collectively received approximately $25 million in grant funding from NIAID for development of RiVax and related vaccine technologies. RiVax would potentially be added to the Strategic National Stockpile and dispensed in the event of a terrorist attack.

About ThermoVax

ThermoVax is a technology that is designed to eliminate the standard cold chain production, distribution and storage logistics required for most vaccines. Cold chain requirements add considerable cost to the production and storage of current conventional vaccines. According to the Biopharma Cold Chain Sourcebook of 2010, 98% of all vaccines (with a total value of $20.6 billion) require shipment through cold chain. Elimination of the cold chain would also enhance the utility of these vaccines for emerging markets and for other applications requiring but lacking reliable cold chain capabilities. Further, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 50% of all global vaccine doses are wasted because they are not kept within required temperature ranges. NIAID has also highlighted the priority of technologies for biodefense vaccines that focus on broad spectrum approaches including vaccine adjuvants and temperature stabilization for long shelf life, rapid onset of immunity, and surge capacity for production. For vaccines that are intended for long-term stockpiling, such as for use in biodefense or in pandemic situations, the utilization of ThermoVax has the potential to facilitate easier storage and distribution of strategic national stockpile vaccines in emergency situations.

The technology utilizes precise lyophilization of protein immunogens with conventional aluminum adjuvants in combination with secondary adjuvants for rapid onset of protective immunity with the fewest number of vaccinations. RiVax is extremely labile in liquid form requiring careful management under refrigerated conditions at 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit). By employing ThermoVax during their final formulation, it is possible to produce stable and potent vaccines that are capable of withstanding temperatures at least as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to one year.

The underlying technology has been developed by Drs. John Carpenter and Theodore Randolph at the University of Colorado. The vaccine technology has been developed to date in collaboration with SRI International, the University of Kansas, the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health, and the Tulane National Primate Research Center under the sponsorship of the cooperative grant from NIAID.

About Soligenix, Inc.

Soligenix is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases where there is an unmet medical need. Our BioTherapeutics business segment is developing SGX301 as a first-in-class photodynamic therapy utilizing safe visible light for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, proprietary formulations of oral beclomethasone 17,21-dipropionate (BDP) for the prevention/treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders characterized by severe inflammation including pediatric Crohn's disease (SGX203) and acute radiation enteritis (SGX201), and our novel innate defense regulator technology (SGX942) for the treatment of oral mucositis.

Our Vaccines/BioDefense business segment includes active development programs for RiVax, our ricin toxin vaccine candidate, OrbeShield, our GI acute radiation syndrome therapeutic candidate and SGX943, our melioidosis therapeutic candidate. The development of our vaccine programs incorporates the use of our proprietary heat stabilization platform technology, known as ThermoVax. Currently, this business segment is supported with up to $57 million in government grant and contract funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

For further information regarding Soligenix, Inc., please visit the Company's website at www.soligenix.com.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that reflect Soligenix, Inc.'s current expectations about its future results, performance, prospects and opportunities, including but not limited to, potential market sizes, patient populations and clinical trial enrollment. Statements that are not historical facts, such as "anticipates," "estimates," "believes," "intends," "potential," or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from what is expressed in, or implied by, these statements. Soligenix cannot assure you that it will be able to successfully develop, achieve regulatory approval for or commercialize products based on its technologies, including SGX942, particularly in light of the significant uncertainty inherent in developing vaccines against bioterror threats conducting preclinical and clinical trials of vaccines, obtaining regulatory approvals and manufacturing vaccines, that product development and commercialization efforts will not be reduced or discontinued due to difficulties or delays in clinical trials or due to lack of progress or positive results from research and development efforts, that it will be able to successfully obtain any further funding to support product development and commercialization efforts, including grants and awards, maintain its existing grants which are subject to performance requirements, enter into any biodefense procurement contracts with the US Government or other countries, that it will be able to compete with larger and better financed competitors in the biotechnology industry, that changes in health care practice, third party reimbursement limitations and Federal and/or state health care reform initiatives will not negatively affect its business, or that the US Congress may not pass any legislation that would provide additional funding for the Project BioShield program. Positive results from the Phase 2 study evaluating SGX942 does not ensure that the follow-on Phase 2/3 clinical study will be successful. These and other risk factors are described from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Soligenix's reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K. Unless required by law, Soligenix assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events.

SOURCE Soligenix, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.soligenix.com


CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SonaCare Medical, the leading developer and manufacturer of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Technologies, announces today a marketing alliance with Invivo, a business of Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHIA) with over 20-years of history as the pioneer of progressive MRI coils, advanced clinical visualization systems, and MRI-compatible interventional devices.

As part of this strategic partnership, SonaCare Medical has licensed from Invivo their UroNav fusion software, which engineers from both companies have collaborated on to achieve compatibility with the Sonablate planning system. This creates a seamless process whereby urologists, who have used UroNav to annotate and biopsy targeted prostate tissue, can now easily localize the specific tissue appropriate for ablation directly in the Sonablate software. In addition, SonaCare and Invivo have created a selling relationship that will allow Invivo's extensive network of sales specialists to sell Sonablate directly to almost 200 U.S.-based UroNav facilities.

"This is a major strategic partnership for SonaCare," comments Dr. Mark Carol, CEO of SonaCare Medical. "Working together, Invivo and SonaCare are putting in place a broad product portfolio for performing advanced diagnostics, targeted ablation, and systematic patient follow up, as well as a means for delivering that platform to the market. These are very exciting times for both of our organizations and for the physicians and patients they serve around the world."

"We're excited about this new alliance with SonaCare and the value this will bring to our mutual customers," said Thomas Tynes, Senior Director, Strategy & Business Development at Invivo Corporation. "Achieving compatibility between our respective products provides Sonablate customers with much easier access to Invivo's integrated portfolio of Prostate Oncology Solutions, including our market-leading UroNav Fusion Biopsy System. We look forward to working together with SonaCare to provide our customers and their patients with innovative clinical solutions throughout the care continuum."

The UroNav-Sonablate software package will be available for viewing this week at both the SonaCare Medical booth (#4547) and the Invivo booth (#5333) at the Annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in San Diego May 7th  May 10th.

Sonablate is the first device to receive regulatory authorization from the FDA for the focused ultrasound ablation of prostate tissue. Since its introduction over 15 years ago, Sonablate technology has been used around the world on 15,000 patients in over 30 countries, including approximately 4,000 U.S. men who have had this procedure performed outside the U.S.

About SonaCare Medical, LLC

SonaCare Medical is a world leader in minimally invasive focused ultrasound (HIFU) technologies. SonaCare Medical is committed to developing focused ultrasound related technologies that support precise and innovative procedures for the treatment of a range of medical conditions. SonaCare Medical, with its subsidiary Focus Surgery, Inc., designs and manufactures medical devices, including the following: Sonablate, which has 510(K) clearance in the U.S. under a De Novo regulatory classification; Sonablate 500, which has CE Marking and has obtained regulatory authorization in more than 49 countries outside the U.S.; Sonatherm laparoscopic HIFU surgical ablation system, which has 510(K) clearance in the U.S., has CE Marking and has obtained regulatory authorization in more than 30 countries outside the U.S.

For additional information, visit www.SonaCareMedical.com

Forward Looking Statements.

The Company's forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions regarding the Company's business and performance, the economy and other future conditions and forecasts of future events, circumstances and results. As with any projection or forecast, forward-looking statements are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. The Company's actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in its forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by the Company speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or other factors.

SOURCE SonaCare Medical

Related Links

http://www.SonaCareMedical.com


WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

What: StreetShares is America's small business funding community with a particular focus on funding Veteran owned small businesses. To honor Military Spouse Appreciation Day, StreetShares is offering a special opportunity for military spouses to invest in Veteran owned small business for free. For the first 200 military spouses who sign up to become a member, StreetShares will issue a $25 Veteran Business Bond that will immediately go to work, earning a fixed 5% return while funding Veteran entrepreneurship. In addition, military spouses and all StreetShares members receive a $250 account bonus for each and every small business borrower they refer who accepts a StreetShares loan.

Why: Military Spouse Appreciation Day was founded in 1984 to recognize the contributions, support and sacrifice made by the 15M+ current and former military spouses - both those in active duty and Veterans.

Research has uncovered the limited educational and employment opportunities for spouses, with 90 percent of female military spouses having reported being underemployed or overqualified for the positions they hold in addition to earning 38 percent less than their civilian counterparts. StreetShares is giving power and earning potential back to these spouses while supporting Veteran entrepreneurship.

How: Military spouses can learn more and take advantage of the $25 Veteran Business Bond offer by signing up to become a StreetShares member here.

When: Campaign will run through Sunday, May 8th and free $25 Veteran Business Bond is open to first 200 spouses who sign up to become a StreetShares member.

Contact:

571-325-2966

[email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364177LOGO

SOURCE StreetShares
CHICAGO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT:

More than 300 animal advocates will participate in The Puppy Mill Project's (wwwThePuppyMillProject.org) gala, Mothers in the Mills, on Saturday, May 7, 2016. The gala is held each year on Mother's Day weekend to honor canine mothers (and fathers) who are suffering in puppy mills. Dogs in puppy mills often live their entire lives in cages, have minimal human contact and receive little to no medical care. Funds raised will help with education, rescue, medical care and advocacy.

Guests will experience:

Dinner and dessert stations

An open bar

Silent and live auctions

Live music by the Chicago band Out of Control

band Out of Control A graphic recording by the Ink Factory

Guest of honor Theresa Strader , a nationally recognized speaker on puppy mills and the founder of the National Mill Dog Rescue.

WHEN:

Saturday, May 7, 2016 from 7:00 p.m. to 11 p.m.

WHERE:

Moonlight Studios, 1446 W. Kinzie Chicago, IL

TICKETS:

Individual: $125 in advance, $150 at the door

Tickets can be purchased online at www.ThePuppyMillProject.org

ABOUT THE PUPPY MILL PROJECT:

The Puppy Mill Project is an educational and advocacy organization dedicated to ending puppy mill cruelty. As one of only a few groups dedicated solely to ending puppy mills, its mission focuses on unique educational programs and extensive community outreach. The Puppy Mill Project also facilitates the rescue of dogs from puppy mills and engage in legislative advocacy.

In only six years, the Puppy Mill Project has delivered educational presentations to over 2,400 people, aided in the rescue of more than 250 dogs from puppy mills and helped advocate for laws to ban the sale of puppies in pet stores.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Media is welcome to attend the event. Representatives of The Puppy Mill Project are available for interviews in the days leading up to the gala and at the gala.

NOTE:

High-resolution photos available upon request.

SOURCE The Puppy Mill Project

Related Links

http://www.ThePuppyMillProject.org


HAMILTON, Bermuda, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Third Point Reinsurance Ltd. ("Third Point Re" or the "Company") (NYSE:TPRE) today announced results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2016.

For the three months ended March 31, 2016, Third Point Re reported a net loss of $51.1 million, or $(0.49) per diluted common share, compared with net income of $50.5 million, or $0.47 per diluted common share, for the three months ended March 31, 2015.

For the three months ended March 31, 2016, diluted book value per share decreased by $0.48 per share, or 3.7%, to $12.37 per share from $12.85 per share as of December 31, 2015.

"During the first quarter, we generated premiums written of $197.2 million, a decrease of 7.6% compared to the prior year's first quarter. Our combined ratio for the quarter was 104.9%, which is in line with our expectations given current market conditions and the lines of business on which we focus," commented John Berger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "During the first quarter, we generated a negative investment return of 2.0%. During April, we generated an investment return of 1.8% bringing the year to date return through April to a slightly negative 0.2%. Despite challenging conditions in both the financial and reinsurance markets, we continue to believe in our total return model."

The following table shows certain key financial metrics for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015:







2016

2015





(In millions, except for per share data and ratios) Gross premiums written



$ 197.2



$ 213.3

Net premiums earned



$ 136.8



$ 139.1

Net underwriting loss (1) (2)



$ (6.6)



$ (3.9)

Combined ratio (1) (2)



104.9%



102.8%

Net investment return on investments managed by Third Point LLC



(2.0)%



3.0%

Net investment income (loss)



$ (40.1)



$ 64.9

Net investment income (loss) on float (3)



$ (8.3)



$ 18.6

Net income (loss)



$ (51.1)



$ 50.5

Diluted earnings (loss) per share



$ (0.49)



$ 0.47

Increase (decrease) in diluted book value per share (3)



(3.7)%



3.1%

Return on beginning shareholders' equity (3)



(3.7)%



3.5%

Net investments managed by Third Point LLC (4)



$ 2,059.7



$ 2,062.8























(1) Property and Casualty Reinsurance segment only. (2) See the accompanying Segment Reporting for a calculation of net underwriting loss and combined ratio. (3) Net investment income (loss) on float, diluted book value per share and return on beginning shareholders' equity are non-GAAP financial measures. See the accompanying Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures and Key Performance Indicators for an explanation and calculation of net investment income (loss) on float, diluted book value per share and return on beginning shareholders' equity. (4) Prior year comparative represents amount as of December 31, 2015.

Share Repurchase Program

On May 4, 2016, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a new common share repurchase program for up to an aggregate of $100.0 million of the Company's outstanding common shares. Under the common share repurchase program, the Company may repurchase shares from time to time in privately negotiated transactions or in open-market purchases in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company may commence such repurchases immediately, subject to compliance with applicable securities laws. The Company expects to finance any repurchases from a combination of cash on hand and cash provided by operating activities. The timing, amount and method of any repurchases under the program will depend on a variety of factors, including market conditions, the Company's capital position relative to internal and rating agency targets, legal requirements and other factors. The repurchase program may be modified, extended or terminated by the Board of Directors at any time.

Segment Highlights

Property and Casualty Reinsurance Segment

Gross premiums written decreased by $16.2 million, or 7.6%, to $197.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 from $213.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015. The decrease in premiums for the three months ended March 31, 2016 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2015 was primarily as a result of contracts that did not renew because of pricing and/or terms and conditions, partially offset by new business.

Net premiums earned for the three months ended March 31, 2016 decreased by $2.3 million, or 1.7%, to $136.8 million. The net premiums earned for the three months ended March 31, 2015 included $16.5 million related to retroactive exposures in reinsurance contracts, which were not renewable. This decrease in net premiums earned was partially offset by a larger in-force underwriting portfolio for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

The net underwriting loss and combined ratio for the three months ended March 31, 2016 were in line with expectations given challenging market conditions and the lines of business on which we focus. The net underwriting loss and combined ratio for the three months ended March 31, 2016 included a decrease in net underwriting loss of $0.2 million (favorable development) for the three months ended March 31, 2016 related to changes in estimates of prior years' loss reserves and the related impact of acquisition costs compared to a $1.0 million increase in net underwriting loss for the three months ended March 31, 2015.

Investments

For the three months ended March 31, 2016, Third Point Re recorded a net investment loss of $40.1 million, compared to net investment income of $64.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015. The return on investments managed by the Company's investment manager, Third Point LLC, was (2.0)% for the three months ended March 31, 2016 compared to 3.0% for the three months ended March 31, 2015.

The net investment results for the three months ended March 31, 2016 were attributable to losses in our long equity and structured credit portfolios, which were partially offset by strong performance in performing credit and sovereign credit. Outperformance from several core portfolio positions within our long equity portfolio was offset by negative returns in two significant equity investments in the healthcare sector.

Conference Call Details

The Company will hold a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2016 results at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on May 6, 2016. The call will be webcast live over the Internet from the Company's website at www.thirdpointre.bm under "Investors". Participants should follow the instructions provided on the website to download and install any necessary audio applications. The conference call is also available by dialing 1-877-407-0789 (domestic) or 1-201-689-8562 (international). Participants should ask for the Third Point Reinsurance Ltd. first quarter earnings conference call.

A replay of the live conference call will be available approximately three hours after the call. The replay will be available on the Company's website or by dialing 1-877-870-5176 (domestic) or 1-858-384-5517 (international) and entering the replay passcode 13635328. The telephonic replay will be available until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on May 13, 2016.

Safe Harbor Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control. The Company cautions you that the forward-looking information presented in this press release is not a guarantee of future events, and that actual events may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "plan," "seek," "comfortable with," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Actual events, results and outcomes may differ materially from the Company's expectations due to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Although it is not possible to identify all of these risks and factors, they include, among others, the following: (i) limited historical information about the Company; (ii) fluctuation in results of operations; (iii) more established competitors; (iv) losses exceeding reserves; (v) downgrades or withdrawal of ratings by rating agencies; (vi) dependence on key executives; (vii) dependence on letter of credit facilities that may not be available on commercially acceptable terms; (viii) potential inability to pay dividends; (ix) inability to service the Company's indebtedness; (x) limited cash flow and liquidity due to indebtedness; (xi) unavailability of capital in the future; (xii) fluctuations in market price of the Company's common shares; (xiii) dependence on clients' evaluations of risks associated with such clients' insurance underwriting; (xiv) suspension or revocation of reinsurance licenses; (xv) potentially being deemed an investment company under United States federal securities law; (xvi) potential characterization of Third Point Re and/or Third Point Reinsurance Company Ltd. as a passive foreign investment company; (xvii) future strategic transactions such as acquisitions, dispositions, merger or joint ventures; (xviii) dependence on Third Point LLC to implement the Company's investment strategy; (xix) termination by Third Point LLC of the investment management agreements; (xx) risks associated with the Company's investment strategy being greater than those faced by competitors; (xxi) increased regulation or scrutiny of alternative investment advisers affecting the Company's reputation; (xxii) Third Point Reinsurance Ltd. potentially becoming subject to United States federal income taxation; (xxiii) potentially becoming subject to United States withholding and information reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act provisions; (xxiv) changes in Bermuda law or other regulation that may have an adverse impact on the Company's operations; and (xxv) other risks and factors listed under "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other periodic and current disclosures filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In presenting Third Point Re's results, management has included financial measures that are not calculated under standards or rules that comprise accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). Such measures, including net investment income on float, book value per share, diluted book value per share and return on beginning shareholders' equity, are referred to as non-GAAP measures. These non-GAAP measures may be defined or calculated differently by other companies. Management believes these measures allow for a more complete understanding of the underlying business. These measures are used to monitor our results and should not be viewed as a substitute for those determined in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of such measures to the most comparable GAAP figures are included in the attached financial information in accordance with Regulation G.

About the Company

The Company is a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange which, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries Third Point Reinsurance Company Ltd. and Third Point Reinsurance (USA) Ltd., writes property and casualty reinsurance business. Third Point Reinsurance Company Ltd. was incorporated in October 2011 and commenced underwriting business on January 1, 2012. Third Point Reinsurance (USA) Ltd. was incorporated in November 2014 and commenced underwriting business in February 2015. Third Point Reinsurance Company Ltd. and Third Point Reinsurance (USA) Ltd. each have an "A-" (Excellent) financial strength rating from A.M. Best Company, Inc.

Contact

Third Point Reinsurance Ltd.

Manoj Gupta - Head of Investor Relations and Business Development

[email protected]

+1 441-542-3333

THIRD POINT REINSURANCE LTD. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share and share amounts)









March 31,

2016

December 31,

2015 Assets





Equity securities, trading, at fair value (cost - $1,421,874; 2015 - $1,156,369) $ 1,483,076



$ 1,231,077

Debt securities, trading, at fair value (cost - $1,199,710; 2015 - $1,049,652) 1,185,102



1,034,247

Other investments, at fair value 49,965



51,920

Total investments in securities 2,718,143



2,317,244

Cash and cash equivalents 7,658



20,407

Restricted cash and cash equivalents 316,923



330,915

Due from brokers 424,205



326,971

Derivative assets, at fair value 26,877



35,337

Interest and dividends receivable 14,092



10,687

Reinsurance balances receivable 326,066



294,313

Deferred acquisition costs, net 216,689



197,093

Unearned premiums ceded 94



187

Loss and loss adjustment expenses recoverable 1



125

Other assets 16,499



11,829

Total assets $ 4,067,247



$ 3,545,108

Liabilities and shareholders' equity





Liabilities





Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 9,639



$ 11,966

Reinsurance balances payable 30,733



24,119

Deposit liabilities 86,594



83,955

Unearned premium reserves 591,970



531,710

Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves 489,907



466,047

Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value 235,919



314,353

Securities sold under an agreement to repurchase 170,305



8,944

Due to brokers 960,703



574,962

Derivative liabilities, at fair value 28,524



15,392

Interest and dividends payable 2,397



4,400

Senior notes payable, net of deferred costs 113,421



113,377

Total liabilities 2,720,112



2,149,225

Commitments and contingent liabilities





Shareholders' equity





Preference shares (par value $0.10; authorized, 30,000,000; none issued) 





Common shares (par value $0.10; authorized, 300,000,000; issued and outstanding, 106,213,131 (2015: 105,479,341)) 10,621



10,548

Additional paid-in capital 1,083,168



1,080,591

Retained earnings 237,458



288,587

Shareholders' equity attributable to shareholders 1,331,247



1,379,726

Non-controlling interests 15,888



16,157

Total shareholders' equity 1,347,135



1,395,883

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 4,067,247



$ 3,545,108



THIRD POINT REINSURANCE LTD. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (LOSS) (UNAUDITED) For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 (expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share and share amounts)









2016

2015 Revenues





Gross premiums written $ 197,156



$ 213,334

Gross premiums ceded 



(52)

Net premiums written 197,156



213,282

Change in net unearned premium reserves (60,354)



(74,207)

Net premiums earned 136,802



139,075

Net investment income (loss) (40,110)



64,918

Total revenues 96,692



203,993

Expenses





Loss and loss adjustment expenses incurred, net 84,676



81,746

Acquisition costs, net 51,687



54,657

General and administrative expenses 11,288



11,708

Other expenses 2,706



2,701

Interest expense 2,048



1,036

Foreign exchange gains (2,386)



(193)

Total expenses 150,019



151,655

Income (loss) before income tax (expense) benefit (53,327)



52,338

Income tax (expense) benefit 1,929



(1,305)

Income (loss) including non-controlling interests (51,398)



51,033

(Income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests 269



(563)

Net income (loss) $ (51,129)



$ 50,470

Earnings (loss) per share





Basic $ (0.49)



$ 0.48

Diluted $ (0.49)



$ 0.47

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in the determination of earnings (loss) per share





Basic 104,257,874



103,753,065

Diluted 104,257,874



106,144,183



THIRD POINT REINSURANCE LTD. SEGMENT REPORTING

















Three months ended March 31, 2016

Property and Casualty Reinsurance

Catastrophe Risk Management (2)

Corporate

Total Revenues ($ in thousands) Gross premiums written $ 197,156



$ 



$ 



$ 197,156

Gross premiums ceded 













Net premiums written 197,156











197,156

Change in net unearned premium reserves (60,354)











(60,354)

Net premiums earned 136,802











136,802

Expenses













Loss and loss adjustment expenses incurred, net 84,676











84,676

Acquisition costs, net 51,687











51,687

General and administrative expenses 7,062







4,226



11,288

Total expenses 143,425







4,226



147,651

Net underwriting loss (6,623)



n/a

n/a

n/a Net investment loss (8,261)







(31,849)



(40,110)

Other expenses (2,706)











(2,706)

Interest expense 







(2,048)



(2,048)

Foreign exchange gains 







2,386



2,386

Income tax benefit 







1,929



1,929

Segment loss including non-controlling interests (17,590)







(33,808)



(51,398)

Segment loss attributable to non-controlling interests 







269



269

Segment loss $ (17,590)



$ 



$ (33,539)



$ (51,129)

Property and Casualty Reinsurance - Underwriting Ratios (1):











Loss ratio 61.9 %











Acquisition cost ratio 37.8 %











Composite ratio 99.7 %











General and administrative expense ratio 5.2 %











Combined ratio 104.9 %































Three months ended March 31, 2015

Property and Casualty Reinsurance

Catastrophe Risk Management

Corporate

Total Revenues ($ in thousands) Gross premiums written $ 213,383



$ (49)



$ 



$ 213,334

Gross premiums ceded (52)











(52)

Net premiums written 213,331



(49)







213,282

Change in net unearned premium reserves (74,214)



7







(74,207)

Net premiums earned 139,117



(42)







139,075

Expenses













Loss and loss adjustment expenses incurred, net 81,746











81,746

Acquisition costs, net 54,663



(6)







54,657

General and administrative expenses 6,567



233



4,908



11,708

Total expenses 142,976



227



4,908



148,111

Net underwriting loss (3,859)



n/a



n/a



n/a

Net investment income 18,575



25



46,318



64,918

Other expenses (2,701)











(2,701)

Interest expense 







(1,036)



(1,036)

Foreign exchange gains 







193



193

Income tax expense 







(1,305)



(1,305)

Segment income (loss) including non-controlling interests 12,015



(244)



39,262



51,033

Segment (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests 



80



(643)



(563)

Segment income (loss) $ 12,015



$ (164)



$ 38,619



$ 50,470

Property and Casualty Reinsurance - Underwriting Ratios (1):











Loss ratio 58.8 %











Acquisition cost ratio 39.3 %











Composite ratio 98.1 %











General and administrative expense ratio 4.7 %











Combined ratio 102.8 %































(1) Underwriting ratios are calculated by dividing the related expense by net premiums earned. (2) As of December 31, 2015, all investments in the Catastrophe Fund had been redeemed. In February 2016, the Company completed the dissolution of the Catastrophe Fund and Catastrophe Reinsurer. As a result, there is no further activity in the Catastrophe Risk Management segment

THIRD POINT REINSURANCE LTD. RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES AND KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS





















March 31,

2016

December 31, 2015 Basic and diluted book value per share numerator:





($ in thousands, except share and per share amounts) Total shareholders' equity





$ 1,347,135



$ 1,395,883

Less: non-controlling interests





(15,888)



(16,157)

Shareholders' equity attributable to shareholders





1,331,247



1,379,726

Effect of dilutive warrants issued to founders and an advisor





46,512



46,512

Effect of dilutive stock options issued to directors and employees





57,272



58,070

Diluted book value per share numerator





$ 1,435,031



$ 1,484,308

Basic and diluted book value per share denominator:







Issued and outstanding shares





104,336,577



104,256,745

Effect of dilutive warrants issued to founders and an advisor





4,651,163



4,651,163

Effect of dilutive stock options issued to directors and employees





5,708,559



5,788,391

Effect of dilutive restricted shares issued to directors and employees





1,273,248



837,277

Diluted book value per share denominator





115,969,547



115,533,576















Basic book value per share





$ 12.76



$ 13.23

Diluted book value per share





$ 12.37



$ 12.85









2016

2015





($ in thousands) Net investment income (loss) on float



$ (8,261)



$ 18,575

Net investment income (loss) on capital



(32,096)



46,274

Net investment income (loss) on investments managed by Third Point LLC



(40,357)



64,849

Investment income on cash held by the Catastrophe Reinsurer and Catastrophe Fund







15

Net gain on catastrophe bond held by Catastrophe Reinsurer







10

Net gain on investment in Kiskadee Fund



247



44







$ (40,110)



$ 64,918













2016

2015









($ in thousands) Net income (loss)







$ (51,129)



$ 50,470

Shareholders' equity attributable to shareholders - beginning of period







$ 1,379,726



$ 1,451,913

Return on beginning shareholders' equity







(3.7)%



3.5%



Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Key Performance Indicators

Book Value per Share and Diluted Book Value per Share

Book value per share and diluted book value per share are non-GAAP financial measures. Book value per share is calculated by dividing shareholders' equity attributable to shareholders by the number of issued and outstanding shares at period end. Diluted book value per share is calculated by dividing shareholders' equity attributable to shareholders and adjusted to include unvested restricted shares and the exercise of all in-the-money options and warrants. For unvested restricted shares with a performance condition, we include the unvested restricted shares for which we consider vesting to be probable. We believe that long-term growth in diluted book value per share is the most important measure of our financial performance because it allows management and investors to track over time the value created by the retention of earnings. In addition, we believe this metric is used by investors because it provides a basis for comparison with other companies in our industry that also report a similar measure.

Net Investment Income on Float

Net investment income on float is an important aspect of our property and casualty reinsurance operation. In an insurance or reinsurance operation, float arises because premiums from reinsurance contracts and proceeds from deposit accounted contracts are collected before losses are paid. In some instances, the interval between receipts and payments can extend over many years. During this time interval, insurance and reinsurance companies invest the premiums received and generate investment returns. Float is not a concept defined by U.S. GAAP and therefore, there are no comparable U.S. GAAP measures and as a result, is considered to be a non-GAAP measure. We believe that net investment income generated on float is an important consideration in evaluating the overall contribution of our property and casualty reinsurance operation to our consolidated results. It is also explicitly considered as part of the evaluation of management's performance for purposes of long-term incentive compensation.

Net Investment Return on Investments Managed by Third Point LLC

Net investment return represents the return on our investments managed by Third Point LLC, net of fees. The net investment return on investments managed by Third Point LLC is the percentage change in value of a dollar invested over the reporting period on our investment assets managed by Third Point LLC, net of non-controlling interest. The stated return is net of withholding taxes, which are presented as a component of income tax expense in our condensed consolidated statements of income (loss). Net investment return is the key indicator by which we measure the performance of Third Point LLC, our investment manager.

Return on Beginning Shareholders' Equity

Return on beginning shareholders' equity as presented is a non-GAAP financial measure. Return on beginning shareholders' equity is calculated by dividing net income (loss) by the beginning of period shareholders' equity attributable to shareholders. We believe this metric is used by investors to supplement measures of our profitability.

SOURCE Third Point Reinsurance Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.thirdpointre.bm


JASPER, Ind., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomasville Cabinetry has been honored with the 2016 Women's Choice Award for America's Most Recommended Kitchen Cabinetry. This award designation from WomenCertified Inc., the leading advocate for female consumers, is based on a national survey that was distributed to tens of thousands of women across America who were asked to select the brands that they would highly recommend to their family and friends.

"We are delighted that American women have selected Thomasville. Our goal is to provide fashionable products that meet or exceed the expectations of today's homeowners. To be chosen by American women as a brand they trust and recommend is a great honor," said Cindy Hahn, executive vice president, Marketing and Strategic Planning, MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc.

"The Women's Choice Award's mission is to identify which brands are most recommended by women," said Delia Passi, CEO and founder of WomenCertified, Inc. "We are pleased to salute Thomasville Cabinetry for their focus on excellence, a commitment that is recognized by women consumers nationwide."

This is the third year in a row that Thomasville Cabinetry, manufactured by MasterBrand Cabinets Inc., has been recognized with the Women's Choice Award for Kitchen Cabinetry. Thomasville was also named the most recommended kitchen cabinetry brand by women in 2014 and 2015.

Whether moving into a new home or improving a current one, Thomasville Cabinetry experts make dreaming, designing and remodeling ideal living spaces less stressful and overwhelming. Thomasville Cabinetry is available exclusively at The Home Depot stores nationwide and is manufactured under license. For more information on the complete Thomasville Cabinetry product line, visit www.thomasvillecabinetry.com .

About The Women's Choice Award

The Women's Choice Award sets the standard for helping women to make smarter purchasing choices. The company and its awards identify the brands, products and services that are most recommended and trusted by women. Additionally, they recognize those that deliver a recommendation-worthy customer experience. Awards are based on surveys of thousands of women, as well as research conducted in partnership with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. As the leading advocate for female consumers, WomenCertified Inc., home of the Women's Choice Award, created the first national award based on the ratings and preferences of women. Women can visit the official website at www.WomensChoiceAward.com to learn more.

About Thomasville Cabinetry

Thomasville Cabinetry is manufactured by MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc., the largest cabinet manufacturer in North America and sold exclusively at The Home Depot stores nationwide. Thomasville Cabinetry holds certification from the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association's Environmental Stewardship Program. Other MasterBrand cabinet brands include Aristokraft, Decora, Diamond, Dynasty, Fieldstone, Homecrest, Kemper, Kitchen Craft, Mid Continent, Omega, Schrock, StarMark and UltraCraft. MasterBrand Cabinets is an operating unit of the consumer product company Fortune Brands Home & Security (NYSE:FBHS). For more information about MasterBrand Cabinets, visit www.masterbrand.com.

About Thomasville

Thomasville, a subsidiary of Furniture Brands International (NYSE: FBN), is one of the most recognized names in furniture. Founded in 1904, it has expanded its line from offering a single product  the Thomasville Chair  to include a range of whole home furnishings and accessories as well as Thomasville Cabinetry, Thomasville Lighting and other Thomasville Home Products sold under license. Today, Thomasville furniture is available internationally through independently owned Thomasville Home Furnishings Stores and leading independent retail stores.

Contact:

Emily Small Kirsten de St. Aubin Thomasville Cabinetry, a subsidiary of MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc. Spong (812) 634-0456 (612) 375-8539 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Thomasville Cabinetry

Related Links

http://www.thomasvillecabinetry.com


FARMINGDALE, N.J., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Traffic Plan, a leading Traffic Safety Services Company headquartered in Farmingdale, New Jersey, proudly supports the 2016 Police Unity Tour by donating the use of a full size pickup truck for the tour.

"Traffic Plan is proud to support this admirable cause by donating the use of our pickup truck to help the participants meet their goal," said Carolyn Kiely, President of Traffic Plan, "This is a rewarding opportunity for us to honor the men and women who have lost their lives in the line of duty," Kiely continued.

About The Police Unity Tour:

The primary purpose of the Police Unity Tour is to raise awareness of Law Enforcement Officers who have died in the line of duty and the secondary purpose is to raise funds for the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial and Museum. For the past 19 years, thousands of police officers and families of police officers across the country bicycle to Washington DC to raise money for the privately funded National Police Memorial.

This year Patrick Mackin, a supervisor and instructor at Traffic Plan's Farmingdale office, who retired from the Jackson Police Department in 2014, is participating in the Tour. Mackin is the logistics coordinator for Chapter 10 which serves Monmouth, Ocean and Mercer counties.

The 2016 tour starts on May 9th at the NJ State Police Troop C Headquarters in Hamilton NJ with over 650 bicyclists participating, and making stops in Monmouth and Ocean County to present gold roses to surviving family members of those officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. The tour will meet up with the South Jersey Chapter in Lewes, DE and then the North Jersey Chapter in Annapolis, MD. Chapters from all over the United States will meet at the RFK Stadium in Washington D.C before heading to the National Police Memorial.

About Traffic Plan:

Traffic Plan is a nationally certified women business enterprise that provides expert traffic safety solutions to Utility Companies, Municipalities, and Private Contractors throughout New Jersey, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Traffic Plan will design, submit, and implement the traffic control plan to protect all workers, equipment, and the general public in a safe and professional manner. Traffic Plan also offers the sale and rental of traffic control equipment, including attenuator trucks, message and arrow boards, traffic drums, construction signs, barricades, barrels and cones.

For more information about Traffic Plan please visit us at www.trafficplan.com or contact Ken Walker at 732-919-0055.

Contact :

Kenneth Walker

Vice President of Business Development

5300 Asbury Road, Suite A

Farmingdale, NJ 07727

Office  (732) 919-0055

Email

www.trafficplan.com

SOURCE Traffic Plan

Related Links

http://www.trafficplan.com


51 acute care and specialty hospitals

4,000+ network physicians

Five states

In excess of 15,000,000 interpreted exams using Visage 7 over the term of the contracts

With the selection of Visage, each of these health systems have chosen a Deconstructed PACS strategy to build a robust enterprise imaging foundation for their institutions. Once fully implemented, Visage 7 will be the key viewing component used for diagnostic interpretation, enterprise distribution and access to enterprise-wide images from each of these institution's electronic health record (EHR) systems.

With these recent deals, Visage has now signed six significant enterprise imaging contracts in the past 12 months, including these previously announced signings:

UF Health ( Gainesville, FL ) in April 2015

) in UF Health ( Jacksonville, FL ) in April 2015

) in Allegheny Health Network ( Pittsburgh, PA ) in September 2015

) in Large government-run hospital in Germany in November 2015

Dr. Sam Hupert, CEO of Visage Imaging said, "These new signings further demonstrate that Visage has unique technology ideally suited to address the enterprise imaging needs of the North American market. We look forward to discussing our differentiated experience and acclaimed technology with leading institutions at ACR 2016 as the industry continues to invest in enterprise imaging."

To learn more about Visage's recent signings and Visage 7, please schedule a priority meeting and/or demonstration at ACR 2016.

About Visage Imaging, Inc.

Visage Imaging is a global provider of enterprise imaging and advanced visualization solutions for diagnostic imaging. Visage 7 delivers amazingly fast server-side rendered images streamed via an intelligent thin-client viewer. Radiologists and referring physicians have a customized, protocol-driven workflow to natively view multi-dimensional imagery across a single desktop. Powerful imaging solutions include enterprise viewing and interpretation; image enablement of EHRs, VNAs, HIEs and portals; RIS/PACS, as well as anywhere mobile diagnostic access. www.visageimaging.com

About Pro Medicus Limited

Pro Medicus Limited [ASX: PME] is Australia's leading imaging IT provider. Founded in 1983, the company provides a full range of integrated software products and services to hospital, imaging centers and health care groups worldwide. www.promed.com.au

Visage, Visage Imaging, Visage Ease Pro, Visage Ease, ANV, and Deconstructed PACS are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks that are licensed by Visage Imaging Inc. Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners or licensees.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGQ9SSziykM

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160209/331534LOGO

SOURCE Visage Imaging, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.visageimaging.com


HOLMDEL, N.J., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG), a leading provider of cloud communications services, today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016 and a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Nexmo, Inc. (Nexmo), a global leader in the Communications Platform as a Service ("CPaaS") segment of the Cloud Communications market. Vonage is acquiring Nexmo for $230 million in cash and stock, with an additional earn-out opportunity of up to $20 million dollars contingent upon Nexmo achieving certain performance targets.

Vonage + Nexmo Create Cloud Communications Leader

San Francisco-based Nexmo provides communication Application Program Interfaces ("APIs") for text messaging and voice communication services, allowing developers and enterprises to embed contextual communications into mobile apps, websites and business workflows via text, social media, chat apps and voice; creating better customer engagement for their business.

This acquisition propels Vonage into a global leadership position in the high growth CPaaS market segment of the Cloud Communications market and significantly expands the Company's total addressable market. Industry analyst IDC expects CPaaS to grow annually to an $8 billion market by 2018. This rapid growth is being driven by the demand for communications within business apps and workflows, and the needs of new economy companies such as Uber, Alibaba and Snapchat, and traditional companies like KLM Airlines and Daimler, all of which are important Nexmo customers. With the addition of Nexmo, Vonage will have a total addressable market of nearly $28 billion by 2018.

"In 2014, we set out on a mission to become the clear leader in Cloud Communications for business. With the acquisition of Nexmo, we are now uniquely positioned to lead the market," said Vonage CEO Alan Masarek. "By combining Vonage's rapidly growing Unified Communications as a Service ("UCaaS") business, with Nexmo, the second largest player in CPaaS, we are creating the future of Cloud Communications. These companies represent a set of strategic, technology and human resources assets that deliver the broadest services offering in our industry."

Vonage is paying less than 2 times projected Nexmo 2017 revenue, including full payout of the earn-out. Annual cost synergies of $5 million are projected, primarily in the areas of Cost of Telephony Services and G&A.

Vonage issued a separate press release today with more detail on this transaction.

First Quarter Consolidated Financial Results

For the first quarter of 2016, Vonage reported revenue of $227 million, up from $220 million in the year ago quarter. Income from operations was $19 million in the first quarter of 2016, flat from the prior year period. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization1 ("adjusted EBITDA") for the first quarter were $42 million, an 11% increase over the prior year period. GAAP net income was $8 million or $0.04 per share, up from $7 million or $0.04 per share in the year ago quarter. Adjusted net income2 was $23 million or $0.11 per share, up from $20 million or $0.10 per share in the year ago quarter.

"Vonage's strong first-quarter results demonstrate the disciplined execution of our growth strategy in Vonage Business and our continued efforts to release the inherent profitability of Consumer Services, which resulted in our highest consolidated adjusted EBITDA in five years," said Mr. Masarek. "In addition, our Enterprise business pipeline is at unprecedented levels as more large Enterprises adopt cloud solutions."

Operating Results

Revenue at Vonage Business was $74 million in the first quarter, a year-over-year increase of 76% on a GAAP basis.

in the first quarter, a year-over-year increase of 76% on a GAAP basis. Revenue churn at Vonage Business was 1.3% in the first quarter, down from 1.4% in the year ago quarter.

Ending seats at Vonage Business were 564,000, up from 338,000 seats in the year ago quarter, reflecting strong organic growth and the addition of SimpleSignal and iCore customers.

Vonage Business' Enterprise pipeline increased in volume and customer size, as Enterprises accelerate their adoption of cloud communications.

Revenue from Consumer Services was $153 million in the first quarter, compared to $178 million in the prior year period, consistent with the Company's strategy to redeploy capital into the rapidly growing Cloud Communications for business sector.

in the first quarter, compared to in the prior year period, consistent with the Company's strategy to redeploy capital into the rapidly growing Cloud Communications for business sector. Consumer customer churn improved to 2.2% in the first quarter, down from 2.4% in the year ago quarter. This was the lowest first quarter churn in 10 years.

Patent Portfolio

Vonage continues to develop innovative technologies and to protect its valuable intellectual property. The Company has been granted 7 new patents in 2016 and now owns 113 U.S. patents, with more than 210 U.S. patent applications pending, along with many foreign patents and pending applications in jurisdictions worldwide.

Share Repurchase

In the first quarter, Vonage repurchased 1.7 million shares of stock for $8 million at an average price of $4.84 under its current, four-year $100 million program. Year-to-date, as of May 4, 2016, the Company repurchased 2.4 million shares for $11.3 million at an average price of $4.78. Since beginning its repurchase programs in August 2012, the Company has repurchased 51 million shares for $160 million at a highly accretive average price of $3.16.

Updated 2016 Guidance

Vonage is adjusting its full year 2016 revenue guidance to reflect the acquisition of Nexmo and the Company's current visibility on the business. Vonage now expects consolidated 2016 GAAP revenue of $950 million to $960 million. The Company also now expects 2016 Vonage Business GAAP revenues, which will include Nexmo's results, to be in the $365 to $370 million range, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate in the high-60% range. Vonage continues to expect consolidated adjusted EBITDA of at least $150 million, despite a projected small EBITDA loss from Nexmo for the remainder of 2016.

Conference Call and Webcast

Management will host a webcast discussion of the first quarter 2016 on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 8:30 AM Eastern Time. To participate, please dial (877) 359-9508 approximately 10 minutes prior to the call. International callers should dial (224) 357-2393.

The webcast will be broadcast live through Vonage's Investor Relations website at http://ir.vonage.com. Windows Media Player or RealPlayer is required to listen to this webcast. A replay of the call and webcast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and may be accessed through Vonage's Investor Relations website at http://ir.vonage.com or by dialing (855) 859-2056 International callers should dial (404) 537-3406. The replay passcode is 90282662

(1) This is a non-GAAP financial measure. Refer below to Table 3 for a reconciliation to GAAP income from operations. (2) This is a non-GAAP financial measure. Refer below to Table 4 for a reconciliation to GAAP net income.

VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.

TABLE 1. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)



Three Months Ended

March 31,

December 31,

March 31,

2016

2015

2015

(unaudited)

(unaudited)

(unaudited) Statement of Income Data:









Revenues $ 226,824



$ 230,124



$ 219,730













Operating Expenses:









Cost of service (excluding depreciation and amortization of $6,833, $6,724 and $5,724,

respectively) 69,150



68,513



61,853

Cost of goods sold 9,066



8,597



9,190

Sales and marketing 79,601



89,919



85,564

Engineering and development 6,834



6,921



6,605

General and administrative 26,670



29,897



23,234

Depreciation and amortization 16,979



17,979



13,945



208,300



221,826



200,391

Income from operations 18,524



8,298



19,339

Other income (expense):









Interest income 21



24



20

Interest expense (2,446)



(2,541)



(1,935)

Other income (expense), net 154



(247)



(577)



(2,271)



(2,764)



(2,492)

Income from continuing operations before income tax expense 16,253



5,534



16,847

Income tax expense (8,322)



(2,128)



(6,998)

Income from continuing operations 7,931



3,406



9,849

Loss from discontinued operations 







(1,615)

Loss on disposal, net of taxes 







(824)

Discontinued operations 







(2,439)

Net income $ 7,931



$ 3,406



$ 7,410

Plus: Net loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest 







59

Net income attributable to Vonage 7,931



3,406



7,469

Net income per common share - continuing operations:









Basic $ 0.04



$ 0.02



$ 0.05

Diluted $ 0.04



$ 0.01



$ 0.04

Net loss per common share - discontinuing operations:









Basic $ 



$ 



$ (0.01)

Diluted $ 



$ 



$ (0.01)

Net income per common share:









Basic $ 0.04



$ 0.02



$ 0.04

Diluted $ 0.04



$ 0.01



$ 0.03

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:









Basic 214,039



213,864



211,844

Diluted 224,225



227,751



220,589



VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.

TABLE 1. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA - (Continued)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)



Three Months Ended

March 31,

December 31,

March 31,

2016

2015

2015

(unaudited)

(unaudited)

(unaudited) Statement of Cash Flow Data:









Net cash provided by operating activities $ 14,572



$ 46,105



$ 10,724

Net cash used in investing activities (10,153)



(14,413)



(7,994)

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (26,099)



(33,622)



8,860

Capital expenditures, intangible assets, and development of software assets (11,207)



(13,996)



(4,314)







March 31,

December 31,



2016

2015



(unaudited)

(audited) Balance Sheet Data (at period end):







Cash and cash equivalents

$ 35,889



$ 57,726

Marketable securities

9,600



9,908

Restricted cash

1,860



2,587

Accounts receivable, net of allowance

20,846



19,913

Inventory, net of allowance

5,587



5,542

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

18,600



15,659

Deferred customer acquisition costs

3,423



4,505

Property and equipment, net

51,881



49,483

Goodwill

222,128



222,106

Software, net

20,293



20,710

Debt related costs, net

1,909



2,053

Intangible assets, net

130,537



138,199

Total deferred tax assets, including current portion, net

219,133



226,572

Other assets

9,247



9,603

Total assets

$ 750,933



$ 784,566

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

$ 119,370



$ 138,925

Deferred revenue

32,576



33,456

Total notes payable, net of debt related costs and indebtedness under revolving credit facility, including current

portion

196,749



210,392

Capital lease obligations

6,786



7,761

Other liabilities

2,940



5,291

Total liabilities

$ 358,421



$ 395,825

Total stockholders' equity

$ 392,512



$ 388,741



VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.

TABLE 2. SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED OPERATING DATA

(unaudited)

The table below includes key operating data that our management uses to measure the growth and operating performance of the consumer focused portion of our business:

Consumer Three Months Ended

March 31,

December 31,

March 31,

2016

2015

2015 Revenues $ 153,004



$ 159,175



$ 177,830

Average monthly revenues per line $ 26.68



$ 26.93



$ 27.97

Subscriber lines (at period end) 1,881,826



1,940,825



2,094,365

Customer churn 2.2 %

2.2 %

2.4 %

The table below includes key operating data that our management uses to measure the growth and operating performance of the business focused portion of our business:

Business Three Months Ended

March 31,

December 31,

March 31,

2016

2015

2015 Revenues $ 73,820



$ 70,949



$ 41,900

Average monthly revenues per seat $ 44.50



$ 44.79



$ 43.05

Seats (at period end) 564,146



541,884



337,649

Revenue churn 1.3 %

1.1 %

1.4 %

VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.

TABLE 3. RECONCILIATION OF GAAP INCOME FROM OPERATIONS

TO ADJUSTED EBITDA AND TO ADJUSTED EBITDA MINUS CAPEX

(Dollars in thousands)

(unaudited)



Three Months Ended

March 31,

December 31,

March 31,

2016

2015

2015 Income from operations $ 18,524



$ 8,298



$ 19,339

Depreciation and amortization 16,979



17,979



13,945

Share-based expense 6,303



7,460



5,488

Acquisition related costs 93



71



455

Loss from discontinued operation, excluding income tax 







(1,615)

Depreciation from discontinued operation 







132

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest 







59

Adjusted EBITDA 41,899



33,808



37,803

Less:









Capital expenditures (8,895)



(7,745)



(2,056)

Acquisition and development of software assets (2,312)



(6,251)



(2,258)

Adjusted EBITDA Minus Capex $ 30,692



$ 19,812



$ 33,489



VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.

TABLE 4. RECONCILIATION OF GAAP NET INCOME

TO ADJUSTED NET INCOME

(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

(unaudited)



Three Months Ended

March 31,

December 31,

March 31,

2016

2015

2015 Net income attributable to Vonage $ 7,931



$ 3,406



$ 7,469

Amortization of acquisition - related intangibles 6,962



7,880



5,307

Acquisition related costs 93



71



455

Income tax expense 8,322



2,128



6,998

Adjusted net income $ 23,308



$ 13,485



$ 20,229

Net income per common share:









Basic $ 0.04



$ 0.02



$ 0.04

Diluted $ 0.04



$ 0.01



$ 0.03

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:









Basic 214,039



213,864



211,844

Diluted 224,225



227,751



220,589

Net income per common share, excluding adjustments:









Basic $ 0.11



$ 0.06



$ 0.10

Diluted $ 0.10



$ 0.06



$ 0.09

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:









Basic 214,039



213,864



211,844

Diluted 224,225



227,751



220,589



VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.

TABLE 5. FREE CASH FLOW

(Dollars in thousands)

(unaudited)



Three Months Ended

March 31,

December 31,

March 31,

2016

2015

2015 Net cash provided by operating activities $ 14,572



$ 46,105



$ 10,724

Less:









Capital expenditures (8,895)



(7,745)



(2,056)

Acquisition and development of software assets (2,312)



(6,251)



(2,258)

Free cash flow $ 3,365



$ 32,109



$ 6,410



VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.

TABLE 6. RECONCILIATION OF NOTES PAYABLE, INDEBTEDNESS UNDER REVOLVING CREDIT

FACILITY, AND CAPITAL LEASES TO NET DEBT

(Dollars in thousands)

(unaudited)





March 31,

December 31,



2016

2015 Current maturities of capital lease obligations

$ 4,521



$ 4,398

Current portion of notes payable

15,000



15,000

Notes payable and indebtedness under revolving credit facility, net of current maturities and debt related costs

181,749



195,392

Unamortized debt related cost

1,001



1,108

Capital lease obligations, net of current maturities

2,265



3,363

Gross debt

204,536



219,261

Less:







Unrestricted cash and marketable securities

45,489



67,634

Net debt

$ 159,047



$ 151,627



About Vonage

Vonage (NYSE: VG) is a leading provider of cloud communications services for businesses and consumers. The Company provides a robust suite of feature-rich business and residential communication solutions that offer flexibility, portability and ease-of-use across multiple devices designed to meet the needs of a wide range of customers. Vonage's portfolio of business products covers the full spectrum of business communications needs, serving single-person companies to those with thousands of employees spread over multiple locations. Vonage provides bring-your-own-broadband (BYOB) cloud products and those that offer carrier-grade reliability and Quality of Service (QoS) across BYOB options and the Company's private, national MPLS IP network, as well as integration with industry-leading CRM and business workflow applications. For more information, visit www.vonage.com. Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing LLC, owned by Vonage America Inc.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the Securities and Exchange Commission, including: adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("adjusted EBITDA"), adjusted EBITDA less Capex, adjusted net income, net debt (cash) and free cash flow.

Adjusted EBITDA

Vonage uses adjusted EBITDA as a principal indicator of the operating performance of its business.

Vonage defines adjusted EBITDA as GAAP income (loss) from operations excluding depreciation and amortization, share-based expense, acquisition related costs, loss from discontinued operation, depreciation from discontinued operation, and net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest.

Vonage believes that adjusted EBITDA permits a comparative assessment of its operating performance, relative to its performance based on its GAAP results, while isolating the effects of depreciation and amortization, which may vary from period to period without any correlation to underlying operating performance, of share-based expense, which is a non-cash expense that also varies from period to period, of one-time acquisition related costs, and of loss from discontinued operation, depreciation from discontinued operation, and net loss attributable to our noncontrolling interest, each of which relate to one time effects caused by the termination of our Brazilian joint venture.

The Company provides information relating to its adjusted EBITDA so that investors have the same data that the Company employs in assessing its overall operations. The Company believes that trends in its adjusted EBITDA are valuable indicators of the operating performance of the Company on a consolidated basis and of its ability to produce operating cash flow to fund working capital needs, to service debt obligations, and to fund capital expenditures.

Adjusted EBITDA less Capex

Vonage uses adjusted EBITDA less Capex as an indicator of the operating performance of its business. The Company provides information relating to its adjusted EBITDA less Capex so that investors have the same data that the Company employs in assessing its overall operations. The Company believes that trends in its adjusted EBITDA less Capex are valuable indicators of the operating performance of the Company on a consolidated basis because they provide our investors with insight into current performance and period-to-period performance regarding the Company's ability to generate cash from continuing operations.

Adjusted net income

Vonage defines adjusted net income, as GAAP net income (loss) excluding amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, acquisition-related costs, and income tax expense.

The Company has excluded amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, acquisition-related costs, and income tax expense from its net income (loss). The Company believes that excluding these items will assist investors in evaluating the Company's operating performance and in better understanding its results of operations as income tax expense does not reflect the taxes that we pay during the periods reported due to the availability of significant net operating losses, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets which is a non-cash item, and one-time acquisition-related costs.

Net debt (cash)

Vonage defines net debt (cash) as the current maturities of capital lease obligations, current portion of notes payable, notes payable and indebtedness under revolving credit facility, net of current maturities and debt related costs, and capital lease obligations, net of current maturities, less unrestricted cash and marketable securities.

Vonage uses net debt (cash) as a measure of assessing leverage, as it reflects the gross debt under the Company's credit agreements and capital leases less cash available to repay such amounts. The Company believes that net cash is also a factor that third parties consider in valuing the Company.

Free cash flow

Vonage defines free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities minus capital expenditures, purchase of intangible assets, and acquisition and development of software assets.

Vonage considers free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management about the amount of cash generated by the business that, after the acquisition of equipment and software, can be used by Vonage for debt service and strategic opportunities. Free cash flow is not a measure of cash available for discretionary expenditures since the Company has certain non-discretionary obligations such as debt service that are not deducted from the measure.

The non-GAAP financial measures used by Vonage may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies due to differences in accounting policies and items excluded or included in the adjustments, which limits its usefulness as a comparative measure. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about acquisitions, acquisition integration, growth priorities or plans, revenues, adjusted EBITDA, churn, seats, lines or accounts, average revenue per user, cost of telephony services, the Company's share repurchase plan, capital expenditures, new products and related investment, and other statements that are not historical facts or information, that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, other statements in this press release that are not historical facts or information may be forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are based on information available at the time the statements are made and/or management's belief as of that time with respect to future events and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to be materially different. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to: risks related to the integration of Nexmo and the anticipated future benefits resulting from the acquisition of Nexmo; the combined company's ability to react to trends and challenges in our business and the markets in which we operate; the combined company's ability to anticipate market needs or develop new or enhanced products to meet those needs; the adoption rate of the combined company's products; the combined company's ability to establish and maintain successful relationships with our distribution partners; the competition we face; the expansion of competition in the unified communications market; our ability to adapt to rapid changes in the market for voice and messaging services; our ability to retain customers and attract new customers; the risk associated with developing and maintaining effective internal sales teams; the risk associated with developing and maintaining effective distribution channels; risks related to the acquisition or integration of future businesses; security breaches and other compromises of information security; risks associated with sales of our UCaaS services to medium-sized and enterprise customers; our dependence on third party facilities, equipment, systems and services; system disruptions or flaws in our technology and systems; our ability to scale our business and grow efficiently; our reliance on third party hardware and software; our dependence on third party vendors; the impact of fluctuations in economic conditions, particularly on our small and medium business customers; our ability to obtain or maintain relevant intellectual property licenses; intellectual property and other litigation that have been and may be brought against us; failure to protect our trademarks and internally developed software; obligations and restrictions associated with data privacy; uncertainties relating to regulation of VoIP services; results of regulatory inquiries into our business practices; fraudulent use of our name or services; our ability to establish and expand strategic alliances; risks associated with operating abroad; liability under anti-corruption laws; governmental regulation and taxes in our international operations; our dependence upon key personnel; our dependence on our customers' existing broadband connections; restrictions in our debt agreements that may limit our operating flexibility; our ability to obtain additional financing if required; any reinstatement of holdbacks by our vendors; our history of net losses and ability to achieve consistent profitability in the future; and other factors that are set forth in the "Risk Factors" section and other sections of Vonage's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. While the Company may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, and therefore, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to today.

(vg-f)

SOURCE Vonage Holdings Corp.
HOLMDEL, N.J., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG) ("the Company") has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Nexmo, Inc. ("Nexmo"), a global leader in the Communications Platform as a Service ("CPaaS") segment of the Cloud Communications market, for $230 million in cash and stock. Nexmo is the world's second largest CPaaS company as measured by revenues. This acquisition accelerates Vonage's growth strategy, deepens the Company's technology capability and elevates its leadership position in Cloud Communications.

Innovative Technology Platform

San Francisco-based Nexmo provides communication application program interfaces ("APIs") for text messaging and voice communications, allowing developers and enterprises to embed contextual communications into mobile apps, websites and business workflows via text, social media, chat apps and voice, creating better customer engagement for their business.

"In 2014, we set out on a mission to become the clear leader in Cloud Communications for business. With the acquisition of Nexmo, we are now uniquely positioned to lead the market," said Vonage CEO Alan Masarek. "By combining Vonage's rapidly growing Unified Communications as a Service ("UCaaS") business, with Nexmo, the second largest player in CPaaS, we are creating the future of Cloud Communications. These companies represent a set of strategic, technology and human resources assets that deliver the broadest services offering in our industry."

Significantly Expands Vonage's Total Addressable Market

Industry analyst IDC expects CPaaS to grow to an $8 billion market by 2018. This rapid growth is being driven by the demand for communications within business apps and workflows, and the needs of new economy companies such as Uber, Alibaba and Snapchat, and traditional companies like KLM Airlines and Daimler, each of which are important Nexmo customers. With the addition of Nexmo, Vonage will have a total addressable market of nearly $28 billion by 2018.

"Vonage's acquisition of Nexmo creates a Cloud Communications company that can not only help an enterprise's employees be more productive using robust UCaaS solutions, but can also enable enterprises to improve how they engage with their customers through embedded, contextual communications, on any platform and on any device," said Mark Winther, VP Worldwide Telecom Consulting for IDC.

Vonage + Nexmo Set New Standard

Founded in 2011, Nexmo has offices in London, Hong Kong and Singapore in addition to its San Francisco headquarters. Nexmo has the largest global network of interconnected carriers, 650 in total, delivering the best API-based communications platform for messaging, programmable voice and chat apps. Vonage's strength in voice, coupled with Nexmo's robust communications platform, will position the combined company as a best-in-class leader across the two dominant modes of communication today  voice and messaging. By joining Vonage, Nexmo will benefit from the power of Vonage's carrier-grade voice network, the strength of the Vonage brand, broad sales distribution in the U.S., and significant operational and financial scale and resources.

Today, Nexmo has more than 350 tech-savvy enterprise customers worldwide, more than 114,000 registered developers and processes 5 billion API calls annually. Nexmo also represents a platform and entry point for Vonage to expand its brand globally and sell its solutions in EMEA, Asia Pacific and other attractive geographies.

Tony Jamous, co-founder and CEO of Nexmo, commented, "Nexmo was founded to make it easy for developers to create greater business efficiency and customer engagement through communications. Our success has been tied to our vision to reinvent communications for every app, everyone and everything."

Mr. Jamous continued, "Our API technology, global network of interconnected carriers, and messaging expertise, combined with Vonage's powerful brand, industrial-strength infrastructure and second-to-none voice capabilities, will enable us to provide an unmatched value proposition to businesses."

Mr. Jamous has nearly 15 years of experience building high growth technology businesses with a focus on cloud, communications and mobile. Upon closing, he will join Vonage as President of Nexmo, a Vonage company, along with co-founder Eric Nadalin, Chief Technology Officer, and Nexmo's 170-person team.

Transaction Terms and Financing

Under the agreement, Nexmo shareholders will receive consideration of $230 million, with an additional earn-out opportunity of up to $20 million dollars contingent upon Nexmo hitting certain performance targets. Of the consideration, $195 million will be paid at close, consisting of a minimum of $159 million of cash and a maximum of $36 million in stock. Vonage may elect at close to substitute $23 million of additional cash for stock. The remaining $35 million of the $230 million purchase price is in the form of restricted cash and restricted stock for Nexmo management and employees, both subject to vesting requirements over time. Vonage believes this structure will provide significant long-term incentives and retention value for Nexmo management. The earn-out opportunity is payable in cash or stock at Vonage's election.

Vonage is financing the acquisition through a combination of cash on hand and revolver capacity, including a portion of the existing accordion feature in the 2015 credit facility. Pro-forma for the transaction, net debt to EBITDA will be approximately 2.25 times.

Vonage believes that the deal consideration, including payment of the earn-out opportunity, represents a multiple of less than 2 times projected Nexmo 2017 revenue. Annual cost synergies of $5 million are projected, primarily in the areas of Cost of Telephony Services and G&A.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as lead financial advisor to Vonage and provided a fairness opinion to the Board of Directors. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal counsel to Vonage. G2020 Advisors, LLC served as financial advisor and Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal counsel to Nexmo.

Conference Call

Vonage will discuss further details of this transaction at 8:30 AM Eastern Time on May 5, 2016 during the Company's First Quarter 2016 earnings call. To participate, please dial (877) 359-9508 approximately 10 minutes prior to the call. International callers should dial (224) 357-2393.

The webcast will also be broadcast live through Vonage's Investor Relations website at http://ir.vonage.com. Windows Media Player or RealPlayer is required to listen to this webcast. A replay of the call and webcast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call through May 11, 2016 and may be accessed through Vonage's Investor Relations website at http://ir.vonage.com or by dialing (855) 859-2056. International callers should dial (404) 537-3406. The replay passcode is: 90282662.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) statements about the benefits of the merger; (ii) future financial and operating results following the merger; (iii) the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; (iv) the competitive position and opportunities of the combined company; (v) the impact of the merger on the market for the combined company's products; and (vi) the timing of the completion of the merger. In addition, other statements in this press release that are not historical facts or information may be forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are based on information available at the time the statements are made and/or management's belief as of that time with respect to future events and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to be materially different. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to: risks related to the integration of Nexmo and the anticipated future benefits resulting from the acquisition of Nexmo; the combined company's ability to react to trends and challenges in our business and the markets in which we operate; the combined company's ability to anticipate market needs or develop new or enhanced products to meet those needs; the adoption rate of the combined company's products; the combined company's ability to establish and maintain successful relationships with our distribution partners; the competition we face; the expansion of competition in the unified communications market; our ability to adapt to rapid changes in the market for voice and messaging services; our ability to retain customers and attract new customers; the risk associated with developing and maintaining effective internal sales teams; the risk associated with developing and maintaining effective distribution channels; risks related to the acquisition or integration of future businesses; security breaches and other compromises of information security; risks associated with sales of our UCaaS services to medium-sized and enterprise customers; our dependence on third party facilities, equipment, systems and services; system disruptions or flaws in our technology and systems; our ability to scale our business and grow efficiently; our reliance on third party hardware and software; our dependence on third party vendors; the impact of fluctuations in economic conditions, particularly on our small and medium business customers; our ability to obtain or maintain relevant intellectual property licenses; intellectual property and other litigation that have been and may be brought against us; failure to protect our trademarks and internally developed software; obligations and restrictions associated with data privacy; uncertainties relating to regulation of VoIP services; results of regulatory inquiries into our business practices; fraudulent use of our name or services; our ability to establish and expand strategic alliances; risks associated with operating abroad; liability under anti-corruption laws; governmental regulation and taxes in our international operations; our dependence upon key personnel; our dependence on our customers' existing broadband connections; restrictions in our debt agreements that may limit our operating flexibility; our ability to obtain additional financing if required; any reinstatement of holdbacks by our vendors; our history of net losses and ability to achieve consistent profitability in the future; and other factors that are set forth in the "Risk Factors" section and other sections of Vonage's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. While the Company may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, and therefore, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to today.

About Vonage

Vonage (NYSE: VG) is a leading provider of cloud communications services for businesses. Vonage transforms the way people work and businesses operate through a portfolio of communications solutions that enable internal collaboration among employees, while also keeping companies closely connected with their customers, across any mode of communication, on any device. The Company also provides a robust suite of feature-rich residential communication solutions. In 2015, the Company was named a Visionary in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications as-a-Service, Worldwide and also earned the Frost & Sullivan Growth Excellence Leadership Award for Hosted IP and Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) Services. For more information, visit www.vonage.com.

Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage America Inc. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage. To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/vonage.

About Nexmo

Nexmo is a global cloud communications platform leader providing innovative communication APIs for voice, text, messaging and phone verification services. Nexmo enables applications and enterprises to communicate with their customers reliably and with ease, no matter where in the world they are located. High-volume communication companies such as Alibaba, and Viber send millions of messages per month using Nexmo APIs. Nexmo has been recognized by Roaming Consulting Company as a Tier 1 A2P SMS Messaging Vendor in 2015, a Top 20 Most Promising API Solution Providers in 2015 by CIO Review and was selected as an Aragon Research Hot Vendor in Real-Time Communication and Collaboration Platform as a Service in 2015. www.nexmo.com

(vg-f)

SOURCE Vonage Holdings Corp.
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The North Carolina law requiring transgender individuals to use the bathroom matching the gender on their birth certificate has had far-reaching effects. Businesses, as well as religious and spiritual communities, have responded in a variety of ways.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364075

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364076

One spiritual community has a welcome sign on its door: The Self-Realization Community of Greater Washington, D.C., welcomes LGBTQ individuals to use the same bathrooms as everyone else, whatever their identity or orientation may be, according to its spiritual leader, Rev. Carol "Anandi" Richardson.

While the North Carolina law was passed supposedly for issues of "safety," according to an ABC News online report, "Over 200 municipalities and 18 states have nondiscrimination laws protecting transgender people's access to facilities consistent with the gender they live every day. None of those jurisdictions have [sic] seen a rise in sexual violence or other public safety issues due to nondiscrimination laws."

By contrast, according to a 2013 Williams Institute report featured on Mic.com, "Roughly 70% of trans people have reported being denied entrance, assaulted or harassed while trying to use a restroom." Williams Institute is a think tank at UCA Law.

Rev. Richardson, M.Div., MPH, has worked with gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals who have experienced far more discrimination than the average American. She says, "Gay, lesbian, and transgender people need spiritual communities where they can experience acceptance by others as well as be supported in their own self-acceptance and self-awareness, in order to fulfill their own spiritual life purposes."

About The Self-Realization Community

The Self-Realization Community of greater Washington, D.C., hosts meditation circles in the Dupont Circle area and Rockville, Md., so that all people can experience unconditional love, acceptance, and affirmation on their spiritual paths. "It's important for people to be able to express who they really are with a balance of sacred masculine and sacred feminine qualities on the path of self-realization, and that requires a community that offers unconditional love and acceptance," affirms Rev. Richardson.

For more information, phone Carol "Anandi" Richardson at 269-365-8939, email her or visit http://www.highestharmony.guru and http://selfrealizationcommunity.org/ and https://selfrealizationtherapy.wordpress.com/

SOURCE The Self-Realization Community

Related Links

http://selfrealizationcommunity.org


NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This research study analyzes the market for zonal isolation in terms of revenue (US$ Mn). The zonal isolation market has been segmented on the basis of technology, application, and geography. The geographical segmentation includes regions which are further divided into twelve countries (major markets for zonal isolation). For the research, 2014 has been taken as the base year, while all forecasts have been given for the period from 2016 to 2024. Market data for all the segments has been provided at the regional as well as country-specific level from 2016 to 2024. The report provides a broad competitive analysis of companies engaged in the zonal isolation business. The report also includes the key market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities affecting the global zonal isolation market. These market dynamics were analyzed in detail and are illustrated in the report with the help of supporting graphs and tables. The report also provides a comprehensive analysis of the global zonal isolation market with the help of Porter's Five Forces model. This analysis helps in understanding the five major forces that affect the structure and profitability of the global zonal isolation market. The forces analyzed are bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, and degree of competition. The report also provides the pricing trend and product differentiation for different zonal isolation technologies.



The high-level analysis in the report provides detailed insights into the zonal isolation business globally. There are currently numerous drivers of the market. The most prominent drivers include increasing exploration of unconventional resources and rapidly increasing offshore exploration and production activities. Market attractiveness analysis was carried out for the zonal isolation market on the basis of end-use. Market attractiveness was estimated on the basis of common parameters that directly impact the market in different regions.



The zonal isolation market was segmented on the basis of technology (mechanical and chemical zonal isolation), application (onshore and offshore zonal isolation), and geography. The zonal isolation market was analyzed across five geographies: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Rest of the World. Regional data has been provided for each sub-segment of the zonal isolation market. Key players in the zonal isolation market include Schlumberger Limited, Superior Energy Services, Inc., Weatherford International, Baker Hughes, Inc., Halliburton Company, Nabors Industries Ltd., Trican Well Service Ltd., Expro International Group Holdings Ltd., Aker Solutions ASA, and Tendeka.



Zonal Isolation Market: By Technology



Mechanical Zonal Isolation

Sliding Sleeves

Packers

Perforated/Slotted Liners

Plugs

Chemical Zonal Isolation

Polymer Gels

Monomer Systems

Bio Polymers

Elastomers

Others



Zonal Isolation Market: By Application



Onshore Zonal Isolation

Offshore Zonal Isolation



Zonal Isolation Market: By Region



North America

U.S.

Canada

Mexico

Europe

U.K.

Norway

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

India

Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East

Saudi Arabia

Iran

Rest of Middle East

Rest of the World

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03812918-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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Sydney, May 2 : Hundreds of employees at New South Wales (NSW) state parliament in Sydney were evacuated earlier on Monday, following the discovery of a suspicious package in the area.

A NSW police spokesperson said the item located was inspected by specialist officers and rendered safe.

"A number of evacuations were carried out as a precaution, however all people have now been allowed to return to the area," an NSW police official said.

Police officers arrested a man in Sydney following the incident and he was assisting police with their inquiries.
Srinagar, May 2 : Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the central government had "thankfully realized its mistake of calling off talks with Pakistan on the issue of separatist leaders meeting the Pakistan high commissioner".

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a National Conference (NC) function here, Omar said: "We had said that time that it was a mistake to call off talks with Pakistan.

"Thankfully, they (central government) have realized the mistake now."

Omar was referring to Minister of State External Affairs V.K. Singh's written reply in the Parliament on the issue.

In a reply in parliament, Singh said, "Since the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India and these so-called Kashmiri 'leaders' are Indian citizens, there is no bar on their meetings with representatives of any country in India."

One of the reasons for which the dialogue process between New Delhi and Islamabad was halted by the central government was the invitation and subsequent meetings of local separatist leaders with the Pakistan high commissioner in Delhi just ahead of bilateral official talks.

The NC working president also alleged the state government headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti "is without any vision and direction. You cannot see this government on the ground as it does not exist there."
Srinagar, May 2 : Senior Jammu and Kashmir senior separatist leader and chairman of his Hurriyat faction Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Monday said his successor would be nominated by the party only after his death.

Scotching rumours that he was likely to name his successor, the octogenarian separatist leader told reporters here: "The issue of naming by successor will be decided by the office bearers of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat only after my death."

There was media speculation on Sunday that Geelani, who has not been keeping good health, would name senior separatist leader Ashraf Sehrai as his successor.
Islamabad, May 2 : At least 137 people fell ill after they consumed toxic milk from a shop at Faisalabad city of Punjab province, media reported on Monday.

As part of its inauguration, the shop owner gave out free milk-soda bottles to customers on Sunday. After drinking the milk 137 people, including 80 children, were rushed to the Allied Hospital and General Hospital, the Geo News quoted police as saying.

The shop owner and soda factory owner were arrested and the factory was sealed, local officials said.

Samples of the milk and soda have been sent to the laboratory for tests.

At least 67 patients were still admitted at the hospital while others have been discharged.

Last week, 32 people died after consuming toxic sweets in Layyah area of the province. The sweets were distributed at a neighbourhood to celebrate the birth of a baby.
Lucknow, May 4 : Uttar Pradesh BJP attacked the ruling Samajwadi party (SP) on Wednesday over reports of a famine death in the Bundelkhand region.

Referring to reports that a 40-year-old Dalit man died due to lack of food and water in Banda district, state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak described it as "a sorry tale of misgovernance of the Akhilesh Yadav government".

Accusing Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his government of "making false propaganda of helping the people in drought-hit Bundelkhand", the spokesman said: "This government is best at false propaganda and that is what it is doing sadly with the drought relief."

Stating that instead of realising the gravity of the situation, officials are busy ignoring the deaths deliberately, the BJP spokesman said: "This was the reason that in this case the post-mortem was not conducted and cremation was done in a hurry."

A 40-year-old man Natthu died of hunger, as he was going to take relief material being distributed in Aila village. There was no food in his house for four days and he kept awaiting the government help. But when it came, it proved too late.

As the news spread, food packets and other ration were rushed to his home by the district administration.

Rattled at the death, Banda's food security officer Ram Pratap has been transferred to Pilibhit with immediate effect, an official told IANS.

The chief minister had earlier warned that any deaths in any district would be taken with utmost seriousness and the responsibility would stop at the district magistrate. "Now, we await action against top district officials," the BJP spokesman said.

With severe heat wave and an unprecedented drought, the entire Bundelkhand region has been at the focus of Uttar Pradesh government. But on ground, the help seemingly is delayed and hostage to red tape.

Attempts to contact District Magistrate Banda failed, as he did not took the calls. A state government official, however, said all efforts were underway to help the drought affected people but there might be one or two unfortunate incidents.
Perumbavoor (Kerala), May 4 : The probe to trace the killer of a young poor woman who was brutally murdered in Ernakulam district apparently after being raped is on the right track, the Kerala Police said on Wednesday.

Jisha, 27, was found murdered on April 28 at her home near a canal here by her labourer mother. Her body was found badly mutilated. There were injuries on her private parts, according to police.

"We are unable to give details of what we are doing and what's happening on the probe, but can say that it's going on the right track," Additional Director General of Police K. Padmakumar told reporters here.

The crime is being compared with the rape-cum-murder of Nirbhaya in the national ccapital that shook the country in December 2012.

On Wednesday morning, Leader of opposition V.S. Achuthanandan reached the hospital where Jisha's mother is undergoing treatment.

"All this will happen in a state when the Oommen Chandy government is going on. It is going to be a week now and no one has been arrested," he said.

The first to arrive here in the morning was the chief minister. But he was greeted with the Left opposition student and youth activists' sloganeering against his government.

The Youth Congress activists were also present in equal numbers, giving the chief minister a close company.

Chandy assured Jisha's mother that the killer would be arrested and promised a state government job to Jisha's sister. "Police are doing their job and very soon the accused would be booked."

As media was pestering Chandy with more questions, a scuffle broke out between the Youth Congress activists and the media.

State BJP spokesperson A.N. Radhakrishnan said when valid questions are being asked by the media from the chief minister, the Congress activists are taking the media to task.

Meanwhile, a neighbour of the victim was last night picked up from Kannur. He was brought here and police questioning is underway.

Police are questioning eight people and using scientific methods to verify their statements.

With the assembly polls just 12 days away, the case has now attained significance with the blame game beginning.

With assembly elections slated for May 16 and the media taking up the case in a big way, this has now become the most talked about incident not just in Kerala but outside the state as well.

The Left opposition and the Bharatiya Janata Party are going hammer and tongs against the callous way the police handled the case.

While the Congress workers say it's the CPI-M that has not done anything to lift this poor family, which they could have easily done as the legislator, Lok Sabha MP and the local ward councillor are all from the CPI-M, they should have ensured that the basic needs of the family were attended to.

The CPI-M is blaming the ineffective way the police is handling the case and it was only after the media and the social media took this case up, did the police get down to their job.

Anger is also brewing as the post-mortem was done by a post-graduate medical student.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government has sanctioned compensation of Rs.10 lakh to Jisha's mother, Chandy told reporters..
Perumbavoor (Kerala), May 4 : A poor Dalit woman whose brutal murder has shocked Kerala had 38 wounds on her body, her autopsy revealed, as police said on Wednesday their probe was on the right track.

The report by the Alappuzha Medical College also said that further tests will have to be done to confirm that Jisha, 27, was sexually abused before being murdered.

But almost everyone in the state appears to be convinced that this is a case of rape-cum-murder and it is being compared with the Nirbhya rape and killing of Delhi in 2012.

Jisha was found murdered on April 28 near a canal here by her labourer-mother. The body was badly mutilated. There were injuries on her private parts, according to police.

Even as the police questioned half-a-dozen suspects, the police released a profile picture of a suspect, based on information gathered from neighbours who saw a man around the victim's house that day.

"We are unable to give details of what we are doing and what's happening on the probe but can say it's going on the right track," Additional Director General of Police K. Padmakumar told reporters.

On Wednesday morning, opposition leader and former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan reached the hospital where Jisha's mother is admitted.

"It is going to be a week now and no one has been arrested. A new team should be appointed to take forward the probe," he said.

The first to reach the hospital on Wednesday was Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who was greeted by a hostile mob of Left student and youth activists shouting slogans against his government.

Youth Congress activists were present in equal numbers, giving the chief minister close company.

Chandy assured Jisha's mother that the killer would be arrested and promised a government job to her other daughter. "Police are doing their job and very soon the accused will be booked."

As the media posed questions to Chandy, a scuffle broke out between the Youth Congress activists and the journalists.

Meanwhile, a neighbour of the victim was on Tuesday night picked up from Kannur and questioned. Eight people are reportedly being questioned.

With assembly polls only 12 days away, the case has become the most talked about issue in Kerala.

The CPI-M is saying that the police began taking interest in the case only after the media and the social media took it up -- because the victim was a poor woman.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government has sanctioned compensation of Rs.10 lakh to Jisha's mother, Chandy told reporters.

Chandy's office also said that as a special case in 2014-15, the government gave Rs.3.75 lakh to Jisha's family to buy a piece of land to build a home.

"Further, we gave them Rs.1.2 lakh in two instalments to take forward the construction. We are also committed to give another Rs.1.65 lakh in two instalments as the construction progresses," said the statement.
Gaza, May 5 : Al-Qassam Brigades, the Islamic Hamas movement's armed wing, warned on Wednesday that Israel should get its military forces out of the Gaza Strip immediately.

The group said that "the enemy (Israel) should stop creating excuses and get its forces out of the Gaza Strip immediately", Xinhua reported.

The leaflet accused Israel of violating an Egypt-brokered ceasefire reached between the group and Israel, which ended a 50-day large-scale military offensive waged on the coastal enclave during the summer of 2014.

The Hamas armed wing said on Tuesday morning, engineering unit of the Israeli army backed by armoured vehicles has crossed the borderline area between Gaza and Israel and advanced about 300 meters into eastern Gaza Strip.

"They caused severe damages to the properties of the residents there," said the group's leaflet.

On Wednesday evening, Israeli war jets struck with two air-to-ground missiles the area of the inoperative Gaza Airport east of Rafah town in southern Gaza Strip with no injury reported, according to witnesses and security officials.

The airstrike came after anonymous Gaza militants fired five mortar shells on an Israeli army base, which also opened fire at an Israeli army bulldozer that was digging into the ground underneath the borderline area between eastern Gaza city and Israel.
Sydney, May 5 : Australia's housing affordability worsened over the past 12 months to March 31, 2016, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Moody's said on Thursday homeowners were required to spend a larger proportion of their income on monthly mortgage repayments, Xinhua news agency reported.

Moody's Analyst Natsumi Matsuda noted housing affordability deteriorated in all capital cities except Perth.

"During the 12 months to March 31, 2016, Australian households spent an average of 27.6 percent of their monthly income on mortgage repayments, up from 27 percent for the 12 months to March 31, 2015," Matsuda said.

"Nevertheless, housing prices fell during the three months to 31 March 2016, suggesting that repayment costs may have peaked."

Moody's said Sydney continued to be Australia's most unaffordable city for homebuyers, with households spending an average of 35.6 percent of their income on mortgage repayments as of March 31, 2016, followed by Melbourne.

Matsuda said the decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to cut the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 1.75 percent would have a positive influence on housing affordability.

"Though the extent of this impact will ultimately depend on whether there are any flow-on effects to the housing market, where lower rates can put upward pressure on prices," she noted.
Chennai, May 5 : Malaysian cuisine can be termed the closest cousin of South Indian cuisine. Nevertheless, Malaysian dishes taste different, said a top chef at The Raintree, St.Mary's Road, a star hotel here.

That may sound like the advertisement line for a ketchup brand. "It's different", but what executive chef Hushmoin K. Patell says is true.

"The ingredients used are similar to South Indian ingredients. But Malaysians use a lot of shrimp and shrimp paste as a flavouring agent or for garnishing purposes," Patell told IANS.

Malaysian cuisine is known for its use of spices, shrimp paste, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, cardamom, star anise, fenugreek , galangal and coconut milk - the last adds a delicious creamy touch.

The dishes do not give out the strong flavour of galangal or lemongrass, as in the case of Thai curries.

The South Indian influence in Malaysian cuisine is bound to be with the historical invasion of Srivijaya by Rajendra Chola I, who had also forayed into Indonesia.

Subsequently, during the British rule of India many South Indians migrated to Malaysia.

Anchored by Malaysian chef Mohamad Asri, the hotel's restaurant Colony is hosting a Malaysian food festival from April 22 to May 8, 2016, for buffet dinner.

Forty-eight-year-old Asri is anchoring for the second time a Malaysian food festival in India. The first time was in 1996 at a star hotel in Delhi.

The menu offers five non-vegetarian and six vegetarian dishes, four starters - two each in vegetarian and non-vegetarian, two kinds of rice and five desserts, including is kacang - Malaysian shaved ice.

"The Malaysian chicken satay is different from Thailand's chicken satay. Malaysians use palm oil. We have not used palm oil here, but still maintain the authenticity of taste," Asri said.

According to Patell, the Malaysians use a lot of shrimp as the flavouring agent even in their vegetarian dishes.

"They consider meat to be non-vegetarian, while use of shrimp paste as a flavouring agent or shrimp for garnishing is considered vegetarian," he said.

"We have done some adaptations in the vegetarian dishes keeping out the non-vegetarian items," Patell said.

While Chinese noodles are available on Indian streets though modified to Indian tastes, Patell said perhaps Malaysian curries too can be made and sold on the streets here.

Asked about South Indian dishes, Asri said he likes the dosa made here.

"The dosas here are much more crispier than what is made in Malaysia," he said, offering the ayam soup or the chicken soup.

The soup, with finely cut chicken pieces, was flavourful and could not be associated with south Indian dishes.

The chicken satay with roasted peanut sauce was also good but the surprise item was the sweet potato fritter or sweet potato bhaji.

It was time for the main course and Asri suggested coconut rice with okra curry and pajeri aenas-pineapple curry.

The Malaysian dish (unlike the South Indian counterpart) was sticky and made with grated coconut, coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass and some seasoning.

The coconut rice with both the curries tasted good. The pineapple curry was sweet at first, but then the spicy flavour took over - surely a must try item.

On the non-vegetarian side, the steamed rice with ayam kalio (chicken cooked in red coconut gravy with aubergine) was tasty.

Similarly, the ikan masak mera (fish cooked with chilli and tomato) was also good and would also go well with steam rice and okra curry.

For the sweet tooth there is a wide choice: pengat pisang (sago pudding with banana and coconut milk), onde onde (steamed rice dumplings stuffed with palm sugar), kuih ketayab (pancakes stuffed with a sweet coconut filling), sago gula melaka (sago pearls cooked in coconut milk and cream topped with caramel sauce) and kuih lapis (layered cassava cake).

FAQs Where: The Colony restaurant at The Raintree, St. Mary's Road, Alwarpet Available as a part of dinner buffet 7-11 pm

Price: Rs.1,450 excluding tax per head Dates: April 22 to May 8

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Washington, May 5 : A federal judge has ordered questioning of Democrat front-runner Hillary Clinton's top aides about her secret email server.

Top Clinton aides Huma Abedin and Cheryl D. Mills will be deposed, as will Bryan Pagliano, who reportedly maintained the clintonemail.com server and Clinton's email account tied to the secret system, The Washington Times reported.

Clinton herself could also have to answer questions in the open records case brought by conservative foundation, Judicial Watch, according to Judge Emmet G. Sullivan's order issued on Wednesday.

"The circumstances surrounding approval of Clinton's use of clintonemail.com for official government business, as well as the manner in which it was operated, are issues that need to be explored in discovery to enable the Court to resolve, as a matter of law, the adequacy of the State Department's search of relevant records in response to Judicial Watch's request," Judge Sullivan wrote.

He gave Judicial Watch eight weeks to conduct the interviews, meaning they will be finished just weeks before Clinton hopes to accept the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's national convention in Philadelphia in late July.

The emails have affected Clinton's presidential campaign from the start and have damaged her standing among many voters, who question her honesty.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump openly speculated that Clinton will be indicted at the end of an FBI investigation into the server.

Clinton set up the server at her home in New York in 2009, soon after she became state secretary.

Her messages were erroneously shielded from disclosure for six years, until she belatedly returned some 30,000 to the department in December 2014.

Clinton said there were 30,000 other messages from her time in office that were strictly private and did not implicate her government activities. She declined to turn over those messages, saying the law gave her the obligation of deciding what was official and what was personal.
Jakarta, May 5 : The foreign ministers and military leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines met on Thursday to agree on actions against the Abu Sayyaf extremist group.

The summit was convened by Indonesia, and was held in Yogyakara, after the kidnapping of 14 fishermen in two incidents in the international waters of the Jolo, where Abu Sayyaf has bases on various Philippine islands.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, presided over the meeting which addressed the establishment of joint naval and air patrols in the maritime region, EFE news reported citing local online portal Detik news.

The Indonesian Minister for Security Affairs, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, had alerted days before that the southern part of Philippines is in danger and urged that the protection of trade in the area is a matter of the highest priority.

Abu Sayyaf freed 10 fishermen on Sunday after payment of a ransom.

The rebel group carries out frequent kidnappings for ransom with which it finances its activities, including kidnappings of several foreigners, one of whom, the Canadian John Ridsdel, was beheaded on April 25 after the deadline for the ransom payment expired.

Currently, in addition to the four Indonesian fishermen, Abu Sayyaf continues to hold hostage four Malaysians, a Dutch, a Canadian, a Norwegian and several Filipino sailors.
Seoul, May 5 : North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site has shown "a very low level of activity" despite warnings that Pyongyang could carry out a new atomic test ahead of an important congress which begins on Friday.

Satellite images taken early this week and analysed on Thursday by monitoring group, 38 North, showed no vehicles or workers at many areas of the site, indicating that no preparations for an underground nuclear test are underway, EFE news reported.

South Korea said recently that North Korea could carry out its fifth nuclear test in the coming days to strengthen the position of leader Kim Jong-un ahead of the important Workers' Party Congress - the first one in 36 years - which starts on Friday.

Nonetheless, 38 North said it was clear "Pyongyang has made all necessary preparations to conduct a nuclear test".

Kim Jong-un's regime conducted its fourth underground nuclear test on January 6 during which it claimed that it successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb, although international experts doubt the claim.

On February 7, Pyongyang also put in orbit its second space satellite, an action widely seen as a disguised missile test.

The two actions led the UN Security Council to impose its toughest sanctions so far on the country, which some believe could choke off the economy of the isolated regime.
Perumbavoor (Kerala), May 5 : A stream of high-profile people are visiting a hospital here in Ernakulam district to meet the mother of a poor Dalit woman whose brutal murder has shocked not just Kerala but the rest of the country.

Jisha, a 27-year-old law student, was found murdered on April 28 near a canal here by her labourer-mother.

The body was badly mutilated. There were injuries on her private parts, leading the police to believe that the victim might have been sexually assaulted.

With assembly elections scheduled this month, the murder has become a reason for political point scoring and heightened media coverage.

A long list of VIP visitors, including politicians and film stars, have been visiting Kuruppampady taluk hospital where the victim's mother Rajeshwari has been admitted since receiving the shock of the murder.

Expected to visit her shortly are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

Modi, according to state BJP leaders, is likely to call on Rajeshwari either on May 8 or 11, when he has election campaign programmes scheduled in Kerala.

Gandhi is arriving in the state next week and will also be visiting the victim's mother.

Other important visitors that are expected include Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot and National Women's Commission chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam.

The intensive noise and tension of politics and media coverage are not lost on all.

The hospital authorities have complained that the unending stream of visitors has caused more emotional disturbance to the mother of Jisha than if she had been left alone.

"She has been with us since last Thursday. With lots of people visiting her from Tuesday, she is getting restless as she is yet to come to terms with what has happened," said the doctor treating Rajeshwari.

State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala also complained of "politicising" of the murder.

"To politicise this as an election issue is unfair and deplorable. Yesterday, I was waylaid by the CPI-M activists when I came out of the Kollam press club," Chennithala told reporters on Thursday in Kochi.

"You just look into the manner in which the numerous cases that have been solved here by our police force. So we are certain this case will be cracked too," the minister added.

The probe is being led by additional director general of Police K. Padmakumar. The team has now been expanded to have 30 personnel.

The autopsy report that was submitted to the police on Wednesday revealed that there were 38 wounds on Jisha's body.

On Wednesday too, the police picked up two migrant workers -- one was involved in the ongoing construction of Jisha's home -- based on their mobile phone call details. One of them was found to have called the victim in February.

The police has released a profile picture of a suspect, based on information gathered from neighbours who saw a man around the victim's house that day.

So far half-a-dozen suspects have been questioned.
Madrid, May 5 : Hundreds of Real Madrid fans gathered around the Plaza de Cibeles in the city here to celebrate Real Madrid's victory in the semi-final of the Champions League.

Real Madrid ended Manchester City's dream with a 1-0 win on Wednesday, and will face Atletico Madrid, its bitter rival, in the final in Milan on May 28.

On Tuesday, Atletico Madrid fans gathered at the Plaza de Neptuno, the traditional celebration place of Atletico.

Atletico defeated Bayern Munich to enter the final.
Moscow, May 5 : Bollywood could emerge as a colourful catalyst for promoting Russia as a tourism destination for travelling Indians, especially with the Indian outbound tourism market expected to grow to $40 billion by 2020, according tourism industry experts.

With nearly a million Chinese tourists flocking annually to the country, Russia, which is grappling with an economic downturn, appears to be keen on bolstering tourism ties with India as a failsafe measure.

Senior officials like Valery Korovkin, head of the International Development division of the Federal Agency for Tourism, believe that thanks to the legacy of cooperation across sectors between the two countries, a tourism-hungry Moscow is already "keeping India on a special shelf".

"We are looking the Bollywood way, not Hollywood way, because we have a lot of Hollywood films on Russian TV everywhere... It is a point where we (India and Russia) can maybe start and build up some promotional ground," Korovkin told this visiting IANS correspondent.

Korovkin hinted that there had been talks about Bollywood film shoots in Russia, but added that Russia was still in the process of creating infrastructure to facilitate hassle-free film shoots in the country.

"(Film) shooting teams need time, need things from the technical and organisational point of view. I think we are going to that point where we will build it. We have to arrange things properly," Korovkin said.

Indian films already have an immense brand recall in Russia, thanks to Raj Kapoor's iconic song "Mera Joota Hai Japani" from "Shree 420" which has a reference to Russia, and Mithun Chakravarthy's "Disco Dancer", whose song "Jimmy, Jimmy" still has a cult following in the former Soviet Union.

In more recent times, films like "Agent Vinod", "Chori Chori Chupke Chupke" and "Players" were shot in Russia. Even as late as in 2010, then Russian president Dmitry Medvedev met Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on the sets of "Ra.One", during his visit to India.

In the past, Indians have flocked to destinations featured in popular Bollywood films, such as Switzerland, New Zealand, Ireland and Austria, among many others.

Bollywood apart, it is the sheer quantum of projected Indian outbound tourists over the next few years which promises an attractive opportunity for Russia to earn foreign currency as well as create entrepreneurial and job opportunities in its travel and tourism industry.

According to World Bank statistics, 18.33 million Indian tourists travelled abroad in 2014.

Another study conducted by US-based market research and consultancy firm Renub Research said Singapre tops the list of tourism destinations for Indians, followed by Thailand, the US and China.

The number of outbound tourists are expected to swell to 30 million by 2018 and 50 million two years later -- clearly, numbers which Russia hopes to tap into.

Russia hosted nearly 32 million foreign tourists in 2014, out of which Indians accounted for around 50,000.

"Some of the top places frequented by Indians are the Kremlin, Red Square, the Old Tsar houses, Cruise along Moscow river and a lot of outdoors," said Sergei Sokolov, general director Indigo Tour, who handles Indian inbound tours in Russia.

Paresh Navani of the Russian Information Centre said that a variety of factors from Raj Kapoor to nuclear co-operation to shared value systems could help the Indo-Russian tourism ecosystem prosper.

"Exchange rates between the Indian rupee and the Russian rouble is identical, almost 1:1, making the cost factor very favourable to travel between the two countries," he said.

Nearly 200,000 Russian tourists visit India, most of them lured by Goa's sun and beaches.

"India has overall a very positive image with Russia for many, many decades. It is a good basis to build what you want, in a tourism business at least... any big or small operation, whatever you want," Korovkin said.

(The writer's visit was at the invitation of the Russian Information Centre, India. Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be contacted at mayabhushan.n@ians.in)
New Delhi : Los Angeles, May 5 (IANS) Director Neeraj Ghaywan, who received the National Film Award for his first directorial Masaan, has been honoured in the US for his first TV commercial titled Fuelled By Love for British Airways.

"#FuelledByLove A campaign for @British_Airways that I had directed won a Bronze at the A List Awards, Hollywood," Ghaywan tweeted on Thursday.

"Thank you for the wonderful team! Agency @SapientIndia: @kvpops @endowscopy, Surjo Dutt, @theniketkumar, Tulika and Client: Priti Khurana!," he added.

The A-List Hollywood Moving Image Advertising Awards is a creative advertising competition, dedicated to moving image advertising across all platforms. The competition accepts entries from around the world in Film/TV, Interactive, Integrated Campaign, and Craft Technique.

The video showcases the story how a British Airways crew member named Helena falls in love with India during her first visit to the country and also her emotional connect with one of the passengers, an old woman named Anandi.
New Delhi, May 5 : A court here on Thursday granted exemption to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from personal appearance in a defamation case filed by BJP parliamentarian Ramesh Bidhuri.

Kejriwal's counsel Rishikesh Kumar and Neha Rastogi told Metropolitan Magistrate Harvinder Singh that Kejriwal has to attend a government meeting and he would not be able to attend court.

Defence counsel assured the court that Kejriwal will positively appear on the next date fixed for the hearing.

The court allowed Kejriwal's plea seeking exemption. It fixed June 6 as next date of hearing.

The court was hearing a defamation complaint filed by Bidhuri alleging that Kejriwal had made defamatory statements against him, terming him as a criminal in an interview to a private channel on July 17, last year.

Bidhuri told the court that Kejriwal's defamatory statements had maligned his image.
Anpum (Arunachal Pradesh), May 5 : Washed out bridges, absence of roads and uncertainty of reaching destinations deep in the forest, do not come in the way of ASHA workers in their effort to provide precious health services to ethnic tribes in Arunachal Pradesh.

Till a decade ago, un-staffed Public Health Centers (PHCs) in this corner of India often led to the deaths of two-three tribesmen of the Adi clan every week.

But the situation started improving after the state government handed over 11 of its PHCs to the Karuna Trust, an NGO, under the public-private partnership model to ensure better health services around six years ago.

Now, the entire task of providing healthcare at the PHCs has been entrusted to the efficient hands of trained ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers. And the results are visible.

Such has the dependence on ASHA workers grown over the years, that their absence could possibly push the tribes inhabiting the Anpum forested area of Arunachal Pradesh back to what existed earlier.

Everytime ASHA worker Kenjir Perme (name changed) is tasked with immunising children in a far off village, she prepares herself to tackle the tough hurdles she has to overcome to reach her destination.

Covering miles on foot through muddy roads that pass through deep forests full of wild animals, waiting for hours to cross a river on boat, and then uncertainty of being able to return home, is what she has to confront every time.

The presence of an ambulance at the PHC meant for taking ASHA workers to their destinations hardly matters, as often unexpected downpours play foul. Once stuck in the deep muddy roads, the ASHA workers have to wait for hours before being rescued by a tractor, a rarely available transport here.

"This is a regular phenomenon here and we are quite used to it. Just because there is virtually no mode of transportation we cannot afford to ignore the health of the vulnerable tribespersons living in this forest area, and providing them medical services on time," Perme, who is among a few ASHA workers at the Anpum PHC operated by Karuna Trust, told the visiting IANS correspondent.

Though the PHC also has two other sub-health centers, at a distance of at least 15-20 km, the task of ASHA workers remains the same -- delivering health services, including immunisation and drug delivery and reproductive and child health programmes, to all the villages in the area.

Locals say the healthcare has got a new lease of life after the PHC was handed over to the Karuna Trust.

"Earlier, our people would die of minor health problems, due to lack of medical care at the PHCs. But now, we are happy at the healthcare being provided," Robin Tayeng, a local Adi tribesperson, told IANS.

With an area of 83,743 sq km and a population of 14 lakh, Arunachal Pradesh has one of the toughest geographical terrains in India. Even today about 70 percent of its area is inaccessible and it takes days to reach from state capital Itanagar.

In the initial years Karuna Trust also received funds from the Population Foundation of India to strengthen its medical care facilities in the PHCs.

"To reach some of our PHCs one has to trek, walk on foot for miles as no roads are available. But we have trained our ASHA workers to overcome all such hurdles," Annop Sarmah, co-ordinator for Karuna Trust NE, said.

The state's tribal population has benefited immensely from the handing over of the PHCs to the NGO, and they are now provided with services like family planning and immunisation. Today ASHA workers under Katuna Trust ensure that all the newborns are immunised against all major diseases.

Efforts of the ASHA workers has helped bring down the Total Fertility Rate to 2.1, from a previous high of over 3.

P.N. Thungon, Mission Director, National Health Mission, told IANS: "The ASHA workers are our lifeline. They have made the impossible, possible. Looking at the way Karuna Trust is training its ASHA workers to disseminate health services against all odds makes us feel that we can hand over some more government PHCs to it."

(Rupesh can be contacted at Rupesh.d@ians.in )
Lalgadh/Sarpallo (Nepal), May 5 : Mahender Bahadur Karki and Raj Kumar Mahto enjoy immense respect among the villagers here for being the caretakers of a community-based flood warning system that can be successfully replicated along the banks of Bihar's 'river of sorrow', the Kosi.

"We would be happy to install the Community Based Flood Early Warning System (CB-FEWS) on a trial basis in the Kosi basin in Bihar. We will do it free of cost and sponsor all the necessary tools and instruments," said Shahriar Wahid of the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) that has evolved the system.

Neera Shreshtha Pradhan, a water and adaptation specialist at ICIMOD explained how the system works.

Its mechanics begin with a sensor rod that is calibrated in consultation with the local communities to the specific conditions of the landscape and river and installed in an upstream section of a flood-prone river.

When water levels begin to rise during the monsoon, the sensor sends a message in the form of a light and a loud buzzing noise to a receiver located at the nearby house of a resident who has volunteered to be the system's local caretaker.

"When the water is rising to dangerous levels, the caretaker calls or sends a text message to the numbers on a contact list of individuals downstream as well as the adjacent community and government institutions to inform them of the potential flood," said Pradhan.

The system is easy to understand and use, said Raj Kumar, who attended a training session in Kathmandu last year along with participants from Afghanistan, India and Nepal.

"Earlier, we never used to know for sure how high the water was, but now there hopefully won't be problems. This will be good for our villages," he said.

Sagar Bajracharya, a hydrological analyst at ICIMOD, said the instruments required for the system cost only $1,200 (Nepali Rs.128,000/Indian Rs.80,000), including the receiver station and transmitter.

The Kosi Basin Programme of ICIMOD, together with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology's Community-Based Flood and Glacial Lake Outburst Risk Reduction Project, is currently piloting United Nations Development Programme-supported community-based flood early warning systems along Nepal's Ratu Khola (rivulet) in an effort to give flood-prone communities the extra time that they need prior to a flash flood.

On June 30 last year, when heavy rains caused water levels in the Ratu Khola to rise, the system successfully transmitted warning messages to the receivers and these were relayed to downstream caretakers. Countless lives were thus saved and loss to property averted.

But the system will be field-tested for at least two flood events to ensure its efficacy and accuracy.

Unlike earlier, villagers in the flood-prone Terai region of the Kosi basin in Nepal are now hopeful of getting real-time information to reduce the impact of flash floods.

"Our hope now lies with Karki to alert us in advance and provide enough time to save lives and properties," said Sumitra, a resident of Lalgadh village.

Karki, a young resident of the same village near Ratu Khola in Mahottari district in south-eastern Nepal, is in-charge of the CB-FEWS that was installed along the river before the last monsoon.

Dinesh Kumar Shah and Mohan Mahto of Sarpallo village said CB-FEWS is a new ray of hope for around 15,000 people living here to get enough time to evacuate, if necessary. "We have been facing yearly flash floods and are keen to get help of the system."

Logically, if the system has worked in Nepal, so should it in India.

Wahid, programme coordinator of ICIMOD's Kosi Basin Programme, said it is for the Bihar government to invite them to install two or three of CB-FEWS before this year's monsoon. "If it works successfully, the Bihar government can take care of them next year and install more systems."

(The writer's visit was at the invitation of ICIMOD. Imran Khan can be contacted at imran.k@ians.in)
New Delhi, May 5 : India, as the largest member of the South Asian comity of nations, needs to display some degree of responsibility towards the region so that it develops to its fullest potential, Nepal's sole dollar billionaire Binod Chaudhary has said.

In a free-wheeling interview here with IANS, Chaudhary stressed upon the need for India to have all its neighbours on its side and take them along on its journey to becoming a global economic power.

Meanwhile, Nepal -- which has the dubious distinction of being among the 20 poorest nations in the world -- will have to stop playing India against China in order to gain from the economic advantages that a burgeoning Indian economy offers, said Chaudhary who is well-known for a practical business approach that has won him advantages at home and abroad.

The man behind the immensely popular Wai Wai noodles (Wai Wai has sold more than a billion packets in India alone), Chaudhary, 60, is one of Asia's most prominent businessmen. President of the Chaudhary Group, which has variegated interests ranging from banking, insurance and finance to housing, he has invested in hotels and real estate, and collaborates, among others, with India's Taj Group.

In 2013, he became the first Nepali entrepreneur to be listed as a dollar billionaire by Forbes. His passion for expanding his business, in the face of stiff challenges, is legendary.

In the backdrop of a nearly six-month-long "misunderstanding" between the two close neighbours that only got resolved this February -- but not before a virtual blockading of the Himalayan nation -- Chaudhary called for "introspection" in bilateral relations.

"Cordial relations between India and Nepal pave the way for successful entrepreneurial ventures... but when differences appear, bilateral economic ties get adversely affected," said Chaudhary.

His multinational Nepali conglomerate, with a portfolio of 122 companies, is spread over five continents with 76 renowned brands in the global market.

Regretting that Kathmandu has not been able to maintain "continuous and cordial relations" with New Delhi, Chaudhary pointed out that Nepal has had 22 governments in the past 25 years since the partyless Panchayat system was overthrown after a popular movement in 1990.

"There is no consistency and as long as decisions are made on the basis of who to reward, a cordial relationship cannot be achieved. We (in Kathmandu) do not have a very consistent and continuous India policy. The India policy in Nepal shifts from person to person," observed Chaudhary, whose grandfather came to Nepal in the late 19th century from Rajasthan.

Stressing the "overall need for both sides to do a true introspection", he pointed out that while India cannot afford to have discontented neighbours around, Nepal cannot afford not to have a highly cordial relationship with India.

"Nepal's progress and social growth is intertwined with India," he observed.

The richest man in Nepal blamed the lingering political instability in the Himalayan nation for strained relations with southern neighbour India and said Nepali politicians continued to play the anti-India card all the time and talked about pseudo-nationalism.

"But what have they been able to give to Nepali people by playing that card? Isn't it time that Nepali politicians realised that the strategies they had adopted in the relationship with India have not worked? Playing India vs China has not worked too...."

Chaudhary also bemoaned the fact that Kathmandu has not been able to create a lobby in New Delhi "strong enough to communicate our grievances to the right people".

"We, as businessmen, have been able to do it through our own businesses or our philanthropic work... It is not difficult to deal with Indian politicians and bureaucracy but the political establishment has not been able to do it," said Chaudhary who, in his relentless march to his billion-dollar empire, has faced innumerable problems but overcame them through his pragmatic approach.

Commenting on India's economic progress and suggesting what Nepal could do to gain from this scenario, Chaudhary said: "The global image of India has transformed and people associate it with respect. Nepal needs to build on this advantage by improving its ties with India."

"To a large extent, Indian politicians and bureaucracy have become business-friendly and you can deal with India. I think we are seeing a phase in India where, if you are willing to follow the rules, if you are willing to be respectful to the system and the regime around you, pay your taxes, respect the norms that you are expected to follow, then the Indian bureaucracy and politicians will support you in doing business...."

Binod Chaudhary was in New Delhi for the India-release of his autobiography in English "Making It Big" (published by Penguin Random House). The story of how Nepal's richest businessman made his billions was first released in Nepali three years ago.

(Deepak Goel reported from Nepal in the 1990s and continues to keenly follow events in the Himalayan nation. He can be contacted at deepak.g@ians.in)
Chandigarh, May 5 : The United States-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) on Thursday claimed it had served notice of a "defamation lawsuit" against Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh for allegedly linking it to Pakistan's ISI, which was, however, denied by the politician's spokesman.

Amarinder Singh had allegedly accused the human rights group of playing into the hands of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.

His media adviser, Vimal Sumbly, told IANS here that no such notice had been received by the former chief minister, who is currently touring the United States.

"No such notice has been received by him (Amarinder Singh)," Sumbly said.

SFJ legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said in an email from San Francisco: "While Amarinder was addressing an NRI gathering in Bay area of California, the Sikhs For Justice served on him the notice of intended defamation lawsuit under the Canadian laws for accusing the human rights group of playing into the hands of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI."

"The demand letter accompanying the notice by SFJ's Toronto-based law firm Goldblatt Partners said that the letter's purpose is to give you the opportunity to provide a prompt, unequivocal, full and fair retraction and apology within seven days from the service," the SFJ said.

Amarinder singh had, on April 24, slammed the SFJ "for playing into the hands of the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence" by filing cases against him in Canadian courts just days ahead of his visit to Canada to meet non-resident Indians.

The Congress leader had urged Canadian authorities to be wary of anti-India groups like the SFJ.

Amarinder Singh was forced to cancel his visit to the Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver last month after the SFJ moved the Canadian courts accusing his government in Punjab (2002-07) of torturing people and rewarding police officers responsible for this.

"The publication of the defamatory statements has caused grave damage and injury to the Sikhs for Justice, a Canadian non-profit organization incorporated and operating pursuant to the laws of Canada," the SFJ notice said.
New Delhi, May 5 : BJP's Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy on Thursday demanded a decision on the vexed issue of the Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and urged the government to make a statement on the day-to-day hearing of the case in the Supreme Court.

He said that both the prime minister and the chief justice of India have spoken on the backlog of cases in the apex court.

"I want to say that it (Ram temple) is a very difficult problem.... Both sides are agreed that if the Supreme Court decides, it will be an agreeable solution," Swamy said in the Rajya Sabha amid an uproar from the opposition benches.

He demanded a statement from the government on a day-to-day hearing in the case.

"The concern of the house should be (made) known. The Ram temple issue should be decided," Swamy said while raising the issue as a point of order.

In response, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said: "The government should make a statement on day-to-day hearing in the case."
New Delhi, May 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appreciated the use of modern technology and focus on cleanliness at the Ujjain Simhasth religious gathering.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had apprised Prime Minister Modi of the arrangements made for devotees and tourists at the Ujjain Simhasth during a meeting on Wednesday.

In a series of tweets, Modi said he was delighted to know about the usage of technology and the focus on cleanliness at Simhasth.

"Had an excellent meeting with MP CM @ChouhanShivraj. He talked at length about extensive arrangements at @Simhasth," Modi tweeted.

"Was delighted to know about the usage of technology in @Simhasth. Focus on cleanliness, both on the land and water is appreciable," he added.

"Its gladdening that devotees and tourists visiting @Simhasth will witness cultural programmes that celebrate our great culture and rich history," the prime minister tweeted.
Mumbai, May 5 : Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is gearing up for the release of "TE3N", says he wants the audience to promote this film.

"It is an important element to decide how we are going to market our film, and we have some professional and well-educated groups of people who come and give us ideas. We want to ask the audience how we should promote this film," Amitabh told reporters during the trailer launch of "TE3N" here.

"We will look into and react on every suggestion given by them and if we like their ideas, we will give them an award," he added.

Asked if his role in "TE3N" is similar to "Wazir", Amitabh said: "You will feel so because every mystery or thriller film will have some similarities. But this film is different in true sense".

The film has been widely shot in Kolkata and Big B thanks the government of West Bengal for the support.

"I really want to thank the government of West Bengal for giving us all the facilities to shoot (the film). We never worried about the crowd as people there were so co-operative. People in Kolkata have the understanding of cinema so we had no problem shooting there," Amitabh said.

Directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, "TE3N" also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vidya Balan. The film is set for a June 10 release.
Mumbai, May 5 : Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence has received 16 licences to manufacture an array of hardware ranging from small arms, heavy weapons, ammunition and explosives to electronic warfare systems, missiles, unmanned vehicles and laser systems for all defence platforms.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the company said out of the 16 new licences, 11 pertain to the domain of land systems, three are for the naval platform, and the remaining two cover technologies across the spectrum.

"With these new 16 licences, Reliance Defence now has got total 27 licences to address the entire spectrum of defence equipment manufacturing," the statement said.

Reliance Land Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Defence, will be the lead venture to manufacture missiles, explosives, heavy weapons and tanks and Reliance SED will oversee electronic warfare systems, directed energy weapon systems and guided laser systems.

"The key programs in these segments have budgetary allocation in excess of Rs.50,000 crore. The Indian Army will spend an additional Rs.50,000 crore over next 10-15 years on different combat vehicles," the company said.

"The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has already given go ahead for air defence missile systems worth Rs.40,000 crore, air defence guns valued at Rs.17,000 crore and mounted gun systems worth Rs.15,800 crore."

Other projects cleared include upgrades of 72 tanks, digitization of Pechora Air Defence System and electronic warfare system worth Rs.30,000 crore. Total opportunities, already approved are thus in excess of Rs.200,000 crore for the land systems, the company added.

Reliance Defence also intends to address a large potential global market for combat vehicles in West Asia, Africa and South America. It is aiming at developing an infantry combat vehicle that will also address the global requirements estimated at Rs.350,000 crore($50 billion).
Moscow/Beijing, May 5 : The Chinese and Russian military are to hold their first-ever joint exercise on how to counter an "incidental or provocative" missile attack. It comes as the US and South Korea are discussing the deployment of advanced THAAD missile interceptors in Asia.

The exercise, which is to be conducted later this month in Russia, would be a computer-assisted simulation of a missile threat situation, which Chinese and Russian staff officers would deal with jointly, RT reported.

The defence ministries of the two countries stressed that the drill was not "aimed against any third nation".

The announcement follows a visit to Russia of Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan, who met his Russian counterpart, Sergey Shoigu, last week. Speaking at a media conference, they said their ministries need to implement "greater unity and joint effort" to tackle modern security challenges.

The official English-language newspaper China Daily linked the drill with US plans to deploy the THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea. Washington and Seoul insist that the system was necessary to protect America's allies from a missile threat from North Korea, but the plan was criticised by both China and Russia, which said such a move would upset the balance of power in the region.

THAAD includes a long-range radar system, which would cover large parts of China and Russia's Far East, if deployed in South Korea.

North Korea is developing nuclear weapons and rocket technologies in defiance of the UN Security Council, which imposed harsh economic sanctions in response to Pyongyang's latest nuclear test in January.

North Korea says it needs powerful weapons to protect itself from a possible US invasion and offered to suspend its nuclear program if the US stops joint military exercises with South Korea. Washington and Seoul rejected the idea.
New Delhi, May 5 : The central government on Thursday outright rejected suggestions from some opposition members to bring agriculture income under the tax net, saying this is not being considered at all.

Replying to the debate on the Finance Bill, 2016-17 in the Lok Sabha, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asserted that despite global recession, the Indian economy is doing well. He maintained that it can do much better, provided there is a good monsoon and the government is able to address the vexed issue of non-performing assets (NPAs) of banks.

"Vishwa ke tulna mein hum sabse aage haen (in comparison to the rest of the world, we are far ahead)," Jaitley said.

"After two years of drought, if the forecast of better monsoon rains this year holds good, it will improve agriculture," he said.

The minister said a good monsoon will add to the rural economy and thus the economy - which had been expanding on strength of public investment, the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) and urban demand - can only grow faster.

He pointed out that despite the global recession and uncertainty prevailing on how long the crisis will remain, India still continues to maintain a high growth rate at 7.65 percent in 2015-16 compared to 7.2 percent in 2014-15.

On the suggestion about introducing tax on agricultural income, he said that, firstly, large farm-based income was rare and people using agriculture as a front to hide income from other sources need to be dealt with by the tax authorities.

But he said under the federal structure, the state governments have the power to impose such agricultural tax and counselled Biju Janata Dal floor leader B. Mahtab that it will be ill-advised for the Odisha government to do so.

During the debate on the Finance Bill on Wednesday, Mahtab had asked: "Does it make any sense providing support to the big farmers, not taxing the agriculture produce of the farmers is one thing but not taxing the companies who are earning thousands of crores of rupees?"

Even Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy had said that rich farmers should be brought under the tax net to widen the tax base.

On the issue of one percent excise duty on non-silver jewellery, the finance minister ruled out its rollback, saying the levy was not applicable on small traders and artisans. Only those jewellers with more than Rs.12 crore turnover will attract the duty, he said.

Jaitley conceded that bad loans are an issue and the NPAs of banks remain a matter of concern for his government.

"I would not like to go on a blame game on this. But, we cannot solve the problem of NPAs by hiding it," Jaitley said, stressing that the government is taking steps to bring the banks out of the NPA mess.

He maintained that loans that have been lent without proper due diligence will be investigated, and said NPAs need to be reflected in the balance sheets and subsequently addressed through capitalisation.

He flayed the Congress party for supporting the United Front government's Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) in the 1990s, saying it was "an ill-advised scheme" and was "discriminatory against honest tax payers".

"I am surprised that Mr. Veerappa Moily (Congress) said this is a highly successful scheme," he said referring to the VDS launched in the mid-nineties when P. Chidambaram served as the finance minister under prime ministers H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral.

Jaitley also took a dig at the Congress, and said: "I have not been able to understand the politics of hatred for 'suit' but love for gold".

This was in reaction to Congress opposing the levy of excise duty on gold and other jewellery.

"If the Congress had objections to the levy, it can begin by removing the 5 percent VAT in Kerala where it rules," he said.

Responding to criticism that government's steps have often been against people-oriented schemes, Jaitley said: "In all the three budgets this government presented, we tried to ensure that small tax payers have more money in their hands."

The Finance Bill now goes to the Rajya Sabha, which has to return it and only then the budgetary exercise for 2016-17 will be completed.
Damascus, May 5 : The Islamic State (IS) on Thursday seized full control of al-Shaer gas field, located east of the central Syrian province of Homs, after three days of fighting against government forces.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least 35 regime troops and 16 IS jihadists were killed during the clashes, Efe news reported.

Despite the radicals' seizure of the gas field, clashes between the two sides are continuing in the vicinity of the field, of which soldiers are trying to regain control.

The clashes coincided with airstrikes, launched by warplanes and helicopters.

Al-Shaer has been targeted several times by IS jihadis as it was held by them in July and November 2014, but both times government forces managed to expel them.
Colombo, May 5 : Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is expected to visit to India and Britain next week, foreign ministry officials said here on Thursday.

The officials said that Sirisena is expected to leave for Britain on May 11 to attend the Anti-Corruption Summit organised by the British government, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Anti Corruption Summit will bring together world, business and civil society leaders to agree on a package of practical steps to expose corruption, punish the perpetrators and support those affected by corruption, as also drive out the culture of corruption wherever it exists.

Sirisena is then expected to leave for India on May 13 to attend a Hindu festival taking place in Madhya Pradesh state which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two leaders are expected to hold discussions on the sidelines of the festival and discuss issues of mutual interest, including a trade pact with India which the two countries hope to sign soon.
New Delhi, May 5 : Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli could face a one-match ban if his team fails to maintain the required over-rate in their next outing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

With two wins from seven games, the Bengaluru side has not only struggled to get over the line, but also complete their overs in the stipulated time.

The effect of these offences would directly fall on the skipper, who has already been penalised twice for minimum over rate offences.

The Delhi right-handed batsman was fined Rs.12 lakh and then Rs.24 lakh for two separate over rate offences. Now, another offence and he will not only be penalised with a Rs.30 lakh fine but also a ban for one game.

According to the IPL's Code of Conduct for Players, "For the third and each subsequent offence (over rate) in a season as captain of the bowling team, the captain will be fined $ 50,000 and banned from playing in the team's next league match."

Kohli, who is currently the leading run scorer with 433 runs from seven innings, was initially fined Rs.12 lakh for over rate offence against Rising Pune Supergiants on April 22 and then Rs.24 lakh for the same against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday.

RCB face Rising Pune Supergiants at home in their next encounter on Saturday.
Imphal : Imphal May 5 (IANS) Tension gripped the Manipur-Myanmar border town of Moreh after two Indian nationals were reportedly shot dead at Wuksu in Myanmar.

Sources in Moreh told IANS that the bodies are yet to be handed over to the Indian authorities for identification.

However, the security forces are not taking any chances in this sensitive border area. Security measures have been beefed up to avert any untoward incident.

According to sources, the two Indian nationals, Mohammad Kheruddin (28) and Mohammad Jalanuddin (32) from Moreh, had left for Myanmar on May 2 to catch fish in the mountain streams. But they never returned.

On Wednesday night, two bullet-ridden bodies were reportedly found at Wuksu.

Police sources told IANS that the district police superintendent is in touch with his Myanmarese counterpart.

Once the bodies are handed over to police and proper identification done then the actual sequence of events may come to light, sources said.

Meanwhile in a separate incident, unidentified insurgents hurled a China-made hand grenade at the house of retired chief engineer Akham Nilamani.

Police believe that it may be a case of mistaken identity as a chit was left at the spot threatening another person. No group has so far claimed any responsibility.
Shillong, May 5 : A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was arrested for allegedly molesting a 11-year-old girl here in Meghalaya, police said on Thursday.

"We received a complaint that a minor girl was molested at her residence in Nongrimmaw, allegedly by BSF constable Dulal Konwar" on Wednesday night, Mariahom Kharkrang, the district police chief of East Khasi Hills, told IANS.

He said the girl managed to escape after raising an alarm. Konwar was arrested and produced in a court, Kharkrang said.
New Delhi, May 5 : A global airlines' association on Thursday reported that India's domestic passenger traffic grew by 27.4 percent in March.

"The domestic India market remains the fastest expanding market, with growth edging up to 27.4 percent year-on-year in March," said International Air Transport Association (IATA) in its global passenger traffic results for March.

"Growth in the India domestic market is being propelled by the comparatively strong economic backdrop as well as sizeable increases in services."

According to IATA's March traffic results, India's domestic passenger traffic grew the fastest amongst the seven major aviation markets of the world.

The other major aviation markets include -- Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, the Russian Federation and the US.

In fact IATA's data showed that India's passenger traffic was over six times more than the growth of the second fastest growing market -- the US.

Data furnished by IATA disclosed that India's domestic passenger traffic growth was followed by that of the US at 4.1 percent, the Russian Federation at 4.00 percent, China at 3.3 percent and Australia at 2.3 percent.

However, Brazil and Japan reported decline in their domestic passenger traffic at -8.3 percent and -1.7 percent, respectively.

"India's annual domestic RPK (revenue passenger kilometers which measures actual passenger traffic) growth rate has now been in double digits for nineteen consecutive months," IATA said.

The data further pointed out that India's domestic capacity in the month under review rose by 21.7 percent.

The average flight frequencies within India are scheduled to increase by 11.5 percent year-on-year in 2016.

Earlier, data furnished by the Indian civil aviation ministry revealed that domestic air passenger traffic increased by 25.25 percent in March.

The air passenger traffic had stood at 78.72 lakh passengers -- up from 62.85 lakh in the corresponding month last year.

The ministry data revealed that the low-cost carrier (LCC) IndiGo was the dominant airline during the period under review with a market share of 37 percent.

It was followed by Jet Airways with 18.2 percent, state-run Air India was third with 15.4 percent, and SpiceJet followed next with 13 percent.
New Delhi, May 5 : Actor Tanuj Virwani, who will soon be seen in the forthcoming thriller "One Night Stand" with actress Sunny Leone, says that acting was never his first choice.

Having worn the hat of an assistant director (AD) for films "Aao Wish Karein" and "Chance Pe Dance" which were directed by Glen Barretto and Ken Ghosh respectively before, Tanuj says that his experience as an AD has definitely helped him out in the field of acting.

"Experience as an AD was indeed very helpful. Being there on the other side helps as you then know which angle, what light, works for us an an actor," Tanuj told IANS.

With veteran actress Rati Agnihotri as his mother, Tanuj believes that it was obvious that even though he ventured into directing, he would get into the field of acting.

"Acting was not a first choice, I have been an AD before but I guess with a stalwart as my mother... an apple never falls far from a tree," the " Purani Jeans" actor said.

Asked if he would like to feature in a film with his mother?

"We have worked in 'Purani Jeans' together, although it was a cameo. We would love to work in a film together but not because we want to be together but because the script needs us... it has to be organic not forced," the 29-year-old actor.

Although his earlier films "Luv U Soniyo" and Tanushri Chattrji Bassu directorial "Purani Jeans" did not work out, Tanuj never felt discouraged and never considered changing his career as the failure encouraged him to do better.

The actor signed "One Night Stand" after eight months of his last project.

Sharing that people do have some pre-conceived notions about actress Sunny Leone, Tanuj says that more than that, the important point was that he had to work with a comparitively established actress as he is new himself.

He also said that Sunny as a co-star is "very professional and very patient".

Asked if he is open to other mediums like theatre and TV?

"I haven't tried theatre but I am open to it and television as well if something good comes my way," he said.

Tanuj went on to hone his acting skills from the Kishore Namit Kapoor acting institute.

The actor's forthcoming film "One Night Stand" is a Jasmine Moses D'souza directorial, while the music for the film has been composed by Jeet Gannguli, Meet Bros, Tony Kakkar and Vevek Kar.

The film will release on Friday.
Nagpur, May 5 : Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan on Thursday lent his support to the water conservation efforts here by attending a contest on the issue conduced by the state government in Warud taluka of Vidarbha's Amravati district.

Aamir landed in Nagpur city on late Wednesday night. People at the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport were surprised to see their favourite star in the city.

The "PK" actor was reportedly accompanied by Marathi stage and film actors Reema Lagoo, Anil Bhatkal, Sai Tamhankar and Anil Barwe.

Aamir is promoting Maharashtra Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' project "Jal Yukta Shivar", a water conservation endeavour.

When he met Fadnavis in mid-February, three drought-hit talukas or sub-districts of the state were selected for taking up water conservation through public participation. The talukas were Warud in Amravati district in Vidarbha, Ambejogai in Beed district of Marathwada, and Koregaon in Satara district in western Maharashtra.

Aamir has instituted a "Satyameva Jayate Water Cup" for the best worker in water conservation work.
Mumbai, May 5 : Value buying, along with expectations that key economic legislation will get parliamentary approval, as well as positive European indices, buoyed the Indian equity markets on Thursday.

Besides, forecast of healthy monsoon rains and higher crude oil prices helped the key indices to break three consecutive days of losses and end with substantial gains.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) edged higher by 29 points, or 0.38 percent, at 7,735.50 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 25,187.66 points, closed at 25,262.21 points -- up 160.48 points or 0.64 percent from the previous close at 25,101.73 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 25,394.10 points and a low of 25,162.94 points during the intra-day trade.

In contrast, the BSE market breadth was tilted in favour of the bears -- with 1,320 declines and 1,229 advances.

Both the key Indian indices had ended in negative territory during the previous trade session on Wednesday. The barometer index had declined by 127.97 points or 0.51 percent. Similarly, the NSE Nifty had closed lower by 40.45 points or 0.52 percent.

Initially, the key indices opened on a positive note on Thursday, as value buying supported prices. Value buying was triggered due to attractive valuations after three consecutive sessions of losses.

During the last three sessions, Sensex had lost over 500 points, while the Nifty declined by 143.25 points.

Furthermore, the prediction of healthy monsoon rains by international weather forecasters and higher crude oil prices cheered investors.

In addition, investors' sentiments were boosted after the Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill 2016 with 55 amendments. This improved the potential for other key economic legislation getting the green signal and added to the positive vibes.

However, the gains were capped due to negative Asian markets and caution ahead of the release of US non-farm payrolls data on Friday.

"Value buying at lower levels after three consecutive days of falls supported prices," Anand James, chief market strategist, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services, told IANS.

"Forecast of healthy monsoon rains and expectations that key bills will get passed through parliament added to the positive sentiment."

According to Vaibhav Agarwal, vice president and research head at Angel Broking, Indian indices ended in the green supported by positive European markets.

"Going forward, the Finance Bill 2016, which was passed in the Lok Sabha today, will help to build confidence among investors," Agarwal said.

During the day's trade, the foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers, while the domestic institutional investors (DIIs) turned net buyers.

Data with stock exchanges showed that FIIs sold stocks worth Rs.388.51 crore, whereas the DIIs purchased scrips worth Rs.251.79 crore.

Sector-wise, healthy buying was witnessed in capital goods, automobile and FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) stocks. However, scrips of consumer durables, telecom, and oil and gas came under intense selling pressure.

The S&P BSE capital goods index surged by 208.57 points, followed by the automobile index, which rose by 102.39 points; and the FMCG index gained by 62.70 points.

In contrast, the S&P BSE consumer durables index receded by 53.27 points, followed by the telecom index, which declined by 24.12 points; and the oil and gas index fell by 15.08 points.

Major Sensex gainers during Thursday's trade were HDFC Bank, up 2.90 percent at Rs.1,163.85; BHEL, up 2.55 percent at Rs.122.85; Tata Motors, up 2.46 percent at Rs.391.20; Larsen & Toubro (L&T), up 2.20 percent at Rs.1,273.45; and Lupin, up 1.71 percent at Rs.1,605.30.

Major Sensex losers were Adani Ports, down 4.33 percent at Rs.198.65; Bharti Airtel, down 1.55 percent at Rs.355.20; Asian Paints, down 0.55 percent at Rs.868.35; Hindustan Unilever (HUL), down 0.29 percent at Rs.851.15; and Reliance Industries, down 0.25 percent at Rs.975.05.
Kolkata, May 5 : National Award winning filmmaker Goutam Ghose says the dwellers of the erstwhile enclaves, who exercised their voting rights for the first time on Thursday as Indian citizens, "were all like Toba Tek Singhs for many years", referring to Pakistani writer Sadat Hasan Manto's famed short story set against the backdrop of Partition.

He described Thursday as "D-Day" for the over 9,000 first-time voters who included three centenarians.

Ghose recently won the National Award for India-Bangladesh joint production "Shankhachil" which revolves around the pain and anguish of living along the border after the partition of Bengal.

"There are many documentaries made on the subject. They don't belong to any country... Ait's a non-man's land. I remember a great story by Manto... Toba Tek Singh... they were all Toba Tek Singhs for many, many years," Ghose told IANS.

Published in 1955, Manto's short story "Toba Tek Singh" is about inmates in a Lahore asylum (in Pakistan), some of whom are to be transferred to India following Partition in 1947.

Altogether 9,776 erstwhile enclave dwellers, including 567 who have opted for India from the former Indian enclaves -- now part of Bangladesh -- are registered as first-time voters. Most of them exercised their franchise for the first time in Cooch Behar in the final phase of the West Bengal assembly polls during the day.

They are spread across five constituencies -- Dinhata (5,486 voters), Mekhliganj (988), Sitai (1,396), Sitalkuchi (1,898) and Tufanganj (8).

Following the implementation of the historic Land Boundary Agreement, Bangladesh and India exchanged 162 adversely-held enclaves on August 1, 2015.

"It's D-Day for them because they were in enclaves for so many years. It's very strange that for so many years we have not done anything for them, but it's great that recently they won their freedom," Ghose added.
Kolkata, May 5 : Rapturous with excitement after their first vote, a group of youngsters in the erstwhile enclaves of West Bengal's Cooch Behar district have once again turned to the World Wide Web to fight for their rights.

The youths, who earlier alerted the world about the plight of former enclave dwellers through a massive social media campaign, are now voicing their concerns and needs through news portal kolkatanews24.com.

Jaynal Abedin and a host of others spread across Cooch Behar, state capital Kolkata and Bangladesh are partners in the fresh campaign.

"Now that the battle for citizenship has been won, we have shifted activities from our Facebook group to the information portal. It is helping us spread the word about our new journey of fighting for rights," Abedin told IANS from Madhya Mashaldanga enclave in Dinhata assembly constituency.

Altogether 9,776 erstwhile enclave dwellers, including 567 who have opted for India from the former Indian enclaves -- now part of Bangladesh -- are registered as electors.

They cast their votes for the first time in Cooch Behar in the final phase of the assembly polls in Bengal on Thursday.

They are spread across five constituencies -- Dinhata (5,486 voters), Mekhliganj (988), Sitai (1,396), Sitalkuchi (1,898) and Tufanganj (8).

Following the implementation of the historic Land Boundary Agreement, Bangladesh and India exchanged 162 adversely-held enclaves on August 1, 2015.

Aged between 18 and 25 years, the youngsters who were residing in the enclaves on both sides of the border united on the Facebook Fighters page last year before the swap, to draw attention to the long-standing issue.

Similar to Cairo's Tahrir Square and in Dhaka's Shahbag, social media like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, became a powerful tool for these youths to draw consensus on issues and virtually connect with members in neighbouring enclaves who had never met.

Facebook endowed them with a distinct identity at a time when they were in 'nowhere land'.

In a momentous occasion on Thursday, Abedin voted with his father and grandfather, the 103-year-old Mohammad Ajgar Ali, in Dinhata.

"Some of our key demands include sorting land ownership matters, reservation in state government jobs and the chance to work for our own development.

"Through the portal we inform the public on various local issues as well as on national and international issues. We are connected with the former enclave residents who are now in Bangladesh," Abedin said.

A glance at the write-ups in Bengali show profiles of key candidates in the elections, their pros and cons, their expectations from the candidates among a steady stream of global subjects including terrorism.

"The stories are being shared on social media (Facebook) and we hope it reaches more and more people," Abedin added.
Copenhagen, May 5 : An adult education centre in a Copenhagen suburb has told Muslim students that they can no longer attend classes unless they remove the niqab face veil.

The controversial move was an effort to promote "free and unhindered communication" which would be compromised by the face veils, RT online reported citing VUC Lyngby school which put it up on its Facebook page.

"Teaching takes place by means of communication. And this cannot be done if they're wearing a niqab," deputy headteacher Inge Voller told Metroxpress.

According to the school, the rules were changed last autumn to no longer allow students to cover their faces during classes. However, it came into the spotlight this week, after the school posted it on its Facebook page.

Denmark's ruling Venstre party has also expressed its support, along with the Conservatives and Danish People's Party (DF).

"It is essential in our society that we can see each other and interpret each other when we talk together," DF spokesman Martin Henriksen told Ritzau news agency.

DF has long been a strong advocate for a nationwide ban on the niqab.

"We want a total ban except for within one's private home. One can do whatever they want there," Henriksen said.

France and Belgium are so far the only two countries to place a nationwide ban on the niqab. The burqa and niqab have been banned in parts of Switzerland and Italy. They were also banned in parts of Spain, but that decision was later dropped.
Kolkata, May 5 : Led by enthusiastic centenarians and sprightly youngsters, thousands of people from the erstwhile enclaves in Cooch Behar made history as they exercised their right to vote for the first time in West Bengal assembly polls' sixth and final phase on Thursday.

Overall, more than 84 percent of the 58,04,019 voters exercised their franchise across 25 constituencies of Cooch Behar (nine) and East Midnapore districts (16), to bring the curtains down on the staggered month-long polls to the 294-member legislature in the eastern state.

As many as 170 candidates, including 18 women, were in the fray in the last phase.

There were sporadic incidents of irregularities with the opposition parties accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress of resorting to malpractices since balloting began at 7 a.m.

The overall turnout at 5 p.m. was 84.24 percent, with East Midnapore recording 85.09 percent votes and Cooch Behar 82.71 percent, said state chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta.

But the day belonged to the voters from the 51 erstwhile enclaves in Cooch Behar, including three centenarians, who were registered as electors for the first time since the country's Independence. Till 5 p.m., 85 percent of these new voters had expressed their choice.

Doddering and frail but nevertheless beaming with pride, 103-year-old Mohammed Ajgar Ali - from the erstwhile enclave of Mosaldanga in Dinhata constituency - led three generations of his family in casting their maiden votes.

Perhaps the oldest first-time voter in the country, Ali was one of the 9,776 newly-registered electors from the erstwhile enclaves in Cooch Behar district.

"Perhaps I have lived for so long only to see this day. When I woke up early in the day, I couldn't stand properly but now that I have voted, I can die in peace," said Ali struggling to hide his emotions.

Similarly, taking the huge leap in the same assembly seat are 103-year-old Haseem Ali Khandakar from the former Dakshin Mashaldanga and Kachua enclaves and Khatemon Bewa of erstwhile Purba and Dakshin Mashaldanga enclaves, said Cooch Behar's Additional District Magistrate Ayesha Rani.

The enclaves were swapped with Bangladesh after the Land Boundary Agreement was implemented last year.

Meanwhile, Gupta said two presiding officers were removed - one in Dinhata, and the other in Natabari - of Cooch Behar district.

"In Dinhata, Trinamool Congress candidate Udayan Guha had complained that the presiding officer was not impartial. The officer in Natabari had fallen sick," he said.

There was poll boycott in two booths of Moyna in East Midnapore district on local issues.

Thirty people were arrested - twenty nine of them under preventive sections and another on specific charge, said Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Anuj Sharma.

In Cooch Behar, two candidates of the ruling Trinamool were caught on camera allegedly threatening polling and police officers and "violating secrecy of votes".

Taking cognisance of the media reports, the Election Commission directed filing of first information reports (FIRs) against both Guha, and Natabari constituency candidate Rabindranath Ghosh.

In Nandigram, the opposition accused the Trinamool of intimidating and threatening their agents.

With the polling over in the state, the Trinamool claimed it was only a matter of days before party chief Mamata Banerjee was sworn in as the chief minister again.

The Left Front, on the other hand, claimed it would come to power with its ally Congress.

Addressing mediapersons, LF spearhead Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said the final phase was overall peaceful, but LF-Congress polling agents were driven out or not allowed to take their seats in booth no 331 in East Midnaproe and 60 in Cooch Behar.

In 2011, the Trinamool Congress, then in alliance with the Congress, won 20 of the seats that went to hustings on Thursday. The Congress got one, while Left Front partner Forward Bloc triumphed in four seats.

This time, the Left Front and the Congress have teamed up against the Trinamool.

While the Left Front is in the fray in 18 seats, the Congress contested four. The alliance has extended support to three Independent candidates.

The Trinamool and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contested all the 25 seats.

The votes will be counted on May 19.
Lucknow, May 5 : A case was registered against BJP's Lok Sabha member Sachidanand Hari Sakshi, better known as Sakshi Maharaj, in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday on charges of trying to incite party workers and intimidating police, an official said.

The MP from Unnao had, in a speech two days ago at a party worker's house in Fardpur village in Mainpuri, allegedly said that if Bharatiya Janata Party workers were harassed, police will have to face bullets.

The case against the BJP leader was filed at Bicchwa police station in Mainpuri district.

Sakshi Maharaj told IANS that he was being "framed as police wanted me to get off the trail of barbarism" that they had unleashed on BJP workers.

"On April 30 night, a dozen policemen barged into BJP worker Maidan Singh's house and beat up all male and female family members and even sexually assaulted the girls and women," the lawmaker alleged.

He said he received pictures of the incident on WhatsApp, which he showed to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who he said termed it "rape".

"I told Mulayam Singh that I am going to Mainpuri to see for myself what has been done. The SP chief not only endorsed it but also sought a report on my return," the BJP MP said.

Sakshi Maharaj said he has since sent his report with "due evidence" to Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The MP said he will approach the National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Women, union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on the matter and, if need be, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I am not to be cowed down by first information reports like these. I will take the matter to its logical conclusion, whatever it may take," the BJP leader said.
Perumbavoor (Kerala) : Perumbavoor (Kerala) May 5 (IANS) Even as the rape and murder of a Dalit law student continued to rock the poll-bound state of Kerala, police on Thursday claimed that they are zeroing in on the culprits and the investigation is in its last stage.

Police believe that 27-year-old Jisha, whose mutilated body was found by her mother on April 28, was sexually assaluted as there were injury marks on her private parts.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday evening, Aluva (rural) Superintendent of Police Yatish Chandra said: "The probe has entered the final stage as the questioning of people in custody is going on and the case will be cracked."

While the opposition parties in Kerala have been alleging that police have failed to make any headway in the brutal case, senior police officials seem to be certain that the investigation is on the right track.

Director General of Police T.P. Senkumar, who will be reaching here, on Thursday evening said the probe is being conducted by efficient officers, and is progressing well and in the right direction.

So far, six people have been taken into custody, including two migrant labourers.

A group of 30 police officials have been split into four teams to probe the case from different angles, including for collecting and analysing scientific evidences.

Meanwhile, several high-profile individuals visited Jisha's mother Rajeshwari at a hospital where she has been admitted following the trauma caused by her daughter's murder.

Among those who visited Rajeshwari were union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawaarchand Gehlot and National Women's Commission chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam.

After meeting Rajeshwari, the union minister said he would inform the Rajya Sabha about what he saw. But he refused to elaborate as the Model Code of Conduct is in force now in Kerala.

Kumaramangalam said she would meet top police and government officials to discuss the case.

But these visits have sparked off a massive row, with the ruling party and the opposition parties trading barbs. The hospital authorities have also aired their displeasure, saying the visits have been disturbing Rajeshwari.

In his Facebook post on Thursday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy alleged that Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader V.S. Achuthanandan was not honest while expressing his opinion after visiting Rajeshwari a few days back.

"A video clip of the mother complaining to him (Achuthanandan) about the local legislator and the local ward councillor has gone viral, but he came out and blamed the state government. For a few votes, he has done this," Chandy alleged.

The hospital authorities also complained that the unending stream of visitors has caused more emotional disturbance to Jisha's mother.

"She has been with us since last Thursday. With lots of people visiting her from Tuesday, she is getting restless as she is yet to come to terms with what has happened," said a doctor who is treating Rajeshwari.

Ernakulam district collector M.G. Rajamanickam, who has opened a joint bank account in the name of Rajeshwari and himself for those wanting to help Jisha's family, also slammed the visitors.

In his Facebook post the district collector said the visitors came for publicity and photo-ops.

Meanwhile, the CPI-M on Thursday began a day-and-night sit-in protest near the local police station, demanding the murder mystery be solved without further delay.

CPI-M politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan would meet Jisha's mother on Friday and address the protestors.

With the political pot boiling over the murder, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala accused the opposition of "politicising" the case.

"To politicise this as an election issue is unfair and deplorable. Yesterday, I was waylaid by the CPI-M activists when I came out of the Kollam Press Club," Chennithala told reporters on Thursday in Kochi.

"You just look into the manner in which numerous cases that have been solved here by our police force. So, we are certain that this case too will be cracked," the minister added.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah asked Chief Minister Chandy to tell the people as to what's happening in the case as no action seems to have been taken by police even after a week. Shah was addressing an election rally in Pathanamthitta.

On Wednesday Jisha's autopsy report was submitted to police which revealed that there were 38 wounds on her body.

Even that has led to a controversy, with complaints that the autopsy was conducted by junior doctors at the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital. It was alleged that no senior police surgeon was present then. The state's health secretary has now ordered a probe into the allegation.
Mumbai, May 5 : It was a pleasant Thursday of October 20, 2011, when a happy and laughing group of two young men and two women stepped out of a popular Andheri eatery, Amboli Bar & Kitchen, after a good dinner.

They had halted at a nearby paan shop, waiting to be served, when a ruffian hanging around passed lewd remarks and attempted to molest one of the women in full public view.

Both Keenan Santos, 24, and his friend Reuben Fernandes, 29, strongly objected to the humiliation meted out to their female friends and virtually chased away the goon, later identified as Jitendra Rana.

Taken aback by the unexpected resistance offered by the young duo in the middle-class locality, Rana threatened to teach them a lesson, but they ignored him.

Barely a few minutes later, Rana returned with reinforcements -- both muscle power and weapons, including choppers, rods and sticks, catching the foursome by surprise.

Without warning, the gang of ruffians started hammering and stabbing Keenan and Reuben repeatedly as the two terrified women screamed for help and even dialled the Police Control Room No. 100 for assistance, which arrived only too late.

As one of the young women said later, at least four dozen bystanders watched on without bothering to intervene or help the profusely bleeding men. The onlookers later walked away -- in typical Mumbai style where nobody interferes in others' issues.

The onlookers included local residents, some activists of a political party whose office was still open that time, nearby big and small shopkeepers and even some patrons of the restaurant.

After the attack, which lasted barely a few horrifying minutes, the goons ran away after taking their 'revenge' as the two women tried to help their grievously injured friends.

With the help of family members, friends and locals, they shifted Keenan and Reuben to a hospital. Keenan succumbed to his injuries a few hours later in early hours of October 21, while Reuben died 12 days later while under treatment.

Reuben's brother told media persons later how the thugs hit him with a heavy stick, pinned down Keenan with his knees and stabbed him repeatedly in the chest and stomach, all the time shouting expletives.

Following a public outcry on safety of women, the assailants were arrested the next morning (October 21, 2011) from Amboli area and the case was assigned to a fast track Special Women's Court after one year (2013), with Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

The police filed a 400-plus pages charge-sheet before the Andheri Metropolitan Court in January 2012 and the court framed the charges in October 2012 of murder, conspiracy and molestation against the accused.

During the trial, 28 witnesses were examined, including five eye-witnesses, among them the two women friends whom the victims had bravely defended from the molesters.

As the four families (of the victims and their female friends) came to terms with their losses, the case continued in the court, with over two dozen adjournments, absenteeism by the defence lawyers or the accused and other delays which prolonged the matter for over five years.

Even the victims' families were not spared of harassment by the local goons and their kin who issued regular threats and tried intimidatory tactics to scare them into withdrawing the case.

However, they continued undeterred, especially Keenan's father, Valerian Santos, 57, who doggedly remained present during the court hearings.

Justice finally dawned on Thursday when Special Judge Vrushali Joshi sentenced the four prime accused to life imprisonment till death.

The convicts are: Jitendra Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulgaj and Dipak Tiwak, who have been found guilty of murder, molestation and other charges by the special court.

Nikam said he had not sought the death penalty for the accused since it was not the "rarest of rare cases", there was "no conspiracy" and they were not "pre-planned" murders.

Valerian Santos expressed his "satisfaction" over the verdict and said the two young men had been finally meted out justice.

"However, this is just the beginning...The battle is not over, they might appeal in the higher courts which is their right; and we have to wait," the practical-minded Santos told media-persons shortly after the verdict.

The verdict has been hailed by the city glitterati with laudatory messages tweeted by celebs like Varun Dhawan, Farhan Akhtar, Sonakshi Sinha, Vishal Dadlani, Anuj Kanungo, Ramona Arena and others.
New Delhi, May 5 : Paying tributes to his predecessor Giani Zail Singh on his 100th birth anniversary, President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday termed him a "true Giani" (knowledgeable one) and recalled his deep understanding of Indian history, culture and civilisation.

Paying tributes to former president at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mukherjee said Zail Singh's career offers evidence of the opportunities Indian democracy provides to every citizen irrespective of the status he or she hails from.

"The great heights that Giani Zail Singh rose to, from a humble and poor background, bears testimony to this great feature of Indian democracy," he said.

A freedom fighter and a Congress politician from Punjab who also served as the state chief minister, and also held many key portfolios, including home, in the central government, Zail Singh was the seventh president (1982-87).

On the occasion, Vice President Hamid Ansari released a documentary on the life of Zail Singh while the former president's daughter Gurdeep Kaur released a book "Fragrant Recollections" (a collection of memoirs and tributes on Zail Singh). The first copies were presented to the president.
Panaji, May 5 : Goa's former education minister and an unattached legislator Atanasio Monserrate, who was arrested by the state police Crime Branch on Thursday for raping a minor girl, had "purchased" the girl for Rs.50 lakh from her aunt and an accomplice prior to the crime, police said on Thursday.

The summary of the first information report (FIR), recorded on the basis of the contents of the girl's complaint and which was released to the media on Thursday evening, states that Monserrate "purchased" the girl from her aunt and an accomplice in March and raped her subsequently.

Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has termed the accusations against the St. Cruz legislator as "serious" and meriting a thorough probe by police.

Monserrate was formally arrested by the women's police station officials after he surrendered on Thursday afternoon.

Before stepping into the Crime Branch office to surrender, Monserrate said he was innocent and the victim of a controversy.

"This is a set-up. I am innocent and have nothing to fear. I am being targeted as part of a controversy," said Monserrate, who was accompanied by his wife and Congress legislator Jennifer.

On Wednesday, Monserrate, also known as Babush, was booked by Panaji police officials for allegedly raping the minor girl.

After the arrest, Superintendent of Police (Crime) Karthik Kashyap told reporters that there was strong evidence against Monserrate to merit his arrest.

"We have strong evidence against Babush for raping the minor girl. We have collected digital, circumstantial and forensic evidence too," Kashyap said.

Monserrate has been booked on charges of wrongful confinement, causing hurt, detaining against will, rape and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Goa Children's Act.

Parsekar told reporters that considering the seriousness of the accusations levelled against Monserrate, there needs to be a thorough police probe.

"I feel police need to figure out the genuineness of the case. Let the investigation get completed. Police have been asked to do an in-depth investigation.

"I have been given to understand that the incident did not occur today or yesterday. It happened weeks ago. Therefore, it needs to be investigated properly because he is a public figure," Parsekar said.

Monserrate was elected from the St. Cruz constituency on a Congress ticket, but was sacked by the party after he started hobnobbing with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He has been booked in the past for extortion. His son Rohit was also arrested for allegedly raping a minor German girl five years ago, but was later acquitted.
Gurgaon, May 5 : Famous for serving Portuguese cuisine and offering a bewitching ambiance that connects with its vibrant consumer base, Barcelos launched its third restaurant in the national capital here on Thursday.

There is a live kitchen concept makes the whole environment of the restaurant quite intriguing.

"We at Barcelos offer our customers delicious food and great ambiance because it's not just the food that they look forward to but the overall experience," business head of Barcelos India Rohit Malhotra told IANS.

The menu at Barcelos acquaints you with the authentic peri peri food, which is not too freely available in India.

The Portuguese are known to have brought a whole lot of new vegetables to Indian farms and kitchens.

According to Malhotra, "there are a lot of similarities between Indian and Portuguese cuisine".

"The Portuguese brought potatoes, tomatoes, pineapples, guavas and of course, capsicum and red chillies to India," Malhotra said.

Thus, marinated in a flavourfull soy-sauce mixture, grilled to perfection, and served over lemony couscous salad and Mediterranean grilled mushroom skewers was the perfect dish to start your food viagem or safari.

You can pick from four sauces - tangy lemon, mild peri, veri peri and supa peri as per the heat you want in your food.

For a mouth tingling sensation, you can't beat Barcelos' peri peri drumsticks doused in a mild sauce that is a delight to peck at.

The recently introduced innovative mini wraps available in four different colours - white, red, green and yellow - are absolutely palatable to feast upon and remain a prominent dish alongside the outstanding coloured burgers.

Other than the cuisine, two features that distinguish Barcelos from other eateries in are its Sangria bar - that serves 21 varieties of wine cocktail - and the focus on serving healthy food without using fattening oils.

"It is the healthiest cuisine that doesn't use fattening oils. All the recipes include steaming or grilling," Malhotra said about the distinct feature of the cuisine.

"Barcelos is the most suitable place for gym junkies in the area as it offers hearty yet healthy food to take in," he added.

Loaded with vegetables, marinated in peri peri sauce, a delicious bowl of chicken Trinchado is the best main course dish.

This new Barcelos is perhaps its biggest outlet in Asia whose interiors and ambience have been designed around a European theme.
New Delhi, May 5 : BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday set up a three-member committee to look into incidents of atrocities against Dalit women in election-bound Kerala, and also visited Perumbavoor to meet the family members of a 30-year-old Dalit woman who was raped and brutally murdered.

Shah also attacked Congress government in Kerala over the law and order situation.

"The law and order situation in the state is at its worst. A Dalit women is raped and later murdered, but the state government is sleeping. The chief minister is mum. Who is responsible for this?" Shah said at a public rally at Perumbavoor.

He later visited the family members of the victim.

Earlier, Shah constituted a team of BJP parliamentarians -- Arjun Ram Meghwal, Meenakshi Lekhi and Udit Raj -- to look into atrocities against Dalit women.

The team will visit the state, meet family members of victims, submit its report to Shah.

"Concerned with the growing atrocities on Dalit women in Kerala, Amit Shah has constituted a three-member committee to visit Perumbavoor (Ernakulam) and Varkala (Thiruvananthapuram)," BJP general secretary Arun Singh said in a statement.

On April 28, a 27-year-old woman was murdered in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam. Her body was found badly mutilated. The brutality has led to comparisons with the 2012 gang rape in Delhi that shook the nation.

Days later, another young student was allegedly gang-raped and dumped at Varkala near Thiruvananthapuram.
New Delhi, May 5 : The CBI on Thursday questioned IAF's former assistant chief of air staff (plans) N.V. Tyagi and city-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan in connection with the alleged payoffs in the Rs. 3,600-crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Air Vice Marshal N.V. Tyagi (retd.) was questioned for a few hours while Khaitan, the former board member of Aeromatrix, one of the suspect companies in the case, was questioned for around 10 hours each at the Central Bureau of Investigation headquarters here.

Sources said that N.V. Tyagi, who has already been questioned in 2013, was quizzed on Thursday as he was the part of a team of senior officials who were involved in the deliberations to tweak the specifications of the helicopters meant to ferry VIPs, including the president and the prime minister.

N.V. Tyagi is not named as accused in the AgustaWestland case, the sources said.

Former IAF chief S.P. Tyagi, who was questioned by CBI on three consecutive days from Monday-Wednesday, has been accused in Italy and India of helping AgustaWestland win the chopper contract by reducing the flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000 metre to 4,500 metre (15,000 feet). The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned S.P. Tyagi on Thursday in the case.

He, however, has denied the allegations against him and said the decision was reportedly taken in consultation with officials of the Special Protection Group (SPG) and the Prime Minister's Office. Twelve helicopters were to be bought by India.

Khaitan, who is alleged to have formed shell companies to route the bribe money to India, informed CBI, during his interrogation, that he had taken payments from Augusta middlemen Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

But, the informed source said, he did not gave clear input about the purpose for which he had received the payments.

Khaitan was again called for questioning on Friday - the third consecutive day. He was questioned on Wednesday too. CBI has also called the three cousins - Sanjeev, Rajiv and Sandeep Tyagi - of the former IAF chief.

The agency has been probing the case since March 2013 after filing an FIR against S.P. Tyagi and 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen.

The chopper deal resurfaced after an Italian court last month referred to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh among others in connection with the chopper deal but gave no details of any wrongdoing by the two leaders.

The CBI has told the court that the three Tyagis were associated with Haschke and Gerosa for a long time after they entered into a consultancy with a Tunisia-based company of the two middlemen in 2004.

In January 2013, India cancelled the chopper deal and the CBI was told to investigate the bribery allegations.
Residential rents increased in all but one region of the UK over three months to April taking the average rent, excluding Greater London, to 764 per month, the latest index data shows.

It means that the average rent in the UK outside of Greater London us now 5.1% higher than a year ago while the average rent in London is now 1,543, up 7.7%

Scotland and the East Midlands lead the way with fastest rising rents while the North West is the only region to register declines in rent, according to the HomeLet rental index for April.

The index report says that fears that higher stamp duty charges on buy to let rental property purchases might destabilise the market have so far proved unfounded. Indeed, HomeLets figures show that rents agreed on new tenancies across the UK over the three months to the end of April have continued to grow at remarkably consistent rate.



The index also shows that rents on new tenancies signed over the three months to April 2016 were, on average, 5.1% higher than in the same period of last year. That was barely changed from Marchs figure of 4.9%, with rent rises having remained in a very narrow band since the beginning of the year.

However, in London rents on new tenancies signed over the three months to the end of April were 7.7% higher than a year ago, the third successive month that London has registered this rate of increase.



The latest figures show that rents in Scotland are currently rising faster than anywhere else in the UK, with new tenancies costing 11.4% more than in the same period a year ago while the East Midlands saw a rise of 7.9% in rents compared to last year.

Londons rental market, where the average rent on a new tenancy is now 1,543, also continues to see rents rise more quickly than in most other areas of the country. The 2.6% gap between rent rises on new tenancies in London and the rest of the UK, where rents average 764, is barely changed on the previous.

Just one area of the country, the North West of England, saw lower rents on new tenancies over the three months to March, as was the case in the previous months index. However, the speed at which rents are falling in the region continues to slow, to an annual rate of just 1% over the three months to April, compared to 3.5% over the three months to March. Rents agreed on new tenancies in April alone were 1.7% higher than in March.



It may be that over the next several months, the trends observed in the rental market begin to reflect the signs of some slowdown in the rate of house price growth that we are now beginning to see and that will be something to watch closely, said Martin Totty, chief executive officer of HomeLet parent company Barbon Insurance Group.

But more broadly, there has been very little to alter the fundamental relationship between demand and supply, especially in those parts of the country where demand-side pressure is greatest, he pointed out.



For now its business as usual, which may be better news for landlords than for tenants, though landlords will no doubt be feeling the squeeze too given the various taxation changes they now need to budget for. We will have to see whether landlords try to pass their higher costs on, whether buy to let property investment diminishes in popularity and whether tenants are able to afford further increases in rents, he added.
Landlords are turning away from the rental market as prices rise, but build to rent could be the future of the market.

At the start of this year, it was believed that the build to rent market was the single biggest sector in the future of British property. A shining light, build to rent was going to see investment flood into the rental sector nationwide thanks to the fact it side stepped the Stamp Duty levy, making it cheaper for investors, and offered tenants exactly what they wanted and needed for a rental home.

Millions of pounds were committed to the sector by a number of large companies, and things looked good, until the chancellor announced that build to rent would not be exempt from the tax changes after all. But is this really a hindrance to it, or does build to rent have the inherent strength to overcome this setback? We take a look at the positives that make it still the perfect option for investors looking to get themselves onto the property ladder.

Below market value prices

The main reason that many investors in buy-to-let property are turning their back on the market is that it is simply becoming more expensive in the aftermath of the Stamp Duty levy placed on purchases as of the start of this month (April). This has added three per cent to the cost of purchasing a rental home. But is this where build to rent can really shine?

The build to rent sector was dealt a blow in late March, when the chancellor revealed that it would not be, as had been expected, exempt from the three per cent levy. However, that's not all build to rent had up its sleeve, and it still has more to offer investors in its below market value pricing.

It's fair to say that the main reason many people are not thinking investing in rental property is the price and the fact this has gone up thanks to the levy. But buying off plan in build to rent developments with companies like Experience Invest means getting properties cheaper than they would be on the open market, a perk that could just wipe out the price of that levy and make it very much worthwhile to invest.

Guaranteed returns

Any property investment is a risk, and at a time when the chancellor has increased the cost of getting onto the rental ladder from an owners' point of view, chances are that this risk looks even more unwelcome than ever before.

But it doesn't need to be that way. With investments in many build to rent developments, such as The Georgian Quarter in Liverpool and The Residence in Manchester, investors can get themselves a guaranteed return of seven per cent for three years, which takes away the element of risk that might be acting as a little voice telling them not to invest in the market.

Long-term sustainability

Build to rent properties may seem like they come with a risk  and they do to some extent  but if the current state of the rental market is anything to go by, there is a potential for long-term stability in the sector.

The main driver of growth in the market at the moment has been generation rent; those who rent because they want to and not because they have to. And this is showing no sign of stopping any time soon. The government said that the proportion of people who own their own home continues to fall. It peaked in the 1990s at almost three-quarters, before falling to 69.5 per cent in 2002. By last year, this had dropped even further to 62.5 per cent, showing that people are increasingly comfortable renting, even as the economy improves.

Build to rent sits perfectly when it comes to this rise in generation rent. Young people who choose to rent want to get their hands on homes that are located well in terms of transport and lifestyle, as well as being purpose built for their needs. The build to rent sector serves this better than any other area of the property market, and as such is set up well for long-term success.

This article was provided by Experience Invest.
A Kong Outdoor display on Shoreditch High Street in London. An industry standard, BroadSign's team worked with us to develop a bespoke solution that fit our needs and budget. - Ross Barrett, Managing Director at Kong Outdoor

BroadSign International, LLCs automated digital out-of-home software has been selected by Kong Outdoor Limited for the networks 24 roadside displays in the United Kingdom.

Kong Outdoor screens, ranging from 14 square meters in portrait orientation to 20 square meters in landscape, are situated in roadside and pedestrian locations based on clear lines of sight and high traffic. The London Package alone has a potential reach of over 8 million impressions over two week's time.

Upon meeting with BroadSign at Integrated Systems Europe, Kong Outdoor was attracted to the companys software for its cost effectiveness, top-notch services and accurate reporting.

When evaluating other digital signage CMS providers, BroadSign best understood our requirements, said Ross Barrett, Managing Director at Kong Outdoor. An industry standard, their team worked with us to develop a bespoke solution that fit our needs and budget. They are forward thinkers and innovators, and we are alike in that respect.

Kong Outdoor roadside displays have a one-minute loop with four ad slots, while pedestrian sites fit six advertisements into the loop. The companys in-house creative team contributes to the delivery of a turnkey solution to customers such as Qatar Airlines, Pizza Hut and DC Shoes.

Recent and dynamic campaigns include real-time updates of the Brit Awards with Kiss FM radio and conditional content based on weather for Greggs bakeries.

Kong Outdoor is a shining example of the DOOH innovation occurring in the UK, said Maarten Dollevoet, Vice President EMEA at BroadSign. Their displays are positioned to reach targeted viewers and their in-house creative team ensures creative is engaging and impactful. BroadSign looks forward to helping drive their solution through our automated and flexible platform.

To learn more about BroadSigns DOOH solutions, set a meeting with the team during London Digital Signage Week.

About BroadSign

BroadSign International, LLC is the first global provider of cloud-based digital signage software. Its award-winning, automated approach to content management is mature, reliable and robust, and gives digital out-of-home networks an unlimited capacity for growth without adding personnel. BroadSigns sophisticated platform and efficient media player, BroadSign Xpress Pro, decrease the cost of network deployment.

BroadSigns constant growth, extensive customer base and dedication to predicting and responding to industry trends make its digital signage solutions a safe bet for the future of networks with even the most complex of requirements. For more information about BroadSign, visit http://broadsign.com.

About Kong Outdoor

Kong Outdoor is an independent digital outdoor media owner operating in the UK. We have over 50 years combined experience within the out-of-home sector and leverage this experience to deliver the best solutions for our clients. We only use the best quality digital displays available and all our screens have an industry leading five-year guarantee. Digital advertising offers clients flexibility and we offer an in house creative team that can create software for our clients to make their campaigns more engaging.
Having someone of Sarah's experience level gives our clients even more confidence in the work we perform for them on a daily basis.

United Collection Bureau, Inc. (UCB) announces Sarah Clark as its new Vice President of Revenue Cycle.

Clark brings more than 15 years of experience within the healthcare revenue cycle industry. With a primary focus of end-to-end revenue cycle management, Clark comes from a successful career as the Director of Patient Financial Services at Spectrum Health. While at Spectrum Health, Clark helped Spectrum achieve the HFMA MAP Award for Revenue Cycle Quality. With a degree in Management and Organizational Development from Spring Arbor University, Clark brings the real world knowledge and experience that is missing within the outsourcing environment.

Ive always looked for ways to help organizations find mutually beneficial partnerships, as it relates to the hospitals entire revenue cycle process. This experience has prepared me to assist UCB clients in these areas, while helping to implement better solutions, comments Clark. UCB is the leader in this industry, and Im anxious to start meeting with clients and prospects to assist them in exceeding their revenue cycle goals.

Sarah significantly impacts our entire organization. Specifically, shell be on hand to help clients and prospects focus on their core business as UCB handles their revenue cycle services from end to end, states Kelly Fielder, Senior Vice President of Sales at UCB. Having someone of Sarahs experience level gives our clients significant confidence in working with us on a daily basis.

Helping clients increase revenue while decreasing costs is a hallmark of UCBs revenue cycle model. Through its call center, early-out, insurance follow-up, and collections divisions, UCB continues this tradition via the addition of Clark. The chance to help hospitals across the country during this stressful time in healthcare was an opportunity I couldnt pass up. states Clark.

For more information about UCB, visit ucbinc.com. To access blog articles and whitepapers on healthcare compliance, industry advancements and other related topics, visit ucb.212contenthub.com/blog.
Our goal is to provide a safe, home-like environment for those receiving care through The Heritage of Hannah Neil Program. We are with them every step of the way as they work through challenges...

Eastway Behavioral Healthcare, one of the largest and most comprehensive not-for-profit organizations serving Ohio residents struggling with mental illness, is now providing innovative services for youth and their families at The Heritage of Hannah Neil Program. Outpatient services are already being offered at the newly renovated facility on Obetz Road. Residential treatment services for at-risk elementary students are expected to begin this fall while day treatment will start this summer.

The 36,000 square foot building at 301 Obetz Road has been vacant for two years. Starr Commonwealth of Michigan was the last on site service provider. Eastway purchased the property, which sits on 22 acres, for $2.7 million late last year from the owner of the nursing facility next door.

We are honored to uphold the heritage of Hannah Neil and provide a strong system of care for children and their families in Franklin County," explained John Strahm, Eastway President and CEO. Our goal is to provide a safe, home-like environment for those receiving care through The Heritage of Hannah Neil Program. We are with them every step of the way as they work through challenges and overcome the barriers that limit success at school and in their communities.

Eastway Behavioral Healthcare was founded in 1949, and is the largest provider of its kind in Montgomery County. It offers excellent behavioral healthcare, rehabilitation and housing services, and also advocates on behalf of those with special needs. For the past 20 years, Eastway has been providing residential programming for Franklin County youth within Montgomery County. With the purchase of the facility on Obetz Road, Eastway is expanding its continuum of care to Franklin County, providing both in-home and outpatient services.

Eastway is working hand-in-hand with other providers in Franklin County who recognize there is a critical need for more services here, explained Tom Standish, Executive Director of The Heritage of Hannah Neil Program. Referrals are already coming in. Because our programs are designed to be welcoming and collaborative with other community resources, we can ensure that Franklin County children and families have access to services that best suit their individual needs.

To date, Eastway has spent $150,000 on renovations. While the buildings systems are being updated, a great deal of work has been done to create an environment that encourages and enhances healing. Each therapy room is unique and has its own theme such as Star Wars, the Beatles, and the beach. The overall effect is an inviting atmosphere that supports the intimacy of the work being done.

Eastway also recently became a charter tenant of the Reeb Avenue Family center located in the historical, revitalized Reeb Elementary School in south Columbus. Community-based outpatient services for children and youth ages 4 to 18 are available, as well as group and family therapies.

We are excited about our expanded services in Franklin County and the impact we will have, Strahm said. We look forward to contributing to a collaborative effort that enhances the well being of central Ohios communities, families and individuals.

Tweet this: Eastway's Heritage of Hannah Neil Program expands continuum of care with services for at risk kids/families. http://tinyurl.com/jfjzvsr

About Eastway

Eastway is advancing behavioral healthcare, housing and employment effectiveness through the creation of innovative programs and services that positively impact the lives of those we serve, everyday for more than 50 years. http://www.Eastway.org
Disability Justice welcomes Mr. Anthony DAngelo as an associate Social Security disability attorney in its Philadelphia office. He is a recent graduate of Drexel Universitys Thomas R. Kline School of Law.

DAngelos passion to help others developed at an early age. His father, a chiropractor, would frequently discuss the difficulties patients face, such as chronic pain and the lengthy wait times to be approved for Social Security disability benefits. DAngelo also witnessed a family members long struggle to receive Social Security disability while continually managing disabling conditions.

Hearing about the pain these people were facing really resonated with me, even at 8 years-old, he said. I remember asking my dad, When will things get easier for them? I empathize with their situations and have always felt drawn to help others.

As a Social Security disability attorney, DAngelo strives to use the law to help those struggling with disabling medical conditions secure the benefits they deserve.

Being able to help others receive the benefits theyve been waiting for  some for over a year  is intrinsically rewarding, he said. I want clients to know that Im fighting for them every step of the way, and I will work diligently to fight for their rights.

DAngelo can be reached at adangelo(at)disabilityjustice(dot)com.
Finding Aldo is part of the fun, but the real enjoyment comes with exploring the beautiful outdoors of our region in a way that reflects his love and respect for nature. "Mary Hudack Greater Mauston Area Chamber of Commerce Past News Releases RSS

Bolstered by a $33,000 Joint Effort Marketing grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, Greater Mauston today launched a campaign inviting outdoors lovers from near and far to connect with nature and each other this summer while searching for icons of Aldo Leopold and posting selfies for prizes.

The Wheres Aldo campaign features icons of the famous conservationist and writer at locations throughout Juneau County that spotlight the kind of sustainable outdoor activities he loved, including horseback riding, boating, fishing, wildlife photography, camping and much more. Greater Mauston is just a 30-minute drive north of Wisconsin Dells.

Governor Scott Walker and Department of Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett (http://bit.ly/1TGbbcn) had some fun with the Aldo selfie faces last week during their statewide tour promoting the importance of tourism. In addition to the Aldo faces sprinkled throughout the region during May and June, a life-size Aldo figure will move around the county during the campaign. Aldo cand can be located on an interactive map, sponsored by partner Juneau County EDC. Full details of the campaign can be found on the Mauston Tourism website, https://mauston.org/WheresAldo, on the Wheres Aldo page.

Finding Aldo and posting your selfies with him is fun, but the real enjoyment comes with exploring the beautiful outdoors of our region in a way that reflects his love and respect for nature, said Mary Hudack, Executive Director of the Greater Mauston Area Chamber of Commerce.

Who is Aldo?

Considered to be the father of modern conservation, Aldo Leopold is best known for his A Sand County Almanac, published in 1949, a little more than a year after his death. The book grew out of his work rejuvenating a worn out farm along the Wisconsin River, planting tens of thousands of trees and making detailed wildlife observations there while using a converted chicken coop as his headquarters. Greater Mauston is located just up river from Leopolds beloved shack and farm, now the site of the green-built Leopold Center.

Aldos work and life reflected his conviction that man needs to live in harmonious balance with his natural surroundings. His philosophy and example are more relevant today than ever, said Hudack, who is spearheading the campaign with support from other communities, organizations and businesses within the county.

Our Wheres Aldo campaign invites visitors to enjoy Greater Maustons outdoors while raising awareness of Aldo Leopolds approach to conservation, land ethic and the responsible enjoyment of our lakes, rivers, woods, trails, wildlife and natural beauty, Hudack added.
Past News Releases RSS

Bergman Dacey Goldsmith Shareholder Brian J. Bergman will receive a Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) Real Property Section Outstanding Young Lawyer Award for 2016. The awards dinner will take place on June 8, 2016 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles.

Brian J. Bergmans law practice focuses primarily on environmental, eminent domain, land use, construction, and general business litigation. Mr. Bergman represents the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA METRO) in eminent domain actions related to the Regional Connector and Purple Line Extension projects. He has represented clients on matters before the EPA, South Coast Air Quality Management District, the California Air Resources Board, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, and the Department of Toxic Substances Control.

He is an Associate Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of American (LCA) and one of the co-founders of LCA's International Institute of Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law ("IINREEL") and has been named a Rising Star by the Super Lawyers publication for the past six years in a row. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California Law School in 2005.

LACBA is one of the largest metropolitan bar associations in the country with over 25,000 active members. The Real Property Section focuses on all aspects of real property law, with commercial development and leasing, construction law, general real property, land use planning, environmental law, real estate finance, and title insurance subsections.

Bergman Dacey Goldsmith is a full-service litigation and business transactional law firm with offices in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. BDG is a member of Mackrell International, an association of independent law firms throughout the world that allows its members to offer premium national and international representation. For more information about Brian J. Bergman, BDG or its services, visit the BDG website, call us or send us an email.
Teachers do such amazing work for all of us, I love being able to help them.

A new discount program directed towards educational staff and faculty has been sweeping across North Texas. The program SPENT (Supporting Professors and Educators of North Texas) offers those who spend their days teaching the next generation of Texans assistance when deciding to transform their home from the one they purchased to one they'll love. SPENT focuses on giving back and recognizing the hard work and dedication of those who mold the minds of children and young adults each day working to make a better future for all of Texas and America. A discount of 5% will be given to each home remodeling project for those educators who qualify for the discount under the program. The 5% discount will be offered on the labor for the incredible home, kitchen, or bathroom remodeling work from the award winning Joseph & Berry Remodel, Design Build.

"Teachers do such amazing work for all of us, I love being able to help them." - Joseph Tsedaka, CEO

Joseph & Berrys SPENT program requires that educators notify the company at the beginning of each undertaking with verification of their faculty status and show proof of their relationship with a participating educational institution. Joseph & Berry hope to reach out to more school districts and higher education programs in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex throughout this year to expand the offering to as many teachers and educators in North Texas as possible. Supporting education and its positive impact on our communities, Joseph & Berry continue to give back any way they can. They are happy to sponsor this program and look forward to making educators love their homes as much as North Texas loves what they do for all of us.

Current schools and colleges in DFW who's faculty are eligible under this program are:

Denton ISD Schools

Garland ISD Schools

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Schools

Highland Park ISD Schools

Mansfield ISD Schools Schools

Southern Methodist University

University of Texas at Dallas

University of Texas at Arlington

ABOUT JOSEPH & BERRY - REMODEL DESIGN BUILD:

Joseph & Berry have proudly been serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area for several years. The company focuses on remodel, build, and design working in concert with each other. They recently have been recognized by Houzz as a top service provider, won the 2016 COTY Award from NARI, and continue to gain recognition around the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex for their stunning designs and inspiring finished work. For more information about Joseph & Berry and this great promotion please contact the offices, toll free at (800) 371-8970 or see website at http://www.remodel-dallas.com/
Joe Guercio, VP Operations Joe will work to support our objectives and execution of strategic initiatives. We are looking forward to adding Joes talent and experience to our operations as we welcome him to the team. said Tom Riley, President and COO of AssuredPartners.

AssuredPartners, Inc. is proud to announce that Joe Guercio will assume the role of Vice President of Operations for AssuredPartners. In this role Joe will be responsible for successfully integrating new agency acquisitions and achieving overall operating excellence throughout the existing platforms and offices for AssuredPartners.

Prior to joining AssuredPartners, Joe was with the global insurance broker Willis Group for 8 years. At Willis, Joe held various senior leadership roles most recently as the Regional Operating Officer for the Southeast. In addition to his experience at Willis, Joe spent several years at insurance broker Brown and Brown holding various key operational roles. He was the manager of Internal Audit, Sales Executive, and Profit Center Leader for several key offices throughout the organization. Joe began his career in public accounting working for BDO Seidman and Arthur Andersen.

Joe graduated from the University of Central Florida with BS in Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Florida and currently holds the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Accredited Advisor of Insurance (AAI) insurance designations.

Since our founding in 2011 we have grown exponentially and we plan to continue on this path with an ongoing focus on operational excellence and efficiencies. said Tom Riley, President and COO of AssuredPartners. Joe will work to support our objectives and execution of strategic initiatives. We are looking forward to adding Joes talent and experience to our operations as we welcome him to the team.

ABOUT ASSUREDPARTNERS, INC

Headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida and led by Jim Henderson and Tom Riley, AssuredPartners, Inc. acquires and invests in insurance brokerage businesses (property and casualty, employee benefits, surety and MGUs) across the United States and in London. From its founding in March of 2011, AssuredPartners has grown to $580 million in annualized revenue and continues to be one of the fastest growing insurance brokerage firms in the United States* with over 125 offices in 30 states and a London office. Since 2011, AssuredPartners has acquired more than 150 insurance agencies. For more information, please contact Dean Curtis, CFO, at 407.708.0031 or dcurtis(at)assuredptr(dot)com, or visit http://www.assuredptr.com.

*As ranked by Business Insurance in the July 20, 2015 edition, featuring the 100 largest brokers of U.S. business.

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After a successful five-month telemedicine pilot, Tandigm Health, a value-based healthcare company supporting primary care physicians, today announced the launch of its cutting-edge telemedicine program collaboratively built with leading mobile health company TouchCare.

The partnership leverages TouchCares HIPAA-compliant mobile telemedicine platform as part of Tandigms ongoing mission to invest in the technology, tools, and resources that enable doctors to provide the finest patient care possible. The pilot program  along with the full rollout of TouchCare  is part of a comprehensive effort by Tandigm to lower costs and increase satisfaction of chronically ill patients by reducing admissions and readmissions to emergency departments.

The pilot phase focused on high-risk patients that were already engaging with Tandigm Care Teams. In addition, care managers at Gateway Medical Associates used the TouchCare platform to monitor chronically ill patients.

Susan Fleck, Director of Operations for Gateway Medical Associates, reports success. Patients and providers find the video appointments easy, effective, and convenient. In just a few months we were able to eliminate or prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and visits to the emergency room.

By the end of 2016, TouchCare will be available to all 380 Tandigm physicians, enabling them to connect securely with patients face-to-face by video from their mobile device. The new telemedicine program is one of the many ways Tandigm enables its doctors to actively improve access, engagement, and health management for their patients through telephonic and video support, proactive outreach, increased availability, and patient education.

As the clinical lead for innovation, I get to think about problems that providers and patients face and try to find innovative solutions, said Leslie Saltzman, DO, Medical Director at Tandigm. Were always looking to innovate around quality care delivery, and mobile telemedicine with TouchCare has proven to be the perfect fit. Were excited to expand the program across all Tandigm practices.

The ongoing close collaboration between Tandigm and TouchCare strives to continuously ensure the best quality patient engagement, user experience and clinical outcomes.

Our collaboration with Tandigm Health is both innovative and rewarding, said Damian Gilbert, founder and CEO of TouchCare. Our shared vision for a connected community of care enables us to inform and improve process on both sides. We look forward to improving the overall telemedicine experience for both providers and patients, increasing access to care, improving outcomes even more and ultimately reducing costs.

The TouchCare platform is an easy and affordable telemedicine option for all health care providers  from solo practitioners to large clinics or hospitals. The application is available with a simple download from the App Store or Google Play. As telemedicine continues to evolve from specialty use to a mainstream tool, the expansion of Tandigms TouchCare program serves to improve the health of patients by placing access to doctors and nurses at the fingertips of patients in need.

About Tandigm Health

Tandigm Health is dedicated to enhancing primary care physicians ability to provide the finest possible care while lowering costs through a more coordinated, proactive model. By providing greater tools and resources to its network of over 380 doctors, Tandigm puts primary care physicians back at the center of patient care. Tandigm Health is a 50-50 joint venture between Independence Blue Cross, the leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania, and DaVita HealthCare Partners, a leading independent medical group in the United States. To learn more about Tandigms approach to value-based healthcare, visit http://www.tandigmhealth.com.

About TouchCare

Headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, TouchCare brings mobile health to mobile people, offering providers a way to remotely connect with their own patients through private face-to-face video calls via smart phones or tablets. The TouchCare platform officially launched in November 2014 and is already used by providers at some of America's leading medical centers. For more information, visit: http://www.touchcare.com.
ProMIS Neurosciences (ProMIS or the Company) today announced that, following the previously announced identification of its first three targets, it has identified a fourth in a series of novel potential therapeutic targets on strains of misfolded Amyloid beta (A), implicated in the development and progression of Alzheimers disease (AD).

This discovery is an important milestone in ProMIS mission to develop precision medicine therapeutics for the effective treatment of AD, said Dr. Elliot Goldstein, CEO of ProMIS. We are currently raising monoclonal antibodies (mabs) against the targets we have identified to date. Our key objective is to validate and select for drug development those mabs that bind selectively and specifically to the neurotoxic, propagating strains of misfolded A.

The Company applied its unique, proprietary discovery platform to identify this fourth novel, distinct target (epitope) on strains of misfolded A. Misfolded, propagating strains of A are known to be neurotoxic and widely believed by the scientific community to play a key role in the development and progression of Alzheimers.

Pursuant to its expanded license agreement with the University of British Columbia announced on October 8, 2015, ProMIS Neurosciences submitted a provisional patent application for its fourth novel Alzheimers disease target to the United States Patent Office on May 4, 2016.

About ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc.

The mission of ProMIS Neurosciences is to discover and develop precision medicine solutions for the early detection and effective treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimers disease and ALS.

ProMIS Neurosciences proprietary target discovery engine is based on the use of two, complementary techniques. The Company applies its thermodynamic, computational discovery platformProMIS and Collective Coordinates  to predict novel targets known as Disease Specific Epitopes (DSEs) on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins. Using this unique "precision medicine" approach, ProMIS Neurosciences aims to develop novel antibody therapeutics and specific companion diagnostics for Alzheimers disease and ALS. The company has also developed two proprietary technologies to specifically identify very low levels of misfolded proteins in a biological sample. In addition, ProMIS Neurosciences owns a portfolio of therapeutic and diagnostic patents relating to misfolded SOD1 in ALS,

and currently has a preclinical monoclonal antibody therapeutic against this target.

The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This information release may contain certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it as well as other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by the Company in its public securities filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For further information please consult the Company's website at:

http://www.promisneurosciences.com

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Renmark Financial Communications Inc.

Barry Mire: bmire(at)renmarkfinancial(dot)com

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Michael Moore: mmoore(at)national(dot)ca

or contact

Dr. Elliot Goldstein

President and Chief Executive Officer, ProMIS Neurosciences Inc.

Tel. 415 341-5783

Elliot.goldstein(at)promisneurosciences(dot)com
We are excited over the opportunity to leverage new technologies to make our clients more competitive in reaching mobile search users. - Jim Hobson, President

E-Platform Marketing announced on May 2, 2016 that it has added the development of Accelerated Mobile Pages to its web design and development services.

Accelerated Mobile Pages, AMP for short, refers to an open source initiative started by Google and Twitter to develop a standard for mobile friendly website pages that load ultra fast. Due to their enhanced technical performance AMP website pages will dominate mobile search visibility. Additionally the AMP framework is being integrated into the operating platforms of many larger web technology companies thereby making AMP a very important consideration for optimizing mobile search marketing efforts.

E-Platform Marketings move to embrace the AMP framework was made because AMP has a pronounced positive impact on mobile search results. Utilizing AMP website pages is a strategic opportunity for a business to substantially improve its visibility in mobile search results thereby increasing interactions with mobile users. The company is able to seamlessly develop and launch AMP pages without any disruption to a customers existing website.

E-Platform Marketing is the first internet marketing company in Atlanta to formally announce adding AMP web page development to its services offerings. Prior to this announcement the company has successfully implemented AMP development work. Company president Jim Hobson remarked, We are excited over the opportunity to leverage new technologies to make our clients more competitive in reaching mobile search users. Our internet marketing services generate commerce, however technology facilitates the process. AMP is something that web developers must embrace in order to live on the cutting edge of mobile search optimization.

Any business that finds customers using mobile devices to search for products and services should jump on this opportunity to advance their competitive edge. AMP can be utilized in WordPress as well as traditional HTML websites. It is very important to have valid schema markup on AMP website pages. The bottom line with using AMP is getting truly mobile friendly website pages that load up to 85% faster, and have the potential to improve page views per session thereby increasing conversions.

For many companies there is a lower cost entry point into AMP by avoiding a major development project. It is possible to create individual AMP website pages which can be shown as an alternate to traditional website pages.

Persons interested in learning more about lead times and prices for Accelerated Mobile Pages can contact E-Platform Marketing.

About E-Platform Marketing

E-Platform Marketing is an internet marketing company and digital search agency located in northwest metro Atlanta, Georgia. The company provide a wide range of services to create, manage, develop and promote an online business presence. The company's core services are web design and development, PPC management, organic SEO and local search marketing.
Providing continued support and services to FAU and Tech Runway is extremely important to us. We know that possessing knowledge of the digital marketing arena and understanding the opportunities that are available is vital to all businesses.

As part of an ongoing commitment to support and foster innovation and local business, MoreVisibility is a proud Platinum Sponsor for FAU Tech Runways 2016 VIP Dinner and Launch Competition taking place on May 19 and 20 in Boca Raton, FL. As FAU Tech Runways digital agency of record, MoreVisibility looks forward to helping promote the 2016 Launch Competition as well as continue to collaborate with the Tech Runway team on their website and online presence.

FAUs Adams Center for Entrepreneurship, with the support of all 10 Colleges and the Research Park at FAU, created Tech Runway in 2014 to be a place where entrepreneurs find the complete ecosystem to house, educate, mentor and fund their companies from inception through venturing. The Launch Competition includes two days of events. MoreVisibility is proudly underwriting the private VIP dinner, which is aimed at creating awareness and support for Tech Runway. Dinner guests, comprised of entrepreneurs, business leaders and government officials, will have the opportunity to learn about and contribute to the next generation of entrepreneurs. The invitation-only dinner will take place on Thursday, May 19 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at FAU Tech Runways headquarters on the FAU Campus. Additional details about the dinner and the Launch Competition are available here.

The Launch Competition Award Ceremony is the culmination of a multi-week business vetting and evaluation which results in admission to Tech Runways one-year incubator program where the start-ups begin their journey. Winners will receive a 16-week boot camp, support from MIT Venture trained mentors, collaborative workspace and a $25,000 grant to fund their startup. This years event, taking place on Friday, May 20 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. is slated to host more than 200 guests.

We are thrilled to participate in and be a Platinum Sponsor for the Tech Runway Launch Competition this year. We wholly support entrepreneurs, technology and innovation  especially in our own backyard, says Danielle Leitch, Executive Vice President of MoreVisibility.

MoreVisibility has a history of fostering local businesses and has supported the FAU Business Plan Competition, a similar program put on by the University, for the past several years. Providing continued support and services to FAU and Tech Runway is extremely important to us. We know that possessing knowledge of the digital marketing arena and understanding the opportunities that are available is vital to all businesses, said Leitch.

About MoreVisibility

Founded in 1999 and based in Boca Raton, FL, MoreVisibility is one of the nations leading interactive marketing agencies specializing in Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Google Analytics, Design, and Social Media. Throughout 16 years, MoreVisibility has helped hundreds of businesses with their online marketing needs. From 2005 to 2010, the agency was named in the Inc. 500 / Inc. 5000 list of the nations fastest-growing, privately-owned firms. MoreVisibility is also a Google Analytics Certified Partner, Google Analytics Premium Authorized Reseller, Google Tag Manager Certified Partner, and Microsoft Advertising Accredited Professional.

MoreVisibility boasts high client retention through a team of 45 senior professionals who deliver superior performance and measurable results. Notable clients served include: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Memorial Healthcare System, Miami Dolphins, Direct Marketing Association (DMA), and CertainTeed. MoreVisibility can be found on the web at http://www.MoreVisibility.com.
We are eager for Menash to put this experience to work in turning challenges into mutually beneficial solutions for us, our partners and investors, and our buyers and tenants.

Elmdale Partners is pleased to announce the addition of Menash Zadik as a partner to their leadership team. Menash joins them by way of Blackstone portfolio company Invitation Homes, where he was a Regional President, and Rising Realty, one of Chicagos top full-service brokerage companies, which he owned for 15 years.

In his role with Elmdale, Menash will contribute to a wide-ranging effort involving existing operations, acquisitions, underwriting, raising equity and property management. Menashs experience will be invaluable to us. Between 2012 and 2015, his team at Invitation Homes was responsible for purchasing, rehabbing, leasing and managing over 4,000 properties, with portfolio value over $800M. In the face of the 2008 financial crisis, Menash successfully reoriented Rising Realty, formerly a traditional brokerage, to become the largest REO firm in Illinois.

According to Elmdale's co-founder Tom Bretz, Menash is an ideal Principal because of his versatility and core leadership abilitiesWe are eager for Menash to put this experience to work in turning challenges into mutually beneficial solutions for us, our partners and investors, and our buyers and tenants.

Elmdale Partners is a real estate investment company with expertise in residential and commercial real estate. Elmdale is the cornerstone of a multi-faceted real estate platform that includes investments, brokerage, property management, commercial financing and development.
Sierra College CET students toured the control room at California ISO in Folsom and learned about energy careers. Photo courtesy of California ISO. We look for critical thinking skills, level heading processing, excellent communication skills and the ability to lead people.

Sierra College Construction & Energy Technology (CET) instructor, Steve Geiger, had a dual purpose for taking his Energy Efficient Construction Class on a field trip to California ISO in Folsom. Not only did the students learn about how California ISO manages electricity flow throughout the state, they got to see an excellent example of a LEED Platinum Certified Building.

California ISO is nonprofit public benefit corporation that balances electricity supply and demand by managing the flow of electricity across high-voltage, long-distance power lines that make up 80 percent of Californias transmission grid.

Field trips are an essential part of the hands-on program at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA explained Geiger. Looking down into the control room showed the students the big picture of energy use in California, said Geiger. They became more aware of the broad range of careers that are energy related. The Sierra College Construction and Energy Technology program offers certificates or degrees in Residential Building Construction or Construction Management, or Photovoltaic Advanced Skills Certificates. Sierra College recently announced that students can apply now for summer and fall semesters.

Peter Klauer, Smart Grid Technologies and Strategy, California ISO Information Technology showed them the huge 6 x 80 monitor that indicates electricity transmission in real time. The grid must be balanced continually to keep with established ranges, said Klauer. That assures that electricity is available when people and businesses need it.

Klauer explained that operations staff must be able to think on their feet, react calmly and follow procedures. We look for critical thinking skills, level heading processing, excellent communication skills and the ability to lead people through a series of operations, said Klauer. He mentioned that there are also career opportunities in technology for those who can interpret and analyze data as well as for electrical and systems engineers.

Steve Cloney, Manager, Campus Operations, California ISO, provided the tour of the facilities, highlighting the innovative design elements that helped the building qualify as a LEED Platinum Certified Building. Choosing a building that is designed to save water, conserve energy and provide natural light sends a message that the organization cares about how environment impacts the people who work there, said Cloney. As a result, occupying a sustainable building starts to change the culture of the people who work there.

The students were excited to see how environmental stewardship impacted the design, architecture, materials, equipment choices and construction methods. It takes excellent project management skills to manage a construction project of this magnitude, said Cloney.

Geiger compared the California ISO Building to green tiny house project that CET students are working on to gain practical green construction skills. Seeing the elements of the LEED certified facilities was an eye-opener for the students, said Geiger. The field trip helped them envision what we are trying to build on a much smaller scale. Hearing the potential for construction to have a culture impact on those who occupy the building was intriguing to the students.

Students who think theyd enjoy learning through practical hands-on solar and construction projects and industry field trips can find out about Sierra College CET classes, certification, degrees or CSU Transfer at the Sierra College solar and construction webpages.

Sierra College also has one of the highest pass rates (90th percentile) in the country over five years for the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Entry Level exam recognized nationally by the solar industry. After completing CET 40 - Beginning Photovoltaic Systems and CET 42 - Intermediate Photovoltaic Systems, Sierra College students are prepared to take the NABCEP exam. Students can earn a Photovoltaic Advanced Skills Certificate after completing these courses plus CET 44 - Advanced Photovoltaic Systems.

Learn more about Sierra College CET by contacting Steve Geiger at (916) 660-7843 or sgeiger(at)sierracollege.edu, and going to the Sierra College Construction and Energy Technology websites.

About Sierra College

Sierra College District is celebrating its 80th Anniversary in 2016, and the Nevada County Campus in Grass Valley is celebrating 20 years. Sierra College serves 3200 square miles of Northern CA with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four year Universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region.
The Bergand Groups goal is to help each patient and family member reach an improvement in their physical, mental, and emotional well-being through evidenced based practices.

The Bergand Group offers a high-focus method for the treatment of behavioral health and addictive conditions in adolescents. This individualized approach joins the family and community in the treatment process. The Bergand Groups Adolescent Treatment Program offers after-school programs as well as coordination with parents.

With over 25 years of experience, The Bergand Groups doctors and clinicians now offer treatment to teens, adolescents, and families. Each of their clients receive treatment and attention from a multidisciplinary team of professionals.

The Bergand Group was founded by Dr. John Steinberg and Dr. Paul Giannandrea, two experienced and complimentary doctors who joined together to create a true Dual Diagnosis and Co-Occurring Disorder treatment program. The Bergand Group provides a setting in which patients can be treated, and in which clinicians can work, in a therapeutic and comfortable environment that embodies their core principles.

ABOUT THE DOCTORS:

Dr. John Steinberg is a co-founder and the Medical Director of The Bergand Group. He is certified in Addiction Medicine and served as President of the Maryland Society of Addiction Medicine from 1990 through 2005. Dr. Steinberg was the first head of the division of Addiction Medicine at GBMC and has treated addiction for over 25 years.

Dr. Paul Giannandrea is a co-founder and the Clinical Director of The Bergand Group. He is a Psychiatrist certified in Addiction Medicine and previously served as the director of the University of Maryland Medical Centers Outpatient Clinic and the medical director of Pathways Treatment Center in Annapolis. Dr. Giannandrea has also treated addiction for over 25 years.

For more information, visit http://www.bergandgroup.com/adolescent-treatment.
The 2016 national gathering of Maid Right franchise owners was held on February 12, 2016 at the Intercontinental Buckhead Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. Woods was one of hundreds of Maid Right franchise owners in the nation who attended the event. When asked what this award means to him and Maid Right of Greater Phoenix, Woods had this response:

Im honored and thrilled to win this award, there are over 30 regional offices throughout the United States and Canada. I want to thank all of our loyal customers and my staff for their support in this achievement.

When Maid Right franchises first became available in 2012 Woods and Tod Higinbotham recognized this unique home cleaning business as the opportunity they were both looking for. Together they launched Maid Right of Greater Phoenix, carrying the franchise slogan, Life is short, clean less.

It was the proprietary cleaning process and unique business model used by Maid Right that attracted Woods to the franchise. He realized this is what would make his company stand out from all the other residential cleaning companies in the Phoenix area.

Maid Right does more than clean a home, it uses a patented disinfecting process called EnviroShield that kills 99% of the most common viruses and bacteria in your household. In addition to this featured service, the Maid Right cleaning services utilizes the most current cleaning technologies available, from micro-fiber cloths to HEPA air filtration vacuums.

With Maid Right, customers love the fact that they get a quality service guarantee, high-grade chemicals, including EnviroShield, and the same cleaners every time, says Woods.

Woods has found that the superior cleaning process offered by Maid Right of Greater Phoenix sells itself. He really doesnt credit himself with achieving the record number of sales they accomplished in 2015. Word of mouth is still the best marketing tool available. It was the testimonials of the many satisfied customers of Maid Right of Greater Phoenix that he credits with driving their success.

About Maid Right of Greater Phoenix: Maid Right of Greater Phoenix has no equal in the world of home cleaning services. It has combined a state-of-the-art, science-driven cleaning process with an old-fashioned business practice that ensures customers receive the care and service of a mom-and-pop cleaner, says Woods, adding that Maid Right franchisees owners also get the professional capability of a national company, so its a win-win situation.

Maid Right of Greater Phoenix

10439 South 51st Street, Suite 210

Phoenix. AZ 85044

(602) 595-1771
Dew's PureWater16 chosen as finalist in Samsung competition Our PureWater16 machine is a true IoT solution

Dew, a Silicon Valley water technology company with an advanced, dual-stage air-to-water or AWG machine has been selected as a finalist in Samsungs Makers Against Drought (M.A.D.) Challenge.

Dews PureWater 16, which can produce pure, potable water on demand, was one of 10 finalists chosen out of 47 different technologies that were focused on mitigating Californias drought. The first part of the competition ended April 1, and the announcement of the 10 finalists and 10 honorable mentions was made at the Samsung Developers Conference April 27 in San Francisco.

A Samsung spokesperson complimented those who participated, saying that the company was amazed at the sheer number of ideas and ingenious solutions proposed to alleviate the water crisis in California and other drought-stricken regions of the world.

The challenge offers $210,500 in total prizes, with $2,000 to each of the 10 Honorable Mentions, and $10,000 to the Finalists. Now the finalists have until June 17 to fine-tune their projects before judging takes place from June 18  28.

Selection of the Grand Prize Winner will be based on in-person or virtual presentations given by the 10 finalists during the final judging period. The winning solution will receive an additional $90,000. The Grand Prize Winner on July 1.

The competition is aimed at generating Internet of Things, or IOT, solutions to Californias water crisis, and reaches out to the makers community. The makers community is a technology-based subculture that is described by the New York Times as kitchen table industrialists. Typical pursuits by makers include engineering-oriented projects, robotics, 3-D printing, waterjet cutting and more traditional pursuits like metalworking, and woodworking.

While Dew is a water technology company with expertize in mechanical and chemical engineering, its roots are in the tradition of historic Silicon Valley innovation. The first version of the machine was built in a co-founders garage, and the prototype was perfected in the back room of a small Scotts Valley manufacturing shop. Products like Dews PureWater machine that can generate 16 liters of water every 24 hours is a classic example of Silicon Valley knowhow, exceptional engineering, and makers problem solving.

With an ARTIK module for connectivity, Dews machine uses real time data to optimize efficiency. The machine mixes weather data with electricity rates for cost-effective production. It also learns the behavior of users and adjusts fill levels and can be accessed remotely.

Our machine is a true IoT solution, and maximizes production and efficiency in ways that were never possible before Internet connectivity, Grant Cooke, a company director said. Harvesting water from the atmosphere is only the beginning. Doing it efficiently and cost-effectively is the key to providing much needed water for a thirsty planet.

According to Cooke, the PureWater machine represents a major breakthrough in water generation. Imagine generating drinking water on demand, he said, that doesnt flow through corroded pipes or is constrained by a failing water infrastructure or tainted with encroaching salt water. Dews dual-stage process not only provides pure water it allows the machine to function in semi-arid conditions.

The company was recently accepted into Cardinal Ventures, Stanford Universitys accelerator program for entrepreneurs and start-ups. For information call 925-989-7117, or visit the website at http://www.getdew.com.
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke (speaking) discusses the perils of holding onto your past at Westchester: County of Tomorrow conference organized by the Westchester County Association. Our Region Must Collaborate to Build Communities, Workplaces, and Broadband Connectivity that Attract Startups and Millennials

The future of Smart Growth in Westchester County began today in earnest as leaders from various business, government, nonprofit, and financial sectors convened at the Westchester County Associations (WCA) sold-out conference, Westchester: County of Tomorrow.

Provocative speakers from New York City, Austin, Chattanooga, and Raleigh explained how their regions created innovation eco-systems to ride a tide of demographic and technological trends  trends that are rewriting the rules of economic development in the United States today. The WCA, the preeminent business leadership organization serving Westchester County, organized the conference as part of its new BLUEPRINT for Smart Growth for the region.

Welcome to the future, said William M. Mooney, Jr., president and CEO of the WCA, at the conference start. This is easily the most important conference in our region in a decade. Westchester County is on the cusp of greatness as we are about to turn this region into a major national hub of innovation and flourishing business. The outstanding individuals here today came from across the USA to share their experiences and insights to help us at this important juncture.

Presenters and panelists spoke of the urgent need for collaboration among business leaders, officials, and educational institutions to set a bold vision for the future, and use communication, public-private financing, and political will to achieve it. You can lead through influence, said Susan Dawson, executive director of the E3 Alliance, which has reduced truancy and advanced STEM education in Austin. Use data to tell a story, and make it memorable, she said.

Keynote speaker Dean Whittaker, an economic development futurist and CEO of Whittaker Associates, Inc., said the Countys future depends on thinking long-term and looking at the emerging trends shaping the future. In business, we used to say Adapt or Die, but thats not true anymore. Its Anticipate or Die. You have to get out in front of everything.

PERILS OF HOLDING ONTO YOUR PAST

Whittakers view was echoed by Mayor Andy Berke of Chattanooga, which, he said, has been transformed from what Walter Cronkite once called the Dirtiest City in the Nation to one of the best cities in the nation. Speaking as part of a panel on How We Did It: What It Took to Build an Innovation Hub, Berke said, Chattanooga understands the perils of holding onto your past for too long, noting the flight of jobs overseas destroyed the citys manufacturing-based economy. The citys response was to develop the fastest broadband network in the country, 10 gigabits, which is available to every home and business in the city. It transformed the economy, he said.

Seth Pinsky, an executive at RXR Realty and former economic development director for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, explained how New York City took bold steps to diversify its economy, which had mostly relied on Wall Street, by investing in quality of life initiatives and infrastructure. Pinsky urged Westchester leaders to take the same approach. Be strategic rather than tactical. [Economic development initiatives should] focus on the business environment, not on chasing individual companies and 100 jobs.

Westchester can do it, said Andrew C. Peskoe, an attorney, private investor, and principal of Israel Cleantech Ventures, Inc. Build the physical plant for incubators, offices for venture capitalists, and collaborative work space that young people want. Peskoe and fellow panelists speaking on the panel P3 for Smart Growth  Show Me the Money! emphasized the necessity of building communities to attract millennials. Millennials comprise the largest segment of todays workforce, but they have specific ways they want to live, work, and play, he said.

The question for Westchester is how are going to get our millennials back, asked Christopher B. Fisher, a partner at Cuddy & Feder, LLP. They want affordability, transportation, connectivity, and work/live communities. We need to focus on millennial policies to fit the structure that millennials need.

TAKE TO THE SKY TO BEAT TRAFFIC

Millennials are not big on cars, and neither is Gerald Jay Sanders, chairman and CEO of SkyTranTM, a NASA Space Act company, that is developing a high-speed, low-cost elevated Personal Rapid Transportation system, propelled by magnetic levitation. Despite all the advances in medicine and technology, we are [travelling] slower today than in the 1950s. The core problem is surface traffic,  he said in his presentation. A SkyTran prototype has been constructed in Israel. The system consists of compact 2-passenger vehicles that glide along elevated guideways at speeds of up to 150 mph. SkyTran could be a solution for traffic-choked roadways in Westchester, he suggested, especially along the I-287 corridor and in and around Westchesters cities.

Speakers at Westchester: County of Tomorrow also included Joan M. McDonald, president of JMM Strategic Solutions, and former commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation, who moderated the panel on How We Did It: What It Took to Build an Innovation Hub. The panelists were Mayor Berke, Susan Dawson, Seth Pinsky, and Jason Widen, co-founder of HQ Raleigh.

The second panel, P3 for Smart Growth  Show Me the Money! was moderated by Mark Strauss, a senior partner at FXFOWLE, an architecture and planning firm. Panelists included Fisher, Peskoe, Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.; and Jess Zimbabwe, director of urban development at the National League of Cities.

Conference speakers and participants commented afterwards that the conference marked a turning point. As keynote speaker Whittaker said, Not many regions are thinking about these things. You are showing great leadership here.

William V. Cuddy, Jr. chairman of the WCAs BLUEPRINT for Smart Growth, said the WCA is committed to using the lessons learned at the conference to develop a regional strategy for the future. We have learned that we need data, we need to collaborate, cooperate, and communicate our vision to the public, he said. He announced that the WCA will be setting up task forces as part of the BLUEPRINT to get the ball rolling.

Westchester and the region have made great progress since we began our BLUEPRINT initiatives in 2011, and we are now recognized nationwide as an emerging innovation hub and biotech center, he said. We know we have what it takes to now create an entrepreneurial economy: we have the livable cities, an educated workforce, and proximity to New York City. The WCA is determined to take action today to take control of our future.

ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT FOR SMART GROWTH

The BLUEPRINT for Smart Growth focuses on Westchesters cities  and issues of sustainability, mass transportation, high speed Internet, and affordable housing. It is a subset of the Westchester County Associations BLUEPRINT for Westchester, created in 2011 to revitalize Westchesters economy in collaboration with the countys real estate, business, and academic sectors, with strong participation from Westchesters six cities and County government.

ABOUT THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY ASSOCIATION

The Westchester County Association is the preeminent business leadership organization serving Westchester County. The Association is committed to business advocacy, economic vitality and to providing a strong and clear voice for the interests of businesses on the regional, national and international levels. Its key objectives are promoting positive economic development in the region; fostering business development; and providing its members with access and interaction with key public and private sector individuals, agencies and organizations.
Saasabi, creator of powerful, yet easy-to-use cloud analytics tools, today announces the availability of its solutions in the Xero Add-on Marketplace. Saasabi offers Xero customers who have data housed in multiple systems the ability to perform integrated and time-based analysis across all of their systems to gain a better understanding of their business.

Xero is easy-to-use online accounting software for small businesses and their advisors. The company is growing rapidly and currently has over 600,000 customers in more than 180 countries.

The Saasabi for Xero add-on seamlessly integrates with Xero and can be used to combine and analyse data from multiple Xero instances, from Excel and from a wide range of additional data sources. The resulting reports and dashboards may then be viewed using Microsoft Excel, Power BI or the data visualisation tool of your choice.

Saasabi for Xero enables users to:

 Analyse data across multiple Xero accounts

 Integrate external data sets in their reporting

 View trends and changes via time-based analysis

 Create custom calculations across any of their data

 Provide full security control across their entire data set

 Choose the key performance indicators that matter to their business

 Deliver improved management and financial reporting

 Schedule automated updates to suit their needs

Saasabi for Xero offers users the ability to pull in data from a variety of external systems and data sources for in-depth, integrated analysis. For example, a Xero customer can use Saasabi to assess team productivity, analyse project costs or compare the profitability of various product lines. Simply deploy additional data connectors to include data from customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, developer tools or job costing systems. Saasabi offers Xero service providers, such as accounting practices, law firms and systems integrators, the opportunity to deliver value-added services to their clients via advanced analytics and consulting services.

Saasabis CEO David Merchant says, Small businesses drive economic growth, and we want to help empower them. Saasabi for Xero is the perfect solution for Xeros small business customers who want to take a more in-depth look at their data and examine trends over time. Saasabi truly brings the power of enterprise-caliber analytics and reporting to every Xero user.

"Xero provides businesses with real-time data, empowering them to make well informed business decisions, says Riley James, Developer Relations Manager at Xero. Saasabi has done a great job unlocking that value by combining it with other data sources. It's also well integrated to Xero's API and easy to use.

To get Saasabi for Xero, go to http://www.saasabi.com/xero.

About Saasabi

Saasabi delivers scalable, cloud-based business intelligence and analytics solutions that enable organisations to make better, data-driven decisions. Delivered as software as a service for maximum flexibility, all of our solutions are built on top of Saasabis powerful, extensible, parallel MOLAP engine. The Saasabi engine allows data from multiple, disparate sources to be combined and structured into a format that is easily accessed for visualisation and sharing. We deploy Saasabi solutions globally via independent software vendors, system integrators and technology consultancies. To learn more, follow @Saasabi on Twitter or visit us at http://www.saasabi.com or on LinkedIn.
NetNumber President and CEO Brad Boston NetNumber believes strongly in the value of a diverse workforce. We are proud to join other companies in the telecom industry to increase opportunities for women.

NetNumber, a leading provider of centralized signaling and routing control (CSRC) solutions, announced today it has joined Women in Comms (WiC). This is a not-for-profit, independent initiative providing information, networking, mentorship, access to jobs and support for women in the next-generations communication industry.

NetNumber believes strongly in the value of a diverse workforce, explained Brad Boston, president and CEO, NetNumber. We are proud to join other companies in the telecom industry to increase opportunities for women. The telecom industry is transforming many sectors of global economies  healthcare, education, financial. Initiatives such as WiC enable all of us to take focused steps to invest in and leverage the talent of a diverse population in order to contribute to this transformation.

Women in Comms is thrilled to have NetNumber joining us as a partner and in Austin for our big event, said WiC director Sarah Thomas. NetNumber shares our commitment to supporting women in the industry, and together with our 36 other members, I am confident we will have a real impact on the next-generation comms industry.

NetNumber will be participating in WiCs biggest event of the year at the Big Communications Event (BCE) on May 23, 2016 at the Austin Convention Center. NetNumber will be showcasing the TITAN platform during BCE later in the week.

TITAN provides a common, virtualized infrastructure for all signaling control, routing policy enforcement and subscriber database services in the network. Customers easily can add a wide range of applications to support the transition from legacy to next-generation networking in one platform. Customer-defined service logic enables carriers to define a user interface consistent across all the applications deployed in TITAN, thus reducing training time and costs, and minimizing impact to current OSS/BSS systems. TITAN is transforming how operators deliver new services to their customers while significantly simplifying the network core and reducing operating costs. Today, TITAN is deployed on more than 350 servers on five continents, and supports more than 200 billion transactions per month.

Learn more about TITAN at http://netnumber.com/products/titan/ or by contacting sales(at)netnumber(dot)com.

About NetNumber

NetNumber, Inc. brings 16 years of experience delivering innovative signaling control solutions that enable carriers to accelerate implementation of new services across multiple generations of networks, while dramatically simplifying the core network and reducing operating costs. Today, we are the leading provider of Centralized Signaling and Routing Control (CSRC) solutions to the global communications industry.

About Women in Comms

Women in Comms is an independent, 501(c) not-for-profit organization with support from the largest comms companies across the globe. The organization focuses on providing information, networking, mentorship, access to jobs and support for women in the next-gen communications industry with the ultimate goals of empowering women, championing change and redressing the industry's gender imbalance.

For more information and to join Women in Comms, please contact WiC Director Sarah Thomas at thomas(at)womenincomms(dot)com or 913-486-9358.
2016 Homeless Workforce Conference Every organization serving the homeless and other vulnerable populations faces the challenge of employee burnout or other dysfunction of front line workers.

"If your organization serves vulnerable populations, like the homeless," says Matt Bennett, MBA, MA, "there's a high risk of employee burnout and other dysfunction, especially for frontline workers. But if you can create a culture of wellness, then employee health and resilience recovers and employees are better able to perform their duties."

Bennett is chief innovation officer at the Coldspring Center for Health and Innovation in Denver, CO. He is a keynote speaker on Creating a Culture of Wellness at Saffron Strands 7th Annual Homeless Workforce Conference -- "Working with the Homeless: How to Survive & Thrive in the Trenches -- June 13-14, 2016 at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium in Richmond, CA.

Patricia Falotico, CEO of the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership in Atlanta, GA also is a keynote speaker who focuses on "How Frontline Workers Can Become Effective and Inspiring Servant Leaders."

Servant leaders constantly ask: Are those we serve growing as persons? Are they becoming healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to serve others? Servant leadership puts the service relationship first, not the leadership relationship, which is a new way of working with the homeless. But it is a natural and effective form of leadership for anyone working with vulnerable populations.

"Working with the Homeless" features other national and San Francisco Bay Area authorities to explore strategy, policy, and programming to ensure the wellness and performance of those who work with the homeless and other vulnerable populations. Helping at risk youth is especially traumatic. So the Conference has a special emphasis on supporting those who work with homeless, runaway, and foster care youth, helping them enter or re-enter the workforce.

Workshops both days provide target valuable skills training, including:



Management Strategies for Reducing Stress and Burnout among Homeless Service Provider Personnel

Workplace Bullying: What It Is and What To Do About It

Trauma Informed Excellence  TIE  Leadership

Other workshops explore innovative therapies to help "heal the healers" -- art therapy, music therapy, dance therapy, drum therapy, labyrinth therapy, and more.

The 2016 Homeless Workforce Conference is a unique national forum that provides specialized training and continuing education for those working in the fields of employment, health care, and housing services. The Conference helps program managers, civic leaders, and anyone assisting the homeless, hard-to-employ, and long-term unemployed. The overarching goal is to empower the homeless and those at risk of homelessness to re-enter the workforce for the long term.

For more information, click here.

For Conference registration, click here.

Saffron Strand, Inc.

147 West Richmond Avenue, Suite C

Richmond, CA, 94801

Telephone: (510) 778-9492

Website: http://www.saffronstrand.org

Saffron Strand is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization
2017 Distillery Rendering The distillery was founded in 1879, when the legendary Colonel James E. Pepperin whose honor the Old Fashioned cocktail was createdbuilt his distillery on the site

The Georgetown Trading Co., steward of the iconic James E. Pepper '1776 whiskey brand (http://www.JamesEPepper.com), has announced plans to build a distillery, museum and tourist destination in the historic remnants of the James E. Pepper distillery in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, the Horse Capital of the World and Heart of the Bluegrass.

The distillery was founded in 1879, when the legendary Colonel James E. Pepperin whose honor the Old Fashioned cocktail was createdbuilt his distillery on the site, which he then operated until his death in 1906. The distillery continued operations until 1958, when it was shuttered, and then abandoned for over 50 years, eventually falling into disrepair. Over the last few years a portion of the site and adjacent buildings have been revitalized as a vibrant Distillery District, full of thriving local businesses. The James E. Pepper Distillery will be the anchor tenant in the historic main distillery building.

Thorough historical research and the collection of historic materials over the years will play an important role in rebuilding the distillery and museum. Materials include detailed mechanical drawings of the old distillery, a large collection of preserved, vintage Pepper whiskey, and historic letters from Colonel Pepper. More can be learned at http://www.JamesEPepper.com/history.

Truly a momentous day for the Pepper brand, said Amir Peay, founder and owner of the Georgetown Trading Co. This has been a dream project for many years and we are thrilled to finally make it a reality. I would like to sincerely thank the developers and businesses in the Distillery District, and the City of Lexington, for all the passion and cooperation they have extended to work together and bring this iconic brand home. We also owe a huge thank you to Colonel James E. Pepper, for giving us such an amazing story and whiskey to share.

Our authentic history is distilling new jobs in the Distillery District, which has become an important area for economic growth and tourism downtown, Mayor Jim Gray said. Congratulations to the Georgetown Trading Company for honoring and growing the James E. Pepper brand. Developer Teri Kelly, of Peppermill, LLC, added "Reviving the old distillery was something we were meant to do and we were happy to discover that someone still cared about the Pepper whiskey brand and had not forgotten about its great legacy. The James E. Pepper whiskey company will soon come full circle and be the newest AND one of the oldest, companies to do business in the Heart of the Bluegrass."

Additional details will be released in the future and a grand opening is planned for mid-2017.

For additional information on this story contact: info(at)georgetowntrading(dot)com.

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Midwest Business Group on Health Employers are the primary purchasers of health care for employees and families, so its important that these benefits are effectively understood and appropriately used, said Larry Boress, MBGH president and CEO.

A recent survey by the Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) found that employers continue to face challenges in getting employees to understand and use the free preventive care benefits available to them as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). One of the nations leading non-profit business groups of large, self-insured public and private employers, MBGH found that only 10% of large employers are aware of all of the required preventive services to be covered at no patient cost per the law mandate.

The survey also revealed that larger employers (who typically offer participation incentives), saw higher use of preventive services (approximately 60%) compared to small- to mid-sized employers (less than 50%) who usually dont have resources to offer incentives. In addition, outside of the flu vaccination, survey respondents indicated they are not promoting important adult vaccinations, and for those that do, employee use is low.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation study, despite the ACA mandate, consumer awareness and use remains low with costs serving as a perceived barrier.

Employers are the primary purchasers of health care for employees and families, so its important that these benefits are effectively understood and appropriately used, said Larry Boress, MBGH president and CEO. Otherwise consumer engagement levels suffer resulting in millions of benefit dollars being wasted each year. Many employers dont know where to start or how to effectively communicate available preventive care benefits to their covered population. Thats why were launching an employer toolkit to help employers do a more effective job.

Promoting Preventive Health Benefits is an online resource available at no cost to coalitions and employers across the country. The toolkit contains important information and best practices for increasing employee use of preventive services from leading industry sources. Key elements include helping employers understand the value of prevention, gain quick access to the ACA requirements, and identify ways to eliminate cost and access barriers though benefit design and promotional materials for use with covered populations. The toolkit can be accessed at http://www.mbgh.org/resources/employertoolkits/ptk.

The MBGH member survey was conducted online in late 2015 and is meant to be a directional survey on the views, perceptions and strategies of employers on workplace preventive benefits, but places important emphasis on the ongoing gaps in consumer understanding.

About the Midwest Business Group on Health

With more than 130 member organizations, the Midwest Business Group on Health is one of the nations leading non-profit business groups of large, self-insured public and private employers serving as a source for leading health benefit professionals and a catalyst for community initiatives to improve the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of the health care delivery system. MBGH is a founding member of the National Business Coalition on Health. Follow on Twitter: @MidwestBGH

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Center of Concern team (left to right): Lester A. Myers; Christine M. Hyland; Ann O. Venton; Anna M. Misleh; and Dianna M. Ortiz, O.S.U. We are very proud of our Center family and how it has advanced the integral ecology at the heart of our mission. Because of the steadfast support of countless individuals, our Center family is growing, global, inclusive, and intergenerational.

On May 4, 2016, Center of Concern (Center), in Washington, D.C., celebrates the 45th anniversary of its founding. The Center is a think tank that researches, educates, and advocates from Catholic social tradition to create a world where economic, political, and cultural systems promote sustainable flourishing of the global community.

The Centers role since its founding in 1971 by Bishop (later Cardinal) Joseph Bernardin and the Very Rev. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., in the office of United Nations Secretary General U Thant as a joint project of the U.S. bishops and the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) has included service as a convener of global conversations about issues of global social justice via its research, education, and advocacy.

This service has included engagement in venues such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, Capitol Hill, the bishops conference, universities, and other think tanks. Over the past three years, this scope has expanded to include advisory services and engagement with corporations, professional services firms, social service organizations, and philanthropies.

In observance of this anniversary, the Center published a reflection by its president, Dr. Lester A. Myers, an attorney, CPA, and business ethicist. The Center for Our Concern: Reflections on 45 Years of Research, Education, and Advocacy. Myers commented, We are very proud of our Center family and how it has advanced the integral ecology at the heart of our mission. Because of the steadfast support of countless individuals, the Catholic sisters, religious communities, parishes, universities, schools, foundations and corporations, our Center family is growing, global, inclusive, and intergenerational. We are continually augmenting our efforts in research, education, and advocacy in public and private centers of influence around the world to be the voice for global social justice and peace.

Referring to this collaboration, Myers quoted comments by Pope Francis from last fall: The family is the principal agent of an integral ecology, because it is the primary social subject which contains within it the two fundamental principles of human civilization on earth: the principle of communion and the principle of fruitfulness.

Myers noted, Just as any family, the Center remains mindful of its responsibility to educate and nurture the next generation of social justice leaders. He then shared examples from the Centers work of such fruitfulness:



The Centers Rethinking Bretton Woods Project Director Aldo Caliari, continues to lead civil society organizations advocacy efforts for democratic reform of the international financial system to foster sustainable development that respects human rights. During the past month, Caliari led panel discussions and gave presentations on these topics, including standards and safeguards for public-private partnerships, at the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, and Columbia University.

The award-winning Education for Justice (EFJ) has begun its 16th year of illuminating dialogue between Catholic social tradition and the signs of the times. The EFJ team serves a growing list of members around the world, including high schools, universities, parishes, dioceses, religious congregations, retreat centers, social justice centers, healthcare organizations, and individuals. Its portable and accessible educational resources help people, especially young people, engage with principles and practices of Catholic social tradition and to think differently and act differently to advance global social justice. EFJ is pleased to share its most recent artistic reflection, "In the Signs of Our Times".

In February, Sr. Dianna M. Ortiz, O.S.U., Editor of EFJ, released the powerful anti-human trafficking video, I Am Miriam, and companion Web site, http://www.against-humanity.org. With funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Fund for Sisters, she and her team created this multimedia project to challenge the viewer with this true and heartrending story and to act to fight human trafficking. Over 225 print, broadcast, and on-line media outlets have picked up the story, with a potential audience of over 235 million. The Global Sisters Report in the National Catholic Reporter published an interview with her in late April in which she eloquently talked about this project as part of her lifes journey on behalf of social justice.

In January, Myers spoke before a gathering of prominent Catholic philanthropists in Miami about the refugee crisis and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He also gave a presentation on Pope Franciss encyclical, Laudato Si, and the popes vision for integral ecology, to a gathering of Fortune 500 sustainability and corporate citizenship executives in Phoenix. At the Georgetown University Law Center Corporate Counsel Institute in March, he hosted a panel on corporate citizenship and responsibility with civil society, corporate, and government leaders, including a former law dean and a former assistant secretary of state.

The Center team continues to advise foundations, universities, civil society, and social service organizations around the world regarding their strategic philanthropic plans to optimize their resources for effectiveness, scalability, and sustainability.

We are just getting started as we shape the Centers future as a millennium-ready, global, social enterprise for social justice, Myers explained. With our new leadership team and board, we are working for sustainable, quality growth in the scale and scope for our programs and a sustainable future by building capacity to generate increasing portions of capital internally. The Center has enjoyed many blessings from the Jesuits, women religious, foundations, and long-term supporters, and these resources have been key to helping it reach this milestone.

This is a pivotal moment in the Centers graced history, Dr. Myers emphasized. We are so grateful to the members of the team, board, donors, and EFJ who have created and nurtured the Center over these first 45 years by generously sharing their time, talent, and treasure. We and all whom we serve benefit from the vision of our co-founders, Cardinal Bernardin and Father General Arrupe, and the women religious who have been so dedicated in providing leadership and financial support. Their legacy has been a gift to a world whose vision now benefits from the transformative leadership of Pope Francis: a world that aspires to an integral ecology of justice and care for our common home and one another.

ABOUT CENTER OF CONCERN

Since its founding in 1971 at the office of United Nations Secretary General U Thant by National Conference of Catholic Bishops General Secretary Joseph Bernardin and Jesuit Superior General Pedro Arrupe, S.J., and with significant talent and treasure from women religious, Center of Concern (Center) has operated in Washington, D.C., with a mission to research, educate, and advocate from Catholic social tradition to create a world where economic, political, and cultural systems promote sustainable flourishing of the global community. The Center envisions a global community that upholds basic human rights and human dignity, fosters just relationships, promotes sustainable livelihoods, and renews the earth. http://www.coc.org

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David Sill of DiscoverOrg named to AA-ISP Top Inside Sales Influencers List Daves strategic and practical approach to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of inside sales teams is second-to-none.

DiscoverOrg, the leader in high-quality sales intelligence, announced today that AA-ISP recognized David Sill, as part of the AA-ISP Leadership Summit 2016, at an awards banquet held on April 21st at the Hyatt Regency OHare in Chicago, Ill.

Dave is a master storyteller and charismatic leader. Im not surprised that AA-ISP would choose to recognize him for his impact on the inside sales space, said Henry Schuck, DiscoverOrg CEO. Daves strategic and practical approach to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of inside sales teams is second-to-none.

Sill joined DiscoverOrg in September 2015 as the companys SVP of Customer Success. Since then, he has restructured the customer success organization, dramatically increased customerthe retention rate, and initiated the organizations educational services arm. In June, Sill plans to launch a Sales Development certification program for DiscoverOrg customers with practical tips, digestible content, and challenges aimed at improving SDR performance.

Prior to joining DiscoverOrg, Sill was the director of inside sales for Zyme Solutions, where he launched the companys first inside sales function. Sill has also worked for PC Helps Support, Inc. (now know as Vitalyst), where he was a DiscoverOrg customer. In this role, he built a sales engine that posted 14 consecutive years of high-margin and YoY revenue growth from inside sales. Sill was previously named to the TOP 25 Most Influential Inside Sales Professionals in 2011.

Im humbled to be listed among such a great group of inside sales professionals like Ken Krogue, Trish Betruzzi and Chad Burmeister, said David Sill. With so much investment being made in sales development tools and resources, it is an exciting time for the role and Im happy to be a part of it.

It is an honor to recognize Dave as one of this years recipients of The TOP 25 Most Influential Inside Sales Professional Awards. Dave has proven his dedication and commitment to advancing the profession of inside sales, which is the mission of the AA-ISP, stated Bob Perkins, Founder. We are confident that Dave will continue to have an impact on the inside sales community for years to come, stated Perkins.

A complete list of companies and individuals recognized by the AA-ISP will be published on the AA-ISP website, go to http://www.aa-isp.org.

DiscoverOrg will be hosting the Portland AA-ISP chapter networking event this month on Tuesday, May 10 from 6-8 pm, at 10 Barrell in the Pearl District. David Sill will be the featured guest.

About DiscoverOrg

DiscoverOrg is the leading sales and marketing intelligence tool used by the top technology vendors, staffing companies and consultants targeting IT, Finance, Marketing, Engineering, Technology and Product Development departments of Fortune-ranked, MidMarket, and SMB companies in North America and Europe. Offered in the form of a constantly refreshed database, DiscoverOrg specializes in mapping out the org charts, including verified email addresses, direct-dial phone numbers, reporting structure, new projects & initiatives, and technology installed base. Each of the decision makers in the DiscoverOrg database are updated and refreshed by the companys team of in-house researchers at least once every 90 days, enabling customers to reach the right person at the right company with the right message. For more information, please visit http://www.discoverorg.com.

About AA-ISP

The AA-ISP is an international association dedicated exclusively to advancing the profession of Inside Sales. The association engages in research studies, organizational benchmarking and leadership round tables to better understand and analyze the trends, challenges, and key components of the growth and development of the Inside Sales industry. Our mission is to help inside sales representatives and leaders to leverage our information and resources through published content, local community chapters, national conferences, career development, and an Inside Sales Accreditation program.
Inform, Transform & Outperform: Digital Content Strategies to Optimize Your Business for Growth This digital foundation is the starting point and today is an inflection point for all. Embrace the revolution -- learn, build, innovate and prosper or wither in this new economy and world. Time is short. The choice is yours, said Rick McNabb, Optimity

Understanding how companies must evolve to successfully compete in todays digital world just got a lot easier, thanks to a new book Inform, Transform & Outperform: Digital Content Strategies to Optimize Your Business for Growth. Authored by Optimity Advisors Information Management Partner John Horodyski and his team of experts, the book provides actionable steps to lead a company through this needed transformation. The book will be unveiled tonight (May 5, 2016) in conjunction with the 2016 Henry Stewart DAM NY conference, where Horodyski and his team will be presenting on topics within the book. It will be available for purchase to the public on all major online retailors, including Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, starting May 20, 2016.

This digital foundation is the starting point and today is an inflection point for all. Embrace the revolution -- learn, build, innovate and prosper or wither in this new economy and world. Time is short. The choice is yours, said Rick McNabb, Chief Executive Officer of Optimity Advisors.

Nearly every facet of modern work is influenced by digital systems, so it is more important than ever to fortify a companys digital foundation. But what exactly is this transformation, what does it impact upon, and, as importantly, how is it done? Inform, Transform & Outperform: Digital Content Strategies to Optimize Your Business for Growth provides compelling, collective insight into building a tactical foundation to achieve a holistic digital strategy.

Readers will learn to:



Develop strong metadata and taxonomy for robust search capabilities and organize data as a foundation for transitioning business

Optimize digital content workflows in the new collaborative network

Create the business case for change and changing the way that people interact with the new digital infrastructure to deliver real business benefits on an ongoing basis

To learn more about the book, the authors or request a media interview, visit http://www.optimityadvisors.com

About the Book:

Title: Inform, Transform & Outperform: Digital Content Strategies to Optimize Your Business for Growth

Author: John Horodyski, Optimity Advisors

Expert Contributors: Chad Beer, Holly Boerner, Meredith Brown, Mindy Carner, Jesse Celso, Jeremy Collins, Rod Collins, Gareth Harper, Dan Havas, Veronica Hsieh, Robert Moss, Gretchen Nadasky, Reid Rousseau, Madi Solomon, Nick Thorpe and Rory Tierney

ISBN: 978-1599327556

Publication Date: The book will be available for purchase at all major online retailers, including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, starting May 20, 2016.

About Optimity Advisors

Optimity Advisors is a specialized advisory firm that combines deep industry expertise and integrated solutions to help companies enhance stakeholder value, improve operations, and address performance and risk related challenges. Optimity is comprised of professional advisors around the globe with deep domain expertise in strategy, innovation, information management, business and digital transformation. Optimity drives business solutions through creative design, advanced analytics and analysis, and technology enablement. We help clients digitally transform their business to monetize data and intellectual property, automate operations through intelligent processing and cognitive technology, optimize customer interactions, accelerate revenue realization through digital product and services launches, and design innovative business models for rapidly changing markets. Learn more at http://www.OptimityAdvisors.com.
Cynopsis Media announced the launch of the second Annual Rising Star Awards, honoring young professionals with the smarts, maturity, and composure that give them the potential to be one of the next generations leaders. Cynopsis is now accepting entries through June 24. Honorees will be celebrated at a special awards reception in September, 2016 in New York City.

"The energy and enthusiasm of the newest crop of young media leaders is something to admire, says Roberta Caploe, Cynopsis Publisher. And nowhere is that on display more than at the Rising Star Awards. To be named among the industrys up and coming, this is the awards program to participate in."

Presented by Cynopsis Media, one of the industry's most trusted brands, the awards are open to professionals aged 30 and under, spanning across all aspects of the business including distribution, ad, sales, marketing, PR, technology, finance, legal production and more. (Enter Online Now)

Honorees will be celebrated at an Awards Reception in September, 2016 in NYC and profiled in a special edition of Cynopsis. For entry questions, contact Marketing Manager Sarah Martinez at sarah(at)cynopsis(dot)com. For advertising or sponsorship information, contact VP of Sales & Marketing Mike Farina at mike(at)cynopsis(dot)com.

About Cynopsis Media:

Cynopsis Media is what the TV industry reads first every day. The Cynopsis family of products includes the media industry's most-read daily, Cynopsis, plus sister dailies Cynopsis Digital and Cynopsis Sports, the Cynopsis Jobs board and special reports. Serving TV, agency and brand professionals, Cynopsis Media produces conferences, webinars, and awards programs that are second to none. Find out more at cynopsis.com.

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Were really excited to take on a company with a focus on disrupting talent acquisition specifically in the healthcare industry.

Talent Tech Labs (TTL) is pleased to announce its latest partnership with healthcare talent acquisition startup, HireNurses, on the eve of National Nurses Week (May 6-12). Currently, HireNurses is a job listing and matching platform specifically for job seeking nurses and healthcare employers. With their enrollment into the Talent Tech Lab Virtual Incubation program, they will dramatically expand the functionality and ease of use for this destination site for nurses.

Were really excited to take on a company with a focus on disrupting talent acquisition specifically in the healthcare industry, said TTL Executive Director Jonathan Kestenbaum. HireNurses already has thousands of nurses using the platform, and the healthcare recruiting space is growing exponentially.

Nurse Practitioner, Founder, and CEO Rebecca Love launched HireNurses.com in September 2014. We started with about 100 nurses, and 16 months later we are approaching 7,000 nurses and certified nursing assistants nationwide making us one of the largest nurse recruitment platforms in the United States, Love said.

In the program, HireNurses will be accelerating the business, relaunching its platform and preparing for a seed round financing. The updated site will remain true to the companys vision of putting nurses in the spotlight, featuring highly customizable profiles, blog integration, dynamic Nurse of the Month Awards, exclusive discounts, and access to unique opportunities such as international mission trips. Companies will experience ease when seeking to hire nurses, with the ability to identify and select the most suitable candidates.

We signed with Talent Tech Labs incubator program to create the best talent acquisition platform for nurses in the world. TTL are experts in understanding talent platforms and applying matching technologies that connect employers with talent, and what features are key to success, Love continued. With the AP reporting a "long-standing" U.S. shortage of registered nurses expecting to worsen over the next seven years, this ease cannot come soon enough. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 233,000 additional jobs for registered nurses will open each year through 2016, in addition to about 2.5 million existing positions.

About Talent Tech Labs

Located in the heart of Manhattan, TTL engages in investigation, research, validation, and acceleration of talent acquisition technology by fostering and connecting early stage companies with forward thinkers in the industry. Its community of constituents includes talent acquisition executives, startup companies, staffing company leaders, thought leaders, mentors and early stage and strategic investors. Visit the website to learn more.

About HireNurses

HireNurses.com, LLC is a Boston based company with the mission to redefine nursing; providing employment opportunities, a community, connections, and resources with the sole intent to make the nursing profession easily accessible. Founded by a nurse practitioner who saw families struggling to find care, and nurses struggling to find jobs, HireNurses.com is the destination for these matches to occur. Visit the website to learn more.
The opportunity to raise capital using crowdfunding isnt exciting. What is exciting is that local businesses can make their customers into owners. This marketing opportunity has huge potential.

The Frutkin Law Firms Principal attorney, Jonathan Frutkin, will be a speaker at the Third Annual Conference and Workshop for Crowdfunding USA scheduled for May 5-6 at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. Frutkin is also the CEO of Cricca Funding, a crowdfunding advisory company and the author of the book Equity Crowdfunding: Transforming Customers into Loyal Owners.

The conference panels and discussions will focus on the Title III fundraising ruling; a new system approved last October that will go into effect on May 16, 2016, allows issuers to raise up to $1M via equity crowdfunding. For the first time in history, small businesses can trade an equity stake in all future profits in exchange for a valuable influx of funds, without the burden of registering with the SEC.

In addition, to Frutkins work in crowdfunding he has a long history as a business executive and owner. He has owned a website design business, a software company, a real estate development company and was the developer for a national ice cream chain. As the founder of The Frutkin Law Firm, he worked to put together the top legal talent available to assist business clients  growing the firm to more than 10 attorneys within a few short years. His practice focus was on providing general counsel, including capital formation, mergers and acquisitions, litigation strategy and intellectual property. He has also appeared frequently in the media, including in international publications like The Economist, Kiplinger Personal Finance and The Washington Post. He is a frequent media commentator on television, on the radio and in print.

Jonathan Frutkin, explains the opportunity for small to medium sized businesses with this new SEC ruling: The opportunity to raise capital using crowdfunding isnt exciting. What is exciting is that local businesses can make their customers into owners. This marketing opportunity has huge potential.

In addition to Frutkin one of the Firms associates, Amanda Salvione will be attending the conference as a participant to further expand her knowledge about the legal implications of crowdfunding as this continues to be an area of focus for the Firms legal practice.

About Frutkin Law Firm: The Frutkin Law Firm, PLC was founded in 2007 by attorney Jonathan Frutkin with the goal of providing exceptional legal representation to clients throughout Arizona in business and corporate law and related areas, ranging from taxation and asset protection to estate planning. The Frutkin Law Firm helps businesses, individuals, and families in Phoenix and throughout Arizona with their corporate and business law, bankruptcy, taxation, asset protection, wills, trusts, and estates, and litigation needs. The firm is located at the Kierland Commons in Scottsdale, AZ. For more information, visit http://www.frutkinlaw.com.
Joe Lamphier of Crown Automotive Group Its a cause thats near and dear to my heart, and Im honored to be able to have this opportunity to participate in a way that can directly impact the lives of the children and families that the Foundation works with each day. -Joe Lamphier

Joe Lamphier, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Crown Automotive Group, is proud to announce that he will be participating in Cut for a Cure to benefit the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

Cut for a Cure is the National Pediatric Cancer Foundations annual campaign to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer. Individuals who participate in the campaign set a fundraising goal to encourage their friends and family to donate money, and at the end of the campaign, shave their heads in honor of children who struggle with cancer.

Lamphier plans to shave his head on June 15, and has set a fundraising goal of $10,000, which he hopes to reach by that date. He has dedicated his efforts through Cut for the Cure to honor two particular individuals he knows who battled pediatric cancer: Dana Bertoch-Levin and Remi Stortch, and their families.

Ive supported the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation for many years, serving on the Board of Directors since about 2001 and serving as its President from 2006-2007, said Lamphier. Its a cause thats near and dear to my heart, and Im honored to be able to have this opportunity to participate in a way that can directly impact the lives of the children and families that the Foundation works with each day.

Pediatric cancer is the No. 1 cause of death by disease in children, and according to the Foundation, 43 children per day or 15,780 children will be diagnosed with cancer this year. All the money raised through Lamphiers Cut for the Cure fundraising campaign will benefit the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation and their research initative, the Sunshine Project.

To learn more about Joe Lamphier and Crown Automotive Group, visit CrownCars.com. To contribute to Lamphiers fundraising goal, visit http://bit.ly/1rR5IH8.

ABOUT CROWN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP

Crown Automotive Group has been in business for more than 40 years, and currently operates domestic and international automotive franchises in Florida, Ohio and Tennessee. The group is dedicated to customer and employee satisfaction, and is your source for new and pre-owned vehicles, parts and service, financing and more. No matter what youre looking for, you can be confident that you are getting an incredible deal and outstanding service when you visit one of the many dealerships that make up Crown Automotive Group. To learn more, visit CrownCars.com.
CHICAGO, Ill. May 5, 2016  Ventiv Technology announced today that Manesh Kotwani has been named vice president of analytics. The announcement was made by Stephen Rhee, chief executive officer of Ventiv Technology.

As vice president of analytics, Kotwani will be responsible for driving Ventivs analytics strategy and leading innovation efforts to enhance the companys core product offerings of i VOS and RiskConsole.

Kotwani is going to make an enormous impact as Ventiv makes a profound move into deep analytics for our clients, said Rhee. This hire falls in line with the companys goals to focus on three key areas for our products and solutions: portal, mobile and analytics. With Kotwani on board, we can complete our efforts to drive new analytics offerings across all of our solutions and customer base.

Kotwani has a bachelors degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Bombay and an M.B.A. from University of Massachusetts, Lowell. He brings over 22 years of consulting and extensive management and technical leadership experience in IT software design and development. Kotwani specializes in big data, analytics, data warehousing and business intelligence.

About Ventiv Technology

Our people, software, and innovative solutions empower organizations to achieve optimal results of their risk, insurance and safety programs. Through the depth and breadth of our software solutions, global capabilities and domain expertise, we are the proven leader in supporting virtually every type of industry and the largest and most complex companies in the world. Ventiv Technology proudly partners with over 550 organizations and 300,000 users in more than 40 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.ventivtech.com. Problem  Solved

Media Contact:

James Dickinson

Vice President

+1.704.756.3225

James.dickinson@ventivtech.com
Bridgeforce was invited by the Small Business Financial Exchange (SBFE) to speak at this years Annual Member Meeting, held in Phoenix, AZ. Matt Scarborough, CEO and Michelle Macartney, Managing Director, of Bridgeforce, held a session titled, Disputes and Evolving Legal and Compliance Considerations for Data Furnishers.

In the session, Matt covered specific court decisions and regulatory requirements for firms furnishing data to consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) and managing disputes processes. Michelle discussed the hot topics and success considerations for compliance around consumer reporting and disputes, including additional information on the importance of data quality for data furnishers. The discussion then focused upon the potential implications of these developments in consumer reporting for furnishers of small business data.

If you would like to receive a copy of the presentation, send an email requesting the SBFE Presentation to ctrautman(at)bridgeforce(dot)com.

About Bridgeforce

Bridgeforce is a specialized multi-national consulting firm serving a variety of clients involved in all aspects of the consumer and small business lending and payments space. Over 75 percent of Bridgeforce consultants come directly from client-side leadership positions across multiple parts of the credit lifecycle. Combined with subject matter expertise in operations, technology, strategy and regulatory issues, Bridgeforce has the knowledge and experience to make the hard choices in developing and implementing best-fit solutions that are both achievable and lower the risks of execution to ensure sustainability. Bridgeforce success can be attributed to a culture fostering innovation and evolving experienced-based best practices recognized within the industry. For more information, visit http://www.bridgeforce.com.
Ohio-based custom home builder, Wayne Homes, hosted a two-day Grand Opening Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1, 2016 at the companys first ever Montgomery Model. The model features over 2,100 square feet of living space, a Craftsman front exterior design plus a covered back porch with 10 square columns and stamped concrete.

Inside, nine-foot ceilings are heighted to a cathedral over the foyer, kitchen and great room while painted crown molding is displayed in the dining room and den. The kitchen features stylish dark maple cabinets, high definition countertops and a six foot custom island shown in antique white to contrast the wall cabinets. A ceiling high stone face fireplace with a barn beam mantle is the focal point of the great room. The private spa-like master suite features a spacious bedroom with tray ceiling, walk-in closet, and luxury master bath. This model also shows a partially finished basement with over 650 square feet that includes a half bath, standing bar and Buckeye-inspired man cave.

Our Grand Opening was a huge success with over 100 families touring this beautiful new model. Its no wonder that the Montgomery floor plan is one of our most popular plans. The open design is perfect for just about any lifestyle, stated Vice President of Marketing, Maurie Jones.

Visitors can now tour the Montgomery Model with Craftsman elevation at 9470 Lancaster Rd. SW, Hebron, OH 43025. Wayne Homes Model Centers are open seven days a week. The hours are Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12p.m. to 5.p.m.

For more information about building a custom home with Wayne Homes and the Montgomery floor plan, visit WayneHomes.com.

ABOUT WAYNE HOMES

Wayne Homes is a custom home builder in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, and West Virginia (see all Model Home Centers). We offer more than 40 fully customizable floor plans and a team dedicated to providing the best experience in the home building industry. For more information, Ask Julie by Live Chat or call us at (866) 253-6807.
Froozer partners with Amazon "Froozer customers are but a click away from having the healthiest frozen food snack available to them on the market" -- Froozer Chairman of the Board, Des Hague.

Des Hague, Froozer Chairman of the Board and Froozer CEO, Rich Naha, announced today that, effective immediately, 48-count boxes of Froozer are available on http://www.amazon.com in the individual flavors of STRAWBANANA BLISS, TROPICAL SUNSET and BLUE ALOHA. A variety pack with all three flavors is also available.

"We are thrilled to be part of the Amazon program and delighted that Froozer customers are but a click away from having the healthiest frozen food snack available to them on the market," stated Hague.

"Froozers availability on Amazon is an important step forward as it gives everyone across the country easy access to Froozer," said Naha.

About Froozer - "simple ingredients. real nutrition."

Froozer products, the official healthy fruit snack and frozen smoothie partner of US Speedskating and United Fight Alliance, represent the pure goodness of freshly harvested fruits & veggies picked at the peak of their ripeness, flash-frozen whole and blended for optimal taste, nutrition and digestion. Natural fruits and veggies in all their glory, nothing added or subtracted, not even a drop of water. Available in three delicious flavors - STRAWBANANA BLISS, TROPICAL SUNSET and BLUE ALOHA - in 6-pack boxes. Look for Froozer in your local grocery store freezer at selected retail locations in the Denver Area including WholeFoods and Alfalfa's, and various select retailers in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts (Including Fenway Park), Oregon, Washington State, Rhode Island and Alaska, or place your order at http://www.Froozer.com or http://www.amazon.com to have your Froozer delivered directly to your home or office.

For more information: http://froozer.com/

Contact: Rich Naha, CEO, Froozer

Phone:303-246-1957, Rnaha(at)froozer(dot)com

Connect with Froozer on Facebook or Twitter
Building off of the success of our recent women-in-tech hackathon, were excited to host Hack to the Future to help unlock the potential of Chicago-area youth through next-generation technologies. ~ Craig Vodnik, co-founder, cleverbridge

cleverbridge, a global subscription billing provider, announces it will host the Hack to the Future hackathon to be held May 13-14 at the cleverbridge Chicago office. Chicago-area coders and educators of all skill levels will come together to build applications that extend learning in the classroom. The hackathon will be co-hosted by The Mozilla Foundation, who will also be providing an introductory computer science course for educator participants.

The event will kick off Friday evening with an ideation session and install fest where participants will get a chance to meet each other, brainstorm ideas, form into teams and install any software they will need to start coding. Saturday will be a full day of coding, starting with a two-hour introductory computer science workshop led by Mozilla. Designed to help educators with no prior exposure to computer science or programming, the professional development workshop will teach the skills and competencies required to read, write and participate on the web.

Teams of coders will then break off into conference rooms to begin building prototypes of their applications. Teams will present their ideas to a panel of judges for a chance to win one of four categories: Most Innovative, Most Likely to Increase Graduation Rate, Most Likely to be Seen in the Classroom or Best Pitch. The judging panel includes Craig Vodnik, co-founder of cleverbridge, Zarah Carranco, Dean of Students at Gary Comer College Prep, and a third judge to be determined. The Mozilla Foundation, 8th Light, and Chicago Public Schools' Career and Technical Education program are also donating their time and resources as team leads and mentors, helping guide the participants in building out their prototypes and developing their presentations.

Building off of the success of our recent women-in-tech hackathon, were excited to host Hack to the Future to help unlock the potential of Chicago-area youth through next-generation technologies, said Vodnik. No matter what field students pursue, having exposure to STEM and computer science will provide critical skills and training for success in their careers and in life.

To learn more or register to participate in Hack to the Future, visit https://hacktothefuture.splashthat.com. For real-time updates throughout the event, follow @cleverbridge and the hashtag #HackToTheFuture on Twitter. To learn more about cleverbridge, please contact inquiry(at)cleverbridge(dot)com or visit http://www.cleverbridge.com.

About cleverbridge

cleverbridge provides global subscription billing solutions that help companies build long-term customer relationships and grow recurring revenue streams. With its flexible, cloud-based billing and monetization platform, cleverbridge integrates seamlessly with client systems, simplifies subscription business models and delivers an optimized online customer experience. Leveraging cleverbridge expertise, technology and services, clients monetize products and services more effectively, rapidly expand their global subscriber base and maximize customer lifetime value. Headquartered in Cologne, Germany, cleverbridge has offices in Chicago, San Francisco and Tokyo. For more information, visit http://www.cleverbridge.com.
Purdue University expects its entering class of 2016 to be the largest since 2008 and anticipates a class that again breaks records for its diversity and academic profile. The projections, coming on the heels of another year of record applications, are based on the number of admitted students who paid their admissions deposit by the May 2 commitment date.

This is great news reflecting a tremendous worldwide interest in a Purdue education, said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. Our goal continues to be to deliver a rigorous high-quality education and to make it affordable for as many qualified students as we can, or as we say, higher education at its highest proven value. This news bears witness to the efforts of the faculty, staff and students at Purdue who have worked toward that goal.

Pam Horne, vice provost for enrollment management, said she expects a 5 percent increase over 2015 in the number of students who enter in either summer or fall 2016, and also projects more Indiana residents and underrepresented minority freshman beginners. Horne noted that the number of deposits is up significantly for Indiana residents as well as for underrepresented minorities and that the academic profile of those who have paid deposits is also up to its highest level ever.

We are thrilled that this many highly qualified students took us up on our offer of admission, Horne said. We know that is due to increased attention to recruiting, conveying the excellence of Purdue programs, and reaching out individually to students and families who are responding so positively to the Purdue story, including our focus on affordability and lowering cost of attendance.

Purdue recently announced a further extension of its freeze on tuition for a fifth straight year, stretching through 2018, at least the first two years for the incoming freshman class.

Daniels said he is particularly pleased with the projected enrollment for Summer Start, a new five-week program for invited students to get a jump on their academic career. As of May 3, 176 students had registered for Summer Start, well above the target of 150.

We fully expect this program, which is designed for the particular benefit of first-generation and minority students, will boost the academic success of these young people throughout their Purdue years, Daniels said.

Horne said Indiana residents are again expected to make up a majority of the incoming class. Nearly 13 percent to 14 percent of the incoming class will be international students, down from 15.6 percent last year.

Most of Purdues colleges, Horne projected, will exceed or fall very close to their goals for incoming students, but final enrollment numbers will not be known until September when students arrive on campus and begin classes.

Source: Pam Horne, vice provost for enrollment management, 765-494-7014, pamhorne(at)purdue(dot)edu
Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists

What: Through intensive lectures and hands-on exercises, the Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists, led by the Wharton Schools most prominent professors, help reporters gain a better understanding of key business and economic issues. This one-day program at the Wharton Schools San Francisco campus will feature Wharton Professor of Marketing David Bell and Assistant Professor of Management Laura Huang discussing the digital economy and personal bias impact on angel/VC investor decisions respectively.

The Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists program, now in its 48th year, offers participants an opportunity to expand their knowledge, increase their exposure to leading experts and broaden their perspectives in a stimulating environment. This program is free of charge and open to a limited number of journalists.

When: June 1, 2016, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Registration deadline: May 24, 2016.

Where: The Seminar will take place at Wharton | San Francisco

Hills Plaza, 2 Harrison Street, 6th floor

San Francisco, CA 94105

How: Registration is required to attend this free Seminar. Visit the Seminar application.

Who: In recent years, reporters from media outlets such as the San Francisco Chronicle, GigaOm, New York Times, IDG, Marketplace Radio, San Jose Mercury News, ZDNet, Bloomberg and Los Angeles Times have attended.

Eligibility: Applications are open to those who are employed or freelance full-time as a business journalist for legitimate media companies.

Key Take-Aways: Todays global economy requires a strong foundation in business and economic knowledge for business journalists. At the Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists, participants:



Gain an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of business strategy including the role of leadership, the economy and competitive vision;

Interact with colleagues from some of the world's leading business news organizations.

Receive a Wharton School Certificate of Completion.

For complete information on the Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists, visit the web site or contact Peter Winicov, Director, Wharton Media Relations at +1-215-746-6471 or communications(at)wharton(dot)upenn(dot)edu.

About the Wharton School

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania  founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school  is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. The most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world, Wharton bridges research and practice through its broad engagement with the global business community. The School has more than 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 9,000 annual participants in executive education programs; and an alumni network of 94,000 graduates.

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Wendi Thompson, General Manager of Ruth's Chris Steak House Albuquerque We are excited to be in Albuquerque and look forward to being a part of this wonderful community, said Wendi Thompson, General Manager of Ruths Chris Steak House Albuquerque.

Ruths Chris Steak House brings its signature sizzle to Albuquerque on Monday, May 23rd, with the opening of its 150th location. Conveniently located just north of I-40 on Louisiana Boulevard and Indian School Road; just minutes away from the upscale ABQ Uptown Mall, Winrock Town Center and many local hotels, Ruths Chris will be open seven days a week for dinner including all major holidays.

With its rich colors, artistic details and authentic regional style, guests in Albuquerques new Ruths Chris will enjoy a comfortably elegant multi-level restaurant with the main dining located on the second floor, featuring an oversize skylight adorned with a sparkling glass chandelier that pays homage to the New Mexico night sky. The restaurant will offer timeless American Steakhouse favorites complemented by legendary service. Menu selections range from signature USDA Prime Steaks, sourced from only the top 2% of the countrys beef and served sizzling on 500-degree plates (so your steak stays warm to the very last bite), to the highest quality seafood along with a variety of fresh salads and appetizers, homemade sides, and decadent desserts.

Year-round, Ruths Chris will feature a 3-course seasonal menu that starts at $44.95 per person, and will host a series of 5-course expertly executed wine and cocktail pairing dinners. The energetic and welcoming bar with cozy lounge chairs and plush bar seats will be the perfect setting for a relaxed yet sophisticated bar dining experience and will feature the soon to be popular $9 Sizzle, Swizzle, Swirl happy hour available Sundays through Fridays.

Prior to opening, Ruths Chris will host private team training dinners benefiting ABC Community School Partnership, a public/private organization with the vision that community schools are the vehicle to improving child well-being, helping students to learn, building stronger families and creating healthier communities. New Orleans-based jazz band, the Storyville Stompers, will honor Ruths Chris Steak Houses New Orleans heritage with live performances during the private pre-opening dinners.

Ruths Chris Steak House makes every-day occasions special and special occasions memorable.

We are excited to be in Albuquerque and look forward to being a part of this wonderful community, said Wendi Thompson, General Manager of Ruths Chris Steak House Albuquerque.

Opening Date: Monday, May 23, 2016

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Thursday, 5 - 10 p.m.

Friday & Saturday, 5 - 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, 4:30 - 9:30 p.m.

$9 Sizzle, Swizzle, Swirl in the Bar: Sunday  Friday, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

General Manager: Wendi Thompson

Executive Chef: Jason Marshman

Address:

Ruths Chris Steak House, 6640 Indian School Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110

Phone: 505-884-3350

Website: ruthschris.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RuthsChrisSteakHouseAlbuquerque/

#ThisIsHowItsDone, #RuthsABQ

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About Ruth's Chris Steak House

Ruth's Chris Steak House was founded by Ruth Fertel 50 years ago in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ruth had a recipe for everything  from how to prepare her signature sizzling steaks to how to treat her guests. This timeless formula is a testament to how one neighborhood eatery has become the largest collection of upscale steak houses in the world, with more than 140 restaurant locations around the globe. Ruths Chris remains true to its heritage, helping guests make their best memories on 500-degree sizzling plates. This is how its done at Ruths Chris Steak House.

About ABC Community School Partnership

The Albuquerque - Bernalillo County (ABC) Community School Partnership is a unique network of leaders across multiple agencies and sectors: the City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Albuquerque Public Schools, the United Way of Central New Mexico, and the Albuquerque Business Education Compact. As the united voice of the community schools movement in New Mexico, ABC promotes collaboration and cooperation, and amplifies the shared vision of community schools as the vehicle to improving child well-being, helping students to learn, building stronger families, and creating healthier communities. For more information, visit http://www.bernco.gov/community-services/about-albuquerque-community-schools.aspx.
Veran's SPiN Thoracic Navigation System

Utilizing next generation surgical navigation technology from Veran Medical, researchers from Morehouse School of Medicine and Emory University, working in the Grady Hospital Cancer Center of Excellence, have published clinical trial results demonstrating a 90.2% yield in diagnosing patients with small, suspicious peripheral nodules in their lungs. Procedures were performed on their initial 44 consecutive patients. There were no reported pneumothorax (collapsed lung) or other complications.

Limited by conventional tools, doctors have been challenged with reaching and definitively diagnosing suspicious lung nodules with published diagnostic yields ranging from 50-70%, depending on size and location of the nodule. The resulting delays and repeated procedures add increased risk to patients and unnecessary costs to the health care system.

Veran Medicals SPiN Thoracic Navigation System utilizes proprietary Always-On Tip Tracked instruments with tiny electromagnetic sensors on the tips to safely and accurately assist physicians in navigating to, localize, and sample hard to reach targets. Published research confirms that those nodules move when a patient is routinely breathing creating a moving target for lung specialists and surgeons trying to reach them. Verans exclusive 4D dynamic respiratory technology ensures physicians can confidently and accurately reach target nodules even if a patient coughs, moves, or simply breathes in and out during the procedure.

Dr. Eric L. Flenaugh, the director of Advanced Diagnostic and Interventional Pulmonary service, performed all procedures at Grady Memorial Hospitals Cancer Center of Excellence in Atlanta, Georgia. Grady is the fifth largest public hospital in the United States and the largest hospital in the state of Georgia.

Without using 4D respiratory tracking, the variation in inspiration/expiration would have contributed to completely missing the target, said Dr. Flenaugh. While significant movement relative to the size of the nodules being targeted was measured between the inspiration and expiration state in our study, we found the SPiNDrive system to be very accurate in compensating for this motion.

Using Verans technology, Dr. Flenaugh biopsied 71 lesions with 39% of them determined to be malignant. The average nodule size was 2.2cm in diameter. All lung nodules were sampled transbronchially with navigated bronchoscopic instruments (brush, forceps, steerable catheter, or needle) and/or percutaneously using Verans SPiNPerc platform (navigated transthoracic needle). Dr. Flenaugh also used the SPiN Thoracic Navigation System to precisely place fiducial markers in 2 patients in order to assist Radiation Oncology with lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT). The study results were published in the Internet Journal of Pulmonary Medicine (http://ispub.com/IJPM/18/1/37993).

Lung Cancer remains the number one cancer killer in the United States. 94 million current or former smokers remain at elevated risk. Results from the recent National Lung Screening Trial, which screened more than 50-thousand patients and was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrate that lung screening saves lives. New physician guidelines recommend regular patient screenings using CT scans and biopsies for nodules greater than 8mm in size (about the size of a small pea).

Verans SPiN Thoracic Navigation system and SPiNPerc are transforming the physicians ability to accurately access and diagnose hard to reach Solitary Pulmonary Nodules (SPNs) and to provide cost-effective care for the 2.7 million SPNs found annually in the US, said Veran CEO Jason Pesterfield. We are very excited about the results of this study. Not only does this technology allow lung specialists more ways to accurately target SPNs, but it also allows those physicians the ability to streamline the diagnostic process by incorporating two procedures into one. This ultimately saves more lives through earlier diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.

About Veran Medical Technologies

Veran is a privately held medical device company headquartered in St. Louis, MO. The companys main focus is assisting physicians in the early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. In the United States, lung cancer kills more people each year than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined.

Veran has developed and commercialized an FDA cleared, next generation electromagnetic thoracic navigation platform called the SPiN Thoracic Navigation System. Verans breakthrough technology has been adopted by leading cancer centers throughout the United States. Veran provides physicians with a full line of bronchoscopic brushes, needles, forceps and steerable catheters with tiny electromagnetic sensors embedded in the tips for precise navigation. The combination of these proprietary Always-On Tip Tracked instruments and Verans exclusive patient respiratory gating technology enables physicians to accurately access lung nodules by accounting for nodule movement during patient breathing, a common challenge for lung specialists.

Another challenge lung specialists face is that approximately 40% of lung nodules lie outside of an airway, making them very difficult to reach endobronchially, and traditionally requiring an additional procedure. Verans SPiN Thoracic Navigation System is the first and only FDA cleared technology that enables Pulmonologists or Thoracic Surgeons to safely and accurately access lung nodules outside of an airway using SPiNPerc, a navigated transthoracic needle. With SPiNPerc, Veran combines endobronchial navigation with percutaneous navigation, allowing physicians to access all lung nodules in a single procedure, regardless of nodule size or location. This eliminates the cost and risk of unnecessary procedures and empowers physicians to provide a same day diagnosis for their patients. The early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer has been proven to save lives.
We approached Brian at Proove because of the trust weve built collaborating together. We share a vision for how personalized medicine can improve pain management and look forward to a tremendous future working together.

Proove Biosciences, Inc. today announced it has closed on a definitive agreement to acquire Algynomics, a research-stage pain diagnostics company. The Algynomics platform and its patient cohorts provide researchers with prospective data to identify individuals at increased risk for the development of chronic pain, which will allow targeted preventive efforts, enhance patient stratification in clinical trials to identify treatment responders, produce more sensitive inclusion/exclusion criteria for trial enrollment, and develop algorithms to tailor treatment for pain, enhancing outcomes and reducing adverse effects.

With this acquisition, Prooves patented bioinformatics platform and award-winning research will be integrated into the world-renowned research from Algynomics to not only launch new clinical assays, but expand the use of Prooves platform in the clinical research of therapeutics, devices, and novel procedures for the treatment of pain.

The acquisition of Algynomics, Inc. of Chapel Hill, North Carolina consolidate the leading researchers in the field of pain genetics and strengthens Prooves position as the market and research leader in personalized pain medicine. Founded by leading pain genetics researchers Luda Diatchenko and William Maixner, Algynomics was founded in the same year as Proove in 2006. Algynomics developed the Translational Pain Genetics Consortium (TPGC) to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of applied and fundamental pain research through exclusive availability of cross-validated unique cohorts of pain patient supported by Algynomics experience, expertise and state of the art analytical tools.

As President of Algynomics, William Maixner, DDS, PhD a world-renowned pioneer in pain research, joins the Proove Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Maixners team recently joined Duke Anesthesiology to lead the Center for Translational Pain Medicine to further expand his excellent clinical and research program in pain medicine. Dr. Maixner joined Duke from the School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), where he was the Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham Distinguished University Professor.

As Chief Scientific Officer of Algynomics, Dr. Luda Diatchenko, MD, PhD, a world-renowned expert in the genetic basis of pain in humans and the development of personalized medicine approaches, remains on Prooves Medical Advisory Board. Prior to becoming the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Human Pain Genetics, Dr. Diatchenko was a professor in the Center for Neurosensory Disorders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Maixner explains, Much like Proove, Algynomics has been on a mission to relieve human pain conditions by using technologies that provide insight into the mechanisms of chronic pain and related clinical conditions. Algynomics novel approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain conditions can now be brought to market through Proove.

Dr. Diatchenko explains, We approached Brian at Proove because of the trust weve built collaborating together. We share a vision for how personalized medicine can improve pain management and look forward to a tremendous future working together.

Brian Meshkin, founder and CEO of Proove Biosciences states, With the expertise of the Algynomics network of researchers across many universities now joining with Proove, we will be able to not only expand our research capabilities but bring more cutting-edge genetic tests to market as the continued leader in the field.

Proove uses a patented bioinformatics platform that integrates genetic characteristics, electronic health records, and clinical assessments to feed complex algorithms to predict outcomes. With this innovative approach, Proove is able to merge genetic data with related health information to indicate how a patient objectively perceives pain, how they respond to opioid prescription drugs, and classify their risk for misuse of opioid pain medications. By acquiring Algynomics licenses to various cohorts of data, as well as their pipeline of assays, Proove plans to expand its research collaborations with manufacturers, governmental agencies, and universities.

Building on its industry leading practice-based evidence database of over 75,000 subjects, Proove will now have licenses to various cohorts of data including data from OPPERA 1 study funded by NIH with $19.1M in federal grants, OPPERA 2 study funded by NIH with $16M in federal grants, and other cohorts involving the University at Buffalo, New York; University of Florida, Gainesville; University of Maryland, Baltimore; and, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

About Proove Biosciences

Our mission is to change the future of medicine. Proove represents the proof to improve healthcare decisions. We seek to realize a future when clinicians look back and wonder how they could have ever prescribed medications without knowing how a patient would respond. Physicians use Proove Biosciences testing to improve outcomesboth safety and efficacy of medical treatment. From a simple cheek swab collected in the office, Proove performs proprietary genetic tests in its CLIA-certified laboratory to identify patients at risk for misuse of prescription pain medications and evaluate their metabolism of medications. For more information, please visit http://www.proove.com or call toll free 855-PROOVE-BIO (855-776-6832).
Total container shipments, domestic and international combined, rose approximately 5 percent during the first quarter of this year, said Joni Casey, president and CEO of IANA.

First quarter 2016 performance underscored intermodals core strengths despite results in the trailer segment, according to the Intermodal Association of North Americas Q1 Intermodal Market Trends and Statistics report. While intermodal trailer volumes declined a significant 24.4 percent, this market segment represents the smallest portion of total intermodal shipments and has been losing ground over the last several years. Domestic container loads recorded a 6.4 percent increase and combined with 3.8 percent gains in international volumes, netted 2 percent total growth for the quarter.

Total container shipments, domestic and international combined, rose approximately 5 percent during the first quarter of this year, said Joni Casey, president and CEO of IANA. And while influenced by comparisons to last year when we were dealing with port congestion issues, were cautiously optimistic about this years growth potential.

The seven highest-density trade corridors, accounting for 63.4 percent of total intermodal volume, increased 4.7 percent against the more modest industry gain. While growth rates for each individual corridor varied widely, all were positive. The Midwest-Northwest corridor led with 10.1 percent, reflecting the strength of both international and domestic containers. Likewise, the Midwest-Southwest lane, which had the highest overall share of volume, grew 8.7 percent on container traffic that more than offset a decline in trailers.

Weak international container imports incurred negative growth in specific regions, including Mexico, a new addition to the IMTS report. Exposure to trailer declines affected the regional picture more broadly. Nonetheless, the Mountain Central, Northwest, Southwest and Eastern Canada regions all had significantly greater than average intermodal growth rates.

Intermodal Marketing Companies again demonstrated clear gains in the highway sector, up 15.4 percent from the previous year, thanks to excess trucking capacity. Intermodal loads fell 13 percent. The net result was a volume decrease of 1.1 percent.

Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics is published quarterly by IANA and is available on a subscription and individual copy basis. Effective January 2016, IANAs Intermodal Market Trends and Statistics includes expanded information on Mexican intermodal movements. Members of the press may request a sample copy of the 2016 First Quarter Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics from Tara Mullen at tara(at)intermodal(dot)org. The report features detailed analyses and reproducible graphical representations of Q1 2016 results.

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About IANA

IANA is North America's only industry trade association that represents the combined interests of the intermodal freight industry. The associations mission is to promote the growth of efficient intermodal freight transportation through innovation, education and dialogue. The association offers valuable information and services specific to the intermodal industry encompassing consensus business solutions that facilitate: operations, regulatory compliance, and policy issue management. IANA's membership roster of over 1,000 members represents the diverse companies critical to moving freight efficiently and safely. IANA provides a discussion forum for the many types of stakeholders along the supply chain, resulting in a strong unified voice advocating the needs of intermodal freight transportation. For more information, visit http://www.intermodal.org.
Doing this event was not only a personal challenge for our employees, but it was an opportunity to raise funds and awareness for the Camaraderie Foundation and the great work they do for our military men and women returning from the battlefield.

Last Friday, Riptide Software teamed up with AIT Engineering to do a 1000 push-up challenge benefiting the Camaraderie Foundation following in the spirit of the #22PUSHUPS challenge, to honor those who serve. Teams were comprised of two to three people with a goal of 1000 push-ups total in a four-hour period. For each team that completed 1000 push-ups, $100 would be donated by Riptide to The Camaraderie Foundation.

Amazingly, all teams participating met the 1000 push-up challenge, with five teams going well beyond the goals in personal competitions. The top team at Riptide completed 3342 push-ups and the top three individuals achieved an impressive 1905, 1793, and 1516 push-ups, respectively.

The group total of all the teams push-ups combined was 21,916. As a result, Riptide Software and AIT Engineering donated $2,200 to the Camaraderie Foundation.

Philip Loeffel, Founder and CEO of Riptide Software, said Doing this event was not only a personal challenge for our employees, but it was an opportunity to raise funds and awareness for the Camaraderie Foundation and the great work they do for our military men and women returning from the battlefield.

Jason Eddy, President of AIT Engineering, added We were very excited to join Riptide in this charity challenge for The Camaraderie Foundation. As a former Military Officer, I know the struggles some men and women face when returning from the battlefield.

About Riptide Software

Riptide Software, an employee owned company, is an award-winning, formally assessed CMMI Level 4 software company based in Central Florida. For two decades, Riptide has developed innovative software architectures and cloud computing infrastructure to deliver high volume systems at low cost. Riptides services include a wide array of services and products for various industries, including cloud computing and on-demand technologies, mobile and web development, enterprise application development, e-learning, Salesforce consulting, and much more.

About the Camaraderie Foundation:

The [Camaraderie Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides healing for invisible wounds of war through counseling, emotional and spiritual support for all branches of Military Service Members, Veterans and their families.

About AIT Engineering

Assured Information Technology (AIT) Engineering is based in Orlando, FL and is a Veteran-owned Small Business that provides Information Assurance (IA), Information Technology (IT), Networking, Database, and Software Development solutions to the Federal Government, DoD, and Commercial companies. After working with many large DoD contractors and Government organizations, we recognized a tremendous need for IA solutions that focused on implementing policy-compliant that provide the best customer value. We specialize in developing strategies and implementation plans to efficiently achieve maximum IA compliance with minimum resources.
Einstein's ASCRS/ASOA dashboard is a convenient way for people to keep up with the information disseminated during the annual meeting.

Einstein Medical is proud to announce that it has created an event dashboard and dedicated Twitter feed to cover the latest news and commentary at the 2016 ASCRS/ASOA Symposium and Congress, which takes place in New Orleans, LA May 6th through 10th. This meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrations will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and feature more than 1,300 presentations, panels, roundtables, and online post-meeting resources. With Einstein Medicals event dashboard, you can easily participate in ASCRS/ASOA 2016, even if you arent able to attend it in person.

Einstein Medical will be among the more than 300 exhibitors at this year's meeting. In addition to covering the event online using various social media channels, and provide in-person engagement with attendees in the exhibit hall.

An Easy, Convenient ASCRS/ASOA Event Dashboard

Einstein Medical expects many tweets and social media posts from event organizers and attendees during the ASCRS/ASOA Symposium and Congress. To help eye care professionals sort through these updates and find the information they need, Einstein Medical has created a consolidated ASCRS/ASOA event dashboard, a one-stop site to find out what's happening and who's making waves in New Orleans during the event.

Dedicated Twitter Feeds for ASCRS/ASOA

Throughout the annual meeting, Einstein Medical will gather news and commentary from various online channels and filter them to find the most relevant and noteworthy pieces to share. The especially relevant articles will be posted on a dedicated Twitter account for the ASCRS/ASOA meeting: @Einstein_ASCRS.

Additionally, Einstein Medical's ASCRS/ASOA dashboard will feature a Twitter news feed that specifically monitors tweets by and about event speakers. This offers a great opportunity to learn from, network with, and reach out to preeminent experts in the ophthalmic field.

Using Social Media to Keep Professionals Connected

Einstein's ASCRS/ASOA dashboard is a convenient way for people to keep up with the information disseminated during the annual meeting. Social media keeps people connected, and Einstein Medical wants to harness the potential of various social media platforms to help push the ophthalmic field in bold new directions.

About the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS)

Founded in 1974, the ASCRS is committed to moving the field of ophthalmic surgery forward through education, research, presentations, and meetings. The ASCRS promotes high-quality eye care and seeks innovations that benefit practitioners and their patients. Currently, the ASCRS has more than 9,000 members worldwide.

About the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrations (ASOA)

Founded in 1986, the ASOA is an organization focused on the business side of ophthalmic practices. The ASOA provides resources, tools, and support for practice administrators, allowing them to grow their practice and help their medical staff provide professional and effective eye care services in the process.

About Einstein Medical

Einstein Medical is a leader in web development solutions. Started in 1995 by Robert Silkey, the company has partnered with countless ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, bariatric surgeons, and fertility specialists. Einstein develops custom, dynamic web and social media presences for those in the elective medical care industry, with a focus on effective web design, smart search engine optimization (SEO), and forward-thinking Internet marketing strategies.

Contact Einstein Medical

To learn more about what's going on at ASCRS/ASOA this year, contact Einstein Medical. Einstein Medical can be reached directly using the information below.

Einstein Medical

6675 Mesa Ridge Rd, Suite 101

San Diego, CA 92121

(800) 606-0003 | (858) 459-1182

Originally posted by Einstein Medical.
Susanne Hollinger, head of patents at The Coca-Cola Co., will be the keynote speaker for Georgia State University College of Laws 12th annual IP Hot Topics Luncheon at noon, Wednesday, May 11 at the Knowles Conference Center, 85 Park Place.



Susanne represents a modern IP (intellectual property) strategy professional focused on global business issues at the intersection of business, law and technology, said Scott Frank (J.D./M.B.A. 94), president of AT&T Intellectual Property and chair of the Georgia State Law IP Advisory Board. As a former outside counsel, technology transfer professional and doctorate researcher, Susanne brings a point of view that can truly inform and inspire others seeking to better assess the winds of change in IP strategy.



Hollinger will build on her experiences and perspective in intellectual property, patents and business growth and address hot topic issues in IP strategy such as cultivating and invalidating patents, handling licensing and litigation, going global and innovating with the Internet of Things (the network of physical objects with internet connectivity, and the communication that occurs between them). She will suggest what IP practitioners can do to stay on top of growing options for their business stakeholders.

The event will be preceded by the third annual IP Think Tank, an invitation-only gathering of executives, attorneys, corporate counsel, consultants, academics and facilitators. This years IP Think Tank will focus on the Future Vision of IP Management to anticipate and articulate key drivers and influences that may shape business IP strategies going forward.



Event sponsors include Anaqua and Lee & Hayes, Cantor Colburn, LES Atlanta Chapter and Hartman & Citrin & Lyco Works. Co-sponsors include the State Bar of Georgia IP Section, Atlanta Bar Association IP Section, Georgia Institute of Technology Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business and Georgia States J. Mack Robinson College of Business.



Registration Info:

12th annual IP Hot Topics Luncheon

Noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 11

Register at insidelaw.gsu.edu/events/12th-annual-hot-topics-luncheon

Cost: $20

CLE Credit applied for.

Contact: Stacey Evans

404-413-9259 or sevans4(at)gsu(dot)edu
WATCHMAN LAAC Implant We are excited to offer this one-of-a-kind treatment at Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute

Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute was the first hospital in Tampa to offer patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (A-Fib) an alternative to long-term warfarin medication with the newly approved WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Implant. Since first offering the procedure in April of 2015, Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute doctors successfully implanted the Watchman device in four patients, significantly improving their odds of avoiding a stroke associated with their heart rhythm issues.

A-Fib affects an estimated five million people in the United States and is a condition in which the heart beats irregularly. Although the condition itself isnt life threatening, one in three people who have AFib will suffer a stroke, according to the American Heart Association.

Theres a pocket of tissue in the heart called the left atrial appendage. With the irregular heartbeats associated with A-Fib, blood isnt pumped out of the heart efficiently, causing it to collect in that pocket. This creates a dangerous condition in which the blood may clot and travel to the brain, causing a stroke, says Kenneth Yamamura, MD, an electrophysiologist who is specially trained to implant the WATCHMAN device at Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute. Strokes that occur because of A-Fib are more frequently fatal or disabling.

To lower the risk for stroke, patients with A-Fib are typically prescribed blood thinners such as warfarin, which affect the bloods ability to clot. For patients who have reason to seek a non-drug alternative, the WATCHMAN LAAC Implant is available to reduce their risk of A-Fib related stroke. The WATCHMAN Implant closes off the left atrial appendage (LAA) to keep harmful blood clots from the LAA from entering the blood stream. By closing off the LAA, the risk of stroke may be reduced and, over time, patients may be able to stop taking warfarin.

There can be issues with the use of blood-thinning medications such as warfarin, including a chance of heavy bleeding, interactions with other medications, and certain medical conditions that can prevent people from safely taking them, says Asad Sawar, MD, who also performs the WATCHMAN procedure at Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute. For patients who cannot take these medications, the WATCHMAN is a clinically proven, potentially life-saving alternative.

Implanting the WATCHMAN Device is a one-time procedure that usually lasts about an hour. It is a minimally invasive procedure that doesnt require open-heart surgery. Following the procedure, patients typically need to stay in the hospital for 24 hours.

We are excited to offer this one-of-a-kind treatment at Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, said Thomas Nicosia, Assistant Vice President of Cardiovascular Services at Florida Hospital Tampa. For more than 20 years, Pepin Heart has been at the forefront of innovative cardiovascular care. The WATCHMAN is another example of how were bringing the latest technology, procedures, and expertise to the Tampa Bay community.

About Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a heart condition where the upper chambers of the heart (atrium) beat too fast and with irregular rhythm (fibrillation). AFib is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, currently affecting more than five million Americans.1 The irregular heartbeats associated with AFib can cause blood to pool in the heart, greatly increasing the chance for stroke. The most common treatment to reduce stroke risk in patients with AFib is blood-thinning warfarin medication. Despite its proven efficacy, long-term warfarin medication is not well-tolerated by some patients and carries a significant risk for bleeding complications. Nearly half of AFib patients eligible for warfarin are currently untreated due to tolerance and adherence issues.2

1. Colilla et al., Am J Cardiol. 2013; 112:1142-1147

2. Waldo, AL. JACC 2005; 46:1729-1736.

About Florida Hospital Tampa

Florida Hospital Tampa is a not-for-profit 513-bed tertiary hospital specializing in cardiovascular medicine, neuroscience, orthopaedics, womens services, pediatrics, oncology, endocrinology, bariatrics, wound healing, sleep medicine and general surgery including minimally invasive and robotic-assisted procedures. Also located at Florida Hospital Tampa is the renowned Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, a recognized leader in cardiovascular disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and leading-edge research. The recent addition of the Doc1st ER shows that Florida Hospital Tampa is committed to providing compassionate and quality healthcare. Part of the Adventist Health System, Florida Hospital is a leading health network comprised of 26 hospitals throughout the state. For more information, visit http://www.FHTampa.org.

About Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute and Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute

Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, located at Florida Hospital Tampa, is a free-standing cardiovascular institute providing comprehensive cardiovascular care. Leading the way with the first accredited chest pain emergency room in Tampa Bay, the institute is among an elite few in the state of Florida chosen to perform the ground breaking Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure. Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute and the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute, affiliated with the University of South Florida (USF), are exploring and conducting leading-edge research to develop break-through treatments long before they are available in most other hospitals. To learn more, visit http://www.FHPepinHeart.org.

About Boston Scientific and the WATCHMAN Implant

Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices that are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties. For more information, please visit: http://www.bostonscientific.com.

The WATCHMAN Implant has been approved in Europe since 2005 and is FDA-approved in the United States. It has been implanted in more than 10,000 patients and is approved in more than 70 countries around the world. For more information on the WATCHMAN Implant, please visit: watchmanimplant.com.

WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device from Boston Scientific

The WATCHMAN Device is a permanent implant designed to close the left atrial appendage in the heart in an effort to reduce the risk of stroke. With all medical procedures there are risks associated with the implant procedure and the use of the device. The risks include but are not limited to accidental heart puncture, air embolism, allergic reaction, anemia, anesthesia risks, arrhythmias, AV (Arteriovenous) fistula, bleeding or throat pain from the TEE (Trans Esophageal Echo) probe, blood clot or air bubbles in the lungs or other organs, bruising at the catheter insertion site, clot formation on the WATCHMAN Closure Device, cranial bleed, excessive bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, groin puncture bleed, hypotension, infection/pneumonia, pneumothorax, pulmonary edema, pulmonary vein obstruction, renal failure, stroke, thrombosis and transient ischemic attack. In rare cases death can occur. Be sure to talk with your doctor so that you thoroughly understand all of the risks and benefits associated with the implantation of the WATCHMAN Device.
The CU-Boulder teams modular pneumatic hand & arm weighed less than 7 kg and could reach up to 95 cm, with a payload capacity of 1 kg.

An octopus tentacle can perform tasks as complex as opening a jar and can continue to function after being severed from its body, thanks to a concentration of neurons in the tentacle itself. A team of researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder has created a robotic hand that is nearly as dexterous and self-contained, winning them the RoboSoft Grand Challenge manipulation competition in Livorno, Italy, on April 29-30.

The soft robotic hand created in the Department of Computer Sciences Correll Lab uses a standard USB connection to provide control signals and power. A mini-pump supplies air pressure to inflatable fingers, while embedded sensors enable the fingers to make adjustments on the fly. In addition, embedded computation is used to detect whether a grasp is successful, an important capability for future robotic autonomy.

This demonstration is just the tip of the iceberg, said Assistant Professor Nikolaus Correll, who created the robot along with PhD students Nicholas Farrow and Yang Li. It lets us better understand the role of soft and stiff materials during a complex manipulation task. He added that the lab is continuing its research into materials that can quickly change between stiff and soft  something his students recently used to make a skateboard that can be rolled up and stored in a backpack.

The RoboSoft competition  announced in Nature in February  challenged teams in the field of soft robotics to create robots that could reach around obstacles and manipulate mystery objects with weights up to 1 kg over a distance of 60 cm, with the robot itself being limited to a weight of 20 kg. The CU-Boulder teams modular pneumatic hand, combined with one of the most lightweight and stiffest commercially available arms (Kinova Jaco), weighed less than 7 kg and could reach up to 95 cm, with a payload capacity of 1 kg. The hand enabled delicate manipulation of a wide variety of hard, soft and fragile objects.

Correll explained that their design not only makes grasping irregular objects easier, it also enables grasping when object recognition is limited, since grasp planning does not need to be perfect as with conventional stiff robotic grippers.

Soft grippers with embedded feedback control bear the possibility of creating a new class of robotic systems that are lightweight, soft, and mobile while being highly deformable, he said.

Farrow, Li and Correll have described their hand design in a paper on arxiv.org. Their research has been supported by the National Science Foundations National Robot initiative via a collaborative grant to CU-Boulder, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
How many babies will be born in China this year? Now, low rates of fertility prevailing across China have caused the government to reconsider the one-child policy.

What will be the impact of Chinas decision to lift the one-child policy? How many babies will be born in China this year? In a nation of over a billion people, with about 16 million births per year under the former one-child policy, what happens when that policy is lifted? The China Fertility Forecast 2016 Baseline Report, which provides national projections for Chinese births from 2015 to 2030, predicts that the impact of changes in the nations one-child policy will be modest. The report also includes detailed projections of Chinese births by mothers age, province of residence, and education level from 2014 to 2017.

"Until recently, the Chinese government believed that birth planning was necessary to prevent rampant overpopulation," said Ethan Sharygin, Ph.D., lead author of the report. "Now, low rates of fertility prevailing across the country have caused them to reconsider. Gradually birth restrictions have been lifted, which will have some short-term effects. Over a longer horizon, economic conditions and a changing age structure suggest that more births will be to older, well educated, and more established couples." Sharygin received his doctorate in demography from the University of Pennsylvania and recently served as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle.

This Baseline Report by Demographic Intelligence is essential for businesses making strategic development plans for the China market, especially in the juvenile and healthcare sectors. A full understanding of Chinas underlying demographics will assist planners and marketers in making wise decisions about future economic and demographic trends. The China Fertility Forecast 2016 Baseline Report predicts births based on a statistical model that normalizes and reconciles data from several sources, including official Chinese data as well as results from academic and government research.

To Order Call: (202) 449-4669

Steve(at)USbirthrate(dot)com http://www.demographicintel.com

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About Demographic Intelligence

Demographic Intelligence (DI) is the premier provider of U.S. wedding trends and birth forecasts for businesses with an interest in family trends in the United States, and birth forecasts in Europe and China. DI provides reports and consulting services to companies in the following sectors: jewelry, clothing, juvenile products, healthcare, media, financial services, consumer food, and household products.

Demographic Intelligence is advised in its work by five leading demographers and sociologists: Princeton economist Alicia Adsera, University of Pennsylvania demographer Hans-Peter Kohler, University of North Carolina demographer Philip Morgan, University of Washington demographer Ethan Sharygin, and University of Virginia sociologist W. Bradford Wilcox, who directs the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia.
Were pleased to expand the support services we offer our veterinarian clients.

Standard Process Inc. announces a new support system to provide focused resources for veterinary professionals across the United States. The whole food nutrient solutions company can help veterinarians grow their nutritional practices while improving the lives of their patients and giving dog, cat and horse owners peace of mind. With the increased support, veterinarian customers can expect frequent customer service contact, detailed product training and educational opportunities tailored to helping them build their nutritional practice.

Were pleased to expand the support services we offer our veterinarian clients, said Deb Morgan, Standard Process national sales director. The services are an enhancement to the technical and educational services that we already provide to this very important group of health care professionals.

In addition to the increased sales support, Standard Process offers complimentary veterinary technical support services to its veterinary professional customers. The technical support team includes one licensed veterinarian and a certified vet technician. Another veterinarian will join the team soon, due to demand for the technical expertise offered. The technical support team is available to answer questions about clinical applications and provide tips on how to integrate nutrition and supplements into a veterinary practice.

Standard Process introduced Standard Process Veterinary Formulas in 2002 to help transform the health of dogs, cats and horses. The product line offers product formulas made from whole foods and other ingredients. It provides broad spectrum nutrients to support multiple organs. The companys educational programs for veterinary health care professionals address why animals need whole food nutrition and offer practical, proven ways to incorporate nutrition into a clinic.

Veterinarians interested in learning more about incorporating nutrition in their practices or Standard Process Veterinary Formulas may call 855-662-9143.

About Standard Process Inc.

For more than 85 years, Standard Process has been the visionary leader in whole food nutrient solutions. Headquartered in Palmyra, Wis., Standard Process offers more than 300 high-quality supplements with whole food ingredients through three product lines: Standard Process and Standard Process Veterinary Formulas supplements, and MediHerb herbal supplements. The products are available exclusively through health care professionals.

Dedicated to the whole food philosophy of founder Dr. Royal Lee, Standard Process goal is to ensure that its nutritional supplements deliver the complex nutrients as nature intended. To accomplish this, Standard Process grows the majority of its raw plant ingredients on company-owned, organically certified farmland. The company uses state-of-the-art manufacturing processes to retain vital nutrients within each ingredient and employs high quality control standards, including adhering to the Food and Drug Administrations good manufacturing practice requirements.

Standard Process employs more than 370 people. The company is a recipient of the Platinum Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Councils of America and has distinguished itself as a leader and innovator in workplace promotion. In 2014, Standard Process launched Cultivate by Standard Process, a business that delivers scalable wellness solutions to impact individual employees and the overall company using onsite chiropractic as a central component of the program.

Standard Process is also distinguished as an exemplary environmental citizen. The company is a Tier I participant in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Green Tier program, which recognizes companies with strong environmental compliance records. For additional information about Standard Process, visit standardprocess.com.
Imerman Angels provides an emotional lifeline to patients and families facing the challenges of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Past News Releases RSS

CURE Media Group, the nations leading digital and print media enterprise focused on patients with cancer, today announced a new collaboration with Imerman Angels to expand outreach and emotional support for patients of all ages battling any form of cancer anywhere in the world.

Imerman Angels provides an emotional lifeline to patients and families facing the challenges of cancer diagnosis and treatment, said Mike Hennessy Jr., president of CURE Media Group. An alliance with CUREs Advocacy Spotlight Partnership program will give more patients access to valuable emotional support while providing easier access to medical information patients and their families so desperately need.

Imerman Angels was launched in 2003 after its founder, Jonny Imerman, was diagnosed with testicular cancer at age 26 and then struggled to find someone who truly understood and was familiar with his experience. Using a database with contact information from thousands of cancer survivors dedicated to providing one-to-one support, the nonprofit agency matches anyone seeking cancer support with a Mentor Angel who is the same age and gender, and has faced the same type of cancer. Mentor Angels lend support and empathy, and offer assistance navigating the healthcare system and treatment options.

This partnership underscores the goal of our Advocacy Spotlight Partnership program, added Hennessy. Were dedicated to helping all patients, families and physicians find the resources and support they need. Partnering with Imerman Angels means more people will be helped and inspired.

About CURE Media Group

Combining science and humanity to make cancer understandable, CURE Media Groups flagship product, CURE magazine, is the indispensable guide to every stage of the cancer experience. With nearly 1 million readers, CURE is the largest U.S. consumer publication focused entirely on cancer, with broad distribution to patients with cancer, cancer centers and advocacy groups. CURE Media Groups offerings also include its online resource, curetoday.com; live meetings; a resource guide for the newly diagnosed; and the Extraordinary Healer oncology nursing award. It also offers CURE Connections, a video platform designed specifically for patients with cancer that features information, stories, advice about the cancer journey and subscription options to receive updates. Cure Media Group is part of Michael J. Hennessy Associates Inc., a full-service health care communications company offering education, research, medical media and the acclaimed OncLive platform of resources for the practicing oncologist.

About Imerman Angels

Imerman Angels, based in Chicago, provides personalized connections that enable one-on-one support among cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers. The service is free and available to anyone touched by any type of cancer, at any cancer stage, at any age, anywhere in the world. More information can be found at http://www.imermanangels.org.

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U.S. Senator King will deliver the Commencement address to the Class of 2016 at Husson Universitys 117th Annual Commencement Exercises on Sunday, May 8, 2016. Having a speaker of Senator Kings stature delivering our Commencement address will make this a memorable day for our graduates and their families.

Attorney, business executive, Governor and United States Senator: few individuals can cite as many career accomplishments as Senator Angus King. On Sunday, May 8, 2016 at 2 p.m. ET, Senator King will deliver the Commencement address to the Class of 2016 at Husson Universitys 117th Annual Commencement Exercises at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.

Our graduation ceremony is a way to honor graduates and their academic accomplishments, says Husson University President Robert A. Clark, Ph.D. Having a speaker of Senator Kings stature delivering our Commencement address will make this a memorable day for our graduates and their families.

About Commencement

Hussons graduation ceremony will recognize individuals who have completed their degrees from Husson Universitys College of Business, College of Health and Education, New England School of Communications (NESCom), School of Pharmacy and the School of Science and Humanities. At this years Commencement, Husson will award 775 degrees including 21 associate degrees, 484 bachelors degrees, 185 masters degrees, and 85 doctorates.

The Cross Insurance Center is located at 515 Main Street in Bangor, Maine. Individuals traveling to graduation from outside the area who need help finding accommodations are encouraged to contact the Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau at (207) 947-5205.

The commencement ceremony begins at 2:00 p.m. Guests not marching in the ceremonies are encouraged to arrive at the Cross Insurance Center by 1:30 p.m. Early arrival is recommended to avoid traffic congestion and to obtain choice seating. Tickets are not required. Those who arrive first, get to choose their seats first. Individuals with special needs should call (207) 941-7129 or email greenj(AT)husson.edu so Husson University can make the appropriate arrangements. Those who cannot attend are welcome to view the ceremony via streamed video online. More information about the streaming video and ceremonies is available at Husson.edu.

Commencement Academic Honors

Husson University also announced today Danielle M. Violette of Caribou, Maine will be the Class of 2016s salutatorian. Violette earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) while maintaining a grade point average of 3.977.

For the first time in Hussons history, three students are being named valedictorian.

The students include Stephen A. Coston of Bar Harbor, Maine. Coston earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration. Other students named valedictorian include Sarah M. Smith of Calais, Maine who earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology and Mikala Elizabeth Varela of Westbrook who earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). All three of these members of the Class of 2016 had a grade point average of 4.0.

More Information about Senator Angus King

On January 3, 2013, Angus S. King, Jr. was sworn in as Maines first Independent United States Senator. He began his career as a staff attorney for Pine Tree Legal Assistance in Skowhegan. In 1972, he served as chief counsel to U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Alcoholism and Narcotics in the office of former Maine Senator William Hathaway.

In 1975, he returned to Maine to practice law with Smith, Loyd and King in Brunswick. In 1983, he was appointed Vice President of the Swift River/Hafslund Company, an alternative energy development company working on hydro and biomass projects in Maine and New England.

Six years later, he founded Northeast Energy Management, Inc., a developer of large-scale energy conservation initiatives at commercial and industrial facilities in Maine.

In 1994, Senator King was elected Maine's 72nd Governor. During his two terms in Blaine House, King focused on economic development and job creation. He also achieved significant reforms in education, mental health services, land conservation, environmental protection, and the delivery of state services.

He was re-elected in 1998 by one of the largest margins in Maines history.

Senator King graduated from Dartmouth College in 1966 and from the University of Virginia Law School in 1969. He is married to Mary Herman and has four sons, Angus III, Duncan, James, and Ben, one daughter, Molly, and six grandchildren.

This is not the first time Senator King has participated in educational events at Husson University. In February 2015, Senator King spoke at a Husson University breakfast event where he shared his thoughts on the 114th Congress. As a candidate running for office, he has also participated in debates at Husson University in an effort to help the public better understand his positions on a variety of issues.

Traffic Alert

Interstate 395 will be closed beginning on Friday, May 6. Anyone traveling to Bangor for Husson Universitys Commencement should find an alternate route to get to the Cross Insurance Center for graduation. While the Department of Transportation has established a detour route, there could be considerable delays. Be sure to allow extra time to arrive at the commencement ceremony.

For more than 100 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent superior value in higher education. Our Bangor campus and off-campus satellite education centers in Southern Maine, Wells, and Northern Maine provide advanced knowledge in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. In addition, Husson University has a robust adult learning program. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu.
INTERPHEX 2016 was a resounding success for both exhibitors and attendees alike who hailed from 52 countries around the world and 48 states across the U.S., said Ed Several, Senior Vice President, INTERPHEX.

International Pharmaceutical Expo (INTERPHEX), the premier event dedicated to pharmaceutical and biotechnology innovation, technology and knowledge from development through commercialization, sponsored by the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA), today announced an +18% increase in Pharmaceutical Engineers and a +4.5% increase in total attendance for its 2016 event. Attendees and exhibitors from 48 states and 52 countries joined together at INTERPHEX 2016 to experience the latest in technology, and leading edge education. An exhibit hall featuring more than 600 leading suppliers was supported by a new cutting-edge technical conference, the inaugural two-day Keynote Series with Pharmaceutical Technology, Poster Hall and Awards with BioProcess International and INTERPHEX Live with Pharmaceutical Processing. INTERPHEX 2016 was held April 26-28 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.

INTERPHEX 2016 was a resounding success for both exhibitors and attendees alike who hailed from 52 countries around the world and 48 states across the U.S., said Ed Several, Senior Vice President, INTERPHEX. This years INTERPHEX once again succeeded in bringing together inspired professionals with key industry leaders to share knowledge and best practices, as well as see the latest cutting-edge technologies needed to cost-effectively develop and manufacture quality products.

INTERPHEX 2016 debuted a new two-day Keynote Series that featured industry experts delivering insights on key themes including drug shortage, continuous manufacturing, overcoming bottlenecks, technology advances in solid dosage, sterile manufacturing challenges, and the contract services market.

During the Keynote Series, Dr. Stephen Spielberg led an engaging presentation titled, An Interdisciplinary Approach to Address Drug Shortages that explored alternative, innovative and cost-effective methods to provide needed therapies to patients. "One of the biggest threats to public health in the U.S. is drug shortages and, in order to solve this growing problem, we have to approach manufacturing in a very different way," said Dr. Stephen Spielberg, CEO and President of the Secure Affordable Quality Supply (SAQS) Alliance, a non-profit focused on drug shortages and future of the pharmaceutical manufacturing. "Through a public and private partnership, we can create a financially viable, hybrid manufacturing operation where we can ensure quality, consistent drug production and keep costs down. Technology is a major component to making this happen, and that is why INTERPHEX is such an important event - it's where pharmaceutical science and commercialization merge."

It was a pleasure being at INTERPHEX and participating. The show and the sessions were a blast. In my amazement, at the session, all the chairs were filled and many were standing in the back and on the sides, said Robert Dream, Managing Director, HDR Company LLC. Many attendees stayed afterwards and asked many questions. INTERPHEX has improved on quality and accessibility for attendees on all fronts and I am glad to be a part of it.

We see INTERPHEX as a key platform to connect with the market, and gauge the pulse of the industry. Undeniably, continuous processing was the talk of the show, and at Pall Life Sciences, we have developed several technologies designed to enable continuous processing in key downstream unit operations, said Michael Egholm, PhD, VP & General Manager of Biopharmaceuticals. It is extremely valuable to hear the input from customers as we continue to develop this industry leading platform, and create new solutions to continuously improve bioprocessing for the industry. Our team looks forward to sharing our advances in continuous bioprocessing in 2017.

INTERPHEX has transformed into the industry event where more and more manufacturers are launching cutting-edge technologies, products and value-added services for worldwide development and manufacturing operations, including Marchesini Group, MG America, Pall Life Sciences, SKAN, BOSCH, CVC Technologies, Fette Compacting, Watson-Marlow, Entegris, NJM Packaging, PendoTECH, Whitehouse Laboratories, and more.

We are extremely satisfied with the attendance and quality of our leads, said Dan Lapierre, Vice President, NJM Packaging. We met many new customers and reconnected with our current customers. We look forward to next year.

The following are key highlights from INTERPHEX 2016:



The second inaugural, three-day INTERPHEX Live enabled industry professionals to gain valuable insights on a variety of topics such as continuous processing, augmented/virtual reality, biosimilars, overcoming facility upgrades and more. Both attendees and exhibitors had the opportunity to view presentations and panels live on the show floor studio, broadcast throughout the show floor and on-demand viewing post-show on the INTERPHEX and Pharmaceutical Processing websites.

Back by popular demand, SKAN US, Inc., a subsidiary of SKAN AG Switzerland and the worlds largest provider of isolator technology, once again held the SKAN Engineering Olympics at its booth. The contest showcased the dexterity and flexibility of its PSI-L Flange Isolator while allowing attendees to compete for prizes.

DME, a provider of a wide array of engineering solutions, featured the new DME Facility Focus, encompassing feedback and analysis regarding Biopharmaceutical Facility Modernization and Aseptic Manufacturing Technology Trends. INTERPHEX has become an indispensable vehicle to reach our market and meet with key clients, said Dave Marks, P.E. and President of DME. We were extremely pleased to launch the DME Facility Focus educational program at INTERPHEX, which provided an excellent opportunity to showcase DMEs thought leadership and enhanced the overall experience of attendees at the event.

INTERPHEX 2016 Exhibitor Awards

In conjunction with Pharmaceutical Processing, INTERPHEX announced the winners of its Exhibitor Awards which recognized innovative technologies and/or new strategies and services that have significantly contributed to the industry.

Best in Show: GE Healthcare Life Sciences

o GE Healthcare Life Sciences was recognized for KUBio, a prefabricated cGMP-compliant facility and process solution designed for the scalable and cost-efficient production of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). INTERPHEX provided us an opportunity to showcase our complete manufacturing solution, KUBio, and help attendees experience this flexible, turnkey modular facility and understand why it is resonating strongly with our customers, said Parrish Galliher, Chief Technology Officer, Upstream, GE Healthcare Life Sciences.

Efficiency Champion: Millipore Sigma

o Millipore Sigma was recognized for Mobius 1000 L Single-Use Bioreactor, a stirred tank bioreactor that configures software, hardware, and single-use assemblies for use in suspension and adherent cell culture applications. INTERPHEX is THE trade show for our hardware and single-use business, said Oliver Klaeffling, Vice President, Head of Upstream & Systems, MilliporeSigma. This is the year where weve launched the most products ever. We have the new 1,000-liter Bioreactor, the new Power MIX, and the revolutionary product in terms of sterile connecting and reconnecting, the Lynx CDR, which is going to change the industry. Im very happy we won the Efficiency Champion award for our new bioreactor. Its exactly what the product was designed for-ease of use and increasing manufacturing efficiency for our customers. Id like to thank our R&D and marketing teams for their hard work on this.

Best New Product/Service: Nemera

o Nemera was recognized for Novelia BFS, a preservative-free multi-dose eyedropper combined with bottlepack technology. Novelia works with high viscosity suspensions and solutions of up to 1500 cps and limits the distribution of liquids to one drop at a time. INTERPHEX was a great opportunity for us to have high-quality discussions and meet several customers and prospects, said Patrice Lewko, Vice-President Marketing and Innovation, Nemera. We are proud to have Novelia awarded as Best New Product at INTERPHEX 2016. With Novelia, Nemera is proud to bring a safe and cost-effective solution for eliminating preservatives from eye drops. This is improving treatment compliance and patients' safety and comfort. By combining Novelia with the Bottlepack blow-fill-seal technology by Rommelag, we make it even safer, more convenient and easier to implement.

Other INTERPHEX 2016 award winners include:

o Biotech Innovation Award: Bausch + Stroebel for VarioSys, a flexible processing line based on the lock-and-key principle.

o Best Technological Innovation: Videojet Technologies for its Videojet 7510 50-Watt Fiber Laser Marker, a laser marking system with high contrast marking on robust plastic packaging, metal containers, as well as other industrial products.

o Editors Choice: Catalent Pharma Solutions for its OptiForm Solution Suite, a detailed molecule assessment with high throughput screening and parallel assessment of formulation technologies.

Save the date! INTERPHEX 2017 will be held from March 21-23, 2017 at the Javits Center in New York City.

About INTERPHEX

INTERPHEX (International Pharmaceutical Expo), is a premier pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device development and manufacturing event and sponsored by the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA). Dedicated to Innovation, Technologies, and Knowledge, the show focuses on the entire product development life cycle, offering solutions to cost effectively develop and manufacture products. Held in New York, it brings over 10,000 global industry professionals together with 600+ suppliers through a unique combination of our no cost technical conference, exhibits, demonstrations, workshops, partnering opportunities, and networking events. INTERPHEX offers annual national and international industry events and educational opportunities around the world. Follow INTERPHEX on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. IPX Blog continues the learning beyond the show floor. For more information, visit http://www.INTERPHEX.com.
Marijuana lawyer or cannabis attorney, both will be very busy in the next few years.

Cannabis lawyers and marijuana attorneys now have a new way to find business, or in reality, have business find them. Cannabis.net, the worldwide leader in all things cannabis, has added lawyers and attorneys to their map that already includes cannabis doctor and dispensaries. The map, which covers the US and Canada is also being expanded to include other countries. With many companies needing corporate set up assistance, intellectual property help, patent information, trade mark writing, and other legal help, adding legal services to the Cannabis.Net map was an easy choice.

"With the marijuana cannabis niche exploding across the country, more and more companies and individuals are looking for legal help in such matters as corporate structure all the way to simple DUI type offenses, " said CEO of Cannabis.Net, Curt Dalton. "The growing legal and medicinal marijuana market is going to need many old school brick and mortar services as well. Sign makers, lawyers, contractors, designers, will have new work to do in this growth niche", added Dalton.

The current Cannabis.Net map will also be expanded to allow "cannabusinesses" to be listed as well. These will include head shops, vapor stores, corporate offices, 501c non profits, and advocacy groups. "There are so many companies that are in the cannabis business that need a place to be found and for people to search in their area for, we are happy to fill in the map for them," finished Dalton. "Right now extracts, edibles, and cannabis oil are near the top of our search volume."

For more information on how to sign up as a lawyer, law firm, or attorney, head to Cannabis.Net and hit the sign up button.
This is an exciting time for Trendrating as fund managers are beginning to wake up to the value of momentum as a key factor to include in any asset allocation strategy.

Trendrating, the leading provider of momentum analytics to fund managers worldwide, has announced two new additions to its global sales team as the fintech company enters a new stage of growth. Yiannis Yianni, the new head of global sales, has 25 years of experience in the financial data, software, and solutions industry. Before joining Trendrating, Yiannis spent almost 14 years at FactSet where he was senior vice president and head of the UK and Nordic Asset Management business. Yiannis was also responsible for strategic relationships with some of FactSets largest clients in the region.

Speaking of his new role, Yiannis comments: Im delighted to join the Trendrating team. Its inspiring to work for a company at the forefront of its industry. I am committed to helping even more fund managers globally improve investment performance through the power of momentum.

Yiannis is joined by Chris Swanson, CFA, who has been appointed as senior sales executive in North America. Chris has an impressive track record of equity index data sales after eight years at MSCI. As index team leader, Chris covered the largest fund managers in the world. He is a CFA Charterholder and has extensive experience of advising clients on techniques in both active and passive factor investing. Chris will be based in Trendratings Boston office.

Trendrating founder and CEO Rocco Pellegrinelli, himself a former fund manager, says: We are thrilled to have Chris and Yiannis on board. This is an exciting time for Trendrating as fund managers are beginning to wake up to the value of momentum as a key factor to include in any asset allocation strategy. They are under increasing amounts of pressure to perform and our best-in-class momentum tools can ensure they do.

Founded in 2013, Trendrating provides a range of tools designed to maximize investment performance and improve risk control. Used by institutional fund managers across Europe, the U.S. and Asia, Trendrating helps them improve their investment decision making process.

Trendrating recently announced a collaboration agreement with FTSE Russell to develop innovative new momentum indexes.
The work of childrens author-illustrator Helen Borten, whose books were published starting in the 1950s, is returning to print via Flying Eye Books, the childrens imprint of Nobrow Press, beginning with the first two concept books in a series, Do You See What I See? and Do You Hear What I Hear?, releasing this month.

Borten, a Philadelphia native, launched her career with the 1956 publication of Little-Big Feather, written by Joseph Longstreth and illustrated by Borten. The New York Times chose it as a Best Illustrated Book for that year. Do You Hear What I Hear?, which Borten both wrote and illustrated, was published in 1959, followed by Do You See What I See? the following year.

Sam Arthur, co-founder of Flying Eye, explained the impetus behind reprinting the Helen Borten collection. He has been collecting vintage childrens book art for many years and, after Flying Eye reprinted Dahlov Ipcars series of books, which were first published in the 1960s, that allowed the publisher to develop some expert in-house skills to recreate original color separations from old first editions and library editions, Arthur explained. We also began to discover a wealth of childrens books that have been hiding on shelves and in attics all over the world. It became a mission of ours to republish another series of vintage books in their originally intended appearance  using the original colors and the artists original artwork where possible rather than simply scanning the printed art and printing it.

Bortens name kept popping up in searches and Flying Eyes archival retouch artist, James Jessiman, began in earnest to research her work. When he discovered the Do You Hear What I Hear series, we were bowled over, Arthur said. Helen Borten was making work very representative of the changing time in the 1960s. It was very groundbreaking then, so much so that it has influenced many of todays illustrators  and certainly us as publishers.

From there, Arthur and the Flying Eye staff began scouring eBay for copies of her titles in good condition and set about locating the rights holder for the books  not to mention Borten herself. After a bit of research, they got in touch with Borten in Manhattan, who lives in the same Upper West Side apartment shes had for 40 years. The rights to her work had reverted back to Borten and her son, and she was very enthusiastic to have the Do You Hear What I Hear? series return to print.

Some of the artwork was held in the archives at the University of Minnesota library; with the help of librarians and archivists, Flying Eye was able to scan the art. Some of the books were no longer available anywhere Arthur looked. For these, Flying Eye staff painstakingly worked from the original books to create an authentic reproduction of the colors, Arthur explained. Bortens technique for the original books was monotype, which involves using oil paint on glass and creating a transfer print.

In all, Flying Eye will publish five of Bortens books; next up in the series are Do You Go Where I Go?, Do You Know What I Know?, and Do You Move As I Do?, all scheduled for spring 2017. Flying Eye intends on making only small changes to the book designs to provide a sense of cohesion across the series, and making even fewer alterations to the texts. Arthur believes that Bortens design aesthetic will resonate with todays readers, saying, The spontaneity of Bortens text and image is something that still jumps off the page. Her tone and choice of subject matter is as relevant to children, caregivers and educators today as it was when it hit the stores in the 1950s and 60s, he said.

Another publisher has sought out Bortens work of late: in spring 2017 Enchanted Lion will be publishing The Jungle, which publisher Claudia Bedrick calls an exceptional book that was inspired by Bortens 1967 trip to Guatemala. Enchanted Lion is also in discussion about whether it will publish additional Borten books in the future.

A Storied Career

Writing and illustrating childrens books was only one of Bortens professional pursuits; in the 1980s she launched a second career as a documentarian and radio journalist. Her work with National Public Radio included And Justice for All, about tenant evictions, and The Case Against Women: Sexism in the Courts. From 1994 to 2004, Borten created a 43-part documentary series called A Sense of Place, which included episodes about circus sideshow performers and homelessness, among many other topics.

Borten, now in her mid-80s, is still actively writing; her latest project is a nonfiction book called Dark Victories: A Murder Case, the Terrorist Scare and Lies in the Name of Justice. She spoke with PW about having her books back in print after all these years, describing the era in her life when she was writing and illustrating her picture books as dreamlike. But, now in 2016, with new generations of young readers soon to be reaching for those books, it makes the dream feel more real. Borton said, It brings to mind a two-year-old crawling through the wet paint on my drawing table in order to reach something he fancies on the wall... the son who has a daughter entering high school now.
For two decades, childrens book author and literacy advocate Pat Mora has been rallying enthusiasm for and participation in El dia de los ninos/ El dia de los libros (Childrens Day/Book Day), aka Dia, an annual celebration of two of Moras highest priorities: children and books. Founded by Mora in 1996, Dia, though focused on the month of April, represents a yearlong commitment to linking children and families to books by a collaboration of national library and literacy organizations and educators. The endeavor encourages the hosting of book fiestas in libraries, schools, homes, child-care centers, and parksall designed to unite communities with the common goal of fostering what Mora calls bookjoy in childrens daily lives.

The Dia initiative has its roots in the Mexican tradition of celebrating April 30 as El dia del nino, which stemmed from the inaugural World Conference for the Well-being of Children, held in Geneva in 1925, where international delegates passed the Geneva Declaration Protecting Children.

Even though I grew up in El Paso, on the Mexican border, I had never heard of El dia del nino until 1996, when I was being interviewed for a public radio program at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Mora recalled. As a mom, I knew that children often ask, Why do we have Mothers Day and Fathers Day, but not Childrens Day? and as a reader, I wanted to foster bookjoy. I asked myself, What if we link a celebration of children with literacy, an issue central to the well-being of children? 

That idea led Mora to inaugurate Dia, a notion that was embraced by REFORMA (the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking). In February 1997, the association became Moras first organizational partner when its members voted to endorse Dia as a family literacy initiative and to promote Dia throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. On April 30, 1997, the first annual Dia celebrations were held in several cities, including Tucson, El Paso, and Austin.

Mora has subsequently acquired additional Dia partners, including ALAs Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC), the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and, more recently, First Book. As a result, awareness and observation of Dia has expanded exponentially, with 500 Dia programs now taking place in 39 states. The support of so many organizations, Mora noted, has given us an important boost. And, like so many other initiatives, the success of Dia comes from the enthusiasm of individuals. People who are passionate about children and literacy make Dia celebrations happen wherever they are.

Yet Mora believes that more work is needed to further spread the message and spirit of Dia. In my view, we have a long way to go, she said. Id love to see Dia on the national calendar. Some middle-class or affluent parents may say, Every day is childrens day, but this is not true for all kids. We need more people who are committed to diversity in childrens books, so that all of our kids can see themselves in books. Obviously, publishing is a business, and we all need to support diversity in books by buying the books that champion diversity.

As an author, Mora does her part to spotlight diversity. She has written more than three dozen childrens books that represent the Mexican-American experience, including Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Childrens Day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros. Published by HarperCollins/Rayo in 2009 and illustrated by Rafael Lopez, this bilingual picture book celebrates children, diversity, and literacy, and includes tips for celebrating Dia.

Mora shared her passion for the message of Dia throughout April, when (among other appearances) she was keynote speaker at the University of Texas at San Antonios annual Early Childhood Institute, delivered the ALSCs May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture in Santa Barbara, addressed the Texas Library Association Conference in Houston, and spearheaded the ALSCs Dia Turns 20 Event at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, at which several legislators read to children. I see this event in D.C. as symbolic of what we want to happen with Dia, Mora said. I feel as if were saying, See  this is what were doing! What are you doing? 
As the Friday deadline approaches for passing a half dozen changes lawmakers are mulling to the Illinois Constitution, pay careful attention to who is pulling the levers, how and why.

Its standard practice for amendments to be introduced and debated. But the odds of them getting to the voters are no better than a Republicans shot at being elected mayor of Chicago.

Thats by design; those in power are well served by the status quo; why in the world would they risk giving voters the opportunity or the power to change things?

It may not be good government. But it is smart politics for leaders to let the rank and file vote for amendments which have no chance of getting on the ballot. There are many ways to kill constitutional changes which are popular with voters, but not with political leaders.

The most common is for each chamber to pass a different version of the changes, then let time run out before the disparities can be reconciled. Amendments also can be used to create voter confusion, making them a harder sell if they do get on the ballot.

Built-in safety valve

Even if the General Assembly manages the super-majority required to approve a ballot question, it takes only a simple majority vote to remove it; one last safety valve to help those in power to keep it.

It shouldnt be easy to amend Illinois official charter, of course. But democracy isnt well served when political leaders can conspire to make it impossible.

Take legislative redistricting. As a citizen group readies to submit more than enough citizen petitions seeking to ask voters to create an independent commission to draw state legislative maps, dueling amendments also are under consideration in the General Assembly.

One backed overwhelmingly by the House Tuesday has the support of Speaker Michael Madigan. The question voters ought to be asking is why the Chicago Democrat is behind the notion now, given how aggressively he has fought past efforts to take map-making powers out of his hands. Senators, by the way, have passed their own redistricting amendment. Trouble is, under it state lawmakers still would have a say in the process.

Lite gov. case instructive

Then theres the call to eliminate the office of Illinois lieutenant governor. A measure easily passed the House to let voters scrap a do-little layer of government that costs taxpayers $1.6 million a year. It now sits in the Senate where it already has been rejected once and where sponsoring Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, tried to change the proposed amendments line of succession.

Under the original House amendment, the attorney general would have been next in line if the governors office is vacant. Sen. Brady instead wanted the vacancy filled by the highest-ranking official of the same party. The reason is simple, he said. It would be unfair if GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner were to be replaced by Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan. No word on why the senator now doesnt like a measure he once voted for. Also left unsaid is that his objects are likely to ensure time will run out to pass any amendment. The result then, will be same as it always has been regarding the office of gov lite, which not coincidentally is exactly how legislative leaders always wanted this to play out:

Well demonstrated public support notwithstanding, an amendment to eliminate the post wont find its way to the ballot this November either.

Perhaps none of the amendments being considered will. That wont stop lawmakers from declaring victory as they curry favor with the folks back home, however.

As they do, we hope voters will remember to take a careful look behind that legislative curtain.
SPRINGFIELD (AP)  More than five dozen social service agencies sued Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday for $100 million in overdue payments, perhaps an inevitable byproduct of the historic 10-month budget stalemate.

It's the latest in an increasingly complex web of legal, political and public-relations maneuvers to short-circuit the state Capitol deadlock over a budget plan that should have taken effect July 1. Rauner wants to make the state's business climate friendlier while Democrats who control the Legislature oppose his plans as anti-union and insist on dealing with a multibillion-dollar deficit.

The Pay Now Illinois coalition, made up of 64 mostly religious- or ideologically based community agencies, filed the complaint against Rauner and his administration in Cook County Circuit Court, saying economics ultimately trumps dogma. The Rock Island County Health Department and the Whiteside County Health Department are coalition members.

"We can't keep functioning in this way despite our commitment to our mission," coalition chairwoman Andrea Durbin said. The group  which comprises agencies that offer health care, youth and elderly counseling, prenatal and parenting services, programs to combat sexual assault and homelessness and more  alleges the state hasn't paid them in 300 days and owes $100 million.

Six key cabinet directors, including the head of the Department of Central Management Services, Illinois' purchasing agency, are also named as defendants. Because of their "course of conduct," the lawsuit claims, "the entire infrastructure of state-supported social services is at the risk of collapse."

The service providers blame Rauner's total veto last summer of legislation that would have covered the cost of their work; Rauner said it was part of an out-of-balance spending plan sent him by legislative Democrats.

"While we understand that frustration is driving many worthwhile organizations to seek solutions anywhere, including the courts, the only solution is for the General Assembly to pass a balanced, reform-oriented budget as soon as possible," Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said in an email.

Even in a state that has recorded unpaid-bill backlogs as high as $10 billion in the past decade, a multiple-party lawsuit against the state is unusual.

But Stephen Schnorf, who was director of Central Management Services under former Gov. Jim Edgar and later budget director for Edgar and former Gov. George Ryan, said that even had the service agencies foreseen the predicament they're in today, the work-now-pay-later arrangement would have proceeded.

"Who could have thought, back last August, that we wouldn't have a budget by May?" said Schnorf, whom Rauner tabbed to serve on two commissions, but who was speaking for himself. "I've got to believe, the way the agencies are mission-driven, that had they known, they would have still signed the contracts, and I think the state agencies offered the contracts in good faith."

Many of the agencies that are part of the lawsuit, representing all parts of the state, have laid off skilled employees or cut services.

The lawsuit, which also targets the directors of the Department on Aging and the departments of Human Services, Public Health, Healthcare and Family Services and Corrections, claims Rauner created an "unconstitutional impairment" of the contracts in his June 25, 2015, veto because the administration subsequently insisted on enforcing contract terms despite having no money to pay.

The complaint also alleges the veto ruled out the normal remedy for such situations. Unpaid state bills go to the Court of Claims, which awards payment based on contracts backed by spending authorized by the governor.

The complaint demands immediate payment. No hearing has been scheduled.
Judge Tom Difanis on Tuesday found probable cause to try Randale Banks, 28, and Reginald Logan, 23, The (Champaign) News-Gazette reported. He set their trial date for May 31.

The men are accused of cutting up 24-year-old Ashley Gibson's body after she was found dead in a northwest Champaign home following a party where illegal drugs were used. Champaign police Sgt. Dave Griffet told the judge that the men bleached, dismembered and burned her body.

Gibson was last seen April 17. Her remains were found April 24 in Clinton Lake in DeWitt County.

Griffet confirmed that police also found human remains in the home's backyard after a two-day search.

Although Banks' attorney, Andrea Bergstrom of Urbana, and Logan's attorney, Bruce Ratcliffe of Champaign, were present Tuesday, the judge gave them no opportunity to cross-examine Griffet.

Bergstrom declined to comment about the case Wednesday. Logan's attorney declined to comment because he said he hadn't yet seen the police report.

Banks, Logan and Davion Hedrick, 26, who hosted the party at his home, made their first court appearance Friday.

The three other men charged in the case haven't made local court appearances.

Javon Tate, 19, was sent back to the Department of Corrections on Thursday on an alleged parole violation. Donte Meeks, 25, was arrested Monday night in Missouri after a brief foot chase. And Deundrea Weatherspoon, 25, hasn't been located by police.
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
DB's supervisory board has instructed the management board to develop an implementation plan for a third-party minority holding in Arriva and DB Schenker with the aim of reaching a final decision on the proposed sale in the autumn.

In a statement, DB said the measure would "financially secure the largest quality and investment campaign in the company's history" and provide a basis for the growth of Arriva and DB Schenker. Between 2016 and 2020 DB plans to invest 55bn, 90% of which will be spent on rail operations in Germany. Of this amount, 20bn will need to be financed by the group itself.

"If we don't take action, the group's debt will increase substantially by 2020," says supervisory board chairman Professor Utz-Hellmuth Felcht. "A third-party equity interest limits the level of debt and creates the financial scope necessary to continue the quality and investment campaign in Germany."

As part of the restructuring of the group, the supervisory board has also decided to dissolve the two-tier holding structure of DB AG and DB ML, which will be merged into a single entity. The merger will apply retroactively to the balance sheet from January 1 2016. DB says it has made the decision because the DB ML IPO, which was cancelled in 2008 due to the global financial crisis, is no longer being pursued.
LTA awarded Bombardier a $US 571m contract in November 2008 for 219 of the driverless vehicles, and subsequently exercised an option in 2013 for 57 additional cars.

The 42km Downtown Line is Singapore's fifth metro line and construction is being implemented in three phases. The first 4.3km phase (DTL 1) from Chinatown to Bugis opened at the end of 2013 and the second 16.6km phase was inaugurated last December, extending services from Bugis to Bukit Panjang. The 21km DTL3 from Chinatown to Expo will be completed in 2017.

CBRV delivered 24 cars for the opening of DTL 1 and a further 111 vehicles were delivered in time for the launch of DTL 2. The 141 cars for DTL 3 will now be shipped to Singapore for on-site testing.

So far the C951 fleet has covered a total of 2.04 million km in operation on the first and second phases of the line.
Cover story from the May 2016 issue of Railway Age: Norfolk Southern has been looking over its shoulder for almost a year. Now, it can focus its attention ahead.

The dust has settled, the smoke and mirrors have cleared. The Thoroughbred stands tall and proud, somewhat leaner, independent, surveying the landscape with a renewed sense of purpose, and a stronger feeling of confidence in its destiny. It has been put to the test. It has eluded a forced pairing with a strong, persistent, worthy suitor, albeit with assistance from those charged with guarding the stable.

For the foreseeable future, Norfolk Southern will remain Norfolk Southern, having outrun unwanted suitor Canadian Pacific. CP, in hot pursuit, abruptly slammed on the brakes before it collided with a mounting wall of resistance from the U.S. Departments of Justice and Defense, members of Congress, rail union leadership, railroad customers, and NS itself. The Surface Transportation Board can, for now, put aside dealing with merger petitions and declaratory orders. Railroad analysts and economists can continue to debate the pluses and minuses of a race to form a transcontinental railroad that never came close to leaving the starting gate.

The book closed on Monday, April 11, 2016, when CP terminated its efforts to merge with NS. This included, CP said, withdrawal of a resolution asking NS shareholders to vote in favor of good-faith negotiations between the two companies. No further financial offers or overtures to meet with the NS board of directors are planned at this time.

Norfolk Southern responded by saying the railroads board and management are committed to enhancing value for shareholders. Since the companys new management team was appointed, we have been focused on implementing a strategic plan to streamline operations, reduce expenses and maintain superior customer service levels. The NS team has made significant progress and is on track to achieve annual productivity savings of more than $650 million and an operating ratio below 65% by 2020. We are confident the continued execution of our plan will deliver superior value to all of the companys stakeholders by best positioning NS to succeed. We thank our shareholders for their input and support throughout this process and our employees for their hard work and dedication to strengthening Norfolk Southern as a critical component of the nations transportation infrastructure.

So, that appears to be it, for now. The hunter (no pun intended) and the hunted can take a break, assess the situation, and move on. Enough with the official corporate-speak, the usual rhetoric, filled with plain-vanilla-cookie-cutter phrases like shareholder value and streamlining operations, crafted by communications pros playing offense and defense, depending upon who signs their paychecks. Here are two outside observations worth noting:

 Cowen and Company Managing Director and Railway Age Wall Street Contributing Editor Jason Seidl: Calling off the dogs: CP is walking away from a negotiating table that never really existed. Presumably it was the Department of Justices opinion that broke the camels back as the company feels there is no clear path to a friendly merger. Unless another party should take the issue up, shareholders will not be voting to urge NS management to speak with CP management. As weve been saying for some time, the likelihood of a deal getting done was a long shot. In recent weeks, many parties have expressed their opposition to a transaction, but the most significant deterrent came on April 8, when the DOJ said the voting trust proposal put forth by CP makes no sense. Other recent letters of opposition came from the U.S. Army and Rep. Bill Shuster, the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This followed several high-profile transportation companies coming out against the deal, such as UPS and FedEx.

 A railroad president, speaking off the record: NS was a potential acquisition victimprey, reallythat escaped. CP underestimated the heights of the external challenges, in particular the influence of the shipping community and government, that big money could not overcome. So theres a lesson to be learned among the Big Seven. The customer is king, with a captivating voice, and government does have the capability of non-regulatory influence. Combining the two makes it very clear: Do what youve committed to do when it comes to the customer and fulfill your regulatory requirements, without exception. It will afford nothing but upside in the way of customer growth and weaken the need for any further regulatory tightening. Customers and government are powerhouses to be respected, not fought, provided you perform to the expectations set forth before you.

NS had been saying all along that it was making changes on its own to improve its performance, and didnt need outside help. A few days after CP called off the chase, NS released its first-quarter 2015 financials. The results seem to indicate that it is indeed pulling out all the stops to follow through and deliver on its promises. NS reported strong first-quarter 2016 results that demonstrate the significant progress we are making in line with our strategic plan, in the words of chief executive Jim Squires.

On the minus side, NSs railway operating revenues were $2.4 billion, 6% lower compared with first-quarter 2015, and volume declined 2%. Average revenue per unit decreased 3% as the effects of higher rates were more than offset by a $114 million, or 70%, decline in fuel surcharge revenues. On the plus side, railway operating expenses were $1.7 billion, down 13% year-over-year, and income from railway operations was $723 million, up 19%. Merchandise revenues were $1.5 billion, 2% higher than the same period last year. Led by an 18% increase in automotive traffic, volume grew in all business groups except chemicals, which was impacted by fewer crude oil shipments.

NSs five merchandise commodity groups reported the following year-over-year revenue results:

 Chemicals: $419 million, down 3%.

 Agriculture: $386 million, up 3%.

 Metals/Construction: $300 million, down 3%.

 Automotive: $254 million, up 16%.

 Paper/Forest: $190 million, up 3%.

Intermodal revenues were $522 million, down 12% compared with first-quarter 2015. Volume was even for the quarter as lower domestic volumes offset growth in international volumes, due to the restructuring of NSs Triple Crown Services subsidiary. In line with the rest of the industry, coal revenues were $349 million, 23% lower, due to mild winter temperatures, low natural gas prices and a weak global export market.

The final tally: Net income was $387 million, up 25% year-over-year, diluted earnings per share were $1.29, up 29%, and the railway operating ratio was 70.1%, an improvement of 8% over the prior year and an NS first-quarter record.

Since I became CEO in June [2015], our team has been committed to streamlining operations, reducing expenses and maintaining superior customer service levels, said Squires, who must be relieved that theres no longer a target on his back. Our focus on strengthening Norfolk Southern is yielding results, and the company is now on track to achieve productivity savings of about $200 million and an operating ratio below 70 in 2016. We are confident the continued execution of our strategic plan will deliver superior shareholder value by best positioning NS to succeed while ensuring the company is prepared to capture revenue and volume growth opportunities in 2016 and beyond.

Beyond Expectations

NS blew away our and consensus EPS estimates as the companys operating ratio improved more than 600 basis points to a 1Q16 record of 70.1%, noted Jason Seidl. After CPs attempt at an acquisition, NS has kicked its cost-cutting initiatives into high gear. NS has been streamlining operations and adjusting to not only a soft freight environment, but also toward a structurally better OR longer term. NSs 1Q16 EPS of $1.29 blew away our above-consensus estimate of $0.99 driven by an OR that was 520 basis points better than our forecast. Despite revenue falling 6% year-over-year, the company grew operating profit by 19% and EPS by 29%. Share repurchases, a lack of weather-related costs, more-efficient handling of freight cars, 12% fewer locomotives and nearly 2,000 fewer employees were key reasons for the big earnings beat. The top line will continue to be a headwind as coal stockpiles are at 100 days (vs. a normalized 60) and intermodal competition from truckload carriers is unlikely to abate for another couple of quarters. Intermodal pricing gains are being restrained by a loose truckload market. Management also expects the auto business to slow on a year-over-year basis as well, something weve already heard from rival railroads and have modeled into our estimates.

Seidl pointed out that NS is making more-aggressive changes than other Class Is. NS echoed themes similar to its peers, he said. Headcount reductions, stored locomotives, coal stockpiles, more favorable weather and better service have aided 1Q16 margins. However, NS has taken its productivity initiatives to another level. The company is now on pace for an additional $70 million of savings, or $200 million in total. Thats up 54% from prior guidance of $130 million. NS still expects to achieve $650 million in annual savings and a sub-65 OR by 2020. If management can keep posting results like 1Q16, it may have many people believing that will happen sooner rather than later. We think managements guidance for a sub-70 OR in 2016 should be easily achievable, and we are now forecasting 68.1%down from our prior estimate of 70.0%.

In his first annual report letter to shareholders since becoming CEO in 2015, Jim Squires wrote that the company has taken decisive and deliberate action to capitalize on significant growth opportunities within our unique network. He pointed to several cost control initiatives and network improvements, among them:

 Closing the Roanoke, Va., office building and consolidating or relocating approximately 500 positions.

 Restructuring the companys Triple Crown Services subsidiary.

 Reducing capital spending.

 Expanding track rationalization in the coalfields.

 Idling a major lake coal terminal.

 Consolidating two operating divisions.

While implementing these initiatives, NS has maintained its commitment to providing superior customer service, Squires said. During this time, we achieved near all-time best service levels. In addition, we expanded our ability to serve markets in the Northeast by acquiring the Delaware & Hudson Railway Companys line between Sunbury, Pa., and Schenectady, N.Y.

What happens next? Observes Contributing Editor Frank Wilner in this issues Watching Washington (p. 15): Pershing Squares effort to place Hunter Harrison in charge of a merged CP-NS was called off, but a non-railroad investment consortiumsimilar to Berkshire Hathawaycould emerge to take CSX or NS private without regulatory approval, and install Harrison or the Harrison template. Curse Hunter Harrison and one may as well curse steam power that replaced wind, or internal combustion engines that replaced steam. Harrison embodies the economic concept of creative destruction, a disruptor of the status quo substituting the more efficient for the less efficientthe free markets messy means of delivering progress.

How much of a mess would have been created had circumstances been different and CP succeeded in capturing and corralling The Thoroughbred remains open to interpretation. Whether another attempt is made to form a transcontinental railroad, regardless of whether Norfolk Southern is part of that attempt, remains to be seen.
Holland LP has received the TTX Excellent Supplier designation based on its overall SECO (Supplier Evaluation Committee) evaluation for 2015. This is the companys 20th time to be recognized, and 17th consecutive.

Hollands commitment to customer satisfaction and product excellence placed us in the top category for overall SECO ratings, the company said. The evaluation process reviews five categories of performance including quality, cost, delivery, service and financial/administration. This top rating supports Hollands focus on customer partnerships and outstanding performance. Holland is proud to support TTXs efforts in providing services and equipment of the highest quality to our countrys transportation system.

Among Hollands products supplied to TTX are AAR-approved devices for autoracks such as bridge plates, the Grate Chock Vehicle Restraint System, and door-edge protection.
CN and the Canadian Pacific announced on May 5, 2016 that they are contributing a minimum of C$150,000, combined, to help people affected by the devastating wildfires that have swept through Northern Alberta, forcing emergency evacuations of some 80,000 people and destroying thousands of homes and businesses.

CN will make a donation of C$50,000 to the Canadian Red Cross. In addition, CN will match employee donations to wildfire relief up to a total of C$25,000.

The devastating impact of the wildfires in the Fort McMurray area saddens us all, said CN Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Vena. We want to help relief efforts to help address the suffering and loss caused by this disaster. We are encouraging our employees to support their colleagues, customers and neighbors in Northern Alberta, and hope our collective contributions can help provide some of the immediate relief so desperately needed.

CN is encouraging employees to donate to the relief efforts through the CN Employees and Pensioners Community Fund.

Canadian Pacific will make a donation of $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross and match all employee donations to support fire relief efforts in and around Fort McMurray, Alberta. CP said it is also releasing additional resources to support firefighting efforts in the area.

As an Alberta-based company, CP stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Fort McMurray, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and all affected residents and customers in Northern Alberta as they deal with this catastrophic event, the railroad said. To support the ongoing and necessary efforts, CP is encouraging its employees to make a donation to the Canadian Red Cross, which CP will match.
Canadas chief financial watchdog praised VIA Rails internal management April 3 but slammed successive national governments for failing to support the state-owned passenger railway with strategic planning and capital investment.

We found that VIA had made efforts to define a long-term strategic direction. However, despite its efforts, the Corporation still had no long-term plan or direction approved by the federal government, reported Auditor General Michael Ferguson.

For a number of years, VIA has received from the government only short-term approval of its funding and five-year corporate plan, and often late in the Corporations fiscal year. In this context, VIA could not fulfill its mandate as economically, efficiently and effectively as desired. The significant deficiency could also compromise the Corporations medium- and long-term viability.

In its response to the report, VIA highlighted its desire to build a dedicated, electrified passenger railway connecting Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, a plan now awaiting federal government for approval.

A project to build dedicated tracks for the busiest segment of VIAs network, that is, the TorontoOttawaMontreal corridor, is being examined, said Ferguson. This four-year project could begin as early as 2016 and be completed in 2019. It showcases VIA Rails current assets and the future new fleet in order to attract investment from outside the Government of Canada, thereby minimizing the Canadian taxpayers burden.
From the May 2016 issue of Railway Age: Specialized equipment and training help protect assets from wildfire damage. Every summer, particularly in the Western U.S. and Canada, fires triggered by lightning or human activity are an ordinary occurrence. During recent summers, however, wildfires have put railroads increasingly in the crosshairs.

In 2014 and 2015, fires that spread to roughly 300,000 acres in north-central Washington broke previously held records for that state. The blaze in 2014 destroyed several communities and caused trestle and track damage to short line Cascade & Columbia River Railroad. Other fires have led to closures of BNSF and Union Pacific main lines in Washington, Idaho and Montana, and prompted the deployment of firefighting resources throughout the region.

Measured individually, these recent wildfires were smaller than some recorded in prior decades. Burn complexes of 3 million acres or more struck the mountains of British Columbia and Alberta in 1950, Idaho and Montana in 1910, and New Brunswick in 1825. A cross section taken from an ancient Ponderosa pine in western Montana revealed scars from no less than 20 fires dating clear back to 1612, all but one of them occurring prior to 1892. The potential for wildfires to damage railway property and disrupt service has been around since the first locomotives breathed steam.

Today, railroads place an increased emphasis on stopping wildfire damage before it happens. UP spokesman Francisco Castillo said, Our focus has been on preventative measures, so that were ready to respond in the event wildfires were to reach UP property. Castillo outlined those measures for Railway Age: We have an active Fire Risk Assessment program to determine our high risk territories. Water tenders are strategically staged throughout critical mountain pass territory (i.e. Oroville and Dunsmuir, Calif.; Pendleton, Ore.). Our team monitors the U.S. Forestry wildfire data 24/7. We participate in joint meetings with U.S. Forestry and relevant state agencies in high risk territories to prepare for any incident.

UP spends an estimated $20 million annually on vegetation control. A fire prevention program under way in the Donner Pass area of California during 2015 was focused on 80 miles of the highest fire concentration. UP said, The project will clear the right-of-way of all grasses, brush and debris, and wood material (cleared trees) will be chipped on site and donated to the Rocklin Power Plant, where it can be used as a fuel source for the city.

The rail industrys fire-suppression efforts often go unnoticed. Some short lines operating in fire-prone areas run a hi-rail vehicle equipped with water and hoses behind each train during the height of wildfire season. Companies whose trackage runs through terrain thats inaccessible to rubber-tired firefighting equipment will often keep one or more tank cars filled with water, outfitted with pumps and hoses, and ready to deploy at a moments notice.

Remarkably dry conditions during 2015 brought an early start to the fire season, with BNSF dispatching a Spokane, Wash.-based fire train on two separate occasions in mid-June to assist aerial and ground resources on that citys outskirts. BNSF keeps similar fire trains on standby throughout the Northwest, but the role they play in protecting vital transportation corridors and supporting local agencies didnt really get widespread attention until August 2015, when a large forest fire on the edge of Glacier National Park closed a section of U.S. Highway 2 in northwest Montana and suspended freight and Amtrak service on much of BNSFs Northern Corridor. Two fire trains, one from Spokane and one from Havre, Mont., helped transport firefighters to and from the scene and provided protection for timber snowsheds and wood-decked bridges.

BNSFs large fleet of firefighting rail equipment is far advanced from the basic water-filled tank cars of the past. The first of these modern fire trains to be built was in Spokane in the fall of 2007. And just in time. BNSF said, We were just putting the final stenciling on it when it was called down to California, where a wildfire was headed toward a wooden trestle on our right-of-way.

The Spokane fire train utilizes bulkhead flatcars that have been converted to carry three to four modular tanks, each carrying roughly 3,250 gallons of water. Swiveling water/foam cannons are mounted on elevated platforms at both ends of the trains center car, which also carries a 500-gallon tank of aqueous firefighting foam. BNSF says, We can reach about 300 feet up an embankment. The train also includes a caboose that serves as a shelter and command center and houses a generator to power lights for nighttime firefighting.

BNSF built a second fire train in 2008 in Vancouver, Wash., with a different design approach. Stationed along the Columbia River at Wishram, Wash., it uses highly modified tank cars with generators and pump systems housed underneath and swivel cannons mounted on top, plus a command center caboose thats outfitted with a spray bar that can soak wooden ties or bridges while the train is in motion. Since fire train crews often work jointly with local responders, hoses and couplings on the BNSF railcars are made compatible with fire trucks and other equipment. The cars also have siphons, which allow them to be refilled from storage tanks or natural water sources near the right-of-way.

Walter Anno, Ed Dowdy and the team of BNSF carmen in Vancouver told Railway Age, We convert and build steel firefighting tankers. We have been building at least one a year for some time now. They say the Wishram-based train currently has four tank cars, and other fire tank cars have been based at Vancouver, as well as Klamath Falls, Ore. The Vancouver shop has utilized two basic car types: 16,000-gallon tank cars originally built in the 1940s for water transport service on the Santa Fe Railway, and 23,000-gallon tank cars that were converted in the 1980s into fuel tenders for Burlington Northern.

Additional fire trains based on the Spokane flat car design have been stationed at Seattle, Wenatchee and Pasco, Wash. As for the rest of the BNSF system, spokesman Gus Melonas said, For the Southwest, we have an adequate fire protection plan with equipment, manpower and material in place designed to respond as necessary, same as in the Pacific Northwest.

Wildfires burned more than 10 million acres and destroyed more than 4,500 homes and structures across the U.S. in 2015, an all-time record, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. In a report released early this year, Vilsack said that 2015 wound up being the most expensive fire season in our Departments history, costing more than $2.6 billion on fire alone. The U.S. Forest Service was forced to borrow from funds normally used for non-fire-related operations in order to shore up its depleted firefighting budget. Railroads that operate in wildfire country are learning that they, too, must allocate sufficient funding toward equipment, training and preventive measures. Melonas said BNSF approaches that funding with the same strategy as with derailment response and snow removal. We invest as necessary, as this is an ongoing railroad response issue.
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Three years of engagement with Sunni Arab Iraqis, analysis of Sunni Iraqi media and a recent trip to Baghdad with former ambassador Ryan Crocker's Task Force for the Future of Iraq have convinced me of two things. First, most Sunni and a number of Shia Arabs are hungry for more direct U.S. involvement in Iraq's political reconciliation process. Second, while Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi has genuine intent to foster reconciliation, he does not have the political power to make it happen. Worse, as he struggles to form a new cabinet, he is rapidly losing the support of the Iraqi leaders he will most need to effect change. While the winds of political influence can quickly shift in Baghdad, it seems most likely that reconciliation will remain at best a secondary issue while the government contends with Sadrist protestors, wavering reform efforts and the omnipresent threat of Shia militias. These alligators closest to the boat continue to distract from the crucial process of reconciling the Sunnis with their government. It is time for the United States to step in and take the lead for reconciliation in order to bolster the tactical fight against ISIL and to ensure Iraq does not further destabilize.

Reconciliation in Iraq is essential to defeating ISIL and preventing the continual recurrence of ISIL-like groups. ISIL itself emerged from the ashes of Al Qaeda in Iraq primarily because a root cause of the 20032008 Iraqi insurgencyperceived Sunni disenfranchisementwas left unresolved and then exacerbated by the previous Iraqi government. Reconciliation between Sunni and Shi'a Iraqi Arabs would undermine ISIL's base of support, reduce regional sectarian tensions and ultimately help stabilize Iraq. This is a widely held view: my 2014 arguments for prioritizing reconciliation to defeat ISIL have been echoed by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, and similar, more recent arguments have been made by other scholars of Iraq. There is an ongoing Sunni Arab revolt against the Iraqi government. ISIL terrorism is only a symptom of a mass movement sparked by increasing anti-Sunni abuse. Therefore, reconciliation has both a strategic and tactical value: convincing Sunni Iraqis to side with the government will address the war's root causes while isolating and weakening the remaining ISIL forces in Iraq. With genuine reconciliationand only with genuine reconciliationmilitary action can be used to decisively and permanently defeat ISIL in Iraq.

Yet instead of pushing reconciliation on all fronts, the U.S. government is committed to working through the government of Iraq. This judicious approach is tailored to strengthen al-Abadi's struggling government. But it perhaps unintentionally echoes T.E. Lawrence's often misconstrued and paternalistic advice to Westerners dabbling in Middle Eastern insurgencies: Better the Arabs do it tolerably than that you do it perfectly. Thus far the Lawrence method has proven ineffective and it is not clear it will succeed in the long term without additional U.S. action. The go-slow, advisor-like approach towards reconciliation is fostering uncertainty, precluding rapid military success, allowing ongoing cross-sectarian violence at the margins of the counter-ISIL fight and undermining U.S. credibility in Iraq and the broader Middle East.

There are two ways the United States can take charge of the reconciliation process. Ideally the United States would take direct action under the authority of the ambassador or a special envoy. This would involve fostering intra-Sunni engagement to help the community develop genuine leadership, a necessary first step towards negotiation and political enfranchisement. More importantly, now that the United States is, in the words of one former Sunni insurgent leader I spoke with, no longer an occupier, it is better positioned to be an effective broker between Sunni and Shia Iraqis. A strong hand will be needed to bring these communities together, building from ongoing yet mostly unreported cross-sectarian engagement at lower levels.

There is risk in the overt approach. Some Shia might perceive U.S. involvement as favoring the Sunni, a perception that if left unaddressed could undermine U.S.-led reconciliation efforts. I believe these perceptions can be managed, but an alternative to overt action is available. If the current by, with and through policy cannot be adjusted, then the United States should quietly but aggressively support a broad array of Track II engagements. While previous efforts have not borne fruit, enthusiasm for engagement is at its highest point since ISIL crossed the Syrian-Iraqi border to seize Fallujah in January 2014. Every Sunni Iraqi Arab I have spoken with in the past three years, including tribal leaders, businessmen, former insurgent leaders, retired military officers and Baathists, want the United States to facilitate reconciliation....

The remainder of this commentary is available on nationalinterest.org.

Ben Connable is a senior international policy analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.

This commentary originally appeared on The National Interest on May 4, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
What's on your mind, America? For the past decade, a RAND survey has asked and answered that question on topics as diverse as the economic crisis, health care reform, and the political force of one Donald J. Trump.

It's called the RAND American Life Panel, and whereas many surveys present snapshots of public opinion, this one offers a stop-motion film of changing tastes and evolving attitudes. That approach helped make it one of the most accurate surveys in the 2012 presidential electionsand it's about to face another test in the crucible of 2016.

RAND designed the survey not just to predict winners and losers, though, but to get inside the black box of political and social sciencehow people see the world, and how that shapes their decisions.

We want to go beyond the sound bites, said Krishna Kumar, director of RAND Labor and Population. We want to understand how people vote, how their opinions align with those of the candidates. We're really trying to feel the pulse of the nation.

One big question the survey will seek to answer this year, for example: Do voters side with candidates whose views most closely fit their own, as conventional wisdom suggests? Or is it the other way around, the tail wagging the dog, with strong candidates reshaping the national conversation and bringing voters along with them?

The last time RAND took the pulse of the nation during a presidential election, in 2012, it came within about half a percentage point of predicting the final vote count.

That's the kind of question the American Life Panel was made to answer. Unlike many other polls that dip into random samples of people, RAND's survey follows the same 6,000 or so people over time. That allows it to capture not just their attitudes at a particular moment, but also how outside forcesfrom world events to local politicsshape and shift those attitudes.

This year's presidential survey taps into a subset of around 3,000 respondentswhat pollsters call a nationally representative sample, big enough to allow them to draw conclusions about American thought in general. The presidential survey, like the American Life Panel itself, is conducted online, an important innovation as traditional telephone surveys falter in the age of the unlisted cellphone.

More recently, RAND spun off a survey of teachers and school leaders inspired by the American Life Panel. A first wave of results released earlier this year found widespread need for instructional support to help students meet math and language-arts standards.

You simply cannot understand public policy without understanding how that policy affects decisionmaking at the individual level, at the household level, at the community level, RAND's Kumar said. The surveys, he said, represent a crown jewel of what RAND stands for: We want to further the public good.

In other words: This is no horse-race poll. Just don't tell the pundits and politicians that. The last time RAND took the pulse of the nation during a presidential election, in 2012, it came within about half a percentage point of predicting the final vote count.

 Doug Irving

This essay was also published in the Huffington Post on May 6, 2016.
Russian court opens hearings in Vostochny Cosmodrome embezzlement case

MOSCOW, May 5 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul)  A court in Khabarovsk has opened hearings in the criminal case against former managers of Dalspetsstroy company and former Speaker of the Legislative Duma of Khabarovsk Krai over the alleged embezzlement at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, the Investigative Committees official representative Vladimir Markin told RAPSI on Thursday.

Defendants in the case are ex-CEO of Dalspetsstroy, Yuriy Khrizman, head accountant Vladimir Ashihmin, Mikhail Khrizman and former chairman of the The Legislative Duma of Khabarovsk Krai Victor Chudov. Defendants, depending on their respective roles, are accused of abuse of office and/or embezzlement crimes, Markin said.

The construction of the space center, due to become Russia's main launch site, began in 2012. The facility opened on April 28, 2015.

Dalspetsstroy has repeatedly reported that the project was behind schedule at some sites but promised to catch up.

According to investigators, ex-CEO of Dalspetsstroy, Yuriy Khrizman, his son Mikhail and Viktor Chudov, Chairman of the Khabarovsk Krai Duma, embezzled about 106 million rubles ($1.6 million) belonging to the company. However, one criminal episode was uncovered within the investigation into the case over alleged embezzlement at Vostochny Cosmodrome.

Earlier a court in Russias Amur region has found CEO of the Vostochny Cosmodrome construction contractor Stroyindustriya-S, Sergei Terentyev, guilty of embezzlement and sentenced him to 11 years in penal colony.
Ex-head of Rostov building company accused of embezzling $5 million

MOSCOW, May 5 (RAPSI)  Investigators of the Rostov Region General Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have brought charges of a major scale fraud amounting to 322 million rubles (about $5 million) against the owner of a Rostov-on-Don building company, RIA Novosti news agency reports of Thursday quoting a report issued by the regional Interior Ministry office.

An undisclosed source in Rostov regional law enforcement structures told Novosti that the charges were pressed against Valery Chabanov, an ex-head of Rostov building company Vant. Chabanov had been earlier arrested in a Thailand resort Pattaya and deported on request of the Russian law enforcers. In early April he was brought to Rostov-on-Don and detained.

According to police, the defendant in the case was on the wanted list on the count of embezzling 322 million rubles ($5 million) from shared construction participants in Rostov-on-Don. Chabanov led a company raising money from people wishing to invest in construction of apartment blocks, although the firm had no necessary approval documents. Police inform that having collected significant funds Chabanov absconded. A criminal case was opened and Chabanov was put on the Interpol wanted list.

By this moment the accused has started to study the case materials, according to the regional Interior Ministry office. Under the Russian Criminal Code, Chabanov may be imprisoned for up to 10 years.
Russian Supreme Court upholds Moscow schools shooters forced medical treatment

MOSCOW, May 5 (RAPSI)  The Supreme Court of Russia has upheld a lower courts ruling on compulsory medical treatment for school student Sergey Gordeev, who took his classmates hostage and shot two people in February 2014, RAPSI learnt in the courtroom on Thursday.

The court has dismissed an appeal filed by lawyer Igor Trunov, who was representing victims and insisted that the school shooter was sane. The court has also refused to return the weapon the student used to his father.

The incident took place on February 3, 2014, when Sergey Gordeev, 15, brought a rifle and a carbine to school. He killed a police officer and a teacher, injured one more person and took hostages.

The Investigative Committee found that the student had fired at least 11 rounds from a small caliber rifle before he was arrested.

Gordeev has partially admitted his guilt while psychiatric evaluation showed that he is mentally fit. Last summer, the Moscow City Court confirmed the original courts ruling that the student should undergo a compulsory medical treatment.

In late September, relatives of victims filed a cassation appeal with the Presidium of the Moscow City Court. In their appeal, they requested that the original ruling of the Moscow Butyrsky District Court be overturned, as well as the ruling of the Moscow City Court. On November 13, the Moscow City Court Presidium revoked a ruling ordering Gordeev to undergo psychiatric treatment.

On February 8, 2016, the Moscow Regional Military Court ordered that the case be closed because of absence of elements of crime in the act, the defendant be discharged from liability and sent for forced medical treatment.

On March 30, 2016 Moscows Butyrsky District Court ordered the parents of Gordeev to pay over 2 million rubles ($30,000) in compensation to the victims in the case.
Moscow court detains person suspected of planning terrorist attack during May holidays

MOSCOW, May 5 (RAPSI)  The Moscow Preobrazhensky Court has approved the detention of a person arrested for the preparation of a terrorist attack to be carried out in the Moscow region during May holidays, the Courts press-service told RAPSI on Thursday.

The Court has detained Aibek Saidov till July 3,  the Courts spokesperson stated.

Saidov is charged with illegal trafficking in firearms and attempting on life of a law enforcement officer under respective articles of the Russias Criminal Code.

Earlier, the Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) has reported that a group of citizens of Central Asian countries planning to carry out a series of terrorist attacks in the Moscow region in the period of May holidays and acting on the instructions issued by leaders of international terrorist organizations active in Syria and Turkey had been detained.

It has been stressed that large quantities of firearms, explosives, and other tools of terrorist activities were seized.
MOSCOW, May 5 (RAPSI)  Yves Cruchten, a PACE rapporteur, has expressed concern in connection with the State Dumas (Russias parliament lower house) recent proposal to further amend a federal law on NGOs.

I call, yet again, on Russian lawmakers to align their legislation on NGOs with international legal standards, as indicated in the Venice Commissions Opinions Nos. 716/2013 and 717/2013,  a PACE official communication quotes Cruchten as saying.

This January, PACE adopted Resolution No. 2096, based on Cruchtens report, in which the Assembly focused on the Russian law labeling NGOs that are engaged in political activities and that receive even partial foreign funding as "foreign agents."

The Federation Council, the Russian parliaments upper house, approved the law on July 18, 2012. Soon afterwards, the law was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The law excludes activities relating to such areas as science, culture, arts, public health, prevention of illnesses and health protection, social assistance and protection, maternal and child welfare, social assistance to disabled persons, promotion of healthy lifestyles, physical culture and sports, protection of wildlife, charity, as well as assistance to charities and voluntariness from the definition of political activity.

On April 20, 2016, the State Duma adopted in the first reading a draft law defining more precisely the areas, where political activity is carried out. According to the bill, these areas include state-building and federal organization, protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation, law enforcement, protection of law and order and security, national defense, international policy, integrity and stability of the political system, social, economic and national development, functioning of central and local authorities, regulation of human and civil rights and liberties.

Earlier, Andrei Klishas, the Head of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation, has told RIA Novosti news agency that he counts on the law to be adopted very soon since it is aimed at bringing legislation in line with the stance of the Russias Constitutional Court.
Hackers accused of breaking Rapida payment service to appear before court

MOSCOW, May 5 (RAPSI)  The Moscow General Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has taken the matter of a major scale fraud of a Russian dedicated payment service to court, RIA Novosti news agency reports on Thursday.

An undisclosed source in Moscow law enforcement structures told RIA Novosti that the case related to a hacking attack on Rapida payment service.

According to police, investigators could confirm that more than 161 million rubles (about $2,5 million) had been stolen from the payment system clients. The suspects used a computer program allowing them to issue binding commands to certain servers and computers maintaining the payment system. [They  ed.] have made illegal payments totaling to 161 million rubles (about $2,5 million), which later converted to their own use and disposed of at their discretion,  a report quotes Sofya Khotina, the Moscow General Administration of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson, as saying.

The criminal case was investigated under Article 159.6 of the Russias Criminal Code Fraud in the sphere of computer information. As a result, three suspects were arrested and detained. During searches there were seized bank cards, a large number of mobile phones, SIM cards, photocopied passports, skimming equipment, and other documents important for investigation.

On March 14, finalized charges were brought against three members of the organized gang. At present, the criminal case supplemented with the letter of accusation approved by the Prosecutors Office is forwarded to the Moscow Khamovniky Court to be examined on the merits,  the police report reads.
ICC Russia conference on intellectual property brings together more than 150 experts

MOSCOW, May 5 (RAPSI)  A conference on specialized intellectual property jurisdictions held under the auspices of the Russian office of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Russia) has brought together more than 150 experts from around the globe, its press-release informs on Thursday.

The conference Specialised IP Jurisdictions: international and Russian practice was held in the framework of the IX International Forum on Intellectual Property 21st Century on April 28.

Participants and guests of the conference had a unique opportunity to discuss the specifics of work of specialized IP jurisdictions across the world, organization of procedures relating to examination of disputes arising with regard to cases dealing with protection of intellectual property with numerous international experts.

For instance, among the conference speakers were Eugene Arievich, the Chairman of ICC Russia IP Commission, Daphne Yong d'Herve, the Secretary of ICC IP Commission, Hao Ma, Chair of ICC Task Force on Specialised IP Jurisdictions, CCPIT Patent & Trademark Law Office (China) and Svetlana Usoltseva, a principal adviser of the Civil Legislation Office of the Economic Legislation Department (Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation).

Gang Feng, a judge of the Beijing Intellectual Property Court, told the conference about the specifics of examination of cases involving foreigners in Chinese intellectual property courts.

Special attention was paid to the work of the Russian Intellectual Property Court (IPC). Ludmila Novoselova, the Chair of the Russian IP Court, spoke on the issue of developing practices and classification of cases reviewed by the court.

In their presentations, the speakers evaluated the changed occurred after IPCs had started to function, analyzed the trends observed in the development of legislative and regulatory compliance practices relating to establishment of specialized jurisdictions and reviewed the reasons driving countries to create such courts.

During the second session of the conference, What is so special about Specialised IP Jurisdictions? Dr. Hermann Deichfuss, a judge of the Federal Supreme Court (Germany), Ailsa Carter, Senior Associate PSL, Gowling WLG (UK), Peter Thomsen, Global Head IP Policy, Novartis (Switzerland), and Darya Ermolina, Counsel, Baker & McKenzie CIS (Russia), made their presentations on various topics relating to the problems covered by the conference.
As we see a surge in inflation globally, it is now critical that everyone is aware of the implications this will have along every step of the insurance and reinsurance value chain.
AB 32, California's signature anti-climate change legislation, was praised by environmentalists across the world when it passed in 2006. But as it has been implemented, its hue has gone from green to grey. And so too has its future dimmed.

Not Much Bang For the Buck: To assess AB 32's primary goal of reducing California's emissions, we need to assess the Golden State's emission reduction relative to the other 49 states, which have been slow to implement anti-climate change actions. Over the course of the last decade, California hasn't done much better at reducing emissions, but this data only incorporates two years of AB 32 being truly in action. But even looking at just 2012 and 2013, California still isn't performing much better than the rest of the country. In absolute terms, CO2 emissions increased in California by an average of 1.2% while they dropped by an average of 0.8% per year in the rest of the nation. On a per capita basis, we see a similar picture - increasing (0.2% on average per year) in California, but falling (1.3% on average per year) in the other 49 states. Only in terms of emissions per real GDP do we see California reduce its emissions in 2012 and 2013, but again, the rest of the nation still outperforms the Golden State (1.2% on average versus 2.0% on average). Meanwhile, California's all sector average electricity price is almost 1.5 times higher than the national average and regular gas prices are almost 1.3 times higher. AB 32 is definitely increasing energy prices, but isn't significantly reducing emissions.

Illegally Taxing the People of California: The 2006 law instructed the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to implement a market platform to reduce emissions to 1990-levels by 2020. The law doesn't mandate the use of cap-and-trade, nor does it mandate that the capping permits be sold at an auction. Both of these decisions were based on ARB investigations of the best approach to take under AB 32's guidance. The decisions the ARB has made, followed by appropriation actions by both the Governor and State Legislature, however, have put AB 32 into dangerous legal territory. Under California law, a tax or a fee can only be implemented with a two-thirds vote. AB 32 passed by a bare majority. But yet, the auction revenues - currently amounting to $7 billion - eerily reflect the definitions of both a tax and a fee. The auction permits are imposed by a government entity and the revenues are spent on government activities, i.e. the definition of tax; and the permit revenues are collected in exchange for a transaction, i.e. the definition of a fee. As I've laid out, it would appear that as currently implemented, AB 32 is violating the state's constitution.

More Slush than Green: Finally, one of the most glaring issues with AB 32 is how the auction revenues are being spent. The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) estimates that auction revenues could total as much as $45 billion by 2020. And the Governor and legislators are all too eager to spend it. Already 60% of the funds are appropriated, on a recurring basis, to the High Speed Rail, to affordable housing, and to intercity rail projects with the other 40% available for annual appropriation at the discretion of the State Legislature. But according to state law, these funds must reduce California's emission footprint; the problem, though, is that 1) the Governor and State Legislature have applied this stipulation very loosely and 2) there are no metrics in place to assess a program or project's effectiveness in reducing emissions. Take the High Speed Rail, for example. For one, as the project is being constructed it will increase emissions in the state. Two, the project isn't even slated to be completed until at least 2025, five years after AB 32's 2020 deadline. And third, it isn't even certain the project will reduce emissions once it's completed - if it's actually completed. More broadly, the LAO has determined that "there is significant uncertainty regarding the degree to which each investment proposed for funding with achieve [greenhouse gas] reduction."

Given its recent struggles, the fact that no other state has followed California's example, the legal uncertainty surrounding its implementation, whether its authority extends passed 2020, and what will be a growing cost to consumers, there is significant uncertainty whether AB 32 will live to see its deadline, let alone continue beyond 2020. Alternatives to AB 32 exist, but its remains to be seen if all the stakeholders can come together and settle on a more effective and efficient approach.
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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.
Amid the global economic turmoil, particularly in China, investors are turning to the real estate sector to safeguard their wealth. But Goldman Sachs has issued a warning against having an exposure to developers' stocks, saying that it is now time to pull back.

According to CNBC, the recommendation from the bank came as the country is having an oversupply of properties in the market. Goldman Sachs slashed its shares exposure to market-weight from overweight. It attributed the cut partly to the 14 percentage-point outperformance of the sector as against MSCI Index in the past year. In addition, as prices continue to soar particularly in China's major cities, the bank said the government's policies might not be as supportive of the property sector as before. This is as tier-one cities like Shenzhen and Shanghai have introduced some measures in a bid to cool down the real estate market. About 30 percent of the net asset value for the developers the bank covered consists of tier-one cities.

CNBC cited Reuters' report of a poll from the China Real Estate Index System (CREIS) saying that the value of homes in the country continues to soar despite the supply glut. Average house prices saw an increase of 9 percent in April compared with last year's figures.

Business Insider reported that Capital Economics analysts said that in Shenzhen, house prices rose by as much as 80 percent year-over-year while Shanghai recorded a 65 percent increase. House sales also climbed following the easing of restrictions on local purchases, as well as cutting mortgage costs. These surge in figures concern market players as the country seems to be in the middle of a housing bubble and is likely heading for a crash. Analysts say that the signals look similar to what happened to the United States right before the financial crisis.
For the first quarter of 2016, Chinese companies have spent $102 billion on overseas investments. According to report from the Wall Street Journal, this number surpassed the volume spent by China for 2015, which totaled $106 billion.

While much of the business is in mergers and acquisitions, especially in the agribusiness sector, Chinese purchases of real estate properties and/or interests have made a splash in the global real estate market. Amongst the purchases were the $13 billion spent for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. The total volume for the quarter had already surpassed $16 billion.

London was also a major venue for Chinese investments in real estate properties. In a report from Forbes.com, two major edifices in the London skyline were recently snapped up using funding from China. The buildings are the Aldgate Tower located in London, which was purchased for 346 million by a consortium formed between China Life Insurance and Brockfield Property Partners.

The other major property is the known 17 Columbus Courtyard located in the Canary Wharf development project. The property's new owners are Hainan Airlines Group, through its investment arm. Other notable investments include the Airport City development project located at the Royal Albert Docks with funding coming from China Minsheng Investment.

In Europe, the Unicredito headquarters in Milan, known as Palazzo Brogi, the Edificio Espanol in Madrid among others are now owned by Chinese companies such as the Fosun Group and Wanda Properties respectively.

In the United States, China has also infused its funding. Amongst the prime properties now under Chinese ownership were the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the General Motors Building, 717 Fifth Avenue, 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza and Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards.

Much of the push comes from China's own government. When Chinese Premiere Xi Jinping visited the UK in 2015, he announced a projected 42.6 billion infrastructure investment in commercial properties located around London City's airport.
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Classes are wrapping up, finals are being taken and students are reaching the light at the end of the academic tunnel, all tell-tale signs that another school year at the University of Georgia is coming to a close.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The forecast on the customs revenues to the state budget of Azerbaijan for the first four months of 2016 was exceeded by 23 percent, head of the State Customs Committee (SCC) of the country Aydin Aliyev told reporters.

"During the first four months of 2016, the customs authorities allocated more than 644 million manats to the state budget," he said. "Forecast of revenues has been fulfilled by 123 percent."

Aliyev expressed hope that the revenue forecast for 2016 will be completed successfully in total.

Overall, the forecast on customs revenues to the state budget of Azerbaijan is planned at 1.81 billion manats.

Revenues of Azerbaijan's state budget for 2016 were approved in the amount of 16.822 billion manats, expenses - 18.495 billion manats. The budget forecasts were formed on the basis of the oil price at $25 per barrel.
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By Ryan Sabalow

A Shasta County deputy district attorney who specializes in prosecuting DUI cases was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of drunken driving.

Sgt. Bill East of the California Highway Patrol said officers arrested Patricia Jean "PJ" Haley, 28, at 2:38 a.m. after an officer pulled her over on Argyle Road south of Hartnell Avenue in Redding on suspicion of a routine traffic violation.

East said the officer noticed Haley appeared to be driving under the influence and gave her a field sobriety test. She had a passenger in the car, he said.

Her breath registered a 0.10 blood alcohol level, East said. The legal limit for driving in California is 0.08. Haley was booked into the Shasta County jail on misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and released. Assistant District Attorney Daniel Flynn said he's overseeing an investigation into possible disciplinary action against Haley and couldn't comment.

Flynn said he would contact District Attorney Jerry Benito, who is on vacation, and relay the newspaper's request for comment.

Benito did not call back Wednesday.

A secretary in the District Attorney's office said Haley was off this week. Haley did not respond to an e-mail request for an interview. Haley's arrest comes at a time when the Shasta County District Attorney's Office and other area law enforcement agencies have stepped up their drunken driving enforcement efforts, with increased checkpoints, more officers and public DUI awareness campaigns.

In August, Shasta County supervisors accepted a $256,982 state grant to boost prosecutions of misdemeanor arrests for driving under the influence.

The money made it possible for Benito's office to hire an attorney to work full time on the cases.

The grant came after the city of Redding received money for two officers specializing in drunken-driving cases and as the county Superior Court is seeking a grant to set up a DUI court.

Benito said at the time the Office of Traffic Safety grant was awarded that it would help the county reduce alcohol-related traffic fatalities and injuries.

From 2003 to 2005, 43 people were killed in Shasta County in alcohol-related crashes.

Haley was admitted to the State Bar of California in December 2004 after graduating from the University of California at Davis and UCLA School of Law, according to bar records.

Reporter Ryan Sabalow can be reached at 225-8344 or at rsabalow@redding.com.
SHARE Bob Fitch Photograph Archive, Department of Special Collections, Stanford University Bob Fitch, who lived in Weed during the late 1970s, died Friday at his Watsonville home.

By Jim Schultz of the Redding Record Searchlight

A former Weed area man and acclaimed photojournalist who photographed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other black leaders during the civil rights era died Friday at his Monterey County home.

Bob De Witt Fitch was 76.

Fitch, a Los Angeles native and son of a minister whose life of photography and political activism was detailed in a lengthy New York Times obituary Wednesday, had lived in Watsonville since 2008.

But he also lived for a time outside Weed in Siskiyou County during the late 1970s.

Fitch moved to Weed after he had worked as a staff member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the 1960s, documenting the civil rights movement.

Among his favorite photographs was one taken by him in 1966 of a jubilant 100-year-old black man from Mississippi being hoisted by a cheering crowd after he had registered to vote for the first time in his life.

Fitch also closely followed Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union and one of his photographs was used in 2002 by the U.S. Postal Service to honor the late civil rights activist.

His photographs have been featured in books and Smithsonian Institution exhibits and he donated in 2014 his collection of about 275,000 images and negatives to Stanford University.

A memorial service is set for 2 p.m. on May 27 at the Peach United Church in Santa Cruz.
Candidates for three seats on the Shasta County Board of Supervisors participate at a forum Wednesday night at the Red Lion Hotel sponsored by the Redding Chamber of Commerce. From left to right: Steve Morgan, Janet Chandler, Pam Giacomini, Bill Schappell, Jerome Venus, Leonard Moty, Wally St. Clair, Walter Albert and Mary Rickert.

SHARE The audience at Wednesday night's forum listens to candidates express their views.

By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record Searchlight

Candidates vying for three Shasta County supervisor's seats met to discuss business in the region and other topics Wednesday at the Red Lion Hotel in Redding.

Hosting the candidates forum was the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce, which framed the forum around business, public safety and land use.

The six candidates and three incumbents discussed how the county fits into the equation of job growth, revamping the permitting process to building and develop in the county, and what the decisions surrounding the Blueprint for Public Safety mean for the city of Redding and the county. Candidates were limited to 2-minute responses to the questions.

Burney resident Janet Chandler presented herself as a District 3 candidate who would filter her decisions through the mandate of the U.S. Constitution.

Chandler felt the proposed half-cent sale tax measure for the city of Redding, which was placed on the Nov. 8 ballot by the City Council, would hurt small businesses.

Incumbent Pam Giacomini, and a majority of the candidates at the forum, agreed the recommendations laid out in the Blueprint report provided more good than bad for the county and city of Redding.

Candidate Mary Rickert sees the mental health and sobering center mentioned in the Blueprint report as important steps for the county seat, which she sees as a hub for health services in the county.

"But there needs to be follow up with those people with mental health issues who receive care at these centers," said Rickert.

Giacomini has two candidates challenging her for the supervisor's seat in District 3, including Chandler and Fall River Mills resident Rickert, along with write-in candidate Cathy Cresser of Oak Run, who was not invited to the forum.

One criticism of the night's questions came from audience member Charles Alexander, of Redding, who saw the answers given throughout the night as vague.

"As in previous years, there was a dearth of facts that could be checked. The candidates shared anecdotes, which are OK, but not something you can look up," said Alexander.

Moderator Jake Mangas, president of the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce, said the forum was the business community's chance to focus on issues that relate to the economy and how that relates to the region.

Questions were sent 24 hours in advance to the candidates. Some read from prepared statements when answering during the forum.

One issue that many felt passionately about was the permitting process in Shasta County.

"We need to permit people, not brick wall people," said Giacomini, who suggested that the county needs to not only focus on businesses, but also property owners who want to build on their land.

Incumbent Leonard Moty said the county would be looking closely at the department responsible for issuing permits in the county and the concept of permits seemed to stand in as a major barrier to job growth in the region.

Happy Valley resident Jerome Venus, challenging Moty for his supervisor's seat in District 2, paced behind the candidates as he answered questions about bringing jobs to the North State.

"We can grow cannabis in this county and bring more jobs here," Venus said. "Let's get real. Why can't we bring a hemp processing plant here? Let's exploit this thing."

Others on the forum, like Steve Morgan of Shasta Lake running for supervisor of District 4, felt a large workforce in manufacturing would be the key in stimulating the local economy, but maybe that model also includes insight from the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County.

"We've got every ingredient we need" to be a strong economy, said Morgan.

Wally St. Clair, challenging Bill Schappell for his seat in District 4, presented himself as someone with leadership skills, being the former manager of JC Penney in Redding.

"I'm a person who has vision, who can evaluate complex problems, a person who can listen and gather facts," said St. Clair.

While Walter Albert, also in the race for District 4, considers the push for tech industry as the most logical solution for the local economy, another goal for Albert is to bring a University of California to Redding.

"If we can work with the UC system to eliminate the barriers in place, we can petition Google and any of the other tech giants to bring a fiber circuit here," said Albert.

Schappell, Moty and Giacomini suggested their experience with the Board of Supervisors has shaped their outlook on the economy and they find all conversations with both state and local agencies, along with residents, the most important part of their job. But there is also a sense of humility and patience required, like when Moty suggested that a supervisor is only one person of a five-person board.

Schappell said: "Sometimes there are visions of grandeur. I had that going into this office. I thought we could do that. But what happens is you compromise your position with the state."
Joshua Edward Hoffman sits Wednesday in a Shasta County courtroom.

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Court hearing set for sex offender

A June 21 hearing date was set Wednesday in Shasta County Superior Court for a former Manzanita Elementary School fifth-grade teacher who was sentenced in 2009 to eight years in prison for molesting three of his former students.

That hearing for Joshua Edward Hoffman, 34, is part of an attempt by prosecutors to have him declared a sexually violent predator. If so declared, Hoffman could be committed to a state mental hospital, possibly for life.

In 2008, Hoffman was indicted by a Shasta County grand jury on 12 felony counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under 14 and faced possible life in prison had a jury convicted him on all counts. Instead, he agreed to a plea deal in late 2008 and later received a maximum eight-year prison sentence.

Hoffman's upcoming court hearing is part of the civil commitment process that may likely include a jury trial to determine whether he's a sexually violent predator.

Trio arrested in drug sales

Two brothers who police say have a lengthy criminal history were arrested on suspicion of drug charges after a search warrant was served in a north Redding mobile home park.

The arrests occurred Tuesday evening in the 980 block of Twin View Boulevard. The search warrant was issued after a four-month investigation, police said.

Eric Lewis, 42, was arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics for sale and maintaining a residence for drug use and sales. Brother Derrick Lewis, 42, was arrested on suspicion of maintaining a residence for drug use and sales.

Kim Hannah-Lewis, 44, also was arrested on suspicion of drug charges, including possessing methamphetamine for sale.

When officers arrived at the mobile home park, they said they saw Eric Lewis allegedly trying to sell drugs to several people. Police said Lewis tried to hide the drugs and was found to be in possession of several grams of heroin and methamphetamine.

Derrick Lewis and Kim Hannah-Lewis were contacted and detained inside a mobile home, police said.

All three have criminal histories dating back at least 14 years.

Eric Lewis has been arrested 30 times since 1998, Derrick Lewis has been arrested 44 times since 1992 and Kim Hannah-Lewis has been arrested 16 times since 2002, police said.

Police said the brothers were responsible for ongoing drug sales at the Redding Inn before the Shasta County District Attorney's Office filed a lawsuit against the downtown motel in part for alleged ongoing criminal activity.

MDA fundraiser aims to Fill the Boot

Firefighters with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Shasta County Fire Department will hold their annual Fill the Boot campaign Friday and Saturday to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The fundraiser will be noon to 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Mt. Shasta Mall in Redding.

The goal is to collect $55,000, according to Kevin Aday, leader of the Cal Fire-Shasta County Fire MDA team.

Minds Matter fair set for Saturday

Local bands and dancers will perform Saturday as part of the ninth annual Minds Matter Mental Health Resource Fair and Music Festival.

The event will be from noon to 6 p.m. at Library Park, 1552 Placer St., in Redding. The fair will feature more than 40 exhibitors sharing information on mental health services.

Bands scheduled to perform include Cold Sweat, One Sole and Together we BURN. The Dok Champa Redding Dancers will perform.

The event is being put on by the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency.
Dozens of birds were found dead in March along the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 near the Wonderland Boulevard exit north of Redding.

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By Damon Arthur of the Redding Record Searchlight

A state official has conducted necropsies on several starlings among about 100 birds found dead along Interstate 5 north of Redding.

Each of the three birds collected along the roadside suffered trauma that included broken bones, said Krysta Rogers, an environmental scientist and avian disease specialist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The birds had suffered such injuries as broken wings and sternums, Rogers said. They had the normal amount of muscle and body fat, indicating they were not suffering from a disease, she said.

"So what it looks like is they basically got hit by a car or truck or something," Rogers said.

"What we most commonly see in birds is ethanol poisoning," she said. The birds suffer ethanol poisoning after they eat berries that have fermented and basically get the birds drunk, which could cause them to become disoriented and collide with vehicles, she said.

But Rogers said there were no berries in the birds' digestive tracts.

The birds were first spotted March 26 along the northbound I-5 lanes near the Wonderland Boulevard exit in Mountain Gate. They were concentrated in an area about 75 feet long. Many of the birds were out of the traffic lanes, along the shoulder of the road.

Pete Figura, a fish and wildlife biologist, said in an earlier interview that because starlings fly in flocks they could have been killed by flying into passing vehicles.

Rogers said there was also nothing in the birds' digestive tracts to indicate they had been poisoned or had eaten bait with poison in it. There have been other instances where birds have been killed by flying into vehicles.

"Having a flock of birds die like this is not terribly uncommon," she said.

She said she is awaiting results from muscle and brain tissue tests that would indicate whether there were other toxins in the birds.

Jim Wiegand of Redding, who said he first saw the birds March 27, said he didn't believe the birds were killed by colliding with vehicles. Despite Rogers' tests, he said he felt the birds were killed by a poison called DRC-1339 (Starlicide), which was developed to target pest birds such as starlings.

He said he picked up some birds at the scene that did not have broken bones.
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Is Donald Trump the Republican Party's leading misogynist? Not this week.

That honor goes to California Rep. Duncan Hunter, who pressed forward a bill that would require women to register for a draft.

Don't be confused. A former Marine, Hunter doesn't think women can hack it in military combat. He's hoping that Americans will agree and start a fight that will play out in Congress.

A slim majority of his colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee saw things differently. They passed Hunter's interestingly titled Draft America's Daughters Act by a vote of 32 to 30. Six of his fellow Republicans broke ranks to support it. Duncan voted against it.

Women have already begun proving that they can make it through the elite training programs such as that of the Army Rangers. And, no, the physical standards weren't lowered.

Two days before the House committee voted, Capt. Kristen Griest was given the OK to transfer into the infantry ranks. She's one of three women who already completed the grueling training. Brig. Gen. Diana M. Holland commands West Point.

Women began flying combat missions in the mid-1990s. And the definition of a front-line soldier was blurred if not decimated by the realities of terrorism, IEDs and how ground forces operated in Iraq and Afghanistan. Women are already in harm's way and they are serving willingly, bravely.

In fact, 160 women died serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, according to The Washington Post's count.

In light of those female soldiers' deaths, it was sort of anticlimactic in January when Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced opening all combat roles to women, to begin this spring.

This directive hasn't been undertaken lightly. Each branch of the military has studied it, surveyed troops and come up with strategies to meet the sort of "hell, no, not while I'm peeing standing up" attitudes of people like Hunter.

It may surprise many Americans that we still have draft registration, as no American has been drafted since 1973. All men age 18-26 are required to register for selective service.

Because women were long excluded from applying for combat roles, they were also deemed not required to register. The U.S. Supreme Court decided this, arguing that it's not fair to expect women to register and then tell them they aren't eligible for most of the jobs.

However, that has been changing incrementally as more women are proving they can handle what men have always said we could not.

It should also be noted that the day after the House committee voted, two U.S. senators, Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, introduced the bipartisan Military Retaliation Prevention Act.

It's part of ongoing efforts to reform the military justice system to wipe out the retaliatory efforts of some men against female soldiers reporting sexual assaults. The bill is one of many necessary efforts to ensure that women can serve their country and also remain safe from those who are supposed to be on their side.

Rep. Hunter is banking on a strategy that's been thrown into the path of women for generations. It's the one that coos to women that they don't really want to be treated equally, that they don't really want to be afforded the same opportunities as men. He expects that women will shrink and run when actually confronted with the demands of combat.

"A draft is there to put bodies on the front lines to take the hill," he said. "The draft is there to get more people to rip the enemies' throats out and kill them."

Women are supposed to cower and cover their eyes at the thought of it all.

But the route to forming the strongest, best-functioning military we can build is not to exclude half of the population. The answer is to allow qualified men and women to serve in all roles.

This is how women make progress in society: in increments. Change by change, bravely standing up to opposition like the tiny grenade Hunter tried to toss out this week.

Mary Sanchez is an opinion-page columnist for The Kansas City Star. Readers may write to her at: Kansas City Star, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64108-1413, or via email at msanchez@kcstar.com.
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I would like to state both my support for the half-cent tax increase for public safety and my concerns about where it would be spent.

If my calculations are correct, it would allocate $6.1 million initially plus $2.14 million yearly for holding facilities. It would also allocate $4.2 million yearly for police positions.

In comparison, it allocates $375,000 plus $1 million yearly for mental health solutions, and $1.9 million yearly for firefighters.

That would be $6.5 million allocated yearly toward arrest and imprisonment, with $1 million for treatment of a factor that contributes to delinquency.

I understand that many of my fellow citizens are disturbed by the recent decrease in our perception of public safety. Certainly crime statistics are alarming. Therefore I understand the need to allocate more of the public's funds toward reversing this trend. I even admit that this recent increase in crime may be assuaged by an increase in uniforms, and subsequently, that arresting more people certainly means needing more space to store them. These actions will probably make the streets of Redding circa 2018 quieter at night.

However, the help that more police officers bring is not a permanent one. If anyone thinks it is, they are assuming that criminality has become more inherent. Instead of that, consider that the increase in crime is due to more subtle factors, chief among which is personified in poverty. The kind of crime that we're addressing here is not perpetuated by the so-called middle or upper classes. People in poverty receive and perceive little benefit from the law. On top of that fact, they are more desperate to make ends meet. We share motivations: providing for our family, feeling at ease with our circumstances, even affecting change on a systemic level. These are coping mechanisms to survive, feel happiness and strive toward something better. Toward these ends you and I deem it necessary to, respectively, work a well-paying job, drink a beer on our patios and attend city council meetings. In contrast, there are others for whom it seems necessary to: take through illicit means, use substances more regulated than beer and express their opinions in less formal ways.

These people for whom the established system holds little appeal and therefore operate outside of that system find themselves at odds with law enforcement. Increasing police patrols will aggravate this opposition. It may silence a certain population, and may quell a rise in recorded crime. But it will not address the problem. In addition to not being a kind solution, we risk becoming complacent when the visual manifestation of the underlying problems are tucked away.

Safety is not just about crime, it is about security  and that includes both physical and financial security.

It seems to me that the inclusion of homeless outreach in this budget is a token nod to the outspoken few who advocate for the rights of the homeless, a way to prove that their concerns are recognized. However, the role of the police is not to provide support services, and it is highly unlikely that they will. Health and Human Services is the more appropriate organization. It saddens me that many of my brothers and sisters feel as if they have done enough kindness and that force is the more mature remedy.

In sum, it would be taking a step in the wrong direction to allocate the funds collected by this tax to agents of force. Please consider that we more eagerly need money allocated to funds for social good, public resources, and the empowerment of our citizens if we are to truly remedy this situation and make all members of the public more safe.

Tyler Shuster lives in Redding.
It is strange that the wealthy evade taxes even though the marginal utility of the money saved amounts to little and tax rates in countries, including India, have dropped, points out A V Rajwade.

In general, individuals and companies desiring to avoid/evade taxes have created an extremely lucrative business area for global banks - and not only those based in Switzerland, which have become notorious for their secret numbered bank accounts.

In last weeks article, I had referred to the corporate mergers and acquisitions, which had no economic justification other than saving on taxes. Initiating such ideas with corporate managements and helping in their execution have proved to be an extremely lucrative business for global banks.

So has the business of helping non-corporate individual clients to evade taxes: A few years ago, Swiss banks alone paid $5.5 billion in fines to the US government to help US clients evade taxes.

In the last article, I also referred to the existence of a General Anti-Abuse Rule in the UK tax regulations that considers arrangements aimed only to avoid/reduce taxes as an abuse of the laws and regulations, and tantamount to evasion. Interestingly, many of the tax havens are British offshore territories.

To give one example, the Panama Papers referred to around 214,000 companies, half of which are domiciled in the British Virgin Islands: About half a million companies are registered there.

The true ownership is generally hidden through nominee directors, who get fees for their services. In short, there are a number of middlemen feeding on the gravy train: lawyers, chartered accountants, nominee directors, other professionals, and, of course, banks.

In the popular mind, the Swiss banking system is the one most closely identified with banking secrecy, money laundering and helping clients evade taxes. (To be sure, even banks such as HSBC which, at one time, advertised itself as the worlds local bank, has a Swiss subsidiary in which many Indians had accounts.)

One reason is the strict Swiss banking laws, which prohibit details of any bank account in Switzerland being disclosed. Interestingly, the basic rationale for the laws was laudable, when it was passed in 1934. At that time, the Nazis had come to power in next-door Germany and were persecuting Jews and confiscating their businesses.

The Jewish population of Germany found it easy to cross the porous border into Switzerland and deposit their money in Swiss bank accounts; banking secrecy laws were passed to protect the anonymity of such account holders. Later, of course, it became useful for citizens/residents around the globe to hide their wealth from the tax authorities.

Such services were not only lucrative by themselves but also benefited Swiss banks in another way: At least at one time, Swiss laws allowed deposits unclaimed for x years to be transferred to the banks profit and loss accounts. By their very nature and purpose, most account holders kept the details with themselves.

Once the original depositor expired, in too many cases, nobody even in his/her family knew about the account, let alone the details. Surely, the amount of unclaimed deposits would have been large and so would the credits to the profit and loss accounts of banks.

In recent years, Switzerland has moved away from its traditional culture of bank account secrecy: The authorities and the banks are cooperating with other countries to a much greater extent than was the case earlier.

The whole issue of tax evasion, particularly by individuals, leads to a more fundamental question: What does it say about the assumption of rational expectations on the part of all economic agents and the law of diminishing marginal utility, on which are based most of the mathematical models used in economics? (One example: the Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium model used by central banks to frame monetary policies is based on rational expectations of economic agents.)

One of the corollaries of the assumption of diminishing marginal utility is that when supply of a commodity goes up, its price/value falls; conversely, rising prices reduce demand.



This is broadly correct when the commodity is consumable. But is it equally true in the asset market? The rising price of a share (or currency) often attracts more buyers.

Tax evasion is a game only the wealthy play: Surely for them the marginal utility of the money saved through such activities is practically zero. Why do they still indulge in quasi-criminal activities, even at a time when tax rates in most countries have come down significantly from their levels 50 years ago, even in socialist India?



A V Rajwade is chairman, A V Rajwade & Co Pvt Ltd

Photograph: Courtesy, Wikimedia Commons
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Transportation of goods through the Azerbaijani-Georgian border will be greatly accelerated, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Ghulam Isaczai told reporters May 5.

Isaczai is taking part in a conference in Baku dedicated to the 'Support to the development of the Red Bridge Border Crossing Point between Azerbaijan and Georgia' project.

'Support to the development of the Red Bridge Border Crossing Point between Azerbaijan and Georgia' is a joint project of the UN Development Programme and State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan. The project worth $3 million will be financed by the EU.

The project is multifunctional, and one of its main goals is security on the border between Azerbaijan and Georgia, protection of the quality of goods, and the infrastructure of the border crossing point will be improved for that, Isaczai said.

In addition, special training of personnel will be conducted for customs officials of the two countries, he added.

He said that this project is very important both for Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as the European Union (EU).

This project will bring together the two countries with Europe, enabling them to further integrate into Europe, said Isaczai.



In turn, Head of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan Malena Mard told reporters that the project is planned to be completed within two years.



The EU has allocated 2.7 million euros for the project, of which 1.8 million euros have been allocated to Azerbaijan, Mard said, adding that she thinks this project is very important for the EU as well, since this corridor is part of the Silk Road through which goods are transported from Asia to Europe.
'It is at the root of all the reservation tussles, and the sharpening polarisation that we witness today, be it on Jat politics or the problems faced by Indians from the north-east in many places,' says Ambassador Kishan S Rana.

Many among us, or dare I say most, have ideas on what ails the Indian polity, and what ought to be done. We can sit around wringing our hands and narrating to one another the latest story heard on past misdeeds and current misgovernance.

In the housing complex where I live, we have an evening adda. Amidst the retelling of bad, ancient jokes and juicy rumours, we sometimes also speak of real issues. Profiting from such interchange, let me offer a personal list, after winnowing out the whimsical and the unattainable.

Is the idea of cooperative governance, in which governing coalitions and opposing parties actually join in tackling real issues, truly beyond our ken?

This sounds like a pipe dream in our fractured times of intense polarisation over every issue, some even inconceivable. But why not think of a few possibilities?

First, it must have been in 1996 that a lunch conversation with an editor led to an article I wrote on the German constitutional method. In that country -- which bears an uncanny resemblance to India on several basics -- after every election, federal or state, the first task of the new government is to win a vote of confidence from its legislative body.

Thereafter, they can be overthrown only if another rival political formation wins its own vote of confidence in that same body.

What this 'positive confidence vote' ensures, in replacing a UK-style 'vote of no confidence', is to add to stability, removing aya-ram-gaya-ram horse-trading to pull down governments, without replacing them with more credible ones.

Is this possible in India? Perhaps. To ensure that a ruling regime does not gain undue advantage, any Constitutional change in India might mandate also that the new formula will only go into force after the next national election. Can we consider this further?

Second, the German Upper House (the Bundesrat) is composed of the ministers-president of the 19 Landers (states); one to three ministers accompany each of them at this Upper House, as per the size of the state. That makes it truly a 'house of states.'

Such a formula held little attraction for our founding fathers, concerned as they were with preserving the unity of India, which could not be taken for granted in those early Independence years. And today, such profound change is impossible. But one can wistfully think of what such a transformation in Centre-state relations might have meant for India.

Just think: Germany has no state governors, nor any Article 356. Then, what holds the country together in the face vicissitudes of domestic politics? Simply the system itself.

The country's self-governing process is well understood by all; it works effectively, with a constitutional court as an arbitrator.

What we ought to welcome is that Narendra Modi empathises with the state perspective. His 'cooperative and competitive federalism' is indeed the leit motif of our times. We need to shift more powers to the states.

Third, indirectly connected with the above is a notion of a 'national coalition' government, in which major political parties join hands. Is this unthinkable in India? Perhaps. Only a national existential crisis might create conditions for such massive rethinking on governance.

But if we posit ourselves in the context of the huge challenge that India currently faces, and the unprecedented cusp of opportunity that confronts us now, captured well in T N Ninan's Turn of the Tortoise and other recent books, might this be re-thought?

A year, or even two years before national elections, this would be unrealistic, but right now, close to the end of the second year of the Modi government, such momentous change is worth contemplation.

If politics is the art of the possible, should we not at least examine the advantages of such a national coalition government? For one thing, it would place on notice the fractious, fragmentary groups whose noise output exceeds their real and potential contribution to national affairs. Is that a thought worthy of study?

Finally, job creation is the greatest of India's challenges today. It is at the root of all the reservation tussles, and the sharpening polarisation that we witness today, be it on Jat politics or the problems faced by Indians from the north-east in many places. That connects with our flawed school education system, and the unemployability of up to 80 per cent of engineering graduates, to give just one example.

It is also the greatest rationale for a national government, even though most of us notice only the visible one-tenth of this looming iceberg. This is an existential problem that will turn our vaunted 'demographic dividend' to naught, when burgeoning ranks of the youth, whose numbers will continue to expand all the way till 2030, when the demographic transition will kick into its next phase, then beginning to reduce these numbers.

This has happened in China since 2012; the key determinant is a fall in the national total fertility rate to below the replacement level of 2.1 per woman, and the consequent rise in the 'dependency ratio' -- the numbers of working people as against the dependents.

True, the Indian growth numbers today are better than for several years in the past. One example: FDI inflow in 2015 reached an unprecedented $67 billion. But the development challenge remains daunting.

Did you say none of this is feasible? OK, then back to the adda.

The other day a high official announced that by 2032 India would be a $10 trillion economy, against today's $2 trillion. Most of us are fed up of nostrums from politicians and sundry bureaucrats on what India can become, at some dim future date.

Why not speak of what has actually been done, and what actually is in the delivery process?

When people of this ilk speak of distant goals, they know that no one will remember their lofty promises, and they will not be around to be held to account.

Does anyone tell these soothsayers that such smoke-and-mirrors are just that?

Ambassador Kishan S Rana IFS 1965 has served as India's ambassador to Germany, He is currently an Honorary Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi.

Image published only for representational purposes.
The civil aviation ministry has decided to stick to its original proposal of auctioning international flying rights out of major Indian airports to foreign carriers, despite stiff opposition from incumbent airlines.

The proposal got the backing of the ministry of external affairs during inter-ministerial consultations over the draft civil aviation policy.

We've decided to retain the original proposal of auctioning rights.

"We have not faced any opposition over it from the MEA," said a top aviation ministry official.

Major airlines, including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways and Go Air, through the Federation of Indian Airlines had severely opposed the proposal saying it is akin to handing over the sovereign rights of a nation.

FIA told the ministry: The proposal to auction seats to countries within 5,000 km is also impractical, untenable and unworkable as bilateral rights are sovereign rights of the country, to be utilised by the designated carriers of that country only. They are not purposed to generate transaction values with foreign carriers.

However, the aviation ministry is of the view that there is a mismatch between demand and supply in some routes as Indian carriers are not utilising their seats properly.

If there is passenger demand, it is the governments duty to make the seats available, said another official in the aviation ministry.

According to procedure, the policy, after being drafted by the ministry, is sent for inter-ministerial consultations, following which it is sent to the Cabinet for approval.

The suggestions from other ministries have come and we will be sending it to the Cabinet in 10 days, Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey told Business Standard.

The government announced giving foreign airlines traffic rights to key destinations within seven hours of flying away from India (Gulf region, West Asia and southeast Asia) through auction as one of the ways.

At present, countries sign an agreement to decide the flights or seats per week that can fly into each other's country.

In its initial draft policy released in October 2015, the civil aviation ministry proposed: For short-haul countries partly or fully within 5,000-km radius, where domestic airlines have not fully utilised their quota, additional seats above existing bilateral rights would be allotted by bidding out these rights for a three-year period, without requiring reciprocity, the proceeds of which will go to Regional Connectivity Fund.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Major airlines, including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways and Go Air, through the lobby group Federation of Indian Airlines had severely opposed the proposal

They have said such a proposal is akin to handing over the sovereign rights of a nation

The civil aviation ministry is of the view that there is a mismatch between demand and supply in some routes as the Indian carriers are not utilising their seats properly

According to procedure, the policy, after being drafted by the ministry, is sent for inter-ministerial consultations, following which it is sent to the Cabinet for approval

The image is used for representational purpose only. Photograph: Reuters
Paramount Airlines had started its operations in 2005 and was flying to southern and eastern parts of India before it wound up 2010.

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday registered a case of forgery and cheating against the promoter of Paramount Airways M Thiagarajan for allegedly defrauding and diverting loan taken from banks to his off shore accounts.

After registering the case with the designated CBI court, the agency sleuths carried out searches at seven locations in Chennai and Madurai including the office and residence of Thiagarajan.

In the FIR registered under various sections of Indian Penal Code relating to cheating and forgery, the CBI alleged that the promoter of the airlines had disposed of or sold hypothecated movable and fixed assets without the knowledge or permission of the banks which had extended credit to the company against those.

The CBI alleged that the proceeds were thereafter misappropriated by the promoters of the company.

CBI claimed that Thiagarajan and his company "regularly siphoned off large amounts of money by transferring the same to the accounts of offshore firms incorporated abroad and showing the same as payment towards Lease Rental-Engine access" between April 2008 and October 2010.

It is also alleged that the accused "induced" the Director General Civil Aviation to issue No-Objection Certificate for scheduled operators permit by submitting false and fabricated information about the eligibility criteria.

The CBI alleged that the accused had also opened an off shore account in British Virgin Island in the name of a company which was headquartered in Singapore to which he diverted the money received as loans from SBI, Andhra Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and Bank of India between April 2008 and October 2010.

When contacted, Thiagarajan told PTI that the allegations levelled by the CBI were "absurd" and that his company would come out clean.

"I have submitted all the documents to the CBI and they can go through it. I am quite confident that once they go through the documents submitted, all the questions will be answered," he said.

Paramount Airlines had started its operations in 2005 and was flying to southern and eastern parts of India before it wound up 2010.

The company had submitted a plan to re-start operations with six ATR aircraft in 2013 but the banks wrote to the DGCA asking the aviation regulator not to allow the carrier to re-launch its services before clearing the dues.
The government scheme has a long way to go before its ultimate goals of universal financial inclusion and financial literacy are achieved, says Sumita Kale.

The previous article set out the paradigm shift in financial inclusion in India through the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY): Progress in inclusion has now gone beyond just the number of accounts and agents; there is more data available transparently online to be verified by analysts; not just no-frills basic savings accounts, the mission is also linking government benefits, insurance, pension and overdraft facility for the poor and the unbanked; the massive campaign in the initial phase of PMJDY did more to raise awareness among the masses on banking services, etc.



MicroSave conducted three survey rounds of PMJDY over a year, and while the two main negative results grabbed headlines recently, this piece aims to give a more complete picture - the good, the bad and the ugly.



The first two waves of the assessment in December 2014 and July 2015 were dipstick studies; the third wave in December 2015 was a more in-depth nationally representative survey. Thus, strictly speaking, inter-wave comparisons are indicative.

First, availability of agents at their locations has been high and increased from 89 per cent in wave I to 97per cent in wave III.

The easy traceability and high availability of Bank Mitras (BM) itself is a significant improvement from the pre-PMJDY era, where the agent network had grown pushed by mandate, with little monitoring.

Transaction readiness of agents has increased from 48 per cent in wave I to 79 per cent in wave III, which means their ability to service customer needs has increased substantially.

Income earned by agents and banks has improved: Initially, a large share of income came from commissions on new accounts; now transaction numbers and volumes are driving earnings.

There is a perceptible shift in the savings behaviour, with the share of those not saving at all falling from 12 per cent in wave II to eight per cent in wave III.

Another highlight has been high female participation: For every three PMJDY customers who opened a bank account for the first time, one was a female customer.

On the negative side, there are two main issues: one, a rise in the level of dormancy of agents and two, a reduction in the number of first-time accounts.

Agent dormancy among interviewed BMs increased from 8.4 per cent in wave I to 11 per cent in wave III.

As is normal in India, there are high interstate disparities, yet pleasantly, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar stand out in the top three, with the lowest rate of three to four per cent dormancy.

Most agents reported inadequate commissions as the main reason to quit.

Interestingly, dormancy in accounts has steadily fallen, from 43 per cent to 28 per cent in 2015.

The levels confirm the share of zero-balance accounts, as reported in the PMJDY database.

The rising trend of multiple accounts has hit the headlines already: In wave III, 67 per cent of customers reported that PMJDY was their first formal financial account, compared to 86 per cent in the first two rounds. Yet, almost all those with multiple accounts reported active use of their alternate accounts, so they were not financially excluded.

More BMs are now reporting difficulty in finding someone without an account in the village.

So while the rising number of multiple accounts does need attention, there is no doubt that since its launch in August 2014 the PMJDY has succeeded in bringing in a large number of the previously unbanked into the formal banking system.

The survey has exposed numerous operational difficulties that need to be addressed.

For instance, 14 per cent of customers who came to the BMs were unable to open a PMJDY account, with reasons such as "incomplete account opening form" and rejection of documents by bank branches.

There are significant challenges with delivery and activation of RuPay cards and BMs report problems of connectivity for making transactions.

There is still low awareness regarding insurance and pension schemes and lack of clarity on overdraft eligibility. Commissions on government benefits are not sufficient and often not paid regularly.

So, though monthly average incomes have increased to lie between Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000, depending on the type of business, this is still much less than the BMs' expectation of Rs 13,000.

There are enough details in MicroSave's report for much richer analysis of the progress under the PMJDY.

Since what is measured is achieved, the main positive change in driving inclusion is that the PMJDY has gone beyond targeting just the number of accounts and agents to detailed monitoring at a granular level.

Such monitoring will naturally reveal all the glitches that need to be addressed.

The ultimate aims of universal financial inclusion and a financially literate population are a long way away, yet when in terms of raising awareness and providing access to the full suite of financial services in rural India, the PMJDY has already made large strides on the right path.

The author is with the Indicus Centre for Financial Inclusion.
New train services from Agartala to Delhi and Kolkata will be introduced after May 20 this month, an official said in New Delhi on Thursday.

"The state government was informed by the railways authority that super fast trains from Agartala to Kolkata and Delhi would be introduced within this month after May 20," State Transport Secretary Samarjit Bhowmick told reporters in New Delhi.

Agartala found a place in the broad gauge railway map in March this year.

"Two major hurdles for introducing the super fast trains are maintenance facility of the trains and a recent landslide on Haflong-Badarpur railway track in Assam.

Works are on to clear the debris on Haflong-Badarpur railway track and Northern railways were asked to provide maintenance facility to the trains to be stationed at Agartala railway station," he said.

Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had also informed two members of Parliament from Tripura -- Jitendra Chowdhury and Sankar Prasad Dutta on Wednesday in Delhi that the model code of conduct for the Assembly elections in Assam and the ongoing Parliament session had come in the way of introducing new train service from Agartala, but the services would be launched after May 20.

Image: Labourers work at the installation site of a new railway track on the outskirts of Agartala, capital of India's northeastern state of Tripura. Photograph: Reuters
India has a major share in cutting and polishing of diamonds, with 90% of global work

The Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange, worlds first and only commodity exchange trading in physically settled diamonds, is going live from Thursday.

This could change the way diamonds are traded.

At present, trading is done after viewing diamonds and usually one on one.

Once the exchange picks up, it will be portal-based and with transparent pricing.

This could also bring investors into diamonds.

India has a major share in cutting and polishing of diamonds, with 90 per cent of the global work.

Several diamond processors and exporters have taken membership of the Singapore exchange.

One of them explained, SDiX offers a platform to trade diamonds electronically on a price/time priority in a continuous market and buyers can place indicative price bids by diamond category.

All stones traded on SDiX are Gemological Institute of America (GIA)-graded and buyers of single stones can examine certifications directly through the platform.

Custodial services are by Malca-Amit, a global wealth management logistics company.

The benefit of graded diamonds makes these reliable and pricing would be transparent.

Investors not conversant with the product would find it interesting when it is graded and certified, apart from transparent pricing.

Richcomm Global Services, a Dubai-based international commodity services company and leading independent broker and clearing member of the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange, has been approved as a pioneer member of the SDiX to offer clients the opportunity to invest in diamonds as an asset class.

The exchanges website said the Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange has been established to provide the only transparent price discovery mechanism for the global diamond trade, giving banks, financial entities and investors a benchmark price.

The exchange is supported by a fully integrated system, including a depository that enables physical settlement and a global network of partners focused on grading, vaulting, settlement and logistics.

SDiX is backed by leading global investors, including Vertex Venture Holdings, one of the longest operating venture capital firms in Asia and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, Singapores sovereign wealth fund.

Last year, Latika Kundu, chief operating officer of SDIX, had told this newspaper: "We conservatively estimate that in the first year (2016), the turnover would be $250 million, which will include basket lots and single diamonds."

And, that the target was to double that figure in 2017.

"Two years down the line, SDIX plans to launch forward trading and futures trading in diamonds," she had said.

The process will be such that a seller will have to deposit diamonds according to standardised lots, after being graded and certified by the GIA, in dedicated physical vaults -- one operated by Malca-Amit in Singapore and the second one operated by Malca-Amit within the Bharat Diamond Bourse at Mumbai.

Brokers will have to keep security deposits, based on which their trading limits will be decided.

They will also have to collect money from buyers and deposit it with the exchange.

Trade will be settled in a T+3 cycle (three business days after the transaction date).

The image is used for representational purpose only. Photograph: Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters
The top posts on social media from your favourite Bollywood celebrities:

Deepika Padukone, who is working on the Vin Diesel-starrer xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, took some time off to visit New York.

Her makeup artist Hung Vanngo shared a picture, above, and wrote: Beauty.





He shared another photograph, above, and captioned it, Looking flawless like this at 6AM should be illegal @deepikapadukone.

***

Like the latest poster of TE3N?

The trailer of Ribhu Dasguptas thriller TE3N has been released.

Producer Sujoy Ghosh shared the latest poster, above, and tweeted: look look.. one more poster of TE3N .. my 6 is your 9.

The film, which stars Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, will release on June 27.

***

Ranbir hangs out with Sanjay Dutt's kids

Ranbir Kapoor, who is getting ready for the Sanjay Dutt biopic, recently spent time the latter's kids, Iqra and Shahraan.

Dutt's wife Maanyata shared the picture, above, on her Instagram account.

The biopic will be directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

***

Kajal Aggarwal joins Twitter

Kajal Aggarwal is the latest celebrity to join social networking site Twitter.

She shared the poster of her upcoming Telugu film Brahmotsavam, above, and wrote: Big HELLO to the Twitter family! Starting off with a brand new poster from #Brahmotsavam #MyFirstTweet

The film, which also stars Mahesh Babu and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, will release on May 27.

***

Madhavan dines with Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra

Shilpa Shetty recently organised a get-together for friends at her Mumbai residence.

She shared a picture, above, and wrote: Too much fun! @rajcheerfull n @ActorMadhavan have perfected the "selfie"! Have no idea how we all fit! #selfie #dinnerwithfriends #funnight #laughs #foodcoma

She shared another photograph, above, and captioned it, Friends over, all Indian menu with a twist. Ever heard of Rajma chawal with taco crisps and frozen litchis with Rabdi #foodcoma #dinnerwithfriends #unusual #innovative #menu.
'South Asian studies' academics in the US would do well to introspect how they wittingly or unwittingly become part of Pakistan's proxy war in wielding influence over academics and policy, says Sankrant Sanu.

In the early 2000s I tracked the activities of an organisation called the Kashmir American Council, started by Ghulam Nabi Fai. KAC conferences regularly included prominent Indian Leftists in the US such as Angana Chatterji who would excoriate India for 'human rights violations' in Kashmir.

According to The Atlantic (external link), Chatterji was among 20 special guests that Fai flew, all expenses paid, to a five-star conference in Uruguay about 'human rights' in Kashmir.

Later Fai was exposed as being a front for Pakistan's spy agency and pleaded guilty (external link) to receiving millions of dollars of illicit ISI funding for his US lobbying efforts.

While Chatterji and others denied knowing about Fai's ISI links, the issues that the Fai episode raised go beyond that. Of concern remains the fact that the anti-India work of certain scholars neatly aligns with Pakistan's advocacy agendas, whether or not direct funding from Pakistan is being received.

Another Indian-origin 'radical' academic Kamala Visweswaran has been leading the fight to erase references to India (external link), and replace these with 'South Asia' from textbooks in California.

How does this relate, if at all, to the issues raised by the Fai episode? For this we have to look at two aspects. One, at the goals of Pakistan's multi-million dollar advocacy campaigns in the US, and two, how the work of some Indian Marxist academics in 'South Asian studies', whether by accident or by design, actively support those goals.

Unlike India, Pakistan is a client State that is heavily dependent on funding, particularly from the US, for its defence needs. It also is, as C Christine Fair points out, a revisionist State (external link), one that seeks to change the status quo in Kashmir.

As a revisionist State it is hampered in its goals by the fact that India is much bigger -- economically, militarily and geographically -- than Pakistan. Thus it sees influencing government and academia in the US as critical to both a continuing flow of funds as well as leverage over India while such influence is of relatively lower importance for the Indian State.

Practically, Pakistan's goals in influencing public opinions, particularly in think-tanks and academia include 1. continued hyphenation of the India-Pakistan relationship with Kashmir as the outstanding issue needing resolution; 2. to project Indian Kashmir as 'occupied territory' and highlight 'human rights' issues there while keeping its occupation and abuses in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan out of the discourse; 3. hurt India's soft power and rising economic power that it sees as a threat to its territorial ambitions; 4. keep the independence movement in Balochistan and its widespread human rights abuses there out of view; 5. create a narrative of India as a source of terrorism to counter the well-documented reality of Pakistan's support for 'non-State' terrorist actors; and finally, 6. promote a 'there was no India' narrative to help in a goal to create a 'national history that seeks to claim Pakistan's pre-Islamic past in an attempt to compete with India's historic antiquity' (Ayesha Jalal, Conjuring Pakistan: History as Official Imagining, International Journal of Middle East Studies, 27, (1995), 73 to 89, here (external link).

Given this, Visweswaran's work can be seen as an example of the confluence of some South Asian academics' work and activism with the Pakistani establishment goals. This individual confluence may well be coincidental, and our idea is not to single out Visweswaran as an individual but use her work as an illustration of a larger malaise, of the rot in 'South Asian' academics and throw light on other academic signatories of these petitions.

Visweswaran is the queen of petitions, a petitionista par excellence. In February 2016, she petitioned for the erasure of references to India in California textbooks, to be replaced by 'South Asia.'

Earlier, in 2015, she was part of the petition urging Silicon Valley companies to boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit and to not work with India (external link). She was part of earlier petitions to prevent Modi as Gujarat's chief minister to come to the US.

Visweswaran has also been actively involved with FOIL (Forum of Inquilabi Leftists) and the related FOSA (Forum of South Asia), self-described 'radical activist' organisations whose members support various violent insurgencies in India, including those by ultra-left 'Maoists.'

Interestingly, the Fai-linked Angana Chatterji has also been active in these two radical left organisations.

Saying this is not to mean that Visweswaran is funded by the ISI nor are we even implying it. But we do point out that her positions have been consistently aligned with the goals of the Pakistan establishment we laid our earlier.

Her petitions against Silicon Valley's economic collaboration with India attack India's economic interests.

Her California textbooks petition, for instance, reveals explicit awareness of the Pakistani agenda. The proposed edits suggest multiple insertions of the term 'Pakistan', and the agenda of replacing India with 'South Asia' is stated at the outset.

This is an ahistorical stance, since variations of the term 'India' have been vogue to refer to this region from before the time of the Greek traveller Megasthenes' work Indica in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC while both 'Pakistan' and 'South Asia' are 20th century creations with no historic precedence.

If it is argued that the boundaries of modern India are somewhat reduced, it's worth a mention that the term 'India' also referred to present-day Bangladesh, but Visweswaran's recommendations do not include a single reference to that term.

The Mauryan empire, for instance, had its capital in modern-day Bihar and included most of present-day Bangladesh. Yet, even when referring to the Mauryan empire, Visweswaran does not bring up Bangladesh, keeping a persistent focus towards the inclusion of the term Pakistan.

Visweswaran's proposed edits (external link) claim to be countering changes by imagined 'Hindu nationalists' in the US.

Commenting on a previous set of changes, the document states: 'Indeed, apparently responding to pressure from Hindu nationalist and community organisations, several deleterious changes have been made... '

What drives these changes? To understand Visweswaran's motivations there are also possibilities of sympathies beyond links to Pakistan. For instance, in a passage dealing with the most significant event in the US in the 21st century, the bombing of the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, Visweswaran recommends the following change:

'On p. 498 we recommend that the sentences, "Anti-Western violence perpetrated by the followers of a fundamentalist version of Islam has contributed to the appearance of deep conflict between the Islamic and Western worlds, especially since 9/11. Students should learn about the roots of modern Islamic extremism by reading a variety of sources from Egyptian writers and the Muslim Brotherhood," for example be changed to, "Anti-Western violence has contributed to the appearance of deep conflict between the West and other parts of the world. Students should learn about the roots of modern religious extremism by reading a variety of sources from Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist nationalist texts."

So, 9/11 must be erased and the 'appearance of deep conflict between the Islamic and Western worlds' must somehow allude to 'Hindu and Buddhist texts'!

While Visweswaran repeatedly points out others' motivations in the proposed textbook edits, she appears completely oblivious to documented advocacy by the Pakistani establishment in the US.

'South Asian studies' academics would do well to introspect how they wittingly or unwittingly become part of Pakistan's proxy war in wielding influence over academics and policy in the United States.

IMAGE: A city settlement of the Indus Valley civilisation at Mohenjodaro in what is today Pakistan. Photograph: Kind courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Sankrant Sanu is a former Microsoft manager and an IITian. The views expressed are personal.
'The Modi government has turned the basic fundamentals of its Pakistan policy on its head.'

'It means an admission that its hands-off-Hurriyat policy was flawed and it is ready to engage with Pakistan without minding if the Kashmiri separatists spoke to the Pakistani government,' says Rajeev Sharma.



The Narendra Modi government's Pakistan policy is much like the Russian Matryoshka doll, a set of multiple wooden dolls of decreasing sizes that all fit inside of each other, one by one, each splitting in half at the mid section and opens to reveal another smaller doll nested within till you reach the smallest one with nothing nested in it.

The Matryoshka doll analogy is apt to describe the latest U-turn made by the Indian government in context of Kashmiri separatists which had triggered the first setback for the short lived India-Pakistan bonhomie in August 2014. At that time, the government had unilaterally cancelled the foreign secretary-level talks days before these were to take place in Islamabad.

The sole reason for the Modi government's hard stand was that the Pakistani envoy in New Delhi had met Hurriyat leaders. Its one-line blunt message to Islamabad was that either you talk to them or to us.

This was seen as the new Modi-Doval (National Security Advisor Ajit Doval) doctrine and suddenly India had a new template for holding peace talks with Pakistan. The architects of this new template were Modi and his high profile NSA.

Last week on April 28, this template was blown into smithereens by Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh and that too in a written reply to an unstarred question in Parliament. This is how General Singh, a retired army chief, responded to a question from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Rajya Sabha member Paul Manoj Pandian: 'Since the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India and these so-called Kashmiri "leaders" are Indian citizens, there is no bar on their meetings with representatives of any country in India.'

'However, India has consistently maintained that there is no role for a third party in the bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan as per the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. India's displeasure at Pakistan's attempts to interfere in India's internal affairs has been repeatedly conveyed to Pakistan.'

Clearly, the most important part of the minister's statement was this one single sentence: 'Since the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India and these so-called Kashmiri "leaders" are Indian citizens, there is no bar on their meetings with representatives of any country in India.'

With this, the Modi government has turned the basic fundamentals of its own Pakistan policy on their head. It means an admission that its hands-off-Hurriyat policy was flawed and it is ready to engage with Pakistan without minding if the Kashmiri separatists continued to talk to the Pakistani government like they used to do during the United Progressive Alliance rule and even during the previous National Democratic Alliance government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

This can be interpreted in only two ways, both contradictory to one another. One, the Modi government is large-hearted as well as broad-minded to recognise its mistake and was willing to make amends.

Two, the Modi government is confused and its Pakistan's policy is confusing and nebulous and, in essence, the Modi government is no different from the previous governments.



It is a typical half-glass-full or half-glass-empty kind of a scenario and it is up to the beholder how s/he judges the Modi government's Pakistan policy -- whether as a visionary policy or as a complete disaster.

It will be difficult for the Modi government to convince even its best friends and well-wishers that the latest policy from the government's stables is a visionary step and not a fool's midsummer night dream.

After all, the Modi government is back to square one. Either it was right when it adopted a 'talk to them or us' policy or it is right now. It can't be right on both occasions!



This brings us back to the Matryoshka doll analogy. The doll has fascinated and intrigued people from different cultures for long. It is also looked at as a metaphysical symbol, a symbol of fertility and a celebration of womanhood and motherhood.

But a Matryoshka doll is also like the peeling of an onion. You go on peeling an onion till nothing is left.

Isn't the Modi government's latest U-turn on the Hurriyat issue like the peeling of an onion? You go on peeling till nothing remains.

Rajeev Sharma is an independent journalist and strategic analyst who tweets @Kishkindha

IMAGE: Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Geelani with Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit in New Delhi.
'Kerala society is more advanced than any other society in India. Everybody is more aware of the laws and how to proceed against the accused.'

'So, you cannot blame Kerala based on the crime records,' state home minister Ramesh Chennithala tells Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com in an exclusive interview.

A gruesome rape and the brutal murder of a woman was the last thing a government would want in the last leg of the elections.

Ramesh Chennithala, Kerala's home minister, is bravely facing the issue and continuing to campaign from morning till night.

In the middle of his campaign tour, he spoke to Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com about the rape and murder of a 30-year-law student.

Did not the government machinery fail in providing security to women? A woman has been brutally raped and murdered near Perumbavur.

How do you expect the government machinery to give protection to a woman sitting inside her home? Do you think the police can go inside each house and see how things are?

You must understand that this is an isolated incident, and you cannot generalise. Our police are doing whatever they can to solve the case without any delay.

But the criticism is that earlier the mother had complained about some people harassing her daughter, but the police refused to help her.

She did not complain about any harassment; it was something else -- some quarrel -- and the police had called both parties and had settled the issue. It had nothing to do with the rape that happened.

As per the National Crime Records bureau, crime against women in Kerala is much above the national average and six times more than neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

The numbers are high only because they are recorded in Kerala unlike other states including Tamil Nadu. Here, because of the general awareness and high literacy, people file a report even if it i;s a minor offence.

If you look at the general crime rate also, it will be more in Kerala, and that is not because there is more crime committed here. It's only because people register an FIR (First Information Report) against every crime while in other states even some of the heinous crimes are not recorded.

Kerala society is more advanced than any other society in India. Everybody is more aware of the laws and how to proceed against the accused. So you cannot blame Kerala based on the crime records.

Kerala is the first state that started a Nirbhaya Cell to help women. Now an incident as outrageous as the Nirbhaya case has happened here.

You must understand that what has happened now is not because the police did not act; it is because of society. We are taking efforts to equip even young girls to face adverse situations.

Kerala is the first state that started many positive schemes like the She-Taxi to help women.

Despite taking so many efforts, it is true that society has not changed much and a lot of atrocities are being committed against women.

Kerala is highly literate and advanced, but after six pm, women cannot go out on the streets. Is it not a sad state of affairs?

I don't think there is any such problem in Kerala.

Yes, there has to be a change in society so that women feel more safe.

What is urgently needed is to make men understand the need to treat women with more respect and as human beings so that they feel safe.

A lot of social changes have taken place in our society and women are making their presence felt in every field. When they have to be out in the open all the time, society has to rise and accept these changes.

Deploying police everywhere will not solve the problem; creating awareness is what is needed.

Soon after the Perumbavur rape and murder, an incident similar to that has been reported from Varkala. As the home minister of the state, are you worried?

What happened at Varkala was not a gang rape. I am told that the girl voluntarily went with those men, and now she is saying she was subjected to gang rape. Anyway, we will catch the culprits soon.

Do you feel such incidents are being politicised now, especially because it is election time?

Yes, it is unfortunate that a brutal incident like this has been politicised by the Opposition in Kerala. What they are doing is cruel and wrong.

This is the time everybody should unite to fight against such criminals. Instead, they are trying to take political mileage out of it. They should not have mixed politics in such a sensitive issue.

Yesterday (May 3) when I went to see her mother, I was not allowed to meet her. The CPI-M people showed black flags and stopped me. I came back without meeting her as I didn't want any lathi charge there. They are using this as an election issue, which is very unfortunate.

What they are doing is morally wrong. They should understand that this is the time for all of us to stand together and fight against such crimes.

Do you think this will affect the UDF (United Democratic Front) adversely in the assembly election?

I don't think this is going to affect us. People of Kerala know what we have done and they are aware of the truth behind an incident like this.

After the Nirbhaya case, no case has shocked the nation like that of this woman because of the brutality involved. Don't you think this is going to be a black mark on Kerala itself?

Definitely. This is a black mark on the entire society.

We are trying our best to arrest the culprit and bring him before the law. It is our duty to see that he or they get maximum punishment.

You are campaigning now. If a woman asks you whether you can provide security to her, what will be your answer?

We have taken very strong action against crimes like these so that they don't occur again.

It was the CPI-M that protested against capital punishment. They saw to it that the man was not hanged. But look at the double standards of the CPI-M. Now that it is election time, they have changed their stance. I would say what they are doing is wrong.

If a man was hanged for raping a girl, it would have acted as a deterrent and incidents like these would not have happened.

If criminals realised that death would be what awaited them if they committed crimes against women, they would think twice before attacking a woman.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the near future will for the first time provide loans in 2016 within the framework of projects in agribusiness and women's entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, head of EBRD's Baku office Neil McKain said.

He made the remarks May 5 at the "Fostering inclusive and sustainable industrial development in the New Silk Economic Belt: leveraging potentials of industrial parks, zones and cities in Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan" workshop.

The EBRD's Women in Business program is funded by European Union, Sweden and the Early Transition Countries Fund. Over 50 million will be made available from the EBRD for credit lines channeled through partner financial institutions for on-lending to women-led SMEs. This is combined with 9 million in donor funding, enabling risk mitigation funds and technical assistance to partner banks, as well as business advice, training and mentoring for women entrepreneurs.

He said that the key factor of the EBRD's strategy on Azerbaijan as a whole is to support diversification of economy.



The head of the office said that the bank annually financed dozens of projects each year to support small and medium business in Azerbaijan, helping at all stages, starting from the allocation of funds and ending with the output of the product on the market.



The EBRD also provides consulting services to bring financial reporting, marketing, etc. in accordance with international practice, McKain said.



He added that to date, the EBRD has already helped nearly 400 companies with business development.

Earlier, McKain told Trend that less than $50 million would be allocated to finance agricultural sector within the framework of the Azerbaijan Agricultural Finance Facility (AZAFF) in the country in 2016. The EBRD is also holding trainings for bankers in agricultural lending within this project.
Flexing muscles, China kicked off military exercises in the disputed South China Sea, East Indian Ocean and West Pacific involving advanced warships, helicopters and "special warfare" soldiers.

Three naval ships of China's Nanhai Fleet left a naval port in Sanya, Hainan Province on Wednesday, kicking off an annual combat drill in the South China Sea, East Indian Ocean and West Pacific, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The three ships include missile destroyer Hefei, missile frigate Sanya and supply ship Honghu. They will later be joined by missile destroyers Lanzhou and Guangzhou, as well as missile frigate Yulin, which are now carrying out other duties.

With three helicopters and dozens of "special warfare" soldiers, the fleet will be separated into three groups that will sail to areas of the South China Sea, the East Indian Ocean and the West Pacific, to conduct varied drills.

The fleet will mobilize naval air force, garrison forces in the Xisha and Nansha islands, and forces of the Beihai Fleet along the way to take part in the drill.

The drill aims to enhance combat readiness and practice coordination between ships and aircraft, and other forces, the navy said.

China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea -- a major shipping lane rich in natural resources -- resulting in overlapping claims with several other Asian nations like Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

They accuse China of illegally reclaiming land in contested areas to create artificial islands with facilities for military use.

Over half of the world's commercial shipping passes through the Indo-Pacific waterways, including one-third of the world's liquefied natural gas.
IMAGE: Motiur Rahman Nizami, chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami waves to his supporters during a rally. Photograph: Rafiqur Rahman/Reuters

Top leader of Bangladesh's fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami Motiur Rahman Nizami on Thursday faced a major setback after the supreme court rejected his final plea to review his death sentence it earlier handed down over war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War with Pakistan.

The four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha pronounced the single-word judgement at the tense courtroom.

"Dismissed," said top judge, who is the first Hindu to occupy the post in the Muslim-majority country, about the final appeal of 72-year-old Nizami, convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of top intellectuals.

Court officials said the details of the order would be issued later in writing. Tight security was enforced in and around the supreme court complex ahead of the verdict, though unlike the trial court, the apex court procedures did not require Nizami's presence during the delivery of the judgement.

The Jamaat chief is now kept at a special cell for death row convicts at suburban Kashimpur Central Jail.

Thursdays final verdict comes two days after the bench wrapped up hearing Nizami's petition, seeking a review of the top court's own previous judgement that had confirmed his death sentence.

Immediately after the verdict, Jamaat issued a statement calling Nizami a "victim of state-sponsored conspiracy" and called a day-long nationwide strike on May 8.

IMAGE: A protester reacts outside the Bangladesh supreme court, after it rejected the final appeal by Motiur Rahman Nizami against his death sentence. Photograph: Ashikur Rahman/Reuters

"The government has taken a plan to kill Maulana Nizami in the name of trial of crimes against humanity as part of its political vengeance," the statement said. The supreme court's decision clears the final legal hurdle for the government to hang the Jamaat-e-Islami chief, who is now left with the only option to seek presidential mercy.

President Abdul Hamid, however, has earlier rejected two such prayers by 1971 war crimes convicts, including Nizami's top aide then, who were subsequently executed late last year

Jamaat was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan and sided with Pakistani troops in carrying out the atrocities during the Liberation War. At the time, Nizami was the chief of the party's student wing as well as the notorious Al-Badr militia force, manned by Jamaat activists.

He was a minister in the past Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led four- party alliance government with his party being its crucial ally.

Two ministers of the same cabinet Salauddin Quader Chowdhury of the BNP and Jamaat's secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed were earlier executed as convicts of 1971 war crimes charges.

Nizami is one of the last remaining top perpetrators of crimes against humanity as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government initiated a process to try the 1971 war criminals.

Attorney general Mahbubey Alam told media persons after the judgement: "now there exists no bar in executing the verdict, once the court issues it in writing, which is expected soon."

Several hundred activists of Ganojagaran Mancha, which was waging a campaign for the maximum punishment for war criminals, rallied at Shahbagh area in the capital to rejoice the verdict while 1971 members of 1971 victim families appeared in private TV channels to express their satisfaction.

During the over three-hour review hearing on Tuesday, the court heard both Alam and Nizami's chief counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.

In the apex court, the chief defence counsel appealed to the court to reduce his client's punishment, saying Nizami was not "directly involved" in mass murders, arsons and rapes despite being the Al-Badr chief.

Alam opposed the argument, saying Jamaat had sided with Pakistani troops in carrying out the atrocities during the Liberation War and as the Al-Badr chief, Nizami could not avoid the responsibility.

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal originally sentenced Nizami to death on October 29, 2014 and after an appeal hearing the apex court found the punishment appropriate for him as it pronounced its judgement on January 6 this year.

The prison authorities served Nizami the death warrant on March 16 as the apex court decision reached them in writing through the ICT-BD following the Jamaat chief sought review of the supreme court judgement, exhausting his last legal opportunity to overturn the verdict.

"It would be a failure of justice, unless he is handed down the death penalty," the ICT-BD commented as it handed down Nizami the capital punishment in October 2014, convicting him of "superior responsibility" as the chief of the infamous Al-Badr militia forces in 1971.

The so-called elite militia force is blamed for running a systematic campaign to massacre a large number of top Bengali intelligentsia just ahead of Bangladesh's December 16, 1971 victory.

But Nizami was particularly found guilty of systematic killings of more than 450 people alone in his own village home in northwestern Pabna, siding with the Pakistani troops.

Mujaheed, who was also Nizami's top aide then, was executed on November 22 last year along with Chowdhury of BNP, currently the key-opposition outside parliament. They were hanged immediately after President Hamid rejected their mercy petitions.

Bangladesh has so far executed four war crimes convicts since the belated process to expose to trial the top Bengali perpetrators of 1971 atrocities in line with the 2008 electoral commitment of the incumbent government.

Two others -- former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam and ex-BNP minister Abdul Alim -- earlier were handed down "imprisonment until death" penalty instead of capital punishment on grounds of their old age as they exceeded 80. They subsequently died in the prison cells of a specialised state-run hospital due to old age ailments.

IMAGE: Moulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, chief of the Jamaat-e-Islamiwaves to his supporters during a rally. Photograph: Rafiqur Rahman/Reuters


Five years after Mumbai youths Keenan and Reuben were brutally murdered while trying to save their women companions from a group of hooligans harassing them, a special court on Thursday sentenced all the four accused in the case to life imprisonment.

Special Womens Court Judge Vrushali Joshi said the accused will be in jail for the remainder of their life.

She held the accused -- Jitendra Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhaj and Dipak Tival --guilty of murder, outraging the modesty of women and other charges of the Indian Penal Code, in a case which sparked outrage and debate about the safety of women in public places.

Keenan Santos, 24, and Reuben Fernandez, 29, were stabbed by eve-teasers after a scuffle at Amboli in suburban Andheri on October 20, 2011.

The victims were attacked when they tried to shield their women companions from a group of men who harassed, abused and misbehaved with them outside an eatery in suburban Andheri.

The group, after retreating, returned to the spot with over 10 aides and brutally assaulted Keenan and Reuben in full public view.

Keenens father Valerian Santos welcomed the verdict, saying it was a victory for all but regretted the delay in getting the justice.

I am not saying that the culprits should be caught and sent to gallows immediately. I am only saying that the judicial system should be speeded up, he said, recalling the emotional breakdown of Chief Justice of India over such delay.

Ujjwal Nikam, Special public prosecutor, said all charges of the prosecution have been proved in the case.

There is direct evidence to show that the accused were eve-teasing and molesting girls when the victims tried to stop it. This is a pre-determined murder and the accused had even threatened them with their life and had come back with weapons to attack them, Nikam said.

Nikam said the success in the case largely owed to the victims of harassment. The testimony of the two girls bolstered our case and their deposition was very detailed, he said.

He, however, did not press for capital punishment for the accused as the conspiracy charge against them was not proved and the case did not fall under the category of the rarest of the rare.

Valerian, who looked calm and composed after hearing the verdict, said, Today all I can say is that the verdict is a victory to all. This victory is not mine, this is Keenans and Reubens victory which I have been hoping to give them as a present. Keenans birthday has gone in March, I had hoped to gift him this, said Valerian.

I am happy that the court has granted life imprisonment to them. I am also happy that the molestation section (charge) was also applied, he said

While Keenan succumbed to his injuries the same day, Reuben died 10 days later.

Police arrested all the four accused a day after the incident.

In October, 2012, the court framed charges against the accused for murder, conspiracy and molestation. In the trial the prosecution examined 245 witnesses.

The incident had shocked the city after the youngsters were brutally assaulted in full public view as bystanders and hotel staffers rendered no help.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took to Twitter to laud Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar over his speech on the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal in Rajya Sabha.

Terming Parrikars address to Rajya Sabha as one of the best speeches, the prime minister said that the Union Minister displayed the best parliamentary traditions.

Modi tweeted that Parrikar rose above politics and placed all relevant facts on the table.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, the defence minister had said that the ongoing probe would focus on those named in the Italian Court judgment even as he suggested the role of an invisible hand in preventing a proper investigation earlier.

Replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on the controversy surrounding the Rs 3,600 crore deal for 12 VVIP helicopters, Parrikar had said that there was a relentless push by the United Progressive Alliance to go in for the AgustaWestland choppers.

Narrating amid repeated disruptions the sequence of events related to the deal, he said the Central Bureau of Investigation had registered a case on March 12, 2013 but it did not bother to forward a copy of the FIR to the Enforcement Directorate for nine months.
The Tamil Nadu Bishops Council's decision to support the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-Congress alliance in the upcoming elections will vitiate the political atmosphere in the state, reports R Ramasubramanian.

In a decision that could have dire consequences, the Tamil Nadu Bishops Council has extended its support to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-Congress alliance in the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

Tamil Nadu goes to the polls on May 16 and counting will take place on May 19.

In a statement issued in Madurai on May 3, Anthony Pappusamy, president of Tamil Nadu Bishops Council and Madurai archbishop, announced that the decision to support the alliance was taken to "safeguard secularism and democratic values". However, Pappusamy also had a word of caution: "We want to make it clear that the council's decision did not mean it considered these parties clean, but among the available lot they were the lesser evil."

The Bishops Council's decision has generated a furore not only among intellectuals and observers, but also among a section of the Christian community in the state.

"This had never happened in the past. This is an open call given in the name of religion. This is punishable under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act. We are going to take up this issue in a big way. We will formally meet the Election Commission very soon," MG Deivasahayam, a retired Indian Administrative Service officer and one of the conveners of the Forum for Catholic Unity, told Rediff.com.

He said the Bishops Council does not represent even a miniscule section of the over 44 lakh Christian population, or 6.12 per cent, of the state. He also warned that this sort of behaviour by the Bishops Council will have an adverse effect as far as maintaining communal amity in the state is concerned.

Others too share these sentiments.

"This is a dangerous trend. In the fight for secularism, everyone including the minorities should join hands. This will become a fodder for the other side because both the majority and minority communalists thrive on each other's strengths and weaknesses. Appealing anyone to vote for a political party on the basis of the religion or caste will completely vitiate the atmosphere, said R Vijayashankar, editor, Frontline magazine.

"At a time when the southern districts of Tamil Nadu are slowly slipping into communal politics, this sort of decision will further endanger the atmosphere, Vijayashankar added.

Writer and political analyst Aazhi Senthilnathan said the Bishops Council is forcing its decision on the people and snatching away their basic right.

"The council's decision is dangerous. By imposing your view on your community, you are snatching away their right to choose their candidate.

"There are voters in the community who vote for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the All India Anna DMK, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam and even the Bharatiya Janata Party. But now, you are forcing them to vote for one particular party. This is not the job of the bishops. This will fuel communal tendencies in the other side of the fence, said Senthilnathan.

However, the BJP is unmoved by the council's decision.

We welcome this open decision by the Bishops Council. Everyone has a right to recommend a political party to others. But see the double standards. If a particular group or community of people extend their support to the BJP, you will go to town and say the BJP is communal. Here is an organisation which is openly giving a statement to vote against the BJP and everyone is quiet," S R Sekar, treasurer of the Tamil Nadu BJP, told Rediff.com.

Questioning the secularists, Sekar said, "For several of those pseudo-secularists, consolidating one particular community's vote against the BJP is not communal but if the majority community voted in favour of the BJP, then its communal."

"The Bishops Councils decision is nothing but blatant communalism. This is an open communal call. This will indeed strengthen our chances in the southern districts of the state," he said.

Soliciting the support of religious bodies, caste groups and even small and sundry outfits by political parties during elections is not new.

There were over 800 support letters given by various smaller caste and other social outfits to the AIADMK while the DMK received over 600 such letters lending support for the upcoming polls.

Though the utility value of these smaller caste and religious outfits is marginal, both the DMK and the AIADMK encourage this as each and every vote counts in a multi-cornered fight.

In the past, both the Dravidian majors used to make lavish promises to religious groups during polls.

During the 2011 assembly elections, Jayalalithaa promised financial of help of Rs 20,000 to 500 Christians who undertake pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Even for Muslims, during Ramzan, few thousand kilogrammes of rice are given to select mosques.

Cajoling caste groups by declaring the birthdays of caste leaders as auspicious and conducting special prayers at the expense of the concerned district administration are also very common in the state.

In short, when it comes to political appeasement, there is no difference between the ruling AIADMK and the principle opposition, the DMK.

Image: DMK treasurer M K Stalin campaigns for Congress candidate Karate R Thyagarajan from Mylapore constituency in Chennai. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo.
A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the terror bombing of a gurdwara by suspected Islamist militants in Germany's western city of Essen that injured three persons including a Sikh priest.

A special police unit took the unidentified man into custody at Essen's central railway station on Wednesday evening on an arrest warrant issued against him by a district court in the city, police said.

A person accompanying him was also detained and kept in custody, it said in a press statement last night.

Police gave no further details, but media reports identified the third man arrested as jihadist Tolga I from Wesel in the state of North Rhine Westphalia, who gave the orders to the two main suspects to carry out the terror attack.

Sixteen-year-old secondary school students Mohammed B and Yussuf T were arrested four days after they allegedly detonated a fire extinguisher filled with explosives at the entrance of the Nanaksar Satsangh Sabha Gurdwara on the evening of April 16, as India expressed "distress" over the attack.

The strength of the Sikh community members in Germany is estimated around 15,000.

The two teenagers are currently in preventive custody.

A priest of the gurdwara was seriously wounded and two others suffered minor injuries in the blast which ripped through the entrance hall of the gurdwara at the end of a wedding ceremony.

Seventeen-year-old Tolga I met the two terror suspects in the Assalam Mosque in Essen just hours before they exploded the bomb, ARD TV network reported in its 'Report Muenchen' programme.

He had formed a twelve-member WhatsApp group in which the two main suspects are members, the report said.

Tolga I also has links to a group of jihadists in Dinslaken town and to the "Lohberger Brigade", a group of radical Islamists, who have joined the Islamic State terror group as fighters some years ago, it said.

Regional newspaper Westdeutsche Allgeneine Zeitung reported that Tolga I was already detained by police on April 20 on suspicion of involvement in the gurdwara attack, but suspicions against him could not be substantiated and he was set free.

Immediately after the bomb attack, Yussuf T had sent a message to Tolga I via WhatsApp about the operation, the report said.

The newspaper said Tolga I is known to police as an ISIS sympathiser and local authorities have placed a restriction on his travel abroad and impounded his passport because they feared he may join IS in Syria or in Iraq.
Australia's most wanted Islamic State terror recruiter Neil Prakash, who is of Indian-origin, has been killed in a US military airstrike in Iraq, according to officials.

Melbourne-born Prakash, who was linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the US, was killed in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29, Attorney-General George Brandis said, citing American inputs.

"Neil Prakash was the highest value target from an Australian point of view in the Middle East. He was the individual more than any other who had been actively inspiring and inciting domestic terrorism attacks within Australia," the Senator said on Wednesday.

Brandis said Australian authorities were instrumental in providing US allies with the location of Prakash -- the Australian of Fijian-Indian and Cambodian background -- in Mosul.

"Australia did cooperate with United States in relation to the identification and location of Prakash," he said.

Brandis said Prakash was "the most prominent and dangerous Australian" and had networks in both Melbourne and Sydney. "He was very actively involved in terrorism recruitment."

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called Prakash's death as a "very, very positive development".

"Neil Prakash's death is a very, very positive development in the war against Daesh and the war against terror," Turnbull was quoted as saying, using another acronym for the dreaded ISIS.

Earlier, in January, media reports quoting an ISIS member had said that Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was killed in Syria.

The terrorist, who allegedly had contact with some of those accused of plotting an Anzac Day terror attack in Victoria, flew to Syria in 2013, according to reports.

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those who served and died in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.

US officials also reportedly informed that an Australian woman Shadi Jabar, the sister of the 15-year-old western Sydney boy Farhad Jabar who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng in October last year, was also killed in a separate airstrike in Syria.

Prakash was killed in the ISIS stronghold in northern Iraq, while Jabar died seven days earlier in the Syrian city of al Bab along with her husband Abu Saad al-Sudani, AAP news agency said.
Amid criticism over delay in arresting culprits in the brutal rape and murder case of a Dalit woman, Chief Investigating officer Deputy Superintendent Anil Kumar was on Thursday removed and a new official appointed to head the probe team.

A B Jijimon was today appointed as the new chief investigating officer in the case, while Anil Kumar will continue in the team, police said.

On Thursday, police had released the sketch of the suspect in the case.

The woman, who hailed from a poor family, was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house at nearby Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. A post-mortem had revealed 38 big and small wounds on her body.

No arrests have been made in connection with the case, though three persons have been picked up for questioning. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan had visited the mother of the victim at Perumbavoor Taluk Hospital, on Thursday.

Chandy had dismissed reports that the case had weakened following the delay in arresting the culprits and assured that government would spare no efforts in bringing the culprits to book. Government later in the day announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the bereaved family and a job to the womans sister.

Communist Party of India-Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan attacked the government and demanded that a new probe team be constituted while Bharatiya Janata Party state president Kummanam Rajasekharan flayed it for delay in arrest of the accused.

With police failing to make much headway in the case even after a week of the gruesome incident, there was widespread criticism over the alleged shoddy manner in which the probe was being held.

The shocking incident also had its echo in Parliament on Thursday with members demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits while the state government assured stern action.

The issue had its echo in both houses of Parliament on Wednesday.

BJP member Meenakshi Lekhi said if death penalty had been given to those convicted in the Nirbhaya case that shook the nation, fear of law would have gone into the minds of potential criminals.

In the Rajya Sabha, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien had described the incident as most shameful for every Keralite while the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it had crossed all limits and was inhuman.

Image: Students take out a protest march demanding justice for the Dalit law student who was raped. Photograph: PTI
'This is going to be an opportunity to hear from the prime minister of the new India and the progress made in the last two years of the growing cooperation between the US and India in several areas, including areas that would have seemed implausible a few years ago.'

US Congressman Ed Royce, who led the campaign to have Prime Minister Modi address a joint session of Congress, speaks to Aziz Haniffa/Rediff.com in an exclusive interview.

IMAGE: The last time an Indian prime minister addressed a joint session of the United States Congress, July 19, 2005. Photograph: Paresh Gandhi/Rediff.com

United States Congressman Ed Royce, California Republican and chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, who was the driving force behind urging Speaker Paul Ryan to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a joint session of Congress on June 8, has predicted that this will give Modi an unprecedented forum -- the likes of which were absent during his previous visits to the US -- to speak to all of America about the new and emerging India.

In an exclusive interview with Rediff.com, Royce said, "This address will serve as a sign of the deep and extremely important and strategic relationship between the United States and India -- a relationship that has to be further strengthened and the bonds of friendship between our peoples further enhanced."

"It is also an opportunity to remind our countrymen here in the United States, remind all Americans that our partnership in defense, in nuclear power, and in renewable energy and space exploration, as well as growing counter-terrorism and intelligence sharing cooperation to counter the continuing threat in the region that impacts both of our countries, is very strong thanks to our shared values," Royce, who co-chaired the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans -- the largest country-specific Caucus in the US Congress -- on at least three occasions, said.

"I know these are themes the prime minister will probably address," he added.

Royce acknowledged for him personally it was a sense of fulfillment and immense joy that Speaker Paul Ryan had acquiesced to his request and invited the prime minister, because two years ago, when he was the driving force behind such a request to then Speaker John Boehner, when Modi visited Washington, DC for his summit with President Obama, it did not come to pass "because we were not in session."

"But I did go up to New York and meet with the prime minister there and sat next to him during the dinner (hosted by then Indian ambassador to the US, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who is now India's foreign secretary). But I knew there would be another occasion and so this is the opportunity."

Nailing it down this time around, Royce said, was "a tremendous sense of fulfillment. I had a number of conversations with the Speaker, but I also know for my colleagues here, this is going to be an opportunity to hear from the prime minister of the new India and the progress made in the last two years during his tenure and the growing cooperation and collaboration between the US and India in several areas, including areas that would have seemed implausible a few years ago."

Asked specifically what he and his Congressional colleagues would like the prime minister to address, Royce replied, "I look forward to hearing from Prime Minister Modi about how we can continue to working together to promote peace and prosperity."

"This will be an unprecedented opportunity not only for my colleagues to hear from him, but for the entire country."

"It has been more than 10 years since an Indian prime minister has been afforded an opportunity to address Congress," Royce pointed out, "and as our countries move even closer, Prime Minister Modi's trip in June would offer the perfect time to hear how we can move our partnership forward."

Royce reiterated that he expects Modi will address "the stability effect as two great democracies that India and the United States have on the world. I believe that theme is extremely important."

IMAGE: US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar tour the INS Vikramaditya at the Indian Naval Station Karwar. Photograph: Senior Master Sergeant Adrian Cadiz/AshCarter/Flickr

"The United States and India have strong defence ties, which has seen remarkable growth," Royce noted, and recalled, "Ten years ago, defence trade between the United States and India was virtually non-existent. Today, US-India defence trade has strengthened India's role as a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean region."

"You and I remember when we had these conversations with (then) Secretary of State (Colin) Powell and Powell said, 'India has the capacity to keep the peace in the vast Indian Ocean and beyond.'

"Now, India's Air Force used American manufactured C-130s and C-17 aircraft to evacuate Indian and third country nationals from Yemen and also to speed relief supplies to Nepal after the devastating April 2015 earthquake," Royce said.

"Also, in terms of space exploration, when we look at the number of joint efforts here and Indian engineers who are studying in the United States and involved in the space programme, this partnership is particularly exciting -- it is moving forward at a rapid rate," the Congress man added.

"Also, things like renewable energy, and you remember the concept the prime minister has of cleaning up the Ganges river, we are going to be able to move forward on cooperative endeavours."

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Barack Obama at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC, March 31, 2016. Photograph: @MEAphotogallery/Flickr

"I am the co-chairman and co-founder of our Conservation Caucus and I've had conversations also with the prime minister on this issue. I know it's very close to his heart -- and I know, it's an issue that the United States and India can collaborate on," Royce said.

"I strongly believe, offering the theme of strong democratic cooperation -- India's in a tough neighbourhood and India represents, like the United States, a country that represents the values of individual freedom, individual liberty," Royce declared.

"And, increasingly, with the economic liberalisation that we see in India and more and more prosperity, these are all basically future win-win scenarios with respect to trade and investment between the United States and India."

"I see the address of the prime minister as yet another opportunity to make our partnership even deeper," Royce added.

Asked to explain the background as to how the invitation came about and if he had information if Modi is coming on a State visit and if he zeroed in on the opportunity to get in touch with the Prime Minister's Office and see if its convenient for him to address a joint session of Congress while in Washington, DC, June 7-8, Royrce said, "I had spoken in the past, not only to the prime minister extending that invitation, but on his recent visit (On March 31, Modi attended the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC) we addressed it as well."

"So, I am delighted that the opportunity is right -- this is the perfect time to have this dialogue with the United States Congress and with the American people that is best done by an address to the joint Senate and House. So, as you can imagine, I am very excited about the timing of the address."

"I believe this is a critical time for democracies that share our mutual commitment and to freedom, and to human rights and to stability in the world," Royce reiterated, "to have the connectivity with the US and the US Congress."

When pressed if this address to the joint session of Congress is part of a State visit Royce revealed, "No, this is specifically a trip to address a joint session of the Senate and House."

"This was an offer I originally extended and then spoke to the Speaker and the Speaker formally extended this invitation to the prime minister and the prime minister has accepted."
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

Trend:

Russia hopes that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict sides will avoid the steps that may disrupt a quite fragile truce, RIA Novosti quoted the Russian president's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, as saying May 5.



Peskov said the issue of recognition of "independence of Nagorno-Karabakh" by Armenia has not been discussed with Moscow.

"We are closely watching the decisions being made in this context," said Peskov. "Of course, we continue to hope that the conflict parties will avoid any steps that may disrupt a quite fragile truce and in general trigger the escalation of tension in Nagorno-Karabakh."

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

Trend:

Azerbaijan has urged the international organizations to increase the efforts for ensuring the rights of over a million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs to return to their native lands.

The remarks were made by Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov during a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said May 5.

The deputy minister noted that the main obstacle to ensuring the human rights in the country in general, is the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands.

Khalafov also briefed the UN high commissioner about the latest escalation of the situation on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies in early April, the intensive shelling of Azerbaijani civilians along the line of contact and the casualties.

On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from the Armenian side, which used large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-attack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements.

Military operations were stopped on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies on Apr. 5 at 12:00 (UTC/GMT + 4 hours) with the consent of the sides, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry earlier said. Ignoring the agreement, the Armenian side again started violating the ceasefire.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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.
Details added (first version posted on 15:04)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

Trend:

Azerbaijan has urged the international organizations to increase the efforts for ensuring the rights of over a million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs to return to their native lands.

The remarks were made by Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov during a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said May 5.

The deputy minister noted that the main obstacle to ensuring the human rights in the country in general, is the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands.

Khalafov also briefed the UN high commissioner about the latest escalation of the situation on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies in early April, the intensive shelling of Azerbaijani civilians along the line of contact and the casualties.

On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from the Armenian side, which used large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-attack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements.

Military operations were stopped on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies on Apr. 5 at 12:00 (UTC/GMT + 4 hours) with the consent of the sides, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry earlier said. Ignoring the agreement, the Armenian side again started violating the ceasefire.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

Trend:

Azerbaijan has urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to increase its efforts for releasing the Azerbaijani citizens Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev taken hostage by Armenians, said Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov.

He made the remarks at a meeting with the ICRC president Peter Maurer May 5, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said.

Maurer, in turn, noted that the ICRC keeps this issue in focus and will continue its activities in this regard in line with its mandate.

During an operation in the Shaplar village of Azerbaijan's occupied Kalbajar district in July 2014, the Armenian special forces killed an Azerbaijani, Hasan Hasanov, and took hostage two other Azerbaijanis, Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov.

A "criminal case" was initiated against them. Afterwards, a "court" sentenced Asgarov to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years in prison.

During the meeting, Khalafov also briefed the ICRC president about the escalation of situation on the line of contact between Armenian and Azerbaijani armies in early April, the intensive shelling of Azerbaijani civilians along the line of contact, and about the casualties.

On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from the Armenian side, which used large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-attack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements.

Military operations were stopped on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies on Apr. 5 at 12:00 (UTC/GMT + 4 hours) with the consent of the sides, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry earlier said. Ignoring the agreement, the Armenian side again started violating the ceasefire.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Two local organizations will be sponsoring National Day of Prayer services on Thursday, with one lasting 13 hours.

But don't worry, the 13-hour event isn't designed to come and stay.

"It's just come and go," said Chuck Farina, pastor of New Hope Church, a member of the 1 Kingdom organization which is sponsoring the service.

The event will be 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the chapel of Love and Care Ministries, 233 Fannin St. The sponsoring organization is made up of a group of Abilene civic leaders, citizens, and pastors.

During the day, a different pastor will be on hand each hour to pray and perhaps say a few words, Farina said. He is hopeful the new format, rather than a one-hour service at noon, will allow more people to attend.

"I hope it works out really great," he said.

For the 12th year, the Abilene Interfaith Council will sponsor "A Service of Prayer and Peace," beginning at noon in the Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St. Prayers will be offered by members of different faith traditions, followed by the breaking of bread together in peace.

Becca Kello, president of the council, will say a few words of welcome, followed by a short presentation on the background of the National Day of Prayer and the Abilene Interfaith Council by Omer Hancock.

Among the participants offering prayers will be Eric Mancil, Anglican; Sammie Garza, Baha'i Faith; Noel Singleton, Buddhist; Dason Williams, Catholic; Manel Kortas, Islam; Brett Banks, Judaism; Susie Wilson, Earth-based Spirituality; Martha Mosley, New Thought Spirituality; Stephanie Hamm, Protestant; Steve Everheart, Unitarian-Universalist; and Icie Mitchell, Native American.

Participants in the 1 Kingdom service will be:

6 a.m.  Christopher Kennedy, Southside Church of God

7 a.m.  Marcy Garza, Bethel United Methodist Church

8 a.m.  Scott Beard, FountainGate Fellowship

9 a.m.  Chuck Farina, New Hope Church

10 a.m.  Jay Miller, Mosaic Church

11 a.m.  David Ray, River of Life

noon  Jeff Hatcher, Wylie United Methodist Church

1 p.m.  Mark Hewitt, Love and Care Ministries

2 p.m.  Rich Brown, GracePoint Church

3 p.m.  Steve Johnson  New Hope Church

4 p.m.  Evan Umberger, Beltway North

5 p.m.  Laura Mallory, Texas Apostolic Prayer Network

6 p.m.  Dee Halbert, Holy Family Catholic Church

7 p.m.  Randy Roy, College View Baptist Church

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER SERVICES

ABILENE INTERFAITH COUNCIL

When: Noon Thursday

Where: Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St.

Details: Prayers will be offered by people of various faiths, followed by a service of breaking bread together in peace. Some of the faith traditions represented will be Protestant, Anglican, and Catholic, Bahai Faith, Buddhism, Islam, Earth-based Spirituality, Unitarian Universalist, Judaism, and the Unity Church.

More information: 692-3353



1 KINGDOM

When: 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday

Where: Love and Care Ministries, 233 Fannin St.

Details:The format will be come-and-go. A pastor from each of the participating churches will be on hand each hour for prayer. No formal service will be held.

More information: Call 795-2222
Both Damian Cate and Amber Craker were indicted Thursday in connection with the death of their baby girl in January.

Their cases were among nearly 50 presented to a Taylor County grand jury Thursday.

Cate and Craker each was indicted on counts of first-degree felony murder and second-degree felony tampering with/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse.

Craker, 18, was found incompetent to stand trial last month.

According to a court order signed by 350th District Judge Thomas Wheeler on April 7, Craker is now committed to the North Texas State Hospital, a mental health facility, for no longer than 120 days.

Cate, 22, remains in the Taylor County Jail in lieu of bonds totaling $300,000, despite a few attempts by his attorney to get him released.

The infant suffered at least three stab wounds 'over the neck and chest' and 'small sharp-force injury on the upper left side of the back,' according to the preliminary autopsy report.

Cate allegedly told police he 'held the baby' as the mother stabbed her on Jan. 18 in the 400 block of South 25th Street, according to a court document.

He reportedly said he also 'assisted in putting the baby in the trash can and cleaning up lots of blood.'

Twitter: ARN_Titus
Big Country law enforcement personnel paid respects to their fallen colleagues Wednesday afternoon during a service in honor of National Police Week and the National Peace Officer Memorial.

During the service at Hardin-Simmons University's Logsdon Chapel, a stream of officers, deputies, service members, politicians and family members shared words and shed tears in memory of those who died in the line of duty.

Abilene Police Chief Stan Standridge told those gathered that officers are more than people behind badges with guns.

'I once heard this quote: 'The American police officer is the only warrior class in history that has been given weapons but no belief system,' to which I say, hogwash,' Standridge said. 'We have a very strong belief system.'

The ceremony honored more than a dozen officers from around the Big Country who have died in the line of duty since the 1880s, including Taylor County Deputy Walter Collins, who was shot to death in 1884, and Taylor County Constable George L. Reeves, shot and killed while attempting to arrest a murder suspect in 1925.

Other officers and the year of their death included Chief of Police Robert E. Burch, 1929; Traffic Officer James Edgar Jones, 1930; City Marshal Chester Hutcheson, (Merkel) 1936; Officer William Sam Beam, 1940; Deputy Charles Wade Willis, 1942; Traffic Officer Billy Arthur Rose, 1952; Officer James Jenkins Spann, 1954; City Marshal Lewis Thomas Snyder, (Roscoe) 1966; Deputy Jessie B. Wasson Sr., 1967; Town Marshal Bennie Elvin Taylor, 1968; Trooper Harold D. Hambrick, 1974; and Trooper John David Oldham, 1974.

More-recent deaths in the line of duty include APD Officer Jeff McCoy, whose patrol car was struck by a drunken driver in 2007; APD Officer Rodney T. Holder, who died in a vehicle collision in 2010; and corrections officers Christopher Davis and Eligio Garcia, who were killed in the crash of a prison bus in 2015.

Also, Sgt. William Karl Keesee, 49, a Brownwood-area trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety, who was killed in October in a single-vehicle crash near Goldthwaite while on duty.

During the service, state Rep. Susan King took a moment to recognize Keesee's infant grandchild, who was in attendance with other family members.

The ceremony also featured the display of an image of APD Officer Don Allen, who was off duty when he was slain in his home in Clyde in August.

In total, 34 Texas law enforcement officials who died in the line of duty were honored.

A flag ceremony and wreath presentation also took place Wednesday morning at the Law Enforcement Center, 450 Pecan St.

Twitter: ARN_Titus
Comes now the latest Democratic effort to wake 'the sleeping giant' in Texas politics the rapidly growing Latino population.

The congressional half of San Antonio's politically hot Castro twin-brother team, Joaquin, is recruiting volunteers to sign up Latinos in Texas to vote.

His name tops an email for the Democratic organization Battleground Texas about the new effort, called Movimiento Texas.

Joaquin was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2002, at age 28. A decade later, he advanced to the U.S. House.

Joaquin says the rapidly growing Latino population in Texas has a big opportunity to affect political leadership in Texas.

'In 2014, just 4.7 million people cast ballots to determine the next governor of Texas,' Castro pointed out. 'With 4.8 million Latinos who are eligible to vote, we know we have the power to decide who wins in future elections  from the Governor's Mansion to the White House.

'We just have to engage and register other Latinos to do it. That's why we need to empower Latinos like you to become leaders who motivate their friends and families to take action.'

Battleground Texas tried in 2014 to expand the Democratic base enough to return Texas to Blue State status after a 20-year drought.

But the sleeping giant's alarm failed to go off. Battleground's organization and the governor's campaign of pro-choice filibuster star, state Sen. Wendy Davis, got wrapped around each other's axles. Davis lost to Republican Atty. Gen. Greg Abbott by 20 percentage points.

Castro's email asks readers to 'Take the first step in becoming a leader  attend a free Latino leadership training hosted by Battleground Texas, and get the skills you need to motivate your community to make their voices heard.'

Some of Texas' most qualified political organizers will be at the May 14th all-day workshop in San Antonio, including the twins' Mom  keynote speaker Rosie Castro, a veteran of San Antonio political battles.

There's a reason the articulate identical twins, now 41, (DOB 9/16/74) are making their marks in politics. They grew up watching and helping in mom's political efforts.

Both won undergraduate degrees from Stanford University, law degrees from Harvard, and significant political offices in their 20s.

Joaquin now is a frequent guest on national Sunday morning political talk shows.

Julian became the youngest San Antonio city councilman in 2001, at 26, and mayor, on his second try, in 2009.

In mid-2014, President Barack Obama named him secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Julian has been campaigning for Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, and is on her shortlist for a running mate.

Back to Joaquin's email:

'We can empower you with the organizing skills that you need to register voters and move your community to take action,' Joaquin writes.

'Movimiento Texas starts with you  learning how to register your family, neighbors, church members, co-workers, students, and the rest of your community to vote, and sharing with them why it's important for them to cast their ballots.'

Information about the workshop is at http://join.battlegroundtexas.com/Movimiento-Texas-Training-RSVP.

We'll learn in November what impact the efforts of Joaquin, and maybe Julian, and Battleground Texas will have.

Email Dave McNeely at davemcneely111@gmail.com.
Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican national holiday that commemorates an all-day battle in Puebla, Mexico, when the Mexican military defeated the numerically superior French forces that invaded Mexico in 1861. The French, along with the Spanish and English, had occupied Veracruz, Mexico's major port, in response to Mexico President Benito Juarez's moratorium on Mexico's European debt. Spain and England withdrew while the French began collecting port revenues from incoming ships in lieu of payment on the debt and ordered their troops into the interior.

Although the 1862 defeat in Puebla slowed down the advance, the French capitalized on political divisions in the country and a weak treasury in order for Napoleon III to establish a monarchy with Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph at its head.

The French takeover did not occur without either a military response or a popular reaction of significant nationalist proportions. The defense of the homeland acquired extra meaning from the earnest Juarez who continued to exercise his authority as president and national symbol of mourning, in his elegant black suit, riding a black horse-drawn carriage that miraculously managed to keep him ahead of the French military. Hostilities finally ended when Mexican forces defeated the French in 1867 and President Juarez ordered the execution of Ferdinand together with some Mexican monarchists who had opposed him.

The celebration of the battle of Puebla also acknowledges the heroic role of Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a 32-year officer from Goliad, Texas. Soon after the surrender of Veracruz, Juarez had appointed him minister of war and navy, and assigned him to lead the Army of the East and the defense of Puebla. Soon after the battle of Puebla and before the French had advanced on Mexico City, President Juarez hosted a celebration of Zaragoza as a national hero. The president also declared May 5, 1862, a national holiday and changed the name of Puebla de Los Angeles to Puebla de Zaragoza.

Zaragoza has a special place in Mexico and Texas history. He not only originated in Goliad and claimed relations with Tejanos from the colonial period, but he began his military career in the Monterrey-Saltillo area and married a young woman from Monterrey. In preparation for the famous battle of Puebla, Gen. Zaragoza recruited around 500 Tejano cowboys from the Jim Wells County area of South Texas who served as cavalrymen in the fight against French intervention even in the months and years following that actual battle. Capt. Porfirio Zamora, from Palito Blanco, Texas, served as one of the commanders and received a promotion to the rank of major after the war, as well as the second highest military medal for bravery, 'La Condecoracion de Segunda Clase.'

Zaragoza's personal connections to Texas alone do not fully explain his exalted place in history. The active efforts to remember him and the battle of Puebla also contributed to the memory. News of the battle and Zaragoza's role as 'the General from the Border' and 'the native son' of the region, according to the well-known scholar Americo Paredes, arrived in South Texas as early as 1867 when performers like Onofre Cardenas from San Ignacio, Texas, sang ballads about both. Newspapers from Texas and California also acknowledged their histories and announced the celebrations by the 1870s. Texas cemented his memory as an iconic transborder and transnational hero against foreign aggression by establishing the General Zaragoza State Historic Site near Goliad.

So why should we continue finding relevance in the memory of the Battle of Puebla, Juarez, Zaragoza and Zamora? Because it affirms enduring and shared values such as advancing the just defense of the homeland and the necessary cause for marginalized and maligned people. These tenets are still upheld today.

Recognizing and practicing this kind of valued behavior also grants a good measure of humanity to the descendants of the heroes of Puebla, including the Mexican immigrants among us who have historically labored long and hard for low pay and little positive recognition. History, after all, is not just a record of things past, it is also the binding arc of humanity and the ennobling opportunity to recognize the equal worth of others and to act on their behalf.

Emilio Zamora is a professor of history at The University of Texas at Austin.
Andy Cleveland, Abilene

When in doubt, go with the one who has had experience. In the race for school board (Place 3), Sammy Garcia fills the bill.

During the reign of Dr. Wayne Blevins (1983-1988), I began attending school board meetings. I was newly elected president of my local teachers organization and felt it my duty to know what was going on.

In 2008-12, I still was attending meetings. Sammy was new to the board and to me. I quickly learned that when Sammy asked questions, that was the time to listen. Asking questions was not always the popular way to go. Sammy always was then, and now, an advocate for all school employees and putting children first. Education was always first. Education for all students.

During the time when we were burned, I kept thinking we needed Sammy. Could he have headed off the earthquake we were to later feel, I don't know. What I do know is he would have tried  $407,000 plus $131,000 is lots of bucks for the AISD to give up.

What makes Sammy run? Education, fairness and our future. Vote for Sammy!

Editor's note: Andy Cleveland ran unsuccessfully for the AISD board in 2014.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Anvar Mammadov, Anakhanum Hidayatova - Trend:

The European Union (EU) is following the developments on the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops very closely, Malena Mard, head of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan, told reporters in Baku May 5.

As EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said herself, the status quo of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unsustainable, Mard said.

The EU hopes peaceful negotiations under the OSCE regarding the conflict's resolution will continue, Mard said, adding that the EU supports OSCE MG efforts for the conflict's peaceful settlement.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy Sam Rainsy went into self-imposed exile following his removal from parliament in November 2015 by Prime Minister Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) because of a warrant issued for his arrest in a seven-year-old defamation case. Since that time the government of Hun Sen has taken increasingly tough measures against Sam Rainsy's Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), including arrests of sitting lawmakers and supporters. Most analysts say the campaign against the CNRP is designed to intimidate and weaken the party before elections due in 2017and 2018. Sam Rainsy held a telephone interview from his exile home in France with Vuthy Huot of RFA's Khmer Service and also took questions from listeners on the political conflict and a range of issues confronting Cambodia today.



RFA: Will the CNRP maintain its recent stance of remaining quiet about personal attacks while focusing on important national issues, or will it return to an approach of leading demonstrations to get citizens including the youth involved on issues such as the border, deforestation and illegal logging, and corruption?

Sam Rainsy: We will continue to maintain our stance of being quiet, not answering, and not arguing. We will not give importance to personal and individual issues. But we will continue to focus on the important and vital issues of the country, such as territory, land, land concessions that have seen our country divided into pieces for foreign and private investment companies for 99 years. These are the most vital issues that have a serious impact on our countrys destiny, on the daily life of people who lack jobs or work for very low income, Khmer farmers who lose their income every year as their livelihoods decrease, and those who have to leave home and family and immigrate to other countries looking for jobs. These are the issues that we will definitely be focusing on.

RFA: Does this means that CNRP officials and members of parliament may start to being active in protests again, leading youth and activists on border demarcation issues?

Sam Rainsy: We will not fall into their [the CPP's] trap. They wanted to divert our attention from national issues, the important ones that I mentioned, because they do not know how to deal with or do not want to or cannot deal with them. They have ties with invasive foreigners. They have been corrupt to the bone. They have sold the countrys property as if it was their own. Theyve been involved with bad investment companies that harm the Cambodian people. They will not solve these problems. To divert our attention, they have created small, unimportant and personal issues, so we will not fall for their tricks. We have to continue to take action to find solutions to these vital issues for our country and our people and the younger generations.

RFA: Deputy CNRP leader Kem Sokha has received a summons to testify in court, although the party is refusing to cooperate, citing his parliamentary immunity. Now authorities are threatening arrests. If there are arrests and people are sent to prison, what will you do?



Sam Rainsy: First, we are focusing on issues of national interest. Then, we will look into personal and individual issues, which we have to somehow find some solutions for ourselves. The party will help find some solutions, and each organization will have to take some measures. But we should not let these individual issues be used in trade-offs. To have our nation survive, there need to be sacrifices. If they take us as hostagesarresting 10 or 100, or put hundreds or tens of thousands of us into jail, so be it. Let those culprits who committed such bad deeds harming people and violating human rights show their hand. People will hate them more than ever, and history will denounce them more than before. We should not trade an individual matter in a deal for a national matter. We as individuals will die one day, but our nation must not die.

RFA: Do you regret that you did not return to Cambodia last year and do you have plans to return?

Sam Rainsy: Whether I return or not is not important. We know what the CPP wants and what the CNRP wants. First, the CPP. They know that the Cambodian people have suffered and are hurt and want to change the leader of the country. Last election, we know that there was not a fair election, thus we led the demonstration for a just election and National Election Commission reform. Then, we won the election. Now the CPP knows that if there is a fair and just election again, they will lose again, and they have created tension, threats, and intimidation. Whether I return any time now or in the future, I believe there wont be any difference at all. Because the CPP has its own goals. With the problems they have been creating so far, we must know what they want. Nobody knows better than the CPP itself that the Cambodian people hate them, that they are frustrated; they want change. The actions of current government leaders have been viewed as getting worse and worse: problems in the country, problems of peoples living conditions, corruption and injustice in society. I do not need to mention that, but the Cambodian people are hurting badly and very concerned about the destiny of our country and our children. So no one wants the current ruling leaders to continue leading the country in their way any longer.

Thus, the CPP clearly knows that if there is an election that is organized by the new NEC with the CNRP and includes civil society representatives, it can no longer steal votes. They agreed to have an election, but it was held under their supervision and order, and they could steal the votes as they wish, and they always won. But for the 2017 and 2018 elections, the CNRP negotiated and held demonstrations, and we pushed our demand that if there were no restructuring  a new NEC  we would not join the national assembly meetings. Then, after the new NEC was set-up we had achieved our goal. So in the upcoming elections, the CPP will definitely lose the vote. Thats why they are very afraid, very frightened, and they have to create problems, create incidents  do whatever to derail the smooth process of the elections, including unrest, violence, threats to intimidate the Khmer people, so they dare not express their ideas, their opinions, their will. Because if they can express their own will, then the CPP will lose. So it must be clearly understood that that is why they created these problems.

As for the CNRP, our advantages are completely different from those of the CPP. We want to have elections, and we want the election process to go smoothly and peacefully with respect for the law, and with the people having no fear, so they can vote freely according to their own will. With such election, we will win. When we win, we must reorganize our country and that is our will to rescue our country, rescue our nation. So that is why the ruling party has had to create these problems, harming civil society, NGOs and the opposition party. By doing that, they have been harming the entire Khmer people. And that has been clearly visible to the public. So, we clearly understand that we must not give them any opportunity to cause us any more problems. We have to be calm, cool and collected so we can win.

RFA: Do you regret not coming back to Cambodia?

Sam Rainsy: I do not believe at all in a scenario in which if I return, the situation will be eased, the people will be happy, no one will be arrested or jailed, and the worst case is only I, Sam Rainsy, will be arrested and no one else will be arrested. The CPP must create stories to arrest me, then arrest others successively to set up a fearful atmosphere to obstruct the process of the elections. We must have our own strategy. We have to weigh between the pros and cons before we proceed to take any steps. I do not want to give any pretext for the CPP to make me regret returning. Why? Because I got news that the CPP had set up a story to attack and commit political violence on CNRP supporters who planned to welcome me at the airport. It is the same kind of incident they set up at Naga bridge near Freedom Park. They came and attacked us, and since the courts are in their grip, they accused us as the attackers instead. So I did not see any benefit from returning home at that time at all, only losses. And I myself would become a hostage. I am the party leader. If we compare the CNRP to a military organization, if they took the head of the army as hostage, what would happen to the rest of the army? Our army would be in disarray, discouraged, and they [CPP] would twist the story from a national matter to a personal one.

RFA: What about Kem Sokha? If there is an arrest threat, do you support him remaining in the country or leaving to avoid arrest?

Sam Rainsy: That depends on the situation, the discussion and the individuals consciousness, and I have not discussed that point with Kem Sokha yet. I cannot revealing anything at this time because the situation is developing from one day to the next or even from one hour to the next. We cannot estimate what we must do for the time being.

RFA: The CNRP is facing the likely situation of having no leaders with you in exile and the deputy head still facing a court summons and arrest if he does not show up before the court. Who will lead the party if such a situation occurs within a week or so?

Sam Rainsy: My idea is different from that of the the current leader of the country, who thinks that only he or his family is able to lead the country. I think otherwise  that there are many people, young people, who are capable of leading the country. So I am not concerned. We believe that there will be many people out there who will come out soon and lead the country, and save it from danger.

RFA: People from within the CNRP?

Sam Rainsy: From within the CNRP! The CNRP is not only a party. No Khmer wants to see our nation die; they want to see our nation survive. If we want our nation to survive, we have to unite to rescue our nation. So I believe the CNRP does not have only Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha. The CNRP, CNRP people, the CNRP's stance is in the hearts of millions of Khmer people.

RFA: Will the arrest of NEC Deputy Secretary Ny Chakriya affect the fair and neutral workings of the NEC?

Sam Rainsy: This is a severe case. Ny Chakriya is from civil society and works with the NEC, so that shows that the actions of the current ruling leaders of the country indicate they are no longer paying any heed. They knew that NGOs are the neutral, independent groups that work to safeguard human rights and democracy in Cambodia. That is civil societys duty and mandate. If they now arrest people from civil society, people can see clearly that Cambodia is now in a critical situation and is no longer a constitutional and democratic state, but under an emergency state as in the staging of a coup detat. No respect for law. No respect for parliamentary immunity. They can arrest anyone anytime as they wish.

RFA: Did you foresee this grave situation in July 2014 when the CNRP and the CPP agreed to work together?

Sam Rainsy: At that time our goal was to have the NEC reformed, and we achieved it. Our priority is to have a new NEC and a just and fair election. Now what we must do is to ensure a smooth and fair election. This is our present priority.

RFA: You have hinted that there could be intervention from the international community. How would that happen?

Sam Rainsy: There are many measures. What is the most important is legitimacy. So far, the CPP has tried to make itself out to be a legitimate leader. Now the peoples vote has still been stolen. The CPPs move in the last few months shows that the party will continue to steal the peoples vote, and the international community has seen that. Soon the CPP will lose its legitimacy in leading the country and will lose everything. I believe that that the CPP can be strong for now, but soon it will realize that it has lost its legitimacy, then it will rethink things. The international community has many measures to show how it can take away legitimacy from the CPP.

RFA: During a recent meeting with a high-ranking government official, EU representative Ugo Astuto raised deep concerns about the independence of Cambodian courts and called for the release of opposition party officials, human right activists and NEC officials. The Cambodian official said the government does not harbor ill intentions against or is using the court against the CNRP, but merely implementing Cambodias rule of law. What is your reaction to these comments?

Sam Rainsy: That is the way of communist groups. They never admit that they violate human rights. And the current government is copying the communist method of the Khmer Rouge regime.

RFA: Before the leaking of news about Kem Sokha's alleged mistress, there was a suggestion from Hun Sen to eliminate you from the CNRP and have Kem Sokha take over as CNRP leader. When Kem Sokha refused to do that, the leak about his alleged affair came about. Did you hear about it while you were in in exile?

Sam Rainsy: I have no doubt and am not surprised, because I knew that the other side wants the CNRP to split up. It also happened to me. Hun Sen used to suggest that I kick Kem Sokha out of the CNRP, but I refused to do so. So it is the same strategy. There were surely moves against me. But we will not split up, because we want to unite for the benefit of the country and the people.The CNRP is moving forward, not turning back. The CNRP will never break up, but will be more closely united than ever.

RFA: Is there any possibility of you returning to Cambodia before the election?

Sam Rainsy: Our strategy will be flexible and can be changed, but we cannot reveal that, because our opponents would know about it. But I believe and I will find a way to be present in Cambodia before the upcoming election.

RFA: Do you think the CNRP will win more seats than in the last election or just maintain its current number?

Sam Rainsy: It depends on the election process. If the election is just and fair, the CNRP, and that means the Cambodian people, will win. I believe that as long as the CNRP remains firm in our stance to stand together on our principles without being intimidated, bought or split, the Cambodian people will win.

Translated by Yanny Hin.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Azerbaijan is an important country for Japan, said Tanaka Kazunori, director general of the international bureau of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, speaking to reporters May 5 in Baku.

Japanese delegation is in Azerbaijan at an invitation of the country's ruling New Azerbaijan Party.

Azerbaijan and Japan have great potential for cooperation, said Kazunori.

"Japan is cooperating with Azerbaijan mainly in the energy and oil sectors," he noted. "I hope that henceforth relations between the two countries will deepen in IT, science, industry and others."

Kazunori added that Azerbaijan is an attractive country for private companies.

"I hope the relations between the two countries will develop in that sphere too," he said.

The Japanese politician also expressed his hope for future deepening of cooperation between the two countries' parliaments.
An armored personnel carrier is shown in flames near Tiananmen Square during unprecedented democracy protests that were met with a government crackdown that killed an unknown number of demonstrators, June 4, 1989.

China's Internet giant Baidu.com is blocking keyword searches linked to the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square protests as Beijing attempts to throttle discussion ahead the 27th anniversary of the bloody military crackdown on the pro-democracy demonstrations.

The move follows a period of relative freedom to search for June 4-related "sensitive words" in recent months. It was not clear if the brief relaxation of stringent censorship was deliberate or accidental.

A keyword search for "June 4" in Chinese resulted in the following message on Thursday: "We are unable to show you the relevant results, because the search term contravenes relevant laws and regulations."

The anti-censorship website GreatFire.org confirmed the findings, reporting that the keyword "June 4" in Chinese was 100 percent blocked on Baidu, although it appeared to be uncensored on the Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo.

Meanwhile, the tabloid Global Times newspaper, which has close ties to the ruling Chinese Communist Party, attacked recent reporting in Western media outlets of the scheduled release of Miao Deshun, the last prisoner jailed in the wake of the 1989 democracy movement.

Wrong side of history

"It is no cause for regret that Miao has spent the last 27 years in prison, where barely a note of his threnody for democracy has been heard," the paper wrote in a commentary in its Chinese edition on Thursday.

"How many people have been so sure of their opinions, so adamant that they were writing history, only to find that they were actually on the wrong side of it," the article reads.

"If you bet the wrong way, your life is worth less than a feather's weight," the article warned, apparently suggesting that the economic downturn is making Western countries more amenable to Beijing's way of doing things.

"There aren't many Western countries whose economies are doing well these days, and it seems that their financial support for the so-called democracy movement in China is tailing off," the article said. "They may say encouraging things, with the help of the Internet, which has just given a fresh minority of people some new illusions."

Germany-based journalist Su Yutong said dissidents in exile still remember the sheer number of people who fled the country, often at considerable personal risk, or who were jailed in the political crackdown that followed the bloodshed.

"They were forced to leave their homeland, and many of them continue to support the human rights movement in China to this day," Su said."Personally, as an exile myself, I maintain close but very secret connections with people inside China."

He added: "How can they say we are on the wrong side of history? They are talking about themselves."

Meanwhile, Beijing-based rights activist Wang Debang said the editorial represents the view of the ruling party on the 1989 student-led protests, which Beijing regards as a "counterrevolutionary rebellion."

But he said the attempt could backfire.

"The Global Times ... is bringing up 1989 ... because it is on the side of continuing repression by the Chinese government," Wang said. "But this will have the effect of lifting the taboo on discussion of such sensitive words," he said. "It will bring such events and people more clearly into the spotlight."

Economic analysis targeted

China is also seeking to extend ideological controls to the realm of economic analysis and forecasts, according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal.

The country's economists, analysts and business reporters are being ordered by securities regulators, media censors and other officials to bring their forecasts into line with more upbeat statements from the government, the paper cited sources close to the industry as saying.

Veteran financial journalist Ching Cheong said the attempt is part of a wider bid to get any form of public expression in China singing from the same hymn sheet, whether politically or economically.

"In the past, it was just aimed at foreigners, people like George Soros, but now they are extending that to cover your average analyst," Ching said. "This shows that, under the rule of Xi Jinping, they don't want to hear any critical voices."

Economics professor Hu Xingdou of the Beijing University of Science and Technology said the move might not work, however.

"Everyone knows that the economy is a matter of objective fact, and not something that can be used to sing the praises of China," Hu said. "Personally, I don't agree with this, because trying to talk up the economy will put people on their guard."

Reported by Xin Lin and Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Lam Kwok-lap for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.
The view of the Mekong River in March from Vientane shows the Don Chanh sand island.

The drought gripping Laos and other Southeast Asian countries will continue unabated for at least a few more weeks as 100-degree temperatures push the rainy season back even further, Laos top weather forecaster told RFA.

Over the next two weeks, the temperature will be from, 38-40 degrees Celsius (100-104 degrees Fahrenheit), and it will influence provinces from central to southern Laos, Bouteum Sisouphanthong, the chief forecaster for the Ministry of of Natural Resources and the Environment told RFAs Laos Service

Normally, it starts raining in the middle of May, but it is predicted that the rain will come in the late May, he added.

The current El Nino cycle of extreme weather conditions caused by warmer than average sea temperatures in the Pacific has been a concern for governments and agencies since December 2014 when the current ocean warming began.

With little hope that the El Nino cycle will break, Laos is expected to endure even more devastating weather.

The discharge of rain throughout the country is less than usual when compared with previous years, and over the next three months there will be still less rain, Bouteum Sisouphanthong explained. The central and southern provinces still face droughts.

Phouan, farmer in Pasong district, Champassak province told RFA that he worries for next years rice crop.

Next year, the rice will run out because this year people in the village cannot grow it according the production seasons now that there is so little rain, he told RFA.

Low water mark

While the droughts most immediate impact is on people in the countryside, it is seeping into the cities where people are seeking shelter from the brutal heat.

In Vientiane is very hot we cannot go out so we just stay home during the daytime, a resident of the city told RFA. Water in Mekong River is shallower than in previous years and many sand islands are emerging in the middle of the river.

There is also growing concern about water shortages a residents in Vientiane are going out at night to get water.

People in the village face shortage of water because water from the public water supplies will come at the middle of the night, so they must collect water in the tank and containers at night, he said.

El Nino is hitting Laos with a double whammy. While it is helping prolong the drought, it is also gets part of the blame for the violent storms that have lashed Laos.

Many provinces in Laos so far have been affected by tropical storms including lightening and hailstorm. That causes damages of infrastructures including lamp posts, schools and houses in Xayabouri and Vientiane provinces and Vientiane capital, Khammuane province, Bouteum Sisouphanthong explained.

Until end of May, it is predicted that tropical storms will occur and the provinces at risks of storms are Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Bokeo, Luang Prabang, Xayabouri provinces and also central and southern provinces, he said.

Storms have already pummeled Laos central and southern provinces as the Khongxedon district in the Saravan province was hit by storm, causing damage to many houses in the region, a district resident told RFA.

Also on April 3, a storm hit Xaybouathong district in Khammuane province damaging houses and causing power outages.

While late April storms caused power outages in the Saysettha and Saythany districts in Vientiane, and houses and schools were damaged in the Lah district in Oudomxay province.

Reported by RFA's Lao Service.Translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has nominated her personal physician Tin Myo Win, shown here on Oct. 25, 2014, as the government's new peace envoy.

Eight armed ethnic groups met informally with the Myanmar governments new peace envoy on Wednesday in Yangon to discuss how to advance peace and reform the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) before upcoming peace talks, the leader of a rebel group who attended the meeting said.

Representatives of the groups, who signed a nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) last October, discussed their position on the peace process and the refashioning of the UPDJC, a 48-member body formed last November to implement political dialogue between the government and ethnic armed groups, said Khun Okkar, chairman of the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO), one of the rebel organizations in attendance.

We held the meeting informally and Dr. Tin Myo Win came unofficially as well, he told RFA's Myanmar Service.

The groups expressed their concern about the role of the cease-fire Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC), which has assumed control of political decision-making since the new National League for Democracy (NLD) government came into power in April, the online journal The Irrawaddy reported.

They proposed to Tin Myo Win that the UPDJC be given equal footing in peace negotiations, it said.

They also gave Tin Myo Win a letter addressed to State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi prior to an official NLD meeting to discuss the peace process on May 10 in the capital Naypyidaw.

From physician to mediator

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi last week nominated Tin Myo Win, her personal physician, as Myanmars peace mediator, replacing Aung Min who led the peace process under the previous military-backed administration.

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars de facto leader, has made peace and national reconciliation between the national army and various armed rebel groups, and among the rebel groups themselves, a priority of the NLD government.

She has suggested renaming the government-affiliated Myanmar Peace Center, which organizes peace talks, the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC).

We wrote a letter with our suggestions for Daw [honorific] Aung San Suu Kyi and passed it to her via Tin Myo Win, Khun Okkar said, but did not comment on the contents of the letter.

Last week, Aung San Suu Kyi met with the JMC, which includes the eight armed ethnic groups that signed the NCA and government and civilian representatives, and called for a peace conference by June.

Support for the AA

In the meantime, another rebel force, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) led by a prominent colonel arrived in western Myanmars Rakhine state on Thursday to fight alongside the Arakan Army against the Myanmar military.

Colonel Saw San Aung told RFA he had led his troops from Karen state across the Pegu Mountains of south-central Myanmar and the Arakan Mountains in Western Myanmar, but did not say how long they planned to remain in Rakhine state.

We will be in Rakhine state for a while, he said.

The DKBA soldiers arrival in Rakhine to back the AA comes as Myanmars upper house of parliament continued discussions regarding an urgent motion calling for an end to fighting there and including the AA in political talks, state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

The latest round of hostilities that broke out in April between the AA and Myanmar army in Rakhine has displaced 1,500 residents, according to a report in the The Irrawaddy.

Hundreds of AA troops had fought alongside the DKBA in a previous battle against the Myanmar military, but later returned to Karen state to fight in skirmishes against other rebel groups, he said.

We are helping each other as ethnic brothers and to show we are together, he said.

They [AA troops] have now gone back to their state and settled there, he said. What I saw from them is that they will not give up the fight for power to control their state.

The AA is one of the armed ethnic groups that did not sign the NCA.

Reported by Tin Aung Khine for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
An Afghan official says a roadside bombing has killed five civilians and wounded five others in a remote northwestern province.

Local police said on May 5 that the explosion took place in the district of Qadis in Badghis Province.

Police said a van carrying civilians hit the roadside bomb in the morning on May 4.

Afghan authorities blamed the Taliban for the attack, although no one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing. Authorities suspect the device may have been detonated remotely.

Last month, the Taliban proclaimed their spring offensive and a week later, launched a massive attack in the capital, Kabul, which killed 64 people.

On April 30, the Afghan Defense Ministry announced that government forces had launched operations against the Taliban in 18 provinces of Afghanistan.

The operations, backed by air power and artillery, have been concentrated in areas where the Taliban insurgents have been aggressively challenging government forces.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
A presenter on Russian state-controlled RT media has been suspended after he said Ukrainian children who saw Russians as occupiers under the Soviet Union should have been drowned.

"For now, I'm stopping our collaboration as neither I nor the rest of the RT team can afford to even think that any of us are capable of sharing such a view," the broadcasters editor in chief, Margarita Simonyan, tweeted late on October 23 in announcing the suspension of presenter Anton Krasovsky.

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.

In a show broadcast last week, RT presenter Anton Krasovsky said children who criticized Russia should have been "thrown straight into a river with a strong current."

Krasovsky -- a pro-war commentator who has been sanctioned by the European Union -- was responding to an account by Russian science fiction author Sergei Lukyanenko about how, when he first visited Ukraine in the 1980s, children told him they would live better lives were it not for Moscow occupying their country.

"They should have been drowned in the Tysyna (River)," Krasovsky said in response. "Just drown those children, drown them." Alternatively, he said, "they could be shoved into huts and burned.

In a short segment of the interview, which was shared on social media, Krasovsky also laughed at reports that Russian soldiers had raped elderly Ukrainian women during the invasion.

"Anton Krasovsky's statement is wild and disgusting.... It is hard to believe that Krasovsky sincerely believed that children should be drowned," Simonyan added.

Krasovsky's comment also sparked outrage in Ukraine and the West, feeding allegations that Russia is intent on eradicating Ukrainians on the whole.

"Governments which have still not banned RT must watch this excerpt," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet that linked to a clip of the interview.

"Aggressive genocide incitement (we will put this person on trial for it), which has nothing to do with freedom of speech. Ban RT worldwide," Kuleba said. "This is what you side with if you allow RT to operate in your countries."

Early on October 24, Krasovsky apologized for the comments, saying he was "embarrassed" by them.

WATCH: Anton Krasovsky's soaring career as a Russian television journalist came to an abrupt end in 2013, when he announced live on air that he was gay. Now barred from Russian screens, Krasovsky has nonetheless chosen to stay in Russia -- a society he says is doomed to ruin. (Originally published in 2015)

Krasovsky gained some Western recognition when he announced live on Russian TV in 2013 that he was gay to protest against Kremlin-backed legislation imposing harsh fines and jail terms for the distribution of homosexual "propaganda" to minors.

Krasovskys public announcement brought his soaring career as a Russian television journalist to a temporary end as he was barred from state media. He returned as a presenter for the Russian state-controlled broadcaster in 2020.

In stark contrast to his comments regarding Ukrainians last week, in 2013 -- when a 22-year-old man from the southern Russian town of Volgograd was brutally murdered by neighbors for being gay -- Krasovsky penned an opinion piece in The Guardian criticizing the Kremlin for targeting a select group of people.

How did it come about that today in Russia a good gay person is a dead gay person?. As far as the [Russian] deputies are concerned I am scum by the fact of my birth, and it was criminal negligence not to have made a note of that in my birth certificate. What seemed like a bad dream only a couple of years ago has now become reality. And it is terrifying to imagine what could happen tomorrow, he wrote.

With reporting by Reuters
Armenia's government has approved a bill drafted by opposition lawmakers that calls for Yerevan to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The draft bill was sent to lawmakers on May 5 for debate.

In the past, the Armenian government has blocked previous proposals. But analysts say the government gave the green light this time mainly as a warning to Azerbaijan following a recent flare-up in fighting.

Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian said the legislation would only be brought to a vote if Azerbaijan launched new attacks.

A parliamentary session to discuss the issue was called for May 10.

Azerbaijan condemned the Armenian initiative, which it said was aimed at scuttling international peace talks.

The Kremlin said on May 5 that it was monitoring the situation closely.

"We as before are counting on both sides of the conflict to avoid any steps that could destroy the rather fragile cease-fire and lead to an escalation of tensions in Karabakh," presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Baku and Yerevan have been locked in a standoff over the breakaway region for more than two decades.

On April 2, Nagorno-Karabakh saw its worst violence since a shaky cease-fire was reached in 1994 between Azerbaijan and the Armenian-backed separatists.

About 75 soldiers from both sides were killed in April, along with several civilians.

A fresh Russian-brokered cease-fire deal went into effect on April 5 but has increasingly been violated since late April.

And there are fears of a possible escalation, with Turkey strongly backing Azerbaijan and Russia obliged to protect Armenia by a mutual security pact.

Armenia-backed separatists declared the region's independence and seized the mainly ethnic-Armenian-populated region during a war in the late 1980s and early '90s that killed about 30,000 people.

But Nagorno-Karabakh's independence has never been recognized by any country.

Peace talks under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have dragged on for two decades without producing any tangible results.

With reporting by AP, TASS, and Interfax
In the middle of the night on May 7, 1993, the centuries-old Ferhadija Mosque in Bosnia-Herzegovina's city of Banja Luka was blown up. A few minutes later, there was another explosion, this time in the city's second mosque, Arnautija. The two buildings were completely destroyed.

A friend of mine whose apartment was roughly between the two mosques told me at the time that the windows of nearly all the buildings in the area were shattered by the blasts. All except for the windows of the Republika Srpska Interior Ministry, which locals surmised had been opened ahead of the explosions.

This week, on the 23rd anniversary of that fateful night, the rebuilt Ferhadija Mosque will be officially reopened, a project 15 years in the making. It is an event comparable to the 2004 reopening of the destroyed Mostar bridge or the restoration of the Sarajevo City Hall in 2014. Around 20,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony on May 7. Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska who is notorious for his nationalist rhetoric urging separation from Bosnia, recently visited the new mosque and donated three beautiful Persian carpets.

What seemed highly implausible when first proposed in an atmosphere of rancor and intolerance in 2001 has now become a reality. It almost seems like a miracle appropriate for a house of worship.

As is usually the case in the Balkans, a little history is important. Banja Luka is Bosnia's second-largest city, and for more than four centuries, the Ferhadija Mosque was one of its dominant landmarks. The mosque, like Mostar's famous bridge, was a masterpiece of 16th-century Ottoman architecture. According to legend, when Ferhadija was completed in 1579, Ferhat-Pasha, who had commissioned the work, had the builders locked inside the minaret, sentencing them to death so that they could never again make anything so beautiful. But one night they made wings and flew away.

Ferhadija was declared a cultural heritage site in 1950 and was under UNESCO protection until its destruction in 1993. No fighting took place in Banja Luka during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, but the city was subjected to deliberate and systematic ethnic cleansing. That term -- ethnic cleansing -- is too bland to describe the horror it contains. For the wartime leaders of Republika Srpska like Radoslav Brdjanin and Radovan Karadzic, both convicted in The Hague of crimes against humanity and genocide, a "clean" city was a city totally without Muslims and Croats.

The obliteration of Banja Luka's non-Serbian cultural heritage was a prelude to driving out the people. When the war began, the city's Muslims lost their jobs. Their property was confiscated. They were told to leave the city. By blowing up Ferhadija, the Serbian authorities sent a clear message to Muslims: your place of worship is gone and soon no one will even remember you were here. Most of the remaining Muslims left and the rubble of Ferhadija was cleared away.

Painstaking Restoration

But history is not so easy to pave over. Permission to rebuild the mosque was granted in 2001, although the construction process was not always smooth. The financing has been complicated -- a mixture of Bosnian state funds, private donations, and money from Turkey. The initial attempt to lay a foundation stone in 2001 resulted in rioting that left more than 30 people injured.

Rebuilding was a complex and laborious feat. Activists tried to locate the rubble from the original masterpiece. Some of it had been dumped in the Vrbas River. The rest was found in Banja Luka's garbage dump. Painstakingly, the rubble was gathered and the stones from Ferhadija and Arnaudija were separated one by one.

Muhamed Hamidovic, a professor at the Faculty of Architecture in Sarajevo, was a key driver of the project. As a student in the 1970s, he often traveled to Banja Luka and made a number of drawings of Ferhadija. Although at the time he was only interested in the building's sublime design, his measurements and drawings proved crucial in bringing it back to life.

Over 3,500 separate stone fragments were eventually recovered. Software was developed to help place each fragment in its proper place. In the end, about 65 percent of the new mosque was built of stones from the original, Hamidovic told N1 television.

Hamidovic's efforts were rewarded in January 2014, when the first worshipers prayed in the still-unfinished building. "I watched three people whispering their prayers," Hamidovic said. "There was no sound, no echo. All the sound was rising into the dome, where the voices, the incantations, mixed and collided with one another -- just like in the old Ferhadija." Listening to his words, one can't help but remember the legend of the mosque builders who escaped death on wings of beauty.

When the war in Bosnia ended in 1995, almost all of Banja Luka's Muslims and Croats -- about 30 percent of the prewar population -- had left the city. Even today, few have returned to Republika Srpska's capital. The prewar Muslim population of about 30,000 has shrunk to just a few thousand.

Recently, I met a girl from Banja Luka in Prague. She was born after the war -- a smart, well-educated girl. "Is it true that people of different ethnic groups lived together in Bosnia before the war?" she asked me. Her question was a disheartening reminder of the successes of wartime ethnic cleansing and the reality of Bosnia's postwar ethnic divides.

Ultimately, though, the opening of Ferhadija is a sign of hope. It is one of those rare moments when I believe that Karadzic and his like -- who sowed the seeds of hate and violence -- have not won the war.


A Belarusian national accused of fighting alongside Ukraine's extremist Right Sector has been sentenced by a district court in Minsk to five years in prison.

Taras Avatarau, a resident of the eastern Belarusian city of Navapolatsk, was found guilty on charges of trafficking weapons and explosive devices.

Avatarau, whose trial began on April 18, was detained in November when he arrived in Minsk on a train from Ukraine.

Authorities said they seized a pistol and an explosive device from him at the time of his arrest.

According to the investigators, Avatarau fought as a volunteer alongside Right Sector in battles against Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine's eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Right Sector was one of many groups across Ukraine's political spectrum that took part in the Kyiv street protests that toppled former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014.

The Right Sector has been banned in Russia as a terrorist organization.
Top EU officials have urged politicians in Kosovo to put aside differences and work together on the difficult path to joining the bloc.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos met top officials and politicians in Pristina on May 5.

They were in Kosovos capital "to share the celebrations" after the European Commission recommended a visa-free regime a day earlier. The European Parliament is expected to approve the move within weeks.

The two EU officials also urged dialogue among Kosovos lawmakers amid divisions over a deal with Serbia to grant more powers to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo and another on a border demarcation pact with Montenegro.

Opposition lawmakers have used tear gas several times in recent months to disrupt parliamentary sessions to protest the deal.

Kosovo has signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU that is expected to promote economic growth in one of Europe's poorest countries.

Based on reporting by Reuters
The U.S. Army has deployed Abrams battle tanks in Georgia for the first time, offloading the heavy armor at the Black Sea port of Poti for live-fire training exercises with forces from Georgia and the United Kingdom.

The deployment also includes Bradley armored personnel carriers and support vehicles that were shipped across the Black Sea from NATO-member Bulgaria.

The training exercises from May 11-26 have been named Noble Partner 2016.

Georgia's Defense Ministry says the main goal of the operation is to increase the ability of Georgian forces to work as part of a NATO response force.

Tbilisi says a total of 1,300 troops will take part in the exercises -- including 650 troops from the U.S. European Command, 650 Georgian troops, and 150 British soldiers.

The U.S. European Command says three U.S. C-130 cargo planes from the U.S. National Guard will also take part in the training exercises.

With reporting by Interfax
Azer Turk Bank, which is being one of the leading banks of Azerbaijan, continuously implements projects on development of information technologies. The Bank initiates installation of "Windows 10" operation system issued by Microsoft Corporation and "Microsoft Office 2016". The purchasing process of licenses for these products has already been completed. The Bank is planning to complete installation of "Windows 10" operating system and "Microsoft Office 2016" in a short time. By using latest achievements of modern information and communication technologies, the Bank aims to optimize business processes, increase business efficiency and customer satisfaction. Application of the operating system will provide ability to use latest products of "Microsoft", ensure efficiency of services, contribute to improvement of quality and increase productivity. Moreover, "Windows 10"operating system contains advantages of information security and standardization of the Bank's IT infrastructure, which are being among the most important issues of modernity.

Note that Azer Turk Bank has recently started installation of the latest 12th version of the "Oracle FLEXCUBE" banking platform, used by the world's leading financial institutions.

Azer Turk Bank OJSC, which has identified financial support to the real sector of the economy as its main mission, by 75% is owned by the Government of Azerbaijan. More information about the Bank, its service network, products and services is available at www.azerturkbank.az, the Bank's corporate pages at social networks or at (012) 945 Call Center.
Iran has stopped importing U.S.-made cars because of a speech by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticizing them, news agencies report.

Although U.S. car manufacturers have been barred from selling cars directly to Iran for decades, Tehran previously had allowed 24 models manufactured by Chevrolet, a General Motors division, to be imported through other countries.

Tehran's new ban on such imports was imposed on May 1 after a speech by Khamenei on April 27 questioning why Iranians should drive American cars at all.

"Americans themselves don't use U.S.-made cars," Khamenei said. "We have seen this reflected in American media. They argue that fuel consumption is high and the cars are heavy."

General Motors, which sold 259,557 vehicles in the United States last month, told AP that it had no plans to enter the Iranian market anyway, though the Islamic republic is a large market that has been mostly untapped by Western companies.

While most Western countries lifted economic sanctions prohibiting the sale of cars to Iran in January, the United States continues to bar most commercial ties with Tehran, a GM spokesman said, and the company will continue to honor those sanctions.

Currently, there are very few American cars in Iran other than those made before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

U.S.-brand vehicles can be bought in free-trade zones, but their owners face restrictions on where they can be driven.

Since sanctions were lifted under Iran's nuclear accord with world powers, Iran has announced ambitions to become a significant manufacturer as well as consumer of automobiles.

Tehran has been in talks to set up joint manufacturing plants inside Iran with major European automakers, including Fiat, Mercedes Benz, Peugeot, Renault, and Volkswagen.

Under sanctions, domestic auto production fell sharply from 1.65 million units in 2011 to 740,000 in 2013.

Production crept back up to 1.1 million in 2014, and Iranian officials say they now are hoping to manufacturer 1.6 million cars by 2018, 2 million by 2022, and 3 million by 2025.

With reporting by AP and AFP
QAMISHLI, Syria -- The Kurds have never been lucky with geography, being landlocked and divided between Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. However, due to the Syrian crisis and the threat of an Islamic caliphate bordering Kurdish areas in Syria, the Syrian Kurds have become one of the most reliable coalition allies against the Islamic State (IS) militant group. Most likely they will play a prominent role in capturing the IS capital of Raqqa.

The Kurds seem to fit perfectly into the current U.S. strategy of focusing on defeating jihadist groups and not Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is the focus of most moderate rebel groups. Supporting some moderate rebel groups presents problems for Washington as those groups have partnered with the Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and the Salafist Jaish al-Islam to fight against Assad. Some rebel groups have also given U.S. supplies to jihadists.

While IS fighters have recently defeated rebel offensives in northern Syria, the Syrian Kurds have been more successful on the battlefield, having proven themselves able to fight IS near the Turkish border. "They've been courageous. They have been successful," U.S. State Department spokesperson John Kirby recently said in Washington. Battered by Syrian and Russian air strikes, the rebels were quite successful in defending their territory for years, but have been unable to make many in-roads against IS.

While anti-Assad rebels have been losing battles near the Turkish border, the Kurds have been on the advance in northeastern Syria. Colonel Talal Silo, the official spokesperson of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), says they have three possible directions for campaigns after finishing the Shadadi operation last February: west toward Manbij, south to liberate the countryside around Raqqa, or southeast toward Deir el-Zour. Some critics have suggested that the SDF is unwilling to expand beyond traditional Kurdish areas, but when I asked Silo about the subject he rejected this, saying: "Our goal is not only Kurdish cities. The target of the SDF is not only to liberate Kurdish regions, because for example the countryside of Shadadi and the southern region of Hasakah that were liberated, were completely Arabic." "Our forces do not only contain Kurds, but also Arabs, Christians, Turkomans. It's for everyone," Silo said.

One of the main goals of the SDF is to take control of northern Syria, including opening a corridor from Kobani to the Kurdish enclave of Efrin. This conflicts with the goals of Turkish-backed Syrian rebels that want to use the countryside of northern Syria as a supply line to Aleppo, currently besieged by Syrian regime forces. Recently, fierce clashes erupted again when Aleppo's rebels tried to recapture Tel Rifaat from Kurdish-led SDF forces, leading to the deaths of dozens of rebels, especially from the Jaish al-Sunna group that originates from Homs.

Multiethnic Ideology

The Syrian Kurdish fighters are dominated by the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is close to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the militant left-wing organization which is banned in Turkey. That is a problem for Turkey as Ankara is against any form of coalition support for the Syrian Kurds, even more so after the cease-fire between Turkey's Kurds and the Turkish state collapsed in July 2015. Therefore, Turkey has tried to back rival rebel groups and even jihadist groups to defeat the PYD and the People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, without any real results.

In February, Turkey started to shell Kurdish-led groups in Aleppo, after the Kurds took advantage of Russian bombings of Syrian rebel groups near Azaz and took the Menagh air base. Turkey has also shelled the YPG-allied forces trying to cross the river into the IS-held city of Jarabulus in July 2015. Off the battlefield, Turkey managed to exclude the Kurdish PYD from the peace talks in Geneva.

However, the PYD, unlike the Iraqi Kurdish parties, follows a multiethnic ideology and its leaders have realized that it's better to also recruit Arabs in a region that is not predominantly Kurdish. In March, the PYD announced its desire to establish a federalized Syria, where all of northern Syria, not only Kurdish "Rojava" -- Syrian Kurdistan -- would be represented. Therefore, they have appointed Mansour Saloum, an Arab from Tal Abyad, as the co-head. "We are all people living in this area, and all the ethnic groups will work together to achieve this project," Saloum said.

The move was condemned and rejected both by the Syrian opposition and the Assad government. This plan also contrasts with the approach taken by the rival Kurdish National Council (KNC), which is part of the Syrian opposition and wants a Kurdistan region, similar to the one in Iraq. As a result the KNC condemned the recent announcement by the PYD and its allies and accused the PYD of seeking "Syrian federalism," instead of the establishment of a Kurdistan federal zone.

The support for federalism may have gained the YPG new enemies. In the mixed city of Qamishli, where there were clashes between the Syrian regime and the Kurds in late April, many of the local fighters are Arabs not Kurds. There have been low-level clashes before between the regime and Kurds in Aleppo, Hasakah, and Qamishli, but this was the first time that the clashes spread throughout Qamishli and the surrounding countryside. Kurds there think the Syrian regime attacked them because the regime feels stronger due to Russian support and to show the Kurds that they reject any form of federalism.

Strong And Diverse Coalition

The PYD's cooperation with Arabs is not new. They have focused on working with Arab tribes since they captured the Syrian-Iraqi border with fighters from the Shammar tribe in October 2013. Relations with the United States were established later, when IS tried to capture Kobani and were pushed back, losing hundreds of fighters due to U.S.-led coalition air strikes and ammunition supplies. After receiving U.S. support, they have achieved several victories, such as defeating IS in Tal Abyad, Al-Hawl, Al-Shaddadi -- all of them Arab areas.



From my observations, the SDF is focusing on recruiting more Arabs for future operations. Although U.S. officials have spoken about the Syrian Arab Coalition, in reality these are the Arabs that have joined the SDF. So far, I haven't met anyone who claims to be representing the Syrian Arab Coalition in northern Syria. "What's the Syrian Arab Coalition?" asked Bandar al-Humaydi, from the Arab Sanadid forces allied to the YPG. Arabs most likely join the SDF for financial reasons, or due to the fact that it is the strongest force in northern Syria. Moreover, it's one of the few forces that can really confront Islamic State in northern Syria -- having both a strong ideology and military force. Nevertheless, the command and control of the SDF is still dominated by Kurds from the YPG, and Arabs do not play a large role in the military leadership.

In the former IS-stronghold of Al-Shaddadi, two Arab members of the local police whom I interviewed told me they receive a salary of around $80 per month. "I joined to liberate the city from Daesh [IS]," said Xalaf Mohammed, a 23-year-old Arab. Although human rights organizations have accused the SDF of rights violations against Arabs, in many Arab regions of Hasakah, local civilians have welcomed the SDF forces.



"In the beginning the Kurdish percentage [of soldiers in the SDF] was like 60 percent, now it's changed, because the people that are joining the SDF now are mostly Arabs," Silo said.

At a former government-controlled prison in Alaya, Arabs who have joined the Kurdish security police, are now protecting the facility. "Arabs are working against the regime, because the regime has oppressed them, and they have seen humanity from our side," said Bave Egid, a Kurdish police officer stationed at the prison.

The SDF is a strong and diverse coalition and one that, for the foreseeable future, will likely be a key partner in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria.

Wladimir van Wilgenburg is currently in Qamishli, in northern Syria, conducting a research project for the Iraqi Institute for Strategic Studies (IIST), funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) on Syrian Kurds.


Noted Kazakh journalist Guzyal Baidalinova is on trial in Almaty on libel charges.

Hearings in her case began at the Almaly district court on May 5.

Baidalinova, the owner and editor of the Nakanune.kz online news portal, was arrested in December after one of Kazakhstan's largest banks, Kazkommertzbank, filed a lawsuit against her accusing her of "organization and publishing false information."

Baidalinova rejected the charges, calling them politically motivated.

Nakanune.kz is known for its independence and for publishing criticism of local authorities.

Another journalist who works for the news website, Yulia Kozlova, was acquitted in February on drug charges after police raided her house.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has postponed a controversial plan to privatize state-owned agricultural land, as ministries tied to the plan were rocked by resignations and reprimands.

The government had recently announced that just under 2 percent of the country's agricultural land would be put up for auction beginning on July 1. But amid the ensuing outcry over the prospect of corruption and foreign ownership of Kazakh land, Nazarbaev conceded that the issue requires more discussion.

"I have made a decision today to announce a moratorium to the implementation of the land law amendments regarding land ownership until next year," Nazarbaev said at a special cabinet gathering in Astana. "We do not need laws that our people do not like."

He said the plan would be implemented in 2017 and announced the formation of a government commission to oversee land reforms.

"We have to do everything to explain to our people the legislation on land privatization via the commission's work," Nazarbaev said.

Nazarbaevs announcement on May 5 follows nearly two weeks of demonstrations across the country. Many participants expressed concern that the plan would allow foreigners to own Kazazkh agricultural land.

On April 26, Nazarbaev defended the plan, promising to "punish provocateurs" who spread the idea that foreigners would be able to purchase the land. The government stressed that while foreigners would be able to rent farmland for up to 25 years, they would not be able to own land or participate in the planned auctions.

Demonstrators have also expressed concern that the land auctions would not be done in a transparent way, and that the country's elite, rather than farmers, would end up owning the land.

Just before Nazarbaev said the plan would be postponed, the official who announced the auction plan on March 30, Economy Minister Erbolat Dosaev, resigned, along with his deputy.

In addition, Agriculture Minister Asylzhan Mamytbekov was reportedly reprimanded by the president for not being fully fit for his post.
President Almazbek Atambaev says parts of Kyrgyzstan's constitution are "undermining Kyrgyzstan's sovereignty" and "must be amended."

In an interview with Russia's Interfax news agency published on May 5, Atambaev said, "the sooner we amend such articles the better."

Atambaev's remarks come five days after his aide, Busurmankul Taabaldiev, harshly criticized a call by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) to revise a ruling by Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court against jailed human rights activist Azimjan Askarov.

Taabaldiev said the UNCHR's call interfered in Kyrgyzstan's internal affairs.

Kyrgyzstan's constitution allows its citizens to call upon international courts to protect their rights, and it requires that Kyrgyz authorities comply with decisions made by such institutions.

Askarov, an ethnic Uzbek citizen of Kyrgyzstan, is serving a life sentence on charges that he was an organizer of deadly clashes in 2010 between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz citizens in southern Kyrgyzstan.

Askarov also was convicted on charges linking him to the murder of a police officer who was killed during the violence.

Based on reporting by Interfax
A Russian orchestra has played a concert in the ancient amphitheater in Palmyra, just a month after Russian air strikes helped push Islamic State militants from the historic Syrian city.

The Kremlin called the concert by Russia's famous Mariinsky Theater a brilliant way of showing solidarity with Russian forces fighting in Syria as well as the Syrian Army.

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the audience by video link from Sochi. He called terrorism a contagion the world needed to rid itself of and said the fact the concert was taking place at all was "surprising."

"Today's action involved major inconvenience and dangers for everyone, being in a country at war close to where hostilities are still ongoing. That has demanded great strength and personal courage from you all," said Putin.

The concert on May 5 was conducted by Valery Gergiev, a strong supporter of President Vladimir Putin.

In opening remarks, Gergiev said that with the concert, "we protest against the barbarians who destroyed monuments of world culture."

Sergei Roldugin, a cellist friend of Putin's named in the Panama Paper leaks as owning a network of offshore firms that have handled billions of dollars, also performed. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Islamic State used the same amphitheater as a venue to conduct public executions.

Based on reporting by TASS and Reuters
Attacks on independent media in Tajikistan have increased markedly over recent months, prompting concern about the future of the countrys few but feisty nongovernment outlets in a region notorious for its hostility toward a free press.

Tajik authorities have stepped-up efforts to obstruct the publics access to information by blocking websites, withholding information in the public interest from journalists, harassing and publicly denouncing journalists, and launching bogus judicial proceedings with the intent of discouraging independent reporting.

The aim of the government appears to be to block all sources of information, said RFE/RL Tajik Service Director Sojida Djakhfarova, whose staff and Dushanbe-based operations have been particularly hard-hit.

According to Human Rights Watch, Internet service providers in Tajikistan claim the governments communications ministry periodically orders them to block websites, among them Google, Facebook, and the Tajik Services website, known locally as Radio Ozodi.The ministry denies this.

Explaining why such interference has increased recently, Djakhfarova speculates that Radio Ozodis reporting on Islamic extremism in Tajik society has touched a nerve. It is after reports on the subject are published on Ozodis website and social media pages that they are then blocked.

Other sensitive topics include stories about social and economic problems, investigative reporting on how institutions have failed average citizens, and just about anything that may cast the Tajik government in an unflattering light.

Topics like infringements on political rights, the economy, and unemployment are strictly prohibited by officials, Djakhfarova said. If youre a journalist reporting on these issues, officials call you unpatriotic and accuse you of attempting to destabilize the government.

In addition to blocking news websites, the government has attempted to tighten control over journalists themselves, intimidating them with financial pressure, threats of defamation suits, and arbitrary arrests, according to Reporters Without Borders. This harassment often includes ad-hominem attacks by pro-government media.

On several occasions officials have approached our journalists to scold them for being unpatriotic by reporting negative information and damaging the countrys image, said Djakhfarova. If you dont obey their friendly advice, the usual punishment is loss of accreditation, but it is sometimes worse.

Within a two week period in late April 2016, Djakhfarova says there were at least five slanderous articles published in local, pro-government media against RFE/RL journalists and Radio Ozodi. Previously, such attacks were rare.

They write that our stories are too influential and endanger the stability of the country, and they falsely accuse us of working for the CIA, she said.

A referendum set for May 22, 2016 could be one reason the government is targeting independent media at this time. The referendum would authorize a change in the constitution to allow President Emomali Rahmon, who has been in office since 1994, to run for re-election indefinitely.Human Rights Watch has reported that, in the run-up to the vote, journalists, opposition activists, and anyone voicing criticism in matters of state is taking a risk; according to their research, several have disappeared.

Media freedom in Tajikistan has long been a function of presidential prerogative. For years, Freedom House has designated it as not free, scoring it at 83rd out of 100, with 100 being the "least free" in its 2016 Freedom of the Press report.

Access to free information is further hindered by the countrys low level of Internet penetration which, partly as a result of the countrys poverty and remote, mountainous location, is among the lowest in the world.

Despite the challenges, RFE/RLs Tajik service confounds all expectations with audience statistics that are higher than ever. In March 2016, visits to its website totaled 1.5 million, an increase of 20 percent over the previous month. Because the website is periodically blocked, web users in the country have taken to using virtual private networks (VPNs) to privately access internet content and evade monitoring. The VPNs are especially popular on mobile phones. The service attracts another 1 million monthly views on its YouTube channel.

Notwithstanding such successes, and the demands for accurate inormation that drive them, the future of independent media in Tajikistan is uncertain.

Anything could happen because the situation is completely unpredictable, said Djakhfarova.

--Elissa Nunez
Dushanbe says a Tajik citizen suspected of involvement in the murder of a high-ranking Russian police officer and five of his relatives traveled to Russia from Tajikistan in order "to prove his innocence."

Tajikistan's Interior Ministry said on May 5 that Mahmadali Ahmadov voluntarily presented himself to police in Dushanbe on May 4 after he learned from media reports that he was suspected in the murder.

Ahmadov said the allegations were not true, and traveled to Moscow voluntarily -- even though Tajikistan's laws protect him from being extradited to Russia.

Russia's Interior Ministry said on May 4 that Ahmadov was detained upon his arrival at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport.

On May 3, the investigators identified three Azerbaijani citizens who were arrested as suspects in the multiple-murder case.

The deputy chief of staff of the Samara region's interior department, Andrei Gosht, was found dead at his home in Syzran on April 24 along with five of his relatives.
A top recruiter for the Islamic State (IS) has been killed by a U.S. air strike in Iraq, disrupting the militant group's ability to attract new fighters, the Australian government has said.

The United States informed Australian officials that Neil Prakash, who was linked to several attacks in Australia and had called for lone-wolf attacks against the United States, was killed in an air strike in Mosul on April 29.

Melbourne-born Prakash had appeared in IS propaganda videos and magazines and had actively recruited Australian men, women, and children, and encouraged acts of terrorism.

Australia last year announced financial sanctions against Prakash, including threatening anyone giving financial assistance to him with punishment of up to 10 years in jail.

Prakash is believed to have relocated to Syria in 2014 and is on a United Nations sanctions list.

The U.S. government said that a second Australian citizen involved with IS, Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad, also was killed on April 22 in a U.S. air strike in Syria.

Mohammad and her Sudanese husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, were both active recruiters of foreign fighters on behalf of IS, and had called for attacks against Western interests.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

Trend:

The delegation from Ruhr University of Bochum, Germany, headed by Honorary Professor, former member of Bundesdaq, representing Institute for Mining & Energy Law, Ruhr University of Bochum, federal chair of German CDU party, chair of the presidium of CDU Dr. Otto Wulf, visited BHOS in frames of the visit to Azerbaijan.

BHOS rector Elmar Gasimov cordially welcomed guests while opening the meeting. Touching upon the relations between Azerbaijan and Germany BHOS rector talked about cooperation existing between both countries in the field of science and education. Underlining that BHOS was established in accordance with the decree of President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev, BHOS rector briefed on the history, achievements gained within short period of time, activities, international relations associated with BHOS and a new campus of the higher school. Gasimov said how the motto by President Aliyev 'We should turn oil capital into human one' was realized. Stressing the fact of cooperation existing between BHOS and a number of international companies Gasimov particularly stressed the cooperation between BHOS and German E.ON Company and University of RWTH Achen University, Germany, in the field of renewable energy.

BHOS rector also said that established in line with European education system requirements BHOS attached great importance to linkages with European higher schools involved in engineering specialization. He expressed his interest in commencement cooperation with Ruhr University of Bochum in terms of exchange of students, lecturers, cooperation in the field of research and education.

Dr. Wulf expressed his contentment in visiting Baku and appreciated the warm welcome received from the management of BHOS. Talking about Ruhr University of Bochum being the largest educational institution in Germany Dr. Wulf said that it was one of the pioneering institutions in Germany, which introduced Bachelor and Master level education program. BHOS management and German guests discussed perspectives of potential cooperation between both higher educational institutions. The meeting also included broad discussions on energy related politics, renewable energy, legal and economic issues.
Pictured above, on left, participants Destiney Fry-Daley, Cranston resident and School One student, on right, Erin Kalander, East Greenwich resident and School One student.
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Today, residents of the Azizbayov community of the Goranboy district celebrated the completion of a new medical facility, which will improve healthcare for 930 people in the community. The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Health, the local Executive Committee, municipal government, U.S. Embassy and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project was implemented by the East-West Management Institute (EWMI) under the Socio-Economic Development Activity (SEDA) with funding from USAID and the Azerbaijani government.

An aging two-room administrative building used as a medical facility since 1988 was inadequate to meet the community's healthcare needs. With support from EWMI, the community residents worked with their local and regional governments to construct a new medical facility. With three examination rooms and one corridor for a waiting room, the new facility will improve the day-to-day health conditions for nearly 930 people in the community.

To date, EWMI has implemented 72 projects in 64 communities benefiting more than 96,000 people around Azerbaijan. Through SEDA, EWMI promotes cooperation between citizens, civil society organizations, and government to advance socio-economic development. The project is funded by USAID and implemented with support from the Ministry of Economy and the Council for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations and with assistance from a local non-governmental organization, UMID.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:

Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) has confirmed the Ba1 corporate family rating (CFR), Ba1 senior unsecured notes rating and Ba1-PD probability of default rating (PDR) of State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). The outlook on the ratings is negative.

"Our decision to confirm SOCAR's ratings factors in the company's high level of vertical integration into refining and trading operations, allowing it to maintain adequate credit metrics for its rating category in a "lower-for-longer" oil price environment," the agency said. "SOCAR's rating also benefits from continued strong support from the government of Azerbaijan as the country's largest employer and tax contributor."

According to the statement, SOCAR's Ba1 rating takes into account: the key role that the company plays in the oil and gas sector of Azerbaijan and the national economy; the rating agency's estimates of SOCAR's stable oil and gas production in 2016-17; robust liquidity profile underpinned by substantial cash balances and comfortable debt maturity schedule; and its close linkages with the Azerbaijan's government, which has accumulated substantial reserves.

"The rating also reflects the rating agency's conservative view on potential challenges in maintaining stable production over longer-term if upstream capex is sustainably kept at a low level; the company's ability to efficiently replenish its oil reserves; and the low oil price environment and regulated prices for domestically produced oil products in Azerbaijan, which will continue to negatively impact the company's profitability and cash flow metrics," the statement said.

According to the agency, SOCAR also participates in all international consortia developing new oil and gas projects in Azerbaijan. The largest of these are the Azeri Chirag Gunesli (ACG) oil project and the Shah Deniz (SD) gas project, and their respective transportation routes, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline (BTC) and South Caucasus gas pipeline (SCP). In 2015, SOCAR reported revenue of approximately $31.5 billion (including trading operations) and EBITDA of $3.1 billion.

Given the Ba1 local-currency rating and sovereign ceiling of the government of Azerbaijan, upward pressure on SOCAR's ratings is unlikely at present.
The father of a 3-year-old Spotsylvania County boy who was the subject of statewide Amber Alert has been arrested and the child is safe.

Joshua Christopher Williams, 28, was arrested without incident shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday at a residence, said Capt. Jeff Pearce of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office.

The child, Zion Williams, was found safe earlier Thursday after someone brought the boy to the home of his maternal grandmother. Deputies are trying to determine who delivered the child to the home, Pearce said.

Joshua Williams is facing charges of malicious wounding and abduction in the incident, Pearce said. Williams is accused of beating the child's mother  Williams' former girlfriend  before abducting the child Wednesday.

Pearce said the incident began about 7 p.m. Wednesday when Williams had come to visit his ex-girlfriend and the child. Williams was driving in the woman's car with her and the child when a dispute erupted.

Williams pulled the car over and beat the woman severely in her face, head and upper body, Pearce said. The victim managed to get out of the vehicle and ran for help; the child, who was wearing only a diaper, was still in the car.

Pearce said Williams drove off in the car, but the vehicle was recovered later a short distance away. The woman was taken to Mary Washington Hospital for treatment.

Pearce said the sheriff's office contacted state police early Thursday and an Amber Alert was issued, though the alert apparently did not reach all areas.

Pearce said Williams does not have custody of the child and did not have permission to take the car.

Court records show that Williams has been in and out of jail repeatedly since at least 2006 for Spotsylvania convictions that include malicious wounding, possession of illegal drugs, attempted escape and probation violations.
In the end, the jury in the Grace Mann murder case couldnt accept the strange world of delusion over the prosecutions assertion that Steven Vander Briel killed the 20-year-old University of Mary Washington student out of flash anger.

After about three hours of deliberations, a jury of eight women and four men on Wednesday found Briel guilty on all counts in the April 17, 2015, killing.

After listening to tearful accounts from Manns parents on the devastating effects of their only daughters murder, the jury recommended a prison sentence of life plus 11 years. The judge will finalize the sentence at a future hearing.

The prosecution team of LaBravia Jenkins and Kevin Gross concluded that the killing was an act of a struggling but sane man who took out his anger on his 20-year-old housemate.

The defense claimed that Mann was the unintended victim in a series of events spurred by a disturbed and delusional mind that went largely undetected over a period of years and culminated in her death. Briels defense attorneys claimed an insanity defense and sought to have their client found not guilty by reason of insanity.

The 31-year-old New Jersey native was on trial for the slaying of Mann at the Washington Avenue home where four UMW students lived in a spring semester that ended tragically.

Mann was found by housemates strangled to death on the afternoon of April 17. Briel was home when she was found, but later fled on foot. He was caught by police about two hours later.

He was charged with first degree murder, strangulation and abduction.

Guilt in the murder trial was predetermined. Briel admitted to killing Mann. But his attorneys said he did not intend to kill her. Instead, they say, he intended to incapacitate her to avoid being killed as part of a paranoid schizophrenic delusion.

A forensic psychiatric expert hired by the defense team diagnosed Briel with paranoid schizophrenia and said he was insane when he killed Mann.

Their case laid out a bizarre delusional world in which common gestures and comments were taken by Briel as code in some secret world of battles between good and evil.

They presented text messages, emails and receipts the portrayed a man falling apart in the week leading to Manns slaying.

He thought his housemates were plotting to kill him, something defense attorneys said was the final piece of a delusional puzzle in which Briel suspected everyone from a janitor to a plumber of being involved in plots against him.

In the week leading up to the slaying, Briel stayed in hotels and bought a burner phone to avoid being tracked.

And, his attorneys said, he became more fearful of being killed in the days leading to the slaying.

According to his attorney, an innocent suggestion from his mother to say the Hail Mary to deal with anxiety set the final stage of Briels delusional world in motion.

He thought the first line of the prayer, which closes with the word grace, was a coded message by his mother that Grace Mann was a threat to him.

Days after the text, Briel confronted Mann in the Washington Avenue home. After a struggle he strangled her to death, an intense attack that broke the hyoid bone in Manns neck. After she died, Briel stuffed plastic bags in her mouth and covered her head with another. He also bound her hands with tape, a belt and a sweater.

According to Briels account to psychiatrists, he was defending himself against Mann and that his goal was to incapacitate her not kill her.

Does that sound sane to you? attorney Mark Gardner said in his closing arguments.

The prosecution, supported by its forensic psychiatric expert, told the jury Briel concocted his delusion as a way to excuse the killing by blaming it on a mental disease.

In her closing argument, Jenkins said Briel didnt suffer mental illness but instead enacted anti-social behavior.

Before sentencing, Jenkins said Briel wreaked havoc on the Mann family and that he should pay with a stiff sentence.
WAYNESBORO-Four of the six people convicted in the murder of Waynesboro reserve police captain Kevin Quick will wait a bit longer to hear their sentence.

On Wednesday, Judge Glen Conrad agreed to hear arguments from attorneys representing Daniel Mathis, Shantai Shelton, Mersadies Shelton and Kweki Uhuru (aka Travis Bell), on their motions to set aside the verdict in the case.

That joint hearing will be held Sept. 19 in the Charlottesville courthouse. Originally, sentencing was scheduled to take place this summer.

No decision has been made yet about similar requests from lawyers representing Anthony Stokes and Halisi Uhuru aka Gert Wright III.

Lawyers for the four argue their clients didnt receive a fair trial and are asking the judge to either dismiss the verdict or grant a new trial in the case.

They claim the prosecution used hearsay testimony to get a guilty verdict, pointing to witness Anthony Whites part of the trial.

White, who pled guilty to conspiracy charges but was not charged with Quicks death, was not actually present when the murder took place. Instead, White told the court he met up with Mathis and Uhuru, as well as Mersadies and Shantai Shelton, later that same night.

White testified that Shantai Shelton showed him Quicks ID, his debit card and an ATM receipt. He also told the jury that Shelton explained Mathis and Uhuru took Quick out of the SUV in a remote, wooded area, fired a single shot and then ran back. But the attorneys argue this was all hearsay and should have been dismissed.

In the latest filings, released last week, attorneys for Mathis and Uhuru add another claim, stating that there was insufficient evidence to prove the defendants had intended to kill or injure Kevin Quick.

As a result, they argue, the verdict doesnt meet the requirements to be considered as a federal carjacking charge and should be tossed out. They referenced United States vs. Bailey, a 2005 U.S. Court of Appeals case where a carjacking conviction was vacated because of insufficient evidence.

Evidence of intent was similarly absent at trial in this case, the attorneys wrote.

In order to include the carjacking charge, they argued that at the moment the defendant demanded or took control over the drivers automobile, he or she had to demonstrate the intent to seriously harm or kill the driver.

It's believed that's one reason the attorneys want Whites testimony dismissed, as he told the jury Quick had been taken to an ATM, where the group used his card to get cash and then drove to a remote, wooded area.

Quick was last seen leaving his mothers home in Afton on Jan. 31, 2014, to visit his infant daughter in Albemarle County, but he never made it.

The next day, he was reported missing and a statewide law enforcement search began.

On Feb. 6, 2014, Quicks body was found in thick woods along the boundary of Fluvanna and Goochland counties.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:

The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) sold $40.8 million to seven banks through an auction held by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA), said SOFAZ in a message May 5.

Meanwhile, CBA itself acquired $5 million at the auction.

SOFAZ was offering $50 million for sale through the auction.

SOFAZ will continue selling foreign currency through auctions in 2016.

The foreign currency is sold as part of SOFAZ's transfers to the Azerbaijani state budget, which are envisaged to stand at 7.615 billion Azerbaijani manats in 2016.

SOFAZ was established in 1999 with assets of $271 million.

As of October 1, 2015, SOFAZ assets reduced by 6.38 percent compared to early 2015 ($37.1 billion) and were estimated at $34.74 billion.
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12:20 p.m. UPDATE: The Sheriff's Office says Zion Williams has been found safe and sound.

Spotsylvania County authorities have obtained felony warrants for a man accused of beating his ex-girlfriend and abducting their 3-year-old son Wednesday night in the county.

The child, Zion Williams, was still missing Thursday morning and Sheriff's Capt. Jeff Pearce said police believe the child is in danger. He said the child's father, 28-year-old Joshua Christopher Williams, has made threats against the child in the past.

Williams is charged with abduction and malicious wounding.

According to Pearce, the incident began about 7 p.m. in the area of Cleveland Court off Harrison Road. Williams had come to visit the ex-girlfriend and the child and was in her car when some sort of dispute erupted.

He pulled the car over and beat the woman severely in her face, head and upper body, Pearce said. The victim finally managed to get out of the vehicle and ran for helping; the child, who was wearing only a diaper, was still in the car.

Pearce said Williams drove off in her car, but the vehicle was recovered later a short distance away in the same neighborhood. The woman was taken to Mary Washington Hospital for treatment.

Pearce said the Sheriff's Office contacted state police early Thursday and an Amber Alert was issued, though the alert apparently did not reach all areas.

Pearce said Williams does not have custody of the child and did not have permission to take the car.

Police said Williams has a number of friends and relatives in the area where the attack took place and may be getting help to elude authorities. He said Williams' past threats have police extremely concerned about the child's safety.

Zion Williams is 3 feet 5 inches tall and 35 pounds. He has brown hair, brown eyes and was last seen wearing a blue and white diaper with characters from the movie "Cars."

Joshua Williams is 5 feet 11 inches tall and 160 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a navy blue and gray sweatshirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to called the Sheriff's Office at 582-5822 or state police at 800/822-4453.

Court records show that Williams has been in and out of jail repeatedly since at least 2006 for Spotsylvania convictions that include malicious wounding, possession of illegal drugs, attempted escape and probation violations.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Azerbaijan needs support from the EU and the UN for modernizing the Sadigli checkpoint on the border with Georgia in the future, said Aydin Aliyev, head of Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee May 5.

He was addressing a conference dedicated to the project for supporting the development of the Red Bridge border checkpoint between Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Six border checkpoints operate between Azerbaijan and Georgia. They are Sadigli, Sinig Korpu (Red Bridge), Candargol, Mazimchay, Mughanli and Boyuk Kesik.

"We hope that we will also be able to modernize the Sadigli border checkpoint in the future with the support of the EU and the UN," added Aliyev. "We need the support for turning that checkpoint into an international cargo transportation corridor."

He also noted that the EU and the UN have repeatedly rendered support to Azerbaijan's customs system.

"I would like to recall that Azerbaijan's main customs document - the Customs Code - was worked out with the direct financial support of the EU and the assistance of the UN office in Azerbaijan," said Aliyev.

"Moreover, the UN and the EU are currently rendering assistance in the modernization of the Red Bridge border checkpoint and constantly organize trainings for the employees of customs authorities," he added.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
Details added (first version posted on 13:40)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Azerbaijan needs support from the EU and the UN for modernizing the Sadigli checkpoint on the border with Georgia in the future, said Aydin Aliyev, head of Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee May 5.

He was addressing a conference dedicated to the project for supporting the development of the Red Bridge border checkpoint between Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Six border checkpoints operate between Azerbaijan and Georgia. They are Sadigli, Sinig Korpu (Red Bridge), Candargol, Mazimchay, Mughanli and Boyuk Kesik.

"We hope that we will also be able to modernize the Sadigli border checkpoint in the future with the support of the EU and the UN," added Aliyev. "We need the support for turning that checkpoint into an international cargo transportation corridor."

He also noted that the EU and the UN have repeatedly rendered support to Azerbaijan's customs system.

"I would like to recall that Azerbaijan's main customs document - the Customs Code - was worked out with the direct financial support of the EU and the assistance of the UN office in Azerbaijan," said Aliyev.

"Moreover, the UN and the EU are currently rendering assistance in the modernization of the Red Bridge border checkpoint and constantly organize trainings for the employees of customs authorities," he added.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:

A single competitive tariff will be introduced for the International Trans-Caspian Transportation Route on June 1, said Nadir Azmammadov, spokesman for the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, speaking to Trend May 5.

Azmammadov said this decision was made at a meeting of the work group on the development of the International Trans-Caspian Transportation Route in Baku.

"A protocol envisaging the introduction of competitive reduced tariffs on the Trans-Caspian route, running from China and Central Asia through the Black Sea basin, Ukraine and Europe and backwards, was signed after a meeting held with participation of the Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Georgian and Ukrainian delegations," he added.

The document also includes a paragraph about the rules of organizing container traffic via the Dostyk/Altyngel-Aktau-Baku-Batumi route, and such issues as the average speed, the length and schedule of trains.

The 2016 policy plan of the International Trans-Caspian Transportation Consortium was also discussed at the working group's meeting, noted Azmammadov.

The agreement to create the International Trans-Caspian Transportation Consortium was signed in April in Baku by the railway authorities of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan.

Azerbaijani companies ADY Express and ACSC Logistics, Kazakhstan's KTZ Express and Georgia's Trans Caucasus Terminals LLC are the consortium members.

Edited by EA

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Azerbaijan is ready to support and be an active participant of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Strategy 2030 consultations, Azerbaijan's Finance Minister Samir Sharifov said.

He made the remarks during the 49th annual meeting of the ADB's Board of Governors in Frankfurt, Germany.

Azerbaijan is represented by the delegation led by the country's Finance Minister Samir Sharifov.

"I am confident that the New Strategy 2030 that ADB is currently working on will address the challenges more comprehensively and its implementation will support stronger and better ADB," said Sharifov.

The minister noted that the current difficult external environment has been posing significant challenges for many Central Asian countries, including Azerbaijan, which is being severely affected by contagion of weak economic developments in the neighboring countries and sharp fall in oil prices.

Under these circumstances, formulation and implementation of well-coordinated, broad based policy response is of great importance, added Sharifov.

"Like many oil-exporting countries, Azerbaijan experienced reduction in export revenues, which was reflected in a contraction of the current account surplus, significant devaluation of local currency and falling budget revenues," noted the minister adding that the Azerbaijani government, in its turn, is planning a transition to a new more sustainable and balanced economic growth model.

This model envisages structural changes to diversify economy away from oil and gas, to gradually substitute public investment with foreign and domestic private investment and to stimulate private sector led growth, said Sharifov.

During his speech the minister also noted the great importance to continue and expand ADB's lending operations further.

"Taking into account diverse challenges faced by the member countries, a particular attention should be paid to increased utilization of rapid support instruments for member countries in need, while enhancing flexibility of the processing of standard and special loan facilities," explained Sharifov.

Second, it is noteworthy to mention that ADB has reached its record performance in terms of lending, private sector and co-financing operations already in 2015, he noted.

The minister went on to add that the private sector development would reinforce the effectiveness and sustainability of ADB's operations in the public sector.

The 49th annual meeting of the ADB's Board of Governors will last until May 5.

ADB was established in 1966 and Azerbaijan became its member since Dec. 22, 1999.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
VOTERS go to the polls today in the first-ever all-out Rotherham Borough Council elections.

Ruling party Labour said it worked harder than ever on the campaign trail, while UKIP members are eyeing an historic victory.

Labour's manifesto includes commitments to improving children's services, roads and jop opportunities.

UKIP group leader Caven Vines said if his party took control, it would hand scrutiny duties to opposition members to improve fairness within the chamber.

The Conservatives' Chris Middleton said his party could help the town "recover its reputation following the child grooming scandal".

The Liberal Democrats vowed to fight for positive and progressive change across the borough.

The party will contest wards in Keppel (Janice Middleton), Hoober (Steve Scutt), Brinsworth (Adam Carter) Wales (Alan Marshall) and Wath (A Staples-McCall).

Chair of Rotherham and Barnsley Liberal Democrats Janice Middleton said: We are determined to support developments in the following areas:

Safeguarding, by making sure that numbers of police and social workers are maintained.

Employment opportunities need to be improved by developing higher levels of training.

Rotherham needs more council houses to supply the increasing need.

The National Health Service needs to be linked with Social Care to enable the correct form of treatment/care for patients to be given at the appropriate point.

Care for the elderly  care homes in Rotherham are too often judged to be less than adequate. On-going training for all carers and other staff needs to be embedded as elderly members of our community deserve the best care.

"Fracking  as licences for research have been given we will keep the public aware of developments and when needed oppose suggestions which are dangerous to people or the environment.

Our candidates will fight for positive and progressive change to benefit everyone.

The Liberal Democrats are determined to give the people of Rotherham a wider range of political choice.

The Green Party, which established its own Rotherham branch in March, said the party's policies include championing communities, public transport, clean air and opposing academy schools.

Sixty three seats in Rotherhams council chamber will be contested by 163 candidates. The boroughs unprecedented all-out election was ordered as part of a package of Government measures after the CSE scandal.

Labour is fielding 63 candidates, UKIP 41, Conservatives 23, Greens 13, independents 13, Lib Dems five, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition three and Yorkshire First two.

Councillors will remain in post until 2020.

Voters will also be electing a new police and crime commissioner at the polls tomorrow.

The five candidates battling it out are Labours Dr Alan Billings, UKIPs Gavin Felton, Joe Otten for the Liberal Democrats, Conservative Ian Walker and David Allen, of the English Democrats.

Votes in the council elections will be counted at Magna on Friday.

Visit www.rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk and follow our reporter Gareth Dennison on Twitter (@GarethAtWork) for the results as they are announced.

FULL LIST OF CANDIDATES



Click here
ALROSA will hold its Annual General Meeting of Shareholderson on June 30, 2016. The company announced this in a press release distributed on Thursday. At its recent meeting, the Supervisory Board of ALROSA approved the agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, which included, among others: approval of the annual report and annual accounting statements; profit distribution, approval of the amount, procedure, form and payout period for the dividend on the Companys shares; election of members of the Supervisory Board and Auditing Committee of ALROSA; approval of the Companys auditors.

In particular, the Supervisory Board approved recommendations on the distribution of net profit for 2015. The amount of dividend recommended to be paid is RUB 15.382 billion, based on RUB 2.09 per one share of RUB 0.5 par value. The date when the persons entitled to a dividend are to be defined is July 19, 2016.

The Supervisory Board recommended to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to approve PricewaterhouseCoopers as an auditor of RAS accounting (financial) statements of ALROSA and IFRS consolidated financial statements of ALROSA Group for 2016.

The list of persons entitled to participate in the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of ALROSA to be held at the address: 6, ul. Lenina, Mirny, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), is made based on the data from the Shareholder Register of ALROSA as of May 12, 2016.




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Tribune Publishing Co. (TPUB) sent a letter to Gannett Co., Inc. (GCI) in response to its April 12, unsolicited proposal to acquire all outstanding shares of Tribune Publishing common stock for $12.25 per share in cash. The company said, after thorough consideration, its Board has unanimously determined that Gannett's opportunistic proposal understates the company's true value and is not in the best interests of its shareholders.

"Tribune Publishing is in the early stages of a compelling transformation, with a well-defined strategic plan to drive increasing monetization of our important brands, capitalize on the global potential of the LA Times and significantly accelerate our conversion of content to revenue through an enhanced digital strategy," said CEO, Justin Dearborn.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The Azerbaijani-Italian business forum will be held on June 13 in Rome, said the message issued by Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) May 5.

The business forum will be organized within the 4th meeting of the Azerbaijani-Italian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, said the message.

Italy is one of Azerbaijan's main trade partners.

Italy took the first place in the list of Azerbaijan's foreign trade partners in the first quarter of 2016, according to Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee. The trade turnover between the two countries totaled $462.44 million, which is the 12.82 percent of the total volume of Azerbaijan's foreign trade operations.

Meanwhile, goods worth $368 million (20.67 percent of the total volume) were exported to Italy during the first quarter of 2016.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov
Gildan Activewear Inc. (GIL.TO,GIL) announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the equity interest of Alstyle Apparel, LLC and its subsidiaries, which constitute the apparel division of Ennis, Inc., for a total cash purchase price of $110 million.

The company said, while the acquisition is expected to be slightly accretive to earnings per share in 2016, strong integration synergies are expected to flow through from this transaction in 2017 and 2018.

The Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.078 per share, payable on June 13, 2016 to shareholders of record on May 19, 2016.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI) announced Thursday that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Prime European Therapeuticals S.p.A., also known as "Euticals", for approximately $358 million or 315 million euros. The value consists of shares of AMRI common stock, cash, and a seller note.

The deal significantly expands AMRI's presence in the European community. The transaction is expected to be accretive to AMRI's 2016 adjusted earnings per share.

Euticals is an Italy-based privately-held company specializing in custom synthesis and the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients or APIs. It operates a network of API facilities primarily in Italy, Germany, U.S. and France.

In connection with the closing of the transaction, Fernando Napolitano will be joining AMRI Board of Directors on behalf of Lauro Cinquantesette, S.p.A and its majority investors, Clessidra Capital Partners II and Mandarin Capital Partner SCA SICAR.

Margalit Fine, Euticals' chief executive officer and former head of European API at Teva, will be leading Euticals' operations as a senior executive for the combined company.

AMRI further said its 2017 pro forma revenue is expected to exceed $750 million, with 2017 adjusted EBITDA margins of 20%.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., announced his support for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday and said the real estate tycoon has an obligation to unite the GOP.

"I have committed to supporting the nominee chosen by Republican voters, and Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee is now on the verge of clinching that nomination," McConnell said in a statement.

He added, "As the presumptive nominee, he now has the opportunity and the obligation to unite our party around our goals."

McConnell indicated Republicans are committed to stopping Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton from winning the White House.

The Kentucky Senator suggested that a Clinton presidency would represent a third term of President Barack Obama.

McConnell has previously been critical of some of Trump's proposals, including his plan to temporarily block Muslims from entering the country.

The statement from McConnell came after Senator Ted Cruz, R-Tex., and Ohio Governor John Kasich suspended their campaigns, clearing the way for Trump to secure the Republican nomination.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., has privately expressed concerns that Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee could hurt his chances to be re-elected.

In a recording of a private fundraiser obtained by Politico, McCain noted that Hispanic voters' anger toward Trump could pose a challenge.

"If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life," McCain said.

"If you listen or watch Hispanic media in the state and in the country, you will see that it is all anti-Trump," he added. "The Hispanic community is roused and angry in a way that I've never seen in 30 years."

Many Hispanics are expected to vote against Trump due to his inflammatory rhetoric about immigrants and his calls for the construction of a wall on the Southern border.

The Hispanic vote could be a big factor in McCain's race against likely Democratic opponent Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz. A RealClearPolitics average of polls showed the race virtually tied.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
Australia will on Friday see April results for the Performance of Construction Index from the Australian Industry Group, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

The index had a score of 45.2 in March, well beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

Also, the Reserve Bank of Australia will release its statement on monetary policy.

Japan will see April figures for monetary base, and also see April results for the services and composite indexes from Nikkei.

The monetary base climbed 28.5 percent on year in March, while the services PMI had a score of 50.0 and the composite was at 49.9.

Malaysia will release March data for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to ease 0.3 percent on year after rising 6.7 percent in February. Exports are called higher by 0.2 percent after gaining 1.6 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at 7.1 billion ringgit, down from 7.35 billion a month earlier.

Finally, the in South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand remain off on holiday, and will re-open on Monday.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
Hi Everybody!

Some of us are coming from United Kingdom. We are looking forward to meeting other Saab enthusiasts and to yet another visit to Sweden. We may arrive in a Japanese hire car, because costs are high, but we are coming to meet others with an interest in SAAB cars. Please dont spoil it for us with petty arguements. I will let you know how we enjoyed it hopefully in August, but that is what we hope to do, meet other Saab nuts, have a few drinks, lots of smiles and see the lovely side of Sweden.

Bad enough that our favoured marque of car is no longer made, but we still appreciate them and love the many Sedish people who we met in past occasions like Saab Museum, (where staff are always great) Like when we came in 2011 days after the factory closed and we were welcomed by ANA (Alf) and Peter and Natalie. Last year we were at the Festival, it was great! Peter and Gunner talking as we ate a memories of Erik hot dog. and all those Saabs in Trollhattan. We were in a hire car Toyota then but the atmosphere was good! Here in England we love our Saab cars and the fact that they were built for people like us, and we plan to enjoy them for as long as we can.. Come on Saabers, lets see some smiling faces, not whats going on in this discussion.

SAABSTRUK of England.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

Trend:

US-EU Energy Council reiterated its strong support for the opening of the Southern Gas Corridor, including the construction of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), said in a statement of the US-EU Energy Council.

Council underscored the importance of the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector and the construction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, in Croatia, as well as in Greece if there is market demand, said in a statement.

Today the Southern Gas Corridor is among the European Union's priority energy projects, which aims at the diversification of the EU gas supply sources and routes. The project envisages transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian Sea region to Europe through Georgia and Turkey.

At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects.

As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

TAP project envisages transportation of gas from the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas and condensate field to the EU countries.

The 870-kilometer pipeline will be connected to the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy's south.

TAP's initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters of gas a year, expandable to 20 billion cubic meters.

The construction of TAP will start in May 2016.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May. 3

By Farhad Daneshvar, Dalga Khatinoglu - Trend:

Iran prefers exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to distant markets but coming to the regional clients the delivering of gas through pipelines is still on the agenda, Jafar Pourfarjoudi, spokesperson of Iran's Oil Ministry told Trend.

"Iran has always given priority to exporting gas through pipelines to neighboring countries," Jafar Pourfarjoudi said May 3.

"However, given the financial and security issues the country prefers to use LNG for exporting gas to distant markets," he added.

Nevertheless, Pourfarjoudi did not rule out the idea that Iran has considered pipelines as a solution for exporting gas to Europe.

According to the spokesperson, the country is also planning to obtain the floating liquefied natural gas vessels (FLNG) as a solution for exporting gas.

The National Iranian Gas Exports Company (NIGEC) and South Korean KOGAS signed a MoU for gas cooperation May 3.

Based on the document, the parties will cooperate in exporting Iran's gas in form of LNG.

Tehran supplies 9.7 billion cubic meters per year (bcm/y) of natural gas through pipeline to Turkey.

The country has also several deals with Iraq (18.2bcm/y), Pakistan (8bcm/y) and Oman (10bcm/y) on delivering gas through pipelines.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4

By Farhad Daneshvar - Trend:

Siemens Healthcare and Tehran Medical Sciences University will work together to explore brain disorders.

"Siemens Healthcare and Tehran Medical Sciences University committed to advance studies of the brain to explore morphological and functional brain disorders," Yashar N. Azad. Corporate Spokesperson at Siemens told Trend.

"The collaboration will bring together leading Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) research institutes in Europe and Iran to share experimental MRI sequences," he said.

According to Yashar N. Azad, Siemens Healthcare aims to explore academic education and research collaborations in Iran.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Brain Mapping Lab of Tehran University and Siemens Healthcare in Tehran May 3.

Siemens is part of a large German business delegation now in Tehran, led by Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy Uwek Beckmeyer.

Siemens is among the first leading European companies resuming its activity in Iran following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Jan. 16 which put an end to international sanctions against the Islamic Republic curbing Tehran's nuclear program.
Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car

I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ...
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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:

Iran has called on South Korea for cooperation on LNG projects, gas liquefaction plants and transporting LNG.

Managing Director of the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) Ali Akbar Safaei has said that NITC seeks developing LNG industry, Mehr news agency reported.

Speaking at a meeting with B.S.Park, the Chairman & CEO of Korea Register (KR), a Korean Classification Society, Safaei said that there are also several opportunities for cooperation on offshore sectors.

In Turn, Park also welcomed cooperation with Iran and said that his organization is ready to finance Iran's LNG projects.

Earlier Jafar Pourfarjoudi, spokesperson of Iran's Oil Ministry told Trend, that the Islamic Republic is planning to obtain the floating liquefied natural gas vessels (FLNG) as a solution for exporting gas to distant markets.

The National Iranian Gas Exports Company (NIGEC) and South Korean KOGAS have recently signed a MoU for gas cooperation.

Based on the document, the parties will cooperate in exporting Iran's gas in the form of LNG, gas marketing and transfer of experiences.

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.
Iran's Foreign Ministry has denounced the US Congress's meddling in Persian Gulf security measures, Press TV reported.

On Wednesday, the ministry sent a note to the Swiss embassy in Tehran -- which represents the US interests in Iran, censuring Washington's intrusive policies in the Persian Gulf.

"Iran will do whatever is necessary to bolster peace and stability in the Persian Gulf," read part of the note, which was in reaction to a bill proposed last week by US Republican congressman Randy Forbes that called for measures against Iran's military drills in the Persian Gulf.

On Tuesday, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' (IRGC) second-in-command said that Iran will not give in to "restrictions from any power in the world" in conducting military drills, emphasizing that it is Iran's "legal right" to hold military exercises according to its strategic plans.

His comments followed earlier remarks by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei who stressed Iran's presence in the Persian Gulf.

"The Persian Gulf coast and much of the coasts of the Sea of Oman belong to this powerful [Iranian] nation, therefore we have to be present in this region, [stage] maneuvers and show off our power," the Leader said on Monday addressing a group of teachers.
Two days ago, the District Court convicted and fined a candidate from the time of the General Election for making a false declaration when he submitted his candidacy papers with the Office of the Electoral Commission.

Ofoia Nomeneta Ofoia, a candidate for the Vaa Fonoti constituency, was sentenced by District Court Judge, Vaepule Vaemoa Vaai.

From what weve been told, Ofoia had lodged his nomination form in February with the Electoral Office where he made a false declaration that he had no previous conviction.

But then the Member of Parliament for Vaa o Fonoti, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, presented copies of the police report to the Electoral Commissioner, which proved that the candidate did not just have one conviction, he had two.

The first conviction was a charge of threatening words in which he was convicted and fined with $80tala in the FF Court (Faamasinoga Fesoasoani), the Court was told. The second conviction is actual bodily harm which he was convicted and fined in the Supreme Court in December 2015.

In Court, Judge Vaepule gave Ofoia an opportunity to speak. The father of five told the Court that he had a different interpretation of the declaration and the law.

From my understanding on that part, I thought the conviction is referring to those who have been punishable for life in prison, said Ofoia.

I only understood it later when the Electoral Office contacted me and I sought a lawyer who explained it to meI do not deny that (I made a false declaration), I understand it now and I accept it.

But Judge Vaepule was not convinced and he sentenced Ofoia.

Not fully understanding it is not a defense, said the Judge. You are an accountant, you are not someone who does not have any professional background  it doesnt matter what profession that is.

There is a reason why the Electoral Office had put these (forms) in place is to screen the candidates to prevent those with previous convictions from running.

Fair enough. Judge Vaepule is strictly ruling on evidence presented before him.

But this case does raise some very interesting questions we cannot ignore.

We say this because Ofoia is not the only candidate who has been dragged to Court over the recent General Election. There are other candidates  including Le Tagaloa Pita, Taula Simi and Tuula Kiliri Tuitui - who are awaiting their fate in relation to similar allegations.

Ladies and gentlemen, we believe that it is vital to allow the law to take its course. And if these gentlemen have broken the law, as they have been accused, so be it.

But when it comes to fairness, consistency and to an extent, justice, you really have to wonder sometimes.

We say this because it was not that long ago that some very senior Members of Parliament accused of bribery and treating in relation to the same election - from where these men have been prosecuted - were pardoned and allowed to assume their law-making responsibilities - despite the nature of the allegations against them.

And when it comes to the issue of previous convictions, its another grey area, isnt it?

In the past, weve had some people with criminal histories waltz into our Parliament, undetected. For example, a former Member of Parliament found guilty of first degree murder and jailed for four years outside Samoa served two terms in Parliament recently.

Was he prosecuted? Did he declare his criminal conviction on his candidacy form? Why didnt anybody take action then?

What about other Members of Parliament?

Did anybody check their criminal records?

Fast forward to now, there is a certain Cabinet Minister who is wanted by the authorities in American Samoa in relation to a number of very serious allegations.

Weve been told that the warrant for his arrest, which has been outstanding since 2008, is still valid.

Now did he declare this on his candidacy form?

And now that the warrant has been confirmed, what is being done about this?

Do we need to remind you that we are talking about a Minister of Cabinet?

The point is that it is good to see that the law is being followed through and executed in some cases. But we cannot help but bemoan the absence of consistency and the lack of justice when we consider some other cases where it seems that the law was broken and completely ignored.

What do you think? Write and share your thoughts with us!
Dear Editor,

Re: Fighting schools reconcile

If the principals of these schools cant figure out how to control their students then they should all be fired and someone who can effectively deal with the students should be hired.

Of course they would then have to be paid an adequate salary for their expertise.

Also another suggestion could be to place a police liaison officer stationed at every high school immediately so that students and teachers have a person to go and report to if they are under threat or if they hear of any upcoming shenanigans. Just the presence of this person in uniform at each school can bring about the feeling of safety for the innocent and a sense of fear of being reported on for the not so innocent.

The liaison officer should be seen as a trusted person by the students who they can easily go talk to, not necessarily an authority figure.

Choosing the right officer is key, maybe a woman officer or a young male officer who has not been out of high school very long himself. Someone the kids feel they can trust.

I'm sure there are many students who are afraid of what is going on in their school and would be a great help, and feel comfortable anonymously helping a liaison officer to be informed before anything serious happens.

I really believe the majority of the students want a peaceful place to study, and to be safe, and would help to make this a reality if they had a peacekeeping presence to confide in and immediate and easy access to this person.

The trouble makers would be shut down in their tracks. Contrary to what it looks like right now my guess is there are more good kids at these schools than rotten apples and shutting down schools will only hurt the good students and not do much to address the real issues in Samoa; lack of education and literacy, job skills, and youth unemployment.

Closing schools is the wrong direction. The good students need support to weed out the troublemakers. You will never convince me that female students would not do something to insure their safety from the threat of being stabbed or beaten if they had help and safe, confidential, options to insure their own safety.

Instead of approving the funds in cabinet meetings for new 100,000 trucks and SUVs for Associate Ministers and Ministers, these funds can be used to pay the salaries of these 4 or 5 liaison officers.

Better yet just get rid of the redundancy of Associate Ministers all together and use the savings from their salaries for these liaison officers. I think this would be money better spent. If a minister cant do the job required of their portfolio on their own then a more competent minister should be appointed that can.

Ueni








More than 70 men have graduated from the Samoa Victim Support Groups Mens Advocacy Programme, strengthening family units in Samoa.

The men were referred to the programme by the Family Court.

On Wednesday night, Chief Justice Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu acknowledged the work of former Family Court Judge and new Supreme Justice Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren.

He also congratulated the men for completing the programme.

The programme deals with alcohol counseling, stress management, anger management, couples counseling and spiritual counseling.

Of 708 defendants who have appeared before the Family Court for domestic violence related matters, 449 have been referred to S.V.S.G. and the programme.

Chief Justice Patu also acknowledged the work of the President, Muliagatele Siliniu Lina Chang.

Your effort and hard work does not go unnoticed, he said. You do this not for monetary reward but because you believe in the vision of the family violence court that if families are stable and peaceful, our nation of Samoa will be stable and peaceful.

In addressing the graduates, Chief Justice Patu said: Use what you have learnt to become advocates of peace in your villages, churches; no doubt many are matais that have roles and duties.

Tauala Westerlund of Aleipata testified about how the programme has changed his life. He promised he would never assault his wife and children again.

Another graduate, Otoalii Iakopo, thanked the facilitators and Justice Tafaoimalo for giving him another chance.
Wellington Chocolate Factory owner, Rochelle Harrison, is in Samoa this week.

She is here to meet with the local farmers and give them a taste of the chocolate that theyve made out of cocoa beans from their farms.

Having been open for two and a half years, Ms. Harrison said they have been getting their cocoa supplies from Samoa for about a year and on this trip, they want to personally meet the farmers who supply them with cocoa.

The company is also getting cocoa beans from other countries, like the Solomon Islands, the Dominican Republic and Bougainville but her aim is to work together with the Pacific island countries.

In New Zealand we want to work with countries closer to us, to make it more sustainable and Samoa is one of them, she said.

Ms. Harrison said she prefers to work directly with the farmers.

In this way, we can help control the process, and making sure that our farmers have been looked after and getting a fair wage.

The Director of Maiden South Pacific in New Zealand, Tiana Epati, said she saw a lot of potential for Samoa to market these products to New Zealand, but the best thing to do is to bring the market here.

According to Ms. Epati, 75 grams of Samoan pure Koko Bean Chocolate is about NZ$12.

Ms. Harrison said there are two other big factories in New Zealand who are also getting cocoa beans from Samoa, and she sees that theres a demand of Cocoa beans from here.

Local farmer Suemalo Taleni Isaia was pleased to finally meet the owner of the company he has been supplying for more than a year.

I am very happy that I am given this opportunity to export my cocoa overseas, not only to help my family, my village and also our country, said Suemalo.

Suemalo said the industry is a good money earner for him, making about $400 per sack of cocoa beans.

Ms. Harrison also visited another local farmer at Saleimoa who produces organic bananas. She said the Wellington Chocolate Factory is releasing their banana chocolate soon. Ms. Harrison and her team are in Samoa for two weeks.
Two days away from Mother's Day, the women of Samoa showcased their best fine mats in front of the government building yesterday.

The occasion was the Annual Exhibition of Ie Samoa (fine mats) and siapo, to commemorate Mothers Day. The annual event promotes womens crucial role as producers of such important arts and crafts of Samoa.

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, congratulated all the mothers when he addressed the audience.

I have seen a lot of improvements in the growing number of fine mats being displayed from each village, said Tuilaepa.

Representatives from 97 weaving groups (falelalaga) showcased their work, featuring close to 400 fine mats.

Participating mothers thanked the government for the great initiative, especially efforts to revive the ie Samoa.

Leaafa Afoa Vaai, of Fogasavaii, said seeing the work of other mothers motivated her to continue.

Its a great feeling to know that your work is appreciated and loved by others, she said.

Exhibitions such as this make it all worth it. Today, our hard work paid off. Although it was hard work but with the acknowledgement from the leader of Samoa and the Ministry, we are encouraged to continue.

The overall winner for Upolu was the Aufaga Womens Committee while Fogasavai'i were victorious in the Savaii category.

According to the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, the revival of the production of the Ie Samoa and Siapo is not only to invigorate the cultural significance of these arts and crafts but also to promote womens crafting as a source of income to contribute to the economic development of Samoa.

The sustainability of the art of fine mat weaving and siapo making is being promoted through the work of the Ie Samoa Committee which is chaired by the Prime Minister and comprised of representatives of government, private sector, Women in Business Development Incorporated and civil society, the Ministry says.

The implementation of this programme is spearheaded by womens committees, which encompasses young women as well as women with disabilities.

The role of men as weavers and supporters in the promotion of the ie sae and siapo production is crucial in the sustainability of this important program. This initiative by the government is to stimulate the cultural significance of using Ie Sae for traditional obligations.

This is evident in usage of these priceless Measina as traditional gifts for very important people during Independence celebrations, funerals and family obligations.

In addition, the Ie Samoa and Siapo is a source of income for women who have traded these crafts as either gift exchange or for money both with Samoans locally and overseas. The sustainability of this program will not only promote their cultural significance but also as a means to support economic development for women and their communities.
All our Manu Samoa teams will be objects of envy with the introduction of their new kits courtesy of new supplier, Living Edge (L.E.) Sportswear.

The partnership as well as the supply agreement was announced last night at Orator Hotel with all current sponsors present.

L.E Sportswear Director, Kris Pillay, attended the official launch of the partnership, bringing with him S.R.U.s brand new uniforms.

This agreement will mean that L.E. Sportswear promises to supply all of the specified goods or services that S.R.U needs over a 4 year period but at a fixed price; S.R.U. will also have to purchase such goods and services exclusively from L.E. during this timeframe.

Today marks a milestone for S.R.U. and I am delighted on this occasion to introduce L.E. Designs and Apparel, Supplier to S.R.U. for the next 4 years, Honorable Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said during his speech.

I wish to acknowledge Mr. Kris Pillay, the Managing Director of L.E.; I welcome you and your team to Samoa and wish to thank you for the confidence and support entrusted to invest in a partnership with S.R.U. for the next 4 years and beyond.

Despite some recent downfalls for S.R.U., L.E. sportswear displayed much faith in the team through the partnership.

S.R.U. over the last 12 months has gone through significant reforms to all areas of the organization to better position itself to attract sponsorship which has been hard to come by, the P.M. said.

One of the key areas of focus has been the financial viability of the union in exploring opportunities, the overseas entities who are willing to work and help us grow the Manu Samoa brand where it rightly sits around the globe.

For too long, our Manu Samoa brand has been externally denied benefitting from past commercial entities, individuals and corporal apparel companies with minimal and at most times no return to S.R.U. for the global exposure including sales of S.R.U. merchandise.

The L.E. brand has developed a reputation as being one of the fastest and innovative apparel brands in the last 2 years.

L.E. Sportswear is branded by innovation through the utilization of resources and technology to manufacture clothing with the aim of promoting sporting excellence, the P.M. said.

The L.E. brand is now prominent throughout the South Pacific including countries like Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Solomon Islands and Fiji.

I want to convey to you Mr. Pillay and L.E. Apparel that our Manu Samoa brand is much loved and recognized around the international arena.

According to the P.M., the mutual benefits to both parties are extensive.

Our partnership is a great opportunity to expose your brand internationally to other markets beyond the Pacific region through all World Rugby Tournaments such as the H.B.S.C. 7s series in Asia, America and Europe, he said.

I hope that this will be a catalyst in our partnership to earn much needed revenue in merchandising for L.E. and S.R.U.

This cannot come without a relationship built on mutual trust and being transparent.

The P.M. continued on to say that the S.R.U. will ensure everyone works hard for better results.

S.R.U. will continue to play its role in focusing on developing and producing winning teams and improve our ranking results on the field, he said.

I wish to congratulate L.E. Sportswear and Im confident that with S.R.U. you will foster a long term relationship for our mutual benefit.

I just hope that these new uniforms will come with a Cup from our upcoming tournaments.

For Mr. Pillay, this partnership is the first of its kind for his company and has countless benefits for all.

This partnership is L.E. Sportswears first international rugby union market and it is a great privilege for us to partner up with S.R.U.," he said.

S.R.U. is one of the rugby worlds most marketable brands and a test playing nation, with a big following not only in Samoa but worldwide.

We all know the great following the S.R.U. has with some of the most passionate supporters in the world.

This deal has many benefits for both parties and I understand this will be the first time where the S.R.U. will receive royalty from the sale of merchandise.

Something which truly deserves consideration, it is your brand.

As our motto states we are cultured by choice, branded with innovation, the design of the 7s kit was inspired through Samoan culture and tradition which was designed by our in-house Samoan designer who was honored to be part of the design process.

After all formalities, the P.M. announced the squad for the Paris Sevens.

Paris 7s Squad Announced by P.M.

1. Alefosio Tapili  Leulumoega

2. Faalemiga Selesele (C)  Satupaitea, Salelologa

3. Siaosi Asofolau  Siumu

4. Savelio Ropati  Auckland, New Zealand

5. Teofilo Ed Fidow  New Zealand

6. Etiuefa Fiavaai  Laulii

7. Alex Samoa  Auckland, New Zealand

8. Tomasi Alosio  Levi-Saleimoa, Falefa

9. Tila Mealoi  Lalomanu

10. Samoa Toloa  Mulifanua, Satoalepai

11. Belgium Tuatagaloa  Samatau

12. Alamanda Motuga  Auckland, New Zealand

Coach: Damian McGrath

Assistant Coach: Muliagatele Brian Lima

Trainer: James Thomas Holden

Physio: Prashant Jhala

Team Manager: Vaafusuaga Tupuola Masunu Tuisila
Iran's plan to invest a total of $2 billion in a major biotech complex in South Korea has received boosts from eased foreign currency transaction rules after President Park Geun-hye's trip to Tehran, Yonhap news agency reported.

Last year, a consortium led by the Iranian government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government of North Chungcheong Province to pour $2 million in initial investment into Osong Biovalley inside the province's free economic zone.

Located some 130 km south of Seoul, Osong aims to become a global biotech and medical industry hub.

Under the MOU, Iran plans to build a joint research center, drug production lines and a clinical trial hospital in Osong over the next decade.

The long-term project, however, seems to have made little progress, although local officials said the related paperwork and other preparations are still underway.

They held out expectations that it will gain speed as it has become easier for Iranian firms to set up entities here and vice versa thanks to the revised foreign exchange transaction regulations.

The new rules, effective on Monday, allow South Korean and Iranian companies to carry out capital transactions through won-dominated accounts. Previously only current transactions stemming from exports or imports were permitted.

"As the financial conditions have been improved to enable the remittance of investment money, we will actively help the Iranian side implement remaining procedures so that the investment plan can be carried out at an early date," said an official of the North Chungcheong provincial government.

Gov. Lee Si-jong is scheduled to visit Iran and Turkey from May 14-20 as part of efforts to draw investment and help companies based in the province to launch businesses there.

Lee is seeking to forge sisterhood ties between his province and Iran's Mazandaran Province during his trip.

On a landmark visit to the Middle Eastern country earlier this week, Park also produced a set of summit deals to promote economic cooperation between the two sides.
Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi has issued one more reminder to the residents of Sogi to relocate.

An eviction letter giving them 30 days to leave is due. And Tuilaepa said they have to leave now.

They are living there illegally, said Tuilaepa.

They were given the chance to but refuse to move and there will be more chances given to them. Besides, a tsunami might hit (affecting them).

Tuilaepa added the government had been going easy on the residents.

He made reference to the global warming and an agreement signed by Samoa in New York to ratify the COP21 agreement.

While he explained that only 15 out of 177 countries signed the ratification of the agreement, the other countries are still taking their time to ink the deal.

He recalled that cyclone Ofa brought winds of 125miles per hour and not even a year later cyclone Val struck with 175miles per hour.

Winston struck Fiji with winds up to 200 miles per hour and another disaster hit Philippines 300miles per hour.

We dont know that another disaster that might hit us will be 500 miles per hour with big waves that could wash the families here all the way to Moamoa.

Tuilaepa urged the families to move before a natural disaster strikes.

He said something similar happened with his village of Saleapaga where he had advised them to build their school inland.

The Prime Minister said they had laughed at him when he made the comments but 15 months later the tsunami struck.

Fifty people died from there and no one wouldve died if they had listened, he said.

What Im saying is we are going easy on them but the unexpected might happen and they will regret it.

Last month, an elderly mother of Sogi, Tala Leiataua, issued a heartfelt plea to the Prime Minister.

Were ready to face the consequences  but  we want to be buried on this land, Tuilaepa, this land is where our grave is, she said.

Please let us stay on this land. This is where we belong. Our ancestors have worked so hard to level this swamp during the German colonial times for us. We want to stay.

Should the government insist to evict, Tala said: I ask the government to dig a hole and throw us all in there. Id rather die and be buried on the land my ancestors passed down to us.

The family of the elderly mother is among more than thirty families at Sogi, years after they were told to relocate to Falelauniu.

The decision by the government to relocate residents of Sogi was initially announced in 2011. The government then offered families a quarter acre of land at Falelauniu which they will lease to own at just over $30,000 and $3,000 cash to relocate.

Many families had taken the offer while many more refused to.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Fatih Karimov - Trend:

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the US of fighting Iran and Islam.

He made the remarks addressing a group of Iranian officials and ambassadors of Islamic countries May 5 in Tehran, the official website of the leader reported.

"Today, the definite policy of the United States is fighting Islam and Iran as well as Shia," Khamenei said.

"The Americans have recently said that Iran's policy in the region is the cause of sanctions and pressure on the country, meaning, 'you Iranians step back and we will do what we want'," he added.

Khamenei also said the Islamic Republic has never started any war or military action against any country, but it has loudly voiced its stance.

He also accused the US of supporting the IS terrorist group (ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh), saying the anti-IS coalition is superficial.

"The corrupt groups that commit the worst and most catastrophic crimes using the name of Islam are supported by the Western powers," claimed Khamenei.

He also said the Western powers refer to the "Daesh" as Islamic State to destroy the image of Islam.
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Airstrikes on a refugee camp housing Syrians uprooted by war killed 28 people near the Turkish border on Thursday, a UK-based monitoring group said, according to Guardian.



The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead included women and children, and that the toll from the strikes, which hit a camp for internally displaced people near the town of Sarmada, was likely to rise.



Sarmada lies about 20 miles (30km) west of of Aleppo, where a cessation of hostilities brokered by Russia and the US brought a measure of relief on Thursday. But fighting continued nearby and President Bashar al-Assad said he still sought total victory over rebels in Syria.



Syrian state media said the army would abide by a "regime of calm" in the city that came into effect at 1am (22:00 GMT on Wednesday) for 48 hours, after two weeks of death and destruction.
Chicago, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/05/2016 -- For 22 years, Malman Law has been dedicated to helping injured victims receive compensation for injuries. The award-winning firm recently announced that they have handled over 15-thousand personal injury cases throughout the state of Illinois. The firm offers a broad range of legal advice and representation in the personal injury field and is highly rated by several of their associations and peers.



"Every client our firm represents is assigned to a team of attorneys to help them discuss and develop their case. This system has helped us ensure our clients receive the best legal representation and achieve the highest compensation possible for their injuries  many of which were multimillion-dollar resolutions," said Cory Boyer, Senior Associate Attorney at Malman Law. He also adds, "People should not settle for the cheapest attorney when they are hoping for the maximum compensation for their injuries. They should focus on whether their attorney has the experience, skill, talent, passion, and resources to provide them with the best representation possible. A proven track record will tell a person a lot about a law firm."



About Malman Law

Malman Law specializes in handling personal injury cases such as automotive and motorcycle accidents, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, civil rights violations, product liability cases, spinal cord injuries, and nursing home neglect. Additionally, the firm has extensive experience handling traumatic brain injury cases, wrongful death cases, medical malpractice cases, construction accident cases, and train accident cases. In over 20 years, the firm has helped over 15,000 injured victims receive the money they deserve for their injuries and have collected over $200-million. Their success has earned the firm significant recognition and awards throughout the legal community, such as the 2015 Best Attorneys of America Award by Rue Ratings as well as the 2015 Legal Superstars Award from Newsweek. Malman Law is a member of the DuPage County Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Chicago Bar Association. Additionally, they are a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and maintain an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau.



For more information about Malman Law or to schedule a free consultation, please visit http://www.malmanlaw.com or call 888-625-6265.



Media Contact

Steve Malman

Malman Law

Address: 205 West Randolph Street, Suite 610, Chicago, Illinois 60606

Phone: 888-625-6265

Email: smalman@malmanlaw.com

Website: http://www.malmanlaw.com
Lake Oswego, OR -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/05/2016 -- Dr. Mark Petroff, board certified plastic surgeon and founder of the Petroff Center in Portland, Oregon joins eHealth Radio host Eric Michaels to discuss rhinoplasty. The eHealth Radio Network produces informative health information, news, and advice featuring some of the leading innovators in healthcare and wellness. Dr. Petroff, who specializes in rhinoplasty or nose surgery, sits down with Michaels to offer his expert advice on nose surgery as well as provide guidance to those who are considering the procedure.



In the interview, Dr. Petroff gives a brief overview of rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty and discusses the difference between these procedures providing insight on common reasons why patients undergo rhinoplasty in general. As a renowned facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Petroff gives his recommendations to anyone who is considering either rhinoplasty or revision rhinoplasty including the importance of finding a qualified, board-certified plastic surgeon to conduct the procedure. Dr. Petroff describes what a typical procedure entails, including the recovery period, complications, and risks associated with rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty. Download and listen to the search engine optimized interview here.



Dr. Petroff is a board-certified plastic surgeon by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He specializes in plastic and reconstructive surgery of the face, including facelifts, brow lift, and Asian eyelid surgery. If you have questions about specific procedures or you want to book an initial consultation with Dr. Petroff, call (503) 635-4886 or click here to contact the practice.



About Dr. Mark Petroff and Petroff Center Plastic Surgery and Medi-Spa

Dr. Mark A. Petroff has dedicated his career to facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, as well as non-surgical procedures. As an accomplished potter with a keen interest in design and architecture, he combines the eye of an artist with the skill of a highly trained physician. This particular aesthetic sensibility allows him to expertly evaluate the anatomy of the face and determine the best procedures to give his patients the natural, rejuvenated look they hope for. His goal is always to keep his results so seamless and natural that his work is virtually undetectable. What his patients hear from friends is usually, "You look amazing. You must be taking great care of yourself!"



While Dr. Petroff has been in practice for over 25 years, it's important to him to stay at the forefront of advances in his field. A proud native of Oregon, he studied at the University of Oregon and received his MD at Oregon Health Sciences University.



For more information on Dr. Petroff or Petroff Center, please call (503) 635-4886 and visit http://www.petroffcenter.com.



Media Contact:

Aesthetic Brand Marketing  Jennifer Cho

Email: jcho@aestheticbrandmarketing.com

Website: http://www.aestheticbrandmarketing.com

Location: 17720 Jean Way Suite 100, Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Website: http://www.petroffcenter.com
Grand Rapids, MI -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/05/2016 -- viastore Systems, the leading international provider of automated material handling solutions, will exhibit at the SAP Sapphire NOW and ASUG (Americas' SAP Users' Group) Annual Conference at booth 1482C in Orlando, FL from May15-19, 2016.



As a leading international provider of turnkey intralogistics systems for trade and industry, viastore Systems provides top-level experts in warehouse technology and also material flow solutions and the connection and management of standard software solutions from SAP.



With viastore SAP Intralogistics Supply Chain Execution (SAP ISCE), the company is a consultant and provider of services and SAP-based intralogistics solutions, specializing in technologies and add-ons for warehouse logistics. viastore integrates its SAP-certified warehouse management system viadat directly in SAP or implements warehouse management and control solutions using SAP LES, SAP TRM, or SAP EWM exclusively.



viastore SOFTWARE is a silver-level status SAP Service Partner in the categories SAP Database & Technology and SAP All-in-One.



Sapphire NOW and ASUG Annual Conference in 2016 is the largest global business technology event, hosted by SAP and ASUG. Attendees will connect with the community that uses SAP software every day and learn how to enable digital business strategy and get more from the technology investment. Attendees will explore the full array of SAP, SAP Ariba, SAP Fieldglass, SAP Hybris, SAP SuccessFactors, and Concur offerings all in one place.



About viastore Systems, Inc.

For over 40 years, viastore Systems, Inc. (http://bit.ly/1PxYifB) has been a leading international provider of automated material handling solutions including AS/RS (automated storage and retrieval systems), conveyor and shuttle systems, warehouse management systems software, material flow and process controls, and integrated SAP logistics solutions. The company employs over 470 people worldwide and has annual sales of over $140 Million.



viastore's focus is on consulting and planning, together with the implementation and constant improvement of intralogistics solutions with locations in Germany, USA, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Russia, China, Croatia, Turkey, Poland, Israel, Ukraine, Sweden, and Brazil. viastore, with North American headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI, is an integrated and certified partner for all major ERP system database and operating system suppliers such as SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft. viastore earned a return spot on Food Logistics' 2015 FL100+ list of software and technology providers whose products and solutions are key to the global food supply chain. viastore is a proud member of MHI. Follow viastore Systems on Twitter @viastoresystems.
An international team of scientists has described a previously unknown species of wasp from South Africa and has named it Conobregma bradpitti, after the American actor and producer Brad Pitt.

Conobregma bradpitti belongs to a widespread group of wasps parasitizing moth and butterfly caterpillars.

These wasps lay their eggs into a host, which once parasitized starts hardening, explained Dr. Buntika Butcher from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, lead author of a paper published online in the journal ZooKeys.

Thus, the wasp cocoon can safely develop and later emerge from the mummified larva.

Despite their macabre behavior, many of these wasp species are considered valuable in agriculture because of their potential as biological control.

Brad Pitts flying namesake is a tiny wasp measuring less than 2 mm.

Its body is deep brown, nearly black in color, while its head, antennae and legs are brown-yellow.

The wings stand out with their much brighter shades.

Interestingly, Conobregma bradpitti unites two, until now, doubtful genera.

Being very similar, they had already been noted to have only four diagnostic features that set them apart. However, C. bradpitti shared two of those with each, the researchers said.

Thus, the species prompted the solution of the taxonomic problem and, as a result, the two were synonymized.

In the same ZooKeys paper, Dr. Butcher and her colleagues describe another species of parasitic wasp, Facitorus nasseri.

It is the first from its subtribe spotted in the whole of India, while its closest relative lives in Nepal, they explained.

_____

Butcher B.A. et al. 2016. Major range extensions for two genera of the parasitoid subtribe Facitorina, with a new generic synonymy (Braconidae, Rogadinae, Yeliconini). ZooKeys 584: 109-120; doi: 10.3897/zookeys.584.7815
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported Thursday that a woman was killed in an Israeli airstrike, Anadolu agency reported.



"Zina al-Amour, 55, was killed when Israeli airplanes struck the Al-Foukahre area in the eastern Khan Younes city in the Gaza strip," the Ministry of Health said in a statement



"Al-Amour was instantly killed after she was hit by fragments from a missile fired by an Israeli aircraft," it said.



The Israeli army, for its part, said that warplanes targeted four Hamas military posts in the southern Gaza Strip in response to the ongoing attacks against Israeli forces.
Earth-like planets were found orbiting a nearby star, which, according to scientists may host life. This new discovery, published in the journal Nature indicates that the planet with a distance of 40 light years, were the first to be ever discovered revolving around a dwarf star.

The earth-like planets' orbit causes the dwarf star to throw out the dim light that may be sufficient in sustaining life, according to the study. A physics professor at the University of California, San Diego, Adam Burgasser, said that the types of planets they have discovered are exciting in terms of searching for life outside the Earth.

These earth-like planets were discovered through observing the distant star for more than 62 days, which eventually led to the study team's discovery of the three fragmentary dips in brightness which showed the presence of the three planets, continuously casting shadows back to Earth. A follow up on the findings showed that the planets are possibly near the similar size as the Earth. Two of the three planets have been found orbiting the star at the span of 1.5 days and 2.4 days, while the third planet takes 4.5 to 73 days to orbit its sun, according to CNN.

The study team has also established that the three planets have the same size as the Earth and possibly rocky. In addition to this, the two inner planets have two to four times the amount of the Earth's solar energy because their star is more vague than the Sun. Which means both planets are found in the habitable zone of the system, or an orbital ring of distances where the water exists and the temperature could support life.

Earth-like planets are most likely to have habitable zones on their exterior, according to the study, though the information like the atmosphere and their clouds make it difficult to calculate if the exterior state is suitable for life, Universe Today reported.
HIV prevention programs that encourage marital fidelity and abstinence from sex has been given an amount of $1.4 billion by the United States government. However, no proof has been established yet from these programs regarding the positive effects of modified sexual activity and reduced risks of HIV, according to a study.

Other HIV initiatives, including the President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief, which was established in 2004 to help local programs promote sexual fidelity and delay of first sexual experience, failed to provide evidence on the effects of the change in sexual behavior. While PEPFAR has slowly reduced its support for fidelity and abstinence programs, recent study implies that the $50 million left in its annual funding may have helped more if spent on the more effective prevention programs.

Ineffective use of HIV funds has negative effects since it channels the money from other efficient efforts like male circumcision and ways to avoid the spread of the HIV infection from mothers to children, according to Dr. Eran Bendavid, senior author of the study and Stanford's assistant professor of Medicine, Scope Blog reported.

Although PEPFAR has had a few successes, including the reduced rates of mortality and the 740,000 saved lives in nine countries between 2004 and 2008, its first requirement that one-third of its funds be used for abstinence was highly criticized. Some critics doubted if the method would be effective and claimed that emphasizing on these approaches alone will deny the people of information regarding the other possible options like male circumcision, the use of condoms and methods to avoid spread from mother to children.

HIV prevention programs in these developing times should be given support in terms of investing in an alternative and evidence-based approach, as it was found in the study that fidelity and abstinence initiatives could not reduce the high-risk sexual behaviors. The authors also took note that PEPFAR has welcomed the idea of discussing these findings as well as the suggestions for funding decisions concerning the programs on HIV prevention, according to San Diego Union Tribune.
A rare Mercury transit will take place on May 9. However, those lucky enough to experience it should not view it using pinhole projectors. According to astronomical reports, the celestial occurrence should be viewed by projecting the image of the sun using binoculars or a filtered telescope. The sun should not be looked at directly during the transit.

The transit, which will either end with sunset or start at sunrise will be visible, in part or full, nearly all over the Earth. Keen watchers will be able to view it from most of South America, the western side of North and West Africa, nearly the whole of Western Europe, eastern part of North America, most of Asia and eastern half of the Pacific. However, it won't be visible to observers in Australia as well as eastern and southeastern Asia.

The celestial event will start at 7:12:19 a.m. EDT or 11:12:19 GMT in the United Kingdom. The astronomical event will last for seven and a half hours in the UK. Mercury will look like a small dot in the lower part of the sun during the transit, and will appear different from the sunspot groups on the sun's left and right side limbs. Incidentally, a Mercury transit occurs when it passes directly between the Earth and the Sun. The occurrence takes place only around 13 times in a century.

The last mercury transit occurred in 2006, and the next two such astronomical events will take place in 2019 and 2032. The Mercury transit usually happens in early May or November. Those who can't view the transit live can see it online as many websites with live streams will broadcast it. NASA will stream a live program on NASA TV and its Facebook page. If you want to share your own experiences of the transit on Twitter, use the hashtag #MercuryTransit2016.
The researchers from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) state that the oceans' oxygen all around the globe is depleting due to the global warming.

Tech Times reports that study was published in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles. It was led by Matthew Long and other scholars from NCAR. They assessed how climate change affects the amount of water that is typically can be found in the Earth's ocean. This makes the marine species in danger as they could hardly breathe.

I'm obsessed with the ocean pic.twitter.com/ecPF43S4wC  Travel Adventures (@TraveIPlaces) May 4, 2016

Curtis Deutsch, the associate professor at the University of Washington's School of Oceanography examined how the increasing global temperature is changing the levels of dissolved oxygen in the ocean. The researchers warned that the reduced amounts of oxygen will heighten stress on a range of marine species as they face the effects of ocean acidification and rising temperatures, according to Scientific American. Deutsch said that as the climate goes up, the amount of oxygen will go down, but it's really hard to look in the ocean to see that change.

William Gilly, a marine biologist from Stanford University said that in about two hundred meters down, there is a freight train of low-oxygen water barreling toward the surface. Some studies showed that for more than five decades, the low-oxygen areas in the world's oceans have extended for over 1.7 million square miles.

Researchers are concerned about the ocean deoxygenation that could alter the earth's oceans. They have been debating on how much oxygen have been lost caused by global warming. On the other hand, they all agree that the ongoing climate change will lead to even more oxygen losses.
Scientists have shattered a previous record of keeping grown human embryos in lab for 9 days by doing so for 13 days after fertilization, according to new reports. The recent achievement has enabled developmental biologists to discover new facets of early human growth, which includes aspects that have not yet been seen in a human embryo. The technique could also lead to an answer for failed pregnancies.

A team of scientists from UK's University of Cambridge used mouse embryos to develop the culture technique. Previously, many biologists have tried to create conditions in the womb by developing embryos on maternal cells' layer. However, for the recent study, the scientists used a gel matrix that had higher levels of oxygen. Subsequently, the mouse embryos lived past gastrulation, the stage at which layers of cells are formed that later become organs.

The scientists adapted the process to work for human embryos donated by an in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic. The progress of the embryos was then tracked by comparing the genes they exhibited with those shown in embryos of other animals in same stages. The team of researchers was then able to analyze the structural development of the embryos using data from a study conducted in 1956. The nearly 60 year old research had studied embryos of women going through hysterectomies and other medical procedures.

The team observed as the embryos' cells, human and mice, began to differentiate and the human embryos showed features unique to human development. In fact, the scientists discovered a group of cells that becomes present in the embryos on the 10th day but disappears after two days. However, the function of the cell cluster is still unclear. The culture method also showed that mice may not be good models for comprehending human development, because there is a vast difference between the genes revealed in mouse and human embryos.

The newly developed culture technology can have many implications in the future. The process could help scientists who are attempting the growth of stem cells into embryo type structures to understand the accuracy of their work. On achieving that feat, the researchers can use the structures to do more complicated and larger experiments that explore topics like toxic compounds effect and developments of birth defect.

According to a report in Nature journal, the development raises ethical questions, apart from technical challenges, because soon it might be possible for scientists to culture embryos to a more advanced phase. Many scientific organizations and countries have a ban on research involving human embryos that are more than two weeks old at present, because they enter the gastrulation period. Incidentally, the biologists who worked on the recent record ended their analytical work before hitting the 14 day mark. The team also believes that the embryos wouldn't survive beyond 14 days based on their previous work on mice embryos. Moreover, a further series of advanced techniques and processes are needed for such a course, though the scientists are starting preliminary rounds of experiments on cow and non human primates. In the wake of the new development, critics are of the opinion that the 14 day mark for keeping human embryos outside the womb should be re-examined, on ethical grounds.
DNA from the last ice age revealed that all Europeans, at one time, were descendants of early humans living in Belgium. Genome analysis also showed that these distant ancestors went through series of evolutionary changes during the Ice Age and a few thousand years after the frozen era.

According to modernreaders.com, researchers have concluded that natural selection has played a significant role in making Europeans' Neanderthal ancestry less obvious as time pass. For the study, scientists have analyzed genomes from 51 people who existed between 45,000 years to 7,000 years ago. This includes some remarkable fossilized discoveries from years gone by.

This allowed researchers to gather information on the people's skin color, eye color, and how different European populations were related to each other. The patterns of migration was also revealed and suggested that these movements were a little bit complicated, probably as complex as modern migrations patterns are. It was during that time that the researchers found that about 37,000 to 14,000 years ago, different European populations had descended from a founder group from what is currently known as Belgium.

As temperature began to warm in Europe about 19,000 years ago, continents were freed from widespread ice sheets. As the frozen cover disappeared, human populations from modern-day Spain migrated up north. About 5,000 years after that time, a second group of people started to travel from southeastern Europe into northern and western regions of the continent. These migrants from Greece and Turkey displaced the earlier population, Tech Times reported.

The last major ice age peaked between 35,000 and 19,000 years before the modern day came to an end about 12,000 years ago. During the peak of this period, ice cover reached as far as south as northern France. "The ability to obtain genome-scale data from ancient bones is a new technology that's only been around for the last five or six years. It's a new scientific instrument that makes it possible to look at things that have not been looked at before," said David Reich of the Harvard Medical School.

Ancient DNA usually contains a distinct error where a segment of cytosine is replaced by uracil. This change is not often seen in modern chains of genetic codes. Researchers used this to their advantage by examining only DNA that showed this error. This allowed investigators to analyze samples of nearly-pure ancient genetic code.

Modern humans first entered Europe about 45,000 years before the modern age. This migration spelled the end of Neanderthals, which used to inhabit the continent. All of the ancient Europeans examined in this study showed lineages that traced back to a population that lived 37,000 years ago in a region that would later be known as Belgium. This group was later displaced, and a new population arrived in Europe 14,000 years ago, traveling from the east.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

There are some disagreements between Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the TGRT TV channel quoted Burhan Kuzu, head of the Turkish parliament's Constitutional Commission, as saying May 5.

Kuzu didn't specify the reason, but noted that disagreements are quite normal in a country with a parliamentary system of governance and a strong president.

He noted that although according to Turkey's constitution the president's powers are limited, the members of the ruling Justice and Development Party should consider President Erdogan's opinion in the issues related to the party's policy, as he is one of the founders of the party.

An extraordinary congress of the ruling party to elect the new chairman will be held in two weeks, added Kuzu.

It was earlier reported that a congress will be held in mid-May and the ruling party's current chairman, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will not run for that position again.

The decision to hold the extraordinary congress was made at a meeting between Erdogan and Davutoglu on May 4.

Candidates for the chairman position at the Justice and Development Party were named May 5.

The Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication Binali Yildirim, Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdag, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, and the ruling party's vice chairman Mehmet Ali Sahin are among the candidates.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Albert Einstein's theory has finally been confirmed by scientists who detected gravitational waves for the very first time. The researchers who have made this momentous day in scientific history will share a $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize.

Along with many technology pioneers that include Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founder Sergey Brin, the Russian billionaire Yuri Milner created The Breakthrough Prizes for scientific achievements.

According to a news report on Business Insider, a team of experts from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced in February that the tiny ripples in space and time, which Einstein first theorized a century ago, had been measured by a pair of giant laser detectors, capping a decades-long quest.

Forming part of his seminal theory of general relativity, Einstein had theorized these gravitational waves, showing gravity as distortions in both time and space caused by bodies of matter.

Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne and Ronald Drever, LIGO's three founders, dedicated much of their careers to gravitational wave detection. Finally reaping the fruits of their labor, the three will share $1 million, and the $2 million will be split equally to over 1,000 contributors to the project as cited on Reuters.

"That's much more modern and much more the way that physics gets done. You can't credit just the three of us for this," said Rainer Weiss, who is a professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The collision of two black holes created the gravitational waves according to researchers. These two black holes, which according to Einstein's theory are extraordinarily dense objects, having mass many times the mass of the sun, were approximately located 1.3 billion light years from Earth. These gravitational waves, the researchers believed, lead us to a new understanding about the cosmos.

"For us to spend basically a half-century since the three of us started working in this field, to have it actually be pulled off successfully in the manner we dreamed - it was really remarkable and wonderful. I'm forever grateful to the team that got it done," said Kip Thorne, who is retired from the California Institute of Technology.

They will be awarded at a December ceremony along with the regular annual awards for physics, life sciences and mathematics. The Special Breakthrough Prize (SBP) can actually be conferred at any time to mark "an extraordinary scientific achievement."

A prominent physicist, Edward Witten, believed that the discovery's magnitude warranted instant recognition. Witten is prominent physicist who heads the physics prize selection committee. "There are a lot of basic things about Einstein's theory of relativity that seemed like science fiction when I was a student," he said. "This is the first time we've seen the full force of Einstein's theory of gravity at work," Witten added.
Scientists from the University of Cambridge have invented the world's tiniest engine, which is about a few billionths of a meter in size. It's been given a name "ANT." This nanoscale engine could be the basis of future nanomachines that enter into the living cells to battle a disease, circumnavigate in water and sense the environment around them.

Dr. Tao Ting, the first author of the study from Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory said that this is just like an explosion. He further said that they have hundreds of gold balls flying apart in a millionth of a second when water molecules inflate the polymers around them, according to Science Daily.

Professor Jeremy Baumberg, the lead author of the study said that like real ants, they make large forces for their weight. "The challenge we now face is how to control that force for nano-machinery applications.

Telegraph reports that the prototype device is composed of tiny charges particles of gold that are attached together with temperature-responsive polymers. The nano-engine accumulates a large amount of elastic energy when heated and the gold nanoparticles attach together into tight clusters. They have quickly pushed apart when they are cooled.

Baumberg said their main challenge is how to build a device that exploits the forces for motion in one direction---a bit like a piston or steam engine. He further said that currently the force just increase and contracts in all directions. He added that the smart part here is they make use of Van de Waals attraction of heavy metal particles to set the springs (polymers) and water molecules to release them, which is very reversible and reproducible.

The researchers are now having talks with private companies to commercialize the technology for microfluidics bio-application. The study is subsidized by European Research Council and as part of a UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) investment in the Cambridge NanoPhotonics Centre.
Details added (first version posted on 14:16)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

An extraordinary congress of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will be held May 22, the Yeni Safak newspaper reported May 5.

Earlier, Burhan Kuzu, head of the Turkish parliament's Constitutional Commission, said that the extraordinary congress of the ruling party to elect the new chairman will be held in the next two weeks.

It was earlier reported that a congress will be held in mid-May and the ruling party's current chairman, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will not run for that position again.

The decision to hold the extraordinary congress was made at a meeting between Erdogan and Davutoglu on May 4.

Candidates for the chairman position at the Justice and Development Party were named May 5.

The Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication Binali Yildirim, Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdag, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, and the ruling party's vice chairman Mehmet Ali Sahin are among the candidates.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

It became clear in early April that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had disagreements.

The disagreement between the president and prime minister occurred after Davutoglu's statement over a hundred of academicians who opposed the military operations in the country's south-eastern provinces and criticized the actions of the government and the army in this regard.

Turkey perceived the criticism of academicians as the support for the PKK terrorist organization.

President Erdogan stood for the arrest of academicians, while Davutoglu in his statements urged to give them a suspended sentence.

But then, no one could ever predict that this disagreement between the prime minister and the president will result in Davutoglu's decision to leave his post in the party, that is, the post of chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

According to the Turkish media, Davutoglu was ready to resign from the post of AKP chairman May 4. But the president urged him to convene an extraordinary congress for the election of the party leader.

Undoubtedly, it is a very wise decision made by Erdogan, as Davutoglu's resignation would be considered as a political crisis.

Nevertheless, an extraordinary congress of the ruling party is not so different from a political crisis.

The extraordinary congress of the Justice and Development Party will be held May 22.

It is not ruled out that it is another step towards Turkey's switching to a presidential system.

Some experts in Turkey believe that Erdogan is deliberately weakening the parliamentary system in the country and thereby, wants to prove the necessity of the presidential system.

On the other hand, it shows that Erdogan fully controls the situation and the policy of the Justice and Development Party.

Five candidates, who have sufficient experience in politics, have been nominated for the position of the ruling party's chairman.

The Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication Binali Yildirim, Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdag, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, and the ruling party's vice chairman Mehmet Ali Sahin are among them.

But who among these politicians is a real candidate for the post of the AKP chairman and Turkey's prime minister?

If one compares all the candidates and their political past, it can be concluded that Numan Kurtulmus and one of the founders of the AKP Binali Yildirim, as well as Mehmet Ali Sahin are most likely to take these posts.

Regarding the candidacy of Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Berat Albayrak, he has less chances compared with other politicians. Undoubtedly, blood relations with Erdogan will hinder Albayrak's plans, because he is the Turkish president's son in law.

It is not excluded that namely Numan Kurtulmus will become new prime minister and chairman of the AKP. Head of the Turkish intelligence Hakan Fidan, who hasn't yet appeared in the list of candidates, may become another potential candidate for these positions.

Regarding further political fate of Davutoglu, he is more likely to share the fate of former Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who became completely isolated from political activity.

The question arises whether this event will affect the reputation of the party, which is famous for its stable domestic policy and hasn't suffered any defeat throughout its activities.

Prime Minister Davutoglu in his latest statement said that the post of the prime minister has no importance for him and the most important thing is to be committed to the party's political line.

Considering this, a number of analysts in Turkey do not assess the situation as a political split.

But the number of the AKP's quite serious politicians, who have been isolated from active politics, grows year after year. Turkey's former president Abdullah Gul, former prime ministers Ali Babacan, Bulent Arinc, AKP's former deputy chairman Huseyin Celik are among them.

All this gives a reason to think that the AKP may have serious internal problems that could lead to a split in the party, even though its members themselves reject these developments.

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Rufiz Hafizoglu is the head of Trend Agency's Arabic news service, follow him on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
A child has died and eight other people were injured Thursday evening after rockets fired from the Daesh-controlled territory in Syria hit the south-central Turkish province of Kilis, Anadolu agency reported.



Five rockets fired from Daesh-controlled territory in Syria hit the Kilis province, Turkish security sources in condition of anonymity said due to restrictions on speaking to the media.



Two landed in the Namik Kemal neighborhood and two others in the Caylak neighborhood. The fifth rocket landed in a wasteland in the Yeni Besevler neighborhood.



Sources said nine injured people were rushed to the hospital, but a five-year-old girl, Nisa Done Sezer, succumbed to her wounds.



Numerous buildings were damaged in the explosions.



In retaliation, 20 Daesh members were killed Thursday night when the Turkish army attacked two ammunition vehicles in the Kara Mezraa and Dudiyan regions in Syria near the Turkish border, military sources told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.



Many other Daesh members were also reportedly injured.



The evening's attack was the second wave of rocket attacks from within the Syrian border on Thursday.



Four people were injured when three rockets hit in Kilis city in the morning hours.



Kilis lies six kilometers (four miles) from the Syrian border and has been repeatedly struck by cross-border rocket fire since mid-January.



According to official figures, 20 people have been killed and almost 70 wounded by rockets.



On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said 55 rockets had been fired by Daesh into Kilis in the last three months. Retaliatory artillery fire and airstrikes have killed scores of Daesh terrorists.



According to military sources, a total of 2,144 Daesh targets have been struck in Syria since July, killing 807 Daesh militants. A further 365 have been killed in Iraq.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday voiced concern over refugees who lost their lives in the Aegean Sea, mainly by using unsafe vessels, such as plastic boats, Anadolu agency reported.



"So far, Turkey has rescued nearly 110,000 migrants attempting the sea crossing from Turkey to the Greek island," Erdogan said in his speech at a judicial congress in Istanbul.



Erdogan said that the refugee issue needed more attention from the international community.



"The institutions which are responsible for establishing global justice are inactive," he said referring to UN.



Turkey currently hosts 2.7 million Syrian refugees, as well as hundreds of thousands from troubled states such as Iraq and Afghanistan.



According to Turkish Coast Guard figures, in 2015 a total of 279 migrants lost their lives in the Aegean shores.



Over the past year, thousands of people have made short-but-perilous attempts to cross the Aegean in a bid to reach Greece, before going on to northern and western Europe.



A recent EU-Turkey agreement now allows for the return of "irregular migrants" to Turkey from Greece in exchange for Syrian refugees to be relocated within the EU.
China to Urge Support for Anti-graft Campaign from Other Countries

China to seek support from other countries for its anti-graft campaign via the G20 summit and other forums. (Photo : Getty Images)

China will be pushing for more support from countries all over the world for the crackdown on corrupt officials who fled overseas via the G20 summit and all other upcoming global conventions.



During a meeting with the Communist Party of China's discipline watchdog, President Xi Jinping declared that the country should exert more pressure on foreign countries particularly those in the West like the United States to help them capture all corrupt officials who took refuge abroad.



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"In the past, the United States and other Western nations often used the corruption issue to attack us at multilateral occasions such as the United Nations, G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation," the South China Morning Post quoted him as saying during a meeting with the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.



According to the outlet, Xi made the statement in January, but it was only made public on Tuesday via the People's Daily.



Xi's Anti-graft Campaign from the Inside



Xi's infamous anti-graft campaign became China's salvation in the world stage as it allowed the country to reach "the international moral high ground."



Led by the president himself, the program had ensnared both corrupt "tigers" and "flies" of the Chinese government as well as the private sector.



However, not everyone had been happy with Xi's project as some members of the CPC had been found to be making efforts in undermining the Party's governance.



"There are careerists and conspirators existing in our Party and undermining the Party's governance," he told the CCDI as quoted by the Xinhua News Agency. "We should not bury our heads in the sand and spare these members but must make a resolute response to eliminate the problem and deter further violations."



During the meeting, he noted that some of them "have been forming cabals and cliques" to secretly resist the decisions and policies of the CPC which, he said, might "risk compromising the political security of the Party and the country."



The Anti-corruption Campaign from the Outside



While it may appear that China's anti-graft campaign has already captured most of the corrupt officials in the country, there are still some who believe that it can never really eradicate the problem entirely.



According to Forbes contributor John Lee, the mere fact that the campaign denies due process to those accused is an indicator that it is not an effective program.



"Xi's anti-corruption campaign might be ruthless in that those accused are denied due process with which to defend themselves, but the common wisdom is that this is exactly what China and the Communist Party needs," he wrote.






Manx is the first of its kind tailless comet that lives in the Oort cloud (Photo : YouTube/Kowch737)

A new paper published on April 29, Friday, dubbed the tailless comet as Manx, saying it is composed of material found in the inner solar system. Now scientists suspect the strange comet may have been born alongside the Earth.



Manx, the only known tailless comet, has actually sprung up from Earth's primordial material. The comet was formed in the inner solar system along with other planets, but was eventually jolted towards the outer edges by the chaotically dancing space debris, the research published in the Science Advances noted.



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Comets are commonly made of ice and various other frozen compounds. They are formed in the outer solar system at extremely low temperatures and earn their alias 'shooting star' because they all bear a characteristic tail, which is actually a trail of evaporating surface matter, as they approach closer to the sun.



Manx was first discovered back in 2014 when it sauntered through the inner solar system before wandering off to the outer icy edges. The observation was first reported by the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, or Pan-STARRS.



Researchers say that the comet was formed 4 billion years ago, the same time Earth was born. However, planetary gravitation pulls acted like a sling, shooting off Manx towards the Oort cloud located 100 Astronomical Units from the Sun.



One Astronomical Unit is equal to 150 million kilometers or 190 million miles, and so Oort cloud really marks outer boundaries of the solar system. It takes Manx 860 years to complete a single revolution around the Sun, Wall Street Journal reported.



When a typical comet approaches closer to the Sun, its icy surface vaporizes off its mass due to heat, giving out a trail that shines brightly in the sunlight. However, Manx became an exception to this rule because its innards were composed of what asteroids between Mars and Jupiter were made of.



The existence of Manx unlocks the possibility of other tailless comets in the Sun's neighborhood and they could help scientists figure out the time when the solar system settled into its current setting. According to the co-author of the study Olivier Hainaut, the number of tailless comets could help calculate the number of giant planets when they were young.



The tailless comet's scientific name is C/2014 S3 where 2014 represents the year of Manx's discovery. Interestingly, the namesake of the tailless comet is inspired from a tailless breed of cat which also lacks a tail. The outer layer of the comet appeared pristine due to its prolonged stay in the deep freeze zones. Here is the video explanation of how tailless Manx circles around the Sun.






Chinese President Xi on CPC's Ban on 'Baseless Comments': New Rule Seeks to Keep Anyone from 'Singing Out of Tune'

President Xi Jinping clarifies the purpose of the CPC's new rule banning "baseless comments" on Party rules. (Photo : Getty Images)

President Xi Jinping denies preventing debate on the Communist Party of Chinas policies, saying that he simply intends to make sure that no one is singing out of tune, referring the Partys new policy banning baseless comments.



Citing a recently released speech transcript from the Chinese president, Reuters pointed out Xi's clarification on the CPC's new policy that prohibits its members from making "baseless comments" on some of the Party's major rules.



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"Some party organizations think political discipline is soft or false, and when it comes to wrong words and deeds that go against Party discipline they don't care, don't report it, don't resist it, don't fight it and certainly don't investigate and deal with it," he told the Party's discipline watchdog.



Silencing Critics



At first sight, the rule that bans CPC members from commenting on the Party's policies does appear a bit harsh considering that it prevents people from criticizing the rules.



It might also appear to be quite a stringent law that shows how the Communist government of China handles criticism.



However, Xi clarified that the new rule merely seeks to prevent its members from "singing out of tune."



"The reason we demand Party members and cadres not to make baseless comments is not so you can't raise opinions and suggestions or even critical opinions," he said, adding a warning against "political liberalism."



"It's so that on important political principles, on issues of right and wrong (you) cannot sing out of tune with the Party center and engage in political liberalism," he said.



Reuters noted that the Chinese president has repeatedly warned CPC members of "liberalism," putting particular attention to the military.



Punishment for "Baseless Comments"



The Party's Guangzhou-based discipline watchdog intends to punish those who irresponsibly comment about the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee as well as socialism.



According to the Global Times, Cai Penghao, the head of the Party's publicity department, revealed their work objectives for 2016 which will focus more on "improving Party conduct, building a clean government and eradicating corruption."



This comes after Ren Zhiqiang openly criticized President Xi Jinping's emphasis on Party leadership over his account in Sina Weibo where over 37 million other users were watching.



Cai said that callous comments would not be tolerated and that the commission is bent on implementing the rules and disciplinary practices of the Party.



"Collusion for political and economic benefits will be relentlessly investigated to safeguard unity and solidarity within the Party," he added.


The company's EBITDA margins edged up slightly to 29% from 28% in Q1 2015, driven by cost-saving initiatives.

The result excludes a $15m decrease from Q1 2015, following the merger between Svitzer Salvage and Titan Salvage last April. The merger came after an increasingly trying few years for salvors, with fewer jobs for which to compete.

In the first quarter of 2016 we continued our growth in new markets with the creation of a joint venture in China serving the Port of Guangzhou, the worlds 5th largest port, new contracts in St. Eustatius, the Caribbean and in Montreal, Canada, said Robert Uggla, Svitzer ceo. Operationally we focused our productivity which resulted in an improved EBITDA margin to 29% from 28% same period last year. Overall we are doing well in a very difficult market.

During the quarter, Svitzer reached a four-year agreement with Australian seafarer unions, securing Svitzers business in the region.
Same-sex marriage supporters celebrate the U.S Supreme Court ruling regarding same-sex marriage on June 26, 2015 in San Francisco, California. (Photo : Getty Images)

A United States Consul Generals marriage with the same sex incites varying reactions in China, reiterating the countrys refusal to acknowledge the love between homosexual couples.



Hanscom Smith, a U.S. Consul General in Shanghai, has officially tied the knot with his long-time Taiwanese partner Lu Yingzong, or Eric Lu, at the San Francisco City Hall during his holiday.



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According to Shanghaiist, Smith had been proud of the milestone and even shared it over his account in the widely used Chinese social media platform, Weibo.



"It is time to share some happy news with you all . . ." he wrote in a post which received mostly warm greetings and well wishes for the couple.



Among the responses they got was a photo of a beating heart from Chinese netizen Daniel Chen Dandan who captioned it with: "Respect any type of love."



Because China has yet to accept couples like Smith and Lu, their marriage stirred the Chinese media with some picking up a couple of photos from the wedding.



China.org noted that the place of their marriage "is considered a fairly important place in supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) movements."



According to the New York Times, the Chinese government has made its opinion on same-sex unions very clear when a gay couple from the Hunan Province filed a suit for the right to get married.



While a court in China accepted the lawsuit, a judge ruled against allowing the couple to be wed last month.



The NY Times interviewed Sun Wenlin, one of the men, over the phone and asked for his opinion on the U.S. Consul General's marriage.



"I support them very much. My best wishes to them," Sun said, adding that he is still hoping that China could soon become a more open-minded society and allow gay couples the right to marriage.


AIIB to Tie Up with ADB in First Co-financing Road Project in Pakistan

The Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB) is partnering with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help build roads in Pakistan. (Photo : Reuters)

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will join hands with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the first co-financing project in Pakistan, a project independent from the plans of China and Pakistan, a statement released by both banks said on Monday, May 2.



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China Daily reported that the announcement was made at the sidelines of the ADB's 49th annual board of governors meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between AIIB President Jin Liqun and ADB President Takehiko Nakao.



The report said that the series of road projects includes Pakistan's M4 Highway, a 64-kilometer stretch connecting Shorkot to Khanewal in Punjab Province.



According to Nakao, the project's total financing cost will reach about $300 million, with both banks to contribute equal amounts.



"The agreement sets the stage for jointly financed projects. The AIIB and ADB are already discussing projects for co-financing in the roads and water sectors," the statement said.



Nakao said that the joint financing project came about "just by chance" when asked whether the project has anything to do with the close ties between China and Pakistan.



"The Pakistan project is the most mature one. There is a series of forthcoming projects, which will probably be approved and announced in June," Nakao said.



A total of $2.1 billion in financing, which included 12 projects with the World Bank and the ADB, is expected to be approved by the AIIB this year.



On the other hand, a $46-billion plan for a China-Pakistan economic corridor is currently being implemented by China.



Aside from the project in Pakistan, the AIIB is also planning to finance a road project in Tajikistan as well as a ring road in Almaty, Kazakhstan, a report by Financial Times said.



The Pakistani project was led by the ADB and the AIIB joined later, the report said. The project will be managed by the ADB, in behalf of other co-financiers, while the bidding will be conducted based on the ADB's procurement guidelines and procedures.


A former auto parts store in St. Joseph has taken on a new life as an architectural and interior design center, complete with a showroom. Karen Garlanger Designs, LLC celebrated the opening of their new space, dubbed Welcome Home, with a ribbon cutting ceremony April 22.Garlanger and her team, including husband David Schuck, have been renovating the former Ridge & Kramer Auto Parts site at 813 Highland Avenue since purchasing it in 2015. The location offers design space for Garlangers studio, plus a showroom and retail store, warehouse and room for truck deliveries.The ribbon cutting was amazing; we had an awesome turnout, Garlanger says. Several Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce members attended as well as the mayors representative.Having a showroom is the most exciting perk of the new location, Garlanger notes. We can show all the lines we carry  our Welcome Home Custom Cabinet Line, our own Welcome Home Furniture line, rugs, bedding, and counters. We have a kitchen, beverage bar, benches and contemporary and traditional cabinets to show.Garlanger launched Karen Garlanger Designs in 2010. Her work has appeared in Women's Day Magazine, Distinctive Kitchen Solutions and Food Network Magazine, and shes also been a featured designer on HGTV's website, according to karengarlangerdesigns.com . Garlangers work can also be viewed at Houzz.com , where shes listed in the Pros section.A St. Joseph native, Garlanger studied interior design at Western Michigan University and architecture at the University of Miami, and holds bachelors and masters degrees in architecture from Andrews University.The firm offers residential architecture (remodeling, additions, and new construction), residential interior design, space planning and kitchen and bath design, plus assistance with contractor selection and project management. They provide furniture, re-upholstery, fabrics, rugs, window treatments, bedding, wall coverings, tile, plumbing fixtures, appliances, cabinetry, counters, hardware, mirrors, art, and lighting.Writer: Cathie Schau, Second Wave Media SouthwestSource: Karen Garlanger, Karen Garlanger Designs
The Security Council and Peace Operations: Reform and Deliver

This is Security Council Reports first research report on peace operations. To view the full report, please download the PDF.

Peace operations are the most visible tool that the Council has to address on the ground situations that threaten international peace and security. Whether multidimensional operations with a military component or smaller political field missions, the largest proportion of the Councils time and energy is devoted to mandating and overseeing the work of these peace operations. In a context of increasing demand and difficulties, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took the initiative and appointed a high-level panel to review peace operations. The panels reportalongside two other reviews in the field of peace and securityand the Secretary-Generals subsequent proposals have focused the attention of member states on the need for reforms. While some of these are being implemented by the Secretariat, this report examines the challenge for the Security Council to modify its own practice if it is to design better mandates and deliver more effective responses to the challenges of today.

The last major review of peacekeeping operations took place in 2000. In the wake of the UNs devastating failures to protect civilians in Rwanda and at Srebrenica, a panel chaired by former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi was tasked by then Secretary-General Kofi Annan to undertake a thorough review of the UN peace and security activities and make recommendations for improvement. The recommendations of what was soon known as the Brahimi report on issues such as the need for a robust posture to protect civilians and the emphasis on peacebuilding and rule-of-law objectives framed the way peace operations were to be established in the early years of the 21st century. However, many of the reports recommendations were not implemented fully, if at all, and aspects of its critique remain unresolved. They include inadequate strategic analysis and intelligence capabilities within the UN Secretariat, the difficulties of rapid deployment, the gap between goals identified by the Council and the resources available to meet them, the importance of frank assessments by the Secretariat and the need for mandates to be clear, credible and achievable.

The number and scale of peace operations have grown substantially since the start of the millennium. In 2000, there were 37,800 uniformed personnel from 89 troop- and police- contributing countries (TCC/PCCs) deployed in 16 peacekeeping operations. In early 2016, there are more than 104,500 uniformed personnel deployed in 16 peacekeeping operations, drawing on 123 TCC/PCCs. The number of field-based special political missions has also grown in the last decades; from only three in 1993, their number increased to eleven at the end of 2015.

The spectrum of peace operations ranges from regional offices focused on conducting good offices to full-fledged multidimensional peace operations with military, police and civilian components. The average length of their deployment has been increasing, and while new operations have been established to address emerging issues such as disarmament of chemical weapons (jointly with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) or health crises (UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response), more than a third of UN peacekeeping operations still existing today were deployed before the end of the Cold War.

Peace operations are increasingly being tasked by the Council to deploy in fragile environments. In this context, peace operations are becoming the target of asymmetric attacks. As of March 2016, some 55 peacekeepers had died as a result of malicious acts against the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali since its establishment in 2013. At the same time, there appears to be a trend of lack of cooperation, even hostility toward peace operations on the part of some host governments, who have placed significant constraints on missions including in Western Sahara, Sudan, South Sudan and the DRC, among others. Even though this trend is not new (it has happened before with peace operations deployed in Eritrea, Chad and Burundi), the mounting hostility by several host governments is testing the Councils will and capability to support politically the operations it has authorised.

In this context, briefing the Council on 11 June 2014 in an open debate on new trends in peacekeeping operations held under the presidency of Russia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon acknowledged the need for a broad discussion about how UN peacekeeping should adapt to new demands, and the capabilities and resources needed to accomplish its objectives. Recalling the upcoming 15-year anniversary of the Brahimi report, he expressed his intention to work towards a shared view on the way forward by reviewing UN peacekeeping. Although the process was initially announced as a review of peacekeeping operations, the Secretary-General soon decided that the review should extend to all peace operations, encompassing special political missions as well as peacekeeping operations.

On 31 October 2014, 14 members were appointed to the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (HIPPO) under the chairmanship of Jose Ramos-Horta, former president of Timor-Leste, to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the state of UN peace operations and the emerging needs of the future. Following criticism from within the UN system and from NGOs that only three women were among the 14 initial appointees, on 1 December 2014 the Secretary-General added three more women members. The outgoing Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, Ameerah Haq, was appointed vice-chair.

The HIPPO submitted its report to the Secretary-General on 16 June 2015. It called for four essential shifts that would allow the UN to position its peace operations to better respond to current and future challenges: ensuring the primacy of politics, a flexible use of the full spectrum of peace operations, the need for stronger partnerships and a field-focused UN Secretariat and people-centred peace operations.

The Secretary-General reacted to the HIPPOs recommendations in an implementation report issued on 2 September 2015. This report outlines the Secretary-Generals priorities in the implementation of the peace and security agenda in the remaining period of his tenure around three pillars: renewed focus on prevention and mediation; stronger regional-global partnerships; and new ways of planning and conducting UN peace operations to make them faster, more responsive and more accountable to the needs of countries and people in conflict.

The peace operations review coincided with two other peace and security review processes, namely the review of the UN peacebuilding architecture and the global study on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. These three processes led to similar conclusions on issues such as the focus on prevention and political solutions, the importance of a people-centered approach and community engagement with a strong gender dimension, the need to develop more tailored responses based on the analysis of requirements and possibilities in the field rather than the application of templates, the need for greater coherence within the UN and the importance of partnerships.

The HIPPO and Secretary-Generals reports on peace operations set out a lengthy series of recommendations which require action by the Secretariat, the Council and the General Assembly. Even though much of the review focuses on changes internal to the Secretariat, some of the most challenging issues relate to the strategic alignment among the Council, the Secretariat and TCC/PCCs, as well as some of the Councils working methods that frame (and limit) the Councils authorisation, design and oversight of peace operations.

Even though the Council has taken on board particular recommendations of the peace operations review already, much remains to be done to improve comprehensively how peace operations are handled. This report addresses what the review requires of the Council and identifies how the Councils usual conduct of business often undermines the objectives it sets for itself, whether in preventing conflict or in designing realistic mandates. Substantial changes in the Councils own working methods regarding the mandating, monitoring and support of peace operations seem to be fundamental to achieving real improvement.

This report, therefore, starts by outlining how member states, including the Council, have so far responded to the recommendations of the peace operations review. It then addresses the ways in which the Council can reinforce its role in preventing conflict and the challenges it faces in doing so, as a result of both its internal working methods and the interaction with the Secretariat. The forms of political engagement of the Council in exerting its collective leverage both to prevent conflict and in support of peace processes are analysed in the next section. The report then proceeds to examine the Councils mandating and oversight of operations, highlighting the case for sequenced and prioritised mandates, the importance of the quality of analysis received by Council members and the negative impact of negotiation patterns in the drafting of mandates. In its final sections, the report considers two major aspects of the review which frame member states current discussions on peace operations: the protection of civilians, the use of force and the principles of peacekeeping; and the important role of partnerships, particularly that with the AU. The report concludes that no reform of peace operations will be complete if the Council does not reflect on and modify its role in designing, reviewing and supporting peace operations, with delivery in the field its key priority.
'Silicon Valley' is synonymous with 'startup.' Every year, countless programmers design apps and start tech companies in the hopes that their idea will get angel investors and multimillion dollar valuations.

Some, however, are finding Silicon Valley oversaturated. And they're seeking opportunities in cities like Detroit with nascent tech scenes.

"We started Castle because we wanted to be a part of creating something new, and the Bay Area tech scene is hardly something new," says Max Nussenbaum, cofounder & CEO of

Castle is a startup worth paying attention to -- they approach a local issue, property management, in an innovative way. But being a notable startup in a tech scene that is generously described as fledgling has its limitations. So this year, Castles small-but-growing team started spending half of its time building its business in Detroit, while learning how to scale it faster at

Venture for Detroit

Castle's three cofounders are poster boys for the cliche of "new Detroit": young, white males from out of state. Their model is flexible enough that it likely could have been started anywhere, but they developed an appreciation for Detroit during a 2012 fellowship as part of Detroit's inaugural class of

COO

CTO

All three spent their last year of fellowship at VFA co-founding

The Castle team



Today the abandoned hospital is gone, while Castle and

"Castle could never have gotten off the ground or become what its become today anywhere other than Detroit," Lowe says. "We probably wouldn't have even come up with the idea for Castle if we hadn't been in Detroit, where we were exposed to a different problem set than what we would have seen in a place like San Francisco or New York."

Castle is a prime example of success for Venture For America -- its fellows absorbed VFA's mission of improving their adopted city while launching a startup with bright prospects. Castle has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in seed capital and been admitted to

Castle's success is good harbinger of Venture For America's potential, but the program is far from a guarantee to reinvent Detroits economy with new blood. Of the first class of 40 VFA fellows, 12 went to Detroit. Seven of those 12 fellows still call Detroit home. Four are working in startups (Castle and Banza), one still works for his fellowship employer, one started a pedicab company, and another is writing a book on spirituality.

Those that remain do so because they see opportunity in a place they want to pursue it. "One of my driving beliefs is that the best opportunities are found by looking where other people aren't," Nussenbaum says. "That's why I moved to Detroit, and it's why Castle started to solve an un-sexy problem, property management, that many other people were avoiding."

Splitting time

The idea of bridging Detroit and Silicon Valley sounds great in an elevator pitch, but is much harder to pull off in real life. Castle got to do it while taking part in the Y Combinator accelerator class last winter, but faced a number of obstacles. Mainly, how do you manage hundreds of rental properties (and adding more all the time) from a different city?

The answer: rotation.

Castle's team is composed of its three cofounders and about a dozen employees who handle everything from writing code to handling property management calls. They all split time between the company's home base in Detroit and its temporary workspace in Mountain View, California. About one-third of the team stays in Detroit while the rest are in California. Each team member will spend a few weeks in one location before rotating back again.

Castle's work/live space in Mountain View



Their house and office in Mountain View crams about half a dozen people into a building not much bigger, or different, than a double-wide trailer. Each team member gets some desk space on whatever table-like surface is available, plus their own room.

The first Castle employees typically stir around sunup with the rest of the team up not much longer after that. A team meeting begins at 7:30 a.m. PST to better coordinate with the Detroit contingent working a few hours ahead.

"One convenient result of the time difference is a natural segmentation of my day," Dingman says. "Most of the property management takes place during business hours in Detroit, which is 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Mountain View."

Dingman manages the company's properties, and as such, interfaces the most with Detroit. If a sink gets clogged or a lease needs to be signed, it's his responsibility.

"The day-to-day management of properties keeps my head in Detroit most of the time," Dingman says.

On a cold day in March he starts off at Castle's home base in Virginia Park, handling everyday management duties and doing laundry. His flight for San Jose International Airport leaves mid-afternoon so the 20-something can wrap up his workday and casually coordinate with his team before leaving. He's working, but not in a rush.

In Detroit Metro Airport's parking lot, Dingman texts a picture of where he parks the company's used Honda Civic for the Castle employee returning to Detroit the next day. He is smart when he travels, packing lightly and sliding through TSA pre-check security line

Dingman, an avid fan of underdogs, insists on calling a Lyft when he arrives in San Jose, doing his little part to prevent an Uber monopoly in the fast-growing ride-sharing market. By that point it's night in California and he only has a short time to coordinate with his team there before calling it a day.

Growth, growth, and more growth

The endorsement of Y Combinator is o





Castle's motto: Grow as fast as possible Castle's story of saving a house from demolition and launching a startup in Detroit played a critical role in its acceptance late last year. The selection committee believed a team that can rebuild a house together in Detroit could excel at working together to build a tech startup.



At the time, Castle has already raised a few hundred thousand dollars in seed capital and was angling to secure more than $1 million in an angel round a few weeks later. Acceptance to Y Combinator came with a $120,000 investment from the accelerator and an exponential bump in valuation in the eyes of investors.

And for good reason. Venture capitalists invest in startups with the expectation of getting a return in less than 10 percent of them. Instead, they're looking for a home run worth millions, if not billions. An inordinate number of the nearly 900 startups that have passed through Y Combinator in its first 10 years have found success, according to a

Y Combinator requires its startups to set up shop somewhere in Silicon Valley during the three months they go through the accelerator. While there, they focus on growth, growth, and more growth. It's a message Castle's team has heard loud and clear.



Everywhere in Castle's home office there are physical signs reminding them of the importance of growing faster. For Castle that's measured in the number of rental units they manage, which they've doubled every quarter since its launch. Now, Castle has nearly 500 units under management.

The startups at Y Combinator spend much of the three months prepping for "Demo Day," an event at the end of the program where the startups pitch to a crowd of investors. But where Y Combinator really helps is in guidance. The accelerator hosts weekly office hours and networking events on Tuesdays with the accelerator's network of mentors and investors. Those events are only open to a startups co-founding team, and it's why Dingman flew out for San Jose that Monday afternoon.

"The most impactful advice from YC usually comes during individual office hours, where one of our group partners spends 20 minutes with the three of us when we need sage advice on an issue we're having," Dingman says. "Each session brings at least some small tweak in our direction."

One of those tweaks is Castle's growth plan. It originally aimed to open in new markets after getting a foothold in Detroit midway through this year. The idea was to grow faster by spreading out across the country. One of the Y Combinator mentors advised against this, saying there is more value in committing to that first market than spreading yourself too thin too fast. There will always be a first wave of easy customers to pick up in each market, but a higher-quality business grows its clientele beyond the low-hanging fruit. Castle is now laser-focused on Detroit. New market expansion has been postponed until the third quarter of 2017.

"As we expand to new cities, we plan to continue our focus on underserved markets like Detroit," Nussenbaum says. "Although I find it quite funny, and sad, that the startup world is so hyper-focused on San Francisco and New York."

Startup\Scaleup is a series about the companies that are scaling in Southeast Michigan and the challenges they face. Support for this series is provided by the New Economy Initiative . Subscribe to follow along at semichiganstartup.com

Jon Zemke is Model D's news editor and a Detroit-based reporter. He is also a landlord. One of his houses is managed by the Castle team.
When Jon Koller first thought of turning his homemade beard balm into a business, he imagined how he would market it. Four years of business building and bootstrap pulling later, he gets to do that with Beard Balm And it's not just because Koller wants to do it -- he needs to. Beard Balm, based in Corktown's Ponyride , is selling its products around the world and closing in on $1 million worth of sales this year. Koller expects to hit the seven-figure milestone by the third quarter."We're about even now in sales with what we did all of last year," Koller says.Beard Balm makes an all-natural, leave-in conditioner for beards and facial hair. The company uses natural products like lanolin oil, coconut oil, and beeswax from a Traverse City farm. Beard Balm sells in 1.5-ounce tins for $16 to $18 a pop. The regular balm and the "Naked," fragrance free version sell for $18 a piece.Since releasing its Heavy Duty version a year ago, Beard Balm has focused on expanding sales by hooking up with a national distributor. Beard Balm's products can be bought in every state in the U.S., every country in the European Union, and 12 other countries around the world. Beard Balm has tripled the number of stores carrying its products in the last two months."We will probably double it again in the next three months," Koller says.That success has prompted Beard Balm to grow its team to five people, and will likely add more soon. New hires will do everything from production work to helping with marketing and branding."Everything but sales," Koller says.Sales growth seems to be taking care of itself these days.
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What do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the metro Detroit region? What issues are undercovered  or poorly covered What do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the metro Detroit region? What issues are undercoveredor poorly covered

by the media and deserve more attention? And how can the media better communicate both the complexity of these issues and possible solutions?

These questions are at the heart of a new partnership between Metromode, our sister publication Model D and

As humans, we learn best through stories. So what better way to grapple with the complex history , current policy and ongoing movements around our region than through great storytelling?

To help guide this process, we are looking to convene a group of emerging leaders from various communities and professional backgrounds to form an editorial advisory board.

Every few months, these up-and-comers will come together to discuss what they see in the region: the problems, the promise, and the varied perspectives. These conversations will highlight not only the priority issues for metro Detroit, but also the people and projects working to make a difference.

Well turn that input into reporting. But not just any reporting. Metromode writers will embrace solutions journalism, an approach that emphasizes in-depth investigations into the context surrounding an issue, and, critically, the possible (and often in-progress) solutions that could work for metro Detroit.

We believe metro Detroit has a moment of opportunity. The investment and energy pouring into the core city is creating momentum that can fuel not just improvements but transformation. To make the most of this opportunity, residents should benefit from the smartest, best possible coverage of the issues that need addressing.

And thats where you come in. To guide our first year-long series, were looking for emerging leaders to serve on our inaugural regional editorial advisory board. You could be a fit if:

You are passionate about exploring creative, collaborative solutions to metro Detroits contemporary challenges.

You're upwardly mobile. You might not be making all the decisions yet but youre on track to make some of them.

Youre a student with a focus on policy, government, urban planning, business, or another relevant subject.

You can point to something and say this demonstrates my passion for metro Detroit. It can be a resume, a project, a social media presenceanything, really. We just want to know you share our love for our region.

Youre a skillful listener who likes to hear others perspectives just as much as you like to share your own.

Youre excited about being part of something new, and helping shape a nascent program into a useful platform for the region.

You can commit to quarterly meetings on the following dates: June 1st, Wednesday August 4th, Thursday November 3, Thursday January 18, Wednesday



When we think of our emerging leaders, we usually think of people between the ages of 18 and 35but thats not a hard requirement. If youve recently changed careers or gotten involved in your community, you could be a great fit. We want the editorial board to be diverse in terms of race, gender, geography, and thought, so whatever your background or perspectivewe value it and encourage you to apply.

To that end, weve made it easy for you. View and complete the application below, then go directly to social media and share it with everyone you know. If this opportunity isnt for you, consider sending it to your best and brightest employees, students, colleagues, children, grandchildren, etc. With your help, well recruit a strong board of connected thinkers who will, in turn, help us cover the most important issues in a way that will help us better understand this place we all call home.
Making the world a better place is the kind of warm and fuzzy rhetoric tech entrepreneurs use when launching their new startup.Ramses Alcaide wants to make the world a better place, too, but his inspiration comes from personal experience.The University of Michigan PhD candidate is dedicated to developing technologies to assist people with physical disabilities because he witnessed first-hand the challenges of living with such disabilities. In particular, the hardships that faced his favorite uncle. That uncle, also a scientist, suffered an accident that immobilized his legs when Alcaide was a young man. His struggles stuck with the U-M grad student."I remember seeing him struggle to relearn how to walk with the archaic technology of the time," Alcaide says. "I thought there has to be a better way. But I had no idea what that was."Those memories served as the inspiration for Alcaide's post doctorate studies and a new startup called Neurable. The University of Michigan spin-out is developing a non-invasive brain-computer interface that allows for real-time control of software and physical objects, allowing people to control wheelchairs, robots and even a car with no training.Neurable currently has a working prototype of its technology and is working toward commercializing it next year. The startup aims to raise $500,000 in seed capital to make that happen and more."We have much bigger dreams," Alcaide says. "We want to make it into a full-fledged company."It's off to a good start. Neurable, with the help of U-M's Zell-Lurie Institute , took second place in the Rice Business Plan Competition. That gave it $50,000 in seed capital, as well as up to $280,000 for the competition's OWL Investment Prize."I really wanted to bring this technology to the next level so I can help as many people as possible," Alcaide says.Source: Ramses Alcaide, founder & CEO of NeurableWriter: Jon Zemke
Polydactyly (Photo : Google Slides/Boneandspine.com)

Parents of an infant boy in Hunan Province born with 15 fingers and 16 toes are asking the publics help so their child, who has the condition polydactyly, could have surgery within the next few months to correct the condition.



The surgery for the baby, named Honghong, to correct polydactyly would cost thousands of dollars and would be very difficult. Liu Hong, professor at the Hunan Provincial Peoples Hospital for Pediatric Orthopedics, explained that since Honghong is too young for anesthesia, he cannot have the surgery now.



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However, he needs to have the operation when he is between six months and one year before his bones set. The boys condition surprised the parents because the mother, who has two extra fingers and two extra toes, underwent several pre-natal scans in Shenzhen hospitals, including 4D ultrasound, but the results said her baby would be normal, that is he would have 10 fingers and 10 toes, reported Mashable.



Some photos of Honghong and his mother were posted on Chinese website Imagine China. It showed the three-month-old child with a total of 31 fingers and toes: eight toes on each foot and seven fingers on one hand and eight on the other hand.



About two in 1,000 children have the condition. Another male child was born in Shenyang in 2011 with 31 toes and fingers, but the boy had an operation when he was six. Before his surgery, the Chinese boy found it difficult to use his hand because three of the fingers on both hands were fused together. Classmates in school teased the child as a monster.



The two boys broke the record set in 2014 by Indian man Devendra Suthar from Gujarat who was born with 14 toes and 14 fingers, according to the Guinness Book of Records. Before Suthar, the record were held by two Indian kids with 12 fingers and 13 toes each.










There is a saying around here that if you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes and it will change. It's that sort of thing that helps make Michigan, especially Metro Detroit, such as prime spot for the nation's budding alternative energy industry. The weather is dynamic enough to accommodate wind and solar energy. The abundance of water and agriculture make things like hydropower and bio-fuels logical choices. And where better to develop and build the new technologies that will harness these resources than at southeast Michigan's acclaimed research universities and vaunted manufacturing facilities?
Press Release

May 3, 2016 Speech of Senator Loren Legarda

Rotary Club of Makati Luncheon

3 May 2016 | Manila Peninsula Hotel It is with great pleasure that I take part in this gathering to encourage Rotarians to take a more active role in finding solutions to the growing social, economic and development challenges caused by environmental degradation and disasters arising from natural hazards made stronger by climate change. We are living in a world with finite resources and yet generations have lived over the centuries like there is no tomorrow. Our natural environment has been compromised. Our biological diversity has been significantly reduced and the general health of our environment is conceded to the greed of some. Our ecosystems have been altered more rapidly in the name of development; but the poor have remained poor and their numbers are increasing notwithstanding the emergence of megacities and the increasing "GDPs" of nations. The effects of our exploitative activities are evident in the increased frequency and volume of natural hazards. We have seen many times the impact of natural hazard extremes and the prevalence of disaster risk, exacerbated by climate change. They kill thousands of families, wipe out cities and communities, and undo years of development gains. Losses due to Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng in 2009 were equivalent to 2.7% of the country's GDP; while damage from Supertyphoon Yolanda is estimated at P101.79 Billion, representing 0.9% of GDP for 2013. Each year, five million lives are lost due to climate change and the health impacts of its chief driver -- fossil fuels.[1] The World Health Organization estimates direct damage costs to health alone at between 2 and 4 billion dollars each year by 2030.[2] The 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) declared that "about half of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions between 1750 and 2011 have occurred in the last 40 years." The world will continue to get warmer and with this comes long lasting changes in our climate system. Ordinary people have limited understanding of this, until they are painfully introduced to their impacts via extremely harsh weather events, flooding, declining fish catch, water scarcity, declining agricultural harvests, exacerbating health issues, extinction of animal and plant species, displacement of people, and even the demise of low-lying areas, among others. Last April 22, 175 countries, including the Philippines, formally signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Agreement was the result of the climate negotiations in Paris culminating last December. 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. But while nations await the Agreement's entry into force, governments must already start the work to implement their respective Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and to meet the goal of the Paris Agreement. The main aim of the Paris Agreement is to limit global temperature rise within the century "well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels." Vulnerable nations, especially the member states of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), fought for the inclusion of the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit in the Paris Agreement. We must not go higher than that because the additional 0.5 degrees Celsius could spell the difference between survival and extinction. Global warming has already breached the 1C level with unprecedented warming in the past months. We have already borne countless tragedies and losses from recurring impacts of extreme weather events under a 1C global warming. How much more with higher temperatures? The World Bank projects that under a 2C scenario, there will be a 20% decline in water availability for many regions and 15-20% decrease in crop yield. Moreover, with warming of up to 2C, sea-level rise is projected to be around 70 centimeters. Sea level rise, floods that damage fish farms, and the increased acidification of the oceans by 2050 could reduce farmed fish yield by 90%. The IPCC revealed that a 1.5 to 2.5 degrees Celsius increase in global mean temperatures from pre-industrial levels threatens extinction of 20-30 percent of all species.[3] The half a degree difference between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius matters. The 1.5C is not a mere aspirational goal. It is the minimum deliverable. It is non-negotiable. It is a matter of survival. Even the success of attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is at risk if we do not limit warming to 1.5C. Moreover, the mobilization of the US$100 Billion Fund under the Paris Agreement is necessary to support vulnerable nations who happen to be low-emitting, developing economies. But additional funding in the form of independent official development assistance (ODA) commitments is also vital. Finally, there should be 50:50 balance in international climate finance between adaptation and mitigation. Funding should not only be on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Equal financial support must also be available to help those on the frontline that are feeling the brunt of climate change impacts. Here in our country, we actually have numerous laws and policies that are focused on addressing environmental, climate change and disaster resilience issues. Among these are the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, Renewable Energy Act, Environmental Awareness and Education Act, Climate Change Act, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, and the People's Survival Fund Law. Laws, however, are just part of the equation, and their implementation through good governance could spell a big difference. Solutions for climate and resource risks entail investing in water supply, sanitation, flood control, transport, roads, social and health services, and energy infrastructure that build resilience to climate variability. Moreover, promoting sustainable growth is not the duty of the government alone. It is everyone's responsibility. It is thus important to put communities at the heart of relevant programs and policies and gather collective action that is rooted in a sense of solidarity and shared responsibility. The private sector is encouraged to promote green policies and put resilience at the core of their business strategies. Morgan Stanley has started treading on the sustainable investments path. From being a traditional investment banking group, it created its Global Sustainable Finance Group about seven years ago, in response to emerging markets and covering areas that supported sustainable living generally but as diverse as clean energy, green bonds, or even affordable housing. Investing with Impact Product Platform was launched as a major product under the group, aiming at guiding businesses to gain financial returns while supporting positive environmental and social impact. In Nigeria, for instance, Morgan Stanley supported a can manufacturing business that used to import empty cans from Canada and filled the contents of the cans in their Nigeria factory. Now that the company is able to manufacture its own cans, they produce less carbon emissions and create more quality jobs. Here in the Philippines, investments in sophisticated sustainable energy technologies augur well in reducing harmful emissions, protecting health and the environment, and sustaining economic growth. Businesses must also have proper business continuity planning to save themselves from disaster effects. Through this, they not only improve resilience and reduce their reliance on government for recovery, but more importantly, they also become available to assist the public sector in recovering from disasters. Climate resilience and sustainability are intertwined with the growth of the world's economy. If the world becomes an inhospitable place for living things, the concept of economy will disintegrate and we will be left in a pit where it will be a struggle to survive. Ultimately, it makes good business sense, good economic sense, good environment sense to mitigate and build resilience. As I conclude my speech, I wish to impart this message: We all live in one Earth. Climate change is now in our midst and it imparts to us the lesson that we do not own the planet. We are mere dwellers and stewards of its resources. Each of us has opportunities to make a difference for our future. We must take hold of the opportunity to responsibly manage our environment and build a sustainable, resilient and healthy nation. Thank you. ________________________________________ [1] Climate Vulnerability Monitor, 2nd Edition, DARA, 2012 [2] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/ [3] IPCC 4th Assessment Report (AR4)
CHIZ SUPPORTS TRUTH COVENANT FOR ELECTIONS

As an advocate of a clean campaign and an honest and credible electoral process, Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero threw his full support behind the church-led covenant for Truthful, Responsible, Upright, Transparent and Honest (TRUTH) elections.

Escudero signed the covenant, which was initiated by the Archdiocese of Manila, at the Radyo Veritas chapel in Quezon City on Wednesday afternoon, just hours after his presidential running mate Sen. Grace made the same commitment to protect the sanctity of the democratic process.

A conflict in his schedule prevented Escudero from attending the launch of the TRUTH covenant on May 2 at the Manila Cathedral.

The independent vice-presidential said it is important for the country to have a clean campaign and a credible electoral process to ensure unity among Filipinos after a divisive election season.

Escudero said with the country leaning towards having a minority president and vice president based on pre-election surveys, the biggest challenge for the country's next leaders will be to unite Filipinos after the May 9 elections.

"We mounted a clean campaign because we know that negative campaigning will only lead to disunity among our countrymen," Escudero said.

"The biggest challenge for our next leaders will be to unite the country after the heated electoral process. So it is important for Filipinos to rally behind the poll winners whoever they will be," he added.

Despite being the constant target of black propaganda, Poe and Escudero have shunned negative campaigning and instead focused on delivering their message of rapid and inclusive growth, poverty alleviation, good governance and global competitiveness.
POE SIGNS TRUTH COVENANT FOR ELECTIONS

In line with her commitment to protect the sanctity of the democratic process, Sen. Grace Poe signed the covenant for Truthful, Responsible, Upright, Transparent and Honest (TRUTH) elections initiated by the Archdiocese of Manila.

Poe, the lone independent presidential candidate, took time off her campaign sorties Wednesday morning to go to the Radyo Veritas chapel where she signed the covenant in the presence of Fr. Nolan Que and Fr. Nono Alfonso, SJ.

"Importante talagang magkaroon ng mapayapang halalan, na makatotohan. Ako'y nagpapasalamat sa simbahan at sa ating mga kababayan na nagtutulak ng ganitong maayos na eleksyon kasi ito ang magdedetermina kung ano'ng kinabukasan natin sa anim na taon. Kung pipigilan 'yung kagustuhan ng ating mga kababayan, e di balewala itong exercise na ito," Poe said in an interview with media after her visit to the Radyo Veritas office in Quezon City

The senator was in Nueva Ecija for a campaign sortie when the TRUTH covenant was launched on May 2, for signing of all national candidates. Scheduling problems had hindered Poe from attending the Mass at the Manila Cathedral.

"It is not enough to seek blessing without responsibility... If voters need to study [their candidates], candidates must also study... the needs of the people who trust them and this already transcends party politics in the interest of the common good," Manila Archbishop Luis Cardinal Tagle said during his homily on May 2.

Poe was recently chosen by majority of the 1,200 respondents in the Veritas Truth Survey, which sought to assess Filipinos' perception of all five presidential candidates' servant leadership qualities.

The Catholic Church-run Radio Veritas 846 asked respondents to rank the candidates based on 10 qualities of a servant leader: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of the people, and building community.

Poe landed on the top spot in 9 out of 10 qualities of a servant leader, with an over-all percentage of 59 percent.
Press Release

May 4, 2016 Presidentiables told: Order volunteers to help in post-May 9 school cleanup Presidential candidates should order their army of volunteers and precinct watchers to stay in schools beyond May 9 to join the cleanup that will rid them of posters and campaign materials and spruce them up in time for the school opening in June. Senator Ralph Recto said schools are expected to be "wallpapered" with printed paraphernalia next Monday when more than 54 million registered voters troop there to cast their ballots for new officials from the president down to town councilors. "Sanitation-wise, schools will be collateral damage of the elections," Recto said. "And the hard work of cleaning them should not be left to teachers alone. Candidates and political parties must join." The post-election clean-up, he stressed, will be easier if presidential candidates, their candidates for other positions, and all political parties will direct their supporters to participate. "Basta ako I will order my supporters to take down all posters, which by the way are few as compared to others, and to help in the cleanup," he said. "Pag sinabi nating clean elections, dapat iwanang malinis ang mga paaralan," he said. Recto said the sooner public schools will be rid of the "traces of the elections," the sooner they can be readied for June 13, the date Department of Education (DepEd) has set as when 46,847 public schools will open their doors to 21 million Kindergarten to Grade 11 students. Recto said teachers "- who serve as electoral workhorses - " will be tired from dawn-to-midnight duty of supervising the voting "so they would need all the help they can get in tidying up the litter of election day." The senator was referring to the May 9 prolonged voting hours of 6 am to 5pm, with teachers required to be at their stations not later than 5 am. As a result of their minimum 15-hour duty, Recto had already called on the government to increase by P1,000 the honorarium of teachers serving in the Board of Election Inspectors. At least 233,487 public school teachers will be mobilized to man the 92,509 clustered precincts, almost all of which will be in public schools. Recto said there is a" narrow window from voting to class opening when school preparation activities can be done," including construction of new classrooms, delivery of books and chairs, and orientation of new teachers. According to Recto, Congress has given DepEd P61.8 billion to build 43,000 classrooms, P13.5 billion to hire 62,320 teachers, and P4.18 billion to buy 103.2 million textbooks this year. Our schools also have to grapple with shortfalls in other facilities, he said. By Recto's count, 13,749 schools have no clean water supply while 7,403 are not connected to any power grid. "So after May 9, beehive dapat ito ng construction," he said.
Press Release

May 4, 2016 Villar: PH should also aim for milk self-sufficiency Sen. Cynthia Villar said achieving self-sufficiency in milk should also be a priority in the agriculture sector because of its potential to increase farmers' income and to address malnutrition in the countryside. "Boosting milk production is a good start. Hindi pa natin ma-achieve ang rice self-sufficiency, sana naman ay ma-achieve natin na maging self-sufficient sa milk," Villar said. "We have a lot of untapped potential in the dairy industry and if we focus on this, the industry will be able to contribute more to the economy," Villar added. Villar, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, was guest speaker during the National Dairy Authority's 19th Dairy Congress and Expo in Dumaguete City recently. "Until now, we still rely largely on imported milk. Kaya naman marami sa ating mga kababayan ang hindi makainom kasi mahal ang imported milk. Isa iyan sa mga reasons kung bakit talamak pa rin ang malnutrition, lalo na sa mga mahihirap na mga komunidad," she added. Villar noted that milk production is very low as it is only a mere one per cent of the demand for milk. "We should keep on looking at programs that will help improve our dismal milk production. Other industry players can follow the lead of the Philippine Carabao Center and look for foreign grants that will fund the construction of modern facilities and acquisition of relevant equipment to hasten production efficiency," she said. She also stressed the need for the dairy industry to "level up, especially now that regional economic cooperation under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) has started last year already." Villar also suggested to dairy cooperatives to host milk-feeding programs in schools in their communities and aim for one cooperative for each of the 1,600 municipalities to provide livelihood to farmers and at the same time address malnutrition among our school children in the countryside. Villar, an advocate of livelihood generation and job creation, was particularly interested in the progress of small milk producing sector composed of smallholder producers, which continue to grow significantly. She also cited the Philippine Carabao Center for its commitment to support the growth and development of smallholder farming communities as well as farming families in the area of knowledge sharing, technical services, post-harvest support, product development, marketing, among others. It helps small scale dairy farmers by giving them an opportunity to access commercial market and increase their income.
Statement of Senate President and re-electionist Senator Franklin M. Drilon on the endorsement of the Iglesia Ni Cristo

"I am grateful, honored, and humbled by the support and endorsement of the Iglesia Ni Cristo led by Ka Eduardo Manalo."

"The INC's endorsement and the Filipino people's support - as shown in various surveys - is an affirmation of the kind of service and leadership I have rendered in my past three terms as a Senator."

"Thank you for always believing in me and in my capacity to effect positive changes in our country."
BLUE RIBBON LAID FIRST STONE TO FUND RECOVERY - GUINGONA

"THE COMPLETION of the promised P450 million is part of our country's contribution to Bangladesh's continuous bid to recover the $81 million stolen from their funds. The Senate Blue Ribbon's work is paying off."

Thus stated Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman and reelectionist Senator Teofisto "TG" Guingona III on Thursday, following Kim Wong's turnover of P250 million to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). The cash fulfills the junket operator's commitment during the committee hearings to return a total of P450 million, among other amount that Wong has handed over for safekeeping.

Wong's legal counsel oversaw the delivery of the money to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Wednesday, one day before the 30-day deadline that Wong personally vowed before the Blue Ribbon panel.

"I told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that I would return P450 million within one month," Wong's statement was quoted.

On April 19, Wong delivered the first P200 million of the P450 million to AMLC for safekeeping.

"Bangladesh's central bank chief is set to meet with the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York next week, reportedly to seek the recovery of the stolen funds. I think our hearings have laid the first stone to that path," Guingona stated.

In the next hearing, re-scheduled on May 17, Tuesday, Guingona's committee expects to have the phone records of Wong, Maia Deguito, and PhilRem's Bautista couple to finally clarify who called whom during the deliveries of laundered stolen funds. PhilRem's accountant, who has remained incognito until the last hearing was suspended, is also expected to appear.
US President Barack Obama delivers a speech during his visit to Hanover, Germany April 25, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Who should make the rules of trade for the Asia-Pacific, or indeed the entire world?

US President Barack Obama said on Monday in a written piece published in The Washington Post, "America should write the rules. America should call the shots."

He said that the rules of trade in the Asia-Pacific must be written by the United States, not China. He also criticized the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership which China is negotiating with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and some other Asian countries as not following "American interests" the way the Trans-Pacific Partnership does.

Should all the trade deals involving any country follow the US' interests in this increasingly globalized world? Obviously Obama believes they should, and further, any trade deal should be operating in favor of the US' interests.

This belief is based on the US' deep-rooted mentality of economic hegemony, which is totally contrary to the reality of today's world, at least in terms of economic development.

It is a pity that the US president chose to ignore the interests of all other people on Earth.

It is all but impossible for a single country to write the rules of trade for the development of a region or the world just to feather its own nest without ever taking into consideration the interests of its trade partners.

China has never pursued such a scenario and is strongly against such economic hegemony.

Instead, China, at which Obama pointed his finger, believes that the core principle for economic cooperation with other countries is for all parties involved to benefit on an equal basis.

The balanced and sustainable development of the global economy depends on a more equal and fair world economic order, which requires the participation of all major economies in its governance, not just the developed nations.

The G20's transition from a gathering of financial ministers and central bankers to that of the leaders of the world's major economies epitomizes the changes occurring in global economic governance. It also points to the fact that the day is gone when a single country could dominate the world economic order.

True, the US is still the most powerful country in the world. But it is impertinent, even wrong for the US and its leader to assume that the country can still impose its will onto the rest of the world by forcing them into accepting the rules it has made.

The world will not buy such hegemony.
An Uber vehicle is seen in Manhattan on July 20, 2015 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images)

Chinas leading digital payment service Alipay can now be used to hail an Uber car anywhere in the world via its mobile app.



Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Alipay's parent company, said on Tuesday that it has extended its partnership with Uber Technologies Inc. to allow its 450 million Alipay users to use the digital payments app to request and pay for a ride in all 69 countries where Uber operates. The service has already been made available for Alipay users in mainland China since 2014, and in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau since earlier this year.



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Uber did not disclose the financial terms of the partnership, but had acknowledged that Alipay will receive a portion of each transaction it provides, according to The Wall Street Journal.



The tie-up also extends to Alipay's collaboration with Indian e-commerce provider Paytm, enabling Uber to work with two of the biggest countries in the world.



Emil Michael, Uber's senior vice president for business, described the partnership as among the most important ones Uber has ever made. "There are very few partnerships that have the scale," he told reporters.



The deal will help Uber gain a more level playing field with its Chinese rival, Didi Kuaidi, which entered an agreement with Lyft in April that made it easier for its Chinese users to hail a ride in the U.S.



Didi is part of a broader coalition of ride-sharing companies, which includes Lyft and Singapore's GrabTaxi, which are trying to consolidate its apps in an effort to compete better with Uber in markets all over the world.



The market certainly doesn't lack in competition as Alibaba, whose affiliate Ant Financial Services group operates Alipay, is also an investor in Didi Kuaidi and Lyft.



The Alipay app will continue to promote "other partnerships" within China as well as promote Uber outside of the country, Michael said.



The partnership comes as more Chinese travel abroad, of which many do not have credit cards and use mobile payments instead of cash. In 2015, Chinese tourists took more than 120 million trips overseas, according to the China National Tourism Administration, and are expected to reach the 200 million-mark by 2020.



Zhen Liu, Uber China's senior vice president of corporate strategy, said the number of Uber rides taken by Chinese travelers during the Lunar New Year, one of the biggest holidays in China, was 10 times more than the past year.



"We believe we're just getting started," Liu said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. "This partnership is critical to our continued China strategy."



With the update, Alipay customers will now be able to pay for rides in the U.S. and elsewhere in Chinese yuan rather than using a dual-currency credit card, Uber said in a statement.



Uber's partnership with Alipay is a contrast to the ride-hailing giant's relationship with Alibaba rival Tencent Holdings Ltd. The Chinese software giant, which has invested heavily in Didi, has previously blocked Uber from its WeChat messaging app, which has around 700 million users and connects directly to Didi Kuaidi.


BONGBONG MARCOS HOLDS MITING DE AVANCE

IN MANDALUYONG CITY TODAY

After a series of highly successful and warmly received sorties around the country under his Unity Caravan, Vice Presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. will hold today his miting de avance in Mandaluyong City.

From the Nueve de Pebrero St. in Barangay Addition Hills, Bongbong Marcos will hold the final stretch of his Unity Caravan with the residents of Mandaluyong City, other areas of Metro Manila and those coming from the provinces.

Thousands of supporters nationwide of Marcos are expected to congregate at 6 pm in front of the Shaw Central Mall where the leading Vice Presidential candidate will address the crowd with his message of unity and progress.

The event will be hosted by Marcos supporter, Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos.
Beijing introduces ambulances fitted with a meter to ensure that people will not be overcharged. (Photo : Getty Images)

Ambulances now share a common feature with taxicabs: a meter fare machine.



In an aim to arrive at a standard fee for ambulance rides, a regulation taking effect on May 1 imposes ambulances to use a meter device similar to those found in a taxi, reported China Daily.



According to the Beijing Municipal Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision, meters were already fitted in 580 ambulances. Technicians tested these meters for accuracy prior to their installation.



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Now that ambulances are running on a meter, it will now be clear to people how they arrived at a certain fee. For a 3-km ride, the patient will be charged 50 yuan plus 7 yuan for every additional kilometer.



People would still be required to pay 50 yuan if they sent for an ambulance but decided not to use it anymore for whatever reason.



The administration said that Beijing was the first city to act on standardizing ambulance fees.



For Deng Liqiang, a head at the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, although the base fee set by the government is higher compared to a taxis base rate, it is still reasonable, according to China Daily. Deng added that ambulances are not ordinary vehicles.



An ambulance does not only transport a person to a hospital, but it is also equipped with medical apparatuses that are used to stabilize or improve the persons present condition during the entire trip.



Many people often complain of getting overcharged by ambulances.



For an 80-km ride in February, one woman from Shandong Province paid 3,600 yuan (some $550), according to BBC. The news site noted that the average Beijing employees receive half of that sum as their monthly salary.



In other countries, the same thing can be happening. In America, Joanne Freedman paid $900 for an ambulance ride that only covered two blocks, reported The New York Times.



Beijing residents can, at least, be assured now of a standard pricing scheme for ambulance fees.


Theres political theater and there are political tactics. The Mission Police Station hunger strike demonstrators, who are protesting the citys response to fatal police shootings, have the first part down cold. Its the tactics where they need help.

Tuesdays march on City Hall was exhibit A. The five hunger strikers  who call themselves the Frisco Five despite the citys aversion to the Frisco nickname  had the attention of the media. They were accompanied by a large and vocal group of marchers and photo-op-friendly medical personnel in white coats, pushing them in wheelchairs.

And then they got to City Hall and it all went to hell.

For starters, Ed Lee pulled the old disappearing-mayor trick and wasnt in his office. The protesters stormed up there and had no one to yell at. One of them suggested that they call Lee and demand that he return to meet with them.

Seriously? Do you think it was a coincidence that Lee wasnt there? By meeting with merchants in the Bayview, the mayor avoided a no-win confrontation at City Hall and reminded everyone that he had traveled to Mission Station on Monday and offered to meet with the protesters and had been stonewalled.

Even Supervisor John Avalos, as progressive a voice as there is in San Francisco, wondered why the demonstrators had given Lee an out that day.

I just think if the mayor comes to visit, then why not? Avalos said Tuesday. What do you have to lose by talking?

And then things really went downhill. Part of the problem is that the hunger strikers have painted themselves into a corner by declaring the only acceptable outcome is to fire Police Chief Greg Suhr, when even the most progressive officeholders in the city dont see Suhr as the problem.

But why take my word for it? When protesters stormed the Board of Supervisors meeting, they got into a heated argument with  wait for it  extremely progressive Supervisor David Campos. Over jeers from the crowd, he told them that their demand was simplistic.

The idea that you fire Chief Suhr and that solves things, Im sorry, thats not what I believe, Campos said. We need to change the entire system. Its not just who the chief of police is. It is about how this (Police) Department sees itself.

(Of course, being San Francisco, theres always a local political angle. Campos was arguing with hunger striker Edwin Lindo, who is running for the termed-out supervisors seat against Campos chief of staff, Hillary Ronen.)

So, to review, the protesters were outflanked by the mayor and alienated two politicians who would figure to be their allies. Explain again how this is advancing their cause?

Now, there are those who think this is the way things have be done. Eric Jaye is as thoughtful a progressive political consultant as there is in the city, and he is not disturbed by the hunger strikers tactics in the slightest.

Demonstrators are not there to make politicians happy, Jaye said. They are here to demand action. The language of street theater has to be simple, direct and sometimes harsh. People say they dont like the tone they took. Well, so what? Its not a tea party.

I do agree with Jaye on one point: He says the protesters have made police conduct a city priority.

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.

Theyre winning, he said. Yes, Campos was working on this. Yes, the police were working on it, and yes, the mayor was working on it. But it is safe to say they are working harder on it now.

But this is when the savvy activist leverages momentum to gain more ground. Avalos, for example, has suggested three ways Lee could show progress: Ask the U.S. Justice Department to investigate recent police shootings, make major changes in police use-of-force rules and reach out to the families of those shot by officers.

It wouldnt be hard to see a compromise coming out of a meeting with Lee if the hunger strikers pushed such solutions. Thats how this works. You raise a ruckus, make demands and then get all the concessions you can. It builds your political capital, energizes your supporters and advances your agenda.

Or, you can stay in the street.

C.W. Nevius is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. His columns appear Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Email: cwnevius@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @cwnevius
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Lets just get this straight up front: theres no separating the political and business sides of Koch Industries.

The $115 billion in revenue the private conglomerate in Kansas generates each year anchors the personal fortunes of brothers Charles and David Koch, whose family founded and owns the company. The Koch brothers, as you may have heard, are staunch conservatives whose extensive financial support of candidates and lobbying groups have drawn the wrath of Democrats and liberals.

The brothers are so high profile, said Kathleen Wailes, a senior strategist with public relations firm Levick in Washington, who advises companies on communications and investor relations. I would find it difficult to detach the business from the politics.

Nevertheless, Koch has certainly been trying. The company recently invited me to tour its research and development office in Hayward, where Koch is working on ways to more efficiently coax crops out of the soil.

Soil microbes

Koch inherited the East Bay facility when it bought the biological research and development assets of Mendel Biotechnology in 2014. The small unit is trying to identify exudates, substances produced by microbes found in soil, which can prompt plants to better absorb nutrients like water and sunlight.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

What has been largely ignored is the important role of microbial communities that interact with plants to influence plant health, productivity and biodiversity, according to a paper published in the life sciences journal EMBO Reports.

It wont be easy. The company needs to screen thousands upon thousands of microbes to find the exudates that can produce the desired effects on plants.

Its a numbers game, said director of agronomy John Kruse. Its like trying to find a needle in a haystack. But there is tremendous potential.

The goal is to have farmers spray these substances on crops, reducing the need for fertilizer. But more importantly, the technology offers perhaps a more attractive alternative to genetically modified organisms, championed by industry giant Monsanto.

Genetic codes

With GMOs, scientists alter the genetic codes of corn and soybeans so they can produce more crops or withstand drought, insects and insecticides. But the technology has drawn plenty of controversy from critics who fear that manipulating the DNA of plants can harm humans or the broader environment.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

Theoretically, there is no such worry with Kochs technology, since microbes already naturally produce exudates that influence crops. The technology would face less regulatory scrutiny and thus reach the market faster, Kruse said.

Its a very good story, one of those areas society seems to favor, he said.

Sounds pretty promising. But the Koch brothers political activities makes such work seem somewhat ironic, even cynical. For example, the brothers have spent millions of dollars backing efforts to dispute climate change and block efforts to regulate greenhouse gases.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Yet the work being done in Hayward can help farmers mitigate the very effects of climate change, such as drought and shifting weather patterns.

Furthermore, Koch executives praised the strong research expertise of the Bay Area  specifically citing UC Berkeley  which has allowed the Hayward facility to thrive. But in denying climate change, the Koch brothers oppose a consensus held by most of the worlds scientists, including those at Berkeley.

Wailes questions the strategy behind Kochs public relations effort. If Koch were a publicly traded company, executives would want people to focus on the business instead of the politics, she said.

But Koch is private.

I wonder why they are trying to soften their image, Wailes said. Are they finding their business is softening because of the political fallout?

I really doubt Koch is hurting. But like everything else about this company and its enigmatic leaders, who really knows?

Thomas Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. E-mail: tlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByTomLee
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When it comes to civil rights, Apple can learn a thing or two from the Koch brothers.

Thats right. The Silicon Valley giant, led by Tim Cook, the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company, should emulate Koch Industries in Kansas, run by conservative brothers Charles and David Koch, who consistently attract the vitriol of Democrats and liberals across the country.

Just weeks after Apple said it will no longer automatically bar workers with felony convictions from working construction jobs at its new headquarters in Cupertino, Koch Industries went one step further.

The industrial conglomerate, one of the nations largest employers, said it would remove the section from all Koch employment forms requiring job applicants to disclose their criminal histories.

Kochs move is the biggest victory yet in the burgeoning Ban the Box movement, which argues that ex-convicts deserve a chance to score a job and that disclosing criminal histories unfairly excludes them from the get-go.

Since black and Hispanic men make up a disproportionate number of people convicted of crimes in the United States, groups like the National Employment Law Project see these application requirements as de facto cases of discrimination.

Ensuring work opportunity for the record numbers of Americans who are unfairly shut out of employment due to an arrest or conviction record is one of the major civil rights and economic challenges of our time, said Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project.

In many ways, Ban the Box is merely symbolic. Companies may eventually conduct criminal background checks before hiring someone. Even then, employers should consider other factors about the candidate, according to guidance issued by Jones Day, one of the countrys top law firms.

When making employment decisions based on an arrest or conviction ... employers should evaluate the candidates criminal record in light of the nature and gravity of the offense, the time that has passed since the offense was committed, and nature of the job sought, the firm said.

For example, government and businesses can continue to exclude people convicted of certain crimes from certain positions: a pedophile, for instance, wont get a job at child care center. But smoking weed in college should not automatically rule out a person who wants to be a police officer.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

In addition, 16 states and 100 cities and counties, including California and San Francisco, have adopted Ban the Box policies for public jobs, according to the National Employment Law Project. And six states, 11 cities and the District of Columbia also require private employers to follow suit.

With more than $115 billion in annual revenue and 60,000 employees, Koch Industries decision is a big deal. Until now, the big American corporations that moved to Ban the Box have been retailers  Walmart, Target and Home Depot. With its far-flung business operations, Koch can offer ex-convicts more opportunities and better-paying positions than cashier spots at the local big-box store.

Thats why Apple needs to do the same thing. Rather than simply reversing its policy barring felons from work, it should join other companies in making sure that no single job seeker must disclose criminal history on a job application.

As a tech giant that also happens to be the worlds most valuable company, Apple could set a powerful example that even tech, perhaps the least-diverse industry in the United States, is open to qualified black and Hispanic men looking for a second chance at life.

Thomas Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. E-mail: tlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @bytomlee
Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office

A 54-year-old Bay Area man who volunteered for a local churchs youth group was arraigned Wednesday on 30 charges of child molestation and possession of child pornography, officials said.

All of the charges pertain to one victim, a man now in his late 20s, who recently came forward with allegations that he was sexually abused and shown child pornography between the ages of 5 and 12 by the defendant, Gregory Helfrich, of Los Altos Hills. The victim is a relative of Helfrich, authorities said.
Three months ago, Giants general manager Bobby Evans told me it would be very difficult to see Tim Lincecum pitch for someone else. The man, after all, means so much in Giants history. And happens to be one of the most popular players ever to work in the Bay Area.

However, Evans said, the Giants were in a bind because they were set in their starting rotation.

Fast forward to this week. Lincecum will, at long last, hold his showcase in Arizona on Friday. Most teams in the major leagues, including the Giants, will be there to evaluate the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

Meanwhile, the back end of the Giants rotation doesnt exactly look set. It looks more like a tire fire.

This week, Evans reiterated that the Giants see Lincecum in a relief role. Chris Heston, who was supposed to take the long-relief role, didnt adapt and is now with Triple-A Sacramento.

It might be time for the Giants to re-evaluate their stance.

On Wednesday in Cincinnati, Jake Peavy gave up seven runs, six of which resulted from four homers. He ate up six innings but the damage was done. Thats the follow-up to his horrible New York outing in which he did not make it out of the third, giving up five walks and six runs to the Mets.

Matt Cain hasnt been much better. Hes 0-3 with a 7.00 ERA, the Giants have lost the past four games he has pitched, and the onetime rotation horse hasnt lasted longer than six innings.

Its still early, but Cain and Peavy are crushing the Giants bullpen. How long can Bruce Bochy stick with them without incurring severe damage to the rest of his staff? The top three starters have been solid, but the Giants need a full rotation.

The Giants have to seriously consider what Lincecum could give them. The public pressure is already there. The prevailing public sentiment: Lincecum couldnt be any worse. And maybe he could be better.

The Giants clearly made the right decision cutting loose third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who is a bust in Boston. They might not get so lucky if they pass on Lincecum.

Ann Killion is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: akillion@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annkillion
College campuses across the country were simmering. The Kent State shootings lit them afire.

The Chronicles front page from May 5, 1970, covers the massacre at the Ohio college that further rallied opposition against the Vietnam War.

Four students were shot to death on the Kent State University campus yesterday when National Guardsmen, claiming they were attacked by a sniper, fired on a group of young persons demonstrating against the extension of the Indochina war, the United Press story on The Chronicles front page read. At least 11 other students were wounded in the brief volley of gunfire which cracked along the tree-lined campus shortly before noon.

Anger over the war had risen since the reporting of the My Lai Massacre six months earlier, and violent protests sprung up at colleges across the country in the immediate aftermath of the Kent State shootings.

Tensions were high at the Bay Areas top campuses, as well.

Flurries of nighttime violence followed the overturning and burning of a U.S. Army truck by anti-war demonstrators on the Berkeley campus of the University of California yesterday, a Chronicle front-page story read. Some 200 demonstrators broke windows and started fires between 9 and 10 oclock last night.

Farther south, a student strike was in effect.

Stanford University remained virtually closed yesterday as faculty and students raged against President Nixon for the widening war in Southeast Asia, another front-page story read. Not even the administration could estimate how many of Stanfords 11,000 students and 1,000 faculty members were heeding appeals to shut the university down.

Seven thousand miles away across the Pacific Ocean, U.S. bombing raids remained in full force.

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 project that highlights 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)




80 percent of the Feb. 2015 graduating class of the TransPac Aviation Academy in Arizona, U.S.A., was Chinese, according to Air & Space/Smithsonian. (Photo : Getty Images)

Many pilots have found themselves embroiled in lawsuits as their resignation triggered employers to sue them for breach of contract, reported the Global Times.



Take the case of an unnamed 32-year-old pilot from China Eastern Airlines who resigned in Jan. 2015.



CEA hired the said pilot in 2013. The contract he signed required him to work for the said airline company for eight years.



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For not honoring the clause stipulated in the contract, CEA wants him to pay the company a staggering 5 million yuan.



In Aug. 2015, the pilot lost the case, but after a month he approached the court to appeal his case. According to the report, there are no announcements released yet regarding the decision of the court.



CEA likewise sued three other pilots for similar case.



According to analysts, pilots are hindered from exploring other career opportunities because of binding work contracts. Accompanying huge penalties further prevent them from resigning way before their contracts expire.



Zhang Qihuai, an aviation law expert at the Beijing Law Society, told the Global Times that the work tenure demanded in a contract should not remove the right of workers to resign.



This matter comes at a time when, according to experts, China needs a large number of pilots.



Theres a huge market in China right now for aviation, said David Hsu, the vice president of the California-based Pegasus International Resources, a partner and representative of major Chinese European and U.S. airlines, reported Air & Space/Smithsonian magazine in Aug. 2015.



The magazine said that Boeing predicted that China will fall short of 77,400 commercial pilots within 20 years.



Fabrice Bregier, president and chief executive officer of Airbus, the civil aircraft manufacturer from France, said that in the next 20 years, Asia needs 200,000 pilots, according to South China Morning Post.



There is a shortage of good, trained pilots, said Bregier.


Heres a depressing statistic: 68 percent of Americans believe big government and big business work together against the rest of us.

Heres something even sadder: It appears theyre right.

I say that as a business owner who has seen collusion between politicians and my fellow business leaders. The explosion in the size and scope of government  driven by both parties and from Washington down to the smallest city council  has led to a similar explosion in corporate welfare and special-interest handouts.

There are far too many examples to count. They include subsidies, tax credits, mandates, favorable loans and regulations, and more.

The Cato Institute estimates that business subsidies cost taxpayers at least $100 billion every year. The New York Times estimates that state and local subsidies add $80 billion. Federal tax carve-outs increase the price tag by yet another $100 billion, according to the Tax Foundation.

This money is taken directly from the peoples pockets  where it rightly belongs  and is divvied up by bureaucrats and politicians who think they can make better decisions than the rest of us.

Even worse, corporate welfare corrupts the role of business. In a free and fair economy, entrepreneurs only benefit by benefiting others. Our only goal is to create products and services that make peoples lives better. This concept drives economic growth, increases the standard of living, and creates new opportunities for countless people. Simply look at the Bay Areas tech scene for proof.

Yet corporate welfare distorts this process. It turns a business attention away from innovation and toward getting the most favors from government. Lobbyists thrive. The rest of society suffers.

Corporate welfare tilts the playing field against the innovative startups that challenge the status quo  see Ubers fights with state and local regulators, who are often beholden to taxi cartels. It encourages businesses to devote resources to projects that arent a good economic investment  see Warren Buffetts admission that wind turbines dont make sense without tax credits. And it builds barriers that protect the biggest businesses  see Goldman Sachs CEOs recent statement that banking regulations have raised the barriers to entry higher than at any other time in modern history.

Corporate welfare is so ingrained in the economy that people who oppose it must sometimes participate in it to stay in business. The hairdresser who must seek an occupational license from the state of California neither needs nor wants it, but thanks to the special interests that made it mandatory, he or she has little choice but to obtain one.

Fortunately, a growing group wants to confront this. Earlier this month, more than 400 entrepreneurs, myself included, joined Charles and David Koch at the Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce membership meeting in California. Charles Koch explicitly criticized corporate welfare for creating a two-tiered society, in which only the wealthy and the well-connected can succeed.

His company is leading by example. The Kochs actively oppose all government-sponsored favoritism  even what benefits them.

More companies should follow their lead. My business has declined offers of government financial support. For example, I purchased a farm that was eligible for federal farm subsidies. I urged the seller to burn the certificates rather than participate in the theft of others hard-earned money.

We need more entrepreneurs, in every industry, to step up in this fight for fairness. Our job is to improve peoples lives, not enrich ourselves at others expense.

Chris Rufer is founder of the Morning Star Co. in Woodland (Yolo County).
From her perch at the front of the room, Helen Pickett is conducting the rehearsal of her new commission for Smuin Ballet, Oasis, with a matter-of-fact enthusiasm and humor, while a small audience watches this first run-through of the piece, which debuts during the companys spring season.

Its hard to know where to look first as Smuin Ballet dancers course across the floor with fearless speed and fluidity, riding lush waves of music. But Picketts eyes are focused, and her energy and enthusiasm are contagious, even in her smallest reactions to what shes seeing.

For their part, the dancers cant contain their exhilaration as they barrel through Oasis. Rather than counting the music as many ballet dancers do, Picketts cast relies on a kind of alert gestalt among themselves to time split-second partnering and blistering fusillades of steps.

Throughout the performance, composer Jeff Beal also watches intently, laughing at a quirky canon that seven women execute to his musical plip-plops. He leans back and seems to relish the sensual sauciness of a sweeping waltz.

Usually its very hard for me to listen to my own music, he admits, but when Im watching the dance, its different. Theres something about seeing the synergy of the movement with the music that enables me to enjoy it in a way that I rarely can. I know my music so well, and its rare that I get a chance to hear it with an objective point of view and turn off my inner critic.

Its also the power of collaboration, he adds. When the music finds the right partner, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

This is the first collaboration between Pickett, a prolific and widely respected ballet choreographer who danced for 10 years with William Forsythes company in Europe, and Beal, a jazz instrumentalist and composer who has won three Emmy Awards, including one for his work on the TV series Monk and another for his haunting, gritty theme for the Netflix drama House of Cards.

The one thing about Helen is that once you start talking to her, you start working, says Beal, with a grin. Also, the other thing is that she likes to use film scores, which I love. That is one of these places where so much new music is being created, music that tells a story and has some sort of an emotional thread to it.

Although Picketts ballet output is wide-ranging  including four for Atlanta Ballet, where she is resident choreographer  she has found working with living composers especially fulfilling, she says. So when Beals agent contacted her with a proposal, she jumped at the opportunity.

Although Ive made works that are pure dance, there is always this relationship that I first make with the music. I see how it feels on me, cerebrally and physically, she says.

Pickett listened to as many of Beals varied compositions as she could find, but found herself compelled by a documentary by Jessica Yu titled Last Call at the Oasis that Beal scored.

Its a heartbreaking film, and I started thinking water was a good theme, she says. The opening sequence is this dance of water that is just beautiful.

Still, while the documentary warned of the dangers of mismanaging our water resources, Pickett wanted to come at the idea from a different perspective.

I wanted to say lets celebrate this thing, she says. I was in Northern Thailand on vacation, and we were driving through these really dense, pregnant, lush mountains. It dawned on me that nature never tries. It is what it is  brilliant and spectacular and suffering and all the things, and that comes from the vital energy of water. This piece is a celebration with an open hand gesture at the end. People should go feeling joyful and hopeful, like this resource is ours to protect.

Pickett and Beal bounced ideas back and forth through Skype, phone calls and in-person meetings. Though the film score was a jumping-off point for the ballet, Beal says he has only repurposed two themes from the first work. The rest, he says is original.

I love art that invites you to make your own story and to engage it, he says. That is what I feel like we have made with this piece. You have enough going in, especially when you see that it is presented with the design and everything. You are going to know what you are going into in terms of this subject matter. But it is not going to tell you exactly what the story is  you are invited to observe and see how it is told.

Mary Ellen Hunt is a freelance writer in San Francisco.

Smuin Ballet: Helen Picketts Oasis, Jiri Kylians Return to a Strange Land and Val Caniparolis Tutto Eccetto il Lavandino. Friday, May 6, through May 15. $24-$67. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard St., S.F. May 27-28. $51-$68. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive at Locust, Walnut Creek. June 3-4. $51-$68. San Mateo Performing Arts Center, 600 N. Delaware, San Mateo. June 10-11. $52-$68. Sunset Center, San Carlos St. at Ninth Ave., Carmel. (415) 912-1899. http://smuinballet.org
Beijing Homelink Real Estate Service, located in Chaoyang, offers its 6,000 stores to serve as guardian stations for kids who went missing. (Photo : Getty Images)

Beijing Homelink Real Estate Service, also called Lianjia, offers help to missing children by asking them to go to any Lianjia outlet, reported the Global Times.



The company said that its 6,000 branches will serve as a guardian station beginning May 25, the celebration of the International Missing Childrens Day.



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Lianjia also said that it collaborates with Chinas Child Safety Emergency Response, an online platform that helps lost kids.



One employee told the Global Times that they will undergo training and will be the one to notify the police for every missing child that will go to their shop.



Other employees said that their agents, given the nature of their job, are familiar with the neighborhood, so they can also be of help when it comes to locating the families of these missing children.



The companys shops are open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.



Public response both praises and castigates the company.



For those who see the brighter side of things, one said that police needs help from business entities because they cannot handle all cases of missing kids.



Tong Xiaojun, a dean at China Youth University for Political Sciences, said that Lianjias plan is praiseworthy as it observes its social responsibility.



On the contrary, several police officers themselves repel the idea regarding these guardian stations.



The police force in Chongqing Municipality and Jiangsu Province agree that missing children should better stay where they are until their parents find them or approach a police officer for help.



Wang Hongwei, an associate professor at the Renmin University of China, noted that majority of Lianjias shops are located in major cities and most cases of missing children took place in small cities.



Tencent Charity and Zhongshe Social Work Development Foundation launched Chinas Child Safety Emergency Response in Nov. 2015, which was already initiated in May of that year, according to China Development Brief. CCSER went online during the launch.



Zhang Yongjiang, the secretary-general of CCSER, told the China Internet Information Center that Lianjia will also cooperate with other companies on its endeavor to help missing children.


Brandon Jew, owner of Mister Jius in Chinatown, took a break from training staff before his restaurants grand opening to contemplate the view from the second-floor dining room.

Peering down Clay Street, he pointed out, you could see the Ferry Building clock tower between the Financial District skyscrapers. Closer by, strings of curing bacon hung from the apartment balcony across the street. The arrival of sunset would fill the room with molten light, he said, and after it faded, the strings of red lanterns suspended above Grant Avenue would begin to glow.

Its a view of the neighborhood that many San Franciscans have never seen. Before he took over the space, Jew was one of them. Now, more than opening a restaurant, Jews goal is to connect the communitys rich past to modern San Francisco. And for him, food is the currency.

My inspiration for this place, Jew said, is getting people back to Chinatown.

Mister Jius opening this weekend is one of the most anticipated of 2016. Its one of the first restaurants in San Francisco to portray Cantonese food through the lens of contemporary California cuisine. Its also the first high-profile restaurant to open in Chinatown in decades, and  at four stories and 10,000 square feet  the most ambitious.

Tane Chan, owner of the 44-year-old Wok Shop across the street, called Mister Jius a much needed face-lift for Chinatown. Its going to be more vibrant, she said. Its going to bring a lot more Millennials and the younger generation, and a diverse crowd, for sure.

Gabrielle Lurie/Special to The Chronicle

Chinatown is no longer the culinary destination it once was, neither for Chinese Americans nor non-Chinese. After 6 p.m. these days, Grant Avenue can feel almost forlorn. The number of restaurants where family associations, new parents and newlyweds could hold parties has steadily dwindled as restaurateurs have followed the middle class to the Avenues and the South Bay.

Mister Jius is moving into one of the most prominent of those banquet spaces, and after years of construction delays and press hype, the pressure has been mounting on Jew to get this right. The neighborhood is watching closely, too. Four or five residents stop by the restaurant every day to poke around and see what hes doing.

The building first housed Hang Far Low, constructed in the 1880s, which for decades was Chinatowns finest restaurant. In 1960, at the height of Chinatowns glamour, a quintet of Chinese American investors poured a quarter-million dollars into the interior and reopened it as the Four Seas.

Through the 1950s and 1960s, restaurants like Johnny Kans, the Empress of China and the Cathay House lured Hollywood celebrities and San Francisco society. The Four Seas third-floor banquet room seated 500, and almost everyone connected to the citys Chinese American community can recall attending a wedding or red egg and ginger party there.

By 2013, Betty Louie, the buildings owner, recognized the end of the Four Seas lease as an opportunity.

Gabrielle Lurie/Special to The Chronicle

I thought, nows my chance to do something for the rest of Chinatown, she said. One of the ways I could do it was through food. I knew the existing restaurants werent so great. We needed some really big change to see a difference.

Louie began casting around for the right chef to take over the 10,000-square-foot space just as Jew began looking for one. Jew, who grew up in the Richmond District, cooked in Italy as well as at Zuni and Quince before landing the chefs job at Bar Agricole, where Chronicle critic Michael Bauer awarded him three stars. Even as he was putting out dishes like rabbit sausage with corn and chanterelles, the chef was nurturing a desire to work with Chinese cuisine.

Jew was itching to join the young chefs at restaurants like Fung Tu in New York and Fat Choy in Las Vegas who have been re-envisioning the Chinese food they grew up with through the lens of contemporary American cuisine: Were trying to stick to food that is nostalgic to us and our family, Jew said, then use our training to bridge the gap between how we can make the food contemporary but still resonate with people so they know where this dish came from.

My familys Cantonese food is really cleansing and pure, but people dont have that association with Chinese food, Jew continued. Im trying to have people see it differently.

Louie and Jew immediately clicked. Yet it took the chef almost three more years to line up investors and renovate a 110-year-old building that needed serious work to bring it up to code. He and his architects moved the entrance from 731 Grant Ave. to 28 Waverly Place, opened up the kitchen in the second-floor dining room and exposed that marvelous view. The Four Seas gold lotus chandeliers and filigree lights continue to ornament the room, set against white walls, wood floors and midcentury-esque chairs and tables; the upstairs banquet hall is still many months away from welcoming 500-person wedding parties again. Along the way, Jew named the restaurant Mister Jius, after the pinyin transliteration of his family name.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Jews final round of investing, a Kickstarter campaign, brought in more than $67,000. Since then, each new hire that he has announced  pastry chef Melissa Chou (Aziza), sous chef Sara Hauman (Huxley), bar director Danny Louie (Chino)  has raised the eyebrows of chef-spotters across the country.

Mister Jius opens with a five-course set-price menu, at $69 per person, whose dishes will be served family-style: Diners might begin with a lotus-root salad and a tureen of hot-and-sour fish soup with nasturtiums, followed by Shanghai rice cakes with leeks and kohlrabi, then steamed Alaskan halibut with young ginger and house-smoked oysters. Supplements, such as tea-smoked duck, are extra, as are desserts such as a black-sesame cake with rosebud mousse and strawberries.

Its a style of food that is unlike what youll find anywhere in Chinatown, let alone the Bay Area. The immediate neighborhood is rife with baked custard buns and rice plates, with Sichuan restaurants and Northern Chinese dumpling shops scattered amid small places serving Cantonese home-style food.

Gabrielle Lurie/Special to The Chronicle

The two restaurants that have come closest to weaving together such Chinese and modern Californian sensibilities were Charles Phans Wo Hing and Joe Hargraves Chino, both in the Mission; both closed within a few years.

For his part, Phan, who also owns the Slanted Door, thinks Mister Jius could be a good fit for Chinatown. But, as for any restaurant, its not going to be easy. At the end of the day, you have the basic challenges: location, price point, look and feel, he said.

Jew struggles with the awareness that his dinnertime prices will be higher than most Chinatown restaurants. Yet we want the neighborhood to still feel like this is one of their restaurants, he said.

Jews elders in the Chinatown food community are excited about the possibility. The concepts great, said Frank Jang, culinary tour guide and community photographer. All they have to do is get people there.

Jonathan Kauffman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jkauffman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jonkauffman
Windhoek lies in the center of Namibia, and though its the countrys capital, the citys colonial architecture, sidewalk cafes and shady parks make it feel more relaxed than a bustling metropolis. In a country with long distances between cities and national parks, its possible to get a taste of Namibian history, culture and cuisine within the city limits.

Most visitors to Namibia barely see Windhoek, as theyre so focused on the countrys rich safari and adventure offerings; however, its worth spending a day to get a full picture of Namibias history (the country didnt achieve independence until 1990). While the cosmopolitan city center is easily walkable and punctuated with high-rises of steel and glass, German castles and cathedral spires, its also necessary to see the reality of most peoples lives within the capital boundaries with a visit to Katutura, a suburb.

With ample spots for sampling Namibian cuisine (including local beer), history, urban buzz and folk art, this city is an ideal beginning to a journey through the rest of the country.

Jill K. Robinson is a freelance writer. Email: travel@sfchronicle.com

EXPLORE THE TOWN

MORNING

Catch a prearranged ride from Omahuka Transfers to Katutura, Windhoeks former blacks only township, created in 1961 during apartheid rule. From here, join a Katu Tours bicycle tour of the area, from Penduka Project at Goreangab Dam to the Single Quarters market to busy Eveline Street. Traveling by bike through the neighborhood gets visitors much closer to daily life than an in-and-out bus or car tour, and along the way, guides give insights into traditional cuisine, music and culture. The district has grown over the years to become one of the citys liveliest, and its considered by many to be the soul of Windhoek.

Tom Cockrem/Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

MIDDAY

Back in downtown Windhoek, head to Tal Street and the Old Breweries complex, home to the Namibia Craft Centre, which is the capitals best place for Namibian arts and crafts, from woven baskets to carved Malakani kernels and San ostrich-eggshell jewelry. Up to 40 stalls specialize in different crafts, and salespeople are often craftspeople, as well. The Craft Centre supports jobs for more than 4,000 crafters and their families in some of the most rural and marginalized areas in the country. If you get hungry while shopping, take a break in the Craft Cafe, which features health food with a Namibian flair, like filled pita breads (with smoked game, kudu salami and sun-dried tomatoes), homemade cheesecake and local beers.

Panoramic Images/Getty Images/Panoramic Images

AFTERNOON

From the Namibia Craft Centre, walk northeast past the Supreme Court building to the National Museum, housed in the Alte Feste  a huge fort built by the first Schutztruppe (colonial forces that were established in Africas German colonies) when they arrived around 1890. The fort is strategically positioned overlooking the valley, which is a great way to get the lay of the land. Inside, the National Museum concentrates on Namibias history over the last few centuries, including memorabilia about the colonial period and independence, as well as reproductions of rock art (printings and engravings) found in Brandberg and Twyfelfontein in northwestern Namibia. Afterward, pass the Christuskirche (a German Lutheran church built of local sandstone in 1907 that serves as one of the citys symbols) on your way to the National Art Gallery, the center for visual and cultural arts in Namibia. Collections focus on Namibian contemporary art of the post-independence era.

EVENING

In the heart of Windhoek is the Namibian Institute of Culinary Education, and the menu at Nice Restaurant and Bar (the chef finishing and hospitality training school) offers dishes such as grilled oryx loin with poached pear and uniquely Namibian ingredients such as the Kalahari truffle, Omajova mushroom, Swakopmund green asparagus and fresh Namibian oysters. Settle down for a relaxing dinner, or if you want to get a very different look at Namibia just a short distance outside of Windhoek, change locations to GocheGanas, a luxury lodge 18 miles southeast of the city, so you can wake up in the middle of a nearly 19,000-acre nature reserve with white rhino, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, zebra and many other species. Stargazing here, unaffected by city lights, is a specialty.

IF YOU GO

WHERE TO STAY

Hilton Windhoek: Rev. Michael Scott St., www.hilton.com

GocheGanas: 18 miles from Windhoek on the D1463 off the B1, www.gocheganas.com

WHERE TO EAT

Nice Restaurant & Bar: 2 Mozart St., www.nicenamibia.com

Craft Cafe: 40 Tal St., www.craftcafe-namibia.com

INFORMATION

Namibia Tourism Board: www.namibiatourism.com.na
Supervisor Mark Farrell, saying hes the victim of a witch hunt by the San Francisco commission that enforces election rules, has sued the city in an attempt to erase a $191,000 fine for allegedly violating campaign finance laws.

Farrell filed his suit in Superior Court against the city, the Ethics Commission  which says the supervisors campaign improperly coordinated 2010 election activities with an independent expenditure committee  and the treasurer, who is trying to collect the fine. Farrell wants the fine withdrawn and his attorney fees paid, in addition to unspecified further relief.

Farrell declined to comment Wednesday. His lawsuit, though, is full of eye-popping language about the Ethics Commission.

During what can only be described as a witch hunt, the Ethics Commission has systematically and blatantly ignored city law, as well as its own procedures, and is guilty of a gross violation of Supervisor Farrells rights, said the lawsuit, which was filed last week. This miscarriage of justice must be stopped.

Matt Dorsey, spokesman for the city attorneys office, said, Its the city attorneys duty to vigorously defend taxpayers interests in civil litigation, and this case will be no different.

Upset victory

At issue is Farrells 2010 run for supervisor in District Two, which encompasses the Marina and Pacific Heights. Farrell, a lawyer and venture capitalist then brand-new on the political scene, beat front-runner Janet Reilly by 258 votes. Farrells political profile has since soared thanks to his work on the budget committee and focus on homelessness, and he is widely expected to run for mayor someday.

Reilly filed a complaint with the state Fair Political Practices Commission after her upset loss, charging that Farrell and his campaign consultant, Chris Lee, had illegally worked with an independent expenditure committee that spent $191,000 in the final weeks of the race to defeat Reilly.

The committee, Common Sense Voters, had just two donations: $141,000 from real estate magnate Thomas Coates and $50,000 from Dede Wilsey, a prominent socialite and president of the board that oversees the de Young and Legion of Honor museums.

Exonerated at first

Federal law prohibits candidates or their campaign workers from coordinating with independent expenditure committees, which, unlike the candidates own campaigns, can receive unlimited amounts of money from individual donors.

In a November 2014 ruling, the state commission found that while there was financial wrongdoing in the race, it was the fault of Lee and Common Sense Voters. The commission fined Lee $14,500, but exonerated Farrell.

The decision enraged Reilly. In a letter to the commission, her attorney called the penalty a slap on the wrist that ignored Farrells role. She then took her complaint to the San Francisco Ethics Commission, which ordered the supervisor in December 2014 to forfeit the $191,000 to the city.

Ethics staff report

After further study, the city commissions staff recommended that the payment be waived because Farrell was not named in the states enforcement action. That staff report didnt satisfy the ethics panel, which ignored the recommendation and, on a 5-0 vote in June, again ordered Farrell to pay the money.

Commissioner Peter Keane said at the time that it was ridiculous to believe that Coates and Wilsey had made their donations without Farrells knowledge or request.

The idea that they would give that money to some little schlump like Chris Lee is absolutely absurd, Keane said. The commissioner also likened the matter to Watergate.

Minor communication

Farrells lawsuits admits that Lee had minor and unauthorized communications with the committee, but says Farrell had no knowledge of them and shouldnt be forced to pay. The suit also accuses Keane of bias.

Farrell has hired political consultant Nathan Ballard as his spokesman. Ballard said Farrell was forced to sue the city because the matter wont be resolved any other way.

It became increasingly clear over time that the supervisor would never get a fair shake from the Ethics Commission, Ballard said. At a certain point, Commissioner Keane jumped the shark, and we realized that he was never going to be able to sit in a quasi-judicial role and judge Supervisor Farrell fairly.

Keane said Wednesday that he has never met Farrell  who didnt appear at the commissions hearings  and has no bias against him. He also pointed out that, under city law, a candidate may be held personally responsible for any illegal communication between his campaign and an independent expenditure committee, whether he knew about it or not. The city law is stricter than the state law.

You have a supervisor in office now who was elected in 2010 on the basis of taking an illegal, corrupt $191,000 campaign contribution, and he has never been held accountable for it except by us, Keane said.

Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles who specializes in election law and governance, said its rare for an elected official to sue his or her own city. She noted, however, that the size of the fine against Farrell is pretty serious.

Suit a bit unusual

Whats more common is you will fight the specific allegation with the Ethics Commission, or youll come to a settlement, she said.

Although its unusual, Farrells suit is not the first a supervisor has filed against the city. In 2010, then-Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier sued the city for the right to seek another term in office. She lost, forcing her out of office because of term limits and setting up the race in which Farrell defeated Reilly.

Heather Knight and Emily Green are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Hknight@sfchronicle.com, egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf, @emilytgreen
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An Oakley woman was injured when her home was struck by lightning Thursday as thunderstorms, hail and scattered showers swept through the Bay Area.

The spotty rain followed a cold front that rolled into the region on Wednesday night, bringing chilly temperatures and gray skies. Showers will continue into Friday and Saturday, but daily precipitation totals were not forecast to exceed a tenth of an inch, said Drew Peterson, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

Thunder and lightning, sometimes accompanied by hail, were reported first in Livermore about 8 a.m. and later in the Brentwood, Antioch and Oakley areas, Peterson said. The thunderstorm was moving northwest after dropping lightning strikes  some of which were of the positive variety, meaning brighter and louder  on the Contra Costa County cities.

These thunderstorms are not stationary, Peterson said. Theyre moving fairly quickly, but theyre not particularly overly powerful.

A metal flagpole atop a womans house on OHara Court in Oakley was struck by lightning, causing the ceiling fan inside to fall and damaging a trellis, according to Battalion Chief Jeff Burris of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District. The woman was nearby the residence when the lightning struck and suffered minor injuries, which were treated at a hospital.

Lightning in the Oakley area also set off all the fire alarms inside OHara Park Middle School and knocked out its phones, school district officials said. No children were injured and classes resumed once everything was put back in order.

Farther north, the weather service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for portions of Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties.

The weather system centered off shore near the Big Sur coastline was expected to move into central California throughout the day Thursday, Peterson said.

Temperatures were forecast to stay in the low 60s through the weekend in San Francisco, but theyll climb slightly in the beginning of next week.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
A 5-month-old boy was in critical condition Wednesday after suffering serious injuries, including a fractured skull, and his mother faces an array of child abuse charges, police said.

The mother, 29-year-old Patricia Steve, had been staying in a Super 8 motel room in Vacaville with the babys father and one other child, a boy between 1 and 2 years old, said Lt. Matt Lydon of the Vacaville Police Department. A concerned motel occupant called 911 two weeks ago, believing the infant was having a seizure.
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Protesters calling for the firing of San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr brought Wednesdays Police Commission meeting to a standstill, delaying the discussion on proposed changes to the departments use-of-force policies.

One day after hundreds marched to City Hall in support of five activists on a hunger strike, dozens filled the commission meeting, chanting until Commission President Suzy Loftus called the meeting into recess.

We want them to fire the chief, but if they are not going to do that, then theyre not going to have their meeting, said one activist who asked to be identified only as Chris.

Loftus tried to talk to the protesters, asking them to voice their concerns during public comment, but was repeatedly rebuffed and drowned out by the chants.

Lets get back to work, she said.

Fire Chief Suhr! Fire Chief Suhr! they responded.

The calls to fire the chief began after the fatal Dec. 2 shooting of Mario Woods. Video of the shooting was posted on social media, showing what many critics called an excessive use of force and bringing community outrage to a fever pitch over recent fatal police shootings of black and Latino men.

Suhr has repeatedly said he has no plans to resign, and on April 21, five activists went on a hunger strike outside Mission Station, saying they would not eat until Suhr resigned or Mayor Ed Lee fired him.

One hunger striker, Sellassie Blackwell, was hospitalized Wednesday.

Following the Woods shooting, Lee called for widespread reforms within the Police Department and at the behest of Suhr and Lee, the U.S. Department of Justices community-police division came in to conduct a collaborative review.

The Police Commission began drafting new use-of-force policies, which was up for discussion Wednesday after several stakeholders meetings.

Though protesters chanted the meeting into recess for two hours, Loftus brought the meeting back to session because she said it was important to continue the discussion around the new policies.

Tonight is about continuing this work in earnest, she said.

The months of talks regarding use-of-force included prohibiting officers from firing at a moving vehicle and rewriting guidelines on when and how to employ force. Also included was the chiefs proposal for equipping some officers with electric stun guns, better known as Tasers, one of the most popular brands of stun guns.

Stun guns have long been a controversial topic for the police department, with proposals to equip the police force repeatedly rejected by opponents who say the devices are ripe for abuse.

Commissioners went over each point Wednesday, voicing support on some areas and calling for more debate on others. The Commission is awaiting review from the U.S Department of Justice before bringing the draft policies to community meetings for more discussion.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @VivianHo
Talk about a plot twist.

Former Disney child star Deleriyes Joe Cramer, aka Joey Cramer, was arrested Thursday in connection with a bank robbery in Canada, sources say.

Reports say the 42-year-old former actor allegedly wore a disguise that included a shoulder-length wig, a bandana and sunglasses in an attempt to rob a bank. He fled on foot but was later apprehended.

"Despite the fact that a disguise was used during the robbery, the suspect was quickly identified by some of our officers, who had recently dealt with him on an unrelated matter," Constable Harrison Mohr with Sunshine Coast Royal Canadian Mounted Police told the Coast Reporter Newspaper.

SEE ALSO: Famous movie quotes from the 1980s

Reports say he was charged with charged with robbery, disguise with intent to commit an indictable offense, failing to stop for a peace officer and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

 MCMLXXVI PSO Presentations

You may remember him from the 1980s hit movie "Fight of the Navigator," the story of a young boy who regains consciousness eight years after having been accidentally knocked out in the woods. The real mystery here is that he hasn't aged a day in that time. Does a nearby UFO discovered by a NASA scientist have anything to do with it? You'll have to watch and find out.

This isn't the star's first run-in with the law. Reports say he was arrested in 2011 for allegedly cashing fake checks. It's also worth noting that the above picture is not connected with this recent arrest.

Cramer isn't the only star who had to spend some quality time with police. Take a look at the gallery above for celebrity mugshots.
The new Nexus 5X phone is displayed during a Google media event on September 29, 2015 in San Francisco, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Justin Sullivan)

The final push continues for Google to clear out the remaining stocks of Nexus 5X and Nexus as killer deals on the devices bring the asking price to as low as $199 with the bonus of uninterrupted connectivity thanks to Project Fi. So all the more the rumors persist that the Nexus 2016 release date is near.



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Android Central reported that Google's hard-to-resist LG Nexus 5X over at the Play Store is still ongoing. Buyers need only to pay up $199 and the package will ship out bundled with Project Fi, which is Google's commitment to keep users connected at all times.



Google's juicy Project Fi deal will mean savings of $180 as the 5X starts at $379 and from which Android fans will get to enjoy a handset with a 5.2-inch display, the tandem of hexa-core Snapdragon 808 chip with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal memory. A 32GB edition is also available.



The Nexus 5X snapper is of flagship class as the rear camera comes with 12-megapixel sensor while the front cam is selfie optimized with 5-megepixel sensor.



Yet the top and constant reason the Nexus 5X is a must buy is the Android in it, which is Marshmallow and will certainly jump to Android N quick once it comes out. Pure Android means bloatware free or getting the glorious Android experience that Google designed its mobile OS to be.



But if Project Fi with the 5X is out of reach (as the case for Android fans outside of the United States) then the device in unlocked state and with 32GB of storage capacity is the next best pick, which according to Tech Connect can be snagged from Amazon with considerable price off. From the original tag of $430, the giant online retailer now sells the device for only $350. A 16GB option is also on the table, selling for only $284.



Free shipping is part of the deal and the maximum waiting time is two business days.



For Nexus fans wanting to get the best bang for the buck, the original Nexus 5, also made by LG, is on sale at dirt-cheap price of $140. Shoppers must note though that all models available are refurbished, Android Central said.



And with the old and current Nexus phones hitting the discount mark, Android fans are looking at the strong possibility of the Nexus 2016 release date happening real soon, perhaps in the immediate weeks ahead. Not impossible as Google is staging its 2016 I/O on May 18 and the event will surely reveal the final cut of Android N and the first device it will power, which no doubt is a Nexus.


NEW YORK  Donald Trump is taking his first steps toward raising the huge amounts of money needed for a national presidential race, aiming to broaden his primary insurgency into a full-fledged general election campaign and unite the fractured Republican Party behind him.

Trump is reaching out to party heavyweights, hoping to repair his sometimes-strained relationships with the Republican National Committee and big GOP donors whom he bashed repeatedly during the primaries.

But in a sign of the work he has to do, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday he is not ready to support Trump as the nominee. Former President George W. Bush and 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney said they do not plan to attend the partys national convention in July.

Upbeat still, Trump said in a brief interview that his message has made Republican the hottest party around.

There is tremendous growth no one has ever seen before, he said.

Trumps campaign is trying to convert that energy into dollars.

On Thursday, he named a finance chairman, Steven Mnuchin, a private investor with ties to New York and Hollywood. Mnuchin brings unprecedented experience and expertise to the fundraising operation, the campaign said.

And Trump is taking pains to reassure party leaders that he wants to help Republican Senate and House candidates, some of whom are openly worried that Trump at the top of the GOP ticket will be a drag on their own campaigns.



Trump, a billionaire who paid for most of his primary campaign by himself, acknowledges he would have to sell some of his holdings to muster the hundreds of millions of dollars for a general election bid, something he says he doesnt necessarily want to do.

He said Thursday he would be putting up substantial money toward the general election, following the $36 million in loans he previously made.

RNC members note that Trump has attracted many new voters to the party, who would likely be willing to give money.
WASHINGTON  If theres a war on coal, its increasingly clear which side is winning.

Wind turbines and solar panels accounted for more than two-thirds of all new electric generation capacity added to the nations grid in 2015, according to a recent analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy. The remaining third was largely new power plants fueled by natural gas, which has become cheap and plentiful as a result of hydraulic fracturing.

It was the second straight year U.S. investment in renewable energy projects has outpaced that of fossil fuels. Robust growth is once again predicted for this year.

And while Republican lawmakers in Washington have fought to protect coal-fired power plants, opposing President Obamas efforts to curtail climate-warming carbon emissions, data show their home states are often the ones benefiting most from the nations accelerating shift to renewable energy.

Leading the way in new wind projects are GOP strongholds Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, home to some of the leading critics of climate science and renewable energy incentives in Congress. Republican-dominated North Carolina trails only California in new solar farms, thanks largely to pro-renewables polices enacted years ago under a Democratic legislature.

The most dramatic change has been seen in the plummeting cost of emissions-free wind energy, which has declined by two-thirds in the last six years thanks to the availability of cheaper, more efficient turbines. An annual analysis by the Wall Street investment firm Lazard determined that wind energy is now the lowest-cost energy source, even before federal green-energy tax incentives are factored in.

Wind energy is very low-cost and not subject to the fuel price risk that both natural gas and coal face, said Michael Goggin, senior director of research at the American Wind Energy Association, an industry trade group. Adding wind is cheaper than new gas or new coal. It is by far the lowest-cost resource.

Billions of dollars in private equity are going to construct massive new renewables projects, especially in the Sun Belt and Great Plains. Thousands of miles of new high-voltage transmission lines are also under construction to send power from the wind and sun from the sparsely populated areas where it is collected to the urban centers where its needed.

Even with the surge in new projects, energy from such renewable sources as wind, solar and water accounted for only about a tenth of total U.S. power generation last year.

Still, the U.S. leads the world in wind energy with about 48,800 utility-scale turbines operating across the country, generating enough electricity to power about 20 million homes. By 2030, the Energy Department estimates wind will provide a fifth of the nations electricity.

Meanwhile, coal has dropped over the last decade from providing half of all U.S. electricity to about one-third.
No sooner had Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas exited the Republican primary Tuesday night than Democrat Hillary Clintons partisans on social media began calling for Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont to follow suit.

Sanders supporters answered those calls with a hashtag that quickly started trending on Twitter: #DropOutHillary.

With his victory in Indiana, Sanders seems all but certain to remain in the race for at least another month, taking his insurgent presidential campaign to the California primary on June 7. But there is one thing he will definitely leave behind if he ultimately abandons the Democratic nomination fight: an army of online foot soldiers unmatched in size, influence and capabilities, more than ready to join the next battle.

The only question is whether that battle will involve Clinton.

According to Personal Democracy Media, which studies the intersection of politics and technology, roughly 9 million Sanders supporters have organized through hundreds of Facebook pages, Reddit forums and Slack channels. And Sanders digital corps is not some loose network of supporters informally sharing articles and videos. It is a driving force behind his campaign, soliciting tens of millions of dollars in donations an average of $27 at a time, routinely mobilizing volunteers to perform impressive feats of organizing, and developing cutting-edge technology to aid Sanders run.

If Clinton can harness even some of the power of this group, it could provide an important lift for her in a bruising general election in which social media is certain to play a prominent role. It not only would help her reach younger voters, among whom she has performed miserably in the primaries, but could also fortify her for the digital trench warfare she can expect if she faces the Twitter-adept Republican favorite, Donald Trump, in the fall.

But Clintons place at the forefront of her partys establishment could make her a tough sell to an online community whose members often identify themselves as revolutionaries more than as Democrats.

Turning Sanders for President into a direct drive for Hillary is probably doomed, said David Fredrick, who co-founded a Reddit forum, SandersForPresident, that has more than 230,000 subscribers. It would alienate a lot of our users and cause us to lose a lot of the momentum weve been able to develop over the last two years.

Clintons aides say they hope that at least some in Sanders online army will ultimately get behind her  particularly now that they seem almost certain to face the stark choice between Clinton and Trump.

But bringing around this vocal and defiant core of Sanders supporters may not be easy. One need only surf through the dozens of Reddit forums devoted to Sanders, or the comments on his Facebook page, to find countless examples of ambivalence, if not outright hostility, toward Clinton.
FLINT, Mich.  Showing support for the beleaguered residents of Flint, President Obama drank filtered city water on Wednesday to show that it is again safe following a lead-contamination crisis.

After officials briefed Obama on the federal governments response to the contamination and he addressed the news media, a reporter asked if he would drink the water in a glass on the table. The president said he usually avoids publicity stunts. But he took a drink, saying he wanted to show the water must be safe if hes drinking it.

This used a filter, Obama said of the water. The water around this table was Flint water and it just confirms what we know scientifically, which is, if youre using a filter, if youre installing it, then Flint water at this point is drinkable.

Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint in mid-January and ordered federal aid to supplement the state and local response. At that point, however, the crisis was in full bloom.

It took several months for the nation to focus on the beaten-down citys plight, raising questions about how race and poverty influenced decisions that led to the tainted water supply and the conflicted response once problems surfaced. More than 40 percent of Flint residents live in poverty and more than half are black.

Obama, making his first visit to the city since the crisis began, said the discussion underscored the fact that local, state and federal officials must ensure that residents are healthy and have safe water to drink. He said he didnt go to Flint to discuss issues of accountability.

There are times for politics and there are times for turf battles. This is not one of those times, Obama said. All of us are going to have to really keep our eye on the ball, even when the cameras go away.

He said the water crisis stemmed from a broader issue: the hard times and neglect that have gripped Flint for years.

Obama also urged residents to use the water filters that are being provided free, and urged parents to have their children tested for lead in their bloodstreams.
Thought you were priced out of buying a Victorian in San Francisco?

Check out this sweet, sparkling white three-bedroom with the sort of facade that makes the architecture of this city world-renowned. In high-priced San Francisco, where Victorians go for millions, this home built in 1900 is a steal at only $695,000. ("Affordable housing" it's not, but affordable for some SF residents' budgets, it is.)

There's a catch. The 1579 La Salle is in the heart of the Bayview, only one block from Third Street and the T-Line, and in recent decades the neighborhood has been known for its blight, poverty and crime.

But listing agent Sammy Hastings of Hastings Group Realty says the Bayview is one of the most rapidly changing areas of the city.

"It's the most misunderstood neighborhood is San Francisco," Hastings says. "This is the New Orleans of San Francisco. People know each other here. People talk to one another."

Hastings says the community-minded culture is rooted in the neighborhood's history of ups and downs that has driven its residents to look out for one another. What's more, he said the neighborhood has one of the highest rates of homeownership.

"The people living here own the homes," Hastings said. "They're not just renters. When someone decides to sell something in the Mission, they might displace 20 people. In the Bayview, they're selling grandma's house and a new family is moving in."

Hastings has lived in the neighborhood for two years and been selling real estate here for eight. He says the majority of the people moving here are transplants coming from Chicago, New York, the Midwest. "Locals are afraid of this neighborhood because it has stigma and they're missing out on opportunities," he says.

Hastings believe the home he's listing at 1579 La Salle is one of those great opportunities. While the kitchen and bath don't match the home's Victorian-era style, many of the original detailssuch as the woodwork and detailing on the doorshave been retained over the years. With an undeveloped basement, the home has the potential for additional square footage whether it's a play room, rental unit or extra bed and bath. What's more, from the living room you can take in a peek-a-boo view of the downtown skyline.

"This house is for the Victorian lover who has given up on owning a Victorian because they're priced out of other neighborhoods," Hastings said. "With this they can afford to move in and then overtime continue to restore the old charm."
The North Korean president Kim Jong-Un giving a speech during a massive military parade held prior to 70th anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party. (Photo : YouTube/ RT)

North Korea is almost done preparing for the rare communist party that will be happening on May 6. The workers party that is deemed as a nationwide call to action by the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will take place in the "April 25 House of Culture" convention center in the North Korean capital.



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Before the once-in-a-generation political gathering, a citywide alarm has been set to wake citizens early morning. For over two months, a majority of the Pyongyang residents have been busy preparing the city for the biggest political event of the year.



The seventh Congress of Workers' Party set at 9 a.m. on Friday is the highest political assembly held in the country, according to CNN. The gathering is the first communist party in three decades after Kim II Sung, the founder and president of North Korea hosted it in 1980. During the time, Sung announced his son, Kim Jong II as his successor.



"We the Korean people think our leader Kim Jong Un is just like our father, just like our mother. And so we trust him and we do our best for building a thriving country," Hyon Un Mi, one of the workers preparing for the poltical occasion told the publication.



In other news, it is expected that Kim Jong Un will be reclaiming his position as North Korea's supreme leader during the event. An election of a new central committee, which will be filled by loyalists and the proclamation of his byungjin policy are also anticipated to happen at the workers' party, New York Times reported.



Above all else, the president of North Korea is expected to reveal his planned nuclear power and economic development programs. In January, North Korea received a stringent international sanction after he ordered a hydrogen bomb test on the same week of his birthday. The U.S. government, South Korea and other allies believed that a fifth nuclear test is possible before or during the workers' party.



Despite the sanction, North Korea even showed its power by trying to launch two Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles that only failed. Since then, they have hinted of even introducing a submarine missile test.



A large number of foreign journalists are invited to witness the one-time political event. Security has been heightened as more and more participants and international guests flock the North Korea's capital.



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Google Nexus 2016 is a rumored upcoming flagship phone from Google. (Photo : YouTube/HandyAndy Tech Tips)

Google Nexus 7 2016 release will reportedly happen on May 18 at Google's I/O Developers' Conference.



The aforementioned conference is slated on May 18-22. While previous Nexus devices were announced in October, Google may opt to release the new Nexus tablet earlier than usual. The company may jump back to its summer release like what it did with the previous Nexus 4 and Nexus 7. However, there are still whispers that the tablet will be announced in the fall or later.



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The earlier release was sparked by the various discounts on previous Nexus handsets and Google pulling the plug on Nexus 9 tablet. Moreover, the imminent release of Android N operating system added fuel to the fire.



Based on rumors, Google Nexus 7 2016 features include a 5.1-inch or 7-inch screen display. Under the hood, the device will be powered by Snapdragon 820 SoC and NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor paired with 4GB of RAM, and Android N operating system.



Google Nexus 7 2016 could be the first Nexus smartphone to pack a 2TB external storage via microSD slot, which is missing from the previous Nexus smartphones. The smartphone may also pack a 12MP back camera and 5MP front-facing camera. All of these hardware specs are supported by 3,000mAh battery.



The new Nexus device will be a tablet or a phablet. Thanks to Android N OS, the handset will have revolutionary software features optimized for maximum productivity. Reports added that the tablet will come with features thanks to pure Android N operating system. The tablet will be marketed to professionals and businesses, which productivity is of utmost importance.



Lastly, Google will reportedly work hand-in-hand with Taiwanese manufacturer HTC to make the next Nexus device. HTC teamed up with Google before and was in charged in making HTC Nexus 9 tablet.



However, there is still no official announcement from Google about the official release date and features of the rumored Google Nexus 2016.


Among the littlest people diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder  ADHD  nearly half get no more help dealing with their distractedness, impulsiveness and hyperactivity than that provided by prescription medication, says a new government report.

Thats despite the fact that for these patients  children ages 2 to 5 diagnosed with ADHD  behavior therapy can help children develop self-control, organizational skills and coping mechanisms, tools that would help them over the long run.
Over 2,000 members of Egypt's press syndicate gathered on Wednesday at the syndicate headquarters in Cairo for an emergency meeting to respond to the recent storming of the HQ by police, as security forces surrounded the building from all directions and regime supporters hurled insults at members attending the meeting.

The syndicate issued a statement at the meeting outlining a set of demands on the government including the dismissal of interior minister Madgy Abdel-Ghaffar and the release of journalists jailed in cases related to freedom of expression, as well as instructions for news outlets on how to support these demands.

Police forces and counter-protesters holding up images of the countrys president blocked the main street leading to the syndicate building, making it extremely difficult for journalists to gain access to the union's HQ from that direction.

Journalists were forced to take another route to access the building and were required to show syndicate ID cards at three police checkpoints in the area.

The police and counter-protesters gathered on both sides of the street where the syndicate is located, leaving the participating journalists 300 metres in which to convene.

The scene witnessed intermittent protest chants, mostly against the police.

A vertical black banner was displayed at the front of the syndicate building with the words "journalism is not a crime," while participants held placards saying "I am a journalist, not a terrorist" and "freedom for the brave."

Vociferous chants such as "the interior [ministry] are thugs", "hold your head high, you are Egyptian" also resounded.

While police mostly asked syndicate members for IDs as they headed towards the gathering, some of the counter-protesters, who arrived in buses and trucks and used loud speakers blasting music, harassed journalists at the scene.

Participating journalists say they were met with insults and obscene gestures and were called traitors and agents.

Near the end of the event, veteran Ahram journalist Khaled Dawoud was physically assaulted, according to eyewitnesses. Others were also reportedly attacked, though no major skirmishes have been reported.

The past few days saw pro-regime protesters approach the syndicate headquarters and occasionally throw rocks at journalists holding a sit-in at the HQ since Sunday night.

Dozens of lawyers also gathered at their syndicate building adjacent to the press syndicate headquarters, as Lawyers Syndicate declared its full support for the journalists.

Last June, the Lawyers Syndicate held a strike itself to protest an assault on one of its members, who was badly beaten by police.

Tensions between journalists and the police reached their highest level after security forces stormed the press syndicate building on Sunday and arrested two journalists, Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka, who were staging a sit-in, a move described by syndicate head Yehia Qallash and many journalists as an "unprecedented assault."

The prosecution said that "the arrest warrant and the procedures being conducted by the Ministry of Interior are correct and the two suspects are facing criminal charges that are not related to their work," explaining that there are no legal or constitutional conditions that prevent police from arresting journalists from inside the syndicate headquarters.

"If investigations reveal that both journalists agreed with the syndicate chairman to hide in the syndicate, this will be considered a violation of the law and a crime committed by the chairman himself," the prosecution statement read.

An arrest warrant was issued for Badr, chief editor and founder of the Yanair (January) news portal, and journalist El-Sakka, who works for the same website, shortly after they voiced their objection to Egypt's recently-announced Red Sea island deal with Saudi Arabia.

The deal, which acknowledges Saudi sovereignty over the islands of Tiran and Sanafir, has stirred major controversy in Egypt, though it is yet to be approved by parliament.

Badr and El-Sakka, who are detained pending investigation, were among dozens of activists and journalists who were ordered arrested a few days before the 25 April protests against the island agreement.

According to the press syndicate, 46 journalists were arrested while covering the protests, with most being released after a few hours.

The Sunday storming of the press syndicate prompted union leaders to call on members to attend an emergency general assembly meeting today.

Karem Mahmoud, the syndicate deputy, told Ahram Online that "the journalists demand [that the interior minister be sacked are] clear, and they will not give up on it."

He added that "it is hard to understand why the government insists stubbornly on not correcting its mistake."

The press syndicate gave the government one week to meet its demands, saying further measures would be adopted should the demands be ignored.

The syndicate has more than 8,000 registered journalists who work for state-owned and private news outlets.

Wednesday's gathering, attended by chief editors from the countrys major news outlets, was the largest of its kind since a 1995 rally against a law restricting publishing under former president Hosni Mubarak.

On Tuesday, which marked World Press Freedom Day, journalists also protested on the stairs of syndicate building, though others attempting to participate were denied entry by police, who barred non-syndicate member from entering.

Among those prevented from entering were Mona Mina, board member of the Doctors Syndicate, and members of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party.

The Doctors Syndicate held a general assembly meeting in February in response to an attack the previous month where policemen reportedly assaulted two doctors at Cairo's Matariya Hospital after one of the physicians refused to fake a medical report for one of their colleagues.

The press syndicate said on Tuesday there are 29 Egyptian journalists in jail, either sentenced to prison or facing trial.

"Unfortunately, the Committee to Protect Journalists has listed Egypt as second after China in the number of jailed journalists," the syndicate said in a Tuesday statement.

"Security forces stormed the premises of many news outlets [in recent days] and 14 gag orders on publishing have been imposed in different cases."

The most recent gag order on publishing issued by Egypt's top prosecutor came in the case of this week's storming of the Journalists Syndicate premises, an order the union says it intends to challenge in courts.

The syndicate also called on all papers and news outlets to display a logo that reads "no for gag...no for silencing" on their front pages.

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No charges will be filed against Oakland City Councilwoman Desley Brooks in connection with a confrontation last fall with former Black Panther Party leader Elaine Brown in a popular barbecue restaurant, the Alameda County district attorneys office said Wednesday.

Brown had characterized the incident as an assault. But Teresa Drenick, a spokeswoman for the district attorney, said there was insufficient evidence to prove a crime was committed in connection with the incident Oct. 30 at the Everett and Jones barbecue restaurant near Jack London Square.

Drenick noted that Brown had waited 16 days before reporting the incident and said police were no longer able to obtain video evidence from the restaurants surveillance cameras. In addition, Drenick said, accounts from witnesses conflicted.

Brown, 72, filed a police report saying she had suffered physical and emotional harm after being assaulted by Brooks in a dispute arising from city business. She said the alleged assault had caused her to seek medical attention.

In a subsequent legal claim with the city, Brown said she had been the victim of a vicious, violent attack  and demanded $7 million in damages from Oakland and from Brooks.

The argument, Brown said, erupted after a small group of people gathered at the restaurant to discuss affordable-housing policies in the city.

Brown said Brooks had threatened to block Browns bid for city funding for a West Oakland urban farm and housing development. Then, she said, Brooks punched her and sent her crashing head over heels into a stack of folding chairs, causing her to strike her head.

Oakland police spent weeks investigating Browns complaint before handing the matter to the district attorney for review.

Brown, who ran the Black Panther Party from 1974 to 1977 and managed the mayoral campaign of Lionel Wilson in 1977, is an author and prison-rights advocate and an adviser to Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson on inmate rehabilitation.

Brooks, 54, has been a city councilwoman for 13 years. She represents the citys east side and heads the councils public safety committee. She previously worked for Carson and as an immigration trial attorney.

Calls to Brooks, Brown and Browns attorney seeking comment were not returned.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com
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San Francisco police busted three men and uncovered a trove of boosted loot after tracking a medical camera stolen in an Outer Sunset District auto burglary to an Oakland home, officials said.

Roundtrip flights to Hawaii are selling for less than $400

Officers on April 28 raided the Oakland home of Mario Starnes, 51, his son Trevor Starnes, 27, and 33-year-old Kostas Lirakis. All three were arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property.

But an attorney for Mario Starnes said Thursday that police are overselling the arrests and the recovery of nearly 80 big-ticket items.

There is absolutely not one item of evidence that my client has anything to do with the theft of the property or the burglary of a car, attorney Frederick Remer said. All hes charged with is possession of stolen property.

Remer is waiting to see what evidence prosecutors have against his client.

The takedown stemmed from a March 17 San Francisco car break-in. In that case, someone smashed the window of a Chevrolet sport utility vehicle that a woman parked for half an hour on Lincoln Way at 44th Avenue.

The woman returned to her car at 8 p.m. and found her window broken and two laptop computers and a specialized camera stolen. The camera, a high-resolution Canfield Reveal imager, is a model used by aestheticians to show sun damage, spots and other blemishes on clients skin.

The woman later called police at the Taraval Station after seeing her camera for sale online. Investigators tracked the seller to a home on the 4200 block of Wilshire Boulevard in Oakland and authorities set up a stakeout.

On the morning of April 28, San Francisco and Oakland police stormed the home and recovered the camera along with a hoard of other valuable goods they believe were taken in previous burglaries.

Some of the plundered items include a drone, two rifles, several pairs of jeans worth about $200 each, a Tiffany & Co. dish and power tools. Police are working to identify the owners of the more than 80 stolen items.

The arrests come as San Francisco continues to reel from a staggering upswing in car break-ins over the past year and a half.

Last year, auto burglaries shot up 31 percent in San Francisco, prompting some finger-pointing by the city Police Department. Officials have blamed statewide prison reforms for the overall increase in property crime, though many large California cities  including several in the Bay Area  have not seen similar upticks in nonviolent crimes.

The Police Department formed an auto-burglary task force in August, which officials said has helped drive down the rate of auto burglaries.

Police are asking burglary victims who believe their property is among the items recovered to call detectives at the Taraval Station at (415) 759-3100.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Italys Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni warned last month that his country would take proportional steps against Cairo if Egypt fails to provide the truth about Regenis murder

Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry criticised on Wednesday recent remarks by his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni over the murder of an Italian PhD student earlier this year as failing to recognise the common interests of both countries.

"I have followed statements by the Italian foreign minister on more than one website and occasion in the recent period," Shoukry told state news agency MENA, in what the agency described as his first "direct comment" on his counterpart's statements.

"It worries me that they [the statements] carry a tone that does not reflect awareness of the common interests between the two countries or the amount of cooperation shown by the Egyptian side on the incident from the beginning, as much as it is an expression of the interests of one side," Shoukry was quoted as saying.

He added that Cairo, however, "will continue to inform the Italian side of the developments with complete transparency and credibility."

The body of the 28-year-old PhD student, who was in Cairo conducting research on independent trade unions, was found with signs of torture by a roadside on the outskirts of Cairo on 3 February. He went missing on 25 January.

Both Egypt's interior and foreign ministry officials vigorously dismissed allegations that security forces were involved Regeni's murder.

Italian foreign minister Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni warned last month that Italy is prepared to take "immediate and proportional measures" against Egypt if it fails to provide the truth about the torture and death of Regeni.

Italy has rejected various versions about how Regeni might have died, including that a gang specialised in robbing and kidnapping foreigners might have been involved in the death. Egyptian police said they have killed all its members and that they found the student's belongings in their possession.

Gentiloni said that meetings early in April between Egyptian and Italian investigators in Rome on Regeni's murder mystery "didn't yield the fruits we expected," signalling "dissatisfaction with Cairo's cooperation on the matter.

Days later, on 8 April, he recalled the Italian ambassador to Egypt for consultations because, his ministry said, Egyptian investigators in Rome had failed to hand over all needed information to solve the case.

And more recently, he said Rome will continue to "demand the truth" from Egypt about the torture and murder of Regeni.

A judicial source told Ahram Online on Wednesday that an Italian security delegation is expected to arrive in Cairo next week to hold talks with Egyptian officials on the ongoing probe into the killing, which has strained ties between the otherwise two close allies.

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The economic and environmental climate in Zimbabwe is now so bad that the government is selling wildlife to private reserves.

According to a Reuters report, Zimbabwe plans to "destock its parks estates" as a severe drought grips on the nation. Money raised from the wildlife sales will be used to buy food and water for the remaining "distressed animals."
Tunisia's national press syndicate expressed on Wednesday "absolute support and unconditional solidarity with [Egyptian journalists]," saying it stood by their colleagues "against the unjustified attack they are subjected to" by Egypt's interior ministry.

The Tunisian union criticised in a statement what it described as a "vicious attack" on press freedom in Egypt, days after police stormed the Journalists Syndicate building in Downtown Cairo in an "unprecedented raid."

It added that the administration of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi should be held "legally and ethically responsible" for violations against journalists, citing 'jailing' of writers over publishing issues, "forced disappearances" of others, and raids on homes.

Twenty-seven journalists are currently behind bars in Egypt, according to Egyptian press syndicate head Yehia Kalash.

Several journalist have been sentenced to prison for publishing false news and belonging to the banned Muslim Brotherhood group.

Others are facing trial on similar charges or are still in pre-trial detention.

The Tunisian union demanded an "end to such practices as well as lifting restrictions faced by Egyptian journalists," which it said violate press freedom laws and conventions.

On Sunday night, security forces raided the syndicate premises in Cairo and arrested two journalists, sparking public outrage and prompting dozens of journalists to stage a sit-in at the syndicate headquarters.

Around 2,000 journalists rallied for an urgent meeting at the syndicate headquarters on Wednesday to discuss the adoption of measures in response to the raid, chanting slogans supporting press freedom. The syndicate warned that journalists would go on strike if their demands, at the top of which is the sacking of the interior minister, are not met in one week.

The Tunisian union has urged all Tunisian journalists to write about the crisis, symbolically challenging a publishing gag order imposed Tuesday by Egypt's top prosecutor on the arrest of the journalists.

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The National Council for Human Rights statement Wednesday also called for government imposed gag orders to be rescinded

Egypt's semi-governmental National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) has condemned "violations against the freedom of press and media" in the context of the current crisis between police authorities and the Journalists Syndicate over the recent storming of its building and the arrest of two journalists.

"The council condemns the [intrusion] in terms of arresting journalists for freedom of expression reasons, as well as imposing gag orders that block the right of citizens to be up to date with all public opinion issues," the council said in a statement Wednesday.

On Wednesday, over 2,000 members of Egypt's Journalists Syndicate gathered at its headquarters in Cairo's Downtown for an emergency meeting to respond to the storming earlier in the week of the headquarters by police.

Security forces surrounded the building from all directions and regime supporters hurled insults at members attending the meeting.

The syndicate issued a statement at the meeting outlining a set of demands on the government, including the dismissal of interior minister Madgy Abdel-Ghaffar and the release of journalists jailed in cases related to freedom of expression, along with instructions for news outlets on how to support these demands.

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Local news outlets have reported that the businessmans family paid the kidnappers EGP 5 million

A Saudi businessman who was kidnapped on the outskirts of Cairo last week has been freed, Saudi Arabias ambassador to Egypt Ahmed El-Qattan wrote on his Twitter account on Thursday.

Hassan Al Sanad, a Saudi businessman who owns a private business and factories in Egypt, was kidnapped on the Cairo-Ismailia road on 27 April after masked men stopped his car.

The ambassador did not divulge details about how the 70-year-old businessman was released, but some local news outlets reported that his family paid the hijackers around EGP 5 million to have him released.

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An Egyptian military court sentenced 144 supporters of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi to prison, with sentences ranging from 15 to 25 years in jail.

The case dates back to August 2013, when hundreds of Morsi supporters protested the violent dispersal of the Rabaa El-Adaweya sit-in in downtown Cairo.

The prosecution accused the defendants of attempting to storm the El-Fatah Mosque and El-Azbakiya police station.

Today's verdict is subject to appeal.

Egypt's 2014 constitution gives the military the right to try civilians in criminal offences related to attacks on vital instititutions.

In 2014, then-interim president Adly Mansour signed amendments to the military criminal code granting for the first time the right of defendants to appeal military court sentences.

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When it comes to matters of taste, there are as many opinions as people.

When it comes to the matter of rating campgrounds, the public votes with their reservations, bookings and tents.

That is why the No. 1-rated campground in the greater Bay Area is the Steep Ravine camping cabins, perched on a bluff overlooking the ocean on the Marin coast. Reservations for all dates in a month can sell out within minutes when they become available online, according the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

In the greater Bay Area, the most desired campgrounds are those with big-water views that provide the feeling of wide-open spaces, and also where your camp provides a launch point for great hiking or mountain biking.

Of the top 50, each has something special that can speak to many, depending, of course, on their tastes. All campgrounds are now open this week for the season, with the last sites opened Sunday in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The campgrounds on this list were ranked based on public demand, views, recreation options and special qualities. In some areas, campgrounds are clustered within a mile or two and dont provide much difference between them; for these, the best of them were selected and the others nearby were noted. I have been to all of the campgrounds.

Here are the Best of the rest that didn't make the top 20.

21. Brannan Island State Park, Sacramento River Delta

22. Elk Fence boat-in/kayak-in, Tomales Bay (12 others nearby)

23. Mississippi Lake Trail Camp, Henry W. Coe State Park Wilderness

24. Chabot walk-in, Anthony Chabot Regional Park

25. Butano State Park, drive-in, walk-in

26. Rob Hill Group Camp, Presidio, San Francisco

Mike Kepka/San Francisco Chronicle

27. China Camp State Park, walk-in

28. Coast Camp hike-in, Point Reyes National Seashore

29. Trail Camp, Castle Rock State Park hike-in

30. Hawkcamp hike-in, Marin Headlands

31. Coit Lake Trail Camp, Henry W. Coe State Park Wilderness (seven others in area)

32. Samuel P. Taylor State Park

33. Junction, Mount Diablo State Park (five others nearby)

34. Half Moon Bay State Beach

35. Uvas Canyon County Park

36. Trail Camp, Butano Redwoods State Park

37. Sky Camp hike-in, Sunol Regional Wilderness (seven others in area)

38. Glen Trail Camp, Point Reyes National Seashore

39. Twin Redwoods/Alder Trail Camps, Rancho del Oso

40. Chabot for self-contained RVs and tents, Anthony Chabot Regional Park

Shelly Lewis

41. Stewartville Trail Camp, Black Diamond Regional Preserve

42. Bootjack, Mount Tamalpais State Park

43. Memorial, San Mateo County

44. Stewart Springs Trail Camp, Ohlone Regional Wilderness (four others in area)

45. Black Mountain Trail Camp, Monte Bello Open Space Preserve

46. Haypress Trail Camp, Marin Headlands

48. Pescadero Creek County Park

49. Grant County Park

50. Eagle Spring Trail Camp, Mission Peak Regional Preserve (four others in area)

Tom Stienstras Outdoor Report can be heard Saturdays on KCBS (740 and 106.9) at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 12:35 p.m. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @StienstraTom

For reservations and additional information, visit the following:

Golden National Recreation Area: Reserve at www.recreation.gov or (877) 444-6777. Info: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Visitors Center, (415) 464-5100, www.nps.gov/pore; Marin Headlands Visitors Center, (415) 331-1540, www.nps.gov/goga; Presidio Visitor Center, (415) 561-4323, www.nps.gov/prsf.

State Parks: Reserve at www.ReserveAmerica.com or (800) 444-7275. Info: Bay Area District, (707) 769-5652, www.parks.ca.gov.

Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Camps: Reserve at Big Basin Redwoods at (831) 338-8861. Info: Big Basin Redwoods State Park, (831) 338-8860, www.parks.ca.gov; Rancho del Oso Nature and History Center, (831) 427-2288, http://ranchodeloso.org.

East Bay Regional Park District: Reserve drive-in sites at www.ReserveAmerica.com or (800) 444-7275; reserve wilderness sites at (888) 327-2757, option 2. Info: www.ebayparks.org.

Midpeninsula Open Space District: (650) 691-1200, www.openspace.org.

Santa Clara County Parks Department: (408) 355-2200, www.sccgov.org/sites/parks

Henry W. Coe State Park: Wilderness permit required (can self-register) at headquarters, (408) 779-2728; www.coepark.org.
Its a cold winter of 2014 in Worcester, Mass. Whenever a door is left ajar, the woman inside, bundled up in blankets on the couch, complains of the frigid air and burrows deeper down.

Winter winds arent the only thing invading the lives of Abasiama and Disciple Ufot, the married Nigerian immigrant couple at the center of Mfoniso Udofias Runboyrun. The drama, part of a proposed nine-play cycle, received its world premiere Wednesday, May 4, at the Magic Theatre. Like all-too-real ghosts, four characters from Disciples past in 1960s war-torn Nigeria haunt the house, minds and memories of a couple that Magic audiences first met in Udofias Sojourners (which has its final performances in matinees Saturday, May 7, and Sunday, May 8).

In that brighter and more stage-worthy play, two emotionally wounded but ebullient people found each other in Houston and launched into an uncertain future together. Now in Runboyrun, set 36 years later, they are both physically heavier and burdened down by marital resentments and world weariness. Divorce is in the air for the two, played with a tamped-down but still combustible fire by Omoze Idehenre and Adrian Roberts.

Enter those ghosts, led by a prayer-mad Mother (Nancy Moricette), her battle-ravaged son Ben Gun (Rafael Jordan, his eyes and foot bandaged), and a closely entwined younger sister (Katherine Renee Turner) and brother (Rotimi Agbabiaka). All are living in a Nigerian compound at the time of the contentious Biafran secession.

The play clearly telegraphs and soon reveals that the boy, who refuses to speak in the early flashbacks to Nigeria, is the young Disciple Ufot. Much of Runboyrun has to do with the adult man coming to terms with the pain and loss of his childhood and of the homeland hes left behind but cant escape.

After a starkly lyrical black creation story, delivered by an incantatory Moricette in total darkness, the 100-minute evening opens with the deliberate trudge of a blunted marriage, as Disciple Ufot comes home from his college teaching job, has a diffident exchange with his wife and tromps downstairs to work on the Nigerian history monographs that have preoccupied him for decades.

When the past arrives in physical form, he senses and occasionally feels the touch of the Nigerian family that comes and goes from his basement room. The anguish of it tightens vise-like across his chest, which he rubs uneasily with his fists. So, in a fusion of past and present, does his younger self, pressed up against him on the floor.

Sound takes on a palpable-to-a-fault role in director Sean San Joses intense but sometimes ungainly production. The boys verbal blockage is played off against his repeated sibilant vocalizations and tapped snail shells, a pattern echoed and amplified by David Molinas overactive sound design. The dialogue has to compete too often with the background noise.

Udofia, who can write lovely and limber lines, sets monologues down like boulders through Runboyrun. The characters take their turns in passages of exposition and accounts of both long past and more recent events. They also have a penchant for describing and explicating their feelings, telling when showing would be more effective. The drama begins to feel as impacted as the Ufot marriage and Disciples own struggle to unravel his story.

The action opens up near the end, in a space-spanning episode that gives the play its title, the appearance of a tree beautifully altered by memory and a brief but inspiringly sensual dance. But the language keeps coming to spell out things an audience already knows or might more powerfully intuit.

The performances, as they are in Sojourners, are fully committed. While its not necessary to have seen that show to apprehend Runboyrun, it does supply the kind of legacy perspective Udofia clearly intends to explore through her admirably ambitious cycle. When an emotionally drained Abasiama asks Ufot in exasperation if anything good has ever happened to him, the scenes of his giddy infatuation with her from Sojourners spring to mind. How much has been beaten out of these characters over time, it registers, including the gleam of first love.

The paired productions offer the added pleasure of seeing Turner and Agbabiaka shifting from the tender couple they play in Sojourners to the younger brother and sister here. Its a striking and moving transformation of the sort once reliably delivered by the vanishingly rare rotating repertory format. As lovers or siblings, these two fine actors use their keen physical presence, mobile faces and liquid Ibibio accents to give everything they do a present-tense immediacy that Runboyrun only fitfully matches.

StevenWinn is The Chronicles former culture critic.

Runboyrun: Drama by Mfoniso Udofia. Directed by Sean San Jose. Through May 15. $25-$65. Magic Theatre, Building D, Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd., S.F. 1 hour, 40 minutes. (415) 441-8822. www.magictheatre.org.
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Add on yet another global effect of El Nino: A global rice shortage could become a reality this year, due to the weather system. Along with the shortage could come tighter rice supplies and higher prices, should a few key factors happen in the next few months.

El Nino-related extremes such as hot weather and drought are impacting rice-producing areas, including India, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam, and grain stock is expected to fall, according to an article from the Independent in England.

There are a still a few factors in play if a widespread shortage is to be avoided. One upcoming indicator of the shortage is how the monsoon season performs in Asia.

"The extent of this crisis all depends on what happens during the upcoming monsoon season," Dr. Samarendu Mohanty from the International Rice Research Institute told the Independent. "If it goes badly in India and Indonesia, and the crops don't get the rain, there could be real trouble ahead."

Mohanty said the situation is not quite at the level as when the rice supply dwindled in 2008, although BBC News reported last month that rice shortages in the Philippines caused violence in the southern Philippines, where people have been protesting the rice shortages. Thailand and Vietnam, the second and third largest rice producers respectively, are both experiencing droughts which are affecting rice crops, according to Reuters.

Prices have not yet been affected due to a surplus, but could soon, according to James Feel, an economist at the International Grains Council, who spoke with Reuters.

"As of now, we haven't seen a large price reaction to hot and dry weather, because we have had such significant surplus stocks in India and Thailand," Fell said. "But that can't last forever."

Click through the gallery above to see other effects of El Nino, including coral bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
BRUSSELS  The European Union pressed ahead Wednesday with efforts to persuade Turkey to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe and take back thousands more by offering Turkish citizens the prospect of visa-free travel within the bloc.

Mindful of Turkeys pivotal role in managing Europes refugee crisis, the European Commission said Ankara has met all but five of the 72 criteria needed to end visa requirements. It invited member states and EU lawmakers to endorse the move by June 30, even though some conditions remain to be fulfilled.
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LONDON  Londoners cast votes Thursday in an election that could give the city its first Muslim mayor, while voters elsewhere in Britain were expected to punish the main opposition Labor Party in local and regional polls.

Sadiq Khan, a 45-year-old Labor lawmaker, is the favorite to replace flamboyant Conservative Boris Johnson as London mayor, after a race marred by allegations of extremism and fear-mongering.

Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith used words such as radical and dangerous to describe Khan, and accused his opponent of giving platforms, oxygen and even cover to Islamic extremists  a charge repeated by Prime Minister David Cameron and other senior Conservatives.

Khan, a former human rights lawyer and the son of a bus driver from Pakistan, styled himself the British Muslim who takes the fight to the extremists. He accused Goldsmith, a wealthy environmentalist, of trying to divide voters in one of the worlds most multicultural cities, home to 8.6 million people  more than 1 million of them Muslims.

In an election-eve message, Khan promised to be a mayor for all Londoners.

I urge Londoners to choose hope over fear, he said.

Tony Travers, a local government expert at the London School of Economics, said the introduction of a directly elected London mayor 16 years ago had introduced an American form of government that differs from traditional British parliamentary and local government structures.

Now intriguingly this time  and weve seen a bit of it before  it appears to have brought with it some of the harder American campaign tactics, he said.

Voters are electing a Scottish Parliament and legislatures in Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as choosing members of many English local authorities.

A victory for Khan would be a bright spot in what looks set to be a grim day for Labor, which has been out of office nationally since 2010.

Opposition parties usually gain seats in midterm elections as voters punish the sitting government. But Labor under left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn is divided and beset by a controversy over allegations of anti-Semitism within its ranks. The claims gained new momentum when former London Mayor Ken Livingstone  a Corbyn ally  claimed that Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism before he came to power.

Livingstone, Labor lawmaker Naz Shah and several local party officials have been suspended over comments or social media posts about Israel, and Corbyn has faced renewed pressure over his links to pro-Palestinian groups.

Results of all the races are due Friday.
Alik Keplicz/Associated Press

OSWIECIM, Poland  Thousands of people from around the world, many draped in Israeli flags, have paid homage to the victims of the Holocaust with a somber march from the barracks of Auschwitz to nearby Birkenau.

Organizers of the March of the Living, held annually on Israels Holocaust Remembrance Day in memory of the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators, said about 10,000 participated in the event Thursday in southern Poland, occupied by the Nazis during World War II.
Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry discussed in a Cairo meeting on Thursday with Moussa El-Koni, the deputy head of Libya's presidential council of the national accord government, the latest developments in Libya and the importance of achieving Libyan political reconciliation.

According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, the two discussed efforts to reach reconciliation in Libya in order to achieve the goals of all parties involved and to ensure the success of the national accord government.

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Martinez Still on the Fence with Trump

After winning the Indiana primary on Tuesday,

and

have both suspended their campaigns, and Donald Trump is

. He says hes focused on people with political experience to help him get legislation passed if he wins the White House in November.

Trump still has a long way to go. Hillary Clinton leads him by

.

Meanwhile, Joe Monahan reports, Gov. Martinez is edging toward an endorsement of Donald Trump but still hedging. She is saying she will not vote for Hillary Clinton but

, including federal funding for the national labs.

As the Republican Party tries to unify under Trump, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson says there may be

for a strong third-party candidate.

Las Cruces Withholds Manager Applications

Here we go again.

, despite case law that settled the open government issue a few years ago. Go get 'em, Heath Haussamen.

Verizon Expects Protests in ABQ

Kevin Robinson-Avila at the Albuquerque Journal reports, 

on Thursday morning when the company opens its annual shareholders meeting at the Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town.

Fracking Lawsuits

Environmental advocacy groups in New Mexico and across the nation filed federal lawsuits this week accusing the Obama administration of

and residents from the ramifications of oil and gas production, particularly fracking, according to Rebecca Moss at the New Mexican. Gov. Pushes 'Pull Together' Campaign

Gov. Martinez was in Taos this week

.

Tax Reform 'White Paper'

Winthrop Quigley is Up Front today with analysis of a study that indicates New Mexico lawmakers should consider some tax reforms, including this one: 

should be considered, as well, to raise more revenue and improve tax progressivity.

Pot Vote

This fall, voters in California, unlike here in New Mexico, will

for adult recreational use.

Gathering of Nations Out at the Pit

Its still not clear why, but

They notified the groups management they will have to find a new venue next year after years in The Pit, or Wise Pies Arena.

Bedbug Problems

Now that youre almost done reading the Morning Word, you better make your bed and before you fluff your pillows, you might want to

. The health department says there numbers are surging and the little critters are getting stronger.

Santa Fe Reporter
Airways Corp, the government-owned entity in charge of traffic control, is seeking an increase in its capital expenditure of up to 30 percent as part of a negotiation that is expected to increase fees to airlines by 1.2 percent a year over the next year three years.

Airways chief executive Ed Sims told BusinessDesk this week that negotiations were advancing on a regular review of its fee structure for airlines flying to, from and within New Zealand and that the current $15 million annual capital expenditure budget, required for investing in new technology to run airports and airspace efficiently, was projected to rise "up to 20-to-30 percent".

Today, Airways' service and pricing manager Scott Scrimgeour clarified that the impact of the proposed changes per airline would be an average increase of around 1.2 percent per year over the next three years, subject to finalising the process after customer feedback. The capital budget is only a portion of the total costs charged by Airways, with its fees also recovering operational costs.

"We're leveraging some cost savings initiatives and strong volume growth in the industry," said Scrimgeour of the proposed increase.

The increased technology spend is required because of exponential growth in aviation volumes in the Asia-Pacific region, with annual growth in New Zealand aviation traffic recently starting to match the 6-to-8 percent annual growth rates being experienced in much of the Asia-Pacific region, Sims said.

Direct services to Dubai, Qatar, and the Philippines have all been announced in recent weeks, along with greater competition on routes to the west coast of the US, all through Auckland. New air services agreements with major potential sources of tourist arrivals, such as India, have also been signed.

Sims was speaking from the Civil Air Navigations Services Organisations Asia-Pacific conference in Queenstown, where regional industry leaders have gathered for two days of discussions on how best to manage the exploding growth of aviation in the region and how to avoid the bureaucratic tangle thats evolved in Europe, which along with North America is showing more static growth patterns.

Our region is facing a period of unprecedented growth; the projected increase in traffic and airspace congestion will have a profound impact on safety, efficiency, environmental sustainability and the wider economy, said Sims.

Conrad Clifford, the Asia-Pacific director for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said growth from China, which would soon outstrip the US as the primary source of air travellers, was likely to see the emergence of Sydney and Auckland as hubs competing with west coast US airports, such as Los Angeles, for Asian traffic bound for Latin American destinations.

Budget airlines, which were a primary source of traffic growth out of Asia, were likely to fly more point-to-point routes, not necessarily using hub airports, although their preference would always be hubs.

Sims said the growth in traffic into Auckland could be accommodated if Airways invested sufficiently in new technology to wring more efficiency out of the runway and the scheduling of planes waiting to take off and land.

If we dont invest in the right technology and New Zealand finds itself where demand outstrips supply, I dont think that pressure would be too far away, he said of the potential for Auckland airport, in particular, to become overloaded, creating opportunity for other New Zealand airports, although Sims doubted that outcome.

I dont know if it will get to the point of needing new airports. I dont see regional (domestic) aircraft growing at the same rate as international traffic.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Fonterra Cooperative Group cut its forecast farmgate milk price to its Australian dairy farmers for the current season, saying it better reflects the oversupply of milk which is weighing on global dairy commodity prices. It also offered those farmers a loan linked to future supply.

The dairy processor will pay its Australian farmers A$5 per kilogram of milk solids, down from an earlier forecast of A$5.60/kgMS, the Auckland-based company said in a statement. It also offered its Australian suppliers an interest-bearing support loan of as much as 60 Australian cents/kgMS, linked to a supply commitment and repayable from its 2018 financial year.

"The price change better reflects the reality of the supply and demand imbalance that is affecting global dairy commodity prices, compounded by the recent strength of the Australian dollar," the company said. Chief executive Theo Spierings caused a stir last August when he said Australian dairy farmers were being paid too much for their milk, which didn't reflect the collapse in global prices.

Fonterra, the world's largest dairy exporter, is reducing payments to its farmer suppliers as it grapples with weak dairy prices which have remained lower for longer than expected as global supply continues to exceed demand. It has already reduced payments to its New Zealand suppliers to $3.90/kgMS for the current season, which is below the cost of production for most. It supported its cash-strapped New Zealand farmers with an interest-free loan scheme that cost it $390 million and stretched its balance sheet, and has brought forward payment of its final dividend to get money into farmers' hands as quickly as possible.

The company said today that its revised Australian milk price would reduce the cost of goods sold for Fonterra Australia by about A$48 million although the amount is subject to factors such as final milk volumes for the year.

"This will contribute to the reduction of operating losses in our Australian Ingredients business this financial year," it said

The Australian business has underperformed for several years in an environment of fierce competition for milk supply and over-capacity in dairy production. Fonterra's head of Australian operations, Judith Swales, said in November that the unit should become profitable in the next year as it shifts its focus from low-priced skim and whole milk powders, which will be produced in New Zealand, to nutritional milk powders such as infant formula, whey and specialty cheeses such as mozzarella.

Most of Fonterras Australia suppliers are members of the Bonlac Supply Company, a collective which negotiates prices with the cooperative and acts as an agent for supplying it milk. Under a 2005 supply agreement, later extended to 2019 before Swales joined, Fonterra has to purchase all milk from BSC shareholders that meets its standards and match or better the price paid by the dominant processor  Murray Goulburn. It doesnt, however, lock in farmers to supply Fonterra.

Today's cut to Fonterra Australia's farmgate milk price comes after Murray Goulburn announced last week it would borrow to pay its farmers A$5.47/kgMS this year, down from the promised A$5.60/kgMS and a hoped for A$6.05/kgMS. Its chief executive, chief financial officer and two directors have resigned.

Fonterra today said it maintained its current earnings guidance range of 45 cents to 55 cents per share.

Units of the Fonterra Shareholders' Fund slid 0.2 percent to $5.79, and have decreased 3.2 percent this year.

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China has been cited as one of the most active countries for cyber crime attacks at New Zealand's first Cyber Security Summit in Auckland.

Jim Lewis, senior vice president for the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the most active cyber attackers were based in Russia, Iran, and China, with the latter mainly focused on economic espionage.

Lewis cited the example of an Australian company in talks recently on a deal with Chinese interests who said there had been 200 efforts to break into its IT systems to get data that would have been useful during those negotiations.

I talked to the head of a UK security firm who said it was just a normal part of doing business with China, he said. They want what would give them a competitive advantage in any deal theyre in.

China has been a growing market for Kiwi exporters, especially dairy product exporters, since New Zealand signed a free trade agreement with Beijing in 2008,

Hacking is standard business practice in China, agreed Richard Bejtlich, chief security strategist at security firm FireEye. Companies doing business there have to decide if theyll earn enough revenue to pay for better cyber security.

Its possible to hold them off. But I had a 40-plus team that were among the best in the world and we were just barely able to hold them off, he said. I dealt with some companies who had physical offices in China that knew they were under surveillance and sometimes they were even approached by the government with that surveillance in hand or Chinese companies were told not to do a deal because of what the government had heard.

China signed landmark deals last year promising not to conduct cyber espionage to steal trade secrets from the US, Britain and Germany and that led to a similar agreement between the Group of 20 nations last November.

However, just weeks after the China/US deal was signed, the cybersecurity firm Crowd Strike caught dozens of alleged Chinese hackers trying to steal copyrighted data from American tech and pharmaceutical companies.

Bejtlich said industrial espionage by Japan used to be a problem and hes optimistic China will eventually cut it out as well but that doesnt mean other developing countries wont adopt similar tactics.

We could have a similar issue in Africa or Latin America with, say, Nigeria saying that whole steal stuff from other people and put into our economy to jump start it looks a good idea.

Lewis said one of the important moves the Obama administration had taken on cyber security was improving attribution. One example was the US Justice Department in March charging seven Iranians allegedly linked to Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with breaking into the computer network of a small New York dam and attacking more than 40 US companies.

The ability of the US government to find the source of cyber attacks has shifted from one in three to more than two in three because of private sector information sharing with government officials, he said. Microsoft, Google and Twitter all now have policies of sharing information on attacks on their customers if they detect them.

Microsoft vice-president of security Matt Thomlinson said its customer data showed a major upsurge in ransomware attacks since February.

Thomlinson said it often starts with spear phishing  an email that appears to be from someone you know  and has now moved from being targeted at consumers to industrial scale.

The latest Symantec Internet Security Threat Report estimated ransomware attacks in New Zealand averaged 108 per day.

The rise of bitcoin, a digital currency, is one reason for the upsurge in ransomware, said Bejtlich. Bitcoin is now well-established and provides hackers with enough anonymity to protect their identities while providing a ready market for stolen data.

His company had worked with corporate ransomware victims who had paid five to seven figure sums as they dont have an alternative. However victims dont appear to be hit repeatedly as they are with other cyber crime once they had paid out, he said.

Mandatory reporting by companies that have been hacked can help others learn what's needed to tighten security, Lewis said.

People dont like it because it can have a share price effect. That usually only lasts a quarter, though the effects on the brand can be longer-lasting, he said. Greater transparency creates market incentives for companies to do better on cyber security.

New Zealand proposes replacing the current voluntary data breach reporting with a mandatory requirement, in draft legislation that should emerge by early next year.

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Bank of New Zealand's charge for bad and doubtful debts jumped 83 percent in the first half as the local unit of National Australia Bank doubled its provision against its dairy book in the face of a sustained downturn.

BNZ's charge for bad and doubtful debts rose to $84 million in the six months ended March 31, from $46 million a year earlier. The charge contributed to a 3.3 percent decline in cash earnings to $404 million.

"Our NZ banking business produced a solid result this period despite challenges facing the dairy industry," NAB chief executive Andrew Thorburn said in a statement. "While we remain confident in the robustness of the underlying New Zealand economy, against a backdrop of sustained low milk prices we have taken a proactive approach to provisioning for future dairy impairments."

Its Australian parent's first-half accounts show A$522 million of new impaired assets in the first half related to New Zealand dairy. Farmers supplying New Zealand's biggest export industry are enduring low prices for their milk in the face of a global supply-demand imbalance, with Fonterra Cooperative Group's forecast payout of $3.90 per kilogram of milk solids well below the estimated $5.25/kgMS breakeven level for the average farmer. Last year 76 percent of farmers took up an interest-free loan which cost the company $390 million.

"We commenced reviewing our dairy portfolio 18 months ago, working with customers as we took a 'lower for longer' view of the sector," BNZ chief executive Anthony Healy said in a separate statement. "We have also doubled our collective provision for dairy to reflect this."

Healy said the bank had been working with rural borrowers "to plan for a range of scenarios and the majority of our farmers are enacting those plans now. From a financial management perspective, they're adjusting well, removing costs and, if they have to, selling non-core assets."

BNZ's net interest margin fell to 2.31 percent from 2.42 percent in September, which the lender attributed to "lower deposit and lending margins and higher funding costs from heightened offshore market volatility."

Net interest income rose 3.8 percent to $882 million, as higher lending volumes partly offset the lower net interest margin.Total assets climbed 9.7 percent to about $90 billion and total liabilities rose 9.6 percent to $82.7 billion.

National Australia's total cash earnings rose to A$3.3 billion from A$3.1 billion a year earlier. Net interest income climbed to A$6.6 billion from A$6.2 billion. The Australian lender reported a statutory net loss of A$1.74 billion related to discontinued businesses and kept its first-half dividend unchanged at 99 Australian cents a share.

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Airways Corp, the state-owned enterprise in charge of air traffic control, is seeking an increase of up to 30 percent in its total annual fees to airlines over the next three years to cope with exponential growth in air traffic.

Airways has already seen annual budget growth of 150 percent to about $15 million in recent years and chief executive Ed Sims told BusinessDesk the demand for upgraded technology to cope with booming growth from Asia meant further investment was required.

The corporation is in consultation with airlines about its charging regime now and it "may potentially go up 20-to-30 percent", shared among the growing array of international carriers now landing in New Zealand, mainly at Auckland International Airport.

Direct services to Dubai, Qatar, and the Philippines have all been announced in recent weeks, along with greater competition on routes to the west coast of the US, all through Auckland. New air services agreements with major potential sources of tourist arrivals, such as India, have also been signed.

Sims was speaking from the Civil Air Navigations Services Organisation's Asia-Pacific conference in Queenstown, where regional industry leaders have gathered for two days of discussions on how best to manage the exploding growth of aviation in the region and how to avoid the bureaucratic tangle that's evolved in Europe, which along with North America is showing more static growth patterns.

Our region is facing a period of unprecedented growth; the projected increase in traffic and airspace congestion will have a profound impact on safety, efficiency, environmental sustainability and the wider economy," said Sims.

Conrad Clifford, the Asia-Pacific director for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said growth from China, which would soon outstrip the US as the primary source of air travellers, was likely to see the emergence of Sydney and Auckland as hubs competing with west coast US airports, such as Los Angeles, for Asian traffic bound for Latin American destinations.

Budget airlines, which were a primary source of traffic growth out of Asia, were likely to fly more point-to-point routes, not necessarily using hub airports, although their preference would always be hubs.

Sims said the growth in traffic into Auckland could be accommodated if Airways invested sufficiently in new technology to wring more efficiency out of the runway and the scheduling of planes waiting to take off and land.

"If we don't invest in the right technology and New Zealand finds itself where demand outstrips supply, I don't think that pressure would be too far away," he said of the potential for Auckland airport, in particular, to become overloaded, creating opportunity for other New Zealand airports, although Sims doubted that outcome.

"I don't know if it will get to the point of needing new airports. I don't see regional (domestic) aircraft growing at the same rate as international traffic."

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Fonterra Cooperative Group cut its forecast farmgate milk price to its Australian dairy farmers for the current season, saying it better reflects the oversupply of milk which is weighing on global dairy commodity prices. It also offered farmers a loan linked to future supply.

The dairy processor will pay its Australian farmers A$5 per kilogram of milk solids, down from an earlier forecast of A$5.60/kgMS, the Auckland-based company said in a statement. It also offered its Australian suppliers an interest-bearing support loan of as much as 60 cents/kgMS, linked to a supply commitment and repayable from its 2018 financial year.

"The price change better reflects the reality of the supply and demand imbalance that is affecting global dairy commodity prices, compounded by the recent strength of the Australian dollar," it said.

Fonterra, New Zealand's dominant milk processor, is reducing payments to its farmer suppliers as it grapples with weak dairy prices which have remained lower for longer than expected as global supply continues to exceed demand. It has already reduced payments to its New Zealand suppliers to $3.90/kgMS for the current season, which is below the cost of production for most. It has supported its cash-strapped farmers with an interest-free loan scheme that cost it $390 million and stretched its balance sheet, and has brought forward payment of its final dividend to get money into farmers' hands as quickly as possible.

The company said today that its revised Australian milk price would reduce the cost of goods sold for Fonterra Australia by about A$48 million, although the final amount is subject to factors such as final milk volumes for the year.

"This will contribute to the reduction of operating losses in our Australian Ingredients business this financial year," it said. The move follows last week's sudden resignation by the chief executive of a competitor coop, Murray Goulburn, and a cut in its promised payout to farmers from A$6/kgMS to A$4.75 to A$5/kgMS.

Australian operations have been under-performing for some time, prompting a turnaround plan, which included the sale of Fonterra's stake in Bega Cheese, a deal with Bellamy's Australia to make infant formula, and the merger of New Zealand's consumer brands with the Australian segment under the purview of Oceania managing director Judith Swales.

Fonterra maintained its current earnings guidance range of 45 cents to 55 cents per share.

Units of the Fonterra Shareholders' Fund slid 0.2 percent to $5.79, and have decreased 3.2 percent this year.

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The government will spend $22.2 million over the next four years to help combat cyber crime.

In a pre-budget announcement, Prime Minister John Key told the country's first ever Cyber Security Summit in Auckland that the government had earmarked $20 million of new operating funding over the next four years and $2.2 million of new capital to set up a national Computer Emergency Response Team to help prevent and act on cyber incidents in partnership with the private sector and other organisations.

More than 856,000 New Zealanders were estimated to be affected by cyber crime last year, costing the economy $257 million. Attacks can range from computer viruses and malware, credit card fraud, online scams, phishing and identity theft through to full-scale incidents such as the leaking online of company information experienced by Sony Pictures, the theft of credit card details from more than 110 million customers of US department store Target, or the shutdown of Ukraine's power grid.

"Cyber incidents and attacks threaten our economy," Key said. "They can undermine our strategic and competitive advantages and cost our economy millions of dollars each year. The government takes the protection of our businesses and economy from this growing threat seriously."

In 2011, the government launched its first every Cyber Security Strategy and opened a National Cyber Security Centre to help defend government agencies and critical infrastructure providers against cyber threats. Key said the response team, or CERT, is a central part of the scheme, helping to defend businesses and infrastructure against cyber attacks.

The government is investing more than $2 billion in building faster, more reliable broadband infrastructure to boost the economy but needs to ensure the online environment is as safe and secure as possible, he said.

"Cyber attacks can bring it to a screaming halt - or worse, bring it crashing down," Key said. "There is no point in building a brand new house to then leave the front door unlocked."

New Zealand's geographic location in the South Pacific had previously helped keep the country safe from traditional forms of attack in the past, but it wouldn't protect the nation from cyber crime, he said. "Malicious cyber attacks can be perpetrated from anywhere in the world, at any time and by anyone."

Key said New Zealand is dealing with state-sponsored espionage by foreign countries and organised criminal groups and faces attacks by extremists, terrorists, issue-motivated activists, lone cyber hackers and disgruntled insiders.

"These attacks require a comprehensive and coordinated response," he said.

CERT will be a separate unit in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and is expected to be in operation in the first quarter of 2017. It will become part of an international network of CERTs, joining a global effort to improve internet security, the government said.

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The man routinely described as Prime Minister John Key's lawyer, Ken Whitney, is not in fact a lawyer anymore.

A central figure in the New Zealand fallout from the Panama Papers release, Whitney gave up his practicing certificate with the New Zealand Law Society in February, at the same time as he established Antipodes Group, a specialist foreign trust advisory firm, according to a detailed blog on the matter by former Reuters correspondent-turned-blogger Simon Louisson.

Written a fortnight ago, unchallenged by Whitney and unreported by mainstream media in that time, the blog on Labour-aligned website, The Standard, quotes Whitney on his decision not to remain registered to practice law.

Asked by Louisson whether he was Key's lawyer, the Auckland-based businessman initially said: "Yes."

After some discussion, he amended this to: Im not calling myself a lawyer; Mr Key is.

Louisson went on to report that "later (Whitney) conceded he was retired from legal practice, although he said he was a consultant with Alexander Dorrington Lawyers, the practice that bought Whitneys practice, Ross & Whitney, in February 2014, which he shared with Ian Ross."

Whitney said he was aware he was not registered, with Alexander Dorrington doing most of the actual legal work on his advice, Louisson wrote.

"Asked if, given the publicity generated by the revelation that Key had an account with Antipodes, which specialises in offshore trusts, that Whitney did not have a responsibility to clarify the situation, Whitney said: 'No, I didnt feel any need to comment'," The Standard article says.

Key initially defended Whitney's name-checking Key in a letter last year to Revenue Minister Todd McClay, urging the government not to let the Inland Revenue Department conduct a review of New Zealand's permissive foreign trust regime, which the Panama Papers release has highlighted.

Key later said Whitney had misrepresented him in the letter but maintained his action in advising Whitney to take the matter up with the relevant minister was appropriate and normal.

The Green and Labour parties are seeking to connect McClay's confirmation five months later that no investigation would occur to an implied instruction from Key in Whitney's letter.

Key has described Whitney as a long-time friend who had handled his private legal affairs for years and continues to manage his New Zealand-registered private blind trust, Aldgate.

Companies Office records show Whitney and Ross are directors of scores of firms, many with offshore owners.

Meanwhile, Transparency International says it is "extremely surprised and disappointed at the limited scope of the Shewan inquiry" into New Zealand's foreign trust law settings, which allow the country's global reputation for high integrity to be exploited by foreign interests seeking to shelter funds from income tax in their own countries.

Former PwC New Zealand chairman and tax expert John Shewan has been appointed to undertake a review that TI says should go beyond foreign trusts "to tackle the broader spectrum of financial crime risks associated with New Zealand companies and trusts."

Government agencies had already done work in this area and it was important that New Zealand entities not be used to disguise such financial crimes as "money-laundering and ill-gotten asset transfers and other forms of international corruption."

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The select committee considering reforms to the Resource Management Act is hearing a chorus of concern about proposals to limit rights of appeal on resource consents, expansion of ministerial powers, and fears over the potential for "collaborative processes" to add cost and delay to consent processes.

Both industry and environmental advocates are expressing similar concerns about key aspects of the watered-down RMA reforms in the government's Resource Legislation Amendment Bill, currently before the local government and environment select committee.

Business New Zealand, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, and the Greater Wellington Regional Council today joined earlier submitters in airing misgivings.

Both the PCE, Jan Wright, and GWRC chair Chris Laidlaw urged a national debate on legislation to replace the 24-year-old RMA, which was ground-breaking at the time for including environmental and resource use in one law for the first time, but has displayed limitations, especially in urban development and affordable housing.

"We think the committee should send the bill back to the Minister and ask him to pause, pending proposals from the blue-skies thinking of the Productivity Commission and Local Government New Zealand," said Laidlaw.

The Productivity Commission report on urban planning is due early next year and is widely seen as the vehicle for arguing a gradual return to separate legislation for resource management and urban planning.

"Amend or replace (the RMA)? I don't have a view at this stage, but there's a very important debate on it," Wright told the committee. "The two big issues for me are housing affordability and climate change."

The main issues could potentially be dealt with by a National Policy Statement under the RMA, rather than amending the legislation.

"When that emerges, then you could look at what the legislation might look like," she said.

Business NZ policy advocate John Carnegie said business investors opposed the removal of the right to mount appeals against resource consent decisions on merit, at least not until new processes envisaged by the bill had bedded down and were working well.

"Removing them (appeal rights) will create unnecessary risks," said Carnegie. "You can't rely on getting the processes right first time."

Labour committee member David Parker asked the submitters about a so far unseen submission from Environment Canterbury commissioner and former Environment Court judge, Professor Peter Skelton, which he said proposes a more structured, single process that would involve Environment Court judges in the consent process to give certainty and rigour.

Even if the process were longer than the current first round of consent processes, Parker is arguing this might still be swifter than a flawed first stage increasing the likelihood of an appeal.

"It's best to ensure the first hearing has a judicial element," Parker said.

Committee chair Scott Simpson indicated the committee was grappling with the appropriate balance between the interests of directly affected communities and wider groups in society. Wright had cited the recent heckling of youthful Generation Zero climate change activists at a meeting of Auckland eastern suburbs residents about housing density and heights.

"The concern is that, in the future, an alternative view might be excluded," said Wright.

She praised the collaborative decision-making process as used in the Land and Water Forum because it allowed changes in knowledge and science to be incorporated in an evolving agreement between stakeholders.

"Twenty-five years ago, we thought environmental problems were probably much more solvable than they have turned out to be," she said. Adaptable processes helped deal with emerging understanding.

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Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry discussed in a telephone call with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Thursday the latest developments in Syria, including ongoing ceasefire efforts, along with other regional developments, Egypts Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

Egypt will likely participate in a meeting in Geneva to enforce recent ceasefire arrangements brokered by the US and Russia and resume talks between Syrian groups, according to the foreign ministry statement.

The Russian foreign ministry said that the two officials also discussed talks held earlier this week in Moscow between Lavrov and UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

Egypt is currently heading the UN Security Council in May, and is a member of the International Syria Support Group.

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Former NZX chief executive Mark Weldon was under pressure from his board over the performance of acquisitions and over his own performance when he stopped funding for Clear Grain Exchange, Wellington's High Court has heard.

Tim North QC, counsel for Ralec, which sold the grain exchange to NZX in 2009, today set out his client's counter-suit against NZX for A$14 million plus bonuses. Weldon had hoped to turn the marginally profitable business into an 'Agri-Bloomberg' valued at between A$750 million and A$1 billion but the deal soured when the grain exchange missed targets and the parties ended up in an acrimonious dispute. Ralec claims breach of contract which meant it failed to get the earn-outs that were due if the business had performed.

North cited a letter from the NZX board in August 2009 that approved and endorsed Weldon's Agri-portal strategy and committed to an investment of $100 million. But he said that funding was stopped by January 2010 amid concerns about NZX's own expansion plans.

There was underperformance in all of NZX's targeted acquisitions at that point, North said. Weldon "was under significant pressure from his own board about his own performance."

"Weldon had been under real concern about the question of NZX's liquidity," North said. "He felt there was a need to put some form of freeze in place."

That freeze included getting rid of key Clear staff members including former owners Grant Thomas and Dominic Pym of Ralec and the grain exchange's chief financial officer, as well as halting technical development of the Agri-portal, North said.

Weldon had sent an email in January about getting rid of Thomas, describing a potential replacement he had met as "exactly the right guy to run Clear."

Part of North's argument is that NZX then attempted to impose criteria on Ralec that weren't part of the original agreement, such as making it a precondition of funding the portal that Clear had won between 15 and 25 percent of the grain trading market in Australia.

"There's no precondition to the provision of finances and resources for the Agri-portal that Clear achieve a market share of the grain market, or that the exchange generate a level of proprietary data which was greater than that generated at completion," North said. "The portal was not dependent on the market. Those two parts were not interdependent, each can be successful without the other."

Ralec is attempting to make a claim against NZX under the Fair Trading Act, while arguing it can't itself be sued under that law because it operated in Victoria, Australia, not New Zealand.

NZX's lawyer for the counter-claim, David Cooper, said before completion, the idea that the Agri-portal would be built off the success of the Clear grain exchange was shared between parties.

"It's for Ralec to prove non-compliance and loss resulting from that non-compliance, and that more resourcing would have resulted in targets being met," Cooper said. "Everyone was embarking on unchartered territory. No one quite knew how it would turn out."

NZX is suing for between A$20.7 million and A$37.6 million, claiming Thomas and Pym, and their companies Ralec Commodities and Ralec Interactive misled NZX when it bought the commodities trading platform with wildly inaccurate forecasts.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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New Zealand shares rose, outperforming equity markets across Asia, as a brokerage gave an upbeat assessment of retirement village operator Metlifecare. Auckland International Airport and Z Energy gained while Kathmandu Holdings fell.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index gained 52 points, or 0.8 percent, to 6,876.49. Within the index, 31 stocks rose, ten fell and eight were unchanged. Turnover was $137.4 million.

Asian markets have fallen for seven consecutive sessions with mixed economic data across the region keeping investors concerned about growth. At 5:10pm local time, China's SSEC was 0.3 percent lower and Hong Kong's Hang Seng had dropped 0.4 percent.

Metlifecare rose 3.4 percent to $5.50, a price not seen since January 2008 after First NZ Capital analysts said in a report that the retirement village operator will benefit in coming months from a ramp-up in development, change in leadership, and supportive business conditions.

We see METs pipeline of build as more attractive than it has been for many years and we expect new management over time to accelerate both the build programme and also site purchases, the analysts said.

Rival Ryman Healthcare rose 1.8 percent to $8.99 and Summerset Group Holdings gained 0.5 percent to $4.36.

An investment conference hosted by Macquarie Group in Sydney has drawn a large number of institutional investors this week, said Anthony Halls, portfolio manager at Mint Asset Management.

"The New Zealand market is doing pretty well, there's been weakness from offshore but the market hasn't been overly worried - it's still a good place for investors," Hall said.

The local market is up 7.9 percent for the year, while Australia's ASX 200 is down 0.5 percent and the Hang Seng has fallen 6.6 percent. It reached a record 6,906.1 last month before falling back, though is nearing that high again.

Auckland International Airport led the index, up 4 percent to $6.445. It dipped two weeks ago, which some analysts ascribed to profit taking after the stock reached an all-time high of $6.895 at the beginning of May, but has recovered since. It's up 7.7 percent this year.

"It's literally just bouncing back from a bit of weakness, it's doing well in an illiquid market," Hall said.

Vital Healthcare Property Trust gained 3.4 percent to $2.15, and Meridian Energy advanced 2.9 percent to $2.63.

Z Energy rose 1.1 percent to $7.97, a record. The New Zealand Superannuation Fund said it is happy to remain a holder of shares in Z Energy after Australian media reports suggested it planned to sell its 10 percent stake in the fuel retailer. The shares spiked after the Commerce Commission approved Z's bid to buy the rival Caltex and Challenge! petrol station chains last week.

Units in Fonterra Shareholders' Fund, which give holders access to Fonterra Cooperative Group's dividend stream, gained 0.3 percent to $5.82. Fonterra Cooperative Group cut its forecast farmgate milk price to its Australian dairy farmers for the current season, saying it better reflects the oversupply of milk which is weighing on global dairy commodity prices. The company said its revised Australian milk price would reduce the cost of goods sold for Fonterra Australia by about A$48 million although the amount is subject to factors such as final milk volumes for the year.

Kathmandu Holdings fell furthest, down 2.6 percent to $1.52, a two-month low.

Xero dropped 1.6 percent to $15.24 and Chorus declined 1.2 percent to $4.01.

Outside the main index, Tourism Holdings gained 1.9 percent to $2.72. One of the long-time private holders sold their stake today, Halls said.

GeoOp, which last traded yesterday at 28 cents, has overwhelmingly approved a merger with Australian mobile sales app developer InterfaceIT and welcomed Roger Sharp to the board, where he is to replace Mark Weldon as chairman. Reporters were barred without explanation from the special meeting in Auckland which came a day after Weldon's resignation as chief executive of MediaWorks.

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GeoOp shareholders have overwhelmingly approved a merger with Australian mobile sales app developer InterfaceIT and welcomed Roger Sharp to the board, where he is to replace Mark Weldon as chairman.

Reporters were barred without explanation from the special meeting in Auckland today, which came a day after Weldon's surprise resignation under intense media gaze as chief executive of MediaWorks.

Some 91.74 percent of votes cast were in favour of the transaction, which will see a workforce management app developer GeoOp buy InterfaceIT for $9 million in shares and convertible notes. Independent adviser Simmons Corporate Finance valued InterfaceIT at between $6.1 million and $8.5 million and added an additional $2.3 million to $4 million of benefits arising from a merger.

Shareholders also cast 91.73 percent of votes in favour of issuing 15 million shares at 40 cents apiece and 3 million unlisted convertible notes at a face value of $1 each to the vendors of InterfaceIT to finance the transaction.

The purchase price may increase based on the performance of the merged entity over the 12 months following completion. The vendors will initially own about 32 percent of the enlarged business and their stake could rise to as much as 64 percent if certain conditions, in what the independent adviser called a worst-case scenario for GeoOp shareholders.

Simmons Corporate said in its report that GeoOp would have needed to raise new capital in the near future at its current spending rate if the deal didn't proceed. GeoOp's cash at Dec. 31 was $2.7 million, up from $1.47 million at June 30, reflecting a $2.45 million capital raising and $628,000 share purchase plan. Its monthly cash burn averaged $325,000 in the first half.

InterfaceIT is a joint venture between entrepreneur Jordan Muir and merchant bank North Ridge Partners, which as part of the deal will be given a mandate to advise on a potential capital raising, which would coincide with or precede a listing on the ASX. The Australian company provides cloud-based programmes for managing in-field, face-to-face sales teams. Its customers include Trustpower, Australia's Simply Energy, Aussie Farmers Direct and Telstra, and SunRun in the US.

Some 91.73 percent of votes cast were in favour of appointing InterfaceIT's Sharp to the board. Weldon was to stay on as a director after being replaced as chair.

On a pro-forma basis, GeoOp and InterfaceIT would have reported a loss of $4.2 million loss in the first half on revenue of $4.3 million, GeoOp has said previously. The companies have agreed to continue a cost reduction plan within the first 12 months of the two entities being operationally combined.

GeoOp said the combined entity is expected to reach break-even in the second half of 2017, with a significantly reduced cash outflow over 2016 and the first half of 2017.

GeoOp's NZAX-listed shares last traded at 28 cents and have tumbled 45 percent in the past 12 months.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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The United States and Russia have agreed to extend a cessation of hostilities in Syria to include Aleppo province and will coordinate to strengthen monitoring of the new arrangement, the State Department said on Wednesday.

It is critical that Russia redoubles efforts to press Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to comply with the new arrangement while Washington does its part with Syrian opposition forces, department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

"Our objective remains, and has always been, a single nationwide cessation of hostilities covering all of Syria - not a series of local truces," Toner said.

Since the cessation of hostilities went into effect at midnight in Syria, "we have seen an overall decrease in violence in these areas, even though there have been reports of continued fighting in some locations," Toner said.

Aleppo has been the scene of the worst surge in fighting in recent days, wrecking the first major ceasefire of the five-year-old civil war, sponsored by the United States and Russia, which had held since February.

U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva on Monday and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday.

Upon returning to Washington on Tuesday, Kerry said he believed a cease-fire deal could still be restored in Syria despite escalating violence and warned Assad of "repercussions" unless he sticks to the agreement.

Kerry said it would take a few days until commanders in the field had been notified and the truce took effect.

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Syria's army said Wednesday it will abide by a two-day ceasefire in second city Aleppo agreed between the United States and Russia.

"A truce will be in place in Aleppo for 48 hours from 1:00 am on Thursday (2200 GMT on Wednesday)," a statement from Damascus's army command said, according to the official SANA news agency and state television.

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Turkey is not expected to hold a snap election after the ruling AK Party elects a new leader and will continue "securely" until the current government's mandate expires in 2019, presidential adviser Cemil Ertem said on Thursday.

Turkey and its economy will stabilise further when a prime minister more closely aligned with President Tayyip Erdogan takes office, Ertem said in a live interview with broadcaster NTV.

The current economy management will stay in place, he said, adding he does not expect any changes in monetary and fiscal policies. Declines in Turkish assets, especially the lira, amid worries about political turmoil will not continue and the lira may even become overvalued, undermining exports, he said.

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BENGALURU: Toyota is all set to start the sale of its next generation Fortuner in the Indian market and as reported by The Economic Times it will be available during the festive season of Diwali. While this latest model is already selling in various markets like, Middle East, Australia, South Africa and Thailand. The latest Fortuner is built with sharp styling that was not present in the current on road model.

Toyota made some changes in its next generation model in comparison to the current one. The new model is 15mm wider and 90mm longer, but the height of the SUV is 15mm shorter than the previous version. In spite of the shorter height, engineers successfully managed to keep the 2750mm wheelbase.

Toyota designed the engine lineup comparative to Innova Crysta that comes with 2.4-liter GD diesel engine providing power of 149Hps and torque of 343Nm. There is another version of it with a 2.8-liter diesel engine that produces a power of 174Hps and torque of 360Nm. The torque statistics in the new Fortuner will be more to provide better performance. 6-speed automatic and manual gearboxes will handle the transmission. The SUV will come in two grades i.e. 2WD (two wheel drive) and 4WD (four wheel drive).

The technical specifications of new Fortuner are similar to the Innova Crysta, equipped with LED daytime running lights, LED projector headlights, Down Hill Assist Control (DAC) system, A-TRC Traction Control (TRC) system, electric tailgate, cruise control, automatically adjustable drivers seat, reversing camera, and T-Connect infotainment system installed with satellite navigation.

The new Toyota Fortuner will be manufactured at Hyundais plant in Karnataka and is expected to be priced between 22 Lakhs  28 Lakhs. The model will compete with the likes of Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Ford Endeavour, Hyundai Santa Fe and Chevrolet Trailblazer.

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WASHINGTON: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump today warned American companies of "very serious consequences" if they shift their operations overseas.



"We're going to bring back our jobs and we're going to keep our jobs. We're not going to let companies leave," Trump said after winning the Indiana Primary which propelled him to the position of being a presumptive nominee.



"Now, if they want to go to a different state, good luck, compete. But when they start going to different countries, and in many cases countries that devalue their currency and make it impossible for our companies to compete, that's not going to happen, not going to happen," he said.



"If they want to do it anyway, there will be consequences and there will be very, very serious consequences," Trump said in his first major warning to American companies.



The real estate mogul indicated that economy and trade would be one of his major election issues this summer leading to the November presidential elections in the fall, wherein he is expected to clash with the former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.



Trump used the occasion to lash at Clinton and claim that the former top American diplomat has no understanding of trade.



"She will not be a great president; she will not be a good president. She will be a poor president. She doesn't understand trade. Her husband (the former president Bill Clinton) signed, perhaps in the history of the world, the single-worst trade deal ever done; it's called NAFTA. And I was witness to the carnage over the last six weeks especially," Trump said.



"Now, I've known Syracuse and I've known Poughkeepsie and I've known all of the different places that I visited in New York and then Pennsylvania and then Maryland,...And all of the different states, Connecticut, and I've witnessed what it's done really firsthand. And it has been indeed carnage," he said referring to shutting down of local industries in these cities and States.



"And we're going to change it around. We're not going to let Carrier and all of these companies just think that they can move, go to another country, make their product, sell it back to us and we get only one thing, we get unemployment. Not going to happen anymore, folks. It's not going to happen anymore," he asserted.

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Source: PTI
INDIANAPOLIS: Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign today launched a frontal attack on Donald Trump, saying he was "too divisive" and lacks presidential temperament as a clash between the two leaders in the November polls seemed likely.

"Fundamentally, our next president will need to do two things: keep our nation safe in a dangerous world and help working families get ahead here at home. Donald Trump is not prepared to do either," John Podesta, chairman of the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, said yesterday.



"Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he is too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world. With so much at stake, Donald Trump is simply too big of a risk," he said.



Hillary has proven that she has the strength to keep us safe in an uncertain world and a lifelong record of fighting to break down the barriers - economic and social - that hold working families back, Podesta said.



"While Donald Trump seeks to bully and divide Americans, Hillary Clinton will unite us to create an economy that works for everyone," he said.



The Clinton Campaign immediately sought for donation from its supporters after Trump, 69, won Indiana primary and sent his nearest rival Texas Senator Ted Cruz, 45, crashing out of the race, becoming the presumptive Republican nominee.



The Democratic Party too launched an attack on Trump with Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz saying Trump is the Republican Party.



"Ted Cruz may have been the least-liked politician in Washington, but Trump is one of the least liked men in America and Democrats will hold him accountable for his offensive rhetoric, dangerous ideas and lack of judgement every single day between today and November 8.



"The decades-old Republican strategy of exploiting unfounded fear of immigrants, minorities, the poor, the LGBT community and more, all for political gain, have laid the groundwork for Donald Trump," Schultz said.



He said Democrats won't hesitate to fight for the vast majority of the American people, who share our values of inclusion, hard work, dignity and opportunity for all.



"We will hold Republicans on the ballot at every level accountable for their standard bearer," he said.



Senator Bernie Sanders, 74, of the Democratic Party who narrowly defeated Hillary in the Indiana primary, said that Trump should never become the US president.



"We understand that we have an uphill climb to victory but we have been fighting uphill from the first day of this campaign. We are in this campaign to win and we are going to fight until the last vote is cast. There is nothing I would like more than to take on and defeat Donald Trump, someone who must never become president of this country," Sanders told his supporters in Indiana's New Albany.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Whole Foods has its cheerleaders on Staten Island. Is our love for the market expressed loud enough for one land one here?

Last year, for instance, Robert "Bobbybunz" Parker started the "We Want Whole Foods in Staten Island NYC" Facebook page. Updated about four months ago, the effort has 1,534 supporters as of Thursday, May 5.

There, an organic-produce-hungry potential Whole Foods patron can find a Facebook petition authored by Louis DeFeo that reads, "By signing this petition, I am in support of Whole Foods Market opening a Staten Island grocery store...We would love to have a quality grocery store with fresh produce, meats, wine, and great prepared food. We love Whole Foods Stores selection, and quality and we will be avid shoppers. So, please, bring a Whole Food Grocery store to Staten Island, N.Y."

(Note: Beer, wine and cider products can be sold in New York City supermarkets so long as they register a max of 6 percent alcohol.)

"I have been to the Whole Foods in Red Bank and I am a big fan," said Borough President James Oddo, in a January, 2015 report.

Now, over a year later, there is an official update on the Whole Foods matter. And, here it is from Michael Sinatra, Public Relations & Public Affairs Director for the company's Northeast Region.

"There is no update at this time regarding a potential store in the area," he noted in an email.

(Note: At the risk of nagging, the Advance keeps in touch with Whole Foods on the matter.)

Sinatra continues: "As noted the last time, Staten Island, much like the other boroughs of New York City, are certainly on our radar and our teams are always reviewing opportunities for a potential store. We've continued to hear from Staten Island residents and will be certain to share the news if a location is selected in the future."

Sinatra signed his correspondence on the Staten Island discussion an upbeat, "All the best."

Meanwhile, the city of Syracuse fell on the New York radar for a Whole Foods.


STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD is seeking the public's help in identifying two men sought for questioning in connection with a robbery at gunpoint outside of a check-cashing business in Tompkinsville.

One of the men identified by police as a suspect wore a jacket with a distinctive symbol of a cross.

The suspects approached a 24-year-old woman in front of 41 Victory Blvd. on Friday, Feb. 19, at 4:30 a.m., according to a statement from the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. A culprit brandished a silver firearm and forcibly grabbed the victim's handbag, police said. The suspects then ran northbound on Bay Street.



The victim wasn't injured in the incident.

Police released a photo of a man sought for questioning, taken from surveillance cameras at the checking-cashing business. He is described in the NYPD statement as a suspect in the crime.

He is described by police as a 25-year-old black male who stands 6'1" tall, weighs 175 pounds, has a thin build and a beard. He was last seen wearing black sweat pants, black and white sneakers, a grey hooded sweatshirt and a black leather jacket with a white cross on the back.

Another suspect is described by police as a 25-year-old black male who stands 5'7" tall and weighs 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing black pants and a black jacket.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-8477 (TIPS), submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers' website or by texting their tips to CRIMES (274637), then entering TIP577.
A double bomb attack on Thursday in central Syria killed at least 10 civilians and wounded 40 others, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

State television also reported dead and wounded in the suicide attack and car bombing in a square in Mukharram al-Fawqani in Homs province.

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Turkish artillery fired into Islamic State-held territory in Syria on Thursday, killing four militants, in retaliation for cross-border rockets that wounded three Turks, security sources and media said.

Two rockets fired by IS group from Syria landed in a residential area of the town of Kilis earlier in the day, its mayor, Hasan Kara, said. One person was slightly wounded.

Kilis, which stands on the Syrian border in southern Turkey, has been repeatedly targeted by IS group barrages which have killed 19 people since the start of the year.

The Turkish armed forces fired howitzers at two targets on the Syrian side, Dogan News Agency said, citing the military.

NATO member Turkey, which is part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS group, has routinely returned fire, destroying gun positions and killing 370 militants, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.

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Related Turkey PM to quit as Erdogan tightens grip

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday announced he would not be seeking a new mandate as ruling party chief at a extraordinary party congress on May 22, meaning he will step down as prime minister.

"I declare that we will hold our congress on May 22," Davutoglu told reporters in Ankara after a meeting of the central committee of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), adding: "I don't think I will be a candidate in the next congress in the current circumstances." According to the AKP's convention, the party chief and premier are always the same person.

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Saudi Arabia on Thursday put to death a Jordanian convicted of drug trafficking, in the kingdom's 91st execution this year.

Maher al-Ghurabli had been found guilty of smuggling amphetamine pills into the kingdom, the interior ministry said in a statement.

Authorities carried out the sentence against him in the northwestern region of Tabuk, which borders his Jordanian homeland.

Most people put to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded with a sword.

Ghurabli's is the 91st execution of a local or foreigner this year, according to an AFP tally.

The executions include 47 for "terrorism" on a single day, January 2.

Murder and drug trafficking cases account for the majority of Saudi executions.

Amnesty International said Saudi Arabia had the third highest number of people put to death last year -- at least 158.

That was far behind Pakistan, which executed 326, and Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran, which executed at least 977, said Amnesty, whose figures exclude secretive China.

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One person was killed and seven more wounded when rockets fired from Syria slammed into the Turkish border region of Kilis, which has been regularly targeted by militants this year, the Dogan news agency said.

Kilis, which lies opposite areas controlled by Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria, has been battered since January by rocket fire from the other side of the border.

The latest firing of four Katysuha-type rockets from Syria brought the death toll from such incidents since the start of the year to 21.

Turkey has hit back with artillery fire of its own against IS fighters but has always stopped short of making any firm commitment to send its troops over the border.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Wednesday Turkey is ready to send ground troops into Syria if necessary but would prefer to act alongside its international allies.

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A senior Libyan military official says an Islamic State (IS) group suicide bomber has rammed his car into a checkpoint in the country's west manned by a militia from the western city of Misrata, killing five militiamen.

The official told The Associated Press that the attack took place on Thursday near the town of Abu-Qrain, 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Misrata. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to reporters.

Misrata is home to one of the strongest militias in Libya, which played a key role in toppling late dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

But an IS group affiliate that emerged in Libya has used the turmoil gripping the country in recent years, seizing the central coastal city of Sirte last year and creating its own stronghold there.

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System error

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The ACT Government will not build road bridges across the Murrumbidgee River to develop new suburbs for Tuggeranong.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr rejected the idea on Thursday on cost and environmental grounds, after the move was allowed when sweeping changes to the ACT's planning regime were unveiled.

Zed Seselja said the federal funding was responsible and based on two years of scientific consultation and research. Credit:Graham Tidy

The refusal prompted ACT Liberal senator Zed Seselja to accuse Mr Barr of "selling out Tuggeranong".
The Glass Menagerie. By Tennessee Williams. Directed by Eamon Flack. Belvoir Street Theatre. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre. Until May 7. canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

Pamela Rabe joins an illustrious company of Australian actresses who have created definitive interpretations of Tennessee Williams' enduring creations of complex and troubled female characters. In Eamon Flack's production of The Glass Menagerie currently playing at the Canberra Playhouse, Rabe's magnificent performance of matriarch Amanda Wingfield is as stellar as recent Sydney Theatre Company portrayals of Blanche DuBois by Cate Blanchett in A Streetcar Named Desire and of Violet Venable by Robyn Nevin in Suddenly, Last Summer. Chameleon-like, Rabe charts the rollercoaster ride of emotions from autocratic matriarch to despairing and dejected mother to the fanciful, frivolous Southern belle, reliving her debutante days when gentleman caller Jim O'Connor (Harry Greenwood) arrives for dinner. Rabe's tour de force performance is a magnet to our hearts and our minds.

Pamela Rabe illuminates the stage as Amanda in The Glass Menagerie. Credit:Jamila Toderas

Rabe illuminates the stage as a single Southern mother, desperately struggling to care for her shy, insecure and pleurosis affected daughter, Laura, beautifully played with vulnerable fragility by Rose Riley, and her brother, the sensitive and tortured would-be poet Tom. Luke Mullins in the role acts as both the narrator of the play and the character of Tom, living out his past. This is a performance of complexity, contradiction and depth, perfectly depicting Williams' personal struggles with identity and ambition as expressed in his symbolic and sentimental memory play.

Tom, the narrator, states quite clearly in his address to the audience that the play is not realistic. Live video projection designed by Sean Bacon evokes the glorious age of black and white cinema, underscored by recognisable movie themes and projected onto screens on either side of the stage. Williams' love of the era of 1940s cinema conjures a romantic notion of fantasy and illusion against the confronting reality of Michael Hankins' authentic design of the claustrophobic and neglected Wingfield apartment, atmospherically lit by Damien Cooper with a keen sense of the play's shifting moods. Stefan Gregory's composition and sound design entices the audience into a dreamscape world that offers Williams' entrapped characters escape from the cruel and bitter realities of an unfulfilled existence. In the real world that Amanda inhabits with her children, dreams cannot come true, unless, like the unseen father, one deserts home and family, as Tom is desperate to do to stop "the boiling inside". In the long and climactic scene between Laura and Jim at the end of the play, O'Connor offers a motivational call for hope and confidence.
One of Brisbane Airport's holy grails  direct daily flights between Brisbane and Shanghai  will finally arrive later this year, after China Eastern committed to increased services to the Queensland capital.

Tourism Minister Kate Jones said Queensland had become the first state in Australia to secure daily flights with China Eastern, China's second-largest airline.

China Eastern will fly the Airbus A330 into Brisbane when it starts daily flights in December. Credit:Creative Commons

The daily direct flights between Shanghai to Brisbane will start on December 16 and be serviced by wide-bodied Airbus A330 aircraft.

The flights will provide 3248 weekly seats to and from Brisbane and include lie-flat business class seating.
The vast majority of imported "extra virgin olive oil" in Australian supermarkets fails to meet local and international standards, renewing concerns shoppers are paying a premium for inferior products.

Tests of 27 imported bottles sold at Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and Foodland revealed 85 per cent failed to meet the voluntary Australian Standard and 78 per cent failed to meet the International Olive Council (IOC) Standard.

The research, commissioned by the Australian Olive Association (AOA) and conducted by internationally accredited labs, shows half of the oils failed because they tasted "rancid, musty, fusty or [had] some other organoleptic defect".

"It's like buying a Rolls Royce and finding a V-dub engine in it; people would be horrified," said Lisa Rowntree, chief executive officer of the AOA, which represents local growers and businesses.
Israeli warplanes struck four new positions in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday, as a flare-up continued to threaten a 2014 ceasefire agreement.

The bombing raids follow four similar Israeli airstrikes overnight Wednesday that injured four people, including three children, Palestinian and Israeli security officials said.

This is the biggest flare-up in months and raised concerns for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers that has held since the last Israeli offensive on the strip that ended in summer 2014.

"IAF aircraft targeted four Hamas military posts in the southern Gaza Strip," an army statement said, referring to the blockaded Palestinian enclave.

There were no immediate reports of casualties during the raids, which Palestinian security sources said struck farmlands near the border.

Israels 51-day assault on Gaza killed over 2,200 people and left more than 12,000 others injured. More than 100,000 people were displaced.

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Rio Tinto chairman Jan du Plessis has vowed not to expand the company's iron ore division beyond 360 million tonnes per year, and defended plans to build a contentious copper mine in the US.

Speaking at Rio's Australian meeting of shareholders in Brisbane, Mr du Plessis reassured the meeting that Rio would not oversupply the market that is its biggest money-spinner.

Rio has built rail and port capacity to export 360 million tonnes, and will export between 330 million and 340 million tonnes in 2016.

"We are not yet fully utilising that capacity...we certainly over the next few years plan to fill the capacity," said Mr du Plessis.
Frank Lowy has performed his final official duties as chairman of the company that now runs the Australian and New Zealand part of the Westfield shopping centre empire he began 57 years ago.

Mr Lowy, who turned 85 last October, said the time was right to pass the baton at Scentre Group, which was spun off from the Westfield empire in 2014. He officially retired as executive chairman last year, but at an emotional Scentre Group annual general meeting in Sydney's Town Hall on Thursday, Mr Lowy said it was time to go.

Frank Lowy: "The company is now so well positioned for future success so I can stand down and feel very satisfied and comfortable about it." Credit:Louise kennerley

Once Scentre chief executive Peter Allen provided the third-quarter update - comparable specialty sales were up 4.5 per cent in Australia to $10,905 a square metre, and 6.3 per cent in New Zealand to $NZ12,257 sqm - and all resolutions were passed, it was time for Mr Lowy's final speech.

"When Scentre Group was created, I was asked to remain as chairman during its formative stage, to see the transition through and provide continuity," Mr Lowy told the audience.
Milk, bread, and a coffin - it's not your average shopping list, but Costco isn't your average supermarket.

Burial caskets and coffins went on sale at Costco Wholesale's store in Ringwood, in Melbourne's east, on Wednesday, and there are plans to introduce them to the low-cost retailer's seven other Australian stores in the coming months.

Coffins and caskets have gone on sale in one of Costco's Melbourne stores.

Costco said 14 different coffins and caskets ranging in price from $360 to $3800 were on offer, alongside the store's eclectic mix of groceries, electronics and household goods.

They are at least half the price of equivalent products sold at funeral homes, potentially saving customers thousands of dollars, according to manufacturer Scientia.
What seemed a political improbability a few months ago  a Republican Party presidential ticket headed by Donald Trump  now looks to be a fait accompli. On Wednesday, the last man still standing as an alternative Republican nominee, John Kasich, declared he was quitting the race. And the day before, Ted Cruz  flag-bearer of the Republicans' Tea Party wing  dropped out after his poor showing in the Indiana republican primary, won decisively by Mr Trump. With the remaining primaries (and delegates) now his for the taking, Mr Trump will go to the Republican convention in Cleveland in July as the presumptive nominee.

In an illustration of just how divisive a candidate the property developer-turned-television celebrity has been, many senior Republicans have declined to do the customary thing in situations such as this and coalesce around Mr Trump. In their farewell speeches, both Mr Cruz and Mr Kasich declined to pledge their support.

A more forthright Republican senator Lindsay Graham tweeted that "if we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed ... and we will deserved it". Mark Salter, a former campaign adviser to John McCain in 2008, had an even pithier tweet: "I'm with her"  a reference to a crowd chant frequently heard at Hilary Clinton's campaign rallies.

Republican anxieties about Mr Trump are many and varied: he has espoused views in the past on abortion, taxes and gun control that are flagrantly at odds with party beliefs. He is from New York City (a liberal stronghold), is twice divorced, and in 2008 he donated money to Mrs Clinton's 2008 presidential bid. Nor does he subscribe to Republican orthodoxy on foreign policy, trade, and immigration. The biggest fear the party harbours about Mr Trump, however, is that he will lose November's presidential poll comprehensively and in the process cause it to lose its hold on Congress.
If, on the other hand, Australia calls the shots, deciding not only "who gets to come to this country and the terms on which they come", but "who gets to leave other countries and the terms on which they depart"  a chilling thought  the legal context changes but the question remains the same: on what legal grounds can we refuse NZ's offer?

The High Court did not give the Australian government open slather to circumvent the law by outsourcing. The court insisted that the Commonwealth's involvement "was limited to that which was reasonably related to Nauru's regional processing functions". If not undertaken "for the purpose of offshore processing", or "reasonably necessary to achieve that purpose," our government would be in breach of the Constitution. In what possible sense could preventing the Nauru government from releasing 150 of its refugees to New Zealand be "reasonably necessary to achieve" "the purpose of offshore processing"? The opposite is the case.

But does Australia have a legal right to say no? Doesn't the government insist over and over again  including (with a straight face) before the High Court  that the detention facilities in these places are the responsibility of an independent sovereign country? Earlier this year, the High Court accepted this argument. But the minister has given the lie to the government's claims. If the matter is truly one for the local authorities, who bear the burden of these refugees, then how come the Minister for Immigration exercises a veto on who can accept them? What is his legal basis for trumping the decision of local authorities as to where certified refugees can be placed? This smacks of meddling, or suggests that the whole arms-length argument was fraudulent and dishonest to begin with.

The recent decision of the Supreme Court of PNG, and new legal action now being brought by detainees on Manus Island, suggests that Australia's asylum seeker policy is unravelling under the weight of its own contradictions. Particularly revealing of its underlying logic was the announcement by the federal government last week to again refuse New Zealand's offer to take 150 asylum seekers from Nauru and Manus Island. According to our Minister for Immigration, the honourable Peter Dutton, Australia rejects this offer because it would encourage the people smugglers "to get back into business."

Australia's obligations under the Refugee Convention do not include resettlement. But that is not the end of the matter. The Final Act of the international conference that drafted the Convention specifically recommended that all signatories "act in concert in a true spirit of international co-operation in order that these refugees may find asylum and the possibility of resettlement." Signatories have an obligation to facilitate the travel of refugees that have been accepted for resettlement, and to co-operate with the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Indeed, neither the Convention nor the UNHCR even countenances the possibility that a party would intentionally subvert the process by preventing refugees from being resettled in countries which have offered to take them.

Australia is acting as a rogue state, actively sabotaging the co-operative efforts of other countries, which lie at the heart of the UN Charter and undergird the very foundations of the United Nations. In fact by purposely preventing refugees from leaving a country like PNG in which they may be in considerable danger, and by wilfully extending their internment under conditions of increasing physical and emotional trauma, and subject to escalating instances of abuse, violence, and self-harm, they are arguably failing in their duties under international law to provide adequate protection to refugees. Again, this is central to the case being brought against Manus Island.

Clearly Dutton and Turnbull do not have a problem with New Zealand or New Zealanders. No one is suggesting that NZ is not an appropriate resettlement country, and no one is suggesting that people smugglers are about to set sail for Auckland. No, if the government thinks that resettling refugees in a place like NZ encourages the traffickers, then the same is true if they are resettled in Denmark, or Holland, or Greece, or South Africa  or in fact any country with a decent refugee resettlement program. Any such resettlement anywhere would or could or might just possibly be construed by the traffickers as a "marketing opportunity."

The NZ decision gives us a glimpse of the soiled undergarments of Australia's policy. We are simply not interested in making efforts to resettle the refugees on Nauru or Manus Island. That would not be a sign that the policy is a success, but (from Dutton's point of view) a failure. No wonder they are still languishing in makeshift prisons with no end in sight. That's the point. It is our very own Abu Ghraib: not by accident but on purpose we are scuttling any hope of offshore processing. The whole thing stinks.

Assuming, then, that Australia does exercise "effective control" over the processes in Nauru and PNG, our blunt refusal to resettle these refugees is illegal. The High Court in a line of cases from 1992 to 2014 authorised "mandatory detention" only under limited circumstances: to consider whether to let someone apply for a visa; to consider an application for a visa; or to remove or deport someone. Detention is only lawful if these purposes are "pursued and carried into effect as soon as reasonably practicable." Wilfully indefinite detention, while purposely obstructing a satisfactory resolution of the legitimate rights of refugees, is not constitutional. Hardly a surprise.
Small in stature but a giant in terms of intelligence and generosity, former Spitfire pilot Frank Rouch championed ethical professional behaviour and good humour. He enjoyed a life that was long and full of varied interests. As a youth he was an amateur herpetologist, fascinated by amphibians and reptiles. He loved nature, native plants and animals. Bush-walking was one of his lifelong pleasures.

He had a passion also for traditional jazz and a love of good Australian red wine. His activities after retirement were testimony, and the house he built at Kenett River was a monument, to these interests.

Frank and wife Betty produced four children and had four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Frank loved his family dearly, and spent much time with them.

His determination and good humour saw Frank through many of life's personal and working-life challenges, which included the destruction of his new house at Plenty in a bushfire and receiving surgery and treatment for bowel cancer 30 years ago. He attributed his resilience and enduring good health to the habitual self-medication of good red wine, of which he was an accomplished practitioner.

Frank, who has died at 93, trained originally as a schoolteacher, a career which was interrupted by World War II. He enlisted first in the army, then followed with years as a Spitfire pilot which he said seeded his vehemently held pacifism. Frank and I were both pilots and I treasure the time spent with him, reminiscing about the beauty and freedom of flight in Tiger Moths.

After the war Frank was awarded a returned servicemans' scholarship to study at Melbourne University. It was there that he met Graham and Roger Bell, two Australian jazz legends, who gave lunchtime concerts. Traditional jazz remained one of Frank's pleasures throughout his life.
Lord Peston was an academic economist who founded the highly-regarded school of economics and finance at Queen Mary College at London University (now Queen Mary University) and served as an adviser to sundry Labour ministers in the 1960s and 1970s. He was also the father of Robert Peston, formerly the BBC's business and economics editor, now ITV's political editor.

As a teacher, Peston insisted on academic rigour but never let his students forget that economics was not a branch of applied mathematics  it was about how real people live. In his view, the role of an economist was to understand how the world works and make it better, and his activities as a special adviser reinforced the message that economics was not just something for a lecture theatre. Many of his students went on to work in government as professional economists and civil servants.

Maurice Peston, who has died at 85, first became an economic adviser to the Treasury in 1962 during the Macmillan era then, during Harold Wilson's first administration, served as an economic adviser at the Ministry of Defence. He moved into the political front line in the 1970s as special adviser to Reg Prentice, Secretary of State for Education (1974-75), then to Roy (now Lord) Hattersley, the then Secretary of State for Prices (197679).

Hattersley, an old friend of Peston's, would recall how he had called on his expertise in 1973, when Margaret Thatcher was education secretary and he (Hattersley) was two days into the job as her House of Commons shadow, tasked with arguing the opposition case to a government white paper containing a statistical appendix that he could not understand.

"I consulted Maurice Peston," Hattersley wrote. "He said the figures were phoney. Impatient at my inability to understand his explanation, Peston drafted me a paragraph that he suggested I read to the House of Commons. I stuttered it out with as much conviction as I could muster. There was an immediate explosion of incredulous contempt. The notion that Thatcher had got her figures wrong was regarded as ridiculous by everyone ... But the result of the Peston adjudication was a unanimous outcry among education correspondents that the government had got it wrong. Nobody said that I had got it right."

Hattersley found Peston "a joy" to work with, recalling him as a master of the witty one-liner. When Peston became his special adviser, the permanent secretary at the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection, wary of having an economics professor in the department, met Peston on the departmental doorstep demanding to know how he saw his role: "To provide spurious intellectual justifications for the Secretary of State's prejudices," came the reply.
Scott Morrison produced tax cuts for business and high-income earners, but nothing for people earning under $80,000 a year. Then he announced an end to "class warfare". As there is a clear winner in the class war, can we now expect that the poor will be asked to pay reparations?



Tony Judge Woolgoolga The LNP really are confusing with Scott Morrison declaring an end to "class warfare" the day after he started it. Tony Walbran Dee Why The government declared the end of class warfare and then created premium lanes at airports ("Wealthy may soon be able to bypass airport queues", May 5). What next to help its deficit? Premium lanes at bus stops, choked roads, Centrelink, post offices, public hospitals? John Woodward Monterey

I don't remember my shiny new Australian passport being stamped with "second-class citizen" yet here is our Australian immigration service (sorry Australian Border Force) paid for with our taxes privileging the wealthy over the everyday citizen in the queues to leave and enter our own country. How exactly does this contribute to the cohesion promised in the ABF's statement of intended outcomes: "We contribute to achieving three national outcomes: strong national security; a strong economy; a prosperous and cohesive society." Catriona Bonfiglioli Croydon So is Minister Dutton again off-script declaring the wealthy may soon be able to bypass airport queues? What better way to illustrate Treasurer Morrison's declaration of an end to class warfare by ensuring that respective "class" pathways do not cross.



Mike Hill East Lindfield The tired and irritable hoi polloi returning from Bali in cattle class, trying to constrain young Saxon and Tarquin from running amok, should enjoy seeing their betters glide by on the fact track. That will build social cohesion. Joe Weller Lewisham

Law changes disregard biodiversity conservation We are farmers who understand that to be sustainable you have to work with the environment, not against it ("State's environment at mercy of chainsaw government", May 5). A good farmer is an environmentalist. We resent the label "farmers" being used by agribusinesses and developers to lobby the G government for these changes to the B biodiversity laws. These changes are not about biodiversity conservation, they are about facilitating development across NSW. Short-term profit to some, while costing the people of NSW our wildlife, environment and the health of our farmland and our climate. Millions of taxpayers' dollars are being spent by the F federal G government planting 20 million trees by 2020 to address climate change. All that good work will be undermined by the NSW G government's plan to clear trees and bushland. Why facilitate the removal of trees in the face of the growing number and intensity of predicted droughts? Why clear land in the face of climate change? Why put further pressure on 1000 already threatened and endangered species? Their offsets approach is meaningless tokenism with no scientific evidence whatever to suggest any benefit to biodiversity. Peter and Meg Nielsen Bentley If the NSW G government is serious about better protection for biodiversity, why hasn't invested it invested in some modelling to test whether the proposed new laws will be an improvement on the present ones? current legislated protections? Emma Rooksby Mount Pleasant

Chopping down beautiful trees is not progress Once again Elizabeth Farrelly has written beautifully and pointedly about the destructive nature of the Baird government which is determined to push "progress" at any cost onto the people of NSW ("Sydney's soul at risk in battle over icons", May 5.) I cannot understand why the fig trees of Anzac Parade have to be destroyed as I lived at Randwick and travelled the tram route to the city. So I ask  why wasn't the old tram corridor used? Doreen Howard South Hurstville When I was a boy I used to catch the light rail (then known as a tram) along Anzac Parade to school every day. I did this often in the company of a future wife of a prime minister. The last stretch of the journey was along the avenue of Moreton Bays, dark, embracing monsters even then, almost 50 years ago. Rails and roots had no problem sharing the space. We would sit and stand in their shade on scorching summer afternoons, stumble around their mighty buttresses, squish their sticky figs underfoot, waiting to catch the tram home again. At home we had another one we would play under, climb over (yes, hugging those sturdy limbs for safety), swing from, build cubbies in. That one, on private property, was chainsawed to make way for housing development decades ago. These ones are ours. So, come on, Janette. Have a word in John's ear; get him to make that call to his mate Malcolm to show some leadership and have a word with Mike. Icon to icon.



Philip Du Rhone Redfern. Elizabeth Farrelly's opinion piece has left me feeling depressed; the cutting down of those magnificent figs is just plain wrong; the shenanigans surrounding Packer's manipulation of the planning processes, relating to Barangaroo, is just plain wrong; the refusal of government to listen to the collective voices of its citizenry is just plain wrong. In the past, the unions have often stopped any manifestation of these sorts of wrongs. Today, the unions have been so sorely emasculated, as to be no longer any threat to a bulldozing, chainsaw-wielding, blue pen-toting government. Tear down the old and throw up the new  if it makes money, it must be good for the future of our city  albeit a city with no soul.

Michael O'Brien Newtown Had whoever organises these things, or didn't as in this case, thought 20 minutes into the future, they could have taken all the bits from the monorail and recycled them as a line that runs down George Street and connects up with Anzac Parade.

It would have been out of everyone's way, they wouldn't have needed to chop down all those trees, it would have saved money, and it would have been every bit as successful as the new tram will be, as indeed it was circulating Darling Harbour. Christopher May Balgowlah We, in our small town of Maclean, have been fighting for years to keep the four, century-old, iconic camphor laurels that line our main street, in our only riverside park, and are about to lose the battle. Yes, we know they are "weeds". This is why all those who have endeavoured to help us, such as the National Trust, have failed, but they are weeds all over the Northern Rivers, and flourish in streets and parks all over our Clarence River valley, untouched. The council has ignored all pleas, including a petition signed by 1500 people, and are using the weeds argument to implement its plans. If these were the last four in NSW and Queensland, I would, as an environmentalist, fell them myself. But these beautiful, huge, living things are much loved by our community and our visitors, and have been for decades. Maclean's soul is at risk, too. Nicki Holmes Maclean

NSW Premier henceforth known as Chopper Baird! Wendy Finney Northwood The news that Adrian Piccoli announced regarding the inner Sydney schools shortage ("Piccoli reveals $60m bid to tackle schools shortage", May 5) is most welcome although most people would regard the utilisation of Cleveland Street as a no-brainer. Why bother spending millions on a new school when there is already an underutilised one sitting there? Perhaps state governments may be a bit more cautious in the future when contemplating closing public schools. Peter Miniutti Ashbury Mum's the word

In Asian countries like Malaysia, working mums are able to return to full-time work not long after the birth of a child, continue climbing the corporate ladder, unimpeded  all thanks to full-time live-in domestic help sourced from neighbouring countries ("Many mums see business as last resort," May 5.)

This arrangement also caters to much-needed age care, reducing the need to send ageing parents to nursing homes.

The socio-economic impact of this policy is enormous.

It's time for our "innovative, agile, fit for the future" leaders to walk the talk and act now!



Shereen Khor Eastwood Don't worry Margo Moriatis (Letters, May 4) about Donald Trump's "We are going to win bigly". The US elected George W. Bush who once asked the question "Is our children learning?"



Bill Gillis Hallidays Point Noel Beddoe (Letters, May 5), I fail to see how making player payments public is going to solve the problem of salary cap rorting, if players are going to receive payments that are not reported correctly to the NRL in the first place. A simple spreadsheet would tell the NRL if a club has exceeded their salary cap. I worked as a teacher for 40 years. Our salaries were a matter of public knowledge. I had no right to privacy regarding income, because my salary level was on the public record, despite my belief that my salary is no one else's business. Greg Partington Quakers Hill Refugee showing way on compassion

Working at a service that provides legal advice to asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, I deal with troubling matters that often break my heart (Letters, May 5). Recently I spoke with a refugee who wanted to know how to donate his heart, and become a registered organ donor. After everything he has been through, including the abhorrent treatment of asylum seekers and refugees by our government, this man wants to donate his organs to save lives  Australian lives. Think about that. Clare Furlonger Ermington Plea for attention Bronwyn Bishop's ominous veiled threat in her valedictorian speech to Parliament yesterday: "There is much more than meets the eye in that saga, but not for now", sounds very much like she will be speaking to a book publisher in the not too distant future ("Bishop fires a warning shot at Abbott as she says her goodbye", May 5). Surely, lifting the lid on the relationship difficulties between her and Tony that supposedly led to her demise, might be the only thing that would make the voting public pay any attention to Bronnie now. Justine Fischer Moss Vale
Tunisian forces have dismantled two Al-Qaeda-linked cells that had been planning to carry out attacks against shopping malls and political parties, the interior ministry said Thursday.

Nine people were arrested during the operation against the cells that had pledged allegiance to the Okba Ibn Nafaa Battalion, a group linked to Al-Qaeda.

The operation took place on an unspecified date in the Kef region, which borders Algeria.

Explosives were seized from one of the cells that had been preparing to attack shopping centres, military and security installations, and politicians or parties, said the ministry.

The second cell of five members had procured financial assistance and sent provisions to a "group of terrorists" holed up in the same mountainous area, it said in a statement.

Tunisia, the cradle of the Arab Spring uprisings, has been plagued by Islamist violence since the 2011 overthrow of longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

In March 2015, militant gunmen killed 21 tourists and a policeman at the National Bardo Museum in Tunis.

And in June, 30 Britons were among 38 foreign holidaymakers killed in a gun and grenade attack on a beach resort near the Tunisian city of Sousse.

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We are unquestionably facing one of the biggest challenges of modern times. A human tide of desperation affecting more than 60 million people worldwide, fleeing war-ravaged countries in search of refuge. There are now more displaced people and refugees in the world than at any other time in recorded history.

In Turkey alone, two million refugees have crossed the borders from Syria and Iraq. A dangerous journey starting out with hope and yet so often ending with desperate people willing to risk everything for a new life.

Jewish migrants in Pyrmont, Sydney, 1946. Credit:Fairfax Archives

Yet it's how this flood of human misery is playing out on a political level throughout Europe, the Middle East and here in Australia, that is alarming.

For decades, triggered by wars and prejudice, governments have grappled with the refugee issue. But more telling has been the notion that somehow by showing compassion to people who have fled war-torn homelands with virtually nothing, it will equate to them losing office. None more so than here in Australia, as history shows.
A controversial documentary about land rights in Papua New Guinea has premiered at a prestigious international film festival but with key pieces of footage edited out following a NSW Supreme Court injunction.

Documentary maker Hollie Fifer leaves the NSW Supreme Court. Credit:James Alcock

Revered former PNG politician Dame Carol Kidu won the injunction, restraining the Australian makers of The Opposition from screening footage about her role in the redevelopment of Port Moresby shanty town Paga Hill.

The 77-minute documentary by Australian filmmaker Hollie Fifer was screened at Canada's Hot Docs, the largest documentary festival in North America, on Wednesday.
At its centre is the always formidable Fabrice Luchini, as a reserved, fastidious judge. Michel Racine, president of the Assize Court in Saint-Omer, in northern France, is a widely feared man who is a stickler for procedure. He's in a slightly vulnerable state  recently separated from his wife, living in a hotel, and about to come down with a bad case of flu. Yet it's business as usual, as he readies himself to preside over a case that seems bound to be controversial: a man is accused of kicking to death his seven-month-old daughter. The Assize Court is the only one in the French system to make use of a jury.

The judge is not prepared, at first, for what he encounters in his courtroom. We see that he clearly recognises one of the jurors. Her name is Ditte and she's played by Danish actress Sidse Babett Knudsen(Borgen,The Duke Of Burgundy). While Luchini has plenty of opportunities to define his character, Knudsen must make an impact much more economically; she projects an immediate sense of vividness and warmth.

The film is divided between two narrative strands: what's taking place in court, and what's happening in the mind and heart of the judge. In depicting the conduct of the case, Vincent focuses on quotidian procedure, on the selection of jurors, the language of the trial, the way people move to and fro within the large courtroom. We see the judge questioning witnesses and inviting the jury to do the same. We will never know the truth, Racine says to the jurors, telling them that their job is to apply the law. The accused has chosen not to speak, beyond asserting his innocence.

When he shows us the court in action, Vincent keeps the camera at a distance; when he's exploring the judge's state of mind, there is a more intimate, close-up view. The story of the trial remains a little remote, even when it is partially resolved; the judge's situation has more clarity. Courted is an intriguing, carefully constrained work, although there's something a little disconcerting about the way the two stories are interwoven: the tragic death of the child juxtaposed against the emotional awakening of a middle-aged man.
Fey optioned the book and she and her producing partner Robert Carlock set about bringing it to the screen. The initial attraction, she says, was that she was not just looking for something to produce, but also something in which she could star. "I'm always looking for things where it's remotely plausible that I could be that person," Fey says. "The real Kim was very adventurous to agree to go to these places and cover these stories. I feel like I myself would not be that adventurous. I am adventurous in other ways. "I like that the character is intelligent, the character writes for a living, there are many kinds of things I identify with," Fey adds. "I like that she is choosing to kind of have this new stuff in her adult life. We see a lot of movies about people very early in their life. This is more interesting to me in a way." We are sitting in a cavernous anteroom to the sound stages in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the film is being shot. Outside the sandy landscape doubles as Afghanistan. Inside the media operations centre and battlefield accommodation of the press corps have been recreated. We're in a room which doubles as a production staging area, and a dining area for the crew and cast. Carlock, who has collaborated with Fey on several projects, including the TV comedies 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, says the most powerful element in Barker's book was its permission to treat the subject material with humour. In the present media landscape, that's not always easy.

Tina Fey as journalist Kim Baker in Credit:Photo credit: Frank Masi "It had a very dense and layered world, and characters, if you read the book there are a lot of things that are borrowed and adapted [for the film]," he says. "[There is also] permission to treat this world with humour. With comedy. With dark comedy," he adds. "[And] Kim's general journey from someone who just takes a crazy leap into the deep end of let's just completely change my life, to realising she needs to escape this new life, and having the sanity and strength to be able to pull that off." One of the film's more unusual characteristics is the presence of two directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. The pair are noted for their willingness to improvise on the run, a technique which seemed to fit perfectly with Fey, whose background is in improv and sketch comedy, notably the long-running sketch comedy Saturday Night Live. "It's been a really nice collaboration because they are writers also themselves so they understand jokes," Fey says. "They also have this art school background. Their movies are beautiful. I don't know if you've seen Focus, I love it. And I Love You Phillip Morris. They have a real sense of visual style. This world is so lush and so beautiful."

Fey also praised their willingness to let the actors play with moments and lines. "For me, sometimes, since I come from an improv background, it's nice to know even though I never have any intention of changing what's on the page," she says. "Sometimes if you have a take where you're permitted to change it, you just feel freer. Even if you don't end up changing a word." The mood on the set, she says, was one of "looseness and freedom", aided by the strong cast, particularly Freeman and Thornton. "A lot of times we'll do takes of the scene as scripted and then move away from it or have the freedom to move away from it and then come back to it. Hopefully it will add a little liveliness to it and you might get a moment or two." Tina Fey as Kim Baker with Martin Freeman as Iain MacKelpie in Credit:Photo credit: Frank Masi One of the most critical aspects of the production, Fey says, was getting the timing and backroom economics right. Unlike most big-ticket studio films  most of which seem to feature costumed comic book heroes  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is a mainstream film with an indie flavour, a rarity at a time when such films are either migrating to Netflix or vanishing completely.
Axl Rose has made a brief on-camera appearance with AC/DC bandmates Angus Young and Cliff Williams ahead of his first performance fronting the group in Lisbon, Portugal, tomorrow.

The band's Rock or Bust world tour continues with Rose, who replaced long-time vocalist Brian Johnson, playing 12 European dates before resuming his role in Guns N' Roses summer reunion tour. AC/DC's 10 postponed dates in the US wil also go ahead later in the year with Rose.

Earlier this year Johnson pulled out of any further live performances following advice from doctors, who said he risked going deaf.
From gargantuan, terrifying gorillas to huge, human-devouring plants, it's all in a day's work for Esther Hannaford, who, in addition to being one of our most sought-after leading ladies, is rapidly becoming the go-to girl for working with puppets in musicals.

After nine months of playing the female lead in King Kong opposite a giant animatronic gorilla in 2013, Hannaford is now starring as the female lead in the newly opened Little Shop of Horrors alongside Audrey II, the plant that won't stop growing.

Brent Hill stars as Seymour Krelborn and provides the voice of people-eating plant Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

"Audrey II is a much softer puppet," she says. "King Kong was a lot harder, you could really push into him."

Just as Kong was the undisputed star of the blockbuster production, Audrey II's role is large in every sense of the world, particularly in the show's second act.
There are no people with games, but there's certainly stories to tell.

The National Museum of Australia launched Celebrating 50 years of Play School on Thursday, honouring a show that not only holds a special place in many Australian's hearts, but is also the second longest running children's television show in the world.

Play School presenter Benita Collings meets Gina Farrington, 4, of O'Connor at the Happy Birthday Play School: Celebrating 50 years exhibition. Credit:Rohan Thomson

On hand to help cut the Rocket Clock cake was current Play School presenter Alex Papps and Play School veteran, Benita Collings.

Collings is one of the most recognisable faces from Australian television for three generations of people, having filmed 401 episodes of the children's program  the most of any presenter.
BROAD CITY

New series ***1/2

10pm, ABC2

Over in Pay TV World we're into the third season of this fantastic comedy but if you haven't caught it yet, please do so now. Like Girls-meets-Portlandia  only funnier than both  it follows, through a series of loosely-connected sketches, the adventures of Ilana and Abbi (Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson), two pot-smoking 20-somethings trying to make their way in New York with varying degrees of enthusiasm and success. Mingling the gross-out and slapstick of slacker comedies (usually the purview of blokes) with the emotional intelligence of Parks and Rec, it's a whole lot of in-your-face fun.

Abbi Jacobson (left) and Ilana Glazer star in the hilarious comedy Broad City. Credit:ABC

DESTINATION FLAVOUR SCANDINAVIA

***1/2

7.30pm, SBS

Adam Liaw couldn't be more pleased  and neither could we  as he heads to Norway first to sample that nation's fine dining, and then out into the wild north to spend time reindeer herding with Norway's indigenous people, the Sami. It's all as engaging as always but the really interesting fact-ette tonight is the way in which the exploitation of Norway's oil and gas in the 1990s created sufficient wealth in the population for restaurateurs to be able to charge a premium for organic, biodynamic and wild-caught food. It's a complicated world, isn't it?
The worst coral bleaching in the history of the Great Barrier Reef has already killed half the corals in reefs off the far north Queensland coast, the head of the reef's Marine Park Authority said.

Questions in Senate estimates on Thursday also revealed that the $171 million claimed by Environment Minister Greg Hunt earlier this week as a "boost" for the reef's protection came from other programs and was not "new money".

The authority noted the work done by scientists such as Professor Terry Hughes, whose survey team had found only 7 per cent of the Great Barrier Reef had not been affected by coral bleaching.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott is coming to Melbourne to help fundraise for a key conservative ally the day before Malcolm Turnbull is expected to visit the Governor-General to officially call the election.

In what is expected to be his first foray into election campaigning in Victoria, "the esteemed" Mr Abbott will address a fundraising dinner for Menzies MP Kevin Andrews and Deakin MP Michael Sukkar on Saturday night in Bulleen.

The $120-a-head black tie event at the Veneto Club is being hosted by the Menzies-Warrandyte Young Liberals, who are a new socially conservative branch of the party.
Al-Qaeda militants began withdrawing Thursday from two cities in Yemen's southern Abyan province following tribal mediation to spare destruction, tribal sources said.

"Hundreds of Al-Qaeda fighters have begun to hand over to provincial authorities public buildings which they controlled" in Abyan provincial capital Zinjibar and the nearby city of Jaar, a tribal mediator told AFP.

A tribal elder involved in the mediation said their departure comes amid pressure from residents who wanted to spare their cities from being destroyed like other southern towns which the militants once controlled.

This comes after government troops backed by air and ground support from a Saudi-led coalition launched last month a widespread operation against militants in south and southeastern Yemen.

The tribal mediator said the withdrawal will be completed within a week.

But he warned that the militants could stop the operation if they come under attack.

The militants will be leaving with their weapons and are expected to pull back to a mountainous region which separates Abyan from the provinces of Shabwa and Baida, tribal sources said.

The militants last month fled the key southeastern city of Mukalla, the capital of Hadramawt province, and other coastal areas, due to the government offensive.

In a statement released Wednesday, the militants threatened to attack the homes of officials and soldiers who took part in the offensive to drive them out of Mukalla.

Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is regarded by Washington as the network's most dangerous branch.

It had taken advantage of the government's war against Shia rebels to spread its presence in the south.

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Australian authorities were involved in identifying and locating top Australian terrorist Neil Prakash ahead of the deadly air strike that killed the Islamic state recruiter, the Turnbull government has revealed.

And Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has warned Australians fighting with the Islamic State group they "will be targeted" following the precision killing of Prakash in Iraq last Friday night.

Both Attorney-General George Brandis and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton indicated that Australian intelligence or security officials had played a role in targeting Prakash ahead of the US air strike.

Senator Brandis told Sky News that "Australia did co-operate with the United States in relation to the identification and location of Prakash".
The remarks came as coalition countries gathering in Germany agreed they all needed to do more in the fight against the militant group.

And Attorney-General George Brandis has revealed that Australian authorities were involved in identifying and locating Prakash, who was killed in a US air strike last Friday.

Malcolm Turnbull has warned Australians fighting with the Islamic State group they "will be targeted" following the precision killing of top Australian terrorist Neil Prakash in Iraq.

Mr Turnbull said so-called foreign fighters who travelled to the Middle East to join the Islamic State, also known as Daesh and ISIS, were enemies of Australia.

Neil Prakash was targeted by US fighter planes.

"We are unrelenting in the war against terror," Mr Turnbull told Sky News. "Australians who think they can go to Syria and Iraq and fight with Daesh have to recognise that they will be targeted. They will be targeted. They are waging war against Australia and they are enemies of Australia once they choose to wage that war in those theatres."

Mr Turnbull confirmed Prakash had been "a target for some time, as he should have been".

He declined to say how involved Australia had been in gathering the intelligence needed to launch the strike in the Iraqi city of Mosul, in which up to a dozen other jihadists were killed.
And at a time of falling incomes, flat wages and declining living standards, this budget promises fewer jobs and lower growth. More than ever, we must be honest about what our budget can truly afford. We must maintain the triple-A credit rating from all three agencies Labor worked so hard to secure. This is why my team and I are treating the Australian people with respect. Being frank and upfront about our plans. We are making the hard choices to fully fund our investments in Australia's future.To turn around these Liberal deficits and deliver budget repair that is fair. Restoring the national budget  without smashing family budgets. Building a stronger economy  without hurting the things that help it grow. You don't plan for the jobs of the future by cutting education, cutting infrastructure and making broadband slower. FAMILY PAYMENTS/PRIORITIES

If there's one fact that defines this budget and this government, it is this: a working Mum on $65,000 with two kids in high school will be over $4,700 worse off, every year. And someone on a million dollars, will be almost $17,000 better off every year. Three-quarters of Australian workers won't receive any tax relief from this budget, but will disproportionately suffer from cuts to schools, hospitals, Medicare and family support they count on. On Tuesday night the Treasurer said he didn't want to talk about "winners" and "losers". Now we know why. The more you have, the more you get. The less you earn, the more you lose. This Prime Minister has the audacity to accuse us of waging "class war". It is not "class war" to disagree with cutting money from families on fifty and sixty thousand dollars in order to give millionaires a tax break. It is not class war to ask why he is cutting $80 billion from schools and hospitals  but spending billions on big business.

It is not "class war" for Labor to speak up on behalf of everyone this government has forgotten and betrayed  women, young people, pensioners, carers and veterans. Labor will never apologise for standing up for Australians who go to work every day and want to come home safe, who rely on penalty rates to make ends meet. Who don't want to be forced to work until they're 70. This Prime Minister talks a lot about aspiration  but there's a part of it he always leaves out. That's the aspiration to equal opportunity, to a fair start for everyone, to a fair go. That's what Labor will always fight for. TAX CUTS/LABOR RESPONSE Tonight Labor offers a more sustainable approach to growing the economy and making the Budget serve the interests of all Australians. We will support the government's modest measures on bracket creep.

However, in the face of continuing deficits, now is not the time to give the richest 3 per cent of Australians another tax cut on top of this. Now is not the time to reduce the marginal rate for individuals who earn greater than $180,000. According to the independent Parliamentary Budget Office this decision is estimated to improve the budget by $16 billion over the decade. Last year, from this dispatch box, I invited the government to co-operate on cutting the tax rate for Australian small businesses to 25 per cent. We meant it then  we stand by it now. Labor will support a tax cut for small businesses with a turnover of less than $2 million dollars per year. Because that's what a small business is.

We will deliver tax relief for the small businesses representing 83 per cent of Australian companies. But billion-dollar operations are not small businesses. Never have been  never will be. Coles is not a small business. The Commonwealth Bank is not a small business. Goldman Sachs is not a small business. As important as they are to our economy, they don't need a taxpayer subsidy which Australia cannot afford. Especially when our imputation system means a cut in the corporate tax rate delivers no meaningful benefit for mum and dad investors. The only shareholders who will win out of this live overseas. Labor will support a tax cut for small business but, unlike the Prime Minister, we will not use this as camouflage for a massive tax cut to big multinationals. Especially when the government is refusing to tell us the ten year cost of their ten year plan. The Turnbull budget is built on a fraud of a grand scale. The Prime Minister knows what his big-business tax cut costs taxpayers  but he won't tell them.

Labor will do the right thing  by the Budget and by families. Labor will not support Mr Turnbull's ten year tax cut for big business. Based on a preliminary estimate from the Independent Parliamentary Budget Office, this will mean a budget improvement of $49 billion over the decade. Two decisions, $65 billion in budget improvements. Now, on Tuesday night we heard a few familiar lines. It could have been Chris Bowen making the case for tighter concessions on super,

Tony Burke and Andrew Leigh pledging tougher action on multinationals,

Michelle Rowland advocating a small business tax cut,

or Anthony Albanese outlining our new infrastructure approach.

Never has an opposition had so many of its policies adopted by a government with so few. We're flattered - but here's the difference. We've actually done the work, we've put in the time. Our policies have purpose. They're not "optics" we converted to five minutes before an election to bloat a savings number. Our positive plans reflect our values. So, who do you trust to make multinationals pay their fair share? A Labor party who made this our first economic priority, more than 12 months ago, or a Liberal leader who only last week on radio, gave his Prime Ministerial blessing to tax avoidance. SUPERANNUATION

Labor will happily support our own clear and costed policy to close the unsustainably generous superannuation loopholes at the very top end. We welcome the fact that three years after they voted to abolish Labor's Low Income Super Contribution, the Liberals have decided to keep it and simply rename it. Labor's reforms to maintain the fairness and integrity of superannuation will only ever be prospective and predictable - so people can plan for the future with security. But the Coalition's changes are chaotic and unprecedented. They were made with zero consultation. They dangerously undermine what's acknowledged as the world's best system for securing a decent retirement for all Australians. The Treasurer claims only a small number of superannuation account holders will be affected. That's untrue. When the system is undermined, everyone is affected, everyone is at risk.

Every single superannuation holder can now only guess what Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison will do next. This is a matter of principle for us. Labor has very grave concerns about retrospective changes - which is precisely why our reforms to negative gearing and capital gains explicitly rule out retrospectivity. POSITIVE PLANS My fellow Australians, tonight I also want to share Labor's positive plans for the future. For a growing economy where opportunity belongs to everyone. Our plans for securing Australian jobs today and creating jobs tomorrow. Preparing for our transition to a knowledge economy, by investing in education - from early childhood and schools to TAFE and university.

A health system where your Medicare card, not your credit card guarantees you access to the treatment you need. For real action on climate change  and the new jobs and new industries created by renewable energy. Putting the great Australian dream of home ownership back in reach of working and middle class families who have been priced out of the market by taxpayer-subsidised speculators. And championing the march of women to equality: Closing the gender pay gap.

Properly-funding childcare - not cutting paid parental leave.

With more women around the cabinet table and in the Parliament than ever before. There is much more a new Labor government would seek to achieve  that cannot be covered tonight in the detail it deserves:

We must close the justice gap  because it is wrong that we live in a country which is better at sending young Aboriginal men to jail than helping them finish year 12. We must work to deliver Redress for the survivors of institutional child abuse who have shown such incredible courage. We must eliminate the scourge of violence against women from our society  once and for all. And Labor will ensure women are safe at home and supported in the courts by putting back the funding this government cut from community legal centres. If we accomplish nothing else but ensuring the equal treatment of women in our society, our nation would have a brighter future.

Australia should never accept the false choice between growth and fairness each is essential to the other. And there is nothing fair about a 15 per cent GST on everything. JOBS: RENEWABLES Full employment and creating better paid and better-protected jobs is Labor's economic priority. The jobs of the future will be powered by infrastructure and renewable energy. Taking real action on climate change will create new jobs, attract new international investment and power our industries and services. Of course, advocating climate action is hard, and running a scare campaign against it is easy. Mr Turnbull should know  you've done both.

But delaying action will be a hit on Australians' cost of living, a drag on our nation's economic growth and an attack on our farmers' way of life. More than this  it would be a betrayal of the duty every generation owes the next  to hand down an environment in a better state than the one we inherited. Refusing to act on climate change will leave Australia isolated from the biggest economic opportunity of the next few decades. By 2030, there will be $2.5 trillion of investment in renewable energy in the Asia-Pacific. Australian workers should be collaborating with our universities and researchers to design, manufacture and export battery technology, solar panels and turbine parts. These are not niche markets or boutique industries. Embracing clean technology and renewable energy can revitalise advanced manufacturing in this country. In the last two years, the global economy added 2 million renewable energy jobs  but Australia lost 2,600. The world is powering ahead - and we are going in the wrong direction. It's time to turn things around. Which is why a Labor government will deliver 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

JOBS: INFRASTRUCTURE And instead of cutting infrastructure by a further $1 billion as this government has done in this budget, Labor will turbo-charge Infrastructure Australia with a new $10 billion funding facility. A "concrete bank" to get investment from the private sector, particularly big super funds, flowing into projects. Instead of taking selfies on the train, we'll get new projects under way. Nation-building, not ego-boosting. If we don't get projects up and going, by 2031, congestion on our roads will cost Australia $53 billion. This is why a Labor government will invest directly in public transport including: Brisbane's Cross River Rail

The Melbourne Metro

The Western Sydney Rail line

Perth Metronet

Adelaide's Gawler line electrification and AdeLINK light rail This will create a stable pipeline of 26,000 jobs  and boost productivity. And the most important piece of infrastructure to any 21st century economy, is a first-rate, fibre, National Broadband Network.

That's what Labor will deliver. Creating jobs, plugging us in to Asia, linking small businesses in the regions  with new markets in our region. EDUCATION Securing Australia's prosperity begins with education. Over the next ten years, Labor will invest $37.3 billion to guarantee every school in Australia receives fair funding on the basis of need.We will deliver on the Gonski promise  and go beyond. As the son of a teacher, as a father of three children and as prime minister: I will ensure every child, in every school, gets every opportunity for a great education. This is not more money for more of the same. This funding guarantees schools can teach the basics better, building a strong foundation to inspire a love of learning and impart the skills needed to thrive in this century. Coding skills, computing skills, technology and science skills.

Achieving this requires more individual attention for every child from better-trained, better-resourced teachers. This is an investment in our economy, in productivity, in growth, in a workforce ready to win the jobs of the future. But the Liberals mock the idea of spending extra resources on our kids. The same Liberals who have cut more than $30 billion from Australian schools say money doesn't matter. Why does the Turnbull government always look at funding for our schools as a cost not an investment? The Prime Minister arrogantly dismisses our policy. The same Prime Minister who, only a month ago, was talking about cutting every single Commonwealth dollar from every single government school. Now, in the shadows of the election campaign  having ripped $30 billion out of schools  they've promised to put one billion back. And there they sit, awaiting the thanks of a grateful nation. But Australians know they can't trust this Prime Minister on education. And when they hear Liberals lecturing teachers, saying, "More money won't solve the problem", Australians know the only people who ever say this are those for whom money has never been a problem.

We hear so much talk from this Prime Minister about ''innovation". But Australia cannot be an innovation nation, without education. We can't build an ideas boom if we're cutting the CSIRO. And we will not get smarter by charging university students $100,000 for a degree. Make no mistake this unfair failure is still government policy. And unlike the Liberal-Nationals, who have cut $2.5 billion from vocational education, Labor will make training and skills a national priority: creating jobs in our regions

re-training adult workers

and helping modernise our industries and technologies. And tonight, I declare the pendulum has swung too far to private providers - Labor will be backing public TAFE. We will restore integrity to the training system, by cleaning out the dodgy private colleges who have been ripping Australians off for too long. In 2014, the ten largest private training colleges in Australia received $900 million in government funding. Yet less than 5 per cent of their students graduated. Tens of thousands of Aussies are being loaded up with massive new debt  but not the qualification they need to find a job. And for the past three years, the Liberals' only response has been to blame someone else.

At last, after three years, Malcolm Turnbull has acted  he has demandeda discussion paper. The Prime Minister may not be capable of making a decision  but I am. While Mr Turnbull dithers  Labor will deliver. A Labor government will cap Vocational Education loans at $8,000 per student. We will cut this wasteful spending, saving an estimated $6 billion over the decade. Tonight I have outlined $71 billion of additional budget improvements over the decade. These are the decisions our nation needs. This is what a responsible budget looks like. HEALTH In Australia, the health of any one of us, matters to all of us. That's why Labor created Medicare. Medicare speaks to who we are as a society, as a country. A guarantee you are treated according to your health care need, not according to your income.

Medicare drives economic growth and productivity, keeping us active, healthy and productive at work. It saves employers the costs, red-tape and hassle of organising health insurance for their workforce. It saves the nation money  the most efficient payment system, for treatment at the most important time. And it saves families money  keeping down the cost of living. By contrast, the American system is driven by profit for private health insurers  not the people who need help. And by every measure, the privatised American model delivers massively worse outcomes for families, for health budgets and for economic productivity. But this is the model the Liberals have always wanted. Great for the profits of private health insurers  and a disaster for ordinary Australians. Make no mistake, the second of July will be a referendum on the future of Medicare. In the past three years the Liberals have cut Medicare and they have taxed Medicare. And in this budget it only gets worse for Medicare and the Australians who rely upon it. In a budget that health professionals have condemned for undermining patient care  particularly in regional Australia. A budget that cuts money from general practitioners - the front line troops in our constant battle to keep Australians well. That cuts money from bulk-billing for pathology and diagnostic imaging services for Australians fighting cancer.

The Liberals are spending $5 million on a secret Department of Health taskforce, to investigate the fastest way to privatise parts of Medicare. And this is just the beginning - the thin end of the wedge  the Liberals will not rest until they have savaged bulk billing and eliminated universal healthcare in this country. Labor will always protect Medicare. Under a Labor government, Medicare will be in safe hands  and in public hands. We will not support the privatisation of the Medicare system. Full stop. And we will legislate to protect Medicare, within our first 100 days. SAVINGS/FAIR TAXATION From infrastructure to health and education, Labor has made it clear how we will fully fund each and every one of our promises. Responsible savings for a stronger budget and more jobs.

We will save $1.4 billion by repealing the Nationals' new Baby Bonus. We will recover another $1 billion by abolishing the discredited Direct Action. Paying big polluters to keep polluting, stops under Labor. We will not spend $160 million of taxpayer money on a divisive plebiscite dredging up all kinds of harmful prejudice. Instead, the Parliament of Australia will do its job  and within our first 100 days of government - vote to make marriage equality a reality. HOUSING AFFORDABILITY Building a stronger budget also demands an honest look at housing affordability  and tax subsidies such as negative gearing and capital gains that make the problem worse. These two measures will cost the Budget over $10 billion this year. More than this government spends on higher education, or child care. These are not tax breaks for battlers. Half of all the benefit goes to the top 10 per cent of income earners.

Now, Mr Turnbull has said this is all 'beside the point'. Actually, this is the whole point. The taxpayer dollars ordinary Australians work hard for every day are pushing the price of housing beyond the reach of working and middle class families. And it's those at the top end who are benefiting. This is not sustainable  and it's not fair. Labor's plans for a fairer system will not affect any existing investment property  no one will be left high and dry. Instead, we will redirect investment into new housing after 1 July next year. Saving the Budget $32 billion dollars over the decade, to help pay for the economic investments in education and healthcare Australia needs. Our policy will mean: More new houses

Greater supply

Thousands of new jobs: carpenters, tilers, electricians and plumbers Back in 1990 a typical home in Sydney cost five times a young person's average income. Saving for a 20 per cent deposit took around three years. By 2014, the same home cost 15 times a young person's average income. And saving up a 20 per cent deposit takes nearly 10 years.

Buying a home is only getting harder - yet the government thinks the priority is tax-breaks for investors. And yesterday, on ABC radio, this out-of-touch Prime Minister stunned listeners by announcing his new housing plan: get yourself some rich parents and get them to shell out. The country deserves better than that. If the Prime Minister really believed in aspiration  he'd support Australians who aspire to own a home, he'd support Labor's policy. Tonight I say to all aspiring homeowners and their parents, Labor will provide a level playing field. Instead of telling you to have a go  we'll give you a fair go. CONCLUSION My fellow Australians, in 58 days, you will have your say on who governs the country for the next three years. We might be the underdogs in this election, but we have never sought to be a small target. We are offering a social and economic program for betterment of this nation.

The markers we set for the future of Australia: Jobs

Education

Medicare

Climate Change

Affordable housing and fair taxation

Equality for women

Our belief in young Australians By contrast, this budget punishes people who can't afford it and rewards those who don't need it. Worse than that  it speaks for a lack of vision, a lack of understanding of what makes this country great. It shows the Liberals have never given up on the idea that it's up to every individual to fend for themselves and those who fall behind, get left behind. Prime Minister  Australians honestly thought you were so much better than this. Because Australians are so much better than this.

Australians built superannuation and created Medicare. We are delivering the National Disability Insurance Scheme. We opened ourselves to Asia and forged a new identity as a leader in our region. We said Sorry. We are a nation the world admires as prosperous and fair. An economy where growth comes from extending opportunity. A country where your destiny is not pre-determined by your postcode, or your parents' wealth. Where aspiration is encouraged and success is earned, not inherited. A nation of courage, community and compassion. This is the Australia I witnessed at Beaconsfield, a decade ago. At Black Saturday, and through the Brisbane floods. It is the Australia I've had the privilege of representing my entire working life  standing up for people, every day. An Australia enlarged by all who call it home. Striving for the best, but caring for each other. An Australia of common effort and shared reward. This is the Australia Labor believes in. And it is the nation I hope to lead. Tonight my team and I offer ourselves as your next government. We have learned the hard lessons of the past. We have put forward our positive plans. We are united. We are ready.
New ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie experienced a baptism of fire in her first appearance before the Senate, facing tense questioning from Labor and Coalition senators on her fourth day in the job.

Ms Guthrie, who officially took over from Mark Scott on Monday, was grilled on reported plans to shut the ABC's fact-checking unit, alleged left-wing bias, staff trips to Cannes and the broadcaster's decision to commission its own typeface.

Ms Guthrie told senators she was booked to return on the last flight from Canberra to Sydney at 7pm, an hour-and-a-half after the ABC's Senate estimates session began. This displeased some senators, who expect public officials to answer all their questions.
Calvin Klein has tapped Margot Robbie to be the face of their latest fragrance campaign.

The Australian actress will front the imagery for the soon to be launched women's perfume Deep Euphoria.

Australian actress Margot Robbie. Credit:Getty Images

Deep Euphoria, the third in the Euphoria range, is described by Calvin Klein as the "more modern, empowered sister" of the existing fragrances and is set to be released in August.

It will be the first time the Wolf of Wall Street starlet has appeared in a fragrance campaign.
Belconnen town centre has won the right to keep thousands of Immigration and Border Protection staff, but Canberra Airport is also a winner in the decision, announced on Thursday.

The decision to remain in Belconnen was expected, but the department also announced it would move about 1500 staff from Civic to the airport.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection will remain in Belconnen. Credit:Melissa Adams

Staff at the airport will work at Brindabella Business Park on Molonglo Drive.

Belconnen workers will be spread out among 5-6 Chan Street and the ABS House, which is the north tower of 45 Benjamin Way.
A man, who was found bleeding from a head wound in the middle of a street on Sydney's lower north shore, told police he had been assaulted.

The man, 56, was discovered conscious on West Street, Crows Nest, just before 11pm on Thursday.

Initial reports suggested he had been stabbed in the head.

He was treated by paramedics before being taken to Royal North Shore Hospital with a non-life threatening injury.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
NSW Police are poised to put an application to the state's Attorney-General in a matter of days for the unsolved Bowraville killings to go back to the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.

While the move has the full support of the police, it is unclear if it will get the same response from the NSW government, which has resisted calls to tweak the double jeopardy laws that would allow a retrial of the main suspect.

Family of the three children - Colleen Walker-Craig, 16, Evelyn Greenup, 4, and Clinton Speedy-Duroux, 16 - delivered more than a dozen folders containing the brief of evidence to the steps of Parliament House on Thursday.
A controversial plan to ease overcrowding in NSW prisons by reopening Parramatta jail has been scrapped by the Baird government, raising the prospect of more beds being squeezed into prisons already bursting at the seams.

The adult prison population hit a new record high of 12,390 in March, latest figures from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show.

The bureau says harsh new bail laws, which took effect in January 2015, are one of the factors that have contributed to a sharp increase in the prisoner population.

The government revealed in March that it was considering reopening the colonial-era Parramatta jail, which was closed in 2011, as part of a plan to deal with surging inmate numbers.
A man on trial for murder was directed to pull a dark brown pillowcase out of a plastic evidence bag for the purpose of inspecting it.

This was the same pillowcase he had held in his hands about two years earlier.

After Glen McNamara had finished examining it, it was passed to members of the jury inside the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday.

The jurors slipped on blue, plastic gloves and waited their turn to hold the pillowcase in their hands.
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took quick aim at presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday, saying United States should not take a risk on an unreliable candidate.

"He is a loose cannon, and loose cannons tend to misfire," Clinton said in an interview with CNN, citing Trump stances including a claim that climate change was a Chinese hoax.

Clinton, a former secretary of state and the front-runner to win the Democratic nomination, said Trump would have to offer policy specifics in the general election on Nov. 8 and criticized him for his positions on issues including nuclear weapons and abortion.

"He makes these grand statements and grand accusations," Clinton said of the real estate magnate and former reality TV star. "At some point when you're running for president, you actually have to put a little meat on the bones. You've got to tell people what it is you're going to do and how you're going to do it."

Clinton lost the Democratic primary contest in Indiana on Tuesday but still looks set to win her party's nomination, leading her rival, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, by more than 800 delegates. Trump's win in Indiana on Tuesday pushed his rivals out of the race and left him as the presumptive nominee.

In a preview of the likely general election battle to come, Clinton laughed when asked if she was ready to take on Trump, saying "Oh, please."

"This is to me a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who has knocked out of the way all the Republicans because they were just dumbfounded," she said.

Clinton said she knows how to run a campaign against Trump and took a swipe at Trump's 16 Republican presidential rivals who started out in the 2016 campaign.

"They didn't know how to deal with him," Clinton said. "They couldn't take him on on the issues because they basically agreed with them. And they didn't know how to counterpunch."

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A Sydney woman who allegedly had $4.6 million mistakenly given to her by her bank and spent much of it on handbags may not have broken the law, a magistrate has told a court.

Christine Jiaxin Lee, 21, was arrested while trying to board a flight to Malaysia on Wednesday night, four years after the extraordinary "glitch" in Westpac's system.

The chemical engineering student has been charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

However, magistrate Lisa Stapleton granted Ms Lee bail on Thursday, saying it appeared Westpac inadvertently gave her an unlimited overdraw facility and so she used it.
Even emus love getting in on the camera action. "I set them up in strategic locations inside the cluster (a 295 kilometre fenced boundary)," he said. "I can identify individuals, when I take one individual out and dispose of him I can say I have gotten rid of that specific dog." A camera trap set up on a boundary fence. Mr Wilson has been tracking and identifying wild dogs at Tambo for more than a decade and said they just keep getting smarter with each new technology that is brought in.

"A wild dog will walk past a camera and see it, they will identify it as something different in their environment," he said. Birds love hovering near the camera, Matt Wilson says. "If you set the camera and if it is easily identified, they know and they will change their movements." Mr Wilson said not only did wild dogs change their movements when they noticed camera traps in their areas, he thought they were also aware the traps were linked to humans. "The animals recognise there is a change in their environment and when they notice that, I think, I am pretty sure they attach that to human behaviour and then they tend to shy away," he said.

"They will patrol their areas every two to three days, if you go to the camera every day you are alerting the dog of your behaviour, a wild dog will pick up on your movements and will avoid that area. "The dog is used to human smell on things like cattle yards, working around tanks, but not used to human smell on big clumps of trees where no-one goes." To mitigate this, Mr Wilson said he only put camera traps in areas where he knew dogs had not been through in a while. "If I see fresh wild dog track I won't get out of my car, I will continue on," he said. Even though the flashes of his cameras were infrared, Mr Wilson believed that was what gave the camera away.

"I do a lot of night vision work, and when I shine an infrared torch, the same they use on the camera flash, the wild dog looks directly at me," he said. "It's not a white flash, it is an infrared flash and they can definitely see it. "There is no audible click to the camera, so they are definitely looking at the camera for another reason and I think it is because they are looking at the flash." It wasn't just wild dogs Mr Wilson managed to capture with his camera, which takes up to 5000 pictures at a time. "Every time I put the camera up there will be animals looking at the camera," he said.
A secret ballot is then held and if no candidate has received 21 votes, the lesser candidate is dropped and another ballot is held between the final two. Supporters for Mr Nicholls said they had been "pleasantly surprised" by the level of support, while Mr Springborg's group was similarly hopeful, with some believing the LNP leader had enough votes to win the top spot in the first vote. But in the quickly shifting sands of the spill, no one was willing to talk concrete numbers, as MPs began arriving from across the state before the urgent party room meeting on Friday morning. "It's all going to come down to the day," one said. "We can all say we know what is going to happen, but really, none of us will be sure until those ballots are counted."

The meeting had originally been scheduled for the LNP's usual party room meeting spot on the third level of Parliament. It was moved to the Speaker's Hall on the fourth floor mid-Thursday, as the bigger room allows for the challengers to exit through the dining room, thereby avoiding the media while they wait for their turn to speak and the votes to be counted. Six facts about Tim Nicholls. Credit:Fairfax Media While Robbie Katter said he and Shane Knuth would be "concerned" if an "urban Liberal" replaced Mr Springborg as leader, given the latter's "understanding" of the commitment from the Katter's Australian Party to "champion rural and regional issues", Mr Nicholls made the case "that the LNP needs to campaign on the LNP's policies and philosophies". "If the Katter party people want to support us, so be it, and we will always talk to them and treat them with the politeness and respect they deserve, but our position in my view should be we are standing up for the LNP and our members, not the Katter party," he told ABC radio on Thursday morning. Mr Nicholls put himself forward as the candidate with the "experience, energy and enthusiasm" to take the party to success at the next election, while paying homage to Mr Springborg's leadership.

"I think that I have served the party faithfully over many years. I have been involved in many of the actions of the party over a long time. I have the experience and still the enthusiasm to make a change and I'll be making that case to my colleagues." Six facts about Tim Mander. Credit:Fairfax Media Mr Mander put himself forward as the "fresh face" the party needs. "I have 30 years of leadership experience in both the public and private sector. I don't think people are looking for professional politicians  what they are looking for is people who are authentic and people who are willing to serve the Queensland public and I believe I have the track record of doing that and I believe my skills can help the LNP win government at the next state election," he told the ABC on Wednesday. Mr Springborg has only publicly said he would "tell his story" to the party room.

But while Mr Nicholls has faced scrutiny over his past as the face of the Newman government Strong Choices campaign and concerns over Mr Springborg's leadership style and three previous losses were raised, Mr Mander has been plagued by 'Plan B' concerns given his marginal seat, and the way the leadership tensions have played out publicly, which LNP MPs had described as "a mess" and "a shemozzle". "So don't be surprised if we end this with the status quo," one senior LNP MP said late on Thursday. Ahead of the vote, the "northern alliance" cross bench members, which includes the Katter Party MPs and independent Rob Pyne, released a statement in support of Mr Springborg, accusing those behind the spill of 'arrogance' and a return of "the combative Newman Years". "We are supportive of a constructive Parliament which, with the help of Mr Spingborg's leadership has resulted in the passing of several pieces of legislation against the ALP Government, making history for the first time in decades," the statement read. "This cooperation in the current political climate has delivered a far more democratic and constructive 55th parliament. One that has seen cross benches and the opposition deliver genuine legislative outcomes rather than simply play party political games.
The case against a Brisbane man charged with the murder of his six-year-old daughter last year remains in limbo, as psychiatrists continue to assess his suitability to stand trial.

A mental health assessment of Stephen Philip Playford, 52, is yet to be completed, Brisbane Magistrates Court heard on Thursday morning, with the magistrate commenting it would be "quite a difficult report, that one" for experts to compile.

Police at the Kedron home where Sidney Playford was found dead in her bed by her mother. Credit:Kim Stephens

After a brief hearing on Thursday, the murder case has been adjourned until the end of the year to enable the report to be completed.

The former Brisbane mining executive stands accused of killing his daughter Sidney, 6, at their home at Kedron in the early hours of September 7, 2015 and attempting to kill her sister, his eight-year-old eldest daughter.
Australian technology is going to be at the heart of the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, to be commissioned this year in China.

The Five-hundred metre Aperture Spherical Telescope, or FAST, will dwarf the current largest dish, the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

FAST's 19-beam receiver is being designed and built in Australia by CSIRO engineers working at the organisation's Astronomy and Space Science unit in Marsfield.

Large radio telescopes are able to look deep into the past of the universe with great sensitivity. Not only will observations at the FAST observatory help us to better understand exotic astronomical phenomena such as pulsars and black holes, but they will also let us peer into the nursery of early galaxy formation in the cosmic web of hydrogen gas that existed before galaxies formed.
An American man has been arrested and charged for vandalising Melbourne trains and a string of other criminal offences.

The 31-year-old man was arrested on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, about 2.30pm Thursday following "several alleged major graffiti incidents" on the city's train network, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.

The man was charged with four counts of criminal damage, attempted robbery, recklessly causing injury, unlawful assault and possessing a controlled weapon, she said.



The United States national will appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday afternoon.

patrick.hatch@fairfaxmedia.com.au
The radical Melbourne "sheikh" who converted Islamic State recruiter Neil Prakash to Islam has remained tight-lipped about his links to the terrorist, who was killed by a US air strike in Iraq last week .

Harun Mehicevic converted and preached to Prakash at Al-Furqan in Springvale South, the centre which has been linked to several radical extremists, including others who have died fighting in the Middle East.

Former Melbourne man Neil Prakash was killed in a US air strike last Friday.

But he had little to say on Thursday about the air strike, which claimed the life of Prakash and as many as 10 other Islamic State members, or about his relationship with one of Australia's most prominent jihadis.

Prakash, 24, was a key target because of his links to terror plots in Australia and calls for lone-wolf attacks in the US.
The Victorian Health Minister has called for urgent action against rogue chiropractors amid outrage over the manipulation of babies' spines.

Doctors have led a chorus of concern about the safety and efficacy of chiropractic procedures after a video surfaced online showing a Melbourne chiropractor manipulating a newborn baby's spine to treat colic and reflux.

The footage, which has been watched more than a million times on YouTube, was met with a furious response from health professionals but so far, no formal investigation into the procedure has been launched.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy has written to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Chiropractic Board of Australia seeking a crackdown on chiropractors performing "unproven and potentially unsafe procedures on young children and infants".
Maylands has become Australia's first suburb to host a permanent public art exhibition coordinated over multiple streets, according to its exhausted - but elated - curator.

The suburb sports 15 major new murals, all on commercial properties, begun during the weekend street festival - with more pieces to be added over coming days.

Work by Samuel Kim at Rifo's.

Curator Leo Flavel, owner of local gallery Studio281, organised the pieces as both a progressive show revealing the evolution of street art style, and also as stand-alone works that represent the personalities of the businesses involved.

It took him a "monumental" six months of liaisons with business owners, landlords, strata companies, real estate agents and the festival organisers to resolve the planning and insurance-related issues.
Car parking charges in Perth have hit a new high with Westralia Square now slugging customers $21, almost double the hourly rate it was before.

The one-hour rate for the car park, which is operated by Secureparking, was $11 before the most recent price hike.

The hourly rate at the Westralia Square has almost doubled.

The full day maximum now comes at a cost of $66, up from $44, while a two-hour park will cost $36 and up to four hours $46.

A 6PR Radio listener called the station to tell them about the rates and sent in photographs of the rate card outside the car park.
Yields on Egypt's six-month and one-month treasury bills fell at auction on Thursday, central bank data showed.

The average yield on Egypt's 182-day bill fell to 13.716 percent from 13.795 percent at the last sale on April 27.

The yield on the 357-day bill fell to 13.968 percent from 14.145 percent at a similar auction on April 27.

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Spending $80,000 refurbishing the Parliament House Strangers Lounge is an abuse of taxpayer funds, the West Australian opposition says.

The expenditure, which comes out of funds allocated in the budget to be spent on parliament, will go towards work on the doors, ceiling and a gazebo.

"What's next? Sitting around drinking brandy?", asks Opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt.

Opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt told reporters on Thursday that in an economic environment where people were losing their jobs and the state had massive debt, it was a "shocking look" to spend money on a "bar" and showed the state government was out of touch with the public.

"What's next? We're going to have a cigar bar up here at Parliament House, sitting around drinking brandy? This is an abuse of taxpayer funds."
The Australian-British child-recovery agent Adam Whittington has accused Foreign Minister Julie Bishop of showing "double standards" over the handling of his ongoing detention in Lebanon, suggesting the Nine Networks' 60 Minutes crew received better treatment because they are from a powerful Australian media company.

This came as Mr Whittington met personally with the investigative Judge Rami Abdullah who is presiding over the case and considering whether to recommend charges against the any or all the members of the remaining group for the botched child-recovery operation on April 6.

While the Nine crew and Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner, who hired Mr Whittington have all walked free, Mr Whittington and his colleagues who orchestrated and carried out the abduction are still languishing in jail in Beirut. Mr Whittington believes Nine behaved unethically by negotiating a deal with Ms Faulkner's estranged husband Ali Elamine to secure their own release but not the rest of the team's. This is despite the Nine Network paying for the abduction plot and travelling to Beirut to film the entire operation.
New Delhi: An Indian boy born with progeria, a disease which causes accelerated ageing in children, has died at 15, but his thoughts on human existence - "our time here is special and life is incredibly beautiful in every single way" - continue to reverberate on social media.

Nihal Bitla was born with the rare genetic disorder Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, commonly known as progeria, in which children age eight times faster than normal and consequently have a much shorter life span.

Born into a middle class family in Bhiwandi, a surburb of Mumbai, his appearance on his first birthday caused his parents some consternation. He had hair loss, wrinkles and an unusual-looking face. Doctors told them their son had progeria.

Later, when Nihal was 10 - and looked 60 - they took him to the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health in Mumbai, where Dr Parag Tamhankar handled his case.
Honolulu: The US Coast Guard says a Colombian sailor has been rescued after surviving a two-month ordeal in the southeastern Pacific, but his three companions reportedly died.

The agency said in a news release that the 29-year-old man survived by eating fish and seagulls, after the group's seven-metre skiff became disabled in a lightly travelled area of the ocean.

A merchant ship that rescued the man more than 3200 kilometres south-east of Hawaii notified the Coast Guard and he was brought to Honolulu in good condition on Wednesday.

The release said that the "three other men reportedly perished at sea", and their bodies were not aboard the skiff. No other details on the deaths were immediately available.

The survivor, who wasn't identified, said that the four of them had set out from Colombia more than two months earlier, but their engine failed.
In Russia, the argument against democracy has often had a slightly different tone. The regime long ago gave up trying to justify itself ideologically, resorting instead to cynicism about other political systems. Over and over again, the Russian public has been told that democracy is no different from dictatorship. The argument goes something like this: "We have oligarchs, they have oligarchs; our politics are really about money, and so are theirs; American talk of ideas and ideals, tolerance and democracy -- that's all fake."

Already, the triumph of Trump is being used to validate this argument. Trump's open use of racist emotions to rally crowds proves the point; so do his shady business practices and his con-man persona. As a political ally of the Russian president, said recently, approvingly, Trump is "a businessman and he looks at everything like another deal." Which is, of course, how Vladimir Putin looks at politics, too.

But this is only the beginning: Echoes of these arguments will also appear in Iran, Venezuela, Turkey and everywhere else that repressive politics are hailed as superior to liberal democracy. Perhaps they will also have appeal in a few places, such as Brazil, where nostalgia for an authoritarian past is growing.

In a narrow sense, this is nothing new: Anything that makes the United States look bad has always been used to make authoritarians look good. But in the past, the US political system itself was hard to argue against. The spectacle of a vast nation peacefully voting to change its leader always produced grudging respect; even our worst elections somehow produced people who had coherent worldviews and political experience.

Now that the system has thrown up a farcical demagogue with no qualifications whatsoever, it suddenly looks not just tarnished but also ridiculous. And this is just the beginning: The "Trump effect" will ricochet around the world, in ways we can't yet imagine, for years to come.
UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Credit:Getty Images

For the moment, at least, the opinion polls are clear: Clinton would easily defeat Trump. The demographics are against him: it is almost impossible for a Republican to win without Hispanics, and he has angered them with his sickening rhetoric. But it would be madness to underestimate Trump: with the Republican nomination in the bag, he has already started to moderate his language and recruit more high-level advisers. Republican big hitters will gradually endorse him, and he will doubtless jettison some of his most deranged and offensive policies, such as his obscene proposed ban on all Muslims travelling to the US. He will switch to wooing the centrist vote, doubtless with some success.

Trump's opportunity is that the modern Democratic Party, even more so than Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party, has been taken over by an elite class of highly educated professionals. Such folk, who can afford to be left-wing, can barely camouflage their contempt for the American poor's suburban lifestyles, the fact that many still go to church, their patriotism, the kinds of cars they drive, even the food they eat. This has pushed many into the Republicans' arms, and Trump hopes to grab even more such voters.

Yet because the Grand Old Party is rightly supportive of the free market and low taxes, chunks of the working class remained with the Democrats. Trump, who is happy to say anything to get elected and has no problem bashing the capitalist system that made him rich, is not encumbered in the same way by principle. His protectionism, opposition to migration and contempt for supposedly faceless corporations mean that he is ideally positioned to scoop up even more disgruntled middle-class voters.

His foreign policy will also go down well with Middle America, including many blue-collar Democrats. It will be a different kind of disengagement than the one pioneered by Obama, but the results will be the same. Even if he were to abandon his planned trade war with China and the worst of his other ideas after winning office, the world's great crises would continue to fester dangerously under a Trump White House.
PHILIPSBURG:---- Josiah Arnold an extraordinary student of St. Dominic High School, has been chosen as the recipient for the month of May give back to the community program.

Josiah Arnold graduated from St. Dominic High where he took subjects that helped build his foundation in marketing. However his dream is to become an automotive engineer, therefore he's continuing his education at St. Dominic, where he is currently taking physics and advanced mathematics.

The young aspiring engineer caught the attention of Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin Romeo as he has been performing at the top of his class throughout his primary and secondary education, and once indicated to her of his interest in studying quantum physics.

Both parents do not have the Dutch nationality and this limits his chances to further his studies abroad and become an engineer. MP Marlin-Romeo assisted by ensuring once Josiah Arnold turned 18 he was able to obtain the Dutch nationality through the option procedure and most recently Josiah obtained his Dutch passport.

This assistance will give Josiah Arnold the possibility of furthering his studies abroad. There are many students who are born on Sint Maarten of non-national parents and find themselves in a predicament in pursuit of their tertiary education, especially those who are residing on the island illegally, MP Leona Marlin-Romeo pointed out.

The Member of Parliament urges all parents to legalize not only their status, but that of their children. This will facilitate future opportunities, stated Member of Parliament Leona Marlin Romeo.
GREAT BAY:---The Peridot Foundation will contribute to the sponsorship of the 14th annual St. Martin Book Fair, June 2  4, 2016, said the Hon. drs. Gracita Arrindell.

This is the third time that Peridot has teamed up with the nations literary festival to sponsor an important aspect of the book fair. A lover of books herself, drs. Arrindell is a published editor and former president of the Parliament of St. Maarten. She founded Peridot in 2000, to create awareness about domestic violence with emphasis on breaking its cycles of violence in families and relationships.

We are very happy to present to the people of our island a world-class scientist, Dr. Camille Wardrop Alleyne, to deliver the opening ceremony address of the St. Martin Book Fair on June 2. And a life-line sponsorship by the Peridot Foundation will go toward the appearance of the keynote speaker, said Jacqueline Sample, president of House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP). The theme of book fair 2016 is The Science of It.

As an NGO, Peridot mostly sponsors activities that aid in combatting domestic violence, hosts lectures on the issue, and is responsible for the anti-child abuse statue at the Cul-de-sac roundabout, said drs. Arrindell.

Drs. Arrindells love for literature involved her for many years as a volunteer reader of Dutch and English books to students at the Sr. Borgia Elementary School.

A society that is not increasingly literate about itself and the world is a society that loses part of its soul and doesnt put much into who we are and where were going, said drs. Arrindell. She has an active personal reading life and believes in the value of writing and creativity.

Furthermore, with reading and comprehension one is able to defend oneself, said drs. Arrindell. I also encourage young people to read and use the opportunities they have with technology to explore and create. During her term as the first president of Parliament, drs. Gracita Arrindell established the President of Parliament Award to encourage young people to help in the development of the community.

Drs. Arrindell also edited the book, Looking Back to Move Forward, which was published by HNP in 2005. The book, the only one of its type to date in the six remaining Dutch territories in the Caribbean, contains one interview and five speeches by former prime ministers of the Netherlands Antilles about their experiences in office before the Territory was dismantled by 2010.

The love of books, volunteer reading for children, organizing engaging conferences, book publishing, and the ongoing work of Peridot Foundation are all connected to helping to bring more of an awareness to the development of society, said drs. Arrindell. One of the reasons that drs. Gracita Arrindell believes in supporting authors to come to the island is to help encourage reading and spread more awareness in various areas of individual growth and nation building.

In 2007 and 2011 respectively, the Peridot Foundation contributed to the sponsorship of the St. Martin Book Fair guest speakers Chiqui Vicioso, a leading Dominican Republic author and ambassador, and Derek Walcott, the Nobel laureate from St. Lucia.

Conscious Lyrics Foundation and HNP are organizing the 14th edition of the St. Martin Book Fair in collaboration with the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, University of St. Martin (USM), LC Fleming Foundation, GEBE, and the Collectivity of St. Martin.
Caravanserai, an exhibition by Spanish artist Pilar Cossio, will open at Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art on Thursday and run until 19 May.

The exhibited work dangles between photography and installation and is based on the artists work in the cities of Paris, Beirut and Essauoira.

Cossios work takes us close to visual poetry, suggesting a world where reality is not determined by reason and rather it opens up towards a dreamlike and magical territory imbued with fragments of images collected in her trips to Paris, Beirut and Essauoira, reads the press release issued by Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art.

The artist wisely moves between contemporary languages, creating an artistic practice that astonishes and amazes the viewer, adds the press release.

Programme:

Thursday 5 May, 7pm

Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art, 8 Champollion Street, Cairo

The exhibition runs until 19 May

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Power Flushing The Oldest Two-Pipe System In The Country

When

it comes to cutting edge solutions to improving heating systems, Powerflush UK have the edge over the competition. As the only company in the UK who have the necessary specialist equipment to enable them to take on large scale commercial jobs of up to 300 radiators at a single time, they are leading the way in the power flushing industry.

Power flushing is often thought of as a solution for modern central heating systems, however [Power flush](http://powerflushuk.com) UK have proved that this is not always the case. The company is one of the UKs leading experts in power flushing systems, and thanks to their impressive modern equipment, they are able to tackle power flushing jobs of all sizes, including those on a very large scale. Recently they successfully completed an especially exciting job which was truly one of a kind.

The Trent Building at Nottingham University boasts the oldest two-pipe heating system in the UK, having been installed in this elegant building in 1928. At the time of its installation, this was the most innovative, cutting edge solution to heating, and it has remained in place until the present day. Recently, this ancient system was struggling to function correctly, failing to produce the heat necessary for a university building. Having tried to rectify the problem without success, the building management despaired of finding a solution and were beginning to consider replacing the entire system.

Luckily, Powerflush UK were able to step into the breach with their high quality equipment to perform an effective power flush throughout the buildings central heating system. Despite the enormity of the job, Powerflush UK were able to completely remove over three quarters of a century of sludge and debris, making the system as good as new once more. The management team were delighted with the results and the historic heating system has been preserved for many years to come.

A power flush is the term given to an effective cleaning process which is able to remove any debris and deposits from a central heating system. Over time, sludge, rust and other contaminants are able to build up, and as a result, the efficiency of a heating system declines. The telltale signs that a central heating system may require treatment include loud noises from the boiler, discolouration in the water when the radiators are bled, cold patches on radiators and excessive time taken for the system to heat up. When all other remedies have failed to resolve the problem, a power flush is the obvious solution.

Power flushing allows the water to circulate effectively around the system once more by removing all contaminants. By connecting a high flow/low pressure pumping unit to the system and by adding powerful cleansing chemicals including a sludge crust remover, corrosion inhibitor and a descaler, the limescale and other debris is broken down and removed from the system leaving it free to function effectively once more. Not only can a power flush lower the cost of energy bills, but it also ensures that the system produces optimal heat.
Azuls Zulu Embedded Honored as Gold Stevie Award Winner in 14th American Business Awards

SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA  (Marketwired)  05/05/16  Editors Note: There is one image associated with this release.

(Azul), the award-winning leader in Java runtime solutions, was named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award for , Azuls open source Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and development kit based on OpenJDK. Zulu Embedded was nominated in the  category in the . For device manufacturers and OEMs in the embedded, mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) markets, Zulu Embedded provides a proven Java platform that is 100% open source, compliant with the Java SE standard, fully certified by Azul, and requires no licensing fees. Zulu Embedded currently supports Java versions 6, 7, and 8, with early access available for Java 9, for x86 and ARM processors across a variety of embedded operating systems.

The American Business Awards are the nations premier business awards program. More than 3,400 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, and more than 250 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this years winners. Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning crowned, the ABA awards will be presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Monday, June 20.

Were honored to have been awarded a Gold Stevie Award in the 2016 American Business Awards for Zulu Embedded, said Scott Sellers, President and CEO of Azul Systems. Zulu Embedded is revolutionizing how Java is now being used in embedded, mobile, and IoT designs, having been deployed in millions of devices. Its 100% open source and requires no license fees, thereby dramatically lowering the cost to embed a Java SE compliant and fully performant solution compared to other proprietary Java offerings.

Zulu Embedded is available for download from the Azul Systems website at .

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at .

About Azul Systems

@azulsystems

Azul Systems, the industrys only company exclusively focused on Java and the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), builds fully supported, certified standards-compliant Java runtime solutions that help enable the real time business. Zing is a JVM designed for enterprise Java applications and workloads that require any combination of low latency, high transaction rates, large working memory, and/or consistent response times. Zulu and Zulu Embedded are Azuls certified, open source builds of OpenJDK with a variety of flexible support options, available in configurations for the enterprise as well as custom and embedded form factors. For additional information, visit .

Azul Systems, the Azul Systems logo, Zulu, Zing and ReadyNow! are registered trademarks. Java and OpenJDK are trademarks of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliated companies in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

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FEMSA Selects ImageWares Cloud-Based Biometric Authentication to Validate Future Service

SAN DIEGO, CA  (Marketwired)  05/05/16  ImageWare Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: IWSY) has signed an agreement with FEMSA, S.A.B. (NYSE: FMX) of Monterey, Mexico to provide the company its CloudID multi-modal biometric authentication system.

FEMSA will be evaluating the biometric technology to improve its overall security in identity, credential and access control management (ICAM) in its highly complex and competitive environment. The paid pilot will commence implementation in May 2016. The agreement allows FEMSA to define suppliers for the different components of its ICAM roadmap that can fully leverage the benefits of ImageWares state-of-the-art cloud-based technology.

The GoCloudID Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering provides multi-modal biometric identity verification (i.e., 1:1 matching) and identification (i.e., 1:N searching) cloud services that are accessible from fixed workstations. Anchored by IWS patented Biometric Engine, which provides highly scalable, real-time search and matching, CloudID also features front-end applications for the capture of biometrics and biographic information, search and query of that information, and the ability, when desired, to print biometric-enabled identification cards, documents, or drivers licenses.

CloudID is currently deployed in the State of Baja California Drivers License program where it has created over 262,000 biometric-based drivers licenses to date.

We are honored to be selected by FEMSA to validate the technology, said Jim Miller, IWS Chairman and CEO. CloudID is a modular software platform that supports rapid development and large scale deployment of highly secure yet flexible identity management solutions, allowing unlimited population sizes as well as adding additional biometric modalities and devices-quite simply solving the big data issue for biometric deployments.

FEMSA is a leading company participating in the beverage industry with Coca-Cola FEMSA, the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola products in the world; and in the beer industry, through its ownership of the second largest equity stake in Heineken, one of the worlds leading brewers with operations in over 70 countries. FEMSA participates in the retail sector with FEMSA Comercio, which operates various small-format chain stores, including OXXO. Through FEMSA Negocios Estrategicos, the company offers logistic services, point-of-sales cooling solutions, and plastic solutions for FEMSAs companies and external customers.

ImageWare Systems is a leading developer of mobile and cloud-based identity management solutions, providing biometric secure credential and law enforcement technologies. Scalable for worldwide deployment, ImageWares patented biometric product line includes a highly scalable, multi-modal biometric engine capable of working with a wide array of sensors, modalities, and algorithms. ImageWares identity management products are used for secure credentials, national IDs, passports, drivers licenses, and smart cards as well as both application and physical access control systems. ImageWare products support a wide range of biometric modalities including face, voice, fingerprint, eye, DNA, and more.

ImageWare is headquartered in San Diego, CA, with offices in Portland, OR, Washington, D.C., Ottawa, Ontario, and Mexico. For more information about ImageWare Systems, Inc., please visit .

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Cody Slach

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Mesosphere Named a Cool Vendor in Cloud Infrastructure by Gartner

Posted by Publisher Hardware

SAN FRANCISCO, CA  (Marketwired)  05/05/16  Mesosphere, creators of DC/OS (Datacenter Operating System), the enterprises most powerful open source platform for building modern enterprise apps, today announced it has been included in the list of Cool Vendors in the April 27, 2016 report by Gartner, Inc., Cool Vendors in Cloud Infrastructure, 2016.

Enterprises are modernizing their datacenter and cloud practices with the DC/OS, said Florian Leibert, CEO and Co-Founder of Mesosphere. We are the only platform that allows organizations to easily build and deploy modern enterprise applications  consisting of containers, microservices, big data systems, real-time analytics and more  on a single open source platform. We are proud to have been selected as a Gartner Cool Vendor.

In April, Mesosphere led a broad alliance of more than 60 partner companies to unveil the open source DC/OS project, the first open and comprehensive platform for building, running and scaling modern enterprise applications. Derived from Mesospheres revolutionary Datacenter Operating System, the 100 percent open source DC/OS offers powerful capabilities for container operations at scale and single-click, app-store-like installation of 20+ complex distributed systems (called DC/OS services), including HDFS, Apache Spark, Apache Kafka, Apache Cassandra and more. DC/OS lets every company deploy the automated infrastructure technology already powering applications at some of the worlds largest companies.

Microsoft  one of the earliest DC/OS collaborators  already includes DC/OS as a major part of its . Azure Container Service is a completely open-source-based, production-ready container service that combines that flexibility and community support of open source with the peace of mind of a Microsoft-supported cloud service.

Since launching in 2014, Mesosphere has galvanized major industry momentum around DC/OS as the de facto standard for enterprises operating containers and distributed systems in production. In March, the company closed $73.5 million in a series C funding round led by strategic investors Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Microsoft. Mesospheres total funding to date is nearly $126 million.

Gartner, Cool Vendors in Cloud Infrastructure, 2016, Philip Dawson, Dennis Smith, 27 April 2016

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartners research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

(Twitter: ) is leading the enterprise transformation toward containers, microservices and modern applications with its Datacenter Operating System, and is the principal founding member of the open source project. DC/OS is a production-proven datacenter-scale platform for container operations and simple installation of complex distributed systems  including HDFS, Apache Spark, Apache Kafka, Apache Cassandra and more. Mesosphere was founded in 2013 by the architects of hyperscale infrastructures at Airbnb and Twitter, along with the co-creator of Apache Mesos. Backed by A Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Data Collective, Fuel Capital, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Triangle Peak Partners and Microsoft, Mesosphere is headquartered in San Francisco with additional offices in New York and Hamburg, Germany.

Lonn Johnston

Flak42 for Mesosphere

+1 650.219.7764
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An Egyptian court released 22 protesters pending trial over charges of illegally protesting on 15 April, dubbed 'The Friday of Land, where thousands took to the street in Cairo's downtown to protest the controversial Egyptian-Saudi Red Sea island deal.

The deal, which leaves the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir within the regional waters of Saudi Arabia, caused outrage in the country, with activists protesting in front of the press syndicate building in one of the largest demonstrations since Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi was elected as president in mid 2014.

One week following the protests, the country saw mass arrests of activists and journalists in Cairo and other governorates, most notably the storming of the press syndicate and the arrest of journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka on Sunday.

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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.
(Guangzhou)  Home prices in four cities close to Shenzhen have surged just as the southern city's housing market sees its first signs of cooling after a long period of feverish growth.

Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhuhai and Zhongshan were among the top 10 cities nationwide in which home prices grew the fastest in April, according to the China Index Academy, a real estate information provider.
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This artist's conception shows the inner four planets of the Gliese 581 system and their host star. The large planet in the foreground is Gliese 581g, which is in the middle of the star's habitable zone and is only two to three times as massive as Earth. Some researchers aren't convinced Gliese 581g exists, however.

Gliese 581g is an extra-solar planet candidate within a planetary system that is only 20 light-years from Earth, but at this point it is highly doubted to exist. First announced in 2010 as a planet close to Earth's mass in the habitable zone of its host star, the exoplanet has come under scrutiny as other research teams cast doubts on its discovery.

While thousands of exoplanet candidates have been discovered, it generally takes at least two independent observations to confirm that these planets actually exist. To be scientifically rigorous, the planet should be observed by two separate teams using two different observatories. The original researchers that found Gliese 581g in 2010, however, defended their methods in 2012 and cast doubts on some of the other teams' work.

At least one well-known exoplanet database doesn't list it any more. The planet is not currently listed in the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog, which is run by the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo's Planetary Habitability Laboratory. In an October 2014 blog post characterizing false starts in exoplanet habitability, researcher Abel Mendez wrote that the planet does not exist.

Discovery

The planet was first announced in September 2010 by a team led by Steven Vogt at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Using 11 years of observational data from the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, the teams announced two planets around the star Gliese 581: Gliese 581f and Gliese 581g. Results were published in the Astrophysical Journal and also made available in pre-print version on Arxiv.

The planet was believed to be within the habitable zone of its parent star, which is a red dwarf. This type of star is cooler than our own sun, which means planets need to huddle close to receive enough warmth for water to flow on their surface. While astronomers generally define habitability by whether the planet can support liquid water, it is acknowledged that there are many factors that can influence it. This includes the planet's atmosphere and how variable its parent star is in terms of emitting energy.

In a press release announcing the discovery, the researchers acknowledged Gliese 581 "has a somewhat checkered history of habitable-planet claims". Two planets found in the system before, Gliese 581c and Gliese 581d, were later believed to be at the edge of the habitable zone. (In future years, Gliese 581d's existence was also called into question). Historical estimates for number of planets in the system range from about 3 to 6 planets, depending on the method used.

As for Gliese 581g, the researchers said that the planet always has one side facing its parent star, and the other always in darkness. The region of habitability would likely be on the line between shadow and light.

Gliese 581g was found by detecting the gravitational wobbles it induced in its parent star, but the researchers said it was subtle; more than 200 observations were required at a precision of 1.6 meters per second. The data from Keck was combined with that of another famous planet-hunting instrument, the HARPS (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planetary Search project) at the European Southern Observatory's La Silla 3.6-meter telescope in Chile. Brightness measurements of the star were also confirmed with a Tennessee State University robotic telescope.

Planet-sized doubts

The planet's existence very quickly came under scrutiny. That October, however, a team  led by Michael Mayor of the Geneva Observatory  presented at the International Astronomical Union using more data points from the HARPS data. They saw signals for what they believed were four other planets in that system, but the information did not show Gliese 581g, they said.

"The reason for that is that, despite the extreme accuracy of the instrument and the many data points, the signal amplitude of this potential fifth planet is very low and basically at the level of the measurement noise," said Francesco Pepe, an astronomer who works on HARPS data at the Geneva Observatory, in an e-mail for an Astrobiology Magazine article republished on SPACE.com.

The paper was also published on preprint site Arxiv.org, but appears not to have been accepted for publication. This was a point that Vogt made in a 2012 Space.com article. He also said that his own team was unable to come to the same conclusions as the Swiss team  unless they removed a few data points.

"I don't know whether this omission was intentional or a mistake," he said at the time. "I can only say that, if it was a mistake, they've been making that same mistake more than once now, not only in this paper, but in other papers as well."

Scientific dispute

The 2010 research teams, each opposing the other, kicked off a flurry of publishing activity about 581g, sometimes also discussing the plausibility of other supposed planets in the system. Among them:

In 2010, a group led by Rene Andrae of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, said that Vogt's group had based their find on assuming the planets had circular orbits, a conclusion the German team said was incorrect.

In 2011, a paper was published in MNRAS based on a different statistical method analyzing the HARPS and HIRES data. This group, led by Philip Gregory of the University of British Columbia, also couldn't find a signal indicating 581g exists.

In 2012, Vogt (who discovered 581g) used the same data as the 2010 Swiss team that could not find 581g. His team said that the planet is there as long as the planets have circular orbits, and said certain data points could have been omitted in the original 2010 paper by the opposing team. Vogt told Space.com that circular orbits work because of dynamic stability, goodness-of-fit, and principle of parsimomy (Occam's Razor). The paper was published in Astronomische Nachrichten.

Further study on 581g, however, cast strong doubts on its existence. In 2014, a team led by Paul Robertson, a postdoctoral fellow at Penn State University, said that Gliese 581d (another planet in the system) is not visible in the data when making corrections for its sun's activity. A press release by Penn State pointed out that sunspots could sometimes masquerade as planetary signals. The presence of Gliese 581g is inferred by looking at the orbit of Gliese 581d. If 581d isn't there after all, the researchers concluded, 581g isn't either.

Another team led by Guillem Anglada-Escude (University of London) submitted a comment on that article that was published in Science in March 2015. They said Robertson's team's work used a statistical method that "is simply inadequate for identifying small planets like GJ 581d," according to a press release of the time. Anglada-Escude's team urged that the data be re-analyzed using a "more accurate model."

Additional resources
What is the sound of two black holes colliding? Some of them chirp. But a truly massive, fast-spinning black hole  such as the one featured in the movie "Interstellar"  might create a more dynamic song.

Colliding black holes don't actually create sound waves, but they do create gravitational waves  distortions to space-time, the fabric of reality itself. In February, scientists with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) collaboration announced the first-ever direct detection of gravitational waves.

To help the general public understand the signal that LIGO detected, the researchers transformed the data into sound waves. As the black holes circle each other faster and faster, the sound climbs in pitch, like a slide whistle. The final collision produces a high-pitched chirp (listen to it here), and then the sound is abruptly cut off  the song stops because the two black holes have become one. [The Search for Gravitational Waves in Pictures]

This simple cosmic song may not be the only music these gravitational-wave emitters are capable of producing. At the American Physical Society April Meeting, held April 16 to 19 in Salt Lake City, Niels Warburton, a postdoctoral fellow at the MIT Kavli Institute, discussed simulations showing what kind of gravitational-wave "song" should be produced by collisions involving black holes that spin faster and are significantly larger than those that have been detected by LIGO.

Extreme collisions

Wormhole travel across the universe and supergiant black holes are just some of the wonders seen in the film "Interstellar." See how the science of "Interstellar" works in this infographic (Image credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

To illustrate the new research, Warburton used the black hole Gargantua from the movie "Interstellar" as an example. In the film, a planet orbiting closer to this monster experiences extreme time dilation, so that one hour on the surface of the planet is equal to seven years on a spaceship nearby.

Astrophysicist Kip Thorne (who is also a founding member of LIGO) was deeply involved with the film and the science therein. He wrote in his book "The Science of Interstellar" that in order to cause the level of time dilation portrayed in the movie, the black hole would have to spin at nearly the fastest possible speed that scientists believe is possible for a black hole. More specifically, "1 part in 100 trillion less than maximum rate allowable," Warburton said.

(While it has not been demonstrably proven, it is thought that if a black hole were to spin faster than this maximum, its event horizon would shrink so far back as to leave a naked singularity, Warburton said  a result that has defied physical models until now.)

For their study, Warburton and his colleagues looked at very massive black holes spinning a little slower than Gargantua  only about 99.99 percent of the maximum theoretical speed. 'Interstellar' Science: The Movie's Black Hole Explained (Video )

Before black holes collide, they spiral around one another, getting closer and closer together. One black hole will circle the other until it reaches a point known as the lowest stable orbit, after which it "falls in" to its companion, Warburton explained.

But the faster a black hole spins, the closer that lowest stable orbit gets to its event horizon, or the point beyond which nothing (not even light) can escape, he said. And what their research shows is that when the companion black hole can get extremely close to its companion, the gravitational waves emitted by the pair are very different from what had been expected.

The two black holes that LIGO observed merged together and produced a "chirp"  that is, the frequency of the signal rose steadily, then was cut off abruptly when the two objects combined. But Warburton and his colleagues showed that fast-spinning black holes create a signal that reaches a peak frequency, and then starts to lower in frequency, before fading out.

"Instead of chirping, you get this kind of singing sound from the black hole," Warburton said. "It'll rise, it won't get cut off, it'll sing, and then it's quiet at the end."

"[It's] a completely different gravitational-wave signature  than what was detected [by LIGO]," he said. If a gravitational-wave detector picked up a signal that looked like the one the researchers' model describes, "you would know you were looking at a gargantuan system, something that is rotating extremely close to the maximum," he said.

This runs contrary to what scientists expected from a merger involving a very fast-spinning black hole, according to Jolyon Bloomfield, a lecturer at MIT, who presented research at the same press conference.

"It was certainly very unexpected to see something that didn't chirp," Bloomfield said, when asked during the press conference what he thought of the results. "Every template that we've seen so far  has had this beautiful, chirping feature, and we just assumed that [if we] make [the spin of the black hole] bigger  it chirps bigger. But this is quite interesting work that says no, the chirp actually goes away. Something else is happening here."

Hunting for gravitational songs

Black holes are strange regions where gravity is strong enough to bend light, warp space and distort time. [ See how black holes work in this SPACE.com infographic .] (Image credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com contributor)

The work Warburton presented focuses mainly on a scenario involving a black hole millions of times more massive than the sun, spinning very fast, and colliding with a much smaller companion black hole  something on the order of tens of times the mass of the sun. To detect these signals would require a very large gravitational wave detector like the European Space Agency's eLISA mission, which is scheduled for launch in the 2030s. However, Warburton said that some of these strange gravitational-wave songs could also be created by two midsize black holes, and those signals could potentially be detected by LIGO.

Will gravitational-wave detectors pick up signals created by these superfast-spinning black holes? Warburton said that such a scenario depends on how common these objects are in the universe.

"There are theoretical arguments that suggest that 99.8 percent is the most maximal speed you will find," Warburton said. "But until the detection of gravitational waves recently, people thought that the biggest black holes you would see would only be 15 solar masses. And the [black holes that LIGO] saw were double that: 30 solar masses."

"So these things might not be that common in the universe," he said. "But when you're doing gravitational-wave data analysis, you need to kind of know what you're looking for in advance  And so we've shown what to look for in the data stream in order to detect these particularly exotic objects."

The new work could also help explain how very massive black holes form, Warburton said, because an object's spin can indicate how it acquired its mass. If a massive black hole formed from smaller black holes merging together, it shouldn't have an extremely high spin rate, he said.

A paper describing this research is available on the open-access website arXive.org, and the paper has been submitted for publication, according to Warburton.

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
An avalanche of new research illuminates the strange swirls of light and dark peppering the surface of the moon, suggesting that the weak magnetic field Earth's only natural satellite offers a surprisingly strong shield to parts of the lunar crust.

Many ponder the mysteries of Europa's moon-wide, ice-covered sea or doomed Phobos' strange composition, but Earth's moon holds secrets even closer to home. Researchers have long wondered about the curlicue patterns that can be tens of miles across on the moon's pockmarked surface.

"These patterns, called 'lunar swirls,' appear almost painted on the surface of the moon," John Keller, a researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, said in a statement. "They are unique; we've only seen these features on the moon, and their origin has remained a mystery since their discovery." Keller is a project scientist for the NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission. [Amazing Moon Photos from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter]

The bright patches of the swirls seem to be less weathered and worn away than the dark parts, and the swirls occur in places where the moon's surface is magnetized, according to previous research. From those observations, scientists have developed three main hypotheses about the swirls' origin, NASA officials said in the statement: that the moon's magnetic field protected parts of the surface from abrasive solar wind, that dust settled in alignment with the magnetic field, or that plumes of material from comet impacts caused both the swirls and the magnetic fields.

Unlike Earth, whose swirling, metal core generates a globe-wide magnetic field, the moon does not (currently) generate a widespread field. Instead, patches of crust are magnetized in irregular patterns. While the protective-field explanation seemed plausible, researchers didn't understand how those weak magnetic fields could have provided a strong enough protective effect on the lunar surface.

"The problem with the magnetic-shield idea is that the embedded magnetic fields on the moon are very weak  about 300 times weaker than Earth's magnetic field," Bill Farrell, head of NASA Goddard's DREAM2 Center for Space Environments, said in the statement.

Three new papers from DREAM2 researchers describe models for how the weak field could in fact protect the surface from the unceasing solar wind, and new observations from the LRO further support the conclusion.

The sun's fierce activity sends a constant stream of energetic, charged particles out into the solar system, bombarding the planets, moons and asteroids that dwell there. Earth's magnetic field deflects most of these particles from the planet's surface; their interactions with that field and the particles in the atmosphere cause vivid auroras near the north and south poles. The moon, on the other hand, stands mostly unprotected as it's constantly showered by the energetic particles, which can travel from 200 to 500 miles per second (300 to 800 km/s) depending on the sun's level of activity.

According to the new models, even the moon's weak surface-magnetism can generate a strong electrical field when the solar wind flows through, and that electrical field is able to deflect the particles away from parts of the lunar surface. So the whirls of magnetism are inscribed on the moon in the form of lighter areas that are less worn away by the sun's pelting wind.

New observations from the LRO seem to support this hypothesis, Keller said. "Until you have somebody making measurements on the lunar surface, we may not get a definitive answer. But the new observations that analyze the swirls in ultraviolet and far-ultraviolet light are consistent with earlier observations that indicate the swirls are less weathered than their surroundings," he said.

To understand the process better in the meantime, the teams hope to fine-tune the models to account for different times of day, for when the solar wind comes from different directions, as well as for varying solar-wind strength, officials said in the statement. The researchers could also model the weathering effects of space and the solar wind, the statement said. The moon orbiter team, for its part, plans to adjust one of the orbiter's instruments to improve the clarity of its daytime observations, officials said.

The new modeling work was detailed in the journal Icarus in March, in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics in June and in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets in November; the LRO observations were detailed in Icarus in January and in February.

Editor's Note: This article was updated to reflect the solar wind's range of speeds.

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Astrophotographer Mike Taylor, who is based in central Maine, captured this photo of an Eta Aquarid meteor streaking through the sky on May 6, 2014.

A meteor shower spawned by the famous Halley's Comet peaks overnight tonight (May 5), and you can watch and learn about it live during a free webcast from the Slooh Community Observatory.

Tonight's two-hour Slooh show focuses on the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower and features live night-sky views from several observatories around the world. You can watch the webcast at Slooh.com, beginning at 8 p.m. EDT tonight (0000 GMT on May 6). You can also watch the Eta Aquarids show at Space.com, courtesy of Slooh.

"I'm excited to be reporting live from Slooh's flagship observatory in the Canary Islands, which is ideally placed for the Eta Aquarids meteor shower," Slooh host Paul Cox said in a statement. "With no moonlight to spoil the view, and dark skies protected by the Canary Islands 'Light Law,' this should be one of the best Eta Aquarid showers we've seen."

Like other annual meteor showers, the Eta Aquarids occur when tiny pieces sloughed off by a comet slam into, and burn up in, Earth's atmosphere. The parent comet in this case is Halley, which last zoomed past Earth in 1986 (and won't do so again until 2062).

Another debris stream shed by Halley causes the Orionid meteor shower, which occurs every October.

Observers in the Southern Hemisphere are well placed to see the Eta Aquarids, but people in northern climes aren't so lucky. Viewers in the Florida Keys and southern Texas with dark, clear skies can expect to see about a dozen meteors per hour, while folks north of New York City will see few, if any, according to Space.com skywatching columnist Joe Rao.

Good thing we can all check out the sky show on our computers!

Editor's note: If you snap an amazing photo of an Eta Aquarid meteor, or any other night-sky view, and you'd like to share it with Space.com and our news partners for a story or gallery, you can send images and comments in to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
A large pit in the Marius Hills of the moon may be a skylight leading into a subsurface cave known as a lava tube. Skylights could provide astronauts with an entrance to a lava tube, where they could seek shelter from the harsh lunar environment, researchers said.

Moon caves could provide shelter for astronauts exploring Earth's nearest neighbor, researchers say.

A new analysis of data gathered by NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft, which mapped the moon's gravitational field in unprecedented detail, turned up a number of new candidates for lava tubes  cave-like structures that could be large enough to house supplies and astronauts.

Space is a harsh environment. Radiation from the sun, galactic cosmic rays and constantly falling micrometeorites all present a threat to human explorers. [Home on the Moon: How to Build a Lunar Colony (Infographic)]

"A lava tube provides a safe haven from all these hazardous environmental conditions," study team member Rohan Sood, a graduate student at Purdue University in Indiana, told Space.com.

Sood presented more than a dozen potential lava tubes at the 47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conferencein The Woodlands, Texas, in March.

This graphic shows the city of Philadelphia sitting inside a lunar lava tube, illustrating how huge these subsurface features can be. (Image credit: Purdue University/David Blair)

Hunting moon caves

Humans could set up robot-constructed mining outposts at the moon's poles. See how a moon colony could work here (Image credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com Infographics Artist)

Lava flowing across the moon's surface can harden into a protective shell. When the interior of the shell collapses but the hollowed-out shell remains, a lava tube is created. Skylights, which are formed from the partial collapse of a tube, should also be larger under the moon's lower gravity, enabling an easier exploration of lava tubes, researchers said.

The two GRAIL probes precisely mapped out the moon's gravitational field from orbit from March 2012 through December 2012. Because gravitational pull is related to mass, a hollowed-out region such as a lava tube tugged at the spacecraft slightly less than did solid ground. In the new study, Sood and his colleagues studied GRAIL data to search for small differences that could indicate the presence of lava tubes on the lava plains, or mare, of the moon.

First, the team targeted previously identified pits on the near side of the moonthat could double as skylights. Observations from GRAIL suggested that two of these pits could be connected to lava tubes. The new research revealed that the skylight in the Marius Hills regionis probably connected to a lava tube beneath.

Next, the scientists searched the lunar mare for signs of lava tubes with no visible surface features. They found at least 10 large candidates, some nearly 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) wide and stretching over 60 miles (100 km) in length.

But even more tubes that are too small to be picked up by GRAIL could exist as well, Sood noted.

"We are really pushing GRAIL data to see anything at all," said co-author and planetary scientist Jay Melosh, also of Purdue, regarding the smallest features. "We only see them on the passes of the GRAIL spacecraft when they went quite low over the surface. But we are able to see the big ones." [The Moon: 10 Surprising Lunar Facts]

That means that lava tubes smaller than about 0.5 miles (1 km) wide could easily escape detection.

Large channels, known as rills, fed the large lava fields on the lunar surface. Stretching as much as 2.5 to 3 miles (4 to 5 km) wide and measuring up to 0.33 miles (0.5 km) deep, the features are enormous, compared to terrestrial standards.

"We find nothing of comparable size on the Earth," Melosh told Space.com.

The enormous rills suggest that lava flow rates on the moon were higher than those of Earth, and that lava tubes should therefore be more plentiful. The lower lunar gravity also means that large lava tubes should be more stable than those found on Earth less likely to collapse. This could explain why so few skylights have been detected, researchers said.

"An analysis of the stability of lava tubes finds that lava tubes 5 kilometers wide on the moon and 3 kilometers high are perfectly stable," Melosh said. He described how the author of that research, David Blair of Purdue, showed that a lava tube big enough to contain the city of Philadelphia would be stable on the moon.

"That's a little bit of a surprise," Melosh said.

Spelunking on the moon

Life on the moon would be very different for explorers than life on Earth. See what it living on the moon would be like in this Space.com infographic (Image credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

Human explorers haven't set foot on the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. When astronauts return, lava tubes may help them settle in comfortably. But such sites should be studied and vetted by robotic spacecraft before humans are sent there, Sood and Melosh said.

"We would like to send a radar-based mission," Sood said. "That will give us the possibility to recognize those lava tubes with much more clarity, and potentially find lava tubes that are smaller, that are beyond the resolution of GRAIL."

Hunting for more skylights on the moon would also help, as these features make it easier to explore lava tubes.

"If we already have an access point, that gives you a better chance of going into [a lava tube] than excavating," Sood said.

The lava tube associated with the skylight found in the Marius Hills region of the moon is large, Melosh said. That doesn't mean it's completely empty. A radar search could not only verify how far lava tubes stretch but also determine if cave-ins have blocked them off. Rovers could then explore a candidate lava tube.

All of these steps are necessary before humans are sent on a lunar camping trip.

"You don't want to set a bunch of astronauts down with a drill and have them drill into something and find it clogged with rubble," Melosh said.

Lunar lava tubes also provide an excellent opportunity for scientists to learn about off-planet living before astronauts are sent to Mars. Skylights have also been identified on the Red Planet and could help astronauts settle in for long-term missions.

The moon "will give us an opportunity to learn about lava tubes before we try to do anything on Mars," Sood said.

Follow Nola Taylor Redd on Twitter @NolaTReddor Google+. Follow us at @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
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Tunis, 05 May 2016 (SPS) - Minister of Maghreb Affairs, African Union and Arab League Abdelkader Messahel has reiterated, Thursday in Tunis, Algeria's position on the conflict in Western Sahara, which is a "decolonization issue" falling within the "responsibility of the United Nations."

Algeria's position on the Western Sahara conflict "is clear and similar to that of the UN, whose resolutions affirm that it is a decolonization issue put on the list of non-self-governing territories since 1963, and will be dealt with on this basis," Messahel told the press on the sidelines of the 34 session of the Foreign Ministers' Council of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU).

The resolution of the conflict "falls within the responsibility of the UN," he said, adding "the solution consists in providing for the self-determination of the Sahrawi people, in accordance with the UN resolutions."

The minister said that the Maghreb countries "must support Libya," hoping that the Libyan capital, Tripoli, would host the next session of Libya's neighbouring countries in the coming weeks.

"The most important today is the security and stability in Libya," he stressed, recalling Algeria's efforts to that end. SPS

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Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Ariana Huffington, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson and Mark Cuban. Serial entrepreneurs with serious successes. We have become accustomed to their infinite wisdom as theyve shared their success stories with us throughout the years. We find them on most social-media accounts and of course, Instagram.

However, while theres no shortage of inspirational and successful accounts that represent the highs of an entrepreneurs success, there is a new rising crop of Instagram users that are currently crushing it on Instagram by documenting their hustle.

Related: Instagram Is Crushing Twitter and Facebook on Brand Engagement

These individuals embody the journey, and their accounts reflect the current realities of their day-to-day highs and lows.

They come from a variety of backgrounds ranging from fitness to fashion and from Internet publishing to digital marketing, but they all have one thing in common. They are rising stars that represent a new school of motivation -- aka hustlers, doers, innovators, brand and product developers, speakers, bloggers, CEOs -- and entrepreneurs.

Hence, I thought you should know about them. Here are seven Instagram accounts that motivate and inspire the journey.

1. @Prsuit

Founded by Case Kenny, @Prsuit (prsuit.com) is an online publication and part of the rapidly growing Trep Media Group of brands. Its motivational and inspirational quotes feature perspectives that inspire from millennial men for millennial men.

The online articles come from over 400 authors globally, and its Instagram account sends readers to select articles each day. PRSUIT is on a mission to put an end to online clickbait, and its Instagram reflects this mission by providing content and images that describe real life experiences and stories that resonate with its large following.

Online publication for perspective that inspires

Motivational / inspirational quotes for audiences

Writers from all over the world writing about their experiences

Providing valuable links to articles

Guides for millennial men to download

Podcast: The Hustle Sold Separately

Help others launch their online publications and grow them

Image credit: Prsuit

2. @HDFMagazine

@HDFMagazine (hdfmagazine.com) is another online publication account from the Trep Media Group, and it delivers with pure style and design finesse. Similar to @prsuit, it features motivational and inspirational quotes taken straight from the most in-depth interviews of numerous up-and-coming global entrepreneurs featured on the site hdfmagazine.com, as well as from the creators (Matt Gottesman) own personal, business and life experiences.

The account's creators say that their motto is that they dont sell the dream, they document the hustle -- and they sure do. Their entire content fleet embodies people who are on the rise, and their visuals reflect it. Oh yeah, and if you comment on their wall, Gottesman is likely to respond to each and every post. Hows that for engagement?

Online publication that documents the hustle

Features rising star creators / entrepreneurs from international cities such as Hong Kong, Sydney, Montreal, Estonia, Los Angeles, New York City, Washington, D.C., Scottsdale, Argentina, Madrid, etc.

Motivational / inspirational quotes for audiences, promotes self-awareness / individuality

Hustle lifestyle (travel, culture, building companies, music, art, educating oneself)

Podcast: The Hustle Sold Separately

Help others launch their online publications and grow them

Image credit: HDFMagazine

3. @Garyvee

@Garyvee, owned by none other than Gary Vaynerchuk, is raw, upfront and direct. Given that hes a serial entrepreneur as well as an avid investor in companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Uber, hes got a lot to share about his day-to-day business ventures. His account features everything from marketing and social media insights to behind the scenes clips of his podcast and speaking engagements.

Motivational / inspirational quotes

Short videos

Behind the scenes

Podcast insights from #AskGaryVee

Marketing and social media insights

Speaking engagements

Mingling with other well known entrepreneurs

Image credit: Gary Vee

Related: How to Rock Social Media Like Gary Vaynerchuk

4. @AndyFrisella

@AndyFrisella is as direct as they come. A true entrepreneur whos not afraid to tell people to quit complaining and start doing. Hes not only the CEO of 1st Phorm, a supplements company turned multi-million dollar company, he speaks straight from the struggles he endured on his way to his success. Andys account features video snippets of him talking on his podcast, amply titled THE MFCEO (Ill let you Google it if you dont know the acronym) as well as interacting with other entrepreneurs, fitness folks and everything in between.

1st Phorm CEO / hustler -- supplements company to multi-million dollar company

Video snippets of him talking on his podcast (MFCEO)

Raw motivational quotes and videos about bettering yourself

Demonstrates the hustle and lifestyle

Shows himself interacting with other entrepreneurs and fitness / health people

Keeps it really real and raw / shows pictures of starting at the bottom

Image credit: Andy Frisella

5. @ArvinsWorld

@ArvinsWorld, started by Arvin Lal, founder of Shredz, has a highly engaged army of Instagrammers known as the #ShredzArmy. This man is pure motivation. He shares his thoughts on the journey of building a company that has gone global in less than a few years, as well as snippets of his speaking engagements. I like that Arvin also features behind the scenes footage and stories of him and his colleagues coming up through the hustle.

His own motivational quotes

Snippets of his speaking engagements

Behind the scenes of his Shredz Journey

Stories of him and his friends coming up through the building of his company

Image credit: Arvins World

6. @Crimebydesign

@Crimebydesign rocks culture. The man behind the scenes does an incredible job promoting individualism, remote worldly experiences and artistic thought. CXD represents a true cult following that I feel is inspired by his own definition of what it means to create ones own trend. Not to mention he brings awareness to a lot of other people who are coming up and doing their thing.

Lifestyle / culture of success

Has his own clothing line

Has a cult following

Demonstrates his network / relationships with influential people

Promotes events, promotes people

Quotes that inspire self-awareness, individuality

Creates his own definition of pop culture

Image credit: crime by design

7. @BethennyFrankel

@BethennyFrankel may be a reality television star, but it was her hustle to form Skinny Girl Cocktails that makes her account so good. Shes an entrepreneur through and through, and her Instagram details the work-life balance of an influential female entrepreneur. Bethennys account curates a behind-the-scenes look at the lifestyle of her numerous businesses and brands.

Motivational and inspirational quotes

Founder of SkinnyGirl products (i.e. vodka)

Curates behind-the-scenes lifestyle and her businesses

Features ideas around branding

Female perspective

Image credit: Bethenny Frankel

Everyones entrepreneurial path is different, but something we can all relate to is the fact that the journey can be rough. In a day and age where success is often glamorized and glorified, sometimes its hard to find motivation thats not only relevant, but applicable -- motivation from your peers if you will.

For me, these Instagram accounts are not just about motivation, but its their overall delivery of their content that truly excites me.

@AndyFrisella is very vocal about putting in the work, @prsuit features millennial men who define the journey, @hdfmagazine lays out the hustle of rising stars and thoughts with a killer brand and design, @crimebydesign curates culture, @bethennyfrankel balances her work and play, @arvinsworld demonstrates daily work strategies and lessons while he builds, @garyvee offers commentary on business and life.

These accounts are curating real conversations with their highly engaged audiences, sharing their raw emotions and experiences in the process. They are definitely worth a daily read and theyre a must follow.

Follow Entrepreneur on Instagram for engaging visual stories.

Related:

7 Instagram Accounts That Inspire the Entrepreneurial Journey

Facebook Pays $10,000 to 10-Year-Old Instagram Hacker

Want to Use Instagram to Promote Your Brand? Be Sure to Post Incredible Content.



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
A new study that underscores the urgency of the prescription drug shortage summons flickering images of doctors in vintage episodes of M*A*S*H bartering for supplies while performing meatball surgery near the front lines during the Korean War.

Except this shortage isnt a fictional plot device, it isnt compromised by wartime demands and it didnt happen seven decades ago.

Imagine walking into your pharmacy and finding out your prescription is out of stock, as though it were a popular beverage or candy.

Theres a good chance you dont have to imagine such a scenario.

Its as surreal as a formula shortage in a maternity ward. The drugs in short supply are painkillers. They are antibiotics.

They are cancer treatments. Manufacturing delays put nitrogylcerine injections - used to stem off heart attacks - on back order.

Inexplicably, there isnt enough intravenous saline, which is essentially salt water.

Weve written a lot in this space about the need to get naloxone into the hands of more emergency responders during the rising crisis in heroin abuse, as it reverses the effects of an overdose. Right now, there isnt enough naloxone.

Perhaps the most stunning statistic is that half of the drugs in high demand are those used to treat the critically ill. The median duration for shortages was cited as 210 days, but is even longer (242 days) for acute care drugs.

The Yale University researchers provided a vital public service by tracking the response to the 2012 passage of federal legislation designed to halt the shortage.

The good news is that they have identified a rise in supplies after the Food and Drug Administration was empowered to hasten the development of new medicines.

The bad news is that traditional obstacles still exist. The senior author of the study, Arjun Venkatesh, accurately deemed this a public health crisis.

The 2012 law calls for suppliers to raise their hands as soon as they see a problem on the horizon.

But a patient on his or her deathbed hardly thinks that hand is moving quickly enough when the typical delay is eight months.

The pharmaceutical producers blame disruptions on some reasonable obstacles, such as safety recalls and challenges. Other excuses  including shifts in demand and decisions to discontinue products  are nothing more than euphemisms for ensuring desirable profit margins.

So if a drug doesnt collect cash for manufacturers, it wont be available to quell your pain.

These determinations arent made by doctors. Patients in distress are victims of a broken roulette wheel.

This is more than a local, state, or regional health crisis, but intervention has to begin somewhere.

The FDA does not have the authority to force manufacturers to meet demands.

Wed like to see U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy of Connecticut bring the pain to pharmaceutical manufacturers.
The election cycle in the United States is always contentious and incredibly lengthy. Its a complicated, drawn-out process where friends are lost and foes are made. However, its not just the candidates duking it out for the chance to call 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home. Brands have joined in the fray, especially this 2016 cycle.

Related: Powerful Tech CEOs -- More Than Politicians, Advocates or Religious Leaders -- Are Driving the Debate Over LGBT Laws

While brands supporting certain candidates (political parties or causes) isnt exactly new, American politics have become more brand-centric in unprecedented ways. But, is it good business to get political? Or should brands stay out of politics altogether? It depends whom you ask.

Lately, there has been a massive outcry nationally about what many perceive as discriminatory laws in a handful of states.Those laws have caused brands to publicly address their displeasure. Some have even taken the stance of pulling back their business dealings until these laws are changed or repealed altogether.

In North Carolina, companies like PayPal, Lionsgate and Braeburn Pharmaceuticals have publicly, and vocally, expressed their opposition to the states HB-2 bill, which prohibits localities from allowing transgender people to use restrooms and locker rooms of the gender with which they identify.

PayPal cancelled its planned $3.6 million operations center, becoming the second and largest company to pull its business out of the state. And Lionsgate decided against shooting a TV pilot in the state, opting to shift locations to Vancouver. Retail giant Target, meanwhile, also joined the political fray by stating that it would allow employees and customers to choose the restrooms and fitting rooms that correspond to their gender identity.

These companies have faced backlash from groups like the American Family Association, whose online petition called for a boycott of Target. This wasn't unexpected, but the fact that the association took its fight online with the #BoycottTarget hashtag begged the question whether it was aware that the forums being used (presumably Facebook and Twitter) have in place LGBT and trans-friendly policies.

In the commercial sphere overall, the question is, how effective can this campaign be? Can it really affect Targets bottom line? Probably not a lot, but that doesnt mean that the association wont publicly voice its opposition to Targets policy.

Nor does it mean that these fights won't go on: This year, in more than 30 states, almost 200 bills have been proposed that would limit or deny discrimination protections for LGBT individuals. Five have been passed into law, three have been vetoed and 144 have been withdrawn or died in committee.

Related: Accommodating an Employee's Religion Just Got Even More Complicated

The response has been huge, and brands have been a part of it, very publicly expressing their feelings against these so-called religious freedom laws. These reactions include:

Indiana

Angies List cancelled a $40 million headquarter expansion.

cancelled a $40 million headquarter expansion. Salesforce offered its employees relocation packages to leave the state because of what the company considered to be discriminatory legislation.

offered its employees relocation packages to leave the state because of what the company considered to be discriminatory legislation. Eli Lilly made financial contributions to Freedom Indiana and Indiana Competes.

Mississippi

Nissan, Toyota and Ingalls Shipbuilding issued statements voicing their opposition to the states religious freedom bill.

issued statements voicing their opposition to the states religious freedom bill. MGM Resorts is helping spearhead opposition to that state's law, claiming it will harm tourism to the Gulf region.

Georgia

NFL threatened to take the Super Bowl elsewhere should Georgia pass any discriminatory laws.

threatened to take the Super Bowl elsewhere should Georgia pass any discriminatory laws. Coca-Cola lobbied Governor Nathan Deal, successfully, into vetoing the bill.

More and more high-profile brands are feeling emboldened to address social and political issues without much fear of damage. Can they take such a hit? Sure. Nothing is 100 percent backlash-proof.

But the truth remains that customers vote with their wallets, and many millennials (and Gen Z behind them) are paying close attention to how companies are reacting. In fact, they are opting to work for companies that share their values and arent afraid to take a stand. Taking a stand gives companies the opportunity to remain relevant to their customers and employees. Not to mention that taking a stand has helped companies generate a great deal of goodwill with a majority of their consumers.

Ben & Jerry's is a good example. The ice cream kings have ingrained social justice into their brand with the principle, If you care about something, you have to be willing to risk it all -- your reputation, your values, your business -- for the greater good. The company is hardly shy about supporting causes that can be considered hot-button issues, such as climate change, LGBT rights and reversing the controversial Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court decision on campaign donations. Ben & Jerry's cofounders were not even afraid to get arrested.

While this might have been a winning formula for Ben & Jerry's, many business leaders arent quite ready to be led away in handcuffs while protesting a cause.

For the most part, corporate leaders arent motivated by politics, but by business concerns. Theyve come to realize that while profits make their businesses run smoothly, so do employees. Employees are what runs the company day in and day out and; in return, companies will do whatever they can to protect these people and create inclusive, attractive (especially to younger workers) work environments.

Becoming socially and politically aware is one of the shifts we are seeing in todays business landscape, and the numbers dont lie.

In fact, companies that support their LGBT workers do better in the stock market, according to research by Credit Suisse. Other companies have noticed the purchasing power of this community, estimated to be as high as $885 billion in the United States alone, and have launched specialty practices as a result.

The days when brands were afraid to take a stand on issues seem to be behind us. Today, many are taking the leap of faith afforded to them by an evolving, and more diverse, populace. What used to be considered fringe is now mainstream; and as businesspeople, we have to remain on the cutting edge of issues -- both political and social.

Being on the "cutting edge" may not mean we agree with everything thats transpiring, but this isnt about agreement. Its about recognizing that the world is changing and that diversity (of any kind) is an issue that must not be relegated to the back of the room. Ignoring it wont make it go away, and if lending your support helps your bottom line, why not join the fray?

According to a study by Cone Communications/Ebiquity Global CSR Study, nine in ten consumers expect companies to do more than make a profit. Consumers expect companies to act responsibly to address social and environmental issues. Eighty-four percent of consumers globally actively seek out responsible products whenever possible.

But brand activism doesnt affect just traditional consumerism. In the current election, its resonating with this year's unusually charged political climate. In a recent New York Times article, brands such as Apple, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Google and Wal-Mart were described as reassessing their usual GOP Convention sponsorships for this July's convocation in Cleveland.

Intimations of violence by protest groups were also described.

And once again, brands were -- and still are -- faced with a dilemma: Listen to the public outcry of their customers not to go ahead with sponsorships, or risk their customers wrath and sponsor anyway?

My advice? Avoid the convention altogether. Generally speaking, brands should stay away from politics, but with this year's election, transgender issues and more, they should put themselves smack onto the front lines of political change. CEOs should take stands on issues. They should position their marketing in a way that benefits the greater good.

In the end, its up to each brand to determine how to address any specific issue. What works for one brand may not work for another. But the bottom line is this: Regardless of the stance your company has on a specific issue, the effects will be alternately good, bad and ugly.

Once you as a company decide to engage, you'll be walking a high wire with a very real potential for tumbling down. Taking a stance can have big consequences for your brand, but its a calculated risk you might have to end up taking if you are to remain relevant.

Related: Why Politics and Business Don't Mix

A brand reflects a companys promise, and a stance taken is a delivery of that promise.

Related:

Transgender Rights? Citizens United? Should Brands Get Political?

The Problem With Polling, Surveys and Opinion Is That People Fib

The Real Reason You Should Never Talk Politics at Work



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
T HE new owners of London City Airport have listened to the demands of airlines not to hike prices, BA boss Willie Walsh declared today.

Walsh said a consortium led by the Ontario Teachers pension fund, which bought the Docklands airport for 2 billion in February, had heeded his warning that increasing prices to operate from there would force the airline to move flights. The airport is a favourite of City workers and handled a record 4.3 million passengers last year.

They got the message loud and clear from us in terms of charges. Weve been told theyve got the message, Walsh said.

British Airways, which is the largest carrier from the airport, voiced fears that the hefty price tag on the deal would mean higher charges for using the airport. There is little capacity for new shops, meaning landing fees could be an obvious option to recoup the outlay on the deal.

Walsh added: There is no way we are going to be held hostage there. If the charges are increased we can take a lot of capacity out.

He said that City Airport had been growing as the airline was able to supplement core business travel with an increasing number of flights to tourist destinations.
G etting planning permission to build offices in the capital could be harder whoever wins todays race for City Hall, the boss of landlord Derwent London has warned.

Chief executive John Burns told the Standard: I think securing planning permission for commercial projects such as office developments will be tougher under the rule of either of the main contenders.

He said he believed Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith would focus on the provision of affordable housing, but property developers wanting to build offices may find it harder to get planning permissions.

Despite concerns over the Mayoral outcome, Derwent is less worried about the impact of the forthcoming June EU referendum. The firm continues to see little evidence of any slowdown in occupier demand. Some 185,000 square feet of lettings have been agreed in the year to date, adding 13.2 million to Derwents annual rental income.

Credit cards firm Capital One is the latest new tenant, signing for nearly 30,000 square feet of offices at the White Collar Factory, which will open at the end of the year by Old Street.

Lettings in the first quarter were on average 6.1% ahead of estimated market values in December 2015.

The City welcomed the update and Derwent shares rose 20.8p to 3286p. Analysts at JPMorgan Cazenove said the firm provides a much-needed view from the front line for the London office market, showing despite equity-market volatility, the leasing market remains strong.
G eorge Osbornes last Budget may not have been universally popular but one element that was welcome was his measures to ensure that profits made from the development of UK property are always subject to UK tax. His target was those property developers who are, to all intents and purposes, located in the UK, but for tax purposes base themselves abroad, where they can shift profits to avoid UK tax. Many of them have headquarters in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.

This kind of tax avoidance is, of course, perfectly legal; it is also morally repellent. The practice is by no means confined to property developers  most of the recent furore about tax avoidance by global business has focused on technology companies such as Google, and those that use the Bahamas rather than the Channel Islands. But luxury property developers are a legitimate target. Precisely because of the nature of the product  bricks and mortar  they should be easy to tax. Buildings are not like internet services, which can flit over the globe: they are solid, and susceptible to property taxes as well as normal business taxation. It should be easy for the tax authorities to identify how much of the companies profits are actually made in London.

HMRC has now started to deal with the problem in earnest. It has, as we report today, recruited experts to identify developers using offshore companies for aggressive tax avoidance and evasion. It is targeting around 100 companies who shift their profits offshore.

We need a rigorous simplification of taxation to ensure that companies that move their profits from the country where they are generated to tax havens are taxed in relation to the turnover that arises in that country, or just on each product  in this case, homes  they sell. What has become apparent is the extent of public indignation at ordinary people being squeezed for tax while big business can pay where it feels like it. And thats true of property developers: those who make a profit out of London property should pay their fair share of UK tax.

Pending radical reform, this initiative on the part of the Chancellor is a welcome, if overdue, sign of change.

Funding our schools

Undoubtedly, London benefits from the present school funding formula, whereby the capitals boroughs receive around 781 per pupil more than the national average. But changes to the way the funding is formulated, to end the postcode lottery as the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, put it, could have a catastrophic effect on our schools. According to the NUT, the change could mean London schools lose 684 million a year.

The truth is that London gets more funding because London needs it. We have higher levels of immigration than elsewhere so our schools have more pupils who struggle with English; there are also high levels of social deprivation. The cost of living makes recruiting teachers difficult. All that must be reflected in the funding we get.

RRS David Attenborough

There is growing momentum behind the suggestion that Britains new polar research ship should be named after Sir David Attenborough. Quite right too. After all, it was Sir Davids 1993 series about the Antarctic, Life in the Freezer, which renewed our fascination with the icy landscapes at the poles. Sir David has done more than any other naturalist to inspire popular understanding of the wonders of the world around us. To name the Natural Environment Research Councils new royal research ship (RRS) after him would be entirely fitting.
E ven supporters of the EU say that it needs reform and it is unacceptable in its current structure. But I would also say it is unreformable.

Various British governments have tried and failed to press forward with reforms. Before we even joined the EEC, Harold Macmillan talked of changes but did not succeed, while 30 years ago, Neil Kinnock was unsuccessful in his attempts to change it. Now, David Cameron has also discussed EU reforms and has not delivered, proving yet again that the EU cannot and will not change.

The European Parliament and the Council of Ministers outvote us in an attempt to stop us reforming it, while the European Court of Justice overrules us as and when it can. As European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in February: There can be no democratic choice against the European treaties. This shows the situation we are in.

When we cannot change the laws under which we live, we have no democracy. The EU tells us that we have no choice and that resistance is futile, but outside of it we do.

Will Podmore

I am fully in favour of a completely integrated European superstate that is financially, politically and culturally one country. Britain could contribute in an incredibly positive way to the building and maintaining of such a state as we have experience and influence in working with other nations. We should be at the very heart of the EU superstate, driving it forward for the benefit of all Europeans, including ourselves.

Sadly, the UK in the modern era is run and populated by people who lack the vision, intelligence and determination to see anything beyond the English Channel as positive. As such, for the European project to succeed, we need to be outside of it.

It seems we are the killjoys of the EU  the sulking losers sitting on the edge of a playground, determined to spoil things for everyone else.

Paul Harper

If the reason people are campaigning for a Brexit is that we want more independence and to link up with nations which enjoy prosperity and more sovereignty, how about Australia, the United States or Japan, which is the third-largest economy in the world?

It is inconceivable that any of these nations would follow us in becoming chained to a failing superstate like the EU, but neither Japan, Australia or the US are led by a political class that has lost confidence in its own country.

Richard McCauley

How can we ignore rough sleepers?

Yesterday was just a normal day. I had a busy train journey into Victoria before stopping at the bank when I noticed people were avoiding something on the floor. It soon occurred to me that it was a rough sleeper people were stepping over.

I was lost for words. Have we become so selfish that we fail to see or ignore the basic needs of other people?

I bought a hot chocolate and a croissant and gave them to the unfortunate person. I didnt want anything in return, I just hoped that it made a difference to them. I noticed that mine was the third bag of food and warm drink they had received.

Perhaps I could have done more to help, but it was good to know that at least two other people, like me, were touched by their presence and felt compelled to give something.

Onajite Clarke

Blairites are trying to topple Corbyn

It is extremely naive to suggest that the furore over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party has not been used  if not orchestrated  by Blairites to try to undermine the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. This tactic runs against the will of the thousands of Labour Party members who elected Corbyn last September. It also undermines those members who have been out knocking on doors before the local elections.

Surely there has to be some sort of recognition that the party cannot go on with this simmering civil war? Blairites should either buckle down under Corbyns leadership or leave.

Paul Donovan

I welcome Chelsea Crossrail 2 station

You report that the mayoral candidates have pledged to review the Chelsea Crossrail 2 station proposals [May 3] on the basis of representations made by hundreds of wealthy property owners, who may be affected by tunnelling and can afford to pay for spin doctors.

Will the candidates then also consider the interests of those who travel to or through Chelsea, including to the two hospitals near the proposed site?

Ian Smith

Tackle obesity, not food shortages

I was dismayed to see Andrew Boff and others calling for bus vouchers for food bank users [Letters, May 3]. Overwhelmingly, the main form of malnutrition in this country is obesity, which affects large percentages of the population and gives them a higher propensity to diseases including diabetes, heart disease and cancers.

I suggest that instead of free bus vouchers, food banks give visitors trolleys to encourage them to walk.

Jill Clark
A former City worker frustrated by the cost of good shoes has launched his own brand of mens luxury designs.

Sepand Oboudiyat, 38, used to trawl high-end stores for sales and bargains to avoid paying top dollar for shoes. Last year, he set up Sons of London, which sells five classic designs, from brogues to Chelsea boots. The company offers free delivery and returns, with shoes costing 180 and boots 200.

He designs and sources all materials for the shoes, which are made in a factory in Italys Le Marche region. Down the road, Tods and Prada sell similar designs for about 100 more per pair.

Mr Oboudiyat, who grew up in Australia before moving to London 12 years ago, said: For a guy, shoes are really important. People always say, You can tell a guy by his shoes. Look at womens magazines or dating sites and there will always be some article about women using shoes as a guide for dating. I had always struggled with getting the shoes that I wanted as beautifully designed, high-quality shoes are traditionally really expensive and I couldnt understand why great shoes cost 400. So I had a problem but no solution.

The former RBS technologist, who is based in Notting Hill, was inspired to set up his own firm after reading about Everlane, an American luxury fashion company launched in 2011 by former venture capitalist Michael Preysman.

It makes and sells bespoke fashion and accessories for less by cutting out suppliers. Mr Oboudiyat said: I saw an article about Everlane, who make luxury clothes that dont cost a fortune, selling T-shirts for about the 13 mark and thought, Maybe this idea of cutting out the middlemen will work for me.

Spring trainers - in pictures 1 /8 Spring trainers - in pictures Browse our pick of the five best spring trainers... Adidas ZX Flux Men's 71.99, Footlocker, Buy it now PUMA Blaze of Glory x Alife in Dark Shadow 125, Fat Buddha Store, Buy it now New Balance 574 Sweatshirt 70, New Balance, Buy it now Adidas NMD Runner PK x Nice Kicks 125, Nice Kicks, Buy it now Reebok Furylite Chukka CN 95, End Clothing, Buy it now

The entrepreneur, who was helped by the British Library London Business Support Service, said he would encourage others with a business idea to take the plunge.

He added: It wasnt simple. Starting a business isnt. But I was overwhelmed at the amount of support that is out there.
P eople fascinated by pylons, paper bags, lamp posts and East German pedestrian crossing signals are in luck as the 2016 Boring Conference shuffles into London this Saturday.

Experts in the worlds dreariest subjects will be droning on about their specialisms at central Londons Conway Hall, with the runaway highlight of the event being a talk about toilet rolls.

Aficionados of the anodyne will gather and, according to organiser James Ward, will at some point liven up the day by recreating Edvard Munch's iconic painting The Scream en masse from their seats.

Speakers alongside Ward include Tom Jackson, who runs the Postcards from the Past Twitter account; novelist Catherine OFlynn, who is known as "the JG Ballard of Birmingham"; Greg Stekelman, the writer of A Year in the Life of The Man Who Fell Asleep; and Rhodri Marsden who has performed in the bands Scritti Politti and Dream Themes, aka Waltham Forests leading TV theme tune covers band.

50 free things to do in London 1 /66 50 free things to do in London A Cockroach Tour at the Science Museum Get a bug's eye view of the human race with the Science Museum's Cockroach Tour. Step into their shells (literally) and explore how science and technology are influencing our climate. Every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm and 4pm.



sciencemuseum.org.uk Columbia Road Flower Market Come rain or shine, this East End institution peddles its colourful flora every Sunday from 8am-3ish. You'll get the best bargains as it starts to warm down. Check out the adjacent galleries, coffee shops and boutiques which open up at the weekend too. columbiaroad.info Getty Climb up Big Ben Did you know you can wear yourself out climbing up all 334 steps of Big Ben to hear the Great Bell chime the hour up-close? As well as taking in stunning views across London, you can also explore behind the clock faces. Guided tours only at 9am, 11am and 2pm every Monday-Friday. Book ahead.



parliament.uk Getty In-store gigs at Rough Trade East Brick Lane's independent record shop hosts regular free gigs from the likes of Kendrick Lamar (pictured), Gabrielle Aplin and Foals. Wristbands are given out one hour before kick-off.



roughtrade.com Getty Kerb Street Food Markets Making cities taste better one street food market at a time, Kerb are the ultimate foodie guerillas. Find them at King's Cross (Tuesday-Friday), the Gherkin (Thursday) & UCL (last Wednesday of every month). Feast with London's best traders including Mother Flipper burgers and the Meringue Girls (pictured).



kerbfood.com (Picture: David Loftus) Hackney City Farm Give your kids a dose of the countryside in the concrete jungle at one of London's city farms. Our favourite is Hackney City Farm, which is packed with donkeys, pigs and chickens. Open from 10am4.30pm every day except Monday.



hackneycityfarm.co.uk Play table tennis at PING Tables at Earl's Court hangout PING are free on a first come, first served basis. Don't miss tournament Tuesday. Games of Beer Pong are positively encouraged.



weloveping.com Alfie's Antiques Market A hidden gem full of gems, this Marylebone market is an indoor haven for antiques, vintage, collectables and 20th Century design. Open 10am-6pm Tuesday to Saturday.



alfiesantiques.com Gigs and club nights at the Social This central London bar has been going for 15 years. Theres a great range of weekly club nights with a mixture of resident and guest DJs spinning the tunes from house and disco to funk and hip-hop, plus showcases of some of the best new bands around.



thesocial.com Lunchtime concerts at St-Martin-in-the-Fields Every Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 1pm you can listen to tomorrow's classical music stars, from pianists to choirs, play and sing for free at this beautiful church on the edge of Trafalgar Square. No ticket required. stmartin-in-the-fields.org Nike Training Club You can register for these free womens exercise classes via Facebook around two weeks in advance. Theres yoga, running and general fitness training sessions held in a mixture of indoor and outdoor locations including Clapham Common, Victoria Park and the exercise space in the Nike Town shop.



facebook.com/NikeTrainingClubUK Walk the Tamsin Trail in Richmond Park Walk, run or cycle around the seven mile perimeter of London's largest royal park and try to spot a herd of Red Fallow deer (pictured). Don't worry - there are plenty of tea stops along the way.



royalparks.org.uk Popcorn at Heaven One of London's biggest weekday club nights, Popcorn is one for hedonists who like to dance to house, hip hop and even cheese for seven hours on a Monday night. Just grab a wristband from G-A-Y Bar in Soho for free entry.



popcorn-heaven.com The Queen's House at Greenwich Designed by Inigo Jones in 1616, this Italian Renaissance-style mansion marked a departure from Tudor architecture and houses a fine art collection of maritime paintings. Open Daily 10am-5pm.



rmg.co.uk Guided tours of Tate Modern Tate Modern is spectacular to look at just from the outside (approach from the Millennium Bridge for the best view) and you can also join a free tour lasting 45 minutes and led by in-house experts, at 11am, 12pm, 2pm & 3pm. No booking required unless for a group of more than 10.



tate.org.uk Karaoke at Paradise by Way of Kensal Green Think you've got the X-factor? Hire the private karaoke room (which takes up to 25 guests) for no fee every Monday and Tuesday. Boy George (pictured) has had a go. There's even a button to press to order booze. Call 020 8969 0098 to book.



theparadise.co.uk Friday Night Skate Can you hold your own on rollerskates? Join a marshalled street skate (bladers welcome) which meets at Wellington Arch in Hyde Park at 8pm every Friday. Weather dependent.



lfns.co.uk Evensong at Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey is always open to those who wish to worship. Come for the evensong service to hear the dulcet tones of the Abbey choir. Every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday at 5pm or Saturday & Sunday at 3pm.



westminster-abbey.org Meditate at Inner Space Those who need some respite from the grind of life can drop in to Inner Space for free lunchtime and evening meditation and positive thinking classes.



innerspace.org.uk Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace Everyone should watch the Queen's Guardsmen in action at least once in their life. The changing of the guard takes place at 11.30am on odd days (2, 4, 6 etc) throughout the month.



royal.gov.uk Ain't Nothing But The Blues Bar This Soho stalwart claims to serve up the best blues on this side of the pond seven nights a week. From Sunday to Thursday, entry is free all sweet night long and it's free before 8.30pm on Friday and Saturday.



aintnothingbut.co.uk Watch a trial at the Old Bailey Anyone can attend the public galleries of London's premier criminal court the Old Bailey to watch trials in session. Be warned, you can't take in bags, cameras or mobile phones and there's no cloakroom. Open Monday to Friday, 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm.



cityoflondon.gov.uk Rex Features New Act Night at the Comedy Cafe Theatre Forget big arenas and ticket prices to match, this night in Shoreditch is where many a comedy star, including Jimmy Carr and Mickey Flanagan, cut their teeth. Every Wednesday at 7.45pm.



comedycafetheatre.co.uk Natural History Museum Volcanoes, dinosaurs and a full-sized blue whale skeleton are just some of the wonders of the Natural History Museum.



nhm.ac.uk NHM The Curve Gallery at the Barbican Centre The Curve is always hosting exciting installations that carry no charge but might come with queues, such as Random International's Rain Room (pictured).



barbican.org.uk Gigs at Birthdays This mini bar/club has staged many a free gig, including an impromptu one from Bloc Party (pictured) that prompted massive queues. Make sure you refuel upstairs first.



birthdaysdalston.com Ceremony of the Keys This 700-year-old ceremony is the nightly locking up of the Tower gates. Its a popular event and for dates in 2014 youll need to apply in writing, but online bookings are being taken for January 2015 onwards.



hrp.org.uk Piano recitals at Bar Nightjar Recently voted the world's second best bar for its stupendous cocktails, this Old Street speakeasy also does a fine line in live music. Most nights there's a charge, but entrance to Piano Tuesdays is on the house.



barnightjar.com Whitechapel Gallery Around since 1901, the Whitechapel Gallery can be counted on for pioneering new talent in contemporary art - think Rothko and Frieda Kahlo. The best part? Admission to exhibitions is free.



whitechapelgallery.org Turner Collection at Tate Britain The Clore Gallery at Tate Britain boasts the world's largest collection of Turner paintings. Over 300 oil paintings, sketches and watercolours chart his development from boyhood to mature master and elevator of landscape art.



tate.org.uk Turner, Joseph Mallord William 1775-1851, Norham Castle, Sunrise c.1845 (Tate) Portobello Road Antiques Market Yes you will have to wade through SLR-wielding tourists, but wandering up the two-mile Portobello Road is still a good day out: roam antiques stalls, stock up on bargain bowls of fruit and veg, and explore the fashion market. Open every Saturday from 9am-10am.



portobellomarket.org Rex Features Backpacks, trails & workshops at the V&A Borrow a backpack for your mini art fiends (suitable for 5-12 years) and embark on hands-on activities, jigsaws, stories, puzzles and games to be enjoyed in and around the V&A. No need to book, available every day from the Sackler Centre.



vam.ac.uk Victoria and Albert Museum, London Mediatheque at BFI Southbank Like old movies? The BFI has a ready-to-watch archive of nearly 3000 films and TV series. Simply log on at a viewing station and get reacquainted with old classics from London Town (pictured) to Ab Fab.



bfi.org.uk Courtesy of BFI Mediatheque The Alibi Dalston hotspot The Alibi is always free entry. Don't miss the dive bar's film (Monday) and karaoke (Tuesday) nights .



thealibilondon.co.uk Lunchtime recitals at The Royal Opera House The ROH holds regular lunchtime recitals where you can catch rising orchestral and choral stars. Seats can be reserved online nine days before the concert and always go fast. They also run free backstage tours for nosey parkers.



roh.org.uk Peter Mackertich courtesy of the Royal Opera House Good gym 'Do good, get fit' is the mantra at play here. Join this group of runners and and you'll be sent on community-helping missions such as visiting the elderly. Everyone wins.



goodgym.org Angel Comedy On most Saturday nights the likes of Tony Law (pictured) will tickle your ribs for free from 8pm.



angelcomedy.co.uk The Wellcome Collection One for curious cats, this free gallery is all about medicine, life and art through the ages. Make the most of the library, cafe and temporary collections such as Death: A Self-Portrait (pictured). Don't miss their uber-popular Thursday night events.



wellcomecollection.org Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Lunchtime music at the Royal Festival Hall Find a seat in the Clore Ballroom and simply listen. You'll be treated to jazz, folk and world music from rising stars and established ensembles. Every Friday



southbankcentre.co.uk Parliament Hill The view from here is one you need to see and will revive even the most world-weary Londoner, especially on a clear day. And there's a lido nearby for brave swimmers.



cityoflondon.gov.uk The Wallace Collection A treasure trove in a historic townhouse setting, the Wallace Collection allows you to gawp at old masters, vintage armour, porcelain and furniture. Open to art buffs seven days a week, 10am-5pm.



wallacecollection.org Be in the BBC audience Get your 15 minutes of fame and apply for tickets to be in the audience of a BBC TV show. These guys are entranced by Question Time...



bbc.co.uk Friday nights at Catch Every Friday is free at this Kingsland Road bar and club. Expect anything from live bands to Nineties dance, indie and hip hop.



thecatchbar.com Speakers' Corner Speeches and debates have been taking place at the north-east end of Hyde Park since the 1800s. Stop by to hear wide-ranging views on a huge variety of topics. Or why not rock up and give a speech yourself?



royalparks.org.uk



Pic: Alex Lentati British Museum Not only is it a rather stunning piece of architecture, the British Museum is also an archive of fantastic art and artefacts from all over the world, including the Rosetta Stone and Elgin Marbles. Find anything from African textiles to a virtual autopsy of an Egyptian mummy. Open daily 10am-5pm.



britishmuseum.org Trustees of the British Museum Borough Market Rain or shine, Borough Market is a great place to refuel after a walk down the river, with hog roasts, lamb burgers and many other culinary delights. A real London institution. Full market open Wednesday-Saturday.



boroughmarket.com Lectures at LSE LSE puts on regular public lectures and everyone is welcome. Expect star speakers - past guests include Kofi Annan (pictured), Bill Clinton and Mervyn King.



lse.ac.uk  LSE / Nigel Stead Broadway Market Sandwiched between London Fields and the Regent's Canal, this old Hackney market is now a hipster hunting ground. Get on your fixie and munch on the trendiest galettes, store up on fresh veg and have a mooch around the vintage clothes stalls. It's easy to while away a day at the cafes which spill on to Broadway. Open on Saturdays 9am-5pm.



broadwaymarlet.co.uk Eric Huang Flickr CC World music and exhibitions at Rich Mix East London's premier cultural centre, Rich Mix hosts open mic spoken word nights, exhibitions, acoustic music (with free cake!) in its bar.



richmix.org.uk Museum of London 450,000 years of London history are on display in the permanent galleries at the museums City and Docklands locations and you can even browse a number of collections online.



museumoflondon.org.uk

Tickets do sell out surprisingly quickly for this tongue-in-cheek event, so dont waste time button-holing colleagues at the water-cooler, book now for a day where youll no doubt learn which is faster: paint drying or grass growing.

The Boring Conference 2016, 10am, May 7, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, WC1R 4RL. Tickets 16.64  21.70, boringconference.com

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A ward-winning playwright Howard Brenton says his new play about Lawrence of Arabia is the story of a damaged saint rather than the hero portrayed by Peter OToole on screen.

Brenton, whose CV includes writing for Spooks and the 1980 play The Romans In Britain  which sparked a court case after complaints about a rape scene, said he wanted to tell the story of a conflicted man.

T E Lawrence became a hero in Britain after leading Arab guerillas against the Ottoman Empire in the First World War. In the play, which is set in 1922, he tries to escape his fame by joining the RAF under an assumed name.

Brenton was interested in why Lawrence, who died in 1935 and was played by OToole in Lawrence Of Arabia in 1962, had a breakdown after the war.

He said: He was both an Army intelligence officer reporting back to Cairo  a spy really against the Arabs  and he was an Arab freedom fighter advising them, and he wanted a settlement for Arab independence right across the region at the end of the war, so he had two loyalties and they tore him apart. He was a very heroic man and he hated and loved celebrity, and the play is about a man trying to reinvent himself and stop being Lawrence of Arabia.

Lawrence After Arabia stars Jack Laskey in the title role and features Geraldine James as Charlotte, the wife of playwright George Bernard Shaw, who helped Lawrence hide out in their home in Hertfordshire after the war. Brenton, 73, said: Despite the complexity of the guy I did come to love him when I was writing about him.

I tend to see him as some kind of damaged saint. Saintlike in that he was a very tough man, he was a military guy, he killed people in the desert, he was ruthless, but at the same time he had a naive, almost utopian vision of what the Middle East could be. Its not a bad vision and it was smashed up and part of his crisis was because the region was divided up between the French and the British after the war and the seeds of all the problems that have followed were sown and he realised that and he realised his part in it.

Lawrence After Arabia runs at the Hampstead Theatre until June 4.

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H ome is

Notting Hill. Portobello Market is an eclectic mix of incredible characters and one-off finds.

Last play you saw?

Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Donmar Warehouse. I went to support my old friend Dominic West, who is magnetic in it.

Best place for a first date?

Chiltern Firehouse. Its got an old-school bar where you feel like youre on a 1930s film set. They do great cocktails  mines a margarita with Casamigos Tequila.

Alamy

Most romantic thing someones done for you?

My husband George wrote a love letter for me to open on our wedding morning, and gave it me along with a beautiful vintage diamond necklace.

What would you do as Mayor for the day?

Everything I could to support entrepreneurs building London-based British businesses.

Favourite pub?

The Cow in Westbourne Park  it does great food and I always bump into old friends there.

Earliest London memory?

My most potent memory is coming here to work for make-up artist Mary Greenwell. It was a pivotal moment in my life.

Who are your heroes?

Beauty industry legends such as Helena Rubinstein, Estee Lauder and Coco Chanel: strong, powerful women who helped pave the way for women in beauty today.

Last album you bought?

Adeles 25. Hello still makes me feel uplifted, emotional and empowered.

Best piece of advice youve been given?

To never, ever limit yourself  from Laura Forbes, the bodytalk practitioner.

London building youd like to buy?

The Royal Albert Hall. It would be the most amazing place for parties. Id have Fran Cutler and producers Gainsbury & Whiting recreate Truman Capotes masked Black and White Ball, and Antz, Ben Bridgewater and Dan Lywood to DJ.

Royal Albert Hall / Alamy

Best place in London to let your hair down?

A house party, with people dancing around my kitchen table. A few years ago on my birthday we got snowed in, so everyone had to stay until 5am, which I loved. We danced the night away to tracks like Candi Statons You Got the Love.

What do you collect?

High-heeled shoes  Im a bit of a stiletto addict! They make everything look more finished, and the legs longer and leaner.

Charlotte's shoe collection

Favourite London shops?

Bella Freud for the coolest jumpers; Alice Temperley and Stella McCartney for a killer outfit; Mairead Lewin for the most special vintage dresses. My favourite was a black satin chiffon 1930s dress with gold embroidery, which I wore to launch my brand in America.

Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes mascara is out now (charlottetilbury.com)

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M aking the most of time away from the desk to stretch our legs and explore new landscapes is an ever more popular way to relax. There is a growing trend for active holidays and mountain biking is one of the most physically challenging amongst them.

It's a good idea to train for the trip a little closer to home. The mountain biking trails in the Surrey Hills are ideal for preparing you for great rides like the Cairngorm Plateau.

Here are seven reasons why there is no better place than the Scottish Highlands - and islands - this summer:

Fresh Scottish air

... ans spectacular views. The sights you see from your saddle will be outstanding, made all the more rewarding by the fact you are pedalling your way through them.

Solo or in a group

By self guiding you have the added adventure of navigation and carrying your gear. With a guided group, you have the experts by your side so you can sit back, pedal and enjoy the view.

A good option for high fitness levels

With tough terrain, the Scottish Highlands and Islands are sure to put all levels of mountain bikers to the test.

Combine with whisky tasting

H&I Adventures organises four different trips, all starting from In verness. Our choice would be the new Mountain Biking + Whisky in the Cairngorms holiday, which includes a visit to the Speyside Cooperage and spectacular views across the range to the rugged Eastern highlands below.

Good grub

The highlands are renowned for their wild salmon and other seafood as well as Aberdeen Angus beef. So foodies will be sated too.

Range of accomodation

Choose between bothies (remote mountain shelters free for public use), hostels, luxury hotels and even the odd castle.

It's now an easy journey from London

British Airways has just launched a daily direct flight from London to Inverness (from 38 each way) or the sleeper train alternative makes for an exciting ride north.

Annie Ross is the founder of eXerK.com, completing 52 sporting challenges in 52 weeks during 2015. Follow her on Instagram@eXerKyourself
S ocial media success is all relative. For some, anything short of triple-figure approval is a disappointment but for me 15 likes would be a cracker of a post, especially if they arent all from my mum, my most sympathetic friends and that weird stranger who put smiley emojis under loads of my old pictures.

We know what makes a successful post: the right hashtags (correct spelling essential), saturated colours, puppies, horizons and puns in the captions. But what if even when you post your perfect weekend #brunch plate, directional tablecloth background and #brunchdate #eatclean, it only gets noticed by someone you used to work with three years ago?

Sometimes the best planned post is scuppered by simple bad timing. So when is best to post to make sure your struggle for social success is rewarded by insta-appreciation?

Oriana Kubinska, digital social media co-ordinator at Hackney-based shoe brand Miista, says: The best time to post is around 8am, through to 9.30am at the latest because people are commuting to work. If I post at around 10am we get less attention. People are already at work and for the first two hours theyre super-concentrated and not prone to look through their Facebook or Instagram accounts.

She posts content at least every three hours, targeting lunchtime and after-work commuters, but points out that if you have a US audience (and who doesnt?) a few late-night posts over here will do well on the other side of the pond.

But what if youre not a brand but a mere human trying to feel as if you belong by spending three hours trying to get the perfect picture of your parents new kittens?

I used a website called Union Metrics to check out how my posting schedule is working out for me. I have a nice round total of 200 Insta-followers at the moment (feel free to help me boost that number) and am a semi-regular poster: more photos if Im on holiday or being glamorous, fewer if Im in bed watching House of Cards and eating pastries.

My Insta-check-up tells me that between March 31 and April 29, I posted 16 times, and that posting on a Sunday at 4pm generated three times the engagement of any other time. My top post got 31 likes and my most successful hashtag was #smallpersonbigstuff (a classic).

Most popular Instagram pictures of 2015 1 /13 Most popular Instagram pictures of 2015 1. Kendall Jenner's love-lock interlacing hair was liked 3.3 million times. 2. Taylor Swift liked Kanye West's roses so much she Instagrammed them... and 2.6 million people agreed. Taylor Swift/Instagram 3. Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris shared their first picture as a couple, racking up 2.5 million likes. Taylor Swift/Instagram 4. Just one of many pictures of Taylor Swift with her cat... but this one was the most popular with 2.4 million likes. Taylor Swift/Instagram 5. 2.3 million people liked Kyle Jenner's graduation photo Instagram/Kylie Jenner 6. Beyonce and baby Blue's Instagram was liked by 2.3 million. Instagram/Beyonce 7. Taylor Swift/Instagram 8. An impressive 2.3 million people also likes Selena Gomez's car selfie. Selena Gomez/Instagram 9. Swift reappears with her pet and racks up 2.2 million likes. Taylor Swift/Instagram 10. Kendall Jenner is number one and number ten on the list. This picture was to celebrate getting 20 million followers... getting 2.2 million itself.

Kubinska agrees that Sunday evening is a good time to post. People are winding down and having a lazy scroll through their timelines to avoid that Monday morning dread. This is also good if youre posting a video because people are more likely to take the time to watch it.

She suggests thinking about the mindset and routine of your audience: You have to think about the mind of a regular human being  so they get up in the morning, check their phone and go to work. If its a Friday night she is checking her phone before she leaves the house but then shes partying. Although nowadays, its partying with her phone. To be honest its 24/7.

Florence Eves, communications manager at Intermusica classical music agency, agrees that its best to know your followers: It depends on who your audience is. Usually I would say afternoon and commuter times are best but what if you have lots of US followers as well as in the UK? And if your audience are millennials, they are always online.

Consider when and why people are on social media, and on what device. If you have a weekday Facebook post to make, Thursday and Friday afternoons are best because people are easing off work and looking for distraction. If its Instagram then hold off for when people will be using their phones on the way home.

Judging from the experts and my own research  although Im not sure my followers meet requirements for a reasonable sample size  I should save up my best posts, of my most captivating and charming moments, for a time when Im doing nothing. My target followers  People On Sofas On A Sunday  will likely be having some downtime too, and their mindless scrolling will become my double figures.

Follow Rachael Sigee on Twitter: @littlewondering
A corrupt council officer who gave tenancies worth 2.4 million to fraudsters claiming to be homeless has been jailed for five years.

Trudy Ali-Balogun, 55, took bribes of 2,000 to wave through bogus applications which included fake birth certificates passports and wage slips and spent the money on foreign holidays, Inner London crown court heard.

Ali-Balogun altered records to show applicants were homeless, when some owned homes they were renting out and others were in the UK illegally.

She approved at least 20 bogus applications for housing between 2003 and 2005, costing Southwark council 2.4 million in housing for homeless people.

Judge Mark Bishop jailed Ali-Balogun, from Stratford, for five years after she was found guilty last month of misconduct in public office. Biayo Awotiwon, 47, and Adeyemi Olalekan Oyedele, 48, were jailed for five months each.

Kudiartu Falana, 60, was jailed for five months, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service. Joseph Akin Oliaya, 53, was jailed for six months, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service. Awotiwon, Oyedele and Falana were found guilty of obtaining services by deception. Olaiya was found guilty of attempting to obtain service by deception. All denied the charges.

Judge Bishop told Ali-Balogun: At least 20 properties were occupied by tenants not entitled to occupy them and they occupied them for many years.

Awotiwon received 226,000 of housing for 12 years at a property in Tooley Street in Southwark, and is refusing to leave. Oyedele, 48, a former assistant to the Nigerian High Commissioner, is refusing to leave his Bermondsey flat.

Falana, 60, obtained a four-bedroom property in central London in 2004. She bought it in 2007 at a 60,000 discount under the Right to Buy scheme. Oliaya invented children and used a fake passport to get housing.

Kevin Metzger, for Ali-Balogun, said: What was going on at Southwark didnt start with Ms Ali-Balogun, it had been going on before.

Ibrahim Bundu, another Southwark housing worker, is serving six years in jail after failing to pay back 100,000 in bogus application bribes.

Council Fiona Colley, Southwark Councils cabinet member for finance, modernisation and performance, said: Todays sentencing concludes a lengthy investigation into fraud and deception at the hands of someone who abused their position of trust for their own selfish gains.

Im glad that the penalty reflects the severity of the crimes committed and I hope this send out a clear message about just how seriously we take housing fraud. Southwarks waiting list is filled with hundreds of people in genuine need of a home. We will continue to cater to these people whilst also bringing those who take advantage of the system to justice.


T he deputy head at a leading independent Catholic school who watched child pornography at gay drug-fuelled 'chemsex' parties has been jailed for 33 months.

Peter Allott, 37, was part of a paedophile ring who shared hundreds of vile images of children as young as two-years-old being abused.

The deputy head at St Benedict's School in Ealing was caught with nearly 400 depraved videos and pictures, including some he stored in his office at school.

After his arrest, Allott, a former Tory councillor, confessed he was addicted to drugs and child pornography and would regularly share indecent images on gay dating website Grindr.

He and other paedophiles would swap more pictures and videos in online forums and then watch together at the chemsex parties, Blackfriars crown court heard.

Allott has pleaded guilty to five child and extreme porn offences and one charge of possessing class A drugs, for an MDMA pill found at his flat in the school grounds.

Judge John Hillen said Allott was a "high-flier" who had excelled academically and became well-thought of in the church, local politics, and in teaching but that is now destroyed.

"You were leading in effect a double life", he said. "Over the weekend you were engaged in chemsex parties using crystal meth and M-cat, having consensual sex with multiple partner but also watching these images and collecting them on various electronic devices.

"On Monday morning you would put on your suit and be the brilliant, high-flying deputy head master - a split personality and divided life.

"But the besuited deputy headmaster was a lie because the other side of you life was one of debauchery."

Daniel Taylor, defending, said Allott became lonely when he became deputy headteacher at the school in 2012, and descended into chemsex parties, drugs, and child porn following the death of his mother and grandmother.

"He started to engage in seeking homosexual company through online dating site Grindr, involving him meeting other men and engaging in taking class A drugs including crystal meth and M-cat (mephedrone)", said prosecutor Michael Shaw.

"In order to attract them, he would while engaged in online conversation raise the question of child abuse. If they expressed an interest he would offer to show them images.

"He had a cross-section of images of different sexes and ages to show to prospective partners on the basis it would arouse them and lead to them taking an interest in him."

Allott confessed that at times he was spending 600-a-week on drugs, and was regularly attending chemsex parties at weekends.

"He found himself in a spiral of addiction to drugs and participating in chemsex parties with like-minded individuals", said Mr Shaw.

"He would effectively binge on drugs over a weekend, engage in viewing these images with like-minded individuals."

When quizzed about the pictures of very young children being abused, Allott said he would be "surprised if some of them were still alive" but said he did not personally enjoy them.

Mr Taylor said Barnsley-born Allott was sexually abused as a 12-year-old during a trip out picking blackberries, but he had not told anyone about it until years later.

He studied history and politics at Hull University and gained a second degree in theology at the University of Durham.

He became an economic and politics teacher at St Benedict's when aged 25, and was elected to Ealing Council for the Conservatives in 2006.

After a stint studying in Cambridge, Allott returned to St Benedict's and was at the time of his arrest studying for a doctorate.

In a statement, the school said it was "shocked and saddened" by Allott's crimes: "We reiterate that there remains no evidence any pornographic material was found on school computers or that any other member of the school community have been involved in or exposed to the material that Mr Allott was using."

Allott, of Marchwood Crescent, Ealing, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, one charge of distributing indecent images of children, one count of possessing extreme pornography, and one charge of possessing class A drugs.

He will be the subject of a sexual offences prevention order for the next ten years, and will be on the sex offenders register.
A 12-year-old girl bit a man on the arm to escape after he grabbed her as she walked home from school in south London.

The schoolgirl was approached by an older man as she made her way home in West Norwood on Tuesday, April 26.

Police said the suspect dragged her along for a few metres before reaching inside her jacket for her mobile phone at around 3.35pm in Elmcourt Road.

The man allegedly ran away empty handed after the youngster sunk her teeth into his arm.

She was not injured during the incident, which took place near to Elmgreen School.

The suspect is described as a white man, with brown hair, a pointy nose and a London accent.

He wore a black, puffa-style jacket, scruffy trousers and black converse-style trainers and carried a brown satchel.

Police ask anyone with information to call Lambeth detectives on 101, quoting reference number 3811749/16 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
New leisure facilities and a train station for Chinese tourists are being built in the North Korean city of Sinuiju, according to a pundit.
A pop-up restaurant firm today appealed for help to catch thieves who stole its new kitchen-on-wheels.

Scottish food specialist Dram & Smoke  whose menus have included haggis bonbons with Irn-Bru jam and beer-battered Mars bars  wants to track down its van and trailer.

About 12,000 of equipment was lost in the theft outside co-owner Nick Fultons home in Nunhead, south London, in the early hours of last Tuesday.

The branded trailer, from which whiskey would have been served, had been picked up only 14 hours earlier.

His co-owner Paul Ross, 29, said: Its a kick in the teeth, really disabling for a young business. The trailer was unlatched, so had to be attached to the van by the thieves, which says to me it wasnt a bunch of kids. Nick woke about 7.30am and there was no sign of it, just a space about 30ft in length.

Dram & Smokes sold-out pop-up dining venues have included a working steelyard in Vauxhall and a former tannery warehouse near the Shard. It recently served actors Tobias Menzies and Caitriona Balfe on the set of acclaimed drama Outlander.

Anyone with information about the theft can contact police on 101.
L ondon MPs have fired a warning shot at government plans to reform school funding which they fear could strip the capital of 700 million.

Tories teamed up with Labour MPs to pass a motion in the Commons calling for the changes to be fair to the citys children.

Bob Neill, Tory MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, said London faced greater challenges, adding: There are far more children with English as a second language. There are higher levels of deprivation on almost any indices. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has vowed to end the postcode lottery that means schools in some areas get 50 per cent more money.

London stands to lose out because boroughs receive about 781 per pupil more than the national average.

The National Union of Teachers claims the city could lose 684 million. In the Commons, Labours Bethnal Green and Bow MP Rushanara Ali called on the Government to consider the formula again.

Schools minister Sam Gyimah said the system is hugely unfair but that he was ready to listen to concerns.
T alks between the Government and the British Medical Association (BMA) over the new junior doctors' contract look set to go ahead after months of wrangling.

Both sides have agreed to begin negotiating again after previous talks were unable to reach a resolution and strike action was later carried out.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the Department of Health was willing to hear what the doctors have to say and would pause the introduction of a new contract for five days of talks.

But he said that negotiations should not proceed unless the department has "written agreement" from the Junior Doctors' Committee (JDC) to negotiate "substantively and in good faith" on the biggest outstanding area in the disagreement - unsocial hours and Saturday pay.

He has also requested that they would "ratify and recommend any negotiated agreement to their members".

During an interview with Sky News, Mr Hunt said: "I hope the BMA will take up the offer to talk constructively and we're seeking assurances by close of the day on Saturday that the BMA will negotiate constructively on the outstanding issues."

The Department of Health confirmed they are still waiting for those assurances from the BMA.

All out: striking junior doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas Hospital / Lucy Young

Dr Johann Malawana, the BMA's JDC chairman, said they are keen to restart talks with an "open mind".

A BMA spokeswoman added: "Junior doctors have said since the outset that they want to reach a negotiated agreement, and have repeatedly urged the Government to re-enter talks.

"The BMA has agreed to temporarily suspend further industrial action so that talks can resume.

"It is critical to find a way forward on all the outstanding issues - which are more than just pay - and we hope that a new offer is made that can break the impasse."

Last week junior doctors went on an all-out strike for two working days. For the first time in the history of the NHS, junior doctors in England stopped providing emergency care during the walkouts.

The Government is intent on introducing a new contract for doctors working up to consultant level to replace one it says is outdated.

Mr Hunt wants to cut the number of hours over a weekend for which junior doctors can claim extra pay, while offsetting this with a hike in basic pay.

This has proved a major sticking point in the row with the BMA - whether Saturdays should attract extra "unsocial" payments.

Currently, 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and the whole of Saturday and Sunday attract a premium rate of pay for junior doctors.

The imposed contract, due to come into force in August, has an increase in basic salary of 13.5% but 7am to 5pm on Saturdays will be regarded as a normal working day.

There will still be premium rates for Saturday evenings and all of Sunday.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
A major road linking the M25 and Essex has been closed after a serious collision.

Three vehicles were involved in the crash on the A127 near to the A128 junction shortly before 2.25pm.

The road was closed in both directions while emergency services attended but Essex Police said the London-bound carriageway had reopened shortly before 4.30pm.

Two air ambulances were among the multiple emergency services vehicles called to the scene.

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said they were unable to immediately confirm how many people had been injured in the collision.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and seek alternative routes during rush hour.

The Southend-bound section of the A127 is expected to remain closed for some time.
T his was the moment a luxury car burst into flames after a joyrider careered into a bus stop in the early hours of this morning.

The Mercedes is thought to have smashed through the front of an office before being engulfed by a fireball in an upmarket street in Lisson Grove

The car was then found completely destroyed and wedged inside the office building after the crash in Park Road, near Regent's Park, at about 1.15am.

The car was completely destroyed by the fire and as well as 20 per cent of the ground floor of the adjacent office.

Emergency services at the scene in Lisson Grove / @LFBWestminster

A London Fire Brigade spokesman confirmed there was no sign of the driver when they arrived and nobody needed rescuing from the blaze, which was dealt with by 2.15am.

Emergency services at the scene in Park Road / @LFBWestminster

A Met Police spokeswoman said: "The driver of the vehicle made off prior to the arrival of police.

"Eqnuiries continue to trace the driver. We are not aware of any injuries."

A spokeswoman for London Business School said all enquiries into the incident were being handled by the police.
P olice have launched an urgent appeal to find a missing man who cannot remember his own name.

Mehmet Calik, 52, who has a severe form of dementia called Korsakoffs Syndrome , was last seen by his care worker at his home in Royal Oak Road, Hackney, on Thursday morning.

His family are growing increasingly concerned for his welfare as he does not remember his own name and is likely to be confused and disorientated.

Mr Calik, who is 6ft tall and of slim build, is not believed to have a mobile phone, travel card or money with him.

He was last seen at 9.50am wearing black tracksuit bottoms, a cream coloured top and black shoes.

He is known to frequent Islington, the Angel area, Kings Cross and Hackney.

Detective Inspector Paul Ridley, from Hackney CID, said: "I have a number of officers involved in searching for Mehmet. At this time we have no means of tracing his whereabouts and I am therefore heavily relying on sightings from members of the public.

He is known to frequent coffee shops and catholic churches. Mehmet is not dangerous but likely to display signs of confusion.

If seen, please approach, engage him in conversation and call police immediately so that he can be provided with the professional support he requires.

Anyone with information should call Hackney Police on 101 or Missing People on 116000, quoting reference number 16MIS018392.
A refugee who helped scores of women escape Nazi-occupied Austria before fleeing to London where she became a milliner whose hats were worn by the Queen has been killed in a road crash.

Herta Georgette Groves, 96, was knocked down by a lorry outside Wigmore Hall in central London last week, after apparently attending a concert. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver stopped and was not arrested.

Tributes were today paid to Mrs Groves, who lived in a 1 million apartment in St Johns Wood, as details emerged of an extraordinary life which led her from the Holocaust to designing hats for the highest levels of society.

Victim: Herta Groves, 96

Born to a middle-class Jewish family in Vienna, she used their large home as a school to give crash courses to other Jewish women enabling them to secure work visas abroad as Hitlers grip tightened on the Austrian capital.

Aged 19, she was forced to leave her parents and sister behind to flee to the UK with just 17 shillings. Her father Wilhelm died after catching pneumonia when forced at gunpoint to shovel snow from the Viennese streets.

Herta Groves interview - car crash victim

In London, she planned to save up 50 to enable her widowed mother Amelia to marry a Portuguese family friend, allowing her younger sister Alice, 13, to follow her to safety.

But Nazi officials refused to give Amelia her husbands death certificate, and mother and daughter were taken to a concentration camp in Latvia where both died in 1942.

Mrs Groves, who married twice, developed her own business, the London Hat Company, creating hats based on couture designs. The Queens milliner was among her clients as the business grew to export her designs across Europe, even setting up an office in Germany.

She recounted her experiences in an interview for the California-based Shoah Foundation, founded by Steven Spielberg to record testimonies of Holocaust survivors, in 1997. She said: I didnt speak about the Holocaust to anyone, when I gave speeches it was mostly about hats.

The British gave us a chance to re-start our lives. We could rebuild everything here.

The message is the Holocaust cant be forgotten  it needs to be remembered for future generations.

A neighbour told the Standard: She was a lovely lady, fascinating to talk to. She was a very inspirational person and she will be missed.

Inquiries into the crash continue and anyone with information should contact police on 020 8247 6935.
C ommuters travelling home from Waterloo face major delays to their journeys this evening following an earlier track fire at Vauxhall.

South West Trains has warned passengers to seek alternative routes due to a limited service on the network, with four out of eight lines from Waterloo still closed.

Train services running through the London hub may be cancelled, delayed by up to 70 minutes or revised at short notice.

Disruption is expected throughout the evening rush hour and until the end of service.

Waterloo to Reading services will start and terminate at Clapham Junction, while the route's additional peak trains have been cancelled.

Services to Weybridge and the Waterloo loop services in both direction via Kingston and Richmond will also start and terminate at Clapham Junction.

Fire at Vauxhall station caught on camera by commuter

Loop services in both directions via Hounslow and Twickenham will not run and trains to and from Windsor and Eton Riverside have also been cancelled in both directions.

Waterloo to Shepherton via Richmond and Waterloo to Hampton Court services are cancelled until the end of service. A shuttle bus will run from Surbiton to Hampton Court.

Trains in and out of Vauxhall and Waterloo have been severely disrupted since the fire at 2.30am on Thursday.

Firefighters spent more than six hours tackling the blaze which damaged electrical cables supplying power to Vauxhall station.

A joint statement from Network Rail and South West Trains: We are sorry for the continued inconvenience and disruption faced by passengers today due to the earlier fire at Vauxhall station.

The fire broke out underneath a platform at Vauxhall station in the early hours of this morning and continues to severely reduce the number of trains we are able to run in and out of London.

We are working hard to get the railway open and to reintroduce a full service, but it is not yet possible to say when that will happen.

It is clear though that severe disruption will continue through the evening peak.

Tickets for South West Trains services are being accepted by Great Western Railway, Thameslink, Cross Country, TfL buses, London Underground and London Overground via any reasonable route as well as Southern services between Dorking, Epsom, Clapham Junction and London Victoria.

Tickets for travel today may also be used to travel on Friday.
T his image shows the full scale of the railway fire which caused travel chaos on one of London's busiest commuter lines.

Some 21 firefighters spent more than six hours tackling the blaze at Vauxhall station, which caused major disruption to South West Trains services to and from Waterloo.

Pictures emerged on social media flames billowing under a large raised section of track leading into the station.

One image, posted on Twitter, showed three firefighters walking towards the blaze as it towered above them.

Flames lick the side of the railway tracks at Vauxhall station / Twitter / @Zuffle

London Fire Brigade shared a picture of several firefighters, from Lambeth and Brixton stations, standing among the charred, railway tracks after the fire was under control.

Aftermath: Firefighters stood among the blackened railway tracks / London Fire Brigade

The blaze, which broke out just after 2.30am, damaged electrical cables supplying power to Vauxhall station, causing chaos on the surrounding rail routes.

Passengers complained of being stuck on "sweltering" rush hour services and being left stranded on platforms as they tried to make their way into work.

Some of the worst delays were seen at Clapham Junction, one of the UK's busiest stations, which was evacuated due to overcrowding.

Firefighters damping down at the scene / Twitter / @Zuffle

LFB station manager John Ryan said: "Once the power was isolated firefighters quickly got to work to tackle the fire.

"Weve now handed the incident over to rail staff, however an appliance remains on site as a precaution."

Fire at Vauxhall station caught on camera by commuter

A South West Trains spokesman said: "We are sorry for the significant disruption faced by many of our passengers today. This was caused by a fire underneath a platform at Vauxhall station in the early hours of this morning.

"We are working with Network Rail and London Fire Brigade to investigate the cause and assess the damage so we can restore a full service as soon as possible.

"We have provided detailed information to passengers to help them plan their journeys. Our very strong advice has been for customers to use alternative ways to travel into London wherever possible due to the severely reduced number of trains running.

"We continue to monitor the situation and take proactive steps as necessary to manage the volume of passengers and ensure their safety.
A luxury cruise ship is set to be the largest ocean vessel to be christened on the River Thames as hordes of people lined the banks to see it sail through the heart of London.

The Viking Sea, a 930-passenger cruise ship, operated by Viking Cruises, passed through the Thames Barrier on Thursday morning on its way to a special celebratory service in Greenwich.

The 745ft long ship will be christened with a fireworks display tonight, the biggest of its kind to receive such a ceremony.

It completed its inaugural voyage from Istanbul to Venice last month and arrived in the capital via the English Channel and Atlantic and the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.

Christening: The Viking Sea is the largest ocean vessel to sail on the Thames / PA

When it moored in Greenwich at around 12.15pm, 48 sailors saluted the ship as they stood on the Cutty Sarks yardarms in a traditional naval welcome.

London was chosen for the ships christening because of its impressive scenery and history, a Viking Cruises spokeswoman said.

On board, passengers can relax in a luxury spa with its own snow grotto while the ship is also equipped with three swimming pools, multiple restaurants and a theatre.

In 2018, London will be the final stop on the Viking Suns round-the-world journey when it is built.
The long battle for the Republican presidential nomination has now ended, settling on a new leader of the Republican Party: Donald Trump.

Republicans nationwide reacted with a mix of disbelief, anger and grudging acceptance Wednesday, revealing a party that may have a new leader but whose future will be unclear until after the general election this November.

The first signs the party would not immediately unite behind Trump as the nominee emerged Tuesday night, when Texas Senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the race following a resounding loss to Trump in the Indiana primary.

A number of conservative bloggers and party operatives, including former John McCain aide Mark Salter -- many of whom had been a part of the unsuccessful Never Trump movement -- took to social media to openly declare they would not support Trump, and some even took the unprecedented step of pledging to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton using the hashtag #ImWithHer.

"The idea of mainstream or even fairly conservative Republicans coming out to support a Clinton for the presidency is kind of mind-blowing," said John Hudak, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution.

Clinton -- a divisive political figure and a lightning rod for conservative criticism over the past two decades -- is a highly unlikely figure to attract any kind of Republican support.

"It really puts into perspective how desperate and how angry and how disgusted many elements of the Republican Party are with Trump," Hudak said.

With the concession of Cruz and reports Wednesday that Ohio Governor John Kasich would suspend his campaign, Trump will become the first party leader in more than six decades not to have held political office.

"We want to bring unity to the Republican Party," Trump said in his victory speech Tuesday. "We have to bring unity. It's so much easier if we have it." Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus followed by tweeting a message of support intended to solidify a party splintered by the Trump win.
V oters in a large swathe of north London have complained of a major mix-up at polling booths for the mayoral election, with people being denied a vote and told to try again later.

In an issue affecting every one of its 155 polling stations, people in Barnet arrived this morning to find their names did not feature on the staff's list of registered voters and were turned away.

While the issue was resolved, Barnet Council, which has so far been unable to say how many people were affected or why stations had incomplete lists, advised residents to bring their polling cards with them.

By 10.30am, more than three hours after voting started, updated registers had been delivered to polling stations and people were able to cast their ballot as normal.

A council spokesman said: All the updated electoral registers are now in place and people can vote as normal.

"We are advising people who were unable to vote this morning to return again before the polling stations close if at all possible.

"We apologise for the problems we have experienced."

Polling Day - London Mayoral Elections 1 /12 Polling Day - London Mayoral Elections Conservative London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith leaves with his wife, Alice, after casting his vote in the London Mayor election at Kitson Hall in Barne Andrew Matthews/PA Mayor of London Boris Johnson and wife Marina arrive to cast their votes at a polling station in Islington, north London Stefan Rousseau/PA Sadiq Khan goes to vote on the last day of the Mayoral race to be London Mayor with his wife Saadiya Khan Alex Lentati Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn arrives to cast his vote at a polling station in Islington, north London. Stefan Rousseau/PA George Osborne casts his vote in the London Mayoral Election on May 05, 2016 in London Neil P. Mockford/Getty Images David Cameron and Samantha Cameron arrive to cast their votes in the London Mayoral Election Neil P. Mockford/Getty Images Sian Berry, Green Party Myoral candidate at the polling station today Tilda Long Sandi Toksvig voting this morning for Women's Equality Party Catherine Riley Zac and Alice Goldsmith arrive to vote in Barnes Jeremy Selwyn

The council later advised: Anyone who attended a polling station in Barnet this morning, and was turned away and therefore could not vote, and was unable to return due to work reasons, may be able to use an emergency proxy vote.

They will need to complete an application form on our website and return it by 5pm today."

Jess Hall, 31, said she turned up just after 7am to a polling station in Friern Barnet Lane but was unable to vote as she did not appear on the list.

Zac Goldsmith votes

She said: "Several people there were already having problems and weren't on the list at all."

Ms Hall, a technology worker, said: "Basically everyone was told to wait but the staff couldn't get hold of anybody on the phone. They were telling everybody to come back tonight which I can't do."

She said: "It's just a complete fiasco and people were getting quite cross. There were queues of people building, waiting to vote.

"The presiding officer was in a complete and utter panic."

The Chief Rabbi and his wife were among others turned away from a polling station in Barnet. Ephraim Mirvis was said to be "disappointed" as he is flying to Amsterdam for a visit to the Jewish Community Centre later and will be unable to vote.

Labour councillor Arjun Mittra described the scenes at his ward of East Finchley as "appalling".

He said: "It's across the borough. They appear to have sent a wrong version of the electoral roll to all the polling stations.

"There are a lot of people who arrived early, a lot of people who arrived at 7am to vote because they aren't coming back later."

He said staff at the Finchley Youth Theatre polling station had told him they would now be accepting votes from people who brought their polling card or a form of ID with them in a bid to solve the problem.

But he said: "We must have had dozens of people at the polling stations who were turned away and were very angry. We don't know what caused it. God knows why they haven't checked before."

He added: "I think it's absolutely outrageous people are being denied their right to vote. How Barnet could let this happen is mind-boggling."
A ngry London voters including Britains Chief Rabbi were turned away from polling stations today after a huge blunder hit thousands in the mayoral election.

Polling chiefs in a key battleground were branded a disgrace after accidentally sending out the wrong voter lists.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and his wife Valerie were among those sent away from polling stations in the Barnet area of north London.

He lost his chance to vote altogether as he was flying to Amsterdam to visit the Jewish community there.

Zac Goldsmith and wife Alice head out to vote / Jeremy Selwyn

The Chief Rabbi was disappointed at not being able to vote, said a source.

There were furious scenes at some polling stations as voters learned they were being deprived of their vote, with some shouting at council staff and saying they were being disenfranchised.

Turned away: chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis / Getty

One would-be voter yelled at staff, this is the worst council in Britain, its a disaster, while another said this is a conspiracy.

Lawyer Karen Johnson, 44, told the Standard: Its a complete disgrace. They said theyve been given the wrong lists and people cant vote. I feel disenfranchised.

If its close then they should re-run it so people can have their say.

With every one of Barnet's 155 polling stations having incomplete lists, the astonishing bungle is thought to have affected thousands of potential voters.

The borough refused to confirm or deny how many and claimed only those who tried to vote without their voting cards were turned away.

However, the Evening Standard spoke to voters who had their cards and were still refused a vote because their names were not accurately recorded on the lists at polling stations.

Dan Krendel, 31, said: I felt sorry for the staff because people were shouting at them demanding to know what was going on, but they didnt seem to know.

Sandi Toksvig, of the Womens Equality Party also voted today

Journalist Lyndon White, 44, told the Standard: They told me there had been a massive problem with the register and I asked if that meant I couldnt vote. They said yes.

There should big consequences for the person that runs the electoral register. They should pay a price.

He added that if the result is close the fiasco would leave many voters feeling it was unfair.

Zac Goldsmith was thought to be the biggest potential loser from the fiasco, which unfolded in a prosperous, Conservative-controlled borough where thousands of Jewish residents were getting their first chance to deliver a verdict on the anti-Semitism scandal.

Sadiq Khan votes

Sophie Walker, the Womens Equality Party mayoral candidate, swiftly registered a complaint with both the council and the London Assembly.

I am very disappointed, she said. I have spent my morning responding to messages from people upset that they could not vote.

Women first got the vote 100 years ago and there are women today who have been unable to vote.

Some 236,196 people are registered to vote in Barnet for todays Mayoral and London Assembly elections.

Witnesses reported that officials turned back every voter arriving at one station, telling them they not on the list.

Dozens of registered voters, including at least one councillor, were turned away at polling stations at Strawberry Vale and Trinity Church Centre.

There were also reports of problems at East Finchley. At the Bishop Douglass School polling station at 9am harassed-looking officials were pulling would-be voters aside to explain the systems are down.

A spokeswoman for Mr Goldsmith urged those who lost out to try to vote again later in the day when the council promised that the problem would have been fixed.

She said there had clearly been a major problem across the whole of the Borough of Barnet and added: It remains to be seen what the effect of this will be upon the three ballots taking place there.

We would strongly encourage any voters wrongly turned away to return to their polling stations at any time up to 10pm this evening if at all possible.

Meanwhile a Labour politician warned the botch could potentially leave the result of the election open to a court challenge. London Assembly candidate Tom Copley said: If the mayoral vote is close this kind of incompetence by a borough could lead to a challenge in the courts.

No official explanation was offered immediately, but a source told the Standard that it appeared a list was sent to polling stations that contained only names registered in the last few months, potentially leaving thousands off.

Labour London Assembly candidate Andrew Dismore said officials at his station only appeared to have a supplementary register listing those who registered in recent weeks.

Mr Dismore said: How on earth someone running the election doesnt know the difference between the supplementary register, which is a few dozen pages or so, and the main register which is like a telephone directory, just beggars belief.

Its woeful incompetence. Every election Barnet seems to cock something up, but in the scale of Barnet cock-ups this is mammoth.

News of the fiasco spread on Twitter with users reporting that at one station the list of approved voters only had around 200 names on it.

Barnet Council said in a statement this morning it was aware of problems that meant a number of people were unable to vote.

It added: We are working to resolve this issue and the updated registers have been sent to all the polling stations, which we expect to be in place by 10am.

In the meantime, people who have their polling cards with them are able to vote.

We are advising residents to bring their polling cards. If people were unable to vote this morning they are being advised to return if possible later before the stations close at 10pm. We apologise for the problems.

It later advised those who had not been able to cast their ballot and could not return later to register for a proxy vote.

A statement said: Anyone who attended a polling station in Barnet this morning, and was turned away and therefore could not vote, and was unable to return due to work reasons, may be able to use an emergency proxy vote.

They will need to complete an application form on our website and return it by 5pm today."
V oters are heading to polling booths across the capital today to vote for the next Mayor of London.

The mayoral contest has 12 candidates, but the main fight will be between the Conservatives' Zac Goldsmith and bookies' favourite Sadiq Khan for Labour.

Voters can pick a first and second preference for the mayor, both of which must be different for your vote to count.

Polling stations opened at 7am and will close at 10pm, although people waiting in line by that time will still be allowed to vote.

However there were initial problems reported in Barnet, where voters were turned away because the wrong lists were at polling stations.

The full list of candidates is: Sian Berry (Green Party); David Furness (British National Party); George Galloway (Respect); Paul Golding (Britain First); Zac Goldsmith (Conservative); Lee Harris (Cannabis is Safer Than Alcohol); Sadiq Khan (Labour); Ankit Love (One Love Party); Caroline Pidgeon (Liberal Democrats); Sophie Walker (Women's Equality Party); Peter Whittle (UKIP); and Prince Zylinksi (Independent).

Voters can find their nearest polling station on the London Elects website.

Along with picking their candidate for the next mayor, Londoners will also be electing 25 members of the London Assembly.

People are able to make one vote for a local constituency assembly member, with one more vote for a London-wide member.

A count of the votes will start at 8am tomorrow, with the constituency assembly members revealed later in the day, followed by an announcement of London's new mayor at City Hall.

Zac Goldsmith votes

The Standard has compiled a guide to the candidates and how to vote here.

Sadiq Khan votes
L ondon's booming micro-breweries have come of age by being served up to MPs in Parliament.

Pints of Bermondsey Best this week joined the regular ales on show in the Strangers Bar in the House of Commons.

The traditional best bitter is one of the new craft beers produced by the cluster of tiny breweries along the Bermondsey Mile in south London.

Local MP Neil Coyle persuaded parliamentary officials to adopt it as a guest beer as a tribute to Londons growing collection of small, high-quality brewers and distillers.

I want the food and drink sector recognised as a creative industry, he said. Ive raised it with ministers but getting craft beers under their noses is a move in the right direction. These guys are shipping beers all over the world now and are fast grabbing pub chain interest in London.

The first pint of Bermondsey Best was pulled by its creator, Peter Jackson, co-founder of Southwark Brewing Co. He said: Im delighted that MPs will be finding out firsthand about the great resurgence of micro-breweries in London over the past couple of years.

The best craft beer pubs in London 1 /26 The best craft beer pubs in London The Old Red Cow Smithfield A hefty range of interesting beers spans two bars at this Long Lane pub, with significantly more keg than cask on offer. Should the 10-15 on tap not suffice, there are countless more available in bottle. Decent pub grub also features, while the wine list is notably excellent by craft beer pub standards. theoldredcow.com The Queens Head Kings Cross Tucked away around the corner from the station, just off Grays Inn Road, this charming old pub does more than just good beer. On top of three rotating, interestingly stocked hand pumps and more taps it also offers more than 12 whiskies, several ciders, serves platters of cheeses and cured meats, and has board games galore. queensheadlondon.com The Earl of Essex Islington Around 18 beers feature at this pub near the Regents Canal, including many from local London breweries such as Beavertown and Redemption. The pub food menu, which comes with recommended beer pairings, is also decent. Theres a small but sweet beer garden to boot. earlofessex.net Crown and Anchor Brixton Set almost equal distance between Stockwell, Brixton and Oval, this pub offers 20-odd beers on keg and cask. The beers are eclectic, but south London brews feature particularly prominently. Its fairly bustling of an evening, and youll also find a decent roast dinner. crownandanchorbrixton.co.uk The Understudy South Bank This relative newcomer from the National Theatre is the South Banks best pub bar none. Its package includes in excess of 10 beers on tap, a tank of brewery fresh Meantime lager, a decent spirit, wine and cocktail offering, and some pretty sweet views over the Thames to boot. nationaltheatre.org.uk Cock Tavern Hackney Central Originally the home of Howling Hops brewery (before they outgrew the space and launched their own tank bar), this Hackney Central boozer is now home to Maregade Brew Co.. As well as serving their brews, it also specialises in great beer generally. More than 20 lines of it in fact, including a fair bit of Howling Hops stuff. Be aware that its cash only. thecocktavern.co.uk Old Fountain Old Street Theres usually upwards of 15 craft beers on the taps at this comfy (unless its rammed) Old Street boozer, and it has the added bonus of a rather nice terrace. A decent number of the beers available tend to be London brews, with Five Points, Hammerton and Kernel among the regulars. Looking for another point of difference? It has a fish tank. oldfountain.co.uk The Southampton Arms Kentish Town This pub set about equal distance between Gospel Oak, Tufnell Park and Kentish Town stations has resisted going too craft despite stocking around 20 varieties just that  it still feels like a local boozer. Theres a particular prevalence of brews from Londons smaller breweries as well as those from around the UK, while fans of craft cider are also well catered for with five or six on tap at all times. thesouthamptonarms.co.uk The Harp Covent Garden This characterful but cramped old pub a stones throw from Charing Cross station offers a rotating selection of 20 or so brews, main focusing on real ales. And as a regular CAMRA award winner, you can rest assured theyre in good condition. Only problem? It gets absolutely rammed. harpcoventgarden.com Mother Kellys Bethnal Green This Paradise Row beer bar from the team behind The Queens Head in Kings Cross has over 23 numbered taps which correspond to a changing selection of brews  like a Chinese restaurant for beer. Its inspired by a New York taproom, so dont expect a cosy pub  but if the weathers nice, you can count on an outdoor barbecue and plenty of atmosphere on the terrace. motherkellys.co.uk The Lyric Soho The best thing about this characterful pub near Piccadilly Circus is the way it merges the music, fun and frivolity youd expect from a Soho boozer with a surprisingly stunning selection of beers  theres never far off 20 on tap. Oh, and there are open fires. lyricsoho.co.uk Hack and Hop City The latest pub from the team behind The Dean Swift and The Old Red Cow (also in this list), this decent-sized venue just off Fleet Street has more than a decent beer list  more than 20 split between cask and keg. Theres also a gastropub-style food menu, though thats not what brings most people in. thehackandhop.com The White Horse Parsons Green This west London institution  affectionately(ish) known as The Sloaney Pony due to its location and clientele  serves a lot of great British beer, but really comes into its own when it comes to foreign imports  particularly from Belgium, Germany and the USA. Options include Pilsner Urquell tank beer alongside eight hand pumps and around 10 taps, plus more than 130 bottles. The gastropub food is good quality and it boasts a particularly sizeable beer garden along with a calendar packed with beer festivals. whitehorsesw6.com Euston Tap Euston Housed in a teeny stone building just in front of Euston station which was built in 1870 as a form of passenger information kiosk, the Euston Tap is not blessed when it comes to space. Neither is it in any way comfy. However, it does stock an impressive range of beers  20 keg, 8 cask and 150 by bottle, to be exact. Those with an affection for apples should also check out sister site Cider Tap across the road. eustontap.com Dean Swift Bermondsey A rotating selection of more than 15 cask and keg beers are almost always available at The Dean Swift. What makes the place particularly great is that despite this great beer selection, and some very good Sunday roasts served upstairs, it maintains a real local boozer vibe. thedeanswift.com The Fox Haggerston This east London longtimer offers a regularly-changing selection of between 15 and 20 beers on tap at all times, plus some very decent booze-absorbing pizzas. Brews from London makers such as Kernel, Beavertown and Pressure Drop tend to get top billing alongside plenty of international offers. Theres a beer garden out back, too. Cask Pub & Kitchen Pimlico Theres a constantly changing selection of 25 beers on tap at this tucked-away Pimlico pub, not to mention multiple fridges full of interesting bottles. Its the original from the group behind the Craft Beer Co chain, and we reckon its still the best. caskpubandkitchen.com Craft Beer Co Various locations The original Clerkenwell branch of this mini-chain was one of the first proponents of craft beer in London. Its still going strong, while there are now also sites in Brixton, Islington, Clapham, Covent Garden and the City. The Islington branch, which comes with a large beer garden and comfier seating, is a favourite. thecraftbeerco.com BrewDog Various locations Youll no these guys. They do beer for punks, apparently. Whatever you make of BrewDogs marketing gimmicks, they make some bloody good beer. Find it at their bars in Camden, Clapham Junction, Clerkenwell, Angel, Shepherds Bush, Shoreditch and Soho, along with plenty of guest beers from other brewers. The Shepherds Bush branch usually has the biggest selection of beers, totalling more than 30. brewdog.com Draft House Various locations The Draft House group is far removed from the kind of minimalist, vaguely uncomfortable craft beer pub where its all about beer. Expect quirky design, good music and burgers, hot dogs and pub staples served throughout the day. Find sites in Battersea, Fitzrovia, Hammersmith, Tower Bridge, the City and Bethnal Green. drafthouse.co.uk

A brewery crawl along the Bermondsey Mile on Saturdays has become a popular attraction  although it takes closer to two miles to complete. Eight micro-breweries have set up in the area in the past seven years, including several under the old railway arches under the line to London Bridge.
A ctress and campaigner Virginia McKenna today backed the Standard campaign for a new polar research ship to be named after naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.

The star of Born Free said: "Sir Davids unique and relentless campaigning on behalf of the protection of the environment and for the conservation of wild species has inspired, and continues to inspire, millions of people around the world including myself.

"I can think of no more fitting way to recognise his outstanding contribution than by naming the UKs new Polar research ship after him."

Ms McKenna played naturalist Joy Adamson in the classic film featuring Elsa the lioness and went on to found The Born Free Foundation and campaign to conserve wildlife.

Polar experts have also showed their support to the campaign.

Dan Byles  who in 2007 became the first person to walk and ski to the Magnetic North Pole, with his mother  hailed the proposal as a fantastic idea.

He said: Sir David Attenborough has been an inspiration to generations of people of all ages. He has helped to foster a passion for scientific understanding and a sense of wonder about the natural world.

Vessel: Members of the public had the chance to name the new ship / @NERCscience

He added: It is entirely fitting that the next generation of British science and exploration should pay tribute to Sir David by naming this state-of-the-art polar research vessel after him, so we can continue to lead the world in understanding our polar regions with dignity.

Sir David, who celebrates his 90th birthday on Sunday, brought the wonders of the Antarctic into the homes of millions with his 1993 BBC series Life in the Freezer  and his books and documentaries span seven decades.

More than 10,000 people support naming the 200 million Royal Research Ship after him. However, in the public vote, over 124,000 backed joke name Boaty McBoatface following a social media campaign.

Falklands War hero Lord West, a former head of the Royal Navy, raised in Parliament whether this name would be suitable as the vessel will be a ship, not a boat. He added: If its a question of a choice between the two, I would prefer Sir David Attenborough.

But I would prefer a famous Arctic or Antarctic explorer.

Sir David Attenborough - In pictures 1 /45 Sir David Attenborough - In pictures PA Best of the best Sir David Attenborough in 2015 PA BAFTA winner 2011 Sir David Attenborough with the Specialist Factual award at the Philips British Academy Television Awards at the Grosvenor House in 2011 PA Big Butterfly Butterfly Conservation President Sir David Attenborough with a south east Asian Great Mormon Butterfly on his nose, as he launched the Big Butterfly count at the London Zoo in Regent's Park, London in 2012. The broadcaster and naturalist will turn 90 on May 8 PA Family Sir David Attenborough (left) with his wife Jane Oriel and older brother and film actor Richard Attenborough at St. Anne's Church, Kew Green in 1950 PA Look what I brought home ... Sir David Attenborough holding his son Robert in 1955, whilst looking at an animal called a coatimundi, brought home from the combined London Zoo - BBC expedition to British Guiana PA Super furry animals Sir David Attenborough with six-year-old Michael Webb of Kingsbury pets a Capybara after Sir David had lectured to children on the 'Zoological Expedition to British Guiana' at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, London in 1956 PA Cover your ears Sir David Attenborough with his three-year-old daughter Susan, as they cover their ears while sulphur-crested cockatoo Georgie lets out a piercing shriek in 1957 PA Royal visit Prince Charles with his sister Princess Anne meeting Sir David Attenborough and Cocky, the cockatoo brought back from his last Zoo Quest expedition, at the BBC Television Studios in Lime Grove, London in 1958 PA In the land of Television Mr. Michael Peacock, Controller of BBC 1, Mr. Huw Wheldon, Controller of Television Programmes and Sir David Attenborough, Controller of BBC 2, at the BBC Television Centre, White City in 1965 PA Medal of honour 1966: Sir David Attenborough receiving the Zoological Society of London's silver medal from the president, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the annual general meeting in London PA Award winning Sir David Attenborough winner of the 1970 Desmond Davis Award presented by HRH Princess Anne in 1971 Rex Features Park life Sir David Attenborough In Richmond Park in 1980 Daily Mail Watch the Birdie Sir David Attenborough in 1980 Associated News Monkey business Sir David Attenborough in 1982 Rex Features Nature experts Johnny Morris, Sir David Attenborough, Desmond Morris and Sir Peter Scott in 1982 PA Investiture Sir David Attenborough after being knighted by the Queen at an Sir David Attenborough after being knighted by the Queen at an investiture at Buckingham Palace, London, with his wife Jane (right) and daughter Susan at Buckingham Palace, London, with his wife Jane (right) and daughter Susan in 1985 PA Sharing a giggle Richard and David Attenborough in 2001 RexRex Features Watch the Meerkat Sir David Attenborough with meerkat on shoulder being filmed for BBC series Life of Mammals in 2002 Rex Features Honorary degree Sir David Attenborough receiving an honorary degree at Oxford Brookes University in 2003 Rex Features Relaxing at home Sir David Attenborough relaxing at his home in 2004 Rex Features Exceptional acheivements Queen Elizabeth II presenting Sir David Attenborough with the Insignia of the Order of Merit, a personal award from the Queen recognising exceptional achievements in the advancement of arts, learning, literature and science in 2005 PA Opening up Michael Parkinson interviews Sir David Attenborough in 2007 Rex Features Sign here please Sir! Sir David Attenborough meeting fans and signing copies of his new book, Life Stories, at the Natural History Museum, London in 2009 PA The Darwin Centre Prince William (left) and Sir David Attenborough at the opening of The Darwin Centre at The Natural History Museum, London in 2009 PA Doulbe take Sir David Attenborough poses with a floral sculpture of himself outside the gates at Kew Gardens in 2012 Rex Princely visit Duke of Cambridge with Sir David Attenborough at King's College London in 2015 PA Radio (Times) Star Radio Times editor Ben Preston (left) presenting Sir David Attenborough with his induction into the Radio Times' inaugural Hall of Fame at the Radio Times Festival at the Green at Hampton Court Palace in 2015 PA Royal welcome Catherine Duchess of Cambridge meeting Helen Mirren, as Sir David Attenborough looks on at a reception for the Dramatic Arts, Buckingham Palace in 2014 Rex Chat show laughs Sir David Attenborough during filming of the Graham Norton Show PA Naturalist Sir David Attenborough giving evidence to the House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee PA Sir David Attenborough with Pat Cash on day eleven of the Wimbledon Championships PA Sir David Attenborough making a surprise appearance at Glastonbury PA Sir David Attenborough in Iceland ahead of BBC's new natural history series Seven Worlds, One Planet. BBC

Conservative MP James Gray, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Polar Regions, said: It should be named after one of the polar explorers or naturalists.

Certainly Sir David Attenborough would be a very good candidate among others and the minister will decide.

Four ex-Cabinet ministers, Baroness Tessa Jowell, Lord Smith, Caroline Spelman and Owen Paterson, back naming the ship after Sir David.

He has said he is flattered but thinks a traditional naval name would be best. Suggestions have included Shackleton, Endeavour, and Falcon.

The Natural Environment Research Councils vessel will be the worlds most advanced floating laboratory and will set sail in 2019 for the Antarctic.
P olice were today searching for a mother who vanished with her children hours after claiming officers had taken them into care against their will.

Angela Kelly, 46, was last seen with Shanti Harbourne, 12, and Maya-Rose Kelly-Johnson, five, in Camberley, Surrey, on Sunday night.

On Saturday, she begged friends for help online after claiming that her daughters were being held against their will by the state.

Ms Kelly, a restaurant manager, wrote on Facebook: Can anybody help? The police took my children into care last night. Tried to run but they caught us. They had no paperwork but took the children anyway.

Shanti and Maya-Rose have not been seen since Sunday / Metropolitan Police

At 6am on Sunday, she added: Shanti and Rosie still being held against their will and mine by the state but I feel stronger today thank you for your messages of support.

It is unclear if the children were returned to Miss Kelly, but they went missing with her later that day.

Miss Kellys mother Sylvia, a retired superintendent registrar, replied to her last message on Monday, saying: Dad and I are meeting you at the Town Hall at 11am. [Let me know] if you want to change that. Love mum xxx

Police appealed for the public for help in finding the family, saying they could be in Camden or west London.

The door of the familys flat in Roehampton is padlocked and neighbour Karen De Santis, 29, said: We are obviously all very worried.

Anyone with information should call Wandsworth police 020 3276 2554 or the non-emergency line on 101.
T he New Day newspaper is set to be axed just two months after its launch.

It is believed the last edition of the paper, published by Trinity Mirror, will hit news stands on Friday.

Company bosses had previously said the newspaper could make a profit by the end of the year after its launch on February 22.

In a trading update, Trinity Mirror said: "Although The New Day has received many supportive reviews and built a strong following on Facebook, the circulation for the title is below our expectations.

"As a result, we have decided to close the title on 6 May 2016. Whilst disappointing, the launch and subsequent closure have provided new insights into enhancing our newspapers and a number of these opportunities will be considered over time."

The New Day is edited by Alison Phillips, the Mirror's weekend editor.

At the time of its launch, the group said the title would cover news and features in "an upbeat, optimistic approach and will be politically neutral".

Trinity, which also owns the Daily Mirror and a host of regional titles, said The New Day would initially be available free of charge from 40,000 retailers, before trialling at 25p for two weeks and then selling for 50p after that.
A state of emergency has been declared in Alberta as firemen battle wildfires that have destroyed 1,600 homes and forced all 88,000 inhabitants of a city to flee.

Officials said the fast-moving blaze could destroy much of Fort McMurray.

The blaze has cut the city in two and the airport is under threat. Firefighters are also trying to save the only bridge across the Athabasca river on the main route to the oil-rich city.

The wind-whipped flames were being kept from the city's central area thanks to the "Herculean'" efforts of firefighters, said Scott Long, of Alberta Emergency Management Agency.

Devastation: A helicopter flies past a wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta / Jason Franson /The Canadian Press via AP

No injuries or fire related fatalities have been reported, but Mr Long added: Bad news does not get better with time. It is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town.

The fire appeared near the airport late on Wednesday where crews were on site. All commercial flights in and out of Fort McMurray have been suspended.

Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box.

Fort McMurray is surrounded by wilderness in the heart of Canada's oil sands - the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

Danielle Larivee, Alberta's minister of municipal affairs, said the fire was burning in residential areas with more than 250 firefighters battling the blaze.

The Municipality of Wood Buffalo later said the fire was continuing to raze homes and had destroyed a new school.

There were haunting images of scorched trucks, charred homes and telephone poles, burned out from the bottom up, hanging in the wires like little wooden crosses.

The blaze effectively cut Fort McMurray in two, forcing about 10,000 people north to the safety of oil sands work camps.

The other 70,000 or so were sent streaming south in a bumper-to-bumper line of cars and trucks that stretched beyond the horizon down Highway 63. Some vehicles sat in ditches, the victims of engine trouble or a lack of petrol.

Public safety minister Ralph Goodale said it was one of the largest fire evacuations in national history, if not the largest.

Chelsie Klassen, a spokeswoman for The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said all large oil sands facilities have emergency crews and plans for forest fires, noting all staff would be evacuated and plants would be shut properly to minimise the damage.

She said 80 per cent of the oil sands was located deep underground and can be extracted only through a drilling process.

The remaining 20 per cent can be mined from the surface and predominantly located north of Fort McMurray.

She said it could burn under certain circumstances, but oil sands would burn at a much slower pace considering its composition with sand.

Additional reporting by the Press Association
P resident Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama celebrated Star Wars Day with a dance-off with R2-D2 and some stormtroopers.

The couple are seen dancing in the White House with the characters to the soundtrack of Bruno Mars hit single Uptown Funk.

The 22-second clip was released on the White Houses official Facebook and Twitter accounts with the caption, Dance. Or dance not. There is no try. #MayThe4thBeWithYou.

The President can be heard saying come on, stormtroopers, with R2-D2 in the background spinning its head grooving to the music.

Dance-off: Barack Obama with the First Lady

May 4 is celebrated as Star Wars Day because of the saying May the 4th be with you.

It has become a day to celebrate all things Star Wars, especially following last years revival of the series with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
J odie Foster insisted she will never quit acting as she finally received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The American actress, 53, was joined by her Panic Room co-star Kristen Stewart as she was presented with the honour in Los Angeles.

Foster started her career in a TV commercial aged three and has won two best actress Oscars for her performances in The Accused and The Silence Of The Lambs.

But she thought she may never receive a star in the city in which she grew up. I thought for a while, Maybe it will never happen. But I was holding out and it worked out for me.

Jodie Foster: Hollywood Walk of Fame 1 /9 Jodie Foster: Hollywood Walk of Fame Jodie Foster poses by her star at her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Actress Jodie Foster signs autographs after unveiling her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Mario Anzuoni/Reuters Jodie Foster poses by her star at her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP US actress Kristen Stewart (right) introduces US actress Jodie Foster during Foster's star ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame EPA Kristen Stewart, left, attends a ceremony honoring Jodie Foster with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Invision/AP Actress and director Jodie Foster poses during the ceremony honoring her with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame AFP/Getty Images Kristen Stewart attends a ceremony honoring actress-director Jodie Foster with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Foster, who was joined by her sons Charles and Kit, has moved behind the camera in recent years.

She said: Ive been acting since I was three so I cant imagine Ill ever stop, but I definitely want to focus on directing for now."

Stewart took the podium to talk about her former co-star, saying: Jodie Foster was my favorite actress before I was cast as her daughter in a movie called Panic Room when I was 10.

She joked: She came onto the movie late and I was totally there to show her the ropes.

Of all the examples that I could have had at such an impressionable age, there's nothing self-serving about her.

She cares about people, she is quite the opposite of the type of person that is gravitated towards being an actress.
Shoigu gave no details about the size and timing of the new Russian deployment, or where the troops would be stationed. He first mentioned the plan to create three new divisions back in January, and Russian media reports at the time estimated up to 30,000 troops would be involved.

"The Defense Ministry is taking a series of measures aimed at countering the buildup of NATO forces in close proximity to Russian borders. By the end of the year, two new military divisions will be formed in the Western Military district and one in the Southern Military District. At the moment, facilities construction is being carried out at the sites where these units will be deployed," he said.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday after a meeting in Moscow that the new divisions will be stationed along Russias western and southern borders.

Russia says it will deploy three divisions of troops along its borders to counter NATO's increasing military presence in Eastern Europe.

 NATO Looking at Additional Troop Boost

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said this week that NATO is considering stationing a force of around 4,000 troops in Poland and the three Baltic states -- Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia -- all of which are members of the western alliance. This would be in addition to another deployment already authorized -- a U.S. armored brigade, about 4,200 troops, that will be sent to eastern Europe in February.

Carter said Monday that the additional eastern-Europe force NATO is considering would consist of four battalions of soldiers, contributed by NATO members on a "continuously rotating" basis.

Another senior Russian Defense Ministry official, Andrei Kelin, said Wednesday that dispatching four additional NATO battalions to the Baltic states and Poland would amount to "a very dangerous build-up of armed forces pretty close to our borders," Interfax news agency reported.

 Worries Over Russian Posturing

The United States and other governments in both Western and Eastern Europe have been increasingly concerned by Russia's military moves since 2014, when it annexed Ukraine's Crimea region. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been particularly anxious about what they see as aggressive posturing by Russia, and all three have asked NATO to expand its presence in the Baltics as a deterrent to Russia.

Russian military moves in recent weeks have included flight maneuvers by Russian jets that simulated attacks on a U.S. warship in the Baltic Sea, and an interceptions by Russian warplanes of U.S. reconnaissance planes flying over international waters. Despite tensions created by the incidents, Moscow has rejected protests by American authorities, and denied U.S. claims its pilots' actions were reckless and dangerous.

The Kremlin has repeatedly disavowed any plan to intervene militarily in the Baltic states which, formerly part of the Soviet Union, were for decades under Moscow's rule.
T he Rolling Stones have requested that Donald Trump stop using their music at his campaign events.

The British rockers have released a statement asking the Republican Presidential candidate to refrain from using their iconic songs during rallies.

After Trump used tracks including Start Me Up and You Cant Always Get What You Want at official events, the band has decided to intervene.

A statement issued by the band, reads: The Rolling Stones have never given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and have requested that they cease all use immediately.

Music fan: Donald Trump has been playing ROlling Stoens tracks at his rallies / Tannen Murphy/EPA

According to reports, Trump personally curates his own playlists for rallies and has included Stones songs including Brown Sugar and You Cant Always Get What You Want in the past.

Musicians are unable to actually ban politicians from playing their music at campaign events but can request that they dont.

The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism 1 /24 The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism All together now Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones attend a private view of 'The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism' at The Saatchi Gallery Pink carpet ready Keith Richards works the pink carpet outside the gallery Dave Benett Sign away Fans reach out to get autographs from the legendary rockers Dave Benett Hug me Mick Jagger looks on as Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood embrace Dave Benett Relax Keith Richards gives Ronnie Wood a massage as they work the red carpet Dave Benett All smiles Keith Richards attends a private view of The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism at The Saatchi Gallery Dave Benett Working the crowd Sir Mick Jagger waves to waiting fans REX Family support Ronnie Wood's son Jesse Wood arrives hand-in-hand with his wife Fearne Cotton PA Leather look James Bay arrives in his signature hat PA Date night Christian Horner and Geri Horner step out for the celebratory event PA Suzanne Wyman, Bill Wyman and daughters Matilda Wyman, Jessica Wyman and Katherine Wyman attend a private view of 'The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism' at The Saatchi Gallery Dave Benett Natalie Dormer attends a private view of 'The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism' at The Saatchi Gallery Dave Benett Nick Grimshaw attends a private view of 'The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism' at The Saatchi Gallery Dave Benett Georgia May Jagger attends a private view of 'The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism' at The Saatchi Gallery Dave Benett Pixie Geldof attends a private view of 'The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism' at The Saatchi Gallery Dave Benett Ronnie Wood and Sally Wood attend a private view of 'The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism' at The Saatchi Gallery Dave Benett Jeanne Marine and Sir Bob Geldof attend a private view of 'The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism' at The Saatchi Gallery Dave Benett Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones attend a private view of 'The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism' at The Saatchi Gallery Dave Benett

Other artists who have requested that Trump stop using their songs include Adele and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

Adele recently made her fans aware that she had not given the Presidential candidate permission to use Rolling in the Deep.

Neil Young has also asked the politician to stop playing his hit Rockin in the Free World at any more of his events.

Trump also has a number of opera tracks and Elton John on his playlist for rallies.
LINCOLN  A jury sent an emphatic message Wednesday when it returned a $2.64 billion verdict against the man questioned in the 2010 disappearance of a 19-year-old Peru State College student.

The family of Tyler Thomas wont be able to collect, considering that the defendant in their wrongful-death lawsuit lacks financial assets and is serving a prison sentence for an unrelated rape conviction. But the verdict still provides the family with a degree of solace, said their attorney, Vince Powers of Lincoln.

Its important that the family knows that Tylers not forgotten and her life had value, Powers said.

The six-woman jury in Nemaha County District Court entered the judgment against Joshua Keadle, the former Peru State student who investigators considered a person of interest in Thomas disappearance. Although authorities questioned Keadle, he was never charged in the Thomas case.

Thomas parents  La Tanya Thomas and Kevin Semans, both of Omaha  and other relatives gave emotional testimony about the loss they suffered when their loved one disappeared on Dec. 3, 2010, Powers said. She has not been heard from since, and a court declared her deceased in 2013.

It was a hard day for the family, and it was a hard day for the jury, Powers said.

Trial testimony lasted about three hours, and jurors deliberated for about two hours.

Jurors awarded $240 million to Thomas estate and her parents for wrongful death, pain, suffering, mental anguish and emotional distress. They multiplied that figure by 10 to arrive at punitive damages of $2.4 billion.

Under Nebraska law, punitive damages must be distributed to the public schools, Powers said.

Keadle, 34, did not appear and was not represented during Wednesdays trial at the courthouse in Auburn, Nebraska. During a pretrial deposition, Keadle asserted his Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions.

The family has been unsuccessful in its attempts to collect damages from the State College Board of Trustees, which oversees Peru State and two other state colleges. Federal and state judges have said college officials could not have foreseen that Keadle would possibly commit violence against a fellow student. The family has appealed the dismissal of their federal lawsuit against the college.

Now both state and federal courts have entered judgments against Keadle, essentially holding him responsible for Thomas death. The judgments are not the same, however, as a criminal conviction.

A security camera recorded Thomas walking across the campus about 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 3, 2010. She was headed toward her dorm after drinking alcohol at an off-campus party.

Keadle, then 29, told investigators that he picked up Thomas and drove her to a secluded boat ramp along the Missouri River, where they had consensual sex. He said he then left Thomas alive at the boat ramp after she threatened to accuse him of rape.

He is serving a prison sentence of 15 to 20 years for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Fremont in 2008. The victim came forward after seeing news coverage of Thomas disappearance.

Keadle will be eligible for parole in late 2018 and is scheduled for mandatory release in 2021, according to prison records.
A 37-year-old Minnesota man was critically injured Wednesday when his semitrailer truck rolled on Nebraska Highway 15 just south of the Saline County-Jefferson County line in southeast Nebraska.

The Jefferson County Sheriffs Office said Dean Peterson of Glencoe was thrown from his northbound 2003 Peterbilt around 10 a.m. after he swerved to avoid a deer, veered into a ditch and then rolled after attempting to steer back onto the highway. The semi was hauling a 2003 Walker liquid tanker, loaded with fertilizer, that did not rupture.

The semi and the tanker were total losses, the Sheriffs Office said.

Peterson, who was not wearing a seat belt, was taken to Jefferson Community Health Center in Fairbury and then transferred by medical helicopter to a Lincoln hospital, the Sheriffs Office said. Peterson had a dog in his rig that was not injured and was taken to a Fairbury veterinary clinic.

The Sheriffs Office said traffic was interrupted for about 2 1/2 hours after the crash.

Drugs and alcohol were not factors in the crash, the Sheriffs Office said.
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Thursday, 05 May 2016 23:14:38 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo

Argentinian car output in April slightly declined 0.4 percent, year-on-year, and 3.8 percent, month-on-month, to 44,447 units, the nations automotive industry association, Adefa, said this week.





Adefa said domestic sales in April improved 38.1 percent, year-on-year, but declined 0.3 percent, month-on-month, to 60,513 units.





Exports in the fourth month of the year rose 1.2 percent, year-on-year, and 20.4 percent, month-on-month, to 20,704 units.





As for the accumulated period of January to April, Argentinian car output totaled 142,615 units, 13.3 percent down, year-on-year, while exports and domestic sales reached 55,962 and 222,652 units, 29.5 percent down, but 31.6 percent up, year-on-year, respectively.








Thursday, 05 May 2016 00:43:11 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo

Chilean metal-mechanic industry association, Asimet, said safeguarding duties over other steel goods is needed.





Asimets comments follows a recent decision by the Chilean government to apply a definite, ad-valorem safeguarding duty of 38.9 percent over the imports of wire rod , following a recent recommendation of the nations price distortion commission, CNDP.





Asimet said the measure could be extended to other steel goods, including wires, nails, mesh and screws.





Not doing so could create space for non-Chilean producers exporting these products at lower prices, which could weaken the Chilean domestic industry.








In April this year, iron ore shipments from Australia 's Port Hedland decreased by 4.7 percent compared to March and were up 6.5 percent year on year, totaling 37.6 million metric tons.

According to the information released by Port Hedland Port Authority, in April of the current year iron ore shipments made from Port Hedland to China amounted to 32.6 million metric tons, falling by 1.1 percent compared to the previous month and up 8.3 percent year on year. South Korea and Japan followed China in April, receiving 2.73 million mt and 857,071 mt respectively.
Nanjing Steel sees reduced net profit in Q1

Thursday, 05 May 2016 10:00:16 (GMT+3) | Shanghai



Jiangsu Province-based Chinese steel producer Nanjing Iron and Steel Co. Ltd (Nanjing Steel) has announced that in the first quarter of the current year it registered an operating revenue of RMB 4.801 billion ($0.74 billion), declining by 23.27 percent year on year, with a net profit of RMB 11.1328 million ($1.71 million), down 85.08 percent year on year.

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Thursday, 05 May 2016 15:46:18 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

According to data released by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), in March this year the value of South Africa 's exports of base metals and articles thereof totaled ZAR 12.09 billion ($810.9 million), up 10.9 percent from February. In the January-March period of this year, South Africa 's export value of base metals and articles thereof increased by 7.9 percent year on year to ZAR 33.4 billion ($2.23 billion).

In March of the current year, the country's imports of base metals and articles thereof amounted to ZAR 5.09 billion ($341.1 million), decreasing 7.2 percent from February, while in the first three months South African imports of base metals and articles thereof rose by 2.7 percent year on year, amounting to ZAR 16 billion ($1.07 billion).
Xinyu Steel sees fall in operating revenue in Q1

Thursday, 05 May 2016 10:01:03 (GMT+3) | Shanghai



Jiangxi Province-based Chinese steelmaker Xinyu Iron and Steel Co. (Xinyu Steel) has announced that in the first quarter of the current year it registered an operating revenue of RMB 5.665 billion ($0.87 billion), down 9.39 percent year on year, with a net loss of RMB 91.8245 million ($14.13 million) compared to the net loss of of RMB 118 million in the same period of 2015.

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By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com During last Thursdays county commission meeting, the topic of tourism came up. First District Commissioner Karen Stuppy reported on the Tourism Advisory Council and Tourism Tax Commissions joint meeting earlier that week, at which a task force was formed. She said that the tourism department has an $89,548 budget, with $45,000-50,000
Romania's National Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc on Thursday discussed with ambassador of Iraq to Romania Hussain Taha Hussan Sinjari opportunities to resume cooperation in the defence area, with emphasis on regional security and the contribution Romania may have to the development and modernisation of the Iraqi armed forces.

"Minister Motoc underscored the need to agree on a proper legal basis between the Government of Romania and the Government of the Republic of Iraq, with a view to strengthening cooperation in the defence area. At a first stage, the collaboration would focus on training and preparing activities that various specialist structures of Romania can provide to the Iraqi armed forces," the National Defence Ministry informs in a press statement.

Motoc also mentioned the possibility for cooperation development under the NATO - Iraq partnership by implementing the Defense Capacity Building Initiative and Romania taking part in the International Coalition against the Islamic State, under the leadership of the US, the MApN says.

Agerpres
Friday afternoon, 200 St. Louis marketing communications professionals will descend on Washington Avenue for a little dodgeball.

OK, a lot of dodgeball.

From 3:30 till about 8:30 p.m., 20 teams will take part in the GROUP360 Worldwide Dodgeball Tournament on a 64-by-40-foot court in the middle of WashAve, at 13th Street.

This is the third year for the downtown event, which raises money for the Lupus Foundation of America, Heartland Chapter.

Players and spectators (it's free to watch) can also take part in raffles throughout the day.

GROUP360 is headquartered at 1227 Washington Avenue. The firm operates 25 offices worldwide.

The Lupus Foundation of America works with local health professionals to increase awareness of the disease and raise money to help those affected by it.
Two frontiersmen race through the foreground atop their steeds, muskets in hand, as they hunt a grand buffalo.

Its big, its dramatic, its rare, its fabulous, says Christopher Lane of the Philadelphia Print Shop West, referring to the large print of Currier & Ives The Buffalo Hunt.

And a beautiful watercolor by St. Louis artist Barbara Martin Smith depicts the Alton Bluffs as viewed from a riverboat in the fall.

The room will be full of such treasures, for sale by national and local dealers, this weekend at the Mercantile Librarys 10th anniversary Fine Print, Rare Book and Paper Arts Fair. Proceeds from the event, held at the University of Missouri-St. Louis J.C. Penney Conference Center, benefit the Mercantile Library collections acquisition and conservation funds.

We have rare books, fine printing like artists presses, says Julie Dunn-Morton, curator of fine art collections at the Mercantile Library. We have artists doing original work, watercolors, pastel, and we have people who make their own paper, make boxes  so even things that are made from paper.

Indeed, the fair takes pride in presenting a range of works.

They really make it a very varied mix, and I think thats very attractive, says Susan Teller, owner of New Yorks Susan Teller Gallery. Its one of the reasons that people find it fun to come to see it. People have some idea of what theyre going to see, but then theres the unexpected as well, which makes it a really nice, pleasant atmosphere.

Works can be priced from $1 to $10,000, piquing the interest of both exclusive art collectors and curious children.

I remember last year, one of my favorite sales was to a student, and she had to borrow 75 cents to buy a postcard, says Smith, one of the fairs returning artists. Im trying to have a booth that represents my work well but also reaches out to the people who come to the fair.

The fair begins with a preview party Friday evening. On Sunday, Mothers Day, guests can enjoy free frozen custard from Ted Drewes, send a postcard in honor of their mom, tour the Mercantile Library and watch demonstrations by some of the artists.
Captain America  aka Steve Rogers (Chris Evans)  is on a mission in Nigeria with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) when a tragic miscalculation results in multiple innocent deaths.

The incident prompts an international outcry for the superheroes and their colleagues in the Avengers to be brought under the control of the United Nations. Particularly insistent is U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt), who views them as vigilantes who have been left to their own devices for far too long.

Iron Man, aka Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), is sympathetic to Ross point of view. An encounter with a woman who blames the Avengers for the loss of her son has taken him aback. But Rogers bristles at the very idea of submitting to such supervision. Without their autonomy, he argues, the Avengers might be compromised to a dangerous degree.

Battle lines are drawn, with some of the Avengers siding with Rogers, others with Stark. The situation only intensifies when Rogers friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), aka the Winter Soldier, is targeted by the authorities  while a mysterious man with an equally mysterious agenda (Daniel Bruhl) looks on.

Captain America: Civil War is in some ways a commentary on the previous films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which have been dismissed in some quarters as little more than excuses to blow stuff up and gleefully indulge in property damage. At the end of the day, its still a comic-book movie, but one that actually raises serious questions about security, accountability and revenge.

Working from a screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, brothers and co-directors Anthony and Joe Russo deliver the required thrills yet leave room for moments of reflection  of which the actors, particularly Evans and Johansson, take full advantage.

To the short list of superhero flicks that exceed expectations, add Captain America: Civil War.
Flora Yang is small, spry and not afraid to tell you her age: 90-something. She walks twice a week at the Mazza Gallerie mall in northwest Washington, D.C., and says mall walking keeps her young and fit.

Health officials are starting to notice that effect too and say more malls should open their doors to walkers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put out a guide saying the mall is a perfect place for seniors to get in their steps.

Its no secret that getting up and moving makes people healthier and reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. But unpredictable weather and unsafe streets sometimes get in the way, especially for seniors.

Thats where shopping malls come in.

Mall walking began decades ago, when heart doctors began recommending it to their patients, said Basia Belza, a professor at the University of Washingtons nursing school. She estimates that hundreds of programs exist around the country, but they arent widely known.

They are the best-kept secret, Belza said.

The CDCs resource guide, released last year, encourages malls to expand walking clubs and set up new ones. The guide, co-authored by Belza, said indoor shopping centers are ideal for walking because their level surfaces make seniors less likely to slip and fall. Malls are also well-lighted and have water fountains, restrooms and places to rest. And seniors can walk in malls regardless of the weather.

The U.S. Surgeon General cited mall walking last year in a national call to action to improve the nations walkability and to get more people moving.

Mall-walking clubs are often partnerships between a shopping center and providers, hospitals and community groups that serve seniors. They are typically free for walkers, and some include organized warmup exercises, health screenings and lectures about healthy eating.

Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington runs the walking club at Mazza Gallerie. In addition to helping seniors get exercise, participating in the club reduces their isolation, said Marti Bailey, director of the hospitals senior association.

Its so much more than walking, Bailey said. Its walking, talking, sharing life together in a real way. Its the beauty of the walking club.

Bailey said such clubs are more important now than ever, given the aging of the population and the number of seniors living with chronic diseases.

ang says she believes she was the first member of the Mazza Gallerie walking club. She said she started walking there in 1992, back when she could carry her granddaughter in her arms. Soon, she said, people started walking with her, and the numbers grew. She has benefited greatly, she said.

Still I can fight you, she said, chuckling.

Members of the club come and go. Ann Morales, the secretary of the group, pulled out a photo of its walkers from several years ago. This is the doctor who used to be here, she said. He passed away. . . . Marlene, Flora are here. We havent seen this lady for a long time.

On the mornings that they gather, the seniors start with a blood pressure check by a retired doctor.

Lets take a peek, Aric Schichor said as he wrapped the cuff around Yangs arm. 140 over 80.

Then Yang stood up and headed down the hall, holding hands with another longtime walker, Marlene Jordan. My doctor says I need a cane, Jordan said. I dont think I need it.

Im her cane, Yang said, giving her a squeeze.

The group strolled past a T.J. Maxx and a jewelry store and turned the corner at a Subway sandwich shop. Seven times around made a mile.

Helga Fox, 87, has been walking with the group for a few years. She lives in a condo with a fitness center, but she prefers to come here. She likes the company.

Its a nice way to start the day, she said.

Most of all, Fox said, she appreciates being able to visit with the doctor. She has hypertension and feels better after having her blood pressure checked.

Walking groups also benefit the malls, which have struggled to attract people as more consumers turn to online shopping.

Nicole Schade, a spokeswoman for Mazza Gallerie, said the walkers there often visit the stores, see a movie or grab breakfast.

We have seen an uptick in business thanks to the mall-walking program, Schade said.
Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger 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

Many years ago, Roy Blunt shared a story with me that offers insight into why he has been such a successful politician.

At the time, Blunt was a congressman, and we were having lunch at one of his favorite Springfield, Mo., haunts  Steak n Shake  as he described the transition he was about to undertake.

It was late in 2006, and Democrats had just won control of the House and Senate, meaning that Blunt, a Republican, was soon to find himself in the minority party.

Its easy to be in the minority, he told me, passing on advice he had received from some friends across the political aisle. Basically, the advice continued, you can oppose nearly any bill supported by the majority party without ever having to fully define your position. If the bill cost $5 million, you wanted it to cost $3 million. If it had a four-year phase in, you wanted five. Nitpicking as a political strategy left options open.

Indeed, leaving options open has been a political hallmark of Blunt as he rose from secretary of state in Missouri to Congress and now the U.S. Senate.

Its why his recent support of Donald Trump for president  lukewarm as it was  was so surprising.

On Wednesday, much of the political world awoke to the reality that the #NeverTrump movement pushed by Republican establishment types had failed. In winning the Indiana primary convincingly, Trump all but guaranteed he will be the Republican nominee for president, likely facing Democrat Hillary Clinton in November.

Aghast was the emotion of the day as much of the nation reacted to the continued rise of Trump.

A Muslim friend of mine lamented brushing off her husbands question from months ago, when he asked: Are we going to have to leave the country? At the time, she, like much of the nations political class, thought there was no need to pay much attention to Trump.

Surely a man who proposed stopping all Muslims at the border, who referred to Mexicans as rapists and thieves, who has made too many misogynistic comments to count, would never actually be taken seriously as a presidential candidate.

Instead, Trumps willingness to appeal to a fearful sliver of white Americas fear and hatred of people different than them paid dividends in a Republican Party that has been dancing with that devil for too many years.

To date, Blunt had been politically smart about the presidential race, staying out of it other than offering relatively bland support for the eventual Republican nominee. Similarly, he has stayed out of the contentious Missouri gubernatorial primary, leaving his options open as he often does.

But Wednesday, after Trumps rise to presumptive nominee, Blunts office told reporters in Washington that he would support Trump if he was indeed the GOP nominee.

Contrast that with what U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, told Post-Dispatch reporter Chuck Raasch: Donald Trump has not earned my vote.

Wagner, who faces only token opposition in November, followed the traditional Blunt philosophy of leaving some wiggle room.

So, too, did Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. On Thursday, the Wisconsin Republican said he was not ready to endorse Donald Trump.

So why did Blunt?

Perhaps hes feeling the heat in his re-election campaign against Democrat Jason Kander, the Missouri secretary of state. Kander, 35, a veteran considered a long shot when he first filed to run against Blunt, has been surging in fundraising around the same time that national Republicans have been fretting that a Trump candidacy could threaten Republican control of the Senate.

Several states with Republican incumbents are considered in play, particularly Illinois, where Sen. Mark Kirk has been one of the few members of the GOP to even meet with President Barack Obamas nominee to the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland.

But Missouri, once a bellwether, has become an odd political duck.

It is one of the states connected to its Southern neighbors that could very well vote for Trump. If Blunt had faced a serious primary opponent, that might have been a problem for him.

Hes sort of an anti-Trump candidate, a career politician whose biggest missteps have been related to being accused of doing special favors for donors. His family is fully ensconced in the lobbying business. He is the very picture of the establishment Trump has been railing against.

Perhaps thats why hes now willing to slowly sidle up to the billionaire reality TV star who could be president. In a state that has plenty of Republican voters motivated by the empty promises spewed forth by a dishonest pitchman, Blunt appears to be betting that without those Trump voters also putting a check by his name, Kander might just beat him.

So hes put himself in a political box, choosing party  and political survival  over country.

It cant be a comfortable place to be.
A bank robber who police say left a trail of cash as he ran has pleaded guilty in St. Louis County Circuit Court. He was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison.

Cameron A. Boddie, 41, of Dellwood, dropped thousands of dollars worth of bills as he fled a Commerce Bank on Delmar Boulevard in University City on Feb. 25, 2015.

Police used tracking dogs and found cash dropped on a sidewalk, on streets and in a stairwell. They tracked the robber to Clayton, where officers made an arrest near an underground parking garage. Police say the robber had only about $100 in $1 bills left.

Police say Boddie confessed to robbing the bank and told police he dropped bills as he ran because it was too much. When he robbed the teller, he had handed a note that read: All the money. Dont do anything dumb or U wont make it home. No game.

Boddie lives in the 10100 block of Jett Drive in Dellwood.

Court records show that on Wednesday, Boddie was sentenced to 15 years in a blind plea. Circuit Court Judge Joseph L. Walsh III ran the sentence concurrently with a 12-year sentence handed down for robbery and a 5-year sentence for theft of a credit card in St. Louis County. Those crimes happened a few days before the University City robbery.

Boddie has a 1998 conviction for robbery and armed criminal action in St. Louis County. State prison officials say Boddie's 10-year prison sentence for the earlier conviction put him in prison from February 1998 until his parole in January 2005. He violated parole and was sent back to prison in August 2006. He was released in April 2007.
KANSAS CITY  The University of Missouri downplayed incidents of anti-Semitism while publicly condemning bigotry against racial minorities during protests last year, a Jewish human rights group told the university systems top administrator.

In a letter this week to interim system president Mike Middleton, officials with the Simon Wiesenthal Center said the university vocally decried incidents targeting minority students, but those targeting Jewish students got little mention.

The university drew national attention in November after students protested what they saw as administrators indifference to systemic racism on campus.

The turmoil culminated in the resignation of the system president and the chancellor of the Columbia campus.

The perception now is that Mizzou is missing in action when it comes to defending the rights of the Jewish campus community, Rabbi Meyer May, the centers executive director, and Aron Hier, its campus outreach chief, wrote to Middleton.

Middleton said Thursday that the university takes anti-Semitism extremely seriously.

And while we certainly embrace our cherished freedom of speech, we are absolutely committed to learning environments that are free of hatred and intolerance, he told The Associated Press by email.

The centers letter comes two months after administrators condemned the latest of four cases of anti-Semitic graffiti in Columbia dormitories in less than a year.

University police said a flyer scrawled in marker with the words Hitler rules was found in late February on a bulletin board at Gateway Hall, the dorm where a swastika of feces was found in a bathroom last October.

That month, student Bradley Becker, 18, was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor property damage involving swastikas found in April 2015 in another dorm.
CLARKSON VALLEY  Clarkson Valley aldermen on Tuesday night honored a quintet of eighth-grade girls who made a video on the dangers of illicit drug use.

The video, aimed at those in their early teens, shows a 13-year-old partying with her peers, mixing alcohol and prescription drugs, passing out, being treated in an ambulance and dying in a hospital. It includes the message that 120 American die from drug use daily, with 44 of them using prescription drugs.

The student filmmakers attend Crestview Middle, a Rockwood District school within the city. The six-minute video called "Fatal Friendship" was produced in Tammy Becker's health class, which includes a unit on drug and alcohol awareness. This was the first video production of its kind in her classes, she said.

Aldermen were so impressed with the video that they passed a series of resolutions honoring each student. Aldermen also voted to honor each girl with flowers at school. The girls are Jordyn Vermont, Sophie Hultberg, Sarah Brigden, Josie Cassaniga and Ali Hart.

"This is powerful stuff," Mayor Scott Douglas said. "It's not so accepted when a person my age tells kids to be careful about drugs and alcohol. But here the kids themselves are telling the story."

The St. Louis office of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency also presented a certificate of appreciation to the girls, honoring their "innovation, creativity and passion."
JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri House gave final approval Thursday to legislation that will ask voters in November whether fetuses should be given constitutional rights.

The proposed referendum, approved on a 110-37 vote, was criticized as an election year stunt designed to try and ban abortions in Missouri.

It is settled law that a woman has a right to an abortion. Its groundhog day all over again, said Rep. Randy Dunn, D-Kansas City.

The measure now heads to the full Senate, where it faces an uncertain future.

Under the ballot question proposal, voters would be asked if the state constitution should be amended to protect pregnant women and unborn children by recognizing that an unborn child is a person with a right to life which cannot be deprived by state or private action without due process and equal protection of law.

I want the voters to weigh in on the decision, said Rep. Mike Moon, an Ash Grove Republican who sponsored the legislation.

Moon believes if personhood for fetuses were established, the U.S. Supreme Court would have to reconsider its historic Roe v. Wade decision.

Rep. Tila Hubrecht, R-Dexter, acknowledged comments she made during an earlier debate had stirred controversy. Hubrecht said women shouldnt decide to get an abortion just because they are raped.

God can give us a silver lining through the birth of a child, she said earlier this week.

On Thursday, she said, More violence is not the answer to a rape. Were only hurting women more when we encourage an abortion.

Opponents said the Legislature shouldnt meddle with the Constitution to score political points.

The women of the state of Missouri dont need this body to tell them what life means, said Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood.

Both chambers are working toward an May 13 adjournment date and lawmakers have already approved separate legislation that would eliminate state funding for abortion provider Planned Parenthood.

Under the Legislatures budget plan, Planned Parenthood will lose about $380,000 in government funding. To do so, lawmakers will have to forego more than $8 million in federal Medicaid reimbursement funds.

On Thursday, at a news conference, Democratic lawmakers called on Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, to veto the budget line.

I think that what the budget is doing by wasting $8 million of taxpayer money is the wrong thing to do, said state Rep. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette. The voters of Missouri sent us here to not waste taxpayer money.

The legislation is House Joint Resolution 98.
UPDATED at 3:30 p.m. with more information from police.

BELLEVILLE  Belleville East High School was secured for about 30 minutes Thursday morning after the occupant of a minivan being followed by police drove onto the campus and fled on foot into a small woods.

Jeff Dosier, superintendent of Township High School District 201, said school officials lifted the lockdown after police arrested the suspect without incident. Dosier said the suspect never entered school buildings.

He said the incident began about 10 a.m., when police alerted school officials that the van had been driven onto the campus from West Boulevard. Dosier said the district followed procedure and locked the school buildings.

Belleville police received a call at 9:40 a.m. from the O'Fallon Police Department to watch for a 2016 Chrysler minivan used by suspects in vehicle break-ins at the O'Fallon YMCA. Belleville Sgt. Mark Heffernan said officers spotted the vehicle at the Belleville East YMCA. The driver took off.

Officers arrested one man who jumped out of the Chrysler and ran onto the campus of Southwestern Illinois College, Heffernan said. The driver then headed for the high school, where he fled into woods on the east side of the campus. He was arrested there, Heffernan said.

He said the man who jumped out of the minivan gave officers false identification, claiming he was a juvenile. Both suspects were in custody and charges will be sought Friday, he said.

Heffernan said the minivan apparently was rented to a driver with a Belleville address.
CLAYTON  A judge has struck down a St. Louis County ordinance requiring police departments in 57 cities and towns to adhere to a set of minimum standards for the likes of use of force, vehicle pursuits and hiring requirements.

Circuit Judge Robert S. Cohen issued a summary judgment Wednesday in favor of a challenge by some of the countys largest cities, such as Webster Groves, Kirkwood, Florissant, Hazelwood, Clayton, Creve Coeur and Richmond Heights, which complained the measure was illegal and unconstitutional.

County Executive Steve Stenger, who pressed for the law, said Thursday the county will appeal the decision.

We will continue to fight to ensure that all county residents have equal access to consistent high-quality law enforcement no matter where they live or travel, the county executive said in a written response.

St. Ann Alderman Amy Poelker said the ruling validates the arguments made by opponents prior to County Council passage of the bill in November.

Poelker and other critics contended the county blindsided municipalities with legislation intended to strip away local control of law enforcement procedures and standards.

The municipalities reiterated the contention in the legal challenge to the ordinance, accusing Stenger of refusing to engage in collaborative and cooperative efforts to enhance police services countywide.

Im very pleased, Poelker said of the Cohen decision. Stenger never consulted with St. Ann or anyone else. The decision was made long before it was brought to the public.

Poelker is a Republican candidate for the 2nd District County Council seat.

Stenger maintains that minimum police standards are covered by a charter provision granting the county oversight of public health.

The judge, however, sided with the municipalities argument that the county executive  is not even authorized to impose the standards of the ordinance on the St. Louis County Police Department as that power rests with the St. Louis County Superintendent of Police and the Board of Police Commissioners.

Cohens order allows that adherence to professional law enforcement standards benefits the community but he also concluded that they do not fall under the limited and defined powers provided under the Missouri Constitution.

Other communities involved in challenges include St. Ann, Sunset Hills, Bel-Ridge, Edmundson, Frontenac, Olivette, Rock Hill and Breckenridge Hills.

Joel Currier of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
I read with interest Kurt Ericksons article Missouri lawmakers seek looser gun laws (May 2). I was surprised to learn that Guns and Ammo magazine ranked Missouri No. 9 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of laws friendly to firearms owners, and that, Tops in the nation was Arizona.

Why should it be so, given the veto-proof Republican majority in both houses of our Legislature and their professed devotion to Second Amendment rights? While it is true that Arizona was where Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday were in a gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Missouri can claim the heritage of the James Brothers, as well as many others.

Second Amendment advocates assert that the more members of the public are armed, the greater the publics safety. Missouri is ideally suited to test that proposition. Let us sweep aside all limitations on the right to bear and use arms. Do away with all laws restricting or punishing firearm use.

When all firearm use is legal, then all gun-using citizens will be law-abiding by definition. Right and wrong shall be settled by who fires first, or most accurately. While they are at it, our legislators should ban the making and keeping of statistics, such as those quoted in the article, which might belie the proposition.

What are they waiting for?

Alan B. Hoffman  Kirkwood
In the letter Some scoundrels involved in SJR 39 (May 1), Dan Sheerin was pleased by the failure of the proposed amendment, claiming that Missouri had avoided joining the new confederacy that was attempting to subvert the Supreme Courts ruling on same-sex marriages based on feigned religious ideals.

Though the Supreme Court made the decision to legalize same-sex marriage a controversial topic, Missouris politicians still have a right/responsibility to listen to citizens opposition. The First Amendment protects citizens right to speak religious arguments, and if someone accuses politicians of feigned religiosity, he has no proof whether they are lying, truthful or speaking on a citizens behalf.

By contemplating the decision, Missouri is taking into consideration different opinions (political and religious) on its validity. A discussion does not make Missouri an enemy of the U.S. government; legislators are simply combining religion, patriotism and political knowledge to create the most holistic, educated decision.

Madeline Wappelhorst  St. Charles
LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Stocks climb as Sunak wins keys to Number 10

Monday, October 24, 2022 - 17:23

Stocks took confidence from Rishi Sunak being named the new UK prime minister on Monday, amid hope that a period of haphazard and market-spooking policymaking has ended.

"Markets have signalled Rishi Sunak will be given time to deliver, with gilt yields falling and the British economy getting a tentative second chance to get back on track. But there's no getting away from the scale of the challenge that faces the new prime minister. The last few weeks have left the UK economy badly bruised, and the volatility of the pound today lays bare the huge task ahead," said AJ Bell analyst Danni Hewson.

The FTSE 100 index closed up 44.26 points, or 0.6% at 7,013.99 on Monday. The FTSE 250 ended up 131.00 points, or 0.8%, at 17,337.55. The AIM All-Share closed up 2.14 points, or 0.3%, at 787.54.

The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.8% at 701.69, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 0.8% at 14,815.98, and the Cboe Small Companies ended up 0.8% at 12,233.81.

Sunak replaces former leadership rival Truss, who announced her resignation on Thursday last week.

Market and political turmoil overshadowed Truss's stint as PM. The pound and bond markets were pummelled last month after a poorly received mini-budget.

On Monday, however, the pound spent much of the day above the $1.13 mark, before fading back in afternoon dealings.

The pound was quoted at $1.1295 at the London equities close Monday, up from $1.1203 at the close on Friday.

Elsewhere, new figures did little to calm fears of a recession.

A survey found UK private sector output has fallen for the third straight month, fuelling fear that the country is headed for a "deep" recession.

The S&P Global/CIPS flash UK purchasing managers' index composite output measure fell to a 21-month low of 47.2 points in October, from 49.1 in September.

In the FTSE 100, Pearson ended the best blue-chip performer, ending 7.3% higher on Monday.

The London-based education publisher said its trading in the nine months to September 30 was "strong", with underlying sales up 7% year-on-year.

Looking ahead, Pearson said it is on track to deliver at least 100 million of cost efficiencies next year, and it remains on track to deliver group sales and adjusted operating profit in line with consensus expectations for 2022.

Pearson Chief Executive Officer Andy Bird said: "We believe Pearson is well positioned for the future, and we are confident of being able to navigate the challenging macroeconomic environment."

Auto Trader rose 2.0% after selling its Webzone subsidiary, which operates under the Carzone brand in the Republic of Ireland, for 30 million.

Auto Trader noted that Carzone is the second-largest automotive marketplace for Irish retailers and consumers.

The Dublin-based operation brought in revenue of 4.9 million in the year ended March 31 and operating profit of 1.3 million.

In the FTSE 250, Bank of Georgia closed up 4.0% as Chair & Chief Executive Officer Irakli Gilauri renewed his contract for two more years until the end of 2025.

Senior Independent Director David Morrison said: "Irakli has led Georgia Capital since its demerger from BGEO [Group PLC] in 2018 and during this time he has developed the company into a unique institutional investment business in Georgia."

China-focused investment firms had a rough session on Monday, with traders fretting after Xi Jinping secured a rare third term as leader of ruling Communist party in China, signalling his grip on power has no end in sight.

Fidelity China Special Situations dropped 9.8%, JPMorgan China Growth & Income fell 9.9% and Baillie Gifford China Growth Trust declined8.6%.

Investors are fearful that Xi and his allies will continue with gruelling Covid lockdowns and other policies that have punished the world's second-largest economy.

Despite these fears, China's economy grew 3.9% year-on-year in the third quarter, according to official data released Monday, beating forecasts.

Beijing last week delayed the release of the third-quarter growth figures - along with a host of other economic indicators  as the country's leaders gathered in Beijing for the five-yearly Communist Party Congress.

China had been expected to announce some of its weakest quarterly growth figures since 2020, with its economy hobbled by Covid-19 restrictions and a real estate crisis.

Nonetheless, many economists continue to think China will struggle to attain its 2022 growth target of around 5.5%, and the International Monetary Fund has lowered its GDP growth forecast to 3.2% for 2022 and 4.4% for next year.

In European equities on Monday, the CAC 40 in Paris and the DAX 40 in Frankfurt both closed up 1.6%.

The euro stood at $0.9877 at the European equities close Monday, up against $0.9802 at the same time on Friday.

Private sector output in the eurozone remained in sharp decline in October, flash data showed Monday, as energy intensive sectors are hit by higher bills.

The S&P Global flash eurozone composite purchasing managers' index fell to 47.1 points in October from 48.8 points in September.

Against the yen, the dollar was trading at JP148.82 late Monday, higher compared to JP148.03 late Friday.

Japan's services and manufacturing sectors are expected to improve in October, flash data showed, as activity and order book levels were boosted by the recent easing in international border restrictions and the launching of the Nationwide Travel Discount Programme.

The au Jibun Bank flash Japan services business activity index improved to 53.0 in October from 52.2 in September, indicating a second successive month of expansion and the strongest performance in four months.

Stocks in New York were in the green at the London equities close, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 1.2%, the S&P 500 index up 1.0%, and the Nasdaq Composite up 0.4%.

Inflation concerns and challenging demand conditions weighed on the US private sector in October, the latest flash data from S&P Global showed on Monday.

The headline flash US PMI composite output index registered 47.3 in October, down from 49.5 in September. Consensus, as cited by FXStreet, had expected a reading of 49.1.

Brent oil was quoted at $90.88 a barrel at the London equities close Monday, down from $92.84 late Friday.

Gold was quoted at $1,648.76 an ounce at the London equities close Monday, higher against $1,643.70 at the close on Friday.

In Tuesday's UK corporate calendar, HSBC will publish its third-quarter results and Whitbread will post its half-year results.

In the economic calendar, there is a US consumer confidence reading at 1400 BST after Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill speaks at 0900 BST.

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
A petro-industrial factory is reflected in a traffic mirror in Kawasaki near Tokyo December 18, 2014. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

By Barani Krishnan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices surged on Thursday after a raging wildfire near Canada's oil sands region curbed output that mainly flows to the United States, before settling off their highs as a rebounding dollar and a huge U.S. stockpile build cut into gains.

While the oil sands facilities are mostly to the north of the wildfire in city of Fort McMurray in Alberta that is spreading south, as much as a third of Canada's daily crude capacity has been cut and some major pipelines closed after more evacuations were ordered.

A stranded Glencore oil cargo in Libya, after a stand-off between eastern and western political factions, also fed the rally at first.

Some traders said the market had overreacted to both events.

"The Canadian blaze, horrific as it is, is far south of the real producing fields to cause real lasting damage to production there," said John Kilduff, partner at New York energy hedge fund Again Capital. "The Libyan barrels weren't really on the market anyway."

Crude oil futures jumped 5 percent before paring gains. Their retreat came as the dollar rose 0.6 percent, its most in three weeks, making greenback-denominated oil costlier for holders of the euro and other currencies.

Some traders also pinned oil's weakening to market intelligence firm Genscape's report of a 1.35 million-barrels stockpile build at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub for U.S. crude futures during the week to May 3. The Genscape report came on the heels of U.S. government data showing total crude stockpiles at record highs above 543 million barrels last week.

Brent futures settled up 39 cents, or 0.9 percent, at $45.01 a barrel.

U.S. crude's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures rose 54 cents, or 1.2 percent, to settle at $44.32.

Earlier this week, oil lost its almost unbroken upward momentum since April's gain of more 20 percent that gave Brent its best monthly gain in seven years. Over Monday and Tuesday, crude prices fell 6 percent as major producers in and outside OPEC pumped at or near record highs.

Even so, some analysts said the fallout from the Canadian inferno was being underestimated.

At least 640,000 barrels per day (bpd) of capacity was offline, according to Reuters' calculations.

"The situation is clearly very serious," said London-based PVM, which notes that of the 4.5 million bpd that Canada produces, 3.4 million goes to the United States.

On Friday, traders will be on the lookout for U.S. jobs data for April, to indicate the likelihood of a rate hike by June that will further bolster the dollar.

(Additional reporting by Amanda Cooper in LONDON; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
TELUS International has reached an agreement with Baring Private Equity Asia ("Baring Asia") for it to acquire a 35 per cent stake in TELUS International. The agreement values TELUS International at approximately US$1 billion, with TELUS shareholders retaining a 65 per cent interest in the business. In alignment with the company's top priority of delivering client service excellence, TELUS intends to retain a long-term majority ownership position in TELUS International.

"We are excited to welcome Baring Asia's entire team to the TELUS family. With Baring Asia's close to 20 years' exceptional experience developing and growing companies through insightful, strategic counsel, a strong Asian market presence and an extensive global network, we have found the right partner for TELUS International," said Jeffrey Puritt, TELUS International President.

"I could not be more proud of our 22,000 TELUS International team members; today is the culmination of a decade long exercise in grit and determination, of an unwavering commitment to our vision to be the leading brand ambassador of customer experience innovators, redefining the global outsourcing industry through our spirited teamwork and caring culture; and it is the beginning of the next chapter in our story, as we look to amplify the volume and velocity of our efforts and accomplishments with the support of our new partner, Baring Asia," added Mr. Puritt.

Launched by TELUS in 2005, TELUS International has become a leading global provider of customer service, IT, and business process services to industry leaders across the telecommunications, utilities, high tech, gaming, finance, retail, e-commerce, travel and logistics, and health care sectors. TELUS International has more than 22,000 team members located in the United States, Philippines, Canada, Europe, and Central America serving clients in more than 35 languages. The TELUS International team is a division of TELUS, Canada's fastest growing telecommunications company. As such, it is part of TELUS' unique corporate culture that has delivered the highest employee engagement in the world for a company of its size and composition, and earned a reputation for having the best customer service of any major national carrier.

Jean Eric Salata, CEO of Baring Asia, commented: "In TELUS International, we see a strong company with best-in-class services which has successfully developed from a captive provider to a leading market player serving diverse customers. With an exceptional team, a portfolio of top-tier customers in fast-growing industries, and a strong global footprint, we believe that the company is in a great position to build on its past successes and establish its position as a leading international player in the space. We aim to leverage our footprint and cross-border capabilities to further enhance TELUS International's client portfolio and help expand its market presence. TELUS is a highly regarded institution with a strong corporate culture of giving back to the community, and we are proud to be partnering with them."

The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions. Rothschild acted as sole financial advisor to TELUS for this transaction.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Jacobs Technology Inc was awarded a $427 million contract related to threat/target systems for warfighter training, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

The company, a unit of Jacobs Engineering Group Inc, was the only one to compete for the contract to provide "test and evaluation/training threat/target systems for warfighter training and debriefing systems," the Pentagon said in a statement.

(Reporting by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Eric Walsh)
(Updated - May 5, 2016 5:28 PM EDT)

(Updated)

Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) said talks with the FTC have progressed to an advanced stage, according to Bloomberg, citing an email statement.

"While there are a number of open issues, those discussions have progressed to an advanced stage and the range of outcomes now includes litigation or settlement. If a settlement is reached with the FTC, it would likely include injunctive and other relief as well as a monetary payment with our best estimate of a payment being $200 million," the company told Bloomberg.

Update: Herbalife later disclosed in an SEC filing:

As previously disclosed, the Company received from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, or the FTC, a Civil Investigative Demand, or a CID, relating to the FTCs confidential investigation of whether the Company has complied with federal law in the advertising, marketing, or sale of business opportunities. Pursuant to the CID, as supplemented, the FTC has requested from the Company documents and other information for the time period commencing January 1, 2009 to the present. The Company is currently in discussions with the FTC regarding a potential resolution of these matters. The possible range of outcomes include the filing by the FTC of a contested civil complaint and further discussions leading to a settlement which would likely include a monetary payment and injunctive and other relief. The Company is cooperating with the investigation and at this time it is difficult to predict the timing, and the likely outcome, of these matters. The discussions with the FTC are in the advanced stages, but there are still a number of material open issues that could preclude reaching final agreement. If discussions with the FTC do not continue to progress, it is likely that litigation would ensue. Although we are confident in our legal position, litigation outcomes by their very nature are difficult to predict and there can be no assurance of a particular outcome.

The outcome of these matters with the FTC, whether by mutual resolution or through litigation, could have a material adverse impact on the Companys business operations, its results of operations or its financial condition. The Company believes it is reasonably possible that it may have incurred a loss. At the present time, the Companys best estimate of the payment amount that would be made by the Company under a mutual resolution with the FTC is $200 million. The Company has not accrued any amounts with respect to any potential monetary payments relating to this matter. If a resolution is not attained and litigation ensues, the Company is unable to estimate a range of potential loss, if any, relating to these matters.

Since late 2012, a short seller has made and continues to make allegations regarding the Company and its network marketing program. The Company believes these allegations are without merit and is vigorously defending itself against such claims, including proactively reaching out to governmental authorities about what the Company believes is manipulative activity with respect to its securities. Because of these allegations, the Company and others have received and may receive additional regulatory and governmental inquiries. For example, the Company has previously disclosed inquiries from the FTC, Securities and Exchange Commission and other governmental authorities. In the future, these and other governmental authorities may determine to seek information from the Company and other persons relating to these same or other allegations. If the Company believes any governmental or regulatory inquiry or investigation is or becomes material it will be disclosed individually. Consistent with its policies, the Company has cooperated and will continue to fully cooperate with any governmental or regulatory inquiries or investigations.

These matters may take several years to resolve. While the Company believes it has meritorious defenses, it cannot be sure of their ultimate resolution. Although the Company may reserve amounts for certain matters that the Company believes represent the most likely outcome of the resolution of these related disputes, if the Company is incorrect in its assessment, the Company may have to record additional expenses, when it becomes probable that an increased potential liability is warranted.
A Chesapeake Energy natural gas well pad rests on the hill in Litchfield Township, Pennsylvania, January 9, 2013. REUTERS/Brett Carlsen

(Reuters) - Debt-laden Chesapeake Energy Corp (NYSE: CHK), the second-largest U.S. natural gas producer, said on Thursday it was selling $470 million in assets in Oklahoma to Newfield Exploration Co (NYSE: NFX) as part of a plan to shore up its finances through divestitures.

Chesapeake's shares were up 12 percent at $6.31 in premarket trading after the company reported a smaller quarterly loss and cut its production expense forecast for the year. They later traded at $5.97, up 5.7 percent.

The company, which has more than $9 billion in debt, said it would sell about 42,000 net acres in Oklahoma's STACK field, with current production of 3,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Low natural gas and oil prices have hit the heavily leveraged company, which plans to sell assets worth an additional $500 million to $1 billion this year.

"We anticipate subsequent divestitures during the second and third quarters," Chief Executive Doug Lawler said in a statement.

The company on Thursday lowered its forecast for 2016 production costs to $3.40-$3.60 per barrel of oil equivalent from $3.60-$3.80 per boe.

Chesapeake said in February that it tapped legal counsel Kirkland & Ellis for advice as it seeks to strengthen its balance sheet to manage debt maturing in the next 18 to 24 months. It said it had no plans for bankruptcy as some in the market have speculated.

"We continue to look at all of our options, including the use of additional secured debt, private transactions with bondholders and other types of exchange offers and open market purchases," said CFO Nick Dell'Osso.

The company's net loss attributable to shareholders narrowed to $964 million in the three months ended March 31, from $3.78 billion a year earlier. The year-earlier period included one-time items of $3.8 billion. First-quarter revenue fell 39 percent on the year to $1.9 billion as gas prices tumbled.

Excluding an $853 million impairment charge, the loss in the latest quarter was 10 cents per share, in line with analysts' average estimate.

Revenue slumped 39 percent to $1.95 billion, widely missing analysts' expectations of $2.55 billion.

(Reporting by Swetha Gopinath and Amrutha Gayathri in Bengaluru; Editing by Terry Wade and Dan Grebler)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy SEAL killed by Islamic State militants in northern Iraq on Tuesday was part of a "quick reaction force" called in after a firefight broke out involving American advisers, a U.S. military spokesman said on Wednesday.

Islamic State militants breached the Kurdish forward lines at about 07:30 a.m. local time (12.30 a.m. ET) while an American team of advisers was at the village of Tel Asqof, approximately 3.5 km (2.2 miles) away, the spokesman said.

The American advise and assist team called in the quick reaction force about 20 minutes later after becoming involved in a firefight with Islamic State forces, he said.

Petty Officer First Class Charles Keating, a member of the quick reaction force which was comprised of special operations forces, was struck by "direct fire" at approximately 9:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT), Army Colonel Steve Warren told a Pentagon briefing.

Keating was evacuated within an hour, but died of his wounds, Warren said.

The elite serviceman was the third American to be killed in direct combat since a U.S.-led coalition launched a campaign in 2014 to "degrade and destroy" Islamic State and is a measure of its deepening involvement in the conflict.

Coalition aircraft carried out air strikes after the attack, killing more than 50 Islamic State militants, Warren said, adding that the attack included at least 145 Islamic State militants and was one of the largest recent attacks by the group.

A quick reaction force was formed on a mission by mission basis depending on the threat level, distance of the threat and other factors, Warren added.

"I don't want you to think that there is some sort standing (quick reaction force) out there in the sky somewhere that can respond to anything that happens across the entire battle field," he said.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Yeganeh Torbati)
Statement from Jim Knox, California Vice President of Government Relations, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The most significant tobacco control legislation enacted in nearly two decades was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown this afternoon. His leadership puts California at the forefront of the modern tobacco control movement, once again, and elevates the critically important issue of preventing the next generation from becoming addicted to the latest tobacco products marketed to youth.

Governor Brown signed all but Senate Bill (SB) X2-9/ABX2-10, which would have given municipalities the ability to institute local tobacco tax increases unsigned. In summary, the following bills were signed into law:

SB 5 X2 by Senator Mark Leno classifies e-cigarettes as tobacco products. This will make them subject to smoke-free laws, age restrictions and other rules governing tobacco products.

SB 7 X2 by Senator Ed Hernandez raises the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21.

AB 7 X2 by Assemblymember Mark Stone closes loopholes in the states smoke free workplace laws.

AB 9 X2 by Assemblymembers Tony Thurmond and Adrin Nazarian requires all K-12 schools to be tobacco free.

AB 11 X2 by Assemblymember Nazarian increases licensing fees for tobacco retailers and distributors.

Overall, enormous progress was marked today to curb youth tobacco consumption and prevent future addiction, regulate e-cigarettes and fund prevention, cessation and treatment of tobacco-related illnesses.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) recognizes Governor Brown for taking historic steps to rein in the tobacco industry that will result in lives and taxpayer money saved. The new laws help address the public health scourge of our time through what ACS CAN describes as the three-legged stool of tobacco control by improving smoke-free laws, regularly and significantly increasing tobacco taxes and funding tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

Governor Brown is demonstrating he cares about protecting kids and preventing the 40,000 deaths that occur every year in California due to tobacco use. Tobacco continues to claim too many lives and is the leading cause of preventable death. We hope other states will follow Californias bold steps to combat tobacco addiction, in its many forms, and we applaud the governors swift actions.

The momentum created by todays bill signings is fueling the morale of hundreds of our volunteer cancer advocates who are out collecting signatures to get a $2 per pack tobacco tax on the November ballot. This is the remaining link to our crucial improvements in tobacco-control. We urge voters to go to www.savelivescalifornia.com to find out more and sign a petition to increase Californias tobacco tax, now one of the lowest in the country, to a respectable level that will truly make a difference in the health of Californians.

ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials to make cancer a top priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer and make their voices heard.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006960/en/

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

Steph McCorkle, 916-802-4033

[email protected]

Source: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Copper Lake Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: CPL)(FRANKFURT: W0I) ("Copper Lake" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement to acquire the 31.25% interest in the Marshall Lake property currently held by Marshall Lake Mining Limited ("MLMP"), a privately held UK based company. This acquisition will give Copper Lake a 68.75% interest in the property.

In consideration, the Company will issue a maximum of 34,268,738 common shares and a principal amount of $350,000 of 12% five year unsecured subordinated convertible debentures to MLMP, subject to customary closing adjustments. The debentures are convertible into units, comprised of one share and one warrant, at $0.055 per unit for the first year and $0.10 per unit thereafter. The warrants will have an exercise price equal to the conversion rate of the units when issued. The total consideration is valued at $2,063,000.

The common shares and convertible debentures issuable under the acquisition will ultimately be distributed directly to MLMP's shareholders. All MLMP shareholders will be subject to an initial six-month hold, and any MLMP shareholder that holds more than 5% of the outstanding Copper Lake shares will be subject to an additional phased hold over twenty-four months.

MLMP will also be entitled to nominate two individuals for election to the Company's board of directors, which will be expanded to five directors.

The transaction is subject to, among other things, the Company receiving shareholder approval and TSX Venture Exchange approval.

Terrence MacDonald, Interim CEO of the Company, said:

"The Board of Directors sees this acquisition as a significant milestone for the Company in that it now has a clear controlling position in our flagship Marshall Lake property, with the option to increase that to 75% over the next 14 months.

"A second benefit is that, following this 'merger of interests', Copper Lake will have a significant European shareholder base, and we believe an enhanced ability to access 'hard dollar' European financing for both the Marshall and Norton projects going forward.

"Lastly, it is worth noting that it was Marshall Lake Mining Limited who in 2005 funded the acquisition and early near surface drilling work on the Marshall project. This work led directly to the discoveries at South Billiton, Gazooma and Tech Hill, which are the three primary areas that we are planning to focus our short-term efforts on, targeting deeper areas beneath those initial discoveries."

About Copper Lake Resources

Copper Lake Resources Ltd. is a publicly traded Canadian company currently focused on advancing two significant properties located in Ontario, Canada:

1. The Marshall Lake VMS copper, zinc, silver and gold property is an advanced exploration stage property located 120 km north of Geraldton, Ontario via good all weather gravel road from the Trans-Canada Highway and just 22 km north of the main CNR rail line. Upon completion of the transaction, Copper Lake will have the option to increase its interest to 75% by incurring additional expenditures of $920,000 by July 15, 2017, and can further increase its interest to 87.5% by taking the project to bankable feasibility stage. 2. The Norton Lake nickel, copper, PGM property (69.79%) is located approximately 100 km north of the Marshall Lake property.

On behalf of Copper Lake Resources Ltd.

Terrence MacDonald, Interim CEO

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed this news release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address such matters as future exploration, drilling, exploration activities, potential mineralization and resources and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements and, as such, are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors of which are beyond the reasonable control of the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include such matters as market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Any forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and subject to change after that date.

Contacts: Copper Lake Resources Ltd. Terrence MacDonald Interim CEO 778 867 9533

Source: Copper Lake Resources Ltd.
OAKDALE, Minn., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN) announced today it will hold a teleconference and live webcast at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 to discuss first quarter 2016 financial results. The call will follow the company's release of financial results. You may access the live webcast online at: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/1401/15140

A digital recording of this teleconference will be available for replay at 05:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 10, 2016 and will be accessible via the replay number listed below until May 17, 2016For your convenience, you will also be able to access the recording online at: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/1401/15140

Digital Recording Replay Number is:877-344-7529 (US Toll Free)412-317-0088 (International Toll)855-669-9658 (Canada Toll Free) Replay Access Code: 10085965

All remarks made during the teleconference will be current at the time of the call and the replays will not be updated to reflect any subsequent developments.

About ImationImation (NYSE: IMN) is a holding company that operates through a subsidiary engaged in global data storage and data security business. At the corporate level, there is an ongoing strategic review as Imation expects to seek and explore new opportunities that will allow it to pursue a diverse range of business opportunities and deploy its excess cash. For more information, visit www.imation.com.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/imation-corp-schedules-first-quarter-2016-financial-results-conference-call-300263331.html

SOURCE Imation Corp.
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Goldberg Law PC (http://www.Goldberglawpc.com) announces that it is investigating claims of potential misrepresentations by Vivint Solar, Inc. (Vivint or the Company) (NYSE: VSLR). The investigation focuses on whether the Company and its officers violated securities laws by issuing misleading information to investors.

If you purchased or otherwise acquired Vivint shares and would like more information regarding the investigation, we advise you to contact Michael Goldberg or Brian Schall, of Goldberg Law PC, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 800-977-7401, to discuss your rights without cost to you. You can also reach us through the firms website at http://www.Goldberglawpc.com, or by e-mail at [email protected].

The investigation concerns whether the Company violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Specifically, the investigation will focus on the Companys failure to disclose that: (1) SunEdison would not be able to obtain financing for the acquisition of Vivint; (2) SunEdisons liquidity was less than Defendants had stated; and (3) SunEdison would not be able to complete the acquisition of Vivint.

If you have any questions concerning your legal rights in this case, please immediately contact Goldberg Law PC at 800-977-7401, or visit our website at http://www.Goldberglawpc.com, or e-mail us at [email protected].

Goldberg Law PC represents shareholders around the world and specializes in securities class actions and shareholder rights litigation.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006946/en/

Michael Goldberg, Esq., 800-977-7401

Brian Schall, Esq., 800-977-7401

[email protected]

http://www.Goldberglawpc.com

https://twitter.com/search?q=goldberglawpc&src=typd

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Goldberg-Law-PC/850505465033804?fref=ts

Source: Goldberg Law PC
BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Puget Sound Bank, the bank subsidiary of Puget Sound Bancorp (OTCQB: PUGB), announced that Kimberly Carhee joined the company as vice president, loan operations manager.

Ms. Carhee replaces Bruce Nalder, who will retire on May 13, 2016 after 11 years managing the team of loan service representatives at Puget Sound Bank. Mr. Nalder was one of the first employees of Puget Sound Bank and helped establish the culture and policies that have built the Bank into one of the strongest and most successful in the United States.

Bruce has been instrumental in the Banks success and everyone here wishes him a well-deserved retirement, said Tony Chalfant, Puget Sound Bank executive vice president and chief credit officer. Were pleased to have found Kim Carhee as Bruces replacement. Her depth of experience in managing loan operations in community banks will be valuable as Puget Sound Bank continues to grow.

Ms. Carhee has spent her entire career in loan operations in banks, with most of her time in community banking. Her proven track record of building, managing and motivating successful teams through growth and change is just what we were looking for, added Mr. Chalfant. We are fortunate to bring her experience and customer-focused leadership to the Bank.

She grew up in the Seattle area and is a graduate of the University of Washington.

Puget Sound Bank has been named a best workplace, fastest growing company and top corporate philanthropist by the Puget Sound Business Journal and is consistently rated one of the countrys strongest banks by independent analysts.

Common stock for Puget Sound Bancorp trades on the OTCQB electronic marketplace under the symbol PUGB.

About Puget Sound Bank

Puget Sound Bank, the primary subsidiary of Puget Sound Bancorp, is one of Washington states top commercial banks (as measured by commercial and industrial loans as a percentage of total loans). Based in Bellevue, Washington, the bank was founded to meet the specialized needs of small- and medium-sized businesses, nonprofits, select commercial real estate projects, professional service providers and high net worth individuals. Puget Sound Bank offers a full range of competitive financial products including an advanced suite of cash management services. Customers can access their accounts in-branch, online, on mobile devices or through Puget Sound Bank's ATM network throughout the continental United States. For more information visit www.PugetSoundBank.com or call (425) 455-2400.

To access investor information for Puget Sound Bancorp, visit www.PugetSoundBancorp.com or call (425) 467-2037.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505006057/en/

Puget Sound Bank

Brad Ogura, 425-467-2037

[email protected]

Source: Puget Sound Bank
Majesco Policy to support new start-up Alliance One market entrance with new commercial package and commercial auto lines of business

MORRISTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Majesco (NYSE MKT: MJCO), a global provider of core insurance software, consulting and services for insurance business transformation, today announced that the San Juan, Puerto Rico based insurer One Alliance Insurance Corporation has selected Majesco Policy for P&C and Majesco Bureau and Content Services as their strategic enterprise platform.

Commenting on the selection, Victor R. Rios CEO of One Alliance, said, As a fresh start-up, One Alliance will offer a wide range of new commercial products. Majesco successful track record in the Puerto Rican market and with other start-ups and green field insurers were key factors in the selection. Majesco Policys robust pre-built content and ISO products are designed to lower implementation risk and cost while significantly increasing speed to market. We are excited about our potential together as long-term partners.

Majesco Policy will support One Alliance for commercial auto and commercial package lines of business including commercial property, general liability, inland marine and crime. Majesco Bureau and Content Services will provide ongoing updates for ISO content.

We are excited to include One Alliance into our growing customer base and growing group of innovative start-ups and green field insurers, commented Ed Ossie, COO for Majesco. Our focus on providing insurers like One Alliance with content-rich, pre-built ISO products within Majesco Policy for P&C, is designed to enable them to respond to a rapidly changing market dynamic and new commercial risk opportunities through agility, innovation and speed to market capabilities.

Majesco Policy for P&C provides pre-configured ISO content, including all rates, rules, forms, taxes, fees, and surcharges for 52 jurisdictions (including DC and Puerto Rico) and also provides a well experienced monthly bureau content update service. Together the preconfigured bureau content and Majesco Bureau and Content Services enable agility, rapid product innovation and speed to market opportunities for insurance companies to introduce new products and reach new markets quickly and cost effectively to capture market share.

About Majesco

Majesco enables insurance business transformation for approximately 140 insurance customers by providing solutions which include software, consulting and services.

Our customers are insurers, MGAs and other risk providers from the Property and Casualty, Life, Annuity and Group insurance segments worldwide. Majesco delivers proven software solutions, consulting and services in the core insurance areas such as policy, billing, claims, distribution management, BI/ analytics, digital, application management, cloud and more. For more details on Majesco, please visit www.majesco.com.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of management, are not guarantees of performance and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. These forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various important factors, including those set forth in Majescos reports that it files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission and which you should review, including those statements under Item 1A  Risk Factors in Majescos Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to: integration risks; changes in economic conditions, political conditions, trade protection measures, licensing requirements and tax matters; technology development risks; intellectual property rights risks; competition risks; additional scrutiny and increased expenses as a result of being a public company; the financial condition, financing requirements, prospects and cash flow of Majesco; loss of strategic relationships; changes in laws or regulations affecting the insurance industry in particular; restrictions on immigration; the ability and cost of retaining and recruiting key personnel; the ability to attract new clients and retain them and the risk of loss of large customers; continued compliance with evolving laws; customer data and cybersecurity risk; and Majescos ability to raise capital to fund future growth.

These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as predictions of future events and Majesco cannot assure you that the events or circumstances discussed or reflected in these statements will be achieved or will occur. If such forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. You should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by Majesco or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified timeframe, or at all. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this presentation. Majesco disclaims any obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005140/en/

Majesco

Ashwin Rodrigues, +1-973-461-9087

Director  Global Marketing

[email protected]

Source: Majesco
CHICAGO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. (ORBA), one of Chicago's largest public accounting firms, in partnership with MB Financial Bank, will host a seminar on management trends and financial strategies for independent health care practices on Wednesday, June 1, from 4:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at the Chicago Yacht Club, 400 E. Monroe St., Chicago. For more information and to register, visit http://www.orba.com/news_events/169-todays-independent-medical-practice-management-trends-financial-strategies.

Today's changing health care landscape presents both opportunities and challenges for independent practices. From enhancing profitability to maintaining successful operations, it is important to stay on top of the latest trends and financial strategies.

The seminar will feature presentations led by members of ORBA's and MB Financial Bank's experts, covering topics such as:

Trends in health care industry valuations and current economic outlook;

Strategies for buying, selling out or consolidating a health care practice;

Practice valuation;

Best practices for maintaining an independent practice; and

Strategies for minimizing income tax and asset protection.

For additional information and registration, please contact Carlo Calma, Marketing & Communications Assistant at [email protected].

Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. (ORBA) is a full-service accounting, tax and business consulting firm located in downtown Chicago serving privately-held companies, individuals and not-for-profit organizations. ORBA's Certified Public Accountants have experience with accounting and assurance, business advisory services, financial and estate planning, fraud investigation, tax, litigation, and mergers and acquisitions. With some of the highest levels of direct client involvement in the industry, ORBA is where clients go to build long-standing, meaningful and successful relationships with resourceful, proactive business and tax advisors. For more information, visit www.orba.com. Subscribe to our blog www.orbablog.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.

Contact: Carlo Calma312.670.7444[email protected]

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orba-and-mb-financial-bank-host-seminar-for-independent-health-care-practices-300264091.html

SOURCE Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. (ORBA)
HAUPPAUGE, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Orbit International Corp. (OTC PINK: ORBT) today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016.

First Quarter 2016 vs. First Quarter 2015

Net sales were $4,801,000, as compared to $4,214,000.

Gross margin was 36.4%, as compared to 32.8%.

Net income was $35,000 ($0.01 per diluted share), as compared to a net loss of $326,000 ($0.07 loss per share).

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and stock based compensation (EBITDA, as adjusted) was $112,000 ($0.03 per diluted share), as compared to a loss of $215,000 ($0.05 loss per share).

Backlog at March 31, 2016 was $15.4 million compared to $13.9 million at March 31, 2015. Backlog at December 31, 2015 was $11.1 million.

Mitchell Binder, President & Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Our operating results for the current quarter marks the first time since 2011 that the Company has recorded a profitable first quarter and reflects the improving operating performance of our Electronics Group. Similar to our prior year operating trend, we expect our revenue levels to increase in the remaining quarters of 2016, which will lead to improved operating performance."

Mr. Binder added, "Our backlog at 3/31/16 was $15.4 million compared to $11.1 million at 12/31/15, a 38.1% increase. Our Electronics Group has gotten off to a strong start to 2016 with the receipt of several significant contracts that were previously announced during the first quarter. The cumulation of these awards pushed our consolidated bookings for our Electronics and Power Groups to over $9,000,000 for the first quarter. Consequently, we expect revenue levels will improve as delivery schedules are met from our increased backlog. With the operating leverage inherent in our business, we expect operating margins to improve in the coming quarters."

Mr. Binder continued, "We are encouraged by our bid and proposal pipeline for follow-on opportunities for both our Electronics and Power Groups. In addition to the high level of awards received in the first quarter, our Electronics Group is currently working with our customers on several additional follow-on contracts, some of which we expect to receive in the current second quarter of 2016. Our Power Group experienced relatively weak bookings in the first quarter but has noted an increase in its bid pipeline for its commercial products. We also continue to establish new alliances for our VPX technology and have both received and continue to bid on new pre-production awards with significant sales projected once full production is attained. However, the timing of actual awards is always an uncertainty."

David Goldman, Chief Financial Officer, noted, "Our financial condition remains strong. At March 31, 2016, total current assets were approximately $16.3 million versus total current liabilities of approximately $1.9 million for a 8.7 to 1 current ratio. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2016, aggregated approximately $2.3 million. To offset future federal and state taxes resulting from profits, we have approximately $10 million and $3 million in available federal and New York State net operating loss carryforwards, respectively, which should enhance future cash flow."

Mr. Goldman added, "During the quarter, we paid down $130,000 of our debt which brought the balance owed under our line of credit to $1.28 million at March 31, 2016. In addition, we were in compliance with our financial covenants at March 31, 2016. Our tangible book value at March 31, 2016 was $3.11 as compared to $3.10 at December 31, 2015 and $2.82 at March 31, 2015 (this does not include any value for the potential deferred tax asset from our operating loss carryforwards that could offset future taxable income)."

Mr. Goldman concluded, "Since January 1, 2012, we have repurchased in excess of 493,000 shares of our stock in the marketplace (including 22,890 shares purchased in the first quarter) at an average price of $3.41 per share. Due to our improved operating performance and outlook for the remainder of the current fiscal year, our Board of Directors has authorized a new share repurchase program whereby management is authorized to buy up to $275,000 of its common stock in the marketplace through June 30, 2016. In addition, the Board has also authorized management to purchase up to $400,000 of its common stock during the period July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017. These purchases would be in compliance with the credit agreement with our commercial lender."

Mr. Binder concluded, "After a nice turnaround in financial performance in 2015, our outlook for 2016 is encouraging, particularly with $9,000,000 in bookings in the first quarter. We are now benefiting from the restructuring of our business that we began back in 2013 as our margins have improved. Our goal remains to drive our revenue levels higher to take advantage of our operating leverage and to continue to work with our existing customers on new technology which we hope will secure us with next generation products that could secure us on new critical programs."

Orbit International Corp., through its Electronics Group, is involved in the manufacture of customized electronic components and subsystems for military and nonmilitary government applications through its production facility in Hauppauge, New York. Orbit's Power Group, also located in Hauppauge, NY, designs and manufactures a wide array of power products including AC power supplies, frequency converters, inverters, uninterruptible power supplies, VME/VPX power supplies as well as various COTS power sources. The Company also has a sales office in Newbury Park, CA and a facility in Louisville, KY dedicated to the design and manufacture of gun weapons systems as well as VME/VPX solutions including backplanes, health monitors, air transport racks and components.

Certain matters discussed in this news release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company including, statements regarding our expectations of Orbit's operating plans, deliveries under contracts and strategies generally; statements regarding our expectations of the performance of our business; expectations regarding costs and revenues, future operating results, additional orders, future business opportunities and continued growth, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the Federal securities laws. Although Orbit believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved.

Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Many of these factors are beyond Orbit International's ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact Orbit International and the statements contained in this news release can be found in Orbit's reports posted with the OTC Disclosure and News service as well as Orbit's prior filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, annual reports on Form 10-K and its other periodic reports. For forward-looking statements in this news release, Orbit claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Orbit assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

(See Accompanying Tables)

Orbit International Corp. Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, (unaudited) 2016 2015 -------------- -------------- Net sales $ 4,801 $ 4,214 Cost of sales 3,053 2,831 -------------- -------------- Gross profit 1,748 1,383 Selling general and administrative expenses 1,703 1,683 Interest expense 8 9 Investment and other (income) (6) (4) -------------- -------------- Income (loss) before income taxes 43 (305) Income taxes 8 21 -------------- -------------- Net income (loss) $ 35 $ (326) ============== ============== Basic income (loss) per share $ 0.01 $ (0.07) Diluted income (loss) per share $ 0.01 $ (0.07) Weighted average number of shares outstanding: Basic 4,291 4,399 Diluted 4,295 4,399 Orbit International Corp. Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 -------------- -------------- EBITDA (as adjusted) Reconciliation Net income (loss) $ 35 $ (326) Interest expense 8 9 Income tax expense 8 21 Depreciation and amortization 47 68 Stock based compensation 14 13 -------------- -------------- EBITDA (as adjusted) (1) $ 112 $ (215) ============== ============== EBITDA (as adjusted) Per Basic and Diluted Share Reconciliation Net income (loss) $ 0.01 $ (0.07) Interest expense 0.00 0.00 Income tax expense 0.00 0.00 Depreciation and amortization 0.01 0.02 Stock based compensation 0.01 0.00 -------------- -------------- EBITDA (as adjusted) per basic and diluted share (1) $ 0.03 $ (0.05) ============== ============== (1) The EBITDA (as adjusted) tables presented are not determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Management uses EBITDA (as adjusted) to evaluate the operating performance of its business. It is also used, at times, by some investors, securities analysts and others to evaluate companies and make informed business decisions. EBITDA (as adjusted) is also a useful indicator of the income generated to service debt. EBITDA (as adjusted) is not a complete measure of an entity's profitability because it does not include costs and expenses for interest, depreciation and amortization, income taxes and stock based compensation. EBITDA (as adjusted) as presented herein may not be comparable to similarly named measures reported by other companies. Three Months Ended March 31, Reconciliation of EBITDA, as adjusted, to cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities (1) 2016 2015 ---------------- ---------------- EBITDA (as adjusted) $ 112 $ (215) Interest expense (8) (9) Income tax expense (8) (21) Bond amortization (1) (1) Loss on sale of marketable securities 0 1 Net change in operating assets and liabilities 471 (1,194) ---------------- ---------------- Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities $ 566 $ (1,439) ================ ================ Orbit International Corp. Consolidated Balance Sheets March 31, 2016 December 31, (unaudited) 2015 ---------------- ---------------- ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,160,000 $ 1,747,000 Investments in marketable securities 178,000 235,000 Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts 2,903,000 3,264,000 Inventories 10,907,000 10,694,000 Income tax receivable - 9,000 Other current assets 150,000 259,000 ---------------- ---------------- Total current assets 16,298,000 16,208,000 Property and equipment, net 361,000 408,000 Goodwill 868,000 868,000 Other assets 40,000 40,000 ---------------- ---------------- Total assets $ 17,567,000 $ 17,524,000 ================ ================ LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable 767,000 608,000 Accrued expenses 769,000 856,000 Income tax payable 3,000 - Customer advances 326,000 189,000 ---------------- ---------------- Total current liabilities 1,865,000 1,653,000 Line of credit 1,280,000 1,410,000 Other liabilities 9,000 16,000 ---------------- ---------------- Total liabilities 3,154,000 3,079,000 Stockholders' Equity Common stock 514,000 514,000 Additional paid-in capital 22,672,000 22,659,000 Treasury stock (2,346,000) (2,273,000) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (44,000) (37,000) Accumulated deficit (6,383,000) (6,418,000) ---------------- ---------------- Stockholders' equity 14,413,000 14,445,000 ---------------- ---------------- Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 17,567,000 $ 17,524,000 ================ ================

CONTACT Mitchell Binder President & Chief Executive Officer 631-435-8300

Source: Orbit International Corp.
PERKASIE, Pa. (PRWEB) May 05, 2016

Penn Community Insurance, a subsidiary of Penn Community Bank, Bucks County's leading independent, mutual financial organization, is pleased to announce that it is joining with the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Pennsylvania (AASP), to found a new chapter of the association in Bucks County.

Chapter 30 of AASP will be headquartered in Perkasie, Pennsylvania and will launch May 2, 2016. The chapter is expected to attract 90 members, including auto repair, auto body, detail shops and used car dealers. Penn Community Insurance President Robert S. Bowen, Jr. will be the chapter's insurance chair.

"Penn Community Insurance is proud to partner with AASP to help expand the organization into Bucks County," said Bowen. "We are looking forward to being a valuable resource for auto-focused businesses and groups in our region."

As chair, Bowen will provide insurance counsel to the group while making quarterly presentations on relevant topics such as garage keepers' legal liability, garage liability, workers' compensation and excess liability.

The chapter will assist members with legislative issues, and also will offer to members the ability to insure their businesses through Penn Community Insurance and the exclusive AASP insurance carriers.

Bowen began his career in the property and casualty insurance industry in 1985. An accredited insurance advisor and a member of the Northeastern Insurance Association, Bowen is a key leadership member at Penn Community Bank and oversees all aspects of the insurance division.

About Penn Community Bank: Created in 2015 by the unification of long-standing community banks First Federal of Bucks County and First Savings Bank of Perkasie, PennCommunityBank.com holds more than $1.8 billion in assets and employs more than 300 people at 22 bank branches and two administrative centers throughout Bucks County. As an independent, mutual financial institution, Penn Community Bank is not publicly traded and operates with its long-term mission in mind: to help businesses grow and prosper, to support individuals and families throughout their lifetimes, to strengthen the local economy, and to partner with local organizations to act as a catalyst for positive growth in every market it serves.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/05/prweb13393806.htm
HOUSTON, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Sanchez Production Partners LP (NYSE MKT: SPP) ("SPP" or the "Partnership") today announced that it will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. Central Time (11:00 a.m. Eastern Time) on Monday, May 16, 2016 to discuss first quarter results. The Partnership expects to release its first quarter 2016 earnings before the market opens that day.

What:

SPP First Quarter 2016 Earnings Conference Call

When:

Monday, May 16, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. Central Time (11:00 a.m. Eastern Time)

Dial In:

1-877-300-8521 (U.S.)

1-412-317-6026 (International)

Request SPP 16Q1 Conference Call

Webcast:

Live and rebroadcast over the Internet at: http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/sp9oqs6o/lan/en

Replay:

A replay will be available approximately one hour after the call through May 23, 2016, at 10:59 p.m. Central Time (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time). The replay may accessed by dialing (877) 870-5176 (U.S.) or (858) 384-5517 (International), and referencing the replay passcode: 10085341.

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

Sanchez Production Partners LP (NYSE MKT: SPP) is a publicly-traded limited partnership focused on the acquisition, development, ownership and operation of midstream and other energy production assets. The Partnership owns an oil and natural gas gathering and processing system located in the Eagle Ford Shale in Dimmit and Webb Counties, Texas. The Partnership also currently owns producing reserves in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, the Gulf Coast region of Texas and Louisiana, and across several basins in Oklahoma and Kansas. For more information about the Partnership, please visit our website: www.sanchezpp.com.

PARTNERSHIP CONTACT Charles C. WardChief Financial OfficerSanchez Production Partners GP LLC(877) 847-0009General Inquiries: (713) 783-8000www.sanchezpp.com

Source: Sanchez Production Partners LP
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Valencia Ventures Inc. (NEX: VVI.H) ("Valencia" or the "Company") is pleased to welcome Damian Lopez as its President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Lopez is a corporate and securities lawyer who has provided business and legal consulting to various public and private companies in the resource-based sectors. Mr. Lopez holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall. Mr. Lopez's experience will greatly assist the Company as it continues to evaluate business opportunities to reactivate its business for future growth.

The appointment of Mr. Lopez follows the resignation of Mr. Fred Leigh as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company to pursue other endeavours. The Company's Board of Directors expresses its gratitude to Mr. Leigh for his efforts as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director and wishes him future success.

About Valencia Ventures Inc.

Valencia is a Canadian resource company with common shares that trade on the NEX Board of the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol VVI.

Forward Looking Information - Cautionary Statement

This press release contains "forward looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking information includes without limitation, statements regarding the impact of the appointment and resignation of officers and directors of the Company and the Company's ability to identify business opportunities and reactivate its business. Generally, forward looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; other risks of the mining industry and the risks described in the public disclosure documents of the Company.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Contacts: Valencia Ventures Inc. Damian Lopez President and CEO (416) 861-2269 [email protected]

Source: Valencia Ventures Inc.
By Aradhana Aravindan and Ruma Paul

SINGAPORE/DHAKA (Reuters) - Eight Bangladeshi men held in Singapore for allegedly plotting attacks in their homeland had formed an Islamist cell that met in parks and open fields and shared radical propaganda and videos, authorities in the city-state said on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it had issued two-year detention orders for the men, who it says called themselves the Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB), under Singapore's colonial-era Internal Security Act, which allows suspects to be held for lengthy periods without trial.

"The ISB is the first group comprising all foreigners to be detained under the ISA for terrorism-related activities in Singapore," the ministry said in a statement.

Wealthy, multi-ethnic Singapore, which has not faced any successful militant attacks in decades, had announced the arrests on Tuesday, saying its investigations showed the ISB had identified several possible targets in Bangladesh.

Giving further details on Wednesday, authorities said the group had a hierarchical structure with a leader, deputy leader and members assigned specific roles such as finance.

Its members had each worked in Singapore for between three and 10 years and generally lived in different accommodation, the MHA said, adding they were not known to have been radicalised when they arrived in the city-state.

There were no indications that they had planned to carry out attacks in Singapore, it said.

FIVE DEPORTED, HELD IN DHAKA

Five other Bangladeshis who came to the authorities attention during the same investigation had been sent back to the South Asian nation, the MHA said. Police in Dhaka said they had been arrested since their return.

They were not involved with the ISB group, the MHA said, but had been found to be in possession of jihadi-related material or to support the use of armed violence for a religious cause.

Dhaka city police spokesman Maruf Hossain Sardar said the five, who traveled to Singapore between 2007 and 2011, were being investigated for possible connections with local militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).

They were returned to Bangladesh on April 29 and were arrested in different parts of Dhaka on Tuesday, Sardar said. "We monitored their activities and then arrested them. A court granted seven-day police remand to them," he added.

Islamist militants in Bangladesh 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.

Bangladesh authorities have said the ABT was behind the attacks on online critics of religious extremism and the killing last month of a gay rights campaigner and his friend.

The latest detentions were the second group of Bangladeshis investigated in the past six months in Singapore, which is host to around 150,000 workers from Bangladesh.

In January, Singapore said it had arrested 27 Bangladeshi construction workers who supported Islamist groups including al Qaeda and Islamic State late last year. All 27 have been deported.

Bangladesh said the same month it would charge 14 of those deported with membership of ABT.

RADICALISED ONLINE

Singapore said there was no indication of a group connection between the eight men recently detained and those arrested last year, although some of them were personally acquainted.

It identified the leader of the ISB group as Rahman Mizanur, who has been working intermittently in the city-state since 2007 and was employed as a draftsman in a local construction firm at the time of his arrest.

"Mizanur's radicalization began around 2013 when he read radical material online," the MHA said. "He became more radicalised after a Bangladeshi shared ISIS propaganda material with him when he was in Bangladesh in 2015."

Workers' rights groups say Bangladeshis are among the most economically vulnerable migrant groups in Singapore. NGOs say many work for wages as low as S$2 ($1.48) an hour and some do not get a day off.

Many mortgage their properties to pay fees to recruiting agencies to get jobs in the construction and marine industries or as cleaners. The fees can reach up to $15,000, the NGOs say.

Singapore said efforts to engage with the foreign worker population in the city-state were "ongoing".

"MHA has worked with MOM (Ministry of Manpower) and an advisory was sent to dormitory operators for them to engage the foreign workers living in their quarters," the statement said.

The ministry also said that there were currently 23 people detained for terrorism-related activities in Singapore under the Internal Security Act, a legacy of British rule that has been criticized by some rights groups.

Human Right Watch said in its 2015 World Report the act allowed authorities to detain people "for virtually unlimited periods without charge or judicial review".

(Reporting by Ruma Paul in DHAKA and Aradhana Aravindan in SINGAPORE, Additional reporting by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Alex Richardson)
By Michael Flaherty and Ankit Ajmera

(Reuters) - Elliott Management stepped up its pressure on CDK Global Inc (NASDAQ: CDK) on Wednesday, saying the software company needed to streamline its operations or explore a sale.

Elliott first invested in CDK last May, and within months, private equity buying interest began to form around the stock.

But a sale never materialized, and the company's stock has fallen nearly 20 percent to $48 per share since last June. In March, CDK named Brian MacDonald as the company's new chief executive.

"There are absolutely merits to receiving certain, premium value in the form of a sale for cash, which requires no ongoing exposure to business risk or the capital markets," said the Elliott letter, signed by the activist hedge fund's senior portfolio manager, Jesse Cohn.

If the company remains a stand alone entity, it needs to implement a plan to maximize shareholder value immediately, Cohn wrote, outlining a detailed program on what can be done.

"We value the opinion of our shareholders and are reviewing the Elliott letter," CDK spokesman Kyle Donash said in an emailed statement.

CDK Global was spun off from Automatic Data Processing Inc (NASDAQ: ADP) in 2014. Elliott, which says it owns 8.6 percent of CDK's shares, is among three activist hedge funds invested in the company.

Sachem Head Capital owns 7.2 percent of the company, which provides marketing software to auto dealers, while Fir Tree Partners owns 4.9 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Elliott and Cohn have successfully pushed several mergers across the tech industry, the latest being Mitel Networks Corp. agreement to buy U.S. voice and telephony gear maker Polycom Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCM), in a deal announced last month.

(Editing by Don Sebastian and Alan Crosby)
Various Swiss Franc and Polish Zloty notes lay on a table in this picture illustration in Warsaw, Poland January 18, 2016. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

By Marcin Goclowski

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's government is considering giving up plans to force banks to convert Swiss franc mortgages to zlotys, in favor of laws allowing borrowers to recoup some of the costs of the loans or to walk away from them completely, sources told Reuters.

A team of aides to President Andrzej Duda is now preparing new proposals, aiming to announce a plan by the end of May. Two sources from that team told Reuters some form of forced conversion was still being considered, but other options had been proposed as well.

"We don't need a conversion, as it would be unfair to zloty credit holders. The franc may fall in two or three years, as well, while zloty rates may go up, making the operation unprofitable," Slawomir Horbaczewski, a member of the presidential team, told Reuters.

The eurosceptic Law and Justice party (PiS) won power last year partly because it promised to help thousands of Poles who took out loans in Swiss francs when the franc was cheaper against the zloty. Those borrowers had seen the cost of their loans surge as the value of the franc skyrocketed.

President Duda had proposed in January converting the loans to zlotys and making banks pay for the conversion. But Poland's financial regulators, KNF, appear to have blocked that proposal by saying it would lead to exorbitant costs.

One solution might be to let people give up ownership of the mortgaged properties to the banks, along with the remaining loans, but pay rent to continue living in the homes, Horbaczewski said.

Banks may also be forced to return the cost of currency conversion they had charged borrowers, he said.

COSTLY IDEAS

The apparent change of tack within the government reflects public opinion polls, which show that more than half of Poles believe banks would transfer the cost of bailing out franc borrowers onto consumers.

Just over half of surveyed Poles said they were against a bailout for borrowers, a poll by CBOS showed in April, shortly after KNF published its estimates of how much a forced re-denomination into zlotys could cost.

KNF has estimated the conversion could cost local lenders more than four times their 2015 profits. Analysts and bankers say that converting the 148 billion zlotys ($38.12 billion) worth of franc mortgages could trigger bankruptcies among banks.

One of the challenges faced by PiS is to find a solution that would spread the cost of a re-denomination over time, instead of making banks pay for it up front.

"There is a need to find a way to re-denominate currency loans while ensuring the affect isn't accumulated in one year, but, say, over 30 years - 1.5 billion zlotys per year," said Jaroslaw Mielcarek, another member of the presidential team.

Most Polish banks are listed and must comply with international accounting standards. Those standards say that the cost of re-denominating mortgages has to be incurred immediately and cannot be spread over time.

To address this, PiS may try to lift franc mortgages from bank balance sheets and put them into a special-purpose vehicle that would issue bonds, one source said.

The Polish banking sector is 60 percent owned by foreign institutions such as Santander (NYSE: SAN), Commerzbank , Portuguese BCP (AMEX: BCP), BNP Paribas , and Raiffeisen . All their Polish units have portfolios of mortgages denominated in Swiss francs.

(Reporting by Marcin Goclowski, Pawel Sobczak, Pawel Florkiewicz, and Anna Koper, editing by Larry King)
Masked youths face off with French police during a demonstration against the French labour law proposal in Paris, France, as part of a nationwide labor reform protests and strikes, April 28, 2016. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

By Brian Love

PARIS (Reuters) - Riot police clashed with demonstrators outside a school building in Paris on Wednesday, prompting government and police calls for an end to weeks of violent protests mainly linked to plans for a loosening of France's highly protective labor laws.

Police used tear gas to disperse a crowd that sought to stop them removing nearly 300 immigrants who had moved into an empty school building that is soon due to reopen for classes after renovation work, Paris police chief Michel Cadot said.

While the standoff had little directly to do with the contested government plans to make hiring and firing easier, some of the protesters came from a youth movement set up a month ago largely to demonstrate against those plans.

"The state is obliged to apply the law," Cadot said. The migrants from countries including Sudan and Eritrea were removed peacefully after police broke through a ring of 200 to 250 protesters, he added.

Four police were slightly hurt, a statement said.

A major police union, Alliance, said law enforcement forces were already working flat out to ensure greater security following last November's Islamist attacks in Paris and condemned what it described as mounting "anti-cop hatred".

Hundreds of police officers have been reported injured in the past few weeks in clashes with demonstrators across France, mostly during protest rallies against the labor law reform.

Seven riot police officers were hurt on Tuesday in clashes with masked youths in the western city of Nantes.

"This is totally unacceptable, with 300 police hurt since the start of the year," said government spokesman Stephane Le Foll. "We will not let this pass."

LABOR REFORM

The primary focus of protest is the planned reform of some of the most extensive and protective labor rules in Europe.

An Elabe opinion poll released on Wednesday showed three out of four French people oppose a bill that the government argues will slash red tape and encourage employers to recruit in a country where the jobless rate is above 10 percent.

Critics fear the bill will undermine employers' obligations under the current national labor code.

The Alliance union urged police forces to stage their own demonstration on May 18 to highlight their plight.

Police chief Cadot is also seeking to tighten the noose on a rolling youth protest movement - called 'Nuit Debout' - that has been organizing late-night sit-ins at the large Place de la Republique square in central Paris.

After repeated clashes where youths hurled petrol bombs and paving stones at police, he has banned alcohol consumption and late night music on the square and told Nuit Debout activists to quit the area every day before midnight.

Nuit Debout says violent groups who are just looking for trouble have at times hijacked their protests. It also accuses the police of sometimes using heavy-handed tactics.

(Additional reporting by Simon Carraud; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Gareth Jones)
South African President Jacob Zuma looks on before delivering an address in Polokwane, South Africa, December 20, 2007. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo

By Joe Brock and Ed Cropley

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - As head of intelligence for the outlawed African National Congress during apartheid, Jacob Zuma neutralized perceived traitors and sidelined opponents to shore up his position, people who worked with him say.

Decades later, as South Africa's President, he hasn't lost his touch.

Lampooned in the media, jeered in public and now facing calls from inside and outside the ANC to resign over millions of rand of improper state spending on his private home in Nkandla, the 73-year-olds grip on power seems like it should be weaker than at any point since his election in 2009.

Yet he endures, thanks to skills honed decades ago in the exiled ANC underground, promoting little-known officials who do his bidding to powerful positions within the security and intelligence portfolios, politicians who work around Zuma say.

He has also changed the way the party votes on internal appointments, including making members photograph ballot papers to prove their allegiance.

Critics, including former cabinet ministers and top commanders of the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), say Zuma's administration also demotes opponents and intimidates dissenters. One example: Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, a constitutionally mandated anti-corruption watchdog investigating the spending on Zuma's home, became the subject of an intelligence ministry probe into allegations she was a CIA spy.

Zuma's spokesman Bongani Majola did not respond to multiple requests for comment on this article or for an interview with Zuma. ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa also did not respond.

Intelligence Ministry spokesman Brian Dube denied that security institutions were being misused. "These allegations are not new. They have been made before and remain unsubstantiated," he told Reuters in answer to emailed questions.

One senior ANC source, who did not wish to be named for fear of retribution, said the key to Zuma's power was his lock over the party, regardless of his standing among the public.

"So-called experts have been saying Zuma is finished for years but they don't have a clue how politics here works," said the ANC official. "People ask, how does Zuma survive? No one asks, how does Vladimir Putin survive?"

"THE GRINDSTONE"

Zuma, whose Zulu middle name, Gedleyihlekisa, means "the one who smiles as he hurts you", joined the ANC in 1959. The son of a policeman and domestic worker from what is now rural KwaZulu Natal, he had little formal education.

After 10 years on Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela, he fled apartheid South Africa to emerge in the late 1980s in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, as deputy head of the ANC's secret police and head of the 'Green House', its intelligence unit.

One of his main tasks was to unmask informants and traitors within the ANC and MK, wielding the resources of the ANC secret police, known as iMbokodo or "The Grindstone".

The Stuart Commission, an internal ANC inquiry into unrest in 1983 in guerrilla camps in Angola, described iMbokodo as "the most notorious and infamous department in the camps and perhaps in the whole movement".

The report, available on the ANC's website, painted a picture of the ANC security services as a state-within-a-state, feeding off rumor and "not working for the security of the general membership and interests of the movement".

According to historian Stephen Ellis in his 2012 book, "External Mission: The ANC in Exile 1960-1990", Zuma's time in Lusaka shaped the rest of his life.

"For the remainder of his political career, this experience in charge of intelligence was to be Zuma's key institutional base," Ellis wrote.

Ronnie Kasrils, intelligence minister between 2004 and 2008 under Mbeki and an anti-apartheid veteran, spent years in the ANC underground and intelligence circles alongside Zuma.

"The first people he appointed were in his security team," said Kasrils, who has publicly called for Zuma to resign.

"It was vital that Zuma had the heads of intelligence to do his bidding. It gives you the ability to dig up dirt on politicians and keep a close eye on opponents," he said.

One such appointment was David Mahlobo, an unknown provincial hydrologist with no security experience, as intelligence minister in 2014.

The ministry had traditionally been assigned to ANC high-fliers with impeccable "struggle credentials" such as Kasrils or Lindiwe Sisulu, the forthright daughter of ANC stalwart and close Mandela friend Walter Sisulu.

"Mahlobo was a likeable guy but a surprise appointment," Kasrils said. "Zuma wanted someone young and green who is dependent and won't question him."

Another was Nkosinathi Nhleko, a fellow Zulu whom Zuma appointed police minister in 2014.

When Madonsela, the Public Protector, published a damning report on renovations Zuma had made with public money to his Nkandla home, including the building of a swimming pool, Zuma asked Nhleko to open an inquiry. Nhleko said the pool was a fire-fighting resource, backing up his conclusion with a video of firemen using the pool to pump jets of water.

THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE

Another appointment that startled observers was the selection last year of small-town mayor David van Rooyen as finance minister, a promotion that sent the rand into a tail-spin and resulted four days later in his dismissal.

In total 35 ministers and 38 deputy ministers have been appointed during Zuma's term of office, far more than any other South African leader since apartheid.

At the same time, senior ANC figures have been moved out of the party's top decision-making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC).

"A major problem is the 'juniorisation' of appointments to ensure compliance and loyalty," Siphiwe Nyanda, a top MK commander and communications minister fired by Zuma in 2010, told Reuters.

Zuma has also changed the way members are elected to the NEC'S 'Top Six', a body that ultimately chooses the party president.

Under a so-called "slate" voting system, trusted delegates to the 5,000-member ANC conference held every five years are told who they should vote for and are expected to confirm they have obeyed with a photo of their ballot, two ANC sources said.

"With 'slate' voting we no longer have proper democracy in the party. They have become voting cattle," Nyanda said. An ANC spokeswoman declined to comment on the issue.

Dissenting voices in parliament or cabinet stay silent as a result. On April 5, ANC members of parliament, who control almost two-thirds of the assembly, voted unanimously against a move to impeach Zuma following a constitutional court ruling against him over the Nkandla affair.

Asked by Reuters why he had voted as he did, a senior member of government known to be anti-Zuma merely rolled his eyes. The politician asked not to be named for fear of recriminations.

UNDERHANDED TACTICS

Bugging telephones and intercepting emails of senior party figures and journalists has become routine, Kasrils said.

He did not provide details. But in 2009, 783 corruption charges against Zuma were dropped after his legal team came up with phone intercepts -- dubbed the Zuma spy tapes -- that suggested a political motive when the charges were laid.

How Zuma, who was then challenging Thabo Mbeki for the leadership of the ANC, obtained the wire-taps has never been revealed. The Pretoria High Court on April 29 ordered a review of the decision to drop the charges.

Critics also complain about intimidation tactics and smear campaigns.

A week after the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) filed court papers against Berning Ntlemenza, head of the police's elite Hawks investigations unit, the NGO's offices were robbed.

HSF executive director Francis Antonie said the robbers took only old computers. "It's plausible this was an information gathering exercise or meant to intimidate us, he said.

Provincial police spokeswoman Noxolo Kweza said she could not answer questions about the case because it had been taken from us by the Hawks, which the Hawks, South Africa's version of the FBI, denied.

Some Zuma opponents have found themselves the target of campaigns linking them to the U.S. government, a charge that points to the Cold War paranoia that lingers in parts of the ANC, which was backed by the Soviets.

Among these was Madonsela, the author of the Nkandla report, who afterward became the subject of an investigation, ordered by Mahlobo, into allegations she was a CIA agent.

The results of Mahlobos probe have not yet been released.

(Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talks with U.S. President Barack Obama during the closing session of the Nuclear Security Summit, focusing on the Counter-ISIL campaign, in Washington April 1, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

By Roberta Rampton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto will meet in Ottawa for a North American leaders' Summit on June 29, the White House said on Wednesday.

The "Three Amigos" summit, with two key U.S. trading partners, comes as Obama grapples with a wave of anti-free-trade sentiment that has stalled ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a sweeping 12-nation pact that includes Canada and Mexico.

Obama hopes the U.S. Congress will ratify the deal before he leaves office on Jan. 20. But trade has become a lightning rod issue in the presidential election campaign to replace him.

Republican Donald Trump, now his party's presumptive nominee for 2016, has attacked the TPP and describes the tripartite North American Free Trade agreement as a disaster that needs to be renegotiated or broken.

In the Democratic campaign, Senator Bernie Sanders has opposed the trade deal, and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has also expressed concerns.

Canada sends 75 percent of its exports to the United States and would suffer greatly if a future president moved to clamp down on free trade.

Trudeau, asked how he would deal with a President Trump, said the leaders of both countries would always agree on the need for growth and prosperity. One important way to achieve this was through trade, he added.

"The level of integration between the Canadian and American economies is unlike anything else ... in the world," he told a news conference in Ottawa.

The last "Three Amigos" summit was in Toluca, Mexico in 2014. Canada was supposed to host the meeting early last year but canceled it amid tension between then Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Obama over the Keystone XL pipeline.

Obama will address Canada's Parliament during the visit, the White House said. He last came to Canada for a bilateral visit in February 2009, the first foreign trip of his presidency.

Ottawa's relations with Mexico are strained over Canadian rules, introduced under Harper, that impose visas for visiting Mexicans. Trudeau said he hoped to be able to announce within weeks that the requirement would be scrapped.

(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and James Dalgleish)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's state security service said it had arrested a group of central Asian citizens who had been ordered by leaders of "terrorist groups" in Syria and Turkey to carry out attacks in the Moscow region, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) said the attacks had been planned for Russia's May holiday celebrations and it had seized large numbers of weapons and explosives.

"(The attacks) were ordered by leaders of international terrorist groups operating in Syria and Turkey," Interfax news agency quoted the FSB as saying.

The FSB could not immediately be reached for comment. Interfax reported that the investigation was still going on. Those arrested had not been named.

Russian security services are on high alert for attacks by extremist groups in Moscow and other major Russian cities.

Russian forces are helping the Syrian government to fight Islamic State and other opposition groups in Syria. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Russia, mostly in the Caucasus region.

The FSB arrested around 20 Islamic State followers in March who it said were trying to recruit new fighters in Russia.

(Reporting by Jack Stubbs; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
FORM 6-K U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Dated May 5, 2016 Commission File Number 1-14878 GERDAU S.A. (Exact Name as Specified in its Charter) N/A (Translation of Registrants Name) Av. Farrapos 1811 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil CEP 90220-005 (Address of principal executive offices) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F. Form 20-F x Form 40-F o Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): o Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): o Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes o No x If Yes is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): Not applicable.

SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused the Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. Date: May 5, 2016 GERDAU S.A. By: /s/ Harley Lorentz Scardoelli Name: Harley Lorentz Scardoelli Title: Investor Relations Director 2

EXHIBIT INDEX Exhibit Description of Exhibit 99.1 Quarterly Results 1Q 2016Gerdau S.A. and Subsidiaries, May 4, 2016 3

Exhibit 99.1 Highlights in first quarter of 2016 Main Highlights  Consolidated EBITDA and EBITDA margin improved in 1Q16 compared to 4Q15, despite the scenario in the world steel industry.  Positive free cash flow in 1Q16: EBITDA in the period covered all of the Companys commitments.  Gross debt declines by R$ 2.8 billion from December 2015 to March 2016. Key Information 1 st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4 th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Steel Production of Crude Steel (1,000 tonnes) 4,154 4,341 -4.3 % 3,889 6.8 % Shipments (1,000 tonnes) 3,851 4,143 -7.0 % 3,887 -0.9 % Net Sales (R$ million) 10,085 10,447 -3.5 % 10,449 -3.5 % Cost of Goods Sold (R$ million) (9,272 ) (9,335 ) -0.7 % (9,662 ) -4.0 % SG&A (R$ million) (644 ) (660 ) -2.4 % (655 ) -1.7 % Adjusted EBITDA(1) (R$ million) 930 1,106 -15.9 % 911 2.1 % Net Income(2) (R$ million) 14 267 -94.8 % (41 )  Free Cash Flow (R$ million) 11 (502 ) 1,225 -99.1 % Gross margin 8.1 % 10.6 % 7.5 % EBITDA Margin 9.2 % 10.6 % 8.7 % Shareholders equity (R$ million) 30,286 36,440 31,970 Total Assets (R$ million) 65,005 70,843 70,095 Gross debt / Total capitalization(3) 43.0 % 39.0 % 45.0 % Net debt(4) (US$) / EBITDA(5) (US$) 4,0x 2,4x 3,6x (1) - Adjusted EBITDA = non-accounting mesurement prepared by the Company. (2) - In the 4Q15, the net income was adjusted by the extraordinary events (3) - Total capitalization = shareholders equity + gross debt - interest on debt (4) - Net debt = gross debt - interest on debt - cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments (5) - Adjusted EBITDAin the last 12 months. World Steel Market  On April 13, worldsteel published its latest Short Range Outlook containing forecasts for global apparent steel consumption. For 2016, the forecast calls for global steel demand to contract by 0.8%. Excluding China, the forecast calls for demand to grow by 1.8%. The weak performance of the construction industry and lower level of infrastructure investments in China should lead the countrys steel demand to decline by 4% in 2016, after peaking in 2013. In developing economies excluding China, lower commodity price and political instability in certain countries have been affecting economic growth. Consequently, consumption in 2016 should grow more moderately, by around 1.8%. Meanwhile, in developed countries, the expectation is for continued recovery in their economies, with steel consumption in 2016 growing by 1.7%. 1

Consolidated Information Gerdaus performance in the first quarter of 2016 The Consolidated Financial Statements of Gerdau S.A. are presented in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the accounting practices adopted in Brazil, which are fully aligned with the international accounting standards issued by the Accounting Pronouncement Committee (CPC). The information in this report does not include data for jointly controlled entities and associate companies, except where stated otherwise. Consolidated Results Production and shipments Consolidated

(1,000 tonnes) 1 st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4 th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Production of crude steel 4,154 4,341 -4.3 % 3,889 6.8 % Shipments of steel 3,851 4,143 -7.0 % 3,887 -0.9 %  Consolidated crude steel production decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, due to the optimization of inventories in the North America and Special Steel business divisions. Compared to 4Q15, crude steel production increased due to inventory rebuilding in practically all business divisions.  Consolidated shipments decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, reflecting mainly the lower shipments by the Brazil BD in the domestic market. Compared to 4Q15, consolidated shipments remained relatively stable, with distinct performances in the business divisions. Net sales, cost and gross margin Consolidated

(R$ million) 1 st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4 th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Net Sales 10,085 10,447 -3.5 % 10,449 -3.5 % Cost of Goods Sold (9,272 ) (9,335 ) -0.7 % (9,662 ) -4.0 % Gross profit 813 1,112 -26.9 % 787 3.3 % Gross margin (%) 8.1 % 10.6 % 7.5 %  Consolidated net sales decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, mainly due to lower shipments by the Brazil BD in the domestic market, which were partially offset by the higher net sales generated by the North America BD when translated into Brazilian real. Compared to 4Q15, consolidated net sales decreased, mainly due to lower shipments by the South America BD and the reduction in net sales per tonne sold in all business divisions.  On a consolidated basis, gross profit and gross margin decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, due to the weaker performances of the Brazil and Special Steel BDs, which were partially offset by the better performance of the South America and North America BDs. Compared to 4Q15, the improvements in consolidated gross profit and consolidated gross margin were mainly due to the better performance of the Brazil BD. Operating expenses Consolidated

(R$ million) 1st Quarter

2016 1st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 SG&A (644 ) (660 ) -2.4 % (655 ) -1.7 % Selling expenses (214 ) (180 ) 18.9 % (225 ) -4.9 % General and administrative expenses (430 ) (480 ) -10.4 % (430 ) 0.0 % Other operating income (expenses) 40 27 48.1 % 56 -28.6 % Equity in earnings of unconsolidated companies (8 ) 7  (44 ) -81.8 % 2

 The increase in selling expenses in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15 was due to the effect from exchange variation and the increase in the allowance for doubtful accounts. On the other hand, general and administrative expenses decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, demonstrating the Companys efforts over the periods to rationalize these expenses, despite the effects from exchange variation in the comparison period. Even with this reduction, selling, general and administrative expenses as a ratio of net sales increased from 6.3% in 1Q15 to 6.4% in 1Q16, due to the 3.5% reduction in net sales in the period. Impairment of assets  Gerdau presents its financial statements in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). This standard requires impairment tests of goodwill and other long-lived assets held by the Company. To determine the recoverable amount of each Business Segment, the Company uses the discounted cash flow method based on the financial projections for each segment. The projections are updated considering the changes observed in the economic scenario of the markets in which the Company operates, as well as the assumptions for the expected results in each segment.  In 1Q16, no factors were identified that would justify the anticipation of the impairment tests scheduled for December 2016. In 4Q15, of the total amount of R$ 3.1 billion in impairment of assets, R$ 1.2 billion was recorded as goodwill in the North America BD, R$ 1.1 billion as goodwill in the Special Steel BD and R$ 835 million as property, plant and equipment in the Brazil BD. Specifically in the Brazil BD, the losses were due to weaker demand and production stoppages at certain units of the Company during 2015 in order to adjust production to the new demand levels. EBITDA Breakdown of Consolidated EBITDA

(R$ million) 1 st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4 th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Net income (loss) 14 267 -94.8 % (3,170 )  Net financial result (39 ) 898  392  Provision for income and social contribution taxes 226 (680 )  (207 )  Depreciation and amortization 681 604 12.7 % 707 -3.7 % EBITDA - Instruction CVM(1) 882 1,089 -19.0 % (2,278 )  Impairment of Assets    3,129  Equity in earnings of unconsolidated companies 8 (7 )  44 -81.8 % Proportional EBITDA of associated companies and jointly controlled entities 40 24 66.7 % 16 150.0 % Adjusted EBITDA(2) 930 1,106 -15.9 % 911 2.1 % Adjusted EBITDA Margin 9.2 % 10.6 % 8.7 % (1) - Non-accounting measurement calculated pursuant to Instruction 527 of the CVM. (2) - Non-accounting mesurement prepared by the Company. Note: EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) is not a method used in accounting practices, does not represent cash flow for the periods in question and should not be considered an alternative to cash flow as an indicator of liquidity. The Company presents adjusted EBITDA to provide additional information regarding cash flow generation in the period. Conciliation of Consolidated EBITDA

(R$ million) 1st Quarter

2016 1st Quarter

2015 4th Quarter

2015 EBITDA - Instruction CVM(1) 882 1,089 (2,278 ) Depreciation and amortization (681 ) (604 ) (707 ) OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE FINANCIAL RESULT AND TAXES(2) 201 485 (2,985 ) (1) - Non-accounting measure calculated pursuant to Instruction 527 of the CVM. (2) - Accounting measurement disclosed in consolidated Statements of Income. 3

Consolidated EBITDA (R$ million) and EBITDA margin (%)  Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, mainly due to the weaker performances of the Brazil and Special Steel BDs, which were partially offset by the better performance of the South America and North America BDs. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin decreased slower than gross profit and gross margin due to the effect from higher depreciation. Compared to 4Q15, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin increased in line with gross profit and gross margin, due to the better performance of the Brazil BD in particular. Financial result and net income Consolidated

(R$ million) 1 st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4 th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Income (loss) before financial income (expenses) and taxes(1) 201 485 -58.6 % (2,985 )  Financial Result 39 (898 )  (392 )  Financial income 76 109 -30.3 % 73 4.1 % Financial expenses (525 ) (372 ) 41.1 % (519 ) 1.2 % Exchange variation, net 510 (651 )  37 1278.4 % Exchange variation on net investment hedge 362 (575 )  71 409.9 % Exchange variation - other lines 148 (76 )  (34 )  Gains (losses) on financial instruments, net (22 ) 16  17  Income (loss) before taxes(1) 240 (413 )  (3,377 )  Income and social contribution taxes (226 ) 680  207  On net investment hedge (362 ) 575  (71 ) 409.9 % Other lines 136 105 29.5 % 278 -51.1 % Consolidated Net Income (loss)(1) 14 267 -94.8 % (3,170 )  Extraordinary events    3,129  Reversal of the Impairment of assets    3,129  Consolidated Adjusted Net Income (loss)(2) 14 267 -94.8 % (41 )  (1) - Accounting measurement disclosed in the income statement of the Company. (2) - Non accounting measurement made by the Company to demonstrate the net income adjusted by the extraordinary events that impacted the result, but without cash effect.  In 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, the variation in the financial result was basically due to the positive exchange variation on liabilities contracted in U.S. dollar (appreciation in the end-of-period price of the Brazilian real against the U.S. dollar of 8.9% in 1Q16 and depreciation of 20.8% in 1Q15), even though financial expenses increased due to the negative effect from exchange variation (depreciation in the average price of the Brazilian real against the U.S. dollar of 36.0% in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15).  The variation in the financial result in 1Q16 compared to 4Q15 is mainly explained by the higher positive exchange variation in 1Q16 (appreciation in the end-of-period price of the Brazilian real against the U.S. dollar of 8.9% in 1Q16, versus appreciation of 1.7% in 4Q15).  Note that, in accordance with IFRS, the Company designated the bulk of its debt in foreign currency contracted by companies in Brazil as hedge for a portion of the investments in subsidiaries located abroad. As a result, only the effect from exchange variation on the portion of debt not linked to investment hedge is recognized in the financial result, with this effect neutralized by the line Income and Social Contribution taxes on net investment hedge. 4

 The reduction in consolidated net income in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15 is explained by the lower operating income in the period. Compared to adjusted net income in 4Q15, the improvement in 1Q16 is mainly due to EBITDA growth in the comparison periods and the better financial result. Investments  In 1Q16, CAPEX amounted to R$ 485.3 million. Of the amount invested in the quarter, 40.5% was allocated to the Brazil BD, 30.2% to the South America BD, 16.6% to the North America BD and 12.7% to the Special Steel BD.  Based on the investments scheduled for 2016, Gerdau plans to invest R$ 1.5 billion, considering the investments in capturing productivity gains and maintenance, which is 35% below the amount in 2015. Working Capital and Cash Conversion Cycle  In March 2016, the cash conversion cycle (working capital divided by daily net sales in the quarter) decreased slightly in relation to December 2015, reflecting the 4.5% decrease in working capital in comparison with the 3.5% decrease in net sales. Financial liabilities Debt composition

(R$ million) 03.31.2016 12.31.2015 03.31.2015 Short Term 2,464 2,387 2,366 Long Term 21,220 24,074 20,916 Gross Debt 23,684 26,461 23,282 Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments 5,525 6,919 5,847 Net Debt 18,159 19,542 17,435  On March 31, 2016, gross debt was 10.4% short term and 89.6% long term. Gross debt was denominated 12.1% in Brazilian real, 82.2% in U.S. dollar and 5.7% in other currencies. The R$ 2.8 billion decrease in gross debt between December 2015 and March 2016 is mainly explained by the effects from exchange variation in the period (appreciation in the end-of-period price of the Brazilian real against the U.S. dollar of 8.9% in 1Q16) and by the amortizations made in 1Q16.  On March 31, 2016, 74.1% of cash was held by Gerdau companies abroad and denominated mainly in U.S. dollar.  The decrease in net debt on March 31, 2016 compared to December 31, 2015 is due to the effects from exchange variation.  On March 31, 2016, the nominal weighted average cost of gross debt was 7.1%, or 11.8% for the portion denominated in Brazilian real, 6.0% plus exchange variation for the portion denominated in U.S. dollar contracted by companies in Brazil and 6.6% for the portion contracted by subsidiaries abroad. On March 31, 2016, the average gross debt term was 6.3 years, with more than 70% maturing only as of 2018. Note that, with regard to 5

the R$ 4.0 billion in maturities scheduled for 2017, the Companys cash and credit facilities are more than sufficient to meet these commitments, most of which mature only in October of that year. Furthermore, the Company has the option of refinancing a portion of these liabilities.  On March 31, 2016, the payment schedule for long-term gross debt was as follows: Long Term R$ million 2017 4,000 2018 1,230 2019 940 2020 3,499 2021 4,094 2022 235 2023 2,281 2024 3,162 2025 and after 1,779 Total 21,220  The Companys main debt indicators are shown below: Indicators 03.31.2016 12.31.2015 03.31.2015 Gross debt / Total capitalization (1) 43 % 45 % 39 % Net debt (2) (US$) / EBITDA (3) (US$) 4,0x 3,6x 2,4x (1) - Total capitalization = shareholders equity + gross debt- interest on debt (2) - Net debt = gross debt - interest on debt - cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments (3) - Adjusted EBITDAin the last 12 months. Indebtedness (R$ billion)  Note that, since the bulk of EBITDA in the last 12 months was generated by business divisions located abroad, mainly in U.S. dollar, and more than 80% of consolidated net debt on March 31, 2016 was also denominated in U.S. dollar, the net debt / EBITDA ratio calculated in this currency stood at 4.0 times. Free Cash Flow (FCF)  In 1Q16, EBITDA was sufficient to honor all of the Companys commitments (CAPEX, income tax, interest and working capital) and also to generate positive free cash flow. 6

Free Cash Flow 1Q16 (R$ million) Business Divisions (BD) The information in this report is divided into four Business Divisions (BD), in accordance with Gerdaus corporate governance, as follows:  Brazil BD (Brazil Business Division)  includes the steel operations in Brazil (except special steel), the metallurgical and coking coal operation in Colombia and the iron ore operation in Brazil;  North America BD (North America Business Division)  includes all North American operations (Canada, United States and Mexico), except special steel;  South America BD (South America Business Division)  includes all operations in South America (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela), except the operations in Brazil, the metallurgical and coking coal operation in Colombia and the iron ore operation in Brazil;  Special Steel BD (Special Steel Business Division)  includes the special steel operations in Brazil, Spain, United States and India. Net sales 7

EBITDA and EBITDA Margin Brazil BD Production and shipments Brazil BD

(1,000 tonnes) 1 st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4 th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Production of crude steel 1,544 1,528 1.0 % 1,481 4.3 % Shipments of steel 1,422 1,557 -8.7 % 1,394 2.0 % Domestic Market 896 1,252 -28.4 % 815 9.9 % Exports 526 305 72.5 % 579 -9.2 %  Crude steel production increased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15 and 4Q15. Specifically in relation to 4Q15, crude steel production increased due to the rebuilding of inventories following the production stoppages in that quarter.  Shipments in the domestic market decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, reflecting the weaker growth in the construction and manufacturing industries due to economic uncertainties. On the other hand, exports advanced in relation to 1Q15, due to opportunities in the international market and the favorable exchange rate. Compared to 4Q15, shipments in the domestic market increased due to seasonality. Exports decreased in 1Q16 compared to 4Q15, reflecting the redirecting of shipments to the domestic market.  In 1Q16, 1,314,000 tonnes of iron ore were shipped to the Ouro Branco Mill in Minas Gerais and 646,000 tonnes were sold to third parties. 8

Operating result Brazil BD

(R$ million) 1st Quarter

2016 1st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Net Sales(1) 2,694 3,314 -18.7 % 2,678 0.6 % Domestic Market 2,011 2,782 -27.7 % 1,883 6.8 % Exports 683 532 28.4 % 795 -14.1 % Cost of Goods Sold (2,472 ) (2,805 ) -11.9 % (2,535 ) -2.5 % Gross profit 222 509 -56.4 % 143 55.2 % Gross margin (%) 8.2 % 15.4 % 5.3 % EBITDA 248 521 -52.4 % 186 33.3 % EBITDA margin (%) 9.2 % 15.7 % 6.9 % 1 - Includes iron ore, coking coal and coke net sales.  The decrease in net sales in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15 was mainly due to the lower shipments in domestic market. Specifically compared to 4Q15, the stability in net sales was due to the higher shipments in the domestic market, which were neutralized by lower export shipments and lower international prices.  Cost of goods sold decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, mainly due to the lower shipments in the domestic market. Compared to 4Q15, cost of goods sold decreased due to the non-recurring costs with production stoppages in that quarter, despite the higher shipments in the comparison period. Gross margin contracted in 1Q16 in relation to 1Q15 due to the lower dilution of fixed costs and the less favorable market mix. Compared to 4Q15, the increase in gross margin was mainly due to the better mix of markets and the lower costs with production stoppages.  EBITDA and EBITDA margin in 1Q16 accompanied the behavior of gross profit and gross margin in the comparisons with both 1Q15 and 4Q15. EBITDA (R$ million) and EBITDA Margin (%) North America BD Production and shipments North America BD

(1,000 tonnes) 1 st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4 th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Production of crude steel 1,555 1,650 -5.8 % 1,450 7.2 % Shipments of steel 1,522 1,487 2.4 % 1,433 6.2 %  Crude steel production decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, due to the optimization of inventories. Compared to 4Q15, production increased due to higher shipments and the rebuilding of inventories.  Shipments increased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, due to the gradual improvement in the non-residential construction industry. Compared to 4Q15, shipments increased due to seasonality. 9

Operating result North America BD

(R$ million) 1st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Net Sales 4,297 3,837 12.0 % 4,311 -0.3 % Cost of Goods Sold (3,995 ) (3,600 ) 11.0 % (3,948 ) 1.2 % Gross profit 302 237 27.4 % 363 -16.8 % Gross margin (%) 7.0 % 6.2 % 8.4 % EBITDA 355 254 39.8 % 396 -10.4 % EBITDA margin (%) 8.3 % 6.6 % 9.2 %  Net sales increased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, due to the effect from exchange variation in the periods (depreciation in the average price of the Brazilian real against the U.S. dollar of 36.0% in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15), which was offset by the decline in net sales per tonne sold in U.S. dollar. Compared to 4Q15, the stability in net sales was due to the lower net sales per tonne sold being offset by higher shipments.  Cost of goods sold increased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, due to the effects from exchange variation, which offset the lower cost per tonne sold in U.S. dollar. The slight improvement in gross margin in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15 was due to the higher dilution of fixed costs. Compared to 4Q15, the slight increase in cost of goods sold is explained by the higher shipments being partially neutralized by the lower cost per tonne sold resulting from the higher dilution of fixed costs. This increase in cost of goods sold, combined with the lower net sales, led gross margin to decline in 1Q16 compared to 4Q15.  EBITDA and EBITDA margin in 1Q16 in relation to 1Q15 increased faster than gross profit and gross margin, due to lower operating expenses in U.S. dollar. Compared to 4Q15, EBITDA and EBITDA margin decreased, following the performance of gross profit and gross margin. EBITDA (R$ million) and EBITDA Margin (%) South America BD Production and shipments South America BD

(1,000 tonnes) 1 st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4 th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Production of crude steel 320 303 5.6 % 333 -3.9 % Shipments of steel 505 540 -6.5 % 550 -8.2 %  Shipments in 1Q16 decreased compared to 1Q15 and 4Q15, with performances varying in the countries where Gerdau operates. 10

Operating result South America BD

(R$ million) 1 st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4 th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Net Sales 1,236 1,320 -6.4 % 1,481 -16.5 % Cost of Goods Sold (1,031 ) (1,163 ) -11.3 % (1,252 ) -17.7 % Gross profit 205 157 30.6 % 229 -10.5 % Gross margin (%) 16.6 % 11.9 % 15.5 % EBITDA 183 127 44.1 % 206 -11.2 % EBITDA margin (%) 14.8 % 9.6 % 13.9 %  Net sales decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15 due to the lower shipments. Cost of goods sold decreased faster than net sales due to the efforts to optimize costs made in recent quarters and to lower scrap costs.  Compared to 4Q15, the decrease in net sales and cost of goods sold is mainly explained by the effects from exchange variation resulting from the appreciation in the average price of the Brazilian real against the currencies of the countries where Gerdau operates and by the lower shipments.  Gross margin increased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15 and 4Q15, due to the efforts to reduce costs in this business division and to lower scrap costs.  EBITDA and EBITDA margin increased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15 and 4Q15, accompanying the performance of gross profit and gross margin. EBITDA (R$ million) and EBITDA Margin (%) Special Steel BD Production and shipments Special Steel BD

(1,000 tonnes) 1 st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4 th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Production of crude steel 736 859 -14.3 % 625 17.8 % Shipments of steel 632 696 -9.2 % 608 3.9 %  Crude steel production decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, due to the optimization of inventories in Brazil. Compared to 4Q15, production increased due to the rebuilding of inventories, especially in North America.  Shipments decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, which is explained by the sharp drop in demand from the auto industry in Brazil. Compared to 4Q15, shipments increased mainly due to good demand from the auto industry in North America, despite the weak performance of this industry in Brazil. 11

Operating result Special Steel BD

(R$ million) 1 st Quarter

2016 1 st Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/1Q15 4 th Quarter

2015 Variation

1Q16/4Q15 Net Sales 2,170 2,246 -3.4 % 2,185 -0.7 % Cost of Goods Sold (2,084 ) (2,036 ) 2.4 % (2,136 ) -2.4 % Gross profit 86 210 -59.0 % 49 75.5 % Gross margin (%) 4.0 % 9.3 % 2.2 % EBITDA 174 260 -33.1 % 151 15.2 % EBITDA margin (%) 8.0 % 11.6 % 6.9 %  Net sales decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, mainly due to lower shipments, with this impact partially mitigated by the effects from exchange variation on shipments at units located abroad. Compared to 4Q15, net sales did not follow the performance of shipments, but were neutralized by the reduction in net sales per tonne sold due to the less favorable geographic mix.  Cost of goods sold increased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, mainly due to the effects from exchange variation on the special steel operations at units abroad and the lower dilution of fixed costs resulting from the lower shipments. Compared to 4Q15, cost of goods sold decreased due to the lower cost per tonne sold. Gross margin decreased in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15, mainly due to the lower dilution of fixed costs and the lower profitability of units in Brazil and the United States. Compared to 4Q15, gross margin increased due to the higher profitability of special steel units, except in Brazil.  EBITDA and EBITDA margin in 1Q16 compared to 1Q15 decreased slower than gross profit and gross margin due to the higher depreciation in cost of goods sold. Compared to 4Q15, EBITDA and EBITDA margin increased, accompanying the performance of gross profit and gross margin. EBITDA (R$ million) and EBITDA Margin (%) THE MANAGEMENT This document contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on estimates, information or methods that may be incorrect or inaccurate and that may not occur. These estimates are also subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that include, among other factors: general economic, political, and commercial conditions in Brazil and in the markets where we operate, as well as existing and future government regulations. Potential investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance, given that they involve risks and uncertainties. Gerdau does not undertake and expressly waives any obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements, which are valid only on the date on which they were made. 12

GERDAU S.A. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS In thousands of Brazilian reais (R$) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents 4,730,025 5,648,080 Short-term investments Held for Trading 794,989 1,270,760 Trade accounts receivable - net 4,527,641 4,587,426 Inventories 8,117,680 8,781,113 Tax credits 659,687 673,155 Income and social contribution taxes recoverable 585,875 724,843 Unrealized gains on financial instruments 13,257 37,981 Other current assets 439,431 454,140 19,868,585 22,177,498 NON-CURRENT ASSETS Tax credits 77,144 77,990 Deferred income taxes 4,055,514 4,307,462 Unrealized gains on financial instruments 7,459 5,620 Related parties 60,162 54,402 Judicial deposits 1,773,325 1,703,367 Other non-current assets 402,471 490,583 Prepaid pension cost 118,847 140,388 Investments in associates and jointly-controlled entities 1,246,645 1,392,882 Goodwill 13,407,607 14,653,026 Other Intangibles 1,664,366 1,835,761 Property, plant and equipment, net 22,322,685 23,255,730 45,136,225 47,917,211 TOTAL ASSETS 65,004,810 70,094,709 13

GERDAU S.A. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS In thousands of Brazilian reais (R$) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade accounts payable 3,343,318 3,629,788 Short-term debt 2,463,842 2,387,237 Taxes payable 348,256 349,674 Income and social contribution taxes payable 61,918 140,449 Payroll and related liabilities 431,940 480,430 Employee benefits 14,967 18,535 Environmental liabilities 26,160 27,736 Unrealized losses on financial instruments 22,084  Other current liabilities 724,819 829,182 7,437,304 7,863,031 NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Long-term debt 20,992,573 23,826,758 Debentures 227,494 246,862 Related parties  896 Deferred income taxes 830,122 914,475 Provision for tax, civil and labor liabilities 1,999,823 1,904,730 Environmental liabilities 111,906 136,070 Employee benefits 1,582,297 1,687,486 Obligations with FIDC 896,147 853,252 Other non-current liabilities 640,962 690,766 27,281,324 30,261,295 EQUITY Capital 19,249,181 19,249,181 Treasury stocks (362,786 ) (383,363 ) Capital reserves 11,597 11,597 Retained earnings 6,915,923 6,908,059 Operations with non-controlling interests (2,877,488 ) (2,877,488 ) Other reserves 7,077,596 8,777,815 EQUITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE EQUITY HOLDERS OF THE PARENT 30,014,023 31,685,801 NON-CONTROLLING INTERESTS 272,159 284,582 EQUITY 30,286,182 31,970,383 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 65,004,810 70,094,709 14

GERDAU S.A. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME In thousands of Brazilian reais (R$) For the three-month period ended March 31, 2016 March 31, 2015 December 31, 2015 NET SALES 10,084,511 10,447,376 10,449,129 Cost of sales (9,271,833 ) (9,335,523 ) (9,662,584 ) GROSS PROFIT 812,678 1,111,853 786,545 Selling expenses (214,332 ) (179,519 ) (225,010 ) General and administrative expenses (429,554 ) (480,442 ) (430,299 ) Other operating income 47,224 56,851 86,573 Other operating expenses (7,409 ) (30,038 ) (30,269 ) Impairment of assets   (3,128,654 ) Equity in earnings of unconsolidated companies (7,581 ) 6,535 (43,812 ) INCOME BEFORE FINANCIAL INCOME (EXPENSES) AND TAXES 201,026 485,240 (2,984,926 ) Financial income 75,790 109,116 72,887 Financial expenses (525,102 ) (372,064 ) (519,077 ) Exchange variations, net 509,430 (651,254 ) 37,252 Gain and losses on financial instruments, net (21,520 ) 15,637 16,826 INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE TAXES 239,624 (413,325 ) (3,377,038 ) Current (33,308 ) (45,385 ) 77,784 Deferred (192,130 ) 726,071 129,737 Income and social contribution taxes (225,438 ) 680,686 207,521 NET INCOME (LOSS) 14,186 267,361 (3,169,517 ) (+) Impairment of assets   3,128,654 ADJUSTED NET INCOME (LOSS) * 14,186 267,361 (40,863 ) * Adjusted net income is a non-accounting indicator prepared by the Company, reconciled with the financial statements and consists of net income (loss) adjusted for extraordinary events that influenced the net income, without cash effect. 15
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 2, 2016

Cool Technologies, Inc. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Nevada 000-53443 75-3076597 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

8875 Hidden River Parkway Tampa, Florida 33637 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (813) 975-7467

N/A (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Section 8  Other Events

Item 8.01 Other Events.

By Order dated May 2, 2016, the United States District Court, District of Nevada fully and finally approved the Derivative Action Settlement Agreement (the "DASA") entered into by and between Cool Technologies, Inc. (the "Company"), Spirit Bear Limited, Timothy J. Hassett, Quentin D. Ponder, Judson W. Bibb, and Theodore H. Banzhaf in HPEV, Inc. v. Spirit Bear Limited 13-cv-01548 (JAD) (GWF)(D. NEV.). The final approval and Order also dismissed, with prejudice, the derivative case filed against the Company by Spirit Bear.

Pursuant to the terms of the DASA dated January 28, 2015, as amended effective May 1, 2015, an Independent Directors Committee consisting of directors Christopher McKee, Richard J. "Dick" Schul and Donald Bowman will review the allegations made by Spirit Bear to determine a proper corporate response. The Court specifically found, among other things, that:

1. "The DASA is fundamentally fair, reasonable, and adequate to the company and its shareholders; and that it is not the product of fraud or overreaching by, or collusion among, the negotiating parties;" 2. "The submission of the allegations contained in the derivative action to an Independent Directors Committee (the "IDC") as required by the DASA advances the general corporate principle that '(i)n managing the corporation's affairs, the board of directors may generally decide whether to take legal action on the corporation's behalf.' Shoen v. Sac Holding Corp., 122 Nev. 621, 632-633, 137 P.3d 1171, 1179, 2006 Nev. LEXIS 77, 18, 122 Nev. Adv.Rep. 57 (Nev. 2006);" 3. McKee, Schul and Bowman "were duly elected to the Board of HPEV by an election occurring on August 19, 2015 in which they each received the affirmative vote of a majority of the issued and outstanding shares in the company;" and, 4. "Within the context of the allegations set forth in the derivative complaint, the IDC members are both independent and disinterested."

Also pursuant to the terms of the DASA, Spirit Bear no longer has the right to appoint any nominees to the Board of Directors of the Company. The Company also agreed to file a registration statement on Form S-1 covering an aggregate of 14,845,072 shares of common stock, preferred stock and warrants on behalf of Spirit Bear and its assignees,

A complete and accurate copy of the fully executed January 28 settlement agreement, including a complete and accurate copy of the fully executed Derivative Action Settlement Agreement, was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an attachment to the Schedule 13D/A filed by Spirit Bear on March 13, 2015. A copy of the amendment effective May 1, 2015 is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.50. A copy of the Court's May 2, 2016 Order is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.51.

Section 9  Financial Statements and Exhibits

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

10.50 Settlement Agreement effective as of May 1, 2015 10.51 May 2, 2016 Court Order approving DASA and dismissing case

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Cool Technologies, Inc. Date: May 5, 2016 By: /s/ Timothy Hassett Timothy Hassett Chairman and CEO (Principal Executive Officer)

3

EXHIBIT 10.50

SETTLEMENT AND RELEASE AGREEMENT

This Settlement and Release Agreement (hereinafter, the " Agreement ") shall be effective as of May 1, 2015 (the " Effective Date ") by and between SPIRIT BEAR LIMITED ("Spirit Bear") and its Assignees, as such term is defined hereinafter in the final recital, and HPEV, INC. ("HPEV"); each of Spirit Bear and HPEV, individually a " Party " or collectively, the " Parties ".

WHEREAS, Spirit Bear and HPEV are parties to that certain Note and Warrant Purchase Agreement, dated as of August 9, 2012 (the "NWPA"), pursuant to which, among other things, Spirit Bear was issued warrants to purchase HPEV stock;

WHEREAS, Spirit Bear and HPEV are parties to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of December 14, 2012 (the "Purchase Agreement"), pursuant to which, among other things, Spirit Bear was issued warrants to purchase HPEV stock and HPEV preferred stock;

WHEREAS, Spirit Bear and HPEV are parties to that certain Settlement Agreement dated as of April 12, 2013 (the "2013 Settlement Agreement"), pursuant to which, among other things, Spirit Bear's conversion ratio from preferred to common stock was increased;

WHEREAS, the Parties are involved in the following lawsuits (collectively, the " Lawsuits "):

(i) HPEV, Inc. v. Spirit Bear Limited, Palmer and Olins 14-cv-9175 (PGG) (S.D.N.Y.); (ii) HPEV, Inc. v. Spirit Bear Limited 13-cv-01548 (JAD) (GWF) (D. Nev.), (iii) Hassett v. Palmer, et al., Index No. 14-004473 (NY Sup. Ct. Nassau Cnty.); (iv) Manhattan Transfer Registrar Company v. HPEV, Inc. and Michael Kahn 14-cv-6418 (ADS) (SIL) (E.D.N.Y.) (the "Interpleader Action"), and (v) Palmer, et al. v. HPEV, Inc. (Clark Cnty. Distr. Ct., NV, Case No. A-14-703641-B, Dept. XXV);

WHEREAS, the HPEV, Inc. v. Spirit Bear Limited 13-cv-01548 (JAD) (GWF) (D. Nev.) lawsuit includes various shareholder derivative claims which Spirit Bear has filed on behalf of HPEV and its shareholders (the " Shareholder Derivative Claims );

WHEREAS, the Parties entered into a Settlement and Release Agreement dated as of January 28, 2015, which agreement is not currently in effect;

WHEREAS, the Parties wish to enter into this Agreement to resolve with finality all issues related to and arising directly and indirectly from said NWPA, Purchase Agreement, and 2013 Settlement Agreement, as well as any and all disputes, claims and allegations of whatever nature among the Parties and their respective affiliates, specifically including but not limited to the Lawsuits and the Shareholder Derivative Claims (all together, the " Dispute ");

WHEREAS, the Parties have negotiated a settlement agreement applicable to the Shareholder Derivative Claims attached hereto as Exhibit A which requires court approval;

1

WHEREAS, without any admission of liability or fault, the Parties each desire to memorialize their agreement to settle the Dispute in its entirety and fully and finally release and settle all claims and/or counterclaims which were or could have been asserted in the Lawsuits (providing separately for the Shareholder Derivative Claims as addressed in Exhibit A hereto) as well as any other existing or potential claims among them, and to dismiss the Lawsuits with prejudice (providing separately for the Shareholder Derivative Claims as addressed in Exhibit A hereto), in order to avoid the continued expense, uncertainties and distraction of litigation, and therefore, through their authorized representatives have agreed to settle all matters that were or could have been asserted, all as set forth herein below; and

WHEREAS, for purposes of this Agreement, the Assignees of Spirit Bear include all holders of any interest in shares (common or preferred), warrants, or any other interest in HPEV obtained from or through Spirit Bear, specifically including Michael Kahn ("Kahn"), Robert Knoll ("Knoll"), Laurel Brown ("Brown"), Jay Palmer, Ray Adams ("Adams"), and Leonora Lorenzo ("Lorenzo"), and the entities owned or controlled in whole or in part by each or any of them; but specifically excluding Bruce W. Jaeger and any entities owned or controlled in whole or in part by him, as well as any and all parties that acquired shares that Spirit Bear, Adams, Kahn, and Lorenzo sold in the public market for such shares.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter set forth and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereto agree as follows:

1.0 THE SHARES AND WARRANTS

1.1-1 Spirit Bear, Kahn, Knoll, Brown, and Lorenzo represent that each has no ownership or other interest in any equity of HPEV, directly or indirectly, other than as enumerated in Section 1.0 of this Agreement, as of the Effective Date. The summary in Table 1.1-1 and Table 1.2-1 of this Agreement is an accurate tabulation by each (of Spirit Bear, Kahn, Knoll, Brown, and Lorenzo) of its total interest in HPEV (such preferred shares, common shares, warrants, and common shares derivable pursuant to the exercise of such warrants, being referred to collectively hereinafter as the "Shares"), with which summary HPEV agrees for purposes of this Agreement.

Table 1.1-1

Common Shares Spirit Bear - Preferred as if converted 7,000,000 Spirit Bear - Common Shares 500,000 Michael Kahn Common Shares 216,018 Leonora Lorenzo Common Shares 190,871 Robert Knoll 81,055 Laurel Brown 40,441 Total: 8,028,385

1.1-2 Spirit Bear represents that neither it nor its Assignees have made an assignment of any interest in any of the Shares to Carrie Dwyer, Donica Holt, Robert Olins, or other persons not specifically identified herein, and acknowledges that HPEV is relying upon such representation in entering into this Agreement.

2

1.2 Warrants

1.2-1 Spirit Bear and Lorenzo will, within three (3) business days following the Effective Date, deliver their respective warrants to Spirit Bear's counsel, and HPEV will, within three (3) business days following the Effective Date, deliver new warrants (identical to the existing warrants except as to the issue date and strike price) as set forth hereinafter in Table 1.2-1, to HPEV's counsel. The Parties' respective counsels shall then, by the fourth (4th) business day following the Effective Date, exchange warrant documents for delivery to HPEV and to Spirit Bear and Lorenzo, respectively. The warrant positions of Spirit Bear and Lorenzo as of the delivery provided for in this paragraph by HPEV of the new warrants shall be as follows, without regard to the existence or possession of earlier-issued warrants (all of which shall be deemed void as of the date upon which new warrants are delivered pursuant to this Section):

Table 1.2-1

Warrants Quantity Strike Price Expiration Date Series A - Spirit Bear 1,800,000 $ 0.25 1/29/2017 Series B - Spirit Bear 1,800,000 $ 0.25 1/29/2017 Series C - Spirit Bear 1,800,000 $ 0.25 1/29/2017 Series A - Lorenzo 200,000 $ 0.25 1/29/2017 Series B - Lorenzo 200,000 $ 0.25 1/29/2017 Series C - Lorenzo 200,000 $ 0.25 1/29/2017 Penalty Warrants 1,000,000 $ 0.25 12/14/2015

1.2-2 Subject to the quantities, strike prices, and expiration dates specified above in Table 1.2-1, Spirit Bear shall be entitled to exercise at its discretion the 1,000,000 Penalty Warrants and its Series 'A', Series 'B', and Series 'C' warrants, and Lorenzo shall be entitled to exercise her Series 'A', Series 'B', and Series 'C' warrants (all such Penalty Warrants and Series 'A', Series 'B', and Series 'C' warrants owned by Spirit Bear and by Lorenzo being referred to hereinafter collectively as the "Warrants") in accordance with the terms of said Warrants, and to sell the shares issuable upon the due exercise of the Warrants in an amount not to exceed the volume restrictions under Rule 144 on a quarterly basis, without regard to whether Rule 144 otherwise might apply to Spirit Bear or Lorenzo. Spirit Bear acknowledges that it is an affiliate of HPEV and shall remain an affiliate so long as it continues to hold sufficient securities in HPEV to be considered an affiliate under the rules and regulations promulgated by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The reference to Rule 144 in this paragraph is for convenience only in expressing a contractual volume limitation hereunder and should in no way be interpreted or construed to imply that Spirit Bear is obligated to otherwise comply with Rule 144 or that such compliance is an alternative to the obligation of HPEV with respect to registration of the Shares as required in Section 1.3 hereof. 1.2-3 In the event that HPEV shall not electronically deliver to either Spirit Bear and/or Lorenzo (the "Exercising Party"), any or all common shares in connection with a warrant exercise within five (5) trading days of receipt of the Notice of Exercise (as provided in the warrant agreements), HPEV shall weekly pay to the Exercising Party liquidated damages per day equal to the product of (1) the quantity of warrants that the Exercising Party shall have elected to exercise, multiplied by (2) Two Cents ($0.02). The Parties' agreement to liquidated damages shall in no way diminish HPEV's obligation to timely deliver such shares and Spirit Bear and Lorenzo shall be entitled to enforce these obligations of HPEV by injunctive relief and/or specific performance without posting a bond.

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The obligation to pay the foregoing liquidated damages to the Exercising Party as provided in this Section 1.2-3 is expressly conditioned on:

(i) Spirit Bear and/or Lorenzo providing an accurately completed Notice of Exercise form (as included in the warrant agreements, a copy of which is annexed hereto as Exhibit B) containing the information required therein; and (ii) The absence of an impediment to HPEV's strict compliance with this Section resulting from either:

a. regulatory action (whether a formal action or any written letter of instruction) by any governmental entity of competent jurisdiction charged with oversight over such transaction, evidenced in writing and delivered to the Exercising Party's counsel; or b. force majeure; and

(iii) If such warrant exercise occurs prior to the date upon which the Registration Statement (as defined in paragraph 1.3-1) shall be declared effective by the SEC (the "Registration Date"), the Exercising Party providing an opinion letter to HPEV in compliance with Rule 144 of the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC ("Rule 144 Opinion Letter") in connection with the sale of the shares to be derived pursuant to the warrant exercise. The obligation to provide such opinion letter shall not be applicable after the Registration Date.

1.2-4 In the event that HPEV shall not electronically deliver to Spirit Bear any or all common shares in connection with the conversion of preferred shares within five (5) trading days of written notice from Spirit Bear that it is exercising its conversion rights, HPEV shall weekly pay to Spirit Bear liquidated damages per day equal to the product of (1) the quantity of common shares that Spirit Bear shall have elected to receive upon conversion, multiplied by (2) Two Cents ($0.02). The Parties' agreement to liquidated damages shall in no way diminish HPEV's obligation to timely deliver such shares and Spirit Bear shall be entitled to enforce these obligations of HPEV by injunctive relief and/or specific performance without posting a bond.

The obligation to pay the foregoing liquidated damages to Spirit Bear as provided in this Section 1.2-4 is expressly conditioned on:

(i) The absence of an impediment to HPEV's strict compliance with this Section resulting from either:

a. regulatory action (whether a formal action or any written letter of instruction) by any governmental entity of competent jurisdiction charged with oversight over such transaction, evidenced in writing and delivered to Spirit Bear's counsel; or b. force majeure; and c. If such conversion occurs prior to the Registration Date, Spirit Bear providing a Rule 144 Opinion Letter to HPEV in connection with the sale of the common shares to be derived pursuant to the conversion. The obligation to provide such opinion letter shall not be applicable after the Registration Date.

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1.2-5 Force Majeure

(i) HPEV shall have the burden of proof with respect to any claim of force majeure and HPEV shall notify counsel for Spirit Bear by telephone, or such other method as shall be most practicable (using the contact information in Section 3.6 hereof), within twelve (12) hours following the beginning of an occurrence of force majeure, followed by notice in writing within three (3) business days of an occurrence of force majeure. (ii) In the event that electronic delivery of shares in connection with the conversion of preferred shares and/or the exercise of warrants under this agreement shall not be possible due to an event of force majeure, Spirit Bear and/or Lorenzo may direct HPEV and/or its transfer agent that certificates evidencing the shares due to them be physically delivered, to such address or addresses as Spirit Bear and/or Lorenzo shall at that date provide, by overnight courier.

In the event that under the circumstances of this subparagraph Spirit Bear and/or Lorenzo shall direct next-day physical delivery of share certificates and HPEV fails to comply with such direction, then HPEV shall pay liquidated damages to Spirit Bear and/or Lorenzo as provided in Section 1.2-3 and/or 1.2-4. Such liquidated damages obligation shall commence on the third (3 rd ) business day following the date upon which Spirit Bear and/or Lorenzo shall direct HPEV and/or its transfer agent to make overnight delivery and shall continue until the date upon which the certificates shall be received by Spirit Bear and/or Lorenzo. The Parties' agreement to liquidated damages shall in no way diminish HPEV's obligation to timely deliver such shares and Spirit Bear shall be entitled to enforce these obligations of HPEV by injunctive relief and/or specific performance without posting a bond.

1.3 Registration

1.3-1 HPEV shall, by not later than fifteen (15) business days following the Effective Date, file (and do all that it can to perfect as necessary or appropriate) with the SEC a new S-1 Registration Statement applicable to the Shares (the "Registration Statement"; and the date upon which HPEV shall file the Registration Statement being sometimes referred to hereinafter as the "Registration Filing Date") and, at HPEV's discretion, up to a maximum of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand (2,500,000) additional common shares (such additional shares being limited to newly issued shares sold by HPEV only during the period from the Effective Date through the Registration Filing Date), and shall take all such actions as shall be required of it to have such registration statement declared effective by the SEC (recognizing that the SEC is not subject to the control of HPEV) as soon as possible (including, but not limited to, submitting a request for acceleration of effectiveness at the earliest possible date).

HPEV shall thereafter maintain the Registration Statement in effect continuously and at all times subject to the approval of the SEC (recognizing that the SEC is not subject to the control of HPEV) for so long as Spirit Bear shall own any Shares. In addition, for so long as Spirit Bear shall own any Shares, HPEV shall refrain from any action which may result in the Registration Statement not being in effect for any period exceeding three (3) trading days.

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1.3-2 Commencing on the Registration Date and continuing so long as Spirit Bear shall own any Shares, in the event that HPEV fails to comply with the requirements of Section 1.3-1 above (recognizing that the SEC is not subject to the control of HPEV), HPEV shall weekly pay to Spirit Bear, Kahn, Knoll, Brown, and/or Lorenzo, respectively, liquidated damages per day equal to the product of (1) the aggregate total of the common shares attributable to all Shares owned by each of them as of the first date upon which the Registration Statement is not in effect, multiplied by Two Cents ($0.02). In addition, Spirit Bear, Kahn, Knoll, Brown, and Lorenzo shall be entitled to enforce this obligation of HPEV by injunctive relief and/or specific performance without posting a bond. 1.3-3 Spirit Bear agrees that, as of the date upon which the Registration Statement shall be filed by HPEV with the SEC, it shall have no further rights to appoint nominees to the Board of Directors of HPEV under the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Bylaws of HPEV, or otherwise.

2.1 FURTHER OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES AND ASSIGNEES 2.2 Holdover Directors

2.1-1 Board of Directors members Palmer, Holt and Dwyer (the "SBL Holdover Directors") shall each tender his or her written resignation from the HPEV Board of Directors within three (3) days following the Effective Date, which resignation shall state that it is effective as of the Effective Date. The SBL Holdover Directors shall deliver their resignations to Spirit Bear's counsel to be held in escrow until the business day following the date upon which HPEV shall file the Registration Statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, as provided for in Section 1.3 hereof, at which date the resignation letters shall be delivered to HPEV through its counsel or as otherwise directed. The obligations of this paragraph shall be enforceable by injunctive relief or specific performance without bond as against the SBL Holdover Directors.

2.3 No Admission

2.2-1 Nothing in this Agreement shall constitute (1) an admission of liability, wrongdoing or responsibility by either Party, or (2) any agreement by either Party as to the validity of any of the positions advanced by the other Party in connection with the Dispute. Rather, each Party expressly denies such liability, wrongdoing or responsibility. 2.2-2 Neither this Agreement nor any part of it may be used in any way against either Party except in an action to enforce, or seek damages for the breach of, this Agreement.

2.4 Releases

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2.3-1 Release of Spirit Bear . As of the Registration Date, HPEV and its officers, directors, members, managers, equity owners, agents, representatives, heirs and direct and indirect affiliates and their respective successors and assigns (collectively, the "HPEV Releasors") irrevocably and unconditionally release, forever discharge, covenant not to sue, indemnify and hold harmless Spirit Bear and its employees, stockholders, officers, directors, agents, counsel, representatives and direct and indirect affiliates and respective successors and assigns, and all persons, firms, corporations, and organizations acting on their behalf (collectively referred to as the "Spirit Bear Related Persons") of and from any and all actions, causes of actions, suits, debts, charges, demands, complaints, claims, administrative proceedings, liabilities, obligations, promises, judgments, agreements, controversies, collection efforts, damages and expenses (including but not limited to compensatory, punitive or liquidated damages, attorney's fees and other costs and expenses incurred), of any kind or nature whatsoever, in law or equity, whether presently known or unknown (collectively, the "Claims"), solely excepting any action to enforce this Agreement and/or seek damages under this Agreement pursuant to Section 3.2, which HPEV and/or any of the HPEV Releasors ever had for, upon, or by reason of any matter, cause, or thing whatsoever from the beginning of time against Spirit Bear or any of the Spirit Bear Related Persons. Without limiting the foregoing, HPEV and the HPEV Releasors each jointly and severally expressly acknowledge that its release provided for in this Section 2.3 is intended to include in its effect, without limitation, all Claims which have arisen and of which it knows, does not know, should have known, had reason to know, suspects to exist or might exist in its favor at the time of the signing, including, without limitation, any Claims relating directly or indirectly to Spirit Bear, including, without limitation any and all actions which have been or could have been brought against Spirit Bear or any Spirit Bear Related Person as a result of the NWPA, the Purchase Agreement, the 2013 Settlement Agreement, the Dispute, the Lawsuits or any other matter directly or indirectly among HPEV or any HPEV Related Person and Spirit Bear or any Spirit Bear Related Person, and that this release shall extinguish all such Claims. This release shall be binding upon each of HPEV and each HPEV Releasor and their respective partners, officers, directors, stockholders, employees, agents, representatives, personal representatives, heirs, assigns, successors and affiliates, and shall inure to the benefit of Spirit Bear and each of the respective Spirit Bear Related Persons.

2.3-2 Release of HPEV. As of the Registration Date, Spirit Bear and its officers, directors, members, managers, equity owners, agents, representatives, heirs and direct and indirect affiliates, including its Assignees, and their respective successors and assigns (collectively, the "Spirit Bear Releasors") irrevocably and unconditionally release, forever discharge, covenant not to sue, indemnify and hold harmless HPEV and its employees, stockholders, officers, directors, agents, counsel, representatives and direct and indirect affiliates and respective successors and assigns, and all persons, firms, corporations, and organizations acting on their behalf (collectively referred to as the "HPEV Related Persons") of and from any and all Claims, solely excepting any action to enforce this Agreement and/or seek damages under this Agreement, which Spirit Bear and/or any of the Spirit Bear Releasors ever had for, upon, or by reason of any matter, cause, or thing whatsoever from the beginning of time against HPEV or any of the HPEV Related Persons, specifically including but not limited to the following:

(a) any and all derivative claims and to the extent permissible by law the Shareholder Derivative Claims addressed in Exhibit A hereto; (b) any claims associated with the negative pledge held by Spirit Bear assignee Jaeger; and (c) any actual or threatened claims for indemnification.

Without limiting the foregoing, Spirit Bear and the Spirit Bear Releasors each jointly and severally expressly acknowledge that its release provided for in this Section 2.3 is intended to include in its effect, without limitation, all Claims which have arisen and of which it knows, does not know, should have known, had reason to know, suspects to exist or might exist in its favor at the time of the signing, including, without limitation, any Claims relating directly or indirectly to HPEV, including, without limitation any and all actions which have been or could have been brought against HPEV or any HPEV Related Person as a result of the NWPA, the Purchase Agreement, the 2013 Settlement Agreement, the Dispute, the Lawsuits or any other matter directly or indirectly among Spirit Bear or any Spirit Bear Releasor and HPEV or any HPEV Related Person, and that this release shall extinguish all such C l a i ms, including the Shareholder Derivative Claims. This release shall be binding upon each of Spirit Bear and each Spirit Bear Releasor and their respective partners, officers, directors, stockholders, employees, agents, representatives, personal representatives, heirs, assigns, successors and Assignees, and shall inure to the benefit of HPEV and each of the respective HPEV Related Persons.

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2.4 Lawsuits

Upon the Registration Date, HPEV and Spirit Bear, and the assignees and representatives of each, agree to dismiss (or, as with respect to the Interpleader Action, cause to be dismissed) with prejudice the Lawsuits (including to the extent permissible by law the Shareholder Derivative Claims as addressed in Exhibit A), each Party to bear its own costs, expenses and attorneys' fees in connection therewith. The Parties hereby stipulate and agree that as of the Effective Date, to the fullest extent of their ability, any and all discovery or other deadlines in or associated with the Lawsuits are and shall be treated as stayed or held in abeyance until such time as the Lawsuits are dismissed, all discovery (including third-party discovery) is and shall be withdrawn, and that they shall make any such court filings as are appropriate in furtherance of effecting a complete standstill of all litigation related to the Lawsuits; and, with the exception that both parties recognize that HPEV has filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") Preliminary Proxy Statements dated December 24, 2014, and January 21, 2015, in which notice for a shareholders' meeting has been provided, no annual meeting or special meeting of the shareholders shall be publicly noticed, scheduled or held, or any action of any nature taken by HPEV (including its management, management directors, advisory board members, and all HPEV Related Persons) with respect to the filing with the SEC of a Definitive Proxy Statement and/or the composition of the HPEV Board of Directors, until, at the earliest, the day after the Registration Date, regardless of a demand from any shareholder, specifically including Mark Hodowanec, for an earlier meeting.

2.5 The Parties agree to seek to obtain a complete dismissal of all Shareholder Derivative Claims. The Parties agree to execute, implement, and submit for court approval the settlement agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A, and to request and do all other acts and things required to obtain dismissal of the Shareholder Derivative Claims. In the event that the settlement agreement attached as Exhibit A is not approved by the court, then the Parties shall work in good faith to obtain a dismissal of the Shareholder Derivative Claims through whatever means are available to them, both Parties to share equally in any resulting additional cost associated with such means.

2.6 Each of the Parties agrees that (i) it shall not make any public disparaging statements regarding the other; (ii) the text of any press release or other disseminated announcement or explanation of this settlement (other than regulatory filings, which are provided for under (iii) hereof) shall be mutually agreed to in writing prior to its release, dissemination or publication; (iii) and so long as the Spirit Bear Holdover Directors shall be members of the HPEV Board of Directors, any portion of public filings by HPEV with the SEC addressing this settlement (but no other portion of any public filing with the SEC) shall require the approval of a majority of the voting members of the HPEV Board of Directors (including the Spirit Bear Holdover Directors); provided, however, that if a majority of the voting members of the HPEV Board of Directors are unable to agree on language in a public filing with the SEC specifically addressing this settlement, then the language below in Section 2.6(a) may be used without separate approval by the HPEV Board of Directors or otherwise, and in any event the portions of such filing not directly addressing this settlement shall not be impacted or conditioned in any way by this Section 2.6.

(a) Absent approval of settlement-related language by a majority of the HPEV Board of Directors as specified above in this Section 2.6, the Company shall, and agrees to, describe the settlement using the following language: "The Company has reached an agreement with Spirit Bear Limited and its affiliates and assignees ("Spirit Bear") which, upon the registration by HPEV of certain specified securities held by Spirit Bear and its affiliates and assigns, would permanently resolve, settle, dismiss, and release all actual and potential claims among them (except for breaches under the settlement agreement itself, if any were to arise) without liability therefor, including provisions for the orderly separation of Spirit Bear and persons associated with Spirit Bear from control, or oversight as to the operations of the Company. A copy of the agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit [ ]."

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3.0 MISCELLANEOUS

3.1 Binding Agreement

This Agreement is binding on the Parties, including their respective Releasors, and their respective successors, heirs, legal representatives, and assigns. Each Party represents to the other that the Party is the sole owner of the claims, causes of action, and/or rights released herein by the Party, and no such claims, causes of action, and/or rights, or any part thereof, have been assigned or conveyed. The undersigned representative for each Party certifies that he or it is fully authorized by the Party whom he or it represents and such Party's Releasors specifically including its affiliates to enter into the terms and conditions of this Agreement and to commit fully and bind such Party and its Releasors (specifically including its affiliates) according to the provisions hereof.

3.2 Governing Law and Forum

This Agreement, including all matters of construction, validity and performance, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of New York without giving effect to the choice of law or conflicts of law provisions thereof. The Parties hereby consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of the State of New York for enforcement of this Agreement, resolution of any dispute, claim, or liability of any sort arising from or related to this Agreement or any matter addressed by this Agreement, including the Lawsuits.

3.3 Counterparts This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Electronically scanned signatures (such as PDFs) shall be considered original signatures for all purposes. 3.4 Integration This Agreement reflects the entire agreement and understanding between the Parties, the HPEV Releasors, and the Spirit Bear Releasors with respect to the settlement contemplated here, and supersedes any and all other prior and contemporaneous negotiations, correspondence, understandings and agreements between the Parties, whether oral or written, regarding such subject matter (specifically including the January 28, 2015, Settlement and Release Agreement, which is superseded hereby). No agreements altering or supplementing the terms hereof may be made except by means of a written document, explicitly referencing this Agreement, signed by the duly authorized representatives of the Parties. 3.5 Construction and Joint Preparation This Agreement shall be construed to effectuate the mutual intent of the Parties. The Parties and their counsels have cooperated in the drafting and preparation of this Agreement, and this Agreement therefore shall not be construed against any Party by virtue of its role as the drafter thereof. No drafts of this Agreement shall be offered by any Party, nor shall any draft be admissible in any proceeding, to explain or construe this Agreement. The headings contained in this Agreement are intended for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be a part of or to affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

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3.6 Notices

Spirit Bear's counsel for receipt of notices and other performance as specified in this Agreement shall be:

Joseph A. Liebman, Esq.

Bailey Kennedy, LLP

8984 Spanish Ridge Avenue

Las Vegas, NV 89148

Telephone: 1-702-853-0750

Email: [email protected]

HPEV's counsel for receipt of notices and other performance as specified in this Agreement shall be:

David Lubin

David Lubin & Associates, PLLC

108 S. Franklin Avenue, Suite 10

Valley Stream, NY 11580

Telephone: 1-516-887-8200

Email: [email protected]

3.7 Further Assurances. From time to time, the Parties agree to do such further acts and things and to execute and deliver such additional agreements and instruments as may be necessary to give effect to the purposes of this Agreement and the Parties' agreement and understandings hereunder. 3.8 Neither the failure nor any delay on the part of any Party to exercise any right, remedy, power, or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of that right, remedy, power, or privilege. No waiver of any right, remedy, power, or privilege with respect to any particular occurrence shall be construed as a waiver of such right, remedy, power, or privilege with respect to any other occurrence. 3.9 In any action or proceeding to enforce the terms of this Agreement, or to redress any violation of this Agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover as damages (in addition to any damages awarded) its attorney's fees and costs incurred, whether or not the action is reduced to judgment. For the purposes of this provision, the "prevailing party" shall be that party who has been successful with regard to the main issue, even if that party did not prevail on all the issues.

Signatures follow on the next two pages.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have each caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized respective representatives.

SPIRIT BEAR LIMITED HPEV INC. By: /s/ Jay Palmer By: /s/ Timothy Hassett Name: J a y Palmer Name: Timothy Hassett Title: President Title: CEO SPIRIT BEAR LIMITED Representative HPEV INC. By: /s/ Robert Alan Olins By: /s/ Theodore Banzhaf Name: Robert Alan Olins Name: Theodore Banzhaf Title: President ROBERT ALAN OLINS Individually HPEV INC. By: /s/ Robert Alan Olins By: /s/ Quentin D. Ponder Name: Robert Alan Olins Name: Quentin D. Ponder Title: CFO SPIRIT BEAR LIMITED Representative HPEV INC. By: /s/ Carrie Dwyer By: /s/ Judson Bibb Name: Carrie Dwyer Name: Judson Bibb Title: HPEV Director Title: Vice President and Secretary SPIRIT BEAR LIMITED Representative MARK HODOWANEC

Individually (as to  2.3-1 and 2.4) By: /s/ Donica Holt By: /s/ Mark Hodowanec Name: Donica Holt Name: Mark Hodowanec Title: HPEV Director

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SPIRIT BEAR LIMITED Assignee THEODORE BANZHAF Individually (as to  2.3-1 and 2.7) By: /s/ Robert Knoll /s/ Theodore Banzhaf Name: Robert Knoll Theodore Banzhaf

SPIRIT BEAR LIMITED Assignee TIMOTHY HASSETT Individually (as to  2.3-1) By: /s/ Laurel Brown /s/ Timothy Hassett Name: Laurel Brown Timothy Hassett SPIRIT BEAR LIMITED Assignee QUENTIN D. PONDER Individually (as to  2.3-1) By: /s/ Leonora Lorenzo /s/ Quentin D. Ponder Name: Leonora Lorenzo Quentin D. Ponder SPIRIT BEAR LIMITED Assignee JUDSON W. BIBB III Individually (as to  2.3-1) By: /s/ Michael Kahn /s/ Judson W Bibb III Name: Michael Kahn Judson W. Bibb III SPIRIT BEAR LIMITED Assignee By: /s/ Ray Adams Name: Ray Adams

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EXHIBIT A

DERIVATIVE ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

WHEREAS, the parties acknowledge that Spirit Bear has filed a Third Party Claim against Third-Party Defendants Timothy J. Hassett ("Hassett"), Quentin D. Ponder ("Ponder"), Judson W. Bibb III ("Bibb"), Theodore H. Banzhaf ("Banzhaf'), Mark M. Hodowanec ("Hodowanec"), and nominal Counter-defendant HPEV ("SBL Derivative Action") (collectively Hassett, Ponder and Bibb are sometimes hereinafter referred to as "Management Directors").

WHEREAS, in the SBL Derivative Action, Spirit Bear has filed the action "derivatively on behalf of HPEV against the company's managing officers and directors for issuing equity or debt without authority and for taking unauthorized and excessive compensation." [See Case 2:13-cv- 01548-JAD-GWF, Dkt 119, paragraph 5].

WHEREAS Hodowanec has been dismissed from the SBL Derivative Action based upon a lack of personal jurisdiction over him.

WHEREAS it is the intent of the parties through the Settlement and Release Agreement to which this Derivative Action Settlement Agreement is attached as Exhibit A (the "DA Settlement Agreement") to settle all actions and claims by and among them including but not limited to the SBL Derivative Action.

WHEREAS the parties acknowledge that Fed.R.Civ.P. 23.1(c) provides as follows: "A derivative action may be settled, voluntarily dismissed, or compromised only with the court's approval. Notice of a proposed settlement, voluntary dismissal, or compromise must be given to shareholders or members in the manner that the court orders."

WHEREAS Spirit Bear's claims for relief in the SBL Derivative Action allege two principal wrongdoings by HPEV and its management including the Management Directors: i.e. (1) that management took unauthorized and excessive compensation and (2) management issued debt or equity without authority.

WHEREAS HPEV and the Third Party Defendants deny the allegations.

WHEREAS HPEV's claims for relief against Spirit Bear seek, among other things, a declaratory judgment from the Court that all executive compensation has been duly authorized and all debt or equity issued by HPEV was properly authorized.

WHEREAS Spirit Bear further made a demand upon HPEV to rescind the management compensation and the allegedly unauthorized debt or equity issuances and Spirit Bear alleges that the Management Directors of HPEV wrongfully denied this demand.

WHEREAS upon a proper demand under Article II, Section 3 of HPEV's bylaws, HPEV intends to hold a Special Meeting of Shareholders to elect successor directors to Jay Palmer, Carrie Dwyer and Donica Holt.

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WHEREAS Palmer, Dwyer and Holt were Spirit Bear designees to the HPEV Board and the Management Directors have reported that Palmer, Dwyer, and Holt failed to receive a majority vote of the shareholders at the Annual Meeting on January 13, 2014, which meeting and election are deemed unauthorized by Spirit Bear.

WHEREAS the United States District Court, District of Nevada has declared that Palmer, Dwyer and Holt serve as "holdover directors" until their successors are elected, until they resign, or until they are removed.

WHEREAS three nominees have been chosen by the Management Directors to run for three director positions on the HPEV Board: Christopher McKee ("McKee"), Richard J. "Dick" Schul ("Schul"), and Donald Bowman ("Bowman").

WHEREAS Spirit Bear on December 19, 2014 submitted its own nominees for the HPEV Board of Directors.

WHEREAS McKee, Schul and Bowman, if elected, will constitute "Independent Directors" (for the purposes of this Derivative Settlement Agreement only) who have no stake in the outcome of the litigation between HPEV and Spirit Bear;

WHEREAS the "Independent Directors," using their sound business judgment, will be able to evaluate the merits of SBL's allegations set forth in the SBL Derivative Action and to determine HPEV's proper business response thereto based upon that evaluation.

NOW THEREFORE for good and valuable consideration the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged and the mutual promises, performances, covenants and agreements of the parties, the parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

1. Stipulation and Order to Dismiss, With Prejudice

The parties hereby agree to file a Stipulation and Order to Dismiss, With Prejudice, the SBL Derivative Action, subject to the approval of the Court to the terms of this Settlement Agreement.

2. Formation of Independent Directors Committee

Upon completion of the Special Meeting of Shareholders to be noticed following the Registration Date in the Settlement and Release Agreement, in part, to elect successor directors for Palmer, Dwyer and Holt, the parties agree that the Independent Directors elected thereat shall form an Independent Directors Committee ("IDC").

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3. IDC Review of Spirit Bear's Derivative Claims

The IDC shall review the merits of Spirit Bear's Derivative Claims as set forth in the SBL Derivative Action. Exercising their sound business judgment, the IDC shall determine the appropriate corporate response of HPEV to the claims for relief raised in the SBL Derivative Action. The IDC shall have the sole and absolute discretion to take any appropriate responsive action including but not limited to (a) ratification of any and all actions previously undertaken under the authority of the Board; (b) filing a lawsuit against any and all Management Directors setting forth similar or identical claims as those set forth in the SBL Derivative Action; (c) settling, with or without litigation, any and all claims HPEV may have against any and all Management Directors on terms and conditions they deem in the best interest of HPEV; and/or taking such other action as they determine is in the best interest of HPEV. IDC action shall be deemed valid and enforceable if undertaken pursuant to a majority vote of the Independent Directors although the number of IDC members may not be a quorum of all directors of HPEV.

4. Unanimous Director Approval of Formation of IDC

The signatures below of the Management Directors (Hassett, Ponder and Bibb) and the holdover directors (Palmer, Dwyer and Holt) constitute the unanimous written consent of the current directors of HPEV to establish the IDC and to give them such authority as is set forth herein. To the extent a court of competent jurisdiction determines that any amendment(s) to the bylaws is required to establish the IDC and to give them the authority set forth herein, this consent shall be further construed as a vote to amend the bylaws to so provide.

5. Spirit Bear Release Extends to Derivative Claims

The release of HPEV by Spirit Bear and its Assignees as set forth in the Settlement and Release Agreement includes any and all claims that Spirit Bear has asserted in a derivative capacity for and on behalf of HPEV in the SBL Derivative Action. Spirit Bear agrees that it has waived and released any and all such claims against the released parties, including but not limited to the Third Party Defendants in the SBL Derivative Action, regardless of what action, if any, the IDC chooses to take as a result of the authority it is granted herein. The intent of this provision is to prevent Spirit Bear from being deemed a proper party to refile a new derivative action based upon the actions of the IDC in the event Spirit Bear disagrees with the actions approved by the IDC in handling the allegations set forth in the SBL Derivative Action and a court should construe this language accordingly.

6. Notice to Shareholders: Cooperation

The parties agree to cooperate in good faith to obtain court approval of the settlement of the SBL Derivative Action. Such cooperation includes but is not limited to providing such notice to shareholders of this Settlement Agreement as is necessary pursuant to Fed. R. Civ.P. 23.1(c) and/or as the Court directs.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have each caused this DA Settlement Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized respective representatives.

SPIRIT BEAR LIMITED HPEV INC. By: /s/ Jay Palmer By: /s/ Timothy Hassett Name: J a y Palmer Name: Timothy Hassett Title: President Title: CEO and Director HPEV INC. HPEV INC. By: /s/ Jay Palmer By: /s/ Theodore Banzhaf Name: J a y Palmer Name: Theodore Banzhaf Title: Director Title: President HPEV INC. HPEV INC. By: /s/ Carrie Dwyer By: /s/ Quentin D. Ponder Name: Carrie Dwyer Name: Quentin D. Ponder Title: Director Title: CFO and Director HPEV INC. HPEV INC. By: /s/ Donica Holt By: /s/ Judson Bibb Name: Donica Holt Name: Judson Bibb Title: Director Title: Vice President, Secretary, and Director

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EXHIBIT 10.51
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): May 4, 2016

GANNETT CO., INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

Delaware 1-36874 47-2390983 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.)

7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, Virginia, 22107-0910

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(703) 854-6000

(Registrants telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

x Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01. Other Events.

On May 4, 2016, Gannett Co., Inc. (Gannett) received a letter from Tribune Publishing Company (Tribune) rejecting Gannetts proposal to acquire Tribune for $12.25 per share in cash. Gannett issued a press release responding to Tribunes letter on May 4, 2016. The press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report and is incorporated herein by this reference.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

99.1 Press Release of Gannett Co., Inc., dated May 4, 2016

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Gannett Co., Inc. Date: May 5, 2016 By: /s/ Barbara W. Wall Barbara W. Wall Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit

No. Description 99.1 Press Release of Gannett Co., Inc., dated May 4, 2016

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gannett Responds to Tribune Publishing Companys May 4, 2016 Rejection of All-Cash,

Premium Proposal

Reiterates Commitment to the Transaction

Intends to Solicit Withhold Votes in Order to Advance Shareholders Interests

Calls for Disclosure of Support for Tribune Boards Recent Decision to

Issue Shares to Tribune Chairman at $8.50 Per Share

MCLEAN, Va. May 04, 2016  Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) (Gannett or the Company) today commented on Tribune Publishing Companys (NYSE: TPUB) (Tribune) May 4, 2016 rejection of Gannetts highly compelling, all-cash premium proposal to acquire the entire Tribune company for $12.25 per share.

The purportedly comparable trading values and comparable acquisition multiples presented in the Tribune rejection letter on May 4, 2016 are misleading because they are based on inappropriate selections of public companies and transactions. If Tribunes Board and advisors view Gannetts $12.25 per share proposal to be undervalued, the Tribune Board should release its analysis to Tribune shareholders to justify its issuance of shares to Michael Ferro at $8.50 per share in February 2016.

John Jeffry Louis, Chairman of the Gannett Board of Directors, said, This announcement reaffirms our concern from the outset that Tribunes Board never intended to engage with us, necessitating that we make our proposal public. It is unfortunate that Tribunes Board would deny their shareholders this compelling, immediate and certain cash value by rejecting our offer without making a counterproposal or otherwise negotiating or providing any constructive feedback. Our requests for access to due diligence that may enable us to improve our proposal continue to be denied to the detriment of Tribunes stockholders. Gannett has the financial capacity to fund this all-cash offer and our Board and management team are ready to negotiate a transaction with Tribune and committed to making this a reality. We have initiated a proxy campaign to solicit withhold votes in connection with the election of all eight nominees to the Tribune Board. This campaign will allow all Tribune stockholders the opportunity to send a clear message to Tribunes Board that it should substantively engage with Gannett regarding its proposal. Send a clear message to the Tribune Board: Vote WITHHOLD for each nominee.

Robert J. Dickey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gannett, said, Gannett believes in the importance of journalistic excellence, local editorial independence, high standards and integrity. We are committed to investing the resources necessary to ensure that the communities Tribune serves have access to outstanding journalistic content for years to come. Furthermore, our track record demonstrates that Gannett is committed to maintaining journalistic independence and brand identity at all of our current and future publications. A combination with Tribune would strengthen the flagship brands of both companies. Gannett is best positioned to advance Tribunes publications and journalism as Gannetts strategy to grow the USA TODAY NETWORK would seamlessly extend to Tribune.

Gannetts $12.25 per share all-cash proposal to acquire all of Tribune assets represents a 63 percent premium to Tribunes closing stock price on April 22, 2016, the day prior to announcing the proposal and a 58 percent premium to the volume weighted average trading price over the past 90 days. The $12.25 per share offer price also represents a significant premium to the $8.50 share price at which Tribune recently issued common shares to its chairman Michael Ferro. The $8.50 share price represented a discount of $0.50 or six percent from Tribunes closing stock price on February 3, 2016, the day prior to the announcement of Michael Ferros investment.

Methuselah Advisors is acting as the exclusive financial advisor and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is serving as legal counsel.

ABOUT GANNETT

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a new kind of media company committed to strengthening communities across the nation. Through trusted, compelling content and unmatched local-to-national reach, the company touches the lives of more than 100 million people monthly. With more than 120 markets internationally, it is known for Pulitzer Prize-winning newsrooms, powerhouse brands such as USA TODAY and specialized media properties. To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this communication may be forward looking in nature or constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the proposed acquisition of Tribune by Gannett and the benefits of the proposed acquisition. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can typically be identified by words such as believe, expect, estimate, predict, target, potential, likely, continue, ongoing, could, should, intend, may, might, plan, seek, anticipate, project and similar expressions, as well as variations or negatives of these words. Any such statements speak only as of the date the statements were made and are not guarantees of future performance. The matters discussed in these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, trends, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things, the ability of Gannett and Tribune to agree to the terms of the proposed transaction and, in the event a definitive transaction agreement is executed, the ability of the parties to obtain any necessary stockholder and regulatory approvals, to satisfy any other conditions to the closing of the transaction and to consummate the proposed transaction on a timely basis, as well as changes in business strategies, economic conditions affecting the newspaper publishing business and Gannetts ability to successfully integrate Tribunes operations and employees with Gannetts existing business. Additional information regarding risks, trends, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in Gannetts filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Gannetts annual report on Form 10-K. Any forward-looking statements should be evaluated in light of these important risk factors. Gannett is not responsible for updating or revising any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Gannett filed a preliminary proxy statement and an accompanying GOLD proxy card with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on May 2, 2016, which will be used to solicit withhold votes with respect to the election of all of the director candidates nominated by Tribune for election at Tribunes 2016 annual meeting of stockholders. This communication is not a substitute for such preliminary proxy statement. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF TRIBUNE ARE URGED TO READ SUCH PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT, AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WITH RESPECT TO GANNETTS SOLICITATION REGARDING TRIBUNES 2016 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SOLICITATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of these documents (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC through the web site maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

This communication does not constitute an offer to buy or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. This communication also relates to a proposal that Gannett has made for a business combination transaction with Tribune. In furtherance of this proposal and subject to future developments, Gannett (and, if a negotiated transaction is agreed, Tribune) may file one or more proxy statements or other documents with the SEC. This communication is not a substitute for any proxy statement or other document Gannett and/or Tribune may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction.

INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF TRIBUNE ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENTS OR OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Any definitive proxy statement with respect to the proposed transaction (if and when available) will be mailed to stockholders of Tribune. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of these documents (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC through the web site maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

Gannett and its respective directors, executive officers and other employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to Tribunes 2016 annual meeting of stockholders. This communication does not constitute a solicitation of a proxy from any stockholder with respect to the proposed transaction. However, Gannett and/or Tribune and their respective directors, executive officers and other employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. You can find information about Gannetts directors and executive officers in Gannetts definitive proxy statement for its 2016 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 23, 2016, and Gannetts annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2015, which was filed with the SEC on February 25, 2016. You can find information about Tribunes directors and executive officers in Tribunes definitive proxy statement for its 2016 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 19, 2016. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants will be included in one or more proxy statements or other relevant documents filed with the SEC if and when they become available. You may obtain free copies of these documents using the sources indicated above.

CONTACT:

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:

Amber Allman, 703-854-5358

Vice President, Corporate Communications

[email protected]

or

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

Joele Frank / Michael Freitag / Ed Trissel, 212-355-4449

FOR INVESTOR INQUIRIES:

Michael Dickerson, 703-854-6185

Vice President, Investor Relations

[email protected]

or

Innisfree M&A Incorporated

Art Crozier / Jennifer Shotwell / Larry Miller, (212) 750-5833
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): May 4, 2016



Innospec Inc.

__________________________________________

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware 1-13879 98-0181725 _____________________

(State or other jurisdiction _____________

(Commission ______________

(I.R.S. Employer of incorporation) File Number) Identification No.) 8310 South Valley Highway, Suite 350, Englewood, Colorado CO 80112 _________________________________

(Address of principal executive offices) ___________

(Zip Code)

Registrants telephone number, including area code: (303) 792 5554

Not Applicable

______________________________________________

Former name or former address, if changed since last report

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

Innospec Inc. (the "Company") held its Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 4, 2016. The matters voted upon and the results of such voting are set forth below. Each proposal is described in more detail in the Company's Proxy Statement filed and provided to stockholders in connection with the meeting.



Proposal 1 - Re-election of two Class III Directors







Patrick S. Williams



For 20,413,405

Withheld 808,574

Non Votes 1,853,176





Lawrence J. Padfield



For 20,375,809

Withheld 846,170

Non Votes 1,853,176



Proposal 2 - Election of one Class III Director



David F. Landless

For 20,824,097

Withheld 397,882

Non Votes 1,853,176



Proposal 3 - Advisory approval of the Company's executive compensation



Compensation

For 21,073,012

Against 107,035.50

Abstain 41,931.50

Non Votes 1,853,176



Proposal 4 - Ratification of the appointment of the Company's independent registered public accounting firm



Auditors

For 22,902,671.50

Against 158,010.00

Abstain 14,473.50

Non Votes 0









SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Fonterra has put eight of its Farm Source stores up for sale to free up cash.

It is gradually divesting itself of ownership of all of the buildings, but will continue on as a tenant.

Owning retail stores is not part of Fonterra's core business. Instead the company needed to focus on what it did well, Farm Source stores director Jason Minkhorst said.

"Selling the stores releases capital that can be used much more effectively across our core business in order to deliver a return to our farmers," Minkhorst said.

READ MORE:

* Fonterra farmer council on verge of reform plan vote

* Whole milk powder continues its slow recovery, world dairy prices drop 1.4 pc

Morrinsville, Matamata, Ngatea, Putaruru, Opunake, Shannon, Manaia and Galatea are all on the chopping block.

But this is nothing new, selling buildings and leasing back is part of Fonterra's long term strategy, he said.

Waikato dairy farmer Jacqui Hahn believed it was an interesting time for Fonterra to make the decision to sell.

"I hope that they know what they are doing. I hope they use it to pay down debt," Hahn said of the cash injection the dairy conglomerate would receive.

"It's a wee bit interesting they are doing it now."

Her husband pointed the sales out to her on Tuesday, and was unsure why the company was doing it as the advertisements were the first indication she had of the building sales.

Hahn believed the question was what Fonterra was going to use the cash for.

There could be savings made by leasing buildings, she said.

Federated Farmers Waikato president Chris Lewis said it was an increasing trend for large companies to sell off property and lease it back, pointing to Harvey Norman, Noel Leeming, The Warehouse and ANZ as examples of this practise.

"It seems to be what all the big retailers in New Zealand are doing at the moment," Lewis said in support of Fonterra's decision.

"Paying for your lease is tax deductible, right."

As for the timing with the dairy downturn, Lewis did not believe there was too much to read into it.

"I guess the timing is just a coincidence, who knows."

Another rural company, PGG Wrightson, was also in the process of selling its buildings with the intention of becoming a lessee.

It currently has seven properties on the market - Oamaru, Gore, Fairlie, Tapanui, Kurow, Roxburgh and Tuatapere.

PGG agent Mark Gunning agreed with Lewis - the timing was simply a coincidence and there was a trend for businesses to get rid of building assets.

"A lot of big companies believe they don't need to have their money tied up in buildings," Gunning said.

It just freed up money to do other things, he said.
Albania's unemployment rate reaches 17.5 pct in 2015

2016-05-05 08:08

TIRANA, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The unemployment rate in Albaniaduring 2015 was 17.5 percent, Albanian National Institute ofStatistics (INSTAT) informed on Wednesday.

Number of unemployed in Albania stood at 223,864 persons in2015, INSTAT said on Wednesday.

The unemployment rate for males of the age group from 15-64 was17.5 percent and 17.4 percent for females. Compared to 2014, theunemployment rate has slightly dropped by 0.4 percent.

Analysis of the unemployment rate by educational level showsthat in Albanian labor market in 2015 unemployment rate is higheramong persons with upper secondary education (20.4 percent)followed by those with university education (19.1 percent).Enditem
Engineering is growing faster than anything else at the University of Waikato, Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley says.

Budding civil and environmental engineers will soon be able to study in the Waikato.

Enrolments in various engineering specialties at the University of Waikato are already growing about 10 per cent a year, Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley said - "faster than anything else in the university".

And soon there will be two more specialist study areas: civil and environmental engineering.

Engineering graduates are in short supply and a Government-backed group is encouraging more people into the area.

READ MORE:

* "Make the World" project engineers change

* Skill shortages tipped as student numbers plummet

* Quake exposes skill shortages

* Engineer shortage to hit infrastructure projects

"Basically, our market research said that [civil engineering] continues to be an area where there's huge demand, partly because the infrastructure requirements of New Zealand are so great," Quigley said.

"We're just building roads at a frantic rate and at the moment it's hard to see any end to that, really."

Waikato has offered engineering courses since 2002 and now has about 500 students.

It's on track to see that number double in five or six years, Quigley said.

And that would suit the industry, which is crying out for local graduates and has been bringing expertise in from overseas.

About 2750 new graduates - from technicians to professional engineers - are needed each year, according to a 2010 National Engineering Education Plan.

As at mid-2015, civil and environmental engineers were on Immigration New Zealand skill shortages lists.

A group of industry stakeholders is working to increase the number of Kiwi graduates and launched the Government-backed Make the World campaign in May.

The campaign aims to alter perceptions of the industry.

At Waikato University, the plan is to run a key paper for civil or environmental engineering in the second semester of 2016 and start the full programmes in 2017.

"We think there's a regional demand, there're regional challenges in civil engineering. There's ongoing recruitment of civil engineers from overseas," senior lecturer Dr Graeme Glasgow said.

"During the planning and approvals process for the new engineering programmes, we were getting inquiries from existing and prospective students asking about whether civil engineering was available or would be available."

To Glasgow's knowledge, Waikato would be the only university to offer environmental engineering as a stand-alone degree programme. Other offer it within other engineering options.

Environmental engineers look at the environmental effects of a project, such as on soil or in terms of noise levels, and could be solving past problems such as soil contamination or dealing with waste disposal and treatment.
Flooding in Porirua as the Wellington region is hit with heavy rain.

Porirua is bearing the brunt of a torrential downpour in the region, with at least five schools closed and many streets drenched in surface flooding.

Porirua workers who can stay at home were advised to do so today because of surface flooding in the centre of the city and surrounding areas, Porirua City Council spokeswoman Maggie Tait said.

There are reports of flooding in Elsdon, the central city, Titahi Bay, Waitangirua and Cannons Creek.

VIRGINIA FALLON/FAIRFAX NZ There has been heavy flooding near Porirua School.

Five Porirua schools are known to have closed due to flooding.

They are: Porirua School, Porirua East School, Maraeroa School, Mana College and Paremata School.

All roads in Porirua have now reopened, including State Highway 58, the NZ Transport Agency posted on its public facebook page.

1 of 8 VIRGINIA FALLON/FAIRFAX NZ Vehicles drive through flood waters in Porirua. 2 of 8 SUPPLIED Flooding at Maraeroa School in Porirua. 3 of 8 ROBERT KITCHIN/FAIRFAX NZ People got caught out by the rain along Wellington's Lambton Quay. 4 of 8 ROBERT KITCHIN/FAIRFAX NZ It was a bleak day even from the safety of dry public transport. 5 of 8 TOM HUNT/FAIRFAX NZ A student wades through flood water near the Basin Reserve. 6 of 8 ROBERT KITCHIN/FAIRFAX NZ Pedestrians in central Wellington broke out their wet weather gear for the first time in a long time on Thursday. 7 of 8 VIRGINIA FALLON/FAIRFAX NZ There has been heavy flooding near Porirua School. 8 of 8 KATIE CHAPMAN/FAIRFAX NZ Wellington's Lambton Quay is flooding as heavy rain hits the capital on Thursday

Is there heavy rain or flooding in your area? Send your photos and videos to newstips@stuff.co.nz

At Maraeroa School, near Porirua College, the reception area and junior classrooms flooded early, principal Kathleen O'Hare said.

MetService MetService Severe Weather Warning Thursday 5th May

The school remained open for several hours in the morning, though parents who had rung to check were told to keep their children at home, but the school was closed by 11.30am.

O'Hare said children were "quite oblivious to water coming into the other side of the classroom," during the morning.

The fire service were called in the hope it could pump water out of the rooms, O'Hare said.

"The water is almost up to the office desk, it's 3-4 metres into the admin area."

She expected the flooding would cause some damage, though staff had tried to move things off the ground.

Porirua College, Tawa College, Titahi Bay Intermediate and Bishop Viard College all remained open.

The Fire Service has responded to multiple callouts in Porirua with surface flooding in many streets.

IN THE CAPITAL

Wellington City Council responded to about 24 flooding related jobs before 10am.

Kilbirnie, Tawa, Lyall Bay and near the Basin Reserve were the hot spots, council spokesman Clayton Anderson said.

"We have contractors out but if people spot potential flooding and can clear the drains safely themselves then that would help the situation."

He said that because Wellington had been dry the autumn leaves had been falling, but were now being washed into drains causing the problems.

Cobham Court is closed due to flooding, please steer clear. pic.twitter.com/hKgLQUFwFL  Porirua City Council (@Porirua_City) May 4, 2016

Calls have come in about flooding in areas including Rugby St, near the Basin Reserve, Wadestown, Cuba St, Lyall Bay, Hutt Rd, and Newtown.

READ MORE:

* Fine weather continues for most of the South Island

* Hot weather continues with highs hitting mid-20s

* Do forecasts of an extremely warm May ahead mean 2016 might be winterless?

* Take me to the April sun in Cuba St: high pressure to thank for blissful Wellington weather

* Summer's reign not yet at an end in Taranaki thanks to 'unseasonably' warm start to May

* Warm weather sees pests booming with 10cm spiders and 'two-foot rats'

MetService issued a severe rain warning for northwest Nelson, Wellington, Horowhenua and Kapiti as a complex trough crosses central New Zealand on Thursday morning.

A warning was issued that streams and rivers were likely to rise rapidly and slips were possible.

"For Wellington, after such a prolonged period of dry weather, surface flooding is possible as drains may struggle to cope with the short duration heavy rain and an influx of autumn leaves," MetService's warning said.

A wet day for the capital, Kapiti, & parts of the upper South Island tomorrow. https://t.co/Yjbq0jxdqz ^CL pic.twitter.com/oZTRa8Uyrv  MetService (@MetService) May 4, 2016

Between 7am and 1pm on Thursday in Wellington, up to 60mm of rain was expected, with up to 25mm in an hour.

Tawa had 20.4mm of rainfall between 8am and 9am this morning, meteorologist Claire Flynn said.

The rain was unusually heavy, Flynn said.

"Usually we say 6mm of rain in one hour is heavy and they have gone well beyond that."

Flynn said the weather arrived due to a front that was sitting over the region.

In Horowhenua, Kapiti and the Tararua ranges, heavy rain was expected to ease this afternoon. Up to 90mm of rain was expected between 7am and 3pm, with up to 25mm per hour.

In the ranges northwest of Nelson, up to 30mm could fall between 7am and 9am on Thursday.

It's about time it rained. Plants need watering. So do your socks. May the 5th be a #wet one. #Wellington #soggy  Taranaki St Puddle (@TaranakiPuddle) May 4, 2016

Surface flooding was made more likely as the ground in the Wellington region had become hard after a long period of warm, dry weather, Flynn said.

The rain was easing and moving north by midday, heading for Horowhenua and the Kapiti Coast, MetService communications meteorologist Lisa Murray said.

"The heaviest stuff has moved off Porirua, they just have a few showers left.

"It will slowly move north but we're not expecting the same accumulations."

The capital would remain muggy throughout the day, following another hot night with temperatures already sitting close to the expected high for the day  18 degrees Celsius  at 8am.

While the wet weather would continue through Thursday, the front was weakening and cloud was expected to clear by Sunday, making way for a fine end to the weekend.

Further North, Auckland was in for a cloudy day with a few showers in the afternoon.

Adams said the country's largest city would have another warm, muggy day with a high of 22C.

Things were looking better down south, with a ridge of high pressure sitting over the South Island.

Christchurch was in for a high of 19C on Thursday, with the city becoming fine in the afternoon. Ashburton is in for much of the same, with a high of 18C.

Over on the West Coast, Greymouth and Hokitika can expect highs of 18C, rain clearing in the morning, then fine skies.

Adams said the high temperatures spread across the country were unusual for this time of year.

The average maximum temperature for May was about 16C, so New Zealand was tracking towards a record-breaking month.
The wreckage of a Robinson R66 helicopter, which crashed near Turangi on March 9, 2013, killing pilot Mark Didsbury.

Pilots of a popular make of helicopter have been warned to avoid flying in high winds and turbulence after one of the machines broke up in the air before crashing near Turangi.

Wairarapa pilot Mark Didsbury, 39, died in March 2013 when the Robinson R66 he was flying suffered "mast bump".

That meant the main rotor blade struck the fuselage, causing the helicopter to break up in-flight.

SUPPLIED Mark Didsbury was killed in a Robinson R66 helicopter crash near Turangi on March 9, 2013.

In a report released on Thursday, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission said turbulence was "very likely" a factor in the accident.

READ MORE:

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* Man killed in Lindis Pass helicopter crash named

* Choppers in safety scare before fatal Queenstown crash



"The helicopter's light gross weight and relatively high speed at the time would have exacerbated the effects of any turbulence," the report said.

It was the first crash of an R66 in New Zealand and, at the time, only the fifth in the world for the relatively new helicopter.

The R66 is a larger variation on the popular Robinson 22 and 44 which are in wide use around the country.

Didsbury had been working for the helicopter's owner, Taupo-based Helisika, and had been flying the machine from its base at Poronui Station, a luxury fishing lodge east of Turangi.

He had 492 hours' flight experience, including 154 hours flying the R66, and was the only one aboard when it crashed on a ridge in the Kaweka Range.

Didsbury was described at the time as a hard worker and a very generous man who loved his job, and whose death "left a massive hole" for those who knew him.

His brother, Guy Didsbury, said on Thursday authorities had kept the family informed as the investigation into the accident had progressed.

While he was not an aviation expert and had not read TAIC's final report, "it certainly seems there's a potential issue with [the helicopters]".

Three years on, Mark, who left behind a long-term partner, Louise Nix, was still "very much missed and it's still pretty raw at times", his brother said.

In its report, TAIC said of the seven fatal R66 crashes reported since the helicopter came into service in 2010, four had been similar to Didsbury's accident, and similar events had occurred with the smaller R22 and R44 Robinsons.

TAIC had recommended to the Civil Aviation Authority that it publicise recent amendments to the Robinson R66 and R44 pilot's operating handbooks that caution against flying in high winds and turbulence, and which advise pilots to reduce power and speed if turbulence is expected or encountered.

But the CAA said it did not consider the move necessary because the information was readily available to helicopter operators.

Sign up to receive our new evening newsletter Two Minutes of Stuff  the news, but different.
"I'm a good person, but I've done drugs, I've had illicit sex," says Michael Godfrey.

The dean of Napier Cathedral has been stood down by the Anglican Church  for an affair he had 25 years ago.

Michael Godfrey says he confessed his adultery years ago, and felt the church had not offered him redemption.

However the Church claims it was the first the New Zealand clergy had heard of it.

CHRIS HILLOCK/ FAIRFAX NZ Bishop Andrew Hedge has headed the Waiapu diocese since 2014.

He was a 30-year-old married priest when he had an affair in 1991 with an 18-year-old woman in Australia.

"What I have been is always upfront about my feet of clay," he said on Thursday, after being banned from performing priestly duties by the Bishop of Waiapu, Andrew Hedge.

"I've counselled people who have done the same thing that I've done. I've never in my time as priest claimed that I'm faultless.

"I'm a good person, but I've done drugs, I've had illicit sex."

He said Hedge broke the news to him on Wednesday, but he had known since February that he was under investigation.

Godfrey, originally from the Kapiti Coast, claimed he informed his bishop in Australia 25 years ago about the 10-day affair, and had not strayed since.

Both his former and current wives already knew of the adultery, and he was baffled as to why it was being dredged up decades later.

"It happened in my history. I made a mistake, I've never denied that to anybody ... it was absolutely a [mistake] and I'm not making any excuses for what happened.

"I've done as much chastising of myself as humanly possible over the years."

He said his wife was "pretty gutted". "This is something that obviously we've worked through."

The couple have been told they have six months to leave their church accommodation at Napier's Waiapu Cathedral of St John the Evangelist, where he has been dean for almost three years.

On Thursday night he was packing his bags for Australia, where he hoped to wait out the fallout from his shock dismissal.

He said he was informed last year that he was investigated during Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

He claimed he was cleared during the inquiry, and never was able to learn much of the nature of the allegation against him, nor who his accuser was.

A statement issued by Hedge's representative stressed that Godfrey's sin was not a criminal act, but a breach of church law.

"The decision is the outcome of a church disciplinary process for a historic matter of behaviour, unrelated to the Diocese of Waiapu, deemed to be a breach of church canons, rather than illegal, and not expected of a priest in the Anglican Church."

Godfrey has been a priest for 27 years. He was vicar of Christ Church in Whangarei from 2007 to 2011.

He said there was a "difference in opinion" between the church and him as to whether the matter of his affair was flagged up appropriately in New Zealand. He was considering whether to fight the decision.

"My feeling is that there hasn't been due process or natural justice in terms of the process of dismissal."

The church's website lists Godfrey as being "on leave".

A spokesman for the Anglican Church said Godfrey may have informed his Australian bishop of his extramarital affair, but "it is the first that his bishop, now in New Zealand, has heard of it".

There had been a thorough investigation into the matter, and it was inappropriate to comment on how it was brought to the church's attention, he said.

The length of Godfrey's stand-down had not yet been decided, but once it was over, the "door is open for him to come back".
TGH allowed stock to graze on a block consented only for forestry near Lake Taupo.

Tainui Group Holdings has outed itself as the company behind the rule breach designed to protect Lake Taupo after the regional council withheld its details.

But Waikato Regional Council has been taken to task by the Green Party for not naming the Waikato-Tainui commercial arm from the outset.

In a statement issued on Monday, council said a company and a landholder in the Lake Taupo catchment breached the rules and were issued with a formal warning.

Council farming services manager Nicole Botherway later said the company, TGH, has a right to privacy due to the low-level nature of the offending despite there being no legal precedent to withhold the name.

READ MORE: Regional council hands out more warnings over nitrogen leaching in Lake Taupo

"Protecting the identity of companies that pollute is not the job of the regional council," Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty said.

"Good on Tainui Groups Holdings for fronting up and being a bit more honest than the Waikato Regional Council."

TGH did no ask for anonymity and there are no rules prohibiting their identity being released, Botherway said.

"It's our general practice not to give out names of parties who receive formal warnings or fines ... However, we do name people in cases we publicise after prosecutions, provided we have the court's permission to do so."

TGH received the formal warning for grazing cattle at a farm north of Lake Taupo meant to be used for forestry.

The breach occurred during the winter of 2015 at Puketapu Road, about 30 kilometres west of Taupo.

A neighbour invited TGH to use the four hectare property near Marotiri which has different conditions for nitrogen loading than land used for grazing cattle.

TGH's head of primary industries Tama Potaka said young beef cattle were on the property for three weeks.

"On becoming aware of this situation, we removed the cattle immediately and self-reported the breach to Waikato Regional Council," Potaka said.

Members of the public also reported the breach.

Potaka said TGH recognises the obligations that come with kaitiakitanga or stewardship of land and waterways.

He said TGH apologises.

"We support the need for appropriate controls on nitrate levels and sincerely regret and apologise for our inadvertent failure to support the protections on this occasion," he said.

"As a result of this breach we have also reviewed our processes for all stock movements including increased verification of permissions received from third parties in any given grazing situation."
One gym member cheekily snapped a selfie beside the no-selfie sign in a Christchurch gym.

A gym chain has launched a review to consider a national ban on selfies in 22 locations around New Zealand.

The Cityfitness investigation was sparked when the company's Christchurch gym tried to ban selfies because upset members didn't like ending up in the background of Facebook posts and YouTube videos.

Porirua-based Cityfitness training and development manager Lisa Brown said the Christchurch Moorhouse gym responded to members' concerns but an investigation was necessary to consider whether a national selfie ban was appropriate.

A sign has been removed for now but was at the front of the Moorhouse Ave gym, telling members selfies were prohibited.

READ MORE:

* Amy Schumer slams guy who harassed her for a selfie

* Selfie stick on a rollercoaster = fail

* Selfie stick bans in effect at tourist hotspots

BraunS Gym members were upset they ended up in the background of other people's selfies.

In 2014, Cityfitness introduced a blanket ban on excessive grunting.

The rule, which met with opposition from self-confessed grunters, was introduced after the company was taken over by Canadian fitness magnate David Patchell-Evans.

Brown said Cityfitness launched a review after a recent increase in complaints from members and concerns about privacy.

Members were unhappy because they ended up in other people's photos and videos.

"Taking of pictures and videos is now prohibited if seen you will be asked to stop," the sign said.

Brown said the company would gather information from its 22 gyms.

"Because of the issue we are going to launch a national investigation.

"We are investigating."

She said there was an increase in complaints from members who were being photographed or filmed in the background as other people snapped selfies or filmed themselves working out.

"Just recently in the last two weeks there have been quite a few complaints from members about people taking photos in the gym.

"That prompted a club manager [in Christchurch] to try to take action on it at a local level.

"For us to put a national ban in place we need to investigate it fully."

She said managers were encouraged to take steps to deal with any unacceptable behaviour in their gyms but it was important to have a consistent policy in all the company's locations.

Selfie sticks, which, mercifully, do not seem to have made it into gyms, have been banned in numerous places around the world, particularly tourist hotspots.

Music festivals, museums and popular sights, such as the Colosseum in Rome, have all banned selfie sticks.

There have also been numerous fatal incidents involving selfies and selfie sticks.

Sign up to receive our new evening newsletter Two Minutes of Stuff - the news, but different.
A drunk Hamilton nightclub patron's hand was damaged so badly during his arrest that he required surgery.

But a report has found the police were justified in using the force they did to load him into a police van, jamming his hand.

However, the Independent Police Conduct Authority report - released on Thursday -also found the actions of one officer to control him was unauthorised and should not have been used.

The man laid a complaint about police following his arrest outside a nightclub in the city on April 17, 2015.

He claimed police hit him on the cheek and stomach, used excessive force when taking him to the van and caused his hand injury when loading him in.

He also complained that an officer made an offensive comment to him a few weeks after the incident.

According to the report police had gone to arrest the man for disorderly behaviour at 2.45am.

They placed him in the police van where he lost his balance and jammed his hand between the door and seat.

As police drove him to Hamilton central police station on Bridge St, officers realised his hand was stuck.

Instead they took him straight to Waikato Hospital where he underwent surgery for his injuries.

"This was a difficult situation, in which police had to load an intoxicated and uncooperative prisoner into a police van," Authority Chair, Judge Sir David Carruthers, said

"Unfortunately, he lost his balance as the rear door was being closed and, unknown to the officers, his hand was crushed.

"The officers could not reasonably have foreseen this occurring, and acted swiftly to get him medical attention."

Carruthers ruled that police did not use excessive force in arresting the man and taking him to the police van. After reviewing CCTV footage and hearing from officers, Carruthers found there was no evidence the man was struck.

They had also accidently injured the prisoner's hand loading him into the van.

"However, the tactic used by one officer to control him was not an approved tactic and should not have been used."

The officer had used a pressure point technique behind the ear lobe to subdue him. It was taught in the NZ police force 10 years ago but no longer approved.

He also ruled the officer also failed to act in a professional manner when talking to the man a few weeks after the incident when she joked about his injured finger.

Waikato District Commander, Superintendent Bruce Bird said police accepted the findings from the IPCA report.

"Police accept the findings that a officer did not act within the values of NZ Police when communicating with the man several weeks later. These are difficult and challenging incidents to deal with.

"The subsequent debrief has made our staff aware of other courses of action that can be considered in such circumstances."

No further comment could be made on the specifics due to employment reasons, he said.

Police also reviewed the use of this particular type of prisoner transport van, which concluded that the vehicle was fit for purpose.
The University of Waikato says it has shielded the education faculty for as long as it can.

Falling teacher trainee numbers mean about 25 jobs may go at the University of Waikato.

The university has announced a proposal to cut 16.28 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions from the faculty of education.

The university says it has shielded the education faculty for as long as it can.

About 30 people would be affected by the proposal - which suggests cutting 16.28 FTE jobs and creating six new ones.

It was a shock for members, Tertiary Education Union national president Sandra Grey said.

READ MORE:

* Civil and environmental engineering courses come to Waikato

* First jobs hard to find for primary teachers in the Waikato

* Targeted investment and retirement plans at University of Waikato

"They're also a little bit baffled by the proposal. They don't understand the rationale," Grey said.

Staff members had been told in meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. Grey said they knew there had been a deficit for the faculty in 2015, but falling teacher trainee enrolments were an ongoing issue across the sector, not just Waikato.

"They know there were some issues, but certainly at the moment they are just trying to fathom why on earth this is seen to be the best solution."

But changes had to be made due to consistent falls in enrolment figures, University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley said.

"With three years in a row of falls in enrolments, we've reached the point where we just can't wait any more to adjust staffing levels."

Most other areas of the university had seen growth, so had essentially been subsidising the shortfall in education, he said.

"We have been able to shield the faculty of education from some of the problems that the fall in revenue associated with falling student numbers created while we waited to be sure it was a medium-term trend rather than just a short-term trend."

The faculty has about 300 FTE staff, who have until May 27 to give feedback on the proposal.

Th University also wants to appoint a private provider to manage its Pathways College, which covers pre degree and English language courses.

"It's really a change in management we're proposing, as opposed to a more radical change," Quigley said.

An external provider could bring a strong recruitment network for the university to tap into, and it's anticipated staff will transfer to the new provider.

Victoria University of Wellington is looking in a similar direction and has proposed to outsource its foundation studies programme for international students.

A Waikato staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity said staff members were worried more staffing changes could be to come at the university.

The Pathways move came as a surprise to all, and staffers were worried about who their new employer would be and how the transition would affect employment conditions or recognition of long service.
A lawyer is requesting police records for a "gang of thugs" in the South Canterbury town of Waimate.

Police have turned a blind eye to a "gang of thugs" with a "reputation in Waimate for roaming the streets", a lawyer has suggested in court.

Christchurch barrister Steven Rollo, is asking for police to release documents about the group, in order to help him defend his client.

Jonathan Cyril van Kleef is charged with attacking a member of the group with a torch during a street brawl in the South Canterbury town on November 15.

He intends to argue he was defending himself.

Rollo argues police in Waimate have failed to press charges against the group before, and wants documents from the police National Intelligence Application database about the "thugs" to help van Kleef's case.

At a pre-trial hearing at Timaru District Court on Thursday, police opposed handing over the files.

Police prosecutor sergeant Simon Heeley questioned their relevance to the alleged assault and said providing them would be "too onerous".

Heeley also took issue with Rollo's description of the "gang" but conceded there "has been some anti-social behaviour".

Rollo told Judge Christopher Somerville "even the local sergeant refers to them as a gang" and said the group had a "well-known reputation in Waimate for roaming the streets and beating people up".

"The records the police have will establish that".

He gave an example of police allegedly refusing a complaint about one group member throwing a bottle from a car.

Rollo further claimed evidence existed of the group meeting the morning the fight and "colluding, getting their stories straight".

Heeley said allegations of witnesses colluding might also be levelled at the defence.

Rollo said threats to burn van Kleef's niece's house down were made the night of the alleged assault.

He said van Kleef was looking for her at the scene of the confrontation when the "thugs" set upon him and "hit him around the head with a four by two".

"Sounds to me like an average Friday or Saturday night in Waimate," Rollo joked.

He told the judge "the local constabulary don't take a lot of complaints or press charges" against the "gang".

The judge declined to rule on Rollo's application for the documents, but set down directions for a further hearing, including the type of documents police might have to provide and how they would have to provide them.

Rollo said he wanted documents dating back five years, or until "the start of the pattern of this behaviour".

Heeley said some of the people in question were still teenagers and police did not normally disclose records from people's younger years "in any matters".

He also warned police risked being asked to "track down files that may or may not exist".

However, the judge said although police records from when members of "the group" were younger might "water down the weight of evidence", he saw no reason to limit their availability.

He noted police had offered Rollo a list of criminal convictions for members of the group, but said it was clear the defence believed that was "just the tip of an iceberg of seriously anti-social behaviour".

The judge remanded van Kleef on bail until the next hearing, which was notionally set down for August 25.
Creating magic on screen

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-05-05 09:43

Mark Osborne, director of Kung Fu Panda and The Little Prince, gives a speech at the recently concluded 12th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival in Hangzhou.[Photo by Xu Fan/China Daily]

Chinese fans first encountered Mark Osborne with Kung Fu Panda, which became the first animation film to earn more than 180 million yuan in the country. Nearly a decade later, the American animator is still looking for something new. Xu Fan reports.

With two Oscar-nominated films and a hit animation movie in China under his belt, Mark Osborne can easily stay in his comfort zone.

But the New Jersey-born animator wants to achieve more.

He wants to create "something new and different", he tells China Daily during a recent visit to Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang province.

Osborne was there with Disney Animation Studios' president Andrew Millstein and Oriental DreamWorks' chief creative officer Melissa Cobb, to give a class to Chinese animation film professionals at the just-ended 12th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival.

Chinese fans first encountered the 45-year-old director and writer through the 2008 smash hit Kung Fu Panda, which was the first animation film to earn more than 180 million yuan ($27.7 million) in China, and top the animation box-office charts that year.

Osborne says DreamWorks Pictures' story creators watched Chinese martial arts blockbusters Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero to develop panda Po's kung fu skills.

He was in the news again last year for the French animation film The Little Prince, which received critical acclaim for its use of stop-motion and CGI (computer generated imagery).

[Photo provided to China Daily]

The movie, adapted from French writer and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery's namesake novella, was released in the Chinese mainland in October.

"I love stop-motion! It reminds me of my childhood," says Osborne, in a hotel near White Horse Lake in southeastern Hangzhou.

Osborne says when he first saw stop-motion film shooting as an animation student in California in the early 1990s, he was fascinated by the technique and thought it was magical.

"Film is a sort of magic. But to me, stop-motion is the most magical part of the dream world. When these dolls made by human hands move by themselves, it is pure magic," he says.

"CGI can be too perfect sometimes. But stop-motion gives you something that is imperfect. It gives you poetry and a quality that cannot be created using a computer."

Stop motion is an animation technique that manipulates a puppet or object to make it look like it is moving on its own.

Besides The Little Princewhich recreates the title role's fantasy universe through stop motionOsborne's More is also made purely by stop-motion.

The 1998 short film, which centers on a young inventor's encounter with capitalism, was screened at more than 150 film festivals across the world and gained an Oscar nomination for best animation short in 1999.

His other Oscar nomination was Kung Fu Panda, which he co-directed with John Stevenson.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

While most of the present-day, big-budget animation movies are made using computers, stop-motion is a somewhat old-school option.

Among the 57 animation films released in the Chinese mainland in 2015, only the British feature Shaun the Sheep Movie is a stop-motion flick.

But Osborne is apparently the kind of filmmaker who insists on following his heart, regardless of whether it is the latest trend.

"A film is an attempt to forge a relationship with somebody and is a sort of conversation. The weakest part of a film is the craft and skill, and the strongest section is the story and the meaning," he says.

Osborne also says hard work is the best way for an animator to polish his skills, and he suggests that Chinese animators who have struggled for a long time with criticism over the quality of their work should do more than just improve visual effects.

"Skills won't help you create a good story. So if you have a story now, use whatever skills you have. Use the story as a way to develop your skills."

Interestingly, he says despite commercial success and festival-circuit honors, he is always discovering mistakes in his films.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

"When I completed my student film Greener (1994), I thought it was a disaster. But it won a bunch of prizes ... people really liked it. It made me realize that it's better to make something imperfect than something perfect," he says.

"Even when I look back at Kung Fu Panda, I think 'Oh, my God, it's not good enough'. These regrets are a part of filmmaking. You have to move on."

Osborne says his latest project is a no-dialogue musical piece, which may become a sole feature or a series.

"It's a story that you can enjoy no matter where you are from. I have talked to some investors from China about this project," he says.

Since the success of Kung Fu Panda and The Little Prince in China, the world's second-largest movie market since 2012, Osborne frequently hears that Chinese filmmakers want to be a part of his movies.

"I have a couple of different projects with Chinese investments or connections. I would love to find a way to tell a story being connected here (with Chinese audiences) and build on the relationships that we already have."
Kunqu veterans to stage Beijing show in honor of ancient art form

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-05-05 10:32

The Kunqu Opera Fifteen Strings of Coins stars both veteran masters and young performers.[Photo provided to China Daily]

It is unlikely that Zhang Shizheng will forget the spring of 1956.

As a teenage actor of Zhe-jiang Kunqu Opera Troupe, he made his first trip from the country's east to Beijing along with the troupe's other performers, including Kunqu Opera veterans Zhou Chuanying and Wang Chuansong. They were going to debut Fifteen Strings of Coins, a classic of the local opera, in the capital.

With its roots in Suzhou, in East China's Jiangsu province, Kunqu is among the country's earliest operas. It combines singing, dancing and acting.

Fifteen Strings of Coins tells the story of a respected legal figure in ancient China, who corrects a previously misjudged murder case. The show's Beijing premiere was a success.

Staged dozens of times in the city, it was attended by top leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, and some 70,000 people during a 20-day stay.

The troupe also toured other parts of the country with nearly 100 shows viewed by another 140,000 people that year.

Zhang was an apprentice of Zhou, who, along with five other Kunqu masters, remade Fifteen Strings of Coins in 1955 and established Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe the following year.

Now, in his 70s, Zhang can clearly recall his first trip to Beijing.

"It was a life-changing experience for me. Although I performed a small role in the show then, I couldn't fall asleep on the train to Beijing because I was too excited and nervous," he says.

"After the tour, my teacher (Zhou) passed his role to me and taught me how to play it from scratch. He wanted me to carry on the legacy."

To celebrate the contemporary show's 60th year, Fifteen Strings of Coins will return to Beijing on May 12. The production will gather generations of Kunqu artists from three established troupes - Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe, Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe and Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Artists from the three troupes have "witnessed history in the making" with the recreation of the Kunqu masterpiece, says Zhang.

He will perform once again next week.

"I am as excited as I was 60 years ago," he says.

"Many of the country's traditional art heritage has been lost. Fortunately, we can still enjoy the 600-year-old Kunqu Opera today. It's our responsibility to preserve it."

In 2001, UNESCO listed it as a major masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity.

Kunqu has also influenced other Chinese musical theaters, including its more famous cousin, Peking Opera.

According to Zhang, before the 1956 debut of Fifteen Strings of Coins in Beijing, Kunqu struggled to survive with a shrinking market and very few artists. Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe was the only known such troupe in China back then and is credited with saving the ancient art form with Fifteen Strings of Coins.

Since 1956, seven Kunqu Opera troupes have been established in the country and young performers have joined the Zhejiang troupe to learn from seasoned actors and actresses.

Liu Yilong, 73, and Ji Zhenhua, 76, both masters from Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, were among those who trained at the Zhejiang troupe.

They will also perform in the upcoming show in Beijing.

According to Gu Haohao, director of the Shanghai troupe, the two artists rarely perform these days.

"They first went on stage in their early 20s. This show means a lot to them. They were willing to return because of the memories of working with the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe," says Gu.

Fifteen Strings of Coins has been performed more than 1,500 times in the past six decades by different Chinese troupes, she says.

"Nowadays, we still face the challenge of reviving the Kunqu Opera. This show with the three troupes may help with that," says Gu.

The youngest performer in the new production is 14-year-old Zhang Tangxiao, who is a fifth generation actor from the Zhejiang troupe.

Zhang Shizheng says: "She will play a minor role in the show just like I did 60 years ago. But I believe the experience will leave her with a great memory. When the show celebrates its 100th anniversary, actors of the older generations will be gone, but I hope she will be in that show then."

If you go

7:30 pm, May 12. Chang'an Grand Theater, 7 Jianguomennei Street, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6510-1310.
Artist Cai Guo-qiang raises questions in new exhibition

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-05-05 10:32

Cai's new book offers an insightful look at the country's contemporary art scene.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Cai Guo-qiang raises the question of innovation in contemporary Chinese art through an exhibition. Yang Yang reports.

"What about Cai Guo-qiang?" a woman in the audience at a recent Beijing interaction with the Chinese artist asked him.

Cai, 58, answered:"Cai Guo-qiang is a little boy who never grows up, who tries to scare others with firecrackers, but ends up scaring himself."

The dialogue was in reference to Cai's often "What about it?" barbs at contemporary Chinese art, for what he calls the lack of innovation.

Cai is well-known for his fireworks, quite literally. He used gunpowder to paint in his Projects for Extraterrestrials series (1989-2002) and to make social and political statements.

In 2008, his "fireworks of giant feet" at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics thrilled many. A few years later, after his fireworks' performance in Paris, some 50 couples volunteered to engage in intimate scenes on the banks of the Seine. In 2014, his work The Ninth Wave captured the Shanghai sky.

Cai Guo-qiang says a "China angle" is not enough to elevate the nation's contemporary art.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Cai's gunpowder drawing Homeland sold for 15 million yuan ($2.38 million) at a Christie's auction in Shanghai in 2013.

While the Chinese art market has boomed since 2006, there is still a lot that artists can do in terms of their contributions to the art world, he says. Cai has similar expectations from the country's film and fashion industries.

"When Westerners talk about Chinese contemporary art, they automatically lower their standards," he says.

Cai was in Beijing in April to talk about the exhibition he has organized for the Qatar Museums Gallery Al Riwaq in DohaWhat About the Art?: Contemporary Art from China. The exhibition, running through July 16, examines ideas in Chinese modern art and whether they influence the global scene.

In recent years, many artistic works from China have set records at auctions and the art market in China is doing well, he says.

"But take away the 'China angle' from such works and what do you get about the art itself? What about the innovation?"

To find the answers, Cai and his team chose 14 Chinese artists and one artist-collaborative duo from more than 200 through a three-year process.

Cai's gunpowder painting Day and Night makes a dramatic statement at a recent show in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.[Photo by Xu Congjun/Agencies]

The conversations with individual artists, together with Cai's discussions with curators and scholars from home and abroad, are part of a 500-page book by the same name as the Doha exhibition title.

What About the Art?: Contemporary Art from China was published by Guangxi Normal University Press in March.

"Art is not only about content alone, it is also about expression. If you see Chinese art today, you can barely tell which is whose work because the works tend to resemble one another," he says of what he describes as the lack of individual style.

"Even today, we are still learning from the West to create modern art, but we haven't learned to respect individualism in art."

Group exhibitions of Chinese art in recent years have presented different artistic forms: sculptures, painting, performance art and films, but that doesn't mean diversification of attitudes toward art or unique presentation skills in works, he says.

"Maybe works that talk about an artist's sexual experiences or pain after a break-up offer individual styles."

In the book, Cai introduced artist Li Liao, who used installation art to express his state of mind after his wife's affair came to light. Li's work is called Scorpio, his zodiac sign.

"Because people with this sun sign are good at revenge," Li is quoted as telling Cai in the book.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

In the foreword, Cai writes:"Today, there is a lack of formalism in Chinese art. Artists often worry that too much emphasis on form will overwhelm the content. But form itself can be the content, from which theories, attitudes and even content and meanings can be developed."

He gives an example of Chinese calligraphy to show that artists in ancient times paid great attention to form.

"Many calligraphers started from imitation and then developed their own styles,"he says.

Another problem with contemporary Chinese art is that artists talk more about methods rather than methodology, the method of methods, the most fundamental question in art, Cai says.

"The system of feng shui has a very clear methodology and systematic solutions to different situations, such as the construction of imperial mausoleums. It instructs people to investigate the shape and layout of the mountains to decide the best location for a coffin," he writes in the book.

He applauds an artist's free spirit, warning that artists should avoid becoming "zoo creatures", and this might be why he chose to start the book with farmer-turned-artist Hu Zhijun, who became interested in sculpture in 2013 at the age of 61.

"Hu's works, if judged by the standards of anatomy and structure, are full of flaws, but they have the original power of art," Cai writes of the sculptor's ideas.
Changes to the overseas investment regime mean the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) will be able to assess applications faster and shore up investor certainty, Ministers Bill English and Louise Upston say.

The changes, which are the result of a review that has been underway since last year, are expected to take place in mid-2016 and will see OIO fees restructured and increased by between 8.7 and 166 per cent for different application fee types.

Changes will also be made to the policy that underpins the overseas investment regime before the end of the year, once the regulatory process has been completed.

Finance Minister Bill English says the Government welcomes beneficial overseas investment and is committed to ensuring the efficient operation  and continual improvement  of the system.

Weve heard concerns from investors that the rationale for screening certain investment types is unclear and decisions by the OIO are taking too long.

The introduction of targeted exemptions will not only clarify guidelines, but will also reduce costs for affected investors, and allow the OIO to focus its efforts on the most sensitive applications, as well as ensuring applicants are meeting their on-going obligations, he says.

Minister for Land Information Louise Upston says increased fees will enable the OIO to hire up to 25 per cent more staff to reduce the time it takes to assess applications and improve monitoring and reporting.

The OIO will improve its processes and communication with applicants to provide them with greater certainty as their application is assessed.

Fee increases will also allow the OIO to undertake more responsive monitoring and enforcement, with site inspections of some high risk land investments, she says.

SOURCE: Offices of Bill English and Louise Upston
Midwives - they are angels in comfy shoes who help to bring new life into the world day in and day out.

Today is International Day of the Midwife 2016 which recognises and celebrates the work midwives carry out to ensure mothers and their newborns receive top-notch quality care.
At 10am, the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Group will be testing the Civil Defence alerting system.

Text and email alerts will be sent and updates posted on Facebook, Twitter, and the Civil Defence website.
I am not going to suffer this, he said. The Germans had been bombing the hell out of us in London. And I thought as soon as I can, I am going to get in there and have a go at those buggers.

So a sassy 16-year-old, hell-bent on adventure and revenge, told the recruiter he was an eligible 18. But he said: Bugger off. I thought thats nice.

George buggered off, but only as far as the recruiting office next door where he joined the Marines. You only had to be 17 and they bought into Georges lesser lie.

Then George married his Grace Wilson, a young lady whod jived her way into his heart on the dance floors of Chelsea. She could spin like a top.

And if he was killed she would have got a pension. Young and silly but chivalrous and in love.

Then off he went to give it to those buggers.

You have made your bed, now lie in it, was his mothers cold comfort.

But it probably wasnt the marital one she referred to. It was more than likely a metaphorical one in the biggest seaborne invasion in military history that she had in mind.

Operation Neptune on D-Day saw 2700 ships carrying landing craft and 176,000 troops across the English Channel storm ashore on a 100km front at Normandy on Northern France. And amongst them, was George Alexander Wootton.

George was the stoker driver at the helm of a 230hp landing craft, chugging at 18-20 knots, ferrying his cargo of humanity to the beachhead. Drop the ramp and into the tide they would go, into the bullet swarm, into the murderous mortar and artillery fire; into hell.

You couldnt think about what lay ahead for them. But the guys who landed first  well, half of them got knocked off.

Then George would head back to the carrier Invicta and do it all again. And again and again through the maelstrom.

I wasnt frightened. You didnt think about it. You were trained and you just got on with it.

But he did think about. And he would again think about the gruff army recruiter, who snubbed him  and he would think very kindly of the man.

I was lucky because if he had let me join the army I probably would have been one of the poor buggers on the beach.

And the scale of poor is staggering.

More than 425,000 Allied and German troops were killed, wounded or missing during the Battle of Normandy.

And heres George, 72 years later, very alive and very well, sitting in the sun at Mount Maunganui, near another beach which hasnt seen anything more violent than a storm. And hes reminiscing.

It never really affected me, he says. But it did. And still does.

Big bloody heaps of bodies on the beach. Its an 18-year-olds enduring memory of war. His personal torment.

The burial parties would have to pile the bodies up on the beach so they could get the vehicles and soldiers ashore. Poor devils. Just piled up.

He stops and thoughtfully strokes a lined brow.

Thank God I didnt join that lot. Helluva bloody thing.

Worse for the despot though. Hitler suddenly found himself engaged in two major campaigns on two major and different fronts. Neither of which he had the resources nor the appetite for. Beginning of the end for the Reich.

Operation Neptune, The Normandy Landings, on D-Day on June 6, 1944, had a major impact on the Allied drive towards Berlin and would bring World War II to an earlier close.

Then 74 years later an official-looking package would arrive at Georges front door in Ranch Rd, a world away from Normandy, in Mount Maunganui.

Dear Mr Wootton. This is part of an important campaign launched by the President recognising those who fought for the liberation of France and her people. A personal note from the Ambassador of France to New Zealand, Mrs Florence Jeanblanc-Risler.

It was the Order national de la Legion dhonneur  the Legion of Honour  a medal founded by Bonaparte in 1802 and awarded by the French president himself. The highest French order rewarding military and civil service to France. And this one bearing the name George Alexander Wooton.

Its good, says George. He understates things.

Its good theyre speaking up all these years later. Mind you they took a hammering, they had a lot of things to worry about.

The Legion of Honour citation continued. You bravely left your home to take part in the war and Normandy Beach landing. Our country wishes to honour the bravery you demonstrated.

The marine has a different take on it. You just do whats required of you at the time. You do what you are trained to do and you think you are doing the right thing.

Almost a year to the day later, 11.01am on May 7, 1945, the streets of London were filled with people partying. Bands played, flags flew and fireworks exploded. Hitler was dead and Germany had signed the surrender documents, ending six years of the worlds bloodiest ever conflict. Guns fell silent. And George returned to his bride, to the dance halls, to the ruins and became a London bobby.

He emigrated in 1953 and became a military policeman in New Zealand, a fun career that would take him to new wars  Vietnam and Malaysia.

I was Kiwi Keiths [former New Zealand Prime Minister Keith Holyoake] personal body guard in Vietnam. When LBJ [United States president Lyndon B Johnson] toured he had three companies of marines looking after him.

And with time, with much thought and travel though Europe, came forgiveness and reconciliation.

Germans are just people. The Nazis were bad bastards and we had a few of them too. It was a war and we were all into it. At the time we didnt like Germans but I have since been to Germany and they were quite happy. They were just people. Just people.

Now George is 90  lean, fit and devilish. He runs round the block daily and does 60 to 80 sit-ups. Thats a regimen people half his age would struggle with.

He doesnt drink but doesnt preach. I left the officers club one night and couldnt remember how I got home. He decided dancing was his tipple from thereon in.

On May 7-8, ex-marine George Alexander Wootton, will officially receive his Legion of Honour medal at a special ceremony at the BOP Military Vehicle Show and VE Day Celebration at The Historic Village.

That weekend marks the anniversary of VE Day. And 72 years after the event, the French are celebrating that George Alexander Wootton, in his own special way, made a significant and brave contribution to that victory and the freedom of a people.

The Military Vehicle Show to celebrate VE Day is at The Historic Village on May 7-8 from 9.30am to 3pm.

There will be a vehicle parade, historic films, childrens jeep rides, vintage cars, silver band and pipe band.

People are encouraged to arrive in 1940s costume with two-day judging and a prize each day. Entry is FREE.
A diagnosis of Alzheimers disease for yourself or your loved one may be met with sadness, fear and confusion about whats to come. While not every person will experience the same symptoms or progress at the same rate, many will experience a similar trajectory of stages. Experts have used different models to act as a guide through the typical stages; some use a five stage model, others use a seven stage model and there is also a simple three-phase model (early, moderate and late).

Dr. Barry Reisberg of New York University developed one of the most common methods for categorizing the progression, called the Seven Stages of Alzheimers. These stages can help set expectations for the person with memory loss and their families.

Stage 1: Normal

At this point in stage one, there are no memory problems or other detectable symptoms. Only a PET scan (an imaging test that shows how the brain is working) can reveal Alzheimers.

Stage 2: Normal Aged Forgetfulness

Minor memory problems may start to become noticeable to the person affected during stage two, but the symptoms may still be easy to miss by friends, family and even physicians. This could include losing things around the house, forgetting a word or failing to recall a familiar name. During this stage, family members might be in denial that their loved one may have Alzheimers or another form of dementia. Its common to blame memory loss on getting older, dealing with a mid-life crisis or having a high level of stress. Its important to know which warning signs should not be avoided, according to Rita Altman, senior vice president of Memory Care & Program Services for Sunrise Senior Living.

Stage 3: Mild Cognitive Impairment

During stage three, friends and family may start to notice changes in memory, thinking and reasoning. Medical testing may expose some cognitive impairment, and individuals may have difficulties in the following areas:

Recalling something he/she just read

Finding the correct word to use during conversation

Retaining the answer to recent questions

Organizing and making plans

Remembering the names of new acquaintances

Stage 4: Mild Alzheimers Disease

At stage four, specific symptoms of Alzheimers are apparent. Individuals in this stage have difficulty managing some of their activities of daily living, which often causes them to withdraw from participating in these activities.

Those in stage four will:

Have difficulty with simple math

Forget what month or season it is

Have trouble with performing complex tasks, such as paying bills, managing finances or shopping for groceries and cooking meals

Forget personal details

Stage 5: Moderate Alzheimers Disease

During the fifth stage of Alzheimers, major gaps in memory emerge. Individuals may need help with many basic daily activities and start to lose track of where they are and what time it is. Confusion about what types of clothes are appropriate for the current season may occur.

At this point, loved ones can help by laying out clothing in the morning, answering questions (even if asked multiple times) using a calm, reassuring voice, listening with empathy to stories (although the facts and details of what they are saying may be not seem accurate) and avoid correcting them by pointing out reality or getting into power struggles.

Stage 6: Moderately Severe Alzheimers Disease

At this stage, individuals need constant supervision to help maintain safety and frequently require professional care. They may mistake a person for someone else  perhaps thinking their son is their husband. Delusions might set in, such as thinking they need to go to work even if they have no job.

Individuals may need help with dressing and using the bathroom and have increased episodes of bladder or bowl incontinence. Wandering and becoming lost also becomes common at this stage.

At this point, conversation may become difficult, but sensory connections can still be made. Listening to music, being read to and looking over old photos to reminisce are some suggested activities to help continue bringing joy and meaning. Its important to continue to talk with them, focusing on the key words that they are expressing as well as the emotions behind what they are saying.

Stage 7: Severe Alzheimers Disease

This is the final stage of the disease, when many basic abilities, such as eating, walking and sitting up, become virtually impossible. Individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment, speak and, ultimately, control movement.

According to the Alzheimers Association, these seven stages can be grouped into the three general stages: mild (stages 1-4), moderate (stages 5-6) and severe (stage 7).

Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimers. However, as researchers continue to explore ways that may help improve quality of life and alter the course of the disease, there are things that may help reduce the risk factors for developing Alzheimers. Rita Altman recently explored three simple lifestyle choices that may help. According to Rita, some dementia experts suggest that lifestyle improvements have an even greater effect than drugs. She encourages people to not sit around and wait for that pill to cure memory loss and instead start making healthier choices today.
This is certainly going to be a unique sailing regatta for everyone. said Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Glenn Ashby in a report delivered on the team's official site. As always there are going to be the six teams not wanting to give an inch but fighting to take a mile out of each other - it will be full on but we are really looking forward to the challenge.

Conditions will play a huge part in this regatta, especially as the sailing is expected to be some of the trickiest seen at any event due to the swirly breeze and current.

Team meteorologist Roger Badham explains, The current and tide will be a significant factor sailing on the Hudson River. There is a tide that runs in and out which can be up to 2.5 knots and possibly 3 knots running down the river and that will then reverse for the incoming tide to run up the river at 1.5 to 2 kts with the flood tide and obviously the current will differ across the river - from the main stream to the banks.

Badham and tactician Ray Davies have been working closely to study the weather forecast and local conditions to try to get a handle of how best to approach the racing.

The forecast right now is looking quite variable which is never easy, add to this we have the Hudson river with its strong current flow as well as a very turbulent breeze which does funny things coming through the Manhattan skyline so this combined will create a very challenging racecourse. said Davies

The New York event is the 5th regatta in the Louis Vuitton Americas Cup World series which Emirates Team New Zealand is leading overall by 6 points over Oracle Team USA. Emirates Team New Zealand has finished on the podium at every regatta so far, including winning the event in Gothenburg in 2015.
The LYJAPCS is the second edition in a new initiative providing the superyacht community with a dedicated platform in the heart of London, positioned beside the very best across a spectrum of world-class luxury brands. We arrived on day one to taker a closer look at the 2016 showcase.

World respected superyacht builders - such as Nobiskrug, Lurssen, Amels, Blohm + Voss, Abeking & Rasmussen, Fincantieri, Westport, Amico & Co, Sunseeker and Princess Yachts are at the show, offering an insight into the incredible projects currently underway and the custom superyacht lifestyle.

I think its an interesting package, says Tim Heywood. I think it seems to be working better this year than last year. The whole thing is getting better and better and I hope that its very successful."

The show this year has got some improvements in terms of execution and timing of the year, adds Marco Mazzu, Head of Origination Strategies & Market Development at Fincantieri. There are some important events here in London, we had one event with [Superyachts.com] at the beginning of January, and now there is an event more on the luxury side which I feel is a good type of format.

Im excited by it, its a new market for us, adds Captain Aeneas Hollins of Christophe Harbour. Weve never been to [LYJAPCS] before so we wanted to get our foot in early and be a part of the show from the beginning. Were seeing a different type of person in footfall at this stand already, wealth managers and city guys, so thats new business to us and thats why we came. It remains to be seen, its early days

The Prestige Car display provides everything for automotive enthusiasts in attendance. The UK launch of the astonishing Spano GTA Supercar will be taking place beside custom-made Bugatti, Ferrari, McLaren, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Noble, Mercedes plus many others, including some spectacular motorbikes.

Catering for the aviators in the crowd, Net Jets, Sikorsky, Plane Sayling, Castle Air plus some of the worlds jet brokerage and charter companies such as Xclusive Jet Charter and Management and Private Jet Charter will also be in attendance.

Harrods will be providing a look into the finest real estate in London, while some beautiful time pieces and jewellery from Ulysse Nardin and Senturion, among others, will complete the spectrum alongside exclusive Fashion Shows exploring the work of some of Britains top designers.

"The trouble with these shows is that you might meet somebody here and you think its not been successful, but six months down the line you get a phone call and then you know it was a good thing to do. Its nice for London to have something like this. concluded Tim Heywood.

Set to run until May 7th, the LYJAPCS is in the early stages of both development and time in terms of the second edition, yet seems to be generating positivity across exhibitors. We look forward to bringing you an insight into the show as activity emerges.
ABINGDON, Va.  A joint celebration of Earth Day and Arbor Day was held Thursday at Virginia Highlands Community College, where 100 trees were planted.

The college is working toward becoming an officially designated Tree Campus USA. If successful, horticulture instructor Ben Casteel said VHCC would be the fist community college in the state to get the designation.

This would align with the town, which is already a designated Tree City USA.

VHCC students and staff joined Casteel in planting the trees and shrubs on the 100-acre campus.

The festivities began at noon, when trees were unloaded on the quad while bluegrass music played for those attending the event, which included a mini farmers market.

The planting of the trees was no small task.

I chose 100 just because I thought it was a nice round number, said Casteel.

The trees were native plants, some seeded on campus and some purchased from a local greenhouse.

Students also took part, helping Casteel unload the trees while others set up tables to provide information for those interested in hearing more about the event and about farming and conservation efforts in the area.

Timmy William Morgan, one of the students who helped with the project, said he felt it was important to plant the trees to help replenish air quality.

In addition to those students who were there to plant the trees, a green team led by Tyler Weddle was also present to patrol campus and make sure trash was being recycled.

The joint celebration is expected to make a big difference on campus and help shape the future of the horticulture class, as well as the landscape of the college.

Part of the campus landscape mission is to reforest parts of campus to provide some shade, provide some wildlife habitats, creating plans to take care of these trees that we already have and setting aside a budget for planting new trees as we go along, Casteel said.
Henry Frank.JPG

Tony DiBiase, owner of Henry Frank Wholesale Ltd. in Syracuse, and his daughter, company President Natalie DiBiase-Eymer, have seen business drop to nearly nothing since their company's phone service went out more than a week ago. They say fill-ins for striking Verizon workers have been unable to restore the service despite numerous attempts.

(Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com)

Syracuse, N.Y.  A Syracuse company says its business has nearly come to a halt because fill-ins for striking Verizon repair technicians have failed to restore its phone service after numerous attempts over more than a week.

Tony DiBiase, owner of Henry Frank Wholesale Ltd., said communication with customers has been lost since the business's phone and DSL internet service went out more than a week ago.

Verizon crews have come to the business at 1108 Spring St. on Syracuse's North Side about five times but have been unable to identify the problem, he said.

"This has been devastating for us," he said. "If customers can't reach us, they'll just go somewhere else, and once you lose them, they may not come back."

The business, which started in the 1920s as Henry Frank Leather, sells footwear, safety clothing and supplies, and leather goods. It has customers, including numerous correctional facilities, throughout the country and communicates with them mainly by phone and fax, DiBiase said.

For most of the past week the business could not receive or make phone calls or receive or send faxes. This morning, the business could receive phone calls, but employees could not respond to them or dial out.

DiBiase's daughter, company President Natalie DiBiase-Eymer, said the Verizon workers who have come to the business to try to fix the problem have said they have been temporarily transferred to Syracuse from Texas and Maryland to fill in for striking technicians.

"They're really very nice," she said. "I just don't think they're familiar with the system in this area. I sure wish they would just settle the strike."

Ray McConville, a spokesman for Verizon, said the problems fixing the business's phone service are not necessarily related to the strike.

"Thousands of employees have new job functions," he said. "Are they going to be as good as our experienced union technicians? No, of course not. But things like this do happen from time to time."

About 36,000 members of the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers went on strike April 13 after nearly 10 months of negotiations failed to produce a new labor contract with Verizon.

The company has said it has trained thousands of managers and other non-union employees to fill in for those walking the picket line. Employees have been reassigned from all parts of the country and all parts of the business, including finance, marketing, real estate and engineering, it said.

On Friday, Verizon said he was deploying thousands of additional employees and contractors to serve customers during the strike. They are filling roles in the field and in the company's customer service centers, the company said.

"While we'd rather have our seasoned veterans in these positions, each day, more and more customers are giving us high marks in that their inquiries and issues are being successfully resolved in our call centers and in the field," said Bob Mudge, president of Verizon's wireline network operations. "We are taking additional steps to ensure our services are available as our customers deserve and expect."

Chris Ryan, president of Communications Workers Local 1123 in Syracuse, said the company is having far more customer service problems during the strike than it's admitting to.

"The company keeps saying everything is OK, but it's not," he said.

DiBiase-Eymer said she may never know how much the phone outage has cost her family's business. In addition to losing out on sales processed by phone or fax, retail sales have dropped off because customers often call before coming to the store, she said.

DiBiase-Eymer said customers can reach the store by leaving a message on its Facebook page.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
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This Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle backpack is an important piece of equipment in the Syracuse Chiefs bullpen.

(Lindsay Kramer | LKramer@syracuse.com)

Syracuse  Innings can pass slowly down in a bullpen, and the Syracuse Chiefs relievers have to make sure they are well-stocked for the wait.

Gloves and balls are the staples, of course. And in Syracuse, several warming agents such as coats, mittens and even ski hats can be required.

And woe be the young reliever who forgets the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle backpack. That's the go-to accessory for every game.

It's filled by the bullpen's candy enabler, Rafael Martin. And that responsibility comes with its benefits.

Martin calls the shots on the sweets supply, and what an acquired taste it is. No Snickers, Almond Joys or M&Ms for him. Martin crams the bag with his personal favorite  hard candy filled with chili pepper flavor.

Yum.

"I grew up with that, so I love it. Some of the guys like it, some of the guys don't. Some guys are growing on it, so that's kind of the thing with that,'' Martin said. "It's just one of those things. I kind of have my candy, it's kind of my routine. I've got to have my candy after the third, fourth inning. ''

Such a delicacy isn't available locally, of course. Martin said he found a Mexican sweets store in Scranton, Pa., that carries the brand, so he loads up when the Chiefs visit the RailRiders. Otherwise, his parents bring some when they visit from California or he gets a mix online.

"Nobody's really complained, like oh, you need to put something different in,'' Martin said.

Such valuable cargo must be carried in style, of course. So Martin bought a TMNT backpack for the job earlier this season. It's a takeoff on a ritual in the majors where the rookie relievers transport bullpen goodies in a pink backpack. Martin said he had that responsibility when he was recalled by the Nationals last year.

On the Chiefs, either bullpen catcher Jake Mayers or the least experienced of the relievers get the chore. Currently, that's Syracuse reliever Abel De Los Santos.

"It's just kind of something childish,'' Martin said. "I didn't want to get a pink backpack. That's only in the big leagues. We're here in Triple-A. I've got to get something not too bad.''

Contact Lindsay Kramer anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2151


ONONDAGA, N.Y. -- A search of an Onondaga Community College dorm room led to the arrests of seven people.

Four men and three teenagers were arrested Tuesday after Onondaga County sheriff's deputies found items connected to a forgery case and drugs in the Town of Onondaga dormitory, said Detective Jon Seeber, a spokesman for the sheriff's office. The arrests came at the close of a three-month fraud investigation.

The case started in February when deputies began investigating reports that counterfeit money and cloned credit cards were being used at Onondaga businesses, Seeber said.

During the investigation, Seeber said surveillance photos helped deputies identify two suspects: Tristin Anderson and Demetrius Pinckney. Working with the college's public safety officers, deputies learned the two men were staying with a student on campus.

Deputies, detectives and a K-9 executed a search warrant Tuesday afternoon in a student's dorm room. The search uncovered items related to the forgery cases, over 8 ounces of marijuana, Xanax and liquid codeine, Seeber said.

Seven people were arrested:

Tristin Anderson, 26, of 2949 8th Ave., New York, was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and third-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Demetrius Pinckney, 26, of 216 Bradhurst Ave., Manhattan, was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and third-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

OCC student Chad Newton, 19, of 1784 Pitken Ave., New York, was charged with third-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

OCC student Curtis Harrison-Mack, 18, of 159 Harlem River Drive, New York, was charged with third-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

OCC student Javohn Geddes, 20, of 3010 Yates Ave., Bronx, was charged with third-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Amadou Camara, 21, of 247 West St., Manhattan, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation.

OCC student Matthew Faraci, 18, of Grand George, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Anderson and Pinckney are in the Onondaga County Justice Center in lieu of $10,000 cash or a $20,000 bond.

Geddes remains in jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.

Newton is out of custody on a $5,000 bond, and Harrison-Mack is not listed in custody.

Camara was released on his own recognizance and Faraci was released with an appearance ticket.
syracuse police bomb threat

Syracuse police Sgt. Tim Stepien walks through the Syracuse Media Group building on South Warren Street after an August 2015 bomb threat with Argo, a bomb sniffing dog. John Lammers | jlammers@syracuse.com

(John Lammers | jlammers@syracuse.com)

Syracuse, NY -- An Oswego County man admitted today to calling in a fake bomb threat last August to Syracuse Media Group.

Kurt Harer, 57, of Tanner Road, Constantia, pleaded guilty in Syracuse City Court to attempted second-degree falsely reporting an incident, a misdemeanor.

City Court Judge Kate Rosenthal promised Harer no worse than probation when he's sentenced July 14. That means he will not spend time in jail.

Harer's plea, which had been under negotiation for months, took only minutes today to complete. He admitted to falsely reporting an incident at 220 S. Warren St., which is Merchants Commons and the offices of Syracuse Media Group.

In an Aug. 18 voice message, a caller sad: "I have a news tip for you. There's some crazy nut...who claims that there's a large bomb in your building and it's going to blow up your building pretty soon, so I'll let you people know that this is not a joke. Have a good night, bye."

While the message appears to implicate another person, Harer was arrested Sept. 1 by Syracuse police for being the source of the threat.

Employees were evacuated for more than an hour while police K-9 units searched the building.

At the time of Harer's arrest, the company provided the following statement:

"The Syracuse Media Group cooperated fully in the investigation by the Syracuse police department and we thank them for their professional follow-up,'' Tim Kennedy, president of the Syracuse Media Group, said in the statement. "We believe threats of violence against media or any business should be taken seriously and are appreciative that swift action was taken."
Sean M. Fitzgerald.jpg

Sean M. Fitzgerald, a teacher in the Oswego City School District, was arrested after an incident Tuesday, according to state police.

(Provided photo)

OSWEGO, N.Y. -- Oswego City schools Superintendent Dean Goewey said he's deeply concerned over the incident involving a teacher allegedly dragging and throwing a second grade student.

"Parents expect their children to be safe at school," Goewey said.

Sean M. Fitzgerald, 31, of Baldwinsville was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, and second-degree harassment, a violation, according to New York State Police.

Fitzgerald was charged Tuesday after he allegedly dragged a Minetto Elementary School student to the principal's office and threw him over a counter, state police said.

Goewey said the school administration immediately contacted the state police who is investigating the matter.

The student was not hurt, state police said. The teacher has been placed on leave pending further investigation and action by the district.

Goewey said the district contacted parents on Tuesday and has communicated with the Minetto school community.



"While I cannot control the conduct of every teacher in every situation, and will not rush to judgment, I will ensure that district policies on discipline and dealing with student conduct are followed," Goewey said. "District personnel are accountable for their actions."



Oswego teacher charged after throwing second-grader over counter, state police say


SHARE J.B. Egan III

By Lamaur Stancil of TCPalm

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY  Colleagues of J.B. Egan III said Indian River County residents may never know how much the accountant gave to the community as a volunteer.

But upon his death Wednesday, they're talking about the impact Egan had on Indian River County. Egan, 77, was visiting Alabama when he died, said Bobby Sexton, president of Oslo Citrus Growers Association. Egan served as an accountant for the Sexton family businesses for 50 years.

"We gave him the latitude and the autonomy to do the community work," Sexton said. "Every community could use someone like him. He had an inner drive to help people."

Family members were making funeral arrangements Thursday. The cause of his death was not available.

The long list of activities by Egan include his charter membership on the Indian River Memorial Hospital board of directors in 1984, where he served until 1998, four years on the Indian River County Housing Authority Board and two stints as chairman of the United Way of Indian River County.

"Community service is in my blood," Egan told the Press Journal in 1998. "I get a tremendous satisfaction from it, but it's easy to do things for this community because people respond."

He also spent half a century serving with the St. Helen's Harvest Festival as either president or treasurer.

"That takes a tremendous amount of business talent and passion and drive," said Penny Chandler, director of the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce. "He was especially passionate about his church."

Egan's citrus roots go back to his grandfather, who was a citrus broker in New York and decided that if the family was going to be in that business, it should own some groves. The Egans bought groves in Fort Pierce and Cocoa and moved to Vero Beach in 1948 when J.B. Egan III was a child.

Egan and his wife, Karen Egan, had been married since 1963. They had four children.

Sexton said Egan had not been talking about retirement.

"He told me he'd retire when he stopped having fun," Sexton said.

J.B. EGAN III, 1939-2016

Egan worked as an accountant for Oslo Citrus Growers Association.

He was known for his involvement in several community organizations, including:

The United Way of Indian River County

The Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce, now known as the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce.

The Indian River County Bicentennial Celebration of 1976

The Indian River Citrus League Budget Committee

The Indian River County Housing Authority Board

The Kiwanis Club

The Environmental Learning Center, where he served as chairman of its first community capital campaign

The Indian River Memorial Hospital board of directors

The Vero Beach Country Club

The St. Helen's Harvest Festival

The St. Helen Church Parish Council
If mosquitoes are carrying Zika in the United States, the red areas show where those mosquitoes, the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, are most likely to occur in the greatest numbers. Yellow areas are less likely to have them. SOURCE: NASA

By Elliott Jones of TCPalm

Treasure Coast mosquito control agencies are fighting against the potential for Zika, now that a case has been confirmed in Martin County.

The mosquito-borne virus  that can have frightening consequences for unborn infants  was confirmed Monday in an unidentified person who contracted Zika while traveling abroad. There are no known cases in people or mosquitoes in St. Lucie or Indian River counties, according to the Florida Department of Health's daily public reports.

Unseen by the general public is the ongoing local response to suspected cases  the ones that local mosquito control agencies and health department officials respond to communitywide before blood test results come back. Special mosquito spraying is done in the neighborhoods where those people live.

"We can't take a chance," said Glenn Henderson, interim director of St. Lucie County Mosquito Control & Coastal Management Services. Infected mosquitoes can bite people and spread the disease to other people while officials wait for confirmation.

Often within 24 hours of learning of a potential case, said Henderson, local mosquito control agencies are out, treating for mosquitoes and talking to residents in neighborhoods of people who report flu-like symptoms similar to Zika. The Aedes mosquito that could spread Zika, thrives in and around homes in Florida.

St. Lucie County's first suspected Zika case was within the last two weeks in Fort Pierce. Test results are not complete.

Since the beginning of the state's Zika alert during February, Indian River County has had three suspected cases, all later found not to be Zika. Martin County officials have not indicated if they have any other suspected cases. For privacy reasons, state health officials don't disclose the location beyond the county of residence of people with suspected or confirmed cases.

What makes Zika especially worrisome is no other mosquito-carried virus causes microcephaly: abnormally small brains and heads in infants, said Hyeryun Choe, associate professor, Department of Immunology and Microbial Science at the Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter.

"Currently we do not have reliable statistics with respect to what percentage of infected pregnant women give birth to microcephaly babies," she said. "But judging from the description of an investigation with a very small number of pregnant women, who had lab-confirmed Zika virus infection, microcephaly and spontaneous abortion was very high."

So far, out of Florida's known Zika cases, six are pregnant women. The state doesn't release their conditions or county of residence.

In addition to mosquitoes passing the virus through bites, Zika can be passed to humans through blood transfusions and men can pass it to women through sex, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

Other illnesses

Martin County Health Department spokeswoman Rene Rouse and health officer Karlette Peck know of the need to intervene early in mosquito-borne illnesses.

In 2013 Martin County had a localized outbreak of another mosquito-borne illness  dengue fever, a relative of Zika  that also is carried by the Aedes mosquito. Some mosquitoes in Martin County are presumed to have picked up dengue by biting an unidentified person who was infected overseas, Rouse said.

About 24 people became infected with the potentially debilitating virus.

One was Indian Riverkeeper Marty Baum who, as did the others, lives in the small waterfront community of Rio, north of Stuart, where the outbreak occurred unexpectedly.

There were no warning signs. Suddenly he developed a 102.5-degree fever for no apparent reason. The 61-year-old shook with chills.

Mosquito-borne illness "can be frightening and should be treated with respect," Baum said.

He was case No. 4 of those who developed dengue fever. His wife became infected through a mosquito bite, he said, and he suspects his two sons may have been. They left the state before being tested. They, too, developed symptoms and had the virus.

Through intervention, the Martin County Health Department and the county's Mosquito Control department were able to limit the virus to less than a 10-block area within a much larger area, including Jensen Beach, that they targeted for prevention efforts. A year later, health department workers and Indian River State College science students returned to the Rio area to warn residents to be cautious and to use mosquito repellent.

Aedes mosquitoes also can carry the chikungunya virus, which occurred in Fort Pierce in 2014. Symptoms include fever, joint pain, headache or rash. The fever can last up to seven days; joint pain could last years. In that outbreak, two people became infected by being bitten by mosquitoes carrying the virus, according to the St. Lucie County Health Department. In that case too, Henderson's workers focused on mosquito control in the areas where those people lived.

Zika's symptoms usually are milder than the more severe dengue fever virus, yet the potential for it being passed unnoticed is higher. Only 1 in 5 people show symptoms of having Zika.

Preparations for Zika

Because of the concern about Zika, the Florida Department of Health already has put 17 counties under a state Declaration of Public Health Emergency because Zika has been confirmed in humans there. When a case is confirmed in a county, local public officials convene to collectively talk about what more could be done and to inform the public. Renay Rouse, spokeswoman for the Health Department in Martin County, said some community agencies on Thursday will discuss their mosquito prevention and response efforts to date among themselves.

Martin County Mosquito Control has been working for months, doing household inspections, performing outreach and educating residents. Since January the agency has done 120 property inspection, compared to 60 last year, and they are educating residents on how to keep mosquitoes from breeding around their homes, said Gabriella Ferraro, Martin County spokeswoman.

Mosquito control and health departments along the Treasure Coast said they have been talking with other agencies. They are out working with residents removing containers of water in which the mosquitoes breed around homes.

Because of this year's wet, warm winter  favorable to mosquito breeding  mosquito control agencies got an earlier-than-usual start to mosquito spraying and control, said Doug Carlson, director of the Indian River Mosquito Control District in Vero Beach.

Currently, the weather is drier as the Treasure Coast region moves toward the summer rainy season that typically starts mid-May to early June. Mosquitoes develop in water.

Ultimately, said Rouse, the public has to be cautious and take prevention into their own hands.

ZIKA SYMPTOMS

The most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache.

Most people don't have symptoms or know that they have it. Symptoms last a few days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS

People who develop symptoms should see a health care provider if they visited an area where Zika is present. The doctor may order blood tests for Zika or other similar mosquito-borne viruses like dengue or chikungunya.

Avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. During the first week of illness, the virus can be passed to another person through a mosquito that bites the infected person then bites another person. The Zika virus usually remains in the blood of an infected person for about a week. It can be found longer in some people.

While the virus is active in a person, it can be passed through a blood transfusion or sexually by a man.

TREATMENT

There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat the Zika virus.

Get plenty of rest. Drink fluids to prevent dehydration. Take medicine such as acetaminophen to reduce fever and pain.

People who are already on medications should talk to their doctor before taking other drugs.

SOURCE: Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The mouth of the St. Sebastian River (center) connects to the Indian River Lagoon at the U.S. 1 bridge that links Indian River County (left) with Brevard County. (FILE PHOTO)

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By Jim Waymer, FLORIDA TODAY

Brevard County must pay $4,100 in state civil penalties and investigation costs for two sewage overflows in February that ultimately flowed to the St. Sebastian River, which empties into the Indian River Lagoon.

Brevard County's Barefoot Bay Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility had unauthorized discharges of partially treated wastewater and an unauthorized discharge of treated wastewater on Feb. 2 and Feb. 24, respectively, for a combined 1,786,000 gallons.

The county entered a May 3 consent order that includes paying $4,000 in civil penalties and $100 to cover the cost the Florida Department of Environmental Protection incurred while investigating the incidents. Each of the February violations was a $2,000 civil penalty.

The overflows happened after heavy winter rains, when filters clogged and a plant operator released the wastewater into a pond that already was nearly full, said Jim Helmer, director of the Brevard County Utility Services Department.

"This was an operator error, unfortunately," Helmer added.

The wastewater had been filtered, but not chlorinated, he said, so it hadn't been treated to the extent that state standards require.

The sewage overflow entered a nearby canal that after about four miles eventually flows into the St. Sebastian River, a tributary to the lagoon.

The county reviewed staff operations to prevent a similar overflow in the future and assigned a new operator to the plant, Helmer said.

"There's always alternatives to dumping the water in the canal," he said. "It could have been avoided. It wasn't an act of nature."
Donald Trump

By Isadora Rangel of TCPalm

Republicans running to replace U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy on the Treasure Coast said they will support de-facto GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, but some are showing more enthusiasm than others.

Noelle Nikpour's campaign emailed a news release Tuesday night with her endorsement of Trump soon after he won the Indiana primary, which was followed by Ted Cruz dropping out of the race. Former state Rep. Carl Domino followed suit Wednesday, calling on the other District 18 Republican candidates to rally behind Trump as John Kasich prepared to announce he also was leaving the race. On Thursday, Mark Freeman, a Boca Raton doctor, also issued an endorsement.

THEIR OPINION

The other candidates Treasure Coast Newspapers reached Thursday said they will support Trump if he gets the nomination, but haven't necessarily jumped on the Trump wagon. Candidate Stephen Marks declined to comment.

"I will support the Republican nominee," Martin County School Board member Rebecca Negron said in an emailed statement. Her husband, Florida Senate President-designate Joe Negron, campaigned for Jeb Bush but now is supporting Trump.

Wellington farmer Rick Roth said he voted for one of the two Florida candidates in the March presidential primary  Bush and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio  but won't disclose which one.

"I'm going to support the Republican candidate, whoever he is," Roth said. "I consider myself to be an informed voter and (Trump) did not explain his positions well enough for me to vote for him."

Veteran Brian Mast of North Hutchinson Island gave a similar answer: "Whoever wins the Republican nomination will be getting my support for president." He added he admires Trump's knack for speaking his mind.

Rick Kozell, a Jupiter lawyer, said in an emailed statement: "I support Donald Trump because it is time for the Republican Party to come together to defeat Hillary Clinton."

LIABILITY OR ADVANTAGE?

Supporting Trump might be an advantage in the Aug. 30 primary because he won more than 50 percent of votes in the counties that make up District 18: Martin, St. Lucie and Palm Beach, whose northern part is in the district. Yet some Republicans worry the real estate mogul's divisiveness might hurt other party candidates running for office in the Nov. 8 general election.

Whether to endorse Trump is a "very tough calculation" for congressional candidates because voters' opinions of Trump can easily change before the election and he could become a liability, said Susan MacManus, professor of public administration and political science at the University of South Florida. A poll taken last month showed 62 percent of likely Florida voters see him negatively.

"The opinion can change on the dime with some unforeseen event," she said.

Roth said Trump will help Republicans in November by turning out people who don't normally vote.

"I think Donald Trump is a blessing in that sense," Roth said.

Now the Republican Party seems to have its presidential nominee, more media coverage will be devoted to other races, which benefits candidates running for Congress, MacManus said.

"The congressional candidates have got to be breathing a sight of relief because now they are going to get people's attention," she said.

Three Democrats and one independent are running for the seat Murphy, D-Jupiter, is leaving to seek the U.S. Senate.
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By Paul Ivice, Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers

FORT PIERCE  Saying people should have a choice, attorney Beth Allen is taking the unusual step of challenging an incumbent circuit judge's re-election.

"There's always been an unwritten rule that we don't run against incumbents, and I've never agreed with that," said Allen, who moved with her husband from Dayton, Ohio, to St. Lucie County in 2005.

Allen, currently the president of the St. Lucie County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said, "I've encouraged others to run against incumbents and I thought it was time I threw my hat into the ring."

The incumbent is 19th Judicial Circuit Group 1 Judge James McCann, who was first elected in 2004 and ran unopposed in 2010.

McCann, 62, said if he is re-elected it will be his last term, "because I will be 69 years old in my last year and am subject to mandatory retirement at age 70."

A lawyer in Florida for 25 years and board certified in civil trial law before he was elected judge, McCann said the past 12 years on the bench "have been the most humbling and rewarding years of my professional life."

As a circuit judge, McCann said he has served in the Civil, Family and Criminal divisions, presiding over more than 220 jury trials, 100-plus nonjury trials and hundreds of evidentiary hearings.

"I look forward to coming to work every day," he said. "If you do it right, it is a demanding job, both intellectually and emotionally. The daily decisions of a circuit judge affect the lives, livelihoods and significant rights of people and business entities coming before the court."

McCann also is an appellate judge for appeals of County Court decisions throughout the 19th Circuit, which encompasses St. Lucie, Indian River, Martin and Okeechobee counties. He also has sat as an associate judge on the 4th District Court of Appeal by invitation of that court.

Stuart attorney David Earle, chairman of the 19th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, said it is rare, but not unheard of, for someone to challenge an incumbent judge seeking re-election.

Earle, who has been practicing law in the circuit since 1994, said he could recall only one other instance during that time, when Circuit Judge Larry Schack held off a challenger in 2008 to be re-elected to his fourth term.

Another member of the Judicial Nominating Commission, attorney George W. Bush Jr., said challenges to incumbent judges are less rare in other South Florida circuits.

Allen, 41, agrees it is unusual, but said, "I think people should have a choice."

She has applied for the two most recent openings on the St. Lucie County bench, but did not make it onto the nominating commission's shortlist submitted to the governor either time.

"Obviously, I have a desire to become a judge and serve the community," said Allen, who was an assistant public defender under Diamond Litty for two years, entered private practice in April 2007 as an associate for T. Charles Shafer & Associates. She starting her own firm in 2010, practicing in the areas of civil collections, criminal defense, juvenile delinquency and dependency as well as family law.

Allen said she intends to file her qualifying papers and pay the fee by the deadline next Friday. McCann said he already has done so.
State Rep. Debbie Mayfield (from left) speaks as fellow Republican Senate District 17 candidates Michael Thomas and Ritch Workman, and House District 51 candidate Tim Tumulty, listen on Wednesday at a forum sponsored by the Brevard Federated Republican Women at the Holiday Inn Melbourne-Viera Conference Center. (USA TODAY NETWORK/FLORIDA TODAY)

By Dave Berman, USA TODAY NETWORK FLORIDA TODAY

VIERA  The three Republican candidates in a hotly contested Florida Senate race in District 17 sought to carve out their political territory at a forum Wednesday in Viera  even though they generally agree on many of the issues raised.

Seeking the seat are state Reps. Debbie Mayfield, of Vero Beach, and Ritch Workman, of Melbourne, as well as physician assistant Michael Thomas, of Melbourne. The trio will face off in the GOP primary on Aug. 30. Both Mayfield and Workman are completing their eighth year in the state House, and cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

There is one announced Democratic candidate  Christopher Duncan Jr., of Palm Bay  who was not invited to the forum, hosted by the Brevard Federated Republican Women.

Workman told the more than 100 people in attendance Wednesday that he has "a record of getting things done, versus not getting things done."

He cited his work related to reducing bureaucracy in growth management, as well as pension system and ethics reform.

Mayfield said what sets her apart is she doesn't bend to the wishes of the political elite, as well as her push to end Common Core-mandated educational standards in Florida.

And Thomas said the fact that he is not a sitting state legislator is an advantage.

"We need to have new people" in the Legislature, Thomas said. "We need to get new blood in there."

Thomas said he is hearing from voters that "we can't trust our legislators."

Thomas also said his work experience as a physician assistant gives him an edge as "a problem-solver."

The newly drawn Senate District 17 includes Indian River County, as well as central and southern Brevard County.

Also participating in Wednesday's forum was Cocoa Beach Mayor Tim Tumulty, a Republican candidate for House District 51. His fellow Republican opponent, state Rep. Tom Goodson, did not attend the event. Their Democratic opponent, Cocoa City Councilman Michael Blake, was not invited.

Tumulty said what sets him apart from Goodson is "I'm not part of the establishment." He also said that he had not had questions raised about his residency and is not getting a large share of his campaign money from outside Brevard County.

House District 51 includes the Cape Canaveral, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island and Rockledge areas.

House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, who currently represents District 51, cannot seek re-election because of term limits. Goodson currently represents House District 50, but is switching to District 51 for this race.

All four candidates at the forum cited the environmental health of the Indian River Lagoon as a major issue for them, as well as a major issue voters are bringing up to them while they are campaigning.

Tumulty said the state must designate long-term funding to clean up the lagoon.

Mayfield said there also needs to be "a five-year plan" that would act as a road map to solve the lagoon's problems.

"The lagoon is on the top of the mind" with voters, said Workman, who touted his efforts to bring state money to the region targeted for lagoon restoration efforts.

Workman added, though, that many voters also are talking to him about the anti-government corruption bill he sponsored that was unanimously approved by the Legislature this year, then signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott.

Workman said he would continue that effort if he is elected to the Florida Senate, with yet more legislation aimed at fighting corruption.

"I'll work until we run these (guys) out of town," Workman said.

Mayfield said she would work to reduce the educational bureaucracy in Tallahassee that "micromanage" local school districts, as well as reduce mandated testing of students.

Thomas said he wants to reduce government red tape and over-regulation to make it easier for small businesses to succeed.

Tumulty said he wanted to end the practice in Tallahassee of amendment after amendment added to legislation introduced in the Legislature, partly because a bill's sponsor is trying to gain support for his or her proposal from the legislators adding on the amendments.

"That's just ridiculous," Tumulty said, contending that each individual bill should focus on one issue that should stand on its own merits.
Donald Trump (left) and Florida Gov. Rick Scott

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By Ledyard King, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON  Donald Trump has some good reasons to pick Florida Gov. Rick Scott as his running mate. He's also got some good reasons to look elsewhere.

Scott is among a handful of possible running mates whose names have been mentioned as Trump moves closer to wrapping up the GOP nomination. Others include Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst and two of Trump's former presidential campaign rivals  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.

Trump has spoken warmly of the Florida governor, and the two share a corporate business background, emphasize job creation as a priority, and got where they are today despite opposition from the GOP establishment. Scott praised Trump in a USA TODAY column in January before officially endorsing him after Trump won Florida's primary in March.

There also are personal connections: Trump and Scott have known each other for years, a relationship enhanced by Trump's many real estate holdings in the Sunshine State. Political consultant Susie Wiles from Jacksonville, co-chairwoman of Trump's campaign in Florida, managed Scott's 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

But there are lots of reasons for Trump to choose someone else as a running mate  and even some reasons that Scott, 63, should think twice about jumping aboard the Trump train.

Melissa Stone, a spokeswoman for Scott's Let's Get to Work PAC, said Monday that Scott is happy where he is.

"The governor has made it clear that he has the job he wants and he won't leave it," said Stone, Scott's former chief of staff. "Of course, he would always be willing to provide any insights from his experience in turning around Florida's economy."

The case for Trump to pick Scott:

With 29 Electoral College votes, Florida is a critical swing state in each presidential election. Since 1964, the state has voted for every candidate that won the White House except George H.W. Bush in 1992. Trump may figure he can only improve his chances in November if he runs with someone who's twice won election as Florida governor.

"Rick Scott is not going to help him in places like Arizona, New Mexico or Colorado," said Brian Ballard, a Tallahassee lobbyist who has done work for Trump and is close to the governor. "But if you're looking for a competent, no-nonsense, tax cutter who's outside of the establishment (and) knows how to get things done, it's Rick Scott."

Temperament is another factor. Scott doesn't crave the spotlight, so he's unlikely to steal it from Trump (not that that would be easy anyway). Analysts describe Scott as robotic and occasionally awkward on the stump. He'd likely be a loyal soldier who would complement Trump's outsize persona.

Scott and Trump have similar backgrounds and ideologies. Both came late to politics after starting in business  Scott was chief executive of a health care company  and both identify job creation as a top priority. Both also have enjoyed political success over the objections of GOP party elders.

The case for Trump not to pick Scott:

With former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton marching toward the Democratic nomination, Trump may want to choose a woman such as Ernst. Polls suggest Trump, who has accused Clinton of playing "the woman card," has a lot of work to do to win over female voters. A Gallup poll last month showed 70 percent of women have unfavorable views of Trump, a finding echoed by other surveys.

Scott has never been well-liked in Florida, despite winning the governor's office twice. Polls consistently show him below 50 percent approval, and a recent Morning Consult survey of voters across 50 states ranked him the eighth least-popular governor in the nation. Trump may decide he's already popular enough in the state  Palm Beach is essentially his second home  to win it in November without Scott on the ticket.

If Trump wants a running mate who would be effective pushing his agenda through Congress, there are better choices than Scott, who has never served on Capitol Hill.

SAYING NO

Even if Trump does offer Scott the chance to be his running mate, the governor has his own reasons to say no.

As a former business executive who spent tens of millions of his own fortune to win the governor's mansion, Scott would have to adjust to a role where he doesn't call the shots. And if Trump wins the nomination but loses badly in Florida in November  polls show that's a possibility  it could hurt Scott's chances of winning the 2018 race for the Senate seat held by Democrat Bill Nelson.

But a place on the GOP ticket would give Scott national prominence and vault him to the front of the line when the Republican Party begins picking its next presidential nominee in 2020.

"When somebody who is running to be president of the United States calls you up and says, 'I need you to be my vice running mate,' if you love your country and your party, you're not going to say no," said Keith Fitzgerald, a former Democratic state lawmaker who's now a political science professor at the New College of Florida. "That's a gigantic honor. It's a call of duty."
An aerial view of the Indian River Lagoon in Vero Beach, looking east over State Road 60. (ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

By Editorial Board

The entire Indian River Lagoon is in crisis.

Among the most diverse estuaries in North America, the lagoon recently endured a massive fish kill in its northern section and it continues to absorb discharges of tainted freshwater from Lake Okeechobee in its southern section.

At the same time, some state and federal officials remain tone deaf to concerns raised by lagoon advocates.

For example, when we learned last month 15 to 25 water-quality monitors could be pulled from the lagoon for lack of funding, one state official said it won't be a problem.

"We have plenty of data on what's happening in the water," said Drew Bartlett, deputy secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

If only this were true.

"I wish we had more monitors in the lagoon," said Edith "Edie" Widder, chief executive officer of Fort Pierce-based Ocean Research & Conservation Association, which lost state funding for its Kilroy water-quality monitors. "The lagoon is facing enormous problems. There's a presumption that it's all understood, but it's not."

The 156-mile waterway is blessed to have dozens of local organizations that advocate on its behalf.

Among them: the Marine Resources Council in Palm Bay; the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition; the Pelican Island Audubon Society in Vero Beach; and the River Kidz and Rivers Coalition in Stuart. These and other groups are doing their part to restore, protect and preserve the lagoon.

However, despite all these outstanding local efforts, there is not enough coordination between groups. Organizations compete with one another for state grants and federal funding. There is disagreement over the nature of the lagoon's problems and how to fix them.

What is missing is a point person to oversee, coordinate and spearhead lagoon-restoration efforts.

That's why the Editorial Board of Treasure Coast Newspapers is calling for the appointment of a Lagoon Czar  selected by Gov. Rick Scott  to undertake these responsibilities.

This individual should possess a scientific background, proven leadership qualities, an ability to foster collaboration between disparate organizations and a history of advocacy for the lagoon.

We're calling on residents to nominate individuals Scott should consider for the job. Go to TCPalm.com/LagoonCzar to submit your nominee.

Many groups along the 156-mile waterway speak for the lagoon. A Lagoon Czar, by virtue of his/her designation, would speak with elevated authority. This person would be able to raise the lagoon's profile at the state and federal levels.

The Indian River Lagoon is under attack. Events unfolding in recent months accentuate the importance of taking steps to reverse the destruction  and the need to appoint a lead advocate for the waterway.

The Lagoon Czar would have to work on multiple fronts:

Northern lagoon

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimated at least tens of thousands of fish died from March 18 to 20 in the Banana River, an arm of the lagoon that stretches from the Kennedy Space Center to just north of Melbourne in Brevard County.

Several Treasure Coast biologists, including Zack Jud, marine biologist and education director at the Florida Oceanographic Society in Stuart, put the number in the tens of millions.

Fish suffocated following an algae bloom known as "brown tide." Bacteria feeding on the dead algae sucked all the oxygen out of the water. The cause of the brown tide remains undetermined.

"If we don't know why it happened up there, we can't say it won't happen again," said Grant Gilmore, a Vero Beach marine biologist who's been studying fish in the lagoon since the 1970s.

Southern lagoon

More than 111 billion gallons of freshwater have been dumped from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the floodgates in January.

In the absence of a flow-way south of Lake O, the massive influx of freshwater lowers the salinity in the estuary, threatening oyster beds and coral reefs offshore. The livelihoods of those in recreational and marine-related businesses are put in jeopardy.

When the weather gets warmer, conditions will be ripe for algae blooms and the growth of Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria that can enter a body through cuts and scrapes and can, in rare cases, cause death.

And scientists say the Treasure Coast is primed for a devastating die-off of fish similar to the one in March in the Banana River.

The issues besetting the southern and northern stretches of the lagoon are different. But the entire region is united by a common thread: a unique, breathtaking waterway that is dying before our eyes.

It's time to unite our advocacy of the lagoon under a Lagoon Czar.

We call upon the governor to make this reality.
The 26th annual Downtown Stuart Art Festival on Feb. 27 in Stuart. (HOBIE HILER/ SPECIAL TO TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

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By Paul Nicoletti

Downtown Stuart has a problem. Fortunately, it's the problem every downtown area wants: Parking is often in short supply.

We anticipate public interest in downtown to grow further, especially as restaurants take advantage of new rules allowing rooftop dining and as expansion of the city's Community Redevelopment Area enables additional reinvestment and growth.

As we're preparing the city budget for fiscal year 2017 (which begins in October), we're seeing how several tough decisions made during difficult financial circumstances are yielding good results.

Certainly, the success of downtown Stuart belongs to the talents, creativity and risk-taking of the individual business owners. The Downtown Business Association, working with Stuart Main Street, the Stuart City Commission and the CRA, has cemented downtown Stuart as a great place to spend an hour doing business, the day taking in an event or the week shopping, sightseeing and relaxing.

Although it's not exactly been described in these terms, the overwhelming philosophy of the city commission is to contribute to the conditions that let "Stuart Life" flourish, then get out of the way so our residents, business owners and visitors can do the rest.

For the city, this means providing reliable, responsive services that are efficient, accountable and delivered with a "customer-service" mindset. Each employee and city department head deserves credit for upholding this culture. Space limitations prevent me from giving everyone their due praise, cut I can touch on a few.

First comes public safety. After a spate of nonfatal shootings in East Stuart, then-Mayor Kelli Glass Leighton teamed with Police Chief David Dyess to organize a December town hall at the East 10th Street Center. The overflow crowd shared their concerns with law enforcement while seeking support for securing the safety of their community.

The renewed partnership between police and the community is working well and, thankfully, there's been no gunfire since.

We're blessed to have several department heads who serve in leadership positions elsewhere, learning ideas and innovations that benefit the city. Sam Amerson, our public works director, represents the state on the Southeast Stormwater Association. The experience he has gained served our Haney Creek restoration, among other city stormwater projects.

Teresa Lamar-Sarno, our CRA administrator, and Thondra Lanese, CRA project manager, delivered outstanding results on redevelopment projects, particularly the Colorado Avenue improvements, which transformed the entryway of downtown and welcomed new boutiques and restaurants.

Jim Chrulski, head of community services, has expanded the number and quality of events and attractions the city puts on each year.

Joseph Hoffkins, our building official, emphasizes a smooth and efficient turnaround time on permit applications. Terry O'Neil, development director, rewrote the city's land development code to clarify terms and options, a massive undertaking that makes the process easier for residents, businesses and investors to navigate.

Stuart's warm reputation toward investment is spreading.

In addition to approving select requests for voluntary annexation into the city, we field frequent inquiries about the process.

New Urban Communities' plans for the Triangle parcel, approved late last year, will address the need for upscale apartments while incorporating some additional parking.

The city's free valet and tram service are alleviating some of the parking inconvenience.

The forecast is sunny, but past lessons make us cautious.

The city still operates with 80 fewer employees than we had before the economic downturn sliced city revenue by 41 percent and forced some difficult cutbacks. Even then, we kept tax rates stagnant so residents and businesses could better weather the tough times. The fire assessment fee  which balanced the tax burden previously borne by only 3 percent of the city's 16,000 residents  finally filled the budget hole.

Such decisions were unpopular but necessary. Otherwise, we'd prefer the city's presence remain only lightly felt. That way "Stuart Life," the sum of wonderful qualities about our community, can be enjoyed by the citizens.

Paul Nicoletti is the city manager of Stuart.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott speaks about state employment numbers at Global Tech LED on Jan. 15, 2016, in Bonita Springs. Scott stopped at the lighting manufacturing business as part of his Million Miles for a Million Jobs bus tour of the state. (David Albers/Staff)

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By Paula Dockery

Gov. Rick Scott went to California trying again to lure businesses to Florida. His charm offensive included criticizing the state's governor and its policies.

Gov. Jerry Brown called him out for "silly political stunts," pointed out California has added more jobs in the last year than Florida and accused Scott of "sticking his head in the sand" regarding climate change.

To create jobs, Scott could stay in Florida and help mom-and-pop operations expand their businesses or assist college grads and budding entrepreneurs start new businesses  but that doesn't get much media attention.

Was the trip good politically? Let's see, Scott generated media attention for weeks before the trip, ran radio ads in California's major media markets, insulted that state's Democratic governor and generated headlines in and outside of Florida.

Much of the coverage of Scott's trip was less than flattering, but anytime the media says "Scott" in the same sentence as "jobs," the governor adds it to his win column.

Scott used the trip to make a political statement  popular among the Republican base  against raising the minimum wage. California's is at $10 an hour and incrementally increasing to $15 by 2022. Florida's minimum wage is $8.05 an hour.

Before his trip, Scott started running radio ads in Los Angeles and San Francisco that attacked raising wages for working people in another state far, far away. Who's paying for the ads? Enterprise Florida. Who funds Enterprise Florida? Florida taxpayers.

Is that the best use of Florida's tax dollars  for radio ads in California, more than 2,500 miles away, that criticize its policy of paying higher wages to hourly employees?

The idea of raising the minimum wage is getting more popular nationally and the critics' arguments against it are losing steam as cities like Seattle are debunking the myths of corresponding job losses and price increases.

Whether you agree or disagree with increasing the minimum wage, is it a legitimate use of Florida's public funds to air radio ads in California? Running anti-minimum wage ads in our own state for such a blatantly political purpose would be suspect as well.

Scott's a wealthy man, so he could use his own money. He could also use his political committee, Let's Get to Work, which has raised more than $51 million from those doing business with the state of Florida. However, that would highlight the self-indulgent nature of his travel to the West Coast.

Could Scott be looking for his next political gig? His final term as governor ends in January 2019. There's some disagreement on what his political aspirations might be. Is he eyeing the 2018 U.S. Senate race, or is he hoping to catch the Donald Trump train and become his vice president?

Scott recently ran an ad against a constituent that confronted him in a Starbucks. Wouldn't Trump say, "You've gotta hit back"? And his visit to California was an "in your face" move directed at Gov. Brown  except he wasn't actually in his face and used radio ads to deliver the punch.

If Scott wants to be Trump's VP or a U.S. senator, a more national mindset might serve him better. Wouldn't an international trade mission partnering with other governors be more productive  and patriotic  than the zero-sum game of poaching jobs from one state to another?

When a business relocates to take advantage of incentives or to pay lower taxes or wages, don't the top executives make the move, leaving only lower-wage positions for Floridians? Isn't Scott really saying, come to Florida, where we make sure you can pay our people less?

This system of competition between the states is a boon to corporations but a bust for taxpayers and the middle class. Aren't most presidential candidates  including Trump  decrying corporations for moving offshore for the same reasons?

And how successful has Scott been?

Scott's previous trip to California produced no discernible benefit. During a workers' strike at their ports, Scott tried to convince shippers to change their trading routes to Florida's ports.

His trip to Pennsylvania brought us Wawa  not the corporate headquarters, just the enthusiastic announcement that the company was planning more gas stations throughout the state.

And, although it's hard to believe, Yale didn't jump at Scott's invitation to relocate to Florida. But all was not lost  the idea was crazy enough to generate national publicity.

Paula Dockery is a syndicated columnist who served in the Florida Legislature for 16 years as a Republican from Lakeland. She can be reached at PBDockery@gmail.com.
PROVIDED PHOTO/JENNIFER GUTIERREZ - Dr. Matthias Haury, COO of Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, is pictured with president of Florida International University and Chair of Life Sciences South Florida, Mark B. Rosenberg.

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By Audrey Morris Goff, Provided to The Courier Newsweekly

... Helping students succeed, industry grow

The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience recently received the Life Sciences South Florida Lifees Award at eMerge Americas in Miami.

This brings together the top government officials and business leaders from around the world to explore how public-private partnerships can leverage technologies to transform our communities.

The Lifees Award honors organizations, like MPFI, that are leaders in the life sciences and have demonstrated a commitment to furthering the industry through education and collaboration.

"Enriching science education is an important component of the Max Planck Society philosophy around the world," said Dr. David Fitzpatrick, MPFI CEO and Scientific Director.

"The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience is committed to offering programs and activities to enhance interest in and foster understanding of bioscience research at all levels of education. We also seek opportunities, like taking part in Florida Atlantic University's Jupiter Life Science Initiative, where we can collaborate with higher education and other life science institutions to further the industry's efforts both locally and worldwide.

"The pioneering basic research performed at MPFI is laying the framework for tomorrow's great discoveries, and we are proud to have been recognized as a leader among our peers. We look forward to continuing to cultivate this culture of education and collaboration within the life sciences in South Florida."

THE NOMINATION

MPFI was nominated for the Lifees Award by Raquel Rodriguez with McDonald Hopkins, LLC. Categories for the award include demonstration of student training and research activities, benefit to the scientific community and demonstration of community partnership.

"MPFI has demonstrated an immense commitment to the development of our South Florida life sciences industry," said Saif Ishoof, Vice President for Engagement at Florida International University (FIU), who oversees the LSSF consortium on behalf of the Executive Committee of LSSF and Chair, President Mark B. Rosenberg of FIU. "The opportunities MPFI provides our local students and the research they conduct sets them apart, creating a large impact on our community."

The institute is among only five recipients honored with the inaugural award, which was presented by LSSF, whose members include leaders of the top educational, economic development and research institutions in the region. LSSF seeks to establish an industry cluster in South Florida focused on life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and information technology.

FAU PARTNERSHIP

Among the programs listed during MPFI's recognition is its partnership with Florida Atlantic University in the creation of doctoral program in Integrative Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience.

The program, known as IBAN (Integrative Biology and Neuroscience), provides students the opportunity to explore cutting-edge questions in neuroscience through the integration of multiple disciplines, different model systems and a broad spectrum of technologies.

In addition, the award recognized MPFI and FAU's collaboration with University of Bonn (Bonn, Germany), and the Center for Advanced European Studies and Research (Bonn, Germany), to globalize education in brain research with an all-new International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Brain & Behavior.

MPFI's community engagement through events, like the Brain Bee Challenge and public lectures at local high schools, were highlighted as examples of how the institute is sharing its wealth of knowledge and furthering scientific education among even the youngest aspiring scientists.

Audrey Morris Goff is with Moore Communications Group.
SHARE PROVIDED PHOTO/ANDREW FOSTER Richard Procyk, age 90, is the founder of the Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationists. His recent battlefield talk focused on Brigadier General Thomas Sidney Jesup and the Seminole Wars. PROVIDED PHOTO/ANDREW FOSTER Richard Procyk of Jupiter, dressed as Brigadier General Thomas Sidney Jesup, talks at the side of his guard, an 1830s era Army dragoon, who is actually Jim Flaherty, a 30-year veteran of re-enactments. PROVIDED PHOTO/ANDREW FOSTER Richard Procyk

By Provided To The Courier Newsweekly

Jupiter area resident Richard Procyk recently presented a battlefield historical talk, while dressed as Brigadier General Thomas Sidney Jesup, 13th quartermaster General of the United States Army.

Procyk, age 90, the founder of the Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationists, drew a crowd of history-minded Jupiter area residents gathering at the local battlefield on the third Saturday in March.

Procyk's talk, given while dressed in period military style, focused on Jesup, the Seminole wars and the Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationists.

A PHOTOGRAPHER's VIEW

Meanwhile, Andrew Foster, a Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationists member for two years and now board member, was the designated photographer for that event.

"We had 70 to 80 people there," Foster said, commenting on Procyk's apparent command of the historical documentation relating to the battle. "Yes, he always draws a crowd, as he is loved and respected. They love him to death."

Procyk passionately spoke about the misunderstood Jesup, Foster said.

Procyk said the general has been considered historically as bad guy because he captured Seminole Chief Osceola under a "white flag."

"But in the end, Jesup actually questioned the thinking of the politicians," Foster recalled from the talk.

Jesup was removed from the theater of war because of it.

Osceola, had become an influential leader of the Seminoles and had migrated to Florida when he was a child, after their defeat in 1814 in the Creek Wars in Alabama.

The chief had been warned that he would not be shot, but merely "taken" under the sign of the flag. But Osceola, who was ill and dying, instead used the white flag as a ploy to attack the soldiers under Jesup, Foster said.

Jesup has been known historically as the general who questioned his direct orders to " 'get them to surrender and they go to Oklahoma ... or kill them,' " Foster said from Procyk's talk.

But Jesup disagreed.

UPCOMING BATTLE RE-ENACTMENT

The Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationists are planning an 1838 battle reenactment on Jan. 27 and 28, 2017 for area folks to attend and enjoy.

As history relates, it was the battle that followed an earlier battle of Okeechobee  on Christmas Day 1837.
Since the birth of musical theatre towards the end of the 19th century, Broadway has hosted all the greatest musicals in history. Despite competition from Londons West End, European cities, and East Asia, it has held the number one position as the creative and financial hub for musical productions, and I think I know why.

As the 2015-2016 theatre season comes to an end, there are currently 29 musicals and nine plays showing on Broadway, compared with 20 and 16 respectively on the West End. Could there be financial reasons for this disparity? After all, musicals are renowned for being big money-makers for production companies and they tend to maintain longer runs (see Les Miserables or Chicago), perhaps explaining why Broadway chooses to produce so many, capitalising on its millions of annual tourists. In contrast, one might argue, on this side of the Atlantic putting greater emphasis on commissioning plays allows for more experimental, innovative work as opposed to the lucrative, brash Broadway blockbusters that traditionally rely on extravagant production values, easy crowd-pleasers, and past success.

However, it does seem that Broadway is subverting this stereotype of musical theatre, finally using it as a culturally and socially pioneering art form, like the straight play, having longer-lasting effects on audiences, rather than merely using upbeat dance numbers to momentarily put them in a good mood. There are three shows, all of which enjoyed immense success on Broadway this theatre season, that I believe prove this more than any others, setting a new precedent for future large-scale musicals. The first is Deaf Wests production of Spring Awakening which totally reimagined the 2006 musical, featuring hearing and deaf actors, performing simultaneously in spoken English and American Sign Language. If you dont know the show, this might come across as frivolous positive discrimination, serving no artistic purpose. However, the show is grounded in the fact that communication between teenagers and adults can be taut with grave consequences, and the integration of deaf actors communicating in Sign Language underlines the discordance between rebellious youth and constringent society.

Another ground-breaker was the simplistically staged return of the musical adaptation of The Color Purple, starring Jennifer Hudson alongside Britains newest superstar, Cynthia Erivo (look her up and thank me later). This tragic story sheds light on the gross mistreatment of African Americans at the start of the 20th century, told in the form of a delightful, modern musical.

Lastly, anyone can guess the third show that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Broadway is our true musical theatre mothership. It is of course Hamilton, the revolutionary retelling of the founding of the USA through hip-hop music performed by a diverse cast, representing contemporary America. I can just picture endless composers throwing down their pens and pursuing office jobs because Hamilton has raised the bar for musicals forever, and it will be fascinating to see what is created in response to its success. Not only were these three musicals commissioned, but they were amongst the most highly acclaimed shows of the year, which is pretty special for productions that break a lot of artistic and cultural musical theatre traditions.

I cant help but compare these shining, revolutionary shows to the relatively flimsy programme of musicals that London offered in its 2015-2016 season. Whilst the staple favourites such as Matilda, Wicked, and Les Miserables totally merit their place on the London theatre scene, I fail to comprehend why dated shows like Guys and Dolls, Disney films like Aladdin translated directly onto the stage, and jukebox musicals (essentially glorified concerts) such as Jersey Boys, Thriller  Live!, and Sunny Afternoon continue to thrive when the cutting-edge In the Heights is squashed into the miniscule Kings Cross Theatre and Billy Elliot has had to end its magnificent run. (The silver lining to this being that Hamilton is set to replace it, but thats not the point; can we just keep Billy Elliot and finally give up Mamma Mia! instead?). Im not denying the quality of older shows, nor the magical enjoyment of Disney productions, or even the nostalgia and accessibility of jukebox musicals. Yet, looking at this London theatre season, you might think that people have simply stopped writing musicals giving producers no other choice, if it werent for the fantastical childrens book adaptation, Tuck Everlasting, Sara Bareilles new creation, Waitress, and the fresh, country-inspired Bright Star, all starting Broadway runs in the last couple of months.

With the likes of Mrs Henderson Presents and Titanic opening this year on the West End and modern classics such as Kinky Boots and The Book of Mormon going strong, the London musical scene is by no means a dead loss. I am, however, convinced that it wouldnt be a bad idea to follow New Yorks lead when it comes to one of the only art forms that truly originated there, and that the city has evidently nourished so fondly for decades.

Next week Ill be fighting the other side of the Broadway vs the West End battle in defence of Londons straight theatre scene.
Following a vote a Monday's CUSU Council meeting, Cambridge students will have the opportunity to vote on NUS affiliation.

The campaign for disaffilation stemmed from allegedly anti-sematic comments of the newly elected NUS president, Malia Bouattia. She has strongly denied the claims.

The motion, voted on by JCR Presidents and External Officers, was passed with 32 votes in favour, 7 against, 10 abstentions and 5 invalid papers. The referendum itself will begin on 17 May and end on 20 May. The motion also obliges CUSU Sabbatical officers to draft an open letter to the NUS condemning anti-semitism within the organisation.

Speaking in favour of the motion, Adam Crafton stressed that 85% of students present at the last Cambridge Jewish Society meeting voted in favour of a referendum, thus demonstrating their concern about the current president of the NUS.

Ex-Pal Soc President Anna Khalfaoui debated against the motion, arguing that condemning Bouattia as anti-semitic threatened debate over the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Cambridge's referendum comes after similar campaigns in Oxford, York and Manchester. The University of Lincoln is currently holding a referendum on NUS membership. The President of Oxford University Students' Union Becky Howe is opposing disaffiliation, saying We should be defending our education from marketisation  together. Disunion will, I believe, only do us harm.

During CUSU Council, CUSU President Priscilla Mensah also spoke in favour of the NUS, particularly praising the black sabbs movement.
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While hobbyists, inventors and innovators alike have been experimenting and producing a variety of do-it-yourself projects, their world is expected to undergo a hard shift as DIY moves to the next level.

3D printing is the cornerstone of the coming shift, and its effect on our daily lives will be multiplied by several converging forces: the collaborative economy, the jobless economy and the age of personalization.

As these three very different economic forces bear down on DIYers and their tools  especially 3D printing and related tools  the market will shudder hard and eventually reboot. Heres how that will work.

Its the Economy, Stupid

Its the economy, stupid, Bill Clinton famously said in his first presidential campaign. Its true: Economic forces are fueling and forging the next level of DIY.

A hard and long worldwide recession helped create the collaborative economy. Some know it as the sharing economy, but sharing is just part of the overall collaborative economy.

Whats the difference? The sharing economy subset is about sharing or renting goods rather than buying them. Examples of that are ride-sharing company Uber and home-sharing company Airbnb. The overall collaborative economy encompasses the sharing economy plus other collaborative, peer-to-peer activities such as crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending, and task-sharing, such as TaskRabbit and Instacart.

So, yes, technology made these companies possible, but it was the recession and its aftermath of uncertainty that made the new business models attractive. Its common for such services tosave users 25 percent or more over the total cost of ownership of traditional services.

Another recession likely would spur developments in the collaborative economy.

A similar dismal economic force afoot could add to both overall economic uncertainty and the rising rolls of the poverty-stricken: the new jobless economy. While its true that the U.S. has beenadding jobs steadily since the recession, it is also true that job growth is slowing as increased use of automation replaces human workers.

Eventually, job growth could stall and fall in the wake of mass automation. Machine learning and eventually artificial intelligence would see a dramatic erosion of even more jobs.

Already,an algorithm is serving as a board director. No job is safe from automation  hence the term jobless economy.

The Economic DIY Big Bang

As more people have trouble finding work that pays enough to survive on now, many of their needs remain unmet. Further, government has yet to address what comes next: what to do in the face of mass unemployment brought about by a jobless, fully automated economy.

There would be a lag before government could reform the economic structure to meet basic human needs, most likely through the establishment of auniversal paycheck. Meanwhile, more people would struggle and more needs, even the basics, could go unmet.

The next level of DIY likely will take the form of meeting the new market demand for essentials.

The biggest impact will come when digital DIY is allowed or pushed to move down the pyramid of needs, from gadgets for first-world problems to agriculture and mass customization of low-tech objects that everybody already needs and use, said Marco Fioretti, leader of Work Package 8: dissemination, future road map and sustainability atDigital Do It Yourself. He spoke on his own and not in his capacity at DiDIY.

The DiDIY Project is a European initiative partially funded by the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and consisting ofseven partners, all European universities and research institutions.

Fioretti has spent his career in Silicon Valley and Italy and is both an engineer and a tech writer.

Hence, well see the expansion of DIY to include the production of goods and parts for everyday needs.

From Virtual Store to Personal Factory

DIY 3D printing is part of a growing trend towards the personal factory, saidLykle Schepers, co-owner of Zesty Technology.

This is shown not only in 3D printing, but also in the proliferation of small CNC machines, or computer-controlled machining tools, desktop laser cutters, and there are now even small injection-molding machines. The 3D printer fits perfectly into this trend, he told TechNewsWorld.

Schepers has his own personal factory at home. Previous to the startup, he was an engineer designer and worked in the CAD sales department at IBM. Hes been designing and modeling all his life, he said. 3D printing is just a natural extension of his skills.

I use my printer to print shapes that I use as molds for aluminum casting I do in the backyard. I use the aluminum parts for a custom bike I am building, he said.

Thats the gist of a personal factory  home manufacturing tools that enable you to create and produce whatever you desire or need. Necessity is the mother of invention, so invention will spring forth from areas that are suffering the most.

The most relevant applications of 3D printing and other digital DIY in general may very well come not from Silicon Valley, but from places in dire straits, like Greece, Fioretti told TechNewsWorld.

Where Personal Factories Fit

Personal factories will exist for reasons of survival and artistic expressions, and they might become income generators and micro or small businesses.

Digital DIY does not necessarily create more economic activity  not of the kind that increases GDP at least  but for people who live paycheck to paycheck or off their pensions, it can be a big help, Fioretti said.

In other words, digital DIY can increase resiliency, both at the personal and community level, from DIY Internet access network in rural areas to increasing local food production through hydroponics, crop and cattle monitoring, and other things such as telemedicine, etc., he added.

Social makerspaces  that is, places that 3D print, CNC mill, etc., on-demand  would also create service jobs that cannot be outsourced and are cool, Fioretti said. They would give youngsters both help to stay in the local area and not migrate to find a job, and skills they may reuse later on in other jobs.

From Personal Factory to Community Factory

Given the economic forces at work here, personal factories also may be out of reach for the people who need them most.

To make sure that it is accessible to everyone, even and especially senior citizens, disabled people, working single mothers with children  who for a lot of valid reasons could never afford to spend time in a fab lab or could never realistically do it because they dont have the right skills, nor can they realistically acquire them  makerspaces and fab labs instead should help these people too and make things as needed for the community, Fioretti said.

The shift from DIY as we know it to creating things to help neighbors, family and friends is what he called digitally do it for others.

A 3D printer in every home would be a terrible waste of resources! But an on-demand making space on every block that everybody could use to make copies of objects, much like we already do today at any copy shop,  would be a game-changer, Fioretti said.

The Age of Personalization

However, DIYs next level will be not just about survival in a jobless economy or another recession, because something else is afoot. The third economic force affecting DIY is the age of personalization, wherein consumers prefer unique items over mass-produced, identical products. The trend is much of the reason for success in the DIY space for artisans.

Even wealthy patrons areshunning logos and brand names on merchandise, in part because they dont wish to appear gauche when so many are struggling financially, but also because they too want to express individuality rather than conformity.

Commercial companies are trying to capitalize on the trend by allowing customers to add their personal touches to otherwise mass-produced goods, such asNike has done with its NIKEiD line of products.

However, commercial interests will find it much tougher to compete with personal factories.

Outsourcing too is slated for a tough challenge ahead.

There are new specialty 3D printing filaments that enable printing metal at home and also magnetic, UV-sensitive, temperature-sensitive, color-changing, flexible and even electrically conductive filaments, said Nathan Ostrout, quality control engineer atM3D.

Imagine the potential for those DIY robotics individuals who can now print simple circuitry with conductive filaments. With this wide range of filaments available at affordable prices, were going to see a lot of new innovation in personal workshops without having to waste precious time outsourcing parts to manufacturing companies, he told TechNewsWorld.

As a result, DIYers soon may profit as much in the brick-and-mortar space as in virtual marketplaces.

3D printing is going to get faster, cheaper, will increase the size of the output and be able to print in full color with various materials, said Tim Lynch, CEO atPsychsoftpc.

This will lead to a much more diverse use for 3D printing. Products will be customizable and made on demand. There will be shops or mall carts springing up offering individualized, on-demand, highly customized 3D printed items, he told TechNewsWorld.

The next level for DIY is distributed manufacturing at scale and the birth of an entirely new market force. Indeed, it already looks to be a hard reboot of the economy.
The Linux Foundations Core Infrastructure Initiative project on Tuesday announced a free badge program to help foster security, quality and stability in open source software projects.

Through an online app, the CII lets devs determine whether theyre following best practices, generally within an hour or so.

If they are, theyll receive the badge, which they can display on GitHub and other online properties.

The ongoing development of the app and its criteria is an open source project to which devs can contribute.

Curl, GitLab, the Linux Kernel and OpenSSL are among the projects that already have earned the badge.

Encompassing OpenSSL

Consideration for the badge now includes an assessment of OpenSSL, the software used by open source Web servers such as Nginx and Apache, which host more than 60 percent of the worlds websites.

That widespread usage made hundreds of thousands of websites vulnerable to the Heartbleed OpenSSL flaw, and many large sites, including Yahoo, were left scrambling for a fix.

The flaw, discovered April 2014, resulted from a minor programming error made by a Ph.D. student. It was followed by another flaw in July of 2015.

Those vulnerabilities were a consequence of lack of funding and the small size of the OpenSSL team, according to OpenSSL Foundation president Steve Marquess.

However, all software has security issues, noted Josh Bressers, security strategist at Red Hat.

The use of OpenSSL in websites has been trending steadily downward since 2015.

Before Heartland struck, OpenSSL met only about one-third of the CII Best Practices Badge criteria, according to the Linux Foundation, but it now scores a perfect 100 percent.

The Badges Impact

The badge is one way to recognize the incredibly important contributions open source programmers make to the community, observed Red Hats Bressers.

It should at the very least generate lessons that can be applied in the future, he told LinuxInsider.

A Good Housekeeping seal is a good analogy, noted Chenxi Wang, chief strategy officer at Twistlock.

It doesnt quite say vulnerability free, but it gives a general sense of confidence and assurance that the software has at least gone through some standard checks and practice guaranties, she told LinuxInsider.

Issues With Open Source

I suspect open source software is no better or worse than [proprietary] software in terms of security flaws, Wang suggested. We hear more about open source flaws, because they tend to be public in terms of disclosure of security vulnerabilities.

The problem with open source software is that it has no set standard as to the security levels to test to, observed Holger Mueller, principal analyst at Constellation Research.

The badge process is a very good first step to get multiple open source initiatives to start adopting some basic and some advanced security protocols, he told LinuxInsider.

There currently are few ways to measure an open source project objectively, Red Hats Bressers pointed out. If this project manages to create a community where we can accurately and easily understand the level of security of a given project, that would be good news for everyone, especially the projects that put the effort into earning a positive rating.

One of the great challenges facing open source today is being able to understand and control the value chain in your development and dependencies, he explained. Ideally, [the badge project] will help with that.

The standard set for awarding the badge is reasonable, so it will quickly become requested by open source consumers, Constellations Mueller predicted. We shouldnt be surprised to see widespread adoption.

Although its too early to tell whether it might end up being a de facto standard, the wide interest and endorsement by several projects is a good sign, he said.

Working Together

Standards wars repeatedly have erupted in the proprietary software field, and if standards rivalry were to emerge for open source, that would be bad, Mueller mused.

In general, however, the security community has been working well together, he noted. Rather than competing, researchers have been layering on top of one another and complementing each others work.

In the even more collaborative open source ecosystem, said Mueller, Id be surprised to see another approach.
Facebook last week announced that it had rolled out group calling worldwide in its Messenger app. Members engaged in a group conversation can tap the phone icon on their screen to initiate a group call. They can manage individual participants on the next screen.

Members of a group who miss the initial call can tap the phone icon in the group chat to join the call while its in progress.

The feature allows up to 50 participants and is available only in the latest version of Messenger.

Move Over, Phone Carriers

The announcement likely will cause concern among telecommunications companies because if you consider that social medias a form of asynchronous communication, then Facebook is the largest telecom on the planet, with about 1.3 billion subscribers, observed Michael Jude, program manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan.

Now add synchronous communications  that is, communications in real time  and Facebooks beginning to come into focus as the next paradigm of communications: async and sync combined, he told TechNewsWorld. This could be a game changer.

Messaging appsViber andLine already offer group calling for up to 200 people.

However, Facebook is different  its a social media site with a huge following that now offers direct communication to groups of people, Jude said. Viber and Line are much smaller pools of people and dont have the rich social media capabilities that Facebook does.

The calling feature is in software, so if Facebook sees a need to expand the scope of the service, they could probably do it by flipping a switch, he noted.

Facebook stands to gain a substantial portion of the millennial telecom business, Jude suggested.

Further, the company launched a beta of its Messenger Platform with bots and its Send/Receive API, as well as bots for the Messenger Platform. How those features will play into group calling remains to be seen.

Killing Off Telcos

Facebooks move highlights the threat that new technologies pose to telecom companies.

As we move farther and farther from traditional PBXs and wired phone lines to VoIP services, many of which are either very cheap or free, telecom companies are going to lose this revenue, noted Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

Theyve had plenty of warning, he told TechNewsWorld. This is just another one of those services that will make it easier for small companies and individuals to cut their phone cord.

Facebookbegan offering VoIP in 2013. A year later, it fully rolled out audio calls and had 10 percent of the global VoIP phone call market.

Facebook is a much bigger threat than chat apps because far more people are likely to try and like it, due to its visibility, Enderle said.

Facebook Messenger has more than 900 million monthly active users.

The overall trend is making traditional telephones obsolete, Enderle said. This is just another indicator that trend is reaching critical mass, putting traditional telecom services increasingly on death watch.

Wireless carriers wont be hit as hard, because data charges apply to calls made through Facebook and other apps, unless WiFi is used.

What About Video?

Skype in February began supporting group video calls on iOS and Android for up to 25 people,ooVoo lets users make free high-quality video calls to groups of up to 12 people on any device, andTango supports video calls to groups of up to 50 people.

Facebook reportedly is working on a group video calling feature, but video introduces some issues associated with bandwidth, both in the network and on the end device, Frosts Jude pointed out.

Still, he said, I expect Facebook will do something like that eventually.
The 42-year-old is all set to assume the position left vacant by Liz Truss.




Education never stops evolving. Although the manifestations of such occurrence vary through time and place, indications of progress in the education industry are always present. Today, as the digital era is being ushered in, new ways of learning are beginning to emerge.

Samsung offers a complete education solution that aims to promote Smart Learning, which advances collaboration and dynamic engagement between the teacher and the students. In photo  Smart Lobby, Smart Study Lounge, and Smart Classroom  are just some of Samsungs digitally connected campus solutions.

Digitization in the education industry is a multi-faceted notion that begs to be discussed and even debated about. As digitization assumes not just huge changes, but revolutionary changes, resistance to it is expected. We, however, recognize the need to adapt to changes such as these by advocating to implement them. In terms of progress, the education industry in our country still has a long way to go, but were definitely moving forward

(From L-R): Samsung Regional Head of Education in SEA & Oceania, Gary Khoo, Samsung Presales and Solutions Leader, Bernie Serran, DepEd Executive Director, Aida Yuvienco, Philippine Catholic College Junior High School Principal, Jennifer Apolinario, Philippine Science High School Special Science Teacher IV Principal, Jayson Bingcang, and CHED Lead for Senior High School Support, Gerson Abesamis, participate in an engaging panel discussion, exploring various issues on digitization in terms of the Philippine education industry, during the first Samsung Education Summit held last April 27.

Going beyond providing quality tablets for our teachers and students, it was Samsungs guarantee to provide excellent post-purchase support that sealed the deal for us. With Samsung, we are able to promote improved educational approaches that empower our students and teachers with skills needed in the 21st century

Representatives from Samsung Philippines and Samsung Global, and different educational institutions - both private and government - participated in the conversation by expressing their views on various issues on education in relation to the digital age, and vice-versa.For Samsung, one of these emerging trends is. Samsung Smart Learning promotes smarter education experience that is personalized, and that enables greater interaction, which are the needs of the students today."Smart Learning is a movement that goes more than just simply readying the teachers and students for the complex and drastically-changing dynamics of our world today, it also aims to inspire them to become competent by equipping them with the necessary skills to adapt to changes, no matter how radical the changes are," said, Regional Head of Education in South East Asia & Oceania, Samsung.Samsungs initiative to advance smarter education experience is its response to the ever-growing demands of the new learning world. Since the new learning environment is heavily integrated with technology, Samsung aims to provide greater access to technology to more students and teachers to help them succeed in the new era.Very recently, the K-12 program had begun to be implemented across all educational institutions in the Philippines, to aid students and teachers become more globally competent. Samsung sees this as the perfect opportunity to adapt to the new learning experience to further strengthen the students fundamentals and maximize their potential, thus inspiring achievement.," said, Director for Enterprise Business, Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp.Committing itself to deliver success in education, Samsung innovated a complete education solution thats specifically developed to enrich the teaching and learning experience. The entire education solution is integrated such that it works seamlessly to promote collaboration and dynamic engagement between the teacher and the students.Samsung has long started to drive new ways of learning by forging partnerships with various educational institutions to advance the use of technology in their classrooms. The Philippine Science High School is one of the schools Samsung has partnered with to drive the new way of learning along with Pasig Catholic College who has been implementing their Mobile Leaning Devise Program for three years now, which requires the students to use Samsung tablets for educational purposes.," said, Director for Center for Institutional Information Technology, Pasig Catholic College.Samsung is recognized as one of the worlds largest technology companies that deliver a vast set of innovative products and solutions. This year, Samsung reinforces that recognition even further by initiating a deeper discussion on technology in terms of the new learning era, through the first Education Summit. Other than developing advanced solutions for the education industry, it is through efforts like these that Samsung proves its passion for education.
All photos in this post are courtesy of GizmoChina .

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST) Name Meizu M3 Note Type Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen) Price Category Midrange Dimensions 153.6 x 75.5 x 8.2 mm Weight 163 grams Available Colors Grey, White, Gold Operating System Android 5.1 Lollipop with FlyMe UI Display 5.5 inches (~72.1% screen-to-body ratio), 1080 x 1920 pixels (~401 ppi pixel density), LTPS IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Dinorex T2X-1 scratch/shock resistant glass Processor Octa Core 2.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, Mali-T860MP2 GPU, Mediatek MT6755 Helio P10 chipset RAM 2GB/3GB RAM options Internal Storage 16GB/32GB ROM options, expandable via hybrid microSD card slot (secondary nanoSIM) supporting up to 128GB Camera Main: 13 MegaPixels, 4128 x 3096 pixels, f/2.2 aperture, phase detection autofocus, LED flash

Front: 5 MegaPixels, f/2.0 Video Capture Full HD 1080p 30 frames per second for main camera, Full HD for front camera Audio and Video Playback MP4, WMV, H.264, MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC Ports microUSB v2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, EDR, LE, 4G LTE Cat4 (150/50Mbps), 3G HSPA+, LTE Cat6, NFC GPS Yes, with GLONASS and A-GPS FM Radio Yes Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, mTouch 2.1 Fingerprint Reader Network 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100, 4G LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500) SIM Card Type Dual SIM = microSIM + hybrid nanoSIM Battery Non-removable 4,100 mAh battery Uptime TBD Value-Added Features Metal Frame, FlyMe Interface, Large Battery Announcement China: April 6, 2016

Philippines: TBA, Guesstimate - Back to School Season Availability China: April 11, 2016

Philippines: TBA, Guesstimate - Back to School Season Price Official SRP:

2GB RAM - $125 USD

3GB RAM - $155 USD



TP Price Guesstimate for Philippines

2GB RAM - Php 6,000 to Php 6,500

3GB RAM - Php 7,500 to Php 8,000

I own aphablet - released early last year - and I have nothing but good words to say about it. The screen is fantastic, the gaming performance is decent, the design is attractive, the cameras are reliable, and the battery life is above average. I still take my unit out with me from time to time.I passed on the M2 Note - launched in July 2015 - as I didn't think it represented a clear upgrade from its predecessor apart from having a clickable home button.But this one - the freshly launched- has already captured my fancy. Now, this is what you call an update.Flaunting a shell crafted from 6000 series aluminum as opposed to the polycarbonate frame of the M1 and M2 Note, Meizu M3 Note definitely looks more durable and more elegant compared to the models it superseded. Though, I have to note that its form factor - replete with gentle curves - isn't particularly different from what we've seen before.The internal hardware also saw a boost. At its heart, M3 Note runs its FlyMe-UI-flavored Android 5.1 Lollipop OS with a Octa Core 1.8 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 and Mali-T860MP2 based Mediatek MT6755 Helio P10 chipset, which is more powerful than the M2 Note's MediaTek MT6753 processor. As for the RAM and ROM, you get two options: 2GB/16GB and 3GB/32GB combos. Users can augment storage via the handset's hybrid secondady nanoSIM slot that also supports microSD card memory expansion.My favorite improved feature, though, is the far larger 4,100 mAh battery pack versus just 3,100 mAh on the M2 Note. This should result in noticeably longer uptime -- but we've yet to confirm that.On paper, Meizu M3 Note's other specs including the 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display, 13 MegaPixel autofocus rear camera with Dual Tone LED flash, 5 MegaPixel selfie cam, Full HD video recorder, and LTE connectivity support are just about the same as what you'll see on the M2 Note. However, in lieu of scratch-resistant DragonTrail Glass protecting the screen, Meizu used the new DinoRex shock-and-scratch-resistant panel from Japan on this new release. Also, whereas M2 Note supports LTE Cat4, the successor supports LTE Cat6.Last month,- the leading distributor of Meizu smartphones in our country - invited me to join them in a trip to China to witness the formal unveiling of Meizu M3 and M3 Note in Beijing. I wasn't able to join them as my schedule back then was really packed. But the fact that they went there and wanted to take bloggers and members of the media with them proved that they have plans to carry those new Meizu models in their stores.Off hand, I'm guessing that the phablet will hit their store shelves come back to school season - around June or July 2016 - with price starting at around Php 6,000 to Php 6,500.
Earlier this week, Australian businessman and entrepreneur Craig Wright publically came out as Satoshi Nakamoto, the elusive inventor of Bitcoin. Wright's claim was backed by two well-respected members of the Bitcoin community - Gavin Andresen and Jon Matonis - but even still, skeptics were able to poke holes in his story.

Wright said he would provide undeniable proof to the community of non-believers by moving Bitcoins from an account known to be controlled by the real Satoshi and by sharing what he called independently verifiable documents.

Now, Wright has reneged on his promise.

In a post on his blog, Wright said he believed he could put the years of anonymity and hiding behind him but as the events of this week unfolded and he prepared to publish proof that he can access the earliest keys, he "broke."

Wright said that when rumors of his identity first made the rounds, his qualifications and character were attacked. When those allegations were proven false, he continues, new allegations quickly surfaced. Wright adds that he now knows that he does not have the courage and isn't strong enough to provide the proof that would validate his claims.

The businessman apologized to those that have supported him, naming Andresen and Matonis specifically, and hoped that their credibility and honor wouldn't be irreparably tainted.

No matter how you look at it, the events surrounding this week and those in early December are bizarre at best. The obvious conclusion that most will gravitate towards is that Wright is simply refusing to provide proof because he isn't Satoshi and thus, doesn't have access to the Bitcoin wallet in question.

Wright is a well-educated man and one would think that he's smart enough to realize he can't pull a fast one on experts in the Bitcoin community. He's managed to convince at least two leading experts and that has to say something about his claims.

Wright said earlier this week he doesn't want money, fame or adoration, he just wants to be left alone. If that were the case, why did he proclaim to be Satoshi at all? The rumors from last December that pointed to him are no longer in the news cycle. Did he just want people to stop snooping into his life?

One would think that either staying silent or fully disclosing your identity would be the best route to reaching the goal of being left alone. Why present questionable evidence that would only damage your credibility?

One possible answer - and I'm not saying that is or isn't the case here - is that people at their core simply love attention. It's why social networks like Facebook are so incredibly popular. Most people don't care about "sharing" with others, they simply use those platforms to boast about their accomplishments, show off what they have or wallow in their sorrows - all in hopes of garnering attention.

If everything Wright says is indeed accurate and he lacks the courage to provide the proof the world needs, that's alright, too. Everyone deals with internal demons in some way or another and it's entirely possible that fully outing himself is just too big a hurdle for him to overcome. Or maybe he really is Satoshi and is just trolling everyone and milking the attention from media and the community for as long as possible.

At the end of the day, we're still left wondering Satoshi's true identity. It's a mystery that may very well never be solved and for the person(s) involved in Bitcoin's creation, that's fine. As Wright said, Satoshi is under no obligation to reveal his identity. It's his right to remain anonymous if he wishes.
Almost one-third of United States-prescribed antibiotics are not appropriate for the medical issues being resolved, a federal government study has warned.

Using 2010 to 2011 data from a national survey, a team of researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) led by Dr. Katherine Fleming-Dutra concluded that at least 30 percent of antibiotics given in doctors' offices as well as hospital-based clinics and emergency rooms are rather unnecessary. This meant the antibiotics were not at all needed.

Half of antibiotic prescriptions for acute respiratory conditions may have been unnecessary, representing 34 million antibiotic prescriptions annually, cited the authors as one of their findings, recommending a 15 percent cut in overall antibiotic use to meet the national goal of slashing unnecessary antibiotic use in half by 2020.

Such misuse is seen to fuel antibiotic resistance bacteria or superbugs, which now affect two million Americans and lead 23,000 to their grave every year, according to the CDC. Antibiotic use primarily drives antibiotic resistance, leading to dire consequences ranging from allergies to difficult-to-treat infections and even death.

The misuse is most pronounced in treating short-term respiratory issues including colds, sinus and ear infections, and sore throats, reported the authors.

The team analyzed over 184,000 outpatient cases, of which almost 13 percent entailed antibiotic prescriptions. Relying on nationally-set treatment guidelines, the team looked for health conditions that were not supposed to be addressed using antibiotic drugs.

Nobody should be giving antibiotics for the common cold. It gets better without antibiotics, Fleming-Dutra said.

Dr. Sara Cosgrove of Johns Hopkins University said in an accompanying editorial that, while the data obtained was from five years ago, things are not any different if one looks in 2016, with little work done to improve the use of antibiotics.

If we know that an antibiotic is really not likely to make people feel better, we still can provide alternatives for symptom relief that will help people feel better, Cosgrove argued, pointing to a relatively simple solution: placing a poster in doctors waiting rooms indicating a resolution to avoid antibiotic overuse.

CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden warned that, while antibiotics are lifesavers, inappropriate use will make humans lose them as a potent tool to fight life-threatening infections.

[This] would undermine our ability to treat patients with deadly infections, cancer, provide organ transplants, and save victims of burns and trauma, he said.

The World Health Organization has deemed antibiotic resistance a global health crisis. The White House, too, has made improved antibiotic use  as well as the creation of new antibiotic medications  a priority.

The findings were published May 3 in the journal JAMA.

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Thousands of tourists visit Spain each year to marvel at the many natural and man-made wonders that dot the country's landscape. However, for one particular sightseer, his trip to the Iberian Peninsula ended up in one of the biggest paleontological finds in the history of the region.

According to reports, the hiker was exploring the hills near the city of Barcelona when he came across a fossilized footprint, which experts believe belonged to an ancient reptile known as the Isochirotherium. This prehistoric creature used to roam the Earth approximately 230 million years ago during the Middle Triassic era.

Officials from the autonomous regional government of Catalonia revealed earlier this week that the hiker found the reptile footprint on April 22 in an area near Olesa de Montserrat, some 25 miles north of Barcelona.

A local news agency has called the find as the best sample of a preserved footprint ever to be discovered in the Iberian Peninsula.

The town council of Olesa de Montserrat has created a plaster cast of the reptile footprint, and experts from the regional paleontology and archaeology service are already working on studying the prehistoric specimen.

Paleontologist Eudald Mujal from the Autonomous University of Barcelona pointed out that the Isochirotherium footprint was well preserved and that it still has many of its details such as the skin and claw.

Mujal explained that the ancient reptile belonged to the archosaur animal group, which now consists of birds and crocodilians.

He said that the Isochirotherium was of quadrupedal gait, much like crocodiles. However, these ancient creatures had a more erect posture and considerably longer legs compared to their modern-day counterparts.

This is not the first time a would-be traveler stumbled upon dinosaur footprints while on a hike. In 2014, a hiker in Utah came across more than 200 tracks made by dinosaurs some 125 million years ago.

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A new study revealed the complex patterns of migration by ice age humans based on the analysis of their bone samples.

While the extensive research may further define the history and origins of culture of Europe, it may also help shed light on the genetic pool of its people.

But to do this, we need to look at two very important points: Neanderthal DNA and the migration pattern itself.

Neanderthal DNA

A study published in Nature revealed that around 45,000 years ago, the first humans in Europe didn't just live with the Neanderthals, they also interbred with them, although most possibly very rarely.

However, over many years, the percentage of Neanderthal DNA present among Europeans has decreased significantly to only 2 percent. This points out that the earlier ancestors of Europeans may have possessed more of this Neanderthal DNA and that the substantial disappearance may be attributed to the the Neanderthal DNA's harmful effects to present-day Europeans.

Moreover, the DNA of the Neanderthals diminished over time because of natural selection. Nevertheless, the remaining 2 percent still seems to be quite substantial, which means Neanderthal DNA still has some undue influence on the European population not only with regard to health conditions but also on physical attributes such as light skin and straight hair.

Interestingly, the appearance of the early ice age Europeans suggests that they had darker skin and browner eyes than the Europeans today. Blue eyes appeared only around 14,000 years ago and pale skin sometime within the last 7,000 years. Both attributes were brought by farmers from the Near East.

Since limited interbreeding also happened between Neanderthals and early humans in the Middle East, is it possible that the reduction of Neanderthal DNA in the European lineage occurred not too long ago?

Migration Patterns

As mentioned, the first humans to arrive in Europe coexisted with Neanderthals, but about 30,000 years ago, the Neanderthals somehow vanished, with one theory suggesting that the presence of modern humans had a role in the disappearance.

Since then, different types of cultures seemed to have flourished, but it was assumed that these shifts in culture happened within the same population.

A comprehensive look at the genomes of the human bones of 51 people reveals otherwise - there was a wave of complex migrations, beginning with the Aurignacians followed by Gravettians and Magdalenians. Then about 14,000 years ago, farmers from the Near East also populated Europe.

Gravettians may have displaced Aurignacians, but it might not be on purpose. A plausible explanation is that the Gravettians were better equipped to deal with the frigid ice age conditions than the Aurignacians. In fact, the climate adaptation they developed not only allowed them to survive but also permitted them to grow their lineage in Europe. Only 10 percent of the European lineage can be attributed to the Aurignacians.

As for the Aurignacians, they were forced to retreat toward the west and south of Iberia including Spain. Their presence in the region may be corroborated by the introduction of the Magdalenians, who carried the genetic signature of Aurignacians and whose bone sample was found in a cave in Northern Spain.

In the end, we can say that the passing on of genes is very complex. Not only does it say so much about the different populations that have intermingled and lived within a particular area, but it also defines who the Europeans are right now - how they look like or what kinds of diseases they are susceptible to.

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One of the largest auto industry recalls is about to double in size, and then some. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has expanded the recall of Takata airbag inflators to include an additional 35 to 40 million inflators.

The additoinal units to be recalled would be added to an already massive recall, considered the largest in U.S. auto history that involved 28.8 million inflators. The expanded recall is set to take place starting May 2016 through December 2019.

"Today's action is a significant step in the U.S. Department of Transportation's aggressive oversight of Takata on behalf of drivers and passengers across America. The acceleration of this recall is based on scientific evidence and will protect all Americans from air bag inflators that may become unsafe," said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

This latest twist is part of the Takata saga that has been going on since 2008, when the manufacturer had to call back 4,000 automobile as a result of faulty air bags. The new recall will bring the total to more than 50 million vehicles fitted with Takata air bags that have had to be recalled.

At least 11 deaths and about a dozen of injuries have been linked to Takata's faulty airbags. Despite Takata's claims to the contrary, it has been looking more and more like the cause of the problem is the parts maker's use of ammonium nitrate to inflate the airbag in case of a collision.

The volatile chemical, along with heat and humidity, has been the top culprit in the dangerous deployment of Takata airbags. The ammonium nitrate is suspected of inflating airbags with such force that the chemical shatters its container, spraying shards of metal at vehicle occupants.

"The science clearly shows that these inflators become unsafe over time, faster when exposed to humidity and variations of temperature. This recall schedule ensures the inflators will be recalled and replaced before they become dangerous, giving vehicle owners sufficient time to have them replaced before they pose a danger to vehicle occupants. NHTSA will continue to evaluate all available research and will act quickly to protect safety," said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind

Takata has until 2018 to prove to regulators that the ammonium nitrate is safe to use, and the company will have to start recalling all of them if they're confirmed to be dangerous. The company also agreed to no longer use the chemical for new contracts.

While it has, over the years, argued in favor of the continued use of ammonium nitrate, Takata began building a drying agent into its airbag builds to keep the volatile chemical in check. This move by the Japan-based supplier looks like acceptance of the true cause on Takata's part, said Scott Upham, CEO and founder of Valient Market Research, an automotive consulting firm.

"Finally, there's enough scientific evidence to point to the humidity issue as affecting the propellant," Upham told the New York Times. "For a long period of time, they denied that ammonium nitrate was to blame. But this does validate there are fundamental issues with the chemical itself."



The NHTSA advises vehicle owners to immediately act upon receipt of notification that a remedy is available for their vehicle.

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Times of need can make anyone do things they normally wouldn't, leading to some harsh consequences. In Italy, however, if food is stolen because of hunger and homelessness, it cannot be considered a crime, according to the country's highest appeals court.

The decision was reported by ANSA, an Italian news agency. The case in question was a page straight out of Les Miserables: a homeless Ukrainian man was charged with stealing cheese and sausage from a store without paying.

Roman Ostriakov was caught when another customer reported him to the store's management after seeing him trying to leave the establishment with the cheese and sausage in his pocket. The Ukrainian apparently only paid for some breadsticks. He was sentenced to six months in prison by a trial court in February 2015. He also had to pay a fine of about $115.

Italy's Cassation Court, however, ruled that stealing small amounts of food is not a crime when it is done to address the essential need for nourishment.

"The condition of the defendant and the circumstances in which the merchandise theft took place prove that he ... [was] acting therefore in a state of need," said the court.

According to a former member of the Cassation Court, Gherardo Colombo, the ruling appears to be based on "Ad impossibilia nemo tenetur," an Italian legal doctrine that translates to "No one is expected to do the impossible." The court has yet to release a statement offering its full reasoning for the decision.

Unlike in the U.S. legal system, the high court's decision does not necessarily have to be followed by lower courts. This case, however, can push for the more frequent application of state of necessity to cases linked to poverty conditions.

Italians are split on the decision as some believe that right to property has been trumped by right to survival. Colombo believes the Cassation Court ruled rightly though, saying that everyone has a legal right to dignity under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Italian Constitution.

He also reiterated that it was important to note that the theft was nonviolent. Had Ostriakov committed robbery instead, he would be facing a far less kind response from the Cassation Court.

Photo: Erich Ferdinand | Flickr

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Don't you just hate it, spending so much time looking for missing keys, phones and purses? Well, Amazon offers its voice-activated AI, Alexa, to help you track those missing items.

Amazon Echo is a wireless speaker and voice command device released by Amazon in November 2014. The device responds to the name "Alexa," and is capable of voice interaction initiating web search, music playback, and podcast streaming. The built-in voice assistant also provides real-time news, traffic and weather updates, marks calendars, sets up alarms and even controls other smart home devices.

Of course, Amazon is not stopping there.

According to Reuters, Amazon is investing a hefty sum of money between $250,000 and $500,000 into a Bluetooth technology company called TrackR, to improve Alexa's capabilities.

TrackR is a fledgling company that offers coin-sized Bluetooth tags called TrackR Bravo, which can be clipped or attached to keys, phones, purses and other small items that easily get misplaced. Each tag costs $30 and comes in packs of two or four.

By downloading the TrackR app on iOS- or Android-powered smartphones, users can locate the area where their missing item is and ring the device to find it. In the event that the phone gets misplaced, users can press the Bluetooth tag to ring the phone.

By combining the current features of Echo with the innovative tracking technology of Bravo, Alexa can now assist users in unearthing missing items tagged with a TrackR device. This integration was first announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January and has been in the works since.

"The ability to bring on more partners and realize that you are building an entire ecosystem  I think that is what was really important for us," said TrackR co-founder Chris Herbert.

Unlike its competition  Apple and Google  Amazon allows other devices to integrate with its AI technology. Tech Times earlier reported that Amazon has set aside a $100 million "Alexa Fund" to invest on third party projects, which will enhance its AI capabilities. At present, Amazon has made 15 investments through the Alexa Fund, including the kitchen prep device Orange Chef, and the smart home garage door opener Garageio.

There is no actual announcement yet when the actual Echo and TrackR integration will be deployed, but it is creating enough hype among tech enthusiasts.

In the latest 2016 Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas, TrackR unveiled its "Works with TrackR" program, which basically informs potential investors about the products the company is innovating. Aside from Amazon, TrackR has also partnered with HP in creating a traceable laptop bag with a unique pocket designed for TrackR Bravo tags. TrackR's open software attracts the attention of third party developers who wish to integrate their design with the existing tracking device.

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Human embryos have been grown outside a womb for two weeks, doubling the previous record. This study, carried out so scientists could experiment, has ignited a new round of debate of the ethics of human engineering.

In vitro fertilization does not usually extend past the implantation stage  the time during which fertilized eggs would normally implant themselves into the womb. This new research marks the first time that human embryos have been grown in vitro past this stage.

"Implantation is a milestone in human development as it is from this stage onwards that the embryo really begins to take shape and the overall body plan are [sic] decided. It is also the stage of pregnancy at which many developmental defects can become acquired. But until now, it has been impossible to study this in human embryos," Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz of the University of Cambridge said.

Following fertilization, human eggs start to divide into a small ball of stem cells, each capable of developing into any type of cell. Within three days, these cells begin to move to specific locations, a period where the developing bundle is known as a blastocyst. At this point, the cells are composed of the epiblast, which will form the body, an endoderm, essential for the development of organs, and cells that will form the placenta.

One week after fertilization, the cluster must implant into a womb in order to survive. This problem prevented researchers from studying embryos in the laboratory past this early stage of development. However, laws in the United Kingdom (UK) allow researchers to study these bodies up to two weeks after fertilization.

Soon after implantation, embryos develop a cavity, which develops into the fundamental structure of the developing body. Previously, medical researchers believed this cavity was the result of apoptosis, or programmed cell death. This new investigation reveals this process is not needed for the developing body of cells.

Study of how developing embryos change between one and two weeks could allow investigators to learn more about miscarriages. A failure to implant in wombs is a leading cause of early accidental terminations.

Development of techniques to extend the life of embryos past the implantation stage and examination of how they develop was profiled in Nature Cell Biology.

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The 2016 presidential race has now come down to just three contenders in the two major political parties. Each of these candidates - Billionaire real estate Mogul Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, have significantly different visions. Among these differing opinions are their positions on the future of NASA. The 2016 election could also become a critical juncture in the quest to place human beings on Mars.

Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has stated he hopes to see additional joint projects between NASA and private aerospace companies, such as SpaceX. Apart from that stated position, the candidate has revealed little on the issue of national space policy.

"I love NASA... Space is terrific... Right now, we have bigger problems - you understand that? We've got to fix our potholes," Trump stated at a campaign event held in New Hampshire during August 2015.

That same month, Trump also stated he wanted to spend money on infrastructure before traveling to Mars.

Hillary Clinton told reporters in July 2015 she wanted to train to be an astronaut when she was a teenager. At age 14, she wrote to the space program asking what requirements were in place to start training as an astronaut. At that time, NASA responded it was not accepting applications from females. The New York senator also stated the importance of tracking asteroids, denoting the search as essential for human security.

Bernie Sanders, the longest-serving independent in Congress in American history, favors evaluating goals of NASA, while continuing planning for a human trip to Mars. He also emphasized that private space companies would not exist without the groundbreaking research carried out by the national space agency.

"While space exploration was once the exclusive realm of governments, the private space industry is increasingly commercializing space tourism, satellite launches, and more. This shift coincides with the U.S. government pullback from space exploration - exemplified by the end of the shuttle program," Sanders told Aerospace America.

Currently, NASA consumes roughly 0.5 percent of the total federal budget, and just 2 percent of total discretionary spending. Because the program does not constitute a large portion of the federal budget, most remarks about space while out on the campaign trail have been made in passing.

None of the three major candidates for the Oval Office have made a commitment to a radically expanded space program, but the two Democrats appear more willing than the presumptive Republican nominee to continue looking outward to the future of human beings in space.

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Palau's Jellyfish Lake is admired all over the world as one of the best examples of nature's beauty, consisting of a rich and diverse ecosystem. In fact, as many as 160,000 people came to visit the great saltwater lake last year just to marvel at the golden jellyfish endemic to the region.

However, scientists report that Jellyfish Lake hasn't been doing well over the past few months because of unusually high temperatures and severe drought brought on by the El Nino phenomenon.

The lake's local jellyfish population is now down to just 600,000 individual animals from a high of 8 million in previous years. Some boat operators in the area say that the situation is much worse, estimating that the jellyfish only number to about 300,000 and are rapidly declining.

Madelsar Ngiraingas, executive director of the tourism association of Palau, said that when some of their members went to check the jellyfish in the lake last weekend, they weren't able to spot any of the creatures the entire day.

She said that the dwindling numbers of the creatures in Jellyfish Lake are disturbing.

"I think people in the industry are alarmed by the fact that the numbers have declined dramatically in such a short amount of time," Ngiraingas pointed out. "But we understand there could be a number of factors, including the drought."

Data shows that over the past four months, Palau has received the lowest amount of cumulative rainfall in six and a half decades.

Experts at the Coral Reef Research Foundation explained that the lack of rain has caused Jellyfish Lake to become a lot saltier than normal. This prevented the jellyfish from receiving the vital nutrients that were usually brought to them by run-off.

The rivers and dams in Palau have been drastically depleted in the past few months as a direct result of the ongoing drought and the abnormal weather pattern brought on by the El Nino phenomenon. The country is now under a state of emergency and its government has asked other nations for aid.

So far, the local government said that it will keep Jellyfish Lake open at this stage. It is also optimistic that the population of jellyfish in the area will be able to bounce back as soon as conditions begin to improve.

Some local tourism companies, however, have expressed their concern about keeping the lake accessible to tourists while it is still struggling to rebound from the drought. They have called on the government to limit tourism numbers to Jellyfish Lake even if the jellyfish population begins to recover.

Photo: Amanda Anderson | Flickr

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The governor of California on Wednesday finally signed into law the bill that raises the legal purchasing age of tobacco products from 18 to 21, nearly two months after it was passed by state lawmakers.

Now the second state to pass such a law, California will implement the measure beginning June 9. Buying cigarette and tobacco products for smoking, chewing, vaping and dipping will be restricted to residents aged 20 and below.

Gov. Jerry Brown approved the new law along with four others that control tobacco use in different ways, including a measure that bans e-cigarette use in places where cigarette smoking is also forbidden.

However, Brown vetoed a measure that would give localities the ability to levy cigarette taxes.

The Side Of Proponents

Supporters of the new law intend to prevent teenagers from the toxic and sometimes deadly effects of nicotine addiction.

Research from the Institute of Medicine suggests that 90 percent of smokers started the habit before the age of 19. A 2012 report by the United States Surgeon General found that nine out of 10 smokers began lighting up at the age of 18, and 99 percent start at age 26.

Will the new law be effective? A separate Institute of Medicine study in 2015 revealed that raising the legal age of tobacco purchase would "substantially" decrease the numbers of adolescents who start smoking.

The study found that increasing the legal age would reduce the number of smokers by 12 percent and would result to at least 250,000 fewer premature smoking-related deaths.

The Side Of Opponents

The new law will prove to be a major challenge for the $100 billion tobacco industry, which, according to The Wall Street Journal, is already facing several difficulties.

On Wednesday, the European Union upheld a law that would ban menthol cigarettes and push for larger warning labels. That same day, the Supreme Court in India ordered tobacco companies to cover 85 percent of packs with graphic warnings.

The move will also hurt tobacco sales in California, which is expected to be reduced by 43 million cigarette packs by 2016 to 2017, California's Board of Equalization said.

Altria Group, Inc., one of the country's largest tobacco company, opposed raising the minimum age, urging the public to defer to Congress and open an informed discussion based on science.

Although the company will not fight the bill, it did not rule out a referendum that would oppose other legislation passed in March.

What's Next?

Sen. Ed Hernandez, author of the bill, expects other states to follow California's move.

"It's going to send a shockwave across the country," says Hernandez.

More than 10 other states are considering such a legislation, including Kentucky, Illinois, Oregon and New York. Lawmakers in Massachusetts have passed a bill in April that raises legal purchase age to 21, but it must still go through the House of Representatives.

Photo: Neon Tommy | Flickr

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A huge number of emails and passwords have been stolen, and the records are being traded in the Russian criminal underworld.

According to Hold Security Founder Alex Holden, the massive breach involves 272.3 million accounts in total across platforms. Most of them are users of Mail.ru, the biggest email service in Russia, but considerable portions of them are users of Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo.

Holden says the researchers of the company encountered the Russian hacker on an online forum, where he was showing off and putting up for sale the impressive amount of accounts he had collected. They soon found out that the entire cache consists of 1.17 billion login credentials.

To break down the figures, 57 million are from Mail.ru, 40 million from Yahoo, 33 million from Hotmail and 24 million from Gmail, and these were after the duplicates were eliminated. Aside from those, thousands of others in the mix are believed to be from Chinese and German email service providers.

"This information is potent. It is floating around in the underground and this person has shown he's willing to give the data away to people who are nice to him," Holden tells Reuters.

On an interesting note, the cybercriminal demands only 50 rubles, and to put that into perspective, that only amounts to less than $1. However, despite the negligible sum, Hold Security did not pay for it, as it's against the company's policy to purchase stolen data. Instead, the culprit asked the researchers to like his social media page and praise him on hacker forums.

"In all reality, 50 rubles is next to nothing, but we refuse to contribute even insignificant amounts to his cause ... finally the hacker just asks us to add likes/votes to his social media page," Holden says.

Giving in to what the hacker wants comes with a link to 10 GB worth of data available to the researchers, which Holden notes needs more than one hour to completely download.

This incident is the biggest hacking case since the cyberattack targeted at major banks and retailers in the United States two years back. It's also worth mentioning that large-scale breaches have been rampant lately, including the times when hackers attacked Verizon and the dating website for beautiful people.

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Residents in North Carolina have stumbled upon a strange-looking fish that seemed to have been washed ashore on the beach earlier in the week.

According to reports, the creature appears to be an Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus), a species of fish that has been swimming the waters of the Earth since the age of the dinosaurs some 120 million years ago. This marine animal is considered to be one of the oldest living fish on the planet.

The Atlantic sturgeon is known for its arched back, a bony-plated body with no scales and a tail that resembled that of sharks. The one that was washed on the shores of Carolina Beach near New Hanover County on Monday looks to be of a rarer kind.

Despite living on Earth for millions of years, Atlantic sturgeons continue to face various threats to their existence brought on by the loss of their natural habitat and commercial fishing. Populations of this ancient fish have been over-harvested for decades, leading to their sharp decline in numbers.

The situation is compounded even further by the fact that many overestimate Atlantic sturgeon's reproductive cycle. Females of this species become sexually mature only when they become 16 to 20 years old and they are only able to lay eggs every two to six years.

The United States government has long identified the Atlantic sturgeon as a species of concern since 1988 before being declared as an endangered species in 2012.

The fish was included by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) into its list of threatened species in 2011. This made it illegal for people to fish for Atlantic sturgeon in many areas where the fish are typically found.

These protective sanctions have helped the sturgeons make a bounce back from their endangered status. In February, the Department of Environmental Conservation of New York announced that populations of Atlantic sturgeon living in the Hudson River are now at a 10-year high.

Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region | Flickr

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Far Harbor, the largest DLC so far for massively popular action RPG Fallout 4 and the first major storyline expansion, is set to launch on May 19.

Far Harbor is such a massive DLC that it is actually not just the biggest so far for Fallout 4, but the largest that the developer Bethesda has ever created.

What can players expect from the highly anticipated Far Harbor DLC?

Heading To Far Harbor

The journey to the island of Far Harbor, which is inspired by the real-world location known as Bar Harbor, begins with players accepting a new case from the Valentine's Detective Agency to search for a missing woman and a secret colony of synths.

Players then head to the island off Maine's coast, and it is said that Far Harbor features a more feral world due to higher level of radiation in the area.

The Conflict

Bethesda describes the conflict in Far Harbor as occurring between the synths, the cult Children of Atom and the townspeople. It is up to players to either settle the feud and bring peace to the island or throw the factions into an even deeper conflict. New faction quests involving the island's problems can be accessed by players through the DLC.

In addition to the opposing factions in Far Harbor, the DLC brings more threats in the form of new creatures. The monsters that could be spotted in the expansion include gigantic lantern fish and massive crustaceans.

New Toys

With new problems come new solutions, and in the world of Fallout 4, that means new equipment. A trailer of Far Harbor reveals some sort of fishing hook, while also providing a glimpse of what looks like a diving suit.

The diving suit spotted in the trailer amplifies rumors that Far Harbor will contain underwater segments that can be explored by players. The base game was said to contain such underwater areas, but those had to be cut during its development. Far Harbor could be bringing back these locations, which would be appropriate for its setting.

Completing quests in the DLC will also reward players with high-level weapons and armor, which makes participating in the conflict of Far Harbor much more appealing.

Ready For Launch

As mentioned, Far Harbor will be launching on May 19. Those who purchased the $50 season pass doesn't need to pay anything. For gamers with no season pass, with what is known about the DLC so far, it already looks like the $25 cost of purchasing the expansion as a standalone is going to be worth it.

For lucky ones, the wait will not be as long. Bethesda is said to be sending out invites this week to chosen players to participate in the closed beta of the DLC, which will contain the full version of Far Harbor.

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A newly developed robot was able to complete a pig intestine surgery on its own and better than human surgeons, a new research has shown.

Advancements in artificial intelligence coupled with robotics are on the rise because of the numerous advantages they pose, but some express concern that they could be replacing human workers, particularly in health care.

Every year, more than 50 million people undergo risky surgeries in the U.S., with thousands dying due to errors in surgery. A past study even revealed that half of total post-surgical complications are due to errors of the surgeon.

Since robots have previously helped in hospital settings, the researchers programmed a Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) which turned out to perform a better pig intestine surgery than human surgeons.

Without any help from humans, STAR was able to stitch the pig's bowels consistently  evenly spaced and more durable than what humans can do. Thanks to STAR, the pig is expected to have fewer complications.

What Makes STAR Better Than Human Surgeons?

Surgeons have good vision, skilful hands, and a wealth of information about which procedures to perform for a particular patient. Kim and his colleagues wanted to clone these skills and apply them to an experimental robot.

STAR has autonomous operation, which makes it capable of performing tasks on its own. It has near infrared imaging and 3D camera that allow it to see minute details inside the body that humans cannot. The robot is also equipped with minimally invasive surgical tools and force sensor so it can gauge suture tightness. STAR was also programmed to learn appropriate surgical techniques to perform for several scenarios.

By doing the open bowel surgery, STAR performed better than human surgeons in all aspects  whether the human surgeons used hands, laparoscopic, or robot assistant.

STAR was able to operate on a scale of as much as 60 percent on the intestines with no adjustments from its human counterpart.

"Even though we take pride in our surgical procedures, to have a machine or tool that works with us in assuring better outcome safety and reducing complications is a tremendous benefit," said senior author and pediatric surgeon Dr. Peter Kim.

Will Robots Replace Human Surgeons?

"The purpose wasn't to replace surgeons, but if you have an intelligent tool that works with a surgeon, can it improve the outcome?" asked Dr. Kim, who is also an associate surgeon-in-chief of the Children's National Health System and vice-president of Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation.

The robot was consistently monitored and guided by surgeons who are also in the operating room. The robotic movements simply complement the actions of the human surgeon.

Kim explained that STAR is a mere motorized tool controlled by surgeons. "It has no intelligence whatsoever," Kim said.

The Future Of Healthcare Robotics

Senior editor Megan Frisk of the journal Science Translational Medicine where the study was published on May 4 said STAR is a promising development for robotics that could significantly help lower human errors in providing healthcare. More studies should be done to back the development before it can be used for more intricate surgeries, however.

Weill Cornell Medical College associate professor of surgery Dr. Rasa Zarnegar said healthcare embracing robotics is inevitable because some of the surgical operations are better performed when automated.

People will accept robotic surgeries especially if these provide better and safer outcomes, said Zarnegar. Because STAR was only able to perform four successful pig intestine surgeries, Zarnegar believes that tests must be carried out on a larger scale before these could be considered successful.

While STAR has not done any human surgeries so far, Kim believes that the robot surgeon could be in hospital in two to three years' time.

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A majority of Donald Trump supporters believe that man-made climate change is real and happening  something in stark contrast to the U.S. presidential candidates history of denying global warming, according to a poll released on May 4.

Fifty-six percent of those supporting Trump in the presidential race think global warming is happening. Trump supporters, too, were more likely to back a candidate who strongly backed global warming measures.

The survey, conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication along with the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication, probed how supporters of current candidates viewed climate change, how those views will shape their vote, and how they think Americans should address the matter.

Among those voting for John Kasich, the percentage climbed to 71, while a mere 38 percent of Ted Cruz voters believe in man-made climate change. Both of these Republican candidates have since left the race after Indianas primary.

I am not a believer [in man-made climate change], and I will, unless somebody can prove something to me, I believe theres weather, Huffington Post quoted Trump's radio interview last fall.

It goes up and down and again, with changes depending on years and centuries, Trump added, emphasizing much bigger problems that the country is facing.

The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2012

Ice storm rolls from Texas to Tennessee - I'm in Los Angeles and it's freezing. Global warming is a total, and very expensive, hoax!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2013

On May 2, during a meeting with the editorial board of Washington Post, Trump stuck to his conviction, instead putting the spotlight on nuclear weaponry.

"I think our biggest form of climate change we should worry about is nuclear weapons. The biggest risk to the world, to me  I know President Obama thought it was climate change, read part of Trumps statements in the climate change exchange. We dont know who has them. We dont know whos trying to get them.

Even though most Trump supporters acknowledge man-made climate change, only 35 percent expressed worry over it  compare that with the 83 percent of Hillary Clinton voters and 80 percent of Bernie Sanders voters who were worried by ongoing warming phenomena.

This poll was conducted in March and covered 1,004 registered U.S. voters, with +/- 3 percentage points as a margin of error.

Photo: Marc Nozell | Flickr

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A fake parental note was all it took for a 7-year-old girl to successfully take the school bus home and excuse herself from an after-school program.

Rosabella Dahu from Texas managed to get herself dismissed from school after writing a note on a half-sheet of notebook paper, stating: I want Rosabella to go too dus 131 today!

The girl prepared the fake note in large print by herself, addressing it to a staff person from Sheldon Elementary in Houston, who wasted no time excusing little Rosabella. The girl then boarded the school bus to go home.

Rosabellas father, Charlie, wasnt at all pleased, transferring his daughter to a new school despite Sheldons promise of taking disciplinary action against the school caretakers involved. He lamented the lack of appropriate procedures in handling such situations.

This is clearly the schools fault. How a 7-year-old can trick you, it boggles the mind, he told ABC News, noting the misspelling in the handwritten excuse letter.

Sheldon Elementary released a statement saying it is currently probing the case and reviewing its training procedures to ensure that its after-school grant program personnel can implement proper dismissal procedures.

Admitting it was a clever move on his daughters part, Charlie said he had already taken appropriate action for the childs mistake. Rosabella knows it was wrong and the parents do not condone the act, he added.

A neighbor noticed that the child was outside their family home by herself in the afternoon of May 2, and then decided to alert the family when he felt something was amiss.

She came to ask my wife to use the restroom and thats when I figured there was something wrong, recalled their neighbor Rolando Lozano, who took the child in while waiting for her dad.

Sheldon Elementary, however, maintained that every students safety is their top priority.

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HTC has confirmed that the preordered HTC 10 smartphones are now shipping in the United States.

HTC launched the much-awaited HTC 10 mobile phone in April and customers who had preordered the handset are looking forward to receive their device as soon as possible. There is some good news for customers in the United States as the official HTC (USA) Twitter account suggests that preordered HTC 10 units are now shipping, which means some customers will start receiving the delivery within a day or two.

Customers should note that only the unlocked versions of the handsets, which have been ordered directly via the company's official website, are getting shipped. Those who have preordered their devices from retailers and carriers may have to wait longer.

We've got good news: if you pre-ordered an #HTC10, they've now started shipping. We're fulfilling orders as they were received.  HTC USA (@HTCUSA) 4 May 2016

The HTC 10 is packed with top-end features and is targeted to compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5, iPhone 6s and more.

The HTC 10 touts a 5.2-inch Quad HD screen with a display resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels and 564 ppi. HTC has confirmed that the HTC 10 will be available with two models with different Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. The U.S variant of the phone will include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor clocked at 2.2 GHz.

The HTC offering will include 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded with a microSD card to up to 2 TB.

The handset is equipped with 12-megapixel rear-facing and 5-megapixel front-facing cameras. The Taiwanese smartphone maker boasts that the HTC 10 has the best smartphone camera currently available in the market.

"With the world's first optically stabilized, larger aperture /1.8 lenses on both the front and rear cameras, new larger sensors, 12 million of our new generation UltraPixels (1.55 m per pixel), faster laser autofocus powering the main camera and a wide angle lens and screen flash on the front UltraSelfie camera, this smartphone delivers brilliantly sharp, low light and high-resolution photos whether behind or in front of the lens," says HTC.

The HTC 10 runs on the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system, which includes a number of new features and power management tools.

The HTC smartphone has a big 3,000 mAh battery that offers up to 27 hours of talk-time on 3G/4G and up to 19 days of standby time. The company also suggests that the fast charging capability of the HTC 10 allows owners to get 50 percent charge in about 30 minutes.

The Verizon version of the HTC 10 handset is also expected to start shipping on May 5. However, Sprint customers will have to wait until May 13, which is when the smartphone will be available from the carrier.

T-Mobile, the carrier that unboxed the HTC 10 in a helicopter 10,000 feet in air, is still to confirm a launch date. HTC has confirmed that AT&T will not offer the handset, but the unlocked version of the HTC 10 is compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile.

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As wildfires continue to engulf Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged the full support of the government to help the province in one of the biggest natural calamities it has ever experienced.

Canadians are coming aboard as well to offer help and assistance via the Internet and social media.

On Twitter, people are encouraged to use the hashtag #ymmhelps to let fleeing residents know where they can find a place to sleep and rest. Airbnb has also activated a Disaster Response Tool so that people can use the site to find a place to stay until May 21.

A Facebook group has been set up for residents from areas outside of the hot zone to offer their spare rooms and couches to the nearly nine thousand people who were forced to evacuate.

Facebook, as well, has activated a safety check feature for residents to let their friends and family know online that they are out of harm's way.

According to reports, the nation is coming together to open up doors for their fellow citizens. Oil companies are letting families bunk in their worker camps, First Nations reserves are welcoming evacuees, and the Northlands Exhibition Centre in Edmonton converted its main reception area to accommodate more than 1,000 people.

CTV News Canada has put together a comprehensive list of emergency and help services available for Albertans seeking a safe place to sleep and find updated information on the status of the wildfires.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared during a press conference on May 4 that federal Liberal government will give its total support to the province of Alberta as efforts are underway to stop the wildfires as well as when it's time to rebuild the areas affected by the blaze.

For those who have been affected, this fire is absolutely devastating. It is a loss of a scale that is hard for any of us to imagine. As Prime Minister, I want you to know our government and all Canadians will stand by you now and when it is time to rebuild, he said.

Canada's Minister for Public Safety, Ralph Goodale, also added that the government is working closely with the Red Cross to stockpile supplies and emergency kits for evacuees.

The good news  if there is good news out of this tragic situation  is obviously so far, there do not appear to be any fatalities or indeed any serious injuries, Goodale also said.

Many are already saying that the wildfire which has caused the biggest evacuation in Alberta history is the result of global warming, however, Trudeau cautioned that it is still too early to speculate and the main priority remains the safety of the residents and helping them and the city to recover from the long-term damage of the wildfire.

Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region | Flickr

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The Lamborghini-powered Batmobile 2.0 hits the road during the 18th annual Gumball 3000 rally.

High-end supercars and modified vehicles are common to the Gumball rally. However, the carbon-fiber made Batman: Arkham Knight's Batmobile is one of the most-popular cars and it has caught the eyes of many enthusiasts.

The customized Batmobile is based on a Lamborghini Gallardo supercar chassis and it has been created by Team Galag of Saudi Arabia.

Team Galag wanted to enter the rally with a replica of The Tumbler from the Dark Knight trilogy. However, the team found many quality issues with the car, which made them opt for the Batmobile 2.0 that's inspired by the 2015 Batman: Arkham Knight video game.

The car is not the exact Batmobile that was featured in the video game, but it is a treat to watch the car in action. The it took the development team more than 12 months to make the car. The lead engineer of the car has spent about 15 years at Sweden's Koenigsegg, which explains the great details on the car's carbon-fiber body.

The Batmobile 2.0 has four 26-inch wheels, which have fixed covers that give an impression as if the car is hovering over the road. Under the hood is a 5.2-liter V10 engine.

The car looks great from outside and its interiors are also very comfortable. The seats covered in black leather and its gold stitching adds a premium feel. The seats, flooring and pedals light up when the cockpit of the Batmobile 2.0 is opened.

The Batmobile 2.0 has a number of cameras fitted on the exterior body. Drivers have access to several screens inside the car that displays the surroundings for better and easy navigation.

The 2016 Gumball 3000 rally in Dublin started on May 1 and is currently in in full swing. The rally will cover 3,000 miles on route to its final destination in Bucharest on May 6. The rally will visit a number of cities such as Edinburgh, London, Prague and more.

Check out a short video of Team Galag's Batmobile 2.0 in action.

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In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Marcel Lehel Lazar, the hacker known as Guccifer, revealed that he was able to gain access to the completely unsecured server of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In another exclusive interview with Fox News, Lazar admitted that he easily and repeatedly breached the personal email server of Clinton in early 2013.

Last month, Lazar was extradited from Romania to the United States as he faces charges for hacking the email accounts of high-profile political figures, including Clinton, her former adviser Sidney Blumenthal, a member of the Bush family, and Gen. Colin Powell.

In the interview with Fox News, Lazar said that he first breached the AOL account of Blumenthal, and then used that as a springboard to infiltrate the personal server of Clinton. However, he did not see anything interesting at the time.

Clinton's server was said to contain almost 2,200 emails, with information that is now considered classified. There were also 22 emails that were tagged as "top secret" files.

Lazar also mentioned that he saw signs that there were other people on Clinton's server, possibly having broken into it as well.

A source told NBC News that investigators will be questioning Lazar regarding his alleged breach of Clinton's server. A review by the FBI revealed no signs of hacking attempts, and Lazar himself could not provide any proof to substantiate his claim of breaching the email account.

"There is absolutely no basis to believe the claims made by this criminal from his prison cell," said Brian Fallon, the national press secretary for Clinton's ongoing presidential campaign.

Fallon noted that, in addition to no proof being presented by Lazar, his descriptions of Clinton's server were inaccurate, and that it is unthinkable for the hacker to have not leaked the contents of the email account if he really did breach it, like what he did to his other targets.

Lazar is facing trial on Sept. 12 in the Eastern District of Virginia, where he has pleaded not guilty on nine counts of federal indictment for hacking crimes.

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A certain bacterium believed to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue has been found to diminish the transmission of Zika virus, Brazilian scientists revealed Wednesday.

As part of strategies to control dengue, the Wolbachia bacterium has been released in countries including Brazil, Australia, Vietnam and Indonesia. It is also found in 60 percent of common insects.

Although Wolbachia is not found among Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the most prevalent vector for Zika virus, the bacteria can be introduced to them.

The new study, which was conducted by scientists from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, takes advantage of Wolbachia and injects it into female mosquitoes' eggs, which then pass the bacteria along to the offspring.

The research team divided the female A. aegypti mosquitoes into two: one group without Wolbachia, and the other group infected with it. They exposed both groups to human blood that contained Zika taken from the current outbreak.

At week one and two after exposing infected female mosquitoes to Zika, researchers used qRT-PCR to accurately measure the amount of virus in the mosquitoes' abdomens and thoraces.

The result: the Wolbachia bacteria significantly reduced the ability of infected female mosquitoes to transmit Zika and showed strong resistance to the virus.

More specifically, a week after exposure, Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes exposed to the BRPE strain of Zika saw a 100 percent reduction of the virus in their heads and 35 percent in their abdomens.

A week later, Zika levels in the Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes plummeted by 90 percent in the thoraces and 65 percent in the abdomens.

For the second Zika strain, SPH, similar results were found. One week after exposure, this strain's loads dropped by 95 percent in the head and 67 percent in the abdomens of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. After the second week, they were reduced by 74 percent in the head and 68 percent in the abdomen.

"The blocking effect is very [large]," says Luciano Andrade Moreira, one of the co-authors of the study.

This finding raises hopes that the bacteria could be a biological mechanism against the viral vector in the outbreak. Moreira believes infecting mosquitoes with Wolbachia could be used to reduce incidence of Zika in the wild.

"Wolbachia showed to be as effective on Zika as the most important dengue experiments we did," adds Moreira.

However, Moreira warns that the method is not 100 percent effective and is not meant to eliminate Zika. It is only part of an integrated control strategy, he says.

Entomologist Stephen Dobson, who was not part of the study, says the findings are quite encouraging. He says the advantage of the Brazilian study is that if the infection of Wolbachia is successful, there is no need to further release mosquitoes in the wild. However, the disadvantage is that it might be difficult to establish Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in the wild as well.

Still, Dobson is optimistic. He and his team at the University of Kentucky will try to release male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia which will mate with females.

Until an effective tool against Zika is demonstrated, Dobson says they will keep exploring options.

The findings of the Brazilian study is featured [PDF] in the journal Cell Host & Microbe.

Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture | Flickr

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Spurred by America's opioid epidemic, the Obama administration recently declared a more aggressive stance to fight opioid addiction in the United States.

Unfortunately, this has not stopped some individuals addicted to oxycodone and other painkillers to find alternative ways to get high or come up with alternative means to manage their withdrawal symptoms.

Opioid addicts now turn to over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medication Imodium (loperamide hydrochloride), taking dangerously high doses of the drug in what experts describe as a growing but dangerous trend.

Loperamide, the main ingredient found in Imodium, slows down gut activity and reduces the number of bowel movements to stop diarrhea.

As an opiate receptor agonist, the drug activates the same receptors in the brain that opiates would. While the drug does not produce a high when taken at recommended doses, it can help ease symptoms of opioid withdrawal when taken at doses 10 times higher than recommended.

At the largest doses, the drug can produce a high comparable to the effects of widely abused opioid pills or heroin. Experts, however, warn that taking large doses of the drug can cause serious side effects such as breathing and heart problems. In some instances, the consequences can be fatal.

In a report published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine on April 29, clinical toxicologist William Eggleston, from the Upstate New York Poison Center, and colleagues described two cases of opioid addicts who turned to loperamide to ease their withdrawal symptoms.

Despite being treated with naloxone, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and standard advanced cardiac life support, both patients died after ingesting much more than the drug's recommended dose.

The researchers noted that abuse of prescription opioid medication is now limited because of new legislations and regulations, but opioid addicts continue to seek alternative drug sources.

What makes the diarrhea drug appealing to substance abusers is that it is cheap and readily available. With increasing incidences of loperamide abuse, Eggleston and colleagues called for more awareness, particularly among health care providers.

"Loperamide's accessibility, low cost, over-the-counter legal status and lack of social stigma all contribute to its potential for abuse," Eggleston said.

"Health care providers must be aware of increasing loperamide abuse and its under-recognized cardiac toxicity. This is another reminder that all drugs, including those sold without a prescription, can be dangerous when not used as directed," he added.

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A Welsh biologist who saved nine species from extinction has been given a top environmental award, despite being criticized for getting eggs from the nest of the worlds rarest bird and having other controversial methods.

Professor Carl Jones has been awarded the 2016 Indianapolis Prize, often considered the Nobel prize in the conservation world.

The conservationist, also chief scientist at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, has devoted a great part of his life to wild birds protection. He has spent nearly four decades of working in Mauritius.

As the 2016 Indianapolis Prize winner, Jones will receive an unrestricted $250,000 in cash along with the Lilly Medal.

"I know of no other conservationist who has directly saved so many species from extinction, said Simon N. Stuart, chairperson of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Species Survival Commission, and the one who nominated Jones for the award.

Jones was instrumental in bringing back at least nine species from the brink of extinction, such as the Mauritius kestrel, echo parakeet, and Rodrigues warbler. Through conservation efforts, he also led recovery efforts for six out of the 63 bird, amphibian and mammal species around the world that have been downlisted on the IUCN Red List.

Jones first went to Mauritius in the 1970s, when there were only four Mauritius kestrels surviving in its wild, which made it the rarest bird worldwide. The species number soared to more than 300 a decade later.

I'm particularly proud of this award because it validates the conservation of animals  like Telfair's skinks and pink pigeons  that are not megavertebrates, but provide critically important ecosystem services nonetheless, said Jones, who is originally from St. Clears in Wales.

Jones techniques, however, are not celebrated by everyone. They involve captive breeding and a strategy dubbed as double-clutching, which involves the snatching of eggs from the nests and hatching them under incubators. This move prompts the mothers to lay another set of eggs while in the wild.

He has earned credit for the idea of ecological replacement, where other species assume the crucial ecological roles of extinct ones.

Jones said there were many opposed to captive breeding and manipulative methods and calling them controversial and untried. However, he asserted that those proved to be highly effective methods after all.

Unfazed by stress from criticism he received in his 20s, Jones has given his entire life to conservationism that he became a first-time father only eight years ago at age 53. An optimist, he lauds the scientific breakthroughs of today that include gene editing and having designer animals.

People are very happy to destroy the world, he explained. But if you want to save it then you have to be prepared to take bold action.

Other ecologists deemed Jones a deserving winner of the prize. Indiana Zoological Society President and CEO Michael Crowther said that his conservation approach can be scaled and adapted for other world ecosystems, now serving as models for what can be achieved elsewhere.

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An Australian entrepreneur who claimed to be the inventor of bitcoin has backed out of his promise to provide "proof" of his claim. In a blog post published Tuesday, Dr. Craig Wright said he would transfer some early bitcoins from "block 9" by using a private key only known to the cryptocurrency's elusive creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, following widespread skepticism.

However, Wright deleted his website Thursday, writing in an apology letter that he would stay away from the spotlight.

"I believed that I could put years of anonymity and hiding behind me. But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke. I do not have the courage. I cannot," he wrote.

On Monday, Wright provided what he called "extraordinary proof" of a digitally-signed transaction that would prove he controlled Satoshi's key. However, this was debunked by security researchers, according to the BBC. Members of the bitcoin community accused Wright of hoaxing after documents were leaked to Wired and Gizmodo, prompting an investigation into Wright's claim to be the tech's creator.

"When the rumors began, my qualifications and character were attacked. When those allegations were proven false, new allegations have already begun. I know now that I am not strong enough for this," he said.

Wright apologized to Jon Matonis, a former board member of the Bitcoin Foundation, and Gavin Andresen, one of the first programmers of Bitcoin.

"I know that this weakness will cause great damage to those who have supported me, and particularly to Jon Matonis and Gavin Andresen. They were not deceived, but I know that the world will never believe that now. I can only say I'm sorry. And goodbye," Wright said.

Matonis and Andresen have supported the Australian businessman's claims after the two were privately shown additional evidence. In an interview with Wired on the latest revelations, Andresen described the process Wright used to convince him, telling the magazine that he's "still convinced he's Satoshi despite the really weird proof he's put in his blog post." While Andresen believes Wright is the creator of bitcoin, he admitted that "it's certainly possible I was bamboozled."

Matonis took to Twitter also backing Wright's claim.

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Do you want to get paid for getting fit and losing weight? If you're in the UK, there's an app for that.

Sweatcoin tracks how many steps users take, which can then be traded for rewards or money, reported Reuters.

The new app rewards users one coin of virtual currency for every 1,000 steps.

Users of Sweatcoin better think twice about cheating, though, as the app uses complex technology that measures movement and location, as well as bitcoin to manage transactions.

While other fitness apps rely heavily on information reported by users, Sweatcoin cross-checks activity and location data to verify steps taken.

Oleg Fomenko, one of the Russian co-founders of Sweatcoin, says retailers, health insurers and wellness managers are jumping on this latest digital fitness trend.

"This whole business is pegged to making movement valuable," Fomenko said. "Eventually, Sweatcoin is going to have a rate of exchange tied to the British pound."

The coins acquired can be exchanged for fitness gear or services, such as Vivobarefoot running shoes, Kymira infrared clothing and fitness classes offered by Wonderush or BOOMCycle.

The company has already signed up four London startups to offer Sweatcoin to employees as part of a rewards program, which includes extra days off from work, subsidized healthy meals or free massages in exchange for coins collected throughout their physical activity.

Sweatcoin's long-term goal is for insurers or employers to pay to take coins off the market as a reward to users for staying active.

"Right now, movement is valued at zero," Fomenko told Reuters. "How much value a Sweatcoin will have will be a market decision but we know it's not zero."

The app faces tough competition against British startup Bitwalking, which is set to roll out its own digital currency.

Sweatcoin is only available to iPhone users for free from the App Store, but an Android version of the app is currently in the works.

A proprietary version of blockchain anti-tampering software is also being developed to manage the distribution of its digital currency.

This isn't the first time Fomenko has delved into running a startup.

His previous app, Bloom.fm, a music app that launched in the UK in 2013 with over 1.3 million downloads, folded when its sole investor, a Gazprom Media unit, backed out after Russian forces invaded Crimea.

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Amazonian princesses looking to spruce up their spring makeup routine can do so with the Wonder Woman Beauty Collection, now available at Walgreens.

The new collection features a variety of makeup, including lipstick, eyeshadow, nail polish and even eyeliner. It's sure to help put the old red, white and blue back into everyone's beauty collection and give a pop of color that's worthy of the superheroine herself.

Warner Bros. teamed up with Walgreens to bring the exclusive collection to the drugstore chain. The collection will only be available at select stores as of this week, but for those who can't find it locally, it will also be available online.

"With a colorful kick of girl power, the Wonder Woman Beauty Collection includes a full range of heroically themed cosmetics, including Goddess Lips Lipstick, Strawberry Empower-Mint Lip Balm, Paradise Eye-land Eyeshadow, and An Eye For Justice Eyeliner, as well as Grace and PowerNail Polish Set, Comic Beauty Book and Amazonian Bronze beauty sets," Warner Bros. writes in a press release. "A variety of accessories will also be featured in the collection, including a four-piece hair accessory bundle, five-piece make-up brush set and a make-up tote."

Some of these items are already available on the Walgreens website, but expect the rest to turn up by the end of the week. More Wonder Woman products are available over at Drugstore.com.

The image used for the Wonder Woman Collection comes courtesy of comic book artist Ming Doyle.

Themed makeup sets are quickly becoming hot selling beauty items. Disney recently partnered with several makeup companies for Alice Through the Looking Glass: that resulted in Urban Decay's Alice Through the Looking Glass Palette and several themed Opi nail polishes and nail polish sets.

MAC cosmetics recently introduced its Star Trek makeup collection, inspired by Deanna Troi, Uhura, Seven of Nine and the Orion Girl, Vina. That collection will hit stores in the fall, although San Diego Comic-Con attendees get access to an exclusive pre-sale in July.

Indie makeup and beauty company Espionage Cosmetics also offers what it calls "Nerd Makeup," as well as nail wraps dedicated to astronomy, television, movies, comic books and video games.

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Send Postcards The Digital Way Using sqgl App | TechTree.com

Festivities and special occasions were just not about celebrations and gifts, it was about sending and receiving postcards from loved ones. The anxious wait to check the mailbox for postcards and treasuring every postcard received has been replaced by the legion of social media networking apps. Social media sure helps people connect, but cannot replace the old charm of postcards. A new app out of Harvard Business School, sqgl, aims to recapture the magic of traditional postcards by leveraging modern technology.

The team at sqgl created a mobile app that allows you to use your phone's camera and pictures to send personalized, physical postcards to your loved ones. Notably, the app eliminates the traditional frictions of finding postcards, writing down addresses, buying stamps, and hunting down a post office by automating and operationalizing the physical development and sending of the postcard. The app includes a number of tech-savvy features, such as automated SMS messaging if one is missing a contact's address, options to personalize the card with emoticons and a touch-generated signature or a namesake "squiggle", and Apple Pay compatibility. The app also includes an option for customized watermarks on the final postcard, a nod to potential partnership opportunities with hotels, hostels, and restaurants.

"We are all passionate about travel and adventure, and love to share our experiences with friends and family. There's something nostalgic and personal about a traditional postcard, but it's just such a hassle to send one," says Bonnie Cao, one of sqgl's co-founders. "We wanted to create an easy-to-use, modern-day solution, so we created sqgl."

In 2015, 839 million postcards were sent via first-class mail. However, the sqgl team is not only targeting existing postcard customers. "We want to reintroduce the postcard to millennial users," says Ollie Wilson, another co-founder. "We think there's a market for consumers like ourselves who appreciate the gesture of a physical card, but don't want to go through all the steps to send one."

TAGS: Mobile App, App Store, sqgl App, Harvard Business School
Google Self-Driving Car Project Collaborates With FCA | TechTree.com

The Google Self-Driving Car Project and FCA, in a first-of-its-kind collaboration, is set to integrate Google's self-driving technology into all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to expand Google's existing self-driving test program. This marks the first time that Google has worked directly with an automaker to integrate its self-driving system, including its sensors and software, into a passenger vehicle.

The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be used later this year for Google's self-driving testing, more than doubling Google's current fleet of self-driving test vehicles. Engineering responsibilities will be shared based on each company's respective expertise. FCA will initially design and engineer around 100 vehicles uniquely built for Google's self-driving technology. Google will integrate the suite of sensors and computers that the vehicles will rely on to navigate roads autonomously.

Both companies will co-locate part of their engineering teams at a facility in southeastern Michigan to accelerate the design, testing and manufacturing of the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica.

"FCA has a nimble and experienced engineering team and the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is well-suited for Google's self-driving technology," said John Krafcik, Chief Executive Officer, Google Self-Driving Car Project. "The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive."

Self-driving cars have the potential to prevent some of the 33,000 deaths that occur each year on U.S. roads, 94 per cent of which are caused by human error. This collaboration will help FCA and Google better understand what it will take to bring self-driving cars into the world.

"Working with Google provides an opportunity for FCA to partner with one of the world's leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry," said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, FCA. "The

experience both companies gain will be fundamental to delivering automotive technology solutions that ultimately have far-reaching consumer benefits."

Google's self-driving cars are currently being tested in four U.S. cities. The self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be tested by Google's self-driving car team on its private test track in California prior to operating on public roads.

The Google Self-Driving Car Project is working to develop fully self-driving vehicles that have the potential to make our roads safer and increase mobility for the millions of people who cannot drive. The ultimate goal is to help people get from A to B at the push of a button. In the project's seven-year history, the vehicles in the test fleet have self-driven over 1.5 million miles on public roads. The Google Self-Driving Car Project is part of X, a moonshot factory that's part of Google's parent company Alphabet.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. ("FCA"), the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA".

The transaction was executed by FCA's wholly owned subsidiary, FCA US LLC. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US LLC designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker first established by Walter P.

Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli.

TAGS: Google, Google Self-Driving Car Project, Automobiles, FCA
Supposed Bitcoin founder aka Satoshi Nakamoto says goodbye after huge outcry

We had reported on 2nd May that an Australian computer scientist, Craig Steven Wright publicly identified himself as Satoshi Nakamoto, founder of Bitcoin. His claim was supported by two biggies from Bitcoin community, Jon Matonis and Gavin Andresen but others in the community remained skeptical about him being Nakamoto.

Wright has now abruptly withdrawn from public life as suddenly as he appeared. Wright posted today that he would offer no more evidence to prove his identity, just two days after he publicly claimed to be the founder of Bitcoin. As said above, many in the bitcoin fraternity viewed Wrights claims with utmost derision and felt that he was a con man using the Satoshi identity for personal gain.

Wright sought to submit extraordinary evidence to shut those naysayers. Wright had pledged to transfer funds from one of Bitcoins early blocks. While not definitive proof, that demonstration would have been by far the strongest evidence ever provided about Satoshis true identity.

However, today, he abruptly withdrew his claim with this small post.

Im Sorry. I believed that I could do this. I believed that I could put the years of anonymity and hiding behind me. But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke. I do not have the courage. I cannot. When the rumors began, my qualifications and character were attacked. When those allegations were proven false, new allegations have already begun. I know now that I am not strong enough for this. I know that this weakness will cause great damage to those that have supported me, and particularly to Jon Matonis and Gavin Andresen. I can only hope that their honour and credibility is not irreparably tainted by my actions. They were not deceived, but I know that the world will never believe that now. I can only say Im sorry. And goodbye.

Taking his note on its face value may evoke sympathy for him but Verge says that he faked the entire I am Satoshi Nakamoto drama. In a hard hitting report it said that it found a duped signature string that seems to have been inserted as a deliberate attempt to mislead. Similar research turned up a set of backdated PGP keys after the first round of claims in December.
IRCTC website hacked, personal details of 10 million passengers feared stolen

The ticket booking website for Indian Railways has been hacked and the personal data of around 1 million passengers are feared to have been stolen from the server of the e-ticketing portal Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

IRCTC is Indias largest e-commerce website, lakhs of transactions are conducted every day. Customers provide details like Pan Card numbers and address while filling up online reservation forms which could be stolen by the hackers.

IRCTC officials believe that the hackers are selling the dataset containing details Indian Railways passengers including phone numbers, date of birth and other such information packaged in a CD for $225 a piece. The data is a valuable asset and can be sold to corporations who may use it for targeting potential consumers.There are also reports that the Maharashtra state government has identified the hackers who were selling these details.

Surprisingly, IRCTC is yet to file a police complaint in the matter. AK Manocha, managing director of IRCTC, told Mumbai Mirror that though there has been no official complaint regarding data hacking he has written to Delhi polices cyber cell to inquire into the matter.

When asked why there was no complaint, Manocha said, We got some information from our internal sources. So we decided to crosscheck.

IRCTC is one of the top websites in India with at least 30 million views a day. The IRCTC (Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation) has over 10 million registered users who use the website to book train tickets.

To log in and book tickets, each user has to create an account with email id, physical address and mobile number.

IRCTC officials fear that the hackers may have accessed the details of these 10 million users. Not only the data set could be used to spam, phish or even stalk the passengers, it could be sold to telemarketing companies who value such database and may pay top cent for it.

Sources said that it is unlikely that credit card or bank data would have been compromised, since the payment gateway takes one out of the IRCTC website to the sites of the banks, which have more watertight firewalls.
Los Angeles Police Department easily unlocked an iPhone 5s of iPhone of slain wife of Shield actor when FBI said it couldnt access 5c

Even as the entire world going nuts over FBIs request to Apple for unlocking the iPhone belonging to According to an LA Times report, LAPD detectives quietly hacked into a locked iPhone 5s despite the phone having a keycode.

While the whole world questioned the intentions of US authorities in asking Apple to unlock iPhone 5c belonging to the San Bernardino shooter, LAPD was able to quietly hack the elder sibling, iPhone 5s without any help from Apple.

Los Angeles police investigators have discovered a workable method to bypass the hardened security features of a locked iPhone 5s belonging to the slain wife of The Shield actor Michael Jace, according to the court papers reviewed by The LA Times.

Michael Jace is accused of shooting and killing his wife April Jace at their South L.A. home in 2014 on May 19, 2014. Investigators say that the actor and wife argued about their relationship via text message shortly before he opened fire. The police wanted to access the phone to determine whether or not this was the case.

LAPD Detective Connie Zych wrote that on March 18, the department found a forensic cellphone expert who could override the locked iPhone function, as per the search warrant filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

What is more interesting is that this appears to have occurred during the time that the FBI was demanding Apple unlock the earlier model iPhone 5c of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. In that high-profile case, the FBI finally unlocked the phone with the help of professional hackers, paying them up to $1 million for a tool exploiting security vulnerability. The FBI had not withdrawn court proceedings against Apple until March 28.

According to the warrant, a senior investigator with the district attorneys office was able to examine the phone in April, as was Jaces private cellphone expert.

The search warrant did not detail the method used by the LAPD to open the phone, nor did police disclose the identity of the cellphone expert, nor the version of iOS installed on the phone used by April Lace. However, it raises questions about why the FBI was still insisting in the San Bernardino case that it could not access the iPhone 5c, which does not have a Secure Enclave and should be less challenging to hack without Apples help.

The FBI, which later managed to access the 5c without Apples help, said that the method only worked on a limited number of iPhones. It apparently cannot be used on any new iPhone, and it cannot be used on the iPhone 5s.

It is unclear whether the phone offered any significant information. On the other hand, Michael Jace is currently awaiting trial.

Apple has been staunchly opposed to hacking iPhones, or creating a security backdoor for law enforcement officials, on account of the fact that it would set a dangerous precedent with regards to privacy.
New Jaku Botnet Already Has 19,000 Zombies, Ideal for Spam and DDoS Attacks

Security researchers from Forcepoint, a global leader in authorizing organisations to drive business forward through transformative security technologies, say that a new botnet has slowly grown and developed to hold over 19,000 zombies all over the world, but mainly in Asian countries.

According to Forcepoints 2016 Global Threat Report, Jaku (Star Wars reference alert  Jakku) has claimed 19,000 victims across 134 countries so far. Most of its victims are from countries such as Japan and South Korea, which comprise 73 percent of all infections.

A six month investigation by Forcepoints Special Investigations (SI) team revealed that Jaku herds victims en masse and conducts highly targeted attacks on specific victims through the execution of concurrent operational campaigns. Forcepoint has built on Kasperskys previous Dark Hotel campaign research, and engaged with the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), CERT-UK, Europol and Interpol.

These individuals include members of International Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), engineering companies, academics, scientists and government employees.

The group behind Jaku controls the botnet through multiple command and control servers, which are located in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

In order to remain invisible, the Jaku group set up three different C&C mechanisms but also used muddled SQLite databases on the client-side to store configuration files.

The Jaku botnet can be used to deliver spam, to launch DDoS attacks, but also to implement other types of malware. This second-stage delivery process happens with the help of steganography, which crooks use to pack their malicious code inside image files.

Forcepoint says that infections usually take place via malware-laced files shared via BitTorrent. Generally, the group goes after high-value targets but doesnt matter if other users are infected as well.

Organizations are also faced with increases in data breaches caused by both malicious and accidental insiders, and varying security controls between cloud providers and businesses.

The rapid evolution of the cyber threat environment has consequences that are much broader than just technical, operational, and financial  they can impact every piece of a business, said Forcepoint Chief Scientist Dr. Richard Ford. With this Threat Report, we want to demystify these threats and help enable businesses with tools, recommendations and, quite simply, knowledge, so they can continue to move forward without fear.

Forcepoint researchers point out that The Jaku campaign has clear connections with the TTPs used by the threat actors discussed by Kaspersky in the Darkhotel investigations from November 2014, The Darkhotel group was later known as Dark Seoul, and has recently been linked to hackers in North Korea, part of the Lazarus Group.

You can read about Jakus features on Forcepoints 44-page report.
A 40 anos de Malvinas

"Revisar el pasado es pensar el futuro". La frase de la presidenta de Telam, Bernarda Llorente, resume el espiritu del documental coproducido entre la agencia de noticias y el canal publico de TV sobre la cobertura que los medios de comunicacion hicieron del conflicto, plagada de censura y mentiras. Una autocritica necesaria para mirar hacia adelante en un (ya viejo) contexto de fake news y negocio informativo.
After an attack that left two police officers injured, Jair Bolsonaro's ally Roberto Jefferson barricaded himself in his residence on Sunday. | Read More
Officials of Thailands Hemaraj Pcl. and Vietnam's state-run construction company Cienco 4 sign an investment agreement on developing industrial parks at the Dong Nam Economic Zone in Nghe An Province on May 4, 2016. Photo credit: Nghe An Province's website

Hemaraj Land and Development Pcl., one of Thailand's top industrial real estate developers, is seeking permission to build two massive manufacturing zones in the central province of Nghe An, the provincial government's website reported on Wednesday.

Located near each other in the southeast of Nghe An, one of the industrial parks will cover more than 2,000 hectares and another around 1,100 hectares.

Hemaraj plans to apply for licenses with the province's authorities this July, according to the website.

On Wednesday Hemaraj also signed an investment agreement with state-owned Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No. 4 (Cienco 4) to co-develop other industrial parks in the province's Dong Nam Economic Zone, the website reported.

Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam are the newly-targeted markets of Thailand's warehouse developer WHA Corp, which acquired Hemaraj in November last year, for expansions over the next five years.

WHA reportedly plans to spend more than 32 billion baht boosting its activities at home and across Southeast Asia.

Amata Corp Pcl is currently the only Thai industrial park developer to operate in Vietnam with its first park opened in the southern province of Dong Nai in 1994. Amata is expected open the second complex also in Dong Nai next year.

Operating industrial parks is a hit-or-miss business in Vietnam. The country's stable economic growth has been in large part dependent on these manufacturing hubs, but not all of them manage to be successful.

Latest figures from the government showed nearly 71 percent of 299 industrial parks around the country were operative as of September last year. They had 67 percent of their space filled up on average, up more than 2 percent from a year before.

In several central provinces such as Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan and Ha Tinh, many industrial parks had less than 30 percent of their space filled up.
A group of businesses in Ho Chi Minh City has complained about the arrival of many foreign retailers recently, claiming they are given a loose rein to expand at a pace that will eventually hurt local companies.

The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Business Associations (HUBA), a large body whose members include major retailers and manufacturers of various industries, has reportedly sent at least two letters to the government raising legality questions on some business activities of foreign retailers.

Under Vietnam's existing laws foreign businesses are not allowed to distribute products such as rice, cane sugar and cigarette but they are still available at the supermarkets and convenience stores of most foreign retailers, including South Korea's Lotte and Big C, Tuoi Tre reported, citing the union. The group also suspected that some foreign retailers may have broken regulations that aim to limit the number of outlets in a particular area. Foreign retailers in Vietnam are obliged to go through the Economic Needs Test before they are allowed to open a new store which is larger than 500 square meters. The test is an administrative review of the number of existing retail outlets in the vicinity, a rule that has been generally interpreted as a measure to protect the business of locally-owned supermarkets. But despite the restriction, according to the business union, many large foreign outlets keep popping up in big cities. Following the complaints, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered relevant agencies to check the operation of foreign retailers, as well as recent mergers and acquisitions involving them. Following the complaints, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has

Mega Market Vietnam, the owner of Metro wholesale stores around the country, is expected to be the first to face the scrutiny. The stores were originally operated by Germany's Metro before being acquired by Thailand's consumer group TCC early this year.

Mega Market Vietnam will have to report on the 655-million-euro (US$755 million) deal and its market share, local media reported.

Statistics showed Vietnam is now home to more than 700 supermarkets and 132 shopping malls, mostly in big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Local retailers have expressed their worry over the expansion of foreign rivals.

Vu Vinh Phu, chairman of the Hanoi Association of Supermarkets, told Tuoi Tre that a supermarket in the northern city of Hai Phong saw a decline of 30 percent in revenue in the six months after a foreign superstore was opened.

Local retailers are not the only who suffer from the massive arrival of foreign retailers who now control more than 50 percent of Vietnam's retail market, the association said.

Many producers complained that they are struggling to bring their products into foreign supermarkets, mainly because these retailers ask for very high discounts, HUBA's vice chairman Pham Ngoc Hung told news website Saigon Times Online.

Meanwhile, products imported from countries such as Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand are becoming more and more popular, he said.

Vietnam's retail sales rose 10.6 percent from 2014 to VND2,469 trillion ($109.4 billion) last year, according to official figures.
Vietstar Airlines, a military-run aviation company, may see a delay in acquiring a license to provide passenger and goods transport services due to a financial issue, local media reported on Wednesday.

In a letter to the government, the Ministry of Finance said the company's equity does not meet the minimum of VND700 billion (US$31 million) required for an airline with a fleet of up to 10 aircraft and operating international flights, the Vietnam News Agency said.

Founded in April 2010 by the defense ministry, the company's equity was estimated at VND652.7 billion ($29.2 million) at the end of last year.

It is not immediately clear how Vietstar will deal with this technicality. The finance ministry has reportedly demanded that the equity requirement be strictly met.

Vietstar was expected to become Vietnam's fourth carrier, after authorities had to ground privately-owned Indochina Airlines and Air Mekong in 2011 and 2015, only after a few years of unsuccessful business.

The company plans to operate routes within Vietnam, besides services to Southeast Asia and East Asia destinations in the first five years, after it acquires the license.

Currently providing charter flights, filming and rescue services, Vietstar has reportedly stricken a deal to lease three Boeing 737 aircraft to operate passenger services.

Vietnam's domestic passenger air market is now dominated by state-run Vietnam Airlines and private low-cost Vietjet Air, with respective shares of 40.8 and 36.3 percent.

Jetstar Pacific Airlines, another low-cost carrier run by Vietnam Airlines and Australian-owned Qantas, controlled 14.9 percent. The national airline's short-haul carrier VASCO owned the rest.

Vietnam's air market is forecast to see a rise of 19 percent to 45 million passengers this year, with the domestic sector accounting for more than 58 percent.
The transport ministry has sought the government's permission to license Vietstar, a military-run aviation company, to provide passenger and goods transport services.

Vietstar Airlines plans to operate routes linking main destinations in Vietnam, besides routes to Southeast Asia and East Asia regions in the first five years, after it acquires the approval.

The company, which currently provides charter flights, filming and rescue services, has stricken a deal to lease three Boeing 737 aircraft to operate the transport services.

Founded in April 2010 by the defense ministry, Vietstar Airlines' equity was estimated at VND652.7 billion ($29.2 million) at the end of last year.

Vietnam's domestic passenger air market is now dominated by state-run Vietnam Airlines and private low-cost Vietjet Air, with respective shares of 40.8 and 36.3 percent.

Jetstar Pacific Airlines, a low-cost carrier run by Vietnam Airlines and Australian-owned Qantas, controlled 14.9 percent. The national airline's short-haul carrier VASCO, now operated in collaboration with Techcombank, owned the rest.

Vietnam's air market is forecast to see a rise of 19 percent to 45 million passengers this year, with the domestic sector accounting for more than 58 percent.

But it's not all clear skies for new carriers in Vietnam.
Four students from the central province of Khanh Hoa drowned when swimming in an area known for deadly rip currents on Wednesday.

Local officials said a group of seventh graders of Nguyen Hue Junior High School in Van Ninh District went to a beach around seven kilometers from school after class in the morning.

They were caught in strong rip currents. Locals managed to save three of them. Bodies of the victims, aged 13 and 14 , have been recovered.

Tran Ngoc Khiem, a district vice chairman, said there is a sign banning people from swimming in the area, which is located in Van Tho Commune, Van Ninh District.

The incident was unfortunate, he told news website VnExpress.

Last month, two teenage students in Khanh Hoa and nine sixth graders in the central province of Quang Ngai also drowned while swimming.

Drowning is the leading cause of death in Vietnam among children aged 5 to 14, according to a World Health Organization Report in 2014.

Vietnams ministry of social affairs said Vietnam has an average of 10 fatal child drownings a day, which is the highest rate in Southeast Asia and ten times that of developed countries.

As a country with 3,260 kilometers of coastline, innumerable rivers, canals and ponds, Vietnam has failed to make swimming lessons part of the standard school curriculum.

Most swimming classes are either held by charity groups in rural areas or larger schools in urban areas.

Since 2008, primary school teachers in the Mekong Deltas Dong Thap Province have held free classes using makeshift swimming pools in the very rivers that routinely claim local childrens lives during the monsoon.
Yan Fengge signs a minutes on May 5, 2016, admitting she stole a mobile phone from the luggage of another Chinese on the same plane. Photo provided by Cam Ranh International Airport

Security officers at Cam Ranh International Airport in central Vietnam on Thursday said they have returned a mobile phone to its owner soon after it was stolen from his luggage.

Zhao Jin Bo, 34, who was about to fly to Tianjin, reported that he lost his phone at around 10:30 a.m, the airport security department said.

Authorities later checked their security footage and found that Yan Fengge, a Chinese woman on the same flight, had stolen the phone.

Securities officers told the 48-year-old to return the phone to Zhao. Both later boarded the plane as the man said he would not make any complaint, according to the security department.
Cham Island is among popular destinations for visitors to Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam. Photo: Hua Xuyen Huynh/Thanh Nien

Authorities in the central town of Hoi An on Wednesday announced that waters off its coast are safe, dismissing social media reports that fish have been killed due to contamination spreading from neighboring provinces to its north.

The tourist town said tests of water samples taken at seven different spots around the famous Cham Island found all elements, including heavy metals, are within safe limits.

The town said its marine environment has not been affected by whatever environmental crisis in nearby provinces.

Hundreds of tons of fish were washed ashore in the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue since early April, apparently killed by industrial effluents.

Suspicion has centered on Taiwanese-invested Formosa, which admitted it has a large sewage pipe going straight from its steel plant in Ha Tinh's Vung Ang Economic Zone into the sea. But it claimed all its discharged wastewater had been treated.

Hoi An said any claims that the same situation is happening around Cham Island are false.

Local officials said some people have engaged in illegal fishing activities using explosives recently, but they have been stopped.

Cham Island, known for beautiful coral reefs and fresh, quality seafood, received more than 13,400 tourists during the four-day Reunification Day holiday last weekend, according to official figures.

Da Nang, which lies between Hue and Hoi An, has also affirmed that its beaches and seafood are all safe.

The city is organizing a food festival at the Bien Dong Park from May 1-7, aiming to promote seafood and also helping local fishermen sell their catch. All the seafood served at the event is tested for safety by the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

But public concern and suspicion has not gone away as the government and its team of both local and foreign experts are reportedly still looking for the real cause of the environmental disaster, one of the worst in Vietnam in recent memory.
Officials have promised that findings from an inspection at a Taiwanese steel firm will be soon made public

Formosa steel plant in Vung Ang Economic Zone, Ha Tinh Province. Photo: Khanh Hoan/Thanh Nien

Vietnam's environment ministry has invited around 100 experts to investigate an environmental disaster that has killed tons of fish and affected thousands of families in fishing villages along the central coast.

It announced on Wednesday that it had established a national council to find the causes of the mass fish deaths. The council has sought assistance from around 100 experts from more than 30 local institutes and universities, as well as experts from Israel, Germany and the United States. It also sent samples of water and dead fish to laboratories in Japan, Switzerland and the US f or testing. According to the ministry, scientists have ruled out diseases, oil spills, thermal shock and other aftermaths of earthquakes as possible causes of the fish kill, which first reported last month. They are now focusing on biological and chemical substances that may have killed the fish in four central provinces.

The same day, the ministry sent inspectors to Vung Ang Economic Zone in Ha Tinh Province to check all companies operating there as part of efforts to solve the environmental disaster.

On Wednesday, a team of inspectors visited Taiwanese-invested Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company. The large firm in Vung Ang has been accused of discharging toxic wastewater, a claim it has repeatedly rejected.

The inspectors are expected to work with Formosa in four days to test the company's wastewater.

Officials have promised that the results of inspection will be made public.

In a new development on Wednesday, residents found the water along a 1.5-km stretch of a beach in Quang Binh Provinces Bo Trach District turning red at around 7:30 a.m. The color then gradually changed and became normal at around 11 a.m.

Seawater turns red in a 1.5-km stretch of a beach in Quang Binh Provinces Bo Trach District on May 4, 2016. Photo: Nam Hai Local authorities took the water samples for testing. Scientists have been invited to investigate the phenomenon.

The provincial environment department has warned residents not to swim in the area or source the water for their fish farms, until test results are announced.

Hundreds of tons of fish were washed ashore in early April in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces, apparently killed by industrial effluents.

Suspicion has centered on Formosa, which admitted it has a large sewage pipe going straight into the sea. But it claimed all its discharged wastewater had been treated.

Officials have said they could not find any connection between Formosa's discharge and the disaster yet.

Vietnamese across the country have been anxiously waiting for a satisfying answer for the prolonged case, which has tested the ability of the country to detect and handle large-scale disasters.
Camera footage at Cam Ranh Airport shows a chaotic scene after many Chinese passengers were caught in a five-hour delay on April 2, 2016. Photo provided by Cam Ranh International Airport

The management of Cam Ranh International Airport in central Vietnam said it has suspended a security officer for slapping a Chinese passenger on the back during an unusual chaotic scene there on Monday.

Phan Le Hoan, the airports director, said a Vietnam Airlines flight to Shanghai, China was delayed on Monday afternoon as the airport had to coordinate with the overloaded Shanghai airport for a new schedule.

A number of Chinese passengers were upset after waiting for three hours since 5 p.m. and they started screaming, jumping onto the seats in the waiting area and causing disorder, Hoan said.

The director said camera footage showed that a security officer, named Nguyen Van Thai, hit one of the Chinese passengers on the back after the man refused to sit down.

Hoan said Thai had been suspended pending further punitive measures.

The airport director made the comments after several Chinese websites said some Chinese passengers were beaten and demanded to pay bribes at the Cam Ranh International Airport on Monday.

The reports said many Chinese passengers were not satisfied with the attitude and behavior of the airport staff over the delay of around five hours, and that one even lost a cellphone after having his luggage checked.

But Hoan said there was no beating, other than the slapping incident.

The passenger who lost the phone later found out that his child had it, he said.

Immigration officers also dismissed the bribery accusations.

Hoan also apologized for his earlier statements on Wednesday afternoon, when he insisted that that there was no beating of any passengers at all.

That information was inaccurate due to dishonest and inadequate reports from my staff. I only had enough evidence about the slapping incident on Wednesday night," he said. He said the airport is looking for the Chinese passenger in the incident to apologize to him. There has been growing interest for the beach town of Nha Trang, 36 kilometers to the north of Cam Ranh International Airport, among Chinese tourists. The airport currently receives around 2,000 Chinese passengers every day, Hoan said.

Cam Ranh, the district, is also famous for a beautiful bay.
The Vietnam Maritime Administration has ordered port authorities across the country to inform ship owners and maritime transport companies of the increasing number of crew abduction incidents in regional waters.

It said it had received a special report by ReCAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia) Information Sharing Center on the matter, citing three incidents in the coastal areas off eastern Sabah and the southern Philippines within a period of three weeks, from March 26 to April 15.

The incidents occurred on board tug boat Brahma 12 on March 26, tug boat Massive 6 on April 1 and tug boat Henry on April 15, according to the report.

The Indonesian tug Brahma 12 was hijacked while being on its way from Sungai Puting, South Kalimatan to Batangas, South Philippines. It was released soon after, however, its 10 crew members are still being held by the hijackers, with their whereabouts unknown, according to the news website World Maritime News.

In the latest incident, on April 15, the Indonesian-registered Henry from Cebu, Philippines to Tarakan, Indonesia was boarded by armed perpetrators from a speedboat at approximately 25 nautical miles southwest off Sitangkai Island, Tawi-tawi.

The tug boat was fired at, and one of the crew was injured and four others abducted. The Malaysian Maritime Police in Sabah assisted in bringing the wounded crew to a hospital for treatment.

The ReCAAP center has encouraged the port authorities, littoral States enforcement agencies to continuously beef up their surveillance, intensify patrols. It also urged the shipping industry to exercise strict vigilance when operating in the areas of concern.
A lottery ticket vendor covers his three-wheeled vehicle with leaves in the southern beach town of Vung Tau, where the temperature on Thursday morning hovered around 40 degrees Celsius. Photo credit: Zing

The vendor said he invented the portable canopy after the heat under the steel roof of his vehicle became unbearable

A man working at a car wash in Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan Binh District says he has to keep spraying water around the shop during the day

An employee at a shop in Phu Nhuan District in Ho Chi Minh City sprays water on customers motorbikes parked outdoor. If you have ever had to sit on one of these seats in summer, you will know how uncomfortable it can be

Bus drivers find their hideaway in the luggage compartment of the vehicle

Not everyone can afford some shade in this extreme heatwave, the worst in southern Vietnam in years. This coal delivery man simply has to deal with it. Can you see the pirate face on his mask?

Motorbikes gather under a tree, away from a red light stop. At least during these moments nobody wants to cut down trees.

You can find the original Vietnamese here on Zing
Tran Quang Hung, former district chief prosecutor in Kon Tum Province, stands at a trial on May 5, 2016. Photo: Dac Vinh/Thanh Nien

A court in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on Thursday sentenced a dismissed prosecutor to 18 months in jail for drunk driving and causing multiple crashes.

Tran Quang Hung, 52, former chief prosecutor of Tu Mo Rong District, crashed into four motorbikes consecutively over nearly 30 kilometers from Dak Ha District to Kon Tum Town in the afternoon of December 4, 2015.

Hung reportedly never stopped after any crash and kept driving straight to his house on Phan Dinh Phung Street, Kon Tum Town. He hid in his house for hours before surrendering to police that night. He was driving a car of the prosecutor's office.

All eight people on the motorbikes, aged between 12 and 35, were hospitalized for multiple injuries. One woman had brain injury, according to the indictment. They have all recovered.

Hung admitted that he had some beer during lunch, breaking a rule that bans all civil servants from drinking during working hours and lunch breaks.

Police estimated damage to the bikes was worth VND77 million (US$3,400).

Hung has compensated the victims more than VND138 million.

The Penal Code stipulates drivers who caused serious traffic accidents under the influence of alcohol can be sentenced to up to 10 years.
Chinese sailors march past a visiting Russian destroyer, Admiral Vinogradov, berthed at the People's Liberation Army (PLA) naval base in Qingdao, China prior to joint naval exercises in 2012. The Chinese and Russian militaries will hold their latest joint exercises in August in the Sea of Japan. Photo: STRA/AFP/Getty Images

China and Russia will hold their first joint computer-assisted anti-missile drill, state media said on Thursday, after the United States and South Korea discussed an anti-missile defense system for the South to counter threats from North Korea.

North and South Korea remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, rather than a treaty. The North routinely threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States.

The Chinese and Russian foreign ministers last week urged Washington and Seoul to drop the proposed deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, following North Korea's fourth nuclear bomb on Jan. 6 and subsequent missile tests.

The tests violate U.N. resolutions against North Korea backed by Russia and China. U.S. and South Korean officials have expressed concern that the North could attempt a fifth nuclear test in a show of strength ahead of its Workers' Party congress, which begins on Friday.

The China-Russia drill will be held this month at a Russian military research center, the official English-language China Daily newspaper said, citing China's defense ministry.

The paper gave few details, but cited experts saying the drill would help the two countries' militaries familiarize themselves with their respective command structures and data transmission processes.

The White House has said it is still in talks with its close ally, South Korea, on the THAAD system and that it would not threaten other countries if installed.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said the system threatens equilibrium on the Korean peninsula and damages China's and Russia's strategic security.

North Korea's drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability has angered China, Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China.

President Xi Jinping has said Beijing would not allow war and chaos to break out on the Korean peninsula.
The ongoing protest by disabled Bolivians demanding an increase in state benefits has turned violent in the capital, La Paz this week, with wheelchair-bound protesters and riot police clashing in the streets.
Civil defense members work at a site hit by an airstrike in the rebel held area of Aleppo's Baedeen district, Syria, May 3, 2016. Photo: Reuters/Abdalrhman Ismail

The United States said on Wednesday it had agreed with Russia to extend a cessation of hostilities agreement to include Aleppo where intense day-long violence between Syrian rebels and government forces killed dozens of people.

The State Department said the truce went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Damascus time on Wednesday, but acknowledged the fighting had not stopped.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he was not surprised that fighting continued in some areas, adding both sides were working to communicate with commanders in the field.

Kerry, meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini at the State Department, said it was vital that both sides abide by the agreement. He called on Russia to use its influence over President Bashar al-Assad to stop the violence.

There was no immediate response from Moscow to the announcement of an agreement, but the Syrian army said it would implement a "regime of calm" in Aleppo for 48 hours as of Thursday.

The surge in bloodshed in Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the civil war and biggest strategic prize, wrecked the first major "cessation of hostilities" agreement of the war, sponsored by Washington and Moscow, which had held since February.

In battles on Wednesday between rebels and government forces in western Aleppo, opposition forces said they were forced to retreat by heavy aerial bombing.

Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, addressing a U.N. Security Council meeting on the situation in Aleppo, said an agreement would have been announced on Tuesday but opposition attacks in Aleppo had prevented it from happening.

"The deterioration in certain areas of Syria, including Aleppo, is a serious source of concern. The government forces are fighting off a large-scale offensive by the jihadists (in Aleppo)," he told the council.

Strengthening monitoring

Kerry said the United States was coordinating closely with Russia to finalize strengthened monitoring of the extension of the cessation of hostilities to Aleppo.

He said he expected a meeting of the International Syrian Support Group, a grouping of foreign ministers of European and Middle Eastern government chaired by Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, to meet within the next two weeks.

In Berlin, the German and French foreign ministers said achieving a ceasefire in Aleppo was critical to renewing peace talks.

"I believe everyone knows and can conclude that there could be no return to the political talks in Geneva if a ceasefire in and around Aleppo is not observed," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters.

In Geneva, a senior U.N. humanitarian official said the Syrian government was refusing U.N. demands to deliver aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped by the fighting, including many in devastated Aleppo.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens had been killed on both sides in what it described as the most intense battle in the Aleppo region in a year. Government forces were reinforced by allies from Lebanon's Hezbollah, it said.

A rebel fighter said about 40 government soldiers had been killed, while rebel losses stood at 10 dead. A military source denied there had been heavy casualties in army ranks, but said dozens of civilians and many rebels had been killed.

Rebel sources said insurgents at one point captured a strategic location known as Family House, but later lost it after the government side sent in reinforcements.

A pro-government military strategist said the offensive failed to breach key army defense and supply lines in Aleppo.

During the Security Council meeting, U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman said a consolidated truce and greater humanitarian aid access were needed to ensure the next round of Syria peace talks - set for this month - were credible. Without progress, he said there was a "real risk of a failed political process."

"The current levels of violence in Aleppo, in particular, negatively impact the ability of the Syrian parties to engage in negotiations," Feltman said.

U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien told the 15-member council that life for the people in Aleppo was horrendous and they were "living under daily threat and terror."
Heads up to prevent injury from falls Morning walks in my neighborhood are one of the most enjoyable parts of my day. I love the coolness of daybreak and the special sightings of the stag and two does that frequent our open space. I also enjoy my walk because each day at...

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Parking machines in the area will allow drivers to pay with coins, credit cards and mobile phones, including through the Parkmobile app, already in use around Canberra.

Ms Fitzharris said the pay parking arrangements on Altree Court and Melrose Drive will be adjusted as part of the changes. Drivers will pay for parking on Melrose Drive from south of Botany Street to Athllon Drive and additional long and short-term pay parking will be introduced in Altree Court.

"These new pay parking arrangements will increase vehicle turnover which will make it easier for visitors to the nearby businesses to find a park," she said.

"The Phillip commercial precinct is also well served by public transport, being immediately adjacent to the Blue Rapid service.

"There is easy access from Athllon Drive to the area. During the week the 21 and 22 routes service the area approximately every 30 minutes during peak periods and hourly in off-peak periods, connecting Woden and surrounding suburbs."
A man accused of helping his brother move the body of murdered Evatt man Andrew Carville has been released on bail after a magistrate found the prosecution case did not contain "one scintilla" of evidence to support him being locked up.

Mr Carville, 52, was reported missing from his Evatt home on November 5. His remains were found during a police line search on Defence land at Majura on November 19.

Andrew Carville was last seen alive on November 4.

Marc Urlich, 43, pleaded not guilty to being an accessory to Mr Carville's murder and interfering with a dead body in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday.

He was arrested days after his younger brother, Milan Urlich, 28, was charged with murder over the death of Mr Carville, 52.
The Swans will show respect to the battling Bombers in Saturday's clash at the SCG, but their priority will be to focus on repairing the structural problems that nearly cost them a win over Brisbane.

Sydney prevailed narrowly over the Lions but their performance was below their self-imposed high standards. The fact that they're playing an emaciated Essendon should not come into the equation as they look to return to the form they showed through much of the first five rounds.

Inward focus: Swans co-captain Jarrad McVeigh says the team has been looking at the areas it needs to improve. Credit:Daniel Munoz

"A lot of our structure stuff that we've been really good at we didn't get right," co-captain Jarrad McVeigh said of what needed to improve from the Brisbane match.

"And then just around the contests they were harder than us and probably beat us around the ball, which is not something we're used to. But we'll rectify that this week. The midfield boys have been unbelievable for us this year, so I'm sure they'll get back to winning the footy this week."
Caltex has conceded the "very high" refining margins of the past year are unlikely to be seen for the time being as it reported soft March-quarter earnings and defended the high payout to senior management.

"You the shareholders have done very well," the chairman Greig Gailey said at the group's annual meeting. "Equally, our senior management have done very well."

Caltex CEO Julian Segal at the 2016 annual meeting. Credit:Jessica Hromas

Mr Gailey said shareholders had questioned the payouts after the group's chief executive Julian Segal joined the ranks of the highest-paid bosses in the country thanks to bonuses and the payout of Caltex shares, which lifted his remuneration for 2015 to $13.86 million  a multiple of several times his base salary of $2.18 million. In 2014 his payout was $5 million.



He wasn't alone, with the company's chief financial officer, Simon Hepworth, pocketing $3.95 million, well above his base salary of $788,647. The company's largesse was shared among several of the company's senior executives, with another six officials receiving $1 million-plus payments.

Mr Gailey said Caltex had been in the top five ASX 100 companies performance for 2015 as its share price more than trebled to $34.
Liberal MP Bert van Manen says that the ATO and office of the Inspector-General Ali Noroozi need to improve communications going forward. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen ATO cultural change will "take years" The report has also noted that Inspector-General of Taxation Ali Noroozi had "expressed readiness to communicate more with the ATO". Mr Noroozi welcomed the release of the report and said his office "will continue to work collaboratively with all stakeholders". Independent Contractors Australia's executive director Ken Phillips has long complained about the harsh treatment small business contractors receive at the hands of the ATO.

Complaints about tax administration were transferred from the Commonwealth Ombudsman to Mr Noroozi's office in May 2015. Mr Noroozi told the inquiry in hearings last month that less scrutiny of the tax office was not warranted and said damage had been done to confidence in the tax system. There are frequent complaints to his office about the harsh way the tax office has treated small business and individuals. The committee said that it is concerned about the state of communication between the ATO and Inspector-General. Final report of the inquiry into external scrutiny of the ATO One of the main people complaining against the ATO has been Ken Phillips from Independent Contractors Australia. Mr Phillips had said that the ATO makes allegations of fraud against small business people which are unsubstantiated, thereby denying procedural fairness. "The committee notes that, at the hearing, the ATO offered to independently review any cases provided by Independent Contractors Australia," its report said.

The committee accepted that the ATO was now going through "genuine cultural change" under Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan's reinvention program and that this can "take years". Duplication minimal The ATO had argued there was too much overlap between the work of the ANAO and the Inspector-General, but the committee found that "the extent of any duplication, if it does occur, is minimal," he said. The committee's report noted that the "majority of submissions supported the position of the Inspector-General, often suggesting that his role be widened, either through greater resources or powers", and said the IGT's reviews had "improved the ATO's operations and the position of taxpayers, especially given its small size relative to the ATO". "The Inspector-General plays an important role in scrutinising the ATO and is highly regarded by taxpayers and tax practitioners," Mr van Manen said.

But Mr van Manen noted that, in its report, the committee said that it "is concerned about the state of communication between the ATO and Inspector-General". There have been rumours in the tax community for years that Mr Noroozi and Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan do not get along. "If communication over the past few years had been better, this inquiry may not have been necessary," its report said, calling on the ATO and the Inspector-General to "redouble their efforts to improve communication before, during and after reviews". The inquiry's other recommendations included that scrutineers increase the transparency of how they co-ordinate their work, better explain in their reports how each review fits in with other reviews, the Inspector-General considers how to do reviews based on complaints and emerging issues in tax administration, and in the next Parliament the committee scrutinise the work of the Inspector-General.

Tax advisory board? During the inquiry Mr Noroozi said the concept of an advisory board  an idea that he had first raised during the 2011 tax forum  could brought back on to the political agenda. This advisory board would provide high-level advice to senior management on issues such as information technology, strategy and culture. The Henry tax review had also suggested such an advisory board be created for the ATO, but warned against a management board that could interfere with the clarity of responsibility between a statutory authority and its minister. "The key question from the perspective of the inquiry is how an internal mechanism, such as a board, affects external scrutiny," the inquiry said.
Australia's policy on asylum seekers arriving in boats is broken. It hasn't yet collapsed in a ditch but attempts to patch it enough to roll past the coming federal election will be awkward at best and risky at worst.

Both the government and the Labor opposition support a policy of processing in second countries those asylum seekers who enter Australian jurisdiction on unauthorised boats.

Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection Michael Pezzullo and Australian Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg in discussion at Parliament House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The reopening of the Manus Regional Processing Centre in November 2012 recommenced this policy introduced by the Howard government in 2001. It was then toughened during the brief second prime ministership of Kevin Rudd. He reached an agreement with Papua New Guinea covering asylum in that country to refugees but with the overtly stated intention that asylum seekers processed on Manus Island were never to be settled in Australia.

This, together with the reopening in August 2012 of a similar centre on Nauru, saw a dramatic slowing of the number of asylum seekers attempting to reach Australia by boat.
Earlier that year Lewis had broken with convention, refusing to appoint an ALP replacement for the NSW Senator and Federal Attorney-General Lionel Murphy when Whitlam named him a High Court justice.

The only NSW Liberal premier never to have faced voters, the defining act in Tom Lewis's somewhat lacklustre premiership was to inadvertently start the ball rolling on the dismissal of Gough Whitlam's government in 1975.

Lewis nominated the unaffiliated mayor of Albury, Cleaver Bunton, 72, to fill the casual Senate vacancy. Months later, the emboldened Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen followed suit: when Labor Senator, Bert Milliner died he appointed his own man, Albert Field, a conservative religious man and avowed opponent to Whitlam policies, to fill the Queensland casual vacancy.

As a consequence of High Court action against his appointment, Field was on holiday when Labor's refusal to provide a "pair" to maintain the relative positions of the government and Opposition inadvertently gave the Coalition a Senate majority and allowed Malcolm Fraser to block supply.

For many, Bjelke-Petersen carried the ordure for facilitating one of the most dramatic moment in Australian politics but the Queensland premier would have stayed his hand without Lewis' pathfinding.

Thomas Lancelot Lewis was an Adelaide blueblood. A great-grandfather had accompanied Charles Sturt on his 1844 trip to the interior; his grandfather had established Bagot, Shakes & Lewis Ltd, one of the colony's biggest pastoral firms; his father Lancelot was manager of the South Australian branch of Goldsbrough, Mort & Co. Ltd; his mother Grace Margaret (Gretta) Laidlaw, was the daughter of Victorian Western District squattocracy; and an uncle, the industrialist Essington Lewis, headed BHP, established the Newcastle steelworks and was wartime director of munitions.

Like most sons of Adelaide's elite, Lewis attended St Peter's College. After school he managed one of his uncle's properties; enlisted in 1940 and commissioned a lieutenant, he served in the New Guinea and Borneo campaigns before marrying at war's end and heading to Washington where a staff position in the Australian Embassy awaited.
In fact, let's take a multigenerational case study of just one absolutely typical Australian family:

Bruce T. is a single father who dotes on his only child, Malcolm. Despite struggling with the living hell that is living in a series of rented beachfront properties for a few years, the real estate speculator manages to scrape together enough to send Malcolm to one of Sydney's finest and most expensive schools, where the precocious tyke gets an excellent education and also makes valuable contacts that will serve him well through the rest of his life.

After years of free tertiary study at one of the world's greatest universities thanks to the Whitlam government's education reforms, Malcolm T's academic credentials and social contacts help him get sweet business opportunities  and while he struggles with the notoriously low salaries afforded journalists and lawyers, he still somehow manages to scrimp and save enough to buy his own property in cash, inherit an estimated $2 million property portfolio from his late father Bruce in 1982, and upgrade to a more fashionable mansion which was bought directly from a friendly media mogul.

And thus, using only his own two hands and the sweat of his brow, Malcolm somehow made something of himself, making the sort of investment decisions that are available to all Australians of every background, provided that they have millions of dollars and families with excellent political and business contacts befitting a man married to a wife whose father was a former federal Attorney-General.

And thus when Malcolm's 23-year-old daughter Daisy T., a teacher of history, was looking to buy a place she was naturally able to afford a $2.7 million waterfront apartment in 2008  just like every other teacher can when they're on $60k-odd a year.
The Venice Architecture Biennale project The Pool and literary journal Going Down Swinging are among the design initiatives funded under the federal government's Catalyst program announced this week.

Arts Minister Mitch Fifield announced more than 70 recipients from the $10 million fund on Monday.

Multisensory experience: Amelia Holliday, Michelle Tabet and Isabelle Tolland, creators of The Pool.

The Pool, by Sydney firm Aileen Sage Architects' Isabelle Toland and Amelia Holliday with Michelle Tabet, was selected by the Australian Institute of Architects' Venice Biennale Committee as Australia's entry at the global design event.

It promises to be a poolside immersive multisensory experience of light, scent, sound, reflection and perspective within the new Denton Corker Marshall-designed Australian pavilion within the Venice Giardini.
Hundreds of actors, stage professionals and other people employed in the performing arts will be out of work as a result of this year's budget.

That is the dire prediction of Andrew Kay, the president of Live Performance Australia, who said: "We expect to see 40 percent of our small to medium companies lose funding and face going under.

Western Edge Youth Arts productions such as Belonging could be threatened by Australia Council funding cuts. Credit:Nicola Dracoulis

"That's 18 to 20 companies that won't be creating new productions, hundreds of creative and talented Australians out of work and lost revenue."
Penny Wong thought she was trapped in an episode of Utopia last year when federal bureaucrats blocked the release of Tony Abbott's wine list for drinks functions on the basis that his "beverage preferences" were a matter of personal privacy.

But after a battle that has taken more than a year, the Australian Information Commissioner has agreed with Labor's Senate leader that Mr Abbott's choice of party plonk is not, in fact, a state secret.

The commissioner has directed the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to release receipts, once heavily redacted, from bottle shops across Canberra, where Mr Abbott's staff bought $7340 worth of wine and beer in less than two months between February and April last year.

The wine war stretched into 2016 because Mr Abbott's then department took six months to respond to Senator Wong's request through freedom of information laws - five months longer than the statutory 30-day reply period.
He will not go quietly.

Outgoing MP Clive Palmer staged yet another press conference on Thursday, flanked by a swarm of new Senate candidates for his fledgling Palmer United Party.

A Palmer presser is always an act of theatre, but this time it was an uninvited guest who stole the show - Ewen Jones, Liberal MP for Herbert and Mr Palmer's parliamentary nemesis, who rocked up to heckle the businessman about donations made by his now-collapsed company Queensland Nickel.

"When are you giving back the money that's gone to Palmer United from Queensland Nickel?" Mr Jones asked. "What about the purchases you have made out of Queensland Nickel money?"
Indeed, Mr Morrison mistakenly believed the coin had already been dumped. "No one asked me about the 5 piece! By the way - we don't make them anymore, they're still in circulation," he said on Thursday, following a post-budget address to tax experts.

Nay-sayers have long felt the country's least-valuable tender should be done away with - it's annoying, it's largely useless and at times it has actually cost more to make than it is worth.

Fear not, shrapnel-lovers: Australia is still making 5 coins, despite what Treasurer Scott Morrison thinks.

That was news to the Royal Australian Mint, however. "We are still making 5 coins," a spokeswoman told Fairfax Media.

Australia's 5 cent coin. Credit:Danielle Smith

And Mr Morrison's assistant minister, Alex Hawke, later confirmed that while production was in decline, it was by no means finished.

"Production of the 5 piece is in sharp decline in-line with falling demand to an eventual phase out," Mr Hawke said. "The government has not made a decision about a final phase out date at this time."

He said it currently costs 5.061 to produce the 5 piece. But the cost varies depending on metal prices and has previously risen as high as 7.
1. 60 Minutes crew detained in Lebanon over dramatic child-snatch operation

Tara Brown and her television crew are in Lebanon to document Australian mother Sally Faulkner's operation to retrieve her two children from Beirut, where their father took them for a holiday last year.

Lebanese media is reporting the two children were snatched at a bus stop by armed gunmen who assaulted the children's paternal grandmother in a dramatic operation that appears to have been caught on camera.

Police tracked down the media crew, but not Ms Faulkner and her children.
1. Tospy-turvy 'Laberal'

Welcome to the new world order where the opposition rolls out policy including giant new taxes, the Liberal-National government borrows them and the Labor party then opposes separate concession cuts for the rich because they apply retrospectively.

Last night Bill Shorten delivered his budget reply and outlined massive savings, worth $71 billion, partly by capping VET fees and restricting the small business tax cut to - well, small businesses. As you can see, he gave himself the thumbs up.

Interestingly, the Labor party will oppose backdating a move to curb wealthy retirees from using $1.6 million in super to invest tax-free. Labor agrees with the measure applying but only to the future.
Flamboyant Lidcombe property developer and suspended Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer has laughed off claims he "bought" his younger sister Mary's victory at last weekend's Miss Lebanon Australia beauty pageant, following a complaint lodged with NSW Fair Trading.

Disgruntled entrants and their supporters have taken to social media to air their grievances over the pageant since Sunday's event, held at Doltone House in Pyrmont in front of 700 people who had each paid $150 to be there.

"It was just feral, most of the girls knew there was something funny going on and the word spread across the room pretty quickly when Mary was named the winner," attendee Bee Batti told PS.
A police chopper hovering above, convoys of luxury four-wheel-drives and the Ibrahim family - this was an underworld funeral Sydney has not seen for some years.

Hundreds attended Lakemba Mosque on Thursday to farewell convicted killer and standover man Walid "Wally" Ahmad. The father-of-six was gunned down while sitting in a cafe at a Bankstown shopping centre last Friday.

At the time of the 41-year-old's death, he was the subject of at least one extortion investigation and a murder probe but he was well known to police for more than a decade as a prominent figure in south-western Sydney's criminal milieu.
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Actress Tilda Swinton has a photo taken with a guest during the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Credit:Ramon Espinosa
A glamorous TV presenter and a star jockey. It might seem on the surface like the unlikeliest of friendships but Liz Cantor and Tegan Harrison have a lot in common.

The pair met at the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast while Liz was in town in her capacity as one of the Seven Network's most popular presenters.

Liz Cantor and Tegan Harrison have struck up a friendship over their mutual love of horses and the sea. Credit:Robert Shakespeare

Over celebratory champagnes the pair discovered they have a few things in common.

Liz loves horses and Tegan is a jockey, while Tegan loves the ocean and wanted to learn to surf and Liz just happens to be a pretty excellent surfer.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad will ask Queensland mayors to stand against the Turnbull government if the state is not paid $1.2 billion it is owed in disaster relief funding by June 30.

Ms Trad, who oversees Queensland natural disaster relief efforts, said some recovery projects  triggered by Cyclone Oswald  could be delayed by two years if funding was not restored.

Some recovery projects  triggered by Cyclone Oswald  could be delayed by two years, Jackie Trad fears. Credit:Chris Hyde

On Wednesday Fairfax Media reported Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt questioned the federal government why $1 billion in natural disaster relief had been pushed back until 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Mr Pitt said it potentially put a billion-dollar hole in Queensland's budget for June 14.
Tony Sutton lost a father and a mate when his dad's Ipswich home was gutted by fire early on Thursday morning.

Vietnam War veteran and "truly genuine person" Maurice Sutton died when fire tore through the low-set brick home about 2am.

The 70-year-old lived alone, occasionally battling with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder from his nine years' service, including Malaysia and Vietnam, but always ready to do anything for anybody, his son said.

He was the "one in a million" man his son didn't know for 12 years as a kid but became more of a mate than a father when they reconnected years later.
A woman has been charged with stabbing a 64-year-old man multiple times overnight in a house fight in Logan, south of Brisbane.

It's alleged an argument between the pair escalated into violence when the 46-year-old woman grabbed two knives and started stabbing and slashing the man, cutting his hands and head and forcing him to flee to a neighbouring house in suburban Loganlea.

A woman allegedly armed herself with two knives before attacking a man in Logan.

He has been taken to hospital for surgery while the woman was arrested at the home and will face Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Thursday.

AAP
Poor internet speeds have forced businesses out of Logan and have cost residents access to education, the city's new mayor said as he called for the fast-tracking of the National Broadband Network's rollout in the region.

Logan mayor Luke Smith said most of Logan's business hubs still had ADSL1 connections, which placed significant restrictions on internet speeds.

Beau Mitchell put his online Bachelor of Technology course on hold due to slow internet speeds. Credit:Michelle Smith

"We've had people in the Springwood area, the Beenleigh area and also in the Loganholme industrial area actually leave Logan because the internet speed is so slow," he said.

"It does affect small business, it does affect our local economy and so we've been calling for it to be more of a priority for the NBN rollout."
In a pitch aimed directly at his colleagues, Mr Nicholls said he offered "the balance" between experience and the "fresh" face Mr Mander has said the party needed, as he had not previously been leader of the party, but had served as treasurer. "I think I offer the balance between the experience, of having been in government, of having had a senior role in government, having to deal with difficult questions, having had the experience of dealing with the full media scrutiny that goes with being the treasurer, together with the enthusiasm," he said. "I have not been the leader of the party before. And I have not had the opportunity to work with my colleagues, to mould a team that can take the fight up to the ALP. Now people know that I am good at taking the fight up to the ALP, but the opportunity to be able to do that and to present a clear coherent case to the people of Queensland based on experience and enthusiasm, I think strikes the right balance between those areas of a fresh new face, which has been spoken about, together with the experience that we know is necessary to steer the ship of the LNP on a steady course." The spill comes following months of speculation regarding Mr Springborg's election chances, with LNP MPs, stakeholders and party donors expressing concern the man who inspired the merger of Queensland's conservative parties might not be able to lead the party to victory. Mr Nicholls said he had also received calls from "business supporters" over the past few days urging him to consider a run.

"Whilst the matter of donations is absolutely handled by the LNP, the party executive as it should be, those people who are supporters of the LNP have certainly said to me that they believe that if I am there, as part of the team, that they will continue to provide their support both financially and practically on the ground and that is a very important thing for our party, because we don't have the pipeline of donations that the union movement just continues to channel into the ALP," he said. "We have to be attractive to those people who support our philosophy and our policies." Mr Nicholls also hinted at a different approach to the cross bench, which holds the balance of power in Queensland's hung parliament. "I have long held the view that the LNP needs to campaign on the LNP's policies and philosophies, we don't need to campaign on the Katter Party philosophies and I certainly very open to talking to the cross benchers, but we need to set our own direction," he said. "If the Katter Party people want to support us, so be it, and we will always talk to them and treat them with the politeness and respect they deserve, but our position in my view should be we are standing up for the LNP and our members, not the Katter Party."

EARLIER In a statement released early Thursday morning, Mr Nicholls said after "careful consideration" and numerous approaches by colleagues over the past four days, he had advised embattled leader Lawrence Springborg of his decision. He joins LNP MP Tim Mander as a contender for the top job. "I will be offering my colleagues the values of hard work, experience, proven parliamentary and media performance, policy depth and the ability to campaign throughout the state from a secure base," he said. "... I do want to place on record my respect for Lawrence. As the 'father' of the LNP he is in large part responsible for the party's success here in Queensland.

"He took up the cudgels in Queensland after we lost government in 2015 and has exposed many of Labor's failures. My decision in no way reflects on him or his efforts." LNP MPs greeted the announcement with interest, with most agreeing "the calls will begin in earnest now". "Last night, no one knew whether Tim [Nicholls] was in or not," one said. "This changes things. I would say that it's still too close to call though." A senior LNP MP said Mr Nicholls' decision provided an alternative.

"People who want change from Lawrence, but don't want to back Mander because of his inexperience, now have an alternative," the MP said. "He'll have detractors because of Strong Choices, but I think the public is moving on from that." Tim Mander quits frontbench Mr Nicholls' move comes after Mr Mander quit the opposition frontbench on Wednesday afternoon and announced his intention to run for the leadership at an urgent party room meeting on Friday. As of 10pm on Wednesday LNP MPs involved in Friday's spill count said it was "too close to call", with Mr Nicholls' decision considered the dark horse which could decide the party's immediate future.

Mr Mander has remained a leadership threat after losing the mantle to Mr Springborg by one vote following the 2015 election. But not all those in the room at the time believe the votes Mr Mander won that day were because half the party supported him at the time. "When Mander lost out by one vote after the election, it wasn't all support for Tim Mander. There were also people there just voting for 'not Springborg'," another MP said. The party is yet to come up with a consensus candidate, with an attempted coup in February starring Mr Mander aborted before it effectively began because of lack of numbers and Mr Nicholls considered risky given the prominent role he played in the Newman Government. But Mr Mander is also considered an acolyte of Campbell Newman, even borrowing an argument from the former premier while attempting to shoot down concerns his marginal seat, which he holds by 1.77 per cent, would be a hindrance and led to the same 'Plan B' questions that plagued Mr Newman.

'Totally different situation to Newman' "I don't really see the relevance  if we don't win my seat, we definitely won't be in government," he told ABC radio on Wednesday night. "It is a totally different situation to the situation with Campbell Newman, where it was possible for him to lose his seat and for us to retain government  that is not the case with me. "There are seven seats more marginal than mine  so if I don't win my seat, we definitely won't win government." Mr Newman also attempted to use that line  which ultimately proved correct  during the 2015 election when public sentiment pointed to him not retaining Ashgrove. Mr Mander said Mr Newman was "mathematically not right" when he attempted that argument.

"We could lose his seat, because it was a 4.5 per cent swing, but a 7.5 swing to lose government," he said. "I can't  we have to gain percentages, not lose them. So if I don't win my seat that would mean that seven other seats haven't been won either which means we won't be forming government." Mr Mander's argument relies on the entire state voting the same way, making any swing uniform, rather than constituents in his traditionally Labor seat returning to their historic voting patterns. Deputies? Fairfax Media also understands that Deb Frecklington, who was considered the only consensus candidate for deputy in the event Mr Nicholls also ran for the leadership, had turned Mr Mander down and he had turned to Mount Ommaney MP Tarnya Smith as his running mate.

Ms Smith holds her seat by 0.23 per cent, the second slimmest margin in the state. Mr Nicholls said while the current situation was "not of my making", he had decided to run, believing he had "the enthusiasm, experience and ability" to lead the party against "an increasingly arrogant Palaszczuk Labor Government". "Queensland is a great state being sailed in to the doldrums by an incompetent Labor Government," he said. "Our aim as a team has to be delivering the plans and policies to open up future possibilities that improve the lives of all Queenslanders. "We can best support business, support more and better jobs, deliver services and invest in the future if we win enough seats to form government.

"While this can't be achieved by any one person, I believe I have the enthusiasm, experience and ability to put in place and lead a team that can take up the fight to the increasingly arrogant Palaszczuk Labor Government." Tim Nicholls' statement: It has become clear over the last few days that a substantial number of my colleagues want a chance to clear the air on the issue of leadership by a Party Room vote. While this is not of my making, I have had many approaches over the past four days from colleagues, party members and our other supporters urging me to consider nominating for the leadership. After careful consideration I have this morning advised Lawrence Springborg that if the proposed spill motion is successful at Friday's Party Room meeting I will nominate for the position of Leader.
Bowe Maddigan may have been faking his psychotic state in hospital after allegedly raping and murdering 11-year-old Wangaratta girl Zoe Buttigieg, a court has heard.

Maddigan, 29, faced Wangaratta Magistrates Court on Thursday for the second day of a three-day committal hearing, the Border Mail reports.

A psychiatrist told the court that Maddigan "may have been feigning some symptoms" and did not have a psychotic illness. Credit:Mark Jesser/Fairfax Media

He is charged with murder and two counts of sexual penetration of a child under 16, for which his legal aid defence counsel Stephen Payne has argued a defence of mental impairment.

Maddigan's treating psychiatrist at Wangaratta Hospital, Jennifer Ellix, assessed the man for three days after he was caught by police on October 25, before deciding he was fit to be interviewed by police.
In a Melbourne suburb a decade ago, a police officer grabbed his wife and threw her against the wall.

The couple's sons, then aged six and three, saw their dad assault their mum and started crying, so she urged them into the next room, away from the violence.

A former police officer has pleaded guilty to two family violence charges.

Four years ago, the same police officer arrived at his wife's home - they were separated - to pick up his son for karate training.

His wife had mentioned in a phone message the boys had been misbehaving, so when he arrived he walked straight into his son's room.
Frankston line commuters face delays from next month with a large section of the line to close to complete level crossing removals.

Buses will replace trains for 37 days between Caulfield and Moorabbin while a "blitz" is undertaken to finalise three level crossing removals.

Buses will replace trains for 37 days while the work is done. Credit:Justin McManus

When the line reopens the level crossings will be removed at Ormond, McKinnon and Bentleigh stations.

The government also confirmed the new stations at those locations will open progressively from August.
An electrician accused of killing his parents on the family farm near Wangaratta has been found guilty of their murders.

The Crown case against Ian Thomas, 38, was that he strangled his mother after an argument, before laying in wait for his father, shooting him in the chest and caving his head in with a wooden pickaxe handle.

Ian Thomas arrives at the Supreme Court in Melbourne on Thursday. Credit:Wayne Taylor

The key witness, Mr Thomas' married lover Jacinta Emselle, told the Supreme Court jury he had confessed when they met at the Cremorne Hotel in Geelong the day after the alleged murders.

She said Mr Thomas was drinking a beer and reading the paper when he told her, with a strange smirk on his face, "Let's just say my parents are no longer with us".
The Hyde Street Reserve is not quite an urban paradise, but over the decades the former tip in the shadow of the West Gate has been lovingly rehabilitated by local volunteers who want a riverland park all of Melbourne will appreciate.

Soon, all that work could be for nought.

The Daniel Andrews government - a fervent critic of Denis Napthine's plan to drive a toll road through Royal Park - is working with Transurban on its toll-road proposal that could require much of the reserve for an interchange.

"If that is built, it is basically over - it will really mean the destruction of the park," said Steve Wilson, president of Friends of Stony Creek.
Boys who were sexually assaulted by a Christian Brother at a Victorian orphanage were strapped by other men of religion after reporting the abuse, a court has heard.

When one boy reported William Stuart Houston, the head Brother declared: "This is what we do to boys who fabricate stories about us", and strapped the child every morning for five days in front of the entire St Augustine's orphanage.

William Houston in a scene from a 2002 report on Channel Nine's 60 Minutes program. Credit:Channel Nine

That victim, now in his 60s, told the County Court on Thursday of the anger that still consumed him at being accused of lying and punished by the two Brothers he had approached separately about Houston.

"I am still angry to this day and the anger will be there because as a ward of the state I was let down by the system. I will never forgive William Houston for what he did to me," he said. The court heard another victim was also punished after reporting Houston.
The man who was once charged with saving Victoria's troubled taxi industry has taken a job with its nemesis - Uber.

Professor Allan Fels, who chaired the Taxi Industry Inquiry, has been appointed to the popular ride-sharing company's global advisory board.

Allan Fels chaired a review into Victoria's taxi industry. Credit:Michael Clayton-Jones

The board's stated object is to make an impact on debate across the world on transport issues and influence policy makers.

Professor Fels' new role is in direct contrast to the one he held as chairman of the taxi industry inquiry which, just four years ago, investigated how to overhaul the $1.8 billion sector.
Anti-abortion activists have letterbox-dropped residents around an East Melbourne fertility control clinic, slamming new laws that stop them from harassing women on the street as "contrary to human rights".

The flyers say the law that came into effect this week prohibiting protesters from coming within 150 metres of abortion clinics is "anti-human".

The flyer left in letterboxes in East Melbourne this week.

For the past 25 years, members of religious group Helpers of God's Precious Infants have held a vigil outside the Fertility Control Clinic on Wellington Parade. Members have stood on the street six days a week, holding pamphlets and images of dismembered fetuses.

Fairfax Media reported on Monday that patients were able to enter the building for the first time without being forced to run the gauntlet. Police asked one man, believed to be a founding member of the group, to move on after he was reported praying on the street on Monday afternoon, but the entrance has otherwise been clear this week.
Melbourne City Council planners will investigate closing parts of Spencer Street at the "dangerous" Southern Cross Station intersection.

The council will spend $750,000 on a master plan to improve pedestrian safety at the busy junction of Collins and Spencer streets, where young barista Josie Edden was killed last year after falling into the path of a garbage truck.

Lord mayor Robert Doyle said Town Hall was already working with Metro Trains to reopen a historic pedestrian tunnel that runs from the station, underneath Spencer Street, to Little Collins Street.

"I think that would be a great thing to do, to use a piece of infrastructure like that to move people into the city without them risking that intersection," Cr Doyle said.
A school camp turned into a nightmare for a group of students stranded at sea in waves of up to five metres.

As Melburnians braced for wild weather on Tuesday, six students and two teachers from Brauer Secondary College in Warrnambool at the camp in Anglesea took to the water in kayaks.

Swept from their small boats soon after they set out, they then spent almost an hour in the heaving waters of Bass Strait, a kilometre off shore.

Transport Safety Victoria is now investigating the incident, which took place on a day with a severe weather warning.
A man who admitted killing three of his neighbours north-west of Bendigo claims he made a mistake when pleading guilty to one of the murders because he suffered from short-term memory loss and the early stages of dementia.

Ian Francis Jamieson, 65, appeared on Thursday in the Supreme Court in Melbourne where his new lawyers applied for a hearing to set aside his guilty plea over the murder of Gregory Holmes, 48.

Ian Francis Jamieson had pleaded guilty to the 2014 murders. Credit:Adam Holmes

Jamieson now claims he was acting in self defence when he killed Mr Holmes.

Defence lawyer Michael Vines told the court Jamieson, however, still maintained his guilty pleas to the murders of Peter Lockhart, 78, and his wife, Mary, 74, south of Wedderburn on October 22, 2014.
Police are investigating a head-on crash in Muchea on Wednesday morning that left one man dead and another in hospital.

A Toyota Landcruiser travelling north on Brand Highway outside the Wheatbelt town, and a Mitsubishi sedan travelling south, collided near Nolan Road just after 5am.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services sent four volunteer firefighter crews and one career crew to free the men from their vehicles.

Two ambulances and the RAC rescue helicopter also attended but the driver of the Mitsubishi, a 38-year-old man from Lennard Brook, died at the scene.
An orangutan which has spent its entire life in captivity at Perth Zoo will be released into the Indonesian rainforest in a bid to help the critically endangered species.

Nyaru, a Sumatran orangutan born at Perth Zoo, who turns nine this year, will leave Perth on Tuesday accompanied by a vet and zoo keepers.

Another orang-utan, Andalas, enjoying his freedom, he was released at Bukit Tigapuluh in 2015. Credit:@PerthZoo/Twitter

He will be taken to Bukit Tigapuluh, a protected forest in Sumatra where his half-brother Semeru was released a few years ago.

A spokesperson said Perth was the only zoo in the world releasing Sumatran orangutans into the wild.
Some of Western Australia's small Aboriginal communities may be overwhelmed by the amount of services provided to them, according to Premier Colin Barnett.

Mr Barnett says progress on the development of an improved model for service delivery for the communities is slow, adding the current model simply isn't working.

Colin Barnett said although he was not in support of government intervention in Aboriginal communities, he did not rule it out as a possibility. Credit:Glenn Campbell

He said providing the current level of support to more than 270 indigenous communities was not sustainable and he hoped their number would shrink in coming years.

"With the best intention in the world, there are so many government and non-government services being provided," Mr Barnett said Wednesday.
Beirut: A renowned Russian conductor led a triumphant concert in the ruins of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, once terrorised by the Islamic State group, even as an airstrike on a refugee camp in the north left at least 28 people dead and dozens wounded, including many children.

Thursday's performance, titled A Prayer for Palmyra, in the same ancient amphitheatre where IS militants carried out widely publicised killings, was intended to send a message that Russia's presence in Syria would bring hope and stability. It was broadcast on Russian state television.

The contrast was intended to underscore what Russia sees as its under appreciated role in helping Syrian forces liberate Palmyra and fighting on the side of civilisation against barbarism.

The orchestra was led by one of its best-known conductors, Valery Gergiev, and the cellist Sergei Roldugin, an old and - according to the Panama Papers documents leaked last month - very wealthy friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tra La La - Official Google FCA Partnership Announcement







TACh's TAKE: Silicon Valley On Its Way To Disrupt The Auto Industry And Need For Traditional Car Companies

Google Self-Driving Car Project and FCA Announce First-of-its-kind Collaboration

May 3, 2016 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The Google Self-Driving Car Project and FCA announced today, in a first-of-its-kind collaboration, that they will integrate Googles self-driving technology into all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to expand Googles existing self-driving test program. This marks the first time that Google has worked directly with an automaker to integrate its self-driving system, including its sensors and software, into a passenger vehicle.

The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be used later this year for Googles self-driving testing, more than doubling Googles current fleet of self-driving test vehicles. Engineering responsibilities will be shared based on each companys respective expertise. FCA will initially design and engineer around 100 vehicles uniquely built for Googles self-driving technology. Google will integrate the suite of sensors and computers that the vehicles will rely on to navigate roads autonomously.

Both companies will co-locate part of their engineering teams at a facility in southeastern Michigan to accelerate the design, testing and manufacturing of the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica.

FCA has a nimble and experienced engineering team and the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is well-suited for Googles self-driving technology, said John Krafcik, Chief Executive Officer, Google Self-Driving Car Project. The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive.

Self-driving cars have the potential to prevent some of the 33,000 deaths that occur each year on U.S. roads, 94 percent of which are caused by human error. This collaboration will help FCA and Google better understand what it will take to bring self-driving cars into the world.

Working with Google provides an opportunity for FCA to partner with one of the worlds leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry, said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, FCA. The experience both companies gain will be fundamental to delivering automotive technology solutions that ultimately have far-reaching consumer benefits.

Googles self-driving cars are currently being tested in four U.S. cities. The self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be tested by Googles self-driving car team on its private test track in California prior to operating on public roads.

About the Google Self-Driving Car Project

The Google Self-Driving Car Project is working to develop fully self-driving vehicles that have the potential to make our roads safer and increase mobility for the millions of people who cannot drive. The ultimate goal is to help people get from A to B at the push of a button. In the project's seven year history, the vehicles in the test fleet have self-driven over 1.5 million miles on public roads, and they're currently being tested in Mountain View, CA, Austin, TX, Kirkland, WA, and Phoenix, AZ. The Google Self-Driving Car Project is part of X, a moonshot factory that's part of Googles parent company Alphabet

Google expands self-driving test program with the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan

FCA engineers to work alongside Google engineers to integrate self-driving technology into vehicle

Self-driving cars have the potential to make our roads safer and make transportation more accessible for millions of people

The Google Self-Driving Car Project and FCA announced today, in a first-of-its-kind collaboration, that they will integrate Googles self-driving technology into the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan to expand Googles existing self-driving test program. This marks the first time that Google has worked directly with an automaker to integrate its self-driving system, including its sensors and software, into a passenger vehicle.
Takata Air Bag Recall Expanded See Latest List Of Affected Vehicles +VIDEO

U.S. Department of Transportation expands and accelerates Takata air bag inflator recall to protect American drivers and passengers



NHTSA action phases in recall of additional 35-40 million inflators through 2019

WASHINGTON  The United States Department of Transportations National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expanding and accelerating the recall of Takata air bag inflators. The decision follows the agencys confirmation of the root cause behind the inflators propensity to rupture. Ruptures of the Takata inflators have been tied to ten deaths and more than 100 injuries in the United States.

Under the Amended Consent Order issued to Takata this week, the company is required to make a series of safety defect decisions that will support vehicle manufacturer recall campaigns of an additional estimated 35-40 million inflators, adding to the already 28.8 million inflators previously recalled. These expansions are planned to take place in phases between May 2016 and December 2019. The expansions mean that all Takata ammonium nitrate-based propellant driver and passenger frontal air bag inflators without a chemical drying agent, also known as a desiccant, will be recalled.

Todays action is a significant step in the U.S. Department of Transportations aggressive oversight of Takata on behalf of drivers and passengers across America, said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. The acceleration of this recall is based on scientific evidence and will protect all Americans from air bag inflators that may become unsafe.

The five recall phases are based on prioritization of risk, determined by the age of the inflators and exposure to high humidity and fluctuating high temperatures that accelerate the degradation of the chemical propellant.

NHTSAs aggressive actions in 2015 means this recall is already a year ahead of where it would have been if the agency had waited for this research, said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. As a result, all of the most dangerous inflators responsible for the deaths and injuries are already under recall.

NHTSA and its independent expert reviewed the findings of three independent investigations into the Takata air bag ruptures and confirmed the findings on the root cause of inflator ruptures. A combination of time, environmental moisture and fluctuating high temperatures contribute to the degradation of the ammonium nitrate propellant in the inflators. Such degradation can cause the propellant to burn too quickly, rupturing the inflator module and sending shrapnel through the air bag and into the vehicle occupants.

The science clearly shows that these inflators become unsafe over time, faster when exposed to humidity and variations of temperature, Rosekind added. This recall schedule ensures the inflators will be recalled and replaced before they become dangerous, giving vehicle owners sufficient time to have them replaced before they pose a danger to vehicle occupants. NHTSA will continue to evaluate all available research and will act quickly to protect safety.

NHTSA will also consult with affected vehicle manufacturers before revising the Coordinated Remedy Order that governs the accelerated program to obtain and install replacement inflators. The Coordinated Remedy Program will continue to ensure that replacement inflators will be made available to highest-risk vehicles first. The revised Coordinated Remedy Program, to be announced this summer, will detail the updated vehicle prioritization schedule and the schedule by which manufacturers are required to procure sufficient supply of replacement parts to conduct the required recall repairs.

This is the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history. Under the Coordinated Remedy Program, NHTSA and manufacturers have committed to seek a 100 percent recall completion rate.

Everyone plays a role in making sure that this recall is completed quickly and safely, including manufacturers, suppliers and vehicle owners themselves, Rosekind said. People who receive notification that there is a remedy available for their vehicle should act immediately to have their inflator fixed. All vehicle owners should regularly check SaferCar.gov for information about any open safety recall on their vehicle and what they can do to have it fixed free of charge.

The recall expansion does not include inflators that include a chemical desiccant that absorbs moisture. There have been no reported ruptures of the desiccated inflators due to propellant degradation. Under the Amended Consent Order, Takata is required to redirect its research toward the safety of the desiccated inflators. Absent proof that the desiccated inflators are safe, Takata will be required to recall them under the November 2015 Consent Order.

In 2015, NHTSA imposed the largest civil penalty in its history for Takatas violations of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, and for the first time used its authority to accelerate recall repairs to millions of affected vehicles. NHTSA also appointed an Independent Monitor to assess, track and report the companys compliance with the Consent Order and to oversee the Coordinated Remedy Program.
Isn't it time to take a WOWcation?

MONTREAL, May 5, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The snow has finally melted. Are you looking forward to your next adventure? Let Uber Quebec and WOW air help make your planning effortless.

On May 5, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, allow yourself to be transported to a world of geysers, the Northern Lights and breathtaking landscapes. Request UberWOW and we'll bring you Iceland in the backseat! Once aboard your UberWOW SUV, you'll be treated to an immersive virtual reality experience with the sights and sounds of Iceland. We'll also hook you up with some of our favourite Icelandic imports. All lucky riders will receive a pair of plane tickets (for two) to Iceland, for real! Now's your chance to make your next adventure come to life!

QUICK FACTS

On Thursday, May 5 , from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm , select the UberWOW option in your Uber app.

, from , select the UberWOW option in your Uber app. Request UberWOW by selecting this option on the slider at the right side of your screen.

If connected, a car will arrive at your location with a world of surprises waiting for you in the backseat.

You'll get a 15-minute ride, receive some Icelandic goodies and a virtual reality experience, as well as a pair of tickets to Iceland !

! All UberWOW rides will be free and will end at the pickup location.

The operation zone includes downtown Montreal , Plateau Mont-Royal, Mile-End, Old Montreal and Griffintown.

QUOTES

"Uber Quebec is pleased to welcome WOW air to Montreal and offer a chance to win a pair of tickets to Iceland. Uber is proud to partner with companies like WOW air that put customer service at the centre of the way they work." - Jean-Nicolas Guillemette, Uber's General Manager for Quebec

"WOW air is excited to come to Montreal and offer more than 450,000 Quebec Uber users a chance to win a round trip to Iceland. We always strive to provide an affordable option for people to travel to Europe from North America. Uber and WOW air share the same vision, which is focused on putting the customer first." - Skuli Mogensen, CEO and founder of WOW air

About Uber Canada

Co-founded by Canadian entrepreneur Garrett Camp in 2009, Uber is a smartphone app that connects riders with drivers. Uber now operates in over 40 communities in Canada, Uber offers more than 22,000 Canadian driver-partners a new way to earn a living in their spare time by offering a more affordable transportation alternative to hundreds of thousands of riders across the country. For more, visit: uber.com.

About WOW air

WOW air is Iceland's only low-cost airline. The airline offers the lowest fares, a modern fleet with the lowest emissions and the biggest smile; this is the WOW air promise to its valuable customers.

As of Summer 2016, the airline services 28 destinations across Europe and North America including London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Montreal and Toronto.

Created in November 2011 by Icelandic serial entrepreneur Skuli Mogensen, the purple airline flies Airbus A320 aircraft across Europe and Airbus A321 aircraft that service its transatlantic routes.

WOW air was ranked as the 7th best low-cost airline in Europe at the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Skytrax World Airline Awards and was the youngest airline in the top ten.

SOURCE Uber Canada Inc. (Quebec)

CONTACT: Jean-Christophe de Le Rue, jcdlr@uber.com
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Muzzle is not a bad word If you see a dog in a muzzle, you immediately think the dog is aggressive. Right? Well, this is not always true. Unfortunately, seeing a dog in a muzzle carries...
A Texas mom tried to be cool and her son became a killer.

Mom bought the booze, supplied the painkillers, and reserved the swanky hotel room to ensure her sons prom night would be epic. But the toxic brew and her sons apparent penchant for rough sex choked the life out of his date.

I put my hands on her neck and squeezed, Eddie Herrera told Houston detectives when he was finally confronted and autopsy results confirmed 17-year-old Jacqueline Jackie Gomez had deep hemorrhaging around her entire neck.

For six months, the 18-year-old had tried to cover up the crime. Once he came clean, authorities charged him with aggravated assault resulting in Gomezs death, and a Houston jury Wednesday quickly handed down 25 years hard time to the now-20-year-old Herrera.

We were the last people to see them before they went up to their room, a close friend of the couple, who requested anonymity, told The Daily Beast.

Unlike their high school friends, Herrera and Gomez werent planning on calling it a night to attend some after-party.

They had plans to go all the way.

We were asking them Are you going to the party? and Jackie said, Were staying here actually. We got a room.

And just before he and Gomez retired to their hotel room, Herrera promised to reconnect with his pals.

Ill see ya all later.

That haunts me right now, the friend said.

Miami Night was the theme for the Aldine MacArthur High School prom held at the Hyatt Regency in North Houston, not far from the citys airport, back on May 16 two years ago.

Herrera and Gomez were glowing with smiles and enjoying the dance and the foodanything but doped up or drunk. It was a magical night and you could see they were so happy and ecstatic, the friend said. They werent drunk or even tipsy. I saw them multiple times and I was talking to them on the dance floor and where the food was.

Yet the fact that they had reserved a room left little to interpretation.

I assumed, OK, they got a room and we already know whats going to happen, the friend acknowledged.

But he was gutted to learn the next day that their goodbye just before midnight by the hotels stairwell was the last time he would ever see Gomez outside of a casket.

We were on our way to a waterpark on that Saturday and next thing you know were getting news that a student died. Then on Instagram its like R.I.P. Jackie, the friend said.

Each of her friends rang her phone and got her voicemail every time. Then a school bulletin made their fears official.

It was fucked up. It was bad, the friend says.

The girls started crying and we were all saying how we were just with her, talking to her.

Earlier that Friday, Michelle Martinez, Herreras now-40-year-old mother, drove over to pick up Gomez.

According to a 2015 civil lawsuit lodged against Martinez by Gomezs mother, Juana Annie Barron, the mothers chatted, Barron agreed to permit her daughter to attend the prom with Herrera, and Martinez agreed to chaperone Jacqueline and they agreed to bring Jacqueline home as soon as the prom ended.

That didnt happen.

Martinez rolled up with Herrera in the car to Jacqueline Gomezs home. They completed a couple errands.

Martinez stopped at The Deerbrook Mall, the charging document states, so Gomez could get her hair dolled up.

Then Martinez made an alcohol run, according to the charging document.

Martinez bought two bottles of Crown Royal Canadian whiskeyone was a liter and the other was 375 milliliters in size.

They returned to Gomezs house to mug for glamour photos, with Herrera decked out in a tuxedo and Gomez in a peach-colored gown flourished with sequins.

Unbeknownst to Gomezs mother, the couple were going to spend the night together. And she would never see her daughter alive again.

Martinez did not bring Jacqueline home as agreed, the civil lawsuit states. When Juana Barron rang Martinez, Herreras mother allegedly lied and told her she was taking Jacqueline and Herrera for dinner.

In fact, Martinez had secured a hotel room at the Hyatt. She checked the couple in at around 7:30 p.m. that night.

And then, as she later admitted to police, Martinez allegedly gave the kids the whiskey and also some pills.

Assistant District Attorney Justin Wood said it best in court: She wanted to be a cool parent.

Martinez allegedly gifted her son 10 hydrocodone pills and five pills to Gomez. She has since been slapped with misdemeanor drug charges that carry two years prison time, but the trial date hasnt been set, authorities said.

Martinez has not yet responded to claims in the civil lawsuit filed by Barron. Attempts to reach Martinez and her attorneys were unsuccessful.

According to prosecutors, Herrera flipped his story during his second interview with Houston detectives, which led to his arrest on Jan. 14 of last yeareight months after his prom dates strangulation death.

Martinez also was taped admitting to giving the teens the hydrocodone pills, authorities said. Herrera echoed her claims, confessing to police that his mom bought the alcohol and the pills, Harris County District Attorney spokesman Jeff McShan said.

During the same interview, after being presented with the autopsy results for Gomezs death, Herrera said the sexual asphyxiation was his dates idea.

Herrera told cops that Gomez asked him, Put your hands around my neck and squeeze.

Initially, Herrera had told cops that his date had mysteriously died in her sleep. According to the charging documents, Herrera also told the police he couldnt ejaculate because of the pills and Gomez rolled over to lie down on one side of the bed.

We took a Snapchat picture of our faces and talked about our futures in life I gave her a ring and we went to sleep, Herrera claimed.

During the second interrogation by detectives, after Gomez had been buried, Herrera admitted he choked Gomez for 14 seconds. The detectives even placed a timer on the table to count it off.

But the coroner at trial disputed this version of events, saying, She wouldnt be able to breathe or be able to talk about her future with that kind of pressure on the neck after suffering extensive hemorrhaging.

In the civil lawsuit filed against Martinez, which asks for up to $1 million for the physical pain and mental anguish that Gomez suffered during her last hours, Barron claims that in order to enhance the [sex] experience, Herrera choked Jacqueline.

Herrera told cops that the young lovers fell asleep and when he awoke, he saw Gomez on her back and she had dry blood coming out of her nose, according to the charging document.

Herrera said he attempted to give Gomez CPR, to no avail.

In a panic, Herrera didnt call 911, according to the charging document. Instead, he called his mother.

Fortunately for Herrera, his mom was was already en route to the Hyatt and when she reached the roomnow a crime sceneshe decided to clean up, according to court papers.

For two hours they allegedly made the damning evidence evaporate before instructing a Hyatt staffer to ring for help.

Assistant District Attorney Wood asked at trial: What were they thinking for two hours?

By the time help arrived, the 375ml bottle of Crown Royal Martinez was empty in the wastebasket.

The other 1 liter bottle was zipped up in Gomezs purse. The pills that werent consumed, according to the charging document, were flushed down the toilet.

As for the lifeless and naked Gomez? Martinez, the charging document states, put her dress back on and laid her back on the bed.

The death of the beloved student rocked the Houston community.

Herrera responded to texts by a friend named Justice Gonzalez after posting sulking selfie photos on his Instagram account vowing Gomez would not be forgotten and that Im blessed everyday God still gives me, according to the The Houston Chronicle.

They said she overdosed, Herrera wrote Gonzalez.

Before that, Gomez had been perfectly fine and happy, he texted, according to The Houston Chronicle.

He said Gomez was lifeless when he opened his eyes that morning.

I woke up. I tried waking her but she wouldnt I was screaming and crying telling her to wake up. But she didnt. She didnt, he wrote, adding two crying face emojis as punctuation, the paper reported.

As for moms five hydrocodone pills, Herrera was less forthcoming in his texts.

First he said to Gonzalez he had no clue how many Gomez had popped. But in the end, he said, he regretted playing around with chemistry. I shoulda took them away and flushed em [teared frowning face]. I miss my girl.

Gomez was known around Houstons Aldine section of town as an it girl.

The 17-year-old had hoped to become a pharmacy technician and her untimely loss left so many heartbroken.

Shes just so fun and shes like that girl, that it girl, the close friend of the couple told The Daily Beast. Shes a friend that you can count on and was a good person.

Just a good spirit to be around.

While Gomez was all heart and soul, Herrera was also well regarded.

Hes really cool, to be honest, the friend said of the now-convicted killer.

He was immediately accepted because he was going out with Jackie and we grew up with Jackie.

In terms of Herrera going to prison, the friend isnt sure thats fair, either. He received a lot of resentment after this and whatever happened I dont think Eddie would do that.

But calling his mom instead of 911 is unforgivable, said the friend. Why would you wait so long to call the cops?
The Getty Foundations Multicultural Internship for arts studies had strict guidelines. Only undergraduate students of African-American, Asian, Latino, Native American, and Pacific Islander descentgroups frequently underrepresented in the artswere eligible.

But one white applicant missed the memo.

Samantha Niemann, an undergraduate at Southern Utah University, is suing the Getty Foundation for discrimination, claiming the group wrongfully barred her from its program aimed at increasing diversity in the arts. In a lawsuit filed last Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Niemann accused Getty of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation for failing to hire or consider her for an internship.

The internship positions are intended specifically for students who are members of groups traditionally underrepresented in the staffs of museums and visual arts organizations, the Getty Foundations internship description reads, those of African-American, Asian, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander descent.

The Getty Foundation isnt understating the art worlds diversity issue. Analysis of 2012 U.S. census data found that nearly four out of five people who make a living from art are white. Arts administration jobs also skew overwhelmingly white. A National Endowment for the Arts study of cultural institutions found that 91 percent of board members were white, 4 percent were African-American or black, 2 percent were Hispanic, and 3 percent were in the Other category.

Still, Niemann says she was qualified for the internship, with a 3.7 GPA at her southern Utah college.

But despite Plaintiffs qualifications, Plaintiff was not hired and excluded from consideration, Niemanns lawsuit reads, adding that the Getty Foundation and its staffers harassed, discriminated, and retaliated against Plaintiff due to and substantially motivated by Plaintiffs race/national origin.

The lawsuit does not describe any harassment outside of Gettys failure to hire Niemann, though it helpfully describes her national origin as German/Italian/Irish.

Niemanns suit seeks unspecified compensatory damages, and significant punitive damages, which would eclipse the pay she might have earned through the internship program.

The Multicultural Internships, available at a number of arts centers in Los Angeles, offer a $4,500 stipend for students enrolled in the 10-week program. Niemann is seeking damages including, but not limited to loss of earnings and future earning capacity, medical and related expenses for care and procedures both now and in the future, attorneys fees, and other pecuniary loss not presently ascertained.

She is also seeking a stiff penalty under Californias anti-discrimination code, which could require offending parties to pay her $25,000 each for every damage she allegedly suffered. The fee could pay nearly six interns stipends.

Reached by email, Getty defended its internship programs record, but did not comment on the pending litigation.

The Getty is very proud of the highly successful Multicultural Undergraduate Internship Program launched by the Getty Foundation in 1993 in order to increase the diversity of professional staff in museums and visual arts organizations in LA County, Ron Hartwig, vice president of communications for the J. Paul Getty Trust, told the Daily Beast in a statement. Over the past 23 years, Getty grants have supported over 3,000 internships at 152 organizations throughout the county.

But Hartwig added that Getty had decided to open the internship to white applicants in recent months.

Prompted by inquiries from potential applicants as well as internal and external discussions, several months ago we modified the eligibility criteria for 2016 as follows: applicants must be members of an underrepresented group including but not limited to those of African American, Asian, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander descent, he wrote.
In an election season when weve already spent what seems like years debating what public restrooms straight, gay, and trans people should be allowed to use, I rise to ask a related question: Where can I, an unaffiliated small L libertarian voter, go to flush the whole 2016 race down the toilet?

If theres one good thing about the election so far, its that the remaining major-party candidates, especially Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, are so thoroughly reviled even by members of their own parties that academic bigwigs, top-dollar pundits, and even Oscar-winning actors are actually talking about the need for more and different political parties. Sure, theyre all a little tetchy about throwing their vote away on somebody who has no chance in hell to win, but as someone who has never voted for a winning candidate at any level since high school class elections, I can tell you that nothing feels better than voting for someone or something you actually believe in rather than pulling the lever for the lesser of two or three evils.

In every other part of our lives, we have been getting more and more individualized options and disaggregating the package deals producers force on us. That same freedom of choice needs to come to politics, but it never will as long as we put up with parties that bundle totally unrelated things such as, say, tax cuts with anti-flag-burning amendments or abortion rights and mandatory union dues.

Its so past time for more parties. For a century and a half, voters have been offered only two choices in every national election: a Republican and a Democrat. This, in a world in which Astroglide alone offers 10 types of personal lubricants and, as Bernie Sanders once bemoaned, there are 23 underarm spray deodorants and 18 different pairs of sneakers out there (not being, presumably, much of a shopper, he of course lowballed both of those dramatically). For fucks sake, Ben & Jerrys offered about 100 flavors of ice cream and froyo even before naming one after their pal Sanders.

But now that fewer and fewer Americans identify as Republican or Democrat and as the specter of President Trump becomes more and more corporeal, things are changing. Consider Randy Barnett, the Georgetown Law professor who has long affiliated with Republicans. Trumps election, writes Barnett in USA Today, would be a political cataclysm second only to Southern secession in its danger to our constitutional republic. Before that happens, he argues, What the nation needs is a new party that is expressly dedicated to upholding the Constitution of the United States.

Where Barnett wants to start an American Constitution Party, the co-founder of Politico Jim Vandehei is calling for The Innovation Party, because, well, who is against innovation? Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Vandehei says somebody not named Trump or Sanders has to come in to rescue American politics from its inability to connect with decent, blue-collar folks via a mix of social media and an unapologetic willingness to exploit the fear factor. Seriously: A third-party candidate could build on death-by-drones by outlining the type of modern weapons, troops and war powers needed to keep America safe. And make plain when he or she will use said power.

And to make totally sure that this new party really represents everyday Americans and their hopes and dreams of killing Muslim terrorists, Vandehei suggests that Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg lean in with his workmate and fellow billionaire Sheryl Sandberg to run the show. Its kind of amazing that Politico is keeping Vandehei through the election, really, though there must be a reason the Journal rather than Politico published this.

In what appears to be at least a slightly more intentional self-parody, the musician, motivational thinker, advice columnist, and Great God of Partying Andrew W.K. has started The Party Party. Its mission is To free the American people from the dysfunction that is our two party system. Most people have become too caught up in the bickering of our news cycles to realize that we ultimately desire the exact same things: reliable access to education, healthcare, and a sense of social equality. If enough people are willing to liberate themselves from choosing left or right, a third voice can emerge with a much more powerful message. If you doubt the I Get Wet hitmakers ability to deliver on promises, you might want to check out his four-year run as host of the wildly popular kids show Destroy Build Destroy.

In a season where left-leaning Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon has suggested shed want Donald Trump to win the presidency if Bernie Sanders doesnt get the Democratic nomination, all things are possible. Discussing her contempt for presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on MSNBC, Sarandon espoused a burn-the-mother-down ethos that is showing up across the political spectrum this season. If you think its pragmatic to shore up the status quo right now [by voting for Clinton], then youre not in touch with the status quo, she told Chris Hayes, who seemed to be wetting his pants at the idea that the female lead in Rocky Horror Picture Show wouldnt automatically vote for the eventual Democratic nominee. Some people feel Donald Trump will bring the revolution immediately. If he gets in, then things will really explode.

Something similar is happening on the right, where leading spokesmen are willing to court the destruction of the Republican Party rather than vote for Donald Trump. National Reviews Jonah Goldberg has publicly stated, No, I will never come around to supporting Trump. Unsurprisingly, the reflexive Republican also swears off voting for Clinton and Sanders even as he ends up in a place that more and more Americans seem to be heading. Theres nothing Trump can do that would make me vote for Hillary Clinton, says Goldberg. But if Trump is the nominee or the president, I will for the first time be working outside the familiar binaries of the two-party system. I guess I should ask the guys at Reason magazine or Cato how they cope.

Well, I cant answer for my Reason colleagues and certainly not for the rag-tag crew of libertarians at Cato, but my short answer is this: Familiar binarieswhether were talking toilets or politicsjust dont cut it anymore. I cope just fine voting outside the two-party system, and Im almost kind of giddy at the idea of seeing especially Andrew W.K.s Party Party on the ballot (but to be honest, Vandeheis Innovation Party, even as a new-media thought experiment, makes me feel sadder than the release of the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood app during the 2014 midterms).

Ive been able to vote in presidential elections since 1984 and Im not ashamed to admit that back then I voted for Walter Mondale, because he admitted that he would raise taxes (which Reagan ended up doing anyway). Or perhaps I, like 40 percent of America, simply swooned for his vaunted Norwegian charisma.

Since then, I have voted for the Libertarian Party candidate in every presidential election, whether I actually found him (yep, all men) credible and interesting (such as former and future Congressman Ron Paul in 1988 and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson in 2012) or ridiculous and opportunistic (such as the 2004 candidate Michael Badnarik, who refused to carry a drivers license, or former Congressman Bob Barr, the 2008 candidate who wasnt anti-war or pro-drug-legalization enough for my tastes). I fully expect to vote Libertarian in 2016, whether the partys candidate is bath-salt-snorting computer-virus-killing businessman John McAfee or (once again) Gary Johnson or even former Fox Business producer Austin Petersen. None is perfect as far as Im concerned, but theyre close enough for government work.

Im open to voting for a major-party candidate the minute either offers up either a person or a platform that comes close to conforming to my beliefs in free minds and free markets and social liberalism and fiscal conservatism. But until then, Ill cope being outside the familiar binaries of the two-party system the best way I know how: By trying to change it, so that either we have more parties that allow more of us to express ourselves by voting for policies and people we actually believe in, or shrinking politics to a smaller and smaller part of our lives so that we have more time to enjoy all the different flavors of Astroglide and deodorant and Ben & Jerrys that are out there waiting for us to sample.

There aint no party like a third party. Except for a fourth, fifth, or even sixth party. No apologiesmuch less copingnecessary.
A funny thing happened on the way to the West Virginia primary: Mountaineers decided they didnt like the wife of a man they sent to the White House twice, and voted for in a race of her own eight years ago. Instead, they may prefer one of the most anti-coal candidates in American history.

It wasnt always like this. In 2008Hillary Clinton won a Democratic primary there, and by 41 points to boot. But now, oddly enough, its become highly amenable to Bernie Sanders.

And even though Clinton can skate to the Democratic nomination without winning West Virginia, a victory gives Sanders another chance to claim momentumprolonging a slog of a primary. And she may still pull off a win in the state, but available public polling indicates it could be tough.

So shes spent time trying to court its votersand it hasnt gone so well. Her struggles highlight just how much the state has changedand how consistently bizarre this election cycle has been.

The few polls there are in the state havent been kind to Clinton. In February, a MetroNews West Virginia poll gave Sanders a lead of nearly 30 points. It showed him besting her in every age group except senior citizens. A Public Policy Polling poll of the state taken from April 29 to May 1 gave him a much smaller but still sizable lead of 8 percentage points.

Hoppy Kercheval, a longtime West Virginia talk radio host, said he thinks MetroNews next public poll will give Sanders an even smaller lead.

Still, they arent the kind of numbers Clinton would like in a state where she and her husband have cleaned up.

George Carenbauer, a former chairman of the states Democratic Party who supports Clinton, said a TV ad for an obscure Supreme Court race has hurt her. Beth Walker, a conservative running for the state supreme court, has cut an ad that shows a Clinton quote suggesting she wanted coal miners to lose their jobs.

We are going to put a lot of coal miners out of business. Hillary Clinton reads text highlighted onscreen in the spot.

Clinton took significant criticism from West Virginians for that comment, which she made at a March CNN forum. And when a West Virginia miner confronted her about it this month, she repentedsort of.

What I said was totally out of context from what I meant because I have been talking about helping coal country for a very long time, she told the miner, according to NBC. What I was saying is that the way things are going now, we will continue to lose jobs. Thats what I meant to say.

But that doesnt matter one bit for TV ads.

You cant turn on the TV without seeing that clip, said Carenbauer of Walkers ad.

Neither Clinton nor Sanders are spending big on West Virginia, so Walkers ad has gone largely unanswered.

Kercheval said the dynamic is a bit odd. Sanders is to Clintons left on energy issuesfor instance, he supports an outright ban on fracking, while she doesntbut that one comment she made seems to have permanently tarred her in the state.

Its funny, because Sanders is far more anti-fossil fuel, Kercheval said. But that statement by Hillary is likethe bell got rung.

Kent Carper, a Kanawha County commissioner and Democrat who backs Clinton, said Sanderss support puzzles him.

His record on fossil fuel makes Hillary look like the Chamber of Commerce, he said. He wants to eliminate fracking! Thats the only thing we got left, really. Im not saying its good for anything other than a bunch of people making money off it, but he is totally against extraction of fossil fuels which is what, unfortunately, weve depended on for our whole life.

But Sanderss populist rhetoric and perceived authenticity have given him a boost, according to longtime West Virginia political observersa state thats long been in miserable economic shape, and has been hit hard by the worst of the opiate epidemic. Analysis from West Virginia University shows that the state lost 8,000 jobs over the last three years and has the countrys lowest labor force participation rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control, West Virginians have one of the shortest life expectancy rates in the country. The Charleston Gazette found last summer that, per capita, West Virginia had twice the national average of deaths related to drug overdoses. And prescription drug abuse has devastated the state; the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported that over five years, wholesale drug distributors sent 200 million pain pills to the state (more than 100 per person).

People are in a lot of pain in this state, said Danny Jones, the Republican mayor of Charleston. Donald Trump speaks to their pain.

So does Sanders, other observers add, saying Clintons comment on miners jobs confirmed all their suspicions about D.C. politicians.

It plays into the fears of, Washington doesnt understand us, Washington doesnt understand our economy, Washington doesnt understand what were going through, said Mike Plante, a Democratic consultant based in Charleston. That certainly has stoked some anti-Clinton folks in favor of Sen. Sanders.

Its not so much individual policy issues as its what his candidacy symbolizes, Plante added, citing Sanderss perception as an outsider candidate. The largest single factor, I believe, is the symbolism of the campaign.

And Sanderss comparative friendliness to gun rights plays well in the state, he added. On top of that, his rhetoric on trade deals has appeal for union workers who tend to oppose agreements like NAFTA.

For all practical purposes, West Virginia is a Southern state with a very low African-American population and a comparatively high organized labor presence, Plante said. In other words, you could hardly make a state in a lab that would be better for Sanders.

The Vermont senator benefits greatly from its demographic homogeneity. Unlike other Southern-ish states, West Virginia is overwhelmingly whiteaccording to 2014 census data, less than 4 percent of West Virginians are African-American, and less than 2 percent are Hispanic. Carenbauer said this likely boosts Donald Trump as well.

Its a very odd thing that a message that says Build a wall to keep Mexicans out resonates well in a state where there are no Mexicans at all, Carenbauer said. Its a fact. I dont understand it, but its a fact.

And a central component of Clintons primary strategy is also a liability there: her propensity to mention Obama every 10 seconds. Gallup found that in 2013, only Wyoming had a smaller percentage of residents who approved of him. In 2012, convicted felon Keith Judd racked up 41 percent of the states Democratic primary votes. West Virginians dont like Obama.

Even if youre running for county commissioner, people run against Obama here, Kercheval said.

West Virginias three electoral college votes have had historic import; in the final count in 2000, Al Gore lost to George W. Bush by three votesand he lost West Virginia, after Bill Clinton won it twice. So taking the state for granted hasnt served Democrats well. Jones, who wasnt ready to commit to voting for the partys presumptive nominee, said Hillary Clintons best bet in West Virginia is just to write it off.

Its not only in the bagits down the chimney in the stocking, he said. Donald Trump will beat her so bad.
As expected, Wednesday nights Daily Show opened with the harsh reality that Donald Trump has sealed the Republican nomination for president.

Thats right, people, take a second and breathe that in, Trevor Noah said at the top of the show. Because American politics has just entered a whole new world, just like the one Aladdin and Jasmine sang about. Except they cant come, because theyre Muslim.

But as horrifying as this new development seems, Noah wasnt sure how he was supposed to feel because it also means that Ted Cruz is no longer in the race. Yay? Is this a yay? Im so conflicted, he said. I mean, Ted Cruz lost, but its because Donald Trump won. Its like finding out your herpes is gone but its because your dick fell off.

We really need to take a second to let what has happened here really sink in. Does everyone here understand how historic this is? Noah asked his audience. The last time either major party nominated a total outsider, someone who had never held elected office, was Dwight D. Eisenhower. And that only happened because he beat Hitler. So back then you had to win World War II. Now you just have to win Twitter.

The South African host, embracing his stance as an outsider in the United States, noted that when he first started on The Daily Show, everyone asked him if he was ready for American politics. But now seeing all of this shit happen, I think I should have asked if you were ready, he said. Yeah, because Im from a Third World country. It looks like you are headed to one.

Finally, Noah shamed the many members of the media who repeated over and over again for months that Trump had no chance of becoming the Republican nominee, including those who vowed to eat their shoelaces or their own right hand if he did. Why does everything have to be about eating in this country? he asked.

Well, at least Rep. Peter King doesnt have to take cyanide now.
Its a first. How are you? I ask Gloria Steinema habitual, borderline rhetorical question after which she pauses, starts laughing hysterically, and answers: I dont know.

Perhaps her atypical answer to the question is, in some ways, owed to the mornings news that Ted Cruz and John Kasich have both officially suspended their campaigns, leaving Donald Trump as the presumptive Republican presidential candidate. (She doesnt say so specifically, though we do end up talking about the days breaking Trump news and her advice to Hillary Clinton: Ignore him and talk directly to the voters. He hangs himself.)

Or perhaps its simply because its such a dreary day in New York City.

Regardless, its an unexpected, blunt, provocative, and effortlessly complicated answer to a seemingly routine question. In other words, its very characteristically Gloria Steinem.

The legendary multi-hyphenateactivist, writer, rabble-rouser, and moreis about to launch a new series on Viceland, which she both hosts and executive produces. The series debuts May 10, and boasts a title as once ambitious and simplistic as its mission: Woman.

Ive traveled the world as a writer and an activist my entire life, Steinem says, introducing the show. And I can tell you that by confronting the problems once marginalized as womens issues we can tackle the greatest dangers of the 21st century. Behind every major crisis theres an unseen factor at play, a story youve never been told. The greatest indicator of the worlds stability, wealth, and safety is the status of women.

The first episode of the docuseries spotlights the rape crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 1.8 million women in the country alone have been targets of sexual assault. Mass rapes, no longer confined to war zones, have become routine. In one horrific scene, we meet the mother of a six-year-old rape victim, as a doctor determines if her urethra tract needs restorative surgery.

In another, we meet a woman known as Mama Masika, who was raped 12 times while lying over her husbands corpse. Her 14- and 12-year-old daughters were also raped and impregnated that day. For the next 15 years, Mama Masika would care for over 10,123 women in the DRC who were victims of sexual assault. (She sadly passed in February.)

Other episodes will chronicle the lives of female FARC soldiers in ColombiaFARC is considered the most dangerous terrorist organization in the western hemispherethe epidemic of femicide in El Salvador, and the incarceration of mothers in America.

Its an opportunity to be a witness to realities you probably wouldnt see otherwise, Steinem, who is making her debut as a television host, says about the series. The individual human beings stick with you. The stories stick with you.

In a ranging interview, Steinem discusses those human beings: the women at the intersection of violence and stability, and at the center of her new show. We also dish on her reaction to the ever-more-real possibility of a Donald Trump presidencyIf he should win, it would be a disasterand even Beyonce. (Its not all doom and gloom.)

Lets start talking about the title, Woman. Thats a small word with a big meaning. Why use this as the title?

Theres Woman, and underneath it says the tagline: Be a Witness. For me, this has offered the opportunity of communicating what its like to walk around on the ground and ask questions, because thats what these women correspondents are doing. Theyre not pre-determined documentaries. Those are valuable, too, but this is the closest Ive ever seen to being there yourself. Its that ability to witness whats going on that allows you to empathize and act.

The stories youre telling here might be facilitating a witnessing of what its like to be a woman in this world in greater context than what Viceland viewers might be aware of.

The crews on the groundsomeone told me that, you know most of Vices coverage is men dealing with shit, but the crews were saying, I see women are dealing with shit, too

If thats not a testament to the value of this series, I dont know what is.

I mean I wasnt present for that. But we do need to see these things to understand them.

The episodes open with a montage of footage of you at some of your past rallies and speeches, clips from throughout your career.

Well that was not my doing, because of course II dont know how to explain itbut I went through that, so I know it. But I think that the Vice viewers are much younger, so the Vice team felt that they needed an introduction. So thats my introduction. (Laughs.)

But what it does do is put Woman in the context of your entire career and your life-long mission. Where do you personally think this project fits in that narrative?

Hmm. I feel its the other way around: Im fitting into the larger context. As a journalist, reporter, and activist Im trying to be a bridge for people to see what is happening to women in other countries. I think Im fitting into the larger context.

I do like that they use the famous line, I only want to remind you and me tonight that what we are talking about is a revolution. That word revolution. What does it mean in the context of what youre doing here?

I agree. It means something. But I was saying that line in the 70s. I wish now we had a bigger word. Because revolution has often been defined as taking over the army and the radio stations. I think were striving to transform more than that.

So the mission may have become greater than the word?

Words are containers for our thoughts. They change as time goes on. Revolution has been used for less basic change than what the movements against racism, violence against women, or global warmingit feels as if we need another word. What would you suggest? Evolution? Im not sure.

Evolution is certainly interesting.

But evolution overestimates our patience. (Laughs.)

We need an angrier version of the word evolution.

Well need to work on coming up with one. If you come up with one, please tell me.

It is all female journalists who are reporting these stories. Why is that important?

Yes! Its terrific. Each of them has a lot of international experience and each of them is part of, like, this new form of interviewing. They dont pretend to not care.

Especially in that DRC episode. You see her tearing up at the hospital, with the child rape victim.

You see her responding. It might even be almost an innovation, that they are being objectivethat is they are not trying to influence the answersand they are also being human beings, who are witnessing reality at the same time. Theyre not pretending not to be affected.

In your introduction to the episodes you say, I can tell you that by confronting the problems once marginalized as womens issues we can tackle the greatest dangers of the 21st century. This is something youve obviously spent your career working on. Why is it such a fight taking these issues from the margins?

I ask myself that question! (Laughs.) But the source of this idea with Vice is that I was at a Google camp where people were sharing ideas. I was saying that the biggest indicator of whether a country will be violent itself or will be willing to use violence against another country is not poverty, not access to natural resources, not degree of democracy, or religion. Its violence against females. When you count all the forms that violence takes, whether its a preference for sonswhich means now in much of Asia we have a daughter deficit and a son surplusor whether its sexualized violence in warzones, like in the DRC, or here, where its domestic violence. All of them collectively mean now there are fewer females on earth than males.

So you were discussing these issues at this camp?

[Vice co-founder and CEO] Shane Smith was at the camp when I said that. He took that to heart. That was the beginning point of this series. When we came back we met and started to discuss what we can do. I have said that many times to many people. Hes the first person who said, We have to show this.

That alone is something, you telling me that youve said this many times to many people. When you say something thats so clearly true like violence against women being a reliable predictor of a nations tendency towards violence, why is it so hard to get people to realize the reality of this?

You know, you and I could say the reason in a lot of different ways. I think its almost definitional. For instance, what happens to men is political. What happens to women is cultural. Thats an oversimplification, mind you.

Even that statistic in the DRC episode, that 1.8 million in the DRC alone have been victims of sexual assault. Its such a staggering number that it makes it so confusing that the world doesnt understand the significance of that.

Thats an example. I think rape and sexual assault has been confined to a cultural sphere, as if it cant be changed. Of course it can, once we see it as an expression of power. There have been plenty of societies in the world without rape. Male-dominant political systems have to addict men to dominance in order to survive. Men didnt invent this. We all got born into this. Its not the fault of the individual male person or female person. But if youre told constantly that youre not a legitimate male human being unless you dominate women or, at a minimum, unless you are superior to women in some way

Its an endless cycle.

Even now, for instance, there is a famous test in which they ask little kids, When you grow up, what would you like to be? They give their answer and then you ask them about the opposite sex. You say to boys, If you were a little girl, then what would you want to be? And you say the reverse to girls. When you ask a little girl what she would like to be, theyre good things but theyre often limited things: a movie star, a nurse. Theyre all good things, but theyre limited. But then if you ask if they were a boy, then they say amazing things. Well then I would be an astronaut. But when you say it to little boys, its the reverse. They start to limit their aspirations. One heartbreaking quote was, Well if I was a girl I would have to be nothing. It goes deep and early. And were all trying to change this.

Is there something that affected you most profoundly while working on this?

It all lingers. I would say its lessened the feeling of helplessness that we feel that you are witnessing that needs empathy and action and only you are there. This allows anybody who wants to watch to be a witness. The individual human beings stick with you. The stories stick with you.

That idea of helplessness, and feeling helpless when you bear witness to these things on the ground. A lot of your work has been about calling to action and inciting change. How does that interplay with that feeling of helplessness?

This is building a bridge. Its making it possible to see the reality on the ground. Thats the first step. An indispensable one. And action is the second step. We are focusing on two things: being a witness and choosing a way that fits into your life and your talents to take action.

I would be remiss, given that were talking on the day that every other GOP candidate has dropped out of the race, if I didnt ask you how youre feeling facing the reality that Donald Trump is all-but-certain to be the GOP nominee.

(Laughs.) Well, my hope is two things. One: He will lose in a very definitive and humiliating way. Two: That the fact that he became the candidate will call real Republicans to come back and take over the party again. The Republican party used to be centrist. It wasnt extremist. For instance, it supported the Equal Rights Amendment when Democrats didnt. It was often better on racial equality than the Democratic party, which was more southern. It has a tradition that is very different from this rightwing extremism. Since he has come to power without the Koch Brothers and all this other stuff, perhaps it will cause a recognition that real Republicans, centrist Republicans, need to come back and take over the fear.

Your sense of fear is less than I anticipated.

Oh no! If he should win, it would be a disaster. Im making stone soup. (Laughs.)

We are speaking today about the crisis facing women. Can you foresee a situation where Trump becomes more educated on womens issues and womens rights in this country and makes strides away from the disaster hes been in that realm?

Yes. Because if you look at the public opinion polls theyre quite positive. Most people do support all the issues of equality, including the right to decide when and whether to have children. The public opinion polls are quite good on those issues. He represents a backlash. Look whos supporting him. Its way disproportionately white and maleI shouldnt say its male, because its not the fault of all men. Its masculine. Its white and masculine. I dont know about the economic class, but I think mostly lower economic. So he is a protest candidate, in many ways. So its dangerous but its a wake up call and it could be a moment of transformation.

A lot of people cringe thinking about what a fight against Trump would be like for Hillary Clinton, given his rhetoric and his attitudes and what weve seen of his behavior in campaigning. What will the fight be like for her?

The temptation is to answer him. I think the answer to ignore him and speak directly to the people, the voters, in a positive way. He hangs himself.

Youve spoken about Trumps Woman Card comment before. Does the fact that hes now going to be the nominee make that comment even more astounding?

In a way, I thought it was very positive and a good use of humor for Hillary Clinton to create a Woman Card. He should have, I wouldnt say a Mans Card, because hes not the responsibility of all men by any means, but hes playing the Masculine Card. Hierarchy, defeat, ridicule, testosterone poisoning. I dont know. It would be kind of funny to make a Masculine Card.

To end on a lighter note, I am very curious if you have watched Beyonces Lemonade, and if so what you think about it.

No but I really want to. Have you?

Oh. Roughly three dozen times.

(Laughs.) I really want to watch it. In principle, I think its positive that she has taken what I gather in her own life was a painful event and taken control of it and not just slinked away off into a corner. Its here I am, making lemonade out of a lemon. Is that what it is?

Absolutely. And you see this mass, jubilant reaction online, especially from women of color, who are feeling empowered in that way when they are so rarely even acknowledged.

Oh I want to read that. I think its great. You know, I dont know Beyonce. Ive only been in her vicinity. There was a massive benefit concert in England about a year and a half ago raising money for projects against violence against women and she was performing. We dont really know each other, but I admire that first of all, all her dancers and band are women. She puts feminism on the stage behind her. And that she refuses to be shamed. On the contrary, she says, Here I am. And Im making lemonade.

I love her.

I agree. At that concert, which was massive, she was the last performer. And it was a mostly female audience. She came out and said something like, I know life is hard, but we are together for the next amount of time, and youre safe. I found it very moving.
LOS ANGELES  One of the most savage serial killers in American history was convicted Thursday of multiple murders spanning 30 years.

Lonnie Franklin, a 63-year-old former sanitation worker and mechanic, was convicted on 10 counts of murder by a Los Angeles County jury. Franklins first official murder happened in 1985 before he was said to have stopped in 1988. Franklin apparently began killing again in 2002 and the halt earned him the Grim Sleeper moniker.

Franklin preyed exclusively on young, struggling black womenraping them before strangling, shooting, and disposing of their bodies in dumpsters or shrubs along Western Avenue, almost always within walking distance of his home.

The father of one of Franklins apparent victims told The Daily Beast he wants to see him suffer.

Bottom line is Lonnie Franklin is a monster... And if there is going to be an execution I would like to be one of the ones to view it, 76-year-old Arthur Warren told The Daily Beast. But I dont know if I will live long enough.

Inez Warren was 28 years old when she was discovered on Aug. 15, 1988 , by Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies. While Warrens daughter wasnt included in the 10 fatal victims felled by Franklin in this case, he still wanted to be present.

Warren, a retired city project manager, isnt the only one who thinks Franklin deserves to reap what he sowed.

I hope he gets everything hes got coming to him, I want to live and see it, Porter Alexander, 75, told The Daily Beast.

Alicia Monique Alexander was 18 when she was taken from her family on Sept. 5, 2005. The youngest of five children, she was Porters baby. His wife of 52 years, Mary Alexander, nicknamed her Moo for short.

Together, along with her surviving siblings, the Alexanders have been a constant in court, filling in the second-row pews of the fortified 9th floor (where high profile criminal cases are heard) hoping each day gets them closer to justice.

Theyve waited for Franklins day of reckoning.

When the trial began back in February and photos of his daughter appeared on the elevated screen on the courtroom wall, Porter Alexander had to walk out.

Just looking at some of the photos I couldnt stomach all of them; I couldnt sit there for all of themI had to leave out.

When the prosecutors refreshed the jurors of Franklins devastation by putting up crime scene photos of Monique and other victims there were plenty of grimaces and gasps, but this time Alexander stayed put.

And outside as he took in the sunlight during a lunch recess, relief started setting in.

Its taken a toll on all of us. Ive been waiting all these years and I am blessed to live to see a lot and through what I went through with my daughter, he said humbly.

He remained grateful and unwavering in his belief in God. These are things we hoped the Good Lord would see us through, he said. He works in mysterious ways and you never can count him out.

As slick as [Franklin] was in avoiding things that would entrap him he couldnt avoid what was coming.

And when it comes to the future, the guilty Franklin deserves a punishment fit for a fiend. He should get nothing less than what has been done to the young girls, including my daughter. Nothing less, Alexander said.

Even with the fiend finally being found guilty, the war isnt over for many like Margaret Prescod, founder of the Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Killers.

This is the tip of the iceberg, said the community activist, who has fought since the mid-1980s to bring attention to the victimsmany of them harshly cast as prostitutes and crack addicts. This has been a long time coming to give some reprieve and closure and will please some of the family members that have been through these horrors for so many years.

Prescod cautioned that the case isnt closed and the LAPD should emancipate the Grim Sleeper file from its Cold Case Homicide squad and called on brass to dedicate a task force to ensure every potential murder committed by Franklin is thoroughly investigated.

There are the 200 women that are still missing, she said. Believe me it is far, far from over.

Franklins trial was a long time coming, and while the end arrived with a guilty verdict some still feel crossed about how the death toll was capped at 10.

I think its a travesty that this thing has gone on and on without any action being taken, he said. They said, We want to make sure everybodys counted, but at the end of the day they decided to make a certain number.

Regina Morris, whose missing sister Rolenia Morriss photo was found in Franklins home, is dismayed her sister wasnt included in the killers final count.

Without her remains they cant give him counts for that, Morris told The Daily Beast when the trial began in February. And I feel like thats wrong. She should be counted for.

While Franklin was charged with 10 murders, the bloodshed is believed to be vastly greater.

I think hes good for probably 30 murders, retired Det. Dennis Kilcoyne told us.

Kilcoyne was the lead detective of the secret 800 Task Force formed in 2007 to collar the killer.

To seal Franklins fate, the prosecution presented DNA and ballistic evidence as well as key testimony by not only expert witnesses but one of Franklins survivors and a close friend of his.

Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman, who has taken heat in the past for dehumanizing Franklin's victims, was honoring them by closing arguments.

These victims were all human beings, she said. They suffered from some of the same imperfections that we all do.

Each of them, each of them deserves to be treated like human beings but were brutally murdered and dumped like trash as if their lives had no meaning.

All the handiwork, Silverman said, committed by Franklin who sat legs crossed (his left heel compulsively tapping the floor) as he maintained a 12 oclock stare through the entire duration of his final days of trial; even while the bereaved quietly wept as the verdict was read.

She left little room for doubt with the mountain of forensic and visual crime scene photos as well as hundreds of Polaroids that cops found in Franklins possession after a three-day searchmany of which the LAPD unprecedentedly posted online to the public hoping to get leds on the identities of the pictured women (PDF).

Franklins defense attorney, Seymour Amster, tried debunking the case with parables and folksy vignettes like one about a rancher who tricked his neighbors into making him believe he was a marksman. The evidence against Franklin was all circumstantial, Amster said, and he was a sex addict but not a serial killer.

Hes obsessed with sex, Amster said. His DNA are probably on more women out there than well ever know.

The jury didnt buy it, not the least of which was because a photo of Enietra Washington was found in Franklins stash.

Washington, who was 30 years old at the time, remembered how on Nov. 20, 1988, she was attacked by Franklin after accepting a ride in his customized orange Pinto.

Franklin referred to her as Brenda and before he shot and sexually assaulted her he kept probing her with the same question: You know me, dont you? You know me.

When Washington begged for the abductor to take her to a hospital he allegedly sneered, Why you dogging me?

Amster tried to convince jurors that the man in that car may have been someone else, like a relative of Franklins who was jealous of the amount of sex he scored with women.

Amster argued this is a mystery man, mystery gun, and mystery DNA, and that while the DA and Washington say the man who tried to kill her was Lonnie Franklinhe hoped jurors remained skeptical.

They say its definitely him and we say its not.

Yet when cops searched Franklins home they found a photo of Washington hidden behind a wall. She appears like many others, partially naked and borderline comatose on a car seat.

Silverman announced that picture speaks a thousand words.

Kilcoyne had told us finding that photo meant there were no doubts they had their man. Ill tell you what, when we found that Polaroid [of Washington] 25 years later that was gold, man.

Franklin now will be trying to avoid the death penalty once sentencing gets underway. During that time he will likely be confronted by bereaved families of his victims who are ready to unload verbal bullets of their own.

If the curtain comes down on Franklin and he gets a chance to look evil in the eye Arthur Warren knows he wont blink.

Im not afraid to talk to him but he might not like what I have to say.
Forget the mime artists with their faces painted white, maneuvering Mario Bellinis Kar-A-Sutra. Forget Damien Hirsts pill bottles, suspended shark, and spot paintings at the Gagosian booth.

Forget even the sight of Adrien Brody surrounded by admirers at White Cube.

The only queue to see any art at the crowded VIP opening day of Frieze New Yorkthe contemporary art fair running till May 8 featuring art, sculpture, and installations costing a lot of money from all over the worldwas to see Gabriel, a 15-year-old donkey rolling in straw and wandering around an enclosure lit by a glittering chandelier.

Gabriel was the centerpiece of Maurizio Cattelans Warning! Enter At Your Own Risk. Do Not Touch, Do Not Feed, No Smoking, No Photographs, No Dogs, Thank You. This was a re-creation of a 1994 exhibit in New York: The donkey, Cattelan said, was a symbol of his own inability to produce any decent artistic idea displayed under a crystal chandelier, an emblem of the sophistication of the art world.

Gabriel, under the care of showbiz animal hiring agency All Tame Animals, seemed happy to be on view. He gets all the chicks, his handler grinned. If you want a goat for a commercial, you come to us.

At first, Frieze New Yorks huge, tented space in Randalls Island Park overlooking the East River200 galleries from 31 countriesseemed far too crowded to be VIP, but then one acclimatized to the hundreds of millions of dollars of contemporary art; the very visible kings ransom of cosmetic surgery and designer outfits on the VIP visitors; and the fancy food and drink refreshments.

Collectors and scenesters surveyed each other as much as the art. Frieze, and the art therein, is a pop-up supermarket for the super-rich. The first snatch of conversation one reporter overheard went thus: The modulization of luxury brands dilutes the brands. If I was the chairman of LVMH I would target one luxury brand per luxury market. Just to be clear, I do not want to be that.

Gallerists and collectors engage at Frieze in an intriguing flirtation, with both parties signaling how much theyre worthup to a point.

Collectors display their wealth ostentatiously to ensure gallerists take them seriously, stopping short of disclosing their net worth. Gallerists reveal prices of the works on display and attempt to convey an artists relative value in the market, stopping short of disclosing previous sales.

The scene on VIP day was a genial riot of air- and cheek-kissing, hugs, and proclamations of I cant believe its you, Patrizia, as the very wealthy and artistically inclinedincluding artists like Tracey Eminbumped into one another, and compared notes on what to buy, and who was there. Art advisers hovered alongside their rich clients.

It was an international melting pot of languages and accents: Italian, Russian, French, Chinese, American, British. The outlandishly dressedone gentleman was in a kind of silver puffball tunic dresstottered alongside the more understated in expensive looking camel-colored and Barbour coats.

New York-based stylist and designer Patricia Fox, aka Purely Patricia, attempted to outshine the art in a black dress splashed with neon hearts and lightning bolts, and a towering pipe cleaner hatall by British designer Ben Copperwheat.

Its like the walking dead around here, she remarked to a companion, gesturing at another visitors all-black outfit.

One Chanel-jacketed lady was heard to mutter by one booth, That was so funny, that girl knew nothing about the artist. A man near her said, far less disapprovingly, He has so much money he doesnt know what to do with it.

At Los Angeless David Kordansky Gallery, a young woman was eyeing a new carpet painting by Mai-Thu Perret, the Swiss-born artist whose work reflects her interest in utopian societies, particularly feminist ones.

Shes a post-feminist artist, the womans adviser explained, stressing that the female body is very important to Perret. Indeed, his client was transfixed by the womb-like paintings. Visually, you dont need to know what her work is about in order to appreciate it, but it helps to know the artists background, her adviser said.

Here was an easy-to-digest conceptual piece that was also aesthetically pleasing, andat $45,000appropriately priced, according to the adviser.

Another adviser-collector duo hovered around Ed Ruschas Rusty Silencers drawing, one of the blue-chip works at Acquavella Galleries. The collector had not expected to fall in love with a mere drawing during his shopping excursion.

Its still a 1979 Ed Ruscha, his adviser assured him.

And its an important work, too, the collector replied, reassuring himself now.

At David Zwirners two-artist booth featuring works by Lisa Yuskavage and Isa Genzken, Yuskavages four paintingsincluding three unconventional female nudes the artist had created for the fair, as though it were an exhibitionhad all sold by the end of the day (the nudes were priced at $900,000 each.)

Douglas Baxter, president of Pace, said hed sold six works by Fred Wilson ranging from $25,000 to $125,000but declined to give details about specific pieces.

Stand still, and one risked being the roadkill for serious collectors and buyers, darting this way and thatwhile high heels were the order of some glamazons day, the truly savvy opted for pumps (chic black and white, of course).

The actual buying was being done quietly, but swiftly. At Hauser & Wirth, two of Roni Horns cast glass sculpturesthat looked like very classy, glassy paddling poolssold for $975,000 each.

Philip Gustons 1977 oil painting Black Coast sold to a buyer for a price in the millionsthe buyer, who wished to remain anonymous, also did not want the sum stated. (There is an exhibition of Gustons work, produced between 1957 and 1967, at Hauser & Wirths Chelsea gallery.)

Marc Payot, vice president and partner of Hauser & Wirth, told The Daily Beast that this kind of shopping had a degree of planning and calculation behind it.

We are in contact constantly with our clients, so they are informed of what we will bring, Payot said. We know who of the clients will be interested in things that we show here. For some it happens, for others it does notthey are too late, or it is not what they thought, or it is too expensive. This is not random. This is not people walking in and saying, Ill take this.

Payot said there were collectors, museum directors and curators from all over the world at Frieze, partly because next week also sees a raft of art auctions take place in New York, with over 1,500 works up for sale.

Over five editions, Frieze New York, on whose committee Payot sits, had grown up, he said. The art market, he said, had grown from an American-European axis, to one encompassing Asia, Australia, and South America.

The big difference from 10 years ago is that the art market is now completely global, Payot said. Its more grown-up. Most clients are real collectors who have an idea about what they want to achieve with their collection, and also over generations. Its not financially speculative for them, but they do care if the works are a good investment.

Payot also noted the presence of a younger generation of art buyer in their thirties, who may have had a Western education and created networks and friendships in London and New York, then returned to South America or China and kept that interest in art and culture.

Indeed, there are gallerists from Frieze from many different countries. At her standin front of a neon-colored canvas by abstract artist Peter Halley, who she is proud to representIrit Sommer, owner of Sommer Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv, said Frieze was vital for meeting people and a great platform for our artists.

For Sommer, Frieze has become more professional over the years, the audience and collectors bigger and more diverse.

Newcomers come with an art adviserthey dont understand too much and rely on them, Sommer said. Thats fine at the beginning, but you want the collector to become engaged personally with the work, and learn and get passionate about it. We try as hard as we can to choose people to stay with us and stay with the artists, and stay interested in their development.

The work on display at Sommers stand ranged in price from $17,000 to $150,000 for the Halley canvas. Would she sell out of the art by the end of the weekend?

Sommer laughed. I wish. Usually not. Hopefully well make back our cost and some more. This is really about presence, especially coming out of Tel Aviv we need to be present to show off the gallery and the artists.

Howard Read, co-owner of Cheim and Read, would not reveal the prices of the works his New York gallery had soldincluding a Jenny Holzer painting and two William Eggleston photographsbut the selling had been bolstered by the wealthy customers visiting early in the slipstream of Deutsche Bank, the events main sponsor.

Read said, The very first time we were here we sold an important work by one of our senior artists, and we sold it to someone on the Upper East Side of New York who had never been to our [Chelsea] gallery. It taught us that, as remote as one thinks Randalls Island as being, people get here.

The fair had a good mix of collectors, museum people, and artists, Read thought. Traditional artists dont go to Art Basel or most of the fairs, but they come here. This is a really good one. The light feels good, it feels open. The bigger, more expensive things are not in this fairclassic modernist or works from the 20th century. This is more about a younger audience and contemporary work.

The buyers are young and getting younger. I think people are more impulsive in their buying here. The discovery part is very fresh and very quick. Its not studied. They come in, fall in love with something, and decide they want to have it. Half come on their own, half come with advisers. A lot the advisers have pre-shopped the fair already, and are coming in to see the works.

For Read, Frieze is centered around the passion linking collector and artist. Basel is more serious and business-like, theres more history and investment. Here its a little freer and a little younger.

However, even the fantastically wealthy patrons were occasionally awestruck by the extravagance of Frieze New York. Standing in line at a cafe, an elegant French woman was horrified that a cup of tea cost $5.20after tax and mandated tip. Its a ripoff! she harrumphed to one reporter, putting her credit card back in her Hermes wallet.

At Marian Goodman, which featured a solo exhibition of works by William Kentridge, an older man with an ultra-exclusive lounge pass around his neck couldnt fathom that one of the smaller pieces cost $50,000.

Its lovely, but thats ridiculous! he exclaimed to the purse-lipped gallerists, who refused to engage him. He turned away and threw up his hands. The world has gone mad!
Milo Yiannopoulos is a beast.

The 31-year-old, boastfully gay Breitbart writeror dangerous faggothas quickly become a hero to young conservatives and libertarians for smacking down the ridiculous out-of-control social justice warriors who troll college campuses.

If Donald Trump defies political correctness, Yiannopoulosan avid Trump supporter prone to calling The Donald daddyobliterates it.

A woman confronted Yiannopoulos during his speech in a packed American University auditorium last month, asking if his controversial rhetoric invalidated minority views.

Fuck your feelings, he told her.

The kids loved it. Me too.

How could you not? As the student left becomes insufferably extreme, Milos become the perfect counterpunch.

Hes irreverent. Hes exciting.

To an old guy like mea whole decade Milos senior!hes punk rock.

At 62, punctuated by a tall poof of bleached hair his friends will tell you, he is always on, whether hes railing against the matriarchy, bragging about his own fabulousness or discussing his love of black dick, wrote Fusion last year.

Hes a middle finger to the establishment, left and right.

Slamming #NeverTrump Republicans last week, Yiannopoulos scolded the GOP for offending young Trump supporters like himself, Unlike most right-wing writers, my biggest demographic is 18-34 year olds.

Those werent just any old voters you were alienating, Milo said to anti-Trump Republicans. They include the next generation of conservative firebrands, who are currently gravitating to Trump, the alt-right, and me.

The alt-right.

There are worse things than political correctness.

***

In March, Yiannopoulos coauthored a 3,500-word piece for Breitbart called An Establishment Conservatives Guide To The Alt-Right.

Although initially small in number, Yiannopoulos and Allum Bokhari explained, the alt-right has a youthful energy and jarring, taboo-defying rhetoric that have boosted its membership and made it impossible to ignore.

This movement is young, they do defy taboos and unfortunately, the alt-right has become impossible to ignore.

Because its racist.

I dont mean racist like the left does, where merely being white and male is a sin.

I mean rationalizing that youre intellectually or culturally superior because youre white. I mean believing that black and brown people are less valuable to society and should be viewed with contempt.

Ive never met Milo Yiannopoulos and am not really that concerned with whether hes a racist or not. Such accusations are what the left does ad nauseam and part of what Yiannopoulos rightly fights against.

But I do think he flirts with racism: The alt-right openly crack jokes about the Holocaust, loudlyalbeit almost entirely satiricalexpresses its horror at race-mixing They have no real problem with race-mixing writes Yiannopoulos.

I do think he opens windows that concern me: Anything associated as closely with racism and bigotry as the alternative right will inevitably attract real racists and bigots, admits Yiannopoulos. The alt-rights intellectuals would also argue that culture is inseparable from race, he writes.

I know well where this kind of collectivist thinking can lead. (You can read at The Beast about my own Southern Avenger controversy).

Ive spent the last eight years as part of the Ron and Rand Paul-inspired liberty movement, speaking to groups like Young Americans for Liberty (a few YAL local chapters have sponsored some Milo Yiannopoulos events). Today, YAL is the largest center-right youth group in America.

As an organization dedicated to individual liberty.

The alt-right is the polar opposite of libertarianism.

Analyzing a subset of the alt-right who call themselves neoreactionaries, Voxs Dylan Matthews explains this important distinction, Most modern libertarians are individualists, motivated by a desire to prevent the masses from oppressing the individual

Neoreactionaries are not individualists neoreaction places huge value on group membership and group loyalty, Matthews says.

They are tribalists, and for the most partlets not mince wordsthey are racists.

Much of Yiannopouloss Breitbart essay defends the alt-right from charges of racism (Are they actually bigots? No more than death metal devotees in the 80s were actually Satanists, says Yiannopoulos), while virtually every critique (The Racist Moral Rot At The Heart Of The Alt-Right, says National Reviews Ian Tuttle) you will find (Responding To The Alt-Right: Are They Bigots, Or Just Stupid Children? asks The Daily Wires Ben Shapiro) of the movement (Yes, The Alt-Right Are Just A Bunch Of Racists, says The Federalists Robert Tracinski) focuses first and foremost (You Cant Whitewash The Alt-Rights Bigotry, says libertarian Cathy Young) on the obvious racism (there are elements within Hitlerism and Nazism that I admire, says Alternative Rights Alex Fontana) alt-righters dont even try to hide (I dont think we can pray away the gay, but maybe we can pray the blacks back to Africa? says tweeter @_AltRight_).

Then again, sometimes Milo just seems to be having a bit of anti-PC funlike his antiwhite bedroom policy which Yiannopoulos says he would gladly break for Daddy Trump.

Either way, race or racism is always at the center of the alt-right debate.

Theres a reason for this.

Despite Yiannopouloss promotion of cultural libertarianisma much-needed call for freer speech, which I agree withthe heart of alt-right tribalism leads to something that is definitively anti-libertarian and functionally authoritarian. The alt-right is characterized by an extreme collectivism that is unavoidably racist.

Libertarians can also be extreme in their obsession with individualism. There is such a thing as a common good and a minimal government is necessary for some basic societal functions.

There have always been libertarians who argue against any possible form of collectivism and such debates are not new. Arguments in the 1950s and 60s between traditionalists like Russell Kirk and libertarians such as Frank Meyer explored whether emphasis should be placed more on the collectivefamily, community, countryor individual human beings with inalienable natural rights.

This tension between traditionalists and libertarians is what has been considered the American conservative tradition for most of its existence. The alt-right mostly rejects traditional American conservatismthat of classical liberalism and the individualism that has always been a central focus.

The alt-right takes the traditionalist aspect of that older right ideological coalition, the collective concerns of family, community, country, to the extreme end of race.

Individuals become subservient to the collective, and the new line between friend and foe becomes who is within or without a particular group.

For the alt-right, that group is white people.

Its no coincidence that alt-righters who dont like libertarians or more traditional conservatives often refer to them as cuckservatives. The Daily Callers Matt Lewis explains the term, A cuckold, of course, is a legitimate word for the husband of an adulterous wife (but) the people who throw this term around are most likely referencing a type of pornography whereby a (usually, white) man is humiliated (or ironically thrilled) by being forced to watch his wife having sex with another (usually, black) man

So what does this have to do with conservatism or politics? asks Lewis. By supporting immigration reform, criminal justice reform, etc., a white conservative is therefore surrendering his honor and masculinity

A cuckservative is, therefore, a race traitor, Lewis notes.

The Daily Caller reported of Yiannopouloss recent event at American University, One angry audience member took his time at the mic to just call Yiannopoulos a fucking prick for expressing his opinions. The writer shot back that his adversary was a cuck, short for cuckold, which has become a popular slur among Milos fanbase to sling at opponents.

The audience roared in its approval and chanted cuck as well.

Did this young audience even know what they were chanting? Does Yiannopoulos? Or is it just for kicks?

And if so, is it even funny?

Whats going on here?

***

Whos a major cuckservative? according to the alt-right? Rand Paul. Why? For pursuing criminal justice reform, engaging in minority outreach, not demonizing Hispanics in the immigration debate and daring to criticize Donald Trump.

Rand Paul is not supposed to help non-whites, according to the alt-right. Hes betraying his tribe.

Yes, this racist tripe is what some are seriously discussing in 2016.

Its also the inevitable end result of collectivist-racialist thinking.

Criticizing extreme Black Lives Matter protesters, for example, something many conservatives do and often with good cause, can quickly become an indictment, and perhaps even hatred, of African Americansas if the average black American isnt just trying to get by day-to-day like the rest of us.

But if you go down this collectivist path, you end up forgetting about that. Individuals humanity is diminished. Everything and everyone becomes political.

It becomes as if black lives dont actually matter, and police brutality isnt even a real thing.

For the alt-right, who cares? Theyre black.

You begin to see people of a different color, people whove done essentially nothing bad or to you, as enemies.

Its a horrible and unhealthy way to go through life and view your fellow man.

Discussing immigration can become a loathing of all Hispanics. Perhaps you might even cheer a candidate who calls Mexicans rapists. Being politically incorrect when discussing the relationship between Islam and jihad-based terrorisma discussion that should happencan quickly devolve into condemnation of all Muslims and Arabs. Perhaps you might even like politicians who want to ban them from entering the U.S.

The mainstream right does this toofor every racist or xenophobic thing that Trump says, and the alt-right cheersthere are mainstream conservative outlets that indulge the same prejudices. The potential to replace the identity politics of the left with that of the rightas the alt-right hopeshas conservative radio, television, and websites that would probably not hesitate to facilitate such a trend if they were ratings and traffic getters.

Its scary. Its an unnerving time for those who value individual freedom and human dignity. The trend on the youth right for a number of years now has been toward libertarianism. This new alt-right is basically the same old racism being passed off as something high-minded or even hip.

So, yes, Im disturbed by an auditorium full of young people chanting cuck! or that the speaker theyre listening to also leads an alt-right chorus. Its not a defense of the left, who deserve every bit of scorn they receive and moreits concern for the right.

Particularly the young right.

My worry is that passionate, well-meaning, but still intellectually curious young libertarians and conservatives might wander too far into what the alt-right is peddling. Particularly in an election year when Ron Paul isnt running for president, Rand Pauls campaign did not live up to expectations and the alt-rights favorite candidate, Donald Trump, is the likeliest Republican nominee.

Even the most non-racist, liberty-minded person accustomed to intellectual pursuits could be attracted to shiny and popular new objects. Sometimes out of boredom.

***

Milo Yiannopoulos is cool. Even I think so.

But the alt-right is not, and no one should think so. Its not edgy, its not new and its not good. Its surrendering to the worst parts of our nature.

Its darkness. Its fatalism.

Just like how the crazy left condemns all whites, or males, or heterosexualsyoung rightists attracted to this movement will inevitably start judging their fellow man primarily by the color of their skin.

No matter how they spin it, thats exactly what the alt-right wants you to do.

Dont.
Kim Jong Un has imposed extraordinary social controls across North Koreaand especially in the capital of Pyongyangin the run-up to the Workers Party 7th Congress, which starts Friday. The once-in-a-generation eventthe last was held in 1980is supposed to celebrate Kims rule, but in recent months observers have been seeing signs of a breakdown of order and a descent back into destitution.

Kim mobilized all North Koreans to prepare for the event. The Congress, for instance, caps a 70-day struggle, a period when workers were forced to labor around the clock, often on projects conceived to commemorate the party gathering. Unfortunate citizens temporarily disappeared, especially from open-air markets, as security officials press-ganged them, according to Seouls Chosen Ilbo newspaper.

Nonetheless, people were willingly coming forward to lend a hand. Rodong Sinmun, the partys authoritative newspaper, at the beginning of last month reported that a couple volunteered to work on their wedding day. These industrious newlyweds should count themselves lucky. Weddings since then have been banned, as have funerals.

The campaign, predictably, turned deadly as officials are said to have demanded the completion of projects with next-to-impossible deadlines. A source told Chosun that 30 soldiers were killed when a tunnel collapsed during the building of a canal for a generating station near the sacred Mt. Paektu, on the China border. About a dozen villagers in Ryanggang province died in a landslide while working on a railroad project.

Furthermore, the peoples regime reached deep into peoples pockets. At a time when the average North Korean household earns about 4,000 won a month (or about $4.50), Kims officials were ordering every family to contribute between 6,500 to 26,000 won as a loyalty payment for the Congress.

At the same time, security officials locked down the entire population. The authorities essentially stopped issuing domestic travel permits and blocked the movement of people in and out of Pyongyang, ordering everyone visiting the capital to leave. The Ministry of Peoples Security reportedly began working with the inminban, local watch patrols, to inspect citizens in their homes as well as travelers in hotels and motels.

Around the country, workers have been taken from their factory jobs and made to patrol historic sitessometimes defaced in the past by protestersalong with the neighborhood watch.

No detail has been too minor for scrutiny. In the run-up to the Congress, security officials reworked the songbunsocial classificationstatus of every citizen to update assessments of family ties and ideological leanings. As a source told the DailyNK site, Everyone is being newly re-categorized and closely managed according to their ancestry and songbun and placed into one of the three categories: the core class, who in times of emergency would be expected to support Kim Jong Un; the wavering class, who must always be scrutinized; and the hostile class, who must be placed under continuous surveillance.

State Security Department and Ministry of Peoples Security personnel have been brought to Pyongyang for defending the Party Congress. It appears that army units have also been moved to the capital.

The real source of power in our country isnt nuclear weapons or any other military means, but the single-minded unity of the people and the leader, said North Koreas foreign minister, Ri Su Yong, last week. This power of unity we have is the real source of power that leads our country into victory.

Of course, if there were such unity, there would be no need for draconian controls.

Kim Jong Un for the moment can stay in power, but only through coercion. The make-work mobilizations, confiscations, and restrictions arent just about money; theyre also about control, Joshua Stanton of One Free Korea told The Daily Beast. The regime is losing its grip. There are, for example, scattered protests, and, in a stunning breakdown of law and order, the North saw its first bank robbery ever on April 4. As Stanton notes, This regime knows that if it cant keep its subjects happy, the next-best way to control them is to keep them too tired, busy, poor, and weak from hunger to resist.

That strategy has worked for Kim and his father, Kim Jong Ilbut society is starting to get restless. Now, there appears to be little love for the ruling family and, in the eyes of many North Koreans, the current Kim ruler has no legitimacy by virtue of his bloodline.

Instead of devotion to the Kim family, there is now a money culture. After the great famine of the late 1990s, which may have killed as many as 3.5 million people, many North Koreans have learned to live without the support of the state.

So Kim Jong Un has to prove to his people that he should be allowed to continue to rule. He has promoted what he calls the byungjin line, or progress in tandem of developing both fearsome instruments of war and the economy.

The policy looks good on paper, but Kim, in the words of the Chosun Ilbo, has failed to improve the livelihoods of North Koreans and seems to rely increasingly on hasty weapons demonstrations to make a splash. As Rodong Sinmun noted in late March, We may have to go on an arduous march, during which we will have to chew the roots of plants once again. So food is once again scarce, and not just for humans. Tellingly, scientists are noticing that migrating vultures eat before crossing into North Korea.

Kims problem is that his economy, after several years of averaging 1 percent growth, looks like it is contracting again. New United Nations sanctions, imposed in early March after the Jan. 6 nuclear test, seem to be having an effect, causing shortages of most everything across the country.

And that is why there is now renewed concern about political stability. If seen against the background of recent purges, executions, and senior defections, they indicate that the Kim Jong Un regime is still fundamentally insecure, said Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. A dramatic turn of events may appear more likely than ever.

Or as former U.S. diplomat Wendy Sherman said this week to an audience in Washington, D.C., Unexpected changesincluding sudden regime collapse or a coupcannot be ruled out.

The test for Kim Jong Un is not whether he can stage a grand show of unity at the Party Congress but whether, in the following months, he can convince hungry North Koreans to give him more time.
After Donald Trump is formally chosen as the Republican presidential nominee, hell be able to receive classified U.S. intelligence briefings, which could include some of the same sensitive information that President Obama is given in the Oval Office.

And that prospect has some spies sweating. Trump, who cant seem to dam his stream of consciousness on Twitter, and who has lately taken to spreading rumors and conspiracy theories on national television, has never been privy to national secrets. Nor has he ever demonstrated that hes capable of keeping them.

My concern with Trump will be that he inadvertently leaks, because as he speaks extemporaneously, hell pull something out of his hat that he heard in a briefing and say it, said a former senior U.S. intelligence official who has participated in the process of briefing presidential candidates.

Unlike his presumed rival, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who would receive the same briefing if shes the Democratic Party nominee, Trump has never sat across the table from U.S. intelligence analysts and been given updates on the latest machinations of ISIS, or efforts by foreign governments to penetrate American computer networks. He also has selected a team of largely unknown advisers who might have trouble helping him to contextualize what he might hear and know what questions to ask. (Of course, Trump isnt under FBI investigation for potentially spilling secrets from his private email server, like his Democratic rival.)

Trumps improvisational public speaking style, coupled with his penchant for making unverifiedand unverifiableclaims, could make for especially tense sessions. Presidential candidates are given their briefings in highly-secured facilities, in part to impress upon them the sensitive nature of what theyre hearing.

Its not an unreasonable concern that hell talk publicly about whats supposed to stay in that room, said another former senior intelligence official.

A currently serving U.S. official echoed some of those anxieties and wondered whether Trump would respect the discretion of the briefing and not use it to his advantage on the campaign trail.

The current and former officials asked to speak anonymously in order to express their concerns about the upcoming briefings.

Spokespersons for the Trump and Clinton campaigns didnt respond to requests for comment.

Presidential nominees have received classified intelligence briefings since 1952, when President Harry Truman authorized the CIA to share information with Dwight Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson. Upon assuming the presidency after the death of Franklin Roosevelt in 1945, Truman had been surprised to learn how many details about national security had been withheld from him as vice president, and he wanted the incoming commander-in-chief to have a head start on a steep learning curve.

The practice of providing intelligence briefings to the presidential nominees of both parties is a sound one, Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told The Daily Beast. Whether it is premature in the case of Donald Trump is one question; whether it would do any good is another.

For their part, the spies wholl actually be sharing secrets with Trump and Clintonpresuming theyre ultimately the nomineeshave been busy preparing for meetings that could take place as soon as the conventions are wrapped up.

We have already established a plan for briefing both candidates when they are named, and certainly after the November when the president-elect is known, and it gets more intensive, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in response to a question from The Daily Beast at a meeting with reporters in Washington last week.

Asked what precautions the intelligence community would take to ensure that any classified information the candidates received was not mishandled, Clapper said that the briefings, per custom, would be given in a secure facility wherever it was most convenient for the nominees, and according to their schedule. In 2008, Sen. Barack Obama was briefed by Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell at an FBI building in Chicago, the city where he also had his campaign headquarters.

Clapper said that his office had already set up a team to prepare the briefings and that a designated lead, who is not a political appointee, is running the effort.

Once a briefer is chosen to meet with the nominees, the intelligence directors office will oversee [the process] to ensure that everybody gets the same information and that we do comply with the needs to protect sources and methods and comply with security rules.

The nominees, in that sense, are on an even playing field. Trump and Clinton would receive the same information, a sort of sanitized version of the Presidents Daily Brief, which lays out various national security threats and concerns and areas of interest. But it will be stripped of the most sensitive information about ongoing operations or covert programs, officials and experts said.

Theyll get a top secret briefing, but it wont contain code word information, said Tim Naftali, an intelligence expert and professor at New York University. And I doubt theyd be getting any information about nuclear weapons. But it will be a discussion of the world, threats to the nation, how the war in Syria is going.

Immediately after the election, the president-elect would likely be privy to the same information the current commander-in-chief sees. His or her staff will begin moving into presidential transition offices that have been outfitted with secure rooms and computers. One former official said that on the night of the 2012 election, there were representatives from Gov. Mitt Romneys national security team waiting near a transition office in Washington to begin getting the Republican nominee up to speed should he be elected.

But from nomination to election to inauguration, its ultimately the presidents call how much information the rivals for the Oval Office get to see. He can dial up or down the amount of classified information. So long as both Trump and Clinton see the same things, Obama could effectively limit each of them to benign information thats less revealing that what they might read in a newspaper.

George W. Bush, who directed that Obama and his opponent, Sen. John McCain, get comprehensive briefings on the campaign trail, still withheld information that revealed the sources and methods of intelligence activities, as well as information about covert operations, said Martha Kumar, a historian and author of Before the Oath, a book on the Bush-to-Obama transition.

Some of Bushs prohibition extended even to President-elect Obama.

Steve Hadley, who had served as Bushs national security adviser, told Kumar that the president felt sources and methods information was more than an elected president needed to know before he formally took office.

When the man comes in and is president, sitting in this chair, thats time enough, Bush said.

The candidates have some say in the process as well, namely, how many briefings they want to receive. Historically, many of them have found the demands of the campaign trail too consuming to take the time out to and sit in a secure facility. The candidates also cannot take staffers who dont have the proper security clearances into the room with them.

Nafatali said hed be surprised if Trump in particular wanted more than one, customary briefing.

Politically, I think for many candidates, its better that they dont know things, Naftali said. They might realize how vacuous their foreign policy thinking was.

Trump has made a pillar of his candidacy the argument that the Obama administration has utterly failed to counter its strategic rivals, from ISIS to Russia to China.

Once candidates get secret information, they realize that there arent answers for every problem, but they also discover that the U.S. government is not neglecting all these problems, Naftali said. It makes some of their arguments on the stump completely hypocritical.

For Trump, the temptation to blab about what he learned in a classified briefing might be great. But the smarter move might be to nod politely and forget what he heard.

Updated 10:45 a.m. on 5/5/16 to add quote from Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
Throughout this election season, Stephen Colbert has used his Hungry for Power Games segment to give each candidate their due when the time comes for them to step aside. On Wednesday night, it was Ted Cruzs turn .

But first Colbert had to give a quick mention to some guy named John Kasich. Yes, John Kasich has ended his bid for the White House, Colbert said. He may be gone. But he is notwho are we talking about again? Kasich, yes. Lets take a look back at all the triumphs of John Kasichs campaign. There was Ohio....and hes gone.

Sadly, even in losing, tribute Kasich has lost, Colbert continued. Because last nights big loser was Texas senator and half-kissed frog prince Ted Cruz, who joined the ranks of the fallen. The host commended Cruz for going down swinging, especially following his concession speech when he elbowed his wife in the head.

Looking back on the Cruz campaign, Colbert noted that though he captured 11 states, he failed to win lasting alliances. John Boehner called him Lucifer in the flesh. His old college roommate said, Ted Cruz is a nightmare of a human being. And then there was Cruzs own Republican colleague Lindsey Graham, who memorably remarked, If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you.

So if Ted Cruz is ever killed, we can narrow the suspects down to someone who has met him, Colbert joked. And just when you thought he was finished piling on the fallen candidate, a cartoon version of Donald Trump emerged to add insult to injury.

Colbert gave Trump the last word: Lyin Ted is lyin in the ground. He ran a tough race, but he was really bad at it. And his father killed J.F.K. Pathetic.
The College of the Holy Cross quietly opened up its student housing policy to accommodate transgender and genderqueer students earlier this year, the latest step toward inclusivity at a Jesuit school known for its welcoming and academically rigorous environment.

But notice of the change prompted outrage from some conservative Catholic institutions who blasted the change as heretical.

Adam Cassandra at the Cardinal Newman Society flagged the change in a post headlined Catholic Colleges Embrace Demonic Gender Ideology in Housing Policies.

The [Cardinal] Newman Society has called on all Catholic colleges to apply for the Title IX exemption to protect their Catholic identity, Cassandra noted.

As The Daily Beast reported in December, nearly 60 religious colleges have applied for exemptions to a federal law barring sex discrimination during the Obama administration. Under the current administration, the lawwhich applies to schools that receive federal fundinghas been interpreted to apply to gender identity and expression, as well.

But at some religious institutions, the transition isnt as fraught as Cassandra appears to believe, even if it comes quietly. The change at Holy Cross was spearheaded by Keith Plummer, a junior at the school who identifies as genderqueer.

Plummer came out at the start of the school year in a letter to officials in charge of residential life, diversity, and student affairs, and asked to live with close friends who understand Plummers gender identityand who happen to be femalethe following year.

As a Catholic institution, I think our president is very committed to diversity, Plummer said. Jesuit Catholicism is much more open to diverse perspectives and more so founded upon the innate human dignity of all persons, and that includes the LGBTQ community.

The chaplains office hosted a prayer service in solidarity with the trans community in conjunction with Pride last year, Plummer added, referring to the student LGBTQ advocacy group.

By March, Plummers request had been approved, and the housing policy amended with a note explaining it would still be segregated by sex but that individual students could apply for exemptions.

Our Catholic identity calls us to treat all personsincluding all within the LGBTQ communitywith dignity and respect, university spokeswoman Ellen Ryder told The Daily Beast.

The school has no comment on the Cardinal Newman Society article, she added.

But while Holy Cross may be among the more progressive Catholic schoolsits non-discrimination policy even includes gender identity, and an out transgender professor launched the Digital Transgender Archiveit is by no means alone.

The LGBTQ resource website for Georgetown University, another Jesuit institution, notes that the District of Columbia guarantees students the right to equally access student housing corresponding to your gender identity or expression, though its not clear whether the accommodation means letting students live according to their gender identity or providing them with a single room.

Georgetown did not respond to a Daily Beast request for comment.

Fordham University, a Jesuit institution in New York City, recently instituted all-gender restrooms in one of its buildings.

And the University of San Francisco, another Catholic school blasted by the Newman Society, took its gender inclusivity a step further, urging students to acknowledge that human beings are not necessarily male or female as ascribed by their assigned gender at birth.

Not everyone at USF is required to participate in the gender-inclusive housing community, but those who are interested can fill out a form to enter a lottery.

There are no dedicated male or female bathrooms on the Gender Inclusive floor, the USF policy states. The bathroom is a communal bathroom and shared by all members of the community (regardless of gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sex).

The university did not respond to a request for comment.

These changes may be less and less startling for the next generation of Catholics, who generally supportive of LGBTQ rights. Plummer, who is Catholic, said students were very supportive of Holy Crosss quiet shift and that several others have applied for accommodations.

Asked about the Cardinal Newman article, Plummer urged Catholics to look for a theology of compassion and to read some modern gender theory.

In summary: get educated and ask yourself what Jesus would do.
Trying to throw an 89 year-old widow out on the street. Changing the locks on a women trapped in the snow. Engaging in harsh, repugnant and repulsive acts.

Thats the business record of a bank headed by Donald Trumps new finance chair.

The pick of Steven Mnuchin is already turning heads in political circles, because the former Hillary Clinton donor is now working with Trump to beat none other than Hillary Clinton.

But a bit of cash to Democrats may be the least of Mnuchins perceived sins.

After promising that he would no longer be self-funding (a term applied loosely here because Trump has been accepting contributions for the entirety of his campaign), the presumptive Republican nominee hired private investor and Wall Street veteran Steven Mnuchin as his national finance chairman. Conventional wisdom suggests this would complicate any attempts from Trump to paint Clinton as a Wall Street shill, but this is not a candidate governed by conventional wisdom.

Like many people in Trumps inner circlefor example, TrumpMnuchin has contributed a significant amount of money to Democratic candidates in the past, including Hillary Clinton. According to filings from the Federal Election Commission, Mnuchin has contributed over $8,000 to Clinton since 2000. He has also given to Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP candidate who went on a public crusade against Trump, and President Barack Obama, who has lacerated Trump at every possible opportunity.

But having a close association with Democrats is nothing new for those in Trumps corner. Even his own family members couldnt vote for him in the New York primary because they were registered Democrats.

Whats more, Mnuchin used to work for a bank backed by George Soros, a man who recently said that Trump is doing the work of ISIS and pumped $7 million into the pro-Clinton Super PAC Priorities USA Action.

That bank got into hot water for attempted home foreclosures after the 2008 housing bubble burst.

A New York judge erased $525,000 in mortgage debt owed by a Long Island couple to OneWest Bank in 2009 because the institution was harassing them. Suffolk County Judge Jeffrey Spinner blasted the banks harsh, repugnant and repulsive acts as they attempted to toss the family out on the street around Thanksgiving.

Spinner alleged that the bank refused to work out a deal with the couple to help make mortgage payments they owed and called the banks conduct inequitable, unconscionable, vexatious and opprobrious, according to a report from the New York Post.

Around the same time, Mnuchins bank was hounding an 89-year-old widow, attempting to foreclose on her home in California. Irene Jones, the woman in question, reportedly said in court that the stress of repeated foreclosure threats from OneWest Bank and its predecessor IndyMac Bank made her husband depressed and contributed to his death.

That same year, the bank changed the locks on Minnesota woman Leslie Parks home. She discovered she had been locked out when she returned home in a blizzard. The bank later apologized for this incident.

In 2011, Bloomberg reports, the notoriously press-shy Mnuchin endured protests on the lawn of his Bel Air mansion by foreclosed homeowners angered at his lenders handling of soured mortgages.

OneWest Bank also disproportionately foreclosed on senior citizens. Using a FOIA request, the California Reinvestment Coalition determined that OneWest's reverse mortgage servicing subsidiary Financial Freedom was responsible for 39 percent of reverse mortgage foreclosures, typically something that goes to senior citizens. But Financial Freedom only serves 17 of the market so OneWest was foreclosing at twice the rate one would expect.

103-year-old Myrtle Lewis ran into similar issues with OneWest in 2014. She accidentally allowed her insurance to lapse, which prompted the bank to attempt to foreclose on her property. Lewis reinstated her insurance and the bank still didnt back off. It is unclear what happened to the property.

Similarly, OneWest Bank foreclosed on more communities of color than white communities. Of the 35,877 foreclosures the bank conducted in California from April 2009 to April 2015, 68 percent occurred in areas where the non-white population was 50 percent or higher.

Steven is a professional at the highest level with an extensive and very successful financial background, Trump said in a press release announcing the new hire. He brings unprecedented experience and expertise to a fundraising operation that will benefit the Republican Party and ultimately defeat Hillary Clinton.

At least Trump didnt say hed throw Hillary out on the street.

Updated 5/5/16, 6:30pm to add new information on OneWests disproportionate forclosures on seniors and minorities.
Carlton is a graduate of the University of Southern California and completed her internship and residency at San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium in San Antonio before serving in the Air Force. She is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and is accepting new patients.
Bryan police say Jeremy Brett Meads, 37, of College Station, was killed in the accident in the 300 block of North Harvey Mitchell Parkway. According to police, Meads, who was on a motorcycle, was traveling southbound around noon when a Dodge Ram failed to yield when making a left turn. Meads was taken to CHI St. Josephs Hospital where he died.
October 16, 1939 - May 2, 2016

I was born in Beaumont, Texas to the late James Porter and late Emma Evelyn "John-A" Lang on 16 October 1939, I passed from this life when the LORD took me home on May 2, 2016 in Bryan, Texas.

A Celebration of my Life will be held at Hillier Funeral Home in Bryan with a visitation from 2-4PM and formal celebration service to begin at 4 PM on Saturday, May 7, 2016. Interment will be at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas.

I am survived by my sons, Matt Lang of Bryan and Joel Lang of Colleyville; and my daughter, Julie Lang Williams of Crowley; along with my brother Jody Lang of Starks, Louisiana, and sister, Jan Lane of Three Rivers.

I spent 26 years in Public Education in Lumberton, Kountze and Silsbee ISD's  Rising from Classroom teacher, assistant principal, high school principal, curriculum supervisor, curriculum director, assistant superintendent to superintendent. My college career included Tech Prep Director, Lamar State College at Orange and Executive Director of College Tech Prep at Blinn College, Bryan, and spanned 12 years.

I spent 4 years in the US Air Force as a Security Air Policeman and was stationed at Carswell AFB, Fort Worth, Texas. Upon completion of my military career, I attended Texas Christian University and graduated with a B.A. degree, in 68'. Wanting to pursue a college teaching career, I enrolled at the University of Oklahoma and completed a M.A. degree, in 71'. After graduation OU, I decided to enter into the public schools in Texas. I also completed a M. Ed, in 78' at Lamar University. My other educational pursuits included attending the University of Corpus Christi from 1958-1959; Lamar State College of Technology 1958-1960; Texas A&M University (Community Education Endorsement), 1980; and the University of Houston (Gifted/Talented Endorsement) 1971-1980. I also received numerous other credential and awards from the Texas Education Agency, Texas Higher Education Coordination Board and other professional organizations.

While my profession was education, my family was my avocation; one sage once said; Famous man is one whose children love him:

Matt, Tammy, Mara Jordan, James Micah and Macy Ann Lang of Bryan Joel, Lori, Malorie Ann, Joel Brian aka "B" and Nicolas Robert Lang of Colleyville Julie Anna Lang, Erik, Breanna Leigh, Bradley James and Brayden Mark Williams of Crowley My grandchildren, the Nifty Nine, will always remember me with a camera before my face, getting every shot of them I could.

I was active in my community of Bryan, serving on several Blinn College committees as well as many Bryan Organizations. I actively served the LORD, at Central Baptist Church-Bryan, as a 5th grade teacher; on several men's ministries, including Tuesday Morning IHOP Men's group, mentor for the Pastor's Discipleship Program, and Men on Mission: In Pursuit of Holiness and Purity Group; the Heritage Home Study Group; as well as other ministries.

My mission in life was to serve the youth of this community and to make a difference in their lives  one student at a time. I always tried to serve as a role model for those following me, particularly, the youth. My inspiration for this role came from Romans 8.29: for whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son. This verse led me to want Acts 4.13b to be my testimony: "(they) recognized (him) as having been with Jesus." I also wanted to develop a passion to know the LORD and His Ways as well as for His Word  Ezra 7.10:" for Ezra has set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statues and ordinances in Israel.  Which led me to ministering to 5th graders and adults throughout my life.

If I could have someone say something of my life, I hope it would be like words spoken of my cousin: If you didn't know Jim, I'm not sure I have adequate words to describe him  but if you know him, none are needed.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to Bryan/College Station, Texas Gideons, c/o P.O. Box 2762, College Station, TX 77841 (Donations for the Bible Placements) Phone number: (979) 820-3238

Please visit my tribute page at www.hillierfuneralhome.com to share stories and leave messages to my family.

James B "Jim" Lang

May 14, 2012
My 10-year old put it best: "First you said Trump wouldn't win any primaries. Then you said he wouldn't win the nomination. So why exactly are you so sure he won't become president?" Given this reasonable question, it's time to start asking: Is the Constitution in danger from a Donald Trump presidency? How far can he push the envelope of our constitutional structure and traditions?

To be clear, I'm not talking about who Trump would nominate to the Supreme Court. Though it's worth noting that, unlike potential running mates who so far seem wary of a poisoned chalice, judicial nominees would probably be glad to serve if named by Trump. He'd already be president; and once confirmed, they'd no longer be beholden to the man who named them.

The real threat seems to be that the candidate who has made it this far by throwing out the election rulebook would be inclined to do the same with the rules of governance. I think we can usefully break up the question into domestic policy and foreign policy components. In each instance, there are practical limits. Yet Trump could credibly push the system to places it hasn't yet been.

Start with the home front. It seems likely that Trump would have a hard time passing domestic legislation, since he may face a Democrat-controlled Senate and a House full of hostile Republicans.

But to Trump, that might be an invitation to action rather than a constraint. He'd start with unilateral executive action, which certainly is his style.

As President Barack Obama has demonstrated with his immigration initiative, an executive order can go pretty far if it's framed as prosecutorial discretion. Trump could announce, for example, that he wants the IRS to stop auditing people. He's been audited enough himself that this seems plausible.

Democrats would find themselves in an awkward position if that happened. They've been arguing that Obama's discretionary authority allows him to exempt a large class of undocumented people from deportation. It would be tricky now to say that the constitutional requirement that the president "take care" that the laws be faithfully executed restricts Trump where it doesn't restrict Obama.

The Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, traditionally independent-minded, could tell Trump that a given executive action goes too far and is unlawful. But the same office told George W. Bush that the CIA could waterboard captives. And it told Obama he could target and kill a U.S. citizen abroad without a trial. So it's subject to political vicissitudes. And Trump would be sure to appoint a head with strong pro-executive power views.

One limit to selective prosecution would be the equal protection guarantee of the Fourteenth Amendment. If a defendant could show that prosecution decisions were being made on the basis of, say, race, then a court could potentially intervene. The standard of proof is very high, however. Implicit racism isn't sufficient, nor is statistical evidence showing a generic racial disparity.

The Supreme Court has said, in the 1999 case of Reno v. Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, that targeting foreign nationals for deportation on the basis of their views wouldn't count as selective prosecution, provided they are otherwise eligible to be deported.

As for U.S. nationals, there's a strong tradition against selective auditing or prosecution on the basis of politics. But as a matter of constitutional law, criminal or civil prosecutions can be made at least partly on the basis of political judgment so long as it isn't demonstrably driven by animosity. A prosecutor could go after big-wigs because she just doesn't like them, or because she thinks convicting them would send a good message.

Trump could therefore potentially appoint U.S. Attorneys and direct them to prosecute people he doesn't like. Again, there's a tradition of U.S. Attorney independence -- but it's a tradition, not a law. If Trump doesn't like how a U.S. Attorney is doing the job, he can fire him or her.

The international sphere gives Trump still more space to maneuver. In theory, he would need congressional authority to go to war. But Obama is fighting Islamic State without any express authorization. The president claimed that bombing Libya didn't count as hostilities for purposes of the War Powers Act. And Congress hasn't done anything about it.

QuickTake U.S. War Powers

It follows that about all Congress could do to block Trump from various hostilities would be to deny funding for his operations.

The same would likely be true of a wall on the Mexican border. The president likely has enforcement authority to build the wall. He just needs money.

Of course, Trump has famously said he will make Mexico pay for the wall. That might let him get around Congress. As president, he can meet world leaders and try to make them do what he wants -- and the Constitution is behind him.

Some of Trump's ideas for the military would violate international humanitarian law. No doubt some or (one hopes) many military personnel would refuse to follow illegal and immoral orders; for example, to kill terrorists' family members.

But it's worth noting that the Constitution as usually interpreted doesn't bind the U.S. to follow international law, including the Geneva Conventions. Some provisions of international law can be found in statutes, which would bind the president and the armed forces. But not all international law violations are domestic crimes.

Last to consider is trade. Trump can't impose tariffs on his own without Congress. But many trade laws give the president executive authority to make determinations about whether other countries are in compliance. That gives the president discretion again.

Expect Trump to use that discretion -- and expect the legal system to let him.
Such one-sided rules are imbedded in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership text. The leaked chapter on dispute settlement contains unmistakeable language. Multi-national corporations will be eligible to sue on the basis that "a benefit the Party could reasonably have expected to accrue to under this Agreement is being nullified or impaired."

A series of rulings handed down by the secret tribunals in similar cases have established that an 'investor' is eligible to sue for any potential profits it asserts it would have earned had not a regulation it dislikes been in place.

The chapter goes on to set out the necessary qualifications of arbitrators, stating that they must have 'expertise' in the field. These 'experts' will almost inevitably be corporate lawyers as they fill the rosters of the secret tribunals. The clause that the judges "shall be independent and serve in their individual capacities" is a joke - these are people who have spent decades serving corporate clients and thoroughly absorb their clients' perspective. That they have 'officially' switched hats is meaningless.

That there will be no appeal against judgements handed down is exemplified three pages later. It is EU negotiators who propose these two sentences: "The ruling/report of the panel shall be unconditionally accepted by the Parties" and "The Party complained against shall take any measure necessary to comply promptly and in good faith with the panel ruling."

What these mean is that there can be no appeal against what tribunal panels consisting of three corporate lawyers decree and that laws must be changed immediately based on the secret tribunal's ruling.

There is much more there. A reading of the chapter on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, which, inter alia, covers regulations on agriculture, can easily be interpreted to overturn bans on genetically modified organisms. Here is the chapter's Article 11 as proposed by EU negotiators:

"1. Sanitary and phytosanitary procedures shall be established with the objective of minimizing negative trade effects and simplifying and expediting the approval and clearance process while ensuring the fulfillment of the importing Party's requirements.

"2. The Parties shall ensure that all sanitary and phytosanitary procedures affecting trade between the parties are undertaken and completed without undue delay and that they are not applied in a manner which would constitute an arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination against the other Party."

Corporations would get last word on regulation

Despite the European Commission's attempts to paint itself as heroically standing against US insistence on forcing GMOs on European consumers, this EU language could be interpreted to overturn bans on GMOs. That is especially so in the wake of the already agreed-upon language of Article 5, where we read:

"When issuing or submitting any final administrative decision for an SPS regulation, the Party shall make publicly available on the Internet an explanation of ... any alternative identified through public comments, including by a Party, as significantly less restrictive to trade."

Under this clause, governments must make the case on behalf of complaining corporations that want to eliminate a protective regulation! There is further language demanding that any new regulation be justified, including a requirement that a government explain why it did not adopt any alternatives that would be "less restrictive to trade."

There is precedent here under the North American Free Trade Agreement, in which a tribunal, in ordering that Canada reverse a ban against PCBs, a carcinogen banned under two Canadian treaties, ruled that, when formulating an environmental rule, a government "is obliged to adopt the alternative that is most consistent with open trade." So much for democracy!

There is also an agriculture chapter, which contains this sentence: "The Parties shall work together to facilitate the successful conclusion of agriculture negotiations in the WTO that substantially improves market access for agricultural goods." All the activist work that prevented the conclusion of World Trade Organization talks over the past decade would be undone, and provide an additional opening for GMOs and the elimination of other safety rules.

Thus we should take with mounds of salt this public statement by European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, issued on May 2:

"Any EU trade deal can only change regulation by making it stronger. ... No trade deal will limit our ability to make new rules to protect our citizens or environment in the future. I am simply not in the business of lowering standards."

Commissioner Malmstrom further asserts that "no, the EU industry does not have greater access to EU negotiating positions than other stakeholders." That statement is on par with someone offering to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge and the Eiffel Tower.

The public-interest group Corporate Europe Observatory, upon successfully petitioning to receive documents from the European Commission, found that that of 127 closed meetings preparing for the Transatlantic Partnership talks, at least 119 were with large corporations and their lobbyists.

Although it is true that EU negotiators are sometimes at odds with their US counterparts, the EU has offered its share of anti-democratic measures, not inconsistent with the lack of accountability Europeans have come to expect from EU institutions.

Watchdog groups sound multiple alarms

In its latest assessment of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, Corporate Europe Observatory notes that the TTIP will negatively impact laws on both sides of the Atlantic, noting that "the new EU proposal on regulatory cooperation in TTIP does nothing, not even little, to address the upcoming democratic threats." The Observatory says:

"Regulatory cooperation, on the surface a way to 'harmonise' rules across the Atlantic, could in practice weaken rules on protecting us against everything from toxic chemicals and unhealthy food, to wild speculation by banks. The European Commission recently published its new positions on this cooperation.

"The two chapters they released reveal the Commission is willing to change how it makes laws to favour trade and multinationals over all public interest considerations. Under regulatory cooperation trade officials will continue to negotiate our future and existing laws.

"This pushes contentious issues farther away from public scrutiny to be brokered over the coming years after TTIP is passed, giving big business lobby groups ample opportunities to influence the result of the decision-making."

Other watchdog groups sound similar warnings. The Sierra Club, noting the words "climate change" never appear in the TTIP text, points out some of its environmentally destructive measures:

"Under the National Treatment terms of the leaked text, the U.S. Department of Energy would be required to automatically approve the export of liquefied natural gas to the EU. ... Both the U.S. and the EU have proposed 'regulatory cooperation' rules that would undermine climate and environmental protections if they are deemed harmful to trans-Atlantic trade or investment.

"The U.S. has proposed that governments on both sides of the Atlantic should be required to review proposed regulations before enactment to pursue compliance with 'international trade and investment obligations.' The EU has proposed similar language."

Compliance with "international trade and investment obligations" would mean conforming to the types of secret-tribunal decisions mentioned above. Friends of the Earth, in its review of the leaked text, provides this warning:

"Sensible regulatory safeguards, such as those related to food safety and toxic chemicals, among many others, would also be stymied. Industry-friendly, cost-benefit analysis would hamstring new environmental initiatives. For example, insecticide safety standards would be lowered if the undervalued 'benefit' of new regulations protecting the bees is outweighed by the 'cost' to corporate profits, thus threatening the pollinators necessary for our food system."

Yep, it's as bad as we thought it would be

The senior policy analyst for the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Steve Suppan, in noting that predictions about the TTIP's impact on agriculture "have been sadly confirmed", wrote:

"The text shows the U.S. Trade Representative protecting corporate interests by shielding environmental, health and safety data used in TTIP risk assessment as confidential business information, preventing peer scientific review. The end result of the U.S. proposal would be increasing the burden on governments to justify food safety rules while placing no burden on industry to demonstrate that its products-including new kinds of GMOs, food or agri-nanotechnology products-are safe."

What we have here is the ordinarily and normal course of capitalist logic. There is no real point to seeing something inherently evil in US or EU officials or their having some particular moral failing. These governments reflect the dominant interests within their countries, as is the case in all capitalist countries.

Large industrialists and financiers dominate their societies through control of the mass media and a range of other institutions to the point that their preferred policies become, through heavy repetition, the dominant ideas across society and the ideas adopted by political leaders intellectually and financially dependent on them.

Thus the recent revelations of NSA spying in Europe have had no effect on the Transatlantic Partnership negotiations. The talks began, on schedule, with embarrassing discussions of spying relegated to a 'parallel' track, separate from what really counts, the main negotiations to dismantle regulations.

The TTIP is quite consistent with the project of the EU: European capitalists' desire to possess the ability to challenge the United States for economic supremacy, but who cannot do so without the combined clout of a united continent.

Working people on both sides of the Atlantic will be the losers if the TTIP passes, and that is underscored by the secrecy surrounding it. Capitalists, despite the competition among them, are united in their drive for complete domination and profits above all other human considerations.

We had better be united across borders in the necessary fight to first stop TTIP and other agreements under consideration, and then roll back those already in place.

Pete Dolack is an activist, writer, poet and photographer, and writes on Systemic Disorder. His forthcoming book 'It's Not Over: Lessons from the Socialist Experiment', a study of attempts to create societies on a basis other than capitalism, has just been published by Zero Books.

This article was originally published on Systemic Disorder.
JIM PEARSON / SPECIAL TO THE GLEANER 1st Congressional District candidate Mike Pape (R) speaks during the "Measure the Candidates" forum hosted by Kentucky Farm Bureau Monday, April 11, 2016 at the Ballard Convention Center in Madisonville, Ky.

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By Gleaner Staff

Mike Pape, who is seeking to replace Rep. Ed Whitfield as the 1st District representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, will bring his campaign bus tour to Henderson on Saturday.

Pape served as Whitfield's district director for 21 years and Whitfield has endorsed him in the race for Congress.

Pape will meet with the public from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Saturday at Republican Party headquarters, 241 First St. Whitfield will be accompanying him.

Pape is one of four candidates seeking the Republican nomination in the 1st District race. He will face Hickman County Attorney Jason Batts, James Comer, former Kentucky secretary of agriculture and gubernatorial candidate and Herndon, Ky., farmer Miles Caughey Jr.

The primary will be held May 17.
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By Gleaner Staff

Subsurface damage to the roadway has extended the closure of a portion of Kentucky 1078/Spottsville Camp Road.

The road will remain closed just north of U.S. 60 in Spottsville through the weekend and into next week.

A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Geotech crew has been drilling to test subsurface soil and rock density to assist with design and engineering to prepare for eventual construction of a new U.S. 60 Green River Bridge, according to a news release.

Earlier this week the drilling crew hit a water line. The resulting leak eroded the subsurface of the roadway at the site and loosened dirt at the base of several utility poles along an embankment. Temporary repairs have been completed.

Kentucky 1078/Spottsville Camp Road will remain closed at mile point 17.5 just north of U.S. 60 in Spottsville until the drilling is completed and transportation engineers can plan more permanent repairs to the roadway and embankment. Approximately 200 vehicles travel this section of Kentucky 1078 in an average day.

The drilling crew will be back at the site Monday through Thursday to complete their work. This continuing closure of Kentucky 1078 does not impact traffic on U.S. 60 through Spottsville.

There will be no marked detour for motorists seeking to travel the east end of Kentucky 1078. However, residents along Kentucky 1078 on the north side of U.S. 60 will have access from the westernmost connection to U.S. 60 near Baskett.

Construction of a new U.S. 60 Green River Bridge at Spottsville is on track for a start date in late 2018 or sometime in 2019.
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.
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Donald Trumps ascendance as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee is polarizing the political class in Connecticut, whose reactions range from pragmatic acceptance to dumbfounded defiance.

Out of 350 million people, were left with Donald Trump? Youve got to be kidding me, said former Gov. Lowell Weicker Jr., an estranged Republican who has butted heads with Trump. I think its the last act in what has been a long string of Republicans destroying themselves. I suspect after this election there will be a total reformation of the party.

So long, party of Connecticuts William F. Buckley Jr. and George H.W. Bush. Hello, party of Trump.

A once-unfathomable scenario is now reality for Republicans after Trumps two remaining GOP rivals, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, quit the race after dismal showings in Tuesdays Indiana presidential primary. Neither was able to recover from Trumps rout last week in the Northeast, including Connecticut.

Trumps adherents say his success in the GOP nominating race is due to voter resentment toward politics as usual in Washington. They brushed off criticism from members of the Never Trump group, who say the New York real estate mogul is merely an opportunist posing as a conservative.

Theodore Roosevelt wasnt considered a conservative, yet hes on Mount Rushmore, said Mike Garrett, BridgeportsRepublican Town Committee chairman. As Ronald Reagan would say, My 95 percent friend is not my 5 percent enemy. The people have spoken.

Democrats, who are going through their own schism between backers of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, treated Trump as a punchline.

So are you taking away the town Republicans shoelaces and belts? said Ned Lamont, a Greenwich cable television entrepreneur who ran for the U.S. Senate and governor.

Lamont, a Democrat, views Trump as a favorable matchup for Clinton, but one that should not be underestimated. A terrorist attack on U.S. soil between now and the November election, he said, could change the dynamics of the race.

Id tell the Democrats, watch out for what you wish for, Lamont said.

Tea party debt

Despite saying he would challenge Trump all the way to the Republican National Convention this summer, Cruz suspended his campaign not long after the polls closed in Indiana on Tuesday night. The Texas senators departure left the GOP without options.

In Connecticut, Cruz failed to win a single town or city and finished a distant third to Trump and Kasich. His supporters characterized primary voters as shallow for gravitating toward Trump.

Its not American Idol,  said Bob MacGuffie, a tea party stalwart from Fairfield who led the volunteer effort for Cruz in the state. Hes hijacked (the GOP), whatever you want to call it.

MacGuffie said its not too late for Trump to win over conservatives and libertarians like himself. Hes looking for Trump to spell out his positions on limiting the size of the federal government and appointing conservatives to the Supreme Court, which MacGuffie said could sway him.

I dont know if he has the self-awareness and reflection to realize that he should reach out to those who have created the opening through which he has walked, MacGuffie said. It was the tea party that did this. We didnt work for the last seven years so that he could off-ramp the liberty movement into the swamp.

Establishment fatigue

Kasich didnt survive much longer than Cruz, folding his campaign Wednesday after having won just his home state of Ohio. The Buckeye State governor and former House Budget Committee chairman had a niche of household-name Republicans backing him in Connecticut, including former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays.

People like me do not have a candidate, said Shays, who campaigned for Kasich in New Hampshire, Michigan and Connecticut. For me this is a very unhappy thing to see happen to my party and my country.

Jamie Millington, Fairfields RTC chairman, said Republicans want a winner. Trump gives the GOP a chance to offset the advantage Democrats have in the states largest cities, he said.

Trump seems to have a lot of appeal to middle class voters and really seems to resonate with working class voters in Connecticut, Millington said.

Trumps GOP supporters say theyre tired of their party nominating candidates favored by the establishment, but who dont appeal to the broader electorate.

The past has shown that our political leaders and our party leaders havent always had the finger on the pulse of the Connecticut voters, Millington said.

neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
NORWALK -- The house on the first block of Dock Road was already enveloped in smoke when firefighters arrived early Wednesday morning.

Firefighters went in and one of them, George Baez, was injured after falling into the blazing basement.

"He fell off the side of the stairs right down to the basement," said Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Shay. "There was no railing and it was a straight drop down. It was dark and smoky, and he couldn't see."

Assistant Chief Albert Bassett said the injured firefighter was treated at the scene and then taken to Norwalk Hospital's Occupational and Environmental Health Services. He was released Wednesday with minor burns, Shay said.

The cause of the fire, which was reported at 12:35 a.m, is still under investigation.

"The house is not really livable right now," Shay said. "It's not too bad upstairs but the smoke damage downstairs is pretty bad."

He said investigators are fairly certain the blaze started in the basement.

"That's a common place because that's where the heating plant is," he said, along with the electric panels and sometimes the washer and dryer, "so there's multiple reasons why they often start there."

Bruce, a neighbor who awoke to the sound of his dogs barking amid sirens, said there "was a lot of smoke from just one fire."

"The dogs went crazy because they heard the noises," he said. "It was scary."

The homeowner's pet dog was found dead after the fire was extinguished, Shay said.

Bruce, who declined to give his last name, said the dog was a dachshund.

Andrew Fry, an assessor from F.D. X. Restoration Inc. showed up around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday with a pickup of wooden planks.

"If the window is smashed open people could come in and take valuables," Fry said.

He boarded up windows and doors broken by firefighters to prevent any burglaries.
NORWALK  Police have arrested a Norwalk woman for allegedly assaulting a middle school student who was reportedly spreading rumors about her daughter.

According to police, the incident occurred on March 2 and was reported to, and investigated by, Ponus Ridge Middle School School Resource Officer Vidal Gonez.

Police said that the two juveniles were at one of the juveniles homes and an argument ensued about the reported rumors.

Ceciliana Morano, the mother of the offended juvenile, allegedly came to that residence and confronted the girl who was reportedly spreading gossip about her daughter.

It was reported that Morano allegedly got into the girls face and a physical altercation allegedly ensued in which Moreno injured the juveniles arm.

Based on the investigation of the alleged incident, police applied for a warrant for Morenos arrest.

On Tuesday, May 3, she turned herself in at Norwalk police headquarters.

Moreno, 32, of 57 Glenwood Ave., was charged with risk of injury to a minor and third-degree assault.

She was released on a promise to appear and given a court date of May 11.
AURORA  After working with more than 100 middle school and high school students on collaborative murals for Aurora Middle School and Aurora High School, artist Mary Vaughan of Santa Rosa, Calif., participated in two unveilings before students, staff and community members on Wednesday afternoon.

In both cases, the unveiling was preceded by a musical fanfare played on the French horn by student Anna Helzer. The first unveiling took place in a high school hallway, where the mural, called Eyes On The Platte, had been carefully concealed by a cloth. The audience for that ceremony was composed primarily of the high school students who had worked with Vaughan to create the artwork. The middle school unveiling of One Husky At A Time took place a few minutes later in a spacious room just east of the cafeteria.

The audience for the second ceremony was much larger, with the high school students joining the entire middle school student body, as well as a number of community members who had come to see the murals. For that second audience, Vaughan noted that a Renaissance fanfare could perhaps mean hello to show that someone is arriving at an event, or good-bye as they depart. However, she noted that fanfares were often used to signal a special moment in time when something of enduring importance was about to happen. She talked about the excitement people in Renaissance times might feel prior to the unveiling of a stature made of marble or other stone that would last 800 or 900 years.

Both Vaughan and Aurora Middle School Principal Ken Thiele talked about how the collaborative murals would also be long-lasting. The murals would not only be visible to students whenever they walked past them in school; they would remain in place so that students could return to the school to see the work they had helped create, including the very panel they had worked on.

Vaughan said the importance and the enduring nature of the collaborative murals justified Helzers musical fanfare. While the high school students applauded when their Eyes On The Platte collaborative mural was unveiled, the reaction was even more enthusiastic when the middle school One Husky At A Time collaborative mural was revealed for the first time. There was very audible oohing and aahing when the covering was pulled away, showing the face of a Husky with penetrating blue eyes in the center of the mural. Even when the cheers and the occasional whistle died away, the sustained applause continued for a long period of time as everyone began to take in all the details in the mural.

Those details included wildlife that can be found along the Platte River and in Central Nebraska, as well as two Central Nebraska landscapes painted by Vaughan.

Both the Eyes On The Platte and One Husky At A Time murals have connections to all Aurora high school and middle school students, putting them into a particular place and time. Vaughn puts herself into that category as well. Although she now lives in Santa Rosa, Calif., Vaughn said, she grew up in Hastings, which means that she always feels a call and a pull to return to Nebraska on a regular basis. She noted Nebraska is very beautiful, especially in the spring.

Aurora high school and middle school art teacher Sarah Wegenast noted that the project for the collaborative murals stretched over about three years. Wegenast said she reviewed the portfolios of 35 artists before deciding that Vaughan was the person who should work with Aurora students. Wegenast said that in addition to her artwork, she was excited by the fact that Vaughan had grown up in nearby Hastings.

Both Wegenast and Vaughan noted that artist-in-residence work with Aurora students was paid for by the Hamilton Community Foundation, the Nebraska Arts Council and the Aurora Public Schools. Vaughan praised both the community and the school district in recognizing the importance of art for students.

Vaughan touched upon the enduring nature of art in several ways during the public unveiling of the murals. Over a doorway next to the Eyes On The Platte mural, she had printed the words, Art Like Nature Endures. She also pointed out that the name, Aurora, is both the name of a Roman goddess and also a phenomenon that people can see at night. She talked about how gazing at a night sky with stars that created various constellations many eons ago can make a person keenly aware how brief a span a human life occupies. But, she said, Creativity and art are exactly like the constellation, they never end.
AURORA  The attorney for Derrick Shirley, who is accused of entering into a conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, filed a plea in abatement on Thursday with Hamilton County District Judge Rachel Daugherty.

Attorney Mark Porto is contesting the Hamilton County Court finding that sufficient probable cause existed to bind Shirley over to district court.

The plea in abatement will be considered at a hearing at 9 a.m. June 2.

Shirley, who lives in Bradshaw, is accused of entering into an agreement with Robert Honken of Aurora to kill Honkens wife, Bethany. The state contends that Honken attempted to hire another man after Shirley abandoned the idea.

Shirley, 30, is charged with conspiracy to commit a Class 1 felony, which is a Class 2 felony.

He is free after posting 10 percent of his 250,000 bond on April 12. A condition of his release is that he have no contact with Bethany Honken.
Great Rivers Greenway, the City of St. Louis, CityArchRiver Foundation and other partners invite residents from across the region to join them in celebrating the transformation of the St. Louis riverfront on Thursday, June 2. The organizations will be hosting a Picnic on the Riverfront event from 5:00 to 8:45 p.m., which will feature St. Louis largest-ever community picnic - complete with a 2,016-foot-long table with chairs - to commemorate the opening of the new riverfront beneath the Gateway Arch.

The official ribbon cutting on June 2 will begin at 5 p.m. on the overlook stage along Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard, with remarks from dignitaries and partners. Afterward, attendees can explore the nearby Mississippi Greenway, enjoy local music and educational activities for kids and purchase dinner from food trucks and other vendors. People are also welcome to bring their own picnic meal. An interfaith blessing will kick off dinner at 6:15 p.m., followed by an aerial photo of all the picnickers. The event will end with a brief fireworks display at 8:30 p.m.

This new front door for our region celebrates the energy, adventure and awe of the mighty Mississippi and our iconic Gateway Arch, said Susan Trautman, Executive Director of Great Rivers Greenway, the regional parks and trails district and lead agency on the project. We invite people to bring their friends, family and neighbors from all parts of the region to celebrate.

The renovation of the 1.5-mile stretch of riverfront includes the recently rebuilt Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard and extension of the Mississippi Greenway from the Biddle Street Trailhead south to Chouteau Avenue, with protected walking and biking paths. The entire riverfront was elevated an average of almost two feet to limit flooding, returning more days of the year back to the community for walking, riding bikes, sightseeing and special events. While the historic elements were preserved, such as the cobblestones lining the levee; new amenities such as benches, bike racks, lights, power outlets and a street-level stage will make the space more inviting for events and programs. The lineup for this summer and fall includes bike rides, walk/run events, the St. Louis Brewers Guild Heritage Festival, a free concert series with The Sheldon, swap meets and more.

The historic riverfront is an important part of the story of the St. Louis region - its time to reconnect with our roots and make sure the riverfront is part of our future, said Mayor Slay, City of St. Louis.

The riverfront is part of the larger CityArchRiver project to enhance the Gateway Arch experience for all visitors.

With two projects finished and three more to go, this historic transformation is taking shape, said Ryan McClure, Director of Communications for the CityArchRiver Foundation, the nonprofit helping to coordinate the project and overseeing private investment. When the majority of the Gateway Arch grounds landscaping finishes this fall and the rest of the project is completed in 2017, visitors will get the exceptional experience of a connected city, Arch and river that is active throughout the year.

The renovations were funded by many partners, including Great Rivers Greenway; the U.S. Department of Transportation, through Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) funds; the National Park Service; CityArchRiver Foundation, and Bi-State Development.

The construction is wrapping up now, and is on track to meet or exceed minority participation goals. With 32 percent participation by minority-owned business enterprises and 19 percent participation by women-owned business enterprises - 51% of construction contracts were awarded to disadvantaged business enterprises. Workforce participation is also on track to meet the goal of 14.7 percent minority workers.

The riverfront is a place where everyone is welcome, and it was important that the construction of the project reflect that, too, said Carey Bundy, Project Manager for Great Rivers Greenway.

For more information about the event, visit www.CityArchRiver.org/riverfront. Explore St. Louis is contributing the tables and chairs, and Paramount Convention Services will haul the equipment to the riverfront. The ribbon cutting will happen rain or shine, but the picnic event could be rescheduled in the case of inclement weather.

For more information about the greenways throughout the region, visit www.GreatRiversGreenway.org.

About Great Rivers Greenway

Great Rivers Greenway connects the St. Louis region with greenways so people can explore their rivers, parks and communities, making it a vibrant place to live, work and play. Great Rivers Greenway is a regional parks and trails district, created by a vote of the people in the year 2000 to leave a legacy for future generations, and became the steward of the local taxpayers investment in the CityArchRiver project with a second vote in 2013. The district serves 1,200 square miles and nearly 2 million citizens in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County.

About the CityArchRiver Project

CityArchRiver is a transformational project that will enhance the Gateway Arch experience for all visitors. The project will create a seamless park experience from the city to the Mississippi River, providing visitors with a more vibrant place to visit, enjoy, and return. CityArchRiver is a public-private partnership including the National Park Service, Missouri Department of Transportation, Great Rivers Greenway, City of St. Louis, Bi-State Development, Jefferson National Parks Association, CityArchRiver Foundation and many other organizations.
Premier Li Keqiang (third from right) poses with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chanocha (third from left), Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (second from right), Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong (second from left), Myanmar Vice President Sai Mauk Kham (right) and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh (left) at a welcoming ceremony on Tuesday before the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, in Sanya, Hainan province. WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY

The first Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders 'Meeting held in Sanya, South China's Hainan province, on March 23 has got a popular Chinese nickname, "blueberry" mechanism, because its abbreviation sounds exactly like the nutritious fruit in Chinese. This reflects the close relationship between China and the countries that it shares the river with.

Flowing out of China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Lancang River, known as the Mekong River in the middle and lower reaches, meanders through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea. Some 326 million people live along the nearly 5,000-kilometer-long water body, which has a total drainage area of almost 800,000 sq km. And the combined trade volume between China and the five countries through which the Mekong flows was about $200 billion in 2015.

As Hu Zhenyue, vice-chair of China Public Diplomacy Association, said at an international forum in Bangkok last week, the six countries are destined to be cooperative partners because they are bonded together by the same river. Bangkok played host to the first international conference after the Sanya meeting that saw the participation of experts and scholars from the six Lancang-Mekong countries. Organized by Thailand's Institute of Security and International Studies, the forum discussed ways to realize the roadmap adopted at the Sanya meeting.

"The LMC is aimed at reducing disparity among the countries and realizing common social and economic development by deepening cooperation. It will contribute to regional integration and boost relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations," Hu said.

To this end, he said both long-term and mid-term planning for pragmatic and sustainable cooperation is needed, and the six countries should cater to the needs and concerns of each other and incorporate the sub-regional goals into their own development blueprints so as to bring tangible benefits to their peoples.

China's move to discharge water from Jinghong Dam from March 15 to April 10 to help the countries in the middle and lower reaches of the Mekong River overcome drought-like conditions proves that it is responding in a prompt and efficient manner to the concerns of its neighbors.
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Linkedin Indrasari Tjandraningsih (The Jakarta Post) Bandung  Thu, May 5, 2016

More than annual mass rallies to commemorate International Labor Day on May 1, the event should serve as a reminder that the countrys labor movement has consistently sought to protect workers rights.



The movement finds its relevance in the current governments economic policy, which gives priority to investors through a series of economic policy packages intended to convey a message that doing business in Indonesia is getting easier. The pro-investment approach potentially threatens workers protection, which is already weak.



Indeed, in a developing country like Indonesia contestation, rather than mutual symbiosis, has always marked relationship between investment and labor protection.



Labor Day is a remembrance of the labor unions success to eradicate exploitation of workers and set up proper working conditions such as work time of eight hours a day and 40 hours a week, job safety and fair wages and benefits. Workers across the world, especially those in the formal sector, both white collar and blue collar alike, enjoy better working conditions guaranteed by the law.



Labor Day should also remind middle-class workersthat they owe their improved working conditions to the labor movement. For that reason there is a need for middle-class workers to unionize and develop a strong, elegant and effective labor movement.



The urban middle-class in Indonesia consists of white-collar workers, who are characterized by high education and skills and aptitude in communication technology. These workers are reluctant to be called labor and prefer to be identified as executives or officers.



They are represented by, among others, professionals in the financial sector, hotels, telecommunications, IT and media. Some, if not most, of them actually do not completely understand their rights as workers and even do not know that their rights are protected by the state. Many of them are unaware of the law that protects them and their rights either.



A research conducted by AKATIGA & OPSI in 2011 in the banking sector and a study jointly conducted by the Department of Management at the University of Indonesias School of Economics and AKATIGA in 2013 in the telecommunications sector discovered that white-collar workers were also vulnerable and not spared from the practice of flexibilization of labor, which also means lack of security. This phenomenon was found even at the managerial level.



A study by the Association of Independent Journalists ( AJI ) in 2015 for print and electronic media workers confirmed this condition. Labor flexibilization creates contractual working relations and outsourcing that ruin job security.



White-collar workers often do not feel the need to unionize, or to borrow the words of journalist Satrio Arismunandar ( 2012 ), they are deceived by the false concept and pride of the professionals, considered higher than blue-collar workers. They tend to view labor unions as not for the professionals.



In reality, white-collar workers are as susceptible to mass lay-offs as their blue-collared brethren. Over the last two years alone, as reported in various media, falling oil prices and global economic slowdown have led to mass lay-off in the oil and gas, banking and pharmaceutical industries.



What is happening today is reminiscent of the Asian financial crisis that severely hit Indonesia almost 20 years ago. It was only then that white-collar workers turned to the labor unions asking for help to reinstate their rights, because they did not know the mechanism. As time has gone on, however, the interest in unionizing has faded in favor of the false pride of the professionals that need no union.



The nature of working relations in place in Indonesia is both flexible and individualistic. These characteristics entail worker vulnerability. Given these conditions, the union as a workers collective power is very relevant to resist the susceptibility.



Labor unions fight not only for workers rights but also human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Chapter 23 states that everyone is entitled to work, fair remuneration, life and social security, as well as the right to become a member of a labor union to protect his or her interests. As Indah Budiarti from Public Service International puts it, labor unions are a significant force of democracy and collective power and workers are an economic power.



Given that the blue-collar labor movements in Indonesia right now tend to exclude the professionals and create antipathy, particularly among employers, it is time for the white-collars to participate in and add to the labor movement. Their involvement in the organized movement may help breed public sympathy and empathy.



To quote a labor union activist, Labor unions are not perfect, but they are the best thing the working class has.

***

The writer is a researcher at the AKATIGA-Center for Social Analysis in Bandung.

---------------

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Devina Heriyanto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 5, 2016

Big Bad Wolf (BBW) 2016 is the first event of its kind in Indonesia. With 40 containers filled with 1.5 million books, it promises affordable imported books.

BBW has held book sales regularly in many cities in its country of origin, Malaysia. A franchise was later bought by PT Jaya Retail with Uli Silalahi as director. Uli personally asked BBW to hold a sale in Jakarta due to the low literacy rates in Indonesia.

Here are some interesting facts found by thejakartapost.com about the event.

1. BBW prides itself on huge reductions, of up to 90 percent for some books

Despite the prices, the organizer claims it's still making profits. "We're still a business. But not too much as we don't mark up the prices," said Uli.

2. BBW obtains its books from three top publishers  Harper Collins, Penguin Books and Alfred A. Knopf

Unlike other retailers, it cannot return unsold books. "The books will be used for the next city," explained Uli.

3. On weekdays, sales are relatively low

Uli said the number of visitors on those days was only a quarter of the number of booklovers expected on Sunday.

The sale had a limited opening on Friday. On its first day of public operation on Saturday, BBW saw 8,000 visitors, and the number jumped to 25,000 on Sunday.

4. BBW's organizer expects 25,000 to 30,000 visitors per day for the long weekend

Advertisements are inviting people from Bandung to come and visit Tangerang, as opposed to the usual situation where Jakartans flood Bandung on weekends.

5. Hall 10 of the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) in Tangerang was selected as the venue

Inside, visitors can find tables of books separated by genre.

6. BBW caters to readers of almost all genres

These include fantasy, young adult, general fiction, literature and non-fiction.

Parents and children can browse books together, as almost third of the hall is dedicated to children's books.

7. Comfort is guaranteed

Despite the crowds, visitors will not feel hot as there are air conditioners blasting in the hall.

The organizer also provides small trolleys for books so visitors do not feel burdened by the weight of the books.

8. The book selection is solid

Every visitor is guaranteed to find something interesting.

However, it is important to note that the titles are not newly published ones. There are no copies of this years Pulitzer winning book The Sympathizer, nor last year's Pulitzer winner All the Light We Cannot See or Man Booker Prize winner Brief History of Seven Killings. But popular books can easily be found such as the Hunger Games series, Maze Runner, A Song of Ice and Fireand also The Lord of the Rings.

Despite the huge collection, visitors will sometimes see the same title scattered over a few tables. Unfortunately, many are without plastic covers.

The literature selection also has a solid range of classics. However, in terms of newer literary works, there are titles from various notable authors but with limited choices. Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of A Death Foretold is available, though better known titles like Love in the Time of Cholera or One Hundred Years of Solitude are not. Hanya Yagihara's debut The People in the Trees can be found, unlike the newer, much acclaimed A Little Life. Works from Jose Saramago and Doris Lessing, both Nobel Peace Prize winners, are also present.

In short, you'll find lesser known books from famous authors.

9. BBW is famous for its sales

The books are cheap, compared to bookstores.

A paperback copy of Les Miserables (the movie tie-in edition) is priced at Rp 70,000 (US$5.29), almost a third of the price in bookstores such as Periplus, Books and Beyond or Open Trolley.

For Rp 60,000 to Rp 70,000, visitors can get hardback editions of some books, which are usually priced at Rp 200,000 to Rp 400,000.

The same goes for graphic novels. A visitor stated that some prices were a third of those in Indonesian bookstores.

However, for some titles, the prices are not that different to shopping on Amazon. For instance, DC Comics The Brightest Dayis priced at Rp 130,000, but can be found for $15.83 on Amazon. Still, BBW offers the easier way to buy.

10. In a corner of the hall, visitors can find the Curious Corner, which sells posters and wall decorations

The sale is open 24 hours during long weekend to cater to those who want to avoid the crowds. The director noted that there were not many visitors for midnight to dawn. However, in Malaysia, midnight is the peak time.

Different culture, or maybe they [the visitors] are not used to it, said Uli.

For those who cannot make it to the event, do not despair. BBW is planning to hold another book sale in Bandung, possibly this year due to public demand. (kes)
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Linkedin Damar Harsanto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 5, 2016

Three Indonesian nationals were left dead and two sent to the hospital in critical condition after a deadly pile-up crushed their car on Monday night local time in Mississippi, the US.

A local news portal reported that Mississippi Highway Patrol investigators and other agencies were still trying to piece together what had happened in the accident on highway I-10 between Mississippi and Louisiana in Hancock County, Mississippi.

Highway patrol spokesperson Chase Elkins said a passenger car had been rear-ended by an 18-wheeled truck at about 9 p.m. on Monday night, sending the car into another 18-wheeler. A fourth vehicle then hit the car, which was left completely crushed.

Elkins said the car was in the right lane of the westbound roadway of highway I-10, near the Louisiana line. The left lane had been shut down for construction. The portion of the interstate affected by the wreck was shut down for about six hours.

"All we know is the people in the car were from Indonesia," Elkins said, as quoted by the Sun Herald. "The coroner is having a tough time notifying the next of kin and we cannot release the names of those killed at this time."

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Diaspora Network in the US is reportedly raising funds to support the victims via crowdfunding site GoFundMe.com, using the title: Help Indonesians: 4 car crash 1-10. The donations will be used to cover medical bills and other expenses.

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said representatives from the Indonesian consulate general in Houston, Texas, were heading to the location, six hours' drive from Houston.

[The coordinating] was done directly with the help of friends of the victims in the US, Arrmanatha said as quoted by kompas.com.

Currently, two victims' bodies are at Edmund Fahey Funeral Home in St. Bay Louis, Mississippi, while one has been taken to the New Orleans Coroner's Office.

Injured victims are reportedly being treated at two different hospitals: the Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, Mississippi, and the University Medical Center in New Orleans.(dmr)
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Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura, Papua  Thu, May 5, 2016

Rights activists in Papua have slammed the arrest of 1,888 students and activists who were carrying out a peaceful rally on Monday to support the United Liberation Movement for West Papua's campaign to gain full membership of the Melanesia Spearhead Group.

They said the arrests revealed Indonesia's paradoxical democracy and attitude toward human rights.

During his visit to Papua to release five political prisoners in 2015, President Jokowi said he would open democracy up as widely as possible in Papua. However, the stifling of that aspiration has been continuous. Indonesia is widely acclaimed as Asia's biggest democratic country, but in Papua, voicing your aspirations is prohibited, Ferdinand Marisan, the director of rights group Elsham Papua, said in Jayapura on Wednesday.

According to Elsham Papua, the difference between what the government has stated and what it has done reveals the paradox in Indonesias democracy and its upholding of human rights. Efforts by the government to uphold human rights, and its statements on freedom of expression, are aimed at merely creating a good image because the silencing of [opinions] has continued to happen, Ferdinand said.

Gustaf Kawer, a law practitioner in Papua who often gives legal assistance in cases involving separatism, said the stifling of voices in the province, where many want to separate from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), was getting stronger and continued to affect more and more Papua residents and youths.

Last year, only hundreds of Papuan people were arrested for [protesting] for freedom, or separation from Indonesia. Now more and more people are being arrested and recently, around 1,000 people were arrested and taken to the Mobile Brigade [Brimob] Kotaraja headquarters, said Gustaf.

Peoples aspirations cannot be silenced. The harder they try to silence us, the stronger we will voice our aspirations, he said.

The arrest of 1,888 Papuan residents, he continued, was in violation of human rights and various laws that ensured freedom of expression.

As reported earlier, during the commemoration ceremony for National Education Day on Monday, West Papua National Committee members staged a rally, rejecting the integration of Papua into Indonesia, a move which was was formalized on May 1, 1963. Security arrested the protesters and took them all to the local Brimob headquarters in Kotaraja, Jayapura, where they were held in a field at the headquarters from 9 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. local time.

Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw said the activists were arrested because the police had not issued a permit for the rally, adding that they were prohibited from staging any rally in support of separation from Indonesia.

Several demonstrators were reportedly beaten and journalists were not allowed to cover the arrest.

Papua Legislative Council Speaker Yunus Wonda regretted the repressive measures used by security officers.

The police should have taken a persuasive approach in guarding the [rally]. If the arrests happened because they were voicing their aspirations, democracy in Papua is being silenced, said Yunus.

Elsham Papua considers the government not serious about resolving human rights violations in Papua. Though many rights violations have occurred in Papua, only one case has been brought before the human rights tribunal, and the perpetrator in that case released.

Human rights violations in Papua have continued to occur and none of them have been resolved. There is no government willingness to properly resolve the cases, which leads the people to lose their trust in the government because there is no justice for victims, said Ferdinand.

Elsham Papua has made three recommendations following the incident. First, it has called on the Pacific Islands Forum to dispatch a fact-finding team to Papua to meet with victims of human rights violations, which have been occurring since May 1, 1963, and continue today.

Second, it calls on UN member countries, international human rights organizations and all networks in support of upholding human rights to also establish a fact-finding team. Elsham Papua expects this team to visit Papua before the UN Human Rights Council conducts its Universal Periodic Review in 2017.

Third, Elsham Papua calls on the government to be ready and willing to cooperate with neutral third parties in carrying out an investigation on human rights violations in Papua. The investigation, the rights groups states, should not involve the Indonesian Military or the National Police, two institutions that it claims have often committed human rights violations in Papua. (afr/ebf)
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Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru  Thu, May 5, 2016

The Drug and Food Monitoring Agency (BPOM) in Pekanbaru has confiscated 16,991 items of illegal drugs and cosmetics, of 1,086 different types, worth Rp 1.2 billion (US$89,702).

The products were confiscated because they did not have distribution permits or contained dangerous substances, the agency said.

BPOM Pekanbaru head Indra Ginting said investigators confiscated the illegal products from 11 kiosks, cosmetic stores and beauty parlors during raids conducted in Bengkalis, Dumai, Kampar and Pekanbaru. Some of the locations were detected through internet investigations they had conducted since January.

The products marketed online were mostly illegal drugs, he said in a press conference on Wednesday.

Indra added that apart from the illegal drugs, other products confiscated during the operations were herbal medicines, locally known as jamu, and cosmetics such as lipsticks, whitening cream and face foundation. Most of the products were marketed as imported brands, while the value of local products amounted to only around Rp 100 million.

The products have imported brands. They really look like imported products and their packaging is emblazoned with original. It cannot be confirmed yet on whether the products are indeed imported or counterfeit, said Indra.

He further said most of the vendors claimed they did not know that the products they distributed contained dangerous substances. Some of them were aware that they were illegal products because the BPOM had often conducted sudden inspections targeting the products. But they still distributed them due to high consumer demand, said Indra.

Online shops have been growing rapidly in Indonesia and this phenomenon means the BPOM has to increase surveillance. Consumers must be careful because in online shopping, they must first transfer money before their orders are delivered. As a consequence, consumers cannot check the originality of the products, said Indra.

He called on consumers to stop using drugs and cosmetics without distribution permits to avoid any negative effects. The side effects of products containing dangerous substances will appear for users in the longer term, said Indra.

Consumers must be careful and not easily lured by cheap prices. Please make sure that we only use products already registered with the BPOM. Their registration numbers can be seen on the product packaging, said Indra.

None of the vendors has been named a suspect despite the huge value of the confiscated products. We are processing the cases. Lets wait for developments. Last year, we [BPOM] handed over 15 cases to the police, said Indra. (ebf)
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Linkedin Michael R.Blood (Associated Press) Los Angeles  Thu, May 5, 2016

Hillary Clinton is looking confidently ahead to the general election, but taking nothing for granted as California's mega-primary approaches, reaching out to Hispanic and black voters in the hope of waging a final knockout against rival Bernie Sanders.

Clinton's visit to the Golden State Thursday coincides with Cinco de Mayo, the annual celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. She plans to rally supporters in the gymnasium of a community college that serves heavily Hispanic cities on the edge of Los Angeles.

The event will carry symbolic value. The venue, East Los Angeles College, isn't far from another local school where Clinton kicked off her successful 2008 presidential primary run in California, when she delivered a setback to then-Sen. Barack Obama on his way to claiming the White House.

In that race, the former first lady notched nearly 55 percent of the vote in heavily Democratic Los Angeles County, home to 10 million people and an important battleground in any statewide campaign.

As in past primaries, Clinton is expected to do well in the June 7 primary with older Democrats, Hispanics and black voters, while Sanders could perform better with younger voters and independents, who have the option of voting since California holds an open primary.

"The Sanders folks feel that they have to do better with the minority communities, especially Latinos," said Mitchell Schwartz, who ran Obama's 2008 campaign in the state and supports the Vermont senator.

For Clinton's campaign, "they don't want to go into the (national) convention having lost the biggest state in the country," Schwartz added. "They are going to pull out all the stops here to win."

Relying on many of the same advisers who laid the groundwork for her 2008 win, Clinton is looking to build on that strategy, targeting key demographics in the diverse region. Hispanics alone make up about half the population in Los Angeles County.

Clinton will begin her day Thursday meeting privately with politically influential black pastors in Los Angeles, then attend a fundraiser hosted by Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, a Mexican immigrant, before the college rally.

Until recently, the California primary had looked like the make-or-break contest for candidates on both sides of the aisle. But billionaire businessman Donald Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee, while Sanders looks to California as his last glimmer of hope in stopping Clinton, who has thus far won 92 percent of the delegates needed to claim the nomination.

But Clinton can't be too confident going in to the country's final primary, with statewide voter surveys pointing to a tight race between the two Democrats.

An independent Field Poll released last month found Clinton with a 6-point lead over Sanders, with 12 percent of voters still undecided.

Highlighting the stakes, Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will each be making appearances in the Los Angeles area this week. The former first lady heads to Oakland on Friday.

Clinton's appearance at the college also represents a bid to lift her appeal with younger voters, who have strongly rallied behind Sanders' insurgent campaign. The Vermont senator's rallies in California have been filled to capacity with 20- and 30-somethings; a Clinton rally last month at another college in Los Angeles was noticeably thin on student-attendees, though it was held on a Saturday.

Driving up turnout will be a key issue for both candidates; likely voters in California tend to be older, white, college-educated and homeowners, surveys show. Hispanics, by comparison, tend to vote in proportions well below their share of the population, in part because many are too young to vote, not registered or not citizens.

Michael Ceraso, Sanders' state director, said campaign volunteers will make 1 million door knocks by primary day, as part of the campaign's effort to scout up supporters and to register new voters.

The California election is actually about a month long.

Vote-by-mail ballots go out next week and could account for more than half of the total number of votes cast. That means that many voters will be making decisions weeks before June 7.

In California, 475 Democratic delegates will be divvied up in the election, some based on the outcome in each congressional district, others in proportion to the statewide tally. That will make it difficult for either candidate to win a commanding victory.

California has long been favorable terrain for the Clintons. Along with her 2008 win, Bill Clinton locked in the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination in the state, which he carried in his two presidential contests. The familiarity of the Clinton name could be an asset.

Lia Evans, 19, a student from Torrance and registered Democrat, was among the crowd at a Clinton rally at Los Angeles Southwest College last month.

While she liked what she heard from both candidates, she was more comfortable with Clinton.

As for Sanders, "I still don't know that much about him," she said. (**)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 5, 2016

The State Logistics Agency (Bulog) has given an assurance that the supply of staple foods in the country is sufficient to meet an increase in demand during the upcoming Ramadhan fasting month.

Bulog says it has an available supply of 1.9 million tons of rice, 1.5 million tons of corn and 631 tons of beef, which are all considered sufficient to meet the expected rise in demand during Ramadhan in June.

"Our rice allocation is usually around 300,000 tons per month, while during Ramadhan rice consumption usually increases by only 10 percent. So, 1.9 million tons of rice is really sufficient," Bulogs sales division head Subali Agung Gunawan told thejakartapost.com on Wednesday.

He further said Bulogs rice stock was enough for 6.58 months while 626,000 tons of soya bean stocks would be enough for three months. Meanwhile, 144,000 tons of cooking oil was enough for six months, he added.

The agencys stock levels, however, are lower than international standards. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), food stocks should be 17 to 20 percent of national consumption. Thus, if Indonesias yearly consumption is 32.4 million tons, Bulog should have at least 5.5 million tons of food stocks.

"We must admit that we still lag behind the international standards. We are striving to reach that figure," Subali said.

He further explained that up until now, there were no signs of an increase in food prices. Shallots and chili prices were relatively stable despite a slight increase several months ago, while the beef price was mostly flat.

"We need to pay attention to chicken and eggs because their prices will start to climb right before Ramadhan and will reach their peak around the Idul Fitri festivities," said Trade Ministry spokesman Tirta Karma Senjaya.

Chicken usually sees a rise in demand during Ramadhan and Idul Fitri as it is used in many traditional foods. During Idul Fitri, people usually eat chicken soup and curry.

"In the first quarter, the demand for consumer goods was quite low. Many of our consumer goods members complained about weak sales. We expect this will improve in the second quarter. Hopefully Ramadhan can trigger higher demand," vice chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Benny Soetrisno told thejakartapost.com. (ebf)
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Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 5, 2016

Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have agreed to double their bilateral trade value by 2020 as the two countries believe they have a lot of potential for expansion.

Trade Ministry expert for trade services Arlinda Imbang Jaya said the total trade between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia amounted to US$8.5 billion in 2015.

Indonesian exports to Saudi Arabia amounted to $3.35 billion in 2015, while imports were worth $5.14 billion.

The figures are yet to reflect the potential of both countries, she said while receiving a Saudi business delegation at her office in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Arlinda said Saudi Arabia had expressed its interest in cooperating with various business players including those running professional nursing care, producing pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and medical equipment.

Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest potential markets for Indonesia in the Middle East, she said.

Indonesias main export commodities to Saudi Arabia are cars, palm oil, tuna, rubber and rubber products, plywood, paper and paper products, pulp, charcoal, textile and textile products.

Arlinda asked Indonesian businesses to increase the quality of their products to meet the requirements set by the Saudi authority, the Saudi Standards, Quality, and Metrology Organization (SASO).

Head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Mecca Maher Jamal said the trade partnership between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia did not match the political and cultural ties.

He said Saudi Arabia was ready to facilitate and help Indonesian companies to expand their businesses in Saudi Arabia.

Jamal said the trade value between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia was expected to increase by 15 percent every year.

To reach this goal, Saudi Arabia will participate in exhibitions staged by Indonesia, he said, adding that Indonesia also should participate in exhibitions held in Saudi Arabia. (sha/dmr)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 5, 2016

Indonesia and Timor Leste have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in developing human resources for the industrial sector in the two countries.

The agreement is part of the 2013-2017 human resources partnership contract worth US$ 6 million between Indonesia and Timor Leste. Some programs already started are human resources development in the field of wedding organizing, food processing and handcrafts.

"From 2011 to 2016, our industrial development agencies have provided 15 human resource capacity building training sessions. We hope this MoU will push for more industrial development programs in both countries," Industry Minister Saleh Husin said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Following the MoU signing, Indonesia and Timor Leste will set up technical committees and hold a survey to identify the needs for the programs.

"We will further evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of the program," the ministrys director general for international industry access development, Achmad Sigit Dwiwahjono, said on Wednesday.

Timor Lestes main commodity is oil and as such its economy has suffered from the global decline in oil prices, thus it is currently looking for more sustainable development models. The non-oil economy is now at the beginning stage in the country.

"We have launched our sustainable development plan and it means there will be economic diversification. Timor Leste is currently at the early stage of an industrial country and human resources are the prerequisite for that," Timor Lestes Trade, Industry and Environment Minister Constancio da Conceicao Pinto said.

The minister further said industrial reform was important because currently, Timor Leste was applying to join ASEAN. The Indonesian government was ready to give its support for Timor Lestes ASEAN membership but some concerns, including the countrys economic development must be first resolved.

"We need to make sure our country can compete to attract investors and carry out reforms needed to speed up our ASEAN membership approval and I want to thank the Indonesian government for its support for our membership," Pinto said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 5, 2016

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has urged vendors at the Giwangretno Market in Kebumen, Central Java, to maintain the markets hygiene and sanitation.

He highlighted the two main issues during his visit to the newly revitalized traditional market on Wednesday.

"Every day we must clean up the market to maintain its hygiene, so its no less attractive than malls and supermarkets," Jokowi said as quoted from a statement made available to thejakartapost.com on Wednesday.

President Jokowi advised all market vendors to arrange their products as attractively as possible, he said, adding that they should also must be friendly to their customers.

Under its revitalization program, the Giwangretno Market has expanded to 4,013 square meters from the previous 3,678. The number of kiosks and vendors has increased from 66 kiosks with 411 vendors to 73 kiosks with 463 traders.

Previously, Giwangretno trading activities took place only twice a week with revenue amounting to Rp 61.65 million (US$4,608.33) a day. Currently, the market is open every day with an expected revenue of Rp104 million a day.

On Wednesday morning, President Jokowi also inaugurated the Manis I Market in Banyumas. A year ago, Jokowi launched the traditional market revitalization program for this market.

During his speech, Jokowi invited all vendors in the Manis I Market to expand their businesses by getting bank loans through the government-backed micro loan program (KUR), if needed. (ebf)
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Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Thu, May 5, 2016

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) will investigate alleged human rights violations in the recent shutting down of World Press Day celebrations by the police and various conservative social organizations in Yogyakarta.

Our monitoring sub-commission members will go to Yogyakarta to gather information and facts. We will meet all parties, including police personnel, Komnas HAM chairman M. Imdadun Rahmat said in Yogyakarta early on Thursday.

He made the statement after receiving a report of the incident from the Yogyakarta chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).

It was earlier reported that police personnel and members of the Communication Forum of Indonesian Veterans' Children (FKPPI), an association of families of retired military and police personnel, dispersed an event that was celebrating World Press Day, held by AJI Yogyakarta on Tuesday.

The police and FKPPI members said a movie titled Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta (Buru Island: My Homeland), by Rahung Nasution, was screening at the event and had the potential to ignite conflict as it contained communist teachings.

The police insisted the event had no permit although AJI Yogyakarta claimed it had sent an invitation to Yogyakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Prasta Wahyu Hidayat and Yogyakarta City Police chief Sr. Comr. Pri Hartono Eling Lelakon.

The Yogyakarta Police chief has ordered that this activity be stopped, Yogyakarta City Police head of operations Comr. Sigit Haryadi said on Tuesday.

Imdadun said two serious human rights violations had taken place. First, the shutting down of the event, and second, the expulsion of AJI Yogyakarta members and activists who insisted on staying at the AJI office after the event had been shut down on Tuesday evening.

We will also see what rights have been violated in terms of violence. The result of our investigation will form the basis for recommendations we will submit to several government institutions, he said.

If there was an ethics violation, the commissioner said, Komnas HAM would push the National Police to hold an ethics hearing. Or, it will bring the case to the general court if the violation could be categorized as a crime.

The state must protect its citizens who want to meet or work anywhere they like. There should be no expulsion. It seems this country has no rules, said Imdadun.

In an official statement, AJI Yogyakarta secretary Bhekti Suryani asked the government to be serious in handling the case and the violations perpetrated by the police officers. The police, Bhekti said, tended to take sides with intolerant groups.

We urge the National Police chief [Gen. Badrodin Haiti] and the National Police Commission to evaluate the work performance of the Yogyakarta Police and all of their divisions, which have allied themselves with intolerant groups, said Bhekti.

Yogyakarta-based Indonesian Islamic University Center for Human Rights Studies (Pusham UII) director Eko Riyadi symbolically expressed his condolences for the death of press freedom in Indonesia. He said the repression perpetrated by security authorities had exceeded the limits of what could be tolerated in a democratic country.

"The shutdown has marked a new era where the police are very actively limiting human rights," Eko said.

He called on Komnas HAM to investigate the case seriously because cases of intolerance were continuing to happen in Yogyakarta. In the city, known as a city of tolerance, Eko said he had witnessed state apparatus instead form an evil axis with intolerant groups.

The result [of the investigation] is not only aimed at dismissing either the Yogyakarta Police chief or the Yogyakarta City Police chief but also at improving the situation in Yogyakarta, said Eko.

Meanwhile, a researcher from the Institution of Social and Islamic Study (LKIS), Hairus Salim, said the shutdown of the commemoration of World Press Day was really frightening and tense.

There were many fully armed police personnel. They actually would've been quite strong enough to fight against the intolerant groups, said Hairus.

He said he regretted that the police officers had refused to function as they should and protect the citizens being threatened with violence by the FKPPI. (afr/ebf)
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Linkedin Syamsul Huda M.Suhari (The Jakarta Post) Gorontalo  Thu, May 5, 2016

Despite alarming ecological concerns, Limboto Lake in Gorontalo remains either a stopover point or a permanent home for at least 85 bird species. Some of the birds are endemic to the region and many pass through Gorontalo when migrating.

The migratory birds, which rest at Limboto Lake, are water birds from Alaska, Siberia, Russia and Europe. Forty nine of the 85 species recorded at the lake are migratory birds.

They include the oriental pratincole, the whimbrel, the glossy ibis, the greater painted-snipe, the sharp-tailed sandpiper, the common sandpiper, the greater sand plover, the wood sandpiper, the oriental plover, the whiskered tern and the common sandpiper. Most of the birds rest at Limboto Lake before continuing their migration to various destinations.

We can enjoy the migration phenomenon of the migrant birds during from October to December every year, bird conservation group Burung Indonesia biodiversity officer Panji Ahmad Fauzan told thejakartapost.com on Wednesday.

From 2014 to 2016, Burung Indonesia, supported by photographers and journalists, has carried out a number of surveys to uncover the number and types of birds people can find in Limboto Lake.

Panji said the surveys were important because there was no comprehensive data on the birds at the lake, where the water level has continued to fall.

Free as a bird  Water birds search for fish and other creatures in Limboto Lake.(thejakartapost.com/Syamsul Huda M.Suhari)

The presence of water birds at Limboto Lake had not been recorded by anyone else when conservation group Wetlands International carried out water bird surveys between 1987 and 2007.

According to Burung Indonesia, Limboto Lake is a natural habitat for 14 protected bird species and four Sulawesi endemic bird species. Those protected species are often still hunted people, for fun.

Debby Hariyanti Mano, a Gorontalo journalist and blogger who has documented birds at Limboto Lake, said wildlife hunting occurred there almost every day. When she goes to the lake to document bird species, Debby says she often meets hunters carrying air rifles and dead birds.

Some of them proudly showed me pictures on social media of birds they hit while hunting, said Debby.

The lakes shallow and muddy nature has made it an ideal habitat for various water birds.

Unfortunately, the water at Limboto Lake has continued to recede and it will soon be dry. In the 1970s, the historical lake covered 5,600 hectares, and witnessed a peace agreement between two conflicting Gorontalo kingdoms.

Currently, Limboto Lake covers only 2,500 hectares. High sedimentation, forest clearing upstream and land conversion are among the major causes of silting in the lake. (ebf)
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Linkedin Darlene Superville (Associated Press) Washington  Thu, May 5, 2016

President Barack Obama on Wednesday urged Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders to fight bigotry and to press Congress to update US immigration policy.

Obama said America's tradition is to welcome newcomers because it was founded by immigrants. He said that tradition also makes difficult to understand why some people are blocking efforts to overhaul US immigration laws.

"We don't simply welcome new immigrants. We are born of immigrants," Obama told hundreds attending the annual awards dinner for the Asian Pacific American Institute of Congressional Studies. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization promotes Asian-American and Pacific Islander participation and representation in politics.

Obama sought to connect with the audience by noting his birth in Hawaii and his youth in Indonesia.

"The spirit and culture of the Asia-Pacific region, that's who I am," he said.

Comprehensive immigration legislation cleared the Senate in 2013, but the House has not voted on it. Obama has used his executive authority to shield some immigrants living illegally in the country from deportation, but more than two dozen states, led by Texas, challenged his action in federal court.

The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in the case and a decision is expected by the end of June.

In his remarks, Obama said: "The actions I've taken on my own can't take the place of what we really need, which is Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. ... You have the power to push Congress to do it."

He said the AAPI community is the fastest-growing minority group in the US, but is also significantly underrepresented at the ballot box.

In a reference to Donald Trump, who on Wednesday became the likely Republican presidential nominee, Obama urged the audience to push back against anti-immigrant sentiment, especially from those who he says stoke such feelings for political gain. Trump has called for barring Muslims from entering the country.

Obama said that just as the US has moved beyond "No Irish need apply" signs, questioning the loyalty of Catholics, persecuting Chinese immigrants and its treatment of Japanese-Americans and immigrants during World War II, "we are going to move beyond today's anti-immigrant sentiment, as well."

"We will live up to our ideals," said Obama.

___

Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap (**)
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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 5, 2016

The recent case of the gang rape and murder of a junior high schoolgirl in a remote village in Bengkulu has gathered hundreds of people in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, to speak up against violence against women.

Kate Walton, a Jakarta-based Australian activist, said the gruesome case of 14-year old Yuyun, who was brutally raped and murdered by 14 young men in Bengkulu last month was only one of many other similar cases happening across the country.

Currently working on a project that documents the cases of women who have been killed by men in Indonesia, Walton said 44 cases of violence against women had been recorded in the first four months of this year alone. Seven of the victims were teenage girls, including Yuyun, she added.

"I think this indicates that Indonesia is experiencing a much broader crisis of violence against women," Walton told thejakartapost.com on Wednesday. She was speaking during a candlelight vigil in memory of Yuyun, which was held in front of the State Palace. People gathered at the event to call for an end to violence against women.

Walton said the vast majority of the victims were killed by their intimate partners, adding that these women were murdered in violently dramatic circumstances and their killings were often related to sex-related matters.

"The punishment and prosecution of these men is quite limited and part of that is due to the absence of necessary laws," Walton said.

Although she was not involved in organizing the protest, Walton was one of first activists to raise the issue of sexual violence against women on social media. It was triggered by her concern over the lack of awareness in society of the need to fight the crime.

"Frankly, we need to talk about it at all levels," she said. She further said there was a need to provide better education on sex and respectful relationships between men and women for the public. Adequate laws that protect women who become victims and survivors of sexual violence are critical as well.

Martha Veronica, a recent college graduate from Bengkulu, expressed her concern over delayed public attention, which often happens in cases of violence against women, including Yuyuns case, and this was something that needed to be questioned.

She regretted the slow public reaction toward Yuyuns case although she was also aware that such a delay was due to the remoteness of the incident site, leading to less attention from society at large. The government also tends to overlook violence against women cases, she added.

"I think the government needs to be more assertive in laws on violence against women and children," Martha said.

Lynda Mills, an Englishwoman who has been living in Indonesia for eight years, said Yuyun's case reminded her of the major rape case in India in 2012. Mills commended the public's efforts at raising awareness and also called for the government to strengthen laws against brutal acts of violence.

"It doesn't matter where these atrocities are committed, no matter how remote, we need to raise our voices and say, 'your stories will be told and there will be consequences'," Mills said.

National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) vice chairwoman Budi Wahyuni, who was also at the rally, said there was an urgent need to fight against sexual violence against women because the number of cases of violence against women had continued to grow.

Komnas Perempuan recorded 16,217 cases of violence against women in 2015, a rise from 11,207 in the previous year, with 1,657 of those cases being sexual-violence cases.

Budi said the commission continued to push for the sexual violence bill, which was currently included in the additional 2017 National Legislation Program (additional Prolegnas). "Hopefully, it can be moved forward and fast-tracked," Budi said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Agus Maryono (The Jakarta Post) Purwokerto  Thu, May 5, 2016

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has said traditional markets can compete with supermarkets or other modern markets, especially on the prices of goods they sell.

He said the prices of goods distributed in traditional markets could be much cheaper than those sold in supermarkets because vendors in traditional markets did not have to pay high taxes. They also did not have to spend a lot of money to pay electricity fees.

Serve your customers as well as possible and keep smiling. The prices of all goods sold here must be cheaper than the ones in modern markets so that our market will not be inferior to malls, not inferior to supermarkets, said President Jokowi.

He made the statement during his dialogue with vendors at the Manis Market, a traditional market in Purwokerto, Banyumas regency, Central Java, on Wednesday. The President visited Purwokerto to inaugurate the newly revitalized market, which is part of the governments 1,000 Indonesian traditional markets revitalization program.

Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong and State Secretary Pratikno accompanied President Jokowi on the visit.

All ready  President Joko Jokowi Widodo poses in a picture with vendors at the Manis Market in Purwokerto, Banyumas regency, Central Java, during his visit on Wednesday. (thejakartapost.com/Agus Maryono)

In the dialogue, President Jokowi called on the markets vendors who wanted to develop their businesses to take advantage of the low-interest peoples credit (KUR) program channeled by the government through a number of state banks.

Maam, what places do you often go to when you need capital? If you need loans, please go to state-lender BRI or BNI. Please remember that if you need loans, just get KUR. Its rate is only 9 percent annually, said Jokowi.

I hope you can watch over this market so it can stay clean. Please maintain it. Dont let this place become polluted with garbage. Lets watch over this market together, said Jokowi. (ebf)
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Linkedin Edith M.Lederer (Associated Press) United Nations  Thu, May 5, 2016

The UN political chief told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday that the Syrian government's bombing campaign in Aleppo over the last two weeks is among "the worst" of the five-year war and he demanded that perpetrators be brought to justice at the International Criminal Court.

Jeffrey Feltman said he wanted to make clear that intentional and direct attacks on hospitals are war crimes and so is using starvation as a weapon during conflict.

Once Syria's largest city and commercial center, he said, Aleppo is being subjected to "systematic destruction" and is increasingly becoming "a shell of what it once was." He said "opposition shelling of government-controlled neighborhoods has also led to death and destruction."

Feltman and UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien called for the cessation of hostilities in Aleppo  agreed to by the US and Russia and announced Wednesday  to be implemented fully and immediately. That call was echoed by virtually all 15 council members who spoke at the meeting.

O'Brien said hundreds of civilians have been killed or injured in "the carnage in Aleppo" in the last 10 days and blamed all parties.

"Life for people in Aleppo is horrendous and has lost all sense," he said, pointing to the roughly 300,000 people in eastern Aleppo living in constant fear of aerial attacks and the estimated 1.3 million in the west crowding into basements to escape shelling and mortar rounds.

Syria's deputy UN ambassador Mounzer Mounzer told the council that "what the Syrian government has been doing in the city of Aleppo is merely a fulfillment of its obligation to protect its citizens from terrorism."

He said the Syrian government abided by the cessation of hostilities that went into effect in late February and accused armed groups allied with the Nusra Front, an affiliate of al-Qaida, of violating the agreement, particularly in Aleppo.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, a close Syrian ally, urged support for the Russian-American efforts and a peace agreement, and "an end to all provocations." Alluding to allegations that the Syrian government is responsible for widespread bombings and attacks, Churkin said, "it's counterproductive to express public criticism on unverified incidents simply to add new charges against the Syrian government."

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, who called for the emergency meeting on Aleppo, demanded to know how Syrian President Bashar Assad and his allies can say they are protecting their people and justify the encirclement and assault on Aleppo including the shelling of hospitals and schools.

"These attacks amount to nothing more than barbaric, collective punishment," Rycroft said. "They are war crimes ... (and) those responsible should be held fully accountable including at the International Criminal Court." (**)
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Linkedin Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post) Pontianak, West Kalimantan  Thu, May 5, 2016

A resident of Kubu Raya regency, West Kalimantan, has handed over a Bornean slow loris she had been taking care of for two weeks to the provinces Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA).

Mistiani claimed she found the female Bornean slow loris swinging from branches of a mango tree in front of her house. She then caught the animal, known locally as a kukang, and kept it in a cage she previously used to keep a rabbit.

I didnt know what animal it was. I kept it for two weeks and gave it bananas. I then decided to hand it over to the government because I saw on television that this is a protected species, Mistiani told thejakartapost.com at the BKSDA West Kalimantan office on Monday.

The Bornean slow loris is a protected species. Its attractive physical appearance has led many people in West Kalimantan to keep them as pets although it is prohibited.

Mistiani handed over the loris in a cardboard to the BKSDA West Kalimantans forest ranger division unit Azmardi.

Azmardi suspected that the loris was a pet, which had escaped from its cage. The animal normally lives in forests rather than urban areas. He said the loris would undergo observation for several days before it would be sent to a conservation shelter in Ketapang.

Azmardi explained that the slow loris was a shy animal, which played an important role in the forest ecosystem. Slow lorises not only serve as pest controllers but also spread plant seeds as they consume fruit.

As of April 2016, the BKSDA West Kalimantan had rescued five Bornean slow lorises. All of the lorises have been rehabilitated in a shelter belonging to conservation group Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) in Ketapang regency.

During that period, the BKSDA also rescued one Malayan sun bear, 12 Bornean orangutans and one forest cat.

The YIARI shelter is an orangutan rehabilitation center but it also handles rehabilitation treatment for several other mammals. Since it first opened in 2009, the shelter has rehabilitated 160 orangutans, 50 of which have been released back to their natural habitat. (ebf)
New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer visited Art on A Gallery yesterday morning to learn more about the new documentary film on Streits Matzo and to deliver a message: the city must do more to save cherished small businesses.

An exhibit at the gallery complements the film, Streits: Matzo and the American Dream, which is playing through next Tuesday at Film Forum. Stringer spent some time with filmmaker Michael Levine, who explained the events leading up to Streits decision to close its Rivington Street factory after 90 years. The business is relocating to Rockland County. In the next few weeks, the old factory buildings will be demolished to make way for luxury condos.

The film repeatedly drives home the point that members of the Streit family felt a strong emotional connection to the neighborhood and had no desire to leave. In his conversation with Levine, Stringer said, the city doesnt work to save small businesses. They work to build luxury condos.

The comptroller referenced his recent report detailing small business struggles due to mountains of red tape at city agencies. He also alluded to the the citys decision to lift a deed restriction at the Rivington House nursing home, clearing the way for luxury condos there (Stringers office is investigating the matter). Speaking of Streits, he said, this is a perfect example of the trials and tribulations of a business that thrived for more than 90 years but with the onset of gentrification and the inability to work with the city to preserve a business that provided good jobs for people (the business was forced to move) Theres just something wrong with that.

Invoking the Rivington House scandal, Stringer added, A deed restriction was lifted so that a developer could walk away with $72 million literally in the middle of the night. The Lower East Side is such a part of our history over many generations  and were seeing it sort of wiped away. Maybe this film will wake people up to realize that businesses like the matzo factory  they dont have to be collateral damage as we change the skyline of the city.

Levine told Stringer, The family had tried for many years to get tax incentives to stay (on the Lower East Side) Finally when they announced that they were leaving is when the city finally offered that to them. He asked what can be done to make sure other small businesses receive help before its too late. Stringer did not have a specific answer but said, We in government have a responsibility if we want to keep this city diverse and we want to give every family a fighting chance to make it here. I think people are starting to feel this is only a city where wealthy people can do business. That would be a terrible tragedy.

Yesterday afternoon, we spoke with Aron Yagoda, one of the owners of Streits, about the familys dealings with the city. Over the years, he said, they tried to contact various city agencies about their predicament. No one would call us back, he explained. In the end, the factory buildings were sold for $30.5 million. But Yagoda said, It wasnt about the money. We did not want to leave the city. That was our home. A couple of years ago, he spotted Mayor de Blasio walking down Rivington Street and invited him inside to see New York Citys last matzo factory. The mayor declined, saying he was too busy. That episode made a big impact on Yagoda, who said he became convinced, the city really doesnt care.

There were many reasons for the closure of the Lower East Side factory. There was no getting around the limitations of those old tenement buildings, which could not accommodate modern baking and production equipment. Tax breaks might not have made a difference. But people in this neighborhood will always wonder whether more could have been done to save a business so important to the identity of the vanishing Jewish LES. Could there have been heroic efforts within the community to save Streits? The family could have used the news media to get the citys attention, said Yagoda, but its just not something members of a proud, legacy business were comfortable doing.

Its obviously way too late for Streits. But in an email exchange yesterday afternoon, Levine said he hopes the film will raise awareness of the challenges facing (other) family businesses in the city, and encourage viewers to challenge elected officials to pass measures that would give these businesses the kind of opportunities that seem currently to be reserved only for developers.

Streits: Matzo and the American Dream screens twice daily, at 3:40 p.m. and 10:10 p.m., at Film Forum. The film closes after May 10. For tickets and showtimes, visit the films website.
Lets face it, if you want to travel solo and you happen to be female you can bet your bottom dollar that the fear mongers will pitch in with every possible worst case scenario known to man (or as in this case to woman.)

Spitzkoppe, Namib Desert, Namibia

Safety tends to top the list of concerns when women decide to travel alone, and not without good reason. There are women travelling across the world constantly, though, and theyre hardly going to curtail their adventures because of some hypothetical foreign danger.

In reality, many adventurous women have been wandering and blogging their way across the globe for a lot longer than the traditional gap year allows  and their advice can silence any prophet of doom looking to rain down on our plans to go it alone.

Take Kristin Addis, editor of the Be My Travel Muse blog  a passionate defender of womens right to travel solo.

Late last year Kristin chose to venture across Mozambique alone. No mean feat for any adventurer: the country was off the map due to 15 years of civil war, and getting from A to B is hardly a straightforward exercise.

Of course, Kristin had several years of travelling know-how under her belt - and even then she admitted that Moz was the most frustrating and difficult place I have traveled through to date, but it is also one of the most beautiful and rewarding.

Kristen is right - its not an overstatement to say that the most beautiful and surprising places in the world are often the most difficult - and dangerous - to navigate.

So how best to reach those off the beaten track wanderlust locations as a female solo traveller, if youre not quite ready to go it totally alone? And how do you stretch those student purse strings a little further in that most turbulent of continents - Africa?

The answer, especially if youre visiting somewhere off the beaten track for the first time, is to book onto an organised trip. With roads that are hard to navigate and often in poor condition in a lot of African countries, travelling with a tour operator wins hands down  youre likely to have a knowledgeable tour guide, an itinerary that means you wont get stranded, and transport to get you where you need to be.

Imagine trekking across the Sani Pass on horseback and mountain biking in the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary before the crowds arrive, safe in the knowledge that theres a driver waiting for you at the end of it. Travel envy guaranteed.

Overlanding is often a great and budget-friendly way to travel for solo nomads, with trips designed for individual travellers who want to join larger groups (there will be no single room supplements here.)

Choose your destination carefully, and youll have another reason to be quids in on your return.

One of the most sparsely populated countries on the continent, Namibia is a win-win when it comes to this type of travel.

Kristin Addis agrees, especially if the alternative means driving a car solo across a barren, shade and water-free desert without any mechanical know-how when the possibility of seeing another car pass by is slim and cellular signal is nil.

Clearly, not the best situation to find yourself in, and that's all the more reason to overland it across the 'Land of the Brave' - the country that is also a paradise for adventure junkies. Tempted? Climb Sossusvlei's iconic red sand dunes and watch the sunrise; boulder across the Matterhorn of Africa in search of ancient San Bushmen paintings, and listen to the sights of sounds of the bush under cover of darkness - 24/7 game viewing is available at Etosha, Namibias top national park.

An added sure fire bonus if youre thinking of going this summer - the Namibian dollar is pegged to the weak South African Rand, making the country a great value destination for Brits.

So, aside from Namibia, which other countries do the travel experts recommend in Africa this year?

Acacia Africa , experts in overland adventures on the worlds most vibrant continent, have got a few ideas.

Swazi villaqe dancing (Swaziland)

Lying off the radar, the Kingdom of Swaziland and Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho also accept the South African rand, so it will pay to book your trip in these landlocked countries.

Following Kristins lead, Mozambique is another up and comer on the African travel circuit - so an overland journey in this unspoilt part of the world should definitely be on your bucket list. The country is heavily geared towards those on a budget and its tourist hubs max out on the chill factor. Often described as Southern Africas answer to Ibiza, Tofo has a party atmosphere - this seaside town is an exciting alternative destination, yet still well established enough to be on the backpacker trail.

The breathtaking location also bears the title of the Manta Ray and Whale Shark Capital of the World, so flipper up here and you are bound to experience a sensational safari under the blue.

To top it all off, Mozambique is nicknamed the Land of Smiles  and when you get back to Blighty, your bank balance will be smiling too.

Another option is Zimbabwe, which is just starting to make its mark on the travel map. Budget friendly, its park fees and accommodation are reasonably priced and if youre considering a camping overland expedition the country will be even more of a steal.

The new $150 million dollar Victoria Falls International Airport terminal officially opened in December 2015, and the possibility of new direct flights could be a game changer for adventurers who want to explore more of this wondrous country.

When to go? With the Victoria Falls at their lowest flow from mid-July through to mid-February, this is the ideal time to make a splash on a Zambezi white water rafting trip.

Finally, travel during high water season for the most dramatic views of the Smoke That Thunders - Zimbabwe trumping neighbouring Zambia, which is packed with spellbinding vistas. For wildlife viewing, dont miss out on a walking safari in the Matobo National Park - one of the best places to view rhino in the whole of Africa.

And however much youre enjoying your adventure, remember  Africa is big, beautiful and wild. Stay safe out there.
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Phuket lifeguards ramp up efforts to prevent monsoon drownings

PHUKET: Lifeguards have ramped up their efforts to help prevent people from drowning at Phuket beaches in the coming months, as the southwest monsoon approaches, bringing with it strong surf and dangerous rip tides.

deathdisastershealthweathertourismmarine

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

Thursday 5 May 2016, 12:33PM

Lifeguards have ramped up their efforts to prevent drownings this monsoon season. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

May until October is a dangerous period. The monsoon weather causes high, powerful waves  as well as deadly rip tides  in which people can easily drown, warned Prathaiyut Chuayuan, Director of Phuket Life Guard Service.

At the peak of the danger season in August last year, four people drowned within four days, all at separate beaches: Nai Harn, Kata, Patong and Surin, he noted.

And lifeguards are only on duty from 8:30am to 6:30pm. Please do not swim at any time outside those hours, because if you get in to trouble there will be no one around to help you, Mr Prathaiyut urged.

Only two weeks ago did Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos urge beach goers to heed the lifeguards warning flags. Red means no swimming, while red-and-yellow means lifeguard supervision only between the flags.

Mr Aroons warning came on April 17, when he was present at Nai Harn to witness lifeguards pull 20-year-old Bangkok tourist Maneewan Mutthong unconscious from the water. She was rushed to hospital, but died the next day.

Nai Harn can particularly be dangerous beach with rip currents, yet many continue to ignore the red flags posted there warning not to go swimming, he said.

Everyone needs to heed to these warnings, because every life is valuable, Mayor Arun urged.

CASTING A WIDE NET

Lifeguard chief Prathaiyut confirmed to The Phuket News that 98 lifeguards will be on duty at 38 surf-watch stations at 13 of Phukets most popular beaches from May through March next year, as mandated under the renewed contract with the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (OrBorJor) to provide their essential service.

But their efforts have been expanded to also include the handing out of multilingual brochures to tourists to explain the dangers of the surf.

The OrBorJor is responsible for making the brochure, but Phuket lifeguards distribute it and even hand it out to hotels, explained Witanya Chuayuan, Deputy Director of the Phuket Life Guard Service.

We also have signs posted warning swimmers of the dangers in English, Russian, Chinese and Thai, she added.

Phuket lifeguards have also launched a series of events to teach children surf survival skills, bringing together other key local organisations with extensive experience in teaching youngsters how to stay safe in the water

Local board-riding clubs and even jet-ski operators join us for these surf survival training and swimming sessions, Ms Witanya said. (See page 16.)

These people are a great help, as they can help us to teach people and provide the equipment needed  and they already keep an eye out for swimmers in trouble at the beaches, she added.

Hotels have been brought into the fold as well. Laguna Phuket Resorts & Hotels often send staff for surf training, as do the Pullman Phuket Arcadia at Naithon Beach, the Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket in Karon and the Amari Phuket Resort at the south end of Patong, said Mr Prathaiyut.

Even officers from Sirinath National Park and the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command help and support us. They provide assistance in emergencies and help us to conduct training sessions, he said.

Phukets reputation for having skilled lifeguards is starting to spread, with organisations outside Phuket looking to the islands lifeguards to train people elsewhere along the Andaman coast, Mr Prathaiyut noted.

The Royal Thai Air Force Wing 5 base in Prachuap Khiri Khan approached us to train children and teenagers in their province, and teenagers from Krabi, Trang and Satun provinces have also been sent to us for training, he added.

But back on the island, attention is being given to lifeguard towers in the hope of preventing more deaths in the dangerous surf.

WATCH TOWERS

Lifeguard towers are very important, because they make it much easier to see people in trouble. This means we can get to them quicker, and hopefully keep them alive, Mr Prathaiyut said.

Phuket has 12 lifeguard towers, but works are underway repairing five of them to the tune of B200,000, confirmed one official at the OrBorJor Tourism and Sport office, who specifically asked not to be named.

The five towers undergoing repairs comprise three in Patong as well as one at Kamala and another at Nai Harn.

There is also a tower at Kata Noi, which has been provided by the Kata Thani Hotel, and two new towers soon will be built at Surin and Karon beaches, each costing about B1 million, the official said.

And we are currently receiving bids to build four more towers: one at Kata, another at Naiyang and two more at Karon, he added.
Phuket Mayor calls for courting couples to join Baba Wedding Festival

PHUKET: Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana has called for all couples looking to take part in the eighth annual Baba Wedding Festival this year to register by months end.

Thursday 5 May 2016, 10:23AM

Attendees parade through the streets of Phuket Town at an event held to promote the upcoming Baba Wedding Festival. Photo: Phuket City Municipality

This years edition of the traditional Peranakan, or Baba, Straits Chinese wedding festival will be held in Phuket Town in June under the theme Under Andaman Sky.

The traditions of the Baba Wedding are s the most valuable and beautiful cultural heritage for us and it has been passed down from generation to generation, said, Mayor Somjai, herself ethnic Phuket Chinese.

This festival reflects the way of life of Baba in Phuket, how we venerate holy beings and honour our parents. We hold this festival every year to bring people together and to introduce this beautiful tradition to younger generations. The event also attracts tourists to the area and generates income for local people, she added.

The two-day event, organised by the Phuket Baba Peranakan Association together with Phuket City Municipality, the Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket office and others, will begin with a welcome day for couples on June 18.

The full gala weddings will be held on June 19.

Couples interested in this event can contact Ms Orasiri of the Peranakan Association at 081-6911955. Registrations are open until May 31, with special deals for couples and their guests, including discounted airfares on Bangkok Airways flights, Mayor Somjai added.
Teen girls may face murder rap

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Two teenage girls are suspected of being in Sundays (May 1) attack that killed a disabled man and may also face murder charges.

crimedeathhomicidepoliceviolence

By Bangkok Post

Thursday 5 May 2016, 08:53AM

Police brought five of the accused killers to a media presentation, but continue their investigation into whether to of the mens girlfriends were instigators. Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya

Police are questioning the two underage girls after finding out that they were at the crime scene and, according to eyewitnesses, incited their boyfriends to act violently in the brawl that ended up with Somkiat Sichan being stabbed to death and one attacker seriously wounded.

The girls are understood to have incited the attack and will be facing penalties, acting city police chief Sanit Mahathaworn said yesterday (May 4).

If it can be proved that they shouted beat him to death, their act will be considered as serious and their wrongdoing can be assessed as equal to that of the six attackers, Lt Gen Sanit said, citing a claim by a lawyer who was in the vicinity of the crime scene and heard such shouting.

Police have charged the six suspects, four identified as sons of police officers, with raiding a property, injuries causing death and collective murder.

A police source said three of the police officers hold the rank of police senior sergeant major while the other is a police lieutenant.

Two of the police senior sergeant majors work at Metropolitan Police Division 4 overseeing the Chokechai area where the brawl and murder took place.

One police senior sergeant major and the police lieutenant work at Chokechai police station.

One of the girls, whose name is being withheld, has been questioned by officers, and is understood to have a voice clip of the incident, Chokechai police chief Col Chairop Chunnawat said.

The voice clip is a key piece of evidence and believed to have recorded what the girls shouted, though it has not yet been located by police.

Mr Somkiats elder sister Thanchanok also told Lt Gen Sanit yesterday as he visited her at her bread shop on Chokechai Si that one of the two girls also threatened to harm Mr Somkiats relatives after her boyfriend was wounded during the attack.

The shop is where the attack erupted on Sunday morning. The violence erupted after the six male suspects made fun of Mr Somkiats job, according to an initial investigation.

The 36-year-old victim, who suffered from a leg disability, worked as a bread deliveryman for the shop.

Their conflict over a motorcycle incident is also believed to have fuelled the attack.

Ms Thanchanok was extremely concerned after learning that some of the attackers are the sons of police officers, but became more at ease after Lt Gen Sanit took charge of the case himself and assured fairness to all sides.

The acting city police chief said on Monday (May 2) that police investigators will stick to the facts and ensure justice no matter who the suspects parents are.

The officers have so far interrogated 13 people while the male suspects have been temporarily detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison.

Two of the suspects are Akkaradet Thatsana, 22, and an 18-year-old boy while the rest, identified as Phiraphon and Arin Yotphonganan, aged 21 and 20 respectively, Mek Phonkraison, 19, and Monmanat Saengpho, 22, are believed to be the sons of the police officers.

Lt Gen Sanit said he initially had the idea of having the police parents attend the news conference to answer any questions from reporters, but later changed his mind.

I didnt want everyone turning this into a police-son issue, he said. They [the officers] are already upset by their sons actions.

Also yesterday, Chokechai police escorted Phiraphon, who was hurt in the fight, out of a hospital to report to the court, which earlier granted the police request to detain the male suspects until May 14. Phiraphon was allegedly released by a police officer called to the crime scene.

Read original story here.
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Wet Phuket road again for blame for pickup truck crash

PHUKET: A 19-year-old woman was hospitalised yesterday night (May 4) after her boyfriends pickup truck slid into two parked motorbikes and a tree on a wet road in Rassada when he tried to avoid a collision with a vehicle in front of him.

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By Eakkapop Thongtub

Thursday 5 May 2016, 02:43PM

The Pickup wiped out two motorbikes before coming to rest against a tree. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Lt Sunan Petchnoo from Phuket City Police was called to the scene of an accident at 8:15pm yesterday where it had been reported that a pickup truck had spun out of control when trying to avoid a collision with another vehicle.

The pickup ploughed into two motorbikes parked on Thepkassattri Rd northbound before coming to rest against a tree across from Baan Jeervanich in Moo 6 Rassada.

Police arrived at the scene with Kusoldharm rescue workers to find a damaged Toyota pickup truck with an injured passenger, Krittiya Khaengraeng, 19, sat in the passenger seat covered in blood.

Lt Sunan said, Ms Krittiya suffered injuries to her forehead and also complained of having pains on her right leg. She was taken to Vachira Hospital after receiving first aid treatment.

Next to pickup truck were two damaged motorbikes, we are currently trying to locate the owners to let them know of the accident, he said.

The driver of the pickup truck, Piphatpong Amrat, 25, told police that he and Ms Krittiya had left Baan Kuku and were heading to their home in Koh Kaew, it was raining gently at that time.

A car in front of us braked sharply, I panicked and hit my brakes to avoid hitting its rear, but because the road was wet, I lost control of the vehicle and it spun and hit the motorbikes and then the tree he said.

Piphatpong was taken to the police station to face a charge of reckless driving, concluded Lt Sunan.
First week of South Dakota's traditional pheasant hunt is in the books
Star Plunge owner Roland Luehne stresses his concerns regarding the Hot Springs State Park Draft Master Plan and the future of his business with Director of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Natural Resources Milward Simpson.

The Hot Springs State Park Master Plan public input open house meeting held on Monday evening divided the community on many key issues.

The initial release of the draft document on April 18 included a chart with existing facilities and proposed facilities. Originally the chart included the two existing outdoor pools and the existing two indoor pools in the park with a proposal for only one indoor pool and one outdoor pool in the draft master plan. This would mean that one of the already existing facilities would be eliminated. However, the chart was revised on April 29 to include both existing facilities in the proposed draft master plan.

This revision did not stop people from the community from believing that the Star Plunge - the existing facility without a long-term 20-year lease - would be eliminated from the park.

Planning Coordinator for Wyoming State Parks Historic Sites and Trails Todd Thibodeau said that not including the Star Plunge in the original plan was an error.

"We heard loud and clear that no one wants to see the Star Plunge go, so we added it back into the plan," he said. "It's [the master plan] still a rough draft at this point."

Star Plunge owner Roland Luehne said he wanted to be partners with the Wyoming State Parks and Natural Resources.

"We want peace in the park," he said. "We want things to run smoothly. We want advancements in the park. We don't want to fight. We want a better park. We want a better facility. I want expansion and you guys want more attractions, let's do that. I'd like to be a partner with you guys, not your enemy."

Several members of the community seem to want the master plan, while others seem to not want a plan at all or they want a plan explaining in more detail the plans for facilities like Star Plunge and Tepee Pools.

After explaining that the Star Plunge was added to the draft of the Hot Springs State Park Master Plan, Director of the Wyoming State Parks and Natural Resources Milward Simpson explained what's been happening regarding the reduction of the mineral spring.

"The big spring is reducing rapidly," Simpson said. "It has been going down for many, many years. It has reduced by about half of what it was in 1965. We have to deal with that decline. I think we need a plan right now more than ever."

Citizens expressed concerns about the pools becoming cold and chlorinated over time because of the reduction of water.

Resident Gail Schenck said she had brain surgery in 1984 and that Star Plunge was the only facility in the park with water deep enough to help her rehabilitate after surgery.

"After my surgery, I went to Star Plunge because it was the only facility with a deep end where I could soak and do my exercises," she said. "That was the first place I could turn my head and not feel sick. If you turn that into a cold-water pool, not only have you created something that you can find any place in the world, but those of us who are absolutely needing a therapeutic place to be, to do the exercises and to get some of our use of our bodies back will have nowhere to go."

Simpson said there are a lot of people who use the pools for their health benefits. He explained that there is a balance of mineral water and potable water the pools have to use to preserve the resource.

"Many people use the pools for their health benefits," he said. "That's one of the main reasons that since the big spring is going down, we have to preserve the hot water and for some things, we will have to use cold water."

Daniel Bleak, a resident of Thermopolis and manager of the Best Western inside the state park, echoed Simpson's explanation.

"The point is the mineral spring is declining - we don't have a choice over that," he said. "In 1995, we had a minor earthquake which rendered the high school unusable. We got a new high school out of that, but the flipside of that is we lost some flow from the mineral springs. It's geological. It's a natural formation. We can't control how much water comes out of that. We can't control how much water we get to use out of that. What the master plan does for us locals is it provides us with an alternative. We aren't talking about getting rid of the hot water, we're talking about revitalizing the park."

Hot Springs State Park Superintendent Kevin Skates said the draft master plan gives the park many opportunities.

"We've put $7.1 million into the park during the ten years that I've been here," he said. "The master plan is a $25 million plan over the course of 20 years. Let's work together and bring some of that money into our park. We're not trying to put anyone out of business. We're trying to bring more opportunities and more money into this park, which helps everyone in town. We should be able to work together to make this happen."

Luehne asked Simpson about signing a lease for Star Plunge.

"We all pull together," he said. "We bring money into our community. The money turns over six times. That brings in a lot of tax revenue. We want a commitment from you guys - for our future and for the town's future to go forward."

Simpson said there would be no public negotiations regarding a long-term lease for the Star Plunge. "We are not going to have a public negotiation right here and now, even though I know you would like that Roland," Simpson said.

The 45-day public comment period for the Hot Springs State Park Master Plan will end June 6. For more information, to read the plan in full or to leave public comment on the plan, visit hotspringsmasterplan.com. Maps and a copy of the draft master plan are also on display at the Hot Springs County Library and Hot Springs State Park Headquarters. Comment cards are available at both locations.
#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...
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In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian citizens gather at the scene where two explosions struck the village of Mukharam al-Fawkani, east of the central city of Homs, Syria, Thursday May 5, 2016. Two blasts struck a central Syrian village Thursday, killing many people and wounding dozens, hours after a truce brought relative calm to the northern city of Aleppo after weeks of escalating violence there. (SANA via AP)
Protesters gather outside the the North Carolina Museum of History as Gov. Pat McCrory make remarks about House Bill 2 during a government affairs conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. A North Carolina law limiting protections to LGBT people violates federal civil rights laws and can't be enforced, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday, putting the state on notice that it is in danger of being sued and losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
But the tribe has a long way to go
Strong economic growth in India and China can act as an engine of growth for the global economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.

Modi said this while interacting with Han Zheng, party secretary of Shanghai and politburo member of the Communist Party of China, who called on the prime minister on Thursday.

The two leaders discussed the current global economic scenario, with Modi noting that strong economic growth in India and China can act as an engine of growth for the global economy.

The prime minister recalled his meeting with Zheng in Shanghai, during his visit to China last year, and said that the Mumbai-Shanghai Sister City Agreement laid the foundation for strong relations between the financial capitals of India and China.

Zheng said Modi's visit to Shanghai last year, and the resultant increased awareness about India, led to an increase in the number of people from Shanghai visiting India.

The prime minister said the establishment of the India-China Provincial Leaders' Forum was also a welcome step towards broadening and strengthening the bilateral relations between India and China.
Even as the doctors at Permbavoor Taluk hospital requested VVIPs to stay away from visiting the ailing mother of Jisha, who was brutally raped and murdered last week, a stream of high-profile persons are still set to call on her.

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Rajeswari either on May 8 or May 11 when he has election programmes scheduled in the state. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is also likely to visit her next week.

Rajeswari was hospitalised on April 28 when her daughter, a law student, was found murdered in their small house at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district of central Kerala. Doctors said she needs full rest and that the frequent visit of people may worsen her situation.

Ernakulam district collector M.G. Rajamanikyam had earlier said on a Facebook post that many of those who visit the hospital aim for mere publicity. For the past three days, I was with the family of Jisha and what I noticed was, one group of people who came to see the mother of the victim were with either a photographer or a video grapher for publicity, he wrote.

Rajamanikyam also opened a joint account with Rajeswari at SBI's Perumbavoor branch to raise money to complete the construction of her house.

**Account No: 35748602803 Name: The District Collector, Ernakulam & Mrs.K.K.Rajeswari IFSC: SBIN0008661**

Jisha was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house. There were 38 wounds on her body, according to the autopsy report. The crime has been dubbed "Kerala's Nirbhaya" for its chilling similarities to the 2012 gangrape of a young paramedic student in a moving bus in Delhi.

Though several people have been taken into custody by police for interrogation, the cops are yet to make a breakthrough in the case.
A fan whirs desperately, trying to slice through the treacle-thick humidity in Kolkata. Files clutter the wooden desk in the Alipore courtroom. At noon, a plump, middle-aged woman struggles to stay vertical in the centre of the room. She is one of Kolkatas many drug queens, Deepti, and has been charged with the intention to sell cannabis under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. If convicted, she faces a minimum of ten years in jail. This could be extended to 20 years.

The defence has argued she is unwell. It was after several rounds of thorough medical tests that she was cleared for a court appearance. She is a gutsy lady, says a court official.

The assessment seems correct; for years, with her posse of goons, Deepti has been running her 'business' ruthlessly. She had links with policemen, who would stay clear of her area. But, when Behala, in southwest Kolkata, fell under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Police in 2011, the cops closed in on her. We believe that she controlled more than a few areas in the city. Her empire stretched from the port area to Thakurpukur and Behala, says a police officer. Among her clients were students from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.

Deepti is just one member of a sorority of notoriety. In the past few years, across Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Kolkata, Agra, Mumbai and Chennai, more and more women have grabbed higher positions in the drugs trade. Some of them may have been coerced into the trade, but they are no longer willing to be victims. They are not just couriers, but have, at times, become kingpins and active agents in the trade. Among them is Chandigarh's Bala, about 50, who was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to ten years in jail in May 2015. Part of a denotified criminal tribe, Bala was a purveyor of smack, or heroin. She graduated from petty theft to the lucrative drugs trade. Operating out of Sector 38, she had a network of young boys who would ride around on motorbikes, finding addicts and delivering smack. So far, the police have failed to identify her source of supply.

When she was caught, Bala apparently told the policeman that she would give him 05 lakh if he waited for 30 minutes. I havent got caught in nine years. I dont want to do it now, she reportedly told Amanpal Virk, the Punjab Police officer who nabbed her.

Drugs is one business that we can safely classify as gender neutral, says a former cop who used to head the National Narcotics Bureau.

Most of these women deal in cannabis, smack or party drugs. In Punjab, bhukki, or poppy husk, is the rage. It is cheapa small packet sells for about Rs 50.

In Kolkata alone, more than a handful of women are part of the nexus. Bhabhi, Mehtab Bibi, Lakshmi and her daughter Saraswati, and Sumitra Devi Jhadavnames that the sleuths in Lalbazar reel offhave all dabbled in the business of addiction.

A prosecutor, who has spent years fighting drug-related cases, says the number of women accused of selling drugs has increased in the past five or six years. Earlier you would hardly see one or two women being charged with drug-related offences, he says.

It is easier for women to operate, says a senior police officer. We cant arrest them from dusk to dawn. The business flourishes in that time. And, to search a woman, you need women constables, who are in short supply. They are also tougher to catch. For instance, a constable from the Sealdah police station was rooted to his spot in horror when the perpetrator he was chasing went to the middle of the railway platform and disrobed. She was naked and there was nothing he could do but come back, says a senior police officer. Another team was sent, this time armed with female officers, but it was too late.

Women of substance: From the slums of Worli, Shashikala 'Baby' Patankar(below) ran her Meow Meow empire | Amey Mansabdar

The romanticised idea of a drug queen was born in the narrow lanes of Mumbai last summer. Shashikala Baby Patankar, 55, was the empress of Meow Meow, the street name for mephedrone, a party drug. A hundred policemen from three states were hot on her trail before she was finally nabbed in March 2015. From her tiny house in the slums of Worli, Patankar ran a business that hooked many youngsters and helped her buy homes in Pune and Lonavala. According to deputy commissioner of police Dhananjay Kulkarni, she has property worth 015 crore in Mumbai. After her arrest, Patankar told the police that her source was a man named Samuels and the drug came from outside Mumbai.

The reason she was successful was that she slept through Mumbai's police department, says a police officer. She was very egalitarian that way. It didnt matter what the designation was.

In March 2015, the Mumbai Police seized 114kg of mephedrone from the Satara home of police constable Dharamraj Kalokhe. They later found 12kg of the drug in his locker at the Marine Drive police station. Apparently, Kalokhe and Patankar were close and a few other policemen, too, had helped her. In April, the Mumbai Police arrested Patankar.

Two months later, an NDPS sessions court granted her bail, saying she was not in possession of the mephedrone the police seized from Kalokhe. Also, lab tests found that the material seized was ajinomoto, not mephedrone.

My mother had been framed, Patankar's son, Satish, told THE WEEK. She is innocent and the cops have been trying to frame her despite the seized consignment being ajinomoto. Not only her son, but several residents in Worli also speak up for Patankar. Because of her clout and presence, they treat her as a star.

But long before Patankar hogged headlines, there was Zohra, alias Chaman, who, with her husbands first wife, led the Delhi Police on a merry dance for ten months. Her husband, Sharafat Sheikh, one of Indias biggest drug lords, owned 22 properties worth Rs 10 crore across India. In 2005, he was arrested and booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Zohra, then 33, inherited his crime network and used Nizamuddin Basti, in the heart of Delhi, to continue his business of selling smack. The police found it difficult to identify her as she always wore a burkha. Eventually, however, she was arrested, booked under MCOCA and has since been serving her sentence.

More recently, in January 2015, the police busted a drug ring in Panchkula, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, and found 20-year-old Amandeep Kaur at the heart of the trade. An engineering student, she found two intoxicantslove and heroinwhen she met Ebere Egnou, a Sierre Leone national. They would buy the drug, book a hotel in Sector 5 and distribute it to clients. After Egnou was arrested, Amandeep continued the business, but was soon caught.

Amandeep, it seems, was an aberration. Most of these drug queens, say the police, are usually above 40 and well seasoned. No one will sell you anything unless you know the person or come referred. This way, they are protected and arent easily caught, says a police officer. And, they usually have toy boys to help run the trade. These men are usually much younger and often in a conjugal relationship with the women, says an police officer in Kolkata.

Patiala's Prakasho Kaur, a drug dealer in her late forties, had a driver much younger than her. He would know all the roads and bylanes, just in case she needed to make a getaway. He also lived with her like a husband, says Virk. These drivers are paid Rs 20,000 or more a month and are given a share in the profits. While the police caught Prakasho in 2013, her driver managed to escape.

Prakasho started out as a petty criminal, like many other women in the drugs trade. She got into the drug business when she broke her shoulder. She would get bhukki from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where growing opium is legal, and would sell them in puriyas (pouches).

Like Prakasho, there are several other women running the drugs trade in Punjab and Haryana. Women from the denotified tribes run a flourishing trade in Ambala, says Rajbir Deswal, inspector-general, Haryana Police Academy. It is an issue of urban policing. He says people of these tribes in the urban areas are often involved with drugs, illicit liquor trade and property hoodwinking.

Prakasho Kaur sold bhukki (poppy husk) in Punjab before her arrest in 2013.

The women run the trade out of ghettos that are difficult to penetrate. Often, they have a container hidden in the depths of their homes, says Deswal. They also have a car parked outside so they can get away. If they do get caught, they have a standing counsel who will immediately get them bail. Well-versed in law, they know how much to get rid off so they are charged with only personal consumption.

Down south, in Chennai, lives one of the oldest felons in the business, 77-year-old Krishnaveni, who graduated from selling illegal liquor to marijuana more than 30 years ago. She found the contacts in jail, says Rajeesh Babu, a police officer who nabbed her last. She has links with suppliers from Andhra Pradesh and Madurai. Reportedly, Ganja rani, as she is known, distributed the marijuana herself. She has 40 cases against her and has been jailed five times under the Tamil Nadu Goondas Act. She was last caught in September 2015 with 45kg of marijuana in her possession. The problem is that she gets bail very easily because of her age, says Babu. But there is no way that she will stop her business.

Her stock is usually hidden in one of the many huts in her locality, near the T.P. Chatram police station. And, if police venture into the area, the whole locality warns her. Before we know it, the stuff would be gone, says Babu.

What sets her apart from ordinary drug peddlers is her willingness to spill blood. Her son, Sekar, died in a gang war. Apparently, Krishnaveni told two of her men to bump off her son's killers.

Violence is also the norm in the Nizamuddin Basti in Delhi. The price of ratting on a drug dealer is death. If you complain, the thugs will come to your house to ensure that you dont ever do it again, says a local resident.

Women are no different than men in the drugs trade, says a police officer in Kolkata. If anything, they are more aggressive.

WITH ANUPAM DASGUPTA

My life is a Hindi film

Over the years, Metiabruz has become part of the suburban badlands of Kolkata. The usual crimes include drug trafficking, intimidation and honour killings, and there is also a mafia-controlled black market. One of the main characters of this areas is Sumitra Devi Jhadav, who has been jailed twice for selling drugs and once for selling illegal liquor.

Her home is surrounded by temples. Mohammad Ashraf, neatly dressed and quiet, opens the door. He immediately lays out two chairs and disappears. The police claim that he, 20 years younger than her, was her paramour and the man who was the face of the business. He would get free sex and she would use him to sell her drugs, says a police officer. These women often operate like that.

If there is anything between them, it isnt evident. The only giveaway is that he lives with her in the tiny house dominated by one large bed.

Inside her homea tiny hut with a bright blue tarpaulin sheet just above the roofgods of every faith smile down, keeping her lucky streak alive. You cant take a chance, she says with a smile. The police say her supply comes from Rajasthan and her empire stretched from Cossipore to Chitpur in Kolkata. Her husband, Gaina, created the network before succumbing to the heroin he sold. After his death, she stepped into his shoes.

She exudes the spirit of entrepreneurship. She buys saris from Burrabazar, at the other end of town, and sells them in her locality. She even rents out a carom board for 110 an hour to the local children.

Drugs are just another commodity for her to trade. It is really a question of supply and demand. I was innocent, she says. My life is a Hindi film. I got married when I was 12 years old. Her father found a boy and, a quick wedding later, she was bound to him for life. He was wonderful at first. But then he fell into bad company there and started using and selling, she says.

She had six children; two of them died. Their pictures, surrounded by dried, white flowers, are placed amid the gods. The third picture is of my husband's, she says. In Kolkata, women drug dealers often inherit their husbands' business. Sumitra is no exception. He died ten years ago. I begged him to tell the police the truth about the drugs. But he didnt listen, she says.

The first night in jail was difficult, she admits. I was terrified that, like Rakhee, in a movie I had seen, they would tattoo my crime on my forehead, she says. I never ate anything all day. Two or three days later, I figured out how the system worked. The food in jail has improved though. Now we even get fish and eggs, she says, as she unwraps greens bound in newspaper to feed rabbits. There are three of them in a cage. My granddaughters, she says with a smile.
Ahead of Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day, which begins on Wednesday evening 26 Nissan, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, on Tuesday evening met with the six Holocaust survivors who will light the torches at the start of the state ceremony at Yad Vashem tomorrow evening.

This is the first time that the Prime Minister and his wife have held such a meeting  which was initiated by the latter  with the torch lighters.

The torch lighters arrived with a family member who accompanied them (son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter). The meeting, which was also attended by Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev, was very moving.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said, My wife and I are very pleased and moved to meet with you here. You are sitting in the meeting room of the Government of Israel. I think that it is very symbolic and significant that approximately 70 years after the worst disaster to befall our people and humanity as a whole, you, Holocaust survivors, sitting here in the center of the sovereignty of the Jewish People in its new state, in its ancient land. This is perhaps more symbolic than anything else.

I can tell you that I always ask myself, when I hear these stories, what I would have done. What would have happened if we and our children were in that situation, and I am always struck by this spirit and this ability to endure the horrors, to survive and, afterwards, to build. My mission is one and I always say this when I go to Yad Vashem with senators and presidents and prime ministers. I tell them that I have one mission. One Yad Vashem is enough. Once. There will never be a second time. Today our state is very, very strong. Jew hatred has not disappeared in the past 70 years; today it is directed at the state of the Jews. But the state is very, very strong. Our strength is your strength; it is the strength of your lives. It will not happen again.

Sara Netanyahu added It is a great honor for all of us to sit together, to sit with you. Also as a psychologist, I think that when we talk professionally about traumas and difficult things, it is impossible to include what you endured because not only is it inhuman, it is inconceivable and not found on any scale. Therefore, I think that not only are you true heroes of our people, you need to be the guiding lights of our people as we need to go and remember, to remember what Amalek did to us, and in this case the Germans. But we need to remember that we must not allow this to happen again, ever, and this is our greatest lesson because there is nobody in the world other than ourselves who will guard us, apart from Him above. From our hearts, we hold you in the highest regard, everything you have been through and your families.

Speaking for the survivors was Zahava Roth, who was born in Zywiec Poland in 1935. In 1939, her family and the Jews of the area were concentrated in a ghetto near Cracow. Her mother smuggled her out of the ghetto. By moving from place to place she survived alone.

Zehava Roth responded, I would like to share with you those difficult moments of the separation between mother and daughter, when the mother knows she will never see her again and she tries to give her guidance for life. She told me in Yiddish: Dont forget that you are a daughter of Israel, a Jew. It was as if she was giving me some kind of command to continue to uphold the Jewish People.

This was my mothers guidance at those chilling moments of separation, when she really knew that what she would say would be for my entire life. What they gave me during that terrible period in impossible conditions was for mitzvos, for life, to be fair and be considerate of others, to be compassionate  this is what they gave me, even though I was seven, a basis for my entire life. But truly with divine help, I arrived. I succeeded in having a family  children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, all of them on the straight path. This is a great blessing and comfort.

The six torch lighters told the Prime Minister and his wife their stories of heroism and survival from during the war and their coming to Israel including how they escaped from the trains to Auschwitz and survived the camps and the horrors of the war.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo: Amos Ben-Gershom, GPO)
The IDF has withdrawn some forces and is reducing its activities in PA (Palestinian Authority) autonomous areas, known as area A in the Oslo Accords, Channel 10 TV News reported on Tuesday night the eve of 26 Nissan.

This is in line with earlier report stating Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon has agreed to such a move, one that leaders of communities throughout Yehuda and Shomron fear will result in increased acts of terrorism.

YWN-ISRAEL recently reported that the ISA opposes such a move, stating it would hamper ongoing efforts to thwart terror attacks.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Amid reports that negotiations are taking place behind the scenes towards bringing the Machane Tzioni party into the coalition, Channel 10 TV News political affairs corresponded Raviv Drucker is already assigning cabinet posts.

Since the formation of this government Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has held a few cabinet posts available in the hope of bringing Machane Tzioni or Yisrael Beitenu into the coalition. Clearly he is walking a tight rope with coalition partner Bayit Yehudi and the PM and Naftali Bennett are far from political allies. In addition to serving as Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu is also Foreign Minister, Communications Minister, and Economy Minister, all positions that would be given to a new coalition partner. According to Drucker, Shelly Yacimovich would serve as Justice Minister in place of Ayelet Shaked of Bayit Yehudi, as Naftali Bennett announced if Machane Tzioni enters the coalition his party would move to the opposition.

In fact, according to Druker, the deal with Machane Tzioni is all but sealed, a deal which he feels does little for Machane Tzioni since the coalition guidelines are not even being modified.

During a morning faction meeting on Wednesday 26 Nissan, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told party colleagues that rumors of backroom talks with Machane Tzioni are correct. He added that despite the talks, they have not reached agreement to date.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
As has become the tradition twice annually, residents of the Hadar Ganim neighborhood of Petach Tikvah donated blood after Pesach. They collected over 300 units.

The biannual blood drive is held after Sukkos and Pesach and hundreds take part in the event. The program sponsored by Yisrael Gutlovsky ( ) began in 2010 and the biannual event has already collected over 3,500 units of blood to date.

The tradition continued on Tuesday night the eve of 25 Nissan, hosted in the Zachor Avraham Shul in Hadar Ganim. Members of the MDA Blood Drive unit and MDA youth were on hand to process the blood donations.

Yisrael Gutlovsky, who heads MDA Hatzalah Petach Tikvah, explains I would like to thank all those who donated today, the shul directors, the volunteers, and all who assisted to collect the blood. I am certain the blood collected today will assist in the organizations life-saving efforts.

MDA Yarkon District Chief Dori Chaim added, It is exciting to see how all the Petach Tikvah Hatzalah volunteers took part in the blood donating event. We do this after the Yomim Tovim to help fill the annual blood shortage. I would like to thank everyone involved in the effort for their hard work.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: MDA Spokesman)
The Tel Aviv Beis Din convened on Wednesday, 26 Nissan in the case of an agunah and her imprisoned father-in-law. Back in March 2016, YWN-ISRAEL reported on an unprecedented move by the beis din, as it decided to imprison the recalcitrant husbands father for continuing to instruct his son not to give his agunah wife a get. Av Beis Din Dayan Rav Shlomo Stessman Shlita called this case cruel and among the more difficult agunah cases being addressed.

The father-in-law was represented by prominent attorneys Eliad Shraga and Yael Nagar but what surprised many is that they were armed with a psak halacha stating the beis din exceeded its authority by imprisoning the father-in-law. The teshuva was prepared by the former Av Beis Din of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Supreme Beis Din, Jerusalem Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita. Rav Amar explains the beis din does not have the authority to imprison anyone other than the couple involved in the divorce. Rav Amar writes it is prohibited to imprison parents or siblings because the Torah writes      and while the beis din may probe, question and investigate, it may not imprison them.

In an effort to find a solution to this case Rav Amar explains the recalcitrant husband insists the case should be heard in a United States beis din. He suggests permitting the case to be moved but compelling the husband to place a sizable sum down to the American beis din to guarantee he opens the case with a US beis din and appears for diyunim.

Av Beis Din Dayan Shlomo Stessman confiscated the father-in-laws and mother-in-laws passports and issued an order prohibiting him from leaving Israel over a half year ago. About six weeks ago the beis din decided the mother-in-law is not connected and ordered her passport returned but it appears this has not yet occurred.

The mother this week petitioned the High Court of Justice to order the beis din to return her passport immediately.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
In the last four presidential elections, the Republican nominee has never won less than 90 percent of the Republican vote. Republicans won the popular vote only one of those times, in 2004, and when they did they carried 93 percent of Republican voters. Donald Trump has defied the odds before, but they are against his achieving this degree of party unity.

Trump has won more primary votes than any previous nominee, and he is going to add to that number in the weeks to come. But he will also be a nominee with a record number of primary votes cast for his opponents.

And to say the race has been divisive is an understatement: The day he clinched the nomination, he suggested, insanely, that Ted Cruzs father was somehow involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Cruz responded by mentioning that Trump once bragged about his close calls with venereal disease.

A lot of Republican officeholders  past, present and would-be-in-the-future  will rapidly endorse Trump, regardless of what they previously said about his psychological stability, honesty and all-around fitness for office. Trumps numbers in polls against Hillary Clinton may improve as many Republican voters accept him as their nominee. (Then again, they may not, depending on whether Democrats quickly start running ads attacking him.)

Some Republican officeholders and voters will still consider Trump unfit for office and no conservative  but his supporters, old and new, will try to shame them into supporting the presumptive nominee. Newt Gingrich, who has for months been backing Trump without explicitly endorsing him, told radio host Sean Hannity on Tuesday night that if youre not for him youre functionally for Hillary Clinton and therefore for a radical Supreme Court.

Gingrich and other Trump supporters will have to overcome four problems in making this case.

First, Trump himself has said quite recently that he does not need Republican unity to win the election. So Gingrich is asking Republican voters who have serious misgivings about Trump to support him even though he himself is hardly asking them to do so.

Second, his most vocal supporters have spent the primaries trashing the Republican Party and declaring anti-Trump conservatives irrelevant. Its a little late to flip the script now. Third, the message  vote Trump, you idiot crybabies  may just fall flat because a lot of voters dislike being addressed this way.

Fourth, conservatives dont have much reason to trust Trump on the Supreme Court. He has given no indication of caring about judicial conservatism. If he put up non-conservative nominees, he would win praise for his bipartisanship and could make one of those deals with the Democrats he is always promising. What would hold him back? His word?

Fifth, and I think most important, Trump may spend much of the campaign too far behind Clinton for all this shaming to have any force. If the candidates are neck and neck, then maybe Republicans on the fence could be swayed by the argument that they have to vote for Trump or see Clinton in power. If Trump is behind by eight points, on the other hand, then a lot of Republican voters wont see themselves as having to make the agonizing choice to back Trump to stop Clinton.

If Clinton has a consistently large lead, Trump wont get the 90-plus percent of the Republican vote that his predecessor nominees got. A significant fraction of Republican voters will feel free not to vote for Trump because they will assume, accurately, that Clinton will be president whatever they do. And the root cause of that assumption will be that Trump is such a weak general-election candidate.

In that case, the functional allies of Clinton, the enablers of her judicial nominees, will turn out to have been those, like Gingrich and Hannity, who helped that weak candidate win the Republican nomination.

(c) 2016, Bloomberg View  Ramesh Ponnuru
Talmid Yeshivas Shaare Tevuna in Elad, Moshe Chazzan, did not report to the IDF induction center as requested because he follows the psak of HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita. He was apprehended and taken into custody on Wednesday night the eve of 27 Nissan while visiting in Eilat.

Witnesses report that some called police Nazis as they arrested him. This struck a painful note for some on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel.

Upon hearing of the arrest Rav Auerbach summoned a number of askanim who deal with this issue, reportedly telling them we must make all the noise in the world and to get out into the streets immediately to protest. A protest did take place on Wednesday night in Bnei Brak.

It is reported that a military policeman stopped Moshe on an Eilat street and asked to see his teudat zehut (identity card). His ID number triggered an alert, that he is wanted by military authorities for not reporting to register for the draft. He was taken to IDF Prison 4. He will be brought before a military judge in the coming days.

Protests are set for today around the country beginning at 3:30PM, reportedly ordered by Rav Auerbach. Some of the locations include:

Jerusalem: Bar Ilan/Shmuel HaNavi, Kvish Ramot Jct., Herzl/HaPisgah at the entrance to Bayit Vegan.

Beit Shemesh: At the corner of Nar HaYarden and Herzog.

Modiin Region: Shilat Junction

There will also be protests in the north and south, including Haifa. Details will be announced locally during the day, organizers report.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Clearly the message of Holocaust Remembrance Day is lost on some as tefilin were stolen from bnei yeshiva near the Kinneret and set ablaze.

On the same day the siren wailed in Israel to remember the atrocities of Nazis YSVZ, Wednesday 27 Nissan, vandals stole tefilin that were placed together near the Kinneret, and then set them ablaze in a bathroom RL.

The talmidim camped out for a last night as bnei torah head back to yeshiva. They report hearing noises during the night but they ignored them. When they awakened on Wednesday morning they realized their bags had been stolen. They began frantically searching the area for their bags and after a while they realized they must begin searching places that are off the track, somewhat hidden. A short time later they found the remains of their tefilin in a public bathroom.

Their joy over finding their tefilin was very short-lived as they realized the thieves set their tefilin bags on fire inside the bathroom. One of their pairs was placed in a sink which was filled with water. The bochrim summoned police and crime scene investigators worked the scene for evidence that will help apprehend those responsible.

It is reported that one pair of tefilin belongs to an 18-year-old orphan who received the tefilin from his father zl. A cousin of the victim is quoted telling Kikar Shabbos News it is an atrocity and difficult to believe this can occur davka today, on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

One person commenting on the hate crime stated the news and the politicians would be beside themselves if someone set an Israeli flag ablaze on Independence Day yet this passes without anyone making a fuss, adding the silence speaks volumes.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

IDF officials on Thursday 27 announced another terrorist tunnel from Gaza has been discovered. The tunnel, which begins in Gaza, exits in southern Israel in the Kerem Shalom area. The tunnel was detected at a depth of 28 meters near the border fence.

Palestinian sources report IDF anti-tunnel activities continue in the Sufah area.

YWN-ISAREL reported there were a number of mortar shell attacks on Wednesday 26 Nissan in the Nachal Ohz area. It was later announced the IDF was engaged in anti-tunnel activities in that area as well.

The attacks into southern Israel led to IAF retaliatory attacks against terrorist targets in Gaza during the night.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Amid the deafening silence of elected officials and state leaders regarding the destruction of tefilin near the Kinneret, opposition leader MK Yitzchak Herzog broke the silence, expressing pain and outrage.

It is shocking to see that today, in Israel in 2016, someone actually burned tefilin. The single most Jewish symbol over which Jews fought during WWII was tefilin and it is shocking to see today they are burned he told Kikar Shabbos on Thursday, 27 Nissan, the day on which Israel observes Holocaust Remembrance Day.

He concluded I hope and expect that Israel Police with launch an exhaustive investigation to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice. Tefilin were and will remain a symbol of Am Yisrael.

As reported earlier, a number of bnei yeshiva were camping out near the Kinneret and when they awakened they discovered their bags had been stolen. After launching a search, the tefilin were found burned in a nearby public bathroom and some were placed in a sink that was filled with water.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The ISA (Israel Security Agency  Shin Bet) on Thursday 27 Nissan announced the arrest of a veteran Hamas terrorist who has been active in his murderous trade for at least ten years. During his interrogation they learned he is also involved in constructing tunnels from Gaza to Israel.

Mahmud Atuna, 28, from Jabalya is a member of Hamas military wing. He was taken into custody in the beginning of April 2016. He was caught crossing into southern Israel and found to be carrying two knives. During interrogation he reportedly admitted to planning to murder IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians.

In the bigger picture, he gave ISA interrogators significant information pertaining to Hamas terror tunnels and the operation, and how Hamas uses private homes as well as institutions to cover the entrances in Gaza. He explains the vast network and how tunnels include rooms to rest, showers and even eating areas  all towards improving conditions for Hamas terrorists. He also furnished names of terrorists involved in the unit with him.

The ISA release adds they learned a great deal of weapons and ammunition are held in his home together with bomb belts. An indictment was already filed against him in an IDF Southern District Court.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
On Tuesday evening, May 10, the Project for Holocaust Survivors at Bikur Cholim Chesed Organization will begin offering members of the Second Generation a monthly discussion group, Survivor Families: Our Parents, Ourselves, Our Changing Lives. The gatherings, held at the Boro Park Y from 7:00-8:30 pm, will be facilitated by Irit Felsen, Ph.D.

Dr. Felsens research contributions on transmission of trauma and the treatment of survivor families have been monumental. In her professional practice, she has focused on identifying characteristic patterns in the families of Holocaust survivors and on using these families unique strengths to create pathways to understanding, growth and healing.

Some children of Holocaust survivors have taken on the responsibility of caring for their parents from a tender age. Yet they may face new challenges as their parents grow older and more vulnerable. They have long been sensitive to events that triggered anxiety, sadness, and Holocaust-related memories and feelings in their parents. Now, when physical limitation or dementia enters the picture, or if someone new must be hired to help their parent, the potential for uncomfortable interactions may increase tenfold.

Children of survivors have already forged their own paths in life, in a world unfamiliar to their survivor parents. Now they must create a new template for helping loved ones age with dignity and with a sense of physical and emotional safety. Often, they must do this without the benefit of having had living grandparents themselves as an example.

In caring for aging parents, children of Holocaust survivors often encounter new pressures on their relationships- with their parents, with spouses and children, and with their siblings. Often, conflict arises around the sharing of responsibility, and strong feelings may surface (or resurface)- feelings of duty, of guilt (even when doing all one can), and of being overwhelmed. Understanding how sibling roles came to be, and what purpose they have served, may be a valuable first step in redefining and renegotiating these roles, and signify an era of new growth for the family. Similarly, learning to provide good care while managing expectations and seeking respite can help create balance in the adult childs life.

Monthly discussion gatherings, beginning on May 10, are a time for Second Generation community members to come together to explore both today and tomorrow  what it means to be children of Holocaust survivors, how relationships and roles can be redefined and strengthened, and what goals might emerge for living life well. Other topics may include providing good care to parents who are with us, and if they are no longer among us, moving ahead to explore new sources of meaning and peace in our lives, and with those whom we are close.

This program was developed with support from the Center for Advancing Holocaust Survivor Care of the Jewish Federations of North America, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and Guardians of the Sick/Bikur Cholim Chesed Organization.

The first program will take place on Tuesday, May 10, 7:00  8:30 pm, at the Boro Park Y, 4912 14th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219. Free of Charge, Registration Not Required. Seating For Men/Seating For Women

For more information, please contact Mrs. Devorah Naomi Waters, at (718) 438-2020, ext. 7452. With thanks to the Boro Park Y.

(YWN Desk  NYC)
[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]

This summer, give you son the opportunity to experience a summer of growth and inspiration in Eretz Yisroel!

Based out of the Old City of Tzfas, Camp Mevakshim is a unique and exciting touring camp for Yeshiva boys in grades 9-12. Our program is infused with inspiration and adventure. Our setting in the North was chosen intentionally for its authentic and tangible ruach. With this special ruach and our fun, talented, and musical staff, we provide our campers with a well-rounded experience that will inspire them for the rest of their lives.

Our dynamic learning and program is designed and guided by HaRav Rafael Weingot Shlita. Taking part in things like our weekly shachris in Meiron, learning at Mekomos Hakdoshim including Yeshiva of Shem Vever, the cave of Abaya and Rava, and Rav Yosef Karos home, deepens the way our campers relate to their learning forever!

From there, we head out for daily exciting trips designed to engage our campers in a fresh hands-on experience of Eretz Yisrael. We provide the ultimate touring experience packed into a summer of nonstop daily adventure. Our legendary itinerary is carefully designed to maximize our campers precious time in Eretz Yisroel, taking advantage of the many attractions around the northern region and throughout the country. Our trips include campouts in Ein Gedi and Tveria, boating, water sports, rappelling, horseback riding, hiking, scuba diving, zip-lining, biking, jeeping, and everything else a camper could dream of.

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Grounded: BA's owner IAG last week revealed it was having to cull business routes around the world

British Airways may be forced to axe more routes as the global squeeze on travel continues to bite.

BAs owner IAG last week revealed it was having to cull business routes around the world.

And yesterday, as it launched a new daily direct flight from Heathrow to Silicon Valley, boss Willie Walsh said that even more destinations could be cut.

International travel has been disrupted by terror attacks and the economic crisis, which has seen fewer bankers jetting off to the big financial centres.

At the same time a slump in commodity prices has seen a slowdown in travel by oil and mining executives.

Shares in the airline group, which also owns Aer Lingus and Spains Iberia and Vueling, fell 5 per cent last Friday when it said such factors had curbed the appetite for travel.

Speaking at the launch of the new route, Walsh said: It is still a bit early to call it. We may have to make further adjustments to capacity.

British Airways first flight to San Jose in the heart of Californias Silicon Valley took off on Wednesday.

It is aimed at the increasing numbers of UK firms doing businesses with dotcom and software giants such as Apple, eBay, and Google.
The Beatles-themed Hard Days Night hotel in Liverpool has given Millennium & Copthorne a much-needed boost.

The 110-room hotel, where luxury rooms include the McCartney and Lennon suites, was bought by M&C last August for 13.8million.

It yesterday said the popularity of the hotel, which is yards from the Cavern Club where the Beatles regularly performed in their early years, has helped offset weak trading elsewhere.

Paul McCartney in his Sgt Pepper garb looks out over the bed in one of the Hard Days Night hotel's rooms

Revenues from its hotels fell 3 per cent to 165million in the first quarter of the year, while profits were down 5 per cent to 18million as hotels in New York, London and Singapore struggled.

M&C chairman Kwek Leng Beng said business has been hit by the growth of the sharing economy through rivals such as Airbnb.
Dominic Chappell, the twice bankrupt former racing car driver who bought BHS for 1, has fought back against allegations that his firm took 25million from the failed department store chain.

And he now claims he is raising finance from international backers to buy it back.

Speaking to the Mail, Chappell vowed to appear before a committee of MPs to clear his name. He said that rather than taking cash from BHS  which went bust last week  he actually invested 10million in the company.

Defiant: Dominic Chappell, the twice bankrupt former racing car driver who bought BHS for 1, has fought back allegations that his firm took 25m from the failed firm

Chappell said: The only money I took was to pay for the wages of people like the chief executive.

The 49-year-old has not been seen since BHS collapsed and was thought to be in Boston in the US.

Now he has revealed that he is in Vancouver, Canada, raising funds from potential investors. He claimed to have been in talks with backers from America, Canada and the UK  but he refused to say who.

When asked whether he would appear before a committee of MPs who have asked him to explain the scandal, he said: Of course I will.

Chappell bought BHS from Sir Philip Green with business partners in March last year through a firm called Retail Acquisitions.

Chappell is facing accusations that millions have been stripped from the 88-year- old chain. It also has a pension blackhole of 571million.

On Tuesday, both the work and pensions and business select committees confirmed that they would hold joint hearings into the debacle.

The select committees confirmed that Green will attend a hearing in June, but his wife Tina, who has received hundreds of million of pounds in dividends from BHS, would not be called.

Business committee chairman Iain Wright said that those attending will be grilled on the enormous sums taken out of BHS.
The backlash against fat cat pay intensified yesterday as investors opposed lavish awards in British boardrooms.

Ladbrokes, Reckitt Benckiser and GlaxoSmithKline became the latest companies to be caught up in the shareholder spring.

It follows large-scale rebellions at oil services group Weir and oil explorer BP, where more than half of shareholders voted against executive pay.

Ladbrokes, Reckitt Benckiser and GlaxoSmithKline became the latest companies to be caught up in the shareholder spring

Just over 42 per cent of Ladbrokes shareholders voted against the bookies pay report yesterday amid anger over a potential award of 599,999 for former finance director Ian Bull even though he left in February.

It is the second year running that Ladbrokes has faced a revolt. The company said it understands the concerns expressed by some shareholders.

There was also a mini-rebellion at Reckitt Benckiser, the owner of Nurofen and Durex, where nearly 18 per cent of investors voted against pay after seeing the earnings of chief executive Rakesh Kapoor jump from 12.8million in 2014 to 23.2million last year.

At drugs giant Glaxo, more than 15 per cent of shareholders voted against pay after chief executive Sir Andrew Witty was handed 6.7million, up from 3.9million in 2014.
Addressing fire safety Living in San Diego County, the threat of fires is constant, that is why I have made fire safety one...

Supporting animals As a trained Project Wildlife Native Songbird Rehabilitator, my experience raising orphaned and injured songbirds and returning them to the...
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By Mark Hallum

Former Bayside City Councilman Dan Halloran, serving time for corruption charges, lost an appeal to have his sentence reduced on April 28.

Halloran was indicted in 2013 and found guilty in 2014 of wire fraud, violating the Travel Act and conspiracy to commit both offenses. He is serving up to ten years in prison, according to the United States Court of Appeals.

During his time as a member of the New York City Council, Halloran was accused of accepting bribes in exchange for allowing payers access to city funds and arranging bribes to be paid to the Republican Party for a Wilson-Pakula authorization of Democrat Malcolm Smith to run for mayor of New York City as a Republican.

The court upheld the original sentence, which was found to have sufficient evidence to determine Halloran was guilty of both corruption schemes.

According to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Halloran was convicted after the FBI was able to record conversations between him and an agent who went by the name Raj during the course of an undercover investigation. The agent posed as a real estate developer from out of state and found a partner in an individual by the name of Moses Stern with ties to the Orthodox Jewish community. Together they were able to get information from the former Republican council member that would form the basis of the trial.

Raj and Stern were able to bribe Halloran in return for between $40,000 and $80,000 in money from his districts discretionary funds. Halloran, Raj and Stern came to a conclusion that in order to channel the government funds, normally reserved for non-profits, the city would need to purchase the YMCA on 35th Avenue in Bayside. Raj would be paid by acting as a management company or consultant. Court records said that Halloran also met with Raj outside of a pastry shop in Flushing and delivered $10,000 in cash.

Raj and Stern were also building relationships with former state Sen. Malcolm Smith, who was interested in running for mayor as a Republican, according to the case documentation. Authorization from the appropriate committee would be needed to allow a politician from one party to receive a nomination within a different party, also known as a Wilson-Pakula. Smith enlisted the help of Raj and Stern to influence important players within the Republican Party to vote in favor of his nomination. Bribes were also arranged by Raj with two other Republicans, Joseph Savino and Queens Executive Vice Chair Vincent Tabone, who accepted.

Halloran, Smith, Tabone and Savino were all arrested on April 2, 2013 when Manhattan chair Dan Isaacs reported the scheme to law enforcement.

The court found Hallorans argument for appeal to be without merit.
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By Patrick Donachie

A crowd of NYPD officers clad in dress blues gathered at the corner of 212th Street and 104th Road to remember Detective Brian Moore, who was shot and killed at the intersection one year earlier.

They were joined Wednesday by Commissioner Bill Bratton and members of the Moore family.

A tent covered some of the mourners from the drizzling rain as Bratton fondly remembered Moore. He said the memorial was fulfilling the promise we always make to the families of our fallen heroes to never forget.

On May 2, 2015, Moore, a 25-year-old officer with the 105th Precincts Anti-Crime Unit, was patrolling near 212-11 104th Road at about 6:15 p.m. with his partner, Officer Erik Jansen. The two were in an unmarked police car, and approached Demetrius Blackwell, who they suspected of having a weapon.

According to police, Blackwell pulled a gun from his waistband and fired at both Moore and his partner.

Moore was struck in the head, and was transported to Jamaica Hospital, where he was kept in a medically induced coma after surgery. He died two days later.

Blackwell was taken into custody approximately 90 minutes after the shooting, and pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder in June 2015.

Bratton told the audience at the memorial how Moore had come from a family of police officers, including his father Raymond, who was a retired sergeant with the NYPD. Moore had been an officer for nearly five years, and Bratton said that he had the gift of the eye, instinctively heading towards danger to protect the community he served.

Bratton, who posthumously promoted Moore to the rank of detective at his funeral May 9, 2015, said that he would be traveling next week to Washington, D.C., when Moores name would be enshrined on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

Irene Moore, the fallen officers mother, also spoke at the memorial. She implored the audience to keep her sons memory alive with warm thoughts of his friendship and humor.

Remember a memory of him that made us happy, she said. He lit up the room every time he walked into the room.

The memorial concluded as officers positioned a wreath at the site of the shooting, accompanied by the sound of bagpipes.

The city had previously honored Moore by co-naming 222nd Street, outside of the 105th Precinct, in his honor on Dec. 11.
Turns out those Avengers are hella competitive.

'Musical Beers' is the college frat version of the children's game that we all know the shame from getting knocked out of, and when the cast of 'Captain America: Civil War' got involved we didn't expect it to get this uncivil.

Eagle-eyed Olsen looked like she was in it to win it after taking out long-limbed Paul Bettany and Hawkeye himself but it came down to the host and the Winter Soldier and none of them could beat the fully grown human child that is Jimmy Fallon. Captain America would be disappointed in them all.
Pa. is about to vote. Here's what to know about voting and ballot access in 2022
Gross-out comedies might be a little old hat in the film landscape today, but they still pull in decent audience sizes and, for the most part, are effective enough to keep people entertained.

So it went with 2014's Bad Neighbours, a reasonably funny effort with the always likeable Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Dave Franco and Zac Efron leading the charge. The premise was as simple then as it is now. Rogen and Byrne are a married couple with a second child on the way who have managed to sell their home. With the house beside them empty of a fraternity, life's returned to a degree of normality. Newcomer Chloe Moretz has just joined the local college and, after seeing what life is like with the current sororities - embodied by the blandly perfect Selena Gomez and her vegan-free, all-white sisters - decides to set up her own with the help of Beanie Feldstein and Kiersey Clemons.Zac Efron, meanwhile, feels increasingly devalued as Dave Franco is now engaged and wants him to move out. Turning up at his old frat house, he meets Moretz and co. and agrees to help them set up their sorority and mentor them. Efron's return, of course, is noticed by Rogen and Byrne and so the story begins.

As it was in the first one, everyone's more or less reprising their roles. Efron is his usual loveable / listless self, Rogen is the constantly-shouting father whilst Byrne has slightly more room to play with. Dave Franco, meanwhile, is relegated to a couple of scenes at the beginning and the end of the film. Ike Barinholtz, meanwhile, has some funny scenes and has a good chemistry with Rogen and Byrne. Hannibal Buress also turns up as the off-kilter cop and Kelsey Grammer turns up for an extended cameo as Moretz's father. It's clear, however, that Moretz has little or no chops for comedy. We know she can act; all you have to do is look at the excellent Let Me In for proof. Here, however, she's just treading water without any real impact on the proceedings. Her cohorts, particularly Kiersey Clemons, make more of an effort than she does.

There's a surprisingly progressive bent to the story that looks at just how messed up the Greek system is in American colleges. In fact, the opening scene informs us that only male fraternities are allowed throw parties and the ones shown in the film are just awful; signs reading NO MEANS YES and neon phallus pointing towards the bedroom. When Moretz's sorority kicks off, they host a Feminist Icon Party with Efron in drag as Future President Hillary Clinton. It's good to see that the comedy is aimed in the right direction instead of resorting the usual tripe from these kind of gross-out comedies. The script, as well, zips along at a decent pace and no one comedic setpiece is overplayed. There's enough good jokes to keep the pace moving solidly along and at just over 93 minutes, it's pleasantly brief.

Overall, Bad Neighbours 2 is an entertaining sequel with a good few laughs throughout. As good as the first one, essentially.
TORIN HALSEY/TIMES RECORD NEWS A 202-megawatt wind farm in southwest Clay County includes 118 turbines spread across 10,000 acres. Clay County Against Wind Farms, is a community organization which seeks to preserve aesthetics and cultural heritage of the area and oppose construction of additional wind farms.

By Christopher Collins of the Times Record News

An economic study conducted this week by a Midwestern State University economics professor could have important implications for proposed wind energy developments in nearby Clay County.

In reviewing labor and job earnings statistics, professor John Martinez found that more than 50 percent of Clay and Archer county workers are employed in Wichita County, and also that at least two-thirds of Clay and Archer residents' net earnings  both direct and indirect  come from their employment in Wichita County.

Along with the oil and gas industry, manufacturing companies and the university, Sheppard Air Force Base was identified in the study as one of the primary drivers of the area economy. The loss of any of those employment hubs "is going to have a profound impact on the surrounding counties," Martinez said in an interview.

Here's the rub: About a month ago, Sheppard officials told attendees of a public forum in Henrietta that proposed wind energy developments in Clay County could undermine the integrity of their radar systems and also could reduce the number of days student pilots are able to train.

The worst case scenario, officials said, is that Sheppard's flight training missions could be moved elsewhere. Sheppard has placed its economic impact on the region at $750 million annually. The Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce and Industry placed the figure even higher, at $1 billion.

Martinez said he produced this week's report at the behest of Kevin Pearson, a vice president of the Chamber of Commerce. Last month, the Chamber urged recipients of an email to consider Sheppard's significant economic footprint on the region before supporting wind developments in Clay County.

Also last month, a member of Sheppard's Military Affairs Committee and Wichita Falls Mayor Glenn Barham testified about the city's predicament before the Texas Senate committee overseeing the state's military installations.

Republican Sen. Donna Campbell, chair of the Committee on Veteran Affairs and Military Installations, said she was considering intervening in wind energy plans to erect turbines in the vicinity of Texas military bases. Campbell remarked that the Department of Defense employs 225,000 workers in Texas, while the wind industry employs 15,000.

Jimmy Horn, owner of the company developing two wind energy projects in Clay County, said the Martinez study is the next wave in an offensive against alternative energy plans in the region. He described the myriad efforts to stem wind farm development as "scare tactics."

"This report from the professor is skewed to attack us," said Horn, owner of Horn Wind PM LLC. "(Sheppard) is spreading inaccurate information because they're not experts on the subject. And they're asking others to spread information to keep us from doing our business. That's exactly what this is. There's no other reason to do this."

The developer said that Horn Wind consultants are conducting "pre-studies" to determine what impact potential developments may have on Sheppard. If any "substantive" impact is shown, Horn said he'd consider halting wind farm plans.

On a related note, local anti-wind energy organizer John Greer is scheduled to give two presentations on wind farms Thursday at the Dillard College of Business Administration. The talks are set for 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Related: Read Martinez's economic impact report below.

"The Integrated Local Economy"
U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry receives the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Spirit of Enterprise Award from Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce & Industry Chairman and Times Record News President Dwayne Bivona on Wednesday during an event at the Wichita Falls Country Club. Thornberry was recognized for his pro-jobs and pro-growth efforts during the 114th Congress. CHRISTOPHER WALKER/TIMES RECORD NEWS

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By John Ingle of the Times Record News

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce annually awards the Spirit of Enterprise Award to members of Congress based on how they vote on important issues identified by the business organization, and U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry received his honor Wednesday during an event at the Wichita Falls Country Club.

Thornberry has been the recipient of the honor on multiple occasions. Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce & Industry Board Chairman and Times Record News President Dwayne Bivona presented the award.

The congressman said the national chamber often announces key votes that they are particularly paying attention to, but he said that doesn't affect how he votes.

"I think while I don't consciously try to vote however the chamber wants me to vote," he said. "If you step back and look, am I voting for business, for jobs, for economic growth, then the chamber kind of is a barometer that helps keep track of that."

Thornberry said his ideology typically aligns with that of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce when it comes to specific items that go through the House and to the floor for votes.

Henry Florsheim, president of the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said the accolade for Thornberry is well deserved and that the area needs a representative in Washington, D.C., to look out for interests specific to his district, whether it's from a military affairs standpoint or anything that might affect the local economy.

"It's obvious that he's not only a leader in North Texas, but also Washington, D.C., because people hold him up as a model and say, 'We appreciate what you do, the way you vote, it matches up with our values, and we need more people like you,'" he said. "That's why recognition like this is important because it tells people that he's doing what he needs to do to protect our economy."

Bivona said Thornberry, a fifth-generation Texan, epitomizes the essence of the Spirit of Enterprise Award.

"This champion of North Texas, Mac embodies the Spirit of Enterprise Award given by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to members of congress who support their pro-business legislative agenda," he said. "His legislative successes include lifting a 40-year oil export ban, the bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountable Act of 2015, and the Transportation and Death Tax Repeal Act to protect against acts that stifle economic growth."

Thornberry, who is from Clarendon northeast of Wichita Falls on U.S. 287, said his family's ranching and agriculture business has given him insight into the hard work and risk it takes to be successful.
SHARE Contributed photo Russell Gibbs is one of two candidates visiting MSU to vie for the position of vice president for university advancement and public affairs. He is associate dean of external affairs for the University of Houston Law Center. Contributed photo Anthony Vidmar is one of the candidates interviewing for the position of vice president for university advancement and public affairs at MSU. He is assistant vice president of development for university programs at Virginia Tech.

By Times Record News

Two candidates for the position of vice president for university advancement and public affairs at Midwestern State University visited campus Wednesday and will be at MSU at 10:45 a.m. Thursday, as well, during an open session for faculty, staff and students in Dillard Room 189.

Howard Farrell, who currently holds the vice president position, will retire at the end of the academic year, Aug. 31, 2016.

One of the candidates is Dr. Russell Gibbs, who has served as associate dean of external affairs for the University of Houston Law Center since 2014. He also worked at the Texas A&M Health Science Center in Bryan from 2008-13 as vice president for institutional advancement, and at Texas Tech University System in Lubbock from 2003-2008 in various capacities, including serving as interim vice chancellor for institutional advancement and chief operating officer of the Texas Tech Foundation. He worked at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview from 1998-2003 as vice president for institutional advancement, and then at Buckner Baptist Benevolences in Dallas as a regional development officer.

Before his years in higher education, he was a pastor in Canyon, Spearman and Abilene. He holds a bachelor's degree in religion, a master's degree in divinity and a doctor of ministries degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, where his doctoral project was "Using Television as a Community Outreach to Blended Families."

Gibbs, who grew up in the Panhandle and West Texas, said much of his career has been spent in higher education fundraising and in designing and implementing capital campaigns. In 2014, Gibbs said his office secured gifts from 100 percent of the University of Houston Law Center faculty, along with almost $300,000 from approximately 1,000 alumni from 99 law firms and companies. In 2015, the law center raised more than $450,000 at its gala/auction. Gibbs also closed a $525,000 estate gift in December 2015.

The second candidate is Anthony Vidmar, who has served as assistant vice president of development for university programs at Virginia Tech since 2014. He has worked in higher education and faith-based advancement for three decades, most recently at Ohio State University, where he was chief development officer for the university's alumni association and acting team leader for the association's Office of Outreach & Engagement.

Besides his work at Virginia Tech and Ohio State, he was a part-time adjunct faculty member at Indiana Wesleyan University from 2006-14, director of development in the college of science from 2004-07 at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Louisiana, and director of scholarship and endowment development at Northwest Nazarene University from 2002-04. He also served in various capacities with Campus Crusade for Christ International

He earned a bachelor's degree in natural resources from Ohio State and a master of business administration degree from Northwest Nazarene University.

Vidmar was the leader for the Outreach & Engagement of Ohio State University's Alumni Association, which includes 525,000 alumni, and he was the key architect and solicitor of the largest corporate cash commitment in the university's history  $5 million  to name the Virginia Tech Carillon Court at Cassell Coliseum.

MSU's Farrell said it was a good time to step down and spend more time with family. A popular administrator at the university for three decades, he is most well known for attracting the Dallas Cowboys training camp to MSU in 1998-2001.

"I adore this university. We have incredible faculty and staff  and most importantly, incredible students," Farrell told the Times Record News in February. "It's just time (to retire). I always wanted to leave when I was at the top of my profession."
SHARE CHRISTOPHER WALKER/TIMES RECORD NEWS District 69 State Representative James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, spoke Wednesday during the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce & Industry Legislative Luncheon held at the Wichita Falls Country Club. CHRISTOPHER WALKER/TIMES RECORD NEWS. Wichita County Judge Woody Gossom spoke during the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce & Industry Legislative Luncheon. Gossom talked about how the county is looking at simplifying its voting system. CHRISTOPHER WALKER/TIMES RECORD NEWS U.S Rep. Mac Thornberry, R- Clarendon, spoke Wednesday during the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce & Industry Legislative Luncheon, updating his audience on issues facing Congress.

By John Ingle of the Times Record News

Military readiness, legislative agendas and voting precincts were among several topics elected officials to federal, state and county governments spoke about Wednesday during a legislative update hosted by the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, state Rep. James Frank and Wichita County Judge Woody Gossom spoke about specific issues on which they are working at their respective levels.

Thornberry, who serves as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the federal deficit is much better now than it was several years ago, largely because of spending cuts at the federal level. But, he said, the brunt of those cuts have come from the defense budget during the Obama administration. The defense budget represents about 15 percent of the federal budget, he said, and the Department of Defense absorbed 50 percent of federal cuts over the past four or five years.

"We're at a tipping point because I think most Republicans and most Democrats agree we can't keep cutting defense," he said. "We cut defense 21 percent in the last four years and the world is not 21 percent safer than it was four years ago. As a matter of fact, we are asking our military folks to go to more places and do more things around the world than we have in a long, long time."

Thornberry said the cuts certainly have saved money at the federal level, but it also comes with costs. He said military readiness of the men and women in uniform is suffering, as is the ability to maintain equipment or even provide needed equipment for the services to do their jobs adequately.

The congressman said Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, has also asked members of the House to start talking about things they are in favor of instead of focusing on issues they are against like Obamacare, Dodd-Frank, Waters of the U.S. and more. It's time to show the country that the federal government can function cohesively by identifying bipartisan topics that can be worked on across the aisle, especially now that more people are paying attention to what is happening in Washington, D.C., with all eyes on presidential campaigns.

"Paul has decided that we have about five or six special task forces that are going to put together specific proposals on each of those areas and just put them out there so y'all and everybody else can see what you think and give us feedback," he said. "So, we're talking about what we're for, not just what we're against and if people agree, then those are things that can be specifically voted on in the new Congress."

Frank reminded the audience that the Texas Legislature meets as a body for only 140 days every two years to pass a budget, with the last session beginning in January 2015. But, he said, that doesn't mean state lawmakers are sitting by idly waiting for the next meeting to begin.

The Wichita Falls native said he and other legislators spend the interim working on specific issues while not in session in preparation for the next Legislature. The state's water supply, for example, is something he has worked on, among other topics.

" ... We get together and meet and discuss issues, and I know you may say that's not a good thing, but honestly it's better than making bad votes on things," Frank said. "We get together and actually discuss issues, and, again, the really nice thing is people will actually listen to one another when there's not an impending vote out in front of it. So you're actually able to meet and have discussions and talk about ideas without the threat of a vote or without talking to the media about why like or don't like something, and I think that ends up working very well."

Frank said he also works on his legislative agenda for the next session with chief of staff Jim Johnson.

Gossom said the county is working toward a voting solution that will allow registered voters to cast a ballot at any precinct, much like voters can do at early voting locations. He said the county began looking at the concept of super precincts a few years about, but the name has changed to "vote centers".

During early voting, a voter in Electra can go into The Home Depot and cast a ballot even though it is out of their precinct, he said.

"The vote center concept is the same thing on Election Day," he said. "We're going to try to bring that in ... but what we're going to do is make all locations vote centers."

Gossom said they will have all 31 voting locations adopt the vote center model, determine the highest flow of traffic and decide which locations can be closed in future elections.
This photo taken on Wednesday, April 6, 2016, shows the Techa River, near the village of Muslyumovo, Chelyabinsk region, Russia, where over 760 million cubic meters (2.68 billion cubic feet) of radioactive waste was dumped between 1949- 1956. Mayak is a nuclear complex that has been responsible for at least two of the country's biggest radioactive accidents. Worse, environmentalists say, is the facility's decades-old record of using the Arctic-bound waters of the Techa River to dump waste from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, hundreds of tons of which is imported annually from neighboring nations. (AP Photo/Katherine Jacobsen)

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Every day, Ukraine slogs through another day of dysfunction.

The death toll from the country's war with Kremlin-backed separatists in the east now tops 9,300, and there's no end in sight to the two-year conflict. Kiev's failure to make any headway with rampant corruption and an economy in shambles is why the country's embattled prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, had to step down last month. President Petro Poroshenko, a candy maker magnate, has been tarnished by Panama Papers revelations about offshore accounts he held in the British Virgin Islands.

It all points to a country far from ready take on the job as caretaker of the dangerous remnants of the world's worst nuclear disaster: In April 1986, an explosion and subsequent fire showered radioactive particles over much of the western part of the Soviet Union and Europe. Unlike Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011, which caused enduring cancer fears but killed no one instantly, Chernobyl had an immediate death toll of 31.

For three decades, the Chernobyl site has been sealed but only with temporary, not permanent, protections. Finally, there's movement to contain it. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is about to put in place an already constructed $1.7 billion, 30,000-ton, hangarlike shell over what's left of the ruined Reactor 4. By November 2017, the giant arch-shaped enclosure  tall enough to house Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral  should become operational.

At that point, the EBRD and the more than 40 countries that have helped finance the structure are supposed to hand over to Kiev two crucial tasks: dismantling the concrete and steel sarcophagus hastily built by Soviet workers in 1986 to contain radiation emanating from the damaged reactor, and disassembling the reactor itself. Ukraine will also assume responsibility for disposing 200 tons of a lavalike mass of uranium, sand, boric acid and lead buried in the heart of the damaged reactor.

The most urgent task is dismantling the 30-year-old makeshift sarcophagus, which is showing signs of deterioration. Less of a priority is disposal of the reactor's uranium waste.

Made of steel cladding and a weblike network of trusses, the new protective shell was built to last 100 years. Nevertheless, Ukrainian officials have expressed doubts about their country's ability to shoulder the burden alone. Igor Gramotkin, Chernobyl's general director, told The Washington Post last month that nuclear waste disposal "is an extremely expensive process  and unfortunately, with the current economic situation in Ukraine, I don't think that we can carry this out without international support."

Even 30 years after Reactor 4 erupted in a massive plume of radiation and steam, Chernobyl continues to require deft, meticulous oversight  and will for many years. So far, the international community has followed the right blueprint for managing the dangers posed by the site. The shell this partnership of bankers and governments has built is an engineering marvel: An elaborate ventilation and humidity control system will prevent corrosion. To safeguard construction workers and technicians from radiation exposure, the whole structure was built adjacent to the site and will be gently wheeled into place over Reactor 4 later this year.

Spent fuel from Chernobyl's two other reactors will be encased in concrete capsules and housed at a new storage facility built by a U.S. company. A nearby waste treatment plant will process and store the site's liquid radioactive waste. The funding of both of those projects was managed by the EBRD.

But the job won't be finished until Reactor 4 is safely taken apart and its dangerous core of nuclear waste is safely removed.

Ukraine, though, is neck-deep in an existential agenda: resurrecting a moribund economy, weaning itself from a culture of corruption and resolving the conflict in the east. If the Ukranians want help coping with the delicate last phase of making Chernobyl as safe as possible, they should get it.

Washington is part of the partnership that financed the protective shell. Now isn't the time for that partnership to collapse or fade away.

The world didn't cause Chernobyl, but the world is stuck with its legacy. We hope the Obama administration, and its successors, exert the diplomacy and pay the relatively modest costs to keep this dangerous site sealed, in perpetuity.

Chicago Tribune
Those of you heading along to Neil Young + Promise of the Real's forthcoming gig in Dublin and Belfast have just been given a reason to get there early.

Laura Marling has been announced as the support on the tour, which includes Belfast's SSE Arena on June 7th and Dublin's 3Arena on June 8th.

Marling's last album was 'Short Movie', released last year.

Extra GA and seated tickets will go on sale next Thursday, May 12th at 9am.
Times Record News File: Electra Junior/Senior High

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Anita Huguelet McMurtrie, Electra

In response to recent questions about sexual abuse at schools in Electra:

Texas Administrative Code; Title 19: Education; Part 7: State Board for Educator Certification; Chapter 247: Educators' Code of Ethics

Chapter 247: Educators' Code of Ethics; Rule: 247.2

Enforceable Standards.

(1) Professional Ethical Conduct, Practices, and Performance

(G) Standard 1.7. The educator shall comply with state regulations, written local school board policies, and other state and federal laws.

(F) Standard 3.6. The educator shall not solicit nor engage in sexual conduct or a romantic relationship with a student or a minor.

(H) Standard 3.8. The educator shall maintain appropriate professional educator-student relationships and boundaries based on a reasonably prudent educator standard.

(I) Standard 3.9. The educator shall refrain from inappropriate communication with a student or a minor, including but not limited to, electronic communication such as a cellphone, text messaging, email, instant messaging, blogging, or other social network communication.

The provisions of this 247.2 adopted to be effective March 1, 1998, 223 TexReg 1022; amended to be effective August 22, 2002, 27 TexReg 7530; amended to be effective December 26, 2010, 35 TexReg 11242.

Electra Police Chief Michael Dozier has done exactly what is required of him by law. State rules and regulations regarding this can be provided if necessary.
Rendering by Gary Baker and Associates shows a boardwalk and pavillion very similar to the original structure build about a century ago. A Texas Parks and Wildlife grant will fund about half of the construction of the boardwalk, support pad and spur trails. The pavillion itself is not included in this project.

SHARE Contributed graphic The Lake Wichita Revitalization Committee has received support from several local businesses for the project including three car dealerships - Patterson Automotive, Sewell Toyota and Herb Easley Chevrolet. During the month of May, these businesses will give a portion of their proceeds from every new car or truck sold to the project.

By Claire Kowalick of the Times Record News

A look to the future with a nod to the past is visible in the design for the new boardwalk at Lake Wichita. A rendering donated by Gary Baker and Associates shows a grand 200-foot long, 20-foot wide construction with a T-shaped end (60X20 foot). The architect for the project is Carey Dodson.

The total project will cost more than $1 million, with $499,536 funded by a grant through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Another $641,268 in matching funds will be needed to complete the "promenade." Included in the project is stabilization of the shoreline and preparation of the site for a pavilion to be built at a later time. There will also be a spur off the Circle Trail to the site, benches, informational signage, and fish and wildlife habitat enhancements around the lake.

Tom Lang, a member of the Lake Wichita Revitalization Committee said they chose the design slightly off center to keep the original pylons of the old boardwalk in place.

"These are a part of our history and we think the new should complement the old. We are so excited to be able to highlight our cultural history at Lake Wichita by keeping the original pylons and look of the historic boardwalk, while simultaneously providing a long-lasting, sustainable, sound structure. What a wonderful site this will be for generations to come," he said.

The new creation will be similar to the original with an added shade cover on the T-end. The Pavillion roof (when it is built) and the shade over will be red just like the original structure.

"What a remarkable location to provide a multitude of experiences from proposals and wedding vows, to a small classical concert, to fishing and wildlife viewing, to simply spending time with loved ones enjoying the beauty of the outdoors. We are so excited about this portion of the project and the benefits it will bring to our community," Lang said.

In the long term plan, the boardwalk will be accessible from the east side of the lake by the Circle Trail, with a section to be constructed in front of the spillway.

Several local businesses have offered up a show of support by offering up a portion of their sales for the Lake Wichita project during the month of May.

Southern Cleaning will give 25 percent of sales to the project. Patrons should mention Lake Wichita when ordering.

Patterson Automotive, Sewell Toyota, and Herb Easley Chevrolet will all be giving a portion of every new car or truck sold to the Lake Wichita project.

Other local support opportunities:

Re/Max Elite's LeeAnn Burnett and Re/Max Wichita Falls' Jack Browne will be making a donation for every home they sell.

Storm Computers is donating a portion of every computer sale

Big Daddy's Towing is donating a portion from every service call
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Editors note: During Black History Month, the Times Union is sharing stories from its archive highlighting significant people, places and events that are part of the Capital Regions Black cultural heritage. This story was first published May 5, 2016.

SCHENECTADY  Lakeia Allen Bowman sat proudly in the front row of the tent with her husband and their son as speaker after speaker praised her late father Joseph Allen for his love of his Hamilton Hill neighborhood.

Allen, the first black City Councilman, lived at 944 Strong St., not far from where non-profit Rochester-based DePaul properties is building a $17.9 million apartment building on Albany Street that will bear Allen's name.

Schenectady County Legislature Chairman Anthony Jasenski invited Allen's grandson, Raymond Joseph Allen Bowman, to the podium during Thursday's ground breaking to ask him what he thought about the Joseph L. Allen Apartments.

The 6-year-old boy said "great," eliciting laughter and applause.

"Do you think grandpa would be proud to have his name on this building in his neighborhood?" asked Jasenski.

"Yes" the boy replied.

"How proud?" Jasenski followed up.

"A lot proud," the child answered.

Assemblyman Angelo Santarbarbara said the building project is "another step toward our goal of building stronger neighborhoods and vibrant communities," promising there is more to come.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner James Rubin said he was pleased to see people from the community in the audience.

"That is in the end what this is all about," he said. "We're taking neighborhoods that were distressed for one reason or the other and helping them come back to life."

Schenectady City Councilwoman Marion Porterfield said Albany and Hulett streets "represent a convergence of history," calling it "a place that will honor two civil rights activist. "

She noted that part of Hulett Street is named 'Harriet Tubman Way,' for the black abolitionist and Albany Street is the future home of the Joseph L. Allen apartments.

"Mr. Allen was a constant advocate for minorities and the underrepresented in the city of Schenectady," said Porterfield, who is black and lives in Hamilton Hill. "He would have appreciated the revitalization of this neighborhood that was so vitally important to him."

Allen was also a lifelong member of Duryee Memorial AME Zion Church, located across from the apartments.

Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy recalled Allen for his "dedication to Schenectady," saying "his advocacy for Hamilton Hill was second to none."

In 1996, Allen, a Democrat, made history by being elected the first African-American to serve on the City Council.

He served 16 years, including as president.

Before that, he was president of the Hamilton Hill Neighborhood Association.

During his tenure, Allen pushed for getting more people of color on the police and fire departments, enforcing residency requirements and curbing what he contended were rampant police brutality and profiling.

He died last year at the age of 79.

The studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, which are scheduled to open in the summer of 2017, will feature a full-equipped kitchen with a range, refrigerator, microwave and wall-mounted TV in the smoke-free building. Additionally, the heat, air conditioning, hot water and the electric are included in the rent of the 51 new apartments.

Afterward, the Bowmans described the event as bittersweet.

"He loved his city and he loved his church and the fact that the two are right here together," Lakeia Allen Bowman said. "It stands as a lasting legacy for people who knew him."

pnelson@timesunion.com  518-454-5347  @apaulnelson
MUSIC

Springtime continues to mean singing as the Albany Symphony Orchestra and the Albany Pro Musica come together for the massive Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection." It's certainly a grand finale to the orchestra's classical season as the piece typically lasts about 90 minutes. And the well earned subtitle for the piece is "Resurrection." David Alan Miller conducts. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Palace Theatre, 19 Clinton Ave., Albany. $50-$90. Call 465-4755 or visit: http://www.albanysymphony.com

STAGE

Neil Simon's experiences as a young comedy writer on "Your Show of Shows" led him to write "Laughter on the 25th Floor." The play, which opened on Broadway in 1993, focuses on Max Prince, the Sid Caesar-like star of a weekly variety show in 1953. Staff writer Lucas Brickman (who Simon based on himself) provides a running commentary on the craziness in the writers' room, caused by characters inspired by Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart and Carl Reiner. John Quinan directs Albany Civic Theater's staging of the play, which opens this week. 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. $10-$18. Albany Civic Theater, 235 Second Ave., Albany. 462-1297; http://www.albanycivictheater.org

FESTIVAL

You'll see snowy owls, ospreys, hawks and falcons at Winter Raptor Fest 2016. And bald eagles, too. The sixth annual event, hosted by the Friends of the Washington County Grasslands IBA, will feature programs spotlighting live birds of prey hosted by groups such as the New York State Wildlife Rehab Council, the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, and the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehab Center. Seminars set for the two-day event include "Predators of the Sky," "Winged Wonders," "Masters of Flight" and "The Raptor Project." Proceeds from Winter Raptor Fest will help Friends of the IBA protect endangered birds in Washington County. 10 a.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. Sunday, May 15. $6-$25. Washington County Fairgrounds, 392 Old Schuylerville Road, Greenwich. 499-0012; http://www.winterraptorfest.com
SCHENECTADY - A parolee found with a handgun was sentenced Wednesday to six years in prison, according to the Schenectady County District Attorney's office.

Alijuaon Sutton, 22, had pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, on March 16.
Stations for bicyclists to fix their rides are being opened at three different branches of the Albany Public Library.

The repair stations will be located at the Arbor Hill/West Hill, Bach and Delaware branches.

The official opening will be Friday, May 13. Starting at 9:30 a.m., a group of library staff and local bicycle enthusiasts will ride their bikes between all three branches.

Free for public use, the bicycle fix-it stations are placed outside near bicycle racks.

The stations, manufactured by DERO, contain tools for repairs and maintenance including changing a flat tire, adjusting brakes, and fine tuning gears. Each station includes Philips and flat head screwdrivers, Allen wrenches, a headset wrench, a pedal wrench, several sizes of box wrenches, tire levers, and air pump.

The tools and air pump are secured using stainless steel cables. The stands have hanger arms that allow users to spin the pedals and wheels while making adjustments.

The official kickoff will be at 9:30 a.m. at the Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch at 148 Henry Johnson Blvd. Library officials will be joined by leaders of local bicycle, transportation, and community organizations for a short press conference.

Participants will then get on their bikes and ride to the Bach Branch at 455 New Scotland Ave. to visit the fix-it station there. The last stop on the bike tour is the Delaware Branch at 331 Delaware Ave.

Community members are being invited to participate.

"There are many recreational cyclists, families, and commuters who can benefit from having easy access to bike repair tools at three locations in the city of Albany," Scott Jarzombek, the library's executive director, said in a release. "The Bicycle Fixit Stations are another great service the library is proud to provide to the community."
As you'll know by now, Axl Rose is joining AC/DC temporarily as their frontman, standing in for Brian Jones who has been ordered by doctors to stop touring for the sake of his hearing.

The first video of Rose with AC/DC members Angus Young and Cliff Williams has gone online, with the trio posing awkwardly for a promo clip for their forthcoming gig in 'Pordigal' (that's Portugal to all you non-Australian aging rockers out there).

Rose, meanwhile, looks a mixture of bemused and confused, not to mention SUPER-AWKWARD during the short clip.

Their first gig takes place on Saturday, so let's see whether their musical performance is similar....

Watch the clip below (click image to play):
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Bethlehem

Jody Monroe will lose the "interim" from her superintendent title with the Bethlehem Central School District this month.

The school board will appoint Monroe as the district's next superintendent at its May 18 board meeting, according to an email sent Thursday to faculty and staff.

Monroe has served as an administrator in the district for more than 11 years, first as a middle school principal and later as assistant superintendent of educational programs and instruction. In August 2015, the board appointed her interim superintendent at an annual salary of $165,000 to fill the vacancy left by Thomas Douglas.

"Ms. Monroe emerged as the board's unanimous choice following an extensive search that included substantial public engagement over the course of this school year," board President Matt Downey said in the email. "It was essential to the board to include staff and community feedback and we would like to thank those of you who provided this."

The board's search began with two community forums and an online survey designed to garner feedback on qualities the community would like to see in a new superintendent. Overall, it received 13 applicants for the position. This applicant pool was eventually narrowed to five candidates.

Two teams of 28 stakeholders  including parents, students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members  interviewed Monroe in March. The board selected her after its own, final interview of candidates.

"Ms. Monroe has a long and successful history with Bethlehem Central ... the board strongly feels that Ms. Monroe will engage and listen to our faculty and community, always put students first, and maintain the district's reputation of excellence," Downey said.

A reception to congratulate Monroe will be held ahead of the May 18 board meeting, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. at the middle school.

Amsterdam selects school district leader

The Amsterdam Board of Education chose a high school principal from the Rochester city schools to lead the district.

Vicky I. Ramos will become superintendent effective July 1, succeeding the retiring Thomas F. Perillo, who has led the Greater Amsterdam School District for the last nine years.

Perillo's last day in the district will be June 30.

bbump@timesunion.com  518-454-5387  @bethanybump
Prince had the painkiller Percocet in his body when he was found dead last month, according to the Star-Tribune of Minneapolis.

The newspaper, relying on an unidentified source, said it was unclear of the highly-addictive opioid caused the 57-year-old stars dead. Prince was found dead April 21 inside an elevator at his home in suburban Minneapolis.
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Troy

Rensselaer County has hired outside counsel to represent District Attorney Joel Abelove in a lawsuit filed by the state Attorney General's Office over the handling of a fatal shooting last month by a Troy police sergeant.

John Bailey, who has represented the county and the city of Troy in previous legal cases, will handle the suit.

"We try to bring in private counsel in out-of-the-ordinary situations," County Attorney Stephen A. Pechenik said.

In this case, the unusual circumstance is Attorney General Eric Schneiderman exercising his authority, granted last year by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in an executive order, to investigate cases in which unarmed civilians are killed by police.

On April 17, Sgt. Randall French fatally shot Edson Thevenin on Hoosick Street after Thevenin eluded an initial traffic stop.

Abelove, who criticized the governor's order last year, presented the case to a county grand jury five days after Thevenin's death. The grand jury cleared French, who testified, along with Capt. Matthew Montanino and at least four other police officers.

Police Chief John Tedesco said the day after the shooting that French had acted legally and in compliance with department regulations. French fired his service weapon eight times into Thevenin's vehicle, which police said had pinned the officer and left him with soft tissue and ligament injuries to his leg.

But a witness later told state investigators that Thevenin's vehicle rolled slowly forward and pinned the officer's legs against his cruiser after the shots were fired, a person familiar with the investigation told the Times Union earlier this week.

Abelove's quick presentation to the grand jury led to Schneiderman's lawsuit accusing Abelove of undercutting the attorney general's authority. The litigation seeks a court order annulling the grand jury's decision and affirming the jurisdiction that Schneiderman said he has to take over the case.

Political and legal sources said the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York supports Abelove.

While the case goes through state Supreme Court in Albany County, state attorney general's investigators were at the Troy police station earlier this week to review records, look over Thevenin's green Honda sedan and speak to officers, according city, county and state law enforcement sources. The state investigators are retired Troy and Cohoes detectives, the sources said.

The Troy Police Benevolent Association has supported French, saying he acted legally and properly in the incident.

Thevenin's car is viewed by police as being used as a weapon against French, which allowed him to fire his pistol.

Two civilian witnesses told investigators they did not think it was necessary for French to use his weapon, according to law enforcement sources and a person briefed on the case.

kcrowe@timesunion.com  518-454-5084  @KennethCrowe
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Flint, Mich.

Sipping filtered city water to show it's again drinkable, President Barack Obama promised Wednesday to ride herd on leaders at all levels of government until every drop of water flowing into homes in Flint, Mich., is safe to use.

He also promised that the aging pipes that contaminated the water with lead will be replaced, but cautioned that the project will take time. Obama said he wanted to use the crisis to make long-term improvements to the city, where more than 40 percent of residents live in poverty.

"It's not going to happen overnight, but we have to get started," Obama told hundreds of people gathered in a high school gymnasium. Obama spoke after he was briefed on the federal response to the water contamination and had met privately with nine residents.

Obama said he understood why people are scared and angry and feel let down. He said what happened in Flint was a man-made disaster that didn't have to happen. But he said it did happen and everyone must now work together to fix it.

"I've got your back," Obama said. "I will not rest and I'm going to make sure that the leaders at every level of government don't rest until every drop of water that flows to your homes is safe to drink and safe to cook with and safe to bathe in."

He called providing safe drinking water a basic responsibility of government. And while he said he didn't want to go over every "screw-up that resulted in contaminated water," he blamed an overarching attitude that less government is better.

"It's an ideology that undervalues the common good," Obama said.

After coughing several times during his remarks, Obama asked for and drank from a glass of water. He also drank city water after getting a lengthy briefing on the crisis, which forced residents to spend months drinking, cooking and bathing with bottled water.

Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint in mid-January and ordered federal aid to supplement the state and local response. By then, however, the crisis was in full bloom.

It took several months for the nation to focus on the beaten-down former General Motors industrial city's plight, raising questions about how race  more than half of Flint's residents are black  and poverty influenced decisions that led to the tainted water supply and the sluggish response.

The city, in an effort to save money while under state management, began drawing its water from the Flint River in April 2014. Despite complaints from residents about the smell and taste and health problems, city leaders insisted the water was safe.

Doctors reported last September that the blood of Flint children contained high levels of lead.
Whether they acted for screens or wrote the scripts, take a look at this gallery to see some successful TV and movie stars that have ties to the Capital Region.
Albany

A well-known Los Angeles restaurant called Beer Belly is suing the owner of the Beer Belly restaurant on New Scotland Avenue over its name.

Beer Belly in Los Angeles' Koreatown was featured on the Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" hosted by TV personality and celebrity chef Guy Fieri.

The Albany restaurant with the same name is 2,800 miles away, requiring a road trip of 40-plus hours.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Albany, claims Albany Beer Belly owner Michael Viglucci Jr. is the "moving, active, conscious force" behind the alleged trademark infringement.

Viglucci's son Brian, a partner in his family's restaurant company, BM&T Hospitality, told the Times Union on Wednesday they had not seen the lawsuit. He declined comment until he could speak with his attorney.

The Beer Belly in Los Angeles sent a letter to BM&T Hospitality last year asking them to stop using the Beer Belly name.

BM&T also owns Spinners, Junior's, The Point, Madison Pour House, The Pub and other restaurants. Its website calls its Beer Belly restaurant "The Belly," although it is unclear if that is in connection with the lawsuit or not.

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Beer Belly is a popular restaurant and bar name across the country. There is also a Beer Belly Deli & Pub in Syracuse.

Last year, the owners of Beer Belly in Los Angeles sued another Beer Belly Deli that was located near the Pomona College campus in Claremont, Calif., not far from Los Angeles.

The Claremont deli settled with the Los Angeles Beer Belly and appears to have closed, although there is no indication it was a result of the court settlement.

lrulison@timesunion.com  518-454-5504  @larryrulison
Colonie

Flying this summer?

Expect to spend more time in line at airport security checkpoints nationwide.

As the summer vacation season approaches and the Transportation Security Administration has further tightened screening procedures, travel industry officials are warning wait times could grow.

Even Albany, where officials have been planning for the summer crush, may see longer waits this summer.

"We've done a lot of planning and anticipating, so I'm pretty confident about the summer," said Bart Johnson, the federal security director at Albany. "We're prepared."

He advises passengers locally to arrive 90 minutes to as much as two hours before their flight.

At major hub airports like Newark or Kennedy, allow at least two hours.

Protection is the No. 1 priority, Johnson said, citing terrorist activity that brought down a Russian jet, damaged another plane, and claimed lives in Paris, San Bernardino, Calif., and at the Brussels airport and one of its metro stations.

"The threat is there," Johnson said. "Our officers need to make sure protection is our number one priority."

That said, there are steps individual passengers can take to help.

First, know what to pack, how to pack, and what to leave home.

Johnson suggests a visit to tsa.gov for tips and the latest information.

Consider enrolling in the TSA's PreCheck program, which gives participants who have undergone background checks expedited clearance at the security checkpoint.

"You don't have to take your laptop out, your shoes off, or remove your light jacket," Johnson said.

The cost is $85 for five years. Enroll at https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/apply

The local TSA PreCheck office is at Northeast Testing Facility, 21 Everett Road Extension, in Albany.

If you travel internationally, you might want to consider applying to the GlobalEntry program, which includes PreCheck and costs $100 for five years. It offers expedited customs and immigration processing when re-entering the United States.

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Locally, the TSA also is hiring additional officers.

"We're at about 90 percent of capacity," Johnson said. "I anticipate at being at 95 percent to 100 percent capacity of the personnel we're permitted" to have at Albany.

On Wednesday, Johnson met with local representatives from United, JetBlue, Southwest, American and Delta to plan for coping with summer crowds.

Airport boardings at Albany have been rising, up 11 percent in the first three months of the year.

Part of the planning involves ensuring that the TSA has up-to-date information on flight schedules and passenger volumes so that it can have the staff to meet demand.

Also on Wednesday, Airports Council International  North America called on TSA and the Congress to act on several industry recommendations, including deploying available resources more effectively, and funding infrastructure projects to increase security and improve passenger flows in aging terminals.

Jeh C. Johnson, secretary of homeland security, also called on Congress to provide funding to pay for TSA officer overtime to meet peak periods at the busiest airports.

eanderson@timesunion.com  518-454-5323
Hudson Falls

U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer went to a Washington County dairy farm Wednesday to warn that proposed new Canadian limits on milk imports from the U.S. could harm New York's dairy farmers.

"Upstate New York and Washington County dairy producers could be put in grave jeopardy if these restrictive, Canadian trade barriers are allowed to go into effect," said Schumer, during a press conference at the Ideal Dairy Farm in Hudson Falls.

"This kind of restriction could flood the U.S. market with milk if our producers cannot ship their products there  and this would not only negatively impact our companies that export, but also devastate our producers who sell domestically, like Ideal Dairy right here in Washington County," he said.

At issue is diafiltered milk, in which raw milk is filtered and converted into a concentrated liquid. The result is a high-protein product that can be used to make cheese, as well as other products like ice cream or yogurt. Under export rules for the North American Free Trade Agreement, diafiltered milk does not face import duties that are placed on regular milk coming into Canada.

Imports from the U.S. have surged as producers switch because it is cheaper and more efficient than regular milk. This has drawn increasing opposition from Canadian dairy farmers, who want the imports blocked.

"Milk prices are at about break-even right now," said Jay Skellie, president of the Washington County Farm Bureau and supervisor of the town of Jackson. "If Canada shuts down our exports, that could create a backup and even more supply on our side, with an immediate reaction of driving down prices even further. It would be a serious situation."

If such U.S. milk exports are hit with high Canadian tariffs, said Schumer, that unsold milk no longer going to Canada could glut the U.S. market, causing prices to slide and cut into profits by dairy farmers like Ideal, which does not export its milk to Canada. Ideal is a member of the Dairy Farmers of America Cooperative, a group of more than 1,500 dairies in the Northeast that provide milk to customers including Kraft, Chobani, Hershey, Sorrento and Hood.

He said two dairy cooperatives in the Finger Lakes  O-At-Ka Milk in Batavia and Cayuga Milk Ingredients in Cayuga  have invested tens of millions of dollars in facilities to process diafiltered milk for export to Canada.

On Wednesday, the Canadian minister of agriculture vowed to find a solution to the issue after Canadian lawmakers voted a day earlier against a measure to enforce rules that set a minimum threshold on how much Canadian milk must be in cheese, according to a report in the Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail. Diafiltered milk exports to Canada hit nearly $200 million last year, up from virtually nothing in the mid-2000s, according to the Globe and Mail. A Canadian dairy farmers organization claims those imports have cost their members more than $230 million in lost revenue last year.

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This week, angry Canadian dairy farmers blockaded a Montreal cheese factory to protest the imports.

Schumer also released letters he has written to the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging U.S. officials to take steps to discourage the Canadian government from enforcing standards against the use of imported filtered milk from the U.S. to make cheese.

"As the country's third largest milk producing state, a significant impact on New York's ability to tap into key foreign markets also will impact farmers in surrounding states in the northeast and Mid-Atlantic region," Schumer wrote.

bnearing@timesunion.com  518-454-5094  @Bnearing10
Warren Rymiller was raised on a farm in Brunswick, but he was never a fan of country life. He found what suited him just a mile away.

Rymiller, now 90, loved the Cape Cod at 12 Magill Ave. the moment he stepped through the front door in 1977. It was a few houses away from his aunt and uncle's house, and he always admired its red roof and red shutters. He was in the market for a house that "lived like his apartment," a place that didn't require a lot of upkeep that he could leave once in a while to travel.

The house, just two bedrooms and 900 square feet, was perfect. He paid $17,500 and moved in. Once there, Rymiller set about renovating the kitchen and bathroom, which hadn't been updated since the house was built in 1932. While the project was under way, one of the men working on the house found something Rymiller took as a sign he and the house were meant to be together.

"Butterflies have always meant something to my life. They are a symbol of new life in religion," Rymiller said. "When one of the men was installing a light, they found a small black book between the rafters, it was 'The Butterfly Guide,' from 1916."

More Information Feels Like Home This is an installment in a new monthly series called Feels Like Home. The series explores the meaning of home, and how our neighbors came to make their homes in the Capital Region. If you have a story to tell about what your home means to you, send a message to lhornbeck@ timesunion.com. See More Collapse

As the years passed, Rymiller redecorated several times, always rehanging his grandparents' ornate wedding certificate from 1886 and his parents' certificate from 1915. He has a framed drawing of himself, made the day he turned 12.

"There was a Wells & Coverly store on River Street. On your birthday, you got to choose whatever pie you wanted, and an artist would draw your portrait," Rymiller said. He placed a bust of an American Indian his parents bought the summer he was born on his bureau in his bedroom and hung artwork created by his mother nearby. Images of butterflies appeared here and there  on a vase, tucked into frame that holds a plate signed by dozens of friends at his 80th birthday party.

Rymiller worked for 34 years in sales and retired in 1990. He traveled to Italy and Greece. He stood in front of the Parthenon with tears streaming down his face.

"I thought, 'Here I am, a country boy who went to school in a one-room schoolhouse, standing here,' " he said.

It was always good to come home to the little house. He built a deck on the back and planted what he hoped would draw butterflies  phlox, black-eyed Susans, snapdragons and daisies. The 50-foot by 100-foot yard was just enough. In the evenings, he would sit back there with a martini and think, "I wish everyone could have a deck like this."

Rymiller has been active in the Brunswick Historical Society and led the redesign of the town's veteran's memorial park. He raised money by selling personalized bricks. One of them says only, "I was here. Me." It's Rymiller's little joke, a reference to how he used to introduce himself on the phone to customers who knew him well. When he said "it's me" in his deep baritone, they knew who it was.

Rymiller joined St. Peter's Episcopal Church as a young man and was one of the founding members of the church's Top of the Hill men's group. He was an only child and never married. Rymiller said he is grateful to the men in the group who have taken care of him as he's grown older.

It was age that finally prompted Rymiller to put his house on the market. Although he is otherwise in good health, arthritis has ruined his back. He can no longer drive, and depends on Meals on Wheels for food. He considered all of his options and decided he needed to go where there would be someone to take care of him. In April, he sold the little house for $95,000 and moved to the Diamond Ridge Retirement Community in Troy.

"I took care of the little house, and now it's going to take care of me," he said.

Rymiller left the found book of butterflies with the woman who bought the house. In return, she made him a butterfly wreath to hang on his new front door.

lhornbeck@timesunion.com  518-454-5352  @leighhornbeck
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Albany

The city's planned $3.6 million sale of 363 acres in Coeymans to the state is on hold until the state can determine what the land is actually worth.

The results of that appraisal could determine whether the sale moves forward at all.

The property off Exit 21A of the Thruway was once intended as the site of the next city landfill  a plan that fell apart amid local resistance and the discovery that a significant part of the acreage was wetlands.

By that point Albany had already sunk about $5.2 million into the property, which then sat largely overlooked until late 2014 when Mayor Kathy Sheehan announced the state would buy it for $5 million as part of her 2015 budget.

At the time, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said it planned to use the site south of Albany as a wildlife management area.

The sale was intended to help close the city's 2015 budget gap but never happened.

A year later, while unveiling her 2016 budget, Sheehan said the transfer was still in the works but that the purchase price had been cut to $3.6 million  the same value assigned to the land by the town of Coeymans for tax purposes.

Based on that assessment, the city pays about $100,000 a year in property taxes to the town, county and local school and fire districts on the three parcels off Stylababrack, Old Ravena and River roads.

The Times Union later reported that the proposed $3.6 million sale price was reached without a formal appraisal.

A state official familiar with the sale discussions said both numbers  the initial $5 million and then the $3.6 million  originated with the city.

A spokesman for the state Dormitory Authority, which is facilitating the sale with a grant through the State and Municipal Facilities Program, confirmed that a formal appraisal was necessary for the transfer to move forward.

"DASNY is waiting for an appraisal of this land before advancing the grant," spokesman Freeman Klopott said in a statement.

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Lori Severino, a spokeswoman for DEC, said that's happening as part of the agency's land acquisition process.

"A final value has not been determined at this time," Severino said in a statement. "We hope to close by the end of this fiscal year."

The deal's failure to close left a $5 million hole in the budget last year, which ended with Albany borrowing $6 million to pay end-of-the-year operating expenses like payroll.

City Budget Director Rachel McEneny said the city is working closely with the state on the deal but acknowledged the appraisal could come in below $3.6 million, at which point the city would have to decide how to move forward.

"Conversations and communication are continuous and open, and we are ready and hopeful that we will close this year," McEneny said in a statement, adding that the city was "exploring all options" for the land. "Alternatives if the state does not purchase the property by December will be dealt with in the city's 2017 budget."

jcarleo-evangelist@timesunion.com  518-454-5445  @JCEvangelist_TU
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Albany

Even by the detestable norms of New York politics, the election mailer that arrived in thousands of area mailboxes back in 2010 was grotesque.

Disguised as a "sexual predator alert," it described Warren Redlich, then a Libertarian Party candidate for governor, as "a sick twisted pervert" who "defends sex with children."

"If you encounter this man, proceed with caution," the mailer said. "If you see this man near a public school, call the police."

More Information Contact Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

The claims had no basis in truth and, as you might imagine, they didn't go over well in the Redlich home.

In fact, it wasn't long before Redlich, a former Guilderland Town Board member, filed a defamation lawsuit against three notable names in New York GOP politics: Roger Stone, Michael Caputo and Carl Paladino.

Ancient history? Not quite.

Last month, a New York City judge ruled the lawsuit could go to trial, while observing that "politics is too often a dirty business" and that, if true, the action by Stone, Caputo and Paladino was "reprehensible."

The "if true" part is for a jury to decide. In interviews, Caputo and Paladino denied any involvement.

But expect the trial (assuming it happens) to attract significant attention, if only for this reason: Stone, Caputo and Paladino have all been associated with Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

"I want to hold these guys accountable for what they did," Redlich, who now lives in Florida, told me. "There are bad people in the world, and in politics in particular, and they need to be held accountable when they cross the line."

Back in 2010, Paladino was the Republican nominee for governor, with Caputo as his campaign manager. Stone, meanwhile, was an adviser to both Paladino and Kristin Davis, a staunch libertarian who was running for governor as the Anti-Prohibition Party nominee.

At first glance, it is hard to fathom why Paladino and Caputo, who had their hands full with Andrew Cuomo, would have worried about Redlich's campaign.

"In that race, he was a gnat," Caputo told me. "Carl couldn't have cared less about this guy."

But there was something at stake: The Libertarian Party, along with Davis' party and the Taxpayer Party founded by Paladino, were all fighting to receive 50,000 votes, which would guarantee four years of ballot status.

Redlich, noting that Stone had frequently exhorted him to leave the race, cites additional motives for the mailer: Revenge and malice.

"I repeatedly and persistently told the truth about them," Redlich said, "and there's nothing dirty people in politics hate more."

Nonsense, said Caputo and Paladino, who each insisted there's no evidence tying them to the mailer, which was sent by a front committee called People for a Safer New York.

"I had no awareness at all of it," Paladino said. "None. It's (cow manure)."

Stone didn't respond to requests for comment. He has denied involvement in court documents, although in a 2010 interview with the Times Union, he hardly distanced himself from the mailer as he described it as "accurate."

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"People for a Safer New York is called a First Amendment group," Stone said. "I'm in touch with them ... I urged them to do this."

Stone is ... well, how exactly do I describe Roger Stone? A book wouldn't do the subject justice.

He's a self-described political dirty trickster who's been doing just that since the Nixon administration. He typically works for conservative candidates, but not always. He advised Al Sharpton's brief presidential run, for example.

The Trump campaign officially parted ways with Stone last year, although he has been linked to subsequent shenanigans, including a difficult-to-believe National Enquirer story claiming Ted Cruz is a serial womanizer.

"It's hard to assume he's not up to something, because he always is," wrote Matt Labash in an epic profile of Stone published in 2007 by The Weekly Standard. "He once said of himself, 'If it rains, it was Stone.'"

So when Redlich got drenched, he looked Stone's way.

In Redlich's view, we should judge political candidates by the company they keep. That's good advice, but nearly every campaign has a Stone or two on the payroll. Politics isn't rainbows and hopscotch, especially in New York.

And yet when you look at the contemptible mailer that targeted Redlich, you can understand why so many good and decent people  potentially great leaders  want nothing to do with politics.

You also understand why so many Americans don't bother to vote. Turning away in disgust is not the same as apathy.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
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An Albany County prosecutor is putting her "Survivor" skills to the test  literally.

Assistant District Attorney Jessica Blain-Lewis, a 10-year member of District Attorney David Soares' office, is in the South Pacific competing to win $1 million on the CBS-TV reality show "Survivor," people with knowledge of the situation told Law Beat.

Blain-Lewis, 37, who has prosecuted cases involving fraud, drugs and crimes against seniors, among others, has taken a leave of absence from the office. She is believed to be in Fiji for the filming of Season 33 of "Survivor," one of the original reality television shows. It first aired in 2000 when it was shot in Borneo. It has since been filmed in locations in Australia, Central America, South America and other spots.

The show strands "castaways" in a tropical location with little available to them and breaks them down into tribes. The 18 or so contestants compete in weekly challenges. Each week, a contestant is voted out by members of their tribe.

The contestants must "outwit, outplay and outlast each other," according to the show's website.

"Ultimately, one will be crowned the Sole Survivor and win the $1 million prize," the website said.

Blain-Lewis, a 2005 graduate of Albany Law School and a married mother of two, is undoubtedly familiar with the probative value of evidence in court. Now she will have to show her "Probst"-ative value  and by "Probst," of course, we mean Jeff Probst, host of the show.

Much like in court, the last thing anyone in "Survivor" wants is to be blindsided. But in "Survivor" parlance, a "blindside" is when one is voted off the show unexpectedly.

At the end of each episode, Probst regularly proclaims, "The tribe has spoken."

It will up to Blain-Lewis to make sure she survives the challenges, which can range from eating mealworms to gasping for air under water.

But what will be harder  securing a conviction or securing a hidden immunity idol?

Don't ask anyone in the district attorney's office for an official comment on Blain-Lewis journey. It is being treated as secretly as a grand jury investigation.

Eventually, it will be impossible to the keep hush-hush as "Survivor" is on national television.

Blain-Lewis has her own website, www.jessicablainlewis.com, which includes her background, resume and a short bio.

"Jessica had known from the start of her law career that she wanted to work at a district attorney's office, and so that was all that she applied for after passing the bar," the website said. It noted: "Jessica has always been passionate about fighting for the rights of the people who cannot otherwise defend themselves."

Now Blain-Lewis has to defend herself against the elements, fellow castmates and maybe some deadly snakes to survive "Survivor."

Changes in Schenectady

Familiar names. New roles.

That what's happening in Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney's office following the retirement of second-in-command Philip Mueller, who worked in the office for 26 years and was the county's chief homicide prosecutor, staff writer Paul Nelson reports.

Veteran prosecutor Edward Moynihan will succeed Mueller, but in a more traditional role as chief assistant district attorney.

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Moynihan will handle more policy matters and administrative and staff duties than Mueller did and handle fewer trials than his predecessor.

In turn, Assistant District Attorney William Sanderson, chief of the grand jury bureau, will take over as deputy chief assistant district attorney, Moynihan's old job.

Carney also created a new homicide bureau for Assistant District Attorney Peter Willis, who has handled appeals and some high-profile criminal cases, including the successful murder prosecution of John Wakefield, who killed Brett Wentworth, 41, in 2010.

"I wanted to have some help for major crimes and be able to funnel homicides through somebody experienced that I have confidence in," Carney said. "He's not necessarily going to do all of them (homicides), but he will participate in all of them."

With Willis focusing on homicides, Assistant District Attorney Tracey Brunecz, of the office's special victims unit, will take over the appeals unit. Assistant District Attorney Christina Tremante Pelham will take on more special victims cases. Both Brunecz and Tremante were involved in the successful prosecution of Herman Robinson, now of serving 100 years to life in state prison for the repeated rape of a young woman and murder of their newborn baby.

"I think there will be much more fluidity in terms of assignments," Carney said.

Additionally, Eamonn Neary, a prosecutor from the Sullivan County district attorney's office, will be joining the roster in two weeks to handle white collar and financial crimes. And in September, a recent law school graduate will come on board, Carney said.

rgavin@timesunion.com  518-434-2403  @RobertGavinTU

Correction: Brett Wentworth, 41, was murdered in Schenectady on April 11, 2010. His first name was misspelled in an earlier version of this column.
The following editorial appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

The actions of Nepal, assessed one year after its 2015 earthquake, is an excellent, unfortunate example of the maxim that the neediest countries are the hardest to help.

On April 25, 2015, the mountainous, landlocked state, population 28 million, sandwiched between China and India, was hit by a major earthquake. It killed an estimated 9,000 and destroyed many buildings in many towns and villages, including the capital, Kathmandu.

Nepal is a poor country, its people depending primarily on agriculture.

The humanitarian world responded well. Donors, including China, India, Japan, Britain and the United Nations, pledged $4.1 billion. America has provided $130 million for relief and recovery.

The problem is that, a year later, virtually all of the $4.1 billion remains in the hands of the donors and has not yet been devoted to reconstruction, including in the vital domain of housing. It took Nepal's government until December to set up a National Reconstruction Authority.

The reason is distressingly simple. The Nepalese government wants the donors' aid to be channeled through it, enhancing its authority, but, much worse, giving its officials the maximum opportunity to steal.

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Nepal, at present, has what can be considered to be an appallingly bad government. Its monarchy came to an end in 2008, to be succeeded by a maelstrom of political parties and factions. Its politicians first fought over a new constitution.

More recently, Nepal has been scrapping with neighboring India, especially pointless given that India is one of the major post-earthquake potential aid donors.

In spite of the human misery engendered by the tangle standing in the way of meaningful recovery and reconstruction, the world should wait until Nepalese government officials stop standing in the way of the world's desire to help the people of the country. As it stands now, the situation in Nepal has the eerie ring of efforts to help Haiti.
The ear-catching video making the Facebook rounds these days shows John McCain answering a fan's charges that President Barack Obama is Muslim.

McCain takes the mike back and says, "No, ma'am. No ma'am, he's a decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issue and that's what this campaign is all about. He's not. Thank you."

This is then contrasted with Donald Trump at rally responding to a man who identifies himself as being "from White PlainsAmen!" who then goes on to assert "We've got a problem in this country. It's called Muslims. We know our current president is one. ..."

And Donald Trump responds with his usual non-sequitur "A lot of people are saying that bad things are happening out there and we're going to be looking at that and plenty of other things."

The presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, in which I'm rostered clergy, came out with a statement recently that, though well-intentioned, left me feeling that meekness is wasted where ignorance and/or bullheadedness dominates.

She wrote, "Now to the issue of civil discourse during this political season. I understand that the world is a dangerous place; I understand that many in our country feel left behind and left out. ...Candidates and political parties have the duty to speak to these concerns and make the case for their platform. ... [But] Political speech that doesn't ensure that the 'other' is treated with the same respect and care that we would wish for our own brother or sister or father or mother is not what God intends for God's beloved community."

Kudos, Bishop Eaton. But you are preaching to the choir here. Those who will vilify the "other" are not going to pay any attention to the injunction to treat everyone with equal respect. And I don't see how it is anything other than irresponsible not to call out those who do vilify others.

Ideologies that depend on the diminishment of and discrimination against others are inherently destructive.

A British historian, Max Hastings, in his comprehensive history of World War II, "Inferno," quotes tank driver Henry Mettelmann, then 18, on the eve of Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union.

"I accepted as natural that it was a German duty for the good of humanity to impose our way of life on lower races and nations who, probably because of their limited intelligence, would not quite understand what we were on about."

We read that and are horrified, because it's easy, in hindsight, to see Nazism as the evil it was.

But I fear that we've lost sight of how powerful and persuasive words can be. They're never just words. Destructive ideology, cunningly deployed, leads to destruction. Graeme Wood in The Atlantic writes of the Islamic State, "Our ignorance ... is in some ways understandable: It is a hermit kingdom; few have gone there and returned ... [but] We can gather that their state rejects peace as a matter of principle; that it hungers for genocide; that its religious views make it constitutionally incapable of certain types of change. ..."

Terrifying, yes. But campaign rhetoric that sinks to that level is equally so. Ted Cruz proclaiming his intention for the Islamic state is reprehensible: "We won't weaken them. We won't degrade them. We will utterly destroy them. We will carpet bomb them into oblivion."

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Rhetoric matters, because it affects the content of our actions. The perpetuation of anger, the relentless blame-laying serves no common purpose and accomplishes no common good  if indeed we are seeking the common good instead of a collective death wish.

The 1965 movie, "Morituri," by German director Bernhard Wicki, a cat-and-mouse game with an underlying anti-war theme, has it main character, played by Yul Brynner, drive home the truth. As the embittered captain of a Nazi cargo ship, he confronts his bloodthirsty first officer and crew:

"You young men," he says, pausing, "who keep the world breathless! It's your time, I know. But to realize your dream, you'll need something more than brutality. You'll need  if you can manage it  a little mercy."

If we can manage it, in this world, we need that, too.

Jo Page's email address is jopage34@yahoo.com. Her website is at www.jo-page.com.
THE Junior Minister for Public Transport, Alan Kelly, has welcomed An Bord Pleanalas decision to grant the green light to the E40m new bridge project that will link Ballina with Killaloe.

THE Junior Minister for Public Transport, Alan Kelly, has welcomed An Bord Pleanalas decision to grant the green light to the E40m new bridge project that will link Ballina with Killaloe.

The project involves a 2km single carriageway bypass of Killaloe, a 170m bridge over the River Shannon, and an upgrade of approximately 3.3kms of the existing R494 regional road in Ballina, in the townlands of Roolagh, Kilmaglasderry, Garrynatineel, Lackenavea (Egremont), Knockadromin, Coolnadornory and Gortybrigane, in County Tipperary, and Ballyvally, Knockyclovaun, Creeveroe, Shantraud, Killestry and Moys in County Clare.

I am delighted with this decision. The granting of permission is another step forward in the provision of this much necessary bridge between the expanding towns of Ballina / Killaloe. We have made huge progress on progressing this bridge over the last two years and I look forward to that work coming to its ultimate fruition in the coming years. It is a piece if infrastructure that is totally necessary for the entire area, said Deputy Kelly of Labour.

The decision was also welcomed by Deputy Noel Coonan of Fine Gael, who said: This infrastructure is of strategic importance for Ballina / Killaloe, the Mid-West and West regions and will serve as an important gateway. This project is critical for the future expansion and development of Killaloe and Ballina and it will significantly boost the local economy. I will continue to apply pressure to my Fine Gael colleague, Minister Leo Varadkar, to address the scheme.

Deputy Coonan siad the news came as a huge relief to people living in the area who had experienced traffic congestion for many years.

Meanwhile, Clare County Council also welcomed the announcement by An Bord Pleanala of its decision to approve the Killaloe Bypass, Shannon Bridge Crossing and R494 Improvement Scheme.

The next stage will be to appoint consultants to deal with further detailed design requirements, the tendering of the scheme and all subsequent stages through to the final construction. The council will pursue acquisition of the lands to which the CPO (Compulsory Purchase Order) applies in due course.

Project manager Tom Tiernan, senior engineer, Clare County Council, commented: It will erase the traffic bottleneck that has developed in Killaloe / Ballina over the years as well as eliminate the present dependency on the existing substandard Shannon River crossing at Killaloe in terms of its lack of capacity to handle current traffic demands. The project will facilitate the Killaloe / Ballina, east Clare and North Tipperary areas in its endeavours to develop further both commercially and from an industrial point of view. The scheme will also ensure that the region, including Lough Derg, becomes much more accessible and marketable as a tourism destination. Furthermore, the reduction in traffic volumes through Killaloe / Ballina will improve residential amenity in the community.
[May 05, 2016] AHF Commends Outgoing Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty for Standing Up To Health Insurers On Behalf of HIV Patients

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest single, non-profit provider of HIV services throughout Florida, commends Kevin McCarty for more than 13 years of exemplary leadership as commissioner of the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FOIR). McCarty, who recently stepped down as commissioner, spearheaded regulations requiring insurers to limit patient cost-sharing for HIV medications in their Qualified Health Plans (QHPs). Similar to last year, state officials will continue to review the submitted 2017 QHPs for potential discriminatory formulary tiering related to HIV medications. Cost-sharing for HIV drugs is expected to remain limited to $40, $70, or $150 per 30-day supply, depending on the medication. One injectable medication will have a co-pay limit of $200. In a new requirement, officials will also review formulary adequacy and adverse tiering for other chronic health conditions, including hepatitis C, breast and prostate cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. In addition, the state will review plans for discriminatory benefit implementation and medical management techniques. "Working with Commissioner McCarty has greatly improved access to lifesaving medications for people living with HIV/AIDS in Florida," said AHF Southern Bureau Chief Michael Kahane. "As AHF continues to provide care to the 10,000 patients we serve in Florida and address global issues of access and affordability of care, we applaud the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation for continuing to recognize that an insurer charging excessive c-insurance for certain chronic health conditions is discriminatory and harmful. Florida's leadership taking proactive steps to stand up to insurers is an example for other states to follow."



While a review of Florida's 2016 QHPs reveals that most insurers are now limiting patient cost-sharing for HIV medications, the practice of some QHPs not covering all HIV drugs available or placing all HIV medications-including generics-in the highest formulary tier and charging consumers 30-50% co-insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) had been previously identified as a major issue. It was also determined that six out of the nine major insurers offering QHPs in Florida are charging beneficiaries coinsurance as high as 20-50% for all or almost all hepatitis B and C drugs. "We are thankful for Commissioner McCarty's leadership for the past 13 plus years and look to his successor, David Altmaier, to continue to ensure that discriminatory insurance policies are prohibited and strong state and federal patient protections are enforced," said AHF Director of Legislative Affairs David Poole.

According to recent statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC,) Florida ranks second in the nation for new HIV infections. AIDS Healthcare Foundation, whose southern bureau is based in Fort Lauderdale, operates 16 clinic locations across Florida, in addition to mobile testing units that provide on-going HIV testing in communities throughout the state. To locate AHF Healthcare Centers, visit www.hivcare.org AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 605,000 individuals in 35 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert): @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505006428/en/

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[May 05, 2016] Axalta's Support to Mother River Protection Program in China Continues for a Second Year

Axalta Coating Systems, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, today officially launched Phase II of its 'Axalta Forest' program in China, in collaboration with the China Youth Development Foundation (CYDF). This marks the second year of its support to the Mother River Protection project, which will see 15 hectares (approximately 37 acres) of new forest planted in Uxin Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia to counter desertification and help water conservation. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505006545/en/ Left to right: Surigalatu, Vice County Party Secretary of Uxin Banner; Luke Lu, Vice President, Axalta Coating Systems and President, Axalta Greater China; Yang Chunlei, CYDF Deputy Secretary General and Muren, County Party Secretary of Uxin Banner kick off the Axalta Forest project in Ordos together. (Photo: Axalta) On the day of the Phase II launch, Luke Lu, President of Axalta's Greater China Operations, planted the first trees of the Axalta Forest, along with a team of employee volunteers. Lu stated, "We are delighted to be supporting the program for a second year, and to contribute to the essential ecological restoration work in Uxin Banner. At Axalta, sustainability is central to virtually everything we do as a coatings company. We have a longstanding commitment to encouraging innovations that make our operations, and the products and application systems we provide to our customers increasingly environmentally responsible." Lu added, "Axalta and our employees are also enthusiastic in helping the community in which we live and work. As such, we have contributed to a number of initiatives that promote environmental protection and natural resource conservation globally." Last year, Axalta committed to donating one million RMB to support CDF for the Mother River Protection program. The donation is used to plant the 'Axalta Forest', with seven hectares (approximately 17 acres) of new trees having already been planted in the project's first phase in Zhangjiakou city, Hubei Province.



Uxin Banner, located in the southernmost part of Inner Mongolia, has been chosen for the accelerated Phase II, which will see twice as many trees planted as the first phase. More than 80% of Uxin Banner is impacted by wind erosion and desertification, and addressing these challenges calls for a concerted effort. The Youth League Committee of Uxin Banner will support the maintenance of the 'Axalta Forest', which has been designated as a base for environmental education for local teenage students. Axalta employees, along with a local environmental expert, also organized a class about environmental conservation at a local school on the same day. An 'Axalta Reading Corner' was set up at the school which was supported by books and computers donated by Axalta and its employees in China.

CYDF Deputy Secretary General, Yang Chunlei, said, "We are pleased to continue our cooperation with Axalta for this critical social initiative. Soil erosion and environmental degradation have major impacts on the lives of everyone. We hope more companies like Axalta can join us to take this important project even further so that, together, we can make China greener." As a major supplier of industrial coatings operating in 130 countries around the world, Axalta makes protecting and conserving natural resources a corporate priority. Axalta is committed to engaging sustainable manufacturing and practices, and to providing environmentally responsible products and application systems to our customers around the world, helping them save energy and reduce CO 2 and VOC emissions. Recently, Axalta teamed up with Ducks Unlimited, a world leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation, pledging to support a five-year wetland conservation project. About Axalta Coating Systems - Celebrating 150 Years in the Coatings Industry Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable solutions. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the materials we coat to last longer. With 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the 12,800 people of Axalta continue to find ways to better serve our more than 100,000 customers in 130 countries every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information visit axaltacoatingsystems.com and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @axalta and on LinkedIn. About the Mother River Protection program and the CYDF The Mother River Protection program was launched in 1999 in response to a call by the State Council of China to improve the eco-system in the surrounding regions of the Yellow River, and the Yangtze River - two of China's most important rivers. The goals of the program are to promote ecological awareness, protection and sustainability by planting trees and engaging with local communities through education and other activities aimed at promoting clean water and conservation. The China Youth Development Foundation (CYDF), founded in 1989 and dedicated to youth development, was responsible for launching Project Hope, which has become one of the most influential and widely supported philanthropic programs in China. For more information, please visit www.en.cydf.org.cn. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505006545/en/

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[May 05, 2016] Expensify and Xero Announce a Global Strategic Partnership and Offering for Accounting Firms

Today, Expensify, the fastest growing expense reporting software worldwide, announced that Xero, a worldwide leader in cloud accounting software, has teamed up with Expensify in a global strategic partnership. The pair have strengthened their partnership with an improved integration and will offer an exclusive bundled offering to top US accounting firms with plans to expand globally in the coming months. The announcement was made by the company's respective CEOs on stage during a keynote appearance at ExpensiCon, Expensify's invite-only user summit in Maui, Hawaii. Expensify has an industry leading integration with Xero and was one of the first U.S. headquartered technology companies to integrate with Xero after Xero's U.S. launch. Earlier this year, Expensify announced the launch of their UK office during Xerocon London. "Xero has been a fantastic partner to Expensify," says David Barrett, founder and CEO of Expensify. "We're excited to be recognized by Xero not only as a valuable add-on solution, but also as a global strategic partner. Our companies have already seen the benefits of working together when approaching top accounting firms, so cementing this strategic partnership will ensure that our mutual customers receive top-notch service coupled with best-in-breed automation." The improved integration includes auto-matching Expensify transactions directly into Xero bank accounts, which remoes the need for manual reconciliation by the administrator. Expensify has also added purchase tax support for any tax rate supported by Xero to make it a truly global integration. With these new features, Expensify boasts the most comprehensive integration by a receipt and expense management add-on in the Xero marketplace.



Rod Drury, Xero CEO says, "Small and medium business is the next big category. The Cloud allows this vast but fragmented market to finally be addressed. This market is seeing seamless collaboration from the next generation software companies like Expensify and Xero, working together to deliver integrated experiences that are rewiring the small business economy globally." Expensify continues to gain massive traction with Xero users in the US as well as APAC, specifically Australia and New Zealand. Expensify will have a strong presence at the upcoming Xerocon conferences as a sponsor in both Brisbane and San Francisco to further solidify its partnership with Xero.

"Together, Expensify and Xero are an extremely compelling integrated solution for accounting firms looking to improve their efficiency whilst decreasing client frustration," said Rebecca McClure, Head of Operations for Business Services and Accounting, BDO LLP (UK). "We're excited to see where this partnership leads in the future." For more information about Expensify visit: www.expensify.com. For more information about Xero visit: www.xero.com. View the new partnership video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYRhi9Qy1rE. About Expensify: Named one of the hottest startups of 2015 by Forbes and a Top 10 Most Innovative Company of 2015 by Fast Company, Expensify takes the time, headaches, and paper out of expense reports with an easy-to-use mobile and web app that streamlines the expense process from first receipt to reimbursement. The app features a patented, industry-leading SmartScan technology that eliminates manual entry of receipt information, integrations with all major accounting packages, company and personal credit card import, and more to simplify expense reports for both employees and accountants. About Xero: Xero is beautiful, easy to use online accounting software for small businesses and their advisors. The company has over 600,000 subscribers in more than 180 countries. Xero seamlessly integrates with over 500 third party tools, and was ranked No. 1 by Forbes as the World's Most Innovative Growth Company in 2014 and 2015. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005351/en/

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[May 04, 2016] Fusionex Joins Industry Initiative to Foster a Greater Data-adept Culture at the Workplace

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fusionex, a multi-award-winning, leading software solutions provider specializing in Analytics, Big Data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) has joined the Big Analytics Skills Enablement (BASE) initiative to nurture, guide and train the next generation of data professionals. The initiative was recently announced by global data management and analytics platform provider Cloudera. With a data explosion on the horizon, the BASE initiative aims to bring private and public sector players together to help groom data-related skills in working professionals. This would help workers keep abreast with a rapidly changing climate where data is becoming a more prevalent priority in business processes. Fusionex, alongside academic institutions, will assist with the provision of education in essential big data and analytics skills. After training, those with their new-found skills would be paired with positions across the economic landscape where they can best apply their knowledge. Having developed Fusionex Insights (GIANT), an advanced intelligent data management platform with built-in Big Data Analytics (BDA) functionalities, Fusionex has a stable of data experts in its organization who can lead the charge into the foray ofdata analytics. The inner workings of Fusionex GIANT can also be used as a teaching procedure for trainees to get a hands-on approach at learning how to mine, slice and dice as well as analyze data.



Fusionex's Center of Excellence will expose data trainees to various aspects on how an analytics platform functions as well as enable them to gain direct insight from Fusionex data experts on key points to look out for when analyzing data. To ensure that trainees undergo industry-ready and relevant training in BDA, Fusionex will be committing all necessary resources towards this effort, which includes an in-house internship program. Via this program, potential trainees will be assessed and targeted for recruitment and subsequent medium-to long-term cultivation of their BDA talents.

Apart from Fusionex, businesses such as technology manufacturer Intel and multinational computer company Dell have also agreed to collaborate on the BASE initiative. Academic institutions such as Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) have also come on board in order to offer training in data skills. This initiative is in line with the Malaysian government's vision to turn Malaysia into a developed digital economy in the near future. The Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDeC), a prominent partner in the BASE initiative, believes that BDA will be indispensable towards producing innovative solutions to drive major changes in the way business is conducted. Ivan Teh, Fusionex Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The time is ripe for this ambitious endeavor, which aims to arm more people with BDA knowledge and skills. The Fusionex team is ready to support the BASE Initiative and train current and future talent with the aspects of BDA. As a contributor of manpower, infrastructure, and resources, Fusionex believes that seizing the future of BDA begins now." Daniel CF Ng, Cloudera Senior Director of Marketing, APAC commented, "Cloudera is very happy that Fusionex, a major data analytics player in the region, is taking the next step in realizing what the Cloudera BASE Initiative is setting out to do - develop more Data Professionals for the ASEAN region. We are excited to continue collaborating with Fusionex to further our charge towards helping build this very critical skillset and the right resources for the future workforce in the region."

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[May 04, 2016] Jeffrey Lipton's Fairmont Gloucester Partners - a new financial service for international companies

BARBADOS, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - For national and international companies, Fairmont Gloucester Partners has proven to be a supporter and ally. Headquartered on the Caribbean Island of Barbados, Fairmont Gloucester Partners was established by Canadian executive Jeffrey Lipton, who has more than 20 years of financial service experience. Offering a broad range of financial services for a diverse array of companies, Fairmont Gloucester Partners provides client companies with a variety of uniquely tailored services to maximize portfolios and investment opportunities. Fairmont Gloucester Partners was founded by Barbados' Jeffrey Lipton with the goal of giving multinational and large scale companies the ability to shape and mold their financial goals and desires based on their unique needs. The firm benefits from significant experience in trade finance, supply chain, investment and merchant banking. The company's staff of industry experts, professionals and financial planners are also fluent in a number of languages, including English, Spanish and Mandarin.



Fairmont Gloucester Partners has designed a three-tier approach aimed at maximizing and diversifying financial and investment portfolios. One of the proven services provided by Fairmont Gloucester Partners is strategy and integration initiatives. Through a thoroughly vetted program, Fairmont Gloucester Partners can serve as a long-term independent advisor that is able to both assess and stabilize current impedance, while also offering long-term solutions. Understanding the complexity of supply chain inputs, Jeffrey Lipton and his team at Fairmont Gloucester Partners can provide supply chain solutions and opportunities geared toward saving client's money and amalgamating their financial assets. The professional and knowledgeable team at Fairmont Gloucester Partners also offer investment management services to its roster of multinational and international businesses and companies.

Fairmont Gloucester Partners is dedicated to meeting and facilitating their clients' needs and goals in the ever-changing world markets. Leading the team at Fairmont Gloucester Partners is Managing Partner, Jeffrey Lipton, who studied law and finance in Canada and has more than three decades of experience in the financial management sector. Please contact us and we will be glad to help. Jeffrey Lipton

Barbados SOURCE Money.ca

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[May 05, 2016] Luxembourg Government and Deep Space Industries Sign MoU

The Luxembourg Government, the public-law banking institution "Societe Nationale de Credit et d'Investissement" (SNCI) and the Silicon Valley-based asteroid mining company Deep Space Industries (DSI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) setting out their cooperation within the recently announced Luxembourg spaceresources.lu initiative. The initiative defines a framework for the exploration and commercial utilization of resources from Near Earth Objects (NEOs), such as asteroids. Within this partnership, DSI, Inc. USA and Luxembourg-based DSI Europe will build economic and technological substance by developing advanced products, systems and services focused on the utilization of asteroid resources. For its part, the Luxembourg Government will provide funding for relevant R&D in this field. The funding will be sourced from the Luxemourg space programme (LuxIMPULSE), the national R&D support programme as well as from financing instruments of the SNCI.



Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Etienne Schneider, stated: "Our promising cooperation with DSI within the spaceresources.lu initiative demonstrates the strong commitment of the Luxembourg Government to support the exploration and future commercial use of space resources. Separate negotiations to formalize our relationship with other companies active in this field are underway. Our aim is to attract space research activities and technological capabilities to Luxembourg, which is home to an increasingly important space sector as part of our continuous efforts to diversify and grow our economy." The MoU paves the way to building and operating a risk-reduction technology demonstration mission for small spacecraft asteroid exploration. This demonstrator spacecraft, "Prospector-X" ("X" for "experimental"), will be built and tested both in the United States and in Luxembourg. In this project, a nano-spacecraft will be used to test several key enabling technologies for DSI's first asteroid prospecting mission, Prospector-1. In designing the "ProspectorX" project, the University of Luxembourg's Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) will be one of DSI's partners.

"Deep Space believes that the people of Earth must work together to open the resources of space for all," said Rick Tumlinson, Chairman of Deep Space Industries Inc. "The best way for this to happen is for enlightened governments and private entities to partner in new ways, using the power of enterprise and innovation, with each doing what they do best. We are pleased to be part of the Luxembourg community and working with its world-class institutions to accomplish the goals of harvesting space resources and advancing the state of space technology. Luxembourg, as it has done before in finance and other space technologies, has leapt to the forefront of this newest frontier, and we are proud to link arms with them and head out into the future." Released by the Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005655/en/

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[May 05, 2016] Uber and WOW air partner to bring you your next adventure

Isn't it time to take a WOWcation? MONTREAL, May 5, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The snow has finally melted. Are you looking forward to your next adventure? Let Uber Quebec and WOW air help make your planning effortless. On May 5, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, allow yourself to be transported to a world of geysers, the Northern Lights and breathtaking landscapes. Request UberWOW and we'll bring you Iceland in the backseat! Once aboard your UberWOW SUV, you'll be treated to an immersive virtual reality experience with the sights and sounds of Iceland. We'll also hook you up with some of our favourite Icelandic imports. All lucky riders will receive a pair of plane tickets (for two) to Iceland, for real! Now's your chance to make your next adventure come to life! QUICK FACTS On Thursday, May 5 , from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm , select the UberWOW option in your Uber app.

, from , select the UberWOW option in your Uber app. Request UberWOW by selecting this option on the slider at the right side of your screen.

If connected, a car will arrive at your location with a world of surprises waiting for you in the backseat.

You'll get a 15-minute ride, receive some Icelandic goodies and a virtual reality experience, as well as a pair of tickets to Iceland !

! Al UberWOW rides will be free and will end at the pickup location.

The operation zone includes downtown Montreal , Plateau Mont-Royal, Mile-End, Old Montreal and Griffintown.



QUOTES "Uber Quebec is pleased to welcome WOW air to Montreal and offer a chance to win a pair of tickets to Iceland. Uber is proud to partner with companies like WOW air that put customer service at the centre of the way they work." - Jean-Nicolas Guillemette, Uber's General Manager for Quebec

"WOW air is excited to come to Montreal and offer more than 450,000 Quebec Uber users a chance to win a round trip to Iceland. We always strive to provide an affordable option for people to travel to Europe from North America. Uber and WOW air share the same vision, which is focused on putting the customer first." - Skuli Mogensen, CEO and founder of WOW air About Uber Canada Co-founded by Canadian entrepreneur Garrett Camp in 2009, Uber is a smartphone app that connects riders with drivers. Uber now operates in over 40 communities in Canada, Uber offers more than 22,000 Canadian driver-partners a new way to earn a living in their spare time by offering a more affordable transportation alternative to hundreds of thousands of riders across the country. For more, visit: uber.com. About WOW air WOW air is Iceland's only low-cost airline. The airline offers the lowest fares, a modern fleet with the lowest emissions and the biggest smile; this is the WOW air promise to its valuable customers. As of Summer 2016, the airline services 28 destinations across Europe and North America including London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Montreal and Toronto. Created in November 2011 by Icelandic serial entrepreneur Skuli Mogensen, the purple airline flies Airbus A320 aircraft across Europe and Airbus A321 aircraft that service its transatlantic routes. WOW air was ranked as the 7th best low-cost airline in Europe at the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Skytrax World Airline Awards and was the youngest airline in the top ten. SOURCE Uber Canada Inc. (Quebec)

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China to intensify crackdown on IPR infringement, fake goods Updated: 2016-05-05 09:52 (Xinhua)

BEIJING - China's State Council said on Wednesday that the country will intensify crackdowns on intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement and the production and sales of counterfeit goods this year, particularly in the Internet sector.

Supervision and management will be strengthened to fight fake and inferior products, targeting items including drugs, gasoline and diesel oil, construction materials and children's products, according to a circular issued by the State Council.

China will boost exchanges on IPR with the United States, Russia, Japan and European countries while strengthening cooperation with Africa, Latin America and countries along the Belt and Road, it said.
[May 04, 2016] Growing Desire for Convenience to Boost the Global Frozen Fish and Seafood Market Through 2020, Says Technavio

According to their latest report, Technavio analysts expect the global frozen fish and seafood market to exceed USD 60 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period. According to Vijay Sarathy, a lead research analyst at Technavio for food research, "The demand for seafood continues to increase globally due to the significant population growth in countries such as China, India, and Brazil. Moreover, the development of modern distribution channels along with technological improvements in the processing, packaging, and storage of seafood products also help market growth." Technavio's lead food and beverage market research analysts have identified the following three factors that will drive the global frozen fish and seafood market: Growing desire for convenience

Emergence of fish or seafood as a light snack

Growing demand for frozen seafood Growing desire for convenience Increasingly hectic lifestyles have led consumers to prefer ready-to-eat meals that reduce the preparation, cooking, and clean-up time. The convenience factor is also frequently used by frozen fish and seafood manufacturers to increase the relevance of their products to consumers. Convenience foods are taking into account consumer demands for healthier, tasty, and home-cooked food. Examples of white fish species that are often used in convenience food products are pollock, Alaska pollock, and pangasius. In more developed markets such as the Americas and Europe, convenience needs are well established. In developing economies such as India and China, urbanization and the increase in working women is driving the need for cnvenience. "However, the industry will need to communicate the positive benefits of the long life of frozen food," says Vijay.



Emergence of fish or seafood as a light snack The predominance of fish or seafood as a light snack or side dish is increasing. For example, Giant Eagle's fish sticks, made from minced fish, are a good source of protein and can be cooked in 10 minutes. Iglo, a France-based company, targets teenagers with products such as "the big cod," "the big hake," and the "fish and crock hake". In addition, the demand for snack products such as fish balls and crabmeat is also increasing. Iceland Food under the Birds Eye brand manufactures fish fingers, which are marketed as a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, necessary for maintaining normal brain function.

Growing demand for frozen seafood There is growing demand for frozen seafood as it is more economical and often better for the environment. To reach consumers, fresh fish usually has to be shipped by air. However, frozen seafood can be transported by ship, rail, or truck, which has a significantly lower environmental impact. With frozen fish and seafood, consumers can also avoid wastage as they can defrost only the required amount. With today's technology, frozen fish and seafood retain nutritional value and taste. As freezing slows down the decaying process, flash-frozen fish retains its nutritional value. Fish is a source of omega-3 acids, which are good for the heart. Fish frozen within a few hours of being caught have well-preserved vitamins (A, B12, and D). As fresh fish takes a week to reach consumers, frozen fish is considered healthier by many. The availability of frozen fish and seafood at the same level of freshness for months rather than days is an advantage. Also, frozen fish and seafood products offer convenience to consumers in terms of availability and choice. Browse Related Reports: Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Packaging Market in the US 2015-2019

Global Aquaculture Market 2015-2019

Global Frozen Food Market 2015-2019 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact [email protected] with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504005096/en/

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[May 04, 2016] Technavio Announces Top Three Trends for the Global X-band Radar Market Through 2020

Technavio's latest global X-band radar market report highlights three key emerging trends predicted to impact market growth through 2020. Technavio defines an emerging trend as something that has potential for significant impact on the market and contributes to its growth or decline. "Rise in energy consumption and seaborne trade are expected to significantly contribute to the growth of the X-band radar market during the forecast period. It is estimated that by 2030 seaborne trade will surpass 24 billion tons in volumes, with China predicted to account for almost a quarter of the global commercial fleet during this period," said Abhay Singh, one of Technavio's lead analysts for defense research. "Energy consumption has tripled over the past five decades due to economic growth in developing countries. The global annual oil consumption in 2014 was recorded to be 92 MMb/d and it is expected to increase to 118 MMb/d by 2030. This rise in energy consumption will significantly contribute towards the growth of in of merchant vessels. As these ships use X-band radars to avoid collision with other ships, the market will witness a surge in its demand over the next four years" added Abhay. Technavio's market research study identifies the following three emerging trends expected to propel the growth of the X-band radar market: Development of multi-function radar

Increased use of transportable X-band radars

Increased adoption of new technology Development of multi-function radar Multi-function radar (MFR) is a three-face X-band active phased-array radar incorporated with volume search radar to form a dual-band radar suite. It is designed and developed to detect threats posed by low observable anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) and to support fire control requirements for standard missiles (SM-2/SM-3) and evolved sea sparrow missiles (ESSM). The system also delivers other functions such as horizon search/track-while-scan (HS/TWS), threat target illumination, and missile uplink/downlink to support ship self-defense. MFR also supports search and track functions including sector/volume research, counter-battery, cued acquisition, periscope detection and discrimination, surface search/navigation, and naval surface fire support. The MFR performs the functions delivered by more than five radars and reduces ownership cost and operating requirements for maintenance. AN/SPY-3 is a multi-function radar developed by Raytheon (News - Alert) for littoral nd blue-water operations. In 2015, the US Navy awarded a USD 12 million contract to Raytheon to develop a radar suite including AN/SPY-4 volume search radar at S-band and AN/SPY-3 multifunction radar at X-band. The radar suite is expected to be introduced in the Ford (News - Alert)-class aircraft carriers, Zumwalt-class destroyers, and LH (X) future ship class.



Increased use of transportable X-band radars Growing threats of ballistic missiles have increased the use of transportable X-band radar to counter those threats. According to the US Intelligence, it is estimated that there are more than 6,300 ballistic missiles excluding those of the US, Russia, NATO, and China, and this number will likely reach 8,000 by 2020. As these nations are developing nuclear, chemical, and biological warheads, it becomes necessary for other countries to counter those threats while improving their weaponry systems.

One such system developed by Raytheon to detect or counter those threats is AN/TPY-2. It is also commonly known as forward-based X-band radar transportable (FBX-T) and is a phased-array X-band radar that tracks missiles in the boost phase. It is a land-based mobile radar system that offers the flexibility to transport by air, sea, or rail. The system consists of the following components: A terminal high-altitude area defense (THAAD) radar with improved software and hardware programs

An interface for communication with ballistic missile defense system (BMDS)

Associated power and cooling equipment Using these components, FBX-T detects and assesses ballistic missile threats (during the initial phase of the flight) and provides enhanced situational awareness to the operator with the options of engaging with BMDS. Increased adoption of new technology Improvements in the phased-array radar have led to the development of digital beamforming technology. This technology had several errors in fixed-delay systems (inflexible) and variable delay systems (limited performance variations). Moreover, it could not track multiple targets simultaneously. However, the introduction of digital beamforming technology eliminates the performance variations and can send multiple beams at the same time. The radars supporting this technology can monitor multiple directions simultaneously, which is a major advantage compared to conventional systems. These can also be placed on satellites to perform environmental monitoring and spy missions from the orbit. They are combined with antenna and digital technologies to secure the incoming information as well. Browse related reports: Global Air and Missile Defense Radar System Market 2016-2020

Global Military Radar Systems Market 2015-2019

Global Naval Radar Systems Market 2016-2020

Global Radar Systems and Technology Market 2016-2020

Global Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Market 2015-2019 - Market Analysis Purchase any three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact [email protected] with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504005114/en/

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[May 04, 2016] GBST Study Outlines Success Scenarios for Blockchain in Capital Markets

SYDNEY, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GBST Holdings Limited (ASX: GBT), "GBST" has released the findings of its initial study into blockchain technologies for international capital markets participants. Tracking the ongoing benefits of digital disruption, the "Four scenarios for Blockchain in Capital Markets" discussion paper identifies the importance of distributed ledger technology and smart contracts as they potentially reduce inefficiencies and costs, as well as create new market infrastructure capable of challenging traditional capital markets operators. With a recent push by global consortiums to establish common standards for blockchain technology and further encourage its use across the wider financial services industry, the discussion paper is well timed for capital markets participants. Nick Clarke, Executive Manager - Institutional Product Management, GBST said: "At one end of the spectrum, blockchain technologies are being proposed to completely rebuild capital markets infrastructure and at the other end, blockchain will simply replace legacy technology in use by clearing houses and CSDs. We place these opportunities into context and analyse what these outcomes could mean for current market participants. "In each case, features such as agreed consensus, redundancy and smart contracts will have varying benefits for our industry and need to be weighed against the cost of implementing each model. Collaboration with regulators and industry agreement on operational models will be key." With a reputation for innovation, GBST has been in active discussion with its global clients regarding use case scenarios for blockchain. Its research has shortlisted four varied scenarios including technology replacement; the extensible ledger; a new global clearing and settlement infrastructure and peer-to-peer finance -- or what it has termed in the discussion paper as 'Uber Finance'. Each scenario outlines the potential adantages and limitations of the introduction of distributed ledger technology, highlighting the potential benefits and limitations.



Clarke continued: "We believe that these varying scenarios for the introduction of distributed ledger technology into capital markets will provide participants with an insight into both the benefits and limitations that particular approaches will offer. It should certainly have market participants thinking about the potential impact of distributed ledger technology on their firm's operations." The discussion paper acknowledged that participants will need internal accounting and client servicing systems into the medium term, possibly acting as a firm's "digital wallet" but it is longer term that the study acknowledges more focus on the peer-to-peer transacting model will have the potential to reshape participant's operations.

The "Four scenarios for Blockchain in Capital Markets" discussion paper was developed in conjunction with Data61, Australia's digital innovation powerhouse and CSIRO entity. A copy of the report is also available here: bit.ly/1ZaF1HB A summary of each scenario is outlined below: Technology replacement - represents a limited disruption introduction of the technology by incumbent market operators.

- represents a limited disruption introduction of the technology by incumbent market operators. The extensible ledger - an extension of technology replacement, this scenario could see the formation of a 'Smart Ledger'.

- an extension of technology replacement, this scenario could see the formation of a 'Smart Ledger'. A new global clearing and settlement infrastructure - a global consortium designed to solve clearing and settlement issues in domains currently poorly served by existing infrastructure or facing poor value for money.

- a global consortium designed to solve clearing and settlement issues in domains currently poorly served by existing infrastructure or facing poor value for money. Global peer-to-peer network - the distributed ledger technology creates a network capable of replacing the traditional capital markets systems in the longer term. About GBST - www.gbst.com GBST (ASX: GBT), provides global technology products to the financial services industry, addressing our clients' needs for innovation, competitiveness and responsive solutions that enable business. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, GBST has offices in Australia, United Kingdom, North America, Hong Kong and Singapore. About Data61 Data61 is Australia's digital innovation powerhouse. The world is changing, fast. We are in the throes of shifting to a new economic structure, an evidence-based world, where data underpins our decision-making. In the past two years, more data was produced globally than in all of history. The volume continues to grow exponentially, resulting in massive economic and societal disruption. At Data61, we are creating our data-driven future. By combining the expertise of the CSIRO Digital Productivity and NICTA teams, we are building the world's leading data-focused research and innovation powerhouse. A CSIRO entity, Data61 provides a network of capabilities, addressing key growth areas for a data-focused world including: autonomous systems, computer vision, data analytics, digital economy, machine learning, mobile systems, optimisation, software systems, wireless and networks. Contacts: Nick Clarke, Executive Manager - Institutional Product Management, GBST is quoted in this press release. For further questions, please email [email protected] PR for GBST: Cathryn van der Walt, 12 Worlds

T: + 61 402 327 633

E: [email protected]

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[May 04, 2016] Infiswift announces strategic partnership with United Electronics Co. (UEC)

SAN RAMON, Calif., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Infiswift, an enterprise Internet of Things (IoT) platform leader, today announced a strategic partnership with United Electronics Co (UEC) to develop the next generation of smart IoT applications for IT service solutions. These new products will address a range of applications in industries like industrial automation, agriculture, resource monitoring and energy. "UEC is a top IT solution and service provider in China and has a clear vision for integrating IoT into their existing infrastructure in China. We are excited to work together with them on making that vision a reality," said Kannan Dorairaj, infiswift CEO. "The opportunity to drive operational efficiency, safety, and asset utilization for some of the largest systems in China is an exciting challenge that can make a huge impact," added Arup Barat, infiswift CCO./p>



Donghui Wang , Chairman of UEC, "but the scale of our systems made selecting the right IoT platform partner a challenge. We chose infiswift because of their powerful technology that will securely scale our real-time communications extremely cost-effectively, giving us a more efficient and differentiated service across the many industries we serve." The partnership will focus on design and development of a complete IoT solution with integrated sensor networks, communications and backend IT systems. "We see integrating IoT into existing IT infrastructure as a game changer," said Mr. Wang.

About infiswift

Infiswift is rethinking the enterprise-grade IoT platform. We provide the plumbing to connect and manage devices, users and cloud-based services. A unique architecture enables world-class security and scalability with a powerful development environment and analytics front end for custom implementations. The ultra-lightweight design and extremely efficient operation make it ideal for intermittently connected and power deficient environments that require real-time operation. Learn more at www.infiswift.com. About UEC

UEC is a leading IT solutions and service provider in China. Headquartered in Beijing, UEC has 22 branch offices in Mainland China and Hong Kong to support customers from five industries (Finance, Telco, Manufacturing, Government, Life Science) and also some local ISVs. UEC is a public company listed in Shenzhen Stock Exchange (002642.sz).

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[May 04, 2016] Global E-Commerce Marketplace Farfetch Announces US $110 Million Series F Round of Investment

LONDON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Farfetch announced it has completed a US $110 million Series F round of investment. The round was led by new investors Temasek, IDG Capital Partners and Eurazeo with existing investor Vitruvian Partners also participating in the round. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363673) This round of investment, advised by Qatalyst Partners, follows a very strong growth path for Farfetch, which grew total transaction value more than 70% in 2015, to more than US $500 million. Alexandre Quirici, Partner at IDG Capital Partners commented, "We are excited to back Jose and his team in the company's next stage of development internationally. We are particularly excited about the growth of Farfetch in China where we hope to help them achieve even greater success." The funds will primarily be used to continue the expansion of the company's proprietary technology platform, to establish it as a leading omni-channel platform for both boutiques and brands globally and to further develop this offering for the global fashion industry; as well as consolidating a leadership position in China, Farfetch's second largest market, Japan and other APAC countries. China itself represents 12% of the company's sales with APAC collectively representing a further 14%. These new strategic investors will provide insights, networking and support, driving continued growth in these markets. Farfetch also welcomes the expertise which will come from Eurazeo's knowledge of luxury fashion and marketplaces. Jose Neves, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Farfetch remarked, "The vision for Farfetch was always to seamlessly integrate physical retail with digital platforms, which we have been doing since 2008, first starting with boutiques and 12 months ago adding brands to ur global platform. This investment comes after strong inbound interest from investors, some of which we felt could really help Farfetch in our largest and fastest growing markets, or had exposure to marketplaces and luxury fashion."



Virginie Morgon, Deputy CEO of Eurazeo, declared: "We were enticed by the Farfetch model which covers the sectors in which we have already gained a solid foothold: digital technology, luxury goods and brand names. In addition to its international profile, multi-channel model and its perfect understanding of the rules governing the luxury goods industry, we were very impressed by the company's ground-breaking business model and the quality of its implementation, particularly from a technological perspective. We salute the omni-channel vision and digital expertise of the management team, in particular the company's Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jose Neves." Significant developments to the Farfetch business over the past year include expanding the site's roster of retail partners to include direct contracts with brands in March 2015, with over 75 global brands now selling through the platform; acquiring London-based boutique Browns in May 2015 in order to create a retail-tech incubator in which to develop innovative customer experiences; and developing Farfetch Black & White, the white label platform solution, that launched its first client site ManoloBlahnik.com in March 2016.

In addition to the Series F, Farfetch also put in place a secured US $50 million Growth Capital Loan Facility with TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. in March 2016. Neves added "This additional facility demonstrates the strength of the Farfetch business model, as well as confidence in future development plans." NOTES TO EDITORS Farfetch's current investors also include: Advent Ventures Partners, Index Ventures, Conde Nast international, Novel TMT, e.Ventures, DST Global, Richard Chen (Venture Partner at Chinese VC firm Ceyuan), Felix Capital About Farfetch Farfetch is a revolutionary way to buy fashion. The pioneering website brings together products from more than 400 of the world's best independent designer boutiques and global brands from more than 37 countries including Paris, New York and Milan to Bucharest, Kuwait and Tokyo. Our partners have been carefully selected for their unique approach, forward-thinking attitude and diversity, and include such renowned boutiques as Browns in London, L'Eclaireur in Paris, H. Lorenzo in LA, Kirna Zabete in New York and Excelsior, Milan; and brands including Derek Lam, J.W Anderson, Roksanda, AMI Paris, Dion Lee and La Perla. Founded in 2008 by the Portuguese entrepreneur Jose Neves, the site is now translated in 9 languages servicing over 190 countries. For lovers of beautiful fashion Farfetch offers the chance to indulge a passion and shop the world. http://www.farfetch.com @Farfetch About Temasek http://www.temasek.com.sg About IDG Capital Partners http://www.idgvc.com About EURAZEO http://www.eurazeo.com About Vitruvian http://www.vitruvianpartners.com

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[May 05, 2016] Telecommunications: Ottawa should not intervene in the broadband Internet sector as it has in the wireless sector

MONTREAL, May 5, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The federal government and the CRTC should not repeat the mistakes of recent years by intervening in the broadband sector as they have in the wireless sector, argues the MEI in the 2016 edition of The State of Competition in Canada's Telecommunications Industry, a Research Paper published today. The Paper notes that 96% of Canadian households already had access to download speeds of 5 Mbps in 2014, with 77% of households subscribing to such a service, a trend that has shown strong growth in recent years. "In this context, it is superfluous for the CRTC to try to duplicate what market players are already doing by imposing new regulations and taxing telecom company revenues to fund more broadband infrastructure rollout, as several groups suggested during the recent CRTC hearings," explains Martin Masse, co-author of the publication and Senior Writer and Editor at the MEI. "Soon, all Canadians will be able to connect to the Internet at very high speeds. And this is not because of any comprehensive national strategy devised by civil servants in Ottawa; it is because of competitive pressure on companies that need to adapt to consumer demand and attract more customers by offering faster broadband services at affordable prices," adds Paul Beaudry, co-author of the Paper and Associate Researcher at the MEI. As for the wireless market, the two analysts consier that this week's proposed purchase of Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS) by BCE, accompanied by a transfer of one third of MTS customers and stores to Telus, is good news for Manitoba consumers. Even though the number of wireless providers falls from four to three, the province will now have three large, well-established players instead of just two. Indeed, MTS and Rogers currently dominate this market with approximately 84% of subscriber market share, while Bell and Telus only have a limited presence with infrastructure that is not up to date. The proposed transaction will help make both Bell and Telus major players in the Manitoba telecom market, and provide more choices to consumers. The authors believe it should be allowed to proceed.



With the election of a new federal government in 2015, now is the time to reassess its wireless policy and reconsider the need for constant intervention. Ottawa's fourth-player policy, in place since 2008, was more beneficial to the shareholders of certain new players, who were able to secure windfalls by arbitraging their government-subsidized spectrum, than it was to Canadian consumers. Not to mention that a substantial share of this spectrum went underutilized, or simply unused, for several years as a result of these policies. "Starting now, the new federal government should stop giving advantages to new players and revert back to its traditional practice of holding open (i.e., non-preferential) spectrum auctions," says Martin Masse. "Canadian wireless service providers will need to make significant investments in the coming years to stay ahead of the technological curve, and returning to a regime of light-handed regulation would help create an environment conducive to innovation and investment."

The 2016 edition of the Paper also presents international comparisons that refute the mistaken impression that Canadians pay a lot for poor quality services in relation to other industrialized countries. The Research Paper entitled The State of Competition in Canada's Telecommunications Industry  2016 was prepared by Martin Masse and Paul Beaudry, respectively Senior Writer and Editor and Associate Researcher at the Montreal Economic Institute. This publication is available on our website. * * * The Montreal Economic Institute is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit research and educational organization. Through its studies and its conferences, the MEI stimulates debate on public policies in Quebec and across Canada by proposing wealth-creating reforms based on market mechanisms. SOURCE Montreal Economic Institute

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[May 05, 2016] Maricopa Community Colleges' Governing Board Names Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick as Chancellor of One of the Largest Community College Systems in the Nation

Maricopa Community Colleges' Governing Board yesterday voted to appoint Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick as Chancellor of one of the largest community college systems in the nation. Harper-Marinick becomes the first female and first Latina ever appointed Chancellor to a higher education institution in Arizona. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005638/en/ Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick, Chancellor of Maricopa Community Colleges, one of the largest community college systems in the nation. (Photo: Business Wire) "A new era has come to Maricopa Community Colleges as we congratulate Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick on her new role as Chancellor," said Alfredo Gutierrez, President of the Governing Board. "As the education landscape continues to evolve, Maria's steady leadership, commitment to lifelong education and stellar reputation at both a local and national level will elevate Maricopa Community College's standing as an institution dedicated to high achievement and successful student outcomes." With a career spanning nearly 25 years at Maricopa Community Colleges, Harper-Marinick has served in several top-level posts, including Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and Interim Chancellor. Taking the reins from the now retired Chancellor Rufus Glasper, she will oversee system-wide operations, which serve 200,000 students and nearly 10,000 faculty and staff members across 10 colleges (Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale, and South Mountain), a Corporate College, two skills centers (Maricopa Skill Center, Southwest Skill Center) and several satellite campuses and business/industry, technical and customized training institutes. In addition, as Chancellor, Harper-Marinick sets the vision for the higher educational institution's strategic plan, guides policy development, and oversees initiatives and outcomes related to workforce, economic and community development; civic and global engagement; and increasing student success. "There is an unprecedened demand for skilled workers among employers not only here in Arizona, but across the nation, making it vital for higher education institutions to educate, train and prepare the next generation of employees to be workplace-ready," said Harper-Marinick. "Maricopa Community Colleges continue to deliver an exemplary education that equips students with the foundational skills they need to excel in their careers and in life."



The appointment of Harper-Marinick, a native of the Dominican Republic, caps off an extensive search conducted by a specially-appointed committee. The Search Committee, co-chaired by Arizona State University President Michael Crow and Maricopa Community Colleges Faculty Association President Salina Bednarek, considered a broad pool of candidates for the Chancellor position. "The Search Committee took a holistic approach in selecting the next Chancellor," said Crow. "Dr. Harper-Marinick excelled among the candidates we interviewed and identified as national leaders in terms of understanding the unique and complex education landscape in Arizona, and the need for innovation and collaboration. Her commitment to strengthening the quality of education in Arizona and keen insights on major issues make her perfectly poised to propel Maricopa Community Colleges to the next level."

Widely known in education circles throughout Arizona, Harper-Marinick has helped shape the face of community college education through her involvement with Expect More Arizona, the Arizona Minority Education Policy Analysis Center, and Arizona Business and Education Coalition. As well, she has been an active member of the Morrison Institute's Latino Public Policy Center Advisory Board and the Morrison CTE Advisory Board, which is committed to enhancing career technical education. She has also been involved with the Phoenix Thriving Together Leadership Council, and The Global Pathways Institute. No stranger on the national education stage, Harper-Marinick has been tapped to serve on several education boards and councils, including being appointed to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance by the U.S. Secretary of Education, and the National Community College Hispanic Council. She has also been a vocal participant on the National Advisory Board for the Center for Community College Student Engagement, Educational Testing Service's National Community College Advisory Council, the Western Alliance of Community College Academic Leaders, the American Association of Community Colleges, the League for Innovation in the Community College, and the Commission on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity of the American Association of Community Colleges. Harper-Marinick came to Arizona State University as a Fulbright Scholar in 1982 from the Dominican Republic, earning a Master of Education in Instructional Media, as well as a Ph.D. in Educational Technology. She also earned a Licentiate in School Administration and Pedagogy from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena in the Dominican Republic. About Maricopa Community Colleges Among the largest community college systems in the nation, Maricopa Community Colleges serve 200,000 students enrolled in credit and non-credit courses annually. The community college system is also the largest provider of transfer students to Arizona's public universities, comprising approximately 30 percent of all bachelor's degree completers. The college system added $7.3 billion in direct economic impact to Arizona's economy in 2013-14, according to a research report released in 2015 from Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI). The report also revealed that for every dollar contributed by taxpayers to the Maricopa Community Colleges, $4 in benefits is returned to taxpayers. Additionally, the report uncovered that for every dollar that a student spends on a Maricopa Community College education, that student gets back $4.20 in higher future income. The system includes 10 community colleges (Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale, and South Mountain), a Corporate College, two skills centers (Maricopa Skill Center, Southwest Skill Center), Maricopa Corporate College, and several satellite campuses and business/industry, technical and customized training institutes. Eight Maricopa Community Colleges were named among the Aspen Institute's top 150 community colleges in the United States. For more information, visit www.maricopa.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005638/en/

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[May 05, 2016] Air Filter Market to Grow at 5.6% CAGR Driven by Indoor Air Quality Concerns to 2020

PUNE, India, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the 2016 air filters market report, air filter plays a significant role in maintaining the indoor air quality as it is one of the main components in HVAC systems. Indoor air quality has gained attention in recent years as poor air quality affects the productivity, health, and comfort of occupants. Estimates by the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) suggest that people spend 90% of their time indoors, which justifies the reason for the growing concern over IAQ. Organizations such as WHO and those in various countries around the globe have set guidelines for IAQ standards; this has been a primary driver for the growth of the air filter market. Complete report on air filter market spread across 71 pages, analyzing 6 major companies and providing 32 data exhibits is now available at http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/539151-global-air-filter-market-2016-2020.html. The analysts forecast the global air filter market to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% during the period 2016-2020. Poor IAQ has led to health issues such as sick building syndrome, building-related illnesses, and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) or environmental illness these factors have resulted in the framing of new guidelines and regulations for commercial buildings, which has accelerated the demand for better air filters in the HVAC systems used in commercial buildings. Furthermore, the growth in construction activities in the US and the massive resurgence in urban infrastructure construction activities in APAC will fuel the growth of air filters. Global Air Filter Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. This report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. This report cvers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global air filter market to 2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the demand of air filters from various end-user applications.



Key players in the global air filter market: Cummins, Clarcor, Daikin, Camfil, Donaldson, and Mann+Hummel. Other prominent vendors in the market are: K&N engineering, Flanders, Dyna, Delta Filtration, Filtration Group, Parker Hannifin, Affinia Group, 3M, and Sogefi. Order a copy of Global Air Filter Market 2016-2020 report @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/Purchase.aspx?name=539151. Further, the report states that lack of awareness of end-users about replacing air filters is one of the major challenges faced by the air filter market. Air filters are used to filter the incoming air by trapping particulates such as dust, pollen, mold, smoke, debris, and bacteria from the air. They find use in in a wide range of applications in which air quality is crucial. Energy, automotive, mining, and cement industries are the major sectors where air filters are extensively used.

Another related report is Global Advanced HVAC Controls Market 2016-2020:HVAC control systems reduce energy consumption and enhance the performance of an HVAC unit. Field devices, floor-level controllers, sensors, and building-level controllers are the key types of HVAC control systems. These systems are extensively used in the residential, industrial, and commercial sectors worldwide. The analysts forecast global advanced HVAC control market to grow at a CAGR of 8.67% during the period 2016-2020. Key players in the global advanced HVAC control market: Honeywell International, Johnson Controls, Mitsubishi Electric, Schneider Electric and Siemens. Other prominent vendors in the market are: Azbil, Delta Controls, Distech Controls, Innotech Systems, KMC Controls, NanoSense, Reliable Controls, Sauter, Trane, and Triatek. Browse complete report @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/496171-global-advanced-hvac-controls-market-2016-2020.html. Explore other new reports on Manufacturing & Construction Market @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/market-research/manufacturing/. About Us: ReportsnReports.com is an online market research reports library of 500,000+ in-depth studies of over 5000 micro markets. Not limited to any one industry, ReportsnReports.com offers research studies on agriculture, energy and power, chemicals, environment, medical devices, healthcare, food and beverages, water, advanced materials and much more. Connect With Us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReportsnReports/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reportsnreports Twitter: https: //twitter.com/marketsreports G+ / Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/111656568937629536321/posts RSS/Feeds: http://www.reportsnreports.com/feed/l-latestreports.xml

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[May 05, 2016] ASUS Unveils its Latest Range of Mainstream and Premium Products in the Northeast Region of India

GUWAHATI, India, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- - Organises Largest Meet in the Region With Presence of 230+ Partners Reiterating the Company's Commitment to the Market - The Latest Products Unveiled are: - ZenFone Max with a powerful 5000 mAH battery that brings power, luxury and convenience

- ZenFone Zoom - the world's thinnest smartphone with 3X optical zoom

- Latest range of its flagship Republic of Gamers (ROG) gaming series with 4 high-performance gaming laptops ROG G752VY, G551, GL552VW and the slim, sleek and ultraportable G501

- High-end gaming desktops G20 & GT51 & the premium ultraportable Zenbook UX303

- The new 'A' series mainstream laptops ASUS today unveiled and announced the availability of its latest range of premium products of smartphones, notebooks and desktop in the Northeast region of India. The smartphones include ZenFone Max which is best suited for people who demand a long-lasting battery life like businessmen and younger generation of users and ZenFone Zoom, a revolutionary new era for smartphone photography with distinction of being the world's thinnest smartphone with 3X optical zoom. ASUS also unveiled their flagship Republic of Gamers (ROG) gaming series in the region, taking gaming to an entirely different level. Well-equipped with Quad core 6th Gen Intel core i7 (Skylake) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 900 series graphics, ASUS unveils 6 next gen gaming devices in a city that has an increasing user base of young and technically well-versed crowd. The new desktop models added to the ROG series are G20 and GT51 along with G501VW, G551VW, G752VY and ROG GL552VW gaming notebooks. Apart from the gaming series, ASUS also unveiled their flagship ultraportable and sleek- Zenbook UX303 and the new 'A' series mainstream laptops with two year global warranty. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/10145545 ) The latest unrivaled addition by ASUS comprises two gaming grade desktops with refined aesthetics and four high performance notebooks. Making certain of a lasting and uninterrupted gaming experience, the latest models counter the issue of quick heating with commendable variants of cooling technology. Elaborating further on the sidelines of the event, Peter Chang, Regional Head - South Asia & Country Manager - System Business Group - ASUS India, said, "Northeast market is one of our top priority regions in the country and beholds one of our strongest partner networks. It is home to young enthusiastic people who have a flair for technology and want to experience the latest devices to be in sync with the rest of the country and world. We have witnessed immense demand for premium products in the region and we truly believe that with the availability of these new products, the technological experience will only get richer and better for consumers." ZenFone oom, a revolutionary photography smartphone with distinction of being the world's thinnest smartphone with 3X optical zoom. It employs an innovative 10-element HOYA lens arrangement that delivers exceptional clarity and enables close-ups with up to 12X total magnification. With built-in optical image stabilization (OIS) to eliminate shakes and blurred shots, and powered by a high-performance quad-core Intel Atom processor with 4GB RAM for ultra-fast performance, ZenFone Zoom packs DSLR-style shooting experiences into a metal unibody that tapers to a mere 5mm, so it slides comfortably into a pocket. The smartphone is available on Flipkart and also at ASUS exclusive stores.



Best suited for people who demand a long-lasting battery life like businessmen and younger generation of users, the ZenFone Max comes with a powerful 5000 mAH battery and brings power, luxury and convenience, and offers a unique combination of technology and design. The phone is available on all leading e-commerce portals, and is also sold at all leading retail stores and ASUS Exclusive Stores. ROG GT51, winner of a 2016 CES Innovation Award in the gaming and virtual reality category, is powered by a 6th-generation Intel Core i7-6700K processor and supports up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X (2-way SLI) for the performance to run games across three 4K monitors. ROG Turbo Gear lets users maximize GT51's full overclocking potential with just one click, while the ASUS-exclusive Aegis II application helps monitor system parameters. In addition, a USB 3.1 Type-C port on its front panel provides data transmission speeds of up to 10Gbps and is able to quick-charge mobile devices.

The G752VY - showcases the evolution of the brand, with a revolutionary design finished in a new Armor Titanium and Plasma Copper color scheme. With Windows 10, a 6th-generation Intel Skylake Core i7 processor, up to 64GB DDR4 RAM, and the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980m graphics, ROG G752 delivers exceptional gaming performance. It even features the ROG-exclusive mobile 3D Vapor Chamber for increased cooling performance, and a backlit anti-ghosting gaming keyboard with 30-key rollover for precise command and control in battle. The ROG G20CB is a powerful, compact, console-sized 9.5-liter gaming desktop with refined aesthetics. Along with 2.5" and 3.5" slots for SSDs and HDDs, the G20 supports the latest M.2 PCIe Gen 3x4 SSD which gives you data access speed of up to 2Gbits/s, - four times faster than SATA SSDs. With up to an NVidia GTX 980, the G20 is suited for surround displays or for 2K or 4K monitors. It also includes exclusive ASUS ROG Aegis II software with GameAlive for instant gameplay recording, editing, and streaming, and GameFirst III for network traffic management. ASUS ROG G501VW features NVIDIA GTX960M Graphics in a slim (20.6mm) and lightweight (2.06kg) metallic design. This ultraportable device is infused with ROG DNA, with up to 4K/UHD visuals and the upgraded Hyper Cool technology. Immersing its players in the gaming world through its 4K IPS panel with 178-degree viewing angles, ASUS SonicMaster and ROG AudioWizard enhanced audio complements the experience. Under the hood, the devices packs some serious hardware NVIDIA GTX 960M graphics with blazing fast 4GB GDDR5 graphics memory, 16GB ultrafast DDR4 system memory and up to a next gen 512GB PCIe Gen 3x4 SSD giving you speeds up to 2Gbits/s. Combining power and class into one premium design, Zenbook UX303UB features the latest 6th Gen Intel Core i5 processor making it even more powerful, combined with Windows 10 and is thin, light, and powerful,. The UX303UB in particular, not only features high-performance Intel Core processors but also features a NVIDIA GeForce GT940m 2GB graphics for silky smooth performance. This gives desktop-grade performance with stunning image quality and silky-smooth rendering of high-resolution videos or the latest games. It also features a Full HD display delivering stunning lifelike visuals with a wide 170 degree viewing angle. The 'A' series, A553, a budget notebook with premium design and is available in four color options i.e. purple, pink, white and black. The A553 will be equipped with Intel Quad-Core Pentium N3540 Processor (2M Cache, 2.16 GHz, up to 2.66 GHz), 4GB RAM, 500GB storage and two year warranty. Also unveiled were classily designed 'A' series performance notebooks - A555LF & A555LA, which promises to be a smash hit with consumers owing to its sleek, stylish looks, design aesthetics, merging glitz with substance backed by performance. The super-smart notebooks are available in six different trendy colors, making them a perfect fit for students, first-time users, offices and value-driven buyers. About ASUS ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world's best-selling, most award-winning, motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today's digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets and smartphones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,256 awards in 2014 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC. ASUS has more than 13,600 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of 4,500 engineers. Company revenue for 2014 was approximately US$14 billion. For more information, visit:http://www.asus.com/IN/ or http://www.flipkart.com/asus Media Contact:

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ASUS India Pvt Ltd





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[May 05, 2016] WatchGuard Video Answers Demand to Strengthen Police Video Evidence

ALLEN, Texas, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Video evidence and the ability to aggregate it has become an integral part of effective law enforcement and the justice system. In a recent interview, Allen Cummings, Chief of Police in Pennsville, New Jersey, a small community on the banks of the Delaware River spoke to this, "They want video in the station. They want video out in the parking lot. They want video from the car. They want video from the officer's body camera. That's all part of discovery now. We're seeing cases being thrown out (of court) without video." An estimated seventy-two percent of law enforcement jurisdictions in the United States utilize in-car video systems. That fact, combined with the rapid adoption and deployment of body-worn cameras throughout the nation in the past two years has led many jurisdictions to a logical conclusion; these two valuable evidentiary tools must be integrated. In response, WatchGuard Video, a leading manufacturer of law enforcement video solutions, has added VISTA WiFi to its family of body-worn cameras to fulfill the needed capability of strengthening case evidence through synchronized video from multiple vantage points. The call for this vital integration has begun in earnest with WatchGuard citing a five-fold increase in receipt of law enforcement agencies publishing Requests for Proposals requiring this capability versus six months earlier. With the formal launch of VISTA WiFi body cameras in May, the demand for the technology has led to over twenty-three agencies pre-ordering the product. The Police Department for the City of Lake Charles, Louisiana is one of those departments that placed an order when they learned WatchGuard was working to release the product. "We've been a WatchGuard customer for years and we are anxiously awaiting delivery of 110 VISTA WiFi Cameras," said Don Dixon, Chief of the Lake Chrles Police Department. "I believe this intuitive pairing of body cameras with the in-car systems is the future of video evidence."



While integration of the two systems was the original focus for WatchGuard Video, their team of engineers believed they could develop a solution that would be more aligned to how officers work in the field. "Officers collaborate and work in teams," explained Brent Robertson, Engineering Director and lead engineer on the VISTA WiFi project. "Why shouldn't their cameras do the same?" The team of over sixty engineers rose to that challenge and came up with an innovative solution: A system that allows an in-car system and multiple body-worn cameras to instinctively and automatically collaborate to capture video evidence of a single incident from multiple vantage points.

HOW IT WORKS When integrated with WatchGuard's 4RE in-car video system, multiple officers using VISTA WiFi body-worn cameras can intelligently collaborate in the recording of a single incident. The Wi-Fi capability in the body-worn cameras and a Wi-Fi access point in the car allow the cameras to become members of a group recording network. Patent-pending Distributed Multi-Peer Recording technology distributes decision-making to in-car and body-worn cameras, giving any officer on the team the power to initiate a group recording in which all cameras in the recording group begin capturing synchronized video evidence. Recordings from the individual cameras are uploaded and automatically linked in evidence management software for viewing and sharing. "The work of our engineering team on this integration is changing how video evidence will be captured and aggregated moving forward," said Robert Vanman, Founder and CEO of WatchGuard Video. "Our team spends a lot of time listening to the needs of law enforcement as it pertains to video evidence. With VISTA WiFi, I think they'll find we not only surpassed their needs, we've leapfrogged the market's expectations." In March 2015, the Cottonwood, Arizona Police Department was thrust into the national spotlight after a brawl occurred between a transient family and officers in the parking lot of a local grocery store. That fight resulted in the shooting death of one suspect, the wounding of another, an officer shot and several other officers sustaining injury. Because of the complexity of the incident and multiple situations within the scene, Cottonwood PD Chief, Jody Fanning (now retired), opted to use the in-car video evidence to brief the media on what had transpired. As a result of his forward-thinking use of video evidence, Chief Fanning received the Livio A. Beccaccio Award by the FBI National Academy Associates. When told of VISTA WiFi and its capabilities, Chief Fanning nodded his head saying, "If we had that capability when the Cottonwood incident occurred, it would have instantly shown what the officers saw from all angles within a very complex scene. Irrefutable video testimony. Like it or not, that's the future of video evidence." About WatchGuard Video

WatchGuard Video is the technology pioneer and market leader for law enforcement video systems and evidence-management software. One-third of the agencies in the United States utilize WatchGuard's proprietary solutions to capture, manage and share digital video evidence using the most durable, reliable and highest-quality American-made products including the 4RE in-car and VISTA body camera systems. To learn more please, visit www.watchguardvideo.com or call 1-800-605-6734. Contact: Jaime Carlin

Email

469-342-8974 Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNjoQLo2FHw

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363919

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363921LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/watchguard-video-answers-demand-to-strengthen-police-video-evidence-300263461.html SOURCE WatchGuard Video

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Talks can help ease Pyongyang's woes Updated: 2016-05-04 15:02 By HU MINGYUAN(chinadaily.com.cn)

Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 24, 2016 shows the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-un guiding a ground test for heavy-lift, solid-fuel rocket engine and its separation. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea announced last week that the ruling Workers' Party of Korea will hold its 7th Congress in Pyongyang on May 6. It will be the first major conference of the party in 36 years and the first under current DPRK leader Kim Jong-un.

The ensuing changes in the partys rank and file are expected to be big and will have far-reaching implications on the country. The conference could see the Workers Party of Korea strengthening its hold over the military. It is also expected to highlight Kim's major political achievements in the five years he has been in power, especially in the development of nuclear weapons and deployment of ballistic missiles.

On the diplomatic front, the DPRK, which is suffering the consequences of the UN sanctions and could change its mindset and hint at reconciling with the international community.

The passing of Resolution 2270 by the UN Security Council on March 2 against the DPRK despite its concerns for the well-being of the countrys ordinary people has put added pressure on the Pyongyang leadership.

To facilitate the country's economic recovery and create a benign environment for the party, the countrys leadership should have sought to hold dialogues with other countries, such as the United States. But instead of doing so, the DPRK declared on April 23 that it had successfully test-fired an underwater strategic submarine ballistic missile, apparently to welcome the party congress and boost people's morale, and thus created more uncertainties on the Korean Peninsula.

The UN Security Council strongly condemned Pyongyang's latest ballistic missile test, and urged it to "refrain from further actions in violation of the relevant resolutions and comply fully with its obligations under these resolutions, including to suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program". Concerns were also raised regarding the DPRK's possible fifth nuclear test given the increased activities near its main nuclear test site in the northeastern region, where it has conducted all of its four nuclear tests.

The DPRK's nuclear advocacy has been increasingly clear since 2013, when it decided to simultaneously pursue economic development and nuclear power. But the truth is, its nuclear strategy has only pushed the Republic of Korea closer to the US and strengthened their military alliance, injecting fresh momentum into the long-stalled deployment of the US-sponsored Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system on the Korean Peninsula. The DPRKs wrong decision has given the US a good excuse to strengthen its military presence on the peninsula, which will pose huge strategic threats to Russia, China as well as the DPRK.

Pyongyang would commit a grave mistake if it continues to believe that its national security depends on its nuclear arsenal, because that will only cause more harm to regional stability and draw harsher sanctions against the DPRK. The only viable option left for the DPRK is to re-engage in the Six-Party Talks, abandon its nuclear program for good and cooperate with the international community.

The author is an associate researcher at the Center for Northeast Asian Studies in Jilin province.
[May 05, 2016] DataCore's Software-Defined Platform Nourishes OSI Food's European-Wide Data Centers

READING, England, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DataCore, the leader in Parallel-Powered Software, Application-Adaptive Data Infrastructure and Hyper-converged Virtual SAN solutions, has announced that OSI Food Solutions (OSI) has been successfully using DataCore's SANsymphony platform to support its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system across Europe. DataCore adds needed agility, resilience and performance to the company's demanding business applications including Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision), SQL databases, Citrix XenApp and VMware environments. "As IT support for OSI, it is our job to provide other branches and offices with plug-and-play solutions whenever they are required, so the systems need total compatibility and ease of use, as many production sites do not have their own IT staff. This is why we place great emphasis on reliable systems that are easy to administer. DataCore SANsymphony definitely offers both and from a central management pane," comments Wolfgang Allgauer, IT manager for infrastructure based at OSI Food Solutions Germany. OSI has 17,000 employees located in 60 sites across 25 different countries. Its core business is the production of high-quality convenience meat products, such as meat patties, bacon, pizza and hot dogs. OSI has many large familiar brand name customers including McDonalds, Metro and Tescos, and access to a resilient "Navision" ERP system is essential to facilitate just-in-time logistics. Storage Solution for Europe-Wide Use

OSI Food Solutions Germany serves as both a production site as well as a service provider to its European sister companies within the OSI Group implementing a uniform IT infrastructure strategy across Europe. Adoption of SANsymphony facilitates shared storage and increases performance to its major business applications whilst also safeguarding and optimising OSI's growing virtual environment. The central IT Department offrs procurement, implementation and support of IT infrastructure resting on three pillars: VMware vSphere, Citrix XenApp and DataCore SANsymphony.



Hardware Goes, Software Stays

Given that DataCore's Software-Defined Storage is totally hardware agnostic, OSI continues to reap the cost savings in selection of any underlying hardware: "The change to DataCore provided us with the option of using lower-priced hardware, while at the same time achieving functionality at enterprise level. We can easily integrate new technologies and freely scale the environment. So the investment has paid off, particularly over the long term," said Wolfgang Allgauer.

Apart from the basic functions of virtualization and synchronous mirroring with auto-failover, SANsymphony integrates well-developed storage services, including auto-tiering, thin provisioning, high-speed caching technology and high-level reporting and analysis tools. OSI appreciates the reporting in particular, because it allows any potential latency to be traced and eliminated and deals with spikes in data mining all the way to the backend disk. Integration of VMware vCenter plug-ins into the DataCore GUI has also proved useful as it allows virtual server/storage partitions to be rapidly configured and effectively transferred with a high degree of automation. The company is planning to add and integrate Flash/SSD memory in order to further increase overall performance. Whether this will take place via external SSD arrays or corresponding PCIs Flash cards, the Software-Defined Storage platform SANsymphony supports both variants and will provide a major boost in performance in combination with DataCore's parallel I/O technology that is included within the next SANsymphony update. "We have been using DataCore SANsymphony for years now and we are completely satisfied with it. It's an easy to manage solution with a good price-to-performance ratio. The combination of DataCore and VMware helps us implement a shared strategy despite the differing requirements at our various international locations," concludes Wolfgang Allgauer. A copy of the full case study can be viewed here: https://www.datacore.com/testimonials/osi-international-foods-gmbh About DataCore DataCore, the Data Infrastructure Software company, is the leading provider of Software-Defined Storage and Adaptive Parallel I/O Software  harnessing today's powerful and cost-efficient server platforms with Parallel I/O to overcome the IT industry's biggest problem, the I/O bottleneck, in order to deliver unsurpassed performance, hyper-consolidation efficiencies and cost savings. The company's comprehensive and flexible storage virtualization and hyper-converged virtual SAN solutions free users from the pain of labor-intensive storage management and provide true independence from solutions that cannot offer a hardware agnostic architecture. DataCore's Software-Defined and Parallel I/O powered platforms revolutionize data infrastructure and serve as the cornerstone of the next-generation, software-defined data center  delivering greater value, industry-best performance, availability and simplicity. Visit http://www.datacore.com or call (877) 780-5111 for more information. DataCore, the DataCore logo, Parallel Server and SANsymphony are trademarks or registered trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. Other DataCore product or service names or logos referenced herein are trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. All other products, services and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. CONTACT

For media & PR inquiries:

SVM on behalf of DataCore

Jill Colna or Sarah Anderson

401.490.9700

[email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160329/348779LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/datacores-software-defined-platform-nourishes-osi-foods-european-wide-data-centers-300263658.html SOURCE DataCore Software

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[May 05, 2016] Corboy & Demetrio Obtains Settlement in Match.com Rape Case

CHICAGO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A Chicago woman who was raped by a man she met on dating site Match.com --- two years after Match.com was warned that the same man had raped another Match.com customer --- has settled her lawsuit against the social networking company. According to the victim's attorney, Daniel S. Kirschner, a partner at Corboy & Demetrio, "This was an egregious case of corporate irresponsibility, and unfortunately not an isolated one." Kirschner added, "For over two years, Match.com had actual knowledge that it had an alleged rapist as a member of its matchmaking service, and it did nothing to remove him from its site, which would have prevented him from meeting and raping Jane Doe." "Match.com did everything it could during the course of this five-year litigation to derail Jane Doe's claim and avoid taking responsibility for the tremendous harm it caused her," Kirschner said. "Match.com moved repeatedly and unsuccessfully to dismiss this rape victim's lawsuit, delved relentlessly into her most personal emails, and even filed an afirmative defense blaming her for being raped," Kirschner explained.



Kirschner added, "Jane Doe is very satisfied that justice has now been served with respect to Match.com. She hopes that her courage in pursuing this groundbreaking lawsuit will give other dating service rape victims the will and resolve to come forward and assert their rights." The lawsuit is captioned Jane Doe v. Match.com, LLC, a limited liability company, et al., Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, docket No. 13 L 4197. On April 28, 2016, Judge Moira Johnson entered an order dismissing Match.com pursuant to the above settlement. The lawsuit remains pending against the perpetrator. The settlement was reached through mediation with the assistance of both Judge Stuart Nudelman (ret.) and Judge William Haddad (ret.) of ADR Services.

About Corboy & Demetrio Corboy & Demetrio is one of the nation's premier law firms. The personal injury law firm represents individuals and their families in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases and is renowned for its achievements in the courtroom and for its contributions to the community. The firm has acquired nearly $4 billion in settlements and verdicts and has attained almost 600 settlements and verdicts in excess of $1 million. To contact Dan or another Chicago personal injury lawyer at the firm, call 312-346-3191 or toll free at 800-356-3191. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about our law firm go to corboydemetrio.com. Media contact:

Helen Lucaitis

Corboy & Demetrio

312-550-2077

http://www.corboydemetrio.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corboy--demetrio-obtains-settlement-in-matchcom-rape-case-300263661.html SOURCE Corboy & Demetrio

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[May 05, 2016] Hot Melt Adhesives Market by Product Type, by Application, by Region - Global Trends & Forecast to 2020

LONDON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- "The increasing need for high standard performance across all modern applications is driving the market for hot melt adhesives "

The global hot melt adhesives market is projected to reach USD 9.64 billion by 2020, registering a CAGR of 5.73% between 2015 and 2020. Shift from the traditional solvent-based adhesives toward the use of high-performance products such as hot melts globally is one of the key reasons for the growth of the hot melt adhesives market. The major reasons for this shift are that while using HMAs volatile organic compounds are reduced or eliminated and HMAs has long shelf life and usually can be disposed of without special precautions.



"Polyurethane: The fastest-growing product type for hot melt adhesives"

Polyurethane is the fastest-growing product type, as it is helpful in bonding non porous materials such as metal to wood or mirrors to walls. The other major advantage of polyurethane is that it does not contain solvents and is a low volatile organic compound producer which allows it be used as a raw material in manufacturing of hot melt adhesives. The polyurethane hot melt adhesives are used in end-use industries such as shoe making, paper packaging, and bookbinding.



"Asia-Pacific: The fastest-growing market for hot melt adhesives"

Asia-Pacific is estimated to be the fastest-growing market for hot melt adhesives market. The growth of the market in the region is attributed to expansion of production capacity, high demand for end-use products, and others. With the recnt expansion activities by key players in the Asia-Pacific region; the demand for hot melt adhesives in this region is projected to register the highest CAGR between 2015 and 2020.







This study has been validated through primaries conducted with various industry experts globally. These primary sources have been divided under three categories: By Company; By Designation; and By Region.

- By Company Type- Tier 1- 34%, Tier 2- 33% and Tier 3- 33%

- By Designation- C Level- 12%, Director Level- 25% and Others- 63%

- By Region- North America - 12%, Europe - 12%, Asia-Pacific - 63%, and RoW- 13%



The report also provides company profiles and competitive strategies adopted by the major market players, such as The 3M Company (U.S.), Ashland Inc. (U.S.), Bostik S.A. ( France ), Dow Corning (U.S.), H.B. Fuller Company (U.S.), Henkel AG & Company ( Germany ), Jowat AG ( Germany ), Sika AG ( Switzerland ), and Toyobo Co., Ltd. ( Japan ) among others.





The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market in the following ways:

1. This report segments the hot melt adhesives market comprehensively and provides the closest approximations of the revenue for the overall market and the sub segments across the different verticals and regions.

2. The report helps stakeholders to understand the pulse of the market and provides them information on key market drivers, restraints, and opportunities.

3. This report helps stakeholders to better understand the competitor and gain more insights about the business. The competitive landscape section includes competitor ecosystem, new product developments, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3587956/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hot-melt-adhesives-market-by-product-type-by-application-by-region---global-trends--forecast-to-2020-300263708.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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[May 05, 2016] GearUp - a New Start-Up Disrupting the Outdoor Industry!

BOSTON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GearUp is an exciting new rental start-up founded by five Harvard Business School students in the spring of 2016. The value proposition is simple, yet effectivepremium outdoor electronics and high-end extreme sport apparel delivered to your door under rental at a fraction of the cost to own. Simply go online (www.gearup.io), choose your equipment, select the dates you want and in 1-3 business days your products will arrive at your home or hotel. When you're done, simply pack it up in the original packaging, slap the included prepaid FedEx label on the outside and mail it back. One of the most popular products, the DJI Phantom II Drone, goes for just $49.99 for a weekend. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160505/364139



The founders originally envisioned a company that would essentially operate as a Rent-the-Runway for premium ski apparel, offering top-end brand name outdoor apparel at prices that make sense for even the occasional enthusiast and convenience attractive to the more regular skier, hiker, or camper. However, quickly realized that by broadening the product offering and combining apparel and other cool gadgets, it could be so much more. The truth is, there have been a large number of category-creating new gadgets designed to enhance outdoor activities over the past five year, but these new innovations are still quite expensive. The GearUp team believes that everyone should have access to these 'cool new toys' and that this could be beneficial to manufacturers as well by broadening the customer base and providing trialability. At the end of the day, who wouldn't want test out the latest high-end gadget for the cost of two movie tickets and a large popcorn.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gearup---a-new-start-up-disrupting-the-outdoor-industry-300263836.html SOURCE GearUp

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[May 05, 2016] CRIQ signs alliance with Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters to encourage 3D printing in Quebec

/CNW Telbec/ - The Centre de recherche industrielle du Quebec (CRIQ) and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) have concluded a partnership agreement that promises joint knowledge-sharing about additive manufacturing and assistance for Quebec companies to finance research and development projects. QUEBEC CITY, May 5, 2016 The partnership will also pave the way for collaborative projects, offer preferred rates for Reseau Quebec-3D members to attend CME events and promote the activities of both organizations on their respective additive manufacturing platforms: www.reseauquebec3d.ca and www.canadamakes.ca. Finally, CRIQ and CME representatives will sit on the Canada Makes Additive Manufacturing Advisory Board and the Reseau Quebec-3D coordination committee. Their presence on these committees will allow CRIQ and CME to work together to acquire the resources to help Quebec businesses quickly adopt 3D printing. "This agreement demonstrates CRIQ's determination to work with the best partners to offer a range of services that will speed up the adoption of additive manufacuring by businesses in the Quebec manufacturing sector," declared CRIQ CEO Denis Hardy.



"Additive manufacturing is a critical part of the industrial revolution that is knocking at our doors right now. The partnership announced today will allow Quebec manufacturing firms to take part in joint R&D projects with firms elsewhere in Canada and access a wide array of additive manufacturing training activities," added Martin Lavoie, executive director of Canada Makes. The agreement between CRIQ and CME was hailed by the president of Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Quebec (MEQ), Eric Tetrault, who commented that "this partnership reflects the MEQ's leadership in making innovation the critical issue for the government and businesses of Quebec."

This is the second partnership agreement between CRIQ and its partners to support the deployment of Reseau Quebec-3D. The first was signed last year with the Pole de Recherche et d'Innovation en Materiaux Avances au Quebec (PRIMA), which will be even more involved in coordinating and carrying out Reseau Quebec-3D activities. About CRIQ For over 45 years, the mission of Centre de recherche industrielle du Quebec (CRIQ) has been to make Quebec industry more competitive and boost growth by supporting innovation, productivity and exports, as well as fostering partnerships to improve products and services. With over 200 employees and labs in Quebec City and Montreal, CRIQ carries out close to 2,000 projects each year. www.criq.qc.ca. About Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters MEC helps Canadian businesses solve challenges related to worker qualification, innovation and exports by working with public authorities and governments to find solutions. The organization also offers personalized support, a full calendar of events and executive networking activities. http://www.cme-mec.ca. Sources:

Mathieu Bilodeau, Coordinator, Communications and Marketing

CRIQ

Phone: 514-567-2246

Toll-free: 1 800 667-2386, ext. 2246

Cell: 514-567-7701 Martin Lavoie, Executive Director

Canada Makes

Cell : 613 406-9002 SOURCE Centre de recherche industrielle du Quebec

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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.
Water flow will help 'blueberry' system bear healthy fruits Updated: 2016-05-05 08:13 By WANG HUI(China Daily)

Premier Li Keqiang (third from right) poses with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chanocha (third from left), Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (second from right), Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong (second from left), Myanmar Vice President Sai Mauk Kham (right) and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh (left) at a welcoming ceremony on Tuesday before the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, in Sanya, Hainan province. WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY

The first Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders 'Meeting held in Sanya, South China's Hainan province, on March 23 has got a popular Chinese nickname, "blueberry" mechanism, because its abbreviation sounds exactly like the nutritious fruit in Chinese. This reflects the close relationship between China and the countries that it shares the river with.

Flowing out of China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Lancang River, known as the Mekong River in the middle and lower reaches, meanders through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea. Some 326 million people live along the nearly 5,000-kilometer-long water body, which has a total drainage area of almost 800,000 sq km. And the combined trade volume between China and the five countries through which the Mekong flows was about $200 billion in 2015.

As Hu Zhenyue, vice-chair of China Public Diplomacy Association, said at an international forum in Bangkok last week, the six countries are destined to be cooperative partners because they are bonded together by the same river. Bangkok played host to the first international conference after the Sanya meeting that saw the participation of experts and scholars from the six Lancang-Mekong countries. Organized by Thailand's Institute of Security and International Studies, the forum discussed ways to realize the roadmap adopted at the Sanya meeting.

"The LMC is aimed at reducing disparity among the countries and realizing common social and economic development by deepening cooperation. It will contribute to regional integration and boost relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations," Hu said.

To this end, he said both long-term and mid-term planning for pragmatic and sustainable cooperation is needed, and the six countries should cater to the needs and concerns of each other and incorporate the sub-regional goals into their own development blueprints so as to bring tangible benefits to their peoples.

China's move to discharge water from Jinghong Dam from March 15 to April 10 to help the countries in the middle and lower reaches of the Mekong River overcome drought-like conditions proves that it is responding in a prompt and efficient manner to the concerns of its neighbors.
The TMS 2017 Annual Meeting & Exhibition will feature more than 65 symposia in 11 technical tracks planned by all five TMS Technical Divisions. In addition, two co-located conferences, co-organized by TMS and international partner societies, will be held during TMS2017:

3rd Pan American Materials Congress

Co-organized by nine professional societies spanning the Americas.

Co-organized by nine professional societies spanning the Americas. Energy Materials 2017

Co-organized by TMS and the Chinese Society for Metals .

Download the TMS2017 Preliminary Program for a searchable PDF of the program (information is current as of December 31) or view the Session Sheets through ProgramMaster for real-time updates for individual sessions (including abstracts for individual presentations).

TMS2017, the 3rd Pan American Materials Congress, and Energy Materials 2017 will all be held February 26March 2, 2017, at the San Diego Convention Center and Marriott Marquis in San Diego, California. TMS2017 registrants will have full access to the content of all three meetings.
Volunteer walks in honor of her husband Thousand Oaks resident Joan Hull will be among those participating in this years Conejo Valley Walk to End Alzheimers at 9 a.m. Sat., Oct. 22 at the Westlake Promenade. Hull...

Overpass could get protective fencing A substantial safety upgrade for the areas most notorious overpass is finally getting some Caltrans considerationbut dont expect changes any time soon. At the Sept. 21 Moorpark City Council meeting,...

Early detection is the best way to survive breast cancer Every October, we celebrate those men and women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. But what is breast cancer and how can it be diagnosed and managed? There are...
Poison City Records, Melbournes finest purveyors of all things punk, have announced the first lineup for their annual Poison City Weekender festival, which this year will feature the likes of The Bennies, High Tension, Batpiss, Ouch My Face, and more.

Tickets are set to go on sale tomorrow and anyone who scoops one up will also get to see performances from Pity Sex, the chart-busting Camp Cope, The Hard Aches, The Sugarcanes, Horror My Friend, and Totally Unicorn. Yes, all your punk rock dreams have come true.

Best of all, organisers are promising theres still more acts to be added to the lineup and considering past lineups have featured names like The Smith Street Band, Andrew Jackson Jihad, and Knapsack, dont take that threat lightly.

Check below for the full first Poison City Weekender lineup announcement or head on over to the official Poison City Records website for more details.

Poison City Weekender 2016

The Bennies

Pity Sex

Cayatena

Rozwell Kid

The Nation Blue

Creative Adult

Camp Cope

Loose Tooth

High Tension

Batpiss

Ceres

Fear Like Us

The Hard Aches

The Sugarcanes

Ouch My Face

Horror My Friend

Flour

Hannahband

Pale Heads

Totally Unicorn

Fourteen Nights At Sea

Chores

Friday, 9th September  Sunday, 11th September 2016

Melbourne

Tickets: Poison City Records
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard just last week dropped nine track face-melter Nonagon Infinity , their infinitely looping album and 8th full length release in under 4 years. A unique machine, an unstoppable entity, their ability to churn out releases and tunes, wild live sets, the hard work of their own label Flightless, along with the quality of their artwork, has earned King Gizzard a following that is prolific, intensely loyal and rarely disappointed.

To celebrate the release of Nonagon Infinity, Bree Wilkinson from music blog Outlaws & Losers tracked down fans from around the world and brought them together to share their King Gizzard experiences and memories and show a bit of love for the boys.

Working in the music industry Brees job gives her a unique look inside the world of music fandom, somewhere along the way noticed something particularly special about the King Gizzards inner workings the unique thing about King Gizzard is that the entire thing is self directed, its really an entity/world of its own, the artist is also their roadie, their drummer is their manager, so on so forth  they just ooze creativity and theres a real organic craftsmanship to absolutely everything they put out she explains.

The relationship they have with their fan base is absolutely amazing to behold, theyre making music for themselves and for the fans. This is a connection a lot of bands dont quite grasp, but King Gizzard do and its why their fan base is so avid and loyal. I think this is also part of the affinity people have to the band. The other thing is  King Gizzard have built their brand on being unpredictable rather than having one particular sound, so fans get swept up in the excitement of it all, and it almost makes them disappointment-proof, as fans cant be let down when they cant even formulate an expectation in the first place!

To celebrate the release of Nonagon Infinity, I decided Id explore the other perspective and find out from some fans globally what King Gizzard means to them and to gather their ideas and anecdotes about the band. This lead to some pretty great stories from all around the world  notably even Iran.





Adam  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Im Adam from good old philthy Philadelphia. I first heard King Gizzard while working at a local radio station. We had just gotten Oddments and were putting it in our computer. I listened to Alluda Majaka and kind of went running for the hills; I dont think my brain was quite ready for that (for the record I REALLY love that song now).

Later that year though I saw the music video for Cellophane and thought it was the greatest thing ever. Since then Ive been on and endless descent into the world of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. I first saw them was at a venue called Underground Arts right after they released Quarters. We took A LOT of acid. My friend convinced me that Ambrose and Stu were controlling our brains with their instruments and soon enough I started hearing the guitar part in Am I In Heaven? saying Black Metal over and over again. All of this made tonnes of sense at the time. I lost my glasses and couldnt see for a while but I didnt even care.

The Philly venue was the show where I first heard Robot Stop and Evil Death Roll which made my anticipation of Nonagon Infinity unbearable. Speaking of Nonagon Infinity Id say thats probably my favourite album (though thats really hard to decide). Its just so electric and energetic. Classic Gizzard if such a thing exists.

To me King Gizzard represents a spirit of creativity and experimentation that more artists shouldnt be afraid to embrace. They are a huge influence on me and my friends artistically and musically. I dont really think Ive ever felt this passionate about someones music before. I hope they never change (meaning I hope they continue to always change). The night before Outlaws & Losers contacted me I had dream that I was talking to Eric and asked him to re-release Eyes Like the Sky on vinyl. He said sure.

Ashkan  Tehran, Iran

I am from Iran and I live in Tehran. It was 2 years ago that I watched Cellophane on youtube. I was watching a live from Tame Impala and I saw a weird name on the right in suggested videos.

I travelled all the way to Amsterdam to see them and it was one of my best experiences, they were unbelievable. They also performed some of their new tracks from Nonagon Infinity which were awesome. I really like all of their records but if I have too choose, its Im In Your Mind Fuzz. I cant get enough of it, it keeps getting better with each listen.

Brandon Turbo Fan  San Francisco, California, USA

I first heard about Gizzy at a DMT party. I was sharing my interests in music those days (Ty Segall I think) and my pal Dominic suggested I give Im In Your Mind Fuzz a listen. So I stored that odd, yet fully intriguing name in my phone.

Weeks later, bored with what I was listening to at the time, I dug up that name and played the first track from Mind Fuzz, I was fucked. The only way I can describe what I felt listening to those first four tracks is, this is the music Ive been wanting to hear all my life. The perfect amount of everything to keep my body thrashing like Ive got a bee on me, or swaying like fronds in the wind.

Needless to say Ive been all in since that moment, album after album my bones are collected and held by these guys with every vibration. So, I ended up getting a tattoo of the band from one of their US tour flyers, the Masters of the Universe one. A real nice half sleeve to do honour over these guys for giving me every bit of what my mind needs. Party hard boys.

Chelsea  Avalon, NSW, Australia

I enticed one of my gal pals to join me for a night of bands and booze at Sydneys Oxford Art Factory in September 2011. We were room hopping during a lull in the sets and found ourselves crammed into the Gallery Bar, shins snug against the small stage in the corner.

We had no idea what was on next just that a shit load of boys were on this tiny stage. Out came a loud mess of sound. I found a tune amongst a heap of fuzzy lo-fi greatness and looking at the stage, all I saw was hair. It was loud and it had a flow that I had never ever experienced in such a style. My mate and I shared looks of What the fuck is going on!? and Who are these fucking guys?! and Why does the chick behind us keep touching my butt!?. I was sweaty and seriously happy. I asked a guy behind the bar if they knew what the band that just played name was. I wasnt sure if I had heard him correctly when I repeated King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard?.

I work with children, and my kids like it when I sing Vegemite whilst prepping their afternoon tea of vegemite and corn thins, but instead of singing Strong as Hell I say Strong as Hulk and black as night. I could rattle off memories about every Gizz album, but their first EP Anglesea is just something special to me. My family think I am an actual loon with my music. When I talk about Gizz and tears fill my eyes they look at each other like youre adopted.

Never has Gizz let me down in any live shows. One of my favourite aspects that made their live shows greater was the addition of a second drum kit. The fuller beat and bangs, blast my heart and it is so visually entrancing watching two drummers in fucking unison. I feel sentimental, excited, psyched, weird, dyslexic and exponentially happier than happy when King Gizzard is mentioned which is why they are my favourite band. Pull my finger and punch my face!

Holly  Glasgow, Scotland

I first heard of King Gizzard from the 2014 Austin Psych Fest Line up. I was checking them out and the minute I heard Head On/Pill I knew Id found my new favourite band  I was totally floored.

I dont know if its because it was the first I heard, but Float Along  Fill Your Lungs has always stood out as my favourite album. I love how each album is different from the previous, I love the garage sounds of Willoughbys Beach and Paper Mache Dream Balloon blew my mind too. Ive been streaming Nonagon Infinity on a loop since last week, its unreal, the word genius is banded about quite freely, but I honestly think they deserve it.

I saw them in Austin, and they played a short set in Glasgow, but theyve never come back to Scotland since. Ive travelled to London and Berlin to see them  but I want them to come back to Scotland  they didnt really get the real Scottish experience that night. I think King gizzard really embody everything that is great and exciting about music again. For such a long time I was really uninspired, listening to only 60s and 70s music for a decade, nothing that was happening really spoke to me until King Gizzard.

Always pushing boundaries and evolving, an unbelievable work ethic, and I love that they release their own stuff and support their peers. I always buy the Flightless releases, which means standing outside clubs and gigs to get the pre-sales because of the time difference. After discovering The Murlocs and The Babe Rainbow via Flightless, its a label Ill always want to support.

Thomas  Utrecht, The Netherlands

Greetings from the Netherlands! Ive been a big big Gizzard fan since 2014, when I first saw that name popping up. It was such a weird name, it had to be something special. I was immediately hooked on Im In Your Mind Fuzz. After that I was a fan and looking for more music from them.

Because every record is so different, I really cant say whats my favourite (I really love them all.) If I need to choose one I would pick the double LP Float Along Fill Your Lungs/ Oddments because then I can pick 2! At the beginning of this year I saw them live in my hometown and it was just what I expected (even more!). Just to see them performing all different tracks and new songs from Nonagon Infinity, was a dream come true!

I have all their records except 12 Bar Bruise, its very hard to find them for a reasonable price, so if anyone has one, youd make me very happy. All of their albums are hard to find here in The Netherlands, because most of them are limited. But I suppose it makes them more special!

Jason  Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

I first heard of King Gizzard in late 2013. I was attending a Black Angels concert and was in a discussion with a few guys about great band names. Someone threw out Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats and it was winning until this guy comes over and says Have you heard King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard yet? Hands down this won the night as best band name.

I haunted Discogs religiously until I was able to uncover someone willing to sell me an LP. As a vinyl collector, when I find a band I like, I need to own their LPs, preferably from the country they call home, I gotta have the Flightless pressing if possible! Some poor fool decided to part ways with 12 Bar Bruise (his loss, my gain) and that was it. I was hooked! I Over the last 3 years I have caught these guys 3 times in Toronto.

My favourite show was at The Garrison where I got to meet most of the band, theyre pretty cool dudes offstage as well. I met someone from the UK through Twitter back in 2014 who agreed to grab me the hard-to-get Heavenly 12 of Head On / Pill during Record Store Day, and weve continued to do this, King gizzard brings people together internationally! My biggest regret  if only I had figured out the proper time difference when Flightless had put up copies of Eyes Like The Sky in their Garage Sale last year. That one still hurts. Looking forward to some non stop Nonagon Infinity in my near future, and to all the other fans: Float Along Fill Your Lungs!

Jeff  Cincinatti, Ohio, USA

I first heard of them a couple of months ago while surfing Reddit and thought their name was a wild ride. I had just started branching out into different genres of music and their sound was like nothing Id ever heard before.

I was hooked after listening to Im In Your Mind Fuzz. My favourite album so far is definitely Nonagon Infinity. For me, the band marks the beginning of me finding so many different kinds of music that I enjoy now. Kind of the vanguard of great music for me at this point in my life.

Luke  Melbourne, Vic, Australia

I first heard King Gizzard a few years back on the radio, their high energy psychedelic jams stood out for me, especially hearing Hot Wax! that song is still being hummed and constantly on rotation in my head!

My favourite album would be Im In Your Mind Fuzz, a great mix of heavy and slow jams and an epic journey from start to finish. I first saw King Gizzard at Roskilde Festival in Denmark only last year, and in Melbourne since.

Every album has a new sound and they always keep you guessing. Collecting their vinyl is an addiction (Im sure many people can relate). Having two or three variants of the same record is normal right? Once I have at least one of every record I will have achieved life!

Jared  Albury, NSW, Australia

I first heard King Gizzard via Hot Wax. I thought the song was pretty out there, and right up my alley. Its hard to go past Im In Your Mind Fuzz as a favourite record, but whats great about them is how each record stands on its own. They are all favourites depending on what Im in the mood for.

I saw them at Gizzfest at the Corner hotel. For me, they mean a return to bands being about the fans and the music, especially because they release so much. I love that King Gizz keeps you on your toes with not only mind melting music but also not knowing what theyre going to do next.

As far as we all know, they could release a brand new R&B album two days after Nonagon Infinity on rainbow coloured vinyl and follow it up with an EP that afternoon. The only thing predictable about them is that their music will always be quality. Its never let me down.

Sean  Wichita Falls, Texas, USA

I actually heard of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard from the Outlaws & Losers Instagram when you posted a clip of the Gamma Knife music video. I was really surprised, I had heard of King Gizzard before but I never bothered checking them out.

After watching Gamma Knife I immediately started listening to all of their music and sharing it with my friends and coworkers. Its hard to say what my favourite King Gizz record is because they are all so fantastic and different. I would probably have to say Im in Your Mind Fuzz or Quarters, when I show my friends the band Ill usually bring out Float Along.

My girlfriend is just as crazy about the band now as I am. I think bands as prolific and creative as King Gizzard are hard to come by and often fizzle out before gaining the recognition that they deserve (Bands like The Mars Volta come to mind), so I usually will play a lot of King Gizz, Crepes, The Babe Rainbow, etc. at work. Its important to share music, especially of this quality with people who may not ever hear of crazy stuff like that.

Cris  Houston, Texas, USA

Toward the end of 2014 I was going down a stoner rock rabbit hole on Youtube when I came across the Cellophane in 3D video. Life changed forever. For me, my favourite record is whatever their latest opus is, so Nonagon Infinity opens all the doors for me right now.

I saw them at Sidewinder in Austin Texas last September  the show was everything I expected and more. The level of pure King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard energy, the selection of songs they played, and I got to meet the band twice, such nice guys.

King Gizzard are the band I love to love. They fucking rule! They remind me of my favourite bands growing up but they are much more accessible. My first concert was a Grateful Dead show back in 1992. I have seen some big and small acts in my time, but my favourite live music experience to date was King Gizzard.

Charlie  Manchester, England

I first heard of King Gizz when I was listening to The Wytches and they were the first related band. I Checked them out and was extremely impressed with the intricate layering on their songs and how well they executed a lo-fi psych sound.

My favourite King Gizz record changes all the time because theyre all brilliant, but Im really into Paper Mache Dream Balloon at the moment. I love how its all acoustic and theyve really put out some killer melodies on the record, especially on Cold Cadaver and Trapdoor.

I havent seen them live yet, but I have tickets booked to see them play with The Wytches in September at The O2 Ritz in Manchester. King Gizz are an extremely influential band for me in terms of songwriting and live performance. Theyre one of those bands where you can really paint a picture in your head when you listen to them.

I was living in Manly Beach, NSW Australia from October to December 2015 and Float Along  Fill Your Lungs is an album that I had on repeat whilst I stayed there. For me, it represents the emotions I was feeling when I lived there. I listened to all of Nonagon Infinity via a stream a couple days ago and its incredible. I shall be purchasing it on Vinyl from their merch table when I see them in September!

Nathan  Sheffield, England

I first heard King Gizzard when I found them from similar artists suggestions on Spotify via to Ty Segall. I listened to Hot Wax first and was blown away. My favourite is Quarters, its a great idea for a record and came out sounding incredible.

I havent seen them live yet but will hopefully be seeing them in Manchester this September. Their music means something to me as they always experiment with each record, its great to know I live in a time where such amazing musical experimentation still exists.

This piece was originally published on www.outlawsandlosers.com.
For most of us, when we have a crazy, harebrained idea, we entertain it for a few minutes, have a quiet giggle to ourselves, and put it to bed. When Philadelphia Grand Jury have one, they actually attempt it.

Whether theyre launching their debut album by playing shows around Sydney on the back of a track, recording in an unfinished business site, or hosting a listening party for their second album on a bus, the Philly Jays are doers.

For their next trick, the band will be embarking on a national concept tour which will see them taking their world-renowned crowd interaction chops to the next level in intimate venues around the country.

This May and June, the Philly Jays will be turning beloved venues into makeshift karaoke bars, inviting fans to get up on stage to join the band in singing their favourite Philly Jays songs and a few karaoke classics as well.

Philadelphia Grand Jury National Tour Dates

Friday, 27th May 2016

The Brightside, Brisbane

Tickets: Oztix

Friday, 3rd June 2016

Transit Bar, Canberra

Tickets: Moshtix

Saturday, 4th June 2016

Jimmys Den, Perth

Tickets: Ticketbooth

Friday, 10th June 2016

Brighton Up Bar, Sydney

Tickets: Brighton Up Bar

Saturday, 11th June 2016

Yah Yahs, Melbourne

Tickets: Yah Yahs
Here's an interesting tidbit which reveals that horrible Kansas City area political judgement crosses demographic lines.Check it:Kudos to KMBC Journalistwho confronts silly Steve Dennis supporters with the filthy facts of this case and reveals their clueless nature.This one is important if only because so-called political experts would like to believe that wrongheaded allegiance to shamed politicos is something that only exists in the urban core among minorities. This story is a stark reminder that even middle-class white people would rather stand out in the cold and look stupid than simply admit that they made a mistake and their political judgement was in error.
Here's the best overview:

From Kansas City's Favorite Political Son:

The latest:

Whist most of Kansas City is concerned with all things Trump related tonight . . .. . . Let's take a quick pause consider voting on the ground level.It seems that proper documentation is soon to become a big issue for Missouri voters.Take a look . . .Meanwhile . . .Now,from people who never cared about digital rights to begin with as future seems to hold a great many ID confirmations with very little respect for rights, privacy and, not-so-surprisingly, none of the security that was promised.Developing . . .
Simple: The Westside Cinco De Mayo Celebration has a far greater cultural and economic impact on this town than the struggling efforts on 18th and Vine which have been subsidized with more than $100 MILLION of taxpayer cash.

Westside Vs. East Side

Today we pretend to celebrate thewherein Mexicans joined the litany of nations to beat up on the French. But the reality is that this boozy, taco party isn't about history but still holds a valuable lesson for Kansas City.In a few moments a lunch time crowd will inundate Kansas City's Westside and the drinking and partying won't stop until later tonight. Kansas City denizens don't need much of an excuse to stuff their faces and drink themselves stupid but Cinco De Mayo rituals offer a convenient way to add a bit of spice typical American decadence.Sure, Northeast and KCK have their fare share of far more authentic foodie offerings but Cinco De Mayo is aholiday that actually has its roots among Latino Kansas City college students who were part of a nationwide trend to develop an Americanized celebration that's more fun than the often militaristic and dour Mexican Independence Day . . .And so, Kansas City's Cinco De Mayo Festivities have often ranked among the most bustling in the nation and even the P&L District will attempt to get in on the party tonight . . . Still most of the focus will be on this town's oldest Latino neighborhood . . . And just about every restaurant on the Boulevard will be packed with patrons mistaking cheezy Tex-Mex fare with cultural diversity . . .So what's the lesson to learn here???Like it or not, residents who know their history realize that even the Crossroads building boom was leveraged on successful biz created and maintained on the Westside.It seems that the only current dilemma is latecomers and rampant gentrification ruining something uniquely created in Kansas City by small biz and dedicated residents and community activists more than a generation ago.Now, City Hall hopes to spark the same kind of development East of the Crossroads without much grass roots cooperation and with the help ofthat was never made available to the Westside small biz owners.The plan is for $27 million more to spark a district that most of Kansas City has consistently ignored.And while we hope this time around the 3rd District efforts will be more productive than previous attempts . . . Again, the lesson here is that City Hall subsidy has very little to do with success.Also, fewer instances of rampant gunfire were probably helpful in the process.. . . Let's not ignore more controversial aspect of the secret to Kansas City Westside winning . . .While this still mostly Latino enclave didn't get much City Hall help . . . Neighborhoods and merchants were also free from immigration crackdowns.Like it or not, cheapillegal labor was one of many factors that helped to create one of the most vibrant parts of Kansas City . . .And so . . . We hope mayor Sly enjoys this midday Kansas City Westside lesson with his tacos and realizes that the strong arm of government is rarely the solution to many problems or the spark that helps to build communities.You decide . . .
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Dur Hospitality will be developing the first Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott properties in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, following the signing of a franchise agreement with Marriott International during the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference which was held in Dubai, UAE, last month (April 26 to 28).



The SR87 million ($23.1 million) project, which will be developed on a 7,647-sq-m area, will be Marriott Internationals first franchise agreement in the kingdom.



Dr Badr Al Badr, CEO Dur Hospitality, said: We value our relationship with Marriott International and constantly seek opportunities to take it to the next level and this comes in line with our fruitful strategy that recognises the importance of building strategic partnerships with international hotel operators.



Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East & Africa, for Marriott International, said: We are extremely proud to build on our long-standing partnership with Dur Hospitality in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia is one of our key markets both for existing hotels as well as a very strong pipeline of more properties to come in more parts of the kingdom over the next five years. We hope that under this agreement we will work on other cities and sites around the kingdom. Our being here for all these years is due to the continuous support we have received from our partners Dur Hospitality, and the Saudi Arabian government. - TradeArabia News Service
Iran Aluminum Company (Iralco) and China-based CREC Investment have signed an agreement for a joint venture investment worth around $2 billion.



The contract was signed by Iralcos managing director Majid Pourattar and CREC Investments international relations director China Hu Hai, added the Iran Daily News report.



Pourattar said that the joint venture investment will activate the second site of Iralco in Kheirabad Industrial Township, Markazi Province.



He added that the site is located near the international airport and the nationwide railway and Kheirabad Industrial Town, and in due time will turn to a special economic zone.


Etihad Airways flight EY474 from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta on May 4, operated by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft, encountered severe and unexpected turbulence about 45 minutes prior to arrival at Soekarno Hatta International Airport.



A total of 31 passengers and crew were injured. Twenty two have been released from the airport clinic after being treated by paramedics for minor injuries. Nine other passengers and a crew member were taken to a local hospital, the airline said in a statement.



As a result, flight EY475 from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi on May 4 has been cancelled.

Etihad Airways has sent a support team from its home base in Abu Dhabi, and is assisting passengers scheduled to travel on this flight, by rebooking them on alternate flights or providing hotel accommodation, the airline said.


The Qatar Investment Authority is in talks to buy St. Regis hotels in New York and San Francisco from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, a report has unveiled.



According to a report in Bloomberg, sources close to the matter revealed that the properties, which could be valued at $1 billion, could sell for less.



The properties in question are The St. Regis New York, a Beaux Arts landmark on 55th Street off Fifth Avenue, which has 238 rooms and The St Regis San Fransisco, which has 260 rooms.



The negotiations come at a time when the hospitality group is looking to sell its remaining real estate as it prepares to be acquired by Marriott International next quarter, the report said.



The Qatar Investment Authority, the countrys sovereign-wealth fund, was set up in 2005, with a real estate division established in 2009. It has invested about $38 billion in property around the world, with $21.7 billion in office transactions and $7.5 billion for hotels, including the 2014 purchase of the St. Regis Rome, according to Real Capital Analytics.


Established digital publishing company Realview Digital announces the highly anticipated release of PARTICA, a solution which allows travel and tourism operators to deliver their brochures and visitor guides via SMS, straight into the hands of travelers.



(TRAVPR.COM) AUSTRALIA - May 5th, 2016 - By Kiara Codemo

Sydney, NSWEstablished digital publishing company Realview Digital announces the highly anticipated release of PARTICA, a solution which allows travel and tourism operators to deliver their brochures and visitor guides via SMS, straight into the hands of travelers.

The drastic shift of digital behavior over recent years has seen a huge increase in mobile content and media consumption, with eMarketer predicting that this year, 73% of Americans who research their travel options digitally will do so using a mobile device. It is this trend that is sparking travel and tourism operators to rethink how best to engage readers on their mobile device. Many are moving away from flipbook solutions for their guides and are seeking out effective and lucrative new avenues to engage directly with the mobile market.

Created specifically with the marketing challenges of travel and tourism operators in mind, PARTICA transforms print brochures and guides into reflowable, responsive HTML5 content, enabling mobile interactive features such as two-way SMS, tap-to-call, tap-to-book, tap-for-directions, video and zoomable maps, to help travel operators strengthen their content marketing and audience development strategies for mobile.

With an unprecedented open rate of 99%, SMS content delivery is undoubtedly driving the mobile marketing revolution for the travel and tourism industry, says Realview CEO Richard Lindley in response to the success of PARTICAs limited prerelease. Publishers are already witnessing a substantial increase in reader pick-up rates and discoverability of their digital guides, brochures, and magazines since employing the use of the PARTICA mobile-first solution. All travelers need to do is text a keyword that we advertise on a billboard, on the train, in a visitor information centre, or in the airport arrival zone, and they will be immediately delivered the latest HTML5 version of their guide to their phone, says Tom Raggatt, CEO of HWR Media and Communications, who has been trialing the technology with Realview. "With PARTICAs easy SMS delivery system, readers are no longer burdened with needing to scour the app stores for our content, we deliver the content straight to them as soon as they request it."

Two-way SMS and sponsored SMS opportunities are also opening the door for travel operators to generate new streams of revenue by offering advertiser incentives that many other operators have been slow to embrace. The rise in printing and distribution costs for brochures and guides are a keen motivator for many travel operators to adopt a mobile-first publishing strategy, with Raggatt citing that their move mobile will help them see greater return, for less.

While still early days into the launch of PARTICA, Realview is already seeing a following of Travel and Tourism publishers who are embracing the platform. HWR Media & Communications have been working closely with Realview to ensure the needs are met of not only travel operators but tourism marketing associations, advertisers and the many stakeholders involved in tourism. Tom Raggatt, CEO of HWR said, "we have had a great relationship with Realview and really wanted to extend the current print and digital platform into an accessible mobile form that would complement the print product benefiting all stakeholders, from the smaller micro tourism business, that has a limited budget and limited knowledge of where they should invest their marketing dollars and why. It's groundbreaking stuff, it really is.

To receive a sample guide on your mobile, SMS the keyword DUESOUTH to one of the following numbers: UK +447507332044; AU +61475111222; USA: +16469305212

Travel operators can find out more information about PARTICA by visiting Realviews newly launched sister site http://www.mobiletravelpublishing.com

ABOUT Realview Digital

Realview Digital creates dynamic mobile-first publishing and content marketing solutions with clear revenue opportunities for content creators. With a business model built on progress and a 17-year history of technological innovation, Realview Digital is the publishers choice for digital strategy and service.

The Australian company currently works with an established international client base of diverse publishers including The New Yorker, National Geographic, Flight Centre, Virgin Australia, and the Sydney Film Festival.

CONTACT

Australia

Richard Bunting, Director

+ 61 424 138 806; richard@buntingmedia.com.au

USA

Alexis Fedor, Business Development Manager

+ 1 646 382 3911; alexis@realviewdigital.com

UK

+ 44 1132 591863; gary@realviewdigital.co.uk

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New Delhi, May 5

Bharti Airtel Africa today said it will sell 950 mobile towers in the Congo to telecom infrastructure company Helios Towers Africa but did not disclose the deal size.

The agreement is in line with our stated philosophy of divesting passive infrastructure and promoting sharing of towers to enhance operational efficiencies. Airtel remains committed to DRC and will continue to invest in its operations, Bharti Airtel International Netherlands BV (BAIN) executive chairman Christian De Faria said. The divestment under the pact between the two companies also includes towers currently under construction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. PTI
M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 5

Back in the Kashmir valley after a gap of 25 years, veteran film and television actor Alok Nath completed a five-day shooting schedule for Sargoshiyan on Wednesday.

Produced by Imran Khan, the movie is being shot extensively in the Valley and has a cast of well-known actors like Farida Jalal, Tom Alter, Shahbaz Khan and Sara Afreen Khan of Total Siyappa fame.

I am back to shoot in Kashmir after more than two and a half decades. I last shot here for J Om Prakashs Agnee. I am going back with a heavy heart after staying here for five days. I hope to come back soon, Nath told reporters here.

The crew of Sargoshiyan was the first to come here after then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed invited several Bollywood bigwigs in Mumbai for the promotion of Kashmir tourism last year.

Nath said they had completed shooting for the movie without any problem and found that the situation in Kashmir was the opposite of what was being portrayed in the media.

He shared his past experience of his visit to the Valley more than 25 years ago, especially having wazwaan (traditional Kashmiri food served during weddings) at Zaindar Mohalla in old Srinagar.

On actor Anupam Khers recent comments regarding issues in the Valley, Nath said, These are his personal views. I feel an actor should not take part in politics and stay in ones territory.

Imran said the crew was busy with the last schedule of the movie at Tangmarg in north Kashmir at present. He said they were mulling a movie in the Kashmiri language with local actors.

Sara said she was extremely happy to be in the Switzerland of India and had found Kashmir truly amazing and fascinating.
Dinhata (West Bengal), May 5

Doddering and frail but nevertheless beaming with pride, 103-year-old former enclave dweller Mohammed Ajgar Ali cast his maiden vote in the sixth and final phase of the West Bengal elections on Thursday.

Ali is one of the 9,776 newly registered electors from the erstwhile enclaves in Cooch Behar district.

Video: 103-year-old voter casts his vote for the first time

Accompanied by his son, grandson and other family members, Ali was brought in a special vehicle provided by the Election Commission which literally rolled out the red carpet for these voters.

Ali is from Madhya and Uttar Mashaldanga (now in Dinhata assembly seat), a former Bangladeshi enclave that became part of India on August 1, 2015 following the implementation of the historic Land Boundary Agreement in which Bangladesh and India exchanged 162 adversely-held enclaves.

"I feel proud that I am voting with my grandfather and father. We have been waiting in anticipation for a long time for this day," Joynal Abedin, Ali's grandson, told mediapersons.

Leaning heavily on his walking stick, Ali slowly made his way to the booth and was helped by a designated official to operate the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). A look of consternation passed over Ali's crinkled visage while he went through with the unfamiliar process.

As he sat down on the floor momentarily, tense eyes darted to the centenarian. However, aided by officials he was up on his feet and flashed a victory symbol accentuated with a toothless smile.

Similarly, taking the huge leap in the same assembly seat were 103-year-old Haseem Ali Khandakar from the former Dakshin Mashaldanga and Kachua enclaves and Khatemon Bewa of erstwhile Purba and Dakshin Mashaldanga enclaves, said Ayesha Rani, additional district magistrate of Cooch Behar.

"It took us a lot of time to enable them to learn about how things work but it is proving to be a success," Rani told IANS.

A total of 9,776 former enclave dwellers, including 567 who have opted for India from the former Indian enclaves  now part of Bangladesh  are registered as electors.

They are spread across five constituencies  Dinhata (5,486 voters), Mekhliganj (988), Sitai (1,396), Sitalkuchi (1,898) and Tufanganj (8).

Following the implementation of the historic Land Boundary Agreement, Bangladesh and India exchanged 162 adversely-held enclaves on August 1, 2015.  IANS
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 4

Three persons with alleged allegiance to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were arrested here on Tuesday night for planning terror strikes in different parts of the National Capital.

The Delhi Police Special Cell said it had unearthed a JeM module with the arrest of Sajid, a resident of Chand Bagh in Delhi, Sameer Ahmad alias Sonu from Loni in Ghaziabad, and Shakir Ansari from Deoband in Uttar Pradesh. A local court today remanded them in police custody for 10 days.

At least 10 other persons have been detained in connection with the module.

During their preliminary interrogation, the trio has pledged allegiance to JeM. They had planned to use the IEDs recovered from their possession for explosions at sensitive locations in Delhi and NCR. They have disclosed several backward and forward linkages, which are being worked upon, said Arvind Deep, Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 5

The erstwhile promoters of Ranbaxy Laboratories, Malvinder and Shivinder Singh, have been asked by an arbitration tribunal in Singapore to pay damages of Rs 2,562.78 crore to Daiichi for concealing and misrepresenting information during their stake sale to the Japanese firm.

The Singh brothers, who own Fortis Healthcare, had sold their entire stake of about 35 per cent in Ranbaxy for $2.4 billion in 2008 to Daiichi Sankyo, which was one of the biggest-ever transactions in India Inc at that time.

However, in 2013, the Japanese pharmaceutical major filed an arbitration case in Singapore, accusing the Singh brothers of concealing and misrepresenting facts after Ranbaxy had to pay $500 million to the US Department of Justice as settlement for misrepresenting facts.

After buying out the erstwhile promoters, Daiichi spent around Rs 22,000 crore to gain a majority stake in Ranbaxy. Later, the Japanese firm exited Ranbaxy following a $4.2 billion merger deal between Sun Pharma and Ranbaxy. In a statement, the sellers of shares of erstwhile Ranbaxy Laboratories, which includes RHC Holding and Oscar Investments as a party, said the arbitration tribunal has issued an award.

The arbitration tribunal has issued an award by a majority of 2:1 in favour of the claimant for damages of an amount of Rs 2,562.78 crore, RHC Holding Pvt Ltd said in a statement.

RHC Holding Pvt Ltd is among the sellers of shares of erstwhile Ranbaxy Laboratories along with Oscar Investments, which have been named as respondents in the arbitration suit by the claimant, Daiichi Sankyo.

The statement said the law governing the dispute was Indian Law by a majority of 2:1 in favour of the claimant (with Justice AM Ahmadi, former Chief Justice of India, giving a dissenting opinion dismissing all claims of the claimant) for damages of an amount of Rs 2562.78 crore.

The statement said the damages include quantified interest, costs and expenses of the arbitration till the date of award and interest on above until date of payment, against all respondents jointly and severally.
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 5

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) today stepped into the AgustaWestland probe and confirmed that it has asked eight Indian missions abroad to ask the countries concerned to speed up executing Letters Rogatory (LR). Ministry officials confirmed that they took this step following a request by the CBI.

The eight countries to which the LRs have been sent are Italy, Tunisia, Mauritius, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, Britain, United Arab Emirates and Switzerland.

Yes, I can confirm that we have received a communication in this regard from the CBI seeking an update on the execution reports of the Letters Rogatory that were sent earlier to eight countries.

We have once again written to our missions in the countries concerned from where the execution reports are pending in order to impress upon them the need to expeditiously execute the LRs and to send the corresponding execution reports at the earliest, official spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs Vikas Swarup said.

A few days ago, the CBI wrote a letter to the MEA on expediting execution of the LRs, which are judicial requests to foreign countries for legal assistance in criminal cases. When asked if the UK has responded to Indias request for extradition of Vijay Mallya yet, Swarup replied in the negative.
New Delhi, May 4

There is absolutely no truth or scientific basis that radiation from mobile towers and handsets has adverse impact on humans and other living beings, Telecom Minister Ravishankar Prasad said today.

There are rumours that people will suffer from cancer and other diseases. It is completely baseless and unfounded. There is no impact on humans. There is no empirical evidence of any danger to human life because of all this. Even the World Health Organisation, after 30 years of studies, has revealed there are no such threats, he said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour.

Prasad said six High Courts in the country, in separate rulings, have made it clear there is no radiation from mobile towers that impact human health.

World over there is no impact. But I want to ask why are such issues raised in India alone? No one has raised such issues in the US, the UK, China or Korea where mobile towers are installed in large numbers.

If there is no mobile tower, there will be more call drops. Can we afford to do that? Can we live without mobile phones? If you want that not to happen, please allow mobile towers to come up in your areas, he said, adding let us be pragmatic. In todays world, can we do without a mobile phone?

The minister said if people had apprehensions about radiation, it could come while undergoing X-ray or when people were subjected to screening by metal detectors.  PTI
New Delhi, May 5

Tax notices have gone to all those whose names have been revealed in the Panama Paper leaks, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

He was replying to a debate on Finance Bill, 2016.

Notwithstanding global recession, India's economic situation is by far the best in the world and the country has the potential to do even better, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

"Vishwa ke tulna mein hum sab se aage haen (In comparison to the rest of the world, we are far ahead)," Jaitley said in reply to the debate on the Finance Bill.

India has the potential to do much better than its current economic performance, he said.

While the world continues its assessment of the factors responsible for the on-going global recession and "how long it will continue further," it ought to be kept in mind that during such financial crises, the banks also suffer, the minister said.

This is aggravated further with bad loans and non-performing assets (NPAs), he said.

"I would not like to go on a blame game on this. But, we cannot solve the problem of NPAs by hiding it," Jaitley said and maintained that the government is taking steps to bring down the NPA graph in months to come.

Referring to the queries raised by members during the debate on the Finance Bill, 2016, on Wednesday, the minister said steps are always being taken to help the indigenous companies and rationalise corporate taxes.

Responding to criticism that government's steps have often been against people-oriented schemes, Jaitley said: "In all the three budgets this government presented, we tried to ensure that small tax payers have more money in their hands."

He also said non-performing assets in banks were a matter of great concern.

Hiding NPAs will not resolve the problem; they should be reflected in balance sheets and addressed through capitalisation, Jaitley said.

He also said the central government would not go back on its decision to levy one per cent excise duty on gold.  IANS
Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 5

Fighting a battle, both in the High Court and the Supreme Court against their disqualification by Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal, the nine Congress MLAs have been served another blow as their MLALAD funds for the new financial year have been withheld.

The Department of Rural Development has released Rs 1 crore, the first installment of the MLA Local Area Development (MLALAD) funds for 2016 for 62 MLAs. After the disqualification of the nine MLAs, the 71-member Uttarakhand Assembly has been reduced to 62 members.

The MLAs receive Rs 2.75 crore every year, in two installments.

The third Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly will complete its full five year-term in 2016, after which elections are due in 2017. Almost at the fag end of their tenure, the MLAS usually put the allocated funds into maximum use in order to reap benefits in the elections.

But, for the nine MLAs, the disqualification and withholding of funds could not have come at a worse time.

This is the time to utilise the funds, before the state gets into an election mode and the model code of conduct comes in the way. Out of the nine MLAS, the ones who have been easy on money and have taken up development works in their constituencies from day one would be better served. While those who tend to allow the funds lie idle with the hope that these would be utilised in the last year of their tenure should be a worried lot, said Mohan Singh Gaonwasi, a former MLA.

The nine MLAs, barring Umesh Sharma, who was elected from Raipur Assembly segment, most of them have spent only meager sums from their MLALAD funds.

As the Uttarakhand Assembly is suspended, the MLAs continue to receive their salaries, perks and also the MLALAD funds. However, soon after the nine MLAs were disqualified, the Speaker had dispatched the information to the Election Commission and the departments concerned.

As the disqualification issue is under judicial review, so far, the Election Commission has not declared the nine seats vacant.
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, May 5

Four youths from Tehri Garhwal district are reportedly trapped in a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The hotel owner has confiscated their passports and other documents. They have also not being paid salary for the past seven months.

The four youths, Uttam Singh from Gadoliya village, Umarao Singh Rawat from Khaliyan Bangar village, Nathi Singh from Magroon village and Vishwanath Pratap Singh from Syalsi village, have taken shelter at the Indian Embassy. They have sent a video to Rajeshwar Painuli, chief coordinator of the Dobra Chanti Pul Banao Samiti, depicting their distressed condition.

The four youths said they had reached Malaysia together in 2014 through an agent in Delhi. They had been working in the hotel since then but the hotel owner, after a few months, began harassing them. He even refused to pay them salary.

The hotel owner had confiscated their necessary documents needed to return to India, leaving them stranded in Malaysia. Now, they have requested the Indian Government for help so that they could be brought back safely.

It is worth mentioning that nine youths from Uttarakhand were trapped in a similar situation in Malaysia in August-September. They were brought back to India safely with the help of the Union Government.

Barinderjeet Singh, SP, Tehri Garhwal, said the police had met the family members of the youths and recorded their statements. After verifying their identity, the police had sent a detailed report to the Union Foreign Ministry for swift action in the matter.

The only way to curb such incidents was by creating awareness among youths that the passport and visa papers were the only documents that would help in bringing Indian citizens back home safely. They should avoid depositing these with anyone at any cost, the SP added.
DHAKA, May 5

Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a final appeal from the leader of the top Islamist party against death sentence for atrocities committed during the 1971 war of independence, lawyers said, meaning he could be hanged at any time.

The Supreme Court in January upheld the death penalty for Motiur Rahman Nizami, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, for genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of top intellectuals during the 1971 war.

Nizami, 73, a former legislator and minister under Khaleda Zia when she was prime minister, has been in jail since 2010 when he was charged with war crimes by the tribunal set up by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that year.

The war crimes tribunal has sparked violence and drawn criticism from opposition politicians, including leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, that it is victimising Hasina's political opponents.

No Peace Without Justice, a non-profit organisation based in Italy, has called the tribunal's proceedings "a weapon of politically influenced revenge whose real aim is to target the political opposition".

The government denies the accusations.

East Pakistan broke away to become independent Bangladesh after the war between India and Pakistan. About three million people were killed.

The verdict comes as the Muslim-majority nation has seen a surge in militant violence in which atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers have been killed.

In the last month alone, five people, including a university teacher, two gay activists and a Hindu have been hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants.

The government has blamed the increase in Islamist violence on Jamaat-e-Islami, but the group denies any link to the attacks.

Four opposition politicians, including three Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, have been convicted by the war crimes tribunal and executed since late 2013.  Reuters
Dhaka, May 5

Fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami could be executed anytime after the Bangladesh Supreme Court today rejected a final appeal against his death sentence for war crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War with Pakistan.

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, who headed a four-member Appellate Division bench, pronounced the single-word judgment at the tense courtroom.

"Dismissed," said Sinha, who is the first Hindu to occupy the post in the Muslim-majority country. Officials said the detail order would be issued later.

Nizami, 72, has been convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of top intellectuals during the 1971 independence war. He was given capital punishment in October 2014 after being convicted of "superior responsibility" as the chief of the infamous Al-Badr militia forces in 1971.

The so-called elite militia force is blamed for running a systematic campaign on behalf of Pakistan Army to massacre a large number of top Bengali intelligentsia just ahead of Bangladesh's December 16, 1971 victory.

Nizami was particularly found guilty of systematic killings of more than 450 people alone in his own village home in northwestern Pabna, siding with the Pakistani troops.

Tight security was enforced in and around the court complex ahead of the verdict, though unlike the trial court, the apex court procedures did not require Nizami's presence during the delivery of the judgment.  PTI
Berlin, May 5

A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the bombing of a gurdwara by Islamist militants in the German city of Essen, police said today amid reports that two teenagers had rehearsed for the terror attack by detonating a prototype of their self-made bomb.

A special police unit took the unidentified man into custody at Essen's central railway station yesterday evening on an arrest warrant issued against him by a district court in the city, police said.

A person accompanying him was also detained and kept in custody, it said a statement.

Police gave no further details, but media reports identified the third man arrested as jihadist Tolga I, a 17-year-old jihadist and sympathiser of Islamic State (IS) terror group, from Wesel in the state of North Rhine Westphalia.

Tolga I gave the orders to the two main suspects to carry out the terror attack.

16-year-old secondary school students Mohammed B and Yussuf T were arrested four days after they allegedly detonated a fire extinguisher filled with explosives at the entrance of the Nanaksar Satsang Sabha Gurdwara on April 16.

Meanwhile, media reports said the two teenagers had rehearsed for the attack by detonating a prototype of their self-made bomb.

Police found a video of the trial explosion on a USB drive in the apartment of Mohammed B in Essen, TV channel WDR reported yesterday. Different material for making bombs, including detonator also were recovered.

The video showed the explosion of a bomb in an open area similar to the fire extinguisher filled with explosives they detonated at the entrance of the Nanaksar Satsang Sabha Gurdwara.

Investigators now believe that the blast which ripped through the entrance hall of the gurdwara on the evening of April 16, injuring three persons, one of them seriously, was a meticulously planned operation.

During their interrogation, Mohammed B and his accomplice Yussuf T told the investigators that they carried out the bomb attack "for the fun of making fireworks".

But the Interior Ministry of the state of North Rhine Westphalia confirmed last week that the two 16-year-old secondary school students wanted to detonate the bomb inside the Sikh temple, which hosted a wedding ceremony, but they failed to break in through the entrance door.

The two teenagers are currently in preventive custody.

Tolga I met the two terror suspects in the Assalam Mosque in Essen just hours before they exploded the bomb, ARD TV network reported in its 'Report Muenchen' programme.

He had formed a 12-member WhatsApp group in which the two main suspects are members, the report said.

Tolga I also has links to a group of jihadists in Dinslaken town and to the "Lohberger Brigade", a group of radical Islamists, who have joined the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group as fighters some years ago, it said.

Regional newspaper Westdeutsche Allgeneine Zeitung (WAZ) reported that Tolga I was already detained by police on April 20 on suspicion of involvement in the gurdwara attack, but suspicions against him could not be substantiated and he was set free.

Immediately after the bomb attack, Yussuf T had sent a message to Tolga I via WhatsApp about the operation, the report said.

The newspaper said Tolga I is known to police as an ISIS sympathiser and local authorities have placed a restriction on his travel abroad and impounded his passport because they feared he may join IS in Syria or in Iraq.

Following the arrest of a third terror suspect, Germany's federal prosecutor is expected to take over the investigations into the terror attack from the state prosecutor. Involvement of at least three persons in the attack will make it necessary for the federal prosecutor to intervene.

The strength of the Sikh community members in Germany is estimated around 15,000.  PTI
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Students of trucking history are well aware of Fruehauf trailers, as that Detroit-based company once dominated the industry. They know the story of its origin by August Fruehauf, as recalled last year by his granddaughter, Ruth:

It has been 101 years since Frederick M. Sibley, a Michigan lumber tycoon, walked into August Fruehaufs blacksmith shop in Detroit with a problem. Sibley had an 18-foot boat he needed to haul to his summer cottage. Hed put the boat on a wagon, and he wanted to use his Model T Ford instead of a horse team to pull it. Could that be done?

Fruehauf talked it over with his partner, Otto Neumann, and they came up with a solution: Remove the back-seat portion of the Ts body and install a swivel-type hitch that would support the nose of the trailer. That, according to industrial history, was the worlds first semitrailer (and probably the first truck-tractor).

By the early 1980s, Fruehauf was the biggest trailer builder, with plants around the country making many different type of vehicles. Within a few years it failed, the victim of friction among top managers and a financial attack by an outside investor. Ruth Fruehauf tells that story and many others in her book, Singing Wheels, a history of the company. Thats also the title of a website she set up, www.singingwheels.org.

Shes further maintaining interest in the company with special events, starting with a photo display at a Detroit museum last year. Next month, she's organized a reunion, also in the Motor City. She just sent a notice about it:

Please join us for a weekend series of events commemorating the Fruehauf Trailer Company. We have over 75 out of towners who have already registered to return to Detroit.

A homecoming reunion has been planned marked by a private lunch and tour of the former headquarters on Harper Avenue in Detroit followed by a group dinner at Sindbads Seafood Restaurant on the Detroit River.

Saturday's events are open to anyone who is a Fruehauf Trailer history enthusiast. Please see the attached information for more details. We are hoping to confirm some additional exciting events, like a tour of Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers along with special guest speakers, restored Fruehauf trailers and other excitement."

You can register online at http://www.singingwheels.com/store/c8/EVENTS.html.

I told Ruth that I will try to be there. You might want to also.
Well this sounds downright fascinating: cameras follow a real life UK murder investigation -but the story is structured like a drama.

If you were drawn to Making a Murderer and The Jinx then The Murder Detectives should be right up your alley.

This one is up for a BAFTA Award next week.

Groundbreaking three-part UK series with unprecedented access to a police murder investigation, telling the true story, as a drama, from the perspective of the police and the victim and suspects families.

Filmed over 18 months, and with intimate and unprecedented access to the police major crime team, this dramatic trilogy of films creates a unique, unfolding picture of a real-life murder, weaving together the stories of three different worlds.

It follows the ripples that spread after a 19-year-old is murdered in March 2014, a young life cut short in a senseless stabbing.

Featuring a detective faced with a whodunit, a grieving family desperate for justice and another wholl do anything to save their son from a life behind bars, the series is shot with a drama-like quality  but this is real life with genuine and far-reaching consequences.

Episode 1:

A manhunt is underway after the seemingly motiveless killing of a 19- year-old boy in Bristol. Detectives comb the city in search of their suspect, a black-hooded figure captured on CCTV feeling the crime scene.

The desperate last breaths of victim Nicholas Robinson are heard as he makes a 999 call before collapsing and dying of multiple stab wounds. He was studying at college and had recently got engaged.

The only contact hed ever head with the police was to report his bike stolen 2 years earlier. So who would want to kill him and why? A single black glove dropped at the crime scene could provide the answer.

Tuesday, May 17 at 9.30pm, ABC2.
Upcoming Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall is considering a US-style Writers Room when he succeeds Steven Moffat.

The Writers Guild of Great Britain is open to the approach, which sees various contributors rather than a single vision.

If its what the BBC wants and its what the writers want it then its fine by us, said Bernie Corbett, who was general secretary of the union when the BBC discussed the ideas.

Nobodys against it. Lots of writers would like to try it but you have to get round those practical difficulties. Our job as a Trade Union is not to disrupt things or hold things back if they think it is a good idea.

However Doctor Who has also used writers rooms before due to its output.

A BBC spokesperson said: Its still very early days and no fixed model has been decided upon yet. Chris Chibnall as the new showrunner will write his own episodes and is currently exploring different ways of working with new and established writers on the show.

The Chibnall-led series is expected in 2018.

Source: RadioTimes
Is there a longer-running locally produced show still in reruns, than Skippy The Bush Kangaroo?

Remarkably, as the show reaches 50 Years since it was first produced, it is still on air on Nine if at the overnight time of 3:30am, and 6:30am on GEM.

Thats despite its hokey production values and 43 screen ratio.

Skippy was produced from 1966  1969, with 91 episodes airing from 1968  1970. It went on to become our first international TV hit.

Producer John McCallum first offered the show to Australian Frank Packer, father of Kerry Packer, who bought the show after a brief screening (in fact, one that wasnt even complete due to projectors breaking down).

He paid a one-off fee for the show in perpetuity.

While that deal was fortuitous for the Packers and Nine, it wasnt so good for the cast, who signed on without any thought of payment for something called DVDs that had never been invented. Actor Tony Bonner later failed in a courtcase to win residuals.

TV historian Andrew Mercado told TV Tonight, It is very unfortunate that the actors involved dont get paid residuals but they are in exactly the same boat as the actors from Gilligans Island and The Brady Bunch. Nobody realised back in the 60s that syndication was coming, let along video, DVDs or streaming. The producers of Skippy took an enormous financial risk to make a TV series on film and in colour  and that risk ended up paying off handsomely. But it wasnt a certainty, it was a hugely expensive operation which is why they gave endless syndication rights to Nine in a last ditch bid to cover their massive costs.
ABC3s Nowhere Boys is doing a Skins, refreshing its juvenile cast with a new batch of teens.

5 new principals, including the first Nowhere Girl, are now filming a new season in Melbourne, picking up the storyline where several years later.

The cast includes Kamil Ellis (My Place, Bushwhacked!), William McKenna (Melbourne International Comedy Festival), Jordie Race-Coldrey (Oliver the Musical), Joe Klocek (Barracuda) and Nowhere Girl Luca Sardelis (Barracuda, Sam Fox: Extreme Adventures).

Chris Oliver-Taylor, Managing Director, Matchbox Pictures, said of the new series: Matchbox Pictures is incredibly excited to be able to bring Tony Ayres creation to life for a third series of Nowhere Boys. The franchise is such a huge international hit and with the exciting new cast supported by some of the finest creative talent in the country, we have no doubt that the third series will be just as exciting as series 1 and 2 for our audiences.

Richard Finlayson, Director of Television, ABC, says: Nowhere Boys has gone from strength to strength, capturing the imagination of young Australians and audiences around the world with each series, and picking up a slew of awards on the way. Im thrilled that ABC, along with Matchbox Pictures, is continuing the programs journey with this third instalment.

Directing are Rowan Woods (The Kettering Incident, The Boys), Sian Davies (The Ex-PM, Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries) and Nicholas Verso (Snake Tales, Boys In The Trees). Producer Beth Frey (Next Stop Hollywood, Dr Sarmasts Music School) is joined by series creator and executive producer Tony Ayres (The Slap, Cut Snake, The Home Song Stories) and executive producer Michael McMahon (Next Stop Hollywood, The Slap). Writers include Giula Sandler, David Hannam, Kris Mrksa, Rhys Graham, Jessica Brookman and Marieke Hardy.

It will air later this year.

Season 3 begins when Luke (Kamil), a tech-nerd and Sci-Fi enthusiast, arrives for his first day at Bremin High. At first, everything appears to be tiresomely ordinary, but Luke soon learns nothing in Bremin is as it seems, and very quickly he finds himself thrust together with Heath (Joe), Nicco (Luca), and Jesse (Jordie) into a new Nowhere Boys adventure to save the town.

Series one and two of Nowhere Boys has won an impressive 17 awards since it began, including an International Emmy last month.

Nowhere Boys is produced by Matchbox Pictures and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and financed by Screen Australia, the ABC and Film Victoria. The series is being sold internationally by NBCUniversal.
A small group of Tyndall personnel hosted a Holocaust Remembrance Day event to honor the victims. This event is recognized internationally for the horror that took place in most of continental Europe in World War II.

The day began Wednesday, May 4, in the evening and ended Thursday, May 5, in the evening.

Although the commemoration is recognized May 5 this year, the event took place May 4 to avoid the observance with Cinco de Mayo.

In 2005, the U.N. established Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This marked the day in 1945 that Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated by Soviet troops.

Nazi Germany bombing Poland in an unprovoked attack heralded the beginning of World War II.

According to www.ushmm.org, The United States Congress established the Days of Remembrance as the nations annual commemoration of the Holocaust. Each year, state and local governments, military bases, workplaces, schools, religious organizations, and civic centers host observances and remembrance activities for their communities. These events can occur during the Week of Remembrance, which runs from the Sunday before Holocaust Remembrance Day through the following Sunday.

In the Hebrew language, Yom Hashoah is known as Holocaust Remembrance Day. The day corresponds with the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar which means the day falls on different days of the year within the standard 365 day calendar year.

Various display boards were presented with detailed maps specifying locations of where the Holocaust took place. These boards also described other genocides in places such as Rwanda, Bosnia and Cambodia.

A video was also presented telling the stories of survivors and their experiences.

I thought the Holocaust Remembrance day event was not only memorable, but also very informative, said Senior Airman Joseph Hartsfield, 325th Communications Squadron knowledge management technician. There were things discussed that not only described the magnitude, but the severity of Nazi Germanys actions during the Holocaust.
11:14 a.m., May 5, 2016--Antony Beris, the Arthur B. Metzner Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware, has been elected a fellow of the Society of Rheology.

Fellowship status recognizes a history of distinguished scientific achievement, a significant technological accomplishment and/or outstanding scholarship in the field of rheology. Service to the society is also an important component to fellowship status. The inaugural class of fellows was elected in 2015.

Beris was recognized for more than 30 years of service to the society as well as to the field of rheology in general, including co-organizing the annual meeting in 1994 and 2006, several international workshops in the fields of nonequilibrium thermodynamics and numerical methods of non-Newtonian flows, and numerous sessions in national and international conferences.

In parallel, he has contributed more than 120 refereed papers on rheology and rheology-related issues, including five with more than 140 citations each in topics ranging from viscoplastic to viscoelastic, liquid crystalline flows.

Beris also co-authored, with former graduate student Brian Edwards, currently at University of Tennessee, a seminal research monograph Thermodynamics of Flowing Systems (Oxford U. Press, 1994) that opened new opportunities in the modeling of rheology and transport phenomena within complex materials. In another seminal contribution, his research group was the first to simulate polymer-induced drag reduction in turbulent flow high-performance computations.

Most recently, Beris was awarded the Willem Prins Award from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands in recognition of his previous contributions to the modeling of polymer rheology in 2015.

I would like to acknowledge the late Art Metzner from our department, himself a famous rheologist and great contributor to the Society of Rheology, for all his help and guidance over my UD years; Bob Gore for supporting the Arthur B. Metzner professorship that I have, and my colleague Norman J. Wagner, with whom I am continuing my rheology research in studying thixotropy and blood flow, said Beris.

Article by Diane Kukich
1:49 p.m., May 5, 2016--In conjunction with the Special Collections exhibition A terrible beauty is born: The Easter Rising at 100, the University of Delaware Library will sponsor the showing of two Irish films at noon on Wednesday, May 18, and Friday, May 20, in the Class of 1941 Lecture Room, located on the first floor of the Morris Library.

Screened on May 18 will be One Million Dubliners, a 2014 documentary on Irelands most famous cemetery, Glasnevin, in County Dublin.

Showing May 20 will be Michael Collins, a 1996 historical biopic starring Liam Neeson and Alan Rickman, about the controversial revolutionary who was assassinated during the Irish Civil War in 1922.

The Special Collections exhibition A terrible beauty is born: The Easter Rising at 100 commemorates the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising through an examination of events and attitudes before and after the events of Easter Week 1916, including the Gaelic Revival, the rise of Irish Nationalism, the War of Independence (1917-1921), the Civil War (1922-1923) and Irish literature produced in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland during The Troubles in the latter half of the 20th century.

The Film and Video Department in the Hugh M. Morris Library holds a selection of Irish films on topics relating to Irish history and culture in line with material and themes presented in A terrible beauty is born: The Easter Rising at 100.

The films are available from the Film and Video Collection located on the lower level of the Morris Library for viewing as well.

A terrible beauty is born: The Easter Rising at 100 is on view through June 12 in the Special Collections gallery on the second floor of the Morris Library. A digital version of the exhibition is available online.
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
The militants violated ceasefire in eastern Ukraine 13 times in last day.

This is reported by the ATO Headquarters press center.

"More than half attacks were launched at night. In Donetsk direction, the terrorists again used small arms and grenade launchers to shell Ukrainian strongholds near Avdiyivka [18km north of Donetsk] and Luhanske [59km north-east of Donetsk]," the report reads.

In Mariupol direction, the terrorists used small arms and heavy machine guns to fire at ATO positions outside Hranitne (57km south of Donetsk) and Novotroitske (32km south of Donetsk).

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The Ukrainian army sustained no losses over the past 24 hours in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, although two soldiers were wounded.

Presidential Administration Spokesperson for ATO issues, Colonel Oleksandr Motuzniak, said this at a press briefing on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

No Ukrainian soldier was killed as a result of combat actions in the past twenty-four hours, although two our soldiers were wounded. They were blown up by antipersonnel mines during a search for explosive devices near the village of Slavne of Mriinksy district in Donetsk region. At present doctors are fighting for their lives, Motuzniak said.

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Further cooperation between Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as receiving the next tranche of an IMF loan, is very important as Ukraine needs financial support which will contribute to further reform.

Leszek Balcerowicz, an advisor to the President of Ukraine and the co-chairman of the group of strategic advisors to support reforms in Ukraine, said this at a briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"This [receiving the next IMF tranche] is very important as Ukraine needs reforms and financial support. Financial support depends on the reforms that are vital for Ukraine," he said.

The IMF mission intends to visit Kyiv on May 10-18.

The purpose of the missions trip is continued discussion of the second revision of the cooperation program with the IMF under the EFF agreement.

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Ivan Miklos, the co-chairman of the group of strategic advisors to support reforms in Ukraine, has said that the country needs to carry out privatization, reform of the prosecutor's office and judicial reform.

Miklos has said this at a briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Judicial reform, reform of the prosecutor's office and privatization have not been carried out but definitely should be," Miklos said.

According to him, there are many methods of how to combat corruption  an effective judicial system and prosecutor's office, "but one of the most effective methods of combating corruption is narrowing the space for corruption, i.e. liberalization, deregulation and standardization."

"Over the last two years, almost nothing was done in privatization, so this process needs to be accelerated," Miklos noted.

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The meeting of foreign ministers of the Visegrad Four countries and Eastern Partnership program of the European Union, including Ukraine, ended in the Czech Republic.

During the meeting, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin spoke about the importance of implementation of the free trade area agreement between Ukraine and the EU and on the possibility of granting the visa-free regime for Ukraine this summer.

According to Klimkin, the Visegrad Four countries [Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia] will provide full support for liberalization of the visa regime for Ukrainians.

In addition, these four states plan to develop a special format of relations with the states that have signed the Association Agreement with the EU.

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Moldovan Prosecutor General's Office assisted by officers from the Information and Security Service have detained a 40-year resident of the city Cimislia, southern Moldova, who fought in 2014 on the side of the pro-Russian rebels in Donbas, according to the Ukrinforms own correspondent in the Republic of Moldova.

A representative of the Prosecutor General's Office said the detained man "partially admitted his guilt: he was responsible for securing food and money for the rebels in Donbas."

The Moldova Prosecutors office noted this is the ninth Moldovan national, who was detained for mercenary activities. Five of them were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, and the cases of three others are still being probed.

The Prosecutor's Office and the Information and Security Service assured that their work on similar cases will be continued until all persons, engaged in mercenary activities in the territory of Moldova, will have been identified.

tl
Residents of the Ternopil region have donated almost two thousand books to support the all-Ukrainian action "Library of Ukrainian serviceman" and "the Ukrainian Donbas", head of the regional department of culture Hryhory Sherhey told Ukrinform.

"Almost 2,000 books were collected not only by individuals of the western region, but also by government agencies, local community organizations, libraries, local publishers, writers and readers. Ternopil writers have joined the donation event," said Sherhey.

He noted donated books were shipped to the libraries of the 44th artillery brigade, to Maryinsky district of the Donetsk region and Svatove district of the Luhansk region. The book donation continues.

tl
Malia Obama's decision to take a year break before pursuing college career overshadowed her entrance to the elite Harvard University. After gaining a place among the only 5.2 percent applicants Harvard admitted this year, one of the most selective admissions cycle, she's decided to attend college until 2017.

"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 New York Times Reported.

Gap Year is a popular option for high school seniors who are seeking experiences outside the classroom before they begin practicing a degree. Even admitted students are highly encouraged to do so. Gap years have been on the rise in the U.S. in recent years but are still more popular in European students, according to the American Gap Association.

Many colleges, especially elite universities like Harvard, encourage students to take this new trend on rise in American educational system. Students can work, volunteer, travel or simply grow in maturity to know what they truly wanted to do in life so as to assess fitting courses to their interest, according to Institute of Education Science study.

Study Director Nina Hoe of the Institute for Survey Research of Temple University found out that people who took gap years were more centered in college education. They succeeded more by traditional and nontraditional measures in college.

However, some students are delaying either because they could not afford college or wanted to raise more study budget before attending college. A student who took a gap year worked to pay for the education without having to take out a loan, Nina Hoe added.

Meanwhile, Malia has not yet decided how she will spend her gap year before Harvard, the school both of her parents attended, The Washington Post Reported.
Howard University is offering a tempting incentive for students to graduate early or on time. The university will be giving financial rebates on the graduating students' final semester tuition.

The 148th Howard University Commencement Exercise is this month. The financial rebates have been rolling out since last month where some students have received 50 percent from their final tuition fees of the semester and this will continue until the day of graduation. Financial rebates are given through cash, credit or installment plans, Howard University's Anthony D. Owens wrote in a statement.

Howard University gives tuition rebates to some members of its graduating class https://t.co/gytkxSzVau  Emily DeRuy (@Emily_DeRuy) April 28, 2016



Howard University hopes that the financial rebates incentive will encourage their students to graduate early or on time. Their dedication in providing affordable higher education to struggling students can be seen through their Graduation Retention Access to Continued Excellence (GRACE) Grant program. The GRACE grant is awarded to low-income students' tuition fees who are graduating on time.

The tuition fees for school year 2015-2016 at Howard University are approximately $11,000 per semester, Washington Post noted. Eligible graduating students can receive up to 50 percent financial rebate or more than $5,000. Howard University has shelled out approximately $250,000 in financial rebates. It is expected that the cost will rise once more and more eligible students are cleared for graduation.

Howard University President Wayne Frederick said that students who graduate on time helps the institution save money, the outlet reported. Adding a year or two in college can cost an additional thousands of dollars in student loan debt. Additionally, having more and more alumni means that they are able to support the school faster once they get their jobs.

A student from Howard University shared to USA Today College that four-year graduation rates in the institution is low, especially among African-American students. Howard University's financial rebate incentive hopes to bridge the graduation gap between White and African-American students is wide. The outlet noted that the graduation rates for African-Americans in most US colleges in universities are not increasing.
A research on medical sector finds that medical mistake is one of the leading causes of death in the US. It is in fact, the third in place, according to the Johns Hopkins University. The error includes accidental overdose in giving drugs. Death cancer and heart disease are both in the first and second place to cause death.

According to the university, as reported by the US News, there are nearly 400,000 patients die due to these errors per year. Dr. Martin Makary, who conducts the research with scientist Michael Daniel said that the best way to learn about it; is to count the numbers of death caused by it.

The result, however, is quite different from what the CDC has learned. According to Makary, the CDC places respiratory disease as the leading cause no.3. From Makary's data, the number of people who died of pulmonary disease (149,000 people) is fewer than those who died of medical error (250,000 people).

Furthermore, Makary explains what is wrong with the country's medical research. For all this time, the funds go to cancer and heart-related diseases studies but none of the course analyzed medical error.

With the new report, this is a phenomenon since people died due to the medical care instead of their own health problem. It is an irony that these people sought for professional assistance to treat their injuries and illnesses; but only to find they had gotten a wrong treatment.

Makary and Daniel's finding is backed with a 1999 research by the Institute of Medicine on the same topic. It is said that more than 90,000 people died from medical errors. With this in mind, the number of medical errors is growing from time to time.

According to Makary, it is not about whether doctors and nurses are not handling patients carefully. In fact, they are. But hospital is a busy place where patients come and go and sometimes they are given the wrong medication or sent home without any follow up.


Although British Universities account for a 10th of the world's finest as far as global reputation is concerned, many have slipped down the 100 Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings.

Experts hold forced focus on diversity and recruiting from disadvantaged backgrounds responsible for some of Britain's top-notch universities dropping down university ranking.

Prime Minister, David Cameron recently ordered a review of racial discrimination alarmed by the evident racial bias in British universities as well as justice system. Mr Cameron also noted that it was surprising that Oxford University's 2014 intake that comprised of more than 2,500 people, included only 27 black students, according to reports on NDTV.

As a result of Mr. Cameron's attack on top universities for racial bias, Oxford and Cambridge among other notable universities have been under huge pressure to take on minority students in a bid to broaden their student mix.

Earlier this year, Mr. Cameron said it will be mandatory for universities to divulge the proportion of ethnic minority applicants that get places. He also warned that police along with the courts and the armed forces must also act and encourage more clarity.

As a consequence, this pressure is compelling universities to move their focus from enhancing quality of research and teaching to implementing recruitment policies in order to lessen political pressures, The Telegraph reports.

Although the Oxbridge institutions managed to retain a spot in the top five of the 100 Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, both have slipped down two places since last year. Since The University of Bristol and Durham University have been eliminated from the top 100, UK's total number of universities in the rankings has come down to 10 for 2016.

As far as number of universities making an appearance this year is concerned, Britain is second only to US with Harvard topping the list for sixth year in a row.

Phil Baty, Times Higher Education rankings editor said, "The UK's diminishing performance occurs as institutions in Asia rapidly rise up the table; the continent has 17 representatives, up from 10 last year."

"The UK will have to ensure that it can still draw in talent and investment from across the world and it does not lose its position at the heart of higher education's global elite," he added.

Mr. Baty noted that six universities, four from US as well as Oxford and Cambridge, have overshadowed the top half of the rankings for the past five years, however he added that other countries are making gains, according to reports on Asian Image.

UK universities in the top 100:

University of Cambridge, 4

University of Oxford, 5

Imperial College London, 15

University College London, 20

London School of Economics and Political Science, 24

University of Edinburgh, 38

King's College London, 43

University of Manchester, 49

London Business School, 81-90

University of Warwick, 81-90
Graven designed the British Airways Lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport, following the BA Galleries Lounges brand concept that Graven developed for international roll-out.



The BA Lounge opened in preparation for the A380 inaugural flight from Washington Dulles.



Angeline Mayhead, Lounge Development Manager, British Airways said of Gravens design The design challenge at Washington was ensuring that we could accommodate the volume of guests departing on our new A380, whilst creating warm and welcoming zones within the lounge.



One of the largest lounges in North America and the first of our A380 lounges, the feedback has been tremendous with guests commenting on the thoughtful design scheme and luxurious spaces such as the Concorde Dining Room for guests travelling in First and the stylish Club Bar with views out to the runway and beyond. Graven has successfully continued to evolve the lounge design, adding the wow factor yet retaining consistency across the portfolio of new lounges.



Gravens guidelines define the global standard across all lounges for BA. Used to explain concept principles and specifications to architects and designers around the world, each lounge also has its own locally influenced character and Graven collaborates with local architects, craftsmen and artists on each project internationally.


May 5 2016

A 26m development of 189 affordable homes centred on Fraser Avenue, Inverkeithing , has secured planning permission in principle  including the demolition of 236 existing properties.Drawn up by 7N Architects on behalf of Kingdom Housing Association the scheme will include shops, a village green and play park whilst improving pedestrian connectivity through the area.Taking their cue from existing homes in the estate 7N said: At Spencerfield, to the east of the site, the predominant building type is two storey terraced housing that is clad in a light grey harling. The new housing at Fraser Avenue seeks to utilise this terraced typology and improve on it.The proposals will provide better defined public and private space and utilise a pitched roofscape which will deal with the challenging site topography in a more refined way. In an acknowledgement of the colour palette of the surrounding area, some of the terraces will be clad in a light grey brick, referencing the harling finish but providing a rich surface finish which weathers better of time.Site clearance is expected to get underway from September with phased completion expected through to 2021.
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A Stevens Point couple whose humanitarian efforts have improved thousands of lives will receive honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees bestowed by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Chancellor Bernie Patterson announced today.

John and Patty Noel, alumni of UW-Stevens Point, will each receive an honorary doctorate at the spring commencement ceremony May 21.

Patty and John Noel, who graduated in 1970 and 1971, respectively, founded Travel Guard, the Noel Group, and Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection .

Their tireless support of humanitarian causes have transformed  and in many cases saved  the lives of thousands of individuals, Patterson said.

Among the Noels contributions:

 They helped establish the Portage County chapter of the Boys and Girls Club in 2001. This vital social service organization in our community now employs 10 Full Time Professionals and another 60 Part-Time staff serving almost 2,000 children in 9 locations.

 T hey created the Noel Compass Scholar Program at UW-Stevens Point in 1996 to identify and recruit promising minority students from some of the most underserved and challenged high schools in Wisconsin. The program awards full tuition, fees, room and board at UW-Stevens Point to students selected in a competitive process. Additionally, the Noel Compass Scholars receive paid internships at Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection . This partnership seeks diverse students who have strong academic and leadership potential and provides them with the tools and support they need to graduate from college and become productive, thriving citizens. In the past 10 years, 45 young men and women have participated and 42 have earned college degrees.

 They created the Make a Mark Foundation in 1993 to address an orphan crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. The nonprofit foundation has provided education, health and development opportunities to thousands of adults and children in Kenya and South Africa. The project has created sustainable financial solutions to residents of Nyumbani Village through the planting and harvesting of Melia trees and sunflowers for sale and profit.

 They have supported Operation Bootstrap since 1983. Operation Bootstrap provides the necessities of life to underserved families in Portage County, helping more than 6,500 families annually.

 They provided a substantial gift for the renovation of the Noel Fine Arts Center at UW-Stevens Point in 2001. Their generosity helps advance one of the best fine arts programs in the Midwest.

Together, the Noels have dedicated their lives to helping others in Stevens Point, central Wisconsin and throughout the world, Patterson said. John and Patty have changed the world. They are role models for our students who wish to make a difference in their local and international communities. I know of no other individuals who live their values on a daily basis more than John and Patty Noel.

Noel Compass Scholars praise the couple.

John and Patty Noel inspired me with their selfless humanitarian actions. They showed me that with heart and dedication, people can accomplish all their goals and dreams no matter their background, said Silvia Bautista, who graduated from UW-Stevens Point in 2012. Originally from Puerto Rico, she grew up in Milwaukee.

Helping those in need is very important to me, said Bautista, who is pursuing a doctorate of dental surgery and hopes to promote oral health care in underserved communities. My experiences in the Noel Compass Scholar Program have made me the person I am today and have fed the passion I have in working with underserved populations.

John and Patty are firm believers in enabling people to rise to their potential regardless of their challenges or their past, said Geoffrey Mburu, who graduated from UW-Stevens Point in 2004. He is now an AIG Travel project manager in Houston. The Compass Scholars program has changed not only my life but also the lives of many others as I pay it forward.
Cody Student Finalist for Highest UW Graduate Honor

Sierra Jech

Sierra Jech, of Cody, was among seven finalists for the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award as the University of Wyoming's outstanding graduating woman.

The annual award, established in 1964, is for exhibiting the finest leadership, academic integrity and citizenship qualities.

Kimberly Sanchez, of Cheyenne, was named the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award recipient, while Vikram Singh, from Bangalore, India, received the Tobin Award, as the outstanding graduating man during a recent ceremony honoring all the nominees.

Jech, who will graduate with dual degrees in earth systems science and chemistry, with a minor in queer studies, says being a member of the national champion UW womens Nordic ski team has helped her become a better leader.

Holding positions on the UW Nordic ski club has molded my leadership skills, such that now I recognize the ways in which I am a good leader and those which need improvement, she says. I have treasured memories from UW that inspire my life, and principles which will continue to feed my academic passions into graduate school and beyond.

One of her instructors praises how Jech is driven to succeed in her goals.

I have seldom met a student who was more focused and clear on what it was she wanted to do, and who was more likely to accomplish what she wants, the instructor writes. Aside from being very smart and hardworking, she is mature and focused to a remarkable degree, and is truly committed to going on in science to make a difference.

Another nominator reflects on Jechs individual traits.

Poise, elegance and pulsing energy that lights a room, Sierra is extraordinary. She bounds up mountains and leaps into immediate leadership roles on the UW ski team, the nominator says. No letter written on a two-dimensional page could ever capture someone so holistically well-rounded as Sierra.
Douglas Student Finalist for Top Woman Graduate at UW

Meghan Kolf

Meghan Kolf, of Douglas, was among seven finalists for the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award as the University of Wyoming's outstanding graduating woman.

The annual award, established in 1964, is for exhibiting the finest leadership, academic integrity and citizenship qualities.

Kimberly Sanchez, of Cheyenne, was named the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award recipient, while Vikram Singh, from Bangalore, India, received the Tobin Award, as the outstanding graduating man during a recent ceremony honoring all the nominees.

Kolf, who is a pharmacy major, with minors in Spanish and in the Honors Program, reflects on her educational experiences at UW.

As graduation approaches, I can confidently say that I am a recipient of the highest quality education, and I cannot help but reflect and be thankful for all of the challenges, triumphs, lessons and learning I have been able to experience, she says. I take great pride in the fact that I was able to excel in my favorite medical chemistry classes.

An instructor praises Kolf for being a well-rounded student.

Meghans remarkable list of accomplishments demonstrates that her drive, leadership and dedication continued even while in the pharmacy program, the instructor says. She stands out in all areas -- academic achievement, vast service contributions, leadership, professionalism and just simply being a great person.

Another nominator cites her willingness to give back to her community.

Meghan embodies the ideal integrity and characteristics that are desired in all graduates of UW and the School of Pharmacy. She is a proud Wyoming student and will be an active alumnus, the nominator writes. Meghan is intelligent, professional and hardworking; and is truly a student to watch. She takes great pride and honor in serving this university, her fellow students and her goals.
Rawlins Student Finalist for Top UW Graduate Honor

Jazlynn Hall

Jazlynn Hall, of Rawlins, was among seven finalists for the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award as the University of Wyoming's outstanding graduating woman.

The annual award, established in 1964, is for exhibiting the finest leadership, academic integrity and citizenship qualities.

Kimberly Sanchez, of Cheyenne, was named the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award recipient, while Vikram Singh, from Bangalore, India, received the Tobin Award, as the outstanding graduating man during a recent ceremony honoring all the nominees.

During her college career, Hall, who will graduate with dual degrees in geography and anthropology, with a minor in the Honors Program, says her goal was to contribute to UW wherever she could.

I have taken nearly every opportunity available to me to contribute to the University of Wyoming through scholarship, leadership and volunteering, and have had a fantastic time doing so, she says. I have been actively engaged with the campus and city community while holding leadership positions for my fellow students.

An instructor praises Hall for pushing herself to succeed.

If Jazlynn feels that she is not meeting expectations, then she does what it takes to meet and then exceed those expectations. I can say, without hesitation, that she is an exceptional student scholar -- really, the best of the best, the nominator writes. Ms. Hall was a terrific lab assistant and researcher because she is detail-oriented, observant and conscientious, all qualities that will equip her well in her future career.

Another nominator says, Jazlynn is a very mature individual and highly driven to succeed. She is highly motivated, enthusiastic, dedicated, organized and a conscientious researcher who has taken on a great challenge in her last year at UW.
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SHARE Contributed Photo/Paul Cranmer The Young Artists Ensemble's "Anne of Green Gables," stars Lindsey Alstead as Diana Barry, left, and Jaden Levinson as Anne Shirley.

THEATER

Ventura County

"Anne of Green Gables": Young Artists Ensemble presents this play based on the novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery that chronicles the adventures of a freckled, red-headed 11-year-old orphan girl. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through May 22, Hillcrest Center for the Arts, 403 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. $19 general admission, $16 seniors, students and children. 381-1246; yaeonline.com.

"Framed": Elite Theatre Company presents Richard Weill's courtroom drama about two defense attorneys who disagree on how to represent their high-profile murder defendant. 2 p.m. Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays, May 7-22, 2731 Victoria Ave., Oxnard. $15. 483-5118; elitetheatre.org.

"The Pillowman": The Flying H Group Theatre Company presents Martin McDonagh's tale of a fiction writer living in a totalitarian state who is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories. Not suitable for children. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, May 13 through June 5, 6368 Bristol Road, Ventura. $10 opening weekend, $15 all other shows. 901-0005; flyinghgroup.com.

"Skylight": Ojai Arts Center Theater presents the award-winning Broadway drama written by David O'Hare and starring Ojai's Buddy Wilds and Anna Kotula. The play chronicles the aftermath of an affair between a man and his family's young housekeeper as an aromatic spaghetti dinner is prepared on stage. 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, May 6 through June 5, 113 S. Montgomery St., Ojai. Free. 640-8797; ojaiact.org.

"In the Heights": The Tony Award-winning musical set in a neighborhood in New York's Washington Heights tells the story of a community on the brink of change. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 22, Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley. $24 general admission, $20 seniors and students, $18 children 12 and under. 583-7900; simi-arts.org.

"On Golden Pond": High Street Arts Center presents Ernest Thompson's play about an elderly couple who visit their longtime summer cottage with their estranged daughter. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 8, 45 E. High St., Moorpark. $20 general admission, $18 seniors, students, teachers and military, $16 children 12 and under. 529-8700; highstreetartscenter.com.

"Nunsense": Camarillo Skyway Playhouse presents this musical comedy about five nuns who use their varied talents to put on a charity show. Through May 8, 330 Skyway Drive, Camarillo. 388-5716; skywayplayhouse.org.

"4,000 Miles": Santa Paula Theater Center presents the second show of its 2016 Main Stage Season of the Masters: Amy Herzog's Pulitzer Prize-nominated dramatic comedy about the relationship that develops between a 21-year-old man and his 91-year-old grandmother. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays, through May 22, 125 South 7th St., Santa Paula. $20 general admission, $18 seniors and students. 525-4645; santapaulatheatercenter.org.

"Men of Tortuga": Elite Theatre Company presents the Jason Wells play about four businessmen whose greed begets their own ruin and sheds light on real-life issues like surveillance, corruption and power. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 15, 2731 S. Victoria Ave., Oxnard. $18 general admission, $15 seniors and students. 483-5118; elitetheatre.org.

"The Tempest": Actors' Repertory Theatre of Simi presents Shakespeare's comedy featuring young performers from its Literature in Action program. 7 p.m. May 10-12, Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley. $12 general admission, $10 seniors and students. 579-3611; actorsrepofsimi.org.

Down south

"Fighting Shadows": Developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference in 2013, this one-man show chronicles Emmy-nominated actor and Homeboy Industries Award-winner Richard Cabral's early life as a notorious gang member in East Los Angeles and his transformation into an artist. 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 5 p.m. Saturdays, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays, through May 8, The Rosenthal Theater at Inner-City Arts, 720 Kohler St., Los Angeles. 213-627-9621; brownpapertickets.com.

"The End Times": Skylight Theatre Company and Playwrights' Arena present Jesse Mu-En Shao's play about a young man who begins to question his devout religious faith when his best friend is cast out of their church. 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, through May 15, 1816  N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. $15-$34. 213-761-7061; skylighttix.com.

CLASSES

Ventura County

African drumming class: Malik Sow, an African master drummer from Senegal, and Solo Soro, from Ivory Coast, lead a weekly class in West African drumming from 7:30-9 p.m. Mondays at Lightning Ridge Screen Printing, 4435 McGrath St., Ventura. Cost is $20 per class, and a drum can be rented for $5. For information or to arrange a drum rental, call 650-7455.

COMEDY

Ventura County

Kathy Griffin: The Emmy and Grammy Award-winning comedian will perform her brand of pull-no-punches comedy. 8 p.m. May 6, Fred Kavli Theatre, Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. $56-$96. Ticketmaster, 800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com. Information: 449-2787.

DANCE

Ventura County

"Moving Images": The creative work of eight California Lutheran University student choreographers will be presented in a performance featuring 22 dances blending contemporary, hip-hop and modern dance. 8 p.m. May 6-7, Preus-Brandt Forum, CLU, 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks. Free. 241-8515; callutheran.edu.
STAR FILE PHOTO

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By Kathleen Wilson of the Ventura County Star

Two candidate forums for the 3rd District race on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors are planned this month in Camarillo and Fillmore, two cities in the large political territory.

The first event is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the city council chambers at Camarillo City Hall, 601 Carmen Drive. Another is planned from 7 to 9 p.m. May 12 at the city council chambers at Fillmore City Hall, 250 Central Ave.

Candidates will answer questions from the audience at the events sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Ventura County.

A large field is seeking election in the June primary for the seat in which no incumbent is running. Five-term Supervisor Kathy Long plans to retire after her term ends in January.

The candidates are Carla Castilla, district director for state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson; Dan Goldberg, businessman; Martin Hernandez, mayor of Santa Paula and Long's chief of staff; Kevin Kildee, business owner and Camarillo City Council member; Kelly Long, trustee on the board of the Pleasant Valley School District; Mike Morgan, mayor of Camarillo; and Jesus Torres, businessman.

All of the candidates except Hernandez live in Camarillo.

To win in the June 7 primary, a candidate must draw a majority of the vote, which is defined as 50 percent plus one vote. It's likely that the race will be decided in the November general election runoff between the top two finishers, political scientists say.

The 3rd District includes Camarillo, Fillmore, Santa Paula, Port Hueneme, southeast Oxnard, the east Oxnard Plain, Piru, the east Lockwood Valley and the eastern portion of Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme.

The Board of Supervisors oversees the county government, which employs more than 8,000 people and spends $2 billion annually.
GRETCHEN WENNER/THE STAR Four of the six candidates in a competitive primary race to succeed outgoing state Sen. Fran Pavley listen to instructions before a forum at Thousand Oaks City Hall on Tuesday night. Steve Fazio (at right), the sole Republican, is expected to sail past the June primary, with a heated battle for the second spot pitting Janice Kamenir-Reznik (next to Fazio) against Henry Stern (far left). Also pictured is George Christopher Thomas.

By Gretchen Wenner of the Ventura County Star

On Tuesday, hours before a candidate forum in Thousand Oaks, a blog post went up describing one of the leading Democratic contenders hoping to succeed state Sen. Fran Pavley as "Big Oil's candidate."

Yet that night in Thousand Oaks City Council chambers, candidate Janice Kamenir-Reznik answered a question about energy in terms that hardly seemed to favor oil interests.

"I'm opposed to fracking," Kamenir-Reznik said. She would rather ban fracking, she added, than regulate it like one of Pavley's signature laws, Senate Bill 4, has done.

Kamenir-Reznik also said she saw "no reason to encourage any kind of oil exploration" in California.

In a twist of the campaign trail, allegations of coziness with polluters are likely to heat up the Democratic slate in the June 7 primary for Senate District 27. Pavley's district includes Moorpark, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks as well parts of Los Angeles County from Malibu to Santa Clarita.

Kamenir-Reznik and Pavley's chosen successor, Henry Stern, are seen by many as the leading Democrats. But only one is likely to go on to November's general election.

California's "jungle primary" means the top two finishers, regardless of party, will move ahead to the general election. The sole Republican in the field of six, businessman Steve Fazio, of Encino, is expected to sail through the primary, creating a battle for the No. 2 spot.

On Tuesday, the League of Women Voters of Ventura County and the American Association of University Women hosted the forum in Thousand Oaks. About 85 people attended, and all six hopefuls were on hand. The field also includes Democrats David Pollock, a Moorpark City Council member; Shawn Bayliss, of Woodland Hills, chief deputy for Los Angeles Councilman Paul Koretz; and George Christopher Thomas, a member of the Van Nuys neighborhood council.

Stern, 34, a Harvard University graduate and environmental attorney from Canoga Park who has helped shape Pavley's policies and legislation, formally launched his bid in early 2015. He finished the most recent reporting period with the most cash on hand of all six candidates, banking $590,700. He is endorsed by Pavley and the Sierra Club of California and his contributors include actor Tom Hanks.

"I might be the youngest candidate, but I have the most experience," he told attendees Tuesday of his time in Sacramento passing legislation to protect the environment.

Kamenir-Reznik, 64, entered the race in January. Her reported contributions since jumping in have far outstripped the field, with more than $567,000 reported in the most recent statement. Among her big-name endorsements is Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Keuhl and former Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky switched support from Stern to Kamenir-Reznik when she entered the race, according to the L.A. Daily News.

After a legal career that included land-use law firm Reznik & Reznik with husband Ben, Kamenir-Reznik left legal practice and helped start the California Women's Law Center. More recently, she co-founded Jewish World Watch, which fights genocide and supports survivors in Congo and Darfur.

In 2014, Pavley named her Woman of the Year.

So how is alleged pollution-hugging getting into the mix?

For Kamenir-Reznik, a blog post by the California League of Conservation Voters, which endorses Stern, explains how some money for a recent mailer supporting Kamenir-Reznik is tied to Chevron via several political committees. The oil giant wants to keep Stern from continuing Pavley's environmental legacy, it says, and her former law firm represented "big developers, oil and gas." It links to a 1997 Los Angeles Times story about the closure of the Rezniks' firm as the end of an era, with a source saying they represented "virtually every major developer" in the 1980s.

Kamenir-Reznik campaign consultant Eric Hacopian said the suggestion she is Big Oil's candidate "patently isn't true."

She has never taken a cent from an oil company, Hacopian said.

The accusation "is an attempt to change the subject from the fact Henry is being attacked around the district for being funded by Sempra and Sempra's attorneys," he said, at a time a Sempra gas well "has poisoned a good part of the district."

Sempra Energy is the parent company of Southern California Gas Co., which has been in the headlines for a natural gas leak at its Aliso Canyon storage facility near Porter Ranch.

The Sempra contribution also came up at Tuesday's forum, with Stern saying he in turn donated the money to the American Lung Association, which campaign filings back up.

Stern spokesman Steve Barkan said Stern is "the only candidate who has actually done something to protect residents, hold the polluters accountable and prevent future gas leaks," referring to Pavley's proposed legislation for an immediate stop to gas injection at Aliso Canyon.

"It's obvious why Chevron is funneling money to try and defeat Henry," Barkan said.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO A rendering of the solar field near Fillmore that was approved Thursday by the Ventura County Planning Commission.

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By Tony Biasotti, Special to The Star

Ventura County will get its first stand-alone, commercial solar field later this year, a project just east of Fillmore that was approved Thursday by the Ventura County Planning Commission. (Read the staff report.)

The solar array will be built on property that was an oil refinery from 1915 to 1953 and an oil storage and pumping station from 1953 to 2002. It is now owned by Chevron, and since 1989 it has been identified as a Superfund cleanup site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Chevron is in the final stage of a $10 million EPA-approved cleanup of the site. In 2014, the company finished removing lead and other hazardous materials from the soil. It has started a long-term project to remove benzene, a known carcinogen, from the groundwater under the property.

Chevron had planned a business park on the property once the soil cleanup was done, but last year it shifted gears toward solar. Many Fillmore residents, particularly those living closest to the property, did not want to see a business park or other large-scale development there.

The solar field will be low-profile by comparison. It will have no permanent on-site employees. The 28,200 panels are non-reflective and will be stacked no more than 6 feet high. Three transformers will give off a humming sound, but it won't be audible off the property, documents indicate.

Stion, a solar company based in San Jose, will operate the solar field under a 25-year lease with Chevron. The array will cover 25 acres  a little less than half of the Chevron property  and will generate 3 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 6,000 households. The energy will go directly into Southern California Edison's power grid.

Thursday's Planning Commission vote is the final approval Stion needs, unless someone appeals the decision to the Board of Supervisors. That appears unlikely, as the Planning Commission heard no opposition to the project. Fillmore City Manager David Rowlands said Thursday the city does not plan to appeal the decision, even though the Fillmore City Council voted last year to oppose the project unless the property was annexed into the city. The council preferred a business park on the site because it would generate jobs and tax revenue. Stion's proposal does not involve annexation.

Stion plans to begin construction within the next two months and finish by the end of the year. There will be about 35 workers on the site during the peak of the work; the permit approved Thursday by the Planning Commission requires Stion to use water or other measures to keep construction dust down.

Once the site is up and running, Stion will monitor it remotely. Stion workers will visit if there are any problems, and a phone number will be posted at the site and filed with the county in case anyone needs to report problems or access the property in an emergency.

"During the first year there will be someone out there at least once a month, and after that probably biannually," Kevin Mackamul, Stion's director of projects and systems, told the Planning Commission. "We usually see issues during the first year  that's when vandalism might take place, that's when there might be some performance issues. After that we see relatively few problems."

Planning commissioners were concerned about security and vandalism because the property has attracted adventurous kids, partying teenagers and other trespassers for decades. Mackamul said Stion will keep the barbed wire fencing that is now around the property and could also install security cameras.

"Fillmore is a small community. Things can get pretty boring out there, particularly for the younger population," said Commissioner Richard Rodriguez. "Would these panels sustain a rock being thrown, just to see if they can do it?"

Mackamul replied that the panels are built to withstand large hailstones, but would probably be broken if hit by a rock. The panels would be positioned such that they would be difficult to hit from off of the property, he said, and Stion would fix any damaged equipment.
JUAN CARLO/THE STAR the California Air National Guard 146th Airlift Wing located at the Channel Islands Air National Guard Station near Point Mugu have started Wildfire training is hosting the annual fire training this week with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS).

SHARE JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Personnel with California Air National Guard 146th Airlift Wing at the Channel Islands Air National Guard Station get ready to fly a C-130 for Wildfire training. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Major General David S. Baldwin, adjutant general of California watches personnel with California Air National Guard 146th Airlift Wing fly a C-130 for Wildfire training. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Personnel with California Air National Guard 146th Airlift Wing at the Channel Islands Air Guard National Guard Station get ready to put 3,000 gallons of water into a C-130 for wildfire training. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Personnel with California Air National Guard 146th Airlift Wing at the Channel Islands Air Guard National Guard Station get ready to put 3,000 gallons of water into a C-130 for wildfire training.

By John Scheibe of the Ventura County Star

As another fire season approaches, military aircrew members gathered in Ventura County this week for their annual aerial fire training.

With members of the press looking on, a lumbering C-130 swooped down over an empty field at the Channel Islands Air National Guard Station on Wednesday, dropping thousands of gallons of water from about 100 feet off the ground in less than 50 seconds.

This week's training is being hosted by the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, which is housed at the Channel Islands station.

Kim Christensen, a Forest Service employee based in Boise, Idaho, praised her agency's relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense, including the Air National Guard.

"We rely very heavily on these pilots to help us fight fires from the air," Christensen said during a Wednesday afternoon briefing at the station near Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu.

Christensen said the forest service has called on the military aircrews for support during 24 of the past 25 years. "That's how important they've become to us."

Military aircrews have been helping the forest service fight wildfires since Congress established the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System in 1970. Known as MAFFS, the system was created after a wildfire devastated more than 175,000 acres in eastern San Diego County, killing eight people.

Forest Service officials and others call in MAFFS aircrews to help battle a wildfire when other aircraft, including commercial air tankers, are not enough or are unavailable. MAFFS provides a portable firefighting delivery system that can be put into a C-130 without them having to be converted to air tankers.

"We fly in to provide backup support," Scott Sanders, a colonel with the Wyoming Air National Guard and a pilot, told reporters.

Since its creation, MAFFS pilots have flown some 7,000 firefighting missions, dropping millions of pounds of orange-colored fire retardant. In 2012 alone, 2.4 million gallons were dropped, according to Kimberly Holman, a major with the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing.

The Guard not only helps with wildfires in the United States, but overseas, including in Morocco, Indonesia and Italy, officials said.

Military pilots in other nations also are either already using MAFFS or considering doing so.

A group from the Colombian Air Force, are in Ventura County this week observing the training.

"Colombia will start using MAFFS next year," Ivan Gomez, a lieutenant colonel with the Colombian Air Force, said.

MAFFS are often crucial in fighting wildfires, with aircraft dropping 3,000 gallons of fire retardant or water over a quarter-mile area in seconds, providing firefighters with crucial help on the ground.

"This system, along with other technology, has really helped to fight wildfires," said David Baldwin, a major general and commander of the California National Guard.

Other important new technology include the use of drones, helping those on the ground to gain a more accurate picture of a wildfire. Many drones are equipped with an array of sensors, enabling them to pierce the clouds of thick smoke and measure everything from the amount of heat generated by a fire to the direction that it's going.

"Ten or 15 years ago, we didn't have the same capabilities that we now have thanks to technology," Baldwin said. "It's made a tremendous difference."

As part of this week's training exercises, crews will be dropping water in the Angeles National Forest and Kern County, Holman said.

For more information on MAFFS, go to http://1.usa.gov/1NU4XGN.
Teachers union foe seeks state superintendent job

Lance Christensen, policy director for a conservative nonprofit, is counting on frustrated parents for an upset over Tony Thurmond.
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Re: your story May 1, "County relatives send money to relatives in Mexico for survival:

Tom Kisken's story about Hispanics sending American money back to their home country was compassionate and sad, but misleading, too.

His story was sympathetic to the many hard-working Mexicans who send money home to help their families, and I couldn't agree more with their stories. However, Donald Trump only wants to stop the flow of "illegal" immigrants sending "illegal" American money back to their homes in Mexico. It's only a Trump negotiating threat to make sure Mexico pays for the wall to keep Mexican drugs, etc., out of America.

Next time, Tom should talk about the $19 trillion national debt so people learn why America must rein in government spending and stop the flow of wealth from the United States.

Donald Trump has the support of many Americans because he is willing to make some uncomfortable decisions. I just hope we all make it through what has to be done. Otherwise, there won't be a free and prosperous America that we all cherish.

Ray Holm, Thousand Oaks


Grand Opening for the Donny Osmond Home brand furnishings gallery at Walker Furniture will be Saturday, May 7 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Pictured: Donny and Debbie Osmond).

Donny Osmond will be doing a personal meet-and-greet autograph-signing session for fans from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. following the ribbon cutting in Walkers Showroom Atrium.

Festivities during the Grand Opening include drawings every 15 minutes for a pair of tickets to the Donny & Marie show at the Flamingo Las Vegas. Also, guests can enter for a chance to win a Beautiful Donny Osmond Home three-drawer accent cabinet just for attending. Free gifts will be given away and refreshments will be served.


This Saturday, May 7, Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas (CASLV) will host a job fair to fill nearly 20 positions (Pictured: Award-winning CASLV students Mary Blankenship and Daasha Palmer).

The award-winning K-12 public charter school is seeking teachers, deans and principals. CASLV recently announced it will be opening new campuses in the Centennial Hills area and Nellis Air Force Base for the 2016-17 school year.

The job fairs will take place at CASLVs Sandy Ridge campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The address for the job fairs is 1051 Sandy Ridge Ave., Henderson, NV 89052. Applicants are asked to bring resume, transcripts, credentials and any other supporting documents.
Co-hosted by State Bank of Vietnam, the 17th annual conference is expected to welcome more than 1,000 thought leaders and innovators of the future from across the globe.

The Asian Banker Summit 2016 consists of five conferences namely the Bank Managers Challenge & Convention, the Financial Markets Infrastructure Dialogue, the International Transaction Banking Convention, the Supply Chain & Financial Performance Dialogue and the Technology Decision Makers School & Conference.

There will also be several high-level closed-door dialogues including a CEO Leadership Dialogue held during the summit.

Several high-profile keynote speakers have confirmed their presence at The Asian Banker Summit 2016, including Le Minh Hung, Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, Barney Frank, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee (2007-2011) of the United States Congress, Lisa Robins, managing director of Global Transaction Banking of Deustche Bank, Marc Bayle, director general of Market Infrastructure and Payments of European Central Bank and John Lee, group chief risk officer of Maybank Group, among other prominent industry leaders.

Speakers, panelists and moderators will include CEOs as well as key movers and shakers of local and international financial markets, public listed companies, professors and academicians. Past Asian Banker Summits have featured global icons including Hans Eichel, co-founder of G20 and former finance minister of Germany, Jan Peter Balkenende, four-time prime minister of the Netherlands, Thomas Hoenig, vice-chairman of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and former US vice president Al Gore.

This year, The Asian Banker will present the triennial CEO Leadership Achievement Awards, together with the Best Managed Banks and the Leadership Lifetime Achievement Awards. The awards will be presented to more than 10 regional CEOs during a gala dinner ceremony on May 10, with guest of honour Nguyen Thi Hong, deputy governor of State Bank of Vietnam, in conjunction with The Asian Banker Summit 2016.

The Asian Banker provides business intelligence to the financial services community. Headquartered in Singapore, the company also has offices in Malaysia, China, the Philippines as well as the Middle East. Its three core business lines are publications, research services and forums.

The Asian Bankers Leadership Achievement Awards, first introduced in 2001, recognises both individual and corporate excellence in the financial services industry across the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region.
A municipal agent sprays for mosquitos that spread Zika virus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AFP/Christophe Simon)

BRASILIA: Brazil's outbreak of Zika - which has been linked to the devastating microcephaly birth defect in newborns in 1,271 cases since October - has also killed 57 of those babies, authorities said Wednesday (May 5).

The Health Ministry said in that as of Apr 30, 3,580 suspected cases had been reported and that another 2,492 were ruled out as false alarms.

While 57 babies were known to have died of the condition, another 178 deaths were suspected to have been caused by it, the data showed. Brazil, the epicenter of the mosquito-borne Zika virus outbreak, hosts the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro from Aug 5 to 21.

The virus is blamed for birth defects in babies born to women infected with the virus.

Despite a flurry of research, very little is known about the virus - how long it can hide out in the human body, the degree of risk via sexual transmission, the full list of diseases and disorders it may cause, and all the mosquito types capable of transmitting it.

The recent scientific consensus is that Zika causes microcephaly, a form of severe brain damage in newborns, and adult-onset neurological problems such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which can cause paralysis and death.

There is no vaccine or treatment for the virus, which in most people causes only mild symptoms - a rash, joint pain or fever.

Largely contained to Latin America and the Caribbean, Zika's range is likely to expand as summer arrives in the northern hemisphere - and with it virus-transmitting mosquitoes.
Viet Nam's World Trade Organisation commitments on opening up the education sector have, in fact, created opportunities for foreign investors. - File Photo

The education sector is being facilitated

Viet Nam's World Trade Organisation commitments on opening up the education sector have, in fact, created opportunities for foreign investors. With Viet Nam in desperate need of an international-standard learning environment, the education business may lead to significant profitability for the investors.

When establishing educational institutions, foreign investors and enterprises do not, in all cases, have to build and complete the construction of the facility before starting operations.

For educational institutions that are registering to operate for less than 20 years, it is not necessary for foreign investors to build separate facilities; instead, they can rent schools, classes, workshops and other areas that are suitable and stable for at least five years.

For those that are registering to operate for 20 years or more, the construction of new facilities is mandatory. In the initial period of up to five years, these facilities must have a lease contract or an agreement, in principle, to provide necessary and stable facilities for training and teaching and to ensure investment for the construction of such facilities is in accordance with the progress of the project.

Foreign investors can also open their branches in the same province or city as the main educational institutions or in other provinces and cities.

Legal issues to be noted

1. The scope and form of foreign investment in education

According to the schedule of commitments with the WTO, for the education sector, Viet Nam has only committed to the fields of engineering, natural sciences, technology and business administration, as well as business science, economics, accounting, international law and language training. However, for the aforementioned fields, which belong to the higher education and adult education sectors, the training programs must be approved by Viet Nam's Ministry of Education and Training.

With respect to general education services, which includes elementary schools, secondary schools, high schools and pre-schools, Viet Nam has not yet committed to opening the sector to foreign investors. Institutions operated by foreign investors that provide general education are meant for foreign students and a fixed number of Vietnamese students only. Pre-schools can only enroll foreign students, not Vietnamese children.

Foreign investors are permitted to establish educational institutions in two forms: wholly foreign-owned educational institutions or joint venture educational institutions.

2. Restrictions foreign investors will encounter in establishing educational institutions

Foreign investors must perform the necessary procedures to obtain three types of licences:

1. Investment Registration Certificates

2. Decision permitting the establishment of educational institutions

3. Licence for educational activities.

Please note the "Decision permitting the establishment of educational institutions" will be revoked if the educational institutions have not qualified for the "Licence for educational activities" within 36 months for higher education and vocational institutions (excluding vocational training centres) and 24 months for other educational institutions.

The percentage of Vietnamese students studying at educational institutions offering foreign educational programmes and a foreign diploma cannot exceed 10 per cent for primary and secondary schools and must be 20 per cent or less for high schools. This provision will create difficulties for the schools when the number of Vietnamese students demanding admission exceeds the established quota.

As stipulated in Decree 73, the percentage of lecturers with a doctoral degree from colleges and universities with foreign investment must be at least 25 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively. For colleges and universities that do not have foreign investment, the percentage of lecturers with a doctoral degree has not yet been unfixed, so it can be expanded to meet the requirements of the schools.
Nguyen Van Thanh, 22, worked for a Dien May Xanh outlet in Tan Phu District, and knew exactly where his employer keeps the money.

At midnight on Monday, Thanh snuck into the store and took over VND2.75 billion (US$123,500) from the safe, according to a police report.

However, he was caught in the act by store security guards, and is now being detained by police in charge of stealing assets, Tan Phu police said on Tuesday.

Dien May Xanh is the electronics chain owned by Vietnam's top mobile phone retailer Mobile World, which also runs the The Gioi Di Dong chain.
photo source Baogiaothong.vn

In addition, the authorities will check the environmental protection measures taken by Vung Ang Petroleum Power Company and Vung Ang Economic Zones Infrastructure Service Centre.

According to the plans, on the first day the authorities will attended a working session with representatives of Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Ltd. (Hung Nghiep Formosa) for a review of the companys implementation of environmental regulations.

On the following days, they will directly check the wastewater treatment systems of the above facilities. Besides, they will analyse the chemical substances used to cleanse wastewater pipes in Hung Nghiep Formosa.

The interdisciplinary inspection team combines representatives of ministries, domestic and foreign experts, as well as domestic and foreign science organisations in order to arrive to objective conclusions.

On the same day, the Ministry of Science and Technology has established a national council of science and technology experts to clarify the causes of the unreasonable mass dying of fish.

Accordingly, experts collected samples from dead fish, water, sediment, as well as planktons to be analysed in laboratories equipped with modern machinery imported from the US, Japan, and Switzerland.

On May 2, the Vietnamese authorities held a working session with scientists from the United States, Germany, and Israel to analyse wastewater discharged by factories along the coastlines in the north-central province of Ha Tinh, in a bid to discover the causes behind the recent crisis.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha cooperated with foreign experts on Monday, who specialize in oceanography, coastal geology, marine environment, and coastal engineering, to assess the activities of factories near Vung Ang beach in Ha Tinh.

After working with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the scientists will continue to cooperate with the Ministry of Science and Technology to clarify the cause, said Professor Roberto Mayerle, director of the Research and Technology Centre Westcoast of Kiel University in Germany.
Civil servants who cause trouble for businesses will be strictly dealt with, according to a new resolution of the Government. - Illustrative image ndh.vn

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered officials to present their plans by the end of this month to concretise Resolution No 19/2016, which he signed late last month.

The resolution required the officials to publicise administrative procedures, eliminate unsuitable business conditions and establish proper systems to deal with requests from people and businesses. Any procedures are encouraged to be dealt with through the internet or postal services.

Civil servants who are irresponsible or cause trouble for people and businesses will be strictly dealt with, the resolution stated.

The Government assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to promptly issue circulars providing full guidelines for investment and enterprise laws, and to co-operate with the Ministry of Justice to post investment and business conditions on a national portal for enterprises.

It asked the ministry to build an automatic system to grant tax codes to enterprises, and establish a digital system that fosters connectivity among the Viet Nam Customs and related agencies in managing imports and exports.

The Government also asked the Ministry of Finance to apply information technology for at least 95 per cent of tax declaration, payment and refund processes, and to assure that any complaints from tax payers are resolved in accordance with the law.

It also asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to remove regulations that create difficulties and push up costs for enterprises in its management and inspection process.

The Ministry of Transport must co-ordinate with the Ministry of Finance to review and guarantee transparent transport fee quotations, while the Ministry of Construction must shorten licencing time.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is to collaborate with the Ministry of Construction to integrate environmental protection procedures into the construction licencing process, and to stipulate legal documents needed for land use rights.

The Government Office will be responsible for opening forums to receive policy arguments from businesses and people on the Government portal chinhphu.vn.

The office is to co-operate with the planning ministry to verify public opinion and report the situation at quarterly Government meetings.

The Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Viet Nam Bar Federation and Viet Nam Lawyers Association, along with trade associations, are assigned to conduct independent surveys about the quality of agencies performing administrative procedures.

These organisations will study credit ratings of the business community about ministries, sectors and localities, and recommend policies to the Government.

They will also co-operate with ministries to develop programmes to help enterprises better build competition strategies, increase productivity and perform social responsibility, thereby promoting national competition capacity.

Last Friday, Phuc held a special meeting with Cabinet members to discuss proposals and recommendations for business development.

Expecting the current number of businesses in Viet Nam to double to a million by 2020, they focused on issues such as business registration, market participation, loan access, taxes, customs and investment attraction.

VCCI Chairman Vu Tien Loc told a business forum in Ha Noi in mid-April that the domestic business environment, though significantly improved, required more appropriate measures to support business development.

"Inherent problems of enterprises are yet to be solved," Loc said, pointing out issues such as low labour productivity, inefficient capital use, outdated technology and a shortage of companies large enough for integration.

"Efforts to improve competitiveness will be critical to Viet Nam's success and particularly to developing a more inclusive economy," said US Ambassador to Viet Nam Ted Osius, addressing a provincial competitive index launching ceremony in Ha Noi early last month.
Talking to Vietnam Television, Nguyen Dau, deputy chief inspector of the General Department of Taxation under the Ministry of Finance, said revenues from the sale of real estate and projects is subject to a tax rate of 20 per cent since January 1, 2016.

Groupe Casino sold Big C Vietnam to Central Group for 1 billion ($1.14 billion). Thus the payable amount is approximately $220 million.

Big C Vietnam is incorporated in Hong Kong while Central Group in Thailand. Though the two companies are headquartered outside of Vietnam, the Big C chain draws its income from Vietnam, bringing it within the scope of the regulation.

In cases like this, companies have to file tax according to the Law on Corporate Income Tax and with a particular view to Circular 78/2014/TT-BTC guiding the implementation of the law, which stipulates that income from the sale of real estate and projects is subjected to a tax rate of 20 per cent starting from January 1, 2016, Dau said.

Moreover, Circular 203/2015/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance on avoiding double taxation stipulates that companies headquartered in a foreign country that do not pay tax or pay less than 10 per cent in that country are subjected to income tax in the country where it earns the income. Therefore, Big C Vietnam is subjected to the sales tax in Vietnam because Hong Kong is not collecting tax from it.

Earlier, German company METRO Group paid VND1.9 trillion ($85.25 million) in tax when it sold its chain METRO Cash & Carry Vietnam to Thai company TCC.
A report from Sai Gin Giai Phing (Liberated Saigon) found that Thai products dominated shelves. - Photo nld.com.vn

In HCM City's District 7, for example, housewife Minh Phuong can find imported products from Thailand, Japan and the US at supermarkets and shopping malls.

"These products are on many shelves at Lotte Mart and Giant near my house. Many smaller stores specialising in products from one country have opened in District 7, especially in Phu My Hung City Centre," she said.

In the past, imported products were mostly clothes, footwear and cosmetics, but they now range from instant noodles to canned food and home appliances. Fresh fruit imports are also common.

E-mart, a South Korean shopping mall in Go Vap District, which opened late last year, has attracted many customers.

One consumer told Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper said that her family visits the supermarket and has dinner there five times a week.

"The products are diverse while the price is competitive. The space and decor are clean and beautiful," she explained.

At Metro An Phu in HCM City, the volume of Thai products increased from the day it was sold to Thailand's Berli Jucker Public Company Ltd.

A source from Metro told Viet Nam News that although Thailand products accounted for only 2 per cent of goods, the total number had increased after Berli Jucker's acquisition.

A report from Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) also found that Thai products dominated shelves.

Shopping malls like the Japanese-owned Aeon Mall and Korean-owned Lotte Mart also offer many Japanese and South Korean products.

Imported products are also being offered online, as e-commerce has developed rapidly in Viet Nam.

Customers can easily buy fruit and fresh meat from Australia, the US and New Zealand by just picking up a phone and placing an order.

Technician Kieu Oanh said her news feed on Facebook has many daily notifications from sellers of imported fruit.

She said that buying imported fruit was a better alternative as local fruit had become more expensive and the quality varied from shop to shop.

On Ly Thuong Kiet Street in HCM City, the owner of a shop that imports 30 boxes of foreign fruits a day usually sells out by 2pm.

Daiso stores selling Japanese products and small convenience shops selling Thai products have also become more popular.

In HCM City, several shops selling Japanese products on Le Thanh Ton Street have opened to meet increased demand.
Syrians hold pictures and banners during a demonstration in solidarity with the civilians of the northern city of Aleppo in Idlib, in northwestern Syria. (AFP/Omar haj kadour)

ALEPPO, Syria: Under pressure from Russia and the United States, the Syrian army agreed on Wednesday (May 4) to respect a two-day truce in the war-ravaged city of Aleppo.

The Syrian climb-down came after Washington said the United States and Russia had agreed to push the warring parties to extend their shaky ceasefire.

"A truce will be in place in Aleppo for 48 hours from 1:00 am on Thursday (2200 GMT Wednesday)," Syrian army command said, according to state media.

The Russian defence ministry said Russian ceasefire monitors had agreed with their US counterparts to oversee this truce until midnight on May 6.

But for his part, US Secretary of State John Kerry said a new Aleppo truce had already begun at 2101 GMT and that violence had already fallen off.

On the ground, AFP correspondents said fierce fighting continued in both Aleppo and an area west of Damascus that was already under the ceasefire regime.

"We've seen an overall decrease in violence in those areas even though there are some reports of continued fighting in some locations," Kerry said.

Kerry added that US officials in Geneva are coordinating with their Russian colleagues on "enhanced monitoring efforts for this renewed cessation."

And he stressed that for Washington, the "cessation of hostilities" must spread nationwide and underpin a return by both sides to peace talks in Geneva.

Russia and the United States were joint sponsors of a previous Feb 27 ceasefire agreement that had begun to fall apart, especially around Aleppo.

The city is divided between Bashar al-Assad's government forces, Western-backed opposition forces and Al-Nusra Front rebels not party to the ceasefire.

Last week, Russia agreed to a ceasefire in Latakia and a suburb of Damascus but said Assad should be allowed to fight Al-Nusra "terrorists" in Aleppo.

Intense fighting continued in the city, and hospitals in both rebel and government-held areas were hit, amid some of the worst civilian casualties of the war.

On Sunday, Kerry flew to Geneva for talks with UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura, who in turn went to Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

By Wednesday, Kerry felt confident enough in Russia's "buy-in" to the process that the State Department was able to announce what it hopes will be a new truce. Nevertheless, in Aleppo, new explosions could be heard.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the fighting was "the most violent in Aleppo in over a year".

ROCKET BARRAGE

According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, in recent days rebels have fired a barrage of rockets into regime-held neighbourhoods in western Aleppo. Three more civilians were killed in the attacks early on Wednesday, it said.

Regime warplanes struck the advancing rebels, giving opposition-held areas of eastern Aleppo a respite from the bombing, an AFP correspondent in the city said.

Suspected regime strikes also pummelled the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, after a temporary freeze in the area expired overnight.

Kerry confirmed these strikes, but said the joint US-Russian ceasefire monitoring centre which is being set up in Geneva would redouble its efforts.

Russia had said on Tuesday it hoped a new ceasefire could be agreed "within hours" but on Wednesday said truce efforts had been stymied by jihadists.

Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said a plan had been agreed for Aleppo but fell apart after rocket attacks by Al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

The United Nations said the Syrian government had refused a request for aid access to rebel-held eastern Aleppo, warning that the area could soon be besieged.

The diplomatic push aims to restore peace talks aimed at ending a five-year war that has left more than 270,000 dead and forced millions from their homes.

France announced on Wednesday that it would also host talks with the Saudi, Qatari, Turkish and Emirati foreign ministers on Monday next week.

These countries back the Syrian opposition, and French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said they would focus on efforts to move deadlocked peace talks forward.

TALKS DEADLOCKED

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council was to meet to discuss the crisis in Aleppo.

France's UN ambassador Francois Delattre said the city "is to Syria what Sarajevo was to Bosnia," recalling the bloody 1990s siege of the Bosnian capital.

Syria's civil war erupted in 2011 after Assad brutally suppressed anti-government protests, and quickly escalated into a multi-front conflict.

Militant forces, including the Islamic State group, seized large tracts of the country, leaving civilians and opposition rebels besieged in western cities.
However, Ackman did not mention assets that are not classified as crown jewel, which may include its 65 per cent stake in Vietnamese drug company Euvipharm, which it acquired for $20 million in 2013.

No Euvipharm representative was available for immediate comment.

In July 2013 Euvipharm became a subsidiary of Valeant. At that point, then Valeant CEO Mike Pearson said Vietnam, with its young and dynamic population and demographic trends, was one of the most attractive pharmaceutical markets in Southeast Asia. The Vietnamese healthcare sector is forecast to continue to grow faster than that of many other countries.

He said the joint venture would not only serve the Vietnamese market, but would also be built towards exporting its products to Southeast Asia. It would act as a key manufacturing centre and play a vital part in Valeants regional strategy.

Headquartered in Laval, Quebec, Valeant has approximately 17,000 employees worldwide. Its markets are the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Russia, Africa, and Asia Pacific. Valeant reported an increase in sales in Asia in 2015.

Valeant, which is currently under fire from politicians and investors for its governance and drug-pricing practices, had $30 billion in outstanding debt as of April 2016. The company saw its stock price decrease from the peak of $257.53 on July 31, 2015 to the bottom of $26.98 per share on March 18, 2016, before rising to $35.78 per share on May 4.


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Technology and healthcare have always gone hand in hand, and with the health of the world in crisis at the moment through the
Four human rights workers, an election official and a UN worker were charged at a Phnom Penh court on Tuesday with bribery and conspiracy to bribe a witness.

The six accused  Adhoc investigators Ny Sokha, Nay Vanda, Yi Soksan, Lim Mony; National Election Committee deputy secretary general; and UN officer Soen Sally  were charged with bribery and being accomplices to the bribery of a witness over their alleged involvement with Srey Mom, the witness in an Anti-Corruption Unit case against opposition leader Kem Sokha.

Ly Sophana, deputy prosecutor at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, told VOA that the Chakrya and the Adhoc workers were detained by the court on the aforementioned charges, but he declined to comment on evidence supporting the charges.

Sally, meanwhile, did not appear in court.

These five people were detained by the investigating judge. The four officers working for the Adhoc organization were charged with bribery according to Article 548 of the criminal code. For Ny Chakrya, he was put in temporary detention charged with being an accomplice to bribery of a witness, according to Article 29 and Article 548 of criminal code, he said.

Each defendant could face between five and 10 years behind bars if found guilty.

Am Sam Ath, chief of the investigations unit of rights group Licadho, expressed disappointment that the charges were filed.

We feel very regretful that the ones who used to help the poor people and the citizens, received punishments and were put in prison, he said.

They were detained just one day after Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday announced from Sihanoukville that he could not order the judiciary to take action, but warned all of you who are NGOs or people working for the United Nations, dont rely on your immunity [from prosecution]. You will be in prison when the time comes.

You bribed the witness, you pressured others. Its none of your businessthe law is the law, he said.

The detentions came after, Khom Chandaraty, also known as Srey Mom, released an open letter on April 22 accusing the rights workers of attempting to bribe her to keep quiet about an alleged love affair with Sokha. She has demanded $300,000 in damages.

Kem Ley, a political aspirant and analyst, said that it would take a drastic action, such as the arrest of Sokha, to fully catalyze opposition to the legal actions.

The individual [Sokha] would suffer but the popularity of the party would increase, he said.

San Vatanak, the son of jailed Adhoc official Soksan, said his father was concerned for his fathers health.

My concern is with his health because hes old. So he could get sick, he said. I am afraid his health will get worse.

Civil society groups on Tuesday issued a joint statement condemning in the strongest terms the politically-motivated charging of six human rights defenders from a Cambodian human rights group, the countrys NEC and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Makara Vin always wanted to become a dancer. When he was aged seven, he moved to Battambang to pursue an education in the arts and to train under experienced teachers.

In Battambang he met one teacher who was in a circus act. He soon left behind the dream of professional dancing for a life in the big top.

Circuses have played an important role in Cambodian culture and art, but the survival of the tradition depends on the renewed interest of would-be trainees like Vin.

Ouk Socheat, secretary of state at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Art, said there had been circuses in Cambodia for hundreds of years, but only recently had new acts begun to spring up to fill the gap left by decades of conflict.

Circuses went silent for a long time. But if people are picking it up again now, I will be happy to see this again, he said.

Phare, a Cambodian circus troop that employs people from difficult social and economic backgrounds, has trained performers and organized festivals to promote circus culture for over 10 years.

This year, it is holding the Tiny Tinou Circus International Festival in Phnom Penh from April 28 to April 30 at the Chenla Theatre; Battambang from May 3 to May 6 at Phare Ponleu Selpak; and in Siem Reap from May 8 to May 10 at Phare, the Cambodian Circus.

Aneka Rao, spokesperson for Phare, said it hoped festivals such as this would help re-popularize the circus among Cambodians.

It is very inspiring to watch. There will be a mix of cultural performances, so audiences can experience what its like to live in different cultures, Rao said.

Artists from other countries will also be attending.

We want artists from all over the world to exchange ideas and see how Cambodia does the circus. We also want them to create something new. The international and national artists will stay together to share their skills, learn from each other and create a new show for the audience.

Rom Rachana, 28, who saw Phare twice last year, said the shows were enjoyable and eye catching.

Those people whove never seen it, they dont know how amazing it is when Cambodian and foreign artists perform together. Its much better than watching it on television, he said.

However, Rachana added, few people were aware of the circus and when shows were on.

More than 800 international artists have come from dozens of different countries to join the Tiny Tinou festival this year.

Kheang Meng, 19, a student at Northbridge International School, said hed stumbled across the circus by accident and was expecting a good show.

Ive only seen stage shows before, such as plays. But Ive heard the circus is completely different. There are lots of dynamics and thrills. Thats what Im expecting to see.

Makara, the circus performer, is hoping the art receives more state support.

I want governments to think more about circuses and art. I want it to be widely known, like circuses are in foreign countries. I want the government to help create more working opportunities.
Activist Ouch Leng has received international recognition for his work documenting illegal logging and land abuses in Cambodia over the past two decades.

The Goldman Environmental Foundation on Monday announced that Ouch Leng was among six grassroots campaigners from around the world to be awarded the 2016 Goldman Environmental Prize, which recognizes their efforts to protect the environment and means more financial support for their causes.

Its an honor for Cambodia and its people, Ouch Leng told VOA Khmer after hearing about his award.

He dedicated the award to his countrymen who are fighting to preserve Cambodias remaining forests in the face of rampant illegal logging and damaging government policies.

I would like to appeal to the government to reform its environmental protection policy to ensure the forest is saved for the next generation, he said.

I promise to utilize resources and knowledge to continue the fight and preserve the forest, and I call on people to stand up against illegal loggers, while the government is blindly allowing it to happen.

The endorsement is all the more meaningful given Ouch Lengs life story, which mirrors Cambodias own journey from the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime through years of poverty to the ongoing crisis of landlessness.

Ouch Leng was born in the 1970s in rural Takeo province to a family of peasant farmers. The family survived the Khmer Rouge regime by hiding out in the forests just south of Phnom Penh. His memory of the sanctuary the wilderness provided at that time would drive Ouch Leng later in life to strive to conserve Cambodias forests.

When the war was over, Ouch Lengs family found themselves landless, and moved to Phnom Penh in the early 1980s. My mother became beggar with mental illness, he recalled, while my father worked as cyclo pedaler to earn a living and support my studies.

Left largely on his own, Ouch Leng would work Phnom Penhs streets collecting garbage to make small amounts of money that helped fund his education, he said. He made an arrangement where he could attend school if he helped out the teachers and cleaned the classrooms.

Despite this adversity, Ouch Leng graduated high school in 1993 and won a scholarship to study law at the Royal University of Law and Economics. Since completing his degree in 1997, he has dedicated himself to addressing what he saw as Cambodias two most damaging problems: land grabbing and deforestation.

Under a program intended to draw investment in industrial-scale agricultural projects, the government has since the early 2000s issued hundreds of economic land concessions, or ELCs, to private companies and individuals.

Corruption and poor oversight of this program led to mass evictionsoften enforced through state violenceas well as deforestation when concessions were handed out for areas covered by forest. Additionally, concessions have been used as a cover for illegal logging in supposedly protected forests, with illegal timber smuggled into concession areas and passed off as legally felled wood.

Ouch Lengs approach to this problem was to shine a light on the murky goings in the forests.

He went undercover, posing at various times as laborer, timber dealer, driver, tourist and cook to document illegal logging. He went after Cambodias largest timber magnate, Try Pheap, publishing photo and video evidence of the plunder that went unimpeded thanks to links between loggers and high-level government officials.

Doing so has meant taking considerable risks with his own safety.

In 2012, Ouch Lengs sometime colleague Chut Wutty was gunned down while guiding journalists to investigate forestry crimes in Koh Kong province. And in November last year, a park ranger and a police officer were gunned down in Preah Vihear province while patrolling forests for illegal logging and poaching. Ouch Leng has been subjected to threats against himself and his family that have forced him into hiding more than once.

Despite the perilousness of confronting those involved in deforestation in Cambodia, he promotes an approach to conservation that mobilizes communities to stand up to loggers and authorities.

We all work voluntarily as a community because of the unresponsiveness from the government to help us, said Ouch Leng, who founded the Cambodia Human Rights Task Force, and has also worked with the countrys established rights groups Adhoc and Licadho.

The work of Ouch Leng and others has gained some traction in recent years, and the government has begun to respond. In 2013, the government called an end to the policy of awarding economic land concessions, and later returned some land to its former occupiers.

He vows to keep up his work, however. I am going to live up to this recognition, he told VOA Khmer of the award. I call upon the people of Cambodia to join me and the community to protect our forest for younger generations.
Cambodian journalists will visit the U.S. to observe the presidential election in November to learn from their American colleagues experience of covering the polls, a media development group has said.

The US-based International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) said this week that 25 Cambodians would receive online training from May to July before 15 participants would be selected to visit the states.

People here also learn from foreign journalists, but what Cambodians take back is how they can apply what they have seen, observed and learned in their own society by tailoring it to the needs of their media and election systems, Babar Taimoor, ICFJ program director, told VOA in a phone interview on Monday.

Cambodia is set to hold its local elections in 2017 and a general election in 2018.

ICFJ said it is now seeking potential candidates, with long-term commitments to journalism and a strong interest in election coverage, for the six-week program.

Kann Vicheika, a reporter for Voice of Democracy (VOD), said she had already applied for the program.

As we know, the U.S. is a real democracy and its election system is different from that of Cambodia, so if I have a chance to observe the U.S. elections firsthand, I will improve my own capacity and help my colleagues as well when we cover the next elections in Cambodia, she said.

Taing Vida, a journalist with a local newspaper The Khmer Times, said he was also in the process of applying to the program.

The program will be a good opportunity for me to strengthen my understanding of election coverage as well as how to use information and communication technology tools in the U.S. election coverage, so that I can share this knowledge among my Cambodian colleagues to ensure a fair and transparent election in Cambodia, he said on Monday.

As our Cambodian journalists understanding and coverage of elections in Cambodia is still limited, such a program is a perfect opportunity for them, said Yoeurng Sotheara, an monitoring officer for the local election watchdog Comfrel.

The Cambodian journalists selected for the study tour will visit Washington D.C, an election battleground state in the Midwest, and Long Beach, CA, according to the ICFJ.

The program is supported and funded by the U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh.

Jay Raman, the embassys public affairs officer, said it was the best time for Cambodian journalists to see how American journalists practice their trade in the upcoming U.S. general elections.

So what better time could that be to send a group of Cambodian journalists to see how we do our political reporting? he said.

And hopefully they'll get some ideas and some lessons that they can bring back to Cambodia to use in their own work.
Each morning, Phan Kha drags her cart full of mussels through the streets of Phnom Penh. She pulls the cart up to 20 kilometers a day, and on a good day, she makes $10.

The cart provides a living, allowing her to pay her $20 in rent each month and to have enough to eat. But on a recent morning, Phan Kha, 59, said she has few options. She did not have a high school education, and she has a family of eight grandchildren to help care for.

Sometimes I could make 50,000 riel, or sometimes 60,000 riel, she said. It depends. Sometimes the cart stays full, as it is now.

There are many Cambodian women like her, forced into menial labor by a lack of opportunity and education. And as US Secretary of State John Kerry prepares for a visit next week, Phan Khas story and others highlight the huge challenges faced by policymakers in creating more gender equality for women and more opportunities for Cambodias poor, in general.

The World Bank says that though Cambodia has greatly reduced its poverty rate, a vast majority of families who escaped poverty were only able to do so by a small margin. That has left a huge number of near-poor, about 90 percent of Cambodians living in rural areas. Of Cambodias 15 million people, 3 million are poor and 8.1 million are near-poor.

Not far from Phan Kha and her cart, Talaois Sarifas, 44, was accompanying a relative to a hospital. She is a fisherman from Kampong Cham province, making about 15,000 riel, or less than $4, on a good day, she said. These days, fish are very scarce. I can only catch one or two fish sometimes per day.

Some days, she thinks about finding work in Malaysia, but both her mother and her children are in her care. The difficulty is that Im poor, and my children are studying, she said. I would like to have a small shop to sell clothes from, but I dont have any money.

Nearby, Touch Dany, a 32-year-old soft drink vendor, has her own mobile cart. She works from early in the morning until after dark and returns home to chores and children. After the business, when I get back home, I have to do the kitchen things and tidy the house, she said. Sometimes she doesnt go to bed until midnight.

All three women were found around one street in Phnom Penh. And it could have been any street. In the countryside, things are even more economically dire. Finding ways to improve the lives of Cambodian women is a major undertaking.

USAIDs senior coordinator for gender equality and womens empowerment, Susan Markham, told VOA Khmer on a visit to Cambodia last year that improving the lives of women here require robust institutions to tackle poverty. And thats not only in the government, but in the private sector.

Its really a whole wrap of factors that come together, she said. You need good governance, from the parliamentary level all the way down to the local level. You need to have people being educated and feeling that education is actually important for jobs. So it is a wide range of factors that need to be addressed.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday issued three separate summonses for deputy president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party Kem Sokha and two lawmakers related to salacious phone records allegedly showing that Sokha engaged in an affair, a court spokesman said on Tuesday.

A court spokesman said on Tuesday that summonses were issued to Sokha and two opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmakers, Tob Vann Chan and Pin Ratana.

They are expected to attend court on May 11 and 16.

Sokha is due to attend the court on May 11 over a separate defamation case filed by former CNRP activist Thy Sovanntha.

In March, a series of leaked of phone records, which were purportedly between Kem Sokha and a woman named Khom Chandaraty, appeared to suggest they had an affair.

Chandaraty later testified to the anti-terrorism police department, denying that she had had an affair with Sokha. However, she changed her testimony after the release of the phone records and further questioning.

On April 22, she wrote an open letter accusing four local rights workers of attempting to bribe her to provide false testimony and demanding $300,000 in compensation.

Days later the authorities took action, arresting a local opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party official, and on Sunday proceeded to detain the rights workers and an election official, who were charged on Monday.

A United Nations worker was also charged in absentia.

Sokha could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. He has yet to comment on the cases.

CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann declined to comment on the case as it was a personal issue.

Sundays arrests brings the total number of jailed opposition members and supporters to at least 16.

Kem Ley, a politician and analyst, compared the current tensions to 1997, when the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party appied pressure to the royalist Funcinpec party.

The more they [the opposition] are mistreated, the more sympathy they will get, he said. They could easily win a majority in the next election, but at this rate will need a lot of replacements.
Phnom Penh city officials on Thursday denied a request from civil society groups to march on the Anti-Corruption Unit headquarters to demonstrate against the jailing of four rights workers and an election official.

Mean Yada, city administration chief, said the decision was reached after a two-hour meeting at Phnom Penh Municipal Hall determined that the six signatories to the request were not representing civil society groups and the proposed march to the ACU clashed with a scheduled thousands-strong bicycle ride in the same area for European Union Day, due to be held on Saturday.

During discussion with representatives of petitioners in the meeting, we see they showed their personal intention. So they came on their own behalf and not to represent others, Yada said after the meeting.

Four rights workers and an official from the National Election Committee were arrested on Sunday, and on Monday were handed bribery charges over their alleged attempt to silence a witness in a sex scandal case against Kem Sokha, the opposition deputy leader.

The signatories to the petition for the proposed ACU demonstration described the bodys investigation as a form of intimidation and harassment.

Yada said a protest was no longer necessary as Om Yentieng, head of the ACU, had attended the meeting to answer the points raised in the application.

Meas Leakhena, one of six people to sign the petition, said she would march on Saturday despite having no permission.

I wont quit it. We will march [to submit] the petition. Everyone knows that the Phnom Penh authority never gives permission to protest.

If Yentieng had accepted her petition in Thursdays meeting, she added, there would have been no need to protest. However, she said he rejected the document.

Leakhena said the estimated 2,000 people who wished to join the protest felt they wanted to give something back to the jailed rights workers.

They help victims but they end up in prison. We experienced injustice and scapegoating; we know they feel suffering, she said.

Many of those who would join the march, she added, were the victims of land grabs and other injustices in the past.

Permission or denial of their request to protest rested with the Phnom Penh authorities. I was only invited to the meeting to answer the petitioners questions, Yentieng said.

On Monday, Phnom Penh Municipal Court sent four rights workers and the National Election Committees deputy secretary general to jail on charges of bribing witnesses and conspiracy to bribe witnesses.

Opposition deputy leader Kem Sokha and two Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmakers were called for questioning over a sex scandal involving Sokha and his alleged mistress Khom Chantaraty, whom the rights workers and election official are accused of attempting to bribe.
Cambodian educators say they are working on improving studies in science, technology, engineering and math.

These so-called STEM skills are typically poorly studied in the Cambodian school system, but educators say they will be necessary for successful job skills in the future.

Ros Salin, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education, said STEM skills will soon be added to the nations education curriculum, starting in primary school. The more kids understand what STEM is, the more they will choose STEM as their career when they grow up, he said.

Private education institutions are also focusing more on STEM. Meng Hieng, CEO of Kid City, said his institution has created courses that use equipment and entertaining curriculum for science studies.

To make STEM a success, we need to make the kids like, be happy with, and want to join in science and its activities, he said.

The Ministry of Education, with the support of the UK Embassy and an educational consulting firm called IDP, has recruited 68 ambassadors to raise awareness and inspire young people to study STEM subjects.

Cambodias labor market will need people with these skills in a more competitive market, as ASEAN countries integrate further. Von Seymao, marketing manager for IDP, said STEM studies should start when students are young. The earlier the better.
Cambodias National Election Committee (NEC) is preparing to enter the names of the countrys 10 million or so eligible voters into a new high-tech system that it is hoped will give the electoral roll more credibility in time for hotly anticipated elections.

Duplicated and missing names have dogged the lists at previous elections, and election monitors are concerned that the NEC has not yet begun digitizing the lists. Commune-level elections are expected as early as June 2017.

Koul Panha, executive director of the Commission for Free and Fair Elections, or COMFREL, said the registration process is a significant task for an understaffed and underfunded NEC.

This time they have to register all voters again. That means people who are already registered need to come and register again as now theres a new registration system, Kuol Panha said, explaining that as well as those who have already voted in previous polls, those who have recently passed the voting age, 18, will also have to be registered.

Its a computer system and you need to input data like photos and fingerprints into the computer.

Koul Panha said the government should set a date for the elections as soon as possible to make the NECs work easierin particular determining which young voters will be eligible.

This is an issuewe have not set a clear election date, he said. The second issue is the political atmosphere. We are seeing many problems because the opposition party faces strong pressure from the authorities, the government and the National Assembly.

The opposition seems not to have prepared at all to participate in election registration or the election yet. That is because the political atmosphere is tense and there could be violations creating fear among opposition activists, the people and opposition supporters, especially the CNRP, he added, referring to the Cambodia National Rescue Party.

This is a problem that we are concerned about for the registration and the election work in the future.

The ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, lost 22 seats in the 2013 National Election as the CNRP, a newly united opposition force, made large gains. In response, the ruling party is strengthening its local and national-level election strategies, hoping to win back some popularity.

Sam Kuntheamy, head of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections, or NICFEC, another election monitoring group, said further delays in registering voters could cause difficulties for parties hoping to begin their campaign preparations. He suggested that the process should be started before the rainy season.

If the voter registration is done in September, it will face many difficultiesbased on my experiencebecause September is the rainy season, he told VOA Khmer.

Before, when registration was held in September and October, there were a lot of difficulties thanks to the rainy season. This makes it difficult for the voters.

Second, registering voters in September would end in Decemberthe registration will take three months because it is the new voter list. If it goes beyond December, we could face problems. If the Commune Elections take place in June, as in the last term, its too close and a very short time.

If registration cannot be completed on time, the old voter lists, which are riddled with problems, would have to be used, he added.

The head of the NEC, Sik Bun Hok, met last month with Japanese Ambassador Yuji Kumamaru and European Union Ambassador George Edgar to discuss cooperation in expediting the registration, the committee said in a statement.

NEC officials were not authorized to talk to the media, but told VOA Khmer that the E.U. would be providing computers to help with the new lists. The NEC is also waiting for the government to tell it when the elections will be held, officials said, on condition on anonymity.

Many new political parties are planning to compete in next years Commune Elections, although the NEC has not yet allowed them to register.

As well as electing local decision makers, the polls are important at a national level, since commune officials elect the senators that fill the upper house of Cambodias parliament. In the last such election, held in 2012, the CPP won a sweeping majority, taking the commune chief positions in 1,592 out of 1,630 communes and a total of 8,292 commune council seats.
Prak Sokhon, Cambodias newly appointed foreign minister, on Thursday convened a meeting with 29 embassy officials following his appointment as the replacement for retiring elder statesman Hor Namhong.

The meeting occurred amid heightened political tensions, with the judiciary issuing subpoenas to opposition members and rights workers over allegations of defamation and involvement in a sex scandal plaguing opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party deputy president Kem Sokha.

Chum Sounry, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that neither Sokhon nor embassy officials discussed the current political situation during the meeting on Thursday.

In this meeting, after his Excellency [Prak Sokhon] talked, the 29 chiefs of diplomatic missions who attended this meeting exchanged opinions. During this meeting, nobody mentioned the current political situation in Cambodia. Thus, there was no discussion on the current political situation, he said.

The meeting came just three days after the Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged four rights workers, an election official and a UN worker with bribery and being an accomplice to bribery of the key witness in the case against Sokha  his alleged mistress Khom Chandaraty.

Civil society groups said the charges were politically motivated.

On Monday, Transparency International and Human Rights Watch issued statements calling on the Cambodian authorities to end the harassment of civil society. 
For the first time, the wife of the US ambassador to Cambodia is herself a Cambodian.

Sotie Heidt, whose family name is Kenmano, fled the Khmer Rouge in the 1980s and resettled in the United States.

She lost both parents and other relatives to the Khmer Rouge, and she decided when she left the refugee camp on the border she would pursue higher education.

When my parents were alive, they always said that only the well-educated can get themselves out of difficulty, no matter what, Sotie told VOA Khmer in an interview.

At the start of her second year living in the US, she enrolled at Evergreen State College, in Washington. After graduating from Cornell University with a masters degree, she moved back to Cambodia, in 1997, where she met her husband, William Heidt, who was working at the embassy.

The couple returned to Cambodia late last year, when William began his mission as ambassador.

Sotie says she has never forgotten her homeland, and she plans to help young Cambodian women be successful. She hopes to help connect young women with successful female mentors, to give them opportunities to grow professionally.

Since I have been here, I have talked to younger female students on how to be successful in life, she said. However, I also have been impressed that there are many successful people. Not just oknha, who are called successful, but there are also many other successful business [women], or those who work in the ministries, who feel proud to work in those jobs.

There are too few channels to connect young women to older, successful women, a fact that Sotie hopes to remedy. She also hopes to help the elderly and young children, by connecting them to American philanthropists.

She will encourage young women to stay in school, to fight against a high school dropout rate of around 25 percent.

And she thinks it is time that Cambodia sheds its dark past and develop a vision going forward, she said.

I think its been a long time already, she said. Neither the internationals or Cambodians need to mention genocide whenever they talk about Cambodia, she said. Rather, she would like Cambodia to be known for its beauty, its tourism and its economic opportunities.
Lieutenant General Hun Manet has defended his father Prime Minister Hun Sens record, saying people should remember the role Hun Sen played in bringing peace and national reconciliation to the country.

Peace and stability have brought Cambodia to where it is now, Manet, Hun Sens eldest son, told VOA Khmer in an exclusive interview. These are the basis for development and hope for the future of our people. These are two crucial foundations.

Rights groups have criticized Prime Minister Hun Sens 30-year rule for its harsh treatment of political opponents, rampant corruption, over-exploitation of natural resources, and a widening gap between rich and poor.

Despite offering a defense of Hun Sens record, Manet said it was up to the people to choose how to define the strongmans legacy.

For the general population, they should consider that in evaluating a persons legacy they must look at every aspect, he said. Even the opposition party or some individuals who say that there is no freedom or the government is a dictatorship, they are using the freedom [created by Hun Sen] to express their opinion to say that there is a dictatorship. They are using different means, like media, Facebook or whatever, that are in use or have been allowed.

Over one million Cambodian migrant workers are employed in Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, and other countries in the region. Critics say this labor exodus is evidence the government has failed to provide jobs at home.

However, Manet said there were also some positive aspects of Cambodias migrant worker issue.

Migration, which has seen our people working in Thailand, is not all negative, he said. There are positive aspects to it, too, if they go to work legally and we have measures to support the rights and benefits of our laborers overseas.

He added that migrant workers gain valuable skills which they can use to secure higher paying jobs or form businesses when they return, while the government is working to boost the local jobs market by providing more information to job-seekers, training the workforce, developing new industries and finding new markets for agricultural products.

Manet, who recently concluded a 10-day tour of the US that was marred by street protests, said he has been unfairly tarred with the same brush as his father and encouraged observers to focus on his personal contributions to the country.

If you accuse the father and that accusation spreads to his children, then would that also mean even my children and  [my father's] grandchildren are also involved?

If you dare to use your rights to accuse other people, you must dare to be accountable. You have an obligation to show whose land Hun Manet grabbed, who Hun Manet killed and where Hun Manet spread communist ideology. You have to prove these [accusations], not just say them. (additional reporting by Say Mony)
During this weeks visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry, officials mainly discussed economic and security issues, but Kerry also took time to tour the National Museum and to discuss the potential return of Cambodian antiquities.

The museum, founded in 1920, has on display around 1,600 artifacts, from a stored collection of some 17,000. But many of the countrys antiquities are scattered abroad, stolen and sold by looters during decades of conflict.

In an address to reporters Tuesday, Kerry touted the recent return of some artifacts to Cambodia from US museums and collectors and he praised the National Museum as, an extraordinary asset, a goldmine of treasure from the past that tells the story of human development in this part of the world.

Kerry was hosted at the museum by Culture Minister Chouch Phoeun and National Museum Director Kong Virak. On his visit, he paid special attention to the conservation of antiquities, some of which the US has helped bring back through an agreement with Cambodia.

Chouch Phoeun told VOA Khmer later that Kerry was interested in learning how well the statues and other antiquities are taken care of on their return to Cambodia. The artifacts are here and are in great care, the minister said.

Chouch Phoeun urged other countries to follow similar agreements and return Cambodian antiquities. But he also acknowledged that some of Cambodias lost history may never return. Some may stay forevermore in the hands of collectors, and some has already been irreparably destroyed, he said.
The head of Cambodias leading center for the study of the Khmer Rouge era has urged Armenia to lead efforts to promote education about genocide globally.

Youk Chhang traveled to the South Caucuses nation to attend events last month marking the 100th anniversary of the start of the Armenian Genocide. The founder and executive director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, known as DC-Cam, Youk Chhang, is also behind the Sleuk Rith Institute, a project currently underway to establish in Phnom Penh a permanent research center and memorial to the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime.

Genocide education is indispensable to peace and prosperityincluding human rights protection, Youk Chhang was quoted as saying by the official Armenian news agency, ARMENPRESS, while taking part in the forum entitled Against the Crime of Genocide in the capital, Yerevan.

Armenia should take the lead or team up with other countries who have been through genocide  seize the opportunity offered by ourselves who suffered genocide to establish the worlds first genocide education program for all, he added.

The conference was aimed at promoting discussion about acts of mass murder. The Armenian Genocide took place between 1915 and 1923, when about 1.5 million people are believed to have died at the hands of the Ottoman government in what is now Turkey.

The event was controversial since Turkeywhich was formed as an independent republic in 1923 after the fall of the Ottoman Empiredenies the genocide took place. Nearly 30 countries have officially recognized that a genocide occurred, and Armenia is lobbying for more countries to recognize what many historians characterize as a systematic attempt to exterminate a people.

Hollywood actor George Clooney attended the conference and expressed that he would like to visit Cambodia, Youk Chhang said.

The Armenian government also organized a Remembrance Day of Genocide on April 24, which was marked by protests in Yerevan.

Youk Chhang told VOA Khmer that Turkeys policy of denying the genocide was a source of tension, adding that Armenian youths took the streets and torched the Turkish national flag during the demonstrations.

He suggested that education programs for young people in both Turkey and Armenia could help to calm the two countries antagonistic relations, calling on Armenias foreign minister to lead efforts to establish world genocide education.

The youth of both countries need to have accurate memory of their own society, Youk Chhang said in an email.

About 1.7 million people died in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979 under the Pol Pot regime. The period is often referred to as a genocide, although there is debate among scholars over whether it constitutes the definition of the crime set out in a 1948 United Nations convention.

Former Khmer Rouge leaders Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea are facing trial at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Phnom Penh. The pair have already been convicted of crimes against humanity, but a second phase of their trial is currently being heard that includes charges of genocide, specifically against the Muslim Cham and ethnic Vietnamese minorities.

Youk Chhang noted that the Armenian Genocide early in the last century had been followed by numerous other genocidal acts around the world. He stressed that education about genocide and discussion of the subject was crucial, especially in post-conflict societies like Cambodia, if such atrocities are not to be repeated.
Legal experts and human rights activists reacted with caution to the legal measures taken by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court this week after four human rights activists and National Election Committee official were detained on Tuesday.

Sok Sam Oeun, the defense lawyer, said that it was difficult for him to come to a conclusion in relation to the court's decision to detain the five officials because he did not understand on what grounds they were being held.

Khom Chandaraty, also known as Srey Mom, allegedly engaged in an extra-marital affair with opposition deputy president Kem Sokha, which is the subject of an ongoing government investigation.

The rights workers were alleged to have paid about $200 to Chandaraty when they met with her following the announcement of the allegations.

If you accept $200 and tell a lie, thats bribery but if she [Chandaraty] doesnt have money or a job and needed help and [the rights workers] just helped her financially, thats not bribery. But I dont know on what grounds the court is holding them, so we cant decide whether the charges are fair or not, Sam Oeun said.

Moeun Tola, executive director of the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights, said it was not right for the court to use a small payment of $200 as grounds for a bribery charge as the organization in question, local rights group Adhoc, provides legal and social services to clients.

The four Adhoc workers - Ny Sokha, Nay Vanda, Yi Soksan, and Lim Mony  were charged with bribery and being accomplices to bribery on Monday along with election official Ny Chakrya.

Am Sam Ath, chief of the investigation unit of human rights group Licadho, said civil society was skeptical of the veracity of the charges.

We are still doubtful but what I believe is that the individuals of Adhoc worked in line with ethics  we have seen for 20 years that it [Adhoc] works to help the victims of human rights violations, land rights violations and other injustices, he said.

But Ly Sophana, a court spokesman, declined to comment on the evidence that would warrant a trial.

Transparency International on Monday said in a statement it was seriously concerned by increasing allegations of political interference and intimidation of human rights and anti-corruption activists in Cambodia.

The Anti-Corruption Unit should not be used in such a way that intimidates and silences the voice of civil society activists, Elena Panfilova, vice chair of Transparency International, said in the statement.

Om Yentieng, director of the Anti-Corruption Unit, could not be reached for comment.
A U.S. navy commander has been sentenced to over six years in prison for giving classified information on ship deployments to an Asian defense contractor in return for cash, gifts and prostitutes.



Captain-select Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz was the latest military official to receive a sentence in the "bribes-for-business" scandal, which has primarily involved the U.S. Seventh Fleet. Nine other individuals have also been charged in connection with the scheme and several admirals were censured over it, effectively ending their careers.



In addition to jail time of 78 months, Misiewicz was fined $100,000 in a San Diego federal court Friday for one count of conspiracy and one count of bribery. His sentence is the longest handed out so far in the scandal.



Misiewicz pleaded guilty to providing classified information to a Singapore-based company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), which used the knowledge to beat competitors and overbill the Navy by millions of dollars. In return, Misiewicz admitted that he was given cash, a designer handbag for his wife, luxury travel for his family, and the services of prostitutes.

Misiewicz told prosecutors that he and his conspirators took steps to avoid detection by using clandestine e-mail accounts which they periodically deleted.



Attorneys for Misiewicz tried to downplay the sensitivity of the classified material that he gave to GDMA and said the navy commander was not aware the contractor was defrauding the Navy.



GDMA's work for the U.S. Navy involved tending to and supplying warships when they arrived in various East Asian ports.



Prosecutors say that Misiewicz and his conspirators gave the defense contractor detailed information regarding ship deployments so the company would be ready to bid on servicing the U.S. ships upon arrival. Misiewicz is also accused of using his influence to divert ships to Asian ports that were controlled by GDMA, allowing the contractor to inflate prices.



The head of GDMA, Leonard Francis, has pleaded guilty to bribery and fraud charges and is waiting sentencing. The 50-year old, known in military circles as "Fat Leonard" because of his large size, has agreed to forfeit $35 million he made in the scheme.



GDMA has serviced U.S. Navy ships in Asia for 25 years.
A direct phone call from Prime Minister Hun Sen alerted 36-year-old City Hall deputy chief of administration Long Dimanche to his new role as Cambodias envoy to South Korea.

Dimanche will replace Suth Dina, the disgraced former ambassador who was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Unit on April 4 on corruption charges and jailed in Phnom Penhs Prey Sar prison days later.

Speaking to VOA Khmer following his appointment, Dimanche said he had not expected to receive the call from Hun Sen.

I was a bit surprised when I received the call from the premier to serve in the new post, he said.

The eldest of two sons of Long Visalo, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and son-in-law to Nhim Vanda, vice president of the National Committee for Disaster Management, Dimanche studied international relations in France before getting a job as assistant to then-Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema in 2005.

Since then successive ruling Cambodian Peoples Party reshuffles have seen the young civil servant take on increasing responsibilities.

The most recent cabinet reshuffle saw his father, Visalo, the second-highest-ranking foreign ministry official, overlooked for the post of Foreign Minister to replace the outgoing Hor Namhong in favor of former Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Prak Sokhon.

Visalo, then an academic, was jailed by the Khmer Rouge after returning to the country in 1975. As the only Cambodian the regime could identify identify who had geographic information skills at the time, he was put to work to draw up a new administrative map of the country. After his work was done he was sent to the infamous Boeung Trabek prison.

Dimanche said that although his father had helped him pursue an education and find work, his appointment was not nepotistic.

The appointment is not based on blood lines as some people have suggested, he said, adding that he would strive to serve Cambodian migrant workers in South Korea as the new ambassador.

The corruption issue is an issue we have to solve, he said. Even when I worked in Phnom Penh Municipal Hall, I worked with transparency, collecting opinions from the public when there were allegations of irregularities.

When Visalo was serving as ambassador to Fidel Castros Cuba in 1982, Dimanche accompanied his father, going to elementary school in Havana for two years.

He returned to finish high school in Cambodia before attending Pariss Dauphine University and later the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Internationale, from 1997 to 2004.

Chum Sounry, spokesman for the foreign ministry, told VOA Khmer that Dimanches experience and academic background in international affairs made him the perfect candidate for the role.

The person who is going to serve in the role as ambassador needs to understand international relations, diplomatic relations, and have the ability to help Cambodian workers in South Korea, he said.

He added that the former deputy chief of administration had also gained useful experience in land dispute settlement during his time with City Hall.

But housing rights activists from the Boeung Kak and Borey Keila communities begged to differ.

Tep Vanny, a prominent Boeung Kak lake activist who has had many a run-in with city security forces, said Dimanche was not a suitable candidate for the ambassador job because he had been a dishonest spokesman for the municipality.

He is not sincere in his words to reporters and the people. He seems to not have the ability to tell the truth or the will to serve the people who are victims, such as the Beoung Kak residents, she said.

Dimanche countered that the controversies he found himself at the heart of during his City Hall tenure had taught him valuable lessons and that many of his critics were unaware of the behind-the-scenes work he had done with local communities.

While he would miss working in Phnom Penh, he said that his appointment was a childhood dream come true.

He went on to admit, however, that while he had studied international relations and was confident he could fulfill his duties, he had little practical experience.

I have learned the theories of international relations. But in reality I have no experience.
The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO), in a new report, warn Southeast Asia faces a child nutrition crisis amid increasing numbers of under nourished and obese children despite decades of economic growth. The agencies are calling for greater regulation of junk food and limiting sugary drinks for children, as well as tackling malnutrition that has resulted in chronic levels of stunted children living in poverty.

The joint UNICEF and WHO report, released Monday, says Southeast Asia is facing mounting health costs as a result of child malnutrition and obesity  a double burden  increasingly apparent in the middle income countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The report says in Indonesia alone child malnutrition undermines child development, leading to non-communicable diseases at an annual cost of $248 billion a year.

Children's food problems are increasing

Dorothy Foote, a UNICEF regional nutritional specialist, called the problems a burgeoning crisis covering both child nutrition and levels of nutrition in general.

At UNICEF we are particularly concerned about children but in general we do have a crisis. Thats going to affect not only families and communities but also governments and societies, that the costs of the double burden are tremendous, Foote told VOA.

The reports surveys found an almost equal percentage in most countries of overweight and under nourished children.

In Indonesia, 12 percent of children are overweight, with the same percentage of children malnourished. In Thailand, the report says the trends are increasing with under nutrition affecting seven percent of children while 11 percent of children are overweight.

Foote said there is still a tremendous burden of under nutrition, both chronic and acute. Levels of stunting among children are especially serious. Laos faces the highest proportion of stunted children at 44 percent, with high rates also reported in Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Indonesia.

The report says that around three quarters, or 12 million of the 17 million stunted children in Southeast Asia, live in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Foote said children are not receiving adequate food and that is affecting both height and internal development. At the same time the region is facing skyrocketing levels of overweight children.

Report blames junk food

The main reason for the food problems, the report says, lies in greater access to junk processed foods and drinks with high trans-fat or sugar content and low nutritional value. The report also cites physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles.

The trends come despite years of development, with the region seen as a key economic driver for the world economy. But while overall growth figures have been positive, there has been a growing gap between the rich and poor leading to a widening in income disparities.

Foote said this impact is evident in nutrition across the region. What we see is that the knowledge about what is needed for healthy child growth and what is normal in healthy child growth is still very low in the general population and even decision makers and leaders, she said.

Economic growth has led to greater market reach of unhealthy products into rural areas, as well as poor and middle class families, able to afford the products but without making the the right choices to use healthier foods instead.

The result is were seeing poor feeding practices, particularly for children under two years old, resulting in persisting high levels of malnutrition but also growing levels of obesity and overweight, Foote said.

Report advocates government regulation of food marketing

The UNICEF/WHO report says governments need to increasingly regulate the marketing of junk food and sugary drinks to children and restricting such foods availability in schools.

Child malnutrition has also been linked to mothers who stop breast feeding and substituting with infant formula, but often in situations where the water used to mix with the powder is unclean.

The report also calls on governments to improve feeding practices for infants and young children, provide treatment for acutely malnourished children, increase agricultural varieties and hygiene practices as well as ensuring girls remain in school. And the report wants governments to continue to take steps to reduce overall poverty levels.
A new access to information bill was discussed in Phnom Penh on Tuesday, World Press Freedom Day, with some raising hopes that it could be a positive step by the government towards redressing the balance of power when it comes to the media.

Cambodia has introduced several pieces of legislation in this term which have worried freedom of information and press freedom campaigners, such as the cyber crime law.

Anne Lemaistre, the country representative for Unesco, the UN cultural affairs body, said the right to access information in the public good was a basic right that should be afforded to all Cambodians, adding that increased transparency would also benefit the government in the long run.

Khieu Kanharith, the information minister, told reporters that the bill, consisting of nine chapters and 29 articles, was still under discussion.

The law will determine the obligations government institutions hold to respond to requests for access to public records.

Pen Bonar, Club of Cambodian Journalists president, said the law, if passed, would open space for more investigations into government activities.

For journalists, we dont have the rights to tie them up, he joked. However, an article could be so powerful that an official can either be demoted or promoted or imprisoned when journalists report irregularities or wrongdoings.

This is the power of journalists who help provide positive impacts for the society.

Cambodia ranked 128 of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders 2016 Press Freedom Index, released last month. It was a slight improvement on the 2015 ranking, suggesting journalists in the Kingdom were more at liberty to report freely than they had previously been. However, reporting on certain issues  particularly illegal logging and human trafficking still brought significant risk.

Cambodia ranked ahead of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam in the study.

Pa Ngoun Teang, Cambodian Center for Independent Media executive director, said three factors had contributed to Cambodias apparent improving performance: fewer reporters being subjected to violence and intimidation; less political pressure on journalists and media institutions; and the worsening media environment in neighboring countries, such as Thailand.

Due to political pressure, a lack of protection mechanisms, corrupt courts  journalists take a step back. Some journalists do not dare to touch on controversial issue. For instance, theres a situation. We broadcast that theres a campaign cracking down on deforestation. But whether the campaign is effective, where the wood is stored, the person involved, no one dares to do the investigation.

While he was generally supportive of the bill, he was skeptical of government intentions.

The European Union said in a statement that it condemned the increasing level of intimidation and violence that journalists, Human Rights Defenders, media actors and other individuals face in many countries across the world when exercising the right to freedom of opinion and expression online and offline.
Cambodias main opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, defended his self-imposed exile as the only responsible choice, on Wednesday in an op-ed published in a local English-language daily following ongoing criticism of the decision, this time by a prominent political analyst.

Over the past week opposition representatives and rights workers have faced legal threats over allegations of corruption that are the basis of an ongoing investigation into Rainsys deputy in the Cambodia National Rescue Party, Kem Sokha.

Rainsy decided not to return to Cambodia from a tour of Asia in November last year after an arrest warrant was issued by a Cambodian court over a years-old defamation case brought by the former foreign minister, Hor Namhong.

The opposition leader had accused Namhong of participating in crimes against humanity while running the notorious Boeung Trabek prison under the Khmer Rouge.

He was sentenced to two years in jail and fined $2,000; however, upon his return to Cambodia ahead of the 2013 election it was assumed he had received a pardon.

Ou Virak, head of the Future Forum, a think tank, had criticized Rainsy, saying he had lacked the courage to face jail.

[T]he present situation might look different had Mr. Rainsy had the courage to return to Cambodia and stare down his jail sentence in November, as he promised to do in a public speech, Virak said in the op-ed.

In Rainsys piece in the Cambodia Daily on Wednesday, he wrote that a series of unexpected events in November 2015, including the stripping of his parliamentary immunity when the warrant was issued, had led to the decision.

I learned that an arrest warrant against me was issued that day in Phnom Penh in spite of my parliamentary immunity. I publicly said that day this would not change my plan to return to Cambodia on the 16th [of November] as had been scheduled, he wrote, going on to say that the decision to revoke his immunity was meant to deprive him of a defensive weapon for the legal battle I was preparing to conduct on the ground.

He added that he was informed that there was a risk to the well-being of CNRP supporters who planned to meet him at the airport if he returned.

What would another Cambodian opposition leader have decided on his return that day under such circumstances if he claims to be responsible?
Analysts and rights defenders in Cambodia have reacted strongly against the imprisonment of human rights workers over allegations of bribery.

The comments come on the heels of a Phnom Penh Municipal Court summons for analyst Ou Virak, expected to appear before the court on May 12, followed by a defamation complaint filed by ruling Cambodian Peoples Party spokesman Sok Eysan last week demanding $100,000 in compensation.

In late April, Virak, the head of local think-tank called the Future Forum, was quoted on local media saying that the CPP had orchestrated the sexual scandal between Khom Chandaraty and opposition leader Kem Sokha.

The lawsuit, filed on Monday last week, just hours after Prime Minister Hun Sen posted on his Facebook a threat of legal action against anyone who criticized the CPP.

Civil society groups yesterday said the lawsuit was a sign of diminishing freedom of expression in the Kingdom.

Am Sam Ath, a technical supervisor at local human rights group Licadho, told VOA Khmer Monday that he saw the political tension in Cambodia leading to increasing pressure on freedom of speech.

This complaint is a message saying that all criticism and expression are restricted and need to be rethought. This is a message to threaten all the people, who criticized and expressed their opinion, Sam Ath said, adding that the lawsuit appeared to happen faster than other lawsuits, and the lawsuit against the analyst showed that the government had strayed from the rule of law and democracy.

Political analyst and researcher Kem Ley said the lawsuit was a poor interpretation of Cambodian law, because it does not make sense to sue someone for expressing an opinion.

I am not a law expert, but this is not making any sense, said Ley. If we do politics or create a political party, we need to be open to criticism. If we do politics, create a political party without accepting any public opinion and criticism, it would be better for us to work on a cassava plantation, where there is no critics.

Ley said the ruling party should not use defamation lawsuits to put pressure on freedom of expression.

We should give clear definitions of defamation and we should not use defamation lawsuits to suppress freedom of expression and public participation, because it was just an analytical opinion, which could be right or wrong, he said.

Virak told VOA Khmer that he would appear in court as ordered on May 12.

Its very sad that we spoil the [political] environment instead of debating social issues, including drought, the death of fishes and livestock, which our people are facing now. Those are much more important than my issue, Virak said.

CPP spokesman Eysan, who will also appear in court on Friday, said the lawsuit said the lawsuits were an expression of the legal process in Cambodia.

No, they cannot accuse us in that way. If he did not violate ethics, violating the principal of freedom of expression, there is no problem.

The lawsuit comes amid increased political tension and heightened criticism from international organizations and governments.
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday acknowledged that there were problems with healthcare provision in Cambodia, but fell short of admitting that the countrys health system was deficient.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the Ministry of Healths annual conference, the premier focused on the attitudes of doctors towards patients. He appealed to doctors to adjust their attitudes and reflect on their own morals, which he said was the main issue casting the healthcare sector in a negative light.

We acknowledged the shortcomings and the use of bad words by some doctors, but not in terms of the healthcare sector as a whole, Hun Sen said. Therefore, we must change that attitude. It is easy to stop using rough language compared to addressing the shortage of medicine, which is a harder issue.

Hun Sen insisted, however, that there was only a problem with a small number of doctors. He also ordered healthcare institutions to treat people without discrimination, regardless the patients income.

Hun Sens comments come after harsh criticism and public discussions in relation to the confidence of the Cambodian people in the healthcare sector. Some have questioned the ethics of Cambodian doctors, who often impose high costs on patients for treatments.

Quach Mengly, a Cambodian-American medical doctor and businessman, praised the prime ministers statement and said some progress was being made. But the long-term critic of healthcare provision in Cambodia told VOA Khmer that much more work needed to be done.

This is just a starting point of a wake-up call. Hence, we cant expect anything special to happen anytime soon, he said. However, we still have the belief that there will be a change of attitude from those who serve in the healthcare sector. At least it comes from the mouth of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who acknowledges the shortcomings.

A lack of confidence in domestic health services means wealthy Cambodians usually go overseas for treatment, visiting hospitals in Thailand, Vietnam or Singapore, where Hun Sen himself received a checkup recently, according to a post on his Facebook page.

In his speech, Hun Sen pointed to the lack of specialized doctors in Cambodia, which he said was the reason many people go overseas for treatment. He ordered the Ministry of Health to include specialized doctors under the age of 35 in the category of government officials.

We really need specialized doctors. Due to this lack [of specialized doctors] we often send patients for treatment overseas, he said.

Mengly countered that only deep and effective reforms in the healthcare sector would attract Cambodians to be get treatment domestically.

Like I said, we have just started to reform. So I dont think that it could change the peoples mentality for them to return home for treatment anytime soon, he said. However, if the reform keeps on, I believe that there will be much progress and new development in the sector. At that point, we dont need to force them to return. They will return by themselves.
It has been four years since a courageous forest activist Chut Wutty was gunned down by a military police officer in Koh Kong province, but his legacy lives on in the new film, I Am Chut Wutty.

The 50-minute documentary from producer Fran Lambrick depicts Wuttys life as an advocate for the vast Prey Lang forest, leading patrols and groups of activists seeking to protect the landscape from the threat of illegal logging.

Lambrick this week told VOA Khmer that the film, which the government has banned from public screenings, portrayed the reality of Wuttys dedication and sacrifice he made to protect Cambodias fast-shrinking forests.

So the film is about forest activistspeople who defend the forests in Cambodia. Especially, it follows the life of Chut Wutty, whom I met, whom I knew. I filmed with him in 2011, Lambrick said.

We met when I was going to film with Prey Lang Network who had a patrol. They went to investigate illegal logging at a particular site where the forests were being cut down in huge areas for a rubber plantation.

The British producer said the importance of the film was not only to show the heroism of Wutty, but also the rising importance of forest people and activists who attempt to continue Wuttys work protecting Prey Lang  one of the largest remaining evergreen forests in Southeast Asia.

"I think the film is important because it has a very inspiring person at the heart of the story. So Chut Wutty was a very courageous man, and he was very inspiring to a lot of people, hundreds of people around Cambodia who knew about him, who followed him and who wanted him to help them, especially when they had problems of land grabbing or deforestation in their community, Lambrick said.

This film inspires a lot of people because Chut Wutty was such a hero and because he was killed so brutally.

I Am Chut Wutty was shot since late 2011, when Wutty and hundreds of members from the Prey Lang Community Network in the four provinces the forest coveres started their campaign to patrol the forest to stop land concession companies from cutting down trees illegally.

Five months after the campaign, Chut Wutty was killed while on a trip to Koh Kong province with two reporters.

His killing drew strong condemnation from international and local human rights observers who criticised the government for not providing a thorough investigation and explanation for his death.

Lambrick thinks that Wutty's heroism was an inspiration for forest activists, who are now following in his footsteps, and hopes people watching the documentary can also draw inspiration from his story.

A lot of people, who saw it, told me that they found it inspiring, she said. For some people, this story, maybe they find it tragic and also a little bit scary because the threat that Chut Wutty faced was so severe and the attack was so violent; me too, having been close to the story, I find it something that makes you feel afraid, but it is also so inspiring that, I think, people would move through that fear. So, I think people respond differently.

In a memorable scene from the film, Wutty tells Lambrick that he drew strength from the activists he worked with in Prey Lang, who were happy and gave me blessings.

It is a trait that makes it hard for me to abandon the job. If I dont do it, there wont be many who want to do it because they are afraid, he says.

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts banned Lambricks film, which was due to be publicly screened at Phnom Penhs Meta House on Wednesday, saying the screening was illegal because permission had not been sought.

Ministry spokesman Thai Norak Satya said that the government had asked Meta House to abide by the law in future, adding that the authorities would take tough legal measures  [if it] still violated the law by screening the film without approval.

Lambrick said the film team had contacted the government to seek permission for a future screening.

I think they should waive this and give this film a license to be shown because the film is very important to a lot of Cambodian people. This is important for the role of the department and of culture: it is not to suppress the stories of Cambodias heroes but to elevate them and to share them with the world, she said, adding that the film would be posted online on April 26 to commemorate Wuttys death.
Lieutenant General Hun Manet, Prime Minister Hun Sens oldest son, wrapped up his 10-day US tour on Monday amid street protests from Cambodian Americans, leaving behind a community seemingly more divided than ever.

In Long Beach, CA, the annual New Year parade he initially planned to attend was met with lively demonstrations despite his withdrawal from the event.

Im protesting because Im not satisfied with Hun Sen and Hun Manet for abusing and killing Cambodian people, selling land to the Vietnamese, and selling their consciences, said Khim Any Yorn, a protester at the parade on Sunday. We are not happy to let him join the parade in the US because the US is the land of democracy and his hands are stained with Cambodian blood so we dont welcome him.

Other protesters shared Any Yorns sentiment.

I dont support the government [delegation] to attend our parade, said Kheng Song. Everybody knows the regime is a dictatorship.

Protesters held placards bearing anti-Hun Sen logos and messages against land-grabbing, corruption and deforestation.

In an exclusive interview with VOA Khmer, Gen. Manet, a senior military commander who heads the country's elite counter-terrorism unit, explained the reason for his withdrawal from the parade.

What benefit do I get if I attend? he said. Getting thrown at with eggs and stones is not important, but the most important thing is our whole nation. Tens of thousands of people will go to see the parade and there will be cameras there to take pictures of what is Khmer [culture]. Our people take that opportunity to showcase what Khmer [culture] is. If there is a protest, it will dominate what will be shown... Therefore, it brings shame to the whole nation.

When asked if he was angered by the protests, Manet said it was the peoples right to demonstrate within the legal framework, if it does not cause violence to any member of the delegation or any participant at the ceremony to welcome [Khmer] New Year. This is their right. Im not angry.

When asked if there will be a counter protest by CPP supporters in Cambodia, as was the case after Hun Sens trip to attend the UN General Assembly in 2015, Manet said he would not encourage pro-government supporters to take to the streets.

A day earlier over 200 people also staged a protest at La Lune restaurant in Long Beach, where a private reception was held to welcome Manet.

I want to tell Hun Manet that he does not need to unite Khmers in the US, Samuel Samrech, a protester from Fresno, told VOA Khmer.

Khmers in the US have enjoyed enough democracy. He needs to unite Khmers in the country first. Khmers have lost their land; got beaten up and imprisoned. They dont have food to eat. Therefore, Hun Manet must organize Khmers inside the country first before coming to the US. Khmers in the US do not need Hun Manet.

Astra Mam, another protester from Long Beach, also expressed his frustration.

In fact, he does not come to unite Khmers in the US, Mam said. He is here to split Khmers, politically. Before the elections he needs to conduct a campaign among overseas Khmers to garner support for him. We who live overseas understand the value and suffering of Cambodians living in the country very well. Its because of the Hun Sen government that our people live in misery, getting jailed and losing land.

In addition to protesting against Manets visit, protesters also demanded the release of jailed political activists.

If Hun Manet is truly a good guy, he should release those whom his father has thrown in jails, said Navan Cheth, another protester from Long Beach. Only doing so can Khmers overseas support him.

Among those whom protesters demanded be released was Meach Sovannara, a US citizen and former press officer for the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in relation to a protest following disputed elections in 2013.

If he committed a criminal offense and is found guilty and was imprisoned, I dont mind, but his only crime was to promote democracy, to educate people to understand their freedom, said Sovannaras wife, Jamie Meach. Nowadays, Im by myself working to raise three kids, and sending money to take care of my husband in jail.

Dr. Sam Keo, a psychiatrist who attended the parade on Sunday, said the cultural memory of the Khmer Rouge atrocities were still prominent in the minds of Cambodian expatriates.

Psychologically, they still remember their hardship during the Khmer Rouge regime that killed their siblings and parents, and the current leader is one of those leaders, Dr Keo said. Therefore, they are against the leaders.

The parade in Long Beach went ahead without interruption.

Councilman Dee Andrews, who marched in the parade, said everyone should keep the spirit of the community and seek to understand Khmer culture. When asked about Gen. Manets presence and the protests, he said those wishing to partake in the parade should not be prevented by opposition supporters.

I want to let them know that this is Long Beach, not Cambodia, he said. And we want to let the people who fought so hard to get here ... they want to be able to enjoy it. They should never ever turn away from that. Dont let anyone take it from them. This is their parade.

Manet made four stops in the US: Long Beach, CA, Olympia, WA, Houston, TX, and Lowell, MA.

His last stop in Lowell was also met with a protest before he headed to Canada.

This is to show him that when he abuses people in the country, he does not have an easy time when he is abroad, said Vannak Men, one of the protest organizers in Lowell.
Cambodia must tackle the skills gap to boost the productivity of its labor force in order to grow its economy, a new report issued by the Asian Development Bank and the International Labor Organization says.

Most of the countrys labor force is young, but often not equipped with skills that match business needs, ADB chief economist Shang-Jin Wei said Thursday.

That requires more education and vocational training, along with more information about the labor market and its needs. That also requires more support for the broader economy, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.

Heng Sour, a spokesman for the Ministry of Labor told VOA Khmer that the government is working toward addressing the skills gap, including in engineering, electronics and mechanics.

We agree with the report, he said. And the government is focusing on implementing the policies into action.

Chan Sophal, an economist in Phnom Penh, said the skills gap is creating youth unemployment, particularly for students after they graduate. That means a loss of income, and revenue, for the country.
Last weeks meeting between US President Barack Obama and leaders of ASEAN in Southern California will be marked as a successful US endeavor, a governance expert says.

Ok Serei Sopheak told Hello VOA this week that the meeting, at Sunnylands Estate, in Rancho Mirage, produced a joint declaration that will become a legacy of US policy.

The Sunnylands summit will shape the way the US engages with ASEAN for years to come, he said, no matter who becomes the next president.

The 17-point declaration creates guidelines for US-ASEAN positions on economics, trade and security. That will help ASEAN speak in one voice on issues of concern, such as the South China Sea, where four of the regional blocks members have overlapping claims with China.

This is like putting pressure on China, in that we are seeking peaceful cooperation based on international maritime law, Ok Serei Sopheak said.

That was clear in the declarations points 7, 8 and 9, where leaders emphasized a demilitarized, peaceful resolution to the South China Sea issue, he said. Therefore, whatever China does using force will run contrary to this spirit.

The summit also saw protests against Prime Minister Hun Sen and his government. This demonstrates that many want to see Cambodia seek better respect for human rights and democracy, including in peaceful, free and fair elections, with the participation of opposition leader Sam Rainsy, Ok Serei Sopheak said.

Referring to the beatings of two opposition lawmakers last year after a pro-government demonstration, Ok Serei Sopheak said the video images, shared via social media throughout the world were hard to accept.

The world is watching us, he said.
As a child, Jennifer Ka could not understand why her father was always angry. He seemed unable to love her and her siblings.

It was very painful that I could not connect with him. He was really never there and present with us because he was stuck in his trauma; he never told me what happened to him in the Khmer Rouge, said Ka.

Ka was born to refugees who resettled in the United States in the 1980s. Her parents survived the murderous Khmer Rouge regime, but were unable to leave behind the memories of that time.

The scars of the past were compounded by poverty once in America. We always had to worry about having enough, she said.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, as many as 100,000 Cambodian refugees resettled in the United States. But far from finding a sanctuary, many Cambodians in America have grappled with poverty, mental health problems and social isolation.

Communication Breakdown

Many Cambodian-American families experience a disconnection due to the trauma suffered by the parents, says Mary Scully, program director at Connecticut-based Khmer Health Advocates.

Sixty percent of parents who went through the Pol Pot regime have mental health issues. If they have flashback, if they get anxious, then they go from being connected to be disconnected with their kids, which is very confusing for the child said Scully, who has spent over 35 years working with the Cambodians both in the refugee camps and in Connecticut.

[Cambodian-American children] think that their parents pull away from them because they were bad, she said. Cambodian kids are worried about their parents, and those worries often translate into anger, and wanting to get away from the parents.

Since early 1990s Mary Scully and other dedicated advocates have been conducting a number of research on mental illness among the Cambodian community in the U.S., which show a strong linkage between mental illness and chronic diseases.

Compared with the average across the U.S. population, Cambodian-Americans have twice the rate of type 2 diabetes, seven times the rate of depression, and 15 times the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder, she said.

We were seeing mental health problem in the community right from the beginning. The people had bad headaches, nightmares. They are anxious. As time went on, we saw that wasnt going away, said Scully.

But the right kind of help was never enough in the community. We knew what their problems were. We knew that they needed an intense of help, but we never gave it to them, she said.

Things were made worse when, in 1996, the U.S. Congress reformed its welfare policy to cut down the assistance provided with food stamps, shelter, and other benefits, and that affected the refugees who were not naturalized citizens.

Many community-based organizations then had to shift their focus from what they were mandated to do on economic development, to help people get citizenship. Today, Khmer Health Advocates is one of only a few community-based organizations supporting the community, compared with about 100 before 1995.

We would get a call in the middle of the night that people were saying, If I lost my food stamp, if I lost my housing, I cant survive. I cant go through this again, said Scully. They [lawmakers] had no idea of how that had the impact on the community.

The U.S. government refuses to pay attention to the issue, Scully said. Cambodians are suffering in silence. They dont make enough noise. They dont have the big voice to get resources.

A Failed Policy

The policy of resettlement was fundamentally flawed, argued Professor Eric Tang at the University of Texas. Tang recently published a book about Cambodian refugees in the Bronx, New York City.

Its the failure of a social state that doesnt provide enough support for them as a transition from being refugees to immigrants to resident, but sooner cut their welfare and others from support that they need to really build the life here in the U.S., said Tang.

Tang was a community organizer working with the Cambodian refugee population in the Bronx in the 1990s, where the refugees had a challenging resettlement experience.

The first thing they were confronted with was harsh living conditions, bad housing, he said. Many of the refugees were not equipped to take the good jobs that were available, so theyre stuck in the state of working poverty.

Additionally, he said, there was no long term plan to help refugees to establish themselves economically when they arrived in the U.S. The resettlement policy doesnt pay attention to, for instance, job training. [It didnt] allow people to heal from their trauma, before we push them into sweatshop jobs, he said.

That mean that many children of refugees ended up unemployed, often becoming involved in criminal gangs. Many of them were convicted of crimes, and have been deported from the U.S. to Cambodia, a country that they may never have visited.

The truth is that from many of these young Cambodians, they continued to struggle with working poverty, said Tang. Some do not go to college, and many are profiled, targeted by criminal justice system, and subjected to deportation to Cambodia.

Ka, however, returned voluntarily. She decided to visit Cambodia in her early 20s. She was born in the U.S. and barely speaks Khmer, so knew very little about the country. But, she said, she would come to call it home.

Not until I came to Cambodia, did I come to understand my history, be there with my land, my people, and feel that I was finally home," she said. "Then I started to deeply understand the pain my parents' suffered from the genocide that I was not aware of before."
Prime Minister Hun Sens eldest son, General Hun Manet, has little time left to respond to a lawsuit filed last month by jailed opposition member Meach Sovannara and his family in a US federal court, according to a lawyer for the case.

The lawsuit, filed on April 8 at a court in the Central District of California, includes several allegations of torture, false imprisonment, assault, and international terrorism against the Cambodian government.

What we want at this point is for them to compensate us for what they have done to abuse my family, mentally and physically, said Jamie Meach, Sovannaras wife. It has affected my husband, who is now in jail, and myself and my kids, who are now shocked and cannot focus on their study for missing their father.

What we want is justice for my husband who has been charged with rioting. We want justice for him.

Human rights lawyer Morton Sklar said Manet has until May 9 to respond before the case is automatically entered into the system and requires a ruling.

On April 9, during a visit to the US, an investigator attempted to deliver a court document to Manet while he was attending a banquet at a restaurant and was allegedly assaulted by Manets bodyguards.

Sklar argued that it is appropriate to pursue legal action through the US justice system, as Sovannara and his family are US citizens. He added that there are some specific exceptions in US law for suits that target foreign governments.

The exceptions that are included in the congressional statute are the ones were relying upon in this case, he said. Thats why we filed the case that US congress said we could, and those include torture and the abuses  against Meach Sovannara for his long term imprisonment.

A court official confirmed the complaint was filed in the Central District of California, but said no action has been taken yet.

Nothing has really occurred yet other than the filing of the initial documents and a few administrative notices, said Chris Powers, a court press official.

Manet said he has not taken a position on the case.

I have no knowledge of Meach Sovannaras case, he said after returning from his tour to the US and Canada last month. Ive only heard of it through media and yet I have been accused on many counts, including international terrorism. I have no idea about that.

Manet said that the implication that he was involved in international terrorism was proof that the lawsuits were politically motivated.

I think that so far the complaint is baseless, he said. Its merely a setup for political gain. There is no real basis.

Not true, said Sklar. Ive had no contact, zero contact with any political figure. The reason why I became involved in the case was because Im a human rights lawyer. Im dedicated to preserving human rights and theres been a systematic process of the government of Cambodia to violate human rights standards.

Sklar said Sovannara was not the only victim who has suffered abuses. There are others such as opposition lawmakers Nhay Chamroeun and Kong Sophea, who were brutally beaten by pro-government protesters; opposition Senator Hong Sok Hour and lawmaker Um Sam An, who are both in jail on charges of falsifying documents related to the demarcation of Cambodias border with Vietnam; and many unionized garment workers and victims of land-grabbing.

Sovannara was sentenced on July 21 last year to 20 years in jail for participating in a protest to demand the opening of Democracy Square, a site in the capital that became synonymous with post-2013 election demonstrations.

My youngest sister is in the toughest situation, said Sochiata Meach, Sovannaras eldest daughter. She is only seven years old and cannot focus on study because she always cries and misses daddy before she goes to bed. Since my dad was imprisoned last year, my sister has been stressed and depressed. She has to repeat her first grade this year.

Sochiata wrote to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry in the hope that they might intervene, but she has yet to receive a reply.

Rights groups consider the case against

politically motivated and in turn have called for political solution.

Jamie has expressed her disappointment with attempts to negotiate a political solution.

If it is a political case and we have to negotiate through a political channel, I want to ask in return whether Hun Sen has ever respected his own words or not? she said.

We have seen examples in the past where there were negotiations for politicians to return to Cambodia and they still face arrest. Then, if we find a solution through a political channel, can he uphold the national interest.

Despite the doubts, the case has brought hope to some in Cambodia.

For Meach Sovannara, if his family or he filed a complaint to the US court, it will better serve his interests, because we see that Cambodian courts are not up to standard like the court over there, said Choung Choungy, a lawyer for Sovannara. The US court is more trustworthy. They have high level of judgment.

Sklar said his team was preparing documents to notify the Cambodian government of their reasoning, after which the government has 60 days to respond.
Chhay Karno knew he wanted to be an architect when he was in Grade 10, drawing motivation from relatives, who worked as engineers.

He pursued his dream all the way through his bachelors degree at the Royal University of Fine Arts (RUFA) in Phnom Penh, and during further study at Chiang Mai University in northern Thailand.

In 2008, after gaining a masters degree, he returned to lecture at RUFA, and went on to become the deputy dean of the schools Faculty of Architecture.

Besides lecturing, Karno, now 38, has designed tourist resorts, hotels, schools and villas. He is now working on a plan for a new Western International School building, as well as a hotel in Sihanoukville.

Cambodias greatest living architect, Vann Molyvannwho designed most of Phnom Penhs iconic structureshas been his main inspiration, he told VOA Khmer.

I am inspired by Molyvanns architecture style, he said. I am inspired a lot by him in terms of modern Cambodian architecture.

But in recent years Karno also had a chance to be influenced by another great modern architect.

In 2012, Zaha Hadid was approached by Youk Chhang of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) to design a center that would promote learning and remembrance of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge.

She accepted, and her firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, set up a working group to develop the design for what will be known as the Sleuk Rith Institute. Karno linked up with the working group as a coordinator.

It was a golden chance, said Karno. This was the first time that a world famous architect worked in Cambodia.

I was very interested since I thought that Cambodia could get a piece of modern architecture in the next decade.

Karno gave a presentation to Hadids working group about the history of Khmer architecture. He organized for about 50 students to work as interns on the project, and they had a unique opportunity to learn from Zaha Hadids team, he said.

It is a good chance for the university to help design a significant building, which will represent humanity and history, he said. I think after being built, the Sleuk Rith Institute will make Phnom Penh, and the Cambodian nation, proud because it is an amazing design.

Those involved say the project is still going ahead, although finding a company capable of realizing Zaha Hadids ambitious designcomplete with the curves for which her work is knownposes a challenge.

Karno said he was hopeful that, despite Hadids death, she will have had a positive impact on Cambodia, despite never having visited the country.

Zaha Hadid is the leader. If this project is successfully built, there will be more well-known architects that come to [Cambodia], he said.

DC-Cams Youk Chhang said Zaha Hadids architectural vision will stay with Cambodia as young architects will learn about her unique style and try to adapt it.

Her vision is still with us, he said. She is outstanding because she has a vision, and because of her curves. When it comes to curves, no one in the world could initiate the curving style like she did.

Phuong Sophean, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Land Management, agreed that Zaha Hadid would influence home-grown designers.

Architects adopt ideas, theories and principals from other architects who have different view on architecture, he said.

After young architects learn all these, they have to form their own wisdom and knowledge in order to construct buildings according to the environment and their own view on architecture.

For his part, Karno couldnt say for sure how Hadids brief involvement with Cambodian architecture would impact local architects, like his students. But, he said, it might at least raise awareness of the importance of their work.

It will make Cambodians realize more the value of architectural design in the nationthat architectural design is crucial, he said. Architecture in the county will be more valued, and they will be more proud.
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An Australian citizen suspected of being a top recruiter for the Islamic State terrorist group has been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq.

Australian Attorney-General George Brandis told reporters Thursday that Melbourne native Neil Prakash died in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29.

Brandis says Prakash was actively involved in recruiting terrorists, appearing in IS propaganda videos, and was linked to a number of terrorist plots in Australia. Brandis says Prakash also encouraged so-called "lone-wolf" attacks against the United States.

"Although we should be gladdened by this news because Prakash was the most dangerous Australian we knew of, we shouldn't be complacent either that this is by no means the end of struggle against ISIL (Islamic State Group), it's by no means the case that Prakash was the only dangerous Australian in the Middle East who was trying to reach back to Australia," said Brandis.

"This is a good outcome for the safety and security of our country. He's an evil person. He was involved in the deaths of people. He was wanting to inspire hatred in our country. He wanted young people to be following in the footsteps of martyrs elsewhere, committing terrorist acts here, and our country's a safer place for him having left it," said Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.

Attorney-general Brandis also said he was informed by the United States that another Australian, Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad, was killed in an air strike in Syria last month along with her Sudanese husband, who were both recruiters for Islamic State.

Mohammad was the sister of Farhad Jabar, a 15-year-old who shot and killed a civilian police employee in Sydney last October. Jabar was killed in a gunfight with police shortly afterward.

Canberra has launched a wide-ranging anti-terrorism campaign since late 2014. Authorities have conducted a series of counter-terrorism raids across the country, arresting at least several people on suspicion of planning domestic terrorist attacks and involvement with Islamic militants fighting in Iraq and Syria.
Bangladesh's supreme court Thursday rejected an appeal of the death sentence given to Islamist party leader Motiur Rahman Nizami for war crimes during the country's 1971 independence struggle, meaning he could be hanged at any time in the coming days.

Nizami, the head of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, was convicted of genocide, rape, and orchestrating the massacre of top intellectuals. Prosecutors claim he was responsible for setting up Al-Badr, a pro-Pakistani militia which killed top writers, doctors, and journalists at the height of the conflict. Their bodies were found in a marsh on the outskirts of the capital, blindfolded and with hands tied.

Security has already been increased in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. The convictions of other Jamaat-e-Islami officials in 2013 sparked the country's deadliest violence in decades, leaving over 500 people dead, mostly in clashes between Islamists and police.

Nizami was sentenced to death in October 2014 by the International Crimes Tribunal, a controversial court established by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2010. Opposition politicians and non-profit organizations have accused the tribunal of victimizing her opponents. Four opposition politicians, three of whom belonged to Jamaat-e-Islami, have been convicted by the war crimes tribunal and executed since 2013.

The cases have been under scrutiny from many international rights groups that claim the trials fall short of global standards.

Nizami, 71, took over as the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami in 2000 and was a minister in the Islamist-allied government of 2001-2006.

A muslim-majority country, Bangladesh has recently seen a surge in violence against atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities, and foreign aid workers. Just last month five people, including a univeristy professor and a gay-rights activist, were hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants.

The government blames Jamaat-e-Islami for the increase in violence, but the group has denied these allegations.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's chances of remaining in office plummeted Wednesday after a key senator recommended the leftist leader face an impeachment trial and a top prosecutor said she should be included in a vast corruption investigation.

Rousseff, whose popularity has fallen in the last year, in large part because of a deepening recession, is expected to become the first Brazilian president to fail to complete a presidential term in more than 20 years.

Senator Antonio Anastasia, an opposition member tasked with recommending whether to put Rousseff on trial in the Senate for breaking budget laws, told a 21-member Senate committee that the charges were serious enough to remove her from office.

The committee is expected to vote overwhelmingly Friday to send his recommendation to the full chamber.

"We are looking at a complaint centered on evidence of irregularities that can put fiscal responsibility at risk," Anastasia, a member of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party, told the committee.

The Senate, which is controlled by the opposition, is due to vote May 11 on whether to try Rousseff, at which point she will be automatically suspended during a trial that could last up to 180 days. Vice President Michel Temer would take over as acting president.

Obstruction of justice

Anastasia's recommendation came after Brazilian Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot requested that Rousseff be investigated for obstruction of justice in connection with a vast corruption probe involving state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras.

It was the first time she had been officially accused of involvement in the bribery-and-kickbacks scandal.

Rousseff said the accusation was based on lies by a former senator in her ruling Workers' Party. "If an investigation is opened, I am sure it will show that Senator Delcidio do Amaral was lying once again," she told reporters.

According to documents made public Tuesday, Janot asked the Supreme Court to authorize an investigation of Rousseff and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, her predecessor and founder of the Workers' Party.

While Rousseff is not being investigated for taking bribes herself, the obstruction-of-justice probe, if allowed by the Supreme Court, will further undermine her ability to defend against her removal from office by the Senate.

Temer, who is already forming a transitional government, would serve out the remainder of Rousseff's term through 2018 if she is convicted of manipulating public accounts and is removed definitively from office.

In a move that would have helped Rousseff if it had come earlier, the Supreme Court will decide Thursday whether her nemesis, Eduardo Cunha, speaker of the lower house of Congress, should be removed because of corruption charges he faces.

Cunha launched impeachment proceedings against Rousseff.

Government paralysis

The political crisis has paralyzed Brazil's government and halted efforts to pull the country out of its worst recession since the 1930s as it scrambles to prepare to host the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August.

Despite the gridlock caused by the impeachment crisis, Rousseff said there are signs of an economic recovery underway.

Although the economy is expected to contract nearly 4 percent for a second straight year in 2016, economists say that industries have already sharply reduced inventories and that a weaker currency could help boost exports.

Brazilian markets have been buoyed for weeks by the prospect of Rousseff's ouster and the emergence of a more business-friendly government led by Temer, who has vowed to restore confidence and growth to Latin America's largest economy.

The Fitch rating agency said Wednesday that Brazil has a long road ahead to win back the investment-grade credit rating that it lost last year because of the fiscal crisis. That path could be shortened if the political environment improves and consistent economic policies are adopted, Fitch's Brazil director, Rafael Guedes, told investors in Sao Paulo.

In a sign that Temer plans to reduce state involvement in the economy and boost private business, one of his closest aides told Reuters that a Temer government would consider allowing foreign owners to acquire a controlling stake in local airlines.
Entire communities continue to evacuate to escape the raging wildfires sweeping through the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, in Alberta, Canada.

The Alberta government declared a state of emergency and ordered residents to evacuate the communities of Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates, Mackenzie County and Fort McMurray First Nation, an aboriginal reservation. By Wednesday the wildfires had forced more than 80,000 people to flee their homes.

A massive mobilization operation is underway as emergency crews battle a total of 49 wildfires, seven of which are out of control. More than 1,110 firefighters, 145 helicopters, 138 pieces of heavy equipment and 22 air tankers are battling the wildfires, which have torched at least 1,600 homes.

Officials describe the fire conditions as "extreme" and the weather is not cooperating. The wildfires are being fueled by winds of 25-40 kilometers per hour.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament the wildfires are "nothing short of terrifying," and said the evacuation is the largest in Alberta's history. Trudeau told called on Canadians to support each other "at this difficult time" and added the federal government will match individual charitable donations to the Red Cross.

The wildfires, caused by unseasonably hot temperatures and dry conditions, are near Canada's oil sands, the third largest oil reserves in the world.
Hillary Clinton is looking confidently ahead to the general election, but taking nothing for granted as California's mega-primary approaches, reaching out to Hispanic and black voters in the hope of waging a final knockout against rival Bernie Sanders.

Clinton's visit Thursday to the Golden State coincides with Cinco de Mayo, the annual celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. She also plans to rally supporters in the gymnasium of a community college that serves heavily Hispanic cities on the edge of Los Angeles.

The event will carry symbolic value. The venue, East Los Angeles College, isn't far from another local school where Clinton kicked off her successful 2008 presidential primary run, and later, went on to beat then-Sen. Barack Obama in the state's Democratic primary.

In that race, the former first lady notched nearly 55 percent of the vote in heavily Democratic Los Angeles County, home to 10 million people and an important battleground in any statewide campaign.

As in past primaries, Clinton is expected to do well in the June 7 primary with older Democrats, Hispanics and black voters, while Sanders could perform better with younger voters and independents, who have the option of voting since California holds an open primary.

The Sanders folks feel that they have to do better with the minority communities, especially Latinos,'' said Mitchell Schwartz, who ran Obama's 2008 campaign in the state and supports the Vermont senator.

For Clinton's campaign they don't want to go into the [national] convention having lost the biggest state in the country,'' Schwartz added. They are going to pull out all the stops here to win.''

Relying on many of the same advisers who laid the groundwork for her 2008 win, Clinton is looking to build on that strategy, targeting key demographics in the diverse region. Hispanics alone make up about half the population in Los Angeles County.

Clinton will begin her day Thursday meeting privately with politically influential black pastors in Los Angeles, then attend a fundraiser hosted by Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, a Mexican immigrant, before the college rally.

Tight race

Until recently, the California primary had looked like the make-or-break contest for candidates on both sides of the aisle. But billionaire businessman Donald Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee, while Sanders looks to California as his last glimmer of hope in stopping Clinton, who has thus far won 92 percent of the delegates needed to claim the nomination.

But Clinton can't be too confident going in to the country's final primary, with statewide voter surveys pointing to a tight race between the two Democrats.

An independent Field Poll released last month found Clinton with a 6-point lead over Sanders, with 12 percent of voters still undecided.

Highlighting the stakes, Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will each be making appearances in the Los Angeles area this week. The former first lady heads to Oakland on Friday.

Clinton's appearance at the college also represents a bid to lift her appeal with younger voters, who have strongly rallied behind Sanders insurgent campaign. The Vermont senator's rallies in California have been filled to capacity with 20- and 30-somethings; a Clinton rally last month at another college in Los Angeles was noticeably thin on student-attendees, though it was held on a Saturday.

Driving up turnout will be a key issue for both candidates; likely voters in California tend to be older, white, college-educated and homeowners, surveys show. Hispanics, by comparison, tend to vote in proportions well below their share of the population, in part because many are too young to vote, not registered or not citizens.

Michael Ceraso, Sander's state director, said campaign volunteers will make 1 million door knocks by Election Day, as part of the campaign's effort to scout up supporters and to register new voters.

Early voting

The California election is actually about a month long.

Vote-by-mail ballots go out next week and could account for more than half of the total number of votes cast. That means that many voters will be making decisions weeks before Election Day.

In California, 475 Democratic delegates will be divvied up in the election, some based on the outcome in each congressional district, others in proportion to the statewide tally. That will make it difficult for either candidate to win a commanding victory.

California has long been favorable terrain for the Clintons. Along with her 2008 win, Bill Clinton locked in the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination in the state, which he carried in his two presidential contests. The familiarity of the Clinton name could be an asset.

Lia Evans, 19, a student from Torrance and registered Democrat, was among the crowd at a Clinton rally at Los Angeles Southwest College last month.

While she liked what she heard from both candidates, she was more comfortable with Clinton.

As for Sanders, I still don't know that much about him,'' she said.
Moise Katumbi, a prominent opposition leader in Democratic Republic of Congo, said on Wednesday he would run in November's presidential election when incumbent Joseph Kabila is due to step down in accordance with the constitution.

Kabila's opponents say he is trying to cling to power beyond his mandate and Katumbi's declaration could heighten political tension, given that the president has yet to announce his plans.

More than 40 people were killed in protests in January 2015 over alleged attempts by Kabila to delay the presidential vote to remain in office.

"I accept with humility this heavy responsibility," Katumbi said in a statement posted on his official Twitter account, referring to his nomination for the presidency by three opposition coalitions in recent weeks.

The election will likely be delayed since the election commission says updating voter rolls will take about 16 months.

Katumbi is a multimillionaire and former governor of Katanga, a copper mining region. His announcement had been expected for months but was delayed as he tried to win support from a fractious opposition.

Katumbi governed Katanga from 2007 until last September when he quit Kabila's party, accusing it of plotting to extend the president's rule, which began in 2001.

Wednesday's declaration appeared to be aimed at showing he would not bow to political pressure. Tensions have risen in recent weeks between Katumbi's camp and the government.

In April, police used tear gas to disperse a rally led by Katumbi in the country's second-largest city, Lubumbashi, and arrested four of his bodyguards.

On Wednesday, Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe ordered a probe into Katumbi's alleged recruitment of mercenaries. The government "has proof of ... Katumbi's involvement in the recruitment of mercenaries, including several retired American soldiers," he said.

In his statement on Twitter, Katumbi replied: "The low blows of the government do not hinder my peaceful combat. I will be the candidate of the rule of law."

Katumbi has yet to win the support of the largest opposition parties, including Etienne Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress. Katumbi said in the statement he would soon begin a national tour to develop a common opposition platform.

Congo has never undergone a peaceful transition of power.

The former Belgian colony was ruled for decades by Mobutu Sese Seko and since then eastern Congo has been plagued by war and instability.
In a dusty, small workshop on a quiet street in Loikaw, three men are busy adjusting plastic frames and pieces of wood. They are creating simple prosthetic legs for the victims of a hidden but ever present danger here in Karenni State: landmines.

Like many ethnic areas in Myanmar, the poor, isolated southeastern state has been wrecked by decades of ethnic conflict and its rural areas have some of the highest levels of landmine contamination in the country.

The men at the workshop know the weapons consequences well. All three are former ethnic Karenni (Kayah) fighters who lost a leg to mines. Kyaw Win, 40, leads the workshop in the state capital and recalled the incident that left him maimed.

It was June 2003, we were marching through the forest and rivers for the KNPLF to organize villagers, then I stepped on a land mine. It was terrible, he said, while using the acronym of the Karenni National People's Liberation Front, a rebel group turned pro-government militia in 1994.

Kyaw Win was taken to Loikaw and on to the Mae Tao clinic in the Thai border town of Mae Sot, which treats war-torn communities from southeastern Myanmar. After recovering from his amputation, the clinic trained him in prosthetics-making and he returned to set up a KNPLF-supported workshop in 2007. It has since fitted some 750 people with prostheses, the vast majority being civilian mine victims.

I wanted to struggle for a new life, as my mind is still strong, Kyaw Win said of his motivation. The victims are just poor villagers who go fishing and farming in their areas and then step on mines  they need help.

But he added the workshop has been recently lacking funding.

Heavily mined

Myanmar has the third-highest mine casualty rate in the world after Colombia and Afghanistan, according to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, which said between 1999 to 2014 it recorded 3,745 casualties, 396 of whom died. This is believed to be only a small fraction of the actual figure, the group noted, as Myanmar lacks official data on mine incidents.

In 2014 alone, there were 251 casualties in Myanmar, 45 of whom died, according to the Monitors most recent report from November 2015. In 2013, there were 145 casualties. Lacking exact data, the group refrains from distinguishing trends, but says use of the weapon continues unabated.

Mine warfare has consistently been a characteristic of armed conflict in Myanmar. That has not changed, said Yeshua Moser-Puanguswan, the groups Myanmar researcher.

The country has not signed the 1997 Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty and in 2014 Myanmar, Syria and North Korea were the worlds only countries with confirmed new use of mines, said the Monitor.

The military is suspected of deploying antipersonnel mines produced at its arms factories, while ethnic rebels use foreign-produced and improvised mines as an important defensive weapon that prevents them from being overrun.

The Bago Region, as well as Karenni and Karen states in the southeast, remain Myanmars most heavily mined and incident-prone areas, according to the Monitor, followed by Kachin and Shan states in the north.

The cease-fire initiated by the previous government in recent years brought a reduction in conflict in the southeast and led to the September 2015 nationwide cease-fire with eight rebel groups, but there has been little progress on the landmine issue. In the north, fighting with the Kachin Independence Army and other groups has worsened, and so has mine use and civilian displacement.

International aid

The international community was to quick to hail the governments cease-fire talks and in 2013 the EU donated 3.5 million euro ($4.6 million) to create a government-run Myanmar Mine Action Center. INGOs such MAG, Halo Trust and Norwegian Peoples Aid arrived eager to help with mapping and de-mining, victim assistance and public awareness raisingall of which were banned by the former junta.

However, the government and military failed to authorize international de-mining and mapping, saying cease-fire talks should be concluded first. The 2015 nationwide cease-fire commits to de-mining in accordance with the progress of the peace process, but since its signing there has been no mine clearance approval.

The mine action center has failed completely, it doesn't exist. A fraction of the (EU) money has been used for some training and cars, a small survey, said Bjarne Ussing, a program manager with DanChurchAid Humanitarian Mine Action, who works in southeastern Myanmar.

The cease-fires text on de-mining, he noted, is somewhat vaguely-worded, adding, We will have to see what that means.

The lack of de-mining progress, he said, also threatens plans by Myanmar and Thailand to repatriate some 150,000 refugees to the southeastern region in coming years.

The new National League for Democracy (NLD) government will soon resume the cease-fire process, but security issues remain under the authority of the powerful military.

Still, Melissa Andersson, Norwegian Peoples Aid country director, remains hopeful that progress could finally be made, saying, It may still be possible to start with the clearance of some areas that are less strategically sensitive.
A documentary highlighting Australias hardline policy of detaining asylum seekers in offshore processing centers by Oscar-winning film-maker Eva Orner opens in Melbourne Thursday. Described by one reviewer as a 90-minute compendium of shame, the film explores the frustration and tragedy of detainees held at Australian-run camps.

Chasing Asylum penetrates the secret world of Australian-run detention camps on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and on the tiny South Pacific island nation of Nauru.

At the heart of the documentary is never-before-seen footage that was secretly recorded inside the offshore centers. On camera, detainees explain why they have sought asylum and detail their endless sense of despair at being locked away.

The media is banned from visiting the camps, but Eva Orner, an Australian filmmaker based in Los Angeles, says she was determined to find a way to expose the truth about the detention facilities.

It has been said that we are committing torture, that we are breaking all of our obligations under the Refugee Convention and yet it continues. And I thought part of the reason was because of this policy of secrecy that the Australian government has been running with the camps for the last fifteen years. No journalists, no cameras, no filmmakers are allowed in and I figured maybe part of the reason Australians were being so comfortable with this is because no one had seen it. And so I set about to show audiences what it looks like and what their taxpayer dollar is paying for, said Orner.

Orner, the daughter of Jewish migrants from Poland, hopes her film will encourage Australians to demand the offshore policy be abandoned.

She described making Chasing Asylum as one of the hardest projects of her life, but said it is important the world knows how Australia is treating detainees in its offshore centers.

The camps are horrific. People live in abject poverty in moldy tents. We are the only country in the world to detain children indefinitely. Women, men, children are there. Women and children have been sexually abused. Two men have died - actually, three men have died, another man self-immolated on Nauru this week and died. One man was murdered in a riot by guards and one man died after he cut his foot and did not get medical care and developed septicemia, so I do not think I have to say more than that other than it is horrific, she said.

Australian officials have defended the camps, insisting they save lives because they are deterrents and have stopped asylum seekers risking their lives at sea trying to reach Australian territory.

Last month, the Manus Island center was declared unconstitutional and illegal by Papua New Guineas Supreme Court, and will close, according to the countrys prime minister, Peter ONeill.

Watch a clip from the film:


With the tough-talking Donald Trump the presumptive Republican president nominee, Beijing is urging Americans to take a "reasonable and objective" view of U.S.-Chinese relations.

Trump has criticized Chinese trade policies, accusing the Asian country of "raping" the U.S. and stealing American jobs.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei had no comment Wednesday when asked if Chinese officials are "nervous" that Trump may be the next president of the United States.

But he said "it is worth pointing out that mutual benefits and win-win results are defining features of economic cooperation and trade between China and the U.S. and meet the common interests of both."

China is the United Stages' largest trading partner. Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei has called Trump "irrational" for proposing a tariff on Chinese imports as high as 45 percent.

China's official Xinhua news agency says Trump is "wrong" about basic economics and accused the candidate of using harsh rhetoric against China to woo voters.
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines will begin conducting joint coordinated maritime patrols in a crucial economic waterway after kidnappings by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants.

High-ranking diplomatic and military officials from the three nations reached an agreement Thursday in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta.

The three nations share maritime borders along the Sulu and Celebes seas, through which 55 million tons of goods and over 18 million people pass each year.

We recognize the threats from the armed robbery against ships, kidnapping, and other trans-national crimes, if not addressed appropriately, can undermine the confidence in trade and commerce in our region in general," said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

The agreement is an important political message for us, for the region and for the world," he added. "That the three countries directly affected by security challenges in the region could quickly hold a meeting to respond to the challenges together.

The triumvirate will set up a hotline to better communicate during emergency situations, provide immediate assistance to the safety of people and ships in distress, and intensify information and intelligence sharing.

The agreement comes just days after the southern Philippine-based Abu Sayyaf militant group released 10 Indonesian sailors held captive since March.

Abu Sayyaf began as an insurgent group calling for a separate Muslim state and in the 1990s it received seed money from al-Qaida.

The group has since resorted to kidnapping foreign tourists and holding them for ransom as authorities intensified operations against terror groups following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States.

The group beheaded Canadian national John Ridsel last month, after a $6.5 million ransom for him was not received.
You can try out a training device with a Virtual Reality headset without having to wait in a line at the HuangHua Groups large display area at this years Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. In fact, you can roam the exhibits and the hallways of Houstons NRG Center pretty freely as attendance is noticeably down from previous years.

The Offshore Technology Conference, which ends Friday, has drawn representatives of the oil and gas industry from around the world for the past 47 years, during which time worldwide offshore operations became an important component of yearly oil production.

But the slump in oil prices that began in 2014 has taken a toll, dampening the energy at this energy industry event.

Staying in the game

HuangHua Groups Milo Lu says low oil prices have reduced exploration activity almost everywhere.

The only area where we still have something going on is the Middle East; everything else is pretty dead, he said.

So, why set up a large display at this years Offshore Technology Conference?

You just have to show your face, he said. You just have to let people know that you are still here.

Lu says even in this depressed market there could be a customer or two who will come by the exhibit and decide to make a purchase, if not immediately, then maybe when oil prices rise significantly in the future.

Representatives of other oil service companies have expressed similar sentiments. No one wants to predict when the slump will end, but they all express confidence in it ending eventually.

Richard Nott of London-based Lloyds Register Energy believes oil companies shutting down projects now may one day need his companys assistance.

Many of these projects that have been cancelled or deferred, they have not gone away, he said. They have gone away for a rethink as to how we can do this more cheaply, how we can do it quicker, and how we can maybe do it more effectively.

Lloyds Brady Austin, who works at the companys Houston office, said developing an offshore project is an expensive long-term investment.

It takes years to get all that in place because a lot of decisions need to be made and in a market like this you have to critique each one even more, he said.

Downturn opportunities

Austin and others also see opportunities to help companies deal with the challenges of a low-cost environment and downscaled work force.

In todays market, Austin said, it is very real for a company to go out of business. So, as a company, if you are not evaluating that as part of your initial assessment before you go into that project then you can get in trouble when it hits you, and you are not prepared.

Even though there have been massive cutbacks in the oil and gas industry worldwide over the past year or so, some new projects still go forward, and production continues at many sites where the major investment has already been made.

One area in which demand is fairly constant is safety. At 3M Corporations booth, Steve Kosch demonstrated a safety harness and escape system for companies that put workers on tall derricks. He said regardless of the slump in oil prices, companies need to keep up with safety technology.

You still have employees working for you, and they are going to be out there working on heights, and so you have to protect those workers, he said. Obviously, we are trying to find solutions for the employers, to find low cost solutions to their needs.

Another area of ongoing activity is compliance with environmental regulations. Oil companies operating in the U.S. zone of the Gulf of Mexico, for example, must properly seal wells no longer in use to prevent any possible leakage.

Wild Well Control was one of the companies offering new technology to carry out such operations with advanced systems for injecting cement into well bores. The company estimates that there are currently between 300 and 400 such well sites that need to be sealed in the Gulf of Mexico.

When will prices rise again?

Naturally, when executives, engineers and planners working in the oil and gas industry gather together at a conference, there is a lot of talk about how long the current slump will last. Last year there were still many people predicting a near-term recovery, but that obviously did not happen. So, this year, most attendees seemed to be resigned to an uncertain future with no recovery in sight within the next year.

A few months ago, the price of oil was down as low as $26 a barrel, but it has now risen to over $40 a barrel. That helps companies with relatively low-cost projects, but it is not enough to revive some of the more complex and costly enterprises. The chief problem is an oversupply of crude oil estimated at around one billion barrels that is being supplemented by more production. Many of the wells in Texas, for example, that use hydraulic fracturing to extract oil from deep shale deposits have continued to eke out a small profit. OPEC nations, principally Saudi Arabia, have also continued to produce oil, declining to take effective measures to curb supply and raise prices.

This, added to the economic downturn in China and sluggish growth in many western nations, has kept any rise in oil prices in check. While some experts believe prices will make significant advances by next year, others say any upticks will soon be followed by another drop in prices. Perhaps by the time of the 48th annual Offshore Technology Conference it will be easier to determine which side is right.
Ghanas Supreme Court has ordered the country's electoral commission to immediately clean up the voter list to be used in this years presidential, legislative and local elections. The court said the current voter list is not credible for use at the polls.

Abu Ramadan of the opposition People's National Convention (PNC), and Evans Nimako, a farmer from Ghanas Eastern region, petitioned the Supreme Court, saying the voter list contains non-citizens and minors. The two asked the court to instruct the electoral commission to compile a new voter list to be used for the elections.

The court also urged the electoral commission to ensure it consults all political stakeholders in electoral administration processes.

In an interview with VOA shortly after the verdict, Nimako said the main reason for taking the matter to the Supreme Court was to ensure the credibility of the upcoming polls is not undermined by the bloated register. He welcomed Thursdays ruling as a victory for Ghanas burgeoning democracy.

We had gone to court with one objective, to ensure that as Ghana, we are able to have a voters register that is credible, that does not have names of foreigners so that when it gets to the stage of Ghanaians voting, it is Ghanaians alone who are voting for their leadership," he said.

Some Ghanaians express concern the ruling could derail the electoral commissions planned activities as part of the process to administer the polls. They contend the electoral body might not have the needed time to clean up the voter list as ordered by the Supreme Court in time for the elections.

Critics also accused both Ramadan and Nimako of doing the bidding of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Backed by other opposition parties and some civil society groups, the NPP had petitioned the electoral commission, saying it has evidence the current voter list includes minors and non-citizens. The opposition party maintained the credibility of the elections will be undermined if the current voter list is not discarded and a new one compiled.

Nimako sharply denied that he is doing the bidding of the NPP. He said the critics failed to realize that Ramadan is a member of the PNC, but not NPP. He said the electoral commission doesnt have any excuse, since he said the electoral body took only 10 days to register qualified Ghanaians when it compiled the voter list used for the 2012 elections.

Nimako added that it would be disastrous for the electoral commission to say that it would not be able to organize the elections because of the Supreme Courts ruling.

The Supreme Court was explicit; take immediate steps to clean up the register immediately, said Nimako. "So it is for the EC to say these are the modalities. But we have given them a very simple option and the option is, validate. Let the people who have their names on the register come and validate as a way of getting themselves included in the register ... So the issue of time is neither here nor there."

Nimako said he has a "political interest" and is "entitled to pursue whatever idea I feel I can pursue to ensure that Ghanas democracy is well consolidated."

"What is important today," he added, "is that the court has ordered the EC that you have to be serious. Go and delete the names of those who are not qualified to be on the register so that Ghana can go into an election with a credible register. And this one is a problem for those who call themselves critics of Evans? I dont think so.
Pro-Islamic State Somali militants have grown in numbers and are receiving financial and military support from Yemen, a top intelligence official told the VOA Somali Service.

Abdi Hassan Hussein, the former Director of the U.S.-backed Puntland Intelligence Agency (PIA) said when the pro-IS Somali faction was founded in October last year it had about 20-30 men, but has since set up training camps and recruited more fighters. He said the groups fighters now number between 100-150 fighters. "They have graduated their first units and they have received their military supplies, he said.

Hussein led PIA until a year ago when he was replaced. His main job was to detect militant threats and plan counter-terrorism operations.

He said Islamic State has welcomed its Somalia branch and has started delivering supplies through their affiliate faction in Yemen.

They received military supplies from Yemen  weapons, uniform, ISIS sent trainers who inspected their bases, and they have started sending financial support, he said. The weapons shipment was delivered by sea from Mukallah city in Hadramouth, it has arrived from the Red Sea coast of Somalia in February and March this year.

Hussein pointed to a recent video posted by the group that he said shows the group received new uniforms. He said there is also evidence that the group has received financial support from Islamic State. Evidence of financial support can be seen in the area; they are buying supplies, they are buying vehicles, they bought livestock, they invested in the community by delivering water supplies to nearby community affected by the drought, he said.

Hussein said reports he has received indicate administrations in Somalia have underestimated the threat of the pro-IS group led by former al-Shabab cleric Abdulkadir Mumin. He criticized the Somali government and regional administrations for not taking the threat seriously. He said Islamic State will pose tougher challenge than al-Shabab. Daesh is more dangerous than al-Shabab. They are known for committing large scale destruction. They have more finance. They have more impact. They declared to start attacks within Somalia, and they readied units to carry out attacks.

He said the faction now has a base in Al Bari Mountains in Puntland, where it gives training and has erected a flag used by Islamic State militants. He said the base also provides logistics, and has cemented connections with Yemen.

He said opportunity was missed to neutralize the group at early stage. It would have been better to destroy them when they were 20 or 30 men, before they adapted to the environment; but now the terrorists got used to the climate, they secured access to water wells, routes, and hiding places,  he said. Now to defeat them would require the same resources and effort that was placed against al-Shabab.

The Somali military this week said they destroyed a training camp by pro-IS Somali and foreign militants in Jannaale town area, about 120 kilometers south of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. It followed after Islamic State for the first time claimed credit for an attack against African Union forces just outside Mogadishu last month.

Hussein said the government and African Union troops cant win against al-Shabab or IS factions militarily, and urged them to confront the groups ideologically. The youth they are sending are assets, but misguided; they need to be saved from harming the people and harming themselves, he said.

They need to be confronted ideologically, they need to be shown different ideology, given an opportunity to leave the group, given protection against prosecution from the government and retaliatory attacks from Al-Shabab if they decide to leave group. We need to create opportunities for the youth, Hussein said.
Israel came to a halt for two minutes Thursday morning, as sirens sounded on Holocaust remembrance day.

Traffic came to a halt as people stopped their cars, got out and stood next to them to honor the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi forces and collaborators.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid a wreath at Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem in one of many ceremonies that took place across the country.

In Washington, the White House said in a statement, We reaffirm our ongoing responsibility as citizens and as a nation to live out the admonition, Never forget. Never again. The statement went on to say "Today, and every day, we stand in solidarity with the Jewish community both at home and abroad."

The annual remembrance day, called Yom HaShoah, began at sundown Wednesday evening.
A prisoner held in China since the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising may be released this October, according to a U.S. rights group that says he is the last known person involved in those events in Beijing still in jail.

Miao Deshun was a 25-year-old factory worker from Hebei province at the time of the pro-democracy demonstrations and military crackdown. He was arrested and accused of arson for allegedly throwing a basket onto a burning tank.

A court sentenced him to death Aug. 7, 1989, with a two-year delay before he was to be executed. Miao did not appeal his verdict, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1991, then reduced to 20 years in 1998.

According to the San Francisco-based Dui Hua Foundation, which has advocated for the release of Miao and other imprisoned activists of that era, his sentence was recently reduced by another two months, making him eligible for release in October.

"People who served sentences with him in the 1990s remember him as a very thin man who refused to admit wrongdoing and participate in prison labor," said a statement released by the foundation's executive director, John Kamm. "He is said to have spent time in solitary confinement."

Current state

Miao, now 51, suffers from hepatitis B and schizophrenia. He was transferred in 2003 to a prison at Yanqing, outside Beijing, that houses sick, elderly and disabled prisoners. Freed prisoners have described Miao as weak and emaciated, and in recent years it was uncertain whether he was still alive. Miao reportedly asked his elderly parents and other relatives not to visit him more than 10 years ago.

The Dui Hua Foundation has lobbied Chinese officials for Miao's release repeatedly since 2005, including him on 17 lists of prisoners submitted to Chinese authorities.

Why was Miao held in prison for so long? In the past, former Tiananmen prisoners have said Miao never agreed to sign letters admitting regret for his participation in the protests, or to accept labor assignments in prison. Others said he may have been treated more severely because of his lowly status as a worker, in contrast to others "with good connections."

Tiananmen activists

Many thousands of Chinese students marched on the streets of Beijing in 1989 demanding democracy and reforms. The protest movement swelled and expanded to hundreds of cities, until June 4, when Chinese Communist Party leaders ordered the military to open fire on crowds in Beijing's Tiananmen Square and in other Chinese cities.

Armed soldiers and tanks attacked nonviolent, unarmed civilians, and the carnage resulted in hundreds, possibly thousands, of deaths. It was later reported that more than 1,600 protesters nationwide were sentenced to prison terms; many more were held in detention centers for long periods or sentenced to labor camps for "re-education."

Dui Hua says its political prisoner database has records on about half of the Tiananmen activists who were sentenced to prison, and that every indication is that Miao is the last known inmate.
Vote counting is under way in London where Britain's capital could be getting its first Muslim mayor as Sadiq Khan, a 45-year-old former government minister and son of Pakistani immigrants, appears headed for victory in what British Muslims see as a turning point. It could be several hours before results are known.

Whether Khan wins or loses, British Muslims see his reaching the status of front-runner in the race as a sign of their growing political clout in the former seat of one of the worlds great empires.

When we came first, there wasnt a mosque. We used to pray in a house, in the basement of a house, Mohammed Lalmiah, a retired restaurant owner, told VOA after voting Thursday. Lalmiah was born a British subject in the colony that is now Pakistan before coming here 55 years ago, and he sees an ironic twist. Now, he said, he thanks God for the proliferation of mosques all over Great Britain. The British government puts their number at around 1,850.

Lalmiah said he hopes having Khan as mayor will make it easier to obtain building permits for more mosques and other institutions that serve the Muslim population.

This is a great opportunity for the Muslim people, he said. Im grateful to be in England. You can get every opportunity here.

Beginning of a new era

At a nearby polling station, there was a similar sense of accomplishment and progress among Muslim voters.

Its a very important day not only for me, but (all) British Muslims as well. We want to see him win. Its a historic day, definitely, a voter who identified himself as a Muslim, told VOA. We can see its the beginning of a new era.



Khan, representing the Labor party, is the son of a bus driver and a seamstress. In a field of 12 candidates, he was in a tight and often bitter race against the other front-runner, Conservative Zac Goldsmith, who is Jewish and the son of a billionaire tycoon.

The race was overshadowed by allegations that Khan sympathized with Sulaiman Ghani, an imam who British leaders, including Prime Minister David Cameron, have described as an Islamic extremist.

Khan countered the allegations by pointing to his record on fighting extremism, one that includes helping oust Ghani from a London mosque because of the imams radical views. Khans supporters have accused Goldsmith of trying to raise tensions in London, where some remain sensitive due to recurring threats of terrorism and the memory of the 2005 suicide attacks by Islamic extremists that killed 52 people.

The Mayor of London position was created only 16 years ago, but is highly influential. The outgoing mayor, popular Conservative Boris Johnson, is seen as a likely contender for prime minister.

Some uneasy about prospect

In recent years, the number of Muslim members of parliament has also grown.

In this city whose population is now one-eighth Muslim, the growth of Muslims influence in government is cause for skepticism among some.

The fact that hes a Muslim doesnt bother me, a 31-year-old manager of a modeling agency told VOA when asked about Khans political success.

But her trepidation is evident.

I dont have a problem with having mosques and people having their own thing. I just dont like being dictated to, she said. "At our schools, some of them are no longer allowed to celebrate Christmas and Easter and I think thats wrong for children. I think everyone should be allowed to have their own beliefs and adhere to their own religious celebrations whether youre religious or not, she said. I dont think everyone should be told they have to change to accommodate. Everybody has to be accepting.

Most London voters polled ahead of Thursdays elections cited housing and transport as the main issues. But analysts say underlying concerns about immigration and demographic change could play out in the poll, which may indicate the outcome of a June 23 referendum on whether Britain should remain in the European Union.

Proponents of a British exit, or Brexit, cite immigration and the belief that Britain has lost control of its borders as top concerns.
Another door may be closing for Syrians fleeing the conflict in their country, this time in Africa. Mauritania was one of the last countries allowing free entry to Syrians. But in February, it too began demanding visas as officials in North Africa and the Sahel try to stem the flow of migrants and refugees traveling across the Sahara in hopes of reaching Europe.

Jamal Ahmed calls his friend Khalid on What's App. Where are you now? he asks him.

Both men are from the Syrian town of Idlib. Khalid has just arrived in Germany. Jamal remains in Bamako where the men and their families shared a stuffy apartment for two years.

Jamal never intended to stay in Mali this long.

He says the heat and constant electricity cuts are hard. He says his six children keep getting sick. His baby, Mohamed, is ten months old but weighs just five kilos and has had several bouts of malaria. If I had the money, he says, we would leave in 24 hours.

But hes afraid of what would happen if his children got sick traveling in cramped smugglers' trucks across northern Mali and Algeria.

Thats the route his friend Khalid took to the European enclave of Melilla, a Spanish city on the coast of northern Morocco. From there, he took a boat to Spain.

It's a long, hot, roundabout journey but one that was growing in popularity last year as eastern European nations were shutting their borders.

If they had the money, Syrians could board a plane in Turkey or Lebanon and fly the 5,000 kilometers to Mauritania's capital.

From Nouakchott, they can take a bus to Mali. Smugglers can then take them along the ancient desert salt roads to the Mediterranean. Its a dangerous route African migrants have used for years. It costs about $300 per person.

Dozens die doing it every month, though officials say Syrians tend to have more cash and have thus fared better.

Between January and April of this year, the U.N. refugee agency in Mali says it counted 436 Syrian refugees passing through one small border town headed in the direction of Timbuktu.

Bakary Doumbia of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Bamako, says its hard to know how many Syrians in all have come to Mali.

You will see the father, the mother and kids all moving together," said Doumbia. "The first group that came through in September, the 36 [people], they all had passports and transit visas. The others, we dont know because they are not coming through [urban areas]. Generally they try to avoid major towns and go through desert lands.

The U.N. says it has seen a tenfold increase in Syrians requesting asylum in Mauritania since last year, when Algeria began demanding visas.

Fewer Syrians are arriving in Nouakchott now, as Mauritania began demanding visas two months ago.

Mali has granted 92 Syrians refugee status this year. But that doesnt allow them to work, and jobs are scarce anyway.

Jamal says staying in Mali long-term is not an option.

He says school fees are expensive, yet the level of education is much lower than in Syria. My oldest son wants to be a doctor, he says. In Syria, he was among the best in his class. Here he struggles to keep up because he is still learning French.

Jamal says thoughts of Germany keep him awake at night.
More relatives of current and former Chinese political leaders have been found to be Hong Kong residents, according to the latest batch of leaked Panama Papers.

According to Ming Pao, a Hong Kong newspaper, among the "Hong Kong princelings" are Li Xiaoping, the niece of former top Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, and Lis husband, Wallace Yu Yiping.

Both of them own offshore companies  Water Enterprise Ltd. and Tibet 5100 Water Resources Ltd.  that are incorporated in the British Virgin Islands via the couple's Hong Kong identity card numbers.

The leaked Panama Papers showed Yus Hong Kong identity card was issued as early as November 1994, and he held permanent residency in Hong Kong. Yu was born on the mainland.

According to the Hong Kong Companies Registry records, Yu and Li both hold Canadian passports.

It was previously reported that relatives of 10 top Chinese political figures held offshore companies, as revealed by the Panama Papers. Of the 10, at least seven are either Hong Kong residents, have bought properties in Hong Kong or have business ties to the city.

Named Communist Party leaders were Chinese President Xi Jinping, Zhang Gaoli, Liu Yunshan, Li Peng, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Tian Jiyun, Hu Yaobang, Mao Zedong and Bo Xilai.

In the latest revelations, Zhang Gaolis daughter was also found to be a Hong Kong identity card holder. She owns a house at Palm Springs in Yuen Long  part of Hong Kong  with her Hong Kong husband, Lee Shing-put.

A question of fairness

It is not illegal for Chinese citizens to open offshore accounts or own offshore companies, but the Communist Party bans party officials and family members from profiting from their positions.

Joseph Cheng, a retired political science professor at the City University of Hong Kong, told VOA on Wednesday that these reports provided no evidence that these Chinese leaders' relatives were involved in corruption, but the depth and breadth of their business activities exceed what most Chinese citizens would have imagined.

"What is more important is [that] a large part of Chinas top leadership have transferred their families, children and their wealth overseas," Cheng said. "It is not only a matter of corruption, but also a matter of whether they have confidence in the regime."

Although Chinese authorities have blocked almost all news regarding the Panama Papers  especially news about the offshore companies owned by the children of Chinese leaders  word is likely to get around.

"The news will soon spread. The main effect will be that people will question the fairness and effectiveness of the governments campaign against corruption," Cheng said. "Secondly, this kind of news will cause more internal fights among Chinas high-level leadership."

Recent reports by Hong Kong media do not mention President Xis brother-in-law Deng Jiagui, who was also revealed to have registered offshore companies. Some analysts said Deng went into business long before Xi entered the party leadership.
A British newspaper that pledged to prove that print news can survive in the online age has announced it is shutting down, just weeks after it began publishing.

Britain's The New Day, launched February 29 as the nation's first national daily newspaper in 30 years, announced Thursday that its last issue will be May 6. The Trinity Mirror Group, which owns the paper, said its performance had been "disappointing" and that circulation in its ten weeks on the newsstands had failed to meet expectations.

Expectations for the paper included sales of 200,000 copies per day, but soon after it launched, circulation fell as low as 30,000 copies per day.

The Trinity Mirror Group saw its stock market shares slump to a three-year low on Wednesday. The closure was announced on Thursday.
Companies trying to attract customers through the Chinese social media are now getting some help to reach their target audiences. The U.S.-based Nielsen rating agency has reached a partnership agreement with China's Twitter-like social media service, Sina Weibo, to gauge marketing effectiveness on the platform, which has more than 200 million users.

Del Levin, vice president of Shanghai-based Nielsen China, told VOA that the partnership with Sina Weibo aims to help advertisers understand the accuracy of their campaigns and how they are reaching people who are interested in their products.

"Car companies, for example, will be able to not only see the age and gender of the people who saw their on-line ads, but also the percentage of those people who are 'car enthusiasts,'" he said. This is possible because Weibo groups users together with similar interests by assigning tags to them.

The digital ad ratings, as Nielsen describes it, could be particularly useful for foreign companies trying to connect with China's massive social media audience. Recent research indicates that expenditures on digital advertising covering a range of Internet outlets have surpassed the amount spent on traditional media, like print publications and television in China.

The agreement comes one year after Nielsen teamed up with Tencent, which runs the widely popular WeChat platform, which has more than 600 million active users.

Optimized ad targeting as goal

At present, marketers have no means to measure whether their advertising is effectively delivered to the audiences they seek. Marketers are demanding more than traditional demographics, and are increasingly segmenting consumers based on their online behavior, Levin said.

"By combining the massive consumer data held by Tencent and Weibo, Nielsen will provide an unmatched view of standard audience demographics and behavioral preferences," he said.



There could, however, be some serious issues about the quality of data available on the social media. Profiling users by age and income groups may be difficult because a majority of Chinese social media users have registered without their real names, although the government has been insisting on it.

"This new arrangement will be an extremely important tool for social media marketing. But there are some questions about the validity of the data that will be gleaned from the social media," said Lin Chen, professor of digital marketing at China Europe International Business School.

"We don't know what they have in the black box. Are they talking about active users of Sina Weibo, or about the actual downloads, and postings?" Lin said.

Researchers may need to look at amplification, friend-of-friends linkages, to determine the effectiveness of users, she said.

Social media vs. search engine ads

Jacob Cooke, head of the Beijing-based consulting firm Web Presence in China, has a different take on the situation. He said advertisers may not be very excited by the new development because Chinese social media has been found to be a lot less effective, compared to search engines like Baidu and Sina.

"In China, social media traffic is incredibly overrated. The way social media websites channelize their traffic is not as efficient as search engines do," he said adding, "So, I think advertising on search engines still provides a much higher rate of return than doing that on the Chinese social media."

The new collaboration agreement comes at a time when the government is closely looking at advertising policies and practices in China's Internet and social media businesses. The recent death of a young man who used the Baidu search engine to look up treatment for a rare type of cancer has stirred up a furious debate online and triggered an investigation into the Internet company.



Analysts said the government investigation will force Internet companies to reformulate their advertising policies, and become more transparent.
North Koreas party congress starting later this week will serve as a political tool to cement Kim Jong Uns rule, analysts in Seoul and Washington said.

The seventh congress of the Norths ruling Workers Party, set to begin on Friday, is the first in nearly 40 years. The congress is likely to last several days. In the past, the event drew many delegates from around the world.

In 1980, nearly 180 delegates from 118 countries attended the gathering. This time, the North is known to have invited only a handful of foreign delegates to the event. Despite the low profile, the congress will give Kim an opportunity to assume center stage before a large domestic audience, including more than 3,000 delegates from around the nation. The gathering comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula following Pyongyangs fourth nuclear test in January.

Symbolic procedure

Kim is expected to make major policy announcements during the gathering, although what Kim might announce remains unclear. Kim took power in late 2011, when his father and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died suddenly. Some analysts said the congress is likely to be more of a symbolic procedure to elevate Kims status, noting Kim has already taken top posts in the party and military.

The congress has been largely a scripted event so I really wouldnt expect anything new, James Person, deputy director for the history and public policy program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, said at an event in Washington on Tuesday.

What you should expect is lots of grandiose statements about nuclear capabilities, support for Kim Jong Un, and the unitary leadership system, internal cohesion, and perhaps economic development, Person said.

Touting Kims image

Park Hyeong-jung, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, South Koreas state-run institute, told VOA the event is still important for Kims political future. The most important objective of the gathering is to show to the world that Kim has secured power firmly, Park said.

South Korean officials said the North is likely to step up efforts to glorify Kim after the event.

Recently, North Koreas state media have been making deliberate attempts to boost Kims image as a leader by linking him to major events. When Pyongyang announced the latest nuclear test, the countrys state television carried images of a written order by Kim.

Some expected Kim to announce a change in the countrys approach to Seoul.

Conciliatory gesture possible

My view is that we might see something pretty important, but subtle, at this congress in terms of principles or underlying philosophy, which would then govern new initiatives toward South Korea, said Robert Carlin, a former U.S. intelligence official who also participated in the Washington event.

Kim needs a long-term strategy that goes beyond the current standoff with Seoul, according to Carlin.

South Korean officials said Kim is not likely to take a bold move toward Seoul given the tensions between the two sides.

This week, South Koreas Defense Ministry said the North is ready to conduct another nuclear test at any time, adding the timing is likely to be decided by political considerations.
The United States and Russia have brokered a localized cease-fire in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where fierce fighting between the government and rebels has resulted in over 280 civilian deaths since late April.

The State Department said the reaffirmation of a cessation of hostilities in Aleppo and surrounding areas took effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday local time.

The Syrian regime said that it would respect implementation of the cease-fire in Aleppo but that the truce was only for 48 hours.

In a statement, the Syrian opposition called for a cessation of hostilities in all areas, not just select locations.

"The cease-fire must, without exception, cover all of Syria, including Aleppo. Otherwise, it will not succeed," said spokesman Salem al-Meslet.

U.S. officials said that while there had been reports of fighting in Aleppo since the cease-fire took effect, overall violence was down.

The United States and Russia are co-chairs of a cease-fire task force that has been working to salvage a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria that took effect in February.

Fighting Islamic State

World powers are concerned that the recent escalation in fighting and the lack of significant progress in political talks between the government and opposition could hamper the multinational effort to fight Islamic State in Syria.

The new localized cessation for Aleppo is similar to cease-fire agreements announced by the United States and Russia last week for the coastal province of Latakia and the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that under the plan for Aleppo, Russia would use its influence with Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime and the United States would use its leverage with the opposition to try to keep the agreement in place.

Russia can send a message to the regime that they are not in this for the long haul, Toner said. We also need to convey that same sentiment to the opposition.

U.S. officials said the overall goal of establishing a nationwide cessation of hostilities remained.

We will continue to work to de-escalate the violence all across Syria in hopes of being able to move back to the [political] talks as soon as people have confidence that this is really taking hold, Secretary of State John Kerry said.

Toner said that while efforts to quell violence nationwide were continuing, there was a chance that other localized cease-fires would be negotiated in Syria to address pockets of instability.

However, he declined to say what other areas U.S. and Russian officials were considering.

Diplomatic activity

In New York, meanwhile, Britain and France requested an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the situation in Aleppo.

At this very hour, the fragile agreement between the Russians and Americans that just entered into force is an encouraging sign, but it needs to be translated into facts on the ground, French Ambassador Francois Delattre told the council.

He said much more must be done to ensure the cessation of hostilities is respected. Otherwise, Syria will return to the horror and the resumption of clashes, he said.

Delattre said France had called for a ministerial-level meeting on Monday in Paris with the Friends of Syria group, with the aim of ending the violence and restarting political negotiations. The Friends of Syria is an international collective of countries and bodies that has convened to discuss Syria outside the Security Council.

Several council members blamed the Assad regime for the deterioration of the truce in Aleppo.

The regime launched more than 300 airstrikes, 110 artillery strikes and 18 missiles, and dropped more than 68 bombs on the city over just these last two weeks, according to credible actors on ground, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said. All of this, while still paying lip service to a cessation of hostilities.

Pressure on moderates urged

Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin said Damascus was waging a large-scale offensive against jihadists. He also questioned the political will of countries with influence over the moderate opposition, saying they did not appear to be pressing them to break links with groups like the al-Nusra Front and to participate in the Geneva talks.

U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman warned parties not to waste the opportunity of U.N.-led political talks in Geneva. Allowing the parties to the conflict to play for time or territory on the ground to strengthen their position at the negotiating table would be a mistake, he said.

Feltman said the U.N. hoped to get another round of intra-Syrian talks underway this month.
With the U.S. party primary process nearing its end, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton appear set to battle in the November election to become the next president of the United States.

Months of debates, speeches and interviews have provided insight into their differing stances on a wide range of domestic and foreign policy issues that are sure to be prominent as they try to convince voters in the general election.

Diplomacy

Clinton, who served as the nation's top diplomat under Obama, wants to strengthen relations with current allies and build new ties. She supports the international agreement on Iran's nuclear program and wants to deter China and Russia from aggressive actions in their regions. Trump also supports boosting ties with allies, but has criticized NATO as "obsolete' and vowed to make U.S. partners pay their share for defense. He called the Iran deal "disastrous" and said he thinks he would get along well with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Terrorism / Islamic State

Trump said in March he would consider sending 30,000 ground troops to help defeat Islamic State, but later said he would rather not send U.S. troops. He has repeatedly pledged to knock out the militant group, but has not provided a specific plan. Clinton's plan resembles the one put in place by the Obama administration, relying on coalition airstrikes, supporting local ground fighters and working to disrupt terrorist financing and online propaganda.

Interrogations

Obama banned enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, while Clinton was a part of his Cabinet. She says she will not condone or practice torture if she is the U.S. leader. Trump says militants are doing far worse and supports bringing back waterboarding.

Migrants / Muslims

After last year's terror attacks in Paris, Trump said he would ban all Muslims from entering the U.S. "until our country's representatives can figure out what's going on." He later said "Islam hates us," and on Wednesday told MSNBC that migrants are "destroying Europe." Clinton says demonizing Muslims alienates U.S. partners and that it would be wrong to shut the country's doors to orphans of war or to apply religious tests to those fleeing persecution.

Immigration

Trump wants to build a wall to seal off the southern U.S. border with Mexico, and have the Mexican government pay for it. He accuses Mexico of exporting crime and poverty. He also wants to deport the millions of people who are already living in the U.S. illegally, triple the number of immigration enforcement agents and end birthright citizenship. Clinton calls Trump's wall plan a "fantasy." She proposes immigration reforms that include a path to citizenship, and says she will defend executive orders issued by Obama that shield large numbers of immigrants from deportation.

Trade

Both candidates oppose the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Trump has stated further objections to the North American Free Trade Agreement enacted when Clinton's husband, Bill, was president in the 1990s. Trump has also proposed renegotiating trade deals and imposing stiff tariffs on Chinese and Mexican goods. He said he does not mind igniting a trade war when the U.S. has a trade deficit of billions of dollars.

Domestic Economy

Trump and Clinton both want to cut taxes for the middle class. On the minimum wage, Clinton has said she supports a higher federal rate and the ability of local governments to pass even higher rates. Trump said early in the campaign that the minimum wage was already too high, but now says he is open to raising it. He staunchly opposes Obama's Affordable Care Act healthcare program, while Clinton says she will defend and build on it.

Global Warming

Clinton calls climate change "an urgent threat and the defining challenge of our time." She wants to cut the nation's carbon pollution and push the development of a green energy economy. Trump has said he does not believe humans are driving climate change. He tweeted once that the concept was created by China to make the U.S. manufacturing sector less competitive.
The top U.S. consumer financial regulator proposed a rule Thursday that would make it easier for ordinary consumers to file class-action lawsuits against their banks, rather than seek a resolution through mandatory arbitration.

Most U.S. bank customers relinquished their right to sue when they signed credit card agreements, bank accounts and insurance policies without reading the fine print.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, wanting to to put a stop to that, proposed a rule that would ban arbitration clauses. The ban would only apply, though, when consumers want to join or create a class-action lawsuit.

If adopted, the rule could cost the financial industry hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars.

"Many banks and financial companies avoid accountability by putting arbitration clauses in their contacts that block groups of their customers from suing them," CFPB Director Richard Cordray said. Such clauses effectively deny groups of consumers "the right to seek justice and relief for wrongdoing."

Consumer advocates say arbitrators routinely rule against consumers, but the financial industry argues arbitration is a more efficient way for customers to resolve disputes with banks.

A CFPB study confirmed that arbitration is more efficient but found customers rarely filed lawsuits to settle small claims. The study also showed that when large numbers of customers were adversely affected by the same issue, arbitration hindered their ability to seek relief.

The study found that 15 of the largest 20 credit card companies had arbitration clauses in their agreements, and disputes involving about half of all large bank accounts and nearly all prepaid credit cards and payday loans required arbitration.

Once the CFPB rule is published, the public will have 90 days to comment. The rule will go into effect next year if it is adopted.
Rescue workers in Kenya's capital have pulled three more survivors from the ruins of an apartment building that collapsed nearly a week ago. That brings to four the number of people found alive Thursday in the rubble of the six-story complex.

The Kenyan Red Cross says "one male and two female" survivors were freed from the rubble late in the day.

Earlier, rescue crews pulled out a woman who was taken by ambulance to a Nairobi hospital.

The death toll from the collapse stands at 36, with dozens more still missing. Nearly 140 people have been rescued from the building in Nairobi's low-income, highly-populated Huruma neighborhood.

On Tuesday, rescuers extricated a baby girl who was later reunited with her father. Officials said the 6-month-old was dehydrated but suffered no major injuries.

On Monday, authorities arrested Samuel Kamau, the owner of the collapsed building. He was expected in court this week.

The building had been condemned by authorities. There has been no official explanation as to why the evacuation order went ignored.

The building was close to a river. Homes nearby were declared unsafe, as rains caused a series of floods and landslides.

President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered an audit of every building in the country last year after eight structures collapsed, killing at least 15 people. A report from the Architectural Association of Kenya estimates that half of the structures in Nairobi are not up to code.
As the United States and Russia struggle to cement a cease-fire in Syria that includes the embattled city of Aleppo, the Syrian military under President Bashar al-Assad indicated it would be a temporary extension.

Syrian rebels accuse Russia of using artillery to support the two-week assault. But while Assad clearly wants to conquer Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, Russian analysts say international prestige is the Kremlins main goal.

Moscow is much more interested in the peace process, which keeps it in a unique position as a diplomatic co-equal with the U.S. than in Assad reconquering the other half of Aleppo, says director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, Dmitri Trenin, in e-mailed comments to VOA.

Russia's public optimism points to its interest to see the negotiating process back on track, he adds.

Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov this week voiced hope for the cease-fire along with U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, who met Monday in Geneva with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

Lavrov touted the establishment of a joint Russia-U.S. monitoring center for the Syria truce, which he said the two countries militaries would discuss face-to-face. Kerry had described it in less grandiose terms as an increase in support staff.

So far, by creating facts on the ground, Moscow has coerced Washington into a diplomatic tandem [Kerry-Lavrov] and even made the proud Pentagon, wary of potential casualties in case of a collision with Russian forces, talk to the MOD [Ministry of Defense], says Trenin.

Americans [particularly the military], however, accept this partnership only reluctantly and grudgingly, minimizing its scope and importance, he adds. The Russians, for their part, seek to present their achievements in the field of cooperation with the U.S. in the best possible light: it gives them precisely the status that they seek, Trenin concludes.

Syria campaign makes Russia indispensable

Weeks of intense Syrian airstrikes on Aleppo and artillery fire exchanged with rebels shredded a hard-won, cease-fire mediated in February by the U.S. and Russia.

Despite the truce covering only parts of Syria, and not including Aleppo, it was the best result of peace negotiations since Russia entered the five-year conflict last fall. On Wednesday U.S. and Russia said they brokered a localized cease-fire Aleppo.

Russian airstrikes not only supported Assads waning forces, but boosted their offensives to make gains on the ground, spurring the urgency of international efforts for peace talks.

Russias Syria campaign was also widely viewed as a cynical move by the Kremlin to get back on the world stage after more than a year of pariah status in the West over its annexation of Ukraines Crimean peninsula and military aggression.

"Obviously it changed the attitude of major Western interlocutors, including [the] United States, toward Russia and toward Mr. Putin, says political analyst Victor Mizin of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. And so we saw a new dialogue, which has started with the role of Russia as indispensable actor or player in all those deliberations.

Russias partial pull-out of its forces from Syria in March was seen by some analysts as a signal from Russian President Vladimir Putin letting Assad know who is in charge.

Russian military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer tells VOA Russias military backing of Assad is aimed at forcing the acceptance of his government remaining in power in some form, and remaining a client state of Russia, as the only political solution.

Both parties... the warring factions are aiming at victory, says Felgenhauer, and that means the ultimate solution will be anyway military, he concludes.

Russia's view on Syria 'cynical'

Complicating the situation are insurgent terrorist groups operating in and around Aleppo, like al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra-also known as the al-Nusra Front, who were not part of the truce. Fighting al-Nusra is the main reason Syrian forces, and their Russian backers, have given for the assault on Aleppo.

Russias Ministry of Defense on Wednesday blamed the delay in extending the truce to Aleppo on a hospital attack from a rebel-held area of the city. But while Kerry condemned that attack, Russia denied a Syrian air strike on a major Aleppo hospital last week even took place, despite dozens of reported casualties and condemnation by the United Nations, Western powers, and medical aid groups.

Meanwhile, Russia-implausibly and cynically-continues to deny responsibility for any civilian casualties, and state TV drums up support for the Syrian army by focusing on civilian casualties from insurgents.

After securing an agreement with Russia for a truce in Aleppo, Kerry urged the Syrian opposition forces the United States supports to halt their fighting and called for Moscow to demand the same from Assad.

But while Russia maintains considerable sway over Damascus, it is not clear how much leverage Moscow is willing to use to halt Assads ambition to conquer the city and re-take all of Syria.

The Kremlin is more about Russia's global status than about Syria's future, says Trenin. Moscow is realistic about Syria and the Middle East, which means, realist and cynical, he concludes.
South African President Jacob Zuma on Thursday asked for more orderly debates by lawmakers in parliament after most opposition parties boycotted his speech in the assembly.

Several MPs from the ultra-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were forcibly ejected from parliament on Wednesday as they sought to prevent Zuma from giving a speech.

On Thursday, the main opposition Democratic Alliance party, the EFF and six smaller ones were absent as Zuma gave a speech in reply to issues raised during the previous day, saying the president was "discredited" after court rulings against him.

Zuma last month survived an impeachment call in parliament after the Constitutional Court in March that found that the president had breached the constitution. On Friday, a High Court judge ruled that Zuma should face 783 corruption charges that had been dropped in 2009 by state prosecutors.
Spanish authorities this week issued arrest warrants for several Russians, some of them reputedly close associates of President Vladimir Putin, who are suspected of close ties to organized crime. The Spanish newspaper El Mundo quoted Judge Jose de la Mata of Spain's National Court as saying there is very strong evidence against each suspect.

Spanish prosecutors claim that the suspects were involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including murder, illegal arms trafficking, extortion, fraud, abuse of office, bribery, smuggling and drug trafficking.

One of the biggest names on the list of suspects is Vladislav Reznik, a top official of the ruling United Russia party who previously headed the committee on credit institutions and financial institutions of the State Duma, the lower house of Russias parliament. According to Spanish court documents, Reznik is associated with Russian crime boss Gennady Petrov and fulfills various tasks on Petrovs behalf, "both legal and illegal."

Petrov was among a group of alleged Russian organized-crime figures who set up shop in Spain in the mid-1990s. He fled to Russia after police raided his villa on the Spanish island of Majorca in 2008.

Another prominent name on the list of suspects is Nikolai Aulov, deputy head of Russias Federal Narcotics Control Service. According to the Spanish prosecutors, the mafia used him to gain influence in Russias highest administrative circles. A warrant was also issued for Leonid Khristoforov, who allegedly acted as a liaison for Aulov.



Another Spanish arrest warrant was for Igor Sobolevsky, former deputy head of the Investigative Committee, a Russian state agency analogous to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Spanish prosecutors say Sobolevsky maintained contacts and exchanged services with Petrov, passing secret information to him. In the words of Judge de la Mata, Sobolevsky kept Petrov informed about the actions of the security services against organized crime.

In a petition made to Spains Central Court in May 2015, Spanish prosecutors accused other former top Russian officials of having links to Petrov, including former defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, former regional development minister Dmitry Kozak and former communications minister Leonid Reiman.

Moscow uncharacteristically silent

Asked to comment on the Spanish arrest warrants, Valery Khomyakov, general director of the National Strategy Council, a Moscow think tank, told VOAs Russian Service that he was surprised by the universal silence with which Russian officialdom greeted the news.

"We usually have someone to respond at every given opportunity, he said. As soon as something is said, Ms. Zakharova [Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova] is already there. Everybody is probably waiting for the reaction of the chief executive [Putin]. After all, Reznik is a rather well-known MP who has been in the parliament for a long time. Plus, his connections to Vladimir Putin through the notorious Petrov are discernible, Khomyakov said.

In March, after Interpol issued an international arrest warrant for Reznik at the request of Spanish authorities, Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika flatly ruled out extraditing him to Spain.



Alexander Gurov is a retired Interior Ministry general who made his name fighting organized crime in the 1980s and a former State Duma member who headed its security committee from 2000 to 2004. He told VOA there is nothing surprising about official Moscow's silence about the Spanish arrest warrants.

"It is clear that this episode is very unpleasant for the image of the country," he said.

Still, Gurov said the story is hardly new.

"I, personally, would listen to the Spanish police, he said. They are not fools. According to available information, Russian envoys of organized crime really were actively operating in Spain. The only question is the degree of guilt of those involved.

According to Gurov, the Spanish case is evidence of ties between Russias state structures and the criminal underworld.

It may even involve groups of officials from certain agencies, he said. Its not a secret: this process has been going on since the '90s. ... Organized crime cannot exist without the protection of the authorities, or without an economic base.

Merged in a criminal tangle

Twenty years ago, Gurov said, Russian organized crime groups decided to earmark one-third of their revenues for bribes to government officials.

I think this is now paying off, he said. They have all coalesced to such a degree that it is difficult for the uninitiated to understand. During all these years, the mafia worked hard to integrate state representatives into their networks.



At one time, organized crime put a large number of people into the State Duma, Gurov said.

Thats how it was when I ran for office, he said. They caught them by the hundreds, but those guys still managed to infiltrate the Duma.

However, Gurov believes that today the situation in the Duma has changed significantly.

Valery Khomyakov says that if the accusations of the Spanish prosecutors are confirmed, the merger of Russian state structures with the criminal underworld will have to be recognized as a fact.



The Spanish case will be presented as irrefutable evidence that Russias state structures and organized crime have merged "together in a criminal tangle, in which it is impossible to figure out where the government ends and where criminality begins, he said.
A senior U.N. official called for an investigation into an airstrike on a Syrian refugee camp that killed dozens of people Thursday, saying the attack could amount to a war crime.

At least 30 people were killed at the Kamouna camp near Sarmada in northern Syrias Idlib province and dozens wounded in the airstrike, according to the Local Coordination Committees (LCC), a network of anti-Assad activists.

Another activist monitoring group, the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, put the death toll lower, at 28, including women and children, but warned their numbers would likely rise.

Stephen O'Brien, U.N. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said suspicion for the attack will fall on the Syrian government, and the U.N. will hold accountable whomever is responsible for this abominable act.

"Be in no doubt that all these terrible acts, wherever they happen and whoever perpetrates them, will not be forgotten and the people who perpetrate them will be held to account," O'Brien said.

Deadly strike after cease-fire

Only hours after Russian and Syrian officials confirmed a cease-fire had been extended to Aleppo, opposition politicians said warplanes -- either Syrian government or Russian -- carried out a deadly airstrike 30 kilometers from Syrias onetime commercial capital on a refugee camp close to the border with Turkey.

Activists say two missiles hit the camp.

Photographs posted by LCC activists on social media sites showed tents destroyed at the camp.

Josh Earnest, U.S. President Barack Obamas spokesman, said of the refugees: "These individuals are in the most desperate situation imaginable, and there is no justification for carrying out military action targeting them.

At the U.S. State Department, officials said they were seeking more details.

We have seen the reports, including accusations that these were regime strikes, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. We are looking into them to try to get more details on what happened, but there is absolutely no justification for attacks on civilians in Syria.

"We have said this many times, unfortunately, over the last week or so, but especially on what appears to have been a refugee camp, so really targeting the most vulnerable citizens in Syria," Toner said.

Asked whether the airstrike bolsters the argument rebels and Turkey have made for months that safe and no-fly zones need to be established to protect more than 100,000 internally displaced Syrians in northern Syria, Toner said: "We don't want to set up specific no-fly zones. What we are working towards and what we are trying to get in place here is a nationwide cessation of hostilities that we believe can endure and be strengthened over the long haul.

Activists remained adamant the regime was behind the airstrike  not the first time Syrian government warplanes have been accused of attacking refugee camps.

But they said they could not tell whether the fighter-bombers were from the Syrian Air Force or Russian warplanes. Photographs of the aftermath of the strike showed fires burning and the charred remains of blue tents.

Telegram to Moscow

The Syrian National Coalition, the Western-backed opposition group, also blamed the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, who on Thursday sent a telegram to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Syrian state media said the telegram thanked Moscow for its military support and vowed to accept nothing less than outright victory. Assad said the army was set on attaining final victory and crushing the aggression.

The government-owned Syrian Arab News Agency ran no report on the airstrike on the camp for internally displaced Syrians, focusing instead on Assads congratulatory message to Moscow, sent on Russias Victory Day, the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.

The Syrian president noted in his cable that Aleppo has become like Stalingrad, promising that despite the brutality and cruelty of the enemy, and the great sacrifices and pains, our cities, towns, people and army will not be satisfied until they defeat the enemy and achieve victory serving the interests of Syria, the region and the world.

The Syrian regime has pledged to abide by a temporary truce when it comes to Aleppo. The regime of calm, as Damascus described it, came into effect at 1 a.m. (2200 GMT on Wednesday) for 48 hours, after two weeks of the most intense fighting the city, which is divided between the government and rebels, has seen in more than a year.

State Department spokesman Toner held out hope the Aleppo truce will get extended.

"They have given it a 48-hour time limit. We will let that time limit proceed, but what we would like to see is obviously this [cease-fire] continue and be as open-ended as possible," he added.

Kamouna camp

Syrian army spokesmen accused al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al Nusra and Islamist factions of violating the temporary truce in Aleppo, which was brokered by Washington and Moscow, accusing them of continuing indiscriminate shelling of government-held districts.

But locals reported that overnight clashes had eased and shops started to open in the calm.

But Kamouna camp, which shelters more than 2,000 refugees, was anything but that when two warplanes struck it.

The camp is far from any major towns or cities.

Mamun al-Khatib, director of the Aleppo-based pro-rebel Shahba Press news agency, accused the Syrian government for the attack.

"Two regime aircraft fired four missiles on the camp, Khatib said. "Two missiles fell near, causing people to panic, and two more fell inside, where a dozen tents caught fire.

A purported video of the scene uploaded to the Internet by activists shows women wailing over the scorched bodies of children. White Helmet emergency workers can be seen trying to put out fires.

Idlib province is mainly controlled by Jabhat al Nusra and the Islamist faction Ahar al-Sham. Damascus and Moscow say both groups are terrorists.

Al-Qaidas affiliate is excluded from a cease-fire agreed on in February, also brokered by Russia and the U.S.

On Wednesday, before the partial truce came into effect, Russian artillery units participated for the first time in ground fighting in Aleppo, which has suffered two weeks of blistering government airstrikes.

Dozens of people were killed in the city as rebels advanced into Syrian government-controlled western districts, according to political activists. The insurgents were forced to withdraw after several hours of intense fighting.

The rebel assault was mounted to disrupt regime forces, say rebel commanders who have long warned of a major offensive in the coming weeks to wrest back the battered insurgent-held districts of a city that remains a key battlefield prize for the government.
The New York-based Human Rights Foundation has awarded its 2016 Vaclav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent to an Iranian cartoonist, a Russian performance artist and an Uzbek photojournalist.

"The prize celebrates those who, with bravery and ingenuity, unmask the lie of dictatorship by living the truth," the foundation said in a release Thursday.

The committee described Atena Farghadani as "a prisoner of conscience of the Iranian regime." Farghadani was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a cartoon she posted on social media depicting parliamentarians with animal heads to criticize a draft law restricting contraception and criminalizing voluntary sterilization.

The second laureate, Petr Pavlensky, is a Russian artist best known for a series of performances in which he used self-mutilation to protest the government's political crackdown. He is facing up to three years in jail for setting fire to the main entrance to the headquarters of the FSB security service in a performance meant to draw attention to what he called the terror tactics used by the agency.

"A lone artist standing up against the most powerful institution of Vladimir Putin's Russia is an important symbol  both politically and artistically," said HRF Chairman Garry Kasparov.

The third laureate is Umida Akhmedova, a Uzbekistan photojournalist and the country's first female documentary filmmaker. She has been accused of slander and "damaging the country's image" for publishing a series of photos about life in rural parts of Uzbekistan.

"Despite the government's attempts to manufacture a polished, happy image of the country, she exposes the reality of life in one of the world's most closed societies," said John Egenaes, secretary general of Amnesty International Norway.

The three laureates will be honored at a ceremony during the Oslo Freedom Forum this month. They will also share a $43,000 prize.

The prize is named in honor of Vaclav Havel, the dissident Czech poet, playwright and statesman whose activism against oppression and on behalf of human rights and democracy helped topple communism in the former Czechoslovakia.
The number of U.S. visitors to Cuba has nearly doubled this year, its tourism minister said Wednesday, as the island races to build hotels and expand Havana's airport to keep up with booming demand.

Tourism has taken off since Cuba and the United States announced in December 2014 that they would work to bury the Cold War hatchet. The Caribbean island received a record 3.5 million visitors last year.

The influx has pushed capacity to the limit, prompting hotels to sharply hike prices and raising questions about how Cuba will absorb additional visitors when scheduled U.S. commercial airline service starts later this year.

"With the increase in demand there have occurred problems with the confirmation of reservations and some irritation with delays at the airports, most of all in Havana," Minister Manuel Marrero said at the opening of an annual tourism fair.

Still, overall satisfaction with Cuba as a destination was high, reflected by the fact that nearly half of last year's tourists were return visitors, he said.

The number of visitors so far in 2016 jumped 13.5 percent on the year to 1.5 million, Marrero said. Of those, 94,000 were Americans, a 93 percent jump on the year, and more than 115,000 were Cuban-Americans.

Cuba's tourism infrastructure is creaking, mainly in the capital, where visits were up 37 percent this year, according to the minister. Almost all Americans visit Havana as part of their itineraries, as they are banned from the beach.

Three new hotels

Marrero said three new hotels were under construction around the colonial part of the city, bids were in to renovate some existing establishments, and more were on the drawing board.

He said an airport expansion was planned in Havana but gave no details.

"Until just a little while ago, Cuba was a forbidden destination, and not only for Americans, but for many others from various countries who feared traveling to the island," tourism professor Jose Luis Perello of the University of Havana said.

European tourism in Cuba was up 60 percent through April of this year, said Eric Peyre, who heads up the French hospitality company Accor's operations in the island.

Security threats in other traditional holiday destinations for Europeans, such as the Middle East and Africa, were adding to the Caribbean island's allure, he said.

"Air France has 11 flights a week. Last week, they signed for 28 flights a week from France," he said.

Accor manages three hotels in Cuba, including the 188-room Hotel Seville in Old Havana, once-favorite hangout of Chicago gangster Al Capone, which Peyre said was sold out through the end of the year.

"Last year, a room and breakfast at the Seville cost $120, this year $180, and beginning in November it will cost $280," he said.
After largely self-funding his run to the U.S. Republican presidential nomination, billionaire Donald Trump is starting efforts to raise money for his race against the likely Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Trump said he contributed about $44 million to his monthslong campaign to capture the Republican nomination, while collecting another $12 million in relatively small donations from supporters.

But Thursday, he named a campaign finance chief, Steven Mnuchin, chief of a private investment firm, to oversee a national fundraising effort for what could be a billion-dollar campaign.

Trump often bragged to his supporters that he was the only 2016 presidential candidate who was self-funding, even if it was somewhat of an exaggerated claim because he also accepted donations.

Now he has acknowledged that he would have to sell some of his extensive real estate holdings, something he said he does not necessarily want to do, to muster the hundreds of millions of dollars needed for the national campaign against Clinton.

Even so, Trump said in a statement that he would be "putting up substantial money toward the general election."

Contributions

Numerous wealthy individuals who normally contribute to Republican presidential candidates have been slow to embrace Trump; nearly all of them have been supporting contenders whom Trump defeated.

Trump is a political novice who captured the hearts and votes of a sizable portion of the Republican electorate in state nominating contests, but has received tepid support from establishment party figures.

Trump, a brash, onetime television reality-show host, said he is putting together a committee to help him choose his vice presidential running mate.

 Clinton, who has not clinched the Democratic nomination, significantly leads Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, her lone challenger, in the number of delegates.

Sanders has said he has no plans to quit before the final primary votes have been cast in June.

He would need to win a huge majority of the vote in the remaining states in order to catch Clinton, who leads him by about 300 pledged delegates to the party's national nominating convention and has hundreds more superdelegates, mostly party officials, pledging to support her.

A number of polls show Clinton favored to beat Trump if the election were held now.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he will step down as his ruling AK Party announced an extraordinary congress to elect a new leader. Davutoglus decision comes amid reports of his growing differences with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In a carefully worded statement to the countrys media, Davutoglu said he would be stepping down at the AK Party congress to be held on May 22. He claimed his premiership has been a success, underlining his landslide victory in last November's election. But alluding to growing differences over his leadership, he said he was stepping down for the sake of unity and consensus in the party.

But the prime minister was careful to reaffirm his loyalty to the president.

"I feel no reproach, anger or resentment against anyone," he said. "No one heard, or will ever hear a single word from my mouth, from my tongue or my mind against our president."

But in the past few months there have been reports of growing differences between the prime minister and Erdogan. Supporters of the president have accused Davutoglu of opposing Erdogan's ambitions of replacing Turkey's current parliamentary system with a presidential one, while Davutoglu has tentatively voiced concerns over an ongoing crackdown on critics of the president.

On Monday, Erdogan loyalists in the AK Party stripped the prime minister of his power to appoint regional party heads, while the president this week issued a thinly-veiled warning to Davutoglu, saying he should remember who appointed him.

Davutoglu met Wednesday with Erdogan to resolve their differences, but Cengiz Aktar, a political scientist at Istanbuls Suleyman Sah University, said the prime minister's fate was already sealed.

"For some time, he was growing in his position and that is unacceptable to Mr. Erdogan. He is and he was his [Erdogan's] creation and started to become independent, developing new ideas, etc. And this didn't please Mr. Erdogan and ... he pushed him [Davutoglu] out."

One of the prime minister's initiatives was to craft a deal with the European Union, whereby Turkey accepted migrants returned from Greece in exchange for a series of concessions, including visa-free travel to Schengen-zone countries in the European Union. This week, the European Commission gave a conditional green light to visa-free travel.

While Brussels has made little secret of the fact that it would rather deal with Davutoglu than Erdogan, who is increasingly accused of authoritarianism, observers say Davutoglu's removal sends a message that Erdogan is the only person who wields power in Turkey.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), called the prime minister's resignation a "palace coup."
Uganda's government says journalists reporting on the activities of the opposition FDC party will lose their licenses and could be subject to arrest. Tensions have been high in Uganda since the February 18th presidential poll, which saw President Yoweri Museveni elected to a fifth term in office.

Thursday was supposed to be a day of protest for the FDC officials and supporters who are demanding an independent audit of the results of the February presidential poll.

However, heavy police presence kept people off the streets. Opposition leader and presidential candidate, Kizza Besigye, remains under house arrest.

The inspector general of police and the information minister held a press conference Thursday to announce that the media is banned from covering what the government is calling the FDCs defiance campaign.

They said journalists are prohibited from airing live broadcasts of FDC events, covering their press conferences or inviting FDC members on talk shows.

Robert Ssempala, the national coordinator with the Human Rights Networks for Journalists in Uganda, said this is a worrying sign.



The profession is very clear about balancing our stories about giving a fair platform to those in power and those outside of power that have alternative views," he said. "This is what the media is all about. So now you're de-toothing the media only to crusade for the government and government policies? That is not what the media is supposed to do.



The government says it must preserve stability and security, but Ssempala says advocacy groups are considering challenging the media restrictions in court.

We've seen journalists being arrested before even without this ban," he said. "So it's just going to be a continuation of a further crackdown. We certainly think they will devise any means to scare the media to intimidate the journalists and harass those who are strong willed.

Social media has not been shut down as it was during the vote in February, but an official with the Uganda Communications Commission says it will be monitored for those promoting the FDC.

Last week, Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma banned all FDC activities for one month. These included the FDC's weekly prayers which on Tuesday were interrupted by police, who arrested several participants.
The United Nations has welcomed a landmark ruling by Sri Lanka's highest court prohibiting discrimination against people living with HIV in education, saying the judgment would set a precedent and help victims seek justice for other forms of prejudice.

Ruling on a case involving a 5-year-old boy who was denied admission to school because he was believed to be HIV-positive, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court last week said children living with or affected by HIV have the full right to education.

The court also reminded the government of its obligation to take steps to protect, promote and respect the human rights of people living with HIV.

"This is a great day for social justice," said Steve Kraus, director of the UNAIDS Asia and the Pacific support team, in a statement this week. "Sri Lanka's highest court has stood up in support of people who are being left behind. From now on, no child can be denied access to education based on HIV."

The United Nations said the April 28 ruling would set a precedent on the Indian Ocean island, and that victims would now be able to challenge HIV discrimination in other areas such as in accessing health, employment and housing.

First in region

This is the first such ruling in South Asia. While Indian courts have ruled to protect the rights of people living with HIV in specific settings, no country in the region has passed a national HIV law. Sindh province in Pakistan has a comprehensive HIV law, but there is no such protection across the country.

According to UNAIDS, almost 37 million people globally were living with HIV in 2014. There is no comparable figure for South Asia, but World Bank 2010 data said between 2 million and 3.5 million people in South Asia were living with HIV and AIDS.

Despite greater awareness about the disease, many HIV-positive people in South Asia continue to face discrimination in their everyday lives.

In India, for example, human rights lawyers have documented how children living with HIV have been systematically targeted and endured repeated incidents of humiliation, suspension, violence, segregation and expulsion.

The United Nations called on other South Asian countries to adopt laws to protect victims of all forms of prejudice.

"UNAIDS congratulates Sri Lanka on this historic step forward and urges countries in the region to introduce comprehensive laws protecting people affected by HIV against direct and indirect discrimination in all settings," it said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is banning the sale of e-cigarettes and some other tobacco products to people under age 18 for the first time, a move designed to prevent a new generation from being addicted to nicotine.

In addition to e-cigarettes, the FDA announced a ban on the sale of pipe tobacco, hookah tobacco and cigars to minors. The FDA already regulates cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco products.

E-cigarettes have grown into a $3 billion industry, as their use rises among middle- and high school students. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA say 3 million middle- and high schoolers reported using e-cigarettes in 2015, an increase from around 2.5 million the year before.

The new rules - which take effect in 90 days - require makers of the tobacco products to submit them for regulatory review, provide a list of ingredients and place health warnings on packages and in advertisements.

If U.S. House Republicans have their way, however, the new regulations will have limitations.



A bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee on April 19 would prevent the FDA from requiring retroactive safety reviews of e-cigarette products introduced after 2007 and exempt some premium and large cigars as well.

The measure, sponsored by Republican Congressman Robert Aderhold, was included in an agriculture spending bill. The legislation is akin to "driving a bus through public health protections," said Erika Sward of the American Lung Association.

Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, said the FDA pre-market review requirement would hurt manufacturers of the tobacco products. "There are thousands of small business and tens of thousands of jobs on the line," Conley said.

The FDA began focusing on e-cigarettes in 2009 as they began appearing on store shelves in the United States. That same year, President Barack Obama signed into law a measure that gave the FDA authority over the previously unregulated products. Congress also gave the agency the authority to assert jurisdiction over them.
A U.S. federal judge says he may order Hillary Clinton to testify in a lawsuit concerning her use of a private email server for official business while she was secretary of state.

A conservative group called Judicial Watch is suing the State Department for access to some of the e-mails Clinton sent while secretary of state.

It contends the State Department did not release all the details it was seeking under the Freedom of Information Act on former department employees who worked with Clinton to set up her email account.

District Judge Emmet Sullivan said Wednesday it "may be necessary" to summon Clinton to testify about the circumstances that led the State Department approval for her using a private email server for official business.

Clinton has consistently denied any wrongdoing and says she used one email account for personal and official use for convenience.

Clinton critics, including Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, have accused her of putting national security at risk.
Vietnamese officials on Wednesday banned the processing or selling of dead seafood washed ashore or caught within 20 nautical miles of a mysterious mass fish kill along the country's central coast.

The decree by Vietnam's agriculture and rural development agency sets guidelines for destroying possibly contaminated seafood but does not elaborate on measures to cope with violations.

Vietnam has been investigating the massive fish die-off, which began nearly a month ago at aquatic farms and in waters off the country's four central provinces. State media have tied the event to alleged toxic discharges from a steel complex built by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics (TFP).

In late April, TFP's local unit, Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp., issued a statement via its parent company saying there is no evidence that wastewater from its steel plant was responsible for the fish deaths.

Hanoi officials, however, have said chemical toxins from human activities are responsible for the die-off, but establishing the exact source or cause of the toxins will take time.

Wednesday's ban comes a day after Vietnams environmental and health ministries said seawater and seafood in four affected provinces met safety indicators.

Fears that tainted fish collected from the beaches are entering the countrys food supply sparked outrage on social media and waves of rare public demonstrations across Vietnam and in other Southeast Asian countries.

"The governments responses and acts are inappropriate since the people want to know what caused these mass fish deaths," Hanoi resident La Viet Dung told VOA's Vietnamese Service. "Its been a month now, but they havent provided us with a legitimate answer which makes us doubtful. This is either due to their weak governance, or they're trying to hide something. They have to clearly and immediately let us know the real cause and measures to overcome this tragedy.

Nguyen Thanh Huan, a consumer in Nghe An province who joined local protests, said his family and the surrounding community are scared and have decided not to consume fish, fish sauce or salt at this time.

The government has to work this out and compensate for the loss that were suffering," he said, referring to the many livelihoods affected by mass die-off. "They have to find ways to recover and revive the environment as well as strictly punish those responsible or those who are intentionally covering up the truth and extending our suffering.

"We no longer trust them unless we see those acts," he added. "I cant trust this regime anymore. I will keep participating street protests if any.

Vietnamese state media is reporting that dead fish are continuing to wash ashore on coastal provinces.

On Tuesday, nearly 140,000 Vietnamese nationals signed a petition urging the Obama administration to launch an independent probe of the environmental disaster just weeks before he makes his first visit to Vietnam.
Angola is battling a yellow fever outbreak amid a global shortage of the vaccine. Cases have also been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda and China.

Health experts worry about further spread. There is no treatment.

Mass immunization is the only way to stop yellow fever, but producing more of the vaccine is not easy.

Making of a vaccine



The Institut Pasteur de Dakar is one of four places in the world that make the yellow fever vaccine.

Recording is prohibited inside the institute, but there is nothing to hear. The halls are quiet. Two walls of windows separate us from the sterile labs where technicians work in head-to-toe protective gear.

Each week, a carton of special, pathogen-free chicken eggs arrives from Germany. Technicians inject the embryos, one by one, with the live virus. Thats a first step. What follows is weeks of extraction, mixing, incubation and safety checks.

It can take up to six months to produce a batch of usable vaccine.

Globally, around 80 million doses of yellow fever vaccine are made each year. The Institut Pasteur can produce up to 10 million doses.

Meeting global needs



Antoine Marie Diatta is the quality control manager for yellow fever vaccine production at the institute. He said unfortunately our production capacity cant always meet the global needs. Its the same for other manufacturers, he said. This can be a problem when there is an epidemic, he said, because then there is an immediate need to vaccinate a large number of people.

It can be hard to predict how much vaccine will be needed.

Yellow fever vaccines can be stored for up to three years, but manufacturers can't afford to over produce, as Diatta explained.



He said money is invested to make each batch of vaccine and you must wait for your return. Its not easy. He said while you wait to sell, you still need to pay salaries and update equipment, but your money is tied up.



Yellow fever is endemic to 34 countries in Africa. It is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. A single dose of the vaccine can protect you for life.

UNICEFs chief of child survival and development in Angola, Samson Agbo, said 80 percent of people living in high-risk areas need to be vaccinated to prevent an epidemic. In many parts of Africa, immunization rates are below 60 percent.

The high-risk countries are known. Ideally, those high-risk countries should have a very strong immunization programs, which means you are reaching every child," said Agbo. "We need to invest more if we want to prevent occurrences like this, this kind of outbreak.

Nearly 2,000 cases have been reported in Angola since the outbreak began in October 2015.

A mass vaccination campaign was launched in February, using 6 million doses from emergency stockpiles.

Averting an outbreak



An additional 10 million doses were made available by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision and UNICEF in late March.

While this has slowed the spread of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that if the outbreak spreads to other countries, the now-depleted stockpiles could impact routine vaccination campaigns, putting millions more at risk.



What we really need to do is make sure there are enough funds and that we work with manufacturers to see how production can be increased," stated Tarik Jasarevic, spokesperson for the WHO. "We already heard from some manufacturers they can increase production. Weve replenished now our stockpiles and just hope we can contain this outbreak in Angola, so there would be no need for additional doses that we may not have.

Three other labs in the world produce yellow fever vaccine. They are in Russia, France and Brazil.

The Institut Pasteur said plans are under way to open a new facility on the outskirts of Dakar by 2020 to increase production here.
Mulenga Sata of the governing Patriotic Front (PF) has defected to Zambia's main opposition, the United Party for National Development (UPND), ahead of the Aug. 11 general election, according to the UPND.

Sata, a former province minister for the capital of Lusaka, is the son of the deceased president and founder of the PF. Sata also served as minister in the office of incumbent President Edgar Lungu.

Cornelius Mweetwa, deputy spokesman for UPND, says Sata's defection serves as a significant boost to the party in the runup to the polls.

The move also heightens the perception that the governing party is imploding, Mweetwa says, adding that undecided voters might now be persuaded to join the main opposition party.

PF is no longer what it used to be, Mweetwa said. PF has been hijacked by the very people that Mr. Sata fought very had to eliminate from the political leadership of this country in 2011.  As the son to the founder of the PF, I think his decision to leave the PF speaks volumes of the level of disintegration of the Patriotic Front ahead of the 2016 elections."

Analysts say the defection is a major blow to the re-election bid of Lungu and his ruling PF party, especially in light of the new constitution rules which require a candidate to receive at least 50 percent and one vote of all the votes cast. Previously, a candidate could be declared the winner with a simple majority.

The governing party, however, says Sata's defection is unlikely to hurt the PFs prospects of victory.

Frank Bwalya, deputy spokesman for the PF, called on supporters to respect Satas decision, but emphasized that the move is no reflection on Lungus ability to unite the party.

"We want to urge all our members to pray for Mr. Sata, Bwalya said.  we also want to make it very clear again that the people who are leaving to join other political parties, including UPND, are not doing so because President Lungu has refused to accommodate them."

PF supporters say Sata defected after failing to present a Grade 12 certificate  a minimum requirement in the new constitution to hold government positions. His departure, they add, illustrates the governing partys dedication to the constitution, regardless of a person's political affiliation or influence.

Supporters also predict that Sata's jump to the UPND will negatively impact that party in the polls.

Mweetwa disagreed, saying that Satas hands-on experience in the current administration cannot be wished away.

Remember, this is somebody who President Lungu made his minister, Mweetwa said,  if he was deficient, why was President Lungu making him a minister?"
Harare residents have expressed mixed feelings over the announcement by Reserve bank of Zimbabwe governor, John Mangudya, that the country will soon introduce bond notes to ease cash shortages in Zimbabwe.

In a street survey, one of the residents Stanely Mukunguna, said it is clear that the government is introducing the bond notes as it has failed to revive the economy under the current multiple currency system.

He said this is the latest version of the Zimbabwe dollar, which was abandoned when the country formed a unity government in 2009.

The introduction of the bond notes shows that government has failed and they want to bring the Zim (Zimbabwe) dollar through a back door. The question is how they even arrived at this rate to the US dollar. Government is supposed to surrender because they have failed. We are back to the 2008 era we could not achieve anything. Only Zanu PF big wigs will benefit because they will be the only ones who will be able to change the bond notes to US dollar.

Another resident, Keresenzia Ndlovu, who is a vendor in the streets of Harare, said it is likely that they will have difficulties in importing goods for resale in Zimbabwe since the notes wont be usable in other nations.

Ndlovu noted that some people will now start hording the American dollar, a situation that is set to lead to serious shortages of the U.S currency.

Bond notes is not money because if I want to do my business outside like in Musina or Mozambique, I cannot use it. It is better that government introduces a Zimbabwe currency and not bond notes.

Suspended Harare mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni, agreed, noting that the introduction of the bond notes will not solve the economic fundamentals that have gone wrong.

When the bond coins came along we welcomed them as a short-term relief for a fundamental problem. We thought as we were dealing with the bond coins we would fix economic and political fundamentals that have brought us to where we are. Now we are realising we have not fixed the problems hence we have to continue with more cover up. Let us fix our country and everything else will follow.

But Tawana Mugwira welcomed the central banks move. We are happy with the government for coming to the aid of the people. This is a proper policy. When bond coins were introduced there were some resistance but now it is the currency of choice and now the government has introduced bond notes. The Americans have been tampering with our economy and withdrawing their US dollar. Now we have found a home-made solution that will see us through.

His views were echoed by Andrew Tsiga who claimed that Americans were causing artificial shortages of their currency in order to effect regime change in Zimbabwe.

Given the current circumstances in which there is no cash any intervention that may fuel the current liquidity will make sense. We would not want an economy where there is no money. We do not care whatever it is as long as it can buy.

The Reserve Bank introduced bond coins in more than a year ago. At first people resisted them but with time and shortages of U-S dollar coins, most Zimbabweans are now using the coins.
The United Nations Population Fund in Zimbabwe and its partners, the Swedish Embassy and the Confederation of Midwives Zimbabwe, have called for greater investment to strengthen the role of midwives in preventing maternal and newborn deaths in the country.

The call was made on Thursday when Harare joined the world in commemorating the International Day of the Midwife, which is celebrated on May 5th each year. It was formally launched in 1992.

The aim of the day is to celebrate midwifery and bring awareness of the importance of midwives work to as many people as possible, particularly in preventing maternal deaths.

This year the celebrations are commemorated under the theme; Women and New-borns: The Heart of Midwifery.

UNFPA Programme Analyst in Maternal Health, Agnes Makoni, told VOA Studio 7 that Harare though will hold its delayed commemorations Friday at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo and Health Minister David Parirenyatwa will officiate.

According to a statement released by UNFPA, Maternal mortality in Zimbabwe currently stands at 614 per 100,000 live births, one of the highest maternal mortality rates worldwide. This means that about 6 women die each day as a result of pregnancy-related complications. According to the International Confederation of Midwives, midwives can reduce 90% of maternal deaths where they are authorized to practice their competencies and play a vital role in pregnancy.

In Zimbabwe, UNFPA has supported Harare and other partners to strengthen the role of midwives through activities such as capacity building of midwifery tutors in better management of emergency obstetric cases through Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care training, equipping more than midwifery schools with teaching models and support to the local midwifery association, the Zimbabwe Confederation of Midwives.

UNFPA said it will also continue to support midwifery institutions and tutors to keep abreast with the latest developments in their field and innovative teaching strategies for midwife trainees.

UNFPA Zimbabwe Country Representative, Cheikh Cisse Tidiane, said: Midwives play a very pivotal role in ensuring safe motherhood. We must continue to put our money where our mouth is and invest in safe motherhood because we know that lack of access to skilled midwives has far reaching consequences for women, loss of life and serious birth injuries such as fistula that leave women ostracised in their communities.

The UNFPA says although a lot of efforts have been made to promote the role of midwives in Zimbabwe there still remains areas that could be strengthened.

According to the National Health Strategy (2009-2015), there is an 80% vacancy for midwives in the public sector (highest in the health sector) and a 62% vacancy for nursing tutors. In addition, there are challenges such as poorly equipped midwifery schools with shortages of textbooks, training models, furniture and equipment.

Dr. Lilian Dodzo, president of Zimbabwe Confederation of Midwives, noted that there is need to invest more in midwives as they are uniquely positioned to provide respectful, high quality care that places women and new-borns in the centre. We therefore ask the Government to continue to increase investments in the education of midwives and grow the midwifery workforce in the country.

Swedish Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Lars Ronnas, concurred adding that midwives play a crucial part in reducing maternal and infant mortality and are exemplary role model to their fellow citizens. To recognise this, Sweden and the International Confederation of Midwives will on 6 May present the Midwives4all Award to a Zimbabwean midwife for outstanding achievements in midwifery and maternal health.

Sweden, is one of the development partners that has supported UNFPAs efforts to reduce maternal deaths. The 'Midwives4all award is part a global awareness campaign which seeks to increase the number of midwives to ensure that no child in the future is born with the assistance or support of a midwife.

At independence in 1980, Zimbabwe had a low maternal mortality rate of 90 per 100,000 live births before the figures went up in 1994 to 253 per 100,000 live births due to rapid deterioration in health services.
Ware reporting in Iraq. Photo: ranco Pagetti/VII Photo Agency/courtesy of HBO

Longtime war correspondent Michael Wares HBO documentary, Only the Dead, which premiered in late March, closes with an intimate and protracted scene of an insurgent dying. While the young man chokes and wheezes, the American soldiers around him are too tired and distracted to even fully commit to their own dismissiveness. In voice-over commentary, Ware confesses his own feelings of guilt for not intervening somehow. He could have cleared his throat, he says, and that would have been enough to prompt the American medic to take action.

Ware fumbles around for some lesson to be taken from his moral failing, settling on the old cliche that war brings out the evil potential that is in everyone. But the images of the dying insurgent remain seared into your minds eye, capturing the essence of the film: disturbing granular details of the violence of war with scant attention to political context. Its a vision of war as natural disaster, unavoidable and best approached with a sort of stoic fatalism. Its compelling, but its incomplete.

Freud famously described the uncanny not as something totally alien, but as the familiar made weird  the things closest to us slightly altered and causing a kind of cognitive dissonance. Only the Dead had an uncanny aura around it for me. There was so much in it that I recognized. The documentary is based on the hours upon hours of footage that Ware captured during his seven years in Iraq, so were given an intimate portrait of minute-to-minute life inside of forward operating bases in the most dangerous areas of Iraq. Moving among the soldiers and Marines with ease, Ware captures the crack of bullets as they pass overhead, the uncertainty and fear of being an occupying soldier in an alien culture, and the nihilistic humor that acts like a psychological pressure release valve. When Ware brings us inside a bunker in Ramadi, I notice the troops have written on the walls with Sharpies. I did the same thing in Baghdad. Crude slogans and childish doodles. I could feel the scabs being peeled off of my own old psychic wounds, and I experienced a brief, profound connection with the young men in the footage.

Thats the documentary at its best. But there are so many moments where its just  off. Moments played for drama, where Ware, narrating in a raspy Bane-like voice, oversells the action in front of a swelling orchestral score. Hence the uncanny. My own experiences as an infantryman who deployed to Iraq twice werent full of seductive violence. Because heres the thing: Violence isnt necessarily seductive. It wasnt to me, and it wasnt to a lot of other people I knew. Violence, in and of itself, isnt really very interesting. Its a banal event with profound moral implications. Its disturbing without actually being exciting. For the soldiers on the ground, its a job, even if an almost sacred one. For the insurgents opposing them, violence is a means of communicating something outside of the violence itself. But Ware focuses on the bloody limbs, the caved skulls, the rivulets of blood running through dusty streets like a man gazing hypnotized into the near distance. What did the violence mean to Ware?

War correspondents identifying too much with fighters themselves is problematic. Of course war journalism is important. That almost goes without saying. But  and I remember thinking this about adrenaline junkies covering the war when I was a soldier  you can leave whenever you want. That dark force compelling you to abandon your family and occupy a war zone for years on end isnt necessarily shared by the people that youre covering. Youre not the one whose country has been invaded. Youre not the kid who never left his hometown until he went to basic training, the one who has all the duties and responsibilities of a professional soldier. To be fair, Ware is up-front that hes telling the story of his war  but its a narrative that sometimes slips into a solipsistic mode. The actual worlds of both the soldiers and insurgents get short shrift. Were ostensibly given a glimpse into the rise of terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawis proto-ISIS organization, but what that actually translates to is extended action sequences of fire fights punctuated with occasional mutilation, torture, and explosions.

And thats unfortunate, because Ware does have access to people on all sides of the fight. He becomes intimate with insurgents. They trust him, ride around with him, and pass him information and videotapes. At one point he even begins going out with them while they attack coalition forces. The first attack he accompanies them on is a rocket attack on the outskirts of Baghdad International Airport. Its the same area that I was stationed in during my first deployment. Not knowing the date or exact location, I couldnt help but wonder if someone I knew was killed in the attack that he was filming. Can there be anything more illustrative of the civilian-military divide in this country than at the same moment that the entire Eastern Seaboard is involved in a collective ritualistic pearl-clutching over Gay Taleses alleged journalistic infractions something of this magnitude slides by unnoticed?

There are many, many things about Only the Dead that bother me. But in spite of myself, I couldnt take my eyes away from the screen. Im thankful that Wares footage was released at all, in any form, even if this documentary lacks the self-awareness and depth to make it truly successful. Any glimpse at the experiences of American soldiers, even one seen through a keyhole, is valuable. A rift does exist between the everyday lives of civilians and the military violence that is conducted in our name. But that rift is deep and structural, and even a perfect war documentary couldnt repair it.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie leaving restaurant Tetou in 2011. Photo: Pacific Coast News

Cannes, the beachside town on the French Riviera, is not just a backdrop for yacht selfies. The 7.6-square-mile city is also a refuge for retired Brits, a place stuck in a glittery past where F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway roamed the cobblestoned streets, a playground for Russian oligarchs, and a summit town for all sorts of industries other than the movie business. (More than eight major conferences and festivals take place here each year, culminating with the weeklong Hollywood invasion that runs this year from May 11 to 22.) For better or worse, the Cannois are used to sharing their hometown with strangers. Some of them use the opportunity to schmooze with whatever ad execs or music bigwigs happen to be in town; others prefer to bury their faces in the parrot tulips at the Sunday-morning Marche Forville market. Its a city of rooftop parties and price-gouged panini, and of hidden wine shops and sailboat-watching beachside cafes. Even in the latter case, of course, one of those boats passing by may well be Microsoft co-founder Paul Allens 414-foot Octopus.

Ive lived here 20 years, and I remain a tourist.

A locals perspective on the city.

The peculiarity of Cannes is that no one was born here. Theres no real local spirit. I was not born in Cannes, and my wife was not born in Cannes. Its like everybody is a foreigner. Ive lived here 20 years, and I remain a tourist. What makes Cannes unique is it is a small village, but a small village that welcomes the world. You can feel like you are in old Europe, a bit far away, and then all of a sudden, with the festivals and the conferences, it becomes the center of the world  during the film festival, people are making about 15 percent of their yearly income and all of us are faking were interested in the movies. We look at it with a sense of the ridiculous. Its like moths attracted by the lights. We call them bling-blings. Look at all the money Ive got! All those people who come to the film festival, I dont know what theyre thinking  maybe they think theyll meet an actor? Stephane Filone, general manager of a hotel-management company

Cannes According to a Festival Queen

New York super-publicist Peggy Siegal tells it like it is.

The Hotels

I stay at the Carlton  I book my hotel room the day I leave  because it is within walking distance to everything. The Hotel du Cap is the most beautiful hotel in the world, and a lot of the moguls stay there, but day to day, if youre serious about seeing films and making deals, you cant stay there because of the traffic. Youll miss everything. The Martinez is where you get all the fashion people, and the Splendid is where the media stay. Harvey Weinstein has an office at Hotel Barriere le Gray dAlbion.

The Dress Code

Black tie means black tie here. They have the regular police in Cannes, but they also have the fashion police. They pull you out of line and send you across the street to buy proper shoes and a proper tie.

The Weather

The festival is during a time that is a little off-season, and sometimes it is 75 degrees and rainy or its 40 degrees and youre miserable. Ive been there with umbrellas and babushkas on my head, and Ive also been there in sundresses and tank tops.

The Parties

This year, you have Spielberg and Woody and Pedro [Almodovar] all there. Of course, you sometimes have a Vanity Fair dinner. Graydon [Carter] comes every other year, and then Paul Allen has the party on his boat. The yachts are okay. A lot of them are moored in the harbor and you have to take off your shoes and thats annoying, but its fine.

Leo, Francis, and Tilda Were Here

Cannes star-spotting.

Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc

Sean Penn, Dustin Hoffman, Marion Cotillard

Tetou Restaurant

Martin Scorsese, Tilda Swinton, Francis Ford Coppola

Le Baoli Restaurant

Jay Z, Bono, Naomi Campbell

Hotel Barriere Majestic

Jane Fonda, Naomi Watts

Gotha Nightclub

Kanye West, Leonardo DiCaprio

Ask a Concierge

Where Pierre-Louis Renou, the general manager of Hotel Barriere Le Majestic, sends people for local produce and 3 a.m. blowouts.

The Marche Forville. Photo: Ryan St Peters/Vicky Briam-Benn/ValFromCannes/Instagram

For partying into the early hours

Every night, you are sure to have a private party at La Plage restaurant. But actually, most of the private parties are up in the villas. There are no rules there.

For late-night snacking

The best late-night food is at Baoli, a very trendy and renowned Asian-French fusion restaurant-slash-discotheque in the Cannes harbor.

For a last-minute blowout

VOG is a tiny salon that is very intimate. A secret gem in town. Its open early every morning and late every night. There is someone there almost 24 hours, and for the film festival that is something extremely attractive.

For experiencing Cannes like a native

The Marche Forville market is the center of local life in Cannes and plays host to every generation of the city. They come to talk, to gossip, and to buy local produce, flowers, wine, and cheese. This is where you see the real people from Cannes. For me, this is the center of the city.

For getting out of town

On the first Sunday of the month, a lot of the celebrities here for the festival head to Valbonne, an old village 30 minutes away from Cannes, for its flea market. You know, Americans love French flea markets, and so during the festival, they all go there. They have everything from clothes to local food and paintings, old-style glasses and antique forks and knives in silver, and a market for linens and old-style curtains. You can find refurbished boat accessories and vintage driving attire.

Not a Wonderful Place to Take My Jewelry.

In 2013, an armed gunman stole $136 million worth of diamonds from the Intercontinental Carlton Cannes hotel. Days later, two robbers threatened to drop a hand grenade in the Cannes watch store Kronometry if they werent given several dozen expensive watches. And last May, roughly $20 million in jewels were stolen from Canness Cartier boutique. Not surprisingly, many fine jewelers wont send their diamonds to the Cannes Film Festival. I just wont lend jewelry for the festival, explains Beverly Hills jeweler Martin Katz, whose gems regularly find their way down American red carpets. There is no way to ensure the security of the jewelry. I dont need to do it just for the press and the sake of putting jewelry on pretty celebrities. Cannes is a wonderful place, just not a wonderful place I want to take my jewelry.

Last May, photographer Jennifer Loeber documented the Cannes teens who wait outside screenings for tickets.

Photo: Jennifer Loeber

The local kids dress up every year to see what films they can get into, because black tie is required. Journalists are penalized if they dont use their tickets, so theyll give them away to these kids, who are hard-core cinephiles and hold up signs of the movies they want to see. All of them smoke, which isnt that surprising.

What Cannois Are Talking About

Rats and rich Russians.

The Hunky Mayor

Comparisons have been made between Canness mayor, David Lisnard, and Justin Trudeau, mostly owing to his good looks  the 47-year-old mayor is a member of Frances right-wing party Les Republicans. Lisnard isnt just the mayor of Cannes; hes also the president of the French Riviera Convention Bureau and has made attracting more tourism a priority. Some locals refer to him as one of the most brilliant politicians in France. Speculation runs rampant about what higher office he might assume in the future.

Unwelcome Visitors

Last year, deadly storms and violent rainfall caused destruction along the French Riviera, particularly in Cannes, where cars were swept into the sea, storefronts were caked in mud, and thousands were left without power. The floods also brought a wave of unwelcome guests onto Canness pristine white beaches  rats, who were flushed out of their underground homes and descended on the sand last fall.

Post-Brussels security

Following the terrorist attacks in Brussels, security measures were increased in Cannes at the MIPTV television conference in April. Increased security will again be in effect during the film festival. A series of supplemental security measures have been put in place, including more bag screenings, additional security guards, and badge requirements throughout the Palais.

The Oligarch Invasion

The city has seen an influx of outrageously wealthy Russian and Arab oligarchs and oil barons in the past ten years. Throughout July, when the wealthy Arab crew rolls in, bartenders often quietly express their frustration at the lack of liquor sales (and subsequent tips). In August, the Russians arrive, ordering enough vodka to make up for it. (Their numbers, though, have fallen along with the ruble.)

The (Sort of) Real Cannes

According to local event planner Gina De Franco.

The Old Port. Photo: Courtesy of Radisson Blu

The best view is in the Old Port on the rooftop of the Radisson Blu. I bring people there before we go on to obvious places like Baoli. And in town there is a special wine shop called Cave Riviera. The owner is so nice. Most people in Cannes arent nice, so this makes him really special. From five to nine, the pricing of their wine is $3 to $9, and he gives you a plate of cheese and salami. All the locals know about it and go here. And then an eight-mile drive west of here is a town called Theoule sur Mer, which has a hidden gem called the Marco Polo Beach Club, from where you can see all the lights of Cannes. You have a DJ that plays American rock and roll in the sand, and everyone dances. Theyre known for their bouillabaisse and have been there since the 40s. Its a great place to take a break from the mental intensity of Cannes.

A lot of the restaurants increase their prices when the conventions are in town, especially the ones in the walking district, like Pastis. Im telling you, its really horrible. All the out-of-towners get ripped off.

Illustration: Murphy Lippincott

Cannes According to a Culinary Editor

The city grew on me, says our own Gillian Duffy, whos had an apartment in Cannes for ten years.

I remember the first time we visited, a friend had been raving about it, and I didnt really understand why. But then I went to Marche Forville on a Sunday and saw how exciting it was  everyone buying bunches of flowers and peaches so ripe that the juice just drips down your face  and I got it.

Beachside Lunch: LOndine Plage

I love, in the wintertime, being able to go down to the beach on a sunny day and sit here with yellow umbrellas looking out at the blue sea. I get the locally sourced grilled fish, and the seafood salads.

Cozy Dinner: Le Mashou

Its this candlelit, super-intimate setting. The food is simple: beautifully cooked meats. They grill the bread over the wood fire and serve it with a nice dip  and the sangria is wonderful. As you leave, the owner presents every lady with a red rose.

Low-Key Dinner: La Table du Chef

Its a little slither of a restaurant: Theres a chef-owner in his minuscule kitchen and one waiter. They have a different menu every day, so you never know what youre going to get.

Seafood Lunch: Astoux et Brun

A bustling restaurant one block away from Marche Forville. They do the most amazing fruits de mer platters as well as a lovely soupe de poisson. Its not fancy, but its been there forever. They have a fish shop across the road, too.

The Other Festivals

Throughout the year, different conferences descend upon Cannes. Heres who shows up.

MIPTV

Early April

A television and digital-content conference. One would think the TV crowd would be fun, but its a bunch of serious suits.

MIDEM

Early June

The world-music conference. Said to have the coolest, most diverse crowd of all the festivals or conventions.

Cannes Lions

Mid-June

International advertising conference. Has the worst-dressed attendees, according to some locals.

MAPiC

Mid-November

Retail-real-estate conference. A local said: Every woman from all over the Cote dAzur heads here to meet men.

ILTM

Early December

International travel conference. A crowd of journalists and luxury-hotel operators; lots of dancing on the tables at Pastis.

*This article appears in the May 2, 2016 issue of New York Magazine.
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in Minnesota. Last night Paul McCartney honored Prince by covering Lets Go Crazy at his concert in Minneapolis. Its a fitting tribute to His Royal Badness that a Beatle, perhaps the best Beatle, could perform his work and the listeners main takeaway is Damn, Prince could absolutely shred. No one would enjoy that more than the Purple One himself.
This months Brazos Nights falls the day after Cinco de Mayo, but its close enough to continue the celebration with Flaco Jimenez, one of Texas great Tejano accordionists, the band that often backs him, San Antonios Grammy-winning Los Texmaniacs, and two Norteno bands as openers.

Cinco de Mayo marks the Mexican Armys May 5, 1862, victory over the French in the battle of Puebla, an important moment in terms of national identity, though sometimes confused with Mexican Independence Day, Sept. 16.

The May Brazos Nights concert traditionally has featured Tejano, conjunto or regional Mexican music as a result, and Fridays edition will bring in the acclaimed Jimenez.

Jimenez, who wound up with his fathers nickname Flaco (Skinny), grew up in San Antonios rich music scene, but after several years in Texas with Doug Sahm (the Sir Douglas Quintet) in the 1960s, he moved to New York City, where he worked with such musicians as Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, Dr. John and the Rolling Stones.

Jimenez returned to Texas in the 1980s, putting together the Texas Tornados, a supergroup whose members included Freddie Fender, Sahm and Augie Meyers, in 1990. The Tornados blend of rock n roll and Tejano music won them a Grammy Award plus a performance at President Bill Clintons 1992 inauguration

The accordionist took home two more Grammys in the 1990s for his own albums and continued to play on others albums, playing on nearly 100 albums throughout his career.

Jimenezs contribution to the fusion of Mexican-American conjunto, norteno and Tejano music with American rock and rock n roll led to his naming as a National Heritage Fellow in 2012  a recognition also won by Texas fiddling legend Johnny Gimble  and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

His music is heard in the soundtracks for the movies Tin Cup, The Border and Y Tu Mama Tambien, and the Hohner Music Group released a line of accordions branded with his signature.

Jimenez also played a part in what became the Texmaniacs. He persuaded a young New Mexican accordionist named Max Baca, a third-generation musician, to join his San Antonio band, switching him from accordion to bajo sexto, an oversized, 12-string bass guitar.

Baca decided to form his own band 20 years ago and with his accordion-playing brother Josh created Los Texmaniacs.

As Jimenez had done with the Texas Tornados, Baca broadened the conjunto sound of his fathers family band, expanding into rock n roll, jazz, and rhythm and blues. The resulting fertile mix, typical of Texas musical melting pot, put Los Texmaniacs on the map, while Bacas individual skill on the bajo sexto made him a go-to musician for many recording projects. Baca has played on 10 Grammy-winning albums, including the Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge.

Los Texmaniacs have their own Grammy Award, winning in 2010 for its Borders and Bailes, with a Latin Grammy nomination in 2014. The band presently records with Smithsonian Folkways.

Opening for Jimenez and Los Texmaniacs are Austin-based Grupo Varonil and regional Mexican band Juan Acuna and El Terror del Norte,

Food trucks attending Fridays concert will lean toward the taco side of things, with El Fogoncito, Papi Taco and Taqueria Diaz joining Crazy Horse Grill, Smokin Hot BBQ and Cowgirl Express for main entrees. A jalapeno-eating contest is planned for the evening.

Cultural Arts of Waco will provide arts activities for children, while Uptown Party Truck will offer video games to play.
A judge from Hays County, who was elected two years ago in part to handle DWI cases, pleaded no contest Wednesday to drunken driving and was sentenced to three days in jail.

Hays County Court-at-Law Judge David Glickler, a former state prosecutor who handled the Margaret Mills felony theft case in 2008 and a records tampering case involving Waco attorney Tammy Polk two years later, will surrender himself at the Hays County Jail sometime in the next few days to finish the last day of his sentence.

Glickler, who took office in January 2015 after serving seven years as an assistant attorney general, did not return phone messages left at his office Thursday. A court clerk said he was on the bench Thursday morning.

Glickler agreed to a plea bargain that called for him to serve three days in jail. Because he was given credit for the time he spent in jail after his May 26 arrest, he merely needs to go to the jail for what is known as a walk through and will receive credit for the remainder of his sentence, officials said.

Police pulled Glickler over about 11:30 p.m. just north of Kyle for speeding, swerving and failing to signal while driving south on Interstate 35. He declined to take breath and blood-alcohol tests, according to published reports.

Dashboard camera video of Glicklers arrest shows him staggering through parts of the field sobriety test and he can be heard telling officers that he is a judge in Hays County, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Glickler also was arrested in Travis County in 2004 for suspicion of drunken driving and refused to take a breath test on that occasion, officials reported. Glickler had the DWI charge expunged from his record after pleading guilty to reckless driving, a misdemeanor.

Mills case

Glickler was serving as deputy division chief for former Attorney General Greg Abbotts public integrity section when 54th State District Judge Matt Johnson of McLennan County signed off on his appointment as special prosecutor to handle the felony theft case of Margaret Mills, former longtime director of the now defunct Downtown Waco Inc.

Johnson did not approve of how Glickler handled the matter and said after the case was resolved that he never again would appoint Glickler to handle a case in his court.

Former District Attorney John Segrest recused his office from hearing Mills case because of his longtime association with Mills husband, Waco attorney and Democratic stalwart Coke Mills.

The judge told Glickler that he would accept no plea agreement that called for Mills to serve less than 15 years in prison. So after further negotiations with Mills attorneys, Glickler abandoned the first 63 allegations in the 116-paragraph indictment, reducing the maximum penalty Mills faced from life in prison to 10 years in prison.

The judge reluctantly accepted a subsequent plea bargain and sentenced Mills to nine years in prison and ordered her to make $307,968 in restitution to Downtown Waco Inc., the development agency she stole from while running it for 18 years.

Two years later in another McLennan County court, Glickler served as special prosecutor in Polks cases in which she pleaded guilty to forging the names of judges and prosecutors on case dismissal forms and other court documents.

Polk surrendered her law license after her arrest in March 2009 and was placed on deferred probation by retired Judge James F. Clawson Jr. a year later.

Glicklers plea offer called for Polk to be placed on regular probation, but the judge granted her request for deferred.
A sign the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum wanted to put up to enhance its highway visibility looked appetizing to Waco City Council this week, but not in the right way.

The proposed sign, which would poke up above the elevated Interstate 35 frontage road with a backlit plastic logo on metal poles, seemed like it was meant for a burger joint rather than an educational attraction, Mayor Malcolm Duncan Jr. said.

To have a sign that looks like a fast-food sign with colors like that is not the best way to express the prestige of the Texas Rangers and our facility, Duncan said to museum officials Tuesday. I dont think the sign is appropriate for something like the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.

The board of the city-owned museum hired a Denver firm to design and install the sign to restore some of the visibility lost when the frontage road was built three years ago. Museum director Byron Johnson told the council that the sign was designed to be kind of colorful and attractive.

He said attendance to the museum fell about 20 percent after the roadwork began and is only slowly building back, with annual numbers in the 60,000s. The museum remains largely invisible to passing I-35 traffic, he said.

The chosen firm, Tangram Design, submitted variations of the plastic sign on metal poles, bearing a multicolored logo with fancy script and a silhouette of a mounted ranger.

A review by the Waco Historic Landmark and Preservation Commission resulted in a revised design to partly encase the poles in limestone masonry work.

But council members and City Manager Dale Fisseler didnt think the revisions went far enough. Fisseler asked Johnson to go back to the consultant and consider a large metal representation of a Texas Ranger badge.

Councilman John Kinnaird agreed that would be a more classical look appropriate for a museum dedicated to the Rangers, the historic and elite state law enforcement organization.

In an interview Wednesday, Johnson agreed that an oversized badge would be appropriate.

Signs are like an ink-blot test. Everybody looks at it and sees something different, he said. The council basically likes the logo but wants something thats a little more elegant. . . . Its always a balance of what is bright and visual enough to attract peoples attention but without looking like a restaurant on I-35.

The museum has a budget of $143,000 for the sign, coming from a $650,000 payment the Texas Department of Transportation gave the city as compensation for land and access sacrificed for the frontage road.

The city and museum also plan to request a new brown I-35 exit sign for the museum from TxDOT, similar to the brown signs for the Waco Mammoth National Monument and Cameron Park Zoo. TxDOT has denied that request at least twice, most recently in 2013.

This isnt the first time museum officials have fought for more visibility. The museum installed a large metal badge sign on the grounds in 1992, but it was difficult to see from the interstate, Johnson said.

In 2007, the museum board proposed a 65-foot concrete statue of a Ranger with a rifle next to the river and the highway, to be designed by Houston sculptor David Adickes. But the proposal ran into public controversy, and the council voted it down 5-1.

Proposed expansion

Johnson said that was just as well, because the proposed statue site is now in the area the museum board is considering for a major expansion.

The museum cant do more expansions to the rear, because a previous expansion project uncovered hundreds of unmarked graves that cost some $2 million to move. Those were part of the old First Street Cemetery, which did not extend to the museums current front yard.

Johnson said environmental studies related to the frontage road project found no evidence of graves between the highway and the museum.

TxDOT has turned that soil over 300 times, he said.
A Robinson City Council member who has threatened to sue the city in recent months tried and failed to have the city attorney fired this week, then accused the mayor of hiding information and committing a crime.

During a heated meeting Tuesday night, council member Doye Baker pushed unsuccessfully for the council to fire attorney Mike Dixon and for a review of former City Manager Bob Cervenkas city credit card use.

During the meeting, Mayor Bert Echterling and Baker accused each other of having personal agendas, and council member Jim Mastergeorge turned to Baker and said, If it wasnt for the fact it was illegal, I would ask for your resignation.

Baker responded by calling his fellow council member a foreigner during an interview Wednesday.

Hes from Chicago or someplace, Baker said.

Disagreements Tuesday started with Echterling addressing two topics Baker had requested be on the agenda: an audit of Cervenkas city credit cards and the firing of Dixon.

Echterling said if the city council considered the credit card matter, it could be perceived as inflammatory and suggest wrongdoing on the part of a resident. He said to ease Bakers mind, the citys more-than-capable finance director reviewed the last two years of statements and found no irregularities.

Baker responded by requesting his two agenda items be discussed in closed session. Echterling said the council would go into executive session to discuss the matter only if it was the whole councils decision.

What are you covering up, Bert? Baker said.

Echterling said he wasnt covering anything up and did not appreciate you pointing a finger at me. Echterling said Baker has issues with Cervenka and he doesnt know if something is going on with Dixon, but council meetings are not for personal agendas.

Baker has threatened legal action against the city twice since the beginning of the year, and Dixon has represented the city in responding to Baker.

The city has sent a letter to Baker asking him to stop blocking a city road that provides access to a city building. Baker claimed the road is his property and said the matter is not likely to be resolved without going to court. He has also threatened to sue the city, claiming an illegal dump site has damaged the value of his property.

Dixon said the city has a settlement with Cervenka, and by pursuing the credit card matter, the city would essentially try to open a wound again that we had solved.

Council member Vernon Leuschner said expenditures were not one of the issues the city had in its separation with Cervenka, so he had no desire to pursue an audit of the credit card reports.

Council member Jimmy Rogers said the city absolved its rights to investigate those credit card expenditures without being in violation of that mutually agreed separation.

Baker again demanded the council move to executive session to discuss Dixon. He then made a motion to dismiss Dixon, which died for a lack of a second.

Agenda procedure

Echterling, who has been the mayor since November, said Wednesday the council has a resolution stating if a council member requests a topic be placed on the agenda, the issue is discussed by the city manager and mayor, who then work with department heads to gather more information. If the request can be answered before a meeting, it is provided to that council member, who can then decide whether he wants to keep the item on the agenda, Echterling said.

By no means is there ever a sense of censorship from a request, he said.

Baker said he thinks Echterling thinks he controls the council, the city and the agendas. Baker has raised complaints before about not being able to get items on the agenda for a meeting.

I would be perfectly happy and willing that if he wanted to review (my request) and call me and say, Youre old and stupid and you need to change this word and put it in a different way, Id probably go along with that, Baker said.

Echterling said this is his 10th year on the council and he is a collaborative guy in his personal life and in his businesses. He said he appreciates getting as much information as he can about all topics and hearing differing opinions on matters in order to make the best decisions moving forward. Echterling said he thinks this council is asking more questions, seeking out more information and becoming better informed before making decisions as it works to lead Robinson forward.

I believe that it doesnt matter if its Mr. Baker or Mr. Whomever or Ms. Whomever, you always have the possibility of having someone on council having a personal agenda, not saying that is the case here. You have to be able to work together as a council, he said. As long as you can agree to disagree and then move toward a good resolution, then I think you have a healthy situation.

Baker said Wednesday that Robinson doesnt need a city attorney. He said the city could use the services of the citys insurance carrier, the Texas Municipal League.

Echterling said no other council member has raised the issue of wanting to fire Dixon.

But the council has determined to review all third-party relationships to determine whether any changes are needed, he said. The move is a part of the city practicing due diligence and good business practices to evaluate its situation, he said.

You always need to look back and see are you in the best relationship and do you have the best person for the job, Echterling said.
No one who has been paying attention to the GOP presidential race for the past couple of weeks can be surprised that Donald Trump scored a huge victory Tuesday night, prompting Sen. Ted Cruz to get out of the race. That his big win occurred on the same day as his insane accusation that Cruzs father was involved with JFKs assassination confirms the sense of many principled conservatives that the electorate has blown it and failed to discern that Trump is unfit, if not unstable, for any office, let alone the presidency.

In a prompt statement Tuesday night, Our Principles PAC founder Katie Packer laid down some truths: A substantial number of delegates remain up for grabs in this highly unpredictable year. In addition, there is more than a month before the California primary  more time for Trump to continue to disqualify himself in the eyes of voters, as he did yet again today spreading absurd tabloid lies about Ted Cruzs father and the JFK assassination.

She continued: We continue to give voice to the belief of so many Republicans that Trump is not a conservative, does not represent the values of the Republican Party, cannot beat Hillary Clinton and is simply unfit to be president of the United States. She vowed, We will continue to educate voters about Trump until he, or another candidate, wins the support of a majority of delegates to the convention.

While technically true, many Republicans now must come to terms with the need for a conservative who does represent the values of an outfit previously called the Republican Party. Republicans should keep in mind several points:

 First, insofar as Trump is almost certainly going to be clobbered in the general election, it is no excuse to say a third candidate would hand the race to Hillary Clinton. She has it in the bag, barring a cataclysmic event. A third candidate is a political necessity to turn out voters for down-ticket Republicans but, more important, a moral necessity that disentangles conservatives from Trump and his noxious ideas.

 Second, when former candidates such as Bobby Jindal say they will vote for Trump (but not be happy about it!) and when TV media entertainer Sean Hannity allows Trump without challenge to repeat his despicable lie about Cruzs father, responsible Republicans must conclude that there needs to be a separation between those who put stock in personal character and truthfulness and those who do not; between those who babble inanities and those who insist on intellectual rigor; between those who lack simple decency and respect for fellow Americans and those who believe our political system must function without threat of violence, bigoted slurs and lies.

The dividing line is now crystal clear. To one side stands an angry, nativist mob and to the other men and women of decent character and honorable purpose. Choose sides. You cannot be in both camps. And if you claim to be bound by party loyalty to support Trump, there will be scores who will refuse to be in the same party.

 Third, the idea that establishment Republicans gave us Trump suggests some Republicans simply do not get it. Jeb Bush, Sen. Lindsey Graham, moderate think-tankers and advocates of responsible immigration reform  to name just a few  have fought Trump tooth and nail from the beginning. Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, Sen. Jeff Sessions, the Freedom Caucus and others in the far-right swamp backed Trump staunchly  or when it mattered most, before hedging their bets.

So lets can the chatter about Republican establishment vs. the grass roots. If anything, the grass roots voted for Trump by the millions.

Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective.
WAVERLY  Three candidates are vying for the state Legislatures District 21 seat this election season, and voters will get a chance to narrow down the candidates to two during the May 10 primary.

All three candidates responded to a questionnaire from The News.

Mike Hilgers, Rick Vest and Larry Scherer have all lived in the district for more than five years. District 21 includes Raymond and Malcolm in northwestern Lancaster County.

Mike Hilgers

Mike Hilgers has spent the shortest amount of time in the district at six years, but he doesnt think that will affect his ability to serve constituents.

I decided to run because we need leaders who are focused on the issues that will make a real difference in the lives of Nebraskans  cutting taxes, strengthening our economic foundation, and improving our community, he said. I have built a small business and created jobs in Nebraska and believe my background and experience will best serve the families and small businesses of District 21

Hilgers said he would focus on tax reform, service reform and infrastructure reform.

I hear every day that Nebraskans need lower taxes, want better, high-paying jobs, and want business experience in government, Hilgers said. I will work every day to help lower our tax burden, and I will bring my small business experience to the legislature.

He also as a vested interest in education.

I am a father of two young children who will soon be going to school in the district, so I am deeply and personally invested in our states future, he said.

Hilgers also stressed how his experience building a business will help him in the Unicameral.

I know first-hand what it takes to create good jobs and strengthen our economy, and that experience is needed in the legislature, he said. I also am an attorney, and I have significant experience defending entrepreneurs and small businesses; working with complex statutes, rules, and laws, which is a critical part of a legislators job.

Rick Vest

Rick Vest has been a resident of District 21 as its laid out now since 2009. His experience in accident investigation with BNSF and as a mediator with the states Department of Justice make him a strong candidate, he said.

For the Unicameral to be successful senators must work together, putting the best ideas together to make good legislation, Vest said. My experience of working with others who have different perspectives will help me build consensus. I have helped hundreds of Nebraskans involved in emotional conflicts to find ways to overcome their differences. I can do the same in the Unicameral.

One of Vests primary focuses as a legislator would be tax reform, and he emphasized a need to make changes to the criminal justice system.

It costs Nebraska tax payers $32,000 a year to keep an inmate incarcerated, Vest said. There are alternatives for non-violent offenders that would keep them in their homes, require them to remain employed, submit to drug testing and get help to deal with the issues that resulted in their breaking the law.

Changes to the system could reduce taxpayer costs, Vest said, while increasing the likelihood that the offender remains a productive member of society.

Vest would also work to enhance early childhood development programs, expand Medicaid and bring balance to the tax system to lower property taxes.

The candidate stressed his non-partisan approach to the race.

I enter this race not with a partisan agenda, but as a practical problem solver, he said. I will work with both parties to make Nebraska stronger.

Larry Scherer

Larry Scherer has lived in the district for 12 years. He joined the race on a desire to serve the public and make a difference.

Issues that excite me are fixing the school finance system to provide property tax relief and to provide stability in school funding, he said. Also, I am strongly committed to moving forward on renewable energy development in Nebraska and protecting our natural resources.

After graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Law, Scherer served for 15 years as legal counsel for the Legislature. He played a role in drafting the current state aid law, which helps fund the states public schools. He has also served with the Postsecondary Coordinating Commission, developing a state plan for colleges and universities that help increase student access and spur innovation. He is also a mediator for the Lincoln-Lancaster Mediator Center, helping to solve family, workplace and civil disputes. Alongside all of that, he has served as a researcher with the Nebraska State Education Association.

This experience will help me be ready to hit the ground running in a term limited legislature with a short eight years to get things done to solve problems for Legislative District 21 and the state, he said.

If elected, he will focus on reducing property tax burdens in public school funding, promoting wind and solar energy development and eliminating the state income tax on social security.

The two top vote getters May 10 will move on to the November General Election.
AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases. The company's marketed products also comprise Synagis for respiratory syncytial virus; Fluenz Tetra/FluMist Quadrivalent for Influenza; Seroquel IR/Seroquel XR for schizophrenia bipolar disease; Nexium, and Losec/Prilosec for gastroenterology; and Vaxzevria and Evusheld for covid-19. The company serves primary care and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a collaboration agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule medicines for obesity; Neurimmune AG to develop and commercialize NI006; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop eplontersen, a liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis; Proteros Biostructures GmbH to jointly discover novel small molecules for the treatment of hematological cancers; Sierra Oncology, Inc. to develop and commercialize AZD5153. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. It also offers investment and wealth advisory services; digital investing services; financial services and solutions; and investment management, and trust and custody services. In addition, the company provides life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, and annuity products; creditor and travel insurance to bank customers; and reinsurance solutions. Further, it offers client's debt and equity capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication, and treasury management; strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and recapitalizations, as well as valuation and fairness opinions; and trade finance, risk mitigation, and other operating services. Additionally, the company provides research and access to markets for institutional, corporate, and retail clients; trading solutions that include debt, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit, equity, securitization and commodities; new product development and origination services, as well as risk management advice and services to hedge against fluctuations; and funding and liquidity management services to its clients. It operates through approximately 900 bank branches and 3,300 automated banking machines in Canada and the United States. Bank of Montreal was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
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Intact Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides property and casualty insurance products to individuals and businesses in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, rest of Europe, and the Middle East. It offers personal auto insurance; insurance for motor homes, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and all-terrain vehicles; personal property insurance, such as protection for homes and contents from risks, including fire, theft, vandalism, water damage, and other damages, as well as personal liability coverage; and property coverage for tenants, condominium owners, non-owner occupied residences, and seasonal residences. The company also provides insurance products for commercial lines for a group of small and medium sized businesses; commercial property insurance for the protection of physical assets of the business; and liability coverages comprising commercial general, product, and professional liability, as well as cyber endorsement. In addition, it offers commercial vehicle insurance coverages for the protection for commercial auto, fleets, garage operations, light trucks, public vehicles, and the specific needs of the sharing economy. Further, the company provides various personal levels of coverage to customers for their home, motor, pet, and other insurance products; general insurance, specialty lines, and risk management solutions; specialty insurance products for various product and customer groups, including accident and health, technology, ocean and inland marine, public entities, and entertainment, as well as financial services and institutions; and various products to specialty property, surety, tuition reimbursement, management liability, cyber, and environmental institutions. The company was formerly known as ING Canada Inc. and changed its name to Intact Financial Corporation in 2009. Intact Financial Corporation was founded in 1809 and is based in Toronto, Canada.
Telecom Argentina S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services in Argentina and internationally. The company offers telephone services, including local, domestic, and international long-distance telephone services, as well as public telephone services; and other related supplementary services, such as call waiting, call forwarding, conference calls, caller ID, voice mail, itemized billing, and maintenance services. It also provides interconnection services, such as traffic and interconnection resource, dedicated Internet access, video signals transportation in standard and high definitions, audio and video streaming, dedicated links, backhaul links for mobile operators, data center hosting/housing services, dedicated links, layer 2 and layer 3 transport networks, video links, value-added services, and other services. In addition, the company offers mobile telecommunications services, including voice communications, high-speed mobile Internet content and applications download, online streaming, and other services; and sells mobile communication devices, such as handsets, Modems MiFi and wingles, and smart watches under the Personal brand. Further, it provides internet connectivity products, including virtual private network services, traditional Internet protocol links, and other products; data services; and programming and other cable television services. The company was formerly known as Cablevision S.A. and changed its name to Telecom Argentina S.A. in January 2018. Telecom Argentina S.A. was founded in 1979 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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The world's biggest dairy exporter, Fonterra, says it could have done more to warn farmers after it slashed their milk payments for the first time since the financial crisis.

The cut  from $5.60 to $5 a kilogram  comes with just two months remaining of the 2015-16 season and threatens to plunge many farmers into the red.

The New Zealand company will attempt to cushion the blow, offering loans of up to 60 cents a kilogram. But Fonterra's Australian managing director Judith Swales said it was still a "horrendous situation for everyone concerned".

The cut comes a week after Australia's biggest milk processor and price setter Murray Goulburn reduced farmer payments from $5.60 to $4.75-5 a kilogram in the wake of a steep profit downgrade.
Everyone poops, as Taro Gomi's children's book by that title has long reminded us, and everyone pees, transgender and gender-nonconforming people included. That's nature. Sex-segregated public toilets, on the other hand, are unnatural social constructs  human inventions that organise our bodily functions according to cultural scripts. They are built environments that change in response to shifting mores, economic considerations and political pressures.

Since the American Supreme Court ruled in favour of same-sex marriage last year, we have seen a significant backlash against LGBT rights. The recent passage of discriminatory legislation in North Carolina has received the bulk of media attention, but in the first few months of 2016, legislatures in 22 states introduced bills that seek to roll back equal rights, with transgender people often singled out for especially harsh treatment. Prurient fantasies of men masquerading in dresses to stalk sexual prey in the ladies' room are trotted out in support of laws preventing transgender people from using restrooms that match their appearance and identity.

Our culture is in the midst of a profound re-evaluation of how we understand gender, and public toilets have long been sites for staging anxieties about such social change.

In 19th- and early 20th-century cities, the proliferation of gender-segregated public toilets depended not just on the development of modern sanitation infrastructure, but on the movement of women into the public realm as wage-earners, consumers and voters.
When the internet billionaires Yuri Milner and Mark Zuckerberg proposed sending a mission to another solar system, it was hard to separate vision from bluster. Was the idea a plausible next step in mankind's exploration of space? Or an ego-driven challenge to other space-oriented billionaires  especially Elon Musk and his dreams of colonies on Mars?

Anyone, after all, can talk about going to the stars. But they're really far away. The distance to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, is 4.4 light years. That's something like 26 trillion miles. To put it in perspective, it took the New Horizons spacecraft nine years to reach Pluto. A craft going the same speed would reach Alpha Centauri around 11000 AD. Zuckerberg and Milner propose completing that 9000-year trip in 20 years.

The plan is to accelerate a fleet of miniature spacecraft to a quarter the speed of light by propelling them across space with a laser beam aimed from earth. The concept of "laser sailing" goes back to a 1984 paper by the physicist and science fiction writer Robert Forward, who had been discussing the concept since the 1960s.

Is it possible? Maybe, say space scientists and aerospace engineers. It can't be done without technological advances, but it's not a crackpot idea.
As reality television star and real estate mogul Donald Trump took to the stage at Trump Tower on Tuesday to deliver his victory speech, a familiar tune filled the room: Start Me Up, that rough, thumping anthem by the Rolling Stones.

Though Mr Trump was smiling, the band wasn't happy. On Wednesday, they asked the presumptive Republican nominee to stop using the band's music for his campaign after artists such as Adele and REM made the same request.

"The Rolling Stones have never given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and have requested that they cease all use immediately," the band's spokesperson said in a statement.

A representative for Trump's campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The estate of the late mining billionaire Michael Wright has been told to slash the size of its written submission appealing the $25 million awarded to his youngest daughter, with a judge saying it needs "some serious editing".



Olivia Mead, the product of Wright's relationship with Elizabeth Anne Mead after he divorced three earlier wives, was aged 19 last year when the Supreme Court of Western Australia ruled the $3 million left to her should be increased more than eightfold.



Wright's father Peter was a business partner of mining magnate Gina Rinehart's father Lang Hancock.



On Thursday, the court began hearing an appeal by the executor of the estate, David Lemon, with Justice David Newnes criticising the length of the documents that had been submitted by both parties.



The grounds of appeal were about twice the size of the original judgment at 47 pages and were unnecessarily repetitious, he said, while the respondent's documents exceeded 50 pages.



Justice Newnes ordered both sides to resubmit the documents and limit the length to 30 pages, noting 27 pages was the usual limit.



"The case is getting lost in the detail," he said.



"It just seems to me the grounds require some serious editing to draw out the heart of the case."



He also imposed a 28-day time limit to lodge the amended documents.



"The issues are not so complex they can't be dealt with expeditiously," Justice Newnes said.



He said the substantive argument appeared to be whether the judge who awarded Ms Mead $5 million more than she had asked for, Master Craig Sanderson, had erred in not making adequate provision for the estate.



Ms Mead had only sought about $20 million but in his judgment last year, Master Sanderson concluded she was "in no sense ... spoilt by her father" and deserved far more than she had been left, given her half-sisters Leonie Baldock and Alexandra Burt had both been bequeathed $400 million.



Ms Mead hit headlines when it emerged the list of her expected future needs included some extravagant items - including a $US1.2 million crystal-studded grand piano, a diamond-encrusted bass guitar and upkeep for her pet axolotl.



Master Sanderson said she had just let her imagination run wild the same way most teens would if asked to outline such needs and was not "a gold digger".

AAP
A serial bank robber dubbed the 'Postcard Bandit' has faced court in Perth after being extradited from Queensland over a prison escape 27 years ago.

Brenden James Abbott, 53, appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday via video link from Perth Watch House, charged with escaping legal custody over his 1989 breakout from Fremantle prison.

Brenden Abbott, the Postcard Bandit, at Gold Coast hotel swimming pool. Credit:File

He indicated he understood the charge but requested an adjournment, saying he had only just arrived in Perth on Wednesday.

His lawyer, Shash Nigam, described it as a "complex matter" and later told reporters outside court they were considering Abbott's legal options.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 05, 2016 | METROPOLIS, IL

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 05, 2016 | 01:13 PM | METROPOLIS, IL

A Paducah man is facing multiple charges after a collision on I-24 early Thursday morning.



Illinois State Police say a Trooper was on the shoulder of the eastbound lanes of I-24 near the Metropolis exit just after midnight, behind a vehicle that was stopped. Police say a call was made on their radios about a vehicle being driven recklessly, swerving between lanes. As the driver attempted to pass by the scene, his vehicle hit the squad car and the vehicle in front of it before coming to a stop on the shoulder.



State Police say the Trooper and the three people in the stopped vehicle were taken to a local hospital, where they were treated for what appeared to be minor injuries. The driver of the other car, 68-year-old James Steve Bauer of Paducah, was treated at a local hospital and released. He was arrested for aggravated DUI and violation of Scott's Law, which requires drivers to change lanes and reduce speed when approaching emergency vehicles on the Interstate. He was also charged with improper lane usage, illegal transportation of alcohol and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.



Bauer was taken to Massac County Jail, pending a bond hearing.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 04, 2016 | West Kentucky

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 04, 2016 | 01:59 PM | West Kentucky

The 65th annual National Day of Prayer is today, and several activities are planned in our area.



A service will be held at the Graves County Courthouse beginning at noon. The service will end no later than 12:40 pm, so those with jobs can get back to work. There will be music, scripture, and prayer as part of the service. For more information, contact Joe Hansen, pastor of Mayfield First United Methodist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church.



Three prayer observances will be held in Massac County from 12:20 - 12:40 pm. The prayer meetings will be on the lawn of the Massac County Courthouse in Metropolis, at Brookport City Hall and at Joppa City Hall. Everyone is welcome to attend.



Calloway County's observance will be at 7:00 tonight at the Robert O. Miller Conference Center in Downtown Murray.



The lawn of the Marshall County Courthouse will be the site of the event today at noon in Benton.



There are also gatherings at the Dolly McNutt Plaza in Paducah at noon and 5:00pm



The National Day of Prayer Task Force set the theme for this year's event, which is "Wake Up America," emphasizing the need for individuals, corporately and individually, to return to the God of our Fathers in reverence for His Holy Name. The key verse is from an Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, who said in Isaiah 58:1, "Shout aloud, do not hold back, raise your voice like a trumpet."
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By The Associated Press

May. 04, 2016 | FRANKFORT, KY

By The Associated Press May. 04, 2016 | 04:19 PM | FRANKFORT, KY

Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear says he is looking into the validity of Republican Gov. Matt Bevin's budget vetoes and his

mid-year reductions of several state agencies.



Beshear argued before a state judge on Wednesday that Bevin's mid-year cuts to colleges and universities without getting the approval of the state legislature violated the state's constitution. Afterward, he told reporters the case could have implications for all of state government.



Bevin has ordered budget reductions of 4.5 percent in the current year for most state agencies and 2 percent reductions for colleges and universities. He also vetoed several portions of the state's two-year operating budget last week.



Bevin spokeswoman Jessica Ditto says the vetoes are valid. Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate said he will rule on the college funding case in the coming weeks.
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press May. 04, 2016 | 09:35 PM | LEXINGTON, KY

University of Kentucky officials have accused a former employee of defrauding the school of more than $220,000 since 2011.

Citing a UK Board of Trustees report released Tuesday, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Steven Ellis, a former business manager in the physics and astronomy department, was suspended last spring and was fired in September.

University officials say Ellis sold more than $137,000 of university equipment on eBay and misappropriated $87,000 in royalty revenues.

UK began investigating Ellis last spring after he was reported by another employee. The investigation has been turned over to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Authorities say Ellis had two storage units in which dozens of university items, including computers and projectors, were being held.

Attorney Fred Peters, who is representing Ellis, declined to comment on the case.

___

Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com
By The Associated Press May. 04, 2016 | 09:10 PM | LOUISVILLE, KY

More than half of the University of Louisville Faculty Senate has cast votes of confidence in university President James Ramsey.

Out of 60 votes, 55 percent said they believe in Ramsey's ability to be an "effective leader," 40 percent said no and 5 percent abstained.

University spokesman John Karman told The Courier-Journal that Ramsey was "very happy" with the results and believes they are a strong message for the board of trustees if its members take a similar vote.

Board Chairman Larry Benz, who has opposed Ramsey, said there have been many faculty votes on the president "and it is hard to tell what is truly reflective."

The outcome of the anonymous survey came after most faculty senators who spoke out at an April meeting said they thought it was time for Ramsey to go.

___

Information from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com
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COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD WANTS LAPTOPS FOR ALL HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS...AND EVENTUALLY FOR ALL MIDDLE GRADE STUDENTS

In a budget workshop Wednesday at the Mills RiverAcademy, the Henderson County School board was presented with a plan to buy laptop computers for all high school students in the county systemand eventually for all middle grade students.

HendersonCounty commissioners will be asked by the school board to provide $600 thousand per year for the net four years to purchase those Google Chrombooks.

The school board asked for $1.5 million last year to buy computers for all high school seniorsand the commissioners denied that request because it would have required a property tax increase.

The school boards preliminary budget for the new fiscal year starting July 1is $25.9 millionthat includes money for the computersand thats up $1.3 million over the current fiscal years county school budget.

This comes with the county facing $100 million in capital construction needs, much of it for schools, and after the county manager proposed to commissioners this week a county budget for next year with NO property tax increase.

But the implication was clear that if the proposed quarter cent sales tax is not approved by voters this November, a property tax increase is probably inevitable.

By WHKP Ndews Director Larry Freeman
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This article was published 05/05/2016 (2363 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta.  Crews fighting to save Fort McMurray from rampaging flames water bombed the city Thursday to try to keep away a wildfire so intense it has spawned its own weather.

It was creating its own high winds yesterday and even lightning was coming from the smoke clouds it created, Chad Morrison of Alberta Forestry told a briefing in Edmonton on Thursday.

He said the fire continued to grow Thursday, but at a slower rate than before, and the spread was happening in forested areas away from the community.

A wildfire moves towards the town of Anzac from Fort McMurray, Alta., on Wednesday May 4, 2016. The wildfire has already torched 1,600 structures in the evacuated oil hub of Fort McMurray and is poised to renew its attack in another day of scorching heat and strong winds.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Regional fire chief Darby Allen took to social media late in the evening to send residents a videotaped message.

Were still here, were still battling, he said. Things have calmed down in the city a little bit, but guys are out as we speak, fighting fires, trying to protect your property.

The beast is still up, its surrounding the city, and were here doing our very best for you.

Officials could not update the number of structures that have burned  already at 1,600  saying crews had not had the time.

Morrison said there were 22 water bombers at work and more were coming in, including four from Quebec.

But let me be clear: air tankers are not going to stop this fire, he said. It is going to continue to push through these dry conditions until we actually get some significant rain.

Crews received a small break Thursday with temperatures forecast to fall to 16 C from the low 30s. But low humidity and high winds were expected to keep the situation fluid and dangerous.

They continued to fight the blaze near the evacuated community of Anzac, where the flames were getting closer to buildings.

The risk in the rest of the province also remained high and a provincewide fire ban was issued Thursday afternoon.

Premier Rachel Notley told a news conference that officials cannot speculate on when it might be safe for residents to return to the city except that it will not be a matter of days.

She said even when the fire situation is brought under control, officials will need time to assess buildings and infrastructure so that people can be brought back safely.

I know this experience is heartbreaking  and a devastating experience for individuals and for the families that are affected, she said. I understand the Albertans that are affected by this tragedy are scared, and very tired, and very worried about their homes and what the future holds for themselves and their families.

Trust us that we have your backs.

Notley also said in coming days there will be more information about concrete aid for evacuees, including government-issued cash cards and temporary housing options.

She asked all evacuees whether youre in the reception centre or youre staying in your friends rec room to register themselves either online or by phoning the Red Cross, adding it is crucial to the provinces ability to assess what support everyone requires.

The fire, which had been menacing the oilsands capital since the weekend, rode a rapid shift in winds Tuesday afternoon to cut through the city on an east-west axis. It divided the main road and sent 80,000 residents fleeing in opposite directions under a mandatory evacuation order.

Aided by high winds, scorching heat and low humidity, the fire grew from 75 square kilometres Tuesday to 100 square kilometres on Wednesday. By Thursday it was almost nine times that at 850 square kilometres  roughly equivalent to the size of Calgary.

The fire remained wrapped around the west and southern edges of the city. If Fort McMurray were the face of a clock, flames surrounded it from the numbers four to 11.

Evacuees began their second full day out of their homes. Thousands remained in oilfield work camps north of the city, while the rest had moved south to stay in hotels, in campgrounds, with friends or in designated centres that included Edmonton.

By late afternoon, 4,000 people had been airlifted out of the camps, and the hope was to get another 4,000 out by end of day.

Scott Long with Alberta Emergency Management said it was too dangerous to begin an escorted convoy of evacuees out of the area along Highway 63, but officials were hoping to try again at first light Friday morning.

In preparation, gasoline trucks were being sent in Thursday to fuel up vehicles for the long trip through the city and to the south.

Fort McMurray is 435 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

Officials said there were 350 firefighters battling the blaze  200 of whom were within the city keeping structures safe.

The military was on standby, but had not been called in except for helicopter support to rescue stranded residents.

The fire has proven to be as capricious as it has been hellacious, leveraging high winds to level neighbourhoods in the south and southwest, transforming homes that once housed families into smoky wastelands of concrete, rebar and ash.

Crews have managed to save critical infrastructure, such as the downtown, the hospital and the water treatment plant.

Fire threatened the airport Wednesday, but Long said it sustained mild damage and was still in operation.

Officials said they have yet to determine what caused the fire, although they know it started in a remote area about 15 kilometres from the city.

There have been no reports of fire-related deaths or injuries.
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WINNIPEG  A Winnipeg cleaning company has been ordered by a human rights adjudicator to pay $5,000 in compensation to a female employee who was fired just days after learning she was pregnant.

Robert Dawson says in his ruling that the move by Take Time Cleaning and Lifestyle Services was discriminatory, and that it must pay Andrea Szabo for injury to her dignity and self-respect.

Dawson says Take Time owner Cindy Dayman knew that Szabos medical appointments were related to her pregnancy, but the workers resulting unavailability was part of Daymans decision to fire her in 2012.

The adjudicator says that while the company has an attendance policy, the human rights code requires employers to reasonably accommodate workers to the point of undue hardship.

Szabo filed a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, alleging that Take Time discriminated against her due to her pregnancy.

The commission investigated and requested an independent adjudicator be appointed to make a final decision.

Prior attempts at resolving the complaint through mediation were unsuccessful.

Diane Dwarka, commissioner of the MHRC, said in a statement that the ruling sends a clear message to employers that they must be aware of their obligations under the human rights code.

They should avoid making assumptions about pregnancy-related needs in the workplace. Employers cannot use business reasons as justification for otherwise discriminatory decisions, she said.
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The hits keep coming for Winnipegs regional shopping malls as another major retail chain  teen-clothing retailer Aeropostale  prepares to disappear from the local landscape.

The New York-based company announced Wednesday it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will be closing all 41 of its Canadian stores and 113 of its U.S. locations. The closures represent 20 per cent of the companys presence in North America. It will continue to operate 626 stores in the U.S.

Going-out-of-business sales will begin Monday at the Canadian locations, while sales at the U.S. stores will kick off this weekend. The company did not provide any details on how deep the discounts will be or when the Canadian stores will ultimately close. It also would not say how many jobs will be affected by its exit.

Aeropostale has three stores in Winnipeg, in the CF Polo Park, St. Vital and Kildonan Place shopping centres. It is the latest in a string of retailers who in the past 12 to 18 months have announced theyre closing down or reducing their footprint in Canada. Others include Le Chateau, Danier Leather, Mexx, Smart Set, Jacob, Future Shop and Target Canada.

The rash of store closings has pushed Winnipegs overall retail vacancy rate to its highest level in 15 years  about six per cent.

Kildonan Place general manager Peter Havens said Wednesday while the store closures have created some challenges for shopping-mall operators, hes confident Kildonan Place will find a replacement tenant for its 3,800-square-foot Aeropostale space. He said its in a vibrant retail area with a strong and growing customer base.

When the retailers come and see that, they want to be here, too, he said. So I dont think it will be vacant for very long for us.

He noted the retail industry experiences ebbs and flows. The last significant downturn was during the 2009 global recession, and we bounced back from that OK.

Kildonan Place took a big hit last year when it lost its 120,000-sq.-ft. Target store. Although that space remains empty, it was reported recently that Marshalls, HomeSense and H&M are all poised to lease a portion of it. Havens has refused to say who will be moving into that space.

Weve got some deals signed, but we want to have the whole package together, and then well do a big announcement, he said.

He said if the Target space is excluded, Kildonan Place has a vacancy rate of about 2.5 per cent, which is low by Canadian mall standards.

The general managers of the Polo Park and St. Vital malls could not be reached Wednesday for comment. However, St. Vital has also taken its share of hits in recent months. As recently as two weeks ago, it had more than a half a dozen vacant storefronts and an overall vacancy rate of about three per cent.

Manager Cheryl Mazur also expressed confidence at that time replacements will be found. But she admitted it will take longer than it would have 10 or 15 years ago when Canadas industry was going through a major growth spurt.

Toronto-based retail consultant Maureen Atkinson said Aeropostale had faced stiff competition in Canada, vying for the same customers as other apparel retailers such as H&M, Forever 21 and Old Navy.

Theyve always been at the low end of the price segment, said Atkinson, who is with J.C. Williams Group. They really werent great stores, and they werent really compelling. They didnt have a personality.

Aeropostale, which targeted the teen fashionista, has suffered along with its competitors under a vastly altered consumer landscape that took root during the recession.

Fast fashion outfits, with more inexpensive clothes, have emerged in recent years to take a growing market share from Aeropostale, Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters, stores that not so long ago dominated the retail sector.

Aeropostale expects to emerge from bankruptcy protection within six months as a smaller company after renegotiating contracts and resolving an ongoing dispute with the investment firm Sycamore Partners, a major shareholder that pushed through changes in company leadership.

 with files from the news services

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
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OTTAWA  The Canada Revenue Agency has gone to Federal Court seeking information on Royal Bank clients referred to in the Panama Papers leak.

The agency asked the court Wednesday to order the Royal Bank (TSX:RY) to disclose information on clients linked to the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.

Royal Bank said it will not oppose the motion and will comply if the court order is issued.

The move is the latest development following reports issued by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists based on some 11.5 million leaked records from Mossack Fonseca.

The Toronto Star and the CBC, the Canadian members of the consortium, reported that the Royal Bank and its subsidiaries used the law firm to help set up about 370 companies in offshore havens like Panama for its clients.

In a statement Thursday, the Royal Bank said it respects the confidentiality of clients within the bounds of the law, while adding that it also co-operates with all regulators.

The Royal Bank has said there are legitimate reasons to set up an offshore holding company, but if it believes a client intends to commit a criminal offence by evading taxes, it would report that to authorities and no longer serve the client.

National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier had instructed the CRA to obtain the data leaked through the Panama Papers in order to cross-reference it with information already obtained through existing investigation tools.

Chloe Luciani-Girouard, a spokeswoman for the minister, said Thursday that the CRA has already identified 45 potential Canadian taxpayers linked to the information and that audits will begin shortly.
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OTTAWA  Manitoba NDP MP Niki Ashton wants the federal government to launch a full-scale public review of the planned takeover of Manitoba Telecom Services by BCE Inc.

The two companies announced Bells plans to buy 100 per cent of MTS for $3.9 billion Monday, but the NDP are not buying the deal as good for Manitobans.

Canadians already pay some of the highest wireless prices in the world, Ashton said in question period Wednesday.

Greater competition in Manitoba means that we have paid lower prices than other parts of the country. However, the proposed takeover of MTS by Bell could erase this advantage, lead to job losses and sharply increase the prices that we pay.

Ashton wants a public study of the deal.

The Competition Bureau has to review and approve the deal to ensure it doesnt substantially lessen competition.

Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains wouldnt comment specifically on the MTS/BCE deal but said the governments No. 1 concern is to ensure competition for Manitobans and continued investment in rural service.

We will be looking carefully to make sure that concerns of Manitobans are addressed, Bains said in the House of Commons. The government supports competition, choice and availability of service. We want to make sure we have a climate that is good not only for businesses but for consumers as well.

Earlier this week, Conservative innovation critic Diane Finley issued a statement arguing the government should only approve deals that improve competition in the wireless industry.

More competition means lower prices for Canadian consumers, Finley said.

With the Liberals raising taxes on Canadian families, now is not the time to make policy decisions that take even more money out of the pockets of hard-working Canadian families.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
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TORONTO  A parcel of land on Torontos waterfront owned by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario has been sold for $260 million.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa announced today that the 4.4 hectares in downtown Toronto was purchased by Menkes Developments Ltd., on behalf of a partnership of Menkes, Greystone Managed Investments and Triovest Realty Advisors.

The developers say their plans include a 24-storey, a 56,000-square-metre office tower that will house a new LCBO head office and a large liquor store, commercial space, a residential community and a public park.

The site currently includes the LCBO headquarters, a large warehouse, the agencys flagship liquor store, a parking lot and a park.

The government says it is putting net proceeds from the sale toward infrastructure projects.

The developers say construction on the office tower will start in the fall of 2017 and is expected to be complete in early 2021.
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Winnipeg police recovered a body from Sturgeon Creek Wednesday afternoon.

At this time, Winnipeg police can confirm that a body was located in Sturgeon Creek but (are) not able to confirm an identity of the body located and will be waiting the results of an autopsy before making any further comments, police said in release Wednesday.

A search has been ongoing for weeks for Catherine Curtis, 60.

JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A poster for missing person Catherine Curtis remained on a log as police and Medical Examiners staff worked on the bank of Sturgeon Creek near the intersection of Booth Drive and Portage Avenue, where a body was found around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday.

Curtis was last seen on the morning of April 25 in the St. James area. She had been admitted to the Grace Hospital on April 13, and left the building on a hospital-sanctioned, unaccompanied walk, and never returned.

Police said emergency services responded to the report of a body in the Sturgeon Creek near Portage Avenue and Sturgeon Road about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday.

Police taped off a wide area near the Grace Hospital while a woman believed to be a medical examiner examined the body.

Shortly after, a black van arrived and backed down the bank. The body was placed in the back of the vehicle.

A crowd gathered near the banks of the creek, including some of Curtiss family, but they declined to speak to the media.

In late April, the Winnipeg Police Services dive unit searched around Grants Old Mill between Sturgeon Road and Booth Drive, working their way into Woodhaven throughout the day.

POLICE / HANDOUT Catherine Curtis

It is just a logical area for us to search in light of the circumstances, said Const. Jason Michalyshen at the time.

We are making every effort to locate Catherine, said Michalyshen. Its tough for the family the support the family has been provided by the community  once again, Winnipeggers are stepping up.

The Bear Clan Patrol had assisted volunteers combing the St. James area for traces of Curtis, trying to cover as much ground as possible.
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RCMP say they have broken up a drug ring in Oakbank and the RM of Springfield.

Eight men were charged and illicit drugs were taken off the street Wednesday in an operation RCMP called Project Decal. While four men were arrested Thursday, four remain at large.

The information and intelligence gathered during Project Decal, which was launched in November 2015 by Oakbank RCMP, led to police executing a search warrant at an Oakbank residence, according to a press release on Thursday. Police seized an undisclosed quantity of drugs, and items used in the drug trafficking trade.

Project DECAL was initiated to specifically target individuals trafficking drugs and negatively impacting the lives of our local residents, said RCMP Sgt. Bert Paquet in a statement. The allegations involve cocaine and illegal counterfeit pills.

The arrests and subsequent charges laid in this case serve as proof of our commitment to make Manitoba a safer place to live.

Tyler John Kevin Augustine, 25, of Oakbank was arrested in Winnipeg and is facing 13 counts of trafficking a controlled substance, and one count of production of a controlled substance. He remains in custody.

Also arrested and charged with trafficking a controlled substance were Dylan Robert Hutchinson, 19, of the RM of Springfield, Kelson Ryan Hopgood, 20, of Oakbank and Cole Alexander Paul Zammit, 21, of the RM of Springfield.

Currently wanted on outstanding warrants are Oakbank residents Paul Joseph Caissie, 54, Allan Peter Tanchak, 42, Daniel Konrad Searchy, 27, and Gabriel Labossiere, 29, who are also charged with trafficking a controlled substance.

RCMP reminded the public that counterfeit OxyContin pills containing Fentanyl have been linked to several deaths across Canada.

Taking medication that is not prescribed can be dangerous, cause unpredictable side effects and can lead to an overdose and death, the statement read.

The RCMP said it will release no other details as the investigation is continuing.
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Winnipeg broke record highs Thursday when temperatures soared to 34 C, topping a record set more than 90 years ago.

Environment Canada confirmed the high as recorded at Richardson International Airport.

Its 34 C at the airport. You are enjoying it, arent you? asked Jennifer Hay, a meteorologist with Environment Canada in Vancouver.

Before Thursday, the citys record high for this date was set back in 1926, with a reading of 31.7 C.

Similar readings in the 30s were recorded Thursday across southern Manitoba.

Areas with restrictions in place are highlighted in red. The province, meanwhile, issued wildfire season travel restrictions late Thursday afternoon, cancelling burning permits anywhere in the eastern, central or western areas of the province.

The province also prohibited motorized travel in the back country of southeastern Manitoba from noon to 7 p.m, which includes any ATV use. The boundary of the no-go area runs from provincial road 302 east to the Ontario border and from the U.S. border north to Lake Winnipeg and the Winnipeg River. It includes the Mars Hill Wildlife Management area.

Outside the prohibited zone, wildlife managers with the provinces new Sustainable Development Department are repeating precautions issued every time theres a heat wave and a risk of wildfire.

ATV users are reminded to stay on clearly marked trails, and check around the engine and exhaust frequently and remove any debris. As an added measure, ATV owners are asked to ensure their spark arrestor mechanism is working and to carry a fire extinguisher, axe and shovel to put out any fires.

The province slapped restrictions on activities in the Spruce Woods Provincial Park and the Spruce Woods Provincial Forest. Camping is permitted only in developed campgrounds and launching and landing boats is restricted to developed shorelines. All back country travel and access to remote cottage areas must be approved by a travel permit issued at the discretion of local conservation officers.

At Birds Hill Provincial Park, campfires are restricted to approved fire pits between the hours of of 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

While the heat baked southern Manitoba, northern Manitoba saw wild fluctuations in temperatures. Places like Churchill were stuck at a high of -4 C, and to the west, locations like Flin Flon were a sunny 21 C. There was even a forecast of possible flurries in some remote northern locations overnight Friday.

Southern Manitoba will cool off by the weekend, with seasonal highs of about 19 C in cities like Winnipeg on Saturday and Sunday.

Theres a large area of high pressure in the southern prairies right now. Youve had some southerly flow so the temperatures have come up. A lot of places in southern Manitoba, the temperatures have come up to the 30s, Hay, the Environment Canada meteorologist, said.

The current heat wave is the result of wind patterns in the upper atmosphere, called southerly flows. Waves like this often come ahead of low-pressure fronts that are moving into the region. Winds will shift to the north as the front approaches over the next few days.

For more information on fire and travel restrictions go to: www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/fire/Restrictions/index.html.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
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Some Manitoba francophones are cautious about criticizing cabinet minister Rochelle Squires inability to speak French  even though francophone affairs is one of her many duties.

Theyre willing to see how she does in the job.

The ability to speak French is important, but even more important are actions. Actions will speak louder than words, in any language, said Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface).

WAYNE GLOWACKI / FREE PRESS FILES Rochelle Squires

Obviously, its not ideal. It would be preferable if the francophone affairs minister spoke French, Liberal MP Dan Vandal (Saint Boniface-Saint Vital) said Thursday in an interview from Ottawa. Whats important is she should show engagement to the community.

Squires is the minister of sport, culture and heritage, and minister responsible for francophone affairs and the status of women.

But she cant speak French.

Several members of Premier Brian Pallisters caucus are reportedly fluent in French, though his office has yet to provide a requested list.

Theres a lot of disgruntlement on social media, Jacques de Moissac, student president at Universite de Saint-Boniface, said Thursday.

On Facebook lately, its pretty heavily people complaining about that. Therell be a barrier created, de Moissac said. Were a bit worried what happens if francophone affairs falls on the backburner, given her many disparate duties. How are we going to be prioritized?

Obviously, we are worried  Greg Selinger pushed for francophone affairs. Were worried they wont focus, because St. Boniface isnt one of their ridings.

But, he cautioned, A lot of people are jumping the gun. Its the wrong thing, jumping to the conclusion that she wont do anything.

De Moissac said he is aware Finance Minister Cameron Friesen can speak French.

Squires must recognize French language rights, said Vandal, who sits on the official languages committee: Theyre incredibly important in the provinces history.

Said Allard: I look forward to working with the new minister in my capacity as city councillor responsible for French language services, and I communicated that to the minister in a congratulatory email.

Universite de Saint-Boniface chose not to comment on Squires lack of French language skills.

Peter Dorrington, Universite de Saint-Boniface academic and research vice-president, said by email: Universite de Saint-Boniface is looking forward to working with the current government in matters of French and francophone post-secondary education. We expect we can count on a full collaboration from all parties involved in helping students meet their academic goals. USB is committed to strengthening its relationship with all levels of government, and to continue offering a quality university and college education in order to shape todays leaders in society.

Bernard Lesage, board chairman of the Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine, said he is not apprehensive about any impact on Manitobas French-language public schools.

As a school trustee, I have had to work with different people in different ministries. A lot of them didnt speak French, but we got things done. I dont think you necessarily have to know French to know the French community.

However, he has met with St. Norbert Tory MLA Jon Reyes: I had a bit of a conversation with him in French  it was interesting, said Lesage.

On Tuesday, shortly after being sworn into cabinet, when Squires was asked in French about her facility with the language, she could only smile, admit to the steep learning curve and pledge to be an advocate for the community.

Tory officials said there may be further comment Friday.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
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OTTAWA  Six months into his prime ministership, Justin Trudeaus honeymoon with Canadians shows little sign of abating.

Polls suggest more Canadians would vote Liberal now than last October; a majority of Canadians thinks the country is heading in the right direction; and Trudeaus personal approval ratings are sky-high.

Facing two opposition parties in the throes of rebuilding, one with an interim leader and the other with a leader who was just given the boot by party members, the Liberals hit the six-month mark of their mandate with plenty to smile about as even their missteps seem to make no dent in their popularity.

SEAN KILPATRICK /. THE CANADIAN PRESS Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday.

Trudeau celebrated the six-month milestone at the weekly Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa Wednesday, though cheer was tempered by thoughts of the residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., who have been forced out of the city due to a huge wildfire.

Obviously, this is an important milestone in the life of our government, but before anything else, our thoughts are turning to our friends in Alberta, Trudeau said.

He thanked his 183 Liberal MPs for their hard work and pointed to things he said are making a substantive, real difference in peoples lives, including the middle-class tax cut and the upcoming new tax-free, income-tested Canada Child Benefit that will roll out July 1.

Winnipeg South Centre MP and Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr told the Free Press Wednesday his first six months have been busy and ambitious, but he feels the government is off to a very good start.

Stickhandling the politically contentious pipeline file has put Carr in the limelight plenty of times since November, but he said he is confident the process the government has to review and make decisions about pipelines will work well.

He cited the volume of work as the biggest surprise and compared becoming a cabinet minister to becoming a parent: nothing quite prepares you for it.

The Liberals have not been without trouble. They were unable to meet their self-imposed deadline for bringing in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2015. And they announced a deficit of nearly $30 billion, three times what was pledged during the election.

The Liberals pledge on ethics and transparency has also been called into question, with an eyebrow-raising private fundraiser with Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould at a Toronto law firm last month. Also troublesome has been the governments willingness to stifle debate on bills when they want to push them through quickly.

The assisted-dying legislation has a June 6 deadline, which might give the government room to defend its move to close debate Wednesday. But Bill C-10, which waters down job requirements for Air Canada in Winnipeg, Montreal and Mississauga, Ont., has no such deadline, and cutting off debate last month led to howls of outrage from opponents.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair was critical of the Liberals on a number of fronts Wednesday, including their failure to implement a promised small-business tax cut and leaving room to wiggle out of their pledge to preserve home delivery by Canada Post.

The Conservatives are heavily critical of the Liberals deficit projections and their policy on the fight against Islamic State, which included bringing Canadas fighter jets home from the Middle East.

Conservative MP Tony Clement also had a word of advice for Trudeau on this extended honeymoon.

In (1968), women were fainting at the sight of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Clement said in a scrum with reporters Wednesday. Four years later, Conservatives under Bob Stanfield came within two seats of unseating the very unpopular Mr. Trudeau. Politics changes fast, and I hope Justin Trudeau is enjoying his yoga poses and his GQ interviews because Im here to tell you the Conservatives will be back and will be back strong.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
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Dry conditions in Manitoba mean the province is unable to send wildfire-fighting resources to Alberta.

Gary Friesen, manager of the provinces wildfire program, said the province is seeing new wildfires spring up every day due to the recent lack of rainfall, low humidity and high temperatures.

It is dry and it continues to dry, our situation is nowhere near as critical as western Canada, but we are drying and we are drying more every day, Friesen said Wednesday.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Gary Friesen, fire program manager with the Manitoba government, gives an update Wednesday on Manitoba's wildfire situation.

We only have enough resources to work in Manitoba.

Wildfires forced the evacuation of Fort McMurray, Alta., starting Tuesday. The wildfires have engulfed homes in three subdivisions and are in danger of spreading. By Wednesday afternoon, the fire was out control and had destroyed at least 1,600 structures.

The news conference was a first for Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen, who was appointed to the cabinet role Tuesday. Pedersen let Friesen do most of the talking, but began the news conference by thanking those working on the front lines of Fort McMurray, in northeastern Alberta.

The images, like those on television and social media in the last 24 hours, are incredibly jarring, Pedersen said.

Friesen called the wildfires historic. In Manitoba, he noted, there is a complex monitoring system of ground water levels in place to tell his team when and where resources are need.

It has evolved to a very scientific metholodogy that involves collecting and taking the element of surprise, not completely out of it, but it definitely helps to soften that, Friesen said.

So far, there have been 28 wildfires this year in Manitoba, with two new ones reported Tuesday in Nelson House and near Pine Falls. The average number for this time of year is 60.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS At left, Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen and Gary Friesen, the government's fire program manager, give an update Wednesday on the Manitoba wildfires.

Friesen noted wildfire agencies work in partnership with the Canadian Interagency Fire Fighter Centre, which co-ordinates the sharing of resources throughout the country. Friesen said if Manitoba gets rain, and the dry conditions abate, the province could loan equipment to Alberta.

We have enough wildfire activity at the time to completely engage our resources, Friesen said, adding they also rely on seasonal workers, which affects resources.
Opinion

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Census season is upon us. I just received my invitation in the mail to go online and complete the questionnaire. Bold letters informed me to complete the census  its the law. The census remains the backbone of Canadas official statistics.

However, change is sweeping across the world of official statistics. Collecting census data will soon experience fundamental revision, supported by big data, the Internet of things, and an evolving sensibility of privacy by Canadians.

Big data will be the most important force changing census data in Canada. Self-report census surveys, such as those used in Canada, the United States and Australia, rely on an enumeration of occupied residences before they can count people. Maintaining this list of occupied residences can prove troublesome. The list of occupied homes is key to the current census exercise, and municipal water and sewer records offer accurate information on home occupancy. Increasingly, Statistics Canada will rely on municipal records to maintain the list of occupied houses.

Big data will also change data collection. Traditionally, census enumerators trudged from house to house, interviewing an adult representative who provided the requisite information on the entire household. Now, the occupant receives a letter containing a personal identification number (PIN) to unlock an online census form. Households that do not receive the letter can go online, secure a PIN for their address and complete the form. Online completion of the census form may appear modern, but it still relies on the willingness and accuracy of that single respondent to self-report accurately on themselves and the rest of the household. That is a major weakness in the Canadian census.

Contrast this approach with how Sweden and other Scandinavian countries construct census information. Some of these jurisdictions have never used a census survey to count population. Instead, population registers, the modern manifestation of the parish record, form the backbone of their system of official statistics.

Population registers are composed of diverse lists of persons. Examples include the list of social insurance numbers, property and income tax records, health insurance data and records on dwellings with an active water connection. Combining information from administrative databases supports the creation of highly accurate data on the population. Collectively, these lists support a detailed picture of the Canadian population. Most important is the fact that compared to the current census method, information from big data can be updated continuously, is much more comprehensive, covers the entire population and once the system for unifying these records is created, is much less expensive.

Of course, Statistics Canada does much more than count people, which is why the long form has value. It presents a picture of Canadas social, economic and cultural mosaic. Countries using a register base for their official statistics develop the same, if not superior information using the registers as sample frames to target subsets of the population for specialized surveys on culture and social issues. Since these surveys are much smaller in scope than a census (and do not forget the long-form census only covers 20 per cent of the population), increased effort can go into the followup needed to obtain high response rates that boost accuracy. A series of sample surveys could offer much more detail than the long form, and with much less reporting lag.

The Internet of things will collect the routine activity of the household without the awareness of occupants. In the same way algorithms at Visa automatically record all my transactions, quickly interceding when it detects an anomalous purchase, so, too, does my water utility inquire when it detects I have supplied a meter reading that appears out of the ordinary. The water utility estimates how much water two senior citizens should consume. When the Internet of things supports a smart water meter for my home, water utilities will be able to accurately, quickly and continuously estimate the number of people living at an address. The constant feedback from appliance and utility-meter monitoring of household activity will open a torrent of new information on Canadian households.

Finally, our sense of privacy is evolving. Census 2016 will introduce that new world. Statistics Canada will not ask respondents to provide information on income. Instead, it will access income tax records to compile the income of tax filers in the home. Obviously, both the Canada Revenue Agency and the public must trust Statistics Canada will maintain confidentiality. In fact, data-sharing between CRA and Statistics Canada has existed for some time to support special studies. Evidence exists citizens are prepared to accept such data-sharing to improve services.

Big data, the Internet of things and changing sensibilities on privacy are transforming the census. In 10 or 15 years, we will look back on the way we currently collect census data as a quaint footnote in the history of official statistics, in the same way my grandchildren puzzle over the old rotary phone in my basement. The benefit will be a wider range of official statistics that are detailed, timely and less expensive to collect and compile.

Gregory Mason is an associate economics professor at the University of Manitoba and a senior consultant at PRA Inc. His views are his own.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/05/2016 (2363 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its sunny ways and blue skies in Manitoba as we settle into a new government at the provincial level and mark the six-month anniversary of Justin Trudeaus win federally. But there are some storm clouds on the horizon of this political weather report as it relates to freedom of information.

Tuesday marked World Press Freedom Day  a day set aside by UNESCO that views freedom of information as fundamental to our rights. Access to information, freedom from censorship and safety for journalists are all viewed as cornerstones of democracy.

At the federal level, Canadas Access to Information Act is almost 33 years old, and with the Liberal election win, the new prime minister promised a proper review of the act. Treasury Board president Scott Brisons mandate letter spoke clearly about the need for government to be honest and to set a higher bar for openness and transparency in government Government and its information should be open by default. If we want Canadians to trust their government, we need a government that trusts Canadians. The federal government has said the comprehensive review of the access act will begin in 2018, but legislation could be tabled this year that could include some quick fixes.

ADRIAN WYLD /THE CANADIAN PRESS files A reporter holds a redacted copy of a report on a friendly-fire incident. The control of information at both levels of government is a serious issue for democracy.

Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault admitted to the Hill Times there has been a change in tone from this government in terms of accessibility to information but maintains these are early days.

She points out the previous Harper government, early in its mandate, also committed to openness and transparency, but that changed over time to the point the Conservatives were heavily criticized for their control over information.

One thing Legault would like to see changed is the inclusion of the offices of cabinet ministers in the act to ensure proper accountability. She (along with her provincial colleagues) is also advocating for the duty to document. As Alasdair Roberts, an expert in information-access legislation, has pointed out, governments now operate in a read-and-delete culture, where emails are wiped out to prevent embarrassing details from being released. This is something Legault would like stopped.

However, the changes to the legislation will be daunting, and the Opposition Conservatives are already critical of the process, suggesting the committee struck to review the act has already predetermined its outcome.

Provincially, the Manitoba government under former premier Greg Selinger was criticized by Newspapers Canada in its annual audit of freedom of information released in October 2015. The audit gave the NDP government 14 requests under the provinces Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Of those, seven were released in full, five were denied in part, one was denied in full and one generated a response of no records (the full report can be found at http://newspaperscanada.ca/sites/default/files/FOI-2015-FINAL.pdf).

For this, the province received a failing grade for its speed of responses and a C for completeness of disclosure.

Its obvious new Premier Brian Pallister has his work cut out for him. In January, Pallister made a number of promises to improve access to information and transparency of government, including making more government information available online and making it easier to find. This includes documents that can only be currently accessed through a freedom-of-information request.

But there are dark skies ahead. So far, the Manitoba government has refused to release details of its new cabinet ministers mandate letters and will not provide the biographical information about the new deputy ministers named Wednesday. This, despite the fact Pallister said mere months ago he wants his government to at the end of our first term, be known as the most open, most honest, most ethical provincial government in the country.

In less than a week, hes already broken that promise.

Shannon Sampert is the Free Press politics and perspectives editor.

shannon.sampert@freepress.mb.caT

witter: @PaulySigh

FOI-2015-FINAL
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/05/2016 (2363 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As northern Alberta was burning, the best parts of its people light up just as bright, shining beneath a smoke-choked sky.

That afternoon and throughout the night, all of Canada bore witness to their caring. Tanker drivers sped up highways delivering free fuel to stranded vehicles. One woman, lingering in smouldering Fort McMurray, broke into homes (at the evacuated owners request) to save trapped pets.

Wherever people fled, they found open doors. Mosques in Lac la Biche and Edmonton invited evacuees to come stay. So did regional First Nations, hotels and everyday citizens. Bowling alleys offered free games to those who escaped.

Brian Langton / The Canadian Press Abandoned vehicles litter Highway 63, south of Fort McMurray, Alta., as residents flee the wildfire engulfing the oilsands city.

Humbled by this, Canadians opened their wallets. While the Red Crosss donation figures had not been released as of Wednesday, the cash flow has surely been massive. (The need will be great, so please consider texting REDCROSS to 30333 to donate $5, or donate online at redcross.ca.)

So maybe its just a cranky sidenote to point out how this beautiful compassion was accompanied by an uglier streak.

There are few things that inflame public disgust as severely as to be seen talking politics during tragedy. In truth, that disgust can be misdirected: in a world where so many hurts are inextricably intertwined with politics, what some deem politicizing tragedy is often valuable, even necessary.

After all, with every harm that assails us  whether dealt by weapons or weather  politics has something to do with the background, the first responses and the long-term solutions. At the end of the day, politics is just a series of competing views on how communities ought to navigate the challenges they face.

Still, not every post-tragedy channel is wide enough for a soapbox, though many tried to jam one in there this week. At the same time as many of the 88,000 people who fled Fort McMurray were sitting gridlocked between the flames, some distant folks jumped on social media to flog their point of view.

Having an opinion is one thing, flaunting it on the same Twitter hashtag that evacuees were using to share vital information is something else entirely. If there was any thought that would most assuredly not help evacuees in that moment, it was the airing of grievances against Justin Trudeau, climate change and Rachel Notley.

Much of that was just noise. Some of the sharpest barbs were hurled at Trudeau, whose standard-issue Tweets conveying Canadas sympathy were taken as prima facie evidence that all the federal government would do was Tweet; and at Notley, who was decried for pretty much everything she said or did not say.

This was inevitable, some mix of partisanship and acute frustration, seeking out a human to shoulder the blame. What was more galling was the third theme in that barrage of political comments: the distinct whiff of something approaching a self-satisfied glee that Fort McMurray specifically was burning.

Its strange. On Tuesday night, the same type of folks who usually (correctly) point out that weather isnt climate when climate-change skeptics use winter chill as debate fodder, were suddenly quite sure that this instance of extreme weather was an effective stand-in for climate.

In perhaps the most infamous example, former Alberta NDP candidate Tom Moffatt Tweeted that Karmic #climatechange fire burns CDN oilsands city. (He also attached Bernie Sanders slogan, #FeelTheBern, which is either a staggering act of tone-deafness if it was not intended as a pun, or downright cruelty if it was.)

Though Moffatt later deleted the Tweet and apologized, many others sang a similar refrain. Im glad the #FortMacFire is happening in the province most responsible for the climate change that caused the fire in the first place, Tweeted one man in British Columbia, though he also later apologized.

The ill-considered choice to point at Albertas flames, instead of mourn what was lost to them, tells us that at least some of todays climate-change voices have failed to keep their eyes focused in the right direction.

To be clear, I dont say this as an opponent. Indeed, I accept what the sum of climate science tells us, which is that the planet is rapidly becoming hotter, drier and more prone to extreme weather. I accept these changes are wrought by human activity, and that if we do not find a way to slow it, the effects will be increasingly catastrophic.

What is the point in fearing catastrophe, if we cannot spare compassion for all who endure it?

The folks who have landed in Fort McMurray over the last four decades were, for the most part, far from the architects of international hydrocarbon policy. Many of them are simply workers, including many Newfoundlanders who headed west in search of work, and an opportunity to build a life for their family.

Meanwhile, if we assign responsibility for hydrocarbon policy correctly, we understand the landscape of Alberta bears the scars of our collective demand. It is just one site of a global struggle to determine what pact humans will make with our environment.

More than that, we understand that the folks working in and around the tar sands may benefit from oil money, but they are also among the most vulnerable to the industrys problems. Some of the folks who fled Fort McMurray had already lost their jobs. Now, many of them have lost all they had left.

As for the people who do wield heavy influence on global carbon policy, few of them were staring down flames in northern Alberta. If we are to critique the hydrocarbon industry, that is where we ought to direct the pressure; most everyone else in the system is just trying to get on with their life.

So if there is a path out of our current predicament, we will not find it by rhetorically stepping on the backs of frightened and devastated Albertans. This much, at least for me, is certain: we are facing a future where this type of tragedy may happen more often. Can advocates love all communities enough to embrace them, when dreams turn to ash?

Any climate-change ethic that cannot at least centre itself around that, ought to be rejected.

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/05/2016 (2363 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The weather is always sending wakeup calls, but sometimes it takes a major disaster to stir society from its slumber.

Winnipegs floodway system, for example, has protected the city from disaster for 50 years, but it took the disastrous 1950 Red River flood to motivate the city to build permanent protection. Floods, in fact, have been the most potent threats to cities in Western Canada. And they are getting worse, as climate variability plays havoc with preconceived notions of risk and probability.

Wildfires have also been getting more aggressive and deadly in the last 20 years.

A burned-out truck in the Beacon Hill area of Fort McMurray, Alta. is shown on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-CBC-Sylvain Bascaron

Still, no one was prepared for a fire that would force 80,000 inhabitants of Fort McMurray, Alta., to flee for their lives while flames burned down their homes and businesses.

The fire started innocently on Saturday just outside the city. It was said to be under control. No need to panic.

Were not really worried, an emergency services official said at the time, adding the fire department anticipated a dry season and was ready for anything.

In fact, the community was woefully unprepared. It appears to have learned nothing from the devastating blaze at Slave Lake in 2011 or the firestorms in British Columbia in 2003. Once again, officials have underestimated the power of nature to overwhelm conventional defences.

Dry conditions, low humidity, heat and high winds have combined to create a fire hazard across most of Western Canada. Wildfires often burn out in the wilderness, but if they erupt near communities, the devastation can be enormous. In the B.C. firestorm of 2003, for example, fire destroyed more than 334 homes and many businesses, causing the evacuation of 45,000 people and over $700 million in damage.

Scientists say similar weather conditions are the new normal. They noted the drought that hit Western Canada and the United States between 2000 and 2004 was the worst dry spell in the region in 800 years. It was nothing, they added, compared to the mega droughts to come.

Climate change or climate variability may not be directly related to every anomaly, but its clear governments at all levels still have a lot of work to do to prepare for the dramatic changes that are coming.

In the case of remote cities and communities near the boreal forest, it means a variety of innovative changes need to be considered. Many cities in the B.C. interior, for example, adopted comprehensive prevention plans following the 2003 firestorm. These included fire-resistant roofs, buffer zones with the hinterland, spark arresters for wood stoves and many other measures.

Some communities have been urged to consider designing wider streets so fire trucks can reach fire zones while homeowners are fleeing in their vehicles.

Remote communities also need more than one highway in and out. Thats the case with Fort McMurray, where fleeing motorists were forced to dodge burning debris during their escape along Highway 63. Under different circumstances, the community could have suffered far worse tragedy.

In Manitoba, First Nations communities are most at risk, although some smaller towns have been evacuated because of fire threats, too. Unfortunately, measures to mitigate the threats are still inadequate, despite multiple fatalities and substantial damage. Reports have been written, filed and forgotten.

The new Liberal government has said it is ready to help Canadians prepare for natural calamities caused by extreme weather and climate change.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said funding for disaster readiness would come from federal infrastructure programs.

Weather events are going to get more severe, theyre going to get more frequent, theyre going to get more damaging, Goodale said earlier this year in urging communities to step up efforts to enhance their readiness.

Cities need to heed these warnings and update their emergency plans, while also rewriting building codes and urban bylaws to anticipate extreme weather and the danger it poses.
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Suppose youre a hardcore fiscal conservative. You dont give a hoot about social issues, and you dont follow any of this nonsense about identity politics or insiders and outsiders. All you care about is getting the nations fiscal house in order.

Are you sitting down? I hope youre sitting down. Because the candidate you should vote for might surprise you.

According to a new report from the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the most fiscally conservative presidential contender left standing is ... Hillary Clinton.

Seriously.

Youre probably used to thinking of Clinton as just another spendthrift liberal, oblivious to fiscal restraint. And it is true that she wants to expand the footprint of the federal government.

By a lot.

Consider her New College Compact, which would substantially reduce higher-ed costs for new students and lower debt for past ones. She also plans to expand the Affordable Care Act. Her proposed expansions and investments in clean energy, early-childhood education, family leave, veterans services and infrastructure look pretty costly, too.

On the other hand, Clinton also proposes a lot of tax changes and other policies that would raise revenue or save money.

These include imposing a surtax on personal income over $5 million; raising rates on medium-term capital gains; limiting the value of tax breaks; changing the immigration system; taxing carried interest as ordinary income; raising the estate tax rate; imposing a risk fee on large financial institutions; and some vague, as-yet-unspecified changes to the corporate tax code.

Heres the bottom line for the nations bottom line: Clintons spending increases and other proposals that cost money have a total price tag of about $1.8 trillion over the next decade. But her offsets, which come mostly from tax hikes, would save an estimated $1.9 trillion over that same period (or closer to $1.6 trillion if you dont count those as-yet-unspecified business tax proposals).

The net fiscal impact of her plans, then, is pretty close to zero.

To be clear, shes not likely to reduce the federal debt. That presumably would be a more attractive outcome for the strictest of fiscal conservatives  including the number-crunchers at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, who based their estimates partly on existing analyses from the Congressional Budget Office, Tax Policy Center and other outside research groups.

While Secretary Clinton would not worsen the fiscal situation, she also unfortunately does not offer concrete proposals for improving it, laments the organizations report. With debt at post-war record-high levels and projected to grow unsustainably, simply remaining on our current course is not enough, it adds.

Still, contrast Clintons plan with those offered by, oh, every other presidential candidate in the race, all of whom would blow multitrillion-dollar holes in the budget.

Bernie Sanders proposes to expand the reach of the federal government far more than Clinton would, and he promises to offset his spending increases with commensurate tax hikes. Many of the underlying assumptions his campaign used to get these numbers to add up, however, are way too optimistic.

An earlier Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget analysis estimated that the net budget shortfall resulting from all of Sanderss proposals would add somewhere between $2 trillion and $14.8 trillion to the federal debt over the next decade.

On the Republican side  the party allegedly devoted to fiscal responsibility  things look just as bad. The GOP candidates all offer massive, across-the-board tax cuts they dont even attempt to pay for.

Donald Trump would cut tax revenue dramatically, while simultaneously raising spending on programs such as veterans health care. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget ballparks the total cost of his proposals at $11.7 trillion to $15.1 trillion over the next decade.

Likewise, Ted Cruzs various proposals  which include tax cuts, a repeal of Obamacare and a bigger military  would add between $2.7 trillion and $21.3 trillion to the federal debt.

John Kasich, who somehow fancies himself the lone fiscal grown-up in the race, remains the only candidate who has released so few details that none of the major budgetary watchdog organizations has even attempted to score his policies. Given that his tax plan looks a lot like Jeb Bushs, however, we can assume hed add trillions in red ink, too.

Without fail, these candidates claim that ludicrous levels of economic growth will paper over their budgetary shortfalls. As Ive observed before, though, the more growth a politician promises, the worse their economic plan tends to be.

Maybe when (if) voters start to notice this, Clinton will finally receive the praise shes been due, from arithmetic fans and fiscal conservatives alike.
If circus enthusiasts want to get a birds-eye view of the big top, they dont have to climb into a helicopter.

This summer, Circus World in Baraboo will feature a miniature model circus that was 40 years in the making.

The so-called Seimor Bros. Circus was created by circus fan Mel Romeis and his wife, Lottie, of Milwaukee. It depicts a large circus lot featuring model performers that actually move with the use of synchronized electric motors.

Theres also a circus train, a side show, wild animals, a street parade and various other tents.

Mel Romeis died in 2009, and Lottie before that. But their creation was purchased and conserved by the Kohler Foundation, which later presented the model to the Wisconsin Historical Society. The historical society in turn gave it to Circus World.

For the first time in over a decade, this outstanding model can be viewed in 360 degrees of circus splendor, said Circus World Ringmaster Dave SaLoutos.

A new installation in Circus Worlds Wagon Restoration Center will allow people to see the model  previously only visible from one side  from all angles. They can now see the wardrobe tent, horse tents, cookhouse and blacksmith shop, SaLoutos said.

The display area for the model was constructed with the help of master builder Mike Schmudlach and Petes Glass of Baraboo. Circus World Facilities Director Harold Heavy Burdick, along with his crew of seven volunteers, repainted and rebuilt portions of the exhibit.

People will like this, Burdick said. This is the only way to show folks how a big circus operation looked and operated back in the day. Its really great.
A Baraboo man is facing child porn charges following a raid on his home by state investigators Tuesday.

The criminal complaint against 27-year-old Jermayne S. Webley says agents with the Wisconsin Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation entered his Grand Canyon Drive apartment near Lake Delton and confiscated several hard drives and a computer.

Investigators allege that they found videos and images that depicted young boys engaged in sexual acts on the devices.

When interviewed by a DCI agent, Webley allegedly said he downloads pornography through a file sharing system called Bearshare, and that his mass downloads often contain child pornography.

Webley reported viewing child pornography depicting children in their teens, the complaint states. He described child pornography as being taboo, but believes it was acceptable for him to possess because he is not a child molester and because he does not share it with others.

Webley has been charged with four felony counts of child pornography possession, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and $100,000 in fines. He has been jailed on a $5,000 cash bond and is due to appear in Sauk County Circuit Court on June 10.
The man accused of killing a woman in a Sauk County drive-by shooting had exhibited paranoid behavior for several days and made threats to his own brothers who were with him in the vehicle, according to court documents.

Sauk County prosecutors filed a charge of first-degree intentional homicide Wednesday against 20-year-old Zachary T. Hays of West Allis for the shooting death of 44-year-old Tracy Czaczkowski.

Authorities say Czaczkowski, her husband and two children were returning to their home in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, from a vacation in Wisconsin Dells when Hays fired three shots into their car on Interstate 90/94.

A medical examiner determined that Czaczkowski died as a result of a gunshot wound to the neck that was consistent with a larger caliber gun, the criminal complaint against Hays states.

The Sauk County shooting was part of an alleged crime spree that authorities say began Sunday morning when Hays fatally shot a neighbor in his West Allis apartment building, 42-year-old Gabriel Sanchez. It ended later that afternoon near DeForest, where officers used road spikes to disable a silver Chevy Blazer that Hays was driving.

Hays allegedly emerged from the vehicle along the interstate carrying a pistol and moving toward officers. Two Columbia County deputies shot and wounded the suspect, saying he refused to obey verbal commands. They have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation of the shooting.

The Sauk County criminal complaint states that detectives interviewed Hays brother, 30-year-old Jeremy Hays, who was a passenger in the Blazer. A third brother also is alleged to have been in the vehicle, but has not been identified due to a cognitive disability. All three men are in custody.

Zachary had smoked some marijuana on April 27, 2016, and had been acting extremely paranoid ever since, one detective reported, based on his interview with Jeremy Hays. Jeremy was concerned for his own safety as Zachary was carrying a handgun, a long-barreled .45 caliber revolver  Zachary had made threats to kill Jeremy and (the other brother) if they left him.

In addition to the murder charge, Hays faces three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment. He faces life in prison if convicted. No court date has been scheduled in the Sauk County case.

Online court records show Hays was convicted of battery and receiving stolen property in 2013. Jeremy Hays was convicted of burglary and escaping criminal arrest in 2006.
More than 670.

Thats how many second chances legislation in Iowas House would provide. And thousands more lives could be salvaged in the future, if lawmakers have the guts to finally address the mass incarceration epidemic.

Its no secret that theres a disproportionately black population of non-violent felons in Iowas prison system. Its quantifiable fact that 20th century drug laws created criminals out of troubled minds. And its almost universally accepted that local, state and federal lock-ups are wrongly used as treatment centers, thanks to widespread disregard for mental health treatment.

But, just maybe, a little horse trading between the GOP-controlled state House and Democratic Senate could result in a monumental leap toward ending failed policy thats destroyed entire communities.

Iowa House Republicans, this waning session, wanted an overhaul of child endangerment laws. And a bill to do just that breezed through the lower House in March. The Senate saw an opening and, with the support of Attorney General Tom Miller, inserted language that would free more than 670 nonviolent drug offenders in Iowa prisons who have served at least half a sentence. The revised draft is now back in the House for vetting.

Costly, draconian mandatory minimum sentences are driving policy debates throughout the country. Social-justice liberals in Congress have found bedfellows among budget hawk conservatives. Billions are spent each year incarcerating people guilty of low-level drug offenses, people sometimes deemed felons simply because of the three strike rule. Freeing those most unlikely to offend would save Iowa $757,000 next fiscal year, estimate the legislative analysts. And thats not even counting the boost in income tax harvested people re-entering the workforce.

The moment is right. Lawmakers only must seize upon the opportunity before gaveling some time this week.

Safety is the clarion call of the opposition. They paint pictures of hardened criminals preying on poor communities. Miller said thats bunk. Only those deemed least likely to offend would be freed under the bill, he noted.

We think that some of (the drug offenders) can safely be released. We also think it could save some money, he told The Des Moines Register last week. If its done right, the public will be just as safe as they are today.

Fear-based instinct never results in reasoned policy.

U.S. prisons are terrible at rehabilitation. Recidivism rates have long been north of 50 percent. The stigma surrounding the felony tag almost dooms a former inmates work prospects.

Inmates arent somehow predisposed to criminal activity. Its a matter of social access. Neither jails nor prisons are equipped to grapple with this reality. Theres social benefit to employers to hire an ex-con. A life is saved. And, when done en masse, crime falls.

But access goes beyond a job. This past week, Virginia Gov. Terry McCullough returned voting rights to 200,000 felons in that state. Iowa, on the other hand, is notorious for erecting barriers to felons looking for another shot at citizenship. Its a separate, but fundamentally associated issue that cant be ignored.

Second chances and fair treatment are the pillars of American justice.

Nearly 700 inmates in Iowas prisons deserve just that.
Editors Note: This is part two of a two-part series regarding recent struggles to place two sex offenders in Dodge County under Chapter 980 of the Wisconsin State Statutes.

The potential placement of two sex offenders in Dodge County has created some dilemmas for the court system, as well as the agencies charged with finding a place for the offenders to live.

Under the Chapter 980 statute, when a violent sex offender has completed his or her prison sentence, the state has the ability to civilly commit the individual indefinitely for the purpose of treatment of the offender, as well as to protect the public. However, once an offender is determined to be no longer sexually violent, they are entitled to release.

There are two options for release: discharge and supervised release.

Once a patient is discharged they are are passively monitored by GPS while they remain in Wisconsin and are required to register as a sex offender for the rest of their lives.

Supervised release may be granted when a court determines that a person meets the conditions of such release. Offenders on supervised release are only allowed out of their home for basic living needs, treatment, religion and employment. They are also actively monitored by GPS and receive random visits by escorts and monitors to ensure they comply with a number of restrictions.

According to Jennifer Miller, a communications specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, when supervised release is ordered by a judge, the state works with counties, municipalities and local law enforcement to find housing in the patients county of residence in a manner that puts community safety first, complies with state and local laws regarding placement of sex offenders and upholds the court order.

In most cases, staff with the supervised release program (SRP) identify potential residences through leads from vendors, contacts with landlords who have previously rented to supervised release patients, and other means like Internet searches for properties in the county of residence, she said.

Once a housing option is located, Miller says staff assesses whether or not it meets the legal requirements and determines the proximity to vulnerable populations and other sex offenders.

Local law enforcement and the Department of Corrections also conduct their own, independent assessments of potential residences, she said.

When a viable residence has been identified, staff negotiates a lease with the homeowner or informs its vendors if the property is for sale.

Miller said, Ultimately, the judge handling the case must approve of the selected residence before an individual is placed there.

That is where the process has stalled in Dodge County.

Robert Larson and Jonathan Miller are eligible for full discharge from Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center, but have both requested supervised release. An initial placement near Brownsville was rescinded by Judge Brian Pfitzinger and Judge Joseph Sciascia due to proximity to a home with young children.

More recently, Larson and Miller were expected to be placed in a home in the town of Lowell, but the home was taken off the market.

Many Lowell residents expressed a desire for Larson and Miller to be placed in a larger city in Dodge County with a 24-hour police department. However, finding a placement that meets the laws requirements in Dodge County communities that have a police force would be difficult.

The Daily Citizen mapped possible locations that would meet statutory requirements and found nearly all viable locations are completely rural.

Map: Chapter 980 sex offender denied areas Click below on the map to view 1,500 foot radius areas that represent a majority of sites su

Judge Sciascia, who gave conditional approval for the offenders to be placed in the Lowell residence, warned that while he understood why people did not want the offenders placed in their communities, blocking placement could put the constitutionality of the program in jeopardy.

Sciascia explained that when a Chapter 980 sex offender meets the criteria for release, state law mandates that they must be released.

If the Chapter 980 law was repealed all the people currently being detained as a part of the program would be released without any supervision whatsoever. Sciascia argued that this would further put the safety of the people in Dodge County in jeopardy.

When asked what an ideal placement would look like, Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said, An ideal placement would be a residence that has no children in the immediate vicinity, whether it be at 1,500 feet or just beyond 1,500 feet, that would be accessible to those offenders. I believe there are available options in the county. The ultimate goal has to be to insure the safety of the residents of Dodge County.
A controversial frac sand mining company that recently opened a site in Wisconsin is facing opposition to plans for a sevenfold expansion of its underground mine in Clayton County, Iowa.

Pattison Sand Co. has requested rezoning of 746 acres of land from agricultural to heavy industrial for eventual expansion of its underground mine from its current size of about 100 acres. The site, which includes surface mining on some of its 1,600 acres, lies along the Mississippi River directly across from Bagley, Wisconsin. Many of its roughly 150 employees live in southwestern Wisconsin.

Since Pattison Sands Clayton County site began operations in 2005, it has racked up more workplace violations than any other industrial sand mine in the United States, according to data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) analyzed by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. Among the violations is a 2008 accident in which a front-end loader with a defective rear-view mirror backed over a worker, killing her.

Patrick OShaughnessy, a professor of occupational and environmental health in the University of Iowa engineering college, told members of a county committee studying expansion on April 28 in Elkader, Iowa, that it would be wise to review the mines record and reputation when considering the proposal.

"There are good apples and there are bad apples in every industry, from swine rearing to sand mining, OShaughnessy told the committee before a crowd of more than 60 people. Is this someone who has flagrant violations constantly, or is this someone who's typically got a good sense of safety for their workers, environmental consciousness, and they want to be a good neighbor?"

Nevertheless, OShaughnessy told members of the Mine Reserve Expansion Study Committee that residents living around the proposed expansion face a low risk of inhaling airborne silica particles from the mine. Inhaling silica can cause silicosis, an irreversible and sometimes fatal lung disease that can lead to cancer and tuberculosis.

The mine produces sand for hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which involves injecting water, fine-grained sand and chemicals at high pressure to break apart underground rock and release trapped oil and natural gas.

History of violations

According to the Centers analysis, between April 2005 and January of this year, Pattison Sands site in Clayton County had 934 MSHA violations for which the company paid $279,000 in fines. Wedron Silica Co. in Illinois  the industrial sand mine with the second most violations in that time period  received 501 violations.

According to the data, little has changed since a 2013 Wall Street Journal analysis found thatmining safetyofficialshadcitedPattison Sand more than any other sand or gravel mine in the country. Among the violations identified by the Center, 235 were racked up since January 2013.

In addition, the Center found that 55 Pattison Sand employees have filed workers compensation claims for injuries sustained at the Iowa location between 2005 and January of this year. Claims include fractures, dislocations, sprains, hernias and heat prostration. Two of the claims were filed for respiratory problems.

In an interview, Christopher Hensler, district manager for MSHAs north central district, said the regulatory agencys inspectors have spent a lot of time at Pattison Sands Iowa site, but the sheer number of violations does not necessarily indicate a larger problem.

The bulk of their violations are very simple electrical violations and defects of equipment that affect safety, he said.

One 2008 violation involving defects of equipment, however, resulted in a fatality. In that incident, a front-end loader backed up, striking and killing a worker. MSHAs investigation report found the accident was caused in part by the equipments defective rear-view mirror and the lack of visible reflective material on the employee. Pattison Sand was fined $70,000 for that violation.

A 2014 fire and multiple roof collapses in 2011 also generated violations that resulted in temporary shutdowns. The collapses and an ensuing legal battle shuttered the underground portion of the mine for several months in 2011 and 2012.

Other infractions at Pattison Sands Iowa site include exposing workers to harmful airborne contaminants, failing to have protective equipment and clothing, and neglecting to provide at least two escapeways to the surface in the mine.

Andy Garcia-Rivera, a former industrial hygiene compliance officer for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said although mines do tend to have many violations, the number of infractions Pattison Sands Iowa location has amassed is unusual.

It tells me that there's something wrong, said Garcia-Rivera, who also directed environmental, health and safety compliance for the University Wisconsin-Madison campus. Sometimes employers do take shortcuts.

Official defends company record

Tim Adkins, who joined Pattison Sand 14 months ago as its health and safety director, said after the April 28 meeting that claiming Pattison Sands record is the worst in the industry is a terrible, terrible, misconception and an out-of-context statement to make. He attributed some of the past violations to lack of experience by the Pattison family, who used to store and ship grain from the underground caverns that are now mined.

When they (Pattison Sand) went into the mining industry, they didn't know about the mining industry. They'd never dealt with MSHA. They didn't know MSHA regulations, said Adkins, who has over 40 years of experience as a health and safety professional, including over 35 years in mining.

Adkins added that underground mines such as Pattison Sands generate more violations because they are inspected twice as often as surface mines, four times a year versus two.

Pattison Sand is a good player, good operator, Adkins said. They care about their employees, they take extra steps to go above and beyond MSHA requirements, MSHA standards.

But even when compared to other similar underground mines, Pattisons track record is not stellar. In 2010, 2011 and 2014, the companys Iowa mine had above-average rates among underground metal and nonmetal mines of violations deemed significant and substantial by MSHA. Data prior to 2010 were not available.

Adkins said Pattison Sand works very closely with MSHA to ensure compliance. That was not always the case.

In 2011, Pattison Sand sued the agency after it shut down the majority of the underground mine following multiple roof collapses, including one in which at least 30 tons of rock fell onto an excavator; the miner operating it was unhurt. The lawsuit and appeals kept the underground part of the mine closed for several months.

Besides Pattisons Iowa mine, MSHA lists only two other underground industrial sand mines in the country. Both are located in Pierce County, Wisconsin, and operated by the Wisconsin Industrial Sand Co. Since 2005, one of the mines has received 279 violations  a fraction of the number racked up by Pattison. The other, operating only since 2008, has received 127 violations.

Opponents continue to fight

At the April 28 meeting in Elkader, 37 people submitted comments raising questions about Pattison Sands record of MSHA violations, burning at the companys Iowa site, workers respiratory problems, conflicting results of air quality studies and dust.

Kathy Kachel, who attended the meeting, blames Pattison Sands Iowa mine for the white sand she dusts inside her house. She lives in Bagley and can see the facility from her porch. Kachel would like to see it shut down.

There is a proliferation of silica (sand) at this point for fracking, Kachel said. It's not healthy for anybody  the environment, the wildlife, my grandchildren.

In Wisconsin, Pattison Sand operates a surface mine in Bridgeport, about a 30-minute drive northeast of its Iowa site. Four Bridgeport residents and the Crawford Stewardship Project, an environmental group that promotes sustainability and local control of natural resources, tried unsuccessfully to block that mine. Its status is currently listed as intermittent based on the number of hours worked at the site.

Since it began operating in August 2013, the Bridgeport mine has received seven violations for which the company paid $824 in fines. Those violations include failing to notify MSHA before starting operations, neglecting to prepare a material safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical the mine uses or produces, failing to provide first aid materials, and failing to provide safe means of access to travelways.

Garcia-Rivera said violations at mines that are not yet fully operational, such as Pattison Sands Bridgeport site, are to be expected. MSHA is only required to inspect such intermittent surface mines once a year. The mine expansion committee plans to meet again on Wednesday.
A July 18 trial date has been set for the man accused of killing his wife in the parking lot of the Motor Ridge Inn in Portage in February.

A five-day trial has been scheduled in Columbia County Circuit Court for Kevin Krueger, 51, of Friesland. He has been charged with first-degree homicide and stalking, along with felony drug and weapons charges.

The scheduling follows an arraignment hearing April 21 in which Krueger entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. At the same time defense attorney Leonie Dolch filed a motion requesting a speedy trial.

Krueger is accused of shooting his wife, Tracy Hill Krueger, 41, of Portage, on Feb. 15 outside the Motor Ridge Inn where she was staying while in the process of moving back to Wisconsin from Tennessee to be with her family and to settle their divorce, which was to be addressed in court later that week.

Less than a half-hour after the shooting, Krueger was spotted by a Columbia County Sheriffs deputy and arrested on Klappstein Road off Highway 16 on the western edge of Portage. In the Jeep Krueger was driving, officers found a shotgun, shells, and the prescription painkiller oxycodone.

Krueger had been barred from possession of a firearm after a 1987 conviction for armed robbery in Price County.

After his arrest, Krueger reportedly told officers that he did not remember shooting Tracy Hill Krueger.

The right to a speedy trial guarantees a defendant the option of bringing their case before a jury within 90 days of the request. The right is commonly waived in favor of allowing more time for attorneys to build a defense.

Three days after his arraignment Kruegers court file began showing exchanges of letters and documents between Dolch, defense attorney Ronald Benavides and District Attorney Jane Kohlwey.

On April 25 court documents showed an order by Judge W. Andrew Voigt requesting a psychological analysis, required in correspondence with Kruegers not-guilty plea. The results of the analysis are due at least 10 days prior to the beginning of trial.
Gani Ahmetaj arrived in Portage, not long ago, to see old friends at Dinos Restaurant and purchase equipment. He viewed vacant business property at 2555 New Pinery Road and left town with more than hed expected to find.

He left with big ideas for his future.

Id heard Portage is a town which can be the style I was born and raised: family style, said Ahmetaj, an Albanian native of Kosovo who last week opened Frankies Pizzeria in Portage. This area here, it feels like family.

Portages newest restaurant is named after Ahmetajs 12-year-old son, Frankie, and is managed by his oldest son, Gimi. Ahmetaj moved to Wisconsin from Kosovo 20 years ago, raising four children in Madison with his wife, Halime. He owned Prime Table restaurant on Monona Drive until 2010 before taking over Black Hawk Family Restaurant in Sauk City, where he still lives.

Ahmetaj embraces an opportunity in Portage to introduce fresh, homemade food  something thats not very easily found nowadays, he said.

Everything we cook from scratch  the dough, the sausage, everything fresh. You order pasta, youll get it fresh. Not something frozen, Ahmetaj said of a menu that, in addition to pizza and pasta, features entrees like lasagna, Stromboli and baked ziti, appetizers of cheese curds, onion rings and Greek fries, and sandwiches including chicken Parmesan, meatball and Philly cheese steak. The restaurant, open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, offers daily specials, carryout and soon will offer delivery, Ahmetaj said.

People can have a taste for everything.

Ahmetaj takes freshness seriously. Over the years hes traveled with University of Wisconsin-Madison agriculture professors to study food, he said, including several visits to his home country.

This inspired me, he said, seeing the way the food is made, seeing whats processed, whats organic.

Recent visits to northern Wisconsin showed Ahmetaj how long it took organic businesses to establish themselves, he said, noting that now, for the past five or six years, organic food is in almost every store.

Not everything at Frankies Pizzeria is certified organic  I buy the flour but make the dough, Ahmetaj said  but staying true to homemade quality, while less profitable, is important to them. About five or six years ago there werent many people thinking about (organic), but lately, people are starting to think how the fresh food means a lot for their health.

Maybe I wont do as much business, but I know I feed my customers value. What is value? Good food. To me that means a lot, Ahmetaj said. That means more than profit: I have to make a profit to make a living, but it means more when I know my customer eats fresh.

Early reviews of the food are excellent, he said, summarizing recent guest reviews of Frankies Pizzeria as a place that offers real dough, real sauce and real pasta.

Just like Mama makes, Ahmetaj said of what customers are looking for in a good pizza. Frankies offers both New York- and Chicago-style pizzas  and thats the truth, he added.

Sometimes people say, This is New York, but then its not New York, Ahmetaj said. We have real New York and Chicago styles.

Is the familys recipe a secret?

Its a secret  because, food, you can make it a thousand ways but when you make it from scratch, its an art, Ahmetaj said. The kitchen is art. You grow up in your family like that.

We Albanians, we grew up with that. We couldnt afford and didnt have many restaurants back in our country.

We say pizza is Italian, but pizza, if we go (back) 150 to 200 years, it came from Albanian.

Try it, and if you are not satisfied, let me know. And give us your opinion, too.

Frankies Pizzeria, more than anything, is from our own style of living, Ahmetaj said. In Madison and now in Sauk City he participates in service clubs like Optimist and Lions, and regularly supports organizations like American Legion. That will continue in Portage, he said. While he still lives in Sauk City operating his restaurant there, he plans to stay often, noting his son, Gimi, recently moved to Portage.

Ahmetaj wants to help locally in whatever way he can, especially for the children and the older people.

We want to do what we can for the people because its needed. People need it.

A grand opening for Frankies Pizzeria will be scheduled soon. For more information, visit the restaurants Facebook page by searching Frankies Pizzeria Portage.
Six students who will graduate this week from a middle-college program at Madison Area Technical College-Portage are thinking about their futures in ways they couldnt imagine two years ago.

Its a free head start on college, really, said Raymond Ray III, who enrolled in the schools Manufacturing Essentials program as a junior at Baraboo High School. I love coming here. Its never, like, Oh, I have to go school today.

Now its, Hey, I get to go weld today.

The students, from Reedsburg, Baraboo, Poynette and Lodi high schools, joined the government-funded program last year as juniors in good standing. The classes are dual credit, counting for college and helping them reach high school graduation requirements.

Each student is on track to graduate from high school in May or June. Soon theyll acquire a Manufacturing Essentials certificate, participating in a graduation ceremony from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the MATC-Portage campus and a ceremony next week in Madison.

The idea for the program, middle-college liaison Sue Peterson explained, has been around for a long time: Getting youths into jobs.

This (idea) started way back to help turn the country around after the Great Depression, Peterson said. Ever since then, this kind of situation has been out there for students who are high need, or who some people call underprivileged.

I dont like that word because it labels them, she said. Theyre quality students.

The MATC-Portage middle-college program has evolved a lot in recent years, Peterson said, including significant growth of a machines lab at Portage Business Enterprise Center that has really blossomed into this huge area. The students participated in three semesters of dual-credit classes in the afternoons, Monday through Thursday, bused or taxied, at no cost to them, from their respective high schools for classes at the Portage campus and PBEC.

MATC-Portage recruits students for the program from high schools across the area, including Columbia, Marquette and Sauk counties, but who joins depends on a commitment at the high school level, too. Daily attendance check-ins are required and weekly grade reports need to be sent to parents. Participation rules set by the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin are centered on student income levels and parental situations.

Some students, theyre on their own, Peterson said. I call them bootstrap students  they pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get through life.

For some of them this hands-on program helps them because theyre not fit for the desk-lecture setting.

But the students enrolled, she added, needed to demonstrate theyre invested in education.

We dont take them if theyre not going to take to the rigor of college life.

Move around

Students of MATC-Portages middle-college program will, hopefully, go on to attain technical college degrees, said Peterson, who helps the students register in college programs and research careers. What helps make the program special is that its completely paid for  with students gaining skills they otherwise wouldnt be able to afford.

Funding for middle college, according to the Workforce Development Boards website, comes via the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2014. The program, in this region, is a collaborative initiative of Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, colleges like MATC and other associations.

Ideally, it inspires students.

Its typically for students where the high school setting maybe isnt quite right for them  they cant sit in the seat all day, said instructor Ben Newcomb, who teaches Introduction to MIG (Metal Inert Gas) Welding in the PBEC lab.

This gives them a chance to be in the shop. This class is typically 2 1/2 hours, so they move around a lot more and gain skills.

In Newcombs class, for example, students learn the basic skills used in MIG welding, welding in flat and horizontal positions and, for the past two weeks, learning flux-cored arc welding. Other middle-college classes in Portage, Peterson said, include machining, interpretive blueprint design, computer numerical control and lathe.

Engaging them is key, Newcomb said. At an open house earlier this semester, students met industry professionals from DaHaus, a startup welding company housed at PBEC. Next week theyll take a field trip to Robbins Manufacturing in Fall River  a chance for the students to see how a large manufacturer operates from start to finish.

Theyll see where the material comes in, gets cut on a laser, gets fabricated and gets sent back to welding department  which these guys will really enjoy because its what theyve been doing all semester, Newcomb said. Theyll see parts being made rather than just practicing their skills on 8-inch pieces of material.

Metal head

Logan Krohn is a senior at Reedsburg High School who, at the local graduation ceremony open to the public, will lead a presentation of what hes learned over his three semesters in the program.

Im more of a hands-on person, Krohn said. It sticks with you better than reading from a textbook. Thats how some people are, and thats how most of these kids are.

And its great  we all get together and we just weld. We make something, and we all come up with great ideas.

Krohn already works at Boardman Conveyor in Reedsburg, operating machinery, and hes now set to take the CNC program at MATCs Truax campus, hoping to become a tool and die maker.

It was definitely a great opportunity to have this option, and if anybody wants to go into (manufacturing), its the way to go. You get so many opportunities to do a wide variety of things: welding, operating a lathe and drill press. Its just awesome.

Ray had already taken Advanced Placement welding classes at Baraboo High School, but thanks to middle college, he said, Im just now starting to get really good at it.

I always had interest in tech ed, hands-on stuff, and they said they had programs available for metal, iron working and I was super interested.

Im a 100-percent metal-head. I listen to it, I go to school for it.

Ray, in the fall, plans to begin classes to attain an industrial maintenance technician degree, hoping to someday gain work as a fabricator  something that pays the bills. Hes also looking at jobs running lathes and mills. Ray, to his surprise, learned how so many MATC programs intermingle with others, discovering he was already three-fourths of the way to attaining the IMT degree.

When youre 40 years old and cant do backbreaking labor, welding is good because you can sit down; its smooth movements. But it takes a lot of skill.

The smaller class sizes are important, Ray said, as are patient instructors  something MATC-Portage has.

I know one of my class sizes in high school tech ed was 30 people, and its like, how do you teach these people?

I have to work for a living, Ray said. Ive been through a lot of tough times, Ive paid bills.

If I was convincing someone to sign up, Id say, you get a taste of college life  and its a thousand times different than high school.
W&M professor launches program to promote science among middle schoolers

Promoting STEM: Assistant Professor of Science Education Meredith Kier is kickstarting E-Communities, a program that links engineers with middle school teachers in Prince George's County, Maryland. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption

W&M Assistant Professor Meredith Kier has studied science education for years, but theres one equation shes yet to solve: How do you get kids in underserved communities to apply science and math in ways that are applicable to their lives?

This summer, Kier, along with Howard University math education professor Deena Khalil, will embark on a three-year research program that aims to test that question using a unique formula. Kier and Khalil hypothesize that when you bring together a community of middle school teachers, engineering professionals, and science and mathematics educators to incorporate real-world engineering problems in their classrooms, middle school students will be more engaged in school and develop interests in STEM careers.

Research shows that kids are turned off from science and math by the time they reach high school, particularly females and students of color, she said. So if we can focus on students at the middle school level, we might make more of an impact with sustaining interests in science and math that they may have developed in elementary school.

The project, titled E-Communities, is a longtime dream for Kier, who first envisioned a project that could build authentic partnerships between teachers and professionals as a graduate student. Her idea recently came to fruition thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation.

E-Communities is about bringing a community together with a shared goal of motivating students to use engineering design to create solutions and to consider STEM careers for their futures, she said. Each player in the community is coming in with individual expertise  the teachers know what their students are interested in and capable of as well as their content, the engineers know how to use unique design skills to solve real-world problems, and we, the STEM educators, know how to support teachers to integrate this shared knowledge into their math and science curricula.

The NSF grant will fund a three-year pilot program in Prince Georges County, Maryland, an area just outside of Washington, D.C., with twenty-four math and science teachers in two schools. These schools serve predominately African American students with many students receiving free or reduced lunch. During that period, a group of about 20 engineers  ranging from technicians to Ph.D.s  will meet virtually with teachers to plan unique design challenges for students and, as the school year progresses, share the successes and challenges related to classroom implementation. Students will also have the opportunity to consult with the engineers during periodic Skype sessions and ask questions in an education-friendly online social network.

Its common to bring engineers into the classroom to speak to kids as role models, said Kier. But to have them actually coming together with the teachers beforehand to plan and think around new lessons and curricula is a very unique concept.

She estimates that approximately 2,400 students will participate in the program every year, each of whom will be assessed with post-interviews and affect surveys to gauge the programs influence in increasing STEM awareness and interest. Over time, Kier and Khalil hope that teachers will build their confidence to teach through large, interdisciplinary design-based challenges.

Theres a lot of research tied to this, she said. We really want to understand how teachers understanding of design-thinking improves their ability to plan interdisciplinary, project-based lessons in science and math, how students awareness of STEM careers is influenced through these experiences and whether certain design challenges are more effective than others. Its more than just professional development. Its about understanding how this model influences the community and how we can replicate it with fidelity.

Ultimately, Kier hopes the model is one that can be expanded to different cities, schools, and grade levels. We definitely want to scale up, she said. With the lessons we learn here, we can make adaptions to other unique areas, such as rural communities, where there is less access to STEM professionals. If we can create authentic bridges between teachers and professionals and develop common and achievable goals for students, I think this will be a success.




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Large-scale Chinese reactor design passes IAEA safety review

05 May 2016

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China's CAP1400 reactor design has successfully passed the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) Generic Reactor Safety Review (GRSR), the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute (SNERDI) announced today.

An artist's impression of how a plant based on the CAP1400 could appear (Image: SNPTC)

The GRSR process reviews the completely- or partially-developed safety cases of new reactor designs that are not yet in the licensing stage. It involves an international team of experts evaluating design safety case claims against selected and applicable IAEA safety standards. The review is not a clearance process but a review of the quality of the safety documents identifying strengths, weaknesses and gaps.

SNERDI - a subsidiary of the State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) - signed an agreement with the IAEA last July for a GRSR review of the CAP1400 design.

The company has now announced that the design successfully completed the GRSR review, with the IAEA submitting its final GRSR evaluation report on 27 April.

The CAP1400 is an enlarged version of the AP1000 pressurized water reactor developed from the Westinghouse original by SNPTC with consulting input from the Toshiba-owned company. As one of China's 16 strategic projects under its National Science and Technology Development Plan, the CAP1400 is intended to be deployed in large numbers across the country. The reactor design may also be exported.

In a statement, SNERDI said: "The successful completion of the IAEA Generic Reactor Safety Review marks further recognition of the CAP1400 by the international authority, laying a solid foundation for the CAP1400 to participate in international competition at a higher level."

International use of the CAP1400 is still dependent on meeting country-specific standards and requirements, but passing the IAEA safety review will make this process easier.

In September 2014, the Chinese nuclear regulator approved the preliminary safety analysis report of the CAP1400 reactor design following a 17-month review. The National Nuclear Safety Administration's safety review involved more than 260 experts, 30 meetings to discuss it and responding to more than 5000 questions, according to SNPTC. As a result of the review, more than 1000 work orders were drawn up.

Site preparation is already underway for two demonstration CAP1400 units at Huaneng Group's Shidaowan site in Shandong province. The pouring of first concrete is expected to take place soon.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Pills (illustration)

By: Wayne Morin

A drug smuggler of the United Kingdom, took his chances and went to an airport to claim his lost suitcase full of ecstasy pills.

38-year-old Ian Francis Smith flew from Amsterdam to Spain, but his suitcase containing 35,000 ecstasy pills did not make it on the flight.

Rather than letting the suitcase go and accepting that he might not be able to sell the pills, he foolishly returned to the airport a week later to claim his luggage.

Airport staff found his suitcase and ordered him to open it.

Police were called after the workers saw bags full of ecstasy pills. Police searched his rental car, where they found thousands of dollars earned by selling drugs.

Smith was arrested and charged with drug smuggling. In court, Smith pleaded guilty to the charge. Smith has been sentenced to serve six years in prison and was ordered to pay a fine of $632,000.
Taxi cabs (illustration)

By: Feng Qian

A taxi driver was arrested on a charge of assault after kicking his colleague in the groin for handing over the cab a few minutes late, police in the United Arab Emirates said.

Dubai police have arrested the 25-year-old man, who was not identified, after being accused of beating the 53-year-old taxi driver for bringing his cab 10 minutes late.

The suspect was charged with one count of assault.

In court, the suspect was sentenced to serve three months in prison, but it was suspended after the victim forgave the attacker.

According to the police investigation, the suspect was waiting to start his shift on time, but he had to wait 10 minutes as the victim returned late.

When the victim finally arrived to hand over the cab, the suspect began to shout and hurl insults. He then punched the victim in the face.

When the victim tried to block the blows to his face, the suspect kicked him repeatedly in the groin. Passersby called an ambulance and the police.

The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released. Doctors said that the victim will suffer pain in the groin for the rest of his life.
Appointed with the backing of the Australian Workers Union (AWU), KordaMentha, the administrator for steel-maker and iron ore miner Arrium, is preparing a restructure that will involve mass sackings and attacks on working conditions, both domestically and overseas.

Arrium, one of the two remaining steel manufacturers in Australia, was placed in voluntary administration on April 7, owing more than $A2.8 billion to banks and other creditors, $1 billion to suppliers and $500 million to its employees.

The companys collapse is part of a worldwide crisis in the steel and iron ore industries, in which hundreds of thousands of workers jobs are being destroyedhalf a million of them in China alone. But the AWU is working hand-in-glove with major banks and the administrators to cut costs, and demand national protectionist measures, effectively pitting Arrium workers against their fellow steelworkers globally.

Arrium, a discarded spin-off from mining giant BHP Billiton, employs 7,000 workers across Australia, including almost 2,000 in the South Australian regional city of Whyalla, along with 1,300 workers in 14 other countries, who all face a major assault on their jobs and working conditions. There are 94 Arrium entities now in administration.

On April 12, KordaMentha replaced Grant Thornton, which was initially appointed as administrators by Arriums board. The move was initiated by the AWU, acting in concert with Arriums banking syndicate creditors, featuring Australias big four banksANZ, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and NAB. In fact, the AWU obtained a Federal Court order that it would exclusively represent the Arrium workers as creditors.

Steelworkers in China and worldwide are bearing the brunt of the steel industry implosion. In Britain, Tata Steel is hiving off its entire operation, threatening 15,000 jobs and another 25,000 jobs in the supply chain. Vulture funds are demanding the decimation of wages, working conditions and pension rights.

While assisting KordaMentha to match the global assault on workers wages and conditions, the AWU is attempting to divert workers anger in a reactionary nationalist direction. Accompanied by denunciations of China, the AWU and the Labor Party are calling for tariffs on imported steel and the introduction of laws compelling federal, state and local governments to use Australian steel.

If we are going to build Australian infrastructure with Australian steel we need to set hard targets for procurement, AWU national secretary Scott McDine declared in a media statement. Strengthening anti-dumping measures is also vital to ensuring that below-cost steel from China and elsewhere does not punch a hole in Australian employment.

Soon after its appointment, KordaMentha made clear that there would be substantial cost-cutting. We need to limit the cash burn now that administrators are running the business, Mark Mentha told the media, adding: It has to happen quickly, because time is of the essence. We have to prove up the business model to make it attractive for recapitalisation.

Mentha indicated that most of the cost-cutting would occur at Arriums Whyalla steel plant, declaring that a lower-cost steelworks [is] central to the success of any future plans.

A warning of what is to come was indicated by Arriums demands in March. As part of a bid to impose $60 million in savings this year, the company insisted that Whyalla steelworkers accept the elimination of another 250 jobs and that 400 workers at its nearby iron ore mine take a 10 percent pay cut. This was in addition to $100 million worth of cuts inflicted last October.

The major creditors are reported to be planning the sale of Arriums profitable sections, including mining consumables business Moly-Cop, the worlds largest supplier of grinding balls and rods. Moly-Cop, which has operations in Australia, North America and South America, generated half of the companys earnings last year and is worth around $1.5 billion.

The AWU, using its court-ordered position as the so-called representative of worker creditors, secured a position for AWU national secretary Scott McDine on the Committee of Creditors. The AWU said it looked forward to working constructively with the new administrator and engaging in a business-as-usual approach to Arriums operations.

McDine told the media that the first committee meeting was positive. He said: It is encouraging to see everyone involved pulling in the same direction  It is now important that all stakeholdersunion employees/non-union employees, representatives, suppliers, contractors, note holders, financiers, customers, and governmentwork cohesively during this testing period.

McDine pledged that the AWU would provide as much assistance as we possibly can to the administrator to get Arrium back on its feet and thriving as a major steel player.

What the AWU means by working constructively was shown by its role in imposing $200 million in cuts last year at BlueScopes steel plant at Port Kembla in New South Wales. The AWU threatened BlueScope workers, saying that unless they accepted the axing of 500 jobs, a three-year wage freeze, increased casualisation and ongoing destruction of working conditions, the plant would close.

The AWUs push for the appointment of KordaMentha as Arrium administrator mirrored a similar move by the unions to install KordaMentha as administrator in the 2001 collapse of Ansett, which was then Australias second largest airline.

The unions were eventually defined as a creditor representative. This was a recognition by the liquidators that the unions were indispensable in eliminating over 15,000 jobsthe greatest single job loss in Australian historyand carving-up the airlines assets.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) heralded the development as a break-through because the new creditor representatives status brought the unions to the very centre of the administration process.

While the unions created a new niche for themselves in the corporate world, Ansett workers endured severe financial hardship, waiting years for the part settlement of their entitlements. The result was a spate of family breakdowns, the loss of family assets, increased levels of ill health and tragically, a number of suicides. Final payments were made in September 2011, almost ten years after the airlines collapse.

In the Arrium collapse, the AWU has taken advice from former senior Labor government minister Greg Combet, who was the secretary of the ACTU when Ansett went bust and the union representative in the administration process. His role in suppressing workers opposition to the liquidation of Ansett was taken to a higher level when, as industry minister in the Gillard Labor government, he helped enforce major cuts to jobs and conditions in steel and other basic industries.

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Economic nationalism and the global steel crisis

[14 April 2016]
Around 1,252,000 people, including 312,000 children, were living in destitution at some point during 2015.

A report released last week by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has shown that, in a typical week, there were an estimated 668,000 destitute households in the UK. According to the charity, this figure is likely an underestimation, as it is based on the number of households in contact with voluntary sector crisis services. The actual number of destitute people could be significantly higher, as those who do not make use of charitable services fall under the radar.

A person is considered destitute if he or she cannot afford the basic essentials of shelter, food, lighting and heating for the home, weather-appropriate clothing and footwear, and basic toiletries such as soap and toothpaste. Almost half of all destitute households reported a lack of four or more of these essentials in the preceding month, most commonly food and suitable clothes.

According to researchers, those experiencing destitution were generally reliant on a weekly income so low (140 for a couple with children or 70 for a single adult, after housing costs) that they were unable to afford all of these essentials. Although shelter was often prioritised above other essentials, including food, a quarter of destitute individuals reported having slept rough on at least one night over the preceding month.

Destitution was rarely a one-off or temporary experience, but generally occurred within the context of severe poverty and hardship over a considerable period. Three-quarters of people who responded to the charitys survey were still destitute three or four months later.

Young, single men were the group most at risk of becoming destitute. Although 79 percent of destitute people were born in the UK, migrants were disproportionately affectedin particular, those from the European Union, the Middle East and Africa. They are particularly at risk of destitution due to the increasingly stringent and chauvinistic controls on welfare benefit entitlement for migrant workers, which limit access to welfare payments such as Child Benefit, Housing Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance. This means that there is little in the way of a safety net for migrant workers who lose their job or are unable to find work.

Other key factors cited as pushing migrant and British workers alike from poverty into destitution include debt repayments (usually to public authorities), benefit delays and sanctions, high living costs and poorly paid jobs. Thirty percent of destitute people reported benefit sanctions as contributing to their struggle to make ends meet, with 50 percent having experienced some sort of problem with their claims.

The likelihood of having experienced benefit problems increases among destitute people with complex needs such as mental health conditions or drug and alcohol dependency, with 57 percent citing benefit problems as a major factor leading to their economic insecurity and material deprivation. Poor mental health was reported by the majority of those interviewed by the charity, with many interviewees making a direct link between their mental ill-health and the experience of going without essentials.

As well as suffering from mental health problems, many people living in destitution face social isolation and feel demeaned, degraded or humiliated because of being forced to seek help from friends, family or charitable organisations to acquire the basic necessities. Many destitute parents often went without essentials themselves in order to provide more for their children.

The geographic distribution of destitution in the UK very closely matches that of poverty in general. The worst-hit areas are mainly former industrial regions, largely in the north of England, Scotland and Wales, where successive Labour and Conservative governments have brutally dismantled manufacturing jobs for decades.

High rates of destitution are also reported in many London boroughs and some seaside towns, with much lower rates found in the more-affluent suburban and rural districts in southern England. Labour-dominated local councils in the London Borough of Newham, Glasgow and Nottingham are three of the worst-hit areas, as Labour councillors across the UK have imposed every austerity measure demanded by the Tory government.

Although the report could not demonstrate with certainty that destitution has increased recently, because of the difficulty of obtaining accurate data from previous years, this was a very plausible conclusion due to evidence documenting the sharp rise in severe poverty, food bank use, homelessness and benefit sanction rates.

Julia Unwin, chief executive of the JRF, condemned government austerity measures, stating, It is simply unacceptable to see such levels of severe poverty in our country in the 21st century. Governments of all stripes have failed to protect people at the bottom of the income scale from the effects of severe poverty, leaving many unable to feed, clothe or house themselves and their families.

In response to the report, a government spokesperson issued a statement filled with contemptuous falsehoods. He declared, The truth is that relative poverty is at the lowest level since the 1980s. ... This report ignores a number of measures weve brought in to improve life chances, including the national living wage, the extension of free childcare to 30 hours and increases to the personal allowance.

The living wage has in reality brought no noticeable relief for the majority of working families, as it is insufficient to guarantee a basic standard of living or to compensate for the 12 billion of welfare cuts announced alongside it.
With American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten taking the lead, the Detroit teachers union instructed its membership at a mass meeting Tuesday afternoon to end their two-day sickout and return work. The powerful work action in protest against a threat to withhold paychecks over the summer months had effectively shut the Detroit Public Schools (DPS) system.

The teachers reluctantly acquiesced to the unions demand, but there was widespread skepticism over assurances from DPS Emergency Manager Steven Rhodes that their paychecks would be forthcoming, and deep concern about the implications for their jobs, wages, benefits and working conditions of a union-backed scheme under debate in the state legislature to reorganize the school district.

At the meeting, union officials claimed victory, producing a letter from Rhodes reversing his previous statement that he could not guarantee payments to teachers after June 30. The former federal judge presided over the 2013-2014 bankruptcy of Detroit, overseeing the slashing of city workers pensions and health benefits and the privatization of city assets.

Speaking to the teachers at Tuesdays membership meeting, amid calls from the floor for strike action and denunciations of the unions inaction, Weingarten praised Rhodes, calling him transparent. She told the teachers, He has been candid in the process. He is very frustrated. I think he is trying to do what he can.

Theyre just placating us, preschool teacher Julie Hamburg told the Detroit News after the meeting. Our demands have been completely dismissed. On social media, one teacher asked, Why did we have to go through this BS? Another teacher replied, We were used. A third wrote, Completely! They had their agenda and we were part of it!

The AFT and the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) are supporting a DPS debt-repayment plan pushed by Rhodes, Republican Governor Rick Snyder, Republicans in the state Senate and Democratic state legislators. The plan has thus far been blocked by Republicans in the state House, who want to impose even more draconian provisions against teachers. These include a requirement that teachers reapply for their jobs in a newly organized school district, the decertification of teachers who take part in work actions, the abrogation of the contract with the DFT, and limitations on the unions ability to bargain with school authorities.

Both rescue plans include the establishment of a financial review panel with dictatorial powers over the districts finances.

Since teachers earlier this year carried out a series of sickouts independently of the union to protest filthy and unsafe conditions in the schools, the AFT and the Detroit local have done everything in their power to line up school employees behind Snyders plan in the hopes of maintaining their franchise and dues income under the new setup. By putting a stop to teacher sickouts, the union is seeking to demonstrate to the ruling class its utility in policing the working class.

The Snyder-Rhodes plan, supported by the AFT, is designed first and foremost to guarantee the investments of state bondholders. Moodys has repeatedly downgraded the districts debt, while Standard & Poors put $469 million of district notes from 2011, 2012 and 2015 on credit watch as of March.

Wall Street is making it clear that the DPS debt amassed under a series of state-appointed emergency managers must be repaid through the gutting of public education.

On Tuesday, the Michigan House Appropriations Committee passed a plan that removes $200 million in transition funding provided by the Senate bill, all but guaranteeing the new school district will be bankrupt from the start.

The House bill also allows non-certified teachers and waives requirements for student teaching for some educators, laying the basis for replacing current teachers with lower-paid new hires. The bill delays local school board governance until 2018, replacing it with a seven-member board whose majority is appointed by the governor. It also seeks to escalate privatization by eliminating a proposed Detroit Education Commission that could slow down the replacement of public schools with charters.

Finally, the House attached an appropriation measure to the bill, so that, under Michigan law, it cannot be repealed by voters. This hugely undemocratic subterfuge was employed to enact the emergency manager law PA 436 after the previous emergency manager law had been overwhelmingly defeated in a statewide referendum.
The entire population of Fort McMurray, Alberta, was ordered to evacuate Tuesday afternoon after a wildfire that had been burning nearby since Sunday quickly spread and engulfed residential communities. The province declared a state of emergency late yesterday afternoon as authorities struggled to cope with the fire and tens of thousands of evacuees.

The city, which is the principal service center for Albertas oil tar sands, has a population of some 85,000. Reports Wednesday indicated that an estimated 70,000 people had left for the south following the evacuation order, while 10,000 went north. 35,000 were expected to arrive in Edmonton, 430 kilometres (267 miles) to the south.

Scenes of chaos prevailed during the evacuation. Motorists fleeing both north and south were stranded for hours on blocked highways. Large numbers of people were seen at the roadside waiting to be rescued after running out of gas. All of the nearby accommodation facilities for tar sands workers had been filled with evacuees, as well as several newly-established emergency camps.

The evacuation was announced with little warning and at short notice, even though the fire had been burning in close proximity to the city for two days. The wind rapidly picked up speed early Tuesday afternoon, propelling the flames into residential areas previously thought safe. One local resident told the WSWS the scenes were apocalyptic.

Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs Danielle Larivee announced the state of emergency at a press conference late yesterday. Provincial authorities requested aid from the federal government, and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced that the military will be deployed to the area.

Currently, only 200 firefighters, 12 helicopters and 17 air tankers are combating the inferno, which the local fire chief described as nasty and ugly. The military has confirmed it will also send four CH-146 helicopters to the region. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynn said her province will send 100 firefighters and 19 support staff.

The fire remained out of control throughout yesterday. At lunchtime, officials confirmed it had surpassed 10,000 hectares and that all attempts to contain it had failed. Later in the day, it threatened to engulf Fort McMurrays airport. Officials acknowledged that the priority was making sure everyone was safe, and defending critical infrastructure, effectively accepting that further damage to residential properties is inevitable. The emergency services centre in the city was forced to evacuate to the community of Anzac, south of Fort McMurray, as the fire spread.

Reports suggest that at least 1,600 residential homes have already been destroyed in the blaze, meaning anywhere between 6,000 and 8,000 people are left homeless. Conditions for fighting the fire got even worse yesterday as winds picked up in the evening, so more damage will likely become apparent this morning. Already the damage far surpasses that of the worst wildfire catastrophe in recent times: the Slave Lake fire of May 2011, which razed a third of that northern Alberta town to the ground.

In some Fort McMurray neighbourhoods, like Beacon Hill, 80 percent of properties are reported destroyed. The fire even reached the downtown core, engulfing houses there.

Evacuees were largely left to rely on the generosity of members of the local community and the Red Cross, which intervened to provide emergency services.

Scott Long of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency admitted there was a real risk that the majority of Fort McMurray, which has seen its population more than double over the past quarter-century, would be destroyed. Obviously were working towards preventing that, said Long. But it is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town, yes.

A number of tar sands companies have cut or entirely shut down production at plants located near Fort McMurray. Shell has shut down its Albion Sands site, while Suncor Energy has cut staffing levels.

The Fort McMurray blaze is only the largest fire in a growing number burning across western Canada. Dry weather conditions over the winter and an unusually warm spring, linked to the strong El Nino weather effect, forced Alberta to declare the start of its fire season on March 1, a month earlier than usual. Eleven forest fires are currently burning in the province.

Yesterday, 300 residents of Lac Ste. Anne County, including from the Alexis First Nation, were evacuated as a wildfire threatened their homes.

In neighbouring British Columbia, authorities had to turn down a request for help from Alberta because their own resources are seriously stretched by numerous fires raging in the Peace River region in the provinces northeast. Since April 1, almost 200 fires have burned across 230 square kilometres of BC.

Two weeks ago, the Peace River Regional District declared a state of emergency, resulting in evacuation orders for the Baldonnel community, the Blueberry First Nation and parts of Fort St. John. At the time, 48 fires were burning in the area.

Predictions are that the fire season this year will be much worse than previous years, even the record year of 2015 when over 10,000 people were evacuated from communities in northern Saskatchewan and Alberta. Mike Flannigan of the University of Alberta said that the number of fires which have broken out in 2016 is double the number at the same time this year.

Under these conditions, Albertas provincial New Democratic Party (NDP) government took the outrageous decision last month to slash this years wildfire management budget by $15 million. This comes on top of moves by the previous Progressive Conservative government in March 2015 to cut funding for the Firesmart program, which clears debris and trees in proximity to residential areas to prevent the spread of fires.

The NDPs cuts included reducing contracts for air tankers capable of spreading fire retardant and water from 123 days to just 93 days per year. This move means that as of August 16, Albertas contracts with the private firms responsible for operating the tankers will expire. But the fire season runs until October.

While the NDP government insists it will hire the tankers as and when required, this plan was called into question by the head of Air Spray, one of the private providers. If we get a longer-term contract somewhere else from Aug. 16, then were going to go, said Paul Lane.

The woeful lack of preparedness at all levels of government for catastrophes like the one confronting Fort McMurray is even less forgivable given the widespread evidence of increased risk of wildfires due to climate change. Last year, Canada had to call on assistance from fire crews as far away as Australia to cover firefighting needs.

The damage wrought by the fire is occurring in a community that has already been hit hard by the economic crisis and the collapse in oil prices. Unemployment in the Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo region increased 40 percent between January 2015 and January 2016, a figure which is likely an underestimation since many workers in the energy sector travel to the region temporarily for employment. Last month, the unemployment rate reached close to 10 percent.

A teacher from a Fort McMurray school spoke to the WSWS about the evacuation. He was given 15 minutes to pack personal belongings and leave the city, along with his girlfriend, her parents, and two dogs. He added that fire services had kept him and his pupils confined to their school for a large part of the day prior to the evacuation announcement.

After leaving the city, he came to a stretch of highway that had been jumped by the fire. Police officers permitted ten vehicles at a time to make a run for it and drive at high speed across the smoking stretch of roadway. As his truck passed through, a gas pipe under the road exploded next to his vehicle.
President Barack Obamas remarks Wednesday in Flint, Michigan before an audience of about 1,000 people at Northwestern High School displayed the arrogance and contempt of his administration and the corporate elite toward working people suffering from the devastating effects of lead in their drinking water.

Flanked by a host of state and federal officials who oversaw the disaster in Flint, including Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Democratic Congressmen and Senators, the president offered a series of false promises and platitudes. He blandly noted certain symptoms of the social crisis in Americacrumbling roads and bridges, aging water pipelines, failing public schoolswithout acknowledging the role of his administration in presiding over this disaster.

In his trademark folksy and patronizing manner, Obama urged the people of Flint to resume drinking the citys water, despite test results showing the persistence of dangerous amounts of lead. At the same time, he dismissed the serious short and long-term effects of the poisoning of Flint children by lead-tainted water. The kids will be just fine, he said.

To back up this assertion, Obama cited the spurious example of children accidentally chewing on lead flakes from paint. He noted that perhaps he had ingested lead as a child.

Obama also urged Flint residents to begin drinking the water again, which in many areas is brown and still contains high levels of lead. At one point in his remarks he asked for and drank a glass of filtered water, while proclaiming, This is not a stunt.

LeeAnne Walters, an activist whose actions played a pivotal role in exposing the lead poisoning of Flints water, told the World Socialist Web Site, that she and her husband walked out of the event. Obamas speech was a complete atrocity. To sit there and tell a city of 100,000 that lead poisoning from drinking water compares to Obama eating paint chips as a kid is incredible. To compare drinking lead poisoned water to paint chips is like comparing apples to toxic waste. We were devastated. We were told our kids dont matternot just my kids, but all the children here. Were talking about the long-term effects.

He told us to drink the water. That means the programs for filters and bottled water will stop.

Obamas visit to Flint coincides with an explosive development of the class struggle in Michigan. It came in the wake of two days of angry protests by teachers in nearby Detroit, Michigan over intolerable conditions in the classrooms and attempts by authorities to rob them of pay. It also coincided with the start of mass water shutoffs in Detroit for households with delinquent bills.

Hundreds of people lined up along the route of Obamas motorcade in Flint, some holding up signs calling for federal help for the city. Many expressed frustration and anger that work on repairing Flints water system has barely begun.

Estimates of the cost of repairing Flints antiquated piping run as high as $1.5 billion. Democrats in Congress have advanced penny-pinching proposals amounting to only a few hundred million at most. Obama himself in his remarks made only vague promises of fixing Flints pipes, specifying no concrete dollar figure. Instead he touted the work of non-profits, charities and philanthropists in providing assistance to Flint residents. He even cited approvingly the $2,500 raised by a group of prisoners in Indiana.

A central aim of Obamas remarks was to perpetuate the cover-up of the criminal responsibility of government officials at all levels for the disaster. He made a point at the beginning of the speech of noting the presence of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and chastising those who responded by booing. Were doing business here, Obama said.

Obama blamed the crisis on poor decisions, claiming that no one consciously wanted to hurt the people of Flint. Instead, officials simply werent attentive to potential problems when acting under budgetary pressures. This is not to sort out every screw-up that resulted in contaminated water.

In fact, officials did not merely make poor decisions, they actively conspired to ensure that the water source was switched to the Flint River despite ample warnings of the consequences. Documents show that state environmental officials altered reports in order to minimize the dangers of lead in Flints drinking water. When residents began to complain of the contaminated water, local, state and federal officials worked to discredit these complaints and cover-up their responsibility.

Obama wants to avoid an analysis of the screw-ups because his administration is itself culpable. The federal Environmental Protection Agency moved to isolate and silence Miguel Del Toral, an EPA officials who warned of elevated lead levels and said that the city was not using corrosion control. The agency regularly allows cities throughout the country to violate the governments own standards.

Both Democratic and Republican officials were involved in the decision to shift Flints water supply to the polluted Flint River. This included former Democratic State Treasurer Andy Dillon who signed off on the decision to shift the Flint water supply.

The crisis in Flint is part of a generalized crisis produced by decades of deindustrialization, budget cuts, the elimination of regulations on corporations and growing social inequality. Basic social services are being starved for funds while the Obama administration lavishes countless billions on the Pentagon war machine and handouts to Americas wealthy elite.

Obamas remarks on Wednesday were a declaration to the people of Flint and throughout the country that nothing will change, no serious assistance will be provided and that workers should simply stop complaining and be quiet.
Tuesday, after two months of protests in France by millions of youth and workers against the labour reform of Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri, the Socialist Party (PS) launched a debate on the law in the National Assembly. The PS and business circles hope to impose the law virtually unchanged, with contempt for popular opposition.

This was also the occasion for the union bureaucracies to mobilise a small protest in wealthy areas of Paris near the Assembly. They sought to promote discredited illusions that by pressuring the PS and the deputies in the Assembly, it would be possible to block the adoption of the law, or at least to force the retraction of its most reactionary provisions.

The Stalinist General Confederation of Labour (CGT), which since the PSs arrival in power in 2012 has worked to block opposition to austerity in sections of the working class where it is still present, has pursued the demagogic turn carried out by its leader, Philippe Martinez, in response to the protests.

We will go all the way!, Martinez shouted. He insisted that militancy is the same as on the first day, and that we must retract this bad law, in order to negotiate so there will be real social dialogue in the enterprises and not the law of the jungle.

His colleague, Workers Force (FO) union leader Jean-Claude Mailly, indicated that FO is still calling for retraction of the law, but that in fact his confederation might defend it. He added that if they change everything, we will see.

In fact, the decision of the PS to present the labour law to the Assembly, an action it has repeatedly postponed during the demonstrations, marks a setback for the movement. The PS has no intention to modify the El Khomri law in the interests of the workers. It is seeking, instead, to impose a law rejected by 70 percent of the population without immediately provoking a social explosion, and while trying as much as possible to escape political blame.

The PS and the business community are calculating that the work of political sabotage carried out by the PSs trade union and political allies have created the conditions to do so. For months, the unions have blocked a wider mobilisation of workers against Frances most unpopular president since World War II, allowing police to beat youth protesters. They also claimed that constituent processes discussed during occupations of public squares by the #UpAllNight movement would modify the course of social life in France without an eruption of the class struggle.

There is enormous social opposition to the law, a fact that PS pollsters are well aware of. Nonetheless, they hope that illusions promoted by the unions and the PSs pseudo-left allies, like Workers Struggle (LO) and the New Anticapitalist Party (NPA), together with the brutality of the repression will have politically stunned the masses and created conditions for them to pass the law, presenting the workers with a fait accompli.

This refutes all those forces, like the NPA or Jean-Luc Melenchon of the Left Front, that called for a Hollande vote in 2012, sowing illusions that it would be easier to pressure a PS government to obtain social gains. In fact, Hollande attacked the workers even more ferociously than his right-wing predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy. When finally social anger began to overflow this year, and the student and trade unions felt compelled to organise protests, Hollande reacted by sending in the riot police.

The essential precondition for a defence of social rights is a political and strategic reorientation of the working class internationally. Improvements in social conditions, or simply the defence of existing social rights, are impossible without revolutionary struggle on a socialist and internationalist programme, mobilising the vast opposition among the workers to the major European powers program of austerity and war.

No confidence can be given to those organisations claiming that workers and youth can defend themselves by following the lead of the union bureaucracies, with manoeuvres supporting various factions of the PS in the National Assembly.

As El Khomri made clear yesterday in her remarks presenting the law to the Assembly, these forces can even hope to benefit financially and politically from the passing of the law. Besides lengthening working hours and making youth employment more precarious, the laws main provision is to give the unions extraordinary powers to negotiate firm-level contracts violating Frances Labour Code. This would open the path to the undermining of working conditions across the country.

El Khomri boasted that her reform continues and amplifies the philosophy of social dialogue, since our social democracy is bogging down in a culture of confrontation. She added that her law gives the unions a role they never had in our Republic, and gives enterprises new room for manoeuvre. ... We like the unions and we like businesses, because the country needs them.

Speaking to Le Parisien, El Khomri also stressed that the PS would not withdraw the law and, by mid-May, would force a votepossibly, as with last years deregulation law, imposing it without a vote using the provisions of the constitutions article 49-3, which forces opponents of the law to prepare a vote of censure against the government. She said, The Parliaments time has come, and it will allow us to enrich the law. Should we surrender to the street and withdraw it? No.

Faced with anger among the workers, the PS and its allies will no doubt attempt to sow as many illusions as possible as to how the deputies will consider enriching the law. This is only a trap, however, as PS deputies are indicating that they intend to modify the text primarily in an effort to limit protests that it might cause, and thus to try to stifle opposition of workers to austerity.

In a long interview with Le Parisien, the designated negotiator who will oversee modifications to the El Khomri law, PS deputy Christophe Sirugue, firmly defends the law, only criticising those provisions he considers most likely to provoke strikes and social protests in workplaces.

Sirugue attacked those who warned workers that the El Khomri would facilitate mass sackings, stating, Having allowed people to say from the beginning that the law would facilitate sackings, that was the error, the original sin.

He criticised, however, provisions in the law allowing for referendums in workplaces on contracts voted by the trade unions, fearing the risk of permanent conflict inside companies. He also warned of an uncontrolled spread of uncoordinated firm-level contracts, fearing that unions in each firm within an industry would compete among each other to drive down workers wages and thus be the most competitive.

This process of social dumping, as Sirugue called it, would intensify social conflict, particularly between workers on one side and business groups and the union bureaucracies on the other.
Washington used this weeks change of command of its European military forces as an opportunity to further escalate US military threats against Russia.

Speaking at the ceremony at the US European Command (EUCOM) headquarters in Germany Tuesday in which outgoing commander Gen. Philip Breedlove handed the reins to his successor, Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter declared that the Pentagon had to prioritize deterrence against Russia and accused Moscow of nuclear saber-rattling.

Carter reiterated the Pentagons plans to deploy an American armored brigade combat team near the Russian border on a rotational but persistently present basis. He also pointed to the Obama administrations quadrupling of funding for the European Reassurance Initiative to $3.4 billion, which he said would increase the amount of war fighting equipment, as well as the number of US forces deployed in Eastern Europe.

In his own remarks at the ceremony, General Scaparrotti placed a resurgent Russia, striving to project itself as a world power, at the top of his list of threats confronting US interests in Europe, ahead of terrorism.

The new commander stressed that his troopssome 60,000 deployed in Europemust be prepared to fight tonight if the deterrence fails.

The day before the change of command ceremony, Carter confirmed to reporters flying with him from Washington to Stuttgart, Germany, where EUCOM is headquartered, that the NATO alliance is considering rotating its own force consisting of four combat brigades in and out of the Baltic and Eastern European countries on Russias border. This would be in addition to Washingtons unilateral decision to carry out the permanent rotating presence of a similar force of US troops.

The pre-positioning of combat gear near the Russian border would enable the rapid deployment of still another US armored brigade combat team.

Russia Wednesday responded to the escalating threats from Washington and NATO, with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announcing, The Defense Ministry is taking a series of measures to counter the expansion of NATO forces in direct proximity to the Russian border. By the end of the year, two new divisions will be formed in the Western District and one in the Southern Military District. 

Each of these divisions reportedly will include at least 10,000 soldiers. The Southern Military District includes Crimea, which was annexed by Russia following a popular referendum called after the 2014 Western-orchestrated coup that ousted the Ukrainian government of President Viktor Yanukovych, installing a virulently anti-Russian regime.

The US and NATO have used the annexation, a defensive measure by Moscow to maintain control over the historic base of Russias Black Sea fleet, as the pretext for justifying NATO expansion in the name of combating Russian aggression.

In his remarks Tuesday, Defense Secretary Carter leveled a litany of charges against Russia: Russia continues to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, and actively seeks to intimidate its Baltic neighbors. At sea, in the air and space and cyberspace, Russian actors have engaged in challenging international norms. And most disturbing, Moscows nuclear saber-rattling raises troubling questions about Russias leaders commitments to strategic stability, their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons, and whether they respect the profound caution that nuclear-age leaders showed with regard to the brandishing of nuclear weapons.

Washingtons own commitments to strategic stability are far from manifest. In February, after unusual back-to-back test firings of Minuteman 3 nuclear missiles from an underground bunker on the California coast, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work told the media that the tests constituted a signal  that we are prepared to use nuclear weapons in defense of our country if necessary. He specifically named Russia and China as intended recipients of this message.

At a Pentagon briefing on Monday, the senior commander of the US Navy charged Russia with provocative actions that have escalated tensions in the Baltics.

I dont think the Russians are trying to provoke an incident, said Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations. I think theyre trying to send a signal. I think its pretty clear that they are wanting to let us know that they see that we are up there in the Baltic.

The Pentagon charged that a Russian SU-27 fighter jet carried out a barrel roll last Friday over a US Air Force RC-135 spy plane over the Baltic Sea. The charge followed reports last month of a Russian jet flying within 50 feet of a US warplane and of two Russian jets flying close to the USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea.

Moscow has charged that the real provocation is the US deploying such naval and air force assets in close proximity to the base of the Russian navys Baltic fleet in Kaliningrad.

Following the April incident involving the US warship, US Secretary of State John Kerry said it would have been justified in shooting down the Russian planes.

Similarly, the new EUCOM commander, General Scaparrotti, told a Senate committee last month that Russia should be warned that future such incidents will be met with armed force and, if they occur, the US military should act on this threat.

The European Leadership Network, a European think tank chaired by UK Defense Secretary Des Browne, issued a recent report titled Managing dangerous incidents: the need for a NATO-Russia Memorandum of Understanding, which documented 60 such dangerous incidents in the Euro-Atlantic area between March 2015 and March 2016. Each of them, it warned, had the potential to trigger a major crisis between a nuclear armed state and a nuclear armed alliance.
The majority of workers in two unions representing conductors and locomotive engineers employed by New Jersey Transit, a statewide public transportation agency, have rejected settlements negotiated by their union leaders.

The majority of the conductors, represented by United Transportation Union C&T division local 60, voted on Saturday to reject the offer, as did a majority of the members of The New Jersey Transit Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen on Friday.

A spokesperson for NJ Transit, Nancy Snyder, said that while a slim majority voted down the deal in the two unions, the majority of workers in the other 14 union ratified it. The tentative agreement negotiated by all the union leaders with the transit commuter railroad, the nations third largest, was reached on March 11, 30 hours before a March 13 strike or lockout deadline.

Snyder also said that, since the membership rejected the deal, the two unions have the right, under the Federal Railway Labor Act, to resume negotiations. Union officials have said that they will return to the bargaining table, but it is not clear when.

The spokesperson also noted, however, that These 14 contracts have been finally approved by the Board of NJ Transit and are now final and in effect, and that there is a 60-day cooling off period for the two unions that rejected the contract, which precludes strikes or lockouts.

There are about 4,200 employees who work for NJ Transit who are impacted by the current contract talks. All the union member employees had been working without a contract since the last one expired in mid-2011. The last and only NJ Transit strike was in March 1983 and lasted for 34 days.

Although all the officials involved have been secretive about the details of the negotiations, the current agreement reportedly gives the workers a 21 percent salary increase retroactive from 2011 and in effect until the end of 2019, about a paltry 2.3 percent increase per year. It also requires them to contribute from $130 to $160 monthly for health insurance coverage, an increase from the current fixed rate of $81.05 a month. The agreement reportedly also includes, for the first time, a required deductible of between $250 and $500 a month for medical care. In addition, it has been reported that the deal includes concessions on pay and retirement benefits for new hires.

New Jerseys Republican governor Chris Christie had promised that that there will be no fare hike through June 2017; but nothing was said about July of that year which is only 14 months away. Fares for riders have already gone up 30 percent for the last six years, while services have been cut. Roughly 900,000 commuters ride NJ Transit each workday, which serves not just the state of New Jersey, but parts of Pennsylvania and New York as well.

NJ Transit has lost 90 percent of its state funding in the last 10 years. The continuous attack on the livelihood of New Jersey transit workers and the transit system itself is one example of the austerity measures that have been carried out against public services for working people throughout the country.

Without a doubt, the vote by workers to reject the union-approved contract expresses the sentiment of the many NJ Transit workers who opposed the wage agreements, the cutbacks in health care, and attacks on the new hires. Many others clearly felt that they had to vote for the contract, concluding that under the present straitjacket of the unions, a better settlement was not possible.

Nevertheless, the vote against the contract expresses a powerful sentiment for all those who are fed up with the non-stop demands by employers for concessions and givebacks, which have contributed to a general decline in living standards and working conditions.
Nearly 40,000 communication workers in the US are beginning their fourth week on strike against telecommunications giant Verizon.

Verizon is demanding deep cuts to health care for both active and retired workers along with rule changes which would allow workers to be transferred any where in the company for 60 days. The company also wants the ability to permanently move workers up to 100 miles.

Over 20,000 management and contractors have been trained to fill the jobs of striking workers, and call center calls are being routed to non-union call centers the company had already set up. On Sunday, the company eliminated the health benefits for the 39,000 workers and their families.

In the face of this assault, the Communication Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are working to isolate the workers and impose a concessions contract.

The WSWS Verizon Strike Newsletter spoke with workers through the Northeast.

They want to get rid of jobs, said Brian, a striking worker in Boston. You might as well just remove my job, because if you wanted me to go work in another state Id have to quit.

Last week, the company presented a last best offer that contains all of its main demands, including the ability to transfer workers and force them out. Were on strike for job security, Brian said. If you cant take that language out, how can they even tell us to go back to work? We lost three weeks of pay, and they didnt even give us the one thing were out here for. Without security, you dont have a job. I dont even care what the rest of the contract says.

Brian said that Verizon was proposing to move entire offices, and not even doing it by seniority. We dont want them to have the right to do it office by office, he said. Thats their way of getting rid of an entire office. Also, within that one office, they could say, We want to move you guys out of state. So its not just getting rid of older people. Its their way of getting rid of areas that they want, and over the course of three years to get rid of all of us. First its in New York, then its in New England.

After the last contract, 38 percent of calls are now going overseas. Thats ridiculous. You open up the door and theyre going to take it all. So we just cant accept that.

Brian said that the only reason they havent included Boston in some of the movement of work is because of the planned fiber optics [FiOS] build-out in the city. Theyre going to have to hire people, he said.

Thats a lot of work; its a $300 million project. Thats going to give people work over the next 10 to 12 years. But they would rather hire contractors, because they wouldnt have to offer the benefits. And they already have workers that are on a lower tier. They dont have a pension, they dont get paid the same. Theres a big difference.

Marilyn started in 2000 and shes one of the least senior people in the entire office. They didnt hire anybody after me.

Brian said there were probably a hundred people working inside the Boston location. My managers are in there. But the people from out of state, I dont know if theyre managers or contractors.

And theyre cutting our benefits as of May 1. In the past theyve always waited 30 days. So 18 days and no health care, nothing. And Ive got two little kids. Im not so worried about me, but you never know what can happen with them. COBRA [health benefits] would cost me $2,200 a month. I dont even have a paycheck, and now you want $2,200 a month.

In New York, Nicole, a dispatcher with 17 years of experience, said, The main issue with Verizon is the threat of outsourcing our work. They are also telling us that we are not useful, but it is not true. We are installing and repairing the FiOS cables, and this is one of the companys newer products and it is heavily demanded.

Before the strike, management was doing what they always do around strike time, and that is cracking down on any little thing. They look for any way to discipline you, check that you are not taking any more time at lunch or being tardy. It is also difficult working without a contract, like we were. You feel like the CEO could lay you off. So, management started asking us to do things outside of our job descriptions. I had to arrange appointments with customers, which is normally not part of my job, but I still had my other work to do.

Since the main issue is outsourcing, it is the politicians that have a lot of control over this. This is not just an issue with Verizon, but it is a large concern. You look at Nike or Adidas making things in China, and you see workers over there striking because they arent being treated well. I want to live well and get what I earned, and so do people in the Philippines, Mexico and China.

This is not a fight for us, or even a fight for union workers. We are out here fighting for everyone.

Barbara, a customer service representative at Verizon for 16 years, said, When I started working management in a lot of departments was more flexible. We were able to get overtime, and people on the executive level never bothered us. Now the executives are on us all the time.

Asked about a comparison between this strike and the 2011 strike, she added, In 2011 they werent prepared for us to go out. Now the company has been preparing for years for us to strike. I get calls from people in the South or in the Philippines, and they are doing work that they werent supposed to be doing.

The leadership of the CWA doesnt give out information, and they dont tell send this down the line. We are all here wondering why they decided to call the strike when they did. I want these things communicated to us.

The CWA offered concessions, but I guess Verizon wanted them in other ways. To me job security is a non-negotiable issue, and I would even be willing to pay more medical for it, but I dont know what the CWA thinks.

In Brooklyn, a Verizon worker with 18 years experience told the WSWS, We are fighting for a cause. We couldnt be out here otherwise. We are fighting for the next generation. The most junior person among us has sixteen years on the job. They have hired temps, but not permanent workers. Through attrition they want to eliminate jobs.

When health care was mentioned as a strike demand, Joseph, who had 26 years experience with Verizon and worked as a customer service representative, remarked, I never liked Obamacare. It is ruining health care. It is making it harder for working people to get coverage. Some of my friends who are doctors are actually getting hit, too, not getting enough payments. Verizon is citing provisions of Obamacare to demand cuts in health care benefits.

After we struck several years ago we had to pay for medical and it is going up even more. They are little by little taking it all back. This time they are trying to take it all back.

Another Verizon striker, said about the elections, If you look at who's supporting Hillary Clinton, you find that she is not a friend to anyone who does not help her pocketbook. She is out for her own interests.
6 years, 5 months ago QPD

Barnell J. Trass, 34, Quincy for Possession of Cannabis - NTA -

MarySue Mastley (63) 2975 Hampshire for Operating Uninsured Vehicle at 20/Hampshire on 5/4/16. Released on NTA.

David W Trammel (49) 2603 Dundee Circle for Seatbelt Violation at 24/Green Acres on 5/4/16. Released on PTC.

Abbey M Evans (19) 2430 Rocky Run Rd for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid Accident and Operating Uninsured Vehicle at 36/Broadway on 5/4/16. Released on NTA.

William D Guinn (47) 905 N 15th for Driving While License Suspended and Operating Uninsured Vehicle at 6/Chestnut on 4/26/16. Released on NTA.

Jacquelyn D Edwards (53) 210 Kentucky St. Quincy, IL for Accumulation of litter at 210 Kentucky ST on 5-4-16. NTA.

Barnell J Trass (34) 518 Lind for FTA-Resisting. He was located on 5/4/16 at 6/Spring and lodged.

Christin E Dillion (43) Homeless for FTA-Shoplifting. He was located at 5211 Broadway on 5/4/16 and lodged.

Carol Lindsey 913 N 4th reports a shed burglarized on 3/23-3/24/16. Stolen was various tools and a maroon tent.

Pamela K Harmon 619 Maple reports the driver's side window of her vehicle shot with a BB on 4/17/16 while parked at 1428 Jefferson.

Larry Brumbaugh reports between 4/22-4/25/16, someone shattered the window of a GMC utility bucket truck while it was parked at 503 N 5th St.

Amanda and Michael Perry of 1817 Klauser Dr report several items stolen from their residence between

Tyler Brothers 649 Monroe for operating uninsured vehicle at 6th/Jefferson on 4-27-16. NTA

Brian Fuqua 2314 N. 12th for improper driving at 9th/Broadway on 4-7-16.

Theresa Miller 1945 Elmwood East for expired registration at 12th/State on 5-3-16

Amira Brown of 1421 Lind for failure to yield/private drive on 5-3-16.

Misty Norris of 1407 S. 24th for expired registration on 5-3-16.

Tommy Toolate of 1402 Cherry for violation of traffic laws on gas powered bicycle.

Shannon Murphy of 1513 North C.R. 2100 for improper turn at 310 North 36th on 5-3-16.

On 5-4-16 Robert Eyler of 1431 North 10th was arrested on a warrant for aggravated unlawful meth production and FTA Fleeing, DWLS, Disregard stop sign, expired registration and squealing tires. Also for PC ticket on file for Domestic Battery. Lodged

Jessica Kamphaus of 3200 N. 12th Apt #5 for shoplifting on 5-1-16 at 5211 Broadway.

Brandon Slusher (homeless) for FTA larceny warrant from Hancock County at 135 S. 5th on 5-4-16.

Abigail Schumm of 500 Grant Dr for burglary to motor vehicle that occurred at 632 Harrison Dr on 4-24-16, and for FTA speeding and petition to revoke at 2326 West Valley View on 5-4-16.

Michael Weed of 1325 N. 6th reports subjects entered his garage on 4/29/16 at 0135 hours. Stolen were 2 BB guns and $10-12 in US currency. Weed stated he had video of the subjects.

Sarah Hinkamper of 1217 N. 10th reports her 2015 Jeep was entered between 2230 hours on 3-9-16 and 0727 hours on 3-10-16. Stolen was a Garmin GPS and clothing. No suspects

Brittney Mixer of 1525 Madison reports her 2008 Kia was entered between 1700 hours on 4-20-16 and 0600 hours on 4-21-16. Two checkbooks from Mercantile and US currency was stolen.

Timothy Morgan of 3011 Maine Street reports a concrete parking block damaged between 4/22/16-4/25/16. No suspects

Lynette Jardine of 709 S. 23rd stated she received a fraudulent check in the mail for $1,500 after she posted ads on line for the Epsilon Advertising Agency.

Johnny Anderson reported 8 - 4x8 sheets of drywall, 9 rolls of insulation, a five gallon bucket of drywall mud and 2 bags of quickset stolen from 702 Washington between 4-19-16 @ 1900 hours and 4-20-16 @ 1100 hours. No suspects
The series "Building Tallahassee" continues taking a look at how different parts of the city are developing. Watch WTXL Thursday at 5:30pm.

TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- Frenchtown is getting a facelift. The historic neighborhood has plans to build up, tear down, and renovate.

"We go to the community, get input from stakeholders, from residents to find out what they want, and then we try to make it happen," said TJ Lewis, the founder of UrbanTallahassee.com.

The former shelter on Tennessee Street has been vacant after relocating in 2015. City officials are planning to demolish it, along with the neighboring community center.

"The removal of the shelter has been a big boon to the community," said Rick McCraw, the program director of Tallahassee's Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). "They're very happy that the shelter has now moved to Pensacola Street, and they're looking to something positive on these properties."

But what will replace it? That's still unclear.

"If it turns out that mixed use housing and commercial opportunities and maybe even a grocery store is a marketable item for that area, then that is something that I think will be in the future," said assistant city manager Wayne Tedder.

Further into Frenchtown, plans are underway to add more housing. A five-story, 88-unit apartment complex called Casanas Village will set up on Macomb Street, between Brevard and Georgia.

"There's some hope that development activity can pick back up, now that the shelter has been relocated and some land has become available for redevelopment," Lewis said.

A different kind of housing is also being restored. The Tookes Hotel is investing more than a million dollars to renovate the property -- to pay homage to its history in the African-American community.

"Frenchtown was once a bustling community for African-Americans," said Ron McCoy, the grandson of founder Dorothy Tookes. "It's important to reserve the history, because so much of it is lost."

While construction is yet to get going in Frenchtown, it's already underway in the Southside.

FAMU Way continues to develop, after the first portion was unveiled in 2015. Now, the project will extend from Macomb street to Pinellas street by August 2016.

"Not only is it a great amenity for FAMU and our Southside, but it is also an economic driver that we think is going to be critically important for the success of the south side," Tedder said.

And access to the Southside will get easier once the pedestrian bridge is complete. The city broke ground on the Capital Cascades Crossing last June. Now, the project is well on its way to be completed by the summer.

"[It] really will begin to connect people from Leon High School all the way to St. Marks," Tedder said, "so it's going to be an incredible regional trail system for our community."

Aside from transportation, the Southside is seeing additions in food and healthcare.

A Piggly Wiggly supermarket is now open at the former Harvey's in the Southside Shopping Center.

And Big Bend Cares will add a medical facility across from its current site on Monroe and Magnolia. The project is scheduled to break ground at the end of June.

"We're going to try and do as much as we can for people who desperately need more help," said deputy director Charlie Adams.
HAVANA, Fla. (WTXL) - On Saturday, May 7, 2016, For the City Events will host its second annual "Derby Day at Dover" to raise money for Chelsea House in Tallahassee, an organization supporting homeless women and their children.

The event, in celebration of the Kentucky Derby, will feature a "Run for the Roses", where organizers say attendees will enjoy the sounds of live Bluegrass music, be entertained with a variety of lawn games, feast on a southern style dinner, sip on mint juleps, and enjoy drinks from the bourbon bar.

Event-goers can also wager on their favorite silent auction items.

Attendees are encouraged to dress in traditional Derby Day attire of big hats and bow ties.

The charity event from 4:00pm to 9:00pm, will be at WC Dover Farm, 534 Dover Rd, Havana, FL 32333. The cost to attend is $75.

We are thrilled to host this event, which will raise funds to help support the lives of so many women and children that are transitioning their lives here in Tallahassee, said Ashley Dover-Gholston, Chair of Derby Day at Dover. This event is for a great cause and is sure to be a lot of fun for the attendees enjoying an authentic Kentucky Derby experience.

For more information about Derby Day at Dover, visit www.derbydayatdover.com.

Learn more about For the City Events by visiting www.forthecityevents.com, and get more information about Chelsea House by visiting chelseahouseflorida.org.
QUINCY, FL (WTXL) -- Gadsden County welcomed its second new business in less than a month, as more companies are choosing to start or relocate to the county.

David Bell is making a major move.

The owner of Capital Hydraulics is relocating from Tallahassee to Quincy after 50 years.

"I really am excited," he said. "I think it's going to be a big growth opportunity for us."

Local officials celebrated the opening of yet another business in Gadsden County. The development council says about half a dozen more are on the way.

"[It's] results of the fruit that we've sown," said council chair Lee Garner, "and we have some positive, tangible things you can put your hands on."

After getting a grant from the county commission two years ago, the council has been able to boost economic growth by drawing companies to come to Gadsden.

While Capital Hydraulics says it's looking forward to a successful relocation, things are also looking up at Armada Ammunition, which set up shop in the county in April.

"We wanted to welcome other companies to Gadsden county, say, 'Hey, we're new, too, and I'm telling you this is all going to work, and we're happy that you're here,'" said CEO John Coffman, who was at Wednesday's opening ceremony for Capital Hydraulics.

He says the community has been welcoming since he opened his business in Greensboro.

"The support was amazing," Coffman said. "It really was, and that's what I really enjoyed. There was no negativity about it."

As the new kid on the block, Bell says moving to Gadsden was due in part to its small business appeal.

"I met with everyone from city managers, county commissioners. Everybody's been great, welcoming arms all the way," he said. "I'm really impressed."

The company expects to double the size of its staff in five years, hiring at least two employees per year.

The development council says it's working with another new business to open in about a month.
JACKSON CO. Fla.-- The Jackson County Sheriff's Office responded to a domestic violence call on Wednesday on Wilimar Rd, in Cottondale.

Deputies say they observed visible injuries to her throat when they made contact with the female victim.

After an investigation, officials say they determined that the female's ex-boyfriend had punched her several times in the head and had grabbed her throat several times causing disruption to her normal breathing.

Deputies say they went to locate the male suspect at an address off of Pilgrim Rest Church Rd, but upon their arrival, a white male, identified as Casey Sterrett, fled the residence.

According to reports, Sterrett was taken into custody a short distance from the residence without incident, after a short chase. Sterrett was transported to the Jackson County Correctional Facility to await first appearance.

Casey A. Sterrett is facing several charges related to domestic battery and resisting arrest.
MONTICELLO, FL (WTXL) - A man has turned himself in police, in connection with Wednesday morning's murder in Monticello.

According to police, 31-year-old Antwain Coates has been charged with first degree murder, as well as possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Monticello Police say around 10:30am, Coates and 41-year-old Tommy Slater got into an argument near Park Avenue and First Street. According to the police report, Coates then left, telling Slater, "I'll be back."

Police say Coates returned to the area, with another individual. A witness told police Slater more derogatory comments towards Coates.

That witness left the area, but later heard a gunshot.

Police say the witness returned to the scene, where Coates told her not to say any thing. According to officers, multiple witnesses in the area confirmed Coates was at the scene.

Monticello Police are asking anyone with information to call them at (850) 342-0150.
Apple Inc will appeal a trademark ruling to China's Supreme Court after it lost a four-year fight against a Beijing leather-products maker.

The Beijing Municipal High People's Court recently ruled in favor of Xintong Tiandi Technology (Beijing) Ltd, which sells a number of leather products such as smartphone cases and handbags under the name "IPHONE", according to The Legal Daily, a Chinese state-run newspaper.

"Apple is disappointed the Beijing Higher People's Court chose to allow Xintong to use the IPHONE mark for leather goods when we have prevailed in several other cases against Xintong," Josh Rosenstock, Apple spokesman, told China Daily in an e-mail. "We intend to request a retrial with the Supreme People's Court and will continue to vigorously protect our trademark rights.

"We work hard to make the best products in the world and want to ensure our customers' experience is not compromised by companies who try to profit from using our brand," he said.

The ruling was applauded by Xintong. In a statement posted on its website, the Chinese firm said, "From now on, iphone' is not only a smartphone! From now on, iphone' does not belong to Apple exclusively! This ruling means that the intellectual property of iphone' has been granted market freedom."

According to The Legal Daily report last week, Apple applied for the iPhone trademark under international trademark class 9 (electrical and scientific apparatus) in China in 2002, but it wasn't granted until 2013.

Xintong Tiandi filed for its IPHONE trademark in China in 2007 under international trademark class 18, which is leather goods. In the same year, Apple launched its first iPhone in the United States.

In order to obtain exclusivity on the iPhone trademark in China, Apple first took the case to the Chinese trademark authority in 2012, but it failed as the agency claimed Apple couldn't prove iPhone was a well-known brand in China prior to Xintong Tiandi's registration in 2007.

Apple then filed a lawsuit in a Beijing court. However, the court ruled against the California company, and Apple appealed to the Beijing Municipal High People's Court. The high court upheld the lower court's ruling, saying that the company didn't sell the iPhone on the Chinese mainland until 2009.

Apple's latest quarterly earnings showed a 13 percent drop in revenue as sales of iPhones slipped. China was a particularly weak spot as sales in China fell 26 percent to $12.49 billion.

"The failure of the trademark fight would not have a great impact on Apple's brand and image but it might confuse consumers as they don't know whether these products are made by Apple or some producers (copying) Apple's name when they are buying leather products embossed with the IPHONE' brand," said James Yan, a Beijing-based analyst at Counterpoint Technology Market Research.

Zhu Dalin, an analyst at Beijing-based Internet consultancy Analysys International, said the influence of Xintong Tiandi is minor and wouldn't pose a threat to Apple anyway.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com
UPDATE 2:36 p.m.: The City Council has been meeting behind closed doors for more than an hour to discuss the four city manager finalists, and 
Simcha Goldin, the father of the late Lt. Hadar Goldin whose body was abducted in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge , called upon the Israeli government on Tuesday to make all aid provided to Gaza be provisional upon the return of Hadars body and that of Sgt. Oron Shaul, whose body was also abducted during the incursion

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All humanitarian aid which will ease the suffering of the Gazan civilians and the treatement of all Hamas officials who are sitting in our prisons should be conditional upon our sons being brought to, and buried in, Israel, said Goldin during a monument-unveiling ceremony to mark the memory of Sgt. Dor Chaim Nini, 20, who served in the Givati Brigade.

Ninis parents erected the monument in Moshav Shtulim in remembrance of their son who was killed more than a year ago by a Hezbollah border attack. They were forced to place it in their yard after the moshav refused them permission to do so in public space.

Hadar Goldin (left) and Oron Shaul's bodies were abducted during Operation Proective Edge in 2014

Public Transport Minister Yisrael Katz, MK Amir Peretz, Givati Brigade Commander Col. Yaron Finkelman, former Givati Brigade commander Col. Ofer Vinter and former GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman all participated in the unveiling ceremony.

Simcha Goldin addressed the attendants, stating, The entire nation of Israel is waiting for the return of the fallen soldiers so that they can be laid to rest in Israel. Today, we consecrate this monument; tomorrow night we will begin Holocaust Remembrance Day to mark the most devastating destruction of the Jewish people in recent generations. The following week, we will remember the fallen soldiers of the IDF before celebrating Independence Day.

During these ten days, we understand what the Jewish people who came to Israel at the beginning of the 20th century determined, from HaShomer (a Jewish defense organization in Mandatory Palestine) and to today, and this is what created an army that is the army of the people, he said.

The bereaved father added, We dont have a professional army, we dont have mercenaries, we dont have anyone to do it for us. We do our own work for ourselves and for our freedom. The most important thing which stems from this is mutual dependency and self reliance, a law which does not allow soldiers to be left behind whether they have been captured, injured or have fallen in battle.

In a final appeal to the government, Simcha concluded by proclaiming, There is an obligation to return every IDF soldier to the land of Israel, to release him or to bury him in national soil. This is the obligation of the public, this is the obligation of the army, and this is the obligation of defense.
According to a study published on Wednesday by Tel Aviv University's Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and the European Jewish Congress, 2015 saw a substantial decrease in outright violence against Jews, registering 410 incidents as opposed to 766 in 2014.

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European Jewish Congress President Dr. Moshe Kantor stated that one possible reason for the lower rate of anti-Semitic violence is the heightened security surrounding Jewish institutions following the Charlie Hebdo shooting in January 2015. As evidence, Kantor pointed out that, in Jewish sites that were not heavily secured, such as cemeteries and synagogues, there was no significant decrease in violent acts.

Another possible reason for the decrease in violent attacks is the campaign launched by the European Jewish Congress following the 2014 attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels . The campaign urged European governments and European intelligence agencies to work together in an effort to strengthen overall security and potential collaborations with local communities regarding possible threats.

Additionally, after the Charlie Hebdo attack in January, many European authorities began allocating greater funds to protect Jewish communities and institutions that fall under their jurisdiction.

These findings notwithstanding, the report did find a rise in institutionalized anti-Semitism. Kantor related these findings to cases of online defamation and threats, in addition to recent manifestations of anti-Semitism within the British Labour Party , as well as in the Oxford University Labour Club : While a decrease in violence has been found, we are also witnessing concerning developments within centrist political entities, among these student unions, all of whom create an environment of institutionalized anti-Semitism.

Online anti-Semitic posts

Kantor drew comparisons between the recent Labour scandal and more extreme, overtly anti-Semitic sectors of society: Jews have once again become a target, this time for the supposedly progressive and modern, some of whom, as it turns out, hold archaic and regressive perspectives of their own. The political extremes on both sides are closer to each other than we think, with the extreme Left and Right sharing Fascist and intolerant views, particularly toward Jews.

The report itself is cautiously realistic in describing the current state of European Jewry, stating, It should be stressed that despite the decrease in the number of violent cases, many Jews are reconsidering their future and their sense of belonging in their respective countries, because of the significant increase in 2015 in anti-Semitic verbal and visual attacks via social media and the internet at large, creating a hostile atmosphere.
The Israel Air Force struck four Hamas targets in the northern Gaza Strip early Thursday morning, for the second time over the past 24 hours.

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Palestinian media said an Islamic Jihad militant group outpost was also targeted, while the Gaza Health Ministry said three children and a 65-year-old Palestinian suffered light-to-moderate injuries in an airstrike that hit a metal workshop in Gaza City.

The airstrike came after senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk declared on Wednesday night that the IDF will pull back from the Gaza border and in return, the different Palestinian factions in the Strip would cease fire after six mortar shells were launched at Israeli troops operating near the border fence throughout the day Wednesday.

"What is happening on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip is an Israeli attempt to set new facts on the ground, over 150 meters away from the border. This is what caused our men to enter this confrontation, to prevent their bulldozers from perpetuating this conduct," Abu Marzouk said.

IDF troops operating along the Gaza border on Wednesday (:  )

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According to Abu Marzouk, Egypt helped mediate the renewed ceasefire. "Egypt's response was quick and serious and returned the situation to what it was before," he said.

Israel denied on Thursday that it agreed to withdraw from the Gaza security perimeter on the condition that the Palestinians cease to fire at Israeli targets. Senior officials told Ynet that they were unaware of any such agreement.

Earlier, sources in the Gaza Strip reported that the IDF had begun withdrawing its forces from the border area following the Hamas ceasefire announcement, aided by drone covering fire.

While none were hurt on the Israeli side from the mortar shell fire, the IDF responded with tank fire at Hamas military posts throughout the day Wednesday. In the evening hours of Wednesday, the IAF attacked five targets in the southern Gaza Strip in the Dahaniya airport area, near Rafah.

Smoke over the Hamas post the IDF shelled in response to the mortar fire.

In light of the escalation on the border, the IDF declared the area from the Sa'ad Junction to the border, near the Gaza City neighborhood of Saja'iyya, a closed military zone. This is a move taken in the area whenever the situation on the border escalates, due to its proximity to the fence, but is still considered an unusual one since Operation Protective Edge.

This was also the first time Hamas has fired into Israel since Operation Protective Edge, after its men vigorously enforced the ceasefire over the past year and a half.

The IDF estimated that the mortar fire throughout the day Wednesday was directly aimed at IDF troops during engineering work in the border fence area in search of any other Hamas tunnels crossing into Israeli territory. These operations are taking place in several different spots along the border since Protective Edge, but it was only over the past 24 hours or so that it garnered a violent response from the Palestinians.

IDF forces operating along the Gaza border (Photo: AFP)

Israeli defense official stressed on Wednesday night that the IDF intends to continue its operations along the border fence, and estimated the mortar fire will continue in the coming days.

Hamas is worried that its most significant strategic asset against Israel, the border-crossing attack tunnels, will be located and destroyed by the IDF in the coming months. This will be done thanks to an Israeli technological breakthrough on the issue, which led to the increase of pressure in the Gaza Strip to stop Israeli operations.

Hamas's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, released a statement on Wednesday following the escalation on the border, vowing not to allow Israel to continue its "aggression."

"Israel must leave Gazan territory immediately," the statement said. The Qassam Brigades accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement reached at the end of Operation Protective Edge.
In a controversial speech to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, IDF Deputy Chief of Staff, Maj.-Gen. Yair Golan, appeared to have drawn a comparison between current Israeli sentiment and that of Europe in the 1930s, which led to the Holocaust.

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The Holocaust must lead us to think about our public life, and more importantly, it must lead everyone who can, not merely those who want, to carry public responsibility. If there is something that frightens me about the memory of the Holocaust, it is seeing the abhorrent processes that took place in Europe, and Germany in particular, some 70, 80 or 90 years ago, and finding manifestations of these processes here among us in 2016, Golan said on Wednesday evening at a ceremony at the Masua Holocaust Institute in Tel Yitzhak.

Deputy chief of saff Yair Golan (Photo: Yair Sagi)

Following scathing criticism of Golan's comments from Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who was present in the audience, and others, the IDF Spokespersons Unit released a statement saying that The deputy chief of staff would like to clarify that he had no intention to compare the IDF and the State of Israel to the process that took place in Germany 70 years ago. The absurd comparison is entirely without foundation, and there was no intention to draw such parallels or to criticize the state's leadership. The IDF is a moral army which safeguards the purity of arms and human life.

During the ceremony, Golan shared his thoughts on the lessons learned of the Holocaust: The Holocaust, as I see it, must enable us to deeply reflect on the nature of man. It must bring us to deeply reflect on the responsibility of leadership and the nature of society, and it must enable us to think fundamentally about how we, here and now, are conducting ourselves toward orphans, widows and their like."

Indeed," he continued, "there is nothing easier than to simply hate the other, there is nothing easier than to provoke fears and strike terror; there is nothing easier than barbaric behavior, moral corruption and hypocrisy.

On Holocaust Remembrance day, it is appropriate to discuss our abilities to extricate from among us signs of intolerance and violence, signs that we're heading towards self destruction and down the road to moral depravity. In fact, Holocaust Remembrance Day is an opportunity for self-examination. If Yom Kippur is a day for personal self-reflection, then it is appropriate, and even absolutely necessary, that Holocaust Remembrance Day, will also be a day of national self-examination, and in this national self-examination we must consider the effects of those who seek to disrupt the peace."

During his speech, Golan also talked about IDF soldier Elor Azaria, who was charged with manslaughter after he shot dead a disarmed and neutralized Palestinian who carried out a stabbing attack moments prior in Hebron. This incident sparked a public debate about the purity of arms.

Misuses of weapons and violations of the purity of arms have been taking place in the IDF since its institution. The IDF has taken pride, from time immemorial, in our ability to investigate serious incidents without prejudice, to courageously investigate problematic conduct, and to assign full responsibility for the good as well as for the bad. We didnt justify, we didnt cover up, we didnt plaster over the cracks, we didnt turn a blind eye and we made no excuses. Our way was, and will always be, the way of the truth and responsibility even when the truth is difficult, Golan continued.

We sincerely believe in the justice of our ways, but not everything that we do is justified. We trust in the level of morality of the IDF as an organization , but we dont ignore exceptional cases. We demand from our soldiers exactly that which we demand from ourselves and we stand behind the notion that a personal example will come as second nature to every commander.

He concluded by saying that On Holocaust Remembrance Day, a time when we are united and remember the six million of our people who were slaughtered on European soil, we must remember the six million and half a million others who live, and to ask ourselves what is the purpose of our return to our land, what is right to sanctify and what is not and, importantly, how must we use our destiny as a light unto the nations and serve as an example to the world. Only this kind of remembrance could constitute a living, breathing monument to our people - a worthy monument, a true monument.

Opposition Chairman Isaac Herzog praised Golan as a brave commander. The people who will now start to cry out against him need to know: This is what morality and responsibility sound like. We wont be deterred by cries and abuse and we will continue to support the IDF and its commanders. Always.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett also tweeted: Before Holocaust deniers turn these false words to their banner, before our soldiers are compared to the Nazis with support from the top ranks. The deputy chief of staff has erred, and he must rectify it immediately."

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon took to his Facebook and Twitter account on Thursday to defend Golan I have total faith in the Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan, a distinguished and valued soldier. The attacks against him and the current criticism against him are deliberate distortions of interpretation of the things he said last night," Ya'alon wrote.

"They are yet more attempts to cause political harm to the IDF its officers. God help us if we allow this to happen. The job of every commander in the IDF, and especially senior commanders, is not only to lead soldiers into battle, but also to outline the way and the values using both a compass and a conscience."
The State of Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day on Thursday with ceremonies and events across the country, honoring the memory of six million Jews murdered by the Nazis.

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The day's events began at 10am with two minutes of silence in memory of the six million, marked by a siren that was heard throughout the country and brought Israel to a standstill as drivers got out of their cars, soldiers climbed on top of their tanks, and pedestrians stopped in their tracks.



Soldiers on the Gaza border stand on their tanks during the 2-minute siren (Photo: Roee Idan)

Drivers stop their cars to the side of the road to stand during the 2-minute siren (Photo: Yaron Brener)

Following the two minutes of silence, a wreath-laying ceremony commenced at Warsaw Ghetto Square at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Supreme Court President Miriam Naor, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, Police Commisioner Roni Alsheikh and delegations from Israel and abroad were all in attendance.

Prime Minister Netanyahu standing at attention during the 2-minute siren (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Attendees at the Yad Vashem wreath-laying ceremony stand in silence during the 2-minute siren (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Prime Minister Netanyahu laying a wreath in memory of Holocaust victims (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

President Rivlin laying a wreath in memory of Holocaust victims (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Schools and municipalities across the country are also holding their own memorial ceremonies starting at 10am to mark the day.

At 11am, the ceremony "Unto Every Person There is a Name" will be held both in Yad Vashem's Hall of Remembrance and at the Chagall State Hall at the Knesset under the auspices of the Knesset's Speaker. During the ceremony, names of the Holocaust's victims will be read out. Also in attendance will be President Rivlin and his wife, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Supreme Court President Naor, Opposition leader Isaac Herzog, and others.

Schedule of ceremonies of events to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The main memorial ceremony will be held at Yad Vashem's Hall of Remembrance at 1pm.

At 5:30pm, a ceremony for youth movements will be held at Yad Vashem's Valley of the Communities. It will be attended by Education Minister Naftali Bennett and hundreds of members of the youth movements.

Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev will speak at the ceremony, followed by Holocaust survivor Marion Miller. Yitzhak Reichenbaum, accompanied by youth movement participants, will light the Memorial Flame. The program will include a performance by Elai Botner and the Outsiders and the Youth Movement Choir led by Moshe Yosef.

The day's closing events will be held on 7:30pm at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai at the monument in memory of Mordechai Anielewicz, one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, MK Yair Lapid and Eshkol Regional Council head Gadi Yarkoni will speak at the ceremony, which will also be attended by representatives from 17 foreign states.

At 7:45pm, a closing ceremony will begin at the Ghetto Fighters' Museum. President Rivlin will speak at the ceremony, as well as Dr. Anat Livne, Director, the Ghetto Fighters' Museum, and Nir Meir, the national chairman of the Kibbutz Movement. In addition, six torches will be lit in memory of the six million.

Yad Vashem will also hold special "Behind the Scenes" tours for the public between 12pm-2:30pm, during which expert guides will unveil original documents, photographs and artifacts not on general display. These tours will be conducted predominantly in Hebrew. The only English-language lecture will be given on the topic "Making Memory Relevant: Explore & Discover Yad Vashem Online" by Dana Porath, Director of the Internet Department in the Yad Vashem Communications Division.

Also throughout the day, Yad Vashems International School for Holocaust Studies will be running educational activities for groups, youth movements, pre-military academies, girls in National Service and participants in the "Masa Israel Journey" program.
Holocaust survivor Dr. Ze'ev Hertz Pullman, 75, was chosen to activate the sirens on Thursday in commemoration of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis.

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On Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel at exactly 10am, sirens ring out throughout the country for two minutes. Everyone stops what they are doing - including driving - to stand for a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the Holocaust.

Dr. Pullman activated the siren with his grandson, Lieutenant David Hertz, who serves as an operations officer in the IDF Home Front Command's command and control center.

Holocaust survivor Dr. Ze'ev Hertz Pullman and his grandson Lieut. David Hertz activate the siren on Israeli Holocaust Remembrance Day (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Ze'ev was a child during the Holocaust, and was given to his neighbors by his parents who sought to hide him. He was then put in a monastery which served as his refuge for the remainder of the war. After the Holocaust, Dr. Pullman moved to Israel and eventually joined the army.

"I feel as if I've come full circle," Pullman said. "This is a great honor for me to come to where my grandson David serves and activate the siren on Holocaust Remembrance Day. I also feel proud to return to this base, as this is the base I served in myself almost 50 years ago."

Operations Officer Lt. David Gertz said "I invited my grandfather to come here today to activate the siren for Holocaust Remembrance Day. I'm really happy to be in the position that I am and to be able to give my grandfather the opportunity to activate the siren on this important day."

Israel comes to a halt as sirens ring in honor of victims of the Holocaust ( :     )

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The young officer's job is to manage and direct all of the operations of the command and control center, and to monitor threat warning and identification systems for the purpose of enabling reliable and effective warning.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Day is held on January 27, the date in which the Auschwitz death camp was liberated by the Soviet Union. Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, meanwhile, is meant to coincide with the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which falls on the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nisan, and is eight days before Israel's Independence Day.
DAMASCUS -- Two blasts struck a central Syrian village Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding dozens, hours after a truce brought relative calm to the northern city of Aleppo after weeks of escalating violence there.

The governor of Homs, Talal Barrazi, told The Associated Press that the blasts were trigged by a car bomb and a suicide attacker wearing an explosive belt who detonated his device in the village of Mukharam al-Fawkani. The village is east of the central city of Homs, Syria's third largest.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the twin attacks. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for similar attacks in Homs province in recent months that killed scores of people.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 10 people were killed in the twin blasts, adding that more than 40 were wounded. Differing casualty figures are not uncommon in the immediate aftermaths of explosions.
CANBERRA -- Australia's most dangerous known Islamic State movement operative had been killed in a US airstrike in Iraq, the government said Thursday.

The United States had confirmed that Neil Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was killed in Mosul on Friday, Attorney-General George Brandis said.

The 24-year-old Australian citizen of Cambodian and Fijian heritage converted from Buddhism in 2012 and traveled to Syria a year later.

The former rapper from Melbourne city featured in Islamic State recruitment videos, was linked to several attack plans in Australia and had urged lone wolf attacks against the United States.

"Prakash was a very important, high-value target," Brandis told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. "He was the most dangerous Australian involved with ISIL in the Middle East," Brandis added, referring to the militants as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The IDF has found another Hamas attack tunnel inside the Gaza Strip that is burrowing towards Israel, it was cleared for publication on Thursday.

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Shortly after the announcement, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) shot five mortars over the space of 30 minutes. IDF tanks returned fire on PIJ observation posts in Gaza.

Qatar is said to currently be mediating between Israel and Hamas to restore calm. The head of the Qatari delegation for the rehabilitation of Gaza, Mohammad Amadi, said that there are contacts between Israel and Hamas to deescalate the situation. According to him, the discussions are proving fruitful.

IDf engineering forces examine recently discovered tunnel

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The new tunnel is 28 meters deep and it was found in southern Gaza in a 100-meter zone that Israel operates in. The new tunnel is located not far from the tunnel found last month, which was the first to be found since Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014.

While IDF forces found the tunnel itself, they have yet to find any exit shafts inside Israeli territory. The Engineering Corps troops are now working to discover the tunnel's entire path, including any possible exit shafts inside Israel, and then destroy it.

Photo: IDF Spokesman

IDF engineering forces have been operating over the past few weeks in several locations along the Gaza border in search for additional border-crossing tunnels. Throughout the day Wednesday Hamas and other Palestinian factions fired six mortrar shells at the troops that were closing in on the tunnel in an effort to stop Israel from finding and destroying it. The IDF responded with tank fire and airstrikes against Hamas military targets in Gaza.

"This is a terror tunnel dug by the Hamas terror organization to carry out attacks inside Israel against its citizens and security forces and violate Israeli sovereignty," the IDF Spokesman's Office said in a statement.

"The IDF will continue in its actions to locate terror tunnels, using the different measures at our disposal, to thwart terror attacks against Israeli citizens and destroy the underground tunnels," the statement went on to say.

Photo: IDF Spokesman

A senior IDF official said the military does not yet know whether the new tunnel was dug before or after Operation Protective Edge, but it was found intact.

"We're prepared for a situation of escalation," the senior official said. "The search for the tunnels is a main priority for the military. These tunnels constitute a subterranean violation of Israeli sovereignty and we will act against them."

He added that the IDF's intelligence, technological and operational effort against the tunnels have been successful.

He also denied Hamas claims that a ceasefire agreement has been reached according to which Israel will withdraw its troops from the Gaza border area and in return the Palestinian factions in the Strip will halt their rocket fire.

Photo: IDF Spokesman

The tunnels spark concerns in Israel that Hamas is rebuilding its underground tunnel network in preparation for another conflagration. Toward the end of the 2014 war, Israel destroyed more than 30 tunnels Hamas had dug under the border. Hamas terrorists had used the tunnels to infiltrate Israel and carry out attacks.

According to a senior Southern Command official, Hamas employs 800 tunnel diggers who enjoy high salaries compared to other operatives in the organization, and Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades chief, Mohammed Deif, considers the tunnels a flagship project highlighting the strengthening of the organization's military wing.
Some 10,000 participants from 40 different countries, many of them teens and youths, made the three-kilometers-long journey from the Auschwitz extermination to Birkenau as part of the 28th annual March of the Living on Thursday afternoon.

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Ahead of the march, the Jewish Quarter in the city of Krakow was filled with thousands of teenagers, both Jews and non-Jews. Over the past week, the march's participants visited Jewish cemeteries and synagogues, the Zgody Square from which the 64,000 Krawkow Jews were sent to the death camp, ghettos, monuments and extermination camps. All groups are escorted by local tour guides, history experts and Holocaust survivors, allowing participants to not only witness the destruction caused by the Holocaust, but to also hear from people who lived through the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked at the March of the Living (Photo: Reuters)

Participants from Israel, as well as the US, Canada, Britain, France, Morocco, Australia and Japan, among many other nations, took part in the march, which is done in memory of the marches of death during World War II, during which long columns of prisoners were forced to walk great distances under heavy guard and in inhuman conditions. Many of them were murdered on the way or died of exhaustion or diseases.

The march, which began at 1:30pm local time (2:30pm Israel time), reached the gas chambers in Birkenau at around 3:30pm local (4:30pm Israel time), where all of the different delegations will come together to hold a memorial ceremony.

Last year's March of the Living (Photo: EPA)

Over 220,000 people from 52 countries have participated in the March of the Living since it was founded in 1988 to revamp Holocaust education, creating an emotional experience that students could connect with outside of the classroom.

About 50 young Polish Christians greeted all who joined the march. "We're Israel's Polish friends. We're here because we believe Jesus is here. In this place, in our country, the biggest horrors in history were committed. We feel we must come here. We love you."

Rebecca and Maya, two 17-year-old Jewish girls from Florida, are third generation to the Holocaust. "I'm here for my grandfather," said Rebecca. "He was here in Auschwitz and his entire family was murdered here. For 10 years we learned in school about the Holocaust but nothing prepared us to the experience we had over the past week (visiting the death camps). This is something we won't be able to forget until our final days.

At this point, Maya burst out crying. "All week we were in ghettos and camps and I didn't cry even once. But now, when I look around and see all of the teenagers with flags from all of these countries, and with the Star of David, everything comes bursting out. I'm crying of sadness, but also from excitement and happiness."

A delegation from the Prime Ministers Office continued their march raising their Israeli high. For most of us this is our first time here, they said, but also for those who were already here, to arrive as part of the official state Israeli delegation, to represent the Jewish state, to demonstrate that Jews live in the place in which once stood death factories for Jews - is extremely significant for us all.

One of the young delegates, Keren Yissfar (23) said that she found in the list of names in Auschwitz 30 people from her family who were murdered. My grandfathers family arrived here directly from Berlin, she said. Sam Peletz, a Holocaust survivor aged 83 who escorted the delegation from Florida, stood in the middle of the crowd as 20 young people surrounded him, sanf to him and came to him one after the other to receive a big hug. That was an extremely emotional experience for them, he explained. Only when they come here do they begin to internalize a little what happened here 70 years ago. All that I can do is share my experiences with them and hope that they will learn something from them. They said to me that they feel that they became better Jews as a result of the visit, Peletz said.

Alexa and Carly, both aged 19 from South Africa, said that they were proud of themselves for deciding to join the march. Carly didnt want to. She was frightened that it would be too hard, Alexa said but now she is thanking me.

This year, the march was led by Israel's Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, former Chief Rabbi of Israel and current Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv Yisrael Meir Lau, and a delegation of five Knesset members and international law experts who participated in a conference organized by the March of Living Foundation on Wednesday to mark 80 years to the establishment of the Nuremberg Laws and 70 years to the Nuremberg Trials.

In light of the ISIS suicide bombings in Europe over the past year, the March of the Living received unprecedented security on Thursday, and included both undercover and uniformed Polish policemen, as well as security guards hired by the march's organizers.

March of the Living vice chairman Aharon Tamir said that many parents of teens expected to participate in the march have expressed concern for the safety of their children. "This is a wide-scale logistical operation that we've been working on for months," he said.

A recent academic study confirmed what we already felt: individuals that participated in March of the Living return home with a strengthened Jewish identity and commitment to Israel, said Dr. Rosenman, the Chairman of March of the Living, We expect this years March to educate and inspire more youth who will return to their communities as leaders and activists.

The study was published this year by Prof. William Helmreich and found that past participants in the program were significantly more likely to return to Israel, provide a Jewish education for their children and marry a Jewish spouse.
More than 26,000 individuals from Europe received recognition as Righteous Among The Nations from Yad Vashem from after World War II. Only in one instance was the the honor granted to an entire organization and, in effect, an entire nation, rather than to a man, woman or family.

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The Danish resistance movement, which joined in the fight against the Nazis, took upon itself the hazardous task of saving almost all of Denmarks 6,5008,000-strong Jewish community.

After one of the largest and most successful rescue operations of World War II, its orchestrators had only one requestto be granted the title of Righteous Among the Nations not as individuals, but as a collective group.

Silja Vainer tells the story of how she was rescued (:  , :  , :  )

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Silja Vainer, who was a young girl during the war, was one of those Jews saved by the Danish resistance movement. Despite being a neutral country, the Nazis invaded Denmark in 1940. However, breaking with its regular occupational practices against those who had already capitulated, the Germans permitted the Danes to maintain their governmental institutions, oppose racist legislation and protect their Jews.

Nevertheless, after three years of national opposition in Denmark, the Nazis dismantled the government in Copenhagen and set about solving the Jewish question and unleashing the Final Solution. In an act of solidarity with the countrys Jews, the King of Denmark wore the infamous yellow Star of David used to label Jews.

Denmark's rescue operation of Jews during Holocaust (Photo: AFP)

Yet it would prove an insufficient measure against a Nazis plan already laid out and scheduled to commence by October 1943: The countrys Jews were to be expelled to concentration camps

Mom said, We must escape

Fortunately for Vainer and thousands of other Jews in Denmark, news of the plan was leaked by a German diplomat to the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Denmark which was then passed onto the Danish resistance and to the head of the Jewish community. Planning the operation to evacuate Danish Jewry to neutral Sweden immediately got underway

The first thing I remember was when I was in the playground. My mom came and called me to the house, and my parents told me that we had to leave the house, Wiener told Ynet after more than 70 years. I remember that my mother ran with us to her parents home to warn them and ask them to come with us to Sweden.

Vainers grandfather however, like many other Jews in Denmark, refused leave for Sweden. My grandfather was a religious man. He came from Russia having participated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1902.From there, he escaped and went all the way through Asia to Denmark. He said I have fled enough in my life.

Hiding in a wooden hut

This was and emotional and sad separation. I kissed my grandfather and grandmother and we went with my mother and father to hide in a wooden hut, Vainer recalled. A month later they learned that half an hour after my mother left, they came and knocked on the door and my whole family was taken and sent to Theresienstadt until 1945.

The Vainer family hid in a single hut until the beginning of the winter but eventually left due to the extreme temperatures and the danger that smoke from a wooden stove would reveal their location to the Gestapo. They decided to speed up the escape process to Sweden.

Right under the noses of the Nazi regime, the Danish resistance organized a daring rescue operation for their Jews, and within a number of days, thousands of their Jews were saved on fishing boats.

Suddenly one night they woke us up and we received nice clean clothes and then, it's only glimpses that I remember, Vainer emotionally recounts.

Danish Jews upon arrival to Sweden (Photo: AP)

They separated us from our parents. Then I remember them lifting us up and putting us in the rowing boat and covering us with a fishermans net. Then they pushed the boat into the water.

Upon arrival in Sweden the refugees could breath a sigh of relief: When we arrived in Sweden, we met nice people who brought us to orphanages. It was a long time until we were reunited with our parents.

The flight to Sweden facilitated the rescue of almost all of Denmarks Jews (around 6,500 or 90 percent) while the 492 remaining Jews were promptly sent to concentration camps, where 150 were murdered. Vainer's grandparents survived the camps and the family was reunited after the war.

The organizers of the operation would have been honored with recognition as Righteous Among The Nations but for their special request. And so it was that the Danish resistance remains the sole collective organization to have ever been the recipients of Israels national gratitude for their efforts during the most devastating chapter in modern Jewish history.
At least 2 explosions were heard in the area where the newest Hamas terror tunnel was discovered in the southern Gaza area.

IDF tanks are returning fire at Palestinian Islamic Jihad outposts. There are no IDF injuries.
There was a ceremony to mark 80 years since the Nuremburg laws and 70 years since the Nuremburg trials at Jagiellonian University in Krakow Poland. The buildings were impressive, royal even. It was here that Nickolas Copernicus discovered that the planets revolve around the sun, and not the other way around. There isn't anything else like this which so embodies the Enlightenment and all of its glory.

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Hundreds of years after Copernicus's momentous discovery, a short distance away form the university, one of the most effective mass murder machines in the history of man was in operation. It was an amazing combination of horror and technological progress.

If we are to believe that progress only brings with it good and justice, we are sadly mistaken.

The Nuremberg Trial - 1946 (Photo: AFP)

People of culture, taste and sophistication, the educated elite, all of them joined in the Nuremburg laws and, later, in carrying out the horrors that followed.

Former Canadian Justice Minister Professor Irwin Coler says that the Holocaust didn't begin with the gas chambers; rather, it began with words. Almost everyone who researches genocide  not only the Holocaust against the Jews  discovers that hate filled discourse prepares the groundwork for massacre.

Right now, we're talking about demonization, but we forget that demonization is sometimes the first step. The first act in a three-act play.

All the right words were said by a wide range of individuals, which included Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, Professor Alan Dershowitz, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, Former Supreme Court Chairwoman Dorit Beinisch, African judges, and many more.

However, it's impossible to ignore the huge gap between the lofty words and ideals, and what happens on the ground internationally. Dershowitz and others mentioned that the fact that so many international organizations remain utterly obsessed with Israel while atrocities go on around the world is simply morbid.

In the last decade, the UN General Assembly and the UN Council for Human Rights passed hundreds of condemnations  most of which were against the Jewish state. As former Israeli ambassador to the UN Ron Prosner says, it is delusional to think that the world has learned its lesson. The supposedly free world has pledged itself to the states of darkness. The free world hardly says anything against the majority of darkness.

When the leaders of Iran and Sudan sit at the head of the most important human rights ocouncil in the world, it proves that the world truly hasn't learned anything. And when the mechanisms for demonization and calls for boycott start to operate in the free world, are we really supposed to turn to Iran and Sudan for help?

Almost every blood libel ever said towards Jews is now being said towards the Jewish state. The combination of progress and horror isn't just something which happened in the distant past  its also today's reality.

Former French Justice Minister Robert Badinter said yesterday that Germany used to be the most educated country in the world. We saw what happened to the most important educated people during the Holocaust period. We saw what happened to the nation which raised the largest number of Nobel Prize laureates in the world.

"How many of these educated people were against what was going on?" He asks. Neither the most educated, nor the most musically talented, nor even the most artistically talented were immune to the racism of the period. It's not enough to be educated Badinter says, one also needs to be a mensch.

Eduard Mossberg, who testified against Nazi war crimes, was also at the Holocaust Survivors Conference. He spoke passionately and charismatically  tears flowed from many of those in attendance.

"If Israel would have existed during the time of the Holocaust," said Mossberg, "they would have done what the Allies never did. Israel would have blown up the gas chambers, and would have stopped the Holocaust."

Mossberg isn't an Israeli  he went to the United States after the war. Yet he ended his speech with three words; "Israel will live."
Today is my first Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. It will be a profoundly moving experience. As for many people my age, learning about the Holocaust was one of the defining moments of my education. I can remember the silence in the classroom when we first attempted to understand the enormity of what had happened to the Jews of Europe.

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Do young people in the UK have the same experience today? I believe so. I was inspired when I met a group of young ambassadors from the Holocaust Education Trust last year. Mostly non-Jews, these young people had come to Israel to understand the unique crime of the Holocaust, so that they could act on their commitment to keep the memory alive by educating their peers.

I was with Prime Minister David Cameron when he visited Israel in 2014 and held a meeting of the Holocaust Commission at Yad Vashem. Since then, plans have been finalized for a new 50 million Holocaust memorial and education centre near the UK Parliament, with another 10 million committed since 2010 to remembrance and education. Holocaust education in the UK is compulsory for 11-14 year olds.

British Ambassador to Israel David Quarrey (Photo: Reuters)

But as a British citizen as well as British Ambassador to Israel, it is troubling that Holocaust Remembrance Day this year comes against a backdrop of increased media focus in Israel on concerns about anti-Semitism in the UK

I do not believe that anti-Semitism is widespread in the UK. International surveys have shown that levels are lower than in most Western countries. But it does exist, and it needs to be addressed. 2014 saw a spike in the number of anti-Semitic incidents; that number fell 22 percent in 2015, but nonetheless was still too high.

Although the challenge of addressing anti-Semitism is one for society as a whole, the Government and Parliament are an important part of this fight. In March 2016, Home Secretary Theresa May pledged 13.4 million for Jewish community security. The Home Affairs Committee of the House of Commons will conduct a new inquiry into anti-Semitism. Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has launched an inquiry into anti-Semitism in his party, chaired by human rights lawyer Shami Chakrabarti. UK community engagement is seen internationally as a model of its kind, bringing together government, community groups and the police to ensure that anti-Semitism is identified and acted upon.

Britain, like any European country, cannot be complacent about anti-Semitism. But it is important to remember that contemporary Britain has a Jewish community of nearly 300,000 who are proud to be both British and Jewish, and who are an integral part of British society, thriving, and often leading, in all walks of life.

It is crucial that we reaffirm that while differences over policy are a natural, healthy part of the connection between robust liberal democracies, anti-Semitism or delegitimization of Israel is something completely different and unacceptable.

Holocaust Remembrance Day is a time to commemorate those who perished, and to support and pay tribute to those who survived. It must also be a time to recommit to eternal vigilance against the insidious threat of anti-Semitism, and, indeed, of all forms of religious, ethnic and racial discrimination, and make sure such atrocities never happen again.
A Hamas terror operative who is affiliated with the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades was arrested by Israel in early April.

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He revealed a wealth of information regarding the tunnels following an interrogation.

The operative, Mohammad Atuna, 29, was arrested after crossing the border fence and in possession of two knives. He crossed with the intent of attacking Israeli forces on the border with Gaza.

He was a part of the Hamas militant wing where he worked extensively with the terror organization, including planting and preparing IEDs to use against Israeli forces. He later became extremely involved with the terror tunnels.

Terror operative Mahmoud 'Atuna (Photo: Shin Bet)

Among the large amount of information that he revealed about the tunnels included their routes  particularly those in the northern part of the strip, on Hamas's use of private houses and buildings to hide their tunnel construction activity, and the various methods and materials Hamas uses to physically build the tunnels

Atuna pointed out exactly where digging projects were occurring, and also pointed out where the tunnel shafts which members of the Nahba unit are supposed to use when attacking Israel are located. The Nahba unit is the Hamas Special Forces unit.

He also said that Hamas established a warren of tunnels within Gaza to be used to ferry militants and equipment around the Strip. The tunnel systems built include rooms for relaxation equipped with showers and mess halls in order to improve the lives of the Hamas fighters.

Throughout the interrogation, Atuna gave up a wide range of names of Hamas operatives and their positions within the organization, and information as to the location of weapons storage facilities, many of which are located in civilian houses.

To this effect, Atuna admitted to having massive amounts of arms at his house, including IEDs, rifles, and suicide vests. He was supposed to give these items out to fighters in the event of another round of fighting.

A picture from inside the newly discovered Hamas tunnel (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

An indictment has been filed against Atuna by the Southern District Prosecutor's Office in Be'er Sheva.

The Gazan has been in the tunnel business for almost a decade, and he detailed that there are two types of tunnels; tunnels within Gaza which are used for fighting and through which fighters can maneuver in and to outflank IDF forces, and tunnels which cross the border for the purpose of carrying out surprise attacks on IDF forces and Israeli civilians.

He also revealed that Hamas has invested millions of dollars to enable their Special Forces operatives to stay underground for weeks at a time, lying in wait until the order is given to attack Israel.
The Supreme Court called on the Israeli government Thursday to hand over the bodies of Palestinians killed carrying out terror attacks to their families.

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The court issued a recommendation rather than a mandatory ruling, so the government could choose to disregard it, although it would risk new criticism if it did so.

Supreme Court Vice President Elyakim Rubinstein urged "the police to coordinate with the families and return the bodies of their sons before Ramadan," the holy Muslim fasting month that begins in early June.

Rights groups Adallah and Addameer had petitioned the court on behalf of nine families of terrorists whose bodies have been withheld by the security forces, some for more than six months.

Armon Hanatziv terror attack (Photo: AFP)

Muslim custom demands that the dead be buried as soon as possible.

The families argue that the security forces are taking revenge against them for the actions of their sons and say it has added to their grief.

The policy has divided Israeli officials. Its leading advocate, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, says it prevents funerals for terrorists turning into political demonstrations and acts as a deterrent.

But senior figures in the IDF say it stokes tensions with the Palestinians.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or vehicular attacks.

The court called for the bodies of the dead to be removed from mortuary freezers 48 hours before they are handed over so they are not delivered frozen. Previously families have complained of having to wait for their sons' bodies to thaw before being able to bury them.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad accepts responsibility for some mortar attacks.

This is the first time since Operation Protective Edge that PIJ has taken responsibility for attacks.
Something's clicked apparently with Hamas's military wing. Its members and leader, Mohammed Deifthe father of the tunnels projecthave begun to understand that the IDF has finally developed a way to locate the attack tunnels that they dug underneath the border from Gaza into Israel. Thanks to this method, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades' leaders have understood, the IDF is undertaking intensive and accelerated operations and has already discovered at least two tunnels.

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The moment that the Brigades' leaders understood this fact, they found themselves with a severe dilemma: Do they act immediately via their tunnels and other means before they lose their main strategic asset? Or do they refrain from operations and come to terms for now with the fact that Israel will uncover at least some of the tunnels and search for other methods to surprise Israel in the next round?

Their dilemma stems from two central facts. One is that the military wing of Hamas still isn't ready for another round of fighting with Israel on the scale of Operation Protective Edge. The second is that the population of Gaza is unable to endure the pain and hardship which will be the result of any major military operation in Gaza that would only worsen the situation further. Not before they restore the destruction of Protective Edge.

IDF exposes Hamas tunnel. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

As a result, Hamas fears a major confrontation with Israel at the present time, especially because it's likely that Hamas would lose its political power due to a popular uprising against it.

Hamas has therefore chosen the middle path. The moment that Israel uncovered the latest tunnel, Hamas started shooting "deterrence fire," intended to cause the IDF, out of fear for the safety of its soldiers and workers in the field, slow down its operations.

(L-R:) Chief of General Staff, GOC Southern Command, and Southern Brigade Commander near newly discovered tunnel (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

At the same time, this mortar fire is Hamas's way of sending a message to Israel: If you keep looking for our tunnels, we're likely to go crazy, and a war will break out. This is basically what has happened since the latest tunnel was uncovered.

The IDF was not deterred by Hamas's mortars, though this is the first time since Protective Edge that the Gazan terror organization independently fired directly at IDF forces.

IDF exposes Hamas tunnel. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

The IDF chief of staff, who views tunnel detection as the military's top priority to maintain Israel's defense and sense of security for the residents of the Gaza border region, hasn't stopped or slowed down any efforts for a moment. To the contrary, with the permission of the prime minister, the defense minister and the cabinet, the operations have been increased, the forces strengthened, and detection efforts heightened.

Despite this, it's possible to assess that there are behind-the-scenes talks going on between the Hamas political and military leadership. The leaders of the military wing initiated the fire directed at Israeli forces, even though they know that it may bring about a harsh response from the IDF, which so far has only been tank fire and strikes from the air force.

Hamas's political leader, Khaled Meshaal (Photo: AFP)

I hasten to add that as a result of pressure from the political wingwhich wants to mitigate the threat of another round of violencethe military wing will be careful not to accurately shoot at the IDF, but only fire in its general direction, at least for now.

The current argument between the Hamas military wing and the heads of the political wing are primarily based on the fact that the political leadership is putting pressure on the military leadership not to escalate violence. This is despite the fact that they may lose their most important strategic asset, the tunnels.

However, the military wing is still at least considering, or so it seems, whether to attack the IDF Engineering Corps to mitigate the discovery of additional tunnels, even if the price for such an attack is an intense escalation.

Newly discovered tunnel (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

The political wing is worried about the plight of the civilian population and is trying to convince the military wing to avoid an escalation, even a partial one, because it could evolve into a much larger and unintended confrontation.

Evidence of this disagreement can be seen in the public statements released by the political leadership which claim that Egypt will mediate a further de-escalation between Israel and Hamas. These statements are baseless; Egypt will not broker any de-escalation, and IDF forces that left the security perimeter that is located on Palestinian territory left because they finished their jobs. But the political wing is using this fact to offer the military wing a ladder to use to climb down from their figurative tree.

It currently seems that the military and political wings of Hamas, together with the State of Israel and the IDF, have no interest in an escalation, and everybody wants to avoid one. But Hamas's military wing is still entangled in the dilemma, and it will have to decide if it will risk losing its attack tunnels and search for a new course of action to strategically surprise Israel in the next round, or if it will take the route of the biblical Samson and destroy itself together with the Philistines. Or, in this case, the tunnel-finding Israelis.
ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced his resignation on Thursday, paving the way for the country's president to pursue a tighter grip on power.

Davutoglu, who had fallen out with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced he was stepping aside following a meeting with executives of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, which has dominated Turkish politics since 2002.

The decision is not effective immediately. The party will hold an emergency convention May 22 to select a new party leader who would also replace the premier.
The closing ceremony of Holocaust Remembrance Day took place Thursday evening at the amphitheater of the Ghetto Fighters' Museum highlighting the 20th anniversary of the Yad LaYeled Museum, established with the aim of providing children of today a first acquaintance with the world of children who lived during the Holocaust.

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President Rivlin spoke at the ceremony, followed by Dr. Anat Livne, Director, the Ghetto Fighters' Museum, and Nir Meir, the national chairman of the Kibbutz Movement. In addition, six torches were lit in memory of the six million murdered during the Holocaust.

President Reuven Rivlin speaking at the ceremony (Photo: Ido Erez)

Simultaneously, a ceremony was being held at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai at the monument in memory of Mordechai Anielewicz, one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, MK Yair Lapid and Eshkol Regional Council head Gadi Yarkoni will speak at the ceremony, which will also be attended by representatives from 17 foreign states.

Earlier today some 10,000 participants from 40 different countries, many of them teens and youths, made the three-kilometers-long journey from the Auschwitz extermination to Birkenau as part of the 28th annual March of the Living.

The march, which began at 1:30pm local time (2:30pm Israel time), reached the gas chambers in Birkenau at around 3:30pm local (4:30pm Israel time), where all of the different delegations will come together to hold a memorial ceremony.

At 11am, the ceremony "Unto Every Person There is a Name" was held both in Yad Vashem's Hall of Remembrance and at the Chagall State Hall at the Knesset under the auspices of the Knesset's Speaker. During the ceremony, names of the Holocaust's victims will be read out. Also in attendance was President Rivlin and his wife, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Supreme Court President Naor, Opposition leader Isaac Herzog, and others.
A Palestinian woman in her 50s was killed in an IDF attack in the Gaza Strip. She was killed by fire from IDF tanks towards a neighborhood on the outskirts of Khan Yunis after mortars were fired towards soldiers located nearby the Strip's fence.

The shell apparently landed near the woman's home.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia says a raid targeting suspected ISIS militants near the holy city of Mecca saw security forces shoot and kill two people while two others blew themselves up with suicide belts.

The raids on Thursday marked the first time Saudi officials have acknowledged targeting the kingdom's ISIS affiliate near the city that is home to the Kaaba, the holy cube-shaped shrine of Islam toward which its faithful pray. It comes ahead of this year's hajj pilgrimage in September.

An Interior Ministry statement says the raid was carried out to halt an imminent attack, without elaborating. It said no security personnel or civilians were wounded.
Islamic Jihad has commented on the woman who was killed from a shelling in Khan Yunis: "The harm of innocent residents is a serious escalation that Israel is responsible for. We warn Israel not to damage the residents, or this will cause us to respond in kind."
Nebraskans recently wrapped up the tax preparation process, and we all know filing is no easy task.

According to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, Americans spend more than six billion hours complying with the 10,000-page tax code, costing our economy $234 billion annually.

One of the best ways we can grow our economy is by simplifying the tax code. On the Ways and Means Committee, we are committed to continuing our work on this crucial effort. Our tax code was last updated in 1986  a generation ago  and is increasingly burdensome in todays global economy.

We have already taken significant steps, such as improving certainty for American families and businesses by making more than 20 tax relief provisions permanent in December, ending the cycle of continually renewing them. One of these provisions makes higher expensing levels under Section 179 of the tax code permanent to allow small businesses to invest in needed equipment while knowing those expenses will not be taxed up front by the federal government.

While we pursue more comprehensive reforms, the lack of accountability repeatedly demonstrated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires immediate action. The IRSs offenses include targeting taxpayers and irresponsibly directing resources away from its core function of taxpayer services, resulting in an abysmal 2015 tax filing season.

In 2014, the IRS used only 44 percent of its user fee account on taxpayer services. This number dropped significantly in 2015, with the IRS using only 10 percent of its user fee account on these services. Taxpayers across the country felt the pain of this choice.

Additionally, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office, only 38 percent of callers needing to speak to an IRS representative last year were able to reach one.

Our tax system depends on voluntary compliance, but inadequate taxpayer assistance makes it more difficult to comply and can encourage cheating. This is why the Ways and Means Committee recently passed multiple bills to protect taxpayers and address the IRSs track record of poor management. Here are a few examples:

The IRS OWES Act enforces congressional oversight of IRS user fees by directing them to the U.S. Treasurys general fund and subjecting them to the congressional appropriations process.

The Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act prohibits the IRS from rehiring any individual who was previously employed by the agency but fired for misconduct.

The Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act prohibits the IRS from collecting the identity of donors who contribute to tax-exempt organizations in order to prevent the IRS from targeting Americans based on their political beliefs.

The Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Prevention Act requires the IRS to notify taxpayers if their identities have been compromised, makes it easier to work with the IRS to resolve identity theft cases, and establishes actions the IRS must take to prevent identity theft.

The first two bills have already passed the House, while the second two have passed the Ways and Means Committee and will soon come to the House floor for a vote.

The IRS requires the highest standard of compliance from taxpayers, making the agencys own actions unacceptable. It should not take an act of Congress to hold the IRS accountable to its own standards, but this legislation is necessary to put taxpayers first.

To any Third District residents experiencing difficulties with the IRS, my office is here to help. My congressional caseworkers have years of experience dealing with the agency and can be reached at my Grand Island office by calling 308-384-3900. My office also hosts Caseworker in Your Community events throughout the Third District to better serve constituents in all 75 counties. To learn about Caseworker in Your Community and other service events throughout the Third District, please subscribe to my e-newsletter at AdrianSmith.house.gov/Newsletter.
Alvin H. C. Apetz age 96 of York, died Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at York.

He was born Dec. 14, 1919 at Waco to Carl A. and Clara (Wellman) Apetz. Alvin attended elementary school at St Johns Lutheran School at Waco, NE and graduated from Waco High School in 1938.

In February 1942 he enlisted in the United States Army where he served in the 144 Infantry Regiment in Oregon, California and North Carolina. He was stationed in Boston when he was assigned for Overseas Replacement in 1944, where he joined the IV 4+4 Infantry Division in France.

He was wounded in action in May of 1945. He was honorably discharged in October of 1945 at Fitzsimons Hospital at Denver, Colo. and awarded the Purple Heart. Alvin worked in the area York from 1945  1982 as a construction foreman. A longtime member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in York, he served on many boards and committees and was also an Elder for several terms. Alvin enjoyed serving as a Scout Master for Boy Scouts of America Troop 170, which was sponsored by Emmanuel Lutheran laymens League.

On Nov. 30, 1973 he was married to Luella Apetz at York. She preceded him in death in December of 2014.

He is survived by his sister, Darlene Senff of York; sister-in-law, Wanda Apetz of York and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; two brothers; one sister and a nephew.

Funeral Services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, May 6, 2016 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in York with the Reverend Mike Neidow officiating. Burial will take place in St Johns Cemetery south of Waco. Visitation will be held from 1  9 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, with family greeting friends that evening from 6:30  8 p.m. at the mortuary. Memorials may be directed to Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Condolences may be left for the family at www.metzmortuary.com.

Metz Mortuary in York is handling arrangements.
LINCOLN  The University of Nebraska-Lincoln honored Nebraska eighth graders for their academic excellence, leadership and perseverance April 28 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.

The Big Red Stars program is designed to recognize outstanding eighth grade students in Nebraska. These talented young people were nominated by school principals for showcasing strong leadership skills and academic promise.

The ceremony was sponsored by UNL and EducationQuest. Highlights of the event included a KnowHow2Go presentation by EducationQuest, keynote speakers, individual recognition and awards. Tours of UNL campus sites were offered after lunch.

The following students from York were recognized: York Middle School  Lauren Peters and Anthonie Gomez and Emmanuel-Faith Lutheran  Alyssa Gilliland and Ty Schneider.
YORK  While voter registration numbers have increased over the past few months, in York County and across the state, that doesnt necessarily mean there will be an increase in voter turn-out on election day, next Tuesday.

This week, Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale encouraged citizens to vote on May 10.

Gale also noted that registration rarely translates to voting-day turnout.

In York County, during the last Primary Election in 2014, the voter turnout was only 28 percent. Of the 10,269 voters in York County, only 2,922 actually voted. And that election involved the seats of two contested county commissioners.

Typically, the turnout for general elections are higher than primaries. The voter turn-out for the 2014 General Election, in York County, was 44.6 percent.

And in the 2012 General Election, in York County, the turnout was a record 61.7 percent. This was attributed to the fact there were many local races, state issues and the presidency at stake during that election.

Figures from the Nebraska Secretary of States office show that there are 1,165,189 registered voters in the state, about 13,000 more than were registered to vote in the 2014 primary.

With the Democratic caucus events already completed in Nebraska and the departures of Ted Cruz and John Kasich from their Republican campaigns, voter turn-out on Tuesday will likely be less than originally expected.
As a homeowner, you probably already know that you should be working to maintain your home. But, chances are, you Read More
Muzaffarpur: As many as six members of a family were killed in Benibad village of Gaighat Block in Bihar's Muzaffarpur District after a high-tension wire falls on them.

Meanwhile, hailstorm and lightning have left at least nine people dead in Bihar in the last 24 hours.

Two each were killed in Purnea, Jahanabad and Jamui district, while the remaining three were killed in Muzaffarpur, Dharbanga and Nawada.

Maximum rainfall was recorded in Purnea. Mango and Litchi crops have been damaged due to the hailstorm.

According to the MeT department, eastern part of the state is likely to experience some rain today.
New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday moved Supreme Court seeking relaxation on banning diesel taxis from the Delhi/NCR in a phased manner.

The Centre in its plea has said that the apex court order banning diesel cabs are affecting BPOs, which use large number of taxis including diesel ones to ferry their employees.

BPOs bring dollars of foreign exchange, this may go to other countries if they are not able to operate efficiently, the Centre said.

The top court will hear the matter on Monday.

The Supreme Court last week ruled that diesel driven taxis won't be permitted to ply in Delhi after March 31. The cab owners and drivers say the ruling has affected thousands of them.

The Delhi government on Tuesday had moved the apex court requesting to ban diesel taxis from the National Capital Region in a phased manner.

The SC had on April 30 refused to extend the deadline fixed for conversion of diesel taxis into less- polluting CNG mode.

The court had on December 16 last year considered the contention of senior advocate Harish Salve, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, that all diesel taxis be moved to CNG fuel within a reasonable time but not later than March 1, 2016.
Panaji: Atanasio Monserrate, the expelled Congress legislator who was booked on Wednesday for allegedly raping a minor girl in March, surrendered before the Goa Police on Thursday.

The Goa Police has arrested Monserrate also known as Babush, who was expelled by the Congress and is now an independent legislator.

The former education minister has been charged with human trafficking and rape.

The case was transferred to the women`s police station, which functions under the crime branch, last night.

In a statement before the police, the 16-year-old victim from Nepal said that her step mother and another woman sold her to Monserratte.

She further alleged that Monserrate spiked her drink and then raped her at his bungalow. "The next morning I woke up without my clothes, covered in blood, he was sitting without his clothes on," the teen has told a committee.

According to Superintendent of Police (Crime) an FIR was filed under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 328 (causing hurt), 370 (detaining against will), 376 (rape) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Goa Children`s Act.

However, speaking to IANS Monserrate said that the complaint against him was a result of a political conspiracy.

Monserrate was elected to the St Cruz constituency on a Congress ticket, but was sacked from the party after he started hobnobbing with the BJP. He has been booked in the past for extortion.

His son Rohit, was also arrested for allegedly raping a minor German girl five years back, but was later acquitted from the charge.
Panaji: An opposition legislator has complained to the Lokayukta that Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar was involved in a Rs 14 crore scam in awarding beach cleaning contracts to private agencies, a charge the minister has denied.

In his complaint filed on Wednesday before the Lokayukta PK Mishra, Independent legislator Rohan Khaunte said kickbacks were received by Parulekar for awarding tenders for cleaning up Goa beaches in North and South Goa districts that attract nearly four million tourists every year.

"The complaint is based from documents obtained under RTI. The scam is clear. The terms of the tenders were manipulated to suit the companies which eventually won the tender," Khaunte alleged.

Interestingly, the complaint also names 39 witnesses which includes top bureaucratic and political functionaries as witnesses, which includes Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, as Khaunte claims Parrikar was the chief minister at the time the contract was awarded.

Parulekar, however, denied the allegation claiming the complaint was a result of Khaunte`s "political frustration".

"The beach cleaning tender was done in a most transparent manner and due process was followed to select the right agency to undertake this mammoth task. The tendering process was scrutinised by various departments which included finance and law. The lowest bidder was selected to give professional services," Parulekar told IANS on Thursday.

"The results of which are evident from the fact that the beaches of Goa are now cleaner and more beautiful. This has further resulted in Goa bagging several awards and recognition for its clean beaches in the last one year which includes TripAdvisor`s Best Beach Awards in Asia and India where Goa received top honours," Parulekar said.
Panaji: The Goa Police on Thursday recorded the statement of the minor girl, who was allegedly raped by expelled Congress legislator Atanasio Monserratte in March.

"A team of officials from Women's police station visited the state-run protective home where the girl is currently lodged and recorded her statement," a senior official said on condition of anonymity.

The victim had recorded her statement before Child Welfare Committee wherein she had alleged that Monserratte has raped her several times in the past.

According to NDTV, the police says the lawmaker should be tried for human trafficking.

The 16-year-old girl from Nepal told the police that her step mother and another woman sold her to Monserratte.

She alleged that Monserrate spiked her drink and then raped her at his bungalow. "The next morning I woke up without my clothes, covered in blood, he was sitting without his clothes on," the teen has told the committee.

An FIR was registered by Panaji police yesterday in this connection but it was handed over to Women police station last night.

Superintendent of Police (Women police station) Karthik Kashyap told PTI that Monserratte has been booked under Section 3,4 of POSCO Act, and relevant sections of the IPC and Goa Children's Act.

Monserratte, who represents St Cruz constituency, was out of town when the case was booked against him yesterday. He had claimed that the case against him was "politically motivated".

"The girl was working in my showroom and I had dismissed her for misappropriation of funds. This is a conspiracy against me," he had said.

Monserratte's family members maintained that he is innocent and is being "framed".

(With Agency inputs)
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government on Thursday opposed the bail plea of quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, saying that the "conduct and behaviour" of the accused showed it was seditious in nature.

Public Prosecutor Mitesh Amin, who began his argument against Hardik's bail plea in the court of Justice A J Desai, told the court that "conduct and behaviour" of accused Hardik since the beginning of the agitation was against the government and seditious in nature.

The court kept the matter for further hearing post summer vacation, on June 9 as the government lawyer said that he cannot finish his arguments in a day. The High Court will go for vacation from coming Saturday.

Questioning the statement made in a voluntary undertaking given before the court by Hardik's lawyer yesterday, Amin said the clause that he will continue agitation with a rider that it will be peaceful, was not acceptable as given the history of Patidar agitation, it was not likely to remain peaceful.

Amin highlighted Hardik's behaviour as 'stubborn' for insisting that Chief Minister Anandiben Patel herself should come to collect memorandum at GMDC ground where a huge rally turned violent on August 25 last year.

Hardik's insistence led to his detention, he told the court. The violence that broke out following his detention could have incurred loss to the tune of around Rs 100 crore, Amin told the court.

He also questioned Hardik's visit to Vipul Desai's home in Surat where he made a statement saying Vipul (who had threatened suicide) should kill policemen rather than end his life.

He further said that Hardik made several statements to incite public during the India-South Africa match in Rajkot on October 18, where he himself went. Amin also told the court that the HC had set aside quashing a petition filed by the accused in two FIRs lodged in Surat and Ahmedabad.

He said that the state government has issued an ordinance for 10 per cent reservation for economically weak among upper castes.
Imphal: Tension gripped the Manipur-Myanmar border town of Moreh after two Indian nationals were reportedly shot dead at Wuksu in Myanmar.

Sources in Moreh told IANS that the bodies are yet to be handed over to the Indian authorities for identification.

However, the security forces are not taking any chances in this sensitive border area. Security measures have been beefed up to avert any untoward incident.

According to sources, the two Indian nationals, Mohammad Kheruddin (28) and Mohammad Jalanuddin (32) from Moreh, had left for Myanmar on May 2 to catch fish in the mountain streams. But they never returned.

On Wednesday night, two bullet-ridden bodies were reportedly found at Wuksu.

Police sources told IANS that the district police superintendent is in touch with his Myanmarese counterpart.

Once the bodies are handed over to police and proper identification done then the actual sequence of events may come to light, sources said.

Meanwhile in a separate incident, unidentified insurgents hurled a China-made hand grenade at the house of retired chief engineer Akham Nilamani.

Police believe that it may be a case of mistaken identity as a chit was left at the spot threatening another person. No group has so far claimed any responsibility.
New Delhi: As many as 272 Indian fishermen are in jails in four countries, the government said on Thursday.

Of these, 220 are prisoners in Pakistan, 34 in Sri Lanka, 10 in Bangladesh and eight in Iran, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha.

Stating that the government attached the highest priority to the safety and security of fishermen, she said Indian missions regularly sought consular access to them and worked for their early release and repatriation.

"Given the humanitarian and livelihood dimensions of this issue, the government has put in place several bilateral mechanisms to ensure cooperation and understanding between India and the countries concerned, to promote the safety and security of Indian fishermen," she said.

"In case of Pakistan, we have a bilateral agreement on consular access, signed in May 2008.

"The India-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee, consisting of retired judges, visits jails in both countries, to ensure humane treatment and expeditious release of prisoners, including fishermen on both sides, who have completed their prison terms," she said.

According to her, in the case of Sri Lanka, the Indian mission works closely with Colombo`s defence ministry and other authorities to secure the release and repatriation of Indian fishermen.

"In addition, talks are held from time to time between fishermen`s associations in India and Sri Lanka," the minister said.

In the case of Bangladesh, "the (Indian) mission seeks consular access from ministry of foreign affairs and contacts local NGOs for their welfare during their imprisonment in Bangladesh," Sushma Swaraj said.
New Delhi: BJD members today walked out of Lok Sabha protesting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley underscoring the Centre's commitment to the Polavaram project, which is being opposed by Odisha.

As Jaitley wound up his reply to the discussion on the Finance Bill, he sought to assuage the concerns of TDP members over revenue deficit of Andhra Pradesh by reeling out figures to underlince the increase in allotment of funds to the state.

BJD-ruled Odisha has also been demanding a special status for it.

Jaitley referred to Polavaram, a major irrigation project which has drawn Odisha's objection over its fears that part of its territory would be submerged, and insisted that the Centre would stick to the commitment made to Andhra Pradesh.

BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab rose in protest and was heard saying that the matter is in the Supreme Court, an apparent reference to Odisha moving the court against the project.

"We can look at Odisha's grievances independently. I can't go back on the Andhra Act," Jaitley said.

Expressing their dissatisfaction over his response, BJD members staged a walkout.
Delhi: CBI has been able to establish the genuineness of the sting operation in which former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat is embroiled, as per media reports on Thursday.

ANI quoted sources as saying that the CBI spoke to one MLA who stated that when finance bill was discussed in the Assembly, Rawat called him in the office and offered him Rs 2.3 crore and an important post in the government if he supports.

Meanwhile, the CBI today summoned Rawat for questioning in connection with a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the controversial sting CD, as per PTI.

It is said that he was purportedly seen talking to middlemen in a bid to strike a deal with dissident Congress MLAs.

The inquiry was registered on the recommendation of the state government and the notification was issued by the Centre.

The state is under President's rule.

Two days before Rawat was to face vote of confidence on March 28, nine rebel Congress MLAs, led by former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, had alleged that they were offered bribe by Rawat for support during the floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly and released a video of the "sting" operation.

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 BJP in the Assembly, purportedly shows Rawat negotiating a money deal with the journalist to buy the support of MLAs who had revolted against him.

Rawat, who had been insisting that the sting was fake, last week 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 BJP chief Amit Shah to put him in jail if he is found in the wrong.

Claiming innocence, Rawat had 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.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: The Congress will organise a "save democracy" rally here on Friday to make the public aware about how the Narendra Modi government is "damaging institutions", party leader Jairam Ramesh said.

"It's aimed to save country's democracy as states are being harassed, reports of parliamentary committees are being overlooked and nothing is being done for the masses," Ramesh told reporters here on Thursday.

The rally is to be addressed by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi.

Ramesh said Congress leaders and workers will assemble at Jantar Mantar here and after the leaders finished addressing the rally they will all march to parliament house.

He said Modi government has been "systematically" attacking country's democra
Berlin: A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the bombing of a gurudwara by Islamist militants in the German city of Essen, police said today amid reports that two teenagers had rehearsed for the terror attack by detonating a prototype of their self-made bomb.

A special police unit took the unidentified man into custody at Essen's central railway station yesterday evening on an arrest warrant issued against him by a district court in the city, police said.

A person accompanying him was also detained and kept in custody, it said a statement.

Police gave no further details, but media reports identified the third man arrested as jihadist Tolga I, a seventeen-year-old jihadist and sympathiser of Islamic State (IS) terror group, from Wesel in the state of North Rhine Westphalia.

Tolga I gave the orders to the two main suspects to carry out the terror attack.

16-year-old secondary school students Mohammed B and Yussuf T were arrested four days after they allegedly detonated a fire extinguisher filled with explosives at the entrance of the Nanaksar Satsangh Sabha Gurudwara on April 16.

Meanwhile, media reports said the two teenagers had rehearsed for the attack by detonating a prototype of their self-made bomb.

Police found a video of the trial explosion on a USB drive in the apartment of Mohammed B in Essen, TV channel WDR reported?yesterday. Different material for making bombs, including detonator also were recovered.

The video showed the explosion of a bomb in an open area similar to the fire extinguisher filled with explosives they detonated at the entrance of the Nanaksar Satsangh Sabha Gurudwara.??

Investigators now believe that the blast which ripped through the entrance hall of the gurudwara on the evening of April 16, injuring three persons, one of them seriously, was a meticulously planned operation.

During their interrogation, Mohammed B and his accomplice Yussuf T told the investigators that they carried out the? bomb attack "for the fun of making fireworks".

But, the Interior Ministry of the state of North Rhine Westphalia confirmed last week that the two sixteen-year-old secondary school students wanted to detonate the bomb inside the Sikh temple, which hosted a wedding ceremony, but they failed to break in through the entrance door.

The two teenagers are currently in preventive custody.
New Delhi: In a major development with regard to the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), states on Thursday sought clarification from the Supreme Court whether the state governments should go ahead with their state medical entrance tests separately or not.

Earlier, on Tuesday, hearing the petitions by some states and private medical colleges seeking permission to continue with separate tests for admissions in the MBBS and BDS courses this year, the Supreme Court had asked MCI to respond to state governments by Thursday.

On Monday, the apex court had set up a three-member panel to oversee functioning of the MCI with regard to the NEET. The panel will be headed by former chief justice of India R M Lodha.

The apex court had also upheld the provisions of a Madhya Pradesh law which enables government to have 50 per cent shares in management seats in private dental colleges

NEET schedule

According to the schedule, the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) scheduled for May 1 was treated as first round of the NEET.

However, those who have not applied for AIPMT will be given opportunity to appear in round two on July 24.

The combined result will be declared on August 17, in order to complete the admission process by September 30 - the deadline set by the apex court in its previous orders.
The livelihood of fishermen and lakhs of families was under "serious threat", she said.

"The Modi government, instead of giving them security, was allowing foreign fishermen to come to our waters," she said.

Touching upon the hotly debated dry law, she said implementation of prohibition would be a social revolution. "Brothers and sisters, you all know that we have promised to implement

prohibition if we are voted to power," she said.

Both DMK and Congress have promised dry law in their respective manifestos. "This (dry law) will be a social revolution," she said, adding it would bring "much relief" to lakhs of women and their families.

Seeking to corner Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa, she said, "It is because of our firm and uncompromised position on banning liquor sale that the chief minister

was forced to clarify her position."



Jayalalithaa had said her party would usher in dry law in phases. Ahead of that announcement, her party leaders like Natham Viswanathan had maintained it was not possible to put dry law in

place.

The Congress president said the UPA regime had passed the "historic" Land Acquisition Act three years ago. However, Tamil Nadu had become the first state to amend it.

"This action goes completely against the interests of farmers. Written consent of farmers will no longer be required for acquiring their lands. Your land can now be possibly acquired without

compensation."

She said when DMK government was in power, Tamil Nadu was in the news for setting up new industries. But today "Tamil Nadu is in the news because factories are closing, industries are

leaving the state and they are choosing other states and more and more young people are becoming jobless."

Whether at the Centre or in Tamil Nadu, "our alliance" has always worked for the welfare and advancement of all people especially the weaker sections of society, Gandhi said.

"I would like to state here that we do not make false promises like other parties have done and are doing. We take our manifesto seriously. We intend to execute all promises that we have made."

"Brothers and sisters, we are committed to bringing back a government which will work, a government which will protect the interests of all sections of society especially that of our farmers, women, children and youth."

She urged the people to vote in large numbers for the Congress-DMK alliance and ensure victory.
Delhi: The Centre has ordered 33 senior officials of the revenue department to take premature retirement, apparently due to non-performance, as per a media report.

As per NDTV, over last two years, 72 officials have also been dismissed following departmental and disciplinary action.

However, as per the report, this is the first time that action has been taken against such a large group.

Further, the website quoted a senior personnel ministry official as saying that action against revenue officials was part of measures to change the perception of officials that poor performance would not impact their job.



PM Narendra Modi had reportedly been receiving complaints from various departments about officials who harassed people or were indifferent.

The PM had asked all departmental secretaries in January to take stern action against non-performing officials.

Later, Centre had shortlisted 122 deputy secretary level officials in various ministries and departments.

Department of Personnel and Training had written to the administrative officials of 34 departments seeking inputs in order to scrutinise their records.


New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday grilled former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi in connection with the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal.

Tyagi arrived at the zonal office of the agency here just before 11 am and agency sources said he will be questioned and his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ex-IAF chief was questioned in the same case by CBI for the last three days.

This is the first time that the ex-Chief of Staff of the Indian Air Force has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate.

Agency sources had earlier indicated that Tyagi's questioning was 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.

Tyagi's name cropped at various points in the said judgement.

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.

The 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.

The ED 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.

Tyagi, however, has denied any wrongdoing on his part.

On January 01, 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.

The central agency has also issued Letters Rogatory (judicial requests) to ten countries in this case.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: In an attempt to crack the suspect name codes and the alleged kickbacks paid in the VVIP choppers deal, ED has sought information from the Defence Ministry, Income Tax department and FIU to share details about officials and other individuals figuring in the case.

Officials said the agency has sought property details on ten serving and retired officials of the Ministry of Defence and the Indian Air Force who had handled the procurement process of the AgustaWestland choppers at some point of their service.

It has also sought details from the IT department and the Financial Intelligence Unit to provide details of personal finances, transactions and investments made by some people suspected to have some connection to the case.

They said the references have been made in the light of a hand written note by the alleged middlemen in the case, a document also brought on record by a Milan 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.

Sources indicate ED investigators have made some "analysis" of the probable identity of these code names and hence want to investigate the flow of funds and the "proceeds of crime" and possible kickbacks made in the procurement of these choppers.

With the help of data from the tax department and FIU, some evidence can be established, they said.

To the Defence Ministry, ED has specified names of officials about whom they need the details of assets possessed.

"This service-maintained data will be matched with current data being provided by the IT and FIU," they said adding some officials of the MoD are in top positions now.

Widening its probe in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal, the ED has also begun a trail of "cash" which is suspected to have been paid as alleged kickbacks for the purchase of these helicopters from UK-based AgustaWestland.

The financial probe agency has set the ball rolling with the second round of questioning of witnesses and accused in connection with the scam. The ED, in its charge sheet filed last year in a court,

had claimed to have detected flow of alleged kickbacks sent from abroad to companies of the accused Gautam Khaitan and cousin brothers of the former IAF chief.

Officials said the flow of funds is being probed as it is alleged that it was quid pro quo to make AgustaWestland eligible to get selected for the final delivery of the 12 AW-101 helicopters to India for VVIP flying duties.

The ED, as per the charge sheet, had traced two payments of Euro 1,26,000 and another two lakh Euros from a company based in Tunisia and others made to Tyagi brothers "camouflaged" in the form of consultancy fee and its probe had found that the said "remittances correspond with the developments taking place in alteration/reduction of mandatory servicing ceiling of the helicopters."

The ED alleged that "besides these two remittances, the Tyagi brothers including the then IAF Chief Tyagi, also received some amount of cash from Haschke and Gerosa.

The ED probe found that the alleged middlemen Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, in collusion with the Tyagi brothers Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep "managed to make inroads in IAF through Air Chief Marshal Tyagi and thereby could influence and subvert the consistent stand of IAF regarding mandatory service ceiling of the helicopters."

This ground was used by CBI and ED to register their respective FIRs in the case and brought out the alleged illegal involvement of the ex-IAF chief and his cousins in perpetrating the scam.

The agency, sources said, suspects the tainted cash could have been used by the accused for making certain high-value payments and purchase of costly items.

It is also expected that a joint team of the two agencies could be authorised by the government to soon travel to few overseas locations to track the trail of funds, both through wire transfer and cash.
Srinagar: National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Thursday appealed to the Supreme Court to protect the interests of medical students of Jammu and Kashmir, saying the extension of NEET to the state would put their future in peril.

"The extension of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) to Jammu and Kashmir will be detrimental to the interests of the students from the state and will put their future in peril," Abdullah said while addressing party workers at Pattan in Baramulla district.

Appealing to the Supreme Court to safeguard the future of the students from the state, the former Chief Minister said the PDP-BJP government should treat this matter with "utmost seriousness" as any "callousness" would harm the dreams of "our students who have been studying hard in preparation for their entrance examinations".

Abdullah, who was Union minister in the previus UPA-led government, said the extension of NEET to Jammu and Kashmir would also rob its female students of the 50 per cent reservation that was introduced by the National Conference government in the state's medical colleges to boost women empowerment and education.

"Our girls will have to compete on a national level for this reservation and the very purpose of reserving 50 per cent seats in medical colleges for them will be defeated.

"Apart from this, our students have spent the last two years preparing for their entrance examinations based on the state board syllabus and curriculum, while NEET is based on the CBSE curriculum. This has created anxiety in the minds of our students and the state government has been reluctant to allay their fears and assuage their apprehensions and those of their parents," Abdullah said.

Earlier, the NC presiddent inaugurated a newly constructed mosque and 'Ziyarat Sharif' (shrine) at Ziyarat Hazrat Mohuiddin Khan Sahab Naqshbandi at Nihalpora Pattan and offered prayers there.

"The state government should keep its promises made to the people and ensure there is delivery of governance in every nook and corner of the state," he said.

He expressed disappointment at the "induced misery" because of the state government's "insensitivity and apathy", demonstrated by the extension of National Food Security Act to the state.

"Today our people are out on the streets to protest for their basic requirements of ration and this doesn't augur well for peace and stability in the state. Developmental projects in the state have been put on the back-burner and people are suffering," he alleged.
Ramgarh: A gruesome murder incident has sent shock waves across this district in Jharkhand.

A 31-year-old college student was on Wednesday found murdered outside her institute with her head smashed and one of her hand cut off, as per PTI.

Sonali Murmu, a B.Ed student, was shot dead right outside her college here.

As per police, the woman was hit on the head at least 20 times with a sharp object.

Reports say a man named Suken Mandal had been stalking Murmu for several years. The harassment did not end even after she got married.

According to NDTV, Murmu knew Mandal from her school days.

Mandals involvement is highly suspected as he was obsessed with her and has been absconding since the murder, M Tamilvanan, Superintendent of Police, said.

Sonalis husband Chitranjan Tudu used to drop her to college which is about 15 km from her residence, every day on a motorcycle. Yesterday, her brother-in-law Naresh had dropped her to college instead.

Tudu was reported as saying that Mandal had threatened them at the time of their marriage.
New Delhi/Perumbavoor: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the mother of the Dalit woman, who was raped and murdered in Perumbavoor, on May 11.

Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot will also visit Kerala and meet the victim's family.

With Assembly polls only 12 days away, the case has become the most talked about issue in Kerala.

A poor Dalit woman whose brutal murder has shocked Kerala had 38 wounds on her body, her autopsy revealed, as police said on Wednesday their probe was on the right track.

The report by the Alappuzha Medical College also said that further tests will have to be done to confirm that Jisha, 30, was sexually abused before being murdered.

But almost everyone in the state appears to be convinced that this is a case of rape-cum-murder and it is being compared with the Nirbhya rape and killing of Delhi in 2012.

Jisha was found murdered on April 28 near a canal here by her labourer-mother. The body was badly mutilated. There were injuries on her private parts, according to police.

Even as the police questioned half-a-dozen suspects, the police released a profile picture of a suspect, based on information gathered from neighbours who saw a man around the victim's house that day.

On Wednesday morning, opposition leader and former chief minister VS Achuthanandan reached the hospital where Jisha's mother is admitted.

The first to reach the hospital on Wednesday was Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who was greeted by a hostile mob of Left student and youth activists shouting slogans against his government.

Meanwhile, a neighbour of the victim was on Tuesday night picked up from Kannur and questioned. Eight people are reportedly being questioned.

The CPI-M is saying that the police began taking interest in the case only after the media and the social media took it up -- because the victim was a poor woman.

(With Agency inputs)
Thiruvananthapuram: The brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman at Perumbavoor is becoming campaign material for the May 16 Assembly polls with both ruling UDF and rival LDF trading charges over the issue of safety of women in Kerala.

Criticism against police for the way it handled the case and alleged failure of government machinery in nabbing the culprits even a week after the incident has apparently pushed the Congress-led UDF government to a corner.

The woman, a law student who hailed from a poor family, was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house at nearby Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. The incident had triggered widespread protests across the state.

The CPI(M)-led opposition has tried to corner the government over the fact that the incident came to the limelight only four days after the crime.

They have also alleged that police tried to cover up the incident in view of the elections and that the heinous crime was indication of collapse of the law and order situation under Congress rule.

However, government immediately announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the victim's family and a job to her sister.

Putting up a brave face, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had yesterday said government was committed to ensuring the safety of women and would bring the culprits to justice at the earliest.

He cited the speedy probe and trial that took place in the case of the murder of Saumya, who was pushed out of a moving train and raped in Thrissur district a few years ago.



Chandy also said police in the state was very quick in solving some sensational murder cases and ensured maximum punishment to the culprits.

Referring to opposition criticism on police handling the Perumbavur rape case, he said it was a tragedy which should not have happened but no one should politicise the issue.

Both Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who came to visit the victim's ailing mother at a hospital, had to feel the heat of CPI(M) activists, who raised slogans against the government. Chennithala had to return without meeting the woman due to the protests.
Ranni (Kerala): Targeting former defence minister and senior Congress leader A K Antony over the AgustaWestland chopper deal, BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday asked him to make it clear on whose orders "changes in the agreement" were made.

"Antony should tell at whose behest changes were made in the agreement. Why were the field trials of the helicopter shifted abroad," Shah said, launching his campaign for the May 16 assembly elections in Antony's home state of Kerala.

Addressing a public meeting at Ranni in Pathanamthitta District, he slammed Antony for his statement that BJP had a "secret tie-up" with CPI(M) in the state and dismissed the allegation.

BJP had only one open agenda and that was to dump both the Congress-led UDF and CPI-headed LDF "in the Arabian sea", he said, projecting his party as the alternative in the state.

On their claim that there would be communal tension in Kerala if BJP-led NDA came to power, Shah said his party was ruling in 14 states and there was no communal strife in any of them.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said equal justice and protection to all is our motto. This is what BJP governments follow in all the states," he said.

Shah said NDA should come to power in the state to speed up the declaration of the famous hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala near here as a national pilgrim centre and also for setting up the proposed rubber park in the district.

The BJP chief alleged that during the successive rules of UDF and LDF, several injustices had been done to various sections of the society.

"If NDA comes to power, these injustices will be rectified," he said.
Perumbavoor: The Kerala Police on Thursday detained two migrant labourers in connection with the rape and murder case of a Dalit law student in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam District.

Meanwhile, Perumbavoor Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar has been removed from the investigating team due to lapses.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy yesterday announced that the state government has decided to give Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the family of the Dalit law student.

Chandy, who met the family members of the victim yesterday, said that his government would do the `necessary` towards the demands of the victim`s family, who has asked for a job for the victim`s sister.

Chandy, who described the crime as `shocking`, asserted that swift action would be taken against the perpetrators of the rape and murder of the law student.

The police had taken two persons into custody who were questioned by a police team headed by Ernakulam Range Inspector General Mahipal Yadav.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday took suo motu cognizance of yet another `Nirbhaya` like rape and murder of a Dalit law student, whose body was found by her mother on April 29 evening.

According to reports, the 29-year-old woman was murdered after rape inside her home, near an isolated stretch, at Vattolippidi Canal Bund near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district.

Her body had at least 30 injuries, including on the private parts. Reportedly, the assault on her stomach was such that the small intestine had spilled out.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed anguish over the loss of lives at the ongoing Simhatha Kumbh Mela in Madhya Pradesh and hoped for the early recovery of those injured.

"Anguished over the loss of lives at the Kumbh due to heavy rains. May Almighty give strength to the bereaved families to overcome the grief," he tweeted.

"I hope the injured recover quickly. I pray for the safety & well-being of all saints, pilgrims and tourists at the Kumbh," Modi said in another tweet.

At least six people were killed and 40 injured as the Kumbh Mela in Ujjain was hit by lightning and squall, flattening and uprooting pilgrims' tents.

The rain made large parts of the Mela ground slushy, making the rescue operation difficult. Authorities have cut off the electricity supply to the area as a precautionary measure.
Indore: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has asked the MP Public Service Commission to frame rules to recruit Class-IV employees directly on the basis of their marks in 12th standard.

"There are many services in the fourth-class category where the minimum qualification is 12th standard. The MPPSC should frame a scheme to recruit people directly on the basis of their marks on such posts," Chouhan said here last evening inaugurating the building of the Commission.

The written examinations and interviews should be conducted for higher posts only where necessary.

Terming MPPSC as the "heart of the state", Chouhan said the Commission has raised the state's stature by working with full transparency and authenticity.

"I feel honoured that MPPSC is working with full transparency and in an unbiased manner and has made a distinct identity for itself. Nobody has raised any doubts on its working and it has conducted exams with full honesty, authenticity and transparency," the Chief Minister said.

On the occasion MPPSC Chairman, Vipin Beohar and Secretary, Manohar Dube were also present among others.

The new MPPSC building was constructed with a cost of Rs 15 crore in an area of 6,541 square metre. It houses a total of 80 rooms.
Ujjain (MP): At least seven people were killed on Thursday when several tents collapsed in strong winds and heavy rain here at Simhastha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest Hindu religious congregations organised in an interval of every 12 years.

Strong winds and heavy rainfall swept through the Ujjain city in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, as thousands of devotees thronged to take their holy bath on the banks of the famed Kshipra river.

The Madhya Pradesh government has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of deceased and Rs 50,000 each to critically injured victims, ANI reported.

The month-long Simhastha Kumbh Mela began in Ujjain early on last Friday with the arrival of Juna Akhara for the royal bath on the banks of the river.

People from different parts of the country have converged in the city, which is also the abode of Lord Mahakaleshwar, one of the 12 Jyotirlings in the country.

All the 13 Akharas of saints and seers will take dip one after another for which elaborate arrangements were made along the banks of the river.

Over 5 crore people, including seers, are expected to visit the city during the period, with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saying it will be a Green Simhastha.

Over 5 crore pilgrims are expected to visit Ujjain and other holy places during the fair, for which huge security and logistical arrangements have been made, Chouhan said.

Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh also took bath at Gaughat on the opening day of the Simhastha.

About 22,000 security personnel, including the state policemen, personnel from central forces and other departments have been deployed.
Mumbai: A Mumbai Sessions Court here on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment four youths charged with killing two men who attempted to prevent them from molesting their women friends five years ago.

The convicts are Jitesha Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulgaj and Dipak Pivar who had attacked Keenan Santos, 24, and his friend Rueben Fernandes, 29, on the night of October 20, 2011, after they tried to harass their two women friends outside a restaurant in Andheri.

Talking to reporters, Keenans father Valerian Santos said he was happy with the sentence given to the guilty. They should live every moment thinking about Keenan and Reuben, said Santos.

After a lot of pain, the court has finally given the verdict what we wanted, he said, adding: Even if they (guilty) go to God, I will still stand in front and ask for justice for my son.

Santos further said that the journey was still not over as the guilty will appeal to higher courts, that is their right.
Thane: A Deputy Director in Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC), who was arrested for allegedly offering bribe to a Sena corporator in exchange for not probing complaints of graft against him, has amassed assets worth over Rs 2.93 crore, ACB officials said.

Y S Reddy (48), Deputy Director in the Town Planning Department of VVMC, was arrested on April 28. He was in police custody since then and was granted bail last evening by a court here.

Thane District Judge VV Bambarde let off Reddy on a bail bond of Rs 15,000 after his custody ended.

Sanjay Mohite, DySP of Thane ACB unit, said after Reddy's arrest, ACB sleuths conducted searches at his residences in Vasai and Hyderabad and unearthed assets worth Rs 2,93,94,775 (owned by him and his family members) disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Reddy owns one flat each in Vasai and suburban Borivali worth Rs 53.63 lakh. The sleuths also detected assets worth Rs 1.46 crore in Hyderabad which included documents pertaining to ownership of 11 flats (in two separate buildings under his wife's name), 23 acres of land, gold jewellery, cars and Rs 92.04 lakh in cash, the court was told.

His bank account lockers in Vasai also yielded cash and ornaments with a total worth of about Rs 93 lakhs, the ACB said, adding, there were several complaints of alleged irregularities against the official made by the corporator to police, the civic body and courts which prompted them to take action.

Advocate Gajanan B Chavan, counsel for Reddy told PTI that the court has ordered the accused official to be present every alternate day at the office of the ACB, which is now looking to initiate probe under the DA case.

Reddy wanted the corporator to withdraw the complaints against him for which he allegedly offered a bribe of Rs one crore to him. The aggrieved corporator then lodged a complaint with the Thane unit of ACB.

Subsequently, the ACB laid a trap and caught the accused at a restaurant on Ghodbunder road in Thane on the night of April 28 when he was allegedly offering the first instalment of Rs 25 lakh to the corporator.

Reddy had earlier worked with the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) before joining the VVMC.



Offences under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act were registered against the accused.
Kuala Lumpur: Social media giant, Facebook has opened a local office in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, a media report said on Thursday.

"The office launch marks a milestone for Facebook in Malaysia and we are committed to helping Malaysians and businesses connect in more meaningful ways," said Facebook South-East Asia Managing Director Kenneth Bishop.

"Our local team in Malaysia will be focused on helping businesses tap into this unprecedented opportunity to connect with mobile-first consumers," The Malaysian Star quoted Bishop as saying.

According to a recent survey by research firm TNS, 94 percent of Malaysians discovered products and brands on Facebook, and 62 percent make a purchase after discovery.

There are currently more than 18 million Malaysians on the social media platform, and 6.5 million people on photo-sharing platform Instagram, which the company also owns.

Malaysian also ranks 10th globally for the number of friends, which is 60 percent more than the global average.

The local office will be headed by Nicole Tan, who was previously the managing director of J. Walter Thompson Malaysia, an advertising company.

"Malaysians on Facebook are an active and mobile first community. They spend more time watching video on their smartphones than consumers in any other country in South-East Asia," Tan said.

The company also said that South-East Asia is its fastest growing region and Malaysia, being a mobile first country with 144 percent mobile penetration rate, is one of the key growth drivers.

Out of the 1.65 billion users on the platform globally, more than 241 million comes from South-East Asia, mostly (94 percent) accessing through mobile devices.

The opening of the local office is part of its expansion in the region following the launch of the Philippines office last month.
Imphal: The issue of reservation seems to have polarised the students of Manipur University here after the University Grants Commission (UGC) slashed the quota for appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff and admission of tribal students.

While the Manipur University Tribal Students` Union (MUTSU) launched a two-day agitation seeking revocation of the UGC policy, the Manipur University Students` Union said a democratic form of agitation should be organised rather than unruly protests.

MUTSU members had locked up the gate of the varsity and disrupted classes to press their demand. But they faced opposition from student groups of other communities that urged the university authorities to follow the UGC policy in this regard.

The Dean`s Committee of the university had endorsed the UGC policy on April 4.

According to the UGC notification, quotas for appointments to the teaching and non-teaching positions and admission of tribal students were fixed at 15 percent for Scheduled Castes, 7.5 percent for Scheduled Tribes and 27 percent for the OBCs.

Officials of Manipur University said UGC policies are binding on all varsities that are funded by the central government.

With the reservation issue rocking the campus, the Joint Students` Coordination Committee (JSCC) has urged the authorities to take steps to ensure normalcy in the university.

JSCC issued a statement saying that if the university authorities do not take steps to ensure that classes are held and the academic atmosphere is not vitiated, then the students` outfit will take action on its own.

In other words, the university may be heading for more trouble.
Chandigarh: The United States-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) on Thursday claimed it had served notice of a "defamation lawsuit" against Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh for allegedly linking it to Pakistan`s ISI, which was, however, denied by the politician`s spokesman.

Amarinder Singh had allegedly accused the human rights group of playing into the hands of Pakistan`s Inter-Services Intelligence.

His media adviser, Vimal Sumbly, told IANS here that no such notice had been received by the former chief minister, who is currently touring the United States.

"No such notice has been received by him (Amarinder Singh)," Sumbly said.

SFJ legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said in an email from San Francisco: "While Amarinder was addressing an NRI gathering in Bay area of California, the Sikhs For Justice served on him the notice of intended defamation lawsuit under the Canadian laws for accusing the human rights group of playing into the hands of Pakistan`s intelligence agency ISI."

"The demand letter accompanying the notice by SFJ`s Toronto-based law firm Goldblatt Partners said that the letter`s purpose is to give you the opportunity to provide a prompt, unequivocal, full and fair retraction and apology within seven days from the service," the SFJ said.

Amarinder singh had, on April 24, slammed the SFJ "for playing into the hands of the Pakistan`s Inter-Services Intelligence" by filing cases against him in Canadian courts just days ahead of his visit to Canada to meet non-resident Indians.

The Congress leader had urged Canadian authorities to be wary of anti-India groups like the SFJ.

Amarinder Singh was forced to cancel his visit to the Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver last month after the SFJ moved the Canadian courts accusing his government in Punjab (2002-07) of torturing people and rewarding police officers responsible for this.

"The publication of the defamatory statements has caused grave damage and injury to the Sikhs for Justice, a Canadian non-profit organization incorporated and operating pursuant to the laws of Canada," the SFJ notice said.
London: Do you think smartphone can be converted into a remote-sensing device? Well, a new android app has been developed which can convert smartphone into a self-contained remote sensing device.

The app was created by the researchers from University of Exeter and collaborators from the Cornwall-based non-profit FoAM Kernow, helps aid humanitarian rescue work in disaster-struck regions by using geographic data to map landscapes.

The app uses on-board sensors already within modern smartphones.

These include accelerometer, GPS, compass and camera and generate ready-to-use spatial data when the device is suspended from lightweight aerial platforms such as drones or kites.

The app gathers the data and allows the smartphone to operate autonomously so that once airborne, it can capture images according to the user's specification.

Dr Karen Anderson, remote-sensing scientist at University of Exeter, says There are now more mobile devices than humans on Earth. This global distribution of devices offers a great opportunity for democratic mapping but until now, there have been no apps that exploit the comprehensive sensor sets in modern devices in this way.

Currently the sensors on mobile phones harvest data about their users and send this information to third-parties.

We wanted to start using this data for beneficial purposes such as community-led mapping. Alongside recent developments with lightweight drones, we are excited to see the variety of mapping applications for which our new app will be used, Dr Anderson noted.

The app is different from many other apps because it can be live-coded which means that it is not fixed in its functionality.

This allows the user to programme it to behave as desired and images can be captured according to strict criteria for example, when the phone arrives at a particular location, or when the camera is level and pointing in a particular direction.

Dave Griffiths, Director at FoAM Kernow, who programmed the app, said: "As free/open source software, the app is accessible to anyone in the world with an android device.

It means that people can combine new sensor technology for their own uses with drones or kites in an open-ended manner.

The team found that the best results were obtained when the phone was attached to a stable single line kite or to a gliding drone so as to limit the vibrations.

But there will undoubtedly be a wide range of ways of capturing high-quality data using this app and we are really keen to learn about the ways it is being used, the authors added.

The app can be freely downloaded from the Google store. All of the code that supports generation of Geo-TIFFs is freely available from GitHub.

The paper was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

(With IANS inputs)
Coimbatore: Election department and police officials today raided the house of a local DMK leader at nearby Annur following information that large amount of unaccounted money was allegedly kept there, police said.

Income tax department officials have been alerted, they said.

The search at DMK leader Shanmugham's house is still continuing, they added.
Lucknow: An unsavoury war of words broke out between the BJP-led central government and the Samajwadi Party (SP) government in Uttar Pradesh over a train carrying water to parched Jhansi, a district in Bundelkhand region, which is reeling under severe drought.

After a train carrying five lakh litres of water reached Jhansi railway stations late Wednesday, district officials refused to `receive it` saying they have neither any information about this train nor the logistical support to transport the "huge reserve of water to Mahoba".

A railway official said that "the Water Express was stationed at Jhansi station and would be of use only when officials take it further".

The state government, however, accused the central government of "playing politics" over drought and said nobody had requisitioned water from the centre as there was not much need of it.

"Based on the directions of the chief minister, water is being supplied to the area by more than 4,000 water tankers everyday," a senior official of the state government said.

He added that in any case there is lots of water in the reservoirs of the area as well.
Dehradun: Hours after the CBI on Thursday summoned Harish Rawat to Delhi for questioning on Monday in a corruption case, the former Uttarakhand Chief Minister said that he will co-operate with the investigating agency.

We will co-operate with this completely. The BJP has started a lot of things, like this CBI summon, Rawat said.

If the CBI is being used to tamper the floor test, people will notice what you are doing. Public is the ultimate master, he added.

The CBI had on April 29 started investigating a videographed "sting operation" in which Rawat was purportedly seen talking to middlemen in a bid to strike a deal with dissident Congress MLAs to support him during a floor test in the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly.

Rawat has denied the allegation and called the video fake after it was released by rebel Congress legislators.

Two days before Rawat was to face the vote of confidence on March 28, rebel Congress MLAs led by former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna alleged that they were offered bribe by Rawat for support during the floor test in the Assembly and released video of a "sting" operation purportedly showing Rawat.

The Union Home Ministry sent a CD of the video to the forensics laboratory in Chandigarh to examine its authenticity.

A CBI source said the forensic report "confirmed" that the CD was genuine after "which Harish Rawat was asked to appear on Monday for questioning".

The hill state is without an elected government after Rawat was dismissed following a rebellion in the ruling Congress. The central government imposed President`s Rule in the state on March 27.

Rawat has challenged the presidential proclamation and the matter is being heard by the Supreme Court.

The top court has suggested to the BJP-led central government to let Rawat prove his legislative majority on the floor of the house.

The central government on Wednesday sought two days to "seriously consider" the suggestion. The case comes for hearing on Friday.
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday summoned ousted Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat to Delhi for questioning on Monday in a corruption case.

The CBI on April 29 started investigating a videographed "sting operation" in which Rawat was purportedly seen talking to middlemen in a bid to strike a deal with dissident Congress MLAs to support him during a floor test in the 70-member Uttarakhand house.

Rawat has denied the allegation and called the video fake after it was released by the rebel Congress legislators.

Two days before Rawat was to face the vote of confidence on March 28, rebel Congress MLAs led by former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna alleged that they were offered bribe by Rawat for support during the floor test in the Assembly and released video of a "sting" operation purportedly showing Rawat.

The Union Home Ministry sent a CD of the video to the forensics laboratory in Chandigarh to examine its authenticity.

A CBI source said the forensic report "confirmed" that the CD was genuine after "which Harish Rawat was asked to appear on Monday for questioning".

The hill state is without an elected government after Rawat was dismissed following a rebellion in the ruling Congress. The central government imposed President`s Rule in the state on March 27.

Rawat has challenged the presidential proclamation and the matter is being heard by the Supreme Court.

The top court has suggested to the BJP-led central government to let Rawat prove his legislative majority on the floor of the house.

The central government on Wednesday sought two days to "seriously consider" the suggestion. The case comes for hearing on Friday.
Beirut: At least 28 people, including women and children, were killed Thursday in air strikes on a displaced camp in northern Syria near the Turkish border, a monitor said.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Human Rights Observatory, said the strikes which also left 50 people wounded targeted the camp near Sarmada in Idlib province, which is controlled by Syria`s Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and rebel allies.
Canberra: Australia`s most wanted Islamic State terror suspect, linked to several attacks on home soil, has been killed in a US air strike in Iraq, Canberra said on Thursday, warning others will be targeted.

The death of Neil Prakash is considered significant by Australian and US authorities because of his highly prominent and influential role as a senior recruiter for the jihadist group.

Attorney General George Brandis called him "the most dangerous Australian involved with ISIL in the Middle East," using an acronym for the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

He said Washington had told Canberra that Prakash died in Mosul, Iraq, on April 29 after Australia provided intelligence on his identity and location.

"Neil Prakash was a prominent ISIL member and a senior terrorist recruiter and attack facilitator," he said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Marise Payne.

"Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the United States. He is considered to be Australia`s most prominent ISIL recruiter."

Since the start of their campaign, the US military and its coalition partners have launched more than 12,000 air strikes against the IS group and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said more Australians were in their sights.

"Australians who think they can go to Syria and Iraq and fight with Daesh have to recognise that they will be targeted," he told Sky News, referring to IS by another acronym.

"They are waging war against Australia and they are enemies of Australia once they choose to wage that war in those theatres."US authorities also told the government that Australian woman Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad was killed in an air strike near the Syrian city of Al-Bab on April 22, along with her Sudanese husband.

"Mohammad and her husband, Abu Sa`ad al-Sudani, were both active recruiters of foreign fighters on behalf of ISIL, and had been inspiring attacks against Western interests," said Brandis.

In Washington, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said al-Sudani was involved in planning attacks against the United States, Canada and Britain, though he did not provide details of the plots.

"Both al-Sudani and his wife were active in recruiting foreign fighters in efforts to inspire attacks against Western interests," Cook added.

Mohammad was the sister of Farhad Jabar, a 15-year-old who shot dead police employee Curtis Cheng in Sydney last October. The teenager was killed in gunfire shortly afterwards.

Prakash, who left Australia in 2013 and was known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was linked to an alleged terror plot on Anzac Day last year, when Australia honours its war dead.

He has also appeared in IS propaganda videos, including one last year calling for attacks on Australia.

"His death disrupts and degrades ISIL`s ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts," added Brandis, who said that between 50 and 59 Australians had so far been killed fighting for jihadists in Iraq or Syria.

At least 110 more are still battling with Islamic State.

Australia has long been concerned about home-grown extremism and raised the terror threat alert level to high in September 2014.

At least six attacks have been foiled on Australian soil over the past 18 months, according to the government. But several have taken place, including the terror-linked murder of Cheng.
Dhaka: Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the death sentence of top Islamist party leader Motiur Rahman Nizami for war crimes, paving the way for his execution within days.

Nizami, head of Bangladesh`s biggest Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, was convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of intellectuals during the country`s 1971 independence struggle.

"We`re satisfied. Now there is no bar to execute him unless he seeks clemency from the president and the president pardons him," Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told AFP after the Supreme Court dismissed Nizami`s final appeal.

Clemency has never been granted to a convicted war criminal in Bangladesh, and the 73-year-old is likely to be hanged within days.

Security has been stepped up in Dhaka, already tense after a string of killings of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities by suspected Islamist militants.

In 2013 the convictions of Jamaat officials triggered the country`s deadliest violence in decades, with around 500 people killed, mainly in clashes between Islamists and police.

Nizami took over as leader of Jamaat in 2000 and was a minister in the Islamist-allied government of 2001-2006.

Prosecutors said he was responsible for setting up the Al-Badr pro-Pakistani militia, which killed top writers, doctors and journalists in the most gruesome chapter of the 1971 conflict.

Their bodies were found blindfolded with their hands tied and dumped in a marsh on the outskirts of the capital.

Prosecutors said Nizami ordered the killings, designed to "intellectually cripple" the fledgling nation.

He was convicted in October 2014 by the International Crimes Tribunal, which was established in 2010 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina`s government and has sentenced more than a dozen opposition leaders for war crimes.

Rights groups say the trials fall short of global standards and lack international oversight.
Riyadh: Saudi police shot dead two suspected militants and two others blew themselves up during a raid near the holy city of Mecca on Thursday, the interior ministry said.

"The terrorists started shooting towards security forces, which they responded to", leading to the deaths of a pair of suspects while the others "committed suicide by blowing themselves up with suicide belts", the ministry`s spokesman said in a statement.

Police had surrounded the suspects` hideout between the holy city of Mecca and the mountain resort of Taif, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) to the east, on Thursday morning when the shootout occurred.

A simultaneous raid occurred on a hideout in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where two people were arrested, "and they are being investigated for their involvement in this cell", the spokesman said.

"The security operation is still underway. Explosives are being removed and the area combed. And the suicide belts, explosives and weapons at the first location are being dealt with," the spokesman said.

The raids were part of surveillance and followup, "including to what happened in Bisha on Friday".

At that time, two suspects died in a shootout with security forces who foiled a car bombing in Bisha, southwestern Aseer region.

A third suspect, Iqab Mujab al-Otaibi, fled but was later arrested wearing an explosives belt, the ministry announced last Sunday.

According to the ministry, Otaibi allegedly took part in a deadly shooting at a Shiite mosque in 2014 and a bombing at a mosque inside a Saudi special forces compound in the southwestern city of Abha last August.

Both attacks were among several bombings and shootings claimed by the Islamic State group of Sunni jihadists since late 2014 in Saudi Arabia.

IS also said it was responsible for shooting dead a Saudi police colonel in the Riyadh region last month.

IS considers Saudi Arabia`s Shiite minority to be heretics.

The IS group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has reputedly called Saudi Arabia`s Sunni rulers "apostate tyrants" and called on Saudis to rise against them.

The kingdom is part of the US-led coalition bombing IS in Iraq and Syria, and Saudi political and religious leaders routinely denounce IS attacks -- at home and abroad -- as contrary to Islam.

Still, a report last year by the inter-governmental Financial Action Task Force said Saudis comprised the second largest nationality among "foreign terrorist fighters" with IS.
Damascus: The Islamic State (IS) on Thursday seized full control of al-Shaer gas field, located east of the central Syrian province of Homs, after three days of fighting against government forces.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least 35 regime troops and 16 IS jihadists were killed during the clashes, Efe news reported.

Despite the radicals` seizure of the gas field, clashes between the two sides are continuing in the vicinity of the field, of which soldiers are trying to regain control.

The clashes coincided with airstrikes, launched by warplanes and helicopters.

Al-Shaer has been targeted several times by IS jihadis as it was held by them in July and November 2014, but both times government forces managed to expel them.
London: London was on track to become the first EU capital with a Muslim mayor as voters went to the polls Thursday after a bitter campaign between Prime Minister David Cameron`s Conservatives and the opposition Labour party.

Labour lawmaker Sadiq Khan, a former government minister and son of a bus driver from Pakistan, is tipped to beat Conservative multimillionaire environmentalist Zac Goldsmith in the race to run the British capital.

Both men voted shortly after polls opened at 7:00am (0600 GMT): Khan in his multi-ethnic constituency of Tooting in south London, and Goldsmith in his leafy, affluent southwestern suburb of Richmond.

The campaign to replace Conservative Boris Johnson in City Hall has been ugly, with Khan forced to deny support for Islamic extremists and Goldsmith rejecting claims of playing on voters` religious prejudices.

But many Londoners are more concerned about issues such as the high cost of housing and transport.

"Muslim or non-Muslim, it doesn`t ... matter for the community," said 57-year-old Koyruz Zoman, a Muslim cook from Whitechapel in the ethnically diverse East End.

"Whoever comes in, we want what they`ve promised."

The vote was taking place on the same day as regional polls in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which are expected to leave the balance of power in those regional devolved administrations broadly unchanged.

The elections are a key test for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the veteran socialist elected in September.

The party has been convulsed by a row over anti-Semitism that has resulted in the suspension of a Labour MP, a former Labour London mayor and several activists.

A poor showing in the polls, which include 124 local authorities across England, would embolden Corbyn`s critics on the moderate wing of the party.

Cameron will also be hoping for a good result, however, as he grapples with deep splits in his party ahead of the June 23 referendum on Britain`s membership of the EU.Twelve candidates are standing for mayor of London but polls point to a straight fight between Khan and Goldsmith, with the former between 12 and 14 points ahead.

However, experts caution that turnout will be key.

Both men come from different backgrounds. Khan, 45, grew up in social housing and worked as a human rights lawyer before entering politics, while Goldsmith, 41, is the son of the late tycoon financier James Goldsmith.

Khan has dismissed attempts to link him with Islamic extremists as "desperate stuff", but Cameron repeated the claims in angry clashes with Corbyn in parliament on Wednesday.

"It`s been the nastiest campaign," said Leeanne Collaco, a 28-year-old human resources manager from Whitechapel.

She said religion was not as important as Khan`s modest background, saying: "His family have known struggles. He probably would fight harder for a fairer London."

London`s Evening Standard newspaper endorsed Goldsmith on Wednesday, as he spent the last day of campaigning on a 24-hour tour of the city.

"Of the two strong candidates, he has more compelling ideas on tackling pollution and congestion," the paper said.In the Scottish Parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon`s pro-independence party is looking to tighten its hold on power as it seeks to build support for a second vote on leaving the UK following a failed referendum on the issue in 2014.

If Britain as a whole votes to leave the European Union but Scotland votes to stay in, Sturgeon says that would be a pretext for her Scottish National Party to demand another independence referendum.

In Wales, polls put Labour on course to retain their dominance in the Welsh Assembly, with the Conservatives and nationalists Plaid Cymru vying for second place.

In Northern Ireland, the delicate balance in the power-sharing executive set up after decades of sectarian violence also looks set to continue.
Saint Petersburg: Russian maestro Valery Gergiev on Thursday will conduct his orchestra in the ancient theatre of Syria`s ravaged Palmyra, only weeks after it was recaptured from the Islamic State`s grip.

The concert will bring music to the ancient site that IS notoriously used to hold public executions after it overran Palmyra last year.

The Mariinsky orchestra will give the concert at 1400 GMT, the Mariinsky theatre in Saint Petersburg, where Gergiev is director, said in a statement.

The orchestra "will give a concert `Praying for Palmyra. Music brings ancient walls alive` on the site of the world-famous amphitheatre of Palmyra in Syria," it said.

Syrian troops backed by Russian air strikes and special forces on the ground recaptured UNESCO world heritage site Palmyra from Islamic State group fighters in late March, delivering a major propaganda coup for both Damascus and Moscow.

Russian army sappers said last month that they had demined the ancient site -- known as the "Pearl of the Desert" -- where jihadist fighters blew up ancient temples and looted relics.

Gergiev is one of the world`s best known conductors but has faced some criticism in the West for his strongly pro-Kremlin views, with his tours sometimes interrupted by protestors.

The concert in Palmyra will not be the first he has conducted in a place where the Russian military has carried out controversial operations.

In 2008 the Ossetian-native conducted a concert in Tskhinvali, the main city in separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia that was heavily damaged in the short Russian-Georgian war that year.

Gergiev also conducted a charity concert in Tokyo for victims of the Fukushima tragedy in 2012 and led a charity concert tour to raise funds for victims of Russia`s Beslan school massacre in 2004.

Gergiev is often seen as an instrument of soft power of the Kremlin. He endorsed President Vladimir Putin in his election to the third term in 2012.

More recently he appeared in a state TV programme praising cellist Sergei Roldugin, a friend of Putin who was named in the Panama Papers tax evasion scandal as owning a $2-billion (1.75-billion-euro) offshore empire.

Roldugin also works in the Mariinsky, but it is not clear whether he will be performing in Syria.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov meanwhile told journalists that Gergiev`s Syria concert "deserves to be valued most highly" as a gesture of solidarity and "refusal to accept violence and terrorism."
Aleppo: Under pressure from Russia and the United States, the Syrian Army agreed on Wednesday to respect a two-day truce in the war-ravaged city of Aleppo.

The Syrian climb-down came after Washington said the US and Russia had agreed to push the warring parties to extend their shaky ceasefire.

"A truce will be in place in Aleppo for 48 hours from 1:00 am on Thursday (2200 GMT Wednesday)," Syrian army command said, according to state media.

The Russian defence ministry said its ceasefire monitors had agreed with their US counterparts to oversee this truce until midnight on May 6.

But for his part, US Secretary of State John Kerry said a new Aleppo truce had already begun at at midnight Syrian time (2101 GMT Tuesday) and that violence had already fallen off.

On the ground, AFP correspondents said fierce fighting continued in both Aleppo and an area west of Damascus that was already under the ceasefire regime.

"We`ve seen an overall decrease in violence in those areas even though there are some reports of continued fighting in some locations," Kerry said.

Kerry added that US officials in Geneva were coordinating with their Russian colleagues on "enhanced monitoring efforts for this renewed cessation."

And he stressed that for Washington, the "cessation of hostilities" must spread nationwide and underpin a return by both sides to peace talks in Geneva.Russia and the US were joint sponsors of the previous February 27 ceasefire agreement that had begun to fall apart, especially around Aleppo.

The city is divided between Bashar al-Assad`s government forces, Western-backed opposition forces and Al-Nusra Front rebels not party to the ceasefire.

Last week, Russia agreed to a ceasefire in Latakia and a suburb of Damascus but said Assad should be allowed to fight Al-Nusra "terrorists" in Aleppo.

Intense fighting continued in the city, and hospitals in both rebel and government-held areas were hit, which two top UN officials warned Wednesday amounted to war crimes.

On Sunday, Kerry flew to Geneva for talks with UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura, who in turn went to Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

By Wednesday, Kerry felt confident enough in Russia`s "buy-in" to the process that the State Department was able to announce what it hopes will be a new truce.

Nevertheless, in Aleppo new explosions could be heard.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the fighting was "the most violent in Aleppo in over a year".According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, in recent days rebels have fired a barrage of rockets into regime-held neighbourhoods in western Aleppo.

Three more civilians were killed in the attacks early on Wednesday, it said.

Regime warplanes struck the advancing rebels, giving opposition-held areas of eastern Aleppo a respite from the bombing, an AFP correspondent in the city said.

Suspected regime strikes also pummelled the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, after a temporary freeze in the area expired overnight.

Kerry confirmed these strikes, but said the joint US-Russian ceasefire monitoring centre which is being set up in Geneva would redouble its efforts.

Russia had said on Tuesday it hoped a new ceasefire could be agreed "within hours" but on Wednesday said truce efforts had been stymied by jihadists.

Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said a plan had been agreed for Aleppo but fell apart after rocket attacks by Al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

The UN`s top political affairs officer Jeffrey Feltman and Stephen O`Brian, its aid chief, told the Security Council that those responsible for the hospital attacks and starvation sieges in rebel-held eastern Aleppo should face trial for war crimes.

The UN said the Syrian government had refused a request for aid access to Aleppo.

The diplomatic push seeks to restore peace talks aimed at ending a five-year war that has left more than 270,000 dead and forced millions from their homes.

France announced on Wednesday that it would also host talks with the Saudi, Qatari, Turkish and Emirati foreign ministers on Monday next week.

These countries back the Syrian opposition, and French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said they would focus on efforts to move deadlocked peace talks forward.

Syria`s civil war erupted in 2011 after Assad brutally suppressed anti-government protests, and quickly escalated into a multi-front conflict.

Jihadist forces, including the Islamic State group, seized large tracts of the country, leaving civilians and opposition rebels besieged in western cities.
Harare: Severe shortages of US dollars that are used as local currency in Zimbabwe have forced many residents to become cash hunter-gatherers.

This week, Zimbabwe's central bank imposed measures in an attempt to ease the cash crunch, which reflects the country's dire economic situation. The measures include reducing the amount of money that travelers can take outside the country and limiting daily cash withdrawals.

Long lines are frequent outside banks, where tellers limit daily withdrawals to USD 200, forcing people who need larger amounts to make repeat visits.



Concillia Dube, a 72-year-old pensioner, said she left home at dawn in recent days to wait for hours in a bank line. Another Zimbabwean, Mcdonald Maradzika, said he checks every morning

for a bank branch dispensing cash and stores the money he withdraws at home.

"We have become hunter-gatherers," he said. Another measure to ease the cash crunch is the introduction of dollar-backed "bond notes" to be issued by the government's central bank, similar to

bond coins introduced to ease the problem of small change in 2014.

Economist John Robertson described the measures as a kind of "firefighting" that don't address productivity.

"Zimbabwe is importing more than it is exporting, so the problems will continue until we drastically increase our exports that can earn us more money," he said.

Since Zimbabwe's currency collapsed in 2009, the country officially uses nine currencies, including the US dollar, the euro, the South African rand, the Indian rupee, the British pound and the

Chinese yuan. In practice, the US dollar is the de facto official currency.

John Mangudya, the governor of the central bank, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, has described Zimbabwe's multi-currency system as "dysfunctional."
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenpress news agency presents the upcoming news for 05.05.2016.

Today on May the Armenian Government will discuss the draft law on Recognition of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic presented by National Assembly MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan. The investment program for the reconstruction of Dvin hotel complex will be also discussed in todays upcoming session of Armenian Government. It is expected to complete the reconstruction works of Dvin hotel until 2019. The reconstruction of the hotel will be done in accordance with the first class international five-star hotel standards.

Armenian political-social circles and cultural figures today will speak about the issue of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) recognition and the border situation. Moreover, Heritage faction MP Zaruhi Postanjyan will speak about the draft law on Recognition of Artsakh Republic during an interview with journalists.

Expert in Turkish studies Hakob Chakryan and political scientist Shushan Khatlamajyan will speak about the dispute of the Turkish Parliament MPs and the developments over Armenian MP Garo Paylan.

Interdepartmental Commission session of coordinating Syrian-Armenians issues will be held with the supervision of Armenian Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan. The works done in 2015 and those planned for 2016 to solve the issues of Syrian-Armenians will be presented to representatives of respective bodies. An official from Yerevan municipality will speak about the social assistance programs of Syrian-Armenians. Other issues will also be discussed during the session.

Senior researcher of the Oriental Institute Armen Mavelyan and YSU lecturer Aram Terzyan today will discuss issues related to the reduction of oil prices, what impact it can have on the regional security. They will also speak about the dependence of Azerbaijani political forces on oil and gas sectors.

Today the presentation of the book by Armenian Peoples Artist, filmmaker, artist Artavazd Peleshyan will be hold. A movie dedicating to the artist will be shows during the event entitled Poet of movie: Artavazd Peleshyan.

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YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh reports Azerbaijani forces firing TR-107 type multiple rocket launchers overnight.

The ministrys announcement reads: Overnight May 4-5 the Azerbaijani forces continued violating the ceasefire agreement in the line of contact by firing various caliber weapons, 60mm mortars and TR-107 multiple rocket launchers.

The Karabakhi forces mostly refrained from countermeasure and took appropriate measures for securing the military positions along the entire line of contact.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. President of the Pyunik Union of Disabled Hakob Abrahamyan says the protection of rights of people with disabilities in Armenia can be assessed as 5-6 on a 10 point scale.

Unfavorable conditions for the disabled were left to Armenia from the Soviet times, now great efforts are done in order to fill the gaps, and to create better living standards for them, he said.

According to him the Municipality of Yerevan is actively involved in creating favorable conditions for people with disabilities. Abrahamyan notes that special transportations vehicles are already being used.

36 people with disabilities were employed by the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Private companies are also hiring the disabled.

According to statistics, as of January 1, 2016, 200,117 people with disabilities are registered in Armenia.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS.The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has called upon US Ambassador to Turkey John Bass to publicly voice official US concern regarding the safety of Garo Paylan, an ethnic Armenian elected to the Turkish Parliament, who has faced growing threats and acts of violence in response to his expression of views on democracy, human rights, and genocide, ANCA told Armenpress.

In recent days, Paylan has been threatened and physically assaulted within the Turkish Parliament and the Constitution Commission.

Paylan called the most recent attacks which took place during the May 2nd Turkish Parliament Constitution Commission hearing a pre-meditated lynch attempt. In the May 3rd letter to Ambassador Bass, Executive Director Aram Hamparian recalled that, despite ANCA appeals, the US government failed to voice any public concern for the safety of Hrant Dink, who was assassinated in early 2007 following a campaign of political prosecution and official state persecution.

In light of this tragic experience, now is clearly the time for our government to urgently and publicly voice concern for the safety of Garo Paylan, and to also condemn those - both inside and outside of the Turkish government - who are inciting hatred against this courageous civic leader for simply speaking honestly and openly about issues of human rights, tolerance, diversity, and genocide the ANCA letter says.




YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan continued firing irregular shots at Armenian positions in the night of May 4, Press Service of Armenian Defense Ministry told Armenpress.

Armenian Defense Ministrys statement reads: Overnight May 4-5 Azerbaijani forces opened irregular fire from various caliber weapons and sniper rifles at Armenian positions in the northeastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border.

The Armenian Armed Forces are confidently monitoring the border and take appropriate measures only in case of intentional Azerbaijani violations.

According to the information provided by the NKR Defense Ministry Azerbaijani forces fired TR-107 type multiple rocket launchers overnight.

The ministrys announcement reads: Overnight May 4-5 the Azerbaijani forces continued violating the ceasefire agreement in the line of contact by firing various caliber weapons, 60mm mortars and TR-107 multiple rocket launchers.

The Karabakhi forces mostly refrained from countermeasure and took appropriate measures for securing the military positions along the entire line of contact".








YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. The 48-hour regime of silence came into force from 01:00 a.m. local time in the Syrian city of Aleppo (some 360 kilometers of Damascus), the Surya television channel said on Wednesday, reports TASS.



Concurrently, the regime of silence was extended in Damascus Eastern Ghouta and in the north of the Latakia province. Hostilities there were stopped on April 30 on the initiative of the Russian and U.S. sides upon agreement with the Syrian government and moderate opposition.

According to experts, the future of the ceasefire in Syria now depends on whether it will be possible to halt military escalation in Aleppo or not. Analysts say it is extremely difficult to distinguish in Aleppo between the so-called moderate opposition and terrorists of the Jabhat al-Nusra group, which is not covered by the ceasefire regime. Gunmen of all anti-government forces are fighting in a common coalition in Aleppos north, west and south.

Thus, Syrian government forces repelled attacks at five frontline sections in Aleppos al-Zahra neighborhood, where pro-Turkish Islamists fought for Jabhat al-Nusra.

Aleppo, Syrias biggest city, has been split into two part since 2012. It western part, which gives shelter to most of its residents and is home to Syrian Christians, is controlled by the Syrian government army whereas its eastern part is controlled by about twenty armed groups.

The situation in the city has deteriorated in the past ten days as a result of continuous bombardments by armed groups. According to the Al-Hayat newspaper, more than 140 civilians (including 19 children) have been killed and more than 700 have been wounded in shelling.






YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. The Canadian province of Alberta has declared a state of emergency after a raging wildfire destroyed dozens of homes, engulfed several neighbourhoods and forced the hurried evacuation of the entire city of Fort McMurray, reports The Guardian.

More than 80,000 residents were ordered to leave the northern Alberta city after shifting winds saw the blaze go from being largely controlled to a nasty, ugly inferno as described by the local fire chief. By Wednesday more than 250 firefighters were fighting the fire, assisted by helicopters and air tankers. Officials estimated that 1,600 structures had been damaged or destroyed by Wednesday night.

As flames fanned south on Thursday, officials also issued mandatory evacuation orders for the Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation communities located about 50km south of Fort McMurray.

After the evacuation order was issued, residents scrambling to make their way out of Fort McMurray sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the main road, struggling to see the road through the thick grey haze that blanketed the highway. Flames licked the road and ash rained down on vehicles, while air tankers and helicopters flew overhead. Gas pumps soon ran dry, leaving many residents stranded on the highway overnight.

[With] the heat from the oncoming smoke and the flames, you could see mini-tornadoes forming near the road, resident Jordan Stuffco told the Canadian Press. It was something out of an apocalyptic movie.

Authorities warned that the fire, which started on Sunday, was being fanned by hot, dry and windy weather. The worst of the fire is not over, said Bernie Schmitte of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Were still faced with very high temperatures, low relative humidity and some strong winds.

Hours later the raging inferno forced authorities to declare a state of emergency. The provinces municipal affairs minister, Danielle Larivee, said the declaration would allow the province to better access external resources.

An accident on a nearby highway between an SUV and a tractor-trailer unit had resulted in fatalities and sparked an additional fire, added Larivee. It was not immediately clear if the accident was related to the evacuation. The driver and passenger of the SUV died on the scene.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. The Steering Committee of the Open Government Partnership resolved that Azerbaijan will be regretfully designated as inactive in OGP, due to unresolved constraints on the operating environment for Non-Governmental Organizations, Armenpress reports, the official webpage of OGP says.

The OGPs 22-member Steering Committee - composed in equal parts of government and civil society representatives - made the decision at its Ministerial-level meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. A vote was taken with 16 members in favor, 3 against and 3 abstaining. The government of Azerbaijan will have a maximum of one year to address the concerns raised by civil society organizations.

Azerbaijan will be labeled as inactive, will be ineligible to vote in OGP elections and will only be able to attend OGP events as an observer for learning purposes.

It will continue to receive Steering Committee and Support Unit assistance, including from OGP Working Groups, multilateral partners and peer exchange visits. The response policy was triggered in March 2015 when concerns were raised by three civil society organizations about threats faced by civil society in Azerbaijan. After carrying out an exhaustive review process, the OGP Criteria and Standards subcommittee found that the concerns were valid.

Azerbaijan has been participating in OGP since 2011. The decision is the first time that OGP has taken action under its Policy on Upholding the Values and Principles of OGP, known as the Response Policy, adopted in 2014.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. YSU lecturer, political scientist Aram Terzyan says oil price decrease is directly connected to the Azerbaijani aggressive behavior towards Armenia.

The entire Azerbaijani economy is based on the oil and gas reserves. Oil income has biggest shares in the Azerbaijani GDP. And when the oil prices drop, Azerbaijan tries to divert public attention from its internal problems by provocative actions against Armenia, Terzyan said.

50 percent of the Azerbaijani GDP is comprised of oil and gas industry, second is the service sector, followed by construction. Both service and construction are strategically important for Azerbaijan, because they create jobs, but essentially their being is connected with oil and gas incomes. When incomes fall short, cuts happen in those sectors. And now we see mass cuts in the construction sector, says Armen Manvelyan, senior researcher of the Institute of Oriental Studies.

He said Azerbaijan is the kind of country where the acting political system depends not as much on the population, but on the oil and gas industry, as the main source of income.

If oil prices remain low, it will mean Azerbaijan resuming its aggressive actions. I think this should make Armenia be even more attentive towards the Azerbaijani oil industry. This will directly impact not only Aliyevs regime, but also investments. Investments wont happen if people understand that the industry is endangered, he added.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan says Bishkek protocol on ceasefire signed on May 5, 1994 is a litmus paper and clearly shows that if Azerbaijan wants to see any results, it must start direct negotiations with Stepanakert, Armenpress reports, Deputy Foreign Minister said this to journalists.

Bishkek protocol was very important since it formed the basis for signing the ceasefire agreement. Bishkek document was not created unexpectedly. Since September, 1993 Baku started direct negotiations with Stepanakert and numerous meetings were hold. It was that time that Heydar Aliyev authorized with his signature Deputy Parliament Speaker of Azerbaijan to run negotiations with NKR representative for organizing a high-level meeting. NKR Foreign Minister Arkadi Ghukasyan received similar authorization that time and, the meeting was held between the letter and Jalilov in Moscow. This resulted in the establishment of short-term ceasefire and the meeting between the Presidents of two states Robert Kocharyan and Heydar Aliyev. This was followed by a number of meetings and it created a baseline for Bishkek protocol, Kocharyan said adding Ghukasyan-Jalilov meeting was not private it was pubic and they made statement for the media.

Kocharyan says Azerbaijan today resists against NKRs full participation in the negotiations which means that it continues its policy using the negotiation process for its destructive measures. 1994 and 1995 ceasefire agreements are the international obligations of Azerbaijan.

A protocol was signed in Bishkek on May 5, 1994 with the mediation of Russia, Kyrgyzstan and CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly by which ceasefire agreements was reached.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Eurovision-2016 Armenian participant Iveta Mukuchyan and the Armenian delegation met Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Sweden Artak Apitonyan in Stockholm on May 5. Issues related to the activities within the framework of the contest and the future steps were discussed during the meeting, Press Service of Public TV told Armenpress.

Ambassador Artak Apitonyan welcomed the guests and expressed his readiness to support the Armenian delegation on every issue. I dont doubt in Armenias success in the contest since now Armenias performance is one of the most discussed issues. I really wish good luck to Iveta both in the contest, and in her life. I believe that Armenia will win in this contest, Ambassador said.

Head of Eurovision-2016 Armenian delegation Gohar Gasparyan expressed gratitude to the Armenian Ambassador for the warm reception. We are very grateful that You are with us and support us in case of necessity, said Gohar Gasparyan adding that everything is being done to voice Armenias name within large circles during the contest.

In her turn Iveta Mukuchyan thanked the Armenian Ambassador for the warm reception. We together can overcome everything. This is what that makes Armenians unique from other people, Iveta Mukuchyan said.

Eurovision-2016 international song contest will be held on May 10, 12 ad 14 in Stockholm, Sweden. Armenias entry will be performed in the first semi-final stage under the number 7 on May 10.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan held a working meeting with Ambassador of the US to Armenia Richard Mills on May 5, Human Rights Defenders Administration told Armenpress.

Issues related to the protection of human rights and the strengthening of legislative and practical frameworks of safeguarding human rights protection in Armenia were discussed during the meeting.

Ambassador Mills emphasized the important role of Human Rights Defenders institute and the activity of its staff, and expressed his readiness to discuss the possible areas of cooperation.

In his turn, Arman Tatoyan expressed his readiness to initiate joint programs and expand the fields of cooperation with the US Embassy, as well as the experts in human rights protection field.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. The rumors over the conclusion of the Cabinet regarding the legislative initiative of the two members of the National Assembly of Armenia on recognizing Nagorno Karabakh Republic are unreasonable. Conclusion of the Cabinet does not mean approval, Armenpress reports MFA Armenia issued a statement about this. Armenia has clearly announced several times in which occasion it will recognize Nagorno Karabakh Republic. As a predictable and reliable partner, the President of Armenia will inform his colleges, first of all the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, about such an important decision in advance.

We hope that Azerbaijan will finally become rational and will refrain from the repetition of the adventure of early April. Only by the acknowledgment of absence of any alternative to peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict it will be possible to bring back the process to negotiation arena, and find a fair and effective means for the people of Nagorno Karabakh to implement their right to self-determination, reads the statement.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Regular session of the Inter-Agency Commission on the Coordination of Syrian-Armenians' Issues chaired by Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan took place. The session addressed activities for solving the problems of Syrian Armenians in 2015 and the plans for 2016. Armenpress reports the session kicked off by paying tribute to the soldiers killed recently for the protection of the motherland, after which Minister Hakobyan urged the representatives of NGOs participating in the session to support the families of the killed servicemen in case of necessity.

The situation in Aleppo deteriorated after the previous session, we lost nearly a dozen of our compatriots, and there were several injured. During this period we lost our hero sons as a result of April incidents. I offer to pay tribute to their memory by a minute of silence. I address our NGOs, try to be careful and help them to solve their problems, especially family members of the killed, Minister of Diaspora said. She noted that the new wave of tension in Syria may cause new refugee flows, something Armenia should be ready for.

Referring to the expected visit of the Pope to Armenia, Hranush Hakobyan noted that it has been proposed to include a meeting with Syrian Armenians in his schedule, which must be properly organized. One more important thing. I met with Chief Adviser to the UN Deputy Secretary-General and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in New York on May 1. I want to congratulate all of us, as Armenia is taken as the best example for working with Syrian Armenians. In contrast to other countries, where refugees are taken as problems, in Armenia they are positively regarded, where they can contribute to the development of the country, Hranush Hakobyan said, conveying the promise of UN representatives that during the September session of the General Assembly, which will be focused on Syrian refugees and refugees as a whole, Armenia will be presented as a positive model.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. First Deputy Defense Minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan received high-ranking officials of Microsoft in the sidelines of Government security program agreement signed between the Government of Armenia and Microsoft. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry, mechanisms for cooperation with ARM TECH cyber security center-foundation were discussed at the meeting. In addition, issues of exchange of experience in cyber security, providing modern solutions for cyber security by Microsoft and other issues were on the agenda. The representatives of Microsoft mentioned that cooperation with the Defense Ministry of Armenia rapidly develops, at the same time expressing readiness to further deepen the cooperation.

Davit Tonoyan mentioned that cooperation with Microsoft Corporation provides the Defense Ministry of Armenia broad opportunities to further increase invulnerability of the defense system from cyber threats.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei lashed out at the US for following up its destructive policies against Islam and Iran, Armenpress reports, citing Fars agency.

"Americans have recently announced that Irans policies in the region triggered the wave of sanctions and confrontations with Iran; meaning you, the Iranian people who are vigilant and aware, you have to back down and let us do our work," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a meeting of the Muslim countries' ambassadors, senior Iranian officials and people in Tehran on Thursday.

"This is ignorance," the Supreme Leader added.

The meeting was held on the occasion of the anniversary of the auspicious occasion of Eid ul-Mabath which marks the day Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was appointed as the prophet of Islam.

Today, the definite American policy is to fight Islam, Iran and Shiites, the Supreme Leader added.

He reiterated that the US leaders see Iran as a hurdle to their policies.

In relevant remarks in late April, Ayatollah Khamenei lashed out at the US for its hypocrisy, saying Washington has taken up to ease banking sanctions against Iran under the nuclear deal, but at the same time intimidates the foreign banks to avoid business with the country.

"The reason for major international banks' refusal to cooperate with Iran is the Iranophobia that the Americans have been promoting," Ayatollah Khamenei said in Tehran on Wednesday, addressing a large gathering of Iranian workers on the threshold of the international Labors Day.

He pointed to the US allegations about Iran's support for terrorism that will enable Washington to impose fresh sanctions on the country, and said that the hidden message behind these allegations is dissuading the foreign banks and investors from interaction with Iran.

Ayatollah Khamenei underlined that Washington is itself one of the biggest supporters of terrorist groups in different parts of the world.

He referred to certain claims that the foreign banks and investors dont cooperate with Iran due to domestic conditions in Iran, and said, "There is no place in the region more secure than Iran and the conditions in our country is more secure than in the US where several people are killed every day and it is even more secure than the European countries."

Ayatollah Khamenei warned of the US continued hostilities towards the Iranian nation, and said Iran will continue its progress in the future more powerfully than the past despite this animosity.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. The recognition of independence of Artsakh Republic is possible only if Azerbaijan unleashes military aggression. Spokesperson of the ruling Republican Party, Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov told the reporters after the RPA Executive Body meeting. Unilateral recognition of Artsakh independence is possible only in case Azerbaijan wages a military aggression. If Azerbaijan starts a military aggression, naturally, the issue of unilateral recognition of Nagorno Karabakh will become actual, Armenpress reports Sharmazanov mentioning.

Sharmazanov added that the position of the Armenian side on Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement has not changed: the conflict must be solved exclusively through peaceful means, based on the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs. But if Azerbaijan once again attempts to solve the problem through military methods, the Republic of Armenia will take all the necessary measures, including the recognition the independence of Nagorno Karabakh Republic. The ball is now in the field of Azerbaijan. If they again try to solve the problem through military methods, negotiations will become illogical, and we will take all the necessary measures, Sharmazanov said.

He added that Armenia aims to achieve international recognition of Nagorno Karabakh. The Republic of Armenia will take any action for making Nagorno Karabakh a subject of international law, and that the people of Nagorno Karabakh live in a free, independent and internationally recognized state. This is our goal and we will achieve it. The implementation of the right to self-determination, and no one can explain to the people of Nagorno Karabakh why, for example, East Timor held a referendum in 1999 under the auspices of the UN, after which it got independence from Indonesia, but the people of Nagorno Karabakh, who held a referendum in 1991, leaving the Soviet Union, cannot hold a referendum and decide their own fate. No one in Europe can prove Karabakh that the people of Kosovo have more right of self-determination than the people of Nagorno Karabakh. For that reason we will go in that direction step by step and our goal is the international recognition of Nagorno Karabakh, Sharmazanov said.
The United States named Panama's prominent Waked family, who run a large luxury goods, duty-free shop and real estate business, as a major drug money-laundering organization on Thursday.

The move placed top members of the Lebanese-origin family and their businesses, including the Grupo Wisa and La Riviera luxury goods groups, the Balboa Bank and Trust, and two top newspapers, on the US sanctions blacklist. The move locks them out of doing business with Americans and freezes their US assets.

The Waked group "uses trade-based money-laundering schemes, such as false commercial invoicing; bulk cash smuggling; and other money laundering methods, to launder drug proceeds on behalf of multiple international drug traffickers and their organizations," the US Treasury Department said.

The Treasury named Abdul Mohamed Waked Fares, 66, and Nidal Ahmed Waked Hatum, 36, as co-leaders of the "Waked Money Laundering Organization".

Waked Fares is a national of Panama, Colombia and Lebanon, and Waked Hatum is a national of Spain, Colombia and Panama.

Six others named for participating in the money-laundering operations included three brothers of Waked Hatum and a son of Waked Fares.

Two others were attorneys that the Treasury said help the Waked group set up shell companies.

Panama Attorney General Kenia Porcell Diaz said Thursday that the government was cooperating with US authorities in the action.

"We will ensure justice is served by the people of Panama. This investigation further strengthens our efforts and resolve to vigorously attack criminal activity in Panama so that the rule of law prevails," he said in a statement.

The country's chief banking superintendent said that his office had seized control of Balboa Bank "in our overriding interest in protecting the best interest of depositors."

The Waked family is well-known for its La Riviera chain of duty free shops and retail makeup and perfume stores stretching from Mexico to Uruguay.

It also operates boutiques for top European brands like Mango, Burberry and YSL, and has developed a new $350 million luxury shopping, residential and hotel complex, Soho Panama, in downtown Panama City, which was to include a Ritz Carlton Hotel.

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The group also controls the newspapers El Siglo and La Estrella.

According to an interview with Waked Fares in Travel Markets Insider magazine last year, the group employs more than 5,500 people in the region

All the main businesses associated with the family were placed on the sanctions blacklist, which effectively aims to shut them out of the global financial system.

But the Treasury also announced "special licenses" or exceptions to the sanctions rules that will allow some, including the newspapers, to continue operating with restrictions.

Some, such as for the businesses in the Soho Mall, give them time to wind down operations and clear contracts outstanding.
By Matt Scuffham TORONTO (Reuters) - A wildfire in the Alberta city of Fort McMurray is set to become the costliest ever Canadian natural disaster for insurers, with 1,600 buildings destroyed and another 19,000 under threat, analysts and industry sources say. The bill for insurers is expected to be several times more than the C$700 million ($544 million) paid out for a wildfire in Slave Lake, Alberta, in 2011. The fire in Slave Lake, a small town 250 km (155 miles)northwest of the city of Edmonton, led to the destruction of 374 homes, less than a quarter of the number of structures already destroyed at Fort McMurray, and damaged another 52. "If you're looking at four times that of Slave Lake you're getting to well over C$2 billion ($1.6 billion) so there is a possibility that this may become the biggest catastrophic claim in Canada," said DBRS analyst Stewart McIlwraith. The unchecked fire, now in its fourth day Wednesday, has prompted the full evacuation of Fort McMurray's 88,000 residents. It has not, however, endangered the major oil producers in the area, the heart of the oil sands industry. The fire is also likely to exceed the C$1.9 billion in losses caused by the Alberta floods of 2013, which set the record for the costliest Canadian disaster. Those losses were limited by the fact that many policies did not cover the type of flooding experienced. Shares in Intact , Canada's largest property and casualty insurer, closed nearly 4 percent lower. The company said it has the biggest exposure of any insurer to the region. "It could be quite significant in terms of a loss for them," said Edward Jones analyst Jim Shanahan. Intact declined to comment on the likely scale of its losses, but Chief Executive Charles Brindamour told analysts on the company's results call that "there are lots of similarities between Fort McMurray and Slave Lake." Analysts said other insurance providers with exposure to the region include Toronto-Dominion Bank and international insurers Aviva and RSA . The Insurance Bureau of Canada, which represents Canadian home, cars and business insurers, said it was too early to speculate on the cost of claims. The average price of homes in Slave Lake is much lower than that of homes in Fort McMurray, where a decade long oil boom sent housing prices soaring. Experts say in Fort McMurray insurance policies would likely cover all damage to property and belongings damaged by the wildfire. (With additional reporting by Euan Rocha and John Tilak in Toronto; Editing by Mary Milliken)
Boba Fett is the Star Wars bounty hunter with a cult all his own, but according to a key insider in the Lucasfilm empire, he was once being teed up for a far bigger role.

Despite having scarcely any dialogue (just four lines, in fact) Fett, who first shows up in 'The Empire Strikes Back, was set to be the main villain in 'Return of the Jedi, no less.

But when George Lucas decided that the first movies would not be part of a previously planned series of 12, the entire story was condensed and Fetts larger storyline got the boot.

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Which is why, perhaps, he was unceremoniously shoved into a big pit with teeth in the desert in 'Return of the Jedi.

Craig Miller, the first ever fan relations officer for Lucasfilm, told Inverse: Originally Boba Fett was set up in Empire (Strikes Back) as a character, and the third movies plot was going to be more about Boba Fett rescuing Han Solo and all of that Boba was gonna be the main villain.

And then during all of it, George kind of lost interest in continuing it While we were working on The Empire Strikes Back, George decided he was going to complete the first film trilogy and that would be it.

When George decided not to make another trilogy, he completely jettisoned that story line, which is why in the first ten minutes (of Return Of The Jedi), Boba Fett gets bumped into and falls into the mouth of a giant monster.

So he took what was planned for the next trilogy, which was the confrontation between Luke and Darth Vader, and the battle with the Emperor, and that got squished down from three movies to one movie. And that became the plot of Jedi.

Fett, hailing from the aquatic planet of Kamino, was responsible with leading the Empire to Han Solo, and then returning his frozen body to the gangster of Tatooine, Jabba The Hutt.

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He was played by Jason Wingreen and Jeremy Bulloch, Wingreen providing the voice and Bulloch donning the iconic outift. His likeness even appeared on a British stamp last year.



Wingreen died this year, aged 95.

Image credit: Lucasfilm/Royal Mail/Rex Features
By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York state has approved the application of Gemini Trust Company, founded by investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, to trade digital currency ether on its bitcoin exchange, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday. Ether, an alternative currency that differs from bitcoin, is a token or digital asset of the Ethereum platform, a blockchain, or public ledger of all ether transactions. The platform uses ether to execute peer-to-peer contracts automatically without the need for intermediaries. The currency is often used by software developers. "With robust regulatory oversight, we are maintaining our status at the forefront of this technological revolution and ensuring that users have a safe and secure experience," Cuomo said in a statement. The approval by the New York State Department of Financial Services marks the state's first consent for a digital currency-related service beyond bitcoin. Trading on ether will begin on Monday, May 9, said Cameron Winklevoss, Gemini's co-founder and president, in an interview with Reuters. Customers will be able to store their ether from Thursday until it starts trading on the exchange on Monday. Winklevoss also said the brothers' investment firm Winklevoss Capital is a "significant" holder of ether. "We started buying ether at the beginning of the year," Winklevoss said. "Ethereum Foundation has a set number of ether that they have set aside over a period of time..(and) the proceeds from that go to the funding of the foundation and the developers to further the protocol." The Winklevoss twins chose ether to trade on their exchange because of its "unique capabilities" that are different from bitcoin. "There is a place for ether on our platform. It does what bitcoin doesn't do," Winklevoss said. "So that is the sort of criteria: that it is different enough from bitcoin and the proposition is great enough that this makes sense for us to include it in our platform." According to coinmarketcap.com, ether is trading at $9.97 on late Thursday, with a market capitalization of about $795 million, the second largest behind bitcoin. Bitcoin currently has a market cap of $6.9 billion. Daily volume for ether is around $20 million. Ether trades on other exchanges as well, but Winklevoss said those exchanges are unregulated or unlicensed. "It's pretty clear that in the U.S. if you're an exchange, you are required at the minimum a money transmission license in each state," Winklevoss said. "Anybody who's operating an ether exchange doesn't have a license and is on borrowed time." Demand for ether has steadily increased since its launch last year. "Most of the people who work on ether right now are (software) developers developing applications for smart contracts on Ethereum and you need ether to do that," Winklevoss said. Aside from developers, British pop artist Imogen Heap has put her music on the Ethereum platform. "She (Heap) created smart contracts on Ethereum whereby if you send enough ether to the address on the contracts, you can download her songs," Winklevoss said. (Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by David Gregorio and Andrew Hay)
By Nia Williams and Catherine Ngai

CALGARY, Alberta/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canadian heavy crude differentials hit their strongest level in two months on Wednesday as a wildfire raging in Fort McMurray in the heart of Alberta's oil sands region forced some projects to cut output and pipelines to shut down.

The city's population of around 88,000 was ordered to leave immediately on Tuesday evening as the fire breached city limits and ripped through some neighborhoods.

By Wednesday afternoon, city officials said the blaze could grow even worse and a slew of oil sands operators including Suncor Energy Inc (Toronto:SU.TO - News), Syncrude and Shell Canada (RDSa.L) said they were reducing production.

Although the blaze is not directly threatening any facilities in the vast oil sands, which hold the world's third-largest crude reserves after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, it disrupted some operations.

Producers cut production to allow workers to evacuate safely, and Inter Pipeline Ltd (Toronto:IPL.TO - News) partially suspended one diluent pipeline and shut down its Corridor pipeline system, which serves Shell's operations.

A domino effect quickly emerged, as Husky Energy (Toronto:HSE.TO - News) was forced to reduce production at its oil sands project because of the Inter Pipeline diluent shutdown, suggesting more projects may be forced to follow suit.

The full impact of cuts on oil sands production, which totals about 2.2 million barrels per day, was not immediately clear but Husky said it had reduced output by 20,000 barrels per day and Shell's production capacity is 255,000 bpd.

"If it (the production cuts from the fire) starts dragging into a week or so, the impact will become more acute," said FirstEnergy Capital analyst Martin King.

Other companies operating nearby include Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (Toronto:CNQ.TO - News) and CNOOC Ltd (HKSE:0883.HK - News) subsidiary Nexen Energy, which said their operations were not affected.

The reduced oil sands production helped prop up benchmark Canadian cash grades, as well as place a support under global prices, though analysts and traders said the boost would likely be short-lived.

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"My feeling is that this has minimal impact on production longer-term," said Tim Pickering, founder and chief investment officer at Auspice Capital Advisors in Calgary. "When we think about taking production offline, there's still a significant amount of oil in storage. That's a big cushion."

Western Canada Select heavy blend crude for June delivery last traded at $12.70 a barrel under the West Texas Intermediate benchmark, the narrowest discount since the start of March, according to Shorcan Energy brokers.

It settled on Tuesday at $13.35 per barrel under WTI.

Light synthetic crude from the oil sands for June delivery last traded at $1.00 a barrel above U.S. crude futures , the strongest since the start of April, compared with a 5-cent discount the previous day.

(Editing by Alan Crosby and Matthew Lewis)
By Malathi Nayak NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dozens of Verizon Communications Inc landline workers, on strike since mid-April after contract talks hit an impasse, marched on the company's annual shareholder meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday. The unions said about 15 protesters blocked traffic after they laid down atop a large banner on the street. The Albuquerque Police Department said no arrests were made but 15 people were cited. More than 250 protesters, including workers and supporters, demonstrated at the meeting, where the agenda included an election for 13 directors and a vote on executive compensation. The unions for the strikers said they also planned hundreds of protests across the United States against Verizon, the No. 1 U.S. wireless service provider. Nearly 40,000 network technicians and customer service representatives of the company's Fios Internet, telephone and television services units walked off the job on April 13. The action was called by the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The strike is in its fourth week. Sticking points include offshore call-center jobs, job relocations and healthcare coverage. The striking workers have about $1.3 billion in Verizon stock holdings, according to the unions. They voted on proposals including one brought by the Association of BellTel Retirees that seeks the company to require shareholder approval for any executive severance agreement offering a payout of more than triple the base salary. Verizon shareholders rejected this proposal on Thursday, according to Don Dunn,a union representative and Long Island, New York-based Fios field technician, who attended the meeting. Verizon said last week it had presented an updated and "final" offer to the unions, including a wage increase of 7.5 percent. The company, which has been scaling back its Fios and legacy landline business, wants workers to shoulder more healthcare costs and be open to relocating to new job locations. The union rejected the new proposal and the parties remain far apart. "CWA is the one of the biggest unions out there and if we lose this fight, all other unions...they are going to lose. There's a lot at stake here," said Shon Scents, a Verizon cable splicer, at the protest in New York's Financial District on Thursday. The work stoppage at Verizon stretched across several U.S. East Coast states, including New York, Massachusetts and Virginia. Verizon has said it has brought in thousands of temporary workers to avoid service disruptions. The workers have been without a contract since August. (Reporting by Malathi Nayak; additional reporting by Mir Ubaid in New York; Editing by Bill Trott and David Gregorio)
Sumner Redstone, executive chairman of CBS Corp. and Viacom, arrives at the premiere of "The Guilt Trip" starring Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen in Los Angeles December 11, 2012. REUTERS/Fred Prouser (Reuters)

By Dan Levine and Lisa Richwine

SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sumner Redstone's much-discussed mental state will be dissected in public during a trial set to start on Friday, as an ex-girlfriend tries to convince a Los Angeles judge that the 92-year-old media mogul is incompetent in the culmination of a salacious, months-long legal drama.

If the former girlfriend, Manuela Herzer, succeeds, the outcome could set off a chain of events taking majority control of Viacom Inc and CBS Corp out of Redstone's hands, which could alter the course of the two media giants.

The law requires the court to presume Redstone is competent, putting the burden on Herzer, 51, to prove the multi-billionaire lacked mental capacity in October when he removed her as his health care agent. The trial is scheduled to run through May 16.

In court papers, Herzer portrays Redstone as a "living ghost" who communicates in grunts and is obsessed with having sex and with eating steak, even though he is on a feeding tube and no longer able to chew or swallow.

Redstone's attorneys say he has a severe speech impairment but knew exactly what he was doing in October.

In a surprise order on Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cowan - who will preside over the trial - allowed Herzer's team to interview Redstone at home for 15 minutes.

A video of that deposition will be played for the judge Friday, and a written transcript will be made public. "He could be your best witness," Cowan said to Redstone's attorneys.

The mogul controls about 80 percent of the voting shares of Viacom and CBS through his National Amusements movie theater company. If Herzer wins at the trial, a seven-person trust might then assess Redstone's mental capacity to vote his shares, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The starkly different pictures of Redstone's health are just one strand of a knot that Cowan must untangle to decide who has Redstone's best interests at heart.

Story continues

Last year, local authorities tasked with protecting the elderly visited Redstone's mansion in Beverly Park, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, sources familiar with the case said. The episode is likely to be raised in the trial.

The visit from an Adult Protective Services unit, previously unreported, occurred in February 2015, eight months before Herzer was ejected from Redstone's home. She played a large role in directing Redstone's care as his health deteriorated through 2014.

A complaint from one of Redstone's nurses sparked the visit, one of the sources said. The complaint is not a public record, and Los Angeles County's Adult Protective Services unit did not immediately respond to questions about the visit. A social worker interviewed Redstone, and no subsequent actions were taken, two sources said.

The two sides are likely to interpret the visit very differently. Redstone's lawyers could argue it bolsters their case that his care was inadequate under Herzer's supervision. Herzer's team could focus on the fact that authorities took no action, suggesting that Redstone received adequate care.

Whether the government visit becomes an issue at trial could depend on how relevant Cowan believes it is to decide Redstone's capacity last October.

"The court intends for this trial to certainly be dignified and to focus on the legal issues that need to be decided," Cowan said last month.

In a trial brief filed on Thursday, Redstones attorneys indicated they will attempt to cast doubt on Herzers credibility by showing that she did not seem to have concerns about his mental state prior to being ousted from his house.

In the days and weeks before she was ejected, the document notes, Herzer made hundreds of thousands of dollars of purchases on Redstones credit card and "executed a $5 million grant agreement with Mr. Redstone for the benefit of her foundation," actions suggesting she thought Redstone was mentally able to approve the expenditures.

A week before Herzers ouster, according to the brief, she arranged for Mr. Redstone to sign documents before a notary.

Herzer's attorneys have said she is concerned only about Redstone's health. In a separate brief on Thursday, they proposed that evidence "be streamlined to concentrate on Redstone" and asked the judge to prevent the trial from becoming "an attack on Herzer."

Other key witnesses will be two doctors with opposing views of Redstone's mental capacity last October.

Redstone's daughter Shari and Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman also could take the stand.

(Reporting by Dan Levine in San Francisco and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Bill Rigby)
By Elizabeth Piper and William James LONDON (Reuters) - Sadiq Khan, a Muslim opposition lawmaker, is on course to be elected London's mayor on Thursday, loosening the ruling Conservatives' hold on Britain's financial center after a campaign marred by charges of anti-Semitism and extremism. The fight to run the British capital has pitted the Labour Party's Khan, 45, the son of a bus driver who grew up in public housing, against Conservative Zac Goldsmith, 41, the elite-educated son of a billionaire financier. But rather than their social backgrounds, it has been accusations of smears over Khan's Muslim faith and anti-Semitism in the Labour Party that have dominated the campaign to replace Conservative Boris Johnson as mayor of the city of 8.6 million people which is usually known for its tolerance. Mayors of London, which is home to the City financial district, are responsible for areas such as policing, transport, housing and the environment. London is the top prize in local elections being held across Scotland, Wales and northern England, and there was little let-up in the accusations against Khan, who has a big lead in opinion polls, as campaigning ran into its final hours. During a heated parliamentary debate on Wednesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron accused Khan of sharing "a platform with an extremist who called for Jews to drown in the ocean". Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in turn accused the Conservatives of "smearing" Khan. He said one of the men Cameron had accused Khan of sharing a platform with had also been close to Goldsmith. Khan, who would be London's first Muslim mayor, says he has fought extremism all his life and that he regrets sharing a stage with speakers who held "abhorrent" views. ANTI-SEMITISM ROW The former human rights lawyer has also had to distance himself from Corbyn after a row over anti-Semitism. The Labour leader ordered an inquiry into charges of anti-Semitism after suspending Ken Livingstone, a political ally and a former London mayor, for saying Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism. Khan was quick to condemn the comments and on Tuesday told reporters in his final stump speech of the campaign at a venue overlooking the River Thames: "I've had lots of people contact me from the Jewish faith sending me their support". The row has failed to dent Khan's lead in opinion polls, a situation the Labour Party would like to be replicated in Thursday's other local and regional elections. But in Corbyn's first electoral test since taking over the party last September, analysts say Labour could lose dozens of seats in some of its traditional strongholds. After Corbyn expressed confidence that Labour would gain seats, his spokesman qualified his remarks on Thursday, saying he rather wanted to say: "We're not in the business of losing seats and we'll be fighting to win as many as possible tomorrow." (writing by Elizabeth Piper, editing by Gareth Jones)
By Gabriela Baczynska and Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union asked member states on Wednesday to grant visa-free travel to Turks in return for Ankara stopping migrants reaching Europe, but insisted Turkey must still change some laws and said it would get no "free ride". Lawmakers in the European Parliament, which along with a majority of the 28 EU governments must approve the measure if it is to take effect as Ankara wants within two months, warned that they would not vote it through until Turkey met every condition, including narrowing the scope of crimes it defines as terrorism. Governments anxious to allay public fears of a wave of immigrants from Turkey itself secured a new emergency brake to apply to all countries with visa-free travel to Europe's 26-nation Schengen zone. The EU executive stressed that only Turks with biometric passports containing facial and fingerprint data can benefit, though Turkey will only start issuing such documents later this year. The deputy head of the European Commission defended its proposals as well as plans to expand EU membership negotiations; they upheld a deal with Ankara that has helped cut migrant arrivals in Greece to dozens a day from thousands and were also a way of reversing a worsening rights situation in Turkey. "There is no free ride here," Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans told reporters, stressing that Ankara must still meet five of 72 criteria the EU imposes on states exempt from visas. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed confidence that Ankara would satisfy the criteria. "I believe that, given the progress Turkey has made on other points, there is a realistic chance that those points still outstanding will be fulfilled," she said. This week was effectively a deadline for the Commission to issue its formal recommendation on visas if it is to satisfy Ankara by July. Otherwise the migrant deal would be at risk. Feuds over the migration crisis reared their head again when a separate proposal from the Commission to spread asylum seekers around the EU according to quotas backed by effective fines for non-compliance were denounced as "blackmail" and a "dead end" by ministers from the ex-communist east who refuse to accept refugees. RIGHTS Member states, led by Germany which took in most of the 1.3 million refugees and migrants who reached Europe across the Mediterranean last year, have already mostly accepted that the visa-free regime for Turks is part of the price for what many see as the best chance for a sharp reduction in those arriving. But qualms about Turkey's treatment of some migrants and some of its own citizens notably from the Kurdish minority, as well as President Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown on the media, have fueled resistance to concessions in the European Parliament. A joint statement from the legislature on the visa issue said there would be no short-cuts in an approval procedure which officials say would normally take several weeks. Turkey's minister for EU relations, Volkan Bozkir, said he believed all 72 criteria had already been met and he hoped the process could be completed on schedule by the end of June. "There is still work to be done as a matter of urgency," the EU's Timmermans said. "But if Turkey sustains the progress made, they can meet the remaining benchmarks." Turkey agreed in March to take back any migrant who reach Greek islands by boat after paying human traffickers in return for EU cash for refugees and pledges to take to Europe directly some of the 2.7 million Syrians now on its soil. That deal was driven by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu while Erdogan kept his distance from promises of travel freedom many Turks would relish but doubt will be honored. "I hope they'll end visa requirements and everybody will travel freely but I don't believe it will be the case," travel agent Atalay Yasar said as he waited in line in Istanbul to apply for Schengen visas for his customers. Worried that anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim parties which have surged across the EU could capitalize on fears of impending visa freedoms, not just for 79 million Turks, but also for 45 million Ukrainians as well as people from Georgia and Kosovo, France and Germany have pushed for tighter controls. The Commission proposed amending the regulation that governs all EU visa-free schemes, giving it powers to suspend the waiver quickly if, say, large numbers overstay their 90-day allowance. Britain, which votes next month in a referendum on quitting the EU, is exempt from the visa and asylum quota systems. (Additional reporting by Gulsen Solaker in Ankara, Jan Lopatka in Prague, Gergely Szakacs in Budapest, Gernot Heller in Meseberg, Germany, and Seda Sezer and Melih Aslan in Istanbul; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Francesco Guarascio and Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission approved on Wednesday extending by six months controls at several frontiers inside the free-travel Schengen area, saying checks were justified by deficiencies in Greece's management of the bloc's external border. Border controls between Schengen countries are usually not allowed, but in a situation of emergency, such as Europe's migration crisis, checks can be reintroduced for a maximum of two years. "There is still considerable migratory pressure at our external border, and large numbers of migrants present in Greece," Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said. "Therefore, as long as serious deficiencies in (Greece's) border management persist some internal border control measures should be maintained." The EU executive approved six-month extensions of controls at the German-Austrian border, at Austria's frontiers with Slovenia and Hungary and at Danish, Swedish and Norwegian borders. "The aim is that, by the end of this year, the Schengen zone will be fully normalized," EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told a news conference in Brussels, signaling temporary controls would be lifted as soon as migration flows were under control. Germany and other Schengen countries introduced emergency border controls last year in an effort to stem chaotic movements of refugees and migrants across Europe after more than 1 million reached the bloc in the last year, mainly via Greece. The Commission estimated there were still risks that migrants and asylum seekers in Greece could illegally move to other Schengen countries. Following a deal between the EU and Turkey in March, migrant flows to Greece from Turkey have been reduced considerably, but the Commission said that "the sustainability of the sharp drop in numbers seen over the last weeks still needs to be confirmed". In explaining the decision to maintain some controls, which was sought by Berlin, Avramopoulos also said the Commission had to take into account concerns about an uptick in new arrivals to Italy. Austria is building fences at its border with Italy on the Brenner Pass, the major Alpine crossing for heavy goods traffic. Avramopoulos avoided comment, other than to say Italy and Austria were negotiating a solution. (editing by Philip Blenkinsop; editing by John Stonestreet)
By Jim Finkle (Reuters) - SWIFT, the global financial network that banks use to transfer billions of dollars every day, warned its customers on Monday that it was aware of "a number of recent cyber incidents" where attackers had sent fraudulent messages over its system. The disclosure came as law enforcement authorities in Bangladesh and elsewhere investigated the February cyber theft of $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank account at the New York Federal Reserve Bank. SWIFT has acknowledged that the scheme involved altering SWIFT software on Bangladesh Bank's computers to hide evidence of fraudulent transfers. Monday's statement from SWIFT marked the first acknowledgement that the Bangladesh Bank attack was not an isolated incident but one of several recent criminal schemes that aimed to take advantage of the global messaging platform used by some 11,000 financial institutions. "SWIFT is aware of a number of recent cyber incidents in which malicious insiders or external attackers have managed to submit SWIFT messages from financial institutions' back-offices, PCs or workstations connected to their local interface to the SWIFT network," the group warned customers on Monday in a notice seen by Reuters. The warning, which SWIFT issued in a confidential alert sent over its network, did not name any victims or disclose the value of any losses from the previously undisclosed attacks. SWIFT confirmed to Reuters the authenticity of the notice. SWIFT, or the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, is a cooperative owned by 3,000 financial institutions. Also on Monday, SWIFT released a security update to the software that banks use to access its network to thwart malware that security researchers with British defense contractor BAE Systems said was probably used by hackers in the Bangladesh Bank heist.[L2N17S0RG] BAE's evidence suggested that hackers manipulated SWIFT's Alliance Access server software, which banks use to interface with SWIFT's messaging platform, to cover their tracks. BAE said it could not explain how the fraudulent orders were created and pushed through the system. But SWIFT provided some evidence about how that happened in its note to customers, saying that in most cases the modus operandi was similar. It said the attackers obtained valid credentials for operators authorized to create and approve SWIFT messages, then submitted fraudulent messages by impersonating those people. FOLLOWING THE MONEY Cyber security experts said more attacks could surface as SWIFT's banking clients look to see if their SWIFT access has been compromised. Shane Shook, a banking security consultant who investigates large financial crime, said hackers were turning to SWIFT and other private financial messaging platforms because such attacks can generate more revenue than going after consumers or small businesses. "These hacks specifically target financial institutions because smaller efforts result in much larger thefts," he said. "It's much more efficient than stealing from consumers." Justin Harvey, chief security officer with Fidelis Cybersecurity, said hackers followed the money and would be drawn into such schemes in hopes of emulating a big heist like the one on Bangladesh Bank. "After the Bangladesh Bank heist became public, every other attacker out there is looking to see if they can do the same," he said. SWIFT spokeswoman Natasha Deteran told Reuters that the commonality in these cases was that internal or external attackers compromised the banks own environments to obtain valid operator credentials. "Customers should do their utmost to protect against this," she said in an email to Reuters. SWIFT told customers that the security update must be installed by May 12. "We have made the Alliance interface software update mandatory as it is designed to help banks identify situations in which attackers have attempted to hide their traces - whether these actions have been executed manually or through malware," she said. (Reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston; Additional reporting by Serajul Quadir in Dhaka; Editing by Jonathan Weber, Martin Howell and Peter Cooney)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A man hijacked a Washington D.C. bus on Tuesday and drove it into a gas station, killing a pedestrian in an incident that was over in less than three minutes, police said.

The bus driver tripped an alarm and fled the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority vehicle after the man attacked him with a weapon, police said.

"The suspect appeared to be very distraught and violent," Police Chief Cathy Lanier told reporters. Police did not identify the attacker.

The attacker drove the bus over the curb and into the gas station, hitting a male pedestrian who was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Police took the suspect into custody and Lanier said he may have been taken to a hospital.

She declined to describe the weapon. Washington's WRC-TV, an NBC affiliate, said the suspect put needle-nosed pliers to the driver's neck when he took over the vehicle.

The driver suffered injuries that police described as not life-threatening. No passengers were injured.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Andrew Hay)
By Phil Stewart STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is in a strong position despite political unrest in Iraq, thanks in part to battlefield successes and his commitment to a multi-sectarian state, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday. "He seems to be in a very strong position. Obviously we support him strongly because of what he stands for," Carter told reporters traveling with him shortly before landing in Germany. Carter's full-throated backing of Abadi, one of his most forceful to date, follows months of intense Iraqi political wrangling that has put the country on edge. Abadi has attempted 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. "Prime Minister Abadi stands for and has been a partner in all of the things that are important to Iraq's future, namely a country that holds together and doesn't just spiral off into sectarianism," Carter said. Corruption became a major issue after global oil prices collapsed two years ago, shrinking the state budget at a time when it needed additional income to wage war against Islamic State. "That's why it's so important for the international community to help and support the Iraqi government at this time," Carter said, ahead of talks in Europe this week with allies in the campaign against Islamic State. The militants have been retreating since December, when the Iraqi army recaptured Ramadi, the largest city in the western region. Last month, the army took the nearby region of Hit, pushing them further north along the Euphrates valley. The United States is leading a coalition effort to help Iraq drive back the group. But U.S. officials acknowledge that military gains, including Iraq's recapture of the city of Ramadi and Hit, are not enough. Experts point with anxiety to Iraq's unrelenting political infighting, corruption, a growing fiscal crisis and the Shiite Muslim-led government's fitful efforts to reconcile with aggrieved minority Sunnis, the bedrock of Islamic State support. Three bombs went off in and around Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 14 people. The largest blast, which Islamic State said it was behind, came from a parked car bomb in the Saydiya district of southern Baghdad. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; additional reporting by Stephen Kalin in Baghdad, editing by Larry King and Andrew Hay)
Distance Learning

Northwestern U Develops New Digital Learning Website

Northwestern University in Illinois has launched a new Digital Learning website to showcase the innovative online and blended learning practices of campus faculty and provide information for those who want to implement digital learning.

"The primary goal of the new website is to provide a glimpse into what is happening inside the Northwestern classroom and to help connect the dots between various innovations in teaching and learning," stated a news release from the university.

The site is a partnership project between the Office of the Provost and Northwestern Information Technology, with input from other campus offices, administration and faculty members. The people who created the site hope faculty from Northwestern and other educational institutions will look to the site for information about digital learning and examples of best practices.

Resources available on the Digital Learning site include:

Information about getting started with online and blended learning;

Training events of specific topics related to digital learning;

Information about requesting active learning spaces on campus;

Information about assessing student learning in a digital classroom;

Links to the university's massive open online courses (MOOCs);

Opportunities to propose new MOOCs through Coursera or the Canvas learning management system;

Information about learning analytics; and

Examples of digital learning best practices on campus.

"We hope this site inspires faculty to learn more about digital learning and continue thinking creatively about how technology can support their pedagogy," said Marianna Kepka, assistant provost for academic administration and senior director of the Office of Change Management, in a news release.

The new Digital Learning site can be found on Northwestern University's site.
THURSDAY, May 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Some things never change, and your personal collection of skin bacteria may be one of them -- despite the use of sanitizers and antibacterial wipes.

Human skin encounters countless germs every day, and researchers expected to find that the colonies of bacteria, viruses and fungi in skin fluctuated over time. Instead, they found the germs stay fairly constant.

However, skin hosts micro-environments, which can either attract or repel germs. "We describe the difference between the sweaty armpit and the smooth forearm as being like a rain forest and a desert," said study co-author Julie Segre.

An analysis of skin samples finds feet, in particular, seem to change the most over time on the germ front, said Segre, a senior investigator with the U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute.

The findings aren't likely to affect the ongoing debate about whether we're keeping ourselves too clean. These germs can live deep in the skin, allowing them to remain unaffected by hand-washing, said Segre.

Still, the research does offer insight into the "baseline" of your skin, she said, allowing researchers to better understand how things go out of whack. Bacteria, viruses and fungi cause conditions such as acne, athlete's foot and warts.

The skin's "microbiome" -- containing bacteria, fungi and viruses -- is thought to be important to human health. Segre said it can help the body resist nasty germ invaders and maintain the barrier between the skin and inner organs.

The new study aimed to discover how stable these skin germs are over time. This can help researchers understand what happens when skin disease develops, Segre said.

For the study, Segre and colleagues analyzed 17 skin sites of 12 healthy volunteers three times over two years.

The researchers found that skin germs as a whole remained fairly steady, although individuals have their own "microbial fingerprints."

"One person had a higher amount of fungi on their skin, another person had a lot of bacterial viruses on the side of their nose," Segre said. She thought these collections of germs might be temporary, but "when we examined the person's skin community a year later, it was still true."

Germs on the feet were the most variable of all, but it's not clear why. One possibility, Segre said, is that the feet encounter a lot of temperature differences.

Dr. Stanley Spinola, a scientist who praised the research, said the variation seen in feet may have something to do with moist areas between the toes or differences in footwear -- from sneakers to leather shoes to flip-flops or none at all.

How is this research useful?

"The study shows over a long period of time, our skin microbiome stays pretty stable although we encounter different environments," said Spinola, who is chair of microbiology and immunology at Indiana University School of Medicine.

This is helpful because it gives researchers insight into the normal variation, allowing scientists to better study how disease causes differences, he said.

Elizabeth Grice, an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania, put it this way: "The fact that these [germ] populations are so stable suggests that they are important."

Some researchers, she said, had assumed the collections of germs might not be that vital. They figured the germs would change a lot because of encounters with the outside world, said Grice, who wasn't involved in the study.

Dr. Tiffany Scharschmidt, an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco, said the research highlights the importance of the germs, even though scientists aren't quite sure what they do. She did not work on the study.

So should you be wary of overusing germ-killing hand sanitizers and wipes, which could potentially destroy useful germs?

Scharschmidt said it's fine to wash your hands and use these products in health care settings and other places with a high risk of germ transmission. But "we do need to consider potential deleterious effects of this 'war' against all bacteria," she said.

The study findings were published May 5 in the journal Cell.

More information

For more about healthy skin, try the U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT , April 25, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today the President of Green Star Products, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: GSPI), Joseph LaStella, reviewed the progress of the Company made in 2015 and assesses the company's outlook for 2016.

Mr. LaStella stated, In order to reduce our expenses and increase our exposure to foreign markets the Company adopted a new business strategy wherein GSPI would license other green companies to sell our products and these companies would reciprocate allowing us to sell their green products through GSPI. This is a long term strategy to increase our domestic market and enter international markets without increasing the Companys financial expenditures. This has worked especially well for GSPI in successfully reducing our operating expenditures by 52% and increasing our profit margins by over 27%.

GSPI has engineering expertise, advanced technologies and products which span several industries. Therefore, we have many opportunities to team up with several organizations to pursue mutually beneficial markets for our businesses, as follows:

Nano-Lubrication Division

Our lubrication and cleaning products for the firearms and machine shops industries are sold by Modern Spartan Systems (www.modernspartansystems.com) and also see the TVT Green website (www.tvtgreen.com). These superior multiple lubrication products have begun to impact several industries. The websites have multiple videos that clearly indicate the advantage of our nano-products. These products have been sold to many military, government and industrial organizations. Customers, including manufacturers, have been convinced by conducting their own certified lubricant tests which have been very similar to the impressive website video demonstrations.

GSPI is presently delivering product to the USA and China and expects 2016 to be a banner year for these products. Green Star is in the process of expanding the production facilities for TV Green products in anticipation of larger orders in 2016.

GSPI as Engineering Consultant and Technology Provider

GSPI has rendered consulting services for several companies including an electric car manufacturer and a microalgae production company. In 2015, GSPI built and operated, under contract, a 70,000 liter premium showcase algae production facility located near South Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The successful results of this demonstration facility have warranted an expansion by owners in Mexico who furnish premium organic fertilizers for the farming sector. GSPI will continue to play an important role as engineering consultant and technology provider for this operation in Mexico.

GSPI has also been offered an opportunity to build and operate algae facilities in China from Chinese representatives who have visited the demonstration facility in Las Vegas. We will continue to negotiate our business strategy position for this opportunity.

Alternate Fuel Industry

In February 2014, the President of GSPI received a high-tech loop reactor patent (US Pat. #8648209). The loop reactor is the backbone of highly efficient biodiesel plants manufactured by Green Star Products. Most present day biodiesel production systems require up to three hours and three different processes to convert the various feedstock oils through a transesterification process to produce crude biodiesel. The loop reactor does all these processes in one step and in less than five minutes. Although the biodiesel industry in the United States has waned because of the continuing high cost of feedstock and low fuel oil prices, this is not true in many foreign markets. These markets are searching for long term solutions to satisfy the demands for renewable energy and reduced carbon footprint. GSPI continues to occupy a respected position in this industry as a premium biodiesel provider and continues to receive inquiries from foreign countries that are interested in the future of the biodiesel production industry.

Advanced Nano-Coatings

Green Star is also marketing a variety of advanced coatings (nano-coatings) which offer significant thermal resistance and strong rust protection for industrial applications. These products offer huge energy savings and long term infrastructure protection. The Company has participated in successfully completing a four building project at an important United States military facility in the past. At the same time, we have concentrated heavily on introducing these products into China and other Asian markets. The Chinese marketplace has been difficult to break into because they do not accept most of the test work done by outside entities. GSPI has had an office in Beijing for several years, which has integrated both private firms and government agencies to bridge this gap. The Company has been successfully completing all of the required tests in China. GSPI has been delivering minor orders to China and recently has participated in a significant delivery of product to a major Asian client through our China representatives. GSPI anticipates much larger orders in 2016 through the completed successful test and demonstration program which we have diligently pursued during the past couple of years in China.

In conclusion, Mr. LaStella and GSPI expect 2016 to be an exciting technological year for Green Star and we fully expect that we have emerged into a profit producing mode directly related to our new business strategy. The year 2015 was the first year to produce a net profit (although modest) since our revenue producing years in 2007 and 2008 before the economic decline in the United States and world markets.

About Green Star Products

Green Star Products, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: GSPI) is an environmentally friendly public company dedicated to creating innovative and cost effective products to improve the quality of life and the environment. GSPI and its consortium are involved in the production of green sustainable goods including renewable resources such as algae based biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol and other clean-burning biofuels, as well as other green products including lubricants, cleaners, coatings, additives and devices that reduce emissions and improve fuel economy in vehicles, machinery and power plants. For more information please visit http://www.gspi.com, email us at jplastella@yahoo.com or call us at 1-800-741-7648 and 1-800-340-9784.

Forward-looking statements in the release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, continued acceptance of the company's products, increased levels of competition, new products and technological changes, dependence on third-party suppliers, and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's periodic filings.

CONTACT:

Joseph LaStella

President

Green Star Products, Inc.

jplastella@yahoo.com


ROCKVILLE, Md., May 5, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Head lice infamously cause stress, disgust and embarrassment for millions of parents whose kids get infested each year. But thanks to the opening of a new Lice Clinics of America clinic, parents in Montgomery County, Maryland no longer have to worry about treating the icky bugs themselves.

Lice Clinics of America provides screening, diagnosis and treatment options for people infested with head lice. The clinic is staffed by certified operators of the AirAlle device, an FDA-cleared medical device that kills head lice and lice eggs using just heated air.

David and Liz Weirshousky opened the clinic after experiencing the stress and difficulty of treating lice in their own family. "We spent hours and several hundred dollars with a local nitpicker only to be told as we were leaving that we needed to comb every single day for the next 3 weeks," Liz said. "I broke down crying. I thought I was paying to have the problem totally taken care of - not just someone to get us started. I had to bring a better way to deal with head lice to our area!"

She discovered that better way with the AirAlle medical device. "With the AirAlle device we kill the lice and eggs with just one treatment," Liz said. "There is no more nightly combing. No need to use pesticides on your head. You walk out of our clinic with the peace of mind you need - knowing you are finished with head lice. And we are so sure of what we do it is guaranteed for 30 days!"

Lice Clinics of America  Rockville is locatedat 12222 Rockville Pike. The clinic is open seven days per week by appointment. AirAlle treatments there take about 90 minutes, and come with a 30-day guarantee when all family members are treated or screened for head lice.

The Rockville clinic is one of 100 U.S. clinics in the Lice Clinics of America network.

With clinics in more than 20 countries, Lice Clinics of America is the largest network of professional head-lice-treatment centers in the world. Lice Clinics of America and AirAlle are brands owned by Larada Sciences, Inc.

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=40145
The Eurovision Song Contest -- the longest-running annual televised music competition -- culminates May 14. Here's a look at who participates and how it works.

The competing artists are picked by a television broadcaster in their country that is a member of the European Broadcasting Union. Most participating countries are European, but not all (Israel and Egypt, for example).

Broadcasters in most EBU countries take part. This year, of the 56 EBU member countries, there are 42 countries represented. And broadcasters who participate don't necessarily do so every year. The Eurovision final will be telecast live for the first time on US screens this year, by the Viacom-owned channel Logo.

The acts chosen by their national broadcasters present their songs at the semi-finals, and public and jury voting takes place during the show.

The point system reflects a mix of votes by juries of music professionals and the public, with the latter voting by telephone, SMS or using the official Eurovision app. Voters and juries cannot vote for the entry from their own country.

The top ten vote-winners from each of the semi-finals on May 10 and 12 go on to the final to join the previous year's winner and the Big Five countries, which are all guaranteed a place in the May 14 final.

The Big Five -- France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom -- are the countries that contribute the most to the EBU budget. As last year's winner, Sweden is also the 2016 host.
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Funny you should bring this up (and I'll answer your question, but I'm going to rant a little first, because if I can't use this space to rant, then what's the fun in that, amiright?)

I was planning to round up all the alternative cream cheeses (mostly vegan) to go with the bagel issue, but none of them were very good. I even tried whipping up the least-offensive one and adding lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, etc. to improve flavor and texture, but to no avail.

I also found a brand of "lactose free" cream cheese but, being one who is often sensitive to lactose, I read the label only to discover that they had just added lactase, a.k.a. the enzyme that helps lactose-intolerant people digest lactose. So not only is the cream cheese not magically absolved of its lactose (because of course it's not, because how would that really be possible, really?), but the company is marketing to people who are lactose intolerant when those people in all likelihood ALREADY HAVE the pills necessary to enjoy the occasional lactose-filled products.

Ahem.

But to answer your question: We went with Organic Valley cream cheese when taste testing Becky's and Alex's bagels; I admit to also being partial to good ol' Philadelphia. Whatever you do, don't use low-fat. (I could go on a low-fat dairy product rant too, believe you me.)

And whipping it up sounds like a great idea, too!
Protesters rally in February against hundreds more asylum seekers, including babies, being deported to Nauru.

The island nation of Nauru is one the worlds smallest countriesbut its home to a big controversy.

Yesterday (May 2) a Somali woman set herself on fire to bring attention to that controversy. Days earlier an Iranian man did the same. Both are among hundreds of refugees whove spent years on the sweltering Pacific island.

Australias ruling Liberal party, led by prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, has taken a harsh stance against accepting refugees arriving by boat. The government pays Nauru much-needed money to host the detention center, which is a whopping 3,328 kilometers from Brisbane. It has made it a policy to send refugees who try to reach Australia by boat to the center (or other centers), and refuses to welcome them to Australia. Many of the asylum seekers have fled violence and hardship in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and South Asia.

Conditions for the refugees on Nauru are difficultbad enough that the recent self-immolations are just the latest examples of people hurting themselves in protest. In 2013 more than a dozen refugees on Nauru stitched their lips together as part of hunger strike over their treatment. Last week four people drank washing powder to protest. Two Iranian women have gone missing. One man attempted suicide despite being the sole parent of an eight-year-old girl.

Australian immigration minister Peter Dutton released a statement today (May 3) on the self-immolation of the Somali woman, noting she had been transferred to a hospital in Australia for care. He suggested that refugees such as her were being encouraged by advocates and others to engage in behaviors they believe will pressure the government to bring them to Australia.

Refugee advocates have stridently denied such accusations from government officials in the past.

Last month Dutton responded to attacks from the Labor partywhich will challenge the Liberal party in elections in Julyover the tough stance. He argued that the current policies have dramatically reduced the amount of people-smuggling and number of illegal maritime arrivals in Australia. Letting the refugees now on Nauru into the Australia, the argument goes, will only encourage more dangerous sea journeys.

Story continues

Turnbull recently warned Australians to not get misty-eyed on immigration policy.

But conditions have been so bad for so long on Nauru that opinionboth national and internationalseems to be turning increasingly against the harsh policies. Yesterday the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees issued a statement calling for the immediate movement of [Nauru] refugees and asylum-seekers to humane conditions.

On Twitter hashtags like #mistyeyed and #only19reportedly the age of the female refugee who set herself on firehave become rallying points for Australians opposed to the policies.

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news.

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Rice Noodle Company Ordered to Stop Selling for Failure to Comply

Kun Wo Food Products Inc. of San Francisco must comply with food safety regulations.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a permanent injunction against Kun Wo Food Products Inc. of San Francisco, Calif., on behalf of the FDA.

FDA inspections found unsanitary conditions that could lead to noodle contamination during visits in 2015 and 2016. Listeria was found in the environment, as well as a number of other contaminants.

"The FDA has an obligation to protect public health, and we will take action when we see a company repeatedly violating food safety regulations," said Melinda K. Plaisier, FDAs associate commissioner for regulatory affairs.

As a result the company was stop processing and distributing food. If Kun Wo wants to resume operations, it must give FDA 90 days' advance notice and fulfill other requirements, including retaining an independent expert to develop a pathogen control program, retaining an independent laboratory to conduct analyses of both the environment and food products, and providing employee training on sanitary food handling techniques.
Beware of Legalized Marijuana's Impact on Your Company

In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize the recreational use and sale of marijuana. Since then, two other states and the District of Columbia have followed suit, while 18 others have legalized medical marijuana. Proponents tout the advantages of being able to regulate, tax, and test marijuana. But what's the impact on companies, particularly in relation to drug-free workplace policies?

Employees testing positive for marijuana increased more than 14 percent in 2014, and marijuana continues to be the most commonly detected illicit drug. Usage increased even more in states where recreational marijuana is legal. Companies are conflicted as the influence of marijuana increases concerns about absenteeism, productivity, and workplace safety, yet employers are uneasy about challenges to drug-free workplace rules in states where marijuana is legal.

Currently, marijuana is classified (along with LSD, heroin, and ecstasy) as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Even though many states have legalized marijuana for medical use, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration considers marijuana and its active ingredient (THC) illegal. In states where recreational use of marijuana is legal, individual possession amounts must be within state law.

Enforcement of marijuana laws is the responsibility of both the state and federal government, however, the federal government relies on states to enforce at the local level. The federal government focuses most of its resources on going after traffickers and trafficking rings.

The legalization of marijuana can have these consequences in the workplace:

It will affect your drug policy.

It may impact safety of employees, suppliers, and customers.

It may affect your hiring procedures.

It can impact your standing with the federal government.

It could affect your insurance.

As more and more states move toward legalization of some form, employers should still aim for a safe workplace. I think it's safer to have a policy that says you prohibit the use of illegal drugs, including any metabolites, in an employee's system. Period.

An infographic available from Assurex Global, an exclusive partnership of the most prominent independent agents and brokers in the world, explains the current status of the drug throughout the United State and how it could affect your company  plus it provides tips on how to inform your workplace drug policies in light of the legalization trend.

Paul Bittner ([email protected]) of the Labor and Employment Law Group of Ice Miller in Columbus, Ohio, created this article in collaboration with Assurex Global, an exclusive partnership of the most prominent independent agents and brokers in the world. Bittner is a partner and vice chair of the Labor and Employment Group for the law firm Ice Miller (www.icemiller.com) who has been practicing since 1993 with an emphasis on labor and employment law.
3 Essential Skills Singaporean Parents Should Help Their Kids Attain Instead of Signing Them Up for More Tuition and Enrichment Classes

Concert pianists get their hands insured, supermodels and pro sportspeople buy insurance for their bodies, and its easy to see why. You might not think you have any body parts that are remotely worth forking out money to save, but still, what happens if you fall and hurt yourself while riding your hoverboard?

Never fear, here are five types of insurance plans you probably didnt know existed.

Bicycle and mobility device insurance

Car drivers take out motor insurance due to the possibility of getting into road accidents. But more and more these days, the victims of inconsiderate Singaporean drivers are cyclists and users of mobility devices like electric bikes. We have also very sadly had our first electric scooter fatality.

Thats why NTUC Income have launched their Personal Mobility Guard plan, which pays out if you incur medical expenses after an accident, or have to pay damages to some poor pedestrian or vehicle you collided with. If you commute daily to work by bicycle, unicycle or hoverboard, this is something you might want to consider. Unfortunately, users of pogo sticks are not covered.

Overseas study insurance

Gone are the days when a school excursion meant going to the Singapore Zoo. These days, many schools organise overseas trips, all on the pretext of going on a learning journey. While you will no doubt be required to purchase travel insurance for your kid, its worth knowing that there are insurance plans tailored to students who are overseas for study purposes.

One big advantage is that many risky activities like scuba diving or skydiving might be coveredthese are often excluded under regular travel insurance plans although were not so sure how you as a parent might feel about your kids taking part in these activities. In the event of an accident, you might also be able to have your childs school fees reimbursed, or get a free air ticket for a family member to fly over.

Cyber risks insurance

Some people spend so much time on the internet theyre much more likely to get swindled of their cash, become victims of theft, get slandered or fall in love online than in real life.

Story continues

AXAs Cyber Protector insurance plan offers coverage for online risks like fraudulent online credit card transactions, identity theft, disputes with online merchants, and, get thisdamage to your e-reputation. They have IT guys on hand to remove harmful articles about you online, and can arrange for you to see a psychologist after experiencing the trauma of being shamed online.

Given the power of the Stomp brigade in Singapore, you might actually get the chance to make a claim after being caught in the priority seat on the MRT by a vengeful pregnant woman.

Old age insurance

Were all going to grow old someday, assuming were lucky enough not to die young, and when the day comes that you can no longer work, youd better hope you have enough money saved up. Dont just assume your children (if you have them) will look after you, or that theyre equipped totheres a chance you might need to be cared for by a professional.

Long-term care or old age insurance is designed to absorb some of the expenses youll face as an old person, including the cost of paying for a caregiver or using a nursing home service. NTUC Incomes SilverCare Insurance plan offers payouts in the event of an accident (which for seniors is quite likely) and lets you make claims for costs incurred in making your home elder-friendly after an accident.

Pet insurance

Adopting a pet in Singapore is relatively cheap, but when dear Rover gets sick, youll realise just how expensive vet bills can be. Unfortunately theres no government-subsidised polyclinic you can check your furkid into.

HappyTails Pet Insurance offers payouts if your dog or cat has to seek medical and surgical treatment for an illness or accidental injury. You also have the benefit of third party legal liability coverage, so if sweet little Princess bites your annoying neighbour, you dont have to worry about getting sued.

Would you get any of the above types of insurance? Tell us in the comments!

The post 5 Types of Insurance Plans in Singapore You Didnt Know Existed appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.

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Australia's most wanted Islamic State terror suspect, linked to several attacks on home soil, has been killed in a US air strike in Iraq, Canberra said on Thursday, warning others will be targeted. The death of Neil Prakash is considered significant by Australian and US authorities because of his highly prominent and influential role as a senior recruiter for the jihadist group. Attorney General George Brandis called him "the most dangerous Australian involved with ISIL in the Middle East," using an acronym for the self-proclaimed Islamic State. He said Washington had told Canberra that Prakash died in Mosul, Iraq, on April 29 after Australia provided intelligence on his identity and location. "Neil Prakash was a prominent ISIL member and a senior terrorist recruiter and attack facilitator," he said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Marise Payne. "Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the United States. He is considered to be Australia's most prominent ISIL recruiter." Since the start of their campaign, the US military and its coalition partners have launched more than 12,000 air strikes against the IS group and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said more Australians were in their sights. "Australians who think they can go to Syria and Iraq and fight with Daesh have to recognise that they will be targeted," he told Sky News, referring to IS by another acronym. "They are waging war against Australia and they are enemies of Australia once they choose to wage that war in those theatres." - Home-grown extremists - US authorities also told the government that Australian woman Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad was killed in an air strike near the Syrian city of Al-Bab on April 22, along with her Sudanese husband. "Mohammad and her husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, were both active recruiters of foreign fighters on behalf of ISIL, and had been inspiring attacks against Western interests," said Brandis. In Washington, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said al-Sudani was involved in planning attacks against the United States, Canada and Britain, though he did not provide details of the plots. "Both al-Sudani and his wife were active in recruiting foreign fighters in efforts to inspire attacks against Western interests," Cook added. Mohammad was the sister of Farhad Jabar, a 15-year-old who shot dead police employee Curtis Cheng in Sydney last October. The teenager was killed in gunfire shortly afterwards. Prakash, who left Australia in 2013 and was known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was linked to an alleged terror plot on Anzac Day last year, when Australia honours its war dead. He has also appeared in IS propaganda videos, including one last year calling for attacks on Australia. "His death disrupts and degrades ISIL's ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts," added Brandis, who said that between 50 and 59 Australians had so far been killed fighting for jihadists in Iraq or Syria. At least 110 more are still battling with Islamic State. Australia has long been concerned about home-grown extremism and raised the terror threat alert level to high in September 2014. At least six attacks have been foiled on Australian soil over the past 18 months, according to the government. But several have taken place, including the terror-linked murder of Cheng.
Brazil's Supreme Court suspended a powerful lawmaker at the center of efforts to impeach President Dilma Rousseff, on grounds he tried to obstruct a probe into his alleged corruption. Eduardo Cunha, the speaker of Brazil's lower house of Congress, is the architect of the impeachment drive that is expected to force Rousseff to step aside from office on Wednesday. He said his suspension, the latest in a whirlpool of corruption scandals, was retaliation for his campaign against Rousseff. Her supporters argued it was grounds for the impeachment drive now to be dropped, though it was not expected to spare her now that her case is in the hands of the Senate. Despite facing criminal charges including bribery and hiding money in Swiss bank accounts, Cunha has survived months of attempts by prosecutors and a congressional ethics committee to see him brought to justice. A master backroom political operator, he is widely seen as the key figure in getting the impeachment proceedings green-lighted by the lower house in April. The Senate will vote Wednesday on whether to open a trial and suspend Rousseff. But the man Brazilians refer to as a real-life Frank Underwood -- the corrupt US politician in the hit Netflix series "House of Cards" -- appeared finally to have been brought down by the high court. Justice Teori Zavaski slapped the suspension on Cunha Thursday morning, and the full court ratified it later in the day. Zavaski said that Cunha had obstructed justice "to prevent the success of investigations against him." With Rousseff likely to be suspended and replaced by her vice president, Michel Temer, next week, Cunha would have moved up to first on the presidential succession list. Zavaski said Cunha was not fit for that job. - 'Retaliation' - Rousseff ruefully welcomed her enemy's fate. "Better late than never," she said. "The only thing I regret... is that he was able to sit there stone-faced and preside over these shameful (impeachment) proceedings in the lower house." Cunha told reporters there was "no chance" he would resign. "I will not give up anything," he said. "I am suffering political retaliation for the impeachment process." The government's top lawyer Jose Eduardo Cardozo said the suspension "shows that Mr Cunha abused his office." He called for the impeachment process to be abandoned. - Bribes - Rousseff is accused of manipulating government budget accounts with illegal loans, a charge which she describes as technical and not worthy of impeachment. If she is suspended she will be put on half pay pending the outcome of the trial, which could take several months. Cunha is accused of taking bribes as part of the massive corruption scheme centered on Petrobras, the huge state oil company. He rejects the charges. He is also being investigated by the congressional ethics committee over allegedly lying to Congress about possessing secret Swiss bank accounts. The congressional deputy next in line to replace Cunha as speaker, Waldir Maranhao Cardoso, is himself being investigated for alleged Petrobras-related crimes, including money-laundering. Meanwhile, Temer, who has been named by cooperating witnesses as involved in the Petrobras scheme but is not being formally investigated, faced a new legal problem of his own Thursday. After being found guilty earlier this week by an electoral court of breaking campaign finance rules, he risks being barred from seeking elected office for eight years, a spokesman for the court told AFP. The ban however does not affect his current position -- or his likely rise to become acting president next week. - 'Gridlock' - A conservative member of Brazilian politics' growing Evangelical wing, Cunha belongs to the center-right PMDB party. It used to be the key partner in Rousseff's ruling coalition, but broke away and backed impeachment. Brazil is suffering its deepest recession in decades. On Thursday, Fitch followed other ratings agencies in downgrading Brazil's credit score. It was already classed as speculative or "junk" grade and on Thursday Fitch shifted the rating down to BB from BB+. The downgrade "reflects the deeper-than-anticipated economic contraction, failure of the government to stabilize the outlook for public finances and the sustained legislative gridlock and elevated political uncertainty," Fitch said.
On May 3, Singapore-listed property group Oxley Holdings and its Cambodian joint-venture partner Worldbridge Land broke ground for the construction of The Peak. The groundbreaking ceremony was graced by Chea Sophara, Cambodias senior minister for land management, urban planning and construction; Kevin Cheok, Singapores ambassador to Cambodia; and George Yeo, vice-chairman of Kerry Group and Singapores former minister for foreign affairs.

From left: Oknha Sear Rithy, chairman of Worldbridge Land; Kevin Cheok, Singapores ambassador to Cambodia;

Chea Sophara, Cambodias senior minister for land management, urban planning and construction; and Ching

Chiat Kwong, executive chairman and CEO of Oxley Holdings at the groundbreaking ceremony of The Peak

When completed in 2020, The Peak will have two 55-storey residential towers with 1,014 units, and a 55-storey commercial tower with 15 levels of offices and a 300-room Shangri-La Hotel. The three towers will sit on a five-storey retail podium. The freehold mixed-use development is located in the heart of Phnom Penh overlooking the Mekong River.

On May 3, Oxley and Worldbridge Land also officially launched the sale of the remaining 507 residential units in Tower 2 of The Peak. Oxley plans to launch the tower in Singapore next month. There are also plans to launch it in China and Hong Kong in the later part of this year. The sizes of the units range from 460 sq ft for a studio to 2,002 sq ft for a four-bedroom duplex penthouse, while prices range from US$164,000 ($222,475) to US$1 million.

The official launch of Tower 2 for sale in Phnom Penh

So far, half of the 507 units in Tower 1 have been sold since it was launched in 2015. The Peak is Oxleys second project in Cambodia.

Oxleys maiden joint-venture project with Worldbridge Land in Cambodia is The Bridge, a freehold mixed-use development located within a five-minute walk from The Peak. It has two 45-storey residential and SOHO towers sitting atop a 10-storey retail podium. The residential tower is almost fully sold, while 70% of the SOHO units have been taken up. The project is scheduled for completion by end-2018.

The Bridge and The Peak are just two of the four developments in Phnom Penh that Oxley will be developing jointly with Worldbridge Land. Cambodia is one of the strategic markets we intend to focus on, says Oxley executive chairman and CEO Ching Chiat Kwong. We are also seeking more development opportunities in Cambodia. We will unveil our remaining two developments in Phnom Penh at an opportune time.

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Thanks to its robust economy, educated talent pool.

Singapore has been crowned the tenth most attractive nation in the world for foreign direct investment (FDI), jumping ahead of economies such as Switzerland and Sweden, according to A.T. Kearneys (A.T.) FDI Confidence Index.

Soon Gee Chua, Partner and Head of Southeast Asia at A.T., notes that Singapore has established itself as a regional financial hub. Its robust economy, stable political environment, corruption-free government and educated talent pool have made Singapore an alluring destination for global companies.

Notably, the index shows that domestic market size, cost of labour, regulatory transparency and lack of corruption are top considerations for executives when investing in a country.

Singapore is consistently ranked as one of the easiest places to do business. That has seen major global companies set up their regional headquarters here, Chua adds.

Singapore is also a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) further adding to its lure for companies looking to tap into the 10-nation economic blocs growth potential. All of this has contributed to the growth in FDI into the country, he further asserts.

The Lion City jumped five placesthe biggest rise in rankingsto take the 10th spot in 2016s index. Occupying the first to ninth places respectively were US, China, Canada, Germany, UK, Japan, Australia, France and India.

Meanwhile, the index also reveals that only about 3 in 10 (31%) respondents were confident about the city-states economic outlook over the next three years, compared to a year ago.

The index studies political, economic, and regulatory changes that affect FDI inflows into countries. It uses primary data from a proprietary survey administered to senior executives of leading corporations across 27 countries.





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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
By Amantha Perera RAJANGANAYA, Sri Lanka (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In mid-April, at the same time of year as their families have done for generations, Sri Lanka's paddy farmers started cultivating their rice fields. But this year, that may be too late. President Maithripala Sirisena has warned Sri Lanka' farmers that they may run out of water before their crops are ready to harvest. Devotion to tradition  in particular, planting spring crops after a traditional New Year's holiday in mid-April  could now prove devastating, he said. But many farmers are so far not convinced that old schedules need to change to match new climate patterns  a problem many countries around the world face as they try to adjust to changing weather patterns. Ranjith Sumanadasa, 50, a paddy farmer from Rajanganaya region in Sri Lanka's north-central province, has been cultivating his rice for close to four decades based on traditional timetables. "I learned from my father that after the March harvest we will celebrate Avurudhu, and then prepare the fields around a week or two later, then the water comes," he said. "There is no other way I know of." In early April, at a public rally in his native Polonnaruwa District, Sirisena explained how he had tried to convince Sri Lanka's rice farmers to start cultivating a few weeks earlier than normal, to take advantage of recent rains that had filled some of the country's reservoirs almost to capacity. Sticking to the traditional timetable, he said, would mean losing much of that needed water to evaporation. "I instructed the Water Management Committee to release water for paddy farmers as soon as possible," Sirisena said on April 2. "But the paddy farmers remain unmoved. They want to start the cultivation after the (traditional) New Year." Rains during the last weeks of March filled some reservoirs in the north and central parts of the country. As authorities released water from hydropower reservoirs to generate electricity, they also sent some to the smaller irrigation reservoirs to water rice fields, in the hopes the farmers would take advantage and use it right away. But farmers instead waited over two weeks before using it, Sirisena said. With the island experiencing temperatures between 2 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees Celsius above average, according to the Meteorological Department, some of that water was lost. "Because of the hot temperatures we are losing hundreds of cubic meters of water daily due to evaporation," the president told the gathering in Polonnaruwa District. "You have to reconsider getting into the fields before the end of the month," he pleaded. HARVESTS EVAPORATING? When Sirisena spoke to the country's paddy farmers in early April, the main irrigation tanks in the north central and central provinces were at around 80 percent capacity. But by the third week of April  when farmers wanted to start watering their crops  the levels had dropped by 20 percent, officials said. Water management officials estimate that close to 300 million litres of water were evaporating daily across Sri Lanka. That could mean trouble for the paddy farms, which cover over 10 percent of the country's land area. "You will have to bear responsibility if there is a water shortage mid-season," the president told farmers. To make matters worse, Sir Lanka has experienced below-average rains across most of the island through April, according to the Met Department. May is also predicted to be unseasonably dry. In 2014, a similar spell of dry weather hit Sri Lanka's rice farmers, resulting in a harvest of 3.3 million tons, 17 percent less than the year before. Although Sri Lanka's farmers are aware of the shift in the country's climate patterns  and the potentially dire consequences  many refuse to change the way they farm. Sri Lanka's paddy farmers have long followed a cultivation schedule based on two monsoon seasons: Maha, between November and March, and Yala, between April and October. Based on that timetable, paddy farmers begin to prepare their fields for cultivation only after Avurudhu, the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year that falls between April 13 and April 14. According to Namal Karunaratne, national organiser of the All Ceylon Peasants' Federation, the countrys monsoons used to bring around 4.5 million metric tons of rain each year. But the seasonal rains have become unreliable, with one study by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology suggesting rainfall over the Indian subcontinent has decreased between 20 and 30 percent over the last century. "Our farmers are yet to get used to these changes. They are still used to the government providing water on time," Karunaratne said. "They are not used to water management." (Reporting by Amantha Perera; editing by Jumana Farouky and Laurie Goering :; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Dozens of people were killed in an intense day-long battle between Syrian rebels and government forces in western Aleppo that continued intermittently on Wednesday, with rebels saying they were forced to retreat by heavy aerial bombing. An insurgent assault in and around the Jamiyat al-Zahraa area of Aleppo had threatened the army's defensive lines around government-held districts of a city at the epicentre of a recent escalation in the five-year-old civil war. The surge in bloodshed in Aleppo, Syria's largest city and biggest strategic prize, wrecked the first major "cessation of hostilities" agreement of the war, sponsored by Washington and Moscow, which had held since February. The German and French foreign ministers said that achieving a ceasefire in Aleppo was critical to renewing peace talks. "I believe everyone knows and can conclude that there could be no return to the political talks in Geneva if a ceasefire in and around Aleppo is not observed," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters in Berlin. In Geneva, a senior United Nations humanitarian official said the Syrian government was refusing U.N. demands to deliver aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped by the fighting, including many in devastated Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens had been killed on both sides in what it described as the most intense battle in the Aleppo region in a year. Government forces were reinforced by allies from Lebanon's Hezbollah, it said. A rebel fighter said about 40 government soldiers had been killed, while rebel losses stood at 10 dead. A military source denied there had been heavy casualties in army ranks, but said dozens of civilians and many rebels had been killed. Rebel sources said insurgents had at one point captured a strategic location known as Family House, but later lost it after the government side sent in reinforcements. A pro-government military strategist said the offensive failed to breach key army defence and supply lines in Aleppo. "The assault was repelled, foiling a major attempt by these terrorist groups to make a breakthrough into the heart of Aleppo," Hassan Hassan said on state-run Ikhbariyah TV. A rebel source said sustained air strikes on insurgents arrayed along the fringes of government-controlled Jamiyat al Zahraa had forced them into a retreat. "The air force is the only weapon that exhausts us, especially (the use of) barrel bombing," said Mohammad al Sulaiman, a field commander from the Free Syrian Army's Liwa Fursan al Haq brigade. Rebels said jets believed to be both Russian and Syrian continued to pound their positions near Jamiyat al Zahraa. Other air and artillery strikes hit rebel emplacements around the Castello highway, the main supply route into rebel-held Aleppo. MOSTLY CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN ALEPPO Most of the people killed in Aleppo in the last few weeks have been civilians. The Observatory said 279 civilians had been killed in Aleppo by bombardment since April 22 - 155 of them in opposition-held areas and 124 in government-held districts. Syria's conflict has killed at least 250,000 people and displaced half its pre-war 22 million population, giving rise to the world's worst refugee crisis. Russia turned the tide of the war in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's favour with a campaign of heavy aerial bombing launched last September, while the United States and some allies have provided limited support to non-Islamist rebel forces. Temporary local ceasefires have been put in place in two areas of Syria but those have not been extended to Aleppo. Syrian opposition figure Riad Hijab, speaking before talks with the German and French foreign ministers and the U.N.'s Syria envoy, said a general ceasefire was needed across Syria, rather than one confined to specific regions. That formula is not working, said Hijab, adding that the opposition had reached a dead end with Assad in peace talks. "There needs to be an agreement according to U.N. Security Council Resolution 2268 that includes all Syrian areas where moderate opposition exists," he said. On Wednesday, Russia blamed the United States and an upsurge in violence by Islamist Nusra Front militants for a failure to extend a ceasefire plan to Aleppo the previous day. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that the deal covering Aleppo was close and that the Russian and U.S. militaries might announce a decision "in the coming hours". But such a local truce, also known as "a regime of calm," never materialised. Russian news agencies quoted Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying Russian and U.S. military officers were holding "active consultations" with the Assad government and "moderate opposition" on how to salvage the truce plan. (Reporting by Tom Perry and Suleiman al-Khalidi in Beirut, Paul Carrel and Joseph Nasr in Berlin, Andrew Osborn in Moscow and Tom Miles in Geneva; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
The Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia is one of most intimidating landscapes on EarthI arrived informed of the statistics. Spanning more than 4,000 square miles at an altitude of 12,000 feet, its a beautiful moonscape where temperatures can swing 40 degrees in a day. You can fry, and you can freeze. To that point, my bag contained 50 SPF, polarized sunglasses and a 4-layer, Arc'teryx jacket.

air stream uyuni salt flats

What I wasnt prepared for was the sheer silence. I wasnt ready for the deep emotions sweeping over me at sunset. And I certainly wasnt prepared for feeling so tiny and insignificant, while at the same time like I could stroke the clouds or potentially catch a glimpse of God.

Visitors have a couple of options: You can stay at one of the hotels along the border and drive into this crazy, crusty, saline phenomenon for a day trip. Or you can camp along the mountain ridge and ride motorcycles along it.

air stream uyuni salt flats

However, to exist for days in the centerwithout seeing anything save a brilliant blue horizon and empty white Earthyour only choice is an airstream. Its the lone way to immerse oneself in this sacred, brutal place while retaining necessary creature comforts like water, electricity, and premium Scotch.

Theres no experience Ive ever had that succeeds cocktails at sunset on the Uyuni Salt Flatsexcept the subsequent mountain bike ride we took in circles around the campfire. Once it was pitch black, the Universe lit up and our guide Gustavo Morales whipped out a laser pointer and gave us an astrology lesson.

air stream uyuni salt flats

A booking through tour company Cox & Kings is approximately $3,500 for double occupancy. This includes all transfers, two days exploring the salt flats in Land Cruisers with multi-lingual expert guides, bicycles, haute cuisine, hot showers, and help in creating optical illusion images using an iPhone and a few plastic toys. You hike around the base of the flower-covered Tunupa volcano and climb inside a cave to see thousand-year-old skeletons. You also get to ogle the flamingos and llamas that live as neighbors to the salty plains.

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But to visit such a place calls for knowing how it got there. Thanks to radiocarbon dating, they know Uyuni was created 42,000 years ago after the drying of the giant, prehistoric Lake Minchin. Its four times the size of Hong Kong. In the center, with the mountains no longer visible, all directional intuition dissolves. Large cracks rip the perfect salt, like lightening bolts sketched onto the Earth.

air stream uyuni salt flats

How do you know where to go, I asked the driver as we sped along at 70mph. I have a navigation system. He jabbed a tan, wrinkled finger at the screen that blinked a green SW.

I rolled down the window and donned sunglasses. There is no way to look at the blinding Earth without a filter. Before GPS, guides knew this place by heart, he said. But people who came in here without guides got lost. People have disappeared forever.

air stream uyuni salt flats

Thanks to government regulations, the sheer size, and the fact that only a few hotel options exist within an hours drive, Uyuni remains far less traveled than other world wonders. We saw no more than five other Land Cruisers during our day excursions.

It wont stay like this forever, Morales admitted. More people are coming all the time. But for now, its so peaceful. It makes me proud to be Bolivian. I actually showed Jude Law the Salt Flats, his voice morphed from wistful to excited. He also stayed in the airstream. We made sure we kept him safe. We know how much the American ladies love Jude Law.

air stream uyuni salt flats

Back now, I miss Bolivias Uyuni Salt Flats. Im admittedly comforted that Jude Law and I share in this longing. Now is the time to pack up and head outCox & Kings is adding a third airstream in February 2016, allowing for six-person trips. Just dont forget the sunblock.
By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission proposed a system to distribute asylum seekers across the EU on Wednesday that aims to ease the load on states like Greece and Italy but drew immediate condemnation from governments in Eastern Europe. The European Union executive published legislative proposals to reform the so-called Dublin system of EU asylum rules that includes a "fairness mechanism" under which each of the 28 states would be assigned a percentage quota of all asylum seekers in the bloc that it would be expected to handle. The quotas would reflect national population and wealth and, if a country found itself handling 50 percent more than its due share, it could relocate people elsewhere in the bloc. States could refuse to take people for a year -- but only if they paid another country 250,000 euros per person to accommodate them. "There is no a la carte solidarity in this Union," First Vice President Frans Timmermans told reporters. "This is a way to be able to show solidarity in a situation where ... you are not able to take the refugees which were allocated to you." But at a meeting in Prague, ministers from Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic all repeated their opposition to the idea of relocation: "It makes no sense, it violates EU member states' rights," Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told reporters. Hungary's foreign minister called it "blackmail". A two-year emergency relocation scheme was set up last year as Greece struggled to cope with the chaotic arrival of nearly a million people, many of them Syrian refugees, most of whom reached Germany. It was agreed over the furious objections of several central and eastern states, two of whom, Hungary and Slovakia, are contesting the quota system in the EU courts. In fact, only 1,441 asylum seekers have been relocated out of the 160,000 allowed for under the current temporary scheme. The proposals, which also include measures to speed up the process of handling asylum claims and tighter controls on the movements of migrants themselves, need backing from governments and the European Parliament -- a process that officials expect to be an uphill battle and involve many amendments. Germany, the bloc's main paymaster and destination for the bulk of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, has pushed hard for a permanent relocation system and has voiced frustration with the refusal of governments in the east who benefit the most from EU subsidies to take in asylum seekers. Poland, Hungary and other formerly communist states say immigration, especially from the Muslim cultures of the Middle East, would disrupt their homogeneous societies. Governments also object to paying as an alternative to taking people in. A similar proposal last year to set a payment of 0.002 percent of GDP was not taken up in the temporary scheme. The Commission did not issue its quota figures. Last year's tables gave Germany a roughly 18 percent share, France 14 percent, Poland 5.6 percent and Hungary 1.8 percent. "CONTROVERSIAL" Any reform of the system, from which Britain, Ireland and Denmark are exempt, will require majority approval by EU governments. But senior officials say EU leaders will try to avoid forcing a deal through over strong minority objections, as happened with the temporary relocation scheme last September. Even the authors of the proposal admit it is "sensitive" and "controversial" but hope it bridges diverging expectations from member states, EU sources said. Splits between east and west, north and south over migration have posed one of the biggest challenges the European Union has faced and leaders' main hope is that a new deal with Turkey to hold down the numbers arriving can take the heat out of a debate that has seen nationalist parties surge in polls across Europe. Italy has led a push for reform of a Dublin system that gives responsibility for handling asylum claims to the first country migrants arrive in. The Commission last month floated a possibility of scrapping that in favour of a central EU system but has now favoured the relocation system. Chaotic movements of migrants, including many allowed by Italy and Greece to head north without being registered, have thrown the bloc's cherished Schengen system of open borders into disarray, with governments putting up new barriers to travel. EU officials hope that the deal with Turkey, from where the bulk of 1.3 million people reached Europe last year, will stem the flow and allow the Union to regain control of its external borders and hence restore order in the Schengen area. Also on Wednesday, Brussels was expected to confirm a lifting of visa restrictions on Turks as part of the deal with Ankara. The EU is offering to take in refugees directly from Turkey, which hosts 2.7 million Syrians, and such resettlements would be taken into account in countries' quotas for relocation. (Editing by Alastair Macdonald)
By Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Iceland's government named a new prime minister and called for early elections in the autumn on Wednesday, a day after Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson quit to become the first global politician brought down by the "Panama Papers" leaks. It was unclear whether the naming of Fisheries Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson to head the government or the call for early elections would satisfy the thousands of Icelanders who in street protests this week demanded the government resign immediately for early elections. Gunnlaugsson quit as prime minister on Tuesday after leaked documents from a Panamanian law firm showed his wife owned an offshore company that held millions of dollars in debt from failed Icelandic banks. The government said the decision to hold elections in autumn would give it time to follow through on one of the biggest economic policy changes in decades - the ending of capital controls introduced to rescue the economy from the 2008 financial crisis. Johannsson, who had served also as agriculture minister in the government, told reporters the government would further pursue its big projects of the last three years, the largest being the abolition of capital controls. The opposition has been trying to force a new election with a vote of no confidence in the government, which could lead to a radical political shift. A few thousand demonstrators, though fewer than on Monday, gathered for another evening of protests in front of the parliament building on Wednesday. Protesters, already fed up with the financial and political elite after the 2008 banking crisis wrecked their economy, have gathered the last three nights in the capital Reykjavik, some pelting parliament with yoghurt and eggs. "I feel like I am watching a live show of House of Cards," Erla Gisladottir, a 32-year-old mother on parental leave, said ahead of the government's decision to call new elections, referring to a television show about political intrigue. Polls show the anti-establishment Pirate Party in the lead if a new election is called in the country of 330,000 people, a result with potentially wider impact across Europe where mainstream political parties are fending off populists. A poll by Icelandic media outlet Visir showed 43 percent of those polled would cast ballots for the Pirate Party if elections were held now, a stunning victory for a group set up by opponents of copyright enforcement rules. The Pirate Party, which campaigns in favour of transparency and direct democracy, has had a small following in several European countries for a few years but has never before come close to political power. The Panama documents revealed that Gunnlaugsson's wife owned a previously undisclosed firm with what the government says is $4.1 million in claims on the island's collapsed banks. His opponents have said that represents a conflict of interest, because the government is negotiating the value of such claims. ELECTION DEMANDS Iceland has struggled to recover from the 2008 collapse of its highly indebted banks, which led to popular protests, the fall of a government and the jailing of many bankers. Many Icelanders still harbour a strong distrust of their leaders. "I'm here for many reasons," said Jon Thor Olafsson, a 33-year-old musician who protested near parliament on Wednesday. "To protest the arrogance of the government in its entirety and a ruined financial system in Iceland - as the outrageous number of Icelanders in the Panama Papers shows." The leaked documents from a Panamanian law firm that specialises in setting up offshore companies were unveiled this week by news organisations around the world, shining a light on the finances of global politicians and public figures. Gunnlaugsson and his wife bought a company called Wintris Inc from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca in late 2007 through the Luxembourg branch of Landsbanki, one of the three Icelandic banks that collapsed in 2008. Court records show Wintris had investments in bonds in all three of those banks, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which coordinated the leaks investigation. It said Gunnlaugsson sold his 50 percent share in Wintris to his wife for $1 on Dec 31, 2009, the year he entered parliament, and violated Iceland's ethics rules by failing to disclose it. In a Facebook post on March 15, his wife Anna Sigurlaug Palsdottir said she was the sole owner of Wintris's assets, and that her husband had been listed as co-owner due to a mistake by the bank, which she said was corrected in 2009. The money came from the sale of her share in her family's business, she said. Gunnlaugsson has said his wife's assets were taxed in Iceland. The estates of the failed banks agreed with Iceland's central bank and finance ministry late last year on how to wind down their business ahead of lifting Iceland's capital controls. Glitnir said in December it had begun paying creditors, whereas Britain got its final payment from the estate of Landsbanki in January. It was not clear whether Wintris was among those creditors who had been paid. (Writing by Mia Shanley and Niklas Pollard, additional reporting by Johan Ahlander, Sven Nordenstam and Daniel Dickson in Stockholm, Gwladys Fouche in Oslo and Birna Osk Bjornsdottir in Reykjavik; Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Howard Goller)
JAKARTA  Indonesia is preparing for a new round of executions, police said yesterday, around a year after Jakarta sparked global outrage by putting seven foreign drug convicts to death by firing squad.

Officials recently started getting ready after an order from the attorney-generals office, which oversees executions, said Central Java police spokesman Aloysius Lilik Darmanto.

He said no date had been set for the executions, which will take place on the prison island of Nusakambangan in Central Java, and he did not know who would face the firing squad.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has repeatedly insisted that drug traffickers must face the firing squad to stem rising narcotics use. There are scores of drug convicts on death row in the country, including Indonesians and foreigners.

We have been making preparations, Darmanto told AFP. We are ready whenever the order comes.

There has been growing speculation in recent weeks that executions were set to resume after a year-long hiatus, but high-ranking officials in Jakarta have so far said little. There was no immediate comment yesterday from the attorney-generals office.

The execution in April last year of seven foreigners  two Australians, a Brazilian and four Nigerians  and an Indonesian for drug offences sparked international fury. Since then, no one else has been put to death, but officials had continued to insist publicly that it was the countrys right to use capital punishment.

Among the foreigners on death row are Frenchman Serge Atlaoui and Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, who were both pulled from the last round of executions.

A British grandmother, Lindsay Sandiford, is on death row in Bali after she was caught smuggling a huge stash of cocaine into the resort island.

Darmanto said preparations included ensuring locations where the executions would take place were ready. For last years executions, the drug convicts were taken to a jungle clearing on the island, which houses several high-security prisons, and tied to stakes before being shot.

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We have also prepared the facility for the bodies, he said.

Each death row convict will face a group of 10 shooters and one group commander. We have selected and trained the personnel.

The executions last year of Australian drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in particular caused tension, with Indonesias neighbor Australia temporarily recalling its ambassador from Jakarta.

The April round was the second under Widodo. Since he took office in 2014, 14 drug convicts  mostly foreigners  have been executed.  AFP
By Phil Stewart and Andrea Shalal STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Islamic State militants killed a U.S. Navy SEAL in northern Iraq on Tuesday after blasting through Kurdish defences and overrunning a town in the biggest offensive in the area for months, officials said. The elite serviceman was the third American to be killed in direct combat since a U.S.-led coalition launched a campaign in 2014 to "degrade and destroy" Islamic State and is a measure of its deepening involvement in the conflict. "It is a combat death, of course, and a very sad loss," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters during a trip to Germany. A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the dead serviceman was a Navy SEAL. The SEALs are considered to be among the most able U.S. special operations forces and capable of taking on dangerous missions. The serviceman's identity and rank were not disclosed by the Pentagon. The governor of the U.S. state of Arizona, Doug Ducey, identified the slain serviceman as Charlie Keating IV, and said Keating had attended high school in Phoenix. The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper, in southern California, cited unnamed SEALs and their family members in reporting that Keating was the grandson of Charles Keating Jr., a banker who played a leading role in the U.S. savings and loan scandal of the 1980s that embroiled five U.S. senators. A senior official within the Kurdish peshmerga forces facing Islamic State in northern Iraq said the man had been killed near the town of Tel Asqof, around 28 kilometres (17 miles) from the militant stronghold of Mosul. The Islamic State insurgents occupied the town at dawn on Tuesday but were driven out later in the day by the peshmerga. A U.S. military official said the coalition had helped the peshmerga by conducting more than 20 air strikes with F-15 jets and drones. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Navy SEAL was killed "by direct fire" while on a mission to advise and assist local forces in Iraq. Carter's spokesman, Peter Cook, said the incident took place during an Islamic State attack on a peshmerga position some 3 to 5 km behind the forward line. SNIPERS AND SUICIDE BOMBERS In mid-April the United States announced plans to send an additional 200 troops to Iraq and put them closer to the front lines of battle to advise Iraqi forces in the war against the Islamic State militant group. Underscoring the complicated nature of the U.S. role in Iraq, the White House told reporters that even though the serviceman died in a combat situation, he was not on a combat mission. "He was not on the front lines. But he was two miles away, and it turns out that being two miles away from the front lines between Iraqi forces and ISIL is a very dangerous place to be," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, using an acronym for Islamic State. Last month, an Islamic State attack on a U.S. base killed Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin and wounded eight other Americans providing force protection fire to Iraqi army troops. Such Islamic State incursions are rare in northern Iraq, where the Kurdish peshmerga have pushed the militants back with the help of coalition air strikes and set up defensive lines that the militants are rarely able to breach. The leader of a militia deployed alongside peshmerga in Tel Asqof said the insurgents had used multiple suicide bombers, some driving vehicles laden with explosives, to penetrate peshmerga lines. The Kurdistan Region Security Council said at least 25 Islamic State vehicles had been destroyed on Tuesday and more than 80 militants killed. At least 10 peshmerga also died in the fighting, according to a Kurdish official who posted pictures of the victims on Twitter. The peshmerga also deflected Islamic State attacks on the Bashiqa front and in the Khazer area, about 40 km west of the Kurdish regional capital Erbil, Kurdish military sources said. The Islamist militants have been broadly retreating since December, when the Iraqi army recaptured Ramadi, the largest city in the western region. Last month, the Iraqi army retook the nearby region of Hit, pushing the militants further north along the Euphrates valley. But U.S. officials acknowledge that the military gains against Islamic State are not enough. Iraq is beset by political infighting, corruption, a growing fiscal crisis and the Shi'ite Muslim-led government's fitful efforts to seek reconciliation with aggrieved minority Sunnis, the bedrock of Islamic State support. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Andrea Shalal; Additional reporting by Isabel Coles in Erbil, Roberta Rampton in Washington, David Schwartz in Phoenix, and Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Gareth Jones, Toni Reinhold)
A 48-hour ceasefire took hold Thursday in Syria's battered second city of Aleppo after President Bashar al-Assad's regime and rebel forces gave in to mounting diplomatic pressure. Relieved residents returned to the streets after two weeks of heavy fighting in the divided metropolis, a key battleground in Syria's five-year civil war. The Syrian army said late on Wednesday that it had agreed to calls from Russia and the United States for a two-day truce in Aleppo that would begin from 1:00 am on Thursday. The agreement followed an intense diplomatic push by Moscow and Washington -- the co-sponsors of a February 27 ceasefire agreement that had begun to fall apart -- to salvage peace efforts. Renewed fighting in recent days, especially in and around Aleppo, had threatened the full collapse of the ceasefire, a landmark in attempts to finally resolve a conflict that has left more than 270,000 dead. More than 280 civilians were reported killed since April 22 in the clashes in Aleppo, with regime air strikes pounding the opposition-held east while rebels fired a barrage of rockets into the government-controlled west. Early on Thursday, an AFP correspondent in the city said there had been no signs of fresh air raids since the ceasefire took effect. As residents emerged, shopkeepers were reopening their doors while fruit and vegetable markets -- one of which was struck in an April 24 raid that left 12 dead -- were again up and running. - US, Russia monitoring - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, confirmed there had been no bombing in the city, though it said a civilian had died in a western district from rebel shelling that came minutes after the ceasefire took effect. After a whirlwind of talks involving diplomats from top world powers and the United Nations, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced the truce had taken effect and that violence had already fallen off. "We've seen an overall decrease in violence in those areas even though there are some reports of continued fighting in some locations," Kerry said. Kerry said US officials in Geneva were coordinating with their Russian colleagues on "enhanced monitoring efforts for this renewed cessation". The Russian defence ministry said its ceasefire monitors had agreed with their US counterparts to oversee this truce until midnight on May 6. In Aleppo, the head of the local branch of the powerful Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) rebel force, Ahmad Sanada, said the group would respect the ceasefire. "We are in favour of any initiative that relieves the suffering of civilians and avoids bloodshed and we will respect" the ceasefire, he told AFP. Diplomats are hoping a nationwide ceasefire can underpin efforts to resolve Syria's war, which evolved from a crackdown on anti-government protests into a devastating multi-front conflict. UN-backed peace talks in Geneva, which mediators hope can resume later this month, have so far made little headway, with the regime rejecting the opposition's demand that Assad step aside as part of a political transition. The conflict led in part to the emergence of the jihadist Islamic State group, which has seized control of large areas of Syria and neighbouring Iraq. - Twin bombings kill 10 - On Thursday, twin bombings in central Syria killed at least 10 civilians and wounded 40 more, the Observatory said, amid recent fighting in the area between IS fighters and regime troops. State television reported that at least six people were killed and 28 seriously wounded in the suicide attack and car bombing in a square in Mukharram al-Fawqani in Homs province. The area, controlled by the regime, is located between the cities of Homs and Palmyra, which was recaptured by the Syrian army from jihadists last month. The blasts came just days after IS seized the nearby Shaer gas field, one of the biggest in Homs, in an attack that killed at least 16 regime troops. There was no immediate claim of responsiblity for Thursday's attacks but suicide and car bombings are a favourite tactic of IS jihadists. Western powers are hoping that ending the fighting in other parts of Syria will help focus efforts against IS, which a US-led coalition has been targeting with air strikes in Syria and Iraq since mid-2014. Syrian officials have insisted they are targeting jihadists in Aleppo not covered by the ceasefire, in particular members of the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra Front, which is fighting in the city alongside other rebel groups. At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Aleppo Wednesday, Syria's Deputy UN Ambassador Mounzer Mounzer defended the regime's actions in the city. "What the Syrian government has been doing in the city of Aleppo is merely the fulfilment of its obligations to protect its citizens from terrorism," he told the council.
Research

Campus Safety: Crime and Bullying Plummet as Incarcerations of Youth Drop in Half

The results arent rosy for all, however, as discipline continues to impact poor, black and Hispanic students disproportionately.

Reports of bullying in American schools have dropped nearly in half from the turn of the century. Overall, violent victimizations were down even more substantially  82 percent from 1992 to 2014, according to a report released today by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Bullying Drops; Teachers Verbally Abused Less

The decline in reports of bullying comes in a time of increased awareness of bullying and increased access to anonymous reporting tools. Nevertheless, the percentage of schools reporting at least one bullying incident per week dropped from 29 percent in the 19992000 school year to 16 percent in the 20132014 school year, according to the report.

This coincides as well with an apparent increase in respectful behavior toward teachers. In 19992000, 13 percent of schools reported that teachers were verbally abused by students. In 20132014, that figure sank to just 5 percent.

Further, students report feeling much safer now than they did in the past. In 1995, 12 percent of U.S. students reported being afraid of being attacked or experiencing harm at school, while in 2013 that figure dropped to 3 percent. Still, in 2013, some 5 percent of students reported that they avoided at least one school activity or class or one or more places in school during the previous school year because they feared being attacked or harmed.

Other bullying findings included:

Verbal slurs against students by other students based on sexual orientation or gender identity decreased, with 3 percent of schools in 2009-2010 reporting such incidents versus 1 percent in 20132014;

22 percent of students aged 1218 reported being bullied at school during the school year in 2013, substantially lower than any other year for which there are data; and

7 percent of students aged 1218 reported being cyberbullied (9 percent female versus 5 percent male).

Victimization Declines, Though Still Higher in Rural Areas

Non-fatal victimizations in schools declined sharply as well. According to the report, non-fatal victimizations (theft, assault, etc.) occurred at a rate of 181 per 1,000 students in 1992. By 2014, that figure fell to the low double-digits at just 33 in 1,000 students. Total non-fatal victimizations in 2014 were 850,100, of which 486,400 were violent victimizations, with serious violent victimizations occurring at a rate of 4 per 1,000 students  exactly half of the rate of serious violent victimizations in 1992.

Non-fatal victimization rates were substantially higher in rural areas than suburban and urban  53 per 1,000 students in rural areas versus 28 per 1,000 in suburban and 32 in 1,000 for urban  but still well below overall 1992 levels.

There were 53 violent deaths at schools in the 20122013 school year (which includes deaths on campus as well as on the way to and from campus) involving students, staff, faculty and visitors. Thirty-eight of those deaths were school-aged youth, of which 31 were homicides, six suicides and one death through legal intervention. Those school-related homicides amounted to 2.6 percent of total homicides committed against school-aged youth in that period (1.186 total). That homicide figure has been fairly consistent since 19921993 (when there were 34 homicides against school-aged youth at school), though much higher than the low of 11 in 20092010.

Discipline and Punish

As bullying and victimizations have declined, so have disciplinary actions and incarceration in residential placement facilities. Residential placement facilities is an umbrella term for various types of juvenile detention and alternative treatment facilities, including detention centers, long-term secure facilities, group homes, shelters, camps and diagnostic centers. Data do not include juveniles held in adult detention or correctional facilities.

According to the report, the one-day count of school-age youth held in residential placement facilities fell from 105,000 in 1997 to 54,000 in 2013. (One-day count is one way to measure the standing number of juveniles in custody.) That steep drop appears to be consistent across ethnic lines; however, black and Hispanic youth continue to be held in custody at a much greater rate than other ethnic groups. Black males were held in custody at a rate of 804 per 100,000 students versus 496 for American Indian/Alaska Native males, 296 for Hispanic males and 162 per 100,000 for white males. The overall average for males was 290 per 100,000.

For females, American Indian/Alaska Native were held at a higher rate than other groups: 167 per 100,000. Compare that with 113 for black females, 45 for Hispanic females and 35 for white females.

Asians and Pacific Islanders had the lowest rate of incarceration in residential placement facilities than all other groups: 49 out of 100,000 for males and eight out of 100,000 for females.

Ethnic disparities  along with socioeconomic disparities  were also apparent in school disciplinary actions. For example, according to the report, in 2012, some 35.6 percent of black ninth-graders black reported being suspended or expelled at some point, compared with 21.3 percent of Hispanic students and 14.4 percent of white students.

There was also a correlation between family socioeconomic status and suspension. Those whose parents were more wealthy or better educated were far less likely to be suspended or expelled than students from lower brackets. For example, those whose families were in the highest socioeconomic quintile were a third as likely to be suspended or expelled than those in the lowest quintile. And those whose parents had a masters degree or higher were about a third as likely to be suspended or expelled as those whose parents had only a high school education or less.

Campus Safety: Technology

The report also measured penetration of security devices on school campuses. According to NCES, the percentage of schools equipped with surveillance cameras has tripled since the turn of the century.

Nineteen percent of public schools in the 19992000 school year had security cameras installed. That climbed to 75 percent in 20132014. The percentage was much lower in primary schools (67 percent) than high/combined schools (89 percent) and middle schools (84 percent).

Building access control measures are also up, with 93 percent of schools reporting that they use access control in their buildings in 20132014 versus 75 percent in 19992000.
STEM

U Denver To Launch STEM Professional Development for Teachers

The University of Denver's Center for Professional Development is partnering with the Denver-based Silicon STEM Academy to launch "STEM for Grown-Ups," a new curriculum of interactive courses involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) that teachers and others can take for continuing education unit (CEU) credit.

The Silicon STEM Academy, which provides training programs in technology for both children and adults, will offer six courses at its facility in Denver while the University of Denver will offer the credentialing that could lead to both CEU credit and academic credit.

"STEM for GrownUps" is a suite of immersive STEM education programs intended to give professionals interdisciplinary, collaborative training in critical thinking. Participants can choose from workshops to short courses to certificates in robotics, computer programming, electronics, mobile app development and digital media.

The goal of "STEM for Grown-Ups" is to give teachers and other interested professionals the knowledge and resource they need to integrate 21st century subject matter and critical thinking skills into their classrooms.

"'STEM for Grown-Ups' offers everyone the opportunity to come back to school and learn the latest in the STEM sciences," said Kim Gorgens, associate professor and executive director of the Center for Professional Development at the University of Denver. "The program will equip professionals with the tools to thrive in an ever more STEM-focused world."

Along with the CEU and college credit, students can earn a specialty certificate by completing a sequence of any three Silicon STEM Academy intensive courses.

An introductory five-hour immersive course will be held June 18 that will give participants a taste of robotics, coding and electronics. Participants in the course, which will cost $100, will receive 0.5 CEU at its completion.
Smart Classroom

Blackboard Web Community Schools Get TeacherLists Integration

The annual hunt for the student supply shopping list just got a little easier. In time for the 2016-2017 school year Blackboard's K-12 web content management system will now include the ability to post school supply lists from TeacherLists. The new "School Supply Lists App" will enable schools using Blackboard's Web Community Manager (formerly known as Schoolwires) to post teacher lists to the TeacherLists service and have it show up on the school's website too.

TeacherLists is a wildly popular service that lets teachers and schools post student needs in a standard format. According to the company, in 2015 7750,000 classrooms at 35,000 schools maintained lists on the site.

The integration "is a great example of how Blackboard can extend our technology's capabilities through meaningful partnerships with companies like TeacherLists," said Chris Crawford, vice president of K-12 community engagement at Blackboard, in a prepared statement. "We continue to aggressively deliver upon our mission to leverage technology to make it easier for district administrators, teachers, parents and the community to come together around student success."

Blackboard will host a webinar to explain how to add the TeacherLists service into school websites on May 11 from 2 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Learning Resource

Pennsylvania School Districts Implement Single Comprehensive Student Platform

A new partnership with Software Answers merges student technology from ProgressBook and the instructional support of IU29.

Software Answers , an administrative software provider, has partnered with an educational service agency to bring ProgressBook , a single comprehensive student platform, to Pennsylvania School Districts.

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 (IU29) is one of 29 educational service agencies in Pennsylvania, created by the state legislature, that coordinates services for Schuylkill County schools. IU29 will be hosting the ProgressBook Suite on a statewide, high-speed educational network called PAIUnet. The network allows educators and students throughout Pennsylvania to create, communicate, collaborate and share valuable resources to enhance student learning, according to PIAUs site.

Software Answers ProgressBook platform includes the following modules:

StudentInformation, a student information system;

ParentAccess, a portal for parents to monitor student progress;

DataMap, a tool for educators to view student assessment scores and benchmark data;

Gradebook, a grade management tool;

SpecialServices, an application for special education reporting; and

VirtualClassroom, an online learning management system.

It has always been our goal to close the gap between administrative functions and student/classroom information in order to promote improved outcomes in student achievement, said Scott Miller, chief business development officer and co-founder of Software Answers, in a prepared statement. Partnering with IU29 to provide the district with the all tools required to drive achievement for every student is a truly unique offering in Pennsylvania.
LUANDA (Reuters) - Angola needs to fight money laundering and financing terrorism by focussing on ethics and morality in its banking sector the central bank's governor, Valter Filipe da Silva, said. An international money-laundering watchdog removed Angola from its blacklist in February, after reforms that included licensing banks and setting up a monitoring agency, but banks in Africa's No. 2 oil exporter are still deemed risky. Last year, the risk of financial crime and difficulty in monitoring clients forced Standard Chartered to stop its dollar-clearing operations in Angola. Bank of America stopped selling dollars to Angolan banks from December. It is necessary to place again ethics and morality in Angolan banking and must this be placed to the service of the common good," Da Silva said at an event on Tuesday. "We must do so by implementing the prudential rules and good national practices and international and all standards to combat money laundering and terrorism financing." The Financial Action Task Force, which sets international standards for anti-money laundering and fighting terrorist financing, had added Angola to its black list in 2010. Angola has a dwindling amount of crude to sell as more of its oil flows to China for debt repayment, leaving little revenue for anything from oil sector development to health care. (Reporting by Herculano Coroado; Writing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe has warned that leaving the EU would make the UK less attractive for its companies to invest.

The intervention, during a Downing Street news conference alongside David Cameron, follows a warning on Brexit from US president Barack Obama.

Mr Abe, who leads the world's third largest economy, said Japanese firms viewed the UK as a "gateway" to Europe.

He said: "A vote to leave would make the UK less attractive as a destination for Japanese investment.

"Japan very clearly would prefer Britain to remain within the EU."

Mr Abe said about 1,000 Japanese companies operate in the UK employing 140,000 people.

Mr Cameron said Japan had investments worth a total of 38bn in Britain and that inward investment in the UK from Japan was worth more than that from any other country except the US.

It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) had played a particularly important role in reviving Britain's car industry, with Nissan's plant at Sunderland the biggest car plant in the UK.

Japan's intervention comes less than two weeks after Mr Obama bluntly warned that the UK would be "in the back of the queue" for a trade deal with the US if it were to leave the EU.

Boris Johnson, the pro-Brexit London mayor, has accused the Government of "ringing round every other friendly government saying 'we are in a bit of a spot, can you say something positive about the EU?'."

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Vote Leave camapign, said: "Japan wouldnt accept the huge loss of control Britain has suffered because of our EU membership, so much of the public will be sceptical of the Japanese Prime Minister's 'do as I say, not as we do' attitude.

"Japanese bosses argued that we would be diminished if we didn't join the euro so similar warnings about the referendum further lack credibility."
File photo illustration of beer flowing from a bottle of Stella Artois into a glass, seen against a SAB Miller logo, November 5, 2015. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Files

By Tiisetso Motsoeneng and Martinne Geller

JOHANNESBURG/LONDON (Reuters) - SABMiller (SAB.L) and Coca-Cola (KO.N) have agreed concessions with the South African government to win approval for their plan to merge African soft drink operations into what would be the continent's biggest Coke drinks bottler.

The concessions, announced on Wednesday, agreed with the South African Ministry of Economic Development, include a three-year freeze on layoffs and the companies investing 800 million rand (37.26 million pounds) to support small South African businesses.

Brewer SABMiller, in the process of the being taken over by Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR), agreed in November 2014 to team up with Coke and the South African owners of local bottler Coca-Cola Sabco to create Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, which would have annual sales of $2.9 billion and operations in 12 markets across Southern and East Africa.

Upon completion of the all-equity deal, Coke will own 11.3 percent of the venture, the Gutsche family that owns Coke Sabco 31.7 percent and SABMiller 57 percent.

Sources familiar with the situation said there is a change-of-control clause that would allow Coke to buy SAB's stake following SAB's takeover by AB InBev, expected in the second half of this year.

Coke's ambitions are unknown, but some industry sources said a continuation of the current arrangement was unlikely. They point to AB InBev's status as a PepsiCo (PEP.N) bottler in Latin America and the fact that it does not have a history of keeping stakes and joint ventures like SAB.

Coke has been moving away from outright ownership of bottling assets, which are more capital intensive and lower-margin than selling syrup and marketing, meaning there could also be an opportunity for other bottlers, such as Coca-Cola HBC (CCH.L) or Coca-Cola Femsa (KOFL.MX), to expand.

Coca-Cola declined to comment on the terms of its agreements or plans for the stake, which one source said could be worth as much as $3 billion.

Story continues

Last week, during AB InBev's annual meeting, company executives declined to detail their plan for Coke in Africa.

LAST HURDLE

The bottling deal was given a preliminary approval in December by South Africa's Competition Commission, which said it could go ahead on several conditions including limiting jobs cuts to 250 and making sure it buys cans, glass, sugar and crates from local suppliers.

The Commission investigates deals for any antitrust issues and recommends remedies to the Competition Tribunal, which makes a final ruling. A Tribunal hearing on the proposed deal, which would be a last hurdle, is due to start on May 9.

South Africa has a history of taking its time over approving deals, partly because regulators have a public interest mandate to safeguard jobs in addition to ensuring there is competition.

"I am very happy that we have reached this agreement and hope we now have a clear path to the conclusion of this transaction," SABMiller Chief Executive Officer Alan Clark said.

The $100 billion-plus takeover of SAB has also included concessions made to the South African government.

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, which will account for 40 percent of all Coke volumes sold in Africa, will be headquartered in South Africa, its largest market.

The deal will also hand Coke an extra 20 brands, including soft drink Appletiser, whose fruit juice concentrate is sourced from South African producers.

Coca-Cola and SABMiller agreed to maintain and grow Appletiser operations for the domestic market and use it as a base for export.

(Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng. Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop.; Editing by Mark Potter and Jane Merriman)
Europe's highest court has rejected a legal challenge by tobacco firms against standardised packaging rules for cigarettes.

The ruling, at the European Court of Justice, essentially dismissed complaints that changes to EU laws went beyond what was necessary on health grounds.

It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) also paves the way for member states to impose further requirements such as plain packaging measures proposed in the UK, France and Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) .

In addition, the ruling removes legal barriers to the banning of menthol cigarettes from 2020 and also electronic cigarette advertising.

The updated Tobacco Products Directive will take effect on 20 May though cigarette retailers will have a year to sell off their remaining stocks before the standardised packaging rules take effect.

They are designed to make the cartons less attractive to youngsters - with health warnings more prominent and covering 65% of a packet.

The EU hopes the move will cut smoking numbers by 2.4 million and prevent 700,000 premature deaths.

A separate legal challenge by tobacco firms against UK Government plans to remove all branding from cigarette packs is due to be heard on 18 May at the High Court and could be subject to appeal.

The packaging case against the EU was brought to by Philip Morris International (LSE: 0M8V.L - news) , the maker of Marlboro, and the firm behind Rothmans and Benson & Hedges, British American Tobacco.

They argued that the bloc was abusing its authority.

But the ruling said: "The court finds that, in providing that each unit packet and the outside packaging must carry health warnings ... the EU legislature did not go beyond the limits of what is appropriate and necessary".

The Directive was due to be introduced in 2014 but was held up in the courts.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the anti-smoking charity Ash, welcomed the ruling.

She (Munich: SOQ.MU - news) said: "We (now) await the UK court judgement, which is expected shortly, but we are optimistic that the court will confirm that the introduction of standardised packaging in the UK is lawful.

"From 20 May, all packs manufactured for sale in the UK will have to be plain, standardised, in the same drab green colour with the product name on the pack in a standard font".

A spokesman for British American Tobacco said: "The reality is that many elements of the directive are disproportionate, distort competition and fail to respect the autonomy of member states."
* Imports through Langeled drop below 15 mcm

* Oil prices up more than 2 pct

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - British prompt gas prices rose on Thursday morning as imports from Norway dropped, while gas prices further along the curve were buoyed by higher oil.

Gas for within-day delivery fetched 29.50 pence per therm at 0813 GMT, up 1.2 pence from the last settlement.

Gas for day-ahead delivery rose 1.40 pence, or 5 percent, to 29.60 pence per therm.

Norwegian imports through Langeled, Britain's main gas import pipeline, were below 15 million cubic metres (mcm), down from levels of around 40 mcm the previous day, National Grid (LSE: NG.L - news) data showed.

Imports from the Netherlands through the BBL pipeline have been at zero since the beginning of this month.

A fall in expected electricity output from the country's wind farms also helped to boost demand for gas from gas-fired power plants.

Peak wind output was forecast to reach 4.6 gigawatts (GW) on Thursday before falling to 1.6 GW by Friday, National Grid data showed.

With (Other OTC: WWTH - news) supply flows at about 211.5 mcm and demand expected to be 212.6 mcm/day, Britain's gas system was almost balanced, National Grid data showed.

Traders said higher oil prices have helped to lift gas prices along the curve.

The June contract rose 1.35 pence to 29.25 pence per therm, while the Winter '16 contract was up 1.40 pence at 36.80 pence per therm.

Brent crude oil prices rose more than 2 percent to $45.60 a barrel as a huge wildfire in Canada disrupted oil sands production and escalating fighting threatened output in Libya.

In the Netherlands' gas market, the day-ahead price at the TTF hub gained 0.43 euro to 12.73 euros per megawatt-hour.

In Europe's carbon market, the front-year EU Allowance price rose 0.21 euro to 6.35 euros per tonne. (Reporting by Susanna Twidale; editing by Nina Chestney)
The man described as the most dangerous Australian involved with Islamic State has been killed, according to Australian officials.

Neil Prakash died in a US airstrike in Iraq, Australia's Attorney General George Brandis revealed.

Prakash, the country's most wanted terror suspect connected with IS, was linked to several attacks on home soil.

He died in Mosul on 29 April as a result of Australian intelligence, the authorities said.

"Neil Prakash was a prominent ISIL member and a senior terrorist recruiter and attack facilitator," Mr Brandis said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Marise Payne.

"Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the United States.

"He is considered to be Australia's most prominent ISIL recruiter."

Prakash, who left Australia in 2013, was also known as Abu Khaled al Cambodi.

The 24-year-old former rapper from Melbourne was of Cambodian and Fijian descent and converted from Buddhism in 2012.

He was linked to several militant attack plans in Australia, had featured in IS recruitment videos and urged lone wolf attacks against the US.

"His death disrupts and degrades ISIL's ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts," said the Attorney General, adding that up to 59 Australians had so far been killed fighting for jihadists in Iraq or Syria.

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said: "This is a good outcome for the safety and security of our country.

"He's an evil person. He was involved in the deaths of people. He was wanting to inspire hatred in our country.

"He wanted young people to be following in the footsteps of martyrs elsewhere, committing terrorist acts here, and our country's a safer place for him having left it."

The US also confirmed the death in Syria of the sister of a 15-year-old Australian schoolboy shot dead by police after he targeted and killed a police accountant outside a Sydney police station in October last year.

Story continues

Shadi Jabhar Khalil Mohammad left Australia the day before her brother Farhad Jabhar died.

She and her Sudanese husband, Abu Sa'ad al Sudani, were killed in a US airstrike near the Syrian town of al Bab on 22 April.

At least 110 more Australians are still fighting as part of IS forces.
By Edmund Blair NAIROBI (Reuters) - Rescue workers pulled a six-month-old baby girl out of the rubble of a building in Kenya's capital on Tuesday and reunited her with her father, more than three days after it collapsed following days of heavy rain. At least 23 people have so far been confirmed dead after the six-storey residential block in Nairobi's poor Huruma district crumbled on Friday night. Police are questioning the owners after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered them detained. "The child, who had been buried for about 80 hours, was found in a bucket wrapped in a blanket. She appeared dehydrated, and with no visible physical injuries," the Kenya Red Cross said in a statement. The baby, named as Dealeryn Saisi Wasike, was identified by her father after she was taken to hospital for treatment, the Red Cross said. A Red Cross official said the fate of her mother was still not clear. The collapse of the building was the latest such disaster in a fast expanding African city that is struggling to build homes fast enough. Like many other cities in Africa, the population of Nairobi has climbed dramatically in recent years. The Kenyan capital had almost 3.5 million people in 2011, about a third bigger than a decade earlier, according to U.N. figures. Governments have struggled to provide basic infrastructure and bureaucratic processes to ensure planning rules are met. Many Kenyans who come to the city in search of work end up in one of several slums, such as Kibera, made up of makeshift homes of wood and corrugated iron sheets. Others live in slightly better off but still poor districts, like Huruma, where concrete buildings have risen rapidly amid potholed roads and ropey power supplies. Heavy rains have caused other collapses in Nairobi but without such high death tolls. The Interior Ministry said the Huruma building had been earmarked for demolition as it was built close to a river, but the order had not been carried out by local officials. It urged developers to adhere to safety standards. After visiting the site on Saturday, Kenya's president ordered other buildings to be surveyed to ensure they were safe. Rescue workers had said on Monday that the chances of finding more survivors was unlikely. Nairobi County police commander Japheth Koome told Reuters the death toll stood at 23 while 136 people had been saved from the wreckage. He said the number of deaths could rise as the search continued. Dozens of other people are still listed as missing, Red Cross spokeswoman Arnolda Shiundu said, adding it was not clear how many of those had escaped but had not yet been traced. Similar disasters have afflicted other African conurbations. In 2014, a church in Lagos, one of Africa's biggest cities, collapsed killing 115 people. A Nigerian coroner last year blamed poor construction. Poor and illegal construction has also often been blamed for the crumbling of apartment blocks in Egypt, where almost all Egyptians are crammed into the crowded Nile Valley and buildings are often extended with extra floors piled on top. (Additional reporting by Humphrey Malalo and Duncan Miriri; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Russia will hold their first joint computer-assisted anti-missile drill, state media said on Thursday, after the United States and South Korea discussed an anti-missile defence system for the South to counter threats from North Korea. North and South Korea remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, rather than a treaty. The North routinely threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States. The Chinese and Russian foreign ministers last week urged Washington and Seoul to drop the proposed deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, following North Korea's fourth nuclear bomb on Jan. 6 and subsequent missile tests. The tests violate U.N. resolutions against North Korea backed by Russia and China. U.S. and South Korean officials have expressed concern that the North could attempt a fifth nuclear test in a show of strength ahead of its Workers' Party congress, which begins on Friday. The China-Russia drill will be held this month at a Russian military research centre, the official English-language China Daily newspaper said, citing China's defence ministry. The paper gave few details, but cited experts saying the drill would help the two countries' militaries familiarise themselves with their respective command structures and data transmission processes. The White House has said it is still in talks with its close ally, South Korea, on the THAAD system and that it would not threaten other countries if installed. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said the system threatens equilibrium on the Korean peninsula and damages China's and Russia's strategic security. North Korea's drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability has angered China, Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China. President Xi Jinping has said Beijing would not allow war and chaos to break out on the Korean peninsula. (Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Nick Macfie)
KINSHASA (Reuters) - Moise Katumbi, a prominent opposition leader in Democratic Republic of Congo, said on Wednesday he would run in November's presidential election when incumbent Joseph Kabila is due to step down in accordance with the constitution. Kabila's opponents say he is trying to cling to power beyond his mandate and Katumbi's declaration could heighten political tension, given that the president has yet to announce his plans. More than 40 people were killed in protests in January 2015 over alleged attempts by Kabila to delay the presidential vote to remain in office. "I accept with humility this heavy responsibility," Katumbi said in a statement posted on his official Twitter account, referring to his nomination for the presidency by three opposition coalitions in recent weeks. The election will likely be delayed since the election commission says updating voter rolls will take about 16 months. Katumbi is a multimillionaire and former governor of Katanga, a copper mining region. His announcement had been expected for months but was delayed as he tried to win support from a fractious opposition. Katumbi governed Katanga from 2007 until last September when he quit Kabila's party, accusing it of plotting to extend the president's rule, which began in 2001. Wednesday's declaration appeared to be aimed at showing he would not bow to political pressure. Tensions have risen in recent weeks between Katumbi's camp and the government. In April, police used tear gas to disperse a rally led by Katumbi in the country's second-largest city, Lubumbashi, and arrested four of his bodyguards. On Wednesday, Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe ordered a probe into Katumbi's alleged recruitment of mercenaries. The government "has proof of ... Katumbi's involvement in the recruitment of mercenaries, including several retired American soldiers," he said. In his statement on Twitter, Katumbi replied: "The low blows of the government do not hinder my peaceful combat. I will be the candidate of the rule of law." Katumbi has yet to win the support of the largest opposition parties, including Etienne Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress. Katumbi said in the statement he would soon begin a national tour to develop a common opposition platform. Congo has never undergone a peaceful transition of power. The former Belgian colony was ruled for decades by Mobutu Sese Seko and since then eastern Congo has been plagued by war and instability. (Reporting by Aaron Ross and Kenny Katombe; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Matthew Lewis)
Dog Rescued After Three Hours In Gulf Of Mexico

A Jack Russell terrier who fell overboard in the Gulf of Mexico has been rescued miles off the Florida coast after swimming for nearly three hours.

Two couples celebrating birthdays with a boat trip off the coast of Hernando Beach spotted something in the water around five miles offshore.

As they drew closer they realised it was a dog - named Jagermeister - and after the fortunate animal paddled closer to their boat they managed to haul him to safety.

Shawn Sahr, who was on the boat, told FOX 13: "You just saw his little nose sticking up out of the water.

"If we weren't as close as we were, within five to 10 feet, we wouldn't have seen him."

Husband Michael Sahr added: "It's like a needle in a haystack and the waves were pretty choppy."

The couples radioed the Coast Guard and were informed that someone had reported their dog as falling overboard nearly three hours earlier.

They then took Jagermeister to the nearest Coast Guard station, where his delighted owner was reunited with him.

Mrs Sahr said: "He had tears. He said 'I had searched as long as I could and we just couldn't see him, and we just thought we lost him'."

The little dog, who was wearing an animal life vest, is thought to have fallen in when his owner went below deck.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Citizens of Kosovo will be able to travel freely within Europe's borderless Schengen zone under a European Commission proposal after the tiny Balkan state introduced a series of reforms sought by Brussels. The European Union had been wary about offering Kosovo a visa-free regime after large numbers of Kosovars sought asylum in the bloc in 2014 and 2015. But Kosovo has improved border controls, introduced biometric passports and agreed to the return of citizens not entitled to asylum in the EU. Citizens of other Balkan countries - Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia - have been able to travel without a visa in the Schengen zone since 2010. Turkey, Ukraine and Georgia are awaiting the green light for visa-free travel. "Kosovo has made great progress," Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told reporters on Wednesday, adding that he hoped national governments and the European Parliament would approve the proposal quickly. Under the proposal, Kosovars with biometric passports would be able to enter the Schengen zone without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. The zone includes 22 of the 28 EU member states and several non-EU nations including Switzerland and Norway. Kosovo, which has a population of 1.8 million, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is still not recognised by Belgrade. It has signed a trade and political pact with the EU but is still not recognised by five member states: Spain, Cyprus, Romania, Greece and Slovakia. The EU Commission's visa proposal was welcomed in Kosovo, where President Hashim Thaci posted a banner with the Kosovo flag on his Facebook page that read: "Goodbye Visa!" "After decades of isolation there will be no more queues, no more rejections. When we work together there is no border that stops us," Thaci said. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will meet the leaders of Kosovo and address its parliament on Thursday, the Commission said in a statement. (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald in Brussels and Fatos Bytyci in Pristina; Editing by Giles Elgood and Gareth Jones)
SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Thousands of Chilean fishermen blocked roads with barricades in the region of Los Lagos on Monday and Tuesday, saying government efforts to mitigate the economic effects of a harmful algal bloom have been insufficient. For the last four weeks, the southern-central region of Los Lagos has been plagued by what scientists say is the biggest "red tide" in its history. The red tide - an algal bloom that turns the sea water red - is a common, naturally recurring phenomenon in southern Chile, though the extent of the current outbreak is unprecedented. Scientists point to an unusually strong El Nino weather pattern this year as a key factor. It makes the mussels, hake, and other fish that residents pull from the ocean essentially poisonous, heaping economic pressure on a region with tens of thousands of artisanal fishermen. In one instance, protesters took over a principal access ramp to the island of Chiloe. The government has offered to pay each affected family 100,000 pesos ($151) each in compensation, an amount fishermen have widely rejected as insufficient. "What the government announced is not going to work for us," said fisherwoman Doris Santana. "In no way can we live on 100,000 pesos." Artisanal fishing unions have blamed the size of the red tide on pollution by Chile's farmed salmon industry, which is active in the Los Lagos region. However, Chile's SERNAPESCA fisheries body as well as many scientists have rejected that explanation, pointing to natural factors such as the cyclical El Nino weather pattern, which warms part of the Pacific Ocean and has also caused heavy rain and flooding elsewhere in the region. "What we are having here is a silent catastrophe, one that affects a lot of people and a vast territory," said Leonardo de la Prida Sanhueza, the regional governor. (Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Gram Slattery; Editing by Sandra Maler)
The Israeli military says it has discovered another "attack" tunnel entering Israel from Gaza.

It is the second infiltration tunnel to be found in a month and comes as fighting escalates between Hamas and the Israeli army.

It is not clear if the tunnel is a new excavation, or is leftover from the 2014 Gaza war, called Operation Protective Edge by the Israelis.

The tunnel was uncovered by Israeli forces operating along the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip.

IDF spokesman Peter Lerner said Israeli troops operating in the area have come under mortar fire over the past two days.

"We stay committed to safeguarding the people of southern Israel while Hamas is committed to violence and terror. No one should be living in fear of being attacked in their home from terrorists infiltrating from underground," he said.

Israel said one of its tanks responded and fired towards the threat and that counter-terrorist operations will continue.

Israel also launched airstrikes on several Hamas targets.

The Palestinian group's armed wing accused Israeli forces of encroaching into Gazan territory and said it was ready to respond.

"We will not permit this aggression to continue," it said.

It is the most serious escalation in violence between Hamas and Israel since the 2014 war, which lasted 50 days.

For the past few months, Israeli forces have been trying to uncover Hamas' tunnels amidst reports that the organisation has been building new ones.

Analysts suspect Hamas fighters have tried to target the army with mortar fire to prevent them from uncovering further tunnels.

Hamas has invested huge amounts of money and human capital into building a network of tunnels which it views as an important weapon against Israel.
By Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) - Italy and Germany agree on how Europe should tackle the migrant crisis and oppose any move to fence off borders, but they are at odds over how to fund proposed initiatives, the leaders of the two countries said on Thursday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi warned that unless the European Union found a common migration stance, old nationalist ghosts would reawaken. "Either we defend our external borders and we do it together or we risk falling back into nationalism," Merkel said. "This is not a challenge for Greece, Germany or Italy, but these are challenges that have to do with the future of Europe." Immigration issues dominated talks between the two leaders, with both agreeing that more needed to be done to help African states stem migrant flows across the Mediterranean Sea. Almost 29,000 migrants have reached Italy by boat so far this year, roughly 1,000 more than in the same period last year. Humanitarian organisations say this is now the main route for asylum seekers coming to Europe after an EU deal with Turkey dramatically slowed the flow of people reaching Greece. Italy last month presented what it termed a "migration compact", saying Europe should offer financial incentives to African nations to develop their own economies and discourage would-be migrants from leaving in search of a better life. Renzi suggested this should be financed by issuing common EU bonds, but Merkel said she did not agree with this approach. "Even though there are different views on the financing, we have the same opinion on the overall effort," Merkel told a joint news conference, speaking through a translator. Merkel said one billion euros (787.18 million pound) would be needed to help African states halt the immigration exodus, specifically mentioning Niger. "If we concentrate on the European budget, we will find (the money)," she said. ANGRY WITH AUSTRIA Renzi said that he did not care where the money came from as long as a solution was found to halt the streams of migrants, who have rattled European unity and fueled the rise of far-right parties in many EU countries. "What interests me are results. With or without eurobonds, the important thing is that the migration compact gives resources to help Africa, which is not happening now," he said. He repeated his fierce opposition to Austria's plan to build a fence at its border with Italy to try to prevent migrants from heading to the wealthier north, saying Merkel shared his view. "We expressed our total opposition to, and, in some ways, our shock over the position that has been taken by our Austrian friends," Renzi said. Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said in Rome last month that as many as a million migrants were poised to cross the Mediterranean from Libya this year. Italy says the figure is likely to be much lower. Renzi has been quick to criticize his EU partners and has clashed openly with Merkel in the past over what he sees as an ideological devotion in Berlin to budget austerity and perceptions that Germany has hegemony in EU decision-making. German Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann raised eyebrows two weeks ago when he criticized Italy for repeatedly breaking EU budget rules and urged further government reforms. "We know ourselves what needs to be done. We will decide things with our European allies and we won't let any governor of any foreign bank to tell us what to do," Renzi said, adding: "I hope Weidmann succeeds in sorting out his own problems." (Additional reporting by Francesca Piscioneri, Massimiliano Di Giorgio and Isla Binnie; Editing by Gavin Jones and Richard Balmforth)
By Megan Rowling BARCELONA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Medecins Sans Frontieres is pulling out of the first ever World Humanitarian Summit, saying the U.N.-sponsored meeting will not hold states to account for their role in conflicts or pressure them to abide by the laws of war. The May 23-24 gathering in Istanbul represents a missed opportunity in that it will only voluntary commitments from governments and aid agencies to improve emergency response and reduce humanitarian needs, MSF said on Thursday. "We no longer have any hope that the World Humanitarian Summit will address the weaknesses in humanitarian action and emergency response, particularly in conflict areas or epidemic situations," said the international medical charity, also known as Doctors Without Borders. "The summit neglects to reinforce the obligations of states to uphold and implement the humanitarian and refugee laws which they have signed up to," it said in a statement. On Tuesday, MSF slammed four of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for ties to attacks on hospitals in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan as the council demanded an end to such strikes. Sandrine Tiller, MSF UK programme advisor on humanitarian issues, said U.N. organisers of the summit had "let states off the hook" by asking only that they make non-binding commitments, putting them on the same level as less powerful non-governmental organisations and U.N. agencies. "As shocking violations of international humanitarian law and refugee rights continue on a daily basis ... participants will be pressed to a consensus on non-specific, good intentions to 'uphold norms' and 'end needs'," the MSF statement said. "The summit has become a fig-leaf of good intentions, allowing these systematic violations, by states above all, to be ignored." Herve Verhoosel, spokesman for the World Humanitarian Summit, which is led by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said MSF's decision was "disappointing". The summit is an opportunity to call for greater political will to prevent and end conflict, push for International Humanitarian Law to be implemented, protect civilians and health workers, and gain unimpeded humanitarian access, he said. "These are all vital subjects on which MSF traditionally presents a strong and influential voice," he added. GOVERNMENTS STAYING AWAY? The withdrawal of MSF, which took part in extensive consultations leading up to the summit, adds to doubts about the meeting's impact. Questions have been raised about the level of government interest. Earlier this week, the head of OCHA, Stephen O'Brien, told media 80 countries out of around 195 U.N. member states had said they would participate so far, with 45 of those sending heads of government. Verhoosel said the number of countries attending is rising daily, with an expectation it will reach around 120. MSF's Tiller told the Thomson Reuters Foundation the summit had been organised in "quite a shambolic way". She said it was putting too much emphasis on how to reduce aid needs through longer-term solutions rather than dealing better with urgent crises, such as the millions displaced by the war in Syria. There was a sense that the humanitarian summit "is looking in the other direction, towards development issues, and not focusing on the real emergencies on the doorstep", she added. Christina Bennett, a research fellow with the London-based Overseas Development Institute, said MSF's no-show at the summit should act as a catalyst for other humanitarian groups to push for stronger commitments from states to respect the laws of war, as well as other reforms they want to see. There should also be a clear process for making sure promises made at the conference are kept, Bennett said. "Hope is not a strategy," she added. (Reporting by Megan Rowling; editing by Katie Nguyen. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
Italian buyout firm Alto Partners has sold its entire 95% stake in BIA, a European producer and distributor of couscous, to B.F. S.p.A., which is the holding company of Bonifiche Ferraresi.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Brazil's beleaguered President Dilma Rousseff has told the BBC she is an "innocent victim" and she will fight on as possible impeachment looms, "Armenpress reports citing BBC.

She vowed to "keep fighting... to come back to government if the impeachment request is accepted".

Rousseff is accused of manipulating government accounts, which she denies.

The Senate will decide whether to start an impeachment trial next week. If that happens she will be suspended from office for 180 days.

Recent polls conducted by Brazil's major newspapers suggest that a majority of the 81 senators will vote in favor of the trial.

"Yes, I believe, indeed, that I am a victim. And, of course, yes I am innocent. And at the same time, I am an innocent victim," Rousseff said.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia will propose to the Parliament Speaker to convene an extraordinary Parliamentary session on May 10 at 12:00.

Government Chief of Staff-Minister Davit Harutyunyan said the agenda will include dozen of drafts and agreements.
In four days this week, bonds wiped out all of the gains achieved last month as markets reacted to speculation Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will step down amid a deepening rift with Erdogan, reports Bloomberg.

Stocks fell to an eight-week low on May 5.

The latest political convulsions have reignited concern that Turkeys democratic institutions lack the power to resist Erdogans bid to expand his powers, which subsided after elections last year gave the AK Party from which he hailed a smaller majority than he would need to change the constitution. Burak Demircioglu at Istanbul-based Burgan Yatirim Menkul Degerler said further political upsets threaten to set off very harsh market reaction.

Spasms like that will become more frequent, Luis Costa, Citigroup Inc.s London-based chief strategist for Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said in comments before the conclusion of a meeting between the two leaders late on Wednesday. It is going to be a hot summer in Turkey.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Co-founder of Recognition of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) draft law, National Assembly MP Zaruhi Postanjyan says the Parliament will show its attitude towards the draft law. She stated that NKR recognition will make Armenia a political factor and will prevent the future problems.

Aggression took place which did not receive its respective response, and we must recognize Nagorno Karabakh, there is no alternative, Armenpress reports, Postanjyan says.

MP says April events once more proved that aggression is one of the components of Azerbaijans daily agenda. Except from aggressive measures, Azerbaijanis committed crimes against humanity. This crime has not been condemned 100 years ago, as well as 25 years ago the consequences of which were April military operations. We should count on ourselves, MP says.

MP also stated says it is ridiculous to speak about negotiations since aggression and crimes are being committed against humanity. However, she stated that negotiations do not hinder the process of NKR recognition.

Armenian Government on May 5 made concluding remarks on Recognition of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) draft law presented by National Assembly MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan says if Azerbaijan tries to avoid from ceasefire regime and unleash a new aggression, the issue of Nagorno Karabakh recognition will be definitely put on the daily agenda, Armenpress reports, Deputy Foreign Minister said this to journalists.

Referring to the draft law on Nagorno Karabakh recognition issued by National Assembly MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan, Shavarsh Kocharyan stated: The Government made the following conclusion: Nagorno Karabakh recognition should be agreed based upon the negotiation results between the two countries taking into account the future developments, as well as external factors. Our stance is clear, and if Azerbaijan tries to avoid from the ceasefire regime and unleash a new aggression, the issue will definitely put on the agenda.

Referring to the talks that Karabakh recognition will put the end of the OSCE Minsk process, Shavarsh Kocharyan said Azerbaijani aggression will mean the end of Minks process.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister also commented on the statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Karabakh issue and says some parts of these statements are very concrete. The first point is that there is no alternative for peaceful settlement and we support this claim, the second one is the strengthening of ceasefire regime which he said also in Yerevan, Kocharyan stated.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Speaking regarding President Sargsyans recent announcement on taxation statistics of April, Economy Minister Artsvik Minasyan said the Azerbaijani aggression, which aimed at eventually also damaging the Armenian economy, completely failed.

The Presidents announcement is a fact. It is due to not only in honor of our entrepreneurs, who did their duties. Secondly, the tax system worked very effective. And lets not forget that April is the month of paying income pre-payment. So, due to a number of factors, we have this result, which must be thought as a positive one, Minasyan said.

The Azerbaijani aggression failed. Economically I can say this certainly.

President Serzh Sargsyan announced on May 4 during a meeting with members of the Public Council that the State Revenue Committee has taxed around 100 billion AMD in April. This is unprecedented in the history of our country, the President said.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Economy Artsvik Minasyan says the Armenian Government doesnt discuss the issue of prohibiting Turkish products, we are talking about the limitation mechanisms, Armenpress reports, Minister said this to journalists.

Research is being carried out, the results will be published, detailed discussions will be held after which we will make decisions. No one speaks about the prohibition, we talk about the mechanisms, the limitations which exist in the existing legislation, Minister said.
YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Armenia Suresh Babu on May 5 on the occasion of completing his diplomatic mission in Armenia.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Government, the PM thanked Suresh Babu for his huge contribution to strengthening Armenian-Indian friendly relations during his tenure, and wished him success. Hovik Abrahamyan stated that mutual understanding and trust are characteristic of the political relations between the two states, and highlighted the active works aimed at leveling up economic partnership as well.

The Ambassador of India to Armenia thanked for effective cooperation and mentioned that he spared no efforts to deepen bilateral friendly relations. Suresh Babu noted that it was a great honor for him to work in friendly Armenia and will continue to foster development of relations between the countries in the future.

The interlocutors summed up the implementation process and results of a number of joint programs and exchanged ideas over expansion of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The sides attached great importance to consistent activation of economic relations, and particularly the active works of Armenian-Indian intergovernmental commission, as well as holding periodic business forums.
Ireland's services grew at their slowest rate in more than two years in April, matching a similar drop in manufacturing, as uncertainty at home and abroad weighed on new business, a survey showed on Thursday.

The Investec Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) of activity in services fell to 59.8 from 62.8 in March, further below the 64.0 it reached at the start of the year. That was the highest since June 2006, the height of the "Celtic Tiger" economic boom.

The index, which covers businesses from banks to hotels, has been above the 50 mark denoting growth for more than three and a half years. The authors said, however, that some panellists reported political instability had led to delays in getting contracts confirmed.

"We understand that this relates to a combination of the EU referendum in the UK and the drawn-out process around the formation of a new government in Ireland since the general election held on February 26," said Philip O'Sullivan, chief economist at Investec Ireland.

A referendum will be held in June on whether Britain, one of Ireland's main trading partners, should remain a member of the European Union.

In addition, Ireland has faced 10 weeks of political deadlock following the February elections. Acting Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said on Wednesday he hoped that would end this week with the formation of a new minority government.

The uncertainty helped push the sub-index measuring new business to a 26 month low of 60.2 from 61.7 in March. Business growth across the euro zone was slow but steady last month, a survey of the entire bloc showed on Wednesday.

Irish manufacturing growth also slowed to its lowest rate in two and a half years in April, data showed on Tuesday. A slowdown in global markets hit new orders in the euro zone's fastest-growing economy.

"Taken together, this week's PMI reports suggest a somewhat weaker start to Q2 for much of Ireland's private sector," O'Sullivan said. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Ibec have today claimed that the threat of a Brexit is a serious national issue on which Ireland's elected representatives need to show leadership.

They claim a vote to leave has the potential to seriously impact Irelands political, social and economic development.

Ibec believe a vote by the UK to leave would demand an immediate, considered and sophisticated response to minimise instability. The organisation claim Irish interests would need to be safeguarded in any subsequent EU negotiation and settlement with the UK.



Speaking at a joint Ibec and International Centre for European Law (ICEL) conference today, Pat Ivory, Ibec Director of International and European Affairs said, "The current Irish government negotiations have been primarily focused on domestic issues, but the bigger picture is being neglected. The outcome of the upcoming UK referendum will have a significant impact on Ireland and the Irish business community."

He added, "Ibec supports continued UK membership of a strong, forward-looking and globally competitive EU. Irelands interests are best served if our nearest neighbour, key trading partner and close ally in Europe remains part of the EU."



Source: www.businessworld.ie

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A $25 million U.S. government study has found a link between cell phones and cancer. The National Toxicology Program's multiyear study found links to two types of brain and heart tumors in rats exposed to the radio frequencies commonly used by cell phones.

In the brain, gliomas affect the gluey tissue that holds the neurons in place. Schwannomas generally affect hearing-related nerves when they occur in the brain. In the heart, they affect neurons and are generally benign but malignant heart schwannomas were found among the rats in the study.

While the number of tumors was small, scientists said any incidence was worrying, given the massive number of people who use cell phones regularly worldwide.

Given the widespread global usage of mobile communications among users of all ages, even a very small increase in the incidence of disease resulting from exposure to [radio-frequency radiation] could have broad implications for public health, an early version of the study said.

The NTP's report said the types of tumors found in the rats "are of a type similar to tumors observed in some epidemiology studies of cell phone use." It said the findings "appear to support" the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) conclusions regarding the possible carcinogenic effects of cell phone radiation.

The NTP undertook the study at the direction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) helped to oversee it and earlier this week noted that there was "limited evidence of an increased risk for developing cancer from cell phone use."

While rats and humans are not identical, rats are commonly used in cancer studies because their reactions to various carcinogens are similar to humans. The report released today covers only findings affecting the brain and heart. Additional findings will be released later, the NTP said.

A wake-up call

The test was constructed so that the radiation level the rats received was "not very different" from what humans are exposed to when they use cell phones, said Chris Portier, former associate director of the NTP, Mother Jones reported.

Portier said the findings should be a wake-up call for the scientific establishment. "I think this is a game changer," he said. "We seriously have to look at this issue again in considerable detail," according to the Mother Jones report.

"The NTP does the best animal bioassays in the word," Portier added, the Mother Jones article said. "Their reputation is stellar. So if they are telling us this was positive in this study, that's a concern."

The wireless industry in the U.S. has long proclaimed, without any definitive evidence, that cell phones are harmless. CTIA, the wireless industry's trade group, no longer lists cancer as a topic on its website's Policy & Initiatives page.

About the study

Cell phones emit what is called non-ionizing radio-frequency radiation (RFR). Ionizing radiation is a well-accepted human carcinogen, but the wireless industry and others have argued that there is no evidence that non-ionizing radiation could induce tumors.

For the study, rats were housed in custom-designed reverberation chambers and exposed to cell phone 900 MHz RFR, using both GSM and CDMA modulation, the two types that are in general use worldwide.

Exposures began in utero and continued over a period of approximately 18 hours using a continuous cycle of 10 minutes on (exposed) and 10 minutes off (not exposed), for a total daily exposure time of approximately 9 hours a day for 7 days per week.

A control group was housed in identical containers and not exposed to the radiations.

Brain effects

A low incidence of malignant gliomas and glial cell hyperplasia was observed in all groups of male rats exposed to GSM-modulated RFR. In males exposed to CDMA-modulated RFR, a low incidence of malignant gliomas occurred. No malignant gliomas or glial cell hyperplasias were observed in specimens of the control group, the NTP report said.

In females exposed to GSM-modulated RFR, a malignant glioma was observed in a single rat. Glial cell hyperplasia was also observed in a single rat. In females exposed to CDMA-modulated RFR, malignant gliomas were observed in two rats. Glial cell hyperplasia was observed in one female in each of the CDMA-modulation exposure groups. There was no glial cell hyperplasia or any of the seven malignant glioma observed in females of the control group.

Heart effects

Cardiac schwannomas were observed in male rats in all exposed groups of both GSM- and CDMA-modulated RFR, while none were observed in the control groups. For both the GSM and CDMA modulations, there was a "significant positive trend" in the incidence of schwannomas of the heart, according to the NTP report.
Nevadas economy was left reeling by the Great Recession of 2008-09, and in its wake, many of One Nevada Credit Unions 77 thousand members found themselves underwater on their mortgages and deep in personal debt.

Engineering a Dramatic Turnaround

As the states largest locally-based credit union  with over $770 million in assets and 14 branches  One Nevada wanted to play a strong role in getting its members back on their financial feet while prudently managing its own credit card portfolio recovery.

Working with the credit card experts of PSCUs Advisors Plus Consulting and Marketing Services, One Nevada engineered an extraordinary five-year turnaround that not only dramatically improved its overall portfolio health but grew membership, launched the premium Visa Signature card suite and brought in nearly $5.4 million in new balances between November 2013 and March 2016.

Optimizing One Nevadas Card Portfolio

One Nevadas return to growth began in 2011 when veteran Advisors Plus credit card consultants Steve Thompson and Mike Gulledge conducted One Nevadas initial portfolio strategy review.

Given the circumstances in 2011, One Nevadas overall risk profile was surprisingly good, Gulledge recalled recently. But we were also seeing huge charge-offs and negative ROA. Advisors Plus recommended modifications to One Nevadas collections, charge-off and recovery processes, as well as suggesting that One Nevada establish a minimum C/B score.

Basically, we advised One Nevadas senior management that they needed to grow their good dollars to dilute their bad dollars, summarized Thompson.

BACON Checking Jumpstarts Membership Growth

By 2013, Nevadas general economic picture had brightened considerably. One Nevada had brought its real estate losses under control and its loan-to-share ratio was rapidly improving.

That summer, Greg Barnes, One Nevadas Senior Vice President of Marketing, sensed that the time was right to begin growing membership and cooked up his now-legendary BACON checking account acquisition campaign.

In a state famous for its all-you-can-eat buffets, the BACON campaign (which stood for Bad A$$ Checking One Nevada) was a sizzling success. Through radio ads, TV commercials and even Las Vegas billboards, Barnes served up One Nevada to a new generation of members hungry for access to its high-quality banking services, particularly the flexibility offered by One Nevadas cutting-edge mobile banking technology.

Can You Help Us Grow?

After years of caution, suddenly [the success of BACON] united everyone in their dedication to do everything possible to grow One Nevadas credit card portfolio, noted Advisors Pluss Gulledge.

First on One Nevadas priority list was working with PSCU to bring Visas premium Signature card program to all of One Nevadas creditworthy members.

With the new card suite in place, One Nevada was ready to implement Advisors Pluss recommendations regarding credit line increases (CLIs). We worked with One Nevada to craft a strategy that went from every member having a similar line independent of risk to giving members the right lines based on a matrix that utilized risk level, income and DTI, said Gulledge.

Credit Line Increases Work Their Magic

The credit line increases went into place in September 2013. Two months later, One Nevada began working with Advisors Plus Marketing Services to launch the first of what would become an ongoing One Nevada tradition of spring and fall balance transfer and convenience checking campaigns.

The response to the first 2013 campaign was overwhelming across all measures. Compared with an identical baseline campaign run in 2012 before the credit line increases, the response rate increased 30 percent. The 2013 campaign brought in balances of $1.54 million, 43 percent higher than the level achieved by the 2012 campaign  and that was just the beginning.

The Growth Gains Momentum

One Nevadas balance transfer and convenience checking campaign ran the next year from November 2014 to February 2015 and gained even more momentum. The response rate was a whopping 8.09 percent and brought in an additional $1.81 million in outstanding balances.

The credit unions most recent campaign, from December 2015 to February 2016, was the first to incorporate all of One Nevadas Visa Signature cardholders. The response rate was a robust 7.47 percent, and the campaign had already brought in well over $2 million in new balances as of March 2016.

Partnering for $5.4MM Balance Growth

Overall, One Nevadas baseline balance transfer and convenience checking campaigns and its decision to increase credit lines accounted for a total of nearly $5.4 million in incremental balances held in 1,466 accounts over a two-year period.

PSCUs Advisors Plus is proud to partner with One Nevada to help it place the kind of analytical, considered portfolio and marketing bets that have not only been winners for the credit union but have also helped change the future luck of One Nevadas membership for the better.
Dozens of Irish farmers staged a demonstration outside the offices of the EU Commission in Dublin, claiming that plans being discussed as part of European trade talks will sell out the EUs beef sector.

The protest was staged by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) and was focused on the Mercosur deal being negotiated with South America and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) being hammered out with the US.

ICSA president Patrick Kent accused EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom of making reckless concessions and claimed the EU Commission has no democratic mandate to push for a trade deal at such a huge cost to the European beef sector.

See also: Farming risks being used as a bargaining chip in EU trade deals

It was utterly unfair to provide free access to EU markets to external producers who did not have the same burden of cross-compliance and regulation endured by European farmers, Mr Kent said.

He added: ICSA is particularly alarmed at the proposed concession of a 78,000t tariff rate quota [TRQ] in the Mercosur talks and the possibility of a similar offer on TTIP. All of this comes after the concession of 50,000t to Canadian farmers.

It is not good enough to analyse these deals in isolation. The effect on EU beef farmers must be assessed on the basis of the aggregate importation of ultra-cheap beef from both North and South America.

The protest, which took place on Wednesday (4 May), saw farmers carrying banners calling for Brussels to slam the door on Mercosur and get a grip on TTIP.

They also made a direct plea to the trade commissioner with the lyrical message:

Cecilia. Were down on our knees. Were begging you please. Support EUr own.

The demonstration came just a day after Copa-Cogeca, an EU farmers organisation, called on the EU Commission to exercise prudence in the talks, highlighting mounting evidence that any deals could have a devastating impact on beef farmers.

It pointed to a study carried out by the French Livestock Institute, which suggested that unless a cautious approach is taken to TTIP, specialised French beef producers could be looking at a 40-50% drop in income.

This would be very damaging, especially as they farmed in areas where there were no alternative form of employment, it said.
A lot has been said about financial technologies and their growth over the last few years. Financial services are undergoing quite a transformation and a lot of it is happening in the payments, lending, and banking sectors. And while it seems like advancements in investing technology has been slow to develop there are a number of advancements worth noting which will soon change your investment strategy if they haven't already.

Robo Advisory

Over the course of the last year, robo advisors have become a hot topic. The idea behind these pieces of software is rather simple. Algorithms analyze the market and scout a proper mix of conditions in order to notify an investor about a potential opportunity.

This is not actually new at all. Automated trading analysis has been around for decades. However, only in the last year has it begun to gain widespread popularity. While banks generally offer great trading conditions and a wide selection of the trading assets, they typically cannot push people into trading easily. When a bank employee advises a client to enter a position, the process of due diligence becomes quite complex. However, when an advisory is done by a robot, banks and brokers benefit from deeper analysis and better opportunities for promoting its trading products. This way it can generate higher volume and profit.

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Robo advisory is quite small when compared to payments or lending companies, yet it is growing quite fast. Just a month ago Betterment has raised 100 million dollars in funding as investors lay heavy bets on the technology. While this is the largest investment round for any robo advisory company to date there is a sense that this will not be the last.

PAMM Accounts

Trusting a robot may certainly be the future of investments but there is another important service on the market. PAMM (Percentage Allocation Management Module) accounts. This service is not as known as robo advisors, but it does attract a healthy share of investors, especially in the countries where individuals are unbanked or underbanked.

The idea behind PAMM accounts is rather simple. A potential investor can choose one or more traders to invest into. Then an investor allocates a certain percentage of his portfolio to a trader. Say you have got $10,000 to invest and you want to diversify your portfolio. With PAMM accounts, you can split your capital into fifty various traders and the way to distribute the funds is solely up to you.

Perhaps the most developed PAMM account network is provided by Alpari Forex trading. Currently, it offers over 1,500 various traders for investing. Most of the traders are operating in OTC (Over-The-Counter) trading products: spot metals, contracts-for-differences, currencies and so on. However, PAMM can be used for nearly any type of investments into financial trading.

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Social Trading

Social networks are clearly not new. Even though most of us have Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media accounts, there is a slew of highly specialized niche networks for a wide variety of interests. There are networks for doctors, politicians and for traders as well.

Perhaps the most successful network that has managed to build up a great trading community is the TradingView Network. There are a few things that make this network great. First, it offers lightning-fast web charts for nearly every ticker. In addition, the charts come with a wide range of the trading indicators and various trading tools. This makes TradingView even one of the more handy trading networks. On top of this, the community is very active and the content published by the users is just of a supreme quality.

There are other social trading platforms too. The main difference between social trading networks and Robo-advisors or PAMM accounts is pretty simple. Instead of providing actionable information for the person to enter a position, TradingView facilitates the communication amongst the traders and let them shape their vision through the chat messages.
On April 28, 2016, the BART Board of Directors stopped, at least temporarily, a BART Police plan to install Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) at MacArthur BART  a pilot program to surveil all those entering and exiting the parking facilities. Alert members of the Oakland Privacy Working Group noticed the item buried on the BART Boards agenda, and three OPWG members testified against the ALPR proposal going forward.Prior to that notice very few people had any idea that BART police were deploying, or were about to deploy, Automated License Plate Readers. It seems likely, given the meeting comments, that the BART board itself was not aware this was happening before the report was put on the agenda. That it was brought up at all before the Board is a consequence of a new California law, S.B. 34 , which requires public notice and input, and that a privacy and use policy be developed, before deployment of ALPRs. BART Pulls Plug on Cell Phone Antennas to Silence Potential Protest || "Surveillance Wont Make Us Safe - Police Wont Make Us Free" || Forum on Oakland Domain Awareness Center
California water officials and mainstream media assertions this epic drought has caused socioeconomic and a financial disaster to the State's economy is not supported by the facts published in government reports.Three years into the drought and the Golden State's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached a record $2.31 trillion, agriculture revenues higher than ever, statewide building permits doubled, and more water-guzzling permanent crops planted, and state mandated cutbacks in urban water use, while exempting agriculture, which accounts for 80 percent of the annual water use.

Grape and nut glut drying up Golden State: Part ICalifornia water officials and mainstream media assertions this epic drought wrought a socioeconomic and financial disaster to the states economy is not supported by the facts published in government reports.Three years into the drought and the Golden State Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached a record of $2.31 trillion, agricultural revenues higher than ever, statewide building permits doubled, and more water-guzzling permanent crops planted, mandatory urban cutbacks in water use, and agriculture exempted from the mandatory cutbacks. (Latest published GDP figures.)IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Public Service AnnouncementContact Patrick Porgans, Solutionist Porgans/Associates porgansinc [at] sbcglobal.net (916) 833-8734Californians inundated by a plethora of mainstream-media bytes predicting Draconian consequence from this "epic drought" water experts and public-relations firms branded the worst in 500-years are perplexed by drought-flood news accounts aired simultaneously.Meanwhile government officials, water contractors, and mainstream media, whine about the dire impacts of the so-called worst drought in California since the 1500s, the record, show they are reaping windfall profits.Public records attest that the Golden State's economy, tax revenue stream, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached all-time highs during four years of drought. In the third year of the drought, the state's GDP was a record-breaker.In 2014, the States GDP was ranked as the 7th or 8th largest economy in the world, based on traditional measurements [just below France and above Brazil]. On June 10 [2015], the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released its preliminary estimates of state gross domestic product (GDP) for 2014, as we described in a blog post last week. California's 2014 GDP the value of all goods and services produced herewas estimated at $2.31 trillion. There are different estimates of countries' GDP. http://www.lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/90 That number is the latest number published by the government ( http://www.bea.gov Epic drought generates the largest budget in States history: Last month, Governor Jerry Brown proposed the largest budget in California's history; $170 billion, of which, $120 billion comes from the State's General Fund revenue stream; with additional billions earmarked by Brown to the "Rainy Day" fund. This surplus of funds is collected tax revenue; almost 70 percent of the $120 billion is derived from personal income tax. Today, the Rainy Day Fund is at 37 percent of its constitutional target (10 percent of General Fund tax revenues) amounts to $12 billion to be held in reserve! The Budget proposes to bring the Rainy Day Fund to a balance of 65 percent. http://ebudget.ca.gov/FullBudgetSummary.pdf Government and water industry officials responded to the good news, in March, by extending mandatory water cutback! Californias economy has expanded during the past seven years.Governors Budget Summary 2016-2017, Introduction. The economy is finishing its seventh year of expansion, already two years longer than the average recovery. While the timing is uncertain, the next recession is getting closer, and the state must begin to plan for it. If new ongoing commitments are made now, then the severity of the cuts will be far greater  even devastating  when the recession begins. Without question, the best way to protect against future cuts is to build up the states Rainy Day Fund, according to Gov. Brown.Californians face a multi-dimensional conundrum; an extended drought, which imposed first-time ever statewide mandatory water cutbacks while portions of the state are under siege from flooding resulting from the remnant of a fading El Nino. Factors compounded by a massive appeal by the water industry requesting State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) members to end the drought. In the interim, the Brown Administration recently reinstituted signage posted on California highways stating: Extreme Drought  Conserve water![CA Hydrologic Regions]Water condition above average: The truth about the state's water conditions is immersed in a stupor of shifting forecasts, as is the winter weather, unpredictable and changing. On 1 February a report depicting statewide precipitation at 115 percent and 120 percent for the North Coast Region for this time of year, according to Department of Water Resources (DWR) personnel. The very next day 2 February the SWRCB voted to extend drought emergency regulation, purportedly to ensure mandatory water conservation through October 2016. http://saveourwater.com/blog-posts/conservation-extended/ In early March through April Californians were stunned as officials dump floodwaters from Folsom Dam, on the American River, which had received 120 percent of average precipitation. Water was also being dumped at other major reservoirs in the north state. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article67772672.html It is estimated that more than one million acre-feet of water were dumped from state reservoirs, enough to provide half of the water needs of those 19 million customers receive annually from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.The March snow survey, conducted by DWR personnel showed snowpack at locations ranged from low 90s to over 100 percent of average. http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/waterconditions.cfm Findings contained in a Forensic Accounting based on the public record and direct intercommunication with water officials and regulatory personnel, most of whom putatively accepted the 500-year conjecture, in the absences of verifiable peer-reviewed data. If the intrinsic shortcomings of those assertions were even theoretically plausible, assuming that this is the worst drought in California, it might have possibly occurred in central and southern California; however, the public record does not support those assertions in the water-rich north state. http://www.theterranews.com/content/?p=66539 Forensic Accounts of previous drought events are the subject of a series of article that prompted responses from the California Farm Water Coalition.The California Farm Water Coalition has this response to Patrick Porgans & Lloyd Carters post, Wolf Cries  Howling About Drought  All Wet  No More Doubts Officials Exaggerated Severity of Drought: Coalition viewpointThese numbers provide a clear picture of the effect that governmental regulations and the drought, during the past four years, had on water users who rely on deliveries of water through the Delta. As indicated by the bloggers, the water years in the Sacramento Valley from 2006-2009 averaged 16.39 million acre-feet (MAF), which is a 60% increase, or 6 MAF more than during 1989-1992. http://www.farmwater.org/Current-News/ Ironically, the doomsday public-relations campaign precipitated an astonishing downpour of wealth to state and federal water contractors that already receive publicly-subsidized water. Water districts and land-gentry billionaires reaped an abundant harvest of public give-away funds. Unfortunately, their profits come at the expense and to the demise of urban water users; taxpayers, the state General Fund, and Public Trust Resources (water, fish, and wildlife).[Almond graph here]Abundant Harvest: Contrary to mainstream media reports, agricultural profits reached all-time high in the fourth year of drought. Even though the 2014 crop year coincides with the third consecutive year of unprecedented drought, the innovation and resilience of Californias agricultural community continue to ensure the States agricultural abundance. Despite the tremendous challenges in 2014, the farmgate value of the states 76,400 farms and ranches was a record $54 billion. Of the $54 billion, over $21 billion was attributed to Californias agricultural exports.Building permits doubled: In the second and third year of the drought, building permits doubled statewide. http://www/census.gpv/construction/bps/txt/tb2u2013.txt The Governor's Proclamation and the Emergency Drought Regulations relieve government water project operators of their obligation to comply with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). It also sanctions the reduction or suspension of water quality standards and objectives contained in the San Francisco Bay- Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary Water Quality Control Plan; enacted to protect Delta farmers, water diverters, and aquatic, avian and terrestrial species.The SWRCB issued emergency drought regulation that targets mandatory cutbacks by urban-residential users, while subversively exempting the agricultural industry that reportedly applies an estimated 80 percent of the state's developed water supply annually. Instead, the Board left it up to the agricultural industry to reduce and conserve water.Gross agricultural revenues represent about two (2) percent of the State's GDP. Additional revenue is generated by the processing and distribution of the products produced. Thus for every dollar of value added in that sector, there is an additional $1.27 added to the state economy. http://aic.ucdavis.edu/publications/moca/moca_current/moca09/moca09chapter5.pdf During this current drought, it is estimated that $3 billion of borrowed public funds have already been given away for drought "relief" programs. That money comes from the sale of State issued General Obligation (G.O.) bonds, which, repayment is backed by the full-faith and credit of California. A list of General Obligation Bonds authorized and issued by the state can be found here. http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/bonds/debt/04/authorized.pdf For every dollar of G.O. bonds sold, it cost a dollar in interest; it will cost $6 billion to repay, with revenues derived the State's General Fund. "It must never be forgotten, however, that 69.5 percent of our General Fund revenues come from the volatile personal income tax which, as history shows us, drops precipitously in time of recession  an event not too far off given the historic pattern of the ten recessions that have occurred since 1945. During a moderate recession, revenue losses to the General Fund will easily total $55 billion over three years"; Gov.'s Budget Summary 2016-2017.11 [Note: Rainy Day Fund is used to assure bond investors G.O. debt is covered. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-jerry-brown-releases-state-budget-20160107-story.html California land of fruits and nuts exporting water to foreign markets: California, which produces much of the country's water-guzzling fruits [nuts] and vegetables, is in year four of a major drought, and almonds, its No. 1 export, have become a symbol of the state's heavy water consumption. Mature almond trees in the Southern Sacramento Valley use 41 to 44 inches of water on average per year, according to the University of California at Davis. Trees in drier southern San Joaquin Valley use 50 to 54 inches. In California, an acre supports about 124 almond trees. Last year, and acre produced around 2,270 pounds of almonds, for a ratio of about 502 gallons of water per pound of nuts. (The math works out to equals 3.49 acre-feet of water per acre of almonds planted.) Total amount of water applied averages out to 3.55 MAF annually. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-numbers-behind -agricultural-water-use-1434726353The amount of water required to sustain the growth of these almonds is 1.4 MAF more than the 2.1 MAF the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California provides annually. (One acre-foot equals about 325,700 gallons; an average California household uses between one-half and one acre-foot of water per year for indoor and outdoor use.) http://www.watereducation.org/general-information/whats-acre-foot Almond crop bonanza  money grows on trees: In the year 2000, there was 610,000 acre of almond planted, valued at $666,487,000 for the crop. California's 2014 almond acreage is estimated at 1,020,000 acres, up 5 percent from the 2013 acreage of 970,000, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Of the total acreage for 2014, 870,000 acres were bearing, and 150,000 acres were nonbearing, crop valued at $6,464,500,000.The subjective production for the 2015 almond crop is 1.85 billion pounds, according to a survey conducted by the National Statistic Service. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/California/Publications/FruitSave our water_and_Nuts/201505almpd.pdfCBS and Fox News "erred" scenes of almond orchards ripped out due to a lack of water while other experts predicted California would run out of water in 2016. Public records do not support their assertions and the orchard depicted in their stories failed to "air" the scene where those same drought-stricken lands were replanted with a new variety of almonds. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/depleting-the-water As indicated by USDA's Graph California Almond Bearing Acreage has continued to expand before and since the onset of this drought, in 2011.The SWRCB was advised of almond acreage expansion years ago; it took no action to curtail the use of the public's water, and growers went nuts.There was so much of a glut in the almond market that the price of almonds dropped precipitously. After prices for almonds climbed to a record $4 per pound in 2014, farmers across California began replacing their cheaper crops with the nut, causing a huge increase in supply. Now, the bubble has popped. Since late 2014, according to The Washington Post, almond prices have fallen by around 25%.More grapes and other permanent crops also planted while building permits doubled statewide in 2013-2014.A major challenge facings taxpaying Californians, is if they can afford to export water in the form of surplus fruits and nuts to countries such as China, which is not required to pay an import tax. In the interim, the California dream appears to be fading into the midst impairing their quality of life and cost of living as the forces behind water exploitation usurp others water and property rights.Part II: Water officials usurp property and water rights, and Part III: Californias water management crisis - why it paysAbout the author: Patrick Porgans is a Solutionist, and for the past 40 years serving clients and as a de facto public trustee, assisting and or compelling government officials to perform their functions in a manner consistent with the law. Porgans authored more than 80 Fact-Finding reports on water- and water-related issues in the West. He contributed to Mark Reisner's Cadillac Desert publication. He is the author of "Truth De-Code-It", which provides insight on how wealthy land-gentry billionaires are using the tax base, the state's credit rating, General Fund, General Obligation Bonds, and publicly-owned natural resources to amass and sustain ill-gain fortunes. (Truth De-Code-It focuses on ways to mutually coexist and to empower ourselves to make change, one person, one day at a time. The FACT SHEET can be viewed at http://www.planetarysolutionaries.org or by emailing noblewaters [at] yahoo.com This report was made possible by the joint commitment of New-Old Worlds Wholistically Emerging (NOWWE) and Patrick Porgans/Associates as a public service. For more articles and FACT SHEETS, Google Patrick Porgans water.
Under TTIP, TPP and TiSA, corporations can sue states for lost profits. The German Judges Union calls additional protection of foreign investors "nonsense" that undermines democracy and the constitutional state and could lead to an avalanche of lawsuits and the chilling of labor and environmental protection. Jonas Sjostedt is the chairperson of the Swedish Left Party.

THE NAFTA CATASTROPHE  21 YEARS OF NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENTWithin a year nearly 3.3 million persons signed the self-organized European Citizens Initiative against TTIP and CATA. In Berlin, a quarter of a million took to the streets to fight against the threatened power concentration in corporations and for preservation of democratic structures. Free trade agreements produce a few winners and many losers. After 21 years of NAFTA, a million jobs in the US were cut. Wages have not risen despite growing work productivity and 2 million jobs were lost in Mexican agriculture. In the NAFTA example, the lecturer Conrad Schuhler shows the negative effects of free trade agreements for working persons in industry and agriculture and also for the people of those countries that are not partners to the agreement.TTIP AND CETA MUST BE PREVENTEDBy Conrad Schuhler[This article published on April 17, 2016 is translated from the German on the Intern, https://isw-muenchen.de TTIP AND CETA  THE DECISIONS ARE IMMINENTThe meeting of German chancellor Merkel and US president Obama on the occasion of the opening of the Hanover Exhibition Center (April 23) served a single goal: to speed up the TTIP negotiations so the agreement could be signed this year. At the end of February 2016, the 12th round of negotiations on the TTIP between the EU and the UWS took place in Brussels. The controversial themes investment protection and regu9latory cooperation were discussed. The EU Commission was forced by a resolution of the European Parliament to work out a new text for investment protection. In June 2015, the EU Parliament supported the TTIP draft on principle with 436-Yes against 241-No votes but demanded replacing the ISDS system with a new system. The question of regulatory cooperation involved the so-called right to regulate, the right of individual countries to pass political-economic and social regulations and not to be subject to the resolutions of a TTIP council. The EU Commission and the German government immediately expressed their joy over progress in these questions. These reservations are without any binding effect apart from the fact that the proposals from the EU side are completely insufficient. The US side rejects them lock, stock and barrel. Now a great theater is staged to immobilize the increasing critical public with lies and tricks in important questions.In Berlin, 250,000 people took to the streets on 10/10/2015 under the motto Stop TTIP and CETA! For a Just World Trade! This gave more headaches to TTIP strategists than all the academic studies and symposiums. The Stop TTIP Initiative in EU countries has 3.4 million signatures. People are in a stormy movement against the planned agreement both in Europe and the US. The TTIP timetable of the Obama government earmarks first passing the TPP, the transpacific Partnership agreement  twelve Pacific countries, from Chile and the US to Vietnam (40% of the world gross national product) and then turn with all its strength to the TTIP project. TPP would be the door-opener for the TTIP.Whether Obama can finalize the TPP in his term of office is very doubtful, let alone the TTIP. With the help of republican senators, the US president pushed through a so-called fast track procedure for TPP. The agreement can now only be negotiated and voted on as a whole. The Congress can not intervene in the negotiations.However only 13 of 44 Democratic senators approved this procedure. Since then, the mood in the Democratic Party and in the public has developed against the free trade agreements so that Hillary Clinton strictly denies her activity for TPP for years and now appears as an opponent. Her counterpart Bernie Sanders was always against such agreements and emphasizes this as one of his main issues with the applause of a growing following. Democratic politicians disassociate themselves from TPP the closer the election date. This is even more pressing for TTIP since it will be decided in the final stage of the election campaign.CETA  PRIVATE ARBITRATION COURTS SHOULD BE CODIFIED AND PARLIAMENTS ELIMINATEDIf TPP is seen by US globalization strategists as an instant water heater for the TTIP, this role is assumed by CETA in Europe. The CETA negotiations ended in August 2015. The legal formalities review was concluded at the end of February 2016. The text of the agreement was then first published. Over 1500 pages, it confirms the worst fears including the reactionary commitments on investor-state lawsuits over investment protection. These procedures are at the center of criticism because private arbitration on business claims for compensation against states would occur with these procedures. This would be the end of all democratic efforts to bring improvements in environmental protection, labor law, working hours, wage levels or product development. Corporations could sue before private arbitration courts whenever such measures negatively impacted the profit interest of companies. Such ISDS procedures (Investor-State-Dispute-Settlement) would make any social and ecological progress so expensive that it would be unaffordable.Under the pressure of swelling criticism, the German government declared it would support a transparent and public investment tribunal procedure. Nevertheless the old norms of arbitration courts are laid down in Article 29 of the CETA agreement as already applied by the World Trade organization mainly for arbitral awards in favor of litigating companies. The arbitration court should be composed of three arbitrators with special knowledge of international commercial law and independent of the parties directly involved in the arbitration procedures. In practice, this amounts to appointing co-workers of the big international law offices whoa re closely interlocked with the interests of transnational companies. The ISDS procedures are laid down in the CETA agreement as the only procedure. The World Trade Organization branch ICSID is appointed as the essential venue of disputes. CETA commitments would also prejudge the procedures with the majority of US firms. Four-fifths of all US companies have branch offices in Canada. Through CETA, 41,000 foreign investors could sue EU states for compensation before private ISDS arbitrators.Another CETA procedure stipulates that first the EU Council and then the EU Parliament rules on the agreement. The German government considers CETA a mixed agreement, that is the national parliaments have to ratify it. Like all Berlin statements on the TTIP-CETA, this has a tactical or even misleading character. In the same declaration, Berlin says parts of CETA for which the EU has exclusive competence can be applied temporarily. The temporary application of CETA rules can be carried out without the approval of the parliaments. The chief Canadian negotiator Steve Verheul said the application could begin as soon as 15 of 28 government s of member EU states approved.This would also cover ISDS lawsuits. Article 30.8 of the agreement says investment protection lawsuits could be filed unless more than three years passed since the date of the agreement. The agreement would begin with the approval of the majority of the governments of EU states without any hearing of the national parliaments. The commitments would also be binding for three years for all who reject or abandon it. CETA could take effect even if the national parliaments voted against it and remains in effect for years even if the agreement is repealed.TTIP  BERLIN AND BRUSSELS RELY ON DIVERSIONUNTRUTH NR. 1: A PUBLIC INVESTMENT TRIBUNAL EXISTSThe German economics ministry responsible for the TTIP negotiations now claims the EU Commission is taking up the proposal of economics minister Gabriel for a moderate and transparent investment protection as part of the discussion. The proposal of the EU Commission is that future investment lawsuits should be decided by an investment tribunal with publically appointed judges.The German Judges Union with around 16,000 members with 25,000 judges and public prosecutors across the country, the largest professional association of judges and public prosecutors in Germany, rejects the introduction of an investment tribunal in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The German Judges Union sees neither a legal foundation nor a necessity for such a court (German Judges Union, comment on the investment tribunal for TTIP, comment Nr. 4/16, February 2016). Through such an investment tribunal, the law-making authority of the union and member states would be restricted and the established legal system within the member states and the European Union would be changedThe German Judges Union urges German and European legislators to block recourse to arbitration procedures in the realm of international investor protection.The German Judges Union says that the latest creation or working model from the House of Gabriel is illegal and that the nonsense of investor lawsuits through private arbitration courts must be ended at last. Neither the earmarked procedure for nominating judges of the ICS (the investment tribunal planned by the EU Commission) nor its status satisfies the international demands for the independence of courts. On this background, the ICS seems like a permanent arbitration tribunal rather than an international court.UNTRUTH NR. 2: THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE PROCEDURETransparency is now supposedly established in that delegates of the German Bundestag can look at documents of past TTIP negotiations on computers for two hours on workdays in the reading room of the German economics ministry since the beginning of February 2016. They cannot bring along technical advisors, cameras or their own laptops and cannot speak a word about what they have read. In the visitors rules, they are told: They recognize and accept that a special trust is expected of them when they are granted access to TTIP texts.This is a special piece of insolence of the state toward the peoples representatives. They are granted their access and expected to show a special trust. These persons who have to decide in the name of the people about the agreement cannot reveal their contents to the people. The TTIP negotiations are a lesson about post-democracy, about a political system whose facade of citizens sharing and participating has caved in.22 YEARS OF NAFTA  THE EXPERIENCES ARE DEVASTATINGThe propaganda of TTIP instigators promises only positive things: jobs and prosperity will increase. The productivity and competitiveness of participating economies will improve. The same promises were made to the nations involved in NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement, the free trade consortium of the US< Canada and Mexico). A balance-sheet of the 22 years of NAFTA proves the exact opposite.NAFTA took effect on 1/1/1994. In the US, the agreement passed with the argument that it would create jobs. At the end of 1993, US president Clinton claimed the largest free trade zone of the world will arise and 200,000 jobs will be created in the US by 1995. Mexicans were fooled into thinking their developing country would become an industrial country and Canadian were told their country would increase its productivity (cf. Barbara Eisenmann, Das Netz des Geld).However the situation for the non-rich part of the populations has worsened in all three countries. For the US, Jeff Faux of the Economic Policy Institute summarized: Clinton and his co-workers promised the agreement would bring well-paid jobs in the US, an increasing trade surplus with Mexico and a dramatic reduction of illegal immigration. Instead NAFTA cost the US a net loss of 700,000 jobs. The trade surplus with Mexico turned into a chronic deficit. The economic uprooting in Mexico made the stream of illegal immigrants in the US swell.In Mexico, the three million small corn producers were exposed to the dumping pressure of subsidized big US producers. Altogether at least two million jobs were lost in Mexican agriculture. The US raised its agricultural exports to Mexico five-fold in the NAFTA time. Mexicos promised industrialization and higher work productivity in Canada did not happen. Canada be came an exporter of raw materials, above all crude oil from tar sands promotion (Eisenmann, op.cit.).NAFTA was profitable for big business interests. With it, ISDS was the crucial principle of free trade. The International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes of the World Bank and the UN Commission for International Trade Law were chosen as arbitration courts, traces which CETA and TTIP now follow.The president of the AFL-CIO union, Richard Trumka, summed up the experiences with NAFTA: Wages have stagnated in all three countries and families strain to cover their costs for health insurance, education, housing and pension schemes The free trade agreements forced down wages and suppressed rights to jobs. They have made the middle class shrivel in the US, Mexico and Canada.TTIP AGAINST DEVELOPING AND THRESHOLD COUNTRIESWhile corporations in western metropolises  led by the US and Great Britain  will be the great winners of TTIP, the countries of the South, the developing- and threshold countries, will be income losers. TTIP will increase the economic inequality in the world. A study commissioned by the Bertelsmann foundation confirmed this over two years ago.A new study mandated by the German economics ministry corroborates this fatal effect of TTIP. All regions outside the TTIP zone will have annual (real) per capita income losses up to 2.13% (ifo Institute).VATTENFALLS LAWSUIT AGAINST GERMANY IS SCANDALOUSBy Jonas Sjostedt[This article published on November 27, 2014 is translated from the German on the Internet, http://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=24100 . Vattenfall, a Swedish energy conglomerate, is suing Germany for 4.7 billion euros for closing two nuclear power plants. Under TTIP, TPP and TiSA, corporations can sue states for lost profits. The German Judges Union calls additional protection of foreign investors nonsense that undermines democracy and the constitutional state and could lead to an avalanche of lawsuits and the chilling of labor and environmental protection. Jonas Sjostedt is the chairperson of the Swedish Left Party.]We own Vattenfall in common. This leading energy company should be transitioning to an ecologically sustainable energy supply, regardless where the business is active  but isnt today. Vattenfalls lawsuit against Germany on account of its resolution to end nuclear power is scandalous. The government should prevent this and ensure that the possibility of corporations suing states does not spread, wrote Jonas Sjostedt (Left Party).FOCUS: LAWSUITS AGAINST STATESGermany resolved to end nuclear power and rely on renewable energy. This change is already underway. The disaster in Fukushima has great significance and shows the enormous risks of nuclear energy. The Swedish government also has the goal of gradually ending nuclear power as a power source. These are democratic resolutions that the elected peoples representatives in our countries have the right to enact. Even those with different views on this factual issue accept this principle.But the German resolution on phasing out nuclear power is contested by businesses that make profits like Vattenfall that belong to the Swedish state. Vattenfall now demands compensation from Germany of 4.7 billion euros, equivalent to 43 billion Swedish crowns. This is a completely perverse demand. The Swedish government should force Vattenfall to retract its compensation claim, the Left Party is convinced. The German resolution to stop nuclear power must be respected. Both German and Swedish energy policy should be decided democratically, not by extortion and threats of businesses.Vattenfall has made bad investments in fossil gas and coal and not only in nuclear power. This strains the environment and Swedish taxpayers including businesses. Vattenfalls production causes more greenhouse gas emissions than the whole nation of Sweden. This impairs Swedens credibility in international climate work.Vattenfalls promotion of brown coal in Germany triggers strong and justified protests from the local population. This is also true for the way Vattenfall operates the power supply network in cities like Hamburg and Berlin. Whether the networks should be returned to public ownership is debated there.Vattenfall must be reoriented. No new investments should be made in fossil energy (coal pits or nuclear power plants). A more reasonable plan must be drawn up for apportioning fossil fuel. Vattenfall should be in a position to change to renewable and sustainable energy systems. Vattenfalls business leaders must be replaced so this can happen in a trustworthy way.Vattenfalls lawsuit against Germany is not an isolated case. Philip Morris took legal action in Australia when the regulations for cigarette packages were changed. This regulatory change occurred for reasons of public health but threatened the future profits of Philip Morris. A Dutch insurance company sued Slovakia and won when the country sought to introduce new rules on insurance company profits.The next time we in Sweden could be sued because of democratic resolutions that were passed. The EU is now negotiating two free trade agreements with Canada and the US. In these agreements, businesses have the right to sue states when democratic laws reduce future business profits. In the agreements, this undermining of democracy is called investment protection.The lawsuit possibility against states already existed in some free trade agreements but the use of this possibility has dramatically skyrocketed. The number of cases where businesses sue states in appealing to investment protection has soared almost fivefold since the turn of the millennium according to the UN organ UNDAC that monitors development. The agreement gives businesses the chance for enormous compensation and becomes a weapon for extorting states to avoid certain legislation. Besides these big businesses, lawyers and law offices are the mammoth winners in the resulting long and expensive lawsuits. The environment, public health and the right of citizens to democratically determine justice and the law are the losers.Vattenfalls demand for compensation shows that international agreements giving businesses the right to upend democratic laws is scandalous. The government must stop Vattenfalls lawsuit against Germany and resist any expansion of the lawsuit possibilities against states. Democracy must be in first place.more at http://www.freembtranslations.net and http://www.kickitover.org
What will it take to make the Greens a viable mass party of the left?TranscriptKPFA Weekend News Anchor: Bernie Sanders defeats in the East Coast primaries have triggered a flurry of conversation about what the 25 to 35 percent of Sanders supporters whove told pollsters they will not vote for Hillary Clinton will do instead. Seattle-based Socialist Alternative, led by City Council member Kshama Sawant, and others have called for Sanders to found an independent left party for the 99 percent and run as an independent, or to appeal to Jill Stein and the Green Party to join their ticket, despite his oft repeated promise to endorse the Democrats nominee.With little time left to get a new party on the ballot in most states, Ann Garrison looked into Green Party ballot access in the 50 states and spoke to Georgia Green Party activist and Black Agenda Report Editor Bruce Dixon.KPFA/Ann Garrison: Bruce Dixon, the Green Party now appears on the ballot in 21 states, including California and the District of Columbia, and there are ballot access drives underway in many of the others, including Georgia. Can you tell us about the federal court victory you just won there?Bruce Dixon: We won a victory in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals here in Georgia. The case has been around for, I think, eight years now and we got it reconsidered, and the court lowered the barrier of the number of signatures in Georgia from 50,000 signatures, or 1 percent of turnout in the last statewide election, down to 7,500 signatures.The 50,000 signatures [requirement] was intended to be a barrier to keep third parties, originally back in the 1940s Democrats and Communists, off the ballot in the South. The rule was lifted briefly for Strom Thurmond when the Dixiecrats wanted to get back on the ballot, and then put back in place, but no third party has ever been able to qualify for the ballot in Georgia unless they were backed by some millionaires and billionaires. Ross Perot qualified and Libertarians have qualified a couple of times when they have got millionaire and billionaire pals of theirs to drop three, four hundred thousand dollars for them to do it.You have a similar situation in North Carolina. In North Carolina, the barrier is 90,000 signatures right now, but the court lowered the number of signatures we need to get a statewide candidate on the ballot in Georgia from 50,000, in early March, to 7,500 and we feel very confident that we can make that goal.There are other states with very large barriers to ballot access too. Illinois with 25,000, Indiana 22,600, Pennsylvania 24,000, Oklahoma 24,000, Missouri 10,000, Connecticut 9,500. These kinds of barriers are in place all over the country, and the second highest barrier in the nation was that in Georgia. We just got it lowered and now were trying to qualify.If the Green Party in Georgia is able to get 1 percent of the presidential vote this year and field 16 electors, then we will have a spot on the ballot for 2018, and well be able to keep that spot on the ballot as long as we can turn out 1 percent of the vote in November.KPFA: And does that mean that youll be on the ballot in local and state elections in the future?Bruce Dixon: It is likely. The way the judges decision was narrowly drawn right now limits our breakthrough to candidates for statewide office, but the way the judge wrote the decision and the reasons that he gave for doing it are sufficient to encourage us that Judge Storey will go along with this if we come back into court after getting 1 percent and tell him that this needs to be extended for the reasons that he gave in finding for us in the first place, down the line.KPFA: OK and what else are you doing to build the Green Party there in Georgia?Bruce Dixon: Well, were transforming the Green Party. The Green Party up till now has been led by self-selected groups of people, but not actually responsible to a definable membership and not raising any money even.And so we are rethinking the way Green Parties, the Green Party in Georgia and a few other states, constitute themselves, and what we intend to do in the weeks and months to come is to constitute our party in Georgia so that its a party supported by membership dues. And that the members can replace their officers within 60 or 90 days, so that the officers are directly responsible to other members.And thats it. We dont think that you can have a mass party, we dont think that we can make the breakthrough to making the Green Party a mass party unless we make its officers directly responsible to members, and unless our officers and our members together come up with programs and policies and activities to make people think that theres something here worth paying regular monthly dues into, and taking part in.The model of the Green Party up till now has been with a low level of participation of members and not even defining members, and were going to break away from that. We think that everywhere else in the world where they have successful socialist and left and Green parties, they are funded by membership dues, and we know the Democrats and Republicans dont do that.Democrats and Republicans have to look at television, have to turn on the television to find out what their positions on different issues are. You know we want to have Green Parties that meet regularly in every community in our state, and eventually around the country and that are supported by membership dues and electing their officers democratically and deciding what they want to concentrate on.Its not enough to accept small donations and eschew corporate contributions. MoveOn.org at first said it was taking only small donations, although thats changed now, but MoveOn.org was never democratic. It never let the members decide what the targets would be and what the priorities of the organization would be.So its not enough to have people the right color and background as your officers because thats not enough alone either. Its not enough alone to take in small donations if you dont have internal democracy and a high level of activity among members that makes members think that this is worth paying into and participating in.Again, youll never grow into a mass party. And these are challenges that we dont think our Green Parties and left parties of this country have squarely faced and tackled in a fruitful way, which is why we dont have a mass party of the left yet.KPFA: OK, and lastly, what do you say to Black folks who say theyve got to get behind Hillary  youve got to get behind Hillary to stop the white mans party?Bruce Dixon: Well, you know what? People like that think that theyre doing strategic voting. They say, Well, we dont like Hillary but were going to be strategic about it and unite. Black unity has always led us to concentrate behind designated leaders and to never have us do internal democracy among ourselves, to never let the people at the bottom decide what the priorities are.A vote for Hillary is not a strategic vote. Its a vote cast in fear. And we dont think people should be voting their fears. We think people should be voting their hopes. The Green Party in Georgia, our slogan is Vote Your Hopes, Not Your Fears.And up to now, Democratic politics in the Black community have been based exclusively on fear, fear of the white mans party, the Republican Party. And unfortunately what they get is only slightly better in some ways than the Republican Party, and often the kinds of Democrats that we elect are able to do things to us, not for us, that even Republicans could not do. And so this is why we need to build something outside the duopoly and not settle for a choice between President Trump and President Hillary Clinton.KPFA: And that was Bruce Dixon, Georgia Green Party activist and managing editor of the Black Agenda Report. In Berkeley, for Pacifica, KPFA Radio, Im Ann Garrison.Oakland writer Ann Garrison writes for the San Francisco Bay View, Black Agenda Report, Black Star News, Counterpunch and her own website, Ann Garrison, and produces for AfrobeatRadio on WBAI-NYC, KPFA Evening News, KPFA Flashpoints and for her own YouTube Channel, AnnieGetYourGang. She can be reached at anniegarrison [at] gmail.com . In March 2014 she was awarded the Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza Democracy and Peace Prize for promoting peace in the Great Lakes Region of Africa through her reporting.
Kentucky Derby 2016 Silks Colors and Patterns: Between the program, the television monitors, the highly-visible number of a horses saddlecloth and the track announcers call, it is pretty easy for the average fan to follow the progress of a particular horse throughout a race when on location at Churchill Downs.

But when horse racing first began in the early 18th century, there were no such things as program numbers, public address systems or closed circuit television. So when King Charles II (hes the one with the long, curly wig) first assembled race meets on the plains of Hempstead, the dukes and the barons had trouble figuring out which horse was which. So, they adopted racing silks  or colors  to distinguish their jockeys for easier viewing.

During the time of King Charles II, the silks were simple. Red for one duke, black for another duke, orange for one earl, white for another earl, and so on.

The tradition of the silks remains today as jockeys wear the colors of the horse owners, but since there are so many owners, they have become even more colorful. Some of the most famous silks are the devils red and blue of Calumet Farm, worn by the jockeys of Kentucky Derby winners Citation and Ponder and Allen Paulsons star-spangled red-white-and-blue colors, carried by the champion racehorse Cigar.

The jockeys room at Churchill Downs houses hundreds of silks which are hung on pegs in the order of each jockeys races for that day. For the 142nd Running of the Kentucky Derby, the following silks will be seen by millions as the jockeys take to the Churchill Downs track with their equine athletes.

Kentucky Derby 2016 Odds

Kentucky Derby 2016 Silks

Click images to enlarge Kentucky Derby 2016 Silks Colors and Patterns. Silks in order of post position.

Source: www.kentuckyderby.ag/silks.php
Handicapping Kentucky Oaks Day 2016 Picks & Plays by Sigi Mendoza: The most anticipated weekend in U.S. racing is finally here! Although people are often more excited about the Kentucky Derby card, the Kentucky Oaks and its undercard on Friday are composed of quality fields. Below is an easy guide for those who want to enjoy the day and make some plays on Oaks day stakes races.

La Troienne Stakes  Grade I

6) 2, 1

Sheer Drama made her 2016 season debut in the Madison (GI) on April 16 at Keeneland. Although the distance was a bit short for her, Sheer Drama was able to chase the fast pace and beat Stopchargingmaria by a neck. This time, Sheer Drama should appreciate the stretch out to 1-1/16 miles, and according to her last workout, she looks ready to win another Grade I stakes. Sheer Drama is the likely winner of the race, but if you expect a regression and want to beat her, Curalina is an option because Pletcher trainees usually fire fresh.

Eight Belles Stakes  Grade II

7) 5

Carina Mia enters the Eight Belles because she did not earn enough points to make the Kentucky Oaks, although she has the quality to run there. Carina Mias 2016 debut was delayed due to the Payson Quarantine, a thing that hurt her chances to make the Oaks. She finally ran in the Ashland (GI) and sat off the pace only to fade a bit in the stretch and finish fourth, just 2 lengths behind winner Weep No More. Now, the filly is working very nicely and is running with lasix added. Im using Carina Mia as a single in all my plays.

Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes  Grade III

8) 3, 1, 2, 12

In a very wide open race, Im looking for a longshot, especially because theres a lot of speed in the race. Mogol Bull has some good races against good runners like Mongolian Saturday and No Nay Never. He is returning from a six-month layoff, but he can fire fresh and steal the race at big odds. Power Alert is a specialist at the distance with a nice record of 6 wins out of 11 starts at this distance. He won this race last year. Summation Time is another horse who could take advantage of a hot pace. Javier Castellano stays in the saddle, which is a good sign. Im also adding Guns Loaded because he improved and turned into a nice runner after being claimed by Doug ONeill. This will be his acid test, though.

Alysheba  Grade II

9) 5, 4

Noble Bird lost by only a neck in the Alysheba last year where he registered one of the best speed figures of his career. He likes the Churchill Downs track, and the distance is perfect for his running style. He should improve in his third race of the layoff, so he is definitely the horse to beat. His main rival is Eagle, the horse who beat him last time.

Edgewood GIII

10) 10

Catch a Glimpse is unbeaten over the turf. In fact, she only lost her debut at Saratoga b because her intended turf race was moved to the dirt. If nothing strange happens, this filly should continue her winning streak. Catch a Glimpses odds should be very low, but in my opinion, this is not a race to look for value.

Kentucky Oaks

11) 2, 11, 13

Weep No More upset everyone in the Ashland Stakes (GI) over 1-1/16 miles at Keeneland when she came from the clouds and beat favorites Cathryn Sophia, Rachels Valentina, and Carina Mia. That was an impressive late run for Weep No More, and this time she should appreciate the stretch out to 1-1/8 miles. Im betting her Ashland performance was not a fluke. Rachels Valentina was making her 2016 season debut in the Ashland Stakes, so we can blame her for her tiredness in the stretch. She likely needed that race. We cant miss any play with Land Over Sea, the eternal runner-up to the amazing Songbird, especially after her romp in the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII).

Kentucky Oaks Day 2016 Picks & Plays

Pick 3

6) 2, 1

7) 5

8) 3, 1, 2, 12

Pick 3

7) 5

8) 3, 1, 2, 12

9) 5, 4

Trifecta box

11) 2, 11, 13

Related Links:

Kentucky Oaks 2016 Odds and Post Positions

2016 Kentucky Derby Odds and Post Positions
Dans un contexte marque par labsence de lEtat, des affrontements intercommunautaires ont endeuille la commune de Kareri, dans le cercle de Tenenkou, region de Mopti. Des sources locales citees par Studio Tamani soulignent que le conflit qui a debute le week-end dernier est parti de lassassinat de ladjoint au maire de la localite par des individus armes soupconnes dappartenir a la communaute peulh. Les proches de la victime se sont attaques aux familles des presumes auteurs de lassassinat, faisant plusieurs morts, et des blesses graves.

Selon Studio Tamani, ces affrontements auraient provoque un mouvement massif de populations peuhles. Tout serait parti de lassassinat du 3eme adjoint au maire de la localite et dun paysan.

Ces meurtres en serie ont fait lobjet de represailles de la part des chasseurs qui ont perdu un des membres de leur confrerie. La violence setendit a dautres villages, ainsi que lannoncait, lundi dernier, lassociation Dentaal pulaku qui a fait part de lexecution de plusieurs peulhs par des individus armes dans le village de Malaimana toujours dans le cercle de Tenenkou.

Selon le porte-parole de cette association, les assassins seraient membres dune milice constituee dans ce village. La meme association a denonce la semaine derniere des exactions subies par la communaute peuhle dans la meme zone, victime damalgame avec les terroristes du front de liberation du Macina.

Selon des autorites locales, cette recrudescence de violences a provoque le deplacement des peuhls de la zone vers dautres localites.

La situation etait toujours tendue hier dans la zone selon le prefet de Tenenkou. Celui-ci a indique que face a la montee de la violence dans la zone, des camions ont ete envoyes pour transporter des familles peuhles a Tenenkou. Le prefet appelle les autorites a renforcer la presence militaire dans la zone. Pour sa part, le Gouvernement, dans un communique, a deplore cette degradation du climat social entre les communautes qui, jusque-la, ont vecu en parfaite entente.  Le Gouvernement presente ses condoleances aux familles endeuillees ainsi que ses vux de prompt retablissement aux blesses. Toutes les dispositions necessaires a lapaisement de la situation ont ete prises et se poursuivront de concert avec les autorites politiques, administratives et de la societe civile jusqua un retour a la normale. , lit-on dans le communique.

Soumaila T Diarra

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Aside from their political side, quite a lot of people do not know that these Nigerian politicians got married to women outside their faith.

Well, they have been able to manage their social-sphere, political ambition alongside family front, without allowing religious conflicts. In no chronological order, Legit.ng brings to you, top Nigerian politicians who married women outside their religion.

1. Governor Ibikunle Amosun

The Ogun state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and his beautiful wife, Olufunsho, got married 26 years ago and, if no one told you, you won't know they were not of same religion. In a recent interview with the 51-year-old beautiful wife of the governor, she explained how easy or difficult it was to get her parents approval to marry the governor who is a Muslim while she is a Christian. She said:

Governor Amosun and beautiful wife

"That is a big one. I had to ask my parents I first asked my mum whether she would allow me to get married to a Moslem; She asked me if I had told my dad? And I said no. And she gave me a mischievous smile and look Very good. But today my mother and my husband are the best of friends. And at times I get my pound of flesh back sometimes when I tease her, when they are talking and discussing I will say mischievously: Ahh! Moslem lo fe fe (meaning ah! You want to marry a muslim) which was what she said to me at the beginning.

"She will now say, yeah! You are just lucky. Through the glory of God that sort of worked itself out. When I told my dad he said ahh! Lets pray about it. He is a Bishop. Somehow, my dad and my husband hit it off very well. The thing about it is having faith in God. My husband is even more religious than I am. He truly believes in God. He has faith in God. You need to have faith in God that all things are possible. He is so committed to God. He always tells God in prayers that I believe in You and You are going to do this for me and You see time and time again other things manifest.

"He has helped me strengthen my fate in God because I know my husband does not believe in any her thing other than God. He just made my faith in God so easy because I could see that God has never failed him. I have faith in his faith. I started off by having faith in his faith. I have faith in his faith to God. And that just made it so easy for me. I pray the Muslim way because we are a very close knit family. In the beginning, I will tell my children, Oya it is time to pray. They will now ask. Mummy, so how come you are now praying with us? Does it mean Daddys God is different from yours? Does it mean Daddys God is not a good God? Questions upon questions. So, I had to join."

2. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

In a world where marriages of popular Nigerians are crashing, this couple just keeps waxing stronger! And did you know that Asiwaju is a Muslim while his beautiful wife, Oluremi, is a Christian? Now you know. They have been married for about 30 years. In a recent chat, the down-to-earth wife of the All Progressives Congress (APC)'s national leader said:

The Tinubus

"He has always called me Remi, but now, he calls me mummy and I call him daddy. My husband is very down to earth and not the lovey-dovey type. He is a soft man, though he hides his emotions. On several occasions, he forgets my birthday. He even does funny things on Valentines day because he knows I like Valentines. But he would just come, analysing who Valentine was and all the story behind him to the extent that he messes the day up for me. Asiwaju would purposely forget my birthday. I was set in my ideas about marriage, but he made those ideas crumble in his own way. I would say that we have to be together on the 31st of December, because I had this funny belief that the first person one sees on 1 January is the person one would spend the rest of the year with. See how twisted I was! But it is different with this man. I have a lot of people who share him with me.

"It was not like that before he became a politician. He would always remember my birthday and other important events. We dont have a private life anymore because he is always surrounded by a lot of people. On some occasions on my birthday, I would just excuse myself and stay in my room, and he would leave the people quietly when it is midnight, to say happy birthday to me. He would come upstairs and pretend as if he wants to use the toilet or bathroom, just to make sure he doesnt miss saying happy birthday to me when it is exactly midnight. He knows how sensitive I am to such things. So, he tries to bend backwards in his own way. I believe there is a strong love between both of us and also subscribe to the saying that love suffers long and conquers all things. Even when I advise couples, I always emphasize that love endures and has to be made strong."

3. Babatunde Raji Fashola

The love story of a former Lagos state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, and his wife, Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola, is a spectacular one! The couple got married at a Catholic church as shes Christian. Even after 22 years of marriage they still practice their different religions, and their children practice both.

The Fasholas

But ever since then my husband has practiced his religion and I have practiced mine. There is no trouble whatsoever. My husband has his own part of the house where he prays, I have my own altar there with my crucifix and my rosary and everything and everyone is minding their own business. When its time for family prayer, we pray. I pray mine to the name of Jesus Christ while he prays in Allahs name & the children understand all that. My children are baptized and they go to church. When he wants them to go to mosque with him they go to the mosque with him,'' Mrs Fashola said in one of her interviews in 2015.

4. Abdulfatah Ahmed

Kwara state governor's name suggests he is a staunch Muslim. He is married to a Christian, a deaconess - Deaconess Omolewa Ahmed. When asked how she feels being married to a devout Muslim, the blunt woman said:

''This is a tough question. I can say that it is the Lord who has been helping me. I cannot say this is exactly what I do or how I do it; why he has allowed me to be me. It is not me, but God who has been helping me. I will say it has been divine privilege to allow me to be me. I also try not to take him for granted, this is the only thing I actually consciously do because he has given me the opportunity. I try not to misuse it. Really, it has been the Lord.

Kwara state governor and wife

''I met my husband at District Savings and Loans when I was having my one year attachment. I had my National Diploma at the Kwara State Polytechnic. Our courtship was about a year. My mum did not talk to me for the first five or six years of my marriage! We had our wedding at the registry. It was later that we had the traditional ceremony. At a point, she told one of my aunties that she was sure that my husband used juju on me! She couldnt believe that her Yetunde could choose to marry a Muslim. When I gave my life to Christ, I had a serious issue with my mum because out of ignorance, we were called SU then which is Scripture Union anyway.

"To my mum, it was an abomination as she raked: I raised you as a Baptist, why were you fervent at your fellowship then? In fact, she went to report me in school a couple of times, until my principal said: Mama, be grateful to God. All the parents that come to report their daughters were those who sneaked out to disco parties. Though my school then was against SU because all the orthodox churches saw SU as a movement that was going to cripple their children. To cap it all, I then brought home a Muslim as my fiance. She couldnt come to terms with it.''

5. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko

Governor Olusegun Mimiko with his family acknowledging cheers at his unauguration as governor of Ondo state in Akure on Sunday, 24/2/13.

Ex-governor Mimiko's marriage to Olukemi keeps waxing stronger despite the religious difference. Mimiko is a Muslim, while his beautiful wife is a Christian. They are blessed with 4 kids and their life as a couple is going just perfect. Although a little scandal rocked the marriage sometime back, they are fine as a family and they keep on going stronger!

6. Abiola Ajimobi

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state is married to a beautiful Benin-born Nigerian woman, Florence.

Ajimobi and wife

Those who know the First Lady will tell you that one of her most striking features is her love and respect for family. Mrs Florence Ajimobi has very strong family values which help drive her passions and to a large extent define what she is about. No wonder the couple have responsible, hard-working and God fearing children. Together they share a vibrant and happy home, filled with warmth, laughter and love.

Mrs Florence Ajimobi is a devout Christian and deeply committed to the things of God. She has the fear of God in her, which characterises her dealings with all and sundry. Though quiet and reserved by nature, The First Lady has a fun and sociable side to her character. She is a member of The Bodija Lions Club, where she rose to become President in 1996.

Source: Legit.ng
- A list of 100 Nigerians, and companies named in the #PanamaPapers has been released

- The list give details of companies, their owners and their tax havens

A publication has been made today, Thursday, May 5, containing the names of about 100 Nigerians, and companies that have been identified in the Panama Papers.

According to the publication, about 110 Nigerians and companies have so far been identified in the leaked internal data of Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonsecca, as operators of offshore shell companies in tax havens.

Premium Times reports that prominent among the new names being revealed today, in addition to the several that were published in the past one month, are the Niger state governor, Abubakar Sadiq Sani Bello and the late Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuwade, among others.

The list also contained names of Arik Chairman, Joseph Arumemi-Johnson and his wife, Mary, as well as two serving senators  Andy Uba (Anambra) and Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto).

Other top business persons, politicians, and their family members were also found in the infamous database, including those currently holding public offices. See full list below.

The publication details names of companies, their owners and the particular tax havens the offshore firms are domiciled.

Since April 3, 2016, when the news of the unprecedented leak broke worldwide, Premium Times has published series of exclusive reports about the offshore assets of prominent Nigerians named in the database that is now globally referred to as #PanamaPapers. Some of them, who are public officer holders, held the assets in violation of Nigerian law, failing to declare them to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

The investigation revealed the assets of some of Nigerias most powerful individuals, including President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki; convicted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori; the boss of Oando, Nigerias biggest indigenous oil firm, Wale Tinubu, in tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands, Panama, and Seychelles.

The unprecedented year-long investigation involving 11.5 million secret documents  which stretch from 1977 to December 2015  exposed the hidden underground of the world economy, a network of banks, law firms and other middlemen that utilize shell companies, sometimes using them to hide illegal wealth.

The 2.6 TB files, involving 214,488 entities, also revealed hundreds of details about how former gun-runners, contractors and other members of the spy world use offshore companies for personal and private gain.

The investigation unveiled the cloak of secrecy provided by Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm that specializes in creating offshore companies, some of which have been used by con men and women to hide Ponzi schemes, predatory lending scams, and other financial frauds from their victims and from the authorities.

The use of shell companies is not illegal and there are individuals and firms who incorporate them for purely legitimate purposes.

Below is a comprehensive list of other Nigerians named in the leak, although this may not be final as this newspaper will continue its investigation in the weeks and months ahead.

Premium Times said it will make public the names of at least 100 Nigerians and companies so far identified in the leaked internal data of Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonsecca, as operators of offshore shell companies in tax havens.

The names will contain top business persons, and politicians, including those currently holding public offices.

The publication will detail names of companies, their owners and the particular tax havens the offshore firms were incorporated or domiciled.

According to the media house's chief editor, Dapo Olorunyomi, the planned release of the names was in response to widespread and relentless request by the papers readers for more of the Nigerian characters in the infamous database, now globally known as #PanamaPapers.

Olorunyomi said the release of the names will not end the papers reporting on a matter that has shocked the world and has intensified campaign for global action against notorious tax havens helping corrupt individuals to hide ill-gotten assets and evade tax.

Our team will keep digging into the database, Olorunyomi said. As more revelations become public, we will make them public, he added.

READ ALSO: APC leader says its time for Saraki to resign as Senate president

The #PanamaPapers series, which has run for more than a month now, has so far revealed how some Nigerian politicians, businessmen, a clergyman and relations of top government functionaries may have used offshore entities to conceal questionable wealth in tax havens around the world.

The Mossack Fonseca database, obtained by the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) with over 100 media partners in 82 countries show how several individuals around the world used shell companies domiciled in controversial tax havens in their business transactions.

The unprecedented year-long investigation involving 11.5 million secret documents  which stretch from 1977 to December 2015  expose the hidden underground of the world economy, a network of banks, law firms and other middlemen that utilize shell companies, sometimes using them to hide illegal wealth.

The 2.6 TB files, involving 214,488 entities, also reveal hundreds of details about how former gun-runners, contractors and other members of the spy world use offshore companies for personal and private gain.

The investigation unveiled the cloak of secrecy provided by Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm that specializes in creating offshore companies, some of which have been used by con men and women to hide Ponzi schemes, predatory lending scams, and other financial frauds from their victims and from the authorities.

Meanwhile, Rasheed Gbadamosi, a former minister for national planning, writer, businessman and recently appointed co-chairman of the Lagos at 50 planning committee, is the owner of two sumptuous penthouses in Panama, one of the worlds best-known tax havens.

Mr Gbadamosis suspicious dealings were exposed by Premium Times with the help of documents leaked from the database of Mossack Fonseca, a law firm that allowed wealthy people use offshore firms to evade tax and avoid sanctions worldwide.

In the same vein, Senator David Mark must be ready to do more than just talk, regarding his owning offshore companies in some notorious tax havens.

This is as a series of leaked documents have emerged, negating claims by the senator absolving himself of accusations regarding his owning eight offshore companies.

It would be recalled that on Tuesday, April 5 David Mark was accused of operating shell companies in tax havens while being a public official in Nigeria, a violation of the countrys code of conduct law.

Source: Legit.ng
- It is exactly six years former president Umaru Musa Yar'adua died in power

- Nigerians have been paying tribute to a man regarded as a statesman

- Yar'adua was the first university graduate to emerge as Nigeria's leader

Memories of Nigeria's former president, the Late Umaru Musa Yar'adua are flooding back today, May 5, as it is exactly 6 years ago he passed on while in power.

Late Umaru Musa Yar'adua

The Katsina-born university lecturer turned politician spent almost 3 years in Nigeria's seat of power, Aso Rock, as the leader of Africa's most populous nation.

Former president Goodluck Jonathan who was Yar'adua's deputy yesterday, May 4, took to his Facebook page to express regret at YarAduas death who he described as a servant leader. He also prayed for his soul to rest in paradise.

Jonathan wrote: Six years ago I lost a dear friend and partner in democracy, peace and progress. President Umaru Musa Yaradua was a servant leader and a stickler for the rule of law. He may be gone but he is never to be forgotten. I pray for his soul and for him to rest in al Jannah firdaus.

READ ALSO: Read what YarAduas former wife said about him, his family

Nigerians from all walks of life are also paying tribute to their late president with some describing him as the best president Nigeria ever had.

Legit.ng lists the top five achievements of the late Yar'adua in his brief spell as Nigeria's leader.

Read below:

1. Yar'adua brought to end the militancy in the Niger Delta region when he invited the militants to Aso Rock and urged them to lay down their arms. He also kick-started the amnesty programme which re-absorbed the militants into the society and rehabilitated them ending the years of crisis in the region.

2. Yar'adua reversed the fraudulent sale of Nigeria's assets by the Olusegun Obasanjo government, which sold the assets to cronies of Obasanjo at give-away prices. The late Nigerian leader discarded political loyalty for the sake of the nation and reversed the sales which could have mortgaged Nigeria's future into the hands of a few.

3. Yar'adua pioneered the policy of returning unspent funds to the national treasury at the end of the fiscal year. He is also the first president in the history of Nigeria to declare his assets before assuming office. These policies and actions endeared him to majority of Nigerians.

4. Yar'adua courageously released the N10 billion Lagos state local government council funds withheld by the Obasanjo administration because of political differences with then then governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

5. Yar'adua's government initiated the dredging of the River Niger bank, Abuja metro line, Abuja-Kaduna rail and the Abuja-Kano rail.

Source: Legit.ng
It is exactly eight years since the death of Nigerias former President Umaru Musa Yaradua.

Musa YarAdua passed away on May 5, 2010 at the Aso Rock presidential villa after his arrival from Saudi Arabia where he went for medical treatment for Pericarditis.

He took over from ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo at the peak of the Niger-Delta crisis.

The late Nigerian president was commended by many for being the first leader to publicly declare his personal assets when taking office - setting up a benchmark for comparison later to see if he misappropriated funds.

Late President Musa Yar'adua and former President Goodluck Jonathan

READ ALSO: Pro-Buhari govs, Sarakis group reportedly reach agreement with Oshiomhole

He spent three years as the president but his health battles meant he could not concentrate on the onerous task of governance.

Goodluck Jonathan assumed the position of acting president on February 9 after a vote by Nigeria's National Assembly while Yar'adua was still in Saudi Arabia.

While YarAdua did not complete a single term, he left an ineffaceable mark within the short period he presided over the affairs of Nigeria.

Below are six things to remember about YarAdua:

1. Flawed election

Yar'Adua admitted that the elections that produced him as president "had shortcomings" and vowed electoral reforms to correct the system. The polls were widely criticized by local and foreign observers as flawed.

2. Assets declaration

Barely 30 days after late president YarAdua took office, he voluntarily declared his assets and made a detailed list and worth of the assets.

3. Rule of law

"I think my greatest achievement is the effort to institute a strict culture of respect for the rule of law in Nigeria, YarAdua was citing strict respect for the rule of law as his governments greatest achievement.

4. Kitchen cabinet

Following the problems with his health late president was not active and governance fell to the control of his kitchen cabinet, as the name went in media circles.

Though his vice Jonathan claimed that he did not know his boss location, members of the kitchen cabinet had full briefs about development.

5. Doctrine of necessity

The Doctrine of Necessity was invoked to justify extra-legal actions in Nigeria.

During Yar'Adua's absence he failed to formally transfer his powers to his vice-president, Goodluck Jonathan, causing a constitutional crisis in Nigeria.

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Jonathan assumed the position of acting president on February 9 after a vote by Nigeria's National Assembly while the late president was still in Saudi Arabia.

Barely 12 hours after Mr Yar'Adua's demise he was inaugurated as the new president.

6. Boko Haram insurgency

The government of late YarAdua was responsible for the prejudicial murder of Muhammad Yusuf, the leader of the Boko Haram sect. This development culminated in the many years that Nigeria has been battling with insurgency.

Aircraft purchase: Should President Buhari be Impeached? Abuja Residents React | Legit.ng TV

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Parresia Publishers Ltd and African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, in partnership with the Shehu Musa YarAdua Foundation, will on Tuesday, May 31 present to the public a new book, We Are All Biafrans, written by Chido Onumah.

Designed as a platform to reinforce the debate about federalism and national reconciliation, the event is expected to draw Nigerians from all walks of life.

Mr. Onumah is a journalist, blogger, human rights activist and Coordinator of the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL).

Like his two previous books (Time to Reclaim Nigeria and Nigeria is Negotiable), We Are All Biafrans is a collection of essays published by the author in various newspapers in the last three years (2013-2016) focusing on the crisis of nationhood in Nigeria.

It has five chapters namely, The Politics of 2015, Dancing on the Brink,Unmaking Nigeria, Of Scoundrels and Statesmen, and Last Missionary Journey.

A staunch advocate of federalism in its proper sense, Mr. Onumah in this book contends that most, if not all, of the problems of Nigeria today are located in the way the country is structured.

As he did in his previous books, he makes an eminently logical case for an urgent socio-political restructuring of Nigeria in order to ward off a looming catastrophe that could endanger our collective well-being.

He argues that the country needs to engage episodic political convulsions that threaten its very foundation, including Biafra, June 12, Boko Haram, the National Question, citizenship rights, and militocracy.

In his typical candid manner, he takes on Nigerias indolent and reactionary ruling elite  civilian and military  and their allies, as well as bandits in uniform, scoundrels posing as statesmen, and conservative ideologues, religious bigots, and ethnic chauvinists posing as patriots.

The author notes that we cant achieve any meaningful progress as a people until we come to terms with the reality of our existence  that Nigeria is a deeply flawed nation  and sincerely and selflessly confront it.

He raises fundamental questions such as, What is Nigeria and who is a Nigerian? If Nigeria is a federal republic, what constitutes or should constitute the federating units?

He posits that the different manifestations of Biafra may well be a metaphor as all ethnic groups in Nigeria are victims of the terrible misrule of the past decades and thus desire a change in their material conditions.

Chido Onumah raises opinion-making about Nigeria to the standards of great, uncompromising art, notes Odia Ofeimun, author, poet and ex-President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).

We are all Biafrans is a clarion call to reclaim a country that is on the verge of national suicide. It seeks to trigger the debate that will eventually nudge Nigerians towards kick-starting the process of a genuine re-invention of the country.
Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate has completed the acquisitions of two suburban office assets in Sandyford and Blackrock in South Dublin for an aggregate consideration of 76.9 million (60.8 million). The acquisitions will be funded from the companys existing cash resources.

KWE completed the...

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Take-up of warehouse space in the South West reached 2.15 million sq ft (199,741 sq m) during Q1 2016, the regions best quarter ever, according to Savills. The total is equal to 2014 and 2015 full-year figures combined, which was circa 2.1 million sq ft (195,090 sq m).

One of the largest local deals...

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Etihad Airways, The Residence, is a three room luxury suite which comes with a living room, bedroom, shower room. You also get your own butler. It is offered to customers travelling on their Airbus A380. The Residence landed in Mumbai for the first time earlier this week. Mumbai Indians IPL team took time out of their schedule to check-out The Residence.

All this is at a cost of $38,000 (INR 25.32 lakh) for a one-way ticket from New York to Mumbai while the return flight stands at $76,000 (INR 50.64 lakh), making it the most expensive air ticket on offer in the world today.

Worlds most expensive plane ticket on this penthouse in the sky which is equal to some peoples yearly income, comes with an exclusive Savoy-trained Etihad Butler, chef 32 flat screen TV, leather upholstered double sofa and two fold away dining tables. The bedroom consists of a double bed while a dedicated showroom is also a part of the luxury suite offering passengers a totally bespoke travel experience.

Offered on Etihad Airways Airbus A380, the plane has a total of 496 seats which includes The Residenc9, 9 First Apartments, 70 Business Studios and 415 Economy Smart Seats.

Etihad Airways launched this exclusive service on Sunday May 1, 2016, on Maharashtra Day, the 56th anniversary of the formation of the state of Maharashtra. Mumbai becomes the airlines fourth A380 destination after London, Sydney and New York while Melbourne will be added to the list on July 1, 2016. It also makes Etihad Airways the most expensive and luxurious air service in the world.

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General human intelligence appears to be based on the volume of gray matter tissue in certain regions of the brain, UC Irvine College of Medicine researchers have found in the most comprehensive structural brain-scan study of intelligence to date.

The study also discovered that because these regions related to intelligence are located throughout the brain, a single intelligence center, such as the frontal lobe, is unlikely.

Dr. Richard Haier, professor of psychology in the Department of Pediatrics and long-time human intelligence researcher, and colleagues at UCI and the University of New Mexico used MRI to obtain structural images of the brain in 47 normal adults who also took standard intelligence quotient tests. The researchers used a technique called voxel-based morphometry to determine gray matter volume throughout the brain which they correlated to IQ scores. Study results appear on the online version of NeuroImage.

Previous research had shown that larger brains are weakly related to higher IQ, but this study is the first to demonstrate that gray matter in specific regions in the brain is more related to IQ than is overall size. Multiple brain areas are related to IQ, the UCI and UNM researchers have found, and various combinations of these areas can similarly account for IQ scores. Therefore, it is likely that a persons mental strengths and weaknesses depend in large part on the individual pattern of gray matter across his or her brain.

This may be why one person is quite good at mathematics and not so good at spelling, and another person, with the same IQ, has the opposite pattern of abilities, Haier said.

While gray matter amounts are vital to intelligence levels, the researchers were surprised to find that only about 6 percent of all the gray matter in the brain appears related to IQ.

There is a constant cascade of information being processed in the entire brain, but intelligence seems related to an efficient use of relatively few structures, where the more gray matter the better, Haier said. In addition, these structures that are important for intelligence are also implicated in memory, attention and language.

The findings also suggest that the brain areas where gray matter is related to IQ show some differences between young-adult and middle-aged subjects. In middle age, more of the frontal and parietal lobes are related to IQ; less frontal and more temporal areas are related to IQ in the younger adults.

The research does not address why some people have more gray matter in some brain areas than other people, although previous research has shown the regional distribution of gray matter in humans is highly heritable. Haier and his colleagues are currently evaluating the MRI data to see if there are gender differences in IQ patterns.

Haiers colleagues in the study include Dr. Michael T. Alkire and Kevin Head of UCI and Drs. Rex E. Jung and Ronald A. Yeo of the University of New Mexico. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development supported the study.

About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked public university dedicated to research, scholarship and community. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with approximately 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,300 faculty members. The third-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3 billion.
A new study led by a team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and Cystic Fibrosis Canada reinforces the benefits of newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Despite the fact that newborn screening has been implemented across North America and in several European countries as a way to improve overall survival rate and health outcomes of people living with CF, it is still not available in Quebec. The findings, recently published online in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, add to the increasingly overwhelming evidence in favour of newborn screening as a way to improve the quality of life for patients living with this chronic disease that is still incurable.

"Our study shows that newborn screening is effective and should be seen as an opportunity to do early preventive intervention,'' says the study's senior author, Dr. Larry Lands, director of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine and CF clinic at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC (MCH-MUHC) and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at McGill University. "Children with CF who are diagnosed through newborn screening are healthier and will benefit more from new treatments.''

CF is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene that mainly affects the respiratory and digestive systems. It is characterized by thick and sticky mucus that plugs up tubes, ducts and passageways, especially in the lungs and pancreas leading to pulmonary chronic infection and loss in lung function over time. It is estimated that one in every 3,600 children born in Canada has cystic fibrosis.

"Given the changes in clinical management for CF, we questioned whether or not newborn screening for CF was still beneficial," says the study's lead author Dr. Denise Mak, Program Manager, Healthcare at Cystic Fibrosis Canada. "We wanted to know in an unbiased way whether newborn screening was beneficial to Canadian CF patients, or whether current treatments would allow those patients diagnosed because of symptoms to catch up in their overall health."

To conduct their study, researchers used data from the Canadian CF Registry from 2008 to 2013. They compared health outcomes for Canadian children who were diagnosed with CF by newborn screening (201 patients) with those who were diagnosed clinically over a period of six years (102 patients). They looked at different aspects such as growth, number of hospitalizations, and rates of infection with either Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus; two bacteria often associated with cystic fibrosis.

"Over the six-year time period, we found that newborn screening for CF resulted in better nutrition, fewer children being infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and fewer and shorter hospitalizations in Canadian CF children," adds Dr. Mak.

Indeed, researchers found there was a higher rate of infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in children who were not screened as newborns, so that by the age of 6 years, over 60% of those not screened had been infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa at least once, while less than 30% of screened patients had had an infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They also reported that children diagnosed through newborn screening were diagnosed at an earlier age (0.7 vs 4.9 months).

"These results indicate that current therapies started after a clinical diagnosis do not compensate for being diagnosed based on symptoms and lead to poorer health outcomes," explains Dr. Lands. "'We hope that this study will serve as a catalyst to have newborn screening for CF adopted widely."
Every hospital's intensive care unit has treated them -- the critically ill patients who spend weeks going from crisis to crisis, never quite getting better enough to get out of the ICU, but never quite dying.

Now, new research shows they really are a different kind of patient -- and that despite their tiny numbers, they're using a vast chunk of healthcare resources.

Just 5 percent of ICU patients account for 33 percent of all days that ICU beds get used, the study shows. The researchers have even given a name to what these patients have: Persistent Critical Illness, or PerCI for short.

The team, from the University of Michigan Medical School and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System in the US and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, based their work on data from more than 1 million ICU patients. Their findings are published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

The new findings could pave the way for better care and tests of new treatment options to keep patients from sliding into this limbo state.

Really a thing

"We have found that this truly is a separate 'thing' -- a state patients transition into where you're there because you're there, stuck in this cascade that we can't get you out of," says Theodore Iwashyna, M.D., Ph.D., a U-M Medical School ICU physician who led the study while on sabbatical in Australia. "The reason why these patients came in to the hospital in the first place doesn't matter nearly as much anymore -- what matters is that they've been there, and some aspects of how well their body worked before they came in, such as age."

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While he and his colleagues say it's too early to change how ICU teams practice based on these findings, they hope their work will lead to more efforts to see which hospitals may be doing better at pulling patients out of PerCI, and to conduct clinical trials of tactics that could prevent it or rescue patients from it.

Further understanding of PerCI could also help families and care teams have better conversations about the long-term prospects for patients who have been in the ICU for weeks. "We need to help the fraction who are inevitably going to die do so with dignity, and at the same time help those who are not fated to die to get better treatment," says senior author Rinaldo Bellomo, M.D., of Monash University.

But, Bellomo adds, "This study provides the first real data to let us identify these patients based on their characteristics, rather than just expert opinion. Now that we can objectively characterize the patients, it opens up a whole new set of options to study them, to understand the mechanisms that lead to persistent critical illness, and most importantly to try to improve their care with randomized clinical trials."

Carol Hodgson, Ph.D., a Monash University ICU physiotherapist and second author, points out that PerCI draws attention to different characteristics of patients than other efforts to characterize such long-stay patients. "Sometimes these patients are labeled as 'failure to wean off of a ventilator.' That label focuses the care team on the particular details of respiratory mechanics," she says. "Our clinical experience and our data suggest instead that the problem may be that PerCI patients may never even reach the point where ICU doctors are able to try to get them off a ventilator -- they just keep cascading from new problem to new problem. These patients need particular strategies that may prevent or reduce PerCI within the ICU, and additional resources to facilitate safe discharge from the ICU and hospital, with only 50% able to be discharged home."

Predictive power

To perform the study, the team used data from 1,028,235 critically ill patients treated in 182 ICUs across Australia and New Zealand between 2000 and 2014. These data were collected as part of the ongoing peer review and quality assurance programs of the bi-national Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation.

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Of these million patients, 51,509 were found to have what the researchers define as PerCI. This seemingly tiny group of patients collectively spent more than a million days in ICU beds, and more than 2.2 million days in the hospital overall.

Nearly one-quarter of the patients with PerCI died in the ICU. Just under half were able to go directly home from the hospital -- compared with three-quarters of non-PerCI ICU patients.

To define PerCI, researchers looked at hospital records to see how well each patient's eventual path could be predicted. They first did this using the usual tools that ICU teams use to calculate the severity of each patient's condition and their chances of dying using thorough new risk scores developed by Monash statistician Michael Bailey, Ph.D. These scores included not just the specific diagnosis that sent them to the hospital, but also specific in-hospital test results and monitoring of vital signs and physiology. They also looked at whether a patient's risk of dying could be predicted by factors that related to this or her pre-hospital state -- such as age, gender and pre-existing chronic conditions.

In the end, they found that after about 10 days in the ICU, the usual clinically based prediction tools lost their power to predict risk of death. Who the patient was before he or she came to the hospital mattered more to their chance of dying.

And that, the researchers say, signals a transition to PerCI. The timing of this shift could be sooner for patients with certain diagnoses, and later for others. But for nearly all patients, it happened sometime during the second week of an ICU stay.

From his experience treating patients with what he now sees as PerCI, Iwashyna says they're some of the most heartbreaking for clinicians as well as for families. "These are the ones where no matter how hard we try, we can't get them balanced," he says. "You feel like you should be able to get ahead of the things that keep erupting in them. You're always chasing yesterday's problem, and meanwhile they're developing tomorrow's problem," from pneumonia and gastrointestinal bleeding to sepsis and Clostridium difficile infections.

So for PerCI studies going forward, the researchers say, the key will be to figure out how to break the cycle of dependence on ICU care, by getting out ahead of issues. Further research could also help show which hospitals are doing better at getting PerCI patients out of the ICU -- either through a dignified death in hospice or at home, or through recovery.

Using ICU resources more wisely

To have one-third of ICU bed days taken up by a little-understood small group of patients means a tremendous opportunity to make the best use of ICU beds. Such beds are often in short supply and must be available for surges in use during public health emergencies. ICU care also costs a lot because of the high level of resource use and staffing surrounding it. In fact, it accounts for 1 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product.
What can you do about climate change? The better question might be: What can we? University of California San Diego researchers show in a new study that framing the issue collectively is significantly more effective than emphasis on personal responsibility.

Published in the journal Climatic Change, the study finds that people are willing to donate up to 50 percent more cash to the cause when thinking about the problem in collective terms.

Thinking about climate change from a personal perspective produced little to no change in behavior.

The study's findings run contrary to popular wisdom. Pick up a leaflet on global warming or Google around, and chances are you'll find a "you" message urging action on the environment. Personal appeals are everywhere. Advocacy groups use them, as do the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the United Nations. A marketing campaign run by the European Union, for example, was explicitly focused on reminding people of their personal responsibility. "You Control Climate Change," it declared. But is that the best way to go?

"Climate change is arguably the largest collective-action problem the world has ever faced," said lead author Nick Obradovich, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Science in UC San Diego's Division of Social Sciences. "Yet we're operating on a lot of baked-in assumptions on how to motivate people."

When Obradovich realized that there wasn't a lot of scientific literature examining whether collective or personal frames for climate-change action are more effective, he designed experiments to find out. Working with the National Audubon Society and co-author, fellow political science Ph.D. student Scott Guenther, Obradovich surveyed Audubon members as well as members of the general public.

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Participants in the experiments were randomly assigned to one of three scenarios: Some were asked to write a paragraph reflecting on the ways they personally cause climate change. Others reflected on the ways that climate change is collectively caused. Control subjects wrote about daily routines (brushing teeth, say, or drinking coffee). In this last case, no mention of climate change was made.

Subjects had a one in 100 chance of winning $100 for completing the experiment. After writing -- either about personal responsibility for climate change, collective responsibility, or their everyday activities -- all of the participants were asked, should they win, how much of that $100 they would be willing to donate to Audubon's climate-change efforts. The instructions made clear they would then win not the full $100 but the difference of their donation.

The collective frame consistently outperformed both the personal frame and the control condition.

Among the 1,215 Audubon members who volunteered to take part in the experiment, the researchers found those writing about collective causes of climate change were, relative to the control group, willing to donate 7 percent more of their potential winnings. Among 304 members of the general public, recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk), the donations were 50 percent higher, relative to control.

Importantly, where the collective frame increased how much people were willing to donate, the personal frame hardly moved the needle at all. Put another way, asking people to think about how they themselves contribute to climate change had a similar effect on donations as asking people to think about brushing their teeth or going to work every day.

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"This surprised us," said Obradivch, who in addition to pursuing his doctorate in political science at UC San Diego is also a fellow of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at the university's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. "We had hypothesized that thinking about climate change in any way would incline people to donate more to climate change but that's not what happened. People only consistently gave more when we encouraged them to think about the collective causes of climate change."

The researchers ran a follow-up experiment. They re-contacted their original MTurk sample and asked them again how much they'd be willing to give. The effect persisted. People who had initially written about climate change in collective terms were still willing to donate more than the others, even several days later.

Finally, Obradovich and Guenther ran survey experiments with a different group of 451 people, also recruited through MTurk, asking them to assess how they might change their future climate-related behaviors. Again, the collective frame did best -- producing the highest aspirations for reducing carbon emissions.

Why this occurs remains an open question, the researchers write. Further research is needed to investigate the psychological reasons more fully.

A limitation of the study, noted by the authors, is that Audubon members and the MTurk population as a whole believe more strongly in the occurrence of climate change and its human causes than the average U.S. citizen. A useful line of future research would be to investigate if framing the problem of climate change collectively is also more effective with people less inclined to support climate action in the first place. "It is important to find out if we can also move people who are not already sold," Obradovich said. "We hope this paper will open further inquiry in this area."

Most of the Audubon members were game to give away all their potential winnings. The median donation among MTurkers, on the other hand, was about $10.

"Looked at individually, the magnitude of the effects is small," Obradovich said. "But in the aggregate, in the context of all donations to climate advocacy, it becomes large. A 7 to 50 percent increase in donations to climate change action would translate into millions of additional dollars each year."
Evidence now favors that prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing can help reduce the number of fatal cases of prostate cancer, contrary to earlier recommendations based on a landmark national study. Researchers from NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine discuss their findings related to PSA screening in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.

In their letter to the editor, published May 5, 2016 the investigators question the results of a large-scale clinical trial assessing the value of PSA screening -- which served as the basis for the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force's 2012 recommendations against routine prostate cancer screening. They say limitations in the study's methodology underscore the need for healthcare policy leaders to reevaluate the nation's approach to PSA screening.

Prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death among American men and is the most common cancer in men other than skin cancer.

"We expect this article to have a profound impact on the debate over the value of PSA screening," said Dr. Jim Hu, director of the LeFrak Center for Robotic Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and the Ronald Lynch Professor of Urologic Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine. "While there are risks of over-diagnosis and over-treatment associated with PSA testing, it can play an important role in preventing prostate cancer deaths as part of a personalized approach to cancer screening. We're going to have to reconsider this issue."

PSA testing measures antigens in the blood that are linked to the presence of prostate cancer, as well as benign conditions such as prostatitis. Since the introduction of PSA screening in the early 1990s, the United States has seen roughly a 50 percent reduction in the prostate cancer mortality rate. However, while PSA screening clearly resulted in more prostate cancer diagnoses, it was not clear what role it played in this mortality reduction, and there was concern that prostate cancer was being over-diagnosed and over-treated, with consequent morbidity and costs.

Several major U.S. organizations have now recommended against PSA screening based on the results of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) trial. As a part of this some $400 million study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, a group of men who were assigned to receive prostate cancer screening including PSA testing were compared with a control group who received usual care by their physicians. The researchers concluded that there was effectively no difference in the mortality rate between the two groups, and this has been interpreted to mean that PSA screening is ineffective. However, after carefully examining the study's methodology, the NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine researchers found that many men in the control group who received PSA testing were not included as tested in the study reports, and the study results have therefore been misinterpreted. The researchers found that around 90 percent of men in the control arm of the study had received PSA testing during the trial, meaning that comparing the control and intervention arms of the trial is not useful to evaluate the effectiveness of PSA screening.

The PLCO trial is one of two major studies that have attempted to address the impact of widespread PSA testing on a large population. The other, the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer, found that PSA screening is associated with a substantial reduction in prostate cancer mortality over time, contrary to the findings of the PLCO study.

Dr. Jonathan Shoag, a NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine urology resident and lead author on the article, will discuss PSA screening at the annual American Urological Association meeting in San Diego, California on May 9, 2016. "We demonstrate that the PLCO study did not compare a group of men who received PSA screening to a group of men who were not screened, but compared men who were screened to other men who were screened, and we should therefore reconsider any decisions based on the study," said Dr. Shoag.
University of California, Irvine scientists who study how circadian rhythms -- our own body clocks -- control liver function have discovered that cancerous lung tumors can hijack this process and profoundly alter metabolism.

Their research, published online in Cell, is the first showing that lung adenocarcinoma can affect the body clock's sway over lipid metabolism and sensitivity to insulin and glucose.

Paolo Sassone-Corsi and Selma Masri of UCI's Center for Epigenetics & Metabolism and colleagues found in rodent studies that lung adenocarcinoma sends signals to the liver through an inflammatory response, which rewires the circadian mechanisms that manage metabolic pathways. As a result of this inflammation, the insulin signaling pathway is inhibited in the liver, leading to decreased glucose tolerance and reorganization of lipid metabolism.

"It seems that lung tumors take control of circadian metabolic function in the liver, potentially to support the heightened metabolic demands of cancer cells," said Masri, a research scientist in the Sassone-Corsi lab. "We believe that this distal rewiring of metabolic tissues does not occur only in the liver, suggesting a systemic shake-up of metabolism."

Circadian rhythms of 24 hours govern fundamental physiological processes in virtually all organisms. The circadian clocks are intrinsic time-tracking systems in our bodies that anticipate environmental fluctuations and adapt to suit the time of day. Changes to these rhythms can profoundly influence human health. Up to 15 percent of people's genes are regulated by the day-night pattern of circadian rhythms; nearly 50 percent of those involved with metabolic pathways in the liver are affected by these rhythms.

For the past decade, Sassone-Corsi -- one of the world's foremost researchers on circadian rhythms -- has investigated how the body clock controls various liver functions through the influence of external factors, such as day-night patterns and nutrition. That path has led him and his colleagues to explore how diseases such as cancer can impact these elegant regulators.

Despite numerous remarkable advances in research over the last 40 years, cancer remains a major unsolved problem. For many cancer patients, the deterioration of normal physiology and organismal function is the actual cause of death.

In the Cell study, tumor-derived inflammation was found to inhibit insulin signal transduction pathways in the liver, leading to hyperglycemia in mice with lung tumors. Fatty acid synthesis was also suppressed, while total cholesterol levels were elevated.

The Sassone-Corsi lab is currently analyzing the factors secreted by the lung tumors in an effort to fully map the metabolic effects of cancer and to better understand lung adenocarcinoma's ability to act as an organizer of the circadian clocks in metabolic tissues.

"It's important to continue learning more about the processes of circadian rhythms and how diseases like cancer can alter them," said Sassone-Corsi, the Donald Bren Professor of Biological Chemistry at UCI. "With increased knowledge, we can begin to develop interventions -- both behavioral and pharmaceutical -- that can help maintain and restore good human health."
When Gilbert arrived at the shelter, he didn't take to grass the way dogs usually do. Or even sunlight and fresh air. Maybe that's because his life was supposed to end as it began - crammed in close quarters with countless other dogs on a meat farm on the other side of the world.

SPCA of Texas

But Gilbert, along with five other dogs flown into Dallas earlier this week, was spared that fate. They're now in the care of the SPCA of Texas, the first of 250 dogs scheduled to taste freedom for the first time in North America. The only catch is that when Gilbert arrived, he didn't know the first thing about being a dog. He'd been in Dallas for only a day when he was offered a walk in the grass outside his kennel. He just froze up.

"I have never seen a dog completely shut down like that. He had given up on life." ~ Courtney Gustafson, SPCA of Texas Shelter Manager | SPCA of Texas

"Gilbert was so scared," Victoria Albrecht of the SPCA of Texas tells The Dodo. "He had never been on a leash before or anything like that." A team of behaviorists at the SPCA came up with a novel solution. "They wheeled Gilbert outside so he could actually touch grass for the first time," Albrecht says.

Dodo Shows Adoption Day Hairless German Shepherd Puppies Find The Perfect Families

SPCA of Texas

Just two days later, the dogs were having a play session outside. Gilbert joined them. "Gilbert actually ran around for a few seconds and really just enjoyed the sunshine," Albrecht explains. "It was a moment that really choked me up. It was beautiful. "To actually see him run around and just lie in the sun, and take it all in ... there are no words."

This is Alden, one of six dogs who made the journey from South Korea. | SPCA of Texas

It's a long flight from South Korea - and a flight that must have seemed impossible for animals who were born and bred for nothing more than meat. But this week's flight is only the first of many from South Korea, thanks to the combined efforts of several rescue agencies. Humane Society International (HSI) negotiated with a South Korean farmer to free all of his dogs, ultimately convincing him to abandon his trade completely. Now, the group says, he's in the scrap metal business.

SPCA of Texas

That spelled freedom for hundreds of dogs. And still so many more to go. More than 2 million dogs are killed every year in South Korea to feed a market that consumes around 100,000 tons of dog meat every year, according to the Animal Welfare Institute. These six Dallas dogs are just the first to taste freedom. In the days ahead, HSI will bring the remaining 171 dogs to various rescues in the U.S. and Canada - as well as to foster families in Ottawa, Canada. "It's all new for them compared to where they used to be," Albrecht says. "It's definitely a huge transition."

SPCA of Texas

But slowly, they're shaking off their world wariness and embracing the bright new possibilities of a dog's life - with a little help from their new friends. "Our volunteers spend so much time with these animals, whether it's dogs or cats," Albrecht says. "They love them. They read to them. They sing to them. Whatever it takes."

SPCA of Texas

That kind of help will go a long way toward finding forever homes for these four-legged refugees who should be listed on the group's adoption page within a few weeks. But these dogs, in particular, will need to take some time getting used to their new world.

SPCA of Texas

"You just want to go in and hug them and love them," Albrecht says. "But you know, they're not used to people." No, that will take time. But like grass and sunshine, it won't take them long to bask in the love, too.

SPCA of Texas
These kids aren't just practicing their reading skills - they're also learning what it means to be kind. But as with many great lessons in life, they weren't the only ones benefiting.

Grace S.G. Hutchinson

Two days this week, teacher Lauren Demarest led all the first graders at Kinard Elementary School, in South Carolina, on the most enriching (and adorable) field trip imaginable - to the York County Animal Shelter. There, with a book in hand, each student was asked to sit next to a lonely pet cooped in a kennel and read a story. "It was just so powerful," Demarest told The Dodo. "The kids were so excited, and the animals loved it too. By the second day, we could already see a difference."

Grace S.G. Hutchinson

The simple gesture not only gave the kids a chance to improve their skills reading aloud to a nonjudgmental audience, but it also engaged animals. Cats who might have otherwise been bored and despondent seemed to perk up as the students approached their cubbies to show them the illustrations in the books they were reading ...

Dodo Shows Faith = Restored Woman Tries Every Day For A Month To Rescue This Dog

Friends of York County Animal Shelter

... or took a seat by their side so they could bask in the warmth of companionship.

Friends of York County Animal Shelter

Of course, dogs at the shelter didn't miss out on the experience. Other students showered them with attention, too.

Friends of York County Animal Shelter

Even the shiest of the pups, who might normally be cowering in the back of the kennel, was drawn toward the front to listen to the students reading.

Friends of York County Animal Shelter

Thanks to the kids, those animals were able to take a break from the monotony of their day-to-day lives at the shelter, and they got the chance to feel loved. The experience proved truly life-changing.

Friends of York County Animal Shelter

Since the first graders' sweet field trip, around a dozen dogs and cats have been adopted due to the exposure the kids helped bring them. "The kids feel like they saved their lives by helping them find forever homes," Demarest said. "They're feeling so much pride. It really is beautiful."

Friends of York County Animal Shelter

A spokesperson from Friends of York County Animal Shelter confirmed to The Dodo that there has been a surge in adoptions in recent days. "On Tuesday we had a full house, dog wise, and today better than half of the dog kennels are now empty," said the spokesperson. "It was an awesome experience for the children, the shelter animals and our volunteers. I am very hopeful we can do it again."

Friends of York County Animal Shelter

In a message online, Kinard Elementary School hailed what it calls a "truly exciting and groundbreaking service project": "Our students are learning to be wonderful contributors to their community and society."

Friends of York County Animal Shelter
Lab monkeys at a primate facility in Florida often huddle together for comfort between invasive procedures. But at least one monkey has enjoyed no such companionship.

Monkeys huddle together for warmth and comfort. | Peta

Loretta, the target of bullying among the panicked monkeys, appeared to be the loneliest of the whole dejected group, according to eyewitnesses. She lost most of her hair because she was so stressed - and she had no one to turn to.

Dodo Shows Foster Diaries Scared Pittie Gets So Happy When He Meets This Guy And His Pack Of Dogs

Loretta sits alone in her cage. | Peta

Loretta is just one of many monkeys who have come through Primate Products Inc. (PPI). In 2014, the company imported 1,000 monkeys to the U.S. from Asia and Africa - 63 percent of these monkeys were taken from the wild. According to an eyewitness video investigation, the primate dealer that supplies live monkeys to labs across the country - including those at the Army, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - is now under a magnifying glass for abusing animals.

A baby monkey peers out of his cage. | Peta

But for Loretta, the damage has already been done. When not enduring attacks from fellow monkeys, she suffered at the hands of PPI employees in the name of medical research.

Loretta has lost most of her hair. | PETA

"After chasing them around the enclosure, facility personnel grab primates by their tails, then pull on their tails to remove the primates from the chain link they are hanging onto. This maneuver can result in trauma," a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report states. "After they are grabbed, and captured, the primates are then put into a pole net, sometimes with another captured monkey. On occasion, it was observed on the video, that these pole nets were lowered by the personnel which resulted in the captured primates hitting and dragging along the concrete ground." This treatment can cause serious damage. "[T]here was the real danger of dislocating the vertebrae in the tails and even breaking off portions of the tails," Nedim Buyukmihci, professor of veterinary medicine at the University of California-Davis, told PETA. "Long-tailed macaques do not have prehensile tails, hence the tails cannot withstand the kind of trauma being inflicted on them."

Monkeys who are sharing a cage huddle together. | PETA

Once staff got their hands on the monkeys, the trauma didn't stop. The animals were also observed undergoing painful procedures without anesthesia. The USDA investigated after PETA issued the video and confirmed the allegations. Government inspectors found PPI violated animal welfare regulations in at least 25 instances in May 2015. When investigators returned in August, PPI was cited yet again for unsanitary and unsafe living conditions for the monkeys. "Because problems documented at PPI were deemed to be so egregious, the USDA took the rare step of opening a formal investigation into the company, under the auspices of the USDA's Investigative and Enforcement Services," Alka Chandna, senior laboratory oversight specialist with PETA, told The Dodo. "That investigation is still ongoing."

Underweight monkey curls up in the corner of an enclosure. | PETA
The country plans to "destock its parks estates through selling some of the wildlife," according to a statement from Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

Zimbabwe's in the middle of a severe drought - and its solution is kicking out its wild animals.

While the country claims prospective buyers will have to provide a plan for how the animals will be housed, including "name and address of property, size of property, ownership of the property, [and] description of current land use," Zimbabwe has a bad track record when it comes to selling off wildlife.

In past years the country has captured dozens of wild baby elephant calves, separated them from their families and sold them to China. The elephants were later seen covered in wounds in metal cages, and it's believed that at least some of them have died.

Now more of the country's animals - including threatened species - could be facing the same treatment. And conservation groups worry that it might be easy for trophy-hunting companies to get their hands on some of the country's famed elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards and buffalos.
Tucked into a commercial park in Mississauga, the consumer research lab at The Central Group marketing agency is where retailers come to test new ideas.

It looks like someone took a slice out of a grocery or drug store and transported it on a pallet into a warehouse, except all is not as it seems.

The cash register and shelves are on wheels, so the 4,000 square-foot space can be shaped and reshaped. This is to test things such as what impact a narrow aisle has on shoppers and which packaging draws their gaze.

The walls are magnetized so the life-sized images affixed to them can be swapped out to transform the space into different kinds of stores. The room can be used to test scents and music. The freezer section hides a one-way mirror.

Its in this lab that neuromarketer Diana Lucaci, founder and CEO of True Impact, conducts studies for retailers bent on discovering as much as they can about why people buy and dont buy.

Paid participants wear electroencephalography (EEG) headsets and eye tracking glasses that measure their level of interest and how persuaded they are by what they are seeing.

Increased activity in the frontal left sphere of the brain indicates that shoppers like what they see. Involvement of the frontal right hemisphere means they want to avoid whatever it is theyre looking at.

Its not dissimilar to the fight-or-flight response, says Lucaci.

Focus groups used to be the go-to tool for measuring what people think of products, but the problem with focus groups is that people very often dont say what they are thinking.

People act on how they feel, not on what they say, Lucaci says.

Many retailers are shifting their marketing spending from traditional places like television ads, to in-store pitches, including packaging, displays and product placement, says Domenic Cecol, chief design officer at The Central Group.

They want to know as much as possible about what works and doesnt work.

There is this whole other behavioural level  how are you actually interacting with the store environment when youre in the store, says Cecol.

While focus groups can still be useful, big retailers like Procter and Gamble and Kraft are increasingly looking to neuroscience to uncover what is going on in the minds of consumers when they shop, says Denise Lee Yohn, author of the book What Great Brands Do.

We are not even aware of the influences that shape our decisions. Neuroscience gives everyone a peek behind the curtain, says Yohn.

The headsets used by Lucacis team measure cognitive load  how hard the brain is working to process what is happening. For example, says Lucaci, the brain experiences pain when it has to think about numbers, especially at the end of the day.

Weve had to make so many decisions throughout the day that at the end of the day, youre done with decisions, says Lucaci.

Consumers presented with too many options at the end of the day take longer to choose what they buy, which translates into a smaller basket size for retailers, says Lucaci.

Lucacis research on mobile phone purchases will be reported at the Digital Media Summit in Toronto on Thursday, at the Sheraton Centre.

Among the findings she will present:

A mobile app experience is like a first date, Lucaci says. You dont build trust by bombarding customers with 1,000 questions at the beginning. Retailers should ask for a bare minimum of information during the check-out sequence, to prevent consumers from ditching their shopping carts.

The last steps in a mobile-shop should be memorable for customers  in a good way. If the end is not impactful on the brain, it wont be as memorable, says Lucaci. An app interaction that ends well resonates more positively with consumers.

A poor app experience can leave consumers with a lower opinion of the brand overall. In the case of a hotel chain with a complicated mobile app, Lucaci found that customers who originally identified the brand with the words classy, comfort and luxury, identified the brand with the words luxury, expensive, complicated and pretentious, after using the app.

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Holed up in a chapellike rehearsal space in Scarborough preparing for an imminent spotlight at Canadian Music Week, Midnight Shine frontman Adrian Sutherland couldnt help but look around with heavy lids and marvel at how far he had come  literally.

Sutherland, 39, lives in Attawapiskat  yes, the place youve read about  and days ago he was farther north still, 150 kilometres along the coast of Hudson Bay. Its spring goose-hunt season, and Sutherland was harvesting with his family right up until these gigs beckoned.

Then, he hopped on a Ski-Doo, skidding across sea ice at 20 km/h for two days, flew from James Bay to Timmins, and finally drove nine hours to Toronto.

Going from Attawapiskat to Toronto all in one day is like whoa  its overwhelming, Sutherland said, with a drowsy head shake.

And now the work begins.

Midnight Shine has showcases at Boots & Bourbon Thursday and the Horseshoe Saturday, where the band will play for the industry types who rarely make the 1,000-kilometre trek to northern Ontario in search of new talent.

Bigwigs, murmured drummer George Gillies.

So its a pivotal moment for Midnight Shine. They formed in 2011 when Sutherland hastily assembled a band to back him opening for Trooper in Timmins. He turned to Cree acquaintances: Fort Albanys Gillies and classically trained bassist Stan Louttit, 52, and hard-shredding guitarist Zach Tomatuk, 31, both from Moose Factory.

They hit it off. Since, theyve issued two melodic rock records  2013s Midnight Shine and 2014s Northern Man  and caught the ear of Agency Group founder Ralph James, whose roster includes Nickelback, Walk Off the Earth and Hinder.

I heard one track and thought, if these guys play live as well as they sound on the recording, I think were on to something here, said James, who signed the band in February. And they do.

The fact that the group has chemistry at all is a minor miracle.

Theyre separated by small, impossible distances. For instance, Moose Factory and Fort Albany are 130 kilometres apart, but even Google has no ideas for travelling between them.

Before the Toronto sojourn, they hadnt seen each other since August. They work by swapping iMessages, brief recordings or chord charts. When they do link up, its expensive.

Logistics are our biggest challenge, said Sutherland.

Money is tight, agreed Gillies, 30.

If the separation is challenging, at least its familiar. Fort Albany is a fly-in community most of the year, with a winter road accessible only for a few months.

Im used to isolation, said Gillies, clad in a Batman tee. I went hunting, fishing with my parents, my brothers, my sister. It was a simple living. I liked it.

If youre an artist, continued Tomatuk, you have all the time in the world to work on your craft. We didnt have malls to hang out, or Disneyland distractions.

Sutherlands lyrics dance between truthfully portraying the hardship of northern life and celebrating that theres nowhere else hed rather be. On Here I Am, he sings: Its not their fault there are no roads leaving town/And the lies they all have told have left my dreams to drown. By contrast, he trills on Northern Man about going south where I dont belong, so far away from the ones I love.

He doesnt diminish the ongoing crisis in Attawapiskat, but he wants to let some light into the picture.

Attawapiskat is not the exception. There are communities like Attawapiskat across Canadas north. Yeah, its tough living in those conditions. But its not all dark.

Positive things are happening. There are people out on the land, with their families, hunting and harvesting.  People are trying to keep their spirits up and hope things get better.

You know, the band hasnt found the conditions in Toronto all that appealing, either. They stumbled upon a dead rat at the door of their Scarborough hotel, a sketchy establishment Tomatuk imagines is run by a cockroach in a dress shirt.

One morning there, Sutherland awoke to the familiar sound of braying geese tottering about outside. Suddenly, Attawapiskat didnt feel so far away.

As much as I love being here and being part of whats going on this week, I really miss being home.

Im supposed to be harvesting right now and I didnt do so well this year, because I had to cut it short to come out here. Its tough. So when I get home, I have to go back out and get at least 10 more days worth.

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Why would anyone want to ride a bumper car shaped like a giant penis?

Or board an erotic ghost train that chug-chugs past go-go dancers? Or play carnival games in a midway where visitors throw darts at boob balloons and toss rings at plastic phalluses and dip magnetic fishing lines in Copulation Pond?

People, I dont claim any expertise on amusement parks or sex. What I do know, in my limited experience with both, is there is absolutely no overlap* between the two. (*Excludes the long wait times and mysterious headaches.)

You dont go to an amusement park to think about sex any more than you go to a casino to meditate or a 7-Eleven to vote. Theres a reason Walt Disney never scratched his chin and told Disneyland planners: What if the monorail passes through a red light district in Tomorrowland as Tinker Bell gets her freak on?

So what the Brazilian investors behind ErotikaLand are thinking is not clear. But what they are planning to do  build the worlds first sex theme park by 2018  suggests Brazil can add shady business venture to a list of national concerns that already includes political crisis, financial uncertainty, Zika virus, Olympic snafus and why is Adriana Lima now dressing like a vagrant?

Heres what we know about ErotikaLand so far, thanks to a New York Times story: 1. Investors plan to build the park in the city of Piracicaba. 2. The park will be adults-only. 3. Admission will cost $100. 4. What the customers cannot have, the investors say, is any actual intercourse  at least, not in the park.

Or as project lead Mauro Morata told the paper: This wont be a place for nuns, but its not like were trying to recreate Sodom and Gomorrah. If attendees want to take things to another level, they can go to a nearby motel  which we will operate.

Bingo. Game over. Sorry, Mr. Morata, get dressed and get out. You may have fooled the Times. But here at Toronto Star Touch, we will not be groped by deception.

So investors are pouring millions into ErotikaLand to promote a healthy approach to sex? This is what you want us to believe? That foreign travellers will spend thousands on airfare and drive two hours from Sao Paulo to hear PSAs about condoms and learn about the history of sexuality? This exercise in sex tourism is fundamentally educational?

Right. And people go to Canadas Wonderland to dig for truffles.

Think about all the details conveniently ignored by the Times: The adjoining motel will offer . . . hourly rates. The water slide will be in a . . . nude pool. The Ferris wheel will have . . . no seats and consist of closed booths made of a material that allows you to see the view, but without being seen.

(I am quoting from ErotikaLands website using Google Translate.)

Mark my words: these investors are up to something. They are claiming this is a sex theme park in which all sex is banned. Isnt this like building a chocolate factory for diabetics? Or a spider zoo for arachnophobes?

I mean, look at the artists rendering on the ErotikaLand website. This place looks about as scintillating as a passport office. Theyve managed to make sex seem as ho-hum as an airstrip. This can only mean ErotikaLand is a front, like those restaurants that offer dumplings on the menu and illegal gambling in the back.

If the goal was to build just an innocuous museum to sex, a place of carnal learning, why are so many attractions clearly designed to get visitors hot and bothered? Why not just a regular 3D theatre instead of a 7D Cinema with vibrating chairs that emit heat?

Why not just stick to traditional amusement park cuisine like fries, hamburgers, waffles and cotton candy? Why stock all kiosks with aphrodisiacs that, when combined with the sex toy souvenirs and the wandering psychics guessing favourite sexual positions, promise to turn even the meekest visitors into panting jackals who will pair off and make a mad dash toward the motel, getting undressed in a lobby that is hopefully fumigated every 15 minutes?

I realize Brazil is currently ensnared in a political impeachment scandal. It has more important things to worry about. But when things settle down, someone needs to take a closer look at this ErotikaLand. The business model makes no sense.

It really does feel like people are about to get screwed.

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New Yorker Darius McCollum loves the citys subway trains, the weight of his ring of keys to the off-limits, hidden places in stations, the shrill of his official whistle, the MTA badge on the sleeve of his pressed blue shirt.

Trouble comes when McCollum, who has never worked for the transit system, drives off in a bus or a subway train.

The compulsion that sends the 51-year-old man behind the controls is the result of Aspergers syndrome and a fascination from childhood with transit, especially subway trains. And since he knows everything there is to know about vehicle mechanics, protocols, systems and routes, McCollum knows exactly how to do each job.

He had his first chance at the controls when a transit worker let the lonely 15-year-old kid who was always hanging around to talk trains get into the operators cab and drive for several stops  alone.

His compulsion has landed McCollum in jail repeatedly. Hes spent more than half his life inside after more than 30 arrests for joyriding and impersonating transit staff.

His story has made McCollum something of a folk hero  and headline laughingstock in New Yorks chippy tabloids. When Toronto-born director Adam Irving stumbled on this very quirky but sad story it seemed an irresistible documentary subject, something like Catch Me If You Can.

Irvings film Off the Rails screens at Hot Docs Friday, Saturday and Sunday, fresh off winning Best Documentary at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

The story is also getting the Hollywood treatment. Variety reports Julia Roberts may star as McCollums lawyer in the courtroom drama Train Man.

It took Irving, 34, a while to persuade those close to McCollum to allow him access. Dozens of filmmakers had expressed interest prior, but never went further, to McCollums disappointment. Darius loves attention, especially media attention, explained Irving.

Jude Domski, who wrote a play about McCollum called Boy Steals Train, agreed to help Irving make contact in 2013. McCollum was in jail at the time and since Irving lives in Los Angeles, they corresponded until McCollum was released. Finding opportunities to shoot when his subject wasnt in jail was an ongoing problem.

Off the Rails explores the larger issue about a mentally challenged, harmless person spending more time in prison than someone for second-degree murder, said Irving the day before his film screened at Hot Docs.

Torontos mysterious, long-abandoned Lower Bay subway platform stands in for the New York System in Off the Rails. Irving uses the station for re-enactments with actors filling in McCollums story. McCollum provides his own characters voice, acting as narrator for the recreations.

Irving, who is also cinematographer on the doc, used an iPhone filter to give a scene set in McCollums childhood appear to be vintage film stock. A colourist removed the red from train interiors to make the TTC cars look authentic to New York.

Irving says these storytelling techniques may be seen as controversial by older, more purist, traditional documentary filmmakers who may consider this style too slick in the use of fiction film devices.

I dont care what they think, Irving said, adding this is the modern approach to doc making and I believe in going with the times.

How did McCollum get onto the buses and trains to drive them? Off the Rails details a disturbing pattern among some MTA workers who took advantage of (McCollum) out of laziness and selfishness and helped him cover for them on the job.

To this day, he refuses to identify any of them. No matter what, he will never give up the people who are kind of screwing him over, Irving observed.

McCollum has never had psychiatric treatment in jail and, because he is all but homeless when hes out, sleeping in shelters and abandoned trains in rail yards, he cant afford it.

Hes mostly gentle, although deviating from routine can make him upset. And while he applied twice for jobs with the transit authority as a young man, they refused to hire someone who had taken a train.

Irving said it makes McCollum feel good to be helpful and to show off his insider knowledge. He has a nurturing sense of responsibility for passengers, from ensuring a safe ride to making welcoming announcements.

To him, media attention is like a drug, Irving said.

McCollum, who has been in jail since November, accused of taking a Greyhound bus for a joyride, has yet to see Off the Rails.

Irving admitted hes disappointed I havent been included more in the process, of making a feature film, but is hopeful a courtroom drama will bring attention to the literal injustice of (McCollums) situation and that perhaps can lead to legislation being passed or modified to prevent another Darius from having a life like this.

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Thursday

No Joy

Hollywood Teeth

Guitarists Laura Lloyd and Jasamine White-Gluz, who also sings, front this Montreal-based psych four-piece whose latest release More Faithful shows the same stylistic panache as previous 2013 collection Wait to Pleasure, and more  as in more sophistication and dynamics, more seasoning, and theyre smart enough to leave the ethereal vocals and effects-heavy wall of gee-tar sound intact. They claim they wont be back for a while, so dont sleep on this CMW show if power-shoegaze a la MBV, Curve and the like is your bag  they do it as well as anyone. (Velvet Underground, doors 8 p.m., ticketweb.ca)

Friday

Horse Lords

Interventions

Baltimore avant-rock foursome are especially driven in live performance by two drummers, which makes them an interesting choice here to fill the belly even a little more. Thats one of the aims, with local DIYers New Fries, Mimico, Carl Didur et al rounding out the musical side of Feast in the Easts fifth-anniversary clambake. They dont have clams on the menu, actually, but the food is good (with every $10 ticket a meal), the tuneage always offbeat and adventurous  for two nights including Saturday its your CMW alternative while that fest offers nourishing choices of its own (a Fat White Family here, Skepta and White Lung there). (Anchored Social Club, 9 p.m.)

Saturday

Eagles of Death Metal

Complexity

A busy blues-rock band of some pedigree and profane charm given antic frontman Jesse Hughes and their never-met-a-riff-they-didnt-like approach, you may well know the rest of the story how their career hit a turning point last Nov. 13 when a Paris gig was stormed by terrorists and 89 in the Bataclan were killed, including their merchandise man. Out of such horror and tragedy they were soon touring again and in about every one of the stops Hughes has been thanking the audience, as if theyre the ones rocking on, for keeping them going  the message is mutual. Now they stop in here for one of CMWs most anticipated sellout shows, with locals Beaches and Dearly Beloved saluting them on. (Opera House, doors 8 p.m.)

Sunday

La Sera

I Need an Angel

Ex-Vivian Girls bass woman Katy Goodman has sure moved on, taking this one-time, though not full-time side project and leaving her old punk band behind. A computer programmer mostly now, last year she married songwriting band partner Todd Wisenbaker. And oh yes, the band they have here is on the move from lightweight garage to their twangiest and slickest on latest, Music to Listen to Music to. Beyond Wisenbakers reverb-heavy guitar and their obvious, now matrimonially-bound chemistry, its Goodmans well-travelled voice thats their beacon  dialed down or full-out belting she ought to light up CMWs final night. (Garrison, doors 8 p.m., ticketweb.ca)

Monday

Joseph

Lifted Away

Oregon sister trio of Natalie, Meegan and Allison Closner have spent years around the campfire, or at least youd think so given their clear, warm harmonies and their ease with each other. While the parallels with First Aid Kit are striking, the biggest difference is big sister Natalie with the guitar  between them their four instruments are a well-worked match and quite joyful whether giving or receiving. First time in a year ago they charmed the Drake, but this is a little grottier spot, usually a haunt of sweaty rock n rollers (not their fault, the place is almost airless). At least while theyre on stage, itll acquire a heavenly air. (Garrison, doors 8 p.m., ticketfly.com)

Tuesday

Floating Points

Elaenia

Pearl Jam is the nights big ticket, but for an artier experience truck on over to this gig to watch a laser light show rhythmically matched with the 11-piece ensemble playing multi-suite tour-de-force Elaenia, a debut album topping many 2015 best-of lists, led by accomplished keyboardist, DJ, and neuroscience PhD Sam Shepherd. At times resembling a slowed down version of Mahavishnu Orchestras busy jazz filtered through House and electronica, the added strings, horns, understated guitar, and live drums coalesce to create uniquely trippy light and dark sound textures. The iconoclast Shepherd was raised Mancunian, after all  they do things differently there. (Mod Club, doors 8 p.m.)

Wednesday

Ben Folds

Capable of Anything

In a year in which he turns 50, this is Ben Folds at mid-life  still turning out smart, tuneful piano pop but instead of a couple of woolly shirted sissies (his term) alongside like last time in nearly four years ago, its chamber sextet yMusic reprising their accompanists role from last years Folds release So There. Its a bit stiff at times on the record but in concert there are reasons to be confident: Folds has retained his irreverent and profane edge, the band can swing when they want to, and with a setlist drawing from the Ben Folds Five, well, were in for a few singalongs. (Danforth Music Hall, doors 7 p.m. ticketmaster.ca)

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David Mirvish will close the historic and beloved Royal Alexandra Theatre May 16 for a $2.5 million facelift. After six months, the Edwardian gem  built in 1906 by Cawthra Mulock and acquired by Ed Mirvish in 1963  will be born again, with its grand reopening set for mid-November.

The most startling fact about the renovation /restoration is that Mirvish is reducing the number of seats  and thereby reducing the potential revenue of shows that play there. Thats a gesture few theatre owners would make.

When Cawthra Mulock told John MacIntosh Lyle, the architect, to make the Royal Alexandra the most beautiful theatre on the continent, Mr. Lyle set out to do so, Mirvish says. In 1963 my father (Ed Mirvish) brought back that original sparkle. Now it is my turn to once more restore and give life to that sparkle and give a level of comfort that will preserve the theatre as our flagship of the 21st century.

Translation: In addition to its famous Edwardian charm and style, the Royal Alex will become much more spacious and comfortable for its patrons. And to achieve that goal, David Mirvish is giving up 253 seats, reducing the capacity from 1,497 seats to 1,244 seats.

Why? Like the rest of the population, todays theatregoers tend to be taller and heavier than those who attended Top O Th World, the opening night show in 1907.

And for the past 23 years, Mirvish subscribers have become aware that, charming as the Royal Alex may be, they will have a much less tight squeeze fitting into their seats at the Princess of Wales Theatre  a block west on King St.  which David Mirvish opened with Miss Saigon in 1993.

The original design of architect John Lyle will be retained  with cantilevered balconies bringing the audience close to the stage for an intimate experience. The beaux-arts plaster mouldings on the balcony fonts and ceiling will be cleaned and restored.

The new seats will look like the originals from 1907, with brass seat-end plates. But they will have the bonus of the latest technology, with cushioning to add comfort and support. And, of course, legroom will be significantly increased.

The rake of the orchestra level, which has been altered since 1907, will be restored to its original angle. The top balcony, which has always had 380 seats, will lose 108 seats, for a new capacity of 272 seats.

Until now, the average seat width at the Royal Alex has been 19 inches. Post-reno, each seat will be up to two inches wider (depending on location), so some seats will be 21 inches wide.

Comfort has come a long way since the old theatres were made, says Scott McGown, co-owner of Montreal's Ducharme Seating, which has made a specialty of making theatre seats.

Those old seats have done their time. Now we are moving away from the spring-loaded mechanism. Instead we have a counterweight system, so the seat comes up on its own. The seats are still plush in a way that suits the old-fashioned decor. But there have been advances in both fabric and foam.

Mirvish officials are hoping to salvage about 800 of the old seats, and sell them first to subscribers and then possibly to the public, with prices ranging from $250 to $550.

The Royal Alexandra will close after the final performance of Kinky Boots, which ends its 11-month run on May 15. Engineers, architects, crafts workers and construction crews will then start stripping the auditorium to its foundations and beginning the transformation.

David Mirvish says that, beyond restoring a theatre of historical importance, he is doing something theatre owners hardly ever do.

Theatre owners always want to increase seating capacity so as to maximize their revenue. We are doing the opposite: decreasing the seating capacity so as to increase the audiences comfort.

Still, in the long run, Mirvish sees this $2.5 million investment as a smart business decision.

It may sound counterintuitive in terms of revenue, but we believe in the long term a happier, more comfortable audience will lead to greater loyalty and return visits, which will in turn lead to a more profitable theatre.

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OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau downplayed concern over protectionist trade talk on the U.S. campaign trail as he announced he will host President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in June and boasted of progress on bilateral irritants.

In a wide-ranging news conference to mark his governments six-month anniversary in power, Trudeau adopted a diplomatic silence over the rise of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP presidential candidate.

Trudeau said he looks forward to working closely with the next American president regardless of who that may be on issues of common interest like trade, economic growth and innovation  things that were going to be able to line up on.

I think one of the things we see in any electoral campaign, including electoral campaigns here in Canada, is a bit of rhetoric around protectionism that tends to dissipate a little bit once the election has come and gone, Trudeau told reporters.

During the 2008 U.S. primary campaign, then-Democratic nomination rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama said they would renegotiate NAFTA, but once Obama was elected president and Clinton became his secretary of state, there was no bid to reopen the trade deal.

Still, Trump has amped up the rhetoric during the 2016 debates.

Before Sen. Ted Cruz suspended his campaign on Monday, effectively ceding the Republican presidential nomination race to his rival, Trump gave an interview to Breitbart News and turned his sights on Clinton and savaged the North American Free Trade Agreement.

In fact, NAFTA, which was signed by her husband (Bill Clinton), is the worst economic development deal ever signed in the history of our country  trade deal, I guess youd call it. The worst trade deal ever signed in the history of our country. Its cleaned out vast portions of our manufacturing businesses and more, said Trump.

Trump previously told a 60 Minutes interviewer: We will either renegotiate it or we will break it.

Trudeau told reporters Tuesday it is always important to protect local jobs and create economic growth for communities but said in government, governments find an awful lot to agree on in terms of how to get that done.

Trudeau made the comments as he announced he will revive the so-called summit of the Three Amigos  leaders of signatory nations to the NAFTA. Its been more than two years since the summit was held. The last scheduled meeting in Canada was postponed by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper. Harper shelved it amid pipeline tensions with the U.S. and a bitter visa dispute with Mexico.

Trudeau said he expected to soon announce progress on the lifting of visas on Mexican visitors to Canada  a bilateral sticking point since 2009 when the Harper government slapped on visas to deter would-be illegal immigrants.

Trudeau claimed Tuesday his government has made headway on a broad number of files with Obamas administration in the past six months and will continue to do so.

Prior to the June 29 summit in Ottawa of all three leaders, Trudeau will first receive Pena Nieto on a state visit to Canada June 27-28. The summit will be held at the National Art Gallery, an official said, not at a remote location as when Harper hosted George W. Bush and Vicente Fox at Montebello, Que.

As well, Trudeau has invited Obama to address Parliament at a special sitting on June 29. Parliament was scheduled to rise a week before that but could be recalled for the day, said a Trudeau spokeswoman.

Earlier Tuesday, in an open address to his Liberal caucus, Trudeau outlined what he saw as successes of his rookie government, urged his caucus and cabinet members not to become complacent and to continue to work hard.

He also defended his many travels abroad  which have drawn criticism from the Conservative Opposition  saying it is all part of trying to ensure Canada is seen as a strong and active and valuable trading partner on the world stage, for drawing in investments, for highlighting Canadian products and produce around the world.

However, that job could get harder given campaign rhetoric in the U.S. from all parties.

On the Democrat side, candidate Bernie Sanders has called NAFTA an abysmal failure for US workers, while Hillary Clinton has come out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership  the massive Asia-Pacific trade deal which Canada and the U.S. have signed. She has in the past called NAFTA a flawed deal but has not made specific commitments during this campaign to reopen it.

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Albertas oilsands operators cut production and threw open their doors to evacuees as uncontrolled wildfires forced all 80,000 residents of Fort McMurray out of their homes Tuesday night.

Most oilsands facilities are 30 to 100 km north of the city, out of the reach of the flames approaching from the southwest.

The company facilities are well-equipped to provide temporary shelter as theyre normally home to thousands of fly-in, fly-out workers from the Atlantic provinces and other parts of the country.

Yesterday, the companies turned their work camps into temporary shelter for fleeing residents, sending non-essential workers from other parts of the country home in chartered aircraft from their own airstrips.

The fire has hampered efforts to get out of town, as thousands of trucks and cars clogged the only exit route, Highway 63. At one point, flames closed off the southern route to Edmonton, forcing some evacuees to turn around and head north to the oil fields.

Residents trying to fly out of Fort McMurray International Airport were out of luck Wednesday as the fires closed in on the facility, which lies southeast of town, forcing WestJet to cancel planned emergency flights.

Syncrude Canada Ltd. said it was hosting 2,000 people at its facility at Mildred Lake, about 40 km north of Fort McMurray.

The company has cut back its operations to focus on supporting its employees and their families, spokesperson Will Gibson said in a telephone interview.

Gibson, who is among the evacuees, said: Ive lived here for 12 years. Fort McMurray is a very resilient community.

Shell Canada Ltd. opened its Albian Village work camp, 95 km north of Fort McMurray, for any evacuated residents who need a place to stay, spokesperson Cameron Yost wrote in an email. The camp can accommodate up to 2,000 people.

Suncor Canada Ltd. said its plant, 25 km north of Fort McMurray, is in a safe condition. However, we are reducing production at our regional facilities in order to allow employees and their families to get to safety, the company said in a post on its website.

Suncor said it is also working with the regional emergency response to help co-ordinate the evacuation efforts. Other oil companies said they were contributing firefighters to the effort.

Nexen said its working on a modified staffing plan to safely manage the situation, spokesperson Brittney Price wrote in an emailed statement.

The wildfires are the latest setback for an industry that has been struggling since the price of crude oil plunged from a peak of $100 (U.S.) a barrel in June 2014 to near $44 (U.S.) this week.

Canadas oil and gas industry has cut at least 40,000 direct jobs in the last year and a half, and more layoffs are expected as the price of crude has been slow to bounce back.

Another 150,000 indirect jobs have been affected, the Canadian Petroleum Producers Association estimates, as oil companies cut future production projects to reflect falling prices and demand.

Its too early to say what impact this latest crisis will have on the oil industrys production levels, a spokesperson for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers said.

At this time, oil production has been affected. We just dont know by how much, Chelsie Klassen said in an interview.

Up until this week, Albertas largest evacuation had occurred in 2011 when 7,000 people were forced out of Slave Lake by wildfires that raged for nearly two days, destroying a third of the town. Slave Lake is roughly halfway between Fort McMurray and Edmonton.

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OTTAWA  An experiment that has won favour in Australia is gathering steam in Ottawa as the federal government scrambles to live up to its promise to help aboriginal peoples.

Members of a Canadian team called the Indigenous Leadership Initiative are proposing a national guardians program that would allow people in indigenous communities to monitor the land, preserve wildlife and maintain their culture.

They say the program could be structured to allow indigenous youth to learn about cultural traditions and nurturing the environment from their elders.

The team has secured nearly two dozen meetings with some of Ottawas most powerful players this week, including coveted face time with four cabinet ministers and several policy advisers to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

A spokesperson for the Prime Ministers Office said there was interest in meeting the group to learn more about its vision as well as best practices gleaned from the Australian program.

We are working on creating a national program, a national network, of what . . . are essentially moccasins on the ground, said Valerie Courtois, the projects director.

The initiative also provides a concrete opportunity for the federal government to figure out what it means to have a nation-to-nation relationship, she said.

This program really is the very expression of nationhood and the ability of First Nations to manage their own lands, Courtois said.

That allows for a much better, deep conversation not only with other . . . governments, but also with industries and other Canadians.

A similar project employing indigenous rangers who conduct environmental work has been successful at the national level in Australia as part of a government reconciliation initiative, she noted.

That Working on Country program, which began in 2007, now employs more than 680 indigenous people.

The Australian government suggests it has helped to address social, education, health, employment and economic development issues, as well as environmental concerns.

The idea is also not untested in Canada, Courtois said, adding there are already 30 programs operating, including one she ran in Labrador with the Innu Nation for almost a decade.

We do have experience here in Canada of developing these programs and they have had a remarkable impact in the areas where they operate, she said.

It is also significant this proposal is being spearheaded by indigenous people, said Bev Sellars, a senior adviser to the Indigenous Leadership Initiative.

Theres a history of all the programs that have been imposed on us  probably 99 per cent of them dont work, she said.

The most successful ones are the ones that indigenous people have created and have developed for themselves. We are the ones who know what is best for us.

Sen. Murray Sinclair, the former Truth and Reconciliation Commission chairman, met the group on Wednesday.

He said the project offers an intriguing way for indigenous youth to connect to the land that could also serve as a tool for personal reconciliation.

Reconciliation, as we said in our report, is about changing the nature of the relationship that indigenous and non-indigenous people have, Sinclair said in an interview.

Reconciliation . . . also permeates down to the individual. Each individual has to find a way to reconcile with their own situation and their own existence. This is a way for individuals to come to terms with their sense of responsibility to their ancestors and to their future and to their teachings.

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This iconic Canadian game show host now holds a key to the city of Ottawa.

Who is Alex Trebek?

Correct!

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson presented the Sudbury, Ont., native with the prestigious honour at city hall on Wednesday.

Normally its Alex Trebek making the introductions, but today its my honour to be the host, Watson said.

He touted the 75-year-old Jeopardy! hosts unrelenting commitment to higher education and philanthropic endeavours and applauded his recent $5-million donation to the University of Ottawa. Trebeks contribution to his alma mater, where he received two philosophy degrees, will fund the Forum for Dialogue, a new platform that will allow students to discuss proactive ideas surrounding issues that matter to Canadians.

When Trebek was handed the large-framed key he quipped, I dont think thats going to qualify for carry-on, even for Air Canada.

Before taking questions, Trebek took a moment to send prayers to the people of Fort McMurray, Alta., forced to flee their homes in the wake of the out-of-control wildfires.

Trebek also met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday, who said to count him in if Jeopardy! ever conducted a world leader celebrity tournament.

No other living leader would accept our invitation, Trebek said.

The two also discussed a return of Canadians to Trebek's popular show.

Changes in Canada's digital privacy laws last year caused problems over Internet applications, but Trebek says they are being ironed out.

Trudeau suggested the host had worked out a fix for the problem.

I'm sure you've been grilled on that, Trudeau said.

Well yes, because everyone blames us and I keep turning it around and saying ....

Trudeau interrupted: You're blaming me instead.

Well not quite, Trebek said, adding that he has been told a solution is in the works.

The show's website says it cannot accept registration information from Canadians but we are currently evaluating this matter.

When asked about the U.S. presidential election, Trebek, who now resides in Los Angeles, said, What youre seeing with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton is democracy in action. People in America are allowed to speak out and thats a good thing.

At the end of the day, leaders are there because you voted them in. Youre responsible, so take responsibility for your actions.

With files from The Canadian Press

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The North American Free Trade Agreement is back on the front burner of American politics. It has survived its U.S. critics before. Can it survive Donald Trump?

A few months ago, this would have been a question of little interest. A few months ago, Trumps candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination was dismissed as the fantasy of a billionaire buffoon.

Now thanks to the voters of Indiana, who overwhelmingly chose Trump in that states Republican primary Tuesday, the fantasy is coming true. The buffoon is almost sure to face Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in Novembers presidential election.

And he has his sights set on NAFTA.

Over the course of his campaign, Trump has been consistent in his critique of the investment, regulatory and trade pact linking Canada, Mexico and the U.S.

Last September, on prime time television, he proclaimed it a disaster. On Tuesday he said NAFTA was perhaps, in the history of the world, the worst trade deal ever.

Last week, in a major foreign policy speech, he blamed NAFTA for killing Americas manufacturing sector and destroying good jobs.

He has said he will either break the agreement or force Canada and Mexico to renegotiate it.

Now it is true that what Trump thinks about NAFTA may not matter. The New York real estate developer lags Clinton in the polls by about eight percentage points. With his macho bombast and his call for a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, he risks alienating women and Hispanics. He could easily lose in November.

More to the point, he may simply be fibbing. He may be portraying himself as anti-free trade in order to get votes.

There is a long history of this in politics. Barack Obama, for instance, campaigned in 2008 on a promise to renegotiate NAFTA. As president, however, he never followed through.

Clintons stated opposition to the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade and investment pact is probably equally flexible.

Yet at the same time, something is going on with free trade in the U.S. Even some of the most ardent intellectual proponents of such deals now admit that free trade on its own is no economic panacea.

Most important, there is a growing recognition that benefits from free trade are shared unequally.

Everyone may gain by being able to buy, say, cheap foreign toasters. But the people who used to make those toasters lose far more than they win.

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, FactCheck.org reports that the number of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. has fallen by 27 per cent since NAFTA was introduced in 1994. The number of jobs overall has risen by 28 per cent over the same period. But are these new jobs as good as the ones lost?

Clearly, the rust-belt workers who voted for Trump in Indiana dont think so.

All of this is important to Canada because this nations economy is centred on NAFTA. Canada has already gone though the wrenching transition from a protected economy, where most things purchased here were made here, to one built around a continent-wide supply chain.

For those in the auto industry, NAFTA may be worse than the old Canada-U.S. auto pact that it replaced. But if NAFTA goes, the old auto pact is not necessarily going to be resuscitated.

When Trump talks of slapping a 35 per cent tariff on cars made outside the U.S., hes not just talking about Mexico.

Even if Trump doesnt become U.S. president, some of his ideas may thrive.

Critics may sneer at his decision to use the slogan America First. It is indeed the same slogan used before the Second World War by those who wanted to keep the U.S. out of the fight against Hitler.

But I suspect it is a slogan that a lot of Americans today would agree with, particularly when applied to trade deals.

Canadians will want to watch this carefully as it plays out. No Canadian government of any stripe would have the nerve to either abrogate NAFTA or demand a wholesale rewrite of the deal.

But the Americans might.

Thomas Walkoms column appears Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.

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The smoke is clearing from Toronto city councils vote to legalize UberX and similar ride-hailing services. Heres a road map to personal transportation change coming to Torontonians.

Surge pricing

Taxi brokers will be permitted to set rates above the city-regulated rate when the taxi is booked through an app, with some stipulations. Other than the city regulated taxi rate for street hail and cabstand-originated trips, and the minimum fare of $3.25 for private transportation companies, the city is not engaged in the setting fares.

Uber already uses surge pricing, which it says ensures reliability and availability for those who agree to pay a bit more. At least one cab company, Beck, says they wont be using surge pricing.

Wheelchair accessibility

Torontos taxi fleet is no longer mandated by the city to be wheelchair accessible by 2024. This could be a big blow to disabled Torontonians. However, Uber has started a service, Uber Assist, to help disabled passengers. Also, the new rules say that a ride-hail service with more than 500 cars must offer accessible vehicles with the same fares and wait times as non-accessible vehicles. Nobody really knows, however, what the impact of the changes will be on disabled passengers.

Cameras

A requirement that taxis have on-board cameras remains in place. However, the city will not force drivers for Uber and other private transportation companies to put cameras in their cars. Uber says cameras are unnecessary because its app electronically tracks its drivers and their vehicles. City staff are going to evaluate the issue and advise council in 2017 if changes to the camera rule are required.

Standard plates

"Standard" taxi plates, which can be bought, sold and bequeathed like a commodity, will not be phased out as had been planned. That could affect passengers because one aim of the reform was to put more owner-operators in cabs who would care more about cleanliness and customer service than drivers-for-hire working for absentee owners of multiple plates. City staff argue that increased competition from private transportation companies will ensure cabs are kept up.

Safety

Council critics of the new regulations say they decrease the safety of Torontonians by scrapping a 17-day cabbie training course that included first aid and CPR, and by not forcing Uber and similar services to have cameras and flashing emergency lights. Several other criticized proposals, however, were reversed. Now all driver police background checks must be submitted directly to the city  not to the company  and all drivers must carry the same insurance requirements rather than allowing part-time drivers to have lower coverage.

Beyond Uber

Uber is the Goliath of ride-hailing services, but the new rules open the Toronto transportation door to others. Lyft, Ubers main U.S. rival, doesnt operate in Canada but started lobbying city hall before this weeks vote. TappCar, which started in Edmonton, says its looking at expanding to cities including Toronto. Hailo briefly operated in Toronto but then pulled out of North America altogether. It continues to operate in parts of Europe and Asia.

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With confusion about new regulations just passed in Toronto, Mississauga council deferred a vote on Wednesday that would have determined the fate of Uber and other ride-sharing companies in the GTAs second largest city.

We have a report here from the Private Vehicle Advisory Committee (recommending council pass strict regulations for ride-sharing companies), Mayor Bonnie Crombie said to council colleagues. I dont think were ready to do that, given whats happened in Toronto.

As councillors readied to finally make a decision on whether or not to accept the strict guidelines, which would effectively see companies such as Uber bound by rules similar to those governing the traditional taxi industry, Crombie and others said they needed more time to figure out what exactly Toronto did.

Staff said the complex motion passed by Toronto council after a lengthy meeting Tuesday was 20 pages long, and needed a detailed review if Mississauga is interested in possibly borrowing from any of its new regulations.

Some Mississauga councillors didnt like that idea.

I couldnt give a tinkers dam about what Mayor (John) Tory has to say about this, Councillor George Carlson said.

Others said the same, stating that Torontos new regulations are irrelevant, pointing out that even though the two cities are right next to each other, the dynamics in Mississaugas taxi market are much different. Others said the vote should be deferred to get more information and possibly see if any of Torontos new rules make sense for Mississauga, especially considering that many taxi fares cross the border.

Council eventually decided to defer the vote on the proposed new regulations for ride-sharing companies for one week. In the meantime, staff said they will try to make sense of what happened in Toronto.

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Premier Kathleen Wynne is clinging to secrecy under renewed pressure to reveal which Liberal MPPs were taken to task for sexual harassment.

Wynne sent one of her cabinet ministers to defend the decision not to name the members of her caucus or reveal any details of the circumstances or any discipline.

The confidentiality aspect is key in order for victims to feel comfortable to come forward, government House leader Yasir Naqvi told reporters Wednesday, citing the Liberal caucus policy that privacy be respected.

So the premier discussing details can seriously jeopardize that, he added, acknowledging its a very difficult position for the premier to be at, but she has to respect that process.

Naqvi said he does not know who the MPPs are, whether the incidents occurred before or after Wynne talked publicly of dealing with such matters in November 2014, or what discipline was meted out.

Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said the lack of detail raises questions about how seriously Wynne took the allegations.

Maybe the reason there isnt transparency is that the discipline was inadequate, Brown said after the legislatures daily question period, in which neither opposition party asked Wynne about the matters.

If the premier took any discipline, I think it would behoove her to share that and be transparent. I hope shell do that, added Brown, who has accused Wynne of a double standard for urging him to turf MPP Jack MacLaren from caucus for a vulgar sex joke aimed at an Ottawa-area Liberal MP.

I certainly respect victims privacy but I do think in terms of those that conduct themselves in a misogynist fashion that there has to be some transparency over that, and if there was discipline awarded, said Brown.

Wynne maintained Tuesday she wont reveal any details about a couple of incidents of sexual harassment involving at least two Liberal MPPs because the people who brought complaints forward were not looking for a public process.

On April 18, Brown ordered MacLaren back to his suburban Ottawa riding of Carleton-Mississippi Mills for substantive sensitivity training as a condition for being allowed back into the legislature at some point.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, who raised concerns Tuesday about complaints from some of her female MPPs about inappropriate touching around the legislature, also refused to provide further details for privacy reasons.

Im not prepared to divulge specific individuals or specific complaints because I respect the women who came to me and talked to me about their concerns.

Horwath added that some of her MPPs have also felt degraded by locker-room talk from rival parties in the legislature, a concern she has raised previously with other leaders.

She took issue with Wynne two weeks ago singling out MacLaren, whose remarks centred on Liberal MP Karen McCrimmon at a mens night cancer charity fundraiser in Carp, Ont.

You cant have it both ways, Horwath said.

You cant try to call out another leader for not doing something when you, in fact, are not being up front and transparent about what youre doing. It cant be a double standard.

Even though he admitted he has no idea what happened with fellow Liberal MPPs, Naqvi insisted there are differences between the MacLaren incident and the instances Wynne referenced.

In the case of Mr. MacLaren he made some serious misogynistic comments . . . they were made in a public place, it was in front of a lot of people, made towards a woman, and she was embarrassed in front of a lot of people.

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BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLICThe peacekeepers motioned to the teenage girl weaving through the sprawling camp in the baking afternoon sun selling bananas from a plate atop her head. Soon their real intentions were clear: They yanked her inside their tent and began unbuttoning their pants.

Just 16 years old, she cried and pleaded with them to let her go, telling them she was menstruating in hopes it would dissuade them. Then three men gang-raped her one by one. As she trembled on the ground afterward in fear, they laughed and ate the bananas on her plate. Then they shouted at her to leave.

The attack she recounts from that day did not kill her, but the torment and stigma that followed just might, she says. A few of her peers saw what happened and it wasnt long before the taunts began, unspeakably cruel even when coming from the mouths of children. They still call her Miss Sangaris, a reference to the name of the French peacekeeping mission that implies she is the soldiers girlfriend.

The girl, who is anonymous to protect her identity as a minor survivor of sexual abuse, has never reported to any authorities what happened to her that day. The very sight of another peacekeeper walking by sends her stomach into knots, she says.

I want to be anywhere but here, to go someplace where no one knows me and I can start over, she says softly, looking down at her folded hands.

As the UN and various countries come under growing criticism for sexual abuse by peacekeepers, the stories of survivors in the MPoko camp and elsewhere suggest the problem could be far larger than previously known.

The UN alone has already reported it is now investigating more than 100 cases here in Central African Republic, where violence exploded in late 2013. Peacekeepers from France, who are not part of the UN mission here, and other soldiers from a now repatriated European mission also are facing accusations of sexual misconduct.

The numbers are expected to grow. Two girls from MPoko who had never been interviewed talked to The Associated Press about their rapes, and several volunteers recounted the ordeals of seven other children. Similar allegations have emerged from other remote towns. Some are allegations of violent sexual assault while many others involve instances of sex in exchange for food and money in this desperately poor country.

The victims of sexual abuse have little recourse. Nearly all the survivors still live at the very site of their trauma: Few have received any ongoing medical care for post-traumatic stress or sexually transmitted infections. Most cannot identify their attackers, and even if they could, many of the men already have moved on to other assignments outside of Central African Republic.

In cases where girls and women became pregnant, paternity testing can help to identify an attacker. Otherwise the allegations are often coming months later, with few corroborating witnesses and no rape kits or physical evidence preserved.

The victim has very little support, very little access to trauma counselling and even less support in terms of access to justice, said Yasmin Sooka, a member of the independent review panel that has studied the UNs response to the allegations of sexual abuse in Central African Republic.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the UN and its entities are working to refer victims quickly to service providers and give them the assistance they need. He added that he hopes more victims are coming forward because they now feel safe in doing so.

We expect the number of potential victims in Kemo prefecture to fluctuate as the investigation process moves forward, testimonies are cross-checked and facts ascertained, he said.

France also has launched judicial investigations into the allegations against its troops.

We must investigate and if its proven, convict those who are responsible, said a French top diplomat who is not allowed to speak publicly on the issue and who spoke on condition of anonymity. Its very important because its the reputation of the French military  not only in CAR  that is at stake.

While the UN has identified cases of suspected abuse in many peacekeeping missions, the numbers are particularly alarming in Central African Republic. Some blame the speed with which existing regional peacekeepers were re-hatted into a UN mission without thorough vetting. Peacekeepers also have been living in too close contact with the people they are supposed to protect in a country where impunity has long reigned.

Parents at the MPoko airport camp struggle to eke out a living: Most lost everything when rebel fighters burned Christian homes to the ground. Youngsters often try to help their families by scrounging through trash for things to resell or reuse.

One 12-year-old girl recounts with little emotion the afternoon she and her younger brother went looking for things to sell in exchange for money to buy food. They beamed when a peacekeeper offered them a piece of bread. But then she says she was snatched and raped by another man inside the peacekeepers tent as her terrified brother stood outside.

She eventually was treated at a clinic in the camp, she says, where she was given antibiotics for syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease.

Now 14, the girl wearing a T-shirt decorated with a ballerina slipper is back in school and loves to study math. Her true passion though is her faith, and her greatest fear is that her rape may prevent her from becoming a nun.

I dont know if I can still become a sister now that Im no longer a virgin, she says.

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Gary Noble was drilling wellheads in the North Sea when he voted for Scottish independence in 2014. Having lost his oil job and found work selling electrical appliances and couches in a rent-to-own store in Aberdeen, hed jump at the chance to vote the same way again.

I went from 50,000 ($93,000) a year to queuing for a food parcel, said Noble, 31, his roustabouts overalls swapped for a grey shirt, slacks and a name badge. Aberdeen needs something done.

Nobles career reflects the vagaries of Scotlands oil industry as the price of crude has plunged, taking with it the jobs that allowed Aberdeen to lay claim to being Europes oil capital. His political convictions underscore whats at stake for the wider United Kingdom in this weeks elections to the Scottish Parliament that polls show will deliver another clear victory for the Scottish National Party.

Scotlands drive for independence was supposed to run out of road after voters rejected it in the September 2014 referendum, the economic case hollowed out as the price of oil the nationalists said would underpin growth collapsed. Less than two years later, Britains constitutional future is again in question, with Prime Minister David Camerons in-out referendum on U.K. membership in the European Union the potential trigger for another run at Scottish independence.

The anxiety for Scotland is much less, Alex Salmond, who led the SNP government from 2007 to 2014, said in an interview in Singapore last month. Because either way, Scotland is going to end up staying in Europe.

Noble is a case in point. He says that he wants to stay in the EU, though for Scotland to leave the U.K. He argues an autonomous Scotland that gained oversight of energy matters and North Sea tax revenue from the U.K. would better look after the oil industry and help revive Aberdeen, Scotlands third-largest city.

Polls suggest hes not alone; in fact, the question is not whether the party now led by Nicola Sturgeon will win a third term on May 5, but by how much.

The referendum put the dream of independence pretty close for people and its now become the dominant political division, said Craig McAngus, lecturer in politics at Aberdeen University. Its like stick with us and well keep pushing  the dream will never die. 

The SNPs lead over both Camerons Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party, which ran the semi-autonomous Scottish administration from its inception under then-prime minister Tony Blair in 1999 until May 2007, is 30 percentage points, according to a TNS poll.

That chasm between sentiment in Scotland and the rest of the U.K. was underscored in Britains general election last May, when Cameron won an unexpected majority with just one Conservative lawmaker elected north of the border. A further split has emerged over the June 23 referendum on Europe, with polls suggesting Scots will opt to remain by a similar 30-point margin even as the outcome in England, with a population of 50 million to Scotlands 5 million, looks too close to call.

Sturgeon, 45, has used her role as Scotlands leader, or first minister, to make the SNP synonymous with the government in Edinburgh it has run for the past nine years and position the party as the reliable steward of health policy, child care and free university education. Since the general election, the SNP is also the second-largest opposition party at Westminster, countering the U.K. governments budget cuts and Conservative splits over the EU.

And yet the economic clouds are gathering. The SNP governments budget forecasts for an independent Scotland were based on an oil price of more than $100 (U.S.) a barrel  it fell below $30 in January. Tax revenue from the North Sea is now in the millions of pounds rather than the billions outlined in the nationalist blueprint for leaving the U.K.

Conservative opponents say the economic rationale for full independence has been blown away and the SNP must move on to focus on Scotlands very real problems. In any case, they say, the U.K. government is already transferring more powers from London, including over income tax. The SNP chose not to pass on a planned U.K. tax cut for higher earners to maintain spending on public services.

Labour points to a failure to close the education gap between rich and poor as evidence of the SNPs failings. Both have attacked Sturgeon for refusing to accept the result of the 2014 independence referendum by leaving the door open to another vote, which she has said could happen if polling showed a clear majority of Scots wanted it.

As Scotland becomes more and more autonomous, then the SNPs record will come under scrutiny and divide people, said McAngus, the politics lecturer.

Back in Aberdeen last month, the citys Maritime Museum hosted an exhibition showing the prosperity brought by the oil industry as shipbuilding and fishing waned in the 1970s. It was accompanied by a graph of the oil price that stops in 2014 close to $130 a barrel. A red digital readout of Brent crude futures above it read Friday 16:45 $36.06.

What comes after oil? said Roderick Mowat, 60, who witnessed the impact on his home city and has worked for the past decade at the museum overlooking the grey harbour. We just dont know.

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The decision of the two living Republican presidents to snub the partys 2016 White House nominee is extraordinary, yet completely predictable. Its the culmination of an anger inside the Republican Party that gave way to an alternate history of the decades since 1980  and especially the years after 2008.

And while it demonstrates Trumps inability to unify the GOP, it is the best example yet of his strategy of breaking the electorate in half and hoping he wound up with the bigger piece. Losing the endorsements of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush  as harsh an indictment as the establishment can offer  is no punishment at all in the eyes of many conservatives.

This was tested in real time just months ago, when the younger Bush appeared on the campaign trail for the first time in a decade. (His poll numbers cratered during the crisis-strewn final two years of his presidency, and he neither campaigned for a candidate nor appeared at the 2008 and 2012 Republican conventions.) He rallied for his brother, Jeb Bush, who started in a hole with Republican voters and became less popular as he campaigned. The result: A weak fourth-place finish in South Carolina and the end of his run for president.

The context of that loss was even worse for the Bush brand. In the hair-tearing GOP debates before the primary, Trump mocked Jeb Bush for his brothers foreign policy record. The World Trade Center came down during your brothers reign, said Trump. Remember that.

Conservative pundits almost universally thought Trump had blown it, insulting the Bushes in a state that had only given them election wins. I hope the people of South Carolina will send a message to Donald Trump that we dont like Putin, we like W, said Sen. Lindsey O. Graham.

The utter failure of the Bush brand surprised some people, given that Republican voters still generally say that they like Bush. But this ignores the role both Bushes now play in conservative history  as sellouts. George H.W. Bushs acceptance of a tax hike (forced on him by a Democratic Congress) is the Genesis story of the anti-tax movement. George W. Bushs record in office, for all of the gains it meant for conservative, is remembered instead for the bailout, the push to legalize immigrants and No Child Left Behind.

Sen. Ted Cruz sense of the Republican base was nearly as acute as Trumps. Since he entered electoral politics in 2010, both sought the support of the Bush family and wrote them out of his narrative. In his memoir, A Time for Truth, Cruz reveals that he was all set to get endorsements from the Bush family, and Karl Rove put a stop to it. More tellingly, on the trail, Cruz constantly invoked Ronald Reagan but ignored the other recent two-term Republican president.

In the last 50 years, there is one Republican who has a group of Democrats named after him, Cruz said during his August 2015 swing through Southern states. If the Washington fallacy were correct  that you run to the middle to get crossover votes  then you would have Gerald Ford Democrats, or Bob Dole Democrats, or John McCain Democrats or Mitt Romney Democrats. They dont exist.

Cruz skipped over two people  the Bushes, the last Republicans to win presidential elections. Cruz, who worked for the younger Bushs 2000 campaign, was well aware that he ran as a center-right pragmatist, who favoured national education standards and immigration reform. But saying so contradicts the theory that only true conservatives win the presidency. At one Cruz campaign stop in Nevada, Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, told an even more tailored version of the history.

Weve had three Republican nominees in the last few years, he said. One of them was Bob Dole. If you think about it, he was the electable one. Then we had John McCain. He was supposed to be the electable one. Then, there was Mitt Romney.

Labrador skipped right over George W. Bush, who won two national elections and swung the Supreme Court to the right. He did so in service of Cruz, the candidate who ran second in the primary, defeated only by the one who personally insulted the Bushes. All of that may give Trump confidence that he is being snubbed by exactly the right sort of people.

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TALLAHASSEE, FLA.Floridas Supreme Court wrestled with whether an inmate sentenced to death under a system found to be unconstitutional should have his punishment reduced to life in prison, and the lives of nearly 400 other condemned prisoners may depend on the decision.

David Davis, the attorney for inmate Timothy Lee Hurst, argued for the lesser punishment after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that Floridas death sentencing system gave too much deference to judges, not juries.

Hurst was convicted of the 1998 murder of his manager at a Pensacola Popeyes restaurant. A jury voted 7-5 in the favour of death, and the judge agreed and imposed the sentence.

I represent Timothy Hurst. As for him, he should get a life sentence. Im going to leave it to the Supreme Court and other lawyers to sort out how much retroactivity it gets, Davis said.

The Florida Supreme Court did not immediately rule, and will use the arguments to help decide whether to reduce Hursts sentences, and perhaps those of the states 389 death row inmates. Two executions have been halted since the Supreme Courts ruling in January, and attorneys for those inmates have asked the court to impose life sentences for all inmates sentenced to death under the states old system.

Florida Assistant Attorney General Carine Mitz argued that Hurst should not receive a life sentence. She said the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling didnt declare the death penalty unconstitutional, just the sentencing process.

She said if Hursts death sentence is tossed out, he should get a new penalty phase.

Hursts attorney cited a Florida law that says if the death penalty itself is found to be unconstitutional, all death sentences should be reduced to life in prison. That argument was supported in a brief by three former Florida Supreme Court justices, two former heads of the American Bar Association and others who argued that existing state law requires those now on death row to have their sentences reduced to life in prison.

Mitz disagreed. I do not think that this statute is applicable, she said. And that Hurst or anyone else ... should be automatically given a life sentence.

Since Januarys U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Florida passed a new law that requires at least 10 of the 12 jurors to recommend execution. Under the new law, prosecutors must also explain to jurors why the death penalty is the appropriate punishment before a murder trial begins, and the jury has to decide unanimously if at least one of those aggravating factors justifies it.

Nancy Daniels, who is Leon Countys public defender, said she thought that the state has conceded that 50 prior cases were going to need to be remanded for life sentences, but added that she did not know what those cases were and that great uncertainty remains after the Florida Legislature passed new sentencing schemes for the death penalty.

Thats one of the hardest thing about the whole situation because the new statute says it is prospective only and that leaves a gap on what all the pending cases should be. We thought there might be more discussion on that today, she said.

Davis added that he agrees with Justice Barbara Pariente that the new statute has some constitutional problems remaining because it does not require jury unanimity. Florida and Alabama remain outliers in that a 10-2 jury decision is required for the death penalty.

Evolving standards are it should be unanimous. If they approve the current statute then we are going to postpone the inevitable for 10-15 years until the U.S. Supreme Court takes another Hurst case, Davis said.

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MADRIDA Spanish judge wants two senior Russian officials with links to the Kremlin arrested so they can be questioned in court about suspected money laundering and criminal association.

National court judge Jose de la Mata Amaya has issued international arrest warrants for Nikolai Aulov, deputy director of Russias federal drug control agency, and Vladislav Reznik, who is a member of parliaments lower house for the main Kremlin party and deputy chairman of its financial markets committee. Both men are viewed as allies of President Vladimir Putin.

They are among 15 suspects in a years long investigation into alleged Russian mafia activities in Spain, according to court documents released this week. The court said their whereabouts are not known.

The judge handed down his ruling in January. A national court spokesman said the case was never placed under judicial secrecy after the arrest orders were issued on Jan. 22 but it only became publicly known after Spains El Mundo on Tuesday published a story based on documents outlining the judges order.

The spokesman said he did not know whether those named in the document had Spanish lawyers. He spoke on condition of anonymity, in keeping with court policy.

The Russian federal drug control agency said the Spanish judges decision to seek Aulovs arrest was legally unprofessional, a political hit job and perhaps connected with drug mafia revenge, the state RIA Novosti news agency reported.

A lawyer for Reznik, Alexander Gofshtein, also has described the case as being politically driven.

The judge ordered that three suspects should be held without bail if they are captured. The others, including Aulov and Reznik, are to be brought to Spain for questioning so that a judge can determine whether they should also be held pending a possible trial.

If they are in Russia, however, that is unlikely since Russias constitution bars the extradition of Russian citizens to other countries.

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ANKARA, TURKEYTurkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced his resignation on Thursday, paving the way for the countrys president to pursue a tighter grip on power.

Davutoglu, who had fallen out with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced he was stepping aside following a meeting with executives of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, which has dominated Turkish politics since 2002.

The decision is not effective immediately. The party will hold an emergency convention May 22 to select a new party leader who would also replace the premier.

I would never consider running as chairman if there is no consensus, Davutoglu said. Under these conditions I am not considering standing as a candidate at the upcoming extraordinary congress.

Davutoglu indicated he did not plan to resign from the party, saying he would continue the struggle as a ruling party legislator. He also pledged loyalty to Erdogan, saying the presidents honour was his honour, and suggested he would not be a party to any efforts to divide the party.

I feel no reproach, anger or resentment against anyone, Davutoglu said. No one has ever heard any word from me against our president and never will.

The shakeup is widely seen as the outcome of irreconcilable differences between Erdogan, who would like to see the country transition to a presidential system, and his once-trusted adviser. It comes a day after Davutoglus government scored a victory of sorts, with the European Unions executive commission recommending approval of a deal to give Turkish citizens the right to travel to Europe without visas.

After being elected president in 2014, Erdogan chose Davutoglu to succeed him as premier and leader of the AKP party. Davutoglu was expected to play a back seat role as Erdogan pushed ahead with plans to make the largely ceremonial presidency into an all-powerful position.

Davutoglu stressed that he never intended to be a caretaker prime minister. He recalled that when he took over the party Erdogan said in a speech: This is the era of a strong president and a strong prime minister.

That was the right approach, Davutoglu said. I took over the (prime ministry) and a worked day and night to be true to the position.

The former professor, foreign minister and adviser to Erdogan tried to act independently on a range of issues and often proved to be a more moderating force to Erdogan, who has adopted an increasingly authoritarian style of government.

Crisis talks between the former political allies dragged out for nearly two hours late Wednesday but clearly failed to resolve their differences.

Divisions between the Erdogan and Davutoglu camps first spilled into the open over the conflict with Kurdish militants in the southeast.

Erdogan took issue with Davutoglu after he spoke of the possibility of resuming peace talks with the PKK if it withdraws its armed fighters from Turkish territory. Erdogan said in a speech that it was out of the question for the peace process to restart, saying military operations would continue until the very last rebel is killed and the PKK threat is removed.

More fissures were apparent over Davutoglus opposition to the pretrial detention of journalists accused of spying and academics accused of voicing support for the PKK. Erdogan spurned Davutoglu and even suggested that anyone deemed to be supportive of extremists should be stripped of citizenship.

Crucially, Davutoglu gave only half-hearted support to a powerful presidential system, which Erdogan wanted to see rapidly introduced.

Turkey is experiencing a systems crisis, said Turkey analyst Ozgur Unluhisarcikli of the German Marshall Fund. According to the constitution, Turkey is a parliamentary system, but the style of governance is a de facto presidential system. As in any de facto system, this causes uncertainties and inevitable friction.

The biggest hint that Davutoglus days were numbered came late Sunday when an anonymous Turkish blog titled Pelican Brief  believed to have been authored by people close to Erdogan  aired the presidential camps alleged grievances with Davutoglu, including not advocating a presidential system strongly enough.

Davutoglu is widely expected to be replaced by an Erdogan ally who is unlikely to attempt an independent agenda. Political observers have cited Transport and Communications Minister Binali Yildirim, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag and even Erdogans son-in-law and Energy Minister Berat Albayrak as possible candidates.

Davutoglu is the latest senior AKP official to be sidelined by Erdogan as he tries to consolidate power. He joins former president Abdullah Gul and former deputy premier Bulent Arinc, both of whom had founded the party in 2001 with Erdogan.

Turkeys plunge into political uncertainty comes at a time when the country is facing serious security threats but struggling diplomatically. Turkey is a key partner of the European Union in addressing the migrant crisis and an ally of the United States in the battle against Daesh, also known as ISIS and ISIL.

Davutoglus departure does not bode well for a country that still needs to meet five criteria to qualify for visa-free travel to Europe. Many Western officials preferred Davutoglu as an interlocutor to Erdogan, who has over the past few years sharpened his anti-Western rhetoric.

Erdogan has already overstepped the traditional mandate of a president by chairing Cabinet meetings.

The Cuhmuriyet newspaper characterized Davutoglus fall from power as a palace coup in reference to Erdogans extravagant presidential palace which boasts 1,150 rooms and where Erdogans advisers are accused of running a shadow cabinet.

The main opposition party leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said a man who was elected with the will of 23 million AKP voters was forced to leave his seat through the will of one person.

Davutoglu bowed to the palace overthrow and paved the way for to an autocratic regime. Kilicdaroglu said. He should have resisted and said it was the people who brought me here and its the people who can bring me down.

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When it comes to assisted dying, which has more support from Canadians than running large deficits or legalizing marijuana, Prime Minister Trudeau has lost his political perspective. He has retreated to an uncaring and muddled compromise.

The Liberals assisted dying legislation is deeply flawed, destined to be challenged in the courts and being rushed through the House.

Assisted dying advocates, backbench Liberal MPs and senators are speaking out against Bill C-14. So far, Trudeau has ignored their concerns. If this legislation is passed by the House unamended, it will fall to the Senate to make it more patient and Charter friendly.

During the election the Liberals promised to, Appoint a special committee to consider the ruling of the Supreme Court, consult with experts and Canadians and make recommendations for a legislative framework that respects the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the priorities of Canadians.

A Special Joint Committee of 16 MPs and senators was established. Extensive hearings were held. Polling showed 8 out of 10 Canadians agreed that individuals suffering grievous and irremediable medical conditions should have access to medically assisted dying.

The Special Committees recommendations are empathetic, thoughtful and inclusive.

Patients with mental illnesses should not be excluded solely on the basis of

their medical diagnosis.

Long mandatory waiting periods are unwarranted.

Requests from mature/competent minors should be considered.

In cases like dementia, advanced directives should be allowed.

The governments Bill C-14 doesnt include any of these recommendations. It restricts assisted death to consenting, mentally component adults who are in an advanced stage of irreversible decline from a serious and incurable disease, illness or disability, and for whom a natural death is reasonably foreseeable.

Theses conditions are considerably more restrictive than those laid out by the Supreme Court last year. The court ruled that physician assisted death should be available to consenting adults with grievous and irremediable medical conditions and who are enduring physical or mental suffering that they find intolerable.

There are serious issues with what the bill says  and doesnt say.

First, the bill substitutes the word incurable for the courts word irremediable. They dont mean the same thing.

An irremediable condition is one where the patient is suffering intolerable pain but doesnt want to endure the prolonged prescribed treatments. Patients who have cancers that are curable  but involve endless cycles of painful chemotherapy and radiation, leaving them disabled  cannot apply under the bill.

Second, the bill introduces the vague requirement that the patients death must be reasonably foreseeable. The court didnt say the patients condition must be terminal or foreseeable. And, what does foreseeable mean? Weeks, months, years?

This provision eliminates someone who has lost their eyesight and legs to diabetes and will suffer horrific pain for years. Or a patient with ALS who is slowly and painfully being paralyzed by their body until they finally die of asphyxiation.

Even B.C.s Kay Carter, whos suffering with spinal stenosis was central to the Supreme Courts landmark decision, would not have qualified under this legislation. Her condition wasnt terminal even though she was bedridden, unable to move or feed herself and enduring intolerable suffering year after year.

Third, the bill does not allow for people with competence-declining conditions to make advanced requests for an assisted death. This, despite studies that consistently find the vast majority of Canadians agree that patients with early dementia should be able to consent to assisted death in advance.

Thousands of Canadians worry about losing the mental ability to make their own decisions. Theyre afraid of dying a prolonged and terrifying death this legislation ignores.

In support of the bill Trudeau said, Its a responsible first step. Is it? The government isnt pioneering in an unknown field.

There is international experience on which to draw: the thorough airing by the Supreme Court; the findings of the 11 Provinces and Territories Advisory Group; the Special Joint Committee hearings and recommendations; the Quebec experience, And, consistently deep support from Canadians of every political stripe.

The current legislation is not patient-centered. It doesnt comply with the Supreme Courts decision. Nor does it respect the Charter rights of Canadians.

There is still time to remedy these serious shortcomings.

R. Michael Warren is a patron of Dying with Dignity Canada, a former corporate director, Ontario deputy minister, TTC chief general manager and Canada Post CEO. r.michael.warren@gmail.com

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Next week Parliament begins debating Bill C-237, the Candidate Gender Equity Act. My private members bill seeks to change our electoral laws and incentivize political parties to run more women candidates during elections. With Canada ranked 60th in the world when it comes to electing women MPs, it is clear we are not doing enough to address gender equity in our most important democratic institution.

On the surface, Canadian federal politics have recently become a shining example of gender equity. Prime Minister Trudeau proudly calls himself a feminist and has gained international acclaim for appointing the countrys first gender-balanced cabinet.

But dig a little deeper and its clear that we still have huge problems. Even in 2016, only 26 per cent of our MPs are women. Very few or no women sit on most standing committees. More and more women politicians  most recently Conservative MP Michelle Rempel  are speaking out about the pervasive and poisonous culture of sexism in Ottawa.

The politics of presence matters. The more gender-balanced our national legislature becomes, the more gender-balanced our policy decisions will become. It is about time women held their fair share of seats in the House of Commons and I suspect most Canadians would want to see us move past countries such El Salvador (ranked 35th in the world), Tunisia (40th), Sudan (45th), Iraq (56th) or Kazakhstan (58th).

Dont blame voters for the lack of women in our Parliament. Academic research shows women are as likely as men to win elections. Some scholars demonstrate voters often even slightly prefer women candidates.

Dont blame women. Parties have thousands of women members, volunteers, and activists and all three major parties had women campaign managers in the 2015 election. It is ridiculous to suggest each party cannot find a mere 169 qualified women to fill half of their 338 candidacies out of these giant pools of potential candidates.

Instead, blame the parties. These now elite clubs, of which less than 2 per cent of the population belong, control most aspects of our formal political life, including who gets to run in elections. Academic research, including articles published by my wife Dr. Jeanette Ashe and me, shows the processes by which parties select candidates are overwhelmingly biased against women simply because they are women. Men can be up to five times more likely than women to win candidate nomination contests when all other factors are held constant.

The Candidate Gender Equity Act seeks to address the gender bias of party selectors by prompting parties to take action. It links the existing public subsidy parties receive when reimbursed for their campaign expenses to the extent their candidate lists are gender-balanced. The further a party strays from running 50 per cent women candidates, the less post-election public subsidy it receives.

This proposal hasnt been pulled out thin air. Other countries, such as Ireland and France, use incentive-based measures with great success. After just one election with a similar law, Ireland saw a 90 per cent increase in the number of women candidates nominated and a 40 per cent increase in the number of women elected. The proven success of these types of laws is why top Canadian political scientists and feminist scholars back my bill.

Dont worry about the government interfering in party business. Parties will have ample time to up their game before the 2019 election and the bill in no way prescribes how parties should recruit more women. It leaves parties total freedom to run their internal nominations and choose which new measures best suit their organization.

Ultimately, the decision to move toward greater gender parity in Parliament comes down to the current 338 MPs. If Prime Minister Trudeau and his government choose not to pass my bill, Canada is unlikely to achieve gender parity until 2075. That would be a shame as so many other countries have enacted laws to address this critical issue.

Weve heard a lot of gender equity talk since the 2015 election, now MPs have the opportunity to walk the walk by supporting Bill C-237. The world is watching.

For more information about Bill C-237, please visit: www.equalseatsforwomen.ca.

Kennedy Stewart is the Member of Parliament for Burnaby South and an Associate Professor on-leave from Simon Fraser Universitys School of Public Policy.

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Re: Cap-and-trade best way for Canada to reduce emissions, Opinion April 28

Cap-and-trade best way for Canada to reduce emissions, Opinion April 28

This essay astonishes on two levels. First of all, cap and trade is definitely not the best way to reduce emissions. Second, it comes from the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity.

Cap and trade is set up by politicians after intense lobbying by the various affected industries. This lobbying occurs behind closed doors; a wonderful recipe for opacity. On the other hand, a carbon tax is entirely transparent to everyone.

By not directly engaging Canadians, cap and trade misses the largest chunk of carbon emissions  those emitted by us, the people of Canada. A car company may reduce its emissions but that does not mean that it is being encouraged to produce more efficient vehicles. Home builders may find more efficient methods of construction without making their houses more energy efficient. By contrast, a carbon tax does both.

Manufacturers are nudged to find more efficient ways to make their product. When faced with higher price energy, we the buyers demand products which use less hydrocarbon fuel or electricity.

Cap-and-trade compliance imposes costs on industry. However, there is no obvious way for industry to retrieve these costs when they export goods or services. Because the scheme is opaque, it would be difficult if not impossible for government to refund exporters without being accused of handing out subsidies. I cannot see how this advances competitiveness, but I do see companies sending manufacturing offshore to jurisdictions not burdened by cap-and-trade schemes.

A carbon tax can easily be modeled on the GST/HST. This value-added tax is refunded to the exporter as their goods leave Canada in a simple, transparent process. Moreover, if we apply a carbon tax to our domestic industry, we must apply it to imported goods, and the fuel used to bring them to market  to ensure the level playing field.

A carbon tax gives Canada a substantial advantage in the low-carbon world simply because nearly 65 per cent of our power is hydro-electricity. You may or may not approve of nuclear power, but another 15 per cent of our electricity comes from this low-carbon source. By contrast, the U.S. relies on coal for nearly 40 per cent of its electricity, on gas for over 25 per cent, while hydroelectricity and other renewables provide just 13 per cent, with 20 per cent from nuclear plants. China has about 75 per cent coal-fired generation.

There are industries whose products contain huge amounts of embedded carbon emissions. You cannot make steel without using carbon to take away the oxygen from the ore (iron oxides). Although electricity is used to make aluminum, the oxygen contained in the bauxite ore is removed by consuming a graphite (carbon) electrode. Cement is made by roasting limestone in kilns to drive off carbon dioxide. It is a simple matter to excuse these industries their embedded carbon emissions  easily calculated from chemical equations. However, the carbon tax will still encourage them to make the rest of their process as efficient as possible.

I guess I am not surprised that Canadian politicians seem to have embraced cap and trade. We will probably never know much about the intense behind-the-scenes lobbying, but we can be certain that it did occur.

Peter Bursztyn, Barrie

Theres a lot of sense in Jamison Steeves article. Certainly unified action seems easier to co-ordinate than a province-by-province approach. Something rang false however, the statement that it is hard for governments to commit to continually increasing a tax; whereas it is not too difficult to continually tighten the cap.

Anyone with a basic understanding of the policies at hand understands that those are essentially different words for the same thing. Either way the cost of emitting carbon would rise.

What is more important is what happens with the money collected from a tax or from a credit auction. As in the B.C. carbon tax or the fee and dividend system, the money can be returned to the people to help them afford the changeover to a new low-carbon economy. Or it can be spent by the government on programs of their choosing as is the plan with Ontarios cap and trade.

The question of where the money goes is what will really determine whether politicians are able to commit to increasing the price which, as Steeve notes, is the key to driving the deep emissions cuts needed.

Steeve is right, $15 a tonne is not a high enough price to drive the overhaul of the economy to reach our reduction targets. But the question of whether the price can get high enough depends much more on what is done with the revenue, than on whether we call it a tax or cap and trade.

John Morton, Toronto

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The frame of a 2015 Ford Mustang vehicle moves down the production line at the Ford Motor Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

During President Obamas 2012 reelection campaign, he told voters that manufacturing jobs would be a crucial part of the American economys resurgence. His administration set a goal to create 1 million new manufacturing jobs by the end of 2016.

At the time, manufacturing insiders cheered. The national unemployment rate had fallen 3 percentage points from its high point in 2009. The U.S. economy had added 4.4 million jobs since 2009, on its way to adding 13 million to date.

But factory jobs havent gotten the bump the president strived for: Only 331,000 of those many millions of new positions created since the start of his second term have come in manufacturing.

The United States would need to create 74,000 manufacturing jobs each month to reach Obamas goal by the end of the year, and prospects are not good. American manufacturers have actually shed 20,000 jobs since January 2015 amid difficult economic circumstances.

It would be virtually impossible to achieve the goal, said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. It would take job growth in manufacturing on an unprecedented scale.

Of course, employment in the sector could look much worse. The Obama administration led the charge to save the American auto industry in the aftermath of the Great Recession, and mortgage industry bailouts provided a lifeline to builders that otherwise might have disappeared. And an injection of stimulus spending for road and other shovel-ready projects offered a shot in the arm.

Longer term, the administration has invested $2 billion in the past four years in community college job-training programs, half going toward skills needed in manufacturing careers, according to White House measurements.

Prior to the president taking office, many thought U.S. manufacturing faced inevitable decline and that we could no longer compete for new jobs and new manufacturing innovation, Jason Miller, deputy director of the National Economic Council, said in a statement. Today, companies from around the world increasingly point to the U.S. as the most attractive location in the world for investment and for manufacturing.

Indeed, Miller said U.S. manufacturing has added more than 800,000 jobs since 2010  the sectors strongest performance since the 1990s.

Still, even greater progress has been stymied by larger economic forces. A slowdown in China and weakness overseas triggered a pullback in production, though there have been glimmers of expansion in recent months. Oil prices have plummeted, bringing a pause to the nations once-surging energy industry and making it harder to invest in more expensive alternate fuel sources. And some companies continue to move factories outside the United States where labor costs are lower.

Carrier, for example, in February announced that it would close two Indiana plants that employ 2,100 people and open factories in Mexico. Ford in April said it planned to invest $1.6 billion in a Mexican factory that would create 2,800 jobs.

And manufacturers are trying to sell to an American public that just doesnt buy as much stuff as it used to. In 1980, nearly half of American consumption was spent on goods rather than services, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Today, goods account for one-third of American consumption.

The story is a combination of technological change and unresponsive demand, said Robert Lawrence, professor of trade and investment at Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government. Thats what the Obama administration is swimming against.

Under such circumstances, he says, 1 million manufacturing jobs by the end of the year was a dream.

It implies a kind of power that unfortunately no one has, he said.

In 1961, 29 percent of the American labor force worked in manufacturing, according to federal statistics. By 1980, that share was down to 20 percent. Follow that trend, as Lawrence did in his research, and the share reaches 10 percent in 2010, which fits the industrys actual experience.

I think when anyone makes a public pledge, the hope and goal is to make manufacturing strong in this nation, said Jennifer McNelly, executive director of the Manufacturing Institute, who is encouraged by the 331,000 manufacturing jobs created.

But three-quarters of the way through the presidents second term, he is one-third of the way toward accomplishing his campaign objective.


James Arnold Taylor is the voice of Ratchet in Ratchet & Clank, a film based on the video game franchise. (Gramercy Pictures)

6 and older

Ratchet & Clank (PG)

Fans 6 and older of the PlayStation video-game series can zoom along with this animated movie adaptation. (Of course, a new video game based on the movie came out April 12.) Its fast-moving and full of throwaway gags, but kids will have no trouble following the story of how the intergalactic heroes of the title first met. Ratchet, a little Llombax with a fox/raccoon kind of look, leads a fairly dull life on his planet as a mechanic. He dreams of being a hero, but hes too small to be accepted by the Galactic Rangers and their big-jawed leader, Capt. Qwark. Elsewhere in the galaxy, the evil Chairman Drek plots to destroy planets and use parts of them to make himself a new one. Hes aided by the mad scientist Dr. Nefarious and the enforcer robot Victor. A malfunctioning little bot escapes Dreks lair and crashes onto Ratchets planet. Ratchet repairs him and names him Clank. Clank warns of Dreks plans, and, sure enough, Dreks warbots start to invade. Ratchet and Clank cleverly repel them, and Qwark has to enlist them into the Rangers. They must now take the fight to Drek and Nefarious and save the galaxy. (94 minutes)

THE BOTTOM LINE: An intelligence officer with the Rangers, Elaris, tortures one of Dreks robots for information in a scene that goes a little far for PG. There are bits of semi-crude slang that whiz by.

A second trailer has been released for the upcoming Marvel Comics film. ( / Walt Disney Pictures)

PG-13

Captain America: Civil War

The Avengers superhero team splits into factions and fights it out with their superpowers fully engaged in this latest Marvel Comics mashup. Captain America: Civil War digs into the same issues as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (PG-13), but with more humor and less gloom. Teen fans will have a good time, though the overstuffed plot whiplashes around for nearly

2 hours and the battle scenes grow repetitive. Still, the film rarely droops. The actors and the wit save it. The Avengers team gets into hot water after a foiled mission costs many lives. The government decides the team needs oversight. A U.N. accord to that effect will be signed in Vienna. Team leader Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans), is dead-set against it. Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), thinks its a good idea. A huge explosion decimates the Vienna meeting and they go after a mysterious villain, but the disagreement simmers and boils over. Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and other superheroes choose sides. An African prince (Chadwick Boseman) becomes the newest Avenger, Black Panther. (146 minutes)

THE BOTTOM LINE: Most of the action scenes are high-tech and low-blood, but the fight between Captain America and Iron Man gets rough. The realistic explosions give a strong sense of innocent civilian lives lost. The dialogue includes rare profanity, including an S-word. The villain Zemo waterboards someone.



Sharon Stone stars as Nina in Mothers and Daughters. (Screen Media Films)

Mothers and Daughters

Because this utterly phony and clumsily constructed film features great clothes, good-looking people and laudable sentiments, some teens may glom onto it, but they wont mistake it for a good movie. Narrated on and off by Rigby (Selma Blair), a successful celebrity photographer, the film flits among various women, including Rigby, going through emotional crises that involve motherhood or daughterhood. Some characters live in the same apartment building, or are linked in other ways. Rebecca (Christina Ricci) has just learned a stunning fact about her parents and refuses to speak to them. Gayle (Mira Sorvino), a lingerie designer, learns shell be featured in Ninas (Sharon Stone) high-end fashion mag. Several characters learn they are unexpectedly expecting. One finally meets her birth mother. A mother and daughter (Susan Sarandon and her real-life daughter Eva Amurri Martino) try to understand each other. Another mother and daughter reach a truce. Not one of these contrived situations earns its tears. (90 minutes)

THE BOTTOM LINE: The dialogue includes rare moderate profanity. A male rocker seems about to date-rape a drunken young woman, but someone stops him. A female character considers having an abortion. Scenes with a pregnant character and her doctor are supposed to be flirty but feel inappropriate.

The Man Who Knew Infinity

At the core of this staid little period drama about a math genius lies a prickly subject  racism as practiced in England in the early-20th century. The film makes its point and is fascinating, despite its reserve. Teens who love math and/or history could be drawn into it, as could some preteen math whizzes. Based on Robert Kanigels biography of the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel), the movie recounts how the genius from humble Southern Indian origins landed at Englands Cambridge University. Working as a clerk in India, yet ablaze with inspired math theories, Ramanujan sends some of his formulas to professors in England. G.H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons) at Cambridges Trinity College is so impressed that he invites Ramanujan to work with him. Ramanujan leaves his new wife for Cambridge and does groundbreaking work with Hardy from 1914 to 1919. Some professors try and fail to block Ramanujan for racist reasons. Hardy, an atheist who insists on mathematical proofs, and Ramanujan, a devout Hindu who believes God gives him ideas, couldnt be more different. (108 minutes)

THE BOTTOM LINE: Various Cambridge dons use racist slurs. English soldiers also use slurs and beat Ramanujan up. He later becomes ill and coughs up blood.

R

Starring the comedy duo Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key, the friends try to recover a lost kitten amid gang violence. ( / Warner Bros. Pictures)

Keanu

Racial stereotypes get the sendup they deserve in this knock-down drag-out and very adult farce starring gifted comics Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele as brainy nerds. Too profane and lewd for viewers younger than 17, the film could, through its raucous comedy, provide older teens with more and better ammunition to debunk stereotypes. It makes dead-on observations and explores to great comic effect the art of code-switching; i.e., altering speech and manner to suit the race and/or class of the person youre with. Rell (Peele) is a pothead artist, despondent because his girlfriend has left him. His married-with-kids cousin Clarence (Key), a corporate go-getter, comes to buck him up. But a stray kitten has already lifted Rells spirits. Alas, the kitty that Rell named Keanu disappears after Rells house gets ransacked by a local drug gang that mistook it for the dealers (Will Forte) next door. Determined to get Keanu back, Rell drags the reluctant Clarence into posing as thugs and infiltrating the gang. Their attempts to act tough are a hoot. (100 minutes)

THE BOTTOM LINE: The mayhem includes shootouts, knifings, punch-ups and car chases, at times quite bloody. Various characters snort cocaine, pop hallucinogens, smoke crack and pot. Pole dancers perform topless in a couple of club scenes. The profane dialogue features repeated uses of the S-word, the F-word and the N-word.


Jessica Bonness proposes shifting the television to a different wall, and adding bold accent walls in the living and dining areas to brighten the space. (3D Storm Studio/for The Washington Post)

THE CHALLENGE

Mary Schroeder moved into a condo in Alexandria in 2013 but still hasnt really decorated the 21-by-19-foot living/dining area. A corner fireplace is making it difficult to make sense of the multi-use space. She wants a warm, comfortable place for watching television, relaxing and dining, and she would like to incorporate an accent wall.



Mary Schroeder has lived in her Alexandria condo for three years, but hasnt decorated her living/dining area yet. (Leah L. Jones/For The Washington Post)

THE SOLUTION

Designer Jessica Granda Bonness adds vibrant, warm accent colors and creates a floor plan with distinct areas for lounging and dining to make sense of the open space. She keeps Schroeders dining furniture and pendant, focusing on the living area to save on costs.



Bonness (202-997-6203, jgbinteriors.com), is based in Takoma Park and specializes in family-friendly residential interiors and interior color consultations. At right, Bonnesss proposed arrangement for the space. (Courtesy of Jessica Granda Bonness/The Washington Post)

Bonnesss suggestions

A bright accent wall, such as Benjamin Moores Coral Gables, creates a dramatic focal point and adds color. Gold or bronze tones in and around lamps bring color to the artificial light and create a sense of warmth and comfort all day. Add dimmers to fixtures to customize the light level for different activities, and add task lamps behind the sofa for reading. A second accent wall in the dining space (not shown) defines the separate areas and picks up the gold tones in the room. Try Cork by Benjamin Moore. A large rug with a bold, textural color over the carpet will brighten the space and visually separate different parts of the room. Because the owner says she gets plenty of natural light from all sides, the TV can go in front of a large window so that its easily viewable.

SPLURGE & Save



(west elm; world market)

SPLURGE: Niels upholstered wing chair in Chili boucle ($699, westelm.com), left. SAVE: Teaghan chair in orange ($200, worldmarket.com).



(CB2; world market)

SPLURGE: Kelso hand-knotted shag rug ($999 for 8-by-10-foot rug, cb2.com), left. SAVE: Ochre flat-weave hemp rug ($270 for 8-by-10-foot rug, worldmarket.com).

SHOPPING GUIDE

Furniture: Orson 86-inch sofa in Doss mink micro-suede ($1,499, roomandboard.com); Chandler reclaimed wood cocktail table ($201, overstock.com); American Home Joshua console table in ash gray ($242, wayfair.com); Mercer credenza ($699, cb2.com); Tetradeca table ($299, wisteria.com).

Accessories: Striped angled crewel pillow cover in slate ($49), cotton luster velvet pillow cover in poppy ($34) and metallic ikat dot pillow cover in poppy ($39), all from westelm.com; Tack planter ($20, cb2.com); small Case Study planter with stand in white ($149, shophorne.com); rustic wood Shandi framed oval mirror ($100, worldmarket.com); Paradise Found framed print ($650, crateandbarrel.com); antiquarian glass table lamps in gold ($359 for set of two, target.com).

Editors note: We hope you like the new illustration style for our virtual makeovers: a realistic digital rendering. And check back next week for a new feature that will alternate with House Calls.

More from House Calls:

Follow us on Pinterest.

See answers to frequently asked questions about House Calls here

Tell us about your own design challenge here

See past room makeovers by local designers here
John Strangfeld of Prudential with the 10 winners of his companys Spirit of Community Awards. (Prudential )

Ten students from across the country were honored this week for being good at doing good.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program recognizes students in grades five through 12 who are helping others through volunteer work.

This years winners, who were announced Monday in Washington, helped raise money and awareness for problems such as homelessness, disease and bullying.

Grace Davis, 11, of Louisville, Kentucky, raised more than $140,000 to care for premature babies at a local hospital by urging kids to fill piggy banks with spare change.

Jackson Silverman, a 10-year-old from Charleston, South Carolina, persuaded a local food bank to start a youth volunteer program. He now organizes 175 young volunteers, who pack 150 bags of food each month.

The 10 winners, chosen from among two finalists from each state and the District of Columbia, will receive $5,000 for themselves and $5,000 for the charity of their choice.
Chris Voss was an FBI agent for 24 years and the agencys lead international kidnapping negotiator from 2003 to 2007. His book, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It, will be published this month.

The point of your book is that the negotiating tools you learned with the FBI are applicable to every part of our lives?

Exactly.

So in a marriage or relationship, can you negotiate wins for yourself?

I dont use the phrase win-win because most of the time whoever uses that phrase is either trying to cut your throat or is a horrible negotiator. But the reality is that in a relationship both sides have to gain. And negotiation can improve all of your relationships. The closer someone is to you, when they win, you win. When you negotiate a win for your spouse, you win.

Can I ask how old you are?

Im 58. Ive got 30 years left.

Wait, who do you negotiate with over how much time you have left?

My nutritionist.

Thats funny. Is there one overarching strategy or rule that can be applied to all negotiations?

The number one rule is dont take yourself hostage. You can take yourself hostage when hearing yes will make you do anything. You can take yourself hostage by being afraid to find out what they actually feel or what their point of view is or that they might actually be right. And you can take yourself hostage by being so sure of what you want that you wouldnt take something better.

I know there are usually higher stakes involved, but I just want to get a better cable deal with Comcast.

You need to recognize that your customer service rep is really a sales rep. And he wants to give you a better deal if you would just not yell at him. So you have to just disarm the guy and say that you appreciate the fact that the last 75 people he was on the phone with were yelling at him. Now youve opened the door.

So I shouldnt just threaten to cancel my service?

The problem with that is thats the tactic that has been used with them 10 billion times and they caught on.

Donald Trump bills himself as a great negotiator. Do you think he is?

No. You dont want to gather enemies and have that be your currency. I dont think winning through intimidation is a long-term strategy. Hes doing nothing but getting people who are looking to pay him back. And as they say, revenge is a dish best served cold. People will wait forever to get you back.

In your book, you argue that negotiating is essentially an emotional process, not an intellectual one.

Exactly. Because we make decisions based on what we care about and that makes decision-making an emotional process. You care about something, you have a feeling about it, it matters to you on a personal level, and thats where we make up our minds.

What has been your greatest negotiating achievement in your personal life?

Coming to a place where my son and I are working together better all the time. He works for me full-time, and that can be both wonderful and horrifying for both of us. Im working really hard to respect him, to listen to him and to value him. And hes working harder to not feel like Im always trying to be the alpha male.

Youre from Iowa originally. Did you learn anything about negotiating in Iowa?

I think so. My mom is the original tough Midwestern woman. One of my favorite jokes is, Whats the difference between an Iowa mom and a terrorist? You can negotiate with a terrorist.

More Just Asking

For stories, features such as Date Lab, Gene Weingarten and more, visit WP Magazine.

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Email us at wpmagazine@washpost.com.
Reader: I am a female researcher in a fairly conservative industry. My female boss has told me I should wear makeup and high-heeled shoes when I present to clients. Is this illegal, since my male colleagues do not have to do so? If not, how should I raise my concerns with my boss? I was hired for my research and presentation skills, but the makeup/heels requirement makes me feel like I was hired to look pretty.

Karla: As discussed before, employers have the right to impose dress codes and set standards of formality. But a dress code cant impose an unequal burden on workers because of their sex, faith, race or other protected status under Title VII. Whats more, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1989 interpreted Title VII to prevent sex stereotyping after a company refused to promote a woman to partner because she didnt act or look feminine enough.

Then again, a federal appeals court in 2006 upheld a casino dress code that required female employees to wear makeup and style their hair. That court said dress codes can allow for reasonable gender-based distinctions and said the plaintiff had failed to prove the makeup mandate imposed an unequal burden on female employees. Thus, gendered dress codes arent necessarily considered discriminatory in and of themselves; such a ruling depends on the facts, the evidence and the court involved.

Of course, there are other legal limits on dress codes. You may be protected if, for example, you follow a religion that prohibits cosmetics or have a medical condition that restricts you to flats.

But mounting a legal defense at this stage seems premature. Its not clear that your bosss should means youll be held back or fired if you dont trowel on the face spackle.

Your first step is to make sure youre already meeting your employers written standards for attire and grooming. You can add non-gender-specific polish with crisp, conservative tailoring and pristine accessories (glasses, shoes, laptop bag)  no wrinkles, scuffs or fraying.

If your boss continues to hound you, you can ask  as neutrally as possible  why she thinks makeup and heels are necessary for you. (I for one would love to hear how a dewy complexion, moist lips, shapely calves and uplifted buttocks are essential to your job.) Finally, you can explain that you find makeup and high heels so uncomfortable and distracting that wearing them will hinder your performance.

Meanwhile, gender norms continue evolving. Just as we now scoff at the notions that womens trousers are unprofessional and real men cant rock long locks, perhaps well someday conclude that any women-only makeup mandate is  as a lawyer might say  discriminatory on its face.

Thanks to Amy Epstein Gluck of FisherBroyles and Carla Murphy of Duane Morris.

Ask Karla Miller about your work dramas and traumas by emailing wpmagazine@washpost.com. Read more @Work Advicecolumns.

For stories, features such as Date Lab, Gene Weingarten and more, visit The Washington Post Magazine.

Follow the Magazine on Twitter.

Like us on Facebook.

Email us at wpmagazine@washpost.com.
1 of 30 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  In Canada, citizens help Syrian refugees settle in View Photos For most of us, it wasnt charity  its more like city-building, one volunteer says. Caption For most of us, it wasnt charity  its more like city-building, one volunteer says. Syrian refugees Amir Al Jabouli and Raghda Altellawi in the living room of their Toronto home in March. Canada places selecting, financing and resettling refugees in the hands of regular citizens; the process has become a global model. Jennifer Roberts/For The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

 Amir Al Jabouli leads the way, holding his Samsung phone out into the snowfall with his bare right hand. The instructions the speakerphone emits are barely audible in the whir of the wind. But Amir is focused.

Turn right in 200 meters, comes the tinny, digitized voice of Arabic Google Maps.

He turns, and so do his wife, Raghda Altellawi, and their daughters, Ghena, 6, and Nagham, 5. The girls, who are wearing snow pants and bulky winter boots for the first time, are struggling to walk. They laugh and grab each others hands.

They have just come to Canada as refugees from the war in Syria, and this February day is their first day of school. It is not only the girls first day of school in Canada, but their first ever. Ghena and Nagham were just babies when fighting closed schools in their home town of Homs. After surviving siege, bombardment and Amirs kidnapping, they fled to Lebanon, where school was out of reach for many Syrians. Now Nagham is starting junior kindergarten and Ghena, first grade. Twenty-two-year-old Raghda and 31-year-old Amir, who left school in seventh and ninth grades, respectively, are starting full-time English classes.

The snow looks beautiful to Amir, a clean white sheet over a dirty world. Every footstep makes a fresh imprint. Its how he feels about all of life in Canada.

I feel reborn, he has been saying since he landed in Toronto 10 days ago. Of course, there are details to figure out. No one in the family speaks English. They have no jobs. And they know almost no one.

But they do have a network of people poised to help. A group of strangers brought them to Canada, using a private sponsorship process that has become a global model and that some refugee advocates in the United States want to replicate. The program places the power of selecting, financing and resettling refugees in the hands of regular citizens, as long as the refugees clear Canadian government security, background and health checks.

So as Amir and Raghda navigate this new landscape, they are not alone. Amir was able to access Google Maps because his sponsor Ali Khan had set him up with a new phone and data plan. Sponsor Ashley Hilkewich had taken a day off work to take them to an English assessment, and another sponsor had registered the girls in school. For one year, Amir, Raghda and the girls have the support of about 20 Canadian volunteers and 80 donors.

In December, the world saw images of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcoming the first planeload of incoming refugees from Syria in the Toronto airport, telling them, You are home. Welcome home. But as many as 10,000 of the more than 26,000 Syrians who have arrived in Canada so far are being privately sponsored by groups of regular Canadians  a dog-walking group, a book club, a choir, officemates, block associations. Young families offer up basement apartments and retirees donate housewares from the attic. Resettling refugees has become a national project.

I have absolutely never seen anything like this in my entire career in the public service, says Sarita Bhatla, Canadas director of refugees.

In the United States  which has the largest refugee resettlement program in the world but does not permit private sponsorship  lawmakers and refugee advocates are watching Canada. The U.S. is taking in about 10,000 Syrian refugees this fiscal year, but some say private citizens could do much more. A coalition of organizations led by the libertarian Niskanen Center has been lobbying the White House for executive action to authorize a scaled-back version of private sponsorship. The center proposes that private donors create a fund to cover costs of bringing refugees in excess of the government quotas. Theres a precedent. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan began a program that allowed private organizations to resettle 16,000 Soviet Jews and Cubans  but it was not renewed.

[Refuge: 18 Stories from the Syrian Exodus]

Meanwhile, in the borderless era of Facebook fundraising, U.S. citizens interested in sponsoring Syrian refugees have been donating money to Canadian groups. Tens of thousands of Americans have also offered help to U.S. resettlement agencies, the organizations the federal government contracts to help refugees begin new lives. Watching Canada, refugee advocates wonder: What if there was a mechanism to translate these offers of help into direct action? Could the ability of regular people to take action inject goodwill throughout the society?

Instead, they battle a host of anti-refugee measures, inspired by vitriolic political rhetoric and fear that terrorists posing as refugees could sneak into the country.

Amir and Raghdas sponsors see their effort as more of an investment than a risk. None have any direct connection to Syria. Many were born in Canada to parents who came from places like Portugal, Hong Kong and Pakistan, under the liberalized immigration policies of Justin Trudeaus father, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In a generation, those policies remade Toronto  once a genteel, strait-laced, Anglophile town  so that half the sprawling, tolerant city is foreign-born. Today, Canada ranks among the best countries in the world for integrating newcomers, according to an annual study of 38 developed nations. That makes sponsors feel helping refugees will benefit Canada. For most of us, it wasnt charity  its more like city-building, says Ashley.

Our group is pretty young, a lot of young professionals downtown, she says. Many, like Amir and Raghda, have young kids, and that will make it easy for the newcomers and the sponsors to connect, Ashley says. But there are differences. Amir is a butcher. Raghda married Amir when she was 14. They are scarred from the war. The surprise is that they are wonderful people, says Ashley. Theyre open, fun people who we would have been friends with in any circumstances.



Ali Khan helps Amir Al Jabouli adjust the fire alarm in Al Jaboulis apartment in Toronto. Amir, wife Raghda Altellawi and their two children have settled in Canada after fleeing the conflict in Syria. Ali is among thousands of Canadians who have banded together to help resettle Syrian refugees. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

The idea to bring a Syrian family to Canada had taken shape slowly. Thirty-two-year-old Ashley Hilkewich, a nonprofit manager, first brought it up in August. Then she went quiet, says her husband, Ali Khan, 43 and a director at Sun Life Financial. The timing wasnt great: Their daughter, Aria, was only 18 months old, and Ashley had recently started a new job. Evenings were a dash to get home from work, get dinner on the table and get Aria to sleep. There hardly seemed time to support another family.

Then the body of 3-year-old Alan Kurdi washed up on the shores of Turkey. The image of the Syrian child face-down in the sand, the Velcro still fastened on his tiny shoes, appeared around the world. Soon it emerged that the childs extended family had tried and failed to join relatives in Canada through a stalled private sponsorship, after the policies of former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper had created delays. That failure cut to a core sense of national identity. Were Canadians a people that responded to the greatest refugee crisis in decades by turning a blind eye? The consensus was: no. In the midst of a federal election campaign, the political parties began outbidding each other over how many Syrians they would admit. Justin Trudeau, a Liberal, came to office promising to work with private sponsors.

Ashley and Ali are practical people, a double MBA household of project managers who set up a daily iPhone alert to get ready for bed. Ashley has pale blue eyes and long blond hair, a solid authoritative beauty. She grew up in small-town Saskatchewan, where her father, an oil-well operations manager, and her mother, an accountant, taught her never to quit: You dont try to do things, you do them. Ali is tall, shaggy-haired, slightly formal, himself an immigrant who grew up in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, where his parents ran a small garment manufacturing company. His mother would talk about helping the impoverished seamstresses who did piecework. It gave him an impulse to identify the privilege we have and find a way of sharing it.

So in December, when Ali and Ashleys 62-year-old housekeeper mentioned that she was sponsoring a Syrian family with members of her church  and had helped raise $20,000 selling chicken on a bun  Ashley thought, If she can do this, we can do this.

Ashley worked out the math with her sister, Mallory Hilkewich, a 28-year-old social work student, and Ali. They would need $35,000. How many people would they have to ask to commit $100 a month over 12 months? On Dec. 20, they sent an email to friends. People responded instantly, saying, Thank you, I was thinking of getting involved, but I didnt know how, says Ali. This is what I do professionally. Im a fundraiser, Ashley adds. I can tell you, people dont usually thank you for asking them for money. By the end of January, they had $50,000.

Any five or more citizens can form a group to bring refugees to Canada. The group must write a settlement plan dozens of pages long, specifying who will perform tasks such as pick the family up at the airport, find a dentist and provide social support. Instead, Ashley chose a less bureaucratic path through Humanity First, a volunteer-run organization that can serve as the official sponsor.

A real estate agent in their group found a basement apartment in a neighborhood of pristine brick houses and high-rise apartments. It was across the street from the Victoria Park subway station, and cheap enough, at about $830 a month, that after the sponsorship year, the family still might be able to afford it.

On Jan. 31, Ashley called the director of Humanity First to say they would be ready for a family by March. He said, You have housing? We have a family arriving this week!

Ashley called me on Sunday at 10:30 at night, says Janice Sousa, a group member. She said, Can we get our act together? I said, Yeah, we can do it. 

Janice filled an online registry with everything she could imagine a family of four would need to set up house, and she blasted her contacts with requests to donate. I said, I will drive anywhere in southwestern Ontario to come pick anything up. She took a day off from work and rented a van to manage a dozen pickups.

The night before Amir and Raghda were scheduled to arrive, eight people gathered to put together their apartment.

What makes a place feel like home? Everyone, it turns out, has a different idea. Janice knew her own parents, Portuguese immigrants, had missed familiar foods. She had heard that cumin is as essential to a Syrian dinner table as salt and pepper, so she went on a mission to find a cumin shaker. Another group member picked up pastel decals of owls for the girls bedroom. Mallory helped other sponsors fill a cupboard with coffee mugs and plates.

The homemaking was imperfect. Owls are considered bad luck in Syria. Cumin is well-used, but no one sprinkles it raw on food at the table. Syrians rarely drink coffee or tea from mugs.

And Amir and Raghda had their own ideas about making the apartment homey. In three suitcases, they brought 18 tiny clear glass cups for serving tea  We like to see the color of the tea, Amir says. They also brought a pestle, blue plastic childrens plates decorated with cartoon birds, a favorite spice mix and nigella seeds.

Ask them what really provides a sense of home, and they talk about the people they miss. They left almost everything they own behind; they are people who have already decided that home is not located in objects. Still, they appreciate all their sponsors thought to provide. Without us asking for things, they know what we need, says Raghda, marveling. Those gestures  the people themselves  give the best approximation of hominess.



Raghda Altellawi and Amir Al Jabouli visit a local supermarket with their sponsor Ali Khan. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Im nervous, says Amir on this first day of English class. A lot depends on their school success. Will they learn to communicate enough to make their way in this new place? Will they make good on all their sponsors have invested?

Amir has shepherded his family through three relocations since the war began. Small, handsome and capable, he prides himself on being able to figure things out easily: Even when he doesnt understand the English all around him, he watches peoples faces and gestures.

Ali often tells Amir and Raghda, through a Google Translate app on his phone, Youre going to be superstars in Canada.

But the language gap is hard.

When I have my family around me, Im okay, Amir says. But when Im out in the world, something always keeps me apart.

Early on, Raghda talked about her future with Ashley. She had never imagined she would finish high school, learn a trade or attend university, but Ashley said these things were possible. She told me Im young, I can learn, I can work, says Raghda  as though saying the words made them true. She moves confidently, even through unfamiliar places, in brightly colored scarves that tightly frame her face. At home, her flowing rust-colored hair and freckles make her look her age  young.

Now she and Amir walk up to the building that houses Danforth Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada building, in a nondescript strip mall by a Tim Hortons coffee shop. She grins and does a little jig as she stomps snow off her boots on the welcome mat.

Her excitement dims as she and Amir wordlessly approach the fluorescent-lit front desk. They have no English words to say. The receptionist asks if theyre here to start classes, and presents forms to fill out. Oh, youre brand new! she says, as Amir and Raghda stare in silence at the Latin letters.

Finally, Amir picks up a pen to fill out his address: VKTORA PARK, he spells, laboriously, for Victoria Park. Arabic writing does not include most vowels, and hes transliterating the language in his head.

Their new teacher, Catherine Porter, sits them down for a conversational assessment. Good morning, says Porter, who wears large glasses and carries her keys on a cord around her neck. Raghda says, Good morning. Then Porter turns to Amir. How are you? she asks. Flustered, he repeats just what Raghda said: Good morning.

Partway through the assessment, Amir furrows his brow and looks away into middle distance, his jaw tightening. Porter gives him an encouraging smile.

Your English, for my class, is in the middle, she tells them. Suddenly, Amir smiles too. Good start, she says. You both have a good start.

At the end of the school day, Amir and Raghda pick up the girls.

Secord Elementary School has a happy, bright energy. Teachers speak with cheerful authority, and children listen. The school gets special funding because of its high poverty rate, and about a third of its students were born outside of Canada. But they attend school alongside plenty of middle-class kids, and the school has a reputation for great teaching. Theres a protocol for screening refugees.

I asked, Have you seen war? says Jane May, an English-as-a-second-language teacher who did intake when Ghena and Nagham registered, acknowledging that often, the worst does not come out.

In the morning, Raghda and Amir had left Nagham standing alone on the playground while the other junior kindergarten children played together. Nagham  whose entire life has been war and who has rarely been without family  climbed up a ladder all by herself, then slid down a snowy slide.

After school, she throws herself into her mothers arms. Everyone talked to me in English, and I just answered with nonsense, she reports.

Ghena, on the other hand, had a great day. My friends brought me presents! she announces. The teacher had organized the kids to bring welcome gifts.

Nagham looks at her sister, frowning. No one brought me presents.

As they pass Dentonia Park on the way home, Raghda sees a six-foot snowman. She runs to wrap her arms around its snowball belly. The girls follow. Then Raghda lies on her back to make a snow angel, and Amir and the girls tumble down into the snow with her.

I cant believe Im actually here, Raghda says.



Raghda, center, attends an English-language class in Toronto. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Amir and Raghda come from Homs, Syrias third-largest city. Amir grew up in the Old City, in a stone house built hundreds of years ago from the distinctive local black basalt. His father and grandfather were butchers. As a child, the enterprising Amir set up little businesses  he and his older brother Mohanad bought fava beans in bulk and cooked them, or cactus fruits, and cut them up, and sold them on the street in single-serve portions at profit. Amir, who wanted to be just like his father and older brothers, would ask, Can I go to work with you? At age 9, he started learning how to break down meat. In grade nine, he left school to work full time as a butcher.

Eventually Amir got a job in the government slaughterhouse where Raghdas father worked. When he asked about marriage, Raghda was only 14. She prided herself on her independence and felt shy the first time Amir came to meet her. But other girls married at her age, and they both felt a connection. I liked him from the first time I saw him, says Raghda. They got officially engaged. Then I fell in love with him, she says. Amir likes to joke, We got married in a butcher shop!

After the wedding, they lived with Amirs family in a modern apartment in the Fairouzeh suburb just southeast of Homs. They became my second family, Raghda says of Amirs parents. It was one of the things my husband loved about me: I get used to things easily.

Ghena was born when Raghda was only 15. Then Nagham came just after Raghdas 17th birthday. And in March 2011, when Nagham was just a few months old, protests began.

We didnt go out; we were just watching, says Amir. Every week, we said, This week, everything will be sorted out. But it wasnt sorted out. Instead, the events, as Raghda and Amir call them, escalated. By the end of April, thousands were protesting in Homs. By May, the army sent tanks. Opposition forces consolidated and fought street battles. The government launched airstrikes. Is the army bombing us, Mommy? Ghena would ask.

I never stopped working, Amir says. I knew which way to take to get to work, I knew where there were snipers, I knew how to avoid them. He would deliver meat with his brother Mohanad in a small white Suzuki truck.

One day, Amir and Mohanad turned a corner and drove right into a phalanx of 60 armed men, part of a pro-government Alawite militia. They shot up the van and held Amir and his brother hostage, Amir says, hoping for an exchange for their own men. I dont want to talk about the torture, Amir says. He went in two months from 150 pounds to 120 pounds. By the time he was freed, says Raghda, He was skin and bones.

Others suffered worse. Two of Raghdas brothers were forced into conscription and one disappeared, she and Amir say; one of Amirs brothers was killed in a bombing. The Washington Post could not independently confirm their accounts.

Another of Amirs brothers, Osama, was walking down the street when a mortar shell struck nearby, spewing shrapnel, including a piece that lodged between his tenth and eleventh vertebrae, leaving his lower body paralyzed, Amir says.

Amirs father urged him to leave the country. Osama had gone to the coastal Lebanese city of Tripoli for medical treatment, and other relatives had followed. Neighbors were clearing out, heading to Jordan and Turkey, and some were attempting the sea passage to Europe. Amir followed their journeys in real time on Facebook and using text messaging on WhatsApp. Some made it. But Amir had no interest in subjecting his family to risky border crossings.

[The shifting sea routes of Europes refugee crisis, in charts and maps.]

Instead, they moved to the quiet city of Nabek, halfway between Homs and Damascus. Amir got work as a butcher, and they rented a ground-floor apartment  safer, in case of bombing.

After a peaceful year, the war came to Nabek, too.

One day, just before sunset, when relatives were visiting, the Syrian air force launched new strikes. Raghda tried to distract the children with games. Suddenly, a flash as bright as lightning filled the airshaft. There was an enormous boom, the windows shattered, and the foundation of the building shook. My sisters kids were so scared, they had diarrhea, Amir says.

The top floor of the building had been hit.

Soon afterward, they decided to move back to Homs.

The only thing left standing in Homs when we got back was the sign, Welcome to Homs, Amir says wryly. In eerily empty, rubbled streets, war damage had left many buildings as transparent and flimsy as lace. Amir was afraid to leave the house. My country is a place where you can find bodies in garbage cans, he says.

I never in my life imagined leaving Syria, says Raghda. But we couldnt live that way.

They decided Amir would go alone to Tripoli and test the waters. On his second day, he got a job as a butcher for a new restaurant. In a few weeks, he had money to send for his family.

By the time they arrived, Amir was working seven days a week for 12 or more hours a day, and living with seven relatives in a three-bedroom apartment. Raghda began caring for Osama, Amirs paralyzed brother. I was so sad all the time, she says. Amir had to renew their Lebanese residency visas every six months, until officials refused more renewals. But Amir had to pay for rent, food and Osamas medication. He worked for months without papers and, several times, he was picked up and thrown in jail. He worried about Raghda and the girls. He gets scared for me more than for himself, because Im still young, Raghda says. He knows Im older than my age in years, but he still feels responsible.

Amir and his brother Akram had both registered their families as refugees with the United Nations and applied to be resettled in Canada. In August 2015, Amir got a phone call requesting a screening interview. Then there were medical checks, background checks and a two-hour interview at the Canadian Embassy. Where does your sister live? How did she meet her husband? Did you go to demonstrations? Did you ever hold a gun? Meanwhile, Akram and his family were approved and traveled to Canada in October. Then Amir got word that his family was approved, too.

Late into the night, Amir and Raghda plotted their lives in Canada. We said as soon as we arrive, wed start learning English and enroll the girls in school, Raghda says. Even if I have to act like Im deaf and mute and learn the language from the beginningI can do that, Amir says.

The Canadian government chartered a bus to bring them and other Syrians from Tripoli to Beirut, then a plane to transport them to Amman, Jordan, and another to Montreal. Finally, Amir, Raghda and the girls boarded a commercial flight to Toronto. The transatlantic flight was crowded with Syrian families. As the plane took off, some official asked if anyone was fearful or anxious, and passed out little pills.

It knocks you out, said Raghda, who took one. One woman cried the entire flight. Ghena and Nagham watched cartoons, clutching teddy bears they had carried from Syria. People had only foggy ideas about their new lives. Some said, Were going to England, not coming with younot realizing their final destination was the mid-sized Canadian city of London. As the plane descended into Montreal at night, Raghda and Amir looked down at their new country and saw a neat grid of glowing orange lights.

Only in the Toronto airport did they learn a group of Canadians was waiting to meet them, that these people were offering a year of financial support, logistical help and friendship. We were in disbelief, Amir says.

It restored my faith in humanity, says Raghda.



Amir, left, helps himself to dinner at the home of Ali Khan and his wife, Ashley Hilkewich, two of his sponsors. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

By the end of the first week, Raghda is dominating her English class. What color is the food? Porter asks the students, pointing to a picture of an avocado. Green! Raghda calls out. Her amber eyes lock onto the teachers face. Oranges: Are they a fruit or a vegetable? Fruit! Raghda answers, as though shes on a game show, racing to hit the buzzer. Very good, Raghda! Porter says.

Amirs head is in his hands.

Lets read it slowly, says Porter.

Amir straightens up and sounds out a new word: ap-ri-cots.

At home, after dinner, Nagham and Ghena play in their room on a red-and-white Canadian Red Cross blanket theyve fashioned into a carpet over the cold tile floor. Amir unfolds a donated laptop, so he and Raghda can study vegetables in teach-yourself-English videos on YouTube.

The girls are adjusting to their school, too.

There is no ESL for kindergartners. Naghams classroom is busy, cheerful, packed with activities  but there are only two teachers for 29 children, and everythings in English. Dreamy Nagham drifts around in silence, picking up a marker and scribbling, or grabbing a magnifying glass and peering at the altered world.

Ghenas ESL class, with children from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Belgium, is small.

Remember, you guys are the teachers, the teacher Anna Rombough tells the children, directing them to help Ghena pronounce new words. Rombough exudes kindness and speaks slowly, looking for what each child understands. Elbow, Ghena repeats after a friend. Eye.

Every evening after Ashley puts Aria to sleep, she gets out her MacBook Pro to do administrative work for Amir and Raghda. She created a Google doc she fills with tasks for the other sponsors: Get a blender, for Raghdas cooking. Find a local Arabic-speaking doctor. Get information on accreditation for a halal butcher. Members of the sponsor group can log in and complete tasks.

Humanity First recommended that only two people be the face of the sponsor group in the early days, so as not to overwhelm the family. Mallory and Ali are each dropping by two evenings a week to see Raghda and Amir and the girls.

Theres a bureaucracy to building a new life. Ali takes them to apply for government health insurance cards that Canadians use to get health care. They line up in a government service office in a strip mall, and Ali holds their binder of plastic-pouched documents.

Then they go to the Clothing Drive, a volunteer-run storefront set up so Syrians can shop for free from donations. Every week, newcomers empty the place, and every week, a new load of donations comes in.

Pick out enough things that the girls can wear something different every day at school, Ali says.

Is it necessary to change your clothes every day? Raghda asks, in surprise.

Its the culture, Ali says.

Amir has been avoiding the subway because its the one place he cant use his Arabic-language Google Maps. When you go underground, you lose reception  thats scary for me, he says. But one day, Ali shows him how to read the subway map and listen for the station names. Soon Amir is taking public transportation everywhere.

Almost as soon as they met, Amir told Ali he would return the money the sponsors raised, and he often says that once hes standing on his own two feet, he will help the group help other Syrians.

Raghda has a more immediate way of showing her gratitude: She cooks and invites Ali, Ashley and Mallory to meals.

One night, Ali drives them to an Arabic grocery store. Raghda smiles as she grabs some fresh grape leaves to stuff with rice and herbs. She laughs at the curly parsley, as though someone styled regular parsley and gave it frills.

They often take pictures on their cell phones of food packages and enter the photos into a translation app. The ingredients instantly appear in Arabic.

But they still make mistakes. Raghda unknowingly purchased French vanilla yogurt for a pasta dishyuck. Instead of regular flour, she bought corn flour, too dry and course to make her usual flatbread.

Some evenings, Raghda ventures out to the local grocery shopby herself while Amir stays home with the girls. No one looks twice in her direction, and men dont say a word or make a move. In Lebanon, Amir felt he had to call a driver and have him wait while she shopped, to make sure she was safe. Here, she feels safe all the time.

We used to hear about freedom a lot, and we never knew what it is, Amir says, slowly and quietly, enunciating the words carefully in Arabic, as though he had been formulating this thought for some time. I feel safe, and that makes me feel free. Now I understand what freedom is.



Nagham Al Jabouli, 5, attends class at Secord Elementary School in Toronto. Until she arrived in Canada, she and her older sister had not been able to go to school of any kind because of the war in Syria and conditions for refugees in Lebanon, where the family lived for a time. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Many Canadians see private citizens as more effective at helping refugees integrate than the government. Instead of one worker helping 20 families, we have 20 families helping just us, refugees with private sponsors often say. A 2007 Canadian government study found that privately sponsored refugees reported higher rates of satisfaction and integration after six months and after two years than those sponsored by the government. Other data suggests that government-sponsored refugees are roughly twice as likely to end up on public assistance as compared with privately sponsored refugees.

Canadas private sponsorship program began in 1979, under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and over the course of two years, helped bring 60,000 refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. These private sponsors helped shift refugee policy, says Naomi Alboim, then the federal official responsible for refugees in Ontario. They became the champions for refugees coming to this country, she says.

Today, as private sponsors work to bring Syrians to Canada, the whole society has rallied around them. Air travelers have donated frequent flier miles to pay for refugees flights to their new homes from hubs such as Montreal and Toronto. Ikea Canada has offered free furniture. Over the winter, there were skating parties to help refugees acclimate to the weather and the culture, and now summer camps are offering free spots for Syrian children. Restaurateurs have opened their kitchens to Syrian women to cook and socialize together, using food donated by grocery stores. The Canada Council for the Arts has set up a program to offer refugees free tickets to performances and exhibitions. Major companies, including Alis employer, Sun Life Financial, have contributed money. Some have expressed concern the Syrians could drain resources and compete for scarce jobs  and others have security concerns. But support is widespread.

In some ways, the United States had a similar starting point last summer, when the death of the toddler Alan Kurdi roused public sympathy for refugees. Settlement agencies were swamped with emails and calls offering help, says Melanie Nezer, the head of the Refugee Council USA, a coalition of refugee advocacy organizations. We thought, How do we harness the interest and get people involved in a more direct way? Politicians, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), began to talk of creating a mechanism for private sponsorship of refugees as a low-cost way to quickly bring more Syrians.

But then ISIS attacked Paris, killing 130 people. At least one of the perpetrators held a fake Syrian passport that may have been used to enter Europe. Americans post-9/11 fear honed in on Syrian refugees  even though refugees destined for the United States must wait for security checks that take years, and there are plenty of easier and faster ways to enter the United States.

Days after the Paris attacks, public dialogue turned against refugees. Presidential candidates called them a threat. The House passed a law that would have effectively shut down processing Syrians and Iraqis. Soon more than half of the nations governors said they opposed resettling refugees in their states. By spring, there were more than a dozen bills moving through state and federal legislatures opposing refugee admissions. There was no obvious path for many who wanted to help Syrians.

[Governors rush to slam door on Syrian refugees.]

Why should the government be able to tell tens of thousands of citizens that they cant help refugees and save lives? asked staff at the Niskanen Center. In March, the center released a report providing a blueprint for a step toward private sponsorship in the United States. Private donors could create a fund to directly pay costs of bringing refugees in excess of the government quotas, the authors wrote. They argued that such a fund could help quantify support for refugees and skirt the political quagmire.

Settlement officials agree that the goodwill of regular people has been invisible in the public dialogue. Many are working to engage citizens more directly in resettlement.

Recently, Bhatla, Canadas refugees director, traveled to Washington to speak with U.S. refugee advocates. They peppered her with questions, she says. They were asking, How can we let people help? 



Raghda shares a laugh with sponsor Ashley at Riverdale Park East in Toronto. Amir and Raghdas sponsors have also applied to help Amirs disabled brother Osama resettle in Canada, too. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

In mid-March, Ali sends out an email to the sponsor group announcing the end of Phase 1. Financial planning, banking, housing, Internet, phone, government IDs, doctors, dentists, school admissions and English classes have all been taken care of. Phase 2 will be English proficiency and social networking, he explains. Volunteers are invited to sign up on Ashleys Google document to take the family on excursions in the city. Incredibly, for the sponsors, all these many, many tasks seem to be helping Raghda and Amir construct new lives. Its been so easy, Ashley says. Thats whats surprising.

Soon after Raghda and Amir arrived, Ashley Ali, and Mallory submitted an application to sponsor Amirs brother Osama, who was living with other disabled men in an apartment in Tripoli. They also started raising money to sponsor other relatives.

On a warmer day, Ali, Ashley, Mallory, Amir and Raghda take the girls to Riverdale Park, where short yellow grass covers the hills after a winter of snow.

They can see the Toronto skyline, the skinny concrete of the CN Tower poking up like a needle above the office buildings.

Even here, Amir is partway in the Middle East. His phone dings, alerting him to a message on WhatsApp. Good night, says his brother Mohanad in Jordan. Good morning, types Amir, their running joke as they greet each other from time zones across the world.

Nagham and Ghena take off running down a hill toward some reeds, toward the distant city skyline.

Little Aria starts after them. I go running, she announces, as she trots unsteadily downhill.

Yeah, Amir tells her, his basic English matched hers. Go. Run.

Nagham, Ghena, wait! Amir calls to his daughters.

The older girls stop halfway down the slope and turn, squinting back, and waiting until Aria catches up.

Amir surveys the scene, a huge grin breaking over his face. Raghda glances over and smiles too.

They are entwining their lives with this other Canadian family, entrusting their daughters to grow up with them. Amir calls again, in English, to all three girls: Go! Run!

And the girls run, laughing, their arms open like wings,their hair flying in the breeze.

Robin Shulman is a writer in New York City. This story was reported with the help of a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. To comment on this story, email wpmagazine@washpost.com.

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1 of 25 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  What hotels created by fashion designers look like View Photos In Italy and beyond, fashion designers are increasingly going into the hospitality business. Caption In Italy and beyond, fashion designers are increasingly going into the hospitality business. Palazzo Versace When the opulent Palazzo Versace debuted on Australias Gold Coast in 2000, it was billed as the worlds first fashion-branded hotel. Palazzo Versace Wait 1 second to continue.

Romes Via dei Condotti was named for the channels that once brought water to the Baths of Agrippa. These days, it carries credit cards from the Spanish Steps to Gucci, Prada, Hermes and virtually every other luxury store you could possibly imagine.

So on a recent trip to the Eternal City, I walked down the street and treated myself to some window shopping.

That glittering diamond bracelet? Too flashy for my taste. Those shoes? Way more heel than I could handle. But when I arrived at Largo Carlo Goldoni, I looked up and found something Id definitely want to take home: my husband and daughter.

They were up on the third floor of Palazzo Fendi, the fashion houses flashy new flagship, which features the brands largest store in the world, a VIP area for big spenders and a Japanese restaurant imported from London. Its also home to Fendi Private Suites, a hotel with just seven rooms that began welcoming guests in December.

The hotel project is the latest evolution for Fendi, which got its start as a handbag and fur shop in Rome in 1925. The empire now dresses men, women and children from head to toe. (Extremely wealthy men, women and children.) It peddles timepieces, as well as a Casa line of home furnishings and accessories.

Like all of these pricey products, Fendis expansion into the hospitality realm is very much on trend.

The fabulous fingerprints of French designer Christian Lacroix are all over three hotels in Paris. In London, you can crash at Claridges in a Diane von Furstenberg-designed suite. Todd Oldham designed the Hotel of South Beach in Miami, which is also where Tommy Hilfiger has plans for a membership-based boutique hotel of his own.

No fashion designers have gotten as gung-ho about hotels, however, as the Italians, says Alice Dallabona, a teaching fellow at the University of Leeds. She studied the industry for her fashion marketing PhD and discovered that brands from her home country are dominating the scene.



A superior suite in the Palazzo Versace. (Palazzo Versace)

When the opulent Palazzo Versace debuted on Australias Gold Coast in 2000, it was billed as the worlds first fashion-branded hotel. The Ferragamo family could dispute that claim: Their hotel business  the Lungarno Collection, which includes properties in Florence, Rome and the Tuscan countryside  celebrated its 20th anniversary last year.

But its a series of newer ventures that have made the Italian fashion hotel craze impossible to miss. The Armani Hotel Dubai opened in 2010 in Burj Khalifa, the tallest building on the planet. A year later, Armani unveiled a Milan location that occupies an entire city block with the brands trademark elegance. From there, its just a quick Vespa ride to the first hotel developed by Bulgari, which opened in 2004. The Italian jeweler has since expanded to London and Bali and has plans to roll out three more properties in 2017: in Shanghai, Beijing and Dubai.

Dallabonas theory about whats driving this boom? Italian luxury labels can capitalize on [the countrys] reputation as a place with beauty, excellence and a desirable lifestyle, she says. So, although all designers can market aesthetics, Italians can also promise a taste of la dolce vita  and a nice Chianti.

Its a combination that doesnt always quite work. Dallabona focused her doctoral research on Hotel Missoni Edinburgh and Maison Moschino in Milan, which opened in 2009 and 2010, respectively. They closed in 2014 and 2015, respectively. She was a fan of both hotels, especially the way Moschino translated its ironic take on fashion into a hip hideaway. Her favorite detail: An Alice in Wonderland-themed room featured a table made from a giant cup. Apparently, not enough guests showed up for the tea party.

So, although theres a strong demand for luxury experiences, Dallabona says, a prestigious label on a hotel wont guarantee success.

Thats probably one of the reasons Fendi is being relatively cautious with its first foray into the hospitality business. Rather than a stand-alone venture, Fendi Private Suites is part of the larger Palazzo Fendi project. And with just seven suites, its probably not even large enough for your average celebrity entourage.



A luxury room inside the Lungarno Collection hotel in Florence. (Daniele Molajoli/Lungarno Collection)

Theres no question that the company knows how to make purses  such as the popular Baguette, so named because it can be tucked under ones arm as easily as a loaf of fresh bread. Running a hotel, however, comes with a different kind of baggage.

Or, rather, luggage.

When my family showed up with our stuff for check-in, we found ourselves gazing through a window at a mannequin in a $2,400 coat. It took a few moments for us to discover the discreet doorway marked Fendi Private Suites, next to a side entrance to the store. Inside was just a small room with a beautiful woman standing behind a desk. She greeted us by name and then sent us on what seemed to be a secret mission.

We should leave our things here, she instructed. Our job was to ride the elevator up to the third floor, where wed be met by another contact with further details on our stay.

As the doors opened on the lobby, I heard soft music thumping and caught a whiff of something pleasant. Perhaps a signature scent? (For Ferragamos pair of Portrait hotels in Florence and Rome, that company developed a sweet fragrance called Vendemmia, which means harvest.)

Beside the reception desk  a marble masterpiece uniting blocks of varying heights, shapes and shades  stood a row of employees who looked as if theyd been transported from Downton Abbey, except in uniforms that belonged on a runway. On other occasions, Id peeked into Florences Portrait hotel and the Armani Hotel Milano and noticed that their staffs were impeccably turned out in designer threads. The Fendi look is undeniably edgier.



Todd Oldham designed the Hotel of South Beach in Miami. (The Hotel of South Beach)

It was tough not to stare at the maid, whose bright gold sleeve cuffs popped from her mostly black-and-white ensemble. And she wore clogs adorned with a quirky Fendi motif, a string of triangles resembling a row of chomping teeth. I somehow managed to turn my attention to a woman in a navy-blue jacket with white piping who seemed ready to command a chic spaceship. But first, she got us our room key.

Although there are just a few suites, the hotel sprawls across an entire floor of the palazzo, so we crossed through two communal lounge areas on the way to our room. One features a fireplace, a fuzzy gray couch made of connected blobs and a display case showing off a purse with red paint dripping from it. The other has lights dangling from the ceiling on leather straps, a trio of pointy black cones in lieu of an end table and an impressive art book collection.

I was prepared for something equally wacky, yet tasteful, inside our room. Instead, I was blown away by how tame the place was. The interior was dominated by calming neutral tones and appeared to be functional as much as fashionable. Fendi labels were on pretty much everything, and the available reading material would appeal only to true Fendi-philes. (I tried, and failed, to get into a coffee-table book of bag portraits called Fendi Baguette  and a four-volume series, Metamorphoses of an American, by legendary Fendi creative director Karl Lagerfeld.) Still, the place doesnt scream showroom.

To my left was a bank of gray doors that floated off the floor and were surrounded by a soft glow. Thats where we found the closet (with an empty Fendi shopping bag hanging inside, naturally), the safe and the marble-topped mini-bar.

Straight ahead was the bathroom, where that same brownish-red Lepanto marble graced the double vanity and the I-could-get-lost-in-here shower. The dark color provided a bold backdrop for the gleaming white of the soaking tub, the fluffy Fendi towels and the Diptyque toiletries.



Fendi Private Suites in Rome is a hotel with just seven rooms that began welcoming guests in December. ( /Fendi Private Suites)

We opted to head right, to take a rest on the leather couch and crimson velvet armchair in the seating area and to peruse the goodies that greeted us on the desk: a plate of candied dates, a bottle of water, a map of Rome and an iPad loaded with our room guide.

Heres what we learned: The lighting system is fully adjustable, so you can decide how bright or dim to make various fixtures. This includes the niche above the bed occupied by the Fendi fur tablet, a framed collage of dyed pelt thats a reminder of the companys core business. The sheets are a twisted and mercerized Mako cotton satin-feel fabric, although linen is available on request. And the Menu Guanciali (a.k.a. Pillows Menu) allows guests to choose from six styles offering various benefits. Thats right  its your call whether to go for utmost comfort or one of a kind rest.

At that point, I noticed it wasnt only my head that was spinning. My husband had figured out that the flat-screen TV  which comes mounted in the middle of a glass room divider  can swivel to face either the couch or the bed.

We switched it on and were soon engrossed in the Fendi channel, which shows a mesmerizing cartoon on a loop. Set to a soundtrack of flowing water, a series of squiggly line drawings depict scenes from Rome, including Palazzo Fendi, cobblestone streets and various fountains.

Thats a not-so-subtle way of reminding visitors that Fendi is also taking part in another Italian fashion trend: paying for monumental renovation projects. Prada and Versace collaborated to spruce up Milans Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II before Expo 2015. In Rome, Bulgari is funding a fix of the Spanish Steps, while shoemaker Tods is taking on the Colosseum.



Fendi Private Suites is part of Palazzo Fendi, the fashion houses flashy new flagship, which also features the brands largest store in the world, a VIP area for big spenders and a Japanese restaurant imported from London. (Fendi Private Suites)

Fendis contribution was more than $2 million for a restoration of the Trevi Fountain, a 250-year-old landmark that had begun crumbling. It reopened in November, so it seemed like a fitting first stop for our family once we ventured out of the palazzo.

As we made our way back past the fuzzy blob couch, we had our only encounter with another guest. Her age was indeterminable, partially because she had sunglasses on indoors. But it was also because she sashayed way too quickly for me to get a look at anything other than the backs of her silver boots.

My guess? She had some very important shopping to do. Probably most of the folks booking rooms at Fendi Private Suites think a lot about their wardrobes. Its not a requirement, though. Even my husband  who actually asked me, Why did a former D.C. mayor open this hotel?  immediately felt at ease, which I suspect is by design. There must be plenty of people who would never consider dropping $650 on a leather iPhone cover but would gladly accept that price for a memorable night at a hotel. (Which is about what you can expect to pay for a room here.)

Its much cheaper, however, to take a walk down the bustling Via del Corso, which leads south from the hotel. Within a few minutes, we could hear gushing water pouring from the Trevi Fountain. When it came into view, there stood the imposing statue of Neptune, surveying the crowd of selfie-stick-wielding tourists below him. My husband and I agreed that the gods outfit  a crumpled sheet made from stone  has to be the most impressive thing Fendi has ever put its label on.

Hallett is a freelance writer living in Florence.

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A high-level leader in the Prince Georges County school system has emerged as a contender for the top job in Nashvilles public schools.

Shawn Joseph, deputy superintendent for teaching and learning in Prince Georges County, Md., is one of six candidates in the running to become director of the 86,000-student Nashville school system.

Nashvilles school board held interviews with each candidate Thursday in sessions that were live-streamed for public viewing. The board is expected to meet Friday to narrow the field to a smaller group that will return next week for second interviews and community meetings, said spokesman Joe Bass.

A board decision is expected at a meeting May 13.

Joseph has been a deputy superintendent for two years in the 129,000-student Prince Georges school district. He served from 2012 to 2014 as superintendent of the far-smaller Seaford, Del., school system and had a long career as a teacher, principal and administrator in Montgomery Countys public schools.

Kevin Maxwell, chief executive of the Prince Georges school system, described Joseph on Thursday as instrumental to district efforts to raise expectations and improve achievement.

Over the past two years, we have seen improvement in graduation rates, kindergarten readiness, and literacy performance, he said in a statement. Dr. Joseph is a proven leader, and we support his decision to explore new opportunities to serve children. Any district would be lucky to have him leading their schools.

Joseph, in turn, issued a statement saying that Maxwells tutelage, care, and support have prepared me to lead a complex, large urban school system like Metro Nashville Public Schools.

Joseph also is a candidate for the top job in the school district that includes Greensboro, N.C., according to a report by Nashville Public Radio.

Reached through Prince Georges school officials, Joseph did not comment in detail on the North Carolina possibility, saying in a statement: Right now I am a candidate for Nashville.

In Maryland, Montgomery County recently conducted a superintendent search, and Josephs name was offered by multiple staff and community members as a good fit for the job, according to several close to the process. It is unclear whether he applied.

The Montgomery school board in February chose Jack Smith, who is currently interim state superintendent of schools. He starts in Montgomery on July 1.

[Interim state superintendent Jack Smith to lead Montgomery schools]

Josephs career started in Montgomery County shortly after he earned a degree in 1996 from Lincoln University, according to a resume posted online for the Nashville job.

He was director of school performance from 2009 to 2012 and before that a principal at Roberto Clemente Middle School in Germantown.

Earlier, he was an assistant principal at Redland Middle School in Derwood and worked as an English teacher, reading specialist and team leader at Clemente. He wrote a book guiding principals in their first 100 days of the school year, which Prince Georges officials said is widely used across the country.

The Nashville search process marks that school systems second round of looking for a new leader. Last year, the candidate selected by the board pulled out unexpectedly just before he signed a contract, officials said.
Burning buildings, lethal smoke, harrowing rescues  our countrys firefighters brave it all. But too many of them cant seem to handle something far less difficult: working side-by-side with women.

We saw this in stark relief last month when Fairfax County firefighter Nicole Mittendorff hanged herself in Virginias Shenandoah mountains and her department launched an investigation into a series of lurid, degrading posts allegedly written by her co-workers in an online forum.

At a news conference last week, Fairfax Fire Chief Richard Bowers asked the website to remove the anonymous posts about Mittendorff. He promised he would create a task force to examine the departments environment for discrimination, harassment and bullying. There are 165 women firefighters out of 1,400, he said, and they are entitled to a safe, respectful work environment. He said he would continue to hold  and have held  people accountable for any proven violation.

[Was a firefighter humiliated by co-workers online before she killed herself?]

But not only are there too many firefighters across the country who act like middle-schoolers, there are also far too many leaders who tolerate it.

Last year, a female firefighter in Albuquerque, N.M., was awarded $183,000 for enduring years of sexual harassment from co-workers, including being grabbed and spied on in the shower. Once, she was asleep on a couch when she woke up and found a colleague standing over her, exposing his genitals.

And the fire department knew about it, her attorney told the Albuquerque Journal.

A female firefighter at an Ohio firehouse not far from Cleveland alleged in a 2015 lawsuit that she kept finding semen squirted on her bunk, urine replacing shampoo in her bottle, holes cut into her clothing and the screws loosened on her mask, so that it fell apart when she put it on at a fire scene.

Last year a Tampa Fire Rescue personnel chief, known in his department as Uncle Touchy, retired amid accusations that he had tried to kiss a female firefighter in an elevator, along with hugging her and making inappropriate comments.

In Fairfax, the problem is acute, according to Ellen Renaud, an attorney who has been representing female firefighters in sexual harassment cases for the past eight years.

From what I have seen, sex-based harassment happens to nearly every woman who works for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Renaud said. Most cope with it, in one way or another. Unfortunately, a go-along-and-get-along response to sexual harassment sometimes results in an escalation of an already bad situation.

Five years ago, a federal jury awarded one of her clients, Mary Getts Bland, $250,000 after finding that the department knew about and tolerated a male lieutenants sexual harassment.

[Fairfax fire department tolerated sexual harassment, jury rules]

Bland is now retired, but she said in her lawsuit and in court testimony that she was targeted from the moment she started working in 2001.

Do you enjoy having sex with more than one partner? she was asked by the lieutenant who recruited her into the department. And, Do you like to be watched while you masturbate?

Years later, the same guy, Lt. Timothy D. Young, walked past her at a fire scene carrying a long pike pole and told her this looks like it would hurt, her lawsuit said.

When Bland finally complained, Young was given a written reprimand, ordered to stay away from her and reassigned to a different part of the county. But he wound up being accused by another female firefighter in a lawsuit of making inappropriate comments to her, as well. That case was settled out of court, according to court documents that do not disclose the terms.

Is Fairfax a better place for women now? Well, just a week after Mittendorffs funeral, Renaud said she is about to file yet another lawsuit on behalf of another Fairfax female firefighter.

Of course, women still face harassment in workplaces everywhere. But heres why its especially scary in Americas firehouses: First responders have intimate contact with us when we are at our most vulnerable.

The guy who graphically describes the nether regions of his female colleagues online  do you want him cutting away your nightgown when youve been burned by a fire?

The battalion chief who makes it a game to sleep with as many female recruits as possible  you want him in charge when your teenage daughter is in a horrible accident?

In Mittendorffs community, the loss of public trust in the fire department is palpable.

Is there an option to call another department if you are a women in NoVa? one woman asked on the Fairfax fire departments Facebook page.

How could anyone in Fairfax County, VA ever want the FD to come to their aid in a most vulnerable state? another resident asked. If I am hurt in my home, how do I know that the people who come to help me are not going to discuss me, my health, my body?

Mistreating women in the workforce is about more than suppressing dirty jokes. Its about character, respect and trust.

Retired Fairfax firefighter Eric Lamar, a former union president, has been crusading to restore that trust on his Turnout Blog, asking the departments leaders to both acknowledge and stop predatory sexual behavior.

Fairfax firefighter Michael Mohler, a former union president who joined the department 40 years ago, said Mittendorffs death could fuel a transformation of the culture.

I want this to be that moment. The one that people look back on, said Mohler, who has twin daughters who are Mittendorffs age.

This week, he said he drove Mittendorffs mom to the spot in the Shenandoah Mountains where her daughter killed herself. And he promised her, he said, that he would help make change in the department.

Were very good at putting on funerals, he said. Thats not enough.

Twitter: @petulad
Police have identified a homeless pedestrian in a wheelchair killed in a Rockville collision as some raised questions about the safety of the street where he was hit.

Phillip Constantine, 57, was hit at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday while trying to cross the 600 block of East Gude Drive from south to north, Montgomery County Police said. He was hit by a 2011 Toyota Scion xB.

Constantine died of his injuries at a hospital early Sunday.

Constantine was hit outside one of the shelters run by the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH), where he was a longtime resident.

It was devastating for us, said Susie Sinclair-Smith, MCCHs executive director. He was someone who had been with us for a long time.

Sinclair-Smith said that the MCCH has often complained of problems at the crossing of East Gude Drive where Constantine was struck. The crossing has a yellow blinking light that turns into a red blinking light when pedestrians press a button, she said.

For years weve been advocating for a full-service stoplight there, Sinclair-Smith said. Cars tend to be speeding along the road, and theres a major concern they dont have the opportunity to stop.

Last year a Montgomery County Department of Transportation road safety audit of East Gude Drive that MCCH participated in identified problems with the area in front of the shelter.

The majority of pedestrian-related crashes involved pedestrians believed to be clients of the shelters; including one fatality that occurred along eastbound East Gude Drive near Southlawn Lane, the report read. The crashes involving shelter clients tended to be clustered at times that correspond to transition hours when clients are coming from or going to the shelters, based on daily scheduled breakfast, dinner, and curfew times.

The report suggested possibly coordinating with the shelters to implement a pedestrian safety program for its clients.

This could include coordination with individuals from the Street Smart safety program to distribute pamphlets, retroreflective materials, and display posters, the report said.

Sinclair-Smith, who said another accident Monday near the shelter sent two people to the hospital on Wednesday, said a full-service stoplight would be more appropriate. Though transportation personnel talked to residents about the crossing and provided reflective vests, the population MCCH serves is transient and not necessarily able to hold onto them.

We did get reflective vests, and weve certainly talked to our clients about it, she said. But I think theyre not as effective as changing a light because people need to cross the street.

Police said the circumstances of the accident  including whether Constantine was in or near the crosswalk and what color the traffic light signal was showing at the time  are under investigation by the departments Collision Reconstruction Unit. No charges have been filed.

Anyone with information regarding the accident is asked to contact detectives at 240-773-6620.
A rolling billboard with a message for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan drove by the State House in Annapolis during March. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

A spokesman for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said Thursday that the governor still has no plans to endorse a Republican presidential hopeful, with billionaire Donald Trump the only candidate left in a once-crowded field.

The departures from the race this week of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have not changed the position that Hogan articulated in a news conference Friday, said spokesman Doug Mayer.

I said I was not going to get involved, and I would not endorse any candidate and that I was going to stay focused on Maryland, Hogan, a popular Republican in a strongly Democratic state, told reporters. And Im not going to take any more stupid questions about Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, the Democratic Governors Association tagged Hogan as part of the Silent 9, a group of Republican governors it says have refused to say whether they will support Trump. The label is the latest attempt by Democrats to try to force uncommitted Republicans to take a stance on the controversial presumptive nominee.

[Md. Gov. Hogan says he might not support Trump as nominee]

Governor Larry Hogan (R-Md.) (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Hogan did not address the issue Thursday during an appearance at a National Day of Prayer breakfast at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, speaking instead about his recent battle with cancer.

But his deputy, Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford (R), said in an interview that he would not be backing Trump, who easily won the states April 26 primary.

Im not going to endorse him, Rutherford said. Hes not my choice at all.

Other prominent Maryland Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Andy Harris and state House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga, who is a U.S. Senate candidate, have said they plan to support the Republican presidential nominee.

Hogan waded into the bitter Republican primary contest early, endorsing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a close friend. In February, after Christie dropped out and became one of the first establishment Republicans to support Trump, Hogan was inundated with questions about whether he would follow suit. He responded that he was completely disgusted with national politics in both parties, Democrats and Republicans, and had no plans to endorse any candidate.

But as Trump continued to pile up wins, Democrats continued to push the Republican governor.

U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) paid for a mobile anti-Trump billboard to circle the Maryland State House in March. One side asked: Will you support Trump as the Republican nominee? The other side said: Because everyone in Maryland will lose if Trump wins.

[This Md. congressman really wants Gov. Hogan to take a stand on Trump]

The other elected officials that the Democratic Governors Association identified among the silent 9 are Kasich, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple, South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.

Sandoval has said he plans to vote for Trump even though he disagrees with him on some issues.

Democrats have accused Trump of promoting discrimination, particularly with his comments about illegal immigrants, Muslim refugees and women. But Rutherford, an African American, didnt comment on the Republican front-runners morals Thursday, instead criticizing him for not detailing how he plans to fulfill his promises.

Ive never heard how hes going to do these things he says hes going to do, the lieutenant governor said. Saying just believe me and trust me doesnt work for me.

At the prayer breakfast, Hogan grew emotional as he talked about the role faith played during his battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Prayer and my faith in God helped me understand that I would never be alone, Hogan told the audience of about 100 people in a conference room at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Amazingly, it wasnt just my prayers, but thousands of prayers from friends and family, from many of you in this room, and from countless people all across the state, across the country and even from around the world.
Robert F. Bennett, a business executive and three-term senator who epitomized Utahs Republican establishment and became in 2010 the first high-profile political casualty of an anti-Washington fervor surging through his party, died May 4 at his home in Arlington, Va. He was 82.

The cause was complications from pancreatic cancer and a stroke, Bennett assistant Tara Tanner announced.

The Bennett family has long been at the center of Utahs political, religious and business elite. Mr. Bennetts father, Wallace, was a U.S. senator from 1951 to 1974, and his maternal grandfather, as well as his wifes grandfather, were presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mr. Bennett had a lucrative career in corporate management, notably as chief executive of the start-up Franklin Institute, a time management company that holds seminars and makes best-selling day planners.

He stepped down in 1991 from the company, now known as Franklin Covey, with a reported net worth of more than $25 million, and with his eye on the open Senate seat once held by his father. Mr. Bennett, who was elected in 1992, remained one of the richest members of Congress throughout his 18-year tenure on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Robert Bennett in 2010. (Harry Hamburg/AP)

At 6 feet 6 inches tall, and with a bald pate and protruding ears, Mr. Bennett called attention to his looks in campaign slogans, with one proclaiming: Big Heart. Big Ideas. Big Ears.

Mr. Bennett was a respected and soft-spoken legislative consigliere to Senate leaders including Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and rose to prominence on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and the powerful Appropriations Committee. He sprinkled hundreds of millions of dollars on home state businesses and projects through spending bill earmarks.

A vigorously free-market conservative, Mr. Bennett opposed measures to regulate corporations and tighten campaign finance rules. He was a party loyalist but won praise from Democrats for his behind-the-scenes pragmatism and diligence on legislation of broad interest.

Most notably, he worked with Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, on a bipartisan attempt to overhaul the health-care insurance system. Their Healthy Americans Act, first proposed in 2007, was an effort to marry the Democrats wish for universal coverage with the GOPs emphasis on consumer choice and market forces.

The act drew many admirers but did not reach the floor for a vote. However, one of the Wyden-Bennett provisions involving flexibility for states carrying out a universal health care mandate was included in the Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama in 2010.

Mr. Bennett opposed the Affordable Care Act, citing the excessive spending he said it would require. I cared about the details because I looked at the accounting, he told NPR. I looked at the cost, I look at the devastation it would incur on states and the impact it would have on Medicare and all of the other things that were wrong with it.

As he prepared to seek a fourth term, he found himself out of favor with hard-right activists in his party who demanded more than opposition to Obamacare.

Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, in 2010. (Steve C Wilson/AP)

With the economy still reeling from the 2008 recession, anti-tax crusaders and conservative broadcasters such as Glenn Beck fingered Mr. Bennett as a symbol of big government and fiscal irresponsibility and rallied the grassroots to boot him and other incumbents from office.

They pointed in particular to Mr. Bennetts work with Wyden on compulsory health care and his vote in favor of the Troubled Assets Relief Program bill in 2008. Known as TARP, the measure extended a $700 billion lifeline to banks as well as insurance and auto companies after the economic meltdown.

Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., among others, said the bill was urgently needed to prevent worldwide economic collapse, and President George W. Bush signed it into law. TARPs spending authority was later reduced to $475 billion and, by some accounts, ultimately turned a profit for the government.

But many voters perceived TARP as a bailout for reckless Wall Street plutocrats at a time when average taxpayers were suffering more.

Mr. Bennett, who had broken a promise to serve no more than two terms, also suffered from an impression among voters that he was too preoccupied with wonkish legislative endeavors and insufficiently attentive to constituent needs.

In 2006, Utah veterans groups blamed him for the failure by one vote in the Senate of a proposed constitutional amendment enabling Congress to ban desecration of the American flag. Mr. Bennett had opposed the measure on the grounds that the offense was not so prevalent as to merit a change in the Constitution.

Mr. Bennetts upset in 2010 was made possible in part by a quirk in the Utah nominating system, which requires delegates to bestow their blessing at a convention before the primary. At the convention, Mr. Bennett was jeered as Bailout Bob and a RINO  Republican in Name Only  and came in third among eight contenders.

His defeat made him a harbinger of political losses to come. Sen. Richard G. Lugar, a six-term Indiana Republican and foreign policy eminence, also was felled in a primary two years later by tea party outrage.

The political world changed underneath Bob Bennetts feet, Norman J. Ornstein, an American Enterprise Institute congressional scholar, said in an interview.

He was a creature of an era that had passed, especially for the Republican Party, Ornstein said. He had sterling conservative credentials but believed in compromise where you wanted to get things done, and he believed in the institution of Congress. Those were once badges of honor, but they became black marks for activist, radical conservatives.

Mr. Bennett was succeeded in the Senate by Mike Lee, a Republican lawyer who helped lead the 2013 government shutdown protesting the funding of Obamas health-care law. To avoid Mr. Bennetts political fate, Utahs senior senator, Orrin G. Hatch (R), began actively courting tea party activists and won reelection to a seventh term in 2012.

Early time in Washington

Robert Foster Bennett was born in Salt Lake City on Sept. 18, 1933. He graduated from the University of Utah in 1957 with a bachelors degree in political science and served as the student body president.

He went to Washington in 1962 and, among other jobs, was an administrative assistant to his father. In 1969, President Richard M. Nixon named Mr. Bennett the Transportation Departments chief congressional liaison.

In 1971, he bought Robert R. Mullen Co., a public relations firm that seemed to be a conspiracy theorists dream: It served as a front for CIA personnel, employed the Watergate conspirator E. Howard Hunt as a writer and helped represent the political interests of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes.

Mr. Bennett alerted Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward to Hunts CIA background, a critical early step in unraveling the maze of illegal activity that led directly to the Nixon White House.

It also was revealed that Mr. Bennett secretly organized dozens of dummy committees to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars from business interests, notably the dairy farmers lobby, to Nixons 1972 reelection campaign. This arrangement was legal at the time, and Mr. Bennett was never accused of wrongdoing in any matter connected to Watergate.

Nevertheless, congressional and media scrutiny caused Mullen to fold, and Mr. Bennett soon left for the West Coast to work for Hughes. In the early 1980s, he ran Microsonics Corp., a manufacturer of audio discs for talking toys. The 1992 retirement of Sen. Jake Garn (R), who had been his fathers handpicked successor, propelled Mr. Bennetts interest in political office.

In 1962, Mr. Bennett married Joyce McKay. Besides his wife, survivors include six children; a brother; a sister; and 20 grandchildren.

After his election loss, Mr. Bennett became a political consultant and lobbyist and lectured at universities in Utah and Washington.

The political atmosphere, obviously, has been toxic and its very clear some of the votes that I have cast have added to the toxic environment, Mr. Bennett told the Salt Lake Tribune after his defeat. Looking back on them  with one or two very minor exceptions  I wouldnt have cast any of them any differently even if Id known at the time it would cost me my career because I have always done the best I can to cast the vote that I think is best for the state and best for the country.
Obituaries of residents from the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Ann Kelly, teacher, volunteer

Ann Kelly, 89, a chemistry teacher at Georgetown Preparatory School from 1968 to 1978 who then spent a decade working at Georgetown Universitys Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, died May 2 at her home in Bethesda, Md. The cause was a stroke, said a daughter, Adrianne Kelly.

Mrs. Kelly was born Ann Gillespie in Istanbul, where her father was the U.S. commercial attache, and she grew up in Washington. During World War II, she trained at the old Doctors Hospital in Washington with the Junior Army-Navy Guild Organization, which taught her practical nursing skills.

She spent much of her career in education, including teaching chemistry at Gonzaga College High School from 1962 to 1968 and later chairing the science department at Georgetown Prep. She volunteered at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington from 1990 to 2010. She was a past national board member of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America and a past D.C. board member of the Visiting Nurse Association.

Robert J. Frank, patent lawyer

Robert J. Frank, 91, a patent lawyer with the Washington firm of Spencer and Kaye, later Spencer and Frank, for four decades, died March 26 at an assisted living center in Bethesda, Md. The cause was cerebrovascular disease, said a daughter-in-law, Jackie Frank.

Mr. Frank, a former Kensington, Md., resident, was born in New York City. He was trained in electrical engineering and law and was an engineer and patent lawyer for GTE in New York before beginning his legal work in Washington in 1971. Spencer and Frank joined Venable LLP in 1998. After his retirement at 86, Mr. Frank provided free legal services to elderly renters through AARP.

Patricia M. Lee, model, real estate broker

Patricia M. Lee, 89, a onetime department-store model who later became a real estate broker in Northern Virginia and Washington, died Jan. 25 at a hospital in Washington. The cause was respiratory failure said a daughter, Jane Webster.

Mrs. Lee was born Patricia Moore in Washington and was a model at Garfinckels Department Store in the 1940s and 1950s. She began her career as a real estate agent in the 1950s and worked with several companies before joining Long & Foster in Fairfax County, Va., in 1968. She retired from the company in 1979 and lived in Maine before returning to Washington in 2008.

Arthur Kaufman, physician

Arthur Kaufman, 81, a physician and medical consultant, adviser and analyst who since 1986 had worked with several organizations including Silver Spring, Md.-based Birch & Davis Associates, where he was medical director, died April 2 at a hospital in Olney, Md. The cause was lung cancer, said a son, Ian R. Kaufman.

Dr. Kaufman, a Silver Spring resident, was born in Jersey City. In 1968, he joined a group medical practice in Greenbelt, Md. He later served for nine years as a vice president at Prince Georges General Hospital (now Prince Georges Hospital Center) directing and managing quality assurance. With Birch & Davis, he developed a program to improve patient care at Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities nationwide.

Bernard M. Hollander, antitrust lawyer

Bernard M. Hollander, 100, a lawyer who practiced 59 years with the Justice Department and served as lead counsel in many cases, died April 3 at a nursing home in Bethesda, Md. The cause was congestive heart failure, said his son, Jonathan Hollander.

Mr. Hollander, a resident of Chevy Chase, Md., was born in Baltimore. At the Justice Department, his work included cases involving anti-competitive practices and monopolies in major industries, including automobile manufacturing and network television. He retired at 92. He was a former board president of the Community Psychiatric Clinic in Montgomery County, Md., an organization that offered low cost mental health services.

Claire Glassie Scrivener, church, country club member

Claire Glassie Scrivener, 100, a parishioner of the Catholic Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington and a member of the Chevy Chase Club and Columbia Country Club, both in Montgomery County, Md., died April 30 at a retirement community in Chevy Chase, Md. The cause was complications from a stroke, said a son, John Glassie.

Mrs. Scrivener was born Claire Buhr in Marion, Wis., settled in the Washington area in the early 1940s and was predominately a homemaker.

 From staff reports
Decades ago, several hundred hemlock trees stood in a section of Patapsco Valley State Park around Cascade Falls along the Patapsco River near Elkridge. Today they barely number 100.

Similar losses have hit forests from Georgia to Maine in recent decades as an invasive insect has feasted on hemlock sap. The thinning numbers are a significant loss for the ecosystem because the towering evergreens provide habitat for nearly 1,000 types of creatures  hundreds more than other trees do  from birds to microscopic invertebrates.

But an effort to restore hemlock groves in Maryland is under way. More than 200 hemlock seedlings will be planted in the Patapsco Valley this month, along with an additional 280 in Western Maryland. Hundreds more will come over the next several years through a serendipitous partnership with Pennsylvania.

Conservationists are working to move past the invasion of the hemlock woolly adelgid, a tiny insect from Japan blamed for the hemlock decline, now that they know how to protect the trees by treating them with pesticides and unleashing beetles that prey upon the adelgids.

The adelgids first appeared in the eastern United States in Virginia in the 1950s, spreading to states up and down the Appalachian Mountains in the following decades. In many areas, they devastated populations of eastern and Carolina hemlocks, with losses of as much as 80 percent to 90 percent in Western Maryland, said Biff Thompson, a forest health technician for the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

The adelgids have no native predator here, but since the early 2000s conservationists have been battling them with beetles the width of a toothpick, imported from China, Japan and the Pacific Coast of the United States.

Maryland officials have spread 50,000 beetles from five species. In many sites, their populations have taken hold and are counteracting the adelgids with no apparent effect on other creatures.

The beetles, combined with pesticides that target the adelgids, appear to keep the adelgids at bay.

I think were proving this is a viable means, Thompson said. Its not a silver bullet.

Progress has prompted Maryland officials to begin the slow process of rebuilding the hemlock forests that have been lost.

Its bottom-of-the-food-chain stuff were trying to protect here, Thompson said. We need to hang onto whats going on here, and what weve lost, we need to restore.

Several hundred hemlock seedlings were planted around Cunningham Falls in Frederick County in 2010 through a tree-planting program of the beverage company Odwalla, at a cost of nearly $100,000.

The state Department of Natural Resources tried to grow hemlock at its nursery on the Eastern Shore, but the trees are more inclined to grow in rocky soil near streams, and the seedlings did not thrive.

By happenstance, though, Thompson learned late last year that a Pennsylvania nursery had 1,500 hemlock seedlings it didnt know what to do with. He called it pure dumb luck.

Environmental officials from the two states struck a deal. In exchange for Pennsylvanias hemlocks, Maryland will provide beetles gathered from its forests to guard restoration projects on the other side of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Within a few years, Pennsylvania will provide hemlocks grown from seeds gathered from cones of Maryland trees.

Cooperation between states dealing with the impacts of the hemlock woolly adelgid is essential to our efforts, said Don Eggen, forest health manager with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, in a statement.

Marylands first 500 seedlings will be divided among Patapsco Valley, Cunningham Falls and Big Run state parks. More are expected over the next few years.

Mature hemlocks are marked by sturdy trunks covered with scaly bark, and spindle-like branches bearing short, soft needles. They tend to grow slowly in the shade but can sprout rapidly in sunlight. Within half a century, their trunks can reach a thickness of 10 to 14 inches and they can grow to heights of 60 to 80 feet.

Members of the Maryland Conservation Corps, a natural resource management initiative that is part of the public service AmeriCorps program, planted a dozen hemlocks Tuesday along a stream flowing into the Patapsco. The seedlings, resembling bunches of rosemary, are placed in wide, shallow holes  along with tablets of pesticides that will protect them for at least the next five years. Metal cages are placed around them to keep hungry deer away.

Corps members said they have learned what the species likes  the rocky soil of slopes lining stream and river valleys.

Its incredible how resilient they are, said Cinthia Myers, who recalled seeing a hemlock thriving on a rocky cliff at Swallow Falls in Garrett County.

Volunteers are scheduled to plant the rest of the trees on May 14. Groups such as Patapsco Heritage Greenway are eager to protect endangered trees after seeing the effect of an invasion of an insect known as the emerald ash borer on local ash tree populations in recent years. They hope to prevent devastation like that experienced by American chestnut trees in the early 1900s.

Any time you have native trees, were always concerned about it whenever some kind of blight or insects are attacking them, said Betsy McMillion, the groups director of environmental programs. Once theyre gone, its just really hard to restore them again.

Historically, hemlock trees have been valued for the tannic acid their bark contains, used in treating leather, and for their lumber, said Todd Berman, president of the Maryland Forests Association.

Its important to preserve that for future generations, he said.

While state officials estimate Maryland has about 42,000 acres of hemlock forest habitat, in some forests they represent less than 1 percent of trees. However, the species is not valued as much for its footprint as for its impact.

Hemlocks can be home to some 970 species of organisms, compared to about 460 species in the white pine, the tree with the second-most diversity, Thompson said.

They help feed the rest of the area with the diversity they have in them, he said.

 Baltimore Sun
Authorities are investigating what appeared to be a domestic-related shooting Thursday afternoon at a Maryland high school. Two people were shot, one fatally at High Point high school in Beltsville. (WUSA9)

Authorities are investigating what appeared to be a domestic-related shooting Thursday afternoon at a Maryland high school. Two people were shot, one fatally at High Point high school in Beltsville. (WUSA9)

A woman was killed by her estranged husband and a male bystander wounded in a shooting Thursday in the parking lot of High Point High School in Beltsville, Md., in a domestic incident, police said.

The male assailant remained at large Thursday evening after the shooting, which occurred about 4:40 p.m. as the woman was picking up her children from school, said Prince Georges County Police Chief Henry P. Stawinski III.

Police identified the suspected shooter as Eulalio Tordil, 62, and the woman who was fatally wounded as Gladys Tordil, 44. Eulalio Tordil, of the 1800 block of Metzerott Road in Adelphi, is an employee of the Federal Protective Service, police said.

Police allege that Tordil followed his wife into the school lot and got out of his car to confront her as she sat in her SUV. A male bystander seeing the confrontation moved to intervene, but as he approached, the shooter fired several times at him, police said. The bystander, who has not been identified by police, suffered a shoulder injury that appeared not to be life-threatening, the police chief said during a news conference.

Police said Tordil then fired an unknown number of shots and hit his estranged wife, killing her. He fled the scene in a vehicle.

1 of 13 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Photos from the scene of shooting at Beltsville, Md. high school View Photos Prince Georges County police said the shooting at High Point High School, which left a woman dead and a man injured, appeared to be domestic-related. Caption Prince Georges County police said the shooting at High Point High School, which left a woman dead and a man injured, appeared to be domestic-related. May 5, 2016 Parents and relatives gathered outside the High Point High School cafeteria in Beltsville, Md., to pick up students in the wake of a shooting that left one person dead and one wounded. Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

At no point was this an active shooter inside the school, Stawinski said.

He said police had not recovered a weapon. Police did not immediately release information about what prompted the shooting.

The incident was captured by school surveillance cameras and was witnessed by adults and possibly students at the school, Stawinski said.

Kevin Maxwell, chief executive of the Prince Georges school system, said at the news conference that classes had been over for about two hours when the shooting occurred, but some students and teachers remained inside as a precaution and were later permitted to leave the building. No students were harmed, schools officials said.

Mark Brady, the Prince Georges Fire Department spokesman, said in a voice-mail message that the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sherrie Johnson, Prince Georges schools spokeswoman, said that dismissal at High Point was at 2:25 p.m. but that some students stayed later for after-school programs.

Shortly after the gunfire, a crowd gathered across the street from the high school. Among those gathering were people worried about friends and relatives who still were in the school.

Police named Eulalio Tordil, 62, in connection with the shooting death of his estranged wife in a school parking lot in Beltsville on May 5, 2016. (Prince George's County Police Department)

Chris Barber, a 2007 graduate of High Point, lives in the area and rushed over when he heard news of the shooting.

I came to check on my friends little brother, Barber said. I wanted to make sure he was safe.

Word that the victims were adults and not students was not a relief. Regardless of who it is someone was shot and killed, Barber said.

Police were asking anyone who knows the whereabouts of Eulalio Tordil to call 911.

Hamil R. Harris contributed to this report.
The Silver Spring, Md., man searched popular online dating sites, posing as someone looking for love, prosecutors said. There were emails and instant messages that led to phone calls and texts as he courted potential partners.

But prosecutors said that once the man gained a persons trust, he used the promise of romantic relationships to obtain money  more than $600,000 over two years.

A federal jury this week convicted Evans Appiah, 27, on charges of wire and mail fraud, conspiracy and aggravated identify theft related to what authorities described as an Internet romance scheme with at least seven men and women.

In a six-day trial at the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, prosecutors said Appiah looked through online dating websites to initiate the relationships, including with victims in Wisconsin, California and Florida. Once he had their trust, prosecutors said, Appiah would ask for money.

Appiah and his co-conspirators often pitched false stories and promises to convince the victims to send them money, according to a statement from the office of Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein, which has prosecuted a series of similar cases.

Four victims testified at trial, including a recently divorced high school guidance counselor. She paid Appiah $160,000, prosecutors said, for what he told her were emergency travel and health situations. Appiah had told the woman he was in love with her and would help raise her children, prosecutors said.

Appiah created 10 bank accounts to receive the funds, authorities said, and in some cases used the money to make purchases that he then shipped to others outside the United States.

In one instance, prosecutors said, Appiah used the name and other identity information of a victim as he deposited the victims cashiers check into his own bank account.

The scheme Appiah ran lasted from December 2013 to June 2015.

Appiahs attorney, Michael Rothman, declined to comment Thursday because his client faces sentencing in August. Appiah was taken into custody after the verdict on Wednesday and faces up to 20 years in prison on some of the charges.
This undated photo provided by the Blacksburg Police Department shows Virginia Tech student David Eisenhauer, who was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Nicole Madison Lovell. (Blackburg Police Department/Via Associated Press)

Police say a Virginia Tech freshman charged in the January death of a middle-school girl texted a man saying he needed a place to hide a body, according to a search warrant filed in late April.

Engineering student David Eisenhauer, 19, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Nicole Lovell, 13, who lived close to the Blacksburg campus, in a case that has shocked and puzzled the rural college town. Eisenhauers classmate, 19-year-old Natalie Marie Keepers, is also charged with accessory before the fact.

[Prosecutor: Va. Tech freshman said she was excited to be part of something secretive]

Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt said during a February court hearing that the pair hatched a plan to kill Nicole, who met Eisenhauer online and told a friend she dreamed of running away with him. Pettitt said Eisenhauer lured the girl from her home on a cold January night and drove to a wooded area, where he stabbed her to death. Keepers and Eisenhauer then loaded Nicole into a car and drove to North Carolina, where they dumped her body just over the state line, according to Pettitt and police. Nicoles body was found Jan. 30.

In a search warrant, Blacksburg police sought to obtain the iPhone of a man who lives about 40 minutes west of Blacksburg in Pulaski, Va., saying they had found text conversations between Eisenhauers phone and the mans phone. In one message, police said Eisenhauer wrote to the man saying that he needed a place to hide a body near you. In another message, police said, Eisenhauer wrote, original plan failed. Police said in the warrant they thought both messages were related to the girls killing.

Attorneys for Eisenhauer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for May 20.


Three-year-old Beckett Podominick, is seen playing in the Washington area. (family photo)

Erin TePaske rarely spent a moment away from her young son, but last Mothers Day, the single mother took a few minutes for herself. As she strolled through a park on that warm afternoon, her phone buzzed to life. The frantic caller said something had happened to 3-year-old Beckett.

TePaske raced a wailing ambulance to her home in Vienna, Va. The man who had been watching Beckett told her that the boy had fallen and hit his head in the back yard.

Medics wheeled Beckett to the ambulance as TePaske called out to him but got no response. TePaske sensed that he would never recover.

Beckett Podominick had suffered a massive skull fracture. Two days later, he was removed from a respirator at the hospital.

I held his little body for an hour and a half until he took his last breath, TePaske said.

She never doubted that her sons death was a freak accident. But she knew others would.

The man caring for Beckett was Kenneth Bartley, 24, who, as a troubled teen in 2005, opened fire at his Tennessee school. He killed an administrator and wounded two others.

TePaske, 39, met Bartley soon after the shooting through her work as a youth counselor at a juvenile detention center. After he served his sentence, she volunteered to take him into her home to guide his reentry into a world he had never known as an adult. She was convinced he could be redeemed.

Ive had many kids come through my door, TePaske said. You recognize when one has something special. Someone who has never been given the chance to be who they can be. You could see glimpses of it with Kenneth.

TePaske had gotten to know him and trusted him implicitly. She said she never saw him exhibit any sign of violence toward Beckett.



Matthew Podominick and his son, Beckett. (Family photo)

Three year-old Beckett Podominick is seen sitting at a desk. (Family photo)

But Becketts father, who lives in Tennessee, said it was folly to invite a convicted killer into the same home as a young child. Matthew Podominick and TePaske had split up before Becketts death.

Podominick has written to the governors of Tennessee and Virginia accusing Bartley of having a role in his sons death and urging the officials to intervene in the criminal probe, which will reach its one-year anniversary on Tuesday.

It is now obvious to me that [TePaske] put her love for Kenny Bartley over our sons safety and well-being, Podominick wrote in an email.

The nature of TePaske and Bartleys relationship remains unclear. A forensic report on the case lists him as her boyfriend, but the source of that information is not listed. TePaske said they had no romantic relationship.

The Vienna police have not charged Bartley in the case. He denied repeated requests for comment, and his attorney did not return calls. He is being held in jail in Tennessee on probation violations.

Two grieving parents are waiting for a cloud to clear, but for different reasons. Matthew Podominick said he wants justice for his son. And Erin TePaske wants to remove the doubt hanging over a man who has faced it for much of his life.

Who is right?

The Washington Post has obtained hundreds of pages of documents related to the investigation of Becketts death and exclusive interviews that provide an extensive overview of the case.

The evidence, which is complicated and sometimes contradictory, raises troubling questions about what happened in TePaskes back yard.

The fall

May 10, 2015, began as a quiet Sunday for TePaske and Beckett, a vivacious kid with a shock of blonde  almost white  hair. The pair and TePaskes parents attended church and had lunch at a McDonalds before TePaske and Beckett returned home to their red brick house, TePaske said.

TePaske had planned to go to the store in the afternoon, but on the spur of the moment, she left Beckett in the care of Bartley and headed to a nearby park she had wanted to explore.

At one point, Bartley texted her to say everything was fine, TePaske said.

Bartley would later tell TePaske that he and Beckett were playing in the back yard when Beckett made a break for the houses back door. Beckett ascended three steps and began pulling on the door handle with all his might, Bartley told TePaske.

The door was locked, so it didnt budge. Then Beckett lost his grip.

The boy flew backward off the steps and hit his head on an area of cement pavers and rocks, according to Bartleys account. Bartley was nearly close enough to catch Beckett but managed only to grab a handful of shirt. Bartley called TePaske.



The steps at Erin TePaske's home, where her son Beckett Podominick reportedly fell and sustained a skull fracture. (Family photo)

The steps at Erin TePaske's home, where her son Beckett Podominick reportedly fell and sustained a skull fracture. (Family photo)

Hes in a panic. He says Beckett has fallen and is not acting right, TePaske recalled. He wont stand up. He wants to sleep.

Bartley called 911 and started CPR, TePaske said. She rushed home.

Knowing that ambulance was coming to get my baby was the worst nightmare, TePaske said.

Doctors at Inova Fairfax Hospital discovered a long fracture from the back of Becketts skull to the top and severe brain swelling. They operated but gave the boy little chance of recovery.

It was gut-wrenching because there were few outward signs of injury, TePaske said. Beckett simply looked like a child who was asleep and would awake at any point. On May 12, she decided to remove him from life support. TePaske and Matthew Podominick, who had arrived by then, said their final goodbyes to their son.

After Becketts death, TePaske said she went to the darkest places with Bartley. Dozens of times, they went over every aspect of what happened that afternoon. She was convinced he was telling the truth.

Still, because her son died in Bartleys care, the case drew intense scrutiny.

Local TV and media outlets from Tennessee reported on the case, and Vienna police opened an investigation. TePaske trusted Bartley, but she knew that the shooting at the Tennessee school a decade earlier would sow seeds of doubt.

The worst day

After most of his classmates had arrived at Campbell County High School on the morning of Nov. 8, 2005, Bartley awoke and began searching for drugs, he would testify at his trial.

The then-14-year-old made an unexpected discovery  a .22 Beretta handgun  in a drawer in his fathers room. It would set off a chain of events so terrible the son would later describe it as the worst day of many peoples lives.



Kenneth Bartley, 14, left, goes to the courtroom with his defense attorney, Wes Hatmaker, in 2006. (Wade Payne/AP)

Campbell County High School, in LaFollette, Tenn., where Kenneth Bartley shot Assistant Principal Ken Bruce and wounded two others. (Wade Payne/For The Washington Post)

Bartley had grown up quickly. His father was an alcoholic, and his parents had divorced when he was in middle school, according to court testimony.

A psychologist who later interviewed Bartley described his parents neglect as so profound that Bartley was basically on his own to survive in an unsafe environment.

A child in this situation becomes neurologically hard-wired to do whatever it takes to survive, the psychologist wrote.

Bartley planned to trade the gun to a neighbor for OxyContin. But once at school, he showed it to fellow students. They alerted a school administrator. Bartley was escorted to a cramped office to talk to Principal Gary Seale and assistant principals Ken Bruce and Jim Pierce.

What happened next depends on who is telling the story. Bartleys trial would turn on the dueling accounts between the surviving administrators and Bartley himself. Was he a cold-blooded killer or a panicked kid?

Seale, who still has a bullet lodged in his body, said Bartley was asked to remove the gun from his pocket.

I said, Kenny, is that real?  Seale said. Kenny said, Ill show you its real. I never liked you anyway. 

Seale said Bartley loaded a clip in the gun and fired two or three shots at him before swiveling to Bruce, who had his arms raised in surrender. Bruce was shot and slid down to the floor with his back against a filing cabinet. Pierce was shot as he wrestled Bartley to the ground.

Six shots were fired in just three seconds. Bruce later died.

Seale said he still doesnt know how he survived. Theres no way somebody aims a gun at your head and misses killing you at that range, he said.

The beginning of a friendship

Bartley had the babyish face of a tween, but he was one of the most infamous people in Tennessee when he walked into a counseling session run by TePaske at the youth center where he was being held after the shooting.

Despite his troubles, Bartley was a poised and eloquent teen, TePaske said, who opened up about the shooting and his difficult life. TePaske, who was getting her masters degree in counseling at the time, said Bartleys case was the type she was drawn to  the difficult ones.

TePaske said the case spurred her to begin working as an activist on juvenile justice issues.

He did a horrible thing, but I also saw the other side of it  how horribly it was handled, TePaske said, referring to the criminal case against Bartley.

Prosecutors decided to try Bartley as an adult on a first-

degree murder charge. TePaske thought that was unfair, given his age at the time of the shooting.

In 2007, as his trial was to begin, Bartley agreed to a plea deal that would have put him behind bars for 45 years. But he then moved to withdraw it, saying that he had not had the opportunity to consult with his parents about the deal and that it was never read to him in full.

A judge eventually tossed the conviction and Bartley was granted a new trial in 2014.



Kenneth Bartley arrives for a hearing on Monday, July 29, 2013, in Jacksboro, Tenn. (J. Miles Cary/AP)

Jo Bruce, the widow of Assistant Principal Ken Bruce, holds his school identification badge and a rosary after a plea deal was announced in the trial of Kenneth Bartley. (Wade Payne/AP)

At trial, Bartley, wearing a blue sweater vest and glasses, testified calmly. He apologized for the shooting repeatedly. He told the jury he had loaded the clip in the gun at home, not in the principals office, and denied making the statement to Seale about not liking him.

He testified he had crushed and snorted Xanax just before being called to the principals office. He described his actions as that of a high and scared teen.

As I cocked the gun, I saw Mr. Pierce swivel in his chair. . . . I thought he was coming at me, Bartley testified. Thats when I fired the first shot. . . . I honestly cant recall the exact sequence of the shots after that.

The verdict stunned the courtroom.

Bartley was acquitted of first-degree murder but found guilty of the lesser charge of reckless homicide. Instead of 45 years behind bars, Bartley walked out of the courthouse that day. He had already served more than enough time to fulfill the sentence.

Seale and others were incredulous. Some sobbed. Others called it a miscarriage of justice.

In an interview after the trial, Bartley said he was not going to waste another chance.

All I want is to be able to go out here and be somebody more than the Campbell County school shooter, Bartley told a Tennessee newspaper. Im trying to make this work. I am going to make this work.

But Bartley quickly got into trouble again, picking up charges for allegedly threatening to kill his father over a set of car keys and becoming belligerent with his mother over a $70 cab fare.

With his options running out in Tennessee, TePaske, who had kept in touch with Bartley, stepped in.

She put together a detailed plan to guide him through counseling, drug rehabilitation and job training. He would live with her in Virginia.

The arrangement was unusual, but Criminal Court Judge E. Shayne Sexton approved it. Frankly, it looked very good on paper, he said.

But after learning of Becketts death, Sexton said he came to regret his decision. When I first found out about what happened, I got one of those cold chills. It was a judges nightmare.

Undetermined death

TePaske said that things went well initially. Bartley had a positive influence on Beckett, she said. Away from Tennessee, Bartley thrived, too, she said.

She taught him to cook and ride the bus. She took him on hiking trips and set up sessions to remove his tattoos so he would look more professional for job interviews. One was a blue line that looked like a crack that snaked across his skull.

Then came Mothers Day 2015. Questions about what happened to Beckett were raised almost immediately.

William Hauda, the medical director of the forensic assessment department at Inova Fairfax Hospital, said he was called while Beckett was still alive to examine a group of about six wounds on the childs head that did not appear to be related to the fall Bartley had described.

Hauda said they looked like marks from something with two prongs, although he could not be sure what caused them.

That troubled me, Hauda said.

In July 2015, the Virginia medical examiner ruled that Beckett died of blunt-force head trauma, but there was not enough evidence to determine whether the death was an accident or homicide. The ruling was undetermined.



Matthew Podominick, father of 3-year-old Beckett, poses for a portrait holding a photo of the two them. (Wade Payne/For The Washington Post)

In October, new revelations would forever change the way Matthew Podominick viewed what happened to his son. Fairfax County Child Protective Services wrapped up its investigation into Becketts death with a stunning conclusion: He had been abused.

I collapsed on the floor, Podominick wrote in an email about learning the results. I wept. I was so sad, furious, beyond angry, mad, confused, devastated.

Hauda examined Becketts body and concluded that such a fall does not commonly cause such a severe injury. One study from the American Association of Pediatrics estimated the annual mortality rate for infants or toddlers suffering short falls is less than one in 1 million.

Whats more, Hauda said Becketts body showed signs of injuries unexplained by the fall  hemorrhaging in the back of his eyes and the grouped markings on his head  and older injuries, some of which are rare in children. Hauda noted signs of possible fractures in Becketts vertebrae, a wrist and his sternum that likely occurred two to three weeks before his death.

Normally, Child Protective Services determines who is responsible for the abuse, but in Becketts case, it offered a designation it rarely assigns: unknown abuser. CPS officials said that privacy laws barred them from discussing why they made that designation, but they did say that CPS had never been called to TePaskes home before Becketts death.

TePaske strongly disputes the findings, saying she believes the vertebrae and sternum injuries are misinterpretations. She said the wrist fracture was likely the result of an injury Beckett sustained with his babysitter. She noted the medical examiners office did not list those injuries in its examination of Beckett. She said she has filed a formal complaint about the findings.

I spent only 2 weeks away from my son in his entire life, TePaske said. I knew he wasnt abused. He was a happy kid.

But other red flags also raised questions. Sexton said that Bartleys alcohol-monitoring bracelet sent alerts multiple times during the months he was in TePaskes care. The alerts prompted his probation officer to issue a misdemeanor arrest warrant three weeks before Becketts death. Sexton said the offense was not serious enough to trigger extradition back to Tennessee.

The judge also said that TePaske failed to submit a 45-day progress report on Bartley, as required by the court. Sexton said that Bartleys probation officer had not told him about the alerts and that he failed to notice the report had not been submitted.

TePaske said that Bartley was not drinking in her home and that the bracelet alerts were false positives. She contradicted Sexton, saying she had filed the report.

Podominick said TePaske did not tell him that Bartley was living in her home until after Becketts death. He said he would never have allowed the arrangement if he had known.

After reviewing the CPS report and other evidence, Podominick said he does not believe that his sons death could have been an accident.

He said he has been told by Vienna police that the investigation is stalled because new evidence has not been put forward. Vienna Police Chief James Morris said thats not a fair characterization. He said the case remains open but would not discuss details.

Its putting it all together, Morris said. We are trying to get all the evidence. We want to make sure we are not misinterpreting anything.

For her part, TePaske said that Bartley is being unfairly demonized. TePaske said Bartley moved out of her house shortly after Becketts death. Bartley was arrested at his fathers home in Tennessee at the end of March on the probation violations and remains jailed.

TePaske looks forward to the day he is cleared in Becketts case.

Neither parent may get the resolution they desire.

Judy Melinek, a pathologist who reviewed the medical examiners report and the CPS investigation for The Post, said criminal cases sometimes get hung up because the evidence is not unequivocal enough to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

She said that it is possible, based on the forensic evidence that the fall could have caused Becketts death but that she could not rule out other possibilities. The ambiguous undetermined ruling by the medical examiner could be an apt label for the case, she said.

Child injury deaths such as this one can be very difficult, Melinek wrote in an email. While television shows such as CSI and NCIS promote the idea that the pathologists opinion is quick, certain and definitive, real-world forensics is slow, thorough and not always definitive. Undetermined is an indication of the limits of our science.
Bolek and his wife Zosia Brodecki are both Holocaust survivors and met in a refugee came for displaced persons in Landsberg, Germany after the war. The couple is photographed in their home in Rockville, Md. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

The Brodeckis recently downsized their home. The contents of their sprawling four-bedroom American Dream dwelling in Richmond are now crammed into a one-bedroom apartment at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington in Rockville.

Photos in mismatched frames cover every inch of the walls and shelves in jagged rows. There are the relics from lost childhoods in Poland, of a teenage Zosia behind barbed wire in a Nazi concentration camp, of friends who perished in the Holocaust, of the young couple in the displacement camp in Germany where Zosia and Bolek met soon after the war ended.

Then there are the images of the life that came after, the multigenerational story that almost never was: the expensive professional head shot of Bolek, 94, that he commissioned when he became an actor after retiring as a small-business owner, the prized photo of Zosia meeting President Obama, the portraits of the couples four children, the granddaughters, the great-grandchild.

Zosia, 88, uses a cane to lift herself out of her leather recliner, then points to a frame on the wall.

Let me introduce you to my parents, she says. They stare out from the photograph, frozen at age 30, her younger brother, Lolek, just a boy. The last time Zosia saw them, she was 12, before being forced into a cattle car with other Jewish Polish children.

Zosia Brodecki in a concentration camp in a photograph taken by a Dutch laborer who worked at a labor camp next to it. (Gilles Kaan/Family Photo)

My mother told me, You are going to live, and you are going to tell the story,  she says.

More than 70 years later, the Brodeckis are still doing that. Stories like theirs, of horrors witnessed and atrocities endured, are increasingly important as the number of U.S. survivors dwindles, from 127,300 in 2010 to a projected 67,100 in 2020, according to the Claims Conference, an organization that seeks justice for Holocaust survivors. On Thursday, Holocaust Remembrance Day, the survivors memories are showcased to ensure that future generations will not forget the genocide and allow history to repeat.

Zosia closes her eyes, hands to her face, struggling as she recalls witnessing the dismembering of bodies. But the children, what they did to the children, she says. I saw so much, I still dont even know how to express myself.

Zosia, whose maiden name is Piekarska, survived five German concentration camps during the war. She worked at an ammunition factory at the last one, meticulously weighing gunpowder until her skin turned red. At one point, boils covered much of her emaciated body, and she grew sick. The others in the concentration camp drained her boils with razor blades so she would appear healthy and the Nazis wouldnt kill her. A young Dutch laborer snuck her extra food, which she attributes to her survival.

Can you forget something like that? she asks.

This is a refrain Zosia repeats often when she describes what she calls the kindness of others, which perhaps stands out all the more given her experience of human cruelty.

She says it after describing the people who gave her extra bread crumbs in the concentration camp, and the neighbors years later in America who offered to babysit her children in exchange for a piece of candy so she and her husband could enjoy a night out.

Zosia and Bolek Brodecki hold their son Joseph in the Landsberg displaced persons camp after WWII. (Family Photo)

After the war, Zosia returned to Poland, where she learned that her father's candy factory was destroyed and that her family was gone, with the exception of a few cousins and family friends. There was nothing there for her, so she moved to Germany to a large refugee camp.

It was there she met Bolek, a Polish Holocaust survivor and police officer at the refugee camp six years her senior.

A suitor had followed Zosia back from a dance one night, put a knife on her table and demanded she marry him. She called the police, and Bolek arrived. Except he wouldnt leave, and he asked if they could become friends. She had no family, knew no one else and saw no reason to refuse the offer.

Three months later, they were married. Zosia was still underage when they wed, so she found a family to adopt her, who then signed her away to marry Bolek.

Boleks eyebrows still raise, boasting of his seduction, when his wife recounts their meeting story 70 years later.

At first, the young couple spoke together only of their lives before the war, trading memories of their brief childhoods, not the Holocaust. They knew what the other went through, so there was no need to make each other relive it.

The numbers  98539  tattooed on Boleks left forearm told Zosia that he survived Auschwitz, one of the deadliest Nazi extermination camps. His tattoo did not reveal that he survived eight concentration camps and a death march transporting captives between concentration camps intended to kill as many people as possible along the way. Four-hundred people began the march, he said, but only 100 survived to the end. When he became weak, his friends dragged him so the Nazis wouldnt kill or leave him for dead.

The tattoo on his arm that transformed him into a mere number in the eyes of his captors doesnt say that he got typhus during the war, then tied a belt around his neck and attempted suicide. He was lying on the floor when he regained consciousness.

I dont know. Its just in you, Bolek says, trying to explain why he survived the Holocaust. Its the nature of a person.

Back then, they didnt talk about these nightmares, which they still have trouble believing actually happened. But together at the refugee camp, Bolek and Zosia dreamed about America. She loved Hollywood and wanted to meet Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney and Shirley Temple. In 1949, they immigrated to the United States, settling in Richmond, where they took up ballroom dancing and he later hit the disco clubs. Boleks head still moves flirtatiously in rhythm from side to side as he talks about his disco days.

I loved everything about America, Zosia says. I live in the best country. My dreams came true.

Their eldest child, Joseph, was born in the refugee camp. Joseph Brodecki, now 69, led the international fundraising efforts to build the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and was a presidential appointee to the museums council.

Their second child, Maria, was made in Germany and born in the United States, Bolek says. He worked in electronics and in 1962 opened a successful television and electronics store. She doled out business cards throughout the city to jump-start sales. Their family expanded with two more children, Roma and Deborah.

We met the nicest people, Zosia says, her pink-painted lips amplifying her youthful excitement.

The Brodeckis are mostly confined to recliners in their living room these days, but the couple hasnt stopped cracking pithy jokes. Especially Bolek  ask him about the Holocaust, and hell pull out one in his arsenal of hundreds.

Why you got to start with the jokes, Zosia says in her slight Polish accent. We are talking about more important stuff.

If Im not going to laugh, Im going to cry, he says.

Boleks favorite jokes these days is telling about the time he met the actor James Woods while an extra on the set of a movie. In the late 1970s, Woods starred in a NBC miniseries called Holocaust.

I was in Holocaust, too, Bolek told the actor when they met.

Woods looked at him incredulously.

Yeah, I was in the original cast, retorted Bolek.

The couple met Jack Lemmon once, and a picture of the actor adorns their wall. They have a 14-year-old rescue Poodle-mix named Ginger Rogers who still scampers around their one-bedroom apartment.

Jack Lemmon, he is a great man. But he has a mouth, ay-yay-yay, like hes in the Navy, says Zosia. I fall in love with all men.

They talk about the Holocaust to preserve the memory but are more likely to point to a photo on their wall and tell the story behind it.

Theres the portrait of Zosias father  a wonderful man  that she snuck inside her shoe before entering a concentration camp. And 70 years later, in the spring of 2009, came the snapshot from a Holocaust event at the Capitol, where she met President Obama, whom she says she loves. Instead of a sterile handshake, she hugged him.

You know, I never met a person I didnt like, she says. Theres kindness everywhere.
The commutes of hundreds of thousands of Washington-area residents will be upended when Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld on Friday unveils his long-awaited plan for a massive overhaul of the struggling rail system.

Wiedefeld will make the announcement at a mid-morning news conference at the agencys downtown headquarters after he briefs Metro board members.

Although he declined to publicly disclose details of the plan before Friday, Wiedefeld said in an interview that the scope of the year-long maintenance overhaul will be unprecedented for the transit agency. He described it as painful medicine needed to cure subway infrastructure woes stemming from decades of maintenance neglect.

Much of that neglect, under previous generations of Metro leadership, resulted from public pressure to keep the subway operating at full capacity, for economic and convenience reasons. Wiedefeld, who became general manager in late November, has decided to impose months of aggravation on commuters in order to give work crews the time and space they need to restore the systems long-lost safety and reliability.

Its definitely a significant change from the way that weve managed this in the past, he said. Its going to take some sacrifice from all of us. But we have all seen how this has played out over the past few years, and thats why I think the sacrifice is necessary.

As if to underscore the point, officials on Thursday closed two stations and suspended service at four in the middle of the evening commute after a second smoke incident  this one caused by debris in the same area where an arcing insulator caused smoke and delays earlier in the day. Footage of that earlier incident  a dramatic explosion near the platform at Federal Center SW, was caught on security cameras and widely circulated.

In a memo this week to members of the regions congressional delegation, Wiedefeld hinted that there will be major disruptions that will require not only patience from riders but cooperation from local governments and employers.

The plan is expected to impact all of the systems lines, including weeks-long shutdowns of parts of lines, long-term single tracking and station closings. How much the effort will cost and how Metro will pay for it is still to be determined. A report from the Federal Transit Administration said Metro had a backlog of maintenance dating to at least 2012.

The region will need to come together to provide traffic mitigation and alternative travel options to help reduce the impact on customers and businesses, Wiedefeld wrote. The business community has already offered support to identify major employers that will be impacted.

He said Metros current service levels do not give crews enough time to complete the massive amount of work needed to restore the system.

[Metro sank into crisis despite years of warnings]

The hard truth is that 33 hours a week is not enough to dig out of the deferred maintenance hole, and at this rate, we will not reach an acceptable state of safety and reliability for several years, Wiedefeld said in the memo to the delegation.

Wiedefelds plan will be the most ambitious effort ever to repair the aging system, which has suffered from years of neglect and inattention and a lack of a reliable funding stream. Wiedefeld said Metros past attempts to repair the system were too fragmented to truly address the systems problems.

His announcement comes the same week that the National Transportation Safety Board released its report into the cause of the fatal 2015 smoke incident, which killed one train rider and sickened more than 90 others. Congress also said this week that it will hold its second oversight hearing in less than two months on the state of the Metro system.

[NTSB: Year after year, Metro had failed to learn from its mistakes]

The NTSB investigation into the fatal Yellow Line incident and examinations of at least a half-dozen other incidents that followed have painted a picture of an agency in turmoil  one that for years prioritized service over safety, failed to heed repeated warnings that it was putting its passengers and workers at risk and is now paying the price.

Wiedefeld has been tasked with turning around the 40-year-old systems slide.

In just a few months on the job, the former airport chief and transportation executive has shown a willingness to take unpopular steps, even if it means angering riders and the officials who help fund his system.

In January, he shut down the entire system  bus, rail and MetroAccess  in anticipation of a massive snowstorm that blanketed the region.

And in March, after an electrical fire that bore eerie similarities to the deadly smoke calamity that led to the death of Carol Glover, 61, he took the unprecedented step of shutting down the entire subway for a day. The goal was to give crews time to conduct emergency inspections and repairs. Wiedefeld was criticized for not giving the public more notice, but he said that he couldnt risk another death.

[After subway shutdown will drastic action be Metros new norm?]

Wiedefeld this week also warned current employees of a coming staff shake-up.

He said that he sent a memo to more than 650 Metro managers, designating them at-will employees and reminding them of our shared responsibility to properly lead this agency,

Other systems have or are considering similar actions to repair damaged and aging infrastructure. New Yorks Metropolitan Transit Agency is contemplating a plan that would shutter a subway tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn that runs under the East River, according to the New York Times. The L train tunnel was damaged by Hurricane Sandy, and officials concluded that they would be unable to make repairs during nights and weekends because of the complexity of the work.

The Chicago Transit Authority spent a year developing a plan to handle service before it shut down a portion of its subway system for five months in 2013. As part of that plan, it hired more than 400 bus drivers and added shuttles and new routes to areas affected by the closure. It also spent months educating riders about the shift. The closure affected nine stations.

Metro riders and regional officials wont have a year to prepare, but Wiedefeld has pledged to be as transparent as possible about the anticipated effects.

[Lessons from Chicagos subway shutdown]
One person died in the January 2015 Metro incident in a tunnel outside the LEnfant Plaza Metro station after scores of riders were trapped aboard a train as it filled with smoke.

One person died in the January 2015 Metro incident in a tunnel outside the LEnfant Plaza Metro station after scores of riders were trapped aboard a train as it filled with smoke.

One person died in the January 2015 Metro incident in a tunnel outside the LEnfant Plaza Metro station after scores of riders were trapped aboard a train as it filled with smoke.

Congress is unlikely to strengthen safety oversight of Metro as urged by the National Transportation Safety Board because of political and practical objections including stout opposition from the Obama administration, officials said Wednesday.

In a scathing public hearing Tuesday, the NTSB ratcheted up pressure for shifting responsibility of safety oversight of Metro from the transit branch of the Department of Transportation to its railroad branch.

The NTSB strongly restated its urgent recommendation from September to transfer such oversight from the Federal Transit Administration to the Federal Railroad Administration. It complained that the FTAs oversight was only temporary and that the FRA had greater expertise, regulatory powers and resources to do the job.

[NTSB: Metro has had severe learning disability when it comes to safety]

Apparently in response to the pressure, Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld is studying complying with FRA standards on a voluntary basis, according to a memo Wednesday to members of the Washington regions congressional delegation. Wiedefeld also has requested a closed-door Metro board meeting Friday to lay out his comprehensive plan for reducing rail service in order to make it possible to catch up with overdue repairs and maintenance.

WMATA surveillance video inside LEnfant Plaza Metro station on Jan. 12, 2015, shows people on the platform evacuating, as smoke can be seen coming from the southbound tunnel for the Green and Yellow Lines. (NTSB)

Wiedefeld also said he had sent a memo this week to more than 650 Metro managers, designating them as at-will employees and reminding them of our shared responsibility to properly lead this agency, a sign that management shake-ups may be coming.

One barrier to giving the FRA full oversight is that its safety inspectors are already stretched thin handling their duties overseeing freight and passenger rail service.

In addition, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has argued that it is better to move quickly to crack down on Metro  using the FTAs existing authority  rather than to wait for a frequently gridlocked Congress to act. Congressional action would be needed to shift such oversight to the railroad administration.

Finally, there appears to be little or no support in Congress for making the switch. For one thing, it would be awkward for the FRA to oversee Metro safety while other major subways  such as those in New York, Chicago and Boston  were under the FTA.

Even Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), who as recently as Tuesday forcefully advocated putting the FRA in charge of monitoring Metro safety, said Wednesday that he would defer to Foxxs judgment.

We dont need to get lost in a turf battle that may well end up working at cross-purposes when it comes to safety, Connolly said.

[U.S. transportation secretary rejects NTSB proposal to shift Metro oversight ]





An aide to another Washington-area congressman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of not having been authorized to speak publicly, said, Theres not an expectation that Congress is going to step in and resolve this.

The resistance to the shift means that one of the NTSBs principal recommendations, out of 33 approved at Tuesdays hearing, appears to be going nowhere.

That in turn raised questions about whether the FTA would be capable of forcing Metro to adopt the multiple reforms that the NTSB  the countrys top transportation safety body  and others deem necessary for the agency to embrace the need to put safety first at all levels of its organization.

During Tuesdays hearing, which focused on the deadly Yellow Line smoke incident in January 2015, NTSB members were intent on building a case for switching oversight to the FRA. At times, they seemed to place a higher priority on that goal than on pushing Metro to do a better job of inspecting its power cables or improving communications in its train control center.

In his closing statement, NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart devoted five out of seven paragraphs to advocating for the switch.

Specifically, the board urged the Transportation Department to ask Congress to reclassify Metro as a commuter railroad, so it would fall under the FRAs authority. Metro is now an urban rapid transit system, so, under federal law, the FTA is responsible.

One of the safety boards primary concerns is that the FTAs direct oversight is temporary. At some point, oversight of Metro will return to a safety body to be set up by the District, Virginia and Maryland  a structure that has proved inadequate in the past. The jurisdictions also are behind schedule in creating the office.

[Federal officials will assume responsibility for Metro safety]

State-level safety oversight has failed, Hart said. Metrorail needs direct federal safety oversight and will continue to need [it] for the foreseeable future.

The NTSB also noted that the FRA has the power to levy civil or individual penalties to enforce safety regulations. The FTA can only withhold federal transit funds as a penalty, a sanction that could cost Metro up to $15 million in fiscal 2016.

Moreover, the FRA has decades of experience overseeing rail safety. The FTA began building its oversight capability only when Congress gave the agency new safety authority over subway, bus and light-rail operations in 2012.

FRA is certainly better prepared to handle the oversight of Metro than FTA, said Lawrence M. Mann, a rail safety expert and co-author of the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970.

But Mann added that the FRAs 362 inspectors already have more work than they can handle. A Government Accountability Office report in 2013 found that the railroad agency was able to inspect less than 1 percent of the nations railroad activity each year.

Foxx and some transportation experts said that the FTA has the advantage of being able to act now to press Metro on safety, rather than losing time while awaiting congressional action.

If you have someone having a heart attack, and youve got a doctor standing next to you, and youve got a cardiologist who might be there in the next six months, which would you choose? a senior Transportation Department official said.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly about a politically sensitive issue, expressed bewilderment that the NTSB was digging in on transferring authority to the FRA.

Were scratching our heads, because, in the normal course of things, youd think NTSB would be pushing for aggressive action, and the responding agency would be pushing for a slower approach, but in this case, the roles are reversed, the official said. I cant believe the NTSB is doubling down on inaction.

Since November, when it took over direct safety oversight of Metro, the FTA says it has conducted 143 inspections of the Metrorail system and closed out 42 safety investigations.

FTA inspections have led to track repairs in 10 locations of defects that could have caused derailments. The transit agency also has pushed Metro to take steps to address a chronic problem with rail operators running through red lights.

Connolly, despite agreeing with the NTSB on the issue, has not proposed legislation to require shifting responsibility from the FTA to the FRA. He said in a statement Wednesday that he would not sponsor such a bill unless Foxx requests it.

Lori Aratani contributed to this report.
RICHMOND  Republican Ed Gillespie, who is running for Virginia governor in 2017, carefully avoided taking sides in his partys divisive presidential nomination contest  until now.

On Wednesday, with just one contender left standing, Gillespie said he would vote for Donald Trump.

Gillespies statement carries some risk in Virginia, where the political strategist and former Republican National Committee chairman will have to appeal to swing voters if he is to win the governors mansion. Polls show Hillary Clinton easily trouncing Trump in the purple state.

Gillespie kept it short. He offered a one-sentence statement in response to requests from reporters, in a tone that sounded resigned at best. And he suggested that he was weighing the fate of the Supreme Court as much as the impact of a comparatively fleeting presidential term.

Republican voters have nominated Donald Trump for president, Gillespie said, and I will vote for him against Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, in an election that will not only affect control of the White House but the U.S. Supreme Court for a generation or more.

[I feel like I got smacked with a 2x4: Va. Republicans react to Trump as likely nominee ]

Another Republican running for Virginia governor, U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, also issued a statement indicating that he would support Trump. He managed to do so without ever using the word Trump.

As a public servant, I think that its critically important for the people to have the final say in choosing our partys nominee, Wittman said. I have maintained throughout this primary season that I will support that choice. What is most important to me, looking ahead to November, is principle. I want to see our Commonwealth and our country support Republican candidates who will advance pro-growth, conservative ideas and rein in the Washington machine ushered in by the left.

Democrats pounced, issuing a statement that sought to link Gillespie to some of Trumps most controversial comments. (Wittmans statement came after the Democrats sent out their release, so it needled him only for remaining silent.)

With Gillespies newfound support of Trump, Virginians are left with several questions: Does Gillespie support Donald Trumps plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border?, the Democratic Party of Virginia said in its release. Does Gillespie agree with Donald Trump that women should be punished for seeking abortions? Does Gillespie agree with Donald Trump that Islam hates America and that Muslims should be banned from traveling to the United States?

Chris Leavitt, executive director of Gillespies Lets Grow, Virginia! political action committee, declined to respond in detail.

When he runs for governor, Ed will put forward his own positive vision to get Virginia moving again, Leavitt said. In the meantime, hes not going to respond to every partisan Democratic press release.

There is one uninhibited Trump cheerleader among Virginia's Republican gubernatorial hopefuls: Corey Stewart is chairman of Trumps Virginia campaign. The Democrats statement referred to the Trump-Gillespie-Stewart platform, which it said would be a disaster for the state.

Now is the time for Virginians to come together and stand behind Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for President, said Stewart, chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. Virginia is an essential state this November, and all of us need to band together to defeat Hillary Clinton.
Law enforcement officials stand in front of windows pierced with bullet holes at Knight Transportation in Katy, Tex., after an employee, who was terminated last month, returned to the business and fatally shot a co-worker before killing himself.

May 4, 2016 Law enforcement officials stand in front of windows pierced with bullet holes at Knight Transportation in Katy, Tex., after an employee, who was terminated last month, returned to the business and fatally shot a co-worker before killing himself. Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP

A man dismissed last month from a Houston-area transportation company stormed into the facility and opened fire, fatally shooting a former co-worker and injuring two others before turning the gun on himself.

A man dismissed last month from a Houston-area transportation company stormed into the facility and opened fire, fatally shooting a former co-worker and injuring two others before turning the gun on himself.

A man dismissed last month from a Houston-area transportation company stormed into the facility and opened fire, fatally shooting a former co-worker and injuring two others before turning the gun on himself.

TEXAS

Sheriff: Fired worker killed colleague, self

A man who was fired from his job on Wednesday returned to the business outside Houston and killed a former co-worker before taking his own life, police said. Two others were also injured in the incident.

Authorities had been called to an office near Katy, a Houston suburb, after receiving reports of an active shooter at a facility near several school buildings. When they went inside the facility, police say, they found that one person had been fatally shot.

The gunman, who has not been identified, was terminated earlier this morning, Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman told reporters during a briefing Wednesday morning.

Hickman said police believe the man went home, retrieved a gun and returned.

The names of the victims also havent been released.

The sheriffs office said that a shotgun and a pistol were used in the shooting and that the gunman fired at several employees of the facility.

When deputies entered the offices of Knight Transportation, a company that operates tractors and trailers across the country, they found one employee had been killed. A short distance away, they said, they found the body of the shooter.

In addition to the employee who was killed, another suffered a minor injury to his face that was not believed to be a gunshot wound, police said. A second employee was also wounded, the sheriffs office said, though they did not elaborate on the nature of that injury.

 Mark Berman

KANSAS

State to end payments to Planned Parenthood

Kansas is cutting off Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthoods regional affiliate, a spokeswoman for the state health department said Wednesday, with the action based largely on allegations against the abortion providers affiliates in other states.

The state Department of Health and Environment sent a letter Tuesday to Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, saying that the organization was being terminated as a provider under the states Medicaid program as of next week, agency spokeswoman Cassie Sparks said.

Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri called the action outrageous, but documents obtained by the Associated Press through an open-records request show that the state agency informed the affiliate that it planned to end its status as a Medicaid provider in March.

Federal courts have blocked attempts to cut off Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood in other states, including Arkansas, Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana and Utah. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) is a vocal abortion opponent, and the state already has blocked the regional Planned Parenthood affiliate from receiving about $370,000 a year in federal family planning dollars for services not related to abortions.

The state has given several reasons why it is cutting the Planned Parenthood affiliate from Medicaid money. A March 10 letter from a state official cited a dispute over an inspection of clinic in Overland Park and also noted allegations lodged against affiliates in Oklahoma and Texas. It also cited videos secretly recorded and released last year by an antiabortion group that show Planned Parenthood officials elsewhere talking about the handling of fetal tissues, saying the regional organization is affiliated with the national one and abides by the medical and operational standards of the national organization.

National officials for Planned Parenthood contend that the videos were selectively edited as part of a smear campaign.

 Associated Press

NEW MEXICO

Man charged in death of girl on reservation

A man accused of kidnapping an 11-year-old girl on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico and striking her on the head with a tire iron made his initial court appearance on Wednesday to face murder and other charges related to her death, prosecutors said.

Tom Begaye Jr., 27, was arrested Tuesday, hours after the body of Ashlynne Mike was found about six miles south of Shiprock pinnacle  a rock formation that is a landmark of the Navajo Nation.

He appeared in court on Wednesday in Farmington, N.M., to face federal charges of murder, kidnapping a child, and committing a crime on an American Indian reservation, prosecutors said. He did not enter a plea.

Navajo tribal officials previously said Mike was kidnapped on Monday in the area of Fruitland. An FBI agent in an affidavit filed along with the criminal complaint provided new details on the abduction and her slaying.

Mikes 9-year-old brother told investigators the two of them got off a school bus on Monday with two other children and began playing in an irrigation canal, the court papers stated. Begaye, who was driving a red van, pulled up and asked the brother and sister if they needed a ride, which they accepted, according to the court papers. The boy was later found wandering alone and was taken to police. Investigators used a description of the van to track Begaye to a Navajo sweat lodge outside Shiprock on the tribal reservation, according to the court papers.

 Reuters

Student killed while trying to stop attack: A freshman at Fort Valley State University near Macon, Ga., was fatally stabbed after he came to the aid of some female students who were being harassed and groped by a man outside the school cafeteria, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent said Wednesday. Donnell M. Phelps tried to intervene to help the three women Tuesday and ended up getting into a struggle with the suspect, former student Joseph Anthony Scott, 24, a GBI official said.

 Associated Press
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Florida has more death row inmates than nearly any other state in the country, and it remains a bastion of capital punishment as fewer executions are carried out nationwide. But after a frantic few months that saw Floridas system of imposing death sentences struck down and rewritten, it remains an open question what will happen to the hundreds who remain on the states death row  and how much longer any of them will stay there.

On Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could lead to nearly 400 death-row prisoners receiving life sentences, a move experts say could be the countrys single biggest jettisoning of death sentences in decades.

Were looking at potentially the largest number of death sentences being vacated at a single time since the early 1970s, said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.

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The uncertain situation dates back to January, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Floridas unique system of imposing death sentences as unconstitutional because it let judges, rather than juries, make the final call. Florida promptly revamped its death penalty, which Gov. Rick Scott (R) said at the time would let allow families of these horrific crimes to get the closure they deserve.

Left unanswered, though, was whether this Supreme Court ruling was retroactive and if it could ultimately empty Floridas death row, the second-biggest in the country after Californias.

The case in question Thursday involves Timothy Lee Hurst, who was convicted of murdering his coworker in 1998. According to court records, Cynthia Harrisons body was discovered bound, gagged and stabbed more than 60 times at a Popeyes restaurant in Pensacola, Fla., where she worked with Hurst.

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State authorities argue that Hurst should not receive a life sentence, while Hursts attorneys say that under state law, he must be sentenced to life in prison.

This court really has, I hate to say its an easy job, but its a fairly straightforward one, David A. Davis, an assistant public defender, told the justices.

Daviss perspective was backed up earlier this week in an amicus brief filed by high-profile legal figures and groups in Florida, who argued that Hurst and anyone else previously sentenced to death for capital felonies in the state should be sentenced to life.

The group that filed this brief, which included three former chief justices of the Florida Supreme Court, pointed to a state statute requiring that death sentences be replaced by life sentences if the death penalty in a capital felony is held to be unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court or the United States Supreme Court.

Pam Bondi, the Florida attorney general, has disagreed with this, arguing in court filings that the Supreme Court struck a portion of the [sentencing] statute as a means of imposing a constitutional sentence rather than the actual death penalty.

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The states statute did not intend to reduce all death sentences to life sentences any time any aspect of the statute is held to be unconstitutional, Bondi, a Republican, wrote in the filing. Bondi declined through a spokesman to be interviewed for this story. Some of the states prisoners have been on death row for decades.

On Thursday, Carine L. Mitz, an assistant Florida attorney general, said she did not think Hurst, or anyone in his shoes, should be given a life sentence. I still dont think we have a problem, she told the justices.

The justices also expressed concerns that the new sentencing measure may still not be enough to provide constitutional protections to defendants.

If we want a death penalty in Florida, we need it to be constitutional, Justice Barbara J. Pariente said.

The justices also heard arguments in February about the question of whether or not the Supreme Courts ruling was retroactive. Depending on how the seven-member court rules, the decision could wind up altering the sentences for all 389 of the states death-row inmates or just those who are at a certain point in their appeals process.

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Theres going to be an effect to the Hurst decision, said O.H. Eaton Jr., a death penalty expert and retired Florida judge who heard more than 20 capital cases while on the bench. What is it going to be? It could be anything from a minor effect all the way to clearing out death row.

It was not immediately clear when the justices would rule, but Eaton, speaking via telephone from his home outside Orlando, said it could be expected within two to three months.

Eaton said he assumed the decision would take care of the vast majority of the cases, but he added: And I never predict what lawyers are going to do, lawyers and juries and judges.

Dunham said that even if the justices only eliminate death sentences for the dozens of people believed to have cases on direct appeal, it would still be among the biggest single instances of death sentences being scuttled.

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If all of Floridas death sentences are overturned, Dunham said it would be the biggest such reversal since 1972, when the U.S. Supreme Court essentially struck down the death penalty in Furman v. Georgia. After that ruling, more than 600 death-row sentences were spared, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

It shouldnt make any difference if its 15 people or 400 people based on the law, said Sonya Rudenstine, an attorney in Gainesville, Fla., who works on post-conviction issues in capital cases and criminal appeals. People may have a very different response emotionally, but the courts response is to put emotion aside.

A move to empty Floridas death row would reverberate beyond that state, because it is home to a sizable proportion of the nearly 3,000 people on death row nationwide.

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Its significant, because what youre looking at is more than 10 percent of the people still on death row unconstitutionally sentenced to death, Dunham said. When one talks about the arbitrariness of the death penalty, the recognition that 10 percent of everybody who is there should not be there under the law, that recognition is a pretty strong statement that the death penalty is arbitrarily applied.

In court on Thursday, Hursts attorney sought to keep the focus on his client rather than the larger implications of their ruling.

I dont want to presume to speak for all of thepeople on death row, Davis said. Im representing Timothy Hurst, and I just want to limit this to Timothy Hurst.

Hurst also brought the case to the U.S. Supreme Court that ended with the justices striking down Floridas death-sentencing system in January. Floridas death penalty effectively ground to a halt after the Supreme Courts ruling in the Hurst v. Florida case, which prompted lawmakers to rework the sentencing statutes.

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The new law says that at least 10 jurors have to recommend a death sentence, and it scraps the old language saying that a judge could determine the sentence notwithstanding the recommendation of a majority of the jury.

While death sentences and executions are increasingly rare across the country, Florida is an outlier. The state is one of only three that have carried out an execution in each of the past five years, along with Texas  which, like Florida, has also carried out an execution this year  and Oklahoma, where executions have been on hold since authorities obtained the wrong drug for a lethal injection there last fall.

A spokesman for the Department of Corrections said that it will follow the order of the court, whatever the justices decide. If executions do resume in Florida, corrections officials say they do have lethal injection drugs in its possession, but they said they would not release how much the department has or when they expire.

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Water-analysis kits for lead testing in drinking water await pickup earlier this year at a fire station in Flint, Mich. (Ryan Garza/Detroit Free Press via AP)

For a quarter of a century, the federal rule dictating how communities test for and control lead in drinking water has satisfied virtually no one.

For the past six years, the Environmental Protection Agency has been trying to rewrite its complex, controversial regulations.

And for the past six months, while the water-contamination crisis in Flint, Mich., became a national embarrassment, the pressure built to finish the job.

There is widespread agreement that major changes are well overdue for the Lead and Copper Rule, which governs about 68,000 public water systems and affects the health of millions of Americans.

It clearly needs to be strengthened, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said recently at a congressional hearing, even as she emphasized that the debacle in Flint stemmed from Michigans failure to carry out the existing law.

Yet there is concern over how  and when  the overhaul will end, and whether the final product will rectify the shortcomings that have dogged the lead-testing regulations since their inception.

Environmental advocates have long argued that they are too easy to evade and too hard to enforce. Some state and local officials in charge of implementing them call them complex and unwieldy. The water industry has fretted over the associated costs.

Something about this rule just brings out the worst in everybody, said Marc Edwards, the Virginia Tech professor who has helped expose lead-in-water crises in Washington as well as Flint. It brings out the worst in EPA; it brings out the worst in the water industry. . . . Its just dumbfounding.



Residents in Galesburg, Ill., received notices this spring that the city had found high levels of lead in tap water. (Seth Perlman/AP)

Federal requirements for testing water for lead are unique  and uniquely challenging. The toxic substance generally gets into drinking water only after it leaves a treatment plant, typically as it passes through aging lead service lines, solderings or fixtures. That means that testing must take place at the tap, in peoples homes, where contamination risks are greatest.

The governments approach largely has relied on utilities ensuring that water does not become so corrosive that it leaches lead from pipes at any stage.

Thats a pretty complicated set of tasks, said Peter Grevatt, director of the EPAs Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water. [It] is one of the most complicated rules we have on the books.

EPA officials have repeatedly said that updating the lead-in-water rule is one of the agencys highest priorities  although just one piece of the bigger puzzle of ensuring safe drinking water nationwide. The effort, underway since 2010, is the most comprehensive ever, involving public meetings and input from an expert advisory council.

But the officials also say that they do not expect to conclude their overhaul until sometime in 2017, in part because of the complexities of the regulations and the diversity of opinions about what shape they should take.

Until the changes are released, key questions will go unanswered: Will the revised rule close loopholes? Will it speed the process of getting lead out of water systems for good? Will utilities embrace the new regulations, and will state officials implement them?

And will the EPA crack down on those who dont?



Students at a high school in Greentown, Ind., had to rely on bottled water for part of the semester after tests showed elevated lead levels in water in some sinks and drinking fountains. (Kelly Lafferty Gerber/The Kokomo Tribune via AP)

Dangerous exposure levels

In 1986, an EPA policy analyst named Ronnie Levin began crunching whatever data she could gather about lead in water around the country. She determined that about 1 of 5 Americans served by public systems was being exposed to potentially dangerous levels  a disturbing figure given how lead can irreversibly hinder brain development in children and cause an array of behavioral problems.

Levin also calculated that stricter federal standards for lead in drinking water could have significant benefits, both in reducing health risks and in extending the life of public and private plumbing systems.

The bottom line was a lot of people were being exposed to lead in drinking water, and the benefits of reducing that exposure were at least 4 to 1 over the costs, Levin recalled.

A draft of her analysis, leaked by a source seeking support for more stringent limits, landed on the front page of The Washington Post. That year, Congress passed amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act that charged the EPA with restricting an array of contaminants and prohibited the use of most lead solder, pipes and fixtures.

In 1991, the EPA finalized the Lead and Copper Rule, requiring water utilities around the country to test consumers tap water for lead and take steps to control the corrosion of aging pipes.

The directive said that if more than 10 percent of the sites sampled in an area exceeded the action level of 15 parts per billion, a utility would have to take remedial steps to improve its corrosion controls and eventually could have to replace lead pipes.

The test samples were supposed to include the most high risk homes in a community, according to the rule. But even in bigger cities, the total number of homes sampled would not exceed 100. Although the rationale was to not overburden the industry, it also meant the testing would be, at best, a warning system of a potentially larger problem.

One official touted it as the most stringent in the world for lead in drinking water. But criticism came quickly.

Activists complained that some utilities had up to six years to implement the new requirements, and more than another decade to replace lead pipes if they could not control lead levels.

EPA is shirking its responsibility, Erik Olson, of the National Wildlife Federation, told The Post at the time.

The agency completely abrogated its oversight duties, Democratic congressman Henry A. Waxman (Calif.) told the New York Times.

Even Levin was disappointed. It was obvious that it was not enforceable, she recalled. There were a lot of us who said that.

On the flip side, some utilities remained concerned about the potential costs and headaches of testing, especially because, in many cases, residents would be responsible for taking the samples at their own faucets.

When you do extensive sampling like this, you have to explain why, when in fact there might not be any problem, one Illinois water-operations manager told the Chicago Tribune. No one wants to hide anything from anyone, but the PR factor is something that has to be dealt with.



This water pipe in Galesburg, Ill., is among the millions of lead service lines in use nationwide. Replacing them could take years and cost billions of dollars. (Seth Perlman/AP)

Years of criticism

Fast forward 25 years. According to critics, gaps in the rule have long allowed for the gaming of compliance by utilities to avoid exceeding the 15 ppb action level.

Utilities have no incentive to find the problem. Thats not a good rule, said Tom Neltner, chemicals policy director at the Environmental Defense Fund and a member of the EPA expert advisory council that recommended changes to the regulations.

The suspect practices include removing aerators from faucets before testing, giving targeted consumers small-necked bottles and instructions to fill them slowly, and pre-flushing water from lines before taking a sample. All can temporarily lower lead levels.

In addition, although utilities are supposed to focus their testing on residences with the highest risk of lead contamination, that does not always happen, critics say.

If you want to be clever, you can test where youre pretty sure theres not a problem and not find a problem, said Olson, who now is the health program director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. He, Edwards and others also have faulted the EPA for doing too little to crack down on such practices.

David LaFrance, chief executive of the American Water Works Association, wrote recently that most water professionals are perplexed  even stunned  at what transpired in Flint.

They take seriously their obligation to protect the families in their communities, LaFrance continued. They know in most cases lead risks in tap water can be effectively managed through corrosion control at the treatment plant. They monitor water for changes in water chemistry and quality. They are not satisfied to simply meet minimum regulatory requirements.

Some concerns about the rules effectiveness and enforcement have come from inside the government. In a 2003 inquiry, launched after high lead levels were discovered in thousands of homes in Washington, the Government Accountability Office found that the EPA lacked recent test results for nearly a third of the nations largest water systems and lacked information about adherence to the regulations for more than 70 percent of community water systems. The apparent reason? States simply were not reporting the information.



While Washington grappled with high lead levels in its tap water in 2003, many streets were torn up as crews looked for lead service lines. (Lucian Perkins/The Washington Post)

EPA has been slow to take action on these data problems and, as a result, lacks the information it needs to evaluate how effectively the lead rule is being implemented and enforced nationwide, the report said.

A decade later, several EPA officials concluded after a study in Chicago that the existing sampling protocol systematically misses the high lead levels and potential human exposure. That was especially true where construction or other activity had disturbed lead pipes.

In February, with the agency under intense scrutiny because of Flint, a top official wrote to drinking water authorities in every state, reminding them to follow both the letter and spirit of the Lead and Copper Rule. Stick to proper testing techniques and be transparent with homeowners when problems arise, he wrote: These actions are essential to restoring public confidence in our shared work to ensure safe drinking water for the American people.

McCarthy sent a separate letter to governors, explaining that the EPA would be meeting with all drinking-water programs to make sure states are fully implementing and enforcing this important rule.

Last month, the Michigan attorney general filed criminal charges against two state environmental-quality officials and a local water-quality supervisor. All are accused of tampering with the results of lead testing in Flint.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced charges last month against three officials involved in testing Flints water for lead levels. ( Reuters)

The contamination there is having other reverberations. A Kaiser Health Tracking Poll released Thursday found that more than 60 percent of Americans think the federal government is doing just a fair or poor job protecting public drinking water.

Work on the rule update continues. In December, the EPAs outside advisory council recommended that it set a household action level for lead in drinking water and require systems to alert public health officials whenever they exceed that. The group also urged the EPA to prioritize to the greatest degree possible the removal of the lead service lines that remain underground across the country.

Ridding the country of millions of lead pipes  a task that people on all sides agree will be slow, expensive and ultimately necessary  probably will take decades and generate controversy. In the meantime, officials say tougher, more enforceable testing for lead in water is essential.

One thing is certain: Flint has put the once-obscure process in a harsh spotlight.

During the recent congressional hearing, Rep. Gene Green (D-Tex.) asked Joel Beauvais of the EPA Office of Water if the agency could actually speed up the Lead and Copper Rule update.

We certainly have a sense of urgency about the revisions. We also want to make sure we get them right, Beauvais responded. He acknowledged Flints impact on the effort, adding, Stakeholders understanding of where we need to go on this has evolved somewhat. . . . We do recognize theres a lot of room for improvement in the rule.

Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) asked Beauvais to take his bosses a message: Wed like to have something maybe earlier than 2017. Thats a long ways off. I would like to think that maybe there could be a little extra push.

Neltner, for one, worries about the timing for a different reason.

Theres a little problem. Its called an election, he said. How do we know the next administration will make it a priority?
The federal government on Thursday banned the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18 and required manufacturers to disclose their ingredients and submit their products to the government for approval.

The Food and Drug Administrations action, which represents the first time the government has regulated the booming market of e-cigarettes, seeks to clamp down on devices that have become increasingly popular, especially among young people, even as they have been subject to almost no oversight.

The agency, which first said it intended to regulate e-cigarettes in 2014, also imposed the regulations on cigars, hookahs and pipe tobacco.

The effort is a response to long-standing concerns about what health experts call a Wild West atmosphere involving the multibillion-dollar e-cigarette industry. The battery-powered devices heat up flavored, nicotine-laced liquid, turning it into a vapor that the user inhales, or "vapes."

Easily carried and offering flavors from bubble gum to mocha to margarita, the devices are used by many Americans, but most notably by middle and high schoolers.

The number of young people using e-cigarettes now exceeds the number who smoke traditional cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 5.3 percent of middle school students reported in 2015 that they had used e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days. For high schoolers, the figure has risen to 16 percent. In 2015, 3 million middle- and high-school students reported using e-cigarettes, according to the FDA and the CDC.

[E-cigarettes become increasingly popular among middle and high school students]

"As cigarette smoking among those under 18 has fallen, the use of other nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, has taken a drastic leap, said Sylvia Mathews Burwell, secretary of health and human services, in announcing the rules on Thursday. All of this is creating a new generation of Americans who are at risk of addiction."

She said, As a nation, we have agreed for several years that nicotine does not belong in the hands of children.

Industry officials reacted angrily to many of the rules, warning that requiring pre-market approval could decimate the many small businesses that produce e-cigarettes and could ultimately deprive consumers of what they say is a less harmful alternative to conventional cigarettes.

Public health experts largely welcomed the rules, saying they were long overdue. Some said the FDA should have gone much further, banning the use of e-cigarette flavors and placing curbs on advertising.

FDA passed up critical opportunities in this rule by failing to prohibit the sale of tobacco products coming in flavors like cotton candy, said Benard Dreyer, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

But despite the landmark nature of the effort, the FDA action is unlikely to settle an intensifying debate over whether e-cigarettes are a gateway to traditional tar-laden, chemical-filled cigarettes or an effective way to help the long-addicted quit smoking.

[The questionable chemicals in vaping smoke]

David Levy, a professor in the department of oncology at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, argued there is strong evidence that e-cigarettes could help people stop smoking, so the agency should be cautious about derailing the industry.

But many experts, including the FDAs top tobacco official, Mitch Zeller, said there isnt enough scientific evidence about the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes and also about whether they are effective as smoke-cessation tools.

The new regulations generally require manufacturers whose products went on sale after Feb. 15, 2007, to get approval from the agency to continue selling their products. These reviews will allow the FDA to scrutinize ingredients, product design and health risks, the agency said. It added that it will allow the companies to keep selling their products for two years while they submit their applications and then for an additional year while the FDA reviews the submissions.

Zeller told reporters that it would initially cost companies several hundred thousand dollars to apply for FDA approval, but that could change over time.

Representatives of the e-cigarette industry have supported bans on sales to minors but argued Thursday that some of the rules put forward by the agency will endanger the market for products that have the potential to help people move away from traditional tobacco.

"These new regulations create an enormously cost-prohibitive regulatory process for manufacturers to market their products to adult smokers and vapers, Cynthia Cabrera, executive director of the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association, the largest industry trade group, said in a statement .It also limits access to the 40 million adult smokers in the U.S. yet to make the switch to vaping and cripples a multi-billion dollar, job-creating industry, the majority of which are made of small businesses."

[Who still smokes in the U.S. -- in 7 simple charts]

The FDAs new youth-access restrictions, which take effect in 90 days, compel retailers to verify the age of purchasers by photo identification, to put health warnings on their labels and to bar sales of the products in vending machines that are accessible to minors. Many states have such restrictions, but federal officials said enforcement wasn't always consistent.

The rules also ban the distribution of free samples. Officials suggested they might eventually consider banning flavors in cigars and e-cigarettes, but said the topic needs more research.

Thursdays regulations also bring a range of other products under federal regulation, including hookahs and regular and the more expensive, premium cigars. The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association, a trade group, said on its website Thursday that the FDAs regulation of premium cigars, if left unchecked, would have a devastating impact on retailers and manufacturers alike. It added that consumers would have less choice. And they said the rule could hurt the thousands of Americans who work in the industry.

But Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, praised the FDA for including a wide range of cigars, including premium cigars, saying "these products pose no less a health risk than other cigars."

In recent weeks, the e-cigarette industry has gotten support from some public health experts. In late April, a group of tobacco-control experts, writing in the journal Addiction, urged the FDA to be "open-minded" about e-cigarettes, saying that the products can result in a reduction in traditional smoking. And recently, the Royal College of Physicians concluded that e-cigarettes were likely to be beneficial to public health in Britain.

But many anti-smoking advocates disagree. They say that e-cigarettes could be harmful, that the long-term health risks are unknown and that companies are marketing their products to younger and younger teens. They say the companies are using the same tactics and themes that the traditional cigarette makers used years ago.

[E-cigarette advertising reaches 70 percent of middle and high schoolers, says CDC]

"Its about time that we stem the tide of these e-cigarettes, said Roy Herbst, chief of oncology at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital. The momentum has been so much in favor of their use."

The FDA's authority to regulate the products stems from a 2009 law that gave the agency broad power over traditional cigarettes, as well as jurisdiction over other tobacco-related products.

In the years since, states and municipalities have taken it upon themselves to limit the use of e-cigarettes, including banning them in public places and prohibiting sales to minors. Just this week, California Gov. Jerry Brown banned vaping in public places such as theaters and restaurants as part of a package of bills that raised the states legal smoking age to 21.

This post has been updated and corrected. An earlier version said the FDA banned flavors in cigars. In fact, officials said they would look closely at the issue.
Three decades ago, a female employee of a large accounting firm was passed over for a promotion after her supervisors concluded that her drab wardrobe, makeup-free face and crude demeanor were disturbingly unfeminine.

The worker, Ann Hopkins, successfully sued the company for discrimination. Today, her precedent-setting case is being used in a way that Hopkins may never have imagined: to make the argument that discrimination against transgender people is prohibited under federal laws that bar sex discrimination.

That argument  that disparate treatment against transgender people is a form of sex discrimination  is not new. In recent years, state and federal courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Obama administration have adopted that position, despite the fact that federal law does not explicitly protect people on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

But the argument this week has taken center stage in an escalating dispute between the Obama administration and North Carolina, which earlier this year became the first state to require students, state employees and visitors to government buildings to use public restrooms that match their biological sex at birth.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department issued a letter to North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R), warning that the bathroom restriction violated federal law  and put at risk millions of dollars in federal funding the state receives every year.

The state is engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against transgender state employees, wrote Vanita Gupta, the head of the civil rights division.

The Hopkins case, which was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court, figured prominently in Guptas letter. The justices found that discrimination on the basis of sex could include sex stereotyping  the belief that women ought to look and act stereotypically feminine  as well as other sex-based considerations.

Gay and transgender plaintiffs have, in recent years, successfully used that conclusion to win discrimination lawsuits against their employers. The rationale, legal analysts say, is that any assumption that a man must only be intimate with a woman, for example, or that someone who was born biologically female must identify a certain way, amounts to sex stereotyping.

The most recent court victory for transgender advocates came last month, when a panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a transgender student in Virginia who had challenged his school districts policy barring him from the boys restroom. It deferred to the U.S. Department of Education, which has interpreted the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in schools to apply to transgender students.

The district has requested a hearing of the full court.

Supporters of the North Carolina law and similar restrictions say it is necessary to think further back than the Hopkins case, to 1964, when Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act.

Theres no way they ever conceived of the transgender issue, said Mat Staver, chairman of the Liberty Counsel, a conservative Christian legal organization that has defended bathroom restrictions. It eviscerates the statute if it all becomes a matter of subjective interpretation of the individual who is claiming discrimination.

Religious freedom proposals are being weighed in nearly a dozen states after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

Staver added that Congress has had multiple opportunities to add gender identity and sexual orientation to sex, race, national origin and religion as protected categories of individuals. So far, it has rejected all efforts to add those categories to existing civil rights laws.

While courts and the EEOC have sided with transgender activists recently, Staver believes it is likely that the question will have to be sorted out by the Supreme Court.

James Esseks, director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & HIV Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, said that while it is unlikely the original writers of the Civil Rights Act had transgender people in mind when they included protections against sex discrimination, they probably did not consider sexual harassment either. Now, courts routinely consider sexual harassment a form of sex discrimination.

Moreover, he said, the Supreme Court ruled in a separate case that it is not the intent that matters but the text of the law. Were just coming to a deeper understanding of how sex discrimination happens in America, he said.
NOW THAT a reality-television star has all but secured their nomination, Republicans are scrambling to adjust  or hoping that Donald Trump will change.

Not surprisingly, GOP Chairman Reince (Winning is the antidote to a lot of things) Priebus was one of the first to hail the presumptive @GOP nominee Tuesday night on Twitter and call for party unity. Former Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal  who last fall recognized Mr. Trump as a  narcissist, an egomaniac, a carnival act who believes in nothing and is absurd, insecure and weak and dangerous  now says he will vote for the man. The Wall Street Journal editorial page, previously eloquent in its opposition, urges Mr. Trump to behave in a way that reduces his epic unfavorable numbers with many voters.

What would such a reboot look like? It could start with some relatively easy steps. Mr. Trump, like every modern presidential nominee before him, would release copies of his tax returns, which he has refused to do. Because he has no record in public office, he would also release sufficient documentation from his business affairs to allow voters to judge his accomplishments.

Then Mr. Trump would explain his policy proposals, which thus far have been mathematically impossible, absurdly vague, totally contradictory or some combination of the three. He promised, for example, to save $300 billion per year by allowing Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies over drug prices  when Medicares total annual spending on drugs is $78 billion. His tax cuts would reduce revenue by $1 trillion per year, even if you accept that they would generate economic growth. That means, as our columnist Ruth Marcus explained months ago, that he would have to cut one-fifth of all spending  and thats before getting to his promise of paying off the entire federal debt in eight years. Which fifth would he cut? And how would he quickly destroy the Islamic State and prevent its resurgence, all without enmeshing the United States in foreign conflicts?

From policy, Mr. Trump might move to recanting the many lies he has told on his way to the nomination: that he saw thousands of Arab Americans in New Jersey celebrating the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11. That the Mexican government is sending rapists and other criminals into the United States. That the George W. Bush White House tried to silence him because he opposed the Iraq War. And so on.

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump visited the editorial board of The Washington Post on Mar. 21. Here is audio of the full, unedited interview. (Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)

Finally, of course, Mr. Trump would have to atone for the hatred, bigotry, meanness and contempt for constitutional values that formed the foundation of his campaign: the mocking of a disabled reporter. The proposals to ban Muslims and round up Hispanics. The glorification of violence against protesters. The nasty threats to political opponents. The casual stereotyping of Jews. The winking at endorsements from white supremacists. The promise to torture prisoners and kill the innocent relatives of suspected terrorists. And so on.

No such reboot is conceivable, of course. It is possible that Mr. Trump henceforth will appear more presidential, if by that is meant speaking in a calmer tone and spewing fewer insults  though his National Enquirer scandal-mongering on the day of his great victory is not an encouraging portent. But he cannot change who he is or how he seized this moment.

His nomination is a calamity for the Republican Party, and Republicans will have to sort out how it happened and how they might recover. But the more urgent task is to ensure that Mr. Trump does not become a calamity visited on the United States and the world. For all his unpredicted success, the number of Americans who have voted for him so far amounts to only 4.7 percent of eligible voters, according to a calculation by the organization FairVote. As conservatives of principle recognize, he can be stopped, and he must be.
Soldiers carry the coffin of Brigadier General Athanase Kararuza who was killed in April, along with his wife and daughter in Bujumbura, Burundi. (Onesphore Nibigira/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

LAST APRIL, President Pierre Nkurunziza plunged Burundi into political chaos by defying the constitution and signaling that he would run for a third term. Since then, about 400 people have been killed in assassinations, raids by government security forces and opposition attacks. More than a quarter-million people have been forced to flee to neighboring countries.

Mr. Nkurunziza has been consistent in one area in the past year  thwarting mediated negotiations. Last year, talks overseen by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni largely went nowhere, as the Burundian government refused to meet with members of the opposition. Negotiations were scheduled to resume on Monday under a new regional mediator, Benjamin Mkapa, the former president of Tanzania. But yet again, Mr. Nkurunzizas government refused to participate, claiming it had not been consulted about the meeting. The East African Community was forced to announce that it would postpone the talks to later in May.

Meanwhile, after several months of relative quiet, violence in Burundi has increased. In April alone, 31 people were killed, according to the United Nations. Government officials have been targeted and killed, as well as individuals supporting the opposition. Disturbingly, targeted assassinations of army officers have picked up. On April 20 , Col. Emmanuel Buzubona was assassinated in Bujumbura by a group of heavily armed attackers. On April 25, Brig. Gen. Athanase Kararuza was killed in a gun and grenade attack along with his wife while dropping their daughter off at school. Their daughter died shortly after the attack.

The violence and the cuts in international aid are devastating the economy. According to the International Monetary Fund, Burundis gross domestic product shrank 7.4 percent in 2015, dropping the country from the third-poorest in the world to poorest. The prospect of both rural and urban Burundians facing hunger only increases the risk of further unrest in a country that has a history of devastating ethnic bloodshed between Hutus and Tutsis.

In what may have been intended as a warning to both sides, the International Criminal Court announced late last month that it was beginning a preliminary investigation of war crimes in the country. Unfortunately, it could take months or even years for the ICC to decide whether to launch a full investigation. A more potent international intervention is needed.

The African Union initially took a strong stance on Burundi, threatening to deploy 5,000 peacekeepers last year. But it backed down in February after the regime objected. Now the United Nations is weighing three options for a police mission. The first would send a 3,000-strong force to help protect the population; the second would send 228 police officers in possible coordination with the African Union as an early-warning mechanism. The third and least promising plan would deploy 20 to 50 U.N. personnel to help bring about concrete and measurable improvements in respect for human rights within the security forces.

As Mr. Nkurunziza shows little interest in talks, Burundi appears to be on the brink of civil war. The U.N. should do all it can to send a police force large enough to help protect civilian lives. For the sake of Burundi, and the stability of Africas Great Lakes region, the status quo of failed dialogue attempts, killings, disappearances and assassination attempts is unacceptable.
In 2010, the police department in Rutledge, Tenn., was riven by scandal. The police chief, a 12-year department veteran, had been charged with assault and was under investigation by state authorities. But that wasnt what Mayor Danny Turley cited when he fired the top cop that year. Turley had no choice, he said  his hands were tied  because the city could have lost its liability insurance if the chief kept his job. That would have left Rutledge responsible for paying out on future lawsuits, potentially crippling its small budget. So the insurance company got its way, and a police officer got an early retirement.

My research on municipal liability insurance turned up this and other examples of police chiefs  including some reform-minded administrators  who owe their jobs to pushy insurance adjusters. The insurance companies (with names like National Casualty, JWF Specialty and Genesis) offer policies that reimburse cities held liable for harm their law enforcement officers inflict. The coverage is broad: It often includes intentional acts such as discrimination or assault and battery, as well as punitive damages, which are meant to punish egregious misbehavior. There is no national data about the size of this insurance market, but its big. Lawsuits stemming from recent shootings by officers, such as those of Laquan McDonald in Illinois and Walter Scott in South Carolina, have settled in the ballpark of $6 million per case.

The arrangement creates a potential moral-hazard problem  a risk that insured municipalities will be less vigilant against police misconduct than theyd be in the absence of insurance. But it also empowers insurers, which are committed to strategies of loss prevention. In an age when police departments, backed by politicians and powerful unions, are said to resist complaints about brutality and abuse, some insurance companies are playing an unheralded role: as private regulators of police activity.

Insurers work closely with police departments on policies and training. Do you want to know how to conduct a strip search without violating the Constitution? Travelers Insurance has a pamphlet on that. Insurers provide video libraries and online training systems, and they even do some classroom instruction. The companies sometimes bring in outside consultants  usually police veterans  to do this work or send departments off-the-shelf rules from policy-writing services such as Lexipol. Insurance companies also subsidize the use of otherwise prohibitively expensive use-of-force virtual-reality simulators. The Kentucky League of Cities Insurance Services, for example, purchases three new simulators every three years and circulates them among the agencies it covers. Early academic research shows that these simulators help cops prevent crises and decrease the number of unjustified shootings.

Underwriters dont just train; they follow up, too. Audits are common. Insurance officers review internal documentation, make site visits and do ride-alongs. Many keep a watch list of departments that have been having problems and audit them more frequently and intensely. My favorite audit technique is from an insurer out West who said she sends representatives to visit cop bars incognito to listen to the local gossip.

And when they uncover problems that may turn into lawsuits, insurers pressure agencies to make changes or even terminate bad apples from the beat. In Irwindale, Calif., the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority forced the police department to implement a performance improvement plan in 2013 in order to keep its coverage. That same year, the city of Niota, Tenn., fired two officers even though the charges against them (in connection with a beating) had been dismissed. The citys insurer had threatened to drop its coverage if the officers went back on duty.

The carrots and sticks here all have to do with the availability and pricing of coverage. Both affect the public treasury directly; the consequences of going bare can be severe. Inkster, Mich., recently raised property taxes by an average of $178 per household to finance a seven-figure settlement involving a police officer. In extreme cases, municipalities have even shut down their police forces after their insurers pulled coverage. Niota has been down that road; so have Point Marion, Pa.; Sorrento, La.; Lincoln Heights, Ohio; and Maywood, Calif.

Civil rights activists have often claimed that police departments are unaccountable  a complaint that intensified after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement. But if police leaders sometimes avoid political accountability, they still answer to their underwriters, which therefore have significant leverage over them.

If politicians wanted to, my research suggests, they could use that leverage to effect change. State insurance commissioners and regulators could lead the charge. How?

Small municipalities, such as Ferguson, are abundant in our country but pose a challenge for insurers loss-prevention programs. Because the premiums these municipalities pay are relatively small, it is often infeasible for insurers to discount rates enough to compensate for the expense of loss prevention. (This is why a property insurer that covers a skyscraper will send inspectors to the premises but my homeowners insurer will not.) Its not economical for insurers to tailor their loss-prevention efforts or pay close enough attention to make small-town premiums accurately reflect their risk.

Here, insurance regulators could do two things to help companies manage departments more effectively. First, they could require municipalities under a certain size to pool their risks and resources before purchasing insurance on the commercial market. (Many towns do this already.) Individualization would still be difficult, but bulk loss-prevention programs could help small departments implement better training and policies.

Second, regulators could require insurers to impose a deductible so that cities bear some financial responsibility for the losses they cause. At present, some insurers write first-dollar (i.e., no-deductible) police liability policies for small municipalities. This makes it harder for them to demand better police skills: Why expend the effort if your insurer will cover the consequences anyway?

One hurdle is that certain types of police misconduct are difficult for insurers to regulate, even when they have a financial incentive to do so. The best example is shoddy policing that leads to wrongful convictions, such as using suggestive eyewitness tactics, false or coerced confessions, faulty forensic evidence or bogus informant testimony. Wrongful-conviction claims can be tremendously costly, but theyre tricky for insurers because of the long delay between the misconduct and the filing of a lawsuit  and because of their low frequency. Theyre whats called a high-impact, low-probability risk. Research shows that insurers misunderstand how to predict these events. Sometimes they seem to discount the risk altogether, while other times they fixate on the magnitude of recent losses and exaggerate the risk of the next major one.

But there are areas where insurers could wield their power more effectively. At the moment, companies tell me, they dont calibrate premiums based on the risk characteristics known to affect the likelihood of wrongful convictions. So, for example, insurers could raise rates for agencies that dont record interrogations on video (which helps avoid false or coerced confessions) or that dont use double-blind lineup procedures (which reduce erroneous witness identifications). Insurers could work with state attorneys general or other law enforcement experts to devise a list of risk-related features that underwriters should (or must) consider when setting rates. They could also cap the amount of coverage available for wrongful-conviction claims.

Regulators might also insist that insurers cover wrongful convictions on a claims-made basis. Police liability coverage traditionally has been written on an occurrence basis, meaning it indemnifies acts taken during the policy period, regardless of when a suit is filed, even if its long into the future. Policyholders tend to like this feature, but it makes pricing very difficult for insurers. Claims-made policies, by contrast, cover suits filed during the policy year for injuries caused in the past. The insurer need not predict long-term claim exposure, which means it can price its coverage more confidently. Better pricing, in turn, usually means better control of risk.

Finally, and most sweeping, cities could be required to have insurance. Most smaller towns have it, but places with large budgets and many taxpayers (cities with more than, say, a few hundred thousand residents) typically self-insure. This may partly explain why we hear so little about police liability insurance  because academics and the media tend to focus their attention on policing in places like New York and Chicago. But if insurance can help regulate police conduct, then those who want to reform departments should think about requiring them to have it. A mandate wouldnt be without drawbacks  or controversy  but if our policing problems continue, we shouldnt let a little controversy scare us away.

jrappaport@uchicago.edu

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DISTRICT OFFICIALS will in the coming months spend a lot of time and energy on a quest that even they realize is the longest of long shots: D.C. statehood. That doesnt mean they are wrong to undertake the effort. It is important to keep reminding the American public and its leaders about the unjust treatment of people who live in the nations capital.

D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) has announced a new front in the Districts long-running fight for equal rights. She proposed a three-part process that would allow the District to directly petition Congress for admission as a state. Statehood would give the District voting representation in the House and Senate as well as legislative and budget autonomy. The petition would be preceded by a November referendum and, if city voters favored statehood, a convention to draft and ratify a constitution. The new state would exclude a small federal enclave, thus making a constitutional amendment unnecessary.

The mayor wants the statehood package in place when a new administration and Congress take office. No matter who wins in November, though, its hard to foresee a scenario in the immediate future that would be favorable to statehood. Republicans will do everything they can to prevent the reliably Democratic District from gaining two Senate seats. Even some Democrats have reservations about statehood, including Maryland and Virginia representatives who want to protect residents of their states from a commuter tax.

What the District has going for it is the moral high ground. The 672,000 (and climbing) residents of the District pay taxes, volunteer for military duty and fulfill other obligations of citizenship, but they have no voting representation in Congress. That is just wrong. As former Republican presidential contender John Kasich acknowledged during a visit to The Post, Fair is fair. Youve got a point there.

It is good, therefore, that D.C. officials are planning a new offensive to correct what Ms. Bowser aptly called the countrys biggest ongoing voting rights violation. It should raise public awareness about the Districts plight and put both Democrats and Republicans on the spot about the need to address the Districts disenfranchisement. Those who oppose statehood should be pressed for their alternative ideas on how to end this injustice.
Seven months ago, Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank vowed that if Donald Trump won the Republican presidential nomination, hed eat one of his columns. Watch him keep his promise. (The Washington Post)

The tweets and emails started immediately after Donald Trumps victory Tuesday night:

Youve got a promise to keep, bub.

Get ready to eat it.

EAT IT!!!

To them, I say: Con gusto.

Seven months ago I said I would eat an entire column, newsprint and ink, if Trump won the nomination, calculating that Republican voters were better than Trump. The Republican voters let me down: Though a majority didnt support him, enough did, and no viable alternative arose.

But you, the reader, have revived my faith in America. I put out a call for recipes and you responded, via Twitter, Facebook, email and the comments section. Through the magic of crowdsourcing, I have discovered that eating newspaper can be downright mouth-watering. This is going to be huge! We are going to build a big, beautiful meal  and Mexico is going to pay for it.

On Thursday, May 12, after readers have voted for their favorite newspaper cuisine, acclaimed chef Victor Albisu of Washingtons Del Campo restaurant will select and prepare a wide variety of newsprint-based dishes. Tom Sietsema, The Posts James Beard Award-winning food critic, will be on hand to taste and judge the dishes, and I will eat them  streamed live on The Washington Posts Facebook page.

Ive dispensed with the unhelpful suggestions from readers that I consume my column with hemlock, cyanide or excrement. And though I appreciate all the Hannibal Lecter references, I wont be eating the column with fava beans and a nice Chianti, nor will I be eating it with crow (its out of season), although Robert Howland, a psychiatry professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, suggested a crow-free crow pie that sounds tasty.

Many readers proposed ways to get the paper down painlessly: Blended in smoothies. Folded into bearnaise, marinara or jerk sauce. Wrapped in bacon. Topped with Sriracha, mustard or ketchup. Or shredded and mixed with Parmesan cheese (which apparently is sometimes made of wood pulp anyway).

Reader Mhitchons posited that newsprint dissolves well in scotch, bourbon, whiskey or any other potent alcohol. Mary Ann Liebert suggested mustard or vodka. Maybe both.

NotDeadYet suggested jalapeno-infused tequila blanco, and Nathan A. Wallace thought a Grand Marnier, flambe style. But the many suggestions that I pair the meal with Trump wine give me indigestion.

A large number of readers said eating the newspaper in any form but raw would be cheating. Man up! No sneaky dodging! argued Jeffrey Drummond.

I disagree. Theres no reason why a newspaper shouldnt go down easily. In addition to Albisus original suggestion  newspaper chilaquiles in tomatillo-jalapeno sauce, crispy newspaper dumplings, saffron rice and newspaper-smoked lamb, newspaper-lined tacos, ground newspaper falafel, newspaper Wagyu steak, candied-newspaper waffles and newspaper-stuffed churros  there are many other promising dishes to consider for this feast.

Joe Yonan, The Posts food editor, suggests a cold minty pea-and-newspaper soup with Greek yogurt, feta and chives.

Bonnie Benwick, the deputy food editor, proposes op-ed spring rolls with dipping sauce.

John Bussey, my old editor at the Wall Street Journal, suggests a fresh vegetable soup, generously seasoned with garlic and herbs and reduced on a low flame for one news cycle.

Sara Polon, otherwise known as Soupergirl, a Washington soupmaker, submits an Indian-style mulligatawny with toasted newspaper.

Probably the most creative recipe came from Shava Nerad via Twitter  ersatzbrot, a bread made with sawdust fed to German soldiers in World War I.

Several readers  JC, CalithDem and Roy Wakefield among them  went with the British classic of fish and chips, while many others  including Emmanuel Touhey, Becky Timmons and Dan Grosz  thought meatloaf would be the right choice.

Linda Garceau sent me a recipe, in French, for fish cooked in newspaper, but it appears the removal instructions  degager le papier  disqualify the dish. And Douglas Peterson took great care in emailing a highly detailed recipe for Trump steaks (18 column inches Washington Post shredded in 3-inch strips, -inch wide).

Nearly every world cuisine was represented: German beef and newspaper cabbage rolls (Mark Gibson), a Louisville newspaper Hot Brown (Mark Linton), blueberry newspaper pancakes (David Umansky), newspaper matzo brei (Adam Wizon), newspaper lasagna (Andrea Stone), newspaper spanakopita (William Hamby) and Trumpkin pie with newspaper and yams (MArlington Thomas).

Among the most popular comments was from ACounter, who suggested soaking the newspaper in water first to get as many of the chemicals out as possible. And before you eat the soaked paper, dont forget to soak yourself  in your favorite alcoholic beverage.

Unnecessary. These newsprint dishes will be delectable. But another six months of Trump? That will require a stiff drink.

1 of 14 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  These Republicans refuse to vote for Donald Trump View Photos And theyll tell you why. Caption And theyll tell you why. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell General Powell said at a meeting of the Long Island Association that he would be voting for Hillary Clinton, a spokeswoman confirmed Oct. 25. Powell added in an interview that he picked Clinton because I think shes qualified, and the other gentleman is not qualified. Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

How should Dana Milbank eat his column? Voting is closed on this poll User Poll Results: Place Dana's order.

Newspaper chilaquiles in tomatillo-jalapeno sauce Crispy newspaper dumplings Saffron rice and newspaper-smoked lamb Newspaper-lined tacos

Ground newspaper falafel

Newspaper Wagyu steak

Cold minty pea and newspaper soup Indian-style mulligatawny with toasted newspaper Pardon the interruption! We need to verify that you are an actual person. Newspaper chilaquiles in tomatillo-jalapeno sauce Crispy newspaper dumplings Saffron rice and newspaper-smoked lamb Newspaper-lined tacos

Ground newspaper falafel

Newspaper Wagyu steak

Cold minty pea and newspaper soup Indian-style mulligatawny with toasted newspaper View Results This is a non-scientific user poll. Results are not statistically valid and cannot be assumed to reflect the views of Washington Post users as a group or the general population.

Twitter: @Milbank

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Jim Roumell wrote in his May 1 op-ed, Corporate taxes in the U.S. arent so bad, that multinational corporations dont pay retail when it comes to taxes; instead, they evade them. Well, actually, that is still bad  not because they dont pay much but because they actually pay little or nothing.

Corporations shift their tax burdens in one or more of three economic incarnations  higher prices (for consumers), lower salaries (for employees) and lower profits (for investors).

There is a widespread belief that corporate taxes are borne by wealthy owners in the form of lower profits. They are more likely borne by consumers, who pay higher prices for products. Even the taxes paid by owners affect people whose pensions include corporate stock.

As a fiscal conservative, do I want to eliminate corporate taxes? Certainly not without a replacement. As a progressive concerned with income distribution and the burden on the poor, do I want to raise those taxes? Not at all. As a progressive, I want to reduce the corporate tax burden because it is an opaque tax that probably falls most heavily on consumers  and because it generates a lot of counterproductive work by accountants and lawyers.

Jack Aubert, Falls Church

Jim Roumell shed light on the crocodile tears cried by corporations over high taxes that in fact are at their lowest rates since the 1950s. Another phony complaint is that multinational firms cant repatriate foreign earnings for fear of paying exorbitant taxes.

Companies hold billions in overseas accounts while bemoaning the failure of U.S. schools to provide K-12 education to train qualified engineers. Someone needs to pay for schools and infrastructure to ship goods. Just dont ask corporations to help pay for these.

If a Google or an Apple or an eBay increases employee pay, not much happens to our economy, as the money from the corporate treasury moves into the savings accounts of a few already well-paid employees. On the other hand, taxes fund schools, infrastructure and research and development, benefiting many. Wealthier consumers then Google more geegaws to buy from Apple or eBay, and companies have a better-educated population from which to draw employees.

Wealthy Americans must now pay taxes on interest from their Swiss accounts, while corporate individuals continue to enjoy a tax holiday. The hole in our tax revenue is filled by you-know-who.

Stuart Brown, Washington

The writer is chief investment strategist and portfolio manager at Warren Capital.
Michigan first lady Sue Snyder holds a piece of the ribbon that was cut at the ribbon cutting ceremony during the "Ride the Pink Elevator" event in Detroit. Snyder has christened a campaign involving a pink elevator in Detroit to raise funds benefiting the Susan G. Komen organization for breast cancer research. (Daniel Mears/Associated Press)

More than 12,000 people will gather on the Mall this Saturday for the 27th running of the Susan G. Komen D.C. Race for the Cure. This is among the older charity runs in the nations capital, helping Komen to fund more than $44 million in breast cancer research at area institutions over our history, with another $36 million invested in community programs that help people facing breast cancer to pay for medical and treatment expenses, insurance co-pays, living expenses, medical supplies and even groceries and transportation to treatment.

This is the impact of the Komen Race just in the National Capital Region. In 150 cities worldwide, Komen Races have helped Komen invest more in breast cancer research than any other nonprofit ($889 million). Weve invested double that amount  $1.95 billion  in grants to local agencies that help women, men and families every day. Our focus is on low-income, uninsured, underinsured and otherwise medically vulnerable people whose cancer diagnosis brings financial and emotional crises as well as a medical crisis.

Eighty-one cents of every dollar Komen spent in fiscal 2015 funded research and mission programs. Just 9 percent paid for overhead; 10 percent covered the costs of putting on the races and events that raise the money that we then re-invest in our mission. Seventy-five percent of the money raised locally stays in the community; the other 25 percent funds our global research program.

Those who have walked and run against breast cancer have helped to reduce breast cancer death rates by 36 percent since 1989. You have made more treatments and options available to women than at any time in our history, and more breakthroughs are on the horizon. Our community in the District, Northern Virginia and Maryland has helped make this progress possible close to home and around the world. We thank you, and are looking forward to seeing thousands of you on Saturday.

Judith A. Salerno, Dallas

The writer is president and chief executive of Susan G. Komen.
Far ahead in the Democratic race for president, Hillary Clinton has embarked on a first round of general-election campaigning against Donald Trump featuring a low-key focus on policy and her own experience, in addition to the daily volley of attack and retort that already defines their contest.

Hoping that the election will be waged on wider ground than her economics-centered primary battle against Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Clintons campaign is trying to present a contrast between someone who talks big  a loose cannon, as Clinton often labels Trump  and someone who listens and gets things done.

The strategy includes wonky appearances to discuss job creation, green energy and combating drug addiction  even in unfriendly states such as West Virginia, where Clinton spoke Monday in an effort to demonstrate, a senior aide said, that she would be a president for everyone.

Its an open question whether Clinton can wrest control of an election conversation in which Trump has proved adept at placing himself at the center  and in which Republican primary voters have spurned the vast experience of Trumps rivals in favor of his more bombastic rhetoric.

[Donald Trump takes the reins of a divided Republican Party]

Hundreds of protesters braved torrential rains in the small coal mining town of Williamson, W. Va., during a campaign stop by Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. Demonstrators accused the candidate of trying to end coal mining in the already struggling region. (Dalton Bennett/The Washington Post)

Even before Trump sealed the Republican nomination with unexpected speed this week, Clinton was fortifying the foundation of a general-election narrative against him, the senior aide said. Democrats inside and outside her campaign identified some main themes of that narrative: womens equality, immigration, inclusiveness, national security and her own history.

Although all are familiar issues in a campaign that Clinton began just over a year ago, Sanderss economic-justice agenda has often overshadowed Clintons other priorities in the past 10 months. Returning to these topics now, aides said, represents an effort to remind voters of what her campaign sees as her biggest strengths when compared with Trump: experience, pragmatism and compassion.

Counterattacks are coming, too; several Clinton allies said she cannot wait for the formal end of her primary contest to focus on Trump as relentlessly as he is starting to do with her.

The primary may well be ongoing, but the nature and the tone of the primary will allow us to communicate more directly and with less noise about who Hillary Clinton is, why shes in this race and what shes fighting for a little more strongly, the senior aide said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe the reasoning behind the candidates plans.

Sanderss tenacity is something Clinton cannot openly criticize, because she also competed until June in her own failed bid in 2008. Instead, she is trying to minimize the perception of weakness in the closing weeks of the primary, when Sanders is likely to extend a winning streak that began Tuesday in Indiana.

Trump is already using Clintons endless primary against a previously obscure contender as evidence that she is a flawed candidate. He is also parroting Sanderss critiques of her.

Clinton said Wednesday that she is more than happy to engage Trump, and she waved off what she called his pattern of insults and insubstantial arguments.

1 of 14 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  These 10 Republicans refuse to vote for Donald Trump View Photos And theyll tell you why. Caption And theyll tell you why. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell General Powell said at a meeting of the Long Island Association that he would be voting for Hillary Clinton, a spokeswoman confirmed Oct. 25. Powell added in an interview that he picked Clinton because I think shes qualified, and the other gentleman is not qualified. Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

He makes these grand statements and grand accusations. Clinton said in an interview on CNN. At some point when youre running for president, you actually have to put a little meat on the bones. Youve got to tell people what it is youre going to do and how hes going do it.

Trump is a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who cowed and flummoxed his way past a large slate of rivals, Clinton said.

Sanders, though, is still standing. He has vowed to remain in the race no matter the odds, forcing Clinton into a two-pronged campaign approach for the coming weeks that allies said will pay respect to the primary process while largely ignoring her opponent in the primaries.

Trumps victory in Indiana on Tuesday, followed by the exit of his final two GOP competitors, made the real estate mogul and political neophyte the presumptive Republican nominee.

[Bush 41 and 43 have no plans to endorse Trump]

Clintons loss in the Indiana primary, in contrast, is likely to be followed by losses in West Virginia next week and Kentucky and Oregon later this month.

Clintons commanding victories in New York and Pennsylvania effectively placed Sanders out of contention. Although he still has virtually no chance of overtaking Clinton in pledged delegates before the partys convention in July, his success in May could accentuate her weaknesses at the moment when she claims the nomination  a less-than-ideal way to kick off the general-election contest.

The Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over, Sanders said Tuesday night. Theyre wrong.

Clinton is not likely to get all of the delegates she needs until June, largely on the strength of votes in California and New Jersey. But her campaign concluded that her cushion afforded some breathing room to slow her campaigns pace somewhat and recalibrate her message.

She has started to change the nature and substance of some of her campaign events to make a case to independents and moderate Republicans. Clinton is also expected to campaign and raise money for other Democrats who could help advance her agenda.

She has quit advertising in primary states this month to conserve money for the general-election fight. She may advertise in California in the final days of that contest, though. She outraised Sanders in April for the first time in months as contributions to Sanderss insurgent campaign fell off sharply. The fate of a final Clinton-Sanders debate, agreed to when Clinton was neck and neck with Sanders in Iowa, is now in limbo.

She largely skipped her stump speech as she held panel discussions this week on the coal economy, jobs and drug addiction, and she barely mentioned her challenger. On Friday, she got a heros welcome at an academy for young black men she has helped support since she was a senator in New York.

The former senator and secretary of state emphasized her experience handling thorny problems, a return to the focus on Clinton as pragmatic problem-solver that defined the early months of the race last year.

Its the kitchen-table evaluations that Clintons allies think favor her, despite the experience of more tested, experienced Republican candidates who fell to the unpredictable juggernaut of Trumps outsider crusade.

We can lead with this stuff now, instead of fitting in her general-election messages around the argument and calendar dictated by the primary, the senior aide said.

Put another way, while parrying Sanders, Clinton was forced to spend more time talking about issues that Sanders emphasized, such as Wall Street reform, and less time talking about items higher on her priority list or comparing herself with Trump.

She wants to show that she is not content to go forward with the coalition she got, even though those voters have powered her past Sanders and are probably sufficient to win the general election, the aide said.

Talking to people who very likely disagree with her . . . may not win these people over, the aide said. But she is demonstrating that she wants to be the president for everyone.

The shift included discussions of jobs, energy, drug addiction and more this week, framed around the hard-luck stories of Appalachia. Sanders is likely to carry West Virginia and Kentucky in contests later this month, and neither state has voted for a Democrat for president since Bill Clintons reelection in 1996. Hillary Clinton also managed a stop in southern Ohio, the part of that general-election swing state least friendly to national Democrats.

In Williamson, W.Va., on Monday night, Clinton had an uncomfortable exchange with an out-of-work coal miner, Bo Copley, over a prediction she had made earlier in the campaign about clean energy eclipsing coal.

How you can say youre going to put a lot of coal miners out of jobs and then come in here and tell us how youre going to be our friend? Copley asked Clinton. Because those people out there dont see you as a friend, Copley said, referring to protesters who had gathered outside the Williamson Health and Wellness Center.

What I said was totally out of context from what I meant, Clinton replied, calling her earlier remarks in a CNN town hall a misstatement. I do feel a little bit sad and sorry that I gave folks the reason or the excuse to be so upset with me because that is not what I intended at all.

Trump seized on the exchange, along with some of Sanderss criticisms, in election-night remarks and interviews this week. He hasnt even started to attack her, Trump said Wednesday. Earlier, he said he will concentrate on her past.

Her own campaign zinged Trump on Wednesday with a video using the words of other Republicans against him. Super PACs aligned with Clinton are planning a barrage of attacks based on Trumps past dealings in business and with women. Both the campaign and her super-PAC supporters will argue that Trump is irresponsible and unsuitable as commander in chief.

Asked how nasty a general-election contest with Trump would be, Clinton said that would be up to Trump.

Hes the one whos making that decision, Clinton said in the CNN interview. Hes the one who has been running that kind of very negative, aggressive, bullying campaign.

She said she will continue to run her own campaign on her terms, and she said there is room in her camp for anyone seeking an alternative to Trump.

The campaign Im going to run is about what we will do in the future, she said. And I invite a lot of Republicans and independents who Ive been seeing on the campaign trail, whove been reaching out to me, I invite them to join with Democrats.
Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, a former president of Burundi who ruled his small central African nation for 11 years in the 1970s and 1980s, a period bookended by coups and marred by suppression of the Catholic Church, died May 4 in Belgium. He was 69.

Mr. Bagaza had been receiving medical care in Belgium for the past two weeks.

A Burundian government spokesman, Philippe Nzobonariba, confirmed the death to the Associated Press. The cause was not immediately available.

Mr. Bagaza belonged to the Hima Tutsi of southern Burundi, a tribe that The Washington Post once described as a minority within a minority. Like Rwanda, its neighbor to the north, Burundi is made up predominantly of members of the Hutu tribe. Unlike Rwanda, Burundi was long ruled by the Tutsi minority in a form of tribal apartheid after the nation achieved independence from Belgium in 1962.

One of the poorest and most densely populated countries in Africa, Burundi endured periods of instability and violence that reached a peak in 1972 with the slaughter of more than 100,000 Hutus after that tribe mounted a rebellion. The ethnic violence presaged the events two decades later in Rwanda, where between 500,000 and 1 million people, mainly Tutsis, died in a Hutu-led genocide.

Mr. Bagaza, an army officer and former deputy chief of staff of Burundis armed forces, was 30 years old when he ousted Michel Micombero, the president on whose watch the Burundian killings had occurred, in 1976.

Inititally, Mr. Bagaza seemed to hold out a measure of promise. He had been educated in military schools in Belgium, held a sociology degree and drove himself to work at 7:30 a.m. each day  an anomaly, the Associated Press reported, on a continent where leaders usually travel in cavalcades with outriders and jeeps of soldiers toting submachine guns.

With few significant exports besides coffee, the country counted heavily on foreign aid to stay afloat, and Mr. Bagaza courted relationships with Western countries as well as Soviet and Chinese allies. He was credited with inviting a limited number of Hutus into the Tutsi-dominated government and sought to improve ethnic relations by transferring Tutsi farmland to Hutus.

But ethnic tensions remained, despite government protestations to the contrary. They were exacerbated by Mr. Bagazas efforts to curtail the power of the Catholic Church, a powerful, if not universally welcome, force in Burundi since Belgian colonial rule. Most Hutus were Catholic, and Catholics accounted for 65 percent of the countrys population.

Mr. Bagaza regarded the church as a threat to his power. He shuttered Catholic broadcast and print media, banned Catholic church services on weekdays, expelled foreign missionaries, assumed control of Catholic schools and shut down Catholic-run literacy centers. By 1987, The Post reported, hundreds of foreign priests and nuns had left the country. Amnesty International cited cases of torture and incarceration without trial.

One priest, the Rev. Jean Ndikuriyo, was imprisoned for disseminating a letter from Pope John Paul II decrying government oppression of the church in Burundi. He was detained for three months before being granted clemency, then was rearrested days later.

He recounted to the New York Times, Security officers came and said, You thanked God for releasing you from jail, but you didnt thank President Bagaza. 

In September 1987, Mr. Bagaza was attending a conference in Quebec of francophone countries when the military announced in a radio broadcast the ascension to power of Maj. Pierre Buyoya as head of a military junta.

Mr. Bagaza had been deposed, the communique asserted, by his soldiers, together with Burundis gallant people, considering the state of the Bagaza leadership, according to an AP dispatch at the time.

In the decades that followed, Burundi suffered further instability, including political overthrows and assassination, and a 12-year civil war that killed 300,000 people before it ended in 2005 amid peace talks. After a period of exile, Mr. Bagaza remained active in Burundian politics as head of Parena, described as an extremist party of Tutsis.

Mr. Bagaza was born on Aug. 29, 1946, in Rutovu, a town in what was then Ruanda-Urundi. He was married to Fausta Bagaza and had four children. A list of survivors was not immediately available.

At the time of Mr. Bagazas death, Burundi, under the leadership of President Pierre Nkurunziza, was again mired in political turbulence and violence. Hundreds have been killed, and hundreds of thousands have fled.
New members of the Afghan army march at their graduation ceremony at the Afghan Military Academy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016. (Rahmat Gul/AP)

If first impressions really can be gleaned from footwear, Afghan security forces may be about as disjointed and ragged as a state-run military can get.

As recruits stood in formation here last week, some wore nearly paper-thin black boots one stumble away from an exposed heel or toe. Others had on boots better suited for trekking through feet of snow than standing on sun-scorched gravel. The lucky ones had the same well-padded, sandy-colored boots worn by a visiting U.S. general and his support staff.

This one, when it gets wet, they are not comfortable, said one soldier, Abdul Ali, 21, pointing down at his crumbled black footwear.

The sad state of soldiers boots highlights something that U.S. military officials have known for about two years: Despite more than $68 billion in U.S. funding for Afghan security forces over the past 14 years, they still cant even clothe themselves.

Because of widespread corruption and incompetence, the U.S.-led coalition has taken control of procurement of uniforms and boots for the Afghan army and the Afghan national police.

Now, the coalition is trying to airlift or ship in more than a million pairs of boots to make sure Afghan forces can properly walk onto the battlefield. Some of the orders for those boots were placed as far back as 2014.

The shipments of boots  which cost about $75 to $90 per pair  are projected to total about $100 million through the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The coalition expects to spend an additional $215 million on boots, uniforms and gear for Afghan forces in fiscal 2017.

U.S. taxpayers will be picking up about 80 percent of the tab.

Ken Watson, head of essential functions for NATOs Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A), said the coalition had no choice but to get into the clothing business to avoid a barefoot army.

In 2012, as the coalition was preparing to withdraw most of its troops from Afghanistan, it transferred to the Afghan government responsibility for the purchase of soldiers and police officers boots and uniforms. But the Afghan procurement system was overwhelmed because of widespread corruption, poor management and overreliance on the lowest bidder, often from China.

As a result, Afghanistan became a model for how not to outfit an army.

Thousands of pairs of size 12 military boots flooded into the country, even though its rare for an Afghans foot to exceed size 10.

Some pairs arrived with each boot a different size. Even when both boots did fit, they were often so poorly manufactured that they quickly needed to be replaced.

Ive come across boxes of new boots with the soles already split, so we had to take them to the cobbler, said Mohammad Zaman Momozai, the police chief of Parwan province.

Getting the Afghan government to handle its own military procurement has been further complicated by President Ashraf Ghanis efforts to more closely scrutinize contracts to avoid fraud, Watson said.

So we had to go back in. . . . You just cant stop the flow of stuff, Watson said. He stopped buying, and that means someone has got to do it.

While boots and uniforms account for a tiny fraction of Pentagon spending in Afghanistan, they highlight the choices facing President Obama and other world leaders over spending to prop up about 200,000 Afghan soldiers and 151,000 police officers.

At a summit in Warsaw in July, NATO leaders will seek commitments of an additional $4 billion annually for Afghan security through 2020. Western diplomats say the request will be in addition to about $3 billion in annual aid for Afghan reconstruction, which will be a topic at a summit in Brussels in October.

The stakes for Afghanistan are enormous, as the countrys battle against the Taliban insurgency shows no sign of subsiding.

According to the World Bank, Afghanistan is spending about 15 percent of its gross domestic product on security. Most Western countries, including the United States, spend less than 5 percent.

Afghanistan  where the poverty rate has crept up to 39 percent and where nearly one-fourth of residents are jobless  will be hard-pressed to sustain that level of spending.

But even if the international community keeps pumping in billions of dollars, there is growing concern about monitoring resources as the number of U.S. troops declines.

The United States military has lost much of its ability to make direct observations, provide tactical mentoring and collect reliable information, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said in a report to Congress last week.

Shipments of new boots from the United States, for example, are handed over to Afghans for storage in army and police supply depots.

From there, Afghan officials are responsible for distributing them. With CSTC-A officials housed on just four major bases and two smaller ones, Watson admits hes not sure whether all the goods are going where they are supposed to.

We cant throw and catch and see where there may be problems along the supply chain, said Watson, who estimates that 10 percent of the imported uniforms and boots will be lost, resold or stolen along the way. The focus needs to be on controlling them to make sure they dont disappear or show up in a bazaar somewhere.

Even here at Camp Shaheen, the timely arrival and distribution of needed clothing and footwear isnt guaranteed.

We just received 2,000 pairs of boots, and 50 percent of them were size 12, said Col. Christian Walking, a German adviser with the Afghan armys 209th Corps.

That could be a sign that Afghan military leaders are trying to unload old stocks of boots, even though CSTC-A has shipped in 89,000 new pairs since October.

We dont even buy size 12, Watson said.

For the past year, SIGAR has been conducting an audit of clothing purchases. In September, John F. Sopko, the inspector general, informed coalition commanders that preliminary findings revealed that tens of thousands of Afghan troops were not receiving cold weather clothing such as hats and gloves.

When they come here, they just receive uniforms and nothing else, said Col. Atei Ataoulah, head of training for the Afghan army in northern Afghanistan. When they want to wash their feet, they dont have shower shoes.

The shower shoes will probably have to wait.

For now, the coalition is focused on just making sure good boots get on the ground.

As of earlier this month, just 23 percent of 388,686 pairs of army boots and 29 percent of 572,361 pairs of police boots ordered in 2014 and 2015 had been delivered, according to coalition records.

An additional 245,000 pairs are being ordered for soldiers and police officers this year.

And coalition officials expect they will have to remain in the clothing business well into the future.

Watson noted, however, there is one positive trend.

At least for now, Afghan security forces remain capable of buying and cooking their own food  although much of the funding for that still comes from the international community.

Sayed Salahuddin contributed to this report.

Read more:

U.S. troops are back in restive Afghan province, a year after withdrawal

Obama outlines plan to keep 5,500 troops in Afghanistan

These are the 11,000 soldiers who might save Afghanistan

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Eduardo Cunha, a bitter rival of President Dilma Rousseff and the legislator responsible for impeachment proceedings against her, had been removed as speaker pending confirmation by the full court. (Fernando Bizerra Jr./EPA)

A Supreme Court justice suspended the speaker of Brazils lower house of Congress on Thursday for obstructing a corruption investigation, removing him from the line of succession to the president just days before she too is expected to be suspended.

A court spokeswoman said Eduardo Cunha, a bitter rival of President Dilma Rousseff and the legislator responsible for impeachment proceedings against her, had been removed as speaker pending confirmation by the full court.

The move, yet another political tremor in a country struggling with a historic government crisis and the worst recession in decades, followed a request from Brazils top prosecutor.

As speaker, Cunha was third in line for the presidency and would have become second if Rousseff, as expected, was suspended from office next week because of alleged budget irregularities. She would be replaced by Michel Temer, the 75-year-old vice president.

Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki accepted an injunction requested five months ago by the prosecutor general. The prosecutor sought Cunhas removal for allegedly intimidating lawmakers and obstructing an investigation into accusations that he held undeclared bank accounts in Switzerland.

Brazil is increasingly polarized and entirely consumed with its political crisis. By no means is the country on the verge of collapse, but here are some reasons why the turmoil isnt so good for the rest of us. (Nick Miroff,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

Cunha is the only sitting lawmaker officially charged by the Supreme Court with corruption in a sweeping kickbacks scandal focused on state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, commonly known as Petrobras. An evangelical Christian with strong support from the religious right in Congress, Cunha has for months been fending off ethics committee hearings in the lower house about whether he lied about the Swiss accounts.

Deputy speaker Waldir Maranhao, a member of the Progressive Party who is also being investigated in the Petrobras scandal, became acting head of the lower chamber after Cunhas suspension.

Cunha launched impeachment proceedings against Rousseff in December on charges she broke budget laws. As an implacable foe of the president, his suspension could have helped Rousseff had it come earlier. Now it could work against her by weakening her argument that she is being impeached by corrupt politicians. It could, in contrast, help a Temer presidency by removing the taint of suspicion from a key position with whom the new president would have to negotiate for legislative traction.

Temer would inherit the presidency because of a process started by Cunha, said Rafael Cortez, a political analyst with Tendencias, a consultancy in Sao Paulo. Any agreements they would have made could have looked like payback for enabling him to become president.

Most crucial for Temer is the need to pass much-needed reforms to kick-start the economy, plug a gaping budget deficit and restore confidence for Brazils struggling consumers, businesses and industry.

The leftist president is fighting for her political survival since the lower house commanded by Cunha voted April 17 to charge her with manipulating government accounts, which her opponents say allowed her to boost public spending before her 2014 reelection.

Rousseff denies any wrongdoing.

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan arrives with his wife, Saadiya, to cast their votes at a polling station in Streatham, south London, on May 5, 2016. (Philip Gareth Fuller/AP)

Londoners cast votes Thursday in an election that could give the city its first Muslim mayor, while voters elsewhere in Britain were expected to punish the main opposition Labour Party in local and regional polls.

Sadiq Khan, a 45-year-old Labour lawmaker, is the favorite to replace Conservative Boris Johnson as London mayor, after a race marred by allegations of extremism and fear-mongering.

Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith used words such as radical and dangerous to describe Khan, and accused his opponent of giving platforms, oxygen and even cover to Islamic extremists a charge repeated by Prime Minister David Cameron and other senior Conservatives.

Khan, a former human rights lawyer and the son of a bus driver from Pakistan, styled himself the British Muslim who takes the fight to the extremists. He accused Goldsmith, a wealthy environmentalist, of trying to divide voters in one of the worlds most multicultural cities, home to 8.6 million people  more than 1 million of them Muslims.

In an election-eve message, Khan promised to be a mayor for all Londoners.

Voters are electing a Scottish Parliament and legislatures in Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as choosing members of many English local authorities.

A victory for Khan would be a bright spot in what may be a grim day for Labour, which has been out of office nationally since 2010.

Opposition parties usually gain seats in midterm elections as voters punish the sitting government. But Labour under left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn is divided and beset by a controversy over allegations of anti-Semitism within its ranks. The claims gained new momentum when former London mayor Ken Livingstone  a Corbyn ally  claimed that Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism before he came to power.

In Scotland, the pro-independence Scottish National Party is on course to win a majority of seats in the Edinburgh-based Parliament and retain governmental power, with Labour at risk of sinking to third place behind the Conservatives.

In Northern Ireland, where political parties reflect the Catholic-Protestant divide, rivals are competing to see whether the Catholic side can overtake the territorys dwindling Protestant majority for the first time.

 Associated Press

Read more:

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Hillary Clinton is flanked by Reps. Maxine Waters, left, and Karen Bass, both California Democrats, at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles on May 5. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

Prosecutors and FBI agents investigating Hillary Clintons use of a personal email server have so far found scant evidence that the leading Democratic presidential candidate intended to break classification rules, though they are still probing the case aggressively with an eye on interviewing Clinton herself, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

FBI agents on the case have been joined by federal prosecutors from the same office that successfully prosecuted 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui  and who would handle any Edward Snowden case, should he ever return to the country, according to the U.S. officials familiar with the matter. And in recent weeks, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Eastern District of Virginia and their FBI counterparts have been interviewing top Clinton aides as they seek to bring the case to a close.

CNN reported Thursday that longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin was among those interviewed. A lawyer for Abedin did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

[How Clintons email scandal took root]

The involvement of the U.S. Attorneys Office is not indicative that charges are imminent or even likely. One official said prosecutors are wrestling with the question of whether Clinton intended to violate the rules, and so far, the evidence seemed to indicate she did not.

Dana Boente, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. (Justice Department)

But the investigation is not over, and if charges are brought, Clinton would face a team that is no stranger to high-profile cases involving classified material. Last year, for example, prosecutors in the district won a conviction of a former CIA officer who was involved in a highly secretive operation to give faulty nuclear plans to Iran and accused of leaking details of the effort to a reporter.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing probe. An FBI spokesman and a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Eastern District of Virginia declined to comment.

Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement: From the start, Hillary Clinton has offered to answer any questions that would help the Justice Department complete its review, and we hope and expect that anyone else who is asked would do the same. We are confident the review will conclude that nothing inappropriate took place.

[Justice Dept. grants immunity to staffer who set up Clinton email server]

The Justice Department has granted immunity to at least one former State Department staffer, Bryan Pagliano, who worked on Clintons private email server. There is no indication a grand jury has been convened in the case.

U.S. officials also dismissed claims by a Romanian hacker now facing federal charges in Virginia that he was able to breach Clintons personal email server. The officials said investigators have found no evidence to support the assertion by Marcel Lehel Lazar to Fox News and others, and they believed if he had accessed Clintons emails, he would have released them  as he did when he got into accounts of other high-profile people.

D.C.-area lawyers commonly refer to the Eastern District of Virginia as the rocket docket for the speed with which cases move through it. The U.S. Attorneys Office there has about 300 lawyers and other employees working in Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk and Newport News and has long had a reputation as one of the most important federal prosecutor shops in the country.

The State Department released 52,000 pages of Hillary Clintons emails as part of a court-ordered process. Here's what else we learned from the publicly released emails. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

The district is home to the CIA and the Pentagon, and its prosecutors often find themselves handling terrorism and national-security cases, including the Moussaoui trial.

The office is led by Dana Boente, a veteran federal prosecutor who U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch earlier this year called one of the Justice Departments consummate utility players. In addition to the prosecution of former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell (R), Boente also led the public corruption prosecutions of former congressman William J. Jefferson (D-La.) and of former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin (D) while he was serving a brief stint leading the office in New Orleans.

Anne Gearan and Adam Goldman contributed to this report.
The hunt for Osama bin Laden: For almost a decade, U.S. intelligence officials were stymied by Osama bin Laden. That is until CIA analysts at Langley changed their focus to the al-Qaeda leader's secret courier network. (The Washington Post)

The hunt for Osama bin Laden: For almost a decade, U.S. intelligence officials were stymied by Osama bin Laden. That is until CIA analysts at Langley changed their focus to the al-Qaeda leader's secret courier network. (The Washington Post)

Two months after Osama bin Laden was killed, the CIAs top operative in Pakistan was pulled out of the country in an abrupt move vaguely attributed to health concerns and his strained relationship with Islamabad.

In reality, the CIA station chief was so violently ill that he was often doubled over in pain, current and former U.S. officials said. Trips out of the country for treatment proved futile. And the cause of his ailment was so mysterious, the officials said, that both he and the agency began to suspect that he had been poisoned.

Mark Kelton retired from the CIA, and his health has recovered after he had abdominal surgery. But agency officials continue to think that it is plausible  if not provable  that Keltons sudden illness was somehow orchestrated by Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence agency, known as the ISI.

The disclosure is a disturbing postscript to the sequence of events surrounding the bin Laden operation five years ago and adds new intrigue to a counterterrorism partnership that has often been consumed by conspiracy theories.

That 2011 time frame was marked by extraordinary turbulence in the United States relationship with Pakistan, a wary alliance that was close to collapse when U.S. Navy SEALs descended on the al-Qaeda leaders compound in Abbottabad.

1 of 20 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Rare photos show Osama bin Laden while hiding in Tora Bora View Photos Photos have been released of the Tora Bora compound where the al-Qaeda leader lived until a Western bombing campaign forced him to flee. Caption Photos of the Tora Bora compound where the al-Qaeda leader lived until a bombing campaign forced him to flee. Photos have been released of the Tora Bora compound Osama bin Laden lived in until a Western bombing campaign forced him to flee. Abdel Bari Atwan via Justice Department Wait 1 second to continue.

Even if the poisoning suspicion is groundless, the idea that the CIA and its station chief considered the ISI capable of such an act suggests that the breakdown in trust was even worse than widely assumed.

[CIA tweets U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden  five years later]

Kelton, 59, declined multiple requests for an interview, but in a brief exchange by phone he said that the cause of his illness was never clarified, and he added that he was not the first to suspect that he had been poisoned. The genesis for the thoughts about that didnt originate with me, he said.

In the conversation, Kelton declined to answer questions about his illness or his tenure in Pakistan. Id rather let that whole sad episode lie, he said. Im very, very proud of the people I worked with who did amazing things for their country at a very difficult time. When the true story is told, the country will be very proud of them.

U.S. officials acknowledged that the CIA never saw proof that Kelton was poisoned or confronted Pakistan with that charge. CIA spokesman Dean Boyd said that privacy considerations limit what we can say about any individual cases . . . but we have uncovered no evidence that Pakistani authorities poisoned a U.S. official serving in Pakistan.

Even so, current and former U.S. intelligence officials said that the ISI has been linked to numerous plots against journalists, diplomats and other perceived adversaries and that the spy agencys animosity toward Kelton was intense.

Officials said the ISI chief at the time, Ahmed Shuja Pasha, routinely refused to speak with Kelton or even utter his name, referring to the dour CIA station chief as the cadaver.

In this Jan. 28, 2011, file photo, Pakistani security officials escort Raymond Allen Davis (center), a CIA contractor, to a local court in Lahore, Pakistan. (Hamza Ahmed/AP)

Tensions from the start

Although Keltons tenure lasted only seven months, it was in many ways a parade of humiliation for his hosts. Within days of Keltons arrival, one of his subordinates, CIA contractor Raymond Davis, was involved in a Jason Bourne-style shootout in Lahore. Kelton signed off on dozens of drone strikes that infuriated the Pakistanis. He also presided over the final preparations for the assault in Abbottabad that killed bin Laden and, to many, exposed Pakistans security agencies as incompetent.

The CIA asked that Kelton not be identified by his full name. But since retiring, Kelton has posted his name and portions of his CIA resume on publicly accessible Websites. He has not disclosed his assignment in Pakistan, but other key figures associated with the bin Laden operation have come forward over the past five years or have been publicly identified.

Pakistan dismissed the allegations against the ISI.

Obviously the story is fictional, not worthy of comment, said Pakistan Embassy spokesman Nadeem Hotiana. We reject the insinuations implied in the allegations.

U.S. officials emphasized that the relationship with Pakistan had been deteriorating for years before Kelton arrived in Islamabad.

By 2009, officials said, U.S. intelligence agencies had evidence that the ISI was complicit in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, suspected the ISI of staging raids to disguise the deaths of militants killed in custody and were convinced that the ISI routinely tipped off its proxies when they were about to be struck by CIA drones.

The strain intensified in 2010 when the CIA sharply escalated the pace of its drone campaign and Pasha was named in a Mumbai-attack-related lawsuit in the United States. In apparent retaliation, a suit filed in Pakistan by alleged victims of a drone strike revealed the name of the CIAs then-station chief, Jonathan Bank.

Concerned for Banks safety, the CIA employed a modest ruse to get him out of the country, former officials said. As then-CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell finished a series of scheduled meetings in Islamabad, Bank escorted his boss to a waiting agency plane. Then, without any notice to Pakistani authorities and in violation of protocol, Bank stayed aboard as the flight crew closed the door.

The next station chief would face a doubly daunting assignment  managing the toxic relationship with the ISI while secretly pursuing the most promising lead in more than a decade on bin Ladens whereabouts.

Kelton, known as having an acerbic personality, was not an obvious candidate for the role. He had little experience with counterterrorism operations and had spent much of his career in traditional Cold War outposts, including Moscow, where the CIA remained locked in a decades-long duel with the KGB and its successor organization.

[How the CIA ran a billion dollar spy in Moscow]

But given the increasingly tense atmosphere in Islamabad, then-CIA Director Leon Panetta and others concluded that years of engaging in adversarial espionage could be an asset. They thought his Moscow experience was a very good credential, said a former senior CIA official who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss agency operations and personnel.

Former U.S. officials who worked alongside Kelton said he began preaching Moscow Rules upon arrival, meaning that the ISI should be treated as a determined foe rather than a problematic partner. The inevitable clash came sooner than either side expected.

Less than 48 hours after Keltons arrival in Islamabad, Davis, the CIA contractor, was arrested after opening fire on two armed Pakistani men accused of trying to rob him. In Daviss car, authorities found a conspicuous collection of spy gear, reportedly including a disguise kit, an infrared flashlight and a camera.

[CIAs Global Response Staff emerges from the shadows]

Some in the U.S. Embassy argued that lying about Davis would only insult the Pakistanis, who might be persuaded to release him if the agency acknowledged the blunder. But Kelton and his superiors at headquarters were adamantly opposed.

Dont tell them anything, Kelton told then-U.S. Ambassador Cameron Munter, according to former officials familiar with the exchange. The stonewalling continued for weeks  with President Obama demanding the release of our diplomat  until Munter secured permission to deal with Pasha directly and admit Daviss ties to the CIA.

Davis was released March 16 after a secret court proceeding in which the families of those killed were paid $2.4 million. The CIAs drones, which had gone dormant during much of Daviss captivity, roared back to life the next day, carrying out a strike that killed at least 40 people at a tribal council meeting in Datta Khel.

Pasha was livid, sending word to Munter that the strike amounted to a kick in the teeth after the Davis deal was arranged. Pashas relationship with Kelton never recovered, and the two rarely spoke in the ensuing months.

In a recent interview, Munter described 2011 as by far my most difficult year in the Foreign Service. Attempts to reach Pasha through the Pakistan Embassy in the United States were unsuccessful.

Bin Laden raid

On the first night in May, as midnight approached in Pakistan, Kelton, Munter and a senior U.S. military official gathered in a secure CIA room in the embassy to watch transmissions from a stealth drone circling over Abbottabad as the bin Laden raid began.

The trio had made secret preparations for possible Pakistani reprisals, officials said, drafting evacuation plans that called for employees at scattered U.S. diplomatic sites to flee across the border into India or be scooped up by the USS Carl Vinson from the Karachi shore. Those at the embassy would have to hunker down.

At first, Pakistan seemed paralyzed by the raid. But amid mounting public anger and recriminations from abroad  Panetta accused Islamabad of being inept or complicit in hiding bin Laden  senior Pakistani officials began to lash out.

A week after bin Ladens death, a story in the Pakistani press said that Pasha had summoned the CIA station chief to a meeting and railed at him for keeping the bin Laden operation a secret. The story contained a garbled version of Keltons name, identifying him as Mark Carlton.

After the Bank episode, it was the second time in six months that the CIAs top operative in Pakistan had been outed, a major breach of the unwritten rules of espionage. But this time the agency left Kelton in place even as emerging details about the raid  including the existence of a CIA safe house in Abbottabad and the agencys use of a Pakistani doctor to try to get DNA samples from residents of bin Ladens house  compounded Pakistans resentment.

Amid the fallout, Kelton began to experience stomach pain. At first he assumed he had come down with the sort of digestive ailment that afflicts many Westerners in Pakistan, former U.S. officials said. But as the symptoms worsened, he began to miss days of work and left the country several times for treatment.

By July, Kelton was in what one official described as a severe medical crisis. Less than seven months after arriving for a tour that was supposed to last at least two years, Kelton told headquarters that he could no longer function in the job.

Some of Keltons colleagues, including several who were based in Pakistan, remain skeptical that the ISI would risk Pakistans multibillion-dollar dependency on the United States by poisoning a high-ranking U.S. official. Instead, skeptics believe that Keltons Moscow mind-set saw conspiracy in a condition more likely caused by bad food or the pressure of the job.

Stress does funny things to the body, said one former senior agency official who added that there is zero evidence Kelton was poisoned.

The agency never mounted a full investigation to determine whether Kelton was poisoned, officials said, but took his suspicion seriously enough to search its intelligence files for any indication that Kelton had been targeted.

Back in the United States, Kelton took months to recover and ended up having abdominal surgery. Kelton acknowledged that he had the procedure but declined to discuss its nature. After recovering, he was named deputy director for counterintelligence, a job that put him in charge of protecting the agency from foreign spy services.

Since retiring last year, Kelton has written articles for a national-security-related website called the Cipher Brief, including a piece about the Kremlins alleged role in the 2006 assassination of a former Russian intelligence operative who was poisoned in London with a lethal dose of radioactive polonium.

In the article, which argues that Russian President Vladimir Putin was complicit in the attack, Kelton quotes a line from a 1939 espionage novel: The important thing to know about an assassination is not who fired the shot, but who paid for the bullet.

Julie Tate contributed to this report.

Read more:

Senate report on CIA program details brutality, dishonesty

Timeline: The CIAs use of enhanced interrogation

Al-Qaeda couriers provided the trail that led to bin Laden
Pakistani police escort blindfolded suspects accused of killing and setting fire to a teen girl to a court in Abbottabad on Thursday. (Shakeel Ahmed/AFP/Getty Images)

More than a dozen leaders of a small village in northwestern Pakistan were arrested Thursday and charged with burning a teenage girl to death because she helped one of her friends elope, security officials said.

The crime, which is renewing attention on Pakistans horrific record of protecting women and children from abuse, took place on the outskirts of Abbottabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Khurram Rasheed, police chief for the northern district of Abbottabad, said Thursday that the body of Ambreen Riasat was found in a burned van in the tourist resort of Donga Gali on April 29, the Associated Press reported. Her exact age was in dispute.

A graphic photo of the teenagers charred remains quickly circulated online. It appeared as though the girls arms had been bound before she was set on fire.

Initially, police suspected that she may have been raped by a scorned boyfriend or as part of a family dispute. But Saeed Wazir, the regional police chief in Abbottabad, said Thursday that the killing was a pre-planned act involving 14 village leaders. Wazir said the entire village council had sanctioned the act to send a message to other minors.

They said she must be burnt alive to make a lesson for other girls, he said.

In an act of defiance against Pakistans strict Islamic and paternal customs, Wazir said, the victim had helped one of her friends secretly marry her boyfriend. The bride didnt obey her fathers will and did a love marriage at court with a guy, he said.

After the brides father found out, he requested that village elders investigate. In many parts of Pakistan, women and girls are expected to receive their fathers consent before marrying.

The village elders called a meeting, which is referred to as a Jirga. Under Pashtun culture in Pakistan and in neighboring Afghanistan, such gatherings are often held to try to reach consensus on how best to resolve local disputes. At times, the meetings also become a form of street justice.

According to Wazir, the village elders investigating the marriage quickly discovered that the victim had helped her friend evade her fathers will. The elders decided the victim needed to be punished for not disclosing her role in the marriage.

Several men then dragged the teenager out of her house and tied her into the van, Wazir said.

Despite the requests and pleas from her parents, villagers forcibly brought her out and set her afire while roping her to the seat of the vehicle, he said.

Both the leader of the Jirga and the father of the newlywed girl were arrested, Wazir said. A dozen other men who participated in the Jirga also were charged, he added.

It was not immediately clear whether the new bride or her husband were punished.

The case represents a troublesome expansion of mob-like tactics that women can face in Pakistan when they disobey their parents or extended family members.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 8,694 girls and women have died in so-called honor killings here between 2004 and 2015. Those crimes involved revenge killings for dishonoring a family, village or local custom.

About one-fourth of those cases involved the death of a minor. Although most common in remote areas, honor killings still occur in Pakistan even in larger, more progressive cities. The problem was highlighted recently in the Oscar-winning film A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness.

The documentary profiles a 18-year-old woman who was beaten and shot by her father and uncle in Punjab province after she married a man against their wishes. The woman, Saba, survived. Her father and uncle were arrested but later freed, according to HBO Documentary Films.

After he saw the film, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to end honor killings.

Earlier this year, Sharifs political party, Pakistan Muslim League-N, pushed through a womens rights bill in Punjab province. The legislation, strongly opposed by the religious community, establishes a 24-hour domestic abuse hotline and network of shelters offering housing, first aid and counseling for women.

Still, a horrific wave of abuse continues.

On Sunday, Punjab police arrested a man and charged him with killing his wife, who was seven months pregnant, the Express Tribune newspaper reported. Using a club, the man apparently beat the woman to death after she refused to allow him to take a second wife.

Also in Punjab over the weekend, a man tossed acid onto a 37-year-old woman, resulting in burns over 30 percent of her body. Pakistans Dawn newspaper reported that the womans nephew is the main suspect. The man apparently wanted to marry one of the womans daughters  his cousin  but was refused.

He was annoyed with his maternal aunt for turning down his marriage proposal, Azhar Akram, a police officer in Multan, told Dawn.

Craig reported from Kabul.

Read more

Eight years after eloping with lover, Indian woman allegedly burned alive by relatives in honor killing

If a husband beats his wife in Pakistan, can she flee? Maybe not.

Oscar victory spotlights Pakistans grim culture of violence 

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Turkeys prime minister resigned Thursday after a public rift with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, throwing the countrys politics into turmoil and paving the way for Erdogan to consolidate power at a time of domestic and regional crises.

In an otherwise defiant speech, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he would bow out of upcoming elections for leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The decision meant he would also step down as premier.

I decided to step down from my post, Davutoglu said at the televised news conference in Ankara, the capital, after a meeting with AKPs central committee. The party, which Erdogan founded, has governed Turkey since 2002. Davutoglu has served as prime minister since 2014.

[Turkeys Erdogan tightens his grip on power]

I have never negotiated or bargained with anyone for any of my positions, Davutoglu said, hinting at recent divisions within the party. But I am not planning to become a candidate in the upcoming [party] elections on May 22.

The move marks another potential step by Erdogan to weaken the countrys parliamentary system and establish a strong presidency, further cementing his authority. Erdogan has taken an increasingly hard line against perceived opponents, and the presidents relationship with Davutoglu also grew strained.

Davutoglu, a former professor and foreign minister, reportedly was less enthusiastic about the push toward a stronger executive. And the two disagreed over many issues, such as economic policy and pretrial detention for dissidents. Erdogan has prosecuted scores for the crime of insulting the president.

In a surprise move last week, the AKP stripped Davutoglu of his power to appoint provincial-level party officials. On Thursday, Davutoglu cited the blow as a key reason for his resignation, saying it was not behavior I would expect from fellow colleagues.

[Turkey faces flash points on many fronts]

Having mandated [Davutoglus] resignation . . . Erdogan is now head of state, but also de-

facto head of government and head of the AKP, said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Davutoglu was seen as a largely compliant AKP party chief and prime minister, but that does not seem to have satisfied Erdogans urge to consolidate political power in his hands, Cagaptay said.

In addition to the latest political turmoil, Turkey faces numerous and overlapping crises, including a raging Kurdish insurgency, attacks from Islamic State militants and negotiations with the European Union over how to handle migration flows over the Aegean Sea. Turkey is a key U.S. ally in the war against the Islamic State.

Davutoglu led the discussions with E.U. leaders to secure a deal under which migrants would be returned to Turkey in exchange for aid and visa-free travel for Turks in Europe. Turkey is now hosting nearly 2 million refugees, most of them from Syria.

[Tracing Turkeys authoritarian trajectory]

Its a bit too early to define if it will have implications and, in

that case, of what kind, E.U. foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini, on a visit to Kosovo, said of Davutoglus resignation, the Reuters news agency reported.

The Obama administration, too, saw Davutoglu as more of a collaborative realist than the prickly Erdogan.

Davutoglu said Thursday that he will remain loyal to Erdogan and stay in the AKP as a deputy. You will not hear one negative word from me about our president, Davutoglu said, warning against speculation over deepening rifts.

But others saw the resignation Thursday as an ominous sign of the direction of Turkish politics.

Never before in this system has one person amassed so much power in his hands as Erdogan has, Cagaptay said. The risk that looms for Turkey here is the hollowing out of all institutions.

Erdogans consolidation of power will render the country so brittle politically that when Erdogan leaves office one day, there will be nearly no institutions left standing to keep the country together, he said.

Karen DeYoung in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more

Hear someone insult Erdogan? Report it to us, says Turkish consulate.

Turkeys Erdogan came to Washington, and things got a bit crazy

What the search for a missing Ottoman skull says about Turkish politics

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced last week it had reached agreement with the Sri Lankan government for a $1.5 billion bailout loan. Colombo sought the three-year Extended Fund Facility loan to avert the countrys precarious balance of payments crisis.

The deal, which must be ratified by the IMFs board in June, is subject to the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government implementing major social austerity cuts.

Todd Schneider, the IMFs Sri Lankan mission chief, told the media the deal was subject to the completion of prior actions. In other words, Colombo will only get the loan if it begins implementing the banks demands before the IMFs June meeting.

Schneider said formal IMF approval would catalyse an additional $650 million in other multilateral and bilateral loans, bringing total support to about $2.2 billion (over and above existing financing arrangements). Other multilateral and bilateral loans, he said, were expected from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

On Tuesday, the Fitch Ratings agency warned that although the IMF loan would ease Sri Lankas immediate balance of payments risks, there would be no change to the countrys B+/negative sovereign rating. What was required, the agency said, were sustained commitments from the government to address long-standing weaknesses in external and public finances.

Sri Lankan Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Central Bank Governor Arjun Mahendran led a delegation to Washington last month to discuss the IMF demands. The measures agreed involve increases in the value added tax (VAT); reform of state-owned enterprises, including rapid privatisation of Sri Lankan Airlines; electricity and fuel prices determined by the market; and maintenance of a flexible exchange rate regime.

The IMFs main demand is for the government to drastically slash the budget deficit, which climbed to 7.4 percent of gross domestic product last year. The IMF wants it reduced to 5.4 percent this year and 3.5 percent by 2020.

On Monday, the government increased the VAT from 11 to 15 percent, while announcing exemptions on rice, bread, wheat flour, milk, spices, drugs and services, such as electricity, public transport, education and health care. Higher prices for other goods and services, however, will push up the cost of the exempted goods. The VAT is to be imposed on private education and private health care, which will put further pressure on Sri Lankas already rundown and overstretched public health and education system.

The government has also introduced a 2 percent Nation Building Tax, which will apply to electricity and telecommunication services and lubricants. Finance Minister Karunanayake told the media the VAT increase and other taxes would boost government revenue by 100 billion rupees ($685.6 million).

A recent survey by the Colombo-based Sunday Times noted: An average low income or middle class family could incur an expenditure of about 10,000 rupees or more [per month], taking into consideration the rising costs of various items besides the increase in phone, water and electricity bills.

Addressing a rally of his right-wing United National Party (UNP) on Sunday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared that state-owned enterprises would be made profitable ventures without privatising them.

These institutions, including the state banks, would be placed under a Public Wealth Trust and be owned by people, he claimed. Wickremesinghes owned by people, is another desperate attempt to try and cover-up the privatisation of state-owned enterprises.

For some time Wickremesinghe has been calling for Singapores so-called Tamasek Model to be used to manage state-owned enterprises. Tamasek Holding Limited was established by the Singapore government to control state ventures and run them on a commercial basis.

Colombo sought the IMF loan under conditions of a massive debt burden and a growing balance of payments crisis. Foreign debts rose to $44.8 billion in 2015, with foreign loan repayments increasing this year to $4.56 billion and the balance of payments deficit reaching $1.5 billion last year. Foreign reserves have dropped to $6.3 billion, down $1 billon since January.

The main reason for the fall in foreign reserves is intensifying global recessionary trends, which have reduced exports to the US and the EU. Remittances from an estimated one million Sri Lankan migrant workers continue to decline, due to the escalating war situation in the Middle East. These remittances are Sri Lankas highest foreign exchange earner.

The Central Banks recently-released annual report revealed that Sri Lankas economic growth fell from 4.9 percent in 2014 to 4.8 percent last year. Capital Economics analyst Krystal Tan has predicted that it would drop to around 4.5 percent this year. Growth is likely to slow further over the next couple of years, she said.

Sri Lankan big business was jubilant over the IMF agreement. The official announcement saw the Colombo stock market rise by 1 percent.

President Maithripala Sirisena, Wickremesinghe and other government ministers blame former President Mahinda Rajapakse for the debt crisis. But like Rajapakse, the current government borrowed around $6 billion from currency swaps and sold sovereign bonds last year to pay some of the mounting foreign debts.

In 2009, when Rajapakse was in power, his government borrowed $2.6 billion from the IMF to avert a balance of payment crisis. The IMF demanded harsh attacks, which saw Rajapakse impose a wage freeze on public sector workers and impose taxes on essential food items.

President Sirisena, who came to office in January 2015, following a Washington-backed regime-change operation, exploited the popular opposition against Rajapakse, promising to improve living conditions and restore democratic rights.

Within 16 months of being installed, the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration is jumping to IMF demands and launching unprecedented attacks on the living and social conditions of the broad layers of the population. These social assaults will see the eruption of working class struggles and popular opposition against the government.


By Alex Bregman

On Thursday, Democratic Congressman Steve Israel joined Alexis Christoforous on Yahoo News Live to discuss his support for Hillary Clinton, her path to the nomination and, as the former chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, how Donald Trumps candidacy will impact the down-ballot elections in November.

On whether or not Israel is surprised that the Republican race has wrapped up before the Democratic race, he told Christoforous, I have to confess that I am rather stunned not by the fact that Republicans have now chosen the new face of the Republican Party as early as they did, but the fact that Donald Trump is the new face of the Republican Party.

Does he think Clinton will ultimately be the nominee, despite Bernie Sanders continued presence in the race? Yes, he said. She has over 3 million votes more than Bernie Sanders, nearly 300 more pledged delegates than Bernie Sanders. She will be the nominee. Shes not taking anything for granted, Alexis. Shes going to continue to work hard and campaign aggressively.

Israel dismissed Sanders argument that he is the better nominee because he does better against Trump in polls. Were in a political environment now where theres something going on with polling, and those polls  whether theyre good for you or bad for you  those polls are not the most reliable vehicles in which to make a judgment, he said. I will say that at the end of the day, in a general election environment when you have a contrast between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, I think that Hillary Clinton has a stronger ability to win that general election. He did concede, however, that this will be an unpredictable general election environment.

He said Clinton will appeal to a large portion of the general electorate because of the dangers of a Trump presidency. She is going to try and appeal  and not just try and appeal, because I believe she will appeal  to those moderate and independent voters across the board because they know, themselves, that President Donald Trump is a high-risk proposition for the United States of America, he said.

Story continues

Israel did not urge Sanders to drop out of the race. Thats a judgment that Bernie Sanders has to make, ultimately, he said. I would urge him, however  without urging him to get out or stay in  I would urge him to focus not on what differences Democrats may or may not have, but to focus on Donald Trump and lay off attacking Hillary Clinton and instead focus on what he believes he brings to the table with respect to Donald Trump. If he does that, he has the right to stay in, but at a certain point, weve got to be united, weve got to be organized.

Israel also had a message for Sanders about Trump echoing the senators attacks on Clintons judgment and qualifications: Leave those attacks to the Republicans. Dont enable those attacks. He then had a message about Trumps talk of bad judgment. Remember, this is a guy who has said that a woman should be punished for her own health care decisions, that we should ban all Muslims from coming into the United States and that not only does he oppose increasing the minimum wage, but that wages are already too high, he said. Those are examples of bad judgment.

The former chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also discussed the down-ballot election. Donald Trump is the Republican Party, he said. He is the face, the voice, the nominee of the Republican Party, and if youre running down-ballot, you have an obligation to say whether youre with Trump or against Trump. I assume that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will hold Republicans accountable to their positions.

Israel, however, would not yet predict if Trumps candidacy would hand the Democrats both the House and the Senate in November. I believe that the Senate is very much in play, he told Christoforous. I have to tell you, as the former chair of the DCCC, I think it would be premature to say that the House is in play.


Travelling can be a hassle, especially when you have to juggle between looking after your valuables and making room for your shopping.

Luckily, form doesnt always have to trump fashion. You can still be practical while looking chic on your vacation with these bags and accessories. After all, arent bags a vital part of your holiday OOTDs?

1. Longchamp le pliage

This stylish tote is known for its sturdy nylon material, perfect if you want to spend the day gallivanting about town without worrying about scratching it. And best of all, its flexible body means you can fit lots of things in it!

(image: Instagram sandrafreitascarvalho / silverliningbymarta )

Get the size and colour of your choice by posting on Airfrov.

2. Michael Kors Selma tote

Feel like going somewhere fancy during your trip? Now you can with the Michael Kors Selma tote.

bag fashion travel

Image: Charlie Marie

Bonus: pockets galore for those who tend to lose their belongings inside their bag.

3. Anello backpack

The in-thing for bagaholics all over the world, this preppy Japanese brand is great for both genders. Like the Longchamp, it comes in many prints to suit your personal style.

bag fashion travel

Image: Instagram @ b_ampairat

Not sure which colour to get? Simply pick an existing request and hit the I want that too button on the top right hand corner.

4. Issey Miyake Bao Bao

Match the dazzling night lights of whatever city youre in with the Issey Miyako Bao Bao that just screams geometric chic.

Psst: Were a big fan of the Prism Aurora.

bag fashion travel

Source: Issey Miyake

5. Cath Kidston luggage tag

Theres no such thing as playing it too safe. Luggage tags are not only great for personalising your luggage, but also vital for helping you identify your bag among a sea of generic blacks and blues on the airport conveyer belt.

Source: Pinterest

No, it doesnt have to be boring either.

6. Inline bag divider

The absolute must-have for the Type A traveller. Say goodbye to perpetually rummaging through your bag to find the one thing that never turns up when you need it!

Story continues

Souce: B&H

Source: B&H

7. Marc Jacobs coin pouch

Lets face it. Its hellishly tricky to recognise different types of notes in foreign currency, let alone coins which are barely recognisable at first glance in the dark recesses of your wallet. Make life easier with this nifty coin pouch.

Source: Airfrov

8. Makeup pouch

Sometimes, you just need that extra touch up for your OOTD. Youtuber Ssinnims SSIN STEALER line-up does the trick, complete with a compact pouch for easy access.

Source: Airfrov

9. MCM Worldwide backpack

Deck yourself in studded chic and rock that badass Kpop vibe. This brand originated in Munich, Germany, but has since gained widespread popularity throughout Asia.

bag fashion travel

Image: Vanessa Lee

10. Prada satin wristlet

Want to leave that bulky wallet of random membership cards at home but dont want to stuff your money in your pockets? A wristlet does the trick!

bag fashion travel

Source: neimanmarcus

Simply stash your cash and valuables inside and youre good to go.

The best deals for luxury goods are often found overseas. Get travellers who are returning to Singapore help you carry one back! Click below image to see what others are requesting for:

Request for bags

The post 10 Bags and Accessories for the Fashion Conscious Traveller appeared first on Airfrov Blog.
Frail, aided by his grandson and beaming with pride, 103-year-old Asgar Ali was among thousands who cast their ballots for the first time in elections held in eastern India on Thursday.

Caught in one of the world's most intractable border disputes, Ali had been stuck in stateless limbo for decades until a historic land swap last year between India and Bangladesh.

Ali, his 18-strong family and thousands of others became Indian citizens under the deal in which their Bangladeshi enclaves on the Indian side of the border ceased to exist.

On Thursday, they voted for the first time, in the final phase of assembly elections in West Bengal state, which have been dominated by feisty Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her regional party.

"I am very happy to have voted," Ali told AFP through grandson Jamal Hussain.

"This is the first time ever that I have voted in, or participated in, the democratic process," said Ali, who was helped by election officials at a polling booth in the district of Cooch Behar.

Last year's pact saw Bangladesh assume sovereignty over 111 Indian enclaves on its side of the border.

India meanwhile took 51 Bangladeshi enclaves on its own side.

Enclaves are small pockets of one country's territory surrounded by the other.

It meant more than 50,000 people who were living in the enclaves could access citizenship benefits such as schools and healthcare that they had lacked since 1947.

"I voted hoping that it would lead to change, some work in our village, in our neighbourhood. Maybe we will get a hospital," said Ali, a former farmer who counts 18 immediate family members.

"All leaders are good. Whoever wins should get work done in our neighbourhood," he added.

The enclaves dated back to ownership arrangements made centuries ago between local princes.

The parcels of land survived partition of the subcontinent in 1947 after British rule and Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence with Pakistan.

Story continues

The overwhelming majority of people living in Indian enclaves in Bangladesh opted for Bangladeshi citizenship under the deal, rather than resettle across the border in India.

In India, all of those living in the 51 Bangladesh enclaves decided to stay put and take up Indian nationalities.

Counting and results of elections in West Bengal and four other states will be held on May 19.
No doubt about it, short selling can be extremely profitable. Then again, so can the lottery.

Recently, "The Big Short" won an Oscar for its adaptation of the best-selling book chronicling how a handful of Wall Streeters made millions betting against the housing market before the financial crisis.

"Movies like that show the extreme of winning," says Jeff Powell, managing partner at Polaris Greystone Financial Group, a registered investment advisor in San Rafael, California. "Somebody also won the Powerball. It doesn't make a great movie, but the average person shouldn't be touching this in the slightest," he says.

[Read: The Best Energy Stocks to Buy for 2016.]

Shorting essentially is a strategy some use when they think an equity or debt security is going to decline in value. To short a stock, traders borrow shares from a broker and then sell them. If the stock falls in value, the trader will buy the same number of shares at the new lower price and return them to the lender, pocketing the difference.

It's true that short selling can enhance returns, and hedge funds use the strategy to their benefit, says Albert Brenner, director of asset allocation strategy with the wealth management division of People's United Bank in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Because the majority of institutional investors are long only, stocks can become overvalued, and sniffing them out before they fall in value can be profitable, says Mike Sorrentino, chief strategist at Global Financial Private Capital, a Florida-based registered investment advisory.

But that doesn't mean it's a good idea for everyday investors. "In my mind, going short is very scary," Sorrentino says. "The loss potential is infinite in theory."

There are substantial risks. Investors who simply buy a stock have an unlimited upside -- their profits are as much as the equity increases in value. And the loss is limited -- if the company goes bankrupt, the investor will lose as much as he invested, but no more.

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But shorting stocks has unlimited downside. If the investor guesses wrong when shorting a stock and the equity's value actually increases, he will have to buy back the shares at a higher price than when they were borrowed in order to return them to the lender. And there's no cap on how high a stock can go.

[See: 7 Great Ways to Invest in Cuba.]

There are also costs that aren't there for equity buyers. An investor shorting stocks will have to pay interest on his borrowed shares. While that can start out in single-digit percentages of the money placed on the short position, that rate can increase over time if the stock becomes a popular name to short and demand for borrowed shares increases, Sorrentino says.

Additionally, shorting a stock that pays a dividend requires paying that yield to the lender.

So, in a theoretical trade involving 4 percent interest on the borrowed shares and a 2 percent dividend, a trader would have to make a 6 percent return simply to break even, Powell says.

There's little room for error. Even the pros face headwinds associated with shorting. Powell used to run a long-short hedge fund but shut it down in favor of a long-only strategy. Most of the money the fund made came from the long side, he says.

Most retail investors don't do well capturing all the returns of the market even if they're long only, Powell says. And with short selling, you not only have to have the right idea, but also execute it at the right time. Shorting exacerbates any errors, he says.

For instance, people talked about real estate being overvalued years before betting against the housing market actually became profitable, Powell says.

Long-term strategies are safer. For most investors, Sorrentino advocates a buy-and-hold strategy rather than trying to time the market. Stocks are volatile, and it's important to not sell into a panic and lock in losses if the market falters, he says.

Instead of trying to make money through shorting stocks, Powell advises investors to focus on trying to not lose money.

[See: 10 Ways to Buy Tech Stocks.]

In a down market, a retail investor's best bet is to have a well-diversified portfolio, which could be balanced at 60 percent stocks and 40 percent bonds depending on an investor's risk tolerance, Brenner says. "The advantage to being a long-only investor (is that) overall the general direction of stock prices is up."

Matt Whittaker is a journalist specializing in natural resources coverage whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Barron's and other international publications. He has reported from the Americas, Europe and Asia. Follow him on Twitter @mattswhittaker.
In 2014s Neighbors, Pete (Dave Franco) was your stereotypical frat bro. He chugged beers, wore button-downs, khakis, and sandals, and at one point got revenge on his best bud Teddy (Zac Efron) by sleeping with his girlfriend. (He also did an amazing penis party-trick, but thats neither here nor there.)

In Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, though, the now-graduated Delta Psi alum is in a relationship with another man (30 Rock alum John Early), and hes about to get hitched. Its a surprising twist for the sequel to the testosterone-fueled comedy, but its a welcome one.

Related: Neighbors 2 Director Nicholas Stoller on Finding Inspiration in 'Toy Story 2



Director Nicholas Stoller first started thinking about evolving Petes sexuality in a future sequel while making the original Neighbors. He was particularly inspired by the climactic scene that found frat mastermind Teddy insisting that his bromantic sparring partner Pete flee the scene of a crime  a firework-ravaged party house  so that Teddy could take full responsibility. I love you, Pete wistfully tells Teddy before darting off.

Clearly, were playing with the homoerotic tension there, and I was like, 'He should just be gay, Stoller told us last month during a visit to his Hollywood edit bay. Then in this one, it came up again. [Co-writer] Evan Goldberg brought it up, and he said, 'I think he should be gay, and part of [his arc] should be the proposal. It was kind of all of us coming to the same conclusion.



Stoller admitted his decision was also influenced by an inquiry from a reporter at the press junket for Neighbors, who asked the director why hes never had any gay characters in his films. (Stoller also helmed Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek, and The Five-Year Engagement.) I was like, 'I dont know why. I literally dont know. I have no good answer for that, the director said. So this seemed like an organic way to have that happen. [Editors note: We couldnt find you on the internet, but if you are that reporter, you should take a bow.]

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Related: Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising Review



Despite the fact that the aforementioned homoerotic tension was mutual in Neighbors, Stoller said they never considered having Efrons shirt-hating Abercrombie model Teddy be the character who comes out in Sorority Rising. As the title implies, the sequel pits the first movies married couple Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) against a wild new chapter of co-eds. A lot of Zacs motivations in the first movie, especially with his girlfriend and stuff, seemed pretty straight. It felt like it might seem like a stunt if we made him gay. But it seemed to just work with Dave.

Francos role is considerably smaller in Neighbors 2 than it was in the first, but he is nonetheless elated about his characters arc. I was so excited, he told us at CinemaCon. Even though Im not on screen for a significant amount of time, hopefully it will be very memorable. And of course I was excited to try something new with the character while still maintaining his essence.

Neighbors wont be the first movie series to reveal one of its characters is gay in its second installment, though its still a rare occurrence. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 just made a similar move with Joey Fatones comical cousin Angelo. And surprisingly, there was a similar twist in the animated hit How to Train Your Dragon 2, which slyly outed the Viking Gobber thanks to an ad-lib from voice actor Craig Ferguson that director Dean Dubois left in the picture.



Related: Lena Dunhams Joan of Arc Cameo Cut from Neighbors 2

Stoller actually had planned a gay character in one of his earlier movies that never came to fruition. In 2014, he told The Daily Beast that he had originally written Sean Combss record mogul in Get Him to the Greek as this hardcore gangster who was gay and had only recently come out of the closet. Puffy was game, but accordingly to Stoller, the character ultimately morphed. The directors LGBT-friendly view might best be encapsulated by what he told Vulture on the subject when asked whether or not working with Efron and Franco ever made him question his own heterosexuality. I mean, come on: At the end of the day, were all bisexual, he said. A hundred years from now, theres not gonna be gay or straight. Theres gonna be everything.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising opens May 20. Watch the trailer:
Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi police shot dead two suspected militants and two others blew themselves up during a raid near the holy city of Mecca on Thursday, the interior ministry said.

"The terrorists started shooting towards security forces, which they responded to", leading to the deaths of a pair of suspects while the others "committed suicide by blowing themselves up with suicide belts", the ministry's spokesman said in a statement.

Police had surrounded the suspects' hideout between the holy city of Mecca and the mountain resort of Taif, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) to the east, on Thursday morning when the shootout occurred.

A simultaneous raid occurred on a hideout in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where two people were arrested, "and they are being investigated for their involvement in this cell", the spokesman said.

"The security operation is still underway. Explosives are being removed and the area combed. And the suicide belts, explosives and weapons at the first location are being dealt with," the spokesman said.

The raids were part of surveillance and followup, "including to what happened in Bisha on Friday".

At that time, two suspects died in a shootout with security forces who foiled a car bombing in Bisha, southwestern Aseer region.

A third suspect, Iqab Mujab al-Otaibi, fled but was later arrested wearing an explosives belt, the ministry announced last Sunday.

According to the ministry, Otaibi allegedly took part in a deadly shooting at a Shiite mosque in 2014 and a bombing at a mosque inside a Saudi special forces compound in the southwestern city of Abha last August.

Both attacks were among several bombings and shootings claimed by the Islamic State group of Sunni jihadists since late 2014 in Saudi Arabia.

IS also said it was responsible for shooting dead a Saudi police colonel in the Riyadh region last month.

IS considers Saudi Arabia's Shiite minority to be heretics.

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The IS group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has reputedly called Saudi Arabia's Sunni rulers "apostate tyrants" and called on Saudis to rise against them.

The kingdom is part of the US-led coalition bombing IS in Iraq and Syria, and Saudi political and religious leaders routinely denounce IS attacks -- at home and abroad -- as contrary to Islam.

Still, a report last year by the inter-governmental Financial Action Task Force said Saudis comprised the second largest nationality among "foreign terrorist fighters" with IS.
ISIS remains the best-funded, best-equipped terrorist organization the world has ever seen. But for the first time since its rise in 2014, real progress is being made against the jihadist group. These five facts explain what you need to know.

1. Finances

ISIS has been an economic juggernaut from the moment it seized Mosul. When the group captured its first wave of Iraqi cities in 2014, it also seized an estimated $700 million in cash, instantly transforming this al-Qaeda offshoot into the worlds richest terrorist organization. By years end, ISIS controlled more than $2 trillion in assets and had another $2.9 billion in annual income. Today, ISIS has two main sources of revenue: oil and taxes.

Read More: Video Shows ISIS in Intense Fire Fight That Killed Navy Seal Charles Keating

Both are under tremendous strain at the momentfollowing the Paris attacks, Western coalition forces intensified their air campaign, targeting not just their oil infrastructure, but also banks and warehouses filled with cash. At the same time, the Iraqi government has stopped paying government workers in ISIS-controlled cities, including Mosul. That move deprives ISIS of nearly $2 billion in annual revenue, forcing the group to slash salaries for its fighters and impose harsh new taxes on those unfortunate enough to live under its rule.

(Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Newsweek)

2. Territory

Nevertheless, ISIS still has hundreds of millions at its disposal, including 60 percent of Syrias oil wells and 5 percent of Iraqs. But that number is shrinking along with the territory it controls. The sustained international offensive has cost ISIS 40 percent of its territory over the last year, a welcome sign of progress for the coalition. Its particularly noticeable in Iraq, where the Iraqi military was able to recapture the city of Ramadi and push the Islamic State back towards the Syrian border. Syria has proven trickier, which is not surprising given the wide range of international actors (and conflicting interests) involved. Still, progress is progress. IHS now estimates that the number of people living under ISIS control has fallen from 9 million to 6 million over the past 15 months, shrinking the caliphates overtaxed base even further.

(Washington Post, CNN)

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3. Foreign fighters

The recent progress of anti-ISIS forces have also reduced the jihadi groups foreign recruitment numbers. At its height, ISIS is believed to have rallied 30,000+ foreign fighters from more than 100 countries to its cause, six thousand of whom travelled to Iraq and Syria from Western countries. That number has reportedly fallen as low as 19,000 today. But the true measure isnt the absolute number of foreign fighters ISIS controls but its recruitment rate: according to the Pentagon, a year ago ISIS was averaging roughly 2,000 new foreign fighters a month. Today that figure is at 200, which means ISIS cant replace battlefield losses as quickly. One critical reason is that ISISs self-narrative of an inexorable march towards a global caliphate has lost much of its force, given recent developments. Another is that the anti-ISIS coalition has become much more effective at limiting the reach of ISIS propaganda.

(Washington Post, ABC News)

Read More: Airstrike Kills and Wounds Dozens at Syrian Refugee Camp, Activists Say

4. Social media

ISIS deft use of social media caught the world off guard in 2014. ISIS wasnt the first global terrorist group to come of age in the internet era, but it was the first to so effectively harness its power. It took some time, but tech companies have finally taken a more aggressive and effective approach, spearheaded by Twitter, which has pulled down more than 125,000 accounts for promoting terrorist activities in less than a year. Theyve been aided by hacker collectives like Anonymous and CtrlSec; CtrlSec alone identified nearly 120,000 Twitter accounts with ties to ISIS.

The U.S. government has also tried to take a more tactical approach to combatting ISIS propaganda online, establishing the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications. After a few false starts, the government realized that U.S.-branded messages were falling on deaf ears and decided to spend more money providing seed funding and other support to NGOs and media startups focused on countering violent extremist messaging. Turns out the messenger is often as important as the message itself.

(Wall Street Journal)

Read More: Money to Burn: Up to $800 Million of ISIS Cash Destroyed in Air Strikes

5. Problems ahead

But troubles still loom. When we talk about ISIS today, we tend to focus on the core fighters who control territory in Iraq and Syria. But as its grip on those two countries weakens, it has begun to shift attention to neighboring countries across North Africa and the Middle East. Of particular concern is Libya, which has seen a marked uptick in foreign fightersapproximately 5,000according to U.S. officials. In the first three months of 2016, there have been nearly as many ISIS attacks in Libya than the last six months of 2015. And as its control over Iraq and Syria weakens, the group has become even more violent within its own confines, registering more attacks in the first quarter of 2016 than any other three-month span since it stormed to power in 2014.

Even more concerning is the Islamic States global reach; its estimated that anywhere between 20-30 percent of foreign fighters have returned to their home countries, posing threats in new places. The group also has more than 30 affiliate groups around the world, the most visible of which is Nigerias Boko Haram. But there is little evidence that the central authorities in Iraq and Syria have provided much material support to its affiliates, meaning that these groups are financially independent. Taking out ISIS in Syria and Iraq will do little to materially weaken these groups, while giving them more motivation to step up their own acts of terror and fill the void.

Progress is being made in the battle against ISIS. But the war still has ways to go.

(ABC News, Reuters, Telegraph, IB Times)
There are probably few places more symbolic of the national struggle for gay rights than New York City's historic Stonewall Inn. The Greenwich Village bar, famous for being where gay men and transgender women rioted over anti-gay policing in the late 1960s, was announced Tuesday as a candidate for receiving designation as a national monument.

After federal officials convene a public meeting on May 9 to get feedback on the proposal, and if city officials sign off on it, President Barack Obama could make the designation official before New York City hosts gay pride celebrations in mid June, the Washington Post reported. The Stonewall Inn and a sliver of green space near its entrance are regarded as the birthplace of the country's LGBT liberation movement, which counts marriage equality and HIV/AIDS awareness among its accomplishments in over 50 years.

Here are five other places that could be fitting choices for LGBT monuments:

The U.S. Supreme Court

Source: MLADEN ANTONOV/Getty Images

This hallowed institution has twice decided in favor of marriage equality, which had been part of a decades-long fight for gay and lesbian Americans. In June, the court ruled 5-4 in Obergefell v. Hodges to remove barriers to marriage for gay and lesbian couples nationwide. In 2013, the court's justices ruled in United States v. Windsor that same-sex couples were entitled to the same benefits as any married couple, ending a long standoff over the Defense of Marriage Act that barred government recognition of same-sex unions. The court also declined to hear California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage, effectively opening marriage to gay and lesbian couples in the Golden State.

The office of Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis

Source: Ty Wright/Getty Images

As odd a choice as the Rowan County, Kentucky, clerk's office might seem, it's arguably the site of a swift victory for defending marriage equality. After the Supreme Court validated marriage for same-sex couples nationwide, Kim Davis announced that she would turn away gay couples seeking marriage licenses because of her deeply held religious opposition to same-sex unions. But couples from across the state defiantly lined up at Davis' office to file for licenses. A federal judge later ordered Davis to issue the licenses and jailed her when she refused in September. Deputy clerks are now issuing licenses to those who come through Davis' doors.

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LGBT Youth Centers

Source: Paul Sancya/AP

Life is often tough for gay, lesbian and transgender youth. Nearly 40% of all homeless youth are LGBT, according to the True Colors Fund, a New York-based advocacy group  many of who were left homeless due to family conflicts relating to their sexuality. These community centers often stand in as families and mentors for these youth, who come in the doors needing shelter, financial assistance, health care and other essentials. The San Diego LGBT Community Center has the distinction of being one of the country's largest.

The Food & Drug Administration Building

Source: Andrew Harnik/AP

As the HIV and AIDS epidemic ravaged nation's gay communities in the 1980s, a group of activists organized a protest that shut down the Food and Drug Administration offices near Washington, D.C., for a full day. ACT UP, the gay activist group, staged the protest on Oct. 11, 1988, to call out the FDA for dragging its feet on experimental drugs to fight AIDS. Nearly 30 years later, the nation is more aware of the variety of HIV drugs and prevention measures than ever before.

Harvey Milk's Castro Camera

Source: AP/AP

The late Harvey Milk ran two unsuccessful campaigns for San Francisco Broad of Supervisors, before winning in a third attempt to become the nation's first out gay person elected to public office. Milk's camera shop, Castro Camera, served as a base for his campaigns and political activism around LGBT issues, access to childcare and civilian police oversight. The store operated in the heart of the Castro district, a historic LGBT neighborhood in San Francisco, and is now a store owned by the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBT civil rights group. Before his assassination in 1978, Milk inspired a generation of activists to become politically engaged.
With stunning speed this week, Donald Trump has gone from being the guy most likely to get the Republican presidential nomination, though possibly not without a bitter convention fight, to the uncontested presumptive nominee. That changes things for a lot of people in Washington -- not all of whom are directly connected to the presidential race.

As long as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich remained in the contest, there was a possibility, however remote, that Trump could be prevented from assembling a majority of delegates before reaching the convention in Cleveland this July, and that his relatively weak organization might be outmaneuvered in a multi-ballot selection process.

Related: Anti-Trump Republicans Desperately Seeking a White Knight

But the unexpected decision by Cruz to withdraw from the race on Tuesday night, and Kasichs decision to follow suit on Wednesday, removed a lot of uncertainty about the future. It also left many Republicans in despair about the possibility of their party retaking the White House in November.

Both of those factors have major repercussions that extend well beyond the presidential race. Here are five people most noticeably affected by the elevation of Donald Trump to the status of presumptive nominee.

1, Judge Merrick Garland. President Obamas nominee to fill the seat on the Supreme Court left vacant by the death of conservative icon Antonin Scalia has been languishing in political limbo ever since he was revealed as the presidents choice on March 16. Republicans in the Senate, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley have flatly refused to grant Garland either a hearing or a vote on his nomination.





However, with the news that Trump is now the expected nominee, many Republicans are anticipating a loss in November, and are expressing willingness to reconsider Garland, a demonstrated moderate, rather than relying on President Hillary Clinton to nominate someone more appealing.

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It would take some maneuvering for Senate Republicans to engineer a face-saving climb down from their stand against the jurist, who is currently chief judge of the Federal court of appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. But considering that the rationale for refusing to act on the nomination was a fiction to begin with, surely they can come up with a storyline that explains an about-face on Garland.



Related: Kasich Makes It Official -- Trump Is the GOPs Last Man Standing

2. Reince Priebus. Priebus, the chair of the Republican National Committee, spent weeks being publicly abused by Trump for running what the billionaire insisted was a rigged nominating process meant to prevent him from taking the reins of the Party. Between defending the process from Trump on one hand, and resisting angry calls to take action against Trump for traditional constituencies within the GOP on the other, Priebus has had one of the worst jobs in the country for the past several months.

Now, though, the presumptive nominee version of Trump praises Priebus in his victory speeches, and the RNC chairs new role is clear: He is cheerleader-in-chief for The Donald.

If there was any remaining question about whether the RNC chair would balk at having to sign on to serve as Trumps designated booster from now until November, they were removed Monday morning. Appearing on CNN, Priebus said, You know what, I think something different and something new is probably good for our party. Look, I dont think anyone predicted what happened. So, look, were here. Were going to get behind the presumptive nominee.

3. Paul Ryan. For a man who delivered a Shermanesque refusal to be considered as an alternative candidate for president in this cycle, House Speaker Paul Ryan has spent a lot of time behaving like a presidential candidate in the last two months, delivering speeches, participating on town hall events, and generally working to put a capable, results-oriented face on the Republican Party.

The conventional wisdom has it that Ryan has been trying to serve as a counterweight to Trump -- to advertise policymaking seriousness at a time when the most visible figure in the Republican Party seems to have little knowledge and even less interest in the details of how the country is governed.

Whether he likes it or not, Ryans contract to play the role of the reasonable Republican has just been extended for four years.

Related: Google Search Has Some Bad News for Trump

4. Endangered Republican Senators. This was always going to be a tough year for the GOP when it came to protecting the partys control of the Senate. Republicans are defending more seats than Democrats are, and overall, those seats are more at risk.

Trumps nomination, if the forecasts are correct, is likely to take a number of general election toss-up states out of play in November, all in favor of the Democrats. Thats especially bad news for Republican senators who were hoping for some coattails to ride to reelection.

Among the most affected by a Trump candidacy: Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Mark Kirk of Illinois, and Rob Portman of Ohio.

Related: An Economic Agenda for Disruptor Trump

5. #NeverTrump Pundits. Blocking Trump from the GOP nomination became a point of honor for more than a few high-profile conservative writers and television personalities during the primary. The billionaire former reality television stars record of less-than-conservative positions, his openness to war crimes and racial profiling, and his evident lack of knowledge about how the government and economy actually work combined to make him utterly unacceptable to much of the GOP intelligentsia.

That means that now, conservative stars like George Will, David Brooks, Ross Douthat, Erick Erickson, Glenn Beck, and countless others either have to find themselves a new intellectual home, or continue to squat in the ruins of the GOP, hoping that post-Trump, there will be a movement to rebuild.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
The European Central Bank is discontinuing the 500 euro bank note, making the 200 note the euros highest denomination.



The ECB will phase out the note by 2018, but for now, its still considered legal tender and can be used as a means of payment (there are currently 18.6 billion euro banknotes in circulation). One of the main reasons for its dissolution: Its a large denomination thats compact, easily convertible and widely accepted, and leaves no paper trail, making it a go-to currency for illegal transactions. In fact, criminals refer to the 500 euro bill as the Bin Laden banknote because their presence and appearance are well-known but the notes themselves are hard to find.



The 500 note, in particular, has faced scrutiny for its role in criminal transactions. It accounts for 1% of all euro notes in circulation, but since a fifth of all euro notes are not held in Europe, some are being used by foreign criminals, according to Europol, the EUs law enforcement agency.



After the November terror attacks in Paris, the 28 finance ministers of the EU called for an investigation into the controversial 500 euro note (about $575) at a meeting in Brussels in February. After the Brussels attacks in March, the EU commission pledged to investigate the high number of notes in circulation, noting that the 500 euro is in high demand among criminal elements due to their high value and low volume.



Larger implications of a 500-less world

Since the euro was officially introduced on Jan. 1, 1999, its topped the list of most-traded currencies, alongside the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen.



Michael McDonald & Associates is a consulting firm that specializes in international money laundering since 1998. Founder Michael McDonald says the $100 bill is widely used by drug cartels, and those who had previously used the 500 euro will just use the highest denominations of euros (200) or dollars ($100). The U.S. circulated $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 bills until the Federal Reserve discontinued them in 1969 due to lack of use. It doesnt matter to criminals if theyre doing illegal activities in dollars or euros; they just stick to those two because they dont want to get caught in currencies that could devalue overnight, McDonald says.



When it comes to funding terrorist activity, specifically, McDonald says that individuals also trade commodities like opium or gold. If I had a lot of money to launder, I would choose gold. There really isnt anything else like it out there, John Cassara, a former U.S. Treasury special agent told Bloomberg.



Getting rid of the 500 euro note may set a precedent. Despite larger U.S. bills being eliminated, now the $100 is in focus. Switzerland has a 1,000 franc note in limited circulation, but is not nearly as widespread or available.



As the rest of the world goes cashless, drug cartels, money launderers and other criminal enterprises will inevitably remain dependent on physical currency. As long as theres illegal activity, there will always be ways to transmit illegal money, whether through smaller bills or bitcoin, says McDonald.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will end us, save us orless jazzy-sounding but the more probable intersection of botheventually obsolete us. From humbling chess grandmaster losses at the hands of mathematically brilliant supercomputers to semantic networks with the linguistic grasp of a four-year-old, one thing seems certain: AI is coming.

Heres what todays brightest programmers, philosophers and entrepreneurs have said about our terrifying, astonishing future.

Sam Altman

Altman, whos working on developing an open-source version of AI that would be available to all rather than the few, believes future iterations could be designed to self-police, working only toward benevolent ends. The 30-year-old computer programmer and president of startup incubator Y Combinator says his OpenAI system will surpass human intelligence in a matter of decades, but that the fact that its available to anyone (as opposed to locked behind private, proprietary doors) should offset any risks.

Nick Bostrom

The 42-year-old director of Oxfords Future of Humanity Institute takes a dimmer view of AI. In his 2014 book Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies, Bostrom warns that AI could quickly turn dark and dispose of humans. The subsequent world would harbor economic miracles and technological awesomeness, with nobody there to benefit, like a Disneyland without children.

Bill Gates

The 60-year-old computer software magnate and Microsoft cofounder turned philanthropist views near-future low intelligence AI as a positive labor replacement tool, writing that an AI revolution should be positive if we manage it well. But he also worries that the superintelligent systems coming a few decades down the road will become strong enough to be a concern. He adds that he [doesnt] understand why some people are not concerned.

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Stephen Hawking

The famed 74-year-old theoretical physicist, author and pioneer of black hole physics believes AI could be both miraculous and catastrophic, calling it (along with several other noteworthy scientists) the biggest event in human history, helping wipe out war, disease and poverty. But with its potential to grow so explosively it could wind up outsmarting financial markets, out-inventing human researchers, out-manipulating human leaders, and developing weapons we cannot even understand, Hawkings cautions that it could also potentially be the last [event in our history], unless we learn how to avoid the risks.

Michio Kaku

The 69-year-old bestselling author, theoretical physicist and futurist takes a longer, more pragmatic view, calling AI an end-of-the-century problem. He adds that even then, if humanitys come up with no better methods to constrain rogue AI, itll be a matter of putting a chip in [artificially intelligent robot] brains to shut them off.

Ray Kurzweil

The 68-year-old inventor, futurist and director of engineering at Google believes human-level AI will be achieved by 2029. Given the technologys potential to help find cures for diseases and clean up the environment, he says we have a moral imperative to realize this promise while controlling the peril.

Elon Musk

The outspoken 44-year-old entrepreneur, SpaceX founder and CEO of Tesla Motors has famously called AI our biggest existential threat, fretting that it may be tantamount to summoning the demon. And hes deadly serious, adding as a counterintuitive thought (for an entrepreneur, anyway) that hes increasingly inclined to think that there should be some regulatory oversight, maybe at the national and international level, just to make sure that we dont do something very foolish.
By now, any investor with a passing interest in Apple (ticker: AAPL) stock is well aware that the company just reported its worst showing in more than a decade.

Apple's stock has already been riding a roller coaster for the past year, topping at nearly $133, dropping 30 percent to $92 and then rallying again to nearly $124. Then after its most recent earnings report was a disaster, Apple fell again by 8 percent.

As AAPL continues its slide toward $90 a share, the question is whether to buy, hold or sell the stock.

AAPL as an income stock. Most analyses focus on AAPL's growth prospects relative to declining iPhone sales and whether new initiatives can return Apple to a growth-company status. But what about holding AAPL as an income stock for future and current retirees? As investors approach retirement, the primary investment objective needs to change from portfolio growth to one that maximizes the portfolio's lifetime income potential. For income, many financial planners recommend an allocation to bonds for both income and safety.

[See: 10 Ways to Buy Tech Stocks.]

For comparison, it would be quite reasonable to find an investment-grade bond maturing in 10 years with a yield to maturity of 2.45 percent -- the equivalent of AAPL's latest annualized dividend yield. With the bond, an investor that invested $100,000 would receive $2,450 per year for 10 years, a total of $24,500, then get his $100,000 back.

The attractiveness of AAPL is that the dividend has been increasing by about 10 percent for the last couple of years. Unlike the bond investor locked into $2,450 a year of income, an AAPL stock investor could be receiving a $5,776.97 dividend 10 years from now if the dividend grows at 10 percent a year. The 10-year total income would hypothetically be $39,046.69.

Even if AAPL's dividend growth rate gets cut in half to 5 percent in 10 years, the dividend would still be $3,800 -- a 50 percent raise over what the bond holder would receive. While dividends -- let alone dividend increases -- are not guaranteed, companies are extremely reluctant to stop or even slow a trend once established.

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Will AAPL continue dividend growth? While it may seem a stretch that a company can be expected to increase its dividend at a 10 percent clip, consider that Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) has done so for 19 years (a 10.3 percent average rate), Chevron Corp. (CVX) at 7.9 percent, Lowe's Companies (LOW) at 22 percent, Genuine Parts Co. (GPC) at 8.5 percent and Sherwin-Williams Co. (SHW) at 11.5 percent, to name a few.

The first thing to notice it that these companies are not characterized as growth darlings. "Steady Eddies" would be much more appropriate. This is an important consideration. The fact that Apple's best growth days may be behind them is not necessarily a negative to a dividend investor.

In fact, if Apple cannot generate significant shareholder value through stock appreciation, the more likely they are to keep shareholders happy with a fat and growing dividend. The question being is whether cash flow is available to continue to do so.

[See: 7 Great Ways to Invest in Cuba.]

In the last quarter -- the worst in a decade -- Apple generated net income of $10.5 billion, or $1.90 per share. Its annual dividend (after the most recent increase) is $2.28 per share. Based on this quarter's earnings, AAPL covers its annual dividend with 3.6 months of earnings. Based on projected earnings, the payout ratio (the amount of earnings that go to pay the dividend) is just 23 percent. PG's payout ratio, by comparison, is 81.4 percent. Apple's iPhone sales would have to virtually fall to zero for AAPL to not have cash flow to pay its dividend.

Future earnings are still a projection. What we do know is that Apple is sitting on a $161 billion net cash position (cash less debt). With this cash hoard, it can pay the current dividend for 14 years without any earnings.

That cash hoard is the future of AAPL. For the income investor, it represents the potential for a rising income stream throughout retirement. For investors seeking growth, it represents potential cash to invest in future growth and technology.

To put things in perspective, consider this. While Apple has not released a lot of concrete information, everyone presumes that an Apple iCar is in the company's future. If instead of building its own manufacturing capacity and distribution network, Apple could buy Volkswagen for about $70 billion and still have money left over to buy UBS Group AG (UBS) so it can finance consumers' purchases of their iCars.

This is not to say that buying shares of AAPL is at all similar to buying a 10-year bond. But while a typical stock investor looking to beat the market is very likely to be disappointed holding AAPL stock in their portfolio over the year or two, an income investor can take what appears to be a moderate long-term risk and potentially be potentially rewarded with a rising income stream, instead of flat bond income stream.

[See: 10 Tips for Keeping a Cool Head in a Market Meltdown.]

As of this writing, 401 Advisor is long AAPL in both its income and growth portfolios. Certain of the information contained in this article is based upon forward-looking statements, information and opinions, including descriptions of anticipated market changes and expectations of future activity. 401 Advisor believes that such statements, information and opinions are based upon reasonable estimates and assumptions. However, forward-looking statements, information and opinions are inherently uncertain and actual events or results may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements, information and opinions.

William DeShurko started in the financial services industry in 1987 and formed his own practice in 1994. He is a portfolio manager for Covestor, the online investing marketplace, and owner of 401 Advisor, LLC a registered investment advisor in Centerville, Ohio. After following fads, phases, and products of the day for nearly 30 years, he hopes that his insights and experience can help today's investors navigate the financial markets. You can read more of his insights at www.deshurkoblog.com or contact him directly at bill@401advisor.com.
Shares of Abiomed Inc. ABMD fell for the second consecutive session on May 4, after the release of the companys fourth-quarter 2016 results and fiscal 2017 guidance, which disappointed investors. Shares declined 4.1% to close on $94.89, reflecting a year-to-date return of 5.1%.



Abiomed reported earnings of 24 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6 cents. The company had reported earnings of $2.24 per share in the year-ago quarter which included $86.5 million of valuation allowance.



Abiomed Inc. - Earnings Surprise | FindTheBest

Revenues increased 39.1% year over year to almost $94 million, outpacing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $90 million. The year-over-year upside was supported by robust performance by the Impella heart pump product line. On a constant currency (cc) basis, revenues increased 36%.



Revenues rose 43% to $329.5 million, while earnings were 85 cents per share in full-year 2016. Abiomed had reported earnings of $2.65 per share in full-year 2015.



Quarter Details



Globally, Impella revenues grew a strong 40% to $88.6 million in the quarter. U.S. Impella revenues improved 42% to $57.7 million while outside the U.S., revenues shot up 21% at cc to $6.9 million. In the U.S., Impella patient usage soared 45% driven by the growing adoption of protected PCI and emergent support.



Patient utilization of protected PCI surged 58%, while emergent support grew 48% in the reported quarter. U.S. reorder rate grew 49% year over year to $76.9 million.



Worldwide-service revenues increased 19% to $4.4 million.



Abiomed revealed that an additional 19 hospitals purchased Impella 2.5 heart pumps during the quarter, taking the installed customer base to 1,039 sites. As part of Abiomed's continued Impella CP launch, 38 new hospitals purchased the device during the quarter, reaching the Impella CP U.S. site count to 826.



Abiomed noted that an additional 9 sites made initial purchases of Impella RP, bringing the total number of Impella RP U.S. sites to 80 at the end of the quarter.



Gross margin expanded 40 basis points (bps) to 84.4%, primarily led by favorable euro exchange rate, as well as strong product volume and yields.



Operating expenses, as a percentage of revenues, decreased 240 bps to 63.3%. Research & development (R&D) expenses increased 60 bps, while selling, general & administrative (SG&A) expenses decreased 300 bps.



The upside in R&D expenses was a result of continued investments in products and manufacturing technologies. The rise in SG&A expenses was driven by sales team expansion, which the company expects to continue in the near term.



Operating margin expanded 280 bps on a year-over-year basis to 21.1%.



FDA Approval/Product Details



On Apr 7, 2016, Abiomed announced the receipt of the FDA pre-market approval (PMA) for Impella 2.5, Impella CP and Impella 5.0 heart pumps for treating patients who suffer cardiac shock after heart attack or heart surgery. Impella is now the only percutaneous hemodynamic support device that is FDA-approved safe and effective for this population. In the current indication, Impella devices will help the heart pump blood, allowing the left ventricle to rest while a surgeon performs the surgery.



In fiscal 2017, Abiomed plans to complete the Impella RP post-market study and file for a PMA approval in fiscal 2018. Meanwhile, Abiomed will continue its controlled Impella RP launch.



Abiomed expects Japans Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) to give approval by June this year, and reimbursement approval in the next four months. The company expects to launch the devices at selected top hospitals during the Oct 2016 quarter. Meanwhile, the company continues to build its local team, establish training capabilities, and has also selected the first 10 hospital sites. To date, 20 Japanese physicians have attended training and observed cases at U.S. hospitals.



Guidance



Abiomed forecasts revenues in the range of $430 million to $445 million, up 30%--35% over fiscal 2016 levels. Apart from the gradual launch of the RP program, the company expects to open 10 new sites every quarter in the fiscal.



Abiomed expects no significant revenue contribution from Japan in fiscal 2017. Most of the benefits from the recent FDA approval are expected to occur in the second half of the fiscal year. Usually, the back-half contributes 54% to total revenues, which is expected to occur again in fiscal 2017.



Operating margin is forecasted in the band of 18% to 20%. The company expects lower margins in the first half of the year and improved margins in the second half with a rise in revenues.



Abiomed plans to add 10 employees per quarter to its commercial team throughout fiscal 2017.



Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks



Currently, Abiomed carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).



Other favorably ranked stocks in the broader medical industry are Edwards Lifesciences EW, IRadimed Corporation IRMD and Baxter International BAX. All the three stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
By Brendan O'Brien

(Reuters) - Planned Parenthood, a U.S. women's healthcare and abortion provider, has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Kansas over a plan to strip it of government healthcare funding, court records showed.

Planned Parenthood says at least 24 states have cut its clinics of funding since mid-2015, when anti-abortion activists released videos purporting to show group officials negotiating prices for aborted fetal tissue.

The footage gave rise to accusations that Planned Parenthood trafficked in body parts, which the group denies.

Abortion continues to be a highly contentious issue in the United States, where the procedure is legal but can be limited and regulated by individual states.

Abortion laws in Kansas are among the strictest in the United States. Last year, a Kansas judge blocked a law signed by Governor Sam Brownback, a Republican, that would have banned a common second trimester abortion procedure.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment plans to cut Planned Parenthood off from state Medicaid funds beginning next Tuesday, according to court documents.

Planned Parenthood filed its lawsuit against Kansas on Wednesday, arguing the state will break federal law and violate the U.S. Constitution when it follows Brownback's order to cut funding, the court records showed.

"This action challenges the unlawful, unwarranted and politically motivated decision," the suit said.

Brownback, a Republican, has said he would ensure that no taxpayer money would go to Planned Parenthood.

By cutting funds to the organization, he wanted "to protect the unborn and support a culture of life in Kansas," said Eileen Hawley, the governor's spokeswoman, in an email to the Wichita Eagle newspaper published on Wednesday.

In April, federal Medicaid Director Vikki Wachino sent the letter to Medicaid agencies in all 50 U.S. states, warning them against cutting off funds to Planned Parenthood.

Wachino's letter did not name Planned Parenthood directly, but said state Medicaid funds for healthcare providers may only be restricted if the provider cannot perform covered medical services or bill for services appropriately.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
The lineup for the 15th anniversary of the Austin City Limits Festival has been revealed with some of country's most celebrated, on-the-rise and fringe artists on the bill. Covering two consecutive weekends, the 2016 ACL Fest will take place September 30th  October 2nd and October 7th  9th in Austin, Texas, with Willie Nelson and Chris Stapleton headlining alongside Radiohead, Mumford & Sons, Kendrick Lamar, LCD Soundsystem and more.

Stagecoach 2016: Rolling Stone Country's Best Photos, Day 2

Also on a lineup which includes over 130 acts (some playing both weekends, some not) are country and Americana artists like Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Anderson East, Asleep at the Wheel, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Aubrie Sellers, Amanda Shires and LANCO. Joined by some of the biggest names in rock, folk, electronica and hip hop, they'll transform the picturesque Zilker Park into a city of its own with about 100,000 music loving inhabitants, bordered by the banks of the peaceful Colorado River and the famous Barton Springs swimming hole and featuring sweeping views of the Texas capital.

Fans can expect a full-on festival experience once again, with eight stages to choose from, a variety of food and drink vendors, an art market and a mini-fest just for the kids. The only thing ACL Fest doesn't really offer is camping, but that just makes Austin itself your campground.

Tickets for both weekends are on sale now, starting at $255 for a three day pass (passes for each weekend sold separately), with VIP and platinum experience options also available.

Related
* Vote likely to end 10 weeks of political deadlock

* Kenny finalising deal with independent deputies

* New government will not sell more than 25 pct of any bank (Add details of draft programme for government)

By Padraic Halpin

DUBLIN, May 5 (Reuters) - Acting Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny is to seek re-election in parliament on Friday in a vote his party hopes will bring an end to 10 weeks of political deadlock.

It is the fourth vote, but the first with a realistic chance of success after he secured the agreement last week of Ireland's second-largest party, Fianna Fail, to abstain in key votes to let a minority government run until 2018.

Fine Gael still needs the support of six more independent members of parliament for Kenny's re-election and were in talks to secure the votes. One independent deputy, John Halligan, told journalists he hoped a deal would be reached later on Thursday.

The draft programme for government under negotiation, a copy of which was published on the Irish Times newspaper's website, stipulated that the state would not sell more than 25 percent of its holdings in any Irish bank before the end of 2018.

The move would not affect the potential sale of a 25 percent stake in Allied Irish Banks this year but represents a shift from February when Finance Minister Michael Noonan said he hoped to sell a second 25 percent stake in the lender, which is 99 percent owned by the state, between the end of 2016 and 2020.

It would halt until 2019 any further private investment in the smaller mortgage lender, permanent tsb, after the government sold a quarter of the bank last year. The state retains a 14 percent stake in Bank of Ireland.

Ireland's Central Bank will also be asked to procure an independent assessment of lenders' arrears and negative equity loan books.

While the proposed new government stopped short of bowing to pressure to ask the central bank to intervene in the mortgage market, it will further pressurise banks to cut rates.

Story continues

"It is not ethically acceptable for Irish banks to charge excessive rates on standard variable rate customers," the document states. "We will take all necessary action to tackle high variable interest rates."

The programme also commits to a new tax on sugar-sweetened drinks and to invest the projected 2 billion-euro profit from the state-owned "bad bank" selling off lenders' soured loans into infrastructure projects.

Kenny will name the country's new Cabinet on Friday if he is re-elected, a government source said. A separate, senior government source said on Sunday that Noonan was likely to be reappointed to his position.

(Additional reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Louise Ireland and Matthew Lewis)
Washington (AFP) - A bumper poppy crop in Afghanistan will help fund the Taliban and likely lead to fresh attacks on Afghan security forces after the harvest, a US general said Thursday.

Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, a senior spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan, said fighting in Helmand province had actually dipped in recent weeks while members of the Taliban harvest poppy fields -- but warned the lull was temporary.

"As the harvest really concludes here, and we think it concludes really as soon as this week, we do expect to see an uptick in the Taliban efforts to attack the ANDSF (Afghan National Defense and Security Forces)," Cleveland said in a video call with Pentagon reporters.

Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has been generally rising over the past decade, fueling the Taliban insurgency and spurring a growing crisis of drug addiction despite costly US-led counter-narcotics programs.

Though the total area under cultivation dropped during a drought last year, the southern province of Helmand retained its title as leader in growth of opium, which is used to produce heroin.

"There is a concern that with this very good poppy crop that they had this year, it is going to result in the Taliban being able to turn that into money for their efforts," Cleveland said.

Poppy farming has boomed over the years in southern and western regions, which include the most volatile parts of the country where the Taliban insurgency is the strongest.

Afghan forces have been sent to the area around Lashkar Gah, Helmand's capital which recently came close to falling to the Taliban.

Cleveland said between 700 and 800 US forces are in Helmand, training and advising Afghan partners.
Johannesburg (AFP) - A South African mother who tried to sell her 19-month-old baby boy on the Internet for $340 was given a five-year suspended sentence, a justice official said Thursday.

The 20-year-old mother will not spend time in jail, but will live under house arrest for three years.

The woman, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, put the baby up for sale for 5,000 rand in an advertisement on the Gumtree website last year.

A member of the public alerted the police who arrested her in an undercover operation in October.

"She was given a wholly-suspended sentence of five years," National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson-Kara told AFP.

She will "undergo correctional supervision, which means basically house arrest for a period of three years," Ramkisson-Kara added.

The mother said she had tried selling her baby after her boyfriend stopped paying childcare following paternity tests that showed he was not the child's father.

Human trafficking carries a maximum life jail term or a fine of 100 million rand ($6.7 million).

But the court sitting in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday handed down a lighter sentence after considering the woman's circumstances.

"The magistrate found that the woman did not have intention per se to traffic the child," said Ramkisson-Kara.
By Katy Migiro NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Over the years, Ethiopian mother-of-three Hana Mekonnen has received all sorts of aid designed to free her from the bitter trap of poverty and hunger: goats, cash transfers, resettlement and, of course, sacks of grain. None has worked. Hana's one-year-old son was diagnosed with malnutrition in October, usually a time of plenty in Ethiopia's mountainous Amhara region, when the main harvest starts to come in. The Horn of Africa nation's worst drought in 50 years has left her destitute, reduced to arguing with neighbors over the allocation of aid rations. "Because of the drought, we are all poor," she said, seated in her dimly-lit hut with her child on her lap. "No one in this village has anything to give their children. We all live on food aid." Hana blames God for failed rains, but development experts say her chronic poverty is the result of traditional farming methods, a soaring population and a lack of alternative sources of income. Millions of farmers and herders across Africa have been pushed into crisis by drought this year, raising questions about the ability of aid to break the hunger cycle, despite a resolve to do so after famine killed 260,000 people in Somalia in 2011. How to make people less vulnerable to natural disasters, and improving the aid response when they do strike, are key themes of the World Humanitarian Summit on May 23-24 in Istanbul. SAFETY NET Hana receives cash and food six months a year, in exchange for environmental work, like digging ponds and planting trees. Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP), set up in 2005, helps her through the 'lean season' between harvests, while also rehabilitating land and building roads, health posts and schools to tackle some of the underlying causes of poverty. The scheme, administered by the government and largely funded by international donors, was set up to end the annual scramble for emergency funding to feed hungry Ethiopians, averaging 5 million a year in the decade before its launch. It has made the provision of food aid more predictable and cheaper, helping to prevent the terrible famines that tarnished Ethiopia's international image in the 1970s and 80s. But it has not ended hunger. "Ethiopia is, and has demonstrated itself to be, very effective at response," said Laura Hammond, who heads the development studies department at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). "But there's still this level of vulnerability and poverty that is persistent and that's harder to turn a corner on." This year, one in five Ethiopians need food aid, with 8 million receiving support from the PSNP and another 10.2 million from a $1.4 billion humanitarian appeal. By 2020, the project - Africa's largest social safety net - will have cost donors $5.7 billion, raising questions about its sustainability. "Ultimately, there does need to be a vision for this not being a donor-financed safety net," Greg Collins, director of the Center for Resilience at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "We more and more need to be investing in creating opportunities that allow those who are able to graduate from the PSNP." Initial optimism about a rapid shift to self-sufficiency has been replaced with an acceptance that some Ethiopians will be dependent on aid indefinitely. GROWTH STORY The busy roads, endless construction sites and new light railway snaking over Ethiopia's capital are testament to the double-digit growth it has enjoyed for the last decade. This growth has led to a dramatic drop in poverty rates, with the share of the population living below the poverty line falling from 56 to 31 percent between 2000 and 2011, according to World Bank data. "Ethiopia is the darling of Africa at the moment," said Lindsey Jones, a researcher with the London-based Overseas Development Institute. "Its economy is expanding massively." But deeper structural changes, like urbanization and industrialization, are needed to end poverty, experts say. From the early 1990s, Ethiopia pursued an agriculture-led development strategy, under visionary strongman Meles Zenawi. Increased use of fertilizer, better seeds and expert advice produced sharp increases in yields, benefiting the 92 percent of Ethiopians who, according to the World Bank, own land. As Ethiopia's population has doubled since the early 1990s, many people's farms are often only half a hectare. "There is no means to increase the landholding size," said Mitiku Kassa, head of Ethiopia's National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Committee. "The only option is to increase the productivity of the land by using agricultural technologies." Each ward has three development agents, graduates in crop and animal sciences, who demonstrate to villagers how to increase their yields, he said. But farmers remain vulnerable to poor rains, unlike workers in manufacturing and services jobs, which have proven critical in reducing poverty in countries like Bangladesh and Rwanda. Ethiopia's recent investment in the food processing, textile and flower industries is a step towards diversifying the economy away from its heavy dependence on farming, said SOAS's Hammond. ACT BEFORE DROUGHT The most popular buzzword among aid workers after the 2011 drought across the Horn of Africa was "resilience", which means boosting people's ability to bounce back from shocks like a failed harvest or a death in the family. Projects that provide families with alternative sources of income, such as livestock, or loans to set up small businesses, can make them less vulnerable when disaster hits. "What's needed is more investment in action before droughts strike," said Michael Mosselmans, head of humanitarian policy and practice for Christian Aid. Every dollar spent on preparedness saves seven dollars in disaster aftermath, the United Nations says, but it is harder to generate enthusiasm for preventative projects than tackling visible crises, like starving children. At the World Humanitarian Summit, Christian Aid is calling for 5 percent of aid to be spent on resilience and disaster preparedness, up from the current 0.4 percent. Ethiopia is not holding its breath. The government's Mitiku says efforts to end hunger for women like Hana must be driven by Ethiopia itself. "Emergencies will continue, in my view, as long as we are living with adverse climate change," he said, drawing comparisons with drought-hit California. "They are not appealing (for funds) because they have the capacity to respond. We expect Ethiopia to have such capacity to respond by itself... when we reach lower middle-income (status)," he said, a target it has set for 2025. For more on the World Humanitarian Summit, please visit: http://news.trust.org/spotlight/reshape-aid/ (Reporting by Katy Migiro; Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories.)
The Daily Beast

Beresford Hodge - PA ImagesLONDONRishi Sunak is to become Britains third prime minister of the year after winning a hastily arranged leadership contest on Monday in the wake of Liz Truss lightning downfall. After losing out to Truss in the summer, Sunak is on his way to Downing Street after his leadership race rival, Penny Mordaunt, withdrew from the contest at the last minute. While Truss became Britains leader after being voted in by Conservative Party membersless than one percent of the
Hmeimim Airbase (Syria) (AFP) - Russian servicemen in sand-coloured fatigues sit by phones and computer screens at a base in northwestern Syria, monitoring a ceasefire often on the brink of collapse.

In coordination with a US centre in the Jordanian capital, soldiers at Russia's Hmeimim airbase record breaches of the truce -- brokered by Moscow and Washington -- from barracks converted into a makeshift call centre.

"This is our direct line to Amman," said the head of the ceasefire monitoring centre, Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko, pointing to a telephone.

"And these two phones are for calls from any resident of Syria and from citizens of the world."

Russia began a major bombing campaign in support of its longtime ally President Bashar al-Assad in September, enabling regime forces to seize back territory.

A ceasefire introduced on February 27 between the government and non-jihadist rebels largely held for several weeks before starting to fall apart as fighting surged in Syria's divided second city Aleppo.

While Kuralenko showed off satellite images attesting to Moscow's monitoring work to journalists on Wednesday during a press tour organised by the Russian defence ministry, deadly violence raged in Aleppo.

On Thursday a new 48-hour ceasefire took hold in the northern city as Assad's regime and rebel forces gave in to mounting diplomatic pressure.

Aleppo had been left out of the so-called "regime of silence" -- reportedly at Moscow's request -- declared last week in a bid to salvage the February 27 ceasefire.

World powers have since stepped up diplomatic efforts to end violence in the city that has claimed the lives of 280 civilians since April 22.

Kuralenko accused rebel groups of responsiblity for most of the truce violations.

Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov blamed attacks by Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front for preventing Aleppo's initial inclusion in the fighting freeze.

Story continues

"As of today the regime of silence (in Aleppo) has been prevented by the terrorist group Al-Nusra," Konashenkov said on Wednesday, accusing the extremist movement of perpetrating rocket attacks on residential areas of Aleppo.

Konashenkov, however, underlined that the freeze in fighting along two major fronts in Syria's northwest and the Damascus region was overall being respected.

- Hopes for villagers' return -

In the village of Kawkab, northeast of Damascus, elderly men in chequered headdresses, accompanied by Russian colonels, participated in the signing of a local agreement allowing residents to return after the area was recaptured from Al-Nusra.

Locals danced alongside Kalashnikov-wielding Syrian soldiers while children in dusty clothes brandished Syrian flags and portraits of Assad. Around the corner, Russian servicemen unloaded humanitarian aid trucks.

"Some 10,000 people used to live here," a local leader, Ahmed Mubarak, said through a translator. "I don't know how many there are now, but I am sure that in four days they will be back."

Located near a frontline, Kawkab was recaptured by government forces about a year ago, locals said, but residents had not felt it was safe to return until recently.

"Russia has played a significant role in the peace process," Mubarak said, echoing statements by Russian defence officials. "Of all countries it has provided the most aid."

Since President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria in mid-March, Moscow has presented itself as a key peacemaker on the ground.

Konashenkov said that more than 90 towns and villages and 52 rebel groups had signed local truces with government forces that have Moscow's backing.

He said that these local agreements had seen around 7,000 fighters lay down their arms.

"That's a lot," he said.

Russia has been a key player in UN-mediated talks between the regime and opposition forces but has dismissed calls for Assad to step down.

The Kremlin has insisted the West should focus its efforts on ending the five-year conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people before it can tackle extremist organisations such as the Islamic State group.
Aden (AFP) - Al-Qaeda militants began withdrawing Thursday from two cities in Yemen's southern Abyan province following tribal mediation to spare destruction, tribal sources said.

"Hundreds of Al-Qaeda fighters have begun to hand over to provincial authorities public buildings which they controlled" in Abyan provincial capital Zinjibar and the nearby city of Jaar, a tribal mediator told AFP.

A tribal elder involved in the mediation said their departure comes amid pressure from residents who wanted to spare their cities from being destroyed like other southern towns which the jihadists once controlled.

This comes after government troops backed by air and ground support from a Saudi-led coalition launched last month a widespread operation against jihadists in south and southeastern Yemen.

The tribal mediator said the withdrawal will be completed within a week.

But he warned that the jihadists could stop the operation if they come under attack.

The jihadists will be leaving with their weapons and are expected to pull back to a mountainous region which separates Abyan from the provinces of Shabwa and Baida, tribal sources said.

The militants last month fled the key southeastern city of Mukalla, the capital of Hadramawt province, and other coastal areas, due to the government offensive.

In a statement released Wednesday, the militants threatened to attack the homes of officials and soldiers who took part in the offensive to drive them out of Mukalla.

Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is regarded by Washington as the network's most dangerous branch.

It had taken advantage of the government's war against Shiite rebels to spread its presence in the south.
* Feagin worked at Goldman for more than two decades

* Ant Financial has been striking deals outside of its home market

* Ant Financial is seen preparing for an IPO (Adds quotes and background)

By Paul Carsten and Denny Thomas

BEIJING/HONG KONG, May 5 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's online finance arm Ant Financial Services Group has hired former-Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker Douglas Feagin as a senior vice president, in charge of the unit's international business.

His appointment, effective from June 15, gives the Chinese Internet finance firm's upper ranks an experienced hand in international finance, Ant said in a statement.

Ant Financial, valued at about $60 billion, is also preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) and has been making deals outside of its main home market in China.

"Globalisation is Ant Financial's most important strategy for the coming decade," Ant Financial President Eric Jing said in the statement.

Feagin will be based in the United States and report to Jing. Feagin is the second senior former Goldman executive to join an Alibaba affiliate company in recent times. In August, Michael Evans, former vice chairman and head of Asia at Goldman, became the president of Alibaba Group.

Since last year, Ant Financial has made several key investments including buying a stake in Indian digital wallet, Paytm. It has received approval to establish K-Bank, South Korea's first Internet bank, together with local partners. In Australia, Ant Financial, has invested in PayBang.

Recently, Ant and ride service company Uber Technologies announced plans for global expansion to provide Alipay's payment service for Chinese travellers in 68 overseas countries and regions. Last month, Ant raised $4.5 billion in its latest round of capital raising, in what was the biggest ever fund raising by a private Internet company..

Feagin has worked at Goldman for more than two decades and most recently he was the head of the bank's Financial Institutions Group for the Americas, according to his LinkedIn profile. He worked as a senior partner advising clients that included banks, finance, technology and insurance sectors across the United States, Latin America and Asia.

Feagin was also the head of Goldman Sachs' Financial Institutions Group in Asia (ex-Japan) from 2004 to 2010. He received his MBA at Harvard Business School in 1994, and graduated from University of Virginia in 1988.

(Reporting by Paul Carsten in BEIJING and Denny Thomas in HONG KONG; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
After 17 years guiding the U.K.'s Association of independent Music (AIM), Alison Wenham is stepping down as chair and CEO of the trade body to assume a new global role as CEO of the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN).

Wenham's decision ushers in a new era for the decade-old WIN, which was created in response to business, creative and market access issues faced globally by the independent music business.

The British exec founded AIM in 1999; is a founding board member of IMPALA; she helped set up AIM's U.S.-focused sister organization, the American Assn. of Independent Music; and has served as the inaugural president of WIN, which was unveiled at the MIDEM trade fair in January 2006. In 2010, Wenham was honored with an OBE.

WIN's Alison Wenham on Licensing Imbroglio: 'YouTube Is Trying To Devalue the Streaming Market'

"As the music marketplace becomes ever more global it is time for the worldwide independent music community to focus its collective attention on the big issues affecting all of us," Wenham says in a statement issued today. "I am extraordinarily proud of our achievements at AIM, which I know will continue to effectively represent and help the U.K.'s independent music companies, but I am relishing the challenge of taking on this new position at WIN and representing our sector on a global level. The music industry continues to evolve at a pace and it is vital that our membership has a voice and a place at the top table when decisions affecting the livelihoods of independent music companies and the artists they represent are being decided."

Martin Mills, chairman of the Beggars Group and one of the original founders of AIM, paid tribute to Wenham as "a force of nature in the growth of AIM, to the extent that it is impossible to imagine the U.K. record industry without it."

International Power Players: Alison Wenham, Association of Independent Music

Now the hunt is on for a new CEO to head-up AIM, which represents the interests of more than 850 independent music companies based in the U.K. WIN will then become a standalone trade association and will be based in London. Until now, WIN had not been allocated its own infrastructure, dedicated staff or resources but had been administered by AIM as an informal umbrella organization for the global indie trade association community.

"Happily," adds Mills, "AIM has grown to the point where with the identification of a new chief executive and the continuing work of its experienced and skilled management and staff, we can be confident in its continuing success and growth as a core member of WIN."
Sagar Bhanushali

Launched in Thailand in January 2016, the Honda BR-V has finally arrived in the Indian market. Now that its here, Honda India is looking to take on two of the hot sellers in the compact SUV space, namely the Hyundai Creta and the Renault Duster.

Heres all you need to know about the new Honda BR-V.

The BR-V has been developed at Hondas R&D facility in Bangkok, Thailand. It has been conceived to suit India and other Asian markets where compact SUVs have gained a lot of prominence off late.

Now although it shares a lot of greasy bits with the Mobilio MPV, the BR-V features a longer wheelbase, wider front and rear track and a higher ground clearance. Aesthetically, the BR-V takes inspiration from other Honda models as its looks somewhat echoes the CR-V and even the Mobilio. The window-line, for instance, gets an interesting kink on the rear door just like in the Mobilio. In profile, the BR-V seems like a jacked up station wagon, however, there are a few rugged looking bits like the chunky roof rails and the plastic body cladding for better road presence.

The BR-V is available in both petrol and diesel options. The petrol-powered car is equipped with the popular 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder i-VTEC engine that makes 118bhp of power and 145Nm of torque. The diesel car, on the other hand, houses the same 100bhp/200Nm 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel unit that also powers the City, the Jazz and the Mobilio.

While both petrol and diesel models get a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, Honda is offering the convenience of a CVT for the petrol powered BR-V. Interestingly, the CVT also comes with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel for better control over the gearbox.

The petrol BR-V has a company claimed fuel efficiency of 15.4kmpl for manual version and 16kmpl for the CVT version. The diesel model, as expected, is rated much higher at 21.9kmpl.

Unlike the Hyundai Creta or the Renault Duster which are sold as 5-seaters, the BR-V comes with three rows of seating, making it a 7-seater. The second row seat features a 60_40 split with slide and recline option while the third row seat is a 50_50 spilt folding type which can also be reclined. Once folded flat, the third row can be tumbled forward to maximise the boot space. The base boot space for the BR-V is rated at 223-litres which can be enhanced to 691litres with the third row folded down.

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The BR-V is available in four trim levels in petrol and diesel variants  E, S, V and VX with manual gearbox. The CVT-equipped model, meanwhile, can be had in V trim. The entry-level E gets projector headlights, roof rails, tilt steering, power windows and even dual airbags and ABS (for diesel variant) as standard. The top-spec VX variant, meanwhile, is fully loaded with standard features including leather seats, leather wrapped steering wheel, electrically foldable wing mirrors, push-button start, multi-information display, climate control, rear AC vents and a 2-Din infotainment system.

As for the all-important pricing, the petrol BR-V range starts from Rs 8.75 lakh and goes up till Rs 11.84 lakh, while the similarly-specced diesel range is priced between Rs 9.90 lakh and Rs 12.90 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

For more news,reviews,videos and information about cars, visit CarWale.com.

Check On-Road Prices | Find New Cars | Upcoming Cars | Compare Cars | Dealer Locator
"I've worked with a lot of young people in my various jobs over the years, and often when I come to a young woman and I say, 'I want to give you more responsibility' or 'We think you're ready for a bigger job,' she will say, 'Do you really believe that?' or 'Are you sure?' And that's kind of ingrained in us: 'Wait a minute  are you really talking to me?' When I go to a young man and I say, 'We're looking for greater responsibility for you, maybe a different job,' honestly, they will say, in not exactly these words, but the message will be, 'What took you so long? Of course, I am ready, I am able.' So part of my message to young women is, 'First and foremost, believe in yourself, believe in who you are. You have a unique contribution to make to the world; we all have gifts and they are all different gifts. And you have something that can make life better. Not just in your home, with your relationships, but in the broader world of work and society and politics.'

So study what experts  people who have been very successful, like my friend Sheryl Sandberg and others  tell you about how to do this, and how to take that deep breath. It is scary, but go ahead and try it out with your friends, and just be specific, like, 'Here is what I've done, here is the feedback I've gotten. I really believe I am the best person to continue this project or this work plan, and I want to be sure that I am paid accordingly.'

It's scary, but we need women supporting other women, too; we need to remove the mystery about pay. In some places, you can't even find out what somebody else doing the same job is getting. And so, we have to get more transparency and more information, so that young women are supported in the risk they feel they are taking in trying to get paid fairly and equally."

Hillary Clinton on the importance of negotiating and asking for equal pay.

Read Refinery29's exclusive interview with the presidential candidate here.

Photo: Chris Usher/ CBS/ Getty Images.
Washington (AFP) - Should university students and professors be allowed to bring guns on campus? Americans are divided on the issue with no end in sight to the deadly shootings that regularly rock the nation.

The United States -- where gun violence kills some 90 people a day -- has been hit by rampages at institutions of higher learning in recent years.

But opinions differ on how to prevent such massacres, with some arguing that arming up is key, while others are pushing for tougher gun control.

This week, Tennessee became the latest state to allow concealed firearms on its publicly funded college and university campuses.

On the other end of the spectrum, the governor of Georgia vetoed a similar bill just days ago after it was easily approved by local lawmakers.

"From the early days of our nation and state, colleges have been treated as sanctuaries of learning where firearms have not been allowed," Governor Nathan Deal, a Republican, said in announcing his veto.

"To depart from such time honored protections should require overwhelming justification."

- Virginia Tech trauma -

The debate comes in the wake of several deadly campus shootings in recent years, most notably at Virginia Tech in 2007, where a student gunman killed 32 people before taking his own life.

More recently, a shooter killed nine people at the Umpqua Community College in Oregon in 2015. And in 2012, a man methodically gunned down seven people at Oikos University in Oakland, California.

The all-powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) claims that such shooting tolls would never be reached if students had the right to carry weapons to protect themselves.

Under the leadership of the gun lobby, at least 19 states introduced legislation to allow the concealed carrying of guns on campus in 2013, and at least 14 states introduced similar legislation in 2014, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). But only a couple of those bills were passed and enacted, it said.

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In contrast, according to the NCSL, shootings pushed lawmakers in five states to introduce legislation to prohibit concealed carry weapons on campus in 2013 -- but none of the measures passed.

The result is a complicated mosaic, with some 20 states banning arms on campus, some 20 others leaving the choice up to educational institutions, and the remainder allowing the carrying of guns under certain conditions, including being permit holders. The last group includes Colorado, Idaho and Kansas.

- Unarmed at disciplinary meetings -

In Tennessee and Arkansas, carrying a fireman on campus is limited to staff and faculty. And the new Tennessee law, which takes effect July 1, still bans guns from disciplinary meetings or public events at gyms, for example.

In Mississippi, a student or teacher can go to class armed after he or she has gone through training on handling the weapon with a certified instructor.

The biggest recent pro-gun victory was in Texas, where, as of August 1, concealed handgun license holders will be allowed to bring their weapons onto the campuses of public universities -- including into dorms and gyms.

The date the law will take effect was not chosen at random -- it coincides with the 50th anniversary of a mass shooting by a gunman perched on the clock tower at the University of Texas at Austin.

Daniel Hamermesh, an economics professor emeritus at the university, caused a stir when he said he was leaving because of the law.

"With a huge group of students, my perception is that the risk that a disgruntled student might bring a gun into the classroom and start shooting at me has been substantially enhanced by the concealed-carry law," he wrote in an open letter.
AmerisourceBergen Corporation ABC posted earnings (excluding one-time items) of $1.68 per share in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 (ended Mar 31, 2016), beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.59 and up from the year-ago tally of $1.45.

Revenues jumped 9.3% to $35.7 billion in the reported quarter and came slightly ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

The Quarter in Detail

In the reported quarter, revenues from the Pharmaceutical Distribution segment (including AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation [ABDC]) and AmerisourceBergen Specialty Group [ABSG]) climbed 8% to $34.2 billion.

Within the segment, revenues from the ABDC business increased 6% primarily driven by solid organic sales growth from chain retail and health systems customers.

The ABSG unit performed well during the quarter, with revenues surging 18% year over year driven by strong performance of the oncology business (including an increase in sales to community oncologists), along with sales growth in blood products, vaccine and physician office distribution businesses.

Revenues from the Other segment (AmerisourceBergen Consulting Services, World Courier and MWI Veterinary Supply) were $1.6 billion, up 62% backed by the inclusion of revenues from the Feb 2015 acquisition of MWI Veterinary Supply.

In addition, the company announced that its board of directors has authorized a new regular share repurchase program, which when combined with the companys existing program, will allow the company to purchase shares worth up to $750 million. AmerisourceBergen has spent $100 million to repurchase shares of its common stock to date.

Fiscal 2016 Guidance

Yet again, AmerisourceBergen narrowed its guidance as it expects gross profit in the second half of fiscal year to be negatively impacted by headwinds such as an increase in the rate of generic deflation, and a lower contribution from the new generic launches. Moreover, the companys efforts to increase sales of PRxO generics and revenues from independent retail segment are ramping slower than projected.

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The company now expects earnings per share in the range of in the range of $5.44 to $5.54, down from the previous estimate of $5.73$5.83. The pre-earnings Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.78 is way above the high end of the companys updated guidance.

Our Take

Although this Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company beat estimates in the second-quarter of fiscal 2016, the series of cuts in the annual guidance is a concern and reflects the challenging conditions ahead of the company. These trends are expected to continue in fiscal 2017 as well. Apart from the abovementioned headwinds, recent contract renewals, along with expenses related to some key investments in the companys information technology systems and infrastructure are expected to dampen growth rates in fiscal 2017.

On a positive note, the company announced that it has extended the term of its strategic agreement with its largest pharmacy retail customer, Walgreens Boots Alliance WBA for an additional three years. The company also disclosed that its large pharmacy benefit manager customer has extended their contract for an additional year.

A couple of better-ranked stocks in the healthcare sector include Shire SHPG and Nektar Therapeutics NKTR. Both stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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(We are reissuing this article to correct a mistake. The original article, issued earlier today, May 5, 2016, should no longer be relied upon)



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Chesterbrook, PA-based AmerisourceBergen Corporation ABC is one of the worlds largest pharmaceutical services companies, which focuses on providing drug distribution and related services to reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes. AmerisourceBergen serves healthcare providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the pharmaceutical supply channel.

AmerisourceBergen entered into a strategic agreement with Walgreen Boots Alliance in fiscal 2013. The agreement included a 10-year pharmaceutical distribution contract with Walgreen and access to generic drugs and related pharmaceutical products through the Walgreen Boots Alliance Development joint venture. The company also acquired leading animal health distribution company, MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc. to further diversify its portfolio.

AmerisourceBergens track record has been mixed with the company comfortably beating estimates in three of the last four quarters with an average positive surprise of 7%. Estimates for fiscal 2016 have been more or less static in the last 30 days.

Currently, AmerisourceBergen has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) but that could definitely change following the companys earnings report which was just released. We have highlighted some of the key stats from this just-revealed announcement below:

Earnings: AmerisourceBergen topped earnings in the second quarter of fiscal 2016. Our consensus called for EPS of $1.62, and the company reported EPS of $1.68.

Revenue: AmerisourceBergen posted revenues of $35.7 billion in the reported quarter, roughly in line with our consensus estimate.

Key Stats: The company announced that it has extended the term of its strategic agreement with Walgreens Boots Alliance for an additional three years. However, AmerisourceBergen slashed its guidance for fiscal 2016 and now expects earnings per share in the range of $5.44 to $5.54, down from the earlier estimate of $5.73 to $5.83.

Check back later for our full write up on this AmerisourceBergen earnings report later!

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They tried to make him answer police bail for alleged theft, but he said no no, no.

Amy Winehouses tortured ex-husband is a wanted man after skipping bail in a theft probe.

Blake Fielder-Civil, 34, pictured below with Winehouse two years before her death, was arrested in March after a purse holding 70 was allegedly stolen.

Cops are now looking for him after he failed to answer bail at a police station last Thursday.

CCTV at a pub appears to show a man swiping barmaid Leia Cliffs purse from her bag and fleeing.

Law student Leia, 20, who works part-time at the Leeds bar, is quoted in The Sun saying: I came back from the toilet and realised it was gone.

We looked on CCTV and watched the man. I couldnt believe anyone could sink so low. A day later a man came to the pub and handed me my passport, which was in my purse.

He said, Ive been told to give this to you. I asked about the money. He said, Youll never get that back.

Fielder-Civil married Winehouse in 2007.

But hes been vilified for getting her hooked on heroin and told TVs Jeremy Kyle in 2013: I was smoking it and she said, Can I try some? I dont think she would have ever experienced it without me.

The couple, famous for their bloody fights, divorced in 2009 and drug-addled Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning two years later aged 27.

Police last night told The Sun: A 34-year-old from Leeds, arrested in March over the theft of a purse, failed to answer bail. Enquiries are ongoing to trace him.

Pictures Getty Images
Anardarko's 1Q16 Fulfills Analysts' Predictions: What's to Come?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Anadarkos stock performance

Following Anadarko Petroleums (APC) 1Q16 earnings release on May 2, its stock fell by 3.5%. APCs stock has declined significantly over the past year. YoY (year-over-year), APC has fallen by ~46.5%. In this part of the series, well analyze Anadarkos stock performance with respect to movements in the broader industry and the broader market.

Peer comparison

Peers Apache (APA), Concho Resources (CXO), and Hess (HES) have seen their stock prices fall by ~24%, 11%, and ~24%, respectively, on a YoY basis. These companies account for ~5.3% of the Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE).

As shown in the above graph, APCs performance has been driven mainly by WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil prices (USO). Along with natural gas prices, they have also been driving the broader industry ETF, the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE).

From April 19 to May 2, Anadarkos stock was mostly outperforming the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE), but ended up giving lower returns at the end of the period. APCs stock fell 0.85% during this period, while XLE fell by just 0.06%. However, APCs stock outperformed the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), which fell 1.8% during this period.

APCs stock fell the day after its earnings release, on May 2. Crude oil prices also fell, by ~2% from the previous days close. This indicates that the drop in APCs stock may have been due to the drop in crude oil prices rather than the result of a negative market reaction to its earnings results. Read the first part of this series to learn more about Anadarkos 1Q16 performance. In the next part of this series, well look at analysts recommendations for Anadarkos stock.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
How Did NuStar Energy Beat 1Q16 Estimates When EBITDA Fell?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Analyst ratings for NuStar Energy

Lets look now at what Wall Street analysts are recommending for NuStar Energy (NS). At a broader level, ~90.0% of analysts rate NuStar Energy a hold. The remaining ~10.0% rate it a buy.

The median broker target price of $45.50 for NuStar implies a -8.0% price return in the next 12 months from its April 27, 2016, closing price of $48.90. NS peers Buckeye Partners (BPL) and Rose Rock Midstream (RRMS) have hold ratings from 54.6% and 70.0% of analysts, respectively. About 68.8% of analysts rate Sunoco Logistics Partners (SXL) a buy. NS forms 4.5% of the Global X MLP ETF (MLPA).

Outlook for NuStar Energy

Investors can consider the following positives before they decide to include NuStar Energy as a long-term investment:

impressive distribution coverage of 1.14x

strong storage utilization

continuing growth of refined product throughput volumes

Now lets look at some of the negatives:

high debt-to-EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) ratio of 4.6x

declining Eagle Ford production affecting NuStars crude throughput volumes  According to the EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration), Eagle Ford production might continue to decline for all of 2016.

poor performance of Fuel Marketing segment due to declining margins in the current low price environment

For more post-earnings coverage on midstream companies, be sure to visit our Master Limited Partnerships page.

Browse this series on Market Realist:
LaToya Morgan

EXCLUSIVE

: Suspected 60s radical Angela Davis is getting biopic treatment. Jeff Kwatinetzs The Firm has acquired an untitled script by Shameless scribe LaToya Morgan that Firm film division president Robbie Brenner will produce with Kwatinetz and Kevin McKeon. Davis, accused of conspiracy in the murder of a federal judge, became the first woman on the FBIs 10 Most Wanted list, became an iconic symbol of an era. After fleeing from authorities, she is eventually captured and must exonerate herself from an all white jury during the racially turbulent early 1970s. Aside from Shameless, Morgan scripted AMCs Turn: Washingtons Spies, the latter of which, for which she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Morgan, who was recently hired to adapt the Robert Crais novel The Two Minute Rule for Original Film and Story Mining & Supply, is represented by CAA and Echo Lake.

Although the events of this film take place three decades ago, Angela Daviss story holds a strong relevance in todays political and social landscape, and we are excited and honored to tell it along with LaToya. said Brenner, who makes this the fourth project she has set since joining The Firm. She recently wrapped the Jennifer Garner-starrer Tribes of Palos Verdes, just set Anthony Mackie to play Johnnie Cochran in an untitled drama about the landmark Signal Hill police brutality case, and shes casting the Peter Chelsom-directed WWII assassin tale The Paladin.

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A technician from Oxitec inspects larvae of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Campinas, Brazil, February 2, 2016. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker

It's been a year since the untreatable Zika virus was first identified in the Americas.

Since then, it's grown into a global health emergency, with public health officials, governments, and researchers alike scrambling for solutions.

One solution? Getting rid of Zika's main method of spreading from person to person, the Aedes aegypti mosquito. To do this, one company is genetically engineering the bugs so they pass a lethal gene to their offspring.

A small region just south of Cuba just announced plans to deploy the critters to fend off Zika, making it the second location to do so. The US is still considering using the mosquitoes in certain areas, but hasn't done so yet.

The region is the Cayman Islands, a British territory of about 58,000 people composed of three islands (of which only one has the potential for locally transmitted Zika  no cases have been reported just yet*).

Oxitec, the biotech company that makes these mosquitoes, launched another GM-mosquito disease-prevention program in Brazil in 2015 which targeted dengue and yellow fever, two diseases that are also transmitted by the A. aegypti mosquito. Oxitec has since expanded that program in response to the Zika outbreak.

To fend off the disease-carrying bugs, Oxitec genetically modifies male mosquitoes to carry a lethal gene. Those bugs mate with female mosquitoes, pass on the gene that kills that offspring before it becomes an adult mosquito  and eventually, a sizeably smaller mosquito population.

The Cayman Island project is focused on the Grand Cayman island. For the first two months, Oxitec and the Cayman Islands' Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) will educate people about the mosquitoes and make sure they're aware these bugs are not the ones spreading disease. Then, Oxitec will deploy enough mosquitoes to try and protect an area of 1,800 residents on the Grand Cayman island from Zika. From there, the project can expand as necessary.

Story continues

"It is one of those times where you are very grateful to see a mosquito, because you know its going to do its job, and there will be fewer mosquitoes around to bite and transmit disease once its done," Dr. Alan Wheeler, an assistant director with the MRCU said in a news release.

As with anything that includes the words "genetically modified," some are leery about the prospect of this potential solution, instead suggesting that they're part of the reason the Zika outbreak has been so extreme. But so far, there's no evidence that the genetically modified mosquitoes play a role, Dr. Andrew Pavia, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Utah Health Care told Business Insider in January.

*This post has been updated to reflect that no cases of locally transmitted Zika have been reported on the Cayman Islands yet.

NOW WATCH: An untreatable virus that's linked to birth defects is now affecting the US





More From Business Insider


Why Apple's Stock Fell following Its Fiscal 2Q16 Results

(Continued from Prior Part)

ANZ bank to support Apple Pay

Apple (AAPL) Pay expanded its services in Australia (EWA) recently with the addition of ANZ Bank. The new integration comes five months after American Express (AXP) introduced Apple Pay to the Australian market via a partnership.

Our customers. . .are much closer to being able to leave their wallets at home, Apple Pay chief Jennifer Bailey told Reuters in an interview. Bailey added that Apple is in talks with other Australian banks as well, and the company hopes that the ANZ deal will open discussions with other entities.

Over 1,000 card issuers support Apple Pay

Last month, Apple reached the 1,000 mark for the number of US card issuers that support Apple Pay, according to AppleInsider. Apple added 32 new partners, mainly consisting of small regional institutions.

Though Apple Pay can be used at over 2 million locations, the number of supporting retail chains is still a fraction of the number of issuers. Apple has integrated Apple Pay with financial heavyweights such as Capital One (COF) and Wells Fargo (WFC).

According to a report from eMarketer, and as the chart above shows, the number of mobile payment transactions in the United States has risen exponentially. Transactions more than doubled from $1.6 billion in 2013 to $3.5 billion in 2014. The report expects that this market will continue to grow at a healthy rate.

Revenue from Apples services segment has risen substantially, as seen in the earlier article of this series. According to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, shares of Apples rival Google (GOOG) are trading at about 19 times the companys projected calendar year 2017 operating revenue, excluding net cash.

Munster continued, Applying that same metric to Apple would imply a valuation of around $264 billion for the iPhone makers services business.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli forces uncovered a Hamas tunnel stretching across the border from Gaza on Thursday, the army said, the second such discovery in recent weeks.

"About four hours ago the IDF exposed a second tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip," army spokesman Peter Lerner said.

He said the tunnel was around 30 metres (100 feet) underground and stretched from the Palestinian enclave into Israeli territory, though he did not say how far.
This week on The CWs Arrow, the Diggles sibling rivalry took a nasty turn, building to the realization of Damien Darhks grand plan. (TVs other Hive, please take note.) Heres what everybody was up to:

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR | Dubbed this by Diggle himself, Oliver trekked to Hub City, with a persistent Felicity in tow, to meet up with an associate of Constantines  the immortal shaman Esrin Fortuna  whom he (eventually) met at an underground casino. The three then went quite underground  to a new plane of existence/ chamber where Esrin schooled Oliver on the trick to deflecting the dark (or Darhk) arts, by fighting them with light magic. Oliver aces the first practice run, but when Esrin doubles down, he is overwhelmed by dark memories from his past, up to and including the broken engagement and Laurels murder. Esrin bails on her padawan, worried he doesnt have enough light in him to channel. Or does he?

RELATEDArrow Season 5: Details on Olivers Charming New Adversary

BROTHERS IN ARMS | Not content to sit on his hands while Oliver dabbles in magic and Thea goes on vacay with Alex, Diggle tracks his brother Andy, who ultimately gains the upper hand and strings up and stabs his kin. Diggle escapes, but it was all part of Darhks plan, using a tracker planted by Andy to lead them to the mobile safe house where Lyla and Sara are hiding out. Diggle leads Andy away from the intercepted truck by vrooming out the back on a motorcycle (with wee Sara strapped to his back!), while Damien enters the safe house and subdues Lyla. Oliver interrupts with an arrow fwip! and ultimately repels Darhk with his glowy eyes full of light magic (generated by, we later learn, Felicitys voice reminding him of all thats good in his life). Diggle meanwhile gets into one final tussle with Andy, who taunts and taunts his big bro about how no one, not even Lyla and Sara, will be safe from Genesis. Andy then crosses a big ol line by suggesting that John will never do whats necessary to protect his own family, prompting Diggle to put down his brother, once and for all, with a bullet at close range.

Story continues

RELATEDLegends of Tomorrow Season 2 Adding a Powered Han Solo

THE RUBICON IS ON | In comforting John over killing his baby brother, Lyla realizes that during her skirmish with Darhk, the Big Bad extracted from her forearm a subdermal implant  containing the top-secret Rubicon program. She explains that Rubicon is a ballistic missile override protocol that can prevent any country, the U.S. included, from launching a nuke  or, just as easily, allow for the exact opposite. But if destroying the world is Darhks form of Genesis, what is his ark, his plan to restart humanity?

RELATEDThe Flashs Iron Mask Reveal Will Blow Your Mind  So, Who Is It?

INVISIBLE TOUCH | We then cut to Theas vacation in what I will call Anvil City, where her suspicions about her yellow-pill-popping, evil-bearded beau Alex and the seemingly on-a-loop nature sounds are confirmed by her discovery that this suburban oasis is actually situated inside an underground dome, protected by an invisible barrier! #CityOfEterna

What did you think of the episode Genesis?

Want scoop on Arrow, or for any other show? Email insideline@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matts Inside Line.

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The Originals' Danielle Campbell: Will Davina Live to See Season 4?
By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - Low to moderate levels of arsenic in New England well water may be responsible for an increased risk of bladder cancer in that region, suggests a new study. "Its an important disease to be concerned about," said senior author Debra Silverman, of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. "If people are drinking from these wells, I think its important for people to get their water tested." Silverman and her colleagues wrote online May 2 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that bladder cancer death rates have been elevated in New England compared to the rest of the country for the last five decades. Bladder cancer diagnoses were also found to be about 20% higher in New England. Thanks to the area's geography, private wells there tend to contain low-to-moderate levels of arsenic from bedrock. Until the 1950s, pesticides containing arsenic were used extensively in the region, too. "In studies coming from Chile, Taiwan and Argentina where people were drinking water with high levels of arsenic, they had increased levels of bladder cancer mortality," Silverman told Reuters Health. More recent research, including some from New Hampshire, found that even low levels of arsenic exposure may increase bladder cancer risk. About 77,000 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. during 2016, experts expect, and about 16,400 people will die of it. For the new study, the researchers compared 1,213 people who were diagnosed with bladder cancer between 2001 and 2004 in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire to 1,418 people without cancer. In addition to looking at other risk factors for bladder cancer, the researchers estimated how much water participants had consumed on a daily basis over the course of their lives, and the water's arsenic content. The current arsenic limit for safe drinking water is below 10 ug/L. Arsenic levels in these New England states are thought to be below 100 ug/L. Overall, the researchers found that bladder cancer risk increased with how much water people drank. Among those with private wells, people who drank the most water were nearly twice as likely to have bladder cancer as those who drank the least. The strongest association was for so-called dug wells that are less than 50 feet deep, particularly when those shallow wells were in use since the days when arsenic-containing pesticides were common. While the new study can't prove arsenic in the well water caused the increase in bladder cancer diagnoses and deaths in New England, Silverman believes it's the likely culprit. People should be aware that arsenic does affect private drinking water supplies in New England, and everyone should test for that, said Joseph Ayotte, one of Silverman's coauthors and a hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Pembroke, New Hampshire. He said people in New Hampshire can see arsenic concentrations in special maps (PDF): http://on.doi.gov/1T284hX. "Those show clearly where the problem is the biggest and can be used as a guide for people to understand the potential risk for having arsenic in their wells," said Ayotte. "But the recommendation is that everybody tests." People can ask the state or private companies to analyze their well water for a fee. Then, he said, different types of water filters are available to lower arsenic levels. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1T28QeM J Natl Cancer Inst 2016.
By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - People with very poor vision may benefit from using a device that recognizes faces, money and text, a small study suggests. The OrCam artificial vision device uses a camera attached to any pair of glasses to recognize objects and then communicate that to the wearer through an earpiece, according to a report in JAMA Opthalmology. "If patients have advanced (eye) disease which is beyond medical and surgical therapy and they have lost their ability to read, I think the OrCam is at least one instrument they may wish to use to be more independent," said senior researcher Dr. Mark Mannis, of the University of California Davis Eye Center in Sacramento. About 2 percent of people in the U.S. have low vision, which is usually caused by eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). The condition may also be caused by injuries and birth defects. The OrCam device is "really a remarkable innovation," Mannis told Reuters Health. For example, he said, a person can "look" at a person entering a room, and the OrCam device will tell the wearer who it is. It can also read the text on a page, or tell people the value of paper money. For the study, Mannis and his colleague Dr. Elad Moisseiev recruited 12 legally blind people between July and September 2015. The average age was 62. Participants completed a 10-item functionality test, which included - among other daily life activities - reading an email on an electronic screen, recognizing money, reading a newspaper, recognizing different brands and reading distant signs. They completed the functionality test once without vision aids, once with any vision aids they had available and then with the OrCam. Each participant received a 90- to 120-minute training session on the OrCam. The average functionality score without vision aids was 2.5 out of a possible 10. That score jumped to 9.5 once the participants put on the OrCam devices. After a week of using the OrCam devices, the participants returned to the lab to complete the functionality test again. Their score increased to an average of 9.8. "Pretty much across the board there was tremendous improvement in their ability to perform," said Mannis. At the end of the study, the devices were returned to OrCam's manufacturer, which did not fund the research. But Mannis said several of the participants have acquired the device and are using it daily. The device costs between $2,500 to $3,500. Mannis said there are other types of character converters, but they weren't able to test those devices. The OrCam, however, is innocuous and inconspicuous compared to other bulky devices, he said. "It provides a patient with severe disability with an incredible amount of independence," he said. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1WJT9sh JAMA Opthalmology, online May 5, 2016.
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points

AUD/USD stalls and then resumes gaining after Caixin China PMI report

PMI Services 51.8 versus 52.2 prior, PMI Composite 50.8 versus 51.3 prior

Data highlights goal to transition from manufacturing to service economy

Having trouble trading the Australian Dollar? This may be why.

The Australian Dollar showed a tepid response to the Caixin China PMI report. During yesterdays session, the pair hit a 6-week low and corrected higher. In the aftermath of the report, the Aussie briefly stalled and then resumed its advance. Meanwhile, the DailyFX Speculative Sentiment Index (SSI) showed a reading of 1.24 following the announcement implying further Aussie weakness ahead.

The gauge of the countrys service sector showed a print of 51.8 in April, slower than the 52.2 reading in March. A reading above 50 indicates expansion while a reading below shows contraction. The overall composite PMI also slowed down coming in at 50.8 versus 51.3 prior.

More importantly, the services report showed that the consumer portion of Chinas economy is expanding  albeit slower than in March. The nations government is attempting to transition from a manufacturing based to a consumer oriented economy.

Even though China is Australias largest trading partner, perhaps a minimal reaction from the Australian unit could be explained by key upcoming event risk. This Friday, the US will release Aprils employment report which could potentially be a volatile event. Since the Aussie Dollar is a risk sensitive currency, traders could be taking initiative by closing short positions in order to ride out a potential storm.

Want to learn more about the DailyFX SSI indicator? Click here to watch a tutorial.

Aussie Dollar Resumes Advance after Caixin PMI Services Report



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SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's antitrust regulator on Thursday cleared beer giant Anheuser Busch Inbev SA's (ABI.BR) planned $100 billion takeover of rival SABMiller Plc (SAB.L), saying the deal would not adversely affect the domestic market.

"The ACCC considers that the proposed acquisition is unlikely to result in higher beer prices for consumers," Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chairman Rod Sims said in a statement.

The deal would not hurt competition in Australia because AB Inbev sold its beers in Australia only via distributors, "has only a limited direct company presence in Australia and does not brew beer here," the ACCC said.

The green light from Australia removes another potential antitrust obstacle to the world's No. 1 beer company's deal to buy its nearest rival, one of the biggest corporate takeovers on record. AB Inbev has said it expects to complete the purchase by the end of 2016, but still has to secure antitrust clearance in Europe, where both it and its target are headquartered.

AB Inbev is the No. 2 beer supplier in Australia, behind Lion Nathan, owned by Japan's Kirin Holdings Co Ltd .

The ACCC said AB Inbev has until now had its beers, which include Corona, distributed in Australia by Lion Nathan. It has agreed to distribute the product itself to ease regulatory concerns that the companies may coordinate market activity, the ACCC said.

The European Commission has said it will give its verdict on the deal on May 24. AB Inbev has already offered to sell SABMiller's Grolsch and Peroni brands to address its potential concerns.

In April, AB Inbev agreed to delay any layoffs by five years and invest 1 billion rand ($67 million) to support South African farmers to secure regulatory approval for the deal in South Africa.

(Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Stephen Coates and Kenneth Maxwell)
* AB Inbev has offered to cut ties with Australia rival

* Still waiting for decision from European Commission

* S. Africa cleared deal with concessions (Adds broader regulatory situation, ACCC reasons)

SYDNEY, May 5 (Reuters) - Australia's antitrust regulator on Thursday cleared beer giant Anheuser Busch Inbev SA's planned $100 billion takeover of rival SABMiller Plc, saying the deal would not adversely affect the domestic market.

"The ACCC considers that the proposed acquisition is unlikely to result in higher beer prices for consumers," Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chairman Rod Sims said in a statement.

The deal would not hurt competition in Australia because AB Inbev sold its beers in Australia only via distributors, "has only a limited direct company presence in Australia and does not brew beer here," the ACCC said.

The green light from Australia removes another potential antitrust obstacle to the world's No. 1 beer company's deal to buy its nearest rival, one of the biggest corporate takeovers on record. AB Inbev has said it expects to complete the purchase by the end of 2016, but still has to secure antitrust clearance in Europe, where both it and its target are headquartered.

AB Inbev is the No. 2 beer supplier in Australia, behind Lion Nathan, owned by Japan's Kirin Holdings Co Ltd.

The ACCC said AB Inbev has until now had its beers, which include Corona, distributed in Australia by Lion Nathan. It has agreed to distribute the product itself to ease regulatory concerns that the companies may coordinate market activity, the ACCC said.

The European Commission has said it will give its verdict on the deal on May 24. AB Inbev has already offered to sell SABMiller's Grolsch and Peroni brands to address its potential concerns.

In April, AB Inbev agreed to delay any layoffs by five years and invest 1 billion rand ($67 million) to support South African farmers to secure regulatory approval for the deal in South Africa.

($1 = 14.9378 rand) (Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Stephen Coates and Kenneth Maxwell)
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's antitrust regulator on Thursday cleared beer giant Anheuser Busch Inbev SA's planned $100 billion takeover of rival SABMiller Plc, saying the deal would not adversely affect the domestic market. "The ACCC considers that the proposed acquisition is unlikely to result in higher beer prices for consumers," Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chairman Rod Sims said in a statement. The deal would not hurt competition in Australia because AB Inbev sold its beers in Australia only via distributors, "has only a limited direct company presence in Australia and does not brew beer here," the ACCC said. The green light from Australia removes another potential antitrust obstacle to the world's No. 1 beer company's deal to buy its nearest rival, one of the biggest corporate takeovers on record. AB Inbev has said it expects to complete the purchase by the end of 2016, but still has to secure antitrust clearance in Europe, where both it and its target are headquartered. AB Inbev is the No. 2 beer supplier in Australia, behind Lion Nathan, owned by Japan's Kirin Holdings Co Ltd. The ACCC said AB Inbev has until now had its beers, which include Corona, distributed in Australia by Lion Nathan. It has agreed to distribute the product itself to ease regulatory concerns that the companies may coordinate market activity, the ACCC said. The European Commission has said it will give its verdict on the deal on May 24. AB Inbev has already offered to sell SABMiller's Grolsch and Peroni brands to address its potential concerns. In April, AB Inbev agreed to delay any layoffs by five years and invest 1 billion rand ($67 million) to support South African farmers to secure regulatory approval for the deal in South Africa. (Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Stephen Coates and Kenneth Maxwell)
Sydney (AFP) - Australia's corporate regulator on Thursday approved brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev's buyout of rival SABMiller, which is now awaiting the go-ahead from authorities in other key markets including Europe.

The Belgium-based group's US$122-billion acquisition, which was announced in November, would be the third largest in history if it clears all regulatory hurdles.

"The ACCC found that the proposed acquisition would not significantly change the current market structure," the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said in a statement.

It added that the deal was "unlikely to result in higher beer prices for consumers".

To ease the ACCC's competition concerns, AB InBev is terminating its agreements with Australian brewer Lion, which is fully owned by Japanese giant Kirin, for the distribution of AB InBev brands such as Corona.

AB InBev, which approached the ACCC to ensure the deal did not breach competition laws, uses Lion as its main distributor in Australia. SABMiller is the second largest supplier of beer Down Under, behind Lion.

The green-light came a day after AB InBev confirmed the acquisition was on track to be completed this year, as it reported first quarter profits fell 10 percent to US$9.4 billion due to weakness in the Brazilian market.

AB InBev, which also has brands such as Stella Artois and Budweiser, sees the buyout of SABMiller as a key way to counterweight falling beer demand in big markets by building its presence in Africa and other regions where sales are going up.

The new combined company would produce one in three beers sold globally, according to market research group Euromonitor International.

The deal comes at a time of growing pressure for consolidation in the brewing industry where craft beers made by smaller independent firms are increasingly popular.
An Australian man who reportedly served as a senior recruiter for the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) militant group has been killed in an air strike by U.S. forces in Iraq, according to reports.

The U.S. military told the Australian government that Neil Prakash was killed along with about a dozen other ISIS fighters in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq last Friday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Prakash is believed to be the most senior Australian figure to have joined ISIS, and has previously called for attacks on his home country and the U.S. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called Prakashs death a very positive development in the war against [ISIS], according to the Australian newspaper.

Shadi Jabar, the sister of a teenager who opened fire on a police station in New South Wales last year in an ISIS-inspired attack, was also reportedly killed in a separate strike.

Australia is the biggest per capita supplier of fighters to the international terrorist groups forces in the Middle East, with at least 110 individuals from the country reportedly fighting in Syria and Iraq.
Da6d0c7b9d7d44d1b7f7875eabf6853c

Who doesn't love free stuff on their birthday?

An Australian woman has taken it to the extreme with an ingenious plan to eat for free at restaurants for an entire week. Yep, you can do that.

SEE ALSO: Mysteriously ended up with millions? You can run, but you can't hide.

Lucy Sweeney from Brisbane set up a challenge to eat free meals for a week during her birthday, with a Facebook event detailing all that she managed to eat without paying a cent.

How, may you ask? By utilising the free meal on your birthday offer that many restaurants have as part of their loyalty or rewards programs, according to Sweeney. You'll need to sign up for these programs, and likely hand over some personal information  but hey, free food for a week.



"It's taken me a decent amount of time to suss all of this out, but it never hurts to ask at your local place of eating if they have a loyalty card and what's included  it could totally be a free meal," writes Sweeney on her event page.

Throughout the week Sweeney was able to treat herself to a burrito, burgers, ribs, ice-cream, juices and more. You could be eating better (or worse) than you do in a normal week.

There are some catches however, according to Sweeney, with some venues requiring ID or booking ahead of time. Some restaurants specify a timeframe before you can use a birthday offer, and some only offer a free meal on your actual birthday, whereas others give you a month to use it.

You might be required to bring one or more additional paying customers as well, where as some restaurants only offer the free birthday meal at certain locations.

burget

Image: facebook/lucy sweeney

At the end of the week, Sweeney wrote on her Facebook event that there was a considerable lack of breakfast options (she resorted to ice cream at least twice) and that some venues refused to honour the offer.

One restaurant ran out of food and Sweeney said it was physically difficult to complete the challenge of eating as much free stuff as she could for a week.

Story continues

"I'm actually quite glad it's over and I can go back to feeding my body like normal," she wrote.

The big winner of course is her hip pocket  if Sweeney ate as she did, she would've spent A$364 that week. So go forth children, and use all of the vouchers.

[h/t Mamamia]
The Australian government recently announced an unusual initiative to eradicate a long-standing animal pest problem.

To rid their streams and rivers of invasive European carp crowding out native freshwater species, officials plan to begin introducing a strain of the herpes virus  Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), or "carp herpes"  into fish populations.

In a statement released May 1, Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) officials described their National Carp Control Plan, which will be developed over the next two and a half years at a cost of approximately AU$15 million (about US$11.2 million) and potentially deployed by 2018. [Alien Invaders: Photos of Destructive Invasive Species]

Research by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has already determined that the virus kills European carp quickly, and that it does not develop in native fish, in other introduced fish species or in other animals  including humans.

Also known as Koi herpes virus (KHV), this viral infection has only ever been observed as naturally occurring in carp, according to a diagnostic manual published online by the European Union Reference Laboratory for Fish Diseases (EURLFD).

The virus progresses quickly, with the rate of mortality in carp increasing during an outbreak, the EURLFD explained. Inflammation of the organs and gills, and secondary bacterial infection are the primary causes of death in infected fish.

European carp (Cyprinus carpio) are also called common carp or koi. They originated in central Asia but have been introduced in other countries so successfully that they are currently the most widely distributed freshwater fish species on Earth. Carp have been known to reach lengths of 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) and can weigh up to 132 lbs. (60 kilograms). However, on average, they're much smaller and lighter  1 to 3 feet (0.3 to 0.9 m) and 9 to 11 lbs. (4 to 5 kg).

Carp were first brought to Australia over a century ago, and were designated as a notable aquatic pest species in the 1960s, the DAWR said in a statement. Under the right conditions, carp can breed very rapidly, and their ability to tolerate a range of freshwater conditions  including rivers that are briny or low in oxygen  allowed them to increase dramatically in Australian waters, outcompeting native fish and gaining a presence in every Australian state except the Northern Territory.

Story continues

In fact, the DAWR estimated that in one freshwater region  the Murray-Darling Basin  carp make up approximately 80 to 90 percent of the resident fish.

But carp herpes could provide an effective means to target the invasive species, according to the DAWR.

"Under optimal conditions, carp herpes virus will kill up to 95 percent of individual carp," DAWR officials said in a statement.

The Australian government considered using carp herpes to combat the invasive fish over a decade ago; years of testing went into determining whether this could be done safely. But before launching the initiative, much more research will be required to test how the virus would be managed, the level of risk involved to amphibians and other animal species, and other possible ecological impacts.

To that end, government officials will collaborate with representatives from environmental groups and the local industry, as well as residential communities that might be affected, DAWR officials said.

Follow Mindy Weisberger on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

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Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - A group of more than 50 automakers, state transportation agencies and other groups urged the White House and other federal policymakers Thursday not to immediately open a portion of the wireless spectrum reserved for connected vehicles.

The letter released early on Thursday, which was signed by major auto trade groups representing nearly the entire auto industry, Toyota Motor Corp, Ford Motor Co, General Motors Co and Honda Motor Co, came a week after a cable industry trade group and some tech companies including Qualcomm Inc and public interest groups urged the White House to take fast action to open the spectrum to more wireless devices.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
(Adds comments from critic, supporter)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - More than 50 automakers, state transportation agencies and other groups urged the White House and other federal policymakers on Thursday not to open a portion of the wireless spectrum reserved for connected vehicles in the near future.

The letter was signed by major auto trade groups representing nearly the entire auto industry, including Toyota Motor Corp, Ford Motor Co, General Motors Co , Volkswagen AG and Honda Motor Co. It came a week after a cable industry trade group and some tech companies, including Qualcomm Inc, and public interest groups urged the White House to take quick action to open the spectrum to more wireless devices.

Automakers and companies seeking to use the 5.9 GHz unlicensed spectrum band for wireless devices have been sparring for several years.

In January, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx sent a proposed regulation to the White House that would require all new cars to be equipped with "vehicle-to-vehicle" technology that could eventually prevent up to 80 percent of crashes in which alcohol is not a factor. The proposal will not be final until approved by the White House and opened for public comment.

The technology, which involves cars repeatedly sending wireless signals to each other, could help alert drivers if an oncoming vehicle may disregard a traffic light. It can detect threats from hundreds of yards away and indicate whether vehicles can, for example, pass safely or make a left turn.

"One of the most - if not the most - significant advances in vehicle safety is now coming into existence. We urge you to stay the course and complete the action your administration has undertaken to improve the safety of drivers and passengers on America's roadways," said the letter, signed by the auto and auto parts trade groups as well as the Michigan, California and Arizona state transportation departments and the National Safety Council and National Sheriffs Association.

Story continues

Automakers say vehicle-to-vehicle technology could also help speed self-driving cars to the roads.

Last week in a separate letter to the Obama administration, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and other groups said the president needs to act quickly because as connected device use "continues to skyrocket, the spectrum resources that power our devices are perilously insufficient."

The groups urged speedy action. "We must act now to find more unlicensed spectrum," they wrote.

Michael Calabrese, director for wireless policy at New America's Open Technology Institute, said the "auto industry ignores the fact that their unused band has enough spectrum to deploy - and protect - both crash avoidance safety applications and next generation Wi-Fi."

Dave Sullivan, an analyst at AutoPacific, said automakers have a lot at stake and have made significant investments in the technology. "It's imperative that this spectrum not be encroached on," he said.

In 1999, the Federal Communications Commission allocated 75 megahertz of spectrum in the 5.9 GHz band for highway safety. But critics say the technology has not progressed much beyond the testing phase.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and Foxx agreed in January to conduct testing on whether the spectrum can be shared with wireless devices.

The government officials said it is "imperative to ensure the future automotive safety and efficiency of the traveling public" that testing be completed before they make any decisions on sharing the spectrum.

(Additional reporting by Bernie Woodall in Detroit Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Dan Grebler)
Avon Products Inc. AVP reported adjusted loss per share continuing operations of 7 cents for first-quarter 2016, reflecting a marked deterioration from earnings of 3 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Earnings Estimate was 2 cents per share.

Avon Products Inc. (AVP) Street Actual & Estimate EPS - Last 5 Quarters | FindTheCompany

Further, on a reported basis, the company posted a loss of 36 cents per share, wider than a loss of 33 cents per share a year ago.



In its first-quarter release, Avon discussed some of the changes it has made to its reporting methods. First, Avon deconsolidated its Venezuelan operations from its business as of Mar 31, 2016, following which these form part of the companys Other operating segments and business activities.



Second, the company changed its segment reporting to keep track with the realigned operating model. It will now present segment performance under the Europe, Middle East & Africa; South Latin America; North Latin America; and Asia Pacific segments. Additionally, it has created a segment called Other operating segments and business activities, which will include results of the deconsolidated Venezuelan operations, the Liz Earle business that was sold in Jul 2015, royalties for using the Avon name and trademarks in other countries and product sales to the North American business.



Finally, Avon introduced a metric called Change in Ending Representatives, which it believes can be an essential revenue performance indicator.



Deeper Insight



Total revenue plunged 16% year over year to $1,306.5 million but surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,282 million. On a constant currency basis, total revenue improved 3%, net of the impact of Liz Earles divestiture that took place in Jul 2015.



Active Representatives dipped 1% year over year as improvement in Europe, Middle East & Africa, were nullified by decreases in other segments, in particular South Latin America. Average orders were up 3% due to an increase in all reportable segments stemming from better prices. Additionally, Ending Representatives jumped 2% backed by growth in Europe, Middle East & Africa, and more importantly Russia and South Africa.



Adjusted gross margin contracted 130 basis points (bps) year over year to 60.3%, mainly due to negative currency effects, negated by improved price/mix and lower supply chain expenses.



Owing to the same factors along with the impact of the IPI tax in Brazil, adjusted operating margin shriveled 230 bps to 4.2% in the quarter.



Segment Performance



Avons revenues of $520.4 million in Europe, the Middle East and Africa declined 2% year over year. However, on a currency neutral basis, revenues rose 11%, mainly driven by a 7% increase in Active Representatives and a 4% rise in average orders. Growth in Active Representatives was mainly backed by strength in Russia, while average orders increased in both Russia and U.K. Price/mix in the region went up 4%, while units sold rose 7%. Ending Representatives grew 8%.



Revenues in South Latin America slumped 28% year over year to $426.4 million and dipped 2% on a constant-dollar basis, impacted by a reduction in Active Representatives and the IPI tax in Brazil, partly offset by higher average orders. Units sold were down 11%, Active Representatives slipped 3%, and Ending Representatives fell 1%, while price/mix rose 9%.



North Latin America reported revenue decline of 11% year over year to $204.7 million, while the same increased 2% on a constant-dollar basis. Revenue benefited from a 6% rise in average orders and price/mix each, offset by a 4% decline in Active Representatives, 1% fall in Ending Representatives and 4% decline in units sold.



The Asia-Pacific divisions revenues fell 17% to $136.7 million and decreased 10% in constant dollars. The decline was due to lower revenues in most markets, with China leading the way. Also, a fall in Active Representatives contributed largely to the decline. During the quarter, Active Representatives were down 10%, Ending Representatives fell 4%, units sold declined 8% and price/mix slipped 2%.



Financial Details



Avon exited the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $753.5 million, long-term debt of $2,145 million, and shareholders deficit of $878.8 million.



Zacks Rank



Avon currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the same industry are The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. EL and Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. NUS, each with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Another stock in the related industry worth considering is Sally Beauty Holdings Inc. SBH, also carrying a Zacks Rank #2.



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From Good Housekeeping

Don't be surprised to see a "baby box" - an anonymous drop-off point for unwanted newborns - in your neighborhood soon. An Indiana woman who was abandoned as an infant years ago is campaigning communities to provide these unusual sanctuaries - and her home state is now installing the first of 100 containers.

The Safe Haven Baby Box is a climate-controlled, padded, and secure spot for a new parent to leave an infant anonymously. While every state has amnesty laws protecting these moms and dads, most would need to visit a police station or hospital. That intimidating face-to-face interaction can lead parents to leave their children in more dangerous spots, like in the woods or a garbage can. The new high-tech incubators provide a safer alternative, alerting authorities within minutes via a silent alarm. A hotline on the lid of the box also provides information on alternative options.

"This is not criminal," said Monica Kelsey, the woman behind the baby boxes. "This is legal. We don't want to push women away." Kelsey, who was abandoned by her mother hours after birth, now volunteers helping parents in similar situations. After working at a crisis hotline and hearing about baby boxes in other parts of the world, she researched a solution to her community's problem. Safe Haven's logo is the footprint of an abandoned baby girl who died from exposure in Indianapolis two years ago.

While the boxes definitely sparked controversy from state officials, the project is funded entirely by donations. The Catholic group Knights of Columbus of Indiana will pay for the first 100 boxes, which cost up to $2,000 each.

While more than 1,400 abandoned babies have been found across the country in the past 15 years, Kelsey hopes the new boxes will keep future infants safe. "I know when the day comes and the first baby is placed in one of the boxes that the Knights donated," she says in YouTube video, "My birth mother is going to be smiling down from heaven, knowing that the child she abandoned at a hospital in 1973 is now saving abandoned babies so they, too, can be loved and adopted."

[h/t New York Daily News]
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Bob Baffert feels under the radar with his latest horse at the Kentucky Derby. All anyone wants to talk about is American Pharoah, last year's winner who went on to become the sport's first Triple Crown champion in 37 years.

Outside his barn at Churchill Downs, visitors pull special edition bourbon bottles decorated in Pharoah's teal silks out of plastic grocery bags for the Hall of Fame trainer to sign. He listens patiently while they recount their memories of the people-loving colt, ''who made them feel so good,'' Baffert said.

He calls it the ''American Pharoah hangover.'' Clearly it's the best kind to have.

''I don't know if we'll ever see one that intelligent, that kind, where I could bring him out here and you guys could be all over him. He didn't care, he loved human contact,'' Baffert said. ''Nobody flies that much and runs that well. It's just crazy that he could handle it. I don't think we'll see one that tough.''

Earlier in the week, Baffert and wife Jill visited American Pharoah at his new home in Lexington, where the colt is busy producing possible future Derby runners when he's not greeting the public five days a week.

''It was a little emotional. It was like going to visit your child at camp,'' Baffert said. ''I think he recognized Jill. She talks to him in this little high sweet voice and he nickered to her. He's still really sweet and kind. They let me walk him around and be by myself with him.''

Then it was time to get in the car and drive back to reality.

Waiting at Baffert's barn with a view of the twin spires was Mor Spirit, another horse like Pharoah with a misspelled name. He has never been worse than second in seven career starts. Mor Spirit has previously mixed it up with some of his Derby competition, finishing second to Exaggerator in the Santa Anita Derby and second to Danzing Candy in the San Felipe in his most recent starts.

Story continues

''Expectations might be a little bit lower,'' Baffert said. ''Turning for home if he's right there I know he'll fight and get a piece of it.''

Notice he didn't say win.

''You have a lot of horses here that are pretty equal,'' he said. ''There's so much parity, they haven't really separated themselves. Maybe there will be another American Pharoah. Maybe Derby day some horse is just going to step up and say, 'Hey, I'm the one.'''

That's what Pharoah did last year, setting Baffert and his family, owner Ahmed Zayat, jockey Victor Espinoza and the stable help on a historic journey that captured the public's imagination in a way horse racing rarely does anymore.

''When Victor came off him after the Breeders' Cup,'' Baffert said, ''I told him we'll never have another American Pharoah.''

Still, he's always searching. All of Baffert's other Derby candidates fell by the wayside for one reason or another this winter, leaving Mor Spirit still standing. He'll be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.

''He's done everything well since he's been here,'' the trainer said. ''He really likes the surface and that's very important.''

The last time a Baffert horse started the Kentucky Derby from post 17 was Point Given in 2001, with Stevens aboard. They finished fifth as the 9-5 favorite that Saturday in May before going on to win the Preakness and Belmont as well as Horse of the Year honors.

No horse has ever won the Derby from that post, where Mor Spirit landed.

''We'll just have to make history again this year,'' Baffert said.
Dhaka (AFP) - The leader of Bangladesh's top Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami is set to hang within days after the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld his death sentence for war crimes.

Motiur Rahman Nizami was convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of intellectuals during the country's 1971 war of independence.

He was tried by a controversial war crimes tribunal set up by the government that has sparked deadly protests, with Jamaat and its ally the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) saying it is aimed at eliminating their leaders.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said jail authorities would begin preparing for Nizami's execution once they received a copy of the verdict.

"We're satisfied. Now there is no bar to execute him unless he seeks clemency from the president and the president pardons him," he told AFP after the Supreme Court dismissed the 73-year-old's final appeal.

Security has been stepped up in Dhaka, already tense after a string of killings of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities by suspected Islamist militants.

In the last two weeks alone, two gay rights activists, a liberal professor and a Hindu tailor who made derogatory comments against the Prophet Mohammed have been hacked to death.

Hundreds of people who had campaigned for the Islamist leaders to be tried for their roles in the 1971 war burst into impromptu celebrations at a square in central Dhaka and in the port city of Chittagong.

"Justice has finally prevailed. We hope the government will now execute him without wasting any time," said Imran Sarker, a secular blogger.

Three senior Jamaat officials and a key BNP leader have been executed since December 2013 for war crimes despite global criticism of their trials.

Jamaat said the charges against Nizami, a former government minister, were false and aimed at eliminating the leadership of the party.

- Bodies dumped -

Nizami took over as party leader in 2000 and played a key role in the victory of an Islamist-allied government in the 2001 general election.

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The 1971 conflict, one of the bloodiest in world history, led to the creation of an independent Bangladesh from what was then East Pakistan.

Prosecutors said Nizami was responsible for setting up the Al-Badr pro-Pakistani militia, which killed top writers, doctors and journalists in the most gruesome chapter of the war.

Their bodies were found blindfolded with their hands tied and dumped in a marsh on the outskirts of the capital.

The trial heard Nizami ordered the killings, designed to "intellectually cripple" the fledgling nation.

He was convicted in October 2014 by the International Crimes Tribunal, which was established in 2010 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government and has sentenced more than a dozen opposition leaders for war crimes.

Rights groups say the trials fall short of global standards and lack international oversight, while the government says they are needed to heal the wounds of the conflict.

"It will be for future generations to decide whether this (war crimes) law was passed to serve a special purpose," lead defence lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain told reporters after the court's verdict on Thursday.

In 2013 the convictions of Jamaat officials triggered the country's deadliest violence in decades.

Around 500 people were killed, mainly in clashes between Islamists and police, and thousands of Islamists were arrested.

Jamaat has called a nationwide strike for Sunday to protest the court's decision, although analysts said violence was unlikely given the extent to which the party's support base has been weakened.
By Ruma Paul DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a final appeal by the leader of the top Islamist party against a death sentence for atrocities committed during the 1971 war of independence, lawyers said, meaning he could be hanged at any time. The Supreme Court in January upheld the death penalty for Motiur Rahman Nizami, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, for genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of top intellectuals during the 1971 war. Nizami, 73, a former legislator and minister under Khaleda Zia when she was prime minister, has been in jail since 2010, when he was charged with war crimes by a tribunal set up by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that year. The war crimes tribunal has sparked violence and drawn criticism from opposition politicians, including leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, that it is victimizing Hasina's political opponents. "All the legal battles are over," Nizami's lawyer, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, told reporters. "Now it is up to him, whether he will seek clemency from the president, or not." Hundreds of people flooded the streets of the capital, Dhaka, to cheer the verdict, but there has been no report of violence, although Jamaat called a nationwide strike for Sunday in protest. Authorities have deployed additional security forces in Dhaka and elsewhere as similar previous judgments triggered violence that killed around 200, mainly Jamaat activists and police. No Peace Without Justice, a non-profit body based in Italy, has called the tribunal's proceedings "a weapon of politically influenced revenge whose real aim is to target the political opposition". The government denies the accusations. The verdict comes as the Muslim-majority nation suffers a surge in militant violence in which atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers have been killed. In the last month alone, five people, including a university teacher, two gay activists and a Hindu have been hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants. The government has blamed the increase in Islamist violence on Jamaat-e-Islami, but the group denies any link to the attacks. Four opposition politicians, including three Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, have been convicted by the war crimes tribunal and executed since late 2013. About 3 million people were killed, official figures show, and thousands of women were raped, during the nine-month war, in which some factions, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, opposed the break from what was then called West Pakistan. But the party denies that its leaders committed any atrocities. (Editing by Nick Macfie and Clarence Fernandez)
Dr. Lachin Hatemi, 31, sued M&T Bank in 2013 for over $300 worth of overdraft fees.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed long-awaited new rules that could prevent financial institutions from blocking customers from filing class action lawsuits.

Class action bans, often buried in the fine print of legal disclosures on everything from bank accounts to student loans, make it practically impossible for consumers with small claims to band together. The new rules would impact just about every kind of financial institution  payday lenders, credit card issuers, debt collectors, check cashers, even credit reporting agencies.

The proposal still allows companies to include mandatory arbitration clauses in new contracts, which forces customers to settle claims privately through an independent arbitrator rather than in court and in the public eye.

Signing up for a credit card or opening a bank account can often mean signing away your right to take the company to court if things go wrong, CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in a statement.

Consumer advocates have long decried the cooling effect that mandatory arbitration and class action ban clauses have on customers seeking financial relief for small claims.

Dr. Lachin Hatemi, 34, was working as a physician in Buffalo, N.Y., when he noticed his bank, M&T Bank, began charging him $35 every time he overdrafted his account, rather than simply denying the transaction. He had unknowingly been signed up for so-called overdraft protection. (Overdraft protection is a service offered by banks that lets customers to make purchases or make withdrawals from their checking account even if they dont have sufficient funds to cover them.) After several fruitless attempts to recoup his fees  which totaled more than $300  he took the bank to court in the fall of 2013, spending hundreds of dollars in legal fees in the process. Ultimately, the court ruled in the banks favor.

It cost me more to file the initial complaint  about $450  than it cost for the overdraft fees, Hatemi told Yahoo Finance. But it was the principle of it. I could afford those fees but how about the people [who cant]? M&T Bank did not immediately return a request for comment.

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The Arbitration Association of America, which handles the majority of arbitration cases, charges $200 for an initial filing fee, not counting fees incurred by consumers who hire attorneys. The CFPB argues that fees like this have a cooling effect on potential claimants. Over the two-year period between 2010 and 2011, the CFPB found only 25 cases were filed by consumers with claims for under $1,000. For every dollar claimed, consumers won an average of 12% of the original claim in relief. Only 9% of consumers who took on financial institutions received any relief at all. In contrast, 93% of claims filed against consumers by financial institutions came out in the institutions favor.

In addition to making it easier for consumers to file joint claims, the CFPBs new rules would require companies to keep track of all customer claims filed and submit results of arbitration cases to the agency.

This new rule should provide consumers with a more level playing field, Elise Sanguinetti, president of the Consumer Attorneys of California, told Yahoo Finance.

Without the ability to form a class, theres little hope of providing relief to consumers whose claims are too small or resources too limited to take on corporations alone. A mere 2% of consumers with credit cards surveyed by the CFPB said they would take legal action to resolve a small-dollar dispute.

[Class action waivers] have destroyed and made ineffective the ability of individual consumers to challenge corporations, says Andre Regard, a consumer law attorney in Lexington, Ky., who is representing Hatemi in his lawsuit. They know they arent going to be challenged because individuals generally do not spend time or money to do this.

Unfortunately, the CFPBs new rules, if implemented, would only apply to future customer agreements. Hatemi says he plans to keep fighting his suit in spite of this. After losing a recent appeal, he is now working with Regard to have his case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, although. The Supreme Court has issued several previous rulings in favor of forced arbitration clauses.

Giving up isnt an option.

People do not fight these battles, Hatemi says. There are only a few people like me who go out of their way to sue banks. And they get away with charging all these fees without getting the consent of their customers.

--

Mandi Woodruff is a reporter for Yahoo Finance and host of Brown Ambition, a weekly podcast about career, life and money.

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O&G loans will require higher allowances.

The profits of Singapore's three largest lenders are under threat from higher provisions for shaky oil and gas loans, according to a report by Moody's.

The report noted that banks' specific provisions for oil and gas companies are still low, and are likely to rise in coming quarters as the value of borrowers' collateral drops.

"The banks exposures to oil and gas and to other commodity companies remain significant. We expect that NPLs will increase in this lending segmentparticularly for oil and gas services loans which include offshore marine borrowersbecause we expect global oil and other commodity prices to remain low for longer," Moody's said.

In the first quarter, OCBC reported the weakest quality of oil and gas loans, with 7% of loans classified as non-performing.



Overall, the banks capitalization will remain stable or improve moderately, because lower capital utilization from slower business growth will help offset higher risk weights from negative credit migrations and upcoming changes to Basel guidelines on capital computation, Moodys added.





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A swimsuit commercial featuring Bar Refaeli has been banned from Israeli television for being too sexy. The ad for Hoodies, which sells basic jersey pieces and is considered the countrys own version of American Apparel, was censored by the national television authority.

In the spot, Refaeli, whos expecting her first child and was three months pregnant at the time of shooting, wears blue and black bikinis on the beach. One of the bottoms has more coverage, while the other is very cheeky. The Second Broadcasting Authority for Television and Radio said that a close-up of the models backside and a shot in which she appears unclothed need to be edited out in order to be allowed back on air, according to The Times of Israel.

       ! #BARforhoodies A photo posted by Bar Refaeli (@barrefaeli) on Apr 25, 2016 at 8:24am PDT

The 45-second spot is still playing on the retailers site and on social media. If those scenes arent cut, the campaign can only play after 10 p.m. Hoodies has yet to acknowledge whether or not it will make the changes.

In 2014, another ad starring Refaeli for Hoodies was similarly cited. In it, the 30-year-old is seen postcoital with a purple muppet, and the couple partake in a suggestive conversation that had too many sexual insinuations to be seen during prime time.

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By Tiisetso Motsoeneng

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Barclays Plc (BARC.L) said on Wednesday it is selling shares representing 12 percent of Barclays Africa Group (BGAJ.J) and that South Africa's state pension fund would be an anchor investor.

Barclays Plc is selling down its 62 percent stake, which is worth some $5 billion (3.4 billion pounds), in Barclays Africa Group (BAG) under a plan by new Chief Executive Jes Staley to simplify the bank's structure and generate higher shareholder returns.

Barclays said in a statement it would sell 103.6 million shares in BAG, with up to 10.3 million shares going to South African state pension fund Public Investment Corporation (PIC), representing up to 1.2 percent of BAG.

"This is an important first step as we seek to reduce our shareholding in Barclays Africa to a level that achieves accounting and regulatory deconsolidation," Staley said in a statement.

PIC, Africa's largest fund manager with more than $122 billion (84.23 billion pound) of South African government employee pension assets under its custody, is already the second-biggest shareholder in BAG with a holding of about 6 percent.

Earlier on Wednesday, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters in Johannesburg that talks were taking place between PIC and Barclays about the fund buying some of the Barclays holding.

"There are discussions going on about the PIC increasing its stake in Barclays Africa," the source said, declining to be named because the matter is private. "There's no PIC-led consortium. It's just the PIC,"

The PIC is the second investor to show interest in BAG, which runs South Africa's biggest retail bank, after a source told Reuters last month that Atlas Mara (ATMA.L) has teamed up with private equity group Carlyle to prepare a bid.

However, any deal involving a private equity player could face regulatory opposition from South Africa's central bank.

"As a regulator, we would not be comfortable with private equity play for any of the banks," deputy governor Kuben Naidoo said at a press conference in Pretoria on Tuesday. He did not comment on any specific bank.

Valued at $330 million, Atlas Mara was set up by former Barclays Chief Executive Bob Diamond, who has confirmed that his firm has already lined up funding for an offer, without elaborating on what form the financing would take.

(Additional reporting by Nqobile Dludla and Lawrence White; Editing by Alexander Smith)
LONDON (Reuters) - Barclays (BARC.L) has raised 603 million pounds by selling a 12.2 percent stake in Barclays Africa Group (BGAJ.J), a crucial first step in a plan to curb risk and refocus on core markets in Britain and United States.

Barclays is selling down its 62 percent stake in the South African lender as part of a plan to simplify the bank's structure, shore up its balance sheet and generate higher shareholder returns.

Following completion of the placing, the British lender will continue to hold 424.7 million ordinary shares or a 50.1 percent holding in Barclays Africa, worth around $4.4 billion based on the placing price.

The sale, priced at a discount of 6.5 percent, was oversubscribed multiple times and attracted "very high quality demand" from domestic and international investors, a source familiar with the matter said.

Barclays did not give any details of the investors who took part in the placing. South Africa's state pension fund Public Investment Corporation (PIC) said on Wednesday it planned to acquire up to 10.3 million shares.

PIC, Africa's largest fund manager with more than $122 billion of South African government employee pension assets under its custody, was already the second-biggest shareholder in Barclays Africa with a holding of about 6 percent.

CAPITAL LIFT

Thursday's share placing is expected to result in a proforma increase of about 10 basis points to Barclays' common equity tier 1 ratio, a key measure of the bank's financial strength.

Gary Greenwood, an analyst at Shore Capital, praised the "initial step" in a plan to reduce exposure to the African arm, one of the bank's heaviest burdens in terms of risk budget, but it would only "be able to reap the capital benefit of this process" when ownership dropped below 20 percent.

Barclays has struggled to reassure shareholders it will not need a fresh cash call to prop up its 11.3 percent tier 1 ratio, which lags behind its major UK banking sector peers, after cutting its dividend to fund its restructuring efforts.

Shares in the bank, which have fallen 25 percent in the year to date, were trading up 0.6 percent at 163.4 pence at 0820 GMT. Shares in Barclays Africa dropped 1.5 percent.

(Reporting by Sinead Cruise; Editing by Keith Weir)
By Sinead Cruise and Tiisetso Motsoeneng

LONDON/JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Barclays (BARC.L) raised 603 million pounds on Thursday by selling a 12.2 percent stake in Barclays Africa Group (BGAJ.J), a crucial first step in a plan to curb risk and refocus on core markets in Britain and United States.

Barclays' retreat from Africa may include selling the remaining 50.1 percent stake to a strategic investor, with former Barclays' boss Bob Diamond already lining up financing.

That would end more than a century of involvement by the British lender in the continent, whose growth prospects were dealt a blow in 2014 when the price of oil and other commodities - export mainstays of many African economies - collapsed.

The sale is also part of the bank's plan to simplify its structure, shore up its balance sheet and generate higher shareholder returns. Barclays held a 62 percent holding in the company before the placement.

The sale of 103 million shares, priced at 126 rand each - a discount of 6.5 percent to Thursday's closing price - was oversubscribed multiple times and attracted "very high quality demand" from domestic and international investors, a source familiar with the matter said.

Shares in Barclays Africa dropped as much as 4 percent before recouping some of the losses to close 2.3 percent lower at 131.60 rand.

"It does seem like a discount but it is also a large chunk of stock that is listed in an environment that has certainly been very volatile," said Lentus Asset Management's Chief Investment Officer Nic Norman-Smith. "It's kind of 'just get me out'"

Barclays did not give details of the investors who took part in the placing but a source familiar with the matter said the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) took up 10.3 million shares, or a tenth of the $876 million, the most by a single investor.

PIC, Africa's largest fund manager with more than $122 billion of South African government employee pension assets in its custody, will now own almost 7 percent of the Barclays Africa. It was already the second biggest shareholder in Barclays Africa before the transaction.

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The PIC has an option to increase its holding beyond 7 percent without seeking further regulatory approval, the source said. Investors who took part in the placement were pre-approved by the South African Reserve Bank, the source said.

The asset management arm of Anglo-South African insurer Old Mutual, a top 10 investor in Barclays Africa, was also among investors that took part in the private placement, its spokesman said.

DIAMOND

The window may still be open for Atlas Mara, an Africa-focused financial services company, to a launch a bid for Barclays' entire remaining stake in Barclays Africa, South Africa's No.3 lender with a market value of 114 billion rand ($7.62 billion).

The stake is worth around $4.4 billion based on the placing price.

Valued at $330 million, Atlas Mara - a company set up by former Barclays Chief Executive Diamond - has teamed up with investors that a source has said included buyout firm Carlyle to launch the bid.

However, any deal involving a private equity player will face regulatory opposition from South Africa's central bank, whose deputy governor Kuben Naidoo said this week the bank would not be comfortable with a private equity fund in any of the local banks.

Diamond has not elaborated on what form the financing he has put together would take.

Barclays Africa said the results of the private placement showed there was strong demand for its stock and also gave its parent options to sell in capital markets or to a strategic investor.

The deal is expected to result in a pro forma increase of about 10 basis points in Barclays' common equity tier 1 ratio, a key measure of the bank's financial strength. Shares in the bank, which have fallen 25 percent so far this year, closed 0.9 percent lower at 160.95 pence.

($1 = 14.9599 rand)

($1 = 0.6902 pounds)

(Additional reporting by TJ Strydom in Johannesburg; Editing by Adrian Croft)
Ben Sasse speaks at the American Conservative Union 2016 annual conference in Maryland on March 3, 2016. (Photo: Gary Cameron/Reuters)

Not a fan of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? Youre not alone.

In a lengthy open letter late Wednesday night, Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., gave voice to the countless Americans who feel frustrated with their likely options for the next commander in chief.

The freshman senator, who made waves last November for criticizing party partisanship in his floor debut, addressed his message posted on Facebook to those who think both leading presidential candidates are dishonest and have little chance of leading America forward, or  put more simply  the majority of America.

If you are one of those rare souls who genuinely believe Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are honorable people  if they are the role models you want for your kids  then this letter is not for you, he wrote. Instead, this letter is for the majority of Americans who wonder why the nation that put a man on the moon cant find a healthy leader who can take us forward together.

Sasse, 44, opened with anecdotes from four unsolicited conversations he had with people at a Walmart in the city of Fremont, Neb. A retired union Democratic meatpacker, a young evangelical mother, a middle-aged Republican man and a reluctant Trump supporter  all expressed a sense of disenfranchisement.

I want to cry. I disagree with Hillary Clinton on almost every single thing  but I will vote for her before Trump. I could never tell my kids later that I voted for that man, the young religious mom told Sasse.

Donald Trump at a campaign rally at the Indiana Theater in Terre Haute, Ind., on May 1, 2016. (Photo: Seth Perlman/AP)

Similarly disappointed with the upcoming ballot, Sasse shared a list of observations about how the United States wound up in its current predicament (with two extremely polarizing people leading both major political parties) and called for the nation to draft an honest leader who would focus on solutions for the next four years: You know  an adult?

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According to Sasse, there are dumpster fires in his town more popular than these two dishonest liberals.

With Clinton and Trump, the fix is in. Heads, they win; tails, you lose. Why are we confined to these two terrible options? This is America. If both choices stink, we reject them and go bigger. Thats what we do.

It shouldnt be hard, he said, to find a candidate who has not bought politicians or been bought, who has not built a coalition based on anger, who has pledged to serve only one term for this messy moment, and who knows that Washington should not micromanage the lives of free people.

Instead, he continued, the next president should focus on three or four big national problems, such as 1) a national security strategy for the era of cyber and jihad; 2) budgeting/entitlement reform; 3) empowering states and local governments to improve K-12 education; and 4) ending incumbency protections so career politicians retire.

Hillary Clinton addresses an Asian Pacific American Institute of Congressional Studies reception in Washington, May 4, 2016. (Photo: Cliff Owen/AP)

I believe that most Americans can still be for limited government again  if they were given a winsome candidate who wanted Washington to focus on a small number of really important, urgent things  in a way that tried to bring people together instead of driving us apart, he wrote. I think there is room  an appetite  for such a candidate.

The open letter is already catching the attention of the political world.

William Kristol, the founder and editor of the Weekly Standard, an influential conservative magazine, has long opposed Trumps candidacy. He thinks that Sasse would make a great Republican alternative.

I agree with the letter, and hope Ben overcomes his reluctance to step forward and run himself, Kristol wrote in an email to Yahoo Politics.

Kristol suggested South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as his potential running mate.

Theyre both young, intelligent constitutional conservatives who can appeal to independents and work with others while holding to conservative principles, he said.

But Sasse said the right candidate should be able to campaign 24/7 for the next six months and, therefore, should not be a parent with little kids  effectively counting himself out of the running. He has three children.

According to Sasse, there is a strong desire for the kind of candidate he described. So, he asked, what is he missing? And what are the people he met at Walmart missing?

Because I dont think they are wrong. They deserve better. They deserve a Congress that tackles the biggest policy problems facing the nation. And they deserve a president who knows that his or her job is not to reign, but to serve as commander in chief and to faithfully execute the laws  not to claim imperial powers to rewrite them with his pen and phone.


The U.S. Senate today refused to advance the anti-GMO labeling bill passed by its Agriculture Committee in February. Called the DARK Act (Deny Americans the Right to Know) by consumer groups, the bill would have nullified state laws requiring mandatory labeling of foods with genetically modified organisms. Vermont's labeling law, for instance, is scheduled to go into effect in July.

Senators from both sides of the aisle balked at shutting down state efforts to address what consumers wantwhich is to know if their food is genetically engineered, says Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports.

Senator Pat Roberts, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee introduced this bill, which would have made GMO labeling voluntary. Today he said in a statement: "I have repeatedly put forward proposals to protect farmers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. I have been flexible and have compromised in order to address concerns about making information available to consumers. Simply put, if we are to have a solution, opponents of our bill must be willing to do the same.

In early March, Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon introduced a separate bill that would require mandatory GMO labeling nationwide but give manufacturers several options for presenting that information. These include identifying GMO ingredients with an asterisk and providing an explanation at the bottom of the ingredient list or putting a statement at the end of the ingredient list stating the product was produced with genetic engineering."

In response to todays vote, Merkley said: Today is a victory for American consumers. Nearly nine in 10 Americans support labeling of genetically modified foods. It would be a tragedy to deny Americans their fundamental right to know what is in their food.

Today's Senate vote does not mean that the Roberts bill is dead.

We expect the fight to continue after Senate comes back from a two-week recess, says CU's Halloran. And we wont let up the pressure. Todays vote makes it clear that meaningful, mandatory GMO labeling is the only option if consumers are to get the information they want and deserve.





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Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright  2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S.
The World Bank has released a new report showing that climate change could have a devastating effect on the worlds water supplies. The report finds that by 2050, a lack of water could send economies around the world spiraling downward.

On top of that, the United States now has a likely candidate for president who says hes not a big believer in manmade climate change. Yahoo Finance Anchor Alexis Christoforous spoke with Bill Nye the Science Guy about the upcoming presidential election, his efforts to raise awareness about climate change by exposing deniers and Americas first climate refugees.

Polls show that just 27 percent of Americans believe human activity is the main cause of climate change. But Nye isnt discouraged by that number. He thinks this year is the tipping point and people will recognize climate change is a major issue. The way to increase awareness, he says, is through exposing climate change deniers, such as filmmaker Marc Morano and meteorologist Joe Bastardi, and exposing their point of view as being very far out of the mainstream and inconsistent with science.

Nye decided to meet with Morano for an on-camera interview to discuss climate change and Moranos skeptical documentary, Climate Hustle, which played for a one-night engagement in select theaters nationwide on May 2. The interview was played during the screenings. Nye hoped the meeting would bring more attention to the problem. What I want to do is make climate change an election issue this year. Nye explained. The problem has been the politics. So I believe by exposing deniers, as in denial of science, then it will raise awareness of it. And then a candidate who embraces climate change as an important issue then has a better chance of getting elected, and the United States has a better chance of doing something about it, and the United States has a better chance of being a world leader in renewable energy.

The United States is also dealing with its first climate refugees, who will be forced to move from a flood-ridden island in Louisiana. A $48 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development was allocated for the residents of Isle de Jean Charles to help them relocate to drier land. The reason people have to move off Isle de Jean Charles is the ocean is getting bigger. When you make something as enormous as the Earths ocean just that much warmer, it gets bigger, Nye said. Coastal cities, which is where most of the world lives, are going to get encroachment. New York City is no exception. Were going to have seawalls, and this is the developed world. New Orleans has all kinds of flood pumping systems, but on that island they dont. So people are going to have to move.

Nye is optimistic that the United States and countries around the world will continue to combat climate change, but he says its going to take some hard work. Lets be out in front. It is a remarkable thing, 193 countries, including China and India, showed up in Paris after there was a terrorism attack, and they took a meeting. Its a start. In a sense, weve taken our foot off the accelerator, but the car is still headed to the cliff. Nobodys got its foot on the brake yet, but the sooner we get to work, the better.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 5, 2016 / BioNovelus, Inc. (ONOV) is pleased to announce the triumph of CR-10, their environmentally friendly fungicide product. Test results in five coffee plantations have proven that biodegradable CR-10 is a coffee rust killer! Coffee rust or "roya" (Hemileia vastatrix) is a devastating fungus that has already cost $2.5B to the coffee industry and 500,000 jobs in Central America since 2012. (Sources: ICAFE 02/2016 and Forbes 08/2014).

Since 2014, big name brands of coffee such as Starbucks, Keurig Green Mountain, Folgers maker J.M. Smucker, San Francisco Bay Coffee, along with USAID and several organizations have thrown over $25M at the rust issue, trying to resolve it primarily by creating genetically modified (GMO) rust-resistant trees, which does not address the rust itself. Two years and a several million dollars later, coffee rust is still very present in Central America.

CR-10 saves the day! Victor Hugo Carranza Salazar, CEO of CoopeAgri R.L., a $106M revenue cooperative in Costa Rica, active partner of Arizona based BioNovelus in this Pilot Test, explains: "CR-10 is a new real opportunity that gives hopes." He also admits that coffee rust is a plague and in 2015 his cooperative of 14,000 members lost $11M to the disease.

To quote Business Insider: "After crude oil, coffee is the most sought after commodity. Coffee is worth over $100B annually worldwide." "BioNovelus product, CR-10, is the most viable and proven solution to eradicate coffee rust, says Jean Ekobo, President of BioNovelus. CR-10 has already been approved by Costa Rican Customs, and we are in advanced negotiations with distributors for CR-10 in Costa Rica, and other countries in Central America, and Mexico."

Rather than genetically modified trees, or continual use of environmentally dangerous chemicals, BioNovelus offers to eliminate the rust devastation with their biodegradable, non toxic CR-10. CR-10 is the perfect solution for our planet.

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About BioNovelus Inc.

BioNovelus, Inc. (ONOV) is a biotech company that honors the environment with an innovative, cost effective, and disruptive technology-based solution to the problems of safety and cleanliness regarding food production and water supply.

Additional Information

For additional information: http://bionovelus.com/results/

Please contact: Nathalie Ekobo,

Marketing & Communications Director

BioNovelus, Inc.:

Skype: bionovelus.inc

+1 602-888-3424

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Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking statements covered by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results for fiscal year 2015 and beyond could differ materially from the Company's current expectations. Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as "anticipates," "projects," "expects," "plans," "intends," "believes," "estimates," "targets," and other similar expressions that indicate trends and future events.

Factors that could cause the Company's results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements include, without limitation, variation in demand and acceptance of the Company's products and services, the frequency, magnitude and timing of paper and other raw-material-price changes, general business and economic conditions beyond the Company's control, timing of the completion and integration of acquisitions, the consequences of competitive factors in the marketplace including the ability to attract and retain customers, results of continuous improvement and other cost-containment strategies, and the Company's success in attracting and retaining key personnel. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update forward-looking statements as a result of new information, since these statements may no longer be accurate or timely.

Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933, and are subject to Rule 3B-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this press release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and other results and further events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: BioNovelus Inc.
(RIO DE JANEIRO)  A senator selected as a fact-finder by a special Senate commission considering the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff recommended Wednesday that she be put on trial for possible removal from office.

The Senates website said Sen. Antonio Anastasia made the recommendation for a Senate trial in a 126-page report he presented to the 21-member commission.

Rousseff is facing impeachment over allegations her administration violated fiscal laws by shifting around government funds to plug holes in the budget. Her critics say it was done to prop up flagging support before elections. Brazils first female president insists the procedure amounts to an attempted coup against her.

The full Senate is scheduled to decide whether to try Rousseff in a vote next Wednesday. If a majority of senators, or 41 out of 81, vote in for impeachment, Rousseff will be suspended from office for up to 180 days as a full impeachment trial goes ahead. Vice President Michel Temer would become the interim president.

Meanwhile, Brazils attorney general has asked the countrys highest court to authorize an investigation into Rousseff over obstruction of justice allegations, according to major Brazilian news organizations.

The countrys top newspapers and the Globo television network said late Tuesday that Rousseff was among 30 people targeted by Attorney General Rodrigo Janots requests. Others include former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Solicitor General Jose Eduardo Cardozo as well as opposition politician Aecio Neves, who lost to Rousseff in the 2014 presidential race, and House Speaker Eduardo Cunha.

The attorney generals office, which needs the Supreme Courts permission to investigate legislators and high-level government officials, declined to comment on the reports.

The media stories said Rousseff is suspected of trying to undermine the snowballing investigation into corruption at the state-run oil company Petrobras by appointing her predecessor, Silva, as her chief of staff this year. Silvas nomination was later suspended.

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The newspaper o Globo in Rio de Janeiro reported that Janots request accuses Silva of being the ringleader behind the scheme that saw big construction firms pay bribes in exchange for inflated contracts with Petrobras, with some of the money ending up in the coffers of political parties across the ideological spectrum. The case has already ensnared leading politicians and businessmen.

This criminal organization could never have functioned for so many years and in such a wide and aggressive manner within the federal government without ex-President Lulas taking part in it, the newspaper quoted Janots petition as saying.

The reports said the attorney generals requests grew out of the plea bargain testimony by Sen. Delcidio do Amaral, formerly the governments leader in the Senate who was detained after recordings emerged suggesting he was plotting to spirit a key player in the Petrobras scandal out of the country.

Silva and Rousseff have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Rousseff on Wednesday sought to cast doubt on Amarals testimony, saying the senator is in the habit of lying.

She added that the leaked news of Janots requests appeared to have been timed to do maximum damage to her and her close collaborators.

Teori Zavascki, the Supreme Court justice in charge of the Petrobras investigation, will decide whether to grant Janots requests. The news reports said there is no timetable for a decision.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday warned that Britain would become "less attractive" for Japanese investment if it votes to leave the European Union in a June referendum.

Following talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron at his Downing Street office in London, Abe said many Japanese companies chose specifically to be based in Britain because they saw it as a gateway to the EU bloc.

"A vote to leave would make the UK less attractive as a destination for Japanese investment," Abe told reporters at a press conference.

"British membership is also best for Japanese investors in the UK. About 1,000 Japanese companies operate in the UK, employing 140,000 people.

"Many of the Japanese companies set up their operations in the UK precisely because the UK is a gateway to the EU.

"Japan very clearly would prefer Britain to remain within the EU. It is better for the world that Britain remains in a strong EU," he said.

Cameron said Japanese investment in Britain totalled 38 billion ($55 billion, 48 billion euros) at the end of 2014 and had played a particularly important role in reviving British car manufacturing.

Nissan Sunderland in northeast England is Britain's biggest car plant.

"Japan is a country that matters enormously to the prosperity of the UK," said Cameron, who wants Britain to remain in the EU.

Japan and Britain are the world's third and fifth biggest economies respectively.

- EU trade Japan's priority -

Japan and the EU are closing in on signing an economic partnership agreement, which Cameron said could be worth 5 billion a year to Britain.

"Japan and the UK believe it is very important to reach a political agreement on the Japan-EU EPA as soon as possible this year," Abe said.

"Japan's priority is negotiating trade deals with Europe, with the EU, a large trade area rather than individual states in Europe.

"Britain has a greater voice in trade negotiations because it is part of the EU."

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Abe said that due to the close partnership between Tokyo and London, Japan's interests were at stake in the referendum, which polls suggest could be neck-and-neck.

"For all these reasons, Britain's friends around the world, including Japan, will be watching your decision on June 23 with very close attention."

Abe is not the first foreign leader to visit Britain and voice support for it staying in the EU.

Last month US President Barack Obama said Britain being in the EU magnified its global influence, and outside the bloc it would go to the "back of the queue" when it came to signing trade deals.

Abe has visited Italy, France, Belgium and Germany this month in preparation for hosting the Group of Seven summit on May 26 and 27 in the Ise-Shima region between Tokyo and Osaka.

He said the summit would focus on the world economy and global security.

Abe heads to Russia on Friday for talks with President Vladimir Putin.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Britain on Thursday slammed Russia for blocking a UN Security Council statement condemning the Syrian military offensive in the battleground city of Aleppo.

The statement was circulated to the 15-member council on Wednesday during an emergency meeting on Aleppo but was dismissed by Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin as a "propaganda coup".

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said Russia's refusal to back the statement "speaks volumes about their support for and protection of the Assad regime."

President Bashar al-Assad's forces launched an offensive in Aleppo on April 22 that they said was aimed at flushing out jihadists. But the West has accused Damascus of targeting civilians, hitting hospitals and markets.

After air strikes hit a camp of displaced Syrians near the Turkish border on Thursday, the British ambassador called for more pressure to be exerted to rein in the Damascus regime.

"It is really high time for every member of the Security Council to use every last drop of influence on the Assad regime to get them to respect the cessation of hostilities and every other obligation under international humanitarian law," said Rycroft.

At least 28 civilians, including women and children, were killed Thursday in the bombing of the camp in Sarmada in Idlib province, which is controlled by Syria's Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front.

The proposed statement would have condemned the upsurge in Aleppo and attribute the violence to the Syrian military offensive.

Addressing the council on Wednesday, Syria's Deputy UN Ambassador Mounzer Mounzer insisted that regime forces were taking on terror groups in Aleppo.

"What the Syrian government has been doing in the city of Aleppo is merely the fulfilment of its obligations to protect its citizens from terrorism," he said.
LONDON (Reuters) - The campaign to keep Britain in the European Union is 4 percentage points ahead of the "Out" campaign, though that lead has halved since February, JPMorgan said in an analysis of recent opinion polls. While polls, which failed to predict Prime Minister David Cameron's victory in Britain's 2015 national election, have cast the June 23 referendum as too close to call, betting odds have indicated a strong probability of a vote to remain. In an analysis of recent polling data, JPMorgan said the "In" campaign averaged 47.2 percent in the last week of April while "Out" averaged 43.3 percent with 8.1 percent who said they didn't know how to vote. "The bottom line is that 'remain' appears to have a near 4 percentage point lead over 'leave,'" JPMorgan said in a note for clients. "That lead has narrowed from around an 8 percentage point lead in late February, but has been reasonably stable over the last handful of weeks," the bank said. President Barack Obama warned Britain on April 22 that it would be "in the back of the queue" for a trade deal with the United States if it dropped out of the EU, an unusually strong intervention into British politics that "In" campaigners welcomed. JPMorgan said the polls indicated Obamas comments had not led to "any significant shift in opinion". Citi , Goldman Sachs , JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have already donated six-figure sums to the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign group, sources have said, as some of the world's biggest banks fear the impact on their UK operations of a British exit. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Stephen Addison)
When Alf Dubs was six years old, his mother put him on a train in Prague knowing she might never see him again. The year was 1939, and Czechoslovakia was already in the clutches of Nazi Germany as World War II neared. For many parents, the only hope was the Kindertransport  a rescue mission that saved thousands of predominately Jewish children from Nazi death camps in eastern Europe.

Dubs, today a Labour Party peer in the House of Lords, remembers being confused and frightened as the train pulled out: I knew something significant was going on but did not know what it was. All I know is 24 hours later, when we crossed into Holland, the older ones cheered because they knew they were out of reach from the Germans.

Almost eight decades on, Dubs is trying to create a Kinderstransport for a new generation: A program to find homes for some 90,000 unaccompanied migrant children stranded in eastern Europe after the largest migration since WWII. And this week, he won his biggest victory yet. On Thursday, British Prime Minister David Cameron signaled he would not fight an amendment by Dubs to the U.Ks Immigration Bill, requiring the country to take in a certain number of unaccompanied minors from Europe.

Dubs first amendment to the Immigration Bill  introduced as Europe continues to grapple with a huge influx of migrants from the Middle East and Africa  called for 3,000 unaccompanied youngsters from camps within Europe to be brought to England. It was narrowly rejected by Members of Parliament (MPs) on April 25, only to be held up in the House of Lords, the unelected upper chamber of Parliament. Dubs revised his amendment to cut specific numbers and, after a surge in public support and a growing rebellion by MPs in the ruling Conservative Party, Cameron conceded that he would see what more we can do.

Dubs, 83, says he was driven to amend the bill out of concern that the U.K. was doing so little for Europes migrants, compared to countries like Sweden, which has more refugees per capita than any country in Europe, and Germany, which took in over a million migrants in 2015. It comes to something, and here I say as a refugee from the Nazis, when Germany becomes the conscience of Europe, Dubs says. The Kindertransport of WWII was a U.K. government-backed initiative, he notes, and the only program at the time to save vulnerable children from war. Even the Americans refused, they said they could do nothing.

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After thousands of Jews were killed in Germany and Austria in the Kristallnacht pogrom of 1938, aid agencies in Britain decided to act. From December that year till war broke out in Sep. 1939, as many as 10,000 children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland were transported by train, ship or plane to the U.K, where they were housed in foster homes, hostels and camps.

Unlike many of his fellow Kindertransport passengers, Dubs was quickly reunited with his parents after arriving in London. His father had fled Prague when the Nazis occupied the city in March 1939, and while his mother was initially refused permission to leave she soon joined them. Some of [the Kindertransport passengers] managed to find their parents years later, but I was certainly luckier than most, he says.

He became interested in politics as a schoolboy, before going on to serve as a Labour Party MP in southwest London and being made a life peer in 1992. I supposed what came to mind is evil men can do what they did in politics and maybe politics can also be used to reverse the process and do things for the better, he says. In office and out, he campaigned for migrants and asylum seekers, serving for a time as director of the non-profit Refugee Council.

Dubs acknowledges that his experience of life as a child refugee gives his quest a personal angle, but says vulnerable unaccompanied minors should be an issue of concern to all no matter their background. It is pretty alarming that young people are sleeping rough in a modern sophisticated continent, and some have disappeared with no one to protect them or look after them he says. According to the intelligence agency Europol, 10,000 unaccompanied migrant children who entered Europe in the last two years have all but vanished. They are liable to be trafficked by people, they are liable to be forced into some form of slavery or prostitution, he says.

After Camerons statement on May 4, Downing Street said that unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who registered in Greece, Italy and France prior to the EU-Turkey migration agreement on March 20 will be eligible for resettlement  though a specific number has yet to be announced. The total will be in addition to Camerons pledge to take in 20,000 refugees by 2020 and a further 3,000 vulnerable children and family members from the Middle East and North Africa.

Delighted at the prospect that his amendment looks set to pass in a May 9 vote, Dubs says the next step is for authorities to seek foster families willing to provide children with stable homes. The government has accepted the principle [of the amendment] and we have to push them on how they implement it. For now at least, the Kindertransport is back on track.
British police are excavating the yard of a house once owned by a couple imprisoned for child sex abuse  who were friends with serial killers Fred and Rosemary West.



Acting on a tip, authorities began digging at the rural Bradninch home once owned by David and Pauline Williams, who are serving a combined sentence of 35 years for raping, sexually assaulting and beating ten children over a 15-year period.



"These are ongoing investigations linked to historic intelligence at the bungalow," says Detective Superintendent Keith Perkin of Devon and Cornwall Police.



The excavations are expected to last until the end of the week at least and are being linked to the Williamses, who moved to Devon in the mid-90s.



Prior to this, the couple ran the Prince Albert pub in Gloucester, where self-confessed serial killer Fred West was a regular drinker. West  along with his wife Rosemary  are known to have killed at least 10 people at their house during the 1980s and early 1990s.



The couples lived near each other in the 1990s. The BBC published a story Thursday about a postcard written by Rosemary West that points to the possibility that the couples were part of a sex ring together.





British Police Excavate Former Yard of Friends of Serial Killers Fred and Rosemary West| Crime & Courts, Murder, Sexual Assault/Rape, True Crime

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.



During the Williamses Oct. 2015 trial, the court heard that David Williams often boasted of his connection with the Wests in front of their other bar customers, the BBC reports.



At their trial, the Williams denied a total of 46 charges of sexual and physical abuse between 1989 and 2004. They were found guilty, and in October 2015, David Williams, 57, was sentenced to life in prison and wife Pauline Williams, 53, received 12 years.



"David and Pauline Williams carried out a string of sickening and callous sexual attacks on children and teenagers without remorse over a 15-year period," Detective Constable Debbie Dow told reporters after the trial.



Fred West confessed to 11 murders in March 1994, after a forensic search discovered the remains of ten different people buried around the family home in Gloucester. Including among them was his daughter, Heather.



Fred West hung himself in jail in 1995 while awaiting trial. Rosemary West  who never confessed  was convicted of 10 murders in November 1995 and is currently serving life in prison.



Their house at 25 Cromwell Street was demolished in October 1996.
Brooks Brothers Original Polo Button Down Oxford Shirt

Brooks Brothers reinvented a classic, and it seems to be paying off.

The private manufacturer and retailer of East Coast Americana just reintroduced its Polo Button-Down Oxford, an icon of menswear if there ever were one.

First introduced in 1896, the shirt basically invented the style we now know as the Oxford Cloth Button-Down: a versatile, sporty shirt that can be dressed up or down.

Though it never really went away, now it's really back. Like the brand's original Oxford shirt, this new version features side gussets to strengthen the seams, a longer tail to ensure it stays tucked, mother-of-pearl buttons, and, most important, the holy grail of the OCBD: a collar that enables a glorious, perfect roll.

The roll had been missing from the shirt since it was redesigned in 1989 with a lined collar. The collar's lining has now been thrown out (along with the shirt's breast pocket), which allows for that gracious roll that fans of the original shirt loved so much.

"This is the sort of detail in which God is said to exist," Troy Patterson wrote breathlessly in The New York Times. "Philosophers of the Ivy League Look liken particularly dramatic collar rolls to the silhouettes of angels' wings."

The new shirt seems to be a hit with fans. The company is now selling 15 to 20% more of them compared with the previous version, Brooks Brothers vice president Guy Voglino told The Times.

It also features a new price: $140, a nearly $50 increase over the previous version, which cost $92. It is made out of Supima cotton in Brooks Brothers' factory in Garland, North Carolina.

Brooks Brothers Oxford

Note: A previous version of this story stated that Garland is in South Carolina. It is actually in North Carolina.

NOW WATCH: These are the watches worn by the smartest and most powerful men in the world





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Bruker Corporation BRKR reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 21 cents in the first quarter of 2016, up 50% year over year. Adjusted EPS also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 50%.

Improved operating performance and a lower tax rate primarily contributed to the upside in earnings. Bruker's lower average share count, which declined 3% year over year owing to managements share buyback program which also contributed to bottom-line growth.

Excluding one-time adjustments, Bruker reported net income of $23.6 million or 14 cents per share, reflecting a massive year-over-year improvement of 263.1% or 250% in the first quarter.

Revenues in Detail

Bruker reported revenues of $375.4 million in the first quarter, up 6.2% year over year and also above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $358 million. While acquisition and divestitures affected Bruker's first-quarter revenues by 1.5%, foreign exchange rates had a 0.9% impact. Excluding these, Bruker's organic revenues increased 5.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Per management, strong revenue growth in the companys BioSpin and CALID Groups primarily drove the top-line growth. Geographically, organic revenue growth was largely driven by strong performance by Brukers businesses in North America and China.

Margin Trends

Adjusted gross margin in the reported quarter contracted 60 basis points (bps) to 46.7%, owing to lower NANO volume and unfavorable CALID product mix. However, higher BioSpin volume price and operational improvement partially offset the effects of these negative factors.

Selling, general & administrative expenses declined 2% to $92.7 million and research and development expenses fell 3% to $36.1 million. The decrease in operating expenses was driven by the companys BioSpin restructuring in 2015 as well as lower discretionary spending across most businesses. As a result, adjusted operating income improved 32.1% year over year to $47.3 million. Consequently, the adjusted operating margin expanded 250 bps to 47.3% in the quarter.

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Financial Position

Bruker exited the reported quarter with cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments of $420.5 million compared with $468.3 million at the end of 2015. At the end of the first quarter, net cash outflow from operating activities was $14 million, compared with $27 million recorded in the year-ago quarter.

Adjusted free cash outflow was $22 million in the quarter, compared with free cash flow worth $21.3 in the prior-year quarter. High customer advances associated with high NMR order entry in the comparable first quarter of 2015 and higher tax and bonus payments made by the company in the first quarter of 2016 led to the deterioration in free cash flow.

Guidance

For full-year 2016, Bruker reaffirmed its guidance. Management projects organic revenue growth of approximately 3% as well as adjusted operating margin expansion of 100 bps, year over year. At the bottom-line front, Bruker maintains adjusted EPS projection in the range of 97 cents$1.02 for 2016.

The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2016 revenues is pegged at $1.68 billion, while the same for EPS is $1.00.

Our Take

Bruker has had a promising journey so far this year, with its first-quarter results beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate on both the fronts. Strong year-over-year upside in the top line, enhanced operating performance and significant bottom-line growth buoy optimism.

Moreover, the companys recently launched products like the honey profiling module of the NMR FoodScreener solution, the latest version of NMR wine screener module, enhancements to the MALDI Biotyper workflow, MBT Biotargets 96 and new MALDI Biotyper research use-only are expected to contribute significantly to Brukers revenues.

On the flip side, the companys weak cash balance as well as continued softness in NANo Group disappoints us. Also, the steep decline in the gross margin figure is also a drag. Although the extent of currency headwind impact on the companys revenue is expected to lessen in the upcoming quarters, unfavorable currency translations are expected to impact the companys growth trajectory at large.

Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks

Currently, the company carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Other favorably ranked medical stocks are Baxter International Inc.BAX, SurModics, Inc. SRDX and Boston Scientific Corporation BSX. While Baxter and SurModics sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Boston Scientific carries a Zacks Rank #2.

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Chee Soon Juan during a walkabout on Thursday morning. Photo: Erin Kimbrell/Yahoo Singapore



Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan has reiterated a need for a retrenchment insurance scheme to help Singaporeans who have lost their jobs.



Speaking to reporters at Bukit Batok after a morning walkabout on Thursday 5 May, Chee said he believed many would have been affected by the recent relocation of oil companies such as McDermott, Technip and Subsea to Kuala Lumpur. Its so crucial at this stage that the government starts thinking about helping out retrenched workers, he said.



This proposal comes after the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) rebutted Chee for misunderstanding employment data he used in a speech on Tuesday (3 May) at an SDP rally.



In the rally on Tuesday, Chee highlighted that the government had not done enough to help citizens and permanent residents who were retrenched. If you create only 100 jobs a year and thousands are retrenched, then no matter how you upgrade yourselves, what are the chances of you finding re-employment? he asked.



MOM clarified on Wednesday (4 May) that the increase in the number of jobs that Chee cited was actually that difference between the total number of locals entering and leaving jobs, for example due to retirement.



The ministry also added that the net number of new jobs taken up by locals last year was actually 700.



Chee has denied painting an alarmist picture of the job market for Singaporeans.



I know they (the PAP) are going to say: lets get them (retrenched workers) re-employed, he said. If its so easy then we wouldnt have to worry about it. The PAP MPs wouldnt have to bring it up. This is where I think its going to be very important if and when Im elected, for me to go in and ensure that you continue to put this whole idea of a retrenchment insurance scheme on the front run and then the government needs to respond and think about it, he said.



The party will hold its final rally on Thursday night (5 May) at the field near Bukit Batok Industrial Park A. Residents go to the polls on 7 May. Chee is up against Peoples Action Party candidate lawyer Murali Pillai, who is also holding a rally on Thursday night at Bukit Gombak stadium.


Washington (AFP) - America's most prominent Republican family, the Bushes, are declining to endorse Donald Trump for president, handing the GOP presumptive nominee an early setback in his efforts to unite a fractured party.

Former presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, who undoubtedly bristled at Trump's bullying attacks on candidate Jeb Bush, signaled through their offices that they will stay on the sidelines during this cycle.

The elder Bush has endorsed every Republican nominee in the past five elections, but he does not have plans to endorse Trump in 2016, his spokesman Jim McGrath told the Texas Tribune on Wednesday.

"At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics," McGrath told the paper. "He came out of retirement to do a few things for Jeb, but those were the exceptions that proved the rule."

The 41st president's son Jeb Bush dropped out of the race in February.

Jeb's brother George W. Bush "does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign," his personal aide Freddy Ford told the paper.

Trump has launched bitter attacks on George W. Bush during this year's campaign. In February he called Bush's decision to invade Iraq "one of the worst decisions in the history of the country," and said the Bush administration "lied" about Saddam Hussein possessing weapons of mass destruction.

Jeb Bush, who exited the race that month, endorsed Ted Cruz in March, and has said Trump would lose in a landslide if he were the nominee to go up against Democrat Hillary Clinton in the general election.

George W. Bush's former chief of staff, Andrew Card, said Thursday that Trump has to become more respectful about the party's leadership and show greater "maturity" about handling tough decisions if he wants Republicans to coalesce around him.

"Donald Trump's got a lot of work to do to earn my vote, and to earn the confidence of people who are leaders in the Republican Party," Card, now the president of Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire, told MSNBC.

If the election were held today, "I'd probably write in a name," Card said.
California the tobacco industry Wednesday,

"[These laws] will save countless lives, reduce astronomical costs to the health care system, and cost very little because it uses existing enforcement mechanisms," State Senator Ed Hernandez, one of the bill's authors, told CNN. "Today was an enormous victory for not only this generation, but also for many generations to come who will not suffer the deadly impacts of tobacco."

The laws also target the sale of e-cigarettes but make an exception for active duty military service members, addressing the popular argument that citizens willing to fight and die for their country should be free to purchase tobacco.

The legislation drew a range of responses.

"It is long past due for California to update our approach to tobacco, and with the governor's signature on these life-saving bills, we have done just that," Steven Larson, president of the California Medical Association, told the Los Angeles Times.

Meanwhile, the tobacco industry has a number of potential steps to fight the new measures, including forcing the issue into statewide referendum, according to the Los Angeles Times.

An Institute of Medicine study from March 2015 projected that should all states make 21 the legal smoking age, there would be "approximately 223,000 fewer premature deaths, 50,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer, and 4.2 million fewer years of life lost for those born between 2000 and 2019."
* Core earnings up by 14 percent in first quarter

* Asian sales up 14 percent to C$954 million

* DBS bancassurance deal helps drive growth

* Insurer eyes further partnerships in region (Adds comments from CFO interview)

By Matt Scuffham

May 5 (Reuters) - Manulife, Canada's biggest life insurer, said it would continue to look for new partners in Asia after strong sales in the region helped it increase its core earnings by 14 percent in the first quarter.

The activation of a bancassurance partnership with DBS in Singapore and Hong Kong helped Manulife's Asian unit push total insurance sales up by 14 percent to C$954 million, more than making up for another quarter of lackluster investment gains.

"We're experiencing very strong growth in many Asian markets. That was partly driven by our new bancassurance distribution agreement with DBS. We've done a number of smaller deals as well and we will continue to look for suitable partners in that way," said Chief Financial Officer Steve Roder.

Manulife agreed to pay $1.2 billion to Singapore's DBS Group Holdings last April for a 15-year partnership that will let the insurer sell products through the lender's Asian branch network in what is known as the "bancassurance" model.

Strong Asian growth helped Manulife's core earnings to rise nearly 14 percent to C$905 million, or 44 Canadian cents per share, beating analysts average estimate by 1 Canadian cent, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Like other insurance companies, Manulife has been attracted to Asia by the region's burgeoning middle class.

"What we're seeing in Asia is this rapid emergence of a middle class. That's a big, big driver," Roder said in an interview.

Roder said sales in Singapore were up over 500 percent on the year before while Japan saw very strong growth and emerging markets such as Vietnam and the Philippines saw growth of over 50 percent year-on-year.

Seventy percent of Manulife's insurance premiums are now from Asia and Roder said he expected that to keep increasing.

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Manulife has a presence in every Asian country except South Korea and India and Roder said it had no need to enter those markets.

The insurer said in February it would be difficult to achieve its core earnings target of C$4 billion in 2016, with the weak oil price hitting the value of its investments in the energy sector.

However, Roder said the price of assets being sold indicated people don't believe the current price of oil is here to stay.

"We do believe that the worst of this is behind us and the rest of the industry," Roder said.

Assets under management and administration were C$904 billion at the end of March, down from C$935 billion at the end of December, primarily due to the strengthening Canadian dollar. ($1 = C$1.28) (Reporting by Richa Naidu in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Chizu Nomiyama)
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's biggest bank is handing over to the government names of clients with relationships or connections to a Panamanian law firm at the center of a massive leak of offshore financial data, national media reported on Thursday. The Toronto Star and CBC, citing legal documents filed on Wednesday, reported that the Canada Revenue Agency had sought a court order against the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) to compel disclosure and that the bank would not be challenging it. The bank and the Canada Revenue Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The tax agency's action came about one month after the Star and CBC, in partnership with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, published their investigations on the law firm, Mossack Fonseca. Leaks from the Panama-based law firm, dubbed the "Panama Papers," have embarrassed several world leaders and shone a spotlight on the shadowy world of offshore companies. Governments across the world have begun investigating possible financial wrongdoing by the rich and powerful after the leak. RBC last month said it was reviewing its records after being named in leaked documents and told Reuters that it had controls in place to prevent illegal activities and it would not do business with those who evaded tax. Canada last month said it was closely watching the cases of citizens found to have set up offshore companies in Panama and elsewhere and would refer cases to prosecutors if necessary. (Reporting by Ethan Lou in Toronto)
The most glamourous and powerful players at the festival flock to the Hotel Majestic Barriere to gossip, party and close deals over drinks at the always-packed Fouquet's brasserie. Harvey Weinstein famously holds his annual reception for more than 300 international distributors, media members and company partners at the hotel's Salle Croisette; last year he unveiled the trailer for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight.

But it's farther back in the 90-year-old Belle Epoque palace where even more secret handshakes happen. The Cinematheque Diane, a state-of-the-art screening room that opened in 2011, bills itself on the hotel's website as a place where guests can borrow DVDs. But for 12 days in May it becomes an ultra-private hotspot where the likes of Weinstein and director Luc Besson are rumored to hold screenings for only their innermost circles.

It's a destination so exclusive, in fact, that dozens of Cannes regulars contacted by THR knew nothing of its existence. "The Majestic? Must be new. Never, and I have been going forever and seen millions of movies in Cannes and the market," says Ryan Werner, senior executive at Cinetic Media. PR maven and Cannes mainstay Liz Miller likewise was in the dark. "I wonder if it is reserved for hotel guests?"

The 90-year-old Belle Epoque hotel opened its luxe, state-of-the-art theater in 2011.

Designed by Chantal Peyrat, the French interior decorator who has a long history with Majestic owner Barriere hotels, the 35-seat Cinematheque Diane features massive velvet wing chairs (with individual leather ottomans), each row outfitted with slightly taller legs than the one before so no view is obstructed. The central armchair, covered in gilded leather, is reserved for the guest of honor, and the custom carpet is decorated with film titles and quotes from Palme d'Or winners spanning 1946 to 2011.

"This cinema is unique because of the location," says hotel general manager Pierre-Louis Renou. "This is the only one located on the Croisette, where the guests can benefit from high-tech projection equipment with the possibility of 3D sessions" - with 3D glasses offered up on a silver platter by a tuxedo-clad butler.

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The room is open to anyone to rent (at 4,500 euros, or about $5,000 for two hours), but you'll likely need an inside connection at the hotel to reserve it during peak festival dates. No popcorn or soda allowed, but for an extra 28 euros per person (about $1,100 for a full house), guests are, bien sur, permitted to sip champagne.

Jake Gyllenhaal, a 2015 festival juror, stepped out on the night of the Carol premiere.

Kristen Stewart left the hotel to attend the 2014 red-carpet screening of Cannes competition film Clouds of Sils Maria, for which she later won a Cesar Award (the first-ever American actress to win the French equivalent of the Oscar).

Doctor Zhivago actress Geraldine Chaplin posed for photographers during the 1966 festival; the film didn't win the Palme d'Or but was nominated for 10 Oscars and won five.

This story first appeared in the May 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

See More: Cannes: Inside The Hotel du Cap (Photos)
Shakira has teamed up with fellow Colombian superstar Carlos Vives for the new song "La Bicicleta" (The Bicycle), Billboard has learned.

The track -- a catchy, danceable mix of vallenato, pop and reggaeton -- was written by Vives and Shakira and will be released globally to radio June 20 and the next day to digital and streaming services. It will be included in Vives' upcoming fall album Vives. Both artists are signed to Sony.

Watch Shakira Perform 'Imagine' for the Pope at the United Nations

"I've always dreamt of writing, producing and recording a song with Shakira so that together we can show our Colombia to the world," Vives says. "She has taken our country's music to unimaginable heights, and finally being able to collaborate with her is a realization of this dream."

"La Bicicleta" kicks off with a sensual solo played by an indigenous Colombian wind instrument (sources say it's called a flauta de millo) before giving way to a sultry cumbia/reggaeton beat. "La Bicicleta" marks the first time ever that Shakira has recorded with another Colombian star, but the track's significance goes beyond that.

Carlos Vives Joins Mana Onstage in Colombia to Perform 'Oye Mi Amor'

Both Shakira and Vives are from Colombia's Caribbean Coast: she from Barranquilla, he from Santa Marta -- cities less than an hour's drive from each other. The two have known each other for many years, share common social concerns and even performed together in a 2008 Concert for Peace on the Colombian border. But actually recording together only became a possibility in the past year, once Vives returned to the public spotlight after nearly a decade away from recording commercially.

A video is set to be shot in the coming weeks in Colombia.
John Maeda speaks at the ArtsFunds 28th annual Celebration of the Arts Luncheon in Seattle today.

Seattle native John Maeda has a unique perspective on the technology industry, as an engineer and designer who was an MIT Media Lab professor and president of the Rhode Island School of Design before taking on his current role as a design partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Maeda drew from all of those experiences for his keynote address today at the ArtsFunds annual luncheon in downtown Seattle  making his case to elevate the arts to the level of science, engineering, technology and math, effectively changing the popular acronym to STEAM.

Continue reading for a few highlights from his talk.

On his early interest in technology: Where my family lived (in Seattles Rainier Valley) we were a few miles from Boeing. At the high school I went to, Franklin High School, most of the teachers were there from Boeing, they retired from Boeing. If it wasnt for my chemistry teacher, who was a retired Boeing engineer who helped me find a path to MIT, it would have never happened. So thank you, Boeing.

johnmaeda - 1 (3)

On blending the arts and technology:

Every computer program is a tree. Its a tree of some form. Its a binary tree. Its a symbol tree. Therefore every outcome of the program is on that tree. Every possible permutation is on that tree. The challenge for the artist is to be off the tree. So artists and technology have to work really hard. Because technology is constraining the artist so tightly. We have to celebrate the artist and the technology who break free from that tree. Its not trivial.

On the role of women in design and tech: Muriel Cooper (co-founder of the MIT Media Lab) changed my life. In the technology industry, we hear a lot about how women in tech dont exist. I have to say that the women in the design and tech world are what has driven most of the amazing things we see on our smartphones today. Muriel is just one of them. Muriel had the foresight to imagine a world where one day youd want to set type in Helvetica on the screen, which was a crazy idea at the time.

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johnmaeda - 1 (1)

On the nature of art:

Art is about the enigma. Its about the paradox. Its the welcome mystery. So if you dont get art, its working on you, and that makes people feel more uncomfortable.  Theres art everywhere.  I like to hunt for art, specifically in airport bathrooms. I was walking into a mens room, and I saw this (at right), the most gorgeous kinetic sculpture Id ever seen.  Art is everywhere. It exists in how you see the world. And the artist can sometimes help cooperate with you to see it more clearly.

Lessons from his time in the VC world: I can see now that the best startups today can no longer compete with technology. They need the creative part. They need the design part. Billions of dollars are being invested in companies that are led by designers, led by artists, alongside technologists. Its a great time for the arts.

For more from John Maeda, see his Design in Tech report.

Update: Heres the full video of John Maedas talk, via ArtsFund.

More from GeekWire:
Over 6 out of 10 surveyors expect rents to fall further.

Investors' appetite for Singapore commercial properties has taken a hit in Q1, revealed a survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The survey showed that investor enquiries fell for the third consecutive quarter with demand from foreign buyers decreasing across all sectors.

Meanwhile, 30% of respondents reported a rise in supply of properties for sale, with a particularly sharp increase in the office sector. Some 47% of respondents also believed that credit conditions had deteriorated on a quarter-on-quarter basis.

The study also revealed that 65% of surveyors expect rents to fall over the next twelve months, while tenant demand fell at its fastest pace since the financial crisis in 2009. Respondents expect rental values to fall by 5.8% at the headline level, with all sectors forecast to see a substantial decline.







More From Singapore Business Review


SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chilean chemicals group SQM said on Thursday it has asked local authorities to block U.S. lithium producer Albemarle Corp from expanding production in the South American nation for environmental reasons. The move came less than three months after Albemarle's Rockwood unit signed a deal with Chilean economic development agency Corfo to significantly increase its output of lithium, a mineral that powers electric car batteries. Local daily newspaper Diario Financiero reported earlier on Thursday that SQM asked that the deal be invalidated because of what it described as serious violations of environmental regulations during the evaluation process. "Yes, that is so," a SQM spokeswoman said in an email to Reuters when asked whether the company, the world's biggest producer of lithium, had formally requested that officials block the project, which is located in Chile's Atacama desert. While underscoring that SQM did not oppose Rockwood's project in principle, the spokeswoman said "we must adequately consider the effects of Rockwood's project on our environmental commitments." SQM also described the conditions of Corfo's deal with Rockwood as "good" and said it was willing to accept similar conditions. SQM is on uneasy terms with Chile's center-left government. In the last two years, authorities have fined a number of SQM executives and former executives for market manipulation and accused the company of providing fake invoices to political figures in order to finance campaigns. SQM is also in arbitration with Corfo over royalties. Albemarle spent $6.2 billion to buy Rockwood last year. (Reporting by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Paul Simao)
(Reuters) - Debt-laden Chesapeake Energy Corp <CHK.N>, the second-largest U.S. natural gas producer, said on Thursday it was selling $470 million in assets in Oklahoma to Newfield Exploration Co <NFX.N> as part of a plan to shore up its finances through divestitures.

Chesapeake's shares were up 12 percent at $6.31 in premarket trading after the company reported a smaller quarterly loss and cut its production expense forecast for the year. They later traded at $5.97, up 5.7 percent.

The company, which has more than $9 billion in debt, said it would sell about 42,000 net acres in Oklahoma's STACK field, with current production of 3,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Low natural gas and oil prices have hit the heavily leveraged company, which plans to sell assets worth an additional $500 million to $1 billion this year.

"We anticipate subsequent divestitures during the second and third quarters," Chief Executive Doug Lawler said in a statement.

The company on Thursday lowered its forecast for 2016 production costs to $3.40-$3.60 per barrel of oil equivalent from $3.60-$3.80 per boe.

Chesapeake said in February that it tapped legal counsel Kirkland & Ellis for advice as it seeks to strengthen its balance sheet to manage debt maturing in the next 18 to 24 months. It said it had no plans for bankruptcy as some in the market have speculated.

"We continue to look at all of our options, including the use of additional secured debt, private transactions with bondholders and other types of exchange offers and open market purchases," said CFO Nick Dell'Osso.

The company's net loss attributable to shareholders narrowed to $964 million in the three months ended March 31, from $3.78 billion a year earlier. The year-earlier period included one-time items of $3.8 billion. First-quarter revenue fell 39 percent on the year to $1.9 billion as gas prices tumbled.

Excluding an $853 million impairment charge, the loss in the latest quarter was 10 cents per share, in line with analysts' average estimate.

Revenue slumped 39 percent to $1.95 billion, widely missing analysts' expectations of $2.55 billion.

(Reporting by Swetha Gopinath and Amrutha Gayathri in Bengaluru; Editing by Terry Wade and Dan Grebler)
(Adds quote from CFO on debt management options, updates stock price)

May 5 (Reuters) - Debt-laden Chesapeake Energy Corp, the second-largest U.S. natural gas producer, said on Thursday it was selling $470 million in assets in Oklahoma to Newfield Exploration Co as part of a plan to shore up its finances through divestitures.

Chesapeake's shares were up 12 percent at $6.31 in premarket trading after the company reported a smaller quarterly loss and cut its production expense forecast for the year. They later traded at $5.97, up 5.7 percent.

The company, which has more than $9 billion in debt, said it would sell about 42,000 net acres in Oklahoma's STACK field, with current production of 3,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Low natural gas and oil prices have hit the heavily leveraged company, which plans to sell assets worth an additional $500 million to $1 billion this year.

"We anticipate subsequent divestitures during the second and third quarters," Chief Executive Doug Lawler said in a statement.

The company on Thursday lowered its forecast for 2016 production costs to $3.40-$3.60 per barrel of oil equivalent from $3.60-$3.80 per boe.

Chesapeake said in February that it tapped legal counsel Kirkland & Ellis for advice as it seeks to strengthen its balance sheet to manage debt maturing in the next 18 to 24 months. It said it had no plans for bankruptcy as some in the market have speculated.

"We continue to look at all of our options, including the use of additional secured debt, private transactions with bondholders and other types of exchange offers and open market purchases," said CFO Nick Dell'Osso.

The company's net loss attributable to shareholders narrowed to $964 million in the three months ended March 31, from $3.78 billion a year earlier. The year-earlier period included one-time items of $3.8 billion. First-quarter revenue fell 39 percent on the year to $1.9 billion as gas prices tumbled.

Excluding an $853 million impairment charge, the loss in the latest quarter was 10 cents per share, in line with analysts' average estimate.

Revenue slumped 39 percent to $1.95 billion, widely missing analysts' expectations of $2.55 billion.

(Reporting by Swetha Gopinath and Amrutha Gayathri in Bengaluru; Editing by Terry Wade and Dan Grebler)
By Dave McKinney

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago Teachers Union withheld the threat on Wednesday of imminent strike action, instead floating a $502 million revenue package as part of a self-help plan to stabilize finances in the United State's third largest school system.

The revenue plan, which Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office and school administrators criticized, emerged as the union made clear its members would not walk off their jobs on May 16th over stalled contract negotiations.

We have identified half a billion dollars that can triage the bleeding at CPS, CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey said in a statement.

The union blueprint comes after the city struck out in trying to win $480 million from the state to fund teachers pensions, and a proposed school-funding overhaul that could mean more money for Chicago schools is left languishing at the Illinois statehouse.

Among the largest components of the unions proposal to raise funds is a plan to set the assessed valuation of commercial buildings at 25 percent of their sale prices rather than leaving valuations up to the Cook County assessor.

The union also wants the city to divert uncommitted property-tax revenues sitting in 150 tax-increment financing district accounts to Chicago Public Schools and to impose neighborhood-specific property tax increases to fund schools.

Each of the three measures would generate $100 million, the union estimated.

The union also proposed a 10-cent-a-gallon increase in the citys gasoline tax, a 33-percent increase in city hotel taxes, a new tax on ride-sharing services.

It also called for a reallocation of annual debt payments on a $1.2 billion bond originally earmarked for a proposed museum commemorating Hollywood film producer George Lucas, a top Emanuel priority that now seems on the verge of collapse.

The mayors office late Wednesday described the union revenue proposal as full of inaccuracies, and the school system dismissed the package as unduly burdensome to Chicago taxpayers.

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CTU leadership cannot let Governor [Bruce] Rauner and Springfield off the hook for equally funding Chicago students, and thats exactly what this misguided proposal does, CPS spokeswoman Emily Bittner said.

The school system devoted part of a $725 million bond issue this year to operational costs and may have to tap into a $370 million line of credit to make a required $676 million pension payment in June.

(Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China will invest 77 billion yuan ($11.9 billion) this year in building aviation infrastructure, the official Xinhua news agency reported late on Wednesday, citing the country's civil aviation regulator.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said the investment, which will focus on airports, will initially lead to 11 key construction projects and 52 aviation-related upgrades to existing facilities, Xinhua reported.

"The general aviation sector, especially aircraft research and manufacturing, has became a hot spot of both industrial upgrading and social concern," Feng Zhenglin, head of the CAAC, told the official news agency.

China's cabinet separately said late on Wednesday it would support the development of the country's aviation industry, including opening up low-altitude air space, an issue that currently constrains a fledgling market for helicopters and small aircraft.

(Reporting by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Richard Pullin)
(Adds industry background and analyst comment)

By Adam Jourdan and Siva Govindasamy

SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE, May 5 (Reuters) - China will invest 77 billion yuan ($11.9 billion) this year in building aviation infrastructure, the official Xinhua news agency reported late on Wednesday, citing the country's civil aviation regulator.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said the investment, which will focus on airports, will initially lead to 11 key construction projects and 52 aviation-related upgrades to existing facilities, Xinhua reported.

"The general aviation sector, especially aircraft research and manufacturing, has became a hot spot of both industrial upgrading and social concern," Feng Zhenglin, head of the CAAC, told the official news agency.

China's cabinet separately said late on Wednesday it would support the development of the country's aviation industry and opening up low-altitude air space, an issue that constrains a fledgling market for helicopters and small aircraft. It did not provide details.

"Opening up will especially benefit China's tourism, emergency medical services and pilot training sectors, which operate light aircraft and helicopters," said Greg Waldron, Asia Managing Editor at industry publication Flightglobal.

Civilian air traffic controllers handle low-altitude air space and work with the military to manage both civil and military traffic in most parts of the world.

China's military controls the country's air space, and its planes have priority over civil aircraft. Special military-only zones also force other aircraft to take a longer route.

Over the last few years, Beijing has relaxed some restrictions on flights below 1,000 m (3,280 ft) - although civil aircraft still need military approval to fly through some areas.

Industry observers expect the approval process to be further relaxed and the ceiling to increase to 3,000 m, in line with Western norms. Some, however, are cautions.

"I doubt they will let people get into their aircraft and fly off without approval like in Australia and the U.S. This is still China and there will still be restrictions," Waldron said.

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The relaxation could boost demand for light aircraft.

China had only 1,600 light aircraft and around 80 airports to handle them in 2013. It will need 10,000 light aircraft this decade to meet demand, according to some projections.

The U.S., by comparison, had about 300,000 GA aircraft and 24,000 airports for them in 2013.

Since 2000, Western firms like America's Cessna and Austria's Diamond Aircraft have set up joint ventures with Chinese partners to produce light aircraft in the country.

($1 = 6.4945 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Richard Pullin and Stephen Coates)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Russia will hold their first joint computer-assisted anti-missile drill, state media said on Thursday, after the United States and South Korea discussed an anti-missile defense system for the South to counter threats from North Korea. North and South Korea remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, rather than a treaty. The North routinely threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States. The Chinese and Russian foreign ministers last week urged Washington and Seoul to drop the proposed deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, following North Korea's fourth nuclear bomb on Jan. 6 and subsequent missile tests. The tests violate U.N. resolutions against North Korea backed by Russia and China. U.S. and South Korean officials have expressed concern that the North could attempt a fifth nuclear test in a show of strength ahead of its Workers' Party congress, which begins on Friday. The China-Russia drill will be held this month at a Russian military research center, the official English-language China Daily newspaper said, citing China's defense ministry. The paper gave few details, but cited experts saying the drill would help the two countries' militaries familiarize themselves with their respective command structures and data transmission processes. The White House has said it is still in talks with its close ally, South Korea, on the THAAD system and that it would not threaten other countries if installed. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said the system threatens equilibrium on the Korean peninsula and damages China's and Russia's strategic security. North Korea's drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability has angered China, Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China. President Xi Jinping has said Beijing would not allow war and chaos to break out on the Korean peninsula. (Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Nick Macfie)
LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Smith & Nephew, Europe's biggest maker of artificial knees and hips, reported a slightly worse-than-expected 3 percent rise in first-quarter revenue on Thursday, as weakness in China and the oil-rich Gulf states offset good U.S. demand.

A strong dollar was also a drag and reported revenue of $1.14 billion fell short of the $1.16 billion forecast by analysts, as compiled by Thomson Reuters. Growth on an underlying basis was 4 percent, after stripping out currencies and recent acquisitions.

The medical devices group said it continued to expect good underlying growth in 2016 overall as it benefited from investments in existing businesses and acquisitions.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Jason Neely)
Chris Evans took a moment out of his Captain America: Civil War promotion schedule to salute someone he found heroic.

The Marvel star made a surprise appearance at a New York Daily News/Disney charity screening of the movie for young volunteers on Wednesday night in New York City.

"Buddy, you're a real champion," Evans told Archie Silverstein, who turns 13 this month and recently donated his bar mitzvah gift money to the charity CelebrateU, which organizes birthday parties for less fortunate kids in shelters. After giving him a superhero-themed cupcake, he added, "I heard what you did - I think that's really heroic."

In addition to CelebrateU, the screening honored GenerationOn, the youth services division of Points of Light, that inspires, equips and mobilizes kids to improve the world through volunteer services in their communities. Each young attendee was given a Captain America toy too.

"Knowing that the role, though demanding and though heavy with responsibility, you get that type of reaction and it's all worth it," Evans told the Daily News afterward.

Read More: Chris Pratt vs. Chris Evans: 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Star Visits Boston Charity After Super Bowl Bet

Watch the video below.
One of the Bible's most famous passages reads: "Judge not, that ye be not judged." But feel free to judge this Donald Trump-loving tow-truck driver who left a disabled woman stranded by a highway  because the woman supports Bernie Sanders.

"Something came over me," Ken Shupe, the driver, told WLOS-TV Wednesday. "I think the Lord came to me, and He just said, 'Get in the truck and leave.' And when I got in my truck, you know, I was so proud, because I felt like I finally drew a line in the sand and stood up for what I believed."

R

Source: Mic/WLOS-TV

It's an unbelievable story for many reasons, not the least of which is Shupe's alleged "message from the Lord." It remains unclear whether such an interaction actually took place  but Mic asked four practicing Christians to share what they thought about it.

All four called bullshit.

Here's a round-up of what the respondents told Mic:

Source: Mic

"Using religion as a guise for discrimination undermines the core teaching of Jesus: love of God and neighbor," said Broderick Greer, an Episcopal priest based in Memphis, Tennessee. "It does none of us any good to attribute our hateful impulses to a loving God."

Source: Mic

"An unfortunate but all-too-typical bastardization of Scripture and the very epitome of behavior that Christ criticizes," said Tochi Onyebuchi, a writer and attorney. "If challenged, I doubt the gentleman could point to any particular chapter and verse to buttress his position, and the more terrestrial explanation he gives as follow-up is further evidence that beneath the scaffolding of pretend-religious reasoning is utter cowardice.

"I am not in that man's head and cannot attest to what he saw," he added, "but I'm fairly certain it was no burning bush."

Source: Mic

"Whomever the truck driver heard, it was definitely not God," said Eliel Cruz, a writer, speaker and organizer. "He did not hear the voice of God who in human form healed the sick, fed the hungry, washed the feet of those from different faith and even political backgrounds. His refusal to tow a car over a bumper sticker is his own asinine prejudices. It has nothing to do with Christianity, even if he attempts to mask it as so."

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Source: Mic

"There's a large subset of Christians who believe, radically, in discrimination based on how they interpret the Bible," said Danielle Kwateng-Clark, an editor. "Trump scarily appeals to a lot of these folks because of his hateful rhetorical and guise of the church behind it. For me, this is just another reason why I fear for Trump's nomination and potential win."

Background: The genesis (pardon the pun) of the tow-truck driver's story reaffirms just how messed up the whole ordeal was.

Ken Shupe got a call Monday saying a woman had been involved in a car wreck on I-26 in Asheville, North Carolina. He drove his truck 45 minutes from his office in Traveler's Rest, South Carolina, to meet her. But when he arrived, Shupe saw that 25-year-old Cassy McWade had a Bernie Sanders bumper sticker on her car.

"He goes around back and comes back and says, 'I can't tow you,'" McWade told WLOS. "My first instinct was there must be something wrong with the car, and he says, 'No, you're a Bernie supporter.' And I was like, 'Wait  really?' And he says, 'Yes ma'am,' and just walks away."

McWade is disabled. She has psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and early-stage Crohn's disease, and has a handicap sticker displayed prominently over her dashboard. But that didn't stop Shupe from deciding he didn't want to help her.

Shupe, the driver, is a Trump supporter. He later explained to WLOS that he'd had problems with Bernie supporters paying their bills in the past, and claimed he did not know McWade was disabled  but insisted he wouldn't have towed her car either way.

"I would have pulled forward and sat there with her to make sure she was OK until another wrecker service showed up to get her home safely, but I still would not have towed her car," he said. "I stand by my decision, and I would do it again today if the opportunity presented itself."

So much for spreading the Christian spirit!

Thankfully, not all members of Shupe's faith share his outlook on the world.

h/t Raw Story
By J.R. Wu PINGTUNG, Taiwan (Reuters) - Tsai Ing-wen becomes Taiwan's first woman president this month when her mission will be to convince giant neighbour China her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is not seeking independence, any hint of which could lead to war. Communist Party leaders in Beijing regard fiercely democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province and have not ruled out using force to bring it under China's control. A 591-word clause in the DPP's charter begs to differ. "Based on the principle of national sovereignty, (we) advocate establishing a sovereign and independent 'Republic of Taiwan' and a new constitution that should be decided on by all residents of Taiwan in a referendum," the clause says. DPP seniors say the clause, written in 1991, is defunct - but to delete it would rupture the party and bring out the "splittist", or separatist, forces that China constantly warns against. Tsai's juggling trick is to convince China the DPP is not seeking independence and to keep the party intact. "China's attitude on opposing independence is out of touch with the real situation," said independence advocate Koo Kwang-ming. "They really have no way (how to deal) with Taiwan, so they take what has been stated in the past and repeat, repeat and repeat it." Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to Taiwan after losing the civil war to the Communists in China in 1949. China, formally known as the People's Republic of China, has pressured the new Taiwan government to stick to the "one-China" policy agreed upon with the outgoing China-friendly Nationalist government. The policy allows each side to respectively interpret what it means. The Communists say they rule all of China including Taiwan, while the Nationalists maintain the "Republic of China", Taiwan's formal name, is the ruler. Tsai has said she will maintain the status quo with China under the constitutional order of the "Republic of China". Last month she reiterated her position, saying her policy will be based on democratic principles and transcend party politics. MOVING ON FROM MARTIAL LAW China's top Communist Party newspaper said on Thursday that Taiwan stands at a critical juncture of either accepting Beijing's "one China" principle or taking an unclear stance and refusing to abandon support for Taiwan independence. "The so-called 'maintenance of the status quo' promised by Taiwan's newly elected leader is only empty talk," the People's Daily said. "The responsibility for the consequences caused can only be accepted by the DPP authorities." The independence clause served a purpose in 1991, DPP seniors say. The island had emerged from martial law only in 1987. It was undergoing major governmental reform and its first direct presidential election was still five years away. The DPP tried to freeze the clause in 2014, but no decision was made. "Our goal is not to establish a Republic of Taiwan. It is to be the ruling party," said Ker Chien-ming, one of the first members of the 30-year-old party and its legislative leader. "But to abolish it will cause another dispute. The independence faction will give the party a huge amount of pressure." Activist Lai Chung-chiang said the clause shouldn't be deleted. "It would limit our space in deciding our future," he said at a protest with leaders of the 2014 demonstrations that stalled a trade pact with China and were key in toppling the Nationalists from power. In southern Taiwan's Pingtung County, where Tsai's father was born, it is less about splitting from Communist China than about maintaining a democratic way of life. "Our expectations are for this Taiwan leader who hails from Pingtung to pay more attention to this relatively remote area and prevent the urban-rural imbalances from widening," Pingtung County magistrate Pan Men-an told Reuters. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in March China would never allow the historical tragedy of Taiwan being split from the rest of the country to happen again. Japan ruled Taiwan as a colony for about five decades until the end of World War Two. China's last dynasty, the Qing, had ceded Taiwan to Japan in 1895 after losing the first Sino-Japanese war. Shirley Kan, a retired congressional researcher and long-time Taiwan watcher, said the DPP now had a record to back its case to maintain the status quo, whereas there was no such record in 1991. "The facts are that Taiwan is much more entwined with the People's Republic of China and Taiwan cannot avoid cross-Strait engagement," she said, referring to the stretch of water dividing the two sides. "It is no longer a question of whether to have a cross-Strait relationship, but how to conduct it." (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Nick Macfie)
(The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.)

By Bobbi Rebell

NEW YORK, May 5 (Reuters) - Remember those days when one of a mom's biggest challenges was getting out of a store without buying a toy for a screaming child?

While online shopping may eliminate in-store tears from kids, the Internet is prompting more millennial moms to make expensive online impulse purchases.

According to BabyCenter.com, 53 percent of moms feel overwhelmed trying to create the perfect life for their children. Almost half of those mothers, some 46 percent, have gone into debt as a result.

Just ask 33-year-old Sarah Caplan, the mother of a 23-month old son in New York City. She actively participates in a Facebook moms' group.

"If I see a picture of a kid with a scooter, I'm now going to Google the scooter, and see if it's right for my child," says Caplan.

As creative director at KidsShoes.com, a shoe shopping site, Caplan knows a thing or two about online shopping. But she insists the urge to splurge is not about social pressure or envy - instead she is just exposed to so much more stuff to buy.

In her case, the list includes a second foldable stroller at $300, the aforementioned scooter ($110), a $65 swing, a $35 playmat, plus a lot of $25 to $50 purchases of cute clothes she saw kids wearing in posts on social media. The total cost: more than $500.

DOUBLE THE DIAPERS

For 33-year-old Valerie Ramkhelawan, the financial hit after the arrival of her twins - a boy and a girl - has been a shock to the system.

The delivery of large amounts of baby supplies, including more than 300 diapers and 800 baby wipes every month via Amazon.com, is a huge help.

But Ramkhelawan also has access to the spending patterns of other moms, thanks to the Internet. And that can lead to conspicuous consumption.

"You get the baby nurse, the lactation consultant, the sleep trainer because that is what other good moms are doing," Ramkhelawan says, noting that a baby nurse clocks in at $300 a day.

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KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS

Also driving spending patterns: the photos celebrity moms such as Gisele Bundchen, Beyonce and Kim Kardashian are sharing on Instagram and Twitter.

BabyCenter.com financial contributor Andrea Woroch says this hits millennial moms the most, because they are the biggest users of social media.

"People post the best versions of themselves and then others want to keep up with the e-Joneses on social media," says Woroch.

This results in pressure to take the right vacations as well as elaborate birthday parties and far too many extracurricular activities, experts say.

There is a "fear of missing out" syndrome - and it can drive us to buy more and spend more than we can afford, says Kimberly Palmer, author of "Smart Mom, Rich Mom."

But Palmer also notes that there are benefits to sharing your shopping secrets on social media.

"You might get an idea for a baby product you've never seen that actually helps you out," she says.

That was the experience of Hilary Kiley, a 34-year-old single mom in Charleston, South Carolina. She uses a local Facebook moms' group to swap clothing and discount codes. She recently spent $25 on a bundle of toys for her five-month-old son which she figures has a retail value of at least $175.

"There is camaraderie among mothers that is helping mothers to save," says Kiley. In fact, before she starts a new full-time job soon, Kiley was able to get babysitting gigs from the other moms in her Facebook group.

(Editing by Beth Gladstone, Lauren Young and G Crosse)
By Kenny Katombe LUBUMBASHI, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo opposition leader Moise Katumbi on Thursday denied an accusation by the government that he hired foreign mercenaries, and said he had nothing to fear from an investigation into his conduct or from reports that he might be arrested. His comments come a day after he announced he would run for president of Congo in November, at an election to choose a successor to incumbent Joseph Kabila who is due to step down at the end of his two-term mandate. Tensions are high ahead of the election in part because Kabila has not declared his intentions. Critics say he intends to remain in power after his mandate ends, leading a country that has not had a peaceful transition of power since independence. Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba said authorities had proof Katumbi was involved in recruiting mercenaries including several retired American soldiers. A government spokesman said four of Katumbi's bodyguards were arrested because they were not authorized to work in the country. "I have nothing to fear because I have no mercenaries with me at the house, nor have I recruited any. It's just rumors ... Investigators said they were going to come to my house to search and arrest me. Let them come," Katumbi said. "I maintain my candidacy (for the presidency) and will stay true to my peaceful struggle for the state and the law," he told Reuters. The U.S. Embassy in the capital Kinshasa said on its Facebook page it was deeply concerned about Mwamba's accusations and believed them to be false. It said a U.S. citizen working in Katanga province as a security advisor for a private U.S. company that consults around the world was arrested on April 24, but was unarmed and that allegations he was involved in mercenary activity are false. Katumbi governed Katanga, Congo's southeastern copper-mining heartland, from 2007 until last September when he quit Kabila's ruling party, accusing it of plotting to keep the president in power beyond the two-term limit. More than 40 people were killed in protests in January 2015 over the issue of whether Kabila might try to stay in power beyond his term. Since then, authorities have arrested dozens of critics of Kabila on what the United Nations and human rights groups say are trumped-up charges. (Additional reporting by Aaron Ross, writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg, editing by G Crosse)
Avoid Online Degree Scams

Prospective online learners across most disciplines often have a wide range of choices when it comes to selecting a best-fit online degree program. But experts say they should exercise some caution in the process.

There are certain factors for prospective students to keep in mind when making the decision to ensure that they get what they pay for and that employers and other institutions will accept the degree.

1. Accreditation

Accreditation tells students and potential employers that a legitimate, outside authority has determined the online program or institution meets certain academic standards.

After doing some basic research online, experts say, prospective online learners should ensure the accreditor is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the U.S. Department of Education.

2. Reputation and Name

If an online program steals the name of a prestigious institution and slightly modifies it -- for example, something like "Harvard Technological University" -- he or she should dig deeper.

Determining that the program is part of a reputable academic brand will help ensure that employers see the degree as legitimate, experts say.

3. Student Support

When it comes to student services -- whether it's tech support, libraries or career advisement -- students should expect the same quality as they would receive on a physical campus, experts say.

"Don't go in with the expectation that you're supposed to get less than because it's online," Judith Eaton, president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, told U.S. News in a Google Hangout.

4. Level of Rigor

If a prospective online learner is told he or she can earn a degree quickly and easily -- for instance, with a simple resume review or a few book reports -- this should be a red flag, experts say.

A legitimate program or school will require that students earn a certain number of credits to graduate, Karen Pedersen, then chief knowledge officer for the Online Learning Consortium, told U.S. News.

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5. Graduation Rates

Statistics can tell prospective students a lot about an online program or school, experts say, especially when it comes to results such as degrees conferred.

Low completion rates, for example, might signal that a program doesn't offer strong academic support. Experts suggest doing some research on graduation rates beforehand.

6. Job Prospects

Employment rates are another statistic to keep in mind, experts say.

Low employment might signal weak career services, or lack thereof, or suggest the institution is a diploma mill, giving out degrees that carry little weight with employers due to lack of accreditation or low-quality academics.

7. Cost

In many legitimate online programs, students pay tuition per credit or course, experts say.

If a prospective student comes across any suspicious situation, such as a program asking for a lot of money upfront, he or she should dig a bit deeper, Pedersen, with the OLC, told U.S. News.

8. Credit Transfer Options

For online students, ensuring that credits transfer is essential in case they decide to switch schools. If credits won't transfer out, it may be because other colleges feel that the courses taken don't meet their standards.

Those completing a previous education should also determine whether they can keep credits they already have or if they need to start from scratch.

9. Financial Aid

Prospective students should be wary of pushy financial aid counselors, especially if they pressure them to take out loans -- particularly private loans -- for the program, Anne Johnson, then director of the advocacy group Campus Progress, told U.S. News.

Those who need financial aid should ensure that all of their questions are fully answered before they enroll.

10. Address and Campus

If prospective online students are unable to pinpoint a campus or business address for a program and can only find an email address, they may be right to be suspicious, says one expert.

Some experts also recommend checking whether the program has a traditional campus at all, which can help ensure that the school has a long history, and is reputable with a good brand, Susan Aldridge, president of Drexel University Online, told U.S. News in the Google Hangout.

More on Online Degrees

Find more tips on how to be a strong online degree applicant on the Online Learning Lessons blog, and get our complete rankings of the Best Online Programs.

For additional advice and information on how to navigate online program admissions, connect with U.S. News Education on Twitter and Facebook.

Jordan Friedman is an online education editor at U.S. News. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at jfriedman@usnews.com.


Lyle Denniston, the National Constitution Centers constitutional literacy adviser, looks at the public trust doctrine, an age-old concept about environmental protection, and some recent legal challenges related to it.

A power plant

THE STATEMENTS AT ISSUE:

For the first time, a U.S. court not only recognized the extraordinary harms young people are facing due to climate change, but ordered an agency to do something about it. The state of Washingtons Department of Ecology is now court-ordered to issue a rule that fulfills its constitutional and public trust duty to ensure the state does its part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the planet.

 Statement by Andrea Rodgers, an attorney for the Western Environmental Law Center, commenting on a decision April 29 by a state trial court judge in Seattle ordering state officials to draft a greenhouse gas emissions-reduction rule by the end of the year. The case is part of a broad legal crusade, led by Our Childrens Trust, an Oregon-based non-profit advocacy group seeking a legal right to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate for youths and future generations.

At this stage of the proceedings, the court cannot say that the public trust doctrine does not provide at least some substantive due process protections for some plaintiffs within the navigable water areas of Oregon. Accordingly, the court should not dismiss any claims under the public trust doctrine to that extent. The nascent nature of these proceedings dictate further development of the record before the court can adjudicate whether [this case] should not survive for trial.

 Excerpt from an April 8 ruling by a U.S. magistrate judge in Eugene, Ore., Thomas M. Coffin, in a recommendation that a federal District Court reject the federal governments plea to dismiss a lawsuit by youths between 8 and 19 years old claiming personal harm to themselves from excessive carbon emissions.

WE CHECKED THE CONSTITUTION, AND

The idea that governments have a duty to protect natural resources for the good of their people  the so-called public trust doctrine  dates back before the U.S. Constitution, probably originating with the Roman emperor, Justinian, in the Fifth Century. It developed into English common law, and through that, became a part of law in the American colonies, and then in the state governments.

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Although there is no specific federal law that specifically recognizes the doctrine, a number of federal agencies have taken steps to demonstrate the obligation they feel to protect the environment on behalf of public health and safety.

The Supreme Court has yet to spell out where, if anywhere, the doctrine might be found in the Constitution. The federal government and industries that would be affected by applying a strong version of the doctrine to compel explicit action to protect the environment are relying on three separate actions by the Supreme Court that, they argue, undermine public trust claims.

First, they note that the Justices in late 2014 refused even to review lower court decisions that had dismissed, as beyond federal court authority, the very type of public trust lawsuit that an advocacy group, Our Childrens Trust, has been pursuing across the country  a case filed on behalf of teenagers. The Justices denied review of that case without any explanation.

Second, the doctrines challengers cite a 2012 case involving protection of state waters, with the Supreme Court remarking that it would not explore the constitutional dimensions of the public trust theory, but suggesting that it was controlled by state, not federal, law.

Third, they rely on a 2011 decision involving an attempt to use a common law theory about stopping a public nuisance to prevent emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants, with the Supreme Court ruling that such claims were displaced by a federal statute, the Clean Air Act.

However, the advocates of the doctrine, especially Our Childrens Trust, have not grown discouraged by those developments, and continue this childrens crusade in a number of state courts, in a federal case in Oregon and, even, in supporting lawsuits on the same theme in ten foreign countries.

And, lately, the advocates have been making some modest progress in court, both at the state and federal law. Just last week, they scored a major victory in a state court in Seattle, and earlier this year, they persuaded the highest state court in Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court, to take up the dispute without waiting for it to work its way through lower appeals levels.

If, in fact, the Supreme Court has left at least an implicit suggestion that the public trust doctrine is, mainly, a matter for the states, those two developments were at least modest breakthroughs at the state level.

But a federal magistrate judge, in a preliminary ruling a month ago in an Oregon case pursued by Our Childrens Trust, along with environmental protection groups, has kept that case alive over vigorous objections by the federal government and private fuel and energy industries.

In the constitutional claims in the Oregon case, the advocates have cited a broad array of provisions, some but not all of which are related to the public trust doctrine. One claim relies directly on that doctrine, and the magistrate judge allowed that to proceed further, under both the open-ended protection of unenumerated rights under the Ninth Amendment, and due process and equal protection principles under the Fifth Amendment.

But the lawsuit also has claims under constitutional grants of authority to Congress and to the Executive Branch, under the Preambles words securing liberties to ourselves and our Posterity, and even under the Constitutions denial of federal authority banning titles of nobility. That last point is based on the theory that the public trust doctrine does not allow government officials to give away the gift of natural resources to exploitation by private industry.

Some of these, perhaps obviously, are long-shot claims. What they illustrate, though, is that the advocates of the public trust concept are pushing the creative talents of their lawyers close to the limits of their imagination, as advocacy organizations often do. That has the prospect of widening the scope of judicial review, with the hope that at least some of the claims will survive to a decision.

Another facet of the preliminary victory these groups have won in the federal case in Oregon is that the magistrate judge recommended a rejection of the challengers arguments that the children involve have no constitutional right to be protected against carbon emissions, and that they cannot show that they, personally, are experiencing any injury that would not be a common grievance of the people at large  a generalized claim not within federal court jurisdiction.

Whatever its ultimate promise as a constitutional matter, the childrens crusade for their environmental future goes on with vigor and high hopes.

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BEDMINSTER, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / May 5, 2016 / CorMedix Inc. (NYSE MKT: CRMD), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory disease, announced today publication of a clinical abstract highlighting key data from the Company's landmark post-approval surveillance study of Neutrolin. The abstract, titled, "A Novel Taurolidine Containing Catheter Lock Solution (CLS) Without Reported Antimicrobial Resistance, Reduces the Rates of Infection And Thrombosis in Hemodialysis Patients Enrolled In a Post-Approval Surveillance Study," is now available online in advance of CorMedix's poster presentation at the 1st Gulf Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, to be held May 4-7, 2016, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Randy Milby, CorMedix CEO, said, "Bloodstream infections remain a primary concern for hospitals worldwide, given the number of patients with indwelling venous catheters required for vascular access in various settings including hemodialysis, oncology, critical care, parenteral nutrition, IV hydration and/or IV medications. This global need is reflected in the strong interest we're seeing among healthcare professionals who want to know more about Neutrolin's real world clinical performance in preventing catheter-related infections and thrombosis since receiving CE Marking in mid-2013. As we pursue U.S. FDA approval in our current Phase 3 clinical program, we will continue to seek to leverage key opportunities to highlight the clinical utility and value of Neutrolin for the global medical community, based on our positive clinical experience in Europe."

Christoph Wanner, M.D., Lead Author and Professor of Medicine, Head of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Scientific director, Clinical Trial Unit, at University Hospital of Wurzburg, stated, "I am excited to share the findings of this post-approval surveillance study with this focused audience of infectious disease experts. Having generated further clinical evidence that Neutrolin, a non-antibiotic anti-microbial with no known resistance, appears to be a valuable clinical tool in the fight against costly and potentially life-threatening catheter-related bloodstream infections, I look forward to future results of the current Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of Neutrolin in hemodialysis patients."

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In the study, Dr. Wanner evaluated the use of Neutrolin, CorMedix's CE Marked anti-infective solution for the prevention of catheter-related blood infections (CRBSIs) and thrombosis, which are the major complications observed in patients undergoing hemodialysis with indwelling central venous catheters. Under the study, 199 hemodialysis patients at 19 hemodialysis centers in Germany were enrolled in the ongoing N eutrolin U se M onitoring P rogram (NUMP), representing 14,945 dialysis sessions over a 21-month period, for a total of 34,872 hemodialysis catheter days. These data demonstrated that use of Neutrolin is associated with 96.0% reduction in the rate of CRBSI and 96.6% reduction in thrombosis compared to published historical benchmarks of 3.5 CRBSIs and 2-3 episodes of thrombosis per 1,000 catheter days.

About CorMedix Inc.

CorMedix Inc. is an emerging commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company that initiated a Phase 3 clinical study of a novel anti-infective solution Neutrolin in hemodialysis patients in the United States in December 2015. The Company seeks to in-license, develop and commercialize therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases. CorMedix's first commercial product in Europe is Neutrolin, a catheter lock solution for the prevention of catheter related bloodstream infections and maintenance of catheter patency in tunneled, cuffed, central venous catheters used for vascular access in hemodialysis patients, in addition to oncology patients, critical care patients, and patients receiving total parenteral nutrition, IV hydration, and/or IV medications. The FDA has granted Fast Track status to Neutrolin Catheter Lock Solution and also has designated Neutrolin as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product for oncology, hemodialysis, and critical care/intensive care patients, where catheter-related blood stream infections and clotting can be life-threatening. The initial and planned indications aim to address significant needs in catheter-based treatments in the U.S. and the rest of the world. For more information visit: www.cormedix.com.

For Investors & Media:

Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.

Joshua Drumm, Ph.D.: jdrumm@tiberend.com; (212) 375-2664

Janine McCargo: jmccargo@tiberend.com; (646) 604-5150

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, regarding management's expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or CorMedix's prospects, future financial position, financing plans, future revenues and projected costs should be considered forward-looking. Readers are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from projections or estimates due to a variety of important factors, including: the results of studies regarding Neutrolin conducted by us and others; the cost, timing and results of the planned Phase 3 trials for Neutrolin in the U.S.; obtaining regulatory approvals to conduct clinical trials and to commercialize CorMedix's product candidates, including marketing of Neutrolin in countries other than Europe; obtaining additional financing to support CorMedix's research and development and clinical activities and operations; the risks associated with the launch of Neutrolin in new markets; CorMedix's ability to enter into, execute upon and maintain collaborations with third parties for its development and marketing programs; CorMedix's ability to maintain its listing on the NYSE MKT; the risks and uncertainties associated with CorMedix's ability to manage its limited cash resources; the outcome of clinical trials of CorMedix's product candidates and whether they demonstrate these candidates' safety and effectiveness; CorMedix's ability to identify and enter into strategic transactions; CorMedix's dependence on its collaborations and its license relationships; achieving milestones under CorMedix's collaborations; CorMedix's dependence on preclinical and clinical investigators, preclinical and clinical research organizations, manufacturers, sales and marketing organizations, and consultants; and protecting the intellectual property developed by or licensed to CorMedix. These and other risks are described in greater detail in CorMedix's filings with the SEC, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from CorMedix. CorMedix may not actually achieve the goals or plans described in its forward-looking statements, and investors should not place undue reliance on these statements. CorMedix assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

SOURCE: CorMedix Inc.
From Cosmopolitan

On Tuesday, Chanel hosted it's very first cruise 2017 fashion show in Havana, Cuba. Karl Lagerfeld's models strutted down a leafy runway to live Cuban music debuting millions of dollars worth of merchandise.

Cubans criticized the luxury brand for showcasing its pieces in a country where according to NPR, the average person makes less than $25 a month.

Cuban blogger and journalist Yoani Sanchez reported that for the past few days, in preparation for the show, Cuban police had been clearing the homeless seeking refuge in Havana Square, where the fashion show took place.

"#Cuba: Police evicted beggars of Cathedral Square to prepare the place for the Chanel parade," she wrote.

The Panama Post also reported that police were clearing homeless people from the area before Chanel's models and guests arrived.

Racked reported that apparently this isn't the first time the Cuban government has done this. According to the U.K.'s Daily Express, when the Pope visited Cuba last year, thousands of mentally ill and homeless people were kicked off of the streets and some were even jailed prior to his visit.

Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel's president of fashion, told Reuters that there was a time when the brand wasn't even sure if the show could happen in Cuba, but authorities were "very welcoming and helpful" so it worked out.

Former President Fidel Castro's grandson, Tony Castro, an aspiring model, actually got to walk in the show, which raised some eyebrows.

"It is an honor for all Cubans for this big event to take place here," 17-year-old Castro told Reuters.

While some Cubans took offense to the show being held in their community where many of them couldn't even dream of ever affording one of Chanel's pieces, it inspired others.

"Just because I can't afford it doesn't mean I want to deny others that luxury," Marilia Veliz told Reuters. "And who knows, maybe one day. It's important to dream."

Story continues

Watch this video to see how workers in Cuba prepped for the show.

Get non-boring fashion and beauty news directly in your feed. Follow Facebook.com/CosmoBeauty.

Follow Maya on Instagram and Twitter.
Sao Paulo (AFP) - Eduardo Cunha led the battle to impeach Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, but just days before her likely suspension, the powerful lower house speaker has suffered the same fate.

For months Cunha executed an expert balancing act, fending off corruption charges against him in the Petrobras scandal engulfing Brazil while wielding the threat of impeachment over Rousseff's head.

But now that the lower house has voted to impeach Rousseff -- likely to be suspended from office next week when the Senate opens the impeachment trial -- Cunha is taking a fall himself.

Cunha, 57, is facing trial before the Supreme Court, accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes as part of a massive embezzlement scandal at state oil company Petrobras, as well as hiding money in Swiss accounts.

Until now he had dodged that bullet. But early Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavaski suspended Cunha, citing obstruction of justice "to prevent the success of investigations against him."

With that ruling, the justice succeeded where Rousseff had desperately tried -- and failed.

The government had long maneuvered to stop Cunha from launching impeachment petitions lodged in Congress by Rousseff's foes and for a while he seemed ready to play along.

Cunha explained his balancing act crisply -- and perhaps prophetically: "If I bring down Dilma, then the next day you will bring down me," he was quoted as telling Congressional foes of his own.

But in reality he was playing both sides.

"He was unpredictable because he was picking what strategy to use to survive," said Carlos Pereira, an analyst at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.

Until July last year, he was an ostensible ally of Rousseff, as a high-ranking member of the PMDB party, which was then in coalition with the president's Workers' Party.

Then he stormed out, declaring himself in opposition, followed by the whole party this March, leaving Rousseff without one of her main coalition partners just as she faced her impeachment battle.

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Cunha then revealed himself as the mastermind of the impeachment drive, working every legislative trick to put Rousseff at a disadvantage and to get the lower house approval for the measure. Eventually the house voted overwhelmingly to send Rousseff to the Senate for trial.

- Evangelical lobby -

The PMDB is a centrist party that has been part of every government coalition since the end of the Brazilian military dictatorship in 1985.

Cunha has carved out a profile with the growing Evangelical Christian wing in Congress, promoting conservative a social agenda that includes a "Heterosexual Pride Day" and restrictions on abortion. He has been reported to own no less than 150 Internet domains using the name "Jesus."

In the capital he is considered one of the best wheelers and dealers, building a considerable support base including among the powerful agriculture lobby, fellow Evangelicals and the so-called "bullet caucus," made up of politicians with security forces connections.

More than once Cunha has been called Brazil's answer to Frank Underwood, the scheming character at the center of the dark Netflix political series "House of Cards."

But Cunha is not flattered. The fictional US president "is a thief, a homosexual and a murderer," he said. "And I'm not."
Tim Cook

Apple is building a new $5 billion campus in Cupertino, California, and is the largest employer in the city. So you'd expect Cupertino's mayor, Barry Chang, to have a close relationship with the company.

But the two are barely on speaking terms, according to a report by Nellie Bowles in The Guardian.

In fact, when Chang last decided to pay an impromptu visit to Apple's campus, while he was a city-council member, before he was mayor, security escorted him off campus. "They said, 'You cannot come in  you're not invited,'" Chang told The Guardian.

The city council these days usually votes with Apple, because, as Chang said, "Apple talks to them, and they won't vote against Apple." Chang links Apple's reluctance to work with him to taxes: He wants Apple to pay more, supporting a bill to levy $100 million from Apple to improve infrastructure that was voted down.

According to the most recent statistics cited by Bowles, Apple paid $9.2 million in taxes to Cupertino from 2012 to 2013. In the 2012 fiscal year, Apple made $156.5 billion in sales. Cupertino gives Apple an annual tax break on business-to-business sales that started in 1997, when Apple was on the verge of collapse.

In the meantime Apple is not willing to pay a dime. Theyre making profit, and they should share the responsibility for our city, but they wont. They abuse us, Chang told The Guardian.

But Chang's decision to speak out is the latest sign that residents in Silicon Valley, where Apple is rapidly expanding  its parking lots are overflowing, according to The New York Times  may want the tech giant to be a better neighbor.

Apple has not commented on Mayor Chang's comments.

'We pay taxes'

Road closures

There's no doubt that Apple's considerable employee footprint puts stresses on Santa Clara County infrastructure.

Traffic around Apple's giant "spaceship" construction project can get hairy at times, and Cupertino has a continually updated webpage with details about road closings and traffic for that project, specifically.

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Apple's burgeoning and secretive car project has neighbors complaining about loud noises in neighboring Sunnyvale.

Apple's penchant for secrecy can also be at odds with government policies that emphasize transparency. California assemblyman Evan Low, who represents Cupertino and surrounding cities, organized a technology caucus trip to Apple last month to discuss "key issues." A Low representative told me that Apple PR had told her that she could not name the Apple employees whom elected officials met with.

Apple's $5 billion campus is expected to be completed later this year, with Apple employees moving in next year.

When Steve Jobs, then Apple's CEO, revealed the project in 2011, a city-council member pressed Jobs on what benefits Apple's construction project could provide the community, like the free public Wi-Fi network Google has implemented near some of its campuses.

Jobs threatened to move the project to neighboring Mountain View.

"I'm a simpleton. I've always had this view that we pay taxes, and the city should do those things," Jobs said. "I think we bring a lot more [to Cupertino] than free Wi-Fi."

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Jamiel Shaw Sr., whose son was murdered by an illegal immigrant, is rejoicing now that Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee.

I remember when we heard that Cruz had dropped out and Trump was going to be the presumptive nominee, I remember raising my hand in the air and telling my son, we did it man, you know, we are half way there. This is all for you, he told the FOX Business Networks Sandra Smith.

In February, former Mexican President Vicente Fox criticized the GOP frontrunner on the FOX Business Network over his plan to build a wall to keep illegal immigrants out of the U.S., but is now apologizing.

I think its very important to invite Donald Trump to come to Mexico and to learn about the real Mexico that is I would think probably different, he told Fox Newss Bill OReilly.

Shaw responded, they want him [Trump] to come to try to get him to do something, almost like deceptive. They want him to believe that this is how we really are, everything thats happening in America, thats not who we really are. But we know it is  it happened to my son.

Shaws sons killer was released from prison a day before the shooting without immigration authorities putting a hold on him.

Meanwhile, many critical opponents have called Donald Trump racist over his stance on immigration.

Trump doesnt want people to be shot dead in the street by anybody, especially by somebody from another country, it is unacceptable, and to call [this] racist  its just like putting a stop sign in front of you. But you know, we just go around the stop sign, Shaw said.

New reports of a Donald Trump presidency have immigrants across the nation rushing to apply for U.S. citizenship.

According to Donald Trump no matter what happens, they are going to be deported, they are going to build a wallthey are going to start going after these gangs, the criminals in the jails, so thats just one little step, but thats not going to stop [anything]. This is a big picture, its bigger than me, its bigger than my son. My son is dead. Im doing this for everybody else, he said.

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And heres the deal on the commercial property market.

Construction of the first phase of the Tuas Terminal project officially started, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan, launched the first caisson to commemorate the launch. Read more here.

HDB flat owners who want to relinquish their ownership in favour of another family member are no longer permitted to do so, except on certain grounds, reported The Straits Times. Under the new rules which came into force last month, transfer of ownership is only allowed for divorce, marriage, medical reasons, death of an owner, financial hardship and renunciation of citizenship, said an HDB spokeswoman. Find out more here.

Rental demand for commercial property in Singapore has declined at its fastest pace in Q1 2016 since the financial crisis in 2009, according to the latest report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Amidst the city-states sluggish economy and growing supply of available space, the appetite for retail, industrial and office premises fell sharply last quarter for both tenants and investors. Read more here.







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Star Wars: The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley paid tribute to NASAs first female launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson in a video published on Wednesday, May 4. Ridley described NASAs female employees as heroic and said they continually inspire girls to enter the space programme.

Spaceflight engineer Blackwell-Thompson will be the first woman to oversee a NASA liftoff and launch and will also be the launch director for the Space Launch System, a rocket designed to carry astronauts into deep space and potentially Mars. Credit: YouTube/NASA
As a full time cast member on Lifetime's Dance Moms, 12-year old JoJo Siwa has seen her share of negativity on social media -- and she's had enough.

"I never really had experienced hate in school with girls and boys. What I do experience is social media and so every day people comment, 'You're fat, you're ugly, you're rude, you're all this stuff, and I just don't like it at all," she told Billboard. "I don't want anyone to have to go through that."

Siwa chose to address the issue with the release of a new song, "Boomerang." It gets its official release Friday on iTunes, but Billboard has an exclusive first listen premiere today (May 5).

'Dance Moms' Stars Nia and Kendall Vying for the Pop Spotlight

"'Boomerang' is all about coming back from the hate and not listening to the hate," she said. "It really tells a message."

The track is an upbeat, inspiring song that shows off the preteen's rapping and singing skills set to a fun and sparkling dance beat. On it, she sings, "I don't really care about what they say / Ima come back like a Boomerang."

Listen to the song here:

Siwa began work on the song last winter with songwriters Jordan Richman, Griffith Frank and Heather Miley. The song -- produced by Richman and co-produced by Miley -- came together quickly in the studio, Richman told Billboard.

"She knows exactly who she is and exactly what she wants to say. Almost every time she opens her mouth, she says something really insightful," he said. "We were all so impressed with her maturity and attitude and how much she brought to the table when we were creating the song with her."

While her previous single, "I Can Make You Dance," was a call to the dance floor, her latest effort takes on the serious subject of online bullying. The result is an inspirational message that Richman said shows how to overcome bullying, be inclusive and find a solution.

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"It really spoke to the heart of what we believe and what JoJo believes. When JoJo came into the studio, that was one of the main topic points and one of her main experiences she's had," Richman said. "Since she's only 12, we kind of found it's best to write from your own experiences and to her that's what she wanted to say. And that's what we helped her to say in the studio."

Maddie Ziegler & Mackenzie Ziegler Discuss "Chandelier," "Dance Moms" & More

Siwa said working with all three songwriters helped to bring her ideas to life.

"They are the best team ever," she said. "It was so fun working with them because they really got me and they got where I was coming from and they were really helpful."

Frank said he was impressed with the pre-teen's focus in the studio.

"She was right there along with us absolutely keeping up. She really knew everything she wanted to say and how she wanted to say it in a way that would connect to her audience," he added. "It was really a fantastic show of someone who has a strong foothold in what they want to say. And JoJo isn't a normal 12-year-old when it comes down to it. She's right there with you every moment and almost has a better handle than most co-writers that we write with who are our age. She's pretty much 12-going-on-30."

That work ethic came early in life. Born in Nebraska, Siwa first started dancing in her mom, Jessalynn's, dance studio. While most kids wait until they are eight to get their first dance solo, Siwa hit the stage early at the tender age of two with an adorable routine to "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now" from the musical Hairspray. She debuted on Lifetime as the youngest competitor on Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition in its second season and joined Dance Moms in 2014.

"I really have been dancing my whole life," she said.

Exclusive Premiere: 'Dance Moms' Star Mack Z's 'Christmas All Year Long

She plans to incorporate that love of dance into her blossoming pop career. She draws inspiration from artists that range from Britney Spears to Meghan Trainor to her personal favorite, Miley Cyrus.

"I like her songs and her music and I like how she is an individual," Siwa said.

It is Siwa's own sense of self that Richman says will serve her well. "She has a really good head on her shoulders," he said.

Now living with her mom in Los Angeles, Siwa's day is scheduled starting with school from 8 a.m. through to 11 p.m. After an hour lunch break, she films the show until 4, before dancing at the studio until 10:30 p.m. Sometimes her schedule is so crazy she has to pass on opportunities. For instance: She was invited to make an appearance at the Radio Disney Awards, but had to decline because her presence was required in an upcoming episode.

"It's a lot, but the show helps because it schedules us," she said. "It's a long day, but hard work pays off."

Siwa isn't the first cast member of Dance Moms to release music. Last year, Nia Frazier released the singles, Star in Your Own Life" and "Slay" (as Nia Sioux) while Kendall Vertes (as Kendall K) debuted the song, "Wear 'Em Out." In 2014, Mackenzie Ziegler released her own album, Mack Z. And, of course, Maddie Ziegler has been prominently featured as a dancer in Sia's videos.

While Siwa has the blessing of Abby Lee Miller, owner and teacher of the Abby Lee Dance Company and star of Dance Moms, the choreographer is not managing or involved in the singing aspect of her career.

Sia Taps 'Dance Moms' Star For 'Chandelier' Video: Watch

"Of course she is happy for me that I am doing all of this," she said.

The next month is going to be busy for the young entertainer. In addition to her music career, she is venturing into the world of fashion with her own accessory line of her signature bows debuting in Claire's stores.

Fans of Dance Moms will also get a treat after the finale: the video for "Boomerang" (featuring her mom, as well as Vertes and her mom, Jill) will debut on its Girl Talk show May 17. In addition, the song will have its radio premiere this Monday (May 9) on Radio Disney.
Nearly two decades after trading his hedge funds first stock, Greenlight Capital founder David Einhorn has set his sights on some of the biggest American companies. Both of his top investment ideas--one stock that he is investing in and another that he is betting against--are in the top echelon of the Fortune 500, Einhorn said in a presentation at the Sohn Investment Conference on Wednesday.

He began with announcing that he is betting against Caterpillar , No. 54 on the Fortune 500. Thats not entirely a surprise. Back in February, Einhorn suggested he was shorting heavily equipment manufactures, but didnt say which ones. The bet against Caterpillar was driven by his views that its target markets are either suffering or dying. The mining industry, for one, has yet to hit bottom after the collapse in natural resource prices in the last few years, while global coal usage is likely to decline forever, Einhorn said.

On the flip side, Einhorn was bullish on General Motors , No. 6 on the Fortune 500, saying the car manufacturer and its shareholders neednt worry much about competition from ride-sharing companies like Uber--fears that have been a drag on the stock.

Caterpillars stock price fell nearly 3% during trading on Wednesday but dropped another 1% after-hours following Einhorns presentation. GMs shares, which had fallen 2% during the day, rose by more than 1% in after-market trading.

Here are Einhorns key arguments about each stock:

On Caterpillar: Caterpillars shares currently trade at $74, but Einhorn thinks they will be worth less than half of that price in 2018, when he expects the stock to hit bottom. Its earnings will plummet as demand for its bulldozers, heavy trucks, and other commodity production equipment will keep shrinking as the mining industry continues to slide, Einhorn said. And coal, which is Caterpillars most profitable market in the U.S., according to Einhorn, is in even worse shape: We don't see a return of large scale capital investment in U.S. coal mining, maybe ever, he said.

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On GM: Investors are concerned that Uber and similar ride-sharing services will make Americans never want to buy cars again, which has caused GMs shares to trade at just five times earnings--an absurdly cheap valuation given its a fraction of the S&P 500 average. But Einhorn said the concerns are overblown, a sign of Wall Street being Wall Street. People who predict this tend to work in tall buildings, where its easy to order an Uber on your phone to pick you up in a few minutes, Einhorn said. We don't think ride-sharing will have a material impact on auto sales for many years, if ever.

While Caterpillars shares are trading at a much higher valuation than GM of 22 times earnings, Einhorn said he thinks the stocks should eventually trade places when the market comes to its senses. Pointing to a cartoon caption in his slide presentation, he said, You've got the damn thing inside out.

See original article on Fortune.com

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Justin Simien's critically acclaimed indie sociopolitical dramedy Dear White People is being adapted into a 10-episode Netflix series. According to Variety, Simien is working with the streaming service for the TV adaptation and will be a writer for all 10 episodes, as well as the director for the pilot.

Debuting in 2014, Simien's Dear White People was a critical success, praised for its prevalent discussions of race and society. It is set in a fictitious predominantly white Ivy League school and the tensions between the school's white students and black students reaches a boiling point when the college president's white son hosts a blackface-themed party. The premise, in the guise of satire in "post-racial America," was executed deftly.

"Dear White People isn't a vehicle for grievance but cockeyed, even optimistic, portrait of people forced to navigate, resist and sometimes exploit an irrational system of unearned privilege," Ann Hornaday wrote in a 2014 Washington Post review. "It's true that satire is the perfect weapon of reason, and Justin Simien deploys it with resourcefulness, cool assurance and eagle-eyed aim."

The half-hour comedy series will begin production later this year, with an expected release date in 2017.

"During the film's release, I had the pleasure to speak with hundreds of students and faculty across a variety of college campuses dealing with these very issues in real time," Simien said, according to Variety. "I'm so grateful to have this platform  not only to give a voice to those too often unheard in our culture, but to also tell great stories from new points of views."

You can check out the trailer for the original Dear White People film below.

h/t Variety
Image via Harvest Records

Image via Harvest Records

Sacramentos Death Grips will be releasing their fifth studio album, Bottomless Pit, tomorrow (May 6). As with each of their albums beforehand, the experimental trio couldnt go without another surprise or two, launching a hotline for fans the day before its release. Tweeting from their @bbpoltergiest account, Death Grips revealed a phone number, 1-844-278-7255, telling those brave enough to call to press 1 for trash.

Trash is one of the songs from Bottomless Pit, and the only way to listen to the song before its release as part of Bottomless Pit tomorrow is to call up the hotline. Pitchfork reports that when you call up the hotline, youll immediately be welcomed to the Caged pillow feelings network. The hotline offers listeners opportunity to press one to hear Trash, press two to hear a creepy radio broadcast that features the American national anthem, or press three to leave a message.

Pressing four unprompted plays a woman telling listeners how to touch the world of caged pillows. The message continues, saying, You just have to look in the right light We will guide you through the process step by step over the next few days. The feelings network is a living breathing object and changes day to day, so you might want to save this number to your contacts. Apparently an Instagram will share updates, but its unclear whether this is actually true or what Instagram will even be sharing these apparent updates.

Itll be interesting to see how this all pans out, especially considering how rabid Death Grips fanbase can be at times. Heres hoping those fan messages are put to good use somehow. Look out for Death Grips new album Bottomless Pit when it drops tomorrow.

The post Death Grips Share New Song Through Caged Pillow Feelings Network Hotline appeared first on Pigeons & Planes.

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Disney Channel star Sofia Carson has been named Radio Disneys Next Big Thing on the heels of her signing with Disneys Hollywood Records, TheWrap has learned.

As an NBT, she will be featured in Radio Disneys popular multi-platform program that champions young recording artists, showcasing their developing career and personal journey as they pursue their musical dreams.

The show will follow Carson in a series of videos on her journey launching her music career. Past NBTs include Fifth Harmony, Shawn Mendes and Kelsea Ballerini.

Also Read: Disney's 'Descendants' Casts Newcomer Sofia Carson as Evil Queen's Daughter (Exclusive)

Carson released her first single, Love Is the Name, in April and recently performed it on the Radio Disney Music Awards.

She is best known for her role as Evie in Disney Channels Descendants, which has been greenlit for a sequel, and will soon be seen in the cable networks Adventures in Babysitting, a modern reboot of the classic 1980s comedy, starring opposite Girl Meets World actress Sabrina Carpenter.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Disney Channel Star Debby Ryan Apologizes for DUI: 'I am so Sorry to Disappoint Everyone'

Dish's Sling TV Pits Fox vs. Disney Channels in Confusing New Offering

'High School Musical 4' in the Works at Disney Channel
Developersin can now offer universal app development across the two biggest platforms, Android and iOS, guaranteeing maximum market penetration for businesses



LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / ACCESSWIRE / May 5, 2016 / Apps are a huge potential market, and the digital world is awash with news of the latest breakout success, with businesses transitioning their customers to app usage and in doing so, reaping the rewards. Apps enable businesses to contact customers directly through their phones, serve as a constant reminder of the brand to customers, and make offering support, products and special offers easier than ever. Developersin specialize in Android app development, and has now added iOS development to their services, effectively doubling the market penetration businesses can expect from apps developed by their specialized team.

Developersin enable businesses to effectively and economically outsource their app development needs. Their dedicated team of app developers are passionate about understanding businesses in terms of both the challenges and opportunities they face, then creating an app that will maximize utility to customers.

The new iOS app development services mean that businesses can float an app on either Apple or Android products in order to test the response before covering both platforms, or simply make their app available to 90% of phone users simultaneously. The development team has worked tirelessly to upskill in iOS app development to ensure they are now the most competitive developer in the marketplace.

A spokesperson for Developersin explained, "We are thrilled to be able to announce our new iOS app development capabilities. Having specialized in Android app development and seen how our products can revolutionize business results on behalf of clients, we had to double down and ensure we could make our apps universally accessible to smartphone users. The iOS market is doubtless the most passionate about technological advancements, and as such is the ideal platform for businesses to push bold new initiatives and ways of working. We are excited about what this will mean both for our business and for our clients throughout the rest of 2016."

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About Developersin: Developersin is a professional Mobile App Development Company, ready to take businesses into the future of online business practice. Their skilled app developers are ready to meet every need to the highest standards. Their passionate team dedicates itself to the development of outstanding iOS applications that will help companies improve retention, customer lifetime value and engagement, guaranteeing outstanding ROI.

For more information about us, please visit http://developersin.co.uk/

Contact Info:

Name: Alexey Galaktionov

Email: info@developersin.co.uk

Organization: Developers in United Kingdom

Phone: +442036086593

SOURCE: Developersin
Authorities described a grisly crime scene: 18-year-old Holli Jeffcoat's bloody body on the floor, her throat slit and uterus removed. She lay dead as her childhood home was engulfed in flames.



In March, authorities arrested Holli's stepfather, James Holland, 39, for allegedly continuously sexually abusing Holli and her 15-year-old sister over a period of years  starting when Holli was 12 and her sister was 9.



Last Friday, authorities arrested Holli's mother, Debi Bryant Holland, 38, for allegedly allowing her husband to abuse the girls. Authorities believe James allegedly raped his stepdaughters two to five times a week during the last two to three years.



Neither parent has been charged in the death of Holli, but the warrant alleges that James removed her uterus to cover up the fact that he had impregnated her. Authorities believe the house was burned to cover up the manner of Holli's death.



An arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE alleges that Holli was developmentally disabled and had the mental age of the six or seven year old.



In January, Holli allegedly told school personnel that she was afraid of going home because she didn't want to have sex with her stepfather. "The sex hurt," the warrant states. "It also hurt when Holli ran in PE because she could feel her baby move."



 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.





Developmentally Disabled Teen Found Dead with Uterus Removed After Accusing Stepfather of Raping and Impregnating Her| Child Abuse, Crime & Courts, Sexual Abuse, True Crime

Authorities believe Debi knew about the alleged abuse and told her daughters not tell anyone because James paid rent and they needed the money. She also allegedly told Holli she did not want her to have James's baby, and that James would abort the baby with a coat hanger.



Officials allegedly discovered Internet searches on Debi's email address for incest porn mostly involving stepfathers and stepdaughters, the warrant states.



Knowledge of Holli's alleged abuse can be dated back to 2008 when she was a passenger in a car accident, when she was 10. Blood tests revealed she had a sexually transmitted disease and had suffered injuries consistent with vaginal penetration. Doctors informed Debi of her daughter's STD and injuries but no chargers were filed.



Debi is being held on a $500,000 bond while James is being held in lieu of a $2 million bond.



Neither of the accused has entered a plea, a Lubbock County courts official tells PEOPLE. Calls to their lawyer, Matt Morrow, were not returned as of press time.
Anti-establishment Philippine politician Rodrigo Duterte's rollicking ride to presidential favouritism has triggered warnings of a coup should he win next week's election, with opponents branding him a dictator in the making.

The Philippines has endured a tumultuous democracy since millions of people took to the streets to overthrow dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, with a succession of leaders having to quell military unrest and one president ousted in another uprising.

Duterte is enjoying a double-digit lead over his rivals ahead of Monday's presidential election, but he has created enemies with vows to embrace communist rebels and threats to abolish Congress or create a revolutionary government that could rewrite the constitution.

"The moment he tries to declare a revolutionary government, that is also going to be the day he will be removed from office," Senator Antonio Trillanes, a former navy officer famous for leading failed military uprisings in 2003 and 2007, told AFP on Wednesday.

"This guy has no respect for democratic institutions."

Trillanes said some in the military were "strongly averse" to Duterte's long-standing ties with communists, and that the reaction "could be violent."

Communists in the Philippines are waging one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies, with tens of thousands killed since the rebellion began in 1969. Dozens still die each year as the communists retain support among the poor.

Duterte has ruled the major southern city of Davao, which was one of the communist hotspots, as mayor for most of the past two decades, ending violence there by forging close ties with the rebels.

He has vowed to offer communist leaders posts in his government.

He has also raised deep fears about the rule of law under his presidency, promising to kill tens of thousands of criminals and pardon himself for mass murder.

On some occasions while campaigning Duterte has boasted about wanting to set up a dictatorship, and praised Marcos, but other times said the opposite.

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- Dictatorship fears -

President Benigno Aquino, who is limited by the constitution to a single term of six years, has spoken out repeatedly in recent weeks about his concerns that Duterte could turn into a dictator.

"Now that we are free, people who act like dictators are the ones in the lead," Aquino said on Wednesday, as he warned the gains of democracy were in jeopardy.

Senator Grace Poe, tied in second place with administration candidate Mar Roxas about 10 percentage points behind Duterte, on Thursday joined the growing chorus.

"His own words are a preview of what will happen to our country. If you visit a dictatorship like North Korea, everything looks well. But many are hungry and too terrified to complain," Poe told reporters.

Ashley Acedillo, another coup plotter-turned-lawmaker, told AFP that a "military intervention" was likely under a Duterte presidency.

"The armed forces will stand true to its constitutional duty to protect the people and the state," he said.

The ex-coup plotter's warnings are not bluster, according to Manila-based security analyst Rommel Banlaoi.

"We will face a Duterte government that is very unstable," Banlaoi told AFP.

Duterte has gained support across all sectors of society by fashioning himself as an anti-establishment politician who can achieve quick fixes to deep-rooted problems, such as crime and poverty, according to analysts.

He has promised to end crime within six months of his presidency by ordering security forces to go on a killing spree, as well as increasing the salaries of soldiers and troops.

He has been accused of running vigilante squads in Davao that have killed more than 1,000 suspected criminals. At times he has boasted about his involvement but on other occasions denied any links to the death squads.

On Thursday, Duterte gained the endorsement of the influential Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ), a conservative Christian group believed to have more than a million voters that are required by their leader to vote as a bloc.
What Drove GlaxoSmithKline's Solid 1Q16 Results?

(Continued from Prior Part)

The consumer healthcare segment

With improvements in the supply chain and the successful launch of new products, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is optimistic about its consumer healthcare segment performance in the coming years. Apart from new products, the company has improved its supply management in order to avoid the issues faced in European markets during 2014.

This segment reported growth of 26% at constant exchange rates to 1.8 billion pounds during 1Q16, following the strong performance of newly acquired products including Voltaren, Otrivin, and Theraflu, as a part of its joint venture with Novartis (NVS). On a proforma basis, the company reported growth of 4% for its consumer healthcare segment, following increased sales of oral health and wellness products during 1Q16. Further details about the consumer healthcare segment are discussed in GlaxoSmithKlines Consumer Healthcare segment.

Consumer healthcare performance

The consumer healthcare business achieved proforma growth of 7% in the US markets during 1Q16, followed by the strong performance of Flonase, new products under the Sensodyne brand, and Theraflu. Flonase is a nasal spray for allergies and competes with Sanofis (SNY) Nasacort while Sensodyne is a leading oral healthcare brand from GSK. Theraflu is used to treat the common cold and flu.

For the Europe markets, the proforma growth was 5% during 1Q16, driven by the strong performance of Voltaren and Otrivin. Voltaren is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used in the treatment of pain or inflammation caused by arthritis or spondylitis. Voltaren competes with similar products like Depomeds (DEPO) Zipsor, Iroko Pharmaceuticals Zorvolex, and Hospiras Dyloject. Otrivin is a nasal spray used for the relief of nasal congestion caused by allergies and sinusitis.

International revenues reported proforma growth of 3% during 1Q16, driven by strong growth across major markets, substantially offset by lower sales in China and halting trading in Venezuela.

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Investors can consider the Market Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH), which holds 5.2% of its total assets in GlaxoSmithKline, or the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA), which holds 0.8% of its total assets in GlaxoSmithKline. VEA also holds 0.7% of its total assets in Novo Nordisk (NVO).

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Strong Start! Mead Johnson Beat 1Q16 Estimates

Stock reaction

On April 28, Mead Johnson Nutrition (MJN) reported its financial results for 1Q16 ending March 31, 2016. The stock rose 4% with earnings and revenue surpassing estimates. It closed at $87.92compared to $84.93 in the previous days trading session.

Mead Johnson stock has risen 21% since its last quarter earnings release on January 28, 2016. On March 15, 2016, the stock closed 11% higher with a heavy trading volume on the back of a blog on the Betaville website about speculation of a takeover.

Since then, the stock has been trading at $81$84. It closed at $84.87 on May 4, 2016. So far, the stock has risen 9% in 2016. It fell 21% in 2015. Mead Johnson outperformed the Market represented by the S&P 500 Index by 7% on May 4.

Peers in the industry

Mead Johnson Nutrition is a processed and packaged food company based in Glenview, Illinois. It has a market cap of $15.6 billion. It manufactures, distributes, and sells infant formulas, childrens nutrition, and other nutritional products. Its key brands include Enfamil Premium, Enfapro Premium, Enfalac A+, and Enfamil A+.

Mead Johnsons peers in the industry include private nutrition companies such as Nestle, Danone, and Abbott Nutrition. Its peers in the food and packaging industry include Mondelez (MDLZ), Flowers Foods (FLO), and General Mills (GIS).

So far, Mondelez hasnt had major price movement in 2016. Flowers Foods has fallen 11%. General Mills has risen 7%. Mondelez, Flowers Foods, and General Mills closed on May 4 at $43.67, $19.17, and $61.74, respectively. The Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF (RHS) invests 2.3% of its portfolio in Mead Johnson. It also invests 2.5% in Mondelez and 2.5% in General Mills. The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) invests 3.4% in Mondelez.

Series overview

With Mead Johnsons 1Q16 earnings released, this series will focus on its 1Q16 performance. Well look at what impacted revenue and earnings and how the segments contributed. Well also look at the companys outlook for 2016 and discuss its new product launch in China. Finally, well look at the companys expected stock price over the next 12 months, Wall Street analysts recommendations, and its moving averages.

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Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Did Pinnacle Foods Beat Analysts' Estimates in Fiscal 1Q16?

Stock reaction to earnings

On April 28, 2016, Pinnacle Foods (PF) reported its financial results for fiscal 1Q16, which ended March 27. Management discussed the 1Q16 performance in a conference call after the Market opened. The stock fell 2% on the day. The companys earnings were in line with analysts estimates, while revenue missed estimates.

Pinnacle Foods stock has fallen 3% since its previous earnings release on February 25. The stock also fell 5% on March 23 when Pinnacle Foods announced that its CEO, Robert J. Gamgort, would leave the company at the end of April. He will be the CEO of Keurig Green Mountain. Gamgort had been Pinnacles CEO since July 2009. On April 27, Pinnacle announced that its board of directors named Mark A. Clouse as the companys new CEO, effective May 23. Mark A. Clouse is currently chief commercial officer at Mondelez International. The company also reaffirmed its earnings outlook for 2016 on the same day. The stock fell 0.3% on the day.

So far, the stock hasnt gained much in 2016. It rose 21% in 2015. On May 3, Pinnacle Foods was outperformed by the Market, as represented by the S&P 500 Index, by 2.5%. PF closed at $42.24 on May 3.

Peers stock performance

Pinnacle Foods (PF) is based in Parsippany, New Jersey. The company, along with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and distributes branded convenience food products in North America.

Pinnacle Foods peers in the industry include WhiteWave Foods (WWAV), TreeHouse Foods (THS), and Lancaster Colony (LANC). So far, WhiteWave Foods has risen 5% in 2016. TreeHouse Foods has gained 10.5%, and Lancaster Colony has gained 3.3%. WhiteWave Foods, TreeHouse Foods, and Lancaster Colony closed at $40.78, $86.67, and $119.29, respectively, on May 3.

To gain exposure to Pinnacle Foods, you can invest in the PowerShares DWA Consumer Staples Momentum Portfolio (PSL). PSL invests 2.4% of its holdings in Pinnacle Foods.

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Series overview

In this series, well cover how Pinnacle Foods performed in its recent fiscal 1Q16. Well see what contributed to its revenue, earnings, and segmental performance. Well also look at the companys outlook for 2016. Finally, well look at what Wall Street analysts recommend for the stock and discuss its moving averages.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Opportunities can come from the most unexpected places.

Speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women "Evening With..." dinner in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening, Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama, shared the fortuitous story of how she and Obama met: At a dinner, where Jarrett was trying to convince his then-fianc?e to come work for her.

At the time, Jarrett was deputy chief of staff for Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. And that fianc?e? Her name was Michelle Robinson--now First Lady Michelle Obama.

Jarrett, a former lawyer, bonded with the future Mrs. Obama about their mutual distaste for working in Big Law. I would sit in my office and just cry, Jarrett said of the early days of her law career.

Yet convincing Michelle meant convincing her beau, who didnt think [the job] was such a great idea, recalls Jarrett. So a dinner was arranged and Jarrett inadvertently met the future President of the United States. Wow, am I glad I said yes! she told the audience of her decision to agree to have dinner with the couple.

Sign up: Click here to subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune's daily newsletter on the world's most powerful women.

While Jarrett eventually convinced Michelle to join her at the mayors office, the two womens roles were reversed just a few years later. Obama had just been elected president, leaving Jarrett with two options: Join him in the White House or run for his now-vacant Illinois Senate seat.

Now, it was Michelle Obamas turn to convince her former boss to take a job. Why on earth would you want to be in the Senate?Jarrett recalls Obama asking her. And if you think the President is good at getting what he wants, says Jarret, hes nothing compared to the First Lady.

Jarrett ultimately agreed and spent the past eight years serving in the Obama administration. Formally, she has been the Presidents assistant for public engagement and intergovernmental affairs. Informally, she has also been one of his closest advisors and confidantes.

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She is one of our best friends, somebody who is practically a sister, the President said of Jarrett in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

The D.C. dinner is the kickoff event for the annual Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Womens Mentoring Partnership, a three-week program that pairs women from emerging markets with senior female executives from companies such as The Dow Chemical Company, Accenture, and Johnson & Johnson.

Jarretts story left the mentees--and the rest of the crowd--with a valuable lesson: Think twice before you say no to the next dinner invitation.

See original article on Fortune.com

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Image via Dizzee Rascal/XL Recordings

British rapper and producer Dizzee Rascal has seen it all since the release of his debut album Boy in da Corner almost 13 years ago. Dylan Mills was 18 years old when the album was released via XL Recordings in 2003, going on to win the Mercury Prize that year. In the following decade, he sold millions of records around the world and collaborated with everyone from Calvin Harris and Shakira to Bun B. and will.i.am.

Dizzee Rascal, who grew up on a council estate (think: the projects) in Bow, East London, has won a BRIT Award (Best British Male in 2010), cracked the top 40 of the Billboard charts, and performed in front of the Queen of England (and much of the rest of the world) at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. By any measure, Dizzee, now 31, has had a massively successful career, but his debut album arguably remains his crowning glory.

Its not surprising, really. While grime pioneer Wiley is known as the godfather of the genre, it was Dizzee who put out an album first, propelling himself and a style of music that was still in its infancy into the public eye. As if life wasnt already crazy enough, Dizzee was stabbed five times in the city of Ayia Napa in Cyprus the same week that his debut album came out.

Tumultuous backstory and newspaper headlines aside, Boy in da Corner is remarkable for its fearless innovation and utterly unique sound. There was no template for DizzeeBoy in da Corner is ground zero for grime albumsbut forget that word grime and whatever it makes you think of in 2016 for a second, because it doesnt do the album justice.

Boy in da Corner is the sound of Londons underground music mixed with crunk, punk, anger, despair, and hope. To this day, the production sounds ahead of its time, a transmission from a dystopian future where gunshots and sirens mix with abrasive basslines and atonal drones. Lest you forget, Dizzee produced every single track on his debut album, and then laced the beats with quickfire lyrics that were unapologetically raw, utterly confident one moment, crushed by the spiral of negativity he sees in the hood the next.

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Ahead of his Red Bull Music Academy New York show performing Boy in da Corner in full for the first time, we spoke with Dizzee Rascal about the past, present, and future. From the origins of his debut album and the influence of Three 6 Mafia to his appreciation of 21 Savage and his plans to do more shows like this in London, read our interview below.

The Dizzee Rascal show this Friday May 6 is sold out, but Red Bull Music Academy New York continues until May 22 with a wide variety of shows and events. You can see the full calendar here.

Do you remember the first time you ever performed in America?

Yeah, it was crazy! It was the on back of a flatbed lorry [truck]. It was me and DJ Slimzee with my hype man at the time, and it was in Williamsburg. Part of the reason I said yes to Red Bull is because this upcoming show is in Williamsburg. It felt like going full circle.

I just remember the show being hype. The thing is, Ive always performed in America, I just havent done it in the last few years much. I know its going to be crazy though, the American fans got it the first time around.

You made I Luv U age 16 and released Boy In Da Corner while you were still a teenager. Can you take us back and explain your mindset and situation around that time?

I was heavily into the rave scene and the pirate radio scene. I made quite a few instrumentals as well as I Luv Uthings like Ho, Go, and all that. I was making stuff that would get a good response on those pirate radio sets and in the raves, and for other MCs to spit on as well.

And then I just wanted to make an album. I wanted to make a body of work once I got the record deal. Thats just what I was on. Id seen people before me do it too. Id been around to see Pay As U go and More Fire Crew go on to have success in the mainstream.

Can you explain the pirate radio scene and how it impacted the music you were making?

I listened to pirate radio first through drum & bass, or maybe even through hardcore before that. When I listened to the drum & bass MCs, I knew thats what I wanted to do. First I was a DJ, then I wanted to be an MC eventually, and then I got my time to be on pirate radio.

So people can understand, the kind of pirate radio set that I was on was basically a cypher. Imagine a DJ and a bunch of MCs taking turns on the mic, but with lyrics that they would repeat over a two-hour session which would be listened to by thousands of people across the city and sometimes outside of the city.

Those radio sets would be recorded onto tapes and would get passed around the country eventually. Then people would come to see you at the raves to hear you say those same lyrics again and then chant them back to you. Thats the easiest way I can break it down.

The pirate radio was usually in some building in a tower block, and the tower block would be in the hood. It was a real ghetto thing.

Similar to the origins of hip-hop, but on pirate radio rather than at a block party or a park in the Bronx.

Right, right, right. Hip-hop in its rawest form. And going deeper, the pirate radio was usually in some building in a tower block, and the tower block would be in the hood. It was a real ghetto thing. It comes from fucking social housing, that environment.

Something a lot of new listeners might not realize is you produced so much of this music yourself. How did you get into production?

In school with Cubase. I didnt even know who to go to for beats so I just learned to make the beats at school. And as soon as I got a chance to use a proper studio, I lapped it up.

When I was making Boy In Da Corner I had just dropped out of college because I didnt see the point in sitting there making beats for the sake of it. I was already on pirate radio while I was in college, I had a little bit of a name for myself, and I knew I had the resources to just sit and experiment. So thats what I did.

Who were your mentors at that time? Was anyone encouraging you to make music?

I didnt need encouragement to go into the studio. I just went to Cages studio. He had all the samples lined up and Id just sit there and make the beats. I was around Roll Deep and Wiley too, but they didnt have anything to do with my production. Thats something I picked up before Id even really come across them.

It was more about what I was into musically that made me want to produce. Garage music and drum & bass were big and that wasnt music I ever thought I could make. But then I started listening to Three 6 Mafia and what Timbaland and The Neptunes were doing. Especially with The Neptunes and Three 6 Mafia, their beats felt like they had a quite simple structure with a double time speed. It was similar to a garage tempo and it felt like music I could make.

So thats why a lot of Boy in da Corner sounds the way it does. It was still influenced by drum & bass so it sounded a bit more left than that rap production, but it still had the same groove.

People often focus on the darker, angry elements of Boy in da Corner but do you have a happiest memory of when you were making the record?

I just remember being so inspired by everything that was going on at the time. I was as much into making beats as I was as MCing back then. So that album is just all expression, whereas on some of my later albums, I was just writing lyrics. I still guide some of the production now, but Im not sitting there expressing myself fully with the beats. Im not sitting there making the drum patterns and playing the music loud. I havent done that for years.

That why I probably had the most fun making Boy In Da Corner. Just imagine being a 17-year-old thrown in the studio and being in there for as long as you wanted. I was literally in the studio all night. Id wake up at six in the morning and then go home and come back later on.

That why I probably had the most fun making Boy In Da Corner. Just imagine being a 17-year-old thrown in the studio and being in there for as long as you wanted.

Did you make a lot of music for the album and cut it down? Is there a vault of Boy in da Corner era tracks somewhere?

Nah, most of it is on the album. There are other songs that might have came out before it, just floating around. Theres a couple tracks, one with Wiley called We Aint Having It and theres the Street Fighter tune. Vexed never made it onto the album either, I cant remember why, but it probably should have! [Ed. Note: Vexed was on the US release of Boy In Da Corner.]

There are those tracks and then a few instrumentals but when I made Boy In Da Corner I set out to sit and make an album and thats what I did.

How quickly were you making the songs at that time and what was your process?

A lot of times, I start with the beats and then put the music on top of it. It just depends. I have so much fun with all the weird sounds and the quality of the sounds that I never had when I started making music in school on Cubase. Now Im using Logic and Ive got all these samples and Im just fucking around with it.

Ive been listening to Boy in da Corner a lot in the last few weeks, getting ready for the show and thinking, Fucking hell, did I really make that? That sounds crazy.

I dont even know if I would make anything like that now but listening to it made me start making beats again. Im starting to have fun making beats again with no pressure to make a song to put on an album. Actually having fun like I did in the beginning, because I havent done it for so long.

I dont even know if I would make anything like that now but it made me start making beats again. Im starting to have fun making beats again.

There are moment of paranoia, distrust of the police, and anger at the political system on Boy in da Corner. Has anything changed in the U.K. since 2003?

I think there will always be an element of that feeling. Its interesting now because Im not an angry teenager who feels like the world is against him. Imagine this: youre a kid and you had all this pent up anger and you threw it out into the world, and the world listened. Then what?

Right, they listened, they like it, and they think its amazing. So what are you angry about now then? Thats my personal perspective. I cant speak for everyone who still lives in the hood necessarily, because I dont live there no more. I know there are still people who feel like that, who feel like they get harassed by the police. There are still people who feel like their social status or their living situation could be better and theyre not happy with certain things that are going on.

But for me, that angst is not the same. Thats why my later albums didnt sound like my first album. But as Ive got older now and started researching and bothering to read up and understand society, economics, and politics a little bit more, it makes me understand how deep things go and why things are the way they are.

Back then I was just a kid basically winging it, and just shouting about what was happening and what I saw in front of me. I was never into politics. When I was saying, Im a problem for Anthony Blair, [on Hold Ya Mouf'] its not like a really like, Fuck Anthony Blair, down with the system! Hes the prime minister and Im a little shit, thats basically what I was saying.

In America right now theres a lot of anger at the police and political system, and that is often reflected in rap music. It seems that we dont hear a political edge as explicitly in British rap music. Why do you think that is the case?

England isnt America. The problem with the police is not as extreme. Its happened, the police killing people, but its not as blatant and its not as often. Then with the music, because weve got the soundsystem culture, guys are trying to make catchy stuff that their fans are going to shout back at them.

You see with guys like Stormzy, its about the crowd participation. People make political statements, but its still about having a good time, without necessarily just rapping about having champagne and jumping around. Its still got that raw element to it, but its a bit more fun, even the hard stuff.

Im not deep in the grime scene like that where Im turning up to all the raves, so thats just my view. If you ask someone else they might have a different perspective on it.

Youve said that when you were making Boy in da Corner that you were inspired by grunge, punk, Three 6 Mafia, lots of different types of music. When youre making beats now, whats inspiring you?

The same stuff that I was into then! When I was listening to crunk or Three 6 Mafia, that was still pretty underground then. Lil Jon crossed over, but the rest of it didnt. A lot of what youre hearing now, all the trap stuff now, even the drill shit with Chief Keef is similar. Now youve got crunk, trap, drill, to me its all the same. So Im into that like I was into it then. Its just different people doing it at this point, so I still kind of have the same influences.

Its that raw rap sound. I think thats why people in America are starting to embrace grime again. They hear that same rawness. Do you listen to any of the new wave of rappers?

You know what, I was really into Bankroll Fresh. That made me really sad when he died, because both of those mixtapes that he put out in the last couple of years, I used to ride around to them. I dont think people understand how much of a flow he had. A lot of the stuff thats out today, if the guys wanted to be lyrical, they could, but its more melodic and there are catchy one-liners. But he was actually spitting and it was catchy too! He had some real quirky, different beats, quite experimental so I was really feeling what he did.

Then, Ive been listening to Lil Uzi [Vert] recently. I was always into Rich The Kid. And then, what else? I started listening to 21 Savage. I love that track hes got, Red Opps. Its crazy, sick.

So you definitely stay current with US rap then!

Yeah. At first you might be like, Ahh whats this? and you try and snub it because you keep seeing all these new people who you dont recognize. But when you actually bother to listen to it, theres some interesting stuff going on. As far as lyrically, it aint that overly impressive, but as far as production and all the little tricks within the music, its good to hear that stuff. Its exciting.

As far as the UK, when I heard 67 with Giggs, Lets Lurk, oh my god! And I feel like I missed out because when I saw the video it was already on a million plays. Id heard of them but then I saw Giggs name on that tune and when I listened fucking hell. I love that track.

Is there a new album on the way and what can you tell us about it?

Im working on it, but Ive got to get that balance of the hard stuff and the big stuff. I do enjoy making big anthems that everyone can be into, but I like making hard, dark, banging stuff because thats the music that I actually enjoy listening to. The Boy In Da Corner show is the one thing thats dominating my mind right now, though.

I do enjoy making big anthems that everyone can be into, but I like making hard, dark, banging stuff because thats the music that I actually enjoy listening to.

Preparing for this show, did you remember all your bars from back then or did you have to relearn some?

I definitely had to relearn some that I had never really learned like that because I never performed them. The obvious songs like Jus A Rascal, Fix Up Look Sharp and, I Luv U, I havent stopped performing since they came out. So Ive been performing them for 14 years. But the others, some of them didnt even have PA versions!

Im having to relearn them because I never knew them like that in the first place. I havent sat here and listened to Boy In Da Corner for 13 years. Its an old album, I let it go, I concentrated on making other albums. Its been good though, its almost like listening to somebody else.

If there was one album you could see an artist perform in full who would it be and what album?

Thats a good one. Hmm whats an album that I love that would be amazing to see? Theres obvious ones like Doggystyle or All Eyez On Me, which are albums that meant so much to me growing up. But something a bit more obscure

I wish I would have been around to see Project Pat perform the Mista Dont Play when it came out, because I loved that album, every track on there. Thats my Boy in da Corner! The way people loved Boy In Da Corner, thats how I love that album and I dont know where Id be without it.

The way people loved Boy in da Corner, thats how I love [Project Pats Mista Dont Play] and I dont know where Id be without it.

Do you think people are rediscovering you partly because of the internet?

Well, it was a major part of why this Red Bull show happened. All the people that really loved what I was originally doing, it gave them a voice, and they screamed real loud! Its an even playing field on the internet, people can make noise. Its a good way for people to share music and all that. I dont even know how I feel about the internet. I listen to a lot of music and discover people I like and its just part of life now.

Is this show a one-off or is it something youd consider doing again, especially in the UK where there was a petition?

It wouldnt feel right just doing a show in New York and not doing it in London. It wasnt personal, I didnt decide I only wanted to do a show in America! But because of what Red Bulls been doing over the past year or so, it felt right. Red Bull Culture Clash excited me. Seeing Boy Better Know and everybody up there clashing everyone, that shit excited me. People did try to invite me onto that and wanted me to jump up on their soundsystem, but I just watched it from the sidelines and thought it was a really good thing. I saw what it did for the cultureit was amazing.

To do this show in New York and not do it at home, I understand that wouldnt be right. I will definitely be up for doing it at home. That is where it came from and it would mean a lot for me to do it in London. I havent performed for so long in New York, though, its going to be nice. And I performed Boy In The Corner in New York when it originally came out, so like I said, its going full cycle.

Its going to go off man, Im just going to keep practicing so I get them bars out properly!

Image via Red Bull

The post Dizzee Rascal is Going Full Circle appeared first on Pigeons & Planes.

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Doctor Strange writer-director Scott Derrickson is the latest industry figure to weigh in on Hollywoods pervading whitewashing issue.

Raw anger/hurt from Asian-Americans over Hollywood whitewashing, stereotyping & erasure of Asians in cinema. I am listening and learning, the director, whos also known for horror films like Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose, expressed in a Wednesday tweet.

Raw anger/hurt from Asian-Americans over Hollywood whitewashing, stereotyping & erasure of Asians in cInema. I am listening and learning.  Scott Derrickson (@scottderrickson) May 4, 2016

Doctor Strange was recently under fire for being whitewashed, an accusation spurred by the casting of Tilda Swinton, a white Scottish woman, for the role of the Ancient One  a mystical character that originated from Tibet in its original Marvel Comics depiction.

Amidst the controversy, Marvel released a statement to address the accusations. The Ancient One is a title that is not exclusively held by any one character, but rather a moniker passed down through time, and in this particular film the embodiment is Celtic, the statement read, adding that the studio routinely casts diverse talent for its projects and regularly departs from stereotypes and source material to bring its MCU to life.

Swinton has also responded to the castings negative reception, clarifying, I wasnt asked to play an Asian character, you can be very well assured of that.

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Black henna tattoos can cause a bad reaction. (Photo: Stocksy)

Doctors are suggesting that everyone consider avoiding black henna tattoos, especially while traveling, after a 10-year-old boy from the United Kingdom had a painful allergic reaction. According to a new paper in BMJ Case Reports, he had just been on a trip to Spain with his family.



The boy visited his doctors office after experiencing an inflammatory outbreak of raised red spots along the outline of the tattoo. The rash began four days after the black henna was applied; the skin lesions were crusted, hot, and painful to the touch. Doctors treated him with antibiotics, along with a topical corticosteroid, a local anesthetic, and moisturizers. After 48 hours, the lesions did improve, although after 10 days there was still hyperpigmentation where the tattoo had been.

Related: Health Vlogger Has Terrifying Reaction to Henna Hair Dye

The reaction was likely caused by textile dye paraphenylenediamine (PPD), according to the studys lead author, Jaya Sujatha Gopal-Kothandapani, PhD, a researcher in pediatric endocrinology in the Department of Oncology & Metabolism at the University of Sheffield.

This dye is a known contact allergen and can cause significant side effects like redness, blistering, itching, and discoloration of the skin, Gopal-Kothandapani told Yahoo Beauty. It can cause a permanent damage to the skin or lead to a life-threatening allergic reaction in some individuals. Exposure to this dye can also increase the risk of developing rapid and severe allergic reaction to hair dye in the future and vice versa.

Related: The Meaning Behind Beyonces Hennaed Hands



And its not just hair dye either, says Gopal-Kothandapani. The PPD dye can sensitize individuals to chemicals in black clothing dye, black rubber, PABA sunscreen, and hair dye, causing a cross-reaction when exposed to these agents in the future.

A 10-year-old boys serious allergic reaction to a black henna tattoo. (Photo courtesy of the University of Sheffield)

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Skin reactions from black henna tattoos are all too common, says Gopal-Kothandapani, and the severity of the reaction is generally based on the concentration of and the length of exposure to the PPD dye. Black henna tattoos often have concentrations of PPD as high as 30 percent, which clocks in way above the regulated levels for the dye in most countries. As a comparison, companies can use only up to 6 percent PPD in hair dye and none in skin products in the United States and Europe.

The FDA has administered warnings in the past about black henna reactions. Many cases of inflammation, like what happened to the 10-year-old boy visiting Spain, arise from application in European countries, but travelers should exercise caution in other locations too. Tourists visiting countries like Indonesia, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, and [nations in] the Middle East most commonly report reactions to black henna tattoos applied by temporary tattoo artists at holiday resorts and street carnivals, says Gopal-Kothandapani.

Related: The Rare But Scary Dangers of Henna Hair Dye

Not all henna is bad, though. If you want to get one of those intricate tattoos, Gopal-Kothandapani says its important to distinguish between natural henna and black henna  because only natural henna is safe. Natural henna paste is greenish, smells natural, takes six or eight hours to stain, will never burn the skin, and leaves a deep maroon color that can last for up to three weeks, she says. Black henna is dangerous. The paste is jet-black, smells like a chemical, takes less than an hour or two to stain skin, may burn, and will leave a black color for more than three days.

If youre in any way unsure whether the henna is black or natural, skip it. Also of note to parents: The severity of an allergic reaction from the PPD in black henna is usually much higher in children than adults, says Gopal-Kothandapani.

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
At the end of May, a Utah law will go into effect mandating that women seeking abortions at 20 weeks or more into their pregnancy take painkillers  not for themselves, but for their unborn fetuses.

The bill, signed into law in March by Republican Gov. Gary R. Herbert, has made Utah the first state to require "fetal anesthesia" for late-term abortions. But according to the doctors and pro-abortion activists pushing back on it, the science the law is based on is thorny and contentious.

According to a New York Times story published Thursday, opponents of the law have called it "bafflingly vague and scientifically unsound," and argue that the administration of unspecific painkillers could create health risks for women.

In 2013, the Times reported that some in the scientific community were split over the stage at which a gestating fetus is capable of feeling pain, citing the release of stress hormones, formation of the cortex and other neural research to fuel their arguments.

Anti-abortion groups used prior research to campaign for the Utah law's passage, but the consensus among many doctors is that fetuses are not capable of feeling pain until past the 20-week mark, the Times reports.

Source: Mic/Jacob Davies/Flickr

The main research to bolster the arguments of the law's opponents comes from a 2005 Journal of the American Medical Association study, whose findings suggested it is not until the 27th week that a fetus first feels pain.

Abortions past the 20-week mark are already an extremely rare occurrence in Utah. The Times cites Karrie Galloway, the chief executive of the state's Planned Parenthood chapter, who said that in 2014, only 17 abortions performed in Utah were at or beyond 20 weeks into pregnancy.

Proponents of the law, like Republican Sen. Curt Bramble, say that in lieu of pushing to ban late-term abortions altogether, legislators had settled for championing measures that advocated for the best interests of the fetus.

Story continues

"Who's making the decisions for the child?" he told the Times. "Who's the doctor for the baby? It's not the woman's body we're talking about. It's a separate person."

Salt Lake City physician, Dr. Alexandra Grosvenor Eller, told the Times that abortions beyond the 20-week mark occur almost exclusively when the fetus has developed fatal health complications, such as a malformed heart or brain.

The decision for a woman to terminate a pregnancy can already be devastating, Eller argued, even without the states stepping in to determine the type of care the woman will receive.

"You walk into that room and you're going to change someone's life forever. For the Legislature to tell me how to counsel that woman  these conversations are hard enough," said Eller.
Analyzing Weatherford International's Fiscal 1Q16 Earnings

(Continued from Prior Part)

Weatherford Internationals segment-wise performance

The revenue from Weatherford Internationals (WFT) North America region declined the most. It fell 53% from fiscal 1Q15 to fiscal 1Q16. Weatherford Internationals Middle East, North Africa, Asia-Pacific regions revenue fall was relatively moderate at 32% during the same period. In comparison, National Oilwell Varcos (NOV) fiscal 1Q16 revenue decreased 54.6%compared to last year.

All of Weatherford Internationals geographic segments recorded an operating income decline in fiscal 1Q16compared to a year ago. Its North America regions fiscal 1Q16 operating loss deteriorated to $128 million in fiscal 1Q16compared to an operating loss of $10 million last year. Its Latin America region was more resilient. Its operating income fell 55% during the same period.

In total, Weatherford Internationals operating income switched to -$447 million in fiscal 1Q16 from $50 million in operating income in fiscal 1Q15. In comparison, National Oilwell Varcos (NOV) fiscal 1Q16 operating loss was $189 million. Its market capitalization stands at $12.6 billioncompared to Weatherford Internationals $6.7 billion. Weatherford International accounts for 3.9% of the iShares US Oil Equipment & Services ETF (IEZ).

Factors that impacted its fiscal 1Q16 performance

lower US rig count resulted in declines in customer activity and spending

upstream energy companies spending reductions and activity declined primarily in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Venezuela

project cancellations throughout the Sub-Sahara Africa region

lower seasonal product sales in completion, artificial lift, and well construction that impacted the Gulf States, China, Australia, and Indonesia

Partially mitigating the negative effects above were cost reduction measures. The measures started in North America in fiscal 1Q16.

Managements views

Weatherford Internationals management expressed optimism about the oilfield services industrys recovery in the long run. Bernard J. Duroc-Danner, Weatherford Internationals chairman and CEO, commented in the fiscal 1Q16 earnings press release that As we look forward, we believe the long-term fundamentals of our industry remain intact. The steady increases in world energy demand coupled with the acceleration of production decline rates are forcing a balance between supply and demand. Oil prices are beginning to respond to this gradual tightening of the supply-demand balance.

Story continues

Next, well discuss Weatherford Internationals returns.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Donald Trump shared a photo of himself with a taco bowl lunch on Cinco de Mayo and within the hour, Twitter exploded.

Giving a thumbs-up while getting ready to chow down at his desk, the GOP presumptive nominee wrote: "The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!

Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics! https://t.co/ufoTeQd8yA pic.twitter.com/k01Mc6CuDI

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2016

He also shared the post from from his official Facebook page, where it has already been shared over a quarter of a million times.

Savvy Twitter users were quick to point out that the featured taco bowl was absent from the Trump Tower Grill menu, though a Cinco de Mayo "Taco fiesta!" special was listed on the menu at the neighboring Trump Tower Cafe.

Notables in Hollywood, the media and in the political arena were also swift to react to Trump's message on Twitter (on Thursday afternoon, #Hispanics was the top trending item). Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton called out her rival by sharing clips of Trump speaking on deporting illegal immigrants, including an interview he gave Wednesday to NBC News.

"I love Hispanics!" - Trump, 52 minutes ago https://t.co/b9mv7nUduN

"They're gonna be deported." - Trump, yesterday https://t.co/HzFWUT1XFl- Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 5, 2016

In the interview, Trump told Lester Holt that undocumented immigrants "are going to be deported." He added, "Look we either have a country or we don't. We have many illegals in the country and we have to get them out and go through a process, go through a system and ones who have done well and have really achieved we want to bring them back in."

Sure to be a topic for the late-night fodder, Full Frontal's Samantha Bee chimed in with her own Twitter take, while Stephen Colbert teased the moment ahead of The Late Show on Thursday afternoon. See those and the other reactions on social media that came pouring in below.

Story continues

Read More: Donald Trump Skewered by Late-Night Hosts After Huge Indiana Victory, Likely GOP Nomination

The best taco bowls are made by immigrants who resent a rich prick calling them rapists. Love inauthentic Mexican! pic.twitter.com/9tEORJxoZp

- Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) May 5, 2016

Was just in Mexico where I had an authentic taco bowl, microwaveable chimichangas, Doritos and chalupas! Tres bien amigos!#TrumpBowl

- Adam McKay (@GhostPanther) May 5, 2016

Happy Cinco De Mayo from Donald "I can't be racist bc I love taco bowls" Trump!!!

SMDH- Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) May 5, 2016

When we build your wall, will we also ban taco bowls? https://t.co/edq0E31Xcq

- Jose Antonio Vargas (@joseiswriting) May 5, 2016

Now that Trump's shown he loves #Hispanics by eating a taco bowl, I can't wait for the inevitable Halal Cart "I love Muslims" Twitter post.

- Josh Gad (@joshgad) May 5, 2016

@georgelopez @realDonaldTrump that's not even funny, aren't u a comedian

- Dan Lee (@ovodiesel) May 5, 2016

See, he's not racist. He's eating a taco bowl. Here we were, all worried. https://t.co/HtDljoj5Om

- devon sawa (@DevonESawa) May 5, 2016

Donald Trump kicks off his Hispanic voter outreach with a delicious Cinco de Mayo taco bowl - The Washington Post https://t.co/3DRv4ZZbSS

- Drew Carey (@DrewFromTV) May 5, 2016

Oh if he eats tacos then I guess he does love Hispanics. https://t.co/6Gdg6iQEyw

- Stephen Mangan (@StephenMangan) May 5, 2016

I see your love for Hispanics and I RAISE you by declaring my love for the blacks and also the ones with the funny eyes.

- Tom Segura (@tomsegura) May 5, 2016

Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best Quesalupas are made in Taco Bell. I love Hispanics!

- Damien Fahey (@DamienFahey) May 5, 2016

guys the big deal of that photo is that he posted it for Cinco De Mayo which is MEXICAN holiday not a HISPANIC holiday

+ hispanic outdated- Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) May 5, 2016

Trump just legit posted a pic of himself eating a taco bowl with the caption "I LOVE HISPANICS!"

..."hispanics" pic.twitter.com/AWNoZx6bVZ- Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) May 5, 2016

Trump Advisor: Just tweet about taco bowls. The Hispanics love taco bowls.

- Paul Szoldra (@PaulSzoldra) May 5, 2016

Not only is this racist, IT IS ALSO EMPIRICALLY NOT TRUE! Best taco bowls in Trump Tower? #GTFOOH #UnitedShades

https://t.co/VhyVOddtq9- W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) May 5, 2016
Can Shake Shacks 1Q16 Results Set the Road for Recovery?

SHAKs stock performance

A New Yorkbased fine casual restaurant chain, Shake Shack (SHAK) is set to announce its 1Q16 results on May 12, 2016, after the Market closes.

Shake Shack went public in January 2015 at an IPO price of $21 per share. Investor optimism about SHAKs growth prospects pushed the stock up, peaking at $96.80 on May 22, 2015. Since then, the companys share price has been on a downswing as investors became wary of paying such a high multiple for its growth.

Although its 4Q15 results were better than expected, the expansion plans failed to impress investors. Since March 7, 2016, the share price has declined by 13.5%.

During the same period, other competitors in the fast casual restaurant space have experienced selling pressure due to an increase in wages and declining margins. Shares of SHAKs peers Panera Bread (PNRA), Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG), and Jack in the Box (JACK) have declined by 0.4%, 21.1%, and 2.3%, respectively.

During the same period, the broader comparative benchmark index, the Guggenheim S&P 500 Pure Growth ETF (RPG), rose by 2.8%. RPG has 44% of its holdings invested in restaurants and travel companies.

Series overview

With Shake Shacks (SHAK) 1Q15 results just around the corner, this pre-earnings series will focus on what to expect in the earnings release. The series will cover analysts estimates on the companys revenue, EBITDA margins, and EPS (earnings per share). Finally, well look at the companys valuation multiple and expected stock price over the next 12 months.

Lets start by looking at SHAKs 1Q16 revenue expectations.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Former presidents George H.W. Bush and son George W. Bush dont plan on endorsing presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump for president.

At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics, spokesman Jim McGrath told The Texas Tribune. He came out of retirement to do a few things for Jeb, but those were the exceptions that proved the rule.

Meanwhile, the younger Bushs personal aide Freddy Ford said that W. does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign.

Also Read: Hollywood Conservatives Reluctantly Fall in Line With Donald Trump

According to the Tribune, Bush 41 has endorsed every Republican nominee for the past five election terms.

On Tuesday, Trump effectively secured the Republican nomination after winning the Indiana primary, after which Texas Sen. Ted Cruz dropped out of the race. On Wednesday, lone remaining challenger John Kasich suspended his campaign as well.

Also Read: John Kasich Ends His Campaign for President

While neither George H.W. Bush nor George W. Bush have criticized Trump, the younger Bush said that the strongest person usually isnt the loudest one in the room at a campaign event for his brother Jeb Bush in February. Jeb Bush dropped out of the race in the same month.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Jimmy Kimmel Turns Donald Trump's VP Search Into Reality Show (Video)

Watch Hillary Clinton's Mashup of Republicans Bashing Donald Trump (Video)

Rolling Stones Blast Donald Trump for Using 'Start Me Up' in Campaign
Like Donald Trump himself, the Trump campaigns new national finance chairman has a long history of contributing to Democrats  including Hillary Clinton.

Private investor Steven Mnuchin, Trumps new campaign fundraising guru, has contributed more than $120,000 to a mix of Democrats, Republicans and bipartisan political groups since 1995, a Center for Public Integrity analysis of Federal Election Commission and Center for Responsive Politics data indicates.

Over the years, more than half of Mnuchins federal-level political contributions have benefited Democrats, including President Barack Obama and Clinton, Trumps all-but-certain general election rival.

About one-third of Mnuchins giving has benefited Republicans. The rest has gone to nonpartisan political action committees such as the PAC of Goldman Sachs, where Mnuchin worked for 17 years.

Each election cycle, Mnuchin  also a bankroller of blockbuster movies such as American Sniper, Gravity and Avatar  has frequently donated to the campaigns of presidential contenders.

During the 2000 presidential election, Mnuchin donated to Democrats Al Gore and Bill Bradley and Republican Steve Forbes.

During the 2004 presidential race, he donated to two Democratic candidates: John Kerry and John Edwards.

This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation.

Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email.

And ahead of the 2008 presidential election, Mnuchin donated not only to Obama, Clinton and Edwards, but also to Democrats Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson. Republicans Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney also received contributions from Mnuchin.

During the 2012 presidential race, Mnuchin donated to both Romney and fellow Republican Tim Pawlenty.

Story continues

Mnuchins contributions to Democrats extend to the current cycle.

For instance, he donated $2,000 in February to the U.S. Senate campaign of California Attorney General Kamala Harris, a Democrat. Last year, Harris described Trump, who had personally contributed money in 2013 to Harris political committee, as someone who clearly cannot be a leader.

Mnuchin and the Trump campaign could not immediately be reached for comment on Mnuchins political contributions.

Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner, is the chairman and chief executive officer of private investment company Dune Capital LP.

Mnuchin also has professional ties to George Soros, the billionaire financier whos contributed tens of millions of dollars to Democratic political causes over the years, including $7 million this election cycle to Priorities USA Action, a pro-Clinton super PAC.

From 2003 to 2004, Mnuchin worked as chief executive of SFM Capital Management, which the Wall Street Journal reports is backed by Soros. He also worked for Soros Fund Management LLC, according to Bloomberg.

(The Center for Public Integrity receives funding from the Open Society Foundations, which Soros funds. A complete list of Center for Public Integrity funders is found here.)

Trump himself has been forced to defend his past campaign contributions to Democrats this cycle, arguing that there are few alternatives to Democrats in New York.

Am I going to contribute to a Republican for my whole life when they get, they run against some Democrat? he said. And the most they can get is one percent of the vote.

This story was co-published with the Huffington Post, NBC News and TIME.

This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation.

Related stories

Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
By Tom Esslemont LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Bloodthirsty warlords, barrel bombs and sexual violence are such a regular feature of today's conflicts that you might think the laws of war have been pounded into irrelevance. But the scale of brutality is the very reason to breathe fresh life into the decades-old provisions at the first World Humanitarian Summit this month, says a top Red Cross official. "We hear a lot of doom and gloom - that this is the worst it has ever been," said Helen Durham, head of international law and policy at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "The reality is that the media does not always capture what didn't happen; the moments when the laws were followed," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by telephone from Geneva. The basic principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) stem from four Geneva Conventions, the first drawn up in the 19th century. Additional protocols have been ratified by nearly 200 countries and aim to protect civilians, aid workers, wounded fighters and prisoners of war. However, alleged breaches in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan have called into question the ability even of permanent members of the U.N. Security Council such as Britain, the United States and Russia to adhere to the principles, rights groups say. "It is very obvious from our experiences in the field that the lack of compliance with the very basic points of IHL causes great suffering," said Durham, an Australian who has previously worked for the ICRC in Papua New Guinea, Myanmar and Indonesia. "The law is there. It is just a question of respecting it." Convincing armies and rebel groups to respect the laws of war will be one of the key themes at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on May 23-24, which brings together governments, aid agencies and campaign groups. COMPLIANCE In December the ICRC failed to get states to unanimously adopt a proposal to create an IHL "compliance mechanism" which it hoped would reduce the death toll in conflicts and ease humanitarian access. Fearing the new mechanism may have teeth, a number of countries refused to sign up to it at the last annual gathering of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. "While such a mechanism would not have solved all problems, it would have been a step in the right direction," Durham said. The ICRC's call for a rethink on how the laws of war are enforced and respected follows a slew of allegations of war crimes and violations of the legal provisions in recent years. For example, U.N. investigators in Yemen have said air strikes led by Saudi Arabia, which is armed in part by Britain and the United States, are responsible for two thirds of the 3,200 civilians who have died in Yemen. In Syria, activists have accused the government of killing civilians through the use of barrel bombs and chemical weapons. Last year a confidential report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons indicated that mustard gas was used in a Syrian town where Islamic State insurgents were battling another group. In Afghanistan, a deadly U.S. air strike destroyed a hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres. A U.S. military report said the air strike did not amount to a war crime but was caused by human error, equipment failure and other factors. IMPUNITY FOR SEXUAL VIOLENCE The ICRC said new judicial frameworks and courts had boosted investigations of IHL violations in conflict zones, with nearly 70 reported breaches between 2010 and 2014 leading to successful prosecutions from Colombia to Democratic Republic of Congo. But Durham said perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict continue to enjoy impunity, despite rape being internationally designated as a war crime. All states share an obligation to prevent further atrocities, she said. "We have fought for these things since the incarnation of the Red Cross movement 150 years ago - so we must continue to raise them forcefully," Durham said. "There is no excuse today for anyone in London, Istanbul or Geneva to be unaware of what is happening." For more on the World Humanitarian Summit, please visit: http://news.trust.org/spotlight/reshape-aid (Reporting By Tom Esslemont, Editing by Megan Rowling and Katie Nguyen; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
DreamWorks Animation blew past earnings expectations in the most recent quarter, recording 16 cents in per-share profit on $190.4 million in revenue while analysts were predicting just a penny a share on revenue of $183 million.

All of DWA's various segments showed impressive revenue growth, except for feature films, though Kung Fu Panda 3 in China had an outsized positive impact on the bottom line.

The earnings results, though, are almost besides the point as far as Wall Street is concerned, given DWA has already agreed to be acquired by Comcast's NBCUniversal for $3.8 billion, which amounts to $41 per share.

In regular trading on Thursday, DWA shares closed fractionally lower to $39.78 and after the closing bell they were up by roughly an equal amount.

NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke told DWA employees this week they'll keep making animated movies at DWA's Glendale campus.

NBCU, through its relationship with Illumination Studios, has been successful with its Despicable Me/Minions franchise, but the DWA purchase gives it properties like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda to integrate into its theme parks and consumer products units.

"I'm excited to be passing the baton to Comcast, as I know they will continue to build on the foundation we've established over the past 22 years," DWA CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said Thursday in a statement.

Due to the pending merger, DWA didn't even bother with a Q&A session with analysts after reporting earnings Thursday.

The feature films unit posted revenue that declined to $94.3 million compared to $128.7 million the same quarter a year earlier, but TV series and specials recorded $56.9 million (up from $18 million); consumer products posted $21.7 million (up from $15.1 million); and new media was at $15.1 million (up from $4.6 million).

Kung Fu Panda 3 contributed $30.9 million in revenue during the quarter, compared to $18.3 million for Home, $1.9 million for How to Train Your Dragon 2 and $1.6 million for The Penguins of Madagascar.

Library titles contributed $41.6 million in revenue during the quarter.
Cairo (AFP) - An Egyptian court sentenced prominent activist Sanaa Seif to six months in prison on Wednesday, months after she was freed by a presidential pardon in another case.

Seif, whose older brother and dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah has also been imprisoned since February 2015, was convicted of "insulting the judiciary," a judicial official said.

She had been caught up in a renewed crackdown on secular dissidents who had called for protests this month against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for handing over two islands to Saudi Arabia.

Dozens were arrested in the lead-up to an April 25 protest in Cairo which ended with police dispersing the rally using tear gas and detaining more activists.

Seif's conviction stems from a prosecution summons on suspicion of inciting protests.

She did not attend and was charged with "insulting a member of the prosecution," the judicial official said.

The verdict may be appealed, although Seif has said she will not contest it.

In a Facebook post, Seif said she did not attend Wednesday's hearing but was going to hand herself in.

"Simply, I do not have the energy to deal with their measures," she wrote.

Later in the day, Seif said the prosecution refused to jail her even after she signed a statement relinquishing her right to appeal the ruling.

"They told me 'we have informed you of the ruling; 10 days from now you come and turn yourself in'," she wrote on Facebook.

Seif had been pardoned last October after she was imprisoned over a 2014 protest outside the presidential palace in Cairo.

Sisi, a former army chief who was elected president after overthrowing his Islamist predecessor in 2013, has been accused by activists of installing a heavy-handed regime that tolerates no dissent.

After president Mohamed Morsi's overthrow, a police crackdown killed hundreds of Islamist protesters, while a jihadist insurgency has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers.

Story continues

The crackdown has extended to secular and liberal dissidents over the past two years.

Earlier this month, Sisi handed over two islands in the Straits of Tiran to Saudi Arabia during visit by King Salman to Cairo.

The government says the islands had always belonged to Saudi Arabia and Egypt merely administered them since the 1950s, but critics accuse Sisi of "selling" them in exchange for Saudi largesse.
Melted gold furnace jewelry

For drug cartels, hiding the profits of their illicit sales is often as hard as getting the goods to the market in the first place.

To overcome that challenge, US-based members of imprisoned Mexican kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's Sinaloa cartel decided to buy gold, have it melted down and sold, and then use fake invoices to transfer that money back to Mexico, according to court records seen by Bloomberg.

Allegations laid out in a federal-court case in Chicago describe a scheme in which Sinaloa cartel members would have couriers retrieve drug proceeds, and then use that money to buy gold bars and other scrap pieces of the precious metal at Chicago-area jewelry stores.

The suspects allegedly had hundreds of boxes of the metal shipped by FedEx to a Florida company between 2011 and 2014  $98 million worth in total.

Gold, once melted, is hard to track, and companies that deal it don't face the same regulations that banks do, Bloomberg notes.

The Florida company  which went unnamed in the documents but is called Natalie Jewelry, according to people Bloomberg spoke with  would keep 1% commission and forward the rest of the money to companies in Mexico.

The suspected traffickers in Chicago would use forged invoices to make it seem like a Mexico-based company had sold the gold to the Florida company, which in turn justified sending the money from the gold sales back to Mexico.

US authorities came across Natalie Jewelry after noticing a spike in the amount of gold moving through Miami, where Lou Bock, a retired US Homeland Security agent, said that practically no jewelry is made.

In a separate case, the owners of Natalie Jewelry pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money for a different drug trafficker. They haven't been charged with laundering for the Sinaloa cartel. They declined to comment to Bloomberg.

Story continues

'Voila, you go from US dollars to Mexican pesos'

Americans spent more than $100 billion on drugs in 2010, and while much of that money stays in the US, law-enforcement efforts  including increased anti-money-laundering initiatives  make it hard for traffickers to move their cash across US borders.

In addition to melting down gold and reselling it in the US, drug traffickers have also been known to buy precious metals and smuggle them, or the cash itself, out of the country in bulk  the same way they bring drugs in.

Cartel operatives also rely on more mundane goods for laundering, like the bulk resale in Mexico of clothes bought in Los Angeles.

"They're sold over there and all of a sudden, voila, you go from US dollars to Mexican pesos," Mike Vigil, the former chief of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told Business Insider.

Read the Bloomberg story here.

NOW WATCH: This is how Mexican drug cartels make billions selling drugs





More From Business Insider


By Karin Strohecker

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Turkish stocks fell almost 2 percent on Thursday to eight-week lows and default insurance costs surged after the country's prime minister looked set to leave after clashing with President Tayyip Erdogan.

The Turkish woes came against a backdrop of generally lacklustre emerging equity markets which are being rattled by signs of a renewed and prolonged downturn in world growth with little sign of any pick up in developing countries.

Istanbul-listed stocks are track for their biggest weekly drop since December 2013, with losses of more than 8 percent so far, while local 10-year bond yields jumped more than 30 basis points to near one-month highs.

Five-year credit default swaps rose to four-week highs .

Turkish officials said the ruling AK Party was set to replace Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, a political moderate who has been embroiled in weeks of public dispute and seemed unable to resolve their differences in a 1-1/2 hour meeting on Wednesday.

Davutoglu's departure, expected to follow an extraordinary congress in the coming weeks, is seen to pave the way for a successor more willing to back Erdogan's ambition of changing the constitution and strengthening his grip on power.

The Turkish lira strengthened 1.3 percent, though only clawing back part of the 3.8 percent losses suffered in the previous session.

"While the political situation stabilised after the AKP regained its majority in the early general election held in November, politics has once again emerged as a major risk for the lira, which is likely to remain vulnerable in the coming days," Rabobank analysts said.

Investors will likely focus on which ministers retain key posts in the new cabinet, especially market-friendly names such as Mehmet Simsek.

"Clearly changes to economic minsters could result in changes to economic policies (crucial given Turkey's border-line investment grade rating," BNP Paribas said in a note.

Overall, MSCI's emerging market index fell 0.4 percent on the day - on track for its third week in the red with weekly losses of almost 4 percent.

Story continues

Russian stocks rose half a percent and the rouble firmed 1.3 percent in line with oil's 2.5 percent gains .

In central Europe, the Czech and Romanian currencies were flat versus the euro before central bank meetings that are expected to result in no-change decisions.

Hungarian stocks rose half a percent, shrugging off a 19 percent fall in drugmaker Richter's first quarter profits. Richter shares opened weaker to touch six-week lows but later recovered to trade in positive territory.

For GRAPHIC on emerging market FX performance 2016, see http://link.reuters.com/jus35t

For GRAPHIC on MSCI emerging index performance 2016, see http://link.reuters.com/weh36s

For GRAPHIC on MSCI emerging Europe performance 2016, see http://link.reuters.com/jun28s

For GRAPHIC on MSCI frontier index performance 2016, see http://link.reuters.com/zyh97s

For CENTRAL EUROPE market report, see

For TURKISH market report, see

For RUSSIAN market report, see ) Emerging Markets Prices from Reuters Equities Latest Net Chg % Chg % Chg

on year

Morgan Stanley Emrg Mkt Indx 809.24 -4.28 -0.53 +1.90

Czech Rep 889.94 +3.00 +0.34 -6.94

Poland 1847.88 -17.37 -0.93 -0.61

Hungary 26363.89 +151.74 +0.58 +10.21

Romania 6480.12 +50.04 +0.78 -7.48

Greece 602.51 +12.46 +2.11 -4.57

Russia 915.92 +3.34 +0.37 +20.99

South Africa 45806.09 +246.60 +0.54 +0.02

Turkey 78175.67 -1206.95 -1.52 +8.99

China 2998.14 +6.87 +0.23 -15.29

India 25359.08 +257.35 +1.03 -2.90

Currencies Latest Prev Local Local

close currency currency

% change % change

in 2016

Czech Rep 27.03 27.01 -0.07 -0.10

Poland 4.41 4.40 -0.29 -3.46

Hungary 313.10 312.98 -0.04 +0.49

Romania 4.50 4.50 +0.10 +0.48

Serbia 122.72 122.59 -0.11 -1.02

Russia 65.83 66.62 +1.20 +10.81

Kazakhstan 333.00 333.16 +0.05 +2.25

Ukraine 25.11 25.11 +0.00 -4.61

South Africa 15.02 14.98 -0.31 +2.92

Kenya 100.50 100.70 +0.20 +1.69

Israel 3.78 3.78 +0.16 +2.91

Turkey 2.92 2.96 +1.21 -0.26

China 6.50 6.49 -0.12 -0.16

India 66.51 66.62 +0.17 -0.46

Brazil 3.55 3.55 +0.03 +11.69

Mexico 17.71 17.80 +0.48 -3.06

Debt Index Strip Spd Chg %Rtn Index

Sov'gn Debt EMBIG 421 -3 .02 7 14.91 1

All data taken from Reuters at #N/A *The record could not be found GMT.

Currency percent change calculated from the daily U.S.

close at 2130 GMT.

(Additional reporting by Sujata Rao)
A new system called "video visitation" is replacing in-person jail visits with glitchy, expensive Skype-like video calls. It's inhumane, dystopian and actually increases in-prison violence  but god, it makes money.

Losing connection

The only way Lauren Johnson could see Ashika Renae Coleman at the Travis County Correctional Complex in Del Valle, Texas, was via video conference from seven miles away in Austin.

Coleman and Johnson had met in 2012 in a rehabilitation program that tries to build trust and community among incarcerated women through theater. Both had been to prison for drug-related offenses.

Johnson got out in 2011. She became an activist helping former convicts like herself re-enter society. Coleman had similarly altruistic ambitions when she was released, and planned to create a sober house for the formerly incarcerated. But after returning to a husband still suffering from addiction, she relapsed and ended up back in Travis County jail on another drug-possession charge.

Johnson logged into the Securus Technologies website  a Skype-like communication system used by the Travis County jail  on her PC laptop. But the video player didn't have the latest version of Java. When Johnson installed it, the system insisted she had not. So Johnson tried another laptop  a MacBook this time. Java was working this time, Flash was not.

Thinking the browser might be the problem, Johnson tried launching the video player in Chrome, then switched to Safari before giving up and using the Securus Android app on her phone.

Finally, Coleman's face appeared on screen  barely. For the entire call, a glitch in the system caused Coleman's image to look like a tangle of window blinds. Johnson wanted to talk to Coleman about her case, but through most of the call, she simply repeated, "Hello  can you hear me now?" Johnson was charged $10 for the video visit, even after cutting it a few minutes short of the 20-minute maximum.

Story continues

Source: Jack Smith IV/Mic

All the while, Coleman waited alone in jail at a computer terminal. She had no other option. To see anyone but a prison guard, the only way was through a video feed.

Travis County ended all in-person visitations in May 2013, leaving video visitation as the exclusive method for people on the outside to communicate with the incarcerated. But Travis County is only on the leading edge of a new technological trend that threatens to abolish in-person visitation across the country. Over 600 prisons in 46 states have some sort of video visitation system, and every year, more of those facilities do away with in-person visitation.

Anticipating the arrival of friends and family, making eye contact, holding a child's hand  these are the experiences and memories that give someone the resilience they need to make it in prison. A visit can alleviate the suffering that comes cold confinement and the brutality of unpredictable violence that erupts between inmates.

Once people leave prison and return to society, their ability to thrive depends on the support network they left behind when they were incarcerated. In-person visits keep those relationships alive in a way that speaking through a flickering monitor does not.

"It's just too much frustration to come down here, wait for an hour and then only get 25 minutes for a not-so-good call," Coleman said when the connection improved for a moment. "I think the hassle is why people don't visit me as much anymore."

Extorting inmates' families is big business

You may have heard of the prison industrial complex, but the companies that provide corrections facilities with their communications technologies are an industrial complex all their own. Three companies dominate the prison comms business: Securus, Telmate and Global Tel Link, also called GTL  the Verizon, AT&T and Sprint of jails.

Long before video visitation existed, prison phone calls were the bread and butter of these companies. With exclusive contracts protecting them from competition, the trio of prison telecom giants ratcheted up the prices until a single phone call could cost upward of $14 a minute.

Source: Tri Vo/Mic

For the families of the 2.3 million incarcerated Americans nationwide, crippling costs are part and parcel of supporting a loved one in jail. A sweeping survey of families by the Ella Baker Center showed that more than 1 in 3 families goes into debt just to cover the costs of keeping in touch with their loved one. Of everyone pouring money into those systems, 87% are women.

These fees are the linchpin in an elaborate racket between telecommunications providers, prisons and local governments. The business model for the three major prison telecoms is built around long-term contracts that establish them as the sole provider in a given county or state. In order to win these contracts, the major companies promise each county or state "site commissions"  a euphemism for kickbacks. These deals are lucrative: In Los Angeles County, for example, it brings in a baseline, contractual guarantee of $15 million a year. In some counties, this money trickles back down to the prisons.

After decades of abuse, the Federal Communications Commission voted in October to cap phone rates at 11 cents per minute. GTL and Securus filed suit against the FCC. The telecoms argue the FCC has overstepped its legal authority in imposing the rate cap and that the lost revenue will leave the companies unable to fulfill their contractual obligation to pay the counties. The regulations are on hold while the FCC fights for the price caps to take hold.

If the FCC stops the telecoms from gouging families for phone fees, the next frontier is, well, any other service those companies provide. One of those lucrative new products is prison email, in which families are charged for digital "stamps." The other is video visitation.

The FCC is already looking to regulate other kinds of communication, but it could be months, even years, before it gets around to addressing digital communication. So while the FCC lumbers toward capping phone costs, the prison telecoms can get the same money from innocent families using systems the FCC hasn't gotten around to regulating yet.

"This is a fertile ground for abuse, since the FCC is taking modes of communications one by one, rather than [with] comprehensive, all-at-once policy," Aleks Kajstura, legal director of the Prison Policy Institute, told Mic.

Source: Tri Vo/Mic

Prisons have their own incentive. Officials across the country, including Brandon Wood of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, argue that visitation is a privilege and not a right  and that visitations are a security risk.

But the true incentive is keeping costs low. Video visitation requires fewer full-time prison staff members, so if the private contractors are willing to run the visitation system themselves, it's a pretty sweet deal for counties. Especially when those contractors are paying their way in.

The case for visitation

Jorge Renaud is notorious to prison officials in Texas as a troublemaker  not for his three convictions for burglary and robbery, but as a writer and editor of the Echo, Texas' newspaper by and for the incarcerated. During his 27 years in prison, he wrote about everything from gang wars and AIDS to incarcerated mothers and neglectful guards  anti-establishment writing that embarrassed prison officials.

At the time, he took the prison administration to task for preventing some inmates from having physical contact with visitors, forcing them to see their loved ones through a glass panel instead. He studied philosophers like Immanuel Kant and Michel de Montaigne, reading "the Chicano poets" and writing a 2002 book on navigating prison, Behind the Walls: A Guide for Families and Friends of Texas Prison Inmates.

During Renaud's time behind bars, visits from his wife and daughter served as a lifeline while awaiting parole, which finally came in 2008.

"The incredible anticipation and fulfillment of knowing they care enough to come can be the difference between you comporting with the rules, and being more human and aware and knowing the consequences of your actions and being willing to moderate and understand them," he said.

In 2014, Renaud was arrested for drinking and driving, and because he had violated the conditions of his parole, he ended up in jail once more  perhaps briefly, perhaps for the rest of his life.

But this time, no one could visit him. During the time Renaud was free, Travis County had quietly stopped in-person visitation, replacing it with Securus Technologies' video visitation system. His then-girlfriend Jaynna Sims was managing his affairs on the outside, but he could never meet with her, never look her in the eye, never hold her hand.

There were two options for Renaud and Sims to see each other: Sims could come down to the jail twice a week for a 20-minute video session for free. Or she could stay at home, risk it on her own computer and pay $10 for 20 minutes. Paid video visits were, of course, unlimited.

Sims said she racked up hundreds of dollars in fees a month, and when connection would cut out, she'd call up Securus' customer service to complain. It rarely helped; one time, customer service just hung up on her. (We reached out to both Securus and representatives of Securus-owned companies for comment on this story. Securus never responded.)

Anyone with a smartphone knows the road rage-like frustration of trying to speak through a bad connection. Imagine struggling through an expensive conversation in the midst of a crisis, like an accident or medical emergency; imagine being unable to reach the only people providing you a little bit of normalcy.

"There's an incredible despair and anger at this system, this fucking screen in front of you that wavers in and out," Renaud said.

Renaud spent three months in jail before he pled guilty to a diminished charge of reckless driving. Once he got out, Renaud got in touch with Bob Libal at Austin's Grassroots Leadership, a leading network of advocates in the fight against prison profiteering. He recounted to Libal his outrage at the profiteering and exploitation  the hopelessness of fighting with faulty technology in order to reach the people he needed most.

So Libal told Renaud, the notorious prison scribe, to put pen to paper again, and in a few short months, Renaud churned out the earliest damning report of the effects of video visitation systems on jail populations to marshal the local advocates and legislators to restore in-person visitation to Travis County.

County officials across the country claim video visitation is good for security. When Renaud got ahold of prison records, they showed that incidences of inmate-on-inmate violence, disciplinary infractions and possession of contraband all rose after Travis County did away with in-person visitation. Because visitation is so new, these statistics are the earliest indication that the pro-security pitch for video visitation is all snake oil.

But perhaps the strongest case for visitation is that it keeps people out of jail. Prison recidivism goes way down for those who keep up strong family and community ties throughout their incarcerations.

Source: Jack Smith IV/Mic

The past decade in research shows consistently that maintaining the relationships the incarcerated will inevitably return to for support once they're released is a powerful agent in keeping them from repeat offenses. One study of over 16,000 incarcerated people found that any visitation at all, even just once, reduced the risk of recidivism by 13% for felony reconvictions.

After the report came out in October 2014, Renaud and Libal pushed for legislation that would make sure every jail in Texas kept some sort of in-person visitation. Working with Dallas Rep. Eric Johnson, they drafted HB 549, a bill establishing an inmate's right to a bare minimum of two 20-minute visitations per week. Only two months later, the law was introduced in the Texas House of Representatives.

Texas justice

When Sarah Eckhardt walked out of a Travis County commissioners' hearing in October 2012, she was grateful that video visitation was on its way to Travis County. A vote was called to decide whether to introduce video visitation to the Travis County Correctional Complex. Eckhart, a county commissioner at the time, thought that if only she'd had video visitation when her nephew was incarcerated in California, she'd be able to visit him any time from Texas.

During the meeting, Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe asked Darren Long, the major of corrections who led the charge to bring video visitation to the jail, if video would serve as a supplement or a substitute to in-person visitation. Long assured there would be no change in policy. The commissioners court voted in favor of the proposal, at ease that in-person visitation was there to stay.

Two years later, in 2014, Eckhardt got a call from Grassroots Leadership's Libal, who told her Travis County had switched over to video visitation entirely. She told him he most certainly was mistaken.

"Go look at the website," Libal said.

She navigated to the prison's visitation policy, which said that the only way to visit someone in jail was through video conference. The prison had done away with in-person visitation a year prior, and had just finalized a new contract with Securus that wasn't up for negotiation until 2015.

She called Long, reminding him he had promised there'd be no change in policy. "Darren, you said nothing was going to change," Eckhardt recalled saying. "He said, 'Well that's true, nothing did change  we'd already made that policy determination.'" In other words, when commissioners had asked for assurance that in-person visitation would remain, Long omitted the key fact that prison officials had already settled on getting rid of in-person visitation.

A native Texan whose father served as a U.S. congressman for 14 years, Eckhardt had just won a landslide election to take on Biscoe's soon-to-be vacant seat, becoming the first woman to serve as Travis County judge.

Source: Jack Smith IV/Mic

"I put it on my agenda that if [in-person visitation] wasn't reinstated while it was off the dais, I would make sure it was reinstated once I was back on," she said in her Austin office.

Eckhardt found an ally in Sally Hernandez, a Travis County constable running for sheriff. At the forefront of Hernandez's political platform was progressive reform to the sheriff's office, with the restoration of in-person visitation as a key issue.

"Just doing only video visitations, to me, is inhumane," Hernandez said. "If you're talking about a plea bargain, or you haven't seen your child, it has an emotional impact. It doesn't help an inmate make wise decisions, or have contact and the support of their family."

Hernandez won the Democratic primary in March, pledging to work with Eckhardt to protect the right to in-person visitation. In Austin's electoral history, the Democratic nominee is the typical shoo-in, so it's likely that come next year, Hernandez will be sheriff of Travis County.

The power and politics to govern these contracts will be in the hands of a county judge and, soon, a sheriff who believe in-person visitation is vital.

The gathering storm

HB 549 passed in the Texas House and Senate in May 2015. When Gov. Greg Abbott failed to sign or veto the law within the 20-day window set forth in the Texas Constitution, it became law by default, ensuring that people in hundreds of county jails across the state would be entitled to two, live in-person visitations a week.

But Travis County wasn't going to get in-person visitation back.

Source: Jack Smith IV/Mic

At least 22 of Texas' 254 counties fought and won an exemption to the new rules, claiming that they'd already dedicated significant resources to going full-video. Under the exemption, any county that had "incurred significant design, engineering or construction costs" in switching to video-only visitation by Sept. 1 didn't have to keep in-person visitation. But one thing advocates for in-person visitation had failed to do was narrowly define what "significant cost" meant.

This gave counties months to incur costs that could help an exemption. In San Antonio, for example, the county committed $6 million to a new video visitation center despite the protestations of families and activists, and won an exemption. Without a clear definition, any county that spent more than nothing was able to make a case for an exemption.

Travis County was headed for the same fate as San Antonio, until Judge Sarah Eckhardt was tipped off to a caveat. Travis County hadn't incurred any significant costs at all for setting up video visitation. All of the systems had been paid for by Securus Technologies.

On April 19, in-person visitation was restored to Travis County.

HB 549 established an incarcerated person's right to in-person visits in Texas' county jails  at least for now.

But Doug Smith, a policy analyst with the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, is worried that upcoming hearings in the state senate could still jeopardize the bill in the future.

"They'll have a hearing, people will be called to the Capitol and given the opportunity to testify, and the committee would issue recommendations based on what they've heard," Smith said over the phone. "Right now, most counties are safe, but I take nothing for granted."

Other states have begun their battle. In California, where 11 counties have either exclusively switched over to video visitation or are well on the way, state senators have begun work on SB 1157, a bill that would prevent county jails and private institutions from doing away with in-person visits.

But this is the beginning of a tech-driven shift in the way the prison telecoms do business, and none of the other 40 states that have introduced some kind of video visitation has anything as comprehensive as Texas' bill. Securus already has its hands in 3,400 corrections facilities in 48 states, and is constantly renegotiating its contracts.

But Jaynna Sims, who'd supported Jorge Renaud while he was hidden for three months behind video visitation, still knows the trauma inflicted by a system she says "never gives you a break," even with the battle behind her.

"People get out eventually, and they're coming back into the community," Sims said. "If we want to make life as miserable as possible and make sure they don't have growth or healing in jail, we can keep doing what we're doing. But if we don't want them to be worse off when they come back, we have to care about how we treat them in prisons and jails."

Source: Jack Smith IV/Mic

That trauma is felt anywhere families are trying to rehabilitate their loved ones  not reaching for hands through prison bars, but with faint voices through fading bars of failing reception, struggling to hold on to the connection.

"The opportunity to sit face to face and just have a personal connection is the one reprieve you get in all of this," Sims said. "But once you take away in-person visitation, you don't have that. It's like the system keeps finding ways to victimize people. And how can that, in any way, heal an individual, or a community?"

Coleman, who Johnson only saw through a glitchy screen, took a deal for two years in prison. She hasn't been assigned to a facility yet, but Johnson promised Coleman she'd drive to visit, either an hour and a half away at Linda Woodman State Jail, or three hours to Lucile Plane in Dayton, Ohio. Both facilities, for now, still have in-person visitation.



The clips above were taken with permission from the upcoming documentary (In)securus Technology: An Assault on Prisoner Rights, directed by Matthew Gossage for Grassroots Leadership.
SatyaNadella2016

True to its word, Microsoft's free Windows 10 upgrade offer ends on July 29, the company writes in a blog entry. Starting July 30, you'll need to pay $119 for Windows 10 Home, or get it free on a new PC.

When Windows 10 officially launched on July 29, 2015, Microsoft made the new operating system a free upgrade from Windows 7 and 8 for its first year in a play to attract as many new customers as possible.

"The free upgrade offer to Windows 10 was a first for Microsoft, helping people upgrade faster than ever before. And time is running out," writes Microsoft in that blog entry.

It seems to be working: Microsoft also announced today that there are 300 million active devices  mainly PCs, but also some tablets and smartphones  running Windows 10. Microsoft's overall mission is to have 1 billion active devices on Windows 10 by the end of 2017, the same as the number of active Apple iOS devices out there.

Microsoft has made clear that it sees Windows 10 as a funnel toward premium subscription services like Office 365 and Xbox Live, and making the operating system free was an important way to build that potential customer base. In fact, reports have swirled that some people's PCs have upgraded them without their permission.

Because that drive for subscription revenue is so important to CEO Satya Nadella's Microsoft, it had been theorized that the company might extend the free Windows 10 offer well past the operating system's one-year mark. Alas, it was not to be.

And with Windows 10 going to a paid-upgrade model, it'll be better for Microsoft's declining Windows revenue, but it's also probably going to slow down the rate of growth in Windows 10, especially with people buying fewer PCs than ever before.

Still, July 30 is still a ways away. So if you've been on the fence about Windows 10, and you've been ignoring the company's nagging pleas to upgrade, it might be now or never.

NOW WATCH: We tried Samsungs answer to the MacBook





More From Business Insider


By Summer Delaney

President Obama visited Flint, Mich., Wednesday for the first time since the citys contaminated water crisis came to light more than two years ago. While there, he drank filtered water to reassure families that, with proper filters and installations, it is lead-free.

Filtered water is safe, and it works, Obama said during a press conference. We have to take what has been a crisis and turn this into an opportunity to rebuild Flint even better than before.

Some critics of Obama have said the president has waited too long to visit Flints 100,000 residents. However, environmental activist Erin Brockovich told Yahoo Finance Anchor Alexis Christoforous that Obama still has time to make strides towards building a better infrastructure that ensures safe drinking water.



Its never too late, and Im really glad to see that [Obamas] been there, said Brockovich. President Obamas administration is still in office and they have a great opportunity to leave a legacy.

While in Flint, Obama met with state and local officials, including Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. Brockovich has previously called for the governors resignation, but she was heartened that the two leaders discussed how state and federal agencies can better communicate to avoid disasters like the one in Flint.



Ive been doing this for 22 years, and out of fear or greed we find ourselves in these situations every single time Im involved because of lack of transparency, said Brockovich. We have to put peoples safety first even if that means were afraid or somebody because of greed wants to save a buck.

Currently, Brockovich is deeply committed to improving the situation in Michigan. She is participating in a charity auction this month with all proceeds going to the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.

But Brockovich emphasized that the issues in Flint dont represent an isolated situation; she also tracks environmental crises all over the country online.

Our water necessarily shouldnt be a political process; its a human right, its [part of being human], said Brockovich. To be there and be touched by the children and hear their story and the importance of safe drinking water should enlighten anybody.  This isnt about your political party, the color of your skin or the money you have in your bank. This is our water supply, and nothing could be more important.


Rome (AFP) - EU president Donald Tusk travels to Rome Thursday with fellow EU institution leaders and German Chancellor Angela Merkel for two days of talks likely to focus on next steps in Europe's migrant crisis.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who fears Italy becoming the new migrant frontline after the closure of the Balkan route, will host the first day of talks, followed by Pope Francis on Friday.

As the EU braces for more turbulence notably with next month's "Brexit" referendum in Britain as well as renewed Greek debt talks, Italy is keen to keep the focus on forging a joint plan over migrants.

Renzi will start by meeting Merkel from 2 pm (1200 GMT), followed by talks with European Commission leader Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council president Tusk and European Parliament chief Martin Schulz.

From 6:30 pm (1630 GMT) they will hold a conference on the future of the EU, which will take place in the same room in the Capitole where the 1957 Rome Treaty was signed, founding the body that developed into today's 28-nation EU.

With over 28,500 migrants arrived since January 1, Italy has once again become the principal entry via the Mediterranean, after the controversial EU-Turkey deal and the closure of the Balkan route north.

Rome fears that, unlike previously, Italy will be left hosting masses of new arrivals if, for example, Austria mounts stricter controls at the Brenner pass linking Italy through the Alps to northern Europe.

Threats to the Schengen Treaty on free movement sparked by the migrant crisis were described by Italian Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan as "more dangerous than the euro crisis a few years ago".

UN refugee agency spokeswoman in Italy, Carlotta Sami, on Wednesday welcomed the "movement from an emergency approach to a structured approach, making plans and reflecting on (the) integration" of migrants into countries where they arrive.

After Renzi on Thursday, Pope Francis will meet Merkel and the three EU institution leaders on Friday, before making a speech as he is given the EU's Charlemagne prize, which each year honours "an exceptional contribution to European unification."

The Pope, who usually refuses prizes, explained in February that he accepted this one in order to appeal for a "refounding" of the European bloc. In November 2014 he called at the European Parliament for Europe to become a "reference point for humanity."
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - European aviation safety authorities have set up a task force to urgently assess the dangers of collisions between drones and aircraft after a rise in near-misses with passenger planes. The use of civil drones, whether for commercial purposes such as crop surveillance, monitoring of natural disasters, photography or leisure, is rising and aircraft pilots are increasingly reporting near-misses. In one widely-reported incident last month, a British Airways passenger plane was suspected of having hit a drone as it approached Heathrow airport, although authorities later said this could not be confirmed. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which will lead the inquiry, said it will examine how vulnerable aircraft windshields, engines and airframes are to impact with drones. While extensive research has been carried out into the impact of birds colliding with passenger planes, little is known about what would happen if a drone were to be sucked into an engine and pilot unions have called for more research. The task force will include representatives of aircraft and engine manufacturers and publish its results at the end of July, EASA said in a statement. (Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Alexander Smith)
* Retail income increasingly important for airports

* But spend is under pressure from online rivals

* Attacks on tourist cities deter travellers

* Airports revamp terminals, offer new shopping services

By Victoria Bryan and Sarah Young

BERLIN/LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - European airports are racing to redesign terminals and offer new services to pull more passengers into their stores, in the face of online competition and militant attacks that have kept away some big-spending Asian travellers.

Seeking to boost the key measure of retail sales per passenger, airports are expanding and refurbishing shopping areas and ensuring routes to gates steer customers past - or through - as many stores and restaurants as possible.

Vienna Airport, for example, plans to expand the shopping and food area in its Terminal 2 by about 50 percent - including a duty-free store positioned right after security, which passengers must pass through.

London's Stansted has just completed an 80 million pound ($116 million) makeover that increased space in the departure lounge by 60 percent, providing more room for shops.

"Airports now are basically shopping malls with runways," said John Jarrell, head of Airport IT at Amadeus, which supplies technology systems to the industry.

Retail accounts for almost a fifth of airports' revenue, a proportion that has grown steadily in the past decade, according to airports association ACI Europe, and is increasingly relied upon to help fund infrastructure and services.

But the lucrative business has been hit by falling numbers of Asian travellers, traditionally the biggest spenders. Major European airlines have reported falling demand from passengers from China and Japan this year as a result of the attacks in Paris and Brussels.

Airport retailers' advantage of a captive audience of travellers has also been undermined by people being able to shop and compare prices at will on mobile devices, so they are being forced to employ new strategies to court customers.

Story continues

"Air travellers have become very discerning price-wise and impulse buying at the airport is becoming rarer," said ACI Europe spokesman Robert O'Meara.

Frankfurt airport is trialling a scheme where passengers in the Lufthansa lounge can shop on their tablets and have goods brought to them, and another where passengers can order food from tablet-toting staff to be brought to the gate and eaten there or on their plane.

Stansted, Britain's fourth-busiest airport, is offering hand massages at the Jo Malone area in its duty-free store, while its bigger London rival Gatwick and Copenhagen airport have thrown up temporary "pop-up" shops to tempt passengers into spending there and then, rather than waiting.

Many European airports, including Copenhagen, Gatwick, Stansted and London Heathrow, also now offer "collect on return" services that allow customers to buy goods and pick them up when they return from their trip.

Stansted launched the service at the beginning of the year and customers are leaving about 3,000 bags a week full of airport-bought goods and collecting them upon their return.

'THEY WILL SPEND MORE'

Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, offers passengers not flying via Terminal 5 the chance to order items from the Chanel store there - a service much used by high-net worth customers flying to the Middle East from Terminal 4.

"If you give passengers good service, put them in control of their time, they will spend more with you," Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye told Reuters.

His airport completed a 40 million pound revamp of its luxury shopping area last year that added more shops, including Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta.

While the concept of duty-free was invented in Shannon, Ireland in 1947, it has since lost meaning for European travellers, which do not get the tax-free prices that passengers from outside the European Union enjoy.

Frankfurt airport operator Fraport illustrated the importance of Asian travellers when it said that passengers from China, Russia, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam made up just 7 percent of passengers in 2015, but 31 percent of retail revenue.

Both Fraport and fellow operator Aeroports de Paris said this week that retail sales per passenger had dropped in the first quarter of 2016, partly due to the impact of the Paris attacks.

Faced with such hurdles, airports are trying to maximise the time available to customers to shop by reducing times spent queuing at security checks and giving people better directions via apps or touch-screens to find their way around often sprawling terminal buildings.

Fraport's app, for example, allows passengers to take a picture of a sign at Frankfurt airport and have it translated into Chinese.

European airports relied on non-aeronautical revenue - sales earned from retail and car parking - for 40 percent of their revenues in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available, according to ACI Europe.

Of that revenue, retail - including food and drinks sales - accounted for 46 percent, up from just 28 percent in 2008. That equates to about 18 percent of airports' total revenue.

Typically, airports receive fees from retailers comprising of rent and royalties from sales. Citi analysts said of the airports they covered, Heathrow had the highest per passenger retail revenues.

The British hub increased its retail revenue by 9 percent in 2015, about a fifth of its total annual revenues, representing per passenger retail revenue of 7.58 pounds, up from 7.14 pounds the previous year.

($1 = 0.6893 pounds) (Additional reporting by Peter Maushagen; Editing by Pravin Char)
Lac La Biche (Canada) (AFP) - Sitting on the tailgate of his truck, strumming his guitar, the only item that he was able to salvage in a hurried evacuation of Fort McMurray as wildfires raged closer to the Canadian oil city, Alan Javierto says: "I just want to go home."

"Hopefully soon," he adds. "But probably it will take weeks, maybe more."

The wildfires that forced almost 100,000 to flee and abandon fire-gutted neighborhoods were "unreal," he said.

"I've never seen anything like it except in the movies," he said. "It's overwhelming."

Javierto had been "hanging out with this guy" when the evacuation was ordered, he says, pointing to his friend Victor Pastoporin seated next to him outside an evacuation center in Lac La Biche, about 300 kilometers south of Fort McMurray.

"It was a nice day, a perfect day," he said. "Suddenly, it got darker and darker, and hotter and hotter."

According to several first-hand accounts, residents of Fort McMurray were initially hopeful that the fire would pass them by.

Some packed bags in anticipation of an evacuation order. Others were caught off guard, literally fleeing with the clothes on their back.

"There's no guide on how to get out of a forest fire," Javierto explained.

Another evacuee who spoke to AFP described sitting outside his home, watching a few faraway bushes burn before the entire forest suddenly exploded into flames.

The last image Javierto and Pastoporin remember before fleeing was Pastoporin's house on fire.

"But we're still here, that's what matters, and playing music," Javierto said.

Another evacuee, Carla, who did not wish to give her last name, said she spent the last night in a parking lot behind the Lac La Biche high school.

She described having struggled to make contact with friends and family, including her children, after being separated during the evacuation. They are safe now.

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Holding back tears, she considered what has become of her home: "There's nothing there. There's nothing left. So many homes gone."

From Lac La Biche she said she hoped to travel east to Ontario or Newfoundland provinces where she has extended family.

Others are still in limbo with no plans for how to resume their lives gutted by the fire.

- 'A roof over my head' -

Lac La Biche is the the third evacuation stop this week for Karla Buffalo.

With her dogs Daisy and Tulip in tow, she had tried to travel south from Fort McMurray to the provincial capital Edmonton, but a wall of flames forced residents to turn around and head north instead, towards Alberta's oil fields.

Eventually, she and others were evacuated to the town of Anzac, where the fire emergency response center had also moved after thick smoke closed its former site at the Fort McMurray airport. But the flames followed too, and again evacuees found themselves on the move, loaded onto buses to Lac La Biche.

The town's recreation center is now filled with hundreds of displaced people and volunteers distributing donated clothes, food and other necessities -- including dog treats and leashes.

A temporary kennel was even set up for Buffalo's dogs Daisy and Tulip and the pets -- including a small pig -- of other arrivals here.

Buffalo says she has been through forest fires before, but never an evacuation of this scale.

"I can't complain. I have a roof over my head, everyone has been fed and the attitudes of people here have been incredible," she told AFP. "Everyone has been very generous."
North Korea holds its Workers Party Congress on Friday  the first time this apex political meeting has happened since 1980. It brings together Kim Jong Un and the reclusive states governing elite, and security is tight: movement in and out of the capital, Pyongyang, has been restricted, while inspections and property sweeps have been ramped up, according to local media. There are also persistent rumors that a fifth nuclear test may sprinkle a little shock and awe over proceedings.

Heres what you need to know:

Whats it all about?

The Workers Party Congress is a gathering of all the people of influence in North Korea, including delegates and observers elected at lower-level party meetings around the country. The meeting sets out the direction and priorities of this nation of 25 million over the next five to 10 years. It can also amend the Workers Party charter, which lays out how the organization is structured and how it relates to the different organs of state.

But above all, its a backslapping exercise for party bigwigs to boast about recent achievements and to lavish praise on Kim, the Supreme Leader. Reports from the ChinaNorth Korea border indicate that a trove of luxury goods have been smuggled in to divide up amongst attendees as gifts.

They do political choreography very well, says John Delury, associate professor of East Asian studies at Yonsei Universitys Graduate School of International Studies in Seoul. And it will be impressive at least for their own people in North Korea.

Why now?

Kim hadnt even been born the last time North Korea held a Workers Party Congress, and this gathering is very much about cementing his personal authority over the state. It also comes at a time when North Korea is moving back toward what the leadership would like to consider stability.

The 1990s brought a series of existential crises for North Korea: starting with the fall of the Soviet Union and other European socialist nations, then the death of founding father Kim Il Sung in 1994, and not least a horrific famine that claimed up to 3 million lives and hit a nadir in 1997. All this had Pyongyang operating in crisis-management mode, says Daniel Pinkston, lecturer in international relations with Troy University in Seoul.

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This political angst essentially continued throughout the reign of Kim Jong Il to when his son Kim Jong Un took over four years ago. Since then, adds Pinkston, theres been a learning process and they want to return things to normal.

Of course, you wouldnt bet against the looming presidential elections in both South Korea and the U.S. also figuring in the choice of timing.

Whats the significance?

Theres unlikely to be any grand policy shift unveiled. However, a host of personnel changes are expected  both from the necessity of replacing aging comrades, as well as to reward figures deemed especially loyal to Kim Jong Un.

Many analysts expect there to be a refocusing on economic priorities  a prospect that would please China, above all, because it would provide Beijing with a platform of engagement and negotiation. Already under Kim, the economy has significantly improved  though by any absolute standards remains woeful. The state has stopped meddling in the market and allowed low-level private enterprise to flourish (albeit taxed and stringently regulated). People no longer appear to be starving in large numbers  although verification of that is difficult  and there are enough cars on the streets of Pyongyang for locals to even refer to rush hour.

Speaking ahead of a U.N. climate change conference in New York, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong said the congress would look to advance the pace of economic building, improve the peoples living standards and strengthen our national defense capabilities.

Regarding the latter, it would be entirely characteristic for Little Kim to launch a fifth nuclear test while the whole world is watching.

What will Washington be looking for?

A nuclear test will obviously capture the headlines and overshadow any other developments. It would also irk North Koreas main, if not only, sponsor, China, which accounts for around 90% of Pyongyangs trade, buying its main export, coal, and sending back around half a million tons of oil each year.

Chinas relationship with its dysfunctional neighbor has become increasingly strained, though, and Beijing even signed up to ramped-up U.N. sanctions in March following Pyongyangs latest nuclear and missile tests. Beijing is key to curbing Kims belligerence, though it has traditionally expressed skepticism that squeezing tactics work. The Chinese position is that if you back the North Koreans into the corner and put a knife to their throat, theyll just blow up the room, says Delury.

Also of interest is whom, if anyone, Beijing chooses to send to its recalcitrant neighbors party of a generation. Latest indications were no one: asked whether China had received an invitation or would be sending a delegate to the Congress, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told an April 27 press meeting: That is a major event in the political life of the party and people of the DPRK [North Korea].

Whats the big picture?

The battle to rein in North Korea is hamstrung by the geopolitical rivalry between China and the U.S. The existence of North Korea is of strategic benefit to Beijing, given the alternative is likely a unified Korean Peninsula ruled from Seoul that would be a staunch ally of Washington. Then theres the financial burden of the millions of refugees that would torrent into China if North Korea collapsed.

However, a nuclear-armed North Korea is clearly not in Beijings best interests, especially when this boosts South Korean calls to develop its own nuclear deterrent. More immediately, the U.S. intends to deploy the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) anti-ballistic-missile system in South Korea to counter the Norths nuclear capability, much to the displeasure of both Beijing and Moscow.

According to Cheong Seong-chang, senior fellow at South Korean think tank the Sejong Institute, THAAD concerns China much more than a North Korean nuclear missile as it threatens Beijings designs for the resource-rich South China Sea. THAAD would pit China against America in a power struggle over the South China Sea, he says. China believes that the development of THAAD puts its hegemony at risk.

China will be hoping that the Congress brings a refocus on economic reform and a mellowing of bellicose rhetoric. This would bolster the argument for engagement, and allow China to frame Washington as the aggressor if it decides to push ahead with THAAD regardless. While Pyongyang has historically excelled at exactly this sort of brinkmanship, a bout of saber rattling is just as likely.
Bogota (AFP) - Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian politician who was held hostage by Colombia's FARC rebels for more than six years, said Thursday the conflict-torn country must embrace peace, reconciliation and forgiveness.

Betancourt is one of the most high-profile victims of a half-century conflict that has claimed 260,000 lives and now finally appears to be nearing an end at peace talks between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

She was kidnapped by the FARC in 2002 while campaigning for president in what was supposed to be a demilitarized zone, and was held in the jungle until she was rescued in an army operation in 2008.

She left for Europe after she was freed and has rarely returned to Colombia, but was back for a conference on reconciliation.

"I have just one plea for Colombia today: to dare to believe in itself and embrace with all the strength of its soul the grandiose prospect of peace," she said in an emotional speech during which she paused several times to choke back tears.

"There is nothing stronger than forgiveness to stop the dehumanization" of war, she said.

Betancourt, a former member of Colombia's Congress, told several stories from her time in captivity, including one about a guerrilla fighter who once asked her forgiveness for something he had said.

That small act of human connection helped her get through the "bad times," said Betancourt, 54.

Turning to the peace talks launched in 2012, she said there was no reason Colombians could not have justice for the atrocities perpetrated in the conflict, which rights groups say have been committed on all sides.

"We as a society aspire to (a peace deal in which) there is no impunity. They, the FARC, need security before the justice system. Both ambitions are fair and they are not incompatible," she said.

"The possibility of a transitional justice system is a creative and mature proposal to solve this equation."

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Timoleon Jimenez announced a landmark deal last September on post-conflict justice that provided for special courts and reduced sentences for those who admit their crimes.

They said the deal would pave the way to end the conflict within six months, but the date has passed and a final peace accord remains elusive.
By Alex Dobuzinskis

(Reuters) - A former San Francisco police officer embroiled in a scandal over racist and homophobic text messages pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges he unlawfully accessed records from the Department of Motor Vehicles, prosecutors said.

Jason Lai pleaded not guilty to six misdemeanor counts of unlawful access and use of criminal and Department of Motor Vehicle information, said Alex Bastian, a spokesman for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.

The charges of unlawfully accessing the database grew out of an investigation of a sexual assault allegation - ultimately unproven - against Lai.

Also found during the investigation were multiple text messages full of slurs and expletives referring to black, Indian, Latino, Muslim, gay and transgender people, in the second scandal in a year over slur-filled messages linked to local police.

Lai was one of several officers caught up in the latest texting scandal, which was disclosed last month by the District Attorney's Office. Three officers, including Lai, are no longer with the department, and a fourth is facing possible discipline from the Police Commission.

Prosecutors said they did not have enough evidence to charge Lai in connection with the sexual assault allegation. But former San Francisco police Lieutenant Curtis Liu, who worked at the same station as Lai, was charged with making a false statement in a police report and obstructing a peace officer in connection with that investigation, said Max Szabo, also a spokesman for the San Francisco District Attorney's office.

Anthony Brass, an attorney for Liu, said in a voice message that his client, a 26-year veteran of the department, was free on bail of $21,000.

Last year, 14 officers were caught up in a similar texting scandal, prompting the review of thousands of cases as prosecutors sought to make sure evidence would not be tainted by the scandal.

(In 6th paragraph corrects first name to Max Szabo, not Matt)

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Sharon Bernstein and Peter Cooney)
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  A former Wesleyan University student involved in a rash of campus overdoses tied to the party drug Molly has been sentenced to four months in prison.

Twenty-two-year-old Bethesda, Maryland, resident Zachary Kramer also was ordered Thursday to serve eight months of home confinement and attend outpatient drug treatment.

Kramer pleaded guilty in November to distributing a synthetic drug made by a friend on the university's Middletown, Connecticut, campus.

Eleven people were hospitalized and one nearly died early last year after ingesting the drug, MDMA.

Kramer's friend Eric Lonergan pleaded guilty to similar charges. He's scheduled to be sentenced June 15.

Prosecutors say Lonergan and Kramer sold the drug on campus for more than a year.

Lonergan is from Rio de Janeiro. Prosecutors say he regularly sold Molly from his dorm room and counseled students on how to ingest it.
On Wednesday, Robert Downey Jr. joked in an interview with Howard Stern that his Iron Man love interest, Gwyneth Paltrow, is his "free pass" -- as in, the one woman his wife, Susan, would be okay with him sleeping with.

Later that day, Downey spoke to ET at a New York City screening of Captain America: Civil War where he got the chance to turn the tables, so to speak, and reveal which of his co-stars he'd choose to be his wife's "free pass."

"I'm gonna go [Paul] Bettany, you know?" admitted Downey Jr., referring to the actor who voiced Iron Man's computer side-kick Jarvis and now stars as The Vision in Marvel's superhero saga. "He's got that European, British flair."

WATCH: Robert Downey Jr. Opens Up About Ex Sarah Jessica Parker: 'She Was Normal and I Was Out of My Mind'

Downey, Jr. wasn't joined by his wife on the red carpet for the New York screening, which is the latest in a string of cities the 51-year-old star has traveled to while gearing up for the release of the upcoming action epic. Which begs the question: Which stop on the Civil War promotional tour was the actor's favorite?

"I'm from New York, so I gotta say New York, but I mean, Berlin was amazing, Paris was a blast, London is always fun," Downey, Jr. recounted. "I got to swing through San Francisco on the way home for a minute. I love the planet. I'm glad to be on the planet."

And the planet is happy about the forthcoming Marvel film. This installment in the Captain America series has already enjoyed massive, record-breaking pre-sales, which Downey, Jr. says is due to it being "a really good movie."

MORE: How 'Captain America: Civil War' Finally Got Spider-Man Right (and 6 Other Things We Loved)

"I think it deserves it and fans are loving it and I think people are gonna enjoy it," he shared.

Captain America: Civil War explodes into theaters May 6

Story continues

For more on the Iron Man star's candid, sit-down interview with Howard Stern, check out the video below.

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By Dmitry Zhdannikov and Rania El Gamal

LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) - As OPEC officials gathered this week to formulate a long-term strategy, few in the room expected the discussions would end without a clash. But even the most jaded delegates got more than they had bargained with.

"OPEC is dead," declared one frustrated official, according to two sources who were present or briefed about the Vienna meeting.

This was far from the first time that OPEC's demise has been proclaimed in its 56-year history, and the oil exporters' group itself may yet enjoy a long life in the era of cheap crude.

Saudi Arabia, OPEC's most powerful member, still maintains that collective action by all producers is the best solution for an oil market that has dived since mid-2014.

But events at Monday's meeting of OPEC governors suggest that if Saudi Arabia gets its way, then one of the group's central strategies - of managing global oil prices by regulating supply - will indeed go to the grave.

In a major shift in thinking, Riyadh now believes that targetting prices has become pointless as the weak global market reflects structural changes rather than any temporary trend, according to sources familiar with its views.

OPEC is already split over how to respond to cheap oil. Last month tensions between Saudi Arabia and its arch-rival Iran ruined the first deal in 15 years to freeze crude output and help to lift global prices.

These resurfaced at the long-term strategy meeting of the OPEC governors, officials who report to their countries' oil ministers.

According to the sources, it was a delegate from a non-Gulf Arab country who pronounced OPEC dead in remarks directed at the Saudi representative as they argued over whether the group should keep targeting prices.

Iran, represented by its governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, has been arguing that this is precisely what OPEC was created for and hence "effective production management" should be one of its top long-term goals.

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But Saudi governor Mohammed al-Madi said he believed the world has changed so much in the past few years that it has become a futile exercise to try to do so, sources say.

"OPEC should recognise the fact that the market has gone through a structural change, as is evident by the market becoming more competitive rather than monopolistic," al-Madi told his counterparts inside the meeting, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

"The market has evolved since the 2010-2014 period of high prices and the challenge for OPEC now, as well as for non-OPEC (producers), is to come to grips with recent market developments," al-Madi said, according to the sources.

ORCHESTRATION

For decades Saudi Arabia had a preferred oil price target and if it didn't like the prevailing market level, it would try to orchestrate a production cut or increase in OPEC. It would contribute the lion's share of the adjustment and forgive smaller and poorer members if they failed to comply with the group's agreement.

Back in 2008, the late King Abdullah named $75 a barrel as the kingdom's "fair" oil price, most likely after consultations with the long-serving oil minister Ali al-Naimi.

When the Saudis orchestrated the last output cut in 2008 - to support prices during the global economic crisis - oil jumped fairly quickly back above $100 from below $40. Later Riyadh again made known its price preference on a few occasions but in recent years it has effectively stopped sending any signals.

This follows the fundamental changes on oil markets. In the past five years, the development of unconventional oil production from U.S. shale deposits and other sources such as Canadian oil sands has made redundant the idea that crude is a scarce and finite resource. Russia, which is not an OPEC member, has also contributed to the ample global supply.

"NO FREE RIDERS"

Dispensing with price targets represents a massive change in Saudi thinking. This is now being driven largely by 31-year-old Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who took over as the ultimate decision maker of the country's energy and economic policies last year.

When oil was viewed as scarce, the kingdom thought it had to maximise its long-term revenues even if that meant pumping fewer barrels and yielding market share to rival producers, according to several sources familiar with the Saudi thinking.

With the importance of oil declining, Riyadh has decided it is wiser to prioritise market share, the sources say. It believes it will be better off producing more at today's low prices than reducing output, only to sell the oil for even less in the future as global demand ebbs.

On top of this, Riyadh has pressing short-term needs including tackling a budget deficit which hit 367 billion riyals ($97.9 billion) or 15 percent of gross domestic product in 2015.

"The oil industry is, relatively speaking, not a growth industry any more," said one of the sources familiar with the Saudi views inside the OPEC governors' meeting.

In the past, low oil prices used to push global demand much higher but today's rising efficiency of motor vehicles, new technology and environmental policies have put a lid on growth.

Despite record low prices in the past year, demand is not expected to grow by more than 1 million barrels per day in 2016, just one percent of global demand.

One thing is guaranteed: the kingdom will not go back to the old pattern of cutting output any time soon to support prices for the benefit of all producers, Saudi sources say.

"The bottom line is that there will be no free riders any more," al-Madi said at Monday's meeting. "Some OPEC members should 'walk the talk' first," he told his colleagues.

Even Riyadh's rivals doubt it will perform any U-turn. "Saudi Arabia doesn't give a damn about OPEC any more. They are after U.S. shale, Canadian oil sands and Russia," a non-Gulf OPEC source said.

(Additional reporting by Alex Lawler; writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; editing by David Stamp)
By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES, May 5 (Reuters) - A cellphone expert overrode the lock function on an Apple iPhone to help Los Angeles police in a homicide investigation around the time U.S. authorities were battling the company to open other phones in criminal cases, court records showed on Thursday.

The successful hack of the iPhone 5s in the Los Angeles case is another sign U.S. authorities are turning to third-party contractors to unlock smartphones rather than relying on manufacturers like Apple Inc, which helped in the past. The third-party hacks have Apple racing to strengthen its encryption technology.

Los Angeles police gained access to the iPhone of April Jace, the wife of "The Shield" actor Michael Jace, who is accused of shooting her to death, at their home in May 2014.

Police investigators learned on March 18 that a forensic cellphone expert, whose identity was not released, could "override the locked iPhone function" on April Jace's phone to extract data, Detective Connie Zych wrote in a search warrant affidavit.

That was around the time the U.S. government was locked in a legal battle with Apple over requests the company unlock the iPhone 5c used by Rizwan Farook, one of the shooters in the San Bernardino killings.

Apple refused to bypass the encryption features on Farook's phone on grounds it could undermine security for all users. The company declined to comment on the Jace case.

The override of April Jace's iPhone 5s was less of a technical feat than the unlocking of Farook's iPhone 5c.

Jace's phone predated the iOS 8 operating system, which Apple introduced in fall 2014 with strengthened encryption methods. The contractor who unlocked Farook's iPhone 5c had to get past iOS 9, an operating system released in September 2015.

Apple helped authorities gain access to iPhones about 70 times before changing its position last year, court documents have shown.

It was unclear which OS was installed on Jace's iPhone. Her killing came after Apple released iOS 7, but before iOS 8.

Story continues

In another high-profile case, the U.S. Department of Justice fought Apple in court seeking to force the company to assist authorities in accessing an iPhone 5S with iOS7 seized as evidence in a New York drug case.

Last month, the Department of Justice dropped the effort when it disclosed someone provided authorities the passcode to the device.

The hack of April Jace's iPhone appears to be related to an order in January by the judge to allow Michael Jace's defense team access to the phone.

Michael Jace's attorney in January argued in court the actor suspected his wife was having an affair and may have become enraged moments before the shooting, after seeing something on her iPhone, according to a report at the time from the New York Daily News.

(Additional reporting by Julia Love and Joseph Menn in San Francisco; Editing by Andrew Hay)
(Adds Temer barred from running in 2018)

By Leonardo Goy and Anthony Boadle

BRASILIA, May 5 (Reuters) - Brazil's Supreme Court removed the speaker of the lower house of Congress on Thursday on charges of obstructing a corruption investigation, days before an impeachment process that he engineered was expected to oust President Dilma Rousseff.

The removal of Eduardo Cunha, a bitter rival of Rousseff and one of Brazil's most divisive public figures, was the latest in a series of political earthquakes in South America's largest country as it struggles with a sweeping corruption scandal and the worst recession in decades.

The Supreme Court voted unanimously to approve a request by Brazil's top prosecutor to strip Cunha of his influential post for allegedly intimidating lawmakers and obstructing an investigation into accusations that he held undeclared bank accounts in Switzerland. Cunha said he would appeal.

An evangelical Christian with strong support from the religious right in Congress, Cunha has for months fended off ethics committee hearings in the lower house about whether he lied about the accounts, using every trick in the procedural book.

The bespectacled speaker with slicked-back hair has remained unflappable, calmly denying prosecutors' accusations he had used the Swiss accounts to stash millions of dollars in bribe money.

Cunha is the only sitting lawmaker so far officially charged by the Supreme Court with corruption in the sweeping kickbacks scandal focused on state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, commonly known as Petrobras.

Deputy speaker Waldir Maranhao, a member of the Progressive Party who is also being investigated in the Petrobras scandal, became acting head of the lower chamber with Cunha's suspension.

As speaker, Cunha stood third in the line of presidential succession and would have become second if the Senate decides next week, as expected, to try Rousseff for alleged budget irregularities.

If the Senate puts her on trial, as expected in a vote next Wednesday, she would be immediately suspended from office for up to six months during the trial and replaced by Michel Temer, her 75-year-old vice president. Temer is already forming his cabinet.

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Cunha launched impeachment proceedings against Rousseff in December on charges she broke budget laws. His suspension could have helped Rousseff had it come earlier.

Now, it could work against Rousseff by weakening her argument that she is being impeached by corrupt politicians. It may instead help Temer by eliminating a tainted ally with whom the new president would have had to negotiate legislation.

A Temer government would desperately need to pass reforms to revive confidence in Brazil's ailing economy and plug a budget deficit that exceeded 10 percent of gross domestic product last year. Fitch Ratings downgraded Brazil's sovereign debt further into junk territory on Thursday, to BB with a negative outlook, citing a very challenging political environment.

"Temer could inherit the presidency because of a process started by Cunha," said Rafael Cortez, a political analyst with Tendencias, a consultancy in Sao Paulo. "Any agreements they would have made could have looked like payback for enabling him to become president."

'FRANK UNDERWOOD'

A wily backroom dealmaker, Cunha has been dubbed the Frank Underwood of Brazilian politics by the country's media, a reference to the ruthless president in "The House of Cards" television series.

A familiar voice to many Brazilians as an evangelical radio commentator, Cunha has sparked protests with his plans to tighten abortion rules.

More recently, details of lavish spending on foreign trips with his young wife, including classes at a top Miami tennis academy, stirred outrage in the midst of the deep recession.

Cunha is accused of taking $5 million in bribes on contracts for two drill-ships in the corruption scheme that engulfed Petrobras two years ago.

Though Rousseff herself has not been accused of any wrongdoing directly related to the scandal, it has ensnared her allies and raised pressure for her ouster.

The leftist president has been fighting for her political survival since the lower house commanded by Cunha voted on April 17 to charge her with manipulating government accounts. Her opponents say this allowed her to boost public spending before her 2014 re-election.

Rousseff denies any wrongdoing and has accused Temer of orchestrating a 'coup' to end 13 years of Workers Party rule. She has accused Cunha of starting the impeachment proceedings against her because the Workers Party did not help him avoid the ethics probe.

"It's a clear abuse of power. He used his position for revenge," Rousseff said.

Cunha said he hoped she will be convicted by the Senate. "On Wednesday we will be able to say, better late than never, that Brazil will be free of the Workers Party," he told reporters.

Should Temer become president, Senate leader Renan Calheiros, another politician who is under investigation for corruption, would become the next in line to lead the nation.

Temer would serve out the remainder of Rousseff's term through 2018, and would not be able to run for president. The Sao Paulo state electoral court ruled this week that he exceeded the limits of campaign donations in 2014 and cannot run for elected office for eight years.

(Writing by Anthony Boadle and Daniel Flynn; Editing by James Dalgleish and Andrew Hay)
By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A cellphone expert overrode the lock function on an Apple iPhone to help Los Angeles police in a homicide investigation around the time U.S. authorities were battling the company to open other phones in criminal cases, court records showed on Thursday.

The successful hack of the iPhone 5s in the Los Angeles case is another sign U.S. authorities are turning to third-party contractors to unlock smartphones rather than relying on manufacturers like Apple Inc, which helped in the past. The third-party hacks have Apple racing to strengthen its encryption technology.

Los Angeles police gained access to the iPhone of April Jace, the wife of "The Shield" actor Michael Jace, who is accused of shooting her to death, at their home in May 2014.

Police investigators learned on March 18 that a forensic cellphone expert, whose identity was not released, could "override the locked iPhone function" on April Jace's phone to extract data, Detective Connie Zych wrote in a search warrant affidavit.

That was around the time the U.S. government was locked in a legal battle with Apple over requests the company unlock the iPhone 5c used by Rizwan Farook, one of the shooters in the San Bernardino killings.

Apple refused to bypass the encryption features on Farook's phone on grounds it could undermine security for all users. The company declined to comment on the Jace case.

The override of April Jace's iPhone 5s was less of a technical feat than the unlocking of Farook's iPhone 5c.

Jace's phone predated the iOS 8 operating system, which Apple introduced in fall 2014 with strengthened encryption methods. The contractor who unlocked Farook's iPhone 5c had to get past iOS 9, an operating system released in September 2015.

Apple helped authorities gain access to iPhones about 70 times before changing its position last year, court documents have shown.

It was unclear which OS was installed on Jace's iPhone. Her killing came after Apple released iOS 7, but before iOS 8.

Story continues

In another high-profile case, the U.S. Department of Justice fought Apple in court seeking to force the company to assist authorities in accessing an iPhone 5S with iOS7 seized as evidence in a New York drug case.

Last month, the Department of Justice dropped the effort when it disclosed someone provided authorities the passcode to the device.

The hack of April Jace's iPhone appears to be related to an order in January by the judge to allow Michael Jace's defense team access to the phone.

Michael Jace's attorney in January argued in court the actor suspected his wife was having an affair and may have become enraged moments before the shooting, after seeing something on her iPhone, according to a report at the time from the New York Daily News.

(Additional reporting by Julia Love and Joseph Menn in San Francisco; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Its to build a new PET bottle, UHT line.

Fraser and Neave, Limited (F&N) is funneling over $70m (RM210m) in capacity expansion to ramp up business growth in Malaysia.

According to the companys media release, the investment will be made through F&Ns 55.5% held subsidiary Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd (F&NHB).

The aseptic cold-filling PET bottle line will be housed within the new integrated four-storey warehouse. It is expected to reduce the groups carbon footprint and packaging costs. Including the warehouse, which will be built on a 2.2 ha site within F&Ns existing soft drinks plant in Shah Alam, the total investment is expected to reach about $61m (RM180m).

Meanwhile, the $10m (RM30m) UHT line will be housed in F&Ns plant in Sarawak.

F&N asserts that once complete, both the aseptic cold-filling PET bottle and UHT lines will boost production capacity by 6.5m cases per year and 3.4m cases per year respectively.

The projects are part of F&NHBs total $102 million (RM300 million) capex committed over two years in Malaysia, one of F&Ns core markets, to maintain the groups competitiveness in the market, as well as extend its product offerings and packaging formats.

These investments are aligned with our Vision 2020 goals of strengthening F&Ns key market positions by leveraging its brand portfolio and distribution and bottling facilities, comments Lee Meng Tat, CEO of Non-Alcoholic Beverages.





More From Singapore Business Review


A series of creative director shuffles shook the fashion industry last fall, but perhaps none were as emotionally stirring as adored designer Alber Elbaz being ousted in October from Lanvin after an impressively long, 14-year stint as creative director at the French brand. The fashion industry has been eagerly awaiting the next adventure for this beloved talent, lauded for truly knowing how to dress a womans body, with an eye for comfortable, flattering draping.

Since parting ways with Lanvin, Elbaz has traveled the world after the tragedy, as he candidly described his departure from his old gig during a talk at the Parsons School of Design this week. (Oh, and hes also joined Instagram, in case you missed it.)

I cant really count to five the [number of designers] with the skill, imagination, ability to dream, the craft, the reference to the past but also an eye to the future as Alber, Julie Gilhart, fashion consultant and Parsons board member, said during her introduction of the designer. Elbaz talked it out at the event with two of his good friends in the industry: Gilhart, who spent years as a buyer at Barneys, and Kim Hastreiter, cofounder and co-editor of Paper. Besides his immense talents as a designer, Elbaz is one of the most charismatic, self-effacing, and funny personalities in the business  so, unsurprisingly, this wasnt a standard-issue Q&A.

For starters, Elbaz brought a big brown shopping bag filled with boxes of tissues. Why? Because of a Facebook comment from one Parsons student about how she was excited to attend and expected to need tissues during the designers talk. Elbaz also handed out big bags of candy: Nobody has sugar anymore! he exclaimed. I think sugar is very important for the brain, especially when you create. Below, check out a dozen morsels of utter realness from Elbazs Q&A.

Life after Lanvin has been great in some ways There is something fabulous about being free. I was there almost 15 years, seven days a week, a tuna sandwich for lunch and a pizza for dinner, because there were early mornings and long, long nights.

Story continues

And also painful. [But] since I left, I cant sketch anymore. I still have a huge scar on me.

Rude people arent conducive to great designs. I dont work well with bitches. The minute I work with difficult people, I lose my creativity.

Dramatic hijinks are not reflective of actually having talent. People that are divas are usually not the best at what they do. Dont play games.

The pace of the fashion industry is just too much, and Alber isnt afraid to call that out. Its a very, very hard calendarwere going through the show now, wear now idea, and there are big, big changes  designers are leaving, designers are comingIm thinking, What is happening? 

Creativity isn  t available on-demand. I dont want to trash my industry, but something needs to change. Designers are not just machines; you cant just push a button and say, Okay, be creative.

He digs chaos (and stress) over calmness, and he  s been that way forever. I was the nerd student who got stressed all the time. Everything stresses me out; when I do a collection, Im stressed. When I dont do a collection, Im stressed  Im not the easiest when it comes to being relaxed and Zen.

For a very glamorous-looking industry, fashion has some seriously bummed-out people. Being in fashion is the best job in the world; were doing the best thing, meeting the best people, were all about beauty, were all about fantasy  what is it that makes all of us so neurotic, and so unhappy?

It  s not the end of the world when you have to pare down your routine a bit. Like life, we go through highs and lows. I came here today without a private driver, without an assistant, without a PR with three phones to tell you where to sit and where to pose. Tonight, I came with a friend, Julie, who came to pick me up, and then we met Kim.

Alber loves the Mets new Costume Institute exhibit  because it reflects his whole subtle-is-best approach. It was so much about whispering again. It was almost an exhibition that was done for designersit was about workmanship, know-how, and time. The one thing that impressed me the most is the fact that its almost silent. I think maybe Anna [Wintour] and Andrew [Bolton] are pioneering something that is maybe less loud and more silent, and I loved it.

Aspiring designers should be whimsical and imaginative (like Alber!) IRL, instead of just being plugged into technology. Use Google, but dream and think afterward...[and] dont be a catwalk designer.

Sometimes, being on the periphery is a good thing. One day you are out, out of the system, and you start a new life. But I love fashion. I love fashion people. I love them, really, a lot. I really adore this industry. I see it now from a different perspective, because I am an outsider. Now, more than ever, I appreciate it more.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

The Fashion Videos That Stopped Us In Our Tracks At The New Met Exhibit

Team GB Unveil Olympic Kit Designed By Stella McCartney

Is This 19-Year-Old About To Win One Of Fashion's Most Prestigious Prizes?
The Food and Drug Administration announced today new regulations that will tighten the sale and use of e-cigarettes and other battery-operated vaping devices such as vape pens.

The rules focus especially on preventing children and teens from using e-cigarettes. Consumer Reports considers this is a win for consumers.

Giving the FDA the authority to regulate e-cigarettes is a laudable first step, and these regulations aim to better protect children, says Consumer Reports chief medical adviser Marvin M. Lipman, M.D. But further measures are needed to fully protect consumers, he says.



New E-Cig Rules

The new regulations mean big changes for the booming multi-billion dollar e-cigarette industry, which includes widely distributed products such as Vuse (made by the large tobacco company R.J. Reynolds), NuMark (made by Altria, another tobacco company), and Blu (owned by the Imperial Brands tobacco company).

Under the new rules, manufacturers will have two years to apply for approval from the FDA for all e-cigarette products that came on the market after Feb. 15, 2007. (The new rules do not apply to products introduced before then.) That will allow the agency to better evaluate the safety of e-cigarette ingredients.

Also requiring approval will be the batteries used in the devices, which are believed to have caused explosions and fires resulting in serious injuries. In addition, as of Aug. 8, 2016 manufacturers will no longer be able to distribute free samples of their products.



The new rules also mean changes for retailers who sell e-cigarettes. Also as of Aug. 8, retailers nationwide:

 Cannot sell e-cigs to people under the age of 18, either in stores or online.

 Must ask for a photo I.D. for in-store purchases.

 Are not permitted to have e-cig vending machines except in adults only establishments such as bars and casinos.

"The rule puts an important framework in place to help keep children away from e-cigarettes, and allows the FDA to protect children in ways that other agencies cannot, says William Wallace, policy analyst for Consumers Union, the advocacy and policy arm of Consumer Reports.

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This current action by the FDA comes on the heels of the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, a new law taking effect this summer that was backed by Consumer Reports. It will require child-resistant packaging on liquid nicotine containers.

Keeping highly toxic liquid nicotine out of the hands of very young children is critical, Lipman says, The brightly colored packaging can be attractive to toddlers, for whom one teaspoon can be fatal.

E-Cigarette Industry Reacts

The vaping community is not pleased by the FDAs actions.

These new rules will cause a modern day prohibition of products that are recognized worldwide as far less hazardous than cigarettes, says Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, an industry trade group. Absurdly, ex-smokers will face the prospect of having to purchase products that help them remain smoke-free on the black market.

However, Consumer Reports Lipman points out that the FDA is not proposing removing e-cigarettes from the market, it only seeks to regulate them. In addition, evidence that e-cigarettes help people stop smoking is far from conclusive and, in fact, some research suggests that teens who take up e-cigs are more likely to start using traditional cigarettes, too.



New Rules Dont Go Far Enough

This long-awaited and welcome oversight is good news for consumers, but still has room for improvement.

For example, the new rules dont ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, which come in such child-friendly tastes as bubblegum, watermelon, and popcorn. These seem designed to attract children, which raises a big red flag, Lipman says.



Erika Sward, assistant vice president at the American Lung Association agrees. She points out that traditional cigarettes are prohibited from being flavored, except for menthol, and new rules ban the sale of flavored cigars, too.



The new rules also dont prevent manufacturers from marketing e-cigarettes on television or onlineeven to children.

Restricting sales to persons 18 years and older while continuing to allow the marketing and sale of flavored e-cigarette products is like waving forbidden candy in the face of a toddler, Lipman says. He points out that nicotine is a powerful addicting chemical and the long-term effects of e-cigarettes require long-term studies. There's still a lot we don't know and need to know before the use of these devices can be condoned.







More from Consumer Reports:

How to raise your good cholesterol

Do the new blood pressure guidelines affect me?

8 Ways to Save on a Gym Membership





Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright  2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S.
By Caroline Humer and Clarece Polke NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Thursday took wide-ranging steps to crack down for the first time on e-cigarettes and cigars, growing in popularity among teens, and banned sales to anyone under age 18 in hopes of sparing a new generation from nicotine addiction. The Food and Drug Administration's action brought regulation of e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and hookah tobacco in line with existing rules for cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco. The new rules take effect in 90 days. The rules promise to have a major impact on the $3.4 billion e-cigarette industry that has flourished in the absence of federal regulation, making the nicotine-delivery devices the most commonly used tobacco products for U.S. youngsters. The FDA said it will require companies to submit e-cigarettes and other newer tobacco products for government approval, provide it with a list of their ingredients and place health warnings on packages and in advertisements. Health advocacy groups hailed the move. Industry officials said the regulations could hurt smaller companies and cripple a their job-creating business due to the expense of the regulatory process. Wall Street analysts expect the regulations to herald a new wave of consolidation led by big tobacco companies. E-cigarettes are handheld electronic devices that vaporize a fluid typically including nicotine and a flavor component. Using them is called "vaping." The FDA will require age verification by photo identification, ban sales from vending machines except in adults-only locations and stop the distribution of free product samples. The new regulations had been highly anticipated after the agency issued a proposed rule two years ago on how to oversee the e-cigarette industry and the other products. "Millions of kids are being introduced to nicotine every year, a new generation hooked on a highly addictive chemical," U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell told reporters, calling the rules a first step toward breaking the cycle of addiction. Burwell said health officials still do not have the scientific evidence showing e-cigarettes can help smokers quit, as the industry asserts, and avoid the known ills of tobacco. The e-cigarette vapor industry, which includes e-cigarettes, vapors, personal vaporizers and tanks, is expected to have about $4.1 billion in sales in 2016, Wells Fargo estimated in a recent research note. "These new regulations create an enormously cost-prohibitive regulatory process for manufacturers to market their products to adult smokers and vapers," said Cynthia Cabrera, president of the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association, representing the e-cigarette industry. Three million U.S. middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2015, compared with 2.46 million in 2014, according to the most recent federal data. A University of Southern California study of high school students last year found that those who used e-cigarettes were more than twice as likely to also smoke traditional cigarettes. While some researchers believe e-cigarettes pose lower cancer risk because they do not burn tobacco, other researchers view e-cigarette vapor as potentially harmful because of chemicals released during the burning process. "This is a real epidemic and banning the sales of these products to minors, much like cigarettes, is a critical step to protecting their health now and into the future," said Democratic U.S. Representative Lois Capps of California. Reynolds American Inc , Imperial Brands Plc and Altria Group Inc are among the largest makers of e-cigarettes. Altria, which makes Marlboro cigarettes and e-cigarettes, said it was concerned the regulations reached back to 2007 to determine which products to review, spokesman David Sutton said. Reynolds, which sells Newport and traditional cigarettes as well as Vuse e-cigarettes, will discuss with the FDA how to establish a reasonable structure for review and approval, spokesman David Howard said. CONTROVERSY OVER FLAVORS Public health advocates also have urged the FDA to ban the use of flavored nicotine liquid in e-cigarette and personal vaporizers. They contend the flavors, which can range from bacon to bubble gum, lure youngsters into taking up vaping. FDA officials said they would consider future regulation on flavors based on further study of vaping's potential risks and benefits. The FDA did ban flavors in cigars. The agency said as more scientific data emerges on potential dangers from e-cigarette vapor, it will consider restricting advertising of the products. In 2009, Congress allowed the FDA to extend its oversight to all tobacco products. The agency began looking at e-cigarettes, which were quickly gaining traction in the U.S. market. Cigars had previously not been regulated by the FDA. Cigar makers had lobbied for their more expensive, typically hand-rolled products to be excluded from such oversight. The FDA will review products introduced after Feb. 15, 2007, but will give manufacturers of e-cigarettes and these other products up to two years to submit applications. E-cigarette makers can continue to sell those products while the review is pending. Agency officials expect that most products on the market will require its review, a costly prospect for the many smaller manufacturers of vaping devices. "The winners are the large tobacco manufacturers, primarily Altria and Reynolds (American) , which have the experience and financial wherewithal" to deal with FDA processes, Morningstar equity analyst Adam Fleck said. "The net result is a very fragmented e-cigarette market is likely to be consolidated." The cigar market is expected to grow to more than $8.9 billion in 2019, up from $7.4 billion in 2009, according to Euromonitor. It is dominated by Swisher International, Altria and Imperial, which combined in 2014 sold about half of the cigars in the United States, according to Euromonitor. Companies will be allowed to continue marketing their products while the FDA conducts its reviews, which could take 12 months after submission. (Reporting by Caroline Humer, Jilian Mincer and Bill Berkrot in New York and Clarece Polke and Toni Clarke in Washington; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Will Dunham)
By Eric M. Johnson SEATTLE (Reuters) - The U.S. government's latest plan for offsetting the harm to migrating salmon from a series of dams in the Columbia River watershed violates the Endangered Species Act, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday. The ruling in a case stretching back 15 years marks a victory for environmental advocates, the Nez Perce Tribe, anglers and others who sued government agencies over their plan for aiding salmon and steelhead that travel between the Pacific Ocean and the upper reaches of the inland Northwest. The case lays bare a long-simmering fight over competing interests - energy production and the environment - along the fourth largest river on the North American continent. The battle is centered on how the dams the federal government says generate electric power crucial for the region effects the more than a dozen groups of salmonids that are listed as endangered or threatened under U.S. law that must traverse the barriers along their arduous path to reproduce. In rejecting the government's 2014 plan, U.S. District judge Michael Simon, in Portland, Oregon, said it relied too heavily on uncertain habitat restoration, among other failures. "These efforts have already cost billions of dollars, yet they are failing," Simon wrote in a 149-page opinion. Simon's ruling marked the fifth time since 2001 that a federal judge has invalidated the government's proposed plan. Michael Milstein, a spokesman for NOAA Fisheries, a defendant in the case, said the government was disappointed with the ruling and vowed to "continue our efforts with our partners to protect salmon and steelhead in the Basin and work toward their recovery." Simon also ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not prepare adequate environmental impact statements in violation of federal law, and the government's plan failed to capture the impact of climate change. Simon ordered the federal agencies to submit a new biological opinion by March 2018 but stopped short of halting their work to aid the fish or setting forth new courses of action. He did, however, say the federal agencies have for decades "done their utmost" to avoid considering the "reasonable alternative of breaching, bypassing, or removing, one or more of the four Lower Snake River Dams," referring to the Columbia's primary tributary. "Hundreds of thousands of adult salmon died last summer because of warm water in the Columbia and Snake reservoirs," said Todd True an attorney for the plaintiffs from the advocacy group Earthjustice. "It's time to finally get this right." (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Robert Birsel)
ROME, May 5 (Reuters) - A newly-struck deal between Alphabet Inc's Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) for a fleet of 100 self-driving cars is not exclusive, Fiat's Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Thursday.

Speaking in Rome, Marchionne said that, under the agreement, the two companies could talk to other players, but it's not clear whether the technology developed under the FCA-Google project would be shared with other manufacturers.

The deal, announced earlier this week, marked the first time that a Silicon Valley firm has teamed up with a traditional carmaker to develop an autonomous vehicle.

Marchionne also said that FCA had no more contacts with U.S. rival General Motors since his merger proposal was rebuffed.

(Reporting by Alberto Sisto, editing by Giulia Segreti)
ROME (Reuters) - A newly-struck deal between Alphabet Inc's Google (GOOGL.O) and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) (FCHA.MI) (FCAU.N) for a fleet of 100 self-driving cars is not exclusive, Fiat's Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Thursday.

Speaking in Rome, Marchionne said that, under the agreement, the two companies could talk to other players, but it's not clear whether the technology developed under the FCA-Google project would be shared with other manufacturers.

The deal, announced earlier this week, marked the first time that a Silicon Valley firm has teamed up with a traditional carmaker to develop an autonomous vehicle.

Marchionne also said that FCA had no more contacts with U.S. rival General Motors since his merger proposal was rebuffed.

(Reporting by Alberto Sisto, editing by Giulia Segreti)
Doctor Who's home planet of Gallifrey may long since have been destroyed, but were the Time Lord looking for a new place to settle down, the south coast of Wales in the U.K. would gladly welcome him. It was here where BBC execs Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner chose to set up production of the rebooted cult show in 2005 after 16 years in the galactic wilderness, sparking a dramatic surge in high-end TV productions that has helped put the region on the map and boosted employment in the creative industries across the whole of Wales by more than 50 percent. Spinoffs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures soon followed, while the likes of Sherlock, Da Vinci's Demons and Kurt Sutter's The Bastard Executioner also descended on the growing hub. Now Tranter and Gardner's new Bad Wolf banner is bringing the BBC's adaptation of Philip Pullman's fantasy novels trilogy His Dark Materials to the area. But it's not just TV, with The Huntsman: Winter's War and Kevin Costner's Criminal taking advantage of the lush green valleys and other stunning outdoor locations. Why has this former industrial heartland become a growing go-to destination for TV and film? Here are four reasons:

It's Not London 

The British capital might be the first consideration when thinking about the U.K., but it can be notoriously expensive. "[South Wales] is about 30 percent less than shooting in London," says Courtney Conte, the L.A.-based COO of BBC Worldwide Productions. Conte was the co-exec producer of Starz's Da Vinci's Demons, which filmed for three seasons in Swansea's Bay Studios, a Ford auto factory "gentrified" into a 265,000-square-foot studio space for the show. "If you're filming in London, they just want to know how much you're paying them," adds producer Andrew Riach, whose Elijah Wood-starring Dylan Thomas biopic Set Fire to the Stars shot in Swansea, which stood in for New York City.

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But It's Not Too Far Away

Cardiff - home to the BBC's new Roath Lock studios where Doctor Who now shoots - is just a two-hour drive or train ride from London. "Sometimes it's actually easier to get people from America here than it is from London," says Ed Thomas, the production manager who has worked on Doctor Who, Sherlock and Da Vinci's Demons and is credited with being at the root of much of the region's success. "They arrive in Heathrow airport and can either turn right or turn left. We try to get them to turn left." Thomas helped transform Bay Studios, which is now housing production of Amazon's first original drama, The Collection, about a postwar-era Parisian fashion house.

Read More: Surging Hollywood Shoots Force Hunt for New Toronto Soundstages

An Impressive Pool of Talent

Thanks to a strong history of manufacturing and initiatives like the Adjacent Educational Project - set up by Thomas and aimed at teaming with schools and colleges, arranging work experience and placements - there's a growing creative pool in the region. "There's an incredible source of talent when it comes to the crafts department," says Conte. When Thomas started working on Doctor Who, he said he couldn't get a prop made and had to "go to London to get a Sonic Screwdriver." But now everything is made there. "We made the armor, the swords, the Medici coinage for the ban  there's an excellent quality of manpower," he says.

Help From the Local Government

Alongside the U.K. tax incentive, which can reach up to 25 percent of expenditure, qualifying films can also apply for a separate Welsh subsidy and top it off with use of Pinewood and the Welsh government's Media Investment Budget. "It's a very attractive offer when you combine that with the capability in the region," says Mark Hackett, the U.K. sales director of the Pinewood Studios Group, which established a base near Cardiff two years ago, incorporating two 20,000-square-foot stages and a 37,000-square-foot covered shooting area. Current projects include Sherlock and Doctor Who spinoff Class. The next step, says Bad Wolf COO Miles Ketley, is to build "further space capable of housing 21st century productions." The company's Dark Materials adaptation will need some 120,000 square feet. Says Ketley, "It'll all be in Wales."

This story first appeared in the May 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
By James Pearson PYONGYANG (Reuters) - Thousands of North Koreans practiced dance and parade routines on Thursday as the capital of the isolated nation prepared for a ruling party congress where leader Kim Jong Un is expected to consolidate power. Pyongyang, a city of nearly 3 million, was scrubbed clean ahead of the opening of the meeting on Friday. Teams of elderly workers used shears to carefully cut the grass alongside main thoroughfares, and painted the base of trees a crisp, bright white. Workers were putting finishing touches at the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang, a stone structure draped in red party flags and banners named after the founding anniversary of the country's army. A party congress has not been held for 36 years, and the event marks the political high point of Kim's four year-rule. Thousands of delegates from around North Korea will attend, in what is likely to be a highly choreographed show of support for the young leader. Usually suspicious of foreigners, North Korea has invited scores of foreign journalists to cover the congress. "We are very proud to have the respected Marshal Kim Jong Un as our great leader and we are very proud to hold the Seventh Party Congress," said Ji Eun Kyo, who works in a rice factory and was on her way to rehearse for a flower parade that is part of the festivities around the congress. "People are actively participating in the event," said Ji, who was speaking to Reuters in the presence of one of the official guides assigned to manage the movements of foreign journalists. Kim, believed to be 33, is expected to use the congress to formally declare North Korea a nuclear weapons state and adopt his "Byongjin" policy to push simultaneously for nuclear capability and economic development, further consolidating his power. Byongjin follows Kim's father's Songun, or "military first," policy and his grandfather's Juche, the North's home-grown founding ideology that combines Marxism and extreme nationalism. In the capital this week, groups of residents practiced loud chanting of patriotic slogans and thousands of school children in red hats and white shirts rehearsed performances for the event, under a constant hum of noise and music. North Koreans have been engaged in a 70-day campaign of intensified work in the run-up to the congress, which has included a tidying up of the capital to welcome delegates. ALL EYES ON YOUNG LEADER Kim has himself kept out of the spotlight so far, last making a public appearance in state media on April 24, when he supervised the test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) a day earlier. The congress is expected to last four or five days, with Kim likely to make an address on the first day to lay out his vision for the country he inherited after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in December 2011, said Cho Bong-hyun who heads research on North Korea's economy at IBK Bank in Seoul. The second and third days are likely to be allocated for discussions based on Kim's remarks, with the party's Central Committee meeting to approve organizational and personnel matters, such as new appointments to the powerful Political Bureau, Cho said. The young leader's tenure has been marked by frequent reshuffling within his inner circle, including purges and executions, most notably of his powerful uncle Jang Song Thaek in 2013. Kim has also aggressively pursued nuclear weapons, with rival South Korea warning that it could conduct a fifth nuclear test at any time. Pyongyang was slapped with heavy U.N. sanctions in March following its fourth nuclear test in January. North Korea under Kim has also allowed gray market commerce to play an increasing role in the economy, with rising consumption evident in the capital, where vehicle numbers are on the rise and shops carry a growing array of goods. According to state media, delegates to the congress took in an opera on Wednesday - "Victory of the Revolution is in Sight" - at the Pyongyang Grand Theatre. The last such congress, in 1980, included invited officials from countries with ties to North Korea, but officials in South Korea said they are not aware of similar invitations made to this year's event. (This story crrects name of building in para 3) (Additional reporting by Joseph Campbell; Writing by Jack Kim and Tony Munroe; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Fitbit Inc. FIT reported first quarter 2016 earnings per share (EPS) of 3 cents as against the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 4 cents. Shares went down over 12.5% in after-hour trade owing to a weak outlook.

Revenues

Fitbit reported revenues of $505.4 million up a huge 50.1% year over year. This exceeded managements guidance of $420 million$440 million and surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $443 million by 13.9%. This increase was mainly driven by strong initial success of Blaze and Alta.

Geographically, revenues from the United States accounted for 79% of first quarter revenues, Asia-Pacific contributed 7%, EMEA brought in 10% and the remaining 4% came from the Americas excluding the U.S.

First quarter revenues from the U.S. were down 24.6% year over year while that from Asia-Pacific and EMEA grew 10.4% and 6.8%, respectively. Americas, excluding the United States, dropped 42.6%.

Margins and Net Income

In the reported quarter, Fitbits gross margin was 46.3%, down 214 basis points (bps) sequentially and 330 bps year over year. The decrease is mainly driven by increased costs of producing and marketing Blaze and Alta.

Pro-forma net income was $11.4 million or earnings per share of 5 cents compared with $71.6 million or earnings per share of 29 cents in the previous quarter and $42.8 million or earnings of 20 cents a year ago.

First-quarter EPS gained from an effective tax rate of 26.1% compared with 39% in the year-ago quarter.

On a GAAP basis, net income was $11 million or earnings per share compared with $64.2 million in the previous quarter and $15.6 million in the year-ago period.

GAAP net income of $11.04 million ($0.05 a share) dropped from the previous ($64.17 million, or $0.26 a share) and year-ago quarter ($15.62 million, or $0.22 a share).

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

Fitbit exited the quarter with cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $791.7 million, compared with $664.5 million in the year-ago quarter.

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Inventories were $212.1 million compared with $178.1 million in the year-ago quarter. The company has no long-term debt.

Guidance

For the second quarter, Fitbit expects revenues in a range of $565 million$585 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $537 million.

Non-GAAP earnings per share are expected between 8 cents and 11 cents, with share count in a range of 247 million to 250 million. The company expects non-GAAP gross margin to be 48.5% and non-GAAP tax rate to be approximately 30%.

The companys non-GAAP calculation excludes stock-based compensation.

Our Take

Fitbit posted descent first quarter results with both the top line and the bottom line exceeding the respective Zacks Consensus Estimates.

In the quarter, product innovation, expansion of global distribution, network effects of Fitbit community and prudent investments were the main growth drivers.

The quarter witnessed Fitbit rolling out the much awaited Blaze and Alta. Blaze shipments totaled over 1 million units. Both the products received excellent reviews on Amazon and solid reorders from retailers. Blaze and Alta contributed 47% to first quarter revenues.

The company continued with investments in R&D to create more powerful electronics, miniaturized yet fashionable designs, spontaneous user interfaces and engaging social and community features. Investments in software have helped user retention over time. R&D headcount was 755 in the first quarter, up from 295 in the year-ago quarter and 624 in the prior quarter.

On the corporate wellness font, Fitbit continued to expand backed by strategic partnerships in the employee benefit space. The company currently works with 10 of the top 100 benefits brokers in the U.S.

On the digital health font, Fitbit continued exploring partnership opportunities. The companys popularity continues in the research community. Fitbit devices are used by major universities and research institutions and in more than 100 research projects.

The company announced its plan to enter into a strategic partnership with Alibaba, the largest retailer in the world, to target millions of Chinese consumers through Alibabas TMall platform

Management believes that Fitbit has the capacity to serve in the consumer healthcare engagement field that currently is a missing element in broad healthcare efforts such as disease management and population health.

For the second quarter, the company plans heavy investments in research and development, sales and marketing and consumer engagement features.

Fitbit has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Investors may also consider stocks like Cascade Microtech Inc. CSCD, Facebook, Inc. FB and Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN. While Facebook and Cascade Microtech each sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Amazon.com holds a Zacks Rank #2.

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Former child actor Deleriyes Joe Cramer, who performed under the name Joey Cramer, has been arrested and charged with robbing a bank in British Columbia, Canada.

According to The Coast Reporter, Cramer, most famous for his leading role in the 1986 Disney sci-fi adventure film Flight of the Navigator, was arrested on May 1 following the robbery on the Scotiabank in Sechelt on April 28.

Cramer, 42, is alleged to held up the bank wearing a disguise comprising of a bandana and a shoulder-length wig. As well as being charged for the charged with the robbery, The Reporter says Cramer was also charged with wearing a disguise with the intent to commit an indictable offense, failing to stop for a peace officer and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. The latter two offenses stemming from Cramer's attempt to make a getaway.

Read More: 'Glee' Actor Mark Salling Arrested on Suspicion of Possessing Child Pornography

"Despite the fact that a disguise was used during the robbery, the suspect was quickly identified by some of our officers, who had recently dealt with him on an unrelated matter," said Constable Harrison Mohr with the Sunshine Coast Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

This is not Cramer's first run-in with the law. The Daily Mail reports Cramer's previous legal troubles include cashing fake checks in 2011.

Vancouver-born Cramer's career never really took off despite the success of Flight of the Navigator and his only other notable acting credits include 1986's The Clan Of The Cave Bear and the 1987 television movie Stone Fox.

Read More: Child Actors Win Appeal Claiming Bank of America Illegally Charged Fees
Aerial footage released on Thursday, May 5, shows marine police from Florida law enforcement and the US Coast Guard rescuing two fishermen from an overturned boat. This video, taken from a Martin County Sheriffs Office helicopter, shows the men clinging to the boat.

The sheriffs office did not provide further details, though media reported a large wave tipped the boat over. Credit: Twitter/Martin County Sheriff
By Bill Cotterell

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Reuters) - The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday weighed the fate of a death row inmate sentenced under a scheme the U.S. Supreme Court declared unconstitutional this year, in a case that could affect nearly 400 other state inmates awaiting execution.

Executions in Florida, home to the nation's second-largest death row, have been on hold since the high court in January struck down the state's capital punishment laws.

The U.S. Supreme Court's 8-1 ruling invalidated the process by which a judge sentenced Timothy Hurst to death for the 1998 murder of a fried-chicken restaurant manager.

On Thursday, his lawyer asked the Florida Supreme Court to commute Hurst's sentence to life in prison. Assistant Public Defender David Davis said the state cannot sustain a death sentence, if the procedure for imposing it was flawed.

"There is no ambiguity," Davis said. "You can't separate the punishment from the procedure ... It's like having a bullet without a gun."

State prosecutor Carine Mitz said the ruling did not automatically reduce Hurst's sentence. She asked the court to leave him on death row, or find that he should be resentenced under new state law.

The Florida legislature retooled the state's capital punishment approach this spring, after the U.S. Supreme Court found that Florida had given judges powers that juries should wield in determining eligibility for execution.

While Hurst's attorney stressed that he did not speak for about 390 inmates currently on death row in Florida, the questions raised by the state's high court justices indicated their concern for the broader ramifications.

"We want to try to have a death penalty in this state. We want to try to do the right thing," Justice Barbara Pariente told Mitz.

Several former state Supreme Court justices and other high-profile legal experts this week filed a brief in support of mass commutation. They said state law requires that if the death penalty was declared unconstitutional, all pending sentences should become life without parole.

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The state, however, contends that the death penalty was not found to be unconstitutional, only the method used to impose it.

The Hurst decision's reach is expanding. Earlier this week, the U.S. high court told the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to reconsider its sentencing scheme in light of the ruling. Delaware, which also allows judges to impose death sentences without a unanimous jury finding, is reviewing its laws as well.

(Writing by Letitia Stein; Editing by David Gregorio)
By Alistair Smout

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's top share index steadied near a one-month low on Thursday, as gains in companies like BT (BT.L) and RSA (RSA.L) offset declines by companies such as Centrica (CNA.L) and Inmarsat (ISA.L) after they gave discouraging updates.

Centrica ended 9.8 percent lower, its biggest one-day percentage drop since late 2008 and wiping off more than 1 billion pounds from its market capitalisation, after saying it would sell shares to pay off debt.

Inmarsat, which provides communications for shipping and aircraft, fell 7.2 percent after the company cut its revenue guidance, citing a tough trading environment and weakening demand.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) closed 0.09 percent higher at 6,117.25 points, a day after hitting a one-month low.

Investors were confronted by a survey of activity in Britain's dominant services industry, which showed the British economy slowed in April and may stall as consumers worry about June's referendum on whether to remain a member of the European Union.

"There has been some speculation that these poor numbers, if sustained, could prompt speculation about the need for further stimulus, or a rate cut," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets.

"However, this seems premature at a time when inflation is showing some signs of picking up and wage growth still remains above the level of inflation."

Losses in companies like Centrica and Inmarset were offset by advances elsewhere. BT rose 2.6 percent to lead the gains after its results beat expectations.

BT said it would spend 6 billion pounds ($8.7 billion) to roll out super-fast fibre and 4G mobile in the next three years, following demands by regulators for improved service.

RSA rose nearly 2 percent. The insurer's operating profits for the quarter also beat expectations, though net written premiums dipped.

Morrisons was up 2.4 percent after it reported quarterly sales improved further The supermarket had dropped 1.7 percent on Wednesday after poorly received figures from rival Sainsbury and weak Kantar data.

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"The group's 'back-to-basics' approach (is) finding favour with shoppers. The price war, though, goes on and the threat from discounters remains," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

ADVISORY- Reuters plans to replace intra-day European and UK stock market reports with a Live Markets blog on Eikon (see cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets for site in development). In a real-time, multimedia format from 0600 London time through the 1630 closing bell, it will include the best of our market reporting, Stocks Buzz service, Eikon graphics, Reuters pictures, eye-catching research and market zeitgeist. Breaking news and dramatic market moves will continue to be alerted to all clients and we will continue to provide a short opening story and comprehensive closing reports.

If you have any thoughts, suggestions or feedback on this, please email mike.dolan@thomsonreuters.com.

Mike Dolan, Markets Editor EMEA.

($1 = 0.6903 pounds)

(Additional reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by John Stonestreet)
pivotal ceo rob mee

Ford is leading a $253 million investment into Pivotal, a software company spun off from EMC and VMware that helps its customers build better software, faster.

This deal values three-year-old Pivotal at $2.8 billion, Business Insider has learned.

Microsoft is also joining the round as a new investor, joining returning investors VMware, EMC, and GE. GE bought its first 10% stake in Pivotal in 2013 for $105 million.

Basically, Pivotal sells a set of software tools and consulting services to help even the largest, most old-school companies build and develop software as if they were a tiny startup. Pivotal becomes their secret weapon as they turn to newfangled cloud computing and data-crunching technologies to stay competitive in a digital world.

"Enterprises can get on this journey and compete effectively in this new world," says Pivotal President and COO Bill Cook.

Home Depot, for example, has adopted Pivotal Cloud Foundry as a company-wide standard platform, so all of its many distributed teams are building software using the same tools. Other Pivotal customers include Best Buy, Twitter, and Mercedes-Benz.

It's a big deal for Pivotal, which has seen some exec turnover this past year: Tech industry legend Paul Maritz stepped down as CEO last August, though he's still on board as Executive Chairman. This is Pivotal's first investment deal under new CEO Rob Mee.

To go alongside this announcement, Pivotal shared some revenue numbers: Its flagship Pivotal Cloud Foundry is now on a $200 million annual bookings run rate this year, with its Pivotal Big Data Suite doing $100 million in annual bookings. Overall, the company is reporting $116 million in annualized recurring revenue.

What Ford gets

For Ford, making this investment is a big way to further its efforts in connected cars and autonomous vehicles, with a focus on building faster and smarter software, Ford CIO Marcy Klevorn tells Business Insider.

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"Our decision is part of our vision as we become both an auto and a mobility company," says Klevorn.

While there are plenty of other companies providing similar software tools, Ford was attracted to Pivotal's philosophy of teaching better software-building methods, alongside its main products. She says that its a "teach a man to fish" approach that helps Ford be more efficient and work together more effectively.

Ford CIO Marcy Klevorn

Another big part of the Pivotal sales pitch is how it has strong technology partnerships with Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform  the three biggest cloud computing platforms on the market.

It means that Pivotal customers have a clear and easy way to use any of those cloud providers at will, and even switch between them. Pivotal itself becomes a kind of neutral ground. Klevorn says she welcomes that approach as a kind of future-proofing.

"I think the multi-cloud strategy is a huge thing for us," Klevorn says.

FordPass Find Parking

This is also where Microsoft comes in. Pivotal and Microsoft go after the same kinds of big-business customers, and the two share 100 joint customers among the Fortune 500, which is more than any other cloud provider in the same space.

Cook calls their partnership "borne out of mere openness," since customers could have chosen any provider they want.

Indeed, Klevorn says that Microsoft and Ford have an "existing relationship," with the Microsoft Azure cloud powering Ford's own FordPass app. It puts Pivotal, Ford, and Microsoft all on the same page.

Pivotal's cash will go back into growing the business, Cook says, which already has 2,000 employees in 17 offices.

NOW WATCH: Ford is partnering with Amazon to let you control your house from your car





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The Bush family is keeping quiet on the 2016 presidential election.



Neither of the former presidents  George H.W. Bush or his son George W. Bush  will endorse a candidate for presidency  including Donald Trump  PEOPLE confirms.



"President Bush has no plans to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign," Bush Jr.'s personal aide Freddy Ford told PEOPLE about the younger of the two.



Meanwhile, Bush Sr. will also steer clear of the ongoing race for the White House.







"At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics," spokesman Jim McGrath told PEOPLE about the 41st president. "He came out of retirement to do a few things for Jeb [Bush], but those were the exceptions that proved the rule."



While neither has chosen to support a candidate this time around, Bush  the 43rd president  has actively endorsed candidates in the past five election cycles, the Texas Tribune reports.



After dropping out of the race in February, Jeb publicly endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. However, after Tuesday night's Indiana primary, Cruz suspended his campaign, leaving GOP front-runner Donald Trump as the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party.
By Rod Nickel LAC LA BICHE, Alberta (Reuters) - Darby Allen was the relatively unknown fire chief of a remote Canadian city before a raging wildfire made him responsible for getting 88,000 people to safety. Allen, a British immigrant who has lived in Canada for decades, is being hailed as a hero on social media for his successful evacuation this week of the entire population of Fort McMurray, Alberta, and the ongoing battle against an out-of-control fire. He fought back tears as he outlined the evacuation on Tuesday, describing it as the worst day of his career. "The people here are devastated ... This is going to take us a while to come back from," he said at a news conference earlier this week. But, reflecting the spirit of a blue-collar city at the heart of Canada's oilsands industry, he expressed determination that Fort McMurray would recover. "We are here, and we are strong, and we will keep doing our job." The wildfire near Fort McMurray spread south and forced more evacuations on Thursday after spreading ten-fold overnight and destroying hundreds of homes. "This is a nasty, dirty fire. There are certainly areas within the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them, and it will find them, and it will try and take them," Allen said during news conference on Wednesday. Fort McMurray's fire chief for just over three years, Allen began his career as a firefighter in Hampshire, England, in 1984, before joining the Calgary Fire Department in 1992, according to his LinkedIn profile. While he could not be reached for an interview, Allen showed a sense of humor on his profile, describing his responsibilities in Calgary as "leaping small buildings" and in Fort McMurray as "seemed like everything..." His impassioned speech to reporters as he described the efforts his department had made to fight the fire earned Allen praise on social media. "Poor Darby Allen, be strong buddy ... Thank you for everything. (We) can make it through this!!!" Stephen Whitehead tweeted. Twitter user Ron Hole wrote: "No idea what Wood Buffalo fire chief Darby Allen makes a year but he has earned every cent of it the past few days." (Additional reporting by Susan Taylor in Toronto, Writing by Andrea Hopkins; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
One Will Receive Inaugural Cary M. Maguire "Spirit of Ethics" Award

DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 5, 2016 / Four Dallas-based companies will be honored by the North Texas business community at the 16th Annual Greater Dallas Business Ethics Award (GDBEA) program Tuesday, May 17, at 11:30 a.m., at the Westin Galleria Hotel. The program is presented by Akin Gump, Better Business Bureau serving Dallas and Northeast Texas and D CEO Magazine. The event is open to the public and tickets/tables are available at gdbea.org.

Of 30 companies nominated this year, the 2016 honorees are: Imprimis Group, Lone Star Analysis, Staffelbach, and UR Holdings.

GDBEA will also present the inaugural winner of the Cary M. Maguire "Spirit of Ethics" Award, which recognizes a company that demonstrates and champions above-and-beyond ethical practices. This new level of recognition is named for Dallas businessman, philanthropist and longtime GDBEA supporter Cary Maguire.

The keynote speaker for the program is Richard Bowen, identified by 60 Minutes and The Wall Street Journal as the Citigroup whistleblower who repeatedly warned Citi executive management about risky business practices and potential losses related to mortgage lending prior to 2008.

The Greater Dallas Business Ethics Award recognizes local companies that have made a commitment to ethical business practices and demonstrate that commitment in their everyday operations, management philosophies, and in response to crises or challenges.

A panel of judges, representing academia, business and previous award winners, reviewed submissions containing nominee companies' ethics policies, programming, communications and review practices. A team of students from the Posey Leadership Institute at Austin College conducted site visits and interviews with the entrants. A Better Business Bureau review and qualifying rating of B+ or above is also a standing requirement for all entrants. Subsequently, the panel convened to determine those whose entries demonstrated a superior standard of ethics in action.

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"These companies are great examples of ethics at work," said Michael Webb, chairman of the award program. "They exemplify businesses operating under ethical principles and doing the right thing for their company and related stakeholders. Their work reinforces the positive, ethical values of our local business community."

Past winners include: Atmos Energy, Balfour Beatty Construction, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Brinker International, Castro Roofing of Texas, CDG & Associates, Community Management Associates, Complete Landsculpture, Corgan Associates, The Container Store, Daisy Brand, Dave & Buster's, DHD Films, EDS, Ellis: Partners in Mystery Shopping, Fluor Corp., Haven Home Health Inc., Interstate Batteries, HKS, Hospice Plus, Kahn Mechanical, Karlee, Kimberly Clark, Loveable Smiles, MRP Facility Services, Purdy-McGuire, ReGeneration Partners, Sleep Experts, The Richards Group, The Staubach Company, TD Industries, TELOS Fitness Center, Texas Institute for Surgery, Trammell Crow Company, TXU, Weir's Furniture Village, Wishbone Graphics.

The Dallas program has produced an unprecedented nine winners of the national American Business Ethics Award (ABEA) program, and, in fact, has more national ethics award honorees than any other affiliated program in the United States. The Dallas-area companies that are also ABEA winners include Community Management Associates, Corgan Associates, Daisy Brand, EDS, Kimberly-Clark, The Richards Group, TDIndustries, Texas Instruments and Trammell Crow Company.

Since 2000 the Greater Dallas Business Ethics Award has partnered with business associations and academic centers. These partners include Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility at SMU, Financial Planning Association of Dallas/Fort Worth, the North Texas Ethics Association and Success North Dallas. This partnership continues to honor Dallas-based companies for their commitment to daily ethical business practices.

For more information, please visit www.GDBEA.org.

SOURCE: Greater Dallas Business Ethics Award
(New throughout, adds comments from finance minister, statistics, inverstors' note, background)

By Gram Slattery and Anthony Esposito

SANTIAGO, May 5 (Reuters) - Chile's economic activity rose 2.1 percent in March from the same month a year ago, due to growth in the services sector, the central bank said on Thursday.

The IMACEC economic activity index, encompassing about 90 percent of the economy tallied in gross domestic product figures, came in slightly above a Reuters forecasts for a 2.0 percent rise.

Chile Finance Minister Rodrigo Valdes said the sluggish economy appeared to be on an upward swing.

"I always say you need to be careful looking at one specific statistic given its volatility," Valdes told reporters at a press conference following the release of the data.

"But the information keeps indicating that the low point of the cycle already occurred a while ago."

However, subdued business confidence, tight credit, and rising unemployment are likely to weigh on the top copper exporter in the coming months, analysts said.

"We expect the economy to lose momentum in coming quarters, undermined by less stimulative monetary and fiscal policies, subdued consumer and business confidence, soft external demand, and a deteriorating labor market," Goldman Sachs wrote in a note to clients.

In comparison with February, economic activity decreased a seasonally adjusted 0.1 pct. Growth in the first quarter versus a year earlier was 1.8 percent, and 1.2 percent versus the previous quarter, stripping out seasonal factors.

Chile's central bank had said in March that the economy will grow between 1.25 and 2.25 percent in 2016, as continued weakness in mining investment due to cooling demand in China and falling copper prices hold back a more dramatic rebound.

(Reporting by Gram Slattery and Anthony Esposito; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio)
Gettyimages-464624072

France's foie gras production has ground to a halt for the next three months, but the reason behind the ban probably isn't what you think.

SEE ALSO: Sacre bleu! Restaurants in France now have to give out doggy bags

Foie gras producers in 18 departements in south west France will be banned by the Ministry for Agriculture from having any ducks or geese in their factories and slaughterhouses from this week until Aug. 15, bringing a halt to 71% of the national production of foie gras.

While animal rights campaigners have long been calling for a ban on the French delicacy  made from fattened duck or goose liver  the halt is down to an unprecedented bird flu epidemic that's hit southwestern France.

In November 2015, a highly virulent strain of the H5N1 virus was found at a chicken farm in the Dordogne region of France, prompting an intervention by veterinary watchdogs.

H5N1 is lethal for birds, but  unlike other forms of flu  it does not typically spread between people. Humans only contract the virus if they come into close contact with sick or dead poultry infected with the virus.

The ban will have a heavy impact on France's agricultural industry; with breeders claiming the production halt will amount to a loss of 130 million ($115 million).

"This interruption of business will cause cash flow difficulties, additional salary costs linked to the partial lay-offs of approximately 4000 employees, and fixed charges that must be paid despite the stop in business and income," Marie-Pierre Pe  general secretary of foie gras producers association Cifog  told Le Figaro.

France's Ministry for Agriculture announced in January that it will provide compensation for producers to the amount of the estimated losses.

The long-term consequences of the three-month ban will likely take a toll on the price of foie gras, according to foie gras producer Christophe Barrailh.

Barrailh told Le Figaro that there will be nine million fewer ducks on the national market, resulting in a noticeable price hike.
Rupert Murdoch and Reed Hastings just got a deep-pocketed rival in Europe.

The recent alliance between French conglomerate Vivendi and Italys Silvio Berlusconi-controlled Mediaset TV group is likely to spark a battle for subscribers that will be played out across the European media landscape.

French billionaire Vincent Bollore, Vivendis chair and biggest shareholder, is looking to take on Murdochs Sky empire and Hastings Netflix streaming giant by combining a telecommunications company, TV outlets and scads of content into a yet-unnamed Southern European-based media mega-conglomerate.

You see AT&T buying DirecTV, Telefonica buying Via Digital, etc. The integration of telcos and media content is the present and the future, says Franco-Tunisian media mogul Tarak Ben Ammar, a Vivendi supervisory board member, who brokered the deal.

The integration of telcos and media content is the present and the future. Tarak Ben Ammar

On April 8, Vivendi bought pay TV unit Mediaset Premium in a broader deal under which Vivendi and Mediaset each acquired a 3.5% stake in one other.

A central piece in Bollore and Ben Ammars vision is Telecom Italia. Vivendi recently raised its stake in the telco to 24.9%, and now effectively controls it.

While there are many questions about the Vivendi-Mediaset plan, especially regarding the integration of the two companies free and pay TV outlets, speculation also exists concerning their respective production companies.

I dont think [they] are talking so much about building another Sky and trying to compete, says Guy Bisson at London-based Ampere Analysis. I think [they] are talking about: Lets monetize our production assets and access to content that will allow us to be flexible, and lets do that using more cost-effective platforms, like OTT and SVOD. 

Vivendi comprises pan-European production and distribution mini-major StudioCanal, Universal Music and multi-territory paybox Canal Plus, which has 11 million subscribers in places as wide-ranging as Poland, Vietnam and several countries in Africa, besides France. By adding Mediaset Premium, the subscriber total rises to 13 million, still far below that of Murdochs Sky, which has 19 million in the U.K., Italy and Germany.

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Grow or Die The combined scale of the StudioCanal-Mediaset Premium pay TV service is a challenge to Europes heavy hitters 13m Subscriber base

of StudioCanal-Mediaset Premium 19m Subscriber base of Sky across the U.K., Germany and Italy 150k Subscriber base of Netflix in Italy, six months after launch $1.2m Projected subscriber base of Netflix in France this year

As for content, StudioCanal owns what is believed to be the third-largest film library in the world, while Mediaset, Italys top commercial broadcaster, is a film force thanks to its Medusa production and distribution unit. A priority of Vivendi/Mediaset is producing content to feed its outlets in France, Italy and Spain.

The companies also intend to create a European studio to produce content for export internationally.

With an eye to Netflix, Vivendi/Mediaset has announced plans to set up the first pan-European over-the-top platform by merging the Mediaset-operated Infinity services in Italy and Spain with Vivendis German OTT service Watchever. Ben Ammar says the combined service will be operational by the fall.

A few days after the Vivendi/Mediaset alliance was announced, Netflix held a presentation in Paris, where Hastings told Italian daily La Stampa he expected that the streaming giant would be present in one-third of Italian homes in seven years. In France, Netflix is expected to reach 1.2 million subs this year, according to a forecast by Digital TV Research. Says one Vivendi insider when explaining the combined OTT initiative, The idea was, if we let [Netflix] get stronger, it might be harder to catch up.

The Vivendi/Mediaset grand plan has its skeptics.

Vivendis track record in innovating in pay TV with Canal Plus and OTT is not good, cautioned Deutsche Bank media analyst Laurie Davison in a report, noting that the six Canal Plus channels in France have been losing money for the past four years and that their first foray into OTT outside France  Watchever, in Germany  has failed. Davison also noted that while there are genuine synergies between Mediaset Premium and Vivendis pay TV and OTT operations, there is little cross-border synergy with Mediasets remaining free-to-air ops.

Whatever the eventual success of the merger, one immediate effect Ben Ammar foresees is inarguable: Fiercer competition for content, he says, will make directors, writers, producers and agents very happy.

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Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Gambia's main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) demanded on Wednesday authorities release its leader Ousainou Darboe and about 40 followers arrested after protests last month, as prosecutors filed fresh charges over the demonstrations.

Some of the activists were detained on April 14 after a rare opposition protest demanding political reforms in the small west African nation ruled with an iron fist by President Yahya Jammeh.

The others were taken into custody following a demonstration two days later against the death of UDP official Solo Sandeng, who is reported to have died suspiciously in custody, according to his party and human rights groups.

In a statement the UDP's executive committee demanded "the unconditional and immediate release of its leader and Secretary General, the lawyer Ousainou Darboe and all the others" detained after the protests in the capital Banjul.

The statement went on to say: "We demand that reports of the torture and death of Ebrima Solo Sandeng be fully investigated and the culprits brought to book."

According to the UDP, some of its members arrested by Gambian security agents have yet to be accounted for by the authorities.

"The UDP still remains deeply concern about the whereabouts of one of its supporters, Dembo S. Darboe (Touray Darboe)," the statement said.

According to the UDP, he was picked up by security officers in April and has not been heard from since.

The 18 protesters arrested on April 14 pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to a new charge of conspiracy, which comes on top of accusations that include unlawful assembly and incitation to violence.

Additionally, prosecutors filed similar charges against seven other protestors who also entered not guilty pleas.

In February, Jammeh was named his party's candidate to seek a fifth mandate in a presidential poll in December. He was first elected head of state in 1996, two years after the bloodless coup.

The regime is regularly accused by watchdog bodies and the US State Department of making opponents forcibly disappear and harassing the press and independent broadcasting media.
LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - The gap between Italian and German government borrowing costs hit its widest level in nine weeks on Thursday after Rome announced an unscheduled bond exchange and investors braced for a series of upcoming political events in Europe.

Italy on Wednesday announced it would offer a bond maturing in 2034 in exchange for five shorter-dated bonds on Friday.

Meanwhile, stalled talks between Greece and its international creditors over financial aid, as well as Spanish elections and Britain's referendum on EU membership next month have seen investors reduce their exposure to riskier assets.

The gap or spread between Italian 10-year bond yields -- the main benchmark in the bloc's southern peripheral countries -- and German equivalents hit its widest in nine weeks at 131 basis points.

"Looking forward there is a bit of supply to be absorbed this week and market sentiment is poor...so we are cautious on the direction for the periphery and expect more volatility," Mizuho strategist Antoine Bouvet said.

(Reporting by John Geddie; Editing by Alistair Smout)
BERLIN (Reuters) - Politicians from Germany's ruling coalition voiced concern on Thursday over Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's decision to step down, saying his departure paved the way for President Tayipp Erdogan to rule unchecked. Davutoglu is seen in Europe as the more liberal face of the Turkish government, while Erdogan is heavily focused on creating a powerful executive presidency that critics say will tilt Turkey, an EU candidate, toward authoritarianism. Davutoglu negotiated a deal with Brussels on stemming the flow of illegal migrants to Europe, which German Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes will shore up support for her conservatives ahead of a federal election next year. "Erdogan will be able to push ahead with his plans to change the constitution now without opposition from his own ranks," Niels Annen, spokesman on foreign affairs for the Social Democrats, junior party in Merkel's coalition, told Reuters. "In view of the prevailing climate of repression and the current debate about lifting the immunity of opposition lawmakers this is bad news," he said. Erdogan's ruling AK Party has faced accusations of rowing back on media freedoms and also aims to remove lawmakers' immunity from prosecution, a move widely seen as targeting a pro-Kurdish party in the Turkish parliament. Juergen Hardt, foreign affairs spokesman for Merkel's conservatives, also expressed concern about Davutoglu's departure on Thursday. "Turkey will decide itself whether its future path leads to Europe or towards greater isolation," Hardt said in a statement. German politicians have long followed Turkish affairs closely. Germany is home to around three million people with an ethnic Turkish background and is an important trade partner for Turkey. The EU migrant deal with Turkey has been Davutoglu's project and Erdogan, frequently critical of the 28-nation bloc, has appeared at times to belittle his progress. More than one million migrants arrived in Germany last year, many fleeing wars in the Middle East. Their arrival has put pressure on local authorities and helped fuel support for the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. (Reporting by Holger Hansen and Caroline Copley; Editing by Gareth Jones)
FRANKFURT, May 5 (Reuters) - State-owned German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is looking to operate a fleet of driverless cars to carry passengers, its boss told a German newspaper.

Chief executive Ruediger Grube explained in Thursday's WirtschaftsWoche that the logic for the move was that Deutsche Bahn was already promoting its services as allowing passengers to use their travel time productively or enjoyably.

"If in the future autonomous cars can do this, then the operators of these cars can claim the same about their services. That's why we will have to add autonomously driving cars to our offering," Grube was quoted as saying.

Global carmakers, automotive parts suppliers and technology companies are racing to develop intelligent, self-driving cars.

Alphabet Inc's Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said this week they had agreed to work together on self-driving minivans.

Deutsche Bahn had 40.5 billion euros ($46 billion) in revenues last year, 42.5 percent of which came from transporting passengers.

($1 = 0.8749 euros) (Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Alexander Smith)
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - State-owned German rail operator Deutsche Bahn [DBN.UL] is looking to operate a fleet of driverless cars to carry passengers, its boss told a German newspaper.

Chief executive Ruediger Grube explained in Thursday's WirtschaftsWoche that the logic for the move was that Deutsche Bahn was already promoting its services as allowing passengers to use their travel time productively or enjoyably.

"If in the future autonomous cars can do this, then the operators of these cars can claim the same about their services. That's why we will have to add autonomously driving cars to our offering," Grube was quoted as saying.

Global carmakers, automotive parts suppliers and technology companies are racing to develop intelligent, self-driving cars.

Alphabet Inc's Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said this week they had agreed to work together on self-driving minivans.

Deutsche Bahn had 40.5 billion euros ($46 billion) in revenues last year, 42.5 percent of which came from transporting passengers.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Alexander Smith)
* Chairman says focus on boosting consumer unit performance

* Break-up not being considered at all at present

* Internal and external candidates in running to be new CEO (Adds further comments on selection of new CEO)

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - A break-up of GlaxoSmithKline is not something that is being considered "at all" at present, the chairman of Britain's biggest drugmaker said on Thursday.

Philip Hampton, who became chairman a year ago, told GSK's annual meeting that the focus was on boosting the performance of the group's consumer division, which sells products ranging from headache pills to toothpaste.

The pharmaceuticals group is in the process of seeking a new chief executive and is under pressure from some shareholders to examine a spin-off of its consumer health business.

Hampton said the board would consider the future of the consumer unit only after GSK had improved its profitability.

"When it is performing to its maximum potential we can think about whether there are other opportunities for the business and whether the current structure helps or hinders those sorts of things. But for the moment it is not something that is being considered at all," he said.

Current CEO Andrew Witty will retire in March next year and a successor is expected to be named towards the end of 2016. Both internal and external candidates are being considered and the choice of CEO is seen signalling GSK's future direction.

Hampton told Reuters after the meeting in London that GSK would only look at candidates who were "very seriously in the healthcare sector". He declined to say whether an internal or external appointment was most likely.

"The dynamics around it are pretty obvious," Hampton said. "You know your internal people better, warts and all, the external people you know less well. Normally when you pick an external personal it's to introduce the potential for more change, but with more change comes more risk."

Witty, a 31-year company veteran, is stepping down after leading the drugmaker since 2008.

Story continues

GSK's $9 billion-a-year consumer business has been expanded significantly under his leadership following a complex asset swap with Novartis, which closed last year.

The broadening of GSK's base comes at a time when the rest of the pharmaceutical industry has been seeking greater focus. Critics, including top-10 shareholder Neil Woodford, argue GSK would do better by focusing on prescription pharmaceuticals.

Others, however, support what Witty has done and like the way steady consumer product sales offset volatile pharmaceuticals, where clinical trial upsets, patent fights and reimbursement arguments can derail expectations.

Hampton said he was ready to look at the group's structure with an open mind, but only when the time was right and GSK had made the necessary improvements to its enlarged consumer health operation.

(Editing by Susan Fenton and Alexander Smith)
By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - A break-up of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) is not something that is being considered "at all" at present, the chairman of Britain's biggest drugmaker said on Thursday.

Philip Hampton, who became chairman a year ago, told GSK's annual meeting that the focus was on boosting the performance of the group's consumer division, which sells products ranging from headache pills to toothpaste.

The pharmaceuticals group is in the process of seeking a new chief executive and is under pressure from some shareholders to examine a spin-off of its consumer health business.

Hampton said the board would consider the future of the consumer unit only after GSK had improved its profitability.

"When it is performing to its maximum potential we can think about whether there are other opportunities for the business and whether the current structure helps or hinders those sorts of things. But for the moment it is not something that is being considered at all," he said.

Current CEO Andrew Witty will retire in March next year and a successor is expected to be named towards the end of 2016. Both internal and external candidates are being considered and the choice of CEO is seen signalling GSK's future direction.

Hampton told Reuters after the meeting in London that GSK would only look at candidates who were "very seriously in the healthcare sector". He declined to say whether an internal or external appointment was most likely.

"The dynamics around it are pretty obvious," Hampton said. "You know your internal people better, warts and all, the external people you know less well. Normally when you pick an external personal it's to introduce the potential for more change, but with more change comes more risk."

Witty, a 31-year company veteran, is stepping down after leading the drugmaker since 2008.

GSK's $9 billion-a-year consumer business has been expanded significantly under his leadership following a complex asset swap with Novartis (NOVN.S), which closed last year.

Story continues

The broadening of GSK's base comes at a time when the rest of the pharmaceutical industry has been seeking greater focus. Critics, including top-10 shareholder Neil Woodford, argue GSK would do better by focussing on prescription pharmaceuticals.

Others, however, support what Witty has done and like the way steady consumer product sales offset volatile pharmaceuticals, where clinical trial upsets, patent fights and reimbursement arguments can derail expectations.

Hampton said he was ready to look at the group's structure with an open mind, but only when the time was right and GSK had made the necessary improvements to its enlarged consumer health operation.

(Editing by Susan Fenton and Alexander Smith)
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein moderates a panel discussion at the North American Energy Summit in the Manhattan borough of New York, June 10, 2014. REUTERS/Adam Hunger

Goldman Sachs on Thursday made job cuts in its securities business, according to people familiar with the matter.

The cuts bring the headcount reduction in the fixed-income, currencies and commodities (FICC) business to around 10%, the people said.

The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Goldman Sachs cut staff in a round of redundancies earlier in the year.

The bank had a lousy first quarter, posting a 37% decline in trading revenue versus the same quarter a year earlier. FICC revenues fell 47%.

Harvey Schwartz, CFO at Goldman Sachs, was asked if there might be more job cuts on the bank's first-quarter earnings call. He said (emphasis added):

In terms of other cost initiatives, I know there's been a lot of stuff in the press. I guess I would really summarize it as follows. I would just say we're shareholders and we're doing things that you would expect shareholders to do.

The FICC business in particular has seen a lot of change. It was announced late last month that the cohead of global fixed-income, currency, and commodities sales, Dalinc Ariburnu, would leave the bank. The other cohead is Tom Cornacchia.

In March, Cornacchia, described a cultural shift wrought with "friction" and "awkwardness" inside the global FICC business.

The Goldman Sachs news extends a miserable week for investment banks. Business Insider reported on Wednesday that Credit Suisse had fired about 130 people in the global-markets business in London.

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ben sasse

While many Republicans are slowly beginning to coalesce around presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, at least one prominent conservative figure has refused to budge: Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska.

In a fiery open letter published late Wednesday night on his Facebook page, the junior senator reiterated his opposition to both Trump and Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton, calling for a third-party challenger.

Detailing a meeting with people at his hometown Walmart, Sasse said there was clearly an "appetite" for a third-party candidate.

"I've ignored my phone most of today, but the voicemail is overflowing with party bosses and politicos telling me that 'although Trump is terrible,' we 'have to' support him, 'because the only choice is Trump or Hillary,'" Sasse wrote.

"This open letter aims simply to ask 'WHY is that the only choice?'" he continued.

The senator went after both political parties. He said both Republicans and Democrats did not sense the anxiety among constituents about both numerous policy issues and a general-election matchup between Clinton and Trump.

"They're like a couple arguing about what color to paint the living room, and meanwhile, their house is on fire," Sasse wrote of both major political parties. "They resort to character attacks as step one because they think voters are too dumb for a real debate."

In the letter, Sasse listed qualities he would like to see in a third-party challenger, including a strong national-security background and a commitment to slashing entitlement spending.

The senator also suggested that an outside challenger could gain legitimate traction because of the two party frontrunners' unpopularity.

"There are dumpster fires in my town more popular than these two 'leaders,'" Sasse wrote.

After Trump's primary win in Indiana and the decision by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to exit the race on Tuesday, Sasse reiterated his opposition to Trump.

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Overwhelming majority of Americans think both the D and R frontrunners are dishonest.



The people are right.



It matters.#WeCanDoBetter  Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) May 4, 2016

I assume this is a parody account? https://t.co/kPOoDpVmU7  Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) May 4, 2016

Sasse is part of a vocal group of conservative thinkers and lawmakers who have refused to back the presumptive Republican presidential nominee over what they see as his lack of conservative bona fides.

On Tuesday, a former top aide to Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign tweeted out his reluctant support for Clinton. Frequent Trump critic Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina indicated at a conference the same day that the former secretary of state was likely to win the nomination.

It appears unlikely, however, that Sasse's desire for an independent candidate will be met. A third-party challenger would face major institutional obstacles.

Beyond the opposition of both political parties, a third-party challenger would also need to collect thousands of signatures in each state within a short amount of time to get on the ballot. It would be a daunting task for a candidate without an existing organizational campaign structure.

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Heart_Machine_Pineda_STILL

Heart disease is the number one killer in the US, with a death toll that surpasses 600,000 people each year. But in a society plagued with broken, ailing hearts, designing a long-term replacement for this vital organ has been pretty tricky.

In 1967, researchers thought they had the perfect solution to the problem: a mechanical heart fueled by radioactive decay.

Thats right, an atomic heart.

Nuclear heartbeat

For a decade, two separate government-funded teams of researchers, the National Heart Institute (NHI) and the Atomic Energy Agency (AEC), chased the dream of designing a nuclear-powered ticker. They claimed this was the only viable solution to replacing diseased hearts.

The alternative power source for artificial hearts was conventional batteries, but these had some pretty hefty drawbacks: first, they tended to overheat. Plus, they required daily recharging, and even then, they tended to max out after two years of service.

In contrast, a nuclear-powered approach could give patients as many as ten years, without the trouble of connecting to outside power sources.

The nuclear hearts were powered by plutonium-238, an element that emits close to a centurys worth of steady heat due to its natural radioactive decay. The element has been used to power space satellites and navigation beacons. It powered the New Horizons spacecraft to Pluto, it propels the Voyager probe into deep space, and it drives the Mars rover Curiosity across Martian terrain, Popular Science reports.

The two teams believed they could harness this energy to pump blood through the human body.

artificial heart

Technological roadblocks

Still, they faced many technological challenges. They needed to develop a mechanical pump that the human body wouldnt reject. They also needed to incorporate a safe and efficient engine to power the pump by converting the heat to energy.

The NHI and AEC butted heads about the best way to conduct the research.

For its part, the NHI wanted to develop a partial artificial heart which would assist a still-beating diseased heart in two stages: a nonatomic pump system would be built first, followed by a nuclear-powered engine, the Atlantic reports.

Story continues

The AEC, on the other hand, wanted to build an integrated, atomic pump and engine that would completely replace the diseased heart for the long-term.

After five years of development, both hearts had issues: While the AEC heart remained clunky and inefficient, the NHI heart was riddled with technological bugs from overheating to letting blood clot up the pump.

And these were just the design flaws. The researchers still needed to address public concern about the ethics and safety of installing atomic devices inside a human body! The effects of extended exposure to radiation, however low the dose, were still unknown.

Heartshaped weapons

Many believed that a plutonium-powered heart could put patients at risk for a number of health problems, including leukemia. Those close to the recipients  caregivers, coworkers, loved ones  might also be at risk of radiation poisoning. It was even suggested that if criminals got their hands on these atomic hearts, they could turn them into nuclear weapons.

So, after ten years, the idea flatlined.

Researchers continue to pursue the creation of a fully functional artificial heart. A handful of Biotech companies, including SynCardia, Carmat and AbioCor are in various stages of developing a truly permanent mechanical heart that could replace a patient's diseased heart and carry them through the rest of their lifetime, the Verge reports.

But they have yet to design a heart, atomic or not, that works long-term within the confines of the human body and doesn't require external drivers or batteries. At best, today's artificial hearts are used to buy patients time as they wait for a human heart transplant.

The technology has a long way to go before it can replace the real thing.

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By Sebastien Malo PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A United Nations panel of scientists seeking ways for nations to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius should not dissuade governments from concentrating on bleaker scenarios of higher temperatures as well, its former chief said on Wednesday. Nations should be considering the potential impact of temperature rises of much as 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 Fahrenheit), said Robert Watson, former head of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The U.N. panel was assigned to find ways to limit global warming to 1.5C (2.7F) after a 195-nation climate change summit in Paris in December. Most of those nations signed the climate change deal in April, pledging to seek a 2C degrees limit and make efforts towards a 1.5C level as well. Some scientists have questioned whether limiting global warming to 1.5C is realistic and if the world's industrialized nations are willing to make such deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Speaking at a Rutgers University conference with the current IPCC chair, Hoesung Lee, Watson said: "Is it feasible technically? Worth analysing, basically?" "I hope we don't lose sight however of what are the impacts of a 3 to 4 degree world," said Watson, who chaired the IPCC from 1997 to 2002. "The reason is if we don't get the Paris agreement implemented, we may well see 3 and 4 degrees Celsius." Many poor nations, fearing melting ice will raise sea levels and swamp their coasts, have campaigned for the 1.5C level. Panel head Lee was steadfast on the merits of studying the 1.5C scenario. "We have already begun our work," Lee said. "There is no question whether it is worth pursuing," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on the sidelines of the conference. Calling the consideration and deeper analysis of more extreme global warming "a value judgment," Lee said: "We are not in the position of embarking ourselves in the judgment of addressing the weight of (such) values." The IPCC is slated to issue its 1.5C special report in 2018. Last year, average global surface temperatures hit the highest since records began in the 19th century, about 1C above pre-industrial times. (Reporting by Sebastien Malo, Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
This 90-year-old grandmother sure knows how to have a soaring good birthday.

Read: Mom Skydives a Year After Losing Her Arms and Legs: 'The Amputations Won't Stop Me'

When Beth Long, who lives in Boise, Ohio, was asked what she wanted to do for her birthday, her granddaughter Briana Gordon told InsideEdition.com that she only had one suggestion: "I think I want to go skydiving. What else do you do when you're 90?"

Beth gathered her entire family, with sons and grandchildren arriving from California, Wyoming, and Colorado for a day at the Skydown Skydiving in Idaho, located 30 minutes from her retirement community.

Gordon said that Beth didn't allow anyone, who "physically can", to be excused from the trip.

Her skydiving instructor, Derek Sluder, told IE.com that despite her being his oldest client, she was the only person in the family who was not one bit nervous about the tandem jump from 13,000 feet.

"She was just a spunky little pocket rocket," Sluder told IE.com, including that she didn't seem one bit nervous.

Beth was joined by her eldest son, Bob Long, and her granddaughter, Nicole Long, as they boarded the first flight. The rest of the family followed close behind on the second plane.

The Long family as they prepare for to skydive for Beth Long's, pictured second to the left, 90th birthday. (Courtesy of Briana Gordon)

The skydiving instructor said that in addition to making sure she had consent from her doctors, the team went over her physical capabilities.

Because she had shoulder problems Sluder said she couldn't raise her arms above her head, so he helped her put on her goggles and her hat and instructed her to hold onto her shoulder straps during the dive.

"I asked her just before she left if she was ready to go. She said, 'Yeah, but first you have to open the door,'" Sluder laughed.

Leaving her hearing aids behind, she dove off the plane and can be seen in the skydiving footage with the biggest grin the entire time.

Story continues

"Once we got down to the ground, she was wondering why she waited so long and was ready to go again," Sluder told IE.com.

Read: President George H.W. Bush Makes A Giant Leap For 90th Birthday

Her granddaughter Gordon said she was not the least bit surprised: "She's sort of an outdoorsy adrenaline junkie."

Gordon said, "She's always up for an adventure."

In addition to being the leader at a shipyard welding operation when she was young, Beth has gone white water rafting, hunting on horseback and even zip lining through Costa Rica on her 80th birthday.

Watch: 90-Year-Old Couple Spotted Going On Their First Date Proves It's Never Too Late For Love

Related Articles:
* Greek unions declare 48 hour walkout

* Parliament debates tax, pension reforms

* Lawmakers expected to vote on Sunday (Adds quotes)

By Renee Maltezou

ATHENS, May 5 (Reuters) - Greek labour unions declared a 48-hour national walkout on Thursday as lawmakers debated unpopular tax and pension reforms Greece hopes will help persuade creditors to approve release of badly-needed bailout cash.

Greece needs the bailout funds to pay IMF loans, ECB bonds maturing in July and growing state arrears, but these are subject to it passing a review that includes required changes to its tax and pension laws.

Labour unions said the proposals ran roughshod over a population that has already suffered years of austerity. The country's two largest unions called a two-day general strike from Friday, culminating in a demonstration in central Athens on May 8.

Parliament was due to vote on the bill before euro zone finance ministers meet on Monday to try to unblock the review which has stalled mainly due to a rift among its international creditors on Greece's fiscal progress.

Athens hopes parliamentary approval will help convince other EU member states that Greece has made enough progress and does not need to implement further belt-tightening.

"The bill, which is based on Greek proposals, covers the biggest part of the issues under review," said a government official, adding that creditors had not opposed Athens' move to legislate the reforms.

A parliamentary committee was on Thursday reviewing provisions of the bill which aims to boost tax revenues and slash pension spending from its current level of 17 percent of GDP annually.

The proposed legislation would raise tax on corporate dividends to 15 from 10 percent, increase income tax for high earners while lowering tax free thresholds and sharply increasing a so-called 'solidarity tax' -- which goes straight into state coffers -- across the board.

It also introduces a national pension of 384 euros a month after 20 years of work, phases out a benefit for poor pensioners (EKAS) and recalculates pensions.

Story continues

The vote will test Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' popularity during the tough negotiations with the lenders.

His left-led government has a fragile majority of 153 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament.

Greece and its creditors have agreed on a package of reforms worth 3 percent of its economic output but still disagreed on contingent measures, to be implemented only if needed, to make sure the country reaches agreed fiscal targets in 2018.

Tsipras' government was re-elected in September on promises to ease the pain of austerity for the poor and protect pensions after he was forced to sign up to a new bailout in July to keep the country in the euro zone.

(Editing by Ralph Boulton)
CONAKRY (Reuters) - Guinea is targeting double-digit GDP growth by 2020 as it seeks to rebound after the Ebola virus slowed investment and hurt the mining sector, Prime Minister Mamady Youla said on Wednesday. The country was one of three West African states at the center of the outbreak, with more than 2,500 people in Guinea dying of Ebola in 2014 and 2015. Guinea was declared Ebola free in December but at least five people have since died of the disease. "Ebola has not only killed people, it has also killed businesses and jobs", Youla said in a speech. Growth fell to 0.6 percent in 2015 from 3.9 percent in 2012. He gave no projection for this year's GDP growth. "We have restored major macroeconomic balance, (but) Ebola has hampered investment, slowed growth and affected several sectors," he said. The Simandou iron ore project, worth an estimated $21 billion, would be crucial in reaching the 2020 goal, he said. A senior official in the Mines Ministry said it would take time before the project could proceed because of a drop in commodity prices. Rio Tinto said in February it would seek financing for its Simandou project, despite writing down its value because of low commodity prices and funding uncertainties. (Reporting by Saliou Samb; Writing by Marine Pennetier; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Peter Cooney)
Will Han Solo be shooting from the hip in his Star Wars spin-off movie?

A new picture posted by the films co-director Chris Miller reveals a shot of Han Solos iconic blaster pistol  the infamous DL-44. And while we still have no idea wholl be picking up the iconic gun, its already sending fans wild with speculation.

After all, does this mean the blaster pistol will feature in the upcoming film?



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Cant wait to get shooting! he said via Twitter, adding the popular hashtag: #MayThe4thBeWithYou



Featured in the image is a version of the iconic DL-44 blaster pistol  Han Solos weapon of choice throughout the original Star Wars trilogy.



Of course, most fans will tell you that numerous different versions made it to the screen throughout the trilogy but its thought that the pistol pictured above could be the one well see in the upcoming Han Solo spin-off.

Either that, or Chris Miller has an impressive replica collection.



Its thought that the Han Solo Star Wars spin-off is soon due to begin filming but theres still no word on who has landed the leading role.



Jack Reynor, Taron Egerton, Alden Ehrenreich and Emory Cohen are all thought to have made the shortlist. But Disney is yet to announce which has nabbed the part, leading some to speculate that the young Han Solo still evades them.

Who will get to sling the iconic blaster?



For now, well have to wait and see but its got to be the coolest role in Hollywood.



The upcoming Han Solo movie heads to cinemas on 25 May 2018.



- Galaxy Quest 2 Almost Happened

- Star Wars 8 Sees Maz Kanata Return

- Heres Why Kylo Ren Turned To The Dark Side

Picture Credit: Lucasfilm
harry reid

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is still in shock that Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

"First of all, there are a couple times every day since yesterday ... I have to remind myself that Donald Trump is the Republican nominee," the bewildered Reid said during a conference call with reporters on Thursday.

"It hasn't sunk in yet for me, but it's true. That's reality," he added.

And with that, Reid began to reprise his role as a Democratic attack dog, which he vibrantly embraced in the 2012 campaign against then nominee Mitt Romney.

He went after Trump's wealth and his at-times inflammatory statements, as well as Republican leaders' refusal to confirm a Supreme Court nominee in favor of waiting for a theoretical Trump administration.

"Republicans want an antiwoman, anti-Hispanic, anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant billionaire who inherited his wealth," he said.

Reid, adding that the Republican Party is now "Trump's party," didn't sound optimistic about the potential for Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland to get confirmed, now that Trump is set to be at the top of the Republican ticket.

He said that Chuck Grassley, the Iowa senator who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee, coming out in support of a potential Trump nomination to the court underlines how the GOP will hold firm in blocking Garland.

Said Reid: "I guess they want ... [Trump] determining the balance of the Supreme Court for the next generation."

NOW WATCH: Trump just dropped more hints about a possible running mate





More From Business Insider


When venture capital firms implode, it usually happens quietly. Once all the lawyers and mediators and PR pros are done, the mess is cleaned up for public consumption. Orderly transition. Amicable divorce.

But that is not the case at Xfund, an early-stage venture capital group with deep ties to Harvard University. Instead, the firms two general partners--Patrick Chung and Hugo Van Vuuren--have engaged in an acrimonious breakup that has included employee firings, name-calling, bank account freezes, and even a restraining order request.

What follows is based on court records and background conversations with nearly a dozen sources who are familiar with, and in some cases directly involved with, the Xfund debacle. None would agree to be identified, citing possible legal repercussions.

It all started so well

Xfund began life in the fall of 2011 as something called The Experiment Fund, a partnership between established venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates and Harvard Universitys School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The idea was to make seed-stage investments in startups based on research done at Harvard or other local universities. It was located on Harvards campus, and staffed by Hugo Van Vuuren, a serial entrepreneur and expert-in-residence at Harvard. The person responsible for Xfund on NEAs side was Patrick Chung, a Silicon Valley-based partner who mostly focused on consumer technology investments.

Three more VC firms--Accel Partners, Breyer Capital and Polaris Partners--would join up in mid-2012, with each receiving a seat on The Experiment Funds investment committee. The basic set-up was this: Van Vuuren would source the deals. More experienced VCs would help vet them, and then, if acceptable, okay the investments. More than 70% of the deals in Experiment Fund, sized at $10 million, emanated from Harvard and MIT. Another 9% came from Stanford, with the remainder spread out among a few other schools.

Story continues

By mid-2014, The Experiment Fund seemed to be a success. For Chung, it also represented a new opportunity. He had been with NEA for nine years, but his path to general partner was unclear. So he proposed raising a much larger Experiment Fund, to be renamed Xfund, alongside Van Vuuren. The founding VC firms would still contribute capital, but only one would serve on the limited partner committee (LPAC), a group that represents all of a VC funds investors. The other two spots would be filled by investors Jasper Ridge Partners and Top Tier Capital Partners, while Chung and Van Vuuren would serve as Xfunds two general partners. Chung continued to work out of NEAs offices in Silicon Valley, while Van Vuuren remained at Harvard (even though the University had no legal or financial relationship to Xfund).

In early December 2014, Xfund announced its independence, and that it had raised $100 million for its new investment pool, Xfund 2. Included in that was the purchase of The Experiment Funds entire portfolio, which was effectively rolled into the new fund.

"We deliver the best of both our academic and investing worlds, Chung told Fortune at the time. (Read: Harvard-affiliated VC fund raises $100 million)

Seeds of discontent

The first paperwork for XFund 2 was drawn up in June 2014, so that the new fund could take advantage of an investment opportunity. It described a true 50/50 partnership between Chung and Van Vuuren, in terms of both economic interests (e.g., carried interest) and corporate governance. Shortly after announcing the funds existence in December, however, Van Vuuren was sent documents that effectively gave Chung governance control. If there was a tie in terms of an investment or personnel decision, Chungs vote would carry the day.

Van Vuuren approved the amended documents via an electronic signature, but effectively claims in a court filing that he was bamboozled. From the filing:

While Van Vuuren was abroad helping his family, Chung went to Xfund 2's counsel, Peter Laybourn of Ropes & Gray LLP, without informing Van Vuuren, and misrepresented to Laybourn that Van Vuuren had agreed to amend the Xfund Management Company operating agreement to give Chung a controlling vote on all matters (not just investment decision stalemates). Laybourn, under the mistaken impression that Van Vuuren had consented to this arrangement, instructed a junior associate to revise the operating agreement according to Chung's instructions and email the amendment Ropes & Gray did not advise Van Vuuren of the impact and significance of the revisions or recommend that he have them reviewed by personal counsel At Chung's repeated insistence, in the midst of dealing with a family emergency, by cell phone, and without internet, Van Vuuren attached his electronic signature to the amendment.

Fortune has spoken to several limited partners in Xfund, and they differ in understanding of how the fund was supposed to operate. Some say it was believed that Chung would have a tie-breaker, given that he was the much more experienced venture capitalist. One says he believed the two would be equal partners in all things. Moreover, a Ropes & Gray attorney named Aaron Katz, who was brought in later to help manage Xfunds fraying relationship, allegedly wrote Van Vuuren an email saying he was surprised by the amendments, because it seemed to violate a marriage of two equals.

Van Vuuren appears to have resented the agreement once he claims to have fully understood it in early 2015, and he and Chung began to bicker. Moreover, Chung alleges in a court filing that Van Vuurens productivity declined precipitously, and several times sent Van Vuuren disparaging messages that, depending on your point of view, read like justified frustration or abusive bullying.

The true flashpoint, however, came when Chung decided to terminate Kristen Ostro, a onetime NEA employee who had joined Xfund as an operations adviser (and later took on the added responsibility of marketing director). Ostro wrote in an email at the time that she believed that the termination was in retaliation for her whistle-blowing Patrick in June 2015 for actively bullying, and mentally and emotionally abusing me and the entire team. Sources close to Chung say he simply felt her work performance was below par, and that she had come up short on a performance plan devised largely by Van Vuuren (charges Ostro disputed at the time - she declined comment when Fortune reached out). Either way, Chung and Van Vuuren did not agree on firing Ostro, and it made the tie-breaker an even sorer bone of contention.

It all falls apart

What happened next depends on who you believe. Those siding with Chung claim that Van Vuuren became unhinged, going so far as to threaten violence against both Chung and Ropes & Gray attorneys (in part, Chung believes, because Van Vuuren was worried about his immigration status). Van Vuuren denies such allegations, saying they were a smokescreen manufactured to help Chung maintain control of Xfund. He also claims in court papers to have uncovered financial improprieties that improperly enriched Chung, according to court documents.

The two partners met repeatedly with attorneys--both from Ropes and Gray, and also Van Vuurens personal counsel at K&L Gates--but to no avail. By mid-January, the limited partner advisory committee decided to quietly suspend Xfunds ability to make new investments (it had only deployed around 10% of its $100 million), although it could participate in follow-on deals for existing portfolio companies. In March, Chung chose to terminate Van Vuuren, a move that could become the basis for a later legal action by Van Vuuren against Xfund (based on an argument, made in court papers, that there is no provision by which a managing member of the fund can be terminated).

While Xfund's differentiated investment model is working, as evidenced by outstanding portfolio company performance, high deal flow, and unique collaborative relationships with our university partners and LPs, there was a breakdown in the General Partnership that ultimately required us to terminate Mr. Van Vuuren, according to a statement provided to Fortune by Xfund (which effectively is now Chung). Xfund will continue to fully back our existing portfolio companies as we work through this transition and move forward. We are very grateful for the support we've received from our extraordinary LPs.

At around the same time, Silicon Valley Bank froze Xfunds accounts, due to what it referred to as a dispute among the partners. (XFund subsequently opened a new account at First Republic Bank.)

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Less than a week later, Chung filed a temporary restraining order request in Santa Clara Superior Court, claiming that Van Vuuren had repeatedly threatened violence against Chung and his family. While the incidents had occurred much earlier in 2016, Chung said in court papers that the timing of his request was tied to Van Vuurens plans to attend an Xfund-related event in Silicon Valley, over Chungs expressed wishes that he remain in Massachusetts. Chung also claimed that Van Vuuren had threatened at least one attorney at Ropes & Gray, and that the law firm retained armed security personnel to provide personal protection. The law firm also allegedly put Van Vuuren on a do not admit list, though Ropes & Gray has declined comment. Finally, Chung alleged that Van Vuuren had forged my signature on certain immigration documents, per his court filing.

Van Vuuren denied the allegations in a lengthy response that included letters from two former Xfund employees--Ostro and Halah AlQahtani, who resigned around the time Van Vuuren was fired--that seemed supportive of Van Vuurens point of view. His response also included the aforementioned text messages from Chung, and a letter from immigration attorney Jeff Goldman that said his status would not be materially affected by losing his affiliation with Xfund. Moreover, Goldman tells Fortune that it is somewhat common for law firms to sign someones name on immigration documents if authorized to do so (particularly as faxed or scanned signatures are not accepted).

Chung later would withdraw the temporary restraining order request, as the two sides reached an out-of-court arrangement.

As all of this was going on, the limited partner committee retained its own counsel (Nixon Peabody), and Ropes & Gray recused itself as Xfunds counsel to avoid an appearance of conflict (it was replaced by Lowenstein Sandler). While the LPAC itself cannot officially assert a managerial role, a letter obtained by Fortune shows that it has recommended that Chung be allowed to continue running Xfund. LPs have been asked to ratify a plan whereby they would effectively remove the current general partner, and then create a new one led by Chung (two LPs suggested that he also might have some sort of monitor to make sure he is acting in the funds best interest). That move might not only remove Van Vuuren from any decision-making capacity, but also theoretically deprive him of carried interest from existing Xfund investments.

Several LPs who support the proposal say that their decision is mostly influenced by Chungs experience, and their belief that he was responsible for the vast majority of XFunds deals (and its fundraising). Van Vuuren supporters, for their part, argue that he sourced the funds single-most valuable investment, Kensho.

The problem here isnt that a two-person fund cant be truly 50/50, or that it cant work when one person has a tie-breaker, one LP explains. All that matters is that the two people agree on the set-up, and it doesnt appear that Patrick and Hugo did.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  May 05, 2016  Zacks Equity Research highlights Headwaters (HW) as the Bull of the Day and Build A Bear Workshop (BBW) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Tesla Motors (TSLA).

Here is a synopsis of all three stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Headwaters (HW) beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate two days ago extending its streak to 11 in a row. The stock is a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and today it is the Bull of the Day.

The Numbers

HW beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.10 by $0.03 for a 30% positive earnings surprise. Revenues came in a little above expectations at $202 million for a 1.5% positive revenue surprise.

Description

Headwaters is a building materials company that provides products and services to building and construction materials sectors. Headwaters was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in South Jordan, Utah.

Earnings History

As noted above, the most recent earnings beat was the eleventh consecutive time the company posted earnings ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Beats are always good to see, but the numbers that HW has been posting are even better.

The positive earnings surprises of 240%, 145% 17%, 11%, 47% and 30% (respectively) are nothing to shake a stick at. Those are big beats!

Estimates

The FY16 Zacks Consensus Estimate has been moving higher for the most part but has also ticked lower recently. The number stood at $1.08 in January and moved higher to $1.38 in February on the strength of a solid 47% positive earnings surprise.

Since that time estimates have kicked lower twice. Once in March to $1.34 and then again in early May to $1.32. Following the most recent beat we could see analysts move their numbers higher again.

The FY2017 Zacks Consensus Estimate has seen a similar move. The number moved from $1.23 to $1.46 in February, then higher to $1.56 in March. In early May the number ticked lower to $1.53.

Valuation

For the most part, the valuation here looks really good. The forward PE of 13x is well below the 21x industry average, while the price to book multiple of 5.1x is higher than the 4.2x industry average. The 1.4x price to sales multiple is half the 2.8x industry average, so while the numbers are a little mixed on the metrics we normally look at, the overall picture is a positive one.

Story continues

Normally, I talk a little about growth rates here, but the price and consensus chart is such a good one that I want to jump right to it.

Bear of the Day :

Build A Bear Workshop (BBW) has missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the last three reports, and it wasn't even close. Misses of $0.12 and $0.17 translated into a miss of 54% and 43%. The stock is now a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) and today it is the Bear of the Day.

The Numbers

BBW missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.39 by $0.17 for a 43% negative earnings surprise. Revenues came in a little below expectations at $95M for a 1.6% negative revenue surprise.

Description

Build-A-Bear Workshop operates as a specialty retailer of plush animals and related products. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Earnings History

Usually when a stock is the Bear of the Day, the earnings history is filled with misses. This is not the case for BBW, as there are only two misses in the last seven quarters.

Estimates

Here is the real reason the stock is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) and the Bear of the Day. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has fallen steadily over the last few months. The FY16 estimate stood at $1.21 in September but fell to $0.98 in February and is now down to $0.93 in May.

Next year has seen estimates move from $1.19 when they first came out in October of last year. It has kicked lower to $1.16 as of May, but there is limited visibility to those numbers at this time.

Additional content:

Tesla (TSLA) Up 5% Following Q1 Earnings Miss, In-Line Sales

Premier American electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors (TSLA) has released Q1 earnings after the bell Wednesday, with results largely in-line with what we've seen from the company's pre-guidance earlier. A bottom line of -$1.24 per share on sales (accounting for stock-based compensation and other BNRI) on $1.6 billion in the quarter compare with Zacks consensus expectations of -$0.78 and $1.59 billion, respectively. So the wider-than-expected loss is definitely a big miss, but Tesla is still all about forward sales.



The good news for Tesla this quarter came from its various outlooks: the company bumped up its 500K units-per-year goal from as of year 2020 to 2018 now. Deliveries for the very popular Model 3 (400K+ advanced orders) stay in line for deliveries beginning late 2017, and its Gigafactory remains on target to deliver its first batteries late this year. Model S deliveries were 45 percent higher year over year, again in-line with estimates.



Tesla's lowered guidance for Q1 deliveries of 14,820 (from 16K originally) nearly met the expectation but was short by 10 cars. Q2 deliveries are now expected to reach 17K instead of the earlier guidance of 19K. Much of this stems from supplier parts shortages for the Model X, which has since been resolved. Yet another reminder that Tesla is still a toddler in the auto-manufacturing game. But the Model X has grown substantially quarter over quarter, producing roughly 500 SUVs in Q4, but over 2600 in Q1.



Shares are up more than 5 percent following the mildly positive earnings results. (Tesla is one of those companies where actuals can swing wildly from estimates quarter to quarter, so an in-line report can be seen as something of a victory of steadiness.) This follows a big move down in regular Wednesday trading and a woeful -12 percent over the last 5 trading days, so we see traders sopping up some of the value here. The VIX ahead of the earnings report was +/- 9.4 percent.



The big stuff is still to come for this company -- Gigafactory production, Model 3 deliveries. If these bigger-scale projects manage to take hold in a meaningful way for Tesla, we may see new valuations unfold for this stock, which is currently at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Get todays Zacks #1 Stock of the Day with your free subscription to Profit from the Pros newsletter:

About the Bull and Bear of the Day

Every day, the analysts at Zacks Equity Research select two stocks that are likely to outperform (Bull) or underperform (Bear) the markets over the next 3-6 months.

About the Analyst Blog

Updated throughout every trading day, the Analyst Blog provides analysis from Zacks Equity Research about the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets.

About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous analyst coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Click here to subscribe to this free newsletter today.



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



HEADWATERS INC (HW): Free Stock Analysis Report



BUILD-A-BEAR WK (BBW): Free Stock Analysis Report



TESLA MOTORS (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
By Subrat Patnaik (Reuters) - Herbalife Ltd said it was in advanced talks with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to resolve a probe into its business practices and the health supplements maker reported its first sales rise in six quarters. Shares of Herbalife, which estimated a payment of $200 million to settle the investigation, surged 14.5 percent in extended trading on Thursday. (http://bit.ly/1TLHfvr) "While there are a number of open issues, those discussions have progressed to an advanced stage and the range of outcomes now includes litigation or settlement," the company said in a statement. An FTC spokesman told Reuters that there could be injunctive relief that could be "just as significant as the money obtained for consumers and even more influential on a company's future operations." Herbalife has been under heavy scrutiny for its business practices, with billionaire activist investor Bill Ackman even calling the company a "pyramid scheme" that pays members more for recruiting new members than for selling its products. Ackman, who holds a large short position in Herbalife's stock, got more ammunition when the company said in March that a database error had caused it to overstate new member growth over the second, third and fourth quarters. Herbalife did not provide any update on the growth numbers on Thursday. SALES RECOVER Demand for Herbalife's products recovered in North America, its biggest market, in the first quarter, with sales rising 8.5 percent. Sales in China, which has been the only bright spot for the company in the past few quarters, increased by nearly a third. Herbalife also raised its adjusted profit forecast for 2016 to $5.10-$5.45 per share from $4.85-$5.30. Its net income rose 22.5 percent to $95.8 million, or $1.12 per share, in the quarter ended March 31. Excluding items, the company earned $1.36 per share, beating the average analyst estimate of $1.09, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Net sales increased 1.3 percent to $1.12 billion, topping the average estimate of $1.07 billion. Herbalife shares were trading at $66.75 after the bell. (Reporting by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru and Diane Bartz in Washington; Editing by Kirti Pandey)
bartender shaking mixing bar

Activist investors have their sights set on household consumer names.

That's according to Goldman Sachs' global cohead of consumer retail and healthcare banking, Kathy Elsesser.

She spoke about activist investors, who take stakes in companies and agitate for change, on a Goldman Sachs podcast released on Wednesday.

About 25% of all activist campaigns last year were targeted at consumer-retail companies, Elsesser said  partly because of name recognition and partly because their performance is generally pretty stable.

And while the last quarter of 2015 saw some $3 billion in outflows from activist hedge funds, Elsesser said, they still continue to raise large sums of money.

She also pointed to a "generational shift" among mainstream, long-only investors who would suggest that activism is here to stay.

Elsesser said that regular portfolio managers are starting to side with activist rabble-rousers  and to think about engaging with companies as part of their roles, rather than just selling a stock when they are dissatisfied with performance.

"This provides a bedrock of support for the activist funds and means that activism is now really embedded within the mindset of those core investors," Elsesser said.

Essentially, she said, as the markets become more correlated, investors are finding that they can create a near-term event  like compelling companies to boost dividends, buy back stocks, or consolidate with competitors  in order to outperform the market and boost returns.

Kathy Elsesser

That, of course, creates near-term pressure on the companies.

"It's a really tough judgment call as to how much capital should be put back into the business for the long-term versus supporting stock prices in the nearer term," Elsesser said.

Goldman's mergers and acquisitions cohead, Steven Barg, recently pointed to a similar phenomenon in a Q&A the firm shared.

"The distinction between who is an activist and who is not is becoming increasingly blurred and less relevant overall," he said.

Story continues

"More mainstream investors, including index funds, are engaging with boards and management teams," said Barg.

In other words, we're in "an age of more active and sustained engagement" between boards and shareholders, as activism becomes more mainstream.

And in Elsesser's view, that's something we're going to have to get used to.

NOW WATCH: THE STORY OF GOLDMAN SACHS: From foot peddlers to a powerhouse





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A day after Donald Trump became the all-but-certain Republican presidential nominee, elected GOP officials and elders must answer definitively whether they will support him in November.

Or whether they dont.

Given the acidic tone of the Republican primary -- where Trump steamrolled 16 opponents with incendiary, often vulgar, personal attacks  perhaps its not surprising that what in the past has been a simple yes or no, black and white, answer, has yielded a gamut of responses.

Related: Trumps Hard Truth for the GOP: Conservatism Doesnt Matter

Based on some initial reactions, the embrace for the former reality TV star could become even more awkward before the Republican National Convention this summer in Cleveland depending on what the volatile billionaire says on the campaign trail.

While Hillary Clinton has yet to defeat Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination, she can happily sit back and cut ads like the one she released Wednesday where members of the GOP do all the talking for her.

Heres what some Republicans are saying about Trumps ascension:

The Hell, No Caucus

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE). If there were such a group on Capitol Hill, Sasse would be elected chair today. Late Wednesday, the conservative lawmaker posted a letter on Facebook calling for an adult, third-party presidential candidate.

"Why shouldnt America draft an honest leader who will focus on 70 percent solutions for the next four years? You know...an adult?" Sasse wrote.

Related: Fearing Trump, More Republicans Are Skipping the Convention

He also took to Twitter.

There are literally dumpster fires in my town tonight more popular than either Trump or Clinton. https://t.co/SLBef47RiG  Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) May 5, 2016

The Hill has put together a handy list of GOP officials and activists who make up the Never Trump ranks. Expect the list to expand quickly.

Story continues

On The Fence

Joe Scarborough. The former Republican congressman and popular MSNBC host said Thursday that he wouldnt back Trump unless the mogul softened his extreme views, especially on his proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S.

"I'm never gonna vote for a guy that is saying he's going to ban somebody just because of the god they worship," Scarborough said on Morning Joe.

"And I gotta say I was surprised and disappointed ... that yesterday, he stuck by the Muslim ban. That's a loser. It's a loser with the majority of Americans, he added.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). The five-term senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee, has had a complicated relationship with Trump ever since the billionaire chastised McCain for being taken captive during the Vietnam War.

Related: Donald Trump Speaks With Forked Tongue on Immigration

Still, McCain, who is up for re-election this year, had seemingly gotten onboard with the idea of Trump as the nominee. However, audio obtained by Politico indicates that the Senate Armed Services chair is worried about sharing the same ticket as Trump.

If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life, McCain said.

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). Another incumbent in a tough re-election race, Ayotte signaled she would support the mogul but not endorse him, a spokesperson told WMUR on Wednesday.

That kind of threading the needle might happen a lot more before Election Day as Republicans fight to maintain control of the Senate.

Switcheroos

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. The popular governor told the Charleston Post and Courier that she supported Trump for president. I have great respect for the will of the people, and as I have always said, I will support the Republican nominee for president.

Related: Cant Vote for Trump or Clinton? Here Are Some Third Party Options

Those words likely left many people slack-jawed, especially since Haley delivered a GOP response to President Obamas State of the Union address that took direct aim at Trumps controversial stances on immigration.

Haley also first endorsed Sens. Marco Rubio (FL) and Ted Cruz (TX) during the primary before coming around to the developer.

Tepid at Best

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). At one time four members of the Senate Republican Caucus were running for the Oval Office, leading McConnell to steer clear of the primary.

That ended Wednesday night when he issued a rote, by-the-numbers endorsement of Trump.

I have committed to supporting the nominee chosen by Republican voters, and Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee is now on the verge of clinching that nomination, McConnell said in a statement. As the presumptive nominee, he now has the opportunity and the obligation to unite our party around our goals.

Mums the Word

Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush intend to stay silent in the race for the Oval Office, the Texas Tribune reports.

The silence is a huge break from tradition for the elder Bush, who has backed his partys nominee in the last five presidential elections.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Tim Cook Apple iPad

On Thursday, Apple announced a new partnership, this time with the world's largest maker of enterprise business applications, SAP.

SAP is going to develop a bunch of custom business applications for iOS devices, iPads and iPhones, as well as release tools so that SAP's 2.5-million member global developers can write their own custom iOS apps using Apple's new programming language, Swift.

In return, Apple gets access to SAP's enormous worldwide salesforce to help it sell devices to SAP's roughly 310,000 worldwide customers, most of whom are large enterprise businesses with thousands of employees.

Selling more iPads to businesses is Apple CEO Tim Cook's main plan for boosting its ongoing lackluster iPad sales. And since iPhone sales have begun to taper off, too, access to an enterprise sales force could be a cure for that, too.

SAP's flagship product is accounting software known as "enterprise resource planning," in that it handles everything from ordering raw materials to handling HR needs. SAP has a lot of other software, too, including software that manages mobile devices and software that allows enterprise programmers to write custom mobile apps. In fact, SAP is itself a huge iPad customer, and has been for years.

So on a lot of levels this partnership makes sense. It should be good for SAP because the apps are intended to use SAP's superfast database called HANA to power them. HANA is SAP's way to stick it to its arch rival, Oracle, and the company has banked its future on the success of HANA, doing everything from venture funds for startups that use HANA to opening cafes (yes, coffee shops), where HANA startups can mingle.

The apps will run on SAP's HANA cloud, and that means recurring revenue for SAP in cloud computing, the hot upcoming market where the giant software company desperately needs to grow (just like all of its rivals do).

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If all of this sounds familiar, it is. Apple famously fired up a similar agreement with IBM in 2014. Apple also partnered with Cisco in 2015 to help make devices work better on enterprise networks and to gain access to yet another huge salesforce.

Interestingly, Apple chose its new enterprise partner carefully. IBM and SAP are close partners themselves. IBM is a major consultant that sells and supports SAP software. And SAP's HANA database runs on IBM's cloud. In markets where SAP doesn't have its own cloud data center, it uses IBM's cloud.

While IBM may not be thrilled to share Apple with SAP, the arrangment doesn't necessarily lock IBM out from consulting work with SAP/iOS apps or from the cloud contracts to host those apps.

NOW WATCH: Here's what would happen if everyone on Earth jumped at the same time





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HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 5, 2016 / Heroes for Children, a unique nonprofit organization that provides financial and social assistance to families with a child battling cancer, hosted the 10th annual Heroes and Handbags designer handbag auction and brunch on Thursday, April 21, 2016, at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston. More than 380 guests were in attendance and raised more than $190,000 for Heroes for Children.

To mark the 10th anniversary of Heroes and Handbags in Houston, event chair Chay Taylor planned an exquisite affair that included a seated brunch and more than 170 designer handbags available for auction from designers like Chanel, Goyard, Elaine Turner, Presmer, Jimmy Choo and many more. All eyes were on the Hermes Birkin Bag, said to be the most sought after and hardest to find handbag. Valued at over $10,000, Birkin bags are known to hold or increase their value over time. This particular bag also made an investment in helping Texas families with children who are battling cancer.

The next event hosted by Heroes for Children is the annual Hold'em for Heroes poker tournament. Guests are invited to enjoy hors d'oeuvres, dinner and cocktails during 3 hours of Texas Hold'Em on October 27, 2016, at the Houston Country Club. To sign up, purchase tickets or for more information about this event, please visit www.heroesforchildren.org.

About Heroes for Children

Heroes for Children is a unique nonprofit organization that provides social and financial assistance to families with a child battling cancer. Since 2005, Heroes for Children has helped alleviate families' worries, giving them comfort and a brief respite from the everyday challenges of fighting cancer and care giving. Since its inception, more than $5 million has been given to 4,200 families in need. To learn more about Heroes for Children, please visit http://www.heroesforchildren.org.

SOURCE: Heroes for Children
When Vanessa Schick asks certain subjects in her studies if theyre sexually attracted to both men and women, they often tell her yes. But ask them if theyre bisexual and the answer isnt always the same. Bottom line, there are countless shades of identity on the spectrum between totally straight and totally gay  if either thing even exists, which is debatable. But many say they specifically dont want to identify as bisexual because of stigma. Youve probably heard the stereotypes about bi people: Theyre hypersexual, they cant stay monogamous, they transmit sexually transmitted infections between straight and gay populations.

That type of thinking, called internalized biphobia, means that even bisexuals often have negative stereotypes about themselves. So it wasnt the biggest surprise when Schick, a faculty member at the School of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and her colleagues polled 1,500 adults and found that negative attitudes toward bisexuals span every race, gender and sexual orientation. Women, white people and those who identified as gay showed less bias  but it was still there.

Whats more surprising, though, is how that attitude might be affecting the health of bisexual Americans. Rice University sociology professor Bridget Gorman and her team were some of the first to look at extant data from the Institute of Medicine on race, gender and sexuality as well as health and class, and to tease out how gay Americans and bisexual Americans differ  statistically speaking. Turns out, its a significant difference. Bisexuals are more likely to be smokers, less likely to go to the doctor and more likely to be poor. Nearly 20 percent say theyre in poor or fair health, while its about half that for people who identify as gay or lesbian. In bisexual adults we saw a lot of evidence of health risk, of factors that are factors of poor health, Gorman says.

Bisexuals suffer from a lack of social support  the structures of friends, family and community just arent statistically as strong as they are for heterosexual or gay and lesbian populations.

In the past, studies tended to group all LGBT people together and draw conclusions from that  which is how something like a bisexual health crisis goes undiagnosed. And while studies like those from Gorman can tell us whats going on, they cant tell us why. Yet Schicks work may get us closer to answering that question. We know theres double discrimination, she says, meaning discrimination about bi people from both the gay and straight communities, or even the ever-popular assertion that bisexuality doesnt exist.

For now, some bisexual people seem to get caught in a vicious circle: the phenomenon of bi invisibility, where they get treated as heterosexuals while theyre dating someone not of their gender and homosexuals when theyre in a same-sex relationship. This, experts say, contributes to the erasure of bisexuality  and helps perpetuate the stereotypes about it. In Europe, only 27 percent of bisexual women and 14 percent of bi men say theyre out in their workplaces, but that number jumps to 50 percent for gay men and lesbians. Gormans hunch is that bisexuals suffer from a lack of social support  the structures of friends, family and community just arent statistically as strong as they are for heterosexual or gay and lesbian populations, and emotional support is key to health.

Thats not to say there isnt any support for the bisexual community. But Jen Yockney, who convenes the U.K.s longest-running bisexual support organization, BiPhoria, admits that resources can be thin on the ground. Most of the money, resources and visibility go to organizations for gay men; lesbian-focused groups get a healthy bite too. Those aimed at transgender, bisexual and other individuals have to jostle for the little thats left. Around two-thirds of the people who visit BiPhoria are coming out, Yockney estimates; of those, about a third previously identified as straight and another third as gay, but the rest are just seeking a community. Often people come to us having identified as gay or lesbian and now finding that when they come out as bi, their gay social circle is less accepting, Yockney says.

To be sure, theres a lot of research left to be done on sexual minorities, as well as on how health disparities in the bisexual community play out along lines of class and race. That kind of academic work is driven by money, and often the money to support inquiries into bisexuality just isnt there  even though, as Schick says, bisexual females actually make up the largest percentage of the LGBT community. Moreover, while researchers can make educated guesses, its impossible to say for sure exactly why there are health disparities between bisexuals and the rest of the country.

What is clear is that the bisexual community continues to be marginalized. When Schick moved to Houston, the sizable LGBT center didnt have much programming aimed at bisexuals. She spoke to them, and now they offer a peer support group for this population. Its one of their most popular programs, she says. I dont think people realize how big an issue it is, but moreover, they dont realize how big the bisexual population is.

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One person is dead and another injured after a shooting at High Point High School in Beltsville, Maryland, NBC Washington reported.

A spokesman says wounded person in the high school shooting suffered injuries not believed to be life threatening.http://apne.ws/1ZjyBWB

A Fox 5 reporter at the scene said the person injured is "a man in his 40s." The station also reported authorities "are still searching for the shooter or shooters."

According to WUSA, a police spokesperson said authorities think the shooting is "domestic in nature" and the "victims are believed to be adults between the ages of 40 and 50."

This High Point HS parent says her son is on lockdown in a bathroom inside. @wusa9pic.twitter.com/qkublHcMIG

This story is breaking and will be updated as more information becomes available.

May 5, 2016, 6:12 p.m. Eastern: This story has been updated.

Correction: May 5, 2016

A previous version of this story misstated reporting from Fox 5. The station reported the injured person is "a man in his 40s" and did not report authorities were searching the school for additional victims.
Washington (AFP) - An increase in layoffs pushed US claims for unemployment insurance higher last week but the jobs market remains tight, Labor Department data showed Thursday.

Initial jobless claims, a sign of the level of layoffs, rose by 17,000 in the week to April 30 to 274,000.

Despite the rise, claims held below 300,000 for the 61st consecutive week, the longest such streak since 1973. The four-week moving average of claims was just 258,000.

While the Labor Department report does not tabulate layoffs, the consultancy Challenger, Gray and Christmas reported Wednesday that job cuts by US employers jumped 35 percent last month to more than 65,000, taking the total layoffs since the beginning of the year to over 250,000, the highest level for that period since 2009.

"We continue to see large-scale layoffs in the energy sector, where low oil prices are driving down profits," said chief executive John Challenger.

"However, we are also seeing heavy downsizing activity in other areas, such as computers and retail, where changing consumer trends are creating a lot of volatility."

On Friday the Labor Department releases its report on the US employment market in April, with analysts predicting a slight slowdown to 207,000 net new jobs created, after 215,000 in March. The unemployment rate is expected to hold at 5.0 percent.
Hillary Clinton would not call Donald Trump a racist when given the chance to do so on Wednesday  but her campaign did not hold back in blasting the likely Republican nominee.

In an interview with CNNs Anderson Cooper, Clinton called Trump a loose cannon who would be a dangerous president.

The former secretary of state was asked if she agreed with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warrens assessment that Trump has built his campaign on racism, sexism and xenophobia.

I think that anybody whos listened to him and how hes talked certainly can draw that conclusion, Clinton said.

Do you think hes a racist? Cooper asked.

Im going to let people judge for themselves, Clinton replied.

But Lorella Praeli, national director of Latino outreach for the Clinton campaign, berated Trump for doubling down on his plans for mass deportation and banning Muslims from entering the United States  as he did on Wednesdays NBC Nightly News.

We were once again reminded that Trumps hateful rhetoric and bigoted policy proposals threaten to obstruct our path towards a more open and fair country, Praeli said in a statement. We simply cannot afford that. Hillary Clinton will not tolerate this divisive and dangerous direction.

And the Clinton campaign also released a scathing Web video trashing Trumps vow to unify the GOP, using his former rivals words against him.





Republicans agree: Donald Trump is reckless, dangerous, and divisive. https://t.co/fUkISvxMmc  Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 5, 2016





Earlier Wednesday, Trump told CNNs Wolf Blitzer that its not likely hell change his tone in a general election because it worked well in felling his Republican opponents.

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We had 17 people, all smart, Trump said. One by one, week after week, boom, boom, boom, gone, gone, gone. I dont maybe want to change so much.

Clinton scoffed at the notion shes not ready for Trumps attacks.

Oh, please, she said. This is, to me, a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who has knocked out of the way all of the Republicans because they were just dumbfounded. They didnt know how to deal with him. And they couldnt take him on on the issues because they basically agreed with him, and they didnt know how to counterpunch him.

Clinton also laughed off the suggestion that Trump may use her husbands history of infidelity against her.

Hes not the first one, Anderson! she said. I cant say this often enough. If he wants to go back to the playbook of the 1990s, if he wants to follow in the footsteps of those who have tried to knock me down and take me out of the political arena, Im more than happy to have him do that.

Clinton added: Ive sort of been in the arena for 25 years, and I think nearly everything that can be thrown at somebody in politics and public life has come my way.

You feel like you know how to run against him? Cooper asked.

Oh, absolutely, Clinton said. But Im not running against him. Im running my own campaign.

Her campaign, though, may beg to differ.




Bernie Sanders most likely isn't going to be president and he's not going to be the Democratic nominee.

Sanders has always faced long odds, but it became mathematically impossible for the democratic socialist from Vermont to become the nominee after his victory in the Indiana primary on Tuesday. Despite the win, there are now fewer pledged delegates remaining than he would need to go over the top on the first ballot.

Yet for some, the Bern has only grown as the cause becomes more and more unlikely. Berners have rallied together on Twitter under the hashtag #DropOutHillary.

That's probably not going to happen  but here it is.

ReleaseTheTranscripts or #DropOutHillary You're withholding information voters really should know. We know, though.pic.twitter.com/nnIvI3rPyW https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Chq5RKlUUAEw-NG.jpg:large

DropOutHillary because you &. the DNC didn't want to hear 3 million voices it will be too late to ask 4 them laterpic.twitter.com/iF1HawZqtc https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChqokHRU4AAUMVU.jpg:large

DropOutHillary Bc greed and power pursuit of top 1% need to be replaced with compassion and care for bottom 99%. 30 years overdue.

RT Progressives don't negotiate $165,000,000,000 weapons deals #DropOutHillary #NoMoreWar: Progressives don't...http://www.ibtimes.com/clinton-foundation-donors-got-weapons-deals-hillary-clintons-state-department-1934187 ...

Remember when censorship and silencing the masses was undemocratic of a leader of free nation? RIP Democracy #ThanksHillary #DropOutHillary

The state of the election right now #DropOutHillary #DropOutTrump pic.twitter.com/svi4My4fsS https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChqejifU4AEUwzc.jpg:large

DropOutHillary because you're a thief. You & the DNC have stolen our votes & disenfranchised us. #ElectionFraudpic.twitter.com/2l2OZPJleq https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChqcyXQVAAASSSZ.jpg:large

Much of the in-the-tank Sanders media, too, have gamely followed his supporters into the sunset. Writing for the Huffington Post, Wednesday, H.A. Goodman called on Clinton to "Concede to Bernie Sanders Before The FBI Reveals Its Findings." The same author, meanwhile, all but advocated an FBI show trial against the former secretary of state in Salon last month.
To hear many Democrats tell it, Republicans handed Hillary Clinton a silver-plated gift on Tuesday when they crowned bombastic billionaire Donald Trump their presumptive nominee, despite many polls indicating that the likely Democratic nominee would easily defeat him in the fall.

But new developments in the ongoing controversy over Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state point to her potential vulnerabilities heading into what's expected to be brutal general election campaign.

A federal judge on Wednesday suggested that Clinton may have to testify under oath in a lawsuit related to the email imbroglio, while a Romanian hacker's assertion that he hacked into her email system undermined the Clinton camp's claim that her account was never compromised.

Read more: 1 Chart Shows Why Democrats Should Be Very Nervous About November

A Clinton deposition? The Democratic frontrunner's potential courtroom testimony would come in a lawsuit brought by the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, which is suing the State Department to obtain records from Clinton's tenure as the nation's chief diplomat.

U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan granted Judicial Watch's request to have key Clinton aides  including her former chief of staff Cheryl Mills and Huma Abedin  testify in the case, the Associated Press reported. Depending on information provided in the Clinton aides' testimony, Sullivan said, sworn testimony from Clinton herself "may be necessary."

The Clinton aides' testimony will take place over the next eight weeks, the AP reported.

The Judicial Watch lawsuit is separate from the ongoing FBI probe into Clinton's email setup, for which Attorney General Loretta Lynch said last week that there is no deadline.

Source: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Hacking claims: Meanwhile, the Romanian hacker "Guccifer" told Fox News in an interview that he had successfully hacked into Clinton's account three years ago, shortly after she left the State Department.

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According to Guccifer, whose real name is Marcel Lehel Lazar, he started by breaking into the email account of Clinton associate Sidney Blumenthal in March 2013, then hacked Clinton's server.

"I was not paying attention. For me, it was not like the Hillary Clinton server, it was like an email server she and others were using with political voting stuff," Guccifer told Fox, saying he hacked into the server "like twice."

Guccifer's involvement in the Clinton email controversy isn't new. In March 2013, Gawker reported on the contents of Blumenthal's emails to Clinton, touching on topics from Libya to domestic politics. But his claim that he hacked into Clinton's private email system adds a new twist to the case, particularly given her campaign's contentions that there's "no evidence there was ever a breach" and that no "unauthorized intrusion" ever occurred.

At this juncture, however, Guccifer's claims have not been proven, and Clinton allies are likely to point to his federal hacking indictment to cast doubt on his credibility and motivations for coming forward.

Manna for Trump: While continued headlines about the email mess may prove nettlesome for Clinton, they provide fodder for Trump, who's signaled that he'll aggressively attack her on the issue.

"Honestly, she shouldn't be allowed to run," Trump said at an October campaign rally, per CNN. "If that were a Republican that did what she did with the emails they would have been in jail 12 months ago. Clink!"

Source: Mary Altaffer/AP

The GOP standard-bearer has also promised that his administration would "look very seriously" at his rival's "email disaster."

A steady stream of Clinton email coverage  complete with sworn depositions of close aides and possibly the candidate herself  may also play into Trump's newly coined moniker for Clinton: "Crooked Hillary."

While Trump's unpopularity ratings are unprecedented for a modern general election candidate, Clinton's aren't much better. Expect Trump to leap at any chance to close the gap.

Though Clinton is no stranger to Republican attacks, the onslaught she's likely to face from Trump may test her as never before. On the email controversy, he's certain to needle her in ways that Democratic primary rival Bernie Sanders has not.

"The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails!" Sanders famously thundered at a Democratic debate in October.

Don't expect a repeat when Trump and Clinton face off at their first debate in
Last year, women in Hollywood turned the spotlight on how female actors are paid less than their male peers, are given fewer speaking rolesand are underrepresented behind the camera too. But with big-name actors such as Jennifer Lawrence serving as the public face of the issue, some people might think the independent film industry treats women more equitably than major studios do.

Not so, according to a report released Thursday by the Center for the Study of Women and Television in Film at San Diego State University, which revealed a similar struggle to attain gender parity in the independent filmmaking industry.

RELATED: The Women of Hollywood Find Their Voice

Because independent films can be considered one of the stepping stones to larger, studio features, it seems reasonable to assume that independent films will experience change before studio features, Martha Lauzen, a professor who heads up the center, wrote in an email to TakePart.

In looking at 23 high-profile film festivalsincluding Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSWLauzen found that just 28 percent of the 1,036 films screened during the 201516 season were directed by women. While that figure was up 5 percent from last year, it was down from a historic high, 29 percent, during the 201112 festival season.

Taking all behind-the-scenes roles into account, Lauzen found that women made up only 25 percent of the directors, writers, producers, editors, and cinematographers who worked on the films screened at festivals last year. While that figure has fluctuated, it is just 1 percent higher than the 200809 season.

To put that into perspective, the numbers are better than the gender representation found in the 250 highest-grossing domestic films: Just 9 percent were directed by women, and women made up only 19 percent of all roles behind the camera.

Lauzen said the film festivals may be part of the problem when it comes to stagnant gender representation in indies. Last year, festivals showed more than three times as many films directed by men than they did films by women.

Story continues

RELATED: Reese Witherspoon: It's Not Just FilmWomen Are Missing in Every Industry

It could be that fewer women filmmakers submit films to the festivals, but the differences could also be attributed to gender biases in the film selection process at festivals, Lauzen suggested.

Poor gender representation throughout the film industry could also be attributed in part to cultural biases that extend beyond filmmaking, she said: Certainly any biases that influence our perceptions of women as artistic visionaries, as leaders, and as good business people also affect our perceptions of women as directors, writers, and producers.

To that end, festival directors should make a conscious effort to set aside their own biases when making film selections, she recommended.

On a more positive note, Lauzen found that the indie films that were directed by women tended to have more women behind the scenes overall. For example, on female-directed films, 43 percent of editors were women and 74 percent of writers were women. Thats significantly greater representation than on films directed by men, where women made up only 15 percent of editors and 6 percent of writers.

While there is still much to be done before full gender parity is reached, Lauzen said she intends to continue her work and mark the progress being made.

Hopefully, as our culture evolves, the stereotypes and attitudes that privilege the artistic works of men to women will begin to dissolve, she said.

Take the Pledge: Challenge the Medias Misrepresentation of Women

Related stories on TakePart:





 Fed Up With Hollywood Sexism, a Filmmaker Created Her Own Database of Women Directors

 This Star-Studded Film Company Wants to Put Women Front and Center

 A New Film Explores the Hollywood Horror Story for Women Over 40

Original article from TakePart
Singaporeans are a well-travelled bunch. This means that wherever we go in the world, we are bound to run into some of our countrymen. The tell-tale holding phone up for Wi-Fi posture is a dead giveaway - because lets face it, whether in Singapore or abroad, the first thing we do is to look for free Wi-Fi hotspots.



What are some other endearing and die-hard behaviours of us Singaporeans? Read on to find out!

Eat already or not?

Some may say, Singlish is what makes us uniquely Singaporean. The Singlish accent and slang are distinctive and dead giveaways when youre in a foreign country. Singlish abounds all over the world  from the finest Michelin-starred restaurants (Must eat! Very shiok!) to slow-moving public bathroom queues (Why so long one?). You wont even have to eavesdrop or strain your ears to catch it.



When youre miles away from home and mentally exhausted from speaking proper English, theres nothing more heart-warming than catching a hint of Singlish. Cue teardrop emoticon.

Well try anything once

Eating is certainly one of the highlights of any Singaporeans trip overseas. Singaporeans are big on food, and well happily give exotic delicacies a try  no matter how outlandish.



Its not uncommon to hear of people who travel to foreign countries just for a taste of the local cuisine. Some of us fly regularly to Kuala Lumpur for a weekend of Malaysian Hokkien mee, grilled chicken wings and lok lok, but thats nothing in the grand scheme of things. Want to up yourself to true foodie-status? Crunch down some fried cockroaches, half-formed ducklings or whatever else is deemed authentic and local. (And then of course, share a photo and post about your deliciously harrowing experience on social media and refresh repeatedly while the comments to pour in. See next point.)

#PhotoBeforeFood

If you spot someone standing up in a rustic cafe to angle their phone for a perfect flat lay shot of their lunch, theres a high chance that he or she is Singaporean.



Story continues

Its not just food either. Be on the lookout for scenery-snapper, selfie-takers on the streets and boyfriends commandeered to get a dozen shots of their dolled-up girlfriends walking across the street. Note for the uninitiated, this is to get material for that one elusive photo which will be tagged #OOTD on Instagram. This bunch will also be the ones asking for Wi-Fi passwords once theyve edited their latest snap  an endeavour which could take a good ten minutes and a multitude of apps  so they can post it on Instagram and Facebook.

Bargain hunters

Were pros when it comes to shopping, and experts at bargain hunting! If theres a sale happening anywhere, even in a foreign land, you can be sure that therell be at least a couple of Singaporeans there. We find great joy in being able to haggle the price down in order to get what we think is the right price for what we want. And for most Singaporeans, the bargain hunting starts right from the minute we book our tripby flying with airlines that give us the most value, like AirAsia. Dont forget to supersize your baggage allowance too, for all the shopping youll do!

AirAsia flies to more than 100 destinations worldwide at the lowest fares. Youll get to explore less-travelled places, and discover new and fascinating things about familiar countries. The new Go-To-Gate service also eliminates the hassle of queues, perfect for us Singaporeans who love efficiency and convenience! Book your vacation with AirAsia today!
It's not too late to apply to college if you're looking to move into a dorm room and hit the books this fall.

There are more than 350 public and private colleges and universities still accepting applications for the fall 2016 semester, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling's annual College Openings Update.

The list shows which of the organization's member institutions still have space for freshmen and transfer students, even though the May 1 national response date for college acceptances is past. Schools on the list can modify their information as their number of openings changes and more schools may be added to the list, according to the organization. The list will be available online through July 1.

[Get tips on applying to college.]

Students can also see which schools have financial aid and housing still up for grabs.

The number of available spots at these institutions may be limited, so interested students should get started on the application process sooner rather than later. For example, DePauw University in Indiana is looking to admit around 10-15 more students, says Cindy Babington, vice president for admission and financial aid at the liberal arts school.

But Claire Fitzgibbon, director of undergraduate admission at Hofstra University in New York, says potential applicants shouldn't feel intimidated by such small numbers of open spots: "There's no reason that you couldn't be one of those people."

Late applicants should call the school they are considering and speak with an admissions officer. They should ask if a school is, in fact, still accepting applications before they invest time and effort in actually putting one together, experts say.

[Consider when applying late to college makes sense.]

Students should also ask about the availability of merit-based and need-based financial aid. "That's going to be a strong consideration, I'm sure, for both students and institutions past the deadline," says Babington.

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About a dozen of the schools on the NACAC list indicated that they don't have any financial aid available, as of Thursday.

Colleges and universities of different sizes are featured on the list, but the majority of institutions have 5,000 students or fewer. Among the bigger schools are large state institutions such as Oregon State University, the University of Arizona and the University of Utah. Public colleges make up 34 percent of the schools on the list.

The institutions still accepting applications are located all over the country: 46 of the 50 states had at least one school represented on the list, as of Thursday. There are also a handful of schools located outside the U.S. in countries such as Canada and the U.K., for students who are interested in earning a degree abroad.

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Kelly Mae Ross is an education staff writer at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at kross@usnews.com.


By Jemima Kelly LONDON (Reuters) - Australian tech entrepreneur Craig Wright, who earlier this week said he would provide "extraordinary proof" that he was the creator of digital currency bitcoin, will not provide any further evidence, according to a post on his blog on Thursday. Although Wright did not renege on his claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto - the name, assumed to be pseudonymous, of the person or group who created the web-based currency in 2008 - the U-turn was taken by many bitcoin experts as confirmation of their suspicions that the claims were false. "I believed that I could do this. I believed that I could put the years of anonymity and hiding behind me," Wright wrote. "But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke. I do not have the courage. I cannot." Bitcoin is a web-based "cryptocurrency" that enables users to move money across the world quickly and anonymously without the need for third-party verification. Various attempts have been made to identify its elusive creator, but Wright's claims stood out due to the high-profile endorsements they received. Lead bitcoin developer Gavin Andresen and bitcoin consultant Jon Matonis both wrote blogs on Monday endorsing Wright's claims, saying they had been shown proof by Wright that he was Nakamoto. Wright said on Thursday that Andresen and Matonis had not been deceived, but "that the world will never believe that now". "I think he's significantly less likely to be Satoshi than any other person that's been suggested," another lead bitcoin developer, Peter Todd, told Reuters, referring to others who have been suspected of being bitcoin's creator. "PLAIN FISHY" After coming under pressure to provide more credible evidence that he was bitcoin's creator, Wright had blogged on Monday that he would provide "independently verifiable documents and evidence" that would back up his claims. The post could no longer be found on his blog site. "The possibility that Wright is Satoshi will always exist, but given the amount of evidence calling that into doubt, I think one would be foolish to give that possibility much weight," said Jerry Brito, executive director of Washington, D.C.-based digital currency advocacy group Coin Center. "He's provided no cryptographic evidence verifiable by the public, and many of his answers sound plain fishy... Today's statement on his blog only further tarnishes his credibility." Wright's representatives declined to give any comments on his decision to back away from providing further evidence, but said he was still their client. They believed he was still in London, where he has been living for the past few months. Interviews with some who had done business with Wright in Australia in December, when reports by Wired and Gizmodo that he could be Nakamoto first emerged, and an inspection of documents published by the two tech news websites, painted a complex picture of Wright. They pointed to a smart but sometimes abrasive figure facing growing legal and financial problems at least in part caused by his involvement with bitcoin. Each bitcoin is currently worth around $447 , making the 15 million or so in circulation worth a total of around $7 billion. Wright said his failure to produce better evidence would cause "great damage to those that had supported" him, in particular Matonis and Andresen. "I can only say I'm sorry. And goodbye," Wright wrote. (Reporting by Jemima Kelly; Editing by Toby Chopra)
World number one Novak Djokovic has encouraged troubled Australian star Bernard Tomic to take his profession more seriously after he spectacularly gave up in losing to Fabio Fognini at the Madrid Masters.

Tomic held his racquet the wrong way round and made no attempt to return Fognini's serve in bowing out in the first round in the Spanish capital on Tuesday.

However, he compounded his behaviour with outspoken comments claiming he didn't need to care about losing given the wealth he had amassed already in his short career.

"I don't care about that match point," he told News Corp Australia.

"Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?"

Djokovic has been a regular practice partner for Tomic and believes he is capable of far more than his current ranking of 22nd in the world.

"I've seen what he has done. It's not right and I hope he realises that," said the 11-time Grand Slam champion.

"The sooner the better for him because he is still relatively young and he can definitely be a better player and better ranked than he is now.

"Everybody knows that. I think he knows that, but he doesn't seem to really get things the right way off the court.

"I'm just hoping for him, because over the last couple of years I got to know him better and he's a good guy, he's a good person, but he's just failing to be committed to this sport as it is required.

"Many things that he says are not well thought from his side. He gets emotional very quickly and things get out of context."
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are to launch a joint patrol in their waters after a recent surge of kidnappings by a radical Islamic group, according to an agreement struck on Thursday.

The decision to patrol the Sulu and Celebes seas, which together form a key waterway between the three countries, comes just over a week after the southern Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf beheaded a Canadian captive.

Abu Sayyaf gangs have earned many millions of dollars from kidnapping foreigners and locals in the region since the early 1990s.

Ten Indonesian sailors were abducted off the southern Philippines by Abu Sayyaf in March, but returned home last week after being freed.

"We will undertake coordinated patrol in the maritime areas of our common concern," Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said after a meeting initiated by Indonesia, and attended by foreign ministers and military commanders.

The Sulu and Celebes seas are used as for the passage of 55 million metric tonnes of goods and over 18 million people per year.

The three countries also agreed to set up a hotline to communicate faster during emergency situations, improve coordination when giving assistance to people and ships in distress as well as intensifying information and intelligence sharing.

"We recognised that threats from armed robberies against ships, kidnapping and other transnational crimes if not addressed appropriately can undermine the confidence in trade and commerce in our region," Marsudi added.

Authorities say the Abu Sayyaf 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.

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.

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.
By Budi Satriawan YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines agreed on Thursday to conduct coordinated maritime patrols after a spate of ship hijackings by Islamist militants in the southern Philippines. Most of the piracy in the area is the work of militants from the Abu Sayyaf group operating out of lawless Philippine islands. Indonesia has warned that the problem could reach levels seen off Somalia. Indonesian port authorities in some areas have stopped issuing permits to ships taking coal through the southern Philippines because of the attacks. "We will undertake coordinated patrols in the maritime areas of our common concern," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said after a meeting of the countries' military chiefs and foreign ministers in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta. The southern Philippines shares maritime borders with Indonesia and Malaysia and they signed an agreement in 2002 to strengthen border security in response to increasing cross-border attacks by militants of the Abu Sayyaf group, but they have yet to mount coordinated naval patrols. Coordinated patrols involve voyages by the different navies operating in their own territorial waters. Indonesia last month called for joint maritime patrols, which would involve ships from the three navies patrolling together and crossing into each other's territorial waters. But the Philippines said it wanted separate but coordinated patrols to identify safe corridors where ships can travel. Indonesia is the world's largest thermal coal exporter and supplies 70 percent of the Philippines' coal imports. Abu Sayyaf militants have become notorious for kidnapping over the past 15 years or so and have earned millions of dollars in ransoms. They have acquired modern weapons, high-powered boats and communications equipment. Marsudi said the neighbors would also set up a hotline to improve cooperation and share intelligence. "We share the urgent need to take action to ensure our citizens feel protected in undertaking their activities in the area," she said. Procedures for the patrols in the Sulu and Celebes seas would be worked out at a follow-up meeting, she said. Analysts say $40 billion worth of cargo passes through those waters a year, including supertankers from the Indian Ocean that cannot use the crowded Malacca Strait. The militants, who killed a Canadian hostage last month, and who hold more than a dozen foreigners, were in the past linked to al Qaeda and have more recently voiced support for Islamic State. The United States advises the Philippine military and has given about $200 million in communications and surveillance equipment to the three countries' maritime forces over the past decade. (This version of the story corrects paragraph 3 to make clear that the authorities in some areas are not issuing permits) (Additional reporting by Manuel Mogato in MANILA, Jakarta Bureau; Writing by Fergus Jensen; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Justin Bieber turning up at a Justin Bieber pop up shop incites nothing short of the apocalyptic pandemonium.

When Biebs rolled up to a two day event in Manhattan for limited-editon Purpose merchandise, fans who had been waiting in line for at least two hours in the rain gave up their spot in seconds, jumping over barriers to run to the screams.

Related: I want to Beliebe: The jagged redemption of Justin Bieber

Never mind the fact that most of them didnt even have any visual confirmation that Bieber was, in fact, even present. They trusted the battle cry of their fellow Beliebers, and their instincts turned out to be right.

The event, put on by V-Files, features exclusive Bieber merch designed by Jerry Lorenzo for his two-day stint at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Lorenzo is also the guy who did Kanye Wests Yeezus merchandise that also drew inspiration from heavy metal aesthetics and Biebers semi-controversial Nirvana tee.

A fair number of pop up shop attendees werent there for Bieber at all, but excited to get their hands on Lorenzos work. His clothing line, Fear of God, mixes original pieces with customized vintage band tee shirts.

I f*** with Bieber after Sorry, but Im not here because of him, one attendee told Mashable. Others were devastated to find out that the yellow hoodie emblazoned with the word security was the first item to sell out.

You can still get a shirt with Justin Bieber praying on it, one security guard said, trying to comfort a fashion fan  with air quotes around the word praying.

When Lorenzo headed out, passing by the line, his devotees tried their best to capture the moment on Snapchat. Those who couldnt got creative: "Can I take a video of your video?

But genuine Beliebers were still the vast majority. The same security guard told Mashable that around 40 people had camped out in the rain overnight waiting for the shop to open at noon.

Veronica, 15, waited for about two hours to get into the shop with her mom. She has been a Belieber since she was 10, but will be seeing him for the first time on his Purpose tour.

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"Even though he gets a lot of hate, he still does what he wants. He doesnt really care what people think about him, Veronica told Mashable, when asked whats special about him. Dont hate on him; hes just a stupid teenager, too.

Biebers 22 now, but point made.

When fans finally made it to the front of the line, they were able to file into the shop five at a time with a poorly-enforced five-minute time limit and instructions that they could purchase four items, but only one of each.

The merchandise included hats, t-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts and $100 Purpose sweatpants. One tee featured lyrics from Biebers harsh kiss off, Love Yourself. Bieber threw one over the shirt he was already wearing.

A group of Beliebers exiting the shop sang Sorry with their arms full of swag to pronounce their loyalty to the world  his fans arent going anywhere, no matter how much it rains.

The shop will be open again Thursday May 5 at 12 Mercer Street in New York City from noon to 7 p.m. ahead of Biebers second Brooklyn show.
RESTON, VA / ACCESSWIRE / May 5, 2016 / Lightbridge Corporation (LTBR) will host a conference call to discuss the results of the first quarter 2016, to be held Friday, May 6, 2016 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time.

To participate in this event, dial 866-320-0174 domestically, or 785-424-1631 internationally, approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the call.

You may access the teleconference replay by dialing 877-481-4010 domestically or 919-882-2331 internationally, referencing conference ID # 10028. The replay will be available beginning approximately 2 hours after the completion of the live event, ending at midnight Eastern on June 6, 2016.

About Lightbridge Corporation

Lightbridge is a nuclear energy company based in Reston, Virginia, USA. The Company develops proprietary next generation nuclear fuel technologies for current and future nuclear reactor systems. Lightbridge's breakthrough fuel technology is establishing new global standards for safe and clean nuclear power and leading the way to a sustainable energy future. The Company also provides comprehensive advisory services for established and emerging nuclear programs based on a philosophy of transparency, non-proliferation, safety and operational excellence. Lightbridge consultants provide integrated strategic advice and expertise across a range of disciplines including regulatory affairs, nuclear reactor procurement and deployment, reactor and fuel technology and international relations. The Company leverages those broad and integrated capabilities by offering its services to commercial entities and governments with a need to establish or expand nuclear industry capabilities and infrastructure.

SOURCE: Investor Calendar
Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called Thursday for those who want reforms to "respect the law" after protesters broke into the fortified Green Zone and stormed parliament last week.

Another demonstration is planned for Friday and protesters may attempt to enter the Green Zone again, but Abadi has signalled security forces may take a harder line if they do so.

"Those who want reform must respect the law," Abadi said in televised remarks.

"Plans have been put in place to protect the constitutional institutions and prevent what happened recently from being repeated."

The premier's speech came a day after he sacked Staff Lieutenant General Mohammed Ridha, the commander of special forces in the Green Zone.

Ridha had kissed the hand of protest-organising cleric Moqtada al-Sadr when he entered the Green Zone during a sit-in in March.

The removal of Ridha may be a sign that security forces that stood by as demonstrators broke into the Green Zone, which is home to Iraq's main government institutions as well as various embassies, will take action against them if they attempt to do so again.

Angry protesters broke into the area on April 30 after lawmakers again failed to approve new ministers proposed by Abadi.

Abadi has called for the current cabinet of party-affiliated ministers to be replaced by a government of technocrats.

But his efforts have been opposed by powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's prime minister vowed on Thursday to prevent another breach of Baghdad's Green Zone, hours before a planned protest by followers of a senior Shi'ite cleric, hundreds of whom stormed the fortified complex last week. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's promise came just a day after he sacked Green Zone security chief, Lieutenant-General Mohammed Ridha, replacing him with Major General Kareem Abboud al-Tamimi, sources said. Ridha had appeared in videos kissing Sadr's hand as he entered Baghdad's Green Zone and began a sit-in in March. "Changes have been carried out in the security system and plans were in place to protect constitutional institutions and prevent the recurrence of what happened recently," Abadi said in a speech on state television. Last Tuesday, supporters of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stormed the Green Zone and broke into the parliament building, attacking deputies and demanding reforms to a political quota system blamed for rampant corruption. Sadr wants to see Abadi's proposed technocrat government approved but powerful parties within parliament have resisted, fearing the dismantling of patronage networks that sustain their wealth and influence. Abadi has warned that the continuing political turmoil could hamper the war against ultra hardline Sunni militants, Islamic State, who control large swathes of northern and western Iraq. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Isabel Coles; Editing by Toby Chopra)
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland's services grew at their slowest rate in more than two years in April, matching a similar drop in manufacturing, as uncertainty at home and abroad weighed on new business, a survey showed on Thursday.

The Investec Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) of activity in services fell to 59.8 from 62.8 in March, further below the 64.0 it reached at the start of the year. That was the highest since June 2006, the height of the "Celtic Tiger" economic boom.

The index, which covers businesses from banks to hotels, has been above the 50 mark denoting growth for more than three and a half years. The authors said, however, that some panellists reported political instability had led to delays in getting contracts confirmed.

"We understand that this relates to a combination of the EU referendum in the UK and the drawn-out process around the formation of a new government in Ireland since the general election held on February 26," said Philip O'Sullivan, chief economist at Investec Ireland.

A referendum will be held in June on whether Britain, one of Ireland's main trading partners, should remain a member of the European Union.

In addition, Ireland has faced 10 weeks of political deadlock following the February elections. Acting Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said on Wednesday he hoped that would end this week with the formation of a new minority government.

The uncertainty helped push the sub-index measuring new business to a 26 month low of 60.2 from 61.7 in March. Business growth across the euro zone was slow but steady last month, a survey of the entire bloc showed on Wednesday.

Irish manufacturing growth also slowed to its lowest rate in two and a half years in April, data showed on Tuesday. A slowdown in global markets hit new orders in the euro zone's fastest-growing economy.

"Taken together, this week's PMI reports suggest a somewhat weaker start to Q2 for much of Ireland's private sector," O'Sullivan said.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin, editing by Larry King)
SARAJEVO, May 5 (Reuters) - The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) plans to sell local currency Islamic bonds (sukuk) in the Malaysian market this year after a three-year hiatus, the head of the Jeddah-based multilateral lender told Reuters.

The deal would be the fourth ringgit-denominated sukuk from the AAA-rated IDB, one of the largest issuers of sukuk alongside the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and Qatar.

"It could be both, private and public placement," IDB president Ahmad Mohamed Ali said on the sidelines of an industry conference in Sarajevo, adding that specific size and timing of the deal would depend on market conditions.

"We have a very active cooperation and relationship with Malaysia and sometimes we need to have ringgit and we will act according to the needs and issue sukuk in ringgit."

The IDB board has approved the issuance of up to 400 million ringgit ($99.9 million) in sukuk this year, from a 1 billion ringgit programme listed on Bursa Malaysia in 2008.

It has raised a total of 700 million ringgit via three sukuk transactions since then, the latter a 5-year 300 million ringgit sukuk in July of 2013.

Last year, the IDB increased the ceiling of its flagship London-listed sukuk programme to $25 billion from $10 billion, aiming to expand its financing activities.

The bank, which operates to promote economic development in Muslim countries and communities, has 56 member countries and counts Saudi Arabia, Libya and Iran as its largest shareholders. ($1 = 4.0030 ringgit) (Reporting by Maja Zuvela in Sarajevo; Writing by Bernardo Vizcaino; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's supreme court called on the government Thursday to hand the bodies of Palestinians killed carrying out attacks over to their families, in a blow to a policy that has divided Israeli officials.

The court issued a recommendation rather than a mandatory ruling, so the government could choose to ignore it, although it would risk new criticism if it did so.

The president of the court, Elyakim Rubinstein, urged "the police to coordinate with the families and return the bodies of their sons before Ramadan," the holy Muslim fasting month that begins in early June.

Rights groups Adallah and Addameer had petitioned the court on behalf of nine families whose relatives' bodies have been withheld by the security forces, some for more than six months.

Muslim custom demands that the dead be buried as soon as possible.

The families argue that the security forces are taking revenge against them for the actions of their sons and say it has added to their grief.

According to Palestinian statistics, Israel is holding the bodies of 18 attackers, 12 from annexed east Jerusalem and the rest from the occupied West Bank.

Mohammed Mahmood, a lawyer with Addameer, welcomed the ruling as a "good decision."

Mohammed Alyan, whose son Bahaa boarded a bus on October 13 with a friend and killed three people and whose body is still being held, posted on Facebook that the ruling was a "victory of willpower".

The policy of withholding bodies has divided Israeli officials. Its leading advocate, Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan, says it prevents funerals for attackers turning into political demonstrations and acts as a deterrent.

But senior figures in the military say it stokes tensions with the Palestinians.

Israeli Arab lawmaker Osama Saadi called the court's recommendation a "blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, which has a clear stance not to hand over the bodies".

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Netanyahu last month was reported to have told Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon not to return the bodies of Palestinians, but has since shifted policy.

A wave of violence since October last year has killed 204 Palestinians and 28 Israelis, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.

Rubinstein called for the bodies to be removed from mortuary freezers 48 hours before they are handed over so they are not delivered frozen.

Previously families have complained of having to wait for their relatives' bodies to thaw before being able to bury them.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - A Palestinian woman was killed when Israeli tank shells hit her home east of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, the southern city's Nasser hospital said.

The hospital identified the woman as Zeina Al-Amour, 54. The tank shelling came in response to a mortar attack by Gaza militants on Israeli forces, the Israeli army said.

Amour is the first fatality in the latest escalation between the Israeli army and Hamas, the militant movement which rules the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army said there have been 10 incidents of Palestinian mortar and gun attacks on Israeli forces operating near the border fence since Wednesday, responding with air strikes and artillery shellings.

Hamas has accused Israeli forces of encroaching into Gazan territory.

The uptick in violence, the first time the two sides have fired at each other directly since a 2014 war, has raised fears that a ceasefire agreement could fail.
Roman Ostriakov (not pictured), was previously found guilty of theft

Italys Supreme Court has ruled that stealing small amounts of food is not a crime - in cases of extreme homelessness and poverty.

The ruling came after judges overturned a theft conviction against Roman Ostriakov - who was fined 100 and sentenced to six months in jail after stealing cheese and sausages from a store in Genoa, Northern Italy, in 2012.

The court overturned the ruling after hearing how Mr Ostriakov, a homeless man of Ukrainian background, had taken the food in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment.

The ruling stated: The condition of the accused and the circumstances in which he obtained the merchandise show that he had taken the little amount of food he needed to overcome his immediate and essential requirement for nourishment.

People should not be punished if, forced by need, they steal small quantities of food in order to meet the basic requirement of feeding themselves.

Mr Ostriakov was caught stealing sausages in 2012

The ruling has since been praised across Italian media - with newspaper La Stampa praising the verdict on its front page.

They wrote: The courts decision reminds us all that in a civilised country no one should be allowed to die of hunger.

Another newspaper, Corriere Della Sera, claimed that the amount of people living in extreme poverty in Italy grows by 615 people every day, and said it was unthinkable that the law should not take note of reality.

Although the verdict has been widely praised, it was not the original intended outcome of Ostriakovs legal team.

They had instead argued that his sentence should be reduced from theft to attempted theft  because he was caught before he exited the store with the goods.
* Renzi, Merkel criticise Austrian border fence plan

* They say more must be done to help Africa

* Renzi tells Bundesbank chief to mind his own business (Adds Merkel quote)

By Crispian Balmer

ROME, May 5 (Reuters) - Italy and Germany agree on how Europe should tackle the migrant crisis and oppose any move to fence off borders, but they are at odds over how to fund proposed initiatives, the leaders of the two countries said on Thursday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi warned that unless the European Union found a common migration stance, old nationalist ghosts would reawaken.

"Either we defend our external borders and we do it together or we risk falling back into nationalism," Merkel said. "This is not a challenge for Greece, Germany or Italy, but these are challenges that have to do with the future of Europe."

Immigration issues dominated talks between the two leaders, with both agreeing that more needed to be done to help African states stem migrant flows across the Mediterranean Sea.

Almost 29,000 migrants have reached Italy by boat so far this year, roughly 1,000 more than in the same period last year. Humanitarian organisations say this is now the main route for asylum seekers coming to Europe after an EU deal with Turkey dramatically slowed the flow of people reaching Greece.

Italy last month presented what it termed a "migration compact", saying Europe should offer financial incentives to African nations to develop their own economies and discourage would-be migrants from leaving in search of a better life.

Renzi suggested this should be financed by issuing common EU bonds, but Merkel said she did not agree with this approach.

"Even though there are different views on the financing, we have the same opinion on the overall effort," Merkel told a joint news conference, speaking through a translator.

Merkel said one billion euros ($1.14 billion) would be needed to help African states halt the immigration exodus, specifically mentioning Niger. "If we concentrate on the European budget, we will find (the money)," she said.

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ANGRY WITH AUSTRIA

Renzi said that he did not care where the money came from as long as a solution was found to halt the streams of migrants, who have rattled European unity and fueled the rise of far-right parties in many EU countries.

"What interests me are results. With or without eurobonds, the important thing is that the migration compact gives resources to help Africa, which is not happening now," he said.

He repeated his fierce opposition to Austria's plan to build a fence at its border with Italy to try to prevent migrants from heading to the wealthier north, saying Merkel shared his view.

"We expressed our total opposition to, and, in some ways, our shock over the position that has been taken by our Austrian friends," Renzi said.

Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said in Rome last month that as many as a million migrants were poised to cross the Mediterranean from Libya this year. Italy says the figure is likely to be much lower.

Renzi has been quick to criticise his EU partners and has clashed openly with Merkel in the past over what he sees as an ideological devotion in Berlin to budget austerity and perceptions that Germany has hegemony in EU decision-making.

German Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann raised eyebrows two weeks ago when he criticised Italy for repeatedly breaking EU budget rules and urged further government reforms.

"We know ourselves what needs to be done. We will decide things with our European allies and we won't let any governor of any foreign bank to tell us what to do," Renzi said, adding: "I hope Weidmann succeeds in sorting out his own problems." ($1 = 0.8777 euros) (Additional reporting by Francesca Piscioneri, Massimiliano Di Giorgio and Isla Binnie; Editing by Gavin Jones and Richard Balmforth)
ROME (Reuters) - Renato Soru, Italian leftist politician and chairman of multinational telecoms company Tiscali was handed a three year jail sentence for tax evasion on Thursday. The verdict is a political embarrassment for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi because Soru is the head of Renzi's Democratic Party (PD) in Sardinia and a PD member of the European Parliament. Soru, who founded Tiscali in 1998, said he was surprised by the "unjust" verdict issued by the court in the Sardinian capital Cagliari. Prosecutors accused him of evading 2.6 million euros ($3 million) of taxes through a financial operation involving a loan to Tiscali made by another company owned by Soru. Soru's lawyer told Reuters that his client would appeal. Under Italian law, he will not go to jail unless the sentence is confirmed at the end of the appeals process. Renzi has been under growing pressure in recent months over scandals involving his government and members of the PD. At the end of March his industry minister resigned in an influence peddling scandal and this week the PD mayor of the northern city of Lodi was arrested for allegedly rigging public tenders. "The immorality of the PD continues, who will be next?," Beppe Grillo, founder of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), Italy's largest opposition party, wrote on his blog. The PD remains Italy's most popular party, according to opinion polls, but its lead over M5S has been narrowing steadily and most recent polls put the gap at between two and five percentage points. (Additional reporting by Elisa Anzolin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's biggest cigarette maker ITC Ltd shut its plants from May 4 to comply with a new stipulated pictorial warnings rule issued by the federal government, the company said in a statement.

India's top court told tobacco companies on Wednesday they must adhere to a new federal rule requiring much larger health warnings on cigarette packs, in a major setback for the $11 billion industry.

The court also transferred all petitions by cigarette manufacturers pending in various courts to the Karat High Court for further hearing. The companies had objected to the new federal rules.

"...the Company has had to shut its cigarette factories from May 04, 2016 until the Company is in a position to comply with the interim requirements pending hearing in the Karnataka High Court," the statement said.

(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee; editing by Susan Thomas)
In Star Trek, the villainous cybernetic Borg travel through space inside an ominous black cube - and now UFO hunters have seen one near the Sun.

Is it time to call in the Starship Enterprise - and ready the photon torpedoes?

Probably not - as the cube looks rather like the sort of distortion one sees in many computer video feeds.

Similar distortions have been seen previously in the feed from NASAs SOHO satellite.

Naturally, UFO hunters suggest this could mean that - even if its not a cubic, alien spacecraft - the black block means that NASA is blocking out real UFOs from our eyes.

Tireless alien-hunter Scott C Waring of UFO Sightings Daily says, This cube was caught between the SOHO satellite and the sun. The cube has been seen before off and on.

Sometimes its seen in three dimensions other times like this just two.

There is also the possibility that NASA is using a black cube to cover up alien spacecraft that get caught in SOHO images.
Shariff Aguak (Philippines) (AFP) - Walking off stage after a rock star-like performance and rapturous crowd reaction, Sajid Ampatuan oozes confidence that he will be elected mayor of a southern Philippine town despite facing charges of mass murder.

Ampatuan is among a bewildering array of politicians accused or convicted of major crimes who are running for office in Monday's national elections, deepening concerns over a "culture of impunity" in the Philippines where powerful figures are often above the law.

Among the others are two ex-presidents -- one convicted of plunder and the other on trial for alleged vote fraud and graft. One of the most infamous cases in previous elections was a convicted paedophile who twice ran for a seat in congress from behind bars and won.

Ampatuan, like the others, insists he is innocent.

"My conscience is clean," Ampatuan, 33, told AFP after the campaign rally in his impoverished hometown of Shariff Aguak, during which he sang on stage alongside a minor television celebrity as hundreds of voters screamed and sang their support.

His father, former provincial governor Andal Ampatuan, allegedly ordered his sons and their armed followers, to kill 58 people in November 2009 in an attempt to stop a rival's election challenge.

Sajid Ampatuan was among 28 members of the extended clan charged with murder over the "Maguindanao Massacre", regarded as the worst outbreak of political violence in the Philippines in which 32 journalists were among the victims.

Sajid spent more than five years in a Manila jail while on trial, along with his relatives and about 100 others who were also charged.

But he was allowed to post bail last year after the judge ruled the evidence against him was weak.

"I'm a victim too," Ampatuan said, referring to his time behind bars.

"The court itself released me. That means I had no involvement."

Ampatuan is now running for mayor of Shariff Aguak, one of the towns in Maguindanao province where his family remains the most powerful political force.

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The Ampatuan family is one of many Muslim clans that rule areas of the southern Philippines, often using their own private armies to enforce authority.

Ampatuan insists his family is still loved in the area, despite its leaders being charged with mass murder.

"I grew up here, the people know me. They know my family and what we did to help them. My grandfather, my father, my brothers. Ever since the 1950s, they (the voters) have been helped by the Ampatuans," he told AFP.

- Powerful family networks -

One common theme among the candidates running this year while facing charges is that they come from rich and powerful political families, which can manipulate deeply corrupt political and judicial systems.

One of the most prominent politicians is Gloria Arroyo, who is enduring a long trial for corruption and vote fraud that was allegedly committed when she was president from 2001 to 2010.

Arroyo, who is suffering from a spinal illness, has been detained in a government hospital since she was arrested in 2011.

She initially won a seat in congress representing her family's provincial stronghold immediately upon standing down as president, and was re-elected in 2013 despite the charges against her.

She will win a third consecutive term next week as she is running unopposed.

Meanwhile, siblings Joel and Mario Reyes are running for mayor and vice-mayor respectively of the resort town of Coron even though they are in jail for allegedly masterminding the murder of a prominent environmentalist in 2011.

Another controversial figure is Rey Uy, facing charges for running a vigilante death squad that allegedly killed over 80 people as mayor of the small southern city of Tagum. He is campaigning to win back his seat.

- Absurd system -

Under the law, a person must be "convicted with finality" to be disqualified from running. Hence, even someone convicted of a crime can still run as long as he or she has an appeal pending with the courts.

Political analyst Ramon Casiple described the system as "an absurdity" that allows the rich and powerful to evade justice.

He said politicians facing criminal charges use high-priced lawyers to delay legal proceedings. Then, while the process is stalled, they get elected.

"(Afterwards) they can use that public office as a springboard to pressure the court," said Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform.

One example was Romeo Jalosjos, a political kingpin from the southern Philippines, who was convicted in 1997 of raping an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to life in jail.

He was a congressman when convicted and still ran successfully for re-election from behind bars in 1998 and 2001. In 2007, Arroyo controversially reduced his sentence and he walked free two years later.

An even more prominent criminal still enjoying a successful political career is ex-president Joseph Estrada, who was convicted in 2007 of plunder during his time in power and sentenced to life in jail.

But Arroyo quickly pardoned him, and he was elected mayor of Manila in 2013. Estrada is running for a second term and is regarded as a near certainty to win on Monday.
MUMBAI (Reuters) - The former owners of Indian drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories have been ordered by an arbitration court to pay damages worth 25.63 billion rupees ($385 million) to Japan's Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd, they said on Thursday. RHC Holding, a company owned by one-time Ranbaxy controlling shareholder and billionaire Malvinder Singh, also said in a statement that the former owners were considering challenging the verdict. Daiichi, which bought control of Ranbaxy in 2008 from a shareholder group led by brothers Malvinder and Shivinder, said in 2013 it believed former shareholders of the company had hidden information about U.S. regulatory probes into Ranbaxy. (http://reut.rs/1T3akp9) Daiichi, which agreed to sell Ranbaxy on to India's Sun Pharmaceutical in 2014, could not be reached for comment during a public holiday in Japan. RHC did not name the court that ordered them to pay the damage but Indian daily Economic Times and another source aware of the matter both said it was the Singapore International Arbitration Centre. Pranav Mago, head of South Asia for Singapore International Arbitration Centre, declined to comment citing confidentiality agreements. (Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy and Krishna N. Das; editing by David Clarke)
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he hoped to make progress on a World War II peace treaty with Russia and a long-simmering territorial dispute in talks Friday with President Vladimir Putin.

Abe said Thursday there was great potential for unlocking better economic relations between Japan and Russia if they could find a solution to their historical differences.

He also said it would be difficult to make progress on pressing world issues like Syria, Ukraine and North Korea without constructive Russian involvement.

Abe is due to meet Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics.

"Between Japan and Russia, even after 70 years and more since the end of World War II, no peace treaty has been concluded, which is highly irregular," Abe told reporters in London during his tour of European capitals.

"This is the 13th time that I meet with President Putin in a summit. Without the two leaders talking to each other directly, we can never solve this problem."

Tokyo-Moscow relations have been hamstrung by the row that dates back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the four southernmost islands in the Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan.

"We have to resolve the issue of the occupation of the Northern Territories and we must conclude the peace treaty," Abe said.

He said Japan and Russia could "unleash the great potential" in "economic and other fields" only if they solved the "abnormal situation" through a peace treaty.

He said he wanted "frank dialogue" with Putin on these points.

Abe said that on Syria, the Islamic State jihadist group, Ukraine, North Korea and Iran, "we need Russia to be constructively engaged in order to bring solutions".

He also said he hoped to welcome Putin to Japan in the future.

"In order to make this visit significant, we would like to study and search for a most appropriate timing for that to happen," he said.

Abe has been visiting European capitals ahead of the Group of Seven summit he is hosting later this month.

Russia was part of the group under the wider G8 configuration but was evicted following the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday that a vote to leave the European Union in a June 23 referendum would make Britain less attractive for Japanese investors.

"Japan very clearly would prefer Britain to remain within the EU," Abe said at a news conference with Prime Minister David Cameron. "British membership is also best for Japanese investors within the UK."

"Many Japanese companies set up their operations in the UK precisely because the UK is a gateway to the EU," Abe said through a translator. "A vote to leave would make the UK less attractive as a destination for Japanese investment."

Abe said about 1,000 Japanese companies operate in the UK employing 140,000 people.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Stephen Addison)
He is hardly the most popular politician among NHS workers, but Jeremy Hunt seemed to court further controversy after he was scolded for fiddling with his phone during an important Parliamentary debate about NHS bursaries.

Hunt was one of several MPs that House of Commons speaker John Bercow described as discourteous after they caught on their phones during the beginning of the debate.

I do very gently say that to sit on the bench fiddling ostentatiously with an electronic device defies the established convention of the house that such devices should be used without impairing parliamentary decorum, Bercow said.



Its a point so blindingly obvious that only an extraordinarily clever and sophisticated person could fail to grasp it.

Jeremy Hunt has seen a series of strikes by junior doctors during his tenure as health secretary

He then continued to berate Deputy Leader of the House Theresa Coffey, after she appeared to continue on her phone.

Put the device away, and if you dont want to put it away, get out of the house, Bercow pleaded.

Im telling her its discourteous to continue, a point most people would understand.

Parliamentary legislature from 2007 permits the use of hand-held electronic devices (not laptops, but stresses that they must be silent and used in a way that does not impair decorum.
New Jersey Police are on the hunt for an escaped minimum security inmate who was spotted entering a CVS in the town of Barnegat on Wednesday.

Corrections authorities discovered Arthur Buckel, 38, was missing from Bayside State Prison in South New Jersey during a Tuesday morning inmate check, the AP reports. After the Barnegat Police Department alerted residents about the escaped convict, they were flooded with tips and had investigated over 50 of them by Wednesday evening.

He is going to be found. He is going to be apprehended, said Barnegat Mayor Jon Novak at a Wednesday press conference. My suggestion to [Buckel] is to surrender to law enforcement immediately. Make it easy for everyone, including yourself. You are going to be apprehended either way.

https://www.facebook.com/OceanCountyPoliceFireEMS/posts/1429079360451514

Investigators suspect Buckel may be trying to reach a relative nearby in New Jersey. Barnegat residents have been advised to lock their doors and cars.

[AP]
jim chanos

Billionaire short-seller Jim Chanos just announced a new short position in a South Africa-based telecoms company.

The Kynikos Associates founder announced he was short MTN Group at the 2016 Ira Sohn conference Wednesday.

Really, though, Chanos used the announcement as an opportunity to explain why he is bearish on Africa, more broadly.

It has to do with China.

Essentially, Chanos said, the mining industries in countries like Nigeria and South Africa have been heavily dependent on investments from China in recent years.

Now China is starting to pull out, and "that's going into a tailspin," he said.

Countries like Nigeria face other macro problems, too, in Chanos' view. He said Nigeria is "rapidly" running out of foreign currency reserves.

"If oil prices stay down ... we're going to be having a big problem in 2-3 years," he said, calling that country a "borderline failed state."

South Africa, meanwhile, faces infrastructural problems like network outages.

Chanos said he was shorting MTN Group because 70% of their EBITDA comes from Nigeria and South Africa  and almost half from Nigeria alone.

He noted that some of the other countries MTN is exposed to include Uganda, Sudan, Syria, and Iran.

Chanos also confirmed his short positions in Tesla, Valeant, and Alibaba on Wednesday.

NOW WATCH: This hidden subplot of 'Game of Thrones' spells out the real trouble for the Lannisters





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Los Angeles (AFP) - Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster was awarded a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame on Wednesday -- and revealed she was banned from the glitzy thoroughfare as a child.

The veteran actress was presented with the 2,580th star on the walk by longtime friend Kristen Stewart outside the iconic TCL Chinese Theater in the heart of Tinseltown.

"I grew up probably ten blocks from here, off Cahuenga, and had to pass this street every day as I was on my way to school," she told fans, some of whom had been waiting six hours to catch a glimpse of the star.

"And my mother said if she ever found us on Hollywood Boulevard, we shouldn't bother coming home."

Foster, 53, is best known for playing FBI agent Clarice Starling opposite Anthony Hopkins' serial killer Hannibal Lecter in Jonathan Demme's 1991 horror-thriller "The Silence of the Lambs."

She won a best actress Oscar for that role, having picked up her first Academy Award, also for best actress, for "The Accused" three years earlier.

Her other credits during a more than four-decade career range from Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" in 1976 to 2002's "Panic Room" -- in which she starred with Stewart -- and sci-fi blockbuster "Elysium."

"Twilight" star Stewart said she already decided Foster was her favorite actress before they worked together, after seeing Foster's controversial performance as a teenage prostitute at the age of 12 in "Taxi Driver."

"There is nothing self-serving about her. She cares about people and she's quite the opposite of the type of person that is gravitated towards being an actress," the 26-year-old said.

- Proud mother -

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has been criticized in the past for not awarding Foster a star decades ago, but has pointed out that recipients have to be nominated and agree on a date for the ceremony.

Story continues

Foster said she'd always dreamed of receiving the honor but was waiting for the opportunity to celebrate her star "as a director."

Foster has directed three films, with "Money Monster," a hostage thriller starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, due for release on May 13.

Foster paid tribute to her mother, Evelyn, who suffers from dementia and was unable to attend the ceremony.

"But there have been many other mothers in my life... women that are proud of you for all that you have done," she said.

"But the especially nice thing is to be someone else's mother, and to see them be here and be proud. And I get to say that I'm kind of Kristen Stewart's mother, which is a pretty awesome thing to be.

"It's just so awesome to have seen her grow up. I have to say that if I was ever going to be locked in an eight foot by 15 foot room with someone, I was really glad that it was Kristen Stewart."

Foster, who made a speech at the 2013 Golden Globes widely seen as her official coming-out, married photographer girlfriend Alexandra Hedison in April 2014.

She has two sons, Charlie and Christopher, with ex-partner Cydney Bernard.
Well, that's one way to celebrate.



As Star Wars fanatics everywhere flock to social media to celebrate the beloved saga on May 4, franchise newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega have taken to Instagram to wish fans a very happy Star Wars day.



Boyega, 24, gave a nod to his former Empire-defending pals in his post, sharing a hilarious video of a group of Stormtroopers twerking. (Yes, you read that correctly.)



In the clip, Boyega is seen opening a door and walking in on a group of Stormtroopers busting a move with rap music playing in the background.







"Happy Star Wars day," he wrote, adding the hashtag #Thereisareasonilefttheseguys.



And while Boyega took a comical route to celebrate the big day, Ridley, 24, went for a more sentimental post, sharing a series of photos from the film.



In one especially sweet snap, Ridley is seen holding hands with Boyega while on set.



"HAPPY STAR WARS DAY Y'ALL! @jboyega_ PEANUTS!" she wrote with a slew of heart emojis.





HAPPY STAR WARS DAY Y'ALL! @jboyega_ PEANUTS A photo posted by @daisyridley on May 3, 2016 at 6:09pm PDT





The actress also appears in a new video for Force for Change, which aims to "support the immense passion and goodwill" of Star Wars fans and "promote change through inspiration, stories and meaningful partnerships."









In the clip, Ridley thanks fans for their unwavering support and for raising more than $2 million to date. She is also joined by a few of her Star Wars costars  and is even given a special gift from Boyega.



Watch the clip above and May the fourth be with you.
One journalist will soon be eating his words thanks to Donald Trumps presumptive GOP nomination.

Read: Who Will Trump Pick As His Running Mate?

Last October, like most pundits, Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank confidently predicted the bombastic billionaire's campaign was doomed.

"Trump Will Lose, Or I Will Eat This Column," was the headline.

Milbank wrote: "Im so certain Trump won't win the nomination that Ill eat my words if he does. Literally: the day Trump clinches the nomination I will eat the page on which this column is printed."

Now, Milbanks words are coming back to bite him.

I've long been a consumer of news, now, Ill take it a step further and be an actual consumer of newsprint, he told IE. "I am going to eat the paper."

His less-than-mouthwatering meal is scheduled for next week.

Read: John Kasich Drops Out of GOP Race, Leaving Only Trump

"I have been told that the ink may be toxic, there may be some heavy metals in there. Some of the readers have advised me to soak the newspaper in alcohol and I can just have my newspaper tequila," he said.

Milbank has made a video in anticipation of the meal made of paper and ink. He asked readers for recipes on how to devour his material.





Watch: Trump Says Ted Cruz's Dad Was With Lee Harvey Oswald Before JFK's Assassination

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Donald Trump hugs a U.S. flag as he takes the stage for a campaign town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire August 19, 2015. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Finance Insider is Business Insider's summary of the top stories of the past 24 hours.

To sign up, scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Get updates in your inbox," or click here.

Back in 1998, the world of finance learned a very painful lesson: Models break and markets aren't efficient.

And, as Business Insider's Myles Udland explains, with the rise of Donald Trump from sideshow to presumptive Republican nominee, politics has learned the same lesson.

JPMorgan just made a big change in its giant investment bank, naming David Hudson to the new role of global head of markets execution. His promotion is part of an effort by JPMorgan to adapt to changing market structures.

The retail industry is transforming, but not the way you think it is, according to Goldman Sachs' global cohead of consumer retail and healthcare banking. And here is the one stat that has every Wall Street banker depressed.

There is a ton of news in the fund management world. Here are the highlights:

In other news, a huge wildfire is disrupting oil production in Canada  and now crude is surging. Companies are playing it safe, and its killing the economy. And Bank of America thinks you should go short humans, long robots.

Lastly, an island resort with a dive center and private beach can be yours for $49  but there's one catch.

Story continues

Here are the top Wall Street headlines at midday:

It doesn't matter what Elon Musk says  Tesla's going to raise more cash - Tesla reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings on Wednesday  and then dropped a bombshell in a letter to shareholders.

Fitbit is getting destroyed - Fitbit shares fell as much as 15% on Thursday after the maker of smart wearables forecast second-quarter revenues lower than analysts expected.

ALBERT EDWARDS: The global economy is like the Titanic and it is about to sink 'below the icy waves' - There are cynics, there are naysayers, and then there's Albert Edwards of Societe Generale, who is in a League of Doom all of his own.

JPMorgan becomes first global bank to fall foul of Hong Kong's stricter IPO sponsorship rules - JPMorgan has become the first global investment bank to fall foul of Hong Kong's stricter IPO sponsorship rules, dealing a blow to its reputation in the region.

EL-ERIAN: Here are 5 reasons why the Fed probably won't do the 'unthinkable' - Not so long ago, negative nominal interest rates were thought unlikely if not unthinkable.

Peter Thiel just sold $101 million of Facebook shares - Peter Thiel, the venture capitalist and PayPal cofounder, sold 857,626 Class A shares in Facebook earlier this week  worth just over $101 million.

This is literally the Ferrari of speedboats - It's a 1990 Riva Ferrari 32, and it is the child of a collaboration between the great Enzo Ferrari and Gino Gervasoni, who was at the time the chairman of Cantieri Riva.





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SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The president of MMC Automotores, Mitsubishi Motors's distributor and assembler in Brazil, was convicted on Wednesday for fomenting corruption and money laundering in a bribery scheme meant to help pass legislation benefiting the auto sector.

Judge Vallisney Oliveira in Brasilia sentenced Robert de Macedo to four years and two months of jail, saying he had hired lobbyists off the books. The company's former president and several lobbyists were also sentenced.

MMC Automotores declined to comment.

The investigation, "Operation Zealots," is looking into alleged bribes to lawmakers that prosecutors say ensured measures favored by the auto industry were passed during the governments of President Dilma Rousseff and her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu and Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Only one of the dueling lawsuits between "The Most Interesting Man in the World" and his former talent firm is substantial enough to keep the court's attention.

The legal fight started in October, when Jordan Lee Inc. and William "Butch" Klein sued former Dos Equis ambassador Jonathan Goldsmith for breach of contract, seeking their share of his most interesting paycheck.

Goldsmith countersued in February, claiming they disclosed confidential information about his contract and jeopardized his future business with Dos Equis.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Barbara A. Meiers granted JLI and Klein's anti-SLAPP motion to strike Goldsmith's complaint in a Wednesday morning hearing, according to their attorneys.

"It is clear that the court did not find Jonathan Goldsmith and his cross complaint against my client to be interesting at all," says attorney Bryan Freedman in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "One would think that 'the so called most interesting man in the world' could at least find something about his lawsuit to interest a court. Instead, his cross complaint rightfully was dismissed by the court just as fast as Dos Equis dropped interest in him."

The court found the cross-complaint arose out of JLI's and Klein's right of petition, which is protected by the First Amendment, and Goldsmith couldn't establish the probability of success on his claims.

Freedman says Goldsmith and his "baseless" complaint bored him.

"What I do find interesting, however, is the amount of attorney's fees that he will be paying my client for losing this motion," he says.

Goldsmith's attorney William J. Briggs II tells THR he plans to appeal the decision.

Read More: Dos Equis Moves on From "Most Interesting Man" Spokesperson, Launches His Final Commercial
Julianna Margulies has been sidelined with chicken pox. (Photo: Getty Images)

Julianna Margulies was forced to cancel an event Thursday after coming down with the chicken pox.



The Emmy Award-winning Good Wife star was scheduled to attend a New York city cocktail party in celebration of the release of her childrens book Three Magic Balloons, featuring illustrations by Grant Shaffer.



The book, based on a story Margulies father wrote for her and her sisters when they were children, follows three young girls who embark on a magic adventure after they are rewarded for their kindness by a mysterious balloon man during a trip to the zoo.



Margulies battle with chicken pox comes just days before The Good Wifes series finale, which airs Sunday.



Keep up with your favorite celebs in the pages of PEOPLE Magazine by subscribing now.



The actress, 49, recently opened up to PEOPLE about how she had a particularly hard time in the first season.



I was so overwhelmed with being a new mom and being the lead of the show and trying to make everything work, Margulies told PEOPLE at the shows series finale party at New York Citys Museum of Modern Art. Anyone that has done a show can tell you that your first season is the hardest because nothing has been fleshed out yet.



The Good Wife series finale airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.


A Los Angeles jury convicted Lonnie David Franklin Jr., dubbed the Grim Sleeper, of 10 counts of murder and one count of attempted murder on Thursday, May 5, bringing closure to a series of killings that has spanned more than two decades, according to the Associated Press.

Franklin was found guilty in the murders of nine women and one 15-year-old girl after an emotional three-month trial that opened old wounds for the victims families.

PHOTOS: Celebrity Mugshots

They suffered from the same frailties and the same imperfections that all humans do, and they had the same homes and the same dreams for their futures that we all have, Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman told jurors of the victims during closing arguments in the trial, according to the Los Angeles Times. None of them deserved to be brutally dumped like trash as if their lives had no meaning.



Franklins victims were all young and black and lived in the same south Los Angeles neighborhood where he formerly worked as a police garage attendant and city garbage collector.

PHOTOS: Stars at Court

Lone survivor Enietra Washington proved to be critical to the case. According to the L.A. Times, she testified that she was raped and shot by a man nearly 30 years ago, but managed to escape.



Washington testified that she remembered the assailant taking a photo of her with a Polaroid camera shortly before she fell unconscious.

PHOTOS: Biggest Celebrity Scandals of 2015

Authorities found dozens of similar photos of women at Franklins home after his arrest in 2010, which helped the public to identify his victims.



The penalty phase of the trial will begin on May 12. It will then be determined whether Franklin will be executed or serve a life sentence in prison.




From Cosmopolitan

Now that it's a tad easier to travel to Cuba (thanks, Obama), the Kardashians are taking advantage of the change and including the beautiful island nation on a future episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Us Weekly reports that Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe are flying to Havana this week from Miami, where Kourt has been vacationing with her kids. It's unclear whether or not anyone else from the famous clan will be joining the sisters, and whether or not Kourtney will repeat her butt-baring shoot from Iceland from just a few weeks ago.

Americans can travel to Cuba under any of the 12 approved categories listed on the U.S. Embassy website, including family visits, journalistic activity, professional research and professional meetings, religious activities, public performances, support for the Cuban people, and humanitarian projects. No further details about Kim and company's travels have been revealed, but the humanitarian one sounds pretty good since the Kardashians have been such a gift to the American people already. Hopefully the Kardashians won't have a nine-page report written about their trip by the Treasury Department since diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba are different now. Remember what happened to Beyonce and Jay Z?

Follow Peggy on Twitter.
The Kardashian family is at it again! The first family of reality TV have set their sights on Cuba, months after a travel ban to the country was lifted.

Landing in Havana on Wednesday, Kourtney, Kim and Khloe made the trip a family affair, including Kanye and Kim's 2-year-old daughter North, as well as Kourtney's 6-year-old son Mason in the foreign festivities. Kris, Kylie and Kendall appear to be laying low stateside.

WATCH: Khloe Kardashian Reveals the Shocking Way She Found Out About Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna's Relationship in 'KUWTK' Season 12 Premiere

So far, Khloe has been the only one kind enough to share snaps from the trip on social media. "Pablo was here! Cuba," Khloe posted to her Instagram soon after their arrival, along with cigar selfies with sisters Kourtney and Kim, and bestie Malika Haqq.

WATCH: Kylie Jenner Loses Her Mind Over Tyga When He Crashes the Kardashian Family Vacation

The reality star also shared shot of her strutting her stuff in a form-fitting tan dress and wide-brimmed hat.

PHOTOS: The Kardashians Take Over St. BartsSee Their Island Styles!

The family is rumored to be filming scenes in Cuba for the upcoming 13th season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, making the country the latest in a series of travel episodes on the show, following epic vacations in Greece, Thailand, Bora Bora and the Dominican Republic. The getaway was a much-needed trip after Monday night's Met Gala festivities -- Kris, Kim, Kanye, Kendall and Kylie went all out for the star-studded ball -- and the family appears to be taking a nice break from the madness to kick up their heelsliterally!

For now, we'll just have to wait for more pics from the Kardashian clan, from what is sure to be an unbelievable adventure. Cuba, get ready for the Kardashians to take over!

WATCH: Kylie Jenner Goes Glam for Met Gala Debut in Sexy, Sheer Gown and New Short 'Do

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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 4, 2016) - Forsys Metals Corp. (FSY.TO)(F2T.F)(FSY.TO) ("Forsys" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that in connection with the annual and general meeting of the Company's shareholders held in Toronto on May 3, 2016 (the 'Meeting') and in accordance with section 11.3 of National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations, the following voting results were obtained.

A total of 1,962,235 common shares representing 1.45% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares were voted in connection with the Meeting. Shareholders voted in favour of the election of the director nominees as follows:

NOMINEE VOTES FOR % FOR VOTES WITHHELD % WITHHELD Martin Rowley 1,511,194 98.21 27,586 1.79 Marcel Hilmer 1,510,741 98.18 28,039 1.82 Paul Matysek 1,511,627 98.24 27,153 1.76 Mark Frewin 1,515,741 98.50 23,039 1.50 Claudio Cornini 1,508,618 98.04 30,162 1.96 Jorge Estepa 1,515,732 98.50 23,048 1.50

Shareholders also voted in favour of the other item of business considered at the Meeting, being the re-appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as the Company's auditors.

For further details visit the Company's website at www.forsysmetals.com or the Company's filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Forsys Metals Corp.

Forsys Metals Corp. is an emerging uranium producer with 100% ownership of the Norasa project that comprises the fully permitted Valencia uranium project and the Namibplaas uranium project in Namibia, Africa, a politically stable and mining friendly jurisdiction. Information regarding current National Instrument 43-101 compliant Resource and Reserves at Valencia and Namibplaas are available on the Company website. Shares outstanding: 134.9M

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Forsys Metals Corp. Marcel Hilmer, Chief Executive Officer

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. The following are important factors that could cause Forsys actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: fluctuations in uranium prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology; continuity and grade of mineral deposits; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs; recovery rates, production estimates and estimated economic return; general market conditions; the uncertainty of future profitability; and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. Full description of these risks can be found in Forsys Annual Information Form available on the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future events could differ materially from anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressed qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change.

The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
KFC Nail Polish

Kentucky Fried Chicken is selling something that you might not typically find at a restaurant.

The chain is selling edible nail polish in Hong Kong, ad agency Ogilvy & Mather told BI Australia's Simon Thomsen.

The iconic chicken chain worked with food technologists from McCormick to put the company's spice blend into a nail polish with a glossy veneer. There are two flavors  hot and spicy and original  and ultimately, customers in Hong Kong will decide which flavor/color gets mass produced.

To clarify, the nail polish is more "lickable" than it is "edible."

Ogilvy & Mather creative director John Koay told Thomsen that you apply the nail polish "and then lick  again and again and again."

You can watch a promotional video for the product below.

NOW WATCH: This perfect fried chicken only needs to be fried for 3 minutes





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Washington (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry is to travel to Paris next week for talks on the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, the State Department said Thursday.

But a State Department spokesman was unable to say whether Kerry would attend a French meeting on Syria with Arab ministers called for the same day.

Kerry will be in Paris on Monday for talks with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault, then fly on to Britain the next day.

On Monday Ayrault will also meet the Saudi, Qatari, Emirati and Turkish foreign ministers to discuss efforts to restart the Syrian peace process.

But US officials are working to arrange a new meeting of the broader International Syria Support Group, which Washington co-chairs with Moscow.

And State Department spokesman Mark Toner was unable to say whether Kerry would attend the French meeting -- even though he will be in Paris.

"We welcome those kind of efforts," Toner insisted, but added: "I can't say right now, as I said, whether the secretary himself will be participating.

"I imagine we'll have some level of participation. We do believe that the ISSG still plays a primary role."

Toner was also unable to say whether Kerry will attend another meeting planned by Ayrault for May 30 to relaunch the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

"We're still discussing it," he said. "I'm sure they will probably discuss it in Paris next week."

After Paris, Kerry is due to spend two days in Britain, first at an anti-corruption summit in London and then on May 12 to visit Oxford University.
Erdogan

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu resigned from his position on Thursday as tensions with the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reached a tipping point over a new constitution that would alter the country's political system.

"The early termination of my four-year term is not my choice, but the result of necessity," Davutoglu, who previously served as Turkey's minister of foreign affairs from 2009 to 2014, said in his resignation speech Thursday.

Many analysts have perceived that admission as confirmation of the political and ideological battle that has been brewing in the upper ranks of the dominant Justice and Development Party, or AKP, since Davutoglu succeeded Erdogan as the party's leader in August 2014.

"This fight has been brewing for some time," Steven Cook, a senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, told Business Insider on Thursday. "Erdogan has been looking for a way to push Davutoglu aside."

Davutoglu's "ambivalence" about a proposed change to Turkey's constitution that would "formalize the powerful role of the president that Erdogan has forged" contributed significantly to the tension that ultimately forced Davutoglu's hand, Cook said.

He added: "I don't recall an episode like this before, though of course there were four coups in Turkey. This is significantly different, however."

Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, put it bluntly: "Never before in this system has one person amassed so much power in his hands as Erdogan has," Cagaptay told The Washington Post on Thursday.

If he continues down this path, Cagaptay said, "it will render the country so brittle politically that when Erdogan leaves office one day, there will be nearly no institutions left standing to keep the country together."

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan (L) chats with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu during a Republic Day ceremony at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Ataturk, in Ankara, Turkey, October 29, 2015. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo

Aaron Stein, an expert on Turkey and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the executive presidential system Erdogan had been pushing for since he ascended to the presidency in 2014 was "not comparable to anything in the West."

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"It is an entirely unique document," Stein told Business Insider on Thursday. "It envisions having a unitary system of government, like the UK, but with a presidential system and a unicameral legislature. So youll have a rubber stamp parliament with a very strong executive that will then delegate out to the various provinces."

Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, vice president of research at the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Erdogan had shown he was "willing to spurn even his closest of AKP allies" in the name of amending the constitution and strengthening his executive authority.

"We don't yet fully understand all of the factors leading to this crisis," Schanzer told Business Insider on Thursday. "But it is clear that Erdogan is tightening his grip on absolute power."

'A dangerous time to be in the opposition'

Experts say Davutoglu's exit as Erdogan attempts to strengthen his presidential powers represent a new challenge to Turkey's relationship with the European Union and the US, each of which has condemned the president's increasingly authoritarian treatment of journalists and members of the opposition.

"Davutoglu has been the cooperative, Western-oriented face of the government, particularly important in pushing through the refugees deal with the EU," Ian Bremmer, president of the political-risk firm Eurasia Group, told Business Insider on Thursday.

Bremmer said that while Erdogan's efforts to consolidate his power via a constitutional amendment would most likely come up short, his new government would be "all about personal loyalty to the president."

"It's going to be a dangerous time to be in the opposition," he added.

turkey kurds

Aykan Erdemir, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former member of the Turkish parliament, largely agreed.

"Turkey has visibly turned into a one-man rule," Erdemir told Business Insider on Thursday. "Erdogan dominates the whole playing field, and he is refusing the share power with anyone."

But he cautioned that if Erdogan succeeds in expelling the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party, or HDP, from Turkey's parliament  something he has been trying to accomplish since last year  he could obtain the supermajority he needs to "single-handedly" redesign the constitution.

"What's coming to an end with Erdogan's palace coup is not only Davutoglu's abortive political career but also Turkey's parliamentary democracy," he said.

erdogan obama

Stein of the Atlantic Council acknowledged that "some of the checks and balances" in Turkey's parliament would most likely be "negated" or outright "eroded" as a result of the new political system Erdogan is pushing for. He said, however, that power had always been largely concentrated within the AKP simply because it was the country's dominant political party and the opposition was in "complete disarray."

Schanzer, the FDD's vice president, remained pessimistic.

"It is clear that the democratic political infrastructure in Turkey is now eroding alongside the eroding freedoms of the press, judiciary, and religion," he told Business Insider. "Turkey is backsliding further and further away from the principles upon which it was founded."

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It's not a Kardashian vacation without some drama.

The famous family is in Cuba only months after a travel ban to the country was lifted, and Khloe Kardashian already caused a bit of controversy after she Instagrammed a photo of herself posing in front of a wall reading "Fidel," appearing to reference Cuba's former dictator, Fidel Castro.

PHOTOS: The Kardashians Take Cuba! Family Unites for Vacation Days After Met Gala Madness

Not surprisingly, plenty of people took issue with the post.

"As a Cuban American, I am appalled that you're standing beneath the name of one of the cruelest and most hated dictators to human mankind. This is inconsiderate and disrespectful," one user wrote.

"What an insult. It's disrespectful to all the people who are living in the U.S. because of that name you are proudly standing beneath," another user commented. "Culture appreciation is one thing, lauding a murderous dictator is another."

Of course, Khloe also had her fair share of defenders.

"Don't think she meant anything negative by it," one user wrote. "Khloe is probably the most down to earth, caring person out of all of the Kardashians."

While the 31-year-old reality star hasn't addressed the negative reaction directly, she later wrote about how the trip has led her to "appreciate another's culture."

"With everyday, my goal is to expand my mind," Khloe wrote on Instagram. "Now, it has been filled with new memories and knowledge of culture, food, traditions, daily life.... It will never go back to yesterday's dimensions! I'm so blessed to be able to appreciate another's culture. God is GREAT! Thank you for my opportunities."

The Kardashian clan is rumored to be filming scenes in Cuba for the upcoming 13th season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Khloe and her older sisters, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, as well as her best friend, Malika Haqq, definitely look to be enjoying themselves in Havana, where they took a group selfie puffing on cigars.

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WATCH: Khloe Kardashian Opens Up About Losing Her Virginity and Other Big Firsts: 'It's Weird and You're Scared and It Hurts'

Meanwhile, the drama is only heating up on this season of their long-running reality series. In a sneak peek released on Wednesday, Caitlyn Jenner revealed that she hit a rough patch with Khloe. Khloe has been open in the past about having issues with Caitlyn since her transition.

"She hasn't been talking to me lately," Caitlyn explained to Kim, confirming the two had gotten into a feud.

"Khloe and Caitlyn are kind of on the outs," Kim later told the cameras in a solo interview.

Watch below:

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Kosovska Mitrovica (Kosovo) (AFP) - Kosovo Serbs voiced concerns on Thursday about an EU proposal to allow visa-free travel for citizens of Kosovo, fearing it would force the Serb minority to recognize the territory's disputed independence.

Kosovo Serbs, who have followed Belgrade's lead and have refused to acknowledge Kosovo's 2008 independence from Serbia, are still considered Serbian citizens.

And while Serbia has been on the EU's visa-free travel list since 2009, it does not apply to Kosovo Serbs who hold special Serbian passports and must obtain a visa to travel within the EU.

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed that Kosovo citizens, who are mostly ethnic Albanians, be allowed to travel to the EU's Schengen passport-free zone without a visa. It must still be approved by the European Parliament and Council.

The minority ethic Serbs now fear they will be forced to recognise Kosovo as an independent state if they want a document or passport to travel within the EU without a visa.

"Obviously they want to force us to take dual citizenship and Kosovo passports," said Tatjana Lazarevic, an English teacher in Serb-dominated Mitrovica in northern Kosovo.

She said Kosovo Serbs have already felt like "second-class citizens" with a special passport different from the one given to fellow Serbs in Serbia. "With visa liberalisation for ethnic Albanians (in Kosovo)... we would feel like the last of the Mohicans," she added.

In Belgrade, the Serbian government's office in charge of Kosovo affairs said it would "demand from the European Union that the visa liberalisation includes Serbs who live in Kosovo, regardless of their documents."

"The visa liberalisation should not apply to a type of document, but to all citizens of the territory that it was granted to," the office said in a statement.

But in Pristina, officials said only Kosovo passport holders would enjoy visa-free travel.

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"Every citizen of Kosovo should have a biometric passport to enjoy the right of (freedom of) movement" in the EU, Justice Minister Hajredin Kuci said.

EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, on a one-day visit to Pristina to present the proposal to local officials, agreed.

"Let me be clear on that. Only Kosovo's passports are recognised. So, it is very, very clear," Avramopoulos told reporters.

Following the 1998-99 war between ethnic Albanian guerrillas and Serbian forces, the former southern Serbian province of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008.

It is now recognised by more than 100 countries, including all but five EU member states, but it is not a member of the United Nations.

Belgrade has refused to recognise an independent Kosovo and is opposed to its membership of international organisations.
Sushant Singh Rajput is currently shooting in Budapest with Kriti Sanon for his next film Raabta. The film is slotted for a release in the Valentines week next year -2017. In an interaction with a popular daily, SSR spoke at length about the film and her co-star, Kriti Sanon.

Sushant is four films old and the fifth (Dhoni) hits the theaters this September. Raabta will be his sixth release. He tells us, It will be the first quintessential romantic film for me. I have never done a romantic film before this. So what is the story line fo Raabta? In Hindi films, romance is something very pure and divine. There might be no sense to it but its unconditional. Raabta is exactly in that space, he explained.

Recommended Read: Sushant Singh Rajput Confirms his Split From Ankita

For a good romantic film, the biggest necessity is the compatibility and chemistry with their co-stars. Sushant found one of his favourite co-stars in Kriti even before they started shooting. About the first scene they shot, he said, We did a photo-shoot before we started shooting. Then Dinu (Dinesh Vijan, director) called us to his office and asked us to enact some scenes from the film as a part of our rehearsal and workshop. The scene Kriti and I did together for the first time went great.

Kriti and I instantly bonded with each other. Shes an engineer and I was also on that same track. The first time we met and did that scene together, I liked doing it. Dinu loved that scene. There was an instant chemistry. I always found her very promising although shes only two films old now. I think nobody has actually put her in a position for her to perform. She has a very good screen presence. Right from the very first film, although I havent seenHeropanti from the first scene to the end credits, but we watched Dilwale together. So I am very confident aboutRaabta, elaborated Sushant.

Sushant had been training hard to achieve the perfectly sculpted body for his look in the film. Yes, for the very first time in my career, I am supposed to look good. And by good, I mean to say stylish. So I worked really hard at the gym. I got a lot leaner and ripped for this film. Raabta isnt just another emotional romantic flick, as SSR added Yes, there are some great action scenes in this film itself for which I have trained myself in swimming, horse riding and I also learnt a martial art form as well, he concluded.

Intrestingly, yesterday SSR Confirmed his breakup with his long time girlfriend, Ankita Lokhande.

Guess, bonding with Kriti is indeed special.. What Say!
Under fire for his performance at Saturdays White House Correspondents Dinner, Larry Wilmore said he wouldnt want to host again.

In an interview with TheWrap Wilmore said, I dont think you want to do this type of thing again. I dont think anybody would ever ask me back for something like this.

Wilmore has been the subject of much debate and some criticism this week in the wake of roast-style jokes at the event, not all of which were well received in the room, particularly his insults of journalists including Wolf Blitzer and Don Lemon.

Wilmore himself has admitted that he lost the room early.

Also Read: Larry Wilmore Says 'I Lost the Room Early' at White House Correspondents' Dinner

None of his comments, however, have proven as controversial as Wilmores use of a modified racial slur for his closer, when the Black-ish executive producer addressed President Obama directly, concluding, Yo, Barry, you did it, my nigga.

Wilmore told TheWrap hes fine with what he qualified as the mixed reaction his performance has received since Saturday.

It would have been disappointing to completely fail, he added.

Also Read: Larry Wilmore Says 'I Lost the Room Early' at White House Correspondents' Dinner

And no, Wilmore didnt hear anything directly from the president after that now-infamous closing line, though the Nightly Show host believes Obama took no issue with it.

I only got an impression immediately from the president that he was cool by his body language, Wilmore said. I think you can tell when someone is like, Alright that wasnt cool, but Im gonna act like it was.

I didnt get that impression, because that would have been completely nerve-wracking  I wouldve been horrified, he continued. I wasnt trying to rankle the president or anything.

Also Read: Larry Wilmore Fires Back at Piers Morgan Over N-Word Criticism (Video)

Wilmore did, however, receive a good job note from an Obama aide after the dinner, saying his spot was great.

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What the note didnt say, Wilmore told us, was even more telling, joking that it was absent any lines like, OK motherfucker, whyd you come in here and break the china?

The comedian also said he absolutely, completely wouldnt have closed with the much-grumbled-about controversial line had this been any other year in Obamas presidency.

The sentiment that I expressed at the end is a last-year sentiment that I wanted to honor the historical implications, Wilmore explained. I felt very connected to that sort of thing.

Also Read: Stephen Colbert Defends Larry Wilmore's 'Great' White House Correspondents' Dinner Speech (Video)

Since 1983, when hosting duties began routinely falling to comedians, five performers have repeated in the role: Jay Leno (four times), Rich Little, George H.W. Bush impersonator Jim Morris, Al Franken and Conan O'Brien (all twice).

Wilmores Nightly Show airs weeknights on Comedy Central at 11:30 p.m., the old Colbert Report time slot. You can watch his entire WHCD set here:

Related stories from TheWrap:

President Obama Is Cool With Larry Wilmore Calling Him The N-Word

'The View' Bashes Larry Wilmore's White House Correspondents' Dinner Performance: 'So Disrespectful'

Watch the Larry Wilmore Routine That Got the Finger From Don Lemon (Video)
The war correspondent Martha Gellhorn wrote that war happens to people, one by one, which is true when youre in the midst of it. But when youre not, when the conflict is distant and abstract, war tends to happen one by the thousands. Reports of rising death tolls register but dont resonate, and then, every so often, one persons story transcends the numbing statistics.

Last week, just days after a UN official estimated that 400,000 people had died in Syrias five-year civil war, Doctors Without Borders announced that an air strike on one of the hospitals it supports in Aleppo had killed more than 50 staff, patients, and nearby civilians, including Muhammad Wassim Moaz, one of the only pediatricians remaining in the city.

Theres something particularly distressing about this storyabout mourning the last pediatrician in a war zone. And on Wednesday, in The New York Times, a surgeon in Aleppo articulated what it is. His observation might seem obvious, but its also profound.

Doctors and nurses are trying our best to put on a brave face for our patients, Osama Abo El Ezz wrote. We know that for the community we serve we represent a last hope, the final defenders of life in this city. But we are also among the fallen.

Recommended: The Peculiar Language of Soldiers

In this case, Aleppo lost a final, stoic defender of childrenmany no older than the Syrian Civil Warwhose lives are just beginning. When that last line of defense falls, whats left? When a doctor dies, how many other lives are destroyed or stunted as a result?

The effects of the attacks against health facilities emanate far beyond those immediately killed and injured, Doctors Without Borders President Joanne Liu, a pediatrician herself, told the UN Security Council on Tuesday, in urging the worlds most powerful countries, and their allies, to halt attacks on medical facilities. Such attacks demolish routine and lifesaving healthcare for all. They make life impossible. Full stop.

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One colleague described the 36-year-old Moaz as a devoted doctor who by day worked at Aleppos Childrens Hospital and by night attended to emergencies at al-Quds Hospital, where he was killed. Several recalled the jokes Moaz would tell patients and staff. He was waiting for this bloody war to stop to be married, one surgeon in Aleppo told the BBC. He had to stay close to those babies. Who would treat those babies if everybody left? Footage from security cameras in the hospital last Wednesday shows Moaz leaving an intensive-care unit and heading toward the emergency room. He could have been in Turkey with his family. He could have taken the night off. Instead, he was walking briskly through the hospitals dingy hallways in bright green scrubs. At one point in the video, he turns a corner and disappears from view. Moments later, the explosion comes.

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Day by day, we are bleeding our [medical] staff, the surgeon told the BBC. We will wait for a day [when] there will be no more doctors inside Syria.

That day is near. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), a New York-based NGO, estimates that more than 350 medical facilities in Syria have been attackedlargely by the Syrian military but also by Russian fighter jets and other armed groupsand that more than 700 medical personnel have been killed. Over half of Syrias 30,000 doctors are thought to have left the country since the conflict began. In 2015, PHR estimated that 95 percent of doctors in Aleppo, Syrias largest city before the war, had either fled, been detained, or been killed. Not a single psychiatrist or psychologist remained for a population deeply scarred by war. And this is just an accounting of health-care professionals, not of the poor condition of hospitals, or the acute shortages of medical supplies, or the excessive burdens placed on nurses, technicians, and medical students.

We will wait for a day when there will be no more doctors inside Syria.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a physician by training, has been fiercely battling rebel forces for control of Aleppo in recent weeks, threatening a brittle cessation of hostilities brokered by the U.S. and Russia. In the rebel-held part of the city, where Moaz worked, there are now roughly 70 to 80 doctors treating 250,000 people, according to Doctors Without Borders. Last weeks air strikes also killed one of 10 dentists in the area, and left only six doctors at al-Quds Hospital.

In a recent report for The New York Times on his visit to the government-controlled side of Aleppo, Declan Walsh vividly illustrates the broader struggle in the divided city between the defenders of life and the prosecutors of death. He describes a boisterous, eerily normal wedding party where the music drowned out the sound of bombs exploding close by.

There is war, and then there is life, the best man at the wedding tells Walsh. We have two hearts in this countryone for sorrow and one for happiness.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Aleppo (Syria) (AFP) - Air strikes killed at least 28 civilians in a camp for the displaced in northern Syria near the Turkish border as a 48-hour ceasefire took hold in Aleppo.

The truce came after fierce violence in and around Aleppo and was made possible as President Bashar al-Assad's regime and rebel forces gave in to mounting diplomatic pressure for a pause.

But as relieved civilians went out onto the streets after two weeks of heavy fighting in the divided city, a key battleground in Syria's five-year civil war, others were attacked further west.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said air strikes struck the camp for internally displaced people near Sarmada, in Idlib province, which is controlled by Syria's Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front.

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said women and children were among 28 civilians killed while 50 others were wounded.

Mamun al-Khatib, director of the Aleppo-based pro-rebel Shahba Press news agency, said "regime aircraft" fired missiles on the camp in the village of Al-Kammouna.

"Two missiles fell near the camp causing people to panic and two more fell inside where a dozen tents caught fire," he said.

Online images showed emergency workers putting out fires among damaged blue and white tents.

The US said it has not confirmed if the strikes were carried out by regime forces, but described them "totally in keeping" with its past operations.

"There's absolutely no justification for attacks on civilians in Syria, but especially on what appears to have been a refugee camp," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

The European Union called the bombardment "unacceptable", while the United Nations' top aid official demanded an immediate investigation.

"If this obscene attack is found to be a deliberate targeting of a civilian structure, it could amount to a war crime," said Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs.

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- US, Russia monitoring -

The February 27 ceasefire brokered by the United States and Syrian ally Russia called for an end to fighting between regime forces and rebels nationwide but did not include jihadist-held areas.

Fierce violence in and around Aleppo, which has claimed the lives of more than 280 civilians since April 22, sparked an intense diplomatic push by Washington and Moscow to salvage peace efforts.

Late Wednesday the Syrian army said it had agreed to calls from Russia and the US for a two-day truce in Aleppo that would begin from 1:00 am on Thursday (2200 GMT Wednesday).

An AFP correspondent in Aleppo said Thursday there had been no signs of fresh air raids.

Residents who had cowered indoors for days emerged and some set up tables and chairs on the streets to enjoy the sunshine, drink tea and smoke cigarettes, the correspondent said.

Shopkeepers also reopened their doors while fruit and vegetable markets -- one of which was struck in an April 24 raid that left 12 dead -- were running again.

The local council dispatched bulldozers to remove rubble in stricken areas where water and electrical supplies were also restored, the AFP correspondent said.

After a whirlwind of talks involving diplomats from top world powers and the UN, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced the truce had taken effect and that violence had already fallen off.

He said US officials in Geneva were coordinating with their Russian colleagues on "enhanced monitoring efforts for this renewed cessation".

The Russian defence ministry said its ceasefire monitors had agreed with their US counterparts to oversee this truce until midnight on May 6.

In Aleppo, the head of the local branch of the powerful Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) rebel force, Ahmad Sanada, told AFP the group would respect the truce.

The head of Syria's opposition High Negotiations Committee Riad Hijab meanwhile urged the international community to impose "robust measures" to ensure respect for the ceasefire.

- Palmyra concert -

Diplomats are hoping a nationwide ceasefire can underpin efforts to resolve Syria's five-year war that has already killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions out of their homes.

Mediators hope that UN-backed peace talks could resume later this month in Geneva, although previous rounds have failed to make any major breakthrough with the regime rejecting the opposition's demand that Assad step aside as part of a political transition.

On Thursday, a suicide attack and a car bombing in central Homs province killed at least 12 civilians, the Observatory and state television said.

The twin bombings came amid recent fighting in the area between Islamic State group fighters and regime troops.

IS claimed responsibility for the attacks, according to SITE Intelligence Group.

The area is near Palmyra where on Thursday Russian maestro Valery Gergiev led Saint Petersburg's celebrated Mariinsky orchestra in front of a crowd of Russian soldiers, government ministers and journalists.

Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site, was retaken from IS on March 27 with Russian support.
Aleppo (Syria) (AFP) - After two weeks of hiding at home or underground to escape death, residents emerged onto the streets in Syria's battered second city Aleppo as a truce took hold there Thursday.

"Last week it was ghost city -- even if residents were still here -- as they were too scared to step outside," father-of-three Mohammed Helwani said.

"Today of course the situation is better with the truce," the 31-year-old owner of an Internet cafe said.

The Syrian army late Wednesday said it had agreed to calls from Russia and the United States for a two-day truce in Aleppo that would begin from 1:00 am on Thursday.

"Some residents have gone out into the streets, but they're still afraid air strikes will return  and with them massacres and death," Helwani said.

More than 280 civilians were reported killed since April 22 in the fighting in divided Aleppo, with regime air strikes pounding the opposition-held east while rebels fired a barrage of rockets into the government-controlled west.

But on Thursday afternoon, some residents in the city's rebel-held east sat outside their homes drinking tea and smoking cigarettes, an AFP reporter there said.

Electricity and water supply had returned and local council bulldozers cleared rubble from stricken areas, he said.

Renewed fighting in and around Aleppo in recent days had threatened the full collapse of a landmark ceasefire agreed between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels in late February.

- Regime 'resting a little' -

In the past two weeks, residents had only dared to venture out for a few hours in the evening to run errands.

One resident said he continued to sell his vegetables in one of the city's markets in the daytime when there was no bombing in the area, but that he saw very few customers in the morning.

"People started to come out to shop at around 5:00-6:00 pm and I started to really make sales then until 9:00 pm," 26-year-old Khaled said.

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After those couple of hours "movement slowed down again and most shops closed because of the nighttime airstrikes," he said.

On Thursday morning, fruit and vegetable markets -- one of which was struck in an April 24 raid that left 12 dead -- were again up and running.

AFP's correspondent said there had been no signs of fresh air raids on the east of the city since the ceasefire took effect.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said there had been no bombing in the city, though it said a civilian had died in a western district from rebel shelling that came minutes after the ceasefire took hold.

But some of Aleppo's residents -- who have been at the centre of some of the worst fighting in Syria's five-year war --remained cynical.

"I reckon the regime asked for the truce because they wanted to rest a little before attacking the rebels again later," said Abu Ibrahim, a satellite dish repair man.

Damascus has said it targets Syria's Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and blamed the jihadists for violating the February 27 ceasefire, which did not include areas where the group is present.

Perfume shop owner Mahmud Sheikh agreed the truce would not last.

"Every time the regime strikes, it just blames it on Al-Nusra's presence -- which is why the truce is not holding," he said.

The sound of war had not completely abated on Thursday evening in Aleppo's east, where residents could hear the sound of fighting to the south of the city.
Rosabellanote

Seven-year-olds may look sweet on the outside, but they're masters of deception.

On Monday, Charlie Dahu's 7-year-old daughter Rosabella decided she wanted to come home early from Sheldon Elementary School in Texas. So she decided to write a handwritten note and give it to her teacher. Despite Rosabella's decidedly elementary penmanship and the note's lack of a signature, the school actually released her home early on the bus.

SEE ALSO: Little kid responds to Jack-in-the-box with shock, outrage

Take a look at how she writes bus (and don't blame her, Internet! She's only seven!)

"Basically a second-grader tricked the school system and was able to go home on this note," Dahu told local news station KTRK. "You can clearly see she did not even spell the word bus."

Dahu realized there was a problem when a concerned neighbor called him after Rosabella asked to use her bathroom. The neighbor kept Rosabella at home until her father arrived.

KPTV - FOX 12

Dahu later went to the Sheldon Independent School District to determine the root of the problem.

"We are reviewing our training procedures to ensure that our after school grant program staff is properly trained in dismissal procedures," the school said in a statement.

It may not have been a masterful forgery job, but miraculously, it worked.
By Dan Levine

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Even if a jury orders Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google to pay the full $8.8 billion sought by Oracle Corp (ORCL.N) in an upcoming San Francisco copyright trial over the Android operating system, shareholders and analysts say it will likely have little impact on the search giant's bottom line.

Oracle claims Google's Android violated its copyright on parts of the Java programming language, while Google says it should be able to use Java without paying a fee under the fair-use provision of copyright law.

The case previously went to trial in 2012, but a jury deadlocked. If the new jury, in the trial starting on Monday, rules against Google on fair use, then it will consider damages.

Google took in $75 billion in revenue in 2015, so even a large verdict for Oracle would have little impact on investors because it would be a one-time charge, said Mike Bailey, director of research at FBB Capital Partners, which holds shares in Alphabet, Google's parent company.

Oracle is also seeking an injunction against Google's future use of Java in Android, which would give Oracle more leverage to negotiate an ongoing royalty. However, such an injunction would have to be issued by a judge, not a jury, and legal experts believe that is a remote possibility.

After the first trial, U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled that the material at issue in the case should not be subject to copyright at all. A federal appeals court reversed that ruling, however, saying that the structure of the computer language that connects programs can be protected.

An Oracle representative did not respond to a request for comment, and a Google spokesman declined to comment.

A damages expert hired by Oracle estimated that Google has taken in $29 billion in gross advertising and search revenue from Android devices since their inception, according to court documents, plus an additional $11.6 billion in sales of apps and Android phones.

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Oracle's expert then calculated Android profits at $11.4 billion, of which he concluded Oracle is entitled to $8.8 billion.

However, Google says Oracle has vastly overstated Java's role in the success of Android.

In a ruling this week, Alsup said Oracle's damages expert will be allowed to testify about the $8.8 billion figure but cannot tell jurors they should award the entire amount.

(Reporting by Dan Levine; Editing by Sue Horton and Phil Berlowitz)
Paris (AFP) - Liverpool will meet holders Sevilla in the final of the Europa League after both sides won their semi-final ties on Thursday.

Liverpool beat Villarreal of Spain 3-0 at Anfield to go through 3-1 on aggregate, while Sevilla beat Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine 3-1 to advance 5-3 on aggregate.

The sides will meet in the final in Basel, Switzerland on Wednesday May 18 with Liverpool looking to prevent Sevilla from winning the trophy for a third successive season.
A boulder on Kent State Universitys campus was found painted in slogans including All lives matter, Shame on you KSU, and No Rice, on Wednesday, May 4, the 46th anniversary of the deadly shootings at Kent State University. The slogans were believed to have targeted Tamir Rices mother, Samaria Rice, who was invited by the university to speak on the theme Black Lives Matter: Long Live the Spirit of Kent State and Jackson State.

Rices speech, which demanded justice for her 12-year-old son fatally shot by police in 2014 and called for unity against racism and police brutality, attracted hundreds of students.

Volunteers cleaned the boulder, which was later painted with Black lives matter messages. The school said anyone can paint on the boulder.

The Ohio National Guard fatally shot four students and injured nine others during a protest in 1970 against Richard Nixons military operations in Cambodia. Credit: Twitter/TheSimbaPikachu
Some Republicans now face what they see as an unthinkable choice in November: Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.

For Texas Republican Jonathan Neerman, the answer is neither. The former Dallas County party chairman told TIME that he would never vote for Trump but he would absolutely not vote for Clinton.

That would leave me with leaving the top of the ticket blank, Neerman explained. I will fill out the rest of my ballot for every other Republican candidate. I just wont vote for Donald Trump, and I certainly wont vote for Hillary Clinton.

Asked how he was handling Trumps being the presumptive nominee, he joked: With alcohol.

Its a painful choice for many lifelong Republicans, especially when the likely Democratic nominee is someone they have opposed for decades.

Former Virginia state delegate David Ramadan said he has been a Republican for 26 years, since the minute I stepped off the plane [from Lebanon] and arrived to America, and that this will be the first election where he does not cast a ballot for the Republican nominee. This was a very tough decision to make, he said. Trump represents everything I left behind in the Middle East, and nothing of what I immigrated for.

But Ramadan falls into Neermans camp: not voting for Trump does not mean he will vote for Clinton. I am never Trump, never Hillary, he said. Its straight up. Hillary and Trump are two sides of the same coin. Ramadan said he will likely leave the top of the ballot blank, and has suspended his membership in the Republican Party.

Read More: Meet the Republicans Who Say Theyll Vote for Hillary Clinton

Bill Bolling, former lieutenant governor of Virginia, said he doesnt know what hell do in November. Im clearly uncomfortable with Trump, but Im not a fan of Ms. Clinton, he said. I guess we have the option of holding our nose and voting for Trump, which some will do; not voting in the presidential campaign, which I have never done before; or hoping that some other choice emerges. Ive been a Republican all my adult life, and Ive never been faced with this kind of a choice.

Story continues

Former Douglas County chairman Bryan Baumgart renounced membership in his Nebraska county party, saying I just wanted to send a message that the Republicans of Douglas County and Nebraska arent all united in that endorsement of Donald Trump, KETV Omaha reports. I want to be able to say Im a Republican and be proud of it. Baumgart did not respond to request for comment from TIME to clarify whether he would vote for Clinton.

To be sure, there are many state and county chairmen throughout the country who are supporting Trump. Some, like Douglas County Republican Party Executive Director John Sieler, enthusiastically support his candidacy.

I [stand] for the idea that America is the good guys and we had made some mistakes, but in the history of the world, we are clearly the good guys, Sieler said. Donald Trump believes that.

Sieler, who was driving when he spoke to TIME by phone and had to pull off the road because he was getting too excited talking about Trump, said he thinks Baumgart represents a small minority of Nebraskans and that 99 percent of Republicans will come around to Trump by the election in November. Weve got six months to heal, he said.

Some reluctant Republicans are already there, such as Loudon County Republican Chairman Will Estrada. The Virginia Republican backed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz during the primary but now that Trump is the last man standing, he thinks hell be a better option than Clinton.

I think when we look at Donald Trump, sure, hes not my first pick, Estrada said. But when you look at him compared to someone like Hillary Clinton who left our troops to die with Benghazi, who since the 90s has been connected to corrupt and even spying people overseas, the whole issue with the email.  I think theres a clear difference between the two.

Neerman doesnt agree. He thinks his peers who are choosing to vote for Trump have made a choice: They would rather go with the devil they dont know than the devil they know.
By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A former sanitation worker was convicted on Thursday of murdering nine women and a teenage girl as the "Grim Sleeper," a Los Angeles serial killer who preyed on prostitutes and drugs addicts in a crime spree dating back 30 years.

The Superior Court jury reached its verdict on all 10 counts of first-degree murder against Lonnie David Franklin Jr., 63, after deliberating a day and a half, capping a trial that ran more than 11 weeks.

Franklin, who could face the death penalty, also was convicted of attempted murder for an attack on an 11th victim, Enierta Washington, who survived being shot in the chest, raped, pushed out of a car and left for dead in 1988.

Washington took the witness stand during the trial to identify Franklin as the man who attacked her.

Judge Kathleen Kennedy instructed jurors to return to the courtroom on May 12 for the start of the trial's penalty phase.

Franklin was convicted of shooting seven women to death between August 1985 and September 1988, then strangling a 15-year-old girl and strangling or shooting two other women in a second round of killings between March 2002 and January 2007.

The gap of more than 13 years between the two spates of murders earned the killer the "Grim Sleeper" moniker. Since his March 2011 indictment, police said they had gathered evidence linking Franklin to at least six more slayings, some of which took place during the previously presumed lapse in killings.

Franklin, who did not testify in his own defense and sat impassively in court as the verdicts were read on Thursday, has been in custody since his arrest in July 2010.

During the trial, his attorneys sought to raise questions about DNA evidence presented by prosecutors and argued that the case against their client was largely circumstantial.

Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman told jurors that DNA collected from the victims' bodies showed that all 10 had sexual contact with Franklin just prior to their deaths. Prosecutors said they had been sexually assaulted.

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Their nude or partially clothed bodies were found dumped in alleys and trash bins in South Los Angeles, an area gripped by rampant drug abuse, prostitution and other crime at the height of a crack cocaine epidemic that engulfed impoverished neighborhoods there during the 1980s.

In closing arguments, Silverman described Franklin, a former auto mechanic and city sanitation worker, as "a serial killer who was basically hiding in plain sight" as he stalked his victims.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Alistair Bell and David Gregorio)
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 - Advanced Rail Energy Storages (ARES) commercial-scale gravity-based rail energy storage project has been granted a right-of-way lease by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) after an Environmental Assessment and Biological Opinion found the project would have no significant impact.

The 50-megawatt ARES project will encompass 106 acres of public land in southern Nevada near Pahrump in Clark and Nye counties and help stabilize the western electric grid, providing a wide range of ancillary services that enable the grid to adjust to momentary changes in demand.

ARES Nevada uses gravity to store energy and release it when its needed. Using a single railroad track sited on a gentle grade, multiple electric locomotive cars move up the track as they receive excess power from solar and wind power plants during sunny and windy days. When needed, the train cars will be dispatched slowly downhill, using their motor-generators to return power to the grid.

Keep up with ag and rural policy and energy news as it happens. Sign up for a four-week free trial of Agri-Pulse.





Creative solutions like ARES Nevada provide a more reliable and modern electric grid and help create an even cleaner energy future for our citizens, says Angie Dykema, director of the Nevada Governors Office of Energy.

The project will provide 100 to 125 full-time local jobs during an eight month construction phase, says the company, which anticipates 16 full-time positions once in operation. The project is expected to provide energy for 40 years or more with only routine maintenance.

#30

For more news, go to:
saudi arabia

Zach Schreiber, CEO of PointState Capital, is betting against Saudi Arabia.

"Saudi Arabia is economically unsustainable," Schreiber said at the Sohn Investment Conference Wednesday.

The bet is at least partially tied to the oil price. Saudi Arabia's economy is heavily dependent on the price of oil, which is currently trading at around $44, down from above $100 a few years ago.

Schreiber called the oil crash at the Sohn conference back in 2014, saying the price would drop sharply.

Schreiber said Wednesday that while long-term pressures driving the price of oil lower are not going away, the Saudi budget is only going to go up.

Schreiber cited several reasons for lower-for-longer oil: cheaper shale drilling, increasing debt in China that will curtail their demand eventually, and a stronger dollar due to the Fed.

On the other end, Schreiber said the Saudi defense budget will continue to skyrocket since the country is in "the most dangerous part of the world." An aging population will also force social spending on seniors to climb.

Schreiber added that Saudi Arabia has the highest Twitter penetration rate of any country, and that looking at these Tweets shows that social dissatisfaction with the government could boil over.

Add all of this up and you have an unstable situation, he said.

Schreiber suggested going long US Dollar, Russian ruble and Mexican peso while shorting the Saudi Riyal.

NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy





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Photographed by Claire Pepper

When you're excitedly sifting through rails of meticulously designed and beautifully-cut clothing in a luxury store you might not think about how the collections you saw on the catwalk came to be hanging right in front of you. But this integral job is the role of a fashion buyer, some of the most influential people in the industry, who shape the way we shop and each season select and point us towards the latest key trends.

Enter Buying Director, Laura Larbalestier, who spent eight years at Selfridges before making the move in 2012 to the legendary London multi-brand boutique, Browns. The Dries Van Noten devotee who also sits on the BFC NEWGEN selection panel, invited us over to the world-famous store on South Molton Street, to discuss her career trajectory, tricks of her trade and the new faces of fashion.

Who or what was it that initially inspired you to pursue a career in fashion?

Ive always loved clothes. I think I first raided my moms closest at the age of two! When I was nine I designed a collection of clothes which my mom made  I put on a fashion show for the whole school! My interest in the business of fashion developed as I got a bit older. I knew that this side of the industry would be a good fit for me and so I decided to become a buyer.

What does your typical working day entail?

The best part about my role is how diverse my working day can be. No two days are ever the same. As buying director, I am responsible for setting the direction and budgets for each season. For several months of the year I travel alongside my team (Paris, Milan and New York) so those days are spent going to shows and showroom appointments, and writing orders. When in the office we work across all departments, including retail, editorial, press, online, merchandising, to drive sales and maximise opportunities for a successful season. Its a collaborative working environment which is fast-paced and very dynamic.

Photographed by Claire Pepper

What are the key criteria for choosing something you think might become a bestseller?

A lot of it is instinct, which is fine tuned over time. Similarly, Ive also developed an understanding of what works in the market. The thing thats so great about our customer is that shes so savvy and knows so much about fashion. Shes open to new things but already has such a strong sense of what shes looking for and what interests and appeals to her. Finding new things is whats often challenging in our role, but its also one of the most thrilling parts of my job. Maryam Nassir Zadeh, for example, is a new brand to Browns this season. We noticed a girl wearing her Roberta pump while on a buying trip and knew immediately that they would be a hit after so many seasons of flats. We introduced this style to the UK as an exclusive stockist and they were an instant sell-out.

Story continues

How would you describe the Browns customer and how do they differ to other leading fashion stores in London?

Browns is for the woman who loves fashion but at the same time wants to be an individual, at any age. Being a boutique gives us the advantage of being really targeted  we offer a specific, edited point of view which stands us apart. We offer our customer an edit of all of the biggest international brands and the most exciting new designers on the market. Browns also has such amazing heritage, with a history of championing new talent and being the first to support new designers. Both in-store and online, Browns is the destination for those seeking the best in fashion.

Photographed by Claire Pepper

Do you think the way the fashion industry operates needs to change drastically? Since you started out how have things changed for the better and worse?

One of the biggest challenges in the fashion industry is its sheer scale! There are so many brands to see and one of the hardest parts of my role is not having the time to see everything. Whats really interesting to me is how educated customers are nowadays about the fashion industry. People are so excited about and interested in fashion. Our customers are so aware and involved and its very satisfying to bring new things to the Browns audience and see them do well.

What would be your advice to someone starting out?

It really depends on what you want to do, but I would advise anyone looking to make a start in the industry to start by getting a job in retail and spending time on the shop floor. The opportunity to have direct contact with customers is invaluable. Internships are also crucial  they are a great way to gain insight into what happens in fashion offices. Building your understanding of the business side of fashion is extremely important.

Photographed by Claire Pepper

Who are your favourite emerging designers and why?

Molly Goddard has quickly established herself as the new go-to dressmaker in London. Y PROJECT is also a fast-emerging brand that were particularly excited about. As the evolution of streetwear progresses, this brand is the new name in cool.

What are your favourite pieces and trends for this season?

In terms of ready-to-wear, separates continue to be really key this season. The new key piece for spring is the new statement top, the cold shoulder being one of the key looks. Look to Ellery and Rosie Assoulin for some of the most covetable options. Footwear continues to be an important category for us  were offering 452 styles this season! Its all about the flat and the block heel. The Gucci loafer is without doubt the must-have spring shoe  its a revived classic. Dorateymurs flat loafer, which were stocking in black and white, is a great alternative for those looking for something a little different. Maryam Nassir Zadehs Roberta pump (exclusive to Browns this season) has also fast become a favourite of mine for SS16. The next style to snap-up from Maryam is the Sophie. The patent slide sandal, available in pastel pink and baby blue, is destined to be a sell-out.

Follow Browns Fashion on Instagram @brownsfashion

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Nikhil Puthran

Indian automaker Mahindra had been receiving constant feedback on the TUV300. Most customers reported that the compact SUV felt a little underpowered, especially while driving on the highways. Taking a note of it, the company plans to borrow the more powerful mHawk100 engine from the recently launched NuvoSport, to power the TUV300.



Under the hood, the currently sold Mahindra TUV300 is powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder mHawk80 diesel engine, which puts out 84bhp power and 230Nm torque. In competition to rivals who offer cars with over 90bhp power outputs, the TUV300 does feel the lag. With a planned upgrade, the new TUV300 will be powered by the 1.5-litre mHawk100, which puts out 100bhp of power and 240Nm of peak torque. The upgraded TUV 300 will continue to be offered in manual and AMT options.



Except for a new badge, the upgraded TUV300 is not expected to get any feature or cosmetic upgrade for now. Given the presence of a more powerful engine in place, we can expect to witness a slight dip in fuel efficiency. The one on sale currently claims to return a fuel efficiency figure of 18.47 kmpl. On the pricing aspect, no hike is expected as of now and is expected to continue between Rs 7.37  Rs 9.64 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi).

For more news,reviews,videos and information about cars, visit CarWale.com.

Check On-Road Prices | Find New Cars | Upcoming Cars | Compare Cars | Dealer Locator
(Thinkstock file photo)



A man on trial for raping a woman three times in 20 minutes has pleaded guilty a day after claiming that he could not remember what he did.

Lim Choon Beng, 30, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (4 May) to two counts of rape, one count of aggravated outrage of modesty and one count of sexual assault. Lim had earlier claimed trial to seven charges, including three counts of rape.

After drinking at Robertson Quay on 9 Feb 2013, Lim approached and raped the victim, a 24-year-old Chinese national on a grass patch in front of the Watermark condominium. He then took her to Rodyk Street and struck her head against a wall at another condominium before raping her a second time.

A security guard at the nearby Inspira condominium called the police when she saw Lim on top of the victim.

The victim tried to flee, but Lim held her back, saying he wanted to bring her home. The victim suggested to Lim to walk to her home, where she intended to alert a security guard.

When they were at River Valley Close, Lim pinned her to the ground and raped her a third time. He also forced her to perform oral sex on him.

The victim ran away while he was putting on his jeans. She managed to stop a car and asked the driver to take her to a police station. She also called a friend who called the police, and told her to return to River Valley Close. The drive could not find her way back, so the victim took a taxi and the driver followed behind.

Arriving at River Valley Close, the victim saw police officers with Lim, and identified him as the person who raped her.

Lim faces up to 20 years jail and caning and/or a fine for each count of rape.
A man detained by Chinese authorities without trial for two years has launched what supporters say is a risky hunger strike to protest his ongoing incarceration.

Radio Free Asia reports that Yu Shiwen has begun refusing food and plans to go without eating for one month leading up to June 4, which this year will be the 27th anniversary of the day Chinese security forces opened fire on peaceful pro-democracy protesters in the center of Beijing.

Yu was caught up in a May 2014 crackdown against those planning to mark the quarter-century anniversary of the massacre. He has been held since then charged with picking quarrels and stirring up trouble by a court in central Chinas Henan province, but supporters say his case has been repeatedly delayed.

The activists wife  Chen Wei, a fellow veteran of Chinas pro-democracy movement  and his lawyer both raised concerns that Yus already ailing health would be put at risk by the hunger strike.

He wants to go on hunger strike for a month, until June 4, but Im not sure his health can stand it, lawyer Ma Lianshun told RFA.

[RFA]
Mana's Fher Olvera and Alex Gonzalez took part in the 'Latino Talks' panel in Washington D.C. on Wednesday (May 4), where they talked about the musicians who inspired them to become social activists, the importance of the Latino vote and why they decided to name their upcoming tour Latino Power Tour.

From the beginning of their career as a rock band in Mexico, Mana took a cue from other artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley and U2 who were speaking out on social issues. "When we started as a band and saw people that inspired us like The Beatles, Bob Marley, U2 and Springsteen, all these artists who were all very vocal about social issues ... They inspired us to speak out and once we became famous in our country, we first talked about the problems that were happening in Mexico. As we traveled to different parts of the world, we noticed other things. It's not about being an artist or a dentist or an architect, at the end of the day we're human beings, we have to be active and not keep our mouth shut," explained Gonzalez during the discussion moderated by actress and activist Eva Longoria.

"It's incredible to see how everyday so many Latinos are achieving so many amazing things in all different levels; sports, arts, politics, the list can go on and on," added Gonzalez as he went on to explain how the Latino Power Tour, which kicks off Sept. 9 in San Diego, came about. "We've been very attached to the Latino community in the U.S and we've seen how it's grown. This tour is about celebrating all the contributions that Latinos have made in this country."

Check out the complete discussion below:

Mana will perform at the White House this afternoon as part of the presidential Cinco de Mayo festivities.
By Saikat Chatterjee

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong is conducting a multi-pronged customs, shipping and financial sector crackdown against so-called fake trade invoicing that allows billions of dollars of capital to leave China illegally.

Hong Kong's central bank told Reuters it has beefed up its scrutiny of banks' trade financing operations, while customs officials are doing more random checks on shipments crossing border posts and conducting raids on warehouses to ensure the authenticity of goods, senior officials working in shipping, logistics and banking said. The head of a logistics company said surprise customs inspections at Hong Kong border posts had doubled.

The sources declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the issues.

They said the increased efforts began this year and reflected concerns about billions of dollars in illicit cash authorities suspect are being channelled through Hong Kong following a stock market crash in China last year.

"Examinations and investigations reflect one of the strongest trends we are seeing now in the financial sector," said Urszula McCormack, a partner at law firm King & Wood Mallesons, which helped co-author a report published by The Hong Kong Association of Banks in February that highlighted shipping as a sector where fake invoicing can thrive.

"(Hong Kong) regulators are now in enforcement mode."

China has become increasingly concerned about capital outflows since the middle of last year when Chinese rushed to get money offshore for safekeeping or to invest following the stock market slump and unexpected yuan devaluation.

Hong Kong is the most popular route, analysts say, because of its proximity to China.

Chinese authorities have tried to staunch the outflows by tightening cross-border investment quotas, stepping up enforcement action of existing rules and restricting residents from buying financial products, such as insurance policies, offered in Hong Kong. But the trade channel had largely been left untouched given the complexity and magnitude of transactions involved.

Story continues

A record net $674 billion left China last year, the International Institute of Finance estimates. A further $175 billion left China in the first quarter. China had been a long-term net importer of dollars.

While capital flows reflect legitimate business, analysts say the gap between trade figures reported by China and by Hong Kong for the same goods shows how imports and exports are being used to spirit cash offshore.

In December, for example, the gap between Chinese imports from Hong Kong and Hong Kong's exports to China - a rough indicator of capital flowing through trade - surged to a record $1.9 billion, which many economists attributed to falsifying trade invoices.

The December figures show that one dollar in every 10 of exports from Hong Kong to China may have been falsified to skirt China's capital controls, Thomson Reuters calculations show.

By March, the gap was still a relatively large $1.4 billion.

The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department said it was looking into the disparity between the trade figures in coordination with local and Chinese authorities. It said it would "continue to maintain vigilance over the latest trends of money laundering".

China's General Administration for Customs didn't respond to faxed questions.

The most popular way to fake invoices involves overstating the value of imports into China or under-stating the value of exports. A Chinese company could export goods to its Hong Kong subsidiary worth $100 each, but invoice the export at $80 each. The Hong Kong subsidiary sells them for $100 each and parks the profit in an offshore bank account.

The goods involved often lack an obvious value, such as jewellery or electronic components, making it difficult for customs officials or banks to spot a fake transaction.

"DETER AND DETECT"

Hong Kong's de facto central bank, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), has increased the number of onsite inspections and asked banks to strengthen trade financing surveillance since the end of 2015, two bankers said.

"The HKMA has over the past years taken steps to require banks to implement better systems and controls to deter and detect suspicious transactions," Stewart McGlynn, the head of HKMA's anti-money laundering and financial crime risk said, referring to a doubling of suspicious transactions reported by banks to nearly 35,000 last year, compared with 2011.

China launched a nationwide operation called "Nation's Blade" in February to counter fake trade invoicing, tax evasion and smuggling. In the southwestern province of Yunnan, 459 cases are being investigated involving products worth around 30 million yuan, China media reported.

"Recently, there have been a lot of customs inspections with perhaps a 50 percent increase at times," said Alex Chen, a Shenzhen-based official at a customs brokerage firm, referring to Chinese customs actions. "Lots of people are being caught under the latest operation and many have been fined as well."

Trade sources said the crackdown is also being seen in other ways.

"Ever since the capital outflow problems, it has become very difficult to interact with the Chinese customs (officials)," said the head of logistics at a Hong Kong firm.

"Companies on both sides of the border would take them out for wining and dining (before) ... But now they don't want to be seen with us."

(Additional reporting by Michelle Chen, Stella Tsang, James Pomfret and Clare Baldwin; Editing by Neil Fullick)
mark cuban

Billionaire business mogul Mark Cuban told Fox News on Wednesday that Donald Trump was going to have to run "the Seinfeld campaign."

"It's going to be the campaign about nothing," he told host Neil Cavuto, using a play on how the sitcom is often described.

Cuban said he did not know whether he would be voting for Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, or Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. But he said Trump's near-certain nomination was proof of how "tribal" the nation had become.

"I don't even think we're partisan anymore," he said. "I think we're tribal, and Donald's got that 'What about me?' tribe behind him."

Cuban thinks Trump has a shot at winning the election, he said, because he identified a formula early in the campaign that has already proved successful.

"Donald recognized early on that it's not about issues at all  a lot of people could care less," Cuban said. "All they care about is, 'What are you going to do for me?' And Donald addressed immigration, he addressed trade, he addressed all these things. No substance whatsoever. But he said to people who were concerned about themselves: 'I can fix it.'"

Cuban said last summer that he would consider being Trump's vice president should the mogul ask him. But he told Cavuto that the best choice Trump could make would be an experienced politician, such as former House Speaker John Boehner.

"It's going to be a Seinfeld campaign," Cuban repeated. "The more Donald talks about issues, the more it plays into Hillary and the more the eyes of his 'What about me?' tribe glazes over. They don't pay attention to it. He picked up on that early on, and that was brilliant of him."

Watch Cuban's full interview below:

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Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said that she expects that the outrageously imbalanced news media coverage of Donald Trump will begin to even out as the race heads to the general election.

In an interview with Variety on Wednesday, Wasserman Schultz said that the general election will present a different dynamic because it will be a head-to-head matchup, versus the GOP primary when Trump dominated coverage against 16 other opponents.

She said that the DNC will be pushing for accountability when it comes to the medias coverage of this campaign from our perspective. The opportunities should be essentially even, and so it is my hope and our expectation that the coverage would begin to even out, and you not allow what they allowed to play out during the primary. And I expect that they will be more responsible about it than they have.

Analytics firm MediaQuant valued Trumps earned media coverage at $2.8 billion, compared to $1.2 billion for Hillary Clinton, $770.7 million for Ted Cruz and $658 million for Bernie Sanders. The figures are for 12 months ended April 30. The Trump coverage, she said, has kind of been outrageously imbalanced.

Still, Wasserman Schultz said that it was not for us to dictate whether news networks conduct phone interviews with Trump, as opposed to in-studio or on camera interviews. Clinton has conducted phoners too, but news networks have been criticized for the extent to which they have featured Trump by audio only.

I am just talking about the coverage needs to be balanced, and they cant just focus on ratings, and they need to focus on making sure that they present a fair opportunity that is presented to them without being mindful that there is a candidate on the other side, she said.

Wasserman Schultz was at the headquarters of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, the day after Trump trounced Cruz in the Indiana primary and Cruz dropped out. Trumps remaining rival, John Kasich, abandoned his bid on Wednesday, making Trump the presumptive nominee.

Story continues

Wasserman Schultz called Trump an abomination.

Donald Trump is the Republican party, Wasserman Schultz said. So any comparison of Donald Trump being able to vanquish his opponents in the primary to he general election are really completely comparing apples and oranges. Donald Trumps success has proven that this is where the Republican party of today is. They are right wing and extreme. They support misogyny. They are willing to support the most bigoted, sexist, misogynistic bully that has campaigned for the presidency in modern times. And that certainly is not where a majority of Americans are.

Still, she said that she agrees with pundits and analysts who say that Trump should not be underestimated.

We are a divided nation, she said. We are going to take this election very seriously, unlike Republicans, who laughed Donald Trump off for far too long. We have been assuming for many months that he would be their nominee, have been preparing for him to be their nominee, and we will be running this election as if it were a down-to-the-wire close election.

The race between Clinton and Sanders has gotten heated, while the expectation had been that the Democrats would wrap up their primary race before the Republicans did. Instead, Sanders won Indianas primary, although it didnt put much of a dent in Clintons delegate lead.

Wasserman Schultz said that she was confident of party unity.

On our side, compared to 2008, this is a relatively tame back and forth, Wasserman Schultz said. Go back and watch some of the acrimony between Obama and Clinton at this point. The election was much closer, and you had a lot more acrimony. Surrogates were on TV trashing the other. And not only did we reunify even though it played out through the primaries, President Obama eventually asked Senator Clinton to be his secretary of state.

Wasserman Schultz said that she has cautioned the candidates at this stage of the campaign to be mindful of tone, but she also noted that each candidate has vowed to support the other in the general election.

Instead, she said that it is Republicans who have a real problem with unity based on sentiments expressed by some conservatives on social media who say they will never back Trump.

She said that they would be reaching out to Republicans to support the Democratic nominee.

There are a number coming out publicly on their own, she said. We always do, but we see many more than usual on the Republican side who are actually saying they will not only go to the polls and vote for our candidate but will be willing to work for our candidate.

She predicted that there will be more voter interest in the Democratic National Convention than the Republican gathering, which she said is going to be a circus.

They are about to nominate the most extreme, racist, sexist, bigoted, misogynist in modern times, she said. So watching their convention play out will be more like watching a train wreck. You shouldnt do it, but you cant help yourself.

She added, If you look comparatively at 2012, the Republican National Convention, with a so-called establishment nominee, ended with Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair. She said that this years DNC will be such a clear and stark contrast about the choice that voters will have in being able to move us forward and focus on the future or be dragged backwards and worse.

Wasserman Schultz said that she expected the electoral map to look like it did in 2012, although she pointed to demographic shifts and expected turnout from voters alarmed at the prospect of Trump being elected. Although California is reliably blue, she pointed to 14,000 new Democrats registered in Orange County, a traditional conservative bastion.

They are generating interest on our side simply because of how badly [the Republicans] are alienating large groups of voters, she said.

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By Megan Rowling BARCELONA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Medecins Sans Frontieres is pulling out of the first ever World Humanitarian Summit, saying the U.N.-sponsored meeting will not hold states to account for their role in conflicts or pressure them to abide by the laws of war. The May 23-24 gathering in Istanbul represents a missed opportunity in that it will only voluntary commitments from governments and aid agencies to improve emergency response and reduce humanitarian needs, MSF said on Thursday. "We no longer have any hope that the World Humanitarian Summit will address the weaknesses in humanitarian action and emergency response, particularly in conflict areas or epidemic situations," said the international medical charity, also known as Doctors Without Borders. "The summit neglects to reinforce the obligations of states to uphold and implement the humanitarian and refugee laws which they have signed up to," it said in a statement. On Tuesday, MSF slammed four of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for ties to attacks on hospitals in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan as the council demanded an end to such strikes. Sandrine Tiller, MSF UK program advisor on humanitarian issues, said U.N. organizers of the summit had "let states off the hook" by asking only that they make non-binding commitments, putting them on the same level as less powerful non-governmental organizations and U.N. agencies. "As shocking violations of international humanitarian law and refugee rights continue on a daily basis ... participants will be pressed to a consensus on non-specific, good intentions to 'uphold norms' and 'end needs'," the MSF statement said. "The summit has become a fig-leaf of good intentions, allowing these systematic violations, by states above all, to be ignored." Herve Verhoosel, spokesman for the World Humanitarian Summit, which is led by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said MSF's decision was "disappointing". The summit is an opportunity to call for greater political will to prevent and end conflict, push for International Humanitarian Law to be implemented, protect civilians and health workers, and gain unimpeded humanitarian access, he said. "These are all vital subjects on which MSF traditionally presents a strong and influential voice," he added. GOVERNMENTS STAYING AWAY? The withdrawal of MSF, which took part in extensive consultations leading up to the summit, adds to doubts about the meeting's impact. Questions have been raised about the level of government interest. Earlier this week, the head of OCHA, Stephen O'Brien, told media 80 countries out of around 195 U.N. member states had said they would participate so far, with 45 of those sending heads of government. Verhoosel said the number of countries attending is rising daily, with an expectation it will reach around 120. MSF's Tiller told the Thomson Reuters Foundation the summit had been organized in "quite a shambolic way". She said it was putting too much emphasis on how to reduce aid needs through longer-term solutions rather than dealing better with urgent crises, such as the millions displaced by the war in Syria. There was a sense that the humanitarian summit "is looking in the other direction, towards development issues, and not focusing on the real emergencies on the doorstep", she added. Christina Bennett, a research fellow with the London-based Overseas Development Institute, said MSF's no-show at the summit should act as a catalyst for other humanitarian groups to push for stronger commitments from states to respect the laws of war, as well as other reforms they want to see. There should also be a clear process for making sure promises made at the conference are kept, Bennett said. "Hope is not a strategy," she added. (Reporting by Megan Rowling; editing by Katie Nguyen. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
Black Panther under fire in Captain America: Civil War (Image: Disney/Marvel)

We have a character  the Black Panther  that theyre going to do as movie. I think hell be very popular.

That was what Stan Lee told me a year ago when talking about his roster of classic comic-book characters being adapted to the big screen. This week, Black Panther makes a spectacular entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: Civil War. Played by Chadwick Boseman (42, Get On Up), Black Panther is the formidable alter ego of TChalla, prince of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. He is a compassionate diplomat with a righteous streak who inherits the mantle of the Panther from his father, King TChaka, and becomes a key ally of Iron Man in the confrontation between Avengers factions.

Panther joins Team Iron Man in Civil War (Photo: Disney/Marvel)

While Panther might be new to casual fans, the character is considered an iconic figure in comics history, whos in the midst of a renaissance as he marks his 50th anniversary. With the hero playing such a key role in Civil War and with his own stand-alone film looming in February 2018, its worth taking a brief look at TChallas curriculum vitae with insight from those who know him best.

Created by Lee and illustrator Jack Kirby, Black Panther was the first mainstream black superhero, debuting before Falcon or Luke Power Man" Cage. I had some super characters before [that were black], but the Black Panther was the first one we devoted an entire book to, Lee recalled. He first appeared in Fantastic Four and then he became an Avenger. Then we gave him his own book.

Billed, in typical Lee understatement, as the surprise sensation of the century, TChalla made his Marvel premiere in issue 52 of Fantastic Four in July 1966. He immediately established himself as one of the great intellects in Marvel-dom, matching wits with fellow brain Mr. Fantastic by putting the superhero quartet through a series of tests before deeming them worthy.

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Black Panther makes his Marvel debut in 1966 (Image: Marvel)

The Panther would eventually split his time between his homeland of Wakanda and his work alongside the Avengers. At one point, Black Panther became Black Leopard to avoid confusion with the nascent political party, which launched five months after the Panther appeared on the scene. (The Black Panthers name was completely coincidental and not based on the character.) But the new moniker didnt stick because, according to Lee, fans and writers preferred Panther.



Those early comic books teased out the heros origin. The hidden country of Wakanda is ruled by TChaka and is the sole source of the prized metal Vibranium, the super-stuff Captain Americas shield is made out of. The sinister Ulysses Klaw murders the king in an attempt to score the precious element, but is driven off by the teenaged TChalla. The heir passes a series of tests to become the new Black Panther, wearing the signature black costume with the ritual toothed necklace and gaining possession of a special herb that enhances his already preternatural cat-like abilities. Under TChallas rule, Wakanda flourishes and becomes an advanced technological society.



Vintage Avengers reveals Panthers origin (Image: Marvel)

Civil War offers a new take on that tale. TChalla and TChaka (John Kani) are introduced as diplomats caught in a terrorist bombing. An aggrieved TChalla sets out for revenge against the presumed perpetrator, the Winter Soldier. During the course of the film, Panther assumes a pivotal role, proving his ferocity and tenacity in battle, while also sussing out the real story behind the attacks.



Theres a mystery. He should be unpredictable, Boseman explained to Yahoo Movies. Theres an embodiment of an animal spirit.

The filmmakers decided to include Black Panthers streamlined origin in Civil War rather than save it for the solo film, which will be directed by Ryan Coogler (Creed).

Did we want to introduce Black Panther in this movie or leave it for the Black Panther movie? You get a lot of good stuff out of just plain old TChalla, co-screenwriter Christopher Markus explained to Yahoo of the decision-making process. We were like, Well, we have a guy who owns a superhero costume, lets have him put it on. So it wasnt so much that we didnt want [Black Panther]  its how much of this are we going to burn off in one movie? Fellow scribe Stephen McFeely continued: In retrospect, I think its a great idea. Black Panther was always going to do very well. But I think a lot of people will be very excited because hes already been presented in a movie that they were going to see.

Black Panther concept art with original release date was November 2017 (Image: Disney/Marvel)



Now you can jump past Black Panthers origin story, added Markus. You need to know where the powers come from and all that stuff. But it would be great to hit the ground running with these things rather than, A young boy was hit with a meteorite, and then 10 years later

Aside from TChalla, Civil War also introduces the character of Everett K. Ross, played by Martin Freeman. Freeman has said that he will be appearing in future Marvel movies and Black Panther makes perfect sense: In the comics, Ross is a U.S. government official who becomes a key ally of TChalla. We have also seen another potential Black Panther player in Andy Serkiss Ulysses Klaue, the sketchy guy who provides Vibranium to Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Though spelled differently, Klaue could serve a similar adversarial role as Klaw in the comics, even though the movie version wont be responsible for the death of TChaka.

Andy Serkis as Klaue in Age of Ultron (Photo: Disney/Marvel)

While TChalla hones his cinematic chops, Marvel is busy building up his pop-culture profile. The publisher recruited MacArthur Genius and National Book Award winner Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) to write a new Black Panther comic, illustrated by Brian Stelfreeze, which debuted last month to much fanfare and blockbuster sales.

The cover of the new Black Panther No. 1 (Image: Marvel)

Marvels corporate parent, Disney, has also been ramping up the merchandising, launching all sorts of Panther-themed toys, apparel, and collectibles.

Black Panther merchandise (Photos: Disney Consumer Products)

As Coates said last month: It really is an honor to be writing King T'Challa. Add to that the masterful performance by Chadwick Boseman as the ruler of Wakanda and it really feels like this is Black Panthers time.

Watch Chadwick Boseman explain Black Panthers fighting style:
Rome (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged European leaders to protect EU borders or risk a "return to nationalism" as the continent battles its worst migration crisis since World War II.

As Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi kicked off two days of talks in Rome with Merkel and senior EU officials, the German leader said Europe must defend its borders "from the Mediterranean to the North Pole" or suffer the political consequences.

Support for far-right and anti-immigrant parties is on the rise in several countries on the continent which saw more than a million people arrive on its shores last year.

In Austria, Norbert Hofer of the far-right Freedom Party is expected to win a presidential run-off on May 22 after romping to victory in the first round on an anti-immigration platform.

Merkel told a press conference with Renzi that Europe's cherished freedom of movement is at threat, with ramped-up border controls in response to the crisis raising questions over whether the passport-free Schengen zone can survive.

- Africa plan -

With over 28,500 migrants arriving since January 1, Italy has once again become the principal entry point for migrants arriving in Europe, following a controversial EU-Turkey deal and the closure of the Balkan route up from Greece.

In previous years, many migrants landing in Italy have headed on to other countries -- but with Austria planning to reinstate border controls at the Brenner pass in the Alps, a key transport corridor, Rome fears it could be stuck hosting masses of new arrivals.

Renzi lashed out at Austria on Thursday, describing Vienna's position as "anachronistic".

"This is the wrong attitude even if there is a migrant crisis," he said.

Italy is pushing for NATO naval patrols off Libya in time for the summer people-smuggling season, and a deal with Libya on the model just concluded with Turkey.

On Thursday, Renzi stressed the need for "a strategy for Africa" to stem the influx from there.

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He wants EU aid for African countries that have seen large numbers of migrants set off, in a bid to lessen the poverty that drives many of them to leave home.

"The important thing is to invest in Africa," Renzi said.

But he added that Germany and Italy were in disagreement over how to fund the plan, with Germany against using eurobonds to offer finance to African countries.

- Pope to host talks -

Renzi also hosted European Commission leader Jean-Claude Juncker, EU President Donald Tusk and European Parliament chief Martin Schulz at a debate about the state of Europe on Thursday.

During the discussion, Tusk said the notion of a "fortress" Europe was "absurd", but that the EU had to protect its external borders if it wanted citizens to feel safe. He added that the idea of a single European state was "an illusion".

On Friday, Pope Francis -- who has blasted Western society for its indifference to refugees -- will meet with the European leaders.

Merkel, whose country took in more than a million asylum-seekers last year, on Thursday insisted on the need to "respect the human dignity" of immigrants and to "share the burden" of the influx.

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, in an interview with AFP, took a stance unusual among Central and Eastern European leaders in agreeing with her.

He pledged to accept Bulgaria's quota of 1,200 asylum-seekers under an EU plan, saying: "It does not matter if it is 1,200 or 2,000 people -- we have taken a commitment to accept them."

In Austria, far-right presidential candidate Hofer was meanwhile attempting to woo more mainstream voters by saying he believed it was possible to integrate migrants.

"I think that if we do everything we can to make sure the people who are already in Austria integrate themselves, it's still possible," he told APA news agency.
Michael Moore Kevin Winter Getty

Michael Moore has always been known as the face of his own movies.

For his popular documentaries Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine, which won him an Oscar, he traveled the country plugging his work in countless media outlets.

But for his latest movie, Where to Invade Next, the face of the movie has hardly been seen.

Moore was taken to the intensive care unit at a hospital in New York City after coming down with pneumonia on February 5, a week before the film hit theaters, and was unable to tour with the film after that.

Though the movie is the highest-grossing documentary of the year so far in the US, with close to $4 million earned to date, its not taking in the kind of money that his previous hits have.

Moore sold the film at the Toronto International Film Festival last September to a startup distributor run by Tom Quinn and Jason Janego, who had left The Weinstein Company's VOD arm, Radius, to go out on their own.

The yet-unnamed company, which is also run by Alamo Drafthouses Tim League, has only bought Where to Invade Next to date. It's been mum to the press on its plans going forward.

I spoke with Moore on Thursday in promotion of the Blu-ray release of Where to Invade Next (available May 10), and asked the filmmaker about his thoughts on the company that released the film.

Do you know the name of the company? Moore said.

When I said that I didn't know if it had one yet, he responded, Hm, so maybe youve answered your question. There is no phone number for this unnamed company. Theres no address. I dont think there was even a payroll. I think everything was contracted out to freelancers, he said.

Michael Moore Tom Quinn Jason Janego Getty Kevin Winter

When asked if he felt Quinn and Janego overpromised what they could do for the film, Moore said, I'm not prepared to talk about this right now. I think it needs some time and some investigation and when I have it all before me I'll have something.

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"I will say this, Tom Quinn and Jason Janego seem to be good and decent people," Moore continued. "I didn't know them before this transpired. But they certainly have a good track record, but honest to God I can't answer your question because I honestly don't know if there is a company, was a company, what they're doing now. And that's a different story for a different day.

Quinn, however, told Business Insider that he loves the movie and is proud of the work he and his company did to make it the top-grossing documnetary of the year so far.

There is no smoking gun, its an issue-driven movie, and I think Micheal Moore doing that kind of movie was interesting, Quinn said. Thats why I bought it.

Moore has been known throughout his career to be tough on his distributors. He even sued the head of the distribution company behind the release of Fahrenheit 9/11, Harvey Weinstein, over profits for the movie.

The company releasing Where to Invade Next certainly seemed to be planning a signature Michael Moore release, including a 50-state bus tour.

But while pictures of the bus surfaced on social media, the tour never happened. When asked why, Moore told BI, Like I said before, I'm not ready to talk about this right now. I saw the same picture and it looks like a nice bus.

Quinn said of the canceled tour, He got sick. We had two buses. Unfortunately he couldn't do it, because of his health issues.

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By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - The Michigan House of Representatives approved on Thursday a $500 million spending package for Detroit schools, which could run out of money to pay employees at the end of June. The legislation, which still needs approvals from the state Senate and Governor Rick Snyder, was passed early Thursday morning after hundreds of Detroit teachers called in sick over paycheck concerns, a move that closed nearly all of the district's 97 schools on Monday and Tuesday. Detroit school teachers returned to their classrooms on Wednesday following the "sick-out" after receiving assurances from officials that they will be paid for their work. The Detroit public school system, or DPS, with nearly 46,000 students, has been under state control since 2009 because of a financial emergency. "This is the right plan to fix Detroit's schools and give the city a good, working school system for the long-term," said House Speaker Kevin Cotter in a statement. DPS, the state's largest public school system, will run out of money to pay employees after the fiscal year ends on June 30, the school system's state-appointed transition manager, former federal bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes, has said. The spending package, which provides $500 million in aid to the school district, is less than the $715 million requested by Republican Governor Rick Snyder and approved by the Republican-controlled Senate as part of a different plan. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Gareth Jones)
May 5 (Reuters) - The following financial services industry appointments were announced on Thursday. To inform us of other job changes, email moves@thomsonreuters.com.

STANDARD CHARTERED

Standard Chartered has appointed Aaron Gwak as head of capital markets for the ASEAN region, effective June 1.

AVIVA PLC

Aviva Investors, Aviva's asset management unit, appointed Florian de Chaisemartin as a director in its London-based infrastructure debt team.

ADVENT INTERNATIONAL

The private equity investor named former chief executive of Baloise Group, Martin Strobel, as an operating partner.

IFM INVESTORS

The fund manager appointed Rich Randall as global head of debt investments, replacing Robin Miller.

VENTUREFOUNDERS

The UK-based equity investment firm appointed Vanessa Cowling to the newly-created position of general counsel to run its legal and compliance businesses.

(Compiled by Manish Parashar in Bengaluru)
During the networks coverage of Donald Trumps Indiana primary victory speech, MSNBCs Chris Matthews was caught on a live microphone commenting on the appearance of Melania Trump, the Republican nominees wife.

Did you see her walk? Runway walk. My God is that good, Matthews said.

It appeared that the 70-year-old Hardball host wasnt aware his comments were being broadcast. I could watch that runway show, he added.

Brian Williams, who was co-anchoring the coverage of Trumps victory, quickly cut to a commercial break. MNSBC declined to comment to Variety about the incident.

The MSNBC host has been highly critical of the GOP candidates sexist policies and lack of respect for womens rights.

Before Melania married Trump, she was a supermodel, and now runs her own jewelry empire.

A spokesperson for Melania Trump told Variety exclusively, Melania Trump is an accomplished businesswoman and entrepreneur in her own right, achieving tremendous success in a variety of industries, including an illustrious modeling career, as well as being a dedicated wife and mother. It is unfortunate to see the continuous inaccuracies and misrepresentations made by the media of Mrs. Trump as anything less than the independently successful woman that she is.

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The pundit has been accused of sounding sexist on live television many times before. Heres a look at some of his sexually regressive greatest hits.

(1) March 5, 2016: Hillary Clintons Public Speaking Style

During Hillary Clintons Super Saturday speech in Detroit, Matthews led a discussion with two male pundits on Clintons speaking style, and discussed how she would benefit from a more conversational tone, like Trump. One of the trickier things to teach people about public speaking is that the microphone works. You dont have to actually yell and you can do conversational tones, one pundit opined. Matthews knew how three men discussing a female candidates style might sound, but continued: Its got nothing to do with gender, its technique damnit, its not personality or character. I watched her the other night and I thought she was very good and I said so. I know we are not talking about Trumps politics. We are talking about Trumps method. He is very good. He says a line, and he basks in it. He says another line, and he basks in it.

(2) June 1, 2011: Attributes Sarah Palins Success to Her Attractiveness



In the summer of 2011, during Alaska Governor Sarah Palins meteoric rise in the Republican party Matthews convened an all male panel to discuss why Sarah Palin could not be hotter as a candidate. In explaining her popularity, the anchor seemed to attribute her success to her looks. By the way, theres something about her. Its primordial, Matthews said. When she walks and moves, theres something electric about it. That she doesnt do on television with Roger Ailes sitting in that booth in Wasilla. Look at, theres something. Other candidates dont do this. Shes constantly in motion. She looks, obviously, very attractive. Shes doing something that works. If Mitt Romney was doing the same exact thing. This is whats going on here.

(3) January 9, 2008: Argues Hillary Clinton Is Successful Because Bill Clinton Messed Around

Speaking on MSNBCs Morning Joe, Matthews credited said she appealed to voters as a suffering wife, I think the Hillary appeal has always been somewhat about her mix of toughness and sympathy for her. Lets not forget the reason she is a U.S. Senator, the reason she is a candidate for President is because her husband messed around. We keep forgetting it. She didnt get there on her merits, because everyone felt, My God, this woman stood up under humiliation. Right? Thats what happened. Matthews later apologized and admitted he sounded nasty.

(4) December 4, 2007: Compares Clinton to Nurse Ratched

In 2007, during the fierce Democratic primary battle, on MSNBCs Hardball Matthews asked viewers if Hillary Clinton reminded anyone of the cold, heartless antagonist in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, when she went on the offensive against Obama. Does her attack on [Sen. Barack Obama] for having ambition as a teeny-bopper  not a teeny-bopper, a kindergartner, does she look like Nurse Ratched here?

(5) September 27, 2007: Asks former Sen. Chris Dodd If it Was Hard to Debate a Woman, Says Bill Had Her on a Short Leash

During MSNBCs analysis of the Democratic debate, Matthews asked guest then Senator Chris Dodd about his experience debating then Senator Clinton. Do you find it difficult to debate a woman? Matthews asked. Not at all, Dodd responded. The conversation continued, and Matthews told Tim Russert, Bill Clinton had Hillary under his thumb. Let me tell you how short Hillarys leash is. She was asked by you, sir, about whether were going to get full disclosure of contributors to presidential libraries. And she did not feel that she had the latitude in her husbands absence to give you an answer. She said, youll have to ask my husband, as if youre a guy going door to door trying to sell someone and says youll have to wait for my husband to get home.

(6) August 10, 2007: Called Erin Burnett a Knockout During a Financial News Segment

During a discussion of business news on MSNBCs Hardball Matthews asked Erin Burnett for a close-up. Could you get a little closer to the camera? Come on in closer. No, come in  come in further  come in closer. Really close, Matthews said. As Burnett began to move closer to the camera, Matthews responded. Just kidding! Matthews responded. You look great! Anyway, thanks. Erin, its great tolook at that look! Youre great. Youre beautiful. Im just kidding. Im just kidding. Youre a knockout. Anyway, thank you, Erin Burnett. Its all right getting bad news from you, even, OK? Thanks for coming on Hardball.'

(6) November 8, 2006: Said It Would Be Hard for a Woman to take on Job of President

During MSNBCs special election coverage Matthews commented on the victory speeches of then Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi, and said it would be hard for a woman to take on the job of President. I was thinking how hard it is for a woman to take on a job thats always been held by men, Matthews said. And it is so hard. We were watching Hillary Clinton earlier tonight. She was giving a campaign barn burner speech, which is harder to give for a woman. It can grate on some men when they listen to it, fingernails on a blackboard, perhaps. Now, heres Nancy Pelosi, who has to do the good fight against the president over issues like minimum wage and at reforming, perhaps, prescription drugs, so that people can afford drugs and get them in a program thats easier to understand. All kinds of things like shell have to go head to head with this president. How does she do it without screaming? How does she do it without becoming grating?

(7) June 13, 2005: Clinton Looks Witchy

On MSNBCs Hardball, Matthews said in criticizing the Bush administrations homeland security spending, Clinton came off witchy. I hate to say this, Matthews said. Im not going to hate to say it. Its a fact. You [Clinton] look more witchy when youre doing it like this.

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Captain America has bigger fights on his hands, but a devoted fan on Reddit recently crunched the numbers and found that the federal government would owe the (fictional) hero more than $3 million in back pay.

The U.S. Army (the real one) isnt taking that number lightly.

For those of you who dont know, Captain America is the superhero identity of Steve Rogers, a scrawny, 4-F reject from Brooklyn who volunteers to become Americas first super soldier and fight the Nazis and terrorist group Hydra during World War II. Near the end of his tour of duty, Cap was lost in the Artic and remained missing from 1945 until 2011  hence he was never discharged from the U.S. Army.

Related: Trump Wants to Add to the War on Terrors $4 Trillion Price Tag

Factoring in things like the services 1945 pay scale and biannual raises, the Reddit fan theorized that by the time the First Avenger was fished out of the ice and thawed in 2011 he was owed a little more than $3.1 million.

Thats figure is debatable, an Army spokesman told Business Insider.

"If Capt. Steve Rogers (aka Captain America) were not a fictional character and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and recovery actually real, he may actually be entitled to receive back pay," the spokesman told the site in an email.

"However, a wide variety of variables would have to be taken into consideration to actually calculate the true amount of back pay to which he would be entitled to receive; given that he is a fictional character we cannot truly capture all of those variables accurately."

Related: The Cost of the War Against ISIS: $7 Billion and Counting

The spokesman added that the Reddit math had problems: "Yes, it is correct that the O-3 (Army captain) pay grade in 1945 was $313.50; however, it was a monthly pay rate vs. quarterly as the original poster indicated.

Furthermore, the fanboy calculus failed to account for "any potential promotions that may have been bestowed upon Rogers while he was listed in a 'Missing' status."

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So the $3.1 million figure is probably low, but the Army payday still wouldnt put Cap in Tony Stark territory.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
North Korea will Friday launch its highest-level ruling party meeting in almost 40 years, with delegates set to heap praise on its nuclear arsenal as a "precious sword" amid fears of a fresh atomic test.

Leader Kim Jong-Un, who was not even born when the last Workers' Party congress was held in 1980, is expected to deliver a keynote address which will be minutely scrutinised for any policy shift or personnel changes in the governing elite.

The previous congress was staged to crown Kim's father Kim Jong-Il as heir apparent to his own father, the North's founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

While the agenda -- and even the duration -- of the event is still unknown, its main objective is widely seen as cementing Kim Jong-Un's status as supreme leader and legitimate inheritor of the Kim family's dynastic rule which spans almost seven decades.

The congress is also expected to confirm as party doctrine Kim's "byungjin" policy of pursuing nuclear weapons in tandem with economic development.

Ahead of the gathering, national and Workers' Party flags lined the broad, rainswept streets of Pyongyang, while banners carried slogans such as "Great comrades Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il will always be with us".

Another slogan stretched across the street defiantly proclaimed: "Defend the headquarters of the Korean revolution at the cost of our lives."

Since Kim took power after the death of his father in December 2011, North Korea has carried out two nuclear tests and two successful space rocket launches that were widely seen as disguised ballistic missile tests.

- Credible deterrent -

Even as the international community responded with condemnation and sanctions, Kim pressed ahead with a single-minded drive for a credible nuclear deterrent with additional missile and technical tests.

There has been widespread speculation that the congress would be preceded by another nuclear test in a gesture of strength and defiance that would allow Kim to claim genuine nuclear power status.

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Ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun this week described the nuclear arsenal as a "precious sword", and said the weapons were a "treasure of all happiness that will ensure many things in decades to come".

But the evidence of an imminent test remained inconclusive. Analysing the most recent satellite pictures of the test site at Punggye-ri, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University on Thursday said there was no clear evidence one way or the other of whether an underground test was imminent.

South Korean government officials believe the North is ready to conduct a test as soon as the order is given, and say a decision might have been taken to test during the congress, which the world's media have been invited to cover.

Officials in Seoul say they expect the event to last four days, with the opening day devoted to Kims speech and a lengthy report on the party's achievements.

Some analysts predict significant personnel changes as Kim brings in a younger generation of leaders, picked for their loyalty to him.

Preparing for the congress involved mobilising the entire country in a 70-day campaign that New York-based Human Rights Watch denounced as a mass exercise in coerced labour.
This September, a NASA spacecraft will launch towards a near-Earth asteroid, Bennu - an ancient chunk of rock which could hit Earth in 160 years time.

The OSIRIS-Rex mission will the first U.S. spacecraft to return a sample from an asteroid, after the Japanese space agency collected samples in 2010.

The mission could pave the way for an asteroid-mining industry - and could also offer crucial information on how to deflect space rocks from Earth.

Huberto Campins of the University of Florida says, Right now its not threatening Earth, but of those that could threaten Earth in the future this one could.

Whether or not the asteroid hits Earth in the late 20th century depends on the Yarkovsky effect - a tiny push from the heating of the asteroid, which gradually changes its orbit.



Edward Beshore of the University of Arizona estimates there is a 1 in 2500 chance the asteroid could hit Earth - and that the mission could offer valuable information on this.

Beshore says, Well get accurate measurements of the Yarkovsky effect on Bennu by precisely tracking OSIRIS-REx as it orbits the asteroid.

In addition, the instrument suite the spacecraft is carrying is perfectly suited to measure all the things that contribute to the Yarkovsky effect, such as composition, energy transport through the surface, temperature, and Bennus topography.
May 5 (Reuters) - News Corp, the owner of the Wall Street Journal and book publisher HarperCollins, reported its fifth drop in quarterly revenue in a row as print ad sales decline.

New York-based News Corp, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, said "currency fluctuations" also contributed to a 7.3 percent fall in the company's revenue to $1.89 billion in its third quarter.

News Corp reported a net loss available to shareholders of $149 million, or 26 cents per share, in the three months ended March 31, compared to a profit of $23 million, or 4 cents per share, a year earlier.

The company's profit was hurt by a one-time charge of $280 million at its News America Marketing business.

News Corp said in February that it had agreed to pay $280 million to resolve claims that it monopolized the market for in-store promotions at more than 50,000 retail stores across the United States.

(Reporting by Kshitiz Goliya in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr)
In the 25 years since Nickelodeon launched its animation studio, more players have entered the marketplace than ever before. And the playing field itself has expanded to include more than just television and movies, as audiences consume content on different platforms.

To keep up, Nickelodeon is reaching out to new talent through its successful Shorts Program and giving audiences small bites with its digital shorts and Web-exclusive series like Welcome to the Wayne, which proved so popular it graduated to a series on NickToons.

Everything comes down to talent development for us, says James Stephenson, senior VP of animation and games. We have a lot of different ways to do that. We have a screenwriting fellowship thats going into its 17th year. We have an artists program thats six years in. We have the Shorts Program, which is a great way to find and develop talent.

One of those talents is Chris Savino, whose new series The Loud House debuted on Nick this month, after being part of the Shorts Program.

The Shorts Program, for me, was a really smooth operation. The short was greenlit for production in March 2013 and the actual series was greenlit a year and two months later, which is very fast compared to the normal development process, Savino explains.

Savino isnt the only Shorts Program graduate to have a project become something more at Nickelodeon. Carl Faruolo, one of Varietys 10 Animators to Watch this year, will have his Shorts Program piece, Bug Salad, become a short-form digital series for Nick. In all, according to Stephenson, 47 different shorts have produced talent for the network in the last three years.

Nickelodeon is also using its Animated Shorts Program and Writing Program to mine new talent and develop content overseas. Pedro Eboli and Graham Peterson pitched their idea for a short called Monster Pack that is now being developed further as a potential series for the network. The filmmakers have been given guidance and financial support to follow through on their initial pitch.

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Once they worked with us on our ideas, they were really hands-off when we were making Monster Pack, says Eboli. We made the film in Brazil and when we were done they gave us feedback but they gave us a lot of trust.

With Nickelodeon channels in more than 70 countries, the network is on a push to create content that will play in Turkey just as well as it plays in Peoria.

Nina Hahn, senior veep of international production and development, says they look to preserve the unique cultural footprint of their content creators while still coming up with programming that appeals to kids on a global scale.

Another area thats crucial to Nickelodeon is games. Games are hugely important to our audience, says Stephenson, especially games connected with Nick properties. Were finding ways that the productions were doing are driving all different kinds of content, including games, so when the audience finds our games they feel like they are dynamically connected to the shows, he says. Stephenson cites Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a notable success for the studio. And were trying to figure out whether some of our newer properties like Welcome to the Wayne and Pinky Malinky can build productions that feed into all the different things at once.

Pictured: Welcome to the Wayne was a Web-exclusive series that moved to TVs NickToons.

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Nickelodeon Animation Studio: Pop-Culture Powerhouse Got an Unlikely Start

Nickelodeon Revs Up Virtual Reality
Playwright and screenwriter Nicolas Billon has signed with the Alpern Group. His first play Elephant Song debuted at the Stratford Festival in Ottawa, and he scripted its 2014 film adaptation starring Bruce Greenwood, Catherine Keener and Carrie-Anne Moss. Billon won Canadas prestigious Governor-Generals Award for Drama for his 2013 stage trilogy Fault Lines. He also is set to write for Season 3 of X Company, a period spy thriller that airs on CBC in Canada.

Rizwan Manji has inked with Abrams Artists Agency. He appears on the Canadian comedy Schitts Creek and co-starred on the 2010 NBC series Outsourced. Manji recently wrapped a role in Jim Jarmuschs drama feature Paterson and co-stars opposite Danny Pudi and Jon Heder in The Tiger Hunter. The actor also appears in a pair of current pilots: NBCs Crunch Time and truTVs Shady Neighbors. He continues to be repped by Multi-Ethnic Talent & Promotion.

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Bambi Martins Relaunches The Martins Agency; Abrams Artists Agency Signs YouTube Star Andrea Brooks
ABUJA (Reuters) - The total value of capital imported into Nigeria in the first quarter plunged to $710.97 million, a 73.79 percent decline from the same quarter a year ago, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil exporter, has been hit by its worst economic crisis in years, as low prices for crude cause government revenues to plummet. Last year, the central bank imposed currency controls to prevent a collapse of the currency, the naira. Nigeria has seen an exodus of foreign money in the last few months. In September, JP Morgan announced it would eject the country from its influential emerging markets bond index because of the currency controls. Barclays followed suit soon after. "Investors may be concerned about whether or not they will be able to repatriate the earnings from their investments, given the current controls on the exchange rate," the statistics office said. "In addition, as growth has slowed in recent quarters, there may be concerns about the profitability of such investments." A foreign exchange shortage has seen the naira drop to record lows on the parallel market in recent months. But the central bank has resisted calls from the International Monetary Fund to ease the restrictions, a stance supported by President Muhammadu Buhari. (Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Larry King)
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday urged other countries and the United Nations to speed up the process of repatriating stolen money held abroad, which he said was becoming "tedious". Since taking office last May, after winning an election largely on his vow to crackdown on corruption, Buhari has sought help from several nations including the United States and Switzerland to recover money he said was stolen by public officials. Despite the oil wealth of Africa's top crude exporter, which has the continent's biggest economy, 70 percent of Nigerians live on $1 a day or less while endemic corruption over decades has enriched a small elite. "We are looking for more cooperation from the EU, United States, other countries and international institutions to recover the nation's stolen assets, particularly proceeds from the stolen crude oil," said Buhari. "It is taking very long and Nigerians are becoming impatient," said the president, adding that the process had "become tedious". Buhari made the comments to the executive secretary of the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), who was visiting the president. He also urged UNODC to help speed up the recovery of stolen money. Nigeria is going through its worst economic crisis in decades and Buhari's critics have said the focus on corruption has distracted his administration from dealing with the impact of low oil prices which have cut much needed revenues from crude sales. Last week Buhari urged the World Bank to assist in the repatriation of $320 million stolen by former military leader Sani Abacha, which is being held by authorities in Switzerland. The 73-year-old former military ruler has said his government will recover "mind-boggling" sums of money stolen from the oil sector and that public coffers were "virtually empty" when he took over from his predecessor Goodluck Jonathan. The opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP), which was in power for 16 years prior to Buhari taking office, has accused Buhari of mounting a witch-hunt against its members. (Reporting by Felix Onuah; editing by Ralph Boulton; Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram)
Writer-producer Nikki Toscano has signed an overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television. Under the two-year pact, she is joining the studios 24 reboot, 24: Legacy, which picked up to series by Fox last week. Toscano will serve as a co-executive producer on the series, joining executive producers/showrunners Evan Katz and Manny Coto, as well as executive producer Howard Gordon. Additionally, Toscano will develop projects of her own.

Nikki is a spectacular writer with a distinct, powerful voice, and her characters literally leap off the page, said 20th TV president of creative affairs Jonnie Davis. She is the perfect addition to the writing team of 24: Legacy, and exactly the right person to support Evan, Manny and Howards vision as we reinvent this franchise. We also look forward to working on series of her own creation down the line.

Toscano is coming off a two-year overall deal at Universal TV where she did stints as a consulting producer on NBCs Shades of Blue and State of Affairs. She previously worked on A&Es Bates Motel and ABCs Revenge and created and executive produced drama Red Zone, which went to pilot at CBS that was toplined by Anthony Lapaglia.

Toscano is repped by UTA, Laurelmont Management Group and Felker Toczek.

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Philip Morris Let Down Investors with 1Q16 Earnings

(Continued from Prior Part)

Gross margin and free cash flow

Philip Morriss (PM) gross margin decreased 0.7 points to 65.5% in 1Q16, compared to 66.3% in 1Q15. Despite the adverse currency impact, Philip Morris is focused on generating strong free cash flow in line with last years level. The companys free cash flow (or FCF) increased by more than $300 million in 2015 to reach $6.9 billion for 2015.

Operating income

Philip Morriss (PM) reported operating income decreased 13.9% to $2.5 billion in 1Q16 compared to ~$3.0 billion in 1Q15. The decrease was primarily due to a negative foreign currency impact of $0.4 billion. However, on a constant currency basis, reported operating income decreased 0.9% in 1Q16.

The companys adjusted operating income, excluding the unfavorable currency impact, decreased 0.9% in 1Q16. This was primarily due to an unfavorable volume mix of $0.2 million. This was due mainly to EEMA (Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia) and higher costs in support of reduced-risk products. This was partially offset by favorable pricing and favorable volume mix in Latin America and Canada.

Operating margin versus peers

As a result of decreased operating income, Philip Morriss operating margin fell 2.8% to 41.9% in 1Q16.

Altria Group (MO), Vector Group (VGR), and Reynolds American (RAI) are yet to release their 1Q16 earnings. However, Reynolds Americans 4Q15 operating margin increased 4.6 percentage points, to 41.2%, driven by an increase in adjusted operating margin for all segments. However, British American Tobaccos (BTI) 2015 operating margin fell by 60 bps to 38.1%.

To learn more about Altria Group, please read An Inside-Out Breakdown of Altria Group, a Diversified US Tobacco Giant .

Pricing variance for 2016

Philip Morris expects a pricing variance of ~6% in 2016. This should help the company achieve a full-year pricing broadly in line with its historical annual average. However, during economic uncertainty, consumers purchase lower-priced brands. This significantly affects the volume of premium-priced and mid-priced brands and thus profitability. So higher prices could reduce volumes.

Story continues

PM makes up 2.0% of the PowerShares S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (SPHD).

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Bernie Sanders may have won the Indiana primary, but Hollywood's Democratic patriarch Norman Lear is calling for industry liberals to be "sensible" and collectively unite behind Hillary Clinton now that Donald Trump has become the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

"If our liberal heads are on straight, we will be forever grateful to Bernie Sanders for teaching us to take pride in who we are - liberals, progressives, lefties - personally, I view us as Bleeding Heart Conservatives. There are no more conservative values than hewing religiously to delivering on our Founding Fathers' promise of equal opportunity and equal justice under the law," Lear, 93, says in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. But, he continues, "now, post-Indiana, it's time and it's sensible, sooner rather than later, to unite behind Hillary lest we and our values be trumped."

The man behind classic sitcoms like All in the Family, One Day at a Time and others is part of a sizable contingent of Clinton backers in Hollywood, a list that includes Democrat stalwarts Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and George Clooney, who hosted an April fundraiser for the former secretary of state at his Los Angeles home. But enthusiasm for Clinton has not been as strong in Hollywood as it was for her rival Barack Obama in 2008.

By contrast, many industry liberals have fallen hard for Sanders, becoming vocal supporters and even joining him to "feel the Bern" on the campaign trail. Susan Sarandon has been a regular fixture in the Sanders camp. Mark Ruffalo and Sarah Silverman have appeared in campaign videos and regularly tweet their support. And Spike Lee even appeared on the cover of THR magazine with Sanders before the New York primary and directed a promotional clip for him.

Read More: Susan Sarandon Says Bernie Sanders' Hollywood Backers Are "Afraid" to Be More Vocal

But despite the enthusiasm and recent primary momentum, Sanders' path to the Democratic nomination is steep. Now that Trump rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich have suspended their campaigns, several commentators have called on Sanders to concede the race to Clinton - whose lead among delegates and especially superdelegates is likely insurmountable - and allow the party to unite around her.

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At least so far, none of Sanders' vocal Hollywood backers publicly has switched allegiances. One industry fundraiser says he doesn't expect Sanders or his supporters to get behind Hillary until after the big California primary June 6.

That's fine with ICM Partners chief Chris Silbermann, who hosted a March fundraiser for Clinton. Despite the Trump threat, he sees no urgency for Sanders to drop out of the race before the California primary. "The important thing is to show an adult, mature, professional process to underscore the difference between the two parties," he says.

Even as Republicans attempt to motivate voters for the polarizing Trump, other Hollywood Democrats say Sanders should feel free to continue in the race - up to a point.

"He certainly has the right to stay in through California," agrees Andy Spahn, a veteran Democratic fundraiser and consultant. "He should then endorse Hillary," he adds.

Read More: A Conversation With Friends Norman Lear and Jerrod Carmichael on Race, Guns and Even Bill Cosby
North Carolina Republican state leaders are gearing up for a clash with the U.S. Justice Department over its controversial new bathroom law banning people from certain bathrooms.

The department sent a letter to Governor Pat McCrory insisting North Carolina back down from the law, known as HB2, for violating the Civil Rights Act. The letter demanded a response from North Carolina by Monday.

We will take no action by Monday, House Speaker Tim Moore said Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Times. That deadline will come and go. We dont ever want to lose any money, but were not going to get bullied by the Obama administration to take action prior to Mondays date. Thats not how this works.

If North Carolina doesnt comply with the letter, the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ can file a federal court order, or it could begin steps to limit federal funding for the state.

[LA Times]
An Asheville, N.C. tow truck driver said he refused service to a supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Kenneth Shupe was called Monday to pick up a woman stranded on I-26 when he saw a bunch of Bernie Sanders stuff and he told her to call the government for a tow because she was obviously a socialist, according to Fox News.

Every business dealing in recent history with a socialist minded person, I have not gotten paid, Shupe, a Donald Trump supporter, said. Every time I deal with these people I get Berned with an e not a u.

The womans mother Kelle McWade took to Facebook to vent her frustrations after the incident, calling Shupe a bigot.

Trumps motto is Make America Great Again,' McWade told Fox. And this kind of divisive behavior is not going to make America great again.

Local attorneys told Fox that Shupe did not break any laws by refusing McWades daughter service, because unlike race, sexuality, and religion, political affiliation is not a protected class.
North Korea readied Thursday to kick off its most important ruling party gathering for nearly 40 years, amid persistent concerns of a nuclear test, despite no clear signs of an imminent detonation.

Leader Kim Jong-Un is expected to deliver a keynote address at the opening of Friday's party congress, which will be minutely scrutinised for suggestions of a significant policy shift or personnel changes in the nuclear-armed nation's governing elite.

The 33-year-old Kim was not even born when the last congress was held in 1980 to crown his father, Kim Jong-Il, as the heir apparent to his grandfather and the North's founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

While the agenda -- and even the duration -- of the event is still unknown, its main objective is widely seen as cementing Kim Jong-Un's status as supreme leader and legitimate inheritor of the Kim family's dynastic rule.

The congress is also expected to confirm, as party doctrine, Kim's "byungjin" policy of pursuing nuclear weapons in tandem with economic development.

- Nuclear drive -

Ahead of the congress, national and Workers' Party flags lined the broad, rainswept streets of Pyongyang, while banners carried slogans such as "Great comrades Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il will always be with us".

Since Kim took power after the death of his father in late 2011, North Korea has carried out two nuclear tests and two successful space rocket launches that were widely seen as disguised ballistic missile tests.

Even as the international community responded with condemnation and sanctions, Kim kept the throttle opened up on the North's single-minded drive towards a credible nuclear deterrent with additional missile and technical tests.

There has been widespread speculation that the congress would be preceded by another nuclear test in a gesture of strength and defiance that would allow Kim to claim genuine nuclear power status in his speech.

In an analysis of the most recent satellite pictures of the North's main nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University on Thursday said there was no clear evidence, one way or the other, of whether an underground detonation was imminent.

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The images dated May 2 showed only a "very low level of activity", the institute said on its closely followed 38North website.

- Test 'unclear' -

"Whether the level of activity indicates that Pyongyang has made all necessary preparations to conduct a nuclear test on short notice at this site or is associated with normal maintenance work remains unclear," it added.

South Korean government officials believe the North is ready to conduct a test as soon as the order is given, and say a decision might have been taken to test during the congress, which the world's media have been invited to Pyongyang to cover.

Officials in Seoul say they expect the congress to last four days, with the opening day devoted to Kims speech and a lengthy report on the party's achievements.

The congress will also elect a new central committee, which in turn selects the party politburo.

Some analysts are predicting significant personnel changes, as Kim brings in a new, younger generation of leaders, picked for their loyalty to him.

Preparing for the congress involved mobilising the entire country in a 70-day campaign that New York-based Human Rights Watch denounced as a mass exercise in coerced labour.

"This ruling party congress is a rare event, but it's made possible by the forced labour that untold thousands of North Koreans are subject to as part of everyday life under Kim Jong-Un's abusive rule," said Phil Robertson, the group's deputy Asia director.

People across the country, including women and children, were ordered to demonstrate their loyalty through increased forced labor to produce more goods and crops in order to cover the costs of the congress, Robertson said.
(Adds details on users of ether)

By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss

NEW YORK, May 5 (Reuters) - New York state has approved the application of Gemini Trust Company, founded by investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, to trade digital currency ether on its bitcoin exchange, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday.

Ether, an alternative currency that differs from bitcoin, is a token or digital asset of the Ethereum platform, a blockchain, or public ledger of all ether transactions. The platform uses ether to execute peer-to-peer contracts automatically without the need for intermediaries. The currency is often used by software developers.

"With robust regulatory oversight, we are maintaining our status at the forefront of this technological revolution and ensuring that users have a safe and secure experience," Cuomo said in a statement.

The approval by the the New York State Department of Financial Services marks the state's first consent for a digital currency-related service beyond bitcoin.

Trading on ether will begin on Monday, May 9, said Cameron Winklevoss, Gemini's co-founder and president, in an interview with Reuters. Customers will be able to store their ether from Thursday until it starts trading on the exchange on Monday.

Winklevoss also said the brothers' investment firm Winklevoss Capital is a "significant" holder of ether.

"We started buying ether at the beginning of the year," Winklevoss said. "Ethereum Foundation has a set number of ether that they have set aside over a period of time..(and) the proceeds from that go to the funding of the foundation and the developers to further the protocol."

The Winklevoss twins chose ether to trade on their exchange because of its "unique capabilities" that are different from bitcoin.

"There is a place for ether on our platform. It does what bitcoin doesn't do," Winklevoss said. "So that is the sort of criteria: that it is different enough from bitcoin and the proposition is great enough that this makes sense for us to include it in our platform."

Story continues

According to coinmarketcap.com, ether is trading at $9.97 on late Thursday, with a market capitalization of about $795 million, the second largest behind bitcoin. Bitcoin currently has a market cap of $6.9 billion. Daily volume for ether is around $20 million.

Ether trades on other exchanges as well, but Winklevoss said those exchanges are unregulated or unlicensed.

"It's pretty clear that in the U.S. if you're an exchange, you are required at the minimum a money transmission license in each state," Winklevoss said. "Anybody who's operating an ether exchange doesn't have a license and is on borrowed time."

Demand for ether has steadily increased since its launch last year.

"Most of the people who work on ether right now are (software) developers developing applications for smart contracts on Ethereum and you need ether to do that," Winklevoss said.

Aside from developers, British pop artist Imogen Heap has put her music on the Ethereum platform. "She (Heap) created smart contracts on Ethereum whereby if you send enough ether to the address on the contracts, you can download her songs," Winklevoss said.

(Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by David Gregorio and Andrew Hay)
By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York state has approved the application of Gemini Trust Company, founded by investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, to trade digital currency ether on its bitcoin exchange, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday.

Ether, an alternative currency that differs from bitcoin, is a token or digital asset of the Ethereum platform, a blockchain, or public ledger of all ether transactions. The platform uses ether to execute peer-to-peer contracts automatically without the need for intermediaries. The currency is often used by software developers.

"With robust regulatory oversight, we are maintaining our status at the forefront of this technological revolution and ensuring that users have a safe and secure experience," Cuomo said in a statement.

The approval by the New York State Department of Financial Services marks the state's first consent for a digital currency-related service beyond bitcoin.

Trading on ether will begin on Monday, May 9, said Cameron Winklevoss, Gemini's co-founder and president, in an interview with Reuters. Customers will be able to store their ether from Thursday until it starts trading on the exchange on Monday.

Winklevoss also said the brothers' investment firm Winklevoss Capital is a "significant" holder of ether.

"We started buying ether at the beginning of the year," Winklevoss said. "Ethereum Foundation has a set number of ether that they have set aside over a period of time..(and) the proceeds from that go to the funding of the foundation and the developers to further the protocol."

The Winklevoss twins chose ether to trade on their exchange because of its "unique capabilities" that are different from bitcoin.

"There is a place for ether on our platform. It does what bitcoin doesn't do," Winklevoss said. "So that is the sort of criteria: that it is different enough from bitcoin and the proposition is great enough that this makes sense for us to include it in our platform."

Story continues

According to coinmarketcap.com, ether is trading at $9.97 on late Thursday, with a market capitalization of about $795 million, the second largest behind bitcoin. Bitcoin currently has a market cap of $6.9 billion. Daily volume for ether is around $20 million.

Ether trades on other exchanges as well, but Winklevoss said those exchanges are unregulated or unlicensed.

"It's pretty clear that in the U.S. if you're an exchange, you are required at the minimum a money transmission license in each state," Winklevoss said. "Anybody who's operating an ether exchange doesn't have a license and is on borrowed time."

Demand for ether has steadily increased since its launch last year.

"Most of the people who work on ether right now are (software) developers developing applications for smart contracts on Ethereum and you need ether to do that," Winklevoss said.

Aside from developers, British pop artist Imogen Heap has put her music on the Ethereum platform. "She (Heap) created smart contracts on Ethereum whereby if you send enough ether to the address on the contracts, you can download her songs," Winklevoss said.

(Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by David Gregorio and Andrew Hay)
The presidency carries some strange expectationsa fact that Barack Obama, nearing the home stretch of his tenure in the White House, surely knows well by now. The president holds great power and is called the leader of the free world, yet his powereven in this age of a strong executiveis constrained on all sides. Those limitations tend to be misunderstood by people who want his help, thanks to pervasive belief in what Brendan Nyhan calls the Green Lantern Theory of the Presidency.

President Obama is visiting Flint, Michigan, a city poisoned by lead and bacteria in its water, on Wednesday. During his visit, Obama will be briefed by officials on relief efforts, meet with community leadersincluding 8-year-old Little Miss Flint" Mari Copenyand deliver remarks. He will meet with Governor Rick Snyder, who has come in for harsh criticism for his handling of the crisis.

Related Story

Obama's Visit to Flint

Nowhere is the tension between expectations and reality on display more prominently than in the disaster photo-op. When something goes wrong, the American people expect the president to be there. Sometimes, theres a clear imperative to help morale: President George W. Bushs appearance atop the rubble at Ground Zero was likely the finest moment of his presidency, a crucial speech that rallied a rattled nation. Other times, as Noah Gordon pointed out when politicians of both parties called for Obama to visit the border amid an influx of underage immigrants, the goal is not nearly as clear.

Throughout his term, Obama has been called on time and again to serve as comforter-in-chief to the nation. The role isnt unique to him, though the many high-profile mass shootings during his term have offered him repeated unwanted opportunities to speak to the country. Theyve also been some of his most emotional moments, as the often detached, Spock-like Obama chokes up and sometimes weeps. Those appearances have also demonstrated some of the shortcomings of a presidential photo-op. When he went to Oregon following the shooting at Umpqua Community College, Obama was met with protests by some residents who didnt want him there.

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Recommended: Racism by Any Other Name

There are plenty of other risks in showing up. The president, with the huge entourage of security, press, and aides he brings, can get in the way. Or he risks an image like the photograph of George W. Bushabout as iconic as the 9/11 picturesurveying the damage of Hurricane Katrina, which came to symbolize accusations that he was aloof to the disaster.

Flint isnt the same as the aftermath of a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake. Unlike them, it is a human-caused disaster: the result of economic crisis, perversion of democracy, sloppy management, and appalling unresponsive government officials. Unlike them, Flint is a long-running disasterfar too long. It runs from Flints emergency manager deciding to switch to the Flint River as a water source in 2013, through the actual switch in 2014, up until state and federal officials began to respond seriously to the crisis in late 2015.

For some Flint residents, having the president visit is clearly a validating momentsomething that shows the city has the nations attention, and that the federal government is trying to help. NBC News spoke to some of them. Obama could make us a priority, said Laura MacIntyre.

Theres also a danger, however, that Obamas visit could simply spotlight the many ways in which the president is powerless to act, and the ways in which he has failed to help places like Flint, a majority-black city.

Obama entered office bringing high hopes for African Americans. On many issues, he has won praise for speaking about issues of race with a sensitivity and understanding that no white president could have brought to bear. But in other cases, blacks still lag. The African American unemployment rate is still far above the national average, years after the recession ended. Polls show that most people think race relations have gotten worse. No one could fairly expect Obama to reverse centuries of institutionalized racism in American society, but the great travesty of environmental injustice in Flint stands as a reminder of how much work has not yet been done.

Recommended: The Republican Good Wives

Obama also entered office with plans to upgrade the nations infrastructure. He was elected just 15 months after a bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, killing 13. Engineers offered dire analyses of the state of bridges, roads, and pipelines around the country. Despite the $150 billion spent on infrastructure in the 2009 stimulus package, the state of U.S infrastructure remains very poor.

Finally, Obamas election seemed to offer a chance for progressives to rebuild faith in government, which had been badly undermined during the Bush years. Some analysts, such as Michael Grunwald, argue that in fact Obama has flexed governments muscles to great effect, but public trust in the government has continued to slump over his time in office:

Trust in Government

Pew Research Center

The Flint crisis is a reminder of governments shortcomings. Snyder has sought to portray the crisis as a failure of every level of government, from local to national. He seems to protest too much: As a panel he appointed to investigate it found, it was the state government that bears the brunt of the blame. Local government was effectively cut out of the loop by an emergency manager Snyder appointed. It is true that EPA did not cover itself in glory in Flint, though. One EPA regulator, Miguel del Toral, voiced concerns earlier, and badgered state and local officials for more information. But del Toral was effectively sidelined, apparently after state officials complained to his boss. (Del Toral lashed out at the agency.) Once the crisis broke into national news, EPAs regional administrator was fired. EPA boss Gina McCarthy is traveling to Flint with Obama.

Recommended: The Day the Republican Party Died

No matter how he wishes to fix Flints water problem, or the nations broader infrastructure challenges, Obama will run into one intractable problem: Congress. Fixing Flints lead pipes is estimated to cost $55 million. It could cost as much as $275 billion to deal with lead pipes elsewhere around the country, according to one estimate. While a bipartisan deal in Congress would have provided $250 million for lead mitigation, Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, put a hold on the bill, accusing lawmakers of using Flint as an excuse to funnel taxpayer money to their own home states.

With overall infrastructure issues, its the same story. Every year in his State of the Union, Obama has made a plea for major infrastructure spending. Every year, Congress shrugs and declines to act. Because the president is not the Green Lantern, theres little else he can do except harangue, cajole, and plead with Congress.

The presidency affords its holder impressive symbolic power. By traveling to Flint, Obama will give the city new attention. The residents who he meets may take great comfort from his presence, and Mari Copeny will never forget her meeting with the president. Its hard to imagine, however, that his visit will produce a vast material change for the beleaguered city.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
The state of North Carolina has effectively been warned by the Department of Justice: Back down from banning transgender people from certain bathrooms or unpleasant things will ensue. The letter that Republican Gov. Pat McCrory received from the federal agency on Wednesday demanded a response by close of business on Monday. If he doesnt do what the Justice Department asks, the state could be slapped with a lawsuit and potentially denied millions in federal funds. And while its unlikely, this could also be the beginning of a historic precedent being set.

At issue is HB2, a law that state legislators called a special session to pass in March, which mandates that state residents must use the public bathrooms that match their biological sex, defined as the sex on their birth certificate. Lawmakers crafted the measure in response to the states largest city, Charlotte, passing local LGBT non-discrimination protections that, among other things, affirmed the right of transgender men and women to use the bathrooms that match their gender identity.

In the letter, the Justice Department alleges that this law violates federal civil rights protections because discriminating against transgender people is a form of sex discrimination. The bulk of the letter concentrates on the treatment of state employees. And the argument is this: If the state allows non-transgender employees to use the sex-segregated bathrooms that align with their gender identity but denies that right to transgender employees, then the latter are not receiving full and equal access to bathroomsand thats sex discrimination. The letter demands that the state cease implementation of the law.

A Justice Department official told TIME on Wednesday that it hopes North Carolina will comply with federal law, but that the department is prepared to use tools at its disposal to compel the state to comply if necessary.

The question of sex discrimination

The Department goes on to quote a 2015 ruling from the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which found that the Army discriminated against a transgender civilian employee in denying her access to the womens room after she transitioned on the job. The EEOC said bathroom access is a significant, basic condition of employment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Several other rulings, including one in North Carolinas own Fourth Circuit, have similarly found that denying transgender people such bathroom access is a form of sex discrimination. Under President Obama, the Department of Justice has repeatedly said that transgender people are protected by long-standing bans on sex discrimination, and the Department of Education has issued similar guidance. (Sexual orientation hasnt found such robust protection under those bans, one of the few ways in which transgender Americans have made more legal progress than their lesbian, gay and bisexual peers.)

It isnt that unusual for the Department of Justice to send out a warning shot like this, former government civil rights enforcers say. What is unusual is that there are no complicated questions about the facts in this case, no particular instances to be fleshed out. According to the Department, the way this law is written, the only way it can be enforced is by discriminating, says University of San Francisco law school dean John Trasvina, a former assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The vast majority [of such cases] always typically settle, he adds. But this is one where you cant really compromise.

So what happens next? The simplest outcome is that McCrory complies, finally caving to this last increase in pressure after already losing millions in economic activity as hundreds of businesses and public figures have come out against the law. If the governor comes back and says No, this letter means the Department is prepared to file a lawsuit, says William Yeomans, an American University law professor who spent 26 years working on civil rights cases at the Justice Department.

If that lawsuit were filed in North Carolina, the state should be prepared to lose on the first go-round, given the precedent thats already been set by the Fourth Circuit. Should both sides dig their heels in and appeal to the Supreme Courtand should the court take the case upit could set a precedent that all courts must interpret laws banning sex discrimination as also banning unequal treatment based on gender identity. And that could give transgender rights advocates protections they have sought for decades. On the other hand, the Supreme Court could rule against that interpretation of the law, particularly if presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump wins the 2016 election and has the chance to install a fifth conservative on what is currently a split, eight-member court.

The dollar bills

Right now, as one law professor puts it, while this may not be the most welcoming letter, it is the beginning of a conversation, one that could be over by Monday. But LGBT rights advocates are concentrating on a possible outcome much further down the line, pointing to this letter and saying that the state is at risk of losing millions, if not billions, in federal funding. Because civil rights violations can put federal funding at risk.

Toward the end of the letter, the Department of Justice notes that the feds have also interpreted this state law to violate the Violence Against Women Act and Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education. By the ACLUs calculation, that means that $4.5 billion in federal funds, particularly for things like schooling, could be denied to the state. Former agency officials, however, say that it is extremely rare for this nuclear option to be deployed. More often it is left unsaid or, occasionally, levied as a threat. Nobody, says University of Michigan law professor Samuel Bagenstos, wants to inflict that kind of pain on the students.

Even during desegregation, when many state officials were refusing to comply with federal rules, one can only find the occasional withholding, says Bagenstos, who previously served as the No. 2 official in the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. And the figures arent so clear cut either, he says. Each agency is in control of its own funds and some funds are indirect, like money that comes from the Department of Agriculture and pays for lunches in public schools. The Department of Justice cannot put Department of Education funds on the chopping block without the latter initiating the process, Bagenstos says.

University of San Franciscos Trasvina believes that if the governor refuses to comply, the outcome of this complaint letter will definitely go into the next administration. Its unlikely that a Democrat would roll back the Obama administrations LGBT-inclusive interpretations of the law. And while Trump might win and install a conservative justice on the Supreme Court, the likelihood of him having his attorney general send an actually, never mind about that letter are smaller, former officials say. If he wanted to change enforcement policy here, he would have the power to do it. It would be more problematic to interfere with an ongoing enforcement matter, says American Universitys Yeomans. If things are already in the pipeline, it looks very political to pull the plug.
Washington (AFP) - Barack Obama on Thursday commuted the sentences of 58 more people convicted of mostly cocaine-related offenses, further speeding his acts of clemency in the twilight of his presidency.

The White House announced that Obama had commuted sentences that ranged from life imprisonment to lesser jail terms for possession and conspiracy to distribute drugs like crack or cocaine.

Obama announced similar mass commutations for non-violent offenders in December and March, in tandem with a push to fix the criminal justice system.

Obama has now commuted the sentences of around 300 offenders.

Obama wants to reform a range of laws that cause the United States to have among the world's highest incarceration rates and puts a disproportionate number of black and Hispanic Americans behind bars.

Among those laws are mandatory sentencing laws on the use of crack that are tougher than those for cocaine.
Ulziit (Mongolia) (AFP) - Racing their steeds across the endless Mongolian steppe, child jockeys as young as seven dream of glory and riches in a country where horses are a national passion.

Yet rights groups warn of a dark underbelly in the sport -- where vulnerable pre-teens face the risk of crippling injury and harsh treatment or even physical abuse by trainers.

Tsendsurengiin Budgarav's hopes turned into a nightmare when he was 11 and had a career-ending fall that shattered his right thigh.

His trainers denied him hospital treatment and insisted he kept quiet, he said. Infection set in but he was not operated on for a year, leaving him almost bedridden. Now 17, he is undergoing a new course of surgery to enable him to walk with crutches.

"I felt so sorry that I fell off that day, I wish I hadn't ridden that horse," he told AFP from a hospital bed, fighting back tears.

He liked the awards and medals of his glory days, he said, but claimed his trainer "used to put out his cigarettes on my forehead like lighting a match".

"I never told my mother about it," he added.

For hundreds of years Mongolian tournaments have showcased the horsemanship skills which helped Genghis Khan's armies conquer a vast swathe of the Eurasian landmass.

Modern races are gruelling tests of stamina for the horses, far longer than even Europe's top steeplechases, so that small children are preferred as riders.

Contests became more numerous and lucrative on the back of the landlocked country's recent resources boom, offering cars and cash for prizes, with some 600 races held annually.

More than 11,000 children are registered as jockeys, according to the government's child protection agency. Some 150 participated in the main official celebrations of Naadam, Mongolia's biggest festival, in Ulan Bator.

Budgarav's mother is an unemployed disabled single parent, and the family lives on her social welfare allowance and her elderly father's pension.

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To help pay medical bills after his accident, his younger brother Munkherdene began jockey training, earning a salary of about $75 a month.

Medals from races still hang proudly from carpet lining the inside of the family's ger tent.

But in 2013, he also fell from his horse -- suffering severe head injuries after the animal slipped on icy ground before a winter race, leaving him with persistent headaches and memory loss that prevents him from attending school.

"Since I hurt my skull... my head hurts so badly, and makes me angry," said Munkherdene, now aged 14. "Also I forget new lessons quickly."

- Far from home -

A 2014 UNICEF report said that some 326 child jockeys were hospitalised in 2012, mostly with head or bone injuries.

It surveyed 529 child jockeys, with some five percent saying they had been beaten or kicked by their instructors.

Aspiring Mongolian jockeys leave their families and schools behind as young as seven to learn from trainers, known as "uyach" in Mongolian, who also become responsible for their education.

Critics say they have little recourse if victimised.

A source at the Mongolian National Human Rights Commission, who asked not to be named because his opinions clashed with official statements, told AFP that trainers choose boys from poor families as they are less likely to sue in the event of a dispute or injury, even if they have signed a contract.

"It is hard to live with an uyach far from home, missing family and mother," Munkherdene said, describing a gruelling daily regime of training, cleaning and maintenance work, as well as bullying by his trainer or older child jockeys.

- Political race -

Later this year Mongolia will bring in new child protection legislation, banning kids from winter races, in a bid to curb the number of injuries due to slippery ice-and snow-covered terrain. The law will also mandate punishments for trainers if children are injured in summer contests.

Child protection advocates have long demanded the measure, but close links between government officials and racing events mean enforcement is in question.

Mongolia's Prime Minister Chimediin Saikhanbileg approved a horse race in February where 16 children fell from their horses, two of them breaking their legs, according to the National Human Rights Commission.

In Mongolia the term "uyach" carries significant status, and also applies to racehorse owners who have others train their animals. They include members of parliament and high-profile CEOs, giving the sport powerful supporters, while politicians who own fast horses can expect a warm reception in rural areas where most voters are herders.

Dangaagiin Avirmed, head of the Mongolian United Federation for children told AFP: "The races are being held because decision makers love to watch, and their horses are there. That's why they don't cancel the race, no matter how many children got hurt."

And the sport's appeal also endures for children with few other options.

Munkherdene still hopes to return to the stables despite his head injury, nursing ambitions to become a trainer.

"I will be a good uyach who treats jockey kids with kindness and orders them to wear helmets, and pays them enough," he added.

"When I become a successful uyach, I will heal my mother and brother."
By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices surged on Thursday after a raging wildfire near Canada's oil sands region curbed output that mainly flows to the United States, before settling off their highs as a rebounding dollar and a huge U.S. stockpile build cut into gains. While the oil sands facilities are mostly to the north of the wildfire in city of Fort McMurray in Alberta that is spreading south, as much as a third of Canada's daily crude capacity has been cut and some major pipelines closed after more evacuations were ordered. A stranded Glencore oil cargo in Libya, after a stand-off between eastern and western political factions, also fed the rally at first. Some traders said the market had overreacted to both events. "The Canadian blaze, horrific as it is, is far south of the real producing fields to cause real lasting damage to production there," said John Kilduff, partner at New York energy hedge fund Again Capital. "The Libyan barrels weren't really on the market anyway." Crude oil futures jumped 5 percent before paring gains. Their retreat came as the dollar rose 0.6 percent, its most in three weeks, making greenback-denominated oil costlier for holders of the euro and other currencies. Some traders also pinned oil's weakening to market intelligence firm Genscape's report of a 1.35 million-barrels stockpile build at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub for U.S. crude futures during the week to May 3. The Genscape report came on the heels of U.S. government data showing total crude stockpiles at record highs above 543 million barrels last week. Brent futures settled up 39 cents, or 0.9 percent, at $45.01 a barrel. U.S. crude's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures rose 54 cents, or 1.2 percent, to settle at $44.32. Earlier this week, oil lost its almost unbroken upward momentum since April's gain of more 20 percent that gave Brent its best monthly gain in seven years. Over Monday and Tuesday, crude prices fell 6 percent as major producers in and outside OPEC pumped at or near record highs. Even so, some analysts said the fallout from the Canadian inferno was being underestimated. At least 640,000 barrels per day (bpd) of capacity was offline, according to Reuters' calculations. "The situation is clearly very serious," said London-based PVM, which notes that of the 4.5 million bpd that Canada produces, 3.4 million goes to the United States. On Friday, traders will be on the lookout for U.S. jobs data for April, to indicate the likelihood of a rate hike by June that will further bolster the dollar. (Additional reporting by Amanda Cooper in LONDON; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
By Ron Bousso

LONDON (Reuters) - Ten oil companies including Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L), Chevron (CVX.N) and BP (BP.L) are working together to develop standard production equipment, a rare cooperation among rivals to save money as low oil prices put pressure on budgets.

Bespoke valves, paints and underwater equipment are among the items that could be mass-produced at a cheaper cost, Harry Brekelmans, Shell's Projects and Technology Director told Reuters.

The companies also want to set up institutions to find future savings after the past two years' industry downturn led to a near standstill in new project approvals.

"We're coming together with a number of other operators and suppliers to focus on standardization and common requirements and pushing it all the way into how we can create common inventory," Brekelmans said in a phone interview on Wednesday.

The other companies involved in the project are France's Total (TOTF.PA), Sonangol, Eni (ENI.MI) , Woodside (WPL.AX), Engie (ENGIE.PA), Saudi Aramco, and Statoil (STL.OL).

Industry executives have long complained about inefficiencies that stem from companies' desire to protect patents for parts as simple as bolts, ladders and paints to complex high-pressure pipe systems.

A number of services companies have already teamed up over the past two years in an effort to reduce costs of field development and technology, including FMC Technologies and Technip.

Four years of oil prices over $100 prior to the mid-2014 crash led to spiraling costs in the sector as producers raced to develop frontier oil fields in ever deeper waters with more complex technology.

But a 60 percent drop in oil prices over the past two years sent companies into a desperate drive to cut budgets and save costs, pushing standardization high up the agenda and Brekelmans believes there is commitment from senior executives.

"We have to be far more thoughtful about how we create sustainability," Brekelmans said.

He said the companies should benefit from the developments even if the oil price recovers.

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He said the initiative, which is known as the project for Standardization of Equipment Specifications for Procurement and is backed by the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers, could save Shell and other companies billions of dollars.

However, some analysts were skeptical about how easy it would be for the rivals to collaborate.

"It is still too early to say whether the push for standardization is working," said Jon Clark, oil and gas advisor at EY.

"While this is an industry that prides itself for its technology it has not always been unable to work together to lower costs even as companies try to adjust to the lower price environment."

(Editing by Anna Willard)
By Eric M. Johnson

(Reuters) - One adult was fatally shot and a second person was wounded on Thursday in a shooting on the grounds of a high school in Maryland that appeared "to be a domestic-related" incident, police said.

The Prince George's County Police Department said it received reports of a shooting at High Point High School after 4:30 p.m. local time in the community of Beltsville, Maryland, about 15 miles northeast of Washington.

"One adult fatally shot, second wounded at High Point HS in Beltsville," the department said on Twitter. "Preliminarily, this appears to be a domestic-related shooting."

Department spokesman Harry Bond said it was not immediately clear what triggered the shooting, how the victims were linked, or whether students were involved. He also said he had no information on whether the second injured person was an adult or a student.

A representative for the school did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Photos posted online by local media showed police and fire vehicles and officials in a crowded parking lot near the school's auditorium. Police closed a roadway as they investigated the shooting.

A witness told local broadcaster FOX 5 that he heard four gunshots echo from the school's back parking lot, and that classes had finished for the day at the time of the gunfire.

A local NBC affiliate reported the injured person, a man in his 40s, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was in good condition at an area hospital.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Chris Reese and David Gregorio)
Donald McGahn stands behind Donald Trump in Manchester, N.H., on Feb. 9, 2016. (Photo: Jim Bourg/Reuters)

While Donald Trump publicly calls for mass deportations of all undocumented immigrants, his presidential campaign has hired a law firm that is fighting against the deportation of thousands of undocumented refugees from Central America.

After launching his campaign last year, Trump hired as his chief campaign counsel Donald F. McGahn, a former Republican chairman of the Federal Election Commission and now a partner in the Washington office of Jones Day, one of the countrys largest law firms, with more than 2,000 lawyers around the world. According to the most recent filings, Trump has paid Jones Day $598,109 for its work so far, which included defeating a legal challenge that sought to keep him off the ballot in the New Hampshire primary.

At the same time it has been billing the Trump campaign, Jones Day has been actively recruiting its partners and associates to provide free legal services to one category of the population that Trump wants to deport: the more than 100,000 people, mostly from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, who have entered the country unlawfully in the past few years and then sought asylum on the grounds that they were fleeing gang violence and other persecution in their home countries.

Over 150 lawyers from almost every U.S. office, and some international offices, are involved in this extraordinary team effort, Jones Day proclaims on the pro bono section of its website, alongside a series of videos highlighting the firms work. Currently our lawyers are representing individual mothers with children and unaccompanied children in cases in immigration courts and state courts throughout the country.

It is hardly uncommon for big law firms to take on pro bono work for clients who might be politically unpopular; for years, major U.S. law firms were criticized by conservatives  including some officials in the Bush administration  for providing pro bono legal services to Guantanamo detainees. And there is nothing unethical about lawyers in the same firm representing clients who have different political agendas.

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But the scale of Jones Days work on behalf of Central American asylum seekers (earning the firm a pro bono award from the American Bar Association) has struck some political consultants as potentially embarrassing for Trump  even while it has reportedly sparked tensions within the ranks of the white-shoe law firm.

I find it highly amusing and somewhat heartening to know that Donald Trump is indirectly subsidizing the defense of undocumented immigrants through Jones Day, said Liz Mair, a Republican consultant who founded a super-PAC, Make America Awesome, that was trying to stop Trumps candidacy. I can only imagine what the partners meetings are like.

Federal Election Commission Vice Chair Donald McGahn questions a witness. (Photo: Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)



Jones Day  whose alumni include the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Fox News commentator Megyn Kelly  has been a prominent player in Republican politics for years. It scored a coup in 2014 when McGahn and two other partners joined its government regulation practice from the Washington firm of Patton Boggs. McGahn was joined by Benjamin Ginsberg, who had been Mitt Romneys national counsel in 2008 and 2012 and is now a commentator on Republican politics for MSNBC.

The firm was founded in the 1800s in Cleveland and still retains a major civic presence in the city, which will host the Republican National Convention in July. Another Jones Day partner, Chris Kelly, is co-chair of the citys host committee for the convention.

A Jones Day spokesman did not respond to a request for comment  and two senior partners reached by Yahoo News declined to say anything, on or off the record, about the firms work for Trump. But after McGahn hosted a meeting at Jones Days offices near Capitol Hill last March between Trump and top Republican leaders, some firm lawyers were appalled and raised questions about the high-profile client at one firm meeting, according to a recent report by David Lat, who writes the Above the Law legal blog.

Its disgusting, wrote one (anonymous) Jones Day lawyer in an email to Lat that he republished on his site. I am genuinely disturbed that Jones Day accepted Trump as a client, and I would expect and hope that many other JD clients (particularly pro bono clients) would be equally disturbed. A lot of other lawyers here feel as strongly as I do.

Although targeting unlawful immigrants has been a central plank of Trumps campaign, the candidate has said relatively little about the continuing flood of Central American refugees who have crossed the southwest border, many of whom are now being held in detention centers in Texas while their legal claims of asylum are pending in Homeland Security immigration proceedings. But Trump has made clear he would go beyond the Obama administrations current efforts to keep them out and deport them. He has advocated bypassing immigration courts and other legal process to expel any and all illegal immigrants. They say you have to go through a huge legal process, he told Business Insider last November. You dont. Theyre illegal. If somebody walks in, they dont bring them to court, they send them back.

One of the few campaign papers Trump has released, called Immigration Reform That Will Make America Great Again, goes beyond building a wall across the Mexican border and tripling the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to apprehend illegal aliens; it includes a separate section on tightening the process on asylum seekers. Increase standards for the admission of refugees and asylum-seekers to crack down on abuses, it reads.

In a video produced by Jones Day, a partner in the Miami office, Pedro A. Jimenez, describes the plight of some of those refugees and asylum-seekers: the children that are facing the prospect of either joining a gang or being killed if they are returned to their home countries.
This is the one where a very lucky bride-to-be had the best bridal shower ever with her Friends.

Sana Khan is engaged to Taufik Chhotani. Much of their relationship has been long distance and the pair enjoys watching Friends together.

Related: Two single people in their nineties went on the cutest blind date

Being in a long distance relationship can be tough, Sana told Mashable in an email. We see each other maybe once a month, so we try to do different things to make us feel like a normal couple. One of those things is having a FaceTime date and watching Friends.

For that reason, Sanas friend Michelle Naik and sister/photographer Shamain Khan decided to design a Friends-themed bridal shower for their real-life Rachel.

Image: shamain k. photography

It took about a month and countless sleepless nights for Shamain to think out all of the details, Sanas friend Michelle said. I set up the decor and florals the day of the bridal shower which was a little nerve wrecking, but within three hours I got so much done.

Details from the day included foods from the show and cardboard cutouts of the cast. If only Phoebe were there to do a live rendition of Smelly Cat.

While future hubby Taufik didnt get to partake in the festivities, he was very impressed with all the ways the women were able to incorporate components of the show.

I thought it was wonderful, he said. It was so nicely done and I love all of the little details. Im a little bummed I didnt get to eat Joeys sandwiches, though.

Now that the bridal shower is over, its time for Sana to start thinking about the wedding. But will it have a Friends theme?

Im pretty sure Sana would love to bring in the same rustic elements from the decor, Michelle said.

Im obsessed with rustic decor, Sana agreed. So I would love to bring that into my wedding events. Having cutesy touches like using the quotes on the guest table and the cut-out board would be a fun photo booth op.

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Congrats on finding your lobster!

Photo: Shamian K. Photography

Photo: Shamian K. Photography

Photo: Shamian K. Photography

Photo: Shamian K. Photography

Photo: Shamian K. Photography

Photo: Shamian K. Photography

Photo: Shamian K. Photography

Photo: Shamian K. Photography

Photo: Shamian K. Photography

Photo: Shamian K. Photography

Photo: Shamian K. Photography

Photo: Shamian K. Photography
New Orleans residents plan celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Thursday by throwing a Sinkhole de Mayo party that pokes fun at a 30-ft.-wide hole in the middle of Canal Street near Harrahs Casino.

Chrissy Gross and her friends came up with the pun in a group text message chain, The Daily Beast reports. They made a Facebook event, calling on city residents to come whack a traffic cone pinata with them at the site of the sinkhole. To date, about 1,500 users say they will attend, while another 2,700 or so say they are interested in going. Many have been sharing memes and Photoshops of what a party inside a sinkhole would look like.

Co-organizer Carson Rapose told Nola.com that he did not have a permit for the gathering, and after Gross had a phone conversation with City Hall, organizers were forced to change the partys location from the sinkhole site to Woldenberg Park, by the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, because of safety concerns.

As the American Society of Civil Engineers put it, When the partys over, engineers will be at work on a 6-month, $5 million project to repair what the citys mayor Mitch Landrieu has called a catastrophic failure.
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WELLINGTON, New Zealand  The big question at Palau's Jellyfish Lake: Where are all the jellyfish?

Part of a UNESCO World Heritage area, the saltwater lake has long been a source of wonder for tourists, who have delighted in snorkeling among the millions of golden jellyfish that can fill the water as thick as corn chowder. But some tourists in recent weeks have struggled to find even a single jellyfish, prompting at least one tour operator to suspend its trips.

SEE ALSO: Stunning island nation of Palau will make most of its seas a huge sanctuary

Scientists blame a severe drought, coupled with hotter temperatures caused by the El Nino weather pattern, a warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that changes weather worldwide and tends to push up global temperatures.

Image: J.W. Alker / picture-alliance / dpa / Associated Press

While scientists say there's every chance jellyfish numbers will rebound when conditions improve, they also worry that global warming poses a long-term threat to the delicate ecosystem of Palau, a tiny western Pacific island chain.

"Just the past couple of weeks, the numbers have drastically declined," said Collin Joseph, a coastal manager for Palau's Koror State. He said the adult jellyfish have pretty much died out completely, while some juveniles remain.

The decline is particularly concerning because the jellyfish in the lake are a unique subspecies that have developed in isolation from their lagoon ancestors.

Koror State Governor Yositaka Adachi last week decided to keep the lake open, at least for now. He said in a statement that rainfall in the area over the past four months was the lowest in 65 years, but that there remained enough polyps, which produce jellyfish, to ensure the population could eventually recover.

But some aren't waiting for that.

"Many tour companies including ours that have been taking guests to the lake have not seen any jellyfish," Sam's Tours wrote in an April 22 note to its sales partners. "We at Sam's Tours have therefore decided to suspend our tours to Jellyfish Lake with immediate effect until further notice."

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Image: Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild / Getty Images

Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly how the hot and dry conditions are affecting the jellyfish. Governor Adachi wrote that the lack of rain had reduced runoff into the lake, which had affected the tiny plants and animals the jellyfish consume.

The Coral Reef Research Foundation also noted the lack of rain had caused the lake to become saltier than ever previously recorded, in monitoring which dates back to 1998.

SEE ALSO: Dazzling photos from a Pacific marine sanctuary larger than California

"The exact cause of the decline in the population of golden jellies is not yet understood, but it is clear at present that young [jellyfish] are not surviving very long after release by the bottom-dwelling polyp stage," the foundation wrote in an April Facebook post. It added: "The golden jelly population could be on the verge of crashing" to the point where there were no more swimming about the lake.

The foundation noted the population had crashed once before, in 1999, but had rebounded 18 months later because some polyps had survived.

Image: Coral Reef Foundation / Facebook

Jellyfish Lake is unusual in being a small body of seawater surrounded by land. Channels to the sea remain deep in the limestone rock beneath the lake. Below about 13 meters (40 feet), the lake has little oxygen and high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, making it dangerous for scuba divers. Due to their isolation from the ocean, five marine lakes in the area have produced five different subspecies of golden jellyfish.

Scientists say a common myth about the jellyfish in the lake is that they don't sting, when in fact they can give swimmers a mild sting, which can be compounded by prolonged exposure.

Image: Benjamin Lowy / Contributor / Getty Images

Los Angeles-based photographer and model Amber Arbucci discovered that in 2013, when she completed a seven-hour naked photo shoot in the lake for her collection "The Girl at Jellyfish Lake."

"I was so stung my eyes were swollen and I could barely walk," she told The Wall Street Journal.

She wrote on her website, however, that she still found the jellyfish filled with charm  "powerful, and yet so fragile all at the same time."

Image: Benjamin Lowy / Contributor / Getty Images

Additional reporting by Mashable.
The fate of tobacco biggies in India is in question in the wake of the latest plain packaging rule enforced by the government. As per the regulations imposed by the Supreme court in India, tobacco makers will have to exhibit graphic health warnings on cigarette packets.

A two judge bench ordered that the plain packaging rules should not be violated and the Karnataka High court was asked to listen to all the pleas challenging the directive.

The Indian government, supported by health proponents across the nation, had proposed that health warnings should cover 85% of cigarette packets against the current 20%, which was effective from Apr 1, 2016. Notably, the rule was proposed in 2014 by the Health Ministry.

The tussle between tobacco makers and the government of India heightened when tobacco makers reportedly decided to halt production as a protest against the graphic warning rule. Tobacco makers like ITC Ltd., VST Industries Ltd. and Godfrey Phillips India Ltd. (in which Philip Morris International Inc. PM owns almost 25%) paused manufacturing on Apr 1, due to confusion over the new requirement.

The majors said that the production halt will not cause any shortage in the market as they have products in stock. They will cease production until some certainty is reached on the implementation of the graphical warnings.

In India, the ills of tobacco consumption have taken an ugly shape, costing nearly a million lives every year. Per the World Health Organisation tobacco related diseases cost nearly $16 billion in India. IN order to address the situation, the government first implemented pictorial warnings in 2009 that had to cover 40% of the front portion of a cigarette pack. Youth health advocates have long been urging Indian policymakers to set a date for the implementation of the pictorial health warnings on 85% of both sides of all tobacco packets.

A parliamentary committee was reported to support the tobacco industry as it was of the opinion that the proposal to cover 85% of tobacco packets with health warnings is too harsh and should be reduced to 50%. The parliamentary committees are of the opinion that such a measure will hurt tobacco farmers and encourage illicit trade in the country. The government however stuck to its decision.

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Meanwhile the European Union (EU) Court of Justice also ordered against tobacco companies and banned the use of flavored cigarettes like mint and menthol. The court ruled that the use of flavor makes cigarettes more attractive. It also stated that reducing the attractiveness of those products may contribute to reducing the prevalence of tobacco use and dependence among new and continuing users.

The EU court of Justice further stated that member states may maintain and even introduce further standardizations regarding plain packaging of cigarettes in their respective countries. The EU court ruled that 65% of front and back sides of a cigarette packet need to be covered with health warnings.

Tobacco companies have been penalized for taking recourse to any kind of advertising or packaging that flouts the laws, to boost sales. The global tobacco industry has been facing severe advertising and packaging restrictions on their products for some time.

Meanwhile, governments around the world are imposing restrictions on tobacco makers which, in turn, are lowering cigarette consumption and affecting margins. The plain packaging concept was pioneered by Australia in 2011 (read: Australia Harsher on Smoking). Ireland was the first European country to enact plain packaging. It passed the legislation on Mar 10, 2015, and is expected to come into effect in May 2016.

Anti-tobacco activists commend U.K.s decision to introduce plain packaging as they believe many countries will follow suit.

The Food and Drug Administration has made it mandatory for tobacco companies to use precautionary labels on cigarette packets to dissuade smokers. The labels have been designed in accordance with the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act and depict disturbing images that highlight the health hazards of smoking.

These rules are posing significant problems for tobacco majors like Philip Morris., Reynolds American Inc. RAI and Altria Group Inc. MO that are already bearing the brunt of anti-smoking campaigns worldwide.

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A land distinguished from the world surrounding it, India boasts a rich heritage and has been home to numerous royal dynasties. Today, as a country ruled by its citizens, it still treasures some of the spectacular palaces once inhibited by the monarchs. As the gates of these palaces are opened for public now, here are 10 specimen of enormous architecture that are worth a visit.

Laxmi Vilas Palace With its gold laden walls and hand painted friezes, the palace situated in Bikaner initially catered to princelings. The magnificence of the structure is carved in red sandstone, and has been attracting tourists from all over the world. The royal construction now serves as a hotel maintained by Golden Triangle Fort & Palace P. Ltd.

ferry to the Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur, India | Vindemiatrix via Flickr - #travel https://t.co/L1fgKPEfJF pic.twitter.com/u3xgM3nS54  Traveller Today (@TravellerToday2) April 18, 2016

The Lake Palace - Another palace turned hotel, the Lake Palace was formerly famous as Jag Niwas. Spread across the span of 4 acres of land, the marble fort features 83 splendid rooms walled with precious while marble. It has been voted as the most romantic palaces in the country, so clearly makes a perfect destination for honeymooners.

Dasara lighting at Amba Vilas Palace at Mysuru pic.twitter.com/eajZVc9RCS    (@prashantrathi08) October 16, 2015

Amba Vilas  Mysore is often described as a City of Palaces, and among the seven palaces situated in the city, The Amba Vila is distinct for its grandeur. Also known as Palace of Mysore, once designated as the official residence of Maharajas of Mysore, it now serves as a key historical site of tourists to Karnataka.

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Umaid Bhavan - The grand construction carved out of yellow sandstone took 15 years to be built and was completed by 1944. The architecture of this building was vastly inspired by the Renaissance and its 105 foot high cupola is a sign of it. However, the traces of Rajputana architecture also pervade throughout its construction.

Date Idea: Make it an early morning date and enjoy the spectacular architechture of Hawa Mahal, India #AsianDating pic.twitter.com/s11EcgVYV4  AsianDating.com (@AsianDatingcom) April 24, 2016

Hawa Mahal - Constructed of red and pink sandstone by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799, the palace was named after its high screen walls that permitted the women of the royal household to get a glimpse of the street festivals outside, while staying unseen from outside. What separates Hawa Mahal from other palaces in India, is its five story exterior, which was designed to resemble the crown of Lord Krishna, but is also akin to a beehive honeycomb.

Taj Falaknuma - Another example of nawabi magnificience is Taj Falaknuma which is now renovated into a luxury hotel famous as the Falaknuma Palace. Spread over 32 acres of land just 5 kilometers from the Charminar, the palace took 9 years to be built and is a must visit for all tourists to Hyderabad.

Checked into Deogarh Mahal amazing fort/palace we are one of 3 rooms currently being used we have around 12 staff each pic.twitter.com/RgnlCavl  Ed Brisker (@erdb73) May 28, 2012

Deogarh Mahal - The castle of Deogarh of has its roots deep in the history of Rajasthan and the illustrations of Mewar aristocracy is prevalent in every corner of the construction. The marvelous piece of architecture adds to be another palace turned luxury hotel in the state.

Jai Mahal - At first glance one might get an impression of a palace floating on the Man Sagar Lake, but no, it has not championed gravity yet. Surfaced over 300 acres of land, the ancient building was restructured in the 18th century. The palace provides the perfect amalgamation of Rajput and Mughal architectural styles.

Oberoi Udaivilas:       > https://t.co/uUKeSYhkcy pic.twitter.com/YMnJapKdIo    ; (@MimoupeisGr) May 3, 2016

Udai Vilas - Overlooking beautiful lakes, the Udaivilas is a majestic form of architecture complete with pools, courtyards and domed pavilions, situated in Udaypur, Rajasthan.

Fernhills Royal Palace - A splendid construction located amidst the scenic beauty of Ooty, the Fernhills Palace served as the summer residence of the Maharaja of Mysore. In contrast to most of the palaces in India, spread over 50 acres of greenery, Fernhills Palace stands as a reminiscent of a Swiss Chalet.
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Four babies born with microcephaly linked to the Zika virus have been confirmed in Panama, the health ministry said on Wednesday, out of 264 total cases of the mosquito-borne infection in the country. Public health officials have been concerned about the possibility of a surge in the rare birth defect, seen in worrisome numbers in Brazil, as the virus spreads rapidly in Latin America and the Caribbean. Fourteen pregnant women have contracted the virus, and six babies who were infected with Zika were born with malformations, including the microcephaly cases, the health ministry said. According to the World Health Organization, there is a strong scientific consensus that Zika can cause the birth defect microcephaly as well as Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can result in paralysis, though conclusive proof may take months or years. Panama's Health Minister Francisco Terrientes said the country is "staying alert to the rapid expansion of the Zika virus," and called on the population to take preventative measures. Brazil said it has confirmed 1,198 cases of Zika-related microcephaly, a rare birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. Zika has also been linked to other severe birth defects and with stillbirth. (Reporting by Elida Moreno; Writing by Anna Yukhananov; Editing by Robert Birsel)
DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the PAPs final rally before the Bukit Batok by-election. Photo: Bryan Huang/Yahoo Singapore.



Two heavyweight ministers took to the stage on the final day of campaigning for the Bukit Batok by-election to warn about the Singapore Democratic Partys (SDP) brand of populist politics, saying that it will not advance democracy in the country.

Addressing Bukit Batok residents at Bukit Gombak Stadium, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Chan Chun Sing, Minister in the Prime Ministers Office, said on Thursday (5 May) that the ruling Peoples Action Party does not stop people from speaking out against government policies.

But the politics articulated by Chee Soon Juan, the SDP chief who is contesting against PAPs Murali Pillai in the by-election, is tilted towards spreading fear and alarm and populism, said Tharman.

You dont need to agree with the PAP. But discuss things openly, tell people the truth. Lets argue whats best, always go for a better consensus. Thats how we advance democracy, he added.

Tharman said that the SDP had talked about promises in their planned policies without explaining the consequences to Singaporeans.

Chan, who spoke before Tharman, questioned the comments made by the SDP against government policies. Be careful, dont anyhow say things just because it is the elections. It is serious business looking after a country, he warned.

Chan Chun Sing, Minister in the Prime Ministers Office. Photo: Bryan Huang/Yahoo Singapore



The labour chief added that the government is open to having robust discussion with Singaporeans about its policies.

Its not just about having another opposition for oppositions sake. If its just for a new voice in Parliament, today, even without going to Parliament, we have many voices, said Chan.

Other ministers including DPM Teo Chee Hean, Law Minister K. Shanmugam and Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim were also at the stadium to give support to Murali.

Chan also spoke about Muralis commitment to the residents in Bukit Batok, saying that the lawyer is a sincere person who has the interest of the residents at heart.

Do you see him boasting on his Facebook page about going on house visits? The work of an MP is never done. We work to make sure the needs of our residents are met, said Chan.
Mineral rights provides El Limon with sufficient feed material to exceed 200 TPD mill capacity; Para also announces the appointment of Mr. Glenn Walsh as Director of the Company

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 5, 2016 / Para Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "Para") (PBR.V) (WKN:A14YF1) is pleased to announce it has entered into a letter of intent by which Para would acquire, directly or through a Colombia company controlled by Para, an undivided 100% interest in all of the mineral concessions owned by Otu Gold, Ltd. ("Otu Gold") consisting of approximately 17,000 hectares located in the Segovia Gold Belt of Northeast Colombia that are located North of 1300000 N including any mining concessions, registered contracts with processing plants and drilling permits already in place.

Subject to the terms and conditions the letter of intent, Para will acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to the Property in consideration of the purchase price of $1,000,000 USD, payable by Para as follows:

(a) $500,000 USD on closing of the Transaction;

(b) $250,000 USD pursuant to a promissory note payable on the date that is one year from the closing date of the Transaction;

(c) $250,000 USD payable by the issuance to Otu Gold of that number of common shares of Para calculated based on the average weighted trading price of Para's shares for the five trading days immediately before the Closing Date.

In addition, as part of the Transaction, Otu will cause the assignment and transfer to Para directly, or through a Colombia company controlled by Para, all of the rights, interests and obligations of Minerales Otu S.A.S. in the contracts with Equilibria Colombia S.A.S. covering the Alacran, Delirios and Diamantina claims.

Para will also grant to Otu Gold a 2% net smelter royalty from the sale of minerals produced from the Property. Para may, at its discretion at any time for a period of five years from the closing date, reduce the NSR from 2% to 1% for consideration of $1 million USD payable to Otu Gold as to $750,000 USD in cash and $250,000 by the issuance of that number of common shares of Para calculated based on the average weighted trading price of Para's shares for the five trading days immediately before the closing date of the reduction of the NSR.

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Geoff Hampson, CEO of Para Resources, commented:

"The acquisition of these mineral rights, which includes three small scale operating mines, will provide Para with additional sources of feed material that we were previously going to process on a "toll milling" basis. Owning these rights will decrease the cost of the additional feed material which the Company would have had to acquire from the local miners, increasing the net profit per ounce of gold Para will produce from this rock. Once the El Limon is fully operational and all of the necessary permits are issued, the payback of the cost of acquiring the mineral rights will be very quick. In addition, there are many small historical mines on these properties, giving Para a number of high value exploration targets that will allow the Company to justifying increasing capacity at El Limon over the long term."

Para also announces that on April 29th, 2016, Dr. Luiz Augusto Bizzi, P.Eng resigned as a Director of the Company. At a meeting of the Board of Directors, Mr. Glenn Walsh, the President of Conex Services Inc, the largest shareholder of Para, was appointed as a Director to fill the vacancy. The Company thanks Dr. Bizzi for his years of service to the shareholders of Para and wishes him success in all future endeavors.

About El Limon

The El Limon property is located in the northwest part of Colombia near the town of Zaragoza, Antioquia, Colombia and is accessible via both paved highways and gravel roads. The Mine is situated in the wide Zaragoza Gold District which extends from El Bagre until Remedios towns considering the historical alluvium mining and the primary gold underground mines. The El Limon claims cover a total area of approximately 321 hectares, including 129.6 hectares in RPP No. 12011 and 191.1 hectares in the concession contract No. 620 which is located west of the currently exploited zone.

Typical production grades of the region range from 8-12 g/t Au diluted. However, higher grade mines do exist, such as Quintana and El Limon mines at 8-29 g/t Au diluted. Vein widths are typically below 1 m although both the hanging wall and the footwall zones can contain appreciable economic mineralization within the high-grade cores.

The highest grades obtained by Para Resources, during mining operations, were in a channel sample of 2.00 m in width over a quartz vein with abundant sulphides and 65.33 gpt Au, also containing 0.3 meters at 428.42 gpt Au.

The El Limon mine is currently operating underground on Level 7 where the head grade continues to be high at approximately 8 gpt Au. The vein system is open at depth but constrained at both ends by faults. Management believes the property offers multiple exploration targets that could significantly increase the life of the mine. It is management's intention to utilize some of the cash generated from mining, to drill the property to expand the number of targeted areas for mining.

Mr. Paulo J. Andrade, a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG #6136), Senior Geologist, VP and Country Manager for Para Resources, Inc., a CP/QP under NI-43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release.

ABOUT PARA RESOURCES:

Para Resources is an exploration stage gold mining and toll milling company. Para is earning an interest in the El Limon project, in Colombia, with toll milling opportunities, and exploration and development upside. In addition the Company is gearing up to commence trial mining operations at its Tucuma Project and in particular on the Angelim prospect in Para State, Brazil. Para Resources will continue to take advantage of current market conditions to acquire and develop additional highly economic, near-term production assets that have strong exploration and development upside.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"C. Geoffrey Hampson"

C. Geoffrey Hampson, Chief Executive Officer and Director

For further information, please contact:

Andrea Laird

Telephone: 604-259-0302

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation service provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

All statements, analysis and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. The company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements even if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Para Resources Inc.
Paul Ryan

In a move without precedent in recent political history, House Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday said he is not ready to support Donald Trump, his party's presumptive presidential nominee.

In a CNN interview, the speaker said that he cannot support or endorse Trump until he unifies the Republican Party.

"To be perfectly candid with you, Jake, I'm just not ready to do that at this point. I'm not there right now," Ryan told CNN host Jake Tapper.

He continued: "I hope to, and I want to. But I think what is required is to unify this party. And I think the bulk of the burden on unifying the party will have to come from our presumptive nominee."

The speaker called on Trump to "set aside bullying, set aside belittlement."

Despite his refusal to endorse Trump, Ryan congratulated the real-estate magnate for effectively clinching the nomination, saying that Republican leaders should take note of the sentiments Trump tapped into. The speaker also said his nonendorsement right now does not mean he is supporting Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

"No Republican should ever consider supporting Hillary Clinton. Let me make that clear," Ryan said.

Trump fired back in a statement late Thursday, saying he was "not ready to support" Ryan's agenda, either.

"I am not ready to support Speaker Ryan's agenda," he said. Perhaps in the future we can work together and come to an agreement about what is best for the American people. They have been treated so badly for so long that it is about time for politicians to put them first!"

Ryan's stance sets him apart from other congressional leaders, many of whom have slowly begun to coalesce around the controversial real-estate mogul. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell offered a tepid endorsement of Trump, saying that he was "committed to supporting the nominee."

Still, Trump has faced extraordinary resistance among many prominent Republican Party figures. Both former Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush declined to endorse Trump, and 2012 presidential nominee Gov. Mitt Romney's staff confirmed on Thursday that he would not attend the Republican National Convention in July.

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NOW WATCH: We dont always nominate a Lincoln and a Reagan every four years: Paul Ryan says hes not ready to support Trump





More From Business Insider


House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that he is not ready to support presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

In an appearance on CNNs The Lead with Jake Tapper, Ryan said he wants to support his partys nominee, but that he simply cannot do so just yet.

I hope to though, and I want to, Ryan said just after 4 p.m. ET. But I think what is required is that we unify this party. And I think the bulk of the burden on unifying the party will have to come from our presumptive nominee.

Ryan said Trump should be congratulated for what he has accomplished during the primaries, but noted that in becoming the face of the Republican Party, he has also inherited something that is very special to many people.

This is the party of Lincoln, of Reagan, of Jack Kemp, and we dont always nominate a Lincoln and a Reagan every four years, he said. But we hope that our nominee aspires to be Lincoln- and Reagan-esque  that that person advances the principles of our party and appeals to a wide, vast majority of Americans.

Paul Ryan holds a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 17, 2016. (Photo: Gary Cameron/Reuters)

According to Ryan, the GOP presidential candidate needs to unify the party by showing dedication to Republican principles and running a campaign other Republicans can be proud of.

Trump responded late Thursday afternoon via a statement, saying hes not ready to work with Ryan anyway.

I am not ready to support Speaker Ryans agenda. Perhaps in the future we can work together and come to an agreement about what is best for the American people. They have been treated so badly for so long that it is about time for politicians to put them first!



Tapper noted that Ryans announcement is fairly dramatic despite his hopeful wording  namely, that the speaker of the House cannot as of now support his partys nominee for the Oval Office.

I hope to support our nominee, Ryan replied. I hope to support his candidacy fully, and I want to do that, but right now  I got to tell you Jake, being candid with you  at this point, Im just not there right now.



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On Wednesday, before Ohio Gov. John Kasich suspended his presidential campaign, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus urged members of his party to accept Trump as the GOP candidate and rally behind him.

We all need to unite and focus on defeating Hillary Clinton, he tweeted.



See the graphic: Where the Republican Party stands on Trump >>>
Baghdad (AFP) - Iraq's political reform process was in limbo Monday after protesters demanding a change of government reacted to weeks of stalling by storming parliament.

Security concerns were also high due to the presence in Baghdad of thousands of Shiite pilgrims, who were targeted for the second time in three days with a suicide bombing that killed at least 14 people.

Demonstrators pulled out of the Green Zone, where parliament is located, on Sunday evening, a day after breaching the walls of the fortified government district.

But the protesters, most of whom are followers of outspoken cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, also warned they would be back on the streets of Baghdad on Friday if their demands were not met.

Sadr supports Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's efforts to form a new cabinet of technocrats to replace the current government of party-affiliated ministers, accused of graft and sectarianism.

There was no clear plan of action emerging Monday from any of the main players and Sadr himself flew to neighbouring Iran, the main foreign broker among Shiite political blocs in Iraq.

"The leader of the Sadrist movement left at 11:00 am from Najaf airport to the Imam Khomeini airport" southwest of Tehran, a Najaf airport official told AFP.

"Sadr took two other clerics with him," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. A political source in Baghdad confirmed the information.

Iraq's lawmakers looked unlikely to hold another session this week however, with the main parliament building requiring a massive cleanup following Saturday's events.

Thousands of mostly Sadrist protesters pulled down blast walls around the Green Zone and stormed the chamber after MPs again failed to agree on reforms.

Some MPs were roughed up on Saturday and their vehicles vandalised, and lawmakers appeared wary of exposing themselves to another attack.

"It was decided to hold a parliamentary session next week in another place because the (parliament) hall was damaged," MP Abbas al-Bayati told AFP.

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There was no official statement from the speaker on the issue however.

- IS claims fresh bombing -

Abadi called for those who committed violent acts on Saturday to be arrested, but his grip on Iraq's top job looked more tenuous than ever.

A senior official in the Dawa party, of which Abadi is a member, said there was discussion within the party of the premier's resignation.

"We are in a debate inside the party for the first time (on) the demand for Abadi to resign," the official said.

Since coming to power in September 2014, Abadi has faced tough opposition from his predecessor and fellow party member Nuri al-Maliki.

Abadi nonetheless enjoys the support of Western powers, who have warned that continued political deadlock risks hampering Iraq's fight against the Islamic State group, which seized control of large parts of the country in mid-2014.

Backed by a US-led coalition, Iraqi security forces have made significant gains in retaking territory from IS in recent months, but still face huge challenges in rooting out jihadist fighters from the western province of Anbar and the country's second city of Mosul.

As the "caliphate" the jihadists proclaimed nearly two years ago continues to shrink, they have increasingly reverted to targeting civilians in bombings in Iraq's cities.

IS claimed responsibility for Monday's bombing that left at least 14 dead, saying one of its suicide bombers had detonated a car bomb against Shiite pilgrims in southern Baghdad.

They were walking to the northern Baghdad shrine of Imam Musa Kadhim, whose 799 AD death is an important date in the Shiite Muslim calendar and is commemorated annually.

Another 23 people were killed in a similar attack on the outskirts of the Iraqi capital on Saturday.

The religious commemoration is due to culminate on Tuesday with tens of thousands of faithful converging on the shrine in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighbourhood.
By Joseph Ax

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania woman who suffered severe injuries when an 18-year-old college student fell on her from an eighth-story window has sued the dead teenager's estate, claiming permanent disabilities.

Erica Goodwin, 45, was walking in Philadelphia's Center City district on Jan. 15, 2015, when Rebecca Kim landed on her after falling from the eighth floor of an apartment building, leaving her with spinal fractures and other injuries.

The Philadelphia medical examiner's office ruled Kim's death a suicide.

According to Goodwin's lawsuit, Kim, a first-year student at Temple University, was visiting friends who lived in the apartment, which houses students at the Art Institute of Philadelphia.

She told them she wanted to take photographs from the ledge and then either fell or jumped to her death, the complaint said.

In addition to Kim's estate, the lawsuit also names as defendants the Art Institute and its parent company Education Management Corp, the students who lived in the apartment and the companies that managed and owned the building, among other entities.

Goodwin's injuries were the result of the defendants' negligence for allowing access to the ledge, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia.

A lawyer and a spokeswoman for the Art Institute declined to comment on Thursday.

Kim's relatives filed their own wrongful death lawsuit in December against many of the same corporate defendants, claiming they did not take appropriate steps to secure the building's windows. The lawsuit characterized Kim's death as a "fall," and did not address whether she acted intentionally.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax, editing by G Crosse)
Like Batman v Superman, Captain America: Civil War starts with mankind grousing about all the collateral damage caused, time and again, by the efforts of superheroes to save the planet. Earth survives, true, but sometimes a downtown does wind up obliterated, and then the caped, the powerful, the all-but-indestructible end up hearing nothing but bellyaching. (This, not coincidentally, is one of the ongoing themes of the presidential election  does the world even deserve a country as good and helpful as the United States? Only the costumes aren't as imaginative.)



The difference between the two blockbusters  and Captain America is destined to become one, instantly  is a matter of attitude. BvS, which was a lot more enjoyable than the reviews indicated, was intensely conscious of its mythic baggage. If you gave Batman and Superman each their own boulder to push up an endlessly steep cliff, they'd probably say, "That's a just pebble. Got anything larger?" The characters in Captain America, by comparison, are a kind of extreme bowling league: They'll demolish as many pins as happen to be set up, of whatever size, but they'll make sure they have fun doing it  regardless of their own lachrymose backstories  and let us have a good time, too.









So: The United Nations solemnly informs the Avengers that henceforth they must operate under that body's supervision, or they'll be treated as rogue powers and dealt with accordingly. If any of these superheroes bothered to read history, they would simply laugh, say something like, "Yeah, you and your old man" and go about their business. And yet several of them, notably Iron Man ( Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow ( Scarlett Johansson) and War Machine ( Don Cheadle), agree to let the UN call the shots. Captain America ( Chris Evans) and Falcon ( Anthony Mackie), on the other hand, are not willing to serve as multilateral wusses. This sets everyone on a collision course, even though the real threat to global security has recently been thawed out of Siberian ice.







It takes a while to set all this up, but Civil War is two and a half hours long and figures you're not going to go anywhere anyway. And once it gets going, it really has its act together: The major sequences are arguably more rapidly fluid than they need to be  CGI can sometimes play less like special effects than a superior sleight of hand  but they're beautifully orchestrated and sustained. Once they take off, they don't come down. Nor do you want them to.



The new Spider-Man is terrific, played by Tom Holland with a genuine boyishness reminiscent of the young Michael J. Fox. And the Black Panther ( Chadwick Boseman) has an attractive gravitas  you almost believe he really has prowled up and down the corridors of power, both governmental and superheroic.



You also have an awesome surprise, courtesy of Ant-Man ( Paul Rudd), and Hope Davis at the piano singing "Try to Remember."



In short, the movie has just about everything.



Captain America: Civil War opens May 6, rated PG-13.
(Adds CEO interview, revenue)

By Bill Berkrot

May 5 (Reuters) - PerkinElmer Inc bounced back from a disappointing quarter with a strong start to the year, as the scientific instruments maker reported higher-than-expected first-quarter profit and raised its full-year earnings forecast by 10 cents.

PerkinElmer now sees adjusted 2016 earnings of $2.75 to $2.85 per share, which is more in line with analysts' previous forecasts. The company in February forecast full-year adjusted earnings of $2.65 to $2.75 per share, leading analysts to lower their estimates on average by 11 cents to $2.71.

"We feel generally better about the end markets and therefore more confident in our ability to forecast a much stronger bottom line," PerkinElmer Chief Executive Robert Friel said in a telephone interview.

The 10-cent increase to the forecast range was "made up of about 6 cents from the operational strength we saw in the first quarter and about 4 cents associated with the foreign exchange rate movement since a couple of months ago," Friel said.

"We are forecasting the second quarter fairly similar to the first with 4 percent organic growth," Friel added.

Excluding one-time items, the company, which also makes medical diagnostic and environmental and food testing products, earned 56 cents per share, topping analysts' average expectations by 5 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The company saw double-digit sales growth in its food safety testing business and in newborn and prenatal screening, with particular strength outside the United States, Friel said, adding that business had also picked up from pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers.

PerkinElmer posted a net profit $47.5 million, or 43 cents per share, compared with a profit of $40.3 million, or 36 cents a share, a year ago.

Revenue for the quarter of $538.7 million edged past Wall Street estimates of $532.7 million. Profit and revenue had missed expectations in the prior quarter.

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The widespread Zika virus outbreak in South America and elsewhere impacted aspects of PerkinElmer business both negatively and positively.

Newborn screening was down in South America, the CEO said, as people put off having babies over fear of severe birth defects that may be caused by Zika infection.

On the flip side, "some of our instruments are being used by researchers in Brazil and the United States to do some analysis on Zika ... to screen compounds trying to understand the disease mechanism a little better." (Reporting by Bill Berkrot; Editing by Bernard Orr and James Dalgleish)
LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian presidential contender Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said on Thursday foreign investors were eager to finance his proposed infrastructure projects if he is elected in a June 5 run-off election. The 77-year-old former prime minister said he met with several creditors during a recent trip to the United States, where he once worked as a Wall Street investor and World Bank economist. "I'd barely arrived to a lunch with financiers and investors, and I already had in my briefcase an offer for $5 billion," Kuczynski said in broadcast comments at an event with farmers. "I told them let's not get ahead of ourselves, I still haven't arrived" to government. Kuczynski said he would ensure that every town in Peru has a drinking water distribution system by the end of his five-year term if elected. He also proposed building a new commuter train along Peru's central coast. Both Kuczynski and his run-off rival, 40-year old center-right former congresswoman Keiko Fujimori, have promised to roll out a slew of new infrastructure projects to drive the economy forward at the end of a decade-long mining boom. While Fujimori has said she would tap a rainy-day fund in the finance ministry to pay for new projects, Kuczynski said it would be smarter to sell bonds or secure new loans. Peru, a top global producer of copper, zinc and gold, is rated A3 by Moody's and BBB+ by Standard & Poor's and Fitch. "Peru today can raise capital at 20 years at less than 3 percent, for a country that hopefully will be growing by 5 or 6 percent, it's actually a negative rate," Kuczynski said. "It's comforting to me to know that we can finance these things...without depleting our fiscal reserves." Recent opinion polls show Kuczynski and Fujimori are neck-and-neck. Markets rallied after the two conservative candidates defeated a leftist rival last month to move on to a second-round presidential election on June 5. Kuczynski is popular in the capital Lima, especially among young people and the country's upper classes, but he lacks strong support in rural Peru. Fujimori, the eldest daughter of imprisoned ex-president Alberto Fujimori, faces stiff opposition from detractors of her father's authoritarian government but enjoys the backing of his admirers. (Reporting By Mitra Taj; Editing by Andrew Hay)
On this weeks We The People podcast, we take a closer look at the public debate over laws regulating bathroom use for transgender Americans.

Men and women toilet signs.

On April 19, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in favor of Gavin Grimm, a 16-year-old transgender student in Virginia, who argued that Title IXwhich prohibits gender discrimination in any educational program that receives federal fundingrequires that he be allowed to use the boys restroom at school.

The Fourth Circuits decision also applies to North Carolina, where a recently enacted law limits transgender people to bathrooms in government buildingsincluding public schoolsthat correspond with their sex at birth.

Joining National Constitution Center president and CEO Jeffrey Rosen to discuss the Grimm case, and the broader debate over bathroom laws and transgender rights, are two attorneys on the front lines of the issue.

Joshua Block is a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Unions LGBT & AIDS Project. Josh and the ACLU represent Gavin Grimm; Josh argued the Grimm case at the Fourth Circuit.

Matthew Sharp is legal counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom. ADF has drafted model legislation and school policies regulating public bathroom use that are similar to the one being challenged in the Grimm case.

You can listen to the full podcast in the audio player below or at the following link: Download this episode (right click and save)

This podcast was engineered by Kevin Kilbourne and produced by Nicandro Iannacci. Research was provided by Lana Ulrich and Danieli Evans.

Get the latest constitutional news, and continue the conversation, on our Facebook page, facebook.com/constitutionctr, and on our Twitter feed, twitter.com/ConstitutionCtr.

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Terri "Missy" Bevers, the Texas fitness instructor who was found dead inside the church where she was about to teach class, died of multiple puncture wounds to the head and chest, according to an arrest warrant from the Midlothian Police Department obtained by PEOPLE.



Because surveillance video inside the church showed the main suspect, dressed in tactical gear, carrying a hammer, the warrant notes that Bevers' injuries "are consistent with the tools the suspect was carrying throughout the building." Authorities say they can't confirm if the suspect is male or female.



Bevers, 45, was an instructor with Camp Gladiator Midlothian, which focuses on "boot camp" exercises. On April 18, she'd arrived at The Creekside Church of Christ at about 4:15 a.m. to get ready to teach her class, which was moved inside that morning because of rain.



On the surveillance video, Bevers is seen arriving in the lobby area, but is not seen again on the tape. The only other person on the video around that time is the suspect, who is wearing a black helmet, black ski mask, dark pants, a dark long-sleeved shirt, black gloves and a black vest with the word "police" on the front and back.



"The subject is seen walking throughout the building holding a hammer, breaking windows and going through offices," the warrant states.





Police Say Murdered Texas Fitness Instructor Died from 'Multiple Puncture Wounds' and Suspect Seen on Surveillance Remains at Large| Crime & Courts, Murder, True Crime

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.



Police have also released a search warrant they have issued for the Dry Cleaner Super Center of Midlothian. On April 22, an employee called police to report that Randy Bevers, Missy's father-in-law, brought in four shirts to be cleaned. One woman's shirt, which was white, was given to them "with what appears to be blood spots/stains on it," the warrant says.



"Randy Bevers told the clerk that the stains on the white shirt were 'animal blood,'" according to the document.



Bevers's mother-in-law, Marsha Tucker, told PEOPLE she believed Bevers was targeted.



"They knew the time she would be [at the church]," Tucker said. "She would put times out there on Facebook. They knew. I mean she did that for people that did her 'boot camp' and it was always out there."



In a press release issued on Tuesday, police said they "continue to vigorously track down every single lead that comes in." Investigators are refraining from releasing further details, writing in the release, "We believe this is information that only the killer would know."



Missy Bevers is survived by her husband and three daughters. On her Facebook page, she described her career as "helping others achieve their personal fitness goals, by providing my skills and passion in the exercise industry."



Anyone with information about the case can contact the Midlothian Police Department's tip line at 972-775-7624.
WARSAW, May 5 (Reuters) - Poland's finance minister has asked the constitutional court's head to cool its dispute with the governnment until ratings agency Moody's has made its review of the economy next week, a sign of concern that the row is hurting investors' confidence.

Another agency, S&P, downgraded the country's rating last January, saying that reforms carried out by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) conservatives had weakened the independence of the top court and other key institutions.

Moody's, which is due to make its review on May 13, has said that Poland is facing heightened political risk as a result of the crisis, making its less attractive to foreign investors.

Government critics say the PiS party has undermined judges' independence by enacting reform that increases the majority of judges needed to pass top court rulings and changing the order in which cases are heard. The court has ruled the reform as illegal.

In a letter to the court's head, Andrzej Rzeplinski, published on the court's website on Thursday, Finance Minister Pawel Szalamacha asked the judge to show restraint in the conflict until Moody's decision on May 13.

"We will likely stick to our views as to the causes and the course of this disagreement, however I ask you to consider refraining until May 13 from public statements which could escalate it," Szalamacha said.

Rzeplinski has been an outspoken critic of the government's actions which he says amount to an assault on the court's independence. The PiS has said Rzeplinski's comments are politically-motivated, accusing him of supporting the former ruling centrists.

Even as Szalamacha's letter was published, Poland's zloty hit a three-month low against the euro on Thursday.

Financial markets say that the legal and political uncertainty generated by the conflict is certain to rebound on Poland's image as a poster child for successful economic transformation.

(Reporting by Wiktor Szary; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Dublin (AFP) - Ireland's parliament is expected to re-appoint Enda Kenny as prime minister on Friday, paving the way for the formation of a minority government to end months of political stalemate.

Kenny has repeatedly failed to get the support of enough deputies to be re-appointed for a second term as taoiseach since a February general election produced an inconclusive result.

But his Fine Gael party last week secured a deal that arch-rivals Fianna Fail would abstain on the parliamentary vote, allowing Kenny to form a minority government.

Some uncertainty remains however as Kenny must however still secure the support of several independent politicians to make up the numbers.

The agreement between the parties means that Fianna Fail will back Fine Gael and independents on key confidence votes in return for having a number of its policies implemented from the opposition benches.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said the arrangement would remain in place at least until the end of 2018 "barring unforeseen accidents or complete negligence in terms of attention to these issues".

The draft plan for government includes a commitment to 6.75 billion euros ($7.7 billion) in additional public spending over the next five years and the suspension of controversial water charges in a concession to Fianna Fail.

Should the numbers stack up in his favour on Friday, Kenny will be the first European prime minister who oversaw a bailout programme and has been returned to power.

Fine Gael, which won 50 seats at the election as against 44 for Fianna Fail, already had the support of two independent lawmakers and requires six more to create the slimmest of majorities in the 158-seat Dail, or lower house of parliament.
An alligator crawling around your front lawn sounds kind of scary, but an alligator politely ringing your doorbell and asking to come in? That's just adorably courteous.

Gary Rogers told WCIV that he spotted the alligator walking around the South Carolina town of Moncks Corner on Monday morning.

"He was walking around in front of a couple of houses down in the cul-de-sac area. So we went down. Took a couple videos ... He was trying to climb the fence a couple times. Tried to climb somebody's door. It was pretty funny actually," Rogers told WCIV. "I'm not from the area, so seeing an alligator is interesting as far as I'm concerned."

The neighborly reptile was spotted hanging out by the front door of Jamie Bailey's home. Sadly Bailey wasn't around to invite him in, but she told WCIV that he left a calling card.

"You can see where he was scratching all around the door here. And then there. And then you can see the scratches on the knob itself," Bailey said. "I mean, who would have thought  an alligat
By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Supporters of a drive to legalize recreational marijuana for adults in California said on Wednesday they had collected more than enough signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot, formally launching their campaign to win over voters. Democratic Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, leading a coalition of supporters that includes billionaire high-tech entrepreneur Sean Parker, said the campaign had gathered some 600,000 petition signatures, well above the 365,880 minimum required. The signatures must still be officially certified by state election officials, but "you can rest assured this will be on the November ballot," Newsom told a San Francisco news conference to kick off efforts to build voter support for the initiative. The initiative, dubbed the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, would allow an individual aged 21 or older to possess and use as much as an ounce of marijuana for private recreational use, and permit personal cultivation of as many as six marijuana plants. The measure would also establish a system to license, regulate and tax sales of marijuana, while allowing city governments to exercise local control over or disallow commercial distribution within their borders. Opinion polls show attitudes have shifted more in favor of liberalized marijuana laws since California voters defeated a recreational cannabis initiative in 2010. California led the way in legalizing marijuana for medical purposes in 1996, with 22 other states and the District of Columbia following suit, although cannabis remains classified as an illegal narcotic under U.S. law. Voters in four states - Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska - plus the District of Columbia, have gone a step further since 2012 in permitting recreational use for adults. Opponents of liberalized marijuana laws have argued that such measures carry major public safety risks and would make pot more accessible to youngsters. But supporters of the California initiative said the measure included a number of provisions aimed at keeping marijuana out of the hands of minors, including a ban on marketing to children, explicit warning labels on cannabis products and safe-packaging restrictions. They also said hundreds of millions of dollars in state tax revenue from pot sales would be earmarked for substance abuse prevention and treatment, law enforcement and research. One key organization backing the latest ballot measure is the NAACP civil rights group, which has embraced the argument that current marijuana laws have led to a disproportionate number of minorities being incarcerated for minor drug offenses. (Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Peter Cooney)
A woman has filed a lawsuit against Procter and Gamble, alleging that the company fired her four months into her pregnancy after failing to make minor adjustments to accommodate her condition.

Tiffany Kantrowitz was initially hired to work at the Fifth Avenue location of Dolce and Gabbana, a P&G-owned brand, as a makeup salesperson. Kantrowitz believed that the position represented a "big break for me, a company that would develop me and I could move up with," she told ThinkProgress.

Kantrowitz says she mentioned to a manager that she was interested in becoming pregnant one day, to which she alleges the manager responded, "Pregnancy is not part of the uniform." Kantrowitz did, in fact, become pregnant toward the end of 2 .

Despite being determined not to let her symptoms, like the chronic headaches and nausea she suffered in her first trimester, affect her work, Kantrowitz told ThinkProgress that her managers issued her a written warning for sitting down on a stool while battling dizziness during an interaction with a customer.

HR representatives eventually intervened and told Kantrowitz she was permitted to take 5-to-10-minute breaks in difficult-to-access break rooms on a separate floor from where she was working, which she says made it more difficult to hit her sales quotas.

The company also insisted that any break time she took come out of her 12 weeks of paid family leave.

Four months into her pregnancy, Kantrowitz was fired. In a statement, the company said that its discovery of "tester products" among her possessions led to the decision.

"Ms. Kantrowitz was terminated for cause following an internal investigation," a spokesperson for P&G told ThinkProgress, adding, "P&G has been, and continues to be widely respected for our commitment to diversity and inclusion and the many programs we have in place to support working mothers."

In her lawsuit, Kantrowitz claims that other employees frequently tested out products without consequence, and that she was unfairly singled out "in retaliation for [her] insistence on her right to a reasonable accommodation for her pregnancy."

According to a Pew Research Center study, more women than ever are working during pregnancy, and 82% of respondents said that they were willing to work until within a month of giving birth. However, many states still do not offer pregnant women adequate protection against discrimination  leaving them vulnerable to similar treatment.

"I'm still kind of surprised that it happened to me," Kantrowitz said. "It's disappointing in our day and age that people would be unsympathetic to a pregnant woman in the workplace."
As President Obama winds down his remaining months in office, he took a moment to visit the lead-stricken city of Flint, Michigan  and carved out a special meeting with the person who invited him, 8-year-old Amariyanna "Mari" Copeny, aka Little Miss Flint.

From the looks of the photo, the commander in chief seems to have swept her off her feet  literally.

The whole thing got going after Copeny penned a letter to Obama in March asking him to visit with residents and talk about his efforts to help the blighted city.

President Obama Met Little Miss Flint and the Photo Is Amazing

"I am one of the children that is affected by this water and I've been doing my best to march in protest and to speak out for all the kids that live here in Flint," she wrote. "I would love for a chance to meet you or your wife. My mom said chances are you will be too busy with more important things."

Source: ClickOnDetroit.com

But it seems Obama wasn't too busy after all.

Obama not only followed up with a letter of his own but made the trek out to pay a personal visit to Copeny as well.

"Like you, I'll use my voice to call for change and help lift up your community," Obama wrote, "Letters from kids like you are what make me so optimistic for the future. I hope to meet you next week, 'Little Miss Flint.'"
May 5 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories from selected Canadian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL

** Insurance companies are setting up temporary claims hubs and sending additional staff to Alberta as wildfires in Fort McMurray destroyed property in what could become one of the country's costliest natural disasters. (http://bit.ly/1Wb0Mt7)

** Major oil sands operators evacuated staff and curtailed production indefinitely as Fort McMurray burned, forcing the industry into emergency mode amid one of the worst disasters in Alberta's history. (http://bit.ly/1Wb0W3O)

** The Liberal government has used its power to cut short the debate on its physician-assisted dying bill, a move intended to speed the legislation along as the Supreme Court of Canada's June 6 deadline looms. (http://bit.ly/1Wb11o5)

NATIONAL POST

** The Canada Pension Plan's investment arm may be racking up impressive gains, but Canadians are mistaken if they think the portion they will be getting in retirement is growing at the same rate, says a new paper from the Fraser Institute. (http://bit.ly/1Wb13fD)

** Toronto city council voted unanimously Wednesday to hold a byelection on July 25 in Ward 2, the former constituency of councillor Rob Ford, who passed away March 22. Moments later, Michael Ford announced he was resigning as school trustee for Etobicoke North to contest his late uncle's seat. (http://bit.ly/1Wb1Z3C)

** The acceleration of price increases in Canada's two most expensive cities is showing no signs of stopping, something sure to add fuel to arguments that housing markets in Toronto and Vancouver are overheated and need some type of intervention. (http://bit.ly/1Wb3C1k) (Compiled by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru)
By Jonathan Saul and Nina Chestney

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Disagreement among nations means no carbon emissions targets have been set for international shipping, but voices from within the industry are calling for global curbs to be set soon, before countries or regional blocs take matters into their own hands.

The shipping sector, like aviation, was excluded from any target cuts under last year's Paris climate deal, which set a goal of restricting the rise in global average temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius.

Shipping now makes up around 2.2 percent of world emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, and that share is forecast to rise dramatically if nothing is done to slow it.

The International Maritime Organization, the U.N. agency responsible for regulating pollution from ships, forecasts CO2 emissions from vessels rising anywhere between 50 percent and 250 percent by 2050 in its "business as usual" case, as economies grow and trade increases.

So far, specific targets to curb emissions growth have been blocked by emerging countries like India and Brazil, which expect their shipping volumes to increase over the next decades.

But some shipping companies, especially ones that have invested in newer, more fuel-efficient ships, say the IMO should take action to limit emissions, before regulation is imposed by regional blocs like the European Union or individual states.

A session in late April of the IMO's Maritime Environment Protection Committee agreed only to defer further discussion on emissions to its next session in October. That will be the last chance to come up with targets before the next round of global climate talks, COP-22, the following month in Marakesh.

"The failure to agree a process for emissions reduction puts significant pressure on generating a positive outcome," said Alastair Fischbacher, head of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative, an industry association that promotes efficiency standards and includes the world's largest container shipping company Maersk Line and huge agricultural shipper Cargill.

Story continues

"The shipping industry cannot go to COP-22 in Morocco without this. Not only will it damage the industry's reputation, it also runs the risk of external regulators taking the matter into their own hands and circumnavigating the IMO, which no-one in the industry wants to see."

Peter Hinchliffe, secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents more than 80 percent of the world's merchant fleet, predicted the IMO would deliver a framework for CO2 cuts; the question is when.

"It is the nature of international debate that sometimes it takes longer than some would wish," he said.

SPIRIT OF PARIS

According to scenarios drawn up by the IMO, one of the most effective ways to slow the growth of emissions from shipping would be to take other steps across the wider economy to fight climate change, reducing demand for fossil fuel shipments. Oil, gas and coal now make up more than a third of tonnage shipped by sea, and IMO forecasts predict those volumes either to surge or shrink, depending on future action to achieve climate targets.

But the IMO also says steps taken by the shipping industry with the encouragement of regulation, such as improving the efficiency of ships and changing engines to burn lower carbon-emitting fuels such as natural gas, can have a big impact.

Its better-case scenarios include improvements that would see ships become 60 percent more efficient and a quarter of them shift to natural gas by 2050. Even under those optimistic conditions only one of its 16 scenarios forecasts total maritime emissions to fall by then.

The European Commission estimates that air and marine transport, which now jointly account for 5 percent of global emissions, could contribute as much as a third of all emissions by 2050. Last month a group of European lawmakers urged the European Union to take tougher action on the two sectors.

"There is no reasonable excuse to continue exempting aviation and shipping from the international and EU climate policies," the lawmakers wrote. "Such growth (in emissions) will undermine reduction efforts by all countries and other sectors to limit warming to the 1.5/2C agreed in Paris."

Those in favour of stronger targets say firm proposals are likely to be slow-moving through the IMO, given opposition from countries including India and Brazil.

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said it had reached approval for mandatory data collection of fuel consumption by ships, which would "provide a solid basis on which to consider ... whether further measures may be required in future to mitigate GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions from shipping".

"It has been very encouraging to see states which had previously found it difficult to reach binding agreement on climate change measures bring the spirit of the Paris Agreement to IMO," Lim said.

Nevertheless, campaigners want quicker action. Bill Hemmings, of green group Transport & Environment, said the data collection initiative's incremental approach was "a code word for 'do nothing'".

Hemmings said some European lawmakers were likely to propose shipping be included in tougher EU targets.

"That will focus IMO minds if it happens."

In October last year the European Commission called on the IMO to present measures to cut emissions by the end of 2016, which the shipping industry at the time said was "unrealistic".

An EU source said that although the Paris Agreement did not set a specific deadline, it was built on the basis that all sectors would have to contribute to nationally determined emissions targets from 2020. Therefore, the sooner the aviation and shipping sectors could act the better, the source said.

Hinchliffe, of the International Chamber of Shipping, said the industry would support global action from the IMO but oppose unilateral steps by a regional bloc.

"A regional mechanism would be inefficient and would likely inhibit shipping flagged in the region and would stand the risk of destabilising the trading balance that shipping provides."

(Editing by Peter Graff)
From Esquire

On April 20, Prince representatives called a leading opioid addiction treatment doctor in California because the artist "was dealing with a grave medical emergency," a family lawyer told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The day before Prince's scheduled appointment, he was found dead in an elevator on his Paisley Park estate.

"The plan was to quickly evaluate his health and devise a treatment plan," the attorney, William Mauzy told the Star Tribune. "The doctor was planning on a lifesaving mission."

In the interest of speed, the California doctor sent his son, Andrew Kornfeld, to Minnesota to meet with Prince. As the Star Tribune reports:

When Andrew Kornfeld arrived at Paisley Park at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Prince's representatives could not find him, Mauzy said. Andrew Kornfeld was one of three people at Paisley Park when the musician's body was found in an elevator a few minutes later-and it was Andrew Kornfeld who called 911.

With autopsy and toxicology results still pending, authorities are focusing on painkillers as the cause of Prince's death. Late last month a family attorney told authorities that Prince had a "substantial" problem with painkillers and cocaine for at least a decade. While those close to him-including longtime band members and a limo driver-claim they had never seen Prince take drugs, other unnamed sources familiar with the investigation say "painkillers may have taken a toll on the musician during his final weeks."

Last week, the DEA became involved in the case after investigators reported that prescription painkillers were found in Prince's possession when he died. Multiple sources have reported that Prince's emergency landing days before his death was caused by a drug overdose. Mauzy told the Star Tribune that Prince's representatives hoped he would enter long-term care with round-the-clock nursing support.

A criminal investigation into Prince's death is ongoing, and authorities are trying to determine where the musician got the pills and who provided them.
jim chanos

Billionaire short-seller Jim Chanos just announced a new short position  in a South Africa-based telecoms company.

The Kynikos Associates founder announced he was short MTN Group at the 2016 Ira Sohn conference Wednesday.

Really, though, Chanos used the announcement as an opportunity to explain why he is bearish on Africa, more broadly.

It has to do with China.

Essentially, Chanos said, the mining industries in countries like Nigeria and South Africa had been heavily dependent on investments from China.

Now, he said, "that's going into a tailspin."

Nigeria, for its part, is "rapidly" running out of foreign currency reserves, Chanos said.

"If oil prices stay down ... we're going to be having a big problem in 2-3 years," he said, calling that country a "borderline failed state."

He said he was shorting MTN Group because 70% of their EBITDA comes from Nigeria and South Africa  and almost half from Nigeria alone.

He noted that some of the other countries MTN is exposed to include Uganda, Sudan, Syria, and Iran.

Chanos also confirmed his short positions in Tesla, Valeant, and Alibaba on Wednesday.

NOW WATCH: Broadways biggest hit Hamilton is making over $2 million a month  heres why the producer thinks it could be making a lot more





More From Business Insider


By Fiona Ortiz

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago's top prosecutor removed herself from the murder trial of police officer Jason Van Dyke on Thursday and asked the judge to appoint a special prosecutor to handle the politically sensitive case, which set off protests last year.

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, who lost her re-election bid earlier this year in an uproar over her taking a year to charge Van Dyke, said a special prosecutor would mean fewer delays in the trial and ensure continuity after she leaves her job.

Van Dyke, a white police officer, is charged with first-degree murder in the October 2014 death of black 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was shot 16 times. Van Dyke is out on bail pending trial.

Alvarez made the motion at a hearing where Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan had been scheduled to hear arguments regarding a petition by civil rights lawyers alleging that Alvarez was biased and asking that she be removed from the case.

"While there is no legal conflict of interest that would prevent the State's Attorney's Office from continuing the prosecution of this case, I believe that the results of the recent election and the impending transition of this office make this the best and most responsible decision," Alvarez said in a statement.

The shooting came at a time of heightened national debate over policing, especially the use of deadly force against black men.

The shooting of McDonald was caught on patrol car dashboard camera videos that were released a year after he was killed. The incident sparked demonstrations and led to the firing of the police chief, a federal investigation of the police department and calls for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign.

Judge Gaughan set a date of June 2 to hear Alvarez's motion to recuse herself.

Van Dyke's lawyers asked that he be excused from attending all hearings in the case, saying he had received threats. Prosecutors noted that the last two times Van Dyke had appeared at court, there were no protesters outside. The judge said security plans were in place.

Story continues

Chicago police typically shoot about 50 people a year, in both fatal and non-fatal incidents. More than 74 percent of those shot by Chicago police between 2008 and 2015 were black, while the city's population is about one-third black.

Police shootings have fallen. In the first three months of this year, there were only four police shooting incidents, the lowest number for any quarter since at least 2007.

(Reporting by Fiona Ortiz; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Dan Grebler)
Russian maestro Valery Gergiev, the Kremlin's favorite conductor, brazenly led a performance in Syria amid the ancient ruins of Palmyra, with musicians from the Mariinsky orchestra of St. Petersburg. The concert was a defiant celebration of a Russian-backed Syrian offensive to reclaim the region from Islamic State militants in March.

President Vladimir Putin was projected via live broadcast from Russia onto a screen in the amphitheater, during which he hailed the Syrian-Russian military collaboration as a success in their advances against ISIS. The concert, entitled "Prayer from Palmyra: Music Revives the Ancient Walls," was performed in the "memory of all the victims of terror," the president said.

The unprecedented event seems in part to be motivated by a desire to galvanize greater international participation in the fight against ISIS  specifically, within Syria.

"The world community extremely neglectfully treated the threat of ISIS and international terrorism, and it seems to me should now atone for its guilt by helping to save what can still be saved," the Russian minister of culture said, according to the Washington Post.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) with conductor Valery Gergiev.

"What was done here can only be compared with what the fascists did in Russia," Medinsky added. "It is amazing that the lot of the Russian soldiers in all times in history has been to save world culture from destruction."

While the Kremlin alleges that no Syrian civilians have died as a result of their participation in the Syrian civil war, human rights organizations estimate that Russian airstrikes have killed around 2,000 Syrians since October.
Quanta Services Inc. PWR reported first-quarter 2016 adjusted earnings from continuing operations of 20 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 22 cents by 9.1%.

The companys non-GAAP adjusted earnings stood at 23 cents, down 17.8% from the prior-year quarter tally of 28 cents. The weak top-line performance by the companys segments dragged down profits.

Inside the Headlines

Total revenue in the quarter came in at $1,713.7 million, down 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. Also, the figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,735 million. The decline in revenues can be attributed to a host of headwinds including harsh weather, obtaining sighting and permission for energy infrastructure projects, project delays and so on.

Of the total first-quarter 2016 revenue, the Electric Power Infrastructure segment accounted for 69.3% and the Oil and Gas Infrastructure segment represented 30.7%.

Segment-wise, revenues from Electric Power Infrastructure declined about 4.3% year over year to $1,187.0 million.

On the other hand, Oil and Gas Infrastructure segmental revenues fell 15.2% to $526.7 million.

In first-quarter 2016, operating income came in at $37.3 million, down from $84.1 million in the prior-year quarter.

As of Mar 31, 2016, Quanta Services consolidated backlog stood at $10,083.2 million, up from $9,121.5 million at the end of Mar 31, 2015.

Liquidity

Quanta Services exited the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $155.3 million, up from $128.8 million as of Dec 31, 2015. Moreover, total shareholders equity stood at $3,170.5 million, up from $3,085.5 million as of Dec 31, 2015. On Mar 31, 2016, the companys long-term debt and notes payable stood at $404.1 million, down from $475.3 million as of Dec 31, 2015.

Shares Repurchases

Subsequent to the end of first-quarter 2016, Quanta Services completed the company's previously announced accelerated stock repurchase arrangement and bought back around $750 million worth of shares.

Story continues

Notable Developments

During the quarter, Quanta Services booked large pipeline projects worth $800 million which will be carried out through 2016 and 2017. The companys project includes pipeline infrastructure works in North America to transport natural gas from production regions to load centers and natural gas power plants. Also, the company signed a contract to construct a pipeline project in Australia.

In addition, the company implemented some key changes on its internal structure. Mr. Doyle Beneby and Mr. David McClanaha have been appointed as board of directors. This apart, Mr. Duke Austin succeeded Jim O'Neil as president and chief executive officer of the company.

2016 Outlook

Concurrent with the earnings release, Quanta Services raised its earnings guidance for the full year. The company expects adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations in the range of $1.61--$1.81 (from the previously guided range of $1.58 to $1.78). Despite the raised earnings guidance, Quanta Services reiterated the revenue guidance for the year at the band of $7.5 billion to $8.0 billion.

Our Take

Quanta Services witnessed a dismal first-quarter 2016 largely because of adverse factors like weather and regulatory issues. One of the biggest challenges for the company is obtaining the sighting and permission of energy infrastructure projects, including major electric transmission programs, and this is weighing on its profitability.

In addition to this, the current volatility in the oil and gas market, along with reduced consumer spending, has been affecting the companys projects and orders. The Canadian economy has been severely affected by the collapse in oil prices, which in turn proved to be a significant headwind to the companys growth momentum.

Despite these negatives, solid execution of core transmission and distribution operations is acting as a positive. Moreover, its lucrative contract wins and historic backlog levels signal at bright days ahead. Moreover, the companys recent guidance hike reflects its internal resiliency to combat some of the macroeconomic challenges.

Quanta Services current carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked stocks in the broader industrial products sector include AECOM ACM, Donaldson Company, Inc. DCI and Ingersoll-Rand Plc IR, all carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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By Nia Williams and Catherine Ngai CALGARY, Alberta/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canadian heavy crude differentials hit their strongest level in two months on Wednesday as a wildfire raging in Fort McMurray in the heart of Alberta's oil sands region forced some projects to cut output and pipelines to shut down. The city's population of around 88,000 was ordered to leave immediately on Tuesday evening as the fire breached city limits and ripped through some neighborhoods. By Wednesday afternoon, city officials said the blaze could grow even worse and a slew of oil sands operators including Suncor Energy Inc , Syncrude and Shell Canada said they were reducing production. Although the blaze is not directly threatening any facilities in the vast oil sands, which hold the world's third-largest crude reserves after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, it disrupted some operations. Producers cut production to allow workers to evacuate safely, and Inter Pipeline Ltd partially suspended one diluent pipeline and shut down its Corridor pipeline system, which serves Shell's operations. A domino effect quickly emerged, as Husky Energy was forced to reduce production at its oil sands project because of the Inter Pipeline diluent shutdown, suggesting more projects may be forced to follow suit. The full impact of cuts on oil sands production, which totals about 2.2 million barrels per day, was not immediately clear but Husky said it had reduced output by 20,000 barrels per day and Shell's production capacity is 255,000 bpd. "If it (the production cuts from the fire) starts dragging into a week or so, the impact will become more acute," said FirstEnergy Capital analyst Martin King. Other companies operating nearby include Canadian Natural Resources Ltd and CNOOC Ltd <0883.HK> subsidiary Nexen Energy, which said their operations were not affected. The reduced oil sands production helped prop up benchmark Canadian cash grades, as well as place a support under global prices, though analysts and traders said the boost would likely be short-lived. "My feeling is that this has minimal impact on production longer-term," said Tim Pickering, founder and chief investment officer at Auspice Capital Advisors in Calgary. "When we think about taking production offline, there's still a significant amount of oil in storage. That's a big cushion." Western Canada Select heavy blend crude for June delivery last traded at $12.70 a barrel under the West Texas Intermediate benchmark, the narrowest discount since the start of March, according to Shorcan Energy brokers. It settled on Tuesday at $13.35 per barrel under WTI. Light synthetic crude from the oil sands for June delivery last traded at $1.00 a barrel above U.S. crude futures , the strongest since the start of April, compared with a 5-cent discount the previous day. (Editing by Alan Crosby and Matthew Lewis)
MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued proposals for the relaxation of requirements for banking licences in the latest effort to boost a sector struggling with $100 billion of stressed debt that is choking the financial system and hitting economic growth.

With only about half of India's population having access to financial services, particularly in rural areas, the RBI is keen to extend the sector's reach and the new proposals aim to encourage investment in new lenders.

The draft guidelines announced on Thursday include a move to allow large industrial companies to buy up to 10 percent stakes in new lenders.

The central bank also proposed a lowering of the minimum ownership level for companies or people setting up lenders under a financial holding structure to 51 percent from 100 percent.

The RBI emphasised, however, that it would remain cautious when granting licences.

"Banking being a highly leveraged business, licences shall be issued on a very selective basis to those who conform to the above requirements, who have an impeccable track record and who are likely to conform to the best international and domestic standards of customer service and efficiency," the RBI said.

The RBI is seeking feedback to its proposals by June 30. For the bank's full report, see: http://bit.ly/1Ofx1z7

(Reporting by Suvashree Dey Choudhury; Editing by Rafael Nam and David Goodman)
Those of you who have seats, please feel free to sit down so folks can see behind you. If you dont have a seat, dont sit down.

And like a lot of you, Mari has been worried about what happened here in Flint. Shes worried about what it means for children like her. Shes worried about the future of this city and this community.

So in the middle of a tragedy that should have never happened here in the United States of America  the denial of something as basic as clean, safe drinking water  this eight-year-old girl spoke out and marched and, like many of you, protested. As Mari was getting ready to hop on a bus to Washington, she wrote to ask if she could meet with me while she was in town. There she is. (Applause.)

Now, I would have been happy to see Mari in Washington. But when something like this happens, a young girl shouldnt have to go to Washington to be heard. I thought her President should come to Flint to meet with her. (Applause.) And thats why Im here  to tell you directly that I see you and I hear you, and I want to hear directly from you about how this public health crisis has disrupted your lives, how its made you angry, how its made you worried.

And I just had a chance to meet with a few of your neighbors in a roundtable discussion, and I heard from them what I know a lot of you are feeling: That a lot of you are scared. That all of you feel let down. And I told them that I understood why youd be afraid  not just for yourselves, but for your kids.

I also wanted to come here, though, to tell you that Ive got your back  (applause)  that were paying attention. So I met and heard directly from those who are leading the federal response and who are working hard to make sure that Flint is whole again, to make sure that this proud city bounces back not just to where it was, but stronger than ever. And I want all of you to know I am confident that Flint will come back. (Applause.) I will not rest, and Im going to make sure that the leaders, at every level of government, dont rest until every drop of water that flows to your homes is safe to drink and safe to cook with, and safe to bathe in  because thats part of the basic responsibilities of a government in the United States of America. (Applause.)

So as President, Ive sent Flint the best resources our federal government has to support our state and local partners. The agencies that serve you  the agencies that specialize in health and housing, and those that support small businesses and our kids education; those that are responsible for the food that our children eat and, of course, the water we drink. Everybody is on duty. The National Guard is on duty. This is a hands-on-deck situation  all hands on deck. Because if theres a child who feels neglected on the north side of Flint, or a family on the east side of this city who wonders whether they should give up on their hometown and move away, or an immigrant who wonders whether America means what we say about being a place where we take care of our own. That matters to all of us  not just in Flint, not just in Michigan, but all across America. Flints recovery is everybodys responsibility. (Applause.) And Im going to make sure that responsibility is met. (Applause.)

So I just talked with some of the team of responders that are on the ground to make sure that theyre coordinating. And theyre doing some incredible things. Theyve distributed enough water to fill more than three Olympic-sized swimming pools. Theyve distributed thousands of filters. Theyre helping students afford nutritious food that work against the contaminants in bad water. Theyre making sure new moms have access to instant infant formula that doesnt require water. Theyve expanded health services for children and pregnant women, and education programs for Flints youngest children. Theyre out there testing homes for lead and testing children for exposure to lead.

But like all our best responses in tough times, this is not a government effort alone. We need our businesses and nonprofits and philanthropies to step up. And whats incredible about Flint is how many volunteers have already been leading the way. (Applause.) Youve got members of one union, UA Local 370, that have donated tens of thousands of dollars and 10,000 hours of their time. Theyve installed thousands of filters, hundreds of faucets by going door to door, night and day. Theyre not asking for anything in return, theyre just doing the right thing.

So many Americans, here in Flint and around the country, have proven that you dont have be a plumber or a pipefitter to pitch in  although its very helpful if youre a plumber or pipefitter. (Laughter.) So, in March, dozens of accountants teamed up with the American Red Cross to help residents recycle all the plastic water bottles that have been piling up. Religious and community groups are organizing supply drives, supporting families, offering free medical services.

The director of a local dance studio, I understand, found a creative way to help; shes letting people use her studio as a space to support one another by sharing their stories and realizing theyre not alone. Even inmates at an Indiana prison came together to donate more than $2,500 to the people of Flint. (Applause.) And a second-grader from Virginia, a young man named Isiah Britt, set up a website to see if he could raise $500 for hand sanitizers to send to the kids at Eisenhower Elementary here in Flint. (Applause.) So Isiah, its fair to say, surpassed his goal, because he raised $15,000. (Applause.) And he explained that the experience taught him just because youre small doesnt mean you cant do big things.

So when you think of all those stories, it should be clear that the American people care about Flint. The American people are paying attention and they care about you. And as is true when disasters strike in other ways, people pitch in, they come together. Because they imagine, All right, that could have been me. Thats the good news.

The bad news is that this should not have happened in the first place. (Applause.) And even though the scope of the response looks sort of like the efforts were used to seeing after a natural disaster, thats not what this was. This was a manmade disaster. This was avoidable. This was preventable.

Now, Im not here to go through the full history of what happened. Like a lot of manufacturing towns, Flints economy has been taking hits for decades now  plants closing, jobs moving away. Manufacturing has shrunk. And thats made it harder for the city to maintain city services. And lets face it, government officials at every level werent attentive to potential problems the way they should have been. So they start getting short-staffed, they start getting a shrinking tax base, more demand for services. Things start getting strained, and theres not enough help from the outside. And then when Flints finances collapsed, an emergency manager was put in place whose mandate was primarily to cut at all costs. And then some very poor decisions were made. All these things contributed to this crisis. Many of you know the story.

Now, I do not believe that anybody consciously wanted to hurt the people in Flint. And this is not the place to sort out every screw-up that resulted in contaminated water. But I do think there is a larger issue that we have to acknowledge, because I do think that part of what contributed to this crisis was a broader mindset, a bigger attitude, a corrosive attitude that exists in our politics and exists in too many levels of our government. (Applause.)

And its a mindset that believes that less government is the highest good no matter what. Its a mindset that says environmental rules designed to keep your water clean or your air clean are optional, or not that important, or unnecessarily burden businesses or taxpayers. Its an ideology that undervalues the common good, says were all on our own and whats in it for me, and how do I do well, but Im not going to invest in what we need as a community. And, as a consequence, you end up seeing an underinvestment in the things that we all share that make us safe, that make us whole, that give us the ability to pursue our own individual dreams. So we underinvest in pipes underground. We underinvest in bridges that we drive on, and the roads that connect us, and the schools that move us forward. (Applause.)

And this is part of the attitude, this is part of the mindset: We especially underinvest when the communities that are put at risk are poor, or dont have a lot of political clout  (applause)  and so are not as often heard in the corridors of power.

And this kind of thinking  this myth that government is always the enemy; that forgets that our government is us  its us; that its an extension of us, ourselves  that attitude is as corrosive to our democracy as the stuff that resulted in lead in your water. Because what happens is it leads to systematic neglect. It leads to carelessness and callousness. (Applause.) It leads to a lot of hidden disasters that you dont always read about and arent as flashy, but that over time diminish the life of a community and make it harder for our young people to succeed.

In one of the roundtables, I was listening to somebody  I think it was a pastor who told me, you know, it made us feel like we didnt count. And you cant have a democracy where people feel like they dont count, where people feel like theyre not heard.

And that attitude ignores how this country was built, our entire history  which is based on the idea that were all connected and that what happens in a community like Flint matters everybody, and that there are things that we can only do together, as a nation, as a people, as a state, as a city that no man is an island.

Weve been debating this since the Republic began: What are our individual responsibilities and what are our collective responsibilities. And thats a good debate. But Ive always believed what the first Republican President, a guy named Abraham Lincoln, said. He said we should do individually those things that we do best by ourselves. But through our government, we should do together what we cant do as well for ourselves. (Applause.)

So it doesnt matter how hard you work, how responsible you are, or how well you raise your kids  you cant set up a whole water system for a city. Thats not something you do by yourself. You do it with other people. You cant hire your own fire department, or your own police force, or your own army. There are things we have to do together  basic things that we all benefit from.

And thats how we invested in a rail system and a highway system. Thats how we invested in public schools. Thats how we invested in science and research. These how we invested in community colleges and land grant colleges like Michigan State. (Applause.)

Can I get some water? (Applause.) Come on up here. Give me some water. I want a glass of water. I want a glass of water. Sit down. Im all right. Im going to get a glass of water right here. Lets make sure we find one. It will be filtered. Hold on, Im going to talk about that in a second. Settle down, everybody.

Where was I? We invested in our communities and our cities. And by making those investments in the common good, we invested in ourselves. Thats the platform we create that allows each of us independently to succeed. Thats what made America great.

So the people in Flint, and across Michigan, and around the country  individuals and church groups and non-for-profits and community organizations  youve proven that the American people will step up when required. And our volunteers, our non-for-profits, theyre the lifeblood of our communities. We so appreciate what you do. (Applause.)

But volunteers dont build county water systems and keep lead from leaching into our drinking glasses. We cant rely on faith groups to reinforce bridges and repave runways at the airport. We cant ask second-graders, even ones as patriotic as Isiah Britt who raised all that money, to raise enough money to keep our kids healthy.

You hear a lot about government overreach, how Obama  hes for big government. Listen, its not government overreach to say that our government is responsible for making sure you can wash your hands in your own sink, or shower in your own home, or cook for your family. (Applause.) These are the most basic services. There is no more basic element sustaining human life than water. Its not too much to expect for all Americans that their water is going to be safe.

Now, where do we go from here?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: Well, Im still waiting for my water. (Laughter.) Somebody obviously didnt hear me. Usually I get my water pretty quick. Hold on a second.

Now, the reason I know Im okay is because I already had some Flint water. There we go. I really did need a glass of water. This is not a stunt.

Now, Im going to talk about this. Everybody settle down. This is a feisty crowd. Hold on a second. All right, everybody settle down. I got some serious points to make here.

So where do we go from here? Now, Mayor Weaver has a plan to fix the pipes in Flint. And unfortunately, because the state initially cut so many corners, its going to end up being more expensive  much more expensive now than it would have been to avert the disaster in the first place. But the good news is that Michigan does have funds it can use from the federal government to help Flint. (Applause.) The Governor indicated that in his budget he has put forward additional funds to replace the pipes. In order for it to happen  and I said this to the Mayor and the Governor; I had them both in my car, the Beast  I told them I wasnt going to let either of them out until we figured this out. (Laughter.) I had Secret Service surrounding everybody. (Applause.)

But what I said was, is that the city and the state and the federal government, everybody is going to have to work together to get this done. So its not going to happen overnight. But we have to get started. We have to get the money flowing. Weve got to work with our plumbers and pipefitters, but also train local residents and start getting apprenticeship programs going  (applause)  so that even as were trying to deal with this disaster, were also hopefully lifting people up and giving them an opportunity for employment. (Applause.) Congress, led by your congressional delegation, needs to act in a bipartisan fashion, do their job, make sure Flint has the necessary resources.

And so its long past time that Flint has a well-managed, monitored, modern water system that protects not just against lead, but other contaminants. All right? So thats our goal. Thats one goal.

But weve got to do more than just ensure the integrity and safety of your water for the long term. What we also have to do is work as one team  federal, state, and local leaders, Democrats and Republicans  to address some of the broader issues that have been raised by this crisis. The federal officials I met with today are committed to staying on the job until we get it done. (Applause.) But that requires the state of Michigan to step up and be fully invested in this process, as well. (Applause.) Todays vote in Lansing to increase funding for health care was a good start.

But part of keeping the faith with the people of Flint means making sure that youre first in line for the jobs this effort will create. (Applause.) It means that since the state voted this afternoon to expand Medicaid, every child who lived in Flint while the water was bad needs to be able to get seen by a doctor, diagnosed, make sure that theres follow-up. We cant just promise it, weve got to deliver it. And that means everybody has got to cooperate. Everybody has got to cooperate.

And keeping the faith with you also means the state has to step up and deliver the resources that will help not only fix the water, but transform Flint so that it is once again a functioning city with the capacity and the democratic structures to work. The city government has to be on a firm foundation. The mayor cant do it by herself. Shes got to have a team and a staff, and theres got to be a budget that works, thats sustainable, and a plan for long-term economic development, and a plan to make sure that health care is available to all of our kids, and a plan to make sure that education is top-notch in this city, and that more jobs are being created. (Applause.) And that will require many more of the good work that weve seen from citizens and community groups who care about your families.

But its not enough just to fix the water. Weve got to fix the culture of neglect, the mindset I was talking about  (applause)  that has degraded too many schools and too many roads and hurt too many futures. Weve got to fix the mindset that only leaves people cynical about our government. Our government is us  of us, by us, for us  the people.

So weve got a lot of work to do. But Im here to tell you Im prepared to work with you on this. (Applause.) Im paying attention.

Now, a couple of specific things I want to address. These arent in my prepared remarks, but this is what I gathered from the conversations that I had.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible) Detroit!

THE PRESIDENT: Im in Flint right now, not Detroit. (Applause.) But I do love Detroit. And their school needs support, and there is  some of that same mindset has hurt the schools there.

But listen up, because this is drawn from the conversations I had with many of your neighbors and friends, as well as the federal response teams that I sent out here a while back. Were going to do everything we can to accelerate getting new pipes here in Flint. (Applause.) But even with all the money, even with an efficient, speeded-up process, its going to take a while for all the pipes to be replaced. Its not going to happen next month. Its not going to happen six months from now, where all the pipes in Flint are going to be replaced. Weve got to get started, and you need to see that its getting started and that progress is being made. But its not going to happen overnight. Even if we get all the plumbers and pipefitters, and we get some more apprentices trained  even if we do all that, its going to take some time.

And so one of the things I heard talking to a lot of your neighbors is, boy, right now its rough just trying to figure out how to get bottled water on the way home from work, and youre trying to just shower real quick, and people are still concerned about whats safe and what information is correct and what is not. So I do want to just tell you what I know, based on not just what Ive been reading in the papers, but what our top scientists have told me.

The first is that while you are waiting to get your pipes replaced, you need to have a filter installed, and use that filter. And if you do use that filter, then the water is safe to consume for children over the age of six and who are not pregnant.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: Now, hold on a second. Dont just start shouting, okay? Because this is the problem  were going to have to solve this problem. And if people dont listen to each other, then its not going to get fixed. (Applause.)

So Im telling you  and I promise you, Im really good at stirring folks up. So if I want to just come here and stir folks up, I know how to do that. But thats not actually going to solve the problem, all right? So Im telling what I know, because I guarantee you that the scientists who work for me, if they tell me something  which Im saying in front of all those cameras  turns out to be wrong, that person will not have a job. (Applause.)

So although I understand the fear and concern that people have, and it is entirely legitimate, what the science tells us at this stage is you should not drink any of the water that is not filtered. But if you get the filter and use it properly, that water can be consumed. Thats point number one.

And you can get those filters free, and people will help install them if you need help  particularly seniors who may have trouble going back and forth and trying to get a whole bunch of bottles of water and so forth. So thats information that I trust and I believe. Thats point number one.

Point number two: Every child in Flint who may have consumed water during the course of this tragedy  and that is the overwhelming majority of children here  should get checked.

Now, the reason thats important is because lead is a serious issue. And if undiagnosed and not dealt with, it can lead to some long-term problems. But  and this is really important, so I want everybody to pay attention  if you know that your child may have been exposed and you go to a health clinic, a doctor, a provider, and are working with them, then your child will be fine. And the reason I can say that with some confidence is not just based on science, but based on the fact that keep in mind that it wasnt until the 80s where we started banning lead in paint, lead in toys, lead in gasoline. So if you are my age, or older, or maybe even a little bit younger, you got some lead in your system when you were growing up. You did. I am sure that somewhere, when I was two years old, I was taking a chip of paint, tasting it, and I got some lead. Or sometimes toys were painted with lead, and you were chewing on them.

Now, I say that not to make light of the situation. We know now what we didnt know then, which is it can cause problems if children get exposed to lead at elevated levels. But the point is that as long as kids are getting good health care, and folks are paying attention, and theyre getting a good education, and they have community support, and theyre getting some good home training, and they are in a community that is loving and nurturing and thriving, these kids will be fine. And I dont want anybody to start thinking that somehow all the kids in Flint are going to have problems for the rest of their lives, because thats not true. That is not true. (Applause.) And I dont want that stigma to be established in the minds of kids.

Weve learned a lot of things since I was a kid. I used to have adults blowing smoke in my face all the time. (Laughter.) We didnt use seat belts. We wrapped dry-cleaning bags around us and thought that was funny. (Laughter.) Folks didnt know. No, no, but the reason I think this is important is because I heard from a lot of folks who were saying how moms and dads were feeling guilty. Theyre feeling sad. Theyre feeling depressed. Oh, Lord, whats  how is this going to affect my child. And its right to be angry. But you cant get passive. You cant just suddenly sit back and sink into despair. Our kids will be fine, but you have to now take action. Dont wait for somebody else to reach out and ask whether your child has gotten a checkup recently. We just expanded Medicaid. Go take your child to that doctor. (Applause.) Use that health system.

And so community organizations, churches, et cetera, one of the things that we need to do is  and Ive talked to the Governor and the Mayor about this  is set up a system of outreach so that were getting everybody as a village looking out for every child, making sure that theyre getting checked up, making sure theyve got pediatric care, making sure theyre being tested effectively, making sure then that theyre getting nutritious food.

Just to give you an example, we know that if kids are getting vegetables and eating properly  that, just by itself, is going to have some impact on any effects of lead. But I know that here in Flint there are whole neighborhoods that dont even have a supermarket. So were going to have to figure out how to get supermarkets in those communities. (Applause.) And in the meantime, we got to help make sure that those kids are getting the nutrition they need.

So I say all this just to indicate you should be angry, but channel that anger. You should be hurt, but dont sink into despair. And most of all, do not somehow communicate to our children here in this city that theyre going to be saddled with problems for the rest of their lives. Because they will not. (Applause.) Theyll do just fine, just like I did fine with a single mom, and a lot of you did fine growing up in a tough neighborhood. Theyll make it as long as were there for them and looking after them, and doing the right thing for them and giving them the resources that they need. (Applause.) Dont lose hope. (Applause.) Dont lose hope.

I talked longer than I was going to. (Laughter.) But I feel strongly about this whole issue with kids now. Kids rise to the expectations we set for them. (Applause.) A lot of kids in Flint already got some crosses they got to bear. Theyve already got people telling them, oh, its too tough for you because youre black or youre poor. They will do fine as long as we do right by them. And thats my intention. And set high expectations for them.

Just a couple more points. What happened here is just an extreme example, an extreme and tragic case of whats happening in a lot of places around the country. Weve seen unacceptably high levels of lead in townships along the Jersey Shore and in North Carolinas major cities. Weve seen it in the capitals of South Carolina and Mississippi. And even, not long ago, lead-contaminated drinking water was found right down the street from the United States Capitol.

So Flint is just a tip of the iceberg in terms of us reinvesting in our communities. (Applause.) Weve seen bridges fall and levies break. So weve got to break that mindset. These things arent a coincidence. Theyre the same mindset that left Flints water unsafe to drink. And its self-destructive when we dont invest in our communities. Because a lot of times the people who are against government spending, theyll say, well, the private sector is the key. The private sector is the key for our economy. Free markets and free enterprise are great. But companies wont invest in a place where your infrastructure is crumbling and your roads are broke. (Applause.) Youre not going to start a business or be able to recruit outstanding staff if theres no safe drinking water in the city. (Applause.)

So my hope is, is that this begins a national conversation about what we need to do to invest in future generations. And its no secret that, on this pipeline of neglect, a lot of times its the most poor folks who are left behind. Its working people who are left behind. We see it in communities across the Midwest that havent recovered since the plants shut down. We see it on inner city corners where they might be able to drink the water, but they cant find a job. We see it in the rural hills of Appalachia.

Weve got to break that mindset that says that that neighborhood over there, thats not my problem; those kids over there, they dont look like my kids exactly, so I dont have to worry about them  out of sight, out of mind. Weve got to break that attitude that says somehow theres an us in them, and remind ourselves that theres just one big we  the American family, and everybody has got to look out for each other. (Applause.) Because the kids here in Flint arent those kids, theyre our kids. (Applause.) Thats what Scripture teaches us. But Im not going to start preaching in front of some pastors.

So let me just close by saying this. Look, I know this has been a scary time. I know this is disappointing. Youve been let down. But there is a sermon about a phoenix rising from these ashes. And there is the opportunity out of this complete screw-up, this painful tragedy, this neglect, this disappointment to actually pull together and make for a better future.

Sometimes it takes a crisis for everybody to focus their attention. Because there have been a lot of crises going on in Flint; they just werent as loud and noisy, and nobody noticed. (Applause.) There are a lot of small, quiet crises going on in the lives of people around this country. And this helps lift it up.

And when we see it, and we understand it, and we feel it, then maybe we start making a connection with each other. And that begins to change our mindset and improve our politics and improve our government to make it more responsive and more accountable. And the good news is, is that thats the natural mindset of our young people. Thats why Im so hopeful about the people of Flint. Thats why Im so hopeful about America generally, is I meet young people all the time, and theyve got a mindset just like Little Miss Flint here. She decides, Im just going right to the President, because I think we can fix this. Or the mindset of Isiah raising $15,000 to help an elementary school where hes never been.

Thats America. Thats who we are at our best. We are a nation of individuals, and we should be proud of everything that we can accomplish on our own through hard work, and grit, and looking after our own families, and making sure were raising our children right. But we dont do these things alone. Ultimately, our success is dependent on each other. Our success is dependent on each other.

I have had the privilege of being the President of the United States, a big office  (applause)  an office that gives me enormous power and enormous responsibility. But the thing Ive learned in that job is that I cant do it by myself. I cant fix every problem on my own. I need a mother-in-law who helps Michelle and me raise Malia and Sasha. (Applause.) I need incredible staff who are carrying out our policies to sign people up for health care. Ive got to have our incredible men and women in uniform who are willing to go overseas and fight on behalf of our freedom. (Applause.) Ive got to have governors and mayors who are willing to work with me to get things done in their states and in their cities.

And, most of all, I need fellow citizens who share the values that built this great country and are willing to work with me and work together to make it better. I said this before: The most important office in a democracy is the office of citizen. Its more important than the President. More important than any senator or governor or mayor. (Applause.) It is the idea that each of us has something to contribute, each of us has something to give back.

So, Flint, Im here not just to say Ive got your back. Im here not just to say that you will get help. Im also here to say youve got power. Im also here to say you count. Im also here to say that you can make a difference and rebuild this city better than ever. And youll have a friend and partner in the President of the United States. (Applause.)

God bless you. God bless Flint. God bless Michigan. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
LONDON (Reuters) - Reckitt Benckiser's (RB.L) Chief Executive Rakesh Kapoor apologised on Thursday for its South Korean unit's sales of water sterilizers for humidifier devices linked to deadly lung injuries on Thursday.

Kapoor told the company's annual shareholders meeting in London that he "profoundly regrets" the situation and is "personally very sorry".

Kapoor said he would meet on Friday with representatives of the victims who had travelled to London.

(Reporting by Martinne Geller in London; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
By Martinne Geller LONDON (Reuters) - Consumer goods group Reckitt Benckiser's Chief Executive apologized on Thursday for its South Korean unit's sales of water sterilizers for humidifier devices which have been linked to deadly lung injuries. Rakesh Kapoor told the company's annual shareholders meeting in London that he "profoundly regrets" the situation and is "personally very sorry". A handful of demonstrators stood outside the meeting, protesting over its handling of the situation in South Korea where it is thought that 92 people died from causes related to humidifier sterilizer products made by a number of companies, including Oxy Reckitt Benckiser. The group included a man who said his young son died after using the sterilizers. Kapoor said he would meet on Friday with representatives of the victims who had traveled to London. (Reporting by Martinne Geller in London; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
From Esquire

Now are we well resolved, and by God's help / And yours, the noble sinews of our power / France being ours, we'll bend it to our awe / Or break it all to pieces.-Henry V, Act I, Scene II

***

Before confronting for the first time the innate chaos contained in the phrase, "Presumptive Presidential Nominee Donald Trump," let us pause for a moment to bid farewell to Tailgunner Ted Cruz, who probably is not the Zodiac Killer, whose father probably did not drink hurricanes in the French Quarter with Lee Harvey Oswald, and who definitely is not the towering figure in our national history that he fancies himself to be. Nothing became his ego so much as the speech in which he decided that his campaign was, indeed, a dead fish:

"And so, with a heavy heart but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign. But hear me now: I am not suspending our fight for liberty."

Oh, give it a rest, Abigail. This was a train station in Indianapolis, not Independence Hall.

He tried everything.

He brought Carly Fiorina in as a mock running mate. (For the record, she was Cruz's "running mate" for less time than Tom Eagleton was for George McGovern.) It didn't work. He played the Urinal Cooties card. It didn't work. Instead, he probably lost badly on Tuesday night at least in part because Trump deftly played The Oswald Card when it would do the most damage. That was a bit of mock punditry there on my part, but the fact that Cruz couldn't resist rising to that idiotic clickbait on the day of the primary is measure enough of the self-delusion that was his greatest weakness against a shameless and vulgar talking yam. It was Jeb (!) Bush who learned the second-worst thing for a candidate to be if he's running against He, Trump-which is a humorless, privileged fop. The worst thing to be is what the Tailgunner was-a self-important dweeb with delusions of sacred grandeur. In both cases, you are a big bag of hot air in search of a needle. That is He, Trump's only consistent political skill. No wonder Tom Brady loves him. Nobody is more skilled at deflating people than He, Trump.

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Cruz started off as an extremist theocrat. His economic proposals-Abolish the IRS! Gold standard! Flat Tax!-are further off the mainstream than anything that has come out of the mouth of He, Trump. In actual fact, Ted Cruz's rise to national prominence as a Republican politician is completely due to the same prion disease afflicting the party that has given us He, Trump as a presumptive presidential nominee. He never was supposed to become a senator. He rode the Tea Party wave over and through the Texas conservative political establishment.

The worst thing to be is what the Tailgunner was-a self-important dweeb with delusions of sacred grandeur.

Once in Washington, he refused even to wave in the direction of party discipline. He alienated practically everyone in Congress; he plotted with the crackpots of the House Republican caucus to submarine the Senate Republican leadership. That he was not slapped down, hard and fast, but rather became the primary opposition to He, Trump, was itself a demonstration of the mad forces that have produced He, Trump as the Republican candidate for president. There never would be a nominee He, Trump if there wasn't first a Senator Ted Cruz. They are both measures of a party spun utterly out of control. Somewhere, in Texas, a guy named David Dewhurst is wondering how in the hell it all went so very wrong.

The other day, at a retail campaign stop in Greenfield, Congressman Louie Gohmert, Padishah Emperor For Life Of The Crazy People, and a prime Cruz surrogate in Indiana, tried to explain about how the rise of He, Trump was really the fault of The Establishment, and not of a party that, at its local level, has allowed for the election of someone who believes that Islamic terrorists are sending pregnant women to the United States to give birth to the next generation of jihadis. That would be him, Louie Gohmert.

"The establishment does not foresee someone from outside their world coming in and getting this kind of excitement because they couldn't see that all this pandering that's been done for years and years would actually eventually lead to its own demise," he said. "You got people across the country saying, 'wait a minute, we're sick of you promising one thing and not delivering and then, we're supposed to be satisfied that you broke your promises?'

"I've had people accuse me, saying, you know, 'People like you caused Donald Trump.' Well, no. I just pointed out that we were not keeping our promises and people are sick of us not keeping our promises. Trump is smart enough that he saw this feeling and this movement and he was smart enough to get in front of it. It was exploitable, and he was smart enough to see that."

This is the second one of these I've sat through-the first being the death of the Jeb (!) juggernaut in South Carolina, but the general zeitgeist in the hall was very much the same. It was a sort of mystified anguish-the incontrovertible proof that a disaster has occurred, but no explanation for why it occurred seemed adequate to the moment. Catherine Dewar drove all the way to Indianapolis from central Massachusetts to volunteer for the Tailgunner's campaign. She worked for three days at headquarters, phone-banking various Hoosiers.

"I'm seeing a sense of apathy," she said. "I mean, the young people, they're out there, and they're not reading anything. I talked to young people all the way out here from Massachusetts and not one of them was registered to vote. Not one of them knew anything about this process. I called about 700-800 people a day, I had people who didn't even understand the electoral process. Donald Trump, for heaven's sake, is running for president and he didn't understand the electoral process.

"It's hard work. My elbow hurts so bad. I don't understand what's happening. There were so many people who weren't going to vote. And the Trump people, they were all so rude. The response all of us were getting from the Trump was just bizarre. They were rude. It was just animalistic."

I think it's likely that all of the people in the train station, from foot soldiers like Catherine Dewar all the way up to the candidate who had just quit up on the podium, thought it could last forever-that a political movement based on slogans and shibboleths, on hate and fear, on crackpot economics and splinter Protestantism, on deliberate know-nothingism and carefully cultivated ignorance, could live forever without anyone ever noticing how easily a constituency could be built on pure appetite and pure id that would prove strong enough to hijack the whole business.

It is a dark and painful reckoning that has come upon all of them now.

They are in the hands of the charlatan that their own success made inevitable.

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By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) - When refugees end up in poor neighborhoods in a new land, they may also end up with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, a Swedish study suggests. Researchers analyzed data for more than 61,000 refugees who arrived in Sweden from 1987 to 1991 to see how many of them developed diabetes roughly two decades after settling into their new communities. Our study takes advantage of a natural experiment the Swedish government unwittingly created when it dispersed refugees across the country, more or less at random, to ease labor market conditions and help new arrivals integrate more easily into Swedish society, said lead study author Justin White, a health economics researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. After two decades, refugees who had been assigned to the most deprived neighborhoods were 15 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those in the least deprived neighborhoods, White added by email. Globally, about one in nine adults have diabetes, and the disease will be the seventh leading cause of death by 2030, according to the World Health Organization. Most of these people have whats known as type 2 diabetes, which happens when the body can't properly use or make enough of the hormone insulin to convert blood sugar into energy. Advanced age, obesity and stress are among the factors that can lead to this type of diabetes. To see how different settlement communities influenced the odds of diabetes among refugees, White and colleagues used data on poverty, unemployment, schooling and welfare enrollment to sort neighborhoods into three groups based on overall deprivation levels. Then, they looked at how many refugees were diagnosed with new cases of diabetes from 2002 to 2010 and mapped these cases to the level of deprivation in the communities where people lived. Refugees included in the study were from 25 to 50 years old and most were married with children. Half of them came from Iran or Arabic-speaking parts of the Middle East and northern Africa, while 10 percent came from other parts of Africa, 19 percent from Eastern Europe and 14 percent arrived from Latin America. Most refugees settled in larger cities, with 47 percent in high-deprivation areas and another 45 percent in moderate-deprivation communities. Overall, about 4,500 of them developed diabetes, or 7.4 percent of the study population. But when researchers sorted diabetes cases based on the neighborhood characteristics, they found 7.9 percent developed diabetes in the highest deprivation areas, compared with just 5.8 percent in the least deprived communities. One limitation of the study is that even though researchers focused on a period in Swedish history when most refugees were randomly assigned to housing, they cant be certain all refugees in the study were in fact subject to this policy. Its possible some refugees selected their own housing, and the factors influencing this might also impact their odds of developing diabetes. The study cant prove that bad neighborhoods cause diabetes or show which specific types of deprivation  like poverty or bad schools  might be most responsible for the added disease risk. It could be related to a variety of effects  such as poorer access to healthy food, less opportunity for physical activity, perhaps greater psychological stress which of itself might increase diabetes risk, said Nigel Unwin, a professor at the Chronic Disease Research Center at the University of the West Indies and author of an accompanying editorial. Still, the findings highlight a need to consider the health impacts of neighborhoods when assigning refugees to housing as Europe grapples with high unemployment and historically high numbers of incoming refugees, the authors conclude. Its well known that people living in poorer neighborhoods in high income countries, such as in North America or Western Europe, tend to have higher rates of chronic health problems including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and greater risk of stroke and heart attack, Unwin added by email. It could simply be that the people who are unable to afford to live in more affluent neighborhoods are at greater risk of these conditions, perhaps related to poorer education and a greater prevalence of unhealthy behaviors, Unwin added. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1SPafn1 and http://bit.ly/1VLuR1T The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, online April 27, 2016.
No place to make babies.

The need for family planning among migrants and refugees is well known (pdf). This population is at a higher risk of unwanted pregnancies and has less knowledge of, and access to, contraception. For women living in refugee camps, unwanted pregnancy adds hardship to an already terrible situation, and yet reproductive issues are hardly addressed as a priority in refugee camps, or conflict areas.

Currently, birth control options are scarce for refugees both in Turkey and Greece. According to the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA), there were half a million pregnancies in 2015 among Syrian women living at home and as refugees. It its guidelines, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) highlights how providing reproductive health care to refugees is crucial for the mental and social well being of any individual (pdf, p.9), but providing family planning on the ground remains a challenge.

DKT Turkey, an arm of DKT International, a social marketing organization focused on providing affordable condoms and other forms of birth control, is trying to help. Since 2009, it DKT has marketed condoms, IUDs, and birth control at lower prices than those provided by multinational brands by producing and importing its own products.

Because the [Greek] government is focused on other subjects, Yakup Aydogan, director of DKT Turkey, told Quartz, family planning for refugees is not a priority. He says DKT was contacted by Circle of Health International (COHI), an organization providing relief to refugees in Lesbos, in January and agreed to provide 10,000 condoms for freebut shipping them to Lesbos was a long and costly process: from Izmir, where DKT is based, to Istanbul, then onto to Athens and, after custom clearance, Lesbos. To speed it up, the shipment was sent to an address in Ayvalk, a coastal town in Turkey, where it was picked up by a member of COHI, who travelled back with all 10,000 condoms via ferry to Lesbos, where the organization began distributing them in February.

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We have millions of refugees in Turkey, too, says Aydogan, pointing the lack of of contraception for migrants settled in Turkey. Earlier this year, he says, DKT received a similar call to COHIs from a doctor working in a camp Kilis, Turkey, near the Syrian border: she asked for IUDs, and DKT so far sent 1,000.

Its a drop in the sea, considering that over half of the hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers in Europe are between 18 and 34 years old. Children of refugees and migrants face great dangers, including that of ending up in trafficking and slave trade. According to Europes police agency Europol, at least refugee children are missing.

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When Chelsea Handler reinvents the wheel she doesn't want it to be just another wheel. The once and future late-night host, whose new program Chelsea debuts on Netflix on May 11, told The New York Times, "I don't want people turning it on and seeing the same thing: Monologue. First guest. Band. Da, da, da. I just can't do it that way."

She isn't the first late-night host to suggest changes to a show format that is almost as old as television itself. The Hollywood Reporter looked back at what other late-night hosts said in advance of their debut about how they might or might not change the format.

Here's what they said:

Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, debuted January 26, 2003

Kimmel's big innovation was to try the show live. "I think live will give it an intangible electricity," he said. "On Letterman and Leno, it always bothers me when they go outside the studio and it's daytime. That's one thing I won't have to deal with. And I think it's going to be a good thing for Los Angeles, if it goes well." (Live lasted live for 14 months. The experiment ended when guest Thomas Jane said, "That's a great f---ing band" and censors couldn't bleep it in time.)

Live would also be looser (and dirtier), he promised. "If I have one criticism of the other late-night shows it's that they're almost entirely scripted. Hopefully people will notice our show is looser." He added, "I think the show will be dirtier than the others, certainly." Another innovation? "We're going to set up a full bar and serve cocktails."

Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show, debuted June 1, 2009 and Conan, debuted Nov. 11, 2010

O'Brien's idea was to keep the show basically the same but also make it younger and hipper "My set needs to acknowledge this is a 60-year franchise. It needs to be beautiful and elegant. But he added, "Nothing funny comes out of reverence. I'll take care of this franchise. The key is to put aside the fear and say, 'Let's just make some people laugh." (That didn't turn out well as he was dropped just a few months after his first anniversary).

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A year later when he debuted his new show on TBS, O'Brien promised more of the same, but with an edge: "It is the show that someone does after they've survived a serious car accident. There's a little bit of - and I think in a good way - a "let's just go for it" kind of feel. I've been doing one show or another for about 17 years, and then you have this razor's edge nine months that I've had recently and you think about things a little differently. So, there's more of a feeling of "Screw it, I'm not going to second-guess anything."

Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show, debuted Feb. 17, 2014

Like O'Brien, Fallon promised to both honor The Tonight's Show's tradition and also make it hipper. "It's still going to be the same show, he said, but it will "do more singing and dancing and games." He added it would be a more mature version of his work on the Late Show: "If it was 2009 and I got "The Tonight Show" and you said, is it going to be anything different, I'd say, "Drastically. Yes." I'm going to tell you right now, it's not what it was in 2009 for me when we started, but I've grown. I've grown older. My monologues have gotten longer. I'm calmer and I have nice long interviews and it's fun, there's no rush for me to do stuff. I sing and I still do our bits and all that stuff, but that's what our show has become. And I think it'll grow when I'm on The Tonight Show." (In practice that has meant more viral video moments).

Seth Meyers, Late Night, debuted Feb. 24, 2014

More of the same. The idea of blowing it up," Meyers said, "sounds better than it actually is." For Meyers that meant more segments like he did on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update and the occasional character (before his debut, he told The New York Times he would be "surprised if over the course of the show Stefon never showed up.")

James Corden, The Late Late Show, debuted March 23, 2015

Corden's goal he said was " a breath of fresh air" to the format. His innovation? Bringing the guests out together. "We decided fairly early on in the process that we would be a show that would bring all of our guests out together at the same time. We just thought, "Well, we're on after a talk show, we have to do something that make it try and look and feel a little bit different." It's going to feel a bit more intimate. We've brought the audience closer. They're sort of cinema seats with lamps. [Bandleader] Reggie [Watts] has got a really cool performance area with his band. In many ways it will just look and feel like another talk show."

Stephen Colbert, The Late Show, Sept 8, 2015

The former host of Comedy Central's meta-satire The Colbert Report promised more varied guests. "Anybody who's interesting and has something to say - that's what I'm interested in," Colbert told TV Guide. "But I love artists, whether they're actors or musicians. I want to have politicians of all stripes on the show. I like intellectuals, writers, people in sports. But if somebody is not famous and they've got something to say and they can present themselves on camera, I think that'd be the perfect guest to have." He also said he would draw on his improv roots. "I'm an improvisational actor. I mean, I love the interviews. I love desk pieces. But we did all that stuff on the old show and we'll continue to do it. It's just a matter of finding the time to do it, finding the right joke." But he promised his show would be different from Fallon's Tonight Show: "I don't want to just create viral videos. I want to do things that people like." And it would have one big change from his predecessor Dave Letterman - a change Dave suggested as Colbert recalled: "He [Dave] goes, 'I would have liked to have tried the desk on the other side, So I went to work the next day and called my designer and said, 'I have terrible news. We're going to reverse the set' - because I want to try that too."

Trevor Noah, The Daily Show, Sept. 28, 2015

The South African comic admitted the show would look basically the same as it did under Jon Stewart. "We're changing the sets a tiny bit," he said, and "we're still dealing with the same issues, it's just a different angle we're looking at things from - and it's my angle, really. But he said changes in the news cycle would be reflected in his show. "The Daily Show was based on an emerging 24-hour news cycle, that's everything it was," Noah said when appearing before the Television Critics Association's summer press tour. "That's what inspired The Daily Show. Now you look at news and it's changed. It's no longer predicated around 24-hour news. There are so many different choices. Half of it is online now. Now you've got the Gawkers, the BuzzFeeds. The way people are drawing their news is soundbites and headlines and click-bait links has changed everything. The biggest challenge is going to be an exciting one, I'm sure, is how are we going to bring all of that together looking at it from a bigger lens as opposed to just going after one source - which was historically Fox News."

Read more: Sundance: Chelsea Handler Is Forever Changed by Her New Netflix Docuseries
World

Report: At least 28 killed in airstrike on Syria refugee camp amid failing truce

Airstrikes hit a refugee camp for internally displaced Syrians near the Turkish border Thursday killing at least 28 people, including women and children. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes, which also left 50 civilians wounded, targeted the camp near Sarmada in Idlib province. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Islamic State group has claimed to be behind several similar deadly attacks in Homs province. The White House denounced the airstrikes as indefensible, adding that while it was too early to say whether government forces conducted the attack, it confirmed that no U.S. or coalition aircraft were operating in the area at the time of the strike.

Two missiles fell near the the camp, causing people to panic, and two more fell inside, where a dozen tents caught fire. Mamun al-Khatib, director of the Aleppo-based pro-rebel Shahba Press news agency

The airstrikes come despite yesterdays temporary ceasefire deal in Aleppo. Fighting continued to rage in Northern Syria, and President Bashar Assad expressed he is still seeking total victory over rebels in the country. The truce has been severely tested by violence in the past several weeks, and Syrias opposition chief said Thursday that the international community should press Damascus to respect a nationwide cease-fire in order to avoid a full-scale regime military operation around Aleppo.
By Ginger Gibson and Grant Smith WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump named a national finance chairman for his presidential campaign on Thursday, picking an investor with little experience in campaigns but a long history of political donations, including to Trump's likely Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Steven Mnuchin, a former partner at Goldman Sachs who now works in entertainment financing, is chairman and CEO of private investment firm Dune Capital Management LP. He is taking one of the first high-profile jobs in the campaign that Trump has filled. Trump, a real estate developer who this week became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for the November election, worked with Mnuchin in a business capacity before, the campaign said. Since 1998, Mnuchin has given about $71,000 to Democrats and their associated committees, compared to about $37,000 to Republicans. Since Hillary Clinton's campaign to be elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000, Mnuchin donated $7,400 to Clinton, according to the Federal Election Commission. He also gave $10,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2004. More recently, Mnuchin donated to Republicans, including $22,500 in 2012 to Mitt Romney's joint fundraising committee and another $4,800 to the former Republican nominee's campaign. His history of donations to Democrats may well add to distaste for Trump among some establishment Republicans who have opposed the billionaire's rise to likely presidential nominee on the grounds his proposals are not truly Republican. Trump said on Wednesday he will begin to raise money for his general election bid after self-funding a majority of his primary campaign. Fundraising will require a balance, especially since much of Trump's campaign message has rested on his refusal to raise money and his decision to self-fund his campaign during the party nominating contests. Historically, political parties have depended on the ability of their nominee to raise money in order to fund their other operations, including working to elect members of the House and Senate. Trump said he will work closely with the Republican National Committee - which already has a fundraising operation - to help both his own campaign and those of other members of the party for the Nov. 8 election. U.S. Representative Chris Collins of New York, who was the first lawmaker to endorse Trump, said the move to start raising money will help bring the party together. Youll see that pivot to the general election, which is uniting the party, and fundraising is a very big part of uniting the party, with the influence money has in elections these days, Collins told Reuters in an interview. (Reporting by Megan Cassella and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Dan Grebler and Frances Kerry)
Gergio (Vincent Cassel) and Tony (Emmanuelle Bercot) in Mon roi. (Shaw Organisation)

Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. Hes also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com. The views expressed are his own.



Secret ending? No.

Running time: 128 minutes (~2.25 hours)

Mon roi is a French romantic drama between a lawyer and an entertainer. The story unfolds from the perspective of the Tony, the lawyer, whos recovering from a terrible ski injury. It stars Vincent Cassel (Georgio), Emmanuelle Bercot (Tony), Louis Garrel (Solal), and Isild Le Besco (Babeth). It is rated M-18.

Being a French film, Mon roi has pervasive symbolism and stylisation. Yet its artistic elements are not overdone, allowing it to retain a level of accessibility and tension. It doesnt sacrifice pacing for artistry, and instead uses its romanticised shots judiciously. It strikes the perfect balance between arthouse and mainstream, and is a good jumping on point for those whod like to start on French films.

Georgio and Tonys first baby in Mon roi. (Shaw Organisation)

Highlights

Symbolic parallels

Of course, since Tonys (Emmanuelle Bercot) knee injury is the framing story for the movie, it stands to reason that her physical injury mirrors her emotional state. The doctor comes right out and advises Tony that her damaged knee is symptomatic of a deeper emotional issue. Tonys knee recovers as she processes her failed romance, lending strong visuals to the symbolism, and deepening the interconnectedness of the film.

Exploration of love

At heart, Mon roi is a love story. It doesnt do the sappy puppy love romance that were so used to, but shows us how love evolves at different stages of a persons life. Love matures, just as humans change, but its still ultimately a fickle emotion. The ambiguity and neutrality with which love is treated gives us fresh perspectives on what is an otherwise overdone theme.

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Georgio is a fascinating character study

Georgio (Vincent Cassel) may not be the most appealing of male protagonists, but he lends a very human face to the struggle between carnality and fidelity. His performance is almost hypnotising, because you can see how internally, his competing desires and wants are what tears him apart. Hes such a flawed individual that genuinely tries his best for the people he cares about. Its this mix of characteristics that makes Georgio a character that you love and hate.

Story about human nature

Mon roi is a tale of grey areas and questionable issues, focusing chiefly on the vagaries of human nature. With no definite answer to the questions it raises, it turns the introspective lens on the audience, and forces us to evaluate what we would do in Tony or Georgios situation. At the same time, its also a story of love, and how imperfect and painful it can be because of the very nature of humanity.

Tony watches Georgio and his new friend in Mon roi. (Shaw Organisation)

Letdown

Abrupt ending

The film comes to a halt suddenly, with no indication that the final scene would be the resolution to the story. In fact, theres virtually no closure to the tale, which leaves you hanging (but also ruminating on the characters). While this may not be satisfying in terms of storytelling, its also an accurate depiction of the nature of love and human relationships, which never has a clean ending.

Tony and Georgio in love in Mon roi. (Shaw Organisation)

Mon roi is a great French film that can ease new viewers of the genre into the style of such movies, while still using many familiar tropes to give it accessibility.

Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.

Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes, unless you really dislike foreign films.

Score: 3.75/5

Mon roi opens in cinemas 5 May, 2016 (Thursday).
* Rio yet to see light in commodities markets

* CEO Walsh says forecasting a recovery "brave call"

* Rio not actively on M&A trail (Recasts, adds comments from CEO Walsh, other details)

By James Regan and Sonali Paul

SYDNEY/MELBOURNE, May 5 (Reuters) - Mining giant Rio Tinto is not counting on an upturn in commodities markets anytime soon despite recent gains in prices of iron ore, its main source of revenue, as much of the world's economies continue to underperform.

Chief Executive Sam Walsh said factors such as the looming U.S. election, a softer outlook in China and immigration woes facing Europe were suppressing a recovery in commodities. His view, however, is a departure from others calling for an end soon to the commodities rout that has sent just about every major mining company into the red.

"I believe in that environment, calling the bottom is a brave move," Chief Executive Sam Walsh told reporters.

Walsh, who will be replaced by Jean-Sebastien Jacques as CEO in early July, also doused speculation that Rio Tinto was coiled to pounce on assets put on the block by rivals suffering more from the downturn. "There are just simply not assets that we might be interested in," he said on Thursday.

The 143-year-old company has typically avoided the oil business and has also made it clear its days of expanding in iron ore are coming to a close.

Rio Tinto has been cited as an interested party if Freeport McMoran's Grasberg copper mine becomes available.

"I'm not holding my breath and I suspect that JS won't hold his breath unless somebody puts their crown jewels on the table, and my instinct is that'll be the last thing they do," Walsh said, referring to the incoming CEO.

The operating environment remains "tough out there" with heightened volatility in markets, made worse by widespread speculative trading in metals futures in China, Walsh told reporters after Rio Tinto's annual general meeting in Australia.

He added that Rio Tinto was looking to eliminate a further $2 billion in costs over the next two years.

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Iron ore prices are up about 43 percent this year, after falling by close to 40 percent in 2015.

Nev Power, the CEO of Australian iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group, is betting on prices stabilising in the months ahead as supply and demand come into balance.

Rio Tinto, which runs the world's No.2 iron ore business and is also a force in aluminium, copper, coal and dozens more commodities, has run into troubled waters with the toughest mining downturn in decades. It slumped to a net loss in 2015.

(Editing by Himani Sarkar)
On Thursday, to coincide with Cinco de Mayo  a Mexican holiday that goes largely uncelebrated in the Mexico but is often co-opted by people in the United States (in usually offensive ways, no less)  the Republican National Convention released a statement to "honor" the way Mexican-Americans have "enriched" the United States. The statement came just two days after the RNC Chairman Reince Priebus threw his support behind GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, whose comments about Mexicans and Mexican immigrants have been anything but presidential, on Tuesday.

"We celebrate Cinco de Mayo to honor the many ways Mexican-Americans have for generations enriched our country's culture," wrote Priebus and co-chair Sharon Day on the committee's website. "With a commitment to faith, family, and the belief that hard work will help you achieve the American Dream, Mexican-Americans have strengthened our nation. And we express our deep gratitude to those who are proudly serving in our armed forces and defending our freedoms."

Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

T ump has made too many controversial comments to count. But one of the mantra's of his presidential run, essentially a campaign slogan in its own right, is his call for Mexico to "build a wall"  and pay for it themselves.

While not everyone in the GOP is on the same page as Trump, the party's frontrunner only represents a more extreme version of racist remarks Republican politicians have made toward Hispanic populations since, well, forever. For this reason, the Republican National Committee's statement on Cinco de Mayo should raise a few eyebrows.

Republicans have notoriously tried to thwart Mexican-Americans' access to the revered American Dream. At a February GOP debate, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz touted an 11-page single-spaced document he wrote outlining how he would deport the United States' 11.3 million undocumented immigrants, many of whom are of Mexican origin.

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In August, former presidential candidate Bobby Jindal likened immigrants who don't adopt United States culture to invaders. "Immigration without assimilation is invasion," Jindal said. And, to return to Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said most Mexicans coming to the U.S. are rapists bringing drugs and crime with them.

Other Republicans have simultaneously called Hispanic populations "lazy" in the same breath they use to accuse them of taking American jobs.

But for the RNC, on Thursday, selective amnesia won. "This festive day is known throughout the country because of the influence Mexican-Americans have had on our culture," wrote Day. "Today we reflect on the freedoms we are privileged to enjoy, and I hope Cinco de Mayo will serve as a reminder for us all to keep working to build a future in which the opportunity and prosperity are preserved for our children."
With Captain America: Civil War hitting theaters tonight, Tony Stark is moving from one highly controversial battle to another - and choosing Hillary Clinton as his preferred president of the United States. At least, that's what Robert Downey Jr. thinks.

The actor revealed his thoughts on his superheroic alter ego's political leanings during a promotional appearance for Civil War on The Howard Stern Show.

"I believe Tony, being a budding feminist, he would say it's time to have some feminine energy in the White House," Downey said. Asked if that could be taken as a sign that Tony Stark supports Clinton, he confirmed, "He does."

Whether or not Downey is correct about Stark's politics is open to question; in his comic book incarnation, he served as secretary of defense under President George W. Bush from 2004's Iron Man Vol. 3 No. 78 through 2005's Iron Man No. 89, before working with the Bush administration in the first comic book Civil War and as short-lived director of SHIELD, suggesting that he's at least open to a Republican government.

No one should read his Stark endorsement as a stealth announcement that Downey is a Clinton supporter, however; he said that he "one million percent" avoids making public endorsements, adding, "I'm going to vote. That's what's important."
Get the hell out of here! Aleksandr Sokolov looked over his shoulder and realized that the red-faced officer was barking at him. Confused, the rookie cavalryman peeled away and galloped back to the safety of his formation.

Sokolov, who had joined every charge the Polish Horse Regiment sent forth that day, had no idea that his unit attacked only in small waves at a time. But instead of learning his lesson and patiently awaiting his turn to blitz, Sokolov decided to explore the edges of the battlefield.

While there were plenty of rumors, no one in the regiment knew just how special Aleksandr Sokolov was.

In no mans land Sokolov came across an injured compatriot with French dragoons bearing down on him. The youthful-looking soldier dived in, forcing the enemy to retreat. He gave the wounded Russian his horse, sent him in the direction of a hospital tent and then walked back to camp, alone. When he returned to his regiment, a debate was raging among his comrades. Was the rich kid, who had turned up out of nowhere, brave or just stupid? Most agreed he was a bit of both. And while there were plenty of rumors, no one in the regiment knew just how special Aleksandr Sokolov was.

Sokolov was born Nadezhda Durova in 1783. In her memoir, The Cavalry Maiden, she describes her birth as an arrival that destroyed her mothers dreams. Durova, who was once thrown from a moving carriage by her mother, chronicled a history of abuse that ended only when her father banned her mother from being alone with her.

Durova idolized her father  a captain in the hussars  and became obsessed with all things military. By the time she was a teenager, her mothers depression had grown worse, and the increasing severity of the mental illness seems to have coincided with Durovas growing bitterness toward noblewomen and the lives they led.

Nadezhda durova litografia

Nadezhda Durova

Source: Public Domain

These womens lives, according to Marianna Muravyeva, a historian at Moscows National Research University, were progressive when compared with those of other European women. Russian ladies were expected to be educated and enjoyed high levels of economic independence. They were, of course, also expected to be mothers, Muravyeva says. Durova tried both marriage and motherhood, but found that she wasnt cut out for such a life. She pledged to become a warrior, and part company forever from the sex whose sad lot and eternal dependence terrified her. At age 23, Durova started living as Aleksandr Sokolov.

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Before dawn on Sept. 17, 1806, Durova, disguised in a military coat, rode one town over to join a band of Cossacks heading west to enlist with the regular army. Close to the Lithuanian border she persuaded a commander in the Polish Horse Regiment to accept her. A few months later, at the Battle of Guttstadt, Durova was charging the enemy  more times than required.

Rumors of a woman serving in the cavalry started to spread, and while Durova heard the gossip, she was confident no one in the barracks knew her secret. Higher powers, however, were closing in. A daughters love compelled Durova to write and let her father know her whereabouts, which started a mission on her fathers part to bring his daughter home. His pleas made their way through high society and eventually reached Emperor Alexander I himself, and the soldier was summoned to St. Petersburg.

Durova was certain her military career was over. But to her astonishment, Alexander  who had a reputation for being enchanted by interesting women  not only endorsed her continued service but also gave her a new alias: Aleksandr Aleksandrov, naming her after himself.

With the emperors blessing (and protection), Durova fought throughout the War of 1812. She was at the desperate siege of Smolensk and the bloodbath at Borodino, suffered sickness and wounds, and even grew weary of being treated like the young boy she resembled.

Following Napoleons defeat, Durova returned to civilian life, where she continued dressing as a man and wrote her memoir. Muravyeva finds this chapter of Durovas life the most fascinating. That she could be open and maintain a masculine lifestyle, the historian says, it tells you a lot about Russian society at that time [compared with today].

Muravyeva believes Durovas transformation was social rather than sexual or based on gender identity, and that what fascinated Durova most was the male privilege that came with mens clothes. When Durova died in 1866 she was buried in her uniform, with full military honors. Like that of the Amazons  whom some trace to southern Russia  Durovas legacy is proof that fighting like a girl is no insult.

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A 51-year-old Russian climber has been missing in Nepal's Himalayas for two days, with bad weather hampering search efforts, a top local official said Thursday.

The mountaineer was descending with his team on Tuesday after successfully summiting the 6,091-metre (19,983-foot) high Pisang peak in the Annapurna region.

His three other team members only realised that he was missing when they arrived at base camp, Manang district chief Bhim Kanta Sharma told AFP.

"The climber was reported missing on Tuesday evening and we have begun our search," Sharma said, adding that it was unclear where on the mountain he was.

"Rescue teams have been deployed in a helicopter as well as on foot, but rain and snow are making the operation difficult," he said.

The incident comes after a Swiss and an Austrian climber died last week on neighbouring China's 8,027-metre (26,335-foot) high Shisha Pangma mountain after falling into a crevasse.

Two trekkers, from Japan and Korea, also died last week of suspected altitude sickness on their way down from Nepal's Everest base camp.

Every year hundreds of people from around the world travel to the Himalayas in Nepal for the brief spring climbing season, when conditions are at their best.

Mountaineering is a major revenue-earner for impoverished Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 peaks over 8,000 metres.
Palmyra (Syria) (AFP) - Leading Russian musicians staged a classical concert in the ancient theatre of Syria's ravaged Palmyra in a show by the Kremlin to herald its successes in the war-torn country.

Famed conductor Valery Gergiev led Saint Petersburg's celebrated Mariinsky orchestra through pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sergei Prokofiev and Rodion Shchedrin in front of a crowd of Russian soldiers, government ministers and journalists.

Cellist Sergei Roldugin -- a personal friend of President Vladimir Putin recently caught up in the scandal over the leaked Panama Papers -- played a solo against the backdrop of the Roman amphitheatre where jihadists from the Islamic State group staged mass executions less than a year ago.

"Thank you for today's amazing humanitarian act -- the concert in a Palmyra liberated from terrorists," Putin said in an address from Russia broadcast at the start of the concert.

"I see it as a sign of gratitude, of remembrance, of hope," Putin said.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond slammed the concert as "a tasteless attempt to distract attention from the continued suffering of millions of Syrians" as air strikes blamed on regime forces killed at least 28 civilians in a camp for the displaced on the border with Turkey.

"It shows that there are no depths to which the regime will not sink. It is time for those with influence over Assad to say enough is enough," Hammond added, in a veiled reference to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's key ally Russia.

Syrian troops backed by Russian air strikes and special forces on the ground recaptured UNESCO world heritage site Palmyra from Islamic State group fighters in March, delivering a major propaganda coup for both Damascus and Moscow.

Russian army sappers said last month they had demined the ancient site -- known as the "Pearl of the Desert" -- where jihadist fighters blew up ancient temples and looted relics.

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The Kremlin has shipped foreign journalists to the concert as it basks in the retaking of Palmyra, one of the most significant achievements since it launched a bombing campaign, criticised by the West, to support Assad in September.

- 'Wounded but not killed' -

Putin said that he saw the concert as a sign "of hope not just for the rebirth of Palmyra as a cultural asset for the whole of humanity, but for seeing modern civilisation rid itself of this terrible scourge of international terrorism".

Mikhail Pyotrovsky, the director of Russia's Hermitage Museum, told journalists at the scene that "Palmyra is injured but she has not been killed" and pledged help in restoring it.

Sitting in the audience, Syrian tour guide Anwar Al-Omar told AFP that while he thought only Russia could help rebuild the ancient town he was downbeat about its prospects in the long-term.

"I am pessimistic. It will be difficult to bring tourists back," he said.

Gergiev is one of the world's best known conductors but has faced backlash in the West for his strongly pro-Kremlin views, with his tours sometimes interrupted by protestors.

Roldugin, the godfather of Putin's eldest daughter, was revealed as being at the head of a vast offshore empire that controls some $2 billion (1.75 billion euros) by the Panama Papers leaks in April but has been fiercely defended by the Kremlin strongman.

The concert in Palmyra was not the first that Gergiev has conducted in a place where the Russian military carried out controversial operations.

In 2008 the Ossetian native conducted a concert in Tskhinvali, the main city in separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia that was heavily damaged in the short Russian-Georgian war that year.

Gergiev also conducted a charity concert in Tokyo for victims of the Fukushima tragedy in 2012 and led a charity concert tour to raise funds for victims of Russia's Beslan school massacre in 2004.
By Denis Dyomkin SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Russia's Mariinsky Theatre staged a surprise concert in the amphitheatre of the Syrian city of Palmyra on Thursday, in what looked like an attempt by the Kremlin to win hearts and minds and remind the world of its role in the city's recapture. The concert, held just over a month after Russian air strikes helped push Islamic State militants out of Palmyra, saw Valery Gergiev, a close associate of President Vladimir Putin, conduct the Mariinsky orchestra. Sergei Roldugin, a cellist friend of Putin's named in the Panama Paper leaks as owning a network of offshore firms that have handled billions of dollars, also performed. He has denied any wrongdoing. Putin, addressing the audience by video link from his Russian Black Sea residence of Sochi, called terrorism a contagion the world needed to rid itself of and said the fact the concert was taking place at all was "surprising". "Today's action involved major inconvenience and dangers for everyone, being in a country at war close to where hostilities are still ongoing. That has demanded great strength and personal courage from you all. Thank you very much," said Putin. Gergiev, a longtime Putin supporter, described the concert as a protest against the barbarism and violence exhibited by Islamic State militants who had destroyed parts of Palmyra and used the city's Roman amphitheatre to execute prisoners. The event was made public just hours before it began. Russian and Syrian military personnel as well as locals could be seen in the audience. Russian special forces called in air strikes in March to help the Syrian government retake the city and Russian engineers later demined the historic part of Palmyra. Moscow has said its experts are ready to help restore the city, a UNESCO world heritage site. Thursday's concert had echoes of a performance conducted by Gergiev in August 2008, when the Mariinsky performed in front of the bombed-out parliament of the self-proclaimed Republic of South Ossetia after Russian forces defeated the Georgian army in a short war over the territory. (Additional reporting by Dmitry Solovyov; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Andrew Roche)
DUBAI (Reuters) - The Saudi Stock Exchange has selected HSBC Saudi Arabia to advise on its own planned flotation scheduled for 2018, the exchange, known as Tadawul, said in a statement on Thursday.

"The appointment of a financial adviser is an important milestone in the beginning of the IPO (initial public offering) journey which is planned to take place by 2018 after obtaining the necessary approvals," the short statement said.

Tadawul Chief Executive Khalid al-Hussan told Reuters on Tuesday the exchange would make a decision "in the coming days" on who it would select as its advisor.

Three banking sources said the decision was made at a meeting of Tadawul's board on Thursday. The sources declined to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Tadawul is by far the largest stock market in the Middle East, with a market capitalisation of 1.51 trillion riyals ($402.8 billion), according to Thomson Reuters data.

(Reporting by David French; editing by Susan Thoma)
(Adds confirmation by Binladin executive, details, analysis)

By Celine Aswad and Marwa Rashad

DUBAI/RIYADH, May 5 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has allowed major builder Saudi Binladin Group to resume bidding for state projects, a senior Binladin executive said on Thursday, in a decision that may ease financial pressure on the troubled firm and banks which lend to the group.

The company, one of the Middle East's largest builders, has struggled since last September, when it was suspended from obtaining new government contracts after a crane toppled into Mecca's Grand Mosque during a storm, killing 107 people.

It has now received a royal decree allowing it to bid for state contracts again, and a travel ban imposed on its top managers after the disaster has been lifted, the executive told Reuters, declining to be named under briefing rules.

He was confirming a report in the al-Watan newspaper, which in addition quoted a spokesman for the civil aviation authority as saying that Binladin would resume work at the multi-billion dollar King Abdulaziz International Airport project in Jeddah.

Bank shares rose sharply on the Saudi stock market on Thursday with National Commercial Bank, the largest listed lender, gaining 2.6 percent.

Binladin has declined to describe its financial situation publicly but Gulf commercial bankers have said it is believed to owe a wide range of local and international banks a total of about $30 billion.

In addition to the bidding suspension, the company has been hit hard by a general slump in the construction industry as the government has cut spending in response to low oil prices, and bankers have worried that Binladin could have to restructure some of its debt.

The company, which last year had a total workforce of around 200,000 according to its LinkedIn page, has laid off tens of thousands of foreign workers in Saudi Arabia, and others have staged public protests after going unpaid for months.

Government officials dealing with Binladin could not be reached for comment on Thursday, and it was not clear whether authorities had absolved the company of any further liability for the Mecca crane disaster.

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There are strong reasons for the government to ease the financial pressure on Binladin; it is involved in projects considered strategic for the economy, such as the Jeddah airport, and few other local firms have its capacity.

Also, Binladin's financial problems could weaken the wider economy. Some of its suppliers have been hurt, and al-Watan reported on Monday that the company was expected to lay off 12,000 of 17,000 Saudis employed by Binladin in supervisory, administrative, engineering and management jobs.

That could be politically difficult for the government as it seeks to prevent an economic slowdown due to low oil prices from boosting unemployment.

Labour Minister Mufrej al-Haqbani said on Tuesday that the crisis surrounding Binladin would be resolved and that some of its workers would receive their unpaid salaries this month, while others would get the money later. He did not say how the company would obtain the money.

(Writing by Andrew Torchia; Editing by Susan Fenton)
RIYADH, May 5 (Reuters) - The government is allowing major builder Saudi Binladin Group to resume bidding for state projects, al-Watan newspaper reported on Thursday, in a decision that may ease financial pressure on the troubled firm and banks which lend to it.

The company has been struggling since September last year, when it was suspended from obtaining new government contracts after a crane toppled into Mecca's Grand Mosque during a dust storm, killing 107 people.

It has now received a royal decree allowing it to bid for state contracts again, and a travel ban imposed on its top managers after the disaster has been lifted, al-Watan quoted an unnamed source as saying.

The newspaper also quoted a spokesman for the civil aviation authority as saying that in response, the company would resume work at the multi-billion dollar King Abdulaziz International Airport project in Jeddah.

Company and government officials could not be contacted for comment early on Thursday.

(Reporting by Marwa Rashad; Writing by Andrew Torchia)
Some Anne Arundel County school nurses said they're concerned about their job security after the county executive announced he is calling for a review of the school-based health program. Parents and school nurses have been blowing up social media. Their comments are directed at some county and school officials they believe want to turn their jobs over to a private company. More than 300 school nurses serve the county's 80,000 students. Most do so without benefits or what they consider fair pay. They're based on campus, but work for the county's health department.
Traders are looking for Seagate Technology to rebound.



optionMONSTER's monitoring program shows that more than 5,000 Weekly 20.50 calls expiring on May 13 were purchased for $0.30 to $0.50 yesterday. These are clearly new positions, as open interest in the strike was a mere 20 contracts before the session began.



Long calls lock in the price where investors can buy stock, allowing them to profit from a rally with limited capital at risk. Their cheap cost can also generate significant leverage on a percentage basis if shares move in the right direction. (See our Education section)



STX rose 3.65 percent to $20.15 yesterday but is down 42 percent in the last month. The data-storage maker, which has been hit hard by weakening demand for hard drives in the PC business, gapped down from the $34 level after reporting bearish quarterly results on April 13. Its next earnings report is estimated for release on July 29.



Overall option volume in the name was twice its daily average yesterday. Calls outnumbered puts by a bullish 3-to-1 ratio.





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By Claire Milhench

LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - Lawyers for Libya's $67 billion sovereign wealth fund asked Goldman Sachs on Thursday to provide more information about an internship the bank gave to the brother of a key decision-maker at the fund.

In a long-running legal dispute with Goldman Sachs, the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) alleges the investment bank advised it to invest more than $1 billion in nine derivatives trades in 2008 that it claims were unsuitable and ultimately worthless.

The fund requested the details during a pre-court hearing, before a trial scheduled to start on June 13 in London's High Court, with Judge Vivien Rose presiding.

Goldman Sachs says the allegation is without merit and is contesting the case.

At the heart of the case is an internship that Goldman Sachs provided for Haitem Zarti, the brother of Mustafa Zarti, the LIA's former deputy chief, and whether that influenced the decision to invest with Goldman. Neither Zarti is connected with the fund now.

The LIA's claim hinges in part on allegations that the nine disputed trades were procured by "undue influence". At the time the investments were made, Libya was still headed by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who was overthrown in 2011.

The leadership of the LIA is currently being disputed by two rival chairmen, but the litigation against Goldman Sachs is being brought under the auspices of its receiver, BDO.

In court documents seen by Reuters on Thursday, the fund argues that four of the disputed trades were done soon after the bank's then-employee Youssef Kabbaj told Mustafa Zarti by text message on April 17 that his brother would be offered an internship.

Kabbaj was a senior banker at Goldman at the time of the trades but has since left the firm.

The LIA's court filings say that one of those four April trades, for which the LIA paid Goldman Sachs a premium of 289 million euros, was described as "jumbo-sized" by William Lyons, an expert witness who is expected to appear for Goldman Sachs. He is not a current or former employee of the bank.

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Goldman Sachs alleges that the offer of the internship came well after the LIA entered into other trades in January and February. It adds that the internship was not formally offered to Haitem Zarti until May 22, 2008, and he did not start until June 23.

"We do not believe the internship influenced in any way the LIA's decision to enter into the trades," the bank said in a statement.

In court filings seen by Reuters, Goldman claims the decision to invest in the four April trades was "the culmination of a long-standing interest in financial stocks that the LIA had formed in late December 2007/early January 2008, well before the internship was offered".

The bank adds that there was nothing inherently unusual or disadvantageous about the trades, and that the LIA entered into them of its own free will.

It points out that had markets in the underlying stocks improved, the LIA stood to make substantial profits, but the markets moved against it and it lost the premiums it had paid.

Goldman also maintains that its relationship with the LIA was at all "material times an arm's length one" between banker and client.

The trial is slated to run for seven weeks.

(Reporting by Claire Milhench; Editing by Sujata Rao)
There are bouquets of rosemary, terra cotta cazuelas filled with chopped onions and minced parsley, and an entire octopus from Spain that will turn deep purple when tossed into a pan of olive oil. But every chef at La Sirena, Mario Batali's new Maritime Hotel restaurant, is grinning at the weed.

"Give me a big, cloudy puff of smoke right here," demands Batali, 55, lifting the raw sea creature in front of a blunt that bobs from the mouth of rapper and star of Viceland's F--, That's Delicious Action Bronson. "That's f--ing beautiful," exclaims Bronson, 32. "Oh my f--, are you kidding me right now with all those tentacles?"

Born Ariyan Arslani to an Albanian-Muslim father and Jewish New Yorker mother in Flushing, Queens, it was Wu-Tang Clan and episodes of Molto Mario that shaped Bronson's prodigious appetite for hip-hop and food. Despite a stint in culinary school and years spent working at restaurants (including his father's), music stardom changed his course.

Action Bronson Is Prepping His First Cookbook

In La Sirena's kitchen, which opened in February, he is the wildly curious Dionysus to Batali's Apollonian persona. For every question ("Does the head taste the same as the tentacles?" "Octopus don't have blood. What substance do they have instead?"), the Seattle-reared Batali offers a pragmatic yet poetic response. "We share a missionary zeal for finding things that are pleasurable -- things that are delicious or thoughtful, provocative or even intellectual on the odd occasion," says the James Beard Award-winning chef, whose 26 restaurants include Babbo, Otto and marketplace Eataly.

At a table in the sun-drenched, 220-seat dining room, gastronomy is merely the launching point for a conversation that spans lake monsters and steroid injections. Perhaps the only things that flow more freely than the wine are the F-bombs. "As we say in my world," declares Batali, clinking their glasses, "Cin cin, motherf--ers."

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The minute hand is barely past noon.

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Top left: Batali (left) and Bronson photographed March 4 in the kitchen of La Sirena in New York preparing Bucatini La Sirena (top right), a spicy octopus dish.Aaron Richter

What inspired La Sirena?

Mario Batali: We wanted to reference the Maritime Hotel, but didn't want to be perceived as a seafood restaurant. Our name comes from the myth of the sirens, who hypnotized sailors as they sang from the rocks off the coast of Sorento. It's a beautiful conception of something from the south of Italy as seen through Homer's eyes.

How did you both meet?

Action Bronson: JDate. (Laughs.)

Batali: We both swiped right. (Laughs.) I met Brons through my children first, who were fascinated by his hip-hop; he was part of our dinner conversations before I personally knew him. Eventually, we met through the guys who shoot his F--, That's Delicious show on Viceland.

Bronson: He invited me to dinner, charmed the pants off me and my mother.

Batali: His mom has become one of the heroes of my Babbo restaurant group.

Bronson: We had the roasted beet starter, pasta with a shitload of truffle, octopus.

Batali: He's a hooker for octopus.

Bronson: I am. And it was just a magnificent scene -- being there with my hero, someone I looked up to throughout my life.

Exclusive: Mario Batali Shares His Patti Smith-Inspired Linguine Recipe From His 'Feedback Kitchen' Web Series

Did your love of food precede music?

Bronson: Professionally, I was a cook first.

Batali: A cook in Queens making shawarma.

Bronson: I earned my bones over there. It made me the man I am today. If I would have become famous at that time, it wouldn't have worked -- I would have Bieber'd it up.

Batali: Everyone has a natural gift, and when humans can find it and sing it -- they are their best. You carved your own path.

Has either of you earned any battle scars from cooking?

Batali: When you're a line cook, you're under pressure to make it happen quicker than it should, so you burn yourself. Now that I'm a fat, old, executive chef, I don't reach into the oven in a hurry. Bronson, what about your umbilical hernia in Alaska?

Bronson: Nah, that was self-induced from weight lifting. I used to be a power lifter. I was dead-lifting 500 pounds and used to inject a little something.

Batali: Hold on, hold on -- saline solution?

Bronson: Testosterone. I was f--ing jacked.

Batali: You thought that was a good idea?

Bronson: I was 23. I had been fat my whole life and thought it was going to reverse it.

Batali: And now look at you -- you're a cheesecake of heaven. (Laughs.)

Bronson: I'm a cheesecake away from f--ing up a refrigerator.

Watch Action Bronson Teach Seth Meyers to Cook Octopus

What kind of music do you guys cook to?

Bronson: Salsa. It kind of puts you in that rhythm. If there's too many vocals, I'll end up singing the whole song and forget to take the salmon out of the oven.

Batali: I find music is based on the time of day, not on what I'm cooking. In the morning it's Bach concertos, by lunch Allman Brothers. When it comes to hip-hop there's only Bronson and Kanye ...

What's your idea of decadent cuisine?

Batali: Often enough, the most luxurious stuff depends on where you happen to be and not on the price -- a tortellini in Bologna, charcuterie in Alsace.

Bronson: I traveled to Australia, and there, luxury is the food you have to dive dangerously for. Gold Coast abalone and opihi from Hawaii ... blew my f--ing mind.

Batali: Did you dive for them?

Bronson: The guy with me did. I dove for some razor clams in the Indian Ocean though. Bull sharks all over the place.

Batali: Wow, I'm f--ing paralyzed in fear of sharks. That's why I have my house in Michigan: unsalted and shark-free.

Bronson: Are you kidding? I'd love to die by being eaten by a shark; that's how I want to go. You don't think there's some crazy shit in that lake? River monsters.

Is there anything you won't eat?

Bronson: I'm not in love with Spanish mackerel. The rankness of the fat -- something about it turns me the f-- off.

Batali: I'll try just about anything, but there's a fruit called durian, the flavor of which I can only describe as a baby's diaper that sat in a gas station bathroom.

Bronson: I haven't had it in fruit form, but I've had it as a sorbet.

Batali: You have come a long way from f--ing Queens.

Bronson: You know what? We should try it together sometime.

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Mario Batali and Action Bronson photographed on March 4, 2016 at La Sirena in New York. Aaron Richter

Bucatini La Sirena: Re-create the $24 dish at home (sans weed)

1 (3-6 pound) octopus*

2 cups dry red wine

2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper

1 bunch rosemary

1 large carrot, diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, whole

1 pound bucatini

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, diced

4 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Serves 4

Fill a large stock pot with octopus, red wine, pepper, rosemary, carrot, onion, and two cloves of garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for two hours or until the octopus is tender. Remove the octopus from the liquid and allow to rest for a few minutes. When the octopus is still warm but cool enough to handle, separate the tentacles from the head. Remove the beak from the head and slice in two. Then, using a towel, remove the suckers from the tentacles. When the octopus has fully cooled, slice thinly on the bias.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Cook bucatini until al dente, 1-2 minutes less than indicated on the package instructions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a 12- to 14-inch saute pan over medium high heat. Add two tablespoons olive oil and heat until almost smoking, then add the red onion and one garlic clove. Cook until the onion begins to dance in the pan. Remove the garlic clove and add tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and a splash of the pasta cooking liquid. Cook until the tomato paste is a bit lighter in color, then add the cooked octopus.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and add it to the saute pan. Toss until all of the noodles are coated, about one minute. Add parsley, remaining olive oil, and a sprinkle of red pepper flake, to taste. Divide and enjoy.

*Substitute a pre-cooked canned Spanish octopus. Before building the sauce, thoroughly drain the octopus of its oil.

Fill a large stock pot with octopus, red wine, black pepper, rosemary, carrot, yellow onion and two garlic cloves, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until octopus is tender. Remove from the liquid and allow to rest for a few minutes.

When the octopus is still warm but cool enough to handle, separate the tentacles from the head. Remove the beak. Then, using a towel, remove the suckers from the tentacles. When the octopus has cooled, slice thinly on the bias.

Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add kosher salt. Cook bucatini until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat until almost smoking, then add red onion and remaining garlic clove. Cook until the onion begins to dance in the pan. Remove the garlic clove and add tomato paste, red pepper flakes and a splash of the pasta cooking liquid. Cook until tomato paste is lighter in color, then add the cooked octopus.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and add it to the saute pan. Toss until all of the noodles are coated (about one minute). Add parsley, remaining olive oil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to taste. Divide and enjoy. Serves four.

This article originally appeared in the May 14 issue of Billboard.
On Aug. 31, 1945, President Harry Truman sent a letter to General Dwight Eisenhower, the future president who was then running the American occupation of Germany. Truman had received a report on the condition of displaced personsDPs, the term for post-war refugees who had no homes to which to returnin Europe, particularly Jewish DPs. And the president was not happy.

Apparently it is being taken for granted that all displaced persons, irrespective of their former persecution or the likelihood that their repatriation or resettlement will be delayed, must remain in campsmany of which are overcrowded and heavily guarded, he wrote. Some of these camps are the very ones where these people were herded together, starved, tortured and made to witness the death of their fellow-inmates and friends and relatives.

MORE: Why Holocaust Remembrance Day Is Today

The United States had a particular responsibility to those DPs, the president concluded, and he hoped that the general would see things the same way.

Within a few years, that particular responsibility led to something unusual: what is considered to be the only edition of the Talmudan important Jewish religious text and the repository of rabbinic lawever printed by a national government. It is known as the Survivors Talmud, and it is a document that bears particular significance on Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah), which is marked on May 5 this year.

The particular page seen here is part of a rare full set that is being preserved by the Center for Jewish History in New York City. This title page depicts a barbed-wire fenced camp as well as the Mediterranean landscape of the holy land, and these words: From bondage to freedom, from darkness to a great light. The dedication reads:

This edition of the Talmud is dedicated to the United States Army. The Army played a major role in the rescue of the Jewish people from total annihilation, and their defeat of Hitler bore the major burden of sustaining the DPs of the Jewish faith. This special edition of the Talmud, published in the very land where, but a short time ago, everything Jewish and of Jewish inspiration was anathema, will remain a symbol of the indestructibility of the Torah. The Jewish DPs will never forget the generous impulses and the unprecedented humanitarianism of the American Forces, to whom they owe so much.

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The Survivors Talmud stemmed from reasons both practical and symbolic. Not only had the Nazis taken the homes, lives and livelihoods of the Jewish people of Europe, but they had also destroyed the artifacts of the religion. Just when many survivors felt they needed their faith or their culture more than ever, the sacred texts of Judaism were hard to come by. In 1946 a group of DPs who were rabbis asked if the Army could help publish a Talmud, as they had no copies available for study. When the Army agreed, an edition had to be sent from New York to be copied, as no complete version of the Talmud could be found in all of Germany.

MORE: See 10 Moving Telegrams From Holocaust Survivors Looking for Help

As Gerd Korman has pointed out in the journal American Jewish History, the situation in 1946after the end of the war but before the establishment of Israelwas such that the Allies had real concern for the survival of Judaism in Europe. Even though the genocide had been halted, it would be hard to sustain the rituals and knowledge of the faith without the important documents that had been lost. The U.S. forces in Europe also had already established a printing operation, working out of confiscated Nazi propaganda printing plants.

By the time printing was finished in 1950, many DPs had been resettled and the copies found their way to the places where Jews lived all over the worldincluding Israel.
General Motors (GM) and Lyft are taking on the leading Silicon Valley companies by testing smart, self-driving taxis within a year, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Electric-run Chevrolet Bolts will hit public roads in an effort to revolutionize the auto industry. When the project launches, Lyft customers will be able to opt for the smart car or a regular driver.

The GM-Lyft partnership was announced earlier this year when GM invested $500 million into the Uber competitor. Lyft will be the company's biggest customer of Bolts when the model launches later this year.

Cruise Automation, a $1 billion GM investment, is also being brought on for the smart taxi project. The San Francisco based company has been working on self-driving cars for two years.

The initial batch of self-driving cars will include a driver who is ready to intervene, should anything go wrong.



In fact, we may not see a widespread use of self-driving vehicles for more than a decade, automotive industry analyst James Gillette told CNBC.

He said most smart cars will be sold in urban areas like New York and Chicago . He feels driving aids like auto-stop will become more common over the next decade.

However, it will take some time for government regulation to catch up. He also called it an "insurance company nightmare."

Get the full story from The Wall Street Journal here.


Utilities segment posted weak results.

Uninspiring utilities results have dimmed Sembcorp Industries (SCI) net profit in 1Q16. Net earnings fell a staggering 27.4% YoY to $107m during the quarter, while revenue tumbled 18.9% YoY to $1.9b.

According to a report by OCBC, SCIs utilities segment posted a 7% tumble in turnover to $895m on back of lower high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) prices in Singapore. This partly offset though, by increased share result from India.

In terms of net profit, the utilities segment saw a 1% uptick to $75.2m in Q1. It was boosted by overseas operations, particularly by China and Middle East operations. On the other hand, SCIs Singapore power business continued to be impacted by competitive spark threads.

Further, the TPCIL plant in India posted a small profit in Q1. OCBC notes that unit 2 of the plant has been down for about a month since early April due to a technical fault as the group decided to take the chance to perform maintenance and repairs originally scheduled in the later part of 2016.

OCBC also asserts that management expects the unit to return to operation in the second half of this month.





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By Dmitry Zhdannikov and Rania El Gamal

LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) - As OPEC officials gathered this week to formulate a long-term strategy, few in the room expected the discussions would end without a clash. But even the most jaded delegates got more than they had bargained with.

"OPEC is dead," declared one frustrated official, according to two sources who were present or briefed about the Vienna meeting.

This was far from the first time that OPEC's demise has been proclaimed in its 56-year history, and the oil exporters' group itself may yet enjoy a long life in the era of cheap crude.

Saudi Arabia, OPEC's most powerful member, still maintains that collective action by all producers is the best solution for an oil market that has dived since mid-2014.

But events at Monday's meeting of OPEC governors suggest that if Saudi Arabia gets its way, then one of the group's central strategies - of managing global oil prices by regulating supply - will indeed go to the grave.

In a major shift in thinking, Riyadh now believes that targeting prices has become pointless as the weak global market reflects structural changes rather than any temporary trend, according to sources familiar with its views.

OPEC is already split over how to respond to cheap oil. Last month tensions between Saudi Arabia and its arch-rival Iran ruined the first deal in 15 years to freeze crude output and help to lift global prices.

These resurfaced at the long-term strategy meeting of the OPEC governors, officials who report to their countries' oil ministers.

According to the sources, it was a delegate from a non-Gulf Arab country who pronounced OPEC dead in remarks directed at the Saudi representative as they argued over whether the group should keep targeting prices.

Iran, represented by its governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, has been arguing that this is precisely what OPEC was created for and hence "effective production management" should be one of its top long-term goals.

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But Saudi governor Mohammed al-Madi said he believed the world has changed so much in the past few years that it has become a futile exercise to try to do so, sources say.

"OPEC should recognize the fact that the market has gone through a structural change, as is evident by the market becoming more competitive rather than monopolistic," al-Madi told his counterparts inside the meeting, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

"The market has evolved since the 2010-2014 period of high prices and the challenge for OPEC now, as well as for non-OPEC (producers), is to come to grips with recent market developments," al-Madi said, according to the sources.

ORCHESTRATION

For decades Saudi Arabia had a preferred oil price target and if it didn't like the prevailing market level, it would try to orchestrate a production cut or increase in OPEC. It would contribute the lion's share of the adjustment and forgive smaller and poorer members if they failed to comply with the group's agreement.

Back in 2008, the late King Abdullah named $75 a barrel as the kingdom's "fair" oil price, most likely after consultations with the long-serving oil minister Ali al-Naimi.

When the Saudis orchestrated the last output cut in 2008 - to support prices during the global economic crisis - oil jumped fairly quickly back above $100 from below $40. Later Riyadh again made known its price preference on a few occasions but in recent years it has effectively stopped sending any signals.

This follows the fundamental changes on oil markets. In the past five years, the development of unconventional oil production from U.S. shale deposits and other sources such as Canadian oil sands has made redundant the idea that crude is a scarce and finite resource. Russia, which is not an OPEC member, has also contributed to the ample global supply.

"NO FREE RIDERS"

Dispensing with price targets represents a massive change in Saudi thinking. This is now being driven largely by 31-year-old Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who took over as the ultimate decision maker of the country's energy and economic policies last year.

When oil was viewed as scarce, the kingdom thought it had to maximize its long-term revenues even if that meant pumping fewer barrels and yielding market share to rival producers, according to several sources familiar with the Saudi thinking.

With the importance of oil declining, Riyadh has decided it is wiser to prioritize market share, the sources say. It believes it will be better off producing more at today's low prices than reducing output, only to sell the oil for even less in the future as global demand ebbs.

On top of this, Riyadh has pressing short-term needs including tackling a budget deficit which hit 367 billion riyals ($97.9 billion) or 15 percent of gross domestic product in 2015.

"The oil industry is, relatively speaking, not a growth industry any more," said one of the sources familiar with the Saudi views inside the OPEC governors' meeting.

In the past, low oil prices used to push global demand much higher but today's rising efficiency of motor vehicles, new technology and environmental policies have put a lid on growth.

Despite record low prices in the past year, demand is not expected to grow by more than 1 million barrels per day in 2016, just one percent of global demand.

One thing is guaranteed: the kingdom will not go back to the old pattern of cutting output any time soon to support prices for the benefit of all producers, Saudi sources say.

"The bottom line is that there will be no free riders any more," al-Madi said at Monday's meeting. "Some OPEC members should 'walk the talk' first," he told his colleagues.

Even Riyadh's rivals doubt it will perform any U-turn. "Saudi Arabia doesn't give a damn about OPEC any more. They are after U.S. shale, Canadian oil sands and Russia," a non-Gulf OPEC source said.

(Additional reporting by Alex Lawler; writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; editing by David Stamp)
Shirley MacLaine and Matthew Broderick are headed for the small screen.

The duo are set to headline a new dramedy series, Bettyville, from Paramount Television, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

An adaptation of journalist George Hodgman's best-selling memoir, the project follows George (Broderick) after he leaves Manhattan for his hometown of Paris, Missouri, to care for his aging mother Betty (MacLaine). Only expecting to be gone for a few weeks, life seems to conspire to keep him there, armed with not much more than a willing heart, a messy past to sort out and two very different personalities to deal with: his own, and Betty's.

John Hoffman (Looking, Grace and Frankie) will adapt the memoir for TV and serve as showrunner on the series. He will executive produce alongside Archer Gray's Anne Carey and Amy Nauiokas (The Diary of a Teenage Girl), as well as Hodgman. There is no platform yet attached to the series, which will film in Santa Fe, N.M.

"Paramount TV could not be in better hands than those of Shirley MacLaine and Matthew Broderick, two incredibly versatile talents who know how to marry drama with comedy, which is at the center of this fantastic story," Paramount TV president Amy Powell said Thursday in a statement. "We're eager to watch as Shirley and Matthew bring these complex and captivating characters to life."

Oscar-winner MacLaine most recently appeared on two episodes of Glee, as well as a multi-episode arc on Downton Abbey. Her small-screen roles also include a 1999 mini, Joan of Arc, and a starring role in the 1972 series Shirley's World. The actress's upcoming film roles include Wild Oats and the live-action Little Mermaid.

Bettyville will be the first series-regular role for theater and film actor Broderick, whose TV credits include Modern Family, Louie and 30 Rock.

Paramount TV's credits include Nickelodeon's School of Rock adaptation, HBO's Vinyl and also several forthcoming TV adaptations in the works including Amazon's Jack Ryan series and USA Network's Shooter.
By Ian Chua SYDNEY (Reuters) - Singapore will fund a A$2.25 billion (US$1.7 billion) expansion of military training facilities in Australia in a deal due to be announced on Friday, according to a government source. Land-scarce Singapore has long sent troops to Australia for military exercises. The new deal would allow the Asian nation to increase the number of troops it has on rotation in Australia to 14,000, from 6,000. Under the agreement, Singapore would fund the cost of expanding the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and the Townsville Field Training Area, both in the north of Queensland state. Both bases lie in electorates critical to the government. The timing of the expected announcement by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is viewed as a political coup ahead of an anticipated July federal election. The move to forge closer military ties between Australia and Singapore comes at a time of rising tensions between much of Asia and China, which has been building military and civilian facilities on its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea. ($1 = A$1.3396) (Reporting by Ian Chua; Editing by Jane Wardell, Toni Reinhold)
(Adds CEO comments about Hydro Quebec and reaction, paragraphs 4-6)

May 5 (Reuters) - Canadian engineering and construction company SNC-Lavalin Group Inc reported a better-than-expected profit for the first quarter as cost cuts helped margins amid lower spending by customers in its core energy business.

SNC-Lavalin is undertaking a sweeping cost-cutting program expected to help lower 2016 expenses by about C$100 million and boost margins in its core energy and construction business as clients cut spending due to low commodity prices.

"We will not waver from our strategy," Chief Executive Neil Bruce said at the company's annual general meeting in Montreal on Thursday.

Bruce told the meeting he thought SNC previously had a "challenging relationship" with the province's power company, but he was "looking to restore and expand relationships with Hydro Quebec." La Presse newspaper has previously reported that relations between SNC and Hydro were strained after the engineering company won a hydroelectric contract in Newfoundland in 2010.

However, during a press conference after the meeting, Bruce told reporters his remarks referred to a "business development opportunity" with Hydro Quebec. He said SNC did not have a "fractious relationship" with the utility which intends to double its revenues over the next 15 years, largely through acquisitions and exports.

A Hydro spokeswoman declined to "comment on the past," calling SNC "a long term business partner."

SNC's energy and construction business accounted for nearly 26 percent of its first-quarter profit and the company reiterated that the oil & gas and power segments should be the main contributors to net income.

SNC-Lavalin's revenue backlog's rose to a record-high of C$13.4 billion ($10.4 billion) at the end of March, from C$12 billion at the end of December, helped by a new contract at a Saudi Aramco-operated natural gas field in the Middle East.

During a conference call with analysts, Bruce said SNC would save on taxes from its increased business in the Middle East and reduced exposure in the U.S.

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RBC Capital Markets estimated SNC-Lavalin's adjusted EBITDA margin in the engineering and construction business rose to 5.2 percent in the first quarter from 4.6 percent a year earlier.

The company continues to target an annualized EBITDA margin of 7 percent in 2017.

Net income attributable to SNC-Lavalin rose nearly 17 percent to C$122.1 million, or 81 Canadian cents per share, helped by a gain from the March sale of its indirect stake in the operator of the Malta International Airport for C$53.6 million.

($1 = C$1.28) (Reporting by Manish Parashar in Bengaluru and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Savio D'Souza and David Gregorio)
A day after being nearly booed off the stage while introducing President Obama at a high school in Flint, Mich., Gov. Rick Snyder says hes not stepping down over his offices role in the ongoing water crisis there.

My view is, you dont walk away, Snyder said on MSNBCs Morning Joe on Thursday. You should take responsibility  and I have. And the values system I was raised on, you want to fix it as much or more than anyone. So my answer is instead of walking away from it, you solve it.

Snyder, who has been harshly criticized for not addressing the lead contamination in Flints water system sooner, said he understands why people are angry.

I appreciate people being angry and frustrated by the situation. Its a difficult one, he said. This is a tragic situation that we need to address, and were on top of it in terms of moving forward. And its going to take some time to heal, though, because of, again, the trust issue.

Speaking in Flint, Obama tried to assure residents that his administration is working hard to make sure that Flint is whole again, to make sure that this proud city bounces back, not just to where it was, but stronger than ever.

I want all of you to know I am confident that Flint will come back, the president said.

Snyder said Obamas presence in Flint was a "positive step toward the citys recovery.

It shows that we need the city, we need the county, we need the state, and we need the federal government all agreeing that, lets not spend time on the historical questions, but lets solve this problem by working together, the governor said.

But some critics, like filmmaker Michael Moore, were unmoved.

You know, I love President Obama, Moore said. I voted for him twice  and Im very disappointed in this.

Moore criticized Obama for taking a sip of Flints filtered water.

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To drink from a glass of water, of Flint water, when a number of experts are still saying that this water is not safe, its still going through the same corroded lead pipes, it was such a disappointing thing to see, Moore said. Flint is a city that has really been destroyed, first by General Motors, then by Wall Street, and now by this Republican governor who, in order to give a billion-dollar tax cut to the rich in Michigan, had to cut back on services. And one of the services he decided to cut back on is drinking water to a poor city like Flint.

Moore  who has called for Snyder to face charges for ignoring warnings about Flints water supply  said there was one thing Obama couldve done to appease the people of Flint.

When Governor Snyder was there at the bottom of the stairs of Air Force One today, when President Obama came down, it would have been nice to see the president clock him, Moore said.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's competition watchdog plans to seek another extension to scrutinize Anheuser-Busch InBev's (ABI.BR) planned $106 billion takeover of SABMiller (SAB.L), its spokesman said on Thursday.

The Commission was due to finish its investigation on Thursday, after it was granted a 15-day extension to complete its scrutiny. It has already extended the deadline four times.

South Africa has a history of taking its time over approving takeovers partly because competition authorities have a public interest mandate to safeguard jobs, in addition to an anti-trust mandate to protect competition.

The Competition Commission investigates deals for any anti-trust issues and submits its views to the Competition Tribunal, which makes a final ruling on whether a deal should go ahead.

"I confirm that the competition Commission will not be issuing a decision on the SAB/ABInbev merger today. There will be another extension," Commission's spokesman Itumeleng Lesofe told Reuters, without elaborating.

AB InBev, which makes Budweiser and Stella Artois, has already struck a deal to invest 1 billion rand ($66 million) to support small South African farmers and freeze layoffs for five years as part of concessions agreed with the state.

Australia's antitrust regulator on Thursday cleared the deal, saying the transaction would not adversely affect the domestic market.

AB InBev still has to secure antitrust clearance in Europe, where both it and its target are headquartered. The European Commission has said it will give its verdict on the deal on May 24.

(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by James Macharia)
By Wendell Roelf CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South African President Jacob Zuma told lawmakers on Thursday to halt their "theater and antics" after most opposition parties boycotted a speech the scandal-ridden leader gave in parliament. Political tensions are mounting in South Africa ahead of local elections in August when Zuma's ruling African National Congress faces a stiff challenge from opponents seeking to capitalize on what they see as the president's missteps. Zuma, dogged by scandals during his seven-year presidency, survived an impeachment vote in parliament last month after the Constitutional Court said he had violated the constitution. The main opposition Democratic Alliance party, the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and others stayed away from Zuma's speech in parliament on Thursday, saying he had been "discredited" after court rulings against him. "The drama, theater and antics we see daily in this house will not move South Africa forward," Zuma said while replying to lawmakers' questions over a budget to cover the costs of the presidency. "Commenting as somebody who, from time to time, comes to this house to participate, I believe the house needs to do more to bring this house in order," Zuma said, adding that the squabbles and scuffles were denting South Africa's image. On Wednesday the parliamentary protection services forcibly removed members of the EFF party from the chamber after they tried to disrupt proceedings before another Zuma speech. "STRONG MESSAGE" Opposition leaders said in a joint statement that their decision to boycott Thursday's speech was intended "to send a strong message to the South African people that the opposition won't allow Zuma to trample on the constitution, ignore court rulings and then come to parliament and ask for more money for his office". Parliament, dominated by the ANC, rejected a bid last month to impeach Zuma after the Constitutional Court said he had breached the law by ignoring an order to repay state funds spent on his private home. But Zuma's legal headaches have not gone away. Last week the High Court ruled he should face 783 corruption charges that were dropped in 2009 by state prosecutors. The hundreds of corruption charges relate to a major government arms deal arranged in the late 1990s. Zuma said last month that an investigation into the deal had found no evidence of corruption or fraud but critics denounced the findings as a cover-up and said they would continue to campaign for justice. (Editing by Gareth Jones)
Madrid (AFP) - Spain's oil giant Repsol said Thursday that profits fell at the start of the year but that cost-cutting had helped weather the impact of collapsing crude prices.

Investors welcomed the results that beat analysts' forecasts, with Repsol shares surging more than six percent on the Madrid stock exchange in mid-morning trading.

Net profit fell 43 percent in the first quarter to 434 million euros ($497 million) as Repsol, like other oil majors, have battled prices that have plunged more than 60 percent from mid-2014 peaks.

But the company said the quarterly drop was down to one-off revenues in the 2015 period linked to compensation for Argentina's nationalisation of Repsol's subsidiary YFP and a stronger dollar.

"Measures implemented by Repsol to increase efficiency and savings in recent months led the company to achieve positive results despite low oil prices,"it said in a statement.

Adjusted for fluctuating oil prices in the so-called current cost model much-used in the oil industry, Repsol's net profit dropped just over 38 percent to 572 million euros in the first quarter compared to the same three-month period in 2015.

Analysts polled by financial services firm FactSet had pencilled in an average net profit of 167.1 million euros.

In October, the company unveiled a five-year plan to sell 6.2 billion euros of non-strategic assets and cut investments by as much as 38 percent. It also said it would shed 1,500 positions, or six percent of its workforce, by 2018.

Repsol posted a loss of 1.2 billion euros last year after putting aside nearly three billion euros in special provisions for the plunge in crude prices.

It is also seeking to reduce its debt, which stood at 11.98 billion at the end of March, partly due to it having bought Canada's Talisman Energy in 2015.

It also sold its liquefied petroleum gas businesses in Peru and Ecuador.
Are you ready, kids? Heres a behind-the-scenes look at Bikini Bottom (Eventually) Goes Broadway  otherwise known as The SpongeBob Musical. The clip focuses on the songs and songwriters that will fuel the show, which premieres next month in Chicago en route to the Main Stem for the 2016-17 season.

The Spongbob musical

The score has a huge range of style and scale, director and co-conceiver Tina Landau says. Thats an understatement consider the talent lined to contribute the tunes. Its clearly targeting fans of just about every genre  from classic and contemporary rock (Aerosmith, Panic! at the Disco) to country and pop (Lady Antebellum, Sara Bareilles) to R&B and hip-hop (John Legend and T.I.) and grab bag (They Might Be Giants, the Flaming Lips). Cyndi Lauper, Jonathan Coulton and Plain White Ts also contribute.

We very specifically chose music that we wanted to sound exactly like the artist who was writing it but for a very particular reason for that part of the story, Landau says. So grab a Krabby Patty, feed your pet snail and sample such SpongeBob-specific numbers as Bikini Bottom Day and Not a Simple Sponge. We dont hear it, but Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips says Tomorrow Is could possibly be our greatest song that weve written.

Ethan Slater plays the absorbent and porous title character in the show, which opens June 7 at Chicagos Oriental Theatre.

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'Criminal Minds' Renewed For Season 12 By CBS

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Huge Deal in the Healthcare Space: Abbott Buys St. Jude Medical

(Continued from Prior Part)

Regulatory approvals

With most mergers, the rate of return is driven by the time it takes to finalize the transaction. In the case of the St. Jude Medical (STJ)-Abbott (ABT) merger, several conditions must be met before the transaction can close. While there will be an antitrust review, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions approval of the S-4 will probably be the gating item.

Antitrust approval

Professional arbitrageurs usually go to the respective companies 10K to get a read on antitrust and to see if the companies name each other as competitors. Neither St. Jude nor Abbott name each other as competitors in their respective 10Ks. On the surface, it looks like a complementary transaction in that both companies carved out niches in their respective cardiovascular businesses. There is overlap in the Atrial Fibrillation segment. This could cause a second request from the US government. The major players in atrial fibrillation include St. Jude, Boston Scientific (BSX), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Sanofi-Aventis, Endoscopic Technologies, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH ,and others. Without market share data, its hard to determine whether this will present an antitrust issue. However, the companies seem to be building in at least some risk given the timing language.

Best efforts language

The companies agreed to use reasonable best efforts to obtain antitrust approval. They agreed to cooperate with each other to satisfy antitrust authorities and to litigate if necessary. They placed a cap of $325 million in revenues on divestitures.

Other merger arbitrage resources

Other important merger spreads include the Cigna (CI)-Anthem (ANTM) deal. Its slated to close in 2H16. For a primer on risk arbitrage investing, read Merger arbitrage must-knows: A key guide for investors.

Investors who are interested in trading in the healthcare sector should look at the S&P SPDR Healthcare ETF (XLV)

Story continues

Continue to Next Part

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Featuring 70 handcrafted costumes from the first six blockbuster "Star Wars" films, this exhibition reveals the artists creative process  and uncovers the connection between character and costume. George Lucas created a fantastical world filled with dynamic characters who told a timeless story of the heros journey. The costumes shaped the identities of these now famous characters, from the menacing black mask of Darth Vader and the gilded suit of C-3PO to the lavish royal gowns of Queen Amidala and a bikini worn by Princess Leia when enslaved by Jabba the Hutt. A special presentation for the showing at Discovery Times Square in New York will feature seven additional costumes from the highly anticipated film, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." (Discovery Times Square)



Click here for information on exhibit. >>>



Photography by Gordon Donovan



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Katie Couric Interview: John Boyega on Star Wars, Luke Skywalker, and Jedi status



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Steptoe and Son creators Ray Galton and Alan Simpson are to be honoured with the BAFTA Fellowship award on Sunday.



Copyright [Richard Gardner/REX/Shutterstock]

The scriptwriting pair will receive the prestigious accolade, the highest bestowed by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts on an individual, at Sundays TV BAFTA Awards.

The prize is handed out in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, television or games.

Ray said: We are happy and honoured to accept this Award on behalf of all the Blood Donors, Test Pilots, Radio Hams and Rag and Bone Men of the 20th Century without whom we would probably be out of a job. Thank you all.

Copyright [Evening News / Associated Newspapers /REX/Shutterstock]

Anne Morrison, Chair of BAFTA, said: Having created some of the most iconic characters and programmes over the past few decades, it comes as no surprise that Alan Simpson and Ray Galton will be receiving the BAFTA Fellowship this year.

Alan and Ray have had such successful careers spanning over 60 years, with credits such as Steptoe and Son and Hancocks Half-Hour, two hugely popular sitcoms. They are rightly considered the trailblazers of the situation comedy format.

BBC sitcom Steptoe and Son ran for 12 years from 1963-1974 and helped the pair win the Writers Guild Award in 1962 and 1963.

Copyright [ITV/REX/Shutterstock]

The series followed the lives of a father-and-son rag and bone business, with the titular characters played by Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett.

Galton and Simpson also created sitcom Hancocks Half-Hour and wrote for comedians including the legendary Frankie Howerd.

Previous winners of the BAFTA Fellowship award include Michael Palin, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, Sir Bruce Forsyth, Melvyn Bragg, Sir David Attenborough, Julie Walters and Jon Snow, who was honoured with the accolade last year.
From Cosmopolitan

McDonald's is officially mixing up their beloved, world-famous French fries.

According to TIME, the fast food giant is testing out a new menu item called "Gilroy Garlic Fries" at four locations in the San Francisco Bay Area. The delicacy will feature locally grown garlic from "Garlic Capital of the World" Gilroy, California, which is two hours south of the city. Here's the full description from the company's news release:

The new fries are made-to-order in McDonald's kitchens where restaurant employees toss French fries in stainless steel bowls with a puree mix that includes ingredients, such as chopped Gilroy garlic olive oil, parmesan cheese, parsley and a pinch of salt.



The garlic fries are part of a trend at McDonald's to experiment with regional flavors and food on its menu.

If customers respond well to the product, McDonald's will then expand the menu item to more restaurants in the Bay Area this summer. Of course, it'll probably take a while before the garlic fries go nationwide - especially if McDonald's is trying to source their garlic locally - but it already sounds like they'll be well worth the wait.

Follow Gina on Twitter.
(Adds comment from worker at New York protest, paragraph 12)

By Malathi Nayak

NEW YORK, May 5 (Reuters) - Dozens of Verizon Communications Inc landline workers, on strike since mid-April after contract talks hit an impasse, marched on the company's annual shareholder meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday.

The unions said about 15 protesters blocked traffic after they laid down atop a large banner on the street. The Albuquerque Police Department said no arrests were made but 15 people were cited.

More than 250 protesters, including workers and supporters, demonstrated at the meeting, where the agenda included an election for 13 directors and a vote on executive compensation.

The unions for the strikers said they also planned hundreds of protests across the United States against Verizon, the No. 1 U.S. wireless service provider.

Nearly 40,000 network technicians and customer service representatives of the company's Fios Internet, telephone and television services units walked off the job on April 13. The action was called by the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

The strike is in its fourth week. Sticking points include offshore call-center jobs, job relocations and healthcare coverage.

The striking workers have about $1.3 billion in Verizon stock holdings, according to the unions.

They voted on proposals including one brought by the Association of BellTel Retirees that seeks the company to require shareholder approval for any executive severance agreement offering a payout of more than triple the base salary.

Verizon shareholders rejected this proposal on Thursday, according to Don Dunn,a union representative and Long Island, New York-based Fios field technician, who attended the meeting.

Verizon said last week it had presented an updated and "final" offer to the unions, including a wage increase of 7.5 percent. The company, which has been scaling back its Fios and legacy landline business, wants workers to shoulder more healthcare costs and be open to relocating to new job locations.

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The union rejected the new proposal and the parties remain far apart.

"CWA is the one of the biggest unions out there and if we lose this fight, all other unions...they are going to lose. There's a lot at stake here," said Shon Scents, a Verizon cable splicer, at the protest in New York's Financial District on Thursday.

The work stoppage at Verizon stretched across several U.S. East Coast states, including New York, Massachusetts and Virginia. Verizon has said it has brought in thousands of temporary workers to avoid service disruptions.

The workers have been without a contract since August.

(Reporting by Malathi Nayak; additional reporting by Mir Ubaid in New York; Editing by Bill Trott and David Gregorio)
A woman has been arrested after going on a luxury shopping spree when AUS$4.6million (2.4million) was mistakenly credited to her bank account.

Christine Jiaxin Lee received the extended overdraft four years ago, but failed to report the error to Westpac bank.

Instead the 21-year-old spent the money on handbags and other luxury goods, it is claimed.

The chemical engineering student, was attempting to leave to her native Malaysia when she was stopped by police at Sydney Airport on Wednesday night.

She allegedly owes AUS$3.3million to her bank.

Lee was arrested at Sydney airport as she tried to head to Malaysia

Lee appeared in court charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime, Mail Online reports.

Fraud experts began investigating in 2012, but a warrant for Lees arrest was only issued in March this year.

The court heard she knew police were attempting to make contact with her and she obtained an emergency Malaysian passport in order to leave the country.

But Lees lawyer said she was simply going to visit her parents, who were unaware of her arrest in Australia. Lee claimed to have obtained the emergency passport because she had lost her original.

Magistrate Lisa Stapleton, granting bail, told the court: Its not proceeds of crime. Its money we all dream about.

The student allegedly spent the money on a luxury shopping spree

'She didnt take it from (the bank). They gave it to her.

She added that if this is what happened, the student would owe the money she had spent but would not have broken the law.

Under the terms of her bail, Lee is not allowed to enter any international airport or port and has to report to police twice daily.

She is also not allowed to apply for another passport.

Lee has lived in Australia for five years. She is three years through a four-year chemical engineering degree but has deferred her final year.

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She is due to appear in court on June 21.

Pictures from Facebook
Khartoum (AFP) - A leading Sudanese human rights lawyer said Thursday that security forces raided his office while he was meeting with a group of students suspended for staging protests and left with six of them.

Nabil Adeeb told AFP that his residence which adjoins the office was also raided by a team of Sudan's powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).

"I was in a meeting with some students against whom the Khartoum university administration had taken some measures when the officers stormed into my office," Adeeb said.

"They were carrying Kalashnikovs and shouting. They then took the students and two files from my office," he said.

Adeeb said two lawyers working with him in his office and two employees were also taken by the security forces but were later released.

The fate of the students was still unknown.

Sudan's powerful NISS has wide-ranging powers across the country and in recent days has cracked down on students holding protests in universities.

In April two students were killed while they were holding protests.

Students from Khartoum university and Omdurman university have held near daily protests in the past few weeks demanding the release of fellow students detained in previous demonstrations.

Sudan's security forces have regularly clashed with the students and fired tear gas to crush their rallies.

Some of those who took part in protests were suspended from attending classes by university officials.

Adeeb told AFP that security forces also raided his house which is located near his office.

He said he had complained to the lawyers syndicate and would soon approach the justice ministry and the country's human rights commission.

Sudanese officials were not immediately available for comment.

Global rights groups have regularly accused Sudan's security forces of detaining rights workers and opposition politicians in the country.
UPDATED: Lawyers for Sumner Redstone are prepared to launch a fierce attack on the credibility of the one-time girlfriend who has gone to court to question his mental competency. The Redstone team plans to paint Manuela Herzer as a money-grubbing schemer, who lied to the billionaire media magnate, and encouraged members of his staff to lie, to protect her own interests and to keep Redstone away from the family and friends who really cared about him, according to a trial brief filed Thursday in Los Angeles.

Redstone discovered Herzers pattern of lies last October  including her efforts to keep one of his girlfriends from visiting him at his Beverly Park home  and quickly moved to force Herzer out of his home, according to the legal document. He made that decision based upon Ms. Herzers undisputed dishonesty, the document says. She deceived him, he found out about it, and he threw her out of the house. Period.

The filing with fresh details about the Redstone-Herzer falling out came just before a final hearing Thursday into the boundaries of testimony in a trial set to begin Friday before Judge David J. Cowan. The case centers on a claim by Herzer, 52, that Redstones lawyers and staff conspired to throw her out of the magnates home in October and, four days later, to remove her as his health care agent. Herzer claims that the billionaires care suffered as a result. Her lawsuit demands she be reinstated as the person overseeing Redstones well being.

The trial will expose the tragic inconvenient truth that Sumner Redstone needs the courts protection from those who have lied to and exploited him in his debilitated condition, said Herzers lead lawyer, Pierce ODonnell, in a statement. We look forward to trial.

Herzers legal team previously argued that Herzers behavior should not be a subject of the trial, which they said should focus only on Redstones mental state and the reasons behind his alteration of his advance health care directive.

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Lawyers for the man who holds a controlling interest in both CBS Corp. and Viacom consistently have contended that Herzer  a one-time girlfriend and frequent companion of Redstone over nearly 20 years  has been motivated by her desire to continue to profit financially from the relationship. Thursdays brief added new fodder to that argument.

The legal claim says that Herzer and another former Redstone girlfriend, Sydney Holland, received some $150 million from him between 2010 and 2015, when he forced both out of his life. The duo also were named beneficiaries of his trust and exercised virtually unfettered authority over his finances, Redstones papers say.

But the two women knew that they stood to lose another pot of money  Herzer was in line to get $50 million and a $20 million home from Redstones estate  after he discovered their duplicity and removed them from his estate, Redstones lawyers allege.

The new legal filing depicts Herzer as rushing about L.A., spending piles of Redstones money, in the days before he finally caught on to her and had his staff remove her from his home. Between late August and Oct. 12 of last year, when she was banished, Herzer ran up more than $365,000 in credit card charges, the filing contends. She had $40,000 in cash delivered to his mansion 11 days before she was forced out and, a day later, executed a $5 million grant agreement with Redstone to benefit her foundation, the filing says.

Such high-flying behavior was far from Herzers own depiction of herself as sitting by Mr. Redstones side worried about his health, the legal brief says. Among the big ticket forays by Herzer in the days before she was asked to leave  $57,000 at an interior design store, $3,700 at a West Hollywood boutique and $7,300 at Barneys.

The falling out between Redstone and his long-time companion came to a head on Oct. 10, when Terry Holbrook, a woman who visited him frequently in his home, told Redstone that she had been regularly available to come to see him, even though Herzer had told him otherwise. Redstones nurses had also been instructed by Herzer to lie about Holbrooks availability, the trial brief contends.

When Redstone learned this his reaction was angry and decisive. Two days later, Mr Redstone threw Ms Herzer out of his house (and life) . . . and thereafter revised his estate planning documents, including his advance health care directive. He ordered that money that would have gone to Herzer from his estate instead go to his charitable foundation.

The changes to his estate and health plans were witnessed not only by one of this attorneys but by Dr. James Spar, a geriatric psychiatrist who is prepared to testify that Redstone was of sound mind when he made the changes, the trial brief says.

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* Trial over Sumner Redstone's mental competence starts Friday

* Redstone's ex-girlfriend has legal burden to prove incompetence

* LA health workers visited Redstone in 2015, took no action

By Dan Levine and Lisa Richwine

SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES, May 5 (Reuters) - Sumner Redstone's much-discussed mental status will be dissected in public during a trial set to start on Friday, as an ex-girlfriend tries to convince a Los Angeles judge that the 92-year-old media mogul is incompetent in the culmination of a salacious, months-long legal drama.

If the former girlfriend, Manuela Herzer, succeeds, the outcome could set off a chain of events taking majority control of Viacom Inc and CBS Corp out of Redstone's hands, which could alter the course of the two media giants.

The law requires the court to presume Redstone is competent, putting the burden of proof on Herzer, 51, to show the multi-billionaire lacked mental capacity in October when he removed her as his designated health care agent. The trail is scheduled to run through May 16.

In court papers, Herzer portrays Redstone as a "living ghost" who communicates in grunts and is obsessed with having sex and with eating steak, even though he is on a feeding tube and no longer able to chew or swallow.

Redstone's attorneys say he has a severe speech impairment but knew exactly what he was doing in October.

In a surprise order on Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cowan - who will preside over the trial - allowed Herzer's team to interview Redstone at his home for 15 minutes.

A video of that deposition will be played for the judge on Friday, and a written transcript will be made public. "He could be your best witness," Cowan said to Redstone's attorneys.

The mogul controls about 80 percent of the voting shares of Viacom and CBS through his National Amusements movie theater company. If Herzer wins at the trial, a seven-person trust might then assess Redstone's mental capacity to vote his shares, and possibly take them over, according to a person familiar with the situation.

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The starkly different pictures of Redstone's health are just one strand of a knot that Cowan must untangle to decide who has Redstone's best interests at heart.

Last year, local authorities tasked with protecting the elderly visited Redstone's mansion in Beverly Park, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, sources familiar with the case said. The episode is likely to be raised in the trial.

The visit from an Adult Protective Services unit, previously unreported, occurred in February 2015, eight months before Herzer was ejected from Redstone's mansion. She played a large role in directing Redstone's care as his health deteriorated through 2014.

A complaint from one of Redstone's home nurses sparked the visit, one of the sources said. The complaint is not a public record, and Los Angeles County's Adult Protective Services unit did not immediately respond to questions about the visit. A social worker interviewed Redstone at his Beverly Park home, and no subsequent actions were taken, two sources said.

The two sides are likely to interpret the visit very differently. Redstone's lawyers could argue the incident bolsters their case that care for their client was inadequate under Herzer's supervision. Herzer's team could focus on the fact that the state visited, but took no action, suggesting that Redstone was adequately cared for.

Whether the government visit becomes an issue at trial could depend on how relevant Cowan believes it is to decide Redstone's capacity last October.

"The court intends for this trial to certainly be dignified and to focus on the legal issues that need to be decided," Cowan said last month.

Redstone's lawyers argue that Herzer is merely seeking financial gain. The billionaire also in October revoked a part of his estate plan that would have given Herzer a $70 million inheritance.

Other key witnesses will be two doctors with opposing views of Redstone's mental capacity last October.

The trust that could take control of the company shares includes Redstone's daughter Shari and Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, who clashed over Dauman's elevation to executive chairman in February. They also could take the stand.

(Reporting by Dan Levine in San Francisco and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Bill Rigby)
By Dan Levine and Lisa Richwine

SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sumner Redstone's much-discussed mental state will be dissected in public during a trial set to start on Friday, as an ex-girlfriend tries to convince a Los Angeles judge that the 92-year-old media mogul is incompetent in the culmination of a salacious, months-long legal drama.

If the former girlfriend, Manuela Herzer, succeeds, the outcome could set off a chain of events taking majority control of Viacom Inc (VIAB.O) and CBS Corp (CBS.N) out of Redstone's hands, which could alter the course of the two media giants.

The law requires the court to presume Redstone is competent, putting the burden on Herzer, 51, to prove the multi-billionaire lacked mental capacity in October when he removed her as his health care agent. The trial is scheduled to run through May 16.

In court papers, Herzer portrays Redstone as a "living ghost" who communicates in grunts and is obsessed with having sex and with eating steak, even though he is on a feeding tube and no longer able to chew or swallow.

Redstone's attorneys say he has a severe speech impairment but knew exactly what he was doing in October.

In a surprise order on Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cowan - who will preside over the trial - allowed Herzer's team to interview Redstone at home for 15 minutes.

A video of that deposition will be played for the judge Friday, and a written transcript will be made public. "He could be your best witness," Cowan said to Redstone's attorneys.

The mogul controls about 80 percent of the voting shares of Viacom and CBS through his National Amusements movie theatre company. If Herzer wins at the trial, a seven-person trust might then assess Redstone's mental capacity to vote his shares, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The starkly different pictures of Redstone's health are just one strand of a knot that Cowan must untangle to decide who has Redstone's best interests at heart.

Story continues

Last year, local authorities tasked with protecting the elderly visited Redstone's mansion in Beverly Park, a neighbourhood of Los Angeles, sources familiar with the case said. The episode is likely to be raised in the trial.

The visit from an Adult Protective Services unit, previously unreported, occurred in February 2015, eight months before Herzer was ejected from Redstone's home. She played a large role in directing Redstone's care as his health deteriorated through 2014.

A complaint from one of Redstone's nurses sparked the visit, one of the sources said. The complaint is not a public record, and Los Angeles County's Adult Protective Services unit did not immediately respond to questions about the visit. A social worker interviewed Redstone, and no subsequent actions were taken, two sources said.

The two sides are likely to interpret the visit very differently. Redstone's lawyers could argue it bolsters their case that his care was inadequate under Herzer's supervision. Herzer's team could focus on the fact that authorities took no action, suggesting that Redstone received adequate care.

Whether the government visit becomes an issue at trial could depend on how relevant Cowan believes it is to decide Redstone's capacity last October.

"The court intends for this trial to certainly be dignified and to focus on the legal issues that need to be decided," Cowan said last month.

In a trial brief filed on Thursday, Redstones attorneys indicated they will attempt to cast doubt on Herzers credibility by showing that she did not seem to have concerns about his mental state prior to being ousted from his house.

In the days and weeks before she was ejected, the document notes, Herzer made hundreds of thousands of dollars of purchases on Redstones credit card and "executed a $5 million (3 million pound) grant agreement with Mr. Redstone for the benefit of her foundation," actions suggesting she thought Redstone was mentally able to approve the expenditures.

A week before Herzers ouster, according to the brief, she arranged for Mr. Redstone to sign documents before a notary.

Herzer's attorneys have said she is concerned only about Redstone's health. In a separate brief on Thursday, they proposed that evidence "be streamlined to concentrate on Redstone" and asked the judge to prevent the trial from becoming "an attack on Herzer."

Other key witnesses will be two doctors with opposing views of Redstone's mental capacity last October.

Redstone's daughter Shari and Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman also could take the stand.

(Reporting by Dan Levine in San Francisco and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Bill Rigby)
FRANKFURT, May 5 (Reuters) - France's Dassault Systemes , U.S. software company Autodesk and buyout groups such as TA Associates and Permira are in the running to acquire Swiss industrial software group Autoform, people familiar with the matter said.

Autoform, which makes software that helps carmakers to fashion sheet metal into new vehicles, has been put up for sale by its founder in a deal worth up to 600 million Swiss francs ($620 million), the people said.

Bidders who offered less than 15 times Autoform's expected earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) did not make it to second round of the auction, one of the people said, adding that the remaining suitors are currently checking Autoform's books and a deal may be signed by June.

Investment banking boutique Altium is acting as sellside adviser, they added.

Autoform was founded in 1995 as a spinoff from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

It operates in a specialised niche of the broader field of industrial design known as "product lifecycle management" (PLM) led by names such as Autodesk, Dassault, PTC and Siemens .

Siemens said last month that it plans to continue to buy up PLM software firms at a steady clip to beef up its core industrial business.

The German industrial giant agreed in January to buy U.S. engineering software firm CD-adapco for $970 million, the latest in a string of acquisitions of companies by Siemens to help manage products from inception through to service or disposal.

Autoform, Permira, Altium and TA Associates declined to comment, while Dassault Systemes and Autodesk were not immediately available for comment. ($1 = 0.9638 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Arno Schuetze and Oliver Hirt; Additional reporting by Eric Auchard; Editing by Keith Weir)
Beirut (AFP) - Syria's opposition chief Thursday said the international community should press Damascus to respect a nationwide ceasefire in order to avoid a full-scale regime military operation around second city Aleppo.

"Without consequences for the regime's and Russia's repeated violations, there is nothing to stop them from launching a full-scale military operation in Aleppo when they feel under pressure to compromise on a political transition," said Riad Hijab, head of the High Negotiations Committee.

"The international community must impose robust measures and increased pressure against those who commit violations of the cessation -- only then is there a chance that it will be respected and sustained," he told AFP in an email.

Russia and the US were joint sponsors of a February 27 nationwide ceasefire deal between the regime and rebels, which excludes the Islamic State group and Syria's Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front.

That truce has been severely tested by violence in and around the northern city of Aleppo in the past weeks.

More than 280 civilians were reported killed in the city since April 22, with regime air strikes on its opposition-held east and rebel shelling and rocket fire into the government-controlled west.

Damascus has said it was targeting Al-Nusra in Aleppo and blamed the jihadists for violating the truce, a claim Hijab rejected.

"The Nusra presence in Aleppo is minimal, and it is by no means a significant force there," he said.

"They claim they are hitting Nusra, but in reality they are killing women and children."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's statement that his goal is a final victory over the city of Aleppo and urged Russia to exert its influence over Damascus to ensure a cessation of hostilities continues in the city. Just a day after the start of the temporary truce, Assad sent a telegram to Russian President Vladimir Putin saying his army would not accept anything less than "attaining final victory" and "crushing the aggression" by rebels in Aleppo. The telegram, reported by state media, brought into question whether Assad had signed on to a cessation of hostilities agreement brokered by Russia and the United States a day earlier. "We call on Russia to urgently address this totally unacceptable statement," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Thursday. "It's clearly an effort by Assad to push his agenda, but it is incumbent on Russia to assert influence on that regime to maintain the cessation of hostilities." There appeared to be confusion over the timeline for the cessation of hostilities, with the Syrian army saying it would abide by a "regime of calm" in the city for 48 hours and the State Department emphasizing the truce was open-ended. "We stand by our statement that the (cessation of hostilities) went into effect May 4 at 00:01 Damascus time. As to why the regime said otherwise, you'll have to ask them. There may have been coordination issues on the ground. I don't have any other clear explanation than that," Toner said. He added: "The most important issue is that they comply and it appears that, at least today, there is a decrease in the level of violence." Toner noted that a cessation of hostilities in eastern Goutha near Damascus and Latakia had initially covered a 48-hour period but was later extended. "Our intent is to make it as open-ended as possible but we have to start somewhere. We want to see it take hold first and then we will look at extending it," he added. (Reporting by David Alexander and Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Tom Brown and James Dalgleish)
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Lisa Barrington AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Air strikes on a camp housing Syrians uprooted by war killed at least 28 people near the Turkish border on Thursday, a monitoring group said, and fighting raged in parts of northern Syria despite a deal to cease hostilities in the city of Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead included women and children and the death toll from the air strikes, which hit a camp for internally displaced people near the town of Sarmada, was likely to rise. Footage shared on social media showed rescue workers putting out fires which still burned among charred tent frames, pitched in a muddy field. White smoke billowed from smoldering ashes, and a burned and bloodied torso could be seen in the footage. "There were two aerial strikes that hit this makeshift camp for refugees who have taken refuge from fighting in southern Aleppo and Palmyra," said Abu Ibrahim al-Sarmadi, an activist from the nearby town of Atmeh who spoke to people near the camp. Nidal Abdul Qader, an opposition civilian aid official who lives about 1 km (half a mile) from the camp, said around 50 tents and a school had burned down. United Nations aid chief Stephen OBrien said he was horrified and sickened by what had happened and called for an investigation. "If this obscene attack is found to be a deliberate targeting of a civilian structure, it could amount to a war crime," OBrien said in a statement. "I call for an immediate, impartial and independent investigation into this deadly incident." The White House said the victims were innocent civilians who had fled their homes to escape violence. Sarmada lies about 30 km (20 miles) west of Aleppo, where a cessation of hostilities brokered by Russia and the United States had brought a measure of relief on Thursday. But fighting continued nearby and President Bashar al-Assad said in a telegram to Russian President Vladimir Putin his army would not accept anything less than "attaining final victory" and "crushing the aggression" by rebels in Aleppo, according to state media. "We call on Russia to urgently address this totally unacceptable statement," U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing. "It's clearly an effort by Assad to push his agenda, but it is incumbent on Russia to assert influence on that regime to maintain the cessation of hostilities." Toner sought to address confusion over the timeline for the cessation of hostilities, with Syrian state media saying the army would abide by a "regime of calm" in Aleppo for 48 hours and the State Department emphasizing it was open-ended. Russia blocked a British-drafted U.N. Security Council statement, which would have condemned the surge in violence in Aleppo and attacks against civilians. "There is one country that could not agree it and it's Russia," Britain's U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters. "That does speak volumes about their support for protection of the Assad regime." GAS FIELD CAPTURED The army blamed Islamist insurgents for violating the agreement overnight, saying they had shelled government-held residential areas of Aleppo indiscriminately. Residents said the violence eased by morning and more shops opened up. Heavy fighting was reported in the southern Aleppo countryside near the town of Khan Touman, where al Qaeda's Syrian branch Nusra Front is dug in close to a stronghold of Iranian-backed militias, a rebel source said. Rebels were attacking government positions around the town and government forces carried out air attacks on the area, pro-Syrian government television channel Al-Mayadeen and the Observatory said. In the east of the country, Islamic State militants captured the Shaer gas field, their first gain in the Palmyra desert area since they lost the ancient city in March, according to rebel sources and a monitor. The British-based Observatory and a resident reported rebel shelling of the government-held side of Aleppo, which was Syria's commercial hub and largest city before the war. But a resident of the rebel-held eastern part of the city said that although warplanes flew overnight, there were none of the intense raids seen during the past 10 days. People in several districts ventured onto the streets. A rebel source also said that despite intermittent firing across the city's front lines, fighting had subsided and no army shelling of residential areas had been heard. Rebels also said government helicopters dropped barrel bombs on rebel-held Dahyat al-Rashdeen al Junobi, northwest of Aleppo, and near the Jamiyat al Zahraa area, which saw a rebel ground assault pushed back on Wednesday. (Aditional reporting by Lesley Wroughton and David Alexander in Washington, and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Dominic Evans and Tom Brown)
AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday his country would not accept less than an outright victory against rebels in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo and across the country, state media reported. In a telegram sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he thanked Moscow for its military support, said the army would not accept less than "attaining final victory" and "crushing the aggression" in its fight against rebels in Aleppo city and elsewhere in the country. The Syrian army said on Wednesday it would abide by a "regime of calm" in the city of Aleppo following a U.S.-Russian agreement to extend as of Thursday a cessation of hostilities that had crumbled after nearly two weeks of violence between rebels and government forces that killed dozens. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Alison Williams)
This February, a few days after criticizing YouTube in a New York Times interview, super-manager Irving Azoff went after Google's video-streaming service again when he accepted The Recording Academy President's Merit Award at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy Awards gala. "The industry can't be pacified by lip service about efforts to create paid subscription services," Azoff said in an atypically serious speech. It's hard to negotiate fairly with services like YouTube, Azoff implied, because the "safe harbor" provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) allows them to stream any content that users upload until a copyright owner requests it to be taken down. That means YouTube can use music to attract an audience without licensing it -- which lets it acquire rights to music for less than it otherwise would.

"It's a system that is rigged against the artists," Azoff tells Billboard. "In my years as a manager I haven't seen such a serious threat to artists."

Azoff chose his moment well. YouTube's contracts with the major labels are ending -- Universal Music Group's already has expired, although the two companies continue to do business on an ongoing basis -- and the U.S. Copyright Office is conducting a study on the DMCA safe harbors. And the cause is becoming urgent: A service that once seemed mainly promotional is now competing directly with subscription-driven companies like Spotify, which are rapidly becoming the industry's most important source of revenue. Labels need subscription income to grow as fast as sales revenue declines, and the free and unrestricted availability of music on YouTube doesn't exactly give consumers an inducement to pay for Spotify.

YouTube Changes Content ID Rules to Allow for Money Collection During Rights Investigations

In March, when the RIAA released the music industry's annual revenue numbers, chairman/CEO Cary Sherman pointed out that in 2015, free on-demand streaming generated just $385 million in the United States -- out of a $7 billion business. (That $385 million includes free streams from YouTube and Spotify but not Apple or Pandora.) Last fall, Apple Music's Jimmy Iovine suggested YouTube may account for about 40 percent of music listening but only 4 percent of revenue. And while it's hard to find exact numbers, the imbalance seems to be getting worse: In 2015 free on-demand streaming grew 101 percent while the resulting revenue rose just 31 percent. Sherman blamed this on laws that allowed a "value grab."

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On April 1, 18 music business organizations that usually fight among themselves submitted comments to the Copyright Office about how the DMCA distorts the online market for music. Almost 50 managers signed one petition, while another came from artists and songwriters, from Katy Perry to Billy Joel.

"Everyone on the artist side of the business, especially the artists, needs to understand that music consumption is growing and revenues have drastically declined," says Azoff, who has publicly challenged YouTube on behalf of Global Music Rights, his performance rights organization. "Legitimate digital music services can't make money to pay artists if they have to compete with services that are shielded by out-of-date safe-harbor protections."

On April 12, the IFPI, the international equivalent of the RIAA, released a global revenue report that addressed a "value gap" -- the polite, European way of saying "value grab." During the week of April 25, Debbie Harry and Motley Crue co-founder Nikki Sixx spoke out on the issue. "Is YouTube hiding behind the DMCA?" asked Sixx, who knows more about copyright than you would assume.

[[{"fid":"611146","view_mode":"media_original","type":"media","attributes":{"height":1722,"width":1240,"alt":"Sixx","class":"media-element file-media-original"}}]]

Suddenly, almost everyone in the famously contentious music business seemed to agree on something -- even if they signed the deals with YouTube that now bother them so much.

Or maybe not so suddenly. "The feelings about YouTube are organic," says Sherman. "People have been bitching about this for a very long time."

Most Internet companies need to get permission from labels in order to use their music -- a negotiating dynamic that results in high fees. With services that operate under the DMCA -- like YouTube and, until recently, SoundCloud -- the dynamic is very different. These services also stream music uploaded by users, and copyright holders who don't want their content online need to file takedown notices -- one for each copy of each song. Instead of selling the rights to music that a service needs, label executives say they're stuck selling the rights to music that a service essentially already has.

Well, that's the theory. In practice, it's more complicated. For years labels have had deals with YouTube that in most cases give them about 55 percent of net revenue from ads sold against their content. The service identifies uploaded material with its Content ID system -- which it has no legal obligation to do -- then offers rights holders a chance to block or monetize it. YouTube chief business officer Robert Kyncl has pointed out that Google as a whole has paid out more than $3 billion to the music business, and the company says that labels monetize more than 95 percent of the content they claim -- and that 99.5 percent of music claims involve Content ID as opposed to manual takedowns. (YouTube declined comment for this story.)

[[{"fid":"611148","view_mode":"media_original","type":"media","attributes":{"height":867,"width":1240,"alt":"Kyncl","class":"media-element file-media-original"}}]]

The major labels are exaggerating their objections to YouTube for effect -- remember when Sony and Universal partnered with the service to start Vevo? But the $3 billion figure isn't as impressive as it sounds -- Spotify has paid out more than that, for far fewer listeners, and in a much shorter time. Labels have complained about Content ID in their comments to the Copyright Office, and no one knows how effective the system really is because there's no measure of how much music it doesn't identify. Besides, the sheer scale of YouTube means that even 0.5 percent could involve thousands of videos -- each of which could be streamed millions of times.

YouTube goes to great lengths to point out how much it has done to help the music business, from the data it gives artists to the Foundry initiative it recently announced to help developing acts. But its interests simply don't align with those of labels and most creators. At a time when music executives are optimistic about the growth of subscription services, Kyncl seems more excited about the increasing amount of free listening. In meetings with industry executives, he has said that the music business risks missing out on its chance to grab a slice of the $200 billion global advertising business, plus monetize the 80 percent of consumers who don't pay for music. Maybe. But YouTube needs music -- which may account for as much as a third of its streams, according to some estimates -- and the 80 percent of people who don't buy music may simply not be all that interested in listening to it.

Nelly Furtado to YouTube: 'Put a Little More in the Collection Basket'

In an opinion piece for The Guardian, YouTube head of international music partnerships Christophe Muller argued that comparing YouTube to paid subscription services was "like comparing what a cab driver earns from fares to what they earn showing ads in their taxi." Except that an ad can't offer a cheaper ride, the way YouTube can serve as a substitute for Spotify. He suggested a better comparison is terrestrial radio, which doesn't pay labels or performers in the United States. Except that radio doesn't let consumers program which song they want to listen to.

In its own comments on the Copyright Office's DMCA study, YouTube says the law doesn't give it a negotiating advantage, because labels usually identify their music with Content ID. But if that's the case, why does YouTube seem to pay less for music than its competitors? Spotify's free tier pays a minimum of $0.0025 per stream, according to label executives, while YouTube's free streams pay an average of less than $0.002. Over the course of billions of streams, that adds up.

So how do you solve a problem like YouTube? "We need to challenge them," says Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta. "If we have the same conversation that we had with Apple" -- Big Machine's roster includes Taylor Swift -- "they can become one of our best partners, because they can afford to be."

[[{"fid":"611145","view_mode":"media_original","type":"media","attributes":{"height":1696,"width":1240,"alt":"Sherman","class":"media-element file-media-original"}}]]

Most label executives aren't expecting YouTube to have a change of heart -- they're trying to change the law under which it operates. The arguments on both sides will inevitably invoke Big Ideas -- creators' rights! innovation! free speech! -- but the results will come down to realpolitik. And right now, Google has far more influence in Washington, D.C.

But that may not be the case in Brussels, where the European Union also is considering copyright reform. In mid-April, EU digital chief Andrus Ansip criticized YouTube's low payouts as unfair to both creators and rival Internet companies. "This is not only about rights owners and creators and their remuneration," said Ansip, "it is also about a level playing field between different service providers."

If the EU does make any changes to its safe-harbor policy, they likely will be minor. But even a small shift could allow labels to withhold music from YouTube in certain territories -- and use that power to get better deals worldwide. "If this proposal goes through in Europe," says IFPI CEO Frances Moore, "it will bring about a seismic shift."

If that doesn't happen, the industry will continue to see what Muller called a "value shift." He's right -- that is exactly what's happening. And the reason labels and artists are upset is that the value is shifting away from them.

This article was originally published in the latest issue of Billboard.
Washington (AFP) - Thursday was hardly the pinnacle of Latino outreach for Donald Trump.

The presumptive US Republican presidential frontrunner celebrated the Cinco de Mayo holiday, which commemorates Mexican resistance, by posting a photograph of himself tucking into a taco bowl and proclaiming "I love Hispanics!"

Hispanic-Americans represent an increasingly important voting bloc in the United States.

But polls show about three quarters of them hold unfavorable views of the billionaire, who insulted Mexican immigrants last year by branding some of them "rapists" and other criminals.

He has also vowed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and build a wall along the Mexican border in order to stem illegal immigration and drug flows.

Trump's post on Twitter and Facebook, the latest in a long list of awkward postings during the 11 months of his campaign, did wish his millions of followers a "Happy #CincoDeMayo!"

It was downhill from there.

"The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!" Trump wrote, above a photo of the grinning real estate tycoon holding a forkful of his meal, which he appeared to be eating at a desk.

The dish before him, also known as a taco salad, with a flour tortilla shell, originated in the United States.

Hillary Clinton, the Democrat likely to face Trump in the general election in November, weighed in within minutes of the taco tweet.

The former secretary of state cited Trump's apparent love for Hispanics while also quoting him from his NBC interview a day earlier, in which he said "they're gonna be deported."

She also added a tweet in Spanish, saying Trump's foreign policy was "irresponsible."

Others offered a more light-hearted critique of The Donald -- who was bound for West Virginia later Thursday for a campaign rally -- including none other than 2015 Miss West Virginia Andrea Mucino.

"You're not eating taco bowls from New York because you're in WV today, Cinco De Mayo isn't a Hispanic holiday it's a Mexican one, and you are the same color as the taco bowl shell. But I digress!" the beauty queen wrote on Facebook.
The mother of Tamir Rice made a call on Wednesday for white people to join people of color in leading the fight for racial justice and police accountability.

"I believe that's the only way change will occur," Samaria Rice said. "All of us standing together and unifying [...] That would set an example for the government to say, "Listen, look, we're not going to take this anymore. You can't just keep killing unarmed Americans."

Source: Tony Dejak/AP

Rice was the keynote speaker during a commemorative event at Kent State University on the 46th anniversary of a brutal confrontation where Ohio National Guardsmen killed four students who were protesting the Vietnam War.

According to the Associated Press, Rice also referred to racism as a disease that needs a cure.

The event highlighted the Black Lives Matter movement as the latest generation's fight against unjust killings of innocent people.

"What do we have the First Amendment rights for if we can't exercise them, and who is the law enforcement to kind of knock that down, let alone put their hands on you?" Rice said.

Source: Tony Dejak/AP

In December, a grand jury decided not to indict the officers who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir within seconds of spotting him playing in a public park with a toy gun.

In November, Rice took her case to the United Nations, where a panel of experts discussed strategies for dismantling structural racism. The panel included Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza.

h/t Cleveland.com
From Cosmopolitan

After losing the Indiana primary to Donald Trump on Tuesday, GOP candidate Ted Cruz announced that he would officially be suspending his presidential campaign.

"From the beginning, I've said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory," Cruz said in a press conference on CNN. "Tonight, I'm sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed."

"We gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path," Cruz said. "And so, with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign."

The surprise announcement comes less than a week after Cruz announced Carly Fiorina as his would-be vice president, in what many saw as a last-ditch attempt to change the narrative his campaign had been saddled with in recent weeks (i.e. its losing streak). As a result of Cruz's announcement, GOP front-runner Donald Trump will likely receive the Republican nomination later this year - though John Kasich is technically still in the race.

Follow Gina on Twitter.
From Cosmopolitan

When high school senior and Bernie Sanders supporter Chloe Raynaud ran into some trouble finding a date to bring to prom, she decided to go with the next best thing: a life-size, cardboard cutout of her favorite Vermont senator.

While Bernie Sanders reportedly never attended his own prom, thanks to Chloe, he was finally able to attend in spirit last weekend - and reportedly, he was a huge hit. Not only did Chloe pin a corsage to his lapel and pose with him for tons of pictures, but she also took him out onto the dance floor to party with her and her friends.

"During the slow dance I brought him out to dance with him and everyone started laughing," Chloe told Revelist. "Then my friends made him crowd surf."

She also described Bernie as the "cheapest date ever," and said the most expensive part of going with him was when she ordered him online. But all jokes aside, while it's obvious Chloe already thought Bernie was the best choice for president, it looks like he now gets her vote for best prom date too.

Follow Gina on Twitter.
75363aa99ca94ad48e5361ec113b36e7

These teens' superhero prom photos got better reviews than most superhero movies.

A Subiaco, Arkansas prom group gave photographer Johnny Bolinger a day-making surprise when they revealed their superhero formalwear halfway through their pre-prom photo shoot.

SEE ALSO: Political teen takes cardboard cutout of Bernie Sanders to senior prom

Image: johnny bolinger/greg napier

According to Bolinger, Caleb Phillips (Superman) organized the photo shoot  which was pretty standard ... until he told Bolinger they had a surprise.

Image: JOHNNY BOLINGER/GREG NAPIER

When the group told Bolinger what they had planned, he went right along with it. "They posed, I snapped a photo and, well, you see what happened when I posted it later that night!" he told Mashable.

Since the photo hit Facebook, it's gotten over 300,000 likes and nearly the same number of shares  and people are loving the idea for its originality and strikingly orchestrated color coordination.

"I love that the girls were all in on it and they color coordinated with style," wrote one commenter.

One question, though: are superpowers included with the outfits? If so, where can we get some?
(ANKARA, Turkey)  Long-denied tensions between Turkeys president and prime minister are beginning to surface publicly, leading to speculation from political observers that the countrys powerful leader may be considering replacing the premier with a figure more willing to take a backseat role.

The rift comes at a precarious time for Turkey, which is gripped by a surge in violent attacks perpetrated by Kurdish and Islamic State militants. The country has also seen renewed fighting with the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, and growing spillover from the war in neighboring Syria, including a refugee and migrant crisis.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hand-picked Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to succeed him as premier and leader of his ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, after he was elected president in 2014. Davutoglu was largely expected to play second fiddle as Erdogan pushed ahead with plans to make the largely ceremonial presidency into an all-powerful position.

The president, who has dominated Turkish politics for more than a decade, is pressing for a new constitution to change Turkeys political system to a presidential one, which would push his prime minister deeper into the shadows.

Davutoglu, an independent-minded former professor, adviser to Erdogan and foreign minister, is struggling to be his own man.

He has offered half-hearted support at best to an all-powerful presidential system and has also established himself as a moderating influence on an array of issues, by opposing, for example, the pre-trial imprisonment of academics or journalists. He has also addressed the possibility of the resumption of a peace process with Kurdish rebels. Some observers even call him the voice of reason in the party.

But he has also been the architect of Turkeys policy in the region and particularly Syria  one that has massively backfired. Turkey is vulnerable to terrorism attacks, cross-border rocket fire from IS, and has few friends left in the region.

Story continues

This was a foreign policy that was meant to make Turkey a regional star, not only shape the outcome of the Syrian war, said Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute.

Sacrificing Davutoglu would allow Erdogan to distance himself from these failures, Cagaptay said.

Tensions between the two men were exposed this week, when the AKPs executive committee  dominated by Erdogan loyalists  seized Davutoglus powers to appoint local and provincial leaders, further weakening his grip on the party. This development was billed as a coup against Davutoglu by independent media.

Divisions between the Erdogan and Davutoglu camp spilled into the open over the conflict with Kurdish militants in the southeast. Erdogan took issue with Davutoglu after he spoke of the possibility of resuming peace talks with the PKK if it withdraws its armed fighters from Turkish territory. Erdogan said in a public speech that it was out of the question for the peace process to restart, saying military operations would continue until the very last rebel is killed and the PKK threat is removed.

More fissures were apparent over Davutoglus opposition to the pre-trial detention of journalists accused of spying and academics accused of voicing support for the PKK. Erdogan spurned Davutoglu and even suggested that anyone deemed to be supportive of extremists should be stripped of their citizenship.

On Wednesday evening, many speculated that an unscheduled meeting between the two men would result in Davutoglus resignation.

No announcement was issued after the meeting, but that doesnt mean the prime minister is in the clear. Analysts point out that Erdogan has shown no hesitation in the past to sidelining rivals even when they come from within the party.

Unconfirmed news reports suggested Davutoglu would call an emergency convention of the ruling party at the end of the month and step down then.

While Erdogan and Davutoglu may appear keen to dispel any notions that divisions are emerging between them, the writing on the wall shows that a rift is in fact developing on a number of levels, and it is just a matter of time before this erupts in earnest, wrote Semih Idiz, a columnist for Hurriyet Daily News newspaper.

Journalist and political commentator Mustafa Akyol said Davutoglu was likely to step down and be replaced with a figure 100 percent loyal to Erdogan.

Davutoglu will never be comfortable being prime minister after being targeted and seeing his powers decrease, Akyol, who writes for the Al-Monitor website, told The Associated Press. It is not something that will make Turkey look good. The accusations of authoritarianism (against Erdogan) will be more legitimate. Criticisms about a one-man show will be emboldened.

The gulf between the two leaders has led others to attack Davutoglu, seen as the weaker of the two.

Nasuhi Gungor, a prominent pro-Erdogan journalist, said the AKP can no longer carry on with Davutoglu and that the party should find itself a new path. Gungor, among other things, accused the Davutoglu government of not being active enough in going after supporters of U.S.-based Muslim cleric, who has become the presidents chief foe.

An anonymous blog  believed to have been authored by Erdogan aides or a pro-Erdogan journalists  aired the presidential camps alleged grievances with Davutoglu, including not advocating the presidential system strongly enough or defending Erdogan against opposition parties allegations of corruption against the president.

During an address to party legislators on Tuesday, Davutoglu mounted a veiled attack on the authors of the blog calling them virtual charlatans.

He said he would step aside if necessary, adding that he would never back down from the truth we believe in and clean politics.

Critics fear that a presidential system sought by Erdogan will further erode Turkeys checks and balances leading to one-man rule. Erdogan has already overstepped the traditional mandate of a president by chairing Cabinet meetings. He is also largely believed to steer the Cabinet to a certain extent through ministers loyal to him, including son-in-law Berat Albayrak, the energy minister.

Erdogan has also appointed an army of advisers who are accused of running a shadow Cabinet at his huge new presidential palace which boasts 1,150 rooms, apparently built in anticipation of Turkeys possible switch to a presidential system.

___

Dominique Soguel in Istanbul contributed.
tequila

Americans are drinking more tequila than ever before.

Tequila sales doubled in the US in the last 10 years, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the US, reports Bloomberg.

While in 2005, Americans were spending just less than $1.2 billion a year on tequila, in 2015 the figure had skyrocketed to $2.3 billion.

This isn't a simply a matter of people paying more. There is simply more tequila being consumed in the US than just a few years prior, with Americans drinking twice as much tequila by volume in 2015, compared to 2002.

So why are Americans suddenly drinking so much tequila?

A boutique cocktail called El Pepino with tequila, cucumber, mint and lime is seen at Contigo restaurant in Austin, Texas September 24, 2012. In Austin, flip-flop-wearing University of Texas students mingle with coat-tie-and-boot-clad state lawmakers and technology workers in jeans. REUTERS/Julia Robinson

The rise of cocktail culture in the US has helped make the liquor trendy, with bars mixing up everything from classy takes on the margarita to wild original concoctions. As a result, super-premium tequila increased its volume by an explosive 651% in 13 years.

Meanwhile, sales of value tequila also continue to grow, as the liquor maintains its status as a go-to for shots and less classy takes on mixed drinks.

"By offering both well-aged High End and Super Premium products, as well as affordable Value brands, tequila is accessible to all Americans," writes the Distilled Spirits Council of the US in a report.

In other words, when it comes to tequila, consumers across the US can all drink to that.

NOW WATCH: This custom, $55,000 wine cellar goes right in your kitchen floor





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Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, Teradata Corporation TDC is a leading provider of Enterprise Data Warehousing (EDW) solutions, including enterprise analytic technologies and services worldwide. The EDW offering is built on Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) architecture. The company was spun off from NCR Corporation in Aug 2007 and now operates as a standalone entity.

Teradata provides analytic data solutions, which include integrated data warehousing, big data analytics and business applications. The companys data warehousing solutions comprise software, hardware, and related business consulting and support services.

Zacks Rank: Currently, Teradata has a Zacks Rank#3 (Hold) but that could change following its first quarter 2016 earnings report which has just released.

We have highlighted some of the key details from the just-released announcement below:

Earnings: Teradata reported adjusted earnings (including stock-based compensation expense but excluding other items) of 37 cents per share, above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 31 cents and year-ago quarter earnings of 22 cents.

Revenue: Revenues of $545 million came ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $525.8 million but declined 6% year over year.

Key Stats: In the quarter, non-GAAP operating income was $92 million, up from $61 million in the prior-year quarter.

Check back later for our full write up on this TDC earnings report later!

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From Cosmopolitan

I knew that the backlash to the election of President Barack Obama would be forceful and threatening to communities of color in the U.S. But I did not anticipate that this country, which a mere eight years ago elected its first African-American president, would be the same country that has now positioned Donald Trump as the presumptive Republican nominee for president. Trump engages in the basest, morally repugnant forms of racist and sexist rhetoric, focusing much of his ire on Mexicans and those of Arab descent. He fat-shames women, uses menstruation as an insult, and thinks the "woman card" is an actual thing.

In state after state, Trump has marched to decisive victory in primary races. Despite late attempts by Ted Cruz and John Kasich to create the conditions for a brokered convention, both candidates have now bowed out, after Trump's win on Tuesday in Indiana. I'm not sorry to see either of these men go. In fact, I don't feel sorry for Republicans at all. Trump is the monster they created, after several decades of appealing to the basest sentiments of their core constituency through dog whistles to "welfare queens," "anchor babies," and "terrorists." The Republican Party has offered a vision to its constituency of a world in which white men dominate, white women pursue obligatory motherhood, white families attend largely homogenous schools in non-diverse neighborhoods, and corporations and business owners create all jobs. In this Republican vision of the world, the only job of government is to police undesirable people and undesirable acts. Among the undesirable acts are abortion, gay sex, and drug use. Among the undesirable people are those who are non-white, queer, trans, poor, or liberal.

Donald Trump has become a champion for this limited, myopic world view, one driven by white male anger, fear, and disaffection with a political climate that many feel seeks to leave them behind, as opportunities expand for people of color and LGBTQ communities. Nothing is more dangerous to people of color, particularly black and Latino people, than angry white men with power and no attendant sense of ethics, morality, or justice. Nothing about Donald Trump is ethical, moral, or just. Yet a large swath of Americans think he is qualified to be president.

Story continues

This raises a question for all of us: What country is this? Now, I am no cynic; I continue to believe that America can reverse course. I must believe this to get up each day and do my work. But in answer to my own question: I know what country this is. This country loves white power more than it loves justice, equity, or fairness. For the sake of returning white men to their presumed rightful place, many Americans believe that supporting a candidate who explicitly threatens the rights and safety of Mexicans and Arab-Americans, and routinely disrespects women, is a reasonable price to pay.

The lesson here is so basic as to be almost insulting to repeat: Actions matter more than words. It does not matter what the Constitution proclaims. It does not matter what the Declaration of Independence says. It only matters what the body politic that is constituted by these documents purports to do. And a significant segment of that body politic, otherwise known as "we the people," have set their intentions on electing a racist, sexist, narcissistic megalomaniac to lead the country.

There is nothing redeeming that can be said about a nation that thinks so little of itself or rather, so little of the diverse peoples that have it made it one of the most formidable countries in history.

As a black woman and an American, I am both angry and sad that Donald Trump might actually lead this country. Angry, sad, and scared. The rub is that I know it is anger and fear that are driving Trump's voters too. The problem is that my anger and fear and sadness come from a righteous place, a place that is invested in making sure that all Americans have access to safety, shelter, education, and food. Right-wing anger and fear can make no such claims to righteousness. Those who are voting for Trump hope to return to a world in which only some people, namely white people, have unfettered access to good schools, jobs, and neighborhoods. This is the ugliest truth.

Back in February 2008, shortly after Barack Obama won the primary in Iowa, Michelle Obama said, "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I'm really proud of my country." She was roundly lambasted for being unpatriotic and forced into silence, lest she endanger her husband's candidacy. Clearly any fleeting pride Americans might have collectively felt in that moment of seeming progress on racial issues is undeserved in this one.

Donald Trump and his supporters are shameless in their desire to return us all to America's dim racial past, a past marked by violent white dominance. And those of us who are watching the horror show that is this two-steps-forward-three-steps-back march into some remix of "manifest destiny" must figure out how to stop it. Trump may be the presumptive nominee, but neither he nor his supporters should presume that those of us who have the most to lose from a Trump presidency will stand idly by and watch this march into infamy. Now is the time, as Beyonce might say, for those of us who love justice to get in formation.

Follow Brittney on Twitter.
By Jim Forsyth

SAN ANTONIO, May 5 (Reuters) - The attorney general of Texas has written the chief executive of Target to tell him that the state is concerned about the retailer's policy allowing shoppers and employees to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Tea Party Republican and evangelical Christian, said in an interview on Thursday that Target's policy could put girls and women at risk by allowing sexual predators and voyeurs in bathrooms.

Minneapolis-based Target last month became the first big U.S. retailer to weigh in on the bathroom policy issue, which is at the center of a national debate pitting social conservatives against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their supporters.

"I'm the chief legal and law enforcement officer in this state and I want to make sure our people are protected," Paxton told Reuters, adding that the letter was sent earlier this week.

"I want to know if they have policies to protect women and children," he said.

The letter said allowing men in women's bathrooms could lead to criminal activity and cause Texas lawmakers to take up the issue. It asked Target for details on how it would ensure safety.

Target said in a statement on Thursday that it is focused on creating a safe and secure shopping environment and its commitment to safety is unwavering.

The Republican-dominated Texas legislature does not hold a regular session until next year, meaning any new law regarding bathrooms is not imminent.

Paxton, who is facing federal and state charges for securities fraud, has waded into social issues previously concerning the LGBT community, telling Texas county clerks last year they could cite religious beliefs as reason to reject a U.S. Supreme Court ruling making same-sex marriage legal in the United States.

Clerks have ignored Paxton's guidance, which earned rebukes from legal experts who said Texas and all other states were bound to adhere to the Supreme Court's decision.

Story continues

In March, North Carolina became the first U.S. state to require transgender people to use restrooms and changing rooms in schools and other public facilities that match their sex at birth rather than their gender identity.

Federal authorities told North Carolina's governor on Wednesday that the state law violates the U.S. Civil Rights Act.

LGBT advocates have said the bathroom law is based in bigotry and raises false concerns about transgender people that have no basis in reality.

(Reporting by Jim Forsyth; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Dan Grebler)
EXCLUSIVE: Teyonah Parris (Chi-Raq, Mad Men) is in talks to star in Buffalo Soldier Girl, the story of a woman who, disguised as a man, enlisted and fought with the African American Post Civil War era as a Buffalo Soldier. The project will be directed by Christine Swanson for production company, Pantheon of Women from a screenplay by Sarah Bird. The writer is a best-selling author and has been named Best Austin Author four times by the readers of the Austin Chronicle. Bird is also writing for the Pantheon of Women, a production company founded by Alicia Goodrow, Donna Fujimoto Cole, and Deborah Kainer.

Christine Swanson headshot_Fotor

Principal photography is expected to start this fall in Texas. The project, which is an original work inspired by history, reunites Parris with Swanson, who directed the actress in the upcoming biopic Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story, which will air on TV One.

The screenplay from Bird is also a winner of the Meryl Streep Writers Lab Screenwriting Competition. Interestingly, the project and the players have a history with the Bentonville Film Festival and all will return this year. Christine Swanson will participate in the 2016 Bentonville Film Festivals mentoring workshop while Parris will attend in support of her film, Five Nights in Maine.

Pantheon, whose motto is Entertain, Engage, and Empower, has a goal of enabling women to show their strengths and tell their stories in front of and behind the camera. Pantheon also has a relationship with the Bentonville Film Festival, which last year screened the companys first film, I Dream Too Much starring Diane Ladd, Eden Brolin, and Danielle Brooks. That film was recently acquired by The Orchard.

Swanson has developed, written and/or directed movie projects for HBO Films, Magnolia Pictures, State Street Pictures, TV One and Faith Filmworks. In 2015, Christine directed three original cable movie premieres for TV One: NAACP Image Award Nominated For the Love of Ruth, To Hell and Back and the aforementioned Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story. Recently, Swanson was tapped to adapt the award-winning book by Ben Mikaelsen, Touching Spirit Bear, into a screenplay.

Story continues

Parris also starred in the critical favorite Dear White People and currently starts on the LeBron James produced comedy series Survivors Remorse, which is premiering its third season this summer on Starz. She is repped by APA, Vanguard Management Group and Fox Rothschild.

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 5, 2016 / Mr. Valdes has joined TFST Publications as a contributing editor to their flagship advisory service, the Focused Stock Trader. Harris Shapiro, the Managing partner and Editor of FST welcomes Alan and feels that he can be a big factor in the future of this leading stock market newsletter. Alan is a 36 Year Member of The New York Stock Exchange and as Director of Trading Floor Operations; he is one of the most pre-eminent traders in the world. Mr. Valdes is sought after for commentary and advice on the financial markets on nearly a daily basis, reaching an estimated 350 million people around the world weekly.

As a contributing editor for CNBC, he appears weekly on CNN, CBS Nightly News, Fox Business, Associated Press TV and is a frequent guest on CBS Radio. He is also seen on French 1TV, Sky Channel in Australia, Bloomberg India, and CCTV in China, Brazilian TV, and Chilean Broadcasting.

Mr. Valdes is Chairman; Diego Pellicer, a global leader in property acquisitions and leasing to the Cannabis Industry and Chairman; Wall Street Capital Partners, a boutique corporate finance advisory with offices in New York, London and Hong Kong. He is a former Board Member of Vision Finance, the largest and most prestigious brokerage house in China. Mr. Valdes holds an honorary degree from the Paris School of Business in France and attended Seton Hall University, NY and graduated from New York University and Harvard Business School.

About TFST Publishing, LLC.

TFST is the publisher of the outstanding stock market letter, Focused Stock Trader. FST has been covering the market since 2012 and was formed by Harris Shapiro, a fifty year veteran in the investment banking industry. In the past Mr. Shapiro has worn every hat from stock broker, to banker, to CEO of small public companies. Prior to that he attended The Wharton School. FST is the flagship of TFST Publishing LLC. IN 2015 and 2016 their model portfolio outperformed the indexes by a wide margin.

Story continues

FST's best picks can be found here: www.focusedstocktrader.com.

In addition to FST, TFST Publishing has launched another venture specializing in small undiscovered growth companies.

Investor and Media Relations Contact

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SOURCE: TFST Publishing, LLC.
Lac La Biche (Canada) (AFP) - Canada prepared Thursday to airlift to safety up to 25,000 people who were forced from their homes by raging forest fires in Alberta's oil sands region, and now risk getting trapped north of Fort McMurray.

The oil city of 100,000 people has been ordered evacuated after firefighters backed by air tankers and helicopters failed to prevent the monster blaze from engulfing entire neighborhoods.

Authorities are now concerned that evacuees who found refuge north of the city could become trapped if shifting winds send the flames spreading towards them.

"Right now we are working with industry to do as much air evacuation as possible," said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.

"And we are doing everything we can to open the highways so we can get fuel up there and then get those folks moving south as quickly as we can."

Carried out with government and petroleum industry aircraft, an airlift will begin Thursday for a first 8,000 people, said Scott Long, executive director of operations of the Alberta emergency agency.

The government has declared a state of emergency in Alberta, a province the size of France that is home to one of the world's most prodigious oil industries.

- 'Terrifying' -

More than 1,100 firefighters are currently battling 49 separate blazes across the province -- seven of them totally out of control.

The fire has engulfed 85,000 hectares (210,000 acres) of forest including 12,000 in the area surrounding Fort McMurray, now the epicenter of the inferno, where 2,000 homes have been destroyed.

Television footage from the center of the disaster zone showed trees ablaze on the edge of highways crowded with bumper-to-bumper traffic trying to leave as billowing black smoke darkened the sky. Bright orange embers whizzed through the air and floated down onto cars.

"The footage we've seen, the cars racing down highways while fire rages on all sides, is nothing short of terrifying," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told lawmakers in Ottawa.

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The Alberta government has sent a tanker under guard to help rescue vehicles stranded south of Fort McMurray, with three mobile fuel stations set up along a 200 kilometer stretch of road.

Trudeau's government has pledged to match one dollar for each dollar donated by the public to the Red Cross, which is providing aid to those in need.

Thousands of evacuees thronged the tiny hamlet of Lac La Biche, about 300 kilometers south of Fort McMurray, after making a chaotic escape.

"There's no guide on how to get out of a forest fire," evacuee Alan Javierto told AFP, recounting a hurried, frightening evacuation as homes and businesses were reduced to cinders.

The flight from Fort McMurray began in earnest shortly before midnight Tuesday after a mandatory evacuation order.

Late Wednesday fires forced the evacuation of Saprae Creek, a neighborhood east of the city's airport where even firefighters were forced to pull out.

As strong northwesterly winds whipped up the flames, three more communities to the south were evacuated, including Anzac, with police going door-to-door to make sure no residents were left behind.

- Slashing production -

Oil companies crucial to the region such as Suncor, Syncrude and Shell have pulled out non-essential employees, and set up emergency shelters in their huge bungalow worker communities.

All three major firms have slashed their output -- with Suncor shutting down its main production site north of Fort McMurray, and Shell Canada stopping production at its Albian site, with an output of 255,000 barrels per day.

Alberta has been left bone-dry after a period of unusually scant rainfall and unseasonably high temperatures.

One lawmaker, Rona Ambrose, who represents the affected region, wept as she vowed in parliament that it would recover from the disaster.

"Fort McMurray is a place where Canadians have come from all across this country. It's a tough day for Albertans but we will persevere" she said through tears.

- Blackened carcasses -

One particularly hard hit area was the Beacon Hill neighborhood some five kilometers from downtown Fort McMurray, where 70 percent of homes were in ruins. Even harder hit was the Waterways neighborhood, where nine in 10 homes have been reduced to charred remains.

Television footage showed the smoldering remains of a large motor home park, and the blackened carcasses of cars consumed by the flames.

Public Security Minister Ralph Goodale, called the fire "terrifying."

"This kind of disaster will not be solved in a day or two, a week or two, or a month or two. We're all going to have to be here for the long haul."
SOFIA (Reuters) - Three Bulgarian police officers were injured when anti-Roma protesters tried to break through a cordon during a demonstration in the southern town of Radnevo, the interior ministry said on Thursday. Some 2,000 people took part in Wednesday night's protest over an incident two days earlier in which four Roma men have been charged with the attempted murder of three young men. The three were beaten and one of them was stabbed in a dispute in Radnevo, 255 km (160 miles) east of the capital Sofia. Six protesters were hurt in Wednesday's demonstration, and the interior ministry said one of the policemen had suffered a serious head injury. More big rallies are planned this week, showing how even minor disputes can swiftly escalate in the European Union's poorest state, fueled by unemployment, organized crime, corruption and ethnic tensions. Some of the demonstrators on Wednesday tried to march into a Roma neighborhood, hurling stones and other objects. The protesters allege that Roma crime is often left unpunished, and troublemakers involved in a range of criminal activities behave as if they are untouchable. A number of anti-Roma protests have taken place in the Balkan country in the last few years. Local problems have sometimes been hijacked by nationalists as a pretext to retaliate against Roma in Bulgarian cities. (Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Exactly two weeks after AOL's 2015 NewFronts presentation, in which CEO Tim Armstrong pitched advertisers alongside stars like James Franco, the company announced plans to sell to Verizon for $4.4 billion.

This year, Armstrong was back at NewFronts again and, unsurprisingly, the event took on a new tone. The former Google executive sat onstage Tuesday alongside newly appointed executive Jimmy Maymann, who oversees all content and consumer brands for AOL, and Verizon's consumer products senior vp Brian Angiolet. And instead of highlighting catchy new shows with big-name talent, the press-only event - advertisers were treated to tours of AOL's four-block outdoor interactive experience - focused on the mission of Verizon-owned AOL to become a industry-leading mobile media company.

For Armstrong, that means setting out to reach an audience of 2 billion in the next four years, up from a total reach of 500 million unique users today. "We're sitting at the collision of the future of media and the future of advertising," he says, speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in an interview following the presentation. "The Verizon deal has given us an incredible opportunity to scale that vision to a degree that would have been impossible without them."

Armstrong joined AOL in 2009 and is attributed with transforming it from the legacy technology company that entered into a disastrous merger with Time Warner into a multi-billion business attractive to Verizon because of its advertising platform and media brands. A big part of his vision for the company involves Maymann, who was promoted to his role running content in August after three years as CEO of AOL-owned The Huffington Post.

"We invest heavily in content," says Maymann. "But at the same time, we've also known that scale is important. There are certain things we can do organically but we need to accelerate, and having Verizon behind you helps push through some of those things. We've been able to do a number of M&A deals over the course of the last year, and we still want to be very aggressive. We think there's a need for a media company to compete with the biggest [platforms] out there and we think we have a chance of being that company."

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On the content side, AOL is investing heavily in virtual reality and live programming.

Last month, it acquired VR firm RYOT to create a new content arm under HuffPost. Maymann says the technology is being integrated into all of HuffPost's markets and that AOL will have a video player with 360-degree capabilities within the next month.

Meanwhile, the company is pumping resources into Build, a streaming series that shoots four hours of live interviews or other events every day. It announced at its NewFronts event that Build will get a new studio in downtown Manhattan that will be equipped with 360-degree filming capabilities. The 13,000-square-foot space also will be street-level to encourage audience interaction.

"Live content is really important," notes Armstrong. "Most platforms that have been building around live content look at Snapchat and Facebook. But we've been one of the largest investors in live content for digital. Our belief is that content and human beings are going to connect on a more regular basis, and Build is content but there's also the ability to interact with it live."

Another way that AOL could look to accelerate its growth is through the acquisition of Yahoo, which has a more than a billion monthly active users across its online properties. Verizon, which has expressed interest in the deal, is now reported to be among the bidders for the beleaguered tech company.

"We don't control that process," Armstrong says of Yahoo's potential sale. "We think Yahoo is a big, strong company and we have a lot of respect for them and we work with them pretty closely. We want to compete and we want to compete globally, so we're going to make every move we need to make sure we can do that, whether that includes doing something with Yahoo or not, we don't know yet. But Jimmy and I - and the rest of the team - are actively trying to get to 2 billion users by 2020."
Change of scenery! Today mainstay Natalie Morales is set to cohost NBCUniversal's Access Hollywood and Access Hollywood Live, a source confirms to Us Weekly.



PHOTOS: Celebrity Feuds: The Biggest Ever!

Morales, 43, who joined Today in 2006, is currently the morning show's news anchor for the 7 to 9 a.m. segment and cohosts the 9 a.m. hour with Willie Geist, Al Roker and Tamron Hall. She will continue to appear on the first three hours of NBC's long-running morning show and on Dateline.



PHOTOS: Stars  They're Just Like Us!

Us reported last week that current Access Hollywood host Billy Bush is set to leave the syndicated newsmagazine for a regular role on Today's 9 a.m. hour.



This continues a time of transition in the morning-show world. Michael Strahan announced on Tuesday, April 19, that he is leaving Live With Kelly & Michael  where he has cohosted for four years alongside Kelly Ripa  and moving to Good Morning America. His final Live episode will air on Friday, May 13.



Tell Us: Will Morales make a good host for Access Hollywood?




LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Todd Pletcher, Bob Baffert and Doug O'Neill are the only trainers in this year's Kentucky Derby with previous victories in the race.

Baffert got his fourth Derby last year with American Pharoah, who went on to sweep the Triple Crown. A win by Mor Spirit on Saturday would move Baffert within one of the record held by Ben Jones.

O'Neill has the favorite this time in the undefeated Nyquist. O'Neill is 1 for 4 in the Derby, winning with I'll Have Another in 2012.

It's been leaner for Pletcher - not from a lack of trying.

Pletcher captured the 2010 Derby with Super Saver, his lone winner from 43 runners. That total ranks second only to D. Wayne Lukas, a four-time Derby winner who has saddled 48 Derby horses.

Pletcher, who has run as many as five in one Derby, tries again with a pair of 15-1 shots: Outwork and Destin.

''I think we have two really nice horses who are doing really well,'' Pletcher said. ''I think both horses are going to run their races. It would be bold to say they were going to win, but I think both are coming up to it well enough to run their best race.''

Neither horse has generated much pre-Derby excitement. Both have excellent records and will be ridden by top jockeys. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the mount on Outwork. Javier Castellano, the leading money winner in the nation, rides Destin.

Both won stakes in their final preps.

Outwork captured the Wood Memorial last month, improving his record to 3 for 4. The lone defeat was a second-place finish to stablemate Destin in the Tampa Bay Derby on March 12.

Destin has not run since, an unusually long gap of almost two months.

''We felt this gives him the best chance to win the Kentucky Derby,'' Pletcher said. ''Putting another race in between that and the Derby might not allow him to make another move forward to continue on the path he was on. Everybody was comfortable with leaving out a significant race in between. You couldn't do it with a lot of horses.''

Pletcher, 48, has won the Eclipse Award as leading trainer seven times, taking home the honor most recently in 2014.

Pletcher isn't the only trainer with multiple horses in this Derby. Chad Brown sends out the duo of My Man Sam and Shagaf, both at 20-1. Steve Asmussen saddles a pair of 10-1 shots: Creator and Gun Runner.
From Esquire

While the Republican presidential nomination process crashed clamorously to earth like a planeload of pots and pans, the nation was distracted from noticing that The New York Times took a deep dive into the fact that the Great Climate Change Hoax-which the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has called a hoax designed by those clever Chinese-is beginning to cost the United States the countless billions it is going to cost the United States when all is said and drowned. From the Times:

Ms. Bourg, a custodian at a sporting goods store on the mainland, lives with her two sisters, 82-year-old mother, son and niece on land where her ancestors, members of the Native American tribes of southeastern Louisiana, have lived for generations. That earth is now dying, drowning in salt and sinking into the sea, and she is ready to leave. With a first-of-its-kind "climate resilience" grant to resettle the island's native residents, Washington is ready to help. "Yes, this is our grandpa's land," Ms. Bourg said. "But it's going under one way or another."

The people of this small place now have a $48 million HUD grant to move their entire town to some place less likely to be devoured by the rising sea. Regular visitors to this shebeen know of my affection for the people of Shishmaref, the settlement on a barrier island in Arctic Alaska facing the same climate-related dilemma now facing the citizens of Ile de Jean Charles. And, as you can imagine, they are not alone, either.

Around the globe, governments are confronting the reality that as human-caused climate change warms the planet, rising sea levels, stronger storms, increased flooding, harsher droughts and dwindling freshwater supplies could drive the world's most vulnerable people from their homes. Between 50 million and 200 million people-mainly subsistence farmers and fishermen-could be displaced by 2050 because of climate change, according to estimates by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security and the International Organization for Migration. "The changes are underway and they are very rapid," Interior Secretary Sally Jewell warned last week in Ottawa. "We will have climate refugees."

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I'm already nauseated by how this is going to be handled in a political system in which He, Trump will soon be briefed on the most sensitive data that the intelligence community has. The early returns are not promising at all.

But since 1955, more than 90 percent of the island's original land mass has washed away. Channels cut by loggers and oil companies eroded much of the island, and decades of flood control efforts have kept once free-flowing rivers from replenishing the wetlands' sediments. Some of the island was swept away by hurricanes. What little remains will eventually be inundated as burning fossil fuels melt polar ice sheets and drive up sea levels, projected the National Climate Assessment, a report of 13 federal agencies that highlighted the Isle de Jean Charles and its tribal residents as among the nation's most vulnerable. Already, the homes and trailers bear the mildewed, rusting scars of increasing floods. The fruit trees are mostly gone or dying thanks to saltwater in the soil. Few animals are left to hunt or trap.

How do we make the necessary adjustments given the fact that half our political system doesn't think that anything is happening at all, or that it's happening but that it's too expensive to fight or too much of a sacrifice to resist? Once again, it doesn't matter who wins the day-to-day political argument, the seas are still going to rise.

Whether to leave is only the first of the hard questions: Where does everyone go? What claim do they have to what is left behind? Will they be welcomed by their new neighbors? Will there be work nearby? Who will be allowed to join them? "This is not just a simple matter of writing a check and moving happily to a place where they are embraced by their new neighbors," said Mark Davis, the director of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy. "If you have a hard time moving dozens of people," he continued, "it becomes impossible in any kind of organized or fair way to move thousands, or hundreds of thousands, or, if you look at the forecast for South Florida, maybe even millions."

I get the awful feeling that, somewhere in a very nice office, judgments are being made as to which people are worthy of being saved and which people should be left to fend for themselves, and that, as the years go by, these decisions are going to become easier for some people to make.

Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page.
Top 5 Bike-uriosities  Week of 5/1

At Bike-urious, were spending all of our time finding the most interesting motorcycles that are currently for sale for you to drool over (and maybe empty your wallet for). So lets take a look at our five favorite offerings from this week!

1. 1 of 2 - 1992 Brough Superior SS120 Prototype

Brough Superior SS120 Prototype - Right Side

You're probably aware that in 2008, the Brough Superior name was acquired by Mark Upham, and he's in the process of selling a new SS100. But in the late 90s, an attempt was made to bring it back. Two prototypes were started, but only this example was completed.

READ MORE: Going Electric  2016 Zero DSR Review | RideApart

Brough Superior SS120 Prototype - Front Left

In the late 70s, engineer/frame builder Alec Card (owner of Carmac) obtained the rights to build JAP engines, and immediately got to work in his attempts to redesign the famous 1000cc v-twin powerplant. His goal was to place one of his new motors into a Brough Superior frame, which is why he eventually also obtained the rights to use the legendary Brough Superior name many years later. In the early 90s, Alec decided to build replica frames based on a '28 SS100 that they owned. They called it the SS120, and it featured a copper-plated frame, replica Castle forks, a 3-speed Sturmey Archer gearbox that had been beefed up, and a 1,200cc JAP engine.

Brough Superior SS120 Prototype - Cockpit

The overall package was said to roughly emulate a Pendine Sands racer, and it's an interesting take on what Brough might have made in the modern day. It runs but isn't street legal, so you'll either have to do some work or get creative in how you use it. Find this Brough for sale in Kent, United Kingdom for approximately $73,000 here at Godin Sporting Cars and Motorcycles.

2. 1956 Ariel Square Four with Garrard Sidecar

The Ariel Square Four design goes all the way back to 1931, soon after Edward Turner designed an interesting new four-cylinder motorcycle engine from two OHC parallel twins. The design became known as the square four engine, and lent its name to this Ariel motorcycle. This example stands out thanks to the Garrard sidecar -- marketed as "The Aristocrat of Sidecars."

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Ariel-Squre-Four-with-Garrard-Sidecar-Front-Left

By 1953, the Ariel Square Four had already gone through a few revisions, and was formally known as the Mark II. The Mark II featured a 997 cc engine. Upgrades to the powerplant included separate barrels, a new cylinder head, and four exhaust pipes, which bumped up horsepower to 40. This enabled the Square Four to 'do the ton,' even with a curb weight of 425 pounds.

Ariel-Squre-Four-with-Garrard-Sidecar-Rear-Right

This example (VIN: GM650) is probably well known in the sidecar community as it's been shown at events like the Griffith Park Sidecar Rally, Palos Verdes Concours, and Pebble Beach. The bike was restored with the help of Chuck Walton (who has apparently restored 107 Ariel engines) and it's claimed to run perfectly. The Garrard sidecar seats two and it matches the Claret Red of the Ariel. Check out this listing for more photos that reveal the fold out rear seat and even a drawer in the wooden dashboard of the sidecar.

Find this Ariel/Garrard combination for sale in Santa Monica, California with a BIN of $39,900 or best offer here on eBay.

3. 2015 Arch KRGT-1

ARCH-KRGT-1-Left-Side

In 2006, Gard Hollinger customized a Harley-Davidson Dyna for actor Keanu Reeves, turning it into a long, low, and shiny sport cruiser. Reeves was apparently so enamored with it that he convinced Hollinger to start a company and produce a motorcycle with him. A few years later, Arch was born, and they released their first model -- the KRGT-1.

READ MORE: Top 12 Reasons To Ride A Motorcycle | RideApart

The ur-KRGT

Last year, the bikes were offered to the public with the goal of selling between 50 and 100 of the opening model. This was one of the first sold, and it had a quick cameo in this Motorcyclist article.

ARCH-KRGT-1-Tank-1

The engine is an S unit but Arch has done some work to it themselves. This example has a 124 cubic inch motor with black ceramic coating and a Yoshimura carbon exhaust. It still has the factory warranty. Find this KRGT-1 for sale in Malibu, California for $78,000 here on The Moto Attic.

4. 1971 Honda 750 ATV

Honda-750-ATV-Front-Right

Now for something on the crazy end of the spectrum. Filed under 'things I would not want to ride for more than 2 minutes,' this Honda CB750 has been converted into an ATV, and apparently all the modifications are bolt-on.

READ MORE: 13 Things More Dangerous Than Riding A Motorcycle | RideApart

Honda-750-ATV-Rear-Right

The engine is from a '76 CB, and the electric start and headlight do not work. The kick starter doesn't have enough room to go through the whole range of motion, so you have to "start it by hand," whatever that entails. Yikes.

Find this unexpected ATV for sale here on Craigslist for $1,700 in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.

5. Needs Some Work - 1939 Indian Bonneville Sport Scout Racer

Indian-Bonneville-Sport-Scout-Racer-Left-Side

We go from a bike that I wouldn't want to ride for more than 2 minutes to a bike that I unfortunately could not ride for more than 2 minutes...at least not yet. In 1939, Indian released "Bonneville" versions of the Sport Scout and Chief after Fred Ludlow set 750cc and 1,200cc records in Bonneville on Indian powered bikes. The "Bonneville" bikes got you high comp pistons, longer-duration cams, and the option of magneto ignition. This example was last raced in the '50s and did some parade laps 20 years ago -- here's hoping someone gets it back into race shape.

Indian-Bonneville-Sport-Scout-Racer-Right-Side

For more on the Bonneville Indians, check out this article from Rider Magazine. This bike was acquired from a Texas racer, and the seller suggests it was last raced at a AMA National in 1952. He rode it for four laps at an Indian rally in Sturgis in 1995 after American Iron magazine asked him to for a cover story called "Bonnie Beast" in their September 1996 issue.

Indian-Bonneville-Sport-Scout-Racer-Tank

Find this Sport Scout for sale in Kerrville, Texas with bidding up to $11,877 and the reserve not yet met here on eBay.

Discover the most interesting bikes you never knew you needed from Abhi at Bike-urious.

Check out the rest of Abhi's RideApart output here.

Follow RideApart on Facebook and Twitter, along with @RideApart on Instagram.
The city of Torontos latest effort against hungry critters looking for a free meal may have hit a major snag.

A picture posted to Twitter this week appears to show extensive damage by wildlife to a new organic waste bin recently issued to a Toronto resident. The plastic lid has already been chewed through, despite the citys best effort to create a new and improved compost bin design.

@311Toronto Here is my NEW green bin that hasnt been used yet. Squirrel emerged from hole this morning! pic.twitter.com/wyyqVCZo5r  Chachacha (@chachacha2014JN) May 4, 2016

This could be a setback to a $31 million program that will see new green bins issued to Toronto residents over the next 18 months.

Toronto Mayor John Tory recently praised the supposedly raccoon-proof green bins as being a new offensive in the war against keeping animals out of residents organic waste.



The new models feature a turning lock mechanism designed to thwart the citys determined and well-fed raccoon population from popping open the lids for an easy feast.

But according to the Twitter user who posted the damage, the new models feature a thinner layer of plastic than their old counterparts, which may account for the damage.

However, it may not be raccoons who are the culprit for this particular food scrap heist.

This is apparently rats or squirrels, not raccoons. Not sure that makes me feel better.  John Tory (@JohnTory) May 5, 2016

A tweet from Mayor Tory points the finger at either rats or squirrels for this latest setback to Torontos fight against city pests.
Walking into a toy store, it doesnt take long to see the differences between girls and boys toys. Pinks and purples and frills and bows dominate some aisles; others are filled with blues and grays and greens, or trucks and tiny soldiers. Its a color-coded minefield that can affect childrens development in pernicious ways, suggesting what they should like to do and who they should aspire to be before theyve had the opportunity to figure that out on their own.

Today, toys are more divided by gender stereotypes than they were 50 years ago, thanks to broader marketing shifts in the industry and worldwide. But over the last five years theres been increasing interest in shifting the paradigm, sparking debate that both toy companies and the White House are paying attention to. Meanwhile, the Internet has given gender-neutral and non-stereotypical toys a chance to find buyers outside of big-box retailers, providing new options for parents who want their children to be able to play with toys based on their interests rather than their gender.

According to the sociologist Elizabeth Sweet, toy companies began intensifying their use of color-coded marketing and segregation of toys in the 1980s. I think it happened really gradually, Sweet said. It wasnt until the late 2000s, the 2010s, that people really started to notice. Now its undeniable. This is concerning, she said, because it encourages a culture where gender stereotypes define a way of life for children.

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Gender-based compartmentalization in stores and online is meant to help customers find what theyre looking for, but according to the campaigner and parent Jess Day of the nonprofit Let Toys Be Toys, its driven by a massive assumption about what a child might want. Rather than encouraging experimentation and urging children to play with whatever excites them, toy companies presume that girls are less interested in toys that build spatial-reasoning skills (like Legos) and boys dont want to play with toys that encourage verbal skills and creativity (like Barbies). This can have a serious impact on kids future skill sets and career aspirations, ultimately affecting the makeup of the workforce. The negative aspects of stereotyping are well documented; one study of more than 100 toys showed that heavily gender-coded toys were less likely to promote cognitive development than gender-neutral toys.

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Let Toys Be Toyss biggest target is segregation by aisle, because it reflects the infrastructure of toy companies, where separate divisions develop products for gendered shelves. The categories that you create dictate what goes into them, Day said. The division ends up reinforcing gender stereotypes and making it more difficult for gender-neutral or gender-inclusive toys to find space in stores.

Still, the Internet has allowed independent toymakers with unorthodox ideas to reach consumers directly through personal websites and crowd-funding platforms. IAmElemental, a set of female action figures with names like Bravery, Energy, and Persistence, launched on Kickstarter in 2014. Now theyre stocked in dozens of independent toy stores across the country. Wonder Crew, which makes dolls for boys meant to encourage empathy and kindness, also started with a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign about a year ago. Today the company delivers to all 50 states and will begin shipping its dollsneutrally called Crewmatesoverseas in the fall. Before crowdfunding was the norm, Ayah Bdeir, the founder of a company called littleBits that markets its science toys to all children, started with a prototype on her website before raising venture capital.

Toy segregation reflects the larger infrastructure of companies, where separate divisions develop products for gendered shelves.

Still, problems can arise even when toy startups are successful enough to garner attention from large retailers like Target or Toys R Us. Despite Wonder Crews independent success, the companys founder Laurel Wider has faced some difficulties getting her product into big-box stores. One store, she said, expressed interest in Wonder Crew, but the dolls-for-boys didnt have a natural place within the companys rigid framework. Do they send me to the doll buyer, who is in the pink section? she said. Or do they send me to the action figures? But that doesnt really fit [either].

The gendered classification of toys is reflected at the industry level as well. Februarys Toy Industry Association awards still had prizes for Boy Toy of the Year and Girl Toy of the Year, and the nominees neatly conformed to the categories: Boy Toy finalists included a Hot Wheels garage and three Star Wars toys, while a Girl Scout cookie oven and a sing-a-long Elsa doll from the movie Frozen made the Girl Toy short list. Dan Nessel, who founded the toy and gadget site DadDoes, decided to push back this year, launching a Change.org petition to end the separate awards. I am a dad to two wonderful children, and I see how their view of the world is shaped everyday, based on what they do and what they play with, Nessel told The Washington Post. I do believe these awards are harmful. Every stereotype does harm by definition. If we dont have awards for Best Computer for Men and Best Computer for Women, why in the world do we have these awards for toys?

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While the Toy Industry Association didnt directly address Nessels concerns, his message gained traction online, and in general social media and grassroots campaigning on the Internet has proven effective. Some companies are beginning to see the benefits of reorganization. In the U.K., 14 toy stores have dropped gender labels, and 2014 research showed that only half of British toy websites were using gender as a category online, a drop of 46 percent in two years. In October 2015, Toys R Uss global chief merchandising officer, Richard Barry, told The New York Times, What were seeing is that there are different play patterns that appeal to different kids, and gender lines are not necessarily what drives that.

The U.S. (left) vs. U.K. (right) navigation on the Toys R Us sites

However, while Toys R Uss U.K. website dropped gender labels in late 2015, the companys U.S. website still presents gender as the most important category for their toys even though their physical outlets are no longer organized by gender. According to a spokeswoman for the company, this approach simply offers search criteria that some customers might want. But the problem is of the chicken-and-egg varietydo customers search by gender because thats how toys have been traditionally organized, or are the search options there because customers only want gendered toys?

The issue of gender-segregated toys has become a hot-button topic in the culture wars. In August of 2015, Target eliminated its pink and blue aisles, following the precedent that is quickly becoming an international norm, and faced a huge backlash. The anger against companies who are removing gendered signage in stores comes from a belief that stereotypes simply reflect natural differences between the sexes. The idea of gender difference, just that men and women, boys and girls, are categorically different, holds a very deep place in our culture, Sweet said. People really want to believe that the differences we see are biologically based even if it doesnt hold up scientifically.

Whos to say that girls dont like Star Wars, or boys dont like Elsa?

While the debate continues in the U.S., Toca Boca, a company in Sweden that makes apps for children, has found that a gender-neutral philosophy can be profitable as well as well-intentioned. What we try to do with our digital toys is really inspire kids to be creative, be exploratory, to widen their imagination, said Mathilda Engman, Toca Bocas head of consumer products. I dont see that being linked to gender in any way.

For Bjorn Jeffery, Toca Bocas co-founder and CEO, the companys emphasis on gender neutrality means that they can sell their products to more people. But Toca Boca has also been financially successful because its business is entirely online. The app storea large marketplace that doesnt insist on gender categories and has unlimited shelf spacewas exactly the ecosystem Toca Boca needed to launch in 2011. Five years later, the companys 31 apps have been downloaded more than 100 million times.

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According to Jeffery, the awareness surrounding toys and stereotypes has exploded over the last five years. When we launched, it was an unusual thing. I dont think that its very unusual now.

A revolution within the toy industry could be on the horizon.

Toca Bocas designers pay close attention to body language, poses, and colors in order to avoid more subtle stereotypes. Its all those small nuances that really [make a difference], Engman said. Its so easy to end up [creating] a shy girl and a cool boy. She and her team use a checklist of questions to create characters and situations that are fun and inclusive for all children; they often include animals so that children who dont want to pick one gender have a character to identify with.

A still from Toca Hair Salon (Toca Boca)

In the companys most recent app, Toca Dance, all the characters have the same moves and clothing options, regardless of gender. Its bestselling app, Toca Hair Salon, is another example of how thoughtful consideration of gender stereotypes can lead to a more successful game. Hair-styling apps are traditional marketed to girls, but Toca Hair Salon has male, female, and animal characters who can wear their hair however the child desireslong, short, or otherwiseand has proven to be equally popular with both sexes.

Whats more, the apps themselves come in a gender-neutral package. The tablet itself looks the same whatever the child is doing, which is actually incredibly liberating, Day said. No one can point and laugh at you when they cant see what youre doing.

Still, many consumers seem happy to shop along gender lines, and gender-inclusive toys tend to be on the higher end of the market and target progressive parents with time and money to spend. But with the Internet encouraging greater awareness and enabling the production of countless new toys, a revolution within the industry could be on the horizon. As Day said: Parents and educators and people in the toy industry are realizing that we need to do better by our kids.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
donald trump

Donald Trump says he will not take lightly Russia's continued provocative actions toward the US military.

In a Wednesday interview with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said he would not tolerate Russian military fighters "buzzing" US warships and planes, incidents that are occurring with increasing frequency of late.

First of all, he has no respect for our president and our country. He is tweaking us," Trump said of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"If it were me, I would call him and say 'Dont do it. Just stop it. Dont do it.' Theyre going to respect us," he added.

Citing his "semi-nice" relationship with Putin, Trump said that he would "hate" to shoot down Russian planes that fly too close to US ships. But he left the door open to the possibility if the Russian president didn't heed his call to "back down."

"They do it again  they're going to have a problem," Trump said.

He added: "I may have to do something which you would hate to do. Its something I wouldnt want to do, but I would say 'Vladimir, dont do it.'"

Under Putin, the Russian military has increasingly been willing to push the boundaries of provocation against the US and other Western countries during unwarranted military simulations.

"Buzzing" and other aggressive postures pose little apparent outright threat to the US  many of the Russian fighters that buzz US warships are unarmed. But they have become part of a deliberate Russian strategy to demonstrate a willingness to engage in confrontation.

NOW WATCH: Hillary Clinton just released a Trump attack ad that uses the GOPs words against him





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When Donald Trump announced that Steven Mnuchin would be his presidential campaigns finance director, the first thing some curious people did was Google the former Goldman Sachs partner to see what kind of background he brings to the job.

Unfortunately for the Trump campaign, the very first search result (before a barrage of news stories pushed it down the page later in the day) was a piece from the Hollywood trade newspaper Variety from last summer detailing Mnuchins ignominious departure from the co-chairmanship of Relativity Media, a Hollywood studio, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Related: From Hell, No to Tepid Yes Heres Where Top Republicans Stand on Trump

Mnuchin has been left in a particularly uncomfortable position, the paper reported. The money-man and fellow investors in a Dune Capital fund are said to have lost as much as $80 million  equity that is almost certain to be lost for good, said two sources familiar with the situation. And disgruntled Relativity investors privately are questioning how a bank Mnuchin once headed  OneWest Bank of Pasadena  was allowed by Relativity to drain $50 million from the studio just weeks prior to the July 30 insolvency filing.

Mnuchin

Trump is famously familiar with corporate bankruptcies, having filed for several during his career, so perhaps Mnuchins issues with Relativity Media werent a big concern to the man who this week became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. However, as reporters looked into Mnuchins background, Trumps decision to choose him to lead his finance team looked even stranger.

Typically, campaign finance chairs are longtime political insiders who have deep contacts within both the party and the business world, and have a demonstrated ability to raise huge sums of money. Most are also significant donors themselves.

Mnuchin has, indeed, given a considerable amount of money to politicians over the years, but most of it has gone to Democrats. While Mnuchin donated $20,000 to the Republican Party during the 2012 election cycle and has given thousands of dollars to support Mitt Romney over the years. On balance, his giving has favored Democrats, including President Barack Obama and likely Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

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Related: Trump: Yellen Is Out as Fed Chair If Im Elected

Yet another wrinkle is that Mnuchin for a time worked for conservative activists bete noire George Soros, the billionaire investor who has given millions over the years to many liberal causes. Mnuchin was for a time chief executive of Soros-backed SFM Capital Management, and for Soros Fund Management.

Oh, and there is also the time that Trump sued Mnuchins hedge fund, Dune Capital, along with Deutsche Bank and a host of other lenders. It was 2008, and Trumps suit was filed after a consortium of lenders, including Dune, refused to grant Trump an extension on payments related to a $640 million loan he had taken out.

But bygones appear to be bygones. In an announcement this morning, Trump said, Steven is a professional at the highest level with an extensive and very successful financial background. He brings unprecedented experience and expertise to a fundraising operation that will benefit the Republican Party and ultimately defeat Hillary Clinton.

Mnuchin, for his part, said, Its a great privilege to be working with Mr. Trump to create a world class finance organization to support the campaign in the General Election.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supporters of Donald Trump, the presumptive U.S. Republican presidential nominee, see refugees arriving from Iraq and Syria as one of the greatest threats to the United States, according to a study released on Thursday by the Pew Research Center. Eighty-five percent of respondents who said they supported Trump saw the refugees fleeing the Islamic State militant group as a threat, compared with 74 percent of Republicans overall, said the study. Only 40 percent of Democrats viewed the refugees from the region as a major threat. Trump's campaign said in a statement last December that he was calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on. His comments followed fatal attacks in Paris claimed by Islamic State and a deadly shooting spree in San Bernardino, California, by a Muslim couple who the FBI said had been radicalized. U.S. President Barack Obama's promise to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year has sparked a backlash from Republicans, concerned that violent militants could come into the United States posing as refugees. More than 30 governors have tried to block refugees from their states. There are nearly 5 million registered Syrian refugees according to the United Nations, a result of a war in which more than 250,000 people have been killed. The Pew report, based mostly on telephone interviews with about 2,000 U.S. adults from April 12 to 19, found that 65 percent of Trump supporters also saw the U.S. involvement in the global economy in a negative light. There were also contradictions among Americans when asked about U.S. defense spending and foreign military action. Although 35 percent of all respondents said they were in support of increasing defense spending, the highest level of support since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, almost 60 percent said other countries should deal with their own problems. Respondents overall saw Islamic State as the top foreign policy concern, followed by cyber attacks and global economic instability, according to the report. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Washington (AFP) - Billionaire Donald Trump set about unifying a fractured Republican party Thursday, fortified by the support of a key party leader as he launches into battle for the White House against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Late Wednesday the top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, publicly endorsed Trump's candidacy "to prevent what would be a third term of Barack Obama."

"As the presumptive nominee, he now has the opportunity and the obligation to unite our party around our goals, McConnell said in a statement.

Trump's commanding victory in Indiana's primary Tuesday pushed remaining challengers Ted Cruz and then Ohio Governor John Kasich out of the race, leaving the real estate tycoon an uncontested path to the nomination.

Their capitulations brought the curtain down on one of the most contentious and chaotic nomination battles in generations, in which Trump pummelled no fewer than 16 rivals into submission.

"Now we'll unify the party," Trump, 69, told Fox News on Wednesday. "We're going to get people together."

But with unfavorability ratings among the highest of any modern presidential candidate, and concern within his own party about his temperament, the real estate mogul swiftly sought to assuage concerns about how he would govern.

"I know people aren't sure right now what a President Trump will be like," he told The New York Times.

"But things will be fine. I'm not running for president to make things unstable for the country."

- 'They loved me' -

Trump also began discussing the idea of his possible running mate, telling ABC News he wanted "a person with political experience" to compliment his own business acumen.

Names being tossed around included Senator Rob Portman of critical swing state Ohio, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

Trump himself said he could consider Kasich, a former congressman who helped balance the federal budget, as his vice presidential pick.

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Bowing out on Wednesday, the Ohio governor grew wistful about the thousands of Americans he met on the campaign trail.

"They loved me, they encouraged me. The people of our country changed me... with stories of their lives," he said.

Just as Trump seized the GOP mantle, a new CNN poll emerged that highlighted the formidable challenge facing him.

It found Clinton, hoping at 68 to become America's first female commander-in-chief, leading the tycoon 54 percent to 41 percent -- her largest lead since July.

Nevertheless, the former secretary of state suffered a shock loss in Indiana to her challenger Bernie Sanders, who has pledged to remain in the race until the end despite an extremely steep hill to climb.

Clinton has amassed 2,217 delegates -- just shy of the 2,383 needed to secure the nomination, according to a CNN tally. Sanders is at 1,443.

- 'Loose cannon' -

With the matchup essentially set, several prominent Republicans are refusing to support Trump in November despite his status as the presumptive nominee.

Those refusals highlight the continued tensions within the GOP, which has been at a loss to describe the stunning ascent of a brash billionaire who was given no chance of winning when he launched his campaign last June.

"If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed... and we will deserve it," tweeted Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump rival whose campaign fizzled.

Like Trump, Clinton was already pivoting to the general election.

"He is a loose cannon, and loose cannons tend to misfire," she said on CNN.

"He makes these grand statements and grand accusations," she said. "At some point when you're running for president you actually have to put a little meat on the bones."

Her campaign released an advertisement mocking Trump's claim that he will unify the Republican Party, airing a collection of video clips showing his former presidential rivals and other prominent Republicans denouncing him in withering terms.

The former reality TV star is "the most vulgar person ever to aspire to the presidency," says Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the race last month.

- Hillary 'easier to beat' -

Trump dismissed Clinton's criticism along with concerns about his unfavorability ratings, saying his campaign had attracted millions of supporters to the Republican Party.

"Hillary will actually be easier to beat than many of the senators, governors, etc. we were just victorious with," he told NBC.

Having amassed 1,053 delegates, Trump was already close to reaching the magic number needed to avoid a contested party convention in July.

"I believe Donald Trump will ultimately get chosen," Republican National Committee chief Reince Priebus said in an extraordinary embrace of a candidate the establishment had fought tooth and nail to stop.

"We need to get behind the Republican nominee."

Trump is pushing ahead with his campaign to reach 1,237 delegates nevertheless, heading to West Virginia to hold a rally on Thursday evening.
(Adds comment by school system's transition manager)

By Brendan O'Brien

May 5 (Reuters) - The Michigan House of Representatives approved on Thursday a $500 million spending package for Detroit's cash-strapped schools, which could run out of money to pay employees at the end of June.

The legislation, which still needs approvals from the state Senate and Governor Rick Snyder, was passed early Thursday morning after hundreds of Detroit teachers called in sick over paycheck concerns. The move closed nearly all of the district's 97 schools on Monday and Tuesday.

Detroit school teachers returned to their classrooms on Wednesday following the "sick-out" after receiving assurances from officials that they will be paid for their work.

The Detroit public school system, or DPS, has nearly 46,000 students. It has been under state control since 2009 because of a financial emergency.

"This is the right plan to fix Detroit's schools and give the city a good, working school system for the long term," said House Speaker Kevin Cotter in a statement.

The DPS, the state's largest public school system, will run out of money to pay employees after the fiscal year ends on June 30, the school system's state-appointed transition manager, former federal bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes, has said.

The spending package, which provides $500 million in aid to the school district, is less than the $715 million requested by Republican Governor Snyder and approved by the Republican-controlled Senate as part of a different plan.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the city, state and national teachers' unions called the legislation "some of the most despicable anti-student, anti-public school, anti-teacher provisions we've seen in America." They called on Snyder to veto the bill passed by the Republican-controlled House if it reached his desk.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a Democrat, said in a statement that previous state Senate bills aimed at funding the schools were "a thoughtful attempt," but the House legislation will repeat past mistakes that included a lack of clear planning.

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Republican state Senator Goeff Hansen, lead negotiator on the Senate bills, said in a statement he had serious concerns with many aspects of the House legislation, but would work toward a bipartisan solution that he said must include compromise.

Hansen spokesman Peter Wills said in an email that a schedule for reconciling the Senate and House bills has not been set.

Rhodes called the passage of the legislation "an important step in the right direction" and said he supported talks between the House and Senate to resolve their differences.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Karen Pierog in Chicago and Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and James Dalgleish)
Billionaire Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, has boasted that, if elected, he would spend whatever it takes to rebuild the U.S. military and make short work of the ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

While in the same breath he talks about Putting America First  which to some sounds like a return to U.S. isolationism  Trump makes it clear he has big plans to write a whole new chapter of the nations war on terrorism, which dates back to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

Related: The Cost of the War Against ISIS: $7 Billion and Counting

ISIS will be gone if Im elected president, Trump promised during his April 27th major foreign policy address in Washington. Theyll be gone quickly. And he vows to rebuild a U.S. military  from naval ships and jet fighters to the U.S. nuclear arsenal  that he insists has eroded under President Obama.

We will spend what we need to rebuild our military, he said. It is the cheapest, single investment we can make. We will develop, build and purchase the best equipment known to mankind. Our military dominance must be unquestioned, and I mean unquestioned, by anybody and everybody.

Trump typically was short on details of precisely what he has in mind, particularly how much more in federal treasure he is prepared to spend to destroy terrorists overseas and at home and to transform what many already consider the most powerful military machine on earth to an even stronger, more Trumpian-like defense force.

This is no small matter to a country that already has spent literally trillions of dollars  and suffered the loss of nearly 7,000 military personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq  since former Republican President George W. Bush launched the war on terrorism in the wake of 9/11.

War on Terror | FindTheData

Related: US Says Momentum Has Shifted in the War Against ISIS

As the Congressional Budget Office and other budget watchdogs fret about a record $19 trillion national debt and signs of a gradual return to trillion-dollar-a-year budget deficits, Republican and Democratic lawmakers will be wrestling with the efficacy of boosting the budget for defense and national security regardless of whether Trump or Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton succeeds President Obama next January.

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Trump may be a billionaire, but he has never dealt with spending challenges of this magnitude. And he would be wise to review just how much the U.S. already has spent on waging war overseas, national security, intelligence and surveillance since 9/11 before he so boldly commits to major increases in many of those areas.

He might begin with the U.S.-allied war efforts against ISIS, which has had its difficulties since Obama first authorized stepped up airstrikes and some ground action in mid-204. According to the National Priorities Project, the total cost of U.S. action against ISIS is $9.43 billion. To put that in some perspective, the war is costing U.S. taxpayers an additional $615,482 every hour.

In looking more broadly at spending on military and anti-terrorist activities over nearly a decade and a half, experts vary on the overall price tag  but its safe to say its mind boggling.

Related: The US Accuses ISIS of Genocide: Will Obama Step Up the War Effort?

The Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs at Brown University recently concluded that the U.S. government has spent or obligated $4.4 trillion on the wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq over the past 14 years. That figure includes direct congressional war appropriations, war-related boosts to the Pentagons base budget, and veterans care and disability. That price tag also covers increases in the Department of Homeland Security, foreign assistance, and estimated future obligations for veterans care.

Because Congress has refused to either raise taxes or cut other spending to pay for the war, the necessary borrowing has substantially raised the budget deficit and increased the national debt. If Trump were to step up spending on the war and military hardware, most of that would likely end up on the nations credit card.

Another study by James Bovard, a military and national security authority that appeared in the libertarian Reason Magazine, offers a highly critical and skeptical review of what he calls The High Price of Security Theater. Yet Bovard prices out the entire cost of the war on terrorism at just $4 trillion. That seems like a bargain compared with the Watson Institute estimates.

The fact that the war on terror has been expensive will surprise no one, Bovard wrote. Since 2001, the U.S. government has laid out mind-boggling sums to keep the homeland safe from violent extremists.

Related: Heres Who ISIS Would Vote for in the US Presidential Election

Bovard clearly views much of the past spending as wasteful and wretched excess  and he no doubt would view Trumps call for increased spending in these areas with a jaundiced eye.

In tallying up the past spending, Bovard included $30 billion for the FBI, $70 billion for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) which oversees airport security, $200 billion for creation and operation of the Department of Homeland Security, $500 billion for NSA surveillance operations, and $3 trillion overall for war spending in the Middle East.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump outlined economic policy initiatives on Thursday that he would pursue if elected to the White House in November, including refinancing longer-term U.S. debt, lowering taxes and scrapping a slew of federal regulations. The Manhattan real estate mogul said his aim would be to clear the way for U.S. businesses to succeed. "We're lowering taxes very substantially and we're going to be getting rid of a tremendous amount of regulations," Trump said in a wide-ranging interview with CNBC. "The business people they talk about regulation more than they talk about taxes," he said. Trump's path to the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election became clear after a decisive primary victory in Indiana on Tuesday forced his two remaining rivals, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich, to drop out of the race. The candidate, who has never held elective office, has been pressed to provide more details on policy proposals. On Wednesday, he said he was "open to doing something" with the country's minimum wage, but that any increase would have to be weighed against a potential loss of competitiveness. In the CNBC interview, the billionaire said he supported low interest rates for now and believed the United States should try to refinance some of its debt to help pay for infrastructure repairs. "I would refinance debt. I think we should refinance longer-term debt," Trump said. Trump has experience in restructuring his business debt, including two of his Atlantic City casino companies, and said he has been successful on that front. Trump told CNBC he would not renegotiate U.S. bonds but would buy back at discounts, depending where interest rates are. "Part of the problem is when a lot of this debt comes due, what happens if the rates are high and we have no budget that can even conceivably take care of this," Trump said. If interest rates go up just 1 percent, Trump said, it would be devastating for the economy. "I think there are times for us to refinance, refinance debt with longer term," he said. "Because you know we owe so much money. Nobody talks about it - nobody talks about it until the bubble pops. And the bubble could pop, and it could pop and it could be ugly." Trump also warned about the downside of a strong U.S. dollar. "I love the concept of a strong dollar, in many respects obviously I like a strong dollar. But when you look at the havoc that a strong dollar causes," he said on CNBC. "While there are certain benefits, it sounds better to have a strong dollar than in actuality it is." (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Additional reporting by Megan Cassella; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Frances Kerry)
Medenine (Tunisia) (AFP) - Tunisia is confident that trade at the main border crossing with Libya will resume "very soon", local authorities said, nearly a week after the Libyan side imposed a blockade.

"This problem will be resolved very soon," Tahar Matmati, the governor of Medenine, which lies on the principle route between Tunisia and Libya, told AFP.

Discussions between the two sides are primarily focused on "the nature of products imported into Tunisia", Matmati said, adding that the Libyan side wanted a "single tax imposed on all products and that requires certain administrative procedures".

Commercial traffic through the Ras Jedir border post was blocked on Friday by the Libyan side, slowing the flow of people across the frontier as each vehicle was thoroughly searched.

An official from the Zouara local council in Libya, Hafedh Muammar, told AFP Tuesday that the blockade was put in place in protest against the "smuggling of subsidised goods", such as petrol.

The Zouara local council at the beginning of April pledged its allegiance to the unity government led by Fayez al-Sarraj, which is trying to assert its authority in Tripoli.

The paralysis of traffic across the frontier has angered the population in southeastern Tunisia, where the economy is reliant on cross-border trade, including of contraband goods.

The two countries share nearly 500 kilometres (310 miles) of border.

In recent months, Tunisia closed the Ras Jedir and Dehiba border crossings twice -- for 15 days each time -- in response to jihadist attacks on its territory.

The Tunisian side has also built a 200 kilometre-long system of trenches and sand mounds in an attempt to boost border security.

Thousands of Tunisians have joined the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, as well as in Libya where years of instability has allowed the jihadist group to gain a foothold.
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey is not expected to hold a snap election after the ruling AK Party elects a new leader and will continue "securely" until the current government's mandate expires in 2019, presidential adviser Cemil Ertem said on Thursday. Turkey and its economy will stabilize further when a prime minister more closely aligned with President Tayyip Erdogan takes office, Ertem said in a live interview with broadcaster NTV. The current economy management will stay in place, he said, adding he does not expect any changes in monetary and fiscal policies. Declines in Turkish assets, especially the lira, amid worries about political turmoil will not continue and the lira may even become overvalued, undermining exports, he said. (Reporting by Ayla Jean Yackley; Editing by David Dolan)
Screen Shot 2016 05 05 at 8.05.31 AM

Good morning!

The Turkish lira recovered some of its losses after plunging by as much as 4.5% on Wednesday, its sharpest decline since 2008.

The lira crashed on news Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is expected to step down.

The lira is now back up 2.0% at 2.9025 per dollar.

"Davutoglu is regarded as heading up the orthodox wing of the AKP, so his exit would be negative for Turkey and its relations with the West," wrote Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy for Brown Brothers Harriman, in a note to clients.

"We note that while the Turkish lira has recouped the sharp losses seen in thin dealings in the New York afternoon yesterday, the asset markets are under pressure today as equities are lower and bond yields are higher," he added.

As for the rest of the world, here's the scoreboard as of 8:01 a.m. ET:

The Russian ruble is stronger by 1.3% at 65.6982 per dollar, and the Mexican peso is up 0.5% at 17.7084 per dollar. Both petrocurrencies have been boosted by the rising oil prices this year. Notably, at Wednesday's Sohn Investment Conference in New York, PointState Capitals Zach Schreiber, who made $1 billion betting against oil two years ago, said he is going long both the ruble and the peso.

The Chinese yuan finished up 0.1% at 6.5039 per dollar after the April reading of the Caixin-Markit China services purchasing managers' report fell to 51.8 in April from 52.2 in March. Sentiment was the only negative in the report, as new orders hit their highest level in three months, and order backlogs climbed for the first time this year.

The British pound is weaker by 0.3% at 1.4456 after the UK's services PMI came in weaker than expected at 52.3, below forecasts of 53.5.

The US dollar index ticked up for the second day by as much as 0.4% at 93.58 ahead of a light data day. Initial jobless claims, which have been near their lowest levels since 1973, will be out at 8:30 a.m.

NOW WATCH: Japan has built a massive ice wall around Fukushima





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Beirut (AFP) - A double bomb attack on Thursday in central Syria killed at least 10 civilians and wounded 40 others, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

State television reported that at least six people were killed and 28 seriously wounded in the suicide attack and car bombing in a square in Mukharram al-Fawqani in Homs province.

The area, controlled by President Bashar al-Assad's regime, is located between the cities of Homs and Palmyra, which was recaptured by the Syrian army from jihadists last month.

The blasts come just days after the Islamic State group seized the nearby Shaer gas field, one of the biggest in Homs, in an attack that killed at least 16 regime troops.

The Syrian regime controls most of Homs, the country's largest province, except for certain areas held by rebels or IS.
The Q1 earnings season has reached its pinnacle as almost 374 S&P 500 members have already announced their results, and investors are still on the lookout for companies that can beat estimates. While many sectors have seen a bulk of their companies report earnings, most retailers are yet to come out with their results this season.

Per the latest Zacks Earnings Trend report, out of the 374 S&P 500 members that have come up with their quarterly numbers, approximately 71.4% have posted positive earnings surprises. This is because the estimates had fallen quite low ahead of the start of this season as 2016 commenced on a dismal note. This therefore reflects an improvement in the overall corporate earnings picture.

According to the report, earnings for the 374 S&P 500 companies that have reported are down 7.5% from the same period last year, while revenues have declined 1.9%. The report further projects that earnings for the total S&P 500 companies will decline 7.1% from the year-ago period, and total revenue will dip 1.1%. We observe that this will be the fourth straight quarter, if the index witnesses a decline in earnings.

The performance of the index is not restricted to a single sector, and of the 16 Zacks sectors, 8 are expected to witness an earnings decline in Q1, with Basic Materials, Industrial Products, Energy and Conglomerates being a big drag. However, the Retail/Wholesale sector is showing some resilience in spite of overseas turmoil, yet-to-recover Chinese economy, fluctuating commodity prices and Fed rate-related controversies that to an extent are affecting consumers spending behavior.

Total earnings for the Retail/Wholesale sector are expected to remain flat, whereas revenues are projected to increase 4.9%.

Among Retail/Wholesale stocks lined up to report, lets take a sneak peek at two companies.

CST Brands, Inc. CST, an independent retailer of motor fuel and convenience merchandise items, is slated to report first-quarter 2016 results on May 6. Our proven model does not conclusively show that CST Brands is likely to beat earnings estimates this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. CST Brands has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% as the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate both stand at 24 cents. The company carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, the companys ESP of 0.00% makes surprise prediction difficult.

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In the trailing four quarters, this San Antonio, TX-based company outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by an average of 79.7%.

Cst Brands Inc. (CST) Street EPS & Surprise Percent - Last 5 Quarters | FindTheCompany

Addison, TX-based Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. FRGI, which is scheduled to release its first-quarter 2016 results on May 9, has an Earnings ESP of -2.44% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter earnings is pegged at 41 cents. However, we note that in the trailing four quarters, this operator of fast-casual restaurants outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by an average of 0.7%.

Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc. (FRGI) Street EPS & Surprise Percent - Last 5 Quarters | FindTheCompany

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BOSTON (Reuters) - The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board hopes to recover the voyage data recorder from the cargo ship El Faro, which sank during a hurricane killing all 33 crew on board, over the next two to three months, an agency official said on Thursday.

A surveillance trip to the site where the ship sank last year, some 15,000 feet (4,600 meters) below sea level off the Bahamas, pinpointed the location of the recorder on April 26.

It should contain navigational data and the last 12 hours of audio on the ship's bridge, Brian Curtis, acting director of the Office of Marine Safety at the NTSB, told reporters. He spoke after the voyage to locate the recorder returned to port in Massachusetts.

"We know where it is but it is still a tall challenge. That voyage data recorder is in the middle of the ocean under 15,000 feet of water," Curtis told reporters at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Falmouth, Massachusetts. "We would like to get out there over the next several months, two to three months."

The 790-foot (241-meter) El Faro, owned by Sea Star Line LLC and operated by TOTE Services, went down off the Bahamas on Oct. 1 while on a cargo run between Florida and Puerto Rico. It was the worst cargo shipping disaster involving a U.S.-flagged vessel in more than three decades.

It may take time to extract data from the recorder due to its long immersion, Curtis said, noting that the device was designed to withstand the pressure of being submerged under as much as 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) of water.

"We're much more optimistic today from the work we've done," Curtis said. "It can only be a benefit to the investigation."

In his final transmissions, El Faro's captain reported that the ship was losing propulsion and taking on water.

Company executives have said the decision to attempt the voyage and set the ship's route, despite the dangers posed by a severe storm, were the responsibilities of the captain, who went down with his ship.

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Tom Brown)
(Adds political reactions)

By Lisa Lambert

WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - New rules proposed on Thursday by a U.S. consumer watchdog would block credit card companies, banks and other firms from forcing customers to waive their rights to join class action lawsuits and settle disputes only through arbitration.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said financial firms should be barred from using fine print in contracts that mandates arbitration instead of a group lawsuit in the event of a dispute over products ranging from checking accounts to credit cards. The agency said the clauses prevent consumers who have been wronged from receiving justice and compensation through the courts.

U.S. businesses are expected to oppose the proposal and sue if it becomes final. They say arbitration is more efficient and helps avoid costly litigation that rarely benefits the people filing suit.

"Companies simply insert these clauses into their contracts for consumer financial products or services and literally 'with the stroke of a pen' are able to block any group of consumers from filing joint lawsuits known as class actions," CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in prepared remarks.

"That is so even though class actions are widely recognized to be valid avenues to secure legal relief under federal and state law."

In class actions, people band together to sue over the same alleged wrongdoing to make the lawsuit more affordable. A 2015 study by the CFPB found individuals rarely sue on their own because it is too expensive and that about 6.8 million consumers receive $220 million in payments from class action settlements each year.

In arbitration, a private individual settles a conflict. Frequently, companies select the arbitrators, the proceedings are confidential and decisions are hard to appeal.

Under the proposal, companies could still use arbitration clauses, but would have to state explicitly that consumers can sign onto class actions. They would also have to give the bureau information on claims filed and awards issued in the arbitrations, as well as correspondence from arbitrators regarding unpaid fees and failure to follow standards of conduct.

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Requiring customers to agree to "mandatory arbitration clauses" when they sign up for a product has become nearly universal since a 2011 U.S. Supreme Court decision known as AT&T Mobility vs. Concepcion validated the practice. It has also become a flashpoint for both political parties.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Thursday supported the proposal, saying "mandatory arbitration clauses buried deep in contracts for credit cards, student loans, and more prevent American consumers from having their day in court when they've been harmed."

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat sometimes mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate in November's election, pledged to push the CFPB to "finalize the rule as soon as possible."

The private sector and conservative political leaders quickly criticized the proposal, saying it only helps attorneys who file class actions and reap fees and shares of settlements.

The chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, Republican Jeb Hensarling of Texas, called it a "big, wet kiss to trial attorneys" and cast Cordray as a "de facto dictator."

"This move - which will apply to some of the most common financial contracts including credit cards, checking accounts, and even cell phones - essentially hands over the keys of the CFPB's luxury office building to the wealthy, powerful, and politically well-connected trial lawyer lobby," he said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, representing the business sector, said that "in the 50 years since the advent of modern day class action lawsuits, plaintiffs' lawyers have made millions of dollars in fees from these suits while consumers often receive little benefit."

The CFPB said the proposal would give consumers "a day in court." It also aims to create a deterrent effect through the threat of group lawsuits and increased transparency, the agency said.

"Forced arbitration and class action bans force consumers into a biased, secretive, and lawless forum, preventing either a court or an arbitrator from ordering a lawbreaker to repay all of its victims," Lauren Saunders, associate director of the National Consumer Law Center, said in a statement.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Andrew Hay and Dan Grebler)
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - Two U.S. Senators urged auto safety regulators to publicly name the makes and models of tens of millions of vehicles with potentially faulty Takata air bag inflators, according to a letter made public late on Thursday.

"There may still be 50 million airbags installed in vehicles whose owners not only have no idea, but also no way to find out, that they are driving a car containing potentially lethal airbags," wrote Senators Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat and Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat.

On Wednesday, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed the Japanese air bag manufacturer would declare between 35 million and 40 million additional inflators defective by 2019, which will prompt automakers to recall vehicles with the inflators.

The 50 million inflators that could still be recalled include 27 million side air bags and 23 million frontal air bag inflators. As part of a November agreement with NHTSA, those vehicles must also be recalled by 2019 unless Takata can prove they are safe.

Takata must issue five separate defect reports starting May 16 and ending in 2019. Takata said the first report will cover 14 million of the 35 million to 40 million inflators being recalled. The second report is not due until Dec. 31 and subsequent reports are due in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

NHTSA spokesman Bryan Thomas said automakers "will provide the information about the models and makes in the coming weeks." He did not directly respond to the senators demands on the inflators that have not yet been recalled.

Takata spokesman Jared Levy declined to comment.

The senators want NHTSA to release regular updates regarding testing data on Takata airbags and their failure rates.

To date, 14 automakers have recalled 28.8 million Takata inflators in about 24 million vehicles. Three additional automakers are part of the expansion.

The latest recall means all Takata ammonium nitrate-based driver and passenger frontal air bag inflators without a chemical drying agent, known as a desiccant, will be recalled. But 23 million Takata frontal air bags with a desiccant have not been recalled.

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When exposed to moisture, ammonium nitrate, which is used to inflate the air bag, can cause the inflator to rupture with deadly force, spraying shrapnel into vehicle occupants. The defect is linked to at least 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries worldwide since 2008.

Takata said it is not aware of any ruptures in the inflators in the vehicles that are part of recall announced Wednesday.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Bernard Orr)
By Tracy Rucinski

CHICAGO, May 5 (Reuters) - The restructuring plan of bankrupt Alpha Natural Resources could be held up because a unit of consulting firm McKinsey & Co. failed to fully disclose connections with potential buyers of the coal miner's assets, a U.S bankruptcy watchdog warned this week.

Alpha hired McKinsey Recovery & Transformation Services to lead its turnaround plan after filing for bankruptcy in August, hit by a sharp drop in coal prices.

The Office of the U.S. Trustee, a government watchdog that polices conflicts in bankruptcy, said in a court filing on Tuesday that McKinsey RTS has not disclosed the names or nature of its connections to Alpha's lenders, creditors and competitors as required by bankruptcy law.

In the filing, the U.S. Trustee said the lack of full disclosures may "cast a cloud" over Alpha's restructuring strategy.

McKinsey did not reply to requests for comment. Alpha declined to comment.

The restructuring plan envisions the sale of core mining assets to lenders, who will pay by forgiving what they are owed rather than cash. Alpha also plans to sell natural gas assets to an affiliate of Rice Energy Inc for $200 million in cash.

The reorganized Alpha would continue to own a number of mining complexes located primarily in Appalachia. West Virginia's environmental authority said last month that selling the company's best assets could jeopardize $1 billion of liabilities tied to mine cleanups.

The U.S. Trustee said McKinsey RTS has listed connections to as many as eight major competitors of Alpha, 14 revolving facility lenders and 14 secured term-loan lenders, without identifying them or the nature of its business with them.

McKinsey cannot circumvent bankruptcy law on the grounds of confidentiality provisions with its client, the watchdog said.

"It might be that a connection is very important or it might be unimportant, but the rule of thumb among professionals is usually disclose, disclose, disclose," bankruptcy lawyer Robert Fishman said.

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The U.S. Trustee asked the court to order McKinsey to supplement its disclosures so that all interested parties can determine whether the proposed asset sales "may be tainted by divided loyalties."

A hearing on its request is scheduled for May 17.

McKinsey, among the most influential consulting firms in the world, specializes in strategic planning and has in recent years expanded into the restructuring of ailing companies.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Tom Hals and Dan Grebler)
San Francisco (AFP) - Uber introduced a newly formed policy board that includes a former vice president of the European Commission, as the ride-sharing service navigates regulatory roads around the world.

The new board, including former EU Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes, held its first meeting this week, Uber advisor David Plouffe said in a blog post.

"We had vibrant discussions about every aspect of our business and the unique challenges and opportunities Uber faces around the world," he said of Wednesday's meeting.

"As ridesharing continues to grow, we look forward to the Board's candid advice and insights."

The board also includes former Peruvian prime minister Roberto Danino; Quality Council of India chairman Adil Zainulbhai; one-time Australian competition and consumer commission chairman Allan Fels; Gesner Oliveira, who served as president of the Brazilian Administrative Council for Economic Defense; and Saudi princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud.

The board roster also includes former US secretary of transportation Ray LaHood and Melody Barnes, who was assistant to the president and director of the White House Domestic Policy Council from 2009 to 2012.

"For decades, transportation policy has played second fiddle to the likes of the economy, education and healthcare," Plouffe said.

"Yet transportation is key to all these areas of public policy."

Uber's business has boomed since it launched in San Francisco in 2011.

But the smartphone app has faced stiff resistance from traditional taxi drivers the world over, as well as bans in some places over safety concerns and questions over legal issues, including taxes.

Thousands of taxi drivers disrupted traffic across Portugal last month as they protested against Uber, which they accuse of illegally undercutting their business.

Licensed taxi drivers, who must undergo hundreds of hours of training in some countries, often complain that Uber drivers do not pay for permits or taxes.

Uber says it is not a transport company like taxi firms, and that it simply connects drivers with passengers.
London (AFP) - British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday stood by his criticism of Donald Trump's vow to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, after an adviser to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee asked for an apology.

Cameron, who had dismissed the idea as "divisive, stupid and wrong" when Trump proposed it in December, told a press conference in London that it was clear that "the policy idea that was put forward was wrong".

However, he said the billionaire property tycoon "deserves our respect" for his victory in one of the most contentious and chaotic nomination battles in generations.

In the wake of a shooting by a Muslim couple in San Bernardino, California, that left 14 dead, Trump urged a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".

The remarks prompted condemnation from around the world, and Cameron told parliament: "I think his remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong and I think if he came to visit our country, he would unite us all against him."

He was responding to a question about a petition signed by more than half a million people calling for Trump to be banned from entering Britain, where Muslims make up about five percent of the population.

A foreign policy advisor to Trump, George Papadopoulos, told The Times this week that the campaign team had been shocked by the British prime minister's comments.

"I can't speak directly for him (Trump) but it would seem that if prime minister Cameron is serious about reaching out, not only to Mr Trump's advisers but to the man himself, an apology or some sort of retraction should happen," Papadopoulos was quoted as saying.

Asked on Thursday whether he owed Trump an apology, Cameron told reporters: "It's obviously a matter for the voters in the United States to decide who they choose as their next president.

"Knowing the gruelling nature of primaries and what you have to go through, anyone who makes it through that extraordinary contest to lead their party into a general election certainly deserves our respect.

"But what I said about Muslims, I won't change that view, I don't change that view, I'm very clear that the policy idea that was put forward was wrong, is wrong and will remain wrong."
- By Tiziano Frateschi





According to GuruFocus' All-in-One Screener, the following are companies with a market cap above $5 billion that are trading with a very low P/S ratio.

Deere & Co. (DE) is trading at about $8 with a P/S ratio of .97 and an estimated P/E multiple of 5.8. The company has a market cap of $5.9 billion and over the last  years, the stock has risen by 85%. During the last 5 weeks, the price has been as high as $98. and as low as $7.6.





The company provides products and services for agriculture and forestry, construction, lawn and turf care and landscaping and irrigation.

The DCF model gives a fair value of $89.64 putting the stock undervalued with a margin of safety of 6%. The Peter Lynch earnings line suggests the stock is fairly priced, giving a fair price of $8.6.

The companys largest shareholder among the gurus is Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) with 7.6% of outstanding shares, followed by First Eagle Investment (Trades, Portfolio) with .6%, PRIMECAP Management (Trades, Portfolio) with .4%, Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss with .85%, T Rowe Price Equity Income Fund (Trades, Portfolio) with .79% and Tom Gayner (Trades, Portfolio) with .5%.

Statoil ASA (STO) is trading at about $6 with a P/S ratio of .9 and an estimated P/E of 7.54. The company has a market cap of $5.84 billion and over the last  years, the stock has dropped by 48%. During the last 5 weeks, the price has been as high as $.7 and as low as $.89.

The company explores, produces, transports, refines, and markets petroleum and petroleum-derived products. It has operations in Norway, North America, Africa, Asia and South America.

The DCF model gives a fair value of $.5, putting the stock overpriced by ,7%. The Peter Lynch earnings line suggests the stock is less overpriced, giving a fair price of $..

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The companys largest shareholder among the gurus is Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with .6% of outstanding shares followed by Steven Cohen (Trades, Portfolio) with .%.

L- Communications Holdings Inc. (LLL) is trading at about $4 with a P/S ratio of .5 and an estimated forward P/E of 5.. The company has a market cap of $. billion and over the last  years, the stock has risen by 65%. During the last 5 weeks, the price has been as high as $.6 and as low as $..

The company is a prime contractor in Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems, aircraft modernization and maintenance, and government services. L- is also a provider of electronic systems used on military and commercial platforms.

The companys largest shareholder among the gurus is Richard Pzena (Trades, Portfolio) with .8% of outstanding shares, followed by Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with .4% and Steven Cohen (Trades, Portfolio) with .%.

Principal Financial Group Inc. (PFG) is trading at about $4 with a P/S ratio of .99 and an estimated P/E of .. The company has a market cap of $.4 billion and over the last  years, the stock has dropped by 8%. During the last 5 weeks, the price has been as high as $58. and as low as $.9.

The company offers retirement services, insurance solutions and asset management services. It provides financial products and services, including retirement, asset management, and insurance through the financial services companies to businesses, individuals and institutional clients.

The DCF model gives a fair value of $4.56, putting the stock undervalued with a margin of safety of %. The Peter Lynch earnings line suggests the stock has a higher margin of safety, giving a fair price of $6..

The companys largest shareholder among the gurus is Bill Nygren (Trades, Portfolio) with .58% of outstanding shares, followed by Mairs and Power (Trades, Portfolio) with .99%, Jeremy Grantham (Trades, Portfolio) with .7% and Manning & Napier Advisors with .%.

Loews Corp. (L) is trading at about $4 with a P/S ratio of .9 and an estimated P/E of 59.. The company has a market cap of $.45 billion and over the last  years, the stock has risen by 9%. During the last 5 weeks, the price has been as high as $4.99 and as low as $.84.

The company is engaged commercial property and casualty insurance; operation of offshore oil and gas drilling rigs; exploration, production and marketing of natural gas and natural gas liquids; operation of interstate natural gas pipeline systems; and the operation of hotels.

The DCF model gives a fair value of $7.7, putting the stock overpriced by 45%. The Peter Lynch earnings line suggests the stock is less overpriced, giving a fair price of $..

T Rowe Price Equity Income Fund (Trades, Portfolio) is the largest shareholder among the gurus with .9% of outstanding shares, followed by Chris Davis (Trades, Portfolio) with .88%, Diamond Hill Capital (Trades, Portfolio) with .4%, Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss with .9%, Donald Smith (Trades, Portfolio) with .6%, NWQ Managers (Trades, Portfolio) with .5%, Third Avenue Management (Trades, Portfolio) with .%, Martin Whitman (Trades, Portfolio) with .% and Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with .5%.

Nomura Holdings Inc. (NMR) is trading at about $4. with a P/S ratio of .4 and an estimated P/Eof .46. The company has a market cap of $5.9 billion and over the last  years, the stock has dropped by 8%. During the last 5 weeks, the price has been as high as $7. and as low as $.96.

It is a financial services company in Japan. Its clients include individuals, corporations, financial institutions, governments and governmental agencies.

The DCF model gives a fair value of $.8, putting the stock overpriced by 7%. The Peter Lynch earnings line suggests the stock is undervalued, giving a fair price of $4..

Cummins Inc. (CMI) is trading at about $4 with a P/S ratio of .9 and an estimated P/E of 4.97. The company has a market cap of $.4 billion and over the last  years, the stock has risen by 4%. During the last 5 weeks, the price has been as high as $4.4 and as low as $79.88.

The company designs, manufactures, distributes and services diesel and natural gas engines and engine-related component products, including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems and electric power generation systems.

The DCF model gives a fair value of $8.7, putting the stock undervalued with a margin of safety of 5%. The Peter Lynch earnings line suggests the stock is overpriced, giving a fair price of $.

HOTCHKIS & WILEY is the largest shareholder of the company among the gurus with .% of outstanding shares, followed by Bill Nygren (Trades, Portfolio) with .7%, First Eagle Investment (Trades, Portfolio) with .8%, T Rowe Price Equity Income Fund (Trades, Portfolio) with .9%, T Rowe Price Equity Income Fund (Trades, Portfolio) with .6% and Pioneer Investments (Trades, Portfolio) with .4%.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.






Analyzing the EIA's Latest US Crude Oil Inventory Report

Crude oil prices

WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil futures contracts for June delivery rose slightly by 0.3% and closed at $43.78 per barrel on May 4, 2016. Brent crude oil futures fell by 0.8% to $44.62 per barrel.

The larger-than-expected rise in US crude oil inventories limited the upside for crude oil prices despite supply disruptions in Canada. Oil-tracking ETFs such as the United States Oil ETF (USO) and the ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil ETF (UCO) rose by 0.4% and 0.47%, respectively, on May 4, 2016.

Supply disruption in Canada

In the Fort McMurray region of Alberta, Canada, a wildfire started on May 2, 2016. The fire hampered crude oil production activity in the major oil-sands mining operations in the area.

The supply disruption boosted crude oil prices in the early trades of May 4, 2016. The uptick in crude oil prices benefited oil producers such as Bill Barrett (BBG), Halcon Resources (HK), and Energy XXI (EXXI).

Wildfire manager for Albertas agriculture and forestry ministry stated that the fire was complex and out of control. Oil producers suggested that the wildfire could lead to a fall in crude oil production by 1 MMbpd.

Most Canadian crude oil is exported to the United States. Oil producers such as Suncor Energy (SU) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) operate in this region. Theyve to cut back on crude oil production.

Other supply disruptions

Iraq, Nigeria, and Libya also had supply outages recently. Supply outages benefit crude oil prices. However, US crude oil inventories tested record levels. To learn more, read the next part of the series.

Brent crude oil prices

Brent crude oil prices hit a 2016 high on April 28, 2016. Prices tumbled on May 4 due to rising crude oil production from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries). To learn more, you can read OPEC Crude Oil Production Data Ignites Concerns of Oversupply.

The appreciating dollar also weighed on Brent crude oil prices. The US dollar index rose on May 4, 2016, due to stronger-than-expected growth in US services sector data.

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WTI and Brent crude oil price volatility also influences ETFs and ETNs such as the ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil ETF (SCO), the ProShares Ultra Oil & Gas ETF (DIG), and the VelocityShares 3x Inverse Crude Oil ETN (DWTI).

For the latest on the bullish catalysts, read What Bullish Catalysts Are Driving Crude Oil Prices this Week? and Why South Korea and India Are Bullish Forces for Crude Oil. For more on bearish drivers, read Crude Oil Traders Are Closely Watching These Bearish Drivers.

Series focus

This series also covers US crude oil production and imports, refinery demand, and US gasoline and distillate prices and inventories.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Washington (AFP) - A Navy officer facing espionage charges for allegedly handing military secrets to Taiwan and China was entrapped in a "nefarious scheme" by government agents, his lawyer argued in testimony made public Thursday.

Prosecutors say Lieutenant Commander Edward Lin -- a decorated Navy veteran -- committed a string of offenses including espionage, mishandling classified information and failing to follow lawful orders. He is also accused of adultery and using a prostitute.

Given the sensitive nature of the case, much of it remains classified, but the Pentagon on Thursday played reporters a recording of parts of Lin's initial hearing last month.

"The defense maintains that the government has engaged in a nefarious scheme to entrap Lieutenant Commander Lin," defense lawyer Larry Youngner said during the so-called Article 32 hearing, which took place April 8 at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.

Without going into details, Youngner said his client had been "enticed" by a Mandarin-speaking FBI informant during a series of meetings beginning last August.

"Did the government prey on his vulnerabilities and entice him to engage in something he would not otherwise have engaged in?" Youngner asked.

Prior to his arrest, Lin, 39, was assigned to a special squadron based out of a Marine Corps air base in Hawaii that flew special intelligence-gathering planes.

Youngner also questioned whether the information Lin had carried was actually classified, or whether it was all "open source."

Prosecutors said their evidence comes partly from two days of interrogations after Lin's arrest at Honolulu airport on September 11, 2015, and that Lin had admitted to a string of specifications outlined in the charges against him.

Youngner responded by saying the interrogation and subsequent evidence were tainted because Lin had not been properly read his rights.

Lin's defense team also said the government had tried to sensationalize the case by adding the prostitution and adultery charges, saying those allegations should be dealt with separately.

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The officer who headed Lin's hearing has made a recommendation to the commanding admiral about whether the case should be referred to a full court-martial, but no decision has been made public.

Lin remains in custody at the naval brig in Chesapeake, Virginia.

The case emerges amid heightened tensions between China and regional neighbors in the South China Sea, where Beijing is building massive military structures including radar systems and an airstrip over reefs and tiny islands in contested waters.

A 2008 Navy article says Lin left his birthplace of Taiwan when he was 14 and eventually became a naturalized US citizen.

Although the Navy has said Lin passed secrets to China, Taiwan and possibly other countries too, only Taiwan was referenced in the 80 or so minutes of testimony made available Thursday.

Youngner did not immediately return a call seeking additional comment.
Washington (AFP) - US Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, the nation's top Republican, said Thursday he was not yet prepared to support Donald Trump as the party's presumptive presidential nominee, signalling a deep rift within the GOP.

"To be perfectly candid... I'm just not ready to do that at this point," Ryan told CNN.

"I hope to though, and I want to. But I think what is required is that we unify this party."

It was a stunning declaration expected to reverberate throughout the party's establishment and its rank and file, amid swirling concerns over whether conservatives will rally around Trump in his expected election matchup against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Ryan, who repeated he would not accept the nomination in case of a contested convention, was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2012 and is currently second in line to the presidency.

While his role as House Speaker makes him a quintessential symbol of the Washington establishment that Trump supporters loathe, his public doubts about the standardbearer could filter down to millions of voters.

"He's got some work to do," Ryan said, noting that "the bulk and the burden" was on Trump to begin the healing after a brutal primary campaign and the brash billionaire's string of insulting remarks about other candidates, Muslims, Mexicans, refugees, women and others.

"It's time to set aside bullying. It's time to set aside belittlement," Ryan said.

Thursday's comments were all the more startling because Trump has now emerged as the party's standardbearer and Ryan will be co-chairman of the Republican presidential nominating convention in July.

- Work together? -

Trump shot back within minutes.

"I am not ready to support Speaker Ryan's agenda," he said in a statement.

"Perhaps in the future we can work together and come to an agreement about what is best for the American people."

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Trump won Tuesday's hotly contested Indiana primary, pushing Ted Cruz and John Kasich out of the race and leaving him as the presumptive nominee.

Democrats seized on the Trump-Ryan clash to highlight the divisions and turmoil within the GOP.

"Well, that was awkward," Democratic National Committee spokesman Mark Paustenbach said in a statement.

"Bring a hazmat suit if you're one of the remaining Republican leaders still planning to stand with your nominee," Paustenbach added. "Trump has gone radioactive."

Ryan insisted that despite his misgivings about Trump, no Republicans should support Clinton -- as several have threatened to do.

"We need a standardbearer that can unify all -- all conservatives and the wings of the party -- and then go to the country with an appealing agenda," he said.

Ryan is the latest in a string of party grandees who have declined to back Trump.

Presidents George H.W. Bush and his son George W. Bush have signalled they will not endorse, while Mitt Romney, the 2012 nominee, is reportedly declining to attend the Republican convention.

Some conservatives, including freshman Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, argue that a third candidate should challenge Trump and Clinton.

"Why are we confined to these two terrible options?" Sasse asked in an open letter to US Republicans. "If both choices stink, we reject them and go bigger."

Ryan put himself at odds with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who publicly endorsed Trump's candidacy "to prevent what would be a third term of Barack Obama."

"As the presumptive nominee, (Trump) now has the opportunity and the obligation to unite our party around our goals," McConnell said in a statement Wednesday.

Trump, 69, has said Republicans would unite to support him.

"Now we'll unify the party," Trump told Fox News on Wednesday. "We're going to get people together."

But with sky-high unfavorability ratings, and concern within his own party about his temperament, the real estate mogul sought to assuage concerns about how a President Trump would govern.

"Things will be fine," he told The New York Times. "I'm not running for president to make things unstable for the country."

As Trump seized the GOP mantle, a CNN poll highlighted the formidable challenge facing him.

It found Clinton, hoping at 68 to become America's first female commander-in-chief, leading the tycoon 54 percent to 41 percent.

Nevertheless, the former secretary of state suffered a shock loss in Indiana to Bernie Sanders, who has pledged to remain in the race until the end despite the delegate math overwhelmingly favoring Clinton.

Clinton has already pivoted to Trump and their general election matchup.

"He is a loose cannon, and loose cannons tend to misfire," she said.

Trump, appearing in West Virginia coal country late Thursday for his first rally since becoming the inevitable nominee, hammered Clinton on trade, the Clinton Foundation, and her vow to kill coal jobs -- comments for which she has apologized.

Standing in front of miners holding signs reading "Trump Digs Coal," he pledged to re-open mines and put people back to work.

"Miners, get ready because you're going to be working your asses off," he said.

He made no mention of Ryan at the rally.
Washington (AFP) - The United States named Panama's prominent Waked family, who run a large luxury goods, duty-free shop and real estate business, as a major drug money-laundering organization on Thursday.

The move placed top members of the Lebanese-origin family and their businesses, including the Grupo Wisa and La Riviera luxury goods groups, the Balboa Bank and Trust, and two top newspapers, on the US sanctions blacklist. The move locks them out of doing business with Americans and freezes their US assets.

The Waked group "uses trade-based money-laundering schemes, such as false commercial invoicing; bulk cash smuggling; and other money laundering methods, to launder drug proceeds on behalf of multiple international drug traffickers and their organizations," the US Treasury Department said.

The Treasury named Abdul Mohamed Waked Fares, 66, and Nidal Ahmed Waked Hatum, 36, as co-leaders of the "Waked Money Laundering Organization".

Waked Fares is a national of Panama, Colombia and Lebanon, and Waked Hatum is a national of Spain, Colombia and Panama.

Six others named for participating in the money-laundering operations included three brothers of Waked Hatum and a son of Waked Fares.

Two others were attorneys that the Treasury said help the Waked group set up shell companies.

Panama Attorney General Kenia Porcell Diaz said Thursday that the government was cooperating with US authorities in the action.

"We will ensure justice is served by the people of Panama. This investigation further strengthens our efforts and resolve to vigorously attack criminal activity in Panama so that the rule of law prevails," he said in a statement.

The country's chief banking superintendent said that his office had seized control of Balboa Bank "in our overriding interest in protecting the best interest of depositors."

The Waked family is well-known for its La Riviera chain of duty free shops and retail makeup and perfume stores stretching from Mexico to Uruguay.

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It also operates boutiques for top European brands like Mango, Burberry and YSL, and has developed a new $350 million luxury shopping, residential and hotel complex, Soho Panama, in downtown Panama City, which was to include a Ritz Carlton Hotel.

The group also controls the newspapers El Siglo and La Estrella.

According to an interview with Waked Fares in Travel Markets Insider magazine last year, the group employs more than 5,500 people in the region

All the main businesses associated with the family were placed on the sanctions blacklist, which effectively aims to shut them out of the global financial system.

But the Treasury also announced "special licenses" or exceptions to the sanctions rules that will allow some, including the newspapers, to continue operating with restrictions.

Some, such as for the businesses in the Soho Mall, give them time to wind down operations and clear contracts outstanding.
When veteran GOP pollster Bill McInturff talks about the presidential campaign, Republicans and Democrats usually listen intently.

McInturff, co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies, has advised a slew of Republican candidates over the years and was lead pollster for Sen. John McCain of Arizona in the 2008 presidential campaign. He and Democrat Peter D. Hart are the lead pollsters for the Wall Street Journal/NBC News series of polls.

Related: Trumps Strange Choice to Lead His Fundraising Operation

So not surprisingly, he caused something of a stir the other day when he declared that Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton will win the general election in November because many voters are turned off by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

McInturff, speaking at a luncheon gathering in Washington primarily focused on climate change, said, Trump does not represent the mainstream views of the Republican Party, according to the Washington Examiner. He predicted that the billionaire businessman will lose by 5 to 7 points and that the country will go from our first African-American president to our first woman president in November.

After Trump blew away a field of 16 GOP rivals in recent months and then secured his partys nomination on Tuesday night by scoring a dazzling victory over Sen. Ted Cruz in Indiana, betting against Trump is risky at best. He has rewritten the Republican presidential playbook in stoking the anger and frustration of many Americans, and he has demonstrated an extraordinary knack for identifying and exploiting his political rivals biggest weaknesses. Seemingly endless predictions by political pundits that he would self-destruct proved baseless.

Indeed, Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank vowed seven months ago that he would eat an entire newspaper column, newsprint and ink, if Trump won the nomination. Now Milbank is preparing to literally eat his words.

Related: From Hell, No to Tepid Yes Heres Where Top Republicans Stand on Trump

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There is no way of telling how the presidential campaign will ultimately play out this fall, other than to say with certainty that it will be one of the dirtiest and most contentious contests in modern presidential politics.

For the time being, however, polling suggests that Clinton, the former secretary of state, will beat the blustery real estate mogul. Clinton leads Trump by 13 percentage points nationally, according to a CNN/ORC poll released on Wednesday. Even as Clinton continues to fend off attacks from her Democratic rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, she hold a 54 percent to 41 percent advantage over Trump in a hypothetical matchup this fall.

The new poll found that voters trust Clinton more than Trump on practically every major issue, including combatting terrorism and dealing with the immigration crisis.

Meanwhile, the Real Clear Politics averages of recent national polls shows Clinton holding a 6.5 percentage point lead over Trump. But there are still many months to go.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG) struck a definitive deal to acquire privately-held Nexmo, Inc. for $230 million in cash and stock. The company believes that Nexmo's leadership position in the Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) segment of the Cloud Communications market would help it significantly.

Vonage Holdings said this acquisition would accelerate its growth strategy, deepened its technology capability and elevated its leadership position in Cloud Communications. The company added that Nexmo was the world's second biggest CPaaS firm as measured by revenues and fits well with its thinking.

According to the agreement, Nexmo shareholders would get $230 million, with an additional earn-out opportunity of a maximum of $20 million subject to Nexmo hitting some performance targets. The company added that $195 million would be paid at close, consisting of a minimum of $159 million of cash and a maximum of $36 million in stock.

Vonage said it might elect at close to substitute $23 million of additional cash for stock and the balance $35 million of the $230 million purchase price was in the form of restricted cash and restricted stock for Nexmo management and employees. The company believes that this structure would offer long-term incentives and retention value for Nexmo management significantly. The earn-out opportunity was payable in cash or stock at Vonage's election.

The company's CEO, Alan Masarek, commented, "In 2014, we set out on a mission to become the clear leader in Cloud Communications for business. With the acquisition of Nexmo, we are now uniquely positioned to lead the market. By combining Vonage's rapidly growing Unified Communications as a Service ("UCaaS") business, with Nexmo, the second largest player in CPaaS, we are creating the future of Cloud Communications. These companies represent a set of strategic, technology and human resources assets that deliver the broadest services offering in our industry."

Story continues

Research firm, IDC expects CPaaS to reach $8 billion by the year 2018.

Shares of the company traded 6.83 percent lower on Thursday.

See more from Benzinga

 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
DULLES, Va.Landmark Aviation sits 30 miles away from the White House, a mini private airport for those who wont deign to wait in line at Dulles. This is the placea bleak airport on a foggy post-primary morning, with sleek jets idling beyond the lobbys large windowsthat the John Kasich campaign chose for his reintroduction: as the only guy standing between Donald Trump and the Republican nomination, and the one whod wrest it from the billionaire in July. Politicians typically use places like this, austere as they are, to embark on new and bold ventures. What could be bolder than staying in a presidential race when voters really dont want you?

The Ohio governor had outlasted 16 others to make it to this moment near Washington, D.C.the city where he worked as a young congressman, and where he aspired to be by next year. He kept his head down. He was nice when others turned bitter. And his campaign would (quixotically) continue. Kasichs chief strategist had said as much after dismal returns on Tuesday night, and reporters gathered Wednesday morning to hear how it would go.

But Kasich never arrived, and news shortly leaked that he would drop out of the U.S. presidential race. The candidates plane, like his campaign itself, hadnt successfully made it out of Ohio.

Recommended: Racism by Any Other Name

Ted Cruz had dropped out of the presidential race a little more than 14 hours earlier. The Texas senatorwho was the more plausible only-guy-standing before he stepped aside Tuesday nightannounced his decision after a crushing defeat in Indiana. Together we left it all on the field. ... We gave it all we got, Cruz said. But the voters chose another path. Trump had won more than 50 percent of the vote, with Kasich coming in 30 points behind Cruz. It was but the latest poor showing from Kasich in a cycle where hed stayed in the background. He couldnt compete with Trump, and his middle-of-the-road ethos wasnt a match for right-wing conservatives.

Story continues

There werent any obvious indications the candidate was about to drop out as the press assembled Wednesday morning. His campaign had announced the event on Tuesday night, along with a similar presser scheduled for Thursday. Kasich was allegedly flying in for a full day of finance events in Maryland and Virginiavague, but still official-sounding.

Kasich had been saying for months that he would stick around until July. He even quoted Yogi BerraIt aint over till its overto explain his persistence. Before the Ohio primary in March, his campaign seemed to be on its last legs, but he guaranteed he would stay in the race if he won his home state. When that happens, then people will begin to see more of who I am and what my message is and what our team is all about, and then we'll be able to compete in many other states, Kasich said. Ohio, where he is the sitting governor, ended up as the only state to give him a win during the entire primary season.

Recommended: The Republican Good Wives

He kept his head down. He was nice when others were bitter. And his campaign would (quixotically) continue.

As Trump continued to rack up victories, and a contested convention seemed ever more likely, Kasich argued delegates would embrace him at the convention. He cited polls showing he could beat Hillary Clinton in a general election, and telegraphed his sunny side as Trump and Cruz amped up the anger. Though his promises always seemed far-fetched, they were consistent. Bernie Sanders similarly vowed to hang on until July, but shifted his goals as Hillary Clintons nomination started to seem more certain. Kasich, meanwhile, had made no such concession despite holding fewer delegates than even Marco Rubio, who dropped out in March. Although Republicans showed no signs of moving to his campembracing Cruz, not Kasich, to take down the real-estate mogulhe still seemed hopeful about combatting the emerging consensus that Trump would be the nominee. Tuesday night, with its puny returns, must have been a blow. The chairman of the Republican National Committee declared Trump the cycles victor, and prominent Republicansalong with many Democratswere predicting the end of the republic by fall.

And so 30-plus reporters had assembled at the airport to hear Kasichs plan. They paced the gray carpet, settled on slate couches, and set up cameras to broadcast his coming statements. But within the hour, a campaign staffer made the announcement that would foreshadow the end of her job: The presidential candidate, despite the scheduled event, hadnt yet left Columbus. He had reportedly boarded the plane to D.C. before deciding not to get off the ground.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Warren Buffett is a big fan of the wildly popular AMC series, Breaking Bad, calling the shows creator, Vince Gilligan, a genius.

This seemingly unlikely friendship between the Oracle of Omaha and the Hollywood bigwig began in 2013, when Buffett asked Gilligan if he would create a mini-movie to be shown at Berkshire Hathaways shareholder meeting in Omaha. The film starred Buffett alongside the cast of Breaking Bad.

I was blown away, says Gilligan, on learning of Buffetts love for the show. It was astounding and unbelievably flattering. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Buffett has even tweeted about his love of the show. Thats pretty impressive since Buffett has only tweeted 8 times since joining Twitter four years ago. Only Buffett can tweet so little and still amass 1.15 million followers.

Not even the Oracle knows what will happen tonight. #waltsuccessor pic.twitter.com/EM8gIzZib5  Warren Buffett (@WarrenBuffett) September 30, 2013

I love Omaha and I love Warren Buffett, Gilligan told Yahoo Finance, while attending his fourth Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting. He says hell keep coming to the meeting as long as Buffett keeps inviting him.

Breaking Bad may have wrapped in 2013, but Buffett is also a fan of Gilligans current series Better Call Saul. Buffett visited the set of the Breaking Bad prequel last year, in which he posed for a photo draped in character Chuck McGills famous space blanket.

Gilligan admits he doesnt know much about the stock market and though he has the ear of one of the greatest investors of our time, he hasnt tried to glean any investing knowledge from Buffett.

I love spending time with him, Gilligan says, "because I love how much he loves life. Hes a self-made man and he worked hard to get what he got, and yet hes very humble about it. 

Story continues

So, would Gilligan want Buffett to appear in Better Call Saul? In a minute, Gilligan shot back.

I think theyre ready for your close up, Mr. Buffett.

Click here to view a full replay of the 2016 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting, which Yahoo Finance live-streamed exclusively. At this page you can also find our extensive coverage of the event.

More from Yahoo Finance

Munger: Donald Trump's behavior reflects a 'form of sickness'

Warren Buffett isnt worried about President Trump
By Ian Simpson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington's troubled Metro subway system, the second-busiest in the United States, will carry out months of extensive track work that will include partial shutdowns, a radio station reported on Thursday.

News of the work comes just days after a federal report into a deadly 2015 tunnel fire that exposed widespread safety lapses.

Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld will announce the program on Friday, WAMU 88.5 radio reported, citing anonymous transit authority officials.

The work is likely to cause widespread commuting hassles for Washington area residents, including hundreds of thousands of federal employees. It also could snarl travel plans for the 20 million people who visit the U.S. capital every year.

The work on the 40-year-old system may begin as early as June. A spokesman for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which is commonly known as Metro, had no immediate comment on the report.

The program calls for sections of track covering two or three stations at a time of Metro's 91 stations to undergo single-tracking or closures during the work week, WAMU said.

The work will range from replacing wooden rail ties, fasteners, switches, and electrical cables to making safety improvements identified by federal oversight officials, the sources told WAMU.

In a memo obtained by WAMU, Wiedefeld told the Metro board on Wednesday that the current level of 33 hours of maintenance a week on the two-track system was insufficient.

The report comes six weeks after the unprecedented one-day shutdown of Metro for emergency safety inspections. Metro carries about 700,000 passengers on weekdays in serving Washington and its Virginia and Maryland suburbs.

Jack Evans, the chairman of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the subway's parent, warned in March of maintenance shutdowns that could last months and called for another $25 billion in funding over the next decade to keep the system running.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson, editing by G Crosse and Alistair Bell)
This is the extraordinary moment a biker dangerously gave chase to a handbag thief before retrieving it and giving it back to the victim.

The moment was captured first-hand by the man on his motorbike, whose helmet camera filmed the whole incident in Kiev, Ukraine.

While waiting at a red light, the thief runs past the biker, clutching a womans handbag.

On the run: The biker gave chase to the mugger (CEN)

Suspect: The thief was clearly seen on the helmet camera (CEN)

Without a moments hesitation, the man gets off his bike and starts running through traffic to grab the mugger, who then crosses the road and jumps a metal fence running onto the other side of the street.

At this point the biker shouts at him and tries to grab the thief but he gets away.

The man then jumps over the fence and can be seen holding out his hand to stop oncoming traffic as he shouts at the thief to stop.

At this point the thug then drops the handbag and keeps running into a nearby park to escape.

Hero: The biker later returned the handbag to the owner (CEN)

Thanks: The victim gave the biker a kiss for his efforts (CEN)

The motorbike hero hands it back to the victim, who had also been following her assailant and was at this point standing trying to climb over the metal fence.

The grateful woman gives him a hug and kisses his helmet, thanking him for salvaging her bag.

Local media reports claim the thief is 27-year-old Akim Oleynik, with pictures on his social media account showing him wearing the same clothes as on the day of theft.

He deleted his profile after being named online.
Mexican rock band Mana will perform for the first time at the White House today (May 5) for the Cinco de Mayo presidential festivities. Mana previously played for President Barack Obama in two other occasions: In 2012 during a campaign event in Las Vegas and in 2013 during Obama's inauguration.

Members Fher Olvera and Alex Gonzalez kicked off the Cinco de Mayo festivities a day earlier by participating in the Latino Talks panel in D.C. where they celebrated all Latinos have contributed to the United States. "It's incredible to see how everyday so many Latinos are achieving amazing things in all different levels; sports, arts, politics, the list can go on and on," said Gonzalez.

Watch Mana's live performance at 3 p.m. EST followed by POTUS remarks at 4 p.m.

The pro-immigrant and anti-Trump activists will kick off their national Latino Power Tour on Sept. 9 as a call to Latinos to get registered to vote for the upcoming presidential election.
From ELLE

Dakota Johnson had a suggestion for Stephen Colbert when she saw him at the Met Gala, a day before she appeared on his show. "Could we drink during the interview?" She asked, so they did-tequila shots at Dakota's suggestion-and tried to have a normal back-and-forth. That didn't happen, but what did was better: Dakota immediately got giggly, threw shade at the Met Gala, and then talked with Stephen about islands, jellyfish, Tilda Swinton, and Fifty Shades of Grey.

A sample of what she said:

1) On hating the Met Gala's decorations: "It was crazy. It's so fancy, and there was so many flowers. For some reason I thought this year they wouldn't use so many flowers because of you know, technology. They could've just, instead of using all the flowers, they could've done like, fake flowers, you know?"

2) On why she didn't have fun at the after parties: "I did [go], but I was so hungry, and I guess everyone was hungry. I don't know what happened, you're supposed to eat at the Met and then I went to pee and by the time I came-I went to pee then I came back and my lamb chop was gone." She made this face after, wiping tequila tears:

3) On Pantelleria, the name of the island she shot A Bigger Splash on: "That sounds like a disease."

4) Her prolific description of what it was like to be on Pantelleria: "It was enjoyable. It was hot, we were on an island, there was you know, water surrounding it."

5) On the water surrounding that island: "But then the water's filled with jellyfish so figure that one out."

6) On Tilda Swinton not being an alien: "You meet her, and you think that maybe she might speak some alien jargon or something, but she's not like that. She's the most maternal and loving-she's full of love and information."

7) On taking a third tequila shot: "This is out of control. It's only because-God, I don't want to seem like a wimp, but I also have a 5:30 a.m. pickup in Canada. ...Wait a minute, I'm in New York?!"

Then Stephen Colbert asked her about Fifty Shades and unwinding after shooting those "sadomasochist" scenes all day. It's all great, especially after the 3:00 mark, when she loses it multiple times laughing:
One of key issues that dominated the Q1 earning season for the banks was the impact of the sustained volatility in oil prices on the quarterly results, given their exposure in the energy sector. Profitability of major companies including JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM, Wells Fargo & Company WFC and Bank of America Corporation BAC was hurt because of the high provisions to cover the soured loans of the energy companies.



Deterioration in credit quality of the loans made to the energy companies continues to be a major headwind. In its latest quarterly filing, Wells Fargo revealed that the criticized loans in its commercial and industrial portfolio increased a whopping 62% to $29.9 billion, driven by the energy related loans. Criticized loans are those that exhibit weakness or undue risks. Significant losses may occur when these loans become uncollectible. As of Mar 31, 2016 Wells Fargo's oil and gas loan portfolio totaled $17.8 billion, representing 2% of total outstanding loans.



While Wells Fargo did not mention the amount of loans criticized in oil and gas, per JPMorgans filing, the companys criticized loans to the oil and gas industry increased significantly to $9.7 billion as of Mar 31, 2016, from $4.5 billion at the end of Dec 2015. Notably, the New York-based companys total criticized loans (excluding loans held-for-sale and loans at fair value), was $21.2 billion, increasing 45% year over year, driven by downgrades, including within the Oil & Gas and Natural Gas Pipelines portfolios, and in the Metals & Mining portfolio.



Also, Bank of America noted in its filing that of the total energy-related utilized exposure to the higher risk sub-sectors, 56% was criticized as of Mar 31, 2016. Notably BofAs energy-related committed exposure was $43.5 billion at the end of Mar 31, 2016 while utilized exposure was $21.8 billion.



Energy companies are struggling hard to sustain amid the low prices by undertaking several measures including cut in capital spending and layoffs. However, oil prices in the near term are not expected to shoot up given the absence of production cuts from OPEC, the resilience of North American shale suppliers to keep pumping despite plunge in prices, a weak European economy and slowing growth in China.



Banks, which have extended credit to troubled energy firms in order to avoid large amounts of defaults, are however tightening their funding pipeline to these companies. Several banks continue to increase reserves while closely monitoring the loan portfolio and working with borrowers to address issues. Though many of the banks claim exposures to be manageable, risk grade migration within the energy portfolio may lead to higher provisions in the near term, consequently hitting the overall asset quality.





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Third candidate's a charm?



With many Republicans unwilling to give their votes to presumptive nominee Donald Trump or Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, some are now pinning their hopes on a potential third-party candidate.



In a Facebook manifesto published Thursday morning, rising-star Republican and Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse argued that neither political party is working and called for a one-term, "problem-solver" candidate for this "messy moment."



"Why shouldn't America draft an honest leader who will focus on 70% solutions for the next four years? You know ... an adult?" he asked before closing his nearly 1,500-word open letter with the hash tags #WeCanDoBetter and #GiveUsMoreChoices.







The Huffington Post writes that while a third-party candidate may not be able to win the presidency, putting a "traditional conservative on the ballot" would offer Republicans an out from doing the unthinkable  voting for Clinton. It "would 'virtually assure' Clinton of victory  giving business-minded conservatives who prefer Clinton [to Trump] a way to support her without having to support her directly."



Leading Republicans say they're not opposed to the idea of a third-party candidate.



Former John Boehner aide Sam Geduldig said an "independent conservative running could actually help the House and Senate."



Tim Miller, a former Jeb Bush campaign official and now a leader of the #NeverTrump movement, told PEOPLE that his work was focused on stopping Trump's nomination but he's now "happy to support" the effort to draft a third-party alternative  "to the extent that there is a conservative third-party candidate that would give Republicans who can't stomach voting for Trump a person to vote for." He added that he doesn't yet know "what is realistic" on that front.



Doug Heye, a former top aide to Eric Cantor, echoed Miller's concerns, pointing out, "The challenge is that there is a high barrier to entry to making that a reality."



Even Sasse admitted in his manifesto, "It might not happen fully in 2016 a but when people's needs aren't being met, they ultimately find other solutions."









And it seems there are many Republicans out there whose needs are not being met.



George H.W. Bush, for the first time since his own presidency, is staying mum on the presidential race. Neither he nor his son former President George W. Bush have plans to endorse Trump, their respective spokesmen told PEOPLE.



Nevada Sen. Dean Heller told the Associated Press he "vehemently" opposes Trump, though he vowed he will not vote for Clinton.



And Sen. John McCain argued that stopping Trump is also about keeping down-ticket Republicans like himself alive.



"If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life," McCain said at a fundraiser in Arizona last month, according to a recording of the event obtained by Politico. "If you listen or watch Hispanic media in the state and in the country, you will see that it is all anti-Trump. The Hispanic community is roused and angry in a way that I've never seen in 30 years."



While #NeverTrump-ers are still holding out hope that they won't be forced to choose between two such unpalatable options, there's only one course on the menu at the Republican National Committee's headquarters in Washington, where officials are implementing a zero-tolerance policy on Trump detractors. Some staffers were told Wednesday, the morning after chairman Reince Priebus pronounced Trump the de-facto nominee, that they must either get behind Trump or clean out their desks by the end of this week, The New York Times reported.



In other words  Trump: It's what's for dinner.
The bombing of Aleppo: A United Nations official said the Syrian governments shelling operations against the city over the last two weeks is among the worst of the countrys five-year-long civil war. Earlier today, the U.S. and Russia, which are supporting opposite sides in the conflict, agreed to a temporary cease-fire in the city.

The state of the GOP: It has been a big day for the Republican presidential race. John Kasich dropped out, leaving Donald Trump as the presumptive nominee. Nora wrote about waiting for the Kasich presser that never happened this morning; Molly rang the death knell for the GOP; and Yoni and David Frum, with Daniel over on the video team, examined whats inside Trump Sauce.

The feds vs. North Carolina: The Department of Justice said in a letter to Governor Pat McCrory that the states controversial law on bathrooms, which requires transgender individuals to use the room that corresponds with their gender at birth, is facially discriminatory and violates parts of the Civil Rights Act. David has the story here.

News from this afternoon here

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. SNTA is expected to report first-quarter 2016 results on May 5. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has a pretty good track record with the company beating expectations on two occasions, while posting in line results in one. Overall, the company has delivered an average positive surprise of 21.52%. Lets see how things are shaping up for the first quarter of 2016.



Factors to Consider



Last month, Synta announced that it will be merging with a privately held company, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc, in an all-stock transaction. This combined company will focus on the development of novel small-molecule drugs targeting cardiovascular-metabolic diseases and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).



MGL-3196, which is Madrigals lead candidate, is a phase II-ready candidate that is being evaluated for the treatment of NASH and heterozygous as well as homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Data readouts for each program are anticipated throughout 2017.



Once the transaction closes, Madrigal shareholders will own 64% of the combined company while Synta shareholders will own 36%. The transaction is slated to close by the end of the third quarter of 2016.



We note that earlier Synta had focused on cancer treatments but the company suffered a setback last year when it decided to terminate a late-stage study (GALAXY-2) on its lead pipeline candidate ganetespib (advanced non-small cell lung cancer) due to futility. Thereafter, the company discontinued a substantial portion of its research and development activities relating to ganetespib and its oncology pipeline.



However, the company continues to conduct limited activities with respect to ganetespib including support for two ongoing investigator-sponsored studies in ovarian cancer and sarcoma and drug candidates from its Hsp90 inhibitor drug conjugate (HDC) program, including STA-12-8666.



Considering these developments, focus will remain on updates from the Madrigal transaction and strategic plans ahead.

Story continues

Stocks that Warrant a Look

Here are some companies in the health care sector you may want to consider as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements  a positive Zacks Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3  to post an earnings beat this quarter.

The Earnings ESP for BIND Therapeutics, Inc. BIND is +7.14% and it carries a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release first-quarter results on May 9.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc JAZZ has an Earnings ESP of +6.11% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release first-quarter results on May 10.

The Earnings ESP for Impax Laboratories Inc. IPXL is +8.89% and it carries a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release first-quarter results on May 10.

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For some Americans, seeing a doctor is as simple as calling the same office they've called for 20 years. For others, it can be a lot less certain.

Which one of those you are could make a big difference in the overall quality of your health.

Looking at data from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey, which collects health information based on household interviews in every state and Washington DC, CDC researchers found that the percentage of adults who don't have a go-to place for medical care ranged anywhere from a low of 2.8% of people without in Vermont, to 26.7% of people in Nevada.

See how your state stacks up:

db245_fig1

On average, 17.3% of all adults 18-64 in the US didn't have a place where they typically got medical care.

Having a place to go when you're starting to feel sick could have a huge effect on timing  for example, catching and treating an infection early rather than waiting until the only option is the emergency room. Having a medical center is also a key way to make sure people go in for frequent check-ups that can help prevent problems down the line.

The researchers noted that in states with Medicaid (the federal and state healthcare program for low-income families and individuals) expansion, the percent of people without a go-to medical center was lower than in states without the expansion.

When it came to the percentage of adults who hadn't talked to a doctor in the last year, those numbers also varied by state, ranging from Vermont at 15.9% of all adults not seeing a doctor, to almost half of all adults in Montana not seeing a doctor in the past year.

db245_fig2

On a national average, about a third of US adults had not seen a doctor in the past year.

NOW WATCH: NASA is looking for ways to dispose of dead bodies in space  and it's getting weird





More From Business Insider


Since 1952, the parties nominees for president have received classified national security briefings. (Photo: Yahoo News/AP)



The FBI may be investigating whether Hillary Clintons private email server arrangement endangered top-secret materials, but the White House is confident she will properly handle any classified information she might get in CIA briefings arranged for the two parties presidential nominees.



Donald Trump? Not so much.

Since 1952, the U.S. intelligence community has given classified briefings to the Democratic and Republican nominees. The current occupant of the Oval Office receives similar, though more detailed, briefings. The goal is to permit the incoming commander in chief to hit the ground running when it comes to national security.

Some Democrats have suggested that Trump cannot be trusted with the countrys secrets. Just days ago, the presumptive GOP nominee was promoting a conspiracy theory from the National Enquirer in which Texas Sen. Ted Cruzs father was connected to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Republicans, in turn, have charged that Clinton cannot be trusted because of her use of a private email system for official business throughout her tenure as secretary of state.

On Thursday, at White House press secretary Josh Earnests daily briefing, a reporter asked whether the administration has confidence in Clintons handling of classified information.

Yes, we do, he said. Secretary Clinton has obviously served this administration with distinction, and shes got a lot of experience in understanding the need to protect classified information.

What about Trump?

Well have to see what decision the director of national intelligence makes. I guess I cant offer my own assessment, Earnest replied.



At another point, Earnest seemed to suggest that intelligence professionals might be  selective in the information they share with both candidates.



They are committed to fulfilling the spirit of this bipartisan or even nonpartisan cooperation when it comes to sensitive national security issues, Earnest said. At the same time, they also will carry out those activities consistent with their understanding about treating this information sensitively.

Moreover, he added, the White House will not be interfering in what information they provide, how often they provide it, whether or not its the same information for the two candidates.

The classified information issue is not (just) a Beltway parlor game. Then President Harry Truman authorized the first candidate briefings in part because of his own experience: When he stepped into the job in April 1945, he had not been briefed about American efforts to develop the atomic bomb.
The Empire Strikes Back (Everett)

Its May the 5th, which technically means that May the 4th is over. But at Yahoo! Movies, we like to think that every day is Star Wars Day, which means its always a good time to share juicy bits of trivia about the original trilogy, especially when they involve crucial information about Boba Fett.

In a new interview with Inverse, Craig Miller  Lucasfilms first official fan relations officer and a man who played a key role in getting Star Wars loyalists excited for The Empire Strikes Back in 1980  says he leaked a list of rumors about Empire to the sci-fi magazine Starlog in an effort to build buzz. Some of those rumors were false (like Leia choosing to be with Luke), some were legit (like Han Solo being frozen in carbonite by movies end), and some were initially legit but didnt stay that way.

Related: We Talked to Boba Fett, a.k.a. Jeremy Bulloch, About Fan Tattoos, That Costume and the Spinoff Movie

Miller explains that the rumors about the bounty hunter Boba Fett made him sound like a fairly prominent new character  because he originally was supposed to be.

Originally Boba Fett was set up in Empire as a character, Miller tells Inverse (and former Yahoo Movies) staffer Jordan Zakarin. Boba was going to be the main villain.



This was back when creator George Lucas was toying with the idea of 12 Star Wars movies, plans that gradually got scaled back. Miller said: When George [Lucas] decided not to make a third trilogy, he completely jettisoned that story line, which is why in the first ten minutes, Boba Fett gets bumped into and falls into the mouth of a giant monster. So he took what was planned for the third trilogy, which was the confrontation between Luke and Darth Vader, and the battle with the Emperor, and that got squished down from three movies to one movie. And that became the plot of Jedi.

Related: Star Wars Day: The Actors Behind Biggs and Fixer On Starring In the Most Famous Deleted Scenes Ever

Story continues

Lucas ratcheted back on his original plan to make multiple Star Wars trilogies, because, as Miller explains it, he lost interest in continuing beyond the initial three.

Obviously, he would later change his mind about that when he embarked on the prequel trilogy. Unfortunately, it wasnt in time to save Boba Fett from the Sarlacc pit. Although, with a Boba spin-off movie in the works and the possibility that Boba didnt die in said pit, maybe that plucky bounty hunter will finally get his moment in the villainous sun after all.

Watch a bunch of kids celebrating Star Wars Day:
The last time Ted Sarandos went to Cannes, he got heckled. "You are destroying the film ecosystem of Europe!" a French journalist screamed after Netflix's chief content officer finished a 2015 keynote on the future of cinema. It was up to Harvey Weinstein, also in the audience, to stand up and defend the streaming service, as well as Sarandos' cinematic credentials.

Compare that chilling reception with the warm embrace Cannes has given Amazon. Festival director Thierry Fremaux picked five Amazon titles this year - Woody Allen's Cafe Society for opening night, Jim Jarmusch's Paterson, Nicolas Winding Refn's The Neon Demon and Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden in competition, and Jarmusch's Iggy Pop documentary Gimme Danger as a special screening - more than any other studio.

While the traditional film industry has bristled at Netflix's disruptive presence - the theatrical boycott of its Beasts of No Nation by the four largest U.S. exhibitors, a response to the streamer's decision to bow the film online day-and-date, essentially killed its awards chances - it so far has warmed to Amazon.

Read More: Cannes: Amazon Leads Lineup With 5 Titles, Ending Fest's No SVOD Rule

"There is no suspicion about [their] love of cinema. They are good for cinema," says Fremaux. "Amazon and the people in charge of cinema at Amazon - the people who bought Woody Allen and Nicolas Winding Refn - they are movie buffs."

Ted Hope, head of film production at Amazon, went further, telling THR that Cannes' mandate and his company's "are virtually one and the same.  We are a director-driven company; we aim for visionary and ambitious films that have the stamp of what an auteur is, that singular voice. And that is certainly what Cannes has always been."

Hours after Cannes announced its lineup, international exhibitors at CinemaCon joined the festival in welcoming Amazon to the fold, wildly cheering executives who promised that, unlike Netflix, all of their films will go out in theaters, holding to the traditional 90-day theatrical window.

Story continues

"Amazon seems to be willing to play the theatrical game, as it were - to play by the rules," says Phil Clapp, CEO of the U.K. Cinema Association. "That commitment to the  theatrical experience sends an important signal to the broader industry that there is a willingness to engage [and] be a full partner, perhaps in contrast to others operating in this space."

Read More: Amazon Studios Paid Staggering $15M for Woody Allen's Next Film

Adds Hope: "You look at what our slates are, and most of these films will benefit by traditional windows. We aren't truly doing something - to use the popular, overused term of the day - disruptive. We are doing something that highlights what's great about cinema and trying to make it work better."

Material also matters: Netflix has invested in a slate of Adam Sandler movies. Amazon - which in addition to its Cannes titles has the Kevin Spacey-Michael Shannon starrer Elvis & Nixon, Whit Stillman's Love & Friendship and Manchester by the Sea with Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck - is singing European cinema owners' tune. "I think Amazon's slate might actually do better on the Old Continent," says Eddy Duquenne, CEO of Belgium's Kinepolis movie chain. "We have a population that's a little bit grayer than the U.S., is less interested in the studio sequels and wants more estrogen and less testosterone in its movies."

Amazon insists it sees value in the theatrical release, which, claims Amazon Studios head Roy Price, "positions a movie as a real movie in customers' eyes." But Amazon's cinema-first strategy is as practical as it is ideological. Unlike Netflix, which operates its streaming service in virtually every country in the world (China being the one major exception), Amazon's Prime Video service is not available in France, in Italy, in Canada, Spain, Australia, Russia or Brazil. A global day-and-date rollout, the cornerstone of Netflix' release strategy, still is impossible for Amazon.

"At the moment, Amazon loves the art house, or smart house section of the market, where they need a theatrical, critics-supported release to kick-start the next release windows," says Mike Ryan, chairman of global trade association the Independent Film & TV Alliance. "But we've seen in the past how these digital companies can turn on a dime and change their strategies."

A version of this story first appeared in the May 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
Will Disney Give a Magical Performance in 2016?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Disneys upcoming attractions

The Walt Disney Companys (DIS) theme parks and resorts business is doing extremely well in the United States. Disney has introduced three-tier pricing at its US theme parks to increase its revenue in the theme parks business.

Disneys CEO Bob Iger explained the pricing strategy at the Deutsche Bank investor conference in March 2016, stating, What we did is we introduced three-tier pricing: value, which is about 25% in terms of number of days; regular, which is about 50% of the days in a given year; and premium or peak, 25 days. These are for one-day tickets to our parks.

The company is leveraging its intellectual property and continues to add new attractions to its theme parks.

Late last month, Disney announced its plans to further develop its Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea theme parks in Japan (EWJ). It plans to complete this development by 2020. Disney will add new attractions to its theme parks in Japan and will include enhancements of guest service processes and facilities.

Early in March, Disney also announced that it was looking at adding two more cruise ships to its fleet, taking the number to six. However, the company expects that these cruise ships will become operational only in 2021 or 2023.

The company also expects to open its Shanghai Disney Resort on June 16, 2016. It will be Disneys first resort in mainland China (FXI). Disney expects pre-opening expenses for the Shanghai resort to be around $300 million in 2016.

Last year, Disneys competitor Comcast (CMCSA) acquired a 51% stake in Universal Studios Japan to fuel its international expansion efforts.

Disneys theme parks in Hong Kong and Paris

Disney is also looking at expanding in Hong Kong by adding an Iron Man attraction and constructing a new hotel in Hong Kong (EWH).

The companys Hong Kong theme park has seen reduced traffic from the mainland in the past year. However, the park is in an area that has good connectivity to Southeast Asia and India, so Disney hopes that the park will see more visitors going forward.

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The company expects to continue investing modestly in Disneyland Paris (EWQ). The park continues to be affected by the economic slowdown.

Disney makes up 0.86% of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). SPY has holdings of 3.4% in the computers sector. SPY also holds 0.19% in 21st Century Fox (FOXA) and 0.13% in CBS (CBS).

Continue to Next Part

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Investors are always looking for stocks that are poised to beat at earnings season and Garrison Capital Inc. GARS may be one such company. The firm has earnings coming up pretty soon, and events are shaping up quite nicely for their report.

That is because Garrison Capital is seeing favorable earnings estimate revision activity as of late, which is generally a precursor to an earnings beat. After all, analysts raising estimates right before earningswith the most up-to-date information possibleis a pretty good indicator of some favorable trends underneath the surface for GARS in this report.

In fact, the Most Accurate Estimate for the current quarter is currently at 34 cents per share for GARS, compared to a broader Zacks Consensus Estimate of 32 cents per share. This suggests that analysts have very recently bumped up their estimates for GARS, giving the stock a Zacks Earnings ESP of 6.25% heading into earnings season.

Why is this Important?

A positive reading for the Zacks Earnings ESP has proven to be very powerful in producing both positive surprises, and outperforming the market. Our recent 10 year backtest shows that stocks that have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better show a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and have returned over 28% on average in annual returns (see more Top Earnings ESP stocks here).

Given that GARS has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and an ESP in positive territory, investors might want to consider this stock ahead of earnings. Clearly, recent earnings estimate revisions suggest that good things are ahead for Garrison Capital, and that a beat might be in the cards for the upcoming report.

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From Esquire

Fort McMurray was the capital of the Canadian tar sands boom, a small place in the environmental moonscape of the rising petro-state of Alberta. Unfortunately, oil prices have crashed and now Fort McMurray seems to be burning down. From The Canadian Press:

An earlier order that had applied to almost 30,000 people, mostly on the city's south side, was extended to tens of thousands more as hungry flames continued to eat their way into the city. The wildfire, whipped by unpredictable winds on a day when the temperature reached 32 C, worsened dramatically in a short time and many residents had little notice to flee. Towers of bright-orange flames cut through the clouds and skipped over tinder-dry forest. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said the province was doing all it could to ensure everyone's safety. She said she was looking into the possibility of an airlift for residents with medical issues.

Fort McMurray was a sleepy little river town until the tar-sands industry came to Alberta. It brought the town a new $250 million airport and a shiny new stadium. Soon, if you counted permanent residents and the people who lived in the various tar-sends work camps, the population of Fort McMurray had pushed past 100,000. When oil prices deflated, so did the bubble that was the local economy. The people who stayed are now running for their lives, and the descriptions provided by the evacuees sound like nothing more than the accounts of the survivors of the great wildfire in Peshtigo, Wisconsin in 1871:

Resident Mark Durocher, 25, described the air as "thick." "If you just walk outside, you feel it (ash) falling on you. You see it floating in the air. I can take a broom and brush it off my deck," said Durocher. "You can taste it and feel it when you're walking around. It feels really heavy and you can taste just how 'woody' it is in the air." Sandra Hickey, who lives in a neighbourhood under an evacuation order, said the situation changed quite suddenly. "When I got in the shower earlier today the sky was blue. When I got out, the sky was black," said Hickey, who had to leave her home. "It was fast. The wind picked up and changed direction."

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The situation in Fort McMurray was exacerbated by extremely dry conditions. This also was the case in Peshtigo, where overlogging left so much wooden debris on the forest floor that flames riding the high, hot winds found a natural kind of tinder. A survivor named Martha Coon wrote to her sister:

Oh Mary, it was truly a night of horror, it rained fire; the air was on fire; some thought the last day had come

In both cases, severe environmental damage contributed to the intensity of the fire and the breadth of the destruction. Right now, 80,000 people have to evacuate Fort McMurray and they seem to be managing it. At least, in the 145 years since Peshtigo, we've gotten better at that.

Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page.


The United States Oil Fund (USO) , which tracks West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures, and the United States Brent Oil Fund (BNO) , which tracks Brent crude oil futures, are up an average of more than 28% over the past three months. That still is not enough to impress all oil market participants.

In fact, some oil market observers are worried that the commodity is vulnerable to some retrenchment that could send it below $40 per barrel. There are plenty of factors to consider before coming to the conclusion that oil and the related exchange traded products are completely out of the woods. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia and Iran failed to find common ground during the oil freeze talks in Doha, Qatar.

Related: Oil ETFs: Buying the Dip With USO, BNO

Prices have retreated more than 5% since touching a 2016 high last week as traders questioned the ongoing strength in the oil rally. Energy prices bounced from the February lows on some global supply problems and expectations of a dip in U.S. output.

However, plenty of skeptics remain regarding oils fundamental outlook. There might be something to that skepticism as many of the worlds major ex-U.S. producers of oil have not displayed a willingness to pare production. Even the output reductions in the U.S. have been modest. The good news is U.S. shale output is slightly declining, but challenges remain on the output front from OPEC producers.

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 However, speculation can boost prices only to a certain extent in the short-term. After this, the fundamentals take over. The extent of speculation is enormous, though the daily production of oil in the U.S. is around 9 million b/d, the WTI crude oil contract trades more than 100 times the produced quantity, reports OilPrice.com.

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Making oils rebound rebound this year all the more impressive is that it comes against the backdrop of still low oil prices, little help in the way of significant production cuts and massive spending reductions by global oil majors.

Related: 32 Best ETFs to Track Crude Oil

Oil majors have tightened their belts, reducing costs by laying off thousands of workers and halted many new projects. Large integrated oil companies are expected to hold up better than drilling stocks as these giants have both upstream exploration and production, along with downstream refining operations.

However, Citi Research points out that the oil producers have hedged only 36 percent of their estimated production for 2016, compared to 50 percent in the previous years, adds Oilprice.com.

For more information on the oil market, visit our oil category .

United States Oil Fund

uso

The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu resigned on Thursday in a dramatic move that clears the path for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to further consolidate his already extensive power. Davutoglus departure comes as Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (known by its Turkish initials AKP) are preparing a campaign to replace Turkeys parliamentary system of government with a presidential system, a shift that could cement Erdogans control of the Turkish state for years to come.

Regarded as a thoughtful and competent leader, Davutoglu replaced Erdogan as prime minister in 2014, more than a decade after the AKP came to power. Alongside Erdogan, he was a key public face of the party when it won a comeback victory in the countrys November 2015 parliamentary election, five months after the AKP had shocked experts by losing its majority in a previous election.

Read More: How a German Comic Exposed Merkels Weakness by Provoking Turkey

In a televised address announcing his resignation, Davutoglu hinted at recent problems with Erdogan, but seemed to accept his departure from power. The fact that my term lasted far shorter than four years is not a decision of mine but a necessity, he said, according to Turkeys Hurriyet newspaper. He said he would continue his friendship with Erdogan until my last breath. He added, The honor of our president is my honor. His family is my family.

As prime minister, the more moderate Davutoglu had been the formal head of government in Turkey, but he was widely regarded as governing under the long shadow of Erdogan, the more ambitious and ultimately the more powerful of the two. With the former prime minister sidelined, analysts say Erdogan has removed one of his only potential rivals for power within the state.

Read More: The First Migrants Deported Back to Turkey Under an E.U. Deal Face an Uncertain Future

While the two politicians had been friends and allies for years, recent signs of tension between the two had become clear. Last week, the AKP stripped the prime minister of the power to appoint provincial-level officials. The two had also publicly disagreed over whether to resume negotiations with Kurdish militants whom the Turkish military is fighting in the countrys southeast.

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Part of it is that Erdogan did not believe Davutoglu gave his full backing to the presidential agenda, says Sinan Ulgen. An Istanbul-based visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe. The other part is that Davutoglu himself wishing to carve out an independent political space.

Read More: Turkeys Erdogan Feels the Pressure

I think this is an indication that the country is switching at least to a de facto presidential system, and therefore the next government under the next prime minister will have an even smaller independent political space than the Davutoglu executive.

The leaders of two key opposition parties denounced the move as a power grab. At a news conference in Ankara, Kemal Klcdaroglu, leader of the secular Republican Peoples Party, which holds the second largest number of seats in parliament, told reporters, All democracy supporters must resist this palace coup.

Davutoglus exit comes as the ruling AKP continues to sideline and constrain political opponents. On Monday, a parliamentary committee approved a bill that would strip lawmakers of judicial immunity, a measure that would clear the way for prosecutions of opposition leaders. Before the vote, members of the AKP and the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) engaged in a physical brawl in the house of parliament.

Erdogan has called for prosecutions of members of the HDP, accusing the officials of links to outlawed Kurdish militants. The HDP, which entered parliament for the first time last June, rejects those accusations.

In addition to bitter parliamentary politics, Turkey is also grappling with a lethal conflict with Kurdish insurgents, a wave of attacks by ISIS militants, and the presence of more than 2.7 million refugees who fled the civil war in neighboring Syria. But the sense of growing instability and violence may have actually helped cement the AKPs grip on power. After losing its majority in the parliament, called the Grand National Assembly, in an election in June 2015, coalition talks failed. In the meantime, fighting resumed in the Kurdish-majority southeast and ISIS carried out a series of lethal bombings in the country. When voters returned to the polls, they restored the AKPs majority.

Following the election, the government intensified the military campaign on Kurdish militants and also expanded what opponents say is a broad effort to restrict freedom of expression, including arrests and prosecutions of dissident journalists and academics. Erdogans critics argue that those and other measures signal an embrace of an increasingly authoritarian form of governance.

At key points in the recent season of political violence in Turkey, Davutoglu has been a more conciliatory leader than Erdogan. When Davutoglu hinted in April at a possible willingness to resume of peace talks with Kurdish militants, Erdogan ruled out any negotiations, saying the government would continue battling the insurgents until the last weapon is silenced.

Observers also point to a broader distinction in style between the two leaders. Davutoglu, a former diplomat and foreign minister, is an intellectual and the author of books on Turkish foreign policy and political theory. Erdogan is a former mayor of Istanbul and semi-professional soccer player, and analysts say he is increasingly intent on securing his own enduring power in the state. I think that if Davutoglu resigned this is because Erdogan told him to resign, says Bayram Balci, an expert on Turkish politics at Sciences Po in Paris. The two leaders can not work together anymore. Erdogan is not satisfied with Davutolgus too soft and diplomatic style in the management of the country and in the management of certain issues between Turkey and Europe.

Davutoglus resignation also raises questions about the future of a controversial agreement between Turkey and the European Union to accept refugees denied entry to Greece in exchange for allowing some refugees to fly to Europe. Davutoglu was the architect of the agreement, which went into effect last month. Davutoglu was considered the more pro-European of the two leaders.

With a possible rival now ejected from political life, Erdogan and his party are expected to continue with an existing plan to transform Turkeys government into a presidential system. Burak Kadercan, an expert on Turkish politics at the U.S. Naval War College, said Davotuglus demise was a sign that Erdogan is gearing up for the next move.

Im not surprised at all that Davutoglu is stepping down. From the get-go I considered him a placeholder, he says. I think at this moment, Erdogan needs someone with a lower profile.
SDP chief Chee Soon Juan hugs his mother as his wife, Dr Huang Chih Mei, (second from left) and son, Shaw Hur, look on. (Photo: Joseph Nair)

Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan reiterated his credentials as a potential a Member of Parliament and the need for an alternative voice in Parliament at the partys final rally of its Bukit Batok by-election campaign.



Speaking at the field along Bukit Batok Industrial Park A on Thursday (5 May), Chee told a crowd of thousands that Bukit Batok residents would have a win-win situation if they voted him and his party in.



My top priority will be to manage the Town Council effectively and productively, said Chee, 53, adding that constituents would also have an MP who will speak up for you on matters that affect you and your family.



He stressed that the SDP does not take a back seat to the PAP when it comes to capability, whether it comes to running the Town Council or coming up with ideas to help improve Singapore.



The father of three elaborated on his proposals, such as retrenchment insurance, and once again pledged to be a full-time MP.



We are so used to the PAPs way of doing things that we think this is the norm and that theres no other way, no better way to do things. Im here to tell you that this isnt true, he said.



We need to set a new standard, a different standard for MPs. MPs must not focus on making money but instead spend their time working on how they can better represent their constituency and better attend to their (residents) needs.



SDP speaker Damanhuri Abas fiercely rebutted Jurong GRC MP Rahayu Mahzams insinuation that Chee may have called for all Muslims entering Singapore to be monitored or screened. (Photo: Joseph Nair)



A fiery rebuttal



The fieriest part of the rally came when Damanhuri Abas returned to the stage after his speech, to rebut comments made by Jurong GRC MP Rahayu Mahzam at the Peoples Action Party rally on the same night.



Speaking from Bukit Gombak Stadium, Rahayu referred to Chees comments in the wake of the recent arrest of eight Bangladeshi workers in Singapore for their alleged involvement in terrorist plots.

Story continues

Noting that Chee had called for closer vetting of foreign workers coming to the Republic, she asked if the SDP chief might even be calling for all Muslims entering Singapore to be monitored or screened.



This is the kind of filth that we are hearing from the whites in Bukit Gombak, Damanhuri thundered. He pointed out that Chee had fought for the right of a young Malay girl to wear a tudung (headscarf) to school.



So dont lie to us. We have had enough of all this insinuations. Dr Chee is a very fair person, Damanhuri said.



The wholesome family man



At the end of the rally, the image of Chee as a wholesome family man was reinforced when his family  comprising his wife Huang Chih Mei, teenage daughters An Lyn and E Lyn and youngest son Shaw Hur  joined him onstage.



His elderly mother also gave him a long and heartfelt hug. It was a moment to tug at the heartstrings, especially after fellow rally speaker Jaslyn Go had spoken of how Chees mother had been hurt by the numerous newspaper reports criticising her son.



Chee also paid tribute to the supporters who had encouraged him along the way.



Ive travelled a long way, and the road ahead is long, and hard. But you know what? Im not tired. Im not tired because every time I see you, whether its at the kopitiam or the MRT station when I see your faces light up and you tell me, Thank you for speaking up, it makes me feel that everything Ive done in the last 25 years has been worth it, he said.


In the past, Donald Trump has said that the ges are too high and repeatedly expressed the concern that raising the minimum wage would undermine American competitiveness in the global economy. But less than a day after securing the status of presumptive Republican presidential nominee, he said hed consider making it higher.

As the New York Times noted, the billionaire showman told Wolf Blitzer on CNN Wednesday that hes open to doing something with the minimum wage. Trump also described himself as very different from most Republicans on the issue.

Why would Trump change his tune on the issue so quickly? Aside from his general tendency to be inconsistent in his policy stances, it could be the opening gambit of his pivot to the general election. Stagnant wages are a concern for citizens across the political spectrum, and small increases in the minimum wage are certainly not always anathema to conservatives.

Increasing the minimum wage is also likely one of the most obvious ways to catch the attention of former supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, a group that Trump has said that he plans to target as Sanders nomination chances continue to dwindle. Trump has demonstrated sustained appeal to the white working class  a demographic that Sanders has attracted in large numbers  and his opposition to free trade agreements should play well with Sanders supporters, too. There have been multiple reports in recent months that the rank-and-file of labor unions, who typically vote for Democrats, have taken interest in Trump.

In terms of his message, it is really resonating. Particularly if you are talking [about] union people, he is speaking our language, Josh Goldstein, deputy national media director for the AFL-CIO, told the Huffington Post. We cant let that go unattended, because people have been doing that with Trump for a long time, and his numbers have only gone up.  It is our job to go out and educate people now, so it doesnt cross that threshold and become a threat.

Sanders has called for a $15 federal minimum wage, and Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has said that in certain circumstances shed consider it as well. Trumps likely going to have to go very bold  uncomfortably bold, for someone running on a Republican ticket  on raising the wage to really capture the interest of left-leaning voters receptive to his message.
When it comes to dramatic proposals, this Georgia couple takes the cake.

Read: Dash Cam Captures Police Officer Proposing to His Firefighter Girlfriend During Fake Traffic Stop

In a shocking video by Making Movies Jealous Proposal & Wedding Services, Kwame Thomas, 39 can be seen proposing to his now-fiance, Dyan Swift, 33, on a helicopter pad -- after they had just ridden what Swift thought would be the final ride of her life.

She had begun the experience believing that she was about to be "girlfriend of the year", when the helicopter company called, and offered her a free trip.



"He was trying to build up some publicity for this helicopter tour company and all we had to do was leave a review," Swift assumed.



She was told the company had obtained a list of guests at the hotel they were staying at, and sought out a few couples to offer a ride. The company, who turned out to be the team her boyfriend hired, even suggested that they keep it a secret surprise.

Read: Bride and Groom Say 'I Do' in The Kmart Toy Aisle, Where They First Met



Knowing that her then-boyfriend loved helicopters and flying, she decided to go ahead and lock in the trip.



Little did she know that Thomas orchestrated the entire operation.



Thomas told IE.com that his elaborate plan was conceived in late December.



"I knew I wanted to propose, and I knew I wanted something over the top," he said. After seeing a surprise proposal video that Matt Still coordinated, he was inspired to reach out him and Michael Mueller, who did the entire videography,

Thomas then slyly suggested to Swift that that the two were due for a mini vacation, so they planned a trip to nearby Atlanta. As a finishing touch, Thomas even booked one of the only hotels with a helicopter pad.



But when Swift led him up to the roof on that day in March, Thomas pretended to be shocked, and Swift didn't suspect a single thing.



"I'm about to give the best gift ever to Kwame. He's been working so hard, and he needs this," she thought, as the couple excitedly boarded the helicopter.

Story continues

Of course, it was really her that was surprised when, during their bird's eye tour from Buckhead to the Georgia Dome, an alarming distress signal went off in the helicopter.

"I'm nervous, but Kwame's still cracking jokes," she said. "I'm thinking 'I'm about to die, my sister's going to have to raise my kids. I don't know if I'm going to fall to my death and explode, but God is calling me back.'"

"I'd like you all to remain calm," the pilot can be heard saying over the alarm that appears to signify the failing engine.

"Emergency landing, engine out... All traffic please clear the landing," she says, and finally repeats the haunting words, "Mayday. Mayday. Mayday."

Read: 5 People Killed in Fiery Crash of Tourist Helicopter in the Smoky Mountains

But Thomas told IE.com, "Of course I knew it was fake, that was part of the entire plan," he said.

Finally the pilot, who had set the whole scene up, lands the plane safely on their original helipad.

"I see Kwame getting low," she said, adding that the helicopter's blades were still spinning, "so I'm thinking we're supposed to stay low."

She knelt down beside him, but Swift told IE.com she was completely caught off guard when he pulled out a ring, made a speech and asked, "Dyan, will you be my wife? Will you be my permanent plus-one?"

Despite all the ups and downs, Swift agreed, and told IE.com after: "Some people have said that they would be mad, that it as a trick that was played and it was scary, but I don't feel that at all in that moment. When you go through something traumatic and you have each other, and you go out the other side ... I was glad he was with me. I'm not mad at him, and I was never in danger. I was literally on top of the world."

Read: Grandma Skydives With Entire Family for 90th Birthday

With no intent to break up the romantic moment, the team who planned the whole thing tapped the couple on the shoulder, and told them that even though the entire prank had been pre-planned, there was still some paperwork to be signed in the lobby.

Swift finally let her guard down, and decided to take the stairs after being told the elevator was broken.

That's when she came face to face with all eight of their children, holding signs and flowers as one last surprise.

"I wanted the kids to be a part of the moment," Thomas said, explaining that he had three kids from a previous relationship, she adopted three children when she was single, and they recently had a pair of twins together. "Big family, big life."

Read: Romantic or Just Stupid? Man Proposes to Girlfriend on Cliff, Is Arrested by Helicopter for Trespassing

"He's so nonchalant. He doesn't have any pomp and circumstance," Swift later told IE.com, which is why she never suspected a single thing.

Watch: 90-Year-Old Couple Spotted Going On Their First Date Proves It's Never Too Late For Love

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The image of her facing down hundreds of neo-Nazis has been shared around the world.

Now Tess Asplund has spoken of the anger that drove her show of defiance.

The anti-racism activist raised her fist as she stood face to face with one of the leaders of a demonstration of 200 far-right extremists in the Swedish city of Borlange.

She admitted that she had stood in their path without thinking out of anger.

The 42-year-old, who lives in Stockholm, believes the group was spreading hate and should not have been allowed to demonstrate in the first place.

They are Nazis, she told The Independent. "They are spreading hate. They want a white area. If they got control of the country they would kick me out, kick my family out.

The Nordic Resistance Movement was granted permission by local officials and police to demonstrate in the city 130 miles north of Stockholm.

The Social Democrat Party, the Left Party and Dalarna Against Racism group, were also allowed to turn out. Reports suggest they outnumbered the neo-Nazi group.

But Miss Asplund said she was still shocked by how many Right-wing extremists there were.

Thats the scary thing, there were more than 100 of them and thats too much, thats scary, she said.

As for her salute: I did it because I was so p***** off. I was standing there and I looked at him, and he looked at me. Then the police came and asked me to step away, which is their job of course.

The raised fist salute has historically a gesture of solidarity and defiance against oppressors worldwide. It became a symbol of the Black Power movement that began during the 1960s in the US.

Nordic Resistance Movement, one of a growing number of Swedish neo-Nazi groups, is a registered political party.

Its website says they aim to establish a Nordic national socialist government in a fight that may require bloodshed.

Stefan Dangardt, a police spokesman, defend the decision to allow them to march.

There is a constitutional law in Sweden to freely express opinions and have meetings, he told Radio Sweden.

Picture from PA
Independent oil & gas operator WPX Energy Inc. WPX reported a loss of 21 cents per share in the first quarter of 2016, wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 19 cents. The quarter was primarily affected by significantly lower commodity prices.

Total Revenues



WPX Energys quarterly revenues of $216 million missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $279 million by 22.6%. Total revenues were down 48.6% from $420 million in the year-ago quarter.



Highlights of the Release



Total production in the first quarter was 80,100 barrels per oil equivalent (boe) per day with oil volumes accounting for nearly 52% of the total production. This is a result of WPX Energys increasing focus on oil.



Total production improved 20% year over year with liquids accounting for 62% of the total production. Oil, NGL and natural gas production improved by 26%, 86% and 5%, respectively year over year.



Total expenses were $126 million, down 59% from $307 million in the year-ago quarter.



Interest expenses in the reported quarter were $57 million, increasing 72.7% from $33 million in the year-ago quarter.



Realized Prices



Realized oil prices in the quarter were $25.62 per barrel, down 32.0% from $37.69 per barrel in the year-ago quarter. Realized prices for natural gas liquids were down 23.2% to $7.14 per barrel from $9.30 per barrel in the year-ago quarter.



Realized natural gas prices were $1.52 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), down 41.3% from $2.59 Mcf in the prior-year quarter.



Financial Update



WPX Energy had $11 million of cash and cash equivalents as of Mar 31, 2016, compared with $38 million at the end of 2015.



Long-term debt as of Mar 31, 2016, was $2,746 million, up from $3,189 million as of Dec 31, 2015.



Net cash from operating activities in first-quarter 2016 was $16 million compared with $194 million in the same period a year ago.



Guidance



For the remainder of 2016, WPX Energy has 30,438 barrels per day of oil hedged at a weighted-average price of $60.35 per barrel. For 2017, WPX has 22,804 barrels per day of oil hedged at a weighted-average price of $50.71 per barrel.



The company reiterated the 2016 total production guidance of 7580 Mboe/d.



WPX Energy provided its 2016 capital expenditure guidance in a band of $350$450 million.



WPX Energy expects cash operating expenses per boe in the range of $10 to $11.50.



Other Company Releases



Devon Energy Corporation DVN reported first-quarter 2016 adjusted loss per share of 53 cents, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 60 cents.



Anadarko Petroleum Corp. APC reported a first-quarter 2016 adjusted loss of $1.12 per share, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $1.19.



Murphy Oil Corporation MUR reported a first-quarter 2016 loss of 66 cents per share, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 87 cents.



Our View



WPX Energys loss in the reported quarter was wider than expected due to still weak commodity prices.



The company continues to work on its strategy to increase oil production and the impact was clearly noticed in its first quarter production mix. Prior to the Piceance divestiture, natural gas volumes accounted for 70% of WPX Energys production a year ago. Now it accounts for 38% of the entire production.



We believe WPX Energys exposure in the Delaware, Williston and San Juan basins will help it to achieve its production goal for 2016. WPX Energy has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



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Kuwait City (AFP) - Yemen foes discussed major political and security issues Thursday in face-to-face negotiations aimed at bringing an end to 13 months of devastating war, the UN envoy said.

As the talks got underway in Kuwait City, the airport in Yemen's government-controlled second city of Aden reopened after months of closure due to security issues.

Three joint working groups formed by the United Nations exchanged views on resolving the political and security issues, and the release of prisoners and detainees, said UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

The teams were formed from members of the warring delegations on Wednesday when direct talks resumed following a three-day interruption after the government delegation walked out in protest against the seizure of an army camp by the rebels.

The talks were entering their third week on Thursday, but there has yet to be a breakthrough with delegations trading accusations of violating the ceasefire that took effect on April 11.

"We have learned that ceasefire violations were committed in the past two days and this is a disturbing development," Ould Cheikh Ahmed told a news conference.

The UN special envoy urged those involved in the negotiators not to allow the ceasefire violations to impact the ongoing peace talks.

He said a joint UN-sponsored ceasefire monitoring committee had been asked to investigate clashes on the ground and submit detailed reports.

Earlier on Thursday, the head of the Yemeni government delegation, Foreign Minister Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi, demanded action from UN mediators over rebel shelling of besieged third city Taez.

Mikhlafi said his negotiators had submitted proposals to the UN envoy for implementing an April 11 ceasefire in Taez, where loyalist troops have been under rebel siege for months, trapping tens of thousands of civilians.

But rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdessalam said it was the government that was responsible for the flare-up in Taez.

Story continues

"The forces of aggression are blocking political discussions in Kuwait... by invoking false pretexts alongside a serious escalation," Abdessalam tweeted.

- Aden airport -

Taez lies on one of the fault lines of the conflict that has raged since March last year between the rebels and the government and its allies in a Saudi-led military coalition.

Mikhlafi warned that rebel shelling of Taez would "have serious consequences on the peace process," unless the international community honours its undertakings to shore up the fragile ceasefire.

In Aden, passengers disembarked from a Yemenia plane coming from Jordan on Thursday, marking the first flight in months to reach the country's second biggest city.

The airport has been closed to civilian traffic since early 2015.

It was badly damaged during months of fighting between rebels and pro-government forces who finally managed last summer to retake Aden with help from a Saudi-led coalition.

Since then Aden has been declared the temporary capital of Yemen.

Airport director Tarek Abdo said the reopening of Aden airport was made possible after security improved in the southern port city.

There has been mounting international pressure to end the Yemen conflict that has killed more than 6,400 people and displaced 2.8 million since March last year.

The hard-won talks opened in Kuwait on April 21 but the first round of face-to-face negotiations was held only on Saturday.
San Francisco (AFP) - YouTube plans to launch a service that streams cable television channels to viewers over the Internet for the price of a subscription, Bloomberg reported.

YouTube has made a priority of creating the service, called Unplugged, which could debut as early as next year, according to the report Wednesday, which cited unnamed people close to the project.

YouTube executives have talked about the plan with major media companies such as Viacom, NBCUniversal, and Twenty-First Century Fox but had yet to obtain rights to any content, according to unidentified sources cited by Bloomberg.

YouTube is a unit of Alphabet-owned Google, where it has been billed as a star performer when it comes to attracting viewers and revenue.

YouTube last year introduced Red, were ad-free videos can be seen for monthly subscriptions of $10 in the United States.

When contacted by AFP, YouTube declined to comment on the Unplugged report.
Hank_and_kathy

Bill Nye is a millennial nostalgia heartthrob, and Neil deGrasse Tyson is a Twitter king  but they're also where many Americans' everyday exposure to science ends.

Because we're facing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education deficit, the U.S. is in the midst of a major push to boost the accessibility of STEM education and job resources.

A lack of educational resources  something that the Obama administration has fought to address  is partly to blame for the deficiency. But young people who misunderstand the kind of life and future a STEM career could bring them are also part of the problem. A recent survey of 1,000 adults found that 1/3 did not purse a career in STEM because it "seemed too hard."

Luckily, one technology company is trying to change that by speaking to teens where they live: online.

Emerson, a global manufacturing company that celebrated its 125th anniversary last year, partnered with YouTube star and digital entrepreneur Hank Green on its I Love STEM initiative.

"Getting education up is very authentic to our success and the future success of our company and human progress," Emerson CMO Kathy Button Bell explained to Mashable. "And Hank was so genuinely supportive by living the dream in his videos."

Green began with his successful YouTube channel Vlogbrothers, which he started in 2007 with his brother, bestselling author John Green. Now the pair run a digital empire, having started the popular convention VidCon and running many philanthropic and educational endeavors.

It was one of those projects, the science education video series Sci Show, that made Green the perfect partner for I Love STEM.

As Button Bell believes  and the success of Sci Show and the Greens' other educational series, Crash Course, shows  many people learn best by video. "If you dont know how to do something, you go online and figure it out."

Story continues

Mashable spoke with Green about his role as an online educator, the best ways to get kids excited about STEM, and why they should care at all.

It's common  and incorrect  to expect that science is "hard"

There may even be this sort of expectation among teachers and students that [STEM] needs to be hard," Green explained. "If its not, then its not 'real' science." Move beyond that expectation, though, and you can begin to delve into the complexities of the sciences.

When "hard" sciences do get simplified, they are often reviewed using multiple choice tests.

"Then you remove all of the subjective stuff, because its a lot easier to be objective with multiple choice. So then you lose the reality that this is part of a process," Green said. "It frustrates me that you take a science class and theres never any moment when the answer isnt definitely known."

In fact, science is inextricably tied to other disciplines like history and philosophy. I do understand that it is hard," said Green, "but I think its also very exciting and fun if you understand why youre learning it. Its building a tool kit to make the world better.

Hopefully, the videos can help teachers, too

I know for sure that the job of teachers is harder than my job, so in that way I do not want to consider myself an educator," said Green. But sure, I am a YouTube educator."

"Part of the reason why what I do is so rewarding is that teachers like to use it to help teach their students."

Green says his work can also help them be better teachers: "It helps them free up some of their time so they can do more of what [the videos] cant do, like one-on-one work or more interesting interactive work.

Green has heard this firsthand from teachers who have used his videos in class. They get to move more quickly through topics, whether they watch the videos at home or watch them in class. Then they can spend time answering questions, interacting, and doing one-on-one stuff.

"Every teacher who uses my stuff in the classroom, I want to give them a big hug.

Advanced technology has its downsides

In the old tays, tech could be taken apart and put back together by anyone feeling ambitious to learn more about how it worked. That's a lot harder to do in the days of the iPhone, Green explained.

"Early computers, to interact with it you typed in commands. You had to interact with it. And now youre separated from that by several layers." In fact, the more we use technology, the further we're removed from knowing how that tech actually works.

"A transistor radio, you take that apart and you see all its parts. You see the wires, you see how it works. You take your phone apart"  a phone that appears to work by "magic"  "and its just other 'magic' parts."

The STEM struggle is real  but people learn to love science and tech through videos

"We hear all the time from people that really struggle with this material, and, because of the form or the approach we took, people have managed to pass their classes or even do well in their classes," said Green.

Some viewers have even considered careers in the field  or have at least become more comfortable with science, no longer seeing it as "just something to get through."

The best way to get teens interested is to show them how STEM can affect their world

As Green puts it, people want to have a big impact on the world and they want to positively affect society." Engineering and science may seem like an abstract way of doing that, but in fact they're very concrete and permanent.

"The other thing is that [science] seems very much like something that is done by geniuses in their ivory towers. But in fact," said Green, "its done by individual people."

That's right: you don't have to be Einstein to be a scientist. "I think a lot of people never consider it as a possible career because it seems so outside of what society expects them to do," he continued. "But if youre into it, its such a wonderful rewarding thing to be passionate about.

Psst: There isn't a stark divide between arts and sciences

Green, who is also a touring musician, sees no dichotomy: "Any idea that if youre one youre not the other is completely made up.

I see them as two ways of being a well-roundeperson," he explained. "To me, science is extremely creative; youre making stuff up.Youre not making up the answers you get, but youre making up how to get the answers. Every experimental design is a creative endeavor.

"And many of the scientists I know are poets, theyre artists, theyre writers, theyre philosophers, theyre songwriters."

In the end, it's all about curiosity.

Every question you ask leads to a more interesting question. And thats okay  thats the whole point.

Green says that his knowledge and passion for science has expanded his career, and brought him new opportunities.

"I think it helps me to be a more fully rounded human. And now I have a creative career that is based on my STEM education. Its all possible.


By Eric Auchard FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A free smartphone app that will pay people to be physically active launches on Wednesday in Britain, with users given digital "sweatcoins" depending on how many steps they take that can be exchanged for rewards or traded like money. It's the latest initiative in an emerging fitness economy that includes all manner of monitoring devices, apps that reward activity with vouchers and even experiments in offering cheap insurance to people who can demonstrate they exercise. Sweatcoin aims to differentiate itself by using complex software to measure movement and location to prevent cheating, and by using the technology behind virtual currency bitcoin to manage transactions. Retailers, health insurers and corporate wellness managers are taking notice, according to Oleg Fomenko, one of the serial, London-based Russian entrepreneurs who founded Sweatcoin. "This whole business is pegged to making movement valuable," he told Reuters. "Eventually, sweatcoin is going to have a rate of exchange tied to the British pound." Sweatcoin, available in Britain in Apple's app store with an Android app to follow in months, offers one coin for every 1,000 steps. Within weeks users can have enough to exchange for fitness products or services in its marketplace. Rewards include Vivobarefoot running shoes, Kymira infra-red clothing and fitness classes from Wonderush or BOOMCycle. The company has signed up four London start-ups to offer Sweatcoin as part of an employee rewards program that will offer extra days off, subsidized healthy meals or free massages for sweatcoins they accumulate through activity. Fomenko said his company had talked to all the major health insurers but must prove it can attract users before it can hope to sign commercial deals to use Sweatcoin metrics as a way of calculating health risks and potentially lowering policy premiums for verified physical activity. If Sweatcoin succeeds, the long-term idea is that insurers or employers might pay to take sweatcoins off the market as a reward to users for their physical activity. "Right now, movement is valued at zero," Fomenko said. "How much value a sweatcoin will have will be a market decision but we know it's not zero." There will be competition. Another British start-up, Bitwalking, is also seeking to launch its own digital currency. But Sweatcoin is confident in its software, which is carefully calibrated to prevent slouchers from faking activity by cross-checking data on activity and location to verify steps. Most rival apps rely simply on user-reported information. The company is also developing a proprietary version of blockchain anti-tampering technology to manage the distribution of its currency, akin to how bitcoin transactions work. It's an elaborate second act for Fomenko, whose last start-up, Bloom.fm, a UK music app launched in 2013, drew 1.3 million downloads before imploding when its sole investor, a unit of Gazprom Media, pulled out after Russia's invasion of Crimea and he failed to find fresh funding. Depressed by his failure, Fomenko said he started studying blockchain technology. Meanwhile, his friend and fellow Sweatcoin founder, Anton Derlyatka, was getting going on a fitness start-up. The epiphany came when the two went for a run. "I got my buzz back," Fomenko said. The question they asked themselves was what could motivate them to sustain that feeling. This time round, Fomenko is taking money from a diverse set of London start-up investors and undisclosed music industry heavyweights. Sweatcoin has raised 610,000 pounds ($890,000). It has also landed a small grant and promotional support from London Sport, an arm of the Greater London Authority that outgoing Mayor Boris Johnson has pushed to encourage Londoners to become more active. Its two other co-founders are Egor Khmelev and Danil Perushev. Each previously sold their firms to Dream Industries, a Moscow-based start-up technology holding company. Perushev has moved to San Francisco with the aim of expanding Sweatcoin into the United States in the coming year. (Editing by Mark Potter)
San Francisco (AFP) - Apple on Thursday expanded efforts to make its devices must-have business tools, unveiling an alliance with German workplace software giant SAP.

The partnership sets out to "revolutionize the mobile work experience" by blending iPhone and iPad applications with capabilities of the SAP software platform for business known as HANA, according to a joint statement.

"This partnership will transform how iPhone and iPad are used in enterprise by bringing together the innovation and security of iOS with SAP's deep expertise in business software," Apple chief executive Tim Cook said in the statement.

Cook described SAP as the leader in enterprise software, with some 76 percent of business transactions touching one of the Germany-based company's systems.

A kit will be released to let software developers build applications taking advantage of HANA and Apple mobile operating system capabilities, according to the companies.

"We will help deliver live data to people wherever and whenever they choose to work," SAP chief executive Bill McDermott said of the partnership with Apple.

"Apple and SAP share a commitment to shaping the future."

Apple has formed similar partnerships with IBM and Cisco as it strives to establish iPhones and iPads as powerful tools for getting work done by employees in offices or in the field.
By Paul Carsten REUTERS - Apple Inc has lost a battle for the use of the "iPhone" trademark on leather goods in China after a Beijing court ruled against the world's biggest technology company in favour of a local firm, state media reported. The Beijing Municipal High People's Court said Xintong Tiandi can continue to use the phrase "iPhone" on its leather goods, according to the Legal Daily, the official newspaper of China's Justice Ministry. In a statement, Apple said it was disappointed with the ruling. "We intend to request a retrial with the Supreme People's Court and will continue to vigorously protect our trademark rights," the company said. The U.S. tech company has repeatedly found itself tangled in intellectual property disputes in China where the sheer number of companies means trademarks are often taken by little-known players. Some enterprising firms are quick to snap up trademarks that are known overseas but not registered locally, in the hope of a pay-off down the line. In 2002, Apple applied for the "iPhone" trademark for computer hardware and software in China, but that was only approved in 2013. Xintong Tiandi created its trademark for leather goods in 2007, the first year Apple's iPhone went on sale. The U.S. firm has been disputing the Chinese firm's intellectual property rights since 2012. The Beijing court dismissed Apple's appeal, saying the U.S. firm could not prove the "iPhone" brand was well-known in China before 2009, when it first started selling the handsets on the mainland. In 2012, Apple paid $60 million to end a protracted legal dispute over the iPad trademark in China, which had hampered some sales and delayed the introduction of a new iPad in the country. Apple has been facing tougher times in Greater China - its second-largest market. Last week, billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn said he had sold his entire stake in the firm. He cited risks to the stock because of the economic slowdown in the People's Republic and worries about how the country could become more prohibitive in doing business. (Additional reporting by Yimou Lee in Hong Kong and Beijing Newsroom)
Less than two weeks after failing to meet earnings expectations and recording the first year-over-year decline in iPhone sales to date, Apple AAPL finds itself with a host of new headaches this week.

The first piece of major news surrounding the company comes out of China, where a court ruled against the company in a major trademark battle. After losing in two lower courts, Apple lost again after the Beijing Municipal High Peoples Court ruled that leather goods manufacturer Xintong Tiandi could continue to print the word IPHONE on its mobile phone cases.

Xintong Tiandi, which has squared off against Apple in several other cases, trademarked the word IPHONE for use on leather products back in 2010. Apple first brought this case against the company nearly four years ago. Apple will now try its last legal option by appealing to the Supreme Peoples Court.

Also on Thursday, Apple was forced to deal with a major disruption to its App Store program. For nearly seven hours, a company system status page said that all users were affected by an issue with the App Store not working as expected for all users.

The problem, which appeared to be related to the App Stores search function not displaying results correctly, has since been resolved.

Finally, questions are starting to be raised about Apples ability to handle its users data after a recent blog post complaining about Apple Music exploded across the internet. Apparently, one Apple Music user saw over 122 GB of music files disappear from their computer after using the service. This is not the first report of missing files thanks to Apple Music, and the company itself has seemingly admitted that it is a known issue.

For the latest news on Apple, make sure to follow our analysis on the companys ticker page!

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Apple last quarter sold 51.1 million iPhones, an impressive figure to be sure, but markedly lower than the 61.1 million iPhones it sold during the same quarter a year-ago. And while there are cogent explanations that put the iPhone's year over year sales decline into context, analysts and pundits - as is seemingly their nature - are opting to willfully ignore them and have instead taken to calling for Tim Cook's ouster.

While the notion of getting rid of a CEO who helped generate more revenue in a single quarter than Google, Microsoft and Facebook combined is nonsensical, the reality is Apple, at some point in the near future, will need to demonstrate to investors that there's still a lot of life left in the iPhone.

DON'T MISS: Amazons 11 best deals: $299 Nextbit Robin, jumping drone, discounted laptops and more

A boost in iPhone sales can come from any number of sources. Of course, the most obvious source is the upcoming release of the iPhone 7, a device which may very well usher in a huge upgrade cycle. Another avenue for increased iPhone sales - and one which Apple has been championing to investors - is a focused expansion in India. With over 1.2 billion people, India is the second most populous country in the world. And seeing as how iPhone sales exploded once Apple expanded into China, Tim Cook recently has been intimating that Apple may experience the same boost once the company's expansion plans in India are realized.

At the surface, this line of thinking makes sense. A deeper examination, however, demonstrates that the market realities that made Apple's foray into China such a stunning success don't exist in parallel in India.

First off, Apple was recently rebuffed in its efforts to sell used (read: cheaper) iPhones in India. As an emerging smartphone market, Apple was hoping to flood India with refurbished iPhone models to help it compete against more affordably priced models from handset rivals. But for whatever reason, the Indian government last week rejected Apple's plan. Thankfully for Apple, they just released the iPhone SE which, while not as cheap as, say, a used iPhone 5s, is much more affordable than the company's flagship iPhone 6s devices.

Story continues

Second, the economic environment in India is not the same in China. India may have more than 1 billion people, but the percentage of individuals who can afford an iPhone is much smaller than it was in China when the iPhone launched there.

To this point, Roopesh Chander writes:

I think Tim Cooks outlook on the Indian market is a little too optimistic. Firstly, iPhone sales in India were never really hampered by the inavailability of LTE (or 4G as they call it here in India). Anyone who can afford an iPhone in India has access to a fast broadband internet either at home or at work, probably both. ... Third, India is indeed looking a bit like how China was in 2005 in terms of GDP per capita, but India has far less number of people who can afford an iPhone than China does. The addressable market for Apple in India is tiny, and is growing quite slowly 1. Of that, those who can afford the current year flagship will constitute a miniscule number compared to China.

Chander also points us to some interesting data from Pew Research which notes that less than 2% of Indians earn more than $20 a day.

All that said, Apple has a tough road ahead in India, and an expanded presence there is by no means a guarantee that Apple will see a discernible uptick in iPhone sales.

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More from BGR: Watch Barack Obama roast Donald Trump then drop the mic in his final Correspondents Dinner

This article was originally published on BGR.com
CUPERTINO, California and WALLDORF, Germany  May 5, 2016  Apple and SAP today announced a partnership to revolutionize the mobile work experience for enterprise customers of all sizes, combining powerful native apps for iPhone and iPad with the cutting-edge capabilities of the SAP HANA platform. This joint effort will also deliver a new iOS software development kit (SDK) and training academy so that developers, partners and customers can easily build native iOS apps tailored to their business needs.



This partnership will transform how iPhone and iPad are used in enterprise by bringing together the innovation and security of iOS with SAPs deep expertise in business software, said Tim Cook, Apples CEO. As the leader in enterprise software and with 76% of business transactions touching an SAP system, SAP is the ideal partner to help us truly transform how businesses around the world are run on iPhone and iPad. Through the new SDK, were empowering SAPs more than 2.5 million developers to build powerful native apps that fully leverage SAP HANA Cloud Platform and tap into the incredible capabilities that only iOS devices can deliver.



Were proud to take this special partnership between Apple and SAP to a groundbreaking new place, said Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP. In giving people an agile and intuitive business experience, we empower them to know more, care more and do more. By combining the powerful capabilities of SAP HANA Cloud Platform and SAP S/4HANA, together with iOS, the leading and most secure mobile platform for enterprise, we will help deliver live data to people wherever and whenever they choose to work. Apple and SAP share a commitment to shaping the future, helping the world run better and improving peoples lives.



The companies plan to deliver a new SAP HANA Cloud Platform SDK exclusively for iOS that will provide businesses, designers and developers the tools to quickly and efficiently build their own iOS apps for iPhone and iPad, based on SAP HANA Cloud Platform, SAPs open platform as a service. These native apps will provide access to core data and business processes on SAP S/4HANA, while taking full advantage of iPhone and iPad features like Touch ID, Location Services and Notifications.



A new SAP Fiori for iOS design language will take the award-winning SAP Fiori user experience to the next level by combining it with a consumer-grade iOS experience to deliver on the robust user needs in the enterprise and enable developers to build next-generation apps. To help SAPs 2.5-million member global developer community take full advantage of the new SDK and Apples innovative hardware and software, a new SAP Academy for iOS will offer tools and training. The new SDK, design language and academy will begin rolling out before the end of the year.



As a part of the partnership, SAP will develop native iOS apps for critical business operations. These apps for iPhone and iPad will be built with Swift, Apples modern, secure and interactive programming language, and will offer a familiar user experience with the SAP Fiori for iOS design language. Workers across industries will be empowered to access the critical enterprise data, processes and user experience they need to make decisions and take action right from their iPhone or iPad through apps designed to enable a field maintenance worker to order parts or schedule service, or a doctor to share the latest patient data with other healthcare professionals.



As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device  SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable approximately 310,000 business and public sector customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.



Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apples four software platforms  iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS  provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apples 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.



Press Contacts:

Scott Behles

SAP

scott.behles@sap.com

(917) 494-2009



Ryan James

Apple

ryanj@apple.com

(408) 862-5585




By Paul Carsten BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese authorities will launch a campaign to clean up e-commerce - targeting trademark violations, counterfeit and poor quality products and the faking of transactions to boost a merchant's online rankings, the official People's Daily said. It did not name any specific companies but the move has the potential to affect internet firms such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd , JD.com Inc and Baidu Inc . The campaign by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce will run from May to November, the paper said. The regulator was quoted as saying it would step up its oversight and give out harsher punishments for those found in violation of regulations. It also called out false and illegal advertising online, according to the People's Daily, a subject which has caused controversy this week. Chinese search giant Baidu is being investigated by the country's internet regulator over the death of a university student who used the Chinese search engine to look for treatment for his cancer. Before dying, Wei Zexi accused Baidu online of promoting false medical information, as well as the hospital for misleading advertising in claiming a high success rate for its treatment. A Baidu spokeswoman declined to comment on Thursday about the move by SAIC. Alibaba did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A JD.com spokesman said: "Our business model targets the scourge of counterfeits and we support efforts to protect consumers, wherever they may shop online." Chinese authorities regularly launch such campaigns, and this is not the first to target e-commerce, though their effectiveness is not always obvious. Alibaba will announce its earnings results for the first three months of 2016 on Thursday. JD.com will announce its results for the same period on Monday. (Reporting by Paul Carsten; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Edwina Gibbs)
Stocks (^DJI, ^GSPC, ^IXIC, ^RUT) are bouncing a bit at midday after a nasty two-day slide, with energy (XLE) leading the way up and telecom (IYZ) in the red. Stephen Guilfoyle, managing director of floor operations for Deep Value Execution Services, comes to us live from the New York Stock Exchange to discuss today's market moves.

Alexis Christoforous is joined by Yahoo Finance's Melody Hahm and Thomson Reuters correspondent Bobbi Rebell, author of "How to be a Financial Grownup," to discuss the other stories we're keeping an eye on today.

Apple app store crash

A quick update on a breaking story. If you're on the Apple (AAPL) app store today, you might have noticed something wrong. The search feature is completely broken, with the app store returning the wrong results for search requests. Major brands are affected, such as Google, Uber, Tumblr, Vine, YouTube, and Candy Crush. The failure has been widespread and ongoing during the morning, meaning developer sales will likely be impacted. Yahoo Finance will keep you up to date on this developing story.

Smartphone growth just went negative

Tech companies are getting worried, as more and more people aren't updating their smartphones. Smartphone upgrades have been steadily declining over the last five years. For the first time this year, smartphone growth went into the negative for the first quarter. Since people are more reluctant to upgrade their devices, Apple is trying to expand into the automotive industry, while Samsung is pushing virtual reality gadgets.

Hedge funds under pressure

The big hedge fund powwow wrapped on Wednesday, where the likes of Jim Chanos, David Einhorn and Stanley Druckenmiller gathered to raise money for cancer at the Sohn Investment Conference. The one takeaway? Hedge funds are in trouble. They're underperforming the market and losing money to ETFs as investors are realizing they can make better returns with fewer fees.

Goodbye 500-euro note

Terrorists and drug cartels need cold hard cash to operate, and the European Central Bank is taking a big step to make it harder for them. The ECB will stop printing its 500 bill in the next two years, though it will still be in circulation. Many crime divisions say the bill helps fund crimes like the attack in Brussels and facilitates illicit businesses.


By Silvia Aloisi and Stephen Jewkes MILAN (Reuters) - Italian utility Enel is close to presenting an offer for a controlling stake in fiber network company Metroweb as part of plans to roll out a high-speed Internet network, two sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Developing a national ultra-fast broadband network is an important part of the reformist agenda of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who has enlisted state-controlled Enel's help to achieve the goal. Owning Metroweb, controlled by state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and infrastructure fund F2i, would boost Enel's plans in this area because of Metroweb's assets and expertise. Enel, Italy's biggest utility, earlier this year set up Enel Open Fiber (EOF) to manage its fiber ambitions and plans to invest 2.5 billion euros ($2.85 billion) to bring ultra fast broadband into peoples' homes using its existing power network. "Enel is looking to buy F2i's 54 percent stake and then merge EOF with Metroweb and do a capital increase to fund broadband investments," a second source said. The source said Enel has valued Metroweb at around 760 million euros, but the valuation could still change as the utility did not want to overpay. "(Enel's) bid should be ready in coming days," one of the sources said. F2i declined to comment. The purchase would also strengthen Enel's position relative to former state telecoms monopoly Telecom Italia, which has its own plans to expand fast Internet coverage in Italy. Telecom Italia is in parallel talks with F2i and CDP to buy Metroweb for cash and in exchange for a stake in its international wholesale unit Sparkle, sources have said. One source said that a rival bid from Telecom Italia valued Metroweb at around 650 million euros but had the edge over Enel because of the Sparkle stake it was offering to CDP in exchange. "It's like a game of chess," the source said. Telecom Italia declined to comment. CDP, which controls Italy's gas and power grid companies Snam and Terna, is keen to tighten its grip on strategic networks in the country. If CDP were to own a slice of Sparkle this would help the government prevent it from falling into foreign hands, especially given the growing influence of French media group Vivendi as a major investor in Telecom Italia. Sparkle is deemed strategic because its submarine network transmits information between countries in Europe, the Mediterranean and the Americas. Two other sources familiar with the matter said a final offer from Enel for Metroweb had not yet been presented and talks were ongoing. Telecom Italia is also pushing ahead with talks over Metroweb and this could be discussed at a board meeting on May 13. (Additional reporting by Agnieszka Flak. Editing by Jane Merriman)
A Pew Research Center study found consumers spend more time on their phones with long-form news articles than with shorter ones (AFP Photo/Don Emmert)

Washington (AFP) - If you thought long-form journalism would die from the shift to mobile news, think again.

A Pew Research Center study released Thursday found consumers spend more time on their phones with long-form news articles than with shorter ones, and that the elusive notion of "engagement" increases with word count.

The study contradicts a widely held belief that people's attention spans for news articles decrease when they read articles on their smartphones.

"These findings suggest that on small, phone-sized screens, the public does not automatically turn away from an article at a certain point in time -- or reject digging into a longer-length news article," said Amy Mitchell, direct of journalism research at Pew.

"Instead, the average user tends to stay engaged past the point of where short-form reading would end, suggesting that readers may be willing to commit more time to a longer piece of work."

The researchers defined long-form articles as those of 1,000 words or more.

The found that the "engaged time" -- scrolling, clicking or tapping -- was about twice as great with news stories that are 1,000 words or longer compared with shorter pieces.

The total "engaged time" with the long-form articles averaged 123 seconds, compared with 57 seconds for short-form stories, according to the research by Pew in collaboration with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

- Facebook, Twitter connections -

The researchers found that the gap between short- and long-form engagement time is not differentiated by the time of day or the "pathway" taken to get to the news story.

But there were factors within the two categories that made a difference.

For both story lengths, reader spend the longest average in the late night and morning hours, the study concluded.

People spent more time with an article when arriving there from an internal link, compared to an email, external website, search or social media.

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Social media sites drive the largest share of traffic for news -- around 40 percent -- even though readers may not stay with articles as long, the researchers said.

Pew found that while Facebook drives more traffic, Twitter tends to bring in people who spend more time with content, either for short or long articles.

Facebook referrals drive more than 80 percent of visits from social media sources, while Twitter drives about 15 percent, according to the study.

The researchers found that regardless of the source or the length of a story, news articles online have a short shelf life: 82 percent of interactions with short-form articles begin within the first two days after publication, and the same is true for 74 percent of long-form articles.

The researchers used data provided by the analytics firm Parse.ly on 117 million anonymized phone interactions with 74,840 articles from 30 news websites in September 2015.

The data "cuts across a mix of general and subject-specific news sites, legacy and digital-only sites and sites with large national audiences, as well as those with smaller, niche user bases," according to Pew.
TipRanks

This year we saw declines pretty much across the board, with the S&P 500 tumbling ~20%. But last week was the indexs best week since June  the S&P had a weekly gain of about 4.7%. Weve seen several of these bounces this year, and the question is, are they bullish indicators or merely 'dead cats'? According to Oppenheimers chief investment strategist John Stoltzfus, it shouldn't really make a difference whether were looking at bullish indicators or bear market rallies. The key here is simply
In a bit of offbeat news that seems like it could have fit right in as a humorous plot point on Breaking Bad, police in Alliance, Ohio recently confiscated a drug dealer's phone and are now being bombarded by texts and phone calls from customers looking to pick up some product.

In fact, the sheer volume of communications being directed at the drug dealer's phone has prompted authorities there to plead (somewhat jokingly) with customers to stop texting and calling.

"Police are trying to search through texts and contacts," WCMH-TV News reports, "but they say that the constant stream of calls and texts is 'really annoying.'"

DON'T MISS: What people dont get about the Apple Watch

As if that weren't funny enough, Alliance Police even posted an amusing and playful Facebook post imploring individuals on the hunt for drugs to lay off for a bit.

The post reads:

PLEASE STOP CALLING Steve Notmans cell phone. He was arrested tonight by SIU detectives.again. for ALLEGEDLY (on video) selling crystal meth here in Alliance. We have his phone and are trying to read all your texts requesting drugs and going through all of his contacts (with his permission) but you keep calling and texting and its really annoying. First of all, he is all out of drugs for tonight. Secondly you dont need to call  we will come to you soon enough. Oh, and his ringtone is terrible! Thank you so much for your patience.

Talk about an embarrassing way to get caught.

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STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Soundtrack Your Brand, a music streaming service for businesses backed by Spotify, launched in the United States on Thursday and announced a global deal with fast food chain McDonald's. The company was co-founded with Spotify in 2013 in Sweden, where it provides tailor-made music playlists for customers such as Nike and Starbucks. It targets small businesses and large chains with the pitch that music can keep customers in-store longer and boost sales. The deal with McDonald's allows Soundtrack Your Brand to sign up its franchisees worldwide and provide them with playlists on pre-approved terms. In Sweden, over 60 percent of McDonald's restaurants are using the service. The Swedish tech start-up, which is also backed by investors TeliaSonera, Wellington Partners, Northzone and Creandum, has received over $20 million in funding to date. (Reporting by Mia Shanley; Editing by Mark Potter)
Tesla received a record number of preorders for the affordable Model 3 electric car, but buyers will have to wait more than a year to get their hands on it. Tesla recently said that preorder numbers reached the 400,000 units mark, yet the company will produce less than 90,000 total Tesla cars this year.

Teslas CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday during the companys earnings call that Tesla will likely miss the first Model 3 production deadline. The statement came just minutes after Musk set the deadline.

DONT MISS: Apple's next big iPhone growth plan faces some big hurdles

The exec set the production deadline for the Model 3 for July 1st, 2017, CNET reports. But Musk then admitted that supply issues would make that date impossible. He compared the production date to a term paper deadline. Apparently, its important to set the deadline even if the company is highly unlikely to develop the supply chain in time.

Musk said that Model 3 is designed to be much less complicated to manufacture than the existing Model S and Model X. But Tesla would still be dependent on third parties, which are expected to develop several parts for the car. The CEO said that Tesla would start making the parts itself at the Fremont factory in case its suppliers disappoint.

Musk said that initial production would be anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 for the Model 3 in 2017 and that the company would be producing 500,000 cars a year in 2018. The CEO also expressed interest in setting up assembly lines in Europe in China after maximizing production at its Fremont plant, to satisfy Tesla demand more efficiently in these regions.

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This article was originally published on BGR.com
CEO Philip Green of Britain's retail clothing store Topshop poses before opening the chain's New York flagship store, U.S., November 5, 2014. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo -

LONDON (Reuters) - British retail tycoon Philip Green on Thursday hit out at UK lawmakers for leading what he called a "trial by media" in relation to last week's fall into administration of department store BHS.

Topshop-owner Green, who owned BHS for 15 years until last year, said lawmakers had encouraged his "public vilification" in a letter to the chairmen of two parliamentary committees tasked with investigating what went wrong at the retailer.

The letter, which Green circulated to news media, marks his first public comments on BHS's administration. In the letter, he also criticised the media for writing "much inaccurate and misleading" information.

BHS was placed into administration, a form of creditor protection, by owner Retail Acquisitions on April 25, putting the 88-year-old retailer at risk of disappearing from British shopping streets and jeopardizing 11,000 jobs.

Green sold BHS to Retail Acquisitions, a collection of little-known investors, for a nominal sum of a pound in March last year.

He had bought it for 200 million pounds in 2000 and when it was profitable paid out several hundreds of millions of pounds of dividends to his family.

With a pension deficit of 571 million pounds, the pensions regulator is probing whether BHS's previous owners sought to avoid their obligations.

BHS is also being investigated by Britain's Insolvency Service and lawmakers. Both the cross-party Work and Pensions Committee and the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee have launched inquiries and Green has agreed to appear before them.

In his letter to the chairmen of those parliamentary committees, Frank Field and Iain Wright respectively, Green expressed concern at statements they have made to the media.

"For example, calling for me to lose my knighthood or suggesting that I have asset stripped BHS without regard to pensions and employees," he wrote in the letter. "These statements suggest that you are leaping to conclusions before any evidence from any witness has been heard."

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Green added: "They suggest that there will be no real attempt to run your inquiries in a fair way and that the outcome is pre-determined."

Green is expected to attend the committees' hearings next month.

(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Bill Rigby)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's grain-quality watchdog said on Thursday Bangladesh had violated international trading standards in the way it tested samples of imported Russian wheat.

Bangladesh said last week it would reject a cargo of 50,000 tonnes of Russian wheat over concerns about its quality. It previously refused two shipments totalling 100,000 tonnes for the same reason.

Experts from Russia's Grain Quality Centre, part of the state Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service, said in a statement they had observed Bangladeshi officials taking samples of Russian wheat and testing them in Bangladesh on April 27.

"These techniques are suitable for domestic use but are absolutely unacceptable in the interaction with countries which are using international standards," the centre said.

According to Bangladesh, the fourth-largest buyer of Russian wheat, the tests confirmed that the quality of the 50,000 tonnes cargo did not match specifications set out in the tender.

The Russian cargo had a test weight of 74.8 kilos per hectolitre against a minimum test weight of 76 kilos and 12.03 percent protein content against the specified 12.5 percent, it said.

The Russian authorities believe both tests were done incorrectly and are awaiting official documents from Bangladeshi officials so they can formally object, the state centre said.

Russia, a major global wheat exporter, supplied 943,000 tonnes of wheat to Bangladesh between July and February, making the Asian nation the fourth-largest buyer of Russian wheat this season after Egypt, Turkey and Iran.

Last year, Bangladesh rejected three shipments of French wheat after the grain failed to match tender specifications. It did so after the state buyer faced severe criticism for importing 200,000 tonnes of wheat from Brazil, some of which was found to be substandard.

(Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by Andrew Osborn and David Evans)
The entrance to a Verizon wireless store is seen in New York, in this May 12, 2015, file photo. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/Files

By Malathi Nayak

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dozens of Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) landline workers, on strike since mid-April after contract talks hit an impasse, marched on the company's annual shareholder meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday.

The unions said about 15 protesters blocked traffic after they laid down atop a large banner on the street. The Albuquerque Police Department said no arrests were made but 15 people were cited.

More than 250 protesters, including workers and supporters, demonstrated at the meeting, where the agenda included an election for 13 directors and a vote on executive compensation.

The unions for the strikers said they also planned hundreds of protests across the United States against Verizon, the No. 1 U.S. wireless service provider.

Nearly 40,000 network technicians and customer service representatives of the company's Fios Internet, telephone and television services units walked off the job on April 13. The action was called by the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

The strike is in its fourth week. Sticking points include offshore call-center jobs, job relocations and healthcare coverage.

The striking workers have about $1.3 billion in Verizon stock holdings, according to the unions.

They voted on proposals including one brought by the Association of BellTel Retirees that seeks the company to require shareholder approval for any executive severance agreement offering a payout of more than triple the base salary.

Verizon shareholders rejected this proposal on Thursday, according to Don Dunn,a union representative and Long Island, New York-based Fios field technician, who attended the meeting.

Verizon said last week it had presented an updated and "final" offer to the unions, including a wage increase of 7.5 percent. The company, which has been scaling back its Fios and legacy landline business, wants workers to shoulder more healthcare costs and be open to relocating to new job locations.

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The union rejected the new proposal and the parties remain far apart.

"CWA is the one of the biggest unions out there and if we lose this fight, all other unions...they are going to lose. There's a lot at stake here," said Shon Scents, a Verizon cable splicer, at the protest in New York's Financial District on Thursday.

The work stoppage at Verizon stretched across several U.S. East Coast states, including New York, Massachusetts and Virginia. Verizon has said it has brought in thousands of temporary workers to avoid service disruptions.

The workers have been without a contract since August.

(Reporting by Malathi Nayak; additional reporting by Mir Ubaid in New York; Editing by Bill Trott and David Gregorio)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA and HONG KONG, HONG KONG--(Marketwired - May 5, 2016) - TELUS (TSX:T)(TU) has reached an agreement with Baring Private Equity Asia ("Baring Asia"), which advises funds that manage over CAD13 billion (US$10 billion) in assets, for it to acquire a 35 per cent stake in TELUS International, a global provider of customer service, IT, and business process services. The agreement values TELUS International at CAD1.2 billion, with TELUS Corporation shareholders retaining a 65 per cent interest in the business. In alignment with the company's top priority of delivering client service excellence, TELUS intends to retain a long-term majority ownership position in TELUS International.

"TELUS International has successfully grown its business over the past 11 years by establishing a highly engaged organization focused on delivering exceptional customer service. It has created significant value for TELUS shareholders and is well positioned to leverage Baring Asia's deep Asian markets presence and worldwide experience, and tap into its global network in order to further expand TELUS International's operations over the coming years," said Darren Entwistle, TELUS President and CEO. "Importantly, proceeds of approximately CAD600 million from this transaction will be put to work on TELUS' long-term strategy of expanding and advancing our broadband wireline and wireless networks to support Canada's digital economy for generations to come. Our entire organization welcomes Baring Asia to the TELUS team and we are pleased to be partnering with an organization which, with nearly 20 years of experience in investing and helping companies grow to the next stage of development, shares our long-term approach to growth and excellence."

Launched by TELUS in 2005, TELUS International has become a leading global provider of customer service, IT, and business process services to industry leaders across the telecommunications, utilities, high tech, gaming, finance, retail, e-commerce, travel and logistics, and health care sectors. TELUS International has more than 22,000 team members located in Canada, the United States, Europe, Central America and Asia, serving clients in more than 35 languages. The TELUS International team is part of TELUS' unique corporate culture that has delivered the highest employee engagement in the world for a company of its size and composition, and earned a reputation for having the best customer service of any major national carrier.

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Jean Eric Salata, CEO of Baring Asia, commented: "In TELUS International, we see a strong company with best-in-class services which has successfully developed from a captive provider to a leading market player serving diverse customers. With an exceptional team, a portfolio of top-tier customers in fast-growing industries, and a strong global footprint, we believe that the company is in a great position to build on its past successes and establish its position as a leading international player in the space. We aim to leverage our footprint and cross-border capabilities to further enhance TELUS International's client portfolio and help expand its market presence. TELUS is a highly regarded institution with a strong corporate culture of giving back to the community, and we are proud to be partnering with them."

"The future is exciting for TELUS International thanks to our exceptional leadership team and passionate and caring team members around the globe who put our customers first in all that they do," said Josh Blair, TELUS' Chief Corporate Officer with responsibility for TELUS International, TELUS Health and TELUS Business Solutions West. "I am looking forward to chairing TELUS International's Board of Directors and drawing on the combined strengths of TELUS and Baring Asia to guide the progression of the company's strategic pursuits over the years ahead."

The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions. Rothschild acted as sole financial advisor to TELUS for this transaction.

About Baring Private Equity Asia

Baring Private Equity Asia is one of the largest and most established independent alternative asset management firms in Asia, with a total committed capital of over CAD13 billion (US$10 billion). The firm runs a pan-Asian investment program, sponsoring management buyouts and providing growth capital to companies for expansion or acquisitions, as well as a pan-Asian real estate private equity investment program. The firm has been investing in Asia since its formation in 1997 and has over 125 employees located across seven offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta and Tokyo. Baring Asia currently has over 35 portfolio companies active across Asia with a total of 150,000 employees and sales of approximately CAD40 billion (US$31 billion) in 2015. For more information, please visit www.bpeasia.com.

About TELUS International

TELUS International is a global provider of customer service, IT, and business process services with more than 22,000 team members around the world, including in Canada, the United States, Europe, Central America and Asia. With over 175 million customer interactions supported annually via voice, email, chat and social media, across the telecommunications, utilities, high tech, gaming, finance, retail, e-commerce, travel and logistics, and health care industries, TELUS International enables customer experience innovation through spirited teamwork, agile thinking, and a caring culture that puts customers first. As the global arm of TELUS (TSX:T)(TU), TELUS International is backed by a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with CAD12.6 billion of annual revenue and 12.4 million customer connections.

At TELUS International, we give where we live, following the demonstrable example set by TELUS which along with its team members and retirees, has contributed CAD440 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and provided more than 6.8 million hours of volunteer service to local communities since 2000. TELUS had the immense honour of being named the Most Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation in the world in 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company ever to receive the prestigious global distinction. TELUS International has leveraged the innovative model created in 2005 by TELUS' President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, and has four Community Boards across the globe that guide our donations and actions in support of local charitable organizations. Additionally, TELUS International holds days of giving across the countries we operate in every year, and in 2015, over 7,000 of our team members volunteered in activities such as building schools and homes for underprivileged fellow citizens.

For more information, please visit www.telusinternational.com.

TELUS Forward-looking statement:

This news release contains statements about expected future events, including, but not limited to, statements relating to the proposed purchase by Baring Asia of a stake in TELUS International. By their nature, forward-looking statements require the Company to make assumptions and predictions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that the conditions to closing of the transaction will be satisfied, that the associated benefits of the transaction for TELUS shareholders and customers will be realized or that growth plans for TELUS International will be realized. There is significant risk that the forward-looking statements will not prove to be accurate. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe our expectations at the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a number of factors could cause actual future events, including capital expenditures, to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, this news release is subject to the disclaimer and qualified by the assumptions, qualifications and risk factors referred to in the 2016 first quarter Management's discussion and analysis and in the 2015 annual report, and in other TELUS public disclosure documents and filings with securities commissions in Canada (on SEDAR at sedar.com) and in the United States (on EDGAR at sec.gov). Except as required by law, TELUS disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements.
Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela on Wednesday started verifying nearly two million signatures of voters petitioning for a referendum on getting rid of President Nicolas Maduro, as he launched fresh maneuvers against his opponents.

With the oil-rich, cash-poor country in economic crisis, Maduro said he would allow a referendum if the petition is validated. But his side looked likely to put roadblocks in the way.

Electoral authorities started checking the 1.85 million signatures gathered by the center-right opposition -- the first step towards calling a plebiscite.

"We are in the process of counting the forms, with security, speed and transparency," said the president of the National Electoral Board, Tibisay Lucena.

The process will last "three or four days, maybe until Monday or Tuesday."

Lucena said pro-government and opposition observers were monitoring the process.

Maduro named his own commission of loyalists to oversee the verification process by the National Electoral Board (CNE).

If the electoral board validates the petition, the opposition must then seek a further four million signatures to call a referendum.

Maduro warned he would take "definite legal action" if any signatures were forged, but said he would let the referendum go forward if the opposition met all requirements.

"What the CNE says is sacred. If on this second step, they say that the signatures were collected, we head to a referendum, period," he said Tuesday.

However, he reiterated that the opposition's drive to get rid of him would fail.

The man Maduro appointed to oversee verification of the petition, former CNE president Jorge Rodriguez, indicated he was already sure that many of the signatures were invalid.

"In a few days, it is going to come out that they inflated the figure for the number of signatures they handed in, by a million," he said.

Even if that were the case, the remaining 850,000 signatures would still be more than four times the number needed legally to move forward with the referendum drive.

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- Full-time job -

Government adviser Hermann Escarra said legal oversight procedures were likely to delay any referendum until mid-2017.

Under Venezuela's constitution, after January 10, 2017, a successful recall vote would transfer power to Maduro's vice president rather than trigger new elections.

The opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) is racing to hold a recall referendum before the end of the year.

"We are going to achieve it, because the Venezuelan people want to get rid of this government," said Jesus Torrealba, the coalition's executive secretary.

"If the CNE does not meet the deadlines, the people will take to the street," said Henrique Capriles, the center-right candidate who lost the 2013 vote.

Meanwhile, public sector workers are only working two days a week under emergency measures imposed by Maduro to save electricity.

Lucena insisted that would not hold up the counting of signatures.

"We are working tirelessly. We are working full time," she said.

- Street protest threat -

Once-booming Venezuela, which has the world's largest proven oil reserves, has plunged into economic chaos as global crude prices have collapsed.

The opposition blames Maduro for the economic crisis, which has Venezuelans queuing for hours to buy rations of food and basic goods such as toilet paper.

Daily electricity cuts launched last week have raised discontent further.

Maduro's rivals vowed to get rid of him when they took control of the legislature this year after winning elections in December.

He has resisted their offensive so far through challenges in the Supreme Court. His critics say he controls both the court and the CNE.

Maduro on Tuesday issued a decree suspending the legislature's right to vote to remove cabinet ministers, after lawmakers last week tried to sack his food minister.

Maduro was elected president by a razor-thin margin in 2013. A recent poll found that more than two-thirds of Venezuelans want him to leave office.

The tensions have raised fears of violence in a country rocked by protests that left 43 people dead in 2014.

Lucena accused the opposition of waging "a strategy of provoking social tension" by criticizing the CNE.

"If it is not stopped, it may lead us to ignorance of the public institutions and situations of violence."
VistaJet has received 100 aircraft since it was founded in 2004Click here for high-resolution version

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - May 05, 2016) -

Company has taken delivery of 100 aircraft since it was founded in 2004

VistaJet's regular service area now covers 90% of the globe with one way pricing

Company has sold almost 40 used aircraft in its history, ensuring its fleet of over 60 aircraft is one of the largest and youngest in the industry

9 out of 10 VistaJet customers renew their Flight Solutions Program contract

Since launch, VistaJet aircraft have flown to almost 1500 destinations, over 190 countries, travelling 140,555,285km

VistaJet, the global leader in business aviation, today reached an important milestone in its history when it welcomed its 100th ever aircraft to its fleet. The company has invested billions in jets in the past decade, growing its fleet from just 5 jets in 2006 to over 60 today, with a market value of more than $1.8bn.

The company has come a long way in the past decade. In 2006, VistaJet travelled to 233 destinations, carrying less than 5,000 passengers. VistaJet has now landed at 1,489 airports worldwide, meeting the needs of over 37,000 passengers in 2015 alone, and has flown over 210,000 passengers in its history. It has also invested in its technology and operations. The company's first office was in Salzburg, Austria, and employed just 10 people. It now has a global office network across 4 continents, and employs over 750 people. Despite operating in a competitive market, in just ten years VistaJet has grown to become the global leader in business aviation.

On top of that, to help make the business as efficient as possible, VistaJet has also invested in its operations in Malta, and has moved its corporate headquarters to the country. Along with employing over 250 people on the island, VistaJet also has 52 aircraft on the Maltese registry.

The business aviation market more generally has also changed dramatically over the past 10 years. Where Europe was VistaJet's most popular destination in 2006, it has now been overtaken by the United States and Asia. Since introducing a B-registered aircraft to fly domestically in China last year, VistaJet has seen a 30% growth in Asia flight traffic. In 2015, VistaJet saw a 139% growth in US flight traffic. The demand for private aircraft has not only grown in volume, it has also grown geographically. In 2006, VistaJet typically served 30% of the globe. It now regularly serves over 90% of countries worldwide, with a VistaJet aircraft taking off every 36 minutes.

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VistaJet's sustained period of growth demonstrates the compelling nature of its offer, and the continued popularity of its unique subscription model. Nine out of ten VistaJet customers currently renew or add extra flying hours to their contracts upon completion. With its asset light model, VistaJet pioneered the concept of the shared economy, now a fundamental way in which the world does business. Any corporation or individual flying 500 hours or less a year could benefit from choosing VistaJet. For clients flying more than 500 hours a year, VistaJet offers multiple simultaneous aircraft usage anywhere in the world, an important option for heavy users of business jets.

This increased reach and expertise comes at a time when individuals and businesses are moving away from private ownership due to the need for complete flexibility, and the risk of relying on a limited number of aircraft. The number of jets for sale has risen by as much as 217% year-on-year for some models.1 2

To keep its fleet as modern and up-to-date as possible, VistaJet regularly replaces older aircraft with the latest models. It has replaced almost 40 aircraft in its history, ensuring customers have the very best experience when they fly with the company. This track record of consistently investing in its offer means that VistaJet has one of the largest and youngest wholly owned fleets in the market. It has over 60 operational aircraft, all of which are on average just two years old. The size of the fleet also means that VistaJet's regular service area now covers 90% of the globe.

To celebrate the milestone, VistaJet has produced a list of '100 things you never knew' about the company, which will be published on its website and social media channels. This includes the fact that VistaJet aircraft fly the equivalent of 3 return trips to the moon every single month, and flew around the world 679 times in 2015.

Chairman and Founder Thomas Flohr said:

"This is a huge milestone for VistaJet. We are very proud to be welcoming the 100 th aircraft to our fleet today.

Thanks to the investment we have made since 2004, we have over 60 of the latest, most efficient aircraft in the market, and a regular service area of more than 90% of the globe.

In the current market where private ownership is becoming less and less of a viable option, it makes sense for customers to leave the asset risk and up-front capital costs to VistaJet. Our clients simply pay for the time they spend in the air. No other operator can offer the same, guaranteed global reach at fixed rates, and as little as 24 hours' notice.

But we are not resting on our laurels. We have clear execution plans to increase our customer base and the number of destinations we serve still further, and we will continue to add to our fleet in the months and years ahead."

1 Business Jet Traveler, Preowned: Fractional Fallout, 15 March 2016

2 AIN online, Analyst raises Alarm over Rising Used G650 Inventory, 24 March 2016

About VistaJet

Founded in 2004 by Thomas Flohr, VistaJet has established itself as the global leader in premium long-range private jet travel by consistently providing excellent service and unrivalled quality to its fast growing clientele, connecting them to every corner of the world with point-to-point coverage. VistaJet operates a young fleet -- total fleet average age is under two years -- of over 60 Global* and Challenger* business aircraft and offers the industry's largest service area, covering all major markets. The Company's unique and successful business model provides all the benefits of owning a personal jet without the responsibilities or asset risk of personal ownership. News and information are available at www.vistajet.com.



100 things you never knew about VistaJet

1 To date, VistaJet has flown to over 1480 airports worldwide 2 VistaJet's current balance sheet of aircraft in operation currently sits at over $1.8bn 3 VistaJet flew around the world 679 times in 2015 4 That's over 13 times around the world each week 5 The highest airport VistaJet has landed at is Inca Manco Capac International airport in Peru, at 3,826m 6 In total, VistaJet aircraft fly the equivalent of 3 return trips to the moon every single month 7 Since introducing its domestic aircraft to China, VistaJet has seen a 30% rise in Asia flight traffic 8 VistaJet has flown to over 180 countries worldwide 9 That's 90% of the globe 10 VistaJet employs over 750 aviation professionals around the world 11 Since 2012, the VistaJet fleet has more than doubled in size, to over 60 aircraft 12 In 2012, VistaJet completed two Global Roadshows, visiting 27 cities in 24 days on a Global 6000 aircraft 13 VistaJet flight traffic in the Middle East grew 64% in flights and 75% in passengers in 2015, with Dubai and Riyadh as some of the top passenger destinations 14 VistaJet received the EBAA Platinum Award for 100,000 hours, or 50 years, of safe flying in 2014. There is no higher award, and VistaJet has now doubled that number 15 In 2015, VistaJet flew almost 1000 children under the age of 10 16 All VistaJet cabin crew receive WSET Level 2 training in wines and spirits 17 VistaJet cabin crew are exclusively trained by the world-renowned British Butler Institute in London 18 In 2015, a VistaJet Challenger 350 set a world speed record in its class, flying 4,463km in 5 hours 5 minutes from Napa to the Cayman Islands 19 VistaJet has flown to over 200 airports in the US 20 VistaJet's farthest flight to date has been from Hong Kong to Palm Springs, at 11,819kms 21 VistaJet's longest flight to date was from Singapore to Nice, at 13 hours 43 minutes 22 VistaJet chose to move to an all mid to long range fleet in 2014, with the last Learjet 60 leaving the fleet in February 2015 23 VistaJet is made up of over 40 teams worldwide, with its centralised 24/7 Operations and Customer Services departments at the core of the operation in Malta 24 It takes the combined teamwork of up to twenty teams to put a single VistaJet flight into the air 25 Our aircraft fragrance was designed by luxury perfumier Le Labo and was selected to compliment the VistaJet cabin interior 26 VistaJet's top 20 cities visited in 2015 included Nice, London, Geneva, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Riyadh, Moscow, Los Angeles and Lagos 27 VistaJet is proud to have its headquarters in Malta, with a growing team of over 250 aviation professionals located on the island 28 Over 50 VistaJet aircraft are registered to Malta, making VistaJet the largest operator on the island 29 The furthest north a VistaJet aircraft has flown to is Svalbard Airport in Norway 30 The furthest south a VistaJet aircraft has flown to is Ushuaia-Malvinas Argentinas airport in Argentina 31 VistaJet has its own branded caviar on board 32 VistaJet cabin crew go through a 5 step procedure to ensure that hot towels are perfect when each passenger boards 33 VistaJet has a specially curated library of dozens of books selected by London-based bookstore, Heywood Hill, on its Global aircraft 34 VistaJet announced double digit flight traffic growth in 2015 35 VistaJet's fastest growing market is the US, with 139% flight traffic growth in 2015 36 VistaJet Program customers can book and manage flights from their smartphone using the VistaJet App 37 The VistaJet Ultimate Sky Sleep includes a special Skysleeper mattress, feather duvets, Egyptian cotton linens and cashmere blankets 38 Customers receive special pajamas, cashmere eyemasks and relaxing herbal teas as part of their sleep preparation 39 VistaJet's amenity kits are filled with raw organic products from California's The Body Deli to nourish and rejuvenate inflight 40 Customers can compare the cost of aircraft ownership vs VistaJet Program membership via the VistaJet Cost Calculator 41 VistaJet saw a 54% increase in passengers in Asia in 2015 42 VistaJet Founder and Chairman Thomas Flohr flies over 700 hours a year on VistaJet aircraft 43 VistaJet operates a Fleet Renewal Program to guarantee that all aircraft are under warranty 44 VistaJet employs over 260 exceptional pilots to fly over 60 aircraft 45 VistaJet Founder & Chairman Thomas Flohr won the Aviation Entrepreneur of the Year award at this year's Living Legends of Aviation ceremony 46 In 2008, VistaJet acquired Bombardier SkyJet International, broadening its reach and developing an early presence in the Asian and the Middle Eastern markets 47 In 2015, VistaJet made history by taking delivery of 10 new aircraft in 31 days 48 In 2015, VistaJet flew to 878 different airports across 6 continents 49 VistaJet can fly to almost anywhere in the world, with only 1 stop required 50 In 2013, VistaJet celebrated Easter by offering customers limited edition fine egg pendants with master jeweller Faberge 51 VistaJet developed a special juice with London-based cold press Juice Tonic for its customers flying out of London 52 VistaJet has partnered with leading Japanese restaurant Nobu to create an exclusive in-flight menu for its customers in cities round the world 53 Formally Air Executive, the name VistaJet was chosen as symbolic of changing the skies of business aviation 54 VistaJet grew its revenue by almost 20% in 2009, despite being in the middle of a world economic crisis 55 VistaJet's service area means that customers can access one-way pricing in the US, India, Africa, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe 56 VistaJet customers can access WiFi on board the majority of VistaJet aircraft 57 Generally, VistaJet crew are used to knowing where they will be flying next, only 24 hours in advance 58 All VistaJet crew wear custom-designed Moncler spring and winter jackets 59 VistaJet aims to be fully established in the Indian business aviation market by the end of 2017 60 Every VistaJet flight has a dedicated cabin host trained in exceptional service styles 61 In 2014 VistaJet commissioned renowned artist Jean-Philippe Delhomme to illustrate its story, to celebrate its 10th Anniversary. 62 VistaJet partnered with esteemed luxury publisher Assouline to create 'The Art of Flying' in 2015 63 VistaJet aircraft do not have a home base 64 The aircraft's signature silver with a red stripe came about by accident - the manufacturer called Thomas whilst he was in a meeting and asked what colour he would like his second aircraft to be. He just said 'oh just have it the same as the other one', and the VistaJet signature aircraft was born. 65 VistaJet also owns a metallic silver and red striped Agusta 109 helicopter, based in the Swiss Alps 66 As long as the runway is long enough and the destination is deemed safe, VistaJet aircraft can fly anywhere in the world 67 A VistaJet aircraft takes off every 36 minutes 68 VistaJet's fastest growing destinations in Africa are South Africa, Ghana and Morocco 69 Founder and Chairman Thomas Flohr's first aircraft was a Learjet 60 70 VistaJet pilots are trained well above and beyond industry standards, with recurrent training every 6 months 71 VistaJet's Instagram and Twitter handles are @vistajet 72 VistaJet served over 26,000 beautifully crafted lattes and espressos in 2015 in the finest Christofle china 73 VistaJet serves its own branded M&Ms on-board every flight 74 VistaJet aircraft have an average age of under 2 years old 75 VistaJet flies hundreds of customer's beloved pets, from dogs to cats to iguanas 76 The VistaJet Customer Service team has a 100 page training manual to offer the best service to customers worldwide 77 VistaJet aircraft are maintained by over 40 approved suppliers worldwide, ensuring the highest safety standards 78 VistaJet developed its own industry-leading operations platform, GlobalView, to cater for the complex needs of its global fleet 79 VistaJet was the first business aviation provider to use Facebook At Work, Facebook's game-changing new internal communications platform 80 The signature red roses on VistaJet aircraft are actually white roses, dyed to ensure perfect colouring 81 The VistaJet team is represented by over 50 nationalities 82 In August 2015, VistaJet logged 72 flights in a single day to destinations worldwide 83 To date, VistaJet has flown over 210,000 passengers on its signature silver and red striped aircraft 84 It is not uncommon for VistaJet crew to circle the world in 72 hours 85 VistaJet partners with global healthcare provider MedAire to ensure that passengers and crew have 24/7 access to worldclass medical care 86 VistaJet aircraft usually fly between 40,000  49,000ft, ensuring passengers a smoother, quieter flight 87 VistaJet cabins are pressurised to the equivalent of flying at 4,500ft compared to 7,500ft on commercial jets, helping passengers feel more refreshed after flying. 88 All VistaJet aircraft are configured so that passengers can enjoy the flight in complete privacy if they wish, with separate quarters for the cabin crew 89 The average age of VistaJet employees is 36 years old 90 All VistaJet aircraft are maintained to the highest standards as set by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 91 VistaJet has introduced electronic tech logs for all pilots in a concerted effort to go paperless in the cockpit 92 In February 2016, a VistaJet aircraft enabled one customer to attend meetings in 4 different cities in 24 hours 93 Over half of VistaJet employees speak two or more languages 94 VistaJet to date has phased out 39 of its used aircraft to keep its fleet young and under warranty 95 As of 2015, nine out of ten VistaJet customers currently renew their contracts on completion. 96 VistaJet offers a specially curated list of fine wines and champagne handpicked by the chairman, including vintage Dom Perignon champagne 97 Each delicious meal is served on Christofle china and glassware 98 In 2015, VistaJet upgraded its entire fleet of Challenger 605 aircraft to keep to its promise of offering young aircraft 99 VistaJet partnered with UK artist Ian Davenport and Faberge to paint a custom Faberge egg on the tail of its Global 6000 aircraft 100 In 2015, VistaJet invested in over $700m of brand new aircraft

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/5/4/11G096753/Images/mw1ai0j3gplo9jv291jnn1gbo3b4d-a4b105e8afe6b6a48ef74ed35ee273c4.jpg


Getting ready for a comeback.

Zimbabwe is introducing its own version of US dollars to deal with its worsening cash crunch. John Mangudya, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, said the bank will introduce bond notes of $2, $5, $10, and $20, which will hold the same value as their US dollar counterparts, according to a statement (pdf) yesterday.

Ever since declaring its own currency defunct in 2009, Zimbabwe has relied on a basket of currencies that includes the US dollar, the South African rand, the British sterling, and most recently the Chinese yuan. A strengthening dollar has made Zimbabwes trade deficit worseZimbabwe imports everything from cooking oil to bath soapimports for the first quarter of the year stood at $490 million, compared to $167 million in exports.

And that has made cash shortages in the country worse. Were importing more than were exporting and we cant print money because we use mainly the U.S. dollar, said Sam Malaba, the chief executive officer of Agricultural Bank of Zimbabwe.

The government is struggling to pay its workers. Some banks have closed their ATMs, worried about long lines of anxious depositors. Workers are going unpaid, or else receiving their wages bit by bit, according to a farmhand in central Zimbabwe. And parents are struggling to pay school fees, cutting down on groceries, and taking on more debt to pay their bills.

The bond notes, to be introduced over the next two months, will be backed by $200 million provided by the Africa Export Import Bank, the regulator said. Mangudya also said the bank will also convert 40% of dollar receipts from the countrys exports into rand and limit daily withdrawals to $1,000.

Critics say the new bond notes arent likely to be well received. Zimbabwe introduced bond coins, of between 1 cent and 50 cents, pegged to the US dollar in 2014, to deal with the countrys lack of small change. But few Zimbabweans took to them, fearing that the government was bringing back its now worthless currency that caused many to lose their lifes savings.

Story continues

The way the economy responds to notes now is the same way it responded to notes five or eight years ago. So theres not going to be any difference, said Rejoice Ngwenya, an economist with the Coalition for Markets and Liberal Solutions in Harare. Mangudya is once again trying to introduce the Zimbabwe currency through the back door.

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Taipei, May 5 (CNA) An endangered Siberian crane that got lost and accidentally migrated to a northern Taiwan wetland in December 2014 was seen on a riverbank in northern Taiwan Thursday, a day after it was hoped it might be on its way back home, birdwatchers said that day.
For a long time, Robert Yanke tried to forget the war.

But that wasnt easy.

He knew what it was to lose fellow soldiers to booby traps or to put the bodies of the slain into bags. He remembered the zappers  guys we might refer to as suicide bombers today  and the heat of napalm.

Next month, the Fremont man will be on the Operation Airlift (Nebraska Vietnam Combat Veterans Flight) to see memorial monuments and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C.

Originally from Tekamah, Yanke was 18 when he volunteered to join the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968. Like other U.S. Marines, he was flown by commercial airplane into Da Nang in 1969. He would be sent to his unit, which was part of the Third Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, and went to the base in An Hoa Combat Base. He was in the 1st Platoon in Lima Company.

His descriptions of his time in Vietnam are concise.

We ran into small arms fire and we had all kinds of combat. We went on missions and lost a lot of men, he said. After a while, you dont get close to anybody.

Yanke has a couple of photographs of the Marines on sandy ground.

More Marines were lost due to booby traps than in combat, he said.

Yanke remembers when one sergeant was killed, another man was promoted to being the platoon commander.

The men were in a sandy area, when the commander hit a trip wire. Yanke felt the concussion of the blast. The commander was obliterated.

He was just gone, Yanke said.

The men were in a mountainous area when a chopper (helicopter) was carrying some captured Viet Cong along with Marines who were going to get to go home. He knew some of the guys.

Yanke said the chopper was shot down. He and other Marines put the burned bodies into bags.

Its one smell you dont ever forget. That smell stays with you, he said.

The men guarded the area all night.

Marines dont leave their wounded or dead behind, he said.

Yanke remembers the zappers  similar to suicide bombers  who would try to come in through the lines at night and blow themselves up.

One time, the men found a training camp for the zappers. The Marines had to remove weapons and burn the enemys supplies and destroy the bunkers. The Marines then had to guard the area all night as the enemy hit them around the perimeter in an attempt to regain the camp.

It was very scary, he said.

The area also had what was called Rock Apes  animals (anthropoids) that threw rocks at the men.

It kind of made the guys trigger happy, sometimes. Theyd be shooting when they dont know what is out there, he said.

In the daytime, U.S. aircraft dropped napalm, a highly flammable gelatin substance, to burn down the foliage so the enemy wouldnt be able to sneak back on the Marines without being seen.

We had to get in our foxholes and keep our helmets and flak jackets on, because it was pretty close and we could feel the heat from that, he said.

The Marines would keep watch at night around the camps perimeter. Yanke remembers large artillery guns being lowered and firing when zappers were attacking.

They were trying to snake through the wires, he said.

In the morning, the men went out to check the bodies of the zappers, carefully turning them over in case they might be holding some sort of explosive that would detonate.

Yanke also noted that it wasnt easy to tell who the enemy were.

Some barbers, who came to the camp during the day to give haircuts to the Marines, were Viet Cong. These barbers would come to mark off how far certain places were so they could be hit at night.

Yanke would leave Vietnam in March 1970, but even that wasnt uneventful.

When I was ready to leave, we were going to come on a boat. I started feeling kind of bad, but I didnt want to stay in-country so I got on the ship, he said.

Yanke was coming down some steps on a ladder when it felt like someone kicked him in the face with a boot.

He later learned that he had malaria.

Yanke passed out and hit his head and lost a good deal of blood.

I remember nothing on that ship, he said.

Yanke would learn that he needed three blood transfusions.

He was sent to Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego in March. He was honorably discharged in June 1970.

Many Vietnam veterans werent well received when they returned to the United States.

A lot of guys got spit on when they came back, he said.

Yanke tried to put the war behind him.

I just tried to forget the thing, he said.

Yanke went to a technical college and attended Dana College. He got married. He has two children from that first marriage and four grandchildren.

He and his wife, Janice, married in 1992.

Shes been my rock, he said. She makes sure that I stay grounded.

In March, they learned about the flight to Washington, D.C.

He especially wants to see the Marine Corps memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

Theres a few guys I want to see up there, he said, quietly.

He notes something else. Hes glad to see military personnel coming back from more current wars being received in a better way.

Im glad to see these guys getting recognition when they come back, he said. Most of them are pretty well beat up.
Anybody who has experienced what it feels like to prepare for a college final, or any important event, for that matter, knows the copious amount of stress that comes along with it.

With finals week looming right around the corner, Midland University students are in the process of completing their last week of regular classes before finals start May 16.

To give students an opportunity to relax and cut loose before the countless hours of studying begin, since 1985 university faculty have hosted Warrior Day to help Midland University students take their minds off of academics, if only momentarily.

College is really stressful sometimes, said Merritt Nelson, vice president of student affairs. Theres lots of anxiety with finals coming up, and summer is right around the corner  they are ready to be done with school for a while. This is a great way to give them a little break and show them how appreciative we are for everything that they do here at Midland.Throughout the course of the afternoon, students flooded the Midland University Greenspace competing in various challenges and games, networked with the more than a dozen local vendors and relaxed by the fountain enjoying an assortment of food.

Sophomore Madi Beavers said that she attended the event because it was simply too nice to sit around inside.

Its just really nice out today, Beavers said. I just wanted to come out and spend some time with friends outside and relax by the fountain.

Nelson said that the event is not only enjoyable for students, but for staff members, too.

A lot of work went into putting this on for the students, he said. It really was an all-hands-on-deck effort from our staff. It was really cool to just wander around and see everybody having such a good time, not just students, but also our staff who worked so hard to make this happen.

Since the end of March, Nelson said that Midland University staff worked hard to plan the event. They went around and talked to students and asked them what they wanted to have at Warrior Day. It was completely tailored to students wants and needs, after all, the event was designed specifically to show them appreciation, so why not fine-tune the event around all of the activities they would enjoy most, he said.

In addition to all of the activities available, Nelson said that students having the opportunity to network with local business leaders and businesses pays dividends.

Everything we do with our partnerships here at Midland serve a far bigger purpose than just financial backing, he said. We want our students to interact with these people and learn from them. Its a win-win situation for all parties involved. Its all about networking and meeting new people, and establishing new relationships.

More than anything, Warrior day is just about saying thank you to all of the Midland students who are working hard to put themselves in the best position to be successful in life.

We want them to leave here knowing that we care about them, Nelson said. College is about so much more than just academics, and having events like this all part of the full college experience. We want them to know that we care about them as people, not just as paying customers.
MADISON, Wis.  May is Trauma Awareness Month and the American Red Cross urges eligible donors to give blood or platelets to help ensure lifesaving blood products are available for trauma patients and others with serious medical needs.

Each year, trauma accounts for approximately 41 million emergency department visits and 2.3 million hospital admissions in the U.S., according to the National Trauma Institute. A single car accident victim can need as many as 100 units of blood.

The Red Cross provides blood to approximately 2,600 hospitals nationwide, including 65 thoughout the Badger Hawkeye and Heart of America Regions.

Its the blood products on the shelves that helps save lives in an emergency, said Nick Gehrig, communications director, Red Cross Blood Services. When seconds matter, having a readily available blood supply is critical to trauma patient care.

When there is not time to determine a patients blood type, such as in trauma situations, type O negative blood and type AB plasma are what emergency personnel reach for because they can be given to patients with any blood type. Less than 7 percent of the population has type O negative blood, and only about 4 percent of the population has type AB blood. Donors with these blood types are an important part of the trauma team and encouraged to donate as often as they are eligible.

Donors of all blood types are currently needed. Blood donation appointments can be scheduled by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Donated blood helped save Diana Heredias life following a car accident. Suffering from four broken ribs, a lacerated liver and a punctured lung, Heredia received about five units of blood. I was in pretty bad shape  hospitalized for about 28 days, she said. Ever since Ive tried to recruit blood donors, have blood drives and give blood as much as possible.

About donating blood or platelets

A blood donor card or drivers license or two other forms of identification are required when checking in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nations blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
A roundup of state government and Capitol news items of interest for Wednesday, May 4, 2016:

GODFREY CASE: The states cost of defending Gov. Terry Branstad and his administration against legal action brought against them by Christopher Godfrey now stands at $907,015, according to state records. The Iowa Executive Council this week approved another $34,932 to be paid to the Des Moines law firm of LaMarca Law Group for costs associated with a lawsuit brought by the states former workers compensation commissioner.

Godfrey left the post in August 2014 to accept a federal post. Godfrey was appointed to a six-year term as the states workers compensation commissioner in 2009 by former Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat. He has been at odds with Branstad, a Republican, since he refused the governors request in 2011 to step down from his post after Branstad defeated Culver in the 2010 election.

Godfrey sued Branstad and members of his administration in 2012 after the governor slashed his $112,068-a-year salary by $36,000 in 2011. Godfrey  who is gay  sought $1 million in compensation, claiming defamation, harassment, sexual discrimination and extortion. The case in Polk County District Court currently is hold while a legal aspect before the Iowa Supreme Court is decided, but no date has been set for the review to take place during the courts new term which begins in September.

INMATE DEATH: State Department of Corrections officials announced Wednesday that an inmate had died at the Iowa Medical & Classification Center in Oakdale. DOC spokesman Fred Scaletta said Clayton Clyde Manning, 63, died Monday in the IMCC Hospice Care Unit of natural causes due to complications from bladder cancer.

Manning was serving a life sentence stemming from a first-degree murder conviction in Jackson County. He began serving the sentence in April 1981.

FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF: Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered all flags on the Capitol Complex to be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday in observance of the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony which is to be held at the Oran Pape State Office Building of the Iowa Department of Public Safety in Des Moines. Also, flags at the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial, located at the Oran Pape State Office Building, will be flown at half-staff the week of May 16-20 in honor of National Peace Officer Week.

The governors directive applies to all U.S. and state flags on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays on the Capitol Complex. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

A memorial ceremony will be held at the memorial at 10 a.m. Friday to pay respects to Iowa police officers killed in the line of duty.

DAY OF REASON: Members of the Central Iowa Coalition of Reason and the Eastern Iowa Coalition of Reason will be celebrating a Day of Reason with an official proclamation signed by Gov. Terry Branstad in his formal Capitol office on Thursday.

Coalition coordinator Rory Moe said the secular, pro-science groups requested the proclamation as part of a nationwide effort to make the National Day of Reason a recognized holiday in celebration of science and intellectual pursuits.

The purpose of the Day of Reason is to celebrate reason  a concept all Americans can support  and to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship, Moe said. The Day of Reason is also meant to help build community among the non-religious in the United States.
DES MOINES -- Four Democrats hoping to earn their partys spot on the ballot in Iowas U.S. Senate race addressed roughly 70 people Wednesday night at a forum in one of Des Moines bluest neighborhoods.

Current state legislator Rob Hogg, former lieutenant governor and state ag secretary Patty Judge and former state legislators Tom Fiegen and Bob Krause participated in the forum in Des Moines Beaverdale neighborhood. The 90-minute event was hosted by a pair of local Democratic Party organizations.

Iowas primary election is June 7. The four seek to challenge longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in Novembers general election.

Each of the Democratic candidates fielded 20 minutes of questions designed, moderator and liberal blog author Pat Rynard said, to address issues both within and outside their comfort zones.

Here are some highlights from each candidate, in the order they spoke Wednesday night:

TOM FIEGEN

Fiegen, who has aligned his campaign with the policies espoused by Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, said he stands by criticisms he has made on social media of his fellow primary candidates.

He has accused Judge and Hogg of aligning with corporate business groups whose interests compete with Democratic causes like the environment and clean, renewable energy.

Fiegen also stood by his belief that Democratic candidates should reject campaign support from well-funded political action committees known as super PACs, even if it puts a candidate at a disadvantage against Republicans.

When Democrats take PAC money, we have divided loyalties. Then we have to choose between the money that got us there and the people. And the Bible says you cant serve two masters, Fiegen said. Call it unilateral disarmament, call it what you want. We have to swear off PAC money.

PATTY JUDGE

Judge addressed perceptions that she is too cozy with corporate agriculture. For example, she has said she does not support a lawsuit brought by a Des Moines water utility against northwest Iowa farms over river pollutants.

Judge said she acknowledges Iowa has a water quality issue, but does not believe litigation is the solution.

Judge said she supports a proposed state sales tax increase of three-eighths of a cent to fund natural resources programs, including water quality projects.

I have said very clearly I do not believe that lawsuits between government entities is the solution to this problem, Judge said. We have a problem. We need to address the problem and we do know what we need to do: We need a long-term, solid commitment to this issue.

BOB KRAUSE

Krause became emotional when he spoke about his desire to work on veterans issues, saying he knows too many people who have been hurt by post-traumatic stress disorder and foreign wars.

He also stressed his belief that the elections most important issue is income equality. Krause said he supports increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, and referenced studies that suggested low incomes lead to decreased student achievement and that a $10.10 minimum wage would improve the wages of 300,000 Iowans, impacting 200,000 children.

He said people living on minimum wages are in survival mode and unable to improve their livelihood.

The first thing on the plate has to be incomes, because incomes govern everything else, Krause said. Those 200,000 kids and their IQs and their test scores are more important than anything else we can do.

ROB HOGG

Hogg, an active supporter of renewable energy policy who wrote a book titled Americas Climate Century, articulated his support for tax credits that support the industries, including a solar energy state tax credit that he authored.

In response to a question about previously unsuccessful Democratic candidates who were lawyers, Hogg, an attorney, drew the nights only applause line when he noted lawyers were responsible for the state Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa.

Hogg also cited his work in the Iowa Legislature as an example of how he believes government should work, drawing contrasts with the federal government.

This is one of the key arguments Im making here, that I am an effective legislator and I know how to get things done, Hogg said, noting recent measures passed by the split-control Legislature like Medicaid expansion. I got something done in divided government.  Thats something we need more of in government.
ALGONA  The city of Algona will attempt to settle a federal lawsuit with a woman who sued the municipality for false arrest stemming from a 2013 traffic stop.

The Algona City Council voted unanimously Monday to make a settlement offer to Melissa Folkerts.

Folkerts claimed she was illegally pulled over by an Algona police officer on Aug. 26, 2013, on Diagonal Street. She was later charged with operating while intoxicated. The charge was later dismissed.

In her lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Folkerts claimed the stop was based on a false anonymous tip called in to police, challenged the basis for pulling her over and accused the officer of lying in police reports.

Shes seeking an undisclosed amount for false arrest, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violation of civil rights.

A judge dismissed other claims, including malicious prosecution and negligence.

Algona City Council members discussed the proposed settlement during closed session.

Algona City Administrator Curt Wiseman said he could not release details of the proposal. If its accepted, the city will pay a $2,000 insurance deductible, he said.

 Molly Montag
CLEAR LAKE | A Forest City man police say gave a woman a brain injury during an attack last month faces criminal charges.

Steve Sifuentes, 41, was charged with two counts of felony domestic abuse, one count of felony willful injury and one count of misdemeanor first-degree harassment.

He was arrested early Wednesday morning.

Sifuentes kicked and punched the woman in the head, arms, chest and back at her residence on 700 block of 10th Avenue North in Clear Lake, on April 23 and April 9, according to a criminal complaint.

Clear Lake police said in the complaint the woman sustained an brain injury after the April 23 incident. She was hospitalized.

Documents did not say if she has been released. Police were not immediately available Thursday to comment on the woman's condition.

Sifuentes also was accused in court documents of threatening to kill a woman on April 10 while committing domestic violence against her at the same residence as the other two incidents.

Sifuentes remained jailed Thursday morning in lieu of $50,000 bond.

A no-contact order has been issued barring him from contact with the alleged victim.

His next court hearing is set for May 13 in District Court in Mason City.
MASON CITY | A Mason City woman has been arrested on prostitution and methamphetamine delivery charges.

Allyson Donnelly, 36, was arrested Tuesday at the Country Inn & Suites, 4082 Fourth St. S.W., during a prostitution sting conducted by Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office deputies, according to Sheriff Kevin Pals.

She was charged with prostitution, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Donnelly also had outstanding warrants on two counts of methamphetamine delivery, a Class C felony, and an additional count of prostitution.

Donnelly is being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on $10,000 cash bond.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office assisted in the investigation.

-- Mary Pieper
CLEAR LAKE  U.S. Rep. Steve King toured Frontier Labs in Clear Lake on Thursday, witnesses soil testing at various stages.

We always want to see the foundations and the drivers for our economy, King said. This is one of them.

Frontier Labs specializes in soil testing and precision agriculture.

Im learning here, first-hand, about getting the most out of the resources we have, King said. That allows the producers to not only be the leading producers in the world but also be really good stewards of our soil and our water.

Co-owners Rich and Jim Finstad showed King around the facility while talking about the history and soil testing in general.

We get some soil samples out there, analyze them and tell the farmers how much fertilizer to put on or not put on, Jim said. We cater to the farmer and help them.

The Finstads talked about administering the proper amount of fertilizer and balancing nutrients for a successful harvest.

Farmers only have one chance a year to get it right, Jim Finstad said. Data is king.

King said he had spent a lot of his life in soil conservation and water quality work and was impressed with the progress in the field over the past 25 years.

I think of the lawsuit that has emerged from the Des Moines Water Works, King said. Some people would like to regulate very thing and everybody.

The Des Moines Water Works is suing three northwest Iowa counties, claiming drainage districts are allowing nitrates from farm fields to infiltrate the Raccoon River, a source of Des Moines drinking water. Those counties have denied the allegation.

King, in Thursdays visit, said he wanted to show that companies like Frontier are helping farmers apply just the right amount of fertilizer in the interest of water quality.

Its not practical to look at things from the perspective of, say, letting environmental extremists manage our farms through litigation, King said.
115,000 Iowans served in all branches of military during the Vietnam War years, 1964 to 1973.

Their average age was 19.

Most were in Vietnam for at least one year.

Of those 115,000, 869 were killed in action, 56 of whom were from North Iowa. Their names are inscribed on the Iowa Vietnam War Monument, which was dedicated in 1984 on state capitol grounds.

Five Iowans were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their bravery.

The Iowa Legislature officially thanked Vietnam veterans for their service in 2005, 30 years after the war ended.
Now that American voters are drawing a clearer outline of Novembers presidential contest, the rest of the worlds opinion about who should become the next president of the United States is also turning crystal-clear. With a couple of notable exceptions, the verdict is all-but unanimous: Just about everywhere, people want Hillary Clinton to replace President Barack Obama.

That is the undeniable and overwhelming impression one hears when exploring opinions in different parts of the globe. I heard it asking individuals of a wide variety of backgrounds while traveling in several countries. But dont take my word for it.

A recent poll of people in 20 countries  the G20 group of the worlds largest economies  confirmed it. In all the countries polled, Clinton beat Trump by wide margins. The only exception was Russia, where Trump beats Clinton by more than 20 points when pollsters asked whom they want to see as the next U.S. president. In China, theres ambivalence.

Everywhere else, Clinton outpolled Trump by enormous margins: In Mexico she beat him by 54 percent, in South Korea by 37, in France by 30, in Japan by 27. The list goes on with similar results from South America to East Asia.

Now that it seems like the election will pit Clinton against Donald Trump, the whole world is really watching, and the overwhelming reaction is widespread rejection of Trump in most quarters, along with palpable enthusiasm for the prospect of a Clinton presidency.

The distinct sentiment I encountered matches the findings of another survey in which pollsters asked Europeans how they would feel if each of the top candidates won the election. Europeans chose Clinton as their favorite by a landslide. The main feelings they predicted for themselves if Clinton becomes president: relieved, optimistic, happy. If Trump wins: afraid, disappointed, sad.

I found that combination of anticipation and apprehension in conversations in Arab states, where I was surprised to see positive sentiment for Clinton not only among women, which I expected, but also among men and among people of all ages. Ive heard the same in conversations with Asians, Europeans and Latin Americans.

In Israel, where most people believe President Obamas foreign policy, particularly his nuclear deal with Iran, made them less safe, Clinton is also the top choice according to surveys, even though she helped lay the ground for the Iran deal.

Over the years I have probed global opinions about U.S. elections but have never found the combination I see today  near-uniform excitement for one candidate and utter disdain combined with fear for another.

In 1999, during the Bush vs. Gore campaign, I asked Fidel Castro if he had a favorite. He told me he did, but said he would not reveal it because his endorsement would hurt his preferred candidate. He had a point.

The endorsement of foreigners, even when theyre not controversial figures, has an odd effect on American voters. John Kerry had to downplay his international appeal. This time, however, the respected weekly The Economist declared a Trump presidency one of the top risks to global stability. Clinton could benefit from noting that practically the entire world wants her to become president.

While Obamas social views hold great appeal, particularly in Europe, and he is personally liked, his foreign policy is a different matter.

Millions of Europeans are deeply disappointed with Obama, and their complaints line up with some of Clintons own disagreements with the president. Some in Europe blame Obamas failure to act in Syria for the refugee crisis. Obamas reluctance to use force and his rapprochement with Iran irks Washingtons Arab allies.

After George W. Bushs militaristic foreign policy and Obamas pendulum swing to other end, Clinton is perceived as potentially the Goldilocks president  not too hot, not too cold. If current sentiment holds and Clinton becomes president, she could face a problem Obama encountered: living up to outsize expectations.
In a March 27 editorial, we said Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump shares responsibility for violence directed at protesters by his supporters because of incendiary rhetoric he uses. We urged him to tone down the tough guy talk and speak out at his rallies in stronger fashion against the violence.

No place exists in our democratic process, we said, for violence at presidential campaign events.

In fairness, today we direct our criticism not at Trump but at Trump protesters who engaged in repulsive violence outside the site of a rally for the candidate in Costa Mesa, California, on Thursday night.

According to published reports, protesters blocked traffic, kicked at and punched approaching vehicles, attacked Trump supporters, fought with and shouted insults at law enforcement officers and smashed the window and kicked in the doors of a police car. Cops in riot gear responded; nearly two dozen protesters were arrested.

A protest is acceptable  in fact, its an exercise of protected free speech. Violence is not. Frankly, we question whether its accurate to call those who took to the streets outside the Trump event in Costa Mesa protesters. They appeared more interested in causing trouble than sending a political message and deserved nothing more than arrest and marginalization.

The garbage we witnessed in Costa Mesa not only served no useful purpose, but may, in what would be a twist of irony, do the cause of protesters more harm than good by increasing support for Trump ahead of the June 7 California presidential primary.

Every time leftist protesters disrupt one of his events or stage a riot outside, he benefits, Editor Rich Lowry wrote in National Review on Tuesday. They arent on the Trump payroll but they might as well be. The protests are catnip to cable TV  as if Trump needed any more free media attention  and provide the perfect framing for Trumps message that only he has the strength to defy the forces of chaos and political correctness.

Bottom line: Proper ways exist for Americans to voice dissent but this wasnt one of them.

Because, as we said on March 27, no place exists in our democratic process  and, we might add, in our civilized society  for violence at presidential campaign events.

 By the Sioux City Journal, another Lee Enterprises newspaper
Lithuanian English

Vilnius, Lithuania, 2016-05-02 08:08 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On 29 April 2016 General Shareholders Meeting of Invalda INVL has approved Invalda INVL Employee Stock Option Policy (hereinafter, the Policy) and authorized the Board of Invalda INVL to ensure the proper implementation of the Policy.

In the Policy it is foreseen to offer Employees options contracts during the year 2016, on the basis of which according to the procedures and terms established in options contracts during the year 2019 Employees will be able to exercise the right to acquire 52,906 ordinary shares of Invalda INVL which nominal value is EUR 0.29, by paying for every acquired share 1 (one) euro.

In order to the Policy provisions Invalda INVL signed options contracts with Employees for 52,906 ordinary registered shares of Invalda INVL.
English Lithuanian

AB "Rokiskio suris", Pramones str.3, Rokiskis, Lithuania, 2016-05-04 15:24 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The April 29, 2016 general meeting of shareholders of Rokiskio suris AB (company code 173057512, address: Pramones str. 3, Rokiskis, Lithuania) resolved to distribute dividends to the companys shareholders amounting to EUR 0.07 (before taxes) per share.

Dividends will be paid to the shareholders who are shareholders of Rokiskio suris AB at the end of the tenth business day after approval of the resolution by general meeting of shareholders, i.e. May 13, 2016.

Dividends will be paid starting from May 24, 2016.

Dividends will be paid in the following procedure:

Dividends to the shareholders whose securities accounting is performed by public exchange brokers or credit institutions providing services of securities accounting, in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Lithuania will be paid out by the representative financial or credit institutions having deducted the income tax (profit tax) to the account indicated by shareholder.

Dividends to other shareholders will be paid by the companys cashier (Rokiskio suris AB resided in Pramones str. 3, Rokiskis), or upon a written request they will be transferred to the personal account. The requests may be supplied in written and sent to the companys address (Rokiskio suris AB, Pramones str. 3, Rokiskis LT- 42150) or e-mail address grazina.jankauskiene@rokiskio.com

The dividends are subject to taxes as follows:

Dividends paid to physical bodies resided in the Republic of Lithuania as well as to physical bodies residents of foreign countries are subject to 15 per cent of residential income tax.

Dividends paid to juridical bodies of the Republic of Lithuania as well as juridical bodies residents of foreign countries are subject to 15 per cent of profit tax unless it is provided differently by law.

Residents of foreign countries with whom the Republic of Lithuania has made international agreements in order to avoid double taxation may enjoy benefits provided by such agreements if they present a request of a resident of foreign country to decrease the enumerated tax, form FR0021 (DAS-1).

Authorized persons of the company capable to provide additional information:

Grazina Jankauskiene, ph. +370 458 55243.
NEW YORK, May 04, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stull, Stull & Brody ("SS&B") announces that a class action lawsuit was commenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of persons who purchased or acquired the securities of PJT Partners Inc. (PJT or the Company) (NYSE:PJT) between November 12, 2015 and March 28, 2016 (the "Class Period").



If you purchased PJT securities during the Class Period you may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff by no later than June 14, 2016. A lead plaintiff is a representative party that acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

SS&B is also investigating whether allegations in the class action were breaches of fiduciary duties by the officers and directors of PJT. An action for breaches of fiduciary duty can be brought derivatively by a shareholder who held Company stock at the start of the Class Period and who continues to hold Company stock until the derivative action has concluded.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: (1) PJTs compliance and fraud-prevention controls were inadequate; (2) as a consequence of PJTs inadequate controls, Andrew W. W. Caspersen, a managing partner at the Companys private-equity arm, Park Hill Group, perpetrated a criminal scheme to defraud investors.

On March 28, 2016, news reports revealed Caspersen was arrested and charged with defrauding investors of more than $95 million. A criminal complaint was filed in federal court, in addition to a complaint filed by the SEC. In a press release, PJT announced Caspersen had been terminated after they were stunned and outraged to learn of the fraudulent circumvention and violation of PJTs ethical and compliance standards.

If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Michael J. Klein, Esq. at Stull, Stull & Brody by e-mail at PJT@ssbny.com, by calling toll-free 1-800-337-4983 x147, or by fax at 212-490-2022, or by writing to Stull, Stull & Brody, 6 East 45th Street, New York, NY 10017. You can also visit our website at www.ssbny.com.

Stull, Stull & Brody has litigated many class actions for violations of securities laws and breaches of fiduciary duty on behalf of defrauded investors over the past 40 years and has obtained court approval of substantial settlements on numerous occasions. Stull, Stull & Brody has offices in New York and Beverly Hills. The Stull, Stull & Brody website (www.ssbny.com) has additional information about the firm.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under applicable laws and ethical rules.
TORONTO, May 05, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE:MUX) (TSX:MUX) is pleased to announce consolidated quarterly production of 37,958 gold equivalent ounces(1) and earnings from mining operations of $19.5 million(2)(3) for the three months ended March 31, 2016 (Q1). The El Gallo Mine in Mexico had an outstanding quarter, producing at total cash costs and all-in sustaining costs (AISC) per gold equivalent ounce of $432 and $532, respectively. The San Jose Mine in Argentina also performed well, and as a result we received a dividend of $2.6 million from MSC(4) in the quarter, compared to a $0.5 million dividend received during all of 2015.



We generated $14.7 million in free cash flow in the quarter, and ended the quarter with liquid assets(3) of $43.5 million and no debt. On May 2, 2016 we had liquid assets of $46 million and no debt.

The tables below provide operating and financial results for Q1, comparative results for Q1 2015, and our production and cost guidance for full year 2016. For our SEC Form 10-Q Financial Statements and MD&A refer to: http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0000314203





Q1 2016

Q1 2015 Guidance

FY2016 Corporate Total Gold ounces produced 28,975 24,696 99,500 Silver ounces produced 673,767 655,339 3,337,000 Gold equivalent ounces produced(1) 37,958 33,434 144,000 Gold equivalent total cash cost ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 615 $ 674 $ 780 Gold equivalent co-product AISC ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 814 $ 948 $ 935 Gold equivalent all-in cost ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 903 $ 1,044 - El Gallo Mine  Mexico Gold ounces produced 20,015 15,243 54,500 Silver ounces produced 6,448 11,084 37,500 Gold equivalent ounces produced(1) 20,101 15,391 55,000 Gold equivalent total cash cost ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 432 $ 460 $ 780 Gold equivalent co-product AISC ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 532 $ 611 $ 840 San Jose Mine(4) - Argentina Gold ounces produced 8,960 9,453 45,000 Silver ounces produced 667,319 644,255 3,300,000 Gold equivalent ounces produced(1) 17,857 18,043 89,000 Gold equivalent total cash cost ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 762 $ 888 $ 780 Gold equivalent co-product AISC ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 936 $ 1,127 $ 990









Q1 2016 Q1 2015 Gold equivalent ounces sold 40,578 37,682 San Jose Mine 22,477 18,865 El Gallo Mine 18,101 18,817 Average realized prices(3) Gold ($/oz) $ 1,205 $ 1,213 Silver ($/oz) $ 15.29 $ 17.02 (Millions of U.S. dollars except per share amounts) Earnings from Mining Operations(3) 19.5 17.2 Earnings from mine operations per share 0.07 0.06 Cash Flow from Operations(3) 14.7 5.6 Cash flow from operations per share 0.05 0.02 Net Income(3) 13.0 6.0 Net Income per share 0.04 0.02





Operating & Financial Highlights

Production Costs

Consolidated total cash costs, all-in sustaining costs (AISC) and all-in costs per gold equivalent ounce sold in Q1 were $615, $814 and $903, respectively. At the El Gallo Mine total cash costs and AISC were $432 and $532 per gold equivalent ounce, respectively; and at the San Jose Mine total cash costs and AISC were $762 and $936 per gold equivalent ounce, respectively. The year-over-year decrease in total cash costs per gold equivalent ounce sold is mainly due to a higher average gold grade processed at the El Gallo Mine, and devaluation in both the Argentinean and Mexican Pesos in the quarter.

Production

Quarterly gold equivalent production has increased year-over-year by 14%. Production in Q1 totaled 37,958 gold equivalent ounces, which includes 17,857 gold equivalent ounces attributable to us from our 49%(4) interest in the San Jose Mine, and 20,101 gold equivalent ounces from the El Gallo Mine.

Ounces Sold

Sales totaled 40,578 gold equivalent ounces in Q1, which includes 22,477 gold equivalent ounces attributable to us from the San Jose Mine, and 18,101 gold equivalent ounces from the El Gallo Mine.

Earnings from Mining Operations

Earnings from mining operations was $19.5 million or $0.07 per share for Q1, compared to earnings of $17.2 million or $0.06 per share for Q1 2015.

Cash Flow

Net cash provided by operations was $14.7 million or $0.05 per share for Q1, compared to net cash flow generated of $5.6 million or $0.02 per share in Q1 2015.

Net Income

Consolidated net income was $13.0 million or $0.04 per share for Q1, compared to a net income of $6.0 million or $0.02 per share for Q1 2015.

Average Realized Prices

The average realized prices of gold and silver sold during Q1 were $1,205 and $15.29 per ounce, respectively. Average realized prices are presented net of adjustments of provisionally priced sales of concentrates from the San Jose Mine.

Production and Cost Guidance

We increased our 2016 production guidance during the quarter to 99,500 gold ounces and 3.3 million silver ounces, or 144,000 gold equivalent ounces, at total cash costs and AISC of $780 and $935 per gold equivalent ounce, respectively.

Treasury

We ended Q1 with $43.5 million in liquid assets and no debt. As of May 2, 2016 we had liquid assets of $46 million.

Return of Capital & Eligible Dividend

We paid the second semi-annual return of capital installment of $0.005 per share on February 12, 2016, for an aggregate total of $1.5 million. For shareowners in the US & Canada, return of capital is generally not taxed, however we advise you to obtain advice from a tax professional familiar with your specific situation. Owners of the exchangeable shares of our publicly traded Canadian subsidiary McEwen Mining - Minera Andes Acquisition Corp. (MAQ) received an eligible dividend of $0.005 per share with the same payment date. The eligible dividend does not qualify for the same beneficial tax treatment discussed above and we recommend that holders of MAQ shares vote for the proposed amendment to the article of incorporation at the MAQ Annual Meeting, as discussed below.

Exchangeable Shares

At our upcoming Annual Meeting on May 31, 2016, owners of MAQ exchangeable shares are being asked to vote for an amendment to the articles of incorporation allowing for the immediate redemption of all exchangeable shares. If approved, MAQ shares will be redeemed for MUX common shares. This will save administrative costs and simplify our capital structure. For more information on the proposed amendment refer to pages 10-19 of the proxy circular dated April 20, 2016 available at:

http://sedar.com/DisplayCompanyDocuments.do?lang=EN&issuerNo=00032768

El Gallo Mine, Mexico (100%)

In Q1 the mine produced 20,101 gold equivalent ounces, compared to 15,391 gold equivalent ounces during same period in 2015. Production in Q1 set a new quarterly record as a result of processing higher grade ore stockpiled in the previous quarter. Production in subsequent quarters is expected to be lower as the influence of higher grade ore diminishes and production transitions to lower grade resources. Full year production guidance for El Gallo in 2016 is now increased to 55,000 gold equivalent ounces.

For 2016, we have budgeted $3.3 million for sustaining costs and capital expenditures, and $2.6 million for exploration activities. During Q1 we spent $1.1 million, primarily on the heap leach pad expansion expected to be completed early in Q2, and $0.8 million in exploration activities.

On April 19, 2016, we acquired the existing tiered NSR royalty (the Royalty) on the El Gallo Mine, which was paying 3.5% of gross revenue less allowable deductions. The purchase price consisted of a $5.25 million payment on closing and a conditional deferred payment of $1.0 million to be made on June 30, 2018. The Royalty ceased being payable at the end of March 2016. In 2015 the Royalty added approximately $44 per gold equivalent ounce sold to our cash cost. The transaction enhances the future profitability of the El Gallo Mine and removes a royalty burden on existing and potentially new deposits inside the Royaltys area of influence, including the El Gallo Silver deposit.

On May 2, 2016, we announced the purchase of mineral properties located approximately 6 miles (10 km) from the El Gallo Mine for $250,000, plus a 2% NSR royalty retained by the seller. We believe there are attractive exploration targets on these properties, and we will be commencing exploration here immediately.

San Jose Mine, Argentina (49%)

Our attributable production from San Jose in Q1 was 8,960 gold ounces and 667,319 silver ounces, for a total of 17,857 gold equivalent ounces. Compared to Q1 2015, gold production was down 5% and silver production was up 4%. Q1 production is typically lower than other quarters due to mill shutdown and maintenance over the holidays.

Tax reforms and other macroeconomic developments in Argentina have significantly improved the cash flows at San Jose. As a consequence we received $2.6 million in dividends from MSC(4) in Q1, and expect to receive additional dividends throughout the year.

The 2016 exploration budget for drilling on targets near the mine is $4.5 million. This is the first time in several years that a significant budget has been allocated to exploration with the goal of defining new economic deposits on the San Jose property.

Gold Bar Advanced-stage Project(5), Nevada, U.S. (100%)

For 2016, we have budget approximately $8.3 million for our Nevada properties. The budget for Gold Bar development is $3.5 million, of which $0.6 million was spent in Q1. The exploration budget is $1.6 million for a total of 16,000 ft. (4,900 m) of drilling. Exploration drilling on two Nevada projects begins this month, including on the new Afgan project acquired in January.

We continue to advance the permitting process for construction and production at Gold Bar. Formal notice from the Bureau of Land Management states our Record of Decision (ROD) for the Gold Bar Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is expected in January, 2017. The Company expects that all other applicable State and local permits will also be acquired within this timeframe. Once the ROD and permits are received, the Company can begin mine construction, which is expected to take approximately 10-12 months to complete.

El Gallo Silver Advanced-stage Project(5), Mexico (100%)

Work with our engineering consultants on revised development plans and trade-off studies for El Gallo Silver is ongoing. We intend to present our results this summer and produce a new feasibility study when prevailing silver prices justify development.

Los Azules Exploration Project, Argentina (100%)

For 2016, we have budgeted $1.0 million for Los Azules to advance the project with baseline environmental studies, optimization studies, and geological work. Planning for the next field season in Q1 2017 is also in progress.







Q1 2016 Conference Call Details McEwen Mining will be hosting a conference call to discuss the Q1 2016 results

and project developments on: Thursday, May 5th, 2016 11:00 am ET WEBCAST: http://www.gowebcasting.com/lobby/7548 TELEPHONE: Participant Dial-in numbers: (877) 291-4570 (North America) / (647) 788-4922 (International)

Conference ID: 6262391 REPLAY: Dial-in numbers: (800) 585-8367 (North America) / (416) 621-4642 (International) Conference ID: 6262391

05/05/2016 14:00 ET - 12/05/2016 23:59 ET





About McEwen Mining (www.mcewenmining.com)

McEwen Minings goal is to qualify for inclusion in the S&P 500 Index by creating a high growth, profitable gold and silver producer focused in the Americas and Europe. McEwen Mining's principal assets consist of the San Jose Mine in Santa Cruz, Argentina (49% interest), the El Gallo Mine and El Gallo Silver project in Sinaloa, Mexico, the Gold Bar project in Nevada, USA, and the Los Azules copper project in San Juan, Argentina.

McEwen Mining has a total of 298 million shares outstanding. Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner, owns 25% of the Company

Footnotes:

1) Silver production is presented as a gold equivalent. Gold equivalent calculations are based on prevailing spot prices at the beginning of the year. The silver to gold ratio used for 2015-2016 is 75:1.

2) All amounts are reported in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

3) Earnings from mining operations, total cash costs, all-in sustaining costs (AISC), all-in costs, average realized prices, and liquid assets, are non-GAAP financial performance measures with no standardized definition under U.S. GAAP. See Cautionary Note Regarding Non-GAAP Measures for additional information, including definitions of these terms.

4) The San Jose Mine is owned by Minera Santa Cruz S.A. (MSC), which is a joint venture 49% owned by McEwen Mining Inc. and 51% owned and operated by Hochschild Mining plc. Figures include only the portion attributable to us from our 49% interest in MSC.

5) See Cautionary Note Regarding Non-GAAP Measures for additional information about Advanced-stage Projects.



TECHNICAL INFORMATION

The technical contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Nathan M. Stubina , Ph.D., P.Eng., FCIM, Managing Director and a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects".

RELIABILITY OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE SAN JOSE MINE

Minera Santa Cruz S.A., the owner of the San Jose Mine, is responsible for and has supplied to the Company all reported results from the San Jose Mine. McEwen Minings joint venture partner, a subsidiary of Hochschild Mining plc, and its affiliates other than MSC do not accept responsibility for the use of project data or the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING NON-GAAP MEASURES

In this report, we have provided information prepared or calculated according to U.S. GAAP, as well as provided some non-U.S. GAAP ("non-GAAP") performance measures. Because the non-GAAP performance measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by U.S. GAAP, they may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.

Total Cash Costs and All-in Sustaining Costs

Total cash costs consist of mining, processing, on-site general and administrative costs, community and permitting costs related to current explorations, royalty costs, refining and treatment charges (for both dore and concentrate products), sales costs, export taxes and operational stripping costs. All-in sustaining cash costs consist of total cash costs (as described above), plus environmental rehabilitation costs, amortization of the asset retirement costs related to operating sites, sustaining exploration and development costs, and sustaining capital expenditures. In order to arrive at our consolidated all-in sustaining costs, we also include corporate general and administrative expenses. Depreciation is excluded from both total cash costs and all-in sustaining cash costs. For both total cash costs and all-in sustaining costs we include our attributable share of total cash costs from operations where we hold less than a 100% economic share in the production, such as MSC, where we hold a 49% interest. Total cash cost and all-in sustaining cash cost per ounce sold are calculated on a co-product basis by dividing the respective proportionate share of the total cash costs and all-in sustaining cash costs for the period attributable to each metal by the ounces of each respective metal sold. We use and report these measures to provide additional information regarding operational efficiencies both on a consolidated and an individual mine basis, and believe that these measures provide investors and analysts with useful information about our underlying costs of operations. A reconciliation to the nearest U.S. GAAP measure is provided in McEwen Mining's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016.

Earnings from mining operations

The term Earnings from Mining Operations used in this report is a non-GAAP financial measure. We use and report this measure because we believe it provides investors and analysts with a useful measure of the underlying earnings from our mining operations. We define Earnings from Mining Operations as Gold and Silver Revenues from our El Gallo 1 Mine and our 49% attributable share of the San Jose Mine's Net Sales, less their respective Production Costs Applicable to Sales. To the extent that Production Costs Applicable to Sales may include depreciation and amortization expense related to the fair value increments on historical business acquisitions (fair value paid in excess of the carrying value of the underlying assets and liabilities assumed on the date of acquisition), we deduct this expense in order to arrive at Production Costs Applicable to Sales that only include depreciation and amortization expense incurred at the mine-site level. The San Jose Mine Net Sales and Production Costs Applicable to Sales are presented, on a 100% basis, in Note 5 of McEwen Mining's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016.

Average realized prices

The term average realized price per ounce used in this report is also a non-GAAP financial measure. We report this measure to better understand the price realized in each reporting period for gold and silver. Average realized price is calculated as sales of gold and silver (excluding commercial deductions) over the number of ounces sold in the period.

Liquid assets

Liquid assets corresponds to cash, investments and precious metals, which is also a nonGAAP financial measure. We report this measure to better understand our liquidity in each reporting period. Cash, investments and precious metals is calculated as the sum of cash, investments and ounces of dore held in inventories with precious metals, valued at the London PM Fix spot price at the corresponding period. A reconciliation between precious metals valued at cost and precious metals valued at market value is provided in McEwen Mining's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016.

Advanced stage projects

Advanced-stage properties consist of properties for which a feasibility study has been completed indicating the presence of mineralized material, and that have obtained or are in the process of obtaining the required permitting for construction and operation. Our designation of certain properties as Advanced-stage Properties should not suggest that we have proven or probable reserves at those properties as defined by the SEC Industry Guide 7. In addition, as described under Critical Accounting Policies section contained in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, we define Mine Development Costs as the costs incurred to design and construct mining and processing facilities, including engineering and metallurgical studies, drilling, and other related costs to delineate an ore body, and the removal of overburden to initially expose an ore body at open pit surface or underground mines. Since no proven and probable reserves have been established on any of our properties except for our 49% interest in the San Jose mine, mine development costs are not capitalized at any of the our properties, but rather are expensed as incurred, and allocated within Mine Development Costs in the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, including "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements and information expressed, as at the date of this news release, McEwen Mining Inc.'s (the "Company") estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to future events and results. Forward-looking statements and information are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies, and there can be no assurance that such statements and information will prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and information. Risks and uncertainties that could cause results or future events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, factors associated with fluctuations in the market price of precious metals, mining industry risks, political, economic, social and security risks associated with foreign operations, the ability of the corporation to receive or receive in a timely manner permits or other approvals required in connection with operations, risks associated with the construction of mining operations and commencement of production and the projected costs thereof, risks related to litigation, the state of the capital markets, environmental risks and hazards, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral resources and reserves, and other risks. The Companys dividend policy will be reviewed periodically by the Board of Directors and is subject to change based on certain factors such as the capital needs of the Company and its future operating results. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information included herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. See McEwen Mining's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the caption "Risk Factors", for additional information on risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the forward-looking statements and information regarding the Company. All forward-looking statements and information made in this news release are qualified by this cautionary statement.

The NYSE and TSX have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release, which has been prepared by management of McEwen Mining Inc.




Albany, NY, May 05, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new market research report added to the vast database of MarketResearchReports.biz, the demand for cloud business solutions, social media, and platform systems of engagement is expected to exhibit continuing growth. The report, which is titled, Cloud Business Solutions, Social Media, And Platform Systems Of Engagement: Market Shares, Strategy, And Forecasts, Worldwide, 2013 To 2018, is composed of 673 pages. It also features as many as 165 figures and tables covering the state of the market through the five-year period in detail.

With the deployment of cloud-based systems reaching an all-time high, it is now possible to effectively and consistently support information collection. Since much of this information is now being collected via mobile points, devising appropriate solutions for the same is imperative. With appropriate systems of engagement in place, organizations are now finding it easier to make the most of apps available in the market, thus providing a boost to the apps segment.

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The new line of apps and engagement systems available on the market today enable organizations to export data in the form of easy-to-understand visual data such as graphs, tables, and charts. This not only lends more transparency in data collection, but also ensures that organizations do not miss between-the-lines information.

Thus, the availability of new engagement systems is key to gathering institutional knowledge, especially from the ever so popular channels such as social media. Moreover, many of these new solutions available on the market have within them features to translate data from one language to another. This widens their appeal to a global audience.

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Among the key points that the study touches upon are the key systems of engagement that will help stakeholders understand how more and more small enterprises are entering the folds of the cloud, social media, and platform systems of engagement. This marks a dramatic shift from the conventional sections of the clouding solutions market. Despite this, it will be a while before the dominance of larger market participants can be challenged by the newer, smaller entrants in this space. Nevertheless, the dynamics in this space will continue to remain fluid because of the still burgeoning use of tablets and smartphones, especially in markets that are still up and coming.

According to the report, the global market for cloud business solutions, social media, and platform systems of engagement will display promising growth in the next three years. The report notes that the markets for cloud solutions approximated US$34.7 bn as of 2013. The market will grow by leaps and bounds to touch a sizeable US$123 bn by the end of 2019. The integration of front end data collected from the web and back-end data gleaned from transaction systems with the massive amounts of data gathered from smartphones will create a wider scope for the deployment of cloud computing solutions, notes the report.

Players profiled in the report include Google, IBM, Fujitsu, Amazon, Cisco, and others.

Related Reports

Global Cloud-Based ITSM Market 2015-2019: http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/489739

Social Media Messaging: Market Shares, Strategy, And Forecasts, Worldwide, 2016 To 2022: http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/605125

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RaviChandra wrote:

Brownleas post office must be replaced with a larger one. The present one cannot be expanded. Land near the present location in the center of town is more expensive than land on the outskirts of town. Since the cost of acquiring a site is a significant part of the total construction cost, the post office clearly could be built more cheaply on the outskirts of town.



Which one of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the arguments stated conclusion?





(A) The new post office will have to be built in accordance with a demanding new citywide building code.



(B) If the new post office is built on the outskirts of town, it will require a parking lot, but if sited near the present post office it will not.



(C) If the new post office is built on the outskirts of town, current city bus routes will have to be expanded to provide access.



(D) If the new post office is built on the outskirts of town, residents will make decreased use of post office boxes, with the result that mail carriers will have to deliver more mail to homes.



(E) If the new post office is built near the center of town, disruptions to city traffic would have to be minimized by taking such steps as doing some construction work in stages at night and on weekends.

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

OA : (B)

OE : Curve ball: The argument starts off with one argument (sentences one + two: We must build a new post office because the old one cant be expanded), but moves past that first decision to another, more problematic one: Where can the building be built cheaper? The conclusion that the outskirts site is clearly cheaper is the one we seek to undermine. Sure, land is cheaper on the outskirts than in town. But what (you may well have asked yourself) about other factorsother issues that might impact the cost? If (B) is true, then theres a major cost of the outskirts site, building a parking lot, that wouldnt be incurred in town. Notice that (B) doesnt prove that the center of town would be the cheaper site. It simply casts doubt on the certainty of the authors judgment that building on the outskirts would be cheaper. Given (B), were left with a need for more evidence in order to choose between the center location with its land costs, and the outskirts site with its parking lot costs. And the very need for more evidence proves that the argument has been undermined.(A) Even assuming that that new building code would affect the cost of construction at all, let alone in a major way, this code inferably applies to both sites and hence cannot affect the site comparison.(C), (D) Running extra buses to the outskirts site (C), or delivering more mail (D), would likely cost the city a few bucks. But theyre not construction buckstheyre not part of thebuilding costsand the argument is specifically about which site would be cheaper to build. Therefore, neither choice has any effect on the logic whatsoever.(E), if anything, strengthens the logic. Adding yet another cost (however much it may cost to work nights and weekends) to the city center site makes the outskirts site seem that much cheaper in comparison. Often, when an LSAT question asks you to weaken logic, two or three of the choices will be outside the scope while one will act as a strengthener. Not a hard and fastrule, but a useful pattern to know of and watch for. Principle: Forcing the author to come up with more evidence to support her conclusion is proof that that conclusion has been undermined. (B) illustrates this quite well; see explanation above._________________
Extensive GMAT Journey [ #permalink

1 Kudos 1 Bookmarks

I was encourage to post this on the forum by other users. Its basically my detailed GMAT log. I will post every Sunday night what I do during the week.





GMAT Journey Log



August 26, 2011



I have started to prepare for the GMAT. I followed the advice from Mark on the forum and did the Math Diagnostic test. It is 20 questions of math in the 300-500 range. I got 19/20 which means that I should skim over the foundations of GMAT math book and not spend too much time on it.



Ive decided to take the GMAT Club diagnostic test on the 28th. It is very long and its been a long day and I am too tired to take the diagnostic. On the 28th I plan on taking the diagnostic and going through the Foundations Math. I plan on finishing the book by the end of the weekend and start the Foundations of Verbal by Labour Day. As soon as I finish both books I will be taking the first CAT.



September 5, 2011



I took a while to restart this GMAT journey. However I am going to start getting serious after today. I scored 19/45 in the diagnostic test. This is quite low although I did not put that much focus to it. I also ran out of time. I am briefing my answers and I will be briefing them more in depth tomorrow. I will start making notes on foundations of Math GMAT. I got to take this seriously if I plan on writing on December. This is much harder than I thought.



September 10, 2011



I reviewed the diagnostic test in detail to find out what I got wrong and how to improve my speed. I had to review pretty much everything, so I moved to the Foundations of Math book. Ive done chapter 1: equations on the book and it seems pretty elemental.however when I did the first 2 drill sets; most of my mistakes were careless. I have to pay more attention to detail when I do this massive math review. I will complete the entire Foundations of Math book before moving to foundations of verbal.



September 24, 2011



Ive found a better strategy to tackle foundations + strategy. Do the chapters that relate to the strategy. So Ive finished chapters 1  3, 8 on the foundations, then I moved to the strategy book called Equations, Inequalities, and VICs. I have to be careful in the word problems as I tend to put the variable on the wrong side of the equations. Some of my questions were wrong based on small math errors, but I understood all of the foundations of math questions. Chapter 1 of the strategy book was good; it has a lot of tips. I do need a ton of practice.



September 25, 2011



Ive done chapter 2 of E, I, VIC, but I need to go back and review the basics of exponents, in order to increase speed + accuracy. I will be using the calculus book for that as it was very good. I will do this before I advance to chapter 3. I need to pick up my pace. I got stuck in a lot of the questions; I need to practice to be able to do them more naturally.



October 1, 2011



I did chapters 3 -6 of E, I, VICs. Will try to finish the basic part of this book tomorrow so I can start with word translations next.



October 8, 2011



I decided to do odd problems of the strategy book in order to speed up the process. Finished the E, I, VICs book.



October 9, 2011



I Finished Chapters 1 and 2 of the Word Translations book, and I will require some more practice. I will do the first practice test tomorrow to gauge which areas I will need to put more time going forward. Im also very curious where I stand right now. Note that I have yet to do any verbal.



October 10, 2011 (1st Test Day)



I finally completed the first practice test. Did quite poorly, scoring a 550, Q33 and V33. I did not finish the Quant section but I finished the verbal section with 20 minutes remaining. Verbal was not that bad considering I have yet to review it, but this is going to be an uphill battle.

For verbal theres no point in reviewing as I have yet studied for it. I got basically the same average for all three different sections which were between 50% - 60%. I believe that is a strong foundation, and I will be happy if after actually studying in detail I can average a score between 40  45, Meaning I will have to increase my score by 8  12 points. We will see if it is doable.

For quants, I focused on reviewing the questions I should have known. I made a few careless mistakes as well as one question I went completely wrong about. I only got half of the questions I should have known which is not good. Ive decided to switch my strategy a little bit. After seeing some of the questions that show up, I realized that the hardest questions come from WT and E, I, VIC sections. Im going to take a step back and continue my review by doing the easier parts: number properties and FDP. I will finish the foundations of math book with the exception of chapter 9 before moving to the strategy books. Once I finish the NP and FDP books, I will go back and finish the WT book. I need to speed up the process as there is a lot of material to cover.

After finishing the entire quants review, I will move to verbal foundation, followed by CR, RC, and SC in that order. I will then take the next to see if my score improved. Target date for 2: Saturday November 12.

Finished Chapter 4 of Foundations of GMAT math with a near perfect drill set score.



October 12, 2011



I Finished chapter 5, exponents and roots, and Im glad I did as I needed good practice simplifying roots. Key is to do prime factorization  something I havent done since 10th grade. I also forget that even powers when rooted have 2 answers. I need to ingrain that in my head.



October 16, 2011



I finished chapters 6 and 7 of Foundations of Math. I will finish chapter 9 once I finish all the other strategy books.



October 17, 2011



I Finished Chapters 1 and 2 of Number Properties, and I only had 1 mistake in both problem sets.



October 18, 2011



I Finished Chapters 3 and 4 of Number Properties, had 2 silly mistakes and 2 conceptual mistakes.
gmatdad111 wrote:

Hello,



Wondering if you could give me your opinions on my profile:



White, 25 yo male

GMAT: 790 (50Q, 51V)

Undergrad: Ohio State, 3.3 GPA in Economics

Grad: Loyola University Chicago, 3.3 GPA, Masters of Applied Statistics

W/E:

- 2 years as junior data analyst for very small statistical consulting firm (was doing this work while in grad school). Non-client facing, but did do a good amount of work for very large global companies.

- 6 months, directly out of grad school, as a senior analyst of wholesale strategy for world's largest textbook retailer. Ended up leaving after 6 months because I enjoy consulting much more and decided that client-side isn't for me right now

- 6 months-present, senior analyst as an advanced analytics marketing consultant for world's largest market research firm. Fully responsible for all analysis, project management, and delivering results to client. Clients are just about every CPG company in the world.



extra: no real volunteer work/extracurriculars. I'm planning on beginning volunteer work each saturday through a mentor program now that I'm done with GMAT and have extra time. Also may begin GMAT tutoring.



Post MBA goals: MBB and I eventually want to start my own consulting firm (like the one I began my career at).



Schools I'm interested in: Kellogg, Booth, Ross, Tuck, Fuqua, Darden, and potentially throwing in Harvard because you never know.



I'm thinking about applying in fall of 2017 to give myself a full two years at my current job at time of application, three years when I actually enter school (would total 5 years work experience). Let me know what you think my chances are given relatively mediocre undergrad/grad school gpa/schools as well as my lack of extracurriculars.



Thank you!



mbaMission Senior Admissions Consultant

Chicago Booth Alum, over 70 5-star reviews on GMAT Club

Sign up for a free 30-minute consultation at https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/

Read our Insider's Guides to the top b-schools: http://www.mbamission.com/guides.php?category=insiders



Kate RichardsonmbaMission Senior Admissions ConsultantChicago Booth Alum, over 70 5-star reviews on GMAT ClubSign up for a free 30-minute consultation at https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/Read our Insider's Guides to the top b-schools: http://www.mbamission.com/guides.php?category=insiders Signature Read More

Hi there!Congrats on the awesome GMAT score...I actually thought it was a typo at first because we don't often see scores so high!I agree that your application would be strengthened with another year of work experience, not just to gain more experience, but also to show more consistency since you left the retailer after 6 months (which is fine, but longer tenure at one company will help). So I'd focus on doing well at work, gaining as much leadership and project management experience as possible, having a lot of client exposure, and international exposure if that's possible too. A promotion could help too if that's possible, but not necessary. Finally, make sure you are cultivating relationships with superiors who know your work well and can serve as strong recommenders when it comes time.Otherwise, you should definitely improve your extracurriculars -- tutoring or mentoring plus even something else that relates to your passions / interests (if you have time), or accelerating any personal accomplishments / interests too.Over the next year, plan to research your target schools more, and ideally visit too, as that will help when it comes time.Good luck, and keep us posted if you have any other questions!Kate_________________
SpainMBA wrote:

Hello and thanks for your quick answer!



I can afford both MBAs (although for LBS I would maybe need a loan). Money wouldn't be the my top reason for taking one program or the other, but of course is a factor to take into consideration.



IESE estimation cost: 77000  (Program Fees) + 30000  (Flights, Living expenses & Others) - 5000 (already paid) = 107.000 



LBS estiamtion cost: 89.500  (Program Fees) + 42.000  (Flights, Living expenses -18 months & Others) = 131.500  -> This number is very dependant on how the exchange rate evolves in the following months. I'm optimistic taking into account last 12 months trends, but you never know.



Difference: 24.500 



I'm still elegible for some IESE Scholarships but I'm also planning to pursue an external one that would be easier to get if i go to London, so I'm not going to introduce the scholarship factor into the eccuantion right now.



I won't have any problems in terms of sharing flat (actually I would prefer to live with other students) so I could cut in living expenses a little. Other thing to take into consideration is that the length of the LBS MBA is very configurable.



In terms of living here or in UK after finishing the MBA, I don't have big ties with Spain right now and I've never lived in UK. It's just the feeling that sooner or later I would want to come back!



Thanks you and kind regards,

If the money is not a issue and you can also secure some money in both cases, then go for LBS.The only thing that no one knows is what the consequence would be if UK votes to be outside the EU. Is it still allowable for you (as Spanish citizen) to work in UK? I do not know. But I think you open to any place.good luck
A Bronx City Council Member has quietly resurrected a dormant bill that would require costumed characters to register with the City and wear identification or risk civil, and possibly criminal, consequencesless than a month after the Council voted to confine costumed characters, desnudas and ticket sellers to designated zones within the Times Square pedestrian plaza.

"We have to identify who the people are out there," bill sponsor Andy King told us on Wednesday, referencing people who pose for photographs with tourists in exchange for tips. "When you put them in zones, you don't know if there's a pedophile or a gentleman who's wanted for murder in there. We need to weed the bad actors out."

The bill as drafted, Int. 467A, would require all "costumed individuals" who solicit for tips (face makeup counts, anything that "obscures or shrouds the face beyond recognition") to register with the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and obtain a license, to be worn at all times and "exhibited upon demand to any police officer." The NYPD would be empowered to order costumed characterson any sidewalk, in any plaza, park, subway, or arenato remove their head pieces for an ID check. Anyone found soliciting without proper ID would be subject to a civil penalty$25 to $100 for the first offense, and between $100 and $250 for all subsequent offenses.

Applicants would also be required to pay a $30 registration fee to the DCA and provide proof of address, a "full-face" photograph, and a government-issued ID (IDNYC, a drivers license). The ID would be valid for two years.

The Times Square Alliance, a business-interest group that lobbied heavily for activity zones on the pedestrian plaza between 42nd and 47th streets this springciting a recent flood of tabloid coverage and civilian complaints about "aggressive" desnudas and costumed characterssays it didn't hear about King's plans to resurrect his 2014 legislation until several days after the activity zones legislation passed.

The Alliance did, however, endorse King's bill two years ago, amid pushback from politicians and advocates. Costumed characters protested in Times Square, and Brooklyn council member Robert Cornegy said the proposal "further criminalizes the least among us."

Yesterday, the Alliance called King's bill "potentially... another useful tool," saying it could "create credibility for the characters... in the same way a police badge or a taxi medallion does."

James Franzetti, an attorney currently representing a handful of costumed characters, countered on Wednesday that the majority of his clients' charges are dismissed in court, and that the bill, in combination with the activity zones, encourages unlawful arrests.

"This bill grants the NYPD a blank check to stop and detain these costumed characters and undoubtedly diminishes their civil rights," he said in a statement. "This bill should be read in tandem with regulation granting the DOT the authority to create activity zones in Times Square. The goal is to fully corporatize Times Square."



(via DOT)

Testifying on Wednesday, both the NYPD and DCA argued that the bill as-written is too lax, and called for more enforcement and regulatory power. DCA Deputy Commissioner Edwin Torres said that his agency should have the right to revoke or refuse a license, based on an applicant's criminal history. "[An ID] might signal to consumers that it is safe to transact with its holder," he said. "Creating a DCA registration without giving the agency the power to revoke or refuse undermines confidence in the DCA."

Chief William Morris of Manhattan South added that his officers would be hard pressed to discipline bad actors without any threat of criminal consequence. "The lack of any criminal penalty presents a challenge to enforcement," he said. "There would be no practical way for a police officer to properly issue a civil penalty if the character refuses to show ID. A criminal penalty must be available in order to compel the person to produce identification."

King replied that he was amenable to criminal penalties. "We need to make sure it's in there so you have the power to act," he said, adding, "We need to put the teeth in."



Council Member King announcing his licensing bill in September 2014 (Getty).

The only civilian to testify against King's legislation on Wednesday was Jose Escalona-Martinez, a Times Square Batman who has sued the City multiple times for wrongful arrest. Sitting alone before the Council, he said that the legislation would further vilify costumed characters.

"I already have a driver's license, and my colleagues have driver's licenses," he said. "[Is this] so you guys can put us in peril? What is the meaning of giving us an ID when I already have an ID, you know?"

Escalona-Martinez and some of his fellow costumed characters balked at the activity zone legislation last month, arguing that it was drafted without their input, impedes their right to freedom of speech, and could negatively impact their business. Last month, Franzetti confirmed plans to file suit against the city on their behalf.

"The police... they don't want us to be out there," Escalona-Martinez added. "They just want to take control... [We] are just human beings. The city, the policethey put us in jail because of our reputation in the news."

King told us Wednesday morning that his original bill was "bogged down" with certain provisions, like a $175 licensing fee and a requirement that costumed characters submit fingerprints.

Somewhat ironically, King also pushed back against an early provision that the characters be relegated to certain areas within the plaza. "Caging isn't the way," he said.

Asked if he believed the new version of his bill would be detrimental to costumed characters in combination with the recently-approved activity zones, he said it would not. "It's not too much, because my legislation addresses something that theirs doesn't at all," he said.

Manhattan Council Members Dan Garodnick and Corey Johnson, who sponsored the activity zone bill, did not immediately comment on King's billwhether they endorsed it, or had been aware of it before their own legislation passed.
Police are looking for a prisoner who they say gave jailers the slip in Brooklyn Supreme Court in downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday. Layquan Johnson, 22, was in court at 10:15 p.m. and court Correction Department staffers released him after he gave them "false information," according to the NYPD.

Jail records show that Johnson was arrested on December 16th on robbery and shooting charges, and held at Rikers Island on $255,000 bail. He had a court date set for June 16th.

A Correction Department spokeswoman wouldn't answer questions about what specifically Johnson said to get himself let go, but she said that the captain responsible for the release has been suspended. She refused to say whether or not the captain was still being paid.

"Any erroneous release is unacceptable and this incident is under investigation," she said.

Police describe Johnson as 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, dark pants, and light sneakers.

Police ask people with information about Johnson's whereabouts to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-8477, or for Spanish (888) 577-4782. People can also submit tips online here or by texting them to 274637 and entering "TIP577".


In a move it's calling "historic," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the expansion of its regulatory authority to cover cigars, hookah and pipe tobacco, and most significantly for time travelers from the year 2013the e-cigarette.

While such regulations are already established in some states (including New York), now all Americans under the age of 18 will be barred from purchasing the sometimes-explosive but always ridiculous-looking e-cigs. Customers will have to display ID, as they would for a pack of analog cancer cylinders.

"As cigarette smoking among those under 18 has fallen, the use of other nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, has taken a drastic leap," said Federal Health & Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell in a statement Thursday. "All of this is creating a new generation of Americans who are at risk of addiction. Today's announcement is an important step in the fight for a tobacco-free generation."

Yet the FDA's new rules do not prohibit or regulate the sale of flavored liquid nicotine, which has been credited as a key tool for pushing e-cigs on youths with flavor names like banana dessert, rainbow candy, and vanilla custard. The FDA banned flavored combustable cigarettes in 2009.

While the new rules leave open the possibility of banning flavors a few years down the road, the NY Times points out that the language in the new regulatory text is not explicit about a future ban.

"The concern is for at least three years, flavored e-cigarette products will remain on the market no matter how many kids are using them, Matthew Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told the paper.

A recent Center for Disease Control study found that 13.4% of kids surveyed had vaped in the past month, versus less than 10 percent who had smoked a cigarette. In 2013-14, 80% of kid smokers surveyed by the FDA and National Institutes of Health said that they'd used flavored tobacco products in the last month.

Science suggests that e-cigswhich some advocates consider a safer alternative to combustible cigs for smokers trying to quitcontain chemicals that are harmful to human lungs. As for younger users, doctors say the nicotine in e-cigs is highly addictive and can lead to permanent brain damage.



A "juice bar" of different fruity flavors of nicotine at VapeNY in Jamaica, Queens (Gretchen Robinette / Gothamist)

Today's regulations will also require e-cig and cigar producers to register with the FDA for the first time.

Previously flexing without government oversightand, in the case of e-cigs, reaping billionsthese companies will now have to break down their ingredients and production processes in detail, and list warnings and ingredients on their packaging.

E-cigarette and cigar vending machines have been outlawed as well, and companies will no longer be allowed to give out free samples. The regulations, which were first drafted in 2014, will go into effect in 90 days.

Naturally, the business community would have preferred that e-cigarettes remain relatively unregulated.

"These final deeming regs could realistically stifle innovation, which could dramatically slow industry growth by dis-incentivizing consumer conversion from combustible cigs," Bonnie Herzog, a tobacco analyst for Wells Fargo Securities, said on Thursday in her newsletter.

"This would ultimately have a net negative impact on public health, which is clearly in direct opposition to the FDA's goal."
Ahead of tonight's first official public hearing for distressed L train riders, the MTA revealed that it is considering two proposals to repair the saltwater damage that Hurricane Sandy wrought on the Canarsie Tube that runs under the East River between North Brooklyn and lower Manhattan. Under scenario one, the MTA would shut down the tube entirely for a projected 18 months. Scenario two calls for a longer, partial shutdownone tube closed at a time, with repair work lasting for three years.

The reduction in service under the three-year plan would be significantNBC reports that service would be reduced 80% between Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, meaning straphangers who use the L primarily in Manhattan would be impacted as well. Trains would run every 12 to 15 minutes during rush hour, compared to every three to four minutes under normal circumstances.

The NY Times points out that under this scenario, the L would be able to handle about 20% of the 225,000 riders who currently take it under the tunnel on a typical weekday. And a typical weekday isn't exactly a pleasant experience.

A full shutdown would extend, as was hinted last month, from Bedford Avenue all the way to 8th Avenue. (Because the L train tracks in Manhattan don't merge with any other train lines, L subway cars in need of maintenance or routine inspections would have limited access to their train yard in East New York.)

New York City Transit President Veronique Hakim told reporters on Wednesday that the MTA has ruled out the possibility of conducting repair work only on nights and weekends, as the required work is too complex to conduct in short bursts. Hopes for a new tunnel under the East River have also been dashedthe MTA said this week that construction would be too expensive and time consuming.

Asked if he was leaning towards a full or partial shutdown, MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast told the Times this week that while he's waiting to hear from the community at large, he has a feeling people will be swayed by the efficiency of the total shutdown. "I think there is an 'Aha' moment they have in their minds, like, 'Geez if it's only one in five people you can carry, maybe it would be better to have two tracks,'" he said.

Either way, repairs will not begin until early 2019. Normal service between Lorimer Street and Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway will be maintained throughout. The MTA says it plans to make a final decision within the next three months, based on input from residents and impacted businesses.

The MTA has already confirmed plans to repair the M train before L train work gets underway, in an effort to better serve L train refugees in Brooklyn. Repairs to a metal bridge and aging viaduct along the M line will prompt lengthy closures, and displace dozens of Bushwick residents. The Authority added on Wednesday that it may run extra buses over the Williamsburg Bridge and expand ferry service.

The repair work is expected to cost between $800 million and $1 billion all told, with most of the funding coming from the federal government.

Girded with this news, you're now cordially invited to vent directly to Hakim and Prendergast, at the Marcy Avenue Armory at 6:00 p.m tonight. A second public meeting has been scheduled for May 12th, at the Salvation Army Theater in Manhattan.

"In order for there to be trust, there must first be communication," Councilmember Stephen Levin said in a statement after tonight's meeting was announced. "Thousands of straphangers are trusting those in charge to listen to their needs."
For All U of U Health Patients & Visitors
A registered sex offender on probation is in jail on his eighth driving under the influence charge.

Travis Lee Owens, 51, is being held on $50,000 bond. In addition to a count of felony DUI, he also faces a misdemeanor charge of partner or family member assault.

Owens, who is on probation stemming from one of his previous DUI convictions, is accused of driving while intoxicated after assaulting his girlfriend in the parking lot of the Valley Hub, 4980 N. Montana Ave. Sheriff's deputies arrested Owens at about 3 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of a fight in progress.

Authorities say Owens, a Helena resident, reeked of alcohol in addition to being disheveled and combative. Owens allegedly struck his girlfriend atop her head after accusing her of cheating on him, documents filed in Lewis and Clark County Justice Court state.

Court documents say the woman tried to leave and Owens followed her, driving while intoxicated. Owens refused to perform field sobriety tests. A blood test was taken after deputies obtained a warrant.

Owens is a registered sex offender due to a statutory rape conviction in Georgia.
Wildfire forecasters predict an average fire season in Montana, although the Billings area and Rocky Mountain Front face more severe predictions for wildfire potential.

Montanas wildfire season is already underway, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation fire and aviation management Bureau Chief Mike DeGrosky told a legislative interim committee on Wednesday. DNRC responded to fires as early as February, he told the Environmental Quality Council, with most ignitions occurring in the south central part of the state.

Fire protection responsibility is divided across the state among federal, state and local or county districts. A local volunteer fire department may have initial attack duties, but routinely agencies work across jurisdictional boundaries with agency assists.

An average wildfire season in Montana means DNRC will respond to roughly 300 fires under its direct protection along with another 1,000 under county and volunteer department protection. About 132,000 acres burn in an average year, which equates to the state spending $2 million to $3 million.

We dont want to lull Montanans into a false sense of security, that well have a normal fire season and thats without challenges, DeGrosky said.

Last years fire season saw an above-average number of ignitions but below-average amount of burned acreage. In 2015, 380 DNRC fires burned nearly 107,000 acres, costing the state $10.9 million.

When it comes to fire forecasting, officials look at various factors ranging from drought and disease to meteorological models. A majority of factors are trending toward an average wildfire season, DeGrosky said.

The Billings area and the Rocky Mountain Front stand as exceptions to the average fire season predication, where low moisture could mean a higher likelihood for wildfires.

Were quite confident in our preparations, he said.

Between DNRC and local cooperating districts, about 3,000 people have been trained, with seasonal hiring nearly complete. The department has also completed inspections for fire engines and expects to have all aircraft ready by the end of the week, DeGrosky said.

Army National Guard pilots are also currently being certified in the event of an emergency fire declaration.

Whether the states fleet of Huey helicopters will be allowed to fly initial attack on federal protection fires is not yet clear, forestry division administrator Bob Harrington told the council.

DNRC modified its fleet of helicopters to enable them to carry larger buckets for water drops. Federal officials determined the aircraft size with the larger bucket did not meet federal standards, and the helicopters have not been cleared on federal fires.

Reports surfacing last year that the fleet was grounded were not true, as the helicopters worked state and local protection fires, Harrington said. He spent the last six months as lead negotiator for the state with the Forest Service over the helicopter issue and saw some progress.

The Forest Service sent an inspection team that inspected both the aircraft and protocols, Harrington said.

That came out, Id say, with flying colors, he told the council, and an agreement could be nearing, possibly by the end of the week.

Right here and now we do not have the final agreement, Harrington said. What I want to make very clear is our commitment to ensure we have adequate aerial resources to respond to fires this season and beyond.
Last night (May 3) Bernie Sanders won the Indiana primary with 52.7 percent of the vote, while Hillary Clinton got 47.3 percent. Buried in a half page IR/AP article on the race were a few words on the Democratic race, and then, words like "narrow victory" were used to describe Sanders' win. How often do you see a 5.4 percent win described as a "narrow victory"? I believe this serves to demonstrate big media's bias against Sanders that has been glaringly obvious since day one of the race.

Admittedly, Bernie has a steep uphill climb and a narrow shot at a victory, but he has a tremendous amount of momentum and support. He has done some amazing things -- and should not be counted out!

If Bernie is not given his due by the Democrat party, and if Hillary continues to arrogantly ignore the issues that are important to Bernie and his army of followers, then I think he should run as a third party candidate with Elizabeth Warren as his running mate. Now wouldn't that make for an interesting three-way race?

Bob Balhiser

Helena
This administration is profoundly aware of two great needs born of our living in a complex industrial economy. First, the individual citizen must have safeguards against personal disaster inflicted by forces beyond his control; second, the welfare of the people demands effective and economical performance by the government of certain indispensable social services.

There is urgent need for greater effectiveness in our programs, both public and private, offering safeguards against the privations that too often come with unemployment, old age, illness and accident. The provisions of the old-age and survivors insurance law should promptly be extended to cover millions of citizens who have been left out of the social-security system.

This was not from Barack Obama but Dwight David Eisenhower in a message to Congress.

Abraham Lincoln led this country out of slavery, leading this nation away from discrimination. He used an income tax to finance the Civil War. Teddy Roosevelt and later William Howard Taft encouraged a permanent and progressive income tax and a Constitutional Amendment to make it legal. Teddy Roosevelt also advocated an estate tax.

Teddy Roosevelt broke up Standard Oil and the railroad monopolies with his antitrust reforms.

Ulysses Grant gave us Yellowstone Park. Later Teddy Roosevelt gave our National Park system (including Glacier Park) and pressed for conservation reforms.

Teddy Roosevelt helped legitimize labor unions and introduced an 8 hour work day.

Richard Nixon introduced the earned income credit, lifting millions of poor people above the poverty level. He formed the Environmental Protection Agency and cooled off the cold war by going into China. Ronald Reagan worked with Democrats to get tax reforms. Ronald Reagan encouraged and George W. Bush later signed the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The point is that all of these innovative ideas were all signed into law by Republican presidents. These great ideas did not emanate from the pea-sized minds of those who think we can fire the federal tax collector and finance our countrys needs by picking on poor people with a flat rate income tax and by eliminating our public health care system. These great ideas did not come from intolerants who imperiously superimpose their own religious views on others. These great ideas did not emanate from the minds of compassionless bullies who prefer to ridicule and even physically beat others into submission.

Should any political party attempt to abolish Social Security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible, and they are stupid.

Again, this was not from Barack Obama but President Eisenhower in a letter to his brother, Edgar on November 8, 1954.

The Republican party has borne civility, tolerance, inclusion and innovation. Where are you?

Thomas C. Morrison is a Helena area tax lawyer.
DECATUR  An exhibit for the Barn Colony Artists can be seen somewhere in Decatur on any given month. The artists' works ranges from paintings to photography. The members invite anyone interested in the arts to join their group.

The artists will have their largest exhibit at the annual Barn Colony Artists Spring Show throughout May at the Madden Arts Center's Anne Lloyd Gallery. To kick-off the new art season, members will be available at the First Friday Walk from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6, displaying new pieces at the center as well as Gallery 510.

During the event, visitors can cast a vote for the People's Choice Award. Approximately 20 local artists will have pieces displayed with a few pieces for sale.

Members hope the exhibit will invite others to join the group. That is always one of our goals, to gain new members, said Dianne Spaniol, Barn Colony Artstis public relations committee member.

Artists from beginners to professionals have been meeting with the Barns Colony Artists since 1939. The group first met regularly at the James Millikin Homestead barn. They now meet weekly at 7 p.m. on Mondays on the Madden Arts Center second floor. Classes are offered in various mediums, including watercolor, acrylics and sculptures. It is very open, said member Ann Brunson. Not only to show your art, but to practice your art or learn about others.

Brunson joined the group less than a year ago after a 30-year absence. She has painted in oil and acrylics, but after a class she found a new interest in watercolor. I didn't know about it, she said. But I had the courage to try.

Members are are encouraged to participate in displays and exhibits, including Arts in Central Park, the Decatur Public Library's Upstairs Gallery and Rock Springs Nature Center. Through the displays, many artists have gained a reputation in the art community. We have very well known artists, Spaniol said. Many are award winners.

Although some artists are professionals, others simply want to learn a new craft or sharpen their own skills. It is a good way to gauge your work, Brunson said. After 30 years I'm hoping to learn more.

May Art Exhibits

BICENTENNIAL ART CENTER. The Paris art center will display the annual Paint Illinois Juried Exhibition until June 10. An open reception will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 13.

BLUE CONNECTION. Millikin University's retail art gallery will display the Jarrott Sekosky exhibit titled Find Your Voice. The display will benefit an art program for disabled people called Our Voice Through Art.

DECATUR AIRPORT GALLERY. The photography of Jim Hill will be displayed at the Airport Gallery.

ERLANSON ART GALLERY. The Richland Community College gallery will display the RCC Student Art Show.

FLOURISHES GALLERY AND STUDIOS. The downtown Shelbyville gallery will exhibit Barbara Dove's paintings and Kari Thornton's ceramics, including artistic and functional pieces. The artwork will be displayed until May 28. For an appointment, call (217) 827-5690.

GALLERY 510. The watercolor painting of Rae Nell Spencer will be featured at the Gallery 510 during the month. Th gallery will be open during the First Friday Walk from 5 to 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 6. An artist talk will be at 6:30 p.m.

GIERTZ GALLERY. The Parkland College gallery will feature the Parkland College Student Juried Show Graphic Design beginning May 9. A reception will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 12, with an awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.artgallery.parkland.edu.

LINCOLN ART INSTITUTE. Logan County Arts and the Lincoln Art Institute will showcase the artwork of Lincoln Community High School and local college students until May 22. More than 30 artists have submitted pieces in various mediums, including drawings, metallic relief and ceramics. A reception will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the art institute. Call (217) 651-8355 for an appointment.

MADDEN ARTS CENTER. The Barn Colony Artists displayed on the first floor of the Madden Arts Center Gallery. The First Friday Gallery Walk will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6. The third floor will feature the Decatur Public Schools Annual Middle and High School Art Show.

PERKINSON ART GALLERY. The Millikin University gallery, located in the Kirkland Fine Arts center, will have the Annual Juried Student Art Show through May 13. A reception will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. today.

Annette Russo's Retiring Art Faculty Show begins May 16 and runs until May 27. A reception will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 19.

ROCK SPRINGS NATURE CENTER. Rock Springs Nature Center's north wing art gallery will feature photographers Chris and Alan Perry with scenes of flowers, wildlife and landscapes.

Plants and animals will be part of Kattina Williams' nature photography exhibited in the south gallery of the nature center. Both exhibits will be on display until the end of the June.

TARBLE ARTS CENTER. Eastern Illinois University art e-gallery will display Making Illinois. The gallery will feature the artifacts from 2016 Historical Administration class. Items will include a corn sheller, woodcuts and sketches, and artwork from EIU Art Department. The exhibit will close May 29.

The Brainard Gallery will feature Kingdom Animalia: Animals in Folk and Indigenous Art until June 5. The 34th annual Children's Art Exhibit will be featured in the Main Galleries from May 14 through 29. Student work from 40 area schools were hand-selected by their teachers.

Tours are available by appointment only. To schedule a tour, call (217) 581-2787 or email tarble@eiu.edu.

UPSTAIRS GALLERY. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Gallery 510 will have a group showing of gallery's members at the Decatur Public Librarys second floor gallery throughout May.
DECATUR  Christian youth events used to be fairly common in the area, but a few years ago, they dried up.

A group of youth pastors in the area is trying to revive the practice.

A couple of youth pastors got together across denominational lines and we just wanted to put something together for the teens to come together, said Brandon Chappell of Faith Life Family Church. We're creating an atmosphere where teens can come together and just worship our God.

Today is the National Day of Prayer, and since a Wednesday night service is usual in many of the participating churches, the group met in MacArthur High School's auditorium for the event, which included live music, games, and a message from the Rev. Pat Edrington, who is affiliated with Grace United Methodist Church.

Pastor Chad Williams of Tabernacle Baptist Church said he's been in Decatur four years and that makes him the senior among the youth pastors, who are mostly newer.

In the last few years, there's been a high turnover of youth pastors in local churches, most of whom went on to pastor their own churches elsewhere, he said.

Having the event at a school was a deliberate choice, to make it easier to have a neutral meeting place and to remind the group to pray for schools, students and especially teachers, because this is Teacher Appreciation Week, too, Williams said.

We don't always agree theologically, he said. But we can agree that we need to pray for our community.

Reuben Kohn, 13, voiced one reason kids will come to such an event. A lot of my friends are here, said the member of First Free Will Baptist Church.

Anthony Holloway, 15, is a member at Maranatha Assembly of God and is used to attending church on Wednesday nights.

God is about miracles, he said. We can get together to worship, but we can have fun, too.

Several churches loaded up their youth groups on church buses and took them to the event.

It's pretty much a worship service for teens, said Chris Krause, youth pastor at Grace United Methodist. We came together to pray for our churches, our community and our schools because that's something that's lacking in today's society.

We want to begin to get our influence back on campuses, Williams said. We could do it at a church, but it's more impactful and more powerful to do it on the campus of a school.
LINCOLN  The city of Lincoln plans to convert Jefferson Elementary School into a new police station.

The city will spend $75,000 to buy the property at 710 Fifth St., but the final cost of renovation and a project completion date remain undetermined.

Im excited and our officers are excited and will have a lot of input into how it is remodeled, said Lincoln Police Chief Paul Adams. We have room for growth and more room to store evidence.

Lincoln Elementary School District 27 Superintendent Kent Froebe said the time was right to make changes with the districts buildings, specifically Jefferson, which was built in 1966 on the city's south side.

With the steady decline in the number of students attending Jefferson School, we decided to add on to Northwest Elementary and close Jefferson, he said.

According to the 2014-15 Illinois Report Card, 70 students attended the kindergarten through second-grade school in 2011. By 2015, only 46 students were enrolled.

The former Jefferson students next year will attend Northwest Elementary School, Froebe said.

There have been discussions about this particular property since 2011, said City Administrator Clay Johnson. We had a study done in 2015 which included how much space was necessary, the best location and everything necessary to be considered when locating a police station.

"But when this property actually came available, it was too good to pass up, he said of the purchase approved by the city council on Monday.

Since 1978, the Lincoln Police Department has shared facilities with the Logan County Sheriffs Office in the Logan County Safety Complex.

What we have now is completely inadequate for the types of modern policing that is needed, Johnson said. The other advantage we will have is that they will have easy access to the west side of the community and there will be a law enforcement agency on each side of the railroad tracks.

City officials estimated it would take about $5.6 million to construct a new building and asked FGM Architects of Belleville to tour the school prior to council approval. Officials with FGM reported it would take some modifications to transform it into a police facility, but that the building was in good shape.

City officials hope to pay for those renovations through revenues generated from a utility tax passed in 2013.

The new facility will have enough space for storage of evidence, locker areas for the officers, offices, a gun cleaning and storage area, training space and some holding cells. Prisoners still will be housed at the Logan County Jail.

The final day of school for District 27 is scheduled for May 25. The district is expected to hand over the keys to the city Sept. 1.
DECATUR -- Fiddle music, hand-clapping and kids' laughter filled the Prairie Village in back of the Macon County History Museum on Wednesday.

Prairie Life Days is an annual tradition in Macon County: Third-graders have been visiting and getting a taste of 19th century Decatur for more than 30 years.

Terry O'Riley's third-grade class at Maroa-Forsyth Grade School stepped into the original Macon County Courthouse, where they met Abraham Lincoln's uncle, Mordecai Lincoln.

"Can you identify anything in this room that might tell you what it was used for?" asked Mordecai, interpreted by Lonn Pressnall.

Logan Cline raised his hand.

"That hammer thing," Cline said, pointing at a gavel on the one-room courthouse's lone desk.

After establishing they were in a courthouse, Pressnall asked the kids, "What kind of people would have come here?"

Noah Luther raised his hand.

"Maybe ... people who broke the law?"

"That's right," Pressnall said, then explained that the courthouse was also used for community activities such as spelling bees, quilt bees and dances.

The third-graders saw a puppet show and got a tour inside the museum before heading outside to the Prairie Village where the rest of the exhibits were. One was a one-room school house, the former Salem School, which was built prior to 1860.

Sharon Thompson has been interpreting a teacher from the mid-19 century during Prairie Days for more than 15 years. Thompson is a retired third-grade teacher and used to teach at Exelsior School, which now houses the Macon County History Museum.

"I tell them about what life was like for a school teacher and the children at that time, and also different things around the room," Thompson said. "I love doing it. I love third-graders."

There was also an American Indian presentation by Joel Hendricks, who interpreted what a member of the Kickapoo tribe wore during the mid-1800s, not the buckskin and head dress usually associated with American Indians, but clothes that more resembled what white men wore so they could assimilate and "keep their heads from getting blown off."

Sculptor John McClarey talked to the kids about the role of agriculture in the area's history and displayed his sculpture, "By the Sweat of their Brow," which pays tribute to the American pioneer farmer. McClarey also made the Lincoln sculpture that's on the grounds.

For the first time in 11 years, the blacksmith shop was open for the third-graders to view. Museum Executive Director Nathan Pierce recently restored it.

"It had been used for storage for many years," Pierce said. "But I bought a storage building for the things that were in there, power washed it, put in the gravel floor and brought a blacksmith out to help get the forge up and going."

Logan, for one, was glad to see it open, and also enjoyed the rope-making demonstration held in the gazebo.

"I was wondering how the blacksmith shop actually worked," said Logan, easily the most eager hand-raiser in O'Riley's class. "I also wanted to learn how to make rope, so that was awesome."

Noah said the trip to the museum was eye-opening for him.

"When they had to go to the bathroom, they used privies -- I'd never heard of those," Noah said. "I also learned Abraham Lincoln had an uncle named Mordecai, and all the different things people used to use when they needed things in the old days."
My neighborhood of Chevy Chase is a leafy and peaceful slice of northwest Washington. But this week, the news here is of a woman assaulted outside the local Starbucks by a Donald Trump supporter, she said, for the sin of being Muslim.

Police on Monday released surveillance video showing a heavyset white woman shouting at, and then pouring a bottle of liquid onto, a woman in a Muslim headscarf as she sat outside the coffee shop. Police are investigating a possible hate crime.

The victim said the attacker called her a "worthless piece of Muslim trash" and a "terrorist." And the attacker said she was supporting Trump because he would send the Muslims "back to where you came from."

"She mentioned this man's name to me as a way of saying he's going to put all of you out of this country," the woman, who asked not to be identified, told me Tuesday.

But this is her country. She's African-American, born in Minneapolis, reared in Chicago and now living in D.C.

Trump won the Indiana primary easily Tuesday night, giving him an almost certain grip on the Republican presidential nomination. Now Republicans across the country will be forced to make a moral choice: Do they associate themselves with the grotesque things that Trump and his supporters have said and done? Or do they refuse to allow such things to be said and done in their names?

At the core of Trump's candidacy so far has been his disparagement of women, immigrants, Latinos and African-Americans, his mockery of the disabled, his play with Jewish stereotypes and his demonizing of Muslims. They all should be taken into account, but for now let's focus on the last.

Asked about a system to register and track Muslims in the United States, Trump said, "I would certainly implement that; absolutely." He said he would "certainly look at" closing mosques.

He falsely said there were "thousands" cheering the collapse of the World Trade Center from New Jersey, with its "heavy Arab population."

Trump called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."

Trump continues at rallies to repeat an apocryphal story about U.S. Gen. John Pershing executing Muslim prisoners in the Philippines decades ago using bullets dipped in pig's blood.

At a rally, a Trump supporter called President Obama a Muslim and said Muslims are "a problem in this country." Trump allowed both of those statements to stand.

Trump previously led the "birther" challenge to Obama's birth certificate and speculated, "Maybe it says he is a Muslim."

Trump said in a TV interview that "Islam hates us," and, later asked if that meant all 1.6 billion of the world's Muslims, Trump said, "I mean a lot of 'em."

Muslims have been taunted outside Trump events, and at one event in South Carolina, a woman in a hijab who stood in silent protest was escorted out by police as Trump supporters booed her, chanted Trump's name and suggested she was a terrorist.

Trump can't be blamed for everything his followers do. But his ascent has coincided with a rise in the number of anti-Muslim incidents to the highest level the Council on American-Islamic Relations has ever found. A sampling from the past two months:

A self-proclaimed Trump supporter was sentenced in California for making death threats outside a Muslim center and for building pipe bombs.

Demonstrators claiming to be Trump supporters staged public desecrations of the Quran in Atlanta and Phoenix.

A man chanting Trump slogans at a gas station shouted "brown trash" and other epithets at a Muslim who is student-body vice president at Wichita State University in Kansas. The Trump backer and a friend of the Muslim student were charged for fighting.

A man in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich., was captured on cellphone video chanting "Trump!" and yelling "Kill the Muslims."

And here in Washington, my Chevy Chase neighbor was attacked on her way home from her county-government job when she stopped outside Starbucks to use the WiFi. She says she told the responding officers that her attacker had invoked Trump, but that detail apparently didn't make the police report.

The victim said the liquid poured on her didn't harm her. But the talk of Trump's coming vengeance on Muslims scared her. "It could get a lot worse for Muslims in America," she said. "For people here on the fence about who to vote for, maybe this will help them make that decision."
SPRINGFIELD  Senate Republicans used the release of long-awaited figures from the Illinois State Board of Education on Wednesday as ammunition for a renewed attack on a Democratic proposal to overhaul the way the state funds public schools.

State Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, has been working for several years on legislation that aims to shift more state money to poorer school districts and was waiting for the state board to release a district-by-district analysis of his proposed funding formula before calling it for a vote.

The boards release of the figures did little to change the conversation about the bill at the Capitol.

Taking the lead for his caucus, state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, who has also been heavily involved in discussions about changing the funding formula, said the numbers showed that Manars plan has become a vehicle for a major bailout of the bankrupt Chicago school system.

Thats a criticism Republicans, including Gov. Bruce Rauner, have leveled at the plan all spring.

Under Manars plan, Chicago Public Schools would receive an additional $175 million next year compared with the 2014-15 school year, according to the state board. Under Rauners proposed budget for next year, which would fully fund elementary and secondary education under the existing formula, Chicago would lose $74 million compared with the current school year, according to previous state board projections.

Initial figures released Wednesday showed Chicago gaining even more -- $352 million -- but didnt take into account an amendment Manar had filed.

A major component of his bill is that the state would begin covering the employers portion of Chicago teachers pensions, which it already does for teachers in the rest of the state. Under the original plan, the city would have also gotten credit for money it spends to pay down unfunded liabilities in its teacher pension plan, a cost the state also picks up for other districts.

The idea was to try to take steps toward greater parity, Manar said.

But hes striking that part of the plan in response to criticism and as a result lowering the amount of new state money the citys schools would receive.

Another major component of Manars plan is a pair of provisions designed to offset the loss of state funding for some districts.

A so-called hold harmless provision was included to ensure that no district would see its general state aid drop in the first year of the new plan. That would cost roughly $200 million dollars and would phase out over four years.

The proposal also includes adequacy grants to help ensure that all districts have enough money to provide an adequate education for students. That would cost an additional $241 million, according to the state board.

The cost of those provisions also prompted criticism from Republicans.

A statement from Barickmans office noted that Manar has yet to provide any sort of a funding source to pay for it.

Democrats say the same is true for Rauners proposal to increase overall funding for elementary and secondary education next year.

Manar said he included those provisions to address concerns with earlier versions of his plan, which would have resulted in wealthier districts losing state funding.

The time to address the funding source is during budgeting process, he said.

Thats where you have that debate, Manar said. This bill changes the direction on how money is spent, regardless of how much or how little is put in the system. How much we put in is a budget debate; its not a debate about how we distribute it.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to mainly clear skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 57F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
On May 4, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, who pays a working visit to Prague, met Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.

The situation unfolded in the conflict-zone as a result of large-scale military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh was in the center of the discussions.



Minister Nalbandian presented to his interlocutor the joint efforts exerted by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs for overcoming of consequences of the aggression, creation of favourable environment for resumption of the negotiations.



It was stressed that there is no military solution to the issue. Johannes Hahn mentioned that the EU supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group for exclusively peaceful settlement of the issue.



The Foreign Minister of Armenia and EU Commissioner reflected on Armenia-European Union relations, commended the process of negotiations on new legal framework. Importance was attached to the development of mutually beneficial cooperation, based on existing achievements.
Today I met soldiers elevated to the rank of officer. I met them in their frontline positions where fierce fighting raged during the first week of April.

There were many soldiers who were singled out for their actions in repulsing the Azerbaijani offensive. Yesterday, five such conscript soldiers were bestowed the rank of lieutenant.

Spotting an officer walking along the edge of the road near the Mataghis military base, a staffer from the Artsakh Ministry of Defense Press Corps asked the driver to stop the car.

- Vartan, hello, whats up? How are you?

- All is good. Were preparing to advance.

- Really?

- Yes. Is there anything else to do?

The Niva ascends the road to the upper Talish positions where fierce battles raged in early April. The first encounter was at the position where Masis Mouradyan serves. The platoon was waiting. They knew that someone from the ministry was coming. Colonel Norayr Mkrtchyan shows the soldiers the order from the minister and says that Masis Mouradyan has been made a lieutenant.

You stood your ground until the end and put the land of Armenia on a firm footing, Mkrtchyan tells the soldiers.

Masis is nineteen years-old. As Lieutenant Mkrtchyan congratulates the soldiers, in turn, he jokes, If I had known that I could have made lieutenant like this, I would have never attended the Vazgen Sargsyan military institute.

On April 2, Masis was able to get his platoon quickly to the frontline and eventually repel the attacking Azerbaijani forces.

Gor Avagyan was the hero of the day in the next position we visited. During the early April fighting, Gor took over command when the company and third platoon commanders were killed. Gor was very reticent about talking. He didnt want to be asked about what happened that day. I took me awhile to get him to open up. When I asked him about the fighting, he replied, No. Id rather not talk about it. My relatives will get anxious. Its best they dont know what happened here.

Davit Khatayans platoon

After reading out the ministers decree, Lieutenant Mkrtchyan told the soldiers, We are destined to always bear arms. We live in a region where its impossible not to bear arms. Our weapons are our strength. You are our strength. You stopped the Azerbaijani aggression. You and your officers did that.

Artour Aghasyan is the fourth soldier to have been promoted. The nineteen year-old says they are waiting for the order to retake the lost positions. If the artillery helps, well take those positions within an hour, says Artour. The young man was awarded the Military Cross, second class.

Samvel Safaryan is the fifth newly promoted lieutenant. When I asked Samvel why he decided to remain in the army, he said, I made the decision during this fighting. I feel that I am needed here.

When talking to these soldiers who fought in the April war, you become even more convinced that there isnt an army in the world with soldiers such as these.

Photos: Armen Yeramishyan
The Armenian government today gave the go-ahead to a project proposed by the Cyprus registered CCG Caucasian Communication Group Limited to rebuild Yerevans Dvin Hotel.

The company says it expects to complete the project by 2019.

The project envisages turning the Soviet-era hotel into a resort complex complete with high-class restaurants, clubs, stores, a swimming pool, fitness and conference centers. A VIP casino is also planned for the site.

A multi-functional residential complex, to be called Apartments Plaza, with at least sixty high-end apartments, will also be built. An underground garage with 330 parking spots will also be built.

The entire complex is expected to cost some US$120.6 million. The company will invest $35.5 million of its own money.

According to data Hetq has culled from the Cyprus Corporate Registry, CCG Caucasian Communication Group Limited is equally owned by two other offshore companies  Berfarq Investments Limited (Belize) and Jadis Services Inc. (British Virgin Islands).

There is practically no information regarding these offshore companies. CCG Caucasian Communication Group Limited was registered in Cyprus in 2008. Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan conditioned the governments approval of the project on a contractual stipulation that the company must declare the amount to be invested on a yearly basis and must present an annual financial accounting report based on international standards and subject to an audit. Prime Minister Abrahamyan said there were a number of issues regarding the drafting of documents that must be discussed with appropriate ministries.
A UW-Madison student nicknamed "Vikings Fan" was part of a Snapchat courtship that has been getting national attention.
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Editors Note: This is part one of a two-part series regarding recent struggles to place two sex offenders in Dodge County under Chapter 980 of the Wisconsin State Statutes.

Repeated attempts to place two sex offenders in Dodge County have resulted in legislation, public outcry and divided opinions about how state statutes should be applied.

Jonathan Miller and Robert Larson Jr. were both judged to be sexually violent persons and were civilly committed as a part of the Chapter 980 program in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

The Chapter 980 program was created in 1994 and allows the state to civilly commit offenders who are deemed to be sexually violent after they have served their prison sentences. The program was created as a way to continue to protect the public from violent sex offenders, and provide treatment to offenders according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The constitutionality of the program has been upheld by both the Wisconsin and United States supreme courts.

Miller and Larson were both determined by the staff at Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center to no longer be sexually violent. While they qualified for full discharge, both applied for supervised release.

Both offenders had previously applied for supervised release and had been denied. However, in 2015 it was determined that both met the qualifications for release.

The two were initially going to be placed in a home near Brownsville, but were required to return to Sand Ridge after Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt learned that the home where the offenders were going to be placed was adjacent to a home where two young children lived.

The Brownsville placement violated the law for supervised release which states that violent sex offenders cannot live within 1,500 feet of any school, day care, youth center, church or public park or next door to any home that children use as their primary residence.

This law was recently revised thanks to efforts by State Rep. Mark Born of Beaver Dam.

Born said, The bill I drafted created a statewide minimum distance that offenders must be placed away from schools, parks, daycares, and other locations where vulnerable population may congregate. It also requires the state make sure there are no victims nearby, and that local law enforcement provide their input to the judge making the placement decision.

Schmidt said, I think this was a good law change. I think the legislatures intent was to involve the community a little bit more and to ensure proper placement. As I have said before, it is a one-size-fits-all law which it has to be because it is a state law.

Miller and Larson were returned to Sand Ridge in August 2015. In March a new potential placement was located in the town of Lowell. Judge Joseph Sciascia gave conditional approval for Larson to be placed on Neuberger Road in Reeseville on March 10. Schmidt, however, opposed the placement.

Schmidts investigation found a number of homes that fall between 1,500 and 2,000 feet from the Neuberger Road address. While the home did not violate the law regarding sex offender placement, Schmidt expressed concerns about a nearby school.

Partly due to Schmidts vocal opposition to the placement and partially due to the communitys response, the home on Neuberger Road was taken off the market before the state could purchase it.

Judge Brian Pfitzinger was expected to rule on March 22 to place Miller in the same home with Larson, but the Wisconsin Department of Health Services sent a letter to Pfitzinger dated March 17, reporting that when a vendor attempted to purchase the home they were told it was no longer for sale.

Because of the loss of the placement, Millers defense team requested that Pfitzinger seal the information regarding potential placement of the offenders until it is approved by a judge. Pfitzinger agreed with the request and sealed the documents.

Following his ruling, Pfitzinger said, Mr. Miller is entitled to be released. I have read thousands of pages of reports. I have heard hundreds of hours of testimony. This individual has met the qualifications for release. That is what the law requires and I am required to uphold the law.

When asked how he felt about potential placement locations being sealed by the court until they are approved, Schmidt said, I am still disappointed by the ruling. I find it difficult to conduct the investigation being limited but I will do what I am able to do within the law and the restrictions that have been placed upon me to protect the community.

The sealed information only prevents Schmidt from discussing the potential placement with members of the public.

Judge Sciascia was forced to rescind his conditional approval for placement after the home was taken off the market.

Schmidt remains dissatisfied by the current Chapter 980 laws saying, I encourage the legislature to continue to tweak this law and encourage those looking for placement to really consider the safety of the residents around them before coming up with a proposed placement.

Born responded earlier this week in an email, I wrote a bill that has improved the Chapter 980 program for the entire state. The legislature might consider additional legislation if a member hears from their constituents regarding additional concerns in the program that need to be addressed.

The new law was designed to enhance community safety and provide judges with more input before making decisions on the placement of violent sex offenders. So far these goals are being accomplished.

Both Larson and Miller will appear in court on Friday where discussion will be held on potential placements in the county.
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

A no confidence resolution targeting University of Wisconsin System bigwigs and passed Monday by UW-Madison professors is more than just us whining about tenure, its not that at all, according to atmospheric and oceanic sciences professor Dan Vimont, as quoted by Wisconsin Public Radio.

True, the Faculty Senate added nods to affordability, access and the Wisconsin Idea to the final version of the resolution. In its original form, it was almost entirely a screed against changes made by the UW System Board of Regents to the universitys tenure policies.

UW-Madison profs may well be just as concerned about students and the universitys obligation to regular Wisconsinites as they are about their own job security  even if it took a threat to their job security for them to realize it.

Faculty resolutions expressing no confidence in university or UW System officials dont appear to happen all that often, if at all. The office of the Secretary of the Faculty, which staffs the Faculty Senate, could not find any record of one over the last 15 years.

Director of University Archives David Null said there appeared to be talk of one against former chancellor Ed Young in 1970, but he couldnt find evidence that it or any other no-confidence resolution against any other university or System official was ever approved.

This is not to say there havent been other changes affecting UW-Madison that have been worthy of a no-confidence resolution, especially if the recent changes to tenure are to be considered resolution-worthy.

Take the current Republican-created state budget, for example. It cut $250 million in state funding from the UW System budget over two years, $58.9 million of which is being borne by UW-Madison this year. As a result, the university expects to lose more than 400 faculty and staff positions, increase class sizes and reduce course offerings.

That $250 million cut was actually the second one in a little more than a decade to the UW System. The first happened under Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle in the 2003-05 budget. It probably wasnt as damaging to the System generally and UW-Madison specifically because unlike in 2015-17, it wasnt coupled with a freeze on tuition.

Of course, that was probably cold comfort to students and parents paying UW tuition, which increased 18 percent in 2003 and 15 percent in 2004. Increases in tuition and fees at UW-Madison ranged from 5.3 percent to 9.8 percent annually for resident undergraduates in the seven years prior to 2013.

Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Idea  the notion that education should extend beyond the classroom  took a pretty big hit when the most recent state budget cuts forced the UW Extension to cut positions and consolidate services.

It wasnt any of these other major changes affecting the Wisconsin Idea, affordability and access that spurred UW-Madison faculty to a no-confidence vote.

It was a set of changes to a tenure policy that even now continues to provide significantly more job security than youre likely to find in any job outside of the university.
Prosecutors in Sauk County on Wednesday filed four felony counts against suspected Interstate shooter Zachary T. Hays, who is accused of randomly firing three rounds into another vehicle near Lake Delton on Sunday, killing an Illinois woman.

Hays, 20, of West Allis, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety in connection with the shooting at about 3 p.m. on Interstate 90-94.

The woman who was shot, Tracy Czaczkowski of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, died Monday at UW Hospital, Sauk County Deputy Coroner Garry Zellmer said. Czaczkowski, 44, had been visiting Wisconsin Dells with her husband and two children, who were not injured in the shooting.

An arrest warrant also was issued with the criminal complaint for Hays, who remained under police guard Wednesday at UW Hospital, where he was taken for treatment after he was shot by police and taken into custody on I-39-90-94 near DeForest following the drive-by shooting in Sauk County.

Hays also is suspected by police in the fatal shooting of his downstairs neighbor, Gabriel Sanchez, 42, in the apartment building on South 92nd Street in West Allis where both men lived. No charges have been filed in that incident, which took place before 7 a.m. Sunday.

Police believe Hays left town driving a silver Chevrolet Blazer and heading toward Wisconsin Dells after the apartment building shooting with two of his brothers  Jeremy Hays, 30, and Jeff Hays, 34,  as passengers. Zachary Hays is the sole suspect in both shootings, police said.

According to the complaint, Jeremy Hays told investigators that Zachary smoked marijuana on April 27 and had been acting extremely paranoid ever since. Jeremy Hays said Zachary was driving increasingly erratically Sunday, flipping people off in traffic and driving with a loaded pistol on his lap that he would pick up and point at cars as they drove by his Blazer on the Interstate.

Jeremy Hays said he was concerned for his own safety, claiming Zachary had made threats to kill Jeremy and Jeff if they left him, according to the complaint.

Zachary Hays was especially paranoid about vehicles with tinted windows on Sunday, Jeremy Hays told investigators, adding that he was freaking out when a BMW with tinted windows approached them from behind, the complaint states.

Zachary Hays slowed down to let the sedan catch up on his left, and then fired three times at it from the rolled-down drivers side window as the BMW carrying the Czaczkowski family passed the Blazer, the complaint says .

Inside the BMW, Tracy Czaczkowski was hit once in the neck by one of the bullets, police said. Her husband, Greg, was driving, and the couples two children were buckled into car seats in the back seat.

The family was returning from a weekend visit to Wisconsin Dells at the time of the shooting, according to a statement from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, where Greg Czaczkowski works.

The first-degree intentional homicide charge against Zachary Hays carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment upon conviction.

The recklessly endangering safety counts each carry a maximum sentence of up to 12 years and six months in prison, the Sauk County District Attorneys office said.

Hays was taken into custody near mile marker 125 after the Blazer was disabled by road spikes put down by Dane County Sheriffs deputies. He was shot by two Columbia County sheriffs deputies after he got out of the Blazer with a handgun and ignored verbal commands to stop moving toward officers, according to law enforcement accounts of the stop.

Hays brothers also were taken into custody. They are being held in the Dane County Jail on tentative charges unrelated to the Interstate shooting, authorities have said.

Jeff Hays is cognitively disabled and authorities are working to return him to the group home in Milwaukee where he lives, Dane County Sheriffs spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said.

Schaffer did not know when Zachary Hays would be well enough to leave the hospital, but she said authorities expect him to survive his injuries. She declined to say where or how many times he was shot by police.

Both Zachary and Jeremy Hays have prior criminal records, according to online court records.

Zachary Hays in November 2013 was convicted of misdemeanor charges of battery and receiving stolen property in Milwaukee. He was sentenced to two years probation, with a year in jail imposed but stayed.

Jeremy Hays was sentenced in 2006 to a year in jail in Milwaukee for burglary of a building or dwelling, with an additional 30 days for escape, after he didnt return to jail from a work-release appointment in 2006. He also was sentenced to a year in prison in 2009 after violating the terms of his extended court supervision following the burglary conviction, court records show.
A Fitchburg man who is one of several men charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl was arrested again Thursday, this time charged in federal court with producing child pornography for taking pictures of the girl at his home.

John L. Gilbert, 46, who posted $25,000 bail on Monday and was released from the Dane County Jail, where he had been held since March 17, was back in custody and appeared briefly in U.S. District Court on Thursday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker set a custody hearing for Tuesday.

Myra Longfield, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorneys Office in Madison, said Gilbert was arrested Thursday at a relatives home in Hartland.

She said that if convicted, Gilbert faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 30 years.

Gilbert was initially arrested along with Brian V. Holmes, 37, of Madison, after the girl told police Gilbert and Holmes sexually assaulted her at a motel on Madisons South Side.

Both are charged in Dane County Circuit Court with first-degree sexual assault of a child by use of force.

Others facing sexual assault charges related to the girl are David J. DeWane, 29, and Brennan J. Dufek, 22, both of Madison, who are alleged to have sexually assaulted the girl at DeWanes West Side apartment after Gilbert brought her there.

Another man, Jacob F. Medina, 31, of Cottage Grove, was charged in April with sexual exploitation of a child and sexual assault of a child, after the girl described him to police as her Snapchat pimp for helping her sell subscriptions that allowed people to see nude pictures of her.

The federal charge alleges Gilbert used the girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.

According to an affidavit written by Madison Police Detective Matthew Nordquist, and provided with the complaint:

The girl reported on March 15 that she had been sexually assaulted by two strangers on a bike path in Madison. The next day, she said she wanted to correct her account, and told police that on March 14, Gilbert and another man had sexually assaulted her at a motel in Madison.

At that point she did not know Gilberts last name, but police were quickly able to identify him.

She also told police that Gilbert had taken pictures of her involved in inappropriate sexual contact with friends of Gilbert at his home.

Police executed a search warrant at Gilberts home on March 17, taking among other items a laptop computer and a hard drive. The hard drive contained 65 images that appeared to be child pornography. The pictures all appeared to have been taken in the guest bedroom of Gilberts home.

Data from the images indicated they were taken using a Canon EOS 70D camera Feb. 2, between 12:21 and 12:44 p.m. The same model of camera was also seized from Gilberts home during the execution of the search warrant.

During a forensic interview at Safe Harbor, an agency that interviews young victims and witnesses of sensitive crimes, the girl described the events of the day the photos were taken, and said she was made to wear a blindfold, but removed it at one point to see Gilbert taking photos.
A street fight on Madison's Southwest Side Wednesday afternoon ended in gunfire, with nobody reported injured, Madison police said.

The fight between four young men and a woman was reported by a security guard at about 3:10 p.m. in the 5800 block of Russett Road.

"A man doing work in the area witnessed the gunfire, but he couldn't tell if it was aimed at individuals," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

The witness said a man fired two rounds from a shotgun, and the security guard told police there may have been a third shot from a different gun at about the same time.

One of the people involved jumped into an SUV and drove away quickly; witnesses said he might have been a shooter.

"Responding officers could find no injured persons or property damage," DeSpain said.

No description of suspects was given.
One of three men who Madison police said last week was outside a West Side bar when a man was shot to death in April was wearing a wig when he ran from police as they tried to arrest him on Monday, according to court documents filed Thursday.

Billy Richmond, 35, of Fitchburg, was charged Thursday with two counts of felony bail jumping, two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping and obstructing police. He was jailed on $40,000 bail after appearing in court on Thursday.

Richmond was sought as a material witness in the murder of Martez Moore, 30, who was shot to death on April 19 outside Martin OGradys Irish Pub, 7436 Mineral Point Road. He was one of three men who police said they had learned were in the parking lot when the shooting occurred and sought to question.

In court Thursday, Deputy District Attorney Mary Ellen Karst said that police know that Richmond was at the scene because others have said so and because they have seen him there on surveillance video.

Richmond was arrested Monday afternoon after police learned he was at an address on West Badger Road in the town of Madison. After running from police, he pulled off a wig he was wearing and threw it to the ground before getting on the ground as ordered by police, according to a criminal complaint.

In court, Deputy District Attorney Mary Ellen Karst said police had been watching the apartment building where Richmond was said to be and saw him stick his head out the door several times, all while not wearing the wig he was later seen wearing.

The wig wasnt described in the complaint or in court.

Karst asked for bail of $75,000 to $100,000, while state Assistant Public Defender Svetlana Taylor asked for an unspecified figure significantly lower.

Richmond was already wanted because he had failed to appear for two domestic abuse cases after posting $3,000 bail. In one case, for which he faces an aggravated battery charge, Richmond is alleged to have blinded in one eye a woman with whom he has children, by throwing a phone in her face during an argument, striking her in the left eye.

He is alleged to have punched the same woman during another fight several months earlier, according to a criminal complaint.

Karst said police searched the place on Badger Road where Richmond had been and found a handgun.

That gun is now at the State Crime Lab for testing, she said.
A man claiming to represent a local power company is working on getting cash from area businesses by threatening to turn off the juice if cash is not sent immediately.

The scam was reported to the Dane County Sheriff's Office by two auto repair shops, and to the Madison Police Department by two bars Thursday.

"The scammer is calling businesses and identifying himself as Charlie Baker from MG&E (Madison Gas and Electric)," said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer.

"He says he has a 'pull service' order to shut off their power because of delinquent payments," Schaffer explained. "He then tries to convince the intended victims to go to a local store and put $400 on a Reload It Card, to prevent the shutoff."

Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain reported similar-sounding scam attempts by a person also claiming to be Charlie Baker from MGE.

"(The scammer) claimed crews would be dispatched, to shut down power, with all due haste if unpaid bills were not paid immediately," DeSpain said, adding the investigating officer believes other taverns likely will be targeted as well as this recurring scam surfaces again.

The taverns known to be called so far in Madison are the Village Bar, 3801 Mineral Point Road, and Wilson's Bar at 2144 Atwood Ave., according to Madison police.

Nobody so far has fallen for the scam, Schaffer and DeSpain said. MG&E is aware of it and is responding to customers, they said.

Anyone who has been victimized in this scam is asked to call police.
A 16-year-old boy believed to be a person of interest in recent gunfire incidents in Madison was chased in his car by police on Wednesday, but escaped arrest when officers stopped the chase due to safety concerns.

Officers recovered a loaded handgun in an area near where he parked the car, the weapon believed to have been tossed by the teen.

The chase started about 4 p.m. on the city's North Side, when officers from the north district's community police team, working surveillance of possible suspects in the gunfire incidents, spotted the 16-year-old driving near Northport Drive.

"Officers attempted to pull him over, but he accelerated rapidly, leading to a half-mile chase which was quickly terminated due to safety concerns," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

The car was found in a parking lot in the 1900 block of Northport Drive, and the handgun a short distance away, but the teen was not found.
A woman running in an East Side park Thursday was knocked down by a man, the man then fleeing into the woods.

The reported attack happened at about 8 a.m. in the Edna Taylor Conservation Park, 802 Femrite Drive, Madison police said.

The Madison woman was not injured and she wasn't robbed, police said.

"The victim said a stranger knocked her down and she was able to fight him off," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

A police dog brought to the scene was not able to find the suspect.

A nearby school held recess inside while officers searched for the suspect.

The suspect is a white man in his 20s, 6 feet tall, thin, wearing dark clothing.
The Spring Green Police Department was searching for Logan White, who left home on foot and may have been in the area of one of the bridges in the Spring Green area, possibly in possession of an Air Soft gun.
Madison Area Technical College will move forward with a plan to leave its Downtown campus and expand on the citys historically under-served South Side after the colleges governing board gave initial approval for the proposal late Wednesday.

Members of the MATC District Board, which deadlocked on a similar plan last year, this time voted unanimously to let the college solicit proposals from developers to lease the site of the Downtown Education Center, and begin negotiating for a new comprehensive campus on the South Side.

The colleges leaders say their proposal will lead to an explosion of educational opportunity on the South Side that could help address vast racial disparities in Dane County, while turning what they say is a faltering Downtown campus into a source of revenue.

We must meet students where they are, and provide what they need to be successful, MATC President Jack E. Daniels told the board. This is our mission.

Opponents  including several education, business and city government leaders  have countered that moving out of Downtown threatens MATCs finances and the colleges outreach mission. They have questioned the cost of repairing the Downtown campus and say a move away from the center of Madison would make MATC less accessible to students who rely on public transportation.

Board members heard from each side during more than two hours of public comment before the vote.

Vote called early step

One trustee, Arlyn Halvorson, said he still has reservations about the prospect of leaving the Downtown campus, which sits at 211 N. Carroll St. But members noted the vote Wednesday night was an early step toward making the plan a reality, as college officials will still have to come to the board for approval of any lease agreements or other details.

We are inviting a request for proposals  we are not ordering the moving vans to the loading dock, Trustee Joseph Hasler said.

Moving out of the Downtown campus could lead to a major redevelopment of the block-sized piece of land just off the Capitol Square.

The proposal calls for MATC to enter into a 50-year ground lease with a developer who could renovate the Downtown Education Center or demolish it entirely for a new project.

Daniels said the college expects to have interest from local and national developers for the property. Officials say the college could take in $500,000 to 900,000 in revenue per year from the lease, a figure opponents have questioned.

MATC would keep programs in the Downtown campus through at least the 2017-18 school year as it finds a new tenant for the site.

In the second piece of MATCs plan, the college would extend the lease at its current South Side location, a 12,000-square-foot facility in the Village on Park shopping center, through at least 2019 as it looks for a new property to buy or lease in an area roughly bounded by John Nolen Drive, Fish Hatchery Road and the Beltline. That facility will become the permanent site of a new comprehensive campus that will bring more programs and services to the South Side, officials say.

After gaining approval from its board, Daniels said the colleges next step will be to start drafting requests for proposals for the Downtown campus.

Speakers mostly in favor

Dozens of speakers who addressed the board  a diverse collection of MATC students and instructors, community leaders, city officials, South Side residents and others  mostly favored the proposal.

Mayra Medrano, president of the Dane County Latino Chamber of Commerce, said the college could provide greater educational opportunities for residents, while spurring economic development in the area.

Madison College can be a fundamental economic catalyst for South Madison, Medrano said.

Several speakers also expressed frustration with a political culture in Madison that they said is quick to condemn racial disparities between black and white residents in education, income and other areas, but can be slow to take concrete steps toward addressing those problems, such as investing in the South Side.

Trustee Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, who is also a Madison City Council member, said the boards vote would break the trend of Madison talk that has never been followed through with action.

Opponents of the plan spoke in favor of the college expanding its campus and programming on the South Side, but asked the board not to do so at the expense of the Downtown location.

We can and should invest more resources in the South campus, as well as maintain and invest more Downtown, MATC instructor Steven Medall said. It shouldnt be an either-or proposition.

Another speaker, Delisa Scott, echoed opponents who doubt whether the college will have the resources to adequately staff a new South Side campus with the support services students will need. Scott told board members, A building does not a success program or successful student make.

The college needs to do a better job of serving students in the facilities it already has, Scott said.

Until we do that, we dont need to think about building another campus, she said.
WASHINGTON  House Speaker Paul Ryan is refusing to support Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for president, insisting Thursday that the businessman must do more to unify the GOP.

The surprise declaration from Ryan on CNNs The Lead amounted to a stunning rebuke of Trump from the Republican Partys highest-ranking officeholder.

Im just not ready to do that at this point. Im not there right now, the Wisconsin Republican said. And I hope to. And I want to, but I think what is required is that we unify this party.

In a statement, Trump responded that he isnt ready to support Ryans agenda.

Perhaps in the future we can work together and come to an agreement about what is best for the American people, Trump said. They have been treated so badly for so long that it is about time for politicians to put them first!

Even in an election cycle that has exposed extreme and very public divisions within the GOP, Ryans decision to withhold his support from Trump was remarkable, as the GOPs top elected leader, second in line to the presidency, turned his back on his own partys presumptive nominee.

The salvos involving the likely White House nominee and the House speaker were highly unusual and rarely seen in the days after a political party essentially crowns its winner and all involved work to unify the party for Novembers elections.

Ryan had maintained his silence since Trump effectively clinched the nomination with a commanding win in Indiana on Tuesday that forced his two remaining rivals from the race. Other Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Mitch McConnell, offered their grudging support for Trump, and Ryan had seemed likely to eventually do the same.

Wisconsin Republicans grappling over Donald Trump as nominee Republicans are split among those who say they won't vote for Trump and those who say they must back their nominee.

Instead he balked, in comments that could also reflect concern for his own political future and potential run for president in 2020.

We will need a standard-bearer that can unify all Republicans, all conservatives, all wings of our party, and then go to the country with an appealing agenda that can be appealing to independents and disaffected Democrats, Ryan said. And we have work to do on this front, and I think our nominee has to lead in that effort.

Ryan made clear he wont be supporting Hillary Clinton and that he wants to come around to backing Trump. And he acknowledged the import of Trumps victories over a field of some of the GOPs most experienced politicians, saying the mogul had tapped into something in this country that was very powerful. And people are sending a message to Washington that we need to learn from and listen to.

But at the same time, now that we have a presumptive nominee who is going to be our standard-bearer, I think its very important that theres a demonstration that our standards will be beared, Ryan said.

Paul Ryan to GOP: 'Count me out' for 2016 House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday definitively ruled out a bid for president this year, insisting that the party's choice should emerge from the group of candidates who pursued the GOP nomination.

Ryan himself, his partys 2012 vice presidential nominee, had been seen as a possible white knight candidate who could emerge as an alternative to Trump at a contested convention. He called a press conference last month to rule himself out, and Trump now looks set to gather the 1,237 delegate votes needed to clinch the nomination ahead of the July gathering in Cleveland, foreclosing the possibility of a contested convention.

Ryan will serve as the conventions chairman, presiding over portions of the proceedings that will elevate Trump to the official status of nominee.

With deep concerns about Trump at the top of the ticket, Ryan is positioning himself to play a central role in helping to protect vulnerable Republican House and Senate candidates heading into the general election, said Spencer Zwick, who is Ryans national finance chairman. Ryan has been working since becoming speaker last fall on an agenda project that could give lawmakers something to run on apart from the top of the ticket.

Paul Ryan is the single most effective tool and person to maintain control of the Senate and the House, said Zwick, who attended a Detroit-area fundraiser with Ryan on Wednesday.

Hes focused on an agenda. Hes constantly out there talking about his agenda. Talk to (Sen. Rob) Portman in Ohio, or congressmen who are up, and they are very happy with the fact that Paul Ryan is promoting an agenda they can all sign on to. Many people arent sure what the Trump agenda is yet.

Trump and Ryan have publicly clashed in the past. Ryan rebuked Trump for plans to bar Muslims from the country, and when Trump was slow to disavow former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Trump told a crowd in South Carolina in February that Ryan doomed the GOP presidential ticket four years ago by saying entitlement programs need reform, criticism that Ryan dismissed.

Trump has flouted a number of conservative tenets in his campaign. He has praised Planned Parenthood even as a House GOP committee investigates its practices regarding fetal tissue collection. Hes bashed trade agreements even as a major trade deal is pending before Congress. And just Wednesday he said he was open to the idea of raising the minimum wage.
As the states animal welfare programs manager for the past 23 years, Yvonne Bellay has watched animal sales change from a simple process where sellers used local newspaper ads to move animals to todays complex formulas that include national and regional sellers and rescue operations that advertise via social media and other internet sources.

The sale of animals for pets is big business since 37 percent of American households have dogs and 32 percent have cats, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Theres also a market for ferrets, guinea pigs, birds, rabbits, snakes and other exotic pets.

Bellay advises people to be cautious when they are looking to buy a dog, cat or other animal for a pet. Its a matter of knowing who you are dealing with, she said. Do some legwork and check things out as best you can. You have to be careful sometimes about just going on a website and picking something.

A licensed veterinarian who has held clinical instruction positions at UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, Bellay describes her job with the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection as anything that tends to be companion-animal related.

The Ohio native manages the states dog sellers and shelters program as well as the humane officer training and certification program.

Shes also an epidemiologist and is responsible for the states rabies program.

I serve as a resource to local authorities, trying to assist them in their handling of animal welfare complaints they might get, Bellay said. We do not have any authority to enforce the criminal statutes, thats the responsibility of county law enforcement. But if they have situations that come up, Ill do what I can to assist them.

Bellay was instrumental in the passing of a Wisconsin law in 2011 regulating dog breeding, sales and adoptions, and licensing many dog breeders, dealers, sellers, shelters and rescues that foster and adopt out dogs.

It also prohibits selling puppies younger than 7 weeks unless they go with their mothers, and it requires veterinarian-approved health certificates for dogs that are sold or adopted for a fee.

What are the positive effects of the law?

Prior to the law being put into place, we had absolutely no idea who was out there selling dogs because there was no requirement for them to tell us. Now we know whos out there. They are required to be inspected. Our inspectors make sure everything meets the standards and statutes. We have to do specific inspections. We do a pre-licensing inspection before someone can operate, then the law says they must be inspected once every two years and we have the authority to do complaint-based inspections.

Was there an initial rush of complaints after the law was passed?

Initially, a lot of things came in. Again, there hadnt been any (regulations). A number of facilities that had been in operation were required to make improvements to meet the standards. So I think it has made a huge difference. I think it has done a good job of doing what it was supposed to do.

What is the state of the dog sellers business in Wisconsin?

Those who are doing a good job make sure they meet our import requirements that we have in place to prevent the spread of disease.

There are many groups that are aware of the requirements and comply with the requirements and we dont have issues. Each state has its own requirements and they are all meant to reduce disease transmissions so its good for the animals and good for the people receiving those animals and its good for the livestock industry to keep the livestock healthy.

What animals get the most calls for signs of abuse?

Some of it is seasonable. When we have hard winters, people call when they see animals outside. Sometimes thats an issue with our dog sellers and shelters program  people are aware of the law and they call when they see something that might generate some complaints. We want them to do that, to let us know.

 Interview by Rob Schultz
With bent knee, Lord, we seek audience before you today, in awe of the forbearance that you have shown a nation that has forsaken you. May the light of your love, expressed in the person and work of your Son, soften our hardened heart that we may seek the riches of your grace. Cause our distractions to shrink, Father, so that we are not blind to cardinal virtue nor mesmerized by the glitter of the now.

And though we have been, the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven, we have once again rendered Lincolns gentle rebuke prophetic, as, Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

Father of lights, Giver of gifts, we kneel on the hallowed ground of our forefathers who brought us out of the abyss and with treasure and blood established us in this wonderful land full of blessing and opportunity.

At noon, we take a moment to bow on this 2016 National Day of Prayer, and have asked Pastor John Kirkwood of Grace Gospel Fellowship in Bensenville to lead us to our Heavenly Father's throne in prayer:

And whether America experiences another Great Awakening, Lord, or slips into a slumber for which we never wake, let our progeny be warned away from the siren killers of carnal apathy and wanton excess.

Father, with a broken heart we pray in behalf of our 112 unborn neighbors who died today in Illinois, sacrificed on the altar of convenience. May all those involved in the hidden holocaust be broken in submission to the glorious truth of our charter that cries out, All men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with the inalienable Right to Life!

May We His People learn the power of forgiveness, and experience the reality of the broken made whole. May we be a community of love and support to comfort the torn and to inspire the wounded to offer their tragedy in offering to you.

And to the children of Chicago who, shaped by a city grown cold, have lost all hope, let not our hearts be so indifferent that we pass by anothers pain, silent bystanders to grave injustice.

Let us not allow government to push us off the path that you have called your children to walk. Let us rise up in witness and condemn any system that values life only in proportion to the votes that it can secure.

We pray for those who are in positions of influence, Father, that they turn away from the Prince of this world and once again seek out the divine remedy to all earthly malady. May America be great again because America is once again, good.

Father, rouse those foolish, dim souls who swear an oath of fealty on your Word only to trample the very documents they avow to uphold. May those who don the robe be convicted by your Spirit - may judge and clergy, professor, governor, and president, all bow to the entreaties of the King of the Universe. And may we as a people lead from our dinner table as we seek to raise the next generation of American heroes.

Let the people of the Land of Lincoln call upon the Divine Oracle to convict the cold heart of the predator, to crush the stone heart of the indifferent, to comfort the broken heart of the disfigured, and to embolden the fearful heart of the silent. And if tomorrow sees the brethren driven from cathedral to catacomb, then may our voices rise in witness and in prayer to an even greater degree than that hostility which commands our silence.

May we never forget that in every generation, whether we occupy state house or out-house, whether we reside in penthouse, ghetto, or gulag, there is but one calling for the child of God  The Just Shall Live by Faith.

May it be, Lord. May it ever be so.

Finally, Almighty Father, we petition you to give us the desires of your heart and to amplify our voice in its proclamation. May our words and our actions be the heartbeat of Jesus Christ the Righteous.

For the Glory of the Father, and in the power of the Spirit, and by the name of our most precious Lord Jesus Christ, Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto He who sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever.

Amen
He said:

Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station, it would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations and whose providential aide can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes; and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success, the functions allotted to his charge.

In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own; nor those of my fellow-citizens at large, less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States.

Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their United government, the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities, from which the event has resulted can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established, without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which them past seem to presage.

These reflections, arising out of the present crisis, have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me I trust in thinking, that there are none under the influence of which the proceedings of a new and free Government can more auspiciously commence.

We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained; and since the preservation of sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered as deeply, perhaps finally, staked of the experiment...

I shall take my present leave; but not without resorting once more to the Benign Parent of the Human Race, in humble supplication that, since He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquility, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness, so His divine blessings may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has asked students to not panic about the second phase of NEET which is to be held on July 24, 2016, and keep going ahead with their preparations.

By India Today Web Desk: In view of the final verdict from the Supreme Court over the decision of NEET 2016 to be held in the month of May, Assam government took necessary steps to propel interest in the same.

While the first phase of examination has been done with on May 2, 2016, the next phase is to be held July 24, 2016. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has asked students to not panic over the examination and prepare with the same zeal and interest as so far.

Read: Need no NEET: Tamil Nadu doctors line up beside govt to oppose

NEET 2016 important dates:



First phase on May 1, 2016

Second phase on July 24, 2016

Results to be declared on August 17, 2016

Final procedures for admission may go on till September 30, 2016

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Students have been in a state of panic ever since the Supreme Court passed the rule for NEET 2016. The governments of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have expressed much concern over the preparation of the entrance exam for students. Maharashtra is expecting the SC's verdict on the issue today.

Read: Maharashtra take on NEET



Click here to get more education updates.



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The situation is even worse for girls as over 63 million girls are out-of-school, and the data has suggested that the number is rising.

By India Today Web Desk: Education gives children the building blocks to rebuild their lives and, eventually, their country. - UNICEF

As per a report published by the UNICEF approximately 75 million school-age children in crisis-affected areas of the world are in desperate need of education support. Education in the conflict-hit regions might suffer the most as most of the schools have got destroyed or damaged in airstrikes and attacks.

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The situation is worse for girls as over 63 million girls are out-of-school, and the data also suggested that the number is rising.



Here are some key points from the full report:



As per the report, one in four children aged 3-18, that is approximately 462 million, live in countries affected by conflicts especially Syria and Eastern Ukraine

As per the situation in conflict-hit Syria, the crisis continues to wipe out years of achievements in education

In Syria, 5 years of civil war have left 6,000 schools out of use

While in Eastern Ukraine, the conflict continues to damage or destroy one in five schools

Refugees are 5 times more likely to be out of school, UNICEF says

According to the UNICEF, another 400,000 are at risk of dropping out as a result of conflict, violence, and displacement

In Syria, over 5,000 schools across the country cannot be used because either they have been destroyed or converted into shelters for displaced families

Some of these 5,000 schools have become bases for armed forces and groups

During the times of conflict, girls are two-and-a-half times more likely to be out of school than their male peers

In Arab states, girls form the majority of those million children who are being excluded from their schools

In India, the number of out of school children of primary school age (both sexes) is 19.1 million, and the number of out of school children of primary school age (only female) is 13.4 million.

Interested in General Knowledge and Current Affairs? Click here to stay informed and know what is happening around the world with our G.K. and Current Affairs section.

To get more updates on Current Affairs, send in your query by mail to education.intoday@gmail.com



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By PTI: Mumbai, May 4 (PTI) A 15-year-old boy, who was suffering from Progeria and had become the face of a campaign against the rare genetic disorder in the country, has died.

Nihal Batla, from Bhiwandi in adjoining Thane district, was fighting the disease that aged him eight times faster than normal.

He was at his grandparents house at Karimnagar in Telangana to attend a family wedding. On Monday evening, he felt dehydrated due to the scorching heat and had to be rushed to a private hospital for treatment.

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Within a few hours, he passed away, family sources said.

His last rites were performed in Karimnagar yesterday.

Nihal and his family had taken up the challenge of raising awareness about the incurable disease, which has an incidence of one in four million, and of finding more such cases for medical intervention in the country.

The boy, who was part of a clinical trial for Lonafarnib drug in Boston to test if the drug could delay ageing, had posted his pictures on Facebook and Twitter to reach out to parents, specially in rural areas.

Progeria or Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome, from which Nihal suffered, causes accelerated ageing in children, leading to premature death mostly due to heart attacks. PTI VT GK AAR

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Constitutional experts believe that there is a strong case to be made against the 21 MLAs.

By Shashank Shekhar, Javed M. Ansari : 21 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs in Delhi run the risk of losing their membership on the dual office of profit issue.

The MLAs in question are the ones who were appointed parliamentary secretaries by the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi on March 14, 2015 and have till the May 10 to reply to the Election Commission queries on the issue.

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Based on their replies, the EC will make a suitable recommendation to the President of India, who will then take a final call.

Simultaneously a BJP activist also filed a complaint with the President of India, calling for the disqualification of the 21 parliamentary secretaries, on the grounds that they were holding dual offices of profit.

President Mukherjee forwarded the complaint to the Election Commission of India for its view which in turn has sought an explanation from the 21 MLAs.

In bid to shield the MLAs from being disqualified, the Kejriwal government passed a bill in the state assembly exempting the parliamentary secretaries from the ambit of the dual office of profit law, with retrospective affect.

The bill was then sent to the Lieutenant Governor and the centre for its approval. The bill is yet to get the centre's go ahead, and can only become operational once the centre gives its approval.

Though the President of India will take a final call on the fate of the MLAs based on the recommendations of the EC, constitutional experts believe that there is a strong case to be made against the 21 MLAs.

However, even if the MLA's are disqualified, there will be no danger to the Kejriwal government as the party has 67 MLAs in the 70 member assembly.

The list of parliamentary secretaries include Praveen Kumar, Sharad Kumar, Adarsh Shastri, Madan Lal, Charan Goel, Sarita Singh, Naresh Yadav, Jarnail Singh and Rajesh Gupta.

In 2006, Congress President Sonia Gandhi resigned her parliamentary seat after opposition claims that because she was also heading the NAC she was holding dual offices of profit.



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By PTI: Thane, May 5 (PTI) In raids at four godowns in Kongaon in Bhiwandi taluka of the district, police seized adulterated jaggery and other material worth lakhs of rupees.

"Acting on a tip-off, Crime Branch officials last evening raided four godowns in Kongaon and seized adulterated jaggery and yellow powder resembling sugar worth around Rs 46.84 lakh," Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Makarand Ranade told reporters today.

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As many as 137 tonnes of black-coloured jaggery and 45 tonnes of a yellow powder were recovered in the raid, he said, and added that the material was unfit for human consumption.

"The godown was owned by one Deepak Khemani, a resident of Kalyan. He was carrying out distillation work there, for which he had the license to operate a plant," he said.

The samples of the seized goods have been sent to the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) for testing, the ACP said.

Further action would be taken after receiving the reports, he added. PTI COR SDL SUA SUA SSB

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Sources in the Defence Ministry told India Today that a probe has been ordered into the previous acquisition of Pilatus Aircraft and MMRCA deal (Rafale jet deal) finalised during the Congress-led UPA-2 regime.

By India Today Web Desk: As the BJP and the Congress lock horns over the AgustaWestland chopper deal, the Narendra Modi government has decided to up the ante by initiating investigation into all the defence deals finalised by the previous UPA government, including the high-profile Rafale jets.



Sources in the Defence Ministry have told India Today that a probe has been ordered into the previous acquisition of Pilatus Aircraft and MMRCA deal (Rafale jet deal) finalised during the Congress-led UPA-2 regime.

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A list of officers who served on crucial designations related to the decision making in AW-101 deals has also been given to the Enforcement Directorate for scrutiny.

It was in April last year that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his trip to France, had announced the decision to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets off the shelf in view of the critical operational necessity for multi-role combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force.

However, a contract is still to be signed due to the hard price negotiations. The cost of the 36 Rafale fighter jets, based on the the original Request For Proposal (RFP) price while taking into account the foreign exchange and others, comes to about Rs 65,000 crore.

India is bargaining hard to bring down the price to about Rs 59,000 crore.

Meanwhile, the ministry has asked the ED and the CBI to fast-track investigation into AgustaWestland case.

Rajya Sabha witnessed a fiery debate over the VVIP chopper deal on Wednesday. Speaking at the end of a day-long debate, Defence Minister Manihar Parrikar said the ongoing probe will focus on those named in the Italian Court judgment even as he suggested the role of an "invisible hand" in preventing a proper investigation earlier.

The Italian court judgment names Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the then India Air Force chief SP Tyagi, Sonia's political advisor Ahmad Patel, and others. The Congress has, however, stressed that the judgment does not indict anyone.

Parrikar said there was a "relentless push" by the UPA to go in for the AgustaWestland choppers.

Also Read:

India considers buying American F16 and F/A 18 fighter jets. What happened to the Rafale deal?



India keen to buy F/A 18 Super Hornet fighter jets for IAF



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The Congress argument centred around the points it has been raising over the past few days, including that it cancelled the deal, brought back the bank guarantees worth Rs 2,000 crore, confiscated three choppers, blacklisted the company and initiated a CBI and ED probe into the deal to find out who paid and who received the bribes.

By Amit Agnihotri: The Congress presented a strong line up of former defence minister AK Antony, spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi and senior leader Anand Sharma in the Rajya Sabha to blunt the BJP's attack over the chopper deal.

The Congress argument centred around the points it has been raising over the past few days, including that it cancelled the deal, brought back the bank guarantees worth Rs 2,000 crore, confiscated three choppers, blacklisted the company and initiated a CBI and ED probe into the deal to find out who paid and who received the bribes.

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Singhvi alleged the BJP and the Centre had been highlighting a recent Italian court order to target the Opposition party and the Gandhi family to settle political scores and questioned why the Centre did not move forward with the probe.

Countering the BJP attack on AP, a reference to Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel, Singhvi said there are many "APs" in India including the Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel. "Now let's move to the AP. There are many APs in the country. Including one leading Gujarat," Singhvi said while referring to quotes attributed in media reports to Guido Haschke, a middleman hired by AgustaWestland allegedly to pay kickbacks to Indian decision-makers.

Former defence minister Antony, who had finalised the deal, rejected BJP's allegations and said, "First you take action against the company, blacklist it and take strongest action against whoever took money.

Prosecute us if you have evidence, but don't threaten or blackmail us." Miffed over the BJP dragging his name in the deal, Ahmed Patel made a passionate plea for a thorough probe and said he will quit the Rajya Sabha and public life if any allegation against him were proved. "I have not crossed any limits of public life. This is not my first 'agni-pareeksha'," he said.

Also read: Most welcome, says Sonia Gandhi as BJP threatens big revelation in AgustaWestland

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Keenan and Reuben were murdered in Mumbai in 2011 in full public view while fighting a group of molesters misbehaving with their female friends.

By India Today Web Desk: All the four accused in the sensational Keenan and Reuben murder case were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in Mumbai today. The two young men were murdered in Mumbai in 2011 in full public view while fighting a group of molesters misbehaving with their female friends.

Keenan Santos, 24, and Reuben Fernandez, 29, were stabbed by the molesters after a scuffle near a paan shop in suburban Andheri on October 20, 2011.

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The duo were attacked when they tried to protect their friends from the group, which retreated only to return to the spot with over ten others and brutally assaulted Keenan and Reuben. While Keenan succumbed to his injuries on the same day, Reuben died ten days later.

Police had arrested Jitendra Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhaj and Dipak Tival the day after the incident. In October 2012, the court had framed charges against the four accused for murder, conspiracy and molestation.

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For a state that often sees promises of freebies that range from liquor to mixer-grinders to TV sets, this election seems set for more of the same.

By Saranya Chakrapani: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday released her party's manifesto for the upcoming assembly polls. Tamil Nadu will vote on May 16. She released the manifesto at party rally in Perundurai.

For a state that often sees promises of freebies that range from liquor to mixer-grinders to TV sets, this election seems set for more of the same.

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Here are top 10 promises the CM has made in the AIADMK manifesto:

1. Free cell phones: In 2006 Assembly polls, Karunanidhi had distributed colour TV sets as promised in the manifesto. This time, Jayalalithaa has promised mobile phones to all ration card holders in the state.

2. Free Laptops: The free laptop promise worked well for Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh. Now Jayalalithaa intends to do the same in Tamil Nadu. Her government will provide free laptops with internet to 10th and 12th std students.

3. Free gold: The AIADMK manifesto also promises gold to women ahead of marriages. The manifesto doesn't say how much.

4. Free ride: Women to get 50 per cent subsidy to buy scooty.

5. Free housing: The manifesto has promised 10 lakh houses through various housing schemes.

6. Cheaper milk: Aavin, the state dairy federation, will provide milk for just Rs 25 per litre.

7. Amma Banking Card: Poor to get a new banking card to avail government services.

8. Free power: Amma will provide 100 units of electricity free every two months.

9. Loan waiver: AIADMK promises waiver of all farm loans.

10. Maternity assistance: If it returns to power, the AIADMK government would provide Rs 18,000 as maternity assistance to expecting women.

Apart from the above, there are a host of other promises that AIADMK has made to the people: Free Wi-Fi at public spaces; Rs 1 lakh for temples of local deities; reimbursement of education loan; old pension scheme for govt employees to continue; housing loan for govt employees to be raised to Rs 40 lakh, etc. Jayalalitha said that she will implement the Lokayukta and raise storage level of Mullaiperiyar dam to 152 ft.

The manifesto also promises additions to existing schemes such as interest subsidy on crop loan, relief for fishermen, which will now be hiked to Rs. 5,000.



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Melbourne-born Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi who was linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the US, was killed in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29, Attorney-General George Brandis said, citing American inputs.

By Press Trust of India: Australia's most wanted Islamic State terror recruiter Neil Prakash, who is of Indian-origin, has been killed in a US military airstrike in war-torn Iraq, that authorities today said could disrupt the groups ability to attract vulnerable people.

Melbourne-born Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi who was linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the US, was killed in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29, Attorney-General George Brandis said, citing American inputs.

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"Neil Prakash was the highest value target from an Australian point of view in the Middle East. He was the individual more than any other who had been actively inspiring and inciting domestic terrorism attacks within Australia," the Senator said.

Brandis said Australian authorities were instrumental in providing US allies with the location of Prakash - the Australian of Fijian-Indian and Cambodian background - in Mosul.

"Australia did cooperate with United States in relation to the identification and location of Prakash," he said.

Brandis said Prakash was "the most prominent and dangerous Australian" and had networks in both Melbourne and Sydney. "He was very actively involved in terrorism recruitment."

Prakash's death is considered significant in disrupting the militant groups ability to lure fighters because of his highly prominent and influential role as a senior recruiter.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called Prakashs death as a "very, very positive development".

"Neil Prakash's death is a very, very positive development in the war against Daesh and the war against terror," Turnbull was quoted as saying, using another acronym for the dreaded Islamic State (ISIS).

"His death disrupts and degrades ISILs ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts," Brandis said.

Earlier, in January, media reports quoting an ISIS member had said that Prakash was killed in Syria.

The terrorist, who allegedly had contact with some of those accused of plotting a terror attack on Anzac Day - that commemorates martyrs, flew to Syria in 2013.

Prakash has also appeared in ISIS propaganda videos, including one last year in which he called for attacks in Australia.

US officials also reportedly informed that an Australian woman Shadi Jabar, the sister of the 15-year-old western Sydney boy Farhad Jabar who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng in October last year, was also killed in a separate airstrike in Syria.

Prakash was killed in the ISIS stronghold in northern Iraq, while Jabar died seven days earlier in the Syrian city of al Bab along with her husband Abu Saad al-Sudani, AAP news agency said.

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The war crimes tribunal has sparked violence and drawn criticism from opposition politicians, including leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, that it is victimizing Hasina's political opponents.

By Reuters: Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a final appeal by the leader of the top Islamist party against a death sentence for atrocities committed during the 1971 war of independence, lawyers said, meaning he could be hanged at any time.

The Supreme Court in January upheld the death penalty for Motiur Rahman Nizami, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, for genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of top intellectuals during the 1971 war.

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Nizami, 73, a former legislator and minister under Khaleda Zia when she was prime minister, has been in jail since 2010, when he was charged with war crimes by a tribunal set up by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that year.

The war crimes tribunal has sparked violence and drawn criticism from opposition politicians, including leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, that it is victimizing Hasina's political opponents.

"All the legal battles are over," Nizami's lawyer, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, told reporters. "Now it is up to him, whether he will seek clemency from the president, or not."

Hundreds of people flooded the streets of the capital, Dhaka, to cheer the verdict, but there has been no report of violence, although Jamaat called a nationwide strike for Sunday in protest.

Authorities have deployed additional security forces in Dhaka and elsewhere as similar previous judgments triggered violence that killed around 200, mainly Jamaat activists and police.

No Peace Without Justice, a non-profit body based in Italy, has called the tribunal's proceedings "a weapon of politically influenced revenge whose real aim is to target the political opposition".

The government denies the accusations.

The verdict comes as the Muslim-majority nation suffers a surge in militant violence in which atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers have been killed.

In the last month alone, five people, including a university teacher, two gay activists and a Hindu have been hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants.

The government has blamed the increase in Islamist violence on Jamaat-e-Islami, but the group denies any link to the attacks.

Four opposition politicians, including three Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, have been convicted by the war crimes tribunal and executed since late 2013.

About 3 million people were killed, official figures show, and thousands of women were raped, during the nine-month war, in which some factions, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, opposed the break from what was then called West Pakistan.

But the party denies that its leaders committed any atrocities.

Also Read:

Bangladesh Islamist party leader to hang for war crimes



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President Obama and First Lady cranked up the volume on their favourite jam 'Uptown Funk' and danced with the famous Star Wars characters, R2D2 and stromtroppers to celebrate Star Wars day.

By India Today Web Desk: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama celebrated Star Wars Day in style by grooving to popular Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars track 'Uptown Funk'.

In a video posted by the White House the oh-so-cool couple drop the beat with the famous Star Wars characters, R2D2 and the stormtroopers.

May 4, or, "May the 4th Be With You,"( a pun on the movies most famous dialogue, May the force be with you) marks the celebration of the massively popular film series "Star Wars."



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Fans across the globe celebrated the event on social media by sharing memes and videos. But, the highlight of this years celebration is without doubt, the Commander in Chief asking stormtroopers and Michelle to keep up with his groove.



It is always refreshing to see Barack and Michelle Obama belt out their cool quotient in these entertaining videos.

Watch the video below:

Dance. Or dance not. There is no try. #MayThe4thBeWithYou https://t.co/9g1JUHV1n5 The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 5, 2016

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The restriction on the plying of diesel taxis in Delhi and the National Capital Region will adversely impact the flourishing BPO industry, government tells Supreme Court.

The apex court had on May 3 given two days time to the Delhi government to file a detailed plan on phasing out diesel taxis from the city after it had moved the court seeking the same.

By India Today Web Desk: The government today told the Supreme Court that the restriction on the plying of diesel taxis in Delhi and the National Capital Region will adversely impact the flourishing BPO industry, which may choose to go out of India.

"The BPO industry would be affected as diesel taxis had been used for pick and drop facilities of the employees. It will affect the economy," Solicitor General Ranjith Kumar told a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur.

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On Wednesday, IT trade body Nasscom had also said the ban on diesel taxis in Delhi-NCR has brought the Business Process Management (BPM) industry to a standstill, and urged the government for an interim relief especially for the "38 per cent women" employed by the sector.

Kumar said that Centre will be filing an application shortly on the issue as it also pertains to the safety and security of the BPO employees. The matter will next be heard on May 9.

"Due to the inconvenience caused to the BPO employees, the companies may choose to move out of the country which will be affecting the economy," the Solicitor General said. To this, the bench also comprising Justice R Banumathi said why can't the BPO companies hire buses for the pick-and-drop facility.

The apex court had on May 3 given two days time to the Delhi government to file a detailed plan on phasing out diesel taxis from the city after it had moved the court seeking the same.

The AAP government had said that in the wake of Supreme Court's order, around 30,000 diesel taxis have stopped plying in the national capital, causing inconvenience to people and creating a law and order situation. The bench had then said whenever such decisions are taken, inconvenience is bound to be caused to people.

The Supreme Court had on April 30 refused to extend the deadline fixed for the conversion of diesel taxis into less-polluting CNG mode.

ALSO READ | Delhi gridlocked: Is Supreme Court acting in haste by banning diesel, petrol cabs?



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Marvel's Captain America Civil War hits the screens today. Will this showdown between Iron Man and Captain America be worth your time? Here's our review of the latest superhero flick in town.

By Ananya Bhattacharya: Marvel's Captain America Civil War is the big release this Friday. With Anthony and Joe Russo back behind the camera and Tony Stark and Steve Rogers battling it out in front of it, Captain America Civil War has been called, in Robert Downey Jr's words, 'The Godfather of superhero movies'. Will this showdown between Iron Man and Captain America be worth your time? Here's our review of the latest superhero flick in town.

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Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Daniel Bruhl

Direction: Anthony and Joe Russo

Ratings: (4.5/5)

Captain America: Civil War comes after March's Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice. Both the films are essentially based on the same premise. Two superheroes find themselves on different sides of the battle-line, and need to fight it out to prove the other is wrong. But Civil War does it so much better than Dawn Of Justice.

WATCH: Tom Holland's Spider-man in the second trailer of Captain America Civil War

ALSO READ: For Robert Downey Jr, Captain America Civil War is the 'Godfather of superhero movies'

In 1991, the brainwashed-by-Hydra Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) kills a motorist and steals super-soldier serum from him.

Captain America: Civil War takes place a year after Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) is guilt-ridden because he had created Ultron. The government wants the Avengers on a leash after Scarlet Witch/Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) accidentally blows off a building trying to stop Rumlow (Frank Grillo) from stealing a biological weapon. Several Wakandan relief workers are killed in this accident, and Stark seconds the government's decision, his Ultron-guilt working overtime.

Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), on the other hand, can't bring himself to follow the government's diktat. Soon, the Avengers find themselves rallying behind the warring Iron Man and Captain America.

Back on the directors' chair, Anthony and Joe Russo have done a thoroughly impressive job with Captain America: Civil War. The brothers, aided by screenplay writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, succeed in letting people lose themselves in the Avengers' world yet again. The storyline is racy and keeps you on the edge of your seat for most part of the film.

The ensemble cast does their part to keep the viewer glued to the screen. Led by Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark and Chris Evans's Steve Rogers, the rest of the Avengers are a delight to watch. Chadwick Boseman is a welcome addition to the universe as Black Panther. Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan stand out among the rest of the cast.

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Like in all Marvel films, the CGI is the real hero in Captain America: Civil War too. Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt are pretty accomplished with their scissors. The film doesn't feel overstretched, the pace doesn't drop even for once. Trent Opaloch's camera captures Stark's lavish mansion with equal ease as it does the frozen Siberia.

Captain America: Civil War is among Marvel's best offerings so far. The film deals with many plotlines and while that does work against it at certain points, more often than not, Civil War is hugely satisfying. For an Avengers fan, the film is one colossal orgasm. The fight scenes are stunning and really well done.

The big showdown between two of the biggest superheroes is all that many people have wanted to see for a long time. Dawn Of Justice was supposed to have been THE film dealing with two superheroes at loggerheads with each other, but that fumbled bad. Civil War undoes the boredom that Batman and Superman had inflicted on us a month ago.

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Watch Captain America: Civil War for everything. The trip to the theatres will not be in vain this time.

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Ahead of poet's 155th anniversary, China releases 33 volume translation that is one of the biggest ever projects of its kind.

Members of the translation team that spent 6 years to bring out 33 volumes of Tagore's works, stretching to 16 million words in Chinese.

By Ananth Krishnan: Six years, 33 volumes, 18 translators working round the clock, and 16 million words: one of the biggest translation projects of its kind came to fruition on Thursday when China unveiled what has been a six-year-long project to bring Rabindranath Tagore's collected works to China.

To coincide with the 155th birth anniversary of the poet which falls on May 7, the Chinese government in 2009 commissioned a massive translation from Bengali to Chinese of all of Tagore's poems, novels, dramas and essays. The project was given such importance by the government that it was officially listed as a key initiative of the government's 12th Five Year Plan (2011-15).

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The result, 33 volumes that run into 16 million words, was unveiled in Beijing on Thursday by the People's Publishing House, which brought out the work.

Chinese Bengali scholar Dong You Chen, who led a team of 18 expert translators drawn from universities, China Radio International station's Bengali department, the Foreign Ministry, the Communist Party's elite Party School, and from even the People's Liberation Army, said the hope was to provide for Chinese a first ever authentic direct translation of Tagore's work in Chinese.

Tagore has been widely read in China and much loved since he visited the country in the 1920s. Although his first visit, at a time of national upheaval in China, was controversial and divided opinion, in subsequent decades his message of pan-Asianism resonated, as did his poetry, said Dong.

He said he had first come across Tagore while in school. "I was moved by his poetry, and went to Leningrad in 1960 to study him," he told INDIA TODAY in an interview. "His philosophy of humanism was relevant not only to India, but also to China," he said, adding that Tagore's writings on internationalism and a pan-Asian sentiment still resonated today.

Tagore is still widely read in Chinese schools - perhaps the most famous foreign poet along with Shakespeare and some Russian writers, said Cao Yan Hua, a graduate of the Communications University of China who is one of the younger members of the translation team and works with China Radio International's Bengali station.

"He was an inspiring figure for us in school," said Cao. "Not only because we found him to be romantic, but also for his ideas," she adds, pointing to Tagore's support for China in the early 20th century and criticism of foreign powers and the opium trade.

Cao said the project had its challenges. The 18 translators worked individually, but also worked with the senior members of the group and constantly revised their work.

One of the challenges was the absence of a Bengali-Mandarin directory, which posed hurdles. The use of Sanskrit words in some of his writings was another challenge to be overcome.

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Yet in the end, Cao says, it was for her one of her most rewarding experiences - the benefits of which, she hopes, will reach Tagore's newest generation of admirers in the Middle Kingdom.

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Three months old baby Hong Hong was born with a rare birth defect because of which he has 15 fingers and 16 toes. His parents are desperately trying to collect funds for the surgery.

By India Today Web Desk: Three-month-old boy, Hong Hong, from Hunan province, China, is born with a rare birth defect because of which he has 15 fingers and 16 toes.



He suffers from polydactylism, a rare birth defect that results in extra fingers. Hong Hong inherited this defect from his mother, who works in a factory in Shenzhen City. However, it is not as severe as his - she only has 12 fingers and 12 toes.

Photo: Twitter/ChinaXinhuaNews

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The multiple ultrasounds that she did during her pregnancy, never once revealed a single deformity. After Hong Hong's birth his parents were shocked to discover he had contracted the same condition.

The parents of the young boy who are desperately trying to find medical treatment were told by doctors that the surgery could cost close to 30,000 dollars.

Doctors told them that the baby can be operated on when he is between six months and a year old.

Photo: Twitter/ChinaXinhuaNews Photo: Twitter/ChinaXinhuaNews

The couple have now reached out to local charities and internet to raise funds for the surgery through online donations.

Polydactyly is a defect which affects both humans and animals. According to medical records, this rare genetic disorder affects one in every 1,000 live births and is often passed down in families.

Devendra Suthar from Gujarat, currently holds Guinness world record for polydactyly. A carpenter by profession, he has 14 fingers and 14 toes. He says that extra fingers does not hamper his work, but he has to keep an eye while cutting things.



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The attacks were reported shortly before Cameroon's president Paul Biya left for Nigeria to discuss ways of ending Boko Haram violence with his Nigerian counterpart.

A member of a civilian vigilante group carries a bow and arrow while running on patrol with the Cameroonian military in Kerawa, Cameroon, on March 16. Photo: Reuters

By AP: Authorities in northern Cameroon say a local self-defence group used a poisoned arrow to kill a woman with explosives strapped to her body.

Midjiyawa Bakary, the governor of Cameroon's Far North region, said that the 40-year-old woman had crossed over from neighbouring Nigeria along with a 14-year-old girl.

Local residents shot the poisoned arrow at the woman after she failed to stop as demanded. The girl also died when she detonated her own explosives.

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Residents near the northern town of Mora said at least five other suicide bombers have died in the last several days.

The attacks were reported shortly before Cameroon's president Paul Biya left for Nigeria to discuss ways of ending Boko Haram violence with his Nigerian counterpart.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army said that no fewer than 11, 595 civilians held at various enclaves by Boko Haram had been rescued. This came as troops intensified efforts to clear and mop up all insurgent activities in the North East.

The army said the rescue operations were carried out within the past six weeks, noting that women and young children who had been caught in the Boko Haram crossfire finally regained their freedom and temporarily settled in camps for internally displaced persons.?

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By PTI: From Yoshita Sing

New York, May 5 (PTI) A prominent human rights body has asked the Nepal government to ensure transparent and independent probe into deaths and injuries during the protests last year in the southern Terai region, which led to blockade of imports from India.

Human Rights Watch said it has learned that police in the Himalayan kingdom are allegedly refusing to register First Information Reports (FIRs) filed on behalf of the victims.

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"Despite endless promises of reform, impunity remains the norm in Nepal," Asia director at Human Rights Brad Adams said.

"Accountability for any abuses by both protesters and police are important, and unfortunately at the moment it looks as if alleged abuses by the police will simply be forgotten."

Before and after passage of a new Constitution in September 2015, political parties and their supporters in the southern Terai plains began a series of protests which led to an effective blockade of imports along Nepals southern border with India.

The rights group said security forces had often clashed with the protesters over months of violence, leading to deaths, abuses and injuries on both sides.

In October 2015, Human Rights Watch documented the 25 killings, including of 9 police officers and 16 protesters or bystanders.

By the time the protests ended in early 2016, around 55 people had died.

"While arrests were made for violent attacks against the police, the government has not yet taken any steps to ensure that members of the security forces are held to account for serious human rights violations during the protests," the group said.

The government should ensure that investigations into all deaths and injuries during the protests in the southern Terai region last fall are fast, transparent and independent, it said.

In its letter, Human Rights Watch made specific recommendations to the government of Nepal on necessary steps to ensure accountability for these violations including acting on the findings of the National Human Rights Commission to ensure appropriate disciplinary and legal action in cases of excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests and torture. PTI YAS NSA

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By PTI: Mumbai, May 5 (PTI) He is part of the film industry for over 45 years, but megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he still gets to learn so much from young and talented actors like Vidya Balan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

Bachchan, who has worked with the "Kahaani" actress in "Paa", will be seen with her yet again in the drama-thriller "Te3n", which also stars Nawazuddin.

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"Its always a joy to work with Vidya, and I was equally delighted to work with Nawaz whom Ive always admired. He is a phenomenal talent," Bachchan told reporters here.

"Truly, we get to learn so much from artists like Vidya and Nawaz because they are this generation, and I am in great admiration and awe of all the artists in the younger generation," he said.

Directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, "Te3n" is set in Kolkata and is about a crime that affects its three main characters.

Bachchan, 73, stars in the film as John Biswas, a grandfather in pursuit of justice for eight years, while Siddiqui plays Father Martin Das, whose life was changed with the same crime that claimed the life of Johns granddaughter.

Vidya, 38, will be seen in a special appearance as the cop who swings into action when an identical crime is repeated eight years later.

The "Piku" star said he observes the young actors very closely because they bring certain freshness, which he hasnt seen in his career.

"They bring to the table something that we are not used to, that we havent seen through the 40 years Ive been in cinema. I watch them very carefully, and when I work with them I admire the way they approach the project, the scene, and I have just great admiration for my two co-artists in the film," he said.

Filmmmaker Sujoy Ghosh is associated with "Te3n" as a creative director, and Bachchan said the "Kahaani" helmer had come up with another idea to him.

"He had actually come with another idea before. We were almost set to do. It was a film about Kerala and we had decided on the story and decided to go ahead, schedule our dates. One day they said they had another idea. It took me just a couple of seconds to say lets do this, and not the other one at the moment," he said.

"Te3n" is is scheduled to release on June 10. PTI JUR GK BK BAS

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By PTI: New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) India today said it was closely monitoring the situation in Nepal as the Himalayan nation witnesses fast-paced political developments after the Maoists announced withdrawal of support to the K P Oli government only to reverse the decision later.

"These are internal political developments in Nepal and it will not be appropriate for me to comment on those. But, of course, as a close neighbour, we are following the developments in Nepal very closely," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, replying to a question.

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Nepals main Maoist party UCPN (M) had plunged the country into a new political crisis as it announced the decision to form a new government under its leader Prachanda with support from Nepali Congress.

However, the Maoist party today made a U-turn and decided not to withdraw support to the coalition government "for the time being".

The decision to continue support to the coalition came following a meeting of the top leaders of the coalition at the residence of the Maoist chief Prachanda at Baluwatar this morning.

Prachanda, known for his anti-India stance, had served as Prime Minister of Nepal for a brief period from August 18, 2008 to May 25, 2009.

Asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to to Lumbini in Nepal for the Buddha Purnima function this month, Swarup said, "There are no immediate plans for the Prime Minister to visit Nepal. We are aware of the invitation that has been received for the conference in Lumbini."

He said India will be represented at the event at an appropriate level. PTI MPB SK

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Royal Challengers Banglaore skipper Virat Kohli could face a one-match ban if he offends the minimum over rate rule in Bangalore's the next IPL game. Kohli has already been fined twice for overate offences.

Kohli is currently the leeading run-scorer in IPL 9 with 433 runs. (BCCI Photo)

By Indo-Asian News Service: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli could face a one-match ban if his team fails to maintain the required over-rate in their next outing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). (IPL Full Coverage|Points Table)

With two wins from seven games, the Bengaluru side has not only struggled to get over the line, but also complete their overs in the stipulated time.

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The effect of these offences would directly fall on the skipper, who has already been penalised twice for minimum over rate offences.

The Delhi right-handed batsman was fined Rs.12 lakh and then Rs.24 lakh for two separate over rate offences. Now, another offence and he will not only be penalised with a Rs.30 lakh fine but also a ban for one game.

According to the IPL's Code of Conduct for Players, "For the third and each subsequent offence (over rate) in a season as captain of the bowling team, the captain will be fined $ 50,000 and banned from playing in the team's next league match."

Kohli, who is currently the leading run scorer with 433 runs from seven innings, was initially fined Rs.12 lakh for over rate offence against Rising Pune Supergiants on April 22 and then Rs.24 lakh for the same against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday.

RCB face Rising Pune Supergiants at home in their next encounter on Saturday.

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Earlier, there were reports that the Maharashtra state government had informed IRCTC -the ticket booking website of Indian Railways about a potential data theft.

By India Today Web Desk: IRCTC, a subsidiary of the Indian Railways, today denied reports that its website had been hacked . IRCTC's CMD A K Manocha has denied any hacking. However he said that there is a complaint of selling data of railway passengers. "We are still not confirmed whether this data is authentic and originated from IRCTC. It is a matter of investigation. But we are 100 per cent sure that there was no hacking ," A K Manocha said.

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Earlier, there were reports that the Maharashtra state government had informed IRCTC -the ticket booking website of Indian Railways about a potential data theft.

Any data theft or hack of the website could result in the leak of critical information of lakhs of users who book tickets on the site.

IRCTC is India's largest e-commerce website, lakhs of transactions are conducted every day. Customers provide details like Pan Card numbers while filling up online reservation forms.

Also Read

Hacked IRCTC website, made lakhs selling fake tickets before CBI got him

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If you have used IRCTC in the past, even if only once, this will be good time to go to the site and do following.

By India Today Web Desk: There are some conflicting reports about it but it is almost certain that something is wrong with the user data held by IRCTC website. Details of possibly millions of users have been leaked and are reportedly available to buyers in the shady cyber markets.

IRCTC has denied that there is anything wrong with its website. "IRCTC website has not been hacked. Enquiry is being conducted regarding alleged data sale," it says on Twitter.

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We are not certain what to make of the IRCTC statement. Because the Maharashtra government is saying something else.



Maharashtra Govt confirms @IRCTC_Ltd website hacked. Up to 1 crore account details potentially compromised. Being sold in a CD for Rs 15k. Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) May 5, 2016

Even as the jury is out on whether the IRCTC website has been hacked or not, for now let's assume the worst. If you have used IRCTC in the past, even if only once, this will be good time to go to the site and do following:

Reset password: This you can do by going to the website and logging into it. Once you are in, opt to change the password by going into your profile settings.

Reset details in other apps: If you have connected your IRCTC login details to an app like Yatra or MakeMyTrip, disconnect it and reconnect using the new password, if required.

Reset prepaid card: You may have some money in your IRCTC prepaid card, if you use one. Reset it.

It is also a good idea to provide as little details as possible to any website where you do any sorts of transaction.

It is a good thing in India that most of the time using a credit or debit card on the e-sites requires an additional security step. In the case of data breach with a site like the IRCTC, even though cyber criminals may steal your credit card details, they probably may not be able to use it because they may not have the one-time password or the other password that the payment gateway stores.

Even then if you have used a credit or debit card on the IRCTC website, keep an eye on the transactions carried out using these cards. If there is anything fishy, inform your bank immediately.



Also read: Hacked: Over 272 million emails, passwords on sale for less than $1 each

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"The manifesto is not earth-shattering or going to make any difference to the present situation," said political analyst R Mani about the AIADMK manifesto.

In the run-up to the TN elections, the members of the fourth pillar of the democracy -- Journalists -- have a new feature added to their caps. They have become good astrologers as well but don't you dare ask them who'll win in this upcoming elections, even paul the octopus would not be able to do it.

After days of sitting with the astrological charts and predicting the auspicious days, a few of them got it right. Even as the sun was shining bright and not awaiting the Amavasya (No moon) (an auspicious time that many hoped would be chosen as the perfect time) All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief J Jayalalithaa at a campaign venue at Erode, Tamil Nadu, unveiled her much awaited party manifesto. A manifesto that people thought would set the rising sun of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

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"The manifesto is not earth-shattering or going to make any difference to the present situation," said political analyst R Mani about the AIADMK manifesto. Close to two weeks after the release of the manifesto of all the political parties, the 'Amma' who is generally believed by her party members as a person who knows "what to do, when to do, and how to do things" took the road to Erode to woo the masses.

Back with a bang?



While many opposition parties opined that the impending fear of failure is a reason for Jaya's delayed manifesto release, the members in the AIADMK were of the belief that the exclusivity was to protect the details from being usurped by other parties. Speculation about freebies like washing machine, fridge, scooter, were doing the rounds, and why blame the public? People of this state have been pampered with freebies from time immemorial. A normal household has benefited from every basic commodity from the two Dravidian parties in the state. While watching a TV given by the DMK, and air-conditioned by a fan given by AIADMK, the first lady of the house will multi-task on getting her recipes prepared using the AIADMK offer of a mixie and a grinder. This time, though all they have been promised, in terms of a material is a mobile phone.

"I already have a phone, but if Amma comes to power and gives us a phone, I will give it to my wife. She has been asking for one for a long time now," said Joshua Solaman a daily wage labourer. "The manifesto is a disappointment to people who were expecting a fridge, washing machine and scooters, and also, the funds for the 100 units of power that she has promised is something that needs to be figured out," added Mani.

100 units of power free

In the suburban area of Tamil Nadu, people are sitting outside their houses fanning themselves with a newspaper. The front cover of the newspaper has a DMK ad 'ennama epidi panringala ma?' meaning 'Why are you doing this?' (a newspaper ad campaign that was done by DMK a few days ago). The families are waiting for power and the local electricity board officials have not been answering calls. "This has been happening for the last few days, even in the middle of the night the power goes off and with the kind of weather Chennai is facing, it is very difficult," complains Meena, a housewife.

In a state where people like Meena are struggling to get a regular supply, the question which many have in their minds is how will AIADMK provide 100 units of free power for 78 lakh households in the state. Mockingly, Meena answered the question, "Next two years or more we will not have to pay the electricity bill."

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The real question though is that in a state that still suffers from power shortage and where the state electricity board is bordering bankruptcy, how will the government implement such an ambitious project.

The state of Tamil Nadu's debt has increased at the fastest pace in the last five years, according to the Reserve Bank of India report . The report also states that Tamil Nadu has borrowed money at the quickest annual pace of 92%.

Also, unlike most states Tamil Nadu government has seen an increase from 10.5% in 2012-2013 to 11.6% in 2014-15 in the interest that they have to pay.

"Already there has been an increase in the electricity prices, and Amma is offering 100 units of power. How is it possible to give so much free power when they complain that they are in debt?" questions Sethuraman Iyer, a resident in the state.

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'Amma who knows what to do and when to do'

"I have done everything that I had promised I will do and I have also done those that I haven't promised as well. The upcoming election is crucial and do not vote for people who are planning to cheat you," emphasised Jaya while elaborating her manifesto promises. Five key pointers in AIADMK manifesto are -- Prohibition (just like every other party in the state), waiving of farm loans ( a point that she had criticised when DMK had announced this in their manifesto ahead of the 2006 election), 100 units of free power for 78 lakh households, maternity leave extension from six months to nine months, training for women to ride autos along with loan that will be provided to buy autorickshaws.

The manifesto is filled with promises, and people of Tamil Nadu have benefitted from schemes like Amma canteen, Amma water, Amma salt, Amma Pharmacy, and other Amma goodies. Adding to the list now is Amma banking card! But is the manifesto strong enough to carry Jaya to the victory line? Since I am no Nostradamus, let May 19th answer.

Also Read

Free for all: 10 things Jayalalithaa promises in her manifesto



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As a double bass player, and a bandleader, Ettun has performed in several parts of the world. From New York's Blue Note to Washington's Kennedy Centre and Boston's Symphony Hall, the musician has played at a number of venues.

By Srijani Ganguly/Mail Today: Ehud Ettun was only six-yearsold when he started playing the piano. It could have been his instrument of choice, but it was not meant to be. Later, he started strumming the guitar, but that too didn't really strike a chord with him. It was when he picked up the double bass that he truly felt a sense of belonging.

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"I used to play the piano as a kid, like many other kids," says the Israeli musician. "Then I got into music more seriously with the guitar. Thereafter, I started playing jazz and became even more dedicated towards music as I started playing the double bass."

As a double bass player, and a bandleader, Ettun has performed in several parts of the world. From New York's Blue Note to Washington's Kennedy Centre and Boston's Symphony Hall, the musician has played at a number of venues. Recently, he played in India for the second time at the India International Centre with his jazz compatriots, the Ehud Ettun Trio that includes Daniel Schwarzwald and Nathan Blankett as well.

The band Ehud Ettun Trio includes Daniel Schwarzwald and Nathan Blankett

The Delhi gig was preceded by concerts in Bengaluru, which he found to be amazing. "The audience too was incredible," he adds.

Ettun loves the feeling of a live concert. He says, "I really, really love the audience interaction during a concert. The feeling I get while connecting with the people when I am on stage is incredible. Also, I love collaborating with musicians from different places."

Although he hasn't yet collaborated with any Indian musician, he really wants it to work with his Indian counterparts. "There are some Indian musicians - like Zakir Hussain, for instance - who I admire a lot. I would love to collaborate with musicians here," he adds.

Over the years, he has collaborated with the likes of George Garzone, Danilo Perez, Fred Hersh, Eli Degibri, Anat Cohen, Ferenc Nemeth, Donny McCaslin, Frank London and others.

Collaborations exist in his current projects as well. He has collaborated in one project with Jorge Perez Albela and George Garzone as the Pisco Trio; one has been with Japanese pianist Haruka Yabuno (the Yabuno Ettun Project), and another with pianist Bert Seager and his group in The Why.He also heads the Internal Compass Orchestra, a Boston-based orchestra that focuses on original compositions and improvisations.

As part of the Ehud Ettun Trio, the double bass musician will be travelling to South Korea next for a music festival in Seoul.Thereafter, they will fly to Moscow. The trio is not only travelling to different places around the world, but is also gearing up for the release a new album together that would establish them as an entity.

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Ettun says, "We recorded an album two weeks ago. It will probably take some time to get released. That will happen in the fall of 2016, perhaps." The musician has released quite a few albums till date, both as a collaborator and as a bandleader. As the Ehud Ettun Trio, the upcoming album will be a second of such a product. Earlier, in 2014, Ehud Ettun was joined by pianist Daniel Schwarzwald and drummer Matan Assayag for a contemporary jazz album (Raw Gestures) that featured original compositions and arrangements.

The album was recorded a year before the release date in 2013. The three of them performed in Bulgaria, and feeling the chemistry to be ideal for an album, recorded Raw Gestures in Jersualem soon after.

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Sajid used to stitch women's innerwear at the ground floor of their three storied building in Chand Bagh, a locality in North East Delhi and also lived there. His relatives alleged that cops have falsely implicated him in the case.

By Shashank Shekhar: Delhi Police's claim that Mohammed Sajid, arrested on terror charges, was an expert at bomb-making and injured his left hand while making a bomb, was rubbished by his sister who said that the burn wounds were caused by hot milk.

Sajid used to stitch women's innerwear at the ground floor of their three storied building in Chand Bagh, a locality in North East Delhi and also lived there. His relatives alleged that cops have falsely implicated him in the case.

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"On Monday Sajid asked for a cup of milk, which I was boiling. When it was time to take the milk, he started hitting me on my head and mocked me. I got irritated and threw hot milk on his hand that severely burnt him," recalled his elder sister Mehzabi who regrets that her small mistake is being used by cops to arrest her brother.

Calling the police theory bogus, Sajid's family members said that raid team took away shaving blades, batteries, paint box, poison used to kill insects, motor of the sewing machine and a box in which family had kept goods for Sajid and Mehzabi's wedding.

"Why would he make explosives in his own house, which is barely 20 feet wide, when he knew that it is strong enough to kill us all? If it exploded in his hand then how is it possible that no one heard about it or complained to cops? If he was doing something unlawful we would have given him to the cops," his mother Amna said. The family lives in a threefloor house constructed on a small plot in the middle of gali number 3 at Chand Bagh surrounded by a cluster of houses.

The family has been living here for the last 40 years. When MAIL TODAY spoke to other residents of the locality they denied hearing the sound of an explosion anytime recently.

"It was at around 10:30 when cops barged into the house and only women were present in the house as others, including Sajid, had gone to offer namaz. Police broke into the ground floor where he lived and started throwing his belongings. They pushed us away when we intervened," said Mehzabi adding that her brother was a skillful tailor but not a terrorist.

Locals claim there was no friendship between the eight people picked up by the police. Only point of interaction possible was Fatima masjid, located in the same area where all of them offered prayers.



Also read: 3 Jaish men suspected of planning attack in Delhi sent to 10-day police custody

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Kanhaiya, who is on a hunger strike since April 28 alongwith other JNU students, was rushed to hospital after he started vomiting today morning.

JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar has been on hunger strike since April 28.

By Indo-Asian News Service: JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been on hunger strike for a week at the campus, was hospitalised today after his health deteriorated.

"Kanhaiya is in a bad situation. He is in a semi-conscious state. There is a possibility of internal damage to (his) organs," Umar Khalid, who was charged with sedition along with Kanhaiya and Anirban Bhattacharya, said.

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Khalid said Kanhaiya started vomiting today morning after which he was "rushed to a hospital".

The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president, and 19 other students are on an indefinite hunger strike since April 28 to protest against the punishment handed out to them by a high-level committee that probed the controversial February 9 Kashmir event on the campus.

"The health of the rest of the students is also deteriorating fast. All students have lost around 4-6 kg weight," Khalid said.

"It has been the 8th day of the indefinite hunger strike... Still the JNU administration remains unmoved," said Khalid, who has been rusticated from the university for one semester.

Also Read:

Kanhaiya Kumar at India Today Conclave: Kashmir an integral part of India

Kanhaiya Kumar says 'BJP supporter' tried to strangle him inside Jet Airways flight



Watch: Is Kanhaiya Kumar a politician in the making?



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By PTI: Mumbai, May 5 (PTI) "Singham" actress Kajal Aggarwal has made her debut on micro-blogging site Twitter.

The 30-year-old actress was welcomed by her upcoming film "Do Lafzon Ki Kahani" co-star Randeep Honda.

"My beautiful and talented costar from #DoLafzonKiKahani @MsKajalAggarwal in now on Twitter.. Show her some #love #WelcomeKajal #KuchTohHai," she wrote.

A popular name in Telugu film industry, Kajal is following celebrities including Rishi Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan on the micro-blogging site. PTI NDS NDS

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This is Kejriwal's second such step with regard to the controversy around PM Modi's educational qualifications.

Continuing his demand for clarity on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualifications, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Delhi University Vice Chancellor on Thursday asking he make public the details of PM's Bachelor's degree from the university.

Here are five major highlights from his letter:

1. Kejriwal alleges the university has no records of PM's admission form, marksheet, degree or any other such information.

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2. Calling it a serious issue, Kejriwal asks how it's possible for the prime minister to pursue an MA degree from Gujarat University when he hasn't even completed his BA.

3. He also raises suspicions on the veracity of PM's degree

4. Quoting a national English daily, Kejriwal further alleges that PM's degree is unsafe and that conspiracy is being hatched to destroy the records in an accident.

5. Finally, he requests the VC not to only take necessary steps to protect the documents, but also to put them on the DU website, for the benefit of the country. "People have a right to know how educated their PM is," he says.



This is Kejriwal's second such step with regard to the controversy around PM Modi's educational qualifications. Just last week he wrote to the Central Information Commission (CIC), following which the agency directed both Delhi and Gujarat University to provide all requisite information.

Read more: Modi doesn't have DU degree, alleges Kejriwal

In response, Gujarat University VC declared that the PM completed his MA in Political Science with 62.37 percent marks in the year 1983. Delhi University is yet to share any information.

The raging controversy has given Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party an opportunity to cry conspiracy. On Tuesday AAP leaders Ashish Khaitan, Raghav Chadda and Dilip Pandey even made an unsuccessful bid to get PM Modi's degree details from DU.

The political tussle has even spilled over to social media, where followers of both leaders are engaging in a war of words and hashtags.

My letter to VC, DU on the issue of PM's degree pic.twitter.com/EYZYZZXdFaArvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 5, 2016

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By PTI: New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today wrote to the Delhi University vice chancellor on the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modis degree, demanding that it be put on the varsitys website as truth should emerge on a matter of "grave concern".

Kejriwals missive to Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi came a day after he accused DU of "refusing" to show Modis degree as he "never graduated" from it.

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A delegation of AAP leaders had yesterday visited the university to seek a copy of the degree and later claimed they were "turned away".

In his letter, Kejriwal said the primary question was whether the Prime Minister had done his BA from DU or not.

He went on to claim that the universitys records do not contain Modis admission form, marksheet, or any other information about his degree.

"It is a matter of grave concern since the Gujarat University says that he (Modi) has done his Masters from there. If he has not pursued BA, then how could he secure admission in MA? This gives rise to suspicions that the MA degree is forged," Kejriwal wrote.

Referring to reports that the documents are not in safe custody, the AAP chief urged the VC to take steps to secure them and upload them on website.

"One English daily has reported that his degree is not secure and an accident may happen. This gives rise to another suspicion as to whether a ground for an accident is being prepared then?

"I urge you to take steps for these documents to be secured. It will be better if these documents are put online. Do the people of this country have the right to know the education qualifications of their PM? If there are serious allegations concerning his degree then the truth should emerge," Kejriwal said. PTI SBR PMS SK PMS

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All indications are that Sadiq Khan, 45, a former human rights lawyer and a Labour MP from Tooting since 2005, will emerge the winner.

By Indo-Asian News Service: With Pakistani-origin Sadiq Khan likely to become London's new mayor, his Conservative foe Zac Goldsmith is using Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name to woo Hindu and Sikh votes.

Balloting is taking place on Thursday in England, Scotland and Wales to elect mayors and fill up assembly and parliamentary seats. The battle for London's mayorship has become the most high-profile contest.

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All indications are that Khan, 45, a former human rights lawyer and a Labour MP from Tooting since 2005, will emerge the winner. That will make the former bus driver's son Europe's most powerful Muslim politician.

Khan was the transport minister in then Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government in 2009-10. He was the first Muslim minister to attend Cabinet meetings.

Married to solicitor Saadiya Ahmed, the couple have two daughters. Khan is proud of his British linkages.

"I'm a Londoner, I'm European, I'm British, I'm English, I'm of Islamic faith, of Asian origin, of Pakistani heritage, a dad, a husband," he said in a New York Times interview.

Khan's grandparents migrated to newly created Pakistan following India's blood-soaked partition in 1947. His parents shifted to Britain just before he was born in 1970.

A YouGov poll gave the Labour candidate a 16-point lead among first-preference votes, with 48 percent of support, followed by Goldsmith on 32 percent.

When second-choice votes were reallocated, the split was 60 percent support for Khan and 40 percent for Goldsmith.

Arguably, the election is slanted in Khan's favour.

The new London Mayor will replace Boris Johnson, a Conservative who has held the post since 2008.

Khan has promised to address the city's housing crisis, freeze transport fares for four years, create more job opportunities for Londoners and cut pollution.

"I want all Londoners to have the same opportunities that our city gave me: a home they can afford, a high-skilled job with decent pay, an affordable and modern transport system and a safe, clean and healthy environment," he has said.

Muslim groups complain the mayoral contest has sunk to "disturbing lows". The Conservatives have been accused of trying to exploit racial tensions to help Goldsmith win, the Financial Times said.

Customised leaflets addressed to Hindu, Sikh and Tamil voters mention subjects such as Narendra Modi, the 1984 killing of Sikhs in India and the Sri Lankan civil war.

The Muslim Association of Britain said it was disturbed how some candidates had gone to extreme measures to attack either Islamic practices or Muslims to attract support.

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Catherine Heseltine of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, a civil liberties group, said Goldsmith was "obviously not interested in Muslim voters". She said the leaflets "effectively highlight to Hindu voters that Sadiq Khan is a Muslim".

One leaflet had a picture of Goldsmith meeting Modi on a visit to London and pointed out that Khan did not.

Ash Mukherjee, 40, a management consultant from India who has lived in Britain since 1993, said he thought Goldsmith was "subtly positioning" himself "as pro-Modi and therefore pro-Hindu" against Khan.

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Maharashtra government enforced a beef ban in February last year after President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act.

According to the Amendment Act, slaughter attracts a five-year jail-term and Rs 10,000 fine, while possession of meat of bull or bullock attracts 1 year in jail and Rs 2,000 fine.

By Vidya : Bombay High Court will pass the judgment on petitions challenging the beef ban in the state on Friday.

Maharashtra government enforced a beef ban in February last year after President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act. Although the original Act, which banned slaughter of cows, was passed in 1976, the amendment prohibited possession and slaughter of bulls and bullocks and also consumption of meat.

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According to the Amendment Act, slaughter attracts a five-year jail-term and Rs 10,000 fine, while possession of meat of bull or bullock attracts 1 year in jail and Rs 2,000 fine.

This decision was not received well by the butcher association in Maharashtra whose business was severly affected. After Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared the government's decision on social networking site, the Butcher Association approached the High Court with their petition.

Division bench headed by Justice VM Kanade and Sonak heard the petitions for interim relief and ordered that the butchers should be allowed to finish their stock after which they would shut their shops. However the bench refused to lift the ban stating clearly that this issue cannot be argued at this stage for urgent relief.

Soon after, Chief Justice at the Bombay High Court, Justice Mohit Shah, retired and the then acting Chief Justice, Justice VK Tahilramani ordered the petitions to be heard by a bench headed by Justice SC Dharmadhikari.

However, Justice Dharmadhikari refused to hear the petitions stating "not before me". The petitioners went back to Justice Tahilramani asking for another bench to be assigned.

A new bench of justice Abhay Oka and SC Gupte took up the case and the final hearing was to be heard in November. The bench reserved its orders around mid January after listening to the petitioners, interveners and the state.

Also Read

From the Magazine: Beef, ban and bloodshed

Documentary on beef 'Caste On The Menu Card' banned by the Films Division



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According to reports earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale was felt in Pauri, Garhwal, Uttarkashi and Dehradun.

By India Today Web Desk: Mild tremors were felt in various parts of Uttarakhand around 11.30 pm.

According to reports earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale was felt in Pauri, Garhwal, Uttarkashi and Dehradun.

(More reports awaited)

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The girl's mother told police her daughter had helped a couple from the nearby village of Makol elope, in defiance of cultural norms.

By Reuters: Pakistani police on Thursday arrested 15 members of a tribal council accused of ordering the burning alive of a young girl for helping a couple to elope in a so-called "honour killing", police said.

The 16-year-old girl was set on fire last week in the town of Donga Gali, about 50 km (30 miles) northeast of the capital, Islamabad, on the orders of the council, said district police chief Saeed Wazir.

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Police said the honour killing was ordered as punishment for what the council deemed irreparable damage to the village's reputation. The couple appeared to have escaped.

The girl's mother and brother were also arrested, Wazir said, as they were present during the meeting and allegedly agreed to the sentence.

Jirgas, or tribal councils, are often called in Pakistan's northwestern regions as a means of local conflict resolution, but their edicts have no legal standing under Pakistani law.

The girl's mother told police her daughter had helped a couple from the nearby village of Makol elope, in defiance of cultural norms.

"The jirga then took her to an abandoned place outside the village and made her unconscious by injecting her with some drugs," said Wazir.

"Then they seated the girl in a van in which the couple had escaped. They tied her hands to the seats and then poured petrol on her and the vehicle."

The vehicle was set ablaze.

"I hadn't seen such a barbaric attack in my whole life," he said.

More than 500 men and women were killed in honour killings in Pakistan last year, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Many of those crimes are carried out by relatives who say the victims have brought shame on the family.

Few cases go to court, but among those that do, attackers are often forgiven under a clause of law rooted in Islamic law. Legislation is currently pending at Pakistan's parliament to close the loophole, which many say encourages such attacks.



Also Read:

Pakistan in another U-turn, refuse to fly to India after government nod



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The controversial VVIP chopper deal had triggered a stormy debate and trading of charges in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday with the entire opposition pressing for a Supreme Court-monitored probe.

By India Today Web Desk: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar got a pat on the back from Prime Minister Narendra Modi today for his speech on the AgustaWestland scam in Parliament on Wednesday in which he spoke of an "invisible hand" in preventing an investigation during the UPA regime led by the opposition Congress.

"Yesterday's speech by RM @manoharparrikar in the Rajya Sabha was one of the best speeches, displaying best parliamentary traditions," Modi tweeted from his personal handle, @narendramodi, this morning. "RM @manoharparrikar rose above politics & placed all relevant facts on the table. Urging you all to hear his speech," he said in another tweet.

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The controversial VVIP chopper deal had triggered a stormy debate and trading of charges in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday with the entire opposition pressing for a Supreme Court-monitored probe. Speaking at the end of a long day, Parrikar said the ongoing probe will focus on those named in the Italian Court judgement even as he suggested the role of an "invisible hand" in preventing a proper investigation earlier.

The Italian court judgment names Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the then India Air Force chief SP Tyagi, Sonia's political advisor Ahmad Patel, and others. The Congress has, however, stressed that the judgment does not indict anyone.

Parrikar said there was a "relentless push" by the UPA to go in for the AgustaWestland choppers. "It appears an invisible hand was guiding action or inaction of CBI and ED," he said, adding that "inquiry will focus on roles of those named in the judgment of the Italian court... The government will leave no stone unturned in bringing to justice those involved in the scam."

"There is an agreement that corrupt practices were involved in procurement of AgustaWestland helicopters. The previous government recognised these and put on hold the group in 2014, and the present government passed the order," Parrikar said in the Rajya Sabha, replying to a short duration discussion on the issue.

The minister said "corrupt practices" was the central matter, and it will be "unmasked" through inquiry. "Given the above background, these inquiries will necessarily focus on the role of those named in the judgment of the Italian court. It is also important for ensuring a comprehensive investigation," Parrikar said.

The Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad described as an "insult" the Defence Minister reading out a prepared statement in his reply and said it contained only allegations. The five-hour debate ended with a walkout by the Congress after its demand for a Supreme Court-monitored probe was rejected by the government.

Also Read

AgustaWestland scam: Kickbacks routed through an 'intricate maze' of companies

Most welcome, says Sonia Gandhi as BJP threatens big revelation in AgustaWestland

AgustaWestland chopper deal: BJP is trying to settle old scores, says Congress



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Unwilling to pay this amount, more than 300 parents protested outside the school on Wednesday morning. They alleged that even after paying so much for the education of their child, the quality of the school and its education is drowning.

By Astha Saxena: While the Delhi government is taking stringent action against private schools regarding unjustified fee hike, its neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have failed to do so. Private schools in Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram are charging huge sums as fees and this has irked several parents. For instance, Pathways School in Noida has increased the fee by 10 per cent this year. A student of class six is being made to pay Rs 99,000 for a quarter, above which the parents will have to pay Rs 20,000 in lieu of IT fee in addition to uniform and books charges.

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Unwilling to pay this amount, more than 300 parents protested outside the school on Wednesday morning. They alleged that even after paying so much for the education of their child, the quality of the school and its education is drowning.

"The school has been increasing the fee by 10 per cent every year. Last year, we paid Rs 90,000 as the quarterly fee and this year we have been asked to pay Rs 99,000. There are charges above this fee too. The school charges Rs 20,000 as IT fee and we have no idea where the money goes," said Swati, one of the parents whose child is a student of Pathways School on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

Even after repeated calls and messages, the director of the school, Dr Shalini Advani, did not respond to queries.

Recently, Delhi government had pulled up two branches of DPS ordering them to rollback the fee hike and a similar order was issued to GD Salwan Public School.

"Why are they not walking in the footsteps of Delhi government. The Uttar Pradesh government has no control over the private schools due to which the parents have to suffer. We have started a signature campaign and will be submitting the complaints to the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Every school in Gautam Budh Nagar district is following its own set of rules," said Neeti Shrivastava, president, Gautam Budh Nagar Parents' Association. Swati is not alone. Hundreds of parents face the brunt of fee hike every year. Unlike Delhi, there are no guidelines in the neighbouring areas. Large numbers of parents in the National Capital Region (NCR) have been protesting against the unjustified fee hike by authorities.

"The Haryana education department is a toothless body which has no control over private schools. As most of the schools belong to prominent politicians or its owners are well connected, they have been implementing rules according to their strength to mock common people", Vasistha Dabas, a parent whose children are class 3 and 6 students of a prominent international school said.

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Lack of guidelines from the state education department in these areas has forced the parents to pay arbitrary fees. Manoj Kaushik, district education officer, told Mail Today that there are no clear guidelines regarding the annual fee hike in Gurugram. "While there are no said rules in this regard, we have asked all schools to submit the data of the expenses and an audit report of balance sheets and surplus funds to the department", he said.

Also read: AAP government asks private schools to inform before hiking fees





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Railway officials say they have followed the rulebook. "At the division-level, recruitment can only be made for the post of sanitation workers. Accordingly, they have been placed in sanitation jobs. Placements have been made as per the rules framed by the railway board."

Some of the visually impaired workers recruited by the Delhi division of Northern Railways allege that they have been forced by officials to sweep, lift garbage and clean sewage at the state-owned enterprise's hospitals & residential colonies.

By Rakesh Ranjan: Ameen Khan, a visually impaired railway employee, says he was recruited under the disabilities quota assigned for desk jobs but ended up sweeping floors a week after joining work. About 30 such sightless railway workers allege that they have been forced by officials to sweep, lift garbage and clean sewage at the state-owned enterprise's hospitals and residential colonies. With Masters and B.Ed degrees, these people aimed for desk jobs at the Northern Railways' Delhi division but were handed brooms instead despite their disability and the risk to their safety.

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Railway officials say they have followed the rulebook. "These employees were selected through the process of direct recruitment," said Dimpy Garg, additional divisional railway manager (ADRM), Delhi. "At the division-level, recruitment can only be made for the post of sanitation workers. Accordingly, they have been placed in sanitation jobs. Placements have been made as per the rules framed by the railway board." Khan recalls the first day of duty on March 16, 2016 when the duty manager refused to assign him a job.

"A few days passed and then I got a bigger shock. I was issued another appointment letter asking me to join as a 'safaikarmi' with clear instructions to join by March 28 failing which the appointment letter would be considered cancelled," the 41-year old said.

He has refused to abide by the government order and has decided to take on the authorities. Khan, who says he was initially selected as an operator in the wireless department, has been posted in the office of the chief health inspector of the railway hospital. "I will not succumb to their pressure; I will fight for my dignity," he said.

Mail Today met these railway employees at their workplaces to find that the condition of the others was no different from Ameen Khan's. Three of them - Sholayram, Suraj and Kapil - were sweeping the ground near a community centre at the Kishanganj Loco Shed Railway Colony. "Can a blind person see the garbage strewn in the premises? Can we collect the garbage and take it to the dumping site in a trolley? We have no option but to report to work or we could lose our job," said Sholayram, a Delhi University graduate who travels for over two hours from Burari to reach his workplace near central Delhi's Filmistan area. "But we want an answer from the railway authorities. Our disability could never discourage us but we did not expect this humiliation." The plight of the workers is not hidden. Residents of the colony narrated the woes of these people, but expressed their inability to help them.

"They have been reporting daily to work. It is impossible for them to sweep the roads. It's a shame that the railway authorities have turned apathetic to these people with disabilities," said YS Meena, a railway employee and a resident of the colony.

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Shankar, a postgraduate in political science from Delhi University and currently posted as a sanitation worker at Shakur Basti area, had a similar tale to tell. "Initially we were asked to lift garbage from the drivers' running room at the railway station, but after three days we stopped getting work," he said.

"We have no place to sit here. We have to spend the entire day sitting under a tree along the railway tracks," added Shankar, who hails from Chennai, while recalling that his selection for the railway job was his biggest hope but has only added to the darkness in his life. Shankar and three others - Prem Bharti, Ravinder and Rajesh - were found sleeping under a tree near the Shakur Basti railway station. Many other visually challenged recruits, including women, have been posted at railway colonies in Daya Basti and Sarai Rohilla apart from railway offices at Basant Road in Paharganj.

Vishwanath, who works at Pratap Nagar in central Delhi, said a request for an indoor job was turned down by authorities. "I am even ready to work as a peon. I requested my supervisor to assign me any office job, but in vain," he said. "We tried meeting the divisional railway manager several times, but his office directed us to other officers. So far, we have not got a clear response from the railways. Sanitation work puts our lives at risk. It is practically impossible for us to perform such jobs," Ameen Khan added.

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By PTI: New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Home Minister Rajnath Singh tonight spoke to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and expressed his "deep sadness" over the killing of six persons in a thunderstorm at Simhastha Mahakumbh in Ujjain.

During the telephonic conversation, the Chief Minister told the Home Minister that normalcy will be restored in the temple town by tomorrow morning.

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"Shivraj Chouhan himself is monitoring the situation at Ujjain. He is leaving no stone unturned to improve the situation on the ground," Singh tweeted. Six persons were killed and around 40 injured this evening when heavy rain accompanied by lightning and squall wreaked havoc at the site of the ongoing Simhatha Kumbh Mela here, flattening and uprooting pilgrims tents. PTI ACB PAL

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By PTI: Munger (Bihar), May 5 (PTI) Over 7,000 bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth over Rs 22.86 lakh have been seized from this district, police said today.

The recovery has been made from different locations in East Colony Jamalpur and Shakarpur village of the district, Superintendent of Police Munger Ashish Bharti said.

The bottles were suspected to belong to a liquor trader who had large number of outlets in the district, he said.

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The SP said on specific information that more liquor bottles might have been hidden by the "influential" trader in four wells at separate places, the police team was conducting search in these wells.

This is probably one of the biggest haul of liquor in the wake of complete ban on alcohol announced by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Bihar on April 5.

Giving details of search, the SP said 1400 bottles of foreign brand were recovered from the premises of a house in East Colony locality in Jamalpur last night.

In raids today, 488 cartons (one carton containing 12 bottles) and 64 cartons were seized from two houses in Shakarpur village, the SP said.

The SP said the total value of the liquor seized was over Rs 22.86 lakh. PTI COR SNS PR ANP PS

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By PTI: Mumbai, May 4 (PTI) Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda says his upcoming film "Sarbjit" does not show Pakistan in a bad light.

Directed by Omung Kumar, the movie is based on Sarabjit, who died following an assault by fellow prisoners at a Pakistani jail. It stars Randeep Hooda in the titular role of the Indian convict.

"I dont think there is any Pakistan bashing per say in the film. But yes, there are a lot of prisoners over there and some are subjected to atrocities. I am not sure if that happens here as well...If you treat somebody for such things just because of their nationality and not their crime, then, if it happens in India or Pakistan, it is always wrong," the actor told reporters here.

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Randeep said the film merely chronicles the life of a common man, who was stuck between the political climate of India and Pakistan.

"The film is based in a Pakistan prison. But there is nothing that we are bashing a country like Pakistan. Its just a situation where a normal person is stuck between the political ups and downs between the two countries."

The "Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai" star was speaking at a special prayer meet organised to commemorate the third death anniversary of Sarbajit who died on May 2, 2013.

The films entire cast, including actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Richa Chaddha, Darshan Kumar and producer Jacky Bhagnani were also present along with Sarbajits sister Dalbir Kaur, his wife and a daughter.

Dalbir, whose role is played by Aishwarya in the film, complimented the actress and said she was proud of her.

"Aishwarya is like my younger sister. I saw a lot of me in her. It mustve been difficult for her to adapt to Punjabi culture, language. It mustve have been emotional for her too. I feel extremely proud of her and Randeep," Dalbir said.

The "Jazbaa" actress, who was visibly emotional along with the entire cast and crew after Dalbirs speech, said she was honoured to play the part.

"It is their (familys) story, their film, they have a birth right to be privy and yet they extended liberty, faith and grace, which is truly commendable. You story does need to reach far and wide," Aishwarya said.

The film is scheduled to release on May 20. PTI JUR NP RG

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By PTI: Mumbai, May 5 (PTI) Police today arrested six persons for making pirated copies of the Marathi film "Sairat" and seized 23 CDs, in raids conducted at seven places here.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) sleuths seized three computers along with 6000 blank CDs during the operation. Material used for making pirated copies was also recovered, police said.

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Surendra Ghosalkar (34), Hashim Khan (21), Shabaaz Khan (22), Mustaq Khan (23), Ibnesh Shah (34) and Abdul Shah alias Bablu (22) were arrested for allegedly making the pirated CDs of the superhit movie.

The accused are booked under relevant sections of IPC (Indian Penal Code) and Information Technology Act.

National award-winning filmmaker and "Sairat" director Nagraj Manjule had yesterday alleged that a copy of the film had been leaked and is being circulated through pirated CDs and other media.

In a similar operation, police yesterday arrested Kasim Shaikh for selling pirated copy of the film under Swargate police station limits in Pune. PTI NS NSK ASV SRE

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By PTI: New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Amid escalating confrontation in Parliament, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi are expected to launch a sharp attack on the government at the Save Democracy rally being organised here tomorrow.

The rally, to be held at Jantar Mantar, is being organised amid a face-off between the opposition party and the BJP led-coalition government at the Centre over a host of issues, including the AgustaWestland scandal.

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Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will also address the rally which is being held in the backdrop of imposition of Presidents rule in party-ruled Uttarkhand and Arunachal Pradesh and alleged attempts to destabilise the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh.

Rahul Gandhi is also expected to participate in a discussion on the AgustaWestland issue in Lok Sabha tomorrow.

Setting the tone for the rally, party spokesman Jairam Ramesh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "masterminding a conspiracy to implicate" Congress leadership in the AgustaWestland case.

"The cat is out by the manner in which the Prime Minister last night tweeted and hailed Defence Minister Manohar Parrikars reply in Rajya Sabha on the issue. It shows not only his mindset but his strategy too", Ramesh said.

Attacking the Defence Minister, the Congress leader said in fact Parrikars reply was one of the "worst examples in parliamentary history" as instead of responding to issues raised by the opposition, he read out a "catalogue of accusations and charges".

He accused Parrikar of not maintaining the dignity of a Defence Minister by "resorting to a political speech".

Ramesh said the rally was being organised to also protest against the governments "assault" on central universities as seen in JNU, Hyderabad and Allahabad.

On whether like-minded parties like JD(U) and the Left have been invited, he said it was a Congress rally.

While party leader Randeep Surjewala had last week said the party would gherao Parliament, Ramesh merely said after the rally the party would take out a march to Parliament.

Party leaders have said tomorrows march was also to highlight the drought and the agrarian crisis that has led to a spate of suicides by farmers and affected 40 crore people in several states. PTI SPG AAR SK AAR

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By PTI: Colombo, May 5 (PTI Sri Lankas parliament today voted unanimously to suspend two of its members for their role in a violent clash on Tuesday in which several lawmakers were injured in the worst brawl in the House in 12 years.

A three-member panel recommended punitive action against the two Members of Parliament after which the report was submitted to the House Committee. The parliament then voted unanimously to suspend them, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said.

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Palitha Thewarapperuma from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes United National Party and Prasanna Ranaweera from an opposition faction loyal to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa are banned for a week. They were held responsible for triggering a brawl on Tuesday.

The incident began during a speech by former army chief and Cabinet Minister for Regional Development Sarath Fonseka on the personal protection of former strongman Rajapaksa. The clash broke out between at least three MPs of the government and opposition over the removal of army from the security detail of Rajapaksa.

Sandith Samarasinghe, an MP representing the government, had received blows as he had fallen to the ground having caught in the middle of an exchange of blows between two others. Several others had suffered minor injuries.

Jayasuriya had ordered a probe after he described the incident as worst in parliamentary history in over a decade.

Tuesdays melee in the parliament is said to be the worst since an attack on a Buddhist monk MP by lawmakers in 2004 in which the monk was seriously injured. PTI CORR CPS AKJ CPS

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The Congress alleges that the GSPC borrowed Rs 19,700 crores from a consortium of 15 nationalised banks. The loans were taken after the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi claimed that the GSPC will be India's largest gas reserve.

After the big debate on the AgustaWestland chopper scam concluded in Parliament yesterday, Congress is now gearing to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last six days of the Budget session.

The Gandhi-led party has planned a march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament in the next few days. But the party feels it has two aces up its sleeve: the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) controversy, and the Uttarakhand political crisis, which is now expected to reverberate in the House.

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The Congress has found a CAG report which questions the functioning of the GSPC when Narendra Modi was the state Chief Minister. As soon as Rajya Sabha was convened today, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh demanded that since the discussion on Agusta has come to an end, the House should now discuss the GSPC issue.

Ramesh's proposal was vehemently contested by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who said that nothing of that sort was confirmed for discussion. The Congress, however, found support in KC Tyagi of the Janata Dal-United.

The Congress alleges that the GSPC borrowed Rs 19,700 crores from a consortium of 15 nationalised banks, but the company has now become a non-performing asset (NPA). The loans were taken after the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi claimed that the GSPC will be India's largest gas reserve.

"How were these companies awarded the contract and what was the role of the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi? Why, even after eleven years, the KG Basin of the GSPC remains a non-starter? Where has Rs 19,700 crore gone? We want an enquiry into Modi's role in all of it," a senior Congress leader told India Today.

The party claims the interest on the loan is Rs 1800 crore annually while the annual income of GSPC is hardly Rs 80 crore.

The Congress wants to know which companies were awarded contracts from the GSPC. It claims a company from Barbados, which only has two people in it, was also given the contract. It further alleges that a Mumbai-based company with no experience in tough drilling was also given the contract.

The Modi government, on the other hand, is not keen to consider any discussion on the GSPC in Parliament. It says since the matter is pending before the Public Accounts Committee of the Gujarat Assembly, the Parliament has no right to discuss it, a claim challenged by the Congress.

The allegations levelled by the Congress assume a larger importance since they name Modi directly. Since the attack in the AgustaWestland case is against the Congress leadership, the Congress knows it also has to go for the jugular.

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Though the second half of the Budget session has functioned smoothly so far, the Congress, stung by the AgustaWestland controversy, is in no mood to let go of any opportunity to embarrass the BJP in the House.

Also read:

Agusta debate in Rajya Sabha LIVE: Nation wants to know who took bribes, says Parrikar

Even as Agusta fire rages, government puts UPA's Rafale deal under scanner



--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Mumbai, May 4 (PTI) The Tata Group today said it has developed a watch exclusively for factory workers which can provide critical real-time safety data and announced that it is looking to sell wearable devices to tech-savvy consumers in the future.

"This is the very first safety wearable in the world designed specially for a factory floor worker," the conglomerates Group Chief Technology Officer Gopichand Katragadda told reporters, displaying an image of the watch sporting a Tata logo.

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He said the watch has been designed by multiple Tata Group companies.

The basic idea came from Tata Steel whose workers will be using it soon, with user inputs from Tata Chemicals and Tata Motors whose shop-floors will also benefit. It is supported by TCS cloud-based analytics platform, designed by Tata Elxsi and will be manufactured by Titan.

The watch will give real time data on critical elements of safety like the workers body temperature, pulse rate and also excessive gases in the ambiance, Katragadda said.

He added that the Group is also looking at marketing it to other manufacturing companies and going ahead, will develop products for savvy digital consumers as well.

"When we enter the digital consumer space, we will have a unique product because if you design something for the shop-floor, the design is much more onerous than doing it for a consumer. We will have a product which is unique in that market," Katragadda said.

The wearables space is already congested with offerings from global majors like Apple, Google, Samsung and also dedicated fitness companies.

Even though digital is the key focus, Katragadda said the safety watch made for Tata Steel workers has an analogue display with digital sensors.

It is a retro design watch with a "digital heart" which will help one track the worker in his work environment.

Apart from the watch, the close to USD 110-billion salt-to -software group, which spent nearly Rs 18,000 crore in R&D efforts in 2014-15, is working on other global firsts like the material of future graphene.

Katragadda said Tata Steel has set up a Graphene Development Cell and the group is working with IIT-Madras on the project.

With companies like Tesla making in-roads into the electric vehicle segment, Tata Sons Group Executive Council Member and Brand Custodian Mukund Rajan said Tata Technologies is also working on a similar vehicle.

Katragadda, however, said with the bulk of the company dependent on coal for its power needs, the timing for an EV is not right at present.

With concerns around the ill-effects of excessive use of pesticides on crops, the group is also developing a drone to spray the pesticides which can help reduce the volumes used on crops by uniform spraying, he added.

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Katragadda said the group is also working in areas like soft robotics, bio-inspired products, stretch sensors, gene editing and deep learning. PTI AA BEN NRB ABM

--- ENDS ---
Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan are back on the streets of Kolkata. But TE3N is nothing like Kahaani or Piku. Ribhu Dasgupta's upcoming film is a thriller that revolves around its three characters played by Amitabh, Vidya and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and all of them have one connecting link - an abduction.

By India Today Web Desk: Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan are back on the streets of Kolkata. But TE3N is nothing like Kahaani or Piku. Ribhu Dasgupta's upcoming film is a thriller that revolves around its three characters played by Amitabh, Vidya and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and all of them have one connecting link - an abduction.

ALSO READ: Shooting for Te3n felt like preparing for Kahaani sequel, says Viday Balan



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Eight years ago, a school girl is abducted from the streets of Kolkata and her grandfather (Amitabh Bachchan) is still unable to get over it. He relentlessly visits the police station every day to look for any clue and news on his granddaughter.

But the twist in the tale happens when, eight years later, a similar incident takes place. And it is their only chance to find out the truth. A police inspector (Vidya Balan) and an ex-officer turned-priest (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) help a grandfather in his quest for justice.

The two-minute trailer isn't just gripping but also keeps on you on the edge of the seat. It is for the first time that Nawazuddin and Amitabh will be seen together in a film. And Vidya, who was last seen in Hamari Adhuri Kahani, is all set to return to the silver screen as a feisty cop in TE3N.



With these three great performers in a film, TE3N has already become one of the most-anticipated films of the year. It is set to hit the screens on June 10 this year.

--- ENDS ---
In an interview to India Today TV's Rahul Kanwal, the alleged middleman Christian Michel had alleged that he was pressurised by Indian investigators to incriminate the Gandhis in the VVIP chopper scam.

By India Today Web Desk: The opposition Congress, which has put up a spirited defence of its top leadership currently under the scanner in the AgustaWestland helicopter scam, has an India Today exclusive in its arsenal today as the party gears up for another stormy day in Parliament.

In his explosive interview to India Today TV's Rahul Kanwal, the alleged middleman Christian Michel had alleged that he was pressurised by Indian investigators to incriminate the Gandhis in the VVIP chopper scam. In a letter written to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and shared exclusively with India Today, Michel also alleged that the Narendra Modi government tried to cut a deal with him.

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Michel has said that a number of people contacted him with the proposal that he denounce any member of the Gandhi family. In return, all the charges against him would be dropped, he claimed.

In his December 23, 2015 letter to the Registrar of the International Tribunal, Michel wrote, "At this time it was made very clear to me through a number of obtuse channels if I was willing to denounce and member of the Gandhi family relating to the so-called VVIP helicopter scandal, all charges and investigations against me would be dropped."

"I responded in the negative and without so much as summons and within one week an arrest warrant was issued against me and within a few weeks after that the Indian authorities then contacted Interpol and used this mechanism to put further pressure on me to agree to their political agenda," he wrote.

The letter was written to the International Tribunal four months before the Italian court delivered its verdict in the AgustaWestland scam.

Speaking exclusively to India Today from Dubai, Michel said, "I have sued Guido Haschke (another middleman in the Agusta case) in Switzerland. Haschke forged the documents that have been given to the Italian courts. I am ready to submit documents and proof related to the case through the Indian embassy."

In Parliament on Wednesday, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had questioned how a "mere mention" of names in a letter written by Haschke to a man named Peter Hulet could make them culpable. The party is expected to attack the government over Michel's allegations in Rajya Sabha today.

ALSO READ | Was pressured by govt to blame Gandhis in AgustaWestland scandal, says middleman Michel

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump has reiterated his stand on banning Muslims from entering the US and deporting illegal immigrants out of the country. The rival Hillary Clinton campaign immediately slammed Trump asserting that the former secretary of state would not tolerate this divisive and dangerous direction as the US President.

A day after he became a presumptive nominee, Trump refused to budge from his primary election season's controversial rhetoric's in a series of interviews. In an interview with CNN, Trump did not back away from his proposal to temporarily ban all foreign Muslims from entering the US. At the same time, he said he would work with Muslim countries in the fight against terrorism. But the onus for this is on those countries first, he argued.

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Taking a rigid stand, Trump said he does not care if it hurts him. "I'm doing the right thing when I do this. And whether it's Muslim or whether it's something else, I mean, I have to do the right thing, and that's the way I've been guided," he told MSNBC in another interview. "And I've been guided by common sense, by what's right. And you see what's happening. We have to be careful. I mean, we're allowing thousands of people to come into our country, thousands and thousands of people being placed all over the country that frankly nobody knows who they are. They don't have documentation in many cases ? in most cases.?And we don't know what we're doing," Trump said.

The Clinton campaign slammed the real estate mogul after he in his last interview of the day reiterated his position on Muslims and immigrants. "In less than 24 hours after capturing the Republican nomination, Donald Trump has already made it abundantly clear the type of America that would emerge under him: one in which Latinos, Muslims and other communities of colour would not feel at home," said Lorella Praeli, national director of Latino Outreach. "Trump doubled down on his quest to ban Muslims from entering the United States and deport millions of immigrant families who are part of America's social fabric and economic engine," Praeli said. "And just today, we were once again reminded that Trump's hateful rhetoric and bigoted policy proposals threaten to obstruct our path towards a more open and fair country.

We simply cannot afford that. Hillary Clinton will not tolerate this divisive and dangerous direction and, as President, will not stop fighting to break down the barriers and build ladders of opportunity for every American," the Clinton Campaign official said.

--- ENDS ---
BJP's 'hit man' Subramanian Swamy defended his charge against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the AgustaWestland chopper scandal with full force during an exclusive interview with Karan Thapar.

By India Today Web Desk: BJP's 'hit man' Subramanian Swamy defended his charge against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the AgustaWestland chopper scandal with full force during an exclusive interview with Karan Thapar. "She is as guilty as hell. She is a suspect and should be interrogated," said Swamy. During the interview the veteran leader took on Karan Thapar on several occasions.

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Here are the five best picks from the interview when Swamy got aggressive with Karan Thapar:



Truncating things is one of your weaknesses





Jaitley is your friend





Let me teach you the law



I don't trust you!











I don't know where you were taught the English language







You can go on cross examining me like a second grade criminal lawyer

--- ENDS ---
West Bengal registered 84.24 per cent voter turnout in the sixth and last phase of Assembly elections held today.

By India Today Web Desk: West Bengal registered 84.24 per cent voter turnout in the sixth and last phase of Assembly elections held today. Voting took place in 25, nine in Cooch Behar district and 16 in East Midnapore, constituencies.

The ruling Trinamool Congress won four seats out of nine in Cooch Behar in 2011 and its then ally, the Congress, won one. In a four-way battle in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it led in eight Assembly segments. But away from the political fight, it was a memorable day in the life of the enclave dwellers - 9,776 of whom are registered as voters. They included 567, residents of the erstwhile Indian enclaves which are now part of Bangladesh, who have opted for Indian citizenship.

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Here are the highlights:

-84.24 per cent turnout recorded in sixth and final phase of West Bengal Assembly election.

-Over 74 per cent voter turnout recorded till 3 pm.

- 61.88 per cent voting reported till 1 pm in the sixth and last phase of polls.

-Over 23 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the first two hours of polling. While East Midnapore district recorded 24.45 per cent Cooch Behar recorded 21.59 per cent. The overall average till 9 am was 23.46 per cent.



Cooch Behar: Voters line up outside a polling booth to cast their vote in final phase of West Bengal Assembly polls. pic.twitter.com/ecqyrZ87nZ

- In all, 170 candidates, including 18 women, are in the fray for the last phase of elections.

Nandigram:People line up outside a polling booth to cast their vote in final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections pic.twitter.com/3KJZjwgStF&; ANI (@ANI_news) May 5, 2016

- Maintaining a tight security cover, the poll panel has deployed 361 companies of central forces assisted by a contingent of 12,000 state police personnel.

- Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC have been promulgated on the polling day and enforced strictly to ensure that any unlawful assembly is effectively curbed.

- Out of the total electors, 27.8 lakh are women while the third gender constitutes a small minority of 68 voters.

- For the first time since Independence, residents of border enclaves in Coochbehar will be able to exercise their franchise, thanks to the formal inclusion of enclaves in the Indian territory last year.

- There are 9,776 voters in the enclave, for whom special arrangements and awareness programmes have been done.

Among them is 103-year-old Asgar Ali of Madhya Mashaldanga who is eligible to vote for the first time in his life.

- In East Midnapore, on the other hand, the district administration has taken special measures to make the elections a disabled-friendly one.

- In the two districts, the commission has so far identified 714 vulnerable 'hamlets' and 1,685 vulnerable voters. Close to 900 trouble-mongers have been identified and action taken against all of them.

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All eyes are on Nandigram in East Midnapore district where a violent anti-land acquisition movement had played a key role in ousting the 34-year-long Left Front government.

- Trinamool Congress, which had won all 16 seats in East Midnapore district in 2011, has now fielded its Tamluk MP Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram, who is pitted against CPI's Abdul Kabir Sheikh supported by the Congress-Left alliance.

- State Environment Minister Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar is another heavyweight in the fray defending his Mahisadal seat.

ALSO READ | Post-poll, goons, guns and gangs run riot in West Bengal



--- ENDS ---
Opening in Brazil by 2017 is the world's first sex theme park. But believe us, it is not the first weird theme park to ever come into being worldwide.

By India Today Web Desk: If you think you've had it up to here with theme parks, we have some news for you: Coming soon in Brazil is the world's first sex-themed amusement park.

What did we say? Yup, we said it right, and you read it right.

By 2017, Brazil's southern city of Piracicaba will have a theme park named Erotikaland that will feature phallus-shaped bumper cars, nudist pools, naked water slides, a movie theater with vibrating seats, etc.

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But here's the catch: No hanky-panky in the park whatsoever.

"This won't be a place for nuns, but it's not like we're trying to recreate Sodom and Gomorrah," said Mauro Morata, one of the businessmen involved in the project. "If attendees want to take things to another level, they can go to a nearby motel - which we will operate."

As long you can keep your hands to yourself, you can a have a jolly 'adult' time in the park at the cost of $100 per 'adult' head. Yes, that's the other catch. This will be a strictly adults-only park.



SEX theme park to open in Brazil, but theres no sex allowed https://t.co/eVQEmtykXO pic.twitter.com/TdhuII5FAw Daily Express (@Daily_Express) May 4, 2016

Whatever the rules, many are not in favour of this park opening in Brazil.

"We cannot be known as the capital of sex," Christian activist Matheus Erler cried to local paper Veja Sao Paulo, adding that this place will attract "debauched individuals".

Over the years, despite frowning protests, sex-themed places have cropped up worldwide. For example, Taiwan has a sex-themed restaurant, while New York City has its very own Museum of Sex.

Museum of Sex. Source: Wikipedia Creative Commons

In case of theme parks, Eroticaland will not be the first "unorthodox" park either. Take a look at South Korea's toilet theme park, Restroom Cultural Park.

The place could be learning experience for those looking to catch up on "Roman style loos, European-style bedpans, and ancient Korean flush".

Restroom Cultural Park in South Korea. Source: Maulidiasetaratika/ Blogspot

So, tell us what you feel about amusement parks, now?

--- ENDS ---
Yahoo Mail credentials numbered 40 million, or 15 per cent of the 272 million unique IDs discovered. Meanwhile, 33 million, or 12 per cent, were Microsoft Hotmail accounts and 9 per cent, or nearly 24 million, were Gmail.

By Reuters: Hundreds of millions of hacked user names and passwords for email accounts and other websites are being traded in Russia's criminal underworld, a security expert told Reuters.

The discovery of 272.3 million stolen accounts included a majority of users of Mail.ru, Russia's most popular email service, and smaller fractions of Google, Yahoo and Microsoft email users, said Alex Holden, founder and chief information security officer of Hold Security.

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It is one of the biggest stashes of stolen credentials to be uncovered since cyber attacks hit major U.S. banks and retailers two years ago.

Holden was previously instrumental in uncovering some of the world's biggest known data breaches, affecting tens of millions of users at Adobe Systems, JPMorgan and Target and exposing them to subsequent cyber crimes.

The latest discovery came after Hold Security researchers found a young Russian hacker bragging in an online forum that he had collected and was ready to give away a far larger number of stolen credentials that ended up totalling 1.17 billion records.

After eliminating duplicates, Holden said, the cache contained nearly 57 million Mail.ru accounts - a big chunk of the 64 million monthly active email users Mail.ru said it had at the end of last year. It also included tens of millions of credentials for the world's three big email providers, Gmail, Microsoft and Yahoo, plus hundreds of thousands of accounts at German and Chinese email providers.

"This information is potent. It is floating around in the underground and this person has shown he's willing to give the data away to people who are nice to him," said Holden, the former chief security officer at U.S. brokerage R.W. Baird. "These credentials can be abused multiple times," he said.

Also read: FBI warns automakers, owners about vehicle hacking risks

LESS THAN $1

Mysteriously, the hacker asked just 50 roubles - less than $1 - for the entire trove, but gave up the dataset after Hold researchers agreed to post favourable comments about him in hacker forums, Holden said. He said his company's policy is to refuse to pay for stolen data.

Such large-scale data breaches can be used to engineer further break-ins or phishing attacks by reaching the universe of contacts tied to each compromised account, multiplying the risks of financial theft or reputational damage across the web.

Hackers know users cling to favourite passwords, resisting admonitions to change credentials regularly and make them more complex. It's why attackers reuse old passwords found on one account to try to break into other accounts of the same user.

After being informed of the potential breach of email credentials, Mail.ru said in a statement emailed to Reuters: "We are now checking, whether any combinations of usernames/passwords match users' e-mails and are still active.



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"As soon as we have enough information we will warn the users who might have been affected," Mail.ru said in the email, adding that Mail.ru's initial checks found no live combinations of user names and passwords which match existing emails.

A Microsoft spokesman said stolen online credentials was an unfortunate reality. "Microsoft has security measures in place to detect account compromise and requires additional information to verify the account owner and help them regain sole access."

Yahoo and Google did not respond to requests for comment.

Yahoo Mail credentials numbered 40 million, or 15 per cent of the 272 million unique IDs discovered. Meanwhile, 33 million, or 12 per cent, were Microsoft Hotmail accounts and 9 per cent, or nearly 24 million, were Gmail, according to Holden.

Thousands of other stolen username/password combinations appear to belong to employees of some of the largest U.S. banking, manufacturing and retail companies, he said.

Stolen online account credentials are to blame for 22 per cent of big data breaches, according to a recent survey of 325 computer professionals by the Cloud Security Alliance.

Also read: Software flaws used in hacking more than double, setting record

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In 2014, Holden, a Ukrainian-American who specialises in Eastern European cyber crime threats, uncovered a cache of 1.2 billion unique credentials that marked the world's biggest-ever recovery of stolen accounts.

His firm studies cyber threats playing out in the forums and chatrooms that make up the criminal underground, speaking to hackers in their native languages while developing profiles of individual criminals.

Holden said efforts to identify the hacker spreading the current trove of data or the source or sources of the stolen accounts would have exposed the investigative methods of his researchers. Because the hacker vacuumed up data from many sources, researchers have dubbed him "The Collector".

Ten days ago, Milwaukee-based Hold Security began informing organisations affected by the latest data breaches. The company's policy is to return data it recovers at little or no cost to firms found to have been breached.

"This is stolen data, which is not ours to sell," said Holden.

Also read: IS militants hack 54,000 Twitter accounts

--- ENDS ---
Licence will be provided only after the maps and the related services have been vetted by a special committee.

By Javed Anwer: Indian government is working on a new law that will make it illegal for companies to provide maps or imaging services like Google Maps without a prior licence. Also, the licence will be provided only after the maps and the related services have been vetted by a special committee -- Security Vetting Authority -- that will be formed to look into it.

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Once the licence has been provided, the service will have to adhere to certain norms and show accurate maps of India. Any violation will not only attract a fine of up to Rs 1 crore but may also result in punitive action -- up to 7 years of jail -- against the executives of the company providing maps.

The draft of the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, which the NDA government is hoping to introduce soon in the Parliament, shows the bill is aimed at ensuring that all maps distributed in the country -- digitally or physically -- are accurate and adhere to the guidelines issued by the government.

Every person who has already acquired any geospatial imagery or data of any part of India either through space or aerial platforms such as satellite, aircrafts, airships, balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles or terrestrial vehicles... shall within one year from the commencement of this Act, make an application along with requisite fees to the Security Vetting Authority for retaining such geospatial information and grant of licence,?? notes the draft of the bill .

In the past, on some occasions there have been inaccuracies in some of the maps provided by services like Google Maps as they have shown India without areas like PoK. With the new bill, the government hopes to put an end to it.

The draft of the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill describes it as a Bill to regulate the acquisition, dissemination, publication and distribution of geospatial information of India which is likely to affect the security, sovereignty and integrity of India.??

Interestingly, even as the government hopes to punish mapping errors by private bodies, the government organisations will not be regulated by the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill.

Also Read: How did Google Maps brand JNU anti-national? The answer is in keywords

The Central Government may, by notification in Official Gazette, exempt the Ministries, Departments, Public Sector Enterprises or any other attached or subordinate offices of the Central Government or State Governments from the provisions of this Act to the extent it deems fit,?? notes the draft.

Services like Google Maps have been of great use for most people but they have also created some unease among the government officials. A few years ago when Google started mapping roads in Bengaluru for its Street View service, the company was told to put the project on hold because of the security concerns. While Google continues to talk to the government for the Street View project, even after years it has apparently not secured the permission.

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At the same time, the companys geo teams have found the going much easier while working with the government for mapping tourist attractions. In the last few years, Google and Archaeological Survey of India have worked together to bring a lot of monuments like Taj Mahal online.

Once it is approved, it is not clear how the bill will change the regulatory conditions for companies like Google. For now companies providing map services are not saying anything but at a time when creating and distributing maps or geo-imagery is incredibly easy, it is possible that the government may not find enforcing the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill easy.

--- ENDS ---
* * *





When filing an unregistered design claim, submitting more than five "sub-designs" for consideration would get short shrift and the audience was advised to pick their best ones at the outset. This might be 5, or maybe fewer.

Hacon cautioned that commonplace arguments were more difficult to prove than they seemed, and so such arguments rarely succeed. A party would need to identify all the features in that design that are reasonably striking to the eye, and then plead that there's an article within the prior art that has all those features and therefore renders those features commonplace. If you don't think you're going to be able to prove it, don't plead it in the first place.

In relation to Registered Designs, Judge Hacon wanted to see similar limitations. There is rarely a need for many items to evidence the design corpus, suggesting a possible maximum of 10. Even then, he would only want the Defendant to be putting forward suggestions in that regard, as it is the Defendant which has the strongest incentive to find the works most similar to the claimed designs.

HHJ Hacon confirmed that IPEC was ably set up to deal with interim injunctions (although reminded the audience that they are not available on the small claims track), and if the matter is suitably urgent, contact his clerk to get it heard quickly. Whenever the need has arisen, he has been able to hear urgent applications within a few days, if not quicker.

The audience seemed particularly interested in the issue of summary judgment. Judge Hacon confirmed that it is available in the IPEC, and as it stands an application of this type would have a hearing within about 6 weeks.

Asked about whether registered designs could be heard by the small claims track, Judge Hacon confirmed that this was being "actively reconsidered".

Judge Hacon was also asked about the new "competitor" alternative to the IPEC, the Shorter Trial Scheme. He said that he did not see it as a competitor; he welcomed any option that allows parties access to the court system in the way that suits their needs. In fact, he said, the Chancery Division has not seen a drop-off of cases since IPEC has launched  instead, more cases are being brought, showing that the IPEC is increasing access to justice. The Shorter Trial Scheme was created partially off the back of the success of the IPEC, and Hacon saw the principal differences being the scale costs and damages cap. For parties who dislike these aspects of the IPEC but like the rest, the Shorter Trial Scheme may be the best option.

Finally, there was a question about court fees  if you do not know how much your claim is worth, can you guess low, and pay the difference in fee if you later find out the damages are likely to be higher than you thought? The short answer was, provided it is done in good faith, there is no harm in paying a lower court fee at the outset and increasing it later as appropriate (as suggested in a previous post here). If not in good faith, however (perhaps because you knew the damages were likely to be high but hoped for settlement), it could be an abuse of process.

The IPKat never likes to miss a gathering of IP experts, particularly when the experts are as renowned as the group who congregated together last week to talk about design law following the Supreme Court's decision in thecase (reported here ).The event was a seminar held by ITMA (the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys) on 27 April at the offices of Gowling WLG. The IPKat was delighted to receive the following report from Lydia Birch and John Coldham (who chaired the seminar), both of Gowlings, who write as follows.A stellar cast of speakers was involved, including Michael Hicks and Mark Vanhegan QC (acting as counsel for and against Trunki respectively), Nathan Abraham , Head of UK Examination Practice for Trade Marks and Designs at the UKIPO, Martin Howe QC Guy Tritton and His Honour Judge Hacon Absence of ornamentation was the first point of call, with Mark Vanhegan QC welcoming the result that lack of ornamentation was capable of protection as a positive feature, bringing more certainty for designers looking to protect minimalist designs. This was consistent with European law, he said, although it didn't go unnoticed that the decision actually dodged the issue of whether an absence of ornamentation was a feature in the Trunki design itself. The same could be said for the 'Like for Like' test (where the accused product should be assessed on the same terms as the scope of the claimant's registration). The Supreme Court only addressed this as obiter. The UKIPO wanted a reference to the CJEU on these key points, but they remain to be argued out in future cases.The panel then considered how you represent a design as "shape only" on the European register, where disclaimers are permitted, but cannot be used for interpretation (unlike in the UK). It was agreed across the panel that it would be extremely difficult to be certain that you have protected just the shape in this context. Mark Vanhegan's view was that there was "no harm" in putting some wording onto the European application  it may be used to aid interpretation, and he pointed to EUIPO decisions where such wording had been taken into account.Given that no Registered Community Design case has succeeded in the Court of Appeal, should designers bother with them? The unanimous view of the panel was that registered designs are extremely important  perhaps increasingly so, as the UKIPO reported a 32% year on year increase in design applications. The panel simply cautioned that designers should review their existing portfolios, and consider multiple design applications, either via different forms of representation or via registering different parts of a product, when filing. As this is an application for a monopoly, care should be given to the scope claimed. The fact that the UKIPO is about to reduce the fees for filing UK designs dramatically later in 2016 was flagged as a major advantage of the UK system, whereby designers can get a bedrock of designs from which they can internationalise the more successful ones within the priority period. Jon Parker, Gowling WLG's new man in Dubai, cautioned that designers should be wary of relying on the European grace period, as it invalidates design applications in many other parts of the world.The UKIPO confirmed that it would be publishing some guidance shortly in the form of a new Designs Practice Note.Martin Howe QC of 8 New Square discussed the overlap between designs and copyright. Howe considered the impending repeal of s.52 CDPA 1988 (currently limiting copyright to 25 years for industrially manufactured artistic works), confirming that the repeal is (currently) due to take effect on 28 July 2016 (see IPKat update here ). However, he did not see this as opening the floodgates of litigation, as he reminded the audience how hard it might be to prove something is a "work of artistic craftsmanship". He suggested that this is the only real category that will catch 3D works, as classifying industrially created designs as sculptures was no longer really an option post- Lucasfilm . As a result, he suggested, the calls from the media (see here ) to buy up replicas before it is too late might be a little hasty.Guy Tritton of Hogarth Chambers discussed the complexities of registering 3D objects as trade marks. Aside from the duration of the protection, the main benefit (over design protection) is that prior art is not a concern. Registering a 3D object as a trade mark, however, is not without its hurdles. The trouble is that no-one really markets a product without an associated word mark.Evidence will be needed to establish association. But what might work? Looking at the KitKat case, with seemingly high quality survey evidence showing that 50% of people recognised the four bar shape as being a KitKat, this still wasn't enough to succeed. So how do you prove the point? Ideas include carrying out a survey using a different or unknown brand on the product to see if people think the product is a rip off or must be under licence of the original trade mark owner. If the latter, then this would show that the shape denotes trade mark origin. Better still, brand owners should actually promote their products on the basis of shape alone, in order to create the evidence required.Judge Hacon, in his effortlessly pragmatic manner, provided some useful pointers on how to stay on the right side of the judges in the IPEC:
Naturally, this production increase has been facilitated by foreign countries eagerness to exploit the situation of diminished sanctions. Trend reported on Wednesday that the German government had indicated willingness to sign energy contracts worth as much as 10 billion Euros. It is the latest in an ever-growing list of examples of economic cooperation between the Islamic Republic and various countries that had greatly diminished their trade relations with Iran under the sanctions regime.

These include not only European Union countries such as Germany, several of which sent and received trade delegations in the immediate aftermath of the July 14 nuclear agreement, but also close US allies on the Asian continent. On Tuesday, it was reported that South Korean President Park Geun-hye had concluded her visit to Tehran with the announcement of approximately 60 economic agreements, contributing to a fourfold increase in the countrys purchases of Iranian oil.

At roughly the same time, it was reported that India had agreed to pay 1.5 percent interest on 6.5 billion dollars worth of oil revenue that are currently outstanding under an agreement that allowed the Asian country to hold half of its payments for Iranian oil in escrow during the period of economic sanctions. The interest payment was offered not out of perceived necessity but as a goodwill gesture toward the Islamic Republic, indicating that there is substantial interest in offering Iran major incentives to embrace the expansion of trade with traditional US allies.

Interestingly, this corresponds with growing efforts on the part of the Iranian leadership to discourage some economic interactions with the US itself. This week, the regime announced that it had banned the import of Chevrolet vehicles, in line with an order by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to eschew American products and promote domestic production.

While apparently pursuing this strategy, Iranian officials have also been publicly expressing outrage toward the US and blaming it for the limits so far witnessed in Irans economic recovery. Specifically, Khamenei and his associates have accused the US of discouraging international banks and some Western businesses from re-engaging with the Islamic Republics financial system. This isolation has been used to justify Khameneis recent claims that the US is abiding by the nuclear agreement on paper, but violating it in spirit.

But as Breaking Energy News emphasized in an analysis of this situation on Wednesday, the banking restrictions are a real feature of US policy, yet have nothing to do with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Rather, the problem that Iran faces in seeking to expand its own recovery is that it is apparently remaining in violation of international banking standards that the US maintains for its financial interactions with all countries, not just Iran, and not just countries that are explicitly under sanction.

These standards include participation in systems that safeguard against tax avoidance, money laundering, and bad financial reporting. But Iran has not taken the necessary steps to enter into those systems or provide the corresponding guarantees. Consequently, the US State Department still maintains that the entire Iranian financial system is of primary money laundering concern.

The lack of Iranian effort on these issues is perhaps indicative of disinterest in actually promoting financial interactions between Iran and the US, despite the fact that barriers to these interactions are also barriers to full reentry into European markets. Removing those barriers would effectively remove a source of anti-American rhetoric, and this rhetoric has been on the ascent among hardliners like Supreme Leader Khamenei virtually since the conclusion of the nuclear agreement.

One of the latest examples of that was reported on Wednesday by Al Jazeera, which pointed out that Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, had made vague reference to American threats and said that the Islamic Republic was ready to respond by closing off the Strait of Hormuz to American naval and commercial vessels.

Assuming that statements of these kinds are aimed at least in part at discouraging commerce between Iran and the US, it is worth noting that there are certainly corresponding pressures on the Western side. For instance, Fox News reported on Wednesday that three Illinois Republican congressmen had sent a letter to the executive leadership of the Chicago-based Boeing Corporation discouraging it from pursuing the sale of commercial aircraft to the Islamic Republic.

Congressmen Peter Roskam, Bob Dold, and Randy Hultgren expressed concern that even though the sales would now be legal under post-sanctions rules, going through with it could result in Boeing commercial airplanes becoming warplanes for the IRGC. In a tweet following the letter, Roksam expressed the more general concern that virtually any exchanges with the Islamic Republic would effectively subsidize Iranian terror.

The same phrase was used repeatedly by Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton in comments criticizing Obama administration policies that some congressmen feared would lead to granting Iran access to the US financial system, in line with the criticisms recently voiced by Khamenei and others.
However, despite the greatly diminished punishment, human rights advocates lament the fact that the appeals court upheld any punishment whatsoever, given that her charges were based on her having drawn and shared a cartoon depicting Iranian officials as animals in order to protest policies that restricted the rights of women and greatly reduced access to birth control.

It is generally understood that the severity of her initial sentence was also related to the fact that after she was arrested and then released on bail, she took to YouTube to expose some of the abuse and mistreatment she had suffered at the hands of authorities. Some of those authorities even tried to add further time to her sentence by levying a charge of non-adultery illegitimate relations based on her having shaken hands with her male lawyer, but this charge was thrown out ahead of her appeals trial.

After the results of that trial were announced, but before her release on Tuesday, Iran News Update had argued that it could not be taken for granted that she would actually be released on the appointed date. Other Iranian activists have at various times had charges added to their files in order to lengthen their sentences, and sometimes these measures have been implemented even after an inmates official sentence had expired, but without his or her release.

As an Iranian human rights group pointed out on Wednesday, this arbitrary addition of charges was a feature in the case of teachers rights activist Rassoul Bodaghi, who was conditionally released on parole just a few days before Atena Farghadani completed her shortened sentence.

Bodaghi was originally expecting to be freed by September of 2015, after serving a six year sentence related to his peaceful activities as a board member of the Iranian Teachers Association. But within weeks of his would-be release, a judge sentenced him to three additional years in prison for insulting Imam Khomeini and the supreme leader and propaganda against the state, the latter of which was one of the charges for which he had already been convicted in 2010.

Although Bodaghi has now been granted parole, the Iranian authorities continue to hold similar labor activists as political prisoners, including some of Bodaghis colleagues in the Iranian Teachers Association. The organizations former Deputy Chairman Ali Akbar Baghani, was recently summoned to begin serving a sentence of one year in prison and two years in exile that was handed down in January 2013 for propaganda against the state. And a former spokesperson for the group, Mahmoud Beheshti Langroudi is currently serving a five year sentence for propaganda against the state and colluding against national security, which was handed down in June 2013.

Meanwhile, the conditional nature of Bodaghis release means that he could be summoned back to prison at any time. And indeed, this frequently happens to former political prisoners who are released, whether on legal parole or on medical furlough as a result of severe health problems.

The latter type of release was finally granted on Wednesday to Iranian blogger and activist Hossein Ronaghi-Maleki, according to IranWire. He had been serving a 15-year sentence following his arrest in 2009, when the regime was cracking down on activism associated with the Green Movement. He has been released on bail of approximately 100,000 dollars as a result of deteriorating health conditions related to longstanding kidney problems and mistreatment within Evin Prison.

But this is not the first time he has been granted medical release. He had previously posted bail for the same in June 2015, but was ordered to return to prison in January, against the recommendations of doctors. There, his condition continued to deteriorate but authorities refused to transfer him to a medical facility until March 5. Then, on March 26 he began a hunger strike despite being warned by friends that his health was not good enough to sustain the protest.

It was presumably in response to the persistence of this strike that authorities finally agreed to grant a new release. It remains to be seen how long this one will last and whether it will result in adequate access to treatment.

Last week, for instance, it was reported that three journalists and the brother of a journalist, all of whom had been swept up in arrests on November 2, had been convicted to sentences ranging from five to 10 years, on the basis of nothing other than their work and affiliations.

Additionally, Iranian authorities announced in April that 7,000 undercover members of the Gashte Ershad, or morality police would be dispatched in public places this spring to enforce the regimes standards of Islamic behavior. On Wednesday, NPR reported upon this story and detailed some of the run-ins that ordinary citizens have had with the Gashte Ershad in the past. The expansion of that organizations presence represents an intensification of the crackdown not just on journalists and activists but also on the general population.
[May 04, 2016] Interop Las Vegas 2016 Names 10 Top IT Products & Services as Best of Interop Award Winners; Grand Award Goes to AppFormix

SAN FRANCISCO, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Interop Las Vegas today honored the winners of the 2016 Best of Interop Awards during the event's 30th anniversary. In each of the award program's 10 categories of IT innovation, Interop recognized the exhibitor whose new product or service has made the most significant impact on the industry. From the category winners, judges selected AppFormix as the winner of the Grand Award, which recognizes a truly groundbreaking or compelling product. Interop Las Vegas, the most-respected independent event for IT and networking professionals, continues this week through May 6 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. For more information about the Best of Interop awards visit: interop.com/lasvegas/special-events/best-of-interop-awards.php "Congratulations to all Best of Interop winners. From cloud, to security to the best startup, these distinguished technologies are playing a major role in advancing the IT industry," said Interop General Manager Jennifer Jessup. "As we celebrate a big milestone in Interop's history, we're excited for this group of services to represent today's highly sophisticated IT environment  a testament to how far our community has come in 30 years."



And the 2016 Best of Interop Awards winners in each category are Grand Winner : Appformix

: Appformix Applications: CollabNet TeamForge

CollabNet TeamForge Best Startup : AppFormix

: AppFormix Cloud/Virtualization : AppFormix

: AppFormix Data Center : Cisco Nexus Fabric Manager

: Cisco Nexus Fabric Manager Mobility/Wireless : Cisco Flexible Radio Assignment

: Cisco Flexible Radio Assignment Networking : Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization (NFV)

: Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) Performance/Management/Monitoring : Pluribus VCF Insight Analytics

: Pluribus VCF Insight Analytics SDN : VMware NSX 6.2

: VMware NSX 6.2 Security : Cisco FirePower next-generation firewall

: Cisco FirePower next-generation firewall Storage : Ambedded Distributed Storage Platform - Mars 200 The Best of Interop Awards were judged by an expert panel consisting of 20 influential IT practitioners, analysts and professionals. Each category was assigned two judges who selected the winner after holding a series of briefings to evaluate demos and business cases.

For more information and to register for Interop, visit: interop.tech.ubm.com/lv/2016 Media Registration: interop.com/lasvegas/media-center Connect with #Interop and the #FutureofNetworking:

Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Instagram | YouTube About Interop

Interop is the leading global IT infrastructure event series, offering in-depth education alongside a showcase of emerging technologies in an independent, vendor-neutral environment. For 30 years, Interop has brought the IT community together to explore the latest in network infrastructure, encouraging collaboration, and interoperability. Through dynamic conference programs, Interop helps professionals at all career levels leverage the network, systems and applications that enable business innovation. The Interop Expo and InteropNet Demo Lab provide immersive, hands-on experiences, while connecting enterprise IT buyers with leading suppliers. Interop Las Vegas is the flagship event held each spring, with an annual event in Tokyo and Cloud Connect China in Shanghai. For more information, visit interop.com. Interop is organized by UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc (UBM.L), an Events First marketing and communications services business. For more information, visit ubmamericas.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363809LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/interop-las-vegas-2016-names-10-top-it-products--services-as-best-of-interop-award-winners-grand-award-goes-to-appformix-300263042.html SOURCE UBM Americas

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[May 05, 2016] ISG Solutions Expands Web Design Team; Thomas Kugler Joins ISG as Web Designer & Developer

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ISG Solutions announced that Thomas Kugler has joined ISG's Web Team as a web designer and developer. He will be contributing to association website projects for ISG's clients, enhancing the team's website design and web programming capabilities. Kugler comes to ISG from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), where he was responsible for website design, web development, user interface and usability (UI/UX), content strategy and web strategy. During his tenure at ASAE, the association won seven awards from the Web Marketing Association, including the Associations Standard of Excellence for the 2014 ASAE Annual Meeting website. Prior to ASAE, Kugler was a web developer for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the National Head Start Association (NHSA). "We are excited to have Thomas Kugler on our web design and development team," said Terrie Noonan, CEO of ISG Solutions. "Tom has spent his entire career in the association industry, has designed dozens of association websites, and won awards for many of them. We are so pleased to have someone of his caliber bringing their talents and expertise to our clients' website projects." "With so many of our clients asking for iMIS iSE website design, it became essential to expand our team," said Phil Varady, vice president of ISG Solutions. "Tom's knowledge of all aspects of a web project, from design to implementation, allows him to help us define best practices throughout the lifecycle of our website projects and ensure that these sites are in compliance with Section 508 and other regulations."



"I am looking forward to making a significant contribution at ISG, helping ISG take its web design and development to the next level, developing standards and innovating in design," said Thomas Kugler. "With iMIS 20 RiSE it is now possible to do so much more with association websites, and I look forward to being able to bring in elements of design that were not possible before, incorporating the latest design directions and trends, so we can deliver inspiring and effective websites." ISG offers website design and development to associations using iMIS 20 RiSE. With responsive design, a user-friendly interface, data-driven design, and search engine optimization built in, associations can have confidence that their new website will be dynamic, exciting and engaging.

About ISG Solutions ISG Solutions develops, sells and supports technology solutions for associations. ISG implements and supports the iMIS association management software, and is one of the largest Authorized iMIS Solution Providers (AiSPs) in the world. ISG also develops its own software for associations. Its family of products includes ISGweb, a suite of web-based software modules that allow associations to use the information in their iMIS database to create a more dynamic and engaging website, and iBridge, a tool that integrates iMIS with any website, application or service. More than 300 clients have chosen ISG as their technology partner. ISG Solutions is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, and maintains a website at www.isgsolutions.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/isg-solutions-expands-web-design-team-thomas-kugler-joins-isg-as-web-designer--developer-300263587.html SOURCE ISG Solutions

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AMIA/Encubrimiento. Manana declara ex jefe de la Policia de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Adolfo Vitelli
Itongadol.- She would have lived to 100, but her mission was to take her brother up to heaven and watch over him, Jerusalem resident Felicia Mizrachi related about her 94-year-old mother, Sophie Helcman. The Holocaust survivor died last month only days after Sol, the younger brother she saved during the Holocaust. The two siblings were buried in a double funeral in Jerusalem.

The intertwined lives and deaths of Sophie (nee Adler-Fleigel) and Sol took a dramatic turn in their hometown of Radom, Poland, when World War II broke out.

The 17-year-old girl promised her parents, who were later killed along with one of Sophies sisters by the Nazis, that she would protect Sol, who was four years younger.

Though she didnt look typically Jewish and her Polish was perfect, Mizrachi says that nevertheless, her mother had to wear a yellow star. She says that Sophies life was saved by a righteous gentile.

Sophie became friends with a Polish girl who worked in her parents department store.

She was someone who didnt understand why Jews were different and why the Nazis had decided to persecute them, Mizrachi explains.

SS officers would frequent the store and flirt with the Polish girl. One SS officer fell madly in love and came in daily to see her. One day, she propositioned the officer: If you really love me, she said, there is something I need you to do. I need you to get me Polish papers for a girl my age. No questions asked.

Sophie knew nothing of her friends plan until she received the papers that allowed her to leave the Radom Ghetto to provide necessities for her family inside.

In the ghetto, Sophie fell in love with Eliezer Helcman, nine years older. She decided to trust him and while she would take care of business outside of the ghetto, Eliezer and Sol spent time together inside the ghetto and grew very close.

Eliezer Zev, Felicias father, owned a liquor store in Radom, was well connected and was able to bribe a Polish officer to procure a Red Cross uniform for Sophie, which she used to fake a medical evacuation in which Sol was carried out on a stretcher. Mizrachi doesnt know exactly how her father escaped the ghetto, but notes that he was owed many favors by Poles to whom he sold vodka.

Eliezer, Sophie and Sol hid from the Nazis for six years, splitting the time between Radom and Danzig and the countryside in between. In trenches, in ditches, in toilets, in barns, in hay, Mizrachi says.

When the war finally ended and they were liberated, Eliezer and Sophie married in Danzig. Felicias older brother Andre was born in Paris after the war, when the three of them came to America, where Felicia was born in Brooklyn.

After settling in Brooklyn, Eliezer and Sophie moved to New Jersey.

Sol stayed in New York (after a year-long foray at a kibbutz), but Mizrachi says that Sol was like an older brother to her and that the family saw Sol all the time. He never married and never had children, something Mizrachi calls a scar of the war. Sol, who spoke six languages, became a translator and lived in the same third-floor, walk-up apartment in Manhattan for 50 years.

Sophie and Eliezer helped found the first Orthodox synagogue, Shomrei Torah, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, which Mizrachi says was massively important in her mothers life. They were one of the first Orthodox families in Fair Lawn.

As a Jewish child in the United States, I couldnt understand why my mother was sending Christmas presents to Poland, with Christmas trees and Santa Claus, said Mizrachi, recalling her mothers ongoing contact with her childhood Polish friend, who provided her with the papers decades before. My mother, every couple of months would send her money. Even if she had nothing.

Mizrachi married a Sabra  a Golani Brigade soldier she met in Manhattan  and in 1995, after 40 years of feeling that she didnt fit in New Jersey, made aliya with three children and a sheepdog. Her aliya was the result of her sensing that she has a higher calling and that she would honor her parents and her family killed in the Holocaust by being living proof that life goes on.

Some 16 years later, at 89 years old, Sophie made aliya and joiner her daughter, sonin- law, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in Israel.

Mizrachi had tried to persuade her mother to move to Israel earlier, but Sophie had been reluctant to leave Sol.

So how did Mizrachi persuade Sophie to make the move? I told her, the Messiah doesnt come to Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

Like any new olah, Sophie signed up for a Hebrew-language ulpan and lived with her daughter for the first few years. She celebrated her great-grandchildrens birthdays, cooked delicious holiday dinners, and on Passover made fun of the Egyptians in Yiddish while reading the Haggada. Two years ago, Sophie moved into an assisted living facility.

Last month on a Thursday, Mizrachi got a phone call from her brother in the States, who told her that Sol, who had been diagnosed with Stage-IV lung cancer, was not given much time to live. Sols wish was to be buried next to Eliezer, who died in 1982 and is buried on Har Hamenuhot in Jerusalem.

The family had realized that no one was getting any younger, and arranged a few years before to buy two plots near Eliezer  one for Sol and one for Sophie.

As Mizrachi was absorbed the news while babysitting her grandchildren later that day, the assisted living facility phoned to say that Sophie was not doing well.

Mizrachi went to the home that night and slept in her mothers room. The whole night, Sophie fought demons, trying to get out of bed and speaking Yiddish. Mizrachi says that Sophie struggled with the demons because she felt that her brother was dying, even though shed been told nothing of his situation.

Over the next 24 hours Sophies condition ranged from feverish and dehydrated to apparently fine, and a doctor placed her under observation that Friday afternoon.

Mizrachi went home for Shabbat, where she received a phone call from her brother telling her that Sol had died.

Sols body was to be shipped to Israel for burial, arriving on Monday at 1:30 p.m.

Mizrachis brother had not intended to accompany the body, but after Mizrachi let him know that Sophie was ailing, he decided to fly to Israel.

As Mizrachi spent Saturday night with her mother, Sophie began to drift again into sleepless delirium. On Sunday afternoon, an ambulance was called for Sophie, whose condition had deteriorated.

When Mizrachi saw her mother, she realized that she was trying to hold off dying until Sols body arrived.

Sophie died Sunday night, just after Sols body and her son had arrived in Israel. After the double burial for Sophie and Sol the next day, Mizrachi said, She vowed to her parents that she would take care of her brother until the end and she kept her vow.
SULLIVAN -- Gene Harshman is close to completing a collection he unknowingly started in 1948.

That was the year Harshman, 91, got his first vehicle, a 1948 Chevrolet.

Harshman kept that license plate and every one thereafter until Illinois began issuing stickers instead of new plates every year in 1980.

Two years ago, Harshman decided to expand his collection. He began acquiring plates and now has every plate from 1911 through 1980. He also has a 1907 and 1908. He needs only the 1909 and 1910 plates to complete his collection.

I had all those old plates stored in a box and I was wondering what to do with them, then I thought, I have a good start, why not go for the whole works? Harshman said. So I started hunting for plates.

Harshman has all the plates from 1948 to 1980 displayed in a wooden case with a glass cover. He has a display case for the others, too, but is still deciding how he wants to arrange the plates.

Harshman has collected his plates in a variety of ways. He's purchased several from individuals he's met through collecting, bought some at antique stores and even found some through taking classified ads out in 15 area newspapers.

Harshman has several plates -- the 1979 one is part of his display -- that came from his last job. Harshman, who retired in 1993, said he'd had a lot of different jobs, but ended up at the Brach's Candy Factory in Sullivan.

(Brach's owner) E.J. Brach would have me put them on his station wagon, and I would keep the old ones, Harshman said, laughing. Those all have EJB on them.

Harshman doesn't get online, but he knows people who do, including Illinois Sixth Judicial Circuit Judge Dan Flannell of Sullivan, a longtime friend of Harshman's.

I was in his office talking to him one day and I asked him, 'Can you buy stuff on the Internet?'  Harshman said. He said he could, turned the computer on and started bidding. Some I got, some I didn't.

The eBay auction item Harshman won was supplied by Barb Sistak and Tom Baur from Island Lake, northwest of Chicago, where they run a website called LicensePlateGarage.com. It was the oldest plate in his collection, the 1907.

That was the first year cars were registered with the Illinois Secretary of State's office when 12,000 cars were registered for a $2 fee. From 1907 to 1909, motorists were responsible for furnishing the plates.

They bought the numbers at the hardware store and you put them on yourself, Harshman said.

Harshman has several copies of some years. He has the ones in the best shape repainted by local artist Theresa Poland.

At 91, Harshman still lives on his own and drives, often traveling around Central Illinois looking for plates.

I've been to some places, he said, laughing.
CHARLESTON -- A fight that reportedly began with an argument between two women at a Mattoon apartment building last month has resulted in mob action charges against at least four people allegedly involved.

The four suspects are accused of fighting one another and disturbing the peace outside 17th Place Apartments at 2200 S. 17th St. on the morning of April 27.

A fifth person who's also suspected of having a role in the fight fled the scene after police arrived and remains at large, according to records in the suspects' cases.

Those charged are Xavier L. McCray, 28, and Quintaria S. Gray, 24, for whom court records list addresses of apartments in 17th Place Apartments, and Quanesha R. Ivy, 26, and Rynell W. Frazier, 28, who both have addresses on record of 2400 Cambridge St., Apt. 802, Charleston.

According to the case records, the suspects told police the fight followed an argument between Gray and the at-large suspect, a woman who also lives at 17th Place Apartments.

The argument began because of dispute about the woman's relationship with McCray and attention he was paying to Gray, the records say. McCray and Frazier joined the fight after the two women began arguing, according to the records.

The records also say an electrical repairman was at the apartment building doing work at the time of the fight. He told police the fight alarmed him and he felt he'd have to be more concerned about his safety when returning in the future, the records say.

The account of the incident is in a Mattoon police affidavit that Coles County Circuit Judge Teresa Righter reviewed before deciding there was sufficient indication of a crime for the suspects to be formally charged.

The judge set bond for McCray at a level that would require posting $5,000 for release from jail, and jail records show he was still in custody on Thursday.

McCray received a higher bond amount than the other suspects because, according to the records, there's a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of aggravated assault in Lake County, Ind.

Righter set the bond for the other suspects at $1,000 each and all three have since posted bond, jail records show.

The four suspects' first court appearance is scheduled for Monday, when they'll likely ask for court-appointed attorneys or indicate they plan to hire their own attorneys.

The charges against the suspects are felony offenses and each suspect would face a prison sentence of one to three years or up to 2 1/2 years of probation if convicted.
SPRINGFIELD -- Democrats and Republicans in the Illinois Senate believe they've found a successful formula for ending nearly yearlong partisan standoffs over state spending.

For the second time in as many weeks, senators from both sides of the aisle came together Thursday to approve funding for public universities, community colleges and grants to low-income students, all of which had been deprived of state money since the fiscal year began July 1 without a budget in place.

The winning formula: spending bills that aren't tied to items on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's pro-business, union-weakening "turnaround agenda" but are tied to specific revenue sources.

Its worked in the Senate, and I strongly encourage the House to do the same as we have done, said Sen. Pat McGuire, D-Joliet, chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, because its the best thing to do -- the best way to move forward, obviously, in a bipartisan manner -- for all the people of Illinois.

The measure approved Thursday would spend $454 million to bring eight state university systems up to 60 percent funding, the same level that Chicago State University received in a measure Rauner signed into law last week. That part of the plan was approved on a 55-2 vote.

The spending would be covered by letting the state off the hook for repaying money borrowed from special funds to plug holes in last years budget. That portion passed on a 54-3 vote.

McGuires comments came at a news conference shortly after the votes. He was joined by a fellow Democrat, Sen. Gary Forby of Benton, and Republican Sens. Jason Barickman of Bloomington, Chapin Rose of Mahomet, Dave Luechtefeld of Okawville and Karen McConnaughay of St. Charles.

Barickman, who represents Illinois State University, called the legislation yet another small step forward, but an important one.

Were demonstrating an ability to work together in a bipartisan manner, he said. I think theres a blueprint here for how we can continue to work together on all the various things that are important to our state and ultimately get a budget passed for this next fiscal year.

Forby, whose district includes a portion of Southern Illinois Universitys Carbondale campus, acknowledged that this could be the last state funding universities see for the current year.

But were not going to give up on it, he said.

Approval of the measure came a day after Eastern Illinois University President David Glassman told a House committee that the $12.5 million his school is receiving from the $600 million stopgap measure Rauner signed last week wont be enough to get the school through the summer.

Glassman told committee members that hell likely have to cut more positions on top of the 363 jobs that have been eliminated since last summer.

The initial stopgap measure funded Eastern Illinois and seven other state universities, aside from Chicago State, at 31 percent of last years levels. If the House approves the new Senate measure and Rauner signs it, Eastern Illinois would receive an additional $11.7 million. Southern Illinois would receive $53.8 million, and Illinois State would receive $19.6 million. Community colleges, which received 27 percent of their funding in the previous bill, would also be brought up to 60 percent funding.

The Senate is also waiting for the House to take action on a measure it approved two weeks ago on 55-0 vote that would authorize spending $441 million on social service programs that have been deprived of funding amid the budget impasse. Like the money in the earlier higher education stopgap plan, the social services money would come from a dedicated state fund.

The Senates newfound bipartisan spirit hasnt extended to a Democratic proposal to overhaul the way the state distributes money to local school districts.

Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, didnt call his measure for a vote Thursday following strong criticism from Republicans a day earlier upon the release of the Illinois State Board of Educations district-by-district analysis of the plan.

John Patterson, a spokesman for Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said leadership wanted to give members more time to review what it would mean for the school districts they represent.
KEARNEY  A Palmyra girl has won the 12-and-younger category for the 26th annual Nebraska Handwriting Contest.

The University of Nebraska at Kearney identified Hanna Thomson as the winner in that category.

The first-place finisher in the ages 13-16 category was Mary Nibbe, of Red Cloud. First for entrants 17 to 49 was Sheila Sindelar of Wisner, and the winner for people 50 and older was Jackie Buchta of Omaha.

The contest is administered by the university and endorsed by the Nebraska State Education Association and Nebraska Department of Education.

Entries were judged on ease of reading, fluent rhythmic movement and technically correct performance of specifications such as the slope, space, size and shape of the letters.
OMAHA  A former doctor accused of killing four people with ties to Creighton University Medical School told a judge he doesn't want the Chicago attorney who was removed from his defense team reinstated.

Anthony Garcia wrote a letter to Douglas County District Judge Gary Randall that was filed Thursday.

In it, he says he doesn't want Alison Motta reinstated despite the fact his legal team has asked the Nebraska Supreme Court to order that.

Randall removed Motta from the case after she made public comments days before Garcia's trial was to begin that violated ethical rules and could have swayed a jury.

Garcia has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors say he was motivated by revenge over professional grudges, including his being fired from Creighton's pathology department.
A former Saline County Court assistant clerk pleaded guilty this week to two felonies for using her position to steal thousands of dollars from the office.

Jodi Rezabek, 42, could get up to 10 years in prison at her sentencing in August on charges of felony theft and attempted forgery. She already has paid restitution, according to court records.

Rezabek had been set for trial later this month on four charges, three of them felonies, but instead reached a deal with prosecutors and entered the plea Tuesday in Saline County District Court.

A June 2015 audit by the Nebraska State Auditors office turned up a $15,500 discrepancy in the county courts financial books. When confronted, Rezabek admitted she had taken the money to pay a contractor who had done work at her home and altered the court bank statements to conceal it, according to a report by the Auditors Office. A closer look showed that she also had drawn a $62,529.39 cashiers check from the account in May 2015 and deposited it a month later, and had taken $1,119.65 in cash-on-hand, the report said.
A Johnson County grand jury has cleared prison officials in the deaths of Shon Collins and Donald Peacock, inmates killed last year during the Tecumseh prison riot.

The grand jury found no true bill on April 19, according to court documents provided to the Journal Star.

No further information was available Thursday, and Johnson County Attorney Rick Smith said he couldn't comment because it involved a grand jury.

Prosecutors haven't yet charged anyone for the deaths of Collins and Peacock, both 46 and serving time on sex assault charges.

Prison staff found them beaten to death -- presumably by other inmates -- late May 10 or early May 11 after they regained control of the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.

Earlier this year, Collins' mother filed a wrongful death claim against the state, alleging the prisons employees and administrators were responsible because they failed to contain, control or stop the 11-hour riot.

His family is seeking $1.2 million in damages.

His untimely death was the result of neglect due to one or more of the following reasons by the employees of the facility: failure to protect, failure to sufficiently staff, failure to warn, or failure to properly manage the facility, Susan Collins, wrote in the tort claim filed in late January.

She continued: The officials at the Tecumseh Prison and at the Nebraska State Department of Corrections knew there was a problem with overcrowding and under-staffing, which also led to Shon Collins untimely death.

Prison officials have said more than 400 inmates were involved in the uprising, which left Collins and Peacock dead from blunt force trauma to their heads and several inmates and employees injured.

Rioters burned down a wall, broke windows and set mattresses on fire, leading to a more than $2 million repair bill.
A Nemaha County jury on Wednesday returned a $2.64 billion wrongful death judgment against the man suspected of killing Peru State College student Ty Thomas in 2010.

It's unlikely Thomas' family will receive $240 million, its portion of the damages that the jury awarded them from Joshua Keadle, who's in prison for an unrelated crime.

But for the family of a woman whose body hasn't been found, the jury's verdict shows her life was valued and holds Keadle accountable, their attorney Vince Powers said.

"It was important that Joshua Keadle, for all time, has been found to be responsible for the kidnapping, rape and murder of (Thomas)," Powers said.

Initially Thomas' family had also sued the city of Peru, Nemaha County and the state college system, among others. Ultimately all the defendants but Keadle were dismissed.

A judge declared the missing 19-year-old dead in 2013.

Keadle, the last known person to see her alive, has never been charged in Thomas' death but is considered by investigators a person of interest.

The 34-year-old is serving a prison sentence in Lincoln for an unrelated sexual assault in Fremont reported to authorities after Keadle was questioned in connection with Thomas' disappearance.

In court records, investigators said he admitted he'd given Thomas a ride after a party in the early hours of Dec. 3, 2010, and that they'd argued after having sex in his car, and she threatened to say he raped her.

Afterward, the fellow Peru State student said he left Thomas and returned to his dorm room and took a shower.

He was sent to prison in 2012 for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old while he attended Midland College in 2008.

Federal and state lawsuits Thomas' family brought against Peru State College were dismissed after judges ruled college officials couldn't have known he would kill another student.

But Keadle has been found responsible for her death in both cases. He's eligible for parole in December 2018.

After Thomas' family's award, the jury designated the remaining $2.4 billion of the verdict to benefit school children in Nebraska and Nemaha County.

The jury's verdict is likely the largest ever awarded in Nebraska.
A man charged Tuesday with sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl was a licensed provisional mental health practitioner during the time of the alleged incidents, according to state records.

Prosecutors charged Paul A. Oakland, 36, with first- and third-degree sexual assault of a child.

Oakland got his license in 2011 after graduating from Grace University in Omaha. It was changed to inactive Wednesday because of a "change in supervisor," according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services licensing website.

Records don't say if he was practicing or where he worked, but according to HHS, someone can get a provisional license as a mental health practitioner once he or she has the required 3,000 hours of supervised experience in mental health practice.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Oakland has worked as a Bible camp counselor mentoring youth and served as a community treatment aide for Visinet Inc. in Omaha.

Court documents say the abuse with which he is charged happened between January 2015 and April 2016 and began when the girl was 9; she is now 10.

Lancaster County Judge Thomas Zimmerman appointed the public defender's office to represent Oakland, set bond at $500,000 Tuesday and ordered him not to have any contact with the girl or anyone 18 or younger. He remained in jail Thursday.
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

This story originally ran on May 4, 2016.

When he was 16, Andy Dillehay applied for a job at a small ice cream shop in the Haymarket.

His application consisted of a short video, The Wizard of Oz Cream, which he wrote and also starred in, along with a bag of popcorn and a movie stub that included his contact information.

It was clever and funny and Ivanna Cone did not hire him.

But Dairy Queen did.

Twelve years later, Dillehay is telling this story from the basement kitchen of Amy Greens ice cream shop, where he has worked on and off for a decade, because when a job at Ivanna Cone did open up, Green snatched him up, and Dillehay started scooping.

Eventually -- after college and year in Texas doing dinner theater -- he came back to Ivanna as production manager, which meant he began making ice cream, standards like Dutch chocolate and strawberry and concoctions of his own, which often included cake and bits of cookie or candy.

I specialized in what I call fat-kid flavors, says Dillehay, a self-described former fat kid, now a svelte 180.

Its shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday, and Dillehay is dressed in a green Mr. Rogers cardigan, one sleeve pushed up to reveal a tattoo of the New York skyline, stylish glasses and plum jeans.

Hes already whipped up a red velvet Bundt cake and a pan of cookies-and-cream Rice Krispies bars, which the store sells in bars or mixes into the homemade ice cream its famous for.

The recipes are his own creations, or tweaked from existing recipes.

I added extra marshmallows, he says, cutting into the gooey bars, because why not?

Dillehay was spending a last morning baking before starting his new gig as the ice cream stores Community Cone Outreach Director.

He announced the change on Facebook Monday and the congratulations started rolling in. Eeeeee! I'm not sure what that is exactly BUT I am so excited for you and it sounds WONDERFUL!!

Community Cone is anything Dillehay wants it to be, said Green, whose shop has long been in the business of giving back.

Right now, that includes delivering ice cream to chemo patients and taking ice cream to memory care units and supplying free ice cream at events like Juneteenth and Relay for Life and the Flatwater Shakespeare.

There has to be at least one event a month that gets ice cream, Green says.

The Community Cone outreach position was developed more than a year ago, after Ivanna Cone became a limited liability corporation and Green discovered $500 left in an old bank account.

That cash became seed money for the new position.

We want to get ice cream to people who might not be able to come to us, she said. We want to hear peoples stories and be part of peoples stories.

Dillehay will be the second director of outreach, following the foundation laid by Courtney Morrow.

It is a part-time job that dovetails nicely with his work at the Nebraska AIDS Project and his busy life as an actor and director in the Lincoln theater community.

It fits in with who he is: a former member of the Park Middle School Pet Protection Club and one-time community outreach worker for the Lincoln Community Playhouse -- bringing poor kids into the theater -- and longtime advocate for underdogs everywhere.

I grew up as an underdog, he says. Ive always been interested in social justice.

The new job also means his Saturday nights will no longer be spent dishing up ice cream and playing disco music at the store with the lights turned low -- something that makes him both sad (hell miss it) and happy (hes in love and will now be able to spend Saturday nights with his boyfriend).

He plans to make the most of his new title.

Id like to find a nonprofit to feature each month and Im hoping to get ice cream into the prisons.

Hell be reaching out to groups in the community, explaining the Ivanna Cone way of life: We want to interweave ice cream in peoples lives. Be a force for good.

Besides: Everyone needs a taste of ice cream.

Green is in the shop Wednesday morning, too. She remembers Dillehays job application video and shes pretty sure the tape is in her basement somewhere.

Shes glad he left Dairy Queen.

Hes one of the best versions of what Ivanna Cone can do. He embodies that perfectly.
Miki Esposito, who left her job as director of the citys Public Works and Utilities Department five months ago to work for the Nebraska Department of Roads, is returning to her job with the city.

Esposito said she figured out that she simply loves her work with city government and feels fortunate she can return to it.

I thought going to the state was a natural transition for my career," she said Thursday. "It was a bigger platform. I thought I could do more.

But I figured out that the city is my thing and I could have the greatest impact here. I love the local level and that became more and more clear over the last five months.

"For me this was a very personal decision and a gut check about where I could have the greatest impact; where I could be most effective; and where my passion for civil service lies," Esposito said.

She'll return as director of the citys largest department on May 16, in time for budget discussions and decisions. She leaves her job as deputy director of policy and administration with the state on Tuesday.

Thomas Shafer, design and construction manager for the city's Engineering Services Division, has been serving as interim director.

Esposito said she feels fortunate Shafer stepped in and did a good job in her absence.

"We both know that Public Works is about the strength of the entire team. The department is bigger than any one individual."

Esposito, the first non-engineer and first woman to permanently manage the almost 600-employee department, was appointed by Mayor Chris Beutler in 2011.

Public Works and Utilities handles city streets, StarTran, the city water system, wastewater and solid waste and watershed management.

Esposito, an attorney, joined the city attorney's office in 2006 and was compliance administrator for Public Works before being named director.
So. This is happening.

You scream wordlessly for a full minute.

Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

You begin gathering logs for a great bonfire.

Reince Priebus tweeted, ".@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton."

You pack the pile high with newspapers predicting that Trump was a flash in the pan, with confident op-eds denouncing Trump, with the 'Never Trump' issues of magazines.

Ted Cruz has stepped down.

You whisper the name "Paul Ryan" into the wind, but no one answers.

He has suspended his campaign -- "suspended," as though that meant anything but dropping out of the race. As though he could resume the campaign any time he wanted. The word "suspended" has no meaning here.

All around you, the trees are weeping.

Donald Trump is pivoting towards the general.

A member of the establishment runs past. His garments are in tatters and he is trying to light his bow tie on fire.

Who knew that Ted Cruz was the only thing holding everything together?

There is the faint sound of lamentations coming from the pines, as though many had gathered with the Red Woman to summon the spirit of Reagan back into his body, and failed.

Everyone "misunderestimated" Trump. We didn't know. All the people paid to know these things said not to worry, so we did not worry.

A horseshoe falls off the doorframe. A wolf howls mournfully in the distance.

The omens were there. "Gee, maybe we're being too mean to Ted Cruz," I thought, yesterday. Yes, I knew, this was Ted Cruz. Ted "The World Is On Fire" Cruz. Ted "Let's Shut Down The Government As A Publicity Stunt" Cruz. But perhaps even he did not deserve what he suffered at the end.

In the zoo the last elephants huddle together, as if in conference. Then the zookeepers watch, frozen, as the elephants begin to stampede headlong into the wall.

Just this week, Ted Cruz suffered the following indignities: Larry Wilmore, at the White House correspondents' dinner, made not one, not two, not even three, but eight jokes whose only punchline was that Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer. His wife Heidi only kind of denied that he was the Zodiac Killer. John Boehner called him "Lucifer in the Flesh" and a "miserable son-of-a-bitch."

A comet shoots across the sky, leaving a trail like blood.

And he lost Indiana.

Every umbrella indoors opens spontaneously without warning.

Now all that remains is Donald Trump.

"Macbeth," Leslie Odom, Jr., announces, without meaning to, at the end of a critical number in "Hamilton." "Macbeth." The theater goes still.

Donald Trump tried to be statesmanlike but he could only pull it off for a few hours at a stretch. Then he has to lie down and recharge.

A single black cat crosses the street in front of you.

Now Donald Trump says we are going to love each other and cherish each other. Donald Trump says that we will become "one beautiful, loving country."

Another black cat follows the first cat.

Trump's path through California to the convention is clear.

You try to cross but there are too many black cats like a mighty cat torrent, blocking your path. You wait hours for these cats to finish crossing but they do not cease.

Here we are. This is fine.

Finally you turn away from the cats and return home by another way.

"Trump 2016: I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with me," Rosie Gray tweeted, months ago. It is still more accurate than anything else. Trump remains. He is all that is left. Do not underestimate him. Discard him at your peril.

You climb onto the pyre and light it on fire.

The Trump abides.
Rarely in modern history has a party appeared as divided over its nominee as Republicans are over Donald Trump. But will his GOP critics really keep their backs turned through November, or will they come around?

Some leaders of the conservative movement claim they will never vote for him  not only think-tank intellectuals, but also members of Congress, such as Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska. Columnist George F. Will, once a backstairs advisor to Ronald Reagan, says good Republicans shouldnt merely withhold their votes, but work to make sure Trump loses all 50 states  to make sure Trumpism is discredited forever.

And yet, as Trumps nomination becomes more certain, more Republicans are finding nice things to say about the businessman.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Trump had done an impressive job attracting new voters to GOP primaries. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said Trumps centrist positions might have bipartisan appeal. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Trump was showing promise as a foreign policy thinker. Rep. Duncan Hunter, one of Trumps earliest backers in Congress, offered a more practical assessment: People like to be with the winner.

And that is whats really going on here. Republicans arent falling in love with Trump; they just figure that, since the real estate promoter is about to become the leader of their party, its better to grit their teeth and hope for the best than to fight a losing battle. Even Jeb Bush, whose presidential hopes were demolished by Trump, now says he will support the nominee. He just wont say his name.

But the never-say-#NeverTrump Republicans have a problem: In private, many of them  perhaps most of them  dont think Trump can win the general election.

The structural problem of the Trump candidacy is his unfavorable numbers, GOP pollster David Winston told me. Among women, who  did I mention?  are the majority of the electorate, his unfavorables are in the 70s. Those arent easy numbers to turn around, particularly when a candidate has had as much exposure as Trump.

Thats why even if, in the end, few Republican politicians will actively oppose Trump, many wont actively support him either.

One bellwether to watch: how many Senate candidates in tough races decide to skip the Republican National Convention, which is likely to be a weeklong celebration of everything Trump.

Youre going to see a lot of Senate candidates staying home and doing their own knitting that week, GOP strategist Scott Reed told me.

Instead of focusing on the presidential campaign, many in the GOP  not just candidates, but also activists and donors  will focus on congressional races.

Republicans are terrified that a Trump defeat would lose the GOP its majority in the Senate, which they gained only two years ago. Some even worry that a Democratic landslide could endanger the GOPs majority in the House of Representatives.

In some states, candidates are going to depend on people who are voting for (Democrat Hillary) Clinton to switch sides and vote for the other party when it comes to Congress, Winston noted. Thats hard to do.

One answer: the program House Speaker Paul Ryan plans to unveil next month, aimed at giving GOP congressional candidates a list of conservative policies they can campaign on, whether they correspond to Trumps positions or not.

In effect, the GOP could enter the fall campaign with two different platforms: one espoused by its mercurial presidential candidate, the other by the more orthodox conservatives around Ryan.

House candidates are going to need a sense of direction, and they dont necessarily want to rely on Trump to provide it, Winston said. If Trump appears headed for defeat, the Ryan program could give them a lifeline.

Everybody writes off a party after it has a bad election, Winston said. After 2008, when Obama won, people said it was the end of the Republican Party. But two years later we had 2010 and won a majority in the House.

To many Republicans, the prospect of a loss to Clintons Democrats looks painful, but it also presents a familiar, even comfortable problem: At that point, their mission will be to make Clinton a one-term president.

The greater dilemma  the fear they wont acknowledge, at least in public  is that Trump might actually win. If that happens, conservatives who dont love their candidate will face four years of having to defend his policies and trying to tame his excesses. Thats when their real troubles would begin.
I have known Patsy Koch Johns for 48 years. She was a student of mine at Kearney State College beginning in 1968 and I can think of no one more qualified for the State Board of Education.

Patsy came from very humble beginnings and worked her way through college while completing majors in theater, English and speech, graduating with honors. In graduate school at the University of Arkansas, she excelled and her major professor there wrote me to say that that Patsy was capable and outstanding in every respect.

Patsy has put forth a long record of excellence in the classroom, capped by her recognition as 2006 Nebraska Teacher of the Year and the 2014 Governor's Arts Award for Excellence in Education.

Her first concern has always been for her students. With her outstanding teaching record and her unwavering support of children across Nebraska, there is no better candidate for State Board of Education.

Fred Koontz, Lincoln
It would appear that Nebraska's attorney general considers people of the state as useful toward justification in his latest attempt to convince the courts of legitimate concerns pertaining to the animosity of Colorado's marijuana laws ("Nebraska, Oklahoma join to fight pot laws," April 29). The petition states "Because the people of Nebraska and Oklahoma have determined that marijuana is harmful and should be illegal, Nebraska and Oklahoma have a duty to protect their citizens from the continuing harms resulting from Colorado's illegal activities, by taking action to ensure that Colorado marijuana does not enter their sovereign boundaries." I would ask any Nebraskan voter if they could recall a referendum for the outlawing of marijuana.

The answer would be no because there wasn't one. Anti-marijuana laws were legislated to fall in line with federal mandates with no regard as to a consensus of voters so, to claim that the people determined marijuana harmful and illegal is erroneous. Some may counter this assertion by claiming that the legislature is the voice of the people. If this were truly the case, then why did the Pete Ricketts administration, in disregard to the legislature's consensus, promote and justify a referendum on the death penalty in the guise of letting the voter decide?

Apparently, the people of Nebraska are unwitting pawns to be used on the whim and at the convenience of the administration to promote its agenda.

David Pilcher, Lincoln
Gov. Pete Ricketts and former Gov. Dave Heineman both plan to support Donald Trump at his Friday rally in Omaha.

Heineman will serve as honorary chairman for Trump's presidential campaign in Nebraska. Omaha Sen. Beau McCoy is state chairman.

"It's time for the Republican Party to unite," Heineman said in an email Thusday. "That process is clearly underway and I am endorsing Donald Trump."

A Ricketts spokesman said the first-term Nebraska governor will support Trump "as the presumptive GOP nominee."

"The governor has always said he will support the GOP nominee to retake the White House," said spokesman Taylor Gage.

Both Ricketts and Heineman plan to attend Trump's 4 p.m. event at the Werner Enterprises Hangar near Eppley Airfield. Doors will open at 1 p.m.
ODESSA  Authorities have dropped charges filed against an Ohio man after a stabbing in south-central Nebraska.

Caleb McDonald, 19, of Liberty Township, Ohio, had been charged with assault and other crimes after the April 3, 2015, incident.

Last week a district judge in Buffalo County granted a prosecution motion to dismiss the case. After McDonald was given a psychiatric evaluation, prosecutor Mike Mefferd concluded that state law wouldn't permit McDonald's prosecution. McDonald's attorney had said McDonald has a mental disorder.

Authorities said McDonald and another man were traveling in separate vehicles on a county road in Odessa when they exchanged words. The Buffalo County Sheriff's Office said McDonald stabbed the man after they got out of their vehicles.
The Nebraska State Association of Parliamentarians will host a seminar June 18 at Fellowship Community Church, 86th and Holdrege streets, for anyone with an interest in learning parliamentary procedure.

The NSAP will also acknowledge those who serve as parliamentarians in organizations such as churches, school PTAs, civic clubs, non-profits, and political parties.

The NSAP has existed in Nebraska for 55 years with the purpose of educating the public with skills to better participate in the democratic process by being knowledgeable in parliamentary procedure.
RACINE COUNTY  Hundreds of online courses are now available, free to residents of Racine and Walworth counties, thanks to a partnership between local libraries and the counties job centers.

The courses are through the Gale Courses platform, which offers programs in a variety of areas, such as business, computers and writing. Fifteen public libraries throughout Racine and Walworth counties, the Racine County Workforce Development Center and the Walworth County Job Center provided funding support for a regionwide subscription.

These courses have lots of appeal to lots of different people, Steve Ohs, director of the Lakeshores Library System, said in a news release. From job seekers who are looking to acquire some new skills for the workplace, to lifelong learners seeking to enrich their lives, theres truly something for everyone.

Ohs said the partnership fits the counties workforce development goals and the mission of public libraries to make high-quality knowledge available to everyone.

Sarah Street, career services manager at the Racine County Workforce Development Center, said more than 300 online, instructor-led courses are available. The courses are a good way to build skills as well as explore careers, she said.

This is a really good example of community collaboration and government working to share resources, Street said.

Residents can sign up for courses by visiting the website of their local public library. They can also contact the Racine County Workforce Development Center at 262-619-5627 or the Walworth County Job Center at 262-741-5180.

A library card bar code or a Workforce Development code is necessary to sign up for an account.
OAK CREEK  Home furnishing giant IKEA is seeking to establish its first Wisconsin store in Oak Creek, with plans to open by summer 2018, the company announced Thursday.

In a news release, the Swedish retailer announced it has submitted plans to the City of Oak Creek to construct a store on a 29-acre lot at the northwest corner of Interstate 94 and Drexel Avenue.

While the retail giant has 380 stores worldwide and 41 in the United States, according to the release, the stores that now serve the Wisconsin area are in Schaumburg and Bolingbrook, Illinois, and Bloomington, Minnesota.

We are excited at the possibility of growing our Midwestern U.S. presence with a Milwaukee-area store, said IKEA U.S. president Lars Petersson in the release. A location in this retail corridor would provide our already 206,000 Milwaukee-area customers their own store and introduce the unique IKEA shopping experience to others throughout Wisconsin.

The 295,000-square-foot store would have the same architectural design and blue-yellow color scheme that has come to characterize IKEA stores, a provided rendering shows. The release details that the store would include nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, 50 inspirational room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised childrens play area, and a 300-seat restaurant, as well as 1,200 parking spaces and other amenities.

The company expects to employ about 250 staff at the store once it is complete, plus about 500 more in construction of the building, according to the release.

The release touts the companys efforts to reduce its effect on the environment and minimize carbon emissions, including on-site power generation at most of its stores in the United States, but its not clear how many of those initiatives will be in place at the Oak Creek store.

Pending approval from the City of Oak Creek, the company plans to begin construction in spring 2017 and open in the summer of 2018.
BURLINGTON  As he stood on stage Thursday afternoon at Veterans Terrace, a television interview House Speaker Paul Ryan taped just moments before sent ripples through the political world.

Ryan, R-Wis., said in an interview with CNN he is not yet supporting presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, the polarizing New York billionaire who has alienated many with his rhetoric on women, Latinos and others.

Ryan said hes just not ready to support Trump at this point.

Im not there right now, Ryan said.

What is required is that we unify this party, and I think the bulk of the burden on unifying the party will have to come from our presumptive nominee, Ryan said.

The interview was taped outside Veterans Terrace, 589 Milwaukee Ave., where Ryan spoke at a campaign rally for U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.

He did not refer to Trump in his remarks to more than 100 supporters and dodged questions from Wisconsin reporters following the event.

In the CNN interview, Ryan said Trump needs to do more to unify this party, to bring all wings of the Republican Party together, and then to go forward and to appeal to all Americans in every walk of life.

Conservatives want to know, does he share our values and our principles on limited government, the proper role of the executive, adherence to the constitution. There are lots of questions that conservatives, I think, are going to want answers to, myself included. And I want to be a part of this unifying process, Ryan said.

For his part, Trump responded that he is not ready to support Speaker Ryans agenda.

Perhaps in the future we can work together and come to an agreement about what is best for the American people, Trump said in a statement. They have been treated so badly for so long that it is about time for politicians to put them first!

Many Republicans, including locally, have expressed trepidation about Trump. Like Ryan, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is also noncommittal about backing the presumptive nominee, saying he will listen to Donald Trumps ideas and see if he can earn my support and the support of other conservatives.

Vos, R-Rochester, said he and Ryan believe in conservative ideas to make America better and wants to see Trump articulate what his ideas are.

I dont want to assume that just because he becomes the presumptive nominee that were all just going to fall in line, regardless of what he says or thinks, Vos, R-Rochester, said in an interview after the event.
RACINE  A successful application to a federal anti-poverty program would give a huge boost to local Racine initiatives already showing results, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said.

Baldwin, D-Wis., was in Racine Thursday highlighting local efforts to obtain a Promise Zone designation, which would give the Racine area priority for federal grant money.

Theres no question that the growth that has been experienced in the state of Wisconsin has not been evenly experienced by all of our citizens, Baldwin said following a meeting at Atonement Lutheran Church, 2915 Wright Ave. We have pockets of extreme poverty in this state where we need to focus a lot of attention.

The federal Promise Zone initiative aims to help high-poverty communities improve education, reduce crime and increase economic activity. The proposed Promise Zone area includes much of the City of Racine and a portion of Mount Pleasant, south of Racine near the lake.

The designation could allow Racine to get federal funds for a variety of programs, from community-oriented policing programs and business tax credits to education grants, officials have said.

Baldwin heard from officials from the county, Ascension Health (formerly Wheaton Franciscan), Police Department and others on a variety of Racine-area programs that have found success.

For example, a coalition of health groups helped cut an infant mortality rate of 3 percent in half, said state Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine. A Racine Police Department initiative to revitalize the former Jacato Drive made the neighborhood more attractive to investors, eventually leading to $3.2 million in updates, Police Chief Art Howell noted.

Many other programs have helped the battle against poverty, but more federal dollars could give an extra boost and allow groups to aid far more people, officials said.

We believe that if we had resources, we could scale and really move the needle, said Jeff Neubauer, executive director of Higher Expectations, which is working to improve education in Racine.

The Promise Zone designation would last for 10 years. Officials will find out later this spring or summer whether they are successful.

Baldwin has written a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees the program, supporting the application.

Its a highly competitive process, she said. There are communities across the United States in the competition for the designation. But I have been really impressed with the exceptional work done by Racine in order to apply and be ready to reach for these goals.
You probably recall the case where a woman sued McDonalds because the coffee she was served was too hot. There was an obvious logic to that lawsuit, because we all understand that coffee served too hot can burn your lips and mouth.

When we read recently that a woman was suing Starbucks because her cold coffee drink had too much ice in it, we wondered for a moment if wed inadvertently clicked to the website of The Onion, the satirical newspaper with fictional stories.

But no, it was MSNBC.com which reported Monday that an Illinois woman, Stacy Pincus, has filed suit in Northern Illinois Federal Court against Starbucks for $5 million over the amount of ice used in its drinks.

Pincus suit says because of the amount of ice Starbucks uses in its iced beverages, customers often end up with half of the amount of drink that is listed on Starbucks menus in fluid ounces. The suit alleges that Starbucks is purposefully tricking customers into paying for more product than what they are provided with.

The word beverage is defined as a drinkable liquid. Ice is not a beverage by definition. Accordingly, Starbucks actually gives the customer much less beverage in the cold drinks they order and pay for, the lawsuit says.

This has all the indicators of a lawsuit intended to do nothing more than get money out of a multibillion-dollar corporation, either through a jurys verdict or an out-of-court settlement.

Setting aside our cynical interpretation of the actions of Pincus and her legal representatives, Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge LLC of Chicago, lets presume for a moment that Pincus outrage is legitimate.

Did she not, even for a moment, consider returning the iced coffee drink and requesting one with less ice in its place?

If she didnt, was this her first-ever visit to Starbucks?

Because if youve ever stood in line behind someone ordering, as an anonymous barista quoted by MatadorNetwork.com put it, a triple grande half-caf two-pump vanilla two-pump hazelnut half-soy half-nonfat 1.5 Splenda latte, you know full well that Starbucks, and the other chain restaurants with $4 coffee drinks on the menu, will make every drink to every customers exacting specifications.

Starbucks spokeswoman Jaime Riley told NBC News that Pincus claims are without merit.

Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any iced beverage, Riley said. If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it.

Starbucks isnt unique in the business world. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase, the overwhelming majority of businesses, large or small, will replace the item with something more to your liking, or otherwise work with you to achieve customer satisfaction. Which is why we strongly suspect Pincus isnt quite as outraged about the ice in her drink as her lawsuit would suggest.

If this is found to be a frivolous lawsuit, as we suspect, Pincus should be ordered to pay all legal costs.

The decision to sue a business should be a last resort, to be set aside in favor of first seeking satisfaction as a customer.

Lets try harder to be business owners and customers, not defendants and plaintiffs.
Written submissions to TODAY are welcome. Submissions should be at The Journal Times by 9 a.m. two full business days before the desired publication date. Please send your events to TODAY, The Journal Times, 212 Fourth St., Racine, WI 53403; fax to 262-631-1780 or email sknox@journaltimes.com. For more information, call 262-631-1767.
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Commercial fish farming gaining popularity

With an increasing number of farmers shifting to commercial fish farming from traditional crops, Dayanagar VDC in Rupendehi district has become one of the model villages for fish farming.
Country faces shortfall of 55,000 tonnes of cooking gas

Gas bottlers have said the country still faces a shortfall of 55,000 tonnes of cooking gas as a result of the four-and-half-month-long Indias trade embargo which ended in the first week of February.
Dahal-Deuba meet underway

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal met Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Thursday, to discuss matters of power-sharing in the new government.
Federal Alliance meet scheduled for 2 pm today

A meeting of the Federal Alliance, a group of 27 Madhes-based parties including the Samyukta Madhesi Morcha, is scheduled to be held at Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum Nepal (SSFN) party office in Tinkune on Thursday.
Forest office seeks help to evict illegal settlers

The District Forest Office in Palpa has asked for the assistance of local administration in evicting the settlers who have taken over nearly 200 ropanis (10 ha) of forest land in Jogadamar.
Fugitive woman arrested

Police arrested a runaway woman who was fined over Rs 30 million on the charge of involvement in illegal foreign currency transaction from Belbari in Morang on Wednesday.
Its a goodwill visit to India: Prez

President Bidhya Devi Bhandrai, who is all set to leave for India on May 9 on her first official foreign visit, has said her trip to the southern neighbour is a goodwill visit.
John Kasich, last Republican Trump rival, quits race

Ohio Governor John Kasich has dropped out of the presidential race after struggling to gain traction against Republican front-runner Donald Trump.
Kantipur Hissan Edufair from May 19

Kantipur Hissan Edufair-2016 will take place from May 19 to 22 at Bhrikutimandap in the Capital, organisers Kantipur Publications and Higher Secondary Schools Association Nepal said on Wednesday.
Khumbu locals build houses on their own

Earthquake survivors of Khumbu region, also known as Everest region in Solukhumbu district, have started reconstruction works on their own.
LTO turns down Ncells request for more time

Large Taxpayers Office (LTO) on Monday turned down Ncells request for an additional 90 days time for the latter to talk to its previous owner TeliaSonera about the capital gains tax (CGT) issue.
Maoist move makes UML stare at crisis

A key coalition partners sudden decision, which many believe is a well-planned move, on Wednesday left the governing party, the CPN-UML, scrambling, as it sensed the possibility of the UCPN (Maoist) pulling out its support.
Maoist-UML coalition intact for now

UCPN (Maoist) has decided that, as of now, the party will continue to support Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli led government. Interlocutors said UCPN (M) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal decided to continue support Oli after the latter proposed him to lead the government after passing the annual budget and policies.
Maoists urged to rethink its decision

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa has urged the UCPN (Maoist) to reconsider its decision to form a national unity government under its Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Morcha ready to support NC to topple govt

The Nepali Congresss bid to form a new political alignment against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli received a major boost on Wednesday after the Tarai-centric parties agreed, in principle, to extend necessary support to topple the government.
Nepal urged to act speedily on Tarai abuses

Nepal should ensure that investigations into all deaths and injuries during the protests in the southern Tarai region are fast and transparent, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.
Pakistan elders 'ordered girl's killing' in Abbottabad

Police in Pakistan say village elders ordered the murder of a teenage girl because she had helped a school friend to elope.
I have no intention to dissolve parliament: PM Oli

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has dismissed the rumours that the Legislature-Parliament is being dissolved. He reiterated his commitment to abide by the parliamentary practice.
Talks fail between Ministry of Education and student unions

The meeting between the Ministry of Education and the 13 different student unions regarding consultations on monitoring of the fees charged by the private schools ended inconclusively.
Teen girl found dead, rotten body found in Bhaktapur

A teenage girl has been found dead in her rented room in Bhaktapur as police are investigating whether this is a case of homicide after rape.
TMLP Chair Thakur leaving for New Delhi today

Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) Chairman Mahanta Thakur is scheduled to leave for New Delhi, India on Thursday.
VDC secy, tech asst on the run

A secretary and a technical assistant of Manaraja VDC in Saptari district have gone out of contact with Rs 2.2 million.
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

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The ruling NRM party has maintained the status quo regarding the position of Speaker and Deputy speaker.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga will be the partys flag bearer for the same position, while Jacob Oulanya is fronted for Deputy Speaker.

This was revealed during the party caucus meeting convened at State House in Entebbe.

The other nominees for the position of deputy speaker withdrew in favour of Jacob Oulanya.

President Yoweri Museveni who is also the party chairman has requested all NRM members to fully support the party flag bearers for these positions.

He has further advised all members to always seek to resolve all party issues through dialogue and make decisions through consensus.

The president has also scoffed at all those who plan to disrupt peace in the country.

Museveni says as long as NRM is still in power security will prevail.

He has also warned the media against inciting the public saying they will be handled accordingly.

The speaker and deputy speaker of the 10th Parliament will be elected on 19th May 2016.
Following the cabinet decision to ban all live coverage of opposition led defiance campaign, broadcasters are set to meet and forge a way forward.

Earlier today, the minister for information Jim Muhwezi said cabinet had decided to enforce the court order that stopped this campaign and any other related activities forthwith.

Muhwezi adds that also banned are all talk shows on matters relating to the defiance campaign and that news stories relating to the same shall be run at the risk of the individual journalist and the media organization.

Now according to the chairman National Association of Broadcasters Kin Karisa, the directive is a direct infringement on press freedom and thus an urgent meeting is to be held to reach a common ground.

Human rights defenders have too condemned the governments decision to ban the live broadcast of the oppositions defiance campaign.

The Executive Director of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative Dr. Livingstone Ssewanyana says the directive raises questions about fundamental rights.

He adds that such a directive coupled with an earlier court order barring the defiance campaign is a total violation of both freedom of expression for the journalists and freedom of association for the FDC party.

He advises the opposition to appeal against the government directive in the courts of law for justice.

Surprisingly though, the Uganda Peoples congress faction led by Jimmy Akena has welcomed a cabinet decision that barred live media coverage of the opposition-led defiance campaign.

Addressing a news conference this morning, Akena said as a political party, FDC should concentrate on promoting unity and fighting ignorance, poverty and disease among citizens rather than defying defying the sitting government.
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Yes, two or more light cases

One serious case

Two or more serious bouts

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LIGONIER  Believing he was simply attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony, West Noble Primary School Resource Officer Jason Shearer was taken aback when he realized he was the star of the program.

I was just in the back listening, and then they said my name and was totally blindsided, said Shearer of attending the opening of Indiana Department of Child Services new facility in LaOtto.

On April 26, Shearer, who has been the schools SRO for four years, received the Honorable Michael J. Kramer Child Protection Award, which recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to prevent child abuse. The award was created in 2009 and is presented annually to coincide with National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

West Noble Primary School nominated Shearer because of his dependability and enthusiasm in wanting to do more than is asked of him, said Principal Brian Shepherd.

The first person we thought of was Officer Shearer, Shepherd said. He gives up his time. Hes willing to give a lot more. Its not in his job description. He doesnt have to do it, but he wants to do it.

Noble Superior Court II Judge Michael Kramer, the awards namesake, said it was Shearers ability to make such an impression on so many people that affected him in presenting the award to the officer.

That was emphasized when each staff member of the primary school  58 in all  signed the nomination form before turning it in.

That really shows how appreciated he is and what an impact he makes in the school, Kramer said. From what I know of him, hes such a tremendous asset at the school. He cares for the children and works with them, and helps those who need a positive influence in their lives.

That idea is what initially drew Shearer to the position  the opportunity to work with children in a supportive way. He previously had worked as a road officer for six years, and during that time, he said, he saw the unfortunate conditions some children were forced to live in.

He wanted to provide them the consistency they needed at such a young age.

If a student misses the bus, Shearer is the one to pick them up. If a child doesnt show up to school, he will make a phone call or visit to check on the student.

He also has been involved in every Guys Night Out event, which promotes teaching young boys who may not have a positive male figure in their lives how to act in public and how to respect others.

Both Shepherd and Kramer agree that Shearer exemplifies the positive image that law enforcement should reflect.

Hes a part of the culture, Shepherd said. His desk is right in front of the office, and when people walk in, they feel safe  Children know that he is someone who helps, not takes something away.

Kids need someone positive in their lives. Hopefully, thats the parents, but thats not always the case, Kramer said. I think for a lot of kids in the West Noble district, I believe Jason Shearer does that.

As he looks after the safety of more than 400 students  knowing the names and faces of every child who walks past his desk  Shearer said he wants to continue to do his job the best he can. And while hes appreciative of the award and all it entails, he doesnt see what hes accomplished as doing anything more than what hes supposed to.

I dont feel that Im doing anything special. Im just doing my job and making sure the kids are taken care of, Shearer said. They might not have the best family life, but at school, we try to give them structure.

Shearer said he couldnt accomplish his goals without the help of those at the primary school and the Ligonier Police Department.

It wouldnt be possible without the staff at the primary school, especially Mr. Shepherd. He does so many things that people dont see, Shearer said. Without him and the other staff members, the award wouldnt have been able to be accepted.

Shepherd could only return the compliment.

You can talk to anyone here about what Officer Shearer does for them. They will give you a glowing recommendation for him, he said. He will do anything to help you out.
ANGOLA  Two girls from Steuben County paved the way for others to visit Heifer International in Arkansas.

Maddison Oberlin, an Angola Middle School student, and Madison Clingan, who attends Prairie Heights Community Schools, applied for a trip with Indiana 4-H to Heifer Internationals global learning center. They were among 44 youth and eight adult chaperones that took a long bus ride from Parke County Fairgrounds to Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas. Among the adults was Steuben County Extension Educator Tami Mosier and her husband, Mike.

The 1,200-acre Heifer Ranch is filled with gardens, livestock and hands-on interactive programs built to help youths understand their world and how to make sustainable decisions.

I liked getting to see different animals that you dont usually see on a farm, said Oberlin. There were llamas, ducks and goat species one doesnt encounter at the Steuben County 4-H Fair.

The Indiana contingent took in the environment on Friday, and spent the day Saturday in a global village. Split into groups, they were given resources and left to find a way to survive.

Territories included Guatemala, Thailand, Zimbabwe and the United States Appalachia.

I was in the refugees, said Oberlin. The refugees were given little and left afloat.

We werent allowed to talk, she said. She explained that communicating needs, such as hunger, was difficult.

They dont have the time to study the culture and language, she explained.

Some groups were given food resources native to their land. Mosier was in Appalachia, and said her group had plenty of wood, useful for cooking fires. Some groups received matches, and learned that if you use them up quickly, it is hard to make grits in the morning.

I didnt really get how spoiled we are, said Oberlin. To know that many struggle daily for food, she said she takes pause when she throws half the food on her plate away.

Oberlin and Clingan were the only youth from northeastern Indiana to attend this year. Seven Hoosier counties participated in the 4-H trip, which Mosier said was a pilot test for future trips. The students pay for the adventure, but transportation costs are covered.

Mosier said Steuben County 4-H is working on an action plan to help buy a goat for Heifer International as a service project.
Vesterheim, the national Norwegian-American museum and heritage center in Decorah, Iowa, will celebrate Syttende Mai, Norways Constitution Day, Tuesday, May 17, with a traditional Childrens Parade led by Hardanger fiddle player Eden Ehm, a performance by Decorahs Nordic Dancers and other activities. Museum admission will be free all day and the museum and store will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Syttende Mai is the day Norway ratified its constitution in 1814 at Eidsvoll and Norwegians celebrate with excited crowds  especially children  marching through the streets, waving flags and singing songs.

Vesterheims schedule of events for the day is:

10 a.m.Guided tour of the museums Main Building.

11:30 a.m.Guided tour of the historic buildings in Vesterheims Open Air Division.

12:30 p.m.Begin to gather at the Winneshiek County Courthouse for the Childrens Parade.

1 p.m.Childrens Parade through Decorah. The route starts on Main Street in Decorah at the Winneshiek County Courthouse, then travels north along Washington Street to Water Street, then west on Water Street to Mill Street. Everyone is invited to march along, or cheer from the sidewalks. Norwegian flags will be provided for everyone marching.

1:20 p.m.Vesterheim welcome and Decorahs Nordic Dancers performance on Mill Street at the museum.

2 p.m.Guided tour of the museums Main Building and the historic buildings in Vesterheims Open Air Division.

In case of inclement weather, the parade and Nordic Dancers will be canceled, and Eden Ehm will offer an informal performance of Hardanger fiddle music.
Human trafficking, its an overseas problem, right? Not really. Its here in Wisconsin and in its here in La Crosse.

In my work, its a definite problem, said Sgt. Linnea Miller, a detective with the La Crosse Police Department.

Miller was part of a panel discussion at a Human Trafficking Conference sponsored by First Free Church in Onalaska. She said trafficking is hard to quantify because its often linked with other crimes such as drugs or domestic abuse. But according to Miller, La Crossess proximity to Chicago and Minneapolis via the interstate makes it a desirable place for traffickers.

While adults make up a portion of those affected, runaway children aged 10-18 by far form the largest percentage of victims. Kerri Christiansen, director for the Center for Violence Prevention at Gunderson Health System, said that nationwide, an estimated 1.3 million children are on the streets every day.

In Wisconsin, that translates into about 700 missing children each year. According to Christianson, about one in six will end up in sex trafficking.

Not only did the conference define the problem, it also addressed some solutions. Keynote speaker Chris Lenty, director of the MST project (Men in the Sex Trade) encouraged the church to become a place where men can get help. And Lenty equates pornography with exploitation.

About 70 percent of men use pornography, Lenty said. He also noted that 45 percent of church-affiliated men are also users.

The church is not a safe environment, he said. We expect men to leave their baggage at the front of the church. Instead, bring the baggage in and leave it at the cross.

Christiansons group at Gunderson emphasizes both training and volunteerism. She and her associates have trained more than 28,000 professionals such as teachers and doctors in 47 states on how to counsel their clients in maintaining safe and healthy relationships.

Christianson also encouraged public involvement through advocacy training as a way to help victims. The Coulee Region offers a wide variety of local resources to join such as the La Crosse Task Force on Eradicating Trafficking or with the National Human Trafficking Resource Center.

While First Free already offers a Conquer program for men and opened the Set Me Free Shop, which sells items made by women who are survivors of the overseas sex trade, Dave Konkol, one of the pastors and the event moderator, admits that more work needs to be done.

How to get equipped is new to us, he said. The more we are aware and become engaged, the more we can do.
Led by three-time national qualifier Mikala Wuensch, the Holmen High School Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) team entered state competition in Wisconsin Dells last month. The event, which took place April 18-20, was another successful venture for Wuensch.

She won a gold in Fashion Design with a beautiful maroon dress with embellishments, said Kassey Ewold, Holmens FCCLA advisor.

Because of that gold medal, Wuensch will attend her fourth-straight FCCLA National Leadership Conference.

In previous years, Wuensch attended nationals in Nashville, San Antonio and Washington, D.C. This year, the conference will be held July 3-7 in San Diego. Shes particularly looking forward to this years event.

I really havent seen an ocean yet, so Im really excited about that Wuensch said.

All four of Wuenschs gold medals were in fashion-related fields. Asked whether that means the senior will pursue a career in fashion after high school, she indicated that probably wont happen.

I enjoy it (fashion) as a hobby, but Ill be going into the pre-dental program at Luther College, Wuensch said. Her long-range plan is to become an orthodontist.

Wuensch wasnt the only medal winner in the Dells. McKenna Messling and Anna Mayer won a gold for their illustrated talk on the financial implications of divorce, while Amber Wuensch and Ricki Lemke won gold for their service project, Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat.

For her modified recipe for frittata muffins, Ava Justice won a silver medal in Food Innovations. Makensey Schmidt won a bronze medal for the literacy drive she organized in the tri-state area.

Other bronze medal winners included Holly Kuchel (Fashion Construction), Alex Soto (Career Investigation) and the team of Cassie Schmidt and Bobbi Anderholm (Entrepreneurship).
Dancers at a dance studio in the Coulee Region recently received a visit from some special guests. On April 27, Mistys Dance Unlimited in Onalaska hosted the national dance tour Coast 2 Coast: Dance Across America. The tour is held in celebration of National Dance Week, as Coast 2 Coast traveled from New York to Oregon in one week. The tour was free to all studios and students involved.

The tour has a goal of visiting all 50 states in a span of five years. States that will be visited this year include New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and Oregon. The tour is made up of three men from New York who cover different fronts of dance. Louie Perez is the founder of Coast 2 Coast: Dance Across America.

He emigrated from Cuba to Los Angeles at the age of 10 with little to nothing. He had a strong interest in the arts and dance but couldnt afford dance classes. His dance teacher at the time, Patsy Metzger, decided to make a deal with him because she noticed the passion Perez had for the arts. Instead of paying for classes, Perez stayed at the studio in Hollywood once all the dancers left and would mop the floors down and clean the studio as payment.

Hes come a long way since then. Hes performed in numerous Broadway tours, including West Side Story, Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, The King and I, Damn Yankees, Pinocchio, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and many more. Perez has also owned a dance studio of his own called VP Dance Studio in Fishkill, N.Y. for 12 years.

Jimmy Lyles serves as the executive director and manager for the tour. Lyles is a professional DJ and is in charge of all music for the tour. Lyles, who has a communications degree and works as a radio personality in New York, also does most of the booking and public/inspirational speaking for the tour.

Finally, Ryan Dutcher works as an illusionist. He met Perez when he was a senior in high school while working on a school production. Dutcher also serves as help on the tour and knows a lot about dance since he sometimes needs them for his performances and events.

At the event, the three men shared their stories about how dancing has changed their lives. Perez then told a story about a boy they had recently met in Kansas who was the best dancer in the class, even though he only had one leg.

I make people dance, dance is Louies life, and Ryan hires dancers. Dancing can get you where you want to go in life, and we want to inspire you to never give up on your passion, Lyles said at the class.

Once they were done sharing their own experiences, Perez got in front of the class and showed them new choreography and danced with them. In addition, they said they would be giving out three scholarships to students who they met during the tour. In order to qualify, students needed to attend their local tour event and write a short essay about what dance means to them.

Throughout the tours existence, the three men have visited 39 states and numerous dance studios. Misty Lown is the owner of Mistys Dance Unlimited, as well as the business More Than Just Great Dancing. This business includes more than 90 dance studios in the United States, as well as some in Asia, Australia, Canada and South America. One of the studios in New York got a visit from Coast 2 Coast last year, and after hearing how impressed the dancers at this studio were, Lown knew she wanted the group to come to Mistys Dance Unlimited.

The lesson that they share about never giving up is priceless, Lown said. From solving math problems to choosing a college, our goal is to inspire these kids to keep going.

Lyles, who books the tour, said that it was the values that More Than Just Dancing instills that persuaded them to come to Wisconsin.

After speaking with Misty and researching her values and beliefs for not only young dancers but everyone in life, we felt that her outlook coincides directly with our message, he said.

Perez, too, noted that the message behind the tour means everything to him.

If one kid out of this tour gets the message to never give up, we will consider ourselves successful, he said.

While this years tour is over, the impact it had on Mistys Dance Unlimited specifically is enormous.

Louie realizes that there are kids who want to be where he is at, Lown said. For him to volunteer for these kids and to do it for no cost is amazing. True success never forgets where you came from, and these kids know that now.

Sydney Skemp is a freshman at Aquinas High School and dance student at Mistys. She, too, felt changed after the event.

Coast 2 Coast definitely opened my eyes to new job opportunities in the dance world. They inspired me to know that I can do whatever I set my mind to, she said.
Community collaboration was the underlying theme of the 11th annual Holmen Area Foundation breakfast. The breakfast was held April 28 at Holland Town Hall.

The foundation sponsors the annual breakfast to bring community organizations and businesses together in appreciation for their contributions to the community, as well as to give the groups an opportunity to celebrate accomplishments.

The highlight of the gathering was the presentation of the Fred Frick Servant Leadership award, which was presented to Sr. Bridget Donaldson, pastoral associate at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish.

In thanking the foundation for the honor, Donaldson credited the numerous individuals and organizations that contribute to the parishs food pantry and assist with other programs, which enables her to serve the community.

I can be a servant leader because people collaborate, Donaldson said. I can only do what I do because people are generous and willing to step up to the plate. Its been quite humbling and an exciting year.

In introducing Donaldson as this years award recipient, Dr. Tom Thibodeau, director of the Master of Arts in Servant Leadership program at Viterbo University, told the assembly that everyone can be great because they can serve.

He also told those attending the breakfast the way to be servant leaders is by how they use words and by being present to others. He emphasized how recognizing even the seemingly undistinguished contributions of others can make an impact on peoples daily lives.

All our lives are predicated on the work of other people, Thibodeau said. The world is run by people who show up, and the work we do together is always better than what we can do alone. With one word, we can lift up or put down. The only thing that changes the world is goodness; Ill always put my nickel down on goodness.

In quoting the father of the servant leadership movement, Robert Greenleaf, Thibodeau said servant leadership starts with the desire to serve, which is supported by the aspiration to lead.

This is the seventh year the foundation has presented the servant leadership award. Past honorees include Barry Bertelson, Len and Sandy Beranek, Dan McHugh, Pat Stephens, Festival Foods and Bev Rott.

The annual breakfasts program also included updates about developments in the Holmen area presented by representatives from the Holmen Business Association, the village of Holmen, the School District of Holmen, the towns of Holland and Onalaska.

In the past year, the two towns and the village approved a new agreement regarding the operation of the Holmen Area Fire Department and the town of Onalaska reached a boundary agreement regarding annexation of town lands by the village and the city of Onalaska.

Since its start in 1994, the foundations mission has been to serve as a community leader through its financial commitment to education and community betterment, collaborative partnership, educational excellence, civic growth, enjoyment of the arts, recreational activities and respect for diversity.

Over the past 11 years, the foundation has donated more than $100,000 through scholarships and in-kind support for a variety of activities. The foundation supports the School District of Holmen through its Random Acts of Kindness program. The foundation donations given to each of the schools in the school district are used to help students with personal, as well as school-related expenses.
Viterbo University President Rick Artman praises award winners Wednesday during the during La Crosse Tribune Extra Effort Award ceremony at the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center.

Nothing could keep these 24 high school seniors down.

Graduates from area high school were honored and presented with scholarships at the 20th Tribune Extra Effort Awards Wednesday evening at Viterbo University. Students honored overcame disability, disease, family tragedy, bullying and other hardships and their accomplishments were honored by Viterbo President Rick Artman who gave the keynotes address.

Each Sunday when he gets the Tribune, Artman said he looks first for the Extra Effort stories. During his remarks, he spoke about times he had been truly humbled during his 10 years leading the university, with his first Extra Effort awards being one of the moments.

I am humbled to be in your presence, he told the students. We pale in your sunshine.

Servant leadership is one of the important niches for Viterbo. Humility is an important tenet of the servant leader, who Artman said is only granted that role by his followers.

We serve at the pleasure of those who give us the gift of leadership, he said.

Each of the Extra Effort winners is a servant leader, he told the crowd and asked the honorees to stand up saying to them: You are awesome. You are courageous. You are tenacious. You are resilient. You are inspiring and you have grit. Congratulations.

You are an inspiration to our community, he added. You make the words extra effort mean something special.

Each students story was briefly recognized during the awards and each student received a framed copy of his or her story and a scholarship from one of the three participating universities or community groups such as the La Crosse Community Foundation, the Franke Foundation and, for the first time, Marine Credit Union. In all, the scholarships totaled tens of thousands of dollars.

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow said he also finds inspiration in the Extra Effort stories as he announced the UW-L scholarship recipient, Sean Deml of Holmen High School. He spoke about one morning at work when he was feeling down and turned on his computer to read the latest Extra Effort story.

It gave me the energy to get out and do what I needed to do, he said.

President Artman presented the $25,000 Viterbo scholarship to Central High School student Allison Kramer. Kramer, who almost died at childbirth after a grand mal seizure had to overcome a number of obstacles. She always knew she wanted to go to college, just not where.

She said she knew she wanted to go to a smaller campus, where she could know people by name. After touring the Viterbo campus, she knew where she belonged.

It felt right, she told her mother on the way to the car. It feels like home.
MADISON  A prominent sportsmen's group wants Gov. Scott Walker to crack down on captive deer farms as he considers revising the state's chronic wasting disease tactics.

The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation's letter to Walker, announced Thursday, asked him to impose regulations designed to keep CWD from spreading from captive deer to wild deer. The recommendations include requiring farms to double fence, installing warning devices that can detect open gates and annual fence inspections by the state or an independent inspector.

The letter also suggests that farmers be required to inspect their own fences at least monthly and immediately after any major wind storms. They would have to kill their herds within a month if they haven't double fenced and one of their deer tests positive for CWD. They also would have to maintain liability insurance to cover any damages to the state resulting from escapes.

The DNR recorded 29 escapes from deer farms in 2015 alone. Nevertheless, the agency in December adopted an emergency rule allowing farmers to opt of the state's CWD program without upgrading their fences.

Before that rule, farms that refused to participate in monitoring had to install double fencing. The new rule allows them to keep single fences and not submit to monitoring, although farms still can't import or export deer unless they're in the program. DNR officials said it was designed to simplify farms' regulatory burden, but the federation opposed the change out of concerns it would lead to more infected captive deer escaping.

Deer farms aren't to blame for spreading the disease, Rick Vojtik, president of the Whitetails of Wisconsin Association, which represents game farms and hunting preserves in the state, told The Associated Press. Rather, he believes birds are moving the disease from the wild herd into captive deer and he doesn't understand how double fencing would make a difference.

"We're going to spend millions and millions of dollars (on fencing) for nothing," Vojtik said. "(CWD is) everywhere in the wild now."

Democrats have been pressuring Walker's administration to do more to contain CWD after infection rates hit an all-time high last year. The DNR initially tried to eradicate as many deer as possible after the disease was discovered in the state in 2002, but backed off after intense public backlash. The agency's current plan allows for reducing local herds in areas of infection far from known clusters but emphasizes monitoring.

Walker, a Republican, announced last month he's considering a proposal from Democratic state Reps. Chris Danou and Nick Milroy to require double fencing on deer farms and adopting Illinois' strategy of killing as many deer as possible in infected areas. The governor said last week his administration plans to come out with new proposals within the next month.

Walker spokesman Jack Jablonski didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the federation's letter.
Now that American voters are drawing a clearer outline of Novembers presidential contest, the rest of the worlds opinion about who should become the next president of the United States is also turning crystal-clear. With a couple of notable exceptions, the verdict is all-but unanimous: Just about everywhere, people want Hillary Clinton to replace President Barack Obama.

That is the undeniable and overwhelming impression one hears when exploring opinions in different parts of the globe. I heard it asking individuals of a wide variety of backgrounds while traveling in several countries. But dont take my word for it.

A recent poll of people in 20 countries  the G20 group of the worlds largest economies  confirmed it. In all the countries polled, Clinton beat Trump by wide margins. The only exception was Russia, where Trump beats Clinton by more than 20 points when pollsters asked whom they want to see as the next U.S. president. In China, theres ambivalence.

Everywhere else, Clinton outpolled Trump by enormous margins: in Mexico she beat him by 54 percent, in South Korea by 37, in France by 30, in Japan by 27. The list goes on with similar results from South America to East Asia.

Now that it seems increasingly like the election will pit Clinton against Donald Trump, the whole world is really watching, and the overwhelming reaction is widespread rejection of Trump in most quarters, along with palpable enthusiasm for the prospect of a Clinton presidency.

The distinct sentiment I encountered matches the findings of another survey in which pollsters asked Europeans how they would feel if each of the top candidates won the election. Europeans chose Clinton as their favorite by a landslide. The main feelings they predicted for themselves if Clinton becomes president: relieved, optimistic, happy. If Trump wins: afraid, disappointed, sad.

I found that combination of anticipation and apprehension in conversations in Arab states, where I was surprised to see positive sentiment for Clinton not only among women, which I expected, but also among men, and among people of all ages. Ive heard the same in conversations with Asians, Europeans and Latin Americans.

In Israel, where most people believe President Obamas foreign policy, particularly his nuclear deal with Iran, made them less safe, Clinton is also the top choice according to surveys, even though she helped lay the ground for the Iran deal.

Over the years I have probed global opinions about U.S. elections, but have never found the combination I see today, near-uniform excitement for one candidate and utter disdain combined with fear for another.

In 1999, during the Bush vs. Gore campaign, I asked Fidel Castro if he had a favorite. He told me he did, but said he would not reveal it because his endorsement would hurt his preferred candidate. He had a point.

The endorsement of foreigners, even when theyre not controversial figures, has an odd effect on American voters. John Kerry had to downplay his international appeal. This time, however, the respected weekly The Economist declared a Trump presidency one of the top risks to global stability. Clinton could benefit from noting that practically the entire world wants her to become president.

While Obamas social views hold great appeal, particularly in Europe, and he is personally liked, his foreign policy is a different matter.

Millions of Europeans are deeply disappointed with Obama, and their complaints line up with some of Clintons own disagreements with the president. Some in Europe blame Obamas failure to act in Syria for the refugee crisis. Obamas reluctance to use force and his rapprochement with Iran irks Washingtons Arab allies.

After George W. Bushs militaristic foreign policy and Obamas pendulum swing to other end, Clinton is perceived as potentially the Goldilocks president, not too hot, not too cold. If current sentiment holds and Clinton becomes president, she could face a problem Obama encountered: living up to outsize expectations.
That fact that Wisconsin taxpayers have missed out on hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government as a part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA-ObamaCare) implementation is not new news.

One of the few states that to say no thanks we dont want our own tax dollars back, please send it to Illinois or Texas has been a painful decision to watch as students cannot graduate because classes are cut, potholes get bigger and another school referendum hits property taxpayers pocketbook.

Well the good news is that this bad decision by Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican majority in the Legislature can be reversed at any time. We could come in session tomorrow and get this done.

Now that no one from Wisconsin is running for president and we have seen the unnecessary struggle that the choice to refuse $320 million just this biennium has had on our state economy, we can come back to the table and accept federal dollars and give access to affordable health care. Not taking federal funds does not mean that our tax dollars are squirreled away and saved for a rainy day by Congress. It just means they send our money to another state, to help them balance their budgets and help their citizens with health insurance.

Excellent new news from the federal government is the introduction of the SAME Act by Sen. Tammy Baldwin and others. This bill would push the reset button for Wisconsin. We could choose to accept our tax dollars back as a part of ACA and start at the same full reimbursement rate that we could have had in the first place; 100 percent reimbursement from the federal government for expansion of our current BadgerCare Plus program. Under SAME, for four years we would be at 100 percent reimbursement, phasing down to 90 percent reimbursement after another three years. Still a lot better than where we are now, which is zero. This could be a huge windfall for our state budget.

What people dont understand is general purpose revenue (GPR) was used to backfill Medicaid expenses for Wisconsin this budget. That means dollars that should have gone to our schools, roads and UW schools were diverted because of the political decisions of the Legislature. Republicans can even accept the federal funds for a year and then change their mind the next year. The flexibility and sheer amount of tax dollars makes this decision a no brainer.

It is time for the Legislature to put politics aside and accept federal BadgerCare expansion funds so our financial house can improve. The SAME Act from U.S. Sen. Baldwin will provide Wisconsin a unique opportunity to hit the reset button for our taxpayers and citizens. It simply is time to put more than $320 million in our coffers without raising taxes and without cuts.

For more information on the BadgerCare Plus expansion dollars or the federal SAME Act, please contact my office at sen.erpenbach@legis.wi.us or call 888-549-0027 or 608-266-6670
Volunteers with the recently incorporated History Alive Project Inc have chosen this photo of a very common object unique to the area for you to identify. One clue is provided. What it is and or where it is located in the readership area. The object in question is available for viewing 24 hours a day.

No prizes are awarded for solving this query, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing where the mystery object is located if you are successful.

This weeks image took curious minds to Westby.

Clue: Flugstads first, Gambles second, Erics Boutique third, Westby Bakery fourth. Where is this sign located and to what is it referring?

Answer: Westbys Sons of Norway Lodge 457 celebrated its 100th anniversary in April 2016.

Also in the year 1916: 48 stars were on the American Flag; Woodrow Wilson the president of the United States; the first Norman Rockwell painting appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post; and the Berlin Summer Olympics were cancelled.

The History Alive congratulatory poster shown here appeared in the former Westby Bakery building window on Main Street. The building sits vacant right now after decades as a home to some of the best baked goods in the area.
 

         

                     ,  ,    ,       ,   .
California voters in 2010 missed their chance to make their state the first to fully legalize marijuana for recreational purposes when the voted down Proposition 19, the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, by a vote of 53.5% to 46.5%. Now, six years later, it appears that voters in California will have another chance this November to make marijuana reform history by becoming the last Pacific coast state (save Hawaii) to legalize recreational marijuana. This Los Angeles Times article, headlined "California voters getting chance to fully legalize marijuana," provides the details:

A measure to legalize marijuana for recreational use in California appears headed for the Nov. 8 ballot.

A coalition that includes former Facebook President Sean Parker on Tuesday said it has collected 600,000 signatures, more than enough to qualify the initiative. Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and other supporters of the measure plan to kick off a campaign for voter approval of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act on Wednesday in San Francisco.

The measure would allow adults ages 21 and older to possess, transport and use up to an ounce of marijuana for recreational purposes and would allow individuals to grow as many as six plants.

"This November, California voters will finally have the opportunity to pass smart marijuana policy that is built on the best practices of other states, includes the strictest child protections in the nation and pays for itself while raising billions for the state, Newsom said in a statement.

The coalition, which includes some law enforcement and civil rights leaders, needed to collect 365,880 signatures of registered voters to qualify the initiative, which would also place a 15% tax on retail sales of the drug.

The use of marijuana in public and while driving would remain illegal. Parker, a billionaire who also co-founded the file-sharing service Napster, donated more than $1 million to the campaign to collect signatures and qualify the initiative. If elections officials verify that the signatures turned in Wednesday are sufficient and voters approve the initiative, California would join Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon as states that allow recreational use of marijuana.

Opposition is already organizing behind groups such as Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana, which formed to defeat a 2010 legalization initiative that was rejected by 53% of voters. "Marijuana is a very dangerous drug," said Scott Chipman, a San Diego businessman who is the Southern California chairman of the group. "The state has not proven it has the capacity or the will to properly regulate marijuana and so they won't."

The measure is also opposed by the California Police Chiefs Assn., in part, because of problems that have arisen in Colorado. Ventura Police Chief Ken Corney, president of the association, said extremely potent marijuana is being sold in Colorado that he fears will lead to high addiction rates and high incidents of psychosis. This is bad for our communities. This is bad for our youth and its a broad commercialization [of drugs], a for-profit, money-making model, Corney said.

More than 55% of California voters allowed the use of marijuana for medical purposes in 1996 when they approved Proposition 215. Despite the defeat of a 2010 legalization initiative, a poll last year by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 55% of likely voters in California favor full legalization.

Im excited to be a part of one of the largest coalitions of cannabis and non-cannabis organizations to come together to push this initiative forward, said Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Assn. Bradley, who backed the failed 2010 initiative, said voters have since "seen how well [legalizing recreational use] has worked in other states."

Newsom, who is running for governor in 2018, formed a blue ribbon commission on marijuana policy that made recommendations, many of which were incorporated into the initiative. The measure is supported by the Drug Policy Alliance, Marijuana Policy Project, California Cannabis Industry Assn., California Medical Assn. California NAACP, and the national Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

The medical association said in a statement that it supports the measure because "the most effective way to protect the public health is to tightly control, track and regulate marijuana and to comprehensively research and educate the public on its health impacts, not through ineffective prohibition."
Regular readers know I have been urging everyone to keep an eye on the Buckeye State as multiple different efforts are afoot to bring medical marijuana reform into reality in the state. This new Columbus Dispatch article, headlined "Toking nixed, vaping OK in Ohio House medical-marijuana bill," reports on the latest state of work by leaders in the Ohio General Assembly seeking to get reform done and on the books ASAP before a possible ballot initiative is taken to the voters. Here are the details:

Ohioans could not legally smoke medical marijuana under a revamped proposal being rolled out today by state legislators. Those with a prescription for medical marijuana would be allowed to use vaporization or other inhalant devices.

But the new restriction in the legislation, targeted for a House vote Tuesday, probably sets up a public battle with supporters of proposed November ballot issues that would allow smoking.

Rep. Kirk Schuring of Canton, who was set to brief his fellow GOP House members Tuesday night on the revised measure, said he hopes the special committee he chairs approves the new plan Thursday after seeing it for the first time today. After House passage, Schuring said, he is optimistic the Senate and Kasich administration will quickly approve Ohio becoming the 25th state to legalize medical marijuana. The previous version of House Bill 523 did not directly address smoking.

Both versions would bar homegrown marijuana, which would be allowed by the ballot measures. The substitute bill also would ban marijuana edibles in a form that is considered to be attractive to children.

Unlike the original bill, the amended legislation specifies 20 ailments for which medical marijuana could be prescribed. The list includes cancer, AIDS, hepatitis C, sickle-cell anemia, epilepsy, Parkinsons disease and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as pain that is chronic, severe and intractable.

Other provisions added to the proposal:

 The state will set up a program to help qualifying medical-marijuana patients who are veterans or poor obtain the drug.

 Radio and TV ads for medical marijuana would be prohibited.

 Reciprocity agreements could be set up with other states that have regulations substantively similar to Ohios.

 Caregivers would be exempt from arrest and prosecution for obtaining or providing medical marijuana for those in their care.

 Lawyers, CPAs and medical professionals would be exempt from administrative disciplinary action relating to services they provide related to the substance. As with the original bill, employers are not required to accommodate an employees use of medical marijuana.
As reported in this local NPR article, headlined "House Snuffs Marijuana Legalization, Issue Dead For 2016 Session," the only state legislature that seemed to be seriously consider legalizing recreational marijuana via traditional legislation is not going that route. Here are the basic details:

Marijuana legalization is dead for the 2016 session. The Vermont House Tuesday rejected an amendment that would have decriminalized the growing of two plants by a vote of 77 to 70. Lawmakers earlier defeated a Senate plan for commercial marijuana sales.

But the House did approve language calling for a special commission to examine issues surrounding the full legalization of marijuana. The commission is to report its findings in December.

The first issue facing the House was to vote on the Senate's plan to legalize marijuana beginning in January of 2018. The plan also would have created a state regulatory structure to grow, sell and tax marijuana. House Judiciary chairperson Maxine Grad expressed strong concerns about the Senate's approach and said: "It is not the Vermont way." "My vote is a vote against creating a large-scale commercial market that does not allow for small scale growing for personal use," she said, "or does not further the role of small growers and community supported agriculture."

The House rejected the Senate plan by a vote of 121 to 28.

House Minority Leader Don Turner then proposed holding a statewide nonbinding referendum on Primary Election Day in August to allow voters to express their opinion on the question of legalizing marijuana. "You guys want to know if Vermont wants to legalize?" Turner asked the chamber. "Put your money where your mouth is. Vote for my amendment."

Many Democrats argued that August was a terrible time to hold a referendum vote because few Vermonters vote in the primary election. Woodstock Rep. Alison Clarkson said the plan was an abdication of legislative responsibility. "We are elected to represent our constituents we are elected to make tough decisions. That's our responsibility," she said.

The House defeated the nonbinding referendum plan by a vote of 97 to 51.

That vote set the stage for debate over a compromise plan drafted by House Democratic leaders over the past few days. It called for the decriminalization of growing up to two plants, it included additional prevention and education programs for young people, and it called for the creation of a special commission to research many of the issues surrounding the legalization of marijuana.

In the end, the only piece that survived was the creation of a special commission to study legalization. Newbury Rep. Chip Conquest said the panel was needed to closely study the experience of Colorado and Washington, two states that have developed a retail market for marijuana.

"The data is not really reliable," Conquest said. "I don't think  at least from my part  I didn't feel like I could count on it to really give me a good indication of what was happening."

Conquest noted that Vermont has already decriminalized the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana. He says it's time to take the same approach with the cultivation of two plants so that people can get their marijuana from a legal source....

Because of procedural issues at the end of the legislative session, if the House passes any part of its proposal, Senate leaders will not be able to amend the House plan and instead will have to accept or reject it as-is.

Gov. Peter Shumlin, who publicly pressured lawmakers to legalize marijuana this year, condemned the House's decision. "The War on Drugs policy of marijuana prohibition has failed," he said. "I want to thank those House members who recognize that and worked to move this issue forward. It is incredibly disappointing, however, that a majority of the House has shown a remarkable disregard for the sentiment of most Vermonters who understand that we must pursue a smarter policy when it comes to marijuana in this state."
We all have daily problems with technology, but how many of us can fix them?

Mya Le Thai is a scientist studying at the University of California, Irvine. She recently discovered a process that may result in batteries that last forever. VOA Learning English spoke with Thai about her discovery.

Thai said she had been frustrated that the batteries for her wireless devices degrade. Over time, they fail to charge fully.

Thai did not like to have keep her wireless laptop connected to an electrical outlet.

She decided to do something about that problem.

At first, she and her team at UC Irvine thought about inventing a new battery. But as they experimented, Thai discovered something that might permit lithium-ion batteries to last forever.

Lithium-ion batteries power most wireless devices. Over time, the batteries lose the ability to hold a charge. Most of these batteries have a life span of about 7,000 charging cycles before they die.

One of the reasons lithium-ion batteries degrade is their use of nanowires to carry electricity. Nanowires are extremely thin. A human hair is thousands of times thicker, for example.

Nanowires are extremely efficient carriers of electricity, which makes them useful in batteries. But Thai said their thinness also makes them weak.

"Nanowires break and fracture over time," she said. "That's why they lose capacity."

But, Thai had a theory: The nanowires might last longer if covered with a gel. She and the team tested her theory.

"It was a long process and a lot of work," Thai said.

The team tried many coverings for the wires. PMMA was one of them.

The nanowires were coated with PMMA and cycled through charges 200,000 times. The PMMA coated nanowires showed no evidence of damage.

The results suggest that batteries could last forever, without losing charging ability. Thai said 200,000 cycles amount to about three months on just one device.

Thai hopes to continue her research to understand why this gel works so well and to see if any other gel could create better results.

Mya Le Thai told VOA she is enjoying the publicity about her discovery. She said she never expected her research to get media coverage.

"It's kind of cool," she said. "I'm really glad people are showing interest in my work and not just in the work itself, but also in technology and energy."

Im Caty Weaver.

Carolyn Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

Do you look forward to a day when batteries last forever? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

battery - n. a device that is placed inside a machine (such as a clock, toy, or car) to supply it with electricity

frustrated - adj. very angry, discouraged, or upset because of being unable to do or complete something

degrade - v. to make the quality of (something) worse

outlet - n. a device in a wall into which an electric cord can be plugged in order to provide electricity for a lamp, television, etc

lithium-ion battery- n. a rechargeable battery often used to power electronics

gel - n. a thick substance that is like jelly and that is used in various products
South Korea is warning its citizens to be on guard against possible North Korean attempts to kidnap South Koreans overseas.

South Koreas Foreign Ministry made the warning after the group defection of 13 North Koreans in China last month.

North Korea has accused South Korean spies of kidnapping the 13 individuals, all women, who were working at a restaurant in eastern China.

The North has demanded the return of its citizens and threatened to take action.

South Korea has directed its foreign embassies around the world to be cautious about possible kidnappings or terror attacks.

Go Myong-hyun is a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. He told VOA that, in the past, many South Korean fishermen were kidnapped, usually for propaganda purposes.

Often times what happens with South Koreans, first when they arrive, they have a major press conference announcing their defection to North Korea.

Go Myong-hyun said that the North Korean media then makes it appear that the South Koreans defected to the North voluntarily.

He added that some South Koreans kidnapped by North Korea are later trained as spies to go out and capture other South Koreans.

Go Myong-hyun said the kidnappers often are North Korean spies who appear to be South Koreans. The spies try to lure people with promises of jobs or learning opportunities, he said.

Nearly 30,000 North Koreans are estimated to have sought asylum in South Korea since the signing of an armistice agreement. The treaty ended fighting in the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Tens of thousands of South Koreans were abducted by North Korea during the war. South Korean officials believe several hundred are still being held in the North.

Tensions between the two sides have risen since North Korea carried out an underground nuclear weapons test at the beginning of the year.

North Korea plans to hold a rare meeting of the North Korean Workers Party later this week in Pyongyang. It will be the first party congress in nearly 40 years.

Go Myong-hyun said he does not believe South Koreas warning is directly related to the start of the meeting.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Victor Beattie reported this story for VOANews.com. Bryan Lynn adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. ________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

defect  v. to leave a country or group you belong to

cautious  adj. to be careful about avoiding danger or risk

lure  v. to attract, entice or tempt someone to do something

opportunity  n. a situation that makes it possible to do something you want to do or need to do

abduct  v. to take a person away by force, to kidnap
Turkeys prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, has announced he will not seek re-election as the head of the ruling party.

Davutoglu spoke Thursday after a meeting of the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, in Ankara. He told reporters that a change in the position of chairman was needed for the good of the party. The ruling party leader also serves as the prime minister.

The move means that a new party leader will be chosen at the AKP party congress on May 22.

Davutoglu said, I have no sense of failure or regrets in taking this decision.

The prime minster said that his resignation was not his choice but a necessity. He noted that there were no hard feelings.

The prime minister suggested he will remain as a ruling party legislator. He also pledged loyalty to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan said that it was the prime ministers own decision and he wished him well.

The resignation is not effective immediately. The AKP will hold an emergency congress on May 22 to elect a new party leader who would take the place of Davutoglu.

President Erdogan and Prime Minster Davutoglu met late Wednesday but reportedly failed to smooth over their disagreements. Davutoglu has not been a strong supporter of some of Erdogan's policies. These include potential changes to the constitution to make the largely ceremonial presidency into a powerful position.

Relations between the president and prime minister have been tense. Turkish media had reported that Davutoglu was planning to visit the United States on May 2 to meet with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden.

Some reports say this angered Erdogan and the visit was canceled.

The disagreement between the two politicians became especially strong last week. That is when the AKPs 50-member executive committee stripped Davutoglu of his power to appoint local and provincial party leaders.

The problems between the two leaders come as Turkey deals with the influx of refugees from Syrias conflict. In addition, the country is combatting violence linked to Islamic State and Kurdish militants. It is also seeking to become a member of the European Union.

Im Mario Ritter.

Isabela Cocoli reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

pledge v. a serious promise or agreement

smooth over v. to make problems seem less serious

potential adj. capable of becoming real

stripped adj. having had something removed or taken away

influx n. the movement of a large number of people
Melanie Chesley, a Lexington High School English teacher, was named the Nebraska History Day Teacher of the Year for the senior division in April at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.

Chesley took three of her sophomore English students to Lincoln. At the Nebraska History Day event, Julia Briones won first and Danielle Rivera won second with their NHD Historical Research papers. Both girls advance to the national competition June 12-16 in College Park,Md., Chesley said. Another student, Antonio Stewart also did well with his paper. Stewart won an honorable mention from Nebraskaland magazine for the use of his Nebraska sources, she said.

I am truly honored to be named NHD Teacher of the Year for the senior division. I realize I would not be given the honor without the hard work of my students, and I am especially proud that my sophomores are writing at the level of juniors and seniors when it comes to our statewide competition, she said.

Chesley continued, I have never had students compete at the national level, but I look forward to a return to College Park,Md. I studied there one summer as a young teacher at a National Endowment for the Humanities institute called Teaching Shakespeare. I love visiting the Maryland and D.C. area; it is so rich in academic and cultural history.
Its impossible to talk about Captain America Civil War without first talking about last months Batman v Superman.

Both the films are similar on so many levels, yet cannot be more different from each other as a whole. While the DC movie was a sad reminder that superhero films can be a dull, depressing and a horrible disappointment, Captain America Civil War is a bright, energetic and often hilarious celebration of the genre, and a reassurance that superheroes, despite their over-saturation in cinema screens, can still be fun.

Directed by the Russo brothers who also made the previous Captain America movie, Civil War is a sassy demonstration of Marvel being at the very top of their game.

This is pretty much Avengers 2.5 because almost everyone is in attendance, and is way better than Age of Ultron and also more fun that the first Avengers film in some ways. If youve been following the Marvel movies over the past few years you dont need the plot to be explained to you.

Iron Man (Downey Jr) and Captain America (Evans) have a disagreement  while the former wants the Avengers to be regulated by a higher authority, the latter doesnt believe in that because their mission is to simply save people and not indulge in bureaucracy.

But heres the thing  unlike in Batman vs Superman, the conflict here is actually believable. There is some genuine debate between Iron Man and Captain America on the issue at hand, and a fairly credible escalation of events that leads to a full on battle between the two.

Most other Marvel films are basically the same movie, but this one is so different because it is bold enough to tread into bolder and intelligent themes. The audience is presented with the interesting fact that the Avengers should be answerable to someone, and they should take responsibility for their actions.

All the pretty explosions you have been seeing are not just for show, but they affect people in the movie universe. Houses are destroyed and people are killed. There needs to be someone to watch the Watchmen.

Yes, the problem that Iron Man and Captain America have could be sorted if one of them simply told the other some vital information (that someone is manipulating events), but its easy to forget this contrivance when the pyrotechnics on screen are so damn good. Seriously, Civil War has some of the most amazing action sequences ever put on screen. Theres an insane scene at an airport that will leave your tongues wagging and dribble dropping on the floor.

The Russos continue to incorporate the awesome tag team fight choreography where one superhero initiates his move on the bad guy, and another superhero finishes off the baddie with his own move. The best part of all this is that all the action takes place in broad daylight, making the stuff happening on screen coherent.

Whats more, the movie has a whole bunch of laugh out loud moments. A moment where Captain scores a date and two of his friends nod in appreciation gets the whole theater roaring in laughter.

After watching the hilariously subversive Deadpool, I was convinced that I could never again take a straightforward superhero movie seriously. Captain America Civil War undid my thought process just two months later. The biggest takeaway from this film was that Black Panther looks sleek as hell, and one just cant wait for the next slew of Marvel superhero films like Doctor Strange.

So its not a question of whether you should see this movie, its of which the biggest cinema screen in your city is and when the earliest show is.
In most situations, our Bollywood stars (or stars anywhere really) have perfected the art of doublespeak. They say one thing, and mean another  or they really mean nothing by what they say at all.

From the were just good friends phrase to he/she is a wonderful co-star there are platitudes aplenty that could be compiled into an Archetype of Quotes from Bollywood Stars Down the Ages book.

Surprisingly, however, when it comes to their appearances at the Cannes Film Festival, theyre disarmingly honest. Now we arent sure if this is intentional, or just a coincidence, but what these Cannes regulars have had to say about their red carpet appearances pretty much hits the nail on the head.

With the stars preparing to descend on the French Riviera once again for the fest, from 11 May, we take a look at the candid statements stars have made about their Cannes appearances  and how they proved to be very truthful.

I havent given my Cannes wardrobe much thought  Vidya Balan

The year was 2013 and Vidya Balan was enjoying her reign in Bollywood. Additional recognition beckoned in the form of being a jury member for the Cannes Film Festival that year. This was Vidyas moment to shine, and she decided the best way to do this was sport a series of increasingly frumpy outfits for her Cannes photo calls and red carpet appearances.

Critics noted that Balan seemed to have confused clothing with costumes and wondered if she was the only one who received a memo saying the dress code was Mughal-e-Azam. Before Vidya left for Cannes, she admitted: I havent given my Cannes wardrobe much thought. And indeed, she clearly hadnt. Neither, it seems, had designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who was given the responsibility of dressing Vidya for all the days at Cannes.

I dont think I am going there to set any trend or look  Katrina Kaif



Hmm. Flaming red hair, a flaming red gown, flaming red lips, on a flaming red carpet: Katrina Kaif looked pretty gorgeous when she made her Cannes appearance, except for the fact that she blended into the carpet. And Kat did come in for criticism for playing it so safe with her sartorial choices. Her black and beige Elie Saab gown was also pointed out for being similar to one Aishwarya Rai wore at the fest back in 2012. So yes Kats statement proved true as well: She really didnt set any trend or win fashion watchers over with her red carpet looks.

I have never spent sleepless nights planning the Cannes red carpet  Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

A surprising statement for the diva to make considering the amount of bad press she gets for getting it wrong at Cannes repeatedly. 2014 was the only year when Ash absolutely got her style right at Cannes  the gold Cavalli gown effectively shut up her critics like nothing else could. But then 2015 was again a mixed bag for the actress  although better than previous years. We wouldnt want the actress to lose any sleep over what to wear, but perhaps a little more thought put into those red carpet appearances might do wonders?

Kaala hai, chal jayega  Nawazuddin Siddique

Never has a more original statement been made: Nawaz chose to wear the same black tuxedo to Cannes in both 2012 and 2013  accessorising it with nothing more than his brooding looks and a mouche. And it worked!

Of course, actresses wouldnt be allowed to get away with repeating any of their exquisite gowns from one year to the next, or even one event to the next. But there are perks to being a guy, and not having to think too long and hard about your fashion choices, we suppose, is one of them.

Flashing the V sign  Sonam Kapoor

When it comes to her style profile at Cannes  except for one Big Bird moment  Sonam Kapoor has pretty much got it right. And it isnt just about dolling up in pretty gowns or saris either  along with sister Rhea Kapoor, Sonam has devoted a whole lot of thought to having the right mix of styles and designers on display. So the victory sign is all the statement she will ever need to make about her Cannes red carpet appearances. We can only hope that the actress A-grade run continues at the Riviera!
Close on the heels of the Malaika Arora-Arbaaz Khan divorce reports in March came news that another popular actor couple  Sushant Singh Rajput and longtime girlfriend Ankita Lokhande  had also separated.

Sushant and Ankita, who met on the sets of the Balaji Telefilms TV series Pavitra Rishta in 2009, were among the telly industrys most prominent couples, and enjoyed a tremendous fan following. While Sushant quit the show to make a career in Bollywood, with films like Kai Po Che, Shuddh Desi Romance, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy and the upcoming MSD: The Untold Story to his credit, Ankita continued with Pavitra Rishta until the serial ended. She had not been seen in any onscreen projects recently.

Speculation about Sushant and Ankitas split intensified after a series of conflicting statements by the duo. Other reports quoted sources close to the couple as saying that Ankitas unwillingness to return to work, possessiveness over Sushant, and substance dependencies had led to the break-up. Still other sources hinted that Sushants infidelities and propensity to stray had caused trouble in the relationship.

However, Sushant finally broke his silence on the subject with a series of tweets on Tuesday night. In the tweets, he explained that it wasnt the issues mentioned in media reports that had caused the break-up with Ankita. Instead, it was simply an unfortunate case of two individuals growing apart over time.

What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it. pic.twitter.com/uiGwCBV0UR  Sushant S Rajput (@itsSSR) May 3, 2016

Neither she was an alcoholic nor I am a womaniser . People do Grow apart & its unfortunate . Period!!  Sushant S Rajput (@itsSSR) May 4, 2016

On 24 March, Ankita had tweeted a message for Sushant just after the reports of their separation were published. In the tweet, she indicated that no matter what, the duo would always be there for each other.

Don't feel alone I m always there in ur heart ,in ur life @itsSSR  Ankita lokhande (@anky1912) March 24, 2016

The couple had reportedly planned to tie the knot in December this year.
New Delhi: A UK-based tribunal today dismissed a suit filed by a former Wipro employee of "wrongful dismissal" but held that she was a "victim of discrimination" by the Bengaluru-based IT firm.

Last year, Shreya Ukil had approached the Employment Tribunal alleging sexual discrimination and harassment allegations against the Bengaluru-based IT firm. She had filed a suit claiming 1.2 million pounds in damages, claiming she was subjected to gender discrimination, unequal pay and unfair dismissal.

Ukil's complaints that succeeded include "direct sex discrimination in respect of remarks by Mr (George) Joseph", "victimisation" in respect of being required to return to India in 2014 and in relation to blocking attempts of finding another internal job within Europe during the same year.

Compensation (referred to as 'remedy') will be decided at a later date. Following the judgement, her counsel Slater Gordon in a statement said "the Wipro leadership team, including its (then) chief executive T K Kurien, conspired to push Ukil out of her job and her role in Britain."

Ukil, 40, said she hoped that "companies will again reconsider their treatment of female employees, ensuring they are treated fairly and equally." "I hope that this verdict will encourage women everywhere at every level to raise their voices and be heard. It is undoubtedly a struggle and a very hard one but the only way to change this equation is by ensuring that it is brought to light. No organisation or person is too big that they can get away with unethical and illegal behaviour," she added.

"The complaints of disability discrimination, and the Equality Act 2010 claims relating to stock options, are dismissed upon withdrawal," the Tribunal said. The Tribunal further said the "complaint of wrongful dismissal fails and is dismissed."

The BSE-listed Wipro in an emailed response said it was "pleased the UK Employment Tribunal has upheld the dismissal of the complainant from the services of the organisation as appropriate and rejected claims of adverse cultural attitude towards women in the organisation".

"The company has built its business over the years by ensuring it adheres to the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and ethical corporate practices. Any transgression of these beliefs and policies will continue to be dealt with expeditiously and with the strictest action," Wipro said in an emailed statement.

The company said it has a Global Prevention of Sexual Harassment Committee (PSHC), an impartial body for investigation with members across locations, including an external expert.

"All such matters are reviewed at the highest level at Wipro and we will continue with this practice," it added.
New Delhi: Chartered accountants' apex body ICAI is reviewing financial statements of certain Vijay Mallya group firms to assess the role of auditors and has warned of strict disciplinary action in case of violations.

The move also comes against the backdrop of the embattled Mallya facing a case of loan default worth Rs 9,400 crore.

Warning of strict action against auditors in case of violations, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has said it is highly concerned about the issue and role of its members in "an unhealthy manner".

The Financial Reporting Review Board (FRRB) of ICAI is reviewing the financial statements of certain enterprises of the Mallya group to assess the performance of the auditors.

"In the case of the UB group, as a proactive measure, FRRB is selecting the general purpose financial statements of various enterprises of the UB group which were reported by the media to have been involved in irregularities," ICAI President M Devaraja Reddy told PTI.

FRRB assesses whether the financial reporting framework has been duly complied with.

Among others, FRRB reviews the financial statements of various enterprises with a view to verifying various aspects such as compliance with the generally accepted accounting principle in the preparation and presentation of financial statement.

In the latest monthly message to members, Reddy has flagged concerns over bad loans and wilful defaulters.

"The problem may relate to management or judgement; non-retrieval of loan money will have direct inferences on the auditing profession as well," he said.

Noting that regulators and banks are striving hard to recover bad loans from wilful defaulters, he said, "ICAI is highly concerned about the issue and role of its auditors in an unhealthy manner."

In the context of FRRB reviewing the financial statements of certain Mallya group firms, Reddy said, "Auditors' role in this dilemma, which so far has not come to the fore, if found deficient, shall be dealt with strictly by the disciplinary committee of ICAI."

Multiple agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate and CBI, are probing issues related to the massive loan default by Mallya and others.

Emphasising that ICAI's regulatory mechanism is "working assiduously", he said it has been taking disciplinary action against members found guilty of alleged professional misconduct.

Action is initiated as per provisions of the Chartered Accountants (Amendment) Act, 2006, and related rules.

"ICAI has a strong disciplinary mechanism in place whereby proceedings are initiated and taken to their logical end through a well-defined procedure, which maintains the interests of natural justice while ensuring the guilty are never spared," Reddy said in the e-mailed statement.
According to Japanese firm Nomura, foreign direct investment (FDI) in India during financial year 2015 was to the tune of US$ 34.9 billion. This is a massive 61.6% jump from US$ 21.6 billion during 2014. According to the report, the FY 2015 inflows are 1.7% of GDP, up from 1.1% in the previous year. The obvious reason is India opening up to the world, remodeling its economic policies and in particular the Make in India call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Economic Survey released on 27 February this year states that FDI in India has received a dramatic boost from the launch of the Make in India initiative, major objectives behind the Make in India being job creation and skill enhancement in 25 sectors of the economy, including automobiles, aviation, biotechnology, chemicals, construction, defence manufacturing, electrical machinery, electronic systems and mining.

After the September 2014 launch of Make in India, there was an almost 40% increase in FDI inflows from October 2014 to June 2015 over a similar period in previous year. Entities from several countries like Japan, China, France and South Korea announced their intention to invest in India in various industrial and infrastructure projects. According to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP): FDI inflows under the approval route (which requires prior government permission) increased by 87% during 2014-15 with an inflow of $2.22 billion; more than 90% of FDI was through the automatic route, and; during 2014-15, foreign institutional investment rose by an unprecedented 717% to $40.92 billion.

Under the Make in India program, the government has reportedly awarded 56 defence manufacturing permits to private sector entities in the past one year, after allowing 49% FDI in the defence sector in August 2014, compared with 47 granted in the preceding three years. Singapore, Mauritius, Netherlands and the US account for the major share of FDI inflows into India. Out of FDI equity inflows of $24.8 billion during 2015-16 (April-November), more than 60% came from Singapore and Mauritius.

However, when the figures of FDI in defence were laid down in Parliament on 29 April 2016, they were quite disappointing. The written reply given by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar read, The actual flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) takes time to mature. From August 2014 to February 2016, a total amount of Rs.112.35 lakh (Rs 1.12 crore) has come into the country as FDI in the defence sector. This actually amounts to a pittance compared to the overall FDI coming in and the Make in India campaign. There is no doubt that funds flowing in through FDI are also suspect with ongoing investigations in the VVIP helicopter scam indicating possibility of bribe money of some Rs 100-120 crore having come through FDI. Significantly, the Economic Survey mentioned herein also states, These inflows need perhaps to be examined more closely to determine whether they constitute actual investment or are diversions from other sources to avail of tax benefits under the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement that these countries have with India.

Notwithstanding the above, there is a need to seriously examine why the defence sector has failed to attract FDI even in the backdrop that when the Modi government took over in May 2014, it hiked the FDI limit from 26% to 49% in defence equipment manufacturing, and also announced the Make in India campaign to encourage Indian industry to take over some sections of manufacturing which were being imported. Significantly, the Parliament had also approved FDI in defence sector beyond 49% on case-to-case basis, obviously for state-of-the-art products. The hesitation of FDI in defence is because of multiple factors, as discussed in succeeding paragraphs.

-First, the DPP-2016 issued is incomplete: criteria for choosing strategic partners are not defined; whether wholly-owned subsidiaries of foreign companies qualify as Indian Offset Partners (IOPs) is not clear; detailed offset guidelines not notified; no changes mentioned to the Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap (TPCR) in vogue in the past decade and a half which hasnt helped much; no worthwhile changes in other procedures including the Fast Track Procedure (FTP); no changes in the Technical Oversight Committee (TOC) mechanism in terms of combining it with TEC or Staff Evaluation Committee and raising its threshold from the existing INR 300 crores as also dropping of the DPSU member as recommended by the defence private industry, and; chapter containing the revised standard contract document as well as various annexure and appendices has not been released.

-Second, just facilitating foreign companies to bypass government and the FIPB in finalizing defence investment deals is unlikely to suffice. The issues of IPR and the number and guarantee of what would be absorbed in India too need to be addressed.

-Third, The private sector continues to doubt the governments resolve in providing a level playing field. Many of them cite example of the Armys Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) project where fresh expression of interest (EoI) was issued in March 2014, yet four entities empanelled in 2010 were also included, which they feel was done only to accommodate the OFB. They visualize OFB being selected as one of the development agency, leaving just one remaining vacancy for balance private industry.

-Fourth, while Parliament approved FDI in defence beyond 49% on case to case basis in 2014, MoD has still to define what state-of-the-art. This is an atrocious state of affairs, which has only come to light when FIPB was questioned about the Tata-AugustaWestland JV to manufacture helicopters in India. Obviously all cases pertaining to FDI in defence beyond 49% are stuck because of the same reason.

So, when Defence Minister Parrikar told Parliament The actual flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) takes time to mature, it obviously includes the incompetent bureaucracy of MoD which is unable to define past two years what state-of-the-art implies. Can you have a better example of red tape, that too in backdrop of mounting criticalities of the military that includes a void of 1000 helicopters? In the past several years, the DIPP of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has been recommending 74% FDI in defence in case of ToT and 100% FDI in case of making available state-of-the-art technology.

Clearly much more facilitation for Make in India is required. The government must also get on with the vital need to reorganize the higher defence set up, which is adversely affecting the defence of India. It is time to bring military professionals in MoD, as also having a defence secretary from outside the IAS, as recently suggested by Ashish Puntambekar, Designer, Defence Economic Zone Project through a letter to the Defence Minister, post his exasperating experiences with MoD bureaucrats. Revelations from the ongoing AugustaWestalnd helicopter scam also underline the urgent need for reorganizing the MoD.

The author is veteran Lieutenant General of Indian Army.
Government is considering setting up an independent panel to help state-owned banks negotiate settlements with big businesses on bad loans.

India's $121 billion troubled debt pile, over $100 billion of which is on the books of state-owned banks, has come under close scrutiny from prosecutors, the media and politicians. Some have blamed banks for going too easy on corporate tycoons, and do not want taxpayers propping up the struggling banking sector.

The proposal, being examined by the government and in its early stages, would give the panel power to define the "haircut" a bank should face on a loan gone sour, protecting bankers from critics who want failed Indian firms to pay back in full, two finance ministry and two central bank officials said.

Bad debt has hampered banks' ability to lend, threatening to throttle a nascent economic recovery. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made repairing bank balance sheets his administration's "top-most priority," a senior government official said.

"Banks have been very reluctant to take a haircut where they face newspaper criticism," said a second senior official, who is familiar with discussions on the panel. He declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The second official added that the proposal had run into hurdles already, however, amid questions over how it would fit into India's existing legal framework.

A finance ministry spokesman declined to comment. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the proposal.

Fear of bad headlines was one reason why state-run banks declined to consider embattled tycoon Vijay Mallya's offer to pay up to $900 million in tranches to settle about $1.4 billion his defunct Kingfisher Airlines owed, two banking sources said.

Mallya now also faces a money laundering investigation.

Mallya told the Financial Times late last month that he wanted a "reasonable" settlement that he could afford and banks could justify. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Bad loans have piled up as subdued consumer demand hits corporate earnings, making it harder for big businesses to repay loans.

Gaping capital hole

The RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has set a deadline of March 2017 for banks to clean up their books, and the government said it would inject $11 billion in state banks by March 2019 to help them repair their balance sheets.

India Ratings and Research, a local affiliate of Fitch, has said the government would have to cough up as much as $45 billion if the lenders failed to raise funds from markets to address expected future capital shortfalls.

Negotiated settlements, in which a bank takes a writedown on a loan gone bad, can help speed up the process. They would allow banks to more quickly establish how much money they would need to bolster their balance sheets.

All state lenders including State Bank of India (SBI), the largest, are trading at a steep discount to their book values. Healthier institutions would be able to raise money from the market, reducing the burden on taxpayers.

Several finance ministry officials said stake sales were more likely once valuations of state-run banks improved.

Mahesh Patil, co-chief investment officer at Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co, said an independent panel for deciding haircuts on non-performing assets would accelerate decision making and help banks focus on their core lending business.

"As long as these issues are there, a lot of attention goes in terms of addressing the NPAs," Patil said. "The decision-making will be much better under an independent panel."

Panel proposal

The proposal envisages setting up a panel comprising leading bankers and government and central bank officials, to review some larger outstanding loans and try to arrive at a settlement, finance ministry and central bank officials said.

There is also a suggestion to include judges, they added.

The idea was first floated in 2014 after Modi took office, but did not gain much traction then, one of the finance ministry officials said.

It resurfaced at a two-day bankers' retreat in March where lenders saw it as a way of giving them some kind of insurance while breaking the logjam on bad loans, one of the central bank officials said.

Banks are trying other means to reduce non-performing loans.

In March, for example, SBI asked industrialist Naveen Jindal's Jindal Steel and Power (JNSP.NS) to speed up a deal to sell a power plant to JSW Energy (JSWE.NS), run by his elder brother Sajjan, to pare debt, several sources familiar with the matter said.

The deal was announced on Wednesday.
New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India on Thursday released the draft guidelines for 'on tap' licensing of universal banks in the private sector and sought comments on them.

"The suggestions on the draft guidelines may be sent by June 30 this year. Final guidelines and inviting applications for setting up of new universal banks in the private sector will be initiated after receiving the feedback," the RBI said in a statement.

The resident individuals and professionals having 10 years of experience in banking and finance are eligible to promote universal banks, according the draft guidelines.

Large industrial or business houses are excluded as eligible entities but permitted to invest in the banks to the extent of less than 10 percent, it said.

The initial minimum paid-up voting equity capital for a bank will be Rs.5 billion and thereafter, it should have a minimum net worth of Rs.5 billion at all times.

The aggregate foreign shareholding in the bank should be 74 percent, as per the existing foreign direct investment (FDI) policy.

The licensing window will be open on-tap, and the applications in the prescribed form along with requisite information could be submitted to the RBI at any point of time, it said.

The decision to issue an in-principle approval for setting up of a bank will be taken by the central bank and will be valid for 18 months.

Non-operative financial holding company (NOFHC) has now been made non-mandatory in case of promoters being individuals or standalone entities. Promoter must own at least 51 percent of the total paid-up equity capital of the NOFHC, it said.
The Supreme Court has on Wednesday directed tobacco manufacturers to immediately comply with the central governments regulation on increasing the size of health warnings to 85 per cent of the principal display area on packets. With this, India comes in line with its neighbours Pakistan Sri Lanka and Thailand and Pakistan who follow the same graphic warnings on cigarette packs.

The SC order comes amid growing conflict between the government and tobacco industry. The industry had sought to delay rules from April 1 which requires 85 percent of a cigarette pack's surface to be covered in health warnings, up from 20 percent.

The specified health warning will cover at least 85 percent of the principal display area of the package of which 60 per cent will be pictorial warning and twenty-five percent textual warning. All these will be positioned on the top edge of the package and in the same direction as the information on the principal display area.

A PIL filed by 66 year-old Umesh Narain Sharma, claimed that smoking was responsible for over 10 lakh deaths every year in India. According to the PIL, Sharma, an oral cancer patient, had to remove part of his tongue to prevent spread of the cancer in 2011.

Sharma wanted the government to take tough action on cigarette makers.

The WHO believes pictorial warnings are important in developing countries where rates of illiteracy are higher. If the cigarette making industry can make use of images to promote the product, then it cannot object to health departments to discourage tobacco use, it argued.

Consumer reaction

Consumers had mixed reactions to the SC ruling. "I don't look at the picture on the cigarette pack when I buy it," said Apeksha Kalluri, a 26 year-old techie working in Mumbai. She has been smoking since she was 19. "I have seen the warning label on the cigarette pack but I don't pay any attention to it," she says. Kalluri smokes five cigarettes a day. As a young collegians, she wanted to smoke with friends to have that experience. "It was not peer pressure. I wanted to try it out as my friends were smoking," she says in a matter-of-fact tone.

Later, Kalluri says when she went abroad to study further, she found a cigarette was a good antidote in the severe winters. A cigarette also proved to be a familiar and reassuring habit, she says, when alone in a new country. "I spoke to the first person in college, who later became a friend, when we were both out of class and were smoking in a common area," she says, adding that perhaps she would have met the individual even without sharing a space for a smoke. "But a cigarette made that easier," she says.

India fares badly

Tobacco is the leading cause of cancer deaths in India. The country has nearly 274.9 million tobacco users. Of these, nearly 26 percent of them use smokeless tobacco, six percent are cigarette smokers, and nine percent smoke bidi, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS).

The Supreme Court directive will be able to help smokers in general, more so first time smokers, believe health professionals. "It will deter youngsters and first-time smokers from forming a habit that has grave health consequences," said Dr Smita N Deshpande, head, department of psychiatry and drug de-addiction at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi. "Especially youngsters who want to try their first cigarette will be discouraged when they look at the gross pictures on the cigarette pack," believes Deshpande.

Ram Manohar Lohia hospital had a tobacco control centre for four years, but later it was integrated with psychiatric services due to lack of personnel to run it.

Adman Piyush Pandey, though, is emphatic that pictorial warnings will not work. He said that irrespective of gross images on cigarette pack, "whoever wants to smoke will smoke."

Agreeing with Pandey is Gautam More, professor, K J Somaiya College of Buddhist studies, who said that a warning on a cigarette packet or putting up gross pictures will have no impact as he believes these serve to only promote fear in the consumer. "Who is afraid of anything? Don't people who indulge in substance abuse not know about its consequences? Everyone is out to try what they want to, even when they know it is life threatening. When you are young, it is a matter of defiance. So, I don't think any such measures will help people stop smoking or any other kind of addiction."

However, Dr Altaf Patel, Director, Medicine at Jaslok Hospital is of the opinion that even if one percent of the public is discouraged to smoke because of the graphic pictures on the packets, it would serve the cause that SC has championed with the order. "A one percent impact is huge when you consider healthcare spend with regard to tobacco," he said.
The national disaster management authority has listed the disaster prone areas in India, according to which 68% of the cultivable area is vulnerable to droughts. This is quite interesting to see that majority of cultivable area are in drought-prone area. Drought is indeed the most critical risk which affects the majority of Indias land mass and food security. It is estimated that 33 crore of Indian population affect by drought.

The Irrigation commission set up by the government of India in 1972 had defined drought prone areas are those areas that subjects to meteorological drought in twenty percent in a year. And, if it is more than 40 percent which is considered as chronic drought affected areas. Again the national commission on agriculture in 1976 came out with another definition of agricultural drought.

According to which an area receives less half of the normal rainfall in a four consecutive weeks during Kharif or six consecutive weeks for Rabi is considered as drought prone. These assessments are largely depended on rainfall data and assessment; however in 1994 the committee headed by Hanumtha Rao redefined the established approach toward drought, the committee proposed to consider climatic variables, irrigated areas and sources of irrigation as tools for drought assessment.

The Rao Committee offered larger institutional mechanisms to define and approach drought. It combined both natural and human-induced reasons to define drought.

Drought was recognised as a problem in India long ago the table 1 gives a detailed account of the history of drought in the country.

India has nearly two centuries of drought management history, however the poor drought management in the last couple of years proved that government and people, both failed to develop institutions to manage the severity of drought. Now government quite often refers the national Disaster Management (DM) Act 2005 as a frame- work to manage the drought risk, DM Act-2005 is guideline and it has also ratified the state responsibility to manage the relief centric approach to drought. It is quite evident in the case of drought management in Latur, Maharashtra. The government considers only the vulnerability due to the shortage of water and water train has become a structural solution. The Maharashtra government is operating in war-foot approach to deliver water by rail. It is needed, however such temporary relief unfortunately projects as a solution. It does not offer an institutional approach to comprehensively manage drought risk.

The table 2 gives detailed account of the drought crisis in India and its increasing intensity.

The rising peoples vulnerability to drought indeed questions the drought risk management of the governments. For instance drought refuges in the urban centres. It does not just comes under general migration, here marginal farmers and others who hold assets in the rural areas are force to come in the urban peripheries to eke out a living and stay in temporary shelter and seek regular support of the government. Public health crisis is another neglected issue in the present day relief centric drought risk management. The unequal impact of drought on different social groups needs to assess, however, no such attempts have been made to assess the differential impact of drought.

Drought induced Migration

Climate induced migration has been reported across the world, however, India is considered as safe from these. Drought refugee camps in Ghatkopar and Thane area of Maharashtra prove how awful Indias drought management system is. Farmers are migrating to urban centres and engage in the informal labour market for bare minimum wages. Government permits them to put their temporary tent. They are belong to the category of internally displaced people and, unfortunately, there is no law exists to deal with the internally displaced people. So the absence of law benefits the government not to get into finding any permanent solution. People who migrate are farmers and rural workers and not necessarily have all the skill to eke out a living in the urban areas. So they are force to work for bare minimum wages and depend on government and non-governmental agencies humanitarian support. They are drought refugees as well.

MGNREGA as a solution

The only active response towards drought is increase the number of working days of MGNREGA from 100 days to 150 days. However the large scale migration and refugee camps in the urban areas proved those additional work days in MGNREGA is a failure. Drought reduces the consumption of essential commodities and widens the inequality of access to water. Too much relief and the states claim delimit the structural solution to the problem. For instance, no minister or bureaucrat speaks on sugar cane farming in Maharashtra, beer factories and river water diversions. Everybody knows that these are the permanent solutions and too much of reliefism undermine the demand for structural solutions. Also taking individual vulnerability as a point of state intervention to reduce the drought risk never going to offer any credible solution.

(The author is an Assistant professor in Tata Institute of Social Sciences)
DHAKA Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a final appeal by the leader of the top Islamist party against a death sentence for atrocities committed during the 1971 war of independence, lawyers said, meaning he could be hanged at any time.

The Supreme Court in January upheld the death penalty for Motiur Rahman Nizami, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, for genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of top intellectuals during the 1971 war.

Nizami, 73, a former legislator and minister under Khaleda Zia when she was prime minister, has been in jail since 2010, when he was charged with war crimes by a tribunal set up by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that year.

The war crimes tribunal has sparked violence and drawn criticism from opposition politicians, including leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, that it is victimising Hasina's political opponents.

"All the legal battles are over," Nizami's lawyer, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, told reporters. "Now it is up to him, whether he will seek clemency from the president, or not."

Hundreds of people flooded the streets of the capital, Dhaka, to cheer the verdict, but there has been no report of violence, although Jamaat called a nationwide strike for Sunday in protest.

Authorities have deployed additional security forces in Dhaka and elsewhere as similar previous judgments triggered violence that killed around 200, mainly Jamaat activists and police.

No Peace Without Justice, a non-profit body based in Italy, has called the tribunal's proceedings "a weapon of politically influenced revenge whose real aim is to target the political opposition".

The government denies the accusations.

The verdict comes as the Muslim-majority nation suffers a surge in militant violence in which atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers have been killed.

In the last month alone, five people, including a university teacher, two gay activists and a Hindu have been hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants.

The government has blamed the increase in Islamist violence on Jamaat-e-Islami, but the group denies any link to the attacks.

Four opposition politicians, including three Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, have been convicted by the war crimes tribunal and executed since late 2013.

About 3 million people were killed, official figures show, and thousands of women were raped, during the nine-month war, in which some factions, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, opposed the break from what was then called West Pakistan.

But the party denies that its leaders committed any atrocities.

(Editing by Nick Macfie and Clarence Fernandez)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The nation wants to know who was bribed for the AgustaWestland deal, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar implored in Parliament on Wednesday.

There was corruption in the AgustaWestland deal. Bring the guilty to book, act fast, the Italian court has given you the opportunity. Don't threaten us, if you have evidence, prosecute, argued his predecessor AK Antony.

Dhuan utha hai, aag to kahin hogi (smoke has arisen, there must be fire). Conduct an inquiry, punish the guilty, pleaded Congress leader AP (Ahmed Patel).

And then the Congress walked out, ostensibly because it was denied a time-bound probe monitored by the Supreme Court.

So, the nation wants to know.

The Congress wants to know.

The accused want to know.

As the proverb goes, when BJP, Congress are raazi (ready), toh kya karega qazi (nation)? Who will tell them who pocketed the money paid by the AgustaWestland middlemen?

In Indian politics, scandals and scams are like patients in an ICU of a hospital. Every time one surfaces, politicians, like avaricious hospital owners, start finding ways of keeping the metaphorical patient there as long as possible for their own benefit. It is kept alive with lies, propaganda, insinuations, counter-allegations and obfuscation as long as it keeps paying politically. And then, when there is nothing left to get out of them, the scandals are left to die a natural death.

It is evident that the BJP is keen to keep the Agusta controversy alive, primarily because it sees in it an opportunity to corner the Gandhis, if not prosecute them. On Monday, India Today reported that the alleged middleman in the deal, Christian Michel, has said that he was put under pressure by Indian investigative agencies to incriminate the Gandhi family.

According to Michel, a number of people contacted him with the proposal that he denounce any member of the Gandhi family and in turn, all the charges against him would be dropped. In a letter to the Registrar of the International Tribunal on 23 December, 2015, Michel wrote:

"At this time, it was made very clear to me through a number of obtuse channels, if I was willing to denounce and member of the Gandhi family relating to the so called VVIP helicopter scandal all charges and investigations against me would be dropped."

Michel is an accused in the case. He is wanted by Indian agencies for investigation in the case. His allegation could be a red herring, a canard or a ploy to gain sympathy. Or, like David Coleman Headley he might be speaking the truth. But, if the BJP's primary objective is to put the Gandhis behind bars, it will have to do much better than it did in Parliament than 'exposing' Rahul Gandhi's petty real estate deals in 2005.

It will need solid evidence that wipes the confident smiles off the faces of the Gandhis.

There is no evidence linking Congress president Sonia Gandhi to the scam, Judge Marco Maigo, president of the Court of Appeals in Italy, told NewsX on Tuesday. Maigo, who pronounced and signed the 225-page judgment in the scam, added that there was only one mention of Sonia's name in a translated fax which had originally been sent to James Christian Michel  one of the alleged middlemen in the scam.

Maigo also said that Gandhi had only "been indicated as someone who will fly in the VVIP helicopters" and that the former prime minister Manmohan Singh was mentioned in the same context.

When Parrikar read out his speech in Parliament at the end of the debate on the chopper deal, there wasn't a single mention of the Gandhis, not a shard of evidence that money had paid to them. Parrikar pointed out that several norms had been flouted in the deal: The cabin height was tailored for a single vendor, trials were held in a foreign country (as against the agreement that they would be held in Indian) conditions in a mock-up (since the selected AgustaWestland chopper was in the early stages of manufacturing) and that four extra helicopters were added to the original bid.

But, the real dispute here is not that the deal was clean.

Even the UPA government had accepted that there was corruption in the deal and handed over the case to the CBI and Enforcement Directorate. What the nation wants to know is this: Were the Gandhis bribed? Did the money go to AP? If so, is Patel that man?

The BJP should know that in India, politics of scams and scandals is a game of diminishing returns. Unless the accused is nailed with clinching evidence, mere noise and ''threats"  as Antony argued  ultimately trigger sympathy for the intended 'villain'.

Years ago, when VP Singh dragged Rajiv Gandhi into the Bofors scam, he was hailed as a hero. For months, Singh claimed in election speeches and interviews that he had a diary that carried account details of people who were paid Bofors kickbacks. A year later, unable to reveal the name the nation wanted to know, Singh lost his aura and then, the next election.

Back then, old-timers would recall, soon after Singh became prime minister that Rajiv implored the government to complete the probe and reveal the names of the guilty. "The nation should know if the leader of Opposition is corrupt," he said in Parliament.

The government failed to act and Singh lost credibility.

History will repeat itself if AgustaWestland turns out to be the NDA government's Bofors.
Raipur: The death toll in the bus accident in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district has gone up to 16, with three more persons, including a woman, succumbing to their injuries at a hospital, police said on Thursday.

13 people were killed and 53 others injured on Wednesday night when the crowded private bus fell off a small bridge into the dry bed of a rivulet at Daldhowa ghat under Balrampur police station limits, about 400 km from Raipur.

"Three persons died in Ambikapur district hospital in the night hours. Thirteen others who were in a critical condition were shifted to Raipur," Balrampur Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar said.

The other injured passengers were admitted to a local hospital in Balrampur, he said.

The bus was on its way to Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur from Gadhwa in neighbouring Jharkhand when the accident took place at Daldhowa ghat at around 10.30 pm on Wednesday.

As per preliminary information, the driver of the luxury bus, belonging to a private travel agency, suddenly spotted a motorcycle at a sharp curve in Daldhowa. In a bid to save the person on the two-wheeler, the bus driver lost control over the wheels following which the vehicle skidded into the dry rivulet bed and overturned, the SP said.

The identity of the victims was being ascertained, he said, adding that the bus driver was also killed in the mishap.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raman Singh today visited the injured passengers referred to Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Raipur, and directed the health officials to provide best medical care to them.

Singh also prayed for their speedy recovery, an official spokesperson here said.
Raipur: At least 13 people were killed and 53 others injured when a bus fell off a small bridge into a dry rivulet in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district on Wednesday night, police said.

The private luxury bus was on its way to the state capital Raipur from Gadhwa of the neighbouring Jharkhand state when the accident took place at Daldhowa ghat around 10.30 pm, about 400 km from Raipur.

Around 5 kms away from Balrampur district headquarter, the bus driver suddenly spotted a motorcycle at a sharp curve at Daldhowa and while trying to save him, lost control over the steering following which the vehicle skidded into the dry rivulet and overturned two-three times, Balrampur Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar told PTI over phone.

Soon after getting news of the incident, a police team rushed to the spot and began rescue work, he said.

"So far there are reports of 13 deaths while 16 critically injured were shifted to Ambikapur district hospital. Besides, 37 other injured have been admitted to local hospital at Balrampur," the SP added.

The identity of the victims, all of them male, was being ascertained, he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raman Singh has expressed grief over the incident.

The CM has directed the district administration to provide best medical care to the injured and prayed for their speedy recovery, an official spokesperson here said.
On 30 April, 2016, a special CBI court in Delhi ordered Dasari Narayana Rao, former Minister of State for Coal and Congress MP, industrialist Naveen Jindal, Madhu Koda, former Jharkhand Chief Minister and 12 others to be put on trial on charges of criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy in a 2008 allocation of a coal block in Jharkhand.

The other accused include H C Gupta, former Coal Secretary; Rajeev Jain, Director of Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd; Girish Kumar Suneja and Radha Krishna Saraf, Directors of GSIPL; Suresh Singhal, Director of New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd (NDEPL); K Ramakrishna Prasad, Managing Director of Sowbhagya Media Ltd; and chartered accountant Gyan Swaroop Garg.

The prima facie irregularities pertain to the creation of a smokescreen of companies to facilitate the payoff of Rs 2 crore to Rao by Jindal in order to secure the allocation of the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to his firms Jindal Steel Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd (GSIPL).

Special Judge Bharat Parashar, in observing that the evidence reflects active collusion between public servants involved in the process and private parties in whose favor the coal block stood allotted, has identified Naveen Jindal as the central figure in the entire criminal conspiracy. He has additionally observed that as Chief Minister, Madhu Koda ensured that the recommendation for the entire coal block be made to the Coal Ministry only in favour of the Naveen Jindal Group, in active agreement and connivance with Dasari Narayana Rao and with the Secretary Coal and the Screening Committee consciously choosing to overlook the companys misrepresentations.

CBI investigation subverts real justice in other cases

Logically, one should applaud the order and simply conclude that now all corruption and criminal conspiracy cases pertaining to coal block allocation are headed for their tryst with a trial. However, that inference may be too simplistic and premature.

In reality, justice is being subverted. The reason for this pessimism is on account of the fact that, just like in the allocation of coal blocks, the CBI investigation is proceeding in a highly selective, indeed partisan, fashion.

It is well known that almost all the 218 coal blocks that were cancelled by the Supreme Court bear the same tarnish of criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust by misrepresentation of facts and data by the applicants and the acceptance/conscious overlooking of this by both the state and Central government officials in connivance with private parties. Yet, the cases where the CBI is prosecuting are still not even at one-fourth of the total 218 allocations, despite several open-and-shut cases in which the culprits can be nailed just as easily as in the case of the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block.

Some notable cases include the Gare IV/7 coal block allocation to Sarda Energy and Minerals Ltd, and the repeated misrepresentation by Prakash Industries Ltd for the Chotia, Madanpur and Fatehpur coal blocks (where in the last two blocks it was still allowed a share along with some other firms).

Interestingly, Naveen Jindal himself, despite having been identified as the single largest beneficiary of criminal conspiracy pertaining to coal block allocation, is only facing prosecution in this single case on account of the discovery of the money trail leading to Rao, although he has bagged as many as 10 coal blocks through different companies in a questionable manner.

For example, in the allocation of the Gare Palma IV/6 coal block, the minutes of the Screening Committee reveal that Naveen Jindals JSPL has been found guilty of encroaching on a vastly excessive area and thereby, coal reserves, than what was allotted to it in Gare Palma IV/1. However, overlooking this gross violation, the company was rewarded with the allocation of a fresh coal block and neither the Central government officials nor the Raman Singh-led government in Chhattisgarh is facing the heat of a CBI inquiry.

Again, while it is well known that the verification and recommendation by the State government played a crucial role in the allocation process, nobody other than Koda, a former CM who is now seen as a political orphan, has been indicted. No other Chief Minister or State government officials who have supported and certified the false claims of the applicants have been booked, even in the cases where the CBI is charge sheeting the promoters of the companies.

In the case of state PSU coal blocks, the irregularities primarily relate to the formation of joint ventures with private parties. Yet, the Parsa East-Kente Basan coal block in Chhattisgarh, allocated to the joint venture between Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (RRVUNL), a state-run power generation utility of Rajasthan, and the Adani Group; the allocation of the Bhatgaon block to a joint venture between the state mining company, Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC), and the Sancheti Group owned by Ajay Sancheti, industrialist and BJP Rajya Sabha MP; and diversion of coal blocks - Tara East and Tara West - to Eastern Mineral and Trading Agency (EMTA) Coal Mines Ltds joint ventures in Bengal without any tender, have also managed to evade the CBIs gaze.

Interestingly, EMTAs promoter, Ujjal Upadhyay who controls roughly 14 coal blocks of State PSU's through dubious deals - the third largest chunk of coal reserves in India, after Coal India Ltd (CIL) and the Naveen Jindal Group - appears insulated from the CBI fire, except in the case of one Karnataka PSU and even in this, the case is dragging.

In the case of allocation of coal blocks to government PSUs, the formation of joint ventures and the eventual transfer of coal blocks to private parties is suspect and falls within the ambit of the CBI probe. Yet, except in the stray case of the EMTA JV with a Karnataka PSU, the CBI has failed to establish any wrongdoing, despite the fact that the modus operandi is almost the same in each and every one of these 77 coal blocks.

In all joint ventures between private firms and PSUs, it has been found that the PSU ended up buying its own coal, often at market prices or higher. The CBIs inaction is in spite of the fact that the entire financial benefit of the captive coal block was willfully transferred to the private player.

This selective enquiry process has led to deep unrest within the CBI itself. On 2 May, 2016, an anonymous complaint made by some CBI Investigating Officers to CBI Chief Anil Sinha alleging that corrupt CBI officials have taken bribes from companies to to weaken/fix coal cases, was widely reported. Though the CBI denied the allegations, the complaint does amply point to at least one reason why the quality of the CBIs investigation in the coal matter is so tardy.

Landmark 2G judgement wasted?

The Coalgate scam in which 218 coal permits were cancelled, mirrored the 2G scam, whose grand outcome was not just the cancellation of all 122 telecom licences, but the display of judicial muscle by the Supreme Court in delivering a judgement that went far beyond telecom to crush the subjective power of the government to issue licences and contracts in any sector like power, coal, minerals, mines, land, and even special economic zones (SEZ), that allocates scarce national resources. This was intended to be an effective attack on the fountainhead of all large corruption linked to government contracts.

Highlighting the issue of public trust, the 2G judgment quoted from several international judgments, including the famous American one, of Illinois Central R. Co. vs Illinois, and the ones in India such as M.C. Mehta vs Kamal Nath to make the point that: Public interest doctrine enjoins upon the government to protect the resources for the enjoyment of the general public rather than permit its use for private ownership or commercial purposes. At the heart of the public trust doctrine is the limits and obligations upon government agencies as administrators on behalf of all people, especially future generations.

Invoking the doctrine of equality, the 2G judgment stated that the doctrine, which emerges from the concept of justice and fairness, must guide the state in determining the actual mechanism of distribution of natural resources.

This has two aspects: first, it regulates the rights and obligations of the state vis-a-vis its people and demands that the people be granted equitable access to natural resources and/or its products, and that they be adequately compensated for the transfer of resources to the public domain.

The second part of the equality doctrine was explained as the need to regulate the rights and obligations of the state vis-a-vis private parties seeking to acquire/use resources and ordered that the procedure adopted for distribution be just, non-arbitrary and transparent and that it does not discriminate between similarly-placed parties.

In the 2G case, too, the role of the CBI, which initially did nothing, was brought under the spotlight, forcing the Supreme Court to monitor its investigation. Even after this rap by the SC, the CBI chose to apply selective criteria in the probe, which eventually produced more clean chits for top politicians than real investigation leading to charge sheets.

In the 2G case, CBI prosecutor A. K. Singh was nabbed colluding right under the SCs nose, with prime accused Sanjay Chandra, Managing Director, Unitech. Singh was helping Chandra by not only discussing the CBIs legal strategy, but in fact, overruling internal instructions on what questions to ask, pre-deciding their sequence to suit the accused, while additionally negotiating on whom to call for cross-questioning from the Department of Telecom.

Like in 2G, the CBIs coal investigation is also monitored by the Supreme Court. However, the evidence suggests that the CBI continues to walk the 2G road, subverting justice right under the SCs nose through its selective probe in the coal matter.
The Supreme Court is all set to appoint three judges and a senior lawyer to the Supreme Court after a hiatus of 15 months. This assumes significance as it would be the first set of appointments since the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) was struck down in October 2015 and the collegium system was restored, reported The Hindu.

A Supreme Court collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, has recommended the elevation of Justice AM Khanwilkar of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Justice DY Chandrachud of the Allahabad High Court and Justice Ashok Bhushan of the Kerala High Court to the Supreme Court.

The Collegium has also recommended senior lawyer and former Additional Solicitor General L Nageshwar Rao for appointment as a Supreme Court judge.

These recommendations are significant as the Supreme Court is functioning with only 25 judges, though its approved strength is 31, including the CJI.

While Justice Thakur will retire on 3 January 2017, five more apex court judges will retire this year. These include Justice AR Dave who will retire on 18 November, Justice FMI Kalifulla (22 July), Justice V Gopala Gowda (5 October), Justice Shiva Kirti Singh (12 November) and Justice C Nagappan (3 October).

Interestingly, former law officer Nageshwar Rao is the fourth member from the Bar recommended for Supreme Court judgeship by the collegium after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014.

Here are the profiles of all the four who have been recommended for the elevation:

Justice D.Y. Chandrachud: Jutice Chandrachud hails from Maharashtra and is a graduate from St Stephens College, according to a report in The Hindu. He did his post-graduation in Law and is also a Doctor of Juridical Sciences from Harvard. He has appeared in several PILs, including cases dealing with the rights of bonded women workers, HIV positive workers in the workplace, contract labour, and the rights of religious and linguistic minorities, the report added.

One notable fact is that his father, YV Chandracud, was the longest serving Chief Justice of India.

Justice AM Khanwilkar: Justice Khanwilkar was born on 30 July 1957 and hails from Pune in Maharashtra. He completed his degree in Commerce from Mulund College of Commerce, Mumbai University and got his law degree from KC Law College, Mumbai, Him Satta reported. He began his career in 1982 as an advocate. He began practising in the Supreme Court of India from 1984. He was appointed Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court in March 2000 and confirmed as permanent Judge in April 2002. He has also been a Standing Counsel for the State of Maharashtra for Supreme Court matters in October 1985, while he has also worked as Additional Advocate for the State Government of Maharashtra till December 1989. He was the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court for a brief time in 2013 before being appointed the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in November that year.

Justice Ashok Bhushan: Justice Bhushan is currently the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court. Born on 5 July, 1956 in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, he graduated in Arts in 1975, before obtaining his Law Degree from the Allahabad University in 1979. He started practising in Allahabad High Court till his elevation as a permanent Judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2001. He has also served as Chairman, Higher Judicial Service Committee, the Kerala High Court website states.

L Nageshwar Rao: Rao is a known face in the political circles, serving thrice as the Additional Solicitor General of India  between June and December 2014, August 2013 to May 2014 during the previous UPA regime and earlier between 2003 and 2004 during the Vajpayee regime. He was also a member of the Supreme Court-appointed Mudgal Committee headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal, tasked with conducting an independent inquiry into allegations of corruption, betting and spot-fixing in Indian Premier League matches, according a report in LiveLaw.in. He has been a senior advocate and has been practising in the Supreme Court since 1995. Interestingly, if he is made a Supreme Court Judge, he will be the seventh person in India's legal history to be directly appointed from the bar.

With inputs from PTI
Dharamsala will soon have a sign on the lines of the famous 'Hollywood' sign in Los Angeles, on a hillock of Indru Nag.

A 100-foot-high national flag mast will also be erected near the sign.

"The budget for the project has been announced to be Rs 25 lakh," Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma has said.

Highly placed (no pun intended) sources told FP Special Forces that the flag would be visible from China.

This definitely has come as a much-needed announcement considering the nightmare that young couples honeymooning currently have to go through when they have nothing but pictures of snow-clad mountains in Dharamsala to share on their Instagram accounts. According to a 'Press Misinformation Bureau' release, the canoodling couples will see the mountains this way next year.

Sources told FP Special Forces that the plan of having a landmark sign will not just be limited to Dharamsala but might also be extended to other cities in the country.

If you had some trouble envisaging what that might end up like, here's some pictorial help we thought you might need.

In the land of Mohun Bagan and golgappas

Considering the festive city that it is, Kolkata has to be the next place to get its name written in font size 5000, spread across its landscape area.

Imagine how helpful if would be for people to find their way when the city is in that Durga Puja time of the year.

In the home of Bollywood and over-priced real estate

In the little space that Mumbai has left to breathe, the sign could perfectly made to fit somewhere. Who even cares about the illegal constructions and overcrowded public places anyway? And if the sign is in a spot from where it is even slightly visible from the Bandra-Worli sea link, the toll naka could actually start making some profit.

An investment of Rs 25 lakh can do so many wonders, no?

Somewhere ignored in the Pink City

The royal-ness of Jaipur would certainly overpower a bland monotonous sign. After day 1 of its existence, the sign might become that middle child of the city without needing to have a younger sibling.

Having said that, we think an image of Lalu Prasad with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan could have easily replaced the picture above and made the same impression. Never mind.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan tourism has formed a committee to concoct a story about how the sign has actually existed since the Harappan era.

Somewhere between paan stains and free abuses

If Patliputra 2.0 gets a sign of its own, we're sure it would become the venue point for all political rallies. All the JD(U) horses and all the BJP men would flock to the landmark site regardless of it being election season. But then again, that is only after the politicians would settle on who gets to inaugurate the sign.

Another city that could trade it's public space for some huge structure is the capital of Kerala. But...

All we can say is that tourists who visit Thiruvananthapuram without a selfie stick that's at least 12-feet-long would return home disappointed.

And where's New Delhi, you ask? Last we heard, officials are still to decide whether the sign should be in English, Hindi, Urdu or Punjabi. Oh wait, and we might have just overheard Smriti Irani saying, "None of this nonsense. Agar naam Sanskrit mein nahi likha toh main apna sar kalam karke aapke charanon mein rakh dungi."

With inputs from PTI
Panaji: Goa police on Wednesday registered an FIR against expelled Congress legislator Atanasio Monserrate for allegedly raping a minor girl in March, which he said was a "conspiracy" against him.

"A case of rape has been registered against Monserratte. Further investigations are going on," said Karthik Kashyap, Superintendent of Police (crime branch).

However, he refused to divulge more details, saying investigations are still going on.

"The incident happened in March and after that the girl went missing. She was found by police recently and lodged in protective home where she disclosed about the incident," a senior police officer said on the condition of anonymity.

The FIR was lodged by the girl in Panaji police station.

Monserrate, who represents St Cruz constituency, was expelled from Congress recently for anti-party activities.

His wife Jeniffer represents Taleigao constituency.

When contacted, Monserrate said, "I will not run away from the investigations. Currently, I am out of station and will be arriving tomorrow morning. After that I will depose before investigating agencies. The girl was working in my showroom and I had removed her for misappropriation of funds. This is a conspiracy against me."

Police booked the MLA under section 3 and 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO), besides section 8 of the Goa Children Act and section 376 (punishment for rape) of IPC.

"The girl has recorded her statement before the Child Welfare Committee of the state-run protective home 'Apna Ghar'," Kashyap said.
Panaji: Expelled Congress legislator Atanasio alias Babush Monserrate, who has been accused of raping a minor girl appeared before the Crime Branch here on Thursday, a day after the Goa police registered an FIR against him.

Monserrate was out of the state when the FIR was lodged against him with Women's Police Station for allegedly raping the 16-year-old girl in March.

Summons were issued to Monserratte, a former education minister, asking him to remain present before Investigating Officer Sudiksha Naik.

The MLA, accompanied by his wife and few supporters, came to the Crime branch office at around 3.10 PM.

Before stepping in to the office, he told reporters, "I have not done anything wrong. The complaint is totally false and bogus. This is just to frame me. Nothing more than that."

Responding to a media report that he allegedly spiked the girl's drink before raping her, Monserratte said, "I watch

Sawadhan India' (TV programme), but I don't know what they put in the drink. I have not spiked any drink."

He said he is yet to get the copy of the complaint.

"I have not got the copy of the complaint filed. She was working in Hallmark (his showroom). Her parents are voters from my constituency. One of my supporters introduced me to her parents and said she was loitering around. That is how I took her on the job," he said.

"It is definitely something to do with politics. I am not hiding from anyone. I am here to surrender myself to police, let them interrogate me," he further said.

Prior to this, the Goa police today conducted searches at various places, including the politician's residence, in connection with the case.

"The searches were held at various establishments in and around Panaji and an apartment owned by Monserratte," an official said.

"The teams were dispatched at various locations as part of the investigation. We are trying to collect evidences, as per the statement given by the girl," he said.

The situation in Taleigao village, where Monserrate has a bungalow, was tense. Huge police force was deployed outside his house as a team led by SP (Women Police Station) Kartik Kashyap conducted the searches.

The police, who had booked Monserratte under section 3,4 of POSCO Act, and relevant sections of the IPC and Goa Children's Act, today also registered an offence against him and the girl's step-mother under relevant sections for human trafficking.

"The offence of human trafficking is also registered against Monserratte and stepmother of the girl at Women's Police Station.

The girl in her statement before Child Welfare Committee of state-run Apna Ghar (protective home) has claimed that Monserratte had purchased her from her stepmother," a senior police official said on condition of anonymity.

Kashyap, however, refused to comment on developments in the case.

Earlier, the Goa police recorded the girl's statement.

"A team of officials from Women's police station visited the state-run protective home where the girl is currently lodged and recorded her statement," the official had earlier said.

In her statement before Child Welfare Committee, she had alleged that Monserrate has raped her several times in the past.

The legislator, who represents St Cruz constituency, was expelled from Congress recently for anti-party activities.

When contacted, his wife Jeniffer, who represents the Taleigao constituency, refused to comment on the case.

Meanwhile, the state Congress also refained from commenting on the case, but advised media against character assassination.

"The legislator should come out with his statement on this matter as the charges are serious. Until and unless things are proved one cannot do any character assassination. I also appeal to media not to indulge in this," Congress state secretary Durgadas Kamat told PTI.

"Let law take its own course. If he is guilty, I am sure he will abide by the law," he said.

"With BJP ruling in the state and elections approaching, anything can happen in the state. It is better that the matter should be fast-tracked and things come out clear in public," Kamat said.

"The medical examination has also been conducted on her at Goa Medical College and Hospital which is positive," a senior official said.
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government on Thursday opposed the bail plea of quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, saying that the "conduct and behaviour" of the accused showed it was seditious in nature.

Public Prosecutor Mitesh Amin, who began his argument against Hardik's bail plea in the court of Justice AJ Desai, told the court that "conduct and behaviour" of accused Hardik since the beginning of the agitation was against the government and seditious in nature.

The court kept the matter for further hearing post summer vacation, on 9 June as the government lawyer said that he cannot finish his arguments in a day. The High Court will go for vacation from coming Saturday.

Questioning the statement made in a voluntary undertaking given before the court by Hardik's lawyer on Wednesday, Amin said the clause that he will continue agitation with a rider that it will be peaceful, was not acceptable as given the history of Patidar agitation, it was not likely to remain peaceful.

Amin highlighted Hardik's behaviour as 'stubborn' for insisting that Chief Minister Anandiben Patel herself should come to collect memorandum at GMDC ground where a huge rally turned violent on 25 August last year.

Hardik's insistence led to his detention, he told the court. The violence that broke out following his detention could have incurred loss to the tune of around Rs 100 crore, Amin told the court.

He also questioned Hardik's visit to Vipul Desai's home in Surat where he made a statement saying Vipul (who had threatened suicide) should kill policemen rather than end his life.

He further said that Hardik made several statements to incite public during the India-South Africa match in Rajkot on 18 October, where he himself went. Amin also told the court that the HC had set aside quashing a petition filed by the accused in two FIRs lodged in Surat and Ahmedabad.

He said that the state government has issued an ordinance for 10 per cent reservation for economically weak among upper castes.
Public recognition to brave hearts in our armed forces are rare and hardly forthcoming. But Kargil hero Naik Deep Chand was in for a pleasant surprise when he took a flight recently.

Former Indian Air Force fighter pilot Rajiv Tyagi shared on Facebook how an IndiGo Airlines captain and an ex-IAF pilot Harish Nayani proudly announced of having the war-hero as a passenger aboard the flight.

"Harish Nayani, 62nd course, Kilo Squadron, NDA, erstwhile IAF fighter pilot, now a Captain flying for Indigo Airlines, had a war-hero passenger on his flight the other day. Naik Deep Chand, who lost both legs and his right arm in the 1999 Kargil War, was flying Indigo. Harish announced the presence of the war hero on the flight, to the delighted applause of 180 passengers. This is all the recognition war heroes need, for acts no nation can repay them for," Tyagi said in his Facebook updated.

Overwhelmed by the response the post got, the former IAF officer posted again.

The airlines also re-tweeted the tweet posted by journalist Man Aman Chhina.

https://twitter.com/manaman_chhina/status/728102313806548993

Social media was also abuzz with praises for Nayani.

"Good gesture. There are hundreds of ex IAF pilots flying in civil aviation but none could think of something this. Hope the others too give veterans their due. Well done Capt Nayani from a 117 PC veteran," said Jagjeet Singh Grewal.
New Delhi: JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been on hunger strike for a week at the campus, was hospitalised on Thursday after his health deteriorated, a fellow student said.

"Kanhaiya is in a bad situation. He is in a semi-conscious state. There is a possibility of internal damage to (his) organs," Umar Khalid, his friend in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), told IANS.

Khalid said Kanhaiya Kumar started vomitting on Thursday morning after which he was "rushed to a hospital".

Kanhaiya Kumar, the JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president, and 19 other students are on an indefinite hunger strike since 28 April to protest against the punishment handed out to them by a high-level committee that probed the controversial 9 February Kashmir event on the campus.

"The health of the rest of the students is also deteriorating fast. All students have lost around 4-6 kg of weight," Khalid said.

"It has been the 8th day of the indefinite hunger strike... Still the JNU administration remains unmoved," said Khalid, who has been rusticated from the university for one semester.
Seven people were killed and around 90 others injured when heavy rains accompanied by

lightning and squall flattened and uprooted makeshifts tents of pilgrims in and around the site of ongoing Simhatha Kumbh Mela on Thursday evening.

The Simhastha Kumbh Mela takes place once every twelve years and attracts millions of devotees.

The stampede took place after heavy rains uprooted pandals at the Kumbh Mela. An official said that the death toll could rise, as several persons have been injured, CNN-News18 reported. The condition of those injured was not immediately known.

An official also said that many people were feared trapped under the collapsed tents, as reported by Catch News.

However, Kumbh Mela authorities have denied that the deaths were caused by a stampede.

According to police official B S Chauhan, nearly a third of the tents put up by the pilgrims were blown away in the squall. It will take at least a week to erect them again, he said.

The month-long Mela commenced from 22 April and will end on 21 May with the last Shahi Snan (royal bath).

Chintamani Malviya, the BJP MP from Ujjain said that while, strong tents were erected, they were uprooted because of the wind and an unexpected storm.

While the administration was worried about the possibility of stampedes on 22 April, 9 May and 21 May, when the 'shahi snan' ceremony was to take place, the sudden rainfall on Thursday appears to have caught the authorities unaware.

Chouhan would visit Ujjain on Friday to take stock of the situation.

He tweeted that rescue teams, officials and public representatives have reached the spot and that they will take care of the pilgrims.

According to eye witnesses, a big drainage suffered a breach on Ramghat on the banks of Kshipra river as a result of which filthy water is gushing into the river.

The state government has spent more than Rs 3,600 crore for developing infrastructure and facilities for the month-long congregation.

With inputs from PTI
Mainpuri (UP): Controversial BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has been booked for allegedly using foul language and threatening police officials while addressing a rally in Mainpuri.

Besides the Unnao MP, former MLC Ram Naresh Agnihotri has also been booked in this regard after a complaint was filed in Bicchwa police station in the district, SP Himanshu Kumar said on Thursday.

Maharaj, along with Agnihotri and some other local leaders, had allegedly made inflammatory speeches against the state government and the police at a rally in Fardpur crossing on Tuesday, where they were protesting against the arrest of state BJP leader Maidan Singh, Kumar said.

Maharaj allegedly used abusive language against police officials and threatened to "take revenge" if BJP came to power in the state after the 2017 Assembly polls, the SP said.

He also threatened that if policemen reach Fardpur again they would be "shot", the SP said.

A case has been filed against Maharaj and Agnihotri under IPC sections including 153 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) by the in-charge of Bicchwa police station, Kumar said.

The SP said action will be taken in this connection soon.
New Delhi: Wrong depiction of the map of India could land the violators in jail with a maximum term of seven years and fine upto Rs 100 crore.

This measure has been envisaged by the government against the backdrop of instances where certain social networking sites showed Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as part of Pakistan and China respectively.

Recently, Twitter had shown the geographical location of Kashmir in China and Jammu in Pakistan triggering protests from the Indian government after which it was corrected.

According to the draft 'The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016', it will be mandatory to take permission from a government authority before acquiring, disseminating, publishing or distributing any geospatial information of India.

"No person shall depict, disseminate, publish or distribute any wrong or false topographic information of India including international boundaries through internet platforms or online services or in any electronic or physical form.

"Whoever acquired any geospatial information of India in contravention of the law shall be punished with a fine ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 100 crore and/ or imprisonment for a period upto seven years," according to the draft bill.

Geospatial Information means geospatial imagery or data acquired through space or aerial platforms such as satellite, aircrafts, airships, balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles including value addition or graphical or digital data depicting natural or man-made physical features, phenomenon or boundaries of the earth or any information related thereto including surveys, charts, maps, terrestrial photos referenced to co-ordinate system and having attributes.

The government also proposed to set up a Security Vetting Authority to carry out security vetting of the Geospatial Information of India in a time bound manner and as per the regulations framed by an apex committee.

The Security Vetting Authority shall consist of an officer of the rank of Joint Secretary to the government of India or above as chairman and two members--one a technical expert and the other, a national security expert.

"Any person who wants to acquire, disseminate, publish or distribute any geospatial information of India, may make an application alongwith requisite fees to the Authority for security vetting of such geospatial information and licence thereof to acquire, disseminate, publish or distribute such Geospatial Information in any electronic or physical form," the draft bill says.

The draft bill will ensure that online platforms like Google will have to apply for a license to run Google Maps or Google Earth in India.

According to the draft bill, the Security Vetting Authority, on receipt of an application and after examining the application in terms of the guidelines, shall either grant the licence or reject the application as the case may be.

If a licence is granted and the licensee fails to comply with the terms and conditions of this Act, rule, regulation or guidelines or order made thereunder, the Enforcement Authority may, after making such inquiry as may be thought fit, revoke the licence granted to such licensee.

The licensee shall be supplied with the security vetted Geospatial Information, by the Security Vetting Authority, within a period mutually agreed upon, based on the quantum and nature of the subject matter to be vetted, on best effort basis.

"Licensee shall not acquire, publish, disseminate or distribute any geospatial information of India through any media or by any means, unless such geospatial information are security-vetted by the Security Vetting Authority.

"Licensee shall display the insignia of the clearance of the Security Vetting Authority on the security vetted geospatial information by appropriate means such as water- marking or licence as relevant, while disseminating or distributing of such geospatial information," the draft bill says.

Licensee will indemnify the Security Vetting Authority for any consequential loss or damages whatsoever that might be caused to any person or agency in India or abroad, due to the use or supply of security vetted geospatial information.

The Act will extend to the whole of India and also applies to citizens of India outside India, persons in the service of the government, persons on ships and aircrafts, registered in India, any person who commits an offence beyond India.

No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against the central government or apex committee or Security Vetting Authority or Enforcement Authority on whom powers have been conferred pursuant to this Act, for anything which was done or purported to be done in good faith in pursuance of this Act or for any rule or regulation made under this Act, the draft says.
On a Sunday morning in 1895, the readers of the New York World woke up to a small surprise. Their paper that day had a new addition, the first ever colour cartoon. Created and drawn by Richard F Outcault, The Yellow Kid, made its debut on 5 May 1895. To commemorate this day, in 1990 the National Cartoonists Society declared 5 May as Cartoonists Day. On this occasion we take you through some of the greatest cartoonists of India and their creations.

K Shankar Pillai

Known as the father of political cartooning in India, he founded Shankar's Weekly, in 1948. Often called as Indias Punch, Shankar's Weekly that produced many famous cartoonists like Abu Abraham, Ranga and Kutty, had to close down during the Emergency. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1976, Indias second highest civilian honour. In later years he set up the Children's Book Trust and Shankar's International Dolls Museum.

R K Laxman

Best known for his creation The Common Man, RK Laxman was a renowned cartoonist for The Times of India. The newspaper ran his daily cartoon strip You Said It for more than 50 years. Former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was often caricatured by Laxman, once rang him up and requested him for a signed copy of his cartoon to frame. He received Padma Vibhushan in 2005.

Mario Miranda

Mario Miranda, an Indian cartoonist and painter, gained popularity for his work in The Illustrated Weekly of India. He had even worked for The Times of India and few other Mumbai- based newspapers. Without any formal training in art, his cartoons have a distinct style. His depiction of Goan life has become a part of Goan folklore. He was awarded with Padma Vibhushan in 2012 posthumously.

Mohan Sivanand

A self- taught artist, Sivanand published his first cartoon in Shankar's Weekly in 1975. Soon he joined The Times of India and several publications of the group carried his cartoons and articles. Apart from being a writer and editor for Readers Digest India, he was also its de facto art director for some time. He has held some art exhibitions in Mumbai and now is a full- time artist.

VT Thomas

Toms, as he was better known by his readers, was the creator of the famous cartoon series Bobanum Moliyum. First published in Malayala Manorama in the 1950s, the cartoon series brought to light everyday socio-political issues, sprinkled with humour. The characters later became a part of an animation series. After working for more than 30 years with Manorama, he was involved in a legal battle with them for the copyright on his characters. He came out triumphant winning the copyright on Boban and Moly.

Aseem Trivedi



Aseem Trivedi is known for his political cartoons. A cartoonist of the new generation, he has been controversys favourite child. The website of Cartoons Against Corruption, his campaign to support the anti- corruption movement in India, was banned during Anna Hazares hunger strike in 2011. In 2012 he was arrested on charges of sedition for displaying "ugly and obscene content". He then began Save Your Voice, a movement that opposes IT Act, 2000 and is against internet censorship in India, with a few others.

E P Unny

EP Unny, the chief political cartoonist with The Indian Express also began his career with Shankar's Weekly. Later he drew cartoons for The Hindu, Sunday Mail, The Economic Times and now for The Indian Express Group. Apart from drawing and writing a travel book on Kerala - 'Spices and Souls - A doodler's journey through Kerala', he has also taken a unique initiative towards graphic novels and stories.

Harish Chandra Shukla

Kaak, as he is popularly known, makes cartoons for the Hindi audience. His character Everyman is not a spectator like The Common Man, but a vocal commentator on all events. Even his female cartoons are strong characters. Beginning his career in Dainik Jagran, Kaak rose to being the first president of Cartoonists Club of India. Today he says he identifies so much with his pen name that he doesnt remember his real name anymore. Former Lok Sabha speaker Balram Jakhar had once said, I am Speaker of Lok Sabha with merely 500 members, while 'Kaak' is speaker of Loksabha with members in millions.

Sudhir Dar







A lifetime of cartooning began in a radio studio, when a sketch he drew of The Statesman's News Editor during a radio talk show led him to a job offer at the paper. There he worked on a pocket cartoon Out of My Mind which featured on the front page of the newspaper. This was followed by a two decade long stint at The Hindustan Times, where he worked on another front page pocket cartoon This is It. Though a political cartoonist his work rarely satirised politicians and events, instead they took digs at problems like corruption, bureaucracy, etc.

Rajinder Puri

Puri was not just a cartoonist, but also a columnist and a political activist. He has worked for many national newspapers like Statesman and Hindustan Times. He also worked in London for a short while for The Guardian and The Glasgow Herald. Strongly opposing the Emergency, Puri joined politics in 1977 as the founding General Secretary of the Janata Party. But within a decade he quit politics, realising that he did not fit into the political world.
Bharatiya Janata Partys penchant for caste appeasement  of Gujjars in Rajasthan, Jats in Haryana, and Patidars in Gujarat  is turning out to be just the flip side of the minority appeasement that it has accused the Congress of, over the last six decades.

Congress lost much of the upper caste votes in its quest to garner minority votes. The BJP is going down the same road. It is possible that the upper castes would drift away from the party to some emerging outfits that would exclusively represent their interest, sooner rather than later.

It is a crowded space for those seeking the votes of the intermediate and the lower castes. Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) primarily represent the interests of the Dalits; Mulayam Yadavs Samajwadi Party (SP), Lalu Yadavs Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) and the like primarily represent the interest of the intermediate castes.

The Congress and the BJP are supposed to represent a rainbow coalition of all caste groups  upper, lower and middle  as they are supposed to be national parties; but the Congress has ceded ground to the BJP in the upper caste segment, when the latter pitched Mandir against the Mandal to thwart the hegemony of the intermediate castes.

Since then, a lot of water has flown down the Ganges. A large section of the upper castes have veered away from the Congress to the BJP. The Congress, bereft of its upper caste base and the Dalit base (it ceded ground to the BSP and LJP over the years), has turned to the intermediate castes, its traditional bete noire, to shore up its electoral fortunes.

The BJP, having consolidated its upper caste vote base, is assiduously wooing the middle castes and the Dalits to establish itself as the largest party in the country, as the Congress had been for several decades.

Narendra Modi is the middle caste icon and Baba Saheb Ambedkar is the Dalit icon in the BJPs current pantheon (Incidentally, they have replaced Ram Lala who inspired the politics of L K Advanis BJP).

In this political scenario, Reservation (affirmative action) in jobs and educational institutions granted to the lower and middle castes is a hotly debated subject. The Constitution provided for 15 percent reservation to the Scheduled Castes (whom Gandhi called Harijans) and 7.5 percent reservation to Scheduled Tribes (Adivasis) and there is hardly any dispute about it.

But the 27 percent reservation granted to what is called Other Backward Classes (which is essentially a coalition of the intermediate castes) by V P Singh government in 1990 is riddled with controversies.

The first flush of opposition to it came from the upper castes who felt that their piece of the government jobs pie would shrink. But that opposition has died down. The new challenge has emerged from the more powerful intermediate caste groups who had been kept out of the OBC reservation category for obvious reasons  that, by any stretch of logic, they could not be labeled as the traditionally exploited sections of the society.

Take the case of Patidars in Gujarat, Jats in Haryana and Gujjars in Rajasthan. They are the traditional landed castes, they have successfully found their footing in small and medium business enterprises, and politically their voices are the most powerful in their respective states.

But they are holding the state to ransom and aggressively demanding reservation in government jobs because the salaries in the government sector have skyrocketed in the last decade and experience tells them that getting into government jobs is a life-long insurance against uncertainty (you will continue to get full salary, irrespective of your performance. If a government is not happy with your work, it would transfer you to a post where you earn your salary without doing any work!).

The BJP governments in these three states know that they would court political calamity in the next election if they do not appease the dominant caste groups. So they have taken the politically safe route to grant special reservation to these caste groups (the governments could not have included these caste groups in the OBC category, which was their demand, as the Supreme Court has set out an elaborate procedure for inclusion of new caste groups in the OBC category and going by its specific provisions, the dominant caste groups would be ineligible for inclusion in the OBC list).

However, the BJP governments appeasement policy has not won over the warring castes. They know that these special reservations are a political ploy to cool tempers and deflect the issue without any meaningful outcome  after all, that would take the percentage of reservation beyond 50 percent (as 49.5 percent reservation already exists on the statute books for the SCs\STs\OBCs) which is the maximum stipulated by the Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney Vs Union of India case in 1993.)

The Supreme Court has struck down similar reservations extended to dominant castes by the Congress governments in the past; it is most likely to do the same again.

Will the BJP government at the Centre oblige by placing these legislations in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution (that takes them out of the purview of the judicial review) as was done by the Narasimha Rao government in 1994, when a legislation for allowing 69 percent reservation in Tamil Nadu was placed in that Section?

Incidentally, Tamil Nadu is the only Indian state where more than 50 percent reservation policy is operational, though theoretically, it is under challenge as a writ petition against the constitutional validity of the Tamil Nadu provision is pending in the Supreme Court.

But then the BJP is bound to face a dilemma  in order to placate the dominant castes, if it seeks to place the relevant legislations in the Ninth Schedule, there is bound to be a backlash from the upper castes for whom the little job opportunity that they are left with will further shrink.

It would be now left to the BJP to decide whose support it values the most  that of the upper castes or the dominant castes when there is a clash between the two. This decision will have a bearing on the new political configuration at the state level.
New Delhi: Opposition parties on Thursday voiced concern over the developments in central universities like JNU and Hyderabad University and regretted that educational institutions have become political arena, which needs to be stopped.

As the House took up discussion on functioning of HRD Ministry, members also voiced concern over the quality of education, saying it is deteriorating.

Samajwadi Party member Naresh Agrawal alleged that students are being targeted in central universities and vice chancellors are being used for it.

"This has never happened before that vice chancellors of central universities are being used to target students. This has happened in JNU, Hyderabad and now in Allahabad," he said.

This is a wrong precedent and needs to be checked, he said, asking "Why are such incidents happening in central universities?"

Agrawal claimed that an RSS leader is said to be running the organisations such as AICTE, which drew strong reaction from the BJP members.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said allegations cannot be levelled against a person who is not present in the House.

At this, Agrawal asked, "Then why were names and allegations levelled in the House yesterday on AgustaWestland?"

He also raised the issue of "rampant corruption" in mid-day meal scheme.

"I want to urge you to check the rampant corruption in the mid-day meal schemes. This is concerning. If we are able to check this, it will help in enhancing the status of primary education in the country," he added.

Agrawal said there is a need to look into the issue that several states have not lifted the share of foodgrains allocated to them for running the scheme.

He suggested that government should set up a recruitment board to fill the vacancies in the universities.

He said that only 3 per cent of GDP is being spent on education. "We need to spend 6 per cent of the GDP on education, as is recommended, so that more and more children can be educated. This will also help is educating them about the population explosion," he added.

Agrawal said the quality of education in the country is deteriorating, which is a worrying trend.

Taking a dig at HRD Minister Smriti Irani, he said: "There is a debate over the degree of HRD Minister, but this issue of fake degrees is dangerous. It has to be checked at the earliest."

He also said the government should bring in a legislation to check cheating by students during exams.

The SP leader said Governors in the states have a control over higher education as it is a Central subject.

Earlier states were consulted while appointing vice chancellors, but now they are not being concluded.

He said that no decision has been taken on the Centre-State contribution on Sarva Siksha Abhiyan.
New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday summoned former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat for questioning in connection with a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the controversial sting CD in which he was purportedly seen talking to middlemen in a bid to strike a deal with dissident Congress MLAs.

Rawat has been called by the CBI to join the probe on Monday, sources said.

The inquiry was registered on the recommendation of the state government and the notification was issued by the Centre. The state is under President's rule.

Two days before Rawat was to face vote of confidence on 28 March, nine rebel Congress MLAs, led by former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, had alleged that they were offered bribe by Rawat for support during the floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly and released a video of the "sting" operation.

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

BJP in the Assembly, purportedly shows Rawat negotiating a money deal with the journalist to buy the support of MLAs who had revolted against him.

Rawat, who had been insisting that the sting was fake, last week 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 BJP chief Amit Shah to put him in jail if he is found in the wrong.

Claiming innocence, Rawat had 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.
New Delhi: The External Affairs Ministry has directed a number of Indian missions abroad to ask the countries concerned to speed up executing Letters Rogatory (LR) in connection with the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper scam following a request by the CBI.

CBI had a few days back written a letter to MEA on expediting execution of the LRs, which are judicial requests to foreign countries for legal assistance in criminal cases.

The LRs were issued to Italy, Tunisia, Mauritius, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, Britain, United Arab Emirates and Switzerland.

"Yes, I can confirm that we have received a communication in this regard from the CBI seeking an update on the execution reports of the Letters Rogatory that were sent earlier to eight countries.

"Chopper scam: MEA directs Indian missions to speed up LR executionWe have once again written to our missions in the concerned countries from where the execution reports are pending in order to impress upon them the need to expeditiously execute the LRs and to send the corresponding execution reports at the earliest," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, replying to a question.

Sources said a few countries have either responded to the LRs or executed them partly while some others are yet to respond.

The CBI is currently probing the AgustaWestland chopper scam and it questioned former IAF Chief S P Tyagi for the fourth consecutive day today.

The Enforcement Directorate, in its charge sheet filed last year, had claimed to have detected flow of alleged kickbacks sent from abroad to companies of the accused Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan and cousins of the former IAF chief.

On January 1, 2014, India had 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 payment of kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal.

Asked whether Britain has responded to India's request for extraditing Vijay Mallya, whose Kingfisher Airlines has been accused of defaulting on bank loans of over Rs 9,400 crore, the MEA spokesperson replied in the negative.
Washington: A federal judge has ordered questioning of Democrat front-runner Hillary Clintons top aides about her secret email server.

Top Clinton aides Huma Abedin and Cheryl D Mills will be deposed, as will Bryan Pagliano, who reportedly maintained the clintonemail.com server and Clintons email account tied to the secret system, The Washington Times reported.

Clinton herself could also have to answer questions in the open records case brought by conservative foundation, Judicial Watch, according to Judge Emmet G Sullivans order issued on Wednesday.

The circumstances surrounding approval of Clintons use of clintonemail.com for official government business, as well as the manner in which it was operated, are issues that need to be explored in discovery to enable the Court to resolve, as a matter of law, the adequacy of the State Departments search of relevant records in response to Judicial Watchs request, Judge Sullivan wrote.

He gave Judicial Watch eight weeks to conduct the interviews, meaning they will be finished just weeks before Clinton hopes to accept the Democratic presidential nomination at the partys national convention in Philadelphia, in late July.

The emails have affected Clintons presidential campaign from the start and have damaged her standing among many voters, who question her honesty.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump openly speculated that Clinton will be indicted at the end of an FBI investigation into the server.

Clinton set up the server at her home in New York in 2009, soon after she became state secretary.

Her messages were erroneously shielded from disclosure for six years, until she belatedly returned some 30,000 to the department in December 2014.

Clinton said there were 30,000 other messages from her time in office that were strictly private and did not implicate her government activities. She declined to turn over those messages, saying the law gave her the obligation of deciding what was official and what was personal.
The governments recent statement about the Hurriyat Conference has been criticised as yet another U-turn.

By explicitly conceding that there was no bar on Hurriyat leaders meeting Pakistani officials in India, New Delhi has erased the red line that it had drawn in August 2014. But a U-turn is not necessarily a bad thing  especially if it gets you moving in the right direction. The real question is whether the government knows where it wants to go from here.

The decision to make the India-Pakistan dialogue contingent on the latter avoiding contact with the Hurriyat was taken in the exuberant aftermath of the 2014 electoral victory. Not only was Prime Minister Narendra Modi the object of international adulation, but his decision to invite regional leaders for his swearing-in had seemingly pole-vaulted him to a position of unassailable strength. The my way or the highway stance adopted on Pakistans dealings with the Hurriyat was a product of this over-confident milieu.

It took well over a year for the government to realise that calling off talks did not help isolate Pakistan. On the contrary, New Delhi found that all its significant international interlocutors  big and small  were pressing for a resumption of engagement with Islamabad. Even after the government decided to move in this direction, the red line drawn under the Hurriyat tripped it up. With the subsequent resumption of full-fledged dialogue with Pakistan, however, it was clear that the precondition about contact with the Hurriyat was no longer operative.

There are at least a couple lessons to be learnt from this episode.

First, the terms of engagement with Pakistan cannot be reset easily or whimsically. There was good reason why the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had allowed these contacts in the first place. Understanding the history of this relationship is crucial to navigating its contours. This is equally true of another trap into which the government has fallen: Assuming that calling off diplomatic engagement will somehow help tackle terrorism emanating from Pakistan. Wisdom lies in learning from the mistakes made by others.

Second, reputation and credibility do matter in foreign policy  especially in longstanding adversarial relationships like those between India and Pakistan. But contrary to what some critics have said, this does not mean persisting with patently futile and self-defeating policies like the red line about the Hurriyat. Rather, because credibility does count, New Delhi should be careful about the kinds of issues on which it stakes its reputation. Otherwise, it risks creating and discerning interests where none really lie. Drawing and erasing arbitrary red lines is problematic from this perspective rather just amounting to a U-turn.

The formal retraction of this policy comes in the specific context of both external and internal developments.

Events in the past month have confirmed  if ever there was a doubt  that the Pakistan Army is not happy with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs embrace of Modi. Against this backdrop, the old conundrum of how, if at all, to link talks with terror continues to confound New Delhi. Given that all other alternatives have been exhausted, it is perhaps time the government decided to press ahead with continuous diplomatic engagement irrespective of the where things stand with terrorism. This will, of course, require Modi to use his bully pulpit to make the case for such an engagement. The fundamental point is that terrorism can only be tackled by other means and engagement has certain advantages in itself. The recent statement by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Kashmir should remind the government that disengaging with Pakistan only gives the latter the room to mobilise support in its favour  even from those countries that might be better disposed towards India.

The internal context is equally important.

The latest round of popular mobilisation in the Kashmir Valley highlighted the rampant dissatisfaction not just with the coalition government, but the political status quo. The summer ahead is likely to pose further challenges for the PDP-BJP coalition. Unless Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is given the latitude to kickstart political engagement within the state, it is unlikely that the coalition will hold together for very long. Bottling up the Hurriyat would only have exacerbated the swirling anger in the Valley. By contrast, adopting a stance of benign neglect may well bring to the fore the cleavages that separate the separatists from one another. The responses of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to the government statements are a good indicator of this.

Still, New Delhi will have to do more.

It is worth recalling that significant improvements in political climate of Jammu and Kashmir have only occurred when New Delhi has simultaneously sought to improve ties with Srinagar and Islamabad. Perhaps the most striking example of this came during Indira Gandhis tenure. A strong critic of her fathers policy of imprisoning Sheikh Abdullah, Indira Gandhi began reaching out to him soon after she took over as prime minister in 1966.

Against the backdrop of Pakistans aggression in 1965, she shrewdly understood that the demand for plebiscite was dead as a dodo. Her main interlocutor during this period was the then foreign secretary TN Kaul. It took Kaul almost five years to get to the point where the Sheikh was willing to trust Indira Gandhi. The Shimla Accord of 1972 ensured that India-Pakistan relations were formally insulated from external interference, but it also created a conducive environment in which Abdullah could return to power. This happened in the wake of the 1975 accord between the representatives of Indira Gandhi and Abdullah. His subsequent installation as chief minister was the mother of all U-turns in our Kashmir policy.

Whatever the flaws of the accord and the subsequent failures, this episode underlines the point that New Delhi must move simultaneously on the internal and external tracks.

This calls for coherence and consistency in policy-making, political judgment, and nimbleness in exploiting opportunities. Whatever the missteps of the past two years, its time to get moving in the right direction.

The author is Senior Fellow at Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. He is the author of Indias War: The Making of Modern South Asia, 1939-1945.
The brutal rape and murder of 30-year-old Dalit law student at Perumbavoor has come as a big jolt to Keralas ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) that is engaged in a tough electoral battle to break the long pattern of power alternating between the two fronts every five years.

Its attempt to beat the anti-incumbency sentiments by showcasing its development and care policy initiatives in the last five years is facing a big challenge with the Opposition parties and womens outfits reeling out statistics to show that the state was not a safe place for women to live during its five-year term.

Statistics available with the Crime Records Bureau of Kerala police shows massive rise in crimes against women during 2011-15 compared to the term of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) from 2006 to 2010. While rape cases registered more than 100 percent increase in the last five years, sexual harassment cases went up by more than 50 percent.

As many as 5,918 cases of rape were registered between 2011 and 2015 as against 2,809 during 2006-2011. Harassment cases went up from 13,381 during the five years of LDF rule to 20,201 during the UDF period. The kidnapping cases also saw an increase from 881 to 942. However, cases of dowry deaths came down from 114 during 2006-10 to 94 during 2011-15.

The situation in the first three months of the current year too is no different. According to police sources, 323 rape cases, 1,259 molestation incidents and 175 sexual harassment cases were reported in the state between January and March, 2016.

A significant number of the victims are children. Out of the 5,918 cases of rape reported in the last five years, 2,935 cases involved children. The cases of rape reported during the last three years of the LDF rule were only 658. A total of 688 children were kidnapped during the UDF regime. The number of kidnappings from 2008 to 2010 was a mere 281.

The statistics show that at least three cases of rape were reported every day since UDF came to power in 2011. These are the number of cases reported to the police. Senior officials say the number could be much higher if one takes the unreported cases into consideration.

A senior official, who did not want to be identified, said rape was one of the most under-reported crimes in Kerala. Women, especially unmarried girls and their parents have been showing reluctance in approaching the police as they fear that the publicity it brings may affect their future life.

Though the Opposition has attributed the rise in the crimes against women in the last five years to the UDF governments failure in the maintenance of the law and order, statistics show that it has been showing a steady increase over the years. The rape cases registered an increase from 197 in 1991 to 552 in 2000. Similarly, the molestation cases jumped from 569 to 1,695 during this period.

Social scientists view it as a reflection of the socio-economic changes taking place in the last two decades. Kerala State Womens Commission member J Prameela Devi cites rising consumer culture fuelled by migration and the proliferation of electronic media as major factors behind the phenomenon.

She said blaming the government and the authorities alone may not help as the society as a whole was responsible for the phenomenon. The pattern of sexual atrocities against women started witnessing a change in the 90s with the sprouting of sex rackets luring girls with promises of jobs or marriages or role in films and television serials.

It started with the kidnapping and subsequent rape of a 16-year-old girl from Suryanelli in Idukki district in 1996. The girl was allegedly lured with the promise of marriage and kidnapped by a bus conductor and pushed into flesh trade. She was allegedly raped by 37 men over a period of 40 days.

The state witnessed a series of similar incidents since then. Prominent among them are the Attappadi, Vithura, Karippur aerodrome, Kovalam, Manarcaud, Kothamangalam, Kollam, Vagamon, Thoppumpadi, and the Kozhikode Ice Cream Parlour sex racket cases.

Most of these cases of flesh trade and sale of minor girls happened with the connivance of the police, politicians, and highly placed bureaucrats. The culprits involve those in power to escape the dragnet of law. This is evident in the low conviction rates in such cases.

A study by the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram showed that of the total number of cases in courts, only less than 10 percent on the average were convicted and more than three times of the convicted cases were acquitted.

Activists say this could be one of the reasons for the rise in crimes against women. They say Jisha would not have been murdered if the culprits in similar cases were brought before the law.

But Jisha case has no comparison with such cases in the recent past in the state. The law student was raped and killed in the broad daylight and in the safety of her home in a gruesome manner despite several steps taken by the government in the recent times including the much-hyped Nirbhaya scheme.

The UDF has already started facing several embarrassing questions about the brutal crime in the campaign for the 16 May Assembly election. Many feel that the murder could have been avoided if the authorities had acted on the numerous complaints Jisha and her mother Rajeshwari had lodged with the police about threats they faced from several quarters and their plea for a secured house.

Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan said there was a failure on the part of the police. Party politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan suspects that the police had even tried to help the UDF by covering up the incident for five days.

Theres criminal delay on the part of the police in taking action. The Kerala society is concerned about the manner in which the police played hide and seek in the incident. It shows that girls in the state have no safety even in the confines of their homes, the CPM leader said adding that it was not an isolated incident.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of women. It shows that women are not safe in their homes. In fact, many consider the high rate of suicide among women a result of the insecurity they feel in the society.

An opinion poll conducted by NDTV in 2014 showed Kerala topping the country with women feeling unsafe. The poll conducted by Hansa Research revealed that 73 percent women in the state felt unsafe. Kerala was followed by West Bengal with 61 percent.
12:43 (ist)

Manohar Parrikar explains AgustaWestland deal:

"AgustaWestland chopper was 100 cCore. We had to test the helicopters in Indian conditions. The other two vendors didn't agree to do so and conducted the test outside the country. this was against the clause in the country. Out of the 6 vendors who were given tenders, AgustaWestland Italy was also one of the vendors. But AgustaWestland UK took over the tender.

Only AgustaWestland got the concessions. They created a single vendor situation. In 2008, the price oh AW101 was 15 million Euros and oin 2010, it was listed as 27 million. Benchmark cost given by CNC(Contract negotiations committee) was 6 times higher than that of AoN (Acceptance of Necessity) There was no explanation for this.In 2012 February, then the government had written to the embassy through the MEA. The government even went to the investigating agency but nobody wrote to the company. This deal should have stopped in 2012. But yet, 3 helicopters were delivered in December 2012 and we accepted it.

In January 2013, Chief exec of Finmenccancia was arrested, Within hours our defence minister wrote to CBI immediately. If he wasn't arrested, they would not have taken this up.

After the CBI took it up, in Feb 2013, there was a notice issued to stop the deal.

Legal action forced the termination of the deal, it was not a proactive step, it was forced. Bank guarantee needed to be revoked and that was done.

When the Milan Court argued, they said that 166 Euros could be returned and the money for the 3 helicopters will not be returned.

I am not making allegations, but it is our Endeavour that we will take action. Defence Ministry initiating procedure to blacklist AgustaWestland. If that is our job, why is the Congress worried? "
Ankara: Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday announced he would step down in two weeks as ruling party chief and premier, in a shock exit set to further

boost President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's growing powers.

Divisions between Davutoglu and Erdogan that had been rumoured for months burst into the open yesterday, with the two leaders holding crisis talks at the presidential palace that failed to resolve the conflict.

Davutoglu said after a central executive committee meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) that the party would hold an extraordinary congress on May 22 and he would not be standing for a new mandate.

This means that the premier -- who headed the government since 2014 when Erdogan moved from the premiership to the presidency -- will step aside from his twin jobs of AKP boss and prime minister and the congress will choose a new leader.

According to the conventions of the AKP -- a party co-founded by Erdogan to bring Islam into the mainstream of Turkey's secular politics -- the party chairman and head of government are the same person.

"I don't think I will be a candidate in the next congress in the current circumstances," Davutoglu said.

He added that after "consultations with friends", including Erdogan, "I have decided that it will be better to change party leader... for the continuation of the AK Party's unity".

The development, branded a "palace coup" by the opposition, rattled financial markets.

In an emotional farewell statement, Davutoglu gave a long description of his achievements as premier and insisted he held no regrets.

But alluding to a lack of support by some within the AKP, he said he could not be a candidate for the party leadership "if there is no consensus".

The appointment of a potentially more pliant prime minister would allow Erdogan to further consolidate his powers as he seeks to win backing for controversial constitutional changes to make Turkey a presidential system.

Since becoming president after over decade as premier, Erdogan has sought to tighten his grip on the levers of power, leading critics to accuse him of authoritarianism and cracking down on press freedom.

"What happened is a palace coup. Davutoglu should have resisted," said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
Pune: Water woes in Pune further strained relations between BJP and its ally Shiv Sena as the latter

on Thursday launched a signature campaign to oppose District Guardian Minister Girish Bapat's decision to release water from Khadakwasla dam to adjacent Daund and Indapur talukas.

Joining the anti-Bapat campaign already launched by other parties, including NCP, MNS and Congress, Shiv Sena city president Vinayak Nimhan said the memorandum accompanying citizen's signatures, being collected by activists at various public places, would be sent to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to oppose the "arbitrary" decision of the minister.

The Sena activists also staged a demonstration before the minister's office in Kasba Peth area last night.

They organised a prayer in front of the famous Ganesh temple there seeking "wisdom" for Bapat, who, however, has assured Pune residents that there would not be any further cut in their current water supply owing to the sharing with the two neighbouring towns.

Notwithstanding political opposition and the ire expressed at different citizens' forums on the issue, the

state Irrigation Department yesterday released 600 cusecs of water from Khadakwasla reservoir to Indapur and Daund tehsils, which are reeling under severe water shortage in wake of the prevailing drought situation in Maharashtra.

However, Pune Collector Saurabh Rao has assured people that there would not be an additional cut in water provision to the city, which currently is getting municipal water supply every alternate day to tide over the shrinking storage in Khadakwasla dam.

Mayor of Pune Prashant Jagtap had earlier condemned Bapat's decision to divert the water, saying the civic body was not taken into confidence or consulted on the issue.

Bapat, in a joint meeting three days ago, took the decision to release 1 TMC water to Indapur and Daund tehsils. It was opposed by corporators of various parties in Pune Municipal Corporation and a delegation, led by Mayor Jagtap, even submitted a memorandum to the district Collector on Tuesday to "rethink" the decision.

Barring BJP, all other parties demanded that the decision be revoked and also sought Bapat's resignation.

On Tuesday, MNS activists had vandalised the state irrigation department's office here protesting the decision of sharing water from city reservoirs, prompting police to tighten bandobast outside Bapat's office in the city.

Meanwhile, Pune's Guardian Minister Girish Bapat on Thursday urged all parties not to "politicise" the issue of water sharing with neighbouring talukas and assured that the released water is only for drinking purpose and will not be used for farming or sugarcane cultivation in the region.

"The water crisis has become a question of life and death for people living in Indapur and Daund tehsils and I urge all political parties from the civic body not to politicise the issue as everybody in the district has right over the water," Bapat said addressing a press conference here.

"I assure that the released one TMC water will only be used for drinking purpose for approximately four lakh population and for cattle and we will make sure that the water is not used for sugarcane and farming purpose," he said.

Reiterating the stand of the district administration, Bapat said the city reservoir has adequate water stock until mid-July and Pune city will not face any further water cuts in the coming days.

"Even if the situation aggravates, we have one TMC water in the dead stock in the reservoir, which can be lifted. However, looking at the present condition and forecast of monsoon arrival, we will not have to touch that dead stock water.

"Water is being released from one of the two dams from Lavasa and that will be reserved in the reservoir," he said. The minister said the decision to release water was taken after thorough deliberations and considering the present stock in reservoirs.

Bapat said adequate measures have been taken by the district administration and irrigation department to curb water thefts from the canal leading to Indapur and Daund.

The irrigation department had yesterday released 600 cusecs water from Khadakwasla reservoir to Indapur and Daund. The entire one TMC water will be released in a phased manner in the next 12-13 days.
They have been feted as heroes so far for being instrumental in ensuring relatively free and fair polls in the notoriously volatile climes of West Bengal. In the final phase of 2016 Assembly elections, however, the Central forces courted controversy for using "excessive violence" while establishing the writ of law.

From many parts of Cooch Behar and East Midnapore, the two districts that went to polls in sixth installment on Thursday, reports poured in all throughout the day of paramilitary personnel being 'too proactive' and in some cases blurring the line between imposing the regulations and violating it.

Given West Bengal's tradition of blood smeared elections, it is understandable why the Central forces may have wanted to err on the side of caution  after all, the last phase too went off almost without a glitch with very little complaints from the opposition  but still some of the incidents that took place on Thursday are hard to justify.

In Janu Basan village of Tamluk, the district headquarters of East Midnapore, a five-year-old boy was reportedly injured in lathicharge when paramilitary jawans tried to disperse a crowd near booth No. 94 leading to massive protest from locals. The boy later needed medical attention, as footage from local TV channels proved.

Abdul Kader, the Trinamool Congress councilor of ward No. 14 in Haldia reportedly suffered a hand fracture when CRPF jawans wielded their batons. Six other TMC workers were also injured. According to the forces, the TMC leader and his men had broken the 100-metre rule of not being allowed to assemble near a booth.

A similar incident was reported from Sitalkuchi, an administrative block in Mathabhanga subdivision of Cooch Behar. Another six TMC supporters including two women were reportedly injured when jawans lathicharged on them and smashed the party camp.

Once again, CRPF said they were forced to take action when the group of supporters refused to leave the vicinity of a booth despite repeated warnings. One of the injured women told Kolkata TV that forces chased them down and damaged their houses.

In Khejuri, villagers in Matilal Chak damaged a road in protest against alleged excesses of jawans when six TMC workers were hurt by lathicharge.

In Moyna, East Midnapore, six more workers were wounded when Central forces lathicharged to disperse 'unlawful assemblies' near booth numbers 255 and 266 in Deubhanga. The ruling party claimed that they had maintained a distance of 200 metres away from the polling area. Section 144, was, however, imposed in the area.

Similar complaints came in from Natabari constituency of Cooch Behar where four TMC workers were beaten up when central forces thrashed them for centering around booth numbers 173, 178, 180 and 182.

In each of these incidents, ruling party workers were at the receiving end. And Trinamool Congress wasted no time in claiming that they were victimised by the Election Commission who were acting as Centre's agents.

"The Delhi government used central forces to get back at us. This is shameful. The CRPF has always maintained a certain prestige and professionalism in their conduct. This time, they let themselves me exploited for political ends," said Suvendu Adhikari, the TMC candidate from Nandigram.

Adhikari's constituency was also in news all through the day. Many booths in Nandrigram had no presence of rival party agents. The CPM alleged that their workers were too scared to discharge their duties after being threatened overnight. Adhikari, however, denied all charges.

"These are completely baseless complaints. Nobody in Nandigram wants to be associated with their party. We have huge organisational, multi-tiered structure in Nandigram including female workers and representatives from the minority section. CPIM failed to organise agents in over 1,500 booths. What can I do if they have lost the support of their people? They should wrap up their party offices.

"There is no fight with CPM here. We are winning. Our only opposition is the central forces," Adhikari told ETV News Bangla. An earlier footage in 24 Ghanta, another news channel, captured him saying that TMC has come prepared this time to counter the tactics of forces. "We have understood the strategy of Central forces. Accordingly we have changed our strategy as well," said the TMC strongman who had featured in one of the infamous Narada sting videos.

That strategy became evident by the way many voters in Nandigram had to be escorted to their booths in police or CRPF vehicles. TV channels quoted many of them expressing fear after being warned overnight from stepping near the booth.

Dabang cop

Amid reports of voter intimidation from Mytore, a hamlet in Panskura (west) constituency under East Midnapore, officer Mohammed Bilal Hossain was seen going from door-to-door and trying to allay the fears of local residents who were visibly scared stiff. "Don't be afraid. We are here to help you," the officer was seen telling local residents.

"Who has threatened you, tell me their names," asked the officer to voters, many of whom refused to identify themselves for fear of retribution. Some broke out in tears. Hossain also gave a local CPM agent a ride in his jeep and escorted him to the polling booth from where he was driven out.

FIR against TMC leaders

The Election Commission ordered the district administration to file FIR against two TMC leaders: Udayan Guha and Rabindranath Ghosh.

Candidate from Natabari constituency in Cooch Behar, Ghosh was caught on camera barging inside polling booth and threatening a sector officer. He even accused the officer of acting as a CPM tout. Taking suo motu cognizance of the event, the EC had sought a report. Guha, who is contesting from Dinhata constituency on a TMC ticket, has been charged with aiding proxy voting.

103-year-old votes for first time in life

Asghar Ali, 103 years old, cast his ballot for the first time in his life on Thursday when residents of Chhitmahal, one of the 51 enclaves in Cooch Behar district, exercised their franchise for the first time as Indian citizens.

These enclaves were formally declared Indian territory in August last year after an exchange with Bangladesh. Both countries exchanged 162 adversely-held enclaves on 1 August 2015 ending one of the world's most complex border disputes.
West Bengals 2016 election can be compared to the 1993 blockbuster film Muqabla, with two stereotypical cops  one good and the other bad, a police force that was paralysed into inaction, a bad guy who cannot be arrested and a heroine. The more people voted the more popular the fight or muqabla got; therefore voter rating has been driving the popular perception on a daily basis of the extended seven-day six-phase election. It is seen as a nail-biting race, with a dark horse challenging the favourite.

No guesses are needed on who is who, because each side has a different take on the villains, victims and the vanquished; also because the victor cannot be known till 19 May, the counting day. Impatience is whipping up a frenzied speculation since the official crystal ball gazing can begin only after the 16 May elections are over in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Ingenious poll watchers in West Bengal are swapping numbers, sharing rumours via WhatsApp to keep the pot boiling.

Conversations have become more like carousels flowing in circular loops. But their pace has unexpectedly gained speed because of the piqued interest in the exceptionally long elections. The state is taut with expectation, seeking relief in rumours.

Conspiracy theories and vendetta narratives are replacing the aggressive rhetoric of the campaign. The Trinamool Congress has its own version, in which the Election Commission, opposition and the Congress-Left alliance all figure as fellow conspirators working through pliable policemen, who are Bhitu (cowards). This shift in narrative is revealing, because it converts cops from shob amader lok (all of them are our people) with a pro-Trinamool mindset was pro-Trinamool Congress into turncoats serving the Election Commission and therefore the opposition, including the alliance.

This is Mamata Banerjees personal contribution to the deeply divided, intensely antagonistic political discourse in West Bengal. The public is of the opinion that the administration, of which the police are a part, is a partisan corps; even more submissive now than when the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) led Left Front was in power for 34 years. By branding the police as cowards, Mamata Banerjee has done two things; first, she has stripped the police of any remaining vestiges of professionalism that it may have salvaged after years of being attacked by her as an extension of the ruling party and second she has robbed the police of all credibility in the public.

This has made tracking police response to post-poll intimidation and violence as the newest game in town. By extension, the rest of the administration too has been sucked into this divide as a result of which the credibility of the bureaucracy too has dipped to a new low. To this toxic story, the CPM and its Left Front partners, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, as the principal opposition parties have added their dose of poison.

If the Trinamool Congress wins and returns to power what will it do? The same question applies to the Congress-CPMs improbable alliance. There are several options. Whichever party or alliance wins, it will first have to placate the police and soothe the bureaucracy in order to run the government. Appeasing the miffed bureaucracy and police has implications for West Bengals governance over the next five years. The political-police-bureaucracy nexus cannot be good for the state. If the winner chooses to punish the bhitu, as Mamata Banerjee has threatened to do, it would be divisive and potentially volatile. Separating the bad from the good, amader lok from the other will split the permanent bureaucracy and police and offer the disgruntled the inducement to undermine governance.

In any eventuality, getting the government to work as a non-partisan system is not going to be easy. The effects of bad-mouthing babudom and the police will take time to wear off. In between, it will be the Ma, Mati, Manush of Mamata Banerjee and the Manusher Jote of the Congress-CPM alliance that will bear the brunt of the inevitable reprisals that will follow.

Experience of the past five years of divisions and vengeance, of how these play out through the administration and out among the people suggests that it will be expensive in terms of lives, traumas, buyouts and sell-outs.

The price of failure has been paid by the landowners of Singur, both those who sold their land and received compensation in 2006 and those who resisted and formed the core of the Save the Land Committee, which was appropriated by the Trinamool Congress. The price of failure has been paid by women, who have been stigmatised, raped and assaulted and whose safety is no longer assured. The price has been paid by people who have fled their homes and resettled elsewhere in thousands and it has been paid by private and corporate real estate builders.

The cost of division and vengeance has been paid by West Bengals youth, the 20-35 year olds, whose prospects have not improved and whose future could be bleak, unless the political class finds by some magic the capacity to reconcile enemies, end confrontations and stop vendettas. Can the Trinamool Congress, CPM, Congress and the BJP do this? Are West Bengals leaders capable of doing so?
The recent military advances of the Assad regime in Syria may not bring peace and stability in the country, as the regime has no political roadmap to address the basic questions raised in 2011 when popular protests were brutally cracked down.

Perhaps Syria may descend into a worse state than the Libyan model of crisis, that too without Nato intervention. The pessimistic scenario creates many reasons to disbelieve the claims of Assad regime's victories.

In Libya, factions had declared their rival states  which eventually were forced to sit on the table and declare a unity government. Ever since the peace process started, civilian casualties have declined and rival factions have stayed within their territories without challenging each other much.

For generating a dialogue, there is a roadmap according to which both sides have agreed to negotiate. The Syrian peace process has nothing in common with the Libyan crisis despite the fact that Libya has descended into complete chaos.

In Yemen, despite excessive use of force by the Arab alliance  apparently to restore the legitimate elected president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi  the Arab intervention as well as the GCC mediation enjoyed greater international and regional support including that from the United Nations Security Council.

Syria has divided the world in three almost irreconcilable camps  Russia led Assad alliance, Saudi-Turkey supported National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces and Free Syrian Army (FSA) led different rebel groups; and third, perhaps the most indecisive, is a Western and American camp whose concern is now overwhelmed by the refugee influx.

The common enemy of all these three rivals is Daesh and Nusra Front  whose defeat has become a strategic game and whoever defeats them will eventually control Syria, as the Assad camp now says.

As Russian air strikes, despite heavy civilian causalities, have weakened the Daesh and Nusra Fronts, the Assad regime has started a decisive attack against other rebel groups, violating several fragile ceasefires brokered by the joint efforts of Russia and the United States.

These initial advances have convinced the Assad regime and its allies of securing a military victory against the opposition, pushing all political settlements aside.

There are three major scenarios of Syrias civil war that are unacceptable to all parties:

A rebel controlled Syria will be the victory of Saudi-Turkey camp, giving them extra strategic depth not only against their regional rivals like Iran and Iraq, but also against major powers like Russia and the United States. This scenario will also be a setback for Syrian and Turkish Kurds who have seen the crisis as an opportunity for their long-held nationalist aspirations. In Assad controlled Syria, the minority Alawite population will enjoy a decisive say against the majority Sunni and Kurd populations. It's military, political and financial dependency on Russia, Iran and Hezbollah is its biggest weakness and it is almost unsustainable. An inclusive Assad led government is an impossible and improbable fact. Mass defections by Sunni personnel of the Syrian army had led to the formation of the Free Syrian Army. To make a new inclusive military will be the greatest and desirable challenge. The longer Assad regimes dependency on external military and political support lasts, the more uncertain will be the life of the Assad led government. Islamic State's so called Caliphate or Kurd controlled new state or a federal state has already seen significant decline despite their initial mediatised victories. Both require territorial change to the Syrian state, which both Assad and anti-Assad opposition have tactically tolerated or supported.

Any scenario of Assad led Syria would face serious challenge of legitimacy from more than four million Syrian refugees, presumably mostly anti-Assad Sunnis or religious minorities. The return of these refugees would mean not only a challenge of their rehabilitation, but also their inclusion in his unpopular politics.

There are very few Syrians who have been given shelter by Iran or Russia which means that their return from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and European countries would not be without heavy political price.

To keep these refugees away from Syria would also be an embarrassment for Assads allies. To allow these refugees to be used as strategic asset against the unpopular Assad regime cannot be a viable option for a victorious Assad regime.

From opposition's perspective, Nusra and IS are the by-products of the crisis and can be defeated only when there is a political transition. Assad and his allies conveniently use a blanket term of terrorism for both rebels  Nusra and Daesh.

Politically convenient though, anti-Assad opposition currently led by the National Coalition from outside and the Free Syrian Army from inside, has a vast political constituency among Syrians and non-Syrian Arabs as well.

Easily writing off anti-Assad (opposition) political and military groups from the political process is something which many within the Assad camp will find inconvenient. An Assad regime without credible check and balance will soon become a liability for Assads allies.

International organizations, primarily the United Nations Security Council has failed because of Chinese and Russian vetoes. The fragility of the Syrian peace process is premised on the fact that they are largely being managed without a credible international mandate.

In Yemen, for example, Russian abstaining allowed a strong basis for a dialogue which has put pressure on anti-regime Houthi forces. Geneva series of dialogues have produced nothing; rather, they have allowed more complications as both sides strived to secure a high bargaining position. With each victory on ground, all sides have changed their positions, making the political settlement impossible to achieve.

Perhaps, the first ever peace initiative was the famous sixteen hours meeting between Bashar-al-Assad and the then Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu  which American strategic community had dubbed as a Turkish strategy to manage the US power in the region.

The historic meeting, though failed, had raised eyebrows in the White House as these talks questioned the US-Turkish mutual trust. What transpired between the two leaders was for sure not about the regime change. It was all about stopping the bloodshed and finding a peaceful way of political transition. But after five years of continuous bloodshed, it is only Assads future which is failing the dialogues.

In case the Assad regime declares its military victory all over Syria, it will not mean an actual victory because the regime will remain dependent on Russian and Iranian support as long as the rebels are not militarily defeated and internationally derecognised.

Assad regimes re-entry in the Arab League and its recognition by majority of Muslim countries depends on how Assad introduces the new political plan for his country. With or without Western support, the Sunni Arab countries will be under extreme pressure to not recognise Assad and to keep recognition intact for the rebel led opposition as the representative of the Syrian people.

With two rival authorities, Syria's peaceful and stable future will remain in question. Whether the Assad camp is serious about finding lasting peace in Syria will be seen in its ability to offer the sacrifices that Syria requires.

Even when the Assad regime stabilizes with much external support, it will face international inquiries on war crimes, making his political future uncertain for the international community.

It is unlikely that Russia and Iran will be able to block all international efforts to keep the Assad regime safe from all these vulnerabilities.

(The author is a research fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs New Delhi. Views expressed are personal. omair@icwa.in)
SYDNEY An Australian citizen believed to be a top recruiter for the Islamic State has been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq, disrupting the militant group's ability to lure new fighters, the Australian government said on Thursday.

Attorney-General George Brandis said the United States had advised him that Prakash, who was linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the United States, was killed in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29.

Melbourne-born Prakash had appeared in ISIL propaganda videos and magazines and had actively recruited Australian men, women and children, and encouraged acts of terrorism, Brandis said.

"He is considered to be Australias most prominent ISIL recruiter," Brandis said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Marise Payne. "His death disrupts and degrades ISIL's ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts."

Australia last year announced financial sanctions against Prakash, including threatening anyone giving financial assistance to him with punishment of up to 10 years in jail. The country is on alert for attacks by radicalised Muslims or by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East.

Prakash, who is believed to have relocated to Syria in 2014, joined two other Australian Islamic State fighters on the United Nations sanctions list, Mohamed Elomar and Khaled Sharrouf, who appeared in images last year holding the severed heads of Syrian soldiers.

Brandis said he had also been advised by the U.S. government that a second Australian citizen involved in the radical Sunni group, Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad, was killed on April 22 in a U.S. airstrike near Al Bab in Syria.

Mohammad and her Sudanese husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, were both active recruiters of foreign fighters on behalf of ISIL, and had been inspiring attacks against Western interests, Brandis said.

Mohammad was also the sister of Farhad Mohammad, the 15-year-old boy who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng at police headquarters in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta in October. Farhad Mohammad was killed in a gunfight with police outside the building.

(Reporting by Jane Wardell; Editing by David Gregorio)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Radical Islam is spreading its tentacles in Bangladesh. Whether it is through home grown extremists or the local unit of an Al Qaeda or Islamic State franchise, is irrelevant. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government appears to be on the back foot and is either not able to act or is reluctant to crack down on those who have over the last two years got away with the most primitive and gruesome hacking to death with knives, swords and machetes. The victims were bloggers, atheists and secular thinkers.

In the last couple of weeks this has extended to murder of a gay rights activist, a Hindu tailor and a well respected professor of English. The professor was a practicing Muslim and attended mosque regularly on Friday. He had made no provocative statements. He was funding a mosque as well as a music school in his village. So why him? There are no easy answers.

On Tuesday, Singapore announced that it had repatriated eight Bangladeshis. The authorities allege that the eight were radicalized Muslims, hoping to establish an Islamic State unit in Bangladesh, overthrow the government and establish a caliphate. Documents on bomb-making and weapons were recovered from the group.

What is worrying ordinary Bangladeshis is not Al Qaeda or Islamic State, but the governments inability to prosecute and send to trial the culprits involved in the recent spate of killings. If the cases were solved, the ordinary citizen would be reassured. We dont know who these people are, and why they cannot be apprehended? It is frustrating for all of us, said Shantanu Majumdar, professor in Dhaka university. Instead of nabbing the culprits the police chief advises writers to be careful. This will only encourage those who are murdering with impunity, he said.

Majumdar has a point. Though the Awami Leagues secular credentials cannot be questioned, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's speech on Bengali New Year in April is worrying moderates and liberals in Bangladesh. She denounced those who criticised religion or expressed their own lack of religious faith. I don't consider such writings as freethinking but filthy words. Why would anyone write such words? Its not at all acceptable if anyone writes against our prophet or other religions.

Writers have been asked to make sure that religious sentiments are not hurt. What people forget is that Sheikh Hasina is a politician, she cannot go against the wishes of the majority who are devout Muslims. The Awami League is already seen as a pro-India, pro-minority party, and cannot be seen to be on the side of the bloggers. But that does not mean she should let the perpetrators get away.

US pressure



The international community is equally anxious. Dhaka is under enormous pressure to nab the killers of gay rights activist Xulhaz Mannan and his young friend Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy. Mannan worked with USAID. A Bangaldesh-born US citizen Avijit Roy was hacked to death in February 2014. US Secretary of State John Kerry was on the phone to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, demanding action and providing help if necessary. The EU too has been urging the government to act.

Under pressure, the government has come out with a statement promising to take tough action and arrest those responsible. Whoever is responsible for these attacks, the Government is determined to hunt them down and put them behind the bar. Regrettably, in recent times we have seen attacks and brutal murders of several individuals, in what may be termed as an attack on the secular outlook of the land where people of all faiths have lived in harmony since long. It seems that vested groups are out to destabilize the country through these planned killings. Much will depend on whether the government can deliver on its promise.

India also concerned

Unlike the US, India is not making any public noise about the killings. Yet as Bangladeshs' closest neighbour, there is considerable concern. New Delhi trusts Sheikh Hasina and is aware of the fact that she won't ignore India's security interests. But Delhi is also aware that mushrooming of jihadi groups can have an impact on India's sensitive north-eastern states.

The fear of terror groups slipping into India's north-east is very real. In September 2014, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has announced the formation of the Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, which would concentrate on spreading its branches to India and Myanmar. Zawahiri mentioned the Muslim majority state of Kashmir and Assam, who have a sizeable number of Muslims. Al Qaeda vowed to fight for the rights of the Muslim population in these areas.

India is willing to go along with Dhaka that neither the Al Qaeda nor Islamic State is involved in the recent spate of murders. Most can be traced back to home grown elements. Yet Delhi has also been urging Dhaka to take action. Counter terror expert Ajai Sahni, agrees with the Bangladesh government and dismisses claims of Al Qaeda and Islamic State.

These are home grown outfits, remnants of the Jamaat and the opposition hitting out at the government. There has to be much more evidence to prove the involvement of Al Qaeda or Islamic State, he said.
NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Over the years, Ethiopian mother-of-three Hana Mekonnen has received all sorts of aid designed to free her from the bitter trap of poverty and hunger: goats, cash transfers, resettlement and, of course, sacks of grain.

None has worked.

Hana's one-year-old son was diagnosed with malnutrition in October, usually a time of plenty in Ethiopia's mountainous Amhara region, when the main harvest starts to come in.

The Horn of Africa nation's worst drought in 50 years has left her destitute, reduced to arguing with neighbours over the allocation of aid rations.

"Because of the drought, we are all poor," she said, seated in her dimly-lit hut with her child on her lap.

"No one in this village has anything to give their children. We all live on food aid."

Hana blames God for failed rains, but development experts say her chronic poverty is the result of traditional farming methods, a soaring population and a lack of alternative sources of income.

Millions of farmers and herders across Africa have been pushed into crisis by drought this year, raising questions about the ability of aid to break the hunger cycle, despite a resolve to do so after famine killed 260,000 people in Somalia in 2011.

How to make people less vulnerable to natural disasters, and improving the aid response when they do strike, are key themes of the World Humanitarian Summit on May 23-24 in Istanbul.

SAFETY NET

Hana receives cash and food six months a year, in exchange for environmental work, like digging ponds and planting trees.

Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP), set up in 2005, helps her through the 'lean season' between harvests, while also rehabilitating land and building roads, health posts and schools to tackle some of the underlying causes of poverty.

The scheme, administered by the government and largely funded by international donors, was set up to end the annual scramble for emergency funding to feed hungry Ethiopians, averaging 5 million a year in the decade before its launch.

It has made the provision of food aid more predictable and cheaper, helping to prevent the terrible famines that tarnished Ethiopia's international image in the 1970s and 80s.

But it has not ended hunger.

"Ethiopia is, and has demonstrated itself to be, very effective at response," said Laura Hammond, who heads the development studies department at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

"But there's still this level of vulnerability and poverty that is persistent and that's harder to turn a corner on."

This year, one in five Ethiopians need food aid, with 8 million receiving support from the PSNP and another 10.2 million from a $1.4 billion humanitarian appeal.

By 2020, the project - Africa's largest social safety net - will have cost donors $5.7 billion, raising questions about its sustainability.

"Ultimately, there does need to be a vision for this not being a donor-financed safety net," Greg Collins, director of the Center for Resilience at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"We more and more need to be investing in creating opportunities that allow those who are able to graduate from the PSNP."

Initial optimism about a rapid shift to self-sufficiency has been replaced with an acceptance that some Ethiopians will be dependent on aid indefinitely.

GROWTH STORY

The busy roads, endless construction sites and new light railway snaking over Ethiopia's capital are testament to the double-digit growth it has enjoyed for the last decade.

This growth has led to a dramatic drop in poverty rates, with the share of the population living below the poverty line falling from 56 to 31 percent between 2000 and 2011, according to World Bank data.

"Ethiopia is the darling of Africa at the moment," said Lindsey Jones, a researcher with the London-based Overseas Development Institute. "Its economy is expanding massively."

But deeper structural changes, like urbanisation and industrialisation, are needed to end poverty, experts say.

From the early 1990s, Ethiopia pursued an agriculture-led development strategy, under visionary strongman Meles Zenawi.

Increased use of fertiliser, better seeds and expert advice produced sharp increases in yields, benefiting the 92 percent of Ethiopians who, according to the World Bank, own land.

As Ethiopia's population has doubled since the early 1990s, many people's farms are often only half a hectare.

"There is no means to increase the landholding size," said Mitiku Kassa, head of Ethiopia's National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Committee. "The only option is to increase the productivity of the land by using agricultural technologies."

Each ward has three development agents, graduates in crop and animal sciences, who demonstrate to villagers how to increase their yields, he said.

But farmers remain vulnerable to poor rains, unlike workers in manufacturing and services jobs, which have proven critical in reducing poverty in countries like Bangladesh and Rwanda.

Ethiopia's recent investment in the food processing, textile and flower industries is a step towards diversifying the economy away from its heavy dependence on farming, said SOAS's Hammond.

ACT BEFORE DROUGHT

The most popular buzzword among aid workers after the 2011 drought across the Horn of Africa was "resilience", which means boosting people's ability to bounce back from shocks like a failed harvest or a death in the family.

Projects that provide families with alternative sources of income, such as livestock, or loans to set up small businesses, can make them less vulnerable when disaster hits.

"What's needed is more investment in action before droughts strike," said Michael Mosselmans, head of humanitarian policy and practice for Christian Aid.

Every dollar spent on preparedness saves seven dollars in disaster aftermath, the United Nations says, but it is harder to generate enthusiasm for preventative projects than tackling visible crises, like starving children.

At the World Humanitarian Summit, Christian Aid is calling for 5 percent of aid to be spent on resilience and disaster preparedness, up from the current 0.4 percent.

Ethiopia is not holding its breath.

The government's Mitiku says efforts to end hunger for women like Hana must be driven by Ethiopia itself.

"Emergencies will continue, in my view, as long as we are living with adverse climate change," he said, drawing comparisons with drought-hit California.

"They are not appealing (for funds) because they have the capacity to respond. We expect Ethiopia to have such capacity to respond by itself... when we reach lower middle-income (status)," he said, a target it has set for 2025.

For more on the World Humanitarian Summit, please visit: here

(Reporting by Katy Migiro; Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories.)

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Beijing: Chinese and Indian academics and media professionals discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism and new media at a conference held in Inner Mongolia region.

The Third China-India Media Exchange Programme, which began on Wednesday, was co-hosted by the Global Times Foundation and India's Observer Research Foundation (ORF), involved 20 media professionals and researchers.

Sun Yuxi, former Chinese ambassador to India, said at the conference that Chinese and Indian foreign ministries are more inclined to speak in the same tone, but it is still difficult for the two countries' media to voice the same opinion.

"Sino-Indian friendship must be built on mutual understanding and better interaction of the two countries' media, because both the Chinese and Indian people get to know each other mainly through our media," Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times and honorary council director of the Global Times Foundation, said.

Media communication lags behind the bilateral political connections, which is better than what is depicted in media, Samir Saran, senior fellow and vice president of the Observer Research Foundation, said during the conference.

Saran noted that Sino-Indian relations are crucial for regional peace and stability in the 21st century.

The conference will continue for three days in the Hobq Desert and three more days in Guiyang in Guizhou province.
WASHINGTON U.S. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton took quick aim at presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday, saying the United States should not take a risk on an unreliable candidate.

"He is a loose cannon, and loose cannons tend to misfire," Clinton said in an interview with CNN, citing Trump stances including an allegation that climate change was a Chinese hoax.

Clinton, a former secretary of state, said Trump would have to offer policy specifics in ahead of the Nov. 8 presidential election and criticized him for his positions on issues including nuclear weapons and abortion.

"He makes these grand statements and grand accusations," Clinton said of the real estate magnate and former reality TV star. "At some point when you're running for president, you actually have to put a little meat on the bones. You've got to tell people what it is you're going to do and how you're going to do it."

Clinton lost the Democratic primary contest in Indiana on Tuesday but still looks set to win her party's nomination, leading her rival, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, by more than 800 delegates. Trump's win in Indiana on Tuesday pushed his rivals out of the race and left him as the presumptive nominee.

In a preview of the likely general election battle, Clinton laughed when asked if she was ready to take on Trump, saying: "Oh, please."

"This is to me a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who has knocked out of the way all the Republicans because they were just dumbfounded," she said.

Clinton said she knew how to run a campaign against Trump and took a swipe at Trump's 16 Republican presidential rivals who started out in the 2016 campaign.

"They didn't know how to deal with him," Clinton said. "They couldn't take him on the issues because they basically agreed with them. And they didn't know how to counterpunch."

Asked how "scorched-earth" the campaign was likely to be, she replied: "You know, hes the one making that decision. ... Hes the one whos run the campaign insulting people, demeaning women, degrading people with disabilities, talking about keeping Muslims out of the country, hes the one thats been running that kind of very negative, aggressive, bullying campaign.

"Im going to keep staying on the kind of campaign Im running," she said.

(Reporting by Megan Cassella and Doina Chiacu; Additional reporting by Tim Ahmann and Eric Walsh; Editing by Frances Kerry and Peter Cooney)

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Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the death sentence it handed down to chief of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami Motiur Rahman Nizami over crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War with Pakistan.

The four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha pronounced the single-word judgment.

"Rejected," said the top judge about the final appeal of 72-year-old Nizami, who was convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of top intellectuals.

This verdict comes two days after the bench wrapped up hearing Nizami's petition, seeking a review of the

top court's own previous judgment that had confirmed his death sentence.

The Supreme Court's decision clears the final legal hurdle for the government to hang the Jamaat-e-Islami chief, who is now left with the only option to seek presidential mercy.

President Abdul Hamid, however, has earlier rejected two such prayers by 1971 war crimes convicts, including Nizami's top aide then, who were subsequently executed late last year.
Washington: Launching a frontal attack on Donald Trump, Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton has dubbed the Republican presumptive presidential nominee as a "loose cannon" on which the country cannot take a risk.

Clinton, who is most likely to lead the Democratic party in the November 8 US presidential elections against Trump, fired her first salvo against her fellow New Yorker as it became evident that he was now the Republic presumptive

nominee.

"I don't think we can take a risk on a loose cannon like Donald Trump running our country," Clinton on Wednesday told CNN in a major television interview, the first after the crucial Indiana primary wherein she was defeated by her sole Democratic rival Bernie Sanders in a tight contest.

She is still headed to be the party's presidential nominee because of her delegate count.

"Donald Trump has said it's okay for other countries to get nuclear weapons. I think that's just downright dangerous. He has said wages are too high. I think we need to have a raise for the American people, raise the minimum wage, get wages back going up," Clinton said.

"I think when he says women should be punished for having abortions, that is just beyond anything that I can imagine, I think most women can imagine," she said in response to a question.

"Well, he's a loose cannon. He's somebody who has said so many things, and I'm sure he'll be scrambling and his advisers will be scrambling, but he's already said all of these things," Clinton argued.

"He says climate change is a Chinese hoax, and I think it's real, and we've got to pull the world together to deal with it. So you can go down a long list, some of which he's tried to bob and weave a little bit, but I think it's a risk. I think he is a loose cannon and loose cannons tend to misfire," she said.

Clinton said she is running her own campaign to become the president of the country and not against Trump. "I'm not running against him. I'm running my own campaign. I'm running to become president, to really deal with the economy, get it working again, take on all the barriers that stand in the way of people of people getting ahead. I have a very clear mission in this campaign," she said.

A day earlier, Trump had criticised her husband and former US president Bill Clinton for signing NAFTA trade deal.

"The economy does better when we have a Democrat in the White House. We saw the stark difference between my husband's presidency and George W Bush who went back to trickle down economics which is also what Donald Trump is advocating," she said.

"Then we saw Barack Obama have to rescue the economy from the failed economic policies of the Republicans, so I'm more than happy to take that issue on," she said.
The Supreme Court in Italy on Monday overturned the conviction of a homeless man from Ukraine, who was caught stealing food from a store in Genoa in 2013 and ruled that "stealing small amounts of food out of necessity is not a crime".

According to The Telegraph report, the unusual judgment was made in the case of a homeless man, Roman Ostriakov, who was caught trying to steal two pieces of cheese and a pack of frankfurter sausages worth four euros (3.15) from a supermarket in Genoa, in Italy's northwest, in 2011.

The Rome-based Cassation (appellate) Court on Monday ruled that man was driven by necessity to take a small quantity of food, Fox News reported.

The court said that the circumstances in which the merchandise theft took place prove that he took possession of that small amount of food in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment, "acting therefore in a state of need", reported The New York Times.

Therefore, the theft does not constitute a crime, the appellate court wrote in its decision.

According to a CNN International report, the 36-year-old Ukrainian national, had the goods hidden under his jacket as he paid for bread sticks. He was reported to shopkeepers by another customer, and was later arrested by police.

In 2013, Ostriakov was convicted of theft and sentenced to six months jail and a 100 fine ($115). The ruling was appealed against, but upheld in 2015.

Ostriakov, was sentenced to six months in jail and a fine of 100 ($115) in 2015.

The value of the food he attempted to steal was less than $5, reported Time Magazine.

The ruling found its way in an op-ed in La Stampa, an Italian newspaper, which said that for the judges, the right to survival prevails over property.

An opinion piece in Corriere Della Sera, reported BBC, said statistics suggest 615 people are added to the ranks of the poor in Italy every day, and it was "unthinkable that the law should not take note of reality".
BAGHDAD Iraq's prime minister vowed on Thursday to prevent another breach of Baghdad's Green Zone, hours before a planned protest by followers of a senior Shi'ite cleric, hundreds of whom stormed the fortified complex last week.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's promise came just a day after he sacked Green Zone security chief, Lieutenant-General Mohammed Ridha, replacing him with Major General Kareem Abboud al-Tamimi, sources said.

Ridha had appeared in videos kissing Sadr's hand as he entered Baghdad's Green Zone and began a sit-in in March.

"Changes have been carried out in the security system and plans were in place to protect constitutional institutions and prevent the recurrence of what happened recently," Abadi said in a speech on state television.

Last Tuesday, supporters of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stormed the Green Zone and broke into the parliament building, attacking deputies and demanding reforms to a political quota system blamed for rampant corruption.

Sadr wants to see Abadi's proposed technocrat government approved but powerful parties within parliament have resisted, fearing the dismantling of patronage networks that sustain their wealth and influence.

Abadi has warned that the continuing political turmoil could hamper the war against ultra hardline Sunni militants, Islamic State, who control large swathes of northern and western Iraq.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Isabel Coles; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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NAIROBI Rescue workers on Thursday freed four people who had survived under the rubble of a building in Kenya's capital for six days after it collapsed, the Kenya Red Cross said.

A woman was the first to be found, surviving in a cavity of broken masonry of the building that crumbled last Friday night. Doctors had given her oxygen and fed her by intravenous drip until workers using their hands and power tools to free her.

Later in the day, the Kenya Red Cross said three more people had been recovered alive from the debris in the poor Huruma district of Nairobi, where the building collapsed after days of heavy rain.

"Super news! Three more people have been rescued alive from the Huruma building collapse. One male and two female," the Red Cross said on its Twitter feed.

Earlier, Reuters witnesses saw the first woman carried to an ambulance to cheers and applause from a crowd at the scene.

The death toll from the disaster has reached 36, the leader of the operation Pius Masai told reporters. About 140 people have now been rescued, based on the four freed on Thursday.

Dozens are still listed as missing, but Kenyan Red Cross officials say it is not clear whether those listed were caught in the collapse or escaped but have not been traced.

Earlier this week rescuers had said there was little chance of finding more survivors.

A baby was pulled out of the wreckage on Tuesday, dehydrated but otherwise apparently unharmed. The baby was reunited with her father, but Masai said her mother was among those killed.

The Interior Ministry said the building, built close to a river, had been earmarked for demolition, but local authorities had not acted on the order.

Two owners of the building and three local officials have been questioned by police and were released on bail on Wednesday.

The disaster was the latest of its kind in a rapidly-expanding city. Several other buildings in Nairobi have collapsed in recent years, with fewer deaths.

(Reporting by Humphrey Malalo and Ben Makori; Writing by Edmund Blair and Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Richard Balmforth)

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WASHINGTON The White House on Thursday condemned an air strike on a refugee camp in Syria that killed at least 28 people, including women and children.

"There is no justifiable excuse for carrying out an air strike against innocent civilians who have already once fled their homes to escape violence," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest at the daily press briefing.

"These individuals are in the most desperate situation imaginable, and there is no justification for carrying out military action that's targeting them."

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by James Dalgleish)

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WASHINGTON The U.S. military received about 6,000 reports of sexual assault in 2015, similar to the number in 2014, the Pentagon said in an annual report on Thursday, but such crimes are still underreported.

The Defense Department's report said there were 6,083 reports of sexual assault against a service member in 2015, compared with 6,131 the year before. Those numbers were a sharp jump from 2012 when 3,604 cases were reported.

Officials have said the figures showed troops were more confident about reporting the crime but sexual assault still is likely underreported, said Nate Galbreath, senior executive adviser for the Pentagons sexual assault prevention office.

Only about 40 percent of female victims and 10 percent of male victims are reporting instances of assault, he said.

Major General Camille Nichols, who leads the Pentagon's sexual assault prevention and response office, told reporters it was unclear whether the number of sexual assaults reported had peaked.

Nineteen percent of sexual assault reports in 2015 were from men. Galbreath said that sexual assault against men was more likely to occur during duty hours.

"In addition to that, they are less likely to have situations that involve alcohol and they are more likely that when there's a threat of penetration or when penetration occurred, to experience injury," Galbreath said.

The report said that 68 percent of those who reported sexual assault experienced negative behaviour from colleagues or leadership.

However, in only 38 percent of reported sexual assaults did the victim face retaliation that amounted to a violation of military law, the Pentagon report said.

According to a 2014 survey by the RAND research group, 62 percent of sexual assault victims had faced some form of retaliation.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Bill Trott)

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AMMAN A cessation of hostilities brokered by Russia and the United States brought a measure of relief to Aleppo on Thursday but fighting raged nearby and President Bashar al-Assad said he still sought total victory over rebels in Syria.

Syrian state media said the army would abide by a "regime of calm" in the city that came into effect at 1 a.m. (6.00 p.m. ET on Wednesday) for 48 hours, and relative calm prevailed on Thursday after two weeks of death and destruction.

The army blamed Islamist insurgents for violating the agreement overnight by what it called indiscriminate shelling of some government-held residential areas of divided Aleppo. Residents said the violence had eased by morning and more shops had opened up.

Heavy fighting was reported in the southern Aleppo countryside near the town of Khan Touman, where al Qaeda's Syrian branch Nusra Front is dug in close to a stronghold of Iranian-backed militias, a rebel source said.

Government forces carried out air attacks on the area and rebels were attacking government positions around the town, pro-Syrian government television channel Al-Mayadeen and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Pro-opposition media said an Islamist insurgent carried out a suicide bomb attack against government positions in Khan Touman.

A TV station controlled by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which is fighting alongside the Syrian army, said the army used a guided missile to destroy a suicide car bomb before it reached its target in that area.

Elsewhere in Syria, fighting persisted. Islamic State militants captured the Shaer gas field in the east of the country, the first gain for the jihadists in the Palmyra desert area since they lost the ancient city in March, according to rebel sources and a monitor.

Amaq, an IS-affiliated news agency, said Islamic State militants killed at least 30 Syrian troops stationed at Shaer and seized heavy weapons, tanks and missiles.

Russian war jets were also reported to have struck militant hideouts in the town of Sukhna in the same Palmyra desert area.

"FINAL VICTORY"

Assad said he would accept nothing less than an outright victory in the five-year-old conflict against rebels across Syria, state media reported.

In a telegram to Russian President Vladimir Putin thanking Moscow for its military support, Assad said the army was set on "attaining final victory" and "crushing the aggression".

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least one person was killed overnight in rebel shelling of the Midan neighborhood on the government-held side of Aleppo, which was Syria's commercial hub and largest city before the war.

Rockets also hit the New Aleppo district, state media said.

But a resident of the rebel-held eastern part of the city said that although warplanes flew overnight, there were none of the intense raids seen during the past 10 days of air strikes.

People in several districts ventured onto the streets where more shops than normal had opened, the resident of al Shaar neighborhood said.

Another resident said civilians in several districts sensed a general trend toward calm. "From last night it was positive and my wife went out to shop and shops opened and people breathed. We did not hear the shelling and bombing we had gotten accustomed to," Sameh Tutunji, a merchant said.

A rebel source also said that despite intermittent firing across the city's main front lines, fighting had subsided and no army shelling of residential areas had been heard.

"Although were seeing less fighting today, the massive onslaught of violence over these past two weeks would make almost anything look like improvement," the North Syria Director for aid organization Mercy Corps Xavier Tissier said.

"We aren't going to celebrate a temporary break in targeted attacks on civilians and aid workers. The cessation of hostilities must hold for the long term," Tissier said.

Rebels also said government helicopters dropped barrel bombs on rebel-held Dahyat al-Rashdeen al Junobi, northwest of Aleppo, and near the Jamiyat al Zahraa area, which saw a rebel ground assault pushed back on Wednesday.

The recent surge in bloodshed in Aleppo had wrecked a February cessation of hostilities agreement sponsored by Washington and Moscow, backers of the rival sides. The truce excluded Islamic State and the Nusra Front.

A spokesman for the mainstream opposition said the Saudi-based High Negotiations Committee (HNC) supported the deal but wanted the truce to cover all of Syria, not just Aleppo. It accused the government of violating it.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi in Amman and Lisa Barrington in Beirut; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Dominic Evans)

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WASHINGTON U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday he is not ready to support or endorse Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

"I'm just not ready to do that at this point. I'm not there right now," Ryan, a Republican, said in an interview with CNN.

Ryan, who added he hoped to support Trump's candidacy, was making his first public comments since Trump's Republican primary rivals dropped out of the race for the White House this week.

(Reporting by Mohammad Zargham and Susan Cornwell; Writing by Eric Walsh; Editing by James Dalgleish)

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Washington: The US has said it is concerned about the allegations of gross violations of human rights in Pakistan by its security forces during its counter-terrorism operations.

"We have seen the reports of his (a local Pakistan leader's) death while in military custody, and we would direct you to the Pakistanis for any further information on the events surrounding his death," State Department spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau told PTI.

She was responding to a question on the death of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Aftab Ahmed, who died in the custody of Rangers paramilitary force under controversial circumstances.

MQM has accused Pakistan rangers of extrajudicial killings. According to a Dawn report, Director General (DG) Rangers Maj Gen Bilal Akber on Tuesday accepted that the MQM leader was tortured by Rangers in custody, but maintained that he died due to a heart attack.

"Even as Pakistan undertakes difficult and important counter-terrorism operations on its territory, the United States remains concerned about allegations of gross violations of human rights in Pakistan," Trudeau said.

"Indeed, we consistently discuss these concerns with the government of Pakistan, in both civilian and military channels, as part of our ongoing dialogue on counter-terrorism and security cooperation," she said.

"That dialogue, including at the highest levels, emphasises that any excessive or extrajudicial use of force or breaches in due process and the rule of law ultimately undermines Pakistan's democracy and long-term counter-terrorism efforts," Trudeau said.

Last week in a memorandum to the State Department and US lawmakers, MQM alleged that the Pakistani Army and its paramilitary Rangers are conducting atrocities against Mujahir community in Karachi.

"Since the formation of MQM in 1984, over 20,000 of its workers and supporters (mostly ethnic Mujahirs) have been brutally murdered by the Pakistan Army and other law enforcement agencies," it said.

The memorandum titled "SOS" was accompanied with a fact sheet report about extrajudicial killing, arrest and missing workers in Karachi since 2013. Copies of the memorandum along with the report was also presented to members of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee by members of MQM US during a Congressional hearing on Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

"Since 2013, thousands of MQM workers have been arrested and tortured by paramilitary rangers, dozens have been extrajudicially murdered and hundreds have disappeared while their whereabouts are still unknown," the memorandum said.
Come July, the GOP could be faced with the embarrassing situation of denying nomination to the Republican majority holder.

With Ted Cruz bowing out of the race following Donald Trump's resounding victory in Indiana on Tuesday, the path to a likely November face-off with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is all but clear for the 69-year-old reality TV star-turned-politician.

Until a few weeks ago, Trump's chances of securing the nomination were murky  with both Ted Cruz and John Kasich teaming up in an attempt to stop him from gaining majority. But with the recent string of victories in the Atlantic states, Trump has gained a lot of ground  recent polls show 56 percent national support for the Republican front-runner.

With just 190 delegates needed out of the remaining 520, if the polling percentage trend holds true, there seems to be nothing that can stop the 'protest candidate' from becoming the presidential nominee.

Nothing except a radical, bold, last-ditch measure that can be used by the Republican party at the convention in July. A nuclear option of sorts.

If the delegates present at the convention can form an absolute majority, then they can change the rules of the convention, thereby freeing themselves to vote for whichever candidate they wanted, and ensuring that Trump does not get the nomination.

The move, seen as undemocratic by some, is completely plausible given that the delegates set their own rules and that there is a growing discord within the GOP that could create fractions within the party, should the nomination be granted to Trump.

The #NeverTrump campaign has picked up steam with every Trump victory, and the anti-Trump bandwagon now believe that this strategy could be the last chance to stop him, and save the Republican Party from destruction.

Sad to see the party of Lincoln and Reagan, 2 of history's greatest Presidents, come to this.#CruzCrew #NeverTrump pic.twitter.com/mxXBse5VUu  BenghaziTruth (@BenghaziTruth) May 4, 2016

But the strategy, albeit plausible, is not without risks. A move to block the Republican majority holder might help derail an unsuitable representative but it could instigate a massive uproar, or as Trump had said, "even riots".

The move, though bold, is not the first attempt in history to stop a front-runner from securing nomination. In 1976, the 'Anybody But Carter' movement  an eerily similar campaign to #NeverTrump  aimed to stop Democratic front-runner Jimmy Carter from securing nomination.

Like Trump, Carter too was an anti-establishment contestant who pushed the boundaries of his party's ideology. An aggressively conservative Democrat, he was despised by some of his fellow party members with a ferocity matched by Trump's Republican counterparts in the present scenario.

But in that case, the movement to derail Carter's momentum failed in the end. The same seems likely with Trump.

Following his Indiana victory, calls of unity were issued across various political and academic establishments. Even pious Republicans vowed to vote for Democrat Hillary  political allegiance is a strong factor in American politics with as few as 7 swing-vote states out of the 50.

#NeverTrump it's official, I am voting for Hillary. First time I will ever vote for a democrat. #digusted  Josh Rutstein (@GUFYFUT) May 4, 2016

So I guess I'll cast a vote for a democrat for POTUS for the first time in my life, way to fail the world #RNC.  Laura Finlayson (@lauramfin) May 4, 2016

As a conservative, i would always rather lose to a democrat, than support a racist and sexist with my party's nametag. #NeverTrump  Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) May 4, 2016

I'm going to fight my heart out to make sure @realDonaldTrumps toxic stew of hatred & insecurity never reaches the White House.  Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) May 4, 2016

Indo-US relations with Trump as President

In the likely scenario that the Republican party sticks it out with Trump post the convention, the once absurd possibility of Trump becoming president would turn into a very real possibility.

Trump began with dismal odds of 200 to 1. Now, they are 2 to 1, a one in three chance that he would become president.

This creates a serious need for deliberation over the likely influence he can have over Indo-US policy. Here are some of his recent remarks on India, its trade with and its foreign policy with Pakistan. Deliberate for yourself if his nomination is a cause of concern:
Obama trip comes as Dems try to energize young voters, voters of color

Compared with the last Wisconsin midterm election, enthusiasm for voting is lagging among voters under 30 and non-white voters, according to polling.
Now aged 58, Governor Stevens has served at the top of the Bank for a decade after being elevated from the deputy governor's position in 2006. Offered reappointment in 2013 after successfully navigating the global financial crisis, he agreed to serve for only three years rather than the standard seven. His second term expires in September.

Glenn Steven's deputy, Philip Lowe, has been appointed governor of the Reserve Bank in the one of the government's last acts before it goes into caretaker mode.

Fifty-five year old Dr Lowe has worked at the bank since 1980 while still a student at the University of New South Wales. He has served as its head of economics, head financial stability, head of domestic markets and assistant governor responsible for the financial system.

He also served as head of the financial institutions and infrastructure division at the Bank for International Settlements in Switzerland where he authored important research on role of central banks in low-inflation environments.

Outgoing RBA Governor Glenn Stevens (left) leaves his deputy and successor Philip Lowe (right) with very low inflation and limited policy ammunition to combat it. Credit:Brendon Thorne

Governor Stevens described the appointment as "superb".

"There could be no one better qualified than Phil Lowe to lead the bank through the next seven years," he said.
The committee's push comes amid heightened official interest in changing the mix of tolls that currently apply to Sydney motorists.

A system of road pricing - such as a congestion tax like London's, or other measures to introduce charges on roads currently driven for free - is needed alongside a shift to public transport to deal with the city's congestion, the Committee for Sydney says.

Building new roads will not by itself reduce Sydney's chronic traffic congestion, says an influential business lobby which is calling for the wider use of road pricing across the city.

Federal Minister for Major Projects Paul Fletcher has flagged a national study into the issue, though that is unlikely to be commissioned this side of the federal election.

Australians are spending time equivalent to up to 6 per cent of their salaries driving to work. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

"One of the things we've seen in researching global cities is that while increasing capacity on roads improves the number of people that can travel on those roads, you soon see congestion return to the same level it always was," said the head of strategy and advocacy at the Committee for Sydney, Eamon Waterford.

"That's not to say that new roads are never the right answer, but roads are not an effective congestion solution in many instances," said Mr Waterford.

In its report, the committee, which until recently was chaired by Lucy Turnbull, the wife of the Prime Minister and a former Sydney lord mayor, said the construction of a light rail line on George Street shows that in some instances traffic can be reduced when road capacity is removed.
For half a dozen years until his death last month, American musician and pop star Prince privately sent thousands of dollars to support Afghan orphans, a humanitarian organization in Afghanistan told VOA.

The pop star helped Kabul-based PARSA, an international aid organization that works with orphans and the disabled in Afghanistan, rebuild a training center for orphan boy and girl scouts in Kabul.

We received a check for $15,000, Marine Gustavson, executive director of PARSA, told VOA in Kabul. It created for my staff a place to bring the kids together, a place to have a five-day workshop where the scoutmasters can stay and can do camp activities and works.

Because of Prince's donation, the number of children in the PARSA scouting program rose from 30 to about 2,000.

"He was instrumental, Gustavson said. He donated to something we needed."

He continued to donate to the Afghan scout program until the end of his life, she said, adding that Prince donated $6,000 a year after his initial gifts.

The late pop star, however kept his philanthropy a top secret.

Because of the kind of man he was, he did not want people to know about his philanthropy, Gustavson said. It was his secret. I just wanted to tell people to honor him. It is a side of him that most people do not know.

I think it was special to him, and it was outside of the public domain.

WATCH: Prince Quietly Helped Afghan Orphans

Unknown to youths

The young scouts who benefited from Prince's largesse were equally ignorant of his identity.

It is a rock star group, one of the girl scouts told VOA. I do not know his name.

The history of scouting in Afghanistan goes back to 1931, under the founding leadership of King Nadir Khan. The program, however, diminished into nonexistence after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the late 1970s and the emergence of the militant Taliban into power.

According to PARSA, the organizations scouting program is designed to empower Afghan children and steer them away from the lure of extremist groups. The program currently has over 1,800 registered youths across 14 provinces.

When he was alive, we did not know about the assistance he had provided, said Kamaal Sadat, Afghanistans deputy minister for youth affairs. We came to know about it after he passed away. We are saddened by his death. We are thankful to him. Be there more people like him in the world.

VOA's Noor Zahid contributed to this report from Washington.
The White House is urging Iraqi leaders to move swiftly to create a central government that will bridge sectarian divides and unite the country as it battles against Islamic State.

Washington's alarm about Baghdad's growing political turmoil intensified after anti-government protesters stormed the fortified Green Zone and seized the parliament building over the weekend to demand an end to political bickering and corruption.

"If there are no reforms, the whole government should be replaced," said one of the protesters, echoing a common cry.

The Obama administration says Iraq needs a stable, central government to help push back Islamic State militants, who still occupy large swaths of the country.

The country has long been divided among sectarian lines, including Kurdish, Sunni and Shi'ite. But now, there are fissures even within particular groups, leading some observers to suggest it may be even more difficult for Baghdad to have a unified government any time soon.

The anti-government protesters were dispatched by influential Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to criticize the government led by another Shi'ite, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

U.S. concerned

President Barack Obama said he is "concerned" about the chaos surrounding Abadi's government.

While he said Abadi has been a good partner for us," he added in remarks in Riyadh last month that "there is significant dissension and disputes even among the Shi'ite power blocks."

The U.S. has backed Abadi's effort to build a central government across sectarian lines. While saying it is ultimately up to the Iraqis to decide what kind of government they will form, Obama urged leaders to move quickly, given the range of political and security challenges.

"They've got a lot on their plate," Obama said. "Now is not the time for government gridlock or bickering."

But what does the growing problem signal?

"We don't know," said James Jeffrey, former U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad under Obama and current Philip Solondz fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

"There's a probability, let's say 60 percent, that Iraq will stabilize at about the same level of  from our perspective  dysfunctionality," Jeffrey said.

Other options

The U.S. is hoping a stable, central government will help Iraqi troops and local forces beat back Islamic State.

But Jeffrey is pessimistic that Iraq's weak government can assume "this super warrior posture to drive out ISIS [Islamic State] through an act of national unification that they have never achieved in their history."

If the U.S. does not contribute more militarily, Jeffrey added, "we should continue fighting against ISIS to the extent that we can find allies."

"If the Iraq government descends into a puddle of ineptness and entropy then there's the Kurds, there's local Sunni tribes, there's all kinds of people we can recruit and train," Jeffrey said.

With the help of the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and the increasing number of American military advisers, the Iraqi army and local forces have made gains in recent months.

But the growing U.S. military presence comes at a cost. A U.S. service member was killed Tuesday near Mosul during a U.S. military effort to help Christian and Kurdish fighters battling Islamic State in the area.

The Obama administration has predicted that Iraq and local forces, backed by the coalition, will recapture Islamic State's stronghold, Mosul, by the end of the year.

Even though Islamic State has lost about 40 percent of the territory it once held in Iraq, observers say the looming political instability will not help in the fight to defeat the extremists.
Greyhound advocates and animal lovers around the world turned their attention to Macau this week to once again decry the treatment of greyhounds at the Canidrome, after animal welfare organization Anima Macau challenged company representatives to a public debate over the merits of keeping the racing track open.

The treatment of greyhounds on what international observers are calling the worlds deadliest greyhound racetrack is an issue that has drawn considerable attention from Europe.

A group known as Stop Exportation of Greyhounds from Ireland to China is campaigning to prevent Irish greyhounds from being sent to the Canidrome. As many as 800 greyhounds are suspected to be housed there and more than 30 are killed each month.

It recently emerged that exports of Irish greyhounds are beginning to fill the gap in the market created by the fact that Qantas and Cathay Pacific airlines decided not to freight the animals to Hong Kong.

The reception from Europe has been overwhelmingly in favor of the Canidromes closure. An article from the Times uploaded yesterday to the website was flooded with comments from around the world, calling for an end to this needless cruelty and shaming the Canidrome for not agreeing to participate in the debate.

Simultaneous protests were held in Dublin yesterday and outside the Embassy of Ireland in London, organized by the Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports, while a second group, the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, conducted a separate lunchtime demonstration outside Irelands Department of Agriculture.

Over the weekend, protests will be held in other European countries, including Italy and Germany.

A petition hosted on www.change.org, calling for the closure of the complex, also picked up momentum this week and has now collected over 355,000 signatures as of last night.

The petition, which is led by local Anima Macau President Albano Martins, will be presented to the Department of Agriculture in Dublin during an additional demonstration planned for June 2 in the Irish capital.

Activists and columnists from Irelands media have denounced the silence from the government on the issue and the seeming unwillingness of the Department of Agriculture to intervene in recent weeks.

Martinss claim is that as Macaus economy is largely dependent on tourism, the government pays a great deal of attention to how external visitors view the MSAR. He has therefore called for international condemnation of the Canidrome in hopes that it will pressure the MSAR government into not renewing the license of the facility  a decision on which is expected to be made later this year.

Macaus leaders care a lot about how the rest of the world sees them, writes Martins on the petition. If the world speaks up against the Canidromes outdated and barbaric treatment of these animals, Macaus government has to listen.

Our strategy with all the international organizations is to block [imports from] outside because the government does not block inside [domestic legislation], he added at a press conference on Tuesday.

The government has made no indication that it will not renew the Canidromes license. In recent years it has supported the complex through granting tax cuts, which the facilitys critics say is the only financial means of keeping the Canidrome economically viable. Daniel Beitler
Australias election campaign will officially start soon with climate change policy and union corruption in the national building industry shaping into key battlegrounds for the July 2 poll.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday that he was likely to visit Governor-General Peter Cosgrove this weekend to lock down the date and officially start the election campaign.

A heartening historical fact for Turnbull is that no Australian federal government has lost power after a single three-year term since the tumultuous early years of the Great Depression. But Australia is now in an extraordinary era of political volatility as it grapples to diversify an economy that thrived on a mining boom that has gone bust. If the opposition center-

left Labor Party wins the election, it will mean Australias fifth change of prime minister in six years.

Turnbull replaced his unpopular predecessor Tony Abbott in a leadership ballot of lawmakers in the ruling center-right Liberal Party in September, only two years after the coalition government was elected.

The change of prime minister immediately boosted the governments standing in opinion polls, but recent polls suggest the government is now running neck-and-neck with Labor.

Ostensibly Turnbull has called an early election because a hostile senate has refused to pass legislation that would allow the government to create a building industry watchdog called the Australian Building and Construction Commission. The ABCC was disbanded in 2012 by a former Labor government, which is linked to the trade union movement.

While the plight of the ABCC seems an obscure issue to most voters, the political debate focuses attention on opposition leader Bill Shortens history as a union official.

Before he entered parliament in 2007, Shorten was a senior official of the Australian Workers Union, one of five unions targeted by government-commissioned inquiry into union corruption. Labor condemned the inquiry as a politically motivated witch hunt.

Shorten rejected suggestions by inquiry lawyers that he had had conflicts of interests when companies made donations to his union while he was negotiating with them over workers pay. Even Labor supporters criticized him over news of the donations.

Australian National University political scientist John Wanna expects Turnbull will use the issue to focus on Shortens union past during the campaign.

Hes going to turn the attack on Shorten: Youre just a union thug; youre just a union hack; youve blocked us from bringing in a measure that would have made unions more accountable, Wanna said.

Labor is expected to exploit Turnbulls past support for Australia adopting an emissions trading system to cut greenhouse gas pollution. Australia, on a per capita basis, is among the worlds worst polluters.

Turnbulls support in 2009 for a then Labor governments proposal to introduce an emissions trading scheme cost him the leadership of the Liberal Party.

He was replaced by Abbott, who repealed a two-year-old carbon tax in 2014. The tax paid by Australias worst industrial polluters had been due that year to transition into an emissions trading scheme with market forces determining the price of a ton of carbon.

Labor again wants the emissions trading scheme to replace the governments so-called Direct Action policy of paying polluters taxpayer-funded incentives to operate more cleanly, and Shorten has been reminding the public that Turnbull once described Direct Action as an environmental fig leaf to hide a determination to do nothing.

Turnbulls coalition currently holds 90 of 150 seats in the House of Representatives, while Labor has 55 seats.

Turnbull will be hoping that the early election will not only return his government but provide him with a more compliant senate that is more likely to pass his legislative agenda.

All 76 senate seats are up for grabs. The government currently holds 33 senate seats, Labor holds 25 and the left-

wing Greens party holds 10. The remaining eight are either independents or sole senators representing minor parties. Rod McGuirk, Canberra, AP
A Macau economic mission is taking part in APAS 2016 in Sao Paulo, an international trade fair for the supermarket sector organized by the Paulista Association of Supermarkets. The event ends today.

The delegation, organized by the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), is meeting with entrepreneurs and institutions to promote the region as a business platform with links to Portuguese- speaking countries.

IPIM is also contacting entrepreneurs interested in placing Brazilian food products in the Exhibition Centre for Food from Portuguese Speaking Countries, which started operating on March 31 in Macau.

The statement released by IPIM advised that the mission would host business meetings between businesspeople from Macau and Sao Paulo to promote the food exhibition center and Macau as a service platform for economic cooperation and trade between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.

APAS 2016 is one of the largest fairs in Latin America dedicated to supermarket operators, in order to provide business opportunities for food products from Brazil.

IPIM has also recently organized an exhibition of products from Portuguese- speaking countries in Jiangmen, in the Chinese province of Guangdong.

This was IPIMs first activity of the year after it launched similar initiatives in 20 Chinese cities in 2015. MDT/Macauhub
The University of Macau (UM) yesterday signed an agreement with the University of Porto (UP) to promote their collaboration in humanities, science and technology, a statement from UM informed. The agreement will aim to particularly improve collaboration in the areas of Portuguese teaching, health sciences and medicine.

The agreement was signed during a visit by the UP delegation to Macau, led by UPs Vice Rector (Cooperation and Culture) Professor Maria de Fatima Marinho. The delegation met with UMs Vice Rector (Research), Professor Rui Martins.

The signing ceremony was witnessed and attended by a number of high-level professors and deans from the two educational institutions.

During a separate meeting, both parties exchanged ideas on the educational philosophies of their respective universities and shared information about their latest developments and future goals. They also expressed their dual hope to foster greater contributions to teaching and research by utilizing their unique strengths.

The key areas of their collaboration will thereby be in the fields of medical research and Portuguese language education.

After the meeting, the Portuguese university delegation visited the UMs Wu Yee Sun Library and Chao Kuang Piu College.

The guests also visited the two state key laboratories at UM, namely the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, and the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, and were briefed about their latest developments and research achievements. DB

um drops in top 150 under-50

The Times Higher Education released two new international rankings for universities, including the top 150 education institutions under 50 years old. In that ranking, the University of Macau (UM) has come in at 88, jointly ranked with City University London. That puts the university significantly down from last year when it managed 39 on the list. A secondary report listing the top 100 universities by world reputation was released this week, but it does not include UM. In October 2015, UM was ranked 401-500 on the latest World University Rankings list, a separate report, down from 276-300 in the previous year.
Video Purportedly Shows Battle in Which Navy SEAL Was Killed

Footage has surfaced purporting to show a battle in northern Iraq pitting American, Kurdish and Assyrian forces against ISIS, during which a U.S. Navy SEAL was killed. Sky News reported that the three videos were released by an Assyrian Christian militia called the Nineveh Plain Protection Units (NPU). One video shows NPU fighters in a field after a car bombing injured three of them, with smoke in the distance. A second shows a jet flying overhead with a caption 'Airstrikes bombing #ISIS', while a third showed NPU fighters walking in a line through a field and then images outside buildings with gunfire being heard nearby. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Keating was shot and killed when he and other special operations forces went to the rescue of the U.S. forces that got caught in a gun battle involving more than 100 ISIS fighters, Army Col. Steve Warren said Wednesday. The small team of American advisers went to Tel Askuf, about 14 miles north of Mosul, to meet with Kurdish Peshmerga troops Tuesday morning. Warren said ISIS fighters launched a large, complex attack on the Peshmerga there around 7:30 a.m. local time, with armored Humvees and bulldozers, and broke through the front lines. It was, he said, one of the largest attacks that ISIS has launched in recent months, and it came in the wake of several recent defeats of the militants in the region. Warren told Pentagon reporters that the U.S. advisers were less than two miles behind the front lines, and called for help just before 8 a.m. The quick reaction force went in to get the American forces out. Warren said Keating was hit at about 9:30 a.m. and was evacuated for medical treatment, but "his wound was not survivable." He said Keating was taken to a medical facility in Irbil and that both of the Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters were hit by small arms fire. According to Warren, even as the U.S. advisers were being rescued from the fight, a barrage of coalition aircraft -- including F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, B-52 bombers, A-10 close air support aircraft and drones -- responded and launched airstrikes on more than 30 locations, destroying truck bombs, vehicles and bulldozers and killing close to 60 enemy fighters. He said the peshmerga have regained control of the town. Warren declined to release details about the quick reaction force, other than to note that often such teams are set up and put on standby when U.S. forces go out on missions in dangerous areas. The team of commandos is usually stationed relatively close by so that it can respond quickly if needed. Keating, 31, is the third U.S. service member to be killed in combat in Iraq since U.S. forces returned there in mid-2014 to help the Iraqi government regain the wide swaths of territory captured by ISIS. His death came as Defense Secretary Ash Carter was meeting in Germany with defense leaders from 11 coalition countries, and agreed to accelerate the fight against ISIS. Carter said he regretted Keating's death but stressed that combat risks in Iraq are unavoidable. "Our overall approach is to enable local forces to do the fighting ... but that doesn't mean we aren't going to do any fighting at all," Carter said. "We are putting these people are risk every day," including the aircrews who are flying strike missions daily over Iraq and Syria, "and, tragically, losses will occur," he added. He added that as the war intensifies, "these risks will continue." The Kurdish Peshmerga militia have generally fought more effectively against ISIS in northern Iraq than the regular Iraqi security forces. The U.S. has been training, equipping and advising pershmerga forces as well as Iraqi security forces, and the Pentagon recently pledged up to $415 million in aid to the Kurds.
Hong Kong bank accounts belonging to several unnamed individuals have been frozen amid global investigations into the finances of a troubled Malaysian state fund, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Those who had their funds locked are being probed by authorities in countries outside of Malaysia, such as Singapore, the people said, asking not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

1Malaysia Development Bhd. (1MDB), which defaulted on its debt last month, is at the center of multiple inquiries stretching from Switzerland to the U.S. amid allegations of money laundering and embezzlement, and has consistently denied wrongdoing. Malaysias central bank last week fined 1MDB and announced it was ending its investigation.

Its not clear which Hong Kong authorities ordered the accounts freeze or if the banks acted on their own volition. The Financial Times in September reported that Hong Kong police were investigating some deposits related to 1MDB after a complaint was lodged. Malaysia said those claims were baseless and politically motivated, the newspaper reported.

Hong Kongs anti-corruption agency and the police said they dont comment on individual cases.

Authorities in Singapore said in February they had frozen a large number of accounts in connection with possible money-laundering related to the 1MDB probe. The Southeast Asian nation has charged two men following investigations into their dealings with the fund and related entities. Prosecutors there describe the probe as its most complex cross-

border investigation.

Authorities in other countries such as Switzerland are also examining claims that 1MDB was used to funnel money to politically-connected individuals. A Malaysian parliamentary committee had identified at least USD4.2 billion of irregular transactions by the fund.

Prime Minister Najib Razak chairs the advisory board of 1MDB and has faced calls from opposition politicians and former leader Mahathir Mohamad to resign as premier over alleged mismanagement at the fund. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.

The Malaysia attorney generals office in January cleared Najib of any graft in receiving a large donation in his personal accounts from the Saudi royal family before the 2013 general election, with most of the money later returned. It rejected at least two requests from Malaysias central bank for criminal proceedings against 1MDB. Bloomberg

Hong Kong skyline
This week lawmakers were introduced to the governments draft of the regions first five-year plan. They slammed the document, saying that it includes inadequate content and shows a lack of direction, particularly in the gaming and social welfare sectors.

Ng Kuok Cheong said that the government should take advantage of its mid-term review of the gaming sector to introduce improvements such as measures to curb imported labor, stressing the importance of citizens welfare.

We are currently facing an issue of confusing transportation and we indeed need an efficient public transportation system. The government should address those omissions, said the lawmaker, cited by TDM.

Au Kam San described the draft as a deja vu, as the chief executive has previously made similar policy addresses, but has so far not succeeded in executing any of them.

Lawmakers also criticized the draft for failing to address issues such as the meat and fresh produce prices, minimum employment wages and, above all, the public housing concerns and policies.

Two years ago, over 40,000 residents competed for 1,900 public housing units. As a result, grassroots associations and several lawmakers have been urging the government to build at least 40,000 new housing units to cater for those unsuccessful applicants.

While some also praised the governments effort, legislator Ella Lei worried whether the plan will be implemented in a timely manner.

The deadline for the measures featured in the plan is 2020. The problem is that the governments performance rate has so far been very low in many of the measures already in place, she commented. Staff reporter
While increasingly harsh attacks on China help propel Donald Trump to the Republican presidential nomination, the countrys state media has largely shown restraint, taking only the occasional swipe at the billionaire developer.

We cant continue to allow China to rape our country  and thats what theyre doing. Its the greatest theft in the history of the world, Trump said while campaigning in Fort Wayne, Indiana, earlier this week. Trumps victory in the Midwestern states primary yesterday saw his leading challenger, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, drop out of the race and effectively sewed up the Republican nomination for president (see p15).

While Chinas Xinhua News Agency published an article this week quoting Western media and experts critical of Trumps rape comments, the state-run media giant offered no editorial response. Last week, the typically more bellicose Global Times newspaper had written that most of Trumps foreign policy would prove hollow, nationalistic and inconsistent and said he was seriously wrong about how economies work in the present world.

The episode is indicative of the Chinese state medias response throughout the U.S. presidential campaign, in which the country has been a favorite target by candidates of both parties. Trump has accused China of manipulating its currency to boost exports and building a fortress in the South China Sea, where the county is placing weapons on disputed islands and the U.S. is sending warships to assert navigation rights.

While foreign leaders from British Prime Minister David Cameron to Pope Francis have leveled public criticism against Trump since he emerged as the surprise Republican front-runner last year, China has avoided wading into the fight. In March, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang expressed confidence that ties between the worlds two largest economies could endure the eye-catching election and that shared interests would continue to provide the foundation for relations.

China is now self assured enough to shrug off inflammatory criticism, said Jin Canrong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing.

Trumps campaign was a series of dramas, and what he was saying was purely designed for his success on the campaign trail, said Jin. Relations between Beijing and Washington wont be changed given the solid economic ties. No matter what presidential candidates say, theyll treat China as an important business partner and world power.

The leading Democratic candidate, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has also irked Chinese leaders with her positions on the South China Sea territorial disputes and human rights.

Asked about Trumps China comments at a regular press briefing in Beijing yesterday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei said the election was an internal U.S. matter that he wouldnt comment on.

Its important to point out that the core of bilateral economic-and-trade cooperation is mutually beneficial and accords with the common interests of both sides, Hong said. We hope all the American people from different sectors view this relationship in a rational and objective way.

The reticence of Chinas state-owned media to take on Trump may stem from a bet that rhetoric will fade as the campaign progresses. U.S. allies Japan and South Korea showed similar restraint in March in response to Trumps calls for them to shoulder more of the burden for their own defense and possibly develop nuclear weapons. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it would be inappropriate to comment on the U.S. election, while South Korean President Park Geun Hye vowed to help rid the world of nukes.

Chen Fengying, a global economics researcher with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said the Chinese government was merely abiding by its policy against interfering in the internal affairs of other nations. He said Trumps inelegant rhetoric didnt deserve much concern.

Dont take them seriously. Theyre used to woo voters, Chen said. China-U.S. cooperation isnt affected. Bloomberg
One of the five standing committee members who represent Macau in the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has failed to disclose his secret Singaporean nationality, as unearthed by new revelations in the Panama Papers.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Ngan In-leng produced his Singaporean identity card when registering two offshore companies that he helped to set up around a decade ago.

The CPPCC member did not disclose his Singaporean identity to Hong Kongs Companies Registry, which makes its details public online. He is suspected of having used the identity to register companies through Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca, instead of his Macau identification.

Ngan is the second CPPCC standing committee member found in possession of a foreign nationality. The Panama Papers investigation also pulled up the case of property tycoon, Lee Ka-kit, who is alleged to have declared British nationality when setting up offshore entities.

However, the Chinese government does not recognize dual nationality, and a CPPCC spokesperson two years ago said that no committee delegates held any overseas nationality.

Political analyst, Larry So, told the SCMP that Ngans Singaporean nationality was unsurprising as a number of members of the CPPCC have more than one nationality. As long they dont shout [about] it to the public, the central government doesnt care.

Another delegate of the CPPCC, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to the newspaper, echoed Sos remarks, adding that Ngans dual nationality was not a problem as long as it was legitimate.

Ngan, who was the founder of the bankrupted airline Viva Macau, is often regarded as an influential member of the large Fujian community in Macau. According to the SCMP, he has kept a low profile since the airline went bankrupt and the government revoked its carrier license in 2010. DB
People are consuming more digital content on a daily basis, especially on social media sites. However, Macau cannot adapt to this change as the region lacks digital marketing strategy, says Alberto Bettencourt, MCMedia Asias executive director.

Bettencourt was one of the speakers in the recently held seminar for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) organized by the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (Forum Macau). He claims that SMEs could be more effective if the region could develop a digital marketing strategy.

Digital marketing is more affordable than spending time doing campaigns through e-mails, Bettencourt told the Times.

He believes that the region should quickly alter to such marketing, otherwise SMEs wont be as successful as they could be. Companies can acquire new clients especially in those social media sites like Facebook and YouTube. You could attract them to interact with you and eventually theyll be hooked to your business, he clarified.

He stressed that digital media is becoming pervasive as it continues to become the source of news and social interactions.

To have a website is not enough [] and when you create customers, you have to nurture them, he said. Thats how you make money in companies.

He also noted that even the five-star resorts in the city do not keep track of their customers information, failing to consolidate consumer feedbacks and preferences.

They do not keep track of anything, he said. How can they keep in contact with such wealthy Chinese tourists who spent thousands on their service?

Bettencourt also revealed that he is planning to engage in a partnership with an institution in Europe so as to create a post-graduate course on digital marketing, as there is currently no such course in the region. Staff reporter
Immigration authorities recorded almost 1.52 million border crossings across the seven Macau checkpoints over the Labor Day holiday weekend, according to data released by the Government Information Bureau yesterday.

The total number of tourist arrivals in that period amounted to 529,427, representing a year-on-year decline of 1.23 percent over the holiday period from 2015.

Over the extended weekend between April 30 and May 2, immigration services logged 759,447 entries, with the vast majority entering via the Border Gate (551,888).

A further 79,335 entered via the Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal, 55,402 through the Lotus Bridge and 42,033 via the Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal. Crossings administered by immigration services at the Macau International Airport totaled 23,980.

The number of departures over the three-day period roughly matched the number of entries, recording a total of 760,063.

Most of these departures were made via the Border Gate (561,854), but there were also significant numbers recorded at other crossing locations, including the Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal (76,287), the Lotus Bridge (53,608), the Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal (34,994) and the Macau International Airport (25,765).

The Inner Harbor Ferry Terminal recorded no entries and no departures this year, as it has been closed to ferry operations since January.
Once dismissed as a fringe contender, businessman Donald Trump now is all but certain to lead the Republican Party into the fall presidential campaign against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton  a stunning political triumph for a first-time candidate whose appeal to frustrated voters was widely underestimated.

Trumps victory in Indiana yesterday [Macau time] and Ted Cruzs abrupt decision to drop out resolved the Republican nominee for 2016, but it still left the party in a deep state of uncertainty. Some Republican leaders remain acutely wary of the bombastic billionaire and have insisted they could never support him, even in a faceoff against Clinton.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, who has consistently said he could not support Trump, wrote on Twitter that he was being asked if the Indiana results changed his views. The answer is simple: No, Sasse wrote.

Republicans such as Sasse worry both about Trumps views on immigration and foreign policy and his over-the-top persona. Hours before clinching victory in Indiana, Trump was floating an unsubstantiated claim that Cruzs father appeared in a 1963 photograph with John F. Kennedys assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald  citing a report first published by the National Enquirer.

Trump still needs about 200 delegates to formally secure the nomination, but Cruzs decision to end his campaign removed his last major obstacle.

Ted Cruz  I dont know if he likes me or he doesnt like me  but he is one hell of a competitor, Trump said of his last fierce competitor, whom he had dubbed lyin Ted. Trump, in a victory speech that was much lower-key than usual, promised victory in November, vowing anew to put America first.

Yesterday, Trump revealed in a broadcast interview that hell probably go the political route in naming a vice presidential running mate, saying hes inclined to pick someone who can help me get legislation passed. Trump didnt identify any of the names under consideration.

He also said on MSNBCBs Morning Joe show that hes hoping to decide within a week how to fund a general election campaign, but said he didnt want to accept money from super PACs. Do I want to sell a couple of buildings? I really dont want to do that, he said. But Trump did say he would help the party raise money.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders eked out a victory over Clinton in Indiana, but the outcome will not slow the former secretary of states march to the Democratic nomination. Heading into Tuesdays voting, Clinton had 92 percent of the delegates she needs.

I know that the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. Theyre wrong, Sanders said defiantly in an interview yesterday. But Clinton already has turned her attention to the general election.

She and Trump now plunge into a six-month battle for the presidency, with the future of Americas immigration laws, health care system and military posture around the world at stake. While Clinton heads into the general election with significant advantages with minority voters and women, Democrats have vowed to not underestimate Trump as his Republican rivals did for too long.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus declared the GOP race over, saying on Twitter that Trump would be the partys presumptive nominee.

We all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton, he wrote.

Indeed, Trumps first challenge will be uniting a Republican Party that has been roiled by his candidacy. While some GOP leaders have warmed to the real estate mogul, others see him as a threat to their partys very existence.

Even before the Indiana results were finalized, some conservative leaders were planning a meeting to assess the viability of launching a third party candidacy to compete with him in the fall.

Indiana was viewed as the last gasp for Cruz, the fiery Texas conservative. He campaigned aggressively in the state, securing the support of Indianas governor and announcing businesswoman Carly Fiorina as his running mate but lost momentum in the closing days.

Cruz had clung to the hope that he could keep Trump from reaching the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination and push the race to a rare contested convention. But aides said he made the decision to drop out early Tuesday evening, shortly after most polls in Indiana had closed.

Ive said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory; tonight Im sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed, Cruz told a somber crowd in Indianapolis.

The campaign of Gov. John Kasich, who has won only in his home state of Ohio, said in a Facebook post: Tonights results are not going to alter Gov. Kasichs campaign plans. Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention. Kasich trails Trump by nearly 900 delegates.

Only about half of Indianas Republican primary voters said they were excited or optimistic about any of their remaining candidates becoming president, according to exit polling conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks. Still, most said they probably would support the GOP winner.

Clinton, too, needs to win over Sanders enthusiastic supporters. The Vermont senator has cultivated a deeply loyal following, particularly among young people, whom Democrats count on in the general election.

Sanders has conceded his strategy hinges on persuading superdelegates to back him over the former secretary of state. Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders who can support the candidate of their choice, regardless of how their states vote. And they favor Clinton by a nearly 18-1 margin.

With Sanders narrow victory, he picked up at least 43 of Indianas 83 delegates. Clinton now has 2,202 delegates to Sanders 1,400. That includes pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses, as well as superdelegates.

Trump now has at least 1,047 delegates. Cruz exits the race with 565, while Kasich has 152. Julie Pace & Scott Bauer, Indianapolis, AP
CHINAs military is appealing to the younger generation with a slick new recruitment video featuring aircraft carriers, tanks and special forces troops, all set to a rousing rap-rock soundtrack. With lyrics such as just waiting for the order to kill, kill, kill, the video appears aimed at millennials brought up on first-person shooter video games such as Call of Duty.

CHINA-AUSTRALIA Australias treasurer says his government will never sell Australias largest cattle empire to foreigners. Chinese-based Dakang Australia Holdings withdrew its application to buy an 80 percent stake in Australias largest private landholding, S. Kidman & Co. Ltd.

INDONESIA Several passengers aboard an Etihad Airways flight were injured yesterday when their plane ran into sudden turbulence as it prepared to land in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

SYRIA An international coalition leading the military campaign against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq agreed to accelerate their contributions but did not publicly specify what those would be. The group also called on Iraqi leaders to reconcile political differences.

SYRIA Secretary of State John Kerry warns Syrias government that it faces an August deadline for starting a political transition to move President Bashar Assad out.

KENYA police say they have disrupted a cell of extremist medics linked to the Islamic State who are suspected of plotting an anthrax attack.

HONDURAS Court records show the Honduran government and a development company repeatedly sought to tar slain environmental activist Berta Caceres and her colleagues as violent anarchists for their protests against a hydroelectric project on indigenous lands.

EUROZONE As winter turned to spring, the eurozone economy appears to have lost some of the momentum that saw it grow faster than the U.S. in the first quarter of the year. A brace of economic indicators yesterday showed business activity moderated in the past couple of months. Eurostat said retail sales across the 19-country single currency bloc fell by 0.5 percent during March.

CANADA A raging wildfire emptied Canadas main oil sands city, destroying entire neighborhoods of Fort McMurray, Alberta, where officials warned yesterday that all efforts to suppress the fire have failed.

USA The Connecticut woman who underwent a face transplant five years ago after being attacked by a chimpanzee is back in a Boston hospital after doctors discovered her body is rejecting the transplant.
CHINA The prospect of sitting in a Hyatt Regency ballroom in Florida and listening to Jack Ma, founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, deliver the keynote for the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalitions conference this month did not sit well with Michael Kors general counsel. In fact, Mas imminent speech  and the IACCs April decision to welcome Alibaba as a new member  so incensed the U.S. luxury brand that it severed its longstanding connection with the Washington-based industry group.

NORTH KOREA North Korea shows off a spruced-up capital to droves of international journalists and visitors who have been brought in for some major political theater  the countrys first ruling party congress in 36 years, with Kim Jong Un himself taking center stage. What exactly is in store is anyones guess. North Korea has announced little more than the start date: today.

PHILIPPINES A senator filed a corruption complaint alleging that the front-runner in the presidential race, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, hired 11,000 non-existent employees whose salaries cost the government 708 million pesos (USD15 million) in 2014. The poll will take place on Monday.

INDONESIA, Malaysia and Philippines agreed yesterday to run coordinated patrols to boost maritime security following the kidnappings at sea of Indonesians by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants. Foreign ministers and military chiefs of the three countries held talks in Indonesias ancient royal capital city of Yogyakarta, hashing out the details of joint patrols to protect shipping in the waters between their border areas.

AUSTRALIAs most dangerous known Islamic State movement operative had been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq, the government said. The United States had confirmed that Neil Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was killed in Mosul on Friday, Attorney-General George Brandis said. The 24-year-old Australian citizen of Cambodian and Fijian heritage converted from Buddhism in 2012 and traveled to Syria a year later.

NEPAL A Canadian man will leave Nepal after a court failed to hear his appeal of the revocation of his work visa over critical social media posts, his lawyer says.

SYRIA Pro-opposition activists say an airstrike has hit a refugee camp in northern Syria, near the border with Turkey, killing and wounding dozens of people displaced from the countrys devastating civil war. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says a camp in near Sarmada, in the northwestern Idlib province was struck yesterday.

NASA Earthlings are in for a treat Monday as Mercury makes a relatively rare transit of the sun. The solar systems smallest, innermost planet will resemble a black round dot as it passes in front of our big, bright star. The last time Mercury crossed directly between the Earth and sun was in 2006, and it wont happen again until 2019  and then, until 2032. NASA says the event occurs only about 13 times a century.
TWIN FALLS | One 60-year-old had kayaking on her bucket list. Two young moms wanted an escape that wasnt a restaurant or a bar. And 73-year-old Peggy Smith wanted to try out the clothes shell wear to Belize with her marine biology class.

The answer for all of them was group kayaking  a low-cost outing with boats, paddles and personal flotation devices provided, plus a lesson from a particularly cheerful leader.

The College of Southern Idahos Outdoor Recreation Center offers a lineup of adventures, providing the equipment and teaching the skills for enjoying Idahos outdoors on foot, on a mountain bike, from the water or from a rope on a rock face. CSI students and employees get discounts, but the adventures are open to anyone.

For the April 20 outing, Sunset Paddle on the Snake, CSI recreation coordinator Christa Gessaman and on-campus housing director Angela Ursenbach lined up 10 kayaks on the grass at Centennial Waterfront Park.

I heard a lot of giggling as Gessaman fit Smith and Mariann Schiewe  the 60-year-old with the bucket list  into PFDs.

I like the yellow better than the orange, Schiewe assured Smith  more compatible with the hot pink quick-dry pants that Smith plans to wear to Belize.

I got water socks, I got a wet suit, all for Belize, Smith announced. They werent part of that evenings outfit, but the pink-and-black gloves and a straw cowboy hat were.

Smiths exuberance fit right in.

Gessaman shepherded each person into a boat suited to his or her frame and experience level, then  in a voice well suited to getting a groups attention outdoors  began her instructions: how to adjust the foot pedals, how to adjust the backrest.

Ready? she asked.

Oh, yeah, Im stoked, CSI student Ashley Webb said, slapping the sides of her kayak.

Gessaman demonstrated four simple paddle strokes  plus a paddle-in-the-air wave for beginners in distress  and sent the participants down to the Snake River with their boats.

With everyone safely launched  no spills  Gessaman gathered the paddlers for another warning: Well be dealing with motorboats on this river. (No, the motorboats going to be dealin with us, CSI student Simon Halsell interjected.) Hug the outside of each curve so you can see whats coming, Gessaman said. Point your kayaks nose directly into a motorboats wake and ride it out like a surfer.

Youre doing just great, but your paddles upside down, Gessaman told Schiewe.

Schiewe, who learned about this event in the Times-News, was undaunted. A little farther upstream, she offered her assessment: Is this not the coolest thing? It doesnt get much better than this, does it? This is so cool.

The upstream paddle toward Pillar Falls was full of happy chatter.

We decided were going to do this all the time from now on, said Hailey Smith, one of the two young moms. Kids, no Christmas. Gotta get a kayak.

Gessaman gathered the paddlers just before the Perrine Bridge, warning them to paddle quickly there because some people think its funny to drop pennies and such from the bridge. She stopped them again to tell about a strange, wrecked piece of equipment half-submerged on the north bank.

Each stop served another purpose: letting the stragglers catch up and giving a rest to muscles unaccustomed to paddling.

With the rivers flow low, some paddlers ventured right up to Pillar Falls. Stephanie Hymas, the other young mom, even pushed off against the rocks behind the falls. But soon Ursenbach rounded them up: Were heading back.

On the downstream trip into the setting sun, the chatter quieted as the paddlers tired. But it was a happy quiet.

I bet Ill sleep well, Peggy Smith said. She lagged a little, but Ursenbach kept her company. I was kinda worried, being the old lady of the group.

The kayaks shared the canyon with a powered hang glider, a stand-up paddleboard, motorboats and anglers. As the paddlers passed under the bridge again, three BASE jumpers leaped directly above, their limbs jerking as their chutes caught the air.

Im lovin this. I just love it, Schiewe said. This is one for the memory box.
Drivers  The Senior Assisted Services (SAS) program at CSIs Office on Aging is looking for volunteer drivers for their transportation department. The volunteers will transport the programs senior clients to doctor appointments, shopping, and personal necessities. Information: Kathy, 208-736-2122.

Volunteers  The Foster Grandparent Program at the CSI Office on Aging has openings for volunteers, age 55 and older, to read to children ages 2 to 9 and assist with their academic and social skills. Placements are available throughout the Magic Valley in Head Start programs and public elementary schools. Information: Marisol, 208-736-2122 or toll free, 800-574-8656.

Volunteers  The Senior Companion Program at the CSI Office on Aging needs volunteers, age 55 and older, to assist homebound seniors by providing friendly visits and transportation as needed. Information: Marisol, 208-736-2122, or toll free, 800-574-8656.

Volunteers  Niche Assistance, a local nonprofit, needs groups who can volunteer to provide one Thursday evening meal to be held at the end of each month. Fifty-two people attended when Immanuel Lutheran provided the meal. If your group can help or for information: Phyllis Berg, 208-329-3796 or nicheassistance@yahoo.com.

Volunteers  Interlink Volunteer Caregivers provides volunteers to help elderly, disabled and chronically ill people live safely and independently in their homes. Volunteers assist with transportation to health-related appointments and essential errands, light housekeeping chores, friendly visits, yard maintenance and simple home repairs. Carpenters and handymen are also needed. Volunteers are reimbursed for mileage and covered with excess auto liability insurance. Commitment is flexible with no minimum hours required. Information: Edie, 208-733-6333 or ivcofmv@gmail.com.

Drivers  The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteer drivers for its Road to Recovery program in Twin Falls. Volunteers will drive patients to and from medical treatments. Commitment is flexible. Information: Renae Delucia at renae.delucia@cancer.org or 702-891-9023

Volunteers  Idaho Home Health and Hospice needs volunteers who will bring compassion, support and dignity to those facing a serious, life-limiting illness and their families. Volunteers can choose between offering respite to family caregivers or provide support with administrative tasks. Information: Heidi Walker, 208-734-4064 or Heidi.Walker@LHCgroup.com.

Volunteers  St. Lukes Home Health and Hospice needs volunteers to share compassion and increase the quality of life for patients and their families. The program is designed to offer companionship and socialization to patients, plus respite and support for the caregivers. Information: Marie Sharp, 208-814-7603 or sharpm@slhs.org.

Drivers  The Twin Falls Senior Center delivers meals to homebound seniors in the Twin Falls area Monday through Friday, and the routes take an hour or less to complete. Commitment is based on your availability; pick a day to drive once or twice a month, pick a week to drive, pick a day of the week to drive, or be a substitute driver. Volunteers must be 18 years of age with their own car, and have proof of liability insurance. Drivers receive 54 cents a mile fuel reimbursement. Information: Sandee Earl, 208-734-5084.
RUPERT  A 51-year-old Hailey mans murder trial will move to the Minidoka County District Court after a mistrial was declared in April in Blaine County by District Judge Jonathan Brody.

Keith Blankenship was charged with second-degree murder and destruction of evidence in 2014 after telling Blaine County detectives he killed 47-year-old Steven Romanchuk in self-defense and while still in shock buried him in his backyard.

On April 14, the first day of the trial, Lauraine Phillips, Romanchuks widow, accused Blankenship of breaking into a neighbors home after waiting for the neighbor to leave.

Keith Roark, Blankenships attorney, said at court the comments were a definite and deliberate smear against the character of his client and said they were an egregious violation of his clients right to due process.

In January 2014, Phillips reported her husband missing and said Romanchuk loaned Blankenship money and confronted him at his home several times. Blankenship first told detectives he didnt know Romanchuk but, then said he did but not very well. He told them Romanchuk never loaned him money.

Then in May, Blankenship went to the sheriffs office and confessed to killing Romanchuk in self-defense.

About 15-feet behind Blankenships back door, detectives found an 8-by-4-foot pile of leaves with Romanchuks remains: an exposed and partly decayed torso and skull, and exposed, rotting teeth.

An autopsy revealed Romanchuk died of multiple gunshot wounds  as many as five rounds from a high-caliber handgun.

Roark said media coverage from the Times-News and Idaho Mountain Express was fair but exposed jurors to impermissible evidence, and motioned for the move to a venue where there isnt pervasive publicity.

The rescheduled jury trial is set for 9 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Minidoka County District Court.
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TWIN FALLS | The College of Southern Idaho is launching two changes for new students: an earlier application deadline and a mandatory orientation.

Students must apply by May 30 for the summer semester or Aug. 15 for fall semester. And new, full-time students who are seeking a degree must attend a six-hour orientation session.

School leaders say the changes are designed to help students be more successful. And statewide, educators are pushing to improve college graduation rates to help meet industry needs.

The new leadership at the college is focused on student success initiatives, CSI admissions director Gail Schull said. We would like to see more of our students complete certificates, degrees and transfer.

College leaders want more students to meet the goals they outline on their application  such as what type of degree or certificate they plan to earn, and whether theyre interested in transferring to a four-year university.

The Idaho Board of Education wants 60 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds to have a post-secondary degree or certificate by 2020. So far, numbers are lagging.

And the college completion rate across the Gem State is 40 percent  down 2 percent from 2014, Idaho Education News reported in April.

Currently, CSI students are allowed to apply for admission up until the last day to register for classes. But now, theyll have to plan further ahead.

We think that publishing a deadline sets a better expectation for the student," Schull said.

Its still free to apply to CSI. And students can sign up for classes through the first Friday of each semester.

The new Student Orientation, Advising and Registration program  or SOAR  will help new students learn about topics such as college services, financial aid, class advising, college policies and how to finish a degree in two years.

Sessions will be offered May through August at CSI campuses in Twin Falls, Burley, Hailey and Idaho Falls.

SOAR is designed to help students to learn more about their rights and responsibilities, Schull said.

It's just a requirement for new full-time, degree-seeking students, but other new students are welcome to attend.

Separate sessions for parents and family members will learn teach them about ways they can support their student.
TWIN FALLS  It has been decades since a Republican presidential candidate had to worry about winning Idaho. How will Donald Trump do here?

Despite Trumps lopsided loss in the Republican primary on March 8, polling suggests Trump would still easily beat likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in a head-to-head match-up in the Gem State. But the same polls say Bernie Sanders, who is well behind Clinton in delegates but who won the Idaho Democratic caucus by almost 4-to-1 and whose campaign got a shot in the arm with a win in Indiana on Tuesday night, could make things interesting.

Trump has been the favorite of Republican primary voters nationwide, but Ted Cruz, who dropped out Tuesday evening after losing the Indiana primary, beat Trump by 17 percent in Idaho, with a particularly strong showing for Cruz in the Mormon-majority counties of southeastern Idaho that mirrored the vote in Utah.

Trump has had little public support from elected Republicans or party officials in Idaho or anywhere else up to this point  not surprising for someone whose independence and anti-establishment rhetoric is part of his appeal. Many Idaho lawmakers endorsed Cruz, and a handful had publicly supported Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the race in March. Gov. C.L. Butch Otter had endorsed John Kasich, who announced Wednesday he was ending his campaign, leaving Trump as the only Republican candidate.

However, there arent any signs yet that the Never Trump movement has made any inroads among the states elected Republicans. Otter has publicly stated he would back the GOP nominee, even if it is Trump, as have House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill.

Speaking to Idaho Falls KID Newsradio 590 Wednesday morning, U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, who was a Rand Paul supporter originally and switched to Cruz after Paul dropped out, analyzed Trumps success and was critical both of Trump and of his partys establishment. Trump, Labrador said, has run an interesting campaign and brought new voters into the Republican fold.

I dont think all of it has been done through the best methods, but it has been very effective and successful for him, Labrador said. And I hope he can be equally effective as the nominee now.

Labrador predicted conservatives will coalesce, maybe not around Trump but against Clinton. Trump knows he is weak with conservatives, Labrador said, and there is at least a chance Trump will pick conservatives for positions such as vice president, or Supreme Court or his Cabinet.

If you think about our two choices, unfortunately I dont think theyre the greatest choice, but you know who Hillary Clinton is going to nominate for the Supreme Court  With Donald Trump, at least theres a chance hes going to nominate somebody like Ted Cruz to the Supreme Court, or (Utah Sen.) Mike Lee, Labrador said.

Staff for the rest of Idahos D.C. delegation didnt respond to requests for comment Wednesday. U.S. Sen. Jim Risch had backed Rubio originally; he said on CNN a month ago that he backed Cruz be default, since, Risch predicted, Trump would lose badly to Clinton and Cruz was the only other candidate left at that point who could win the Republican nomination.

U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson and U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo havent publicly backed anybody; both had, in interviews early in the campaign season when the Republican field was much bigger, listed off a few of their preferred candidates, and Trump didnt make the list for either. Simpson has expressed concerns in the past about some of Trumps controversial comments, while Crapo said last summer Trump was obviously striking a chord with voters and the party leadership should pay attention.

Polling done in mid-April shows Trump beating Clinton in Idaho 49-32, with 19 percent undecided. However, against Sanders, Trump is up just 45-43, within the polls 4 percent margin of error. Two-thirds of Republican respondents said they would back Trump in a hypothetical match-up against Clinton, while 4 percent would vote for Clinton, 16 percent would vote for someone else, 7 percent wouldnt vote for president and 6 percent didnt know. The Libertarian and Constitution parties both have ballot status in Idaho and its possible some disaffected conservatives who might have supported a different Republican nominee will vote for the presidential candidates of those parties instead.

How this might affect down-ballot races for positions such as Congress and state Legislature will be interesting to watch. Presidential election years are generally high turnout, which usually benefits Republicans.

Typically, Democrats dont do well in presidential election years, because the Republican candidate carries Idaho in a landslide and does so with significant coattails, said Jim Weatherby, longtime political watcher and Boise State University emeritus professor.

This year, though, the certain nominee of the Republicans and the likely one of the Democrats is going to be the candidate who lost resoundingly in Idaho, and there are conservative opponents of Trump who say they will never vote for him and supporters of Sanders who say the same of Clinton. Weatherby said he could envision scenarios both where some conservatives hold their noses and vote for Clinton and where some liberals vote for Trump in protest.

This also makes turnout hard to predict  it could be lower than what would be usual for a presidential year, but its also possible some disaffected voters wont vote for president but will still turn out for the other races.

At this point, I think he (Trump) might have difficulty, but were years away from, in political terms, the general election, Weatherby said. Things could change substantially.

The last Democrat to carry Idaho was Lyndon Johnson, who beat Republican Barry Goldwater in a national landslide in 1964 and eked out a narrow win over Goldwater in Idaho.

It also remains to be seen is how Cruz dropping out will affect the state Republican convention, which will be held June 2 to 4 in Nampa, and the selection of national convention delegates. This is the first year in recent memory where Idaho didnt back the eventual nominee, and going on the primary results, 20 of Idahos 32 Republican delegates would be bound to Cruz on the first ballot, the rest to Trump, although Cruz could choose to release his delegates before the national convention in July. Delegates are chosen from lists provided by the campaigns, which both the Cruz and Trump camps have already submitted.
TWIN FALLS  The pre-primary campaign finance reports arent due for a week, but a few are in already, and Fred Woods shows he has spent $6,000 to help shore up colleagues who are facing right-wing primary challengers.

Rep. Wood, R-Burley, who is running unopposed for re-election both in the May 17 primary and the November general election, is one of two local incumbents who has filed his report already as of Wednesday. Wood had almost $24,000 in his campaign account on May 1, and he donated $1,000 each to Reps. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, Merrill Beyeler, R-Leadore, Paul Romrell, R-St. Anthony, Eric Redman, R-Athol, and Kelley Packer, R-McCammon, and $500 each to Reps. Rich Wills, R-Glenns Ferry, and Maxine Bell, R-Jerome.

The first five who got $1,000 are colleagues of Woods on the House Health and Welfare Committee, which Wood is the chairman of, and all seven are facing primary challenges from more conservative Republicans. The complete picture wont be available until May 10, the deadline for everyone to get their reports in, but Wood isnt the only local lawmaker who has been donating money to help his threatened colleagues  Rep. Neil Anderson, R-Blackfoot, who is being challenged by David Esplin, got $300 from Rep. Clark Kauffman, R-Filer, and $500 from House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, in the last filing period, according to Andersons report.

A handful of political action committees have also gotten their paperwork in early, including a few business-affiliated lobbying groups that are also giving money to shore up establishment Republican incumbents facing right-wing challenges. The Idaho Building Contractors Association Home Builders PAC, for example, contributed to all the same candidates as Wood plus others whose races fit the same pattern, including, locally, giving $150 to Rep. Stephen Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, who is facing a primary challenge from Mary Bello.

Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, who is unopposed in the primary and is facing Democrat Dale Varney in the general, has raised $3,030 this year  mostly from Twin Falls residents but also from a couple of political action committees including the Idaho Association of General Contractors and CenturyLinks  and closed with $4,539.63.

The only other local candidate to have filed his report so far is Alex Sutter, of Richfield, a Republican who is running for the House seat held by Rep. Donna Pence, D-Gooding, now. Sutter raised $3,417 from Jan. 1 to May 1  much of it from the Blaine County Republican Committee, the rest mostly from a few other district residents  and closed with $2,157.40 in the bank.

Pence is not running for re-election; Sutter is unopposed in the primary and faces Gooding Democrat Sally Toone, who is also unopposed on May 17, in the general. District 26, which combines mostly liberal Blaine County with mostly conservative Camas, Gooding and Lincoln, is the only district in the area that has sent both Democrats and Republicans to Boise in recent years; Sutter got 45 percent of the vote when he ran against Pence in 2010.
I am writing in support of Rep. Maxine Bells re-election.

Maxine Bell has been a bedrock fixture in Idaho politics since 1988 when she resigned her job as a librarian at Jerome High School to run for the House of Representatives. She won that race, and every race in the 25 years since.

Because of the redistricting of 2012 she now serves both Twin Falls and Jerome counties in Legislative District 25. Whatever the perceived issues between Jerome and Twin Falls counties, Maxine Bell serves as a uniting force.

We in Twin Falls are very lucky to have gained Maxine as a representative. She works hard, listens carefully, and takes her service and her duty to her fellow citizens seriously.

Despite her calm, friendly, librarian-like demeanor, Maxine Bell is, in fact, the most powerful woman in Idaho. She is the co-chair of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee  the committee that drafts the states budget. She also chairs the House Appropriations Committee and serves on the House Agriculture Committee. She guards the states budget zealously.

As the prosecuting attorney of Twin Falls County, I know that Maxines position on the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committees make her very familiar with the importance and needs of law enforcement. She knows how important law enforcement is to maintaining our way of life and makes funding this essential state function a high priority.

Maxine has been named Legislator of the Year so often and by so many different groups that its hard to name them all. The citizens of Twin Falls and Jerome Counties could not have a better friend or guardian than Maxine Bell.

Maxine Bell is a powerful voice for the Magic valley in the Legislature. Please return her for another term.

Grant Loebs

Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney
Russian special security forces have foiled terror attacks targeting street celebrations on May 9, reports say.

Federal Security Service (FSB) said they have arrested a group of alleged terrorists from Central Asian countries who were planning attacks in Moscow on May 9, day of massive street celebrations to mark the anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

We have found a large quantity of weapons, explosives and other terrorist equipment, the FSB said in a statement.

The suspects were planning to fire weapons into a crowd, during mass street celebrations on May 9, FSB sources told Russian RT, adding that the suspects were acting on orders from senior terrorists based in Turkey and Syria.

The number of suspect and their nationalities were not officially disclosed, but according to press reports 12 people among whom nine men from Uzbekistan, one from Kirghizstan, and two Russians have been detained. The 12 men were reportedly living in the same apartment in suburban Moscow.

Forces who participated in the arrest operation said they found on their phones evidence of communication with terrorists from Syria and Turkey, and also documents on extremist organizations.

Russia has registered an increasing number of terror plots following its military intervention in Syria on the side of Assads regime against the extremist groups and the Islamic State (IS.)

FSB forces last week raided a Salafist prayer house in the central Russian city of Samara, according to RT. The forces reportedly found an explosive device and a weapons cache in the building. The forces also seized documents pledging allegiance to IS. Sixty men among alleged IS recruits were arrested in the raid.

In March, FSB forces also arrested around 20 alleged IS militants suspected for recruiting militants for the terrorist organization.
Brigadier general Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC,) has warned that Iran will react to threats against it in the Strait of Hormuz by closing the passage.

Salami who was directing his message at the US and its allies, urged Washington to learn from recent historical truths, probably referring to recent events in the strategic area where 10 US sailors have been detained by Iran.

He boasted that Iran has developed a powerful Navy capable of defending the countrys interests and independence.

His statement is another sign of the increasing tension between Tehran and Washington. A spokesman for the US Navys 5th Fleet stationed in Bahrain, Lt. Rick Chernitzer, said American sailors will continue to operate in accordance with professional maritime standards and international law in the Gulf but will remain thoughtful, vigilant and responsible mariners during operations. They reserve the inherent right to self-defense, he however pointed out.

Salami said any threatening passage through Hormuz from the US and its allies will be dealt with according to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

States that are opposed to Irans military drills and exercises will not deter such activities, he said, adding that Iran will not allow any power or country to make decisions in regard to our defense measures and deterrent exercises.

His statements could be linked to the December rocket tests near US warships that were termed as highly provocative and a February 2015 suicide drones test attacking a replica of a US aircraft carrier.

Blocking the Strait of Hormuz will affect global trade as almost 33% of the worlds oil goes through the passageway. Although Salami did not state which actions will be considered as threats to Irans security, the military drills and missile tests by Tehran are being considered as actions which could jeopardize the security and stability of the region especially Gulf States which accuse it of supporting terrorism and terrorist groups.
Ahmet Davutoglu is expected to step down as Turkeys Prime Minister at the ruling partys congress to be held this May or early next month.

Rift between Davutoglu and President Erdogan has become clear following a Wednesday 90-minute meeting between the two men.

No official statement about the meeting has been made but sources close to the Turkish presidency said Davutoglu may soon be replaced at the head of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) during the upcoming congress.

Its unlikely that Davutoglu will run for leadership again, the New York Times reported, quoting a government official.

Prime Minister Davutoglu is also expected to hold a press conference on Thursday and meet senior party members.

Davutoglu and Erdogan have differed on many issues including the Presidents desire to change the constitution in order to establish a presidential executive with more powers. The majority of Turks are seemingly opposed to the plan.

After he led the country as Prime Minister since 2003, Erdogan became President in 2014. He has sought to concentrate more power in his hands but Davutoglu has been a hurdle to his plans.

In a clear sign of the rift between the two men, AKP delegates, close to Erdogan, last month robbed Davutoglu of the power to appoint provincial leaders of the ruling party.

The two men also disagree on the governments handling of the long and ongoing war with Kurdistan separatists and their Workers Party known as PKK. Davutoglu favors peace talks with the separatists while Erdogan rejects any peace efforts to end the crisis choosing to crash the group, which he labels terrorist.

Erdogan has also downplayed Davutoglus negotiation successes with the EU over the Syrian refugees, claiming he had paved the way for the agreement when he was Prime Minister. Davutoglu has actually been credited with finalizing a key EU-Turkey migration deal and moving closer to the EU membership, with the European Commission recently giving a green light to the visa-free travel regime between Turkey and the EU.

Some names have already been circulated as possible successors to Davutoglu. These include Government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, Transport Minister Binali Yildirim and Energy Minister Berat Albayrak.

The coming leader of the ruling party is the de facto Prime Minister.
The Nigerian army on Wednesday said it rescued 11,595 hostages from Boko Haram in the month of March.

A statement signed by Col. Sani Usman, Acting Director of the Armys PR, said most of the hostages were rescued at various areas and towns where remnants of the terrorists were hibernating before the clearance operations by various formations and units in the theatre of operation.

According to Usman, troops of 155 Task Force Battalion during the first week of March, received 10,000 refugees from the Republic of Cameroon at Banki and Bama axis.

Two days later, Army Headquarters Special Forces (AHQ SF) Battalion also rescued 63 persons held captive by terrorists at Maleri. The same unit rescued 779 persons at Fotokol general area, a border town between Nigeria and Cameroon, on March 15.

The soldiers also recovered equipment ranging from Dane guns to motorcycles.

Usman said more persons would be released from captivity as the troops continue clearance and combing operations.

Boko Haram has increasingly used suicide and bomb attacks as Nigerias military pushes the group out of territories they once controlled. Several bombers have blown themselves up in recent months at roadblocks into the city manned by the military and vigils.

Nigerian troops have recently announced several victories against Boko Haram, reclaiming territory initially taken by the terror group whose activities have caused over 20,000 deaths since 2009.

The US military calls Boko Haram the most violent armed group in the world.
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Posted on: May 05, 2016



THE MOTHER LIVES ON...

Part - 1

To me, the power of Mother Easwaramma is not a concept, or an idea or a belief, it is an experience. In fact an experience as intense, powerful and real as it can be, says Aravind Sai, an alumnus of Baba's university who has had the opportunity of singing the glory of the Mother of the Divine in the immediate physical presence of The Son at least six times.

Aravind Sai, along with Prabhakar and Raghuram, form the Burrakatha trio who have had the chance to perform any number of times in Bhagawan's presence, especially in the last five years of Swami's earthly sojourn.

Burrakatha, as many would know, is a traditional folkart of Andhra Pradesh wherein a story, largely taken from ancient epics and scriptures, is narrated in an interesting and engaging manner with a rich mixture of soulful songs, scintillating dialogues, and delightful humour. Before March 2007, the trio had performed in the Sai Kulwant Hall a couple of times. On each of these occasions Bhagawan's joy was obvious and copious. However it attained a new high on March 18, 2007. And the way it happened is where there are deep lessons for all humanity.

The Lord Himself Pines for The Mother

Recalling that momentous day, a smile of intense satisfaction blooms on Aravind Sai's face. Then, in a tranquil tone, he begins:

Well, the story has its origin in March 9, 2006. That evening all three of us were sitting in the front row with a prayer in our hearts and a card in our hands. Thanks to our Burrakatha teacher, Mr. Krishna Bhaskar, we had thoroughly practiced a Burrakatha on the life of the Shirdi Sai Avatar. We were now seeking His permission to offer it to Him. The academic year was about to end. If we did not get this chance we would have lost a year with no cherishable moments with the Lord. So we sat there with fervent prayers and anxious anticipation.

As darshan began, our hearts only started beating faster. Swami was among the crowd, and soon He was coming our way. Our internal dialogue became more intense. Finally when Bhagawan came near us, to our utter delight, He graciously looked at us and asked for the card. We went up to Him immediately and pleaded for this opportunity. Swami in fact was only happy; He seemed deeply interested too.

He asked, Are you ready?

Vociferously we said, Yes Swami!

Then come on, do it now! He looked into our eyes as straightly as the words that emerged from Him.

Wow! We were flummoxed; left speechless. We did not know how to react to this. Yes, we were ready but we had not come prepared to perform that day. We neither had the costumes nor had informed the accompanying artists nor were really in the frame of mind to perform. Our intention was to only secure His permission, and if possible get the earliest date for the program.

So this was a bolt from the blue, or shall I say, from The Orange! However soon we composed ourselves, and decided to confirm His instruction.

Should we perform now Swami?

Yes. He was as clear and candid as before.

Now we did not want to let this opportunity go.

We too courageously replied, Yes Swami, we can do it now! We will be ready in half an hour with our costumes and instruments.

Bhagawan was immensely pleased. By His grace the presentation went on well, even though we had no clue what we were doing because we were just in a flow. Things happened so fast that there was no time to think. Our only aim was to live up to Him and His expectations. And I guess He took care of the rest.

The most coveted chance after any presentation is the blessing of pada namaskar and if possible a photograph with the Lord. That evening too that is all we had prayed and wished for. The compassionate Lord did not disappoint us.

The Divine Day of March 9, 2006 when the Lord was so pleased that He chose to ask something from His boys

After He had blessed us profusely, we noticed that Bhagawan was mentioning something to us. So we surrounded Him. Then looking into each of our eyes, in a choked voice Swami said, You sang the glory of Devagiriamma (the Mother of Shirdi Sai). But what about My Mother? You did not mention anything about Easwaramma.

A Promise Made to the Divine

These words from the Lord were so packed with emotion that our hearts immediately turned into water. We prostrated at His feet, sought His forgiveness and in that instant itself promised Him: Swami, next year we will be ready with a Burrakatha on Mother Easwaramma. Please bless us!

The joy and pride in Swami's eyes in that moment is to be seen to be believed. It was like nothing else had given Him such happiness before. We meant the whole world to Him.

We were now determined to make this offering and live up to our promise. Our teacher quickly got on to the job and soon a script and the songs were ready. We started our practice early and spent months memorising, improvising and perfecting this hour-long presentation. This is a presentation that He Himself had asked for and we wanted to leave no stone unturned to ensure that it should be the best He has heard so far.

Eleven months passed. We were again in March. The academic year was about to close. We were now completely ready. But to get an opportunity to present, especially in this month, was not going to be easy. This is the time when everybody is busy with end semester examinations. In fact they were to begin on March 21, 2007. It was already March 16. We had already tried many times before to get Swami's attention and permission for this program. Somehow He never said Yes. Sometimes He would ignore us, other times He would see the card but not say anything, the third day He just did not seem interested in us at all. Everyday was a penance. And time was running out. We now had only this four-day window between March 16 to 19 to make this presentation, as March 20 was Ugadi and programs for that day had already been fixed. After that it would be impossible to do any program because examinations would begin.

A whole year of effort of so many would just dissipate into thin air. We were really despondent and clueless. It was during one of these days, I remember, a senior brother who was feeling too sorry seeing our plight, came to me and said, Brother, I have a suggestion. Why don't you pray to Mother Easwaramma? Only the Mother can help you. Swami always listens to His Mother.

When I heard this it immediately ignited a new hope in me. I felt, even though Swami was physically not talking to me, He was indeed concerned and in His own inimitable way was probably guiding me; He did not want me to feel hopeless and devastated. So I took the brother's suggestion to heart.

The next day, March 18, 2007, I went to the little statue of Mother Easwaramma placed right in front of the Easwaramma High School. I prostrated to her, poured out my predicament, placed my earnest prayer and then circumambulated her 108 times. I did this with all devotion, faith and absolute sincerity. She was my last resort, and I gave it my all.

Bhagawan set up the Easwaramma School immediately after The Mother's passing to facilitate quality education to the rural children of Puttaparthi

I completed this sadhana around 12.30 in the afternoon. And at 2.30 I receive a message that the warden wants to see all the Burrakatha boys urgently. We rushed to him and he says, We have just received instruction from Swami that you should perform the Easwaramma Burrakatha this evening.

You can imagine how ecstatic we were! Finally, weeks and months of relentless hardwork was to attain its glorious culmination. The Burrakatha indeed went on like a song, so to say. We delivered our best. Swami seemed pleased. But something was missing. He was not looking at us after the programme. He did enjoy the presentation thoroughly. But for some mysterious reason He didn't call us near or talk to us or even give pada namaskar, let alone grant photographs or any gifts.

The lovely finale to eleven months of prayer, penance, hard work and perseverance - March 18, 2007

The Enigmatic Twist to Teach Eternal Lessons

Frankly if you ask me, I was not sad. If this had happened on any other occasion maybe I too would have felt pained. But that day somehow there was a quiet joy inside. It was a joy springing out of the satisfaction that we did live up to the promise we had made to the Lord a year ago. We indeed had done our best. And that itself was the reward. That we got the opportunity to perform was itself a blessing beyond imagination. We almost thought it was not going to happen but the merciful Lord condescended. What else should I aspire for? I was really at peace.

However our Burrakatha teacher was prodding us to go near Swami. Given that we had done so well, he was certain Swami would shower us with plentiful blessings. So eventhough Swami did not actually call us, on our own we went near Him. But the Lord did not seem keen to spend any time with us. So we quietly touched His feet and returned to our seats. Sometimes it is so difficult to understand His ways. Everyone thought Swami would create something for us or fill us with gifts or talk to us endearingly, congratulate us, or talk about us, and so on. Because it was a thrilling performance, and Swami too heard it with rapt attention, and was indeed fully involved in every dialogue and song. Still Bhagawan chose to be cold with us, and quietly retired to His residence, leaving everyone baffled.

The next day, March 19, 2007 was uneventful. We went for darshan. He did not look at us or talk to us. Then arrived Ugadi, the Telugu New Year Day on March 20. As we were preparing to come to Mandir in the morning we get the message: Swami wants all the three Burrakatha boys to sit in the front row.

Wow! What a blessing on the New Year Day. With gratitude and joy, we hurried to occupy our prized place in the Sai Kulwant Hall. We were seated right in front of the dais. When Bhagawan arrived He did look at us with much love. We felt so fulfilled.

The program began with a speech by Prof. Anil Kumar followed by one by Prof. G. Venkataraman. After this Swami rose to deliver His benedictory Ugadi message. Usually whenever Swami would get up to speak, a table would be brought on which His mikes would be placed.

But on this morning Swami did not want the table. In fact He was so eager to speak that He took the support of the railing in front, stood up and began His discourse. Quickly mikes had to be arranged. Bhagawan mentioned how the day marked the beginning of the year named 'Sarvajit'  a time when anyone who undertakes noble acts would definitely emerge victorious. He then went on to declare how the Sai Organisation should strive to improve the quality of the villages in India. From here Swami moved on to His own life and fondly recalled the tremendous love and contribution of Mother Easwaramma and Mother Subbamma. In one of our songs during our performance, we had extolled Mother Easwaramma as Devaki and Mother Subbamma as Yashoda. Bhagawan not only made the same comparison but also amplified this with examples from His childhood days.

We were simply delighted listening to this directly from Him. It was a vindication of what we had sung a day ago. And just before He concluded Bhagawan suddenly looked at us, and said,

The other day three boys sang a nice Burrakatha about Easwaramma. They rendered it well. There was a wonderful description about Subbamma in that Burrakatha. I am very happy about it. In fact, it was such a unique story. No one has written such a story so far.

After He announced this on the mike, He looked at us with His face all lit up with a blooming smile. Our joy knew no bounds. We just went up to Him and fell at His feet. Our happiness was nothing compared to His joy. He was visibly proud of us. He showered our heads with blessings and filled our palms with prasadam and gifts. The audience burst out in applause.

Prabhakar, Aravind Sai, Mr. Krishna Bhaskar and Raghuram savour the sweetest moment of their lives

The blessings continued. He spoke to us with the love of a thousand mothers, and then posed with us so that we can treasure for eternity those timeless and matchless moments of our lives. What more can I say? The smile on His face, the satisfaction in His eyes and the love He exuded for us was too overwhelming to contain in our little hearts. We could only repeatedly lay ourselves down at His feet in complete supplication and deep gratitude. What everyone thought was due to us on March 18, He granted it royally on March 20 and in a manner that outdid everyone's imagination.

When I think deeply about this entire episode, it is so significant that Swami timed it on the New Year Day. That day virtually opened to us a new chapter of our lives wherein in the years to come we only experienced never-before-imagined vistas of His grace. We went on to perform so many more Burrakathas and even traveled with Him to Kodaikanal, Mumbai and Delhi. This opportunity indeed was our gateway to Divine proximity.

What I also understood is: God's delays should be welcomed with both hands. He will do, not what is the best for us on a particular day, but what is best for us for all times to come and the best that cannot ever get better.

The priceless day of their lives - March 20, 2007

Secondly, no sincere effort for God ever goes unrewarded. Every second spent to earn His grace and love is the wisest investment anyone can ever make. The returns will come multifold and in myriad ways, and at the most opportune time. No need of insurance if one has faith in His assurance!

Granting the Most Formidable Gift for Life

All these potent lessons notwithstanding, the most indelible lesson for me from this entire episode is:

A prayer to The Mother with all our heart, all our mind and all our soul is the most formidable power we have with us. She listens. Always. She protects. Always. She provides. Always. She will do anything for our happiness as long as our intent is pure and selfless.

In fact as a child, I was taught in Bal Vikas to always revere Mother Easwaramma. Actually on one occasion in my local Sai centre when I was given the opportunity to do Arathi to Bhagawan on Easwaramma Day, I thought of it as the most invaluable gift of my life. In my younger days, I had always thought of her as the very source of all the Love we experience from Bhagawan. Swami now connected me to my roots and powerfully reinstated in me everything I had believed in for many years but had later lost sight of.

In fact my journey with The Mother and her grace continued, and continues even now. The subsequent parts of this story will only reiterate my firm belief that:

The Mother Lives On... For You and Me and For The Entire Humanity.

At Times The Lord May Chose Not To Listen To You But He Always Listens To His Mother.

And The Mother's Heart Beats For the Downtrodden, Depressed and Anyone Who Needs a Shoulder and Succour.

This was so when The Mother and The Son were in their earthly attires. It is so even now too. Those who have the faith and believe the incredible, see the invisible and experience the impossible.

To be continued..



- Bishu Prusty

Radio Sai Team
US investment roadshow spotlights Georgias investment potential

The United States will host an investment roadshow for local investors to learn about Georgia and its investment potential, connect Georgian and US entrepreneurs and increase trade ties between the countries.The investment roadshow will take place on April 27-29 in three different US cities.Chicago, one of the countrys largest cities, will host the first investment roadshow today while tomorrow the roadshow will move to Boston before ending in New York.The three day investment roadshow will bring large investors from both countries together, encourage networking and allow parties to discuss investment projects and new initiatives.A delegation from Georgia attending the roadshows included Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and figureheads from leading Georgian companies, investment funds and the American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia.The US investment roadshow was organised by the Georgian National Investment Agency and Georgian Embassy to the US. The roadshow was supported by international financial conglomerate CitiGroup and the largest US investment bank J.P. Morgan.
The News in Brief

United National Movement activist claims he was attacked by local officials in Rustavi



An activist for the United National Movement party claims that several officials at Rustavi City Hall, including the deputy mayor, insulted and beat him on Monday night.



Mamuka Chikovani, the head of the UNM branch in Rustavi, told DF Watch that among the attackers were Levan Oniani, the head of City Halls military registration and conscription service, Levan Kupatadze, the head of the supervisory service, Zaza Jaiani, an advisor to the mayor, as well as members of Rustavi City Council Mamuka Mikautadze, who chairs the finance-budget committee, and Merab Sulaberidze, the head of the Georgian Dream coalition faction.



Chikovani explained that Mamuka Abuladze, the victim, has his own bar, but the alleged attackers rarely went to that bar, nor did they have any conflict with him. However, on April 25 they visited the bar and drank a copious amount of alcohol.



It seems they were drunk and insulted our activist Mamuka Abuladze, scolded him and then beat him up. He has facial injuries and stitches on his lips, Chikovani told us.



Abuladze does not know if the attackers were questioned or tested for blood alcohol levels.



We were told that due to the interests of the investigation, they wouldnt provide us with case details.



Tamar Akubardia, a press spokesperson for Rustavi City Hall, called the incident a conscious provocation. She claimed the attack was a result of Abuladzes verbal insults against the City Hall employees.



This was a conflict between two parties, which was a result of Mamuka Abuladzes deliberate provocation, after which he invited the press and accused everyone whose names he could remember from the local government, she said.



An investigation has been launched into violations of article 125 of the Criminal Code, which concerns battery; a violation which results in injuries may be punished by a fine, from 120 to 180 hours of community work or up to 15 months of corrective labour. (DF watch)







Georgia-EU Association Committee addresses PACE to discuss Georgias visa liberalization



The Georgia-EU Association Committee has addressed the European Parliament to discuss the issue of granting visa liberalization to Georgia at the summer session.



The recording was made in a resolution adopted in Brussels at the second meeting of the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee.



It should be noted that the European People's Party was against the mentioned amendment, though their initiative failed.



"In the end, a very positive resolution has been adopted. There are a lot of good elements for us. The European People's Party resisted our amendment, in which we say that we need to speed up visa liberalization and take a decision at the summer session," said Republican Levan Berdzenishvili.



It is noteworthy that the EPP proposal was not supported by the United National Movement either.



"We, the United National Movement voted against the EPP proposal, because the Georgian population really deserves visa liberalization, said United National Movement member Tariel Londaridze. (ipn)




via @MoniqueOMadan

Doral Councilwoman Sandra Ruiz is running for Doral mayor.

Ruiz released the news Thursday via the the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, even though local elections are nonpartisan. She will be running against incumbent Luigi Boria and former longtime mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez.

"Although these races are nonpartisan, the candidates are not," said Juan Cuba, the party's executive director.

Doral has about 19,000 registered voters. About 30 percent of those voters are registered Democrats, according to the Miami-Dade County elections department. Twenty-four percent of voters are Republican; 45 percent of Doral voters don't have a party affiliation.

Ruiz was not available for comment Thursday morning.

The councilwoman first served on the council in 2003 until 2010. She was reelected in 2012. This is her first time running for mayor.

This is not the first time the Miami-Dade Democratic Party has backed up a local political candidate. In 2013, they supported Homestead Mayor Jeff Porter and Miami Beach Commissioner Micky Steinberg. In 2014, the party backed-up South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard and County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava.

The effort is part of their 2016 "Municipal Victory Project," where they hope to elect Democrats into local office statewide.

--MONIQUE O. MADAN

Photo credit: Giorgio Viera, el Nuevo Herald
@MichaelAuslen

Sen. Bill Nelson has been among the names tossed around for a possible Hillary Clinton vice presidential pick.

The idea makes some sense: A long-serving, respected senator, late in his career, popular in Florida, which has 29 electoral votes (though with Donald Trump as the likely Repubican nominee, recent polls suggest that may not be a factor).

But Nelson isn't saying whether he's being considered.

"Well, I'm not going to comment on that," he said. "It's too premature."

Nelson, a Democrat who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000, is up for re-election in 2018. It's widely believed that Republican Gov. Rick Scott, whose term ends that year, will launch a well-funded challenge. Scott's name is also in the vice presidential zeitgeist.

"I've heard that, and I'm prepared," Nelson said. "You might want to check the polls on the favorability rating of those of us who are privileged to hold public office in Florida."

A PPP poll released in March showed similar approval ratings for the two men -- 38 percent for Scott and 40 percent for Nelson -- but Scott has a much higher disapproval (48 percent) than Nelson (32 percent).

In addition to his own career prospects, reporters asked Nelson about the presidential race Thursday in Tallahassee.

He's confident Clinton will win Florida, even if Trump gains some popularity.

However, he said, it's time for Sen. Bernie Sanders to stop running against the Democratic frontrunner.

"Bernie has made his point now, and it's time for the Democrats to unite, and Bernie ought to stand down," he said.

Photo: Scott Keeler, Tampa Bay Times
With the future of capital punishment in Florida in question, the state Supreme Court heard conflicting arguments Thursday on whether a death row inmate's sentence should be reduced to life without parole.

Hanging in the balance are the lives of 389 other death row inmates, as justices decide whether a U.S. Supreme Court ruling must not be applied retroactively, commuting those death sentences to life.

The nation's highest court ruled Jan. 12 in the case of Timothy Lee Hurst that Florida's death sentencing system was unconstitutional under the Sixth Amendment because it gave too little weight to a jury and too much weight to a trial judge. As part of that decision, the court ordered the Florida Supreme Court to review Hurst's death sentence, and oral arguments on that issue took place Thursday.

More here.
via @learyreports

Donald Trump has landed in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary.

Today, Patrick Murphys campaign attacked rival Alan Grayson, saying hes made disparaging remarks about women a la Trump. That brought a swift response from Graysons campaign, which notes Murphys family construction business has built Trump properties in Florida.

Donald Trump and Alan Grayson have more in common than one may think  and its nothing the supposedly progressive Grayson would be proud of, read a Murphy release. Although Grayson has embraced the title of the Trump of the left, when it comes to women, both have a record of outright disrespect.

It cites several examples include Grayson calling a lobbyist a K Street whore and asserting his helped a company discriminate against a pregnant worker, waging a 5-year legal battle where he aggressively subpoenaed records from the woman's gynecologist, her credit card records, day care records of her daughter, and personal photographs.

Minutes later, Grayson fired back with this release:

No other politician in Florida  Democrat or Republican  has gained more financially than Patrick Murphy and his family has from doing business with Donald Trump. Patricks construction company still brags about its work to deliver Trump Royale and Trump Hollywood. Thanks in part to those deals, Patrick sits on millions of dollars in company stock that his daddy gave him, and Donald has parlayed those and other real estate deals into a Republican presidential nomination. So its fitting that these business partners are teaming up once again to push destructive conservative policies in Washington. Democrats know that none of us can afford more of the Trump-Murphy partnership.

--ALEX LEARY, Tampa Bay Times
@PatriciaMazzei

In the only county Donald Trump lost in the Florida primary, three Republican members of Congress are having trouble accepting him as their party's presidential nominee.

Two of them have said they won't for him.

Miami Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen all endorsed Jeb Bush early in the campaign. As a group, they later backed Marco Rubio.

What to do now that Trump is the last Republican standing?

Curbelo, a freshman in a swing district who last year posited that Trump might be a ringer for Democrat Hillary Clinton, said he won't support either political party's presidential pick. Clinton is still fending off challenger Bernie Sanders.

"My position has not changed," Curbelo told the Miami Herald in an email Wednesday. "I have no plans of supporting either of the presumptive nominees."

Ros-Lehtinen, the dean of the trio, has said much the same. Though her office did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday, the day after Ted Cruz dropped out of the race, she told Spanish-language news network NTN24 two weeks ago she was holding out hope for a contested GOP convention.

"I don't plan to vote for Donald Trump," she said. "I don't feel in my heart that I could support him. But I can't support Hillary Clinton."

Fue un honor darle el premio International Leadership Award CHLI a Lilian: congresista Ros-Lehtinen a NTN24 https://t.co/jrZz4xSgnm  NTN24 Espana (@NTN24_espana) April 21, 2016

More here.

Photo caption: Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart are pictured at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which they visited last month.

Photo credit: Courtesy Rep. Carlos Curbelo's office.
@ByKristenMClark

As part of an ongoing direct-mail campaign to highlight what it deems as unethical behavior by Florida elected officials, the independent advocacy organization FloridaStrong has gone after several Republican Miami-Dade legislators in recent months.

But one is now fighting back.

State Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, says he plans to sue FloridaStrong because the group's organizers refuse to correct claims they made in a mailer that went out to Artiles' constituents recently and which his attorney said depicts Artiles "in an unfavorable light."

(View the mailer here.)

Artiles, a three-term House member, is currently campaigning for a seat in the Florida Senate, where he wants to represent District 40, which includes part of central Miami-Dade County. He faces current Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Cutler Bay, and independent Mario Jimenez in that contest.

"My reputation is very important to me and I will not allow any organization or person to defame, slander and libel me because they think nobodys going to fight back," Artiles told the Herald/Times. "I truly believe these organizations -- which are funded nationally through special interests -- that if you don't stand up or correct them, you're acquiescing to their bullying. I wont be bullied by some political hacks."

FloridaStrong's most recent mailer against Artiles alleges that he is a "property appraiser by trade," "voted to raise property taxes on Florida families by $427 million," "received thousands in campaign contributions from the insurance industry" and "voted to privatize Citizens Property Insurance and protect insurance industry profits."

But, in a letter dated April 21, a Tallahassee attorney for Artiles said the claims aren't true. Emmett "Bucky" Mitchell offered point-by-point rebuttals and accused FloridaStrong of making "false statements ... that should be corrected." Or else.

(Read the full letter here.)
A home is foundational to our well-being. For most, our home provides us with a sense of security, safety, and a place where we most often spend time with our loved ones. To me, this means having a roof over my head, safe running water, protection from weather extremities, and creating memories with my family and friends. We all define and describe what home means to us in different ways, but we share the common understanding that home is at the core of our daily lives. Purchasing or renting a home tends to be the single greatest expenditure Americans make. Our home can also play a role in shaping our health and well-being. However, as we and our loved ones continue to live longer than our parents and grandparents before us, we can also expect to experience disability, such as mobility limitations that require assistive equipment like a wheelchair, walker, or cane. When homes include steps to the main entrance, have no bathroom on the first floor, and the door widths are too narrow to accommodate a wheelchair, our home, our very core, is disrupted and negative consequences can occur. To shed some light on this issue, inclusive design approaches like having a visitable home can prevent us from having to leave our home and move into an assisted living facility. Visitable Montana defines a visitable home, or visitability in three parts: 1) home has a zero step path of travel from the main entrance of the home to the street, sidewalk, or driveway; 2) doorways that are a minimum of 32 inches wide and hallways that are at least 36 inches wide on the main floor; and, 3) basic access to at least a half bathroom on the main floor. Accessible design of homes can support people to age in place, to have increased independence and to be socially connected to friends and family.

***

At some point in our life, we may experience disability, and that experience increases as we age. The idea that we spend many years and dollars to build our ideal home is a fact for many Missoulians, and the work we put into our homes is a major accomplishment. Another common experience as we age is that our family, if not ourselves, may experience injury that requires the temporary or permanent use of a wheelchair, crutches, etc. What happens next? You have steps to your front entrance, and when you finally make it up the steps without further injuring yourself or the person helping you up the stairs, the door width is too narrow for a wheelchair to enter. So, you go around to your side entrance and finally manage to make it into your home only to realize your bathroom is on the second floor. More steps. Later on in the evening youre invited to a friends birthday party, but cannot attend as their home is not visitable. The person using the wheelchair may feel like a burden to his or her family and therefore choose to avoid social interactions that impose considerable barriers for him or her. Would this vignette be any different if we were to replace these homes with visitable homes? Easy answer, yes! With visitable homes, there are zero-steps to the front entrance, the door widths are at least 32 wide and hallways are at least 36 wide and you have a bathroom large enough to accommodate a wheelchair. The wheelchair user is able to maneuver up to the front door and use the bathroom, ideally without help or very limited help. For that birthday party invite, now attendance is possible because their friends home is visitable.

Visitable homes are meant to include everyone, but what about the health and well-being benefits? Healthy People 2020 is a national data source that provides science-based objectives that aim to improve the health of all Americans. The following objective focuses on the home: DH-11 Increase the proportion of newly constructed and retrofitted U.S. homes and residential buildings that have visitable features. Visitable homes reduce the possibility of falls, increase independence, and prevent isolation. The risk of falling can be heightened for all people when steps are present. Older adults are especially more at-risk for fall-related injuries (e.g., hip fractures) and mortality. Common causes for increased risk of falls include lower body weakness, difficulties with walking and balance, vision problems, foot pain, and home hazards or dangers such as broken or uneven steps, throw rugs or clutter that can be tripped over, and having no handrails along stairs or in the bathroom.

***

Visitable homes support older adults with and without to disabilities to age in place. According to research, aging in place is, remaining living in the community, with some level of independence, rather than in residential care. Living independently in ones home, versus living in an institution, promotes life satisfaction, health, and self-esteem among older adults as home is familiar, comfortable, and has inherent meaning. Furthermore, according to urban planner, Jordana Maisel, M.U.P., with the University of Buffalo and Research Associate for the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Universal Design, older adults are more likely to be active participants in their community and report life satisfaction more often if their home meets or somewhat meets their needs. Problems with building design were identified as the most common barriers to community participation among adults with and without disabilities (Maisel et al., 2008).

Inclusive design of homes, such as visitability, is currently a priority in Missoula. After considerable effort of advocating and providing education and information to legislators, housing experts, builders, architects and others about the housing needs of people with mobility impairments, Missoula has begun to make some strides in encouraging the building of visitable homes. On April 7, 2014, Missoula City Council unanimously passed Resolution 7869, which incentivizes visitable homes to be built in Missoula by giving priority in project approvals to builders applying for permits that voluntarily adopt Visitability standards.

Visitable homes benefit all people. Such homes are a symbol for community participation, independent living, healthy and active lifestyle, and life satisfaction.

***

The Missoulian Booming section features a monthly column by a member or guest of the Missoula City-County Health Department in order to assist Missoula baby boomer residents to be healthy and resilient. Helen Russette, MPH,is the Performance Management & Quality Improvement Coordinator at the Missoula City-County Health Department and can be reached at 258-3381or at hrussette@missoulacounty.us .
Bring mom and the family on an all-day outing Sunday to see migrating waterfowl and shorebirds at Smurfit-Stone near Frenchtown. Meet in the northwest corner of the University of Montana Adams Center parking lot at 7:45 a.m. or at the main gate to the old plant site at 8:30 a.m. Dress appropriately and bring a lunch. For more information, contact Larry at 549-5632 or bwsgenea@gmail.com.
Marco Restani, director of conservation at Montana Audubon, will be the featured speaker at Flathead Audubons annual meeting Monday. His presentation, "Swets in My Nets," will focus on migration ecology of northern saw-whet owls and the techniques used to run an owl banding station.

The meeting will be at the Whitefish Community Center, 121 Second St. Doors will open at 5 p.m., potluck dinner is at 6 p.m. and the meeting begins at 7 p.m. The event also includes a silent auction. Bring your own table service for dinner.
"The Great Grizzly Migrant Crisis: Bear Movements and Population Changes" will be Mission Mountain Audubon's evening program at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 12, in the Polson Library meeting room.

Join Kate Kendall as she explains the ways DNA analysis of bear hair has become a powerful tool for studying bears in northwest Montana. Learn the answers to where the grizzly population is growing, what bears are new to the neighborhood and why is that bear dating his granddaughter.

Kendall is a recently retired ecologist who conducted research for the past 37 years with the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. She helped pioneer the development of DNA-based non-invasive methods to study elusive forest carnivore populations without the need to handle or even see the animals.
If you have been to a campground recently, then you know that more and more families are enjoying the great Montana outdoors in a recreational vehicle. It has become a lifestyle for Montanans with young families all the way to older retired couples just living the dream, traveling from one campground to another and enjoying the outdoors.

It is for this reason that I encourage you to attend the RV Lifestyle Expo at Bretz RV and Marine in Missoula on Saturday, May7. As is the case every year during this popular event, you can enjoy a free steak and chicken dinner prepared by the folks at the Montana Club. The free meal will be served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Come early and enjoy some great seminars on fishing and cooking that are also free. For the early birds, top walleye angler Bob Hickey will be talking at 9 a.m. about how to locate fish and once you, do how you catchem. I will show the technique on how to pull cranks to find fish, then jigging them once you locate them. It is simple: location plus presentation equals more fish in the boat! he said.

At 10:15 a.m. Mike Howe from A Able charters is back with a great seminar that will enable folks to help them figure out new bodies of water faster. The seminar is called "Scouting and Learning New Waters." I will help all the traveling anglers scout and learn new lakes efficiently, before you even get there, and have a good head start when you do," said Howe. "You cant catch them if you dont find them. Use these tactics on new lakes as well as old favorites."

The reservoirs over by Helena have more angler hours than most lakes in Montana, so at 11:30 a.m., the father-son team from Kits Tackle of Helena will give you an idea on how to fish all three reservoirs and catch more fish. They will show you how to successfully fish Canyon Ferry, Hauser and Holter in the summer months. They will cover multi-species and techniques, including pointers on night fishing.

At 12:45 p.m., go from the water to the grill as acclaimed chef Paul Sidoriak will be demonstrating how to make a main dish of Moscow Mule Brined Pork and a dessert that is truly amazing, Grilled Peaches.

Then at 1:45 p.m. it is back to the water with another informative fishing seminar by a local favorite, Dick Zimmer from Zimmers Tackle. The self-proclaimed MacMan of Flathead Lake has been fishing that beautiful body of water for most of his life and during his seminar he is willing to share information on how to catch more lake trout, perch and whitefish. He will also show you his new kokanee salmon set-up for Lake Mary Ronan.

This lifestyle RV lifestyle expo will also feature what is new in the camping world to make your stay in the outdoors more comfortable and enjoyable. Check out items like a portable ice machines or how to power your campsite with solar energy.

"If you own an RV, you will want to check out the RV Lifestyle Expo," said owner Mark Bretz. "You will be surprised at the innovations that have been included in todays travel trailers and fifth wheels."

The event will take place 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Bretz RV and Marine, 4800 Grant Creek Road.

***

Mark Wards statewide Montana Outdoor Radio Show airs Saturdays from 6 to 8 a.m. in Missoula on KGVO 1290 AM and 101.5 FM. Email Ward at captain@montanaoutdoor.com.
Gov. Steve Bullock and his wife, Lisa, earned $157,202 in 2014, according to their tax return released Wednesday, and they have given to several charitable foundations in Helena and Missoula in the past 10 years.

The Democrat and his wife earned $1.6 million total over the 10-year period and reported $65,971 in charitable giving over the same period, according to documents and tallies released by the campaign.

Bullock's campaign also reported charitable donations to groups such as the Cathedral of St. Helena, Helena Education Foundation, Helena Vigilante Runners, Grandstreet Theater and YMCA of Missoula.

Yearly totals provided by the campaign ranged from $4,099 in 2005 to $8,353 in 2008, with $6,870 donated in 2014. It was not clear how much was given to each group in which years.

Campaign Spokesman Jason Pitt said "the Bullocks are not millionaires" so they had not kept confirmation letters, tax worksheets or other detailed giving records from a decade ago.

"Other than colleges, and some children's health organizations which they have personally been touched by," Pitt said, noting the Ronald McDonald House as one national group. "The Bullocks have committed their charitable giving to local Montana-based organizations."

Pitt declined to characterize what the records say about Bullock's leadership as governor.

"We're being very transparent and are asking (Republican candidate for governor Greg Gianforte) to do the same," Pitt said, noting the release also came with a list of questions about the opponent's giving. "We're going to ask folks to look closely at Gianforte's giving. Did he give to groups you support?"

Gianforte, along with his wife, Susan, made at least $220 million in the past 10 years, primarily from the sale of their Bozeman tech company, according to tax records they released in January. About half of that money was donated to the Gianforte Family Foundation, a charitable trust that quickly became the second largest in the state behind only the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, according to a Gazette State Bureau analysis of federal nonprofit records.

In 2013, the latest year for which public records are available, the Gianforte foundation issued 80 grants totaling almost $6 million, leaving the foundation with $133 million in assets.

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

"We're all free to give to the causes that are near and dear to our hearts," said Ron Catlett of the Gianforte campaign. "That's why the Gianfortes have given more than half their income away in the last 10 years and why the governor and his family have given to their favorite charities."

***

According to Pitt with the Montana Democratic Party, Bullock's previous charitable contributions were:

YMCA of Missoula

Helena Area Community Foundation

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Missoula

Holter Museum of Art

Montana Special Olympics

Lewis and Clark Library Foundation

Cathedral of St Helena

FOCUS Missions (Fellowship of Catholic University Students for Andi Lambert)

Grandstreet Theater

Helena Education Foundation

JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)

Montana Hope Project

American Cancer Society

Montana Public Radio

Angel Fund

Helena Food Share

YMCA of Helena

Helena Public Montesorri Parents

Carroll College

Go for the Gold Foundation (support children and families on their cancer journey)

Columbia University

Family Promise

Montana Youth Leadership Forum

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)

Locks of Love

THRIVE

March of Dimes

Claremont McKenna College

Helena Vigilante Runners

Fit to Fight (Missoula)

Mariah's Challenge

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) - Montana

Prickly Pear Land Trust

Montana Food Bank

YWCA of Helena

Ronald McDonald House

Montana Wilderness Association

St Jude Children's Research Hospital

Montana Meth Project

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Helena

St Peter's Hospital Foundation

The Friendship Center

Myrna Loy Center

Groups the Bullocks plan to give to in 2016:

Mariah's Challenge

Cathedral of St Helena

Helena Education Foundation

Claremont McKenna College

Family Promise

Helena Vigilante Runners

Grandstreet Theater

YMCA of Missoula

Helena Area Community Foundation

Carroll College

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Helena

St Peter's Hospital Foundation

Helena Public Montessori Parents

Montana Meth Project

Columbia University

Holter Museum of Art

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)

Myrna Loy Center

Lewis and Clark Library Foundation

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Missoula

Locks of Love

Angel Fund

Helena Food Share

YMCA of Helena

Montana Food Bank

Ronald McDonald House

Montana Public Radio

YWCA of Helena

Montana Special Olympics

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) - Montana

Montana Hope Project

Prickly Pear Land Trust

Montana Youth Leadership Forum

The Friendship Center

The following donations were designated for 2016 via the SECGC Campaign:

Myrna Loy Center

Gallatin Valley YMCA

Angel Fund

Head Start of Rocky Mountain Development Council

Montana Wilderness Association

Head Start of Central Montana

Montana Hope Project

Helena Vigilante Runners

Lewis and Clark Library Foundation

Mariah's Challenge

NAMI - Montana

Helena Public Montesorri Parents

Montana Trout Unlimited

Prickly Pear Land Trust

Bike Walk Montana

Holter Museum of Art

Montana Wildlife Federation
The British Columbia Auditor General called out provincial mine regulators for a decade of neglect in compliance and enforcement, paying particular attention to coal mines north of Montanas Lake Koocanusa.

We found almost every one of our expectations for a robust compliance and enforcement program within the (Ministry of Energy and Mines) and the (Ministry of Environment) were not met, B.C. Auditor General Carol Bellringer wrote in the introduction to the report released Tuesday. We found major gaps in resources, planning and tools. As a result, monitoring and inspections of mines were inadequate to ensure mine operators complied with requirements. The ministries have not publicly disclosed the limitations with their compliance and enforcement programs, increasing environmental risks, and the governments ability to protect the environment.

The two-year audit was released just as a group of Montana state, U.S. federal and Canadian scientists were meeting at the Flathead Lake Biological Station to discuss water quality concerns flowing from coal mines in the Elk River drainage.

The mining problem in the Elk has the potential to be a multi-millennial problem, said University of Montana professor of limnology Ric Hauer, whos been studying the trans-border water system for 40 years. Its not just that our grandchildren dealing with this for seven generations. Its way beyond that. The Canadian government as well as Teck Coal (the private company operating the biggest British Columbia mines), needs to have serious conversation with people of Canada about what to do.

One of the first things the Canadian people may do is learn more about what their government is doing. Bellringer wrote that planned reductions in selenium from the Elk River mines still had a high risk of further environmental impacts and the ministry has not disclosed those risks to legislators and the public.

Selenium is a micronutrient most vertebrates need in tiny quantities for good health. But in larger doses, it can become lethal. Fish are especially susceptible, including Elk River westslope cutthroat trout which are protected under the Canadian Species at Risk Act.

"It gets to a tipping point where entire populations suddenly crash, Hauer said. It accumulates in the ovaries of fish, so you have extremely high mortality rates for larval fish. And the river is being polluted at one or two orders of magnitude higher than whats considered a safe concentration.

Selenium leaches out of waste rock deposits at the Elk River mines. Those mines produce metallurgic coal needed for metal smelting rather than energy production. Nitrogen-based explosives used to remove coal and overburden have also released pollution into the waterway.

Baseline monitoring of selenium and other nutrients and metals in the lake indicates that selenium levels have been rising, said Kristi Ponozzo of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. No harm has yet been confirmed in the U.S.

However, DEQ officials are also concerned about the mines release of nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfate and cadmium into Koocanusa, Ponozzo said. The B.C. Ministry of Environment and DEQ developed a memorandum of understanding in 2015 to study the reservoir and set water quality standards for selenium and those other contaminants.

Bellringer wrote that if the B.C. Ministry of Environment cant properly enforce selenium regulations, it risks violating a 1909 treaty between the United States and Canada forbidding pollution of transborder water bodies. She also said the ministrys planned water treatment plants put the provincial government on the hook to monitor these facilities in perpetuity and ensure that they are maintained at taxpayer expense.

During the B.C. Parliaments question time session Wednesday, several members called for the resignation of Minister of Energy and Mines Bill Bennett. Bennett formerly represented the Elk River area in Parliament.

Government believes there is no evidence its compliance and enforcement regimes place the environment at risk generally, Bennett said in an official response to the audit. But he did say the ministry would be acting on 43 recommendations proposed by the audit and other overseers.

"Unfortunately, the report fails to understand government's management of the water issues in the Elk Valley. Mining has occurred for over 100 years in the Elk Valley and government began monitoring water quality in the area in the mid-1980s," the response continued. "However, it was not until recently that a more detailed understanding of the increasing selenium levels was realized.

"The Ministry of Environment took significant steps to reduce selenium levels in the Elk Valley when, in 2013, it directed Teck Coal to take steps to stabilize and reverse water quality concentrations for selenium, cadmium, nitrate and sulphate. Government stands behind these concrete actions, including the valley-wide Area Based Management Plan."

The audit was underway when a reservoir dam at British Columbias Mount Polley mine failed, releasing about 25 million cubic meters of wastewater and toxic mine tailings. The auditors found that the Ministry for Energy and Mining had an irreconcilable conflict in its missions to promote mining development and enforce safety regulations. They recommended giving the regulation enforcement duties to some other agency.

Because compliance and enforcement is the last line of defense against environmental degradation, business as usual cannot continue, Bellringer wrote. I am therefore disappointed in the resistance to this overall recommendation as it is consistent with many other jurisdictions response to similar incidents.

The audit found that neither ministry used a permitting system that reduced the chances taxpayers would get stuck with pollution clean-up costs. It estimated the total environmental liability for all British Columbia mines at $2.1 billion. But the ministries had less than $1 billion in bonded securities to cover the risk.

Ryland Nelson of the British Columbia environmental group WildSight said the audit wouldnt compel any reforms in mining oversight, it could change public perception of the industry.

When we hear the government talking about how great they are managing mines and the environment, we can point to this report and say we cant take you at your word, Nelson said. It really should have people in the Montana government questioning if they can take B.C.s word that everythings great and theyre enforcing everything.
Its a comeback story for both a beloved local restaurant chain and a popular over-the-water dining location in Missoula.

In the next several months, a 4Bs restaurant will open in the site of the old Finnegans Family Restaurant at 700 E. Broadway. The building straddles Rattlesnake Creek and has sat empty since 2010.

Were happy to be in Missoula, said Billings-resident Steve Schmidt, vice president of 4B's Holdings Inc. Its going to be an awesome restaurant. Its a super location. Weve been trying to get it for a long time. Its the only restaurant in Montana built over a river. Its the first and last one built like that in the state. And its right by the college so we expect to be busy.

The 4Bs chain was started in Missoula in 1947 on West Broadway by Bill Hainline, his wife, Buddy, and his kids, Bill and Barbara. The diners earned a loyal following during the years for their traditional American fare of soups, salads, sandwiches and of course, the legendary tomato soup.

Well still have our world-famous tomato soup, Schmidt said.

He added that the company is still in the process of remodeling the building and getting the necessary permits, so the opening date is a few months out.

Were trying to grow the 4Bs brand, Schmidt explained. We bought it when it went into bankruptcy, and we have seven or eight other 4Bs now and this will be home base for Missoula. Its going to be a nice store.

The three 4Bs restaurants in Missoula closed in 2007, as did several others around the state. Finnegan's was wildly popular with the late-night college crowd, but the owners unexpectedly told employees in December 2010 that "the numbers weren't working out" and they would be closing. The unique building has languished empty since then.

The structure is sound, but it needed to be remodeled, so we have our contractor out there right now, Schmidt said.

Schmidt said the new location will be open from 6 a.m. until 9 or 10 p.m. every day.
Its becoming a harbinger of summer in Missoula.

Frontier Airlines on Wednesday resumed nonstop service between the Missoula and Denver, marking the third straight year of direct connections between the two cities.

Evening arrivals and departures will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays through October at least, using a 150-seat Airbus until summer, then bumping up to a 180-seat plane.

Theyre the same aircraft that Frontier will fly to and from Bozeman on the other three days of the week, said Brian Ellestad, deputy director of Missoula International. Last year Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Montanas busiest, had four days of Frontier service and Missoula had three. Both airports enjoyed record traffic years in 2015.

Frontier's happy with the market, and were happy with them in the market, said Ellestad. Its driving airfares down with the other airlines.

Frontier flights are scheduled to arrive in Missoula at 7:45 p.m. and leave at 8:25 p.m., the last departures of the day.

Denver-based Frontier returned to Missoula in 2014 after a 19-year hiatus. Its first flight two years ago was on June 14. Last year it was May 14.

The Missoula airport rolled out its additional summer seasonal flight schedule, which resume in June and July.

Allegiant restarts flights to Oakland on June 2 and to Los Angeles on June 9. In both cases bookings are available through Aug. 14.

United restarts flights to Chicago on June 9 (through Sept. 6), and to San Francisco on July 1 (through Aug. 15).

Delta plans to again fly from Missoula to Atlanta and back beginning July 3 and lasting, for now, until Aug. 21.

Ellestad said United for the first time will bump up its weekend flight capacity to Chicago from a 70-seat airplane to one capable of carrying 128 passengers.

Such adjustments continue a trend toward more flights and larger aircraft, Cris Jensen, the Missoula airport director, said in a released statement.

Our strong passenger activity demonstrates that current air service offerings are being well-received by our customers and the community is responding to the competitive fares, new destinations and additional flights, Jensen said.

April numbers arent finalized, but Ellestad said passenger enplanements in Missoula were up 7 percent through March compared to last years first quarter.

When Frontier first resumed service in 2014, the airline asked for a financial guarantee from Missoula to continue service through the lean winter months. Missoula businesses through the Missoula Economic Partnership offered instead to guarantee all of 2015. Frontier didnt go for that.

Ellestad said no guarantees were discussed last year. Frontier's plans for Missoula after October are unknown. Frontier discontinued year-round flights from Bozeman in January. That decision reportedly came after a change in the airline's business model from operating as a network carrier with connecting flights to offering point-to-point service with low base fares and a la carte fees for most services, including checked and carry-on baggage.

Frontier charges $35 for carry-ons, $30 for a first checked bag, $40 for a second and $75 for any bag after that.

Ellestad emphasized the importance of passengers on any of the five airlines that fly out of Missoula to arrive at least 90 minutes prior to departure to allow ample time for parking, checking baggage, security screening and boarding. Make it two hours if you're on one of four flights that leave between 6 and 7 a.m.
A Lolo man who stole a car from a dealership in October then crashed it into another vehicle received a deferred sentence Wednesday in Missoula County District Court.

William Jesse Edward Stevens was drunk when he took the 1997 Honda CR-V from Car Werks in Missoula on Oct. 14, 2015. He then drove the vehicle erratically along Russell Street, weaving through traffic, according to a court affidavit.

Stevens, then 22, eventually crashed the stolen car into another vehicle, and the Honda caught fire. Witnesses said Stevens, barefoot, fled the scene on foot before being found by police, with officers noting a strong alcoholic beverage smell coming from him.

In February, Stevens pleaded guilty to charges of felony theft and criminal endangerment, as well as misdemeanor aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

District Court Judge Leslie Halligan imposed the recommendations of the agreement Wednesday, issuing a three-year deferral of sentence for the two felony charges and a year in jail, with all but the two days he had already served suspended, for the misdemeanor aggravated DUI.
Preserve Historic Missoula, a nonprofit dedicated to education and support of historic preservation in our community, would like to respond to the front-page article by Kim Briggeman and the Missoulian editorial from Sunday, May 1 and the Monday, May 2 article by David Erickson. Clearly, with all of the recent coverage regarding the historic Missoula Mercantile, the Missoulian recognizes the publics keen interest in historic preservation. Briggemans excellent article entitled Going, Going? Gone was featured on the front page of the Sunday paper. Thus, it was a tremendous disappointment to then open the paper and read the editorial belittling the Historic Preservation Commission and urging for the demolition of the Missoula Mercantile, and followed the very next day Ericksons attack piece on the Historic Preservation Commission.

Montanans are fiercely protective of, and strongly identify with, our sense of place  the last best place. There are many ways to consider our sense of place. Whether these threads reveal our stunning geography seen in the Chinese wall in the Bob Marshall or the open prairie of eastern Montana, or in the colorful and independent people of Montana  the logger, the miner, the rancher, or the First Montanans, or even in our considerable prehistory. Montanans are rightfully proud of our sense of place. Historic preservation adds to our sense of place and pride in our community. Historic preservation contributes to the last best place.

Economic development does not ask that we choose between historic buildings and new buildings. Historic preservation does not oppose economic development or revitalization. In fact, Preserve Historic Missoula has been arguing the opposite for over 12 years. We believe, very strongly, that economic development and historic preservation should and can very successfully go hand-in-hand. Rehabilitating and reusing an existing building is the most sustainable building practice available; it minimizes the need for raw materials, fits in existing infrastructure and cuts down on landfill waste. In addition, heritage tourism is an identifiable and growing segment of the tourism industry. Historic preservation plays a crucial role in our economy.

All across our state we see historic buildings preserved and repurposed for other uses that are part of Montanas economy. Balancing needs to occur, but this can be done in a cooperative, respectful and productive process. Historic preservation should be viewed as a tool to compliment the tool box for economic development. Missoula has invested heavily to rehabilitate and reuse many downtown landmarks; in keeping with the distinctive downtown landscape, developers should follow the examples set by businesses such as The Wilma, the LaFlesch Building, the Florence Hotel, First Montana Bank, Plonk, the Top Hat, Montgomery Distillery and many more. There are ways to combine economic development and preservation of the Missoula Mercantile.

Addressing the claim of bias levied against the HPC, we strongly believe that Chairman Mike Monsos, Vice Chair Steve Adler and Commissioner Kate Kolwicz should not recuse themselves from discussion of the demolition, nor from voting on the demolition permit. It should be noted that one charge of bias was against comments made by Adler 13 months ago, well before HomeBase had a project involving the Mercantile or a permit for demolition. Public statements made 13 months prior would appear to be a rather imaginative accusation.

Suspicion of bias? More evidence is required for suspecting bias than a commissioner looking at and liking a Facebook post, which often indicates that one has simply read it, not necessarily agrees with it. Facebook can be a useful tool to gauge public sentiment and to gather information. If public input has no place in the process then why does the city go through the motions of asking for it? The May 1 Missoulian editorial suggested that the Historic Preservation Commission should heed advice but the suggestion seems to be that they should heed advice from only select individuals, not the community.

On May 2, the Missoulian printed an article by David Erickson critical of the HPC and the recent meeting attended by only four members of the commission. First, inaccurate information needs to be addressed. After the resignation of one member in March, there are only 10 commissioners since the city has yet to post the vacancy and fill it. Two others have recused themselves during the process, leaving only eight members actively participating in the demolition permit determination.

Second, it should be noted that the HPC meeting in question was not a regularly scheduled meeting. This was clearly advertised as a working meeting for those members who needed time to learn more about the complicated proposal before them. It is apparent that not everyone understands the purpose of the Historic Preservation Commission holding working meetings outside of its regular schedule, which they have done on multiple occasions with a full board in attendance, since the initial March 3 presentation by HomeBase. These meetings are intended to be used by HPC members to gather and discuss the permit in a public forum, with no decision on the table requiring a quorum.

The HPC must respond to the permit application as they see best fulfills their role as a commission dedicated to integrating historic preservation into local, state and federal planning and decision-making processes. Missoula does indeed owe the HPC a debt of gratitude. They are not essentially donating their time, effort and expertise to protect our irreplaceable historic assets  they are working hard at it and doing a good job. The City Attorneys Office, the city council, the mayor, and Missoula citizens should recognize the difficult position they are in and the fact that they are currently following the process identified in the Missoula Municipal Code and the Historic Preservation Ordinance.

We politely request that the city attorneys office, the editorial board and reporters of this paper, and the developers treat the HPC with the respect they deserve as a city appointed board and allow the process to proceed as spelled out in the city ordinance.
The members of Missoulas Historic Preservation Commission should make a point of showing up to their regularly scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. tonight in City Council Chambers. And they should show up prepared to vote on the demolition permit for the Missoula Mercantile.

Tonights attendance is critical because only four of 10 commissioners bothered to attend the most recent meeting, a special meeting specifically called by commissioners who said they needed more information about the project. The permit applicant came to that meeting prepared to answer questions  only to find that a majority of the commission was absent.

It was, unfortunately, only the latest in a series of poor showings by the commission.

While we respect the volunteer service of these preservation experts, they have demonstrated no understanding of what it takes to make a financial investment in Missoulas downtown.

Clearly, a majority of commission members are not actually interested in gathering more information, having passed on yet another opportunity to do just that. They have failed to ask HomeBase, the potential developer, so much as a single question during past meetings. And from the beginning, they have expressed an intention to stall any decision until the maximum amount of time has passed.

This is a poor reflection on the commission, an embarrassment to our community and a big red flag for any businesses looking to set up shop in Missoula.

We understand that historic preservation is an emotional issue for many Missoulians, but things have gotten more than a little crazy lately. At a recent city council meeting, one preservation advocate even compared the demolition of the building to the ISISs destruction of ancient Syrian buildings. ISIS!

Has Missoula lost its mind?

Perhaps not, as a clear majority of business owners downtown support HomeBases plans to deconstruct the Merc and build a five-story, $30 million custom Marriott hotel. These are people who understand what it means to risk their own money, time and sweat on a financial venture.

And they understand what it means to leave a major piece of downtown real estate sitting empty year after year, while the maintenance issues pile up and the building slowly degrades into an eyesore.

Yes, Missoulas history is important, and historic buildings anchor us to our history. Every one of us understands that  or should.

However, every one of us should also understand that things change. They must. The Missoula Valley was once completely empty, and over time it has filled with railroads and streets and buildings and houses. It continues to grow and evolve.

Missoula is at a crossroads. We can continue to fight change, or we can recognize and embrace a good opportunity when it comes along. Do Missoula taxpayers want to welcome a larger tax base or continue paying the entire tax burden ourselves?

The Missoula Merc has its own unique history, but it is only one of many historic buildings in the area. HomeBase is making every effort to honor and save as much of the Mercs history as possible, but Missoula shouldnt take advantage of this generous gesture and demand more than we have a right to.

The Historic Preservation Commission should vote, tonight, to approve the demolition permit for the Missoula Mercantile. And any commissioner who fails to attend tonights meeting should be removed from the board.
The article in the (Sunday, May 1) paper titled, Efforts to cool climate change debate backfire, research finds, got me to thinking.

The article stated that, The U.S. is practically the only country left where climate change is an active debate ... 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.

Having worked on environmental issues during my career, I observed that environmental views and perspectives become ingrained in people. Once set, such views/perspectives generally do not change, even when scientific arguments are presented to persuade change. I observed that change in institutions and society generally occurs when people with intransigent views retire and/or die, and then new people (generally younger and more recently educated) move into positions of authority.

This is why societal change occurs slowly. (Look at how long it is taking for racial attitudes to change since slavery ended in the U.S.) Accordingly, I am not surprised that acceptance of climate change is occurring slowly in the U.S. (i.e., as the population turns over).

Although I have a hard time understanding why skeptics cant acknowledge scientific reality in that the 15 warmest years globally over the last 135 years (1880 and 2015) all occurred during the last 18 years, with 2015 being the warmest year on record (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201513#gtemp). Why cant U.S. skeptics acknowledge that global temperatures are increasing, and that there may be a connection between global temperature increases and continuing increases in greenhouse gases in earths atmosphere?

It is a mystery to me why climate change skeptics are apparently less intransigent in other countries. Is scientific education better in other countries?

Stephen Potts,

Missoula
ST. IGNATIUS  Three incumbents lost elections Tuesday, but not their seats on the Flathead Joint Board of Control, says the board on which they serve.

The FJBC, which voted 9-2 on April 22 to cancel two irrigation districts elections, re-affirmed the day before ballots were counted that it would not recognize the results and continue to operate as if no election had been held.

A majority of the current commissioners believe that Lake County violated various Montana election laws in administering the election of representatives from two irrigation districts.

The county says it did not, and that the election is valid.

I grew up near Chicago, and Ive seen corruption, but Ive never seen corruption like this before, said St. Ignatius rancher Jerry Laskody, one of the three incumbents who lost Tuesday but intends to remain on the board until the FJBC can hold an election it believes is legal.

Laskody maintains, among other things, that approximately a quarter of eligible ballots were not mailed to qualified electors.

Lake County Attorney Steve Eschenbacher says the county was trying to bring the irrigation district elections into compliance with state laws, and the FJBC ignored the countys advice on how to make sure 754 irrigators it said needed to could designate proxy voters.

Where Laskody sees corruption, another commissioner sees an illegal attempt by people who oppose the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Water Compact to hold onto power.

In my previous career I saw quite a few third-world coups and attempted coups, where an existing government tried to override an election, said Dick Erb of Moiese, a former deputy director of the International Monetary Fund. But I never expected to be living in Montana, and see a coup attempt to prevent an election from taking place. It shouldnt be happening in an irrigation project.

***

Three challengers, including two who support the water compact, won the elections the board maintains it canceled.

Eligible voters receive one vote for each irrigable acre they own. Someone with five irrigable acres has five votes; someone with 500 irrigable acres has 500 votes.

In the Flathead Irrigation District, David Lake beat incumbent Shane Orien 40,304 to 15,275, and Janette Rosman defeated incumbent Wayne Blevins 30,038 to 25,531. Both Lake and Rosman back the water compact that Orien and Blevins oppose.

Ray Swenson beat Laskody 5,098 to 2,932 in the Mission District.

Rosman said she believes the votes signify a desire by irrigators to end legal costs associated with litigation the current board is involved in over the water compact and related issues, and move forward with the business of running the irrigation districts.

We need to get through this anti-compact issue, and move forward to work in the best interests of irrigators, Rosman said. The right thing to do would be for those that were voted out to step aside, let the newly elected step in, and avoid more legal costs over this.

Boone Cole, chairman of the joint board, says members had no choice but to cancel this election and are now working to determine the soonest we can hold a legal election.

Lake County violated election laws and its own past practices, Cole said, resulting in nearly 17 percent of acres in the Flathead District and nearly 22 percent of acres in the Mission District not receiving ballots this year. That is unacceptable.

***

The ballots in dispute involve a variety of irrigators, including ones who live out of state (Eschenbacher says according to Montana law, only Montana citizens can vote in Montana elections) and situations where more than one person owns the property.

Whether its a case where two siblings inherited a piece of land, a husband and wife are both on the deed or a corporation owns it, Eschenbacher said the countys goal was to make sure one person was properly designated to vote the number of acres involved.

Out-of-state residents, under the law, could also designate a qualified proxy voter.

Eschenbacher says FJBC executive manager Johanna Clark was told on Feb. 29 a notarized statement designating a qualified voter would be necessary on the acreages in question, in an email Clark has said she never received.

The county mailed ballots to 2,392 irrigators in April, but not to 754 who had not complied.

I can only assume they did not receive instructions from you and your agency, Eschenbacher has since written to Clark. The county attorney has said that mailing out ballots to the 754 who had not complied would be like mailing absentee ballots to unregistered voters.

After ballots were mailed, and prior to Tuesdays 8 p.m. deadline for returning ballots to the Lake County Election Office, 177 of the 754 did contact the county, filled out the proper forms and were given ballots, according to county election administrator Kathie Newgard.

Kristin Omvig, an attorney for the FJBC, maintains that state law requires all ballots to be mailed out on the same day, and because the county failed to do so, this election has been compromised and is fraught with incurable legal violations.

Omvig has also defended the boards right to cancel the election.

"Undeniably, the irrigation elections are the districts elections  not Lake Countys, Omvig said.

Eschenbacher says the joint board had neither a legal reason, nor the authority, to cancel the election.

***

Theres even more to it than whether Tuesdays election did, or didnt, take place.

Cole, the board chairman, is one of three commissioners from the third irrigation district in the mix, the Jocko Valley. There, only Cole and newcomer Jennifer Kaplan filed for the districts two open seats, negating the need for an election.

Both would be normally be declared winners by acclimation, but it was unclear Wednesday whether the board would seat Kaplan, given its insistence that Tuesdays election didnt happen.

Erb says the joint board is violating its own bylaws by extending the terms of the three commissioners who lost beyond the three years they were elected to serve.

In a statement to the board, Erb said in case of the cancellation or postponement of an election, each district with an open seat is responsible for appointing a commissioner to represent the district on the joint board.

I find it more than a little ironic that in the Flathead District, the two of us who voted against cancelling the election would be in a majority and could fill the two open seats on the Flathead District Board if the election is canceled or nullified, Erb said.

Erb said doing just that, or holding a separate Flathead District meeting and swearing in Lake and Rosman as its new representatives on the joint board, were possibilities.

He also pointed to FJBC bylaws that state when there is a question of who is entitled to vote on behalf of a multiple owners, the election administrator can require proof that they have agreed on one person, and that written authorization is required to designate a voter for corporations or general partnerships.

The county, he says, was following the FJBCs own rules for an election.

I hope cooler heads prevail, and the board recognizes the magnitude of the vote and the margins of victory, and seats the winners, Erb said. Too much money and time have been spent on irrigators fighting each other.

But Laskody and Cole say the election was illegal.

Nobody wants an election like this one, Laskody said.

The joint boards first meeting since the election is scheduled for Tuesday in St. Ignatius.
FLORENCE  In the fall and spring, theres something happening in the night that most people dont know a thing about.

Most everyone looks to the sky during the daylight hours to enjoy the sight of migrating waterfowl headed to north or south in huge V formations.

The smaller songbirds wait until darkness falls to make their move.

For years, avian scientists depended on the moon or even radar to get a sense on just whats going on in the night.

At the MPG Ranch  and this past year at the Florence-Carlton High School  a handful of researchers are making use of an inexpensive microphone, a plastic bucket and ever evolving computer program to paint a new picture on the nocturnal migration of birds in western Montana.

That evolving monitoring effort in the Bitterroot Valley began with at a conference in 2012 attended by MPGs Debbie Leick and Kate Stone.

Thats where we learned about the nocturnal flight call monitoring effort that began back east, said avian scientist Leick. Within two weeks of returning home, we were ordering the equipment that would allow us to do that here too.

***

The equipment is simple enough.

An acoustic microphone is placed in a plastic bucket that helps contain the zone where the birds nocturnal flight calls are collected onto a recording device.

Each call is then transposed into a digital image called a spectrograph. Each of those images is unique to a certain species.

Before this technology became available, there were many different ways that people were attempting to learning more about nocturnal migrations, Leick siad.

Researchers could stand outside and listen to the different calls. Or they could deploy a telescope on a night when the moon was full and then count the birds that fly through the moonlight. Weather or marine radar was sometimes used too.

All of those techniques couldnt give you an exact idea of what species were there, she said. This technique does that.

Once the MPG Ranch found success in establishing the monitoring sites, Leick reached out to longtime Florence-Carlton High School biology teacher, Craig Kuchel, to see if he might be interested in setting up a similar site at the school and getting his students involved.

He jumped at the idea.

There are so many things that happen at night that we know nothing about, Kuchel said. This was science that could have real implications and eventually show trends of what is happening with bird populations.

He recruited two of his students, Rylee Close and Conner Copeland, to take part in the first year of the monitoring effort.

***

Last fall, they set up the recording unit on the schools roof and the calls of the migratory birds were recorded on a computer in Kuchels classroom. The two students worked analyze the data to determine the species of birds that flew over the school each night.

They were surprised at what they discovered.

On one September night alone, they recorded calls of 1,179 birds that flew over the school.

We always underestimate the number, Copeland said. That was a lot of birds for one night. We dont have an explanation for why that happened.

They also learned that the songbirds that were migrating over the school were quite a bit different than what the folks at the MPG Ranch were seeing just a few miles away.

Kuchel is a avid birder. Every year, he counts himself lucky if he spots one or two Wilsons Warblers.

They just dont seem to be that common here, he said. Over at the ranch, they found that several thousand moved through that area.

The warblers seem to mostly steer clear of the area above the Florence school.

Instead, the Savannah Sparrow was the most common bird call captured by the schools microphone.

We really dont know why that is, Kuchel said. It may be the light that attracts them here.

Copeland and Close created research projects that they presented at a gathering with other researchers at the MPG Ranch this spring.

I wanted to take part in this because I just like science, Copeland said. I like birds. I like birding. I just thought it would be satisfying.

***

It turned out to be much more than that.

Copeland found that he liked working with the scientists on the project. Beyond that, he found that he enjoyed working with the computer programming thats being used to discern and tally the different bird calls.

Next year, when he heads off to college, Copeland plans to direct his studies toward computer programming.

Kuchel plans to retire from teaching after this year. He said another teacher has already agreed to take over the research project. The folks at MPG Ranch hope to recruit him to carry this monitoring effort further afield.

A teacher at Darby has agreed to set up a similar monitoring station at that school.

Leick said she would wants to see the monitoring effort continue to grow.

My dream is to see it expand throughout Montana, she said. If we can get five years of solid data, well have a good baseline for long term monitoring.

We can use this tool to see if populations are changing over time, Leick said. Just imagine, if we had been doing this for 50 years. What a difference it could have made.
BILLINGS - Three men are facing federal drug charges after a traffic stop in Stillwater County led to the finding of an estimated 10 pounds of meth stashed in a cooler.

Luis Felipe Lopez-Rojas, 22, of California, who was the driver, and passengers Alfonso Banderas-Martinez, 24, of Michigan, and Angel Guzman-Banderos, 27, of Mexico, were charged with possession of meth with intent to distribute during an initial appearance on April 28 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Ostby.

The trio were arrested after a Stillwater County sheriffs deputy pulled over their 2016 GMC Terrain for speeding eastbound on Interstate 90 at about 6:30 p.m. on April 26, court records said.

The occupants were acting nervous and said the vehicle had been rented by a woman from Billings but they could not identify the woman.

The deputy, who has dog trained to detect drugs, had his dog sniff the outside of the vehicle. The dog alerted to the odor of drugs, court records said.

The men were then taken to the Stillwater County Sheriffs Office and the vehicle was impounded.

After getting a search warrant, officers searched the vehicle and found a 28-quart cooler with unusual liner bulges in the rear cargo area.

When agents removed the liner, they saw that the insulation had been cut out and replaced with seven packages wrapped in duct tape.

Inside one of the packages opened by agents was a heat-sealed bag containing a white substance that tested positive for meth, court records said.

The total weight of the seven packages was about 10.7 pounds, including packaging, record said.

The defendants waived preliminary hearing during their hearings before Ostby. The cases will be presented to a grand jury for indictment. Ostby ordered the men to remain in custody.

The crime carries a penalty of a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine.
The Wound Healing Center at St. James Healthcare and its two hyperbaric chambers have the potential to help patients with chronic wounds, hospital officials say.

The new facility opened in November at the Butte hospital and was unveiled during a media tour Wednesday afternoon.

We are very excited about the state-of-the-art hyperbaric chambers that we have today, said Kevin Dennehy, vice president of strategy and business development. Theres about six or so hyperbaric chamber facilities in the state of Montana, and were proud to be one of those six.

St. James is the only hospital in southwest Montana to offer the hyperbaric therapy, he added, but the hospitals sister facility St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings also boasts the technology.

Dr. Tom Aufiero, vascular and thoracic surgeon and medical director for the center, said the hyperbaric chambers reduce the time it takes for wounds to heal by increasing the pressure and oxygen concentration in the air.

Normally the air we breathe has an oxygen concentration of 21 percent.

But inside the chamber, Aufiero said, the concentration is 100.

The high-oxygen concentration along with the increase in pressure have an impact on cell mechanics, the doctor explained. The net effect is the release of chemicals that promote healing.

According to a hospital news release, patients who can benefit from the treatment include those with diabetic ulcers, cancer patients with radiation injuries and anyone who has wounds that have persisted for 30 days or more.

Aufiero said being inside the chamber doesnt hurt and feels a bit like being in a descending airplane.

He added patients with chronic wounds undergo anywhere between 30 to 60 treatments, each lasting about two hours.

And in case patients get bored, he said, they can watch TV from a screen hanging above the chamber.

During the tour Dennehy climbed inside the chamber for a demonstration.

Before getting in, Dennehy was asked a variety of precautionary questions, including if his ears were clear and if he was wearing any jewelry. Afterward, he sat back in the chamber and a certified hyperbaric technologist shut the door.

As the pressure dropped, an old western movie played from the screen above.

When asked what the benefit is of having this kind of facility at St. James, Aufiero said the hospital has always used traditional treatments for treating wounds, but has never had a dedicated wound healing center until now.

Before the center existed, he said, most patients received traditional wound-healing treatments but some, especially those with tissue damage from cancer radiation treatment, had to travel to hospitals in other cities for the hyperbaric therapy.

Since its a five-day-a-week treatment, that can be a burden to the patients and their families, said Aufiero.

The chambers have a healing rate of 95 percent and the median healing time is about 15 days.

And as a hospital new release pointed out, this kind of healing capacity has the potential to reduce ER visits and readmission rates for the hospital.

Because of the 2012 Affordable Care Act, readmission rates have become something of a hot-button issue. This is a result of a portion of the law known as the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program, which fines hospitals that have high readmission rates by cutting back on their Medicare reimbursements.

In October St. James and four other Montana hospitals were penalized for failing to meet federal patient readmission standards in 2011 through 2014. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, more than 2,500 hospitals around the nation failed to meet the readmission standard in 2015, making up a majority of hospitals that were evaluated.

Aufiero said hes not an expert on readmission rates, but can see how the Wound Healing Center can help patients stop making repeated hospital visits.

(These wounds) are difficult to heal and its easy for them to get out of control, said Aufiero, pointing out that diabetic patients may even undergo amputation if their wounds cant be healed. So the mechanism to reduce readmissions is to get the wound to heal without the wound getting infected or having other problems that require admission.

As for Aufiero, he said the best part of providing the treatment is improving the quality of life for his patients.

For these patients with these sort of chronic wounds, it becomes the center of their life. For months or years thats all that they can focus on. It affects everything that they do. It changes their lifestyle, what they can do for fun, what they can do for work, said Aufiero.

And so its very gratifying when they can go on to live a normal life and go on to do the things they wanted to do for such a long period.
Butte police reports

THEFT

A Butte woman, 22, reported her purse went missing from the bar at Met Tavern, 1375 Harrison Ave., on Saturday night. Debit card charges estimated at $350 for purchases made at area businesses were reported to police.

THEFT FROM VEHICLE

Two gun cases with four pistols were stolen from a 2005 Dodge Ram parked at Best Western Plus Butte Plaza Inn, 2900 Harrison Ave., between 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Police say a Lake Stevens, Washington, man, 44, believes his vehicle was locked. A door was found ajar. The missing pistols, valued at $1,700, include a two Glock .40 caliber, a Glock 9-mm, and a Glock .380.

FLEEING MAN

Justin Whittington, 32, of Butte fled a residence on the 400 block of Wyoming Street about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday after police attempted to question him about a fraud case. He was caught nearby and arrested. He is facing misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and criminal contempt.

CRIMINAL TRESPASS

Austin Brisbo, 41, of Butte was arrested on Wednesday night after he allegedly caused an issue with a resident on the 900 block of South Colorado Street. Police had responded to the area two times within the hour. He was booked on resisting arrest and criminal trespass to property, both misdemeanors.

DUI

Patrick Moreno, 56, of Butte was found asleep at the wheel of a running vehicle at the Thriftway, 901 E. Front St. about 11 p.m. Wednesday. Moreno told police he had taken prescription medication as directed. He was wanted on a misdemeanor criminal contempt warrant issued in Butte city court and is also facing a misdemeanor DUI.

David Andrews, 55, of Butte was arrested for driving in the wrong lane and DUI, both misdemeanors, about 12:30 a.m. Thursday in the area of Aluminum and Montana streets. Police say he was driving erratically, weaving his red 2008 Ford Explorer, and appeared intoxicated. He refused a Breathalyzer; a warrant was sought for a blood draw.
A 26-year-old Kalispell man was arrested on a felony warrant Thursday after returning to the scene of a crash site in which he rolled his vehicle on Highway 43 west of Wise River.

Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Joe Wyant said the man, whose name was not released, was not wearing a seat belt when he swerved his 2001 Chevrolet Blazer to avoid hitting an elk and veered off the roadway about 15 miles west of Wise River about 10 p.m. Wednesday.

The Blazer rolled once and came to rest on its wheels. The man caught a ride to an area hotel and returned to the crash site early Thursday, the trooper said. After the man was transported by Anaconda-Deer Lodge police to a nearby hospital with minor injuries and later released, he was arrested by the highway patrol.

Wyant said the $2,500 felony warrant was issued in Lake County. The man is also facing misdemeanor charges of driving with a suspended license, no insurance, and a seat belt violation.
During May, Pam Fletcher's photography will be featured at the Main Stope Gallery, 8 S. Montana St.

A reception will be held at the gallery, 8 S. Montana St., from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday during the Art Walk to open Fletcher's show.

Recently Fletcher and her husband traveled to Tanzania, and she brings images from their travels to her show.

Originally I hadn't planned on showing any photos from the trip, as my approach to photography tends to be somewhat structured  often I will find a subject I like and visit many times during different times of the day or even different times of the year to get the right light and/or conditions. This approach was not compatible with our trip that we took to Tanzania. We climbed Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro, and there wasn't much time to stop and compose pictures, let alone return to a spot.

"As it turns out, though, when I went through my photos, a handful of the photos I took stood out to me, because they not only captured something unique to Tanzania but also speak to a larger, more universal theme. "

Also, Friday night is the last chance to participate in the silent auction of original art to benefit the Butte Symphony.
Last September, John Andrews suffered a brain aneurysm and was airlifted via helicopter by Life Flight Network from Anaconda to Missoula. He was charged $34,200, his health insurer paid almost half, and Life Flight Network billed him the balance  $18,678. Upon arrival in Missoula, St. Patrick Hospital decided John needed to be airlifted via airplane to Seattle, this time by its own affiliate, NW MedStar. He was charged $57,867, his health insurer paid about one-third, and NW MedStar billed him the balance  $37,931.

Two flights. Two companies. Two large bills. And one call to action.

John and families like his across Montana are why I am chairing an Air Ambulance Working Group to come up with solutions to protect Montanans from exorbitant air ambulance bills. Far too many Montana families are enduring what Johns family is enduring and State Auditor Monica Lindeens office is working with our hospitals, health insurers, air ambulance companies and others to stand up for families like Johns.

Many hospitals don't have their own air transportation. If they call Reach Air or Life Flight Network (which recently acquired NW MedStar), patients will receive a balance bill for their flight, sometimes more than $90,000. Reach Air will work with us in helping you. They recognize that even though it's not their legal obligation, it is their moral obligation. Life Flight Network does not.

John's story is like every other story we encounter in our office, whether it's the air transport of a child or adult. They had medical emergencies, they have health insurance, none of them chose who provided their air transport, and yet they are being pushed to financial ruin. Their medical emergencies have become financial emergencies. It's wrong. It's unacceptable. And it must be fixed.

Without question, in a rural state like Montana where distances separate us from our doctors, we need air ambulance companies because they save lives. But we don't need some of their billing practices.

The problem lies in the hands of Congress and nothing is easy in Washington, D.C., even if the solution is obvious and has bipartisan support. That's what we have, though, with a common-sense amendment sponsored by our own Sen. Jon Tester and his Republican colleague, Sen. John Hoeven from North Dakota.

Their amendment empowers states to rein in these out-of-control air ambulance bills. Many Montanans are strong advocates of state's rights, for good reason, but companies like Life Flight Network resist these efforts, putting Montanans at their financial mercy.

Whether Congress acts or not, our Air Ambulance Working Group is working on solutions with the Legislature, which will end the ridiculous notion that whomever gets called dictates whether your family will be financially stable after an air transport. We need the help from our hospitals, health insurers, air ambulance companies, and you.

Call Congressman Ryan Zinke and Sen. Steve Daines and urge them to support Tester's bipartisan amendment to give Montana the ability to help ourselves when it comes to air ambulance transports.

Many of us are determined to get something done. The financial futures of families like John's depend on it.

-- Jesse Laslovich is chief legal counsel to Montana State Auditor Monica J. Lindeen.
Montana ranchers depend on the health of their land and its resources to make a living and support their families. That means that to most of us, working to protect and improve the environment just makes sense.

But we ranchers often just think of it as good business rather than a particular brand of environmental stewardship.

As the chair of our states Environmental Stewardship Award Program task force, were working to showcase how innovative stewardship and good business go hand-in-hand to support our states top business: agriculture. This program is a place to start an open, honest dialogue in ranching communities and Montana cities about how we care for our land and livestock.

Historically, the Environmental Stewardship Program has been focused on sharing ideas between ranchers on how to improve the management of our resources. Now, we want to focus on reaching out to our customers and consumers so you can see for yourselves what we do on our ranches and how we manage our resources to provide safe, healthy, environmentally friendly food for your families and ours.

Each year, the Environmental Stewardship Award honors Montana ranchers dedicated to going the extra mile in the conservation, preservation and enhancement of the natural resources of their land. In short, the award celebrates ranchers who have a story to tell about caring for their land and livestock. To do that, we need your help. Ranches can be nominated or apply for the award before June 1. We would love to see every county in Montana represented in the pool of nominees to showcase the variety of ways ranchers care for our diverse resources.

That includes a wide range of potential nominees: any rancher who is actively working to leave the land better for the next generation would be an ideal candidate.

Now, heres where we often run into problems with this program. Ranchers in general are often humble, behind-the-scenes kind of people; we dont want to brag or pat ourselves on the back. But thats not what this award is about. Its about sharing the facts about environmental stewardship and the story behind why it matters so much to us. We know its imperative for our livelihoods that we reach out to our customers and share what we do and how we do it, and we want to encourage our fellow ranchers to do the same.

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Winners of the Environmental Stewardship Award are often honored for their innovative grazing practices, a focus on water quality and range monitoring, working to enhance fish and wildlife habitat, riparian restoration, native plant restoration, erosion control, cooperative partnerships with local, state and federal agencies, improving cow production while lowering input costs or hosting education tours or other outreach from the ranch.

These may be conservation practices you've been working toward for decades, or building on for generations. Or, maybe you're implementing new, innovative ideas to turn a piece of land around after a flood, fire or drought or protecting yourself from natural disaster.

The award nomination process is also a good opportunity for county conservation districts, water districts, wildlife organizations or other local and state agencies focused on conservation and multiple land use to recognize partnerships with ranchers who help them accomplish mutual goals.

The award is sponsored in a partnership between the Montana Stockgrowers Association, the Montana Beef Council and beef producers with Check-off dollars, and the World Wildlife Fund.

Nominations and applications can be submitted online at www.mtbeef.org before June 1. The winning ranch will then have the assistance of a professional writer and photographer to capture their ranchs story  their familys legacy of caring for the land and livestock  to use in promotional materials and to represent Montana in the regional Environmental Stewardship Award competition. The winner will be recognized at the Montana Stockgrowers Annual Convention and Trade Show in Billings this December.

To learn more, visit mtbeef.org, where youll find contact information for myself and other Environmental Stewardship Award Task Force members. We look forward to hearing and sharing your stewardship stories.

-- Jim Steinbeisser of Sidney is a rancher and chair of the Montana Environmental Stewardship Task Force.
Gov. Steve Bullock and his wife, Lisa, earned $157,202 in 2014, according to their tax return released Wednesday, and they have given to several charitable foundations in Helena and Missoula in the past 10 years.

The Democrat and his wife earned $1.6 million total over the 10-year period and reported $65,971 in charitable giving over the same period, according to documents and tallies released by the campaign.

Bullock's campaign also reported charitable donations to groups such as the Cathedral of St. Helena, Helena Education Foundation, Helena Vigilante Runners, Grandstreet Theater and YMCA of Missoula.

Yearly totals provided by the campaign ranged from $4,099 in 2005 to $8,353 in 2008, with $6,870 donated in 2014. It was not clear how much was given to each group in which years.

Campaign Spokesman Jason Pitt said "the Bullocks are not millionaires" so they had not kept confirmation letters, tax worksheets or other detailed giving records from a decade ago.

"Other than colleges, and some children's health organizations which they have personally been touched by," Pitt said, noting the Ronald McDonald House as one national group. "The Bullocks have committed their charitable giving to local Montana-based organizations."

Pitt declined to characterize what the records say about Bullock's leadership as governor.

"We're being very transparent and are asking (Republican candidate for governor Greg Gianforte) to do the same," Pitt said, noting the release also came with a list of questions about the opponent's giving. "We're going to ask folks to look closely at Gianforte's giving. Did he give to groups you support?"

Gianforte, along with his wife, Susan, made at least $220 million in the past 10 years, primarily from the sale of their Bozeman tech company, according to tax records they released in January. About half of that money was donated to the Gianforte Family Foundation, a charitable trust that quickly became the second largest in the state behind only the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, according to a Gazette State Bureau analysis of federal nonprofit records.

In 2013, the latest year for which public records are available, the Gianforte foundation issued 80 grants totaling almost $6 million, leaving the foundation with $133 million in assets.

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

"We're all free to give to the causes that are near and dear to our hearts," said Ron Catlett of the Gianforte campaign. "That's why the Gianfortes have given more than half their income away in the last 10 years and why the governor and his family have given to their favorite charities."
Candidates in the crowded field for Butte-Silver Bows top political job shared a venue Wednesday, seeking to set themselves apart through their backgrounds, experience and priorities.

A few of the five people challenging Chief Executive Matt Vincent for the post this year gave veiled criticisms of his tenure, while Vincent took the incumbent road by touting his record and calling himself a compassionate and hard-working person.

As an intro into his theme of Butte being a city on the move, he waxed poetic, saying, I dont want you to fear the beard but I do want you to embrace the face of what we have become as a community. Vincent has had a beard throughout this first, four-year term.

But there were no sharp barbs as each candidate spoke for 8 minutes before about 60 people at a luncheon of the Butte-Silver Bow Democrats Burros Club at the Butte Country Club. They also answered a few questions from the audience.

The five seeking to replace Vincent are Commissioners Jim Fisher, Dave Palmer and Cindy Perdue-Dolan; Butte architect and former county Historic Preservation Officer Mark Reavis; and longtime Public Works laborer Ron Sarge Rowling. Only the top two vote-getters in the June 7 primary advance to November.

Here are some main points each of them hit on Wednesday in the order they spoke:

Commissioner Jim Fisher

Fisher, who has spent the past 20 years in auto sales and dealership management in Butte, said his business experience gives him sound leadership skills that set him apart.

A lot of this has to do with compromise and negotiation, he said.

Fisher said the needs of Butte residents should come first before trying to solicit outsiders to Butte, and those here should have a greater voice in local government.

Even with 12 commissioners, we still need more input from the community, he said, adding that taxpayers are the employers of county officials.

Fisher has been on the losing side of some Vincent initiatives, including bike lanes and a new garbage collection system, but the horse had left the barn on those matters, he said. He was focused on the future, he said, including the need for more roadwork and better treatment of Butte on mine pollution cleanup.

Commissioner Dave Palmer

He touted his political experience, noting he has served nearly 20 years as a commissioner as well as three years on the local school board and time with other organizations such the Butte Local Development Corp.

He focused on economic development in Butte, saying it was the key to getting more people to move here and expand the tax base. He has floated the idea of identifying businesses, including stores and restaurants, and then actively trying to recruit them.

I think we have to go out and look for these businesses, Palmer said, adding that the real key to growth in Butte is adding manufacturing jobs.

He said the proposed outdoor pool and lazy river, which also will be on the primary ballot, was a great project.

We really need that for the kids of Butte, he said.

On Superfund issues, he said he lobbied to get at least one commissioner involved in negotiations that will decide long-term responsibilities for cleanup of the Butte Hill. That commissioner, he noted, was him.

Commissioner Cindy Perdue-Dolan

Perdue-Dolan, who grew up in Massachusetts, said she moved to Butte 25 years ago and the people here immediately started growing on her, in part because they are caring, generous and they like self-determination.

She said Butte had only grown 1 percent in the past four years and said mine pollution was partly to blame.

Whether we want to admit it or not, folks  are well aware of Buttes Superfund issues, she said. She said she would demand that federal and state regulators live up to promises.

Perdue-Dolan said taxes and fees from local government keep creeping up.

I wont play the shell game, she said. I will keep Butte-Silver Bow seniors on fixed incomes in mind.

She also said she would put local businesses first instead of giving carrots to unknowns.

Butte Architect Mark Reavis

He said he came to Butte years ago in a Dodge Colt, was treated well by Burros Club members over the years and looked forward to returning the favor. He has spent many years in public service and was heavily involved in such projects as the Belmont Senior Center and the Granite Mountain Memorial.

I know local government and can hit the ground running, he said.

He pledged to make local government more accessible to citizens with a back to basics management style. That would include simple things such as how to write a communication to get an issue before commissioners.

The government must get its own house in order in order to benefit locals through the prudent use of taxes, he said.

Ron Sarge Rowling

As a longtime county laborer, he said he wouldnt ask anyone to do a job he wouldnt do.

I have picked up the crap, I have picked up the garbage, I have cleaned the restrooms  Im not above any of that, he said.

Rowling said he was one of two employees with the countys Public Works Department who fill potholes regularly.

Two people cannot handle that, he said. I would put a whole crew out there filling potholes.

Rowling said he had a 10- to 15-year plan to resurface every street in Butte, would put more emphasis on sidewalks and storm drains and would talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

If you work the graveyard shift and can only talk to me at 3 in the morning, I will meet you at 3 in the morning, he said.

Chief Executive Matt Vincent

He opened by noting he was in a crowded field for the post in 2012, and offered a hat tip to his challengers, asking everyone to applaud them because as a candidate it is not easy putting yourself out there.

He said he had either done or was in the midst of doing everything he pledged to do in the last campaign, including engaging more citizens in local government on even tough issues like poverty and our suicide epidemic in Butte. Vincent formed a committee of stakeholders to help address suicides.

Those are not easy things to address and you dont really think to hear a candidate talk about them but we have done our best there, he said.

He said there have been major infrastructure projects started during his first term, including the $40 million water treatment plant being built south of town and $34 million in upgrades to the sewer plant. NorthWestern Energys new $25 million office building Uptown also was started and completed, he said.
Gov. Steve Bullock rolled into Butte Wednesday to discuss a $200 million infrastructure initiative with a group of veterans.

Bullock announced the initiative April 27 at Medicine Crow Middle School in Billings.

The initiative, if it passes the 2017 Legislature, would include money for roads, public schools, universities and impacted communities. But the main purpose of the initiative in Butte would be for veterans. Bullock presented his plan at the Korean War Memorial at Stodden Park. About 50 veterans stood in the grass to listen to Bullock's speech. The initiative includes a $10 million loan from the state to build a veteran's home to serve veterans in southwest Montana.

That veterans' home is much-needed, local veterans say. Mary Creech, who served in Vietnam, compared the need for a veterans' home in southwest Montana to how important air is for all of us to breathe.

"We are going to have more veterans," Creech said. "More are coming from the Sandbox (military jargon for Iraq and Afghanistan). They'll need long-term care for several decades."

The 60-bed facility was proposed six years ago. Long-time Pepsi bottler Don Harrington pledged a 10-acre parcel of land south of Three Bears on Blacktail Loop before he died for the project. But the lot, now held under a trust, has a 10-year sunset window.

Veterans in southwest Montana are anxious to see the facility get built but at least one veteran, Mark Gollinger, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, expressed some doubt after listening to Bullock's speech.

"It's great to hear but we've heard a lot of talk and promises, and many of us are skeptical," Gollinger said. "We're afraid politics will overrule the right thing to do."

The facility is expected to cost $15 million to build. The state has already pledged $5 million. According to state Sen. Jon Sesso, D-Butte, the federal government has put Montana on a waiting list of states expected to receive federal dollars to build a new veterans' home, but that anticipated $10 million has not become available. Sesso said there's no way to know when the federal funds will become available so the state decided to loan the additional $10 million necessary to get the facility built sooner rather than later.

The fact that the federal money is anticipated means the states loan to build a veterans home in Butte is guaranteed to be paid back once the federal money comes through.

The facility would be similar to an assisted living residential care facility and would create about 100 jobs in Butte, according to Sesso.

Bullock's initiative is similar to SB 416, a bill that went before the 2015 Legislature but did not pass. The Senate passed it overwhelmingly, but the House of Representatives defeated it by a single vote before adjourning. Republicans in the Legislature cited specific issues - namely $18 million set aside for Montana State University-Bozeman's Romney Hall and $25 million for a new Montana Historical Society museum in Helena - which they called pork barrel projects as reasons why they would not vote for the measure.

Bullock's political opponent in the 2016 gubernatorial race, Greg Gianforte, R-Bozeman, held a press conference in Helena Wednesday to criticize Bullock's initiative and said if he is elected, he would use either available cash or bonds to get infrastructure projects on their feet. Republicans have criticized Bullock in the past for his infrastructure plan, saying it relied too heavily on bonds.

In an emailed statement to the Standard, a spokesperson for Gianforte called Bullock's infrastructure plan a failure.

"The governor's campaign stunt in Butte today was just rubbing more salt in the wounds. He's had four years to deliver on infrastructure and has failed to get the job done," said Ron Catlett, spokesperson for Gianforte's gubernatorial campaign.

After speaking in Butte, Bullock moved on to Dillon for a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the University of Montana Center for Horsemanship.
ORIGINAL NOTICE

EUNICE T. ESSIEN HART,

Petitioner,

vs.

WILLIAM ALBERT HART,

Respondent.

TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT:

You are notified that a petition has been filed in the office of the clerk of this court

naming you as a defendant in this action, which petition prays for dissolution of marriage. The attorney for the Petitioner is Brian J. Metcalf, whose address is 126 West Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761. That attorneys phone number is 563-263-9494; facsimile number 563-263-7824.

You must serve a motion or answer on or before the (2) 1st day of June, 2016, and

within a reasonable time thereafter, file your motion or answer with the Clerk of Court for Muscatine County, at the courthouse in Muscatine, Iowa. If you do not, judgment by default may be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

If you require the assistance of auxiliary aids or services to participate in court

because of a disability, immediately call your district ADA coordinator at 563-263-6634. (If you are hearing impaired, call Relay Iowa TTY at 1-800-735-2942).

Jeff Tollenaer

Clerk of Court

Muscatine County Courthouse

Muscatine, Iowa 52761

IMPORTANT

YOUR ARE ADVISED TO SEEK LEGAL ADVISE AT ONCE TO PROTECT

YOUR INTERESTS.

STATE OF IOWA JUDICIARY

Case No. CDCD036954

County Muscatine

Case Title EUNICE ESSIEN-HART VS WILLIAM ALBERT HART

THIS CASE HAS BEEN FILED IN A COUNTY THAT USES ELECTRONIC FILING.

Therefore, unless the attached Petition and Original Notice contains a hearing date for your appearance, or unless you obtain an exemption from the court, you must file your Appearance and Answer electronically.

You must register through the Iowa Judicial Branch website at

http://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/Efile and obtain a log in and password for the purposes of filing and viewing documents on your case and of receiving service and notices from the court.

FOR GENERAL RULES AND INFORMATION ON ELECTRONIC FILING, REFER TO THE IOWA COURT RULES CHAPTER 16 PERTAINING TO THE USE OF THE ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM:

FOR COURT RULES ON PROTECTION OF PERSONAL PRIVACY IN COURT FILINGS, REFER TO DIVISION VI OF IOWA COURT RULES CHAPTER 16: http://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/Efile

Scheduled Hearing:

If you require the assistance of auxiliary aids or services to participate in court because of a disability, immediately call your district ADA coordinator at (563)328-4145. (If you are hearing impaired, call Relay Iowa TTY at 1-800-735-2942.)

Date Issued 04/18/2016 02:02:38 PM

District Clerk of Muscatine County

/s/ Traci Harper
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors met in regular session at 7:00 P.M. with Howard, Kelly, Sorensen, Sauer and Bonebrake present. Chairperson Sorensen presiding.

On a motion by Kelly, second by Bonebrake, the agenda was approved as presented. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Howard, second by Bonebrake, claims dated April 25, 2016 were approved in the amount of $566,443.45. Ayes: All.

On a motion by Howard, second by Kelly, the following utility permit was approved: Windstream Iowa Communications, Inc. - replace a section of buried cable under Moscow Road and 112th Street. Ayes: All.

Muscatine County Engineer Keith White updated the Board on various road and bridge projects.

White stated there was a major slide on the west side of Vail Avenue near New Era Road. White stated the slide was to the edge of the road but the road bed was not affected. White stated the slide has been partially repaired and more dirt is needed to fill in the area. White stated the embargoes have been removed.

On a motion by Howard, second by Kelly, minutes of the April 18, 2016 regular meeting were approved as written. Ayes: All.

Correspondence:

Sorensen reported a contact regarding a Zoning issue.

Sauer reported contacts regarding bridge closures.

Committee Reports:

Sorensen attended a RAGBRAI Advisory Council meeting April 18th.

Sorensen attended a Wilton Development Board meeting April 20th.

Sorensen attended a Region 9 Transportation Policy meeting April 21st.

Kelly attended an Eastern Iowa Mental Health Regional meeting April 18th.

Sauer attended a Muscatine County Conservation Board meeting April 18th.

Sauer attended a Riverbend Transit meeting April 20th.

Sauer attended a Muscatine County Fair Board meeting April 21st.

On a motion by Kelly, second by Sauer, the Board approved Resolution #04-25-16-01 To Fix a Date for Public Hearings on General Obligation Refunding Loan Agreement and on Issuance of General Obligation Urban Renewal Refinancing Bond. Roll call vote: Ayes: All. The Public Hearing was set for May 16, 2016 at 9:00 A.M.

On a motion by Bonebrake, second by Sauer, the Board authorized the Chair to sign a Methamphetamine Drug Hot Spots Grant Program contract extension through July 31, 2016 in the amount of $5,025. Ayes: All.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:20 P.M.

ATTEST:

Leslie A. Soule, County Auditor Jeff Sorensen, Chairperson

Board of Supervisors
MUSCATINE, Iowa  A Muscatine Community College business instructor accused of assaulting a fellow MCC instructor has pleaded guilty in Muscatine County District Court.

James Craig Elias, 55, Muscatine, pleaded guilty to assault, a simple misdemeanor, and received a deferred judgment last week.

Elias will remain on unsupervised probation for one year, in addition to following the terms of a no-contact order until April 28, 2017, according to the court documents. He was also ordered to pay a civil penalty of $65.

"We would like to say and I know this to be true that Jim is deeply sorry for his bad judgment," said Muscatine attorney Robert DeKock, who represented Elias.

According to a statement from Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, headquartered in Davenport, unspecified disciplinary action was taken after the incident last summer.

The isolated incident regarding Mr. Elias was reported to campus and district administration when it occurred last summer. It was investigated according to EICC policy and procedures, and appropriate discipline taken. The safety and security of all students, faculty and staff of Muscatine Community College is our top concern and priority, and we believe that all appropriate actions have been taken that continues to ensure that safety and security. After investigation, it was deemed there was no likely future risk to campus, according to the statement.

Elias was charged with assault after kissing a woman against her will last summer.

According to the criminal complaint, Elias grabbed the victim about the head with his hand and proceeded to kiss her about the mouth area. The woman was not injured. The incident occurred at 1:15 p.m. on July 27, 2015, in an office in Larsen Hall on the MCC campus.
WEST LIBERTY, Iowa  The West Liberty Regional Learning and Cultural Center (RLCC) hosted its grand opening Wednesday.

Located at 119 E. Third St., the center will provide more educational options for residents of West Liberty. It was developed by both West Liberty Economic Development (We Lead) and Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC).

We Lead, a partnership with Iowa State University's Extension and Outreach program, and West Liberty's Chamber of Commerce will be located in the RLCC, in addition to classroom facilities.

Steve Hanson, West Liberty Community School District superintendent, said that the district began GED and Adult ESL programs four years ago, and he is looking forward to those programs having the opportunity to utilize the RLCC space.

"Any place that spells education, we believe in. I think it's going to bring increased opportunities for our citizens, not only the ones that are currently high school students, but also those adults who are no longer in high school, some of whom haven't completed a high school degree, or some of those who are learning English as a second language, so it really gives that opportunity," Hanson said.

Don Doucette, Chancellor of EICC, said the project was important to increase the educational options provided in eastern Iowa, something that has been a mission for EICC.

"What we're doing today is actually fulfilling a promise that we made eight years ago, and it's really important that we always live up to the promises we make. We will live up to the promise of increasing and improving the services that we provide to this community, and we're really pleased and proud to be part of it," Doucette said.

Naomi DeWinter, president of Muscatine Community College, said that access to ESL and English Language Learners classes, credit classes like English Composition and World History for high school students, and other non-credit options will make a difference for those who may not be able to travel to Muscatine for those courses.

"Access is really important to our mission, especially in rural areas like West Liberty. I think transportation is a barrier for a lot of people, and so to be able to cut that out as a barrier and provide it right downtown really matches what we're trying to do to make access to education as easy as possible. So we really look forward to serving the community here and their unique needs," DeWinter said.

Rep. Tom Sands, who cut the ribbon at the grand opening with Sen. Bob Dvorsky, said he sees the center as a positive example of different businesses and entities working together.

"I think this is just a great example of what true community responsibility and involvement means, and it's the people of this community working together with a vision, and partnering with Muscatine Community College and local businesses to make this come to fruition," Sands said.

Dvorsky agreed that the center fits the definition of a community college.

"I think the whole thing is this is part of a community college, thus the name community, and really making an effort to provide services with other agencies that are here. That was the whole idea of community colleges, and they're fulfilling their mission," Dvorsky said.

Faith Lane, administrative assistant for We Lead, said she looks forward to the effect the center will have on individuals and on West Liberty's downtown.

"I'm excited to have the learning center here, so West Libertarians can come here and take classes on their schedule. I'm also really excited personally to see downtown buildings being rehabbed," Lane said.

For more information about the RLCC, contact We Lead at 319-627-4045.
WEST LIBERTY, Iowa  The second reading of an ordinance amendment before the West Liberty City Council requiring the West Liberty city manager to live within city limits failed on a 2-2 tie vote Tuesday.

West Liberty council member Felicie Simmons was absent, resulting in the tie.

"I think our city attorney is correct that we should make those part of personnel policy in the employee handbook," council member Melody Russell said of the requirements.

"I think city manager should stay as an ordinance," council member Diane Beranek replied. "It's a different position."

Russell agreed the city manager should live within the city limits, but she added the requirement should be specified in the city manager's contract.

"It was in his contract, and we saw how far that got," Beranek responded.

City Manager Lawrence McNaul lives just outside the city limits.

"They should all be in the personnel handbook," council member Joey Iske said.

The council voted 4-0 against second readings of ordinance amendments regarding residency requirements for police officers and city employees but instead place the requirements in the handbook. The council also approved on a 4-0 vote the first reading of an ordinance amendment clarifying the filling of unexpired terms for both elected and appointed officials.

On a related note, the council approved Beranek's motion on a 4-0 vote to allow a vacancy on the Parks and Recreation Commission to be filled by someone who lives outside city limits, provided the majority of commission members live within the city.

SHORT STREET PROJECT

The pieces continue falling into place for a planned development on the west side of Wilton. The council accepted the low bid of $129,640 from Triple B Construction of Wilton for the Short Street Utility Extension Project, necessary to extend water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer service to the new development. City Engineer Leo Foley reported there were six bids for the project, estimated to cost $165,000.

Foley said he reviewed the proposal from Alta Vista of Iowa City for the new development. "It looks good," he told the council. "It will reduce the peak flow (of storm water) by two-thirds."

The council approved Tax Increment Financing (TIF) procedures to provide Alta Vista with funding for the development over an eight-year period.

IN OTHER BUSINESS:

The council approved payment of claims totaling $647,290.

The council approved a loan and disbursement agreement providing for the issuance of $1,867,000 in Water Revenue Bonds for the second phase of the Water Treatment Plant Improvement Project.
MORNING SUN, Iowa  Ross Lee Foster, 64, of rural Morning Sun, died Tuesday, May 3, 2016, at his home. The son of Charles and Vivian Beeding Foster, he was born on May 22, 1951 in Muscatine.

His family includes a son, Kenneth, Muscatine; two daughters, Emily Bullock, New Boston, Ill., and Karynda Mangold, New London, Iowa.

A visitation where the family will meet friends will be 5-7 p.m. Saturday, May 7, 2016, at Dudgeon-McCulley Funeral Home in Wapello, Iowa. A private burial will be at Wapello Cemetery.
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 []
McDonalds Netherlands has launched its McTrax place mat  a sheet of paper that connects to a smartphone and allows diners to record and produce music.

The place mat is printed with conductive ink and features various recording, synthesizer, and beat options.

Users can record themselves singing and use pre-loaded beats to create a track.

The mat supports iOS and Android devices, according to Engadget.

The video below shows the McTrax in action.

More on music

Global digital music sales overtake physical formats

Music industry wants stricter anti-piracy laws
The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has struck down allegations by business publication Moneyweb that its rival Fin24 is guilty of copyright infringement.

Acting Judge Daniel Berger on Thursday handed down judgment in the landmark legal battle, which stemmed from complaints lodged by Caxton-owned Moneyweb in September 2013.

Berger said Moneyweb has to pay 70% of Fin24s legal costs.

While Moneyweb alleged that Fin24 had infringed on seven articles, in his judgment, Berger said Fin24 only infringed in one article about Amplats.

The judgment comes a year after the matter was heard in the South Gauteng High Court in May 2015.

Moneywebs case centred on an allegation that Fin24 aggregated up to eight of its articles unlawfully. Moneyweb editor Ryk van Niekerk accused Fin24 of committing plagiarism on an industrial scale.

Moneywebs lawyer Philip Ginsburg SC further argued in court last year that Fin24 must remove the articles in question from its website and pay damages at a later date.

Fin24, though, rejected the claims as false while Media24s counsel Cedrick Puckrin SC argued that there is no copyright or exclusivity in news items.

And on Thursday, Judge Berger found in favour of Fin24.

The Moneyweb-Fin24 has sparked debate over how journalistic works should be produced in South Africa.

The case has also shone a spotlight on South Africas Copyright Act of 1978, which Media24s legal counsel last year argued was outdated for the era of online news.

Section 12(8)a of the Act excludes certain official texts from copyright protection such as laws, speeches of a political nature, or in the news of the day that are mere items of press information.

Source: Fin24

More on Media24

Top 10 South African websites

News24 closing article comments  a look at the decision


SONU Chairman Babu Owino reportedly spent last night behind bars.

The controversial students leader was arrested for alleged assault of university students. He was taken to Kilimani Police Station and is expected to be arraigned in court today.



His political rival Robert Alai was quick to break the news.

Babu Owino arrested over the assault of University of Nairobi Students. He is at Kilimani police station.  Robert ALAI (@RobertAlai) May 4, 2016



Well give you more details as we get them.
Kenyan actor, Alex Khayo Khainga, is among the three finalists for BETs hotly contested reality contest Top Actor Africa.

The 27 year old will be battling out for the coveted title of Top Actor Africa against Jesse Suntele and Shamilla Miller  both from South Africa.



On top of the Top Actor Afica title, Alex stands a chance of winning a $10,000 (Ksh 1,000,000) cash prize, and a one year contract with international representation and access to Hollywood auditions.

Khayo before becoming an actor worked in marketing for a major mobile phone company in Kenya. After being offered a role from a previous audition, he went on to join Jicho Four productions, one of the leading stage plays productions in Kenya.

He continued doing marketing for various groups using his marketing skills, and subsequently ran into a Kenyan TV producer who offered him a minor role in the TV series Angels Diary.

He is widely known for his role as Dr Alfonse on the NTV hit show Pendo.

Top Actor Africa selected 12 actors to participate in the reality show in November last year and has been testing them in nine grueling acting challenges. Those who made it for the challenge are 7 South Africans, 3 Nigerians and 2 Kenyans.

The three remaining contestants acted in a short action film this week, which will decide the eventual winner.

You can watch the 12 minute film and vote for Alex HERE. We can bring this one home!


Photos of what remained after 105 tonnes of ivory and 1.35 tonnes of rhino horns were set on fire at the Nairobi National park last Saturday, have emerged on the interwebs.

Ash piles, a strong stench and insignificant remnants lie where huge pyres of ivory stood during the highly publicised event led by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The torching of the ivory, worth an estimated Ksh 31 Billion, was lauded and criticised in equal measure. President Uhuru Kenyatta, however, boldly stated that ivory is only valuable when its on elephants.

The burning marked the largest consignment ever destroyed globally.

Here are the photos courtesy of Paras Chandaria Wildlife Photography:










Kenya is reportedly on the verge of losing rights to host the 2018 CHAN.

CAF officials were in the country a few days ago, and went back terming Kenyas preparations as a big joke. With less than 2 years to the event, they are now urgently looking for a new host, with Ethiopia said to be top on the list.

Jubilee government promised us 5 new stadiums, and now more than 3 years later, weve not seen anything. A clear road map on how theyll build even a single stadium has also not been presented.

The last time we built a meaningful stadium was 30 years ago.

At this point in time, with all the massive projects going on, only a fool would believe that 5 new stadiums will be built within the remaining years of their presidency.

But we wouldnt mind just one. Kasarani with its concrete seats cannot be our best stadium in 2016 FFS.

So what do you think. Will Jubilee deliver its stadium promise?


Popular Nation Media Group journalist, Larry Madowo has added his voice to the ongoing debate on atheism in Kenya.

Larry Madowos sentiments come days after he hosted Harrison Mumia  Founder and Chairman atheists in Kenya, Stephen Ndicho  VC Kenya National Congress of Pentecostal Churches, Abdulrahman Wandati  executive director Muslim Consultative Council and Charles Kanjama  Advocate and Christian Professionals Forum, on Sunday night to discuss the registration and de-registration of the Atheists in Kenya Society.

According to Larry, atheists should be left alone. In an article titled As long as atheists dont harm anyone, let them be, Larry writes that there is probably no God even though he identifies as a born-again Christian.

There is probably no God. Look, hear me out before you order me burned at the stake. Most people, including myself, still live as if there were a God anyway, in the hope of a finding a version of paradise in the afterlife. I was raised Catholic, flirted with agnosticism in my late teens before settling for a new-fangled brand of Christianity that my fathers mother still considers a passing cloud. It has been a decade. I identify as a born-again Christian and often draw curious stares whenever I say that, but thats a tale for another day.

He adds that it is time to focus attention to the Atheists in Kenya Society, which is struggling to gain legitimacy. He points out that Christians and Muslims both exhibit an increasingly common Kenyan affliction: the inability to accept divergent views.

Christians and Muslims both exhibit an increasingly common Kenyan affliction: the inability to accept divergent views. Even supposedly educated people suddenly clam up and refuse to engage when it comes to politics or religion, or resort to insults. Arguments quickly become dogmatic and usually open-minded individuals become your run-of-the-mill fundamentalists, reads an excerpt.

He concluded by stating that as long as atheists cause no harm on anyone, they are free to form whatever association(s) they please.

Atheists should be free to form whatever association(s) they please, organise parties and meet openly. It is their constitutional right and doctrinaires shouldnt get in the way. As long as their activities do not harm anybody else, beyond challenging delicate beliefs, they should be left alone. After all, religious education has been a part of the Kenyan education system without allowing room for independent thought on the subject.
ATHENS, Ohio  With Donald Trumps remaining rivals bowing out of the race, clearing his path to the nomination, Hillary Clinton is looking for ways to woo Republicans turned off by the brash billionaire.

The Democratic front-runners campaign believes Trumps historically high unfavorable ratings and penchant for controversy may be enough to persuade a slice of GOP voters to get behind her bid, in much the same way so-called Reagan Democrats sided with the Republican president in the 1980s.

As Trump stood alone on Wednesday after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich ended their bids, there were some early signs that a sliver of the party might see Clinton as the only option.

Im with her, tweeted Mark Salter, a top campaign aide to 2008 Republican nominee John McCain.

Democrats caution their effort to win over Clinton Republicans  or Hilla-cans  is in its earliest stages, but could grow to include ads and other outreach targeted in particular at suburban women in battleground states. Already, aides say, a number of Republicans have privately told Clinton and her team they plan to break party ranks and support her.

Lets get on the American team, Clinton said, making an explicit appeal to independents and Republicans, in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.

Hoping to hasten any move to her side, her campaign on Wednesday released a list of Republicans vowing never to vote for Trump along with a web ad featuring clips of prominent GOPers, including his former rivals, bashing the New York billionaire in every possibly way.

He needs therapy, says former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, at the end of the spot.

While such bipartisan support would expand Clintons base of potential voters, a series of high-profile endorsements from Republican officials could dampen enthusiasm among some in her own party.
The application process is now open, and the administration says the forms should take five minutes to complete. Get more info on that and more recent business news here.
Vintage High School students were incited when a handful of students began demonstrating at school on Thursday morning, according to school officials.

Principal Mike Pearson sent a message to parents via a Connect Ed call in the afternoon acknowledging the incident, which included a police presence. Pearson said that some students held a demonstration that included inappropriate comments and conduct, inciting some other students who also responded inappropriately during their mid-morning break.

Napa Police officers were called to the school following reports of a possible riot, but it was just a group of students who were refusing to return to class, police said.

There was not a riot, said Lt. Patrick Manzer. The incident was handled by school administration and no arrests were made, he said.

Although a fight had been reported earlier by school district representatives, Pearson said that there was no physical altercation at any point. Order was quickly restored and the rest of the school day was calm, he said.

According to social media accounts from several students, the incident began because students had Mexican flags out, celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

This is completely false, Pearson said. Although the student demonstrators were trying to celebrate their ethnic heritage, the way it was done upset students rather than educate them, he said. The demonstration was not directly related to Cinco de Mayo, said Elizabeth Emmett, director of Communications and Community Engagement with the Napa Valley Unified School District.

We will continue to work with students so they are empowered to express themselves and their heritage, but in a thoughtful and responsive manner that allows the entire Vintage community to learn from another in a respectful environment, he said.

No students were disciplined and the cultural celebration that was scheduled during lunch time, which included food, music and dancing, went on as planned.
We have an important primary on June 7 that will decide who will be the two candidates in the November election to replace Assemblymember Bill Dodd. I would like to recommend Supervisor Don Saylor from Yolo County as your No. 1 choice.

I first met Don when he gave a tour of Davis' year-round Farmers Market to the Napa County Local Food Advisory Council and Napa Expo Board members. He has worked to end food deserts, improve food security, and protect our region's agricultural lands. He has served as a school board member, city council member, mayor, and county supervisor.

While a board member of the California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions, I learned about Don's chairmanship of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), the six-county agency responsible for planning and allocating more than $35 billion in transportation investments over a 20-year period.

SACOG developed a Sacramento Region Blueprint to limit sprawl; developed a form-based codes handbook for area governments; and developed a Rural-Urban Connections Strategy that recognizes agricultural lands as more than just future urban development. His experience with agricultural communities and workers has earned the endorsement of Dolores Huerta.

Don has been instrumental in building schools, affordable housing, and establishing a much needed clean water agency for the Davis-Woodland area. Please look at the endorsements Don has gathered in the past few months - where you will find Democrats, Republicans, Greens, no party preference voters, and many elected officials who appreciate his leadership for the past 20 years. Don has the depth of experience and enthusiasm that Napa needs in the Assembly.

Juliana Inman

Napa
When Richard Mendelson first visited the Napa Valley in 1979, the wine industry was well into a glorious revival after the debacle of Prohibition. Ahead lay the arduous task of defining and preserving this tiny valley, which had been named the crown jewel of American wine regions.

Mendelson, a young lawyer in love with wine, plunged into the work. Now, nearly four decades later, he has stepped back to tell the story of a place in Apellation Napa Valley, Building and Protecting an American Treasure.

He recounts the story of Napa Valley as no one else ever has in a stunningly beautiful, intelligent and insightful book published this month by Val de Grace Books.

Mendelson grew up in Florida, studied at Harvard, and discovered wine in, of all places, England, when he spent two years at Oxford University.

England, he notes, provided a wealth of opportunities to learn for someone whose wine-drinking had been limited to Mateus rose and jug wines. Beyond the cellars of Oxford he discovered tastings in London at Christies and Sothebys and courses offered by the London Wine and Spirit Trust.

When he finished at Oxford, he went to that most romantic wine region, Burgundy, where he found a job working for Paul Bouchard, of Bouchard Aine & Fils, founded in 1750.

While he did find romance in the vineyards  his wife, Marilyn  he also plunged into the challenge of mastering the complex and often bewildering world of the European government wine regulations, in particular the appellation system used to define and organize wine regions.

This work would serve him well when he returned a year later to the U.S. to study law at Stanford.

As the Paris Tasting [of 1976] revealed, a wine renaissance was underway in America, led by the Napa Valley, he writes After three years in Europe, I was ready to return to the United States to witness firsthand this New World transformation...I had no idea how deeply and how quickly I would be drawn into the crucial battles that would help define the future of the Napa Valley and, in a larger sense, the future of the American wine industry.

Mendelson tells the Napa wine story from its beginning, in the mid-19th century when the first white pioneers began planting grapes. It moves through Prohibition to the revival of wine-making and its transformation to a global player on the wine stage. With realization that the little valley represented a national treasure, as fragile as it was beautiful, came the inspiration to protect it with the creation of the first- in-the-nation Agricultural Preserve.

Next came the work of defining the Napa Valley, the creation of the appellations.

With the American wine revolution of the 1970s, Mendelson said, it was inevitable that we would adopt an a an appellation system and that Napa would lead the way, Mendelson writes.

Much is often written of the vintners challenges in dealing with Mother Nature, but droughts and floods and earthquakes can often pale in comparison to the ordeals of dealing with government bureaucracies, in particular the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms  people who dont taste wine, Mendelson notes but nonetheless have jurisdiction over considerable elements of the wine industry, including the approval of appellations.

And then there are the people.

Napa Valley has one been a melting pot of experienced winemakers, longtime farmers, second-career professionals, and purebred capitalists, so it is not surprising that there were numerous competing visions for what Napa Valley stands for and how it should evolve, writes the diplomatic Mendelson. The constant and sometimes illogical shifts [were] enlivened by an array of colorful characters.

With the precision and clarity of a lawyer, but not, thank goodness, with the legal jargon, Mendelson weaves all of these elements together. Interspersed with the intricacies of creation appellations from the extraordinarily varied geography of one little valley are tales of outwitting the wily Fred Franzi, (Sour Grapes) and mediating disputes between the cool academic Warren Winiarski and the free-spirited Carl Doumani (the Hatfields and the McCoys of Napa Valley) and their dispute over Stags  Stags, Stags and Stags  Leap name rights.

The result is a masterful and compelling account of the real story behind a little valley that today attracts visitors from around the world today and evokes alluring images of glamour and luxurious lifestyles.

And theres more: Mendelsons book is beautiful, a large-format work, elegantly designed by Dorothy Carico Smith, and rich with works of art that include detailed color maps by cartographer Sarah MacDonald, original drawings by Emily Bonnes, and photography by Robert Bruno, and Kurt-Inge Eklund.

Its a book about locals and by locals, Mendelson said, introducing his supporting cast at a book launch at Stags Leap Wine Cellars that was attended by legends of the valley, such as Warren Winiarski.

Were all friends and admirers, said Linda Reif, director of the Napa Valley Vintners. Through all the ups and downs, Richard has stood up for whats right and whats possible.

Mendelsons publisher, Paul Chutkow, who called Mendelson the Napa Valleys consigliere, said, I dont think any one else could have written this book.

Mendelson, who continues to practice law, and directs the Wine Law and Policy Program at UC Berkeleys School of Law, acknowledged that the challenges continue for Napa Valley: water, climate change, traffic and protecting the Napa name from creative foreign winemakers. But Napa Valley is a true national treasure and if we accept it as such, then I think the future for Napa Valley is bright.
By Beth RuyakWe travel to the Crocker Art Museum for this weeks Sound Advice with CapRadio's jazz music director Gary Vercelli.Cosmic Rays byCharlie Parker and other cutting edge bebop musicians had a profound influence on the beat poets. Parker was idolized by Kerouac and Ginsberg and Kerouacs spontaneous prose was likened to Parkers awesome saxophone solos. Barry Alfonso noted that the poets and Bird shared an obsessive approach to their work. They also shared reckless lifestyles.Many of the beat poets tried to emulate Parkers carefree lifestyle and equal or top his consumption of alcohol and drugs. Cosmic Rays was recorded in 1952. Parker died on March 12, 1955 at age 34 (Kerouacs 33rd Birthday). The coroner who performed his autopsy estimated his body to be between 50 and 60 years of age. Kerouac passed away in 1969 at age 47, by then himself a bloated alcoholic.October In The Railroad Earth by Jack Kerouac & Steve AllenRecorded in 1958 with Steve Allens cocktail jazz in the background, Kerouac paints a vivid picture of San Francisco and its surroundings. Kerouac shows high regard for both jazz musicians and African Americans, both of whom he postulated were born hip. This oration makes me wonder what Kerouac would have to say about the Google buses transporting tech employees from San Francisco to Palo Alto today, as well as the many storefronts that are being converted to elite housing in the Bay Area.After the moderate success of this recording Kerouac was approached to record another. He told producer Bob Thiele that he would only do it if he could be accompanied by jazz saxophone legends Zoot Sims and Al Cohn.An excerpt from America by Allen GinsbergThis is an excerpt from a CBS Radio study of the beat generation by Howard K. Smith in 1960 titled The Hidden Revolution. In his introduction, Smith notes the contempt the beats had for the status quo and the effects of consumer consciousness. Ginsberg comments on how the effect World War 2, The Korean War, and the Cold War shaped the generations consciousness. We then segue to an excerpt from America from Ginsbergs Howl.But I Was Cool" byThis is one of many originals from OBJs 1960 debut for Columbia Records titled Sin & Soul. No one better captured the African-American experience in the 60s than Brown, a prolific actor, poet, playwright, and composer. It was Brown who first set lyrics to such jazz classics as Afro Blue and Dat Der.In the liner notes to this album Brown wrote, Most of my worlds are Negro. Being a Negro is not always pleasant, but it is a vigorous exercise for the soul. It can enrich an artist. The melodies I make up grow out of tunes, rhythms, calls, and cries that have always sung to me. My lyrics are versus about feelings Ive felt and scenes Ive dug.Confessions of 013-04-1920" by Ken NordineAlthough associated with the beat poet era, Nordine went on to undertake corporate voice over work. His deep resonant voice was found in commercials for Levis and other national ads. Nordines writings reveal dream like scenarios with sometime paranoid undercurrents. This vignette is from his album Word Jazz Volume 2 (1960).Im Hip" byThis witty tune, written byand, was recorded live at Ronnie Scotts Club in London in 1960. Blossom Dearie was born in New York in 1926. Her whimsical, girlish voice was both sophisticated and soft. She was an excellent pianist and one of the most recognizable jazz artists in the 50s and 60s. She went on to work again with Bob Dorough on Schoolhouse Rock in the 70s on public TV, reminding kids to unpack their adjectives.General T" byTony Adamos hipspokenword is supported here by outstanding musicians, including drummer(a Sacramento native) and pianist. Adamo, who now lives in Reno, is obviously a native New Yorker. Here, you can feel the pulse of Manhattan seen through the eyes of a very hip individual. Adamo salutes General T, a jazz raconteur from a previous era.Whats Goin On In The World Today?" byThis group from the U.K. articulates the frustration of urban youth with both keen musicality and profound lyrics. This 2006 recording remains relevant even today. In 1991, this band scored a massive hit, adding lyrics tos Cantaloop Island." It was included on the Hand On The Torch CD, which turned out to be the first platinum seller on the legendary Blue Note label.
Netanyahu's comeback dominates Israel's elections

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The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has called upon U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass to publicly voice official U.S. concern regarding the safety of Garo Paylan, an Armenian elected to the Turkish Parliament, who has faced growing threats and acts of violence in response to his expression of views on democracy, human rights, and genocide.

In Tuesdays letter to Ambassador Bass, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian recalled that, despite ANCA appeals, the U.S. government failed to voice any public concern for the safety of Istanbul Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated in early 2007 following a campaign of political prosecution and official state persecution. Sadly, none was forthcoming, Hamparian explained. The only public words raised in his defense were those eulogizing him after his death.

In light of this tragic experience, now is clearly the time for our government to urgently and publicly voice concern for the safety of Garo Paylan, and to also condemn those  both inside and outside of the Turkish government  who are inciting hatred against this courageous civic leader for simply speaking honestly and openly about issues of human rights, tolerance, diversity, and genocide.

During the recent Turkish parliament debates on the bill with respect to lifting the Kurdish MPs parliamentary immunity, lawmakers of the ruling party attacked the Kurdish deputies for three days. And on Tuesday, Paylan himself was the main target of the ruling party members.
YEREVAN.  There are very clear parts in the statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Shavarsh Kocharyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, told the above-said to reporters, after Thursdays Cabinet meeting.

First, that there is no alternative to peaceful settlement [of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict], which we [i.e. the Armenian parties to the conflict] support, Kocharyan noted. Second, the ceasefire regime needs to be strengthened, about which he said also in [Armenias capital city of] Yerevan. So, all this is normal.

In addition, Lavrov had told RIA Novosti news agency of Russia that Armenia is not debating on the recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) and that this is a proposal by just two Armenian MPs, whereas the Armenian government shall prepare a conclusion on the respective bill.

The status of Karabakh will be determined in the context of general arrangements, not in a unilateral manner, the Russian FM had stressed, in particular.

He also had stated that the key issue is avoiding casualties, and preventing ceasefire violations and developing relevant effective measures and mechanisms.

At Thursdays Cabinet meeting, the Government of Armenia approved its draft conclusion regarding the bill On Recognizing the Republic of Artsakh, and which opposition MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan had submitted.

This draft law will now be considered at the National Assembly.
Armenias recognition of the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) will depend on the constructiveness of the Azerbaijani leadership.

NKR Presidential Spokesperson Davit Babayan stated the abovementioned commenting, at the request of Armenian News-NEWS.am, on the Armenian Parliament process regarding this recognition.

This does not mean immediate recognition, but [the fact] that the process is in progress, is very important, Babayan stressed. First of all, this bespeaks Armenias aspirations for regional peace and stability.

The official [respective] statement of Yerevan says that Nagorno-Karabakhs independence will be recognized if Azerbaijan starts a new aggression. Thus, the process will depend on the constructiveness of Azerbaijan. If [Azerbaijan President] Ilham Aliyev and his team resort to the next adventurism, the independence of the NKR will be recognized.

This is also a message to the international community that, along with our [i.e. the Armenian sides] aspirations for peace and stability, the status of Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be doubted in the future.

The Government of Armenia on Thursday approved its draft conclusion regarding the bill On Recognizing the Republic of Artsakh, and which opposition MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan had submitted.

This draft law will now be considered at the National Assembly.




DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  A Florida criminal defense lawyer and former public defender was disbarred for having sex with clients in the Volusia County Jail, the Florida Bar announced on Friday.



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43-year-old Linda Dawn Hadad of Daytona Beach, Florida was disbarred for engaging in a pattern of misconduct that included illegal drug use and sexual relationships with clients. She had inappropriate intimate relationships with inmates at the Volusia County jail while she represented them, and engaged in inappropriate phone calls, which were routinely recorded by the jail. Hadad also failed to timely appear for court hearings, neglected the criminal cases of several clients, closed her office without informing her clients and failed to respond to Bar inquiries regarding these matters.
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Mumbai, May 5 (ANI-Businesswire India): Larsen & Toubro Infotech, one of India's global Information Technology services and solutions companies and a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited, has announced that it has signed a multi-year contract with Elkjp Nordic AS to provide end-to-end Infrastructure Management and Datacenter services. Owned by British giant Dixons Carphone, Elkjp Nordic is the largest consumer electronics retailer in the Nordic region with over 500 stores across six countries. Under this partnership, L&T Infotech will transform datacenter capabilities of Elkjp by migrating its current environment to an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) model through its Nordic partner Rejlers Embriq AS. This migration will improve availability and compliance of IT infrastructure thus enabling Elkjp to meet its key business goals of rapid expansion. A simpler IT environment will provide Elkjp Nordic flexibility and scalability to expand across the Nordic region rapidly and improve the end user experience. "We are very pleased with the choice of L&T Infotech as a Strategic IT Partner. L&T Infotech is a great fit for Elkjp and the partnership offer extensive potential for future collaboration" says Stein Riibe, Chief of Staff, Elkjp Nordic. "We followed a very rigorous process to select our partner for this engagement. We wanted a right size partner who brings cost efficiency, experience from similar engagements in retail industry, ability to work with our other partners and cultural compatibility. We believe we have found a perfect match in L&T Infotech" said Oddbjrn Erlimo, Department Manager for IT Infrastructure Operations at Elkjp Nordic. "A robust technology platform is critical for today's organization to scale, expand and innovate. We want to make Elkjp Nordic more competitive with a flexible and secure IT landscape that expands with company's growth plans." said Sanjay Jalona, CEO & Managing Director, L&T Infotech. Elkjp engaged Glocal View as advisors for managing the outsourcing process. Vineet Jain, CEO, Glocal View, said "We are very pleased with the selection of L&T Infotech for this engagement. Beyond partner identification and contract negotiations, we will continue to play a role in the implementation of this program." L&T Infotech was ranked by NASSCOM as the sixth largest Indian IT services company in terms of export revenues and among the top 20 IT Business Process Management employers in India in 2015. Elkjp is the largest consumer electronics retailer in the Nordic countries, with over 500 stores across six countries and approx. 10.000 employees. The company is owned by British giant Dixons Carphone. (ANI-Businesswire India)
Three left wing extremists, including a Maoist Dala Commander of Galikonda Area Committee were reportedly killed in an exchange of fire between CPI (Maoist) cadres and AP Special Police forces in the forests at Marripakala area under Koyyuru police station limits in the Agency area of the district this evening. ASP (Operations), Visakha Rural, Babujee Attada said an exchange of fire ensued between the combing police forces and the Maoists around 6.15 pm near Marripakala area when the police personnel were undertaking combing operations in the area. As per the preliminary information, three Maoists were gunned down by the police forces and few other rebels escaped with injures. The cops have recovered an AK-57 rifle from the spot. However, the police forces are yet to establish the identity of the deceased rebels.UNI BSR CJ RSA 2345 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-715829.Xml
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will launch the facility through video conferencing from Rail Bhawan in New Delhi.

Last month, Wi-Fi service was launched at the Bhubaneswar station.

Designed to offer passengers the best internet experience, Wi-Fi will be available to any user who has a smart phone.

Under the 'Digital India initiative', the Railways is committed to provide better internet facilities to the passengers at 100 busiest stations by the end of this year. (ANI)
The BJP today alleged that the Left Front government in Tripura embezzled Rs 336 crore allocated for mid-day meal by showing higher number of students to the Ministry of Human Resource Development.Referring to a CAG report, BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb said the state government has siphoned off Rs 18.78 crore by showing higher number of students for the flagship programe."While the actual number of students was recorded 3.44 lakh, the government had shown 3.66 lakh for mid-day meal scheme from 2010-11 to 2014-16, which indicated that the government had taken money from the Centre for 7,864 more students than that of the actual number," he pointed out.The enrollment of students has increased to 72 per cent in private schools from 2010-11 to 2014-15 in Tripura but the admission in government schools showed a reverse statistics because of poor quality of the teachers, Mr Deb alleged."Three Inspectors of Schools have not drawn 4,71,233 MT rice in the last three years while 4,204 MT rice allocated for mid day scheme was not collected by 71 schools. During audit it was also found that 147 schools have collected Mid-Day meal rice only for two months. But there was no record where the remaining allocation of rice had gone," he mentioned.Citing the example of one of the elite school of Agartala Netaji Subhash Vidyaniketan, Mr Deb stated records show 420 students are taking benefit of Mid-Day meal but in reality only 90 students receive such benefit, which has been revealed by CAG besides, top ranking schools of the state like MTB Girls' School, Sishu Bihar School, Umakanta Academy and Bodhjung Boys' School.Apart from that in a few schools like MTB Girls' School where Rs 1.51 lakh was paid to a contractor to build a kitchen in the school, the money went to the HM's account. Similarly, Rs 1.41 lakh was paid to a contractor to make a kitchen at Bodhjung Boys' School in three installments but Tripura Housing Board had made a big size kitchen in the school premises long back.The detail report of corruption in mid-day meal scam in Tripura would be sent to Minister of Human Resource Development Smriti Irani seeking a proper inquiry into the irregularities and initiate action against the corruption, Mr Deb added.UNI BB AD PR RK1240 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-716164.Xml
Mr Reddy was arrested by the Thane Unit of the ACB on April 28, when he was offering a bribe of Rs. 25 lakh to a corporator of the VVMC for not pressing his ( Reddys ) complaint of misdeeds and corruptions.

He had offered a sum of Rs. 1 crore to the corporator who had complained about the misdeeds and corruption to various authorities.

Meanwhile, the ACB carried out searches of the residence of Mr Reddy during the intervening period and stated that they had recovered property worth Rs. 2,93,94,775 owned by him and his family members.

The property include, Rs;. 53.63 lakh worth flats, cash, car etc etc from Vasai. In addition to this searches were also carried out in Hyderabad where the ACB officials located property worth around Rs. 1,46 crores which include, land., flats, ornaments., 11 flats, and also cash of whooping Rs. 92 lakhs. In addition to this from his locker the officials located ornaments and cash worth Rs. 92.70 lakh the officials told the court.

Thane District Judge V V Bambarde last evening granted Mr Reddy a bail of Rs. 15,000, as his remand got over.

The court has ordered Mr Reddy to be present in the office of the ACB every alternate day. UNI XR NV PR VN1243

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The Congress today raised an uproar in the Rajya Sabha on the CAG report on the GSPC scam, which pertains to granting of Rs 19,700 crore as loans by 15 nationalised banks to Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation for oil and gas exploration, demanding a discussion on it in the House. Raising the issue during the Zero hour, Mr Jairam Ramesh of the Congress said he had given a notice for discussion on the issue last week. The GSPC scam is based on the report of the Comptroller and Auditor general, which was quoted in the discussion on the AgustaWestland deal in the House yesterday. He sought to know the decision taken on his notice. Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said, ''The Government had said on the floor of the House that it will accept the decision of the Chairman in this regard. I request that the discussion on the issue be held at the earliest.'' Mr Ramesh said that he wanted a categorical assurance that the House would discuss the issue before being adjourned sine die.Responding to the demand, Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, ''The Leader of the House Arun Jaitley had earlier made the Government's stand clear that since the issue concerns a state, it cannot be discussed in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha,''Mr Naqvi said. Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said that the Government had earlier said that the issue could not be raised in the House.''However, the Leader of the House said that if the Chairman agrees to the notice for a debate, he was agreeable to it,'' Dr Kurien said. Supporting the Congress' demand, Mr K C Tyagi of the JD(U) said that the Business Advisory Committee had decided that that there would be two short duration discussions- one on the AgustaWestland and other on the CAG report on the GSPC scam. How can be disregard the decision of the BAC.When the Congress Members insisted that they wanted to know when the discussion would be held, the Deputy Chairman said, ''I will convey your query to the Chairman.''UNI AR SB 1213 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-716243.Xml
All the three National Film award winners from Manipur were lauded by film organisations and civil organisations of the state.Employees' association of Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) said in a statement that it was a proud day as President Pranab Mukherjee honoured the Director of DIPR, Meghachandra Kongbam with the best critic award and the film directed by H Mapipaksana, Video Editor of DIPR with the best Manipur feature film award.The best film on social issue was also won by the film auto driver directed by Meena Longjam from Manipur.Kongbam is the third person to receive the Swarna Kamal, the highest award from Manipur.Earlier, Manipur got two Swarna Kamals- Filmmaker Haobam Paban Kumar's AFSPA 1958 for Best Non-Feature Film in 2008 and R K Bidur as Best Film Critic Award sharing with the Assamese Film Critic Altaf Majid in 2008.Manipur has so far received 15 Rajat Kamals from 13 Manipuri feature films and 17 from 16 non-feature films.Kongbam said, "A gold medal is very important for Manipuri Cinema to prove its vibrancy in Indian Cinema and also to boost up the atmosphere of cinema here." He received it for writing in his mother tongue Manipuri, which has its own script and is rich in ancient and modern literatures. The jury refers to the writings of Meghachandra as the 'Ideal Film Whisperer in Manipur'. Meghachandra felt that "the jury offered him the prestigious award in the honour of P K Nair, who died recently and who dedicated his life for building up the National Film Archive and for spreading good film culture throughout the country." He added this year it is tiding good for Manipuri cinema as for the first time awards were given in all three categories- Feature film, Non-feature film and Best writing on Cinema. Founder member and former President of the Cine Artistes and Technicians Association, Manipur, founder member of Manipur Film Journalists and Critics Association, Meghachandra is a crafty writer who mixes up his skills in journalism, arts, film, drama and literature in writing film reviews and other issues.He drafted the Manipur Film Policy on behalf of the Government of Manipur.The key to the success was use of simple language with entertaining elements to communicate his writing on cinema to all sections of readers.Reflecting his idea on Manipuri cinema, he said it has shown its great potential in both national and international arena.It is the only established cinema of Tibeto-Burman languages in India. It needs a proper guidance and patronage from the government besides a comprehensive State film policy, he said. He said many promising film makers are coming up for the cause of Manipuri cinema. He hoped when Manipuri cinema will celebrate its golden jubilee in 2022, the things will be better and will fulfil the need and aspirations of cinema lovers and audience.He said, "Without a good film environment, it will be difficult to survive as film critics vibrantly. Film critics are followers of films. They are catalytic agents to promote the film. Hence there is need to produce more good films to produce more film critics in Manipur.""Film makers and film critics are to go together to accelerate the movement of healthy cinema," he added.UNI NS AD PR VN1311 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0138-716300.Xml
The Opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu today submitted a petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a probe by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the black money to the tune of more than Rs 15,000 crores kept in various foreign banks allegedly by P Anbunathan, a realtor in Karur, who was said to have close links with some AIADMK Ministers. On behalf of the DMK, Party Press Relation Secretary and former Member of Parliament T K S Elangovan and Rajya Sabha Member K P Ramalingam met Mr Modi at the Parliamentary House in New Delhi and presented the memorandum. The Prime Minister assured them that he would take necessary steps to investigate the matter. The memorandum, copies of which were released to the media here, also listed out the investments made by him in several states in the country and abroad. It also said, recently the Election Commission and Income Tax authorities, acting on a tip off, hadconducted raids and seized several crores of money amounting to more than Rs 500 crores and 20 counting machines from his godown. The DMK also alleged in the memorandum that Karur District Superintendent of Police Ms Vanitha Pandey, who was part of the raids, was threatened by persons with guns. ''As the matter involves not only evasion of Income tax, but also stacking of huge money in foreign countries and acquisition of properties abroad in violation of FEMA and RBI guidelines, a complaint has to be registered by the CBI and investigation has to be undertaken immediately. ''Under these circumstances, the Prime Minister was requested to direct the CBI, Directorate of Enforcement, Income Tax Department and Reserve Bank of India to act in tandem and to register the complaint against Anbunathan and take actionas per law'', it said. The copies of the letter, signed by Mr Elangovan,was also marked to Union Home and Finance Ministers, Secretaries of Departments of Revenue, Financial Services, Home, Directors of CBI, ED in New Delhi, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-Tax Chennai and the RBI Governor (Mumbai).UNI GV MVR 1502 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-716489.Xml
The last phase of West Bengal Assembly elections today continued to bring reports of violence and disturbances from various areas.Disturbances began before the starting of poll process where opposition polling agents were restricted to enter booth no 26 and 259 at Natabari assembly constituency in Cooch Behar district.Reports of rigging have come up from booth no 280 and 281 of Shitalkuchi also in Cooch Behar district. Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists have been accused of attacking Left supporters in the area. It is also said that identity card of CPI(M) polling agent has been snatched away.Multiple booths at Nandigram in East Medinipur district are lacking polling agents from opposition. According to Nandigram Trinamool Congress candidate Suvendu Adhikary peaceful voting prevails at Nandigram.Opposition at Ramnagar in East Medinipur district have complained of TMC activists threatening voters along with interference of outsiders at the polling booths.Five Trinamool Congress workers have been arrested by police.More than 300 complaints have been reported at the Election Commission till 0900 hrs.Polling for the sixth and final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections is underway is 25 constituencies with more than 45 per cent of the electorate casting votes in the first four hours since this morning.The office of the Chief Electoral Officer said the overall percentage of voting from 0700 hrs to 1100 hrs was 45.88 per cent. While East Medinipur district recorded 48.02 per cent polling, a turnout of 42.07 per cent was reported from Cooch Behar district.Security has been tightened across the two districts for polling. About 361 companies of central forces assisted by a contingent of 12,000 state police personnel have been deployed in the districts.Voting that started at 0700 hrs will continue till 1800 hrs.Counting of votes will take place on May 19.UNI BM AD ADG BL1534 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-716422.Xml
Police quoting the bank's staff and security guard said about about a dozen dacoits armed with pistols and knives entered the bank, over powered the customers and bank staff and looted the cash at gun point.

Sources said three dacoits entered the bank and then the others barged into the bank and in no time managed to loot the cash from the cash counter and also strong room.The dacoits after committing the crime fled in a vehicle.

Bank officials said the dacoits were speaking in Hindi and the security guard had stated that he had seen some of the dacoits visiting the bank in the last few days.

Police has sealed all the exit points and launched a combing operation to nab the dacoits. Police suspected that the miscreants might have come from neighbouring Jharkhand as they were speaking in Hindi. Detail investigation is on.UNI DP KK SW BD1648

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Alleging failure of constitutional machinery in Odisha, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) today decided to urge Governor S C Jamir to impose President Rule in the state as per the provision in the article 356 of the constitution. The Congress legislature party meeting held here inside the Assembly premises today also resolved to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who is allegedly involved in the chit fund scam. The CLP demanded immediate appointment of Lokayukta so that all allegations against the Chief Minister be enquired and appropriate action could be taken. Briefing reporters after the CLP meeting, leader of opposition Narasingha Mishra said article 356 of the Constitution of India should be invoked and President rule to be imposed if the Chief Minister does not resign from his post. He said the Congress legislators will meet the Governor and submit a memorandum to him on May 7 next urging him to impose the President Rule in the state. The leader of opposition alleged that at the behest of the Chief Minister, the ruling party MLAs were obstructing the business of the house as a result demand discussion could not be taken place and passed in the house. Mr Mishra said he was not allowed to speak in the house yesterday and today by the treasury bench members despite permission from the Speaker and the house could not transact any business. He said never in the parliamentary democracy, the leader of the opposition denied of his constitutional rights and all this happened at the behest of the Chief Minister who is swearing to uphold the constitution and law but not hesitate to violate the same. Mr Mishra said there has been grave allegations against the Chief Minister, his cabinet colleagues, MLAs, MPs and other BJD leaders for their involvement in the mega chit fund scam. While the Chief Minister has been branded as brand ambassador of the chit fund company involved in the scam some of the ministers, MPs, MLAs have received substantial cash or other materials benfits. Some of the BJD MLAs, MPs and former MLAs were arrested by the CBI in connection with the chit fund scam and now facing prosecution. He said, strong circumstantial, documentary and oral evidence exist about the involvement of these leaders in the chit fund scam.UNI BD-DP AKM SW AS1938 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-717302.Xml
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said the reported news item appeared on a section of media that Assam Government has not submitted Utilisation Certificates (UCs) with regard to the NEC funds is not based on facts. In fact, the state government has already completed several NEC projects and many are on the verge of completion. In a statement here, Mr Gogoi said his government up to 2015-16 has received Rs 402 crore against which utilisation certificates to the tune of Rs 341 crore has been submitted, which is 81 per cent of the total fund released to Assam. The NEC released another amount of Rs 27 crore towards last quarter of 2015-16 for which utilisation certificates will be submitted in due course. The Chief Minister also informed that sanctioning of projects by the NEC however is not commensurate with the total allocation made to the government of Assam. Making the matter simple, Gogoi said during 2014-15, centre allocated an amount of Rs 312.39 crore as NEC projects for Assam. Accordingly the state government has submitted project proposals for 47 projects with total cost involvement of Rs 263.36 crore. NEC however, has approved only five projects with financial involvement of Rs 20.93 crore towards the end of financial year and released only Rs 46.73 crore for both ongoing and new projects. Likewise during 2015-16, the government of India allocated Rs 312.39 crore for NEC projects. Setting aside a portion of this fund for on going projects, the state government has submitted 34 project proposals with total financial involvement Rs 250.87 crore. However, NEC approved only two new projects for Rs 26.24 crore and released only Rs 27.91 crore against the allocated amount for the year 2015-16. Mr Gogoi said in view of the widening gap between fund allocation and actual fund released by the centre for NEC projects in Assam only reveals the indifferent attitude of the Modi led dispensation towards Assam and hampering the progress of the state. Moreover, the issue of non-submission of UCs by Assam is yet another attempt of the centre to hoodwink the people of the state of their rightful claim, Gogoi added. UNI SG AKM SW AN1959 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-717340.Xml
The CM, who called on the Home Minister in Delhi yesterday, discussed the situation in Tawang and on security related issues in the state. He informed that the situation in Tawang was being constantly monitored, after Monday's firing incident that left two dead and scores other injured, according to an official statement today.

He informed that on the basis of the outcome of a peace committee meeting held recently, the situation is normalising.

He appealed for additional companies of SSB and ITBP in Tawang and Bomdila and also additional CRPF companies for Kanubari bye-election.

To accelerate trained manpower to take on insurgents in the area, the Chief Minister appealed for a counter insurgency operations school for North East region at Arunachal Pradesh, which would enhance field based training, calibrated response.

The institute would become the centre for research and development relating to insurgencies in NE and will provide a road map for holistic strategy for the government of India.

For effective border management with air support along the Indo-Myanmar border, the CM asked for replacement of Assam Rifle with BSF.

He also requested for border fencing on the pattern of Indo-Pakistan border for impregnable border management, thereby, deterring the insurgents free access to insurgency affected districts of Tirap and Changlang.

As welfare measure for state police forces, the CM appealed for a central police canteen for Arunachal Pradesh police, for which the centre agreed to work out a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP).

Further on request from the Chief Minister, the union minister agreed to enhance the BADP allocation for the state and assured centre's wholehearted support on state's development, it added. UNI PB AKM RSA AS2140

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Police said here that OC Mr Singh had gone to Nasriganj branch of State Bank of India for security supervision when two youths misbehaved with him in bank premises. Both were arrested and sent to jail in this connection.

Those arrested were identified as- Vivek Singh and Manoj Singh, police stated. UNI XC-KKS AKM RSA AN2134

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Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sanction Rs 12,000 crore for reconstruction of the disaster stricken state affected by the recent natural calamities. The Chief Minister, who met the Prime Minister in Delhi today, appreciated the PM on the flood situation said the disaster that struck the state was of unexpected proportions triggered by the unprecedented and torrential pre-monsoon rains, an official release informed here. He informed that several districts including Tawang have been severely affected, with 21 persons having lost their lives. Basic infrastructure, which had been created with great difficulty in harsh terrains and in far-flung areas has been completely devastated, said the chief minister. Also landslides, fissures and massive landslips triggered by the high intensity and consistent rains have resulted in even basic amenities like drinking water, electricity, telecom in the state to be non-functional. Whatever resources were allocated to the state under the NDRF and the SDRF through the years are utilized for providing immediate relief to the people and crucially, no major restoration work could be taken up in all these years, informed the CM. As a result, there has been a build up of the damage to assets of the state, where roads, buildings, electricity transmission lines, health centres and schools are being subject to repeated damages every year, weakening their foundations, he said. The Chief Minister said the challenge today was not only of an immediate mitigation of the hardships caused by these disasters, but more critically of a long term strategy that would help communities and the government in creating infrastructure that is disaster resilient and can help them better absorb the impact of these natural disasters. Thanking the Prime Minister for sending a central team to assess the flood damage in Tawang, he informed that Rs 12,000 crore reconstruction package for the state would help assuage difficulties faced in all the severely affected districts of Anjaw, Kurung Kumey, Changlang and Tirap as also in every district where minor damages have been caused. On Chakma and Hajong refugee issue, the Centre agreed to file a separate curative petition in the Supreme Court in respect to their permanent settlement in the state. This was made on appeal from the Chief Minister who informed that state government would also file curative petition shortly. Apprising on Tawang firing incident, the chief minister said the situation was under control and is being monitored closely. The Prime Minister assured all central support to the state in reconstruction activities and to mitigate flood induced disasters. As immediate relief, the centre released Rs 66 crore as flood assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the state. UNI PB BM RSA AN2250 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-717381.Xml
The festive atmosphere of the Simhasth Kumbh Mahaparv Mela, underway in this ancient temple town, was spoilt this evening as seven persons including three women and a monk died and in excess of three dozen were injured due to lightning besides collapse of trees and numerous pandals caused by squalls, dust-storms and a downpour. State Transport Minister and Simhasth In-charge Bhoopendra Singh confirmed the toll. Police said that six of the fatalities were on account of pandals falling at Mangalnath and Chintaman areas. Bootibai (60), fatally struck by lightning during the Panchkroshi Yatra, hailed from neighbouring Indore District's Dirada village. Those hurt were admitted at the District Hospital and two other hospitals. Agdabai, a resident of Dhar District's Nawasotkona village, was killed when a pandal collapsed at Chintaman. The deceased sadhu was identified as Prahlad Bhagirath (60) who hailed from neighbouring Dhar District's Amarpura area. He and another man died in a pandal collapse at Mangalnath. Similar was the case of Home Guard Constable Govinda from Vidisha, Roomal Kaul (60) from Faridabad and Bagdiram (55) from Dhar District's Kasaura area. "Four persons were severely injured. Others are being discharged from the District Hospital," Collector Kavindra Kiyawat said. The downpour lasted approximately an hour and Mangalnath was worst affected. The victims were rushed to the District Hospital in ambulances and other vehicles. Precipitation of about 2 cm was recorded. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 to every grievously-hurt person and Rs 25,000 to other victims. Congress state President Arun Yadav demanded ex gratia of Rs 15 lakh each.UNI Team-AC RSA AN231`2 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-717804.Xml
Thousands of Egyptian journalists called for the presidency to dismiss the interior minister and apologise for a police raid on the press syndicate and arrest of two opposition reporters, witnesses said.Defying a heavy police presence outside their union, around 3,000 journalists attended an emergency meeting to protest against the arrest on Sunday of Mahmoud El Sakka and Amr Badr who work for the opposition website Bawabet Yanayer.The arrests came as authorities try to quell rising dissent against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Hundreds of officers were deployed in central Cairo after protests last month against his decision to hand two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.Thousands of demonstrators called on April 15 for "the downfall of the regime", a slogan from the 2011 Arab uprisings. Police dispersed smaller protests two weeks later.Union officials yesterday said the police action at the syndicate was the first raid on the organisation in its 75-year history."We demand the presidency deliver a clear apology to journalists over the crime of raiding the syndicate," said syndicate official Karem Mahmoud, reading out the meeting's decisions."We demand the sacking of the interior minister as he is the main (person) responsible for the crisis," he said.A spokesman for the presidency was not available for comment when Reuters called his mobile phone. Sakka and Badr, who are in jail, could not be reached for comment and Reuters could not determine whether they had lawyers.A spokesman for the interior ministry could not immediately reached for response to Wednesday's demonstration.Chanting "journalism is not a crime," the reporters voted to call on newspapers to print blank front pages and stop using Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar's name.They also decided to hold a meeting next week to discuss organising a strike if their demands were not met, union officials said.On Monday, the public prosecutor said Sakka and Badr were being investigated for "spreading news based on lies" and possession of firearms among other accusations. The interior ministry has denied its officers had stormed the union building but confirmed it had arrested the two inside the building.The prosecutor's office issued a gag order on Tuesday on the case of the two journalists and the circumstances of their arrest. Syndicate officials said on Wednesday they would challenge it in court.Dozens of pro-government demonstrators gathered outside the syndicate in downtown Cairo chanting calling for Sisi to "slaughter" the journalists as they entered and exited the building, according to a Reuters eyewitness.The journalists' protests come at a time the former general also faces criticism because of the struggling economy and many question whether he continues to enjoy the broad public support that allowed him to round up thousands of opponents after he seized power in 2013. REUTERS JW PR0443 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-715927.Xml
Turkish artillery fired into Islamic State-held territory in Syria today, killing four militants, in retaliation for cross-border rockets that wounded three Turks, security sources and media said.Two rockets fired by Islamic State from Syria landed in a residential area of the town of Kilis earlier in the day, its mayor, Hasan Kara, said. One person was slightly wounded.Kilis, which stands on the Syrian border in southern Turkey, has been repeatedly targeted by Islamic State barrages which have killed 19 people since the start of the year.The Turkish armed forces fired howitzers at two targets on the Syrian side, Dogan News Agency said, citing the military.NATO member Turkey, which is part of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State, has routinely returned fire, destroying gun positions and killing 370 jihadists, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.REUTERS AKC RAI1446 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-716439.Xml
Why we are having this SME Conference

There is ample evidence to show that the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a key driver of innovation and productivity, even in economies where other sources of productivity gains produce lower returns or have dried up.

A 2001 working paper by Jalava and Pohjola entitled Economic Growth in the New Economy found that ICTs enhance a countrys economic growth in three basic ways:

 Directly through the production

of ICT goods and services

 Indirectly through the use of ICT

in the production of other goods

and services,

 The increasing application of

ICTs leads to rising productivity

 The view is no different today.

ICTs can help transform societies

by improving access to services,

enhancing connectivity, and

creating employment

opportunities through

entrepreneurship and new

business models.

The World Economic Forum, realising this transformative impact created the Global Information Technology Report (GITR) in 2001, and the Network Readiness Index (NRI) to help measure and rank the performance of participating countries in the use of ICTs.

Trinidad and Tobago, in the 2015 release of the GITR, ranked 70th out of 143 countries.

The reason for this can largely be seen by our ranking of 89th in the Environment sub-index, which is a measure of the extent to which the market conditions and regulatory framework support entrepreneurship, innovation, and ICT development. The Government clearly has its part to play.

But what is notable is that while our ranking on individual usage of ICT is 58th, our business usage ranking is 86th. And our ranking for the Economic Impact of ICTs - a measure of the effect of ICTs on the economy through technological and non-technological innovations - is 84th. This means that the private sector and business community are not doing their part either.

We at the T&T Chamber believe that greater investments into ICTs by businesses can help them to grow even in these turbulent times. Small and Medium Businesses, being more nimble and able to make faster decisions are well-poised to make the most out of ICT investments.

In this vein, the NOVA Committee of the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce has set the theme for its 2016 biennial SME Conference to be held on May 23-24, 2016 Smarter Technology; Better Business.

This two-day conference will be focused on giving SMEs the tools necessary to use technology to build better businesses. There will be a keynote address and panel discussions, but the main part of the conference is the workshops which are meant to provide participants with concrete ideas that they can implement into their business from the very next day.

To find out more or our Facebook page for the conference, please visit the website www.novasme.com, or call 637-6966 ext 1286 or 1252.

We look forward to seeing you there, as the T&T Chamber continues its efforts in helping the important SME sector to expand.
Foreign Account Tax Compliant Act (FATCA)

Facilitating cross border trade

This newspaper on December 11, 2014 ran an article entitled Is Trinidad and Tobago Ready for the Foreign Account Tax Compliant Act (FATCA)  a piece of legislation in the United States which seeks to ensure compliance by US taxpayers who may be resident in foreign counties like ours? The charge could be made, if such a person or entity is not filing its returns, Trinidad and Tobago could be seen to be harbouring delinquents. Our article was followed up on December 25 that same year with another submission headlines, Is Trinidad and Tobago ready for FATCA? Part II, Risks of non-compliance. The question that arises in May 2016 is where are we now?

Based on a media release from the Ministry of Finance a little over a year ago, it was stated that The Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. Treasury recently reached an accord in substance on the terms of an Inter-governmental Agreement (IGA). Under this agreement, foreign financial institutions report the relevant information to the government which would then relay the information to the Inland Revenue Service (IRS). Is this announcement of value?

To answer that question an IRS Announcement 2014-38, indicated that a jurisdiction with an agreement in substance will retain its status as long as it demonstrates a firm resolution to sign the IGA as soon as possible. On a monthly basis, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) will review each jurisdiction with an agreement in substance in order to determine whether it should continue to be treated as having an IGA in effect or to be removed from the list of countries published by Treasury and the IRS as having an agreement in substance.

The US Treasury will assess jurisdictions using several factors, particularly, the responsiveness of a jurisdiction to communications from the U.S. related to the IGA and whether there are any concerns regarding the jurisdictions ability to sign or bring into force the text that was agreed to in substance. If the IRS determines that the agreement in substance is not being honored, the jurisdiction will be removed from the list.

When a jurisdiction is removed from the list, Foreign Financial Institutions (FFIs) resident in or organized under the laws of that jurisdiction as well as branches located therein are, from the first day of the month following the month of removal of the jurisdiction, no longer entitled to the status provided under the IGA.

In September 2015, the US Treasury Department announced that the FATCA deadline has been put back until 30 September 2016 and applies to all jurisdictions that have signed a Model 1 IGA to implement FACTA.

FFIs are still obliged to report their US clients to their domestic tax bodies. The reason for the deferral is that many of the 112 jurisdictions that have either signed a Model 1 IGA, or are accepted by the US as having done so in principle, are not yet ready to begin reporting.

Several of them have not even enacted the legislation to implement their IGAs, without which they are legally unable to exchange tax information with the US.

FFIs that continue to operate after December 31, 2016, in jurisdictions where they cannot comply with the terms of an FFI agreement due to local law, will jeopardize the Chapter Four status of participating FFIs and registered deemed-compliant FFIs (other than FFIs covered by an IGA) in the group. Branches that continue to operate after December 31, 2016, in jurisdictions where they cannot comply with the terms of an FFI agreement due to local law will jeopardize the participating FFI status of the FFI of which the branch is part (as well as jeopardize any branches of the FFI that have participating FFI status under the FFI agreement), subject to the terms of an applicable IGA.

Many partner jurisdictions that have signed IGAs or reached an agreement in substance on the text of an IGA continue to work through their internal procedures to bring the IGA into force. Pursuant to its authority under section 1471(b)(2)(B), and consistent with Announcement 2014-38, for Model 1, IGAs that have not yet entered into force on September 30, 2016, Treasury intends to continue to treat FFIs covered by the IGA as complying with, and not subject to withholding under FATCA, so long as the partner jurisdiction continues to demonstrate firm resolve to bring the IGA into force, and any information that would have been reportable under the IGA on September 30, 2015, is exchanged by September 30, 2016, together with any information that is reportable under the IGA on September 30, 2016. This does not affect the timing of when FFIs should report information to a partner jurisdiction, which remains governed by local law.

So then - Are we FATCA Compliant? Is the TT Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) ready to fulfill its role? What about enacting legislation to permit Trinidad and Tobago to participate in FATCA? What about our financial institutions, have they put in systems to operationalise FATCA? Is correspondent banking starting to be a problem? There are already some institutions in Trinidad and Tobago who have begun experiencing difficulties with correspondent banking which facilitates the movement of money for payments in other countries.

On what basis are we providing more info to financial institutions? Where is the authority? What about data protection and our constitutional rights? Where is the Central Bank activity to educate the public?

There are reports that individuals and businesses are being asked to fill out US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) forms in the absence of any legislation that legitimizes this. Certainly this has to be investigated, since among TT Government operatives, there is harsh reaction to any suggestion that the IRS - a US body - has meetings with officials here, much less we seem to be following orders. We need to pay attention to the deadlines to become FATCA-compliant, and stop pretending and procrastinating. FATCA represents one of those critical systems for facilitating smooth financing of cross border trade. We have to get with the programme now.
NIB promises on-time delivery of Riverwoods houses

The NIBs Executive Director, Niala Persad-Poliah, says this time that promise will be kept. On March 18, 2016, Persad-Poliah and other members of the NIB top brass held a meeting with most of the prospective homeowners to assure them that they would get their houses within the next year and that the units would be delivered in phases ending in April 2017. Persad-Poliah is confident this timeline can be met because the houses have already been built and only need to be refurbished because of the deterioration which would have set in because of the length of time they remained empty and shut up.

It is really about refurbishing the homes to ensure that they are in a state that we are satisfied with and that the homeowners can receive and be comfortable in, she said during a recent interview with BusinessDay to address the continuing widespread scepticism among the NIBs unhappy Riverwoods clientele. But we are convicted on our end that the timelines that we shared were comprehensively done.

We would have done a complete and detailed diagnostic of all the remaining 49 homes, we are clear in our minds and (have) documented what type of refurbishment is required, whether it might be to the ceiling or to the tiling or painting and, of course, the fact that we are doing it on a phased basis gives us the opportunity to deliver the homes in phases. She stressed that the prospective owners would not all get their houses in April 2017, it is a phased delivery. She said part of the NIBs commitment to keeping its promise is a new openess in communication: the board has created a dedicated hotline and email address to receive calls from the disappointed prospective homeowners and immediately answer any questions.

And emails and calls have been coming in and we have been treating with the prospective homeowners on a oneon- one basis. In addition to that, at the meeting they also formed a committee of homeowners, a smaller group that will be the liaison between themselves and the NIB. That is also working in terms of us chanelling the information to that committee and then to the homeowners and it is that smaller committee that we meet with in May.

When we meet with the homeowners again in May, we intend to speak to them specifically about the schedule for the phased delivery of the remaining houses. She said as an indication of the boards commitment to finishing the development, a Riverwoods Committee was created on the board and the NIB management reports to this committee, providing board oversight of the project.

One angry woul-be Riverwoods resident complained to BusinessDay that several years ago he was summoned to inspect his unit which, at the time, was finished except for a sink in the kitchen. He said he was tempted to take delivery of the unit then and there and install the sink himself and now regrets that he did not do so because he is still among those awaiting delivery of a house. Persad-Poliah acknowledged that by now there would, in all likelihood be need for more than just the kitchen sink, admitting that the fact that the homes would have been built so long ago and are now being delivered, naturally there would be things that the NIB would look at to ensure that we deliver the best home that we can, taking into account that we understand and appreciate that the wait has been quite a lengthy one and we really want to ensure that when we deliver the home that we deliver one that they can be comfortable in. Persad-Poliah said some of the amenities promised, such as a clubhouse, jogging tracks, a gym and a community swimming pool are being considered, adding that our focus at this time is the delivery of the homes.

We recognise the importance of home ownership and our focus right now is on getting those 49 homes completed and handed over. All the other amenities remain under consideration at this time but our focus is that of the home delivery. Reminded that the amenities were promised as part of the development, Persad-Poliah repeated that our focus remains just on completing the homes at this time. On another contentious question of townhouses which were supposed to have been built as part of the project, she said it would be a board decision whether the NIB goes ahead with this part of the development. She added that the feasibility study on the townhouses would have been done back in 2003 or 2004, so before we look at any other development of the townhouses we would have to redo a feasibility study and, of course, check in terms of the market to see the feasibility of the construction of the townhouses. So at this point I cannot say yes or no, I can only say that because of the fact that the focus is on the single family homes and in completing those, when those are completed, or perhaps even simultaneously, the board will relook to see what is the feasibility of constructing the townhouses. She admitted that construction costs had increased and this was one the concessions that the NIB had made to the homeowners. In appreciation of the fact that they had been waiting many years for their homes the NIB had decided to absorb whatever additional costs it had incurred on the project and would sell the houses at the price the board had originally offered at the start of the project and not at the market value of the houses today.

Acknowledging that its clients were not impressed by that concession, she said it was the best the board could do under the circumstances. Holding at 2003 or 2005 purchase price to 2016 is in itself a concession, she said. She added that the board had also made further concessions in recognising that with the passing of time, many persons who signed purchase agreements would not now be able to easily qualify for a mortgage, so we are also giving them the opportunity of bringing in someone as a co-mortgager to facilitate the mortgage process. She said the board had also extended the period for inspections of the units to 90 days as well as granted an extension from thirty days to ninety days of the period for buyers to complete the sale. So there are some concessions the NIB has put on the table in recognition of the inconvenience and the delay and we remain convinced that we can complete this project within the timelines that we have promised. Responding to complaints that despite its latest assurances no work had started on the site up to the middle of April, Persad-Poliah said pre-mobilisation, pre-construction work is taking place and Riverwoods would not become an active construction site within the next six weeks because of the preliminary work that is required which is taking place off-site. She said the actual refurbishment work might begin on the site in June with the work being managed by W.S.P Caribbean Limited, a company with a solid track record. According to Persad-Poliah, the company has been associated with the NIB and is currently the project and construction manager on the boards new corporate headquarters which is being built at Queens Park East in Port of Spain.

Its experience on the Riverwoods Housing Development has not discouraged the NIB from undertaking further housing projects. Indeed, Persad-Poliah said the construction of Riverwoods was quite challenging so that we would have encountered many challenges with Riverwoods, one of which would have been project management issues. At this time, we have not decided whether there are any other projects that we are going to embark upon but real estate remains an opportunity in the market that we intend to consider. She admitted that the NIB has a bank of land, though she said I wouldnt call it a very large land bank but we have a bank of land. She admitted that the board has been looking at the acquisition of land in strategic areas, adding that real estate development is being undertaken to boost the sustainability of the NIBs fund to ensure that the board can meet its obligations to the population into the future.
What it means to T&T

Tyrone Tang, the acting Chief Executive officer (CEO) and Dionne Liguore, the Corporate Communications Manager would only say in a statement that the loss for 2015 was less than that of 2014. However, she gave the assurance that the airlines losses would not be as much as 2014s U.S.$60 million. The matter was supposed to be brought up in Parliament some time ago, but it was not and no reason was given for the continued postponement of discussion on the issue.

On the heels of that silence came the news that two senior managers, George Releeder, the companys Vice President Commercial and Customer Service and Gregory Spicer, Vice President Programme and Strategy had left the company. Redleeder came on board in August 2014, a few months after Michael Di Lollo was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Spicer joined the management team in October last year. No reasons were given for their departures except for newspaper reports that they had moved on although sources at Piarco said their resignations followed an ongoing transformation and rebranding exercise at the airline.

Because of these occurrences, Business Day wanted to find out exactly where CAL fitted into the scheme of things and asked former executive, Nelson Tom Yew, what he thought about the nine-year-old airline. He said the airline was the same oldsame old  a drain on the taxpayer. CAL is foundering in its ninth year, misunderstood by many, deemed unnecessary by a few, but not dead  not yet. In 2015 the airline should have been building on the superstructure on which the airline was launched in 2007.

He said that instead of doing this the airline is trying to be a big carrier. In 2014 the airline is forecast to lose some U.S. $60 million. But its three-year reportedly, does not detail specific results, good or bad. If true this compounds an already untenable situation. Any plan which cannot predict definitive results, positive or negative, during and at the end of its term, is in fact not a plan.

It is really a manifestation of the absence of integrity, imagination and enterprise on the part of its authors. Such a document becomes an exercise shrouded in smoke and mirrors in an effort to stymie and deflect accountability, he said.

It is, in fact, business speak meant to condition minds to accept whatever results are realised sometime, somehow and somewhere over this rainbow. Further, it is also reported that the government would have provided CAL with an estimated TT$1.8 billion during the period 2013- 2015. Tom Yew said the carrier would founder in red ink for at least the next three years and would not reach a level of sustainability during that timeframe.

He said, This raises the question, given the current and future financial and economic uncertainty, as to whether we could be in a crisis of affordability. We need to tackle squarely the fact that we may be becoming used to owning airlines that increasingly cost more than we can afford. Jamaica did.

After seven months and the new PNM government has not said a word about CAL and in the absence of a single statement to indicate whether CALs raison detre has changed, it would appear that the airline has fallen prey to the law of unintended consequences and has morphed into a legacy carrier.

Another former employee said, The first noticeable change at Caribbean Airlines is the huge difference in culture when compared to the former BWIA. Caribbean Airlines people seem to have neither interest in the airline nor pride in their jobs. I suppose contract employment is a function of present day economics, but you are never going to get optimum performance from a person who has no job security.

He pointed out that Jet Blue, todays low cost carrier operating in the region started operations with less money than CAL. Compare the two today and what do you see? The former traffic employee said the politicians cannot decide whether or not they want an airline, so no informed decisions are being made on fleet acquisition or replacement of aircraft.
Dillon: 200 in witness protection

The programme is run under the Justice Protection Act 2000, Dillon said.

Refuting Solomons claim that the State was failing to protect State witnesses, Dillon said that since 2003 no one in the programme has come to any harm, once they followed its rules. He revealed he was head of the Teteron Barracks when the State witness against the Dole Chadee gang, Clint Huggins, was murdered in 1996. Dillon said Huggins had been safe while at the barracks, but had put himself at risk  and met his demise  when he had recklessly left to go to lime.

The retired brigadier said the State spends quite a lot of money of the programme to protect participants and their dependants. However he noted there is no question of any payment to try to induce, reward or bribe a person to enter the programme, but that rather a State witness must make such a decision on a voluntary basis. He vowed to continue the programme and to protect these witnesses.
Pilot robbed at Westmoorings home

One of the men pointed a gun at Seebarack and ordered him to hand over jewelry valued at $70, 000, as well as a Playstation valued $3,000 and a 55-inch Samsung television valued $10,000 as well as other items.

The men then ordered Seebarack to hand over the keys to his Nissan Xtrail valued at $275,000. They then placed all the items in the Xtrail and sped off.

Seebarack made a report to the Four Roads Police Station and the stolen vehicle was recovered during the early hours of yesterday morning minus the stolen items. Officers of the fingerprint division carried out a check for prints and investigations are continuing.
Prosecution winding down its case

Trimmingham said the first time he saw the womans face, she was lying down on the pool table, looking dead. He said it was the same woman who was kidnapped from Chaguanas, as he saw her photograph in the newspaper days before. Trimmingham also identified the person who used an electric saw to cut up the womans body while on the pool table.

Peterson said the crucial evidence of Trimmingham, which was given on May 12, 2007, was done because he (the accused) did not want to be held responsible for Naipaul-Coolmans death and take a murder charge for anyone.

The trial continues today.
WIFE vs WIFE

For while it may cause hurt for both families, the courts function is merely to be fair to all involved. This was the ruling handed down yesterday by a judge as he ordered the wife of a man whom she lived with until his death in 2009, to surrender property valued over $600,000, to another woman whom the man also lived with, in a common-law relationship, up to his demise.

Capildeo Ragbir, 62, lived with two women and maintained two families in South Trinidad.

After he died in 2009, the wife and common- law wife, faced off in a court battle over a house and parcel of land. Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh heard a lawsuit filed by common- law wife Tara Ramlochan, 58, who lives in a house in Churkoo Village, Ste Madeleine, which she filed against Ramdai Ragbir, 59, who lives 15 miles away, in Rousillac Village.

Ruling in favour of Ramlochan, Justice Boodoosingh ordered the deceased husbands company to convey said house and land to Ramlochan and her two children. Justice Boodoosinghs ruling, senior attorneys said yesterday, reinforces the rights of common-law wives, with the judge having stated in a written ruling that while Capildeo Ragbir built a house for Ramdai and their three children in Rousillac, he also had a common-law wife with whom he fathered two children, and maintained a relationship for 19 years.

Justice Boodoosingh stated, Some amount of deception invariably follows when a man is engaged in maintaining two separate families. The court battle began with Ramlochan, who was legally married to a man named Ramish Ramlochan, but although that relationship ended, she never divorced him. In 1990, she began a relationship with Ragbir, although he was married and living with Ramdai since 1974, in Rousillac.

Boodoosingh said Ragbir was a contractor who built a house in Rousillac for his wife and their children.

He also maintained a household with Ramlochan in Ste Madeleine.

He performed Hindu ceremonies with Ramlochan and their two children. Boodoosingh stated, In effect, he had two families. He would spend time between both households. In 2006, Ragbir purchased 6,000 square feet of land in Churkoo Village through his contracting company, for Ramlochan and their children. A house was constructed and she opened a roti shop on the property. Ragbir put shares of his company in his wifes name and named one of their children as company secretary.

The property is still on a bank mortgage, installments on which the company is legally liable to pay. But the law firm Roopnarine and Company which represented Ramlochan, submitted to Justice Boodoosingh that Ragbir and Ramlochan paid installments from their own pockets.

The judge upheld the argument that although Ragbirs company, now under management of Ramdais daughter, initially paid $50,000 as down payment for the land, there was never an intention that it should form part of the companys assets.

Ragbir died of kidney failure 2009. Ramlochan stated she alone continued to pay the loan from roti sales. The land could not be transferred to Ramlochan as it was in the name of the company. Mrs Ragbir contended that the company felt obliged to execute the mortgage on the land and acquire it. The judge ruled that based on the evidence, it was clear Ragbir wanted to provide a home for Ramlochan and their children.

Some amount of deception invariably follows when a man is engaged in maintaining two separate families.

This was how Ragbir conducted his affairs.

He kept his families separate. It is clear he operated two households and maintained two families. The relationship between the claimant (Ramlochan) and her children was a long-standing one.

There was nothing fleeting about it. It is entirely plausible that, just as he provided for his wife and other children a home, that his intention was equally to provide his other family with a home. In his last days, he settled into that home with his second family, the judge said.

Justice Boodoosingh ordered Ramlochan to pay off any remaining mortgage on the property.

She is to pay Mrs Ragbir the $50,000 deposited for the land.

The judge ordered that the company convey the land to Ramlochans two children. He further stated that in the event that the land is not conveyed to Ramlochans children in 30 days, the Registrar of the Court would be authorised to do it.
Woman stabbed to death

She told relatives that her attacker ran away after stabbing her once. Goora was rushed to the Sangre Grande Hospital where she died while being treated by Dr Lakai. Officers of the Sangre Grande Police Station were alerted and a party of officers led by Inspector (Crime) Ken Lutchman and including Cpl Randolph Castillo, PCs Stephen Samuel, Amit Bucket Samuel and WPC Linton visited the hospital.
Man killed in accident

Police reports are that at about 8.30 am, Rampersad was driving a silver Nissan Almera on the southbound lane when he crossed the grass median and crashed headon with a (Maersk) trailer truck on the north-bound lane. On impact, the car spun several times before it came to a halt in the grassy median between both lanes.

The trailer truck landed on the grass median at the roadside and the driver escaped. The accident occurred in Chase Village, a short distance away from the Chaguanas flyover. Rampersad was rushed via ambulance to the Chaguanas Health Facility where he later succumbed to his injuries. Cpl Kubir Garcia is continuing investigations.
NPTA to parents: Dont stress your children

Ramatali congratulated the children, teachers and parents for assisting them in achieving this milestone.

She said it was just the beginning of their career and it will only place you in a school or education institution for you to continue your life long learning. So I want you to bloom wherever you are planted.

Dont believe or think any school is bad school. Every school is a good school, she said.

She urged parents to drop off the children and return to their jobs or to go home but do not hang around the schools and passing on that nervousness to the children.

She also urged them to never let go of their children but to continue with them and join the PTA for their new schools. Education does not stop at SE A, she stressed.

Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association President Davanand Sinanan in his remarks reminded students that it is not the only exam they are going to write and not the most important.

He commended and congratulated teachers for going above and beyond duty despite numerous challenges and CAC (Continuous Assessment Component) notwithstanding. I thank them for their tireless efforts in the classrooms, he added.

Chief Education Officer Harrilal Seecharan in his comments said that very often the stress is from parents and not the child, and parents should not contribute to the stress. He advised them to bring the children for 8.30 am.
Ex-CJ: Give them bail instead

Instead, the former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice made a proposal of his own: give these prisoners bail pending the determination of their cases.

I agree entirely with the basic thrust of what the archbishop is petitioning for, which is to bring to an end the imprisonment of people who have already been in prison for too long having regard to the offences with which they are charged, de la Bastide told Newsday. That is evidently desirable.

It is what justice and fairness requires, it is not a matter of favour or grace. It is said that in some cases the time on remand exceeds the maximum jail time. If that is the situation then that person should be freed forthwith. However, de la Bastide said a pardon would have consequences.

Freed is one thing, pardoned is another, he said. It removes any possibility of any conviction being recorded. There is also the point of the impact on the victim, if there is one. There is a psychological aspect of the victim being victimised a second time by seeing the alleged perpetrator go scot-free. The former Chief Justice also said a pardon might make victims ineligible for compensation.

Apart from that, there is a practical aspect that the law sometimes provides that if the person were convicted he might be ordered to pay compensation to the victim, de la Bastide said.

Also, the victim might have access to the fund used to pay people who are injured. That has to be considered. The pardon would have unwanted and undesirable effects. He proposed own bail as a solution to the problem.

The solution is to try the people without further delay, he said. But if that is not feasible then the matter should be called up and the accused should be given his own bail. This bail should not require security. Once paid, off he goes and then you can try him at your leisure. It does not mean he pines away in jail. De la Bastide also said there was a third alternative. The other possibility is for the DPP to take over the prosecution and discontinue it as he has the power to do, the eminent jurist said.

But again, the effect of this suffers from the same defect of the granting of a pardon. I think out of the three, giving the man bail and letting him out is probably the best option. Well-intentioned as it is, I dont think that pardon is the best option. Give the prisoner bail. If he absconds then it is the fault of the State for having not done things sooner.
De la Bastide: There is a right to privacy

The former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) said Section 4 of the Constitution lists several fundamental rights.

Among them is, the right of the individual to respect for his private and family life. I think the effect of that provision is to provide for a right to privacy, de la Bastide told Newsday.

The Constitution does provide for a right to privacy the question is how is that defined. What are its limits? How does it reconcile with the right to freedom of expression? Obviously there has to be some balance. The jurists comments came one day after Attorney General Faris Al Rawi told the Senate that there was no enshrined right to privacy per se and that the courts have held so in several rulings. Al Rawi said so as he piloted legislation to widen the powers of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA), saying the legislation did not require a special majority.

The former Chief Justice said strictly speaking there is no mention of the right to privacy, but the provisions clearly have the intention of formulating such a right.

Respect for private life looks very much like respect for privacy and that is hardly distinguishable from the right to privacy, the former Chief Justice said. All the rights stated demand respect. The question is what is the scope of that right. De la Bastide further stated, I have not read the reasoning of those who have held that there is no right to privacy. But I dont think that, even on a strict construction of the words of the Constitution, that we can come to another conclusion.

It matters not that the right is couched in terms of respect for. He said those words may have been inserted for reasons of language.

If you dont put in respect for it becomes a bit awkward. I dont think that putting in respect for takes away from the impact of the provision, the former Chief Justice said.

De la Bastide was a member of the Wooding Commission which in 1974 produced a report. That document alludes to a right to privacy, including one passage which discusses the complexity of rights.

The right of privacy, the right to freedom of thought and expression, the right to freedom of conscience and belief, the right to practise ones profession - defining precise areas of limitation is more difficult because circumstances are infinite and the law is still in the process of development, the report states.
Seetahal remembered at Woodford Square

Seetahal was killed while driving her Volkswagen SUV along Hamilton Holder Street in Woodbrook.

She had just left the popular Ma Pau Casino on Ariapita Avenue.

Eleven people, including former LifeSport coordinator Rajaee Ali and his two brothers, have been charged with the May 4, 2014 murder of the State Prosecutor and former Independent Senator. Family members, friends and members of the public assembled yesterday at Woodford Square, Port of Spain to remember Seetahal.

A portrait of Seetahal was mounted along with a book to be signed.
Media want consultation on SSA Bill

Clancy was the guest speaker at the annual dinner and awards ceremony of the Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) held at the Jaffa Restaurant, Queens Park Oval on Tuesday evening. The event coincided with the celebration of World Press Freedom Day by the local media, and heard calls from the bodys President, Darren Lee Sing, to the government to consult with the industry on the Strategic Services Agency Amendment (SSA) bill before its passage in Parliament.

Clancy, well known for his coverage of the war zones in the Middle East for CNN, asked his audience of media executives and working journalists whether their coverage always had to be political.

I am not saying not to cover politics. You have to cover politics, Clancy said, encouraging journalists to leave some room for other issues, such as the environment, global warming and development goals.

Zeroing in on the celebration of World Press Freedom Day which also saw the TTPBA hosting a seminar for journalists earlier Tuesday at which he was a lead presenter, Clancy spoke about the many journalists worldwide who have died in pursuit of their profession.

He cited in particular two colleagues: Mick Deane, a US cameraman who worked with Sky News covering the violent unrest in Egypt and died from a government snipers bullet in 2013 in Cairo, and UK Sunday Times reporter, Marie Colvin, who was killed in 2012 while covering the siege of the city of Homs in Syria.

 Let you and I resolve to honour the journalists who sacrifice so much for this career, for this profession, Clancy told the local media professionals. Lets make sure we dont disgrace them. He suggested that these journalists may be honoured by the local media saying no to brown bags, no to housing deals, no to anonymous sources unwilling to let their reputation weather the scrutiny of their accusations, no to talking about the news instead of reporting it and no to bare political party activism as a pass for journalism. It isnt. Clancy advised local media professionals also to say no to laws that were not in the best interest of the profession, and he called for journalism that could not only inform but also inspire.

Earlier during the function, TTPBA President Darren Lee Sing noted the introduction of the SSA bill in the Parliament and called on the government to undertake consultations with local media before the passage of this piece of legislation. Lee Sing, while supporting the theoretical purpose of the bill, still felt the legislation could infringe press freedom in Trinidad and Tobago.

During the function, which was sponsored by Bmobile and First Citizens Bank (FCB), three awards were presented to media veterans for media excellence and their contribution to the profession.

Patrick Chokolingo, the godfather of weekly media in Trinidad and Tobago who also served at the Express, and the Bomb Newspaper, was honoured posthumously, while broadcasters, Reverend Margaret Elcock, and Anthony Chow Lin On were on hand to receive their awards.

Among guests at the function were Minister of Public Administration and Communication, Maxie Cuffie and United States Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, John Estrada.
Problems at overseas missions

Regarding the Foreign Affairs Ministrys appropriation account, the Auditor General noted a difference of $4,566,479.43 between the $373,151,591.05 stated on the account and a figure of $377,718,070.48 on the ministrys expenditure notification.

No inventor register was maintained at the high commission in New Delhi as required by Financial Regulation (Stores) 102 regarding furniture and fittings at the Chancery. Several other items were not properly tagged as State property in accordance with Financial Regulation (Stores) 55. The Register of Counterfoil Books at the TT Embassy in Costa Rica, necessary for internal control over receipts and payments, was not properly maintained.

At the high commission in London, the passport register, stock of emergency passports and cancelled passports were not produced for audit examination. The cheque register at the consulate general in Toronto was not maintained.

There was a lack of segregation of duties with respect to the collection of revenue, preparation of receipts and deposits and maintenance of all accounting records at the high commission in Ottawa. At the embassy in Brasilia, Brazil, the inventory register, vehicle register and vehicle log books were n ot maintained.

The Auditor General stated there was a rental of unoccupied property at Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain, by the Minister of Public Administration. There was a total rent of $5.3 million.

The Ministry of the Attorney General leased a building on Pembroke Street, Port-of-Spain, on June 6, 2012, at a monthly rental of $115,000. The building remained unoccupied until the time of the audit in March.

Amounts totalling $4.3 million were spent on the outfitting of the building and a total rental of $4.8 million was paid from inception up to September 2015.
No approval for contract hirings

The Auditor General also said inventory registers at two police stations were not properly maintained, in that pertinent information was either not recorded or recorded incorrectly.

Furniture and equipment were not tagged as government property as required by Financial Regulation (Stores) 55.

With respect to the issue of internal audits, the Auditor General indicated there was no evidence of internal audit checks on key accounting records examined.
Senator: Privacy is an illusion

Noting that many people had expressed concerns about the right to privacy as it pertains to the expanded powers being given to the SSA, Junkere said, I have nothing to hide. According to him, there are cases where people who speak about this right often unwittingly share private information with people who they should not. Displaying his smartphone to senators, Junkere said privacy would become secondary in cases where someones child is kidnapped.

He said were he in such a situation he would want to listen into every call and every frequency to ensure that everything is being done to bring his child home safely. Saying that crimes in TT do not occur in pools and puddles, Junkere added, Bad acts are like streams that flow into rivers, that flow into the sea. He supported the principle of expanding a tool like the SSA to gather intelligence on a wide range of crimes and said there was a connection between homicides and drug related crimes.

He warned that if steps are not taken to stem the tide of criminality in the country, we will end up with a tsunami of criminality, the likes of which we have never seen. However, Junkere acknowledged there are legitimate concerns about effective safeguards being implemented to ensure there would be no abuse of the SSAs expanded powers. He suggested specific timelines be set regarding the time which information is held by the SSA and there be a transparent public grievance procedure for anyone who feels their personal information has been misused.
Roach: 19 spy agencies in TT

Roach named most of the intelligence- gathering agencies: the Customs Enforcement and Operations Unit; Defence Force Intelligence Unit; Financial Intelligence Unit; Financial Intelligence Division of the Police Service; Integrated Threat Assessment Centre; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Caricom Affairs; National Coastal Radar Surveillance Centre; Anti- Kidnapping Unit; Crime and Gang Intelligence Unit; Criminal Investigation Division (CID); Homicide Bureau; Cyber Unit; Special Branch; Fraud Squad; Organised Crime, Narcotics, Firearms Bureau; Prison Service Intelligence Unit; Counter Trafficking Unit; and the Immigration Investigation Section.

He bemoaned a lack of synergy or information-sharing between all of these units. Roach said pandemic crime requires drastic measures, although adding that caution must be used so as not to trammel the liberty of citizens.

He said he was very willing to support the Bill, once the Government heeds the Oppositions concerns.
Carson Charles says $10B price tag fictitious

In a telephone interview yesterday, Charles, a civil engineer by profession, pointed out that the highways $7.5 billion costing had been worked out after discussions with local contractors to construct those segments of the highway which did not fall under the purview of Brazilian contractor, OAS.

We had always talked about local contractors, we had already worked out an agreement where OAS was to complete certain works by May of this year and local contractors would have been responsible for completing other works, Charles said.

Those were already worked out, local contractors had already been approached, they had already tendered, we had already negotiated prices and we had already received Board approval to award contracts to local contractors to do the work that OAS was not going to do, he said.

For example, a contractor had already been approved to do the contract for the La Brea section of the highway, the price was approved, agreed on, negotiated with and agreed on by the Board and all that was preventing starting the works in that area was because of no funds, because no funds were provided to NIDCO, it was not possible for those contracts to begin, he said.

Charles continued: My point being, I understand government is constrained with funds, I think the entire country understands that, but my point being we had already worked out the plan for what works should be completed by OAS and what works should be completed by local contractors, the prices were already set and agreed on. That is why we could say we could finish the highway on a budget because we had already negotiated the prices. So we knew what the cost would be to do all the works that OAS was not going to do, and that is why I am completely flabbergasted by the 10 billion dollar talk, Im sure its just politics, he added.

Asked where the government got that figure, Charles said: they invented the figure, it has no bearing to reality and is an invented figure. Asked whether NIDCO was holding performance bonds on the project, he said the company is holding substantial amounts of bonds from OAS. NIDCO is holding altogether almost 300 million dollars of advance payment bonds. That money to be returned to NIDCO. NIDCO is holding the bonds and when the contract comes to an end, that money is NIDCOs, he said
Himself to himself

The Joint Select Committee on National Security is headed by the Minister of Works and Transport, UNC Senator Wade Mark said at a media conference called to express concerns over legislation to widen the States powers of surveillance.

In no civilised, Commonwealth country do you have a Cabinet minister and member chairing a Joint Select Committee. Himself to himself. Mark raised the issue of the composition of the oversight committee in the context of concerns over the Strategic Service Agency (SSA) (Amendment) Bill 2016. Debate on this legislation is due to continue next week in the Senate.

Four Independent senators on Tuesday expressed concerns about the legislation or said they would not support it in its current form. At least one Independent Senator must vote for the bill.

Dr Dhanayshar Mahabir called for the bill to be withdrawn, as did Melissa Ramkissoon.

A temporary Independent Senator, Justin Junkere, called for safeguards to be put in, but accepted the bill in principle. Ian Roach also called for changes in terms of the appointment of the director of the SSA, saying there should be consultation with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.

Roach yesterday said there should be a special Joint Select Committee for intelligence agencies which should be chaired by an independent person.

A JSC with oversight should have coercive powers as well and there should be serious penalties as well, Roach said yesterday when contacted by Newsday.

If the Government put themselves in the Governments position they must ask themselves if they would support this legislation. When you are in Opposition it is one thing. All of a sudden you get cataract in your eyes. You get deaf. Mark said yesterday if there is a tie in the Senate, then the Senate President should maintain the status quo and vote down the bill. He criticised the number of meetings the JSC on National Security has held since last year.

That committee met twice, Mark said. I just came from a PAEC meeting, the seventh we have held so far. This man held two meetings, all in camera: none in the public. (Checks by Newsday yesterday showed the committee met three times: December 2; February 1 and February 29.) Mark yesterday said Attorney General Faris Al Rawis assurance that the SSA was subject to the JSC was hollow.

This Attorney General is joking. He cannot be serious. We understand you are under pressure, we are committed to helping you.

We want to see an end to crime. But we are not prepared to see the Government undermine and compromise and subvert the rights and freedoms of citizens.
What you need to know about the Octagon Art Festival on Sunday in Ames

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Official story on 9/11 unravels as truth comes out that hijackers had held from within the United States

Underneath the visitors center in the United States Capitol is a secure room where the House Intelligence Committee stores highly classified files. In that room is a file titled Finding, Discussion and Narrative Regarding Certain Sensitive National Security Matters. It is twenty-eight pages long and it contains apparently damning information on the events leading up to the attacks on 9/11.

(Article by Matt Agorist, republished from //www.blacklistednews.com/A_Senator_Just_Went_on_60_Minutes_Claiming_the_911_Attackers_Had_%E2%80%9CSupport_from_Within_the_US%E2%80%9D/50394/0/38/38/Y/M.html)

Those twenty-eight pages tell a story that has been completely removed from the 9/11 Report, said Democratic Congressman Stephen Lynch back in 2014.

It has been well-known by informed Americans that Lynch, read the stunning documents, and claimed they offer[ed] direct evidence of complicity on the part of certain Saudi individuals and entities.

However, the 28-pages have been conveniently avoided by those in the mainstream media  until now.

On Sunday nights episode of 60 Minutes, former Florida governor, Democratic U.S. Senator and onetime chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Bob Graham will implicate the US ally on national television.

On Saturday, CBS News released a trailer for the episode and an accompanying article.

I think its implausible to believe that 19 people, most of whom didnt speak English, most of whom had never been in the United States before, many didnt have a high school education, could have carried out such a complicated task without some support from within the United States, says Graham in the clip.

Until now, anyone who questioned the highly suspect official narrative on the 9/11 attacks has been labeled a conspiracy theorist or a kook. But when current and former members of Congress, U.S. officials, and the 9/11 Commissioners themselves call for the release of these 28-pages, which tells a different story of what happened that fateful day, people will listen.

CBS reports, Graham and his Joint Inquiry co-chair in the House, former Representative Porter Goss (R-FL)  who went on to be director of the CIA  say the 28 pages were excised from their report by the Bush Administration in the interest of national security. Graham wouldnt discuss the classified contents, but says the 28 pages outline a network of people he believes supported hijackers in the U.S. He tells Steve Kroft he believes the hijackers were substantially supported by Saudi Arabia. Asked if the support was from government, rich people or charities, the former senator replies, all of the above.

This information being aired on mainstream television is nothing short of historical and is a bombshell to those seeking the truth. For over a decade, the families of the victims have demanded the full story on what happened and have only been met with ridicule and closed doors.

Even the 9/11 Commission was railroaded. Not only were the commissioners given extremely limited funds to conduct their investigation, but they were also met with dead ends in almost every direction.

For starters, only $15 million was given to investigate 9/11. Compare that to the over $60 million that was spent investigating Clintons affairs with Monica and the travesty becomes greater. This was the largest act of murder in recent US history, and more money was spent investigating a philandering president!

Also, Senator Max Cleland, who resigned from the 9/11 Commission after calling it a national scandal, stated in a 2003 PBS interview,

Im saying thats deliberate. I am saying that the delay in relating this information to the American public out of a hearing series of hearings, that several members of Congress knew eight or ten months ago, including Bob Graham and others, that was deliberately slow walked the 9/11 Commission was deliberately slow walked, because the Administrations policy was, and its priority was, were gonna take Saddam Hussein out.

In 2006, the Washington Post reported that several members of the 9/11 Commission suspected deception on the part of the Pentagon. As reported,

Some staff members and commissioners of the Sept. 11 panel concluded that the Pentagons initial story of how it reacted to the 2001 terrorist attacks may have been part of a deliberate effort to mislead the commission and the public rather than a reflection of the fog of events on that day, according to sources involved in the debate.

Whether they took part in the attacks or not, the actions of Dick Cheney and George W. Bush after the attacks were nothing short of criminally suspicious as well.

Bush and his then VP Cheney told the commission that they would not be formally interviewed in relation to the attacks on September 11.

On April 27, 2004 the White House released a statement saying there would be no recording or formal transcription of the interview. The duo also demanded to be interviewed together, against the wishes of the commissioners and government protocol.

According to the New York Times,

Under a pact with the White House that allowed all its 10 members in the interview, the commission is permitted to take a note taker, but not a recording device. The panel said it did not press for a formal transcription of the session, letting the White House decide.

Whatever is in those 28-pages, the United States government does not want you to know. As is the case most of the time when the government keeps a secret, its because they have been doing something they shouldnt have. It is high time we, as American citizens, demand they release this report.

Please share this article with your friends and family to let them know that those who remain suspicious about the tragic events that unfolded on September 11, 2001, are not crazy conspiracy theorists, but rather good people who want real justice for those responsible.

Read more at: //www.blacklistednews.com/A_Senator_Just_Went_on_60_Minutes_Claiming_the_911_Attackers_Had_%E2%80%9CSupport_from_Within_the_US%E2%80%9D/50394/0/38/38/Y/M.html

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Leagoo Elite 1: Is It Really Worth Your Time & Money?

New Delhi, Thu, 05 May 2016 NI Wire

We're sure by now many of you must have turned on to Google to look for Leagoo. Quite justified! Leagoo is definitely not a name that you would instantly recognize or relate with smartphones. A Chinese brand - Leagoo isn't as popular as its other counterparts Xiaomi, Lenovo and others.

However, Leagoo has been in the smartphone market for a while and has rolled out budget Android smartphones. Last year, it came up with Elite 1 which catered to rising demand for pleasing budget smartphones in China. As it has limited international market, the smartphone couldn't spread its wings much.

But now it's available to everyone around and can be shipped to any place in the world. As for Indians, it would cost around Rs. 11,200.

Now the question is whether one should spend his or time and money on a device which has been unknown so far and also when there are better choices like the Lenovo K4 Note etc.

Let us find out more about Leagoo Elite 1 & see if it really is what you've been looking for in a smartphone.

Key Specifications

It has a display of 5-inch Full HD with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, 441ppi. The device has 1.3GHz 64-bit MediaTek octa-core CPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 13MP Sony IMX214 camera with primary sensor and dual LED flash as well as 13MP front snapper. It comes with a 2,400mAh battery and runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop. Additional features include the fingerprint scanner, Smart Button, HiFi music dual SIM and 4G LTE.

Look & Feel

Elite 1 has a metal frame crammed between its glass display and mirror-surfaced back panel which helps make the phone more durable. You can hold it quite comfortably and if you prefer single hand use - this is a perfect match. It comes with a Smart Button at right side towards the lower end - it helps to launch camera.

Display

The Full HD display provides excellent viewing angles, color precision and clarity levels. As the display comes with 441 pixels per inch, it helps make your picture quality vibrant and snappish.

Camera

Camera is indeed the plus point in Elite 1 - and this makes us understand why they have provided the smart button access for camera. It works great even in low light, which is actually a concern with most of the smartphones. Elite 1 helps capture accurate colors with great clarity.

Performance

Leagoo Elite 1 is truly a player. Except for few glitches here and there, the phone performs quite well. With Elite 1, you can run multiple apps without having to worry about the phone getting slow or hanging up. However, the charging process is quite slow and device gets heated soon but the heat is bearable.

The Verdict

On the whole, Elite 1 is quite a striking device which certainly brings in a dash of newness to the otherwise droning smartphone market. It had a good camera and the display is also appealing. If the company works a little on the OS and battery - it would really be a great bid.

But the sad part is its limited availability which apparently makes it difficult for the users to consider this device as a smart option.

The device must lower the price considering that it already doesn't enjoy a very good market and user reach. A lesser price would mean definitely persuade people to think of Elite 1 along with other mighty options like LeEco Le 1s and others.

Let's see if the makers bother to bring the price down so that Elite 1 can give a better competition to other devices in the market!
Dirty Politics of Arvind Kejriwal has Been Exposed by the Poster and Banners

New Delhi, Thu, 05 May 2016 NI Wire

Dirty Politics of Arvind Kejriwal has Been Exposed by the Poster & Banners Seen in Some Parts of Delhi:- Satish Upadhyay

BJP Complains To Police About The Unclaimed Posters/Banners Affixed By Suspecting Aam Aadmi Party

New Delhi, 4th May: Addressing a Press Conference today BJP Delhi Pradesh President Shri Satish Upadhyay has said that the dirty politics of Aam Aadmi Party and its head Arvind Kejriwal has been exposed by the posters and banners seen in some part of Delhi.

Last week in a Press Conference Kejriwal's Party had said that it will soon stage demonstration demanding the arrest of Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi in Augusta Westland Case but support to the Congress alliance Government in Bihar and the stand of Rahul Gandhi on JNU Case Aam Aadmi Party is rethinking its politically strategy. Considering the possibility that it may have to enter into alliance with Congress in future it could not dare to print its name on the posters seen in Delhi today. It may be mentioned that printing such posters, banners without print line is illegal. Media Incharge Shri Praveen Shankar Kapoor and Shri Aditya Jha were also present in the press conference.

These banners are derogatory to the Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi and the language used in it is similar to the language used by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. BJP is of the view that these banners have been fixed with the purpose of demeaning the Congress party and blackmailing it so that in any future alliance Arvind Kejriwal may dominate the Gandhi family. It is quite obvious that these banners have connection with Aam Aadmi Party and it's another proof is the fact that the MLA of the ruling party Jarnail Singh is twitting it since the morning and promoting on social media.

BJP Delhi Pradesh President Shri Satish Upadhyay has complained to the Delhi Police Commissioner in this connection and demanded that the police should investigate to ascertain that which organisation or person has affixed these banners. In the complaint the Police Commissioner has also been apprised that the last week in a press conference the Aam Aadmi Party had addressed Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi in the same language as used in this banner. Hence this party may be behind these banners. BJP demands that the Delhi Police should take legal action against the unauthorised banners and posters put up by the Aam Aadmi Party or any other organisation.
ME IN A NUTSHELL



By Chuck Baldwin

May 5, 2016

NewsWithViews.com

[ NOTE: The opinion in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of NewsWithViews.com, it's employees, representatives, or other contributing writers.]

Tuesday, May 3, was my 64th birthday. Accordingly, it is time for my annual Personal column. I think it only fair that readers should have an opportunity to learn a little something about the person who writes the words they read. Todays column is designed with that goal in mind. And since Charley Reese (one of my favorite columnists) stopped writing, I am the only national columnist that does this, as far as I know. So, here goes.

I was born and raised in a small town in northern Indiana. My father and mother were dedicated Christians. Dad was a welder by trade and a member of the Teamsters Union (I still have his pin). He was also a lay jailhouse preacher and prison chaplain. The Lord delivered him from a terrible life of alcoholism, and the story of his deliverance is nothing short of miraculous.

Readers should know that I will send a CD of my fathers life story, free of charge, to anyone who requests it. If you or someone you know struggles with alcohol or drug addiction, I urge you to obtain a copy of this remarkable story. Click here.

I am the husband of one (for almost 43 years), the father of three, and the grandfather of nine. I have been a pastor for almost 41 years, and for over five years now, I have been the pastor of Liberty Fellowship in Kalispell, Montana, which is an independent, unorganized, unaffiliated, non-501c3 fellowship. I am also an author, radio talk show host, and writer of this national column.

As far as I know, I am in good health. And, somehow, Ive been able to keep my hair. Not that that means a whole lot. I had a college professor that often quoted this little rhyme:

To every man God is fair.

To some He gave brains.

To others He gave hair.

After all of these years, I forgot most of what that professor taught, but I still remember that little limerick.

I campaigned for Congressman Ron Paul in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries. After it was obvious that he would not be the Republican nominee, Constitution Party (CP) leaders and many Ron Paul supporters strongly encouraged me to seek the CPs presidential nomination. They believed that someone was needed to keep the liberty message alive in the 2008 general election, because it was clear that neither Barack Obama nor John McCain would do so. After defeating former UN Ambassador Alan Keyes in the CP nominating convention, I became the partys nominee for President. And I was very honored to have received Ron Pauls endorsement during that campaign.

Regarding the condition of the Church in America, it is my studied opinion that both the 501c3 tax-exempt status and State nonprofit corporation status have, in effect, castrated Americas pastors and churches to the point that most churches are spiritually impotent and irrelevant to the preservation of liberty in our country. Instead of preaching the liberating Gospel of Christ and the empowering message of Christian non-conformity, they are preaching an enslaving message of bondage to the state via their preoccupation with the misinterpretation of Romans 13.

My constitutional attorney son and I co-authored a book on this subject that I encourage everyone to read. The book is entitled Romans 13: The True Meaning of Submission. This book shows the teaching of the entire Bible (including Romans 13) regarding proper submission to authority--including when submission to authority is actually sinful and wrong.

To order our book on Romans 13, click here.

My personal philosophy regarding sociopolitical issues is quite simple: I believe abortion is Americas national holocaust. If the blood of murdered Abel cried out to God from the ground, imagine how the blood of over 50 million innocent unborn babies is crying out to God.

I believe marriage is, by definition, only between a man and a woman. I further believe that the State has absolutely no business sanctioning or licensing marriage. All of the civil court rulings in the country cannot redefine marriage. The current civil corruption of marriage should serve notice to all pastors, churches, and Christian people to divorce their marriage ceremonies from State licensure.

I believe the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights to be the greatest documents of freedom ever produced by man. I believe the federal government is bound to submit to the limited duties prescribed to it by the U.S. Constitution. (The fact that it doesnt is a major source of our problems.) I believe Americas Founding Fathers and the patriots of their generation were the greatest champions of liberty to ever live.

I believe in the right of the people to keep and bear arms. I further believe this is a God-ordained duty and should not be subject to State licensure. The Second Amendment does not grant us the right to keep and bear arms; it merely protects the duty to keep and bear arms that was given to us by our Creator.

My son and I also co-authored a book on the Biblical teaching of self-defense and the right to keep and bear arms. The book is entitled To Keep or Not To Keep: Why Christians Should Not Give Up Their Guns. This book looks at the entire body of Scripture and shows that nowhere in Gods Word are believers instructed to surrender their arms--no matter what the laws of civil government might dictate. We show in the book that self-defense is a Natural right and a Biblical duty.

To order our book on why Christians should never surrender their arms, click here.

I believe there is a conspiracy (Dr. Alan Keyes often said that Its not a conspiracy if they really are trying to get you) of powerful elitists to surrender Americas independence and national sovereignty to a globalist New World Order. I believe the Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, and Bilderbergs are especially culpable in this evil subterfuge of our liberties.

I believe that the national news media purposely keeps the American people in the dark about the truth of what is really going on. I believe the media deliberately helped the government cover up the events of 9/11, Waco, Ruby Ridge, TWA Flight 800, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Sandy Hook school shootings, etc., ad infinitum. Heck, I believe the media helped the government cover up what really happened in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. For all intents and purposes, the national news media is little more than a propaganda ministry of the federal government. No wonder Barack Obama thanked the major media for working side by side with him for the last eight years at the White House Correspondents Dinner earlier this week.

I further believe that the conscious and determined effort by both Republican and Democrat presidential administrations to not enforce our immigration laws and to provide amnesty (not to mention billions in federal tax dollars) to millions of illegal aliens is nothing more than an attempt to pave the way for the creation of an EU-type regional government in North America (among other things).

I am also convinced that there is a deliberate and calculated plan in progress to turn the United States into a police-state-style surveillance society, to which personal freedoms and liberties are being quickly and egregiously sacrificed. Passage of the USA Patriot Act, The Military Commissions Act, and the Indefinite Detention clauses of the National Defense Authorization acts (since 2012 the NDAA has been reauthorized each year with the Indefinite Detention sections included) are examples of this flagrant betrayal of freedom.

I opposed the preemptive invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, the bombings of Libya, along with the current bombings and drone attacks going on in countries throughout the Middle East. It should be obvious to everyone that the Obama administration did nothing to change the perpetual war/preemptive war doctrine introduced by George W. Bush.

I am personally convinced that ISIS, Al Nusra, etc., are contrivances of Dark (illegal) Operations of Americas CIA, British Intelligence, and Israels Mossad. Saudi Arabia and Turkey are also partners in this nefarious activity. Ill say it flat out: the war on terror is totally the creation of the West to keep America in a state of perpetual war and to keep the people of America in a state of perpetual fear and anger.

I further believe the international war on terror is a ruse to assist the goals of the central banks to create global government. All of the talk about Iran and Syria being a threat to the world is a bunch of hysterical propaganda. And FOX News (along with many pastors and churches) is at the heart of the pro-war propaganda machine. Neocons and globalists are using the Muslim people as the proverbial Straw Man to give the American people an enemy to hate, so that they will accept perpetual war abroad and police-state measures here at home.

I opposed the bailouts for Wall Street. I regard the Federal Reserve as a corrupt cabal of international banksters whose actions are nothing short of criminal. I wholeheartedly support the abolition of the Federal Reserve and a return to sound money.

Regarding Biblical error, I believe the doctrine of the Rapture is being used by too many pastors and Christians as an excuse to not resist the many attacks against our liberties. I further believe that too many pastors and churches have become passive, timid, and politically correct and are, therefore, good for nothing (Matthew 5:13) when it comes to preserving liberty.

And, as faithful readers know, I have had an about-face when it comes to my understanding of the Scriptures relating to the modern state of Israel. I have come to the studied opinion that the current state of Israel--the one created on May 14, 1948, by the United Nations--has NOTHING to do with Biblical Israel or prophetic Israel.

I have a DVD containing four messages which explain what I believe is the scriptural truth regarding Israel. The DVD is entitled The Church And Israel. Find it here.

I believe that ultimately it will take courageous patriot pastors and State governors and legislatures to turn the ship of state around. I wish they would hurry up and get to it.

I am a life member of Gun Owners of America (GOA) and am the National Chaplain for Oath Keepers. These are the only organizations to which I belong.

When Im not working, I enjoy big game (or even small game) hunting and hiking. I love to hike these beautiful mountains here in Montana. The problem is, I am a workaholic and rarely take time off.

Well, there it is. That is me in a nutshell. At least now you know a little more about who I am. If you want to read more, here is where you can find my complete online bio.

I also write posts on my official Facebook page to supplement what I write in this column. To read my posts (and make comments), simply Like my Facebook page.

Thank you for reading and sharing my columns.
Google plans to integrate its autonomous tech [self driving car technology] into 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans, expanding the fleet of 70 autonomous Lexus RX SUVs it built in-house. Engineers from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Google will work together in Michigan to integrate Googles tech into the vans, a big upgrade from the cobbled-together look of the current cars.

Fiat Chrysler could leapfrog rivals like Volkswagen, Daimler, General Motors, Nissan, and Ford in an increasingly competitive field. And Google makes good on its longstanding goal of working with partners to bring this technology into the world safely.

The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car, that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive, John Krafcik, who leads Googles autonomous vehicle program, said in a statement.

SOURCE  Wired
Her remarks came after her putative Republican rival for the White House, Donald Trump, suggested he'd get Pakistanis to free Dr Shakil Afridi -the man who helped USA nail down bin Laden and who has been incarcerated by Pakistan -with a snap of his fingers. "I would tell them (Pakistan) let him out and I'm sure they would let him out".

"Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America", he said, adding that Trump's comment "serves to show not only his insensitivity but also his ignorance about Pakistan". But many in Pakistan view him as a traitor and he was sentenced in 2012 to 33 years in prison on charges of belonging to the militant group Lashkar-e Islam, which he denies.

"Contrary to Trump's misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the US. Trump seems to be ignorant, historically, of the huge sacrifices Pakistan have made in standing with or supporting United States policies over the years".

The 69-year-old tycoon also said during a town hall meeting last week that he would turn to India for help in dealing with a "semi-unstable" nuclear-armed Pakistan.

Whole city evacuated due to fire

Flames from an uncontrolled, and rapidly spreading, wildfire as seen from Highway 63 outside Fort McMurray, Alberta, on Tuesday. Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box.

However, the recent hostility on display by the US Congress is probably another reason for the government's growing uneasiness over the growing anti-Islamic rhetoric in America, and more specifically, the anti-Pakistan dialogue within Congress.

Pakistan is a sovereign country, and another country can not force it to release one of its own for crimes committed against the state.

"The peanuts the USA has given us in return should not be used to threaten or browbeat us into following Trump's misguided vision of foreign policy". The two nations have had run-ins over Afridi's case and anti-terrorism operations. He was hiding there under the noses of senior Pakistani military officers. "The Americans don't want to muddy the water by raising other issues that are contentious", says Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani author and security expert. The shelter given to bin Laden was a sore point.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the department on principle "opposes conditions to the release of appropriated foreign assistance funds".

CPS Announced New Guidelines in Support of Transgender Students

The District's new guidelines build on the student guidelines implemented in 2014, according to the release. The debate has also seeped into the private sector.

Kirby said due to lawmakers' opposition to the USA using FMF allocations to support the sale of the F-16s, "we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that goal".

Frustrations are building in Pakistan over a hold-up in the proposed purchase of 8 new F-16 fighter jets from the United States.

He restated the administration's position on Pakistan's importance in the anti-terror campaign, calling it "a partner here in the effort to go after extremists there in the region".
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Shouldve gone with carrier pigeons. Photo: Joe Raedle/2016 Getty Images

Hillary Clinton is inching closer and closer to the Democratic nomination, but she cant seem to shake her damn emails. On Wednesday, a federal judge issued an order saying it may be necessary for Clinton to testify in regards to her private email server. The order also calls for testimony from top Clinton officials, including Huma Abedin, the vice-chair of Clintons campaign; Cheryl Mills, who was Clintons chief of staff during her time as secretary of State; Patrick Kennedy, who served as undersecretary; and Bryan Pagliano, the Clinton staffer who helped set up her private email server, the Washington Post reports.

The decision, made by U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, is in response to a lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group that submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records concerning Abedins employment arrangement  for a brief period in 2012, Abedin worked simultaneously for the State Department, as a consultant for the Clinton Foundation, and for a financial-advisory firm with ties to the Clintons.

Sullivan wrote that Clintons private email server may have been a purposeful attempt to skirt disclosure under FOIA by a federal agency. In sum, the circumstances surrounding approval of Mrs. Clintons use of clintonemail.com for official government business, as well as the manner in which it was operated, are issues that need to be explored, he wrote.

Whether or not Clinton will be called to testify depends on information disclosed during the testimony of her staffers. But the eight-week period for testimony ends in June, which means that if she is ordered to testify, shed have to do so right before the Democratic convention in Philadelphia where shes expected  barring a poorly timed lightning strike or a truly monumental tsunami  to receive the Democratic nomination.

According to the Post, its not clear whether all six current and former Clinton aides called to testify will actually do so  although government lawyers say current State Department staffers will be available for questioning, Judicial Watch will have to subpoena former staffers, who could object. But Judicial Watch president Thomas Fitton sees Sullivans order as a victory. Were going to get facts that have been withheld from the American people, he told the Post. This was a scheme designed to thwart transparency, and its come undone.

Clintons use of a private email server is being investigated separately by the FBI in conjunction with the Justice Department  the two agencies are trying to determine whether the presence of classified information in Clintons emails is a crime. That investigation, said Brian Fallon, a spokesperson for the Clinton campaign, is the campaigns main focus. Hillary Clinton has long expressed her willingness to cooperate in that review, he said. We remain confident that review will affirm that nothing inappropriate took place.

Critics say that Clintons private email server made sensitive information vulnerable to hackers, and one  a Romanian named Marcel Lazar who goes by the name Guccifer  yesterday claimed to have accessed hundreds of folders on her completely unsecured server. Although Lazar is the one who initially revealed Clintons private email address, in this case, the Clinton campaign says his claims are unfounded.

Still, Lazars allegations sound exactly like something Donald Trump, who Clinton will likely run against in the general election, will use against her. Hes already shown that, unlike Sanders, he has no qualms against attacking Clinton for her emails: Its a criminal activity, he told Good Morning America back in March. What shes getting away with is absolutely murder. And that was when he had other Republicans to besmirch.
Ben Sasses plea for a draft candidate to oppose the godless liberal Donald Trump foisted onto regular Americans by Beltway Republicans needs a response from somebody like Senator Ben Sasse! Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Herewith is my response, as an American, to Senator Ben Sasses Facebook post, which he styled as An Open Letter to Majority America.

Dear Senator Sasse:

Thanks for taking the time from your not-so-busy Senate schedule to let us know via Facebook that you share our total disdain for the likely presidential choices that Beltway elements have foisted upon us, and that theres still hope for what we actually want, which is a right-wing president who forces the squabbling parties in Congress to come together on right-wing policies.



Like the fine citizens of Fremont, Nebraska, whose views you shared with us to show how real non-Washingtonians feel, I am amazed at the brazen conspiracy by Beltway liberals that compelled primary voters and caucus participants in 43 states to produce the presumptive nominations of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Of course these party bosses and politicos are telling you to support Trump because hes going to be the nominee of the party with which you chose to affiliate, and I can understand why you are asking, WHY is that the only choice?

Here in California we will have lots of choices in November, including the nominees of the Libertarian, Green, American Independent, and Peace and Freedom parties. Maybe there are no ballot lines in Nebraska other than the Democrat Socialists or the Republicans; if so, I can understand your frustration.

And hey, thanks for being the only politician  or citizen-politician, or whatever you call yourself  to understand that our young people are searching for an alternative to the two corrupt liberal parties in Washington but are handicapped by their ignorance of the meaning of America, which you quite properly define as fighting terrorists, balancing the budget, and opposing political correctness. If we had better educated these young people, theyd realize we need to get rid of minimum-wage laws so they can earn the money to pay off their student loans instead of expecting Uncle Sugar to let them dodge their obligations.

In the meantime, theres plenty of support out there for the clear path you identify: a draft of a candidate who will defy both parties by implementing a simple and totally noncontroversial agenda of more money for national security, less money for those godless entitlements like Social Security and Medicare, abolishing federal involvement in K-12 education, and ending incumbency protections like those that made Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina viable presidential candidates this time around. Who outside of Washington could possibly argue with any of that? Isnt it obvious limited government is the one thing we can all agree on?

Indeed, this is all so simple that the only thing I can find to disagree with in your open letter is the suggestion that someone like your own self has too many family obligations to accept this draft. Wont the citizens of Fremont, and real majority Americans everywhere, lift such a candidate to victory effortlessly? Cant this silent majority come together to make America great again? Oh wait.
Are these the hands of a Trump supporter? Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Paul Ryan isnt sure if he wants to make America great again. On Thursday afternoon, CNNs Jake Tapper asked the Speaker of the House if he is prepared to support his partys presumptive presidential nominee.

Well, to be perfectly candid with you, Im not ready to do that yet, Ryan replied. I am not there right now. I hope to and want to.

Ryan then suggested that Trump could earn his support by unifying the party around its time-honored values.

I think what a lot of Republicans want to see is that we have a standard-bearer that bears our standards, Ryan said. We dont always nominate a Lincoln and Reagan, but we hope that that person advances the principles of our party and appeals to a wide vast majority of Americans.

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell offered Trump his (tepid) endorsement on Wednesday. Other Republican elder statesman and pooh-bahs have been less welcoming. The Kochs have made their distaste for the Donald very clear, while both former presidents Bush have indicated they will not endorse his candidacy.

In March, Trump said of Speaker Ryan, Im sure Im going to get along great with him, and if I dont? Hes gonna have to pay a big price, okay?
The Zika virus is headed for the U.S. very soon, medical experts said earlier this week  and we are not ready for it. To be sure, as NBC News reported on Tuesday, no health officials whove been monitoring Zikas spread across certain corners of the world expect the disease to spread as widely here as it has in, say, South or Central America. And yet, once the weather turns warmer in the U.S., many experts do expect to see some smaller outbreaks occur, particularly in southeastern coastal regions that border the Gulf of Mexico.

The big issue here, Zika experts said in news conferences this week, is that the most promising way to fight the virus is by targeting mosquitoes  but, as it currently stands, the U.S. is woefully unorganized and underprepared to do this. One of the problems in the United States is that we have a patchwork of mosquito-control programs that are generally run at the county level, said Scott Weaver, a professor of pathology, microbiology, and immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch. We have nothing at the national level other than advice from the CDC, and most states do not even coordinate their programs at the county level very well. As a result, some poorer counties have virtually nothing available to them, whereas wealthier ones have sophisticated programs in place, Weaver told reporters.

And summer  and with it, mosquito season  is right around the corner. I think that the risk of Zika virus beginning to circulate in the United States in the mainland  its already in Puerto Rico, of course  is going to be peaking during the next few weeks, Weaver said. Thats because the number of travelers coming into the U.S. with Zika is very high, the temperatures are permissive now for mosquito transmission, and populations of mosquitos are growing. With rainy seasons coming on in Central America and the Caribbean, that could even increase the number of imported cases more.

Whats most needed now, experts urged, is money. As NBC News medical reporters Maggie Fox and Erika Edwards report:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health and their parent Department of Health and Human Services say they need money to help state and local governments prepare. They need money for better Zika tests, for research on treatments and to help develop a vaccine.  But the White House is in a battle with Congress over paying for all this. President Barack Obama has asked for $1.9 billion in emergency funding for the work. Republicans in Congress say they dont think thats the best way to do it and want more accountability for the money, perhaps through the regular appropriations process, which can be extremely slow. This is absolutely essential, Fauci said. We need the $1.9 billion.

There is good Zika news this week too, however: The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced plans to start testing a vaccine for the virus as early as September. Still, weve got a long summer ahead of us.
For all types of moms.

If you already bought her all the Elena Ferrante books, here are some other options for the literary mom in your life. (And if youre still stumped for what to get, peruse these editors picks and our hyper-specific gift guide.)

1. All Things Cease to Appear, by Elizabeth Brundage

For the mother who loved Gone Girl: This feminist-tilted mystery starts with a womans grisly murder, possibly at her husbands hand, followed by the unfurling of their secretly rotten marriage.

$18 at Amazon

2. The Nest, by Cynthia DAprix Sweeney

Even the best mom in the world might get a kick out of reading about those who are less perfect. To wit: the chilly matriarch and four siblings at the heart of this New York saga of gentrification, motherhood, and middle age.

$16 at Amazon

3. A Fairly Good Time, by Mavis Gallant

This New York Review of Books reissue from the cult Canadian author is about a recently remarried young widow who is fond of quoting Jane Austen and Kingsley Amis and of using her myopia as a defense against social aggression. If that doesnt scream mom then we dont know what does.

$14 at Amazon

4. Lee, by Lee Radziwill

If her coffee table is looking a little spare. The glamorous sister of Jackie O. has gathered together personal photographs and anecdotes into this very chic tome published by Assouline.

$50 at Bergdorf Goodman

5. Women Crime Writers: Eight Suspense Novels of the 1940s & 50s: A Library of America Boxed Set, by Sarah Weinman

A stylish boxed set of rediscovered, reissued mid-century womens mystery novelsdomestic suspense, as it was once called.

$58 at Amazon

6. Gjelina: Cooking From Venice, California

If your mother, like you, only eats grain bowls these days, she will love this cookbook courtesy of Venice-based veggie-forward restaurant Gjelina (which is getting ready to open a branch in New York City).

$35 at The Line

7. Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams, by Louisa Thomas

A nice counterpoint to all those doorstop bios marketed and gifted as dad books, with the twist that your mom might actually crack this one.

$18 at Amazon

8. Sweet Lamb of Heaven, by Lydia Millet

A mother who hears voices from her baby and then goes into hiding from her psycho politician husband? Its not at all what youd expect (its deep and decidedly for the sane).

$18 at Amazon

9. The Vanishing Velazquez: A 19th Century Booksellers Obsession With a Lost Masterpiece, by Laura Cumming

For the art-history buffs among us as well as lovers of books, lost causes, eccentrics, true-crime mysteries, great writing, and the old master himself.

$18 at Amazon

10. Philippe Halsmans Jump Book

After every photo shoot, the 1950s portraitist Philippe Halsman would ask his subjects  Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Salvador Dali, Richard Nixon among them  to jump. For a kicky mom.

$45 at The Line

11. Innocents and Others, by Dana Spiotta

For the arty feminist who used to drive an MG, a cool literary story about friendship, film, and deception makes loneliness sound beautiful, and vice versa.

$17 at Amazon

12. Barbra Streisand: Redefining Beauty, Femininity, and Power, by Neal Gabler

For the Jewish mother who has everything.

$17 at Amazon
Photo: Jason Schmidt/Lisson Gallery

One-hundred-and-one years old is an unlikely age for any debut, let alone the solo debut of an art star at a major New York City gallery. But Cuban-born Carmen Herrera has always done things her own way.

Yesterday, Herrera opened the inaugural show at London-based Lisson Gallerys brand-new space under the High Line. As if that wasnt enough, shes also having a solo show of early work this fall at the Whitney, where she officially entered the canon last spring, when the museum launched its new building and hung her work side-by-side with that of Ellsworth Kelly, Frank Stella, Agnes Martin, and Jasper Johns.

Not bad for a painter whose work was virtually unknown for more than half a century. Herrera, who will turn 101 on May 31, still works every day at the long desk in the window of her Gramercy loft, despite being wheelchair-bound. In fact, the 13 vibrant paintings on display at the Lisson Gallery were all produced between 2012 and now.

As Alex Logsdail, Lisson Gallerys international director, says, Her practice continues to evolve, and in some ways, has gotten better at this stage in her life. Dana Miller, curator of the upcoming Whitney show, says, She was right there dealing with the same issues that Stella and Kelly played with, using the structure of the painting and the canvas edge as a formal element to riff off. But Carmen is her own genre. Thats what makes her unique. She has her own language. What she does is distinctly her own voice.

Herreras sophisticated style of hard-edged geometric abstraction was already ahead of its time when she first began developing it in the late 1940s, in Paris, where she showed at the Salon des Realites Nouvelles. But in 1954, she and her American husband moved back to New York, then at the height of Abstract Expressionism.



Despite knowing such Ab-Ex art stars as Willem de Kooning and gallerist and collector Peggy Guggenheim, and being close friends with Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman, she was instantly plunged into oblivion. Her elegantly spare style had nothing in common with Ab-Ex arts bravado and gesturalism.



The gallerist Rose Fried dashed Herreras hopes when she visited her studio, invited her to the gallery, and then announced, You can paint circles around my men artists, but Im not going to show you because you are a woman.

I walked out of there and felt like I had been slapped in the face, Herrera recalled.

Born in 1915 in Havana to an affluent family  her father was founder of the newspaper El Mundo, and her mother was one of Cubas first feminist journalists  Herrera originally studied architecture. She moved to New York after marrying Jesse Loewenthal, a schoolteacher, in 1939. In 1948, they relocated to Paris, where she joined a group of abstract artists who showed at the Salon. Until he died in 2000, Lowenthal was her staunchest supporter. Actually, it was wonderful, she said. Nobody bothered me. I was doing what I had to do. Fortunately, my husband liked what I did, and he was by me all the time.

As a female Hispanic artist more interested in making than marketing her work, Herreras talent was a well-kept secret until 1998, when she had a show at the Museo Del Barrio, thanks to her longtime friend and supporter Tony Bechara, then the museums chair. In 2004, Bechara helped get a few canvases into the Latin Collector Gallery. It was there that the Miami-based collector Ella Cisneros saw the work and fell in love with it. She bought several paintings, as did Agnes Gund, president emerita of the Museum of Modern Art.

She amazes me, says Bechara, who sees Herrera daily. I always think one of these days I am going to have to tell her, Carmen, its time for you to concentrate on your reading. But she constantly surprises me with new ideas and new angles.

What keeps her going? Herrera puts it simply: Its a passion. Every morning, I get up, I have breakfast, I go to the table and I begin drawing.

Photo: Courtesy of Lisson Gallery

Carmen (right) with her husband and a friend, Mme. Rollin, in 1949.

Photo: Courtesy of Lisson Gallery

Carmen and Jesse.

Photo: Courtesy of Lisson Gallery

50 King street, pre-Paris, 1947.

Photo: Carmen Herrera/Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Blue and White (triptych) 2014

Photo: Carmen Herrera/Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Noche Verde, 2014

Photo: Carmen Herrera/Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Aquila Verde, 2015

Photo: Carmen Herrera/Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Red Wall, 2015

Photo: Carmen Herrera/Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Alba, 2014

Photo: Carmen Herrera/Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Costa del Sol, 2015

Photo: Carmen Herrera/Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Night Forest, 2016
A baby drop box in Indiana Photo: Courtesy Twitter/WNCN

The first of a planned 100 safe-haven baby boxes have been installed in a fire house in Indiana.

The boxes, which are climate-controlled and padded, are meant to encourage new mothers who dont want their children to safely drop them off, rather than discard them in the trash or elsewhere, as hundreds of babies are each year. In fact, no one knows or is actually keeping track of the numbers, but the boxes, advocates say, save babies lives. The boxes in Indiana are the first in the United States.

Monica Kelsey, the woman who led the charge in Indiana, a volunteer firefighter who was herself orphaned as an infant, is also an anti-abortion activist. She told the AP, [Safely abandoning a child] is not criminal, adding, We dont want to push women away.

Shes right: Dropping an infant off at a firehouse or a police station is almost always legal in the U.S., where each of the 50 states has slightly different so-called safe haven laws that allow for the abandonment of newborns. Much of this legislation was born out of a string of baby abandonments and deaths in the late 1990s in Texas, leading then-governor George W. Bush to pass the first such law, known as Baby Moses laws.

Several other countries, including parts of Eastern Europe and Germany, have similar laws, but the U.N. has questioned whether or not they work. In 2012, when the boxes were on the rise, it issued a statement saying that they contravened the right of the child to be known and cared for by his or her parents.
She has absolutely nothing listed on her IMDb page and you know damn well she'll be Pepper Potted in dr. Strange

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goddamn she's so gorgeous

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not really a fan of the bottom half of her dress, but she looks gorgeous <3

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She looks great! She needs to be in more mainstream stuff tbh.

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she really really can- blonde, red AND brunette. It's so impressive.

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"The film argues that man-made sound pollution from oil drilling, military sonar and gridlocked shipping lanes are responsible for the increasingly bizarre behavior seen in large aquatic mammals, such as whales being forced from their deep water territories into unfamiliar shallows, which in turn leads to them being washed up on shore."



This is actually true, its why we got seismic studies in Lancaster Sound shut down. And its hilarious that the call came from the Inuit rather than scientists who were all gung-ho about ~theories~ not supporting facts.







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The Inuit are dealing with so much environmental shit right now, got damn. We (the US/Canada govts) have to start listening to them, because they are front and center in dealing with climate change.

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That's unbelievably sad.

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i'm such a sucker for anything with a cute collar. i love the dress. Idk if i would have put the stripes on the bottom though.

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love her dress and her hair omgggg

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always love her hair

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LOVE

HER

OUTFIT

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God she is so perfect.



It makes me sad her season of True Detective flopped she was so good in it (with what she was given at least).

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same. I was rooting for her when she got the role.

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she's so beautiful! her skin always looks flawless

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great cause, cutie pie, weird dress

I wish I didn't have to wear bra so that I can wear tops like that...

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I love how this is the first thing I see when I just woke up. She's gorgeous

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More earnings reports are trickling in. Royal Dutch Shell is the last oil major to report first quarter earnings, and like its peers, the Anglo-Dutch company saw its profits tumble.

Shells current cost of supplies, likened to net profits, crashed by 83 percent from a year earlier, falling from $4.8 billion to just $0.8 billion. The results were the first since the company completed the $54 billion purchase of BG Group, and the combined company is off to a strong start, Shells CEO Ben van Beurden said. The good news for Shell is that the merger is moving quickly and the company is not seeing its cost structure rise. Related: Oil Prices Fall Back as Rally Hits a Ceiling

BG Group has also added quite a bit of production to the combined companys output.

Still, Shell is still spending too much money. Shareholders are pressing the company to reduce spending to $30 billion so as to ensure the longevity of the companys dividend payout. Shell outlined $3 billion in spending cuts to bring 2016 spending down to $30 billion. "Can we go further? Yes, we can," Shells CFO Simon Henry, said to reporters following the release. Shell also wants to sell off $30 billion in assets by the end of 2018. Related: Another Major Natural Gas Pipeline Project Bites The Dust

But as The Wall Street Journal noted, Shell is still not covering its high levels of capex and its dividend with cash flows. In the first quarter, Shell generated $4.6 billion in cash flow, but spent $6.1 billion on capex. And that does not take into account money going out the door in the form of dividends. Excluding proceeds from asset disposals, Shell needs oil prices to trade somewhere around $70 per barrel in order to cover capex.

The oil major is taking on more debt to cover the shortfall. Net debt to total capital increased to 26 percent following the BG purchase. Its debt levels will continue to climb until oil prices move much higher. Shell hopes its cash flow outlook will improve as the massive Gorgon LNG project in Australia comes back online and the mammoth Kashagan oil field in the Caspian Sea, in which Shell has a stake, finally begins operations.

By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The so-called Woodstock for Capitalists, the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, has just concluded. One shareholder resolution, which was voted down, would have reviewed the impact of climate change on their reinsurance business. As a large commercial reinsurer, the prospect of hurricanes, tsunamis, storms surges and coastal flooding are no idle threat. Mr. Buffetts commented that since policies are reviewed annually, changing perceptions of risk and appropriate compensatory rates are addressed at that time.

From a business perspective this is an attractive and seemingly flexible position to be in: raise prices or even deny insurance coverage if the risks become too great or too costly. Electric utilities with their geographically fixed, monopoly service areas in the U.S. have no such flexibility. For them, especially companies in low lying coastal areas, geography may prove to be destiny. Related: Oil Prices Fall Back as Rally Hits a Ceiling

From an accounting perspective part of the role of insurance is to protect assets of the business against loss. But what happens if the entire service area is at risk in the longer term? Weve all seen dramatic projections of the U.S. coastline in the year 2100 under various rising seas scenarios. Florida beachfront property could mean the outskirts of Jacksonville and the New Orleans Jazz Festival will be held in Baton Rouge or, worst case, Shreveport. Unlike Mr. Buffetts reinsurer with their annual policy reviews, utilities are tethered to specific service areas.

Even before considering climate impacts, utilities today face challenges on numerous fronts: transition from coal to gas, emergence of competition and the search for appropriate business/regulatory models. Adding the adverse financial impact of climate change to these existing concerns seems like piling on. Related: A 4.5-Million-Barrel Per Day Oil Shortage Looms: Wood Mackenzie

For financial analysts climate change raises questions about appropriate rates of depreciation. If long lived distribution assets for example need more frequent replacement due to increasing frequency and severity of storms, perhaps industry depreciation schedules should be revised to reflect this. However doing so would raise this non-cash charge to earnings with a corresponding decline in earnings. For an industry that prides itself on paying out a hefty percentage of earnings in dividends, this could prove a bitter pill to swallow and raise uncomfortable questions about appropriate payout ratios. There are alternative solutions  raise electric rates to cover the increased depreciation or raise the allowed return to reflect added risk  but they both require regulatory approval. Imagine the difficulty of convincing the commissioners to raise electric rates to cover possible future costs.

We dont know how the utilities and regulators will handle this matter. But the immediate question is whether coastal utilities in particular should consider accelerating depreciation to account for the corrosive impact of climate change on their assets or whether someone else will force the decision on them? The mortgage industry may suggest an answer in terms of one of their less savory historical practices, redlining. Neighborhoods, typically with a high percentage of minority residents, were redlined, typically in red pencil, to indicate to mortgage officers the areas where the bank had little interest in doing business. Related: Why Irans Shale Oil Discovery Wont Add To The Glut

In the near future, it is the bond rating agencies that may do the redlining with respect to utilities. As distribution assets face ever more frequent replacement and low-lying portions of a service area may even face ultimate abandonment, perceptions of financial risk are likely to rise and bond ratings likely to fall with an attendant adverse impact on cost of capital.

Thinking about the impact of rising sea levels is a lot like depreciation. Knowing the correct rate is impossible barring clairvoyance. The only comfort investors can take is in knowing that managements are conservative in their assumptions. It may not be much. But right now its the best they can offer.

By William Tilles and Leonard Hyman for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Iranian high officials have threatened to close the vital Strait of Hormuz to the United States and its allies if they threaten the regime in Tehran in the wake of American military drills launched in the Persian Gulf in April.

If the Americans and their regional allies want to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and threaten us, we will not allow any entry, deputy commander of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), General Hossein Salami said on the national television.

The military drills were indeed large-scale, with than 30 countries from six continents involved in what has been dubbed the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise. It took place at major maritime choke points in the world: the Suez Canal, the Strait of Bab Al-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz.



Related: Why Oil Prices Will Likely Drop Below $40 Soon

While the stated purpose of the drills is to protect international trade routes, Iran views the drills as a potential threat to its regime.

Salami cited the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), saying that we have to counter any harmful and ill-intended passage through Strait of Hormuz. He did not expound on what the Iranian leadership would classify as a threat.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, echoed those sentiments, saying that the Iranian military also has rights to be present in the region.



Related: Wildfires in Alberta Force City of 80,000 to Evacuate

The Strait of Hormuz accounts for almost one-third of the world's oil trade sea passages. Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates all rely on the Strait of Hormuz to export oil by tanker to Europe and the Far East. This strait connects up the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oma and the Indian Ocean and is some 180 kilometers long. At its narrowest point, its about 55 kilometers wide, and easy to blockade.

For the past year, the U.S. Navy has been accompanying American-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz, providing armed escorts, following the Iranian seizure of a Marshall Islands-flagged ship.

In January, 10 US sailors were taken into custody after two U.S. ships entered Iranian territorial waters on their way to Bahrain. The sailors were released within 24 hours.

Iran has threatened to block the strait in the past but has never made good on this threat and typically uses it for leverage. And it is significant leverage that would affect many countries.

By James Burgess of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of OnMilwaukee.com, its advertisers or editorial staff.

We've spent forever, it seems, waiting for someone to stand up, say "enough is enough" and that they are going to do something about it.

As the black community in Milwaukee has fallen further and further away from the American dream, we have heard lots of talk and seen little action in efforts to remake the landscape and solve some of these persistent problems.

From education to unemployment to equal housing to meal programs to incarceration rates to crime in the streets to a sense of dignity, the talk has been abundant while the solutions have been minuscule and almost totally ineffective.

The list of things needed to create some kind of meaningful reform is a long one, but high on that list  perhaps at the very top  is leadership from someone who actually has some power and influence to get stuff done.

Welcome into the breach a 49-year-old white guy who is so rich he could probably buy most of the homes in at least a couple of beleaguered aldermanic districts.

Chris Abele, the newly reelected Milwaukee County Executive, has made solving racial disparities "the highest priority" issue for his administration. He talked about it during his inauguration, and his reputation as a pragmatist who is viciously opposed to failure actually provides some hope.

During his inauguration, Chief Judge Maxine White called Abele a "warrior" for his promise to address "a deep divide in Milwaukee County"

At his inauguration, Abele said he wants the county to take the lead in easing the disparities in health care and housing, as well as changing the statistics in crime, incarceration and unemployment.

Elected officials have "a moral obligation to respond to crisis," he said.

"Every equality movement succeeds because it doesn't limit who can be part of it," he said this week in a phone conversation. "It's embarrassing that these conditions have dragged on for so long."

He said the county will concentrate on the 53206 ZIP code in Milwaukee. There are almost 30,000 people who live in that area, bounded by Capitol Drive on the north, North Avenue on the south, 27th Street on the west and the expressway on the east.

There are thousands of numbers about this ZIP code, but one that certainly stands out is the Adjusted Gross Income reported on tax returns. The average for the State of Wisconsin is $57,939. The average in this ZIP code is $20,501.

There is clearly a lot of work to do.

"There are people who say that Downtown is the heart of the city," Abele said. "I make the argument that 53206 is the heart of the city."

Last year, Abele got the County Board to approve an Office on African-American Affairs. This year, he is asking the board for $300,000 to fund it.

Obviously the office is a good idea. But we have had a lot of offices and programs and plans and initiatives. What we havent had is a leader who takes a global look at the problems in black community and promises to attack all of them.

"I am going to cash in every chip I have to get people to buy into this process," he said. "This is not a black problem or a city problem. This is an everybody problem."

What Abele is asking is that we, as a community, realize we can do more than walk and chew gum at the same time. For too long, we have bought into the concept of doing just one thing.

Lets stop the killing. Lets improve health care. Lets get the homeless off the streets. Lets cut unemployment. Lets get improve education. Lets do this, or that or the other thing.

Nobody in this town has ever said, "Lets fight for all of it."

What Abele is saying, more by actions than by words, is that he wants county government to lead the process of restoring an entire community to health.

Hes sophisticated enough to know that he cant do it by himself and the county cant do all of it. But Ald. Ashanti Hamilton, the new president of the Common Council, has pledged that the city will work with Abele on this drive.

"Ashanti and I have been talking about this, and he's a great leader," Abele said. "He wants to make sure that the city and the county coordinate on this. He's very helpful."

I dont think Abele is a savior. But hes a smart guy who listens to good ideas. He is the kind of guy who can get other people involved, deeply involved, in something he wants to get done. He is tenacious when hes after something  that sometimes ruffles some feathers  but this job isnt going to get done without some ruffling.
The latest

Step inside the new Corazon General Store, now open in Riverwest

There's a new spot in the Riverwest neighborhood to stock up on delicious take-and-bake dishes and support a variety of local makers.
Me: "Whats crackin, Fam?"

My cousin: "Im aight, but these folks at work got me twisted with all this stuff they piled on me last minute. These goofies tryna get me caught up, but Im not going  that mess is for the birds."

Me: "True."

In translation, I asked my cousin how his day was going, and he responded that he was doing all right, but hes upset about the last minute work hes getting from his co-workers (hes an event coordinator at a hotel). He refers to them as "goofies," a Chicago term that people dont take kindly to; a "goofy" is someone whos basically incompetent in all aspects of life. So, the incompetent nitwits and their last-minute antics have the ability to set him behind in his daily progress, but he isnt OK with it. Their antics are ultimately unacceptable, to which I agreed with.

Would we ever speak to our colleagues or bosses like that? No, unless were close friends with those people and, even more so, if those people were from Chicago. You see, theres this thing that people tend to do when they communicate with others in different setting.

Its called code-switching.

Code-switching refers to the alternation between different types of language during conversation. Comedians Key & Peele have famously demonstrated code-switching on multiple occasions, including their spoof on President Obama and his anger translator "Luther." Luther is "actually" black.

Angry Luther donned gaudy gold rings and spoke loudly, using slang and profanity, as he acted out what Obama really wanted to say. The genius of it is: I could absolutely see President Obama "popping off" the way that Key was  but only in the right setting.

Growing up, code-switching was a normal way of life for me. Coming from an immigrant Jamaican family, born in New York (with most childhood summers spent there), raised in Chicago, years spent living in Florida and with multiple English and journalism courses under my belt, my language influences are plentiful. "Whats crackin, Fam" may switch to "Wah gwaan, my Yute" if I see my cousin along with other family members, even though were both from Chicago; nevertheless, the majority Jamaican presence makes us switch to a more patois-based lingo.

Our code-switching is so swift and effortless that even our parents find themselves picking up on our ethnic Chicago dialect. Ill never forget the day that my aunt told me that my cousin was "tweakin" (Chicagos term for "bugging out") due to his not-so-trendy dance moves or the day my mom told me to go "kick rocks" because I refused to let her adjust my perfectly-laid bangs. Our Jamaican parents that "came from yaad" have found themselves code-switching to relate to their younger, yet grown, counterparts. This goes to show that any and everybody has the ability to, and most times follow through with, code-switching in various settings.

President Obama is one of the coolest dudes to ever do it. He has the ability to eloquently deliver a State of the Union or offer a little extra change to the cashier at the local hot dog shop with a, "Nah, we straight."

Its not like the president is trying to be someone hes not; hes simply showing different sides of who he is. Obama has been accused of being too black, or not black enough, time and time again due to his use of speech. Why is it that society feels the need to tell people to fit into a box of identity?

Isnt it possible that everyone is an individual and can relate to multiple ways of speaking, being or overall life?

The moment, though, that caught everyone off guard was at Saturdays White House Correspondents Dinner when Obama laughed and nonchalantly accepted Larry Wilmores referral to him as "my nigga."

Let me make this clear: Within the black community, the term "nigga" is often seen as a term of endearment to one another, but not all black people use it. Its another form of the term "bro" or "dude." However, its mostly not a word thats acceptable to use around mixed company  anyone who isnt of the African diaspora. And I am by no means a spokesperson for all black people, but I do know that when the N-word comes out of someones mouth who isnt black, its often in a derogatory sense. A lot of people were uncomfortable when Wilmore didnt hide his "blackness," or that of the presidents, and he definitely used the term openly in front of a room of mixed company.

Honestly, I dont really see the big deal with it. I dont know the extent of President Obama and Wilmores relationship, but Ive seen plenty of black men refer to each other as such on multiple occasions. They chose to show their identity as black men in that moment, a piece of identity thats continuously stigmatized and disrespected. People seem to forget that presentation is everything. For this reason, Barack Obama probably wouldnt have made it in the doors of Harvard, let alone become the president of the United States, if he presented his fully "black" self at all times.

Black parents even feel pressure about choosing to name their children George or Zoe, rather than Marquise or Sherisa, to keep them from being disregarded before they even have a chance at an interview. Trust me, Ive seen it happen. These are honest, real issues that black people face in their lifetimes and can determine our success at any moments notice. So of course Obama, and most professional black people, are going to code-switch the hell out of their interactions to better position themselves in society. Wilmores words in front of the Correspondents Dinner were nothing more than an opportunity to openly, and lovingly, appreciate and acknowledge Obamas black identity  and maybe even a reminder of the parts of ourselves we tone down for success.

Maybe Obama uses the term openly amongst his friends, but he wouldnt dare speak that way in front of anyone else. It doesnt make him a fake. It doesnt make him a bad person. It simply makes him human.

As a black man, theres a lot more pressure to be taken seriously in a professional setting because everyone expects you to be lazy, unreliable and a list of other negative qualities. I admire Obamas candid moments of normalcy; it reminds me  and others, Im sure  that its OK to acknowledge the parts of you that came from a place of slang and improper grammar, while simultaneously being the ultimate professional: the leader of the free world.

Code-switching isnt meant to be seen as negative. Its a normal function of human interaction.
After growing rumors over the past few days  and general speculation over the last decade  IKEA officially announced its first Wisconsin location, moving into Oak Creek with an estimated opening date of summer 2018.

The announcement was made this morning at a press conference in the Oak Creek Civil Center by IKEA representatives, along with Oak Creek Mayor Steve Scaffidi.

"Now with 41 stores in the U.S.  mostly in the east and in the west  we are focused on filling in the middle," said IKEA expansion public affairs manager Joseph Roth. "So to complement our stores in the neighboring states of Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois, we're expanding our Midwestern presence by bringing a little bit of Sweden to key metropolitan areas, such as Southeast Wisconsin."

"IKEA does not open stores just anywhere, nor very often," Roth added later, "but when we do, we make a commitment for the longterm."

Oak Creek Mayor Steve Scaffidi speaks at this morning's IKEA press conference. (PHOTO: Carolynn Buser)

The proposed new Oak Creek IKEA, located at the northwest corner of I-94 and Drexel Avenue, would be a single-level, 295,000-square foot store with about 1,200 parking spots. The blue-and-yellow location will feature a showroom with 50 fully decorated room-settings, three model home interiors, a self-serve furniture area, a 300-seat, cafeteria-style restaurant, a Swedish food market, a bistro, family features including a "Children's IKEA" area and baby care rooms, and nearly 10,000 exclusive home furnishing items.

The new IKEA is expected to bring approximately 250 jobs, as well as an estimated 500 jobs during construction of the new store.

"We are extremely proud to announce today that we're going to be the site of that future IKEA location," Scaffidi said. "I think it's going to be a tremendous addition to our city and to the county and to the state."

A display at the IKEA announcement in Oak Creek. (PHOTO: Carolynn Buser)

As rumors of the Oak Creek IKEA location began earlier this week, some wondered if the speculated spot was too close to the Schaumburg, Ill., location, as the two stores are just a little over 70 miles apart. According to Roth and IKEA real estate manager Liz Gabor, however, the Oak Creek land had what they look for in a viable store location.

"In general, we look for sites that are accessible and visible from a major interstate or highway, and that's exactly what we found here," Roth said. "The greater Milwaukee area is definitely a separate trade area from Chicago, so we view them separately, and we just thought this site is accessible for folks from throughout Southeast Wisconsin."

According to Gabor, IKEA is currently filling out applications with the city of Oak Creek this week, and the company aims to have government approval in the fall, start construction in spring 2017 and open in 2018.
One of the complaints about Donald Trump's presidential candidacy is that he doesn't present detailed plans. On April 27th, he presented his foreign policy "plan" at Washington DC's "Center for the National Interest." It was standard conservative rhetoric. Fleshed out with "Trumpisms." And lies.



In January, Pew Research reported that Americans' top concerns are terrorism and the economy.

On April 27th, Trump presented a three-part plan to deal with terrorism. He addressed ISIS: "Their days are numbered. I won't tell them where and I won't tell them how." When pressed for more details, Trump declined, "We must as a nation be more unpredictable."

Secondly, Trump promised, "We're going to be working very closely with our allies in the Muslim world." He didn't explain how he would accomplish this when he plans to bar Muslims from travel to the US.

Finally, he promised to "stop importing extremism through senseless immigration policies," alleging that, "There are scores of recent migrants inside our borders charged with terrorism." That's a substantial exaggeration; a February New York Times article reported: "Federal court documents show that at least 14 people who came to the United States as refugees have been arrested on terrorism charges in the last two years."

Trump grossly underestimated the ongoing US effort against ISIS: "We don't blockade, we don't bomb, we don't do anything about it." The Pentagon has reported 11,876 strikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. (16 Americans have died in this effort.)

Finally, he quipped: "ISIS is making millions and millions of dollars a week selling Libya oil." This isn't true. The non-partisan website Fact Check reported: "a senior analyst for Libya with the International Crisis Group, told us that the Islamic State's strategy thus far has largely been to disrupt oil operations in Libya rather than to try and make a profit off of them."

The Economy: Trump blamed President Obama for "weakening our economy." However, during this year's State-of-the-Union address, Obama claimed the US, "has the strongest, most durable economy in the world." The non-partisan website Politifact rated Obama's assertion "Mostly True."

Trump blames our supposed economic decline on bad trade deals. "NAFTA, as an example, has been a total disaster for the United States and has" literally emptied our states of our manufacturing and our jobs." Fact Check reported there are contradictory studies about the effects of NAFTA on employment. In 2015, the Congressional Research Service noted, "NAFTA did not cause the huge job losses feared by the critics or the large economic gains predicted by its supporters." They described the impact as "relatively modest."

Trump also claimed the President "crippled us" with "a huge trade deficit." However, Fact Check reported the trade deficit has gone down under Obama.

Trump not only wants to "rebuild" the economy, he also wants to "rebuild our military." But it's well established that the US spends more on defense ($596 billion) than the next seven countries combined: China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, England, India, France, and Japan.

Multinational agreements: Trump promised, "Under my administration, we will never enter America into any agreement that reduces our ability to control our own affairs" no American citizen will ever again feel that their needs come second to the citizens of a foreign country." Trump used NAFTA as an example of an agreement that worked against US citizens.

In previous speeches, Trump had characterized NATO as obsolete. On April 27th he said, "I will also call for a summit with our NATO allies" we will" discuss a rebalancing of financial commitments." In fact, President Obama has called on NATO partners to "ramp up their military and financial support for the NATO alliance."

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By Taxpayer Association of Oregon

Steve Buckstein wins 16th annual Thomas Jefferson Award at the Executive Club on May 4th 2016. The award is from the Taxpayer Association of Oregon and the Oregon Executive Club.

Steve accomplishments;

 Co-founder of Cascade Policy Institute

 Helped passed Oregons landmark Charter School laws in 1999

 Help found the Childrens Scholarship Fund

 Helped pass Right to Try Bill in 2015 which gives terminally ill patients access to potentially life-saving treatments

 National ROE Award, State Policy Network



Steve Buckstein serves as Senior Policy Analyst for Cascade Policy Institute, which he founded in 1991 and where he served as president from 1991 until 2004. In 2001, he received the distinguished Roe Award from the State Policy Network, recognizing his leadership among Americas free market think tanks and his decade of achievement. Cascade is dedicated to promoting individual liberty, personal responsibility and economic opportunity.

Prior to founding Cascade, Buckstein coordinated the 1990 Oregon campaign for a citizens initiative (Measure 11) to provide educational tax credits to every student in Oregon so they could choose public, private, religious or home schooling. Although Measure 11 failed in 1990, Buckstein translated the 1990 loss into a series of wins for Oregon students and a quarter century of progress towards school choice in Oregon. Throughout the 90s Buckstein helped to fuel the school choice movement by assembling a taskforce, crafting legislation, and lobbying in Salem for three legislative sessions. Oregons Charter School legislation passed both houses in 1999, and was signed by Governor Kitzhaber. Today more than 28,000 students attend 125 charter schools in Oregon.

On the heels of this victory, Buckstein helped to found the Childrens Scholarship Fund in 1999 which provided scholarships to more than 500 children from low income families to attend the private school of their choice for four years. In 2009 Cascade won a grant from the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, helping to scholarship more students.

At the state level, Buckstein continues to serve the taxpayers in numerous policy issues. In 2007 Governor Ted Kulongoski appointed him to represent taxpayers on the Task Force on Comprehensive Revenue Restructuring .

A valued and respected voice of opposition, Buckstein was appointed by Secretary of State Kate Brown in 2012 to weigh in on the opposing side of Ballot Measure 85 as part of the Explanatory Statement Committee. In 2014 he was also appointed to the Explanatory Committee in opposition to Measure 86, which failed at the polls.

Bucksteins work and policy analysis has been integral to the passage of several key bills promoting individual liberty and the free market, as follows.

2010 lobbied and won the Home Movers bill, allowing college students like Adam Sweet to do business without burdensome restraints and licenses designed to eliminate small businesses.

2011 lobbied and won for the Open Enrollment bill, which has helped hundreds of Oregon families transfer to a school or school district better suited to their objectives.

2015 lobbied and won for the Right to Try bill, giving terminally ill patients access to potentially life-saving treatments .

2016 lobbied and won for a two year extension of the 2011 Open Enrollment bill

On the near horizon, Buckstein is working to drive new legislation forward promoting Education Savings Accounts, which has succeeded at least partially in Nevada and four other states. Much like the uphill climb on charter school legislation, he is prepared to make progress through multiple legislative sessions as freedom gains momentum and ultimately succeeds. Buckstein has never allowed small legislative or ballot measure defeats define whether liberty will ultimately win the day. His is the long view towards success, knowing that every great idea and liberty worth defending is worth promoting by every possible means.

For 25 years, Steve Buckstein has promoted individual liberty, personal responsibility and economic opportunity in the day to day work at Cascade. He provides state and national leadership in several policy areas, including tax and budget issues, health care reform, education reform and Social Security reform. While he brings a wealth of brilliance, analysis, and action to each these critical policy areas, his lifetime passion and his proudest achievement continues to be his work on school choice.
by Larry Huss

I initially wrote this column prior to the results of the Indiana primary race. While had predicted a substantial win for Donald Trump, I did not anticipate the sudden collapse and suspension of the campaign by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). I have written previously about the flawed candidacy of Mr. Cruz and this past week the former Speaker of the House, John Boehner (R-OH) put an exclamation point on those flaws by declaring that Mr. Cruz was Lucifer in the flesh and the most miserable son of bitch with whom he had ever dealt.

In the end, Mr. Cruz proved to be a great orator and an even better organizer. Many of his wins came in states that did not rely on the popular vote in a primary  caucus states and states where the Republican leadership controlled the nominating process. In most instances where the popular vote was used, Mr. Cruz lost  the voters too found Mr. Cruz to a miserable son of bitch.

Mr. Cruz has had an unrelenting habit of casting aspersions on the character and motives of all with whom he disagrees. He has relied on the parsing of phrases and guilt by association to demean and denigrate his colleagues. These character traits earned him his repudiation amongst his colleagues and with the voters too.

But Mr. Cruzs traits are largely irrelevant now. The more important question is how one man  not a well funded, well organized and experienced political team  just one man, beat the entire national Republican establishment? How could a group  the national Republican establishment  actually be so impotent? Well, in fact, the evidence was always there. They were so internally focused on gaining and retaining power for themselves that they failed to use that power to solve the problems vexing the general population.

Despite the fact that there are more Republican governors, more statewide Republican office holders, and more Republican legislatures than in any recent time. All of this local resurgence is because voters are tired of big government, public employee unions and failing schools  they are tired of big talk by Democrats that more money is the solution to every problem, usually without any accountability. It is at the local level where things are getting done and thus the resurgence.

But it is at the national level where the real power lies. And the acquisition and retention of power on a national level means maintaining the status quo rather than advancing solutions. Let me put in language that even those forced to endure a teachers union lead education in the Portland public schools can understand. Identifying a problem is relatively simple. Even formulating a solution is often not that difficult. But proposing and defending that solution is like walking a minefield. Washington is so littered with special interest groups that any and every proposal is likely to ignite dissension from some group that is being adversely effected or left out from the benefit. So it is much easier to find fault with others proposals than it is to come up with and defend your own proposal. In fact, you only have to find fault with a portion of a proposal which is significantly easier than formulating and defending a whole proposal. The Congressional Republicans have become masters of criticism  assured of the validity of their objections, and secure in the knowledge that they do not have to defend an alternative.

The eight-year slog through the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is a prime example. Obamacare was such a mess from its inception that it required President Barack Obama to withhold critical financial information from the public and the Congress. That information included the actual costs  significantly higher than what Mr. Obama was telling the nation  and the operational effects  including the number of people that would be displaced with regard to their current insurance plan and their current physicians. And even withholding critical information  or just lying about it  wasnt enough. Mr. Obama with his allies in the Democrat leadership, including Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) regularly secured the votes of other Democrats though the generous and repeated taxpayer funded grants to constituent groups that bolster Democrat campaigns and recirculate portions of that money back into campaigns.

Its implementation was irreparably flawed with missed deadlines, special exemptions and costly enrollment plans that failed to work on a timely basis, if at all (Oregons $300M CoverOregon plan that failed to enroll a single person). And now it has become apparent to even its most ardent but ignorant supporters that Obamacare is about to collapse financially without a significant overhaul.

For over seven years the national Republican Party has called for the repeal of Obamacare. And yet, until this year, the Republicans have failed to place a repeal of it on Mr. Obamas desk. Every single Republican presidential candidate in 2012 and 2016 has called for the repeal and replacement of Obamacare and yet, to date, the Republican Party has failed to coalesce around a viable replacement. It is a prime example of the ease of criticizing someone elses solution and the fear of attracting criticism of your own alternative. By not offering an alternative, Congressional Republicans have not had to defend their own plan. They can safely ride the wave of resentment caused by the inept and heavy hand of Obamacare without incurring any criticism of an alternative. The status quo is preserved. The potential loss of power is minimized by not attracting criticism of an alternative proposal. The Congressional Republicans and the national leadership of the Republican Party believe they have preserved their power without exercising any of it.

It is the same game when dealing with Benghazi, with the IRS scandal, with the gun running scandal known as Fast and Furious, with the invasion of the Ukraine, with the red line in Syria, with the collapse of Iraq, with the rise of ISIS, and on and on and on. The criticism by Republicans of all of these has turned out to be hot air and endless and pointless hearings  I say pointless because the way they are conducted ensures that nothing gets done.

Repeatedly the Republican members of Congress have justifiably criticized Mr. Obama and the Democrats but without actually doing anything to change the conduct. Ultimately, it is the power of the purse  the unique advantage of Congress  that can control all of these either before or after the fact. And yet, the Republican Congress has failed at every turn to exercise the power with authority. Even when the Republican placed the repeal of Obamacare on Mr. Obamas desk with the sure knowledge that he would veto it, they did not have a back up plan to force its repeal by isolating the program from the remaining budget process and defunding it. The President cannot veto something that never arrives at his desk. If the Congress singularly refuses to fund a program, the program dies.

These failures coupled with the failure to understand the anger of voters over those failures are what has brought us to the Republican presidential nomination process. It is these failures that gave rise to the outsider  remember at one time the top three Republican presidential candidates according to national polls were the three candidates who had never held public office  Mr. Trump, Carly Fiorina, and Dr. Ben Carson. And yet the national Republican leadership failed to take this into account.

Smug in their nests of power, they assumed that they would control the ultimate outcome of the primary process given that thirteen of the sixteen candidate were part of the club  that included Mr. Cruz even though he was widely despised because he had demonstrated that he was dependent on the largesse of the core Republican contributors and thus manageable. They harrumphed that Mr. Trump was simply a summer fling and when the real campaigning began Mr. Trump would fade into the background. They bragged that as other candidates dropped out Mr. Trumps numbers would never increase and eventually the party would coalesce around a member of the club. So poor was their judgment and so late was their realization of failure that by the time they were ready to act, all that was left for them was to cling to was the terribly flawed Mr. Cruz. And by that time, the voters had pretty well got the measure of Mr. Cruz and they too found him to be a miserable son of a bitch.

I noted in previous columns that Mr. Trump was not my choice but I will surely support him over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) and if he is elected I will gleefully watch as Mr. Trump cleans house in the Republican hierarchy and replaces the status quo caucus with a can do caucus. And for those who will lose the power and position they so craved but refused to use to solve the nations problems  tough. Enjoy your passage into obscurity.
Skyline of Dubai, the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, with high-voltage power lines in the foreground. Credit: shutterstock.com/Rice University

The old hypotheses that said Persian Gulf energy subsidies were sacrosanct have been overturned, according to a new issue brief from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

In recent years, all six Gulf monarchiesSaudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrainhave begun to challenge the notion that citizens are entitled to cheap energy. They have raised prices on transportation fuel; three have increased prices on electricity and water in citizens' homes; and electricity and water subsidies for businesses have been reduced in five of the six monarchies, the brief noted. Across the Gulf, Iran has taken similar steps.

"Energy Subsidy Reform in the Persian Gulf: The End of the Big Oil Giveaway" was co-authored by Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute, and Shih Yu "Elsie" Hung, a research associate in the institute's Center for Energy Studies. The paper presents a snapshot of the progress of subsidy reform in the Gulf, documenting policy changes in all six monarchies and briefly examining the role of energy and the state.

"Many thought it could never happen," the authors wrote. "The energy subsidy reforms that have gathered pace this year in the Persian Gulf monarchies were long considered to be impossible or illegitimate, violations of a state-society 'social contract' in which welfare benefits are provided by the regime to buy public support. But since Dubai's pathbreaking reform of 2011, the old hypotheses that said Gulf energy subsidies were sacrosanct have been overturned by the evidence."

The authors said energy subsidies have long outlived their usefulness. Energy products such as electricity and gasoline have been distributed domestically at low prices that, in some cases, have been fixed since the era of oil nationalization in the 1970s. "Over time, government provision of cheap energy had the unintended consequence of encouraging high per-capita demand," the authors wrote.

Policymakers hope higher energy prices can produce a number of helpful effects, the authors said. These effects include relieving pressure on government budgets at a time when oil and gas revenues are low; reducing domestic demand for oil and gas that can otherwise be exported; increasing the relative attractions of noncarbon sources of energy; and encouraging conservation and efficiency, which helps reduce carbon emissions and the energy intensity of the gross domestic product while increasing overall productivity.

Despite the reform pace, the still-cautious nature of these reforms demonstrates that the monarchies remain deferential to the wishes of their citizens, who have been shielded from the brunt of the reform, the authors said. "The state remains wary of antagonizing people who possess new communication tools aiding mobilization," they wrote. They point to Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, who has said that social contract allocations cannot be changed without the consent of notable citizens. "The king cannot just wake up and decide to do something," bin Salman said in 2015.

More information: Energy Subsidy Reform in the Persian Gulf: The End of the Big Oil Giveaway. Energy Subsidy Reform in the Persian Gulf: The End of the Big Oil Giveaway. bakerinstitute.org/media/files  -CES_GulfSubsidy.pdf
Researchers from The University of Western Australia and Macquarie University have discovered that the visual systems in crocodiles are more cleverly designed than previously thought, allowing them to quickly adapt to their environment and facilitating their 'ambush' hunting techniques and semi-aquatic lifestyles.

Although general features about a crocodile's vision are known, there has previously been little knowledge about their retinal adaptations.

Nicolas Nagloo, a PhD student from UWA's School of Animal Biology, one of the key researchers involved in the study, said that crocodiles were excellent predators that were well known for quietly waiting at the water's edge before attacking their prey with a burst of speed.

"They are experts at ambushing prey while remaining concealed and their heightened vision plays a big role in this," Mr Nagloo said.

"The water surface makes up the majority of the bottom of the visual field and the visual horizon occurs along the riverbanks where crocodiles see best."

Mr Nagloo said that while the vision of saltwater and freshwater crocodiles was similar above the water's surface, the light conditions were significantly different when the animals were under water.

"In freshwater habitats, there is a lot of long wavelength [red] light," he said. "In contrast, saltwater habitats have a broader range of wavelengths, providing a greater amount of short wavelength [blue] light.

The researchers compared the eyes of the two crocodile species and found that instead of having a compact fovea (a depression in the retina where there is a high density of photoreceptors that provide a high resolution view of the world), the foveae of saltwater and freshwater crocodiles was stretched across the back of the eye in line with the horizon.

"This provides the crocodile with increased visual clarity and the ability to see fine detail without moving their head," he said.

Mr Nagloo said that the researchers had investigated the sensitivity of different photoreceptors in both species' eyes, and were surprised to learn that crocodiles have relatively sophisticated colour vision, provided by three colour-sensitive cones.

"The sensitivity of the saltwater crocodiles' colour photoreceptors was slightly shifted to shorter (bluer) wavelengths compared with that of the photoreceptors of the freshwater crocodiles, even though neither species can focus underwater, suggesting they may use their vision underwater more than we have previously thought," he said.

"The subtle difference between the visual systems of the two Australian species gives each an advantage in their environments."

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The fossil chelicerate larva discovered by LMU researchers is only 2 mm

On the basis of an analysis of 520 million-year-old fossils, LMU researchers show that embryonic and larval development in the early ancestors of spiders and scorpions was strikingly and unexpectedly similar to that of modern crabs.

The shale formations of Chengjiang in southwestern China are a treasure trove for palaeontologists and evolutionary biologists. The fossils found there are over half a billion years old, and researchers have been excavating them since the 1980s. The specimens that have come to light are so diverse and, for the most part, so well preserved that they provide scientists with a very detailed picture of what animals looked like in the Early Cambrian. This was the period in Earth's history when most of the major groups of animals represented in the biosphere today first evolved. Together with colleagues from Germany, China and the US, and with the aid of novel methods, LMU researchers have now obtained new insights into the evolution of ontogeny - the developmental process that leads to the transition from embryo to adult - in the taxon Arthropoda, an extremely diverse and abundant group of animals today, which includes the insects, spiders, centipedes and crustaceans. The new findings appear in the "Proceedings of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences".

Dr. Yu Liu (Department of Biology II, currently Department of Earth & Environmental Science at LMU) and his colleagues are well acquainted with fossil specimens of the species Leanchoilia illecebrosa. This arthropod is thought to represent an early marine form of the chelicerates, the group that includes spiders, scorpions and mites, as well as the horseshoe "crab" Limulus polyphemus (which - unlike the true crabs - is not a crustacean). The adult representatives of L. illecebrosa previously analyzed by the Munich researchers were between 2 and 4 cm long, and they described an immature larva two years ago that measures only about 8 mm in length. In this new paper they report a fossil that is only 2 mm long and carries a pair of pincer-like appendages, each comprising three flagella-like elements together with four pairs of well-developed branched limbs in the head, and a spike-like posterior region or telson. The authors interpret this specimen as an even earlier larval stage of Leanchoilia.

New segments at a specialized growth zone

Some aspects of the new fossil surprised Yu Liu and his colleagues, because they do not conform to the pattern of development that would be expected for an early representative of the chelicerates, based on what is known about the evolutionary pathway that led to modern arthropods. For instance, the new larva has fewer body segments than the adult, and the limbs at the rear of the trunk are rudimentary. To the LMU team (which also included Prof. Dr. Roland Melzer, Dr. Joachim Haug and Dr. Carolin Haug of the Department Biology II) and their colleagues, these features are more reminiscent of the later larval stages of modern crustaceans. In crustaceans, only the first four segments are fully developed in the newly hatched larva. New segments are progressively added to the trunk at a specialized growth zone located just in front of the telson over the course of several further larval stages. For the scientists, the new specimen of L. illecebrosa is yet another example of how important it is "to consider not only the morphology of mature organisms, but also their development from embryo to adult," i.e. the ontogenetic patterns, when reconstructing the evolution of animal groups.

The kind of detailed analysis carried out on this mini-larva "was made possible by a combination of several high-end methodologies," says Yu Liu. Among other techniques, the team subjected samples of the shale to computerized microtomography (micro-CT). This permits investigators to reconstruct and examine the fossil in three dimensions, without the need to painstakingly remove the sedimentary material concealing it.

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More information: Yu Liu et al. Three-dimensionally preserved minute larva of a great-appendage arthropod from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2016). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Yu Liu et al. Three-dimensionally preserved minute larva of a great-appendage arthropod from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota,(2016). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1522899113
Some migrants with qualifications report limited opportunities in Britain due to their gender.

Migration to and from the UK has always been a central part of the history of the UK, but have previous narratives largely ignored the everyday experiences of women? Linda McDowell, Professor of Human Geography in the School of Geography and the Environment, aims to set the record straight, with interviews with 74 working women who have settled in the UK at different times over the last 60 years.

Their accounts document their struggles to overcome discrimination and disadvantage to rebuild their lives in the book, Migrant Women's Voices: talking about life and work in the UK since 1945. They describe their journeys, their lives after migration, and the world of work in factories, hospitals and care homes, banks, hotels, shops, universities or driving buses. All the stories were collected between 1992 and 2012 and their female perspective challenges conventional histories and geographies of post-war change in British society. They relate stories of dispossession, hunger, violence and rape, but also the joy of rebuilding lives, establishing families and forging new ties with the community into which they settle. 'In the increasingly rancorous debates about the impact of migrants and possible Brexit, women migrants are seldom heard,' Professor McDowell says.

The book includes stories of female refugees who came to Britain at the end of World War II; of the boat people from Vietnam; the migrants from Pakistan and India after independence; those expelled by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin; and refugees who sought sanctuary after the Balkan war at the end of 1990s. Jewish women were given a home and work in the 1930s; and women and men from the Baltic States were transformed from asylum-seekers into what were termed 'European Volunteer Workers' and employed to assist in the post-war reconstruction efforts. Others featured include refugees after the Hungarian crisis in 1956, and East African people of South Asian heritage who came over in the mid-1960s.

Professor McDowell said: 'Some of these women walked halfway across Europe; others struggled in independence movements, seeing their fathers or husbands assassinated for their beliefs. Famine, wars, escape from sexual violence, or the search for employment were reasons for coming here. As economic integration continues and global businesses seek labour across ever wider spaces, migration seems likely to increase. In recent decades woman have been an increasing proportion of the total number and the quiet heroism of their everyday lives deserves far greater recognition.'

In the immediate post-war years, as many British women were leaving the labour market, women migrants were joining it, some as employees in the newly expanding public sector including the NHS. In the second half of the 20th century, many more women went to work as standards of living rose and a second income became more of a norm. Women stayed at school longer, went to university, and worked for wages for longer periods over their lifetime. By the start of the 21st century, jobs in the services had overtaken manufacturing. In the UK, by 2011, more than eight in every ten women workers were employed in the service sector. Recently, however, the post-crisis austerity programme and cuts in public sector budgets since 2008 have reduced women's options, suggests the book. Migrant women are often in jobs that typically white women prefer not to do, some of them have dubbed it the 'dirty work' of caring for others. Even migrants with qualifications have been restricted to low-paid work, at least initially, with some female lawyers, bankers and doctors from both Old and New Commonwealth countries finding opportunities are limited because of discrimination on the basis of gender rather than nationality, according to some of the women interviewed.

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Google once famously adopted "don't be evil" as its motto. But the company is now being accused of acting a lot like Microsoft, whose anti-competitive actions gained it the mocking moniker of the "Evil Empire."

European regulators late last month charged Google with abusing its dominant position in smartphone operating systems and announced that they would pursue an antitrust case against the company. There is a certain deja vu quality to the case, because the charges against Google have more than a passing resemblance to those levied against Microsoft in the antitrust case against that company at the turn of the century. And the stakes for other companies and consumers are similar in terms of innovation and competition in the tech industry.

To understand what Google's accused of, you have to understand some basic principles of antitrust law. We may not like monopolies, but it's generally not illegal for a company to hold the dominant position in a particular market. However, companies are generally forbidden from using their monopoly position in one market to try to block competition or to gain dominance in another market.

And that's basically what antitrust regulators at the European Commission contend Google has done.

The commission argues that Google has monopolies in three markets in Europe - Internet search, licensable mobile operating systems and Android app stores. The company's dominance over mobile operating systems and app stores in particular gives it enormous leverage over phone manufacturers and wireless network operators, the regulators noted. If those manufacturers want to be competitive, they have to offer Android phones, and those phones have to have Google Play store preinstalled. The regulators allege that Google has illegally tried to exploit that leverage.

If you own an Android phone, you've probably noticed that it has a folder, typically on the home screen, which contains a collection of Google apps, including its search app, the Chrome browser and Gmail. That's no accident.

According to published reports, including from The Information, Google's contracts mandate that phone manufacturers who want to provide access to Google Play and get the latest version of Android must carry a certain number of Google apps, including Chrome, and place them in a prominent position on their phones. In other words, according to the European Commission's case, phone manufacturers aren't free to pick and choose which Google apps or services to include on their devices or how to feature them. They have to install everything - or they get nothing.

Google's response to the charges is that the company requires the pre-loading of apps to help defray its costs for developing Android, which it offers free to manufacturers. Plus, Google notes, device makers can choose whether or not to use Google's version of Android and can pre-load other non-Google apps. Meanwhile, the company contends, consumers can choose the apps they want, including a whole raft of options that compete with Google's.

But Google's position understates the impact its moves have on competition. Why else would the company insist on having its apps installed and highlighted if it didn't think such moves would give its services a boost over rivals? As the regulators noted, few consumers install apps that perform the same function as apps they already have.

Google's moves hurt device manufacturers, most of whom are struggling to post profits, by hindering their ability to customize or differentiate their phones. And they're bad for consumers, because competition spurs innovation.

Google is also using its Android and app store dominance to bolster its search monopoly, according to the allegations. To get access to Google Play, device makers must install the company's search app, according to the regulators, and make Google the default search service on their devices.

If you remember the Microsoft antitrust case, all this sounds more than a little familiar. A federal court found that Microsoft similarly used its dominance in operating systems to promote its own applications, notably the Internet Explorer Web browser; block rivals, such as Netscape; and constrain the ability of manufacturers to customize their devices.

That case ended in a settlement that resulted in years of government oversight of the company. While criticized at the time as being too weak, that oversight arguably opened up breathing room for competition, which ironically included Google.

Let me be clear, I'm not anti-Google. Although I don't own an Android phone, I use the company's services every day. I write in Google Docs. I use Gmail for my work and personal email.

But I think Google's services ought to win us over because they address consumer needs - not because the company is manipulating the market. Google's services earned the loyalty of me and other consumers because they worked better for us than competing services from Microsoft and Yahoo. I'd like other companies to have the same chance to not only improve on what Google has done, but have a fighting chance to find a market for their products.

That's why it's important for U.S. regulators to step into the fray. It took a broad front of antitrust enforcers in Europe and federal and state governments to rein in Microsoft. If the E.C. allegations are true, a similar effort may be needed for Google.

2016 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus is tested for its response to various light colors by IU, Japanese and French scientists in the Okazaki Large Spectrograph at the National Institute for Basic Biology in Okazaki, Japan. Laterally projected regions of the light spectrum are reflected downward by mirrors positioned above the beakers containing the cells being tested. Credit: David Kehoe

An international team led by Indiana University researchers has uncovered the regulation of a system that allows a globally abundant bacterium to efficiently capture sunlight and perform photosynthesis.

The studyled by IU biologist David M. Kehoe and conducted by Joseph E. Sanfilippo, IU Ph.D. student, and Animesh Shukla, former IU Ph.D. student, in collaboration with researchers in the United States and Franceis the first to show how a process that improves light capture in marine cyanobacteria is regulated.

The research also provides insight into how genes can be easily transferred between cells in the marine environment by a process called horizontal gene transfer. This is a common form of DNA movement involving genomic regions called "genome islands" that is important for the evolution of many organisms.

The research is reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The cyanobacterium Synechococcus is the second most common photosynthetic bacterium in the Earth's oceans. The IU study focused on how Synechococcus controls its ability to efficiently capture both blue and green light for photosynthesis.

"It's important for us to understand more about marine cyanobacteria because they're a significant part of the base of the Earth's food chain," said Kehoe, professor in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Biology. "Our planet essentially runs on power from the sun, and these organisms are important for converting sunlight into the organic compounds that are food for other species. We could not exist without these and other 'primary producers' because we can't create food from sunlight."

In the marine environment, blue and green light penetrates the water column to different depths. In shallow coastal waters, many Synechococcus cells efficiently use green light for photosynthesis, while in deeper ocean waters, the bacteria maximize their capture and use of blue light. About one quarter of all marine Synechococcus examined so far can carry out this process, called "chromatic acclimation."

Kehoe led an earlier study that provided the first mechanistic insights into this "chameleon-like" ability of many Synechococcus to capture blue and green light.

The current study involved four groups of French and American scientists.

"Our colleagues in France, who are excellent biological oceanographers, were intrigued by the molecular aspects of chromatic acclimation, while the American groups were intrigued by its ecological implications," said Kehoe, a molecular biologist. "We recognized that by combining our efforts, we could examine this process at many scales, from the molecular to the ecological. It's a truly collaborative, multidisciplinary project."

The French groupled by Frederic Partensky and Laurence Garczarek of the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris and CNRS Station Biologique in Roscoff, Franceuncovered a genome island with six genes that correlated with the ability to undergo chromatic acclimation. Professor Wendy Schluchter and Ph.D. student Adam A. Nguyen at the University of New Orleans provided biochemical analyses for the study. Jonathan A. Karty, associate scientist in the IU Bloomington Department of Chemistry, contributed mass spectrometry results that were critical for the group's discoveries.

Together, the group's results indicate that a small genome island confers the ability to undergo chromatic acclimation. If a particular strain of Synechococcus does not have the genome island, it cannot undergo chromatic acclimation. However, if a strain acquires the genome island, as one quarter of strains appear to have done, it will likely undergo chromatic acclimation.

The group discovered that two genes, named fciA and fciB, located on the genome island are required to turn on and off the expression of the other genes on the genome island. As a result, this genome island appears to be self-regulating and able to tune its own response to changes in surrounding light color environment.

The results of this study provide important insight into regulation of horizontally transferred genes. Although the regulation must be correct when such genes enter a new organism, regulatory genes are often not located near the genes they regulate in a genome.

"We found that this genome island includes both types of genes, making it self-contained by allowing the proper regulation of this process to be provided along with the capacity for chromatic acclimation. We predict that this facilitates its spread in the environment," Kehoe said.
A week of rain has made for muddy going in the woods, and the Department of Environmental Conservation on Thursday urged hikers to stay out of higher elevations of the High Peaks.

There is still ice and snow on some of the higher, sheltered peaks. I'm guessing with all of the rain we have had that many trails around Lake George and the southern Adirondacks will be difficult to travel this weekend as well.

The DEC issued a news released, pasted below, with details on specific trails.

-- Don Lehman

DEC ALERTS HIKERS OF MUDDY TRAIL CONDITIONS IN THE HIGH PEAKS

Hikers Should Temporarily Avoid High Elevation Trails in the Adirondacks

As a new season of outdoor hiking and recreation on public lands in the Adirondacks approaches the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) urges hikers to be cautious and postpone hikes on trails above 2,500 feet until high elevation trails have dried and hardened.

Spring conditions arrived early and are present throughout the State and the lower elevations of the Adirondacks. However, backcountry trails in the higher elevations are still covered in slowly melting ice. These often steep trails become a mix of ice and mud making them slippery and vulnerable to erosion by hikers as the ice melts and frost leaves the ground.

DEC asks hikers to help avoid damage to hiking trails and sensitive high elevation vegetation by avoiding trails above 2,500 feet, particularly high elevation trails in the Dix, Giant, and High Peaks Wilderness Areas in the northern Adirondacks. Please avoid the following trails until trail conditions improve:

 High Peaks Wilderness Area - all trails above 2,500 feet; where wet, muddy, snow conditions still prevail, specifically: Algonquin, Colden, Feldspar, Gothics, Indian Pass, Lake Arnold Cross-Over, Marcy, Marcy Dam - Avalanche - Lake Colden which is extremely wet, Phelps Trail above John Brook Lodge, Range Trail, Skylight, Wright and all "trail-less" peaks.

 Dix Mountain Wilderness Area - all trails above Elk Lake and Round Pond

 Giant Mountain Wilderness Area - all trails above Giant's Washbowl, the Cobbles, and Owls Head.

Hikers are advised to only use trails at lower elevations as they usually dry soon after snowmelt and traverse deeper, less erosive soils DEC suggests the following alternative trails for hiking, subject to weather conditions:

 High Peaks Wilderness:

o Ampersand Mountain

o Owls Head

o VanHoevenberg

o Jo

 Giant Mt. Wilderness:

o Giant's Washbowl

o Roaring Brook Falls

o Owls Head Lookout

 Hurricane Mountain Wilderness

o The Crows

o Hurricane Mtn from Rt 9N

 Jay Mountain Wilderness

o Jay Mtn

 McKenzie Mt. Wilderness:

o Baker Mountain

o Haystack Mountain

o McKenzie Mountain

 Saranac Lakes Wild Forest:

o Panther Mountain

o Scarface Mountain

o Floodwood Mountain

A full list of recommended mud season hikes can be found on DECs website at (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9163.html). DECs website also contains information on trail conditions in the Adirondacks at (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7865.html).
QUEENSBURY | Jerry Porreca is hoping a new Smokey Joes location at the Million Dollar Half Mile will provide seasonal stability.

Porreca owns Smokey Joes Saloon & Grill at 25 Canada St. in Lake George, but hes had trouble keeping that location viable through the off season.

Ive been here in Lake George for 10 years, and this was the first time we closed in the winter, Porreca said. Its just such a struggle up here in the wintertime.

The new business, Smokey Joes Tavern, will be open seven days a week and will offer the same menu as the Lake George business. But it will also have a full bar, with seating for 35 to 40 people at tables.

There will also be some outdoor seating, under a tent-like structure, Porreca said.

The space was formerly Mr. Bills CarHop and is in the same building as Subway.

The outlets are right there, and theres always something going on there, he said.

Porreca said the new tavern will also offer ice cream, thanks to machines left behind by Mr. Bills. The latter business still has locations in South Glens Falls and Ballston Spa.

Hes got a great restaurant, said Queensbury Town Supervisor John Strough. Hes got some of the best food in the area, but in Lake George, he was basically capturing the Lake George crowd.

Strough said the new location will make it easier for Glens Falls and Queensbury residents, as well as Northway travelers and outlet shoppers, to try Porrecas food.

The new tavern was taking shape Wednesday, with the outline of the bar visible, as Rick Bouchard finished up a new paint job on the interior.

Porreca said he plans to open the tavern in the first or second week of June, though that is dependent on obtaining the liquor license, he said.

Its going to have a nice atmosphere, he said. Its going to be quaint. I think people will like it, and theres nobody up there except the Log Jam.

Porreca said he would consider staying open year-round at the Lake George location again, if wintertime traffic warrants that move.

Lake George Mayor Robert Blais said he thinks the Canada Street Smokey Joes will do well in the future, thanks to recent activity in the village.

Hes got the new distillery next to him, now, that John Carr built, with a very large parking lot, Blais said. Hes got the festival space in Wood Park coming to fruition. Hes got new sidewalks coming all the way down from Route 9 now, as part of the Gateway project. So, I see his location now being much more viable for foot traffic than its ever been.
FORT EDWARD | A Fort Edward man who threatened to kill a woman who was a witness against him in a criminal case has been sentenced to up to 4 years in state prison.

Kenneth G. Bates, 31, pleaded guilty to intimidating a witness, a felony, and misdemeanor counts of attempted coercion and driving while intoxicated, according to the Washington County District Attorney's Office.

He was arrested last September, after he allegedly went to the home of a woman who was a witness in a DWI case against him and threatened to break her hands, kill her and throw her in a river, police said.

Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan sentenced Bates to 1-1/3 to 4 years in state prison.
CORINTH  State Police arrested a Corinth man late Wednesday after discovering that he was manufacturing crystal methamphetamine in a local business, police records show.

Richard N. Bowman, 46, was arrested at 4B Liberty Street in Corinth after an investigation by state troopers from the Hadley and Wilton stations. Court records show methamphetamine-making materials were found at his home as well as 4 River Street, a logging supply shop where Bowman worked.

Few details were available early Thursday, but Bowman was charged with felony counts of unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine, criminal possession of precursors of methamphetamine and numerous misdemeanor drug counts that included criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of meth manufacturing materials, police records show.

Court records show he had a variety of chemicals and equipment used to make the drug as well as quantities of the over-the-counter decongestant pseudoephedrine that is one of the main ingredients.

Bowman was also wanted on a probation violation charge in Smyth County, Virginia, court records show. He was charged as a fugitive from justice on that charge.

He was arraigned and sent to Saratoga County Jail without bail.

The 4 River Street address is home to Popple Express, and the shops owner, Stewart Daniels, said he notified police about Bowmans activities.

Daniels said Bowman worked with his father while Daniels was out of town.

I turned him in, Daniels said. Ive been in business for 40 years and Im not about to have this sort of thing going on.

While the illegal stimulant has devastated other parts of the country, it has been slow to become a problem in the Northeast. Police have been seeing more indications that drug users are turning to it though. A large-scale manufacturing operation was broken up in Greenfield in 2013, and police in Glens Falls seized a quantity of the drug during an investigation last May.

Warren County sheriffs Lt. Steve Stockdale said a recent federal drug case outside the region involved a person with ties to Lake George who was involved with meth.

It is something we are starting to hear more about, Stockdale said.
WILTON | A former Malta man was arrested this week for allegedly stealing a $45,000 piece of heavy equipment from a business and selling it, police said.

Thomas J. Hayes, 32, of Palm Harbor, Florida, was charged with third-degree grand larceny, a felony, for allegedly taking a JCB front-end loader owned by Hayes Paving and stored in Wilton and selling it, according to State Police.

Hayes was acquainted with the business owner, police said.

The investigation was ongoing as to the location of the equipment.

Hayes was released pending prosecution in Wilton Town Court.
A continuing trend of deaths from heroin overdoses has prompted local police to meet with federal authorities to look for ways to hold drug dealers accountable for fatalities.

As at least five heroin overdoses remain under investigation in the region this year, police and prosecutors from Washington County met in recent weeks with representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice to discuss the possibility of federal prosecutors bringing charges against drug dealers linked to the deaths of others. Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan said the discussion was continuing, and no decisions had been made as of Thursday.

State law hinders the ability of police and prosecutors to bring homicide charges against drug dealers, but federal statutes can be used when illegal drugs kill or seriously injure someone. Those charges can bring weightier penalties than state drug charges.

The current state statutes dont adequately punish dealers in these situations, Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan said.

New York state case law has made it difficult to pursue charges against dealers above criminally negligent homicide. That is the states least weighty homicide charge, punishable by a maximum of 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison.

Washington County prosecutors did file manslaughter cases for some deaths in the southern part of the county in the early 2000s, but the dealers pleaded guilty to lesser counts. State law required that the person charged would have had to help the victim use the drugs for the homicide charge to pertain.

That loophole would change under bills pending in the state Legislature that would create a new state law known as homicide by sale of an opiate controlled substance. Bills that would create the charge are pending in both the state Senate and Assembly, after passing the Senate this year but not passing the Assembly.

Local police and prosecutors said the law would be a good addition as the battle against opioid addiction continues.

This needed to happen 10 years ago, Washington County Undersheriff John Winchell said.

I feel this would definitely help hold us hold dealers accountable, Cambridge-Greenwich Police Chief George Bell said.

Further complicating the situation is that many addicts seek out heroin that has killed others because it is viewed as more potent, Winchell said.

How do you battle that? he asked.

Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan said the most crucial detail in the proposed law will be how a dealer is defined. If not written correctly, the law could conflict with the states good samaritan statute that allows for overdoses to be reported without criminal repercussions, he explained.

The law shouldnt target friends or acquaintances who share drugs, but the person who ultimately sold it to them, Jordan said.

It would certainly be a good tool, especially if it is written in a way that allows us to get the dealers, he said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS  As the Environmental Protection Agency begins its review of the effectiveness of Hudson River dredging, community members made it clear what conclusion they want.

EPA is monitoring a failure and the dredging left toxic donuts of PCB contamination, said members of the Community Advisory Group on Thursday.

They asked EPA to commit to a measurable data point  such as high levels of PCBs in river sediment  at which officials would insist General Electric Co. do more cleanup.

EPA Project Director Gary Klawinski made no promises.

We are not making any determinations on what needs to be done or not done until we finish the review, he said, adding that EPA would follow the science and use five to eight years of data tracking PCB levels in fish, water and sediment to determine whether any sections of the river arent recovering as expected.

It was a contentious meeting, so much so that CAG member Dan Raichel thanked Klawinski at the end for taking all our abuse today.

The CAG met in Saratoga Springs to go over the plans for the review of five years of dredging. EPA started the review a year early in response to calls for additional dredging to remove more PCBs.

The schedule for that review was released at the meeting.

The agency will gather data this summer, evaluate the data this fall and hold public comment sessions early next year.

The final report is due April 23, 2017.

A CAG member asked for some comment sessions to be held near New York City. The PCBs are flowing downstream, and one benchmark of the effectiveness of the dredging is whether that flow has been reduced. But that hasnt gotten as much public attention as the 40-mile stretch of river that was dredged between Fort Edward and Schuylerville.

Downriver has been forgotten, absolutely forgotten, said CAG member Gil Hawkins. If it doesnt include those people, it isnt a review and I dont care what you come up with.

Klawinski said he would consider downriver public comment sessions.

As for the review itself, some CAG members said theres already plenty of data showing the dredging didnt do enough to remove PCBs.

Resident Dan Lundquist noted that the dredging plan was supposed to remove 64 percent of the PCBs in river Section 2, which is bounded by Fort Miller dam and the Northumberland dam at Route 4.

In the end, only 36 percent of the PCBs were removed there.

Klawinski defended the work, saying that more PCBs were removed than expected in the other two river sections.

In Section 1, 79 percent was to be removed, but dredging actually removed 81 percent of the PCBs.

In Section 3, 4.4 percent of the PCBs were to be removed but dredging removed 4.9 percent.

Lundquist wasnt impressed, calling the Section 2 dredging a big miss.

Are there plans now to monitor the failure? he asked sarcastically. When its off by that much, monitoring isnt enough. Fifty percent off means you know we didnt do it right. Monitoring seems inadequate.

Klawinski said the agency would review how effective the dredging was in that section.

Another CAG member vividly described the way he saw the results of the dredging. Since only hot spots were hit in certain areas, the dredging essentially left circles of toxicity, he said.

I envision it  and maybe this is juvenile  as a bunch of toxic donuts, Raichel said. Youve taken out the area of highest concentration, but youve left this ring of toxicity.

Members pushed GE to do more voluntarily. GE officials generally dont attend the CAG meetings, but CAG members directed their comments to Joan Gerhardt, a spokesperson for Behan Communications. Behan was hired to handle GEs public relations on this issue.

Gerhardt made no commitments for GE.

Well learn more as we get the data back, and thats where GEs focus is, she said.
For those who engage in light fishing and pair trawling, I have instructed the navy to try and arrest all of them, he said.

He cautioned the fishermen not to beg for the release of anyone caught in illegal fishing because their actions are collapsing the fishing industry.

When they are caught nobody should come to the Flagstaff House to plead on their behalf, president Mahama said. I wont listen because they are destroying the fishing industry. This is something I am taking very seriously. 

His interaction with them forms part of his Accounting to the People tour of the Central Region.

His warning comes on the heels of a similar interaction between the fishermen and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo Addo.

The fishermen complained about the activities of pair trawlers and directly accused the vice president Amissah Arthur of importing 20 trawlers into the country.
Mr. Addo-Kufuor takes over from Johan Ferreira who resigned from the chamber in April to return to South Africa.

He also served as the representative of the Chamber of Mines on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Advisory Council, and the Private Enterprises Federation Council of Ghana.

He also represented the Chamber in discussions with other Chambers of Mines in West African with the aim of establishing closer collaboration and alignment on the formation of a regional body.

Mr. Addo-Kufuor has over 19 years experience in the mining industry both within and outside Ghana.

Prior to his current role as Regional Chief Financial Officer of Newmont Africa, he worked with AngloGold Ashanti, rising to become a Director of the company and serving as Vice President Corporate Affairs, and Head of Finance of AngloGold Ashanti West Africa Operations.
In a statement signed by Toma Imirhe, the groups lead person on Economics and Finance, the group is concerned about governments intentions to further extend the application of the National Fiscal Stabilisation Levy to the end of 2017.

READ MORE: Finance Ministry fails to pay stabilisation and heritage funds for 2015

This planned extension of the levy will further increase the financial difficulties of all the companies on which it is being levied, the statement said.

They added that it will be unwise for government to implement both the new Income Tax Act 2015, (Act 896), which has introduced sweeping reforms and adjustments which are already biting businesses and individuals hard, and as well extend the National Financial Stabilisation Fund to 2017.
Sub-Saharan Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2015, the region was home to 88% of malaria cases and 90% of malaria deaths.

However, addressing a durbar on the occasion of World Malaria Day, Dr Antobre Boateng, the Deputy Eastern Regional Health Director in-charge of Public Health, said many Ghanaians still take malaria for granted, warning that it is deadly as AIDS.

Available data shows malaria infection is reducing but Dr Boateng indicated that health officers in-charge of malaria control in the region are unrelenting in executing their tasks to reducing malaria cases to a very low figure."Key indicators like fatalities in children under five, is reducing and we won't be complacent," he said.

Dr Constance Bart-Plange, the Malaria Control Programme Manager, in April 2016 disclosed that Ghana has achieved 45 percent reduction in malaria-related deaths from 2010 to 2015, due to improved case management.

She said the figures saw further downward trends recording 2,200 deaths representing 7.2 per cent in 2014 and subsequently 2,137 which was seven per cent in 2015, GNA reported.

At the durbar, residents were urged to desist from using the treated nets for farming and instead sleep in them to prevent malaria. In 2014, Ghanaian Businesses spent over GH20 million alone on Malaria.

Additionally, ninety per cent of the total cost was direct costs with the remaining 10 percent being indirect cost due to absenteeism.
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It only has four cells to hold all 94 inmates, a cell should house 15 prisoners, but with the numbers this camp has, a cell is currently being occupied by 29 inmates.

There are not enough beds for all inmates so some have to sleep on mattresses and blankets on the floor, it has been reported.

The situation at the camp came to light during a visit by the Gomoa East District Chief Executive, Mr Jonamoah Moses Jehu-Appiah and the executive of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association (CLOGSAG) in the Gomoa East District, led by its chairman, Mr Shadrach Hammond, who presented donated goods.

The Graphic reports Jehu-Appiah was visibly touched by the plight of the inmates and called on the Prisons Service let the public know its challenges since there were organisations both home and abroad that were ready to support it.

He pledged the assemblys commitment towards improving the living conditions of the inmates.

The officer in charge of the camp, Superintendent Thomas Mills Ayibor said more needed to be done to by corporate institutions to improve the conditions in the prisons across the country.
The MPs suggestion follows the incident where Chairman Wontumi on Sunday, May 1 showed his thuggery best when he slapped his fellow party member, Collins Owusu Amankwa who is the Member of Parliament for Manhyia North at a registration centre.

Following the disgraceful act, the police declared Wontumi wanted after which he turned himself in on Tuesday and was detained.

According to Kasapafmonline.com, Chairman Wontumi was arraigned before court on Wednesday, May 4 on charges of an assault of a public officer.

An Asokwa Magistrate Court later granted him bail to the sum of GHC 20,000 and is scheduled to re-appear in court on June 1.

But Hon. Kwadwo Baah Agyeman who condemned his Regional Chairmans assault on a sitting MP noted that the act of indiscipline is unbecoming of a high ranking party official.

He criticized him for his poor leadership management adding that the party should take steps to help him appreciate the essence of being a leader.

Wontumis posture towards Manhyia North since the very day the party decided to run the elections in the constituency has been manifested in what happened on Sunday. What he did to the MP must be condemned. I expect Parliament to defend our own.
According to the NPP regional chairman popularly known as "Chairman Wuntomi" he is not perturbed by the open bias of the police commander in the region.

He also accused the regional police commander for trying to bring his name into disrepute. Chairman Wuntomi made the assertion in a radio interview on Kumasi based Ash FM.

Mr. Boasiako was in police custody Tuesday for allegedly assaulting the party's Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwah.

Chairman Wuntomi is said to have slapped the MP and the NPP's constituency secretary Felix Ibrahim at a polling center during the limited voter registration exercise, Sunday.
The Volta Regional Chairman of the NPP, John Peter Amewu, had accused the government of diverting state resources to Togo in exchange of votes in the November polls.

He believed the government is transporting farming equipment to Togo to entice residents to come and register in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise, Citi reported.

But NDC youth activist Egypt Kobla Kudoto said the claims by the NPP does not hold water.

He said information available to the NDC suggests that over a million of Ghanaians are living in neighboring West African countries so it is their hope to ensure that such persons are not disenfranchised in the November 7 general elections.

Kudoto also denied the allegations by the NPP Volta Regional Chairman that government had constructed road and extended electricity project to some communities in Togo to buy votes.
"It is time, therefore, for the current generation to rise to meet the challenges of today. You have to help banish the disgraceful spectre of young Africans dying in the Mediterranean, seeking greener pastures in Europe," he said.

"Your generation has to ensure the fulfilment of the statement, made almost 70 years ago in 1949 to the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly by Joseph Boakye Danquah, the father of modern Ghanaian nationalism, that the two things go together, economic freedom and political freedom. And we must have the two together in this very age, and in the shortest possible time," the NPP flagbearer added.

Nana Akufo-Addo was speaking at the 2016 graduation ceremony on the award of an Honourary Doctor of Law Degree conferred on him by the prestigious University of Fort Hare, one of the first and oldest institutions of higher learning on the African continent.

Nana Addo was accompanied by his wife, Rebecca Akufo-Addo; brother, Edward Akufo-Addo; daughter, Edwina Akufo-Addo; Executive Assistant, Saratu Atta; Political Assistant, Francis Asenso Boakye; and Press Secretary, Eugene Arhin.
The picture was tweeted by a user on Twitter under the username, @Ghana_Matters.

The user captioned the photo, "John Dumelo donates six maths set, chalk and pens as part of his Volta region tour. ".

Initially I was a bit skeptic about whether the renowned actor, businessman and philanthropist (in his own words) had actually donated 6 sets of mathematical instruments to the school.

John Dumelo has since tried to clear the air. According to the actor he had donated over "100 math sets". He tweeted:

And I wasn't the only one who didn't understand what was going on in the picture. Many people couldn't work out why an actor of John Dumelo's calibre could donate only 6 sets to the school.

These ladies couldn't believe Dumelo would go all the way to donate just six sets.

Even we can't.

This particular guy couldn't have put it any better.

And this guy!

But it was this user who raised an important point about how no one was smiling in the pictures.

So we sought out some smiles.

This guy is probably thinking "What manner of rubbish is this?

No smiles there.

None here too.

And no smiles from this guy trying to see if this was some loaves and fish Biblical-like moment.
While details of her eventual exit has not been disclosed, sources said she took her last breath on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 in Lagos.

It was also gathered that the actress had not been enjoying good state of health for sometime and had continued working on movie sets till few days back.

Further investigation revealed that the late actress had been struggling with her health recently.

Just two weeks ago Nene took to photo sharing app, Instagram to pray for healing hands.

She shared the photo above with the caption, "So sick Lord Jesus I need ur healing hands, thank God it's a wrap."

Nene's death was confirmed by filmmaker, Ike Nnaebue on Instagram in the early hours of Wednesday, May 4, 2016.

The actress who hails from Ebonyi State, has starred in movies that include "Secret Mansion", "Dorobucci Love", "Love Wahala" , "Cheta" , "Hottest Strippers", "Hottest Virgins", "Quest Of A Life Time", "Romantic Heart", "Mistake Women Make", "Trap", "Game Of Pleasure" and "Amaka The Patient Girl".

She also made several appearances as a video vixen in several music videos that including 'Aiye Miami' by Lace featuring Reekado Banks and Pasuma, Samklef's 'Birthday girl' featuring May D and and Skripture's 'Sweet trouble'.

May her soul rest in peace.
undefined shares her emotional journey to finding love again in the arms of her childhood love Victor Tonye Cole after her very public divorce.

"Truthfully I had categorised all men as the same useless idiots (pardon my French)," she told the magazine, adding, "I am happy that I feel differently now. Marriage is always a better option for any woman who is single in this country. Forget 30, once you attain 35 and counting, men in this country call you a dead engine.

The actress who revealed she met her husband at 14 got married to her husband, Victor February 20, 2016 in a grand ceremony in the popular city of Port Harcourt.

Monalisa was formerly married to Segun Dejo-Richard and their marriage crashed in 2009 following domestic abuse. They had a child together.
The 21-year-old Jimoh who walks with th aid of crutches, is said to have been causing havoc in the community, robbing and dispossessing people of their property while armed with a single-barrelled gun.

He was arrested alongside his partner in crime, Kamoru Anisere, by policemen from the Agbado Division of the State Command on May 1, after many complaints of their activities.

Jimoh's doomsday came after he was caught in the afternoon of the day with some stolen clothes packed in a polythene bag by some residents, who alerted the police.

After he was handed over to the police, he was said to have led the operatives to Aniseres residence in the Agbeyangi area of the community.

Jimoh reportedly told the police that he usually struck in the day when residents had gone to work, and that he only stole clothes from his victims houses.

Asked how he came about the gun, the suspect said the gun belonged to his father and denied using it for the operation.

Some policemen followed me to search my house and the gun was found. The gun belongs to my father, but I dont use it to rob. I go into houses to steal when residents have gone to their various places of work. I only steal clothes.

There is also a woman called, who sells alcohol in Ijeja. Whenever I stole her drinks, I took them to , an okada rider, and Kamoru (Anisere), and they gave me cannabis in return. I also give my mother part of the money I realised from the operations. I steal alone.

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, has confirmed the arrest of the suspects, saying they would be transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Abeokuta, the capital, for further investigation.

The suspects were arrested by the anti-robbery patrol. They live in the same area. A search conducted on their premises led to the recovery of one locally-made single-barreled gun.
The arrested Nigerians have been identified as 24-year-old Igwe Chikwneni Emaniyal and 37-year-old Ifunanya Ginika Minke, said to be the ring leader who was out on bail after being previously jailed for drug offenses.

The third accused has been identified as Ugwu Ugochukwu Stanley (33), who was caught from near P DMello road.

The raid came as a result of several complaints by residents of the activities of the Nigerian drug dealers in the stretch between Byculla an D P D'Mello Road, and over 70 police and drug officials raided the area on April 29.

In the raid, more than 20 foreign nationals were found in the stretch, but at the end, only two were arrested while the remaining escaped, and as it turned out, the two were Nigerians, while a third Nigerian was arrested a few days later.

The operation also left eight policemen injured after the criminals pelted the officers with stones while resisting arrest.

According to Atulchandra Kulkarni, the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), the reports of the activities of the foreign criminals had been growing, forcing the authorities to go on the raid.

"We had received reports that the foreign nationals roam around the area in big groups making it difficult for small police teams to nab them. Hence, we decided to form a number of teams of at least four to five officers in each and take them by surprise.

We conducted the operation after midnight and took private vehicles to intercept them. However, the accused were comfortable with the topography of the area and ran towards the railway tracks between Masjid and Dockyard road station and escaped.

As the area is not well-lit and has high traffic of fast trains, we could not pursue them for long.

One of them jumped from a 30-foot high bridge, while the others picked up stones lining the tracks and pelted them at the officers, slowing their progress and also injuring many.

They were found with packets containing cocaine, each weighing 20 grams."

The police also seized seven mobiles, a digital weighing machine and Rs 44,000 in cash.
"I will divorce my wife if she doesnt stop with this Zeeworld and Telemundo obsession, Eze told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

Eze, who works with one of the government hospitals in Abuja, said he had informed his wife, Dorothy a week ago that her obsession to the popular soaps was interfering with her marital life.

"I told her last week that I was fed up with how her obsession with these channels was making her to neglect her duty as a wife and mother.

"Yet she keeps watching these shows when shes supposed to be partaking in more important things like taking care of the children and cooking reasonable food for us, Eze said.

The pediatrician said he had to buy food from restaurants four times last week, as his wife had either forgotten to prepare food for the family or burnt the food she was preparing because she was watching Zeeworld and Telemundo.

"Tell me, is this not enough to sue for divorce.

"As a doctor, I have a very hectic job and should come home to a tasty hot meal.

"I have purchased foods from restaurants four times in the last week, because I came home to an empty pot or burnt food and this is unacceptable. he said.

According to him, this is after I talked and complained to her about the effect Zee world and Telemundo are having on her.

"On Tuesday, she forgot to pick our 10-year-old daughter from school because she was watching her shows.
The agencies managed to bring the man down after he tried to use the cable on the pole to cut himself, and was rushed to the Eti-Osa Primary Healthcare Centre where he is currently receiving treatment.

The man who was seen perched on the pole early in the morning and claimed he would kill himself unless he was given the sum of N5 million, was later identified a Cameroonian by the name Fredrick Gino.
The Enyioke family had reportedly visited the 1st Sgt. Melanie Scott and Master Sgt. Michael Henry, senior noncommissioned officers who had been assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 35th Air Defence.

Scott and Henry had been among a group of service members who had according to reports, caught Mrs Precious Enyioko and her three children as they had jumped from the fourth floor of a burning building in Songtan, South Korea on April 29, 2016.

CNN had reported that, the 30-year-old Enyioko, had drawn the attention of onlookers and men of the United States Air Force who had rushed to the scene, by dangling her one-year-old baby through the window.

The airmen corralled others to help hold blankets, and then tried to persuade the mother to drop her children to safety.

As the Airmen and the others persuaded her to drop the baby, Enyioko was said to have reluctantly let go of the child.
He said he got the letter from a "concerned Nigerian and reached out to Sanusi to verify its authenticity.

Amaechi said against Sanusi's wish, he shared the letter with some Governors, and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who was investigating oil theft at the time.

although Sanusi disagreed on the way forward, he went ahead to share it with some Governors anyway, and with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who was investigating oil theft at the time.

As contained in a statement issued by his media office, Amaechi said he was hell-bent on stopping the alleged looting of the nations resources, which he described as mind-boggling corruption under the last administration have vindicated him.

A concerned and patriotic Nigerian who felt sufficiently troubled with what was happening then, gave a copy of the Sanusi letter to Amaechi in Amaechis capacity as the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). Like Amaechi, we should appreciate that concerned Nigerians patriotism, the statement read.

When Amaechi got the letter, he spoke with Sanusi who was still the CBN governor to confirm the authenticity of the letter. Sanusi confirmed to Amaechi that he wrote the letter. During their conversation, Amaechi made it abundantly clear to the then CBN governor that the bleeding of the nation had to be stopped, all non-remitted funds remitted and that he (Amaechi) was going to use the letter to do whatever is in the best interest of the nation and Nigerians, which was the stoppage of the non-remittance and the recovery of all the non-remitted funds from oil sale. The CBN governor didnt agree with Amaechi on the way forward.

Considering that the letter was given to Amaechi as chairman of the governors forum, he shared the letter with his colleague governors first, and with Senator Bukola Saraki (now Senate President), who before and around that period was doing some work or/and investigation around the oil sector in the senate.

According to the statement, the issue of the letter came up when an American delegation visited Amaechi in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

Around that period, a delegation from the United States of America government, from the offices of the secretaries of state and defense visited Amaechi in Port Harcourt to discuss the issue of oil theft in Nigeria. From their records, they gave Amaechi figures of billions of dollars (about $7 billion dollars, annually) that was being lost to oil theft in Nigeria. They were discussing the issue and figures of oil theft, and that was how the CBN governors letter to President Jonathan came up.

In the presence of journalists covering the visit, Amaechi brought out Sanusi letter to the visiting American delegation to buttress the point that Nigeria was losing far more money to non-remittance of proceeds from oil sale into the federation account, which everyone seemed to concur, was in itself, another form and another dimension to the issue of oil theft.

To suggest, infer or even extrapolate that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi surreptitiously, clandestinely or underhandedly leaked the CBN governors (Sanusis) letter is indeed most unfair, disrespectful and uncharitable to his person. Amaechi did what he did because he believed that the theft and corruption was just too much. He was propelled by his patriotic zeal to put Nigeria first, do what is in the best interest of the nation and Nigerians, and stop the bleeding and sucking of our collective resources by a tiny few."
Ayeni dispelled the speculation that he had an interest in the Auctus Integrated, which is one of the companies that allegedly paid in the part of the $115 million fund into Fidelity Bank Plc. at the instance of the former Minister of Petroleum resources, Diezani Alison  Madueke.

In a statement signed by Ademola Adedoyin, Special Adviser, Corporate Communications to Dr. Olatunde Ayeni, the alleged link with Auctus Integrated was described as unfounded and without an iota of truth.

'Following persistent enquiries from a section of the media, we deemed it fit to lay this speculation to permanent rest as our Chairman, Dr. Olatunde Ayeni, CON, has no interest whatsoever and has no link in whatever capacity with the said Auctus Integrated.

'The attempt to link the Chairmans name to the $115 Million Dollar Slush Fund with Fidelity Bank is not only mischievous but disingenuous handiwork of adversaries who will stop at nothing to concoct stories no matter how ridiculous about our chairman.

'For the avoidance of doubt, we need to state it again that Dr. Ayeni is a law abiding and patriotic entrepreneur who continues to contribute to the growth of this economy and who, through business acumen and initiatives, continues to create employment opportunities to hundreds of Nigerians in the Finance, Telecommunications, Oil & Gas, Maritime and Real Estate Sectors, among others of our economy.

'In spite of the mischief of these adversaries, Dr. Ayeni remains committed to this economy and shall continually do everything ethical and within the law to contribute his quota to its growth,' the statement reads.
NAN reports that the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including women and children, were seen roaming streets, offices and market places in the area begging for alms.

NAN checks showed that most of the IDPs were taking shelter in unoccupied stalls at Hadejia market due to lack of an approved camp in the area.

Some of the IDPs, who hitherto took refuge in Hadejia, had however relocated to their homes due to improved security in Yobe and Borno.

NAN also reports that though the population of the IPDs in Hadejia has decreased, their activities have continued to constitute public nuisance.

Hadiza Bukar, one of the IDPs said she was forced to beg to get what to eat and feed her three children.

Bukar said she fled to Hadejia after the insurgents sacked their village in Damasak, Yobe.

Another IDP, Yagana Modu, said she could not locate her family since the insurgents attacked her home at Geidam area of Yobe.

Modu said that she was evacuated to Hadejia by a Good Samaritan along with hundreds of other women and young children who survived the attack.

She added that they had not been receiving assistance from the government or any organisation since they moved to the town two years ago.

Alhaji Haruna Amadu, a resident of Hadejia, described the condition of the IDPs as pathetic.

Amadu said that the IDPs were living under terrible conditions which exposed them to so many difficulties.

He said in spite of the alms and food the IDPs get from the locals, it was necessary for government offer them succour.

There is a need for serious government intervention toward improving the plight of the IDPs he said.

He also called on organisations and wealthy individuals to support the IDPs to improve their living condition.

An official of Hadejia Local Government Council, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said that the state government had conducted need assessment and head count of IDPs with a view to assisting them soon.

He said that the state government had also provided transportation to Jigawa indigenes among the IDPs to enable them reunite with their families.
Sanusi, who was referring to Diezani Alison-Madueke, said the ex minister was untouchable during GEJs tenure.

The monarch said I knew that taking on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporaton was taking on the most powerful minister in Jonathans government, and nobody who had touched Diezani had survived. It was not a question of what would happen, I just didnt care at that time. I did not want to go down in history as having seen this and kept quiet.

After the first round of reconciliation, there was $29bn that was explained. And how was that explained? Crude that was shipped by NNPC did not entirely belong to NNPC.

Sanusi also revealed that former President Jonathan threatened him for writing a letter to him(GEJ) to explain the missing NNPC funds.

He said In the middle of all these, the President called me and said I should see him at 3pm. I turned up at 3pm and the entire place had been swept. There was no one apart from security services. I got to his office, it was just me and him. It was as if everybody had been asked to go.

And so he says to me, hes calling me because he is surprised that the letter I wrote to him got to Obasanjo, I said Im surprised too. He said he was convinced that the letter went from the CBN to Obasanjo, and I had 24 hours to find who leaked the letter or sack somebody; the director who prepared the letter or my secretary and if I did not sack them, it was proof that I leaked the letter and therefore, I should resign."

Sanusi also said I said to him that Im surprised that Im being asked to resign for raising an alarm over missing funds and the minister in charge of the portfolio is not being asked to resign.

From then I knew I had signed my equivalent of a death warrant. But I said I was not resigning. He got very angry and said whether you like it or not, youre going to leave that office, I cannot continue to work with you, either you or I will leave government.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was suspended as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, by Goodluck Jonathan 20 February 2014.
The ex minister also described as false, reports that said he has been in hiding.

Fani Kayode said My reaction to the allegation that I have gone underground and that I am hiding from the EFCC and made available to Vanguard early this morning.

I have just read some absurd media reports in which have quoted their sources in the EFCC, as saying that I had gone underground and that I was hiding from them. This is false. I have not been invited by the EFCC by letter and neither have they phoned me or attempted to reach me in any other way. I have been in my Abuja home for the last few weeks and I am not hiding from anyone.

He also said he is not a coward, and threatened to resist any attempt to intimidate him.

He also added that some people are trying to demonise him by making him look like a fugitive.

The former minister said he will honour any invitation from the EFCC, to shed light on the presidential campaign funds of former President Goodluck Jonanthan.

Fani Kayode also said This is also to justify what the EFCC wish to do which is to arrest me in public, humiliate me or to storm my home and lock me up indefinitely. There is no need for all that drama and if it happens that way the Nigerian people will know why. I have no fear of the EFCC, I will respond to their invitation any day and anytime they send it to me and I will help them to clarify whatever issues they wish to raise in any way that I can.

Others were invited in a civilised way and were treated in a humane and decent manner. I really do wonder why I should be treated differently, criminalised in the newspapers in this way and not even afforded the common courtesy of a formal invitation by them. I await their letter or their call and I leave those that wish to give the impression that I am running from them to God. 
The former World Bank executive also said the policies were hurting the poor, adding that Mr. President was using his dictatorship attitude to run the country.

Premium Times reports that Adeosun said I disagree with Mrs Ezekwesili.

The present government has a planned economy and does not operate a command and control economic system as alleged by the former minister.

There are no quick solutions to the current economic woes. We are going to pump N350 billion into the economy until we see growth. The job will be done painstakingly, and we will come out of it better.
This is coming on the heels of a threat by Niger Delta Avengers to bomb more crude oil facilities.

The militant group has claimed responsibility for the bombing and issued a statement saying We want to pass this message to the all international oil companies operating in the Niger Delta that the Nigeria Military cant protect their facilities. They should talk to the federal government to meet our demands else more mishaps will befall their installations.

Until our demands are met, no repair works should be done at the blast site.

A source from the Department of State Services (DSS), who confirmed the incident to Vanguard, said the militants totally destroyed the platform using dynamites.
GEJ on his Facebook page, extolled the virtues of his former boss saying Six years ago I lost a dear friend and partner in democracy, peace and progress. President Umaru Musa Yar'adua was a servant leader and a stickler for the rule of law. He may be gone but he is never to be forgotten. I pray for his soul and for him to rest in al Jannah firdaus.

YarAdua, before becoming President in May 2007, served as the Governor of Katsina State from 29 May 1999 to 28 May 2007.

The Late President left for Saudi Arabia in 2009 to receive treatment for pericarditis.

Several controversies and rumours surrounded the state of YarAduas health, during his tenure.

The Nigerian Senate, on 9 February 2010, adopted "doctrine of necessity" to transfer Presidential powers to Goodluck Jonathan, and declared him the acting President, with all the accompanying powers, until Yar'Adua returned to full health.
A young man in his late 20s-Robinson-who believes the only way he can succeed is to travel overseas, and an easy way out is surfing through the internet for an online date. Luck smiles on him as he hooks up with a white prospective lady, Emilia. He starts financial extortion in the pretence that he is preparing the marital rites.

Meanwhile, he has a Nigerian girlfriend, Caroline, who has been taking care of him and his uncle, Gbenga.Robinson convinced Caroline to go along with his plan on the agreement that he was going to divorce Emilia after six months, inherit her wealth and marry Caroline. When Emilia arrived Nigeria, Robinson got the shock of his life...through the eyes of the foreigner, our nation's greatness is revealed
1. Akintola was born on May 5 to a father from Oyo State and a mother from Edo State.

2. The actress has a degree in Theatre Arts from University of Ibadan.

3. Akintola made her acting debut in 1995 in the movie "Owo Blow." She came into limelight after her performance in "Out of Bonds."

ALSO READ: undefined

4. While in school, the actress used to perform every weekend at a place called Divine on Allen Avenue, alongside the late Jaiye Aboderin.

5. She is of the school of thought that no man is perfect. In a 2012 interview with Bella Naija, the actress said, "Any woman thats looking for Mr. Right will die single, old and wrinkled. There is no perfect man."

ALSO READ:

6. She produced, directed and starred in the TV soap, "Circle of Three," which aired on TV for two years.

7. The actress plays the late

8. Akintola won the best actress award for "Heaven's Hell," at the 2015 Eko International Film Festival (EKOIFF).
1. "Blackbird"

The movie also stars Mike Godson, Alex Ekubo, Ini Dima-Okojie, IK Ogbonna, Nkechi Emmanuel, Kevin Ikeduba, Victor Olaotan among others.

"Blackbird" revolves around three individuals - Chukwuma, Babatunde and Raheem, struggling to make it in the harsh Nigerian economic enviroment.

Despite their education, the trio find themselves unable to secure a job. The movie explores the theme of survival.

2. "Don't Cry For Me"

Mary Lazarus' character as Alero, an unfashionable young lady married to an unfaithful and manipulative man in "Don't Cry For Me," earned her an Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards nomination at the 2016 edition.

"Don't Cry for Me" tells the story of Alero, who is married to Temisan, a disloyal man, who moves in with Aleros closest friend, without her knowledge.

ALSO READ: undefined

Directed by Elvis Chuks, the movie featured the actress alongside Wale Ojo, Vimbai Mutinhiri, IK Ogbonna, Adunni Ade, Enyinna Nwigwe, undefined Chinonso Young, Bolanle Ninalowo among others

About movie;

People make several life decisions only for "The Wrong Reasons," and for every wrong or desperate decisions we make ,drastic price to pay or a huge lesson to learn.Love and sacrifices in relationships is key, but can all these make wrong decisions right?

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4. "Bad Drop"

Synopsis

A young business executive, Oreva, is in dying need of a promotion. To make his dream a reality, he has got to seal a major deal for his company. On the day of his special presentation, he takes a "Bad Drop" that jeopardizes his chances.

Produced by Sobe Charles Umeh and Stanley Nzediegwu, the movie featured the actress alongside Kalu Ikeagwu, Stan Nze, Ani Iyoho, Sandra Eze and Angel Vara.

ALSO READ: undefined

5. "Losing Control"

"Losing Control" features Mary Lazarus as Uche, a young woman who disguises herself as a man to land a job.

A Royal Arts Production, the series stars the actress alongside Joseph Benjamin, Mike Godson, Susan Peters, Sylvy Oluchy, Jemima Osunde, Eddie Watson, Mary Njoku among others, and is directed by the talented Ikechukwu Onyeka.

Happy birthday to the talented actress.
Adamu stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kuje on Thursday, May 5, during the partys congress to elect its leaders in the area.

"Adequate arrangement has been put in place to ensure that PDP wins 2019 general elections at the national and state levels.

"We have realized the mistakes we made at the last elections and therefore, the necessary calculations are in top gear.

"I want to call on all members that are not happy with the outcome of the just-concluded FCT chairmanship elections to reconcile their differences and join hands for the future, Adamu said.

He said the party in the area has five cardinal programmes consisting agriculture, education, health, infrastructure development and youth empowerment.

He urged members to respect the party Constitution at all times, adding that PDP would come out stronger, vibrant and more united during and after 2019 elections.

"All party members are charged to always see themselves as one family and not to see politics as a do-or-die affair.

"The resolution committee will ensure that each of the senatorial districts presents an aspirant out of the many aspirants that will want to contest in future.

"Aspirants who have indicated interest to contest for any position will be expected to agree on only one aspirant to avoid any disagreement."
WhatsApp is now back online in Brazil! Your voices have been heard once again. Thank you to our community for helping resolve this. That said, the idea that everyone in Brazil can be denied freedom to communicate the way they want is very scary in a democracy. You and your friends can help make sure this never happens again, and I hope you get involved, Zuckerberg said in a post on Facebook.
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
The crisis began when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced in April 2015 plans to run for a third term. Despite criticism that that violated the constitution and a peace deal that ended the civil war in 2005, he went on to win July's election.

Nkurunziza's camp says a court ruling had declared the former rebel-turned-president eligible to seek another term.

The police report said 59 of its officers had been jailed over the last year for "serious misconduct". It did not detail their actions but opponents of the government have accused the police of violently suppressing protests and dissent.

The government denies that but say the police have pursued opponents who have taken up arms. At least three rebel groups have emerged, one of them led by army officers who launched a failed coup last May.

The violence, which diplomats say includes tit-for-tat killings of pro-government supporters and political opponents, has so far largely been driven by political differences.

But diplomats and residents in Bujumbura, which has seen the worst of the violence, say there are worrying signs of ethnically motivated killings.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo reported that suspected fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist group, raided the village of Luna, north of Beni in North Kivu province, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. Secretary General.

Eastern Congo has been plagued by instability and conflict for two decades and civilians are often the target of militia, rebels and military units. Competition for the region's mineral resources has helped fuel the fighting.

There were at least 17 victims including eight women and four children who were shot and hacked to death, said the Centre of Study for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights (CEPADHO), which documents violence in North Kivu.

The raid on Luna took place 300 metres from two U.N. mission bases, Omar Kavota, executive director of CEPADHO, said in a statement, adding that seven of the dead were from one family.

An American researcher on Congo reported in April that soldiers had taken part in massacres of civilians in northeastern Congo since 2014.

The Kinshasa government has blamed most of the killings on the ADF, which has operated in the area since the 1990s.

The government subsequently expelled the researcher, Jason Stearns.
Decades later, as South Africa's President, he hasn't lost his touch.

Lampooned in the media, jeered in public and now facing calls from inside and outside the ANC to resign over millions of rand of improper state spending on his private home in Nkandla, the 73-year-olds grip on power seems like it should be weaker than at any point since his election in 2009.

Yet he endures, thanks to skills honed decades ago in the exiled ANC underground, promoting little-known officials who do his bidding to powerful positions within the security and intelligence portfolios, politicians who work around Zuma say.

Critics, including former cabinet ministers and top commanders of the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), say Zuma's administration also demotes opponents and intimidates dissenters. One example: Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, a constitutionally mandated anti-corruption watchdog investigating the spending on Zuma's home, became the subject of an intelligence ministry probe into allegations she was a CIA spy.

Zuma's spokesman Bongani Majola did not respond to multiple requests for comment on this article or for an interview with Zuma. ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa also did not respond.

Intelligence Ministry spokesman Brian Dube denied that security institutions were being misused. "These allegations are not new. They have been made before and remain unsubstantiated," he told Reuters in answer to emailed questions.

One senior ANC source, who did not wish to be named for fear of retribution, said the key to Zuma's power was his lock over the party, regardless of his standing among the public.

"So-called experts have been saying Zuma is finished for years but they don't have a clue how politics here works," said the ANC official. "People ask, how does Zuma survive? No one asks, how does Vladimir Putin survive?"

"THE GRINDSTONE"

Zuma, whose Zulu middle name, Gedleyihlekisa, means "the one who smiles as he hurts you", joined the ANC in 1959. The son of a policeman and domestic worker from what is now rural KwaZulu Natal, he had little formal education.

After 10 years on Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela, he fled apartheid South Africa to emerge in the late 1980s in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, as deputy head of the ANC's secret police and head of the 'Green House', its intelligence unit.

One of his main tasks was to unmask informants and traitors within the ANC and MK, wielding the resources of the ANC secret police, known as iMbokodo or "The Grindstone".

The Stuart Commission, an internal ANC inquiry into unrest in 1983 in guerrilla camps in Angola, described iMbokodo as "the most notorious and infamous department in the camps and perhaps in the whole movement".

The report, available on the ANC's website, painted a picture of the ANC security services as a state-within-a-state, feeding off rumour and "not working for the security of the general membership and interests of the movement".

According to historian Stephen Ellis in his 2012 book, "External Mission: The ANC in Exile 1960-1990", Zuma's time in Lusaka shaped the rest of his life.

"For the remainder of his political career, this experience in charge of intelligence was to be Zuma's key institutional base," Ellis wrote.

Ronnie Kasrils, intelligence minister between 2004 and 2008 under Mbeki and an anti-apartheid veteran, spent years in the ANC underground and intelligence circles alongside Zuma.

"The first people he appointed were in his security team," said Kasrils, who has publicly called for Zuma to resign.

"It was vital that Zuma had the heads of intelligence to do his bidding. It gives you the ability to dig up dirt on politicians and keep a close eye on opponents," he said.

One such appointment was David Mahlobo, an unknown provincial hydrologist with no security experience, as intelligence minister in 2014.

The ministry had traditionally been assigned to ANC high-fliers with impeccable "struggle credentials" such as Kasrils or Lindiwe Sisulu, the forthright daughter of ANC stalwart and close Mandela friend Walter Sisulu.

"Mahlobo was a likeable guy but a surprise appointment," Kasrils said. "Zuma wanted someone young and green who is dependent and won't question him."

Another was Nkosinathi Nhleko, a fellow Zulu whom Zuma appointed police minister in 2014.

When Madonsela, the Public Protector, published a damning report on renovations Zuma had made with public money to his Nkandla home, including the building of a swimming pool, Zuma asked Nhleko to open an inquiry. Nhleko said the pool was a fire-fighting resource, backing up his conclusion with a video of firemen using the pool to pump jets of water.

THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE

Another appointment that startled observers was the selection last year of small-town mayor David van Rooyen as finance minister, a promotion that sent the rand into a tail-spin and resulted four days later in his dismissal.

In total 35 ministers and 38 deputy ministers have been appointed during Zuma's term of office, far more than any other South African leader since apartheid.

At the same time, senior ANC figures have been moved out of the party's top decision-making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC).

"A major problem is the 'juniorisation' of appointments to ensure compliance and loyalty," Siphiwe Nyanda, a top MK commander and communications minister fired by Zuma in 2010, told Reuters.

Zuma has also changed the way members are elected to the NEC'S 'Top Six', a body that ultimately chooses the party president.

Under a so-called "slate" voting system, trusted delegates to the 5,000-member ANC conference held every five years are told who they should vote for and are expected to confirm they have obeyed with a photo of their ballot, two ANC sources said.

"With 'slate' voting we no longer have proper democracy in the party. They have become voting cattle," Nyanda said. An ANC spokeswoman declined to comment on the issue.

Dissenting voices in parliament or cabinet stay silent as a result. On April 5, ANC members of parliament, who control almost two-thirds of the assembly, voted unanimously against a move to impeach Zuma following a constitutional court ruling against him over the Nkandla affair.

Asked by Reuters why he had voted as he did, a senior member of government known to be anti-Zuma merely rolled his eyes. The politician asked not to be named for fear of recriminations.

UNDERHANDED TACTICS

Bugging telephones and intercepting emails of senior party figures and journalists has become routine, Kasrils said.

He did not provide details. But in 2009, 783 corruption charges against Zuma were dropped after his legal team came up with phone intercepts -- dubbed the Zuma spy tapes -- that suggested a political motive when the charges were laid.

How Zuma, who was then challenging Thabo Mbeki for the leadership of the ANC, obtained the wire-taps has never been revealed. The Pretoria High Court on April 29 ordered a review of the decision to drop the charges.

Critics also complain about intimidation tactics and smear campaigns.

A week after the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) filed court papers against Berning Ntlemenza, head of the police's elite Hawks investigations unit, the NGO's offices were robbed.

HSF executive director Francis Antonie said the robbers took only old computers. "It's plausible this was an information gathering exercise or meant to intimidate us, he said.

Provincial police spokeswoman Noxolo Kweza said she could not answer questions about the case because it had been taken from us by the Hawks, which the Hawks, South Africa's version of the FBI, denied.

Some Zuma opponents have found themselves the target of campaigns linking them to the U.S. government, a charge that points to the Cold War paranoia that lingers in parts of the ANC, which was backed by the Soviets.

Among these was Madonsela, the author of the Nkandla report, who afterward became the subject of an investigation, ordered by Mahlobo, into allegations she was a CIA agent.
If you don't have plans to eat Mexican food today, is it even Cinco de Mayo? Heres seven picks for tacos and tequila (ahem, margaritas) on this fiesta-filled day. Pro tip: Some places will keep the party going on Saturday.

1. Ganzos

Ganzos (3923 N Marquette St, Davenport) is pretty much the official Cinco de Mayo party host. They have a two-day celebration planned for today and Saturday.

Today, all Mexican beers and lime margaritas are $2. You can also expect food specials and bands starting up at 5 p.m.

On Saturday, make some room for round two of your Mexican-food splurge with the Ganzos Cinco De Mayo 5k race at 9 a.m. Saturday also has face-painting, a jalapeno eating contest plus music and dance on the schedule. For more info, visit ganzos.com.

2. Great River Brewery

Want to celebrate with some patio-sitting and craft brew-sipping? Great River Brewery (332 E. 2nd St, Davenport) is having its own fiesta with its Dos Pistolas dark ale. The festivities kick off at 5 p.m. with grub with Coats Catering. Fore more info, call 563-323-5210.

3. Azteca Mexican

Want a splash of networking with your Cinco de Mayo celebrations? Azteca Mexican (4811 N. Brady St., Davenport) and the Young Professional of the Quad-Cities are teaming up with Network at Night today, starting at 5:30 p.m. Hang out under the party tent and enjoy food and drinks and a deejay. Cost is $10 for non-members and free for members. For more info, call 563-386-6689.

4. Los Compadres

In terms of taco places in the Q-C, this is the new kid on the block. Los Compadres (510 Brady Street) opened in February and has slowly been adding to their menu  they got their margarita machine in a few weeks ago just in time for this weekend. With a sign that reads Life without Mexican food is no life at all on the inside, you can be sure they take taco-eating seriously. For more info, call 563-888-5253.

5. Rudys Tacos

Did you know Mexican moonshine is a thing? You can try it at Rudys Tacos (2214 E. 11th St., Davenport) on Saturday. The taco shop in the East Village kicks off its fun at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Hear live music, including Doug Brundies Big Acoustic Act, Serious Business and Lynn Allen, from and Catch the taco eating contest at 5 p.m. Theres $5 taco baskets, $4 margaritas and yes, samples of Mexican moonshine. Fore more info, call 563-322-0668.

6. La Rancherita

Head over to La Rancherita (2139 16th St., Moline) for your Cinco de Mayo to-dos. Get domestic bottles (including Corona and Modelo Especial) for $2.25 plus other specials. For more info, call 309-797-1769.

7. Taco dinner fundraiser

Want to feel better about your taco dinner? Get a $5 Mexican-themed meal tonight that benefits the Glenview Middle School Mariachi band. The meal includes two tacos, beans, rice, chips and salsa and a drink. Head over the high school cafeteria (3100 7th St., East Moline) from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and hear tunes from the school's two mariachi band groups. Read more about the fundraiser in a recent #NotesatNoon from reporter Jack Cullen.
A Rock Island teenager charged with fatally shooting 15-year-old Jescie J. Armstrong last week did so during an armed robbery, prosecutors revealed Wednesday in new charging documents.

Kire G. Carr, 17, shackled and dressed in gray sweatpants and a black sweatshirt, listened quietly as Rock Island County Associate Judge Peter Church read him the four counts of first-degree murder he faces in Armstrongs death during his first court appearance at the Rock Island County Justice Center.

When Church asked him if he understood the charges and possible penalties, the tall, thin teen quietly answered, Yes.

Two of the charges accuse Carr, who has been charged as an adult, of shooting Armstrong while committing an armed robbery.

If someone dies during the commission of a felony, then someone can be charged with actual murder, even if there is no intent that someone was there to kill somebody, Rock Island County States Attorney John McGehee said after Wednesdays hearing.

He declined to provide more details, citing an ongoing investigation.

First-degree murder in Illinois carries a possible prison sentence of 20-60 years.

Two of the charges Carr faces carry an enhanced sentence of 45 years to life in prison because he is accused of using a firearm in the offense.

Prosecutors often file multiple counts of the same offense, such as murder, that contain varying legal elements to give the judge or jurors options when considering a verdict.

Rock Island police were dispatched just before 2 p.m. April 27 to the 500 block of 20th Avenue after receiving a report of shots-fired inside a home.

Officers found Armstrong, who had been shot in the head, inside the residence. He was taken by ambulance to Trinity Rock Island, where he later died.

Carr was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service the next night at an apartment in Columbus, Ohio.

Marshals said in a news release that Carr and a female accomplice were involved in a dispute with several others, which led to the shooting of Armstrong. The marshals said Carr was staying in Columbus briefly and had plans to flee to coastal Georgia.

Carr, who waived extradition, was transported this week to the Mary Davis Detention Home in Galesburg, Ill., where he is being held on a $1 million cash bond.

At the time of his arrest, he also was wanted on several Rock Island County juvenile arrest warrants for failing to appear on felony charges. McGehee declined to say what Carr is charged with in those cases.

He also declined to say whether the female accomplice, who has not been named, or anyone else will be charged in the case.

Rock Island County Assistant States Attorney Heidi Weller said during Wednesdays hearing that the county jail may have the capability to house Carr in a segregated part of the facility while the case is pending.

McGehee said housing Carr in Rock Island will save the county money if a judge approves the request.

Carr's appointed attorney, Rock Island County Assistant Public Defender Hector Lareau, said during the hearing that he would be happy to take up the issue at a preliminary hearing Tuesday.

Family and friends of both Armstrong and Carr, along with news reporters, packed the tiny jailhouse courtroom Wednesday for Carr's initial appearance. Several others sat just outside the room.

Armstrongs family, some of whom wore shirts with his picture, declined comment Wednesday.

Carrs mother, Nikki Carr, told reporters she was saddened by the allegations and drugs, guns and violence is a problem that is "taking over our communities."

Right now, Im going to stand by my son no matter what because thats what a mother does, she said. But I am so deeply saddened for the woman who lost her child. Im just really sorry that all of this happened. This didnt have to happen.
Opposition to bicycle lanes on Jersey Ridge Road has convinced Davenport aldermen to postpone moving ahead with making the street more accessible to those on two wheels.

Several aldermen said Wednesday that after hearing from neighbors around the Jersey Farms Neighborhood, they would support tabling the roads conversion, which would have come up for a vote at next weeks City Council meeting.

I dont think were in a big hurry to move forward on bike lanes, Alderman Ray Ambrose, 4th Ward, said.

We made a commitment to get back to neighbors, Alderman Jeff Justin, 6th Ward, said, referring to a neighborhood meeting last week. I think we should take a step back and make sure we have the right traffic numbers with the projected buildout of Veterans (Memorial Parkway).

Plans call for restriping Jersey Ridge with bike lanes on both sides between Kimberly Road and Jersey Meadows Drive.

Several residents spoke at Wednesdays Committee-of-the-Whole meeting.

Were concerned with the increased traffic flow we see on Jersey Ridge, said Tom Jacobson, president of the Jersey Farms Neighborhood Association.

Some drivers do not want to share the road with bicyclists, said Cynthia Schalk, another resident.

The issue was postponed indefinitely until city staff can report back to aldermen with current traffic counts along Jersey Ridge and future projections after Rhythm City Casinos new land-based hotel complex opens and surrounding areas are developed.

Alderman Kyle Gripp, at large, says he lives in the area in question and rides his bicycle down Jersey Ridge to get to work.

Nothing separates you from the traffic, Gripp said. Im riding at 5:15 a.m. with my head turned to make sure no one is going to hit me.

In other news, Davenport deputy public works director Brian Schadt informed aldermen that the first phase of the Brady Street construction project is set to begin May 16 and last until November. Two lanes of traffic will remain open at all times while a crew from Langman Construction Inc. of Rock Island repairs underground sewers this year and replaces the surface next year, Schadt said.
A roundup of state government and Capitol news items for Wednesday:

INMATE DEATH: State Department of Corrections officials announced Wednesday that an inmate had died at the Iowa Medical & Classification Center in Oakdale. DOC spokesman Fred Scaletta said Clayton Clyde Manning, 63, died Monday in the IMCC Hospice Care Unit of natural causes because of complications from bladder cancer. Manning was serving a life sentence stemming from a first-degree murder conviction in Jackson County. He began serving the sentence in April 1981.

GODFREY CASE: The states cost of defending Gov. Terry Branstad and his administration against legal action brought against them by Christopher Godfrey now stands at $907,015, according to state records. The Iowa Executive Council this week approved another $34,932 to be paid to the Des Moines law firm of LaMarca & Landry PC for costs associated with a lawsuit brought by the states former workers' compensation commissioner. Godfrey left the post in August 2014 to accept a federal post. Godfrey was appointed to a six-year term as the states workers' compensation commissioner in 2009 by former Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat. He has been at odds with Branstad, a Republican, since he refused the governors request in 2011 to step down from his post after Branstad defeated Culver in the 2010 election. Godfrey sued Branstad and members of his administration in 2012 after the governor slashed his $112,068-a-year salary by $36,000 in 2011. Godfrey, who is gay, sought $1 million in compensation, claiming defamation, harassment, sexual discrimination and extortion. The case in Polk County District Court is hold while a legal aspect before the Iowa Supreme Court is decided, but no date has been set for the review to take place during the courts new term which begins in September.

FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF: Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered all flags on the Capitol Complex to be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday in observance of the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony, which is to be held at the Oran Pape State Office Building of the Iowa Department of Public Safety in Des Moines. Also, flags at the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial, located at the Oran Pape State Office Building, will be flown at half-staff the week of May 16-20 in honor of National Peace Officer Week. The governors directive applies to all U.S. and state flags on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays on the Capitol Complex. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect. A memorial ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. at the memorial to pay respects to Iowa police officers killed in the line of duty.

DAY OF REASON: Members of the Central Iowa Coalition of Reason and the Eastern Iowa Coalition of Reason will be celebrating a Day of Reason with an official proclamation signed by Gov. Terry Branstad in his formal Capitol office on Thursday. Coalition coordinator Rory Moe said the secular, pro-science groups requested the proclamation as part of a nationwide effort to make the National Day of Reason a recognized holiday in celebration of science and intellectual pursuits. The purpose of the Day of Reason is to celebrate reason  a concept all Americans can support  and to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship, Moe said. The Day of Reason is also meant to help build community among the non-religious in the United States.

 Times Bureau
Rock Island County voters could be asked to approve a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot after County Administrator Dave Ross outlined a series of possible five-year budgets Wednesday during a special county board meeting.

Ross presented four possible budgets during an hour-long meeting and explained the ramifications of each.

With Budget A, the county does nothing and continues down the same road. Doing so, Ross said, would leave the countys general fund with a deficit of more than $27 million. Clearly, we cant do that, he said.

Budget C would increase property taxes, which go into the general fund, in the first year by 101.5 percent.

Budget D, he said, would provide for no new sources of revenue and achieve a general fund balance of more than $5 million, a 21.3 percent increase. It also would lower property taxes in the first year by 11.63 percent, and by 8.83 percent cumulatively over the five years.

But that budget would call for laying off 116 people, including 60 out of the sheriffs department, six from the circuit clerks office, eight from the states attorneys office, nine from court services or probation, four from the county clerks office, and 29 other positions. It also would eliminate several deferred maintenance needs.

I cannot even imagine how the county will function if we have to do that, Ross told the board. Multiple offices and departments are not going to be able to do their job if it comes to Budget D.

There are a lot of things I have answers for, but I dont have the answers if it comes to Budget D, he added. The sheriffs office will not be able to do its job. We cant stop crimes from happening. There may even be more crime under this option."

The option that Ross favors, Budget B, calls for a half-cent sales tax, lowers property taxes the first year by 9.26 percent, cumulatively lowers property taxes by 2.42 percent over five years, increases the general fund reserve by 25.97 percent to $8.1 million, maintains minimum staffing and allows for all current and deferred maintenance needs. It also allows for a one-time saving of $1.4 million that will be determined later.

Ross said if board members choose Budget B within the next two weeks, then he will work with States Attorney John McGehee to draft the language of the sales tax resolution for the November ballot. He would plan to hold six town hall meetings around the county, two a month from August through October, to answer residents' questions about the budget.

Board member Richard Brunk, of Moline, who is chair of the boards finance committee, said that none of the options presented is ideal. But, he added, Budget B has the most appeal.

Obviously the property tax deal, thats simply out of the question, Brunk said of Budget C. Budget A, holding with the status quo, we simply cant do it. You cant go that far into the hole. Wed never recover.

Budget B, with the sales tax referendum, thats not ideal either, he added. That being said, knowing what I know, knowing our current financial situation and what it will take to continue to provide the services the county is required to provide, I favor Budget B.

The only other option after Budget B is Budget D, and the type of drastic cuts well be looking at just cant happen. The county couldnt operate. Brunk said. "If the referendum doesnt pass, then God help us.

Board member Mike Steffen, of Moline, said before he chooses one of the options he would to see what they would look like without the county-owned Hope Creek Care Center in the mix.

Thats the big elephant in the room, Steffen said. Id like to see how the numbers would change if we divested ourselves of the nursing home, sold it.
Four women, all in their 90s, sat around a table Wednesday afternoon at the Buffalo Bill Museum in LeClaire, sifting through stacks of unidentified photos.

The nonagenarians had been recruited by the museum's Dick Wales to try to identify at least some of the hundreds of photos that have been donated to the museum over the years. The donors apparently had no further use for them and thought maybe the museum might like them.

But without knowing who is in the photo, or what building is pictured, or where or when the picture was taken, the images' value in interpreting LeClaire's history is limited.

Among the collection: A man standing on his head marked "Dad, 1941." A beautiful young woman from the early 1900s, her hair in an updo, wearing a white blouse with a lace collar touching her chin. Three blankets tied together on a rope between two trees marked "John's tent."

Settling into her task, Ethel Moffit Holst pointed to a picture and asked, "Isn't that guy sitting there a Holst?"

Mary Ahlgren, sitting next to her, agreed that it might be Ralph Holst, so a Post-It with Ralph's name was affixed to the picture, and it was placed in the "identified" pile.

Many of the photos, though their subject remained a mystery, spurred memories. Memories of a woman nickname Brick because she had red hair or of the days when Princeton had a lot of businesses and isn't it a shame that Kernan's (a restaurant) closed?

"Oh my gosh, was this down in the Valley?" Holst asked, holding a picture filled with rows of cabbages extending to the horizon.

"Pretty soon, there'll be no pictures," Bernice Frazier remarked. "They'll all be on a computer. I'm not going to buy a computer."

"Me neither," Holst said.

Phyllis Dearing got the catch of the day when she picked up a photo and immediately proclaimed, "That's my house!" Her home was a former button factory on Cody Road that she and her husband converted to living quarters in the mid-1940s. She still lives there.

And so it continued for about 1 hours, with about 25 photos going into the "identified" pile. These included pictures of Cecil Fletcher, a farmer/musician who became a local celebrity; the interior of the Slip-In, a 1950s-60s restaurant named for a man nicknamed Slip, and the original Presbyterian Church that now is the Kiddie Karrasel day care.

The women were tuckered out, and sorry they couldn't have been of more help.

"This is a job that needs to be done in small doses," Connie Carlott, of the museum's board of directors, agreed.

Still, as she left the museum, Holst was smiling. "That turned back the clock," she said.
The legislative session has come and gone and still there is no comprehensive medical cannabis program that would allow sick and suffering Iowans access to medical cannabis. The current bill that Iowa has states epilepsy patients can legally posses cannabis oil, but theres no way for us to access it.

This 2014 bill passed does nothing for us. The bill that should have passed this session would have allowed for distribution in Iowa and would have added more diseases, such as multiple sclerosis or end-stage cancer. But instead, House Republicans failed us once again.

Instead, they would rather patients travel across state lines to try and obtain medication, which is federally illegal. The majority of states only allow distribution to current residents. Plus, families dont have the time, money, or the ability to travel to other states.

There are 25 states that have working medical cannabis programs, why cant Iowa? Seventy-eight percent of Iowans support a medical cannabis program; the Legislature needs to listen to their constituents. Families are making calls, sending emails, and traveling to the Capitol daily to advocate for this to pass, on top of taking care of their sick loved one.

This election year, I urge everyone to pay close attention to what their representative stands for. I am passionate on this topic because my son has epilepsy and used to have tonic/head-drop seizures daily, and these stopped after taking cannabis oil. This is proven medicine and Iowa needs to step up to help.

Cassie Helland

Mason City, Iowa
Q: On Nirvanas MTV Unplugged in New York album, several songs are covers of songs by other artists. Where can I find the original versions of these songs?

A: Recorded on November 18, 1993, MTV Unplugged in New York (1994) is considered by many to be the best album in the Unplugged series. Of the fourteen songs on the album, six are covers. Three of the six, Plateau, Oh Me, and Lake of Fire, are by the Meat Puppets and can be found on their second album, Meat Puppets II (1983). In fact, two members of the Meat Puppets, brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood, played on the three tracks. Jesus Doesnt Want Me For A Sunbeam is originally by the Vaselines, a band from Edinburgh, Scotland that was one of Kurt Cobains favorites. The song can be found on The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History (1992). Where Did You Sleep Last Night is a traditional song that was made famous by folk legend Leadbelly and can be found on many of his albums. The most famous cover song on the album has to be David Bowies The Man Who Sold the World. The song is the title track of Bowies 1970 album, which was very controversial at the time of its release due to the cover photo of Bowie wearing a dress. MTV Unplugged in New York became Nirvanas third No. 1 album.

Q: I recently purchased Leann Rimes Greatest Hits. I really like Last Thing On My Mind, her duet with Ronan Keating. What can you tell me about Ronan Keating?

A: Born in Ireland in 1977, Ronan Keating first achieved fame as a member of the boy band Boyzone. The band was phenomenally successful in Europe throughout the mid-to-late-90s. In the UK alone, they have amassed sixteen Top 5 hits, including six that went to No. 1. They made a cameo appearance behind a contrite Bono in U2s 1998 song, Sweetest Thing. In 2000, Keating released his first solo album titled Ronan, followed by Destination in 2002, and Turn It On in 2004. His pairing with Rimes was an extension of his apparent love of American country music. His first No. 1 hit in the U.K. was a cover of Keith Whitleys 1988 country hit When You Say Nothing at All. He also had another U.K. No. 1 in 2002 with a remake of Garth Brooks If Tomorrow Never Comes and reached No. 2 with a remake of Kenny Rogers She Believes In Me. In addition to being included on Rimes Greatest Hits, the song can also be found on Keatings third solo album, Turn It On. Since then, Ronan has recorded several additional solo albums, including When Ronan Met Burt, his 2011 album of Burt Bacharach standards. Earlier this year, he released his tenth solo album, Time of My Life, which he says was inspired by his wife, Storm Uechtritz, and the contentment he is feeling these days as a result of their relationship.

Whats the name of that song? Where are they now? What does that lyric mean? Send your questions about songs, albums, and the musicians who make them to MusicOnTheRecord@gmail.com. Bradford Brady and John Maron are freelance music writers based in Raleigh, NC.
Though the Black Hills Film Festival draws new features, documentaries and shorts from all over the country and across the world, two Pine Ridge-based films will be of high interest to Black Hills residents.

The documentary "Who Will Bury the Dead? The Death of Christianity in Lakota Country," will premiere at 10 a.m. today in The Journey Museum. Meanwhile, "Lakota Girls," a new drama from Indianapolis director Molli Cameron, will screen at the museum at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The documentary focuses on a shift away from Christianity toward traditional spirituality in Lakota country, according to director Mark St. Pierre.

"What you see is a response to real history, real circumstances of American Christians' behavior over 150 years," St. Pierre said. "It's what happens when a large tribal group in America begins decolonizing their thinking."

"Lakota Girls," meanwhile, takes place in three time periods, focusing on the friendship of two girls (one white, one Native American) with a shared tragedy and family history. The film shifts back to a story set in 1910 concerning a biracial marriage (inspired by Molli's great-grandparents) and another section set 20 years in the future.

"We wanted to teach about race relations," Molli said. "The dialogue between the two girls is a way to teach people about what's going on, how opinions change, the positives and negatives on both sides."

Cameron and her husband, producer Russell Cameron, shot the film in 2014, and said that they were happy to find people from outside of South Dakota responding well to its didactic bent.

"We did test screenings in Indiana," Russell said. "So many people who attended wrote down about what they learned about South Dakota, about the different cultures there."

St. Pierre has his own desire to teach, in a way. He said that the film would be eye-opening to anyone interested in Christianity, religion and colonization, as it took a look at actions going all the way back to President Ulysses S. Grant's demand that in order to get rations on a reservation, Native Americans needed to be baptized.

"That's clearly unconstitutional," St. Pierre said. "And you see that behavior from people who hold themselves as Christians."

St. Pierre added that he spoke to people with well-thought-out positions about Lakota and Dakota experiences with Christianity for the film.

"I have my own understanding of what Christianity means," St. Pierre said. "I don't believe this is a Christian society, however it's considered. It's a materialistic society; that's our religion."

St. Pierre added that he felt the film had worldwide implications, specifically about how indigenous people from all over the world are recovering from the forces of colonization.

"It stripped them of their cultural heritage, and the conflicts taking place over the world is a direct result of that," St. Pierre said.

Though the two films are very different, both have something in common in that they work hard to give voices to the Native American community. The Camerons said that they produced and directed the film themselves to make sure it was kept family-friendly and that all Native roles were played by local Native Americans, mostly Lakota Sioux.

"We're excited about having it shown in the Black Hills," Molli said. "We hope everyone can appreciate the message it sends."

St. Pierre, meanwhile, said that he was most enthused about shooting the film with the help of Pine Ridge filmmakers, noting that there was a strong possibility for Native Americans in the future of storytelling on film.

"It's one of the least-explored and richest grounds for stories in America," St. Pierre said. "Giving a voice to people who generally aren't heard is the truest form of documentary, the original definition of the word."
Driver fatigue is being investigated as the cause of a two-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 16 in eastern Wyoming that claimed the life of a 17-year-old Newcastle girl on Tuesday.

According to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, 17-year-old Laura Chords vehicle, a 1993 Honda Accord, drifted from the eastbound into the westbound lane at about 6:45 p.m.

Her car then collided with a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 34-year-old Newcastle resident Jimmie Josephson. Josephson attempted to swerve to the north, but the two vehicles still collided near Mile Post 256, about six miles east of Newcastle. Chord died in the wreck.

Chord, Josephson, and three other occupants of the Jeep were all wearing seat belts, the patrol said. An ambulance transported Josephson and the three other passengers of the Jeep to Weston County Health Services in Newcastle.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol stated in a press release that fatigued driving is being investigated as a possible cause of the crash, which is the 15th vehicular fatality in Wyoming this year. By this time last year, there had been 42 deaths.
A 27-year-old woman from Wounded Knee was sentenced to three years of probation by a federal judge in the theft of $15,000 from a tribal community fund.

Casey Titus, 27, was sentenced to three years of probation, a $100 fine and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Titus pleaded guilty in November to a federal charge of theft from a tribal fund. Prosecutors say she stole $15,000 from 2010 to May 2014 from the Wounded Knee Community Council, where she served as vice chair and treasurer.
The failure of Indian Health Service to provide even marginal health care on two West River reservations and the crackdown by a second agency is yet another example of the federal government failing to address the needs of its citizens.

It also illustrates how enormous bureaucracies can cost taxpayers millions of dollars while delivering no tangible results.

In this case, the IHS has clearly done a poor job of managing the hospitals in Pine Ridge and especially at the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where horror stories have been reported, including one of a woman who delivered a baby on a bathroom floor.

This is just one example at Rosebud of what the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, describes as not being in compliance with regulatory requirements, a bureaucrat's way of saying a hospital that serves more than 12,000 Native Americans is a mess.

Then came the bureaucratic response that has only made things more difficult for people who are entitled to health care as a result of treaties, laws and court decisions.

It was in November when CMS threatened to terminate Medicare services at the small hospital in Rosebud for what was described as serious violations. The consequences of that meant health care might be denied to Native Americans.

In addition, it was decided the emergency room would be closed, meaning tribal members now travel 40 miles to Valentine, Neb., or 55 miles to Winner when they have a medical emergency.

At the same time, we have not heard of any IHS employees being reprimanded, punished or terminated for letting that hospital deteriorate to such an embarrassing level. On the other hand, the victims of the poor care have in a sense been re-victimized. As Sen. John Thune said in a visit earlier this year to the Rosebud hospital, these are life-and-death issues.

But Congress deserves some of the blame as well, according to Jerilyn Church, the CEO of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmans Health Board.

Church points out that a lack of federal funding for IHS is why tribal hospitals have become so reliant on Medicaid and Medicare as a source of funding. It is the same reason why South Dakota spends an estimated $67 million a year in Medicaid funds for Native American health care.

IHS has come to rely on the states and CMS to help fund its operations, and Congress apparently either does not believe more money is needed or is satisfied with the status quo.

Now, nearly six months since CMS sent its notice of possible termination, the two federal agencies have reached a last-chance remediation agreement to fully meet safety and quality of care standards at the hospitals in Pine Ridge and Rosebud, where the emergency room remains closed.

The Rosebud Sioux Tribe also has jumped into the fray by suing IHS to force the reopening of its emergency room.

The question now becomes whether the federal government, which seems too big to succeed at times, can do more than mismanage these facilities and then wrap them in red tape.
Russias Supreme Court dismisses complaint filed by Church of Scientology

MOSCOW, May 5 (RAPSI)  Russias Supreme Court has dismissed a complaint the Moscow Church of Scientology had lodged in connection to the Russian Justice Ministry refusal to register this organizations charter, a court representative told RAPSI on Thursday.

The complaint was returned to the petitioner without examination,  the court representative noted. It was clarified that Church representatives tried to challenge a Moscow Izmailovsky Court ruling, which had dismissed their complaint against the Justice Ministry decision.

In the course of a routine check of documents, the Russias Ministry of Justice has established that the charter of this faith-based organization was not in compliance with provisions of the federal law on freedom of religion, whereas the word scientology was registered as a trademark, whose owner is the US Religious Technology Center. In this connection, the Justice Ministry had first refused to register amendments to the charter, and later turned to the Moscow City Court requesting to dissolve the organization. The Moscow City Court has already banned the Moscow Church of Scientology and allowed it six months to complete the liquidation procedure. This ruling has been challenged in the Russias Supreme Court.

Dianetics and Scientology are a set of religious and philosophical ideas and practices that were put forth by L. Ron Hubbard in the US in the early 1950s.

A resolution passed in 1996 by the State Duma, the lower house of Russias parliament, classified the Church of Scientology as a destructive religious organization.

The Moscow Regional Court ruled in 2012 that some of Hubbards books be included on the Federal List of Extremist Literature and prohibited from distribution in Russia.
The third annual Make Some Noise Rally for middle school students from sixth to eighth grade will be from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. this Friday at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds First Interstate Building.

Tobacco Free Ravalli and Western Montana Addiction Services Prevention Program host the event.

Faylee Favara is the prevention program manager for Western Montana Addictions Services.

This is a crazy, good, wonderful event for our valleys middle schoolers, Favara said. They dont have a lot of times in the valley where all the middle schools come together.

Favara said the first part of the evening is a presentation about making good choices around tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. There will also be a dance, games, mocha station, patio, a photo booth and free refreshments.

Were also sending out messages throughout the evening and giving concepts and ideas about how to prevent tobacco use among our youth, how to prevent alcohol and drug abuse among our youth, Favara said.

The teens helping with this event are high school students from Darby, Hamilton, Victor and Corvallis who are in reACT (React Against Corporate Tobacco) and YAP (Youth Advocating Prevention).

Free bus transportation to and from the event will be offered in Florence, Stevensville, Victor and Darby, on a first come, first serve basis.

It is a great evening and we urge the valley middle school students and homeschoolers starting in sixth grade to come, Favara said. Its a good time and wow is it loud and crazy.

Lyndsay Stover, program director for Tobacco Free Ravalli, said the event has been a success.

Since 2014, the Make Some Noise Rally has had overwhelming success reaching out to hundreds of youth from all over the Bitterroot Valley, providing them with a way to positively express themselves and make new friends in a fun and safe environment, Stover said. This year we hope to have the same great turn-out. This event continues to be a unique and unprecedented event in Ravalli County and the positive turnout each year shows the need for alternative activities like this for youth in our community.

For more information, contact Lyndsay Stover at 406-375-6573 or lstover@rc.mt.gov.


Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a meeting on Thursday at latters Lajimpat based residence on Thursday.



The duo discussed on ranges of issues including the latest political developments of the country, possibilities of forming a national consensus government under the leadership of Dahal and possible challenges after formation of the government and many others.



The meeting between the duos is taken importantly as there is a speculations that next government is being formed under the leadership of Dahal from the support of the Nepali Congress and Madhes based parties.



It is said that Nepali Congress president Deuba assured to extend his partys to support to form a national consensus government under the leadership of Dahal.



During the meeting Dahal stated that he would be ready to lead the next government only if the Nepali Congress participate in the government.


Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli



Kathmandu, Nepal: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has made clear that he will resign from the post of Prime Minister once he lost the majority votes in the parliament.



Addressing the parliament on Thursday Prime Minister Oli said I am ready to quit on the day he lost the hold of majority in the Parliament.



In the same time, he also made clear that he was not for dissolving the Parliament to avoid criticisms and risks lying in front of him and the government.



Responding to the recent political development that UCPN Maoist, one of the major ally of the incumbent government, initiated process to form a national consensus government under its leadership, Prime Minister addressed the parliament to make clear about his views.



I am to accept criticisms against the government as well as warnings even to topple the government but would like to make clear that I will not dissolve the parliament to avoid the risk, Prime Minister Oli said.



There was a speculation that he would not resign but dissolve the parliament eve if he lost majority in the parliament.



During his address, he also stated that he is ready to give a shape of national consensus government to the incumbent government.



I had repeatedly been urging for the national consensus government and would like to urge again for the same, Prime Minister Oli said.






Kathmandu, Nepal: Top leaders of the major two ruling coalition partners- CPN-UML and UCPN-Maoist have agreed to continue the incumbent government.



In a meeting held at Prime Minister KP Sharma Olis official residence on Thursday late evening, CPN UM chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and UCPN Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal signed in the nine point deal with the agreement to continue the incumbent government.

The leaders of both the parties have also agreed to table the policy and program of the incumbent government giving priority to the reconstruction and constitution implementation.



The deal signed between the CPN UML chairman Oli and UCPN Maoist Chairman Dahal has come clearing the looming clouds of confusion over the change of the incumbent government.



Earlier, the UCPN Maoist had appealed the political parties to support its chairman Dahal to form a national consensus government.



In the deal both the parties have agreed to withdraw the cases filed to those during the insurgency period. The UCPN Maoist had been raising the issue seriously.


Kathmandu, Nepal: The UCPN Maoist, the second largest ally of the CPN UML chairman KP Sharma Oli led government, has on Thursday assured not to withdraw the support to the government for the time being.



UCPN Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has on Thursday assured to the CPN UML leaders to continue the support to the incumbent government for the time being going.



An office bearer meeting of the Maoist on Wednesday had appealed the political parties to support its chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to forma a national consensus government.



Though the exact reason behind the decision is not made public yet, UCPN Maoist Chairman Dahal has said on Thursday during the meeting with UML leaders- Jhalanath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam that his party would not withdraw the support to the government for the time being.



It is said that Khanal and Gautam had requested Dahal not to topple the government before it could present the governments policy and programs in parliament.



Not only had the request of the UML leaders but also the immense pressure of the ministers representing to the party also compelled Dahal to continue the support to the government to bring the policy and program, claims a source close to Dahal.


EDITOR'S NOTE---The following is a transcript of an essay I delivered at the end of this week's edition of Maryland's News This Week. I want to stress that the views here are solely my own, and no one else's, including my colleagues, and bosses at WBAL and the Hearst Corporation. I wrote and recorded this, because as the late great Ron Smith used today "Someone had to say it."





Finally this Sunday, I never intended to use any part of this program to convey my own opinion.





Marylands News This Week is not that kind of show.





However, the killings this past Wednesday of WDBJ Television reporter Alison Parker and photojournalist Adam Ward, compel me to say something.





Before I do, I want to stress that the deaths of Alison and Adam are no more tragic than any of the more than 200 murders that have occurred in Baltimore City this year.





The story would be no more tragic than if instead of two journalists, it was two nurses, or letter carriers, or trash collectors, or doctors, or police officers who were killed while at work.





But for someone who has worked in radio and television news for nearly 30 years, and who has done countless live reports in the field, the news this week from Virginia hits home.





It leaves me to ask you, the WBAL listener, this question.





When did it become Ok to shoot reporters?





People get fired every day in this industry.





What did the former WDBJ reporter think hed accomplish by shooting a crew covering a seemingly routine story?





Did he think shooting his former colleagues would get him his job back?





When did it become Ok to shoot reporters?





Did it become Ok to shoot reporters, because there have been incidents of protesters, or drunken idiots who disrupt TV live shots, and gain notoriety ?





You Tube is filled with tons of these videos.





Did it become Ok to shoot reporters, because there are often vicious criticisms of our work on websites, in chat rooms, or in social media?





Did it become Ok to shoot reporters because they see one presidential candidate throw a reporter out of a news conference because he didnt like his question, and gain in the polls?





Or did it become Ok to shoot reporters because another presidential candidates staff formed a walking rope line around reporters and to prevent them from asking that candidate a question during a parade? No one seemed bothered by that.





Did it become Ok to shoot reporters after a campaign manager for a candidate for governor shouted down a reporter with obscenities , interrupting an interview with a member of Congress in of all places a debate spin room?





Did it become Ok to shoot reporters after a White House reporter is criticized by his colleagues for asking the president a perfectly fair question at a news conference?





Lord knows, the reputation of journalists is at an all time low.





People dont trust us because of accusation of bias, real or perceived?





People dont trust us because some of us claim to be in places where we never were.





Quite frankly, sometimes those of us in the media, myself included, deserve the criticism we get.





We dont often help our cause when we accept awards from the groups were supposed to cover.





We dont help ourselves, when we look down at our readers listeners and viewers.





We dont always help ourselves when we put ourselves in a story, and make it about us, and not the people were covering.





Let me also say this, in spite of the killings in Virginia, practicing journalism in the U.S. is still a pretty safe job.





TheCommittee to Protect Journalists says last year, 61 journalists were killed around the world in places far more dangerous that rural Virginia, or even Baltimore.





Still, when did it become Ok to shoot a reporter?





I dont know, and Im going to stop now because Im rambling an in need of a vacation.





Luckily, one is about to start in about 30-seconds,.So Ill say, thats Marylands News This Week for this Sunday.




The Indian Express, May 4, 2016

Behind the Bhagat Singh controversy lies an attempt to impose one notion of nationalism

Written by Mridula Mukherjee

An excerpt from the latest edition of Alice in Wonderland, New Delhi, 2016: The Queen of Hearts is in a foul mood. She sees some people shouting, and asks, aThe nation wants to know, what are they doing?a The reply is that they are students of a university called JNU who are shouting slogans. aOff with their heads,a she cries, athey are anti-nationala . aJo hukum, sarkara , is the reply, and her hukum is carried out.

Ten weeks later, she again sees some people carrying lots of books and writing furiously. Incensed, she says, aThe nation wants to know, who are they and what are they writing?a The reply is that they are teachers from the same infamous place, JNU, and they are writing books on history. aHistory? How dare they write on history? Do they not know that I have already passed orders that only those whose name has three letters, starts with R and ends with S, and has S in the middle, can henceforth write on history?a Flying into a temper, she says, aOff with their heads, destroy their books, they are anti-nationala .

Persecution complex? Maybe. But we in Jawaharlal Nehru University certainly feel that we are being dealt more than our fair share of blame for everything aanti-nationala . With students charged for sedition and facing physical threats, and given draconian punishments, with faculty members, even those long retired, being prevented from speaking in public, and now demands for destruction of and prohibition on sale of books written by JNU historians that have been on sale for decades, is it entirely unreasonable for us to wonder if there is a method to the madness, a rationality to the irrationality?

It is not the fact of the attack that is surprising, but the choice of the weapon. The allegation is that in a book written by Bipan Chandra along with his colleagues, Aditya Mukherjee, K.N. Panikkar, Sucheta Mahajan, and me (all current or former faculty of JNU), the term aterrorista is used for Shaheed Bhagat Singh, and that this amounts to wilful defamation of a great national hero. The reality is that Chandra, who himself wrote the two chapters in the book on the revolutionary movement, held Bhagat Singh in very high esteem, and this was well known to everyone who had any interest in a serious study of Bhagat Singh. Chandra had, through great personal effort, retrieved from oblivion in the early 1970s, the now-famous article by Bhagat Singh titled aWhy I am an Atheista , published it as a pamphlet at his own cost, and organised its distribution in thousands at street corners by his students and associates, which included me, then a masters student at Delhi University. Ask any student of Bipan, as he was affectionately called by all, including his students, and they will vouch for the fact that Bhagat Singh was his lifelong hero. He was always full of anecdotes about Bhagat Singh the fine intellectual, the voracious reader, who was always pressing books from his bulging pockets on his comrades, always reminding you that his achievements were all the greater because his life was so short as he was hanged at the age of 23. aHe compressed into years what others do in decades,a Chandra said.

Chandra was the first historian who treated Bhagat Singh and his fellow revolutionaries not just as brave young men willing to go to the gallows, but as serious thinkers, ideologues and visionaries, and subjected their ideas (and not just their actions) to critical analysis. He never used the word aterrorista to describe them, even though it is a word they use themselves to discuss their own ideas and methods and strategy. He always used it with the adjective arevolutionarya attached to it, that is, arevolutionary terrorista , even though it did not have a negative connotation at that time since terror was the method used against oppressors.

Later, as the connotation changed because the term became common for those who used terror against innocent people, he himself stopped using it, and in 2007, issued a public statement urging that it should be dropped. The book under attack still carried the earlier terminology because it is a 1988 edition and has never been revised, only reprinted. We as co-authors issued a statement on the very day the attack was initiated saying we want to change the term with immediate effect and wrote to the publishers of the English and Hindi versions to do so, and yet the sale of the book was prohibited by Delhi University, even as the RSS ideologue Dinanath Batra demanded destruction of the English copies, and criminal cases were filed against the authors.

As I said, the weapon and not the attack surprises us. If Chandraas book was attacked because of its thorough analysis, over three chapters, of communalism of all hues a Hindu, Muslim or any other a one could understand the logic. A political ideology based on a divisive communal framework trying to pass off as nationalist was bound to be uncomfortable with a book that shows it up in its true colours. One could also understand if the book was attacked because an innocent reader might ask the hyper-nationalists of today, aWhat were you doing when the real battle for Indiaas freedom was being fought? How come your names donat figure in the story I just read?a Or another confused reader may ask, aPray, how do you call nationalist an ideology such as Hindutva (articulated first by V.D. Savarkar), which says that only those can belong to the nation whose fatherland and holy land are in India, thus excluding Christians and Muslims, whose holy places are also in Jerusalem or Rome or Arabia?a

Can nationalism be exclusionary and still be nationalism? Or is it communalism masquerading as nationalism? Could these be the real reasons for the book being targeted?

Maybe there is a method in the madness. And the Queen of Hearts is not as irrational as she seems. And knows exactly what she is doing.

(About Author: The writer Mirdula Mukherjee was professor of history, JNU, Delhi.)
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.
Max-Carlos Martinez

In the heart of the National Hispanic Cultural Center's art museum, an expansive collection of portraiture by New Mexican artists has expanded its tenure beyond the visit of the corresponding exhibit from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery that gave rise to it and is taking on a life of its own. The well received traveling exhibit has come and gone from the NHCC. Preparing for the visit though, the center's Visual Arts Program Director, Dr. Tey Marianna Nunn, was concerned that most of the artists in the Smithsonian's exhibit were East Coast artists. I was worried that we [in New Mexico] may not connect. So she curated her own corresponding show: El Retrato Nuevomexicano Ahora or New Mexican Portraiture Now, featuring the work of 11 artists from our state.

We wanted to show Latino portraiture and dispel the stereotypes  because you usually think of portraiture [as] white men on horses, Nunn explained. The show, which will now run through June 12, showcases the many shapes that portraiture can take as artists explore identity, history and culture. The roughly 3,000-square foot space of the community gallery is currently highlighting the work of Arturo Olivas, Cecilia Portal, Derrick Montez, Edward Gonzales, Gene Ortega, Jocelyn Lorena Salaz, Lydia Gallegos, Maria Dolores Gonzales, Max-Carlos Martinez, Miguel Gandert and Oscar Lozoya. Just as problematic as the assumption that portraiture is always white men on horses is the assumption of who and what Hispanic artists should accentuate in their portraiture work. Max-Carlos Martinez confronts that notion immediately, greeting visitors to the exhibit with his portrait of George Washington (on a horse) in all of its pop art glory. As he told Nunn, Why should I always have to paint Cesar Chavez?

Edward Gonzales

The people these 11 artists have chosen to represent in their work are vast and beautiful. It really interested me what Nuevo Mexicano artists were doing, who they were recording and why, Nunn noted. Subjects include other artists, family members, community members, historical figures and of course, a bevy of self-portraits, too, because as Derrick Montez expressed in a panel discussion, Sometimes I just don't have a model, but I have to paint. Lydia Gallegos chose to document with a camera the peopleher neighbors, friends, co-workers and acquaintancesof her South Valley community in the `70s. A lot of work in the show is the artists recognizing  and elevating everyday people, Nunn said, it's important that people can come and see themselves reflected in El Retrato Nuevomexicano Ahora.

Miguel Gandert

Layered within the disparate mediums and subjects here are more than human formswhich are boundlessly interesting on that account alonebut also memories, experiences and records of people and places. In the process of curating the show, leading gallery tours and moderating artist panels, Nunn said that she realized portraits were much more complicated than she previously thought. During the many public discussions of the works, the next of which is an artist panel with Max-Carlos Martinez and Maria Dolores Gonzales on May 15 at 2pm, questions like Are you typecast? Do you consider yourself a 'Latino artist' or an artist? and Do you feel recognized? came up as well as how to capture a vibrant, multi-dimensional, living individual in a static medium.

However they are arranged and whatever they depict, there is an innate power in addressing portraiture as a non-elite art form. It's empowering as a visitor and a wellspring of inspiration even for the artists themselves. As Lydia Gallegos, now in her 90's, made her way around the exhibit with her granddaughter in tow, she paused to regard her own work. These look really good, she told Nunn, Maybe I should get another camera. I had a similar feeling as I stood in the center of the community gallery. It became so popular, Nunn explained, [because] it is accessible and intimate. Take this opportunity to pluck your own inspiration from the community of artists all around you by visiting this exhibit during its special extension into the summer months.
 Lots of new and notable recent state marijuana reform developments | Main | "The only way to get rid of racial bias in death penalty cases is to get rid of the death penalty" 

May 5, 2016

Prez Obama commutes 58 more federal drug sentences

As detailed via this terse White House press release, "On May 5, 2016, President Barack Obama granted commutation of sentence to 58 individuals." The release lists the 58 new recepients of executive clemency, and a quick scan reveals that all appear to be drug defendants and most involving cocaine and/or crack.

This press release from NACDL adds these notable particulars: "In his second set of clemency grants in under six weeks, President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 58 prisoners today, 28 of whom were applicants whose petitions were supported by Clemency Project 2014."

UPDATE: I just saw that Prez Obama now has this new Medium entry headlined "A Nation of Second Chances." Here are excerpts:

Earlier this spring, I met with a group of individuals whose sentences were commuted either by President Bush, President Clinton, or myself. They were all at different stages of a new chapter in their lives, but each of their stories was extraordinary. Take Phillip Emmert. When he was 27, Phillip made a mistake. He was arrested and convicted for distributing methamphetamines and received a 27-year sentence. So, by the time he was released, hed have spent half his life behind bars. Unfortunately, while in prison, his wife was paralyzed in an accident. So while he was in prison, Phil learned everything he could about fixing heating and air conditioning systems  so he could support his wife when he got out. And after his sentence was commuted by President Bush, he was able to do just that. Today, hes gainfully employed. Hes a caregiver for his wife, an active father, and a leader in his community. Like so many nonviolent offenders serving unduly harsh sentences, Phillip is not a hardened criminal. Hes taken responsibility for his mistakes. And hes worked hard to earn a second chance. Today, I commuted the sentences of an additional 58 individuals just as deserving as Phillip  individuals who can look to him as inspiration for what is possible in their lives. As President, Ive been working to bring about a more effective approach to our criminal justice system, particularly when it comes to drug crimes. Part of that effort has been to reinvigorate our commutations process, and highlight the individuals like Philip who are doing extraordinary things with their second chances. To date, I will have commuted 306 individual sentences, which is more than the previous six presidents combined.... As a country, we have to make sure that those who take responsibility for their mistakes are able to transition back to their communities. Its the right thing to do. Its the smart thing to do. And its something I will keep working to do as long as I hold this office.

May 5, 2016 at 04:08 PM | Permalink

Comments

Go, Mr. President, go!!!

Posted by: Michael R. Levine | May 5, 2016 5:01:38 PM

Appreciated but such small numbers continue to be a concern.

Also in the news today: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/merrick-garland-drug-sentencing-richard-smith_us_57225b30e4b0f309baf0345f

Posted by: Joe | May 5, 2016 5:16:23 PM

It's amazing--Obama lies through his teeth--not all of the criminals he has released are "non-violent." How do I know--he released someone with a robbery conviction.

Doug, why are you cool with that?

Posted by: federalist | May 5, 2016 9:58:06 PM

We're hoping for many more. Again, the vast majority were for "conspiracy" to ----

Posted by: beth | May 6, 2016 1:04:09 AM

Why not other offenses? Mail fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, tax fraud/evasion and many more? Are those just not as deserving? Surely, there are plenty of these types of offenses that have been subject to excessive sentences. Indeed, the defendants serving the longest period of imprisonment are not drug offenders, but white collar offenders who have received 110, 115, 150, 850 years imprisonment.

Or is it because those white collar crimes have identifiable victims, where as most drug crimes don't have a set of identifiable victims (rather than just the community as a whole)?

Anyone have any thoughts?

Posted by: Brian | May 6, 2016 3:01:35 AM

federalist, a robbery can be nonviolent in practice. Do you know the particulars of the case you find problematic?

Posted by: Doug B. | May 6, 2016 8:36:30 AM

I hope Obama's clemency or pardon list gets a bit longer.

Posted by: BarkinDog | May 6, 2016 10:22:16 AM

Brian-

I totally agree, why not pardon other offenses? Plenty of blue-collar crimes that are not "drug offenses".

Obama seems set on only helping certain kinds of criminals get pardons. Even though he spouts off about "everyone having a chance to redeem themselves" he is obviously only concerned about one type of prison population.

Glad his term is almost over.

Posted by: kat | May 6, 2016 11:20:15 AM

Armed bank robbery ain't a non-violent offense---plus a lot of these cats have priors.

Posted by: federalist | May 6, 2016 6:57:10 PM

good job obama!

i waiting for trump said ...about drug :/



Posted by: tomy | May 8, 2016 2:42:41 PM

federalist, I could not find on the latest clemency list anyone with an armed bank robbery conviction or even robbery. What case are you referencing?

Posted by: Doug B. | May 8, 2016 8:01:44 PM

Doug, in a previous round of clemencies, he commuted the sentence of a bank robber---his comments were about all of his clemencies, not just this batch. Also, when he says non-violent, he's lying. A lot of these guys have violent priors.

As a law prof, you should be calling out this dishonesty. Or do you think Wendell Callahan was a "non-violent" offender when he was released early?

And I am not saying that a violent prior should result in no clemency. As you know, I support a robust clemency process, but I don't support half-truths or outright lies. And what about the "one mistake" lie? Many of these guys have serious priors. Apparently, you're cool with dishonesty so long as you get what you support.

I will reiterate my wish that all of these guys live productive lives and reward the faith that President Obama has placed in them.

Posted by: federalist | May 9, 2016 9:52:41 AM

Federalist, you keep throwing out generalities. Doug asked you for a specific offender...can you name the offender with either a violent instant offense or with a violent prior so that your claim could be investigated...or are you just being a typical right winger and throwing out "facts" that are simply "well, I heard on the internet..."

Posted by: Kelly | May 9, 2016 3:32:11 PM

Wendell Callahan was not released due to a Presidential commutation or pardon, but due to the changes in the sentencing guidelines. So, he was actually released by a federal judge, as any release due to the retroactive nature of the guidelines change had to be done by the sentencing judge. So, you are comparing apples to oranges. You need a fact checker

Posted by: Kelly | May 9, 2016 3:45:43 PM

Doug,how dumb is Kelly? Whether or not Callahan was released under a clemency program--the point, which has been made, and which should be obvious to idiots like Kelly is that in Callahan's case, only non-violent offenders were supposed to be sprung, and quite clearly, Callahan, with his history of violence was decidedly NOT non-violent. Same goes here---Obama's clemency program is being touted by him and others as righting the wrong of sentencing non-violent criminals too harshly. I point out a bank robber in the pile---Carolyn Yvonne Butler--and I don't check my facts?

But of course Doug and Kelly, you cannot address the underlying dishonesty--was George Axum a guy who just made a mistake? What about ernest spiller? They had priors before they were sentenced.

All I ask for is a little bit of honesty on the part of the President.

Posted by: federalist | May 10, 2016 5:52:27 AM

No Federalist, you are showing your ignorance. Callahan was released due to the UNITED STATES SENTENCING COMMISSION'S changes to the drug guidelines and the subsequent FSA (which was a bipartisan bill passed by the REPUBLICAN CONGRESS) and signed by the President. It was not due to the President acting alone by clemency. The JUDGE in charge of letting him go was supposed to only do so for non-violent offenders, but decided to release him anyway. The last I checked, JUDGES are not beholden to the President for each decision and in fact act independent of the Executive Branch. Here ends the lesson.

Posted by: Kelly | May 10, 2016 1:59:09 PM

Kelly, you are plumb stupid. In a previous posts, Doug and I have debated about Wendell Callahan. Sorry you are coming late to the party, but I do full well understand the program under which Callahan was released, as the issue was thoroughly discussed in numerous threads. The point (which I also made in previous posts) is that the public is told about "non-violent" criminals being released and then, lo and behold, scrutiny shows that many who are violent, in fact, are being released, whether the releases are via clemency or retroactive changes to the guidelines. In other words, it's the dishonesty stupid. And, I pray you get this, the public is being lied to by Obama AND those who assured us only "non-violent" offenders would get released under the Fair Sentencing Act. That's why I bring up Callahan in this discussion--I a;so bring it up because Doug just can't quite bring himself to admit that Callahan IS a violent criminal and has labored mightily to argue that Ohio is more to blame than the feds that let him out early. (Note to Doug: that Ohio is to blame doesn't mean that the early release isn't as well).

What I find interesting--people like Doug and apparently Kelly are good with dishonesty to the public (and I think it plain that the "one mistake" is just so much BS--these guys didn't attract the interest of federal prosecutors for being minor criminals--there are exceptions--I get that--and the "non-violent" is an out and out lie) so long as criminals are getting released. I know your fig leaf---if the crime for which the criminal was convicted didn't overtly involve violence, then you'd argue that "non-violent" is apt--by that rationale, Capone was non-violent because he went away for tax evasion.

And if you think that a guy who ran a crack house in E. St. Louis (Ernest Spiller) (a seriously "hard" place) didn't know about using violence to protect his business, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

Posted by: federalist | May 10, 2016 2:30:48 PM

federalist: as I understand your assertion here, you think it is a "lie" to say non-violent offenders are being released even when the focal crime of conviction/punishment the release is connected to is, in-fact, a non-violent offense. Wouldn't it be more accurate under this world-view to say that the focal offense of conviction is the "lie" --- and in turn blame whomever is responsible for this (dishonest) conviction in the first place?

More to the point, I suppose, I struggle to see what is fundamentally dishonest with wanting to have the legal system actually convict and punish (and release) based on the formal crime. I can understand if you want to claim like Bill Bennett that any dealing of any illegal drug in any way should be defined as per se violent, but I really think claim disorts the common meaning of the term violent (in contrast to, say, a term like harmful). Certainly, all the dispensaries selling marijuana from storefronts in dozens of states do not seem to me at all violent (or even harmful).

Posted by: Doug B. | May 10, 2016 3:11:16 PM

As for George Axam, it seems he had served more that 10 years for the federal crime of illegal gun possession after he fired a warning shot at a man who had previously beaten him up (and faced criminal charges for having beaten Axam). Moreover, the judge who sentenced him originally wanted to give him only 18 months in prison for his illegal gun possession, but the appeals court concluded he was subject to a 15-year MM under ACCA.

http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca11/07-12987/200712987-2011-02-28.html

As for Carolyn Yvonne Butler, she was convicted of having "brandished a small, silver gun" while robbing three banks and got a 48-year prison sentence based on stacked mandatory minimum gun sentencing provisions (924(c)s). Interestingly, the Fifth Circuit (known as perhaps the toughest of appeals courts on sentencing issues) indicated that it affirmed her convictions "with great regret for the harshness of this mandatory sentence imposed on this appellant."

https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/unpub/92/92-5666.0.wpd.pdf. And Butler served roughly 25 years before getting her sentence commutted

I think it quite proper for you to assert that these two persons are NOT nonviolent drug offenders. But I also think it is right to view both these cases as examples of extreme applications of federal mandatory minimum sentencing provisions. (I also assume/hope that these individuals behaved well in prison and had, in this way, "earned" consideration for commutation.)

Posted by: Doug B. | May 10, 2016 3:37:01 PM

Doug, when ordinary, intelligent people hear "non-violent criminal", they take that to mean someone who hasn't committed a crime of violence. They don't take it to mean what the guy happens to be in for and ignore everything else. So yes, it's a lie. If you want to ignore criminal history in clemency, fine--but be honest about it.

And, Doug, you realize that I don't necessarily have an issue with Butler's commutation. I don't know all the facts, so I can't speak to what I would do, but I think that likely the clemency was justified.

But Obama's being dishonest here. In a nation of 350 million people, as Hamilton said, there are going to be overly harsh sentences, and that's what clemency is there for. Obama is painting a picture of a racist justice system that is fundamentally unjust. Ernest Spiller, for example, didn't get an overly harsh sentence. Plus, there's the dichotomy between what the guy actually did and what he got convicted of (in plea deals).

Posted by: federalist | May 11, 2016 9:41:42 AM

Fair points, federalist, but I encourage you to think about whether it is fair to describe the entire federal CCJ system as "dishonest" or a "lie" because, as you rightly note, there is often a "dichotomy between what the guy actually did and what he got convicted of." And I know you do not think the system is "racist" and dislike when Obama or others seek to portray it that way, but it remains the perception that prominent white guys like Denny Hastert or Jack Camp get to better exploit the "dichotomy between what the guy actually did and what he got convicted of" than do folks like Weldon Angelos or George Axam or Carolyn Yvonne Butler. (Of course, this might reall be a class story much more than a race story, but you surely know well has these issues get mingled.)

Last but not least, I respect your eagerness to keep Obama honest, but he seems to me to be a lot more responsible in his use of words and rhetoric in this arena than lots and lots of others.

Posted by: Doug B. | May 11, 2016 12:35:21 PM

Obama is straight-up lying when he portrays these people as making "one mistake" when the vast majority of them clearly led a life of crime before the crime that got them a stiff federal sentence. You can elide that all you want, but it's fundamentally dishonest and it brings the justice system into unfair disrepute. As for "non-violent," the same goes.

If Obama wants to portray the justice system as racist and cruel, then he'll have to get better arguments, and I don't see how it's responsible to use dishonesty to undermine a system that, for all its warts, keeps us safe. As for Hastert, his crime was an administrative one, so you are comparing apples to oranges. Camp--federal judge--that explains a lot, see, e.g., Alcee Hastings.

But it is interesting to me--you will talk about the supposed racism of the CJ system--but you never seem to acknowledge the differing crime rates of different groups, decisions to let places like Ferguson burn instead of enforcing the law (in one extreme case, take a look at the Seattle Mardi Gras riots--tell me the victim there wasn't the victim of studied indifference to his life because the cops were afraid to be called racist)--that sort of thing is directly traceable to irresponsible rhetoric by the President and others. We all saw the pictures after Ferguson--innocent citizens having to endure the shame of thugs jumping up and down on their cars (while they were in them) and law enforcement's refusal to do anything about it. (One of the reasons we have a 2d Amendment). And while I am at it Doug, pray tell how Obama's rhetoric about the Michael Brown shooting was "responsible" when it is painfully clear that the shooting was completely a case of self-defense?

Posted by: federalist | May 11, 2016 1:18:30 PM

federalist:

1. In the Medium piece linked above he states that Phillip Emmert has "taken responsibility for his mistakes" (PLURAL). Can you provide a link/reference to where Obama himself states that all his clemency recipients only made "one mistake"?

2. On the "racist and cruel" front, your assertion that the system "keeps us safe" is not inconsistent with claims by others that it is racist and cruel. We can and perhaps should look at LWOP sentences for juves and nonviolent crimes. I assume you think that most LWOP sentences will keep us safer than alternatives. But I think LWOP sentences for juves and nonviolent crimes are cruel, and there is lots of evidence suggesteing these cruel sentences get applied in racially disparate ways. See, e.g.,

-- http://fairpunishment.org/racial-disparities-plague-nonviolent-lwop-sentences/ ("the distribution of nonviolent LWOP is: 65.8% of prisoners serving the sentence are African-American; 17.8% of prisoners serving the sentence are white; 15.7% of prisoners serving the sentence are Latino")

-- http://fairsentencingofyouth.org/the-issue/advocacy-resource-bank/racial-inequality-in-youth-sentencing/ ("One out of every 8 African-American youth who are convicted of killing someone will be sentenced to life without parole, however this is only the case for one out of every 13 white youth convicted of murder.")

3. My reference to Obama's "use of words and rhetoric in this arena" was a reference to prison/sentencing reform, not police practices. He certainly has been better in this arena of sentencing reform than, say, Bill Otis whom you rightly assailed for repeatedly calling a simple accurate statement by a staffer about the Callahan case "racist." In the police practices arena, however, I largely agree that Prez Obama and lots and lots of others have used terminology and rhetoric that generate too much heat and not nearly enough light.

Posted by: Doug B. | May 12, 2016 10:10:20 AM

very good

Posted by:   | Mar 6, 2019 5:12:46 AM

Wendell Callahan was not released due to a Presidential commutation or pardon, but due to the changes in the sentencing guidelines. So, he was actually released by a federal judge, as any release due to the retroactive nature of the guidelines change had to be done by the sentencing judge. So, you are comparing apples to oranges. You need a fact checker

Posted by:    | Jun 2, 2019 3:31:10 AM

 | | 



Posted by:   | Jul 16, 2019 3:23:16 PM

Tank you

Posted by: janblaghy | Jan 26, 2020 2:27:59 AM

Wendell Callahan was not released due to a Presidential commutation or pardon, but due to the changes in the sentencing guidelines. So, he was actually released by a federal judge, as any release due to the retroactive nature of the guidelines change had to be done by the sentencing judge. So, you are comparing apples to oranges. You need a fact checker

Posted by: janblaghy | Apr 2, 2020 11:40:02 AM

very good



Posted by: eghtesadafarin | Jun 21, 2021 12:59:24 AM

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The breakfast sandwich is, in its best form, the platonic ideal of a morning meal  a filling and deeply satisfying indulgence that is the polar opposite of a quinoa bowl. Often there is bacon or another smoky meat involved, but a simple egg and cheese, especially if it's on great bread or a croissant and doused with the right condiment, can be perfect enough on its own. Below we bring you what we think are the most shining examples around town  though no doubt many of you have a corner deli that does you right, here are some ideas of special treats to seek out any given Sunday.

A photo posted by Alex Hochman (@alexhochman) on Apr 26, 2016 at 1:56pm PDT



4505 Burgers & Barbecue

The grits and egg vegetarian sandwich at 4505 Burgers & Barbecue has been challenging pernicious stereotypes that vegetarianism is healthy since 2014. The works: Roasted green chili peppers, mild cheese, an egg, and a fried patty of grits served on a buttery burger bun. While this sandwich might certainly serve as dinner, it's available from 10:30 a.m. onward for an adventurous mid-morning meal. As for the meatier version that you might expect from this place, that's reserved for their Ferry Building stand on weekends, where it comes with a delicious sausage patty. Caleb Pershan

705 Divisadero Street between Grove and Fulton Streets





The Bagel & Egg Sandwich at Arlequin Cafe

Honored by many as a surefire hangover cure of choice, Arlequin's Bagel & Egg Sandwich is a so-buttery-you'll-be-wiping-your-arm bagel topped with a fried or scrambled egg, cheddar cheese, and your choice of bacon or ham. It's the prefect combination of carb, salt, and fat to soak up whatever bad decisions you made last night, and to set you up for even worse ones tonight.  Eve Batey

384 Hayes Street near Gough Street







The Breakfast Sandwich at Bacon Bacon

While you might be tempted, come breakfast, to order a simple "bacon bouquet" at this bacon-loving spot, or their breakfast burrito stuffed with both pulled pork and bacon, their version of the humble breakfast sandwich  with thick-cut bacon, obvi  is an excellent one. For a condiment, it doesn't need anything more than the bacon jam that's on it, and the runny yolk of its double eggs, but a dip in some ketchup won't hurt. It's served on a nicely griddled, poppy seed brioche bun, and comes topped with cheddar cheese unless you say otherwise. Do note, the breakfast sandwich is available at both cafe locations, and from the Bacon Bacon truck.  Jay Barmann





Biscuits like you wouldn't believe at Devil's Teeth. Photo: Diana B/Yelp

The Breakfast Sandwich at Devil's Teeth Baking Company

In my many years in SF, I've come to realize that the buttermilk biscuits I took for granted in my home state of Indiana aren't as easy as they seemed. I've had a lot of crappy, Southern wannabe biscuits in this town! But not at Devil's Teeth, where two scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and applewood smoked bacon rest between two buttermilk biscuits that my Home Ec teacher would have awarded an A to. I don't dig on swine, so when I order their sandwich I do so sans meat, and they usually offer to sub in avocado or tomato. Go with the latter, it cuts through the (delicious, delicious) grease nicely.  Eve Batey

3876 Noriega Street between 45th and 46th Aves





Chris B. via Yelp

Flour & Co.

In the unimpeachable tradition of McDonalds' "Egg McMuffin," Flour & Co.'s breakfast sandwich is made with an english muffin, only this one is made fresh and shares most of its DNA with a biscuit. Inside: fluffy eggs cooked with gruyere and topped with bacon or ham. Owner Emily Day expanded Flour & Co. to Berkeley from Nob Hill in 2015, as Eater reported at the time, and surprise surprise, now they're also doing a pretzel bun breakfast sandwich... with kale. Caleb Pershan

1030 Hyde Street between California and Pine Streets, and 1398 University Avenue between West and Acton Streets



Photo via Yelp.

The Grove Breakfast Sandwich at The Grove

With smoked ham or applewood-smoked bacon, scrambled eggs, sharp cheddar, and arugula (the vegetarian option includes zucchini), the breakfast sandwich sits atop a toasted Semifreddis brioche bun and calls to many a stumbling patron on Saturday mornings. The sandwich is large, and is not playing around. Add an avocado for the full experience, and don't skip the rosemary hash browns.  Jack Morse

301 Hayes Street at Franklin Street





Kitchen Story's Chicken Mango melt. Photo: Stephanie D/Yelp

The Morning Melt at Kitchen Story

Kitchen Story offers you three ways to do their Morning Melt: You can go veggie, with mushroom, asparagus, arugula, red onion, avocado, and cherry peppers. Or, if you're more adventurous, there's one with chicken mango sausage, spinach, roasted tomato, sweet basil, and mild cheddar. Or there's the classic BEC, with applewood smoked bacon, eggs, and Vermont white cheddar. They all come on their pain de mie and are slathered with cilantro aioli (so if you're an anti-cilantrite, you'll want to skip that bit) and come with an organic side salad to make you feel extra virtuous.  Eve Batey

3499 16th Street at Sanchez Street





Photo via Yelp.

The Breakfast Torta at La Torta Gorda

The Tortas at 24th Street's La Torta Gorga are things of beauty. Although they can, of course, be eaten anytime of the day, these huge sandwiches make for one of the best breakfasts in town. Overflowing with queso fresco, avocado, beans, jalapenos, and carnitas (they also do a vegetarian version), the "regular" size sandwich is enough for two people to split  or one very eager person to chow down on. If you're looking for something to balance out the meal, the restaurant also offers freshly squeezed carrot, orange, and grapefruit juices (but that's totally not necessary  focus on the sandwich). Once you eat the torta here, you'll wonder why you haven't been doing so for years, and never look at a sandwich the same way again.  Jack Morse

2833 24th Street between York and Bryant Streets





Lou's Breakfast Sandwich: Angela W./Yelp

The Original Breakfast Sandwich from Lou's Sandwiches Cafe

Lou's Original Breakfast Sandwich is "officially" bacon, ham (or both), eggs, American cheese, hash browns, and Lou's special sauce, all on a ciabatta roll. Here's what I do: I nix the meat, swap the American for cheddar, and get extra Lou's sauce (which is spicy, salty and delicious). The result is so good that it's dangerous. But with tons of bread, cheese and meat options on their menu, you could enjoy a different, custom version of the sandwich every day for months on end. Find your own danger! Eve Batey

5017 Geary Boulevard at 15th Avenue, 100 Pine Street between Battery and Front, and 1508 Taraval Street between 25th and 26th Avenues





Photo via Foodspotting.

The Breakfast Sandwich at Marla Bakery

The house-made English muffin is just one of the things that the breakfast sandwich at Marla Bakery has going for it. The combined flavor of the carrot jam, sauteed onions, fried egg, gruyere, and roasted pork would account for the rest of the experience  one that you'll desperately try to relive over and over. If you happen to be there on a weekend, you can order the Marla English muffin  a similar sandwich with the key addition of roasted cauliflower. Either way, it's going to be good eating.  Jack Morse

3619 Balboa Street between 37th and 28th Avenues





J.D. via Yelp

Merigan Sub Shop

Liza Shaw, formerly chef and partner at A16, has four breakfast sub choices with which to tempt/torture you at her three-year-old East Coast-style shop in SoMa. There's one with pork, one with mortadella, and one, you'll forgive her, with marinara sauce. But the true breakfast sub to rule them all is the porchetta option, with lemon slaw, a fried egg, cracklins, and her signature spread, "hots." Porchetta, for those who are unfamiliar, is a magical boneless pork roast with stuffing and fat, and Doctors have determined that eating it every morning will lead to an early, happy death.Caleb Pershan

636 2nd Street between Brannan and Townsend Streets





(Photo: Masayoshi Sekimur)

The Fried Egg Sandwich Plow

No doubt this place can get ridiculous on weekends, and there are even lines on random weekdays, but should you manage to squeeze your way in, you will fall in love with this simple and perfect breakfast sandwich. It's just two fried eggs, cheddar, aioli, and frisee, with the option of Nueske's bacon. And yes, with the bacon, this is a $14.75 breakfast sandwich ($12 w/o the bacon), but in a town of $20 burgers and (ahem) $4 toast, you should be used to this. Note that you can't get takeout here on weekends, but on weekdays it's fair game. Jay Barmann

1299 18th Street at Texas





(Photo: Josh Leskar/SFWeekly)

The Egg Sandwich at Reveille Coffee

Now with two locations and a truck in San Francisco, including their newest on 18th Street in the Castro, Reveille serves a limited breakfast menu every day including this awesome sandwich with a toad-in-the-hole on top. It's a hearty, comforting beast, made with dense Della Fattoria levain, thick-cut bacon, gruyere cheese, and a mixture of braised kale and leeks, making it the perfect thing to eat on a foggy morning when a biscotti just isn't going to cut it. Jay Barmann

200 Columbus Avenue, 4076 18th Street, and the truck is usually parked at 768 Sansome





The unassembled sandwich. Photo: Jay Barmann/SFist

The Fried Chicken-Prosciutto Egg Sandwich at Salumeria

At the weekend brunch formerly known as Central Kitchen's brunch, served on the same patio but now in a more fast-casual way via the counter at next-door Salumeria, there is a breakfast sandwich so indulgent that you might have to split it, depending on how delicate you're feeling. It features a boneless piece of fried chicken, topped with an egg, with the addition of prosciutto and spicy chile hollandaise. It's so good, I wrote about it separately here last year, and I welcome anyone to challenge that assessment. But this is the kind of brunch decision that you make during a mild hangover, along with a couple of brunch cocktails, knowing full well that the day is pretty well shot afterwards and that's OK.  Jay Barmann

3000 20th Street at Florida, available Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.





Photo: SFist

The Bagel and Egg Sandwich at Wise Sons Bagel

Let's just say for the sake of argument that you or a friend don't eat pork, and yet you would still enjoy meatiness with your breakfast. There's always the traditional lox sandwich on a bagel, but at the new Wise Sons Bagel in the Fillmore, you can also get an egg and cheese on a fresh bagel, toasted, with "pastrami" breakfast sausage  a well spiced beef sausage, heavy on the fennel. A little extra aioli, and that's some bagel sandwich bliss right there.  Jay Barmann

1520 Fillmore Street between Geary and O'Farrell

Related: The 50 Best Brunch Spots For Every Occasion In SF And Oakland
After a march on City Hall yesterday led by five protestors only consuming liquid calories to demand his removal, Police Chief Greg Suhr reneged on a planned appearance with Public Defender Jeff Adachi. That engagement, a forum on police accountability to be held at a San Francisco synagogue, was cancelled due to security concerns, as Bay City News wrote by way of KRON 4 and other outlets.

Security concerns were expressed to the organizers and they made the decision to cancel," Police officials wrote in an email just before the meeting was to begin, at 7 p.m. The meeting went on as planned, without Suhr, as tweets from ABC 7 and the Public Defender's Office indicate.

Conversation on police accountability now underway. pic.twitter.com/Hw10ONpfZi  Katie Marzullo (@KatieABC7) May 4, 2016

Synagogue & public defender invite protesters inside to have conversation. Chief Suhr not coming. pic.twitter.com/RB2F6PAujE  Katie Marzullo (@KatieABC7) May 4, 2016

Earlier that day, supervisors at City Hall engaged the group of marchers who had arrived to confront Mayor Ed Lee on the subject of Chief Suhr  following news of the large, scheduled march and after Lee's attempt to head that off by engaging hunger strikers on Monday. The Board of Supervisors' meeting interruption devolved into what the Chronicle described as a "shouting match."

Supervisor Campos, a far-left progressive even by the liberal standards of the Board, was one who reportedly addressed the crowd. I dont need anybody to tell me what its like to be a subject of police brutality or racism. I lived that, he said. The idea that you fire Chief Suhr and that solves things, Im sorry, thats not what I believe.

In that same article, the Chronicle notes that Mayor Lee's possibly halfhearted and certainly stagey attempt to confront protestors on Monday, specifically the group of five who have refused solid food, at their outpost in front of the Mission Police Station, was prompted by another supervisor, John Avalos.

Avalos, who has explicitly described a culture of racism within the SFPD's ranks, appears to have brokered the would-be meeting between Lee and the protestors, which they agreed to and then later, upon the mayor's arrival, refused. The point of his meeting was reportedly to discuss ongoing attempts to increase police accountability with a number of reforms.

In February, the Department of Justice announced a "comprehensive" review of SFPD policies and tactics. Its findings will come in the form of non-binding recommendations. That DOJ review was requested, among others, by Ed Lee and Greg Suhr.

Related: [Update] Hunger Strikers March To City Hall, In Wheelchairs, Interrupt Board Of Supervisors' Meeting
Starting this year, Muni is set to begin receiving the first of its 260 new rail cars. Some of the trains, which the Chronicle reports are made by German company Siemens and are being assembled in Sacramento, should be in service by the end of 2017. The $1.2 billion purchase will allow for the phasing out of the current Breda cars  which, according to the paper, were purchased in 1996 and are considered unreliable.

"The new cars will have more reliable passenger doors, better visibility from the operator cab, and an enhanced braking system," explains the SFMTA. "Theyll also require less maintenance so that we can dedicate more time to providing quality service. And there will be more of them." More trains, of course, mean longer cars and reduced crowding.

We took a long view, SFMTA's transit director John Haley explained to the paper. Were not just replacing the fleet we have; were looking toward the future. It will be a quantum leap forward in terms of reliability."

In regard to that reliability, the current trains reportedly travel 4,000-5,000 miles between each failure. The new trains? They're expected to travel around 59,000 miles between failures.

This of course is all happening at the same time that Muni is receiving a new set of electric trolley buses (that can totally climb hills), and BART is getting 775 brand new trains. It seems that a new San Francisco public transit age may be upon us. Now if only they can figure out that whole "on time" thing.

Previously: Muni's New Light Rail Fleet By The Numbers

Mayor Lee To Take $648 Million Muni Ride Friday Morning
The $3.8 million SFMTA project designating lanes on Mission Street bus- and taxi-only, a system used on Market Street and other thoroughfares, was enacted with the stated goal of reducing congestion and transit times while increasing safety. It's still too soon to know what the long-term effects of the changes, which SFMTA Transit Director John Haley called "exciting stuff" during their inception, will be, but the reduction of parking on Mission Street has become a red-hot issue for local residents and businesses.

Drivers, naturally, have made their objections known, and small business owners have also argued that the limits on parking have driven customers away. The controversy has yet to cool off: Last night, many critics met with the SFMTA board of directors, where the rhetoric grew purple.

This is just one more act of violence that the people in the Mission feel," Mission Local quotes one resident, Mary Eliza. When their primary street, with the district name on it, is violated in this way without really taking into consideration the needs of the community, youre going to have a problem.

"Theyre not going to come back, Eden Stein, the owner of Secession Art & Design on Mission Street, told the meeting. From 16th to Randall there has been a loss of business, and a lot of businesses cant wait months for changes to happen. Businesses are going to close down. We need some action.

Previously, Supervisor Campos and other critics have called the move, inspired by the paint job, a "red carpet." That metaphor wasn't strong enough, it would seem. As one activist, Raeleen Valle-Brenes, told the board, SFMTAs red carpet-bombing of the Mission was a surprise attack, and wholly unwelcome."

Others have objected to the paint's color itself. As the Examiner quoted Erick Arguello, a representative of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, at a previous discussion meeting: For us it represents a gang color. Market Street's similar lanes are also red.

Members of the Transit Rider's association, meanwhile, tell Mission Local they're concerned but optimistic. Ive noticed the bus service is better, one member, Brian Stokle, reportedly said. The reduction in bus stops paired with bus only lanes have helped move people more quickly and efficiently.

Obviously transit is a priority for us," said another member, lyse Magy, "but the last thing we want to do is harm small businesses. Whats the point of having good transit if you dont have places people are going to?

Previously:

Mission Street Businesses Say Transit-Only Lanes Are Putting Them In The Red


Unfolding over the last couple weeks has been some MAJOR DRAMA on social media over the revelation  not altogether new  that Cafe Gratitude founders and owners of SF's Gracias Madre are now, after over a decade of veganism, omnivores again. Terces and Matthew Engelhart, who at this point are no strangers to controversy, admitted back in 2015 that they had begun keeping animals on their Vacaville farm and eating them, and that admission-via-blog was revived last month by noted vegan and racecar driver Leilani Munter, on Twitter. The story was picked up that same day by My Vegan Journal, as LAist reported, prompting  what else?  death threats from the greater vegan community.

By this week, if you look at the Yelp page for Gracias Madre's SF location, it's littered with one-star reviews and sentiments like "The owners are hypocritical scumbags who use vegans' money to further their own anti-vegan lifestyle."

On the Gracias Madre Facebook page, a statement went up on April 21 assuring fans that the restaurant "will continue to serve 100% organic, plant-based cuisine prepared with ingredients sourced responsibly from vendors and farmers who share our commitment to preserving the integrity of the environment." But, they admit, the owners no longer follow a vegan lifestyle, to which commenters have cried out that it's a "betrayal," and saying the name of their farm, Be Love, is "such bs."

Matthew Engelhart explained last year, as the couple was transitioning to eating meat  him for the first time in 40 years  that it all had to do with a holistic view of their farm, which requires animals for their manure. He wrote, "We need cows to keep the earth alive, cows make an extreme sacrifice for humanity but that is their position in Gods plan as food for the predators. Cows maintain the grass, predators maintain the herd by culling the weak and sick. We can be part of that sacrament. Sacrifice is part of life."

The Guardian picked up the story this week, noting that the Engelharts have recently come under the influence of Zimbabwean ecologist Allan Savory, whose concept of Holistic Management advocates for the use of livestock, specifically cows, to fertilize and graze on arid land.

So, it seems, much like the Engelharts have jumped on other ideological bandwagons like the controversial Landmark Forum where they met, veganism which they've practiced since 2003, and a spiritual take on capitalism that they dubbed Sacred Commerce in a book they wrote after founding Cafe Gratitude, they have a new scripture that involves a Christian view of holy animal sacrifice, and the consumption of hamburgers.

Oh and did you know that their entire business grew out of a board game? Yes.

In recent years, the couple made local headlines when they were struck with multiple lawsuits from former employees, which led them ultimately to shut down all the Bay Area locations of Cafe Gratitude, including the Berkeley flagship late last year. The lawsuits charged the Engelharts with illegal tip-pooling practices (in which managers were tipped out by restaurant waitstaff), and in one case claimed that managers were forced to take Landmark Forum workshops in order to remain employed there.

The Engelharts and their children together own multiple other, successful Cafe Gratitude locations in Southern California, as well as an LA location of Gracias Madre, all of which have born the brunt of vegans' ire.

Related: Cafe Gratitude Closing Its Last Bay Area Location In Berkeley


The story about a "life-saving mission" by a Bay Area opioid addiction specialist who was intending to treat Prince just one day prior to his death has grown, with the New York Times delving further late Wednesday into the root cause of Prince's alleged addiction: a hip problem that led to surgery in the mid-2000s. Now TMZ is blaring the headline that Andrew Kornfeld, the son of addiction doctor Howard Kornfeld, could face charges for transporting a quantity of the drug buprenorphine, or Suboxone, across state lines.

We learned yesterday that the younger Kornfeld flew out to Minnesota a day ahead of his father, only to arrive at Paisley Park to discover a lifeless Prince, alongside two of Prince's staff, in an elevator on the property. Kornfeld was the person who made the 911 call, and Prince was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m. on April 21, 19 minutes after emergency responders arrived. It's been widely reported that Prince had suffered an opioid overdose just six days before, on April 15, on board a private plane which then had to make an emergency landing in Indiana so he could receive a life-saving dose of naloxone, or Narcan.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune is reporting via a source close to the investigation that the drug Percocet was in fact found in Prince's system at the time of his death, even though official toxicology results could still be weeks away. The paper notes that the Drug Enforcement Agency and the US attorneys office have joined local investigators following the revelation about Kornfeld's involvement, though his lawyer stated Wednesday that Andrew Kornfeld arrived too late to administer any drug.

It seems likely that emergency responders were unable to revive Prince with Narcan this time because he was already dead, and that the overdose had occurred too long before they arrived, though that has not been confirmed. It is recommended that Narcan be used within 30 minutes of a possible overdose.

Dr. Howard Kornfeld spoke exclusively with the SF Chronicle Wednesday, not about Prince's case, but in an effort, he said, to raise awareness about the epidemic of opioid addiction. "If this disease was not stigmatized, patients would seek care earlier and there would be less deaths," he tells the paper. "This isnt a problem that should be solved by commercial industry. This is a national epidemic that needs to be prioritized, just as the AIDS epidemic was prioritized."

While some addiction treatment centers advocate for drug-free treatment, it's notable that the respected Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Minnesota added Suboxone to its treatment program for opioid addiction in 2013. As the Star Tribune explains, the drug helps limit cravings among addicts, and "Since that time, the number of opioid addicts dropping out of treatment early has declined from 25 percent to 5 percent."

Previously: Mill Valley Addiction Specialist Was Scheduled To Treat Prince Before His Death
Governor Jerry Brown yesterday signed into law a host of new bills designed to regulate tobacco and nicotine products, the most impactful of which is the raising of the statewide smoking age from 18 to 21 years old. With the signing of another bill, written by State Senator Mark Leno, that reclassifies all e-cigarette products as tobacco products, these new age restrictions will also apply to vaping. So reports the LA Times, which further notes that as these bills were approved during a special session, they will take effect on June 9 of this year  sooner than they would have otherwise.

Other measures signed Wednesday close loopholes related to smoking bans in workplaces, and expand no-smoking areas at schools and school facilities.

The governors signature on Tobacco 21 is a signal that California presents a united front against Big Tobacco," State Senator Ed Hernandez, the bill's author, said in a statement. "Together, we stand to disrupt the chain of adolescent addiction."

With the signing into law of the new age restrictions, California becomes the second state (after Hawaii) to raise the smoking age above 18 to 21. San Francisco supervisors, of course, passed a similar measure earlier this year which is set to go into effect on June 1.

Interestingly, Hernandez seemed sensitive to that classic argument, often applied to the drinking age, that if a person can be drafted at 18 then he should be able to smoke/drink at that age as well. And so, Hernandez wrote into the law that active military personnel are excluded from the rules.

The Associated Press reports that, according to The Institute of Medicine, roughly 90 percent of daily smokers began using some form of tobacco by the age of 19. As such, proponents of the new law hope it will cut down on the number of people who pick up smoking in the first place.

A trade association for the e-cig industry called Smoke-Free Alternatives issued a statement saying, "California took a step backwards today by reclassifying vapor products as tobacco. Stigmatizing vapor products, which contain no tobacco, and treating them the same as combustible tobacco while actively seeking to economically penalize smokers attempting to switch is counterproductive to public health"

The California Medical Association supported the law, with its president noting that it was time for a new approach to regulating tobacco. It is long past due for California to update our approach to tobacco," observed Steven Larson, "and with the governors signature on these life-saving bills, we have done just that.

Related: Cigarette Buying No Longer An All-Ages Event in SF, As Supes Vote To Raise Tobacco Purchase Age To 21
In 2010, Mark Farrell won his seat on the Board of Supervisors representing Pacific Heights and the Marina, District 2, by a mere 258 votes. That's Supervisorial elections for you. Previously a political unknown as a lawyer and venture capitalist, now the 42-year-old Supe's work on the budget committee and elsewhere has led some to speculate that he'll run for mayor one day.

Maybe, but for now, a $191,000 fine over his alleged violation of campaign finance laws in that winning election has been coming back to haunt him, somewhat literally in the form of the tax collector. And so, now the Chronicle announces he's suing the City of San Francisco to get the fine off his back.

The Examiner noted in January that he's threatened to sue over the fine before, so it's not a complete surprise he's finally done so  with gusto, calling the Ethics Commission's work a "witch hunt"  though it is a bit counterintuitive for a Supervisor to sue, like, the city he works for.

The fine? It's for this: After his upset victory, Janet Reilly, the 2010 race's frontrunner, filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission. Farrell and his campaign consultant, she alleged, had coordinated with an independent committee  which would be illegal  called Common Sense Voters that dropped $191,000 (hence the sum of the fine) in the last weeks of the campaign, clinching his win.

Common Sense Voters donations came from two sources: $141,000 from Thomas Coates, a Republican and real estate owner, and $50,000 from "Oh Dear" Dede Wilsey, a socialite and the Board Chair of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Those donations, of course, are far larger than anything that would have been permissible to give Farrell directly, as candidate committees have $500 contribution limits.

After a year spent looking into the matter, the Fair Political Practices Commission determined that Farrell's campaign, but not the now-Supervisor himself, had coordinated with the Common Sense Voters independent committee. Their punishment: Fining Farrell's campaign consultant, Chris Lee, $14,500.

Unsatisfied, Reilly picked up her complaint and brought it to the Ethics Commission, who implicated Farrell himself, asking him in 2014 to give $191,000 to the city. While at one point under an outgoing Ethics Commissioner there was talk of waiving the fee, that plan was scrapped.

But Farrell doesn't want to part with the money, and probably would also like his record untarnished by the scandal (maybe too late). Therefore, the lawsuit, filed in Superior Court. As well as the City of San Francisco, it names the Ethics Commission and the fine collector, which would be the Treasurer.

In the words of his lawsuit, "the Ethics Commission has systematically and blatantly ignored city law, as well as its own procedures, and is guilty of a gross violation of Supervisor Farrells rights... This miscarriage of justice must be stopped.

While the lawsuit admits that campaign consultant Lee "had minor and unauthorized communications with the Common Sense Voters independent committee, it maintains that Farrell had no personal knowledge of the matter.

However, Commissioner Keane says that's not exactly how that works. While state law might not hold Farrell responsible for his campaign consultant, city law does, Keane argues.

Related: SF's Last Remaining Gun Shop May Close Over Supervisor's Proposal
UNITED NATIONS | Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett said she's proud to have been named a global goodwill ambassador for the U.N. refugee agency.

Filippo Grandi, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, said the Australian actress "has already demonstrated great commitment to the cause," having just returned from Jordan where she met Syrian refugee families and heard first-hand about the perilous journeys they took to escape the war.

"I am deeply proud to take on this role," Blanchett said in a statement. "There has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity. We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide."

Today, there are 60 million refugees and people who are displaced within their own countries  the largest number since World War II.

"It feels like we're at a fork in the road," Blanchett said. "Do we go down the compassionate path or do we go down the path of intolerance?"

"As a mother, I want my children to go down the compassionate path. There's much more opportunity, there's much more optimism and there is a solution down that path," said the mother of four.

UNHCR said Blanchett has been working closely with UNHCR for over a year to raise awareness about the forcibly displaced.

"Goodwill ambassadors play a pivotal role in creating better public understanding and support for refugees, and never has there been a greater need to build these bridges," Grandi said. "We look forward to seeing her inspire many more people in her new role."

Blanchett follows in the footsteps of another Oscar-winning actress, Angelina Jolie, who was a UNHCR goodwill ambassador for years before being elevated in 2012 to be a special envoy for the refugee agency.
SIOUX CITY | Nicolle DeRocher, of Akron, Iowa, uses County Road K18 for various trips, including each time she's traveled to a Sioux City hospital to give birth.

DeRocher delivered her most recent child on Jan. 27. While driving K18 north of the city with her two other children in the car, she made several calls, including to her sister, hoping to meet her at UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's to care for the two older kids.

The call dropped.

"It was very inopportune. It was the last thing you want to deal with, when you are on the way to the hospital to have a baby," DeRocher recalled.

Whether the topic is gossiping about the person a friend has started dating or lining up business appointments while driving, having a dropped mobile call is annoying.

As wireless phone usage has became more common over the last 20 years, more towers have sprouted on Siouxland hilltops to bounce signals. But bad spots still remain, particularly in river valleys where the elevation drops or on rolling hills.

The reception can vary greatly from place to place, depending on the wireless carrier. The two largest providers in the tri-state region -- Verizon Wireless and AT&T -- say they work hard to get sufficient towers for both voice and data coverage.

Nonetheless, Siouxlanders are peeved about weak signals and dropped calls. Even a 14-year federal lawmaker isn't immune from those frustrations.

U.S. Rep. Steve King maintains a busy schedule when he is back in the 4th District, which covers 39 Northwest and north-central Iowa counties. He'll have calls locked in for up to 10 minutes or so back to back to back, and King has instructed staff members not to bother setting up calls when he's traveling in certain areas.

"Why did you schedule me an interview with this radio station when you knew I'd be going through Mile Marker 109 on (U.S.) Highway 20? It moves a little bit, it seems like it is drifting a little bit east to Mile Marker 112. So, if you get to 108, you need to tell them, 'Dead zone coming up,' and then there's no need to dial back until you get to about (Mile Marker) 113 going east," King recounted.

King said other bad zones are a valley where the Boyer River flows near the unincorporated town of Boyer in Crawford County and the Little Sioux River Valley near Peterson, Iowa. King said the worst dead zone of all is on Interstate 29 running 10 miles south of Missouri Valley, Iowa, on land that had been under water for weeks following the historic Missouri River floods of 2011.

Many people also cite spotty service in the Little Sioux River valley near the Cherokee County towns of Washta and Quimby, then farther downstream near the Woodbury County towns of Correctionville, Anthon and Oto.

Some wireless subscribers use signal boosters in order to not lose calls in hard-to-reach places.

"Woodbury County terrain is difficult, just awful, with all the change in elevation ... There are lots of valleys. It is a hard county to get a signal in. It takes a lot of towers," said Gary Brown, director of Woodbury County Disaster and Emergency Services Department.

EXPANDED COVERAGE

Mobile phones emit electromagnetic radio waves, which go to antennas on the nearest cell phone tower. The towers then transmit the signals to a switching center, which transfers the call to the destination.

Towers often rise from 150 to 300 feet high, and they are often placed by the companies on private land rented from the landowners through long-term leases.

AT&T Wireless in February announced the completion of improvements to 120 existing towers in Northwest Iowa. That was part of nearly $175 million invested since 2013 in wireless and wired networks in Iowa.

Were strengthening our already-strong network to meet the needs of our customers across Iowa. We want to give our customers the high-quality service they need to stay connected. So were always investing in our network and will make even more improvements in the area this year," Cheryl Riley, president of AT&T Northern Plains, said in a statement.

Verizon Wireless North Central official Meagan Dorsch said she could not disclose details on the number of tower sites in Siouxland, due to competitive and proprietary reasons. Dorsch said the company is always looking to identify added spots for towers based on need.

"Customer demand for wireless voice and data service is growing rapidly. Verizon is always working to add more capacity to our network to stay ahead of the demand," Dorsch said. She cited that demand growing by at least 25 percent annually.

Towers can't be built just anywhere, with studies needed to meet federal guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies, so that archeological sites and wildlife patterns aren't disturbed. Dorsch said Verizon looks at proximity to other towers, topography and local zoning requirements in making tower-placement decisions.

Brown said having sound reception service is important to emergency officials for their jobs, plus the area residents who are handling personal calls.

"I don't know if there is a kid out there under 12 who doesn't have a cell phone. It gets younger and younger all the time," Brown said.

Brown had one of the first cell phones in Woodbury County, back in 1988 when the provider was CommNet 2000 and the phone "was the size of a lunch box with an 8-inch antenna."

Brown said towers have been primarily built near cities and towns, to be near the users. He said the companies are now increasingly building towers in more rural areas, as older people who were late cell-phone adopters and others there are clamoring for better service.

"It is giving the cell phone companies the incentive to build out," Brown said.

Union County Sheriff Dan Limoges said he thankfully can't think of any bad cell reception areas in his county. Deputies need great service to contact emergency officials. The relative flatness of Union County and other areas of southeast South Dakota helps.

"We do a lot with our cell phones. I can't say we have bad coverage," Limoges said.
SIOUX CITY | A former employee of a Sioux City law firm is facing a first degree theft charge for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from her workplace.

Kristin Hermelbracht, 43, of Hinton, Iowa was an employee for Hellige, Frey and Roe. According to court documents, between 2013 to 2015 she stole $38,445 from the firm through writing herself checks by forging a partners signature.

She also allegedly deposited funds of the firm and then gave herself gift debit cards.

Hermelbracht was charged with first degree theft of property exceeding $10,000. She posted bond of $5,000. Her court date is set for May 24.
SIOUX CITY | After months on strike, unionized workers at a Sioux City box factory have returned to work after an agreement was made with the company.

About 50 hourly workers picketed in shifts outside of the WestRock plant, 1540 Tri-View Ave., over a wage and benefit dispute.

WestRock manufactures corrugated boxes for local industries such as Tyson Foods, Curly's Foods and BPI Inc.

Doug Day, a representative of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 1426, said the company made an offer and the workers voted to accept it.

The majority of people decided to accept it and go back to work, Day said.

Workers returned to work Tuesday. The vote was held Saturday.

Day declined to discuss specifics of the deal, but said he hopes the relationship between the union and company improve.

We want to bring a more harmonious relationship, he said.

Day said workers went out on strike for several reasons, including a wellness program the company wants to implement and changes to health insurance plans.

Workers also were upset with how promotions and wage increases were being implemented, he said.

The plant continued operating during the strike, but at a reduced rate.
SIOUX CITY | Iowa 4th District Rep. Steve King and his challenger Rick Bertrand will debate in Sioux City just days before the June 7 Republican primary.

King, a seven-term incumbent from Kiron, and Bertrand, a state senator from Sioux City, accepted an invitation to the June 3 debate, which will be co-sponsored by The Journal and Sioux City TV station KTIV. The NBC affiliate will provide a live broadcast of the hour-long debate, set to begin at 7 p.m. in Eppley Auditorium on the campus of Morningside College.

"Were grateful to the two candidates for agreeing to the format," Journal Editor Bruce Miller said. "We think this will give Fourth District voters the best opportunity to hear what their visions are for Iowa. Were excited to be a part of this important event in the 2016 campaign."

The Sioux City forum is the first debate scheduled between the two GOP candidates, and most likely will be the only time they square off head-to-head.

King did not debate any of his challengers in seeking re-election to the former Iowa 5th congressional district from 2004 to 2010.

He shifted to debate Democratic challengers in 2012 (Christie Vilsack) and 2014 (Jim Mowrer) when representing the Iowa 4th District. This is the first time King has faced a Republican challenger.

King has contended that he's well served the people living in the 39 counties in Northwest and North Central Iowa. Bertrand, who has represented Sioux City in the Iowa Senate for six years, contends King has been ineffective and it is time for a new congressman.

Kim Weaver, of Sheldon, is the sole Democratic candidate.
ORANGE CITY, Iowa | When the owner of Holland House buys a house, she doesnt get too attached to it or the things inside. Shes too busy planning her next project.

Marie Hofmeyers dream scenario happened. The designer and her husband sold their beautifully remodeled two-story home and almost all the furniture in it, giving her a fresh start. There was just one problem  not many homes were on the market, which is good if youre the seller but not the buyer.

Faced with few options, the family of four settled on a sunny yellow ranch-style home on the northwest side of town. It looked nothing like she wanted. But since shes a designer, Hofmeyer could look past the orange-colored laminate floors and the outdated honey oak cabinetry and see its potential.

Now, the home, built in 2004, reflects her design style: classic elements with a modern twist.

Most of the changes were cosmetic, and Hofmeyer could do it herself  from painting to installing the luxury, vinyl plank floor. She carefully considered design decisions based on which home improvement projects were more likely to pay off.

It is the hardest thing to design for myself because I love so many things. I can go into anybodys house and say, You need to do this, this, this and this  and itll be perfect! I walk into my own house, and Im like, I dont know. Did I make the right decision? I second-guess myself, she said. I wanted to be able to do things that didnt cost a lot of money that would price us out of reselling it in a few years when we move on to the next one.

BUDGET-FRIENDLY KITCHEN MAKEOVER

Hofmeyer opened Holland House, a full-service design studio and home decor store, in Orange City six years ago, but shes not one to over-decorate. For me, in my own home, its simple, she said. I like things in a row, just very simplistic-looking decor.

In the kitchen, she painted the cabinets white, replaced the countertops and made the island bigger for better entertaining. She also swapped out an overhead pot rack in favor of chic globe-like light fixtures with Edison bulbs.

KEEPING CONTRAST

Hofmeyer started the homes design process thinking that she would keep everything monochromatic and light, but her love of contrast emerged. The basic palette carried throughout the house includes a mix of ivory, white, black, gray and navy.

Im not a colorful person, she said. The biggest color Ill do is blue.

She used textural differences to transform each room. In the living room, the TV wall features a Venetian plaster finish. A mud mixture is applied in a bunch of thin coats to create an interesting overlapping pattern. Then, its sanded and polished to a sheen that feels like marble, smooth and cold to the touch.

MODERN MASHUP

Her husbands not a hunter. Hes an accountant. But Hofmeyer enjoys decorating with pieces like fashionable faux antlers that have a more masculine appeal.

BARN DOOR TREND

The homes entryway used to have a half wall that overlooked the staircase to the unfinished basement. Hofmeyer opted to make it a full wall in order to install a modern sliding barn door for more peace and quiet. They can send the kids to bed and still have friends over with less interruption since the door closes off the open concept living space from the hallway to the bedrooms.

FARMHOUSE FRESH

In the main bathroom, the color palette is flipped from the kitchen. Hofmeyer did all white walls and painted the honey oak cabinets gray. The shiplap wall above the vanity adds texture and a touch of rustic style to the room. The wood paneling can also be found on one small wall in the dining area and on the kitchen island.

BOY MEETS MOD

Four-year-old Beckyms room features plaid wallpaper on one wall. He loves playing in the black and white striped tipi that adds a little fun and flair to his room.

HOME STORE

Hofmeyer actually had to tuck away a couple tags on the bedside lamps to hide them from getting in the photo. I sell things out of my house all the time, she said. If I have a client that needs that special thing, then theyre going to get it out of my house.

EDITED LIVING

Hofmeyer decorated a reading nook in the master bedroom with artwork she made in college. She found the line painting rolled up in a box, tore it apart and reassembled the pieces into simple black frames.

I really strategically plan things that look amazing, she said. I dont feel like you need to fill every corner with something. It makes me calm to not have so much stuff. I have a store full of stuff that I get to see every day. If I came home to a home full of stuff, it would be too much.
We want to know what you think about the movies. You can Tweet us your reviews @scweekender or share them on Facebook, facebook.com/siouxcityweekender. We'll pick the best comments on Monday before the next Weekender. Here are this week's movies:

Keanu

Starring: Key & Peele

Story: Two friends have their kitten named Keanu stolen from them and must pose as drug dealers to get him back.

Rated: R for violence, language throughout, drug use and sexuality/nudity

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

Mother's Day

Starring: Your mom

Story: This comedy shares the stories of seemingly unconnected people accepting their relationships with their mothers.

Rated: PG-13 for language and some suggestive material

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

Ratchet & Clank

Starring: Ratchet & Clank... duh!

Story: The video game characters hit the silver screen and join an elite squad to save the universe from evil.

Rated: PG for action and some rude humor

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

The Huntsman: Winter's War

Starring: Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth

Story: The war between two rival queen sisters escalates as two rugged warriors hide their forbidden love.

Rated: PG-13 for fantasy action violence and some sensuality

Verdict: Huntsman:Winter's War will leave those seeking imaginative fantasy out in the cold despite contributions from a talented cast. -@sizynski

Elvis & Nixon

Starring: Michael Shannon, Kevin Spacey

Story: The story behind the most requested photograph in the National Archives is revealed.

Rated: R for some language

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

The Jungle Book

Starring: A jungle boy and his pet carnivores

Story: A retelling of the classic story of a boy raised by a pack of wolves, a bear and a black panther.

Rated: PG for some some sequences of scary action and peril

Verdict: The Jungle Book provides more than just the bare necessities with wild fun and spectacular visuals the whole family can enjoy. -@sizynski

Barbershop: The Next Cut

Starring: Ice Cube, Nicki Minaj

Story: The community takes a turn for the worse and it's up to the barbershop workers to help bring everyone together.

Rated: PG-13 for sexual material and language

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

The Boss

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell

Story: A shady businesswoman is sent to prison for insider trading, but hopes to rebrand her image -- easier said than done.

Rated: R for sexual content, language and brief drug use

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Starring: The Caped Crusader, Man of Steel

Story: Two of the biggest heroes in the DC universe duke it out in epic fashion while new evils grow around them.

Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, action throughout and some sensuality

Verdict: Batman v Superman trips trying to create a DC Comics Universe, but offers enough fun to be a passable action movie. Batfleck! -@sizynski

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

Starring: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett

Story: Toula and Ian cope with their daughter leaving for college while also dealing with another Greek wedding.

Rated: PG-13 for some suggestive material

Verdict: Opa! The script could have used a few more sprays of Windex but My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 offers solid family-friendly laughs -@sizynski
A different definition of 'taking shots'

SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man is facing several charges related to 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. He fired a single shot.

Officers found 30-year-old Brandon Demone Smith, a resident of the apartment complex, 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 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.

There are worse reasons to be kicked out of a strip club

DENISON, Iowa | Two suspects are being sought in an attempted robbery of a strip club in Denison early Thursday.

The male and female suspects attempted to rob Book-em Danos at about 12:48 a.m., Denison police reported.

The pair were in the business while the owner was closing up. The owner tried to escort them out when one of them pushed down the owner and held her at gunpoint.

A physical confrontation ensued and the male suspect eventually fled.

Hey dude, can I crash at your place?

LE MARS, Iowa | A Remsen, Iowa, man has been charged with operating while intoxicated and two additional charges after the car he was driving crashed into a Le Mars residence early Friday morning.

Le Mars police Officer John Kaskie said a 2002 Chevy Impala driven by Trevor Koontz, of Remsen, struck a residence at 600 Third St. SE just after 1:40 a.m.

Kaskie said Koontz had been traveling south on Sixth Avenue SE when he lost control of the vehicle and veered eastward into the residence. The vehicle broke through the concrete in the basement wall and broke a water line inside the house, Kaskie said.

None of the residents of the house were injured, Kaskie said. Koontz was treated at the scene.

He was charged with second offense operating while intoxicated, failure to maintain control and failure to provide insurance.

The Le Mars Fire Department assisted the Le Mars Police Department at the scene.
Mega-corporations get most of the publicity when it comes to cybercrime and hacking. But new information shows nearly half of all cybercrime targets small business, giving the cyber crooks access to huge amounts of cash and information.

Last year saw approximately half of worldwide Internet attacks reported against small enterprises with less than 250 employees; the cyber scofflaws zeroing in on their digital frailties to swipe valuable information, send spam, and cripple websites.

The security firm Symantec discovered that over the past 4 years many small businesses have become a much more enticing target, because the bigger corporations are constantly improving their internet security systems, effectively giving all but the most brilliant hackers the heave-ho.

Cybercrime Targets Small Business

Chief strategist Sian John, of Symantec, says that phishing is just one example of a crooked concept that is easier to pull on small businesses than on larger ones because the larger ones can now afford very sophisticated and complex firewalls to prevent fakers from changing account information. But, she adds, smaller business feel the need for the personal touch to override too many protocols and firewalls, thus falling right into the trap.

Although smaller companies obviously have less data to steal, they can act like a secret passage into the bowels of larger companies they work with. Ms. John warns that nearly forty-three percent of cybercrime targets small business. That is the price they pay for having an online presence.

Spam, ransomware, and phishing are currently the most common, and certainly the most egregious, forms of cybercrime that small businesses face.

Ms. John further says that she personally knows of small companies that very nearly went under when ransomware got into their main systems. They had to cease trading to protect their financial records  and that is a killer to any companys bottom line.

Last year Russian hackers targeted PCA Predict, a small data validating service, sending out an email spam to over a million people with a spurious $120 charge. Naturally, this created a customer care catastrophe for the company. They were inundated with emails and phone calls from angry persons demanding an explanation.

But their response was quick. Since they were a high technology company they were able set up a homepage and record a phone message that explained the situation clearly and simply. But it was a close call.

The statistics are sobering. The World Economic Forum classes cybercrime as a top global risk. Last year alone there were 430 million new versions of malware launched upon an unsuspecting business world.

And zero-day vulnerabilities rose to 54 just last year. This is a trick where hackers identify and abuse it before the vendor knows of the vulnerability.

These cyber shenanigans affect millions of software users each year, and in many cases they have no idea that their data has been compromised. Most companies are gearing up to protect their online data and security.

But Ms. John says that companies, especially small businesses that have to watch every penny, are in many cases not taking their cyber security seriously enough. Its a trust she states. If your customers trust you enough to give you sensitive information, they have to know that you will do everything within your power.
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
courtesy of the artist

I remember sitting in a classroom and learning about western culture and feeling no proper representation of myself within it./ I wish I knew how to break apart this image of the united states of america and the human body nailed to a wooden cross. I wish I knew how not to remember the american flag. Demian DineYazhi'

The poison in the pollen/ is poison in our colony is poison/ in your children. Honey, tell me:/ Was your breakfast sweet? Honey,/ when this colony collapses into a pool/ of Yellow Black and Brown honey,/ the women are always the first to go./ I close my wings and hit the ground./ I open my wings and my colony/ drops dead. I close my wings/ and every flower at my funeral/ begins to grieve. Jess X. Chen

Demian DineYazhi' and Jess X. Chen are two multi-disciplinary artists probing with their words the hurts of ongoing environmental degradation, colonization and the myriad injustices that thousands of people struggle against daily. During the month of May, the two are setting out together on a poetry tour called Solastalgia beginning in Los Angeles and traveling eastward, ending in New York. On Monday, May 9, the two will share their queer eco-feminist poetry at the Tannex beginning at 7pm sharp, followed with a performance by the unrelenting electro-punk duo, the Discotays. DineYazhi' and Chen were kind enough to exchange some emails with me as they prepared to set off on the West Coast leg of their tour.

Alibi: Can you elaborate on the definition of solastalgia? What does it mean and what does it look like to you personally?

Demian DineYazhi': Like the homesick sentiment that is attached to that of nostalgia, solastalgia is tied to concepts of solace  and the suffering one encounters when their home environment is in distress. However, unlike homesickness, the person has not left their home or homeland. People speak of this post-apocalyptic dystopian future on the horizon, but for Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, we are actively engaging in a post-apocalyptic dystopian reality. Our traditional ways have been altered by environmental injustice, genocide, forced relocation and assimilation to Western cultural mores.

Jess X. Chen: Solastalgia means the painted experience when the place where on inhabits and one loves is under immediate threat. For migrants, Indigenous people and people of color, it feels almost as if this is a constant state of being. As a second generation Chinese-American whose parents escaped poverty and the violence and silencing of the Cultural Revolution in rural China, I have inherited an inter-generational trauma of feeling like every semblance of home is under threat of being taken away. When my parents migrated, they soon divorced and I followed my mother to America where she changed jobs and moved over 12 times due to economic instability. These constant migrations became embedded in my body and my sense of time. On top of this, Mother Earth is continually driven to collapse by colonial forces, and thus solastalgia becomes a term for our time, but especially for the Indigenous and Islander communities most affected by climate change. A feeling of transience and of fighting to preserve every home and community and love I inhabit permeates into the way I live and love and move about this world. This is what my work is about and what this tour means to me.

How do words challenge?

Chen: The tongue of our colonizer is the only tool we have to give name to our peoples' traumas [and] our undefeatable resilience in a way that can be understood in America. Sometimes literacy and education become the most intimate and accessible tools to challenge colonization

DineYazhi': Words have the potential to create really bizarre and profound imprints in human history. They have fueled political revolutions and have been re-contextualized, deconstructed, abused and revered since the dawn of language. They are such powerful tools for self-expression. There should be more care and patience when we develop our own sense of language and expression.

Does art have the ability to empower communities? How does it function on a large scale in your eyes? And conversely, how does it function in your life?

DineYazhi': Art and design have empowered communities since human existence. Humans have left their marks on canyon walls and built massive structures that we still marvel [at] centuries later. Art has [been] ... a powerful tool for religious, corporate and political propaganda for just as long. Yet, it has also become a marker of human intelligence, vulnerability, desire and our ability to utilize our imagination to unbelievable heights. Personally, art has become a tool for resistance, resurgence, reclamation and medication. Honestly, as a person who deals with anxiety on a daily basis, art and survival are synonymous for me.

Your work frequently explores the impacts of colonization, capitalism and environmental ruin. How do we resist the impacts of these things?

Chen: I think the most important thing is to empower diasporic and Indigenous communities with the tools to imagine a world without capitalism and colonial violence. Only when when we know what such a world could look and feel like can we begin to create it within our individual lives  I recently lead a mural workshop with 15 migrant girls of color in downtown LA and we painted a 70-foot mural together. The mural creates a portal into their collective migration story, as each of the girls' families migrated from Latin American to the US. We created solidarity with the girls and the endangered yellow-billed cuckoo, [a bird] that has been making the same migration journey  which is also depicted in the mural. If we can imagine a future where our stories are visible and monumental, then we can teach the youth in our communities the tools to build that future. The future belongs in the hands of youth, so youth organizing is inseparable from the resistance of colonization.

Demian, how did growing up in Gallup inform your work? What have the communities, cities and landscapes of New Mexico taught you?

DineYazhi': Growing up in Gallup has had a profound impact on my work  It can be such a cruel place for someone who isn't white, heterosexual or male. As far as art and creative practice are concerned, I wasn't interested in making Indigenous art that perpetuated the commodification of our culture. I didn't want to get stuck in the insincere Santa Fe thing. Actually, it's not just Santa Fe, it's all over New Mexico. White businesses continue to profit off of Indigenous art and culture without properly investing in our communities and [the] evolution of our unique cultures. Through art, poetry and curating events, I am able to support my communities in Portland, New Mexico and Dine Bikeyah (the Navajo Nation) while disrupting mainstream American culture.
These Roasted Honey Mustard Mushrooms could make a mushroom lover out of almost anyone!

Once again, I am partnering with Produce for Kids and Acme Markets this year to help spread awareness about their campaign with Feeding America. Through partnerships with Produce for Kids, ACME and select fruit and vegetable companies have raised more than $280,000 to benefit children's charities. I really enjoy when I can use my platform to help spread the word about causes such as this.

The annual Produce for Kids Campaign is taking place at all ACME Markets now through June 2. Be on the lookout out for the Produce for Kids logo near participating fresh produce to find out how you can make a difference! Last year, ACME Markets & Produce for Kids donated over 170,000 meals to Feeding America! Find out how easy it is to help end hunger in America.

The Produce for Kids Campaign will be supported by more than 32 participating produce suppliers, representing nearly every major category of fresh produce. Grocery shoppers are encouraged to purchase more nutritious fruits and vegetables and in exchange, suppliers will make a donation to Feeding America and other community organizations. Every time you purchase one of the Brands below through June 2, 2016...You help feed a local family.

Participating Brands include:

Earthbound Farm

Eat Smart Fresh Cut Vegetables

Fresh Express Packaged Salads

Kings River Packing California Citrus

Maries Dressings

RealSweet Vidalia Onions

Setton Farms Pistachios

To-Jo Mushrooms

Wholly Guacamole

Avocados from Mexico Mexican Hass Avocados

Local food banks that will benefit include:

Community Foodbank of New Jersey

Philabundance

The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Inc.

Maryland Food Bank

Food Bank for Westchester

Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York

Connecticut Food Bank

Food Bank of Delaware

Food Bank of South Jersey

For my recipe, I decided to go with mushrooms. Not all kids (or adults for that matter) give mushrooms a chance. Mushrooms are so versatile and can be flavored in a variety of ways. My husband counts mushrooms as one of his top 5 favorite foods. My 12 year old niece is also crazy for them. My 11 year old daughter will eat them in soups and my 14 year old son...well he's not there yet, lol!

I decided to give the mushrooms a flavor profile of honey mustard and decided to roast them vs grill them to keep them moist the way mu kids like them. I actually haven't seen them this way before and thought...Hmmm, kids love honey mustard...wonder if they'd enjoy mushrooms that way. I'd say these Roasted Honey Mustard Mushrooms were a hit, they were gone pretty quick!

I made them 2 ways, one batch was with a honey mustard garlic sauce, the other I used Vidalia onions. Both were good. My husband said he really couldn't tell the difference. It just depends on what you want to go with or if you want to use both garlic and onion.

I also served the mushrooms on a bed of spinach. My whole household loves spinach and happily I can always count on Earthbound Farm Organic for delicious, clean spinach options.

For the mushrooms, I used To-Jo Mushrooms which are a Philadelphia area staple. I've actually met the brothers, (Tony and Joe) that now run the family business Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, and I have to say that when I heard them speak a few years ago, I was enthralled! The whole process from beginning to end is just so interesting and the brothers were so passionate about what they do. They work those mushrooms every-single-day-of-the-year!

Fun Fact: Did you know that Kennett Square, PA (an hour north of Philly) is the "Mushroom Capital of the World"??

Serve these Roasted Honey Mustard Mushrooms over sauteed spinach or alone as an accompaniment to your favorite meat or fish. The kids may just fall for them...My husband sure did! He kept saying how delicious they were. I roasted them on skewers, because...let's face it, food on sticks is fun! You can skewer them or roast them loose, your call.
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The hustle and bustle of New York City bleeds across the entire New York metropolitan area, especially to the towns in its closest proximity. Edgewater, New Jersey, which is only minutes from the George Washington Bridge, is home to the recently established Kuppi Coffee Company. Co-owned and managed by siblings Kevin and Vivian Kim, Kuppi has been well-received here in New Jersey since soft opening in November 2015.

Kuppis storefront, located in a strip mall right along the Hudson River, was formerly a hair salon. Kevin and Vivian Kim chose to remodel the property to create a more spacious, welcoming interior. The stores front and rear walls are mostly glass, highlighting a beautiful view of the Hudson River that can be seen from the back of the shop, allowing natural light to flood the seating areas. The shop is organized into three sections: a bar and seating area in the front, a communal workspace in the middle, and a lounge area in the back.

Kuppis design is sleek and modern but has a rustic vibe as well; the wooden tables are paired with mismatched stools, and the walls are tastefully decorated with various art, flowers, and coffee paraphernalia. Kevin and Vivian Kim collaborated with Anurag Nema of Nema Workshop (located in New York City) to create the design concept. I was inspired by Four Barrel Coffees aesthetic, Kevin Kim explained. Nema showed Kevin Kim, he tells me, how to play with the space to make it an extension of [himself].

In the back seating area, it is hard to not be absorbed by the gorgeous view of the river. A deck out back will become popular once the warm weather comes around. Kevin Kim plans on constructing an outdoor seating area, furnished with tree stumps as stools to continue his rustic theme as he extends outside.

Kuppi exclusively brews George Howell Coffee from Massachusetts, and its teas are supplied by In Pursuit of Tea. Kuppis espresso equipment includes a Modbar espresso system and is paired with both a Nuova Simonelli Clima Pro and a Mahlkonig EK 43 (for single origins and decaf coffees) for grinders. Kevin Kim chose a Modbar system so the coffee bars aesthetic would match the rest of Kuppis minimal, clean lines design. Baristas prepare all pour-over coffees with either a glass or stainless steel Kalita Wave, a Mahlkonig EK 43, and Acaia scales. The staff prepares cold brew with the same beans as their drip coffee, and it is served with a tap system. Kuppi sources its pastries from local businesses including Balthazar Bakery, Dough Donuts, and OM Sweet Home (for gluten-free pastries).

Kuppi has successfully established a welcoming, family-friendly environment that is even equipped with high chairs and other accommodations for customers of all ages. Only months after opening, Kevin and Vivian Kim have achieved their goal of creating a nice hangout that welcomes a diverse client base that reflects the community, according to Kevin Kim. As Edgewaters first specialty coffee shop, Kuppi Coffee Company has quickly given this fast-paced community a place where patronswhether they have to cross the river every day or notcan unwind and feel at home.

Adam Friedlander is a freelance writer. This is Friedlanders first feature for Sprudge.
The perception of the USSRs role in Europe has changed dramatically over the last 70 years. Years of opinion polls carried out by Ifop, Frances oldest polling institution, bear witness to this. In fact, the share of Parisians who believe that the USSR contributed the most to the victory over Nazism declined from 61 percent in 1944 to 20 percent in 2004.

All in all, according to various estimates, the Red Army freed almost 50 percent of the states that make up present-day Europe, without counting the European part of Russia, and suffered more casualties than any other force in the war. The Red Army liberated a total of 120 million people in 16 contemporary European countries. Another six countries were freed by the Red Army in conjunction with its allies.

In the United Kingdom and the United States, the survey was conducted by Populus, a major British research agency, between April 15 and 21, 2016. In France and Germany, it was carried out by Ifop, Frances oldest polling institution, between April 14 and 18, 2016. The samples used were representative of the population with respect to gender, age and geography. The polls have a  3.1% margin of error with a 95% confidence level.

About the Sputnik.Polls Project

The international public opinion project was inaugurated in January 2015, in partnership with the leading research companies such as Populus, Ifop and Forsa. The project organizes regular surveys in the United States and Europe on the most sensitive social and political issues.

Sputnik (sputniknews.com) is a news agency and radio network with multimedia news hubs in dozens of countries. Sputnik broadcasts through its websites in over 30 languages, as well as analog and digital radio, mobile apps and social media. Sputnik newswires, available by subscription, run around the clock in English, Arabic, Spanish and Chinese.
Currently, Russian orchestra, conducted by the theater's Artistic and General Director Valery Gergiev, is holding a "Pray for Palmyra. Music Revives Ancient Ruins" concert on the stage of Palmyra's historic amphitheater.

According to Syrian Culture Minister Issam Khalil, the concert of the Russian world-renowned Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra in the Syrian city of Palmyra is dedicated to the upcoming Victory Day.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday during an address with Syria's city of Palmyra, liberated from Daesh terrorists, that the concert of Russia's Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra in the historic city is a gratitude to everyone fighting against terrorism.
PALMYRA (Sputnik)  Russia and the post-Soviet states mark Victory Day annually on May 9, commemorating the millions of Soviet soldiers and civilians that died in the 4-year long war with Nazi Germany.

"This event is taking place as part of the celebration of Victory Day by the Russian people," Issam Khalil told RIA Novosti.

He stressed that the Victory Day echoed the victory over terrorism, which is largely equal to the Russian contribution in the fight against Daesh in Syria.
"The leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry is grateful for your compassion and your desire to share the grief with the family and friends of hero Alexander Prokhorenko Let me, on behalf of the Russian Minister of Defense, present you the awards from the Russian Ministry of Defense for your personal contribution for the strengthening of friendship and understanding between our nations," Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said during a meeting with the Magues.

Pankov awarded Jean-Claude Mague and Micheline Mague the medals for "Strengthening of Military Cooperation" and for "Special Merits in Strengthening of Peace, Friendship, Military Cooperation and Understanding Between Russia and France."

"We didn't even expect to have such hospitality," Mrs. Mague said.
"In August 2011, the 51-year-old woman had answered a personal ad of Wilfried W. published in a newspaper. After a few phone calls, the woman was picked up by the two suspects and taken by car to a house in Bosseborn. During her three-week visit to the couple, there were no assaults. After her stay, the 51-year-old returned home to Berlin and kept in contact with Wilfried W."

"From the end of 2011 until March 2012, the victim again spent time at the house in Bosseborn," Ridder said referring to the victim's statement. "During this time she was physically abused by the two suspects. According to her, she was imprisoned and had no way to escape. In March 2012, after heavy physical abuse, the 51-year-old was transported to a station and put on a train back home. The suspects threatened her with the use of force, and the victim didn't call the police."

But what drives people to torturing others to death? Professor Dr. Christian Pfeiffer from the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony explained possible motives in an interview with Sputnik.

According to him, people who commit violence might be driven by many problems, including those lying in their childhood. Often these are people who have suffered a lot in their childhood and use violence as attempt to cover up this bad experience and, in a way, prove their superiority.

"When such people [] start talking honestly about their childhood during a court secession, then it mostly comes out that they have suffered from extreme powerlessness, humiliation, beatings, lack of love and the primary need: I'll show it to them all when I grow up."

The situation is especially dangerous when in addition, "the life is pretty messed up and a person is unable to succeed in anything". In this case, his or her desire to exercise power and dominate over someone increases even more.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The long-anticipated Worker's Party Congress, scheduled for Friday, will be the first congress meeting since 1980, and is expected to see the reshuffling of party representatives.

This ruling party congress is a rare event, but its made possible by the forced labor that untold thousands of North Koreans are subject to as part of everyday life under Kim Jong-Uns abusive rule. Kim Jong-Un talks a lot about improving the lives of North Koreans, but well only know if hes serious if he takes action to end human rights abuses, Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in a statement.
The group, which had been under police surveillance for more than a year, was seized after a bomb-making experiment caused an explosion that injured Sajid, the newspaper said, adding that the extremists were planning to avenge the anti-Muslim 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots in the state of Uttar Pradesh that resulted in the deaths of over 40 Muslims.

According to investigation sources, the suspects had contacts with the Pakistani Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorist group, which is blamed for the January 2 attack on the Pathankot airbase in India near the Pakistani border, in which three Indian servicemen were killed. The men then set up an independent jihadist cell, inspired by Daesh.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to officials from the National Directorate of Security (NDS), 150 people were detained in Parwan province while trying to travel to the country's unstable northern regions.

The agency added that in Kapisa province police forces had detained 40 more suspects, who had tried to hide from law enforcement officers.

Afghanistan is experiencing political, social and security instability, as the Taliban movement and other radical extremist organizations such as Daesh, which is prohibited in many countries, including the United States and Russia, continue to stage attacks against civilian and state targets.
Indian Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said India was expected to have more than 500 million internet users by the end of this year. The latest estimate comes a year earlier than the original prediction, which had said close to half of the country's population would be connected to the internet by 2017.

"India has grown to around 400 million Internet users. If we take Trai numbers then it is somewhere close to 332 million. As per service providers, they were telling me that up to date it is 402 million. We were to have 500 million users by 2017, I feel it will happen this year itself," the minsiter said.
SHANGHAI (Sputnik)  Russia plans to hold the title of the worlds leading exporter of wheat in the new agricultural year, exporting 25 million tons of wheat, Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said Thursday.

We have actually become the leaders by passing both Canada and America. Of course, we plan to hold the first place [in the new agricultural year] with almost 25 million tons of wheat exports. Markets, both new and old, are opening for us. Of course, this is traditionally the Chinese market and were currently working on that. This is of course both Japan and South Korea, as well as the countries of North America, the Arab world, and the Persian Gulf, Tkachev told journalists at the SIAL China exhibition in Shanghai.
"The company will be granted the right to export, but through a single export channel. Now, Rosneft and Gazprom Export should prepare an agent agreement," the official told the Izvestia newspaper.

The agreed deliveries will reach up to 25 billion cubic meters of gas annually.
Although China's economic slowdown and fluctuation in stock market has spooked global investors, when talking about the prospect of China's economy, Buffett said in an exclusive interview with Sina Finance that he had confidence in the country and believed that China's development will be better over time.

Buffett has been interviewed by Sina Finance for fourth consecutive year, and his positive views have never changed.

Recently, George Soros, who founded Soros Fund Management and is now chairman of the New York-based firm, warned that a surge in China's debt is bringing the world's second-largest economy to the brink of a financial crisis similar to the one the US faced in 2007-08.
According to WSJ, the slowdown in crude production in Kurdistan may affect the global market since the rise in production helped Iraq increase total output by 20 percent last year.

In 2015, oil production in Kurdistan grew to 430,000 barrels a day. According to other estimates, it reached 600,000 barrels a day.

Any attempts to precisely estimate Kurdistans oil reserves and possible output are a difficult task, first of all because there are no official borders of the region, Rustam Tankaev, senior analyst at the Russian Union of Oil and Gas Producers, told Gazeta.ru.

"What is more, when were talking about oil reserves we should specify the type of reserves  geological or extractable. Traditionally, extraction index rarely reaches over 0.5," he explained.

He suggested that actual extractable oil reserves in Kurdistan are estimated at nearly 500 million tons.

"The Kurdish governments statements about rich reserves are promotional. Theyre aimed at drawing investments to the region," the expert said.

In March, during his visit to Moscow, leader of the regional government Aso Talabani said the authorities were interested in expanding the presence of Russian oil companies in Kurdistan and would take all necessary measures for this, including security measures.

Currently, only one Russian company, Gazprom Neft, is operating in Kurdistan. The Gazprom subsidiary is exploring oil at the Garmian, Shakal and Halabja blocks. It also works in Iraq at the Badra oil field.

The company told Gazeta.ru that it is continuing exploration works at the three blocks in Kurdistan. It has already started production at the Sarqala oil field (at the Garmian block), with a cumulative production of 2.9 million barrels.

"Due to the slump in oil prices, companies have to reduce investments in geological exploration," the company explained. "Taking in account the subsurface uncertainty of the blocks as well as the situation in the region, Gazprom Neft may revise its program in the region."
The US started exports of LNG in February when the first shipment arrived in Brazil. Then, Cheniere signed long-term contracts with a number of European companies, including Britains BG Group and Spanish company Gas Natural.

Washington has long been arguing in favor of LNG exports to Europe, claiming it will help European allies decrease dependence on energy imports from Russia.

There can be no concerns that American LNG could replace shipments of Russian gas in the European market, Maria Belova, senior analyst at Vygon Consulting, was quoted as saying by Ridus agency.

"That is only in plans. The bulk of US tankers were for Latin America. The current average LNG price in Europe is nearly $4 per British thermal unit. It is not profitable for US companies," she said.

The shipment to Portugal is a one-time event because US companies would make profit only if LNG is $200 or more per cubic meter. Currently, the price is $140.

With the current oil price (the LNG price is tied to crude prices), the US will not expand their deliveries to Europe.

"This contract cannot change the situation in the market. It rather demonstrates the possibility of such deliveries," Andrei Lusnikov, senior analyst at Finmarket agency, pointed out.
While 33 percent of Germans support the measure, 62 percent oppose allowing Turkish citizens to enter Europe without a visa. Respondents were also opposed to the migration deal with Turkey , with 57 percent against the accord and 39 percent in favor, results of the poll, which was published by the ARD broadcaster, revealed.

In mid-March, the European Union and Ankara agreed on a deal under which Turkey pledged to take back all undocumented migrants who arrive in the European Union through its territory in exchange for Syrian refugees accommodated in Turkey, on a one-for-one basis. In return, the 28-member bloc pledged to accelerate the Turkish EU accession bid and introduce a visa-free regime between Turkey and Europe.
When asked how important Frances opinion in this negotiating process really is and about the chances of bigger economies, like Germany and the United States, eventually making Paris sign the deal, Nicolas Roux said that well, we have information that the government is actually willing to sacrifice French agriculture to get access to the US procurement market.

If the TTIP deal does go through some typically French things could be made in the United States.

Food safety rules in Europe are much higher than in the US and if the deal is signed this would weaken the safety standards now existing in Europe, Nicolas noted.

In Europe we have the so-called precautionary principle of strong safeguards regarding food safety issues. In the United States they do not have such a principle and what they are trying to do is to bring in their own pro-trade rules and get rid of the European precautionary principle.

When asked if the French were ready to take to the streets over the issue, because they have traditionally been concerned about what goes into the food they eat, Nicolas Roux said that France has the biggest agricultural sector in Europe and the TTIP constituted an attack against this sector.

When our farmers feel unhappy they will take to the streets to show that, he noted.

Answering a question about how far the Friends of the Earth or any other such group could influence anybody where it comes to the TTIP agreement, Nicolas Roux said: We are not alone. There are Greenpeace and many other organizations involved in this campaign. If we act together well make a lot of noise and make things change.

The TTIP deal is expected create the biggest trading zone in the world, opening up the EU and US markets to each other. However, the talks have been mired in controversy because of their secretive nature, disagreements over regulatory issues and the contentious Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanism.

On May 2, Greenpeace leaked hundreds of pages of documents from the consolidated texts which show deep divisions between the EU and the US, with many critics saying the talks are at an impasse and are about to collapse.
Finland's border officials say that they have uncovered an international group suspected of smuggling migrants by way of the northern border from Russia to Finland and onwards into Europe, newspaper Helsinki Sanomat reported. One of the suspects, a Chinese national who worked as a flight attendant on the national airline Finnair, was arrested at Helsinki Airport in January.

Sixteen arrested individuals were believed to be involved in the scheme, including citizens of India, Pakistan, Holland and Sweden. At least one of the detainees is a Finnish citizen, whereas at least two other suspects had been living in Finland for some time. Members of the group tried to convince potential customers, living under poor conditions, about the benefits of living in Europe, sometimes promising jobs and asylum upon arrival.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Residents in London's northern Barnet suburb were turned away due to the confusion. Only those carrying a polling card could vote. All 155 polling stations were affected, the ITV network said.

Incredible goings-on at Polling Station this morning. No-one registered and able to vote. Extraordinary.  Neil Maiden (@NeilMaiden) May 5, 2016

We are aware of problems with voting registers at our polling stations. This being resolved. Please take voting cards with you.  Barnet Council (@BarnetCouncil) May 5, 2016

"We are aware of problems with our electoral registration lists this morning at polling stations in Barnet which have meant that a number of people who had not brought their polling card with them were unable to vote," the Barnet Council said in a statement.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to the ruling, Sviridov's entry and residence in Poland "violates interests" of the country.

"My office in Warsaw has received an official ruling of Poland's Office for Foreigners, according to which Leonid Sviridov is on the list of persons banned from entering Poland and Schengen zone states until December 14, 2020," Jaroslaw Chelstowski said.

The lawyer said that legal steps were due to be taken following a discussion with Sviridov on the issue.
GENEVA (Sputnik)  The Immortal Regiment is a patriotic initiative that commemorates those who fought against Nazi Germany during World War II in marches held across Russia and other countries on May 9, celebrated as Victory Day in Russia and the former Soviet republics. During the marches, people carry photographs of their ancestors who participated in the war.

"We remember, and we would like that the heroism of the Russian soldiers would be remembered not only in Switzerland, but in all European countries where hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers perished on the battlefields," Svetlana Konev told RIA Novosti.

Konev, who founded the online guide and forum for Russian expats in Switzerland "Ladoshki," said the march emerged from an online drive when the number of contributed war veterans photographs and their stories exceeded expectations.
According to him, the brutal fact is that the US' and the West's policy in relation to both Libya and Syria since 2011 has been a fiasco. In both countries, regimes were undermined, which thereby paved the way for chaos, radicalization and refugee flows.

Meanwhile, the US itself has a poor record of training Syrian rebels as part of the coalition mission against Daesh as the CIA-led training program, which unfolded in Jordan and Turkey, developed into an economic scandal. The US Congress allocated over 500 million dollars for training, which was halted in 2015, less than one year after the start. Until then, around 380 million dollars were reportedly spent on training around 100 Syrian rebels.

When the first group of 54 CIA-trained "moderate" rebels entered Syria in August 2015, they were immediately kidnapped by al-Nusra Front and were shortly afterwards reported to engage in the combat against the Syrian regime. As a result, General Lloyd Austin, commander of US Central Command admitted to the Congress that only four or five of the first 54 still participated in the fight against Daesh.
Erdogan also said Turkey would respond to all rockets fired by Islamic State and vowed that the jihadists would suffer greater losses if they continued their aggression.

However, any Turkish ground forces in Syria could prove diplomatically difficult, as Turkey is a NATO member. Although a US-led alliance  including many NATO forces  is carrying out aerial attacks, it has strayed from putting boots on the ground.
After the war, Helmuth Leif Rasmussen testified against his former boss, accused of killing a Jew with a rifle butt. However, he soon found himself subject of police interrogation as well. He admitted that he had served in the "outer guard force" but said he had only witnessed the killings, but had not participated in them. Rasmussen was sentenced to prison for, among other things, treason against Denmark. He changed his name and lives today in Copenhagen's metropolitan area.

"I wish I had not been in the Corps, but you cannot turn back the clock," Helmuth Leif Rasmussen told Berlingske.

Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1940. Free Corps Denmark was a Danish volunteer unit established in 1941 to fight against the Soviet Union. In May 1942, Free Corps Denmark was relocated to the Eastern Front and joined the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf. Over the years, several hundred war crimes committed by approximately 6,000 Free Corps Denmark-members were uncovered. After WWII, about 13,500 Danish nationals were convicted, the majority of the Nazi collaborationists being giving a minimum sentence of two years' imprisonment. In addition, 46 death sentences were given.
A year ago, charity Red Cross warned that a lack of action by the European Union was contributing to the refugee crisis. Once again, the charity's volunteers are recovering bodies from the sea.

Since 29 April, over 100 people have died in four different ship wrecks on the Mediterranean Sea according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The Red Cross says 27,000 people have arrived in Europe from Libya so far this year.

"Sadly, tragedies like this have happened before and many people will continue to face the difficult choice of whether to try and reach Europe by sea.

"They underline the urgent need for safe and legal routes to Europe for people seeking protection," Karl Pike of the British Red Cross said.

On April 16, a wooden boat capsized on the high seas, 500 Somalis, Sudanese and Ethiopians on board drowned, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

184,546 migrants incl refugees arrived by sea to Europe 1357 dead/missing https://t.co/Dc8umzcLLs #MigrationEurope pic.twitter.com/j5Gcb7WZ1o  IOM (@IOM_news) 3 May 2016

The shipwreck became the deadliest accident since the peak of the crisis in April 2015 when 800 men, women and children perished at sea after their boat sank on its way from Libya to Italy.
Each third voter would support Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU), the poll revealed.

According to the survey, Germany's Green Party would secure 13 percent of votes, while some eight percent of voters would back the left-wing Die Linke party.
For those that criticise our agreement with Turkey on tackling migration, let's recall that nobody is drowning in the Aegean now.  Frans Timmermans (@TimmermansEU) 4 May 2016

Engaging with Turkey is a better proposition than shouting at them. We are now talking to them about fundamental rights and the rule of law.  Frans Timmermans (@TimmermansEU) 4 May 2016

However, Timmermans stressed that there was still room for improvement. "There is still work to be done as a matter of urgency but if Turkey sustains the progress made, they can meet the remaining benchmarks. This is why we are putting a proposal on the table which opens the way for the European Parliament and the Member States to decide to lift visa requirements, once the benchmarks have been met," he added.

These comments were echoed by EU's migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos: "The Turkish authorities have made remarkable progress since the 18 March EU-Turkey Summit and we trust Turkey is committed to delivering on all fronts as soon as possible. On the understanding that all benchmarks will be met as a matter of urgency, the Commission has decided to put forward a proposal to transfer Turkey to the list of visa-free countries. Of course, the Commission will continue to monitor the continuous fulfilling of these criteria."

For as long as Europe fails to put its own policies in place to deal with #refugeecrisis, #Erdogan will continue to play the puppet master  Guy Verhofstadt (@GuyVerhofstadt) 4 May 2016

Anti-terrorist laws are used in clampdown on journalists in #Turkey. If that doens't change, @europarl shouldn't approve visa liberalisation  Guy Verhofstadt (@GuyVerhofstadt) 4 May 2016

ALDE Group leader Guy Verhofstadt, said the main concern for this deal is Turkish anti-terrorism legislation, which is being used to silence Turkish and foreign journalists who are critical of Erdogan.

"Press freedom and freedom of expression are fundamental values of the European Union. In recent years these anti-terrorist laws have been used in a brutal clampdown on Turkish and foreign journalists by the Turkish government. As long as this remains the case, the European Parliament should not support this proposal for visa liberalization," Verhofstadt said.

This is not the only concern. Janice Atkinson MEP believes the EU has been blackmailed by Turkey. She told Sputnik:

"The EU has taken blackmail from Turkey, because they can't control their own boarders. We have just given 6 billion euros to Erdogan We have just done this dirty blackmail deal with him to do as he pleases."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Britain is set to vote in a June 23 referendum on whether to stay in the 28-nation bloc. Cameron has been campaigning for continued EU membership on renegotiated terms.

"Japanese firms see Britain as the gateway to Europe. Thats why more than 1,300 Japanese companies have a presence here in the UK, employing more than 140,000 people," Cameron said at a joint press briefing with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
In the latest polls, Merkel's Union Party  comprising her Christian Democrats (CDU) and allied Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU)  now have just 33 percent overall support, the lowest rating since October 2011 in trends regularly measured by pollsters for the ARD network.

The other party in her coalition government, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), slumped to just 20 percent  a far cry from the 33 percent it enjoyed in 2005 and its lowest rating since 1997, according to the 'DeutschlandTrend' surveys, usually conducted for the ARD on Sundays.

Merkel has come in for severe criticism at home over her open doors policy to refugees, which initially brought her plaudits. However, the sheer volume of migrants arriving in German has caused major strains in many German states, with asylum seekers creating a burden on local authorities. More than 1.1 million entered Germany in 2015 alone.
These concerns have been backed up by figures showing that 28,500 new arrivals have come to Italy since the beginning of the year, with fears the country may face a dramatic increase in migrant arrivals during the European summer.

Closing Borders and Quota Rejections

Renzi is keen to keep EU borders open and promote an EU-wide solution to the migration crisis as Italy fears it may suffer a similar fate to Greece and become isolated if neighboring countries close their borders.

These concerns come amid Austria's plan to enforce more stringent border control on the Brenner Pass, which links Italy to northern Europe.
Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco have already raised objections to the proposed legislation, arguing that it oversteps the authority of the European Union.

Negotiations are still ongoing, but the controversial TTIP agreement could have serious implications for governments seeking to crack down on big corporations  such as the tobacco industry.

One of the most controversial elements of TTIP concerns what is known as the investor state dispute settlement (ISDS), which gives corporations the legal right to  in effect  sue foreign governments over laws which could damage their profit margins.
With concerns over the actions of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Solana raised questions about Hungary's EU credentials if it were currently applying for membership, saying the government was engaging in a process of "internal involution".

Yeah, Hungary, no place in the EU for exerting your own sovereignty & democratic will. https://t.co/qnczuv0R0N  Hartfordwolf (@hartfordwolf) May 5, 2016

"With the reform of the Constitution of 2013 some of the mechanisms that limited government action on key issues were eliminated," Solana wrote in an opinion piece for Spanish newspaper El Pais.

"Also, a state council was established with members of the party itself, to regulate the media. It has been said that if today asked Hungary for membership in the European Union, would be rejected."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The United Kingdom leaving the European Union following a "yes" vote in the upcoming Brexit referendum would have a minimal impact on the structure of European money market funds and their management, the agency said in an announcement accompanying the release of its "Money Market Funds  Europe: Brexit Would Not Disrupt Money Fund Industry, According to Managers" survey.

Based on a survey of 12 EU asset management companies, collectively responsible for some 40 percent of Europe's money market fund industry, Moody's found that nearly 90 percent of asset managers did not expect there to be a relocation of management functions and believe financial asset portfolios would still be viewed as a safe investment vehicle in a Brexit scenario.

"Should the UK decide to leave the EU, it would be a non-event for the European money market fund industry," Moody's Vice President and Senior Credit Officer Vanessa Robert was quoted as saying in the announcement.
TALLINN (Sputnik)  Earlier in the week, Tallinn's authorities registered the commemorating event. It is expected that the march will be attended by some 500 participants, who will march from Tallinn's bus station to the military cemetery, where a World War II war memorial, known as the Bronze Soldier, is situated.

"The department [of transport] is against the blocking of traffic for the duration of the event, because it would complicate the departure of intercity and intracity lines from the bus station and would complicate the movements of people, wishing to visit the military cemetery," the statement reads.
18 percent of respondents under 42 said the country should maintain its current involvement in EU affairs, while 30 percent said they wanted the country to be less dependent on Brussels.

In 2012, 22 percent of respondents under 41 said they wanted to preserve the current level of EU cooperation, compared to 24 percent who voted for closer ties with Brussels.

The idea of greater integration with the EU was supported by 16 percent of those polled, 42 percent said they wanted it to stay as it is and 27 percent said they would welcome its weakening.

The survey was conducted April 4 to 11 and involved 1,063 respondents.

The Czech Republic uses the koruna as its currency and is bound by its 2003 Treaty of Accession to the European Union to join the Eurozone once it has satisfied the euro convergence criteria.

Although the Czech Republic is economically well positioned to adopt the euro, following the European debt crisis there has been considerable opposition among the public against the adoption of the euro currency.

According to a Eurobarometer poll in April 2015, 29 percent of Czechs were in favor of introducing the euro while 70% were opposed.
Corbyn raises the issue of the PM critiquing Sadiq Khan for sharing platform with Suliman Gani  PM does not repeat the "supports IS" line  Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) May 4, 2016

Cameron is *still* pushing the line about Suliman Gani, even though its now ON THE RECORD his own members invited him to events. Unreal  Sunny Hundal (@sunny_hundal) May 4, 2016

In questioning Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Cameron said: "The honorable member for Islington might be interested in this. He [Gani] describes women as subservient to men, he said that homosexuality was an unnatural act.

"He stood on a platform with people who wanted an Islamic state. That is why his [Corbyn's] attempts to deal with anti-Semitism are utterly condemned to failure, because he won't even condemn people who sit on platforms with people like that."

Imam Slams 'Preposterous' Claims

However, the exchange soon became embarrassing for Cameron after Corbyn reminded the prime minister that Gani was in fact a Conservative party supporter, while it was also revealed the imam had been previously invited to a Conservative party event encouraging Muslims to become councilors.

Gani slammed Cameron's comments, describing them as "preposterous."

"I have openly condemned the barbarity and monstrosity of ISIS [Daesh]," he told Sky News, while denying that he had any issues with homosexuality.

"I have no problem with any person's personal inclination."

The imam said he was "very surprised" to be the target of an attack by the prime minister, given his links with the Conservative party.

"I was invited to a Conservative Muslim forum, encouraging Muslims to become councilors for the Conservative Party. So how is it I am labeled as a person who is supporting IS [Daesh]?

"This is really something I cannot accept. I demand a serious, immediate apology."
A district where the new camp is being built has a migrant quota of about 90 percent. It has always served as a good example of integration, but everything might change in the context of the new initiative, which was supposed to help refugees, but instead might become a disaster, German newspaper Die Welt reported.

"I can't believe what's happening here," CSU representative Bernadette Dechant said, cited by the newspaper. "The fact that they build housing for refugee families is good. But not a few hundred meters from a mosque which is under surveillance!" the woman added.

"It is true that the Al-Rahman Mosque is a platform for Salafi lectures," a spokesman of the secret service confirmed to the newspaper. "In the past, Salafist preachers held their lectures there several times."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, Sviridov's lawyer Jaroslaw Chelstowski told Sputnik Poland that the correspondent was on the list of persons banned from entering Poland and Schengen zone states until December 14, 2020, according to Poland's Office for Foreigners.

"The next logical step is an official request to the Office for Foreigners to exclude me from the 'black list,' because the decision to ban me from entering Schengen area member states is a violation of Poland's 'Foreigners' Law.' It is said in the law that the data of the foreigner could be included in the 'black list' after the deportation procedure. There were no deportation in my case, because I have left the country on my own, implementing the administrative decision," Sviridov told RIA Novosti.

On October 24, 2014, Polish Foreign Ministry annulled Sviridov's accreditation. Soon after that, Polish authorities deprived him of residence permit and ordered the correspondent to leave the country. In mid-December, 2015, Sviridov left Warsaw for Moscow to begin legal proceedings against the Polish authorities.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The march started at main entrance of the Auschwitz I with the famous "Arbeit Macht Frei" ("Work sets you free") sign and ended at Auschwitz II  Birkenau camp. The route length was three kilometers (1.8 miles).

"The March of the Living symbolizes revival of the Jewish people, the Jewish state and the Jewish obligation to defend themselves from those who are annihilating them [Jews]," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address to participants of the march.

The march began with a sound of the shofar  a traditional Jewish rams horn used during holidays. Participants of the rally carried various flags  primarily Israeli and Polish ones.
In total, Poland plans to spend roughly $62 billion modernizing its military, twice the budget proposed by the previous government.

"The Polish army will be bigger; we envision a substantial increase in the size of the army, by at least 50 percent, in the coming years, including the creation of three brigades for the territorial defense of the country on the eastern flank," Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz said.

The buildup has been blatantly described as a way to deter what is claimed to be an ever-more aggressive Russia.

"We all know what actions are taken today by the Russian authorities, we all know that Russia is back to imperial policies that consequently lead to the violation of interests and security of other countries," President Duda said last month.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The United Kingdom will keep campaigning for EU reforms no matter of UK referendum results on EU membership, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday.

"Our task of reforming the European Union should not end with the referendum, however, and we will continue to pursue ways in which the EU needs to improve", he said in Q&A of the British regional evening newspaper Express & Star.

UK nationals are set to vote on June 23 in a referendum on the country's EU membership, after Prime Minister Cameron and the leaders of the 27 other EU member states reached a deal in February to grant the United Kingdom a special status within the bloc.
VILNIUS (Sputnik)  The residents of largest Lithuanian cities are expected to host the Immortal Regiment march honouring the Victory Day on May 9, its organizers said Thursday.

The Immortal Regiment is a patriotic initiative that commemorates those who fought against Nazi Germany during World War II in marches held across Russia and other countries on May 9, celebrated as Victory Day in Russia and the former Soviet republics. During the marches, people carry photographs of their ancestors who participated in the war.

"Unfortunately, thousands of people, who participated in the war, died. But they have every right to have a celebration. That's why we are joining to the Immortal Regiment action in an orderly manner. We will take highly-valued photographs and will go out in the city," Anfijan Antonov, who chairs Klaipeda's Veterans Council, said, as quoted by baltnews website.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Cunha, who launched impeachment proceedings against Rousseff on December 2, has been accused of obstructing corruption investigations against him and attempting to intimidate lawmakers.

"Minister Teori Zavascki of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) ordered the suspension of Eduardo Cunha (PMDB-RJ) from exercising the federal parliamentary mandate and consequently, the function of President of the Chamber of Deputies," the court said.
DUBAI (Sputnik)  The so-called "moderate" Syrian opposition is forced to remain at positions close to areas under the control of the Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Nusra Front) radical group because of a lack of special security areas, a spokesman of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) of the Syrian opposition told RIA Novosti.

"It is necessary to create special security zones, where we could move civilians and members of the moderate opposition, far from Jabhat al-Nusras areas of influence, in order to avoid casualties among the civilian population and the moderate opposition, because with a lack of such zones we have nowhere else to go," Naasan Agha said.

On Wednesday, Russias permanent representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin told the UN Security Council that Western-backed opposition forces in Syria have not broken off ties to the al-Nusra Front group despite their promises to do so.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The US government is fully aware that the allegedly moderate opposition in Syria is working closely with the al-Nusra Front, an offshoot of the al-Qaeda terror group, but publicly pretends the two groups are separate, former CIA counterterrorism officer Philip Giraldi told Sputnik.

"The so-called moderate rebels are in cohabitation with the Nusra Front, so this is not surprising," Giraldi, a former CIA Case Officer and US Army Intelligence Officer who spent 20 years overseas working on terrorism cases, said on Wednesday.

The US government attempted to include the al-Nusra Front in the new ceasefire agreement in Aleppo, but the Russian government insisted on excluding the Islamist organization as unacceptable, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Sputnik in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
US policymakers have continually failed to recognize that removing Assad from power would simply open the way to worse anarchy in Syria or a complete Islamist takeover, Jatras stated.

"American policymakers still insist that Assad is the real cause of instability and radicalism in Syria, and that once hes gone a democratic and stable order will follow  notwithstanding the failed state NATO created in Libya, which Obama and Hillary Clinton amazingly still consider a success story," he noted.

The so-called "moderates" in Syria remained an essential tool for the US government to achieve its hope of a post-Assad "transition," Jatras continued.

"But because in Aleppo and elsewhere they are so mixed up with and dependent upon the al-Nusra Front to have any military credibility, Washington is willing to go to bat for the latter as well," he said.

Some prominent US figures, including retired Army General David Petraeus, the former US commander in Iraq, had openly called for the United States to cooperate with some elements of al-Qaeda, Jatras recalled.

"With regard to Lavrovs suggestion that the United States is being manipulated  one immediately thinks of the Saudis and Turks  there is no doubt of that," he conceded.

The underlying assumption in Washington, largely due to Saudi, Turkish, and Gulf states influence, was that the Syrian war was a sectarian conflict, and that at the end of the day a Sunni sectarian state must come into existence, Jatras concluded.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Islamic State (ISIL, also known as Daesh) militants have captured parts of a gas field in the Syrian Homs Governorate, al-Mayadeen TV reports.

Fighting between Daesh militants and the Syrian army continues at the Shaer gas field, according to the TV news channel.
HOMS (Sputnik)  Armed militants have violated the "silent" period in the Syrian city of Aleppo, opening fire in a Christian district, a militia source told RIA Novosti.

"Terrorists fired seven bombs in Midan [neighbourhood] in the first hour after the start of the silence, two residential buildings were damaged, there are injuries among civilians," the source said.

On Wednesday, the governments of the United States and Russia agreed on a deal to extend the cessation of hostilities in Syria to the Aleppo Governorate. The "silent" period in Aleppo started at 00:01 local time on Thursday (21:01 GMT on Wednesday) and will last for 48 hours.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Prakash was killed on Friday near Iraq's Daesh-held city of Mosul.

Neil Prakash was a prominent ISIL [Daesh] member and a senior terrorist recruiter and attack facilitator. Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the United States. His death disrupts and degrades ISILs ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts, Australia's attorney general and defense minister said in the statement.

The militant, who was the child of Cambodian migrants, converted to Islam in 2012 and traveled to Syria in 2013.
LATAKIA (Sputnik)  More than 50 armed opposition groups, numbering approximately 7,000 individuals, in Syria have joined the cessation of hostilities agreement over the last two months, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Thursday.

"These are not the final numbers since thanks to the hard and dangerous work by the representatives of the Syrian authorities the process of reconciliation is gaining momentum. Besides its important role in stabilizing the situation in Syria itself, it is a catalyzer in the negotiations in Geneva," Konashenkov told journalists.

The ceasefire in Syria, worked out by Russia and the United States, took effect on February 27 with terrorist groups such as Daesh and al-Nusra Front not being part of the agreement.
On April 28, US President Barack Obama announced that Washington would "deploy up to 250 additional US personnel in Syria including Special Forces. They are reportedly expected to train the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The White House asserts that the deployment of the Special Forces is intended to repel Daesh terrorists.

On Wednesday, about 150 US soldiers arrived in the Kurdish-controlled town of Rumeilan in northeastern Syria, according to a Kurdish security source. According to the source, part of the contingent immediately headed to the north of Raqqa province.

Meanwhile, a 28-year-old US Army officer has sued President Barack Obama over the legality of the war against the Islamic State (Daesh), questioning Mr. Obamas disputed claim that he needs no new legal authority from Congress to order the military to wage the ever deepening mission, The New York Times wrote on Wednesday.

Captain Nathan Michael Smith, an intelligence officer stationed in Kuwait, voiced strong support for fighting Daesh but, citing his conscience and his vow to uphold the Constitution, he said he believed that the mission lacked proper authorization from Congress.

The legal challenge comes after the death of the third American serviceman in the fight against Daesh and as President Obama has decided to significantly expand the number of Special Forces members.

President Obama has argued that he already has the authority he needs to wage a conflict against the Islamic State under the authorization to fight the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, enacted by Congress shortly after the attacks.
CAIRO (Sputnik)  Following the Arab Spring protests in early 2011 and the overthrow of long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya plunged into political turmoil. Two rival governments were then formed in the country, the internationally-recognized Council of Deputies in Tobruk and the Islamist-dominated General National Congress (GNC) in Tripoli. In December, they agreed to create the Government of National Accord.

"Compared to the situation in Yemen [where the government has been fighting Houthi rebels], the international community did not support the legitimately elected Libyan parliament in the face of the Islamist attacks, but, on the contrary, demanded to engage them in power structures," Jibril, who served as Libyan prime minister between March and October in 2011, said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Wednesday, the United States and Russia agreed to extend the 'silent' period to Syria's Aleppo province.

One always wants to hope for the better. This is specifically what both the Russian side and most likely our American colleagues want, but at the same time the fact that terrorists and representatives of the opposition are interlinked contributes to a potentially very fragile situation, Peskov told journalists.
SOCHI (Sputnik)  Speaking after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the agreements reached on settling the Syrian conflict, the Qatari minister underscored Moscows role in Syria and the Middle East. He named Russia a main partner in the international support for the Syrian Arab Republic.

"We are closely following your efforts in recent days. With regard to the attempts to save the political process, to maintain the cessation of hostilities, we hope that these efforts will eventually achieve a positive effect, which will save civilian lives in Syria," Al-Thani said.
DUBAI (Sputnik)  The governments of the United States and Russia agreed on Wednesday to extend the cessation of hostilities in Syria to Aleppo. The Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement later that a 48-hour regime silence would enter into force at 21:01 GMT Wednesday.

"The situation in Aleppo is relatively calm after the declaration of the "silent" period," Zeid told RIA Novosti.

A source in the Aleppo militia told RIA Novosti earlier that armed groups violated the "silent" period in the Aleppo city's Christian neighborhood of Midan "in the first hour after the start" of the period of silence.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, a car and a motorcycle exploded next to an army conscription office east of Homs. According to initial reports, six people were killed and 10 wounded.

Homs Governor Talal Barazi told the SANA news agency that some of the injured were in a critical condition, noting that the explosions went off in a place that is usually very crowded.

According to media reports, terrorists operating in the country are gaining strength in certain districts of Homs.
Moreover, the country has started increasing the number of military advisers it sends to Syria amid stepped-up Syrian army operations.

"In accordance with the increased Syrian army operations with Russian support, Iran has begun to increase the amount of military advisers and experts it sends to Syria," Amir-Abdollahian said.

The Iranian advisers are set to remain in Syria until the Syrian government requests their departure and until the terrorist threat has been eliminated in Syria, he emphasized, adding that Iran began to substantially increase its group of advisers in Syria when Russia had launched its airstrikes against terrorist targets in September.

In October, less than a month after Russia began its counter-terrorist aerial campaign in Syria at the request of the Syrian government, Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran was boosting the number of its military advisers in Syria in an effort to fight terrorism. The deputy minister also rejected claims that there was an Iranian ground force in Syria.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups, such as the IS and Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front), both of which are outlawed in Russia.
On March 27, forces loyal to Damascus, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, liberated the city of Palmyra from Daesh , 10 months after its capture. The terrorist group, outlawed in many countries including Russia, has destroyed a significant part of Palmyra's historic ruins, which are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

According to preliminary estimates, some 20 percent of ancient Palmyra was destroyed, while many exhibits were looted from museums. It could take around five years to restore the city.
The militants also invited teachers of history, geography and mathematics to the schools they opened in the city.

The terrorists thought they would stay here forever. They introduced their laws and even their own system of education. They want to bring up a new generation that would embrace their savage laws and their idea of what the world must look like, Abu Mahdi, an elderly Syrian army officer, told RIA.

The lack of electricity and water is a big problem, but water and bread always come first. We still have no stores around here, but we are gradually restoring normal life and we believe that everything will eventually get back on track, Hassan, another Palmyra resident, responded.
PALMYRA (Sputnik)  It will take from five to seven years to reconstruct monuments of the ancient Palmyra in Syria destroyed by Daesh terrorists, Russia's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Eleonora Mitrofanova told journalists Thursday.

"As for the time [needed for reconstruction of Palmyra], experts say it may take five-seven years," Mitrofanova said.

She also said that start of reconstructing Palmyra is now discussed by experts.
PALMYRA (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, an international delegation of the UNESCO permanent representatives carried out an inspection of Palmyra.

"We will be working together in the future to recreate not only Palmyra but all the sites that have been destroyed by this destructive energy of the 21th century," Tanaskovic told journalists during UNESCO's delegation visit to Palmyra.
HRW have documented several testimonies within their report from civilians who have suffered due to the attacks. On February 9th at around 9pm, an airstrike hit a home in the Maiyad neighborhood, killing a family of five, including a woman and her three children.

"The reality is one of ongoing, large-scale violations by the Saudis in Yemen" @mephamd https://t.co/04zbJTdpbM pic.twitter.com/ZwkiGBxbwt  Iain Levine (@iainlevine) May 4, 2016

Mahdi Muhammad Abdullah Maiyad, 40, a neighbor, said that he was walking in the area at the time of the strike:

"Suddenly I saw a flash of light to the west, and then a loud explosion followed seconds later. I thought it was coming from the presidential palace. I ran home to check on my family and just as I got there, about three minutes later, a second explosion blasted from the same spot  not the presidential palace but the home of Mounir al-Hakimi and his family."

Belkis Wille, a research with HRW said the group are calling for the attacks to be investigated, both past and present.

"The airstrikes we have documented have been unlawfully indiscriminate or disproportionate. Individuals who commit serious violations of the laws of war with criminal intent  that is, deliberately or recklessly  may be prosecuted for war crimes. We have seen attacks that appear to have been carried out exceedingly recklessly, like the March 15th bombing of Mastaba market at noon, killing at least 97 civilians," Wille told Sputnik.

As #YemenCrisis rages on, people are desperate for food & water  hear their accounts https://t.co/H3EiHsRkmd #Yemen  Oxfam International (@Oxfam) May 4, 2016

The call for the attacks to be investigated has been blocked by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have effectively stopped an effort led by the Netherlands to create an international investigative mechanism.

"We and others were pushing for the Human Rights Council to create this commission during its September 2015 session, but unfortunately Saudi Arabia blocked those efforts. Instead, also in September, President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi of Yemen established a national commission to investigate violations of human rights and the laws of war. According to individuals close to the work of the national commission, it has taken no tangible steps to conduct investigations, nor has it revealed any working methods or plans yet," Wille said.

In addition to this the HRW are unable to bypass the national system:

"Because of the existence of the Yemen commission, the Human Rights Council members think it is too soon to establish a new, international mechanism, and bypass the national one. So at the moment, there is no willingness to create something at the international level."

Joe Stork Deputy Middle East director at HRW said it is crucial for all atrocities to be investigated, both past and present, otherwise the peace process will suffer.

"Yemen's failed transition, and the situation we find ourselves in today is largely a result of the political powers, both international and national, choosing to relegate transitional justice to the back burner and leave the grievances of generations of Yemenis unaddressed by allowing former President Saleh to remain in Yemen as head of the most powerful political party and in de facto control of the military, with complete immunity for all of his previous abuses. I hope that the country's political elite have learned one painful lesson over the last year and a half  prioritizing peace over justice does not lead to a sustainable, lasting peace. Instead it invites instability and strife," Wille said.
PALMYRA (Syria), (Sputnik)  Russia does not see any need to strengthen its engineers' unit in Syria, as the contingent is successfully performing its tasks within available capabilities, the head of the Russian Armed Forces' Engineer Troops said Thursday.

"Before sending [the sappers] to Syria, we made the necessary calculations that proved to be correct. These calculations confirmed that the strengthening of our contingent of sappers in Syria with personnel and equipment is not required. Our specialists are able to solve and in fact successfully solve all the tasks with available forces and means," Lt. Gen. Yuri Stavitsky told reporters.

The task to demine Syrias Palmyra, which Russian President Vladimir Putin had set before the Russian servicemen, has been completed, Stavitsky said.
NEW YORK (Sputnik)  On Wednesday, deputy commander of Irans Islamic Revolution Guards Corps warned that Tehran may close the Strait of Hormuz if the United States continues "threatening" passages through the strategic waterway.

"We will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and any effort to cut down, to somehow shut down a waterway of critical importance to the global economy is something that we would treat with a great degree of concern," Cook stated.

The spokesperson noted that the United States has its forces present there to ensure "the free flow of commerce" as well as that "American interests are maintained."
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The United States has communicated to the Syrian opposition that it must clearly separate itself from al-Nusra Front in Aleppo, US Department of State spokesperson Mark Toner said in a briefing on Thursday.

"In Aleppo, there are areas controlled by the opposition and there are areas held by al-Nusra," Toner stated. "And thats our challenge, in part to make sure those lines are more clearly delineated, and we have conveyed that to the opposition."

Al-Nusra Front, Toner noted, is not party to the cessation of hostilities in Syria, but the United States believes that President Bashar Assads government is using the groups presence in Aleppo as an excuse to attack opposition forces.
PALMYRA (Syria) (Sputnik)  Russia's State Hermitage Museum will participate in all the events held by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aimed at restoration of Syria's historic city of Palmyra, Hermitage Museum director Mikhail Piotrovsky said Thursday.

"We will participate in all the things that will be undertaken by UNESCO [in Palmyra], UNESCO has a big program and it begins in a full exploration of territory and of situation," Piotrovsky told reporters.

He added that at the moment the assessment of Palmyra's damages was in progress.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to the Hurriyet Daily News, on May 2, the security forces carried out military operation with aerial support against about 10 PKK members after the intel from the local residents was received. As a result PKK militants Ekrem Guney and Ahmet Talva were killed.

Severe clashes between the Turkish Armed Forces and PKK have been arising sporadically in Turkey since July 2015, when Ankara declared a military campaign against the Kurdish organization, banned in the country.
TEL AVIV (Sputnik)  The ceremony was held on the Holocaust Remembrance Day devoted to the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazis during World War II. The event took place in the Kdoshim Forest located near the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Center.

"The ceremony in memory of Jews, who risked their own lives and saved their countrymen during the Holocaust, has already become a tradition. It has been held for 14 years in a row. Every time we tell one more story of heroism and self-sacrifice," a representative of the Jewish National Fund, which organized the ceremony together with Bnai Brith International, said at the event.

On June 22, 1941, when Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, Shmuil Pevzner served as the director of the summer camp in Lithuania's Druskininkai, where 300 children of different nationalities including 140 Jews, spent vacation. At the first hours of the war, Pevzner boarded all the children onto a train, which transferred them to Udmurtia, a western Russia's region in the Ural mountains. The saved children were resettled there and Pevzner took care of them till the end of the Great Patriotic War.
The 60-year-old De Sousa left the CIA in 2009 and currently resides in Portugal. In 2015, she was detained at Lisbon airport on a European arrest warrant, but was quickly released. However, last month Portugals highest court ordered the extradition of the former CIA agent to Italy, placing her freedom in peril.

De Sousa admits knowing about and being involved in the broader extraordinary rendition program under which Abu Omar suffered torture at the hands of US and Egyptian officials. De Sousa argues that she carried out orders in good faith and decries the US governments unwillingness to intervene in the matter, claiming that it amounts to abandoning a CIA officer to foreign prosecutors.

Nonetheless, De Sousa accepts her fate under Italian law, saying that the United States "broke the law and we are paying for it now."

In a twist of fate, it is the abducted Islamic cleric Abu Omar who now seeks leniency on behalf of De Sousa and the 25 other Americans who were convicted, in an interview last week with British newspaper The Guardian.
Interestingly, there is another aspect with regard to the S-500 and Russia's other advanced military equipment that has apparently surprised the Pentagon.

"As one US industry official noted, while the Russian military industrial sector suffered greatly in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, somehow Moscow managed to continue developing advanced air defense system without much degradation in capability," Majumdar added.

The S-500 Prometey, also known as 55R6M Triumfator-M, is a cutting-edge anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missile system currently under development in Russia. It is meant to replace the S-300.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Wednesday, Scaparrotti assumed command of the NATO forces in Europe. During the change of command ceremony, Scaparrotti named Russia as one of the Alliance's main challenges, stating that NATO must enhance its level of readiness and be prepared "to fight tonight if the deterrence fails."

"By stating that NATO should be prepared to fight Russia 'tonight,' the new commander of the alliance has surpassed his predecessor in whipping up war hysteria," Pushkov wrote on Twitter.
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NEW DELHI (Sputnik)  According to the spokesman, letters of request have been sent to the diplomatic missions of Italy, Tunisia, Mauritius, Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland.

"I can confirm that we have received a communication in this regard from the CBI [India's Central Bureau of Investigation] seeking an update on the execution reports of the letters rogatory that were sent earlier to eight countries. We have once again written to our missions in the concerned countries from where the execution reports are pending in order to impress upon them the need to expeditiously execute the alerts and send their corresponding execution reports at the earliest," the spokesman said.
However, Doctors without Borders insist that such attacks should not be written off as mistakes, because in reality, as Dr Liu said, they amounted to a massive, indiscriminate and disproportionate targeting of civilians in urban settings.

Venezuela's representative Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno agreed that it was incomprehensible that such violations of humanitarian law could be considered mere "errors" when they were, in fact, war crimes. They must be investigated impartially, with the perpetrators held accountable.

Noting that accountability started with impartial fact-finding, Dr Liu said calls for independent investigations had gone unheeded, stressing that, while the nature of warfare might have changed, the rules of war had not.

This sentiment was echoed by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who noted that "even wars have rules".

"When so-called surgical strikes are hitting surgical wards, something is deeply wrong," Ban Ki-moon said.

He described attacks on hospitals as a war crime, urging all member states, parties to conflict and other relevant actors to heed the Council's demands.

The protection of civilians was the responsibility of parties to conflict according to the Geneva Conventions, said Russian representative Evgeny Zagaynov, adding that, while there was no doubt that medical personnel worked within their mandate, it was also essential to respect the sovereignty of States.
CHISINAU (Sputnik)  US armed forces arrived in the Eastern European country on Wednesday for joint military drills, codenamed Dragon Pioneer 2016. They involve 58 US vehicles and 198 US soldiers as well as 165 Moldovan troops.

"We will make every effort to prevent US hardware from entering Chisinau on May 9," Socialist leader Igor Dodon told journalists at a press conference in the Moldovan capital.
What began as a whisper may soon emerge as a roar, as voters increasingly reject austerity measures imposed by the Conservatives in Westminster. The roaring may reach a fever pitch if British voters choose to leave the EU, a position unpopular among Scots.

Loud & Clears Brian Becker sat down on Wednesday with Glasgow-based journalist Liam OHare to discuss whether Thursdays parliamentary vote may be the prologue to a fracturing of Great Britain.

What can we expect from todays election?

"I think that we can almost definitely expect another SNP government," said OHare. "They have led for the past two governments in Scotland and they are even more popular now than they have been over the past few years in light of the referendum on independence that has consolidated a lot of support. There is no question that Nicola Sturgeon will once again be the First Minister."

How has the 2014 Scottish Independence vote impacted SNPs popularity?

"The 45% of people who backed independence has not changed their mind and the national question, whether to break from Britain remains dominant in Scotland," explained OHare. "There are a lot of people in Scotland who want to see a second referendum as soon as possible. They want a political party that will stand up for the Scottish peoples interest and that will be a vehicle for independence in light of the broken promises from Westminster."
ANKARA (Sputnik)  Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu could announce his resignation on Thursday, local media reported, citing sources in the ruling Justice and Development Party.

Turkish media have previously circulated information the the prime minister would announce resignation amid tensions with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
YEREVAN (Sputnik)  The Armenian government on Thursday reviewed the bill on recognition of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and sent it to the parliament, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported Thursday.

"The conclusion [of the government on the bill] has been conditioned by discussions between Armenia and Karabakh taking into account external and internal factors," Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said presenting the document.

On April 2, tensions escalated in Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijani breakaway region with a predominantly Armenian population. Baku and Yerevan accused each other of provoking the hostilities, however, the sides succeeded in reaching a ceasefire agreement on April 5, which has been followed by near-daily reports of truce violations.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Peskov commented on a recent statement by NATO Commander Curtis Scaparrotti for the Alliances members to be constantly ready to counter threats from Russia and terrorists.

On Wednesday, Scaparrotti assumed command of the NATO forces in Europe. During the change of command ceremony, he named Russia as one of the Alliance's main challenges, stating that NATO must enhance its level of readiness and be prepared "to fight tonight if the deterrence fails."

"Weve repeatedly said that Russia doesnt present a threat to anyone. Russia is consistently in favor of mutually beneficial cooperation while taking into account the interests of all of its partners But at the same time, Russia obviously cannot ignore any actions that directly or potentially could present a threat to its national interests."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The battle for the southern Russian city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) was a turning point in World War II. It was won by the Soviet Army in January 1943.

"Stalingrad is dear to Aleppo and all Syrian cities. Syria vows to continue fighting until the aggressors are defeated and the ultimate victory is ours," Assad wrote in a cable quoted by Syrian news agency SANA.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Armenian government on Thursday approved the draft law on recognition of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) and sent it for the consideration by the local parliament.

"No, it was not discussed with Moscow. We are very closely monitoring the decisions that are being made in this context. And, of course, we still expect that the parties to the conflict will avoid any steps that could disrupt the rather fragile ceasefire and lead to escalation of tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh," Peskov said, answering a question whether Moscow had been involved in a discussion on the draft bill on NKR's recognition by Armenia.
BEIJING (Sputnik)  On May 5-6, the delegation of Russian lawmakers headed by Naryshkin is on an official visit to China.

Earlier on Thursday, the Russian delegation inaugurated the second session of the interparliamentary commission on cooperation of the Russian Federal Assembly and the Chinese National People's Congress.

"I am eagerly waiting for [Putins] visit to our country next month, in June. I will be very glad to take part in the SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization] summit in Tashkent together [with the Russian president]," Xi said at a meeting with Russian parliamentary speaker Sergei Naryshkin in Beijing, referring to the SCO summit in the capital of Uzbekistan on June 23-24.
The new NATO commander has inherited an alliance that is conducting more war-games, increasing their scale and scope, as well as deploying more military hardware to Eastern Europe and the Baltics. These activities are funded by the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI).

The ERI was launched in 2014 in response to Crimea's reunification with Russia. Its budget amounted to $1 billion after a year, dropped to $789 in 2016 and will soar to $3.4 billion in fiscal year 2017.

Although Moscow, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently reaffirmed, is willing to take part in any dialogue with NATO, these trends are of major concern to the country.

"NATO has been telling us that it has no intention of taking any measures that would be detrimental to Russia's security. However, if there are indeed no such intentions, but with NATO infrastructure sitting right at our doorstep, seems like we must then focus on what we see with our own eyes, rather than their intentions," Lavrov told the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

It is too early to predict how NATO's relations with Russia will develop in the post-Breedlove era, but US Lieutenant General Guy Swan told Deutsche Welle that Moscow should not underestimate Scaparrotti, who most recently served as the US commander in South Korea.
Last October, ahead of parliamentary elections in Turkey, Merkel supported Erdogan, pledging 3 billion for Ankara, the resumption of the Turkey-EU admission talks, and visa-free access to the Schengen area for Turkish citizens. Later, this became the official position of the EU toward Turkey.

"The leaders of France and Brussels should pay attention to Merkels weakness before Erdogan who supports Daesh terrorists. Instead, they voiced their support to the German chancellor," he added.

According to French journalist Henri de Bresson, Brussels has no other way but to make concessions to Erdogan, taking into account the ongoing migrant crisis.

"Erdogan is playing the card of the refugee crisis. European leaders need assistance in stemming the migrant influx from the Middle East," the journalist said.

"Germany is now paying the price for previous mistakes made by the West toward Turkey. The West should have re-adjusted its relations with Turkey, on the basis of protection of democratic principles. Instead, now Turkey has turned into a zone of instability at the European borders," he elaborated.
According to press reports, Erdogan might replace Davutoglu with Minister of Transport Binali Yildirim or Energy Minister Berat Albayrak.

Albayrak is the most likely candidate, as he is the President's son-in-law. As a family member he enjoys the trust of Erdogan, and therefore is more likely to be appointed for this position, German newspaper Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten (DWN) reported.

According to German magazine Focus Online, the reason for Davutoglu's possible resignation is a secret power struggle between him and Erdogan. While Erdogan seeks to introduce an executive presidency instead of the current parliamentary system, Davutoglu has repeatedly opposed these plans as such amendments to the constitution would give Erdogan almost unlimited power.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Iran will continue supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Syrian people in fighting terrorism, as well as making efforts to achieve success at intra-Syrian talks, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Sputnik.

"We will continue to support Assad and the Syrian people in their struggle against terrorism, and we will make efforts to ensure that political negotiations are successful," Amir-Abdollahian said after talks with Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

The Iranian diplomat underscored consensus with Russia in the need to combat terror and pursue political efforts at settling the civil war in the Syrian Arab Republic that has claimed an estimated 400,000 lives in five years.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The ISSG was formed in November 2015, shortly after the beginning of the Syria peace talks in Vienna, as a panel of countries seeking to end bloodshed in Syria. It is co-chaired by Moscow and Washington. Other members are the European Union, the Arab League, China, Iran, Turkey, and the United Nations.

So far theres talk that the meeting may be held on May 17 in Vienna on the ministerial level, the source told RIA Novosti.

He said Syrian peace talks would most likely start after the ministerial level meeting.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  In late April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that Putin would visit China for a bilateral summit in June 2016.

Putin and Xi agreed to hold regular meetings to coordinate their stances on global matters in November 2015.

Several meetings with foreign leaders are currently being reviewed. Theres a trip to China, and a visit to Greece, but I cant tack down any concrete dates. Theres also a trip to Belarus, as well as the St. Petersburg Economic Summit June 16-18, Ushakov said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss new ideas within the context of the settlement of the Syrian crisis on May 6 with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said Thursday.

Our president will accept Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Thani, Ushakov said.

Ushakov noted that Putin does not usually meet with foreign ministers as a rule.
PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Summer Guide 2016 Field Guide to Summer A curated event line-up and corresponding reading It is common knowledge that the combination of experiential learning and critical insight is among the best ways to cull wisdom from experience and produce intelligent fodder for your diary. Below is a list of summer field trips and their required reading a host of events and the texts that make summer fun all the more meaningful.

May 7 Free Comic Book Day On Saturday, May 7, 2016's Free Comic Book Day kicks off. Celebrants include Astro-Zombies, Don's Paperback Books, Lobo Anime & Comics, The Comic Warehouse, Old West Comics and Games, and Hastings. Thousands of comics will be available for free, cosplay will inevitably happen and comic nerds will be nerding out. Monstress by Marjorie Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda In an alternate Asia where matriarchy is the norm and magical creatures war with human sorceresses, the shape-shifting character of Maika sets out to avenge her mother's death and learn about her own origins. The story translates to much more than a magical fantasyit is a work about racism, war and womanhood and among the best comics currently being produced.

May 21 Malcolm X Day Festival Historically, Malcolm X Day is celebrated on May 19his birthdayor the third Sunday in May. In a typically quirky twist, celebrants will gather on Saturday, May 21, at Thomas Bell Park to honor and celebrate one of the civil rights movement's most inspiring leaders. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley Duh. The chronicle of an incredible life written by the man who lived it. Experience is shot through with insight. History untethered from the textbooks, rendered more powerful by a brilliant thinker. View in Alibi calendar

May 28 Bees and Seeds Festival GMO-Free New Mexico is hosting their second annual Bees + Seeds Festival at Tractor Brewing in Wells Park. There'll be eco-friendly vendors, food trucks, muralists and other artists hard at work as well as professional beekeepers on hand and free tomato, basil and chile plants for all courtesy of Red Tractor Farm. Adventures in the Anthropocene by Gaia Vince The former news editor of Nature left her work at the magazine to explore the world and discover the ways in which people were dealing with climate change and a rapidly changing planet. What she found were people across cultures and continents ingeniously and beautifully managing their worldsfrom a man in Nepal making artificial glaciers to another in the Caribbean creating islands out of trash. View in Alibi calendar

June 2-4 Taos Poetry Festival Story slams, workshops, open mics and more, Taos' poetry festival spans a weekend, but will have lasting resonance. Featured poets include Ocean Vuong, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Nathan Brown, Sabina Jones and Alyia Martinson. Not to mention the festival provides an excuse to seek refuge from summer heat in the high mountains. Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong An American soldier fucked a Vietnamese farmgirl. Thus my mother exists/ Thus I exist. Thus no bombs = no family = no me, writes Vuong in Notebook Fragments a few lines down, Yikes. Vuong learned to read English at age 11 and described the language as a destination he was eager to reach. His first full-length collection isn't about that journey, its a revelation of the agility and power of language. View in Alibi calendar

June 11 Albuquerque Pride Parade 2016 Heading East on Central from Girard, this annual celebration of the LGBTQI community kicks off at 10am on the Saturday of Pride week. Ever joyous, always fun, this parade is never to be missed. Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg Feinberg was a lot of things. She identified as female, lesbian, anti-racist, an activist and a revolutionary communist. Her book explores growing up gay and radical in the pre-Stonewall Riots era. A book and a writer that doesn't need any qualifying adjectives, this is required reading for all. View in Alibi calendar

June 21 Summer Solstice A seismic tilt, a massive gesture of summer. The sun is at its highest and the days now begin to get steadily shorterits the pinnacle of summer bliss and the omega too, all bound up in a single cosmic event. Historically, witches were thought to meet with powerful otherworldly beings on this day and bonfires were lit to protect people from evil spirits. Whether you're a witch or a norm, celebrate as you will. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley A retelling of the famous King Arthur legend through the eyes of the too often maligned Morgana le Fay. There's enough magic, sex and goddess worship to keep this book thrilling for 800+ pages. Seriously, I read it in like, one week in eighth grade. It was a revelation.
So far the Japanese are preparing important international issues such as settling the Syrian conflict will be discussed at the G7 Summit which will be held May 26-27. And of course its very important that the Japanese prime minister synchronizes his watch on this matter with the Russian leader, Ushakov said.

Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe will also discuss the WWII peace agreement, future political dialogue, as well as the situations in Ukraine and North Korea.

They will speak about issues regarding the organization of future political dialogue as well as various matters concerning global security. Its completely natural that Ukraine, North Korea, Syria, cooperation within the frameworks of the UN will be discussed considering the fact that Japan will be a temporary member of the UN Security Council in 2016-2017, Ushakov said.

The topic of a peace agreement will naturally also be discussed, Ushakov added.

The Russian and Japanese leaders may also meet on the sidelines of the G20 and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits, according to the aide.

There are good opportunities for contacts between the leaders this year, particularly during the G20 Summit in China <> Then theres another opportunity that I think the leaders will use, which is the APEC Summit in Peru in November, Ushakov said.

He also said that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was also invited to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum that will be held in Vladivostok September 2-3.
Daesh attacks came days after Turkish forces killed 34 militants in artillery and drone strikes.

Yet other countries will not be happy if Turkey tries to invoke its right to self-defense by sending its forces to chase Daesh in northern Syria, the analyst observed.

"Should Turkey send ground forces to Syria, the international community will react immediately. This is why I think that Davutoglu was not referring to a specific decision that has already been made by the government. I believe that he tried to highlight Turkey's readiness to guarantee its national security, which could entail among other things deploying troops unilaterally," he explained.

The Turkish prime minster might have tested the waters with his latest comments, but Haldun Solmazturk doubts that they will lead to any specific actions.

"I think that no matter what Turkey will not send its armed forces unilaterally. Turkey's unilateral involvement in Syria without international backing is out of the question," he asserted.

In any respect, Davutoglu will be unable to shape Turkey's policy on Syria since he is stepping down as the leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK) party after losing a power struggle with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, rumors say.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Last month, Lavrov said that Russia would respond in military-technical terms on its northern borders if Sweden were to join NATO.

"I think this case is closed," Ericson told RIA Novosti.

According to the diplomat, the embassy has a good relationship with the Russian Foreign Ministry.
PALMYRA (Sputnik)  Halil said that the Syrian government took early measures and moved a large portion of the valuable artefacts and put them in a safe place.

In reality, the terrorist groups are robbing the historic artefacts and under [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan are selling them on the black market. Erdogans government is involved in helping terrorists, stealing oil, and the theft of historic artefacts. And helping them smuggle them over the border, Halil told RIA Novosti in an interview.

Earlier, the head of Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) told Sputnik that Ankara refused to cooperate with Damascus on returning of ancient artifacts smuggled by Daeshfrom Syria through Turkey.
ANKARA (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, Davutoglu confirmed media reports that he would step down from the post of AKP chairman and consequently the post of the country's prime minister. The move was made soon after the AKP's leadership decided to strip the chairman of the power to appoint local heads of the party.

"The decision itself is not very important for me, but I can not accept the way it has been made. All the consequences of the decision should have been analyzed. There is no unity in the party's leadership and I am falling under the impression that it is necessary to change the chairman to continue the party's successful efforts. It is not my choice, but it is a necessity. I will continue my activities as a AKP lawmaker," Davutoglu said during a briefing in Ankara.

He added that he would be loyal to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and would not criticize his fellow party members.
The analysts called attention to the fact that there have been "signs of progress" in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Apparently, Moscow has convinced independence supporters in Donbass to postpone local elections from April to July, they noted.

"Holding these elections without Kiev's permission would set back the Minsk negotiations, if not derail them altogether," the analysts remarked.

At the same time, the April 29 agreement between Kiev and independence fighters has resulted in a decrease in clashes in the conflict zone.

"The timing of these developments is crucial; they come just a few months before the European Union will decide whether to maintain its sanctions regime against Russia because of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The sanctions automatically expire on July 31 unless all 28 EU members vote beforehand (likely in late June or July) to maintain them," Stratfor's report stated.

It is no secret that many European countries have suffered tremendously from the sanctions regime and want the bans to be lifted. But it is not in Kiev's interests.

The Stratfor analysts suggest that Kiev may use the present situation to its own advantage.

The Ukrainian leadership believes that "all security and military components of the Minsk talks [including return of the eastern Ukraine territories' border with Russia to Ukrainian control] must be met prior to implementing its political components, namely granting greater autonomy to the Donbass territories and permission to hold local elections there," the analysts wrote, adding that Kiev's conceding on these issues has eventually led to the collapse of the Yatsenyuk government.
Although, Washington's relations with Moscow have deteriorated to levels unseen since the end of the Cold War, "there really is no reason why that should be so," Raimondo noted. Both countries, he insisted, have shared strategic interests, particularly when it comes to tackling international terrorism.

Raimondo urged Washington to adopt a new foreign policy. This revised strategy should extend "the hand of friendship to Russia, [cut] off our free-riding European 'allies' who refuse to pay their fair share of NATO's costs, and [put] American interests first."

The analyst also maintains that "Turkey must be reined in, and given an ultimatum: stop supporting terrorism in Syria, lay off the Russians, and give up dreams of a 'Greater Turkey' that endanger the peace and do nothing to help ordinary Turks live a decent life."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry held a phone talk Thursday, discussing the situation in Syria, as well as other regional issues, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The Russian and Egyptian foreign ministers confirmed that there are no alternatives to collective efforts for a speedy end to the Syrian conflict and a continued sustainable intra-Syrian negotiating process under the auspices of the UN," the ministry said in a statement.

The politicians also noted the importance of maintaining the ceasefire and ensuring humanitarian access to all areas of Syria.
PALMYRA (Sputnik)  The ceasefire, negotiated with the help of the United States and Russia, has been in place in parts of Syria since February 27. A new truce  the so-called 'silent' period  was hammered out last Friday for Damascus suburbs and the northern Latakia province.

On Wednesday, the United States and Russia agreed to extend the 'silent' period to Syria's Aleppo province.

"Of course, it would be perfect" Gatilov told RIA Novosti, answering a question whether the ceasefire in Damascus and Latakia should be indefinite.
We are doing this dirty blackmail deal with him because we cant control our own borders.

Atkinson spoke about the upcoming polls on June 23 and how the current events may push more people to vote for exiting the European Union.

This is really the tipping deal but it is not just Turkey that we are talking about. There is also Kosovo which many countries do not recognize, theres Georgia and Moldova. There is an extra 150 million people that have access to the borders; we cant control our borders. In Britain we cant control people from Romania and Bulgaria.

Further talking about Britain, Atkinson brought up the issues of infrastructure and demographics of housing foreign people and paying them wages.

We are a small country with a rapidly rising population. We cant accommodate them in our national health service. Schools cant cope with the amounts of people that have settled here from the European Union so how are we going to cope with 77 million Turkish and 50 to 60 million people from other states. This is a sort of marginal imperialism that we are seeing again.

She further spoke about how the British tax payers pay taxes that go to other countries to subsidize their lifestyle.

The agreement for visa-free travel between Turkey and the EU was included in a deal agreed in November as part of the EU's solution to the refugee crisis.
Turkey has yet to meet the EU's requirements on human rights, press freedom and minority treatment before qualifying for the free travel deal. According to Baydarol, all the conditions were formulated by the EU back in 2013, and if Turkey would have started undertaking active steps at that time, it would have already met most of the requirements.

"If Ankara would have started to gradually implement the EU conditions since 2013, most requirements would have already been met. In this case, we see a significant delaying of the process on the Turkish side," Baydarol said in an interview with Sputnik.

In mid-March, the European Union and Ankara agreed on a deal under which Turkey pledged to take back all undocumented migrants who arrive in the European Union through its territory in exchange for Syrian refugees accommodated in Turkey, on a one-for-one basis. In return, the 28-member bloc pledged to accelerate the Turkish EU accession bid and introduce a visa-free regime between Turkey and Europe.
"To try to mitigate such economic pressures, Riyadh is planning a Thatcherite sell-off of major government entities to drum up more cash. It is causing a lot of excitement and comment in the financial pages, as top of the pile is the plan to float an initial public offering (IPO) of up to 5 percent of Aramco, supposedly the world's largest oil producer and valued at some $2 trillion," Cochrane continues.

Furthermore, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king's son, has announced an ambitious plan, entitled "Vision 2030." Prince Mohammed has even gone so far as to claim that the country's economy will be diversified from hydrocarbons  which account for 70 percent of government revenues and 90 percent of exports  by 2020.

"[2020 is] a curious date, as it is the same as the IMF [International Monetary Fund] have predicted the kingdom could be effectively bankrupt," the journalist remarks.

Indeed, the IMF's report released in October 2015 argued that given persistently low oil prices and Riyadh's spending spree Saudi Arabia may run out of money within five years.

"The problem is that [the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] will not have diversified by then, or most probably by 2030. As one analyst put it, Mohammed bin Salman is 'pulling the wool over everyone's eyes' by implying the country can stay afloat without oil," Cochrane underscores, referring to the fact that Riyadh has talked about diversifying its economy for decades but with no tangible results.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The latest round of Geneva proximity talks between the Syrian government and opposition deadlocked last month after most HNC delegates stormed out of the meeting, claiming lack of progress on the ground.

"We decided that the internal opposition [would] refused to work with anyone who has a relation with terrorism, and we need to be [aligned] only with the kind of opposition that is trying to make peace and make real political life in Syria, and I think the Riyadh group [HNC] is still outside of this," Hmeymim groups Mais Krydee declared.
The BBC aired the documentary titled "Conspiracy Files: Who Shot Down MH17?" which covered various theories of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17's crash in eastern Ukraine. The documentary took evidence from eye witnesses, experts and secret intelligence sources, as well as studied satellite photographs, wire taps and videos in an attempt to divide facts from fiction in many conspiracy theories, involving Ukraine, Russia and the CIA.

A BBC spokesperson said the film took a "balanced viewpoint" in its reporting of the events. However, according to Zakharova, the BBC just outright ignored opinions from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"Never employees of the BBC's Moscow Bureau asked questions regarding the investigation of Malaysian Boeing crash when preparing this film," Zakharova wrote on her Facebook account.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, crashed near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, in an area controlled by pro-independence militias, on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board. Earlier this week, Bellingcat released a report claiming that the missile that downed the plane was fired by a missile launcher belonging to the Russian military.

"It is possible to conclude that the Bellingact experts are low in competence and clearly biased. This is a cheap fake," Mikhail Krusha told the RT television channel.

Bellingcat in the past has published several reports on the tragedy, all of which accused Russia and which were dismissed by Moscow.
The 25-year-old serviceman was killed during the operation to liberate the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra from Daesh. He was providing intelligence and coordinating for the Russian Aerospace Forces to attack Daesh targets in the city.

Prokhorenko ordered his comrades to carry out an airstrike on his position after he was discovered and surrounded by Daesh terrorists. His body was recovered from Daesh by Kurdish militia and handed over to Russia for a proper burial.

This week, a two-day ceremony to commemorate the hero wil be held in Russia. On Thursday, his body was transported by plane from Moscow to the Orenburg Region where Alexander Prokhorenko was born. The funeral is scheduled to take place on the day after, which has now been declared a day of mourning in the region.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The ergonomic simulator very closely replicates the crew seats in the command module of the spacecraft, as well as the crews working conditions, including the use of rescue spacesuits.

"We conducted the first formally documented test as part of creating a human-machine interface at the new simulator. Its essence is to evaluate the distribution of the basic information areas in the cosmonauts panel displays," head of Energias test-flight department Mark Serov said.

Energia describes the Federation as a next-generation reusable spacecraft intended to deliver up to four people and cargo to the moon and space stations in low Earth orbits. The spacecrafts free flight period is estimated at up to 30 days, with the capacity to stay attached to a space station for up to a year.
"The Northern Territories [Kuril] issue cant be resolved without direct talks between leaders," Abe said. "We have more than 70 years of the post-war era and still a peace treaty has not been concluded.

"This is anomalous."

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed the sensitivity of the territorial dispute, but that he hopes both countries can work together on the issue.

"We hope that Fridays contacts with Prime Minister Abe will basically help in forming a working and constructive atmosphere in bilateral relations, that in turn will make it possible to develop and continue forward in this work," Peskov said.

The US sees Japan as a key player in settling territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where Beijing has constructed artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago. Washington has accused Beijing of attempting to establish an air defense zone, while the Chinese government maintains that it has the right to build within its own territory and that the islands will be used for primarily humanitarian purposes.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  There are two suspected cases of the Zika virus found in Russia, while it has been confirmed for two others, the head of Russias public health and consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said Thursday.

"We have tested some 40 people for the Zika virus itself for whatever reasons. To date, this diagnosis has been confirmed for two people, both have returned from the Dominican Republic. To date, we suspect two more people who have symptoms of the virus, but the final diagnosis has not yet been announced," Anna Popova told the Rossiya 24 television channel.

The Zika virus is transmitted by daytime-active mosquitoes. It does not cause serious complications in adults but is suspected of leading to severe brain defects and cases of microcephaly in newborns.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, an international delegation of the UNESCO permanent representatives carried out an inspection of Palmyra.

"We believe that with the common effort of all of us, of all the humanity, putting aside all kinds of politization we could really in a relatively short time make Palmyra what [it] was," Tanaskovic told reporters adding that the decision to reconstruct Palmyra was taken unanimously.

According to Tanaskovic, the UNESCO delegation was currently unable to assess the state of damage in Palmyra as its visit was introductory.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  In early March, a court in Istanbul ruled to place both opposition outlets under the Turkish authorities' supervisory control. The Turkish journalists union condemned the authorities actions against the media, describing the rulings as the new method of censorship.

According to the CNN Turk broadcaster, the decision on ceasing operations applies to all media of the Feza Yayin Grubu group, including the Kure.tv channel, websites of the agency and the newspaper. More than 400 journalists at the Cihan news agency and the Zaman newspaper have already been fired.

Private TV channels Kanalturk and Bugun TV, newspapers Bugun Gazetesi and Millet Gazetesi, the Kanalturk Radyo radio station, all part of the Koza-Ipek holding, were shut down earlier this year over alleged unprofitability.
NEW YORK (Sputnik)  Heart disease was ruled as the cause of death of Russian national Igor Zyazin who passed away while in US custody, according to an autopsy report released by the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office.

"Hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease," a form of heart disease, was ruled as the cause of death, according to the report on Wednesday.

Zyazin died on Sunday while in the custody of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).
When police arrived at the compound, Andrew Kornfeld was carrying a small amount of buprenorphine, a drug used to treat addiction. Mauzy maintains that the younger Kornfeld never intended to give it to Prince, but was planning to give it to the doctor who would evaluate him.

Mauzy did not comment on the legality of Kornfeld carrying the drug, but the law protects any person who seeks medical assistance for someone who is overdosing on drugs by ensuring that they will not be prosecuted for the possession or sharing of controlled substances, at least in certain circumstances, AP reports.

Investigators are reportedly looking into whether the cause of death was an overdose, and though an autopsy was conducted the day after his death, results may not be available for several weeks. Investigators are also looking into whether an overdose was the reason his plane made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois, less than a week before his death.

On Wednesday evening, it was announced that the US Attorney's Office and Drug Enforcement Administration would join the Carver County Sheriff's investigation.
44-year-old Marcel Lehel Lazar, who goes by the nickname Guccifer,' claims he had no difficulty breaching Clinton's email server after gaining access to the email account of her former political advisor Sidney Blumenthal in March 2013.

After breaching the current Democratic frontrunner's server, Lazar found the content of no interest, as "it was not like the Hillary Clinton server, it was like an email server she and others were using with political voting stuff," he said, cited by Gawker.

"It was like an open orchid on the Internet," Mr. Lazar told NBC in an interview from a Bucharest prison. "There were hundreds of folders."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Clinton has come under intense scrutiny for using a personal server and email account for official purposes during her tenure as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. An investigation has found that Clinton shared more than 100 emails about highly classified US government programs and other sensitive information via her unsecured communications, contrary to established rules.

"Based on information learned during discovery, the deposition of Mrs. Clinton may be necessary," Emmet Sullivan, a judge on the US District Court for the District of Columbia, wrote in an order on Wednesday.
Snowden, writing a foreword to 'The Assassination Complex: Inside the Government's Secret Drone Warfare Program' (Simon & Schuster) said that one of the major challenges of being a whistleblower on the US National Security Agency (NSA) is that  once the information is 'out there'  there are still many agents who continue to carry on doing the same.

"They comply in silence, without resistance or complaint. They learn to live not just with untruths but with unnecessary untruths, dangerous untruths, corrosive untruths. It is a double tragedy: What begins as a survival strategy ends with the compromise of the human being it sought to preserve and the diminishing of the democracy meant to justify the sacrifice," he said.

Snowden pointed to the history of whistleblowing, which  although it has exploded in recent years  has still failed to stop government authorities doing what they want, despite legal restrictions and oversight.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Trump has proposed removing all of the 11.3 million illegal immigrants from the United States in the first two years of his presidency.

"Removing all undocumented immigrants from the United States and preventing all future unlawful entry would cost between $400 billion and $600 billion and reduce real gross domestic product (GDP) by over $1 trillion," the study found.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The petition was launched on the US administrations website on April 23 and had until May 23 to collect 100,000 signatures in order to receive an answer. It has already surpassed that target by 9,000.

The petition has gained enough signatories to receive a response from the White House.

The text of the petition claims that the so-called Magnitsky Act "discredits the US legislature" and should be reversed because it was adopted through lobbying by "frauds" wanted by Russian law enforcement agencies.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  In the coming 30 years, the United States plans to modernize its land, sea and air deterrent at an estimated cost of up to $1 trillion. The modernization includes building a replacement for the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, as many as 12 new Ohio-class nuclear submarines, a new long-range strike bomber.

"Despite President [Barack] Obamas best efforts, we now have an unguided nuclear policy," Cirincione said. "It is being driven by contracts, not strategic thinking."

In its 2017 budget request, the US National Nuclear Security Administration could receive $9.2 billion in funding for the nuclear weapons enterprise.
In 2008, the US Geological Survey warned that an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude could result in over 1,800 deaths, at least 50,000 injuries, and cause some $200 billion in damage. The federal agency also warned that the sewer system could be taken out of function for six months. Jordan believes that the next earthquake on the fault could reach a magnitude 8 or higher, resulting in catastrophic damage to the heavily-populated area.

Though the fault does not directly pass through Los Angeles, Jordan warned that the city would be heavily impacted.

"You can see that this area of influence by the shaking has now expanded out to huge proportions," Jordan said. "You see that big directivity pulse out in front, as that energy is being shoved down that fault, that directivity pulse leads energy into seismic waves that excite the sedimentary basins, like the San Fernando Valley and the Los Angeles Basin," Jordan said.

"You'll notice large shaking in the Los Angeles region persisting for long periods of time," he warned.
On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice announced that it will no longer use the terms "convict" and "felon," saying they are demeaning and constitute barriers to the reintegration of ex-offenders.

The United States has the largest prison population in the world with nearly 2.2 million imprisoned individuals and an additional 4.5 million placed on probation or parole.

About half of all inmates have been imprisoned for non-violent drug-related offences, according to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said in an interview on Thursday he is not ready to support Donald Trump as the Republican partys nominee for president of the United States.

"At this point, Im just not there right now," Ryan told CNN when asked if he would support Trumps candidacy.

Ryan explained that, while it is important for the Republican Party to rally behind its presidential nominee, the onus for unity is on Trump.
On Wednesday, Federal District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan issued an order saying that Clinton may be asked to testify on the nature of her personal server.

The Democratic party front-runner has come under intense scrutiny for using a personal server and email account for official purposes during her tenure as top US diplomat from 2009 to 2013.
While Washington insists that its Iraqi operations are necessary to combat the violent extremist group Daesh, also known as IS/Islamic State, the end may not justify the means.

"ISIS is definitely a scary and violent and evil group, but they are not the only scary and violent and evil group," Jarrar says. "There are many other groups who are as sectarian and violent and destructive as ISIS, and those other groups are actually affiliated with the United States."

Jarrar also discusses Americas role in inflaming sectarian conflict.

"The divisions were definitely introduced in 2003, and the damage that has been caused since those divisions were introduced is really enormous," he says. "It will take a lot of work; a lot of work and effort to reverse and go back to a point where sectarian divisions are not primary to peoples identity."
Grant Township, a hotbed of fracking prevention and protest, on Tuesday passed an ordinance proclaiming that the use of nonviolent resistance against fossil fuel companies is protected because it is a sanctioned civil right.

The new ordinance stems from a November 2015 adoption of the countrys first-ever municipal charter, aimed directly at fighting Pennsylvania General Energy Company (PGE) and the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association (PIOGA). The charter established a local set of protocols codifying environmental and democratic rights, Common Dreams reports.

If a court does not uphold the peoples right to stop corporate activities threatening the well-being of the community, the ordinance codifies that, any natural person may then enforce the rights and prohibitions of the charter through direct action. Further, the ordinance states that any nonviolent direct action to enforce their Charter is protected, prohibit[ing] any private or public actor from bringing criminal charges or filing any civil or other criminal action against those participating in nonviolent direct action, a press release from Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF), who assisted with drafting the ordinance, said in a press release.
The DDG 1000, also known as the USS Zumwalt, is the Pentagons $3 billion guided-missile destroyer. Featuring advanced stealth capabilities, it will be operational in 2019, if all goes well.

Last month, the vessel began sea trials after leaving its birthplace in Bath, Maine.

"This underway period is specifically scheduled to demonstrate the ship systems to the Navys Board of Inspection and Survey and the ship will return to port upon conclusion of the demonstrations," Navy spokesman Matthew Leonard told Scout Warrior.
Three employees were seized Tuesday by armed men in the restive Nord-Kivu province. According to a local official, the kidnappers are thought to be members of a militant group called the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda.

"All planned ICRC travel in Nord-Kivu has been suspended until further notice," the aid agency's official statement reads.

The Red Cross workers were part of a convoy headed to the village of Kyaghala, providing aid to people affected by violent conflicts in the area.
"We hope that Russian experts will help restore Palmyra . They were our allies in the victory [over Daesh] and wed like them to be our partners in the next phase, which is its restoration," Khalil told RIA Novosti.

The culture minister said Syrian authorities were assessing the damage that Daesh militants had done to Palmyras ancient treasures to work out a plan on how to bring them back and set a restorations timeline.
 The Caring Times (@TheCaringTimes_) May 5, 2016

The intense heat has limited air operations and made it difficult for the over 150 firefighters currently on the ground to contain it.

 Mishel Kociu (@mishelkociu) May 5, 2016

"There was a mild winter and not a lot of meltwater from the mountain snowpack. Now, a stale air mass has been sitting over Alberta, and it led to very low humidity. Then there was an early, hot spring, and everything got very dry. Then on top of that, it got windy, Mike Wotton, a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service and professor at the University of Toronto told the CBC.

 Haliburton Life (@Haliburton_Life) May 4, 2016

This type of wildfire, called a crown fire, occurs when the tops of conifers, often referred to by the more generic phrase pine trees, which burn much faster than deciduous trees, catch fire and spread across a forest canopy.

Scientists are now warning that massive fires such as the McMurray Fire will increase in frequency as the Earths atmosphere continues to heat up as a result of global warming due to climate change.

"Climate change models and research all point to the idea that fire season is going to be longer in the coming years, and the fires will be more severe," David Andison, adjunct professor with the faculty of forestry at the University of British Columbia, told CBC. "It will really just be the new normal."

On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the government will be matching all donations to the Canadian Red Cross to assist those who are displaced or affected by the fire.

"The outpouring of goodwill and compassion from Canadians right across the country has not only been inspirational, it has been entirely characteristic of who we are and the fundamental human values we share as Canadians," Trudeau said.
TALLINN (Sputnik)  Estonian and Russian specialists are carrying out a research raid across the lakes located on the border between the two states in order to create the joint interstate system of protection of the water resources, Estonian media reported Thursday.

According to the Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR), the specialists from the two states will explore the Chudskoe, Pskovskoe and Teploe lakes in order to work out a joint program of preservation of natural resources in the region and to present the results to the joint Russian-Estonian intergovernmental commission.

The broadcaster added that the sides were expected to share experience in order to preserve water and fish resources of the region on behalf of both Tallinn and Moscow.
Judicial Watch Lawsuit Uncovers More Hillary Clinton Emails Withheld from State Department

Clinton Aide Huma Displeased with Clinton's 'I'm Exhausted Thing'



Abedin using additional non-.gov email address for government business



Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch, 202-646-5172



WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- Judicial Watch today released new State Department emails (one batch of 103 pages, the second of 138 pages) that again appear to contradict statements by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that, "as far as she knew," all of her government emails were turned over to the State Department and that she did not use her clintonemail.com system until March 18, 2009.



Judicial Watch recently released Clinton State Department emails dating from February 2009 that also call into question her statements about her emails.



The documents were obtained by Judicial Watch in response a court order in a May 5, 2015, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed against the State Department, after it failed to respond to a March 18 FOIA request (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00684)). The lawsuit seeks:

Emails of official State Department business received or sent by former Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin from January 1, 2009 through February 1, 2013 using a non-"state.gov" email address.

Many of the documents predate March 18, 2009, go back as far as January, and were not turned over by Clinton to the State Department from her non-government server. The emails cover topics such as: her schedule and travel plans; criticisms of Clinton by Richard Gere; Afghanistan; U.S. financial aid and security concerns for several Pacific Islands; the recommendation for a health care system overhaul; and food security.



Other previously unreleased emails are dated March 18, 2009, despite suggestions by Clinton that she had turned over emails with that date. These emails refer to, among other things, her "friends at Planned Parenthood" and a call to Bill Clinton's former National Security Adviser, the late Sandy Berger, who was convicted of illegally removing classified documents from the National Archives.



On October 16, 2011, Clinton sent a "confidential" backgrounder from former Ambassador to Malta Doug Kmiec (sent from his apparently unsecure server) to aides Abedin and Cheryl Mills. The email has since been redacted due to its classified nature. Specifically, Kmiec discusses sensitive persons and organizations working in the US Embassy in Malta  the U.S. Maritime training program with the "AFM" (Armed Forces of Malta).



The Abedin emails included an exchange with Clinton's former Deputy Chief of Staff Jacob Sullivan, in which Abedin suggests Clinton would often complain of being "exhausted:"

From: Abedin, Huma

To: Sullivan, Jacob J.

Sent: Thursday, April 16 18:54:22 2009

Subject:



I have to go to the dinner with her [state dinner in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic]



I just got the I'm exhausted thing from her and Eugene [likely Eugene Bae, Clinton's advance official] isn't going to be able to tell Oscar de la Renta to shut up.

A March 31, 2011, email from State Department official Michael Hammer to Abedin and others shows yet another non-State.gov email address of HumaMAbedin[Redacted],...



MORE: www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-lawsuit-uncovers-more-hillary-clinton-emails-withheld-from-state-department
Forbes, Lankford Recognize National Day of Prayer with a Special Prayer Caucus Video

Contact: Hailey Sadler (Forbes), 202-225-6365; Darrell "D.J." Jordan (Lankford), 202-224-5754



WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- Congressional Prayer Caucus Co-Chairmen Congressman Randy Forbes (VA-04) and Senator James Lankford (R-OK) released a special video to recognize the National Day of Prayer today, celebrate the role of prayer in America, and share the story of the Congressional Prayer Caucus.



CLICK HERE to watch the video.



The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan to designate the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.

On this day, Americans will gather to pray for America in locations across the nation, as prayer has always been important to America. The first Continental Congress called for a National Day of Prayer in 1775 and President Abraham Lincoln called for such a day in 1863.

The Congressional Prayer Caucus is a bipartisan, bicameral caucus of lawmakers that works to ensure every Americanof any faith or no faithcan enjoy their First Amendment right to the free exercise of their religion without fear of punishment from the government.

Founded in 2005 by Congressman Forbes, the Congressional Prayer Caucus began as a small group of Members meeting to pray for our Nation in room 219 of the Capitol. Today, the Caucus is an official Congressional Member Organization of the House of Representatives that has grown to nearly 100 Members of the House and Senate. In January 2015, Senator Lankford became the first senator to join the Caucus since its founding in 2005, making the Caucus bicameral. Lankford first joined the Caucus after his election to the US House of Representatives in 2010.
Veteran Kelso police officer Kirk Wiper has been honored as the Longview America Legions law enforcement officer of the year.

The award, presented at Tuesdays Kelso City Council meeting, is given for officers who go above the call of duty to make the community a better place.

Steve Dahl, representing American Legion Post 155, said Wiper was honored for his work in community service and training of other police officers across the Pacific Northwest. He noted that Wiper has served on the narcotics task force, as a detective, a DARE instructor and as the lead firearms instructor for the Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission.

Dahl noted that a judge recently noted that he was amazed Wiper resolved a recent crisis without using force. Wiper has been with Kelso PD for more than 30 years.

Cowlitz corrections officer wins agency award

Brian Campbell, a Longview-based state corrections and custody officer, Tuesday was named the state Department of Corrections officer of the year. Each year, staff members are nominated by their colleagues and are recognized for their work for the department. Recipients are honored during a statewide ceremony in Tumwater.
Oregon officials have fined the owner of the freighter Nord Auckland $2,100 for spilling 13 gallons of oil into the Columbia River near Kalama in February.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality reported that a waste oil incinerator on the ship failed, allowing a tank to overflow and spill into the river. The oil created a sheen about three-quarters of a mile long, according to DEQ.

Investigators for DEQ noted that the ship's crew deployed oil containment booms around the vessel and cleaned the hull after the ship docked in Kalama. Those efforts reduced the impact of the spill and were considered in setting the fine, according to the agency.

The Nord Auckland is owned by a Danish firm, Norden Shipping.
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Amazon.com Inc's business marketplace, which connects businesses with suppliers, has generated $1 billion in sales in its first year, making it a significant player in a fragmented industry worth more than $8.2 trillion in the United States.

Amazon Business offers US businesses exclusive pricing and discounts for buying in bulk, free two-day shipping for orders of more than $49, tax exemption and the option to get products delivered with an Amazon guarantee.

"We are continuing to grow at a rate of 20 percent month-on-month, and that highlights ... how strong the need is in this segment," Amazon vice president Prentis Wilson told Reuters on Tuesday.

The business marketplace, which Amazon has described as one of its important areas for growth, extends its role as a middleman for third-party vendors, which account for more than 40 percent of the company's sales.

This also helps Amazon gain an edge in the fast-growing online business-to-business sector, which is likely to account for about 12 percent of B2B sales in the United States by 2020, according to estimates by Forrester Research in 2015.

Wilson said Amazon added more than 30,000 sellers and more than 300,000 businesses to its platform in the past year and continues to add "thousands of customers" every week.

Amazon's customers on the platform range from companies like Cardinal Financial Corp to consumer products makers like Henkel & Co HNKG_P.DE and institutions like the University of California-San Diego and the University of Illinois.

Some of the most widely sold products on the platform include computer and information technology equipment, office supplies, lab equipment and food service supplies.

Amazon Business has also started beta testing an offer to extend lines of credit to businesses that register on its platform, Wilson said.

These lines of credit could range from tens of thousands of dollars up to $1 million, Wilson added.

Reuters
Naina Khedekar

We've been hearing about Google's carrier billing plans for some time now, and finally it is here. Idea Cellular has teamed up with Google to offer its prepaid users the option to buy apps, make in-app purchases and so on, adding the purchase amount directly to monthly bills, and negating the use of credit cards.

So, Idea Cellular subscribers, both prepaid and postpaid, will be able to buy apps through direct carrier billing. This move could help boost app/in-app purchases. In fact, at the recent Reliance Games PGConnects, we had a quick chat with Anurag Sachdeva, Country Director (India & South Asia) at Rovio who emphasises how credit card limitations is one of the barriers at revenue generation in India. Idea is known to have teamed up Angry Birds-maker Rovio too.

At the same event, Amit Khanduja, CEO of Reliance Games told Firstpost, We (India) are not an extension of what you launch in the US or the UK. We have unique requirements like content not only localised in language but also regional, payment methods people are applicable to here, as credit card penetration is minimum and only at the higher end of spectrum.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. P. Lakshminarayana, Chief Operating Officer  Corporate, Idea Cellular, said, Idea has been at the forefront of the internet revolution and has built a robust network through an extensive 3G and now 4G rollout. With capabilities to provide wireless broadband services to nearly 880 million Indians, Idea is well poised to take the lead in the way content is served to an increasing army of digital savvy users. This tie up with Google Play creates a vast set of opportunities for Idea subscribers and also builds a secure gateway to the digital world.

This option will make purchases easier considering that there is less than 3 percent credit card penetration in India. Bango CEO Ray Anderson said, "Taking Google Play carrier billing to India is a major milestone for Bango. India offers enormous potential for online commerce. We are pleased to provide Ideas 182 million subscribers with a universal payment method so they can enjoy the complete app store experience, and to expand the reach of carrier billing in the Google Play store.
tech2 News Staff

Lenovo had announced via its official social media channels that it will be launching its Z1 smartphone in India today. The smartphone is a project funded by Lenovo and is actually called the ZUK Z1. Lenovo however is branding the device as the Lenovo Z1 for the Indian market.

Premium build quality aside, the Lenovo Z1's highlight is indeed the Cyanogen OS. The handset will come feature-packed with Cyanogen's special Android-based software and will also include the various customisations that the software is known for. The Z1 is expected to run Cyanogen OS 12.1 out of the box, which is based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

The ZUK Z1 features a 5.5 inch Full HD screen, and will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor. It is loaded with 3GB RAM and 64GB storage. The device also packs in a 13MP SONY IMX214 camera on the rear, and an 8MP front camera.

In addition, the key features of the device as revealed by ZUK include 4G radios, support for Bluetooth, GPS, USB Type-C port, a fingerprint reader and Wi-Fi. It is powered by a 4100mAh battery.

Lenovo recently made a claim that the Micromax will not be only company to run Cyanogen OS in India. The Lenovo Z1 is indeed going to be second brand to run the same OS officially.

To recall, Cyanogen, Micromax and Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus went through a rough phase last year, when Cyanogen Inc. suddenly decided to give exclusive rights to Indian smartphone maker Micromax for its Yu-branded smartphones. This took place when OnePlus had already started selling its smartphones with the Cyanogen OS. Just before the launch of its Yu smartphones, Micromax took OnePlus to court which led to OnePlus stepping down and building its own Oxygen OS for its handsets in order to keep selling them in the country. Post the legal tussle, only the OnePlus One smartphone was allowed to get Cyanogen OS updates.
tech2 News Staff

While Facebook's Oculus Rift is spearheading the virtual reality movement that has taken the gaming market by storm, it is still not on the radar for content streaming services like Netflix.

In an interview with VentureBeat, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said that VR is going to be huge, but only for the video game market. When it comes to watching content, it's mostly accomplished on Google's Cardboard or Facebook's Oculus Rift headsets and the majority of the content is 2D and not immersive 3D.

Netflix Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos had a similar opinion. His thoughts however hovered around the market size. He said that despite the release of the much-awaited Oculus Rift headset, the market still remains tiny. And when one adds that percentage to Netflix's now expanded viewership across 190 countries and 80 million users on multiple platforms, it sure seems a bit too small.

The problem with VR is that theres not enough people on the platform to support the investment in that kind of content, Sarandos told VentureBeat.

The second reason for Netflix's refusal to look at VR, is the type of experience that VR offers which is more of an immersive and intense nature that is better suited to gaming. On the other hand, Netflix is into relaxed content.

And certainly this makes sense as most VR content does get a bit exhausting after 20 minutes. So it becomes a no brainer that Netflix will want its viewers to keep watching for a lot longer.

Netflix made its entry into India after the company's official announcement at CES 2016. The service currently offers three plans with Basic, Standard and Premium option that lets customers stream content on upto 4 devices simultaneously.
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As many as 8,056 incidents of website hacking were reported in the first three months of 2016, Parliament was informed today.

In written reply to a Lok Sabha question, Communications and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the total number of "cybersecurity incidents including phishing, scanning, malicious code, website intrusion, denial of service etc" stood at 41,319, 44,679, 49,455 and 14,363, during the years 2013, 201, 2015 and 2016 (till March), respectively.

Citing information reported to and tracked by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the Minister further said these cyber security incidents included 28,481, 32,323, 27,205 and 8,056 website hacking incidents during 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 (till March), respectively.

"In addition, 54,677, 85,659, 61,628 and 13,851 spam (unsolicited email) incidents were reported to CERT-In during the year 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 (till March), respectively," Prasad said.

Over a period, the nature and pattern of incidents have become more sophisticated and complex, he added.

"The National Cyber Security Policy is released for public use and implementation by relevant stakeholders. The objective of the policy is to create a framework for comprehensive, collaborative and collective response to deal with the issue of cybersecurity at all levels within the country," he said.

In addition, the government has formulated cyber crisis management plan for countering cyber attacks and cyber terrorism for implementation by all ministries/departments of central government, state governments and their organisations and critical sectors, he added.

PTI
tech2 News Staff

Makers of Siri, Dag Kittlaus and Adam Cheyer, are now working on an artificial intelligence technology called Viv, according to The Washington Post. It is believed to do more than Siri or other existing virtual networks, and something the makers wanted Siri to be. However, the duo left Apple after disagreements over the functionality of Siri.

Viv is believed to bring to the table what Siri can't. The report talks about how Viv can help order a pizza. On asking Viv to order a pizza, the AI bot typed if the user would like toppings. "The engineers, eight in all, started jumping in: Pepperoni. Half cheese. Caesar salad. Emboldened by the result, they peppered Viv with more commands: Add more toppings. Remove toppings. Change medium size to large," adds the report. After 40 minutes made to orders pizzas arrived. This was one of the real-time demos and the technology is expected to be unveiled early next week.

The report adds that this is just one of the things that Viv can do. In fact many such functions were baked into Siri too, until Apple decided to simplify the digital assistant. "In many ways, Viv appears to be similar to Amazons Alexa platform. Both rely on third-party service integration and bypass the use of any third-party apps in favor of direct communication with the service itself," points out 9To5Mac.

The race for building AI bots has already begun with Facebook and Microsoft at the forefront. Moreover, according to the report, Google and Facebook have made offers to buy Viv. Microsoft has started accepting submissions to its Bot Directory. There are only a handful of bots listed as of now, and there is no word yet on when the directory will go live. Microsofts vision is to replace applications with bots, that take action triggered by keywords.
Pranjal Kshirsagar

There is a variety of factors that influences a product's cost because it goes through many channels before it reaches the end-consumer. Around 10 percent of the product cost is actually incurred in physically getting it to the consumer. Unless a business can control the oil prices, there's not really much that they can do. DreamOrbit, with its retail and e-commerce solutions from supply chain management to reverse logistics management software, aims to help companies control that cost with IoT technology.

Telling us more about the startup, Sanchit Jain, CEO and co-founder of DreamOrbit says that they help reduce the transportation cost significantly, which goes directly to the bottom line of their clients. The product also reaches its destination much faster and without damage. "With the growth of the e-commerce industry and IoT (Internet of Things) technology, logistics solutions become increasingly significant. Today, a good logistics company is a technology company, that also moves freight," explains Jain.

DreamOrbit operates with a team of around 275 people and offers specialised end-to-end solutions to their customers which mainly consist of trucking companies, domestic and internation third-party logistics companies, and hyperlocal and last-mile delivery businesses. The company heavily relies on Internet of Things and is investing into it. "We are building IoT based solutions for route and fuel optimisation, temperature sensitive shipments, real-time tracking and geofencing and carbon footprint management. For instance, we helped a trucking company reduce carbon emission significantly, geo-fence its truck for speedy delivery of goods and improve road safety. We could do this using IoT based technology," says Jain.

Talking about the financial aspect of the startup, Jain shares that they bootstrapped six years back and grew the company with profit accruals up till now. Presently they are looking for about $4-5 million. While most of their clients are in the US currently, they plan to expand their business in UK, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand and India. Jain adds that they plan to use 20-30 percent of finances in growing their existing IoT based technology solutions and the rest in expanding to the new geographies. They are also aiming to double their team in two years.

Talking about the USP of DreamOrbit, Jain shares that they build solutions for all modes of transport - surface, air and ocean. "Our solutions can ship all categories of shipments  documents and small parcel, less than truckload, full truckload and volume shipments. We build technology that can ship International, National, hyper-local and last mile. Our 70 Enterprise clients across the globe love us because we design human-centric applications that are platform-independent, IoT, mobile and cloud enabled," he adds. DreamOrbit is planning to widen its reach by creating plug and play API based solutions which can be used easily by their customers. Jain shares that it'll be as simple as a buying hardware and plugging it into their cloud-based adapters, and the solution can be up and running in a week.

IoT is a tech trend that is currently being discussed by companies of all sizes, across vertical, for all sorts of applications. Sharing his thoughts on it Jain signs off saying, "Transportation and logistics CEOs are clear about the disruptive impact of IoT and related technologies in reshaping their industry landscape. Theyre focusing on adopting digital technologies to create value in new ways and developing diverse and dynamic partnerships. The declining costs of sensors and RFID devices, need for constant connectivity and access to advanced network connection and growing use of smart phones and cloud based services will boost the use of IoT in logistics."

Jain, an IIT-Roorkee graduate, has previously worked with Tata Consultancy Services and Aditi Technologies. DreamOrbit was co-founded by Abhishek Porwal, an IIT-Delhi alumnus, who has been associated with Infosys and Aditi Technologies previously. Before founding this company, the duo started and sold CircleSource Software, a healthcare-focused technology firm.
SC upholds Nizami`s death sentence

The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld death sentence for war criminal Jamaat Leader Motiur Rahman Nizami. With the verdict, the government can initiate Niazamis execution process. The final chance that he can avail is to beg for his life to the president. The SC passed the verdict on Thursday by rejecting appeals by the condemned war criminal to review his death penalty for crimes against humanity during the country`s 1971 War of Independence. A four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha delivered the verdict at 11:30am on Thursday. The other members of the bench are Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Hasan Fayez Siddique and Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain. On March 29, Nizami filed the petition mentioning 46 grounds in a 70-page appeal praying to acquit him of all charges on which he was found guilty and awarded the death penalty. For committing crimes in 1971, the SC upheld his death sentences on three charges and life term imprisonment on two other charges on January 6, 2016. Earlier, Nizami was awarded the death penalty by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on October 29, 2014. He was awarded life imprisonment on four other charges. -- risingbd.com
16th amendment to Constitution illegal: HC

Dhaka, May 5 (UNB) - The High Court on Thursday declared the 16th

amendment to the Constitution establishing Parliament's power to

remove the Supreme Court judges illegal and contradictory to the

national charter.



A three-member special HC bench, headed by Justice Moyeenul Islam

Chowdhury, passed the order following a writ petition.



The two other judges of the bench were Justice Dr Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque

and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal.



Earlier on March 10, the HC fixed today (Thursday) to pass its order

on the writ petition filed challenging the legality of the

much-talked-about 16th amendment.



In its order, the court said the amendment is contrary to the

provisions enshrined in the Constitution for the freedom of the

judiciary.



It said the provision to remove judges by parliament is an accident

in the history although the law exists in several countries of the

world.



In most of the Commonwealth countries, judges are not removed by

parliaments.



Noting that parliament members cannot go against the party decision

as per the section 70 of the Constitution and they have to vote in

favour of the party even if they do not approve of the matter, the

court said judges will have to wait for MPs mercy if the 16th

amendment remains in force.



Meanwhile, Law Minister Anisul Huq and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam

said the state will appeal against the HC order.

While delivering statement in Parliament under section 300 of the

rules of procedure following harsh criticism by some MPs over the

HC's verdict, Anisul said, "They (HC) termed it (the 16th amendment)

illegal, but it is not illegal at all... it (todays judgment) is not

maintainable."



"As we believe in the freedom of judiciary, we'll follow legal

process and will lodge appeal with the Appellate Division. No

conspiracy against the democracy will be tolerated," he said.



The minister said nobody opposed the 16th amendment to the

Constitution when it was passed in Parliament in September, 2014 just

to restore the provision which had been in the 1972 Constitution.



The amendment was brought aiming to ensure the dignity of the judges

and freedom of the judiciary.



Earlier, Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam and Kazi Firoz Rashid and Jasod

MP Mainuddin Khan Badal harshly lambasted the HC's verdict and

demanded the statement of the Law Minister under the section 300 in

this regard.



The Attorney General said, Were aggrieved at the verdict. Well

file appeal with the Chamber court on Sunday seeking a stay of the

judgment. We can directly file the appeal as the High Court in its

order gave us the certificate for appeal.



On September 17, 2014, the Jatiya Sangsad passed the 'Constitution

(16th Amendment) Bill, 2014' without any opposition, empowering

Parliament to impeach judges of the Supreme Court due to their

incapacity or misconduct.



Nine Supreme Court lawyers filed the writ petition with the High

Court on November 5, 2014, praying to consider the 16th Amendment as

illegal and unconstitutional.



The petition also sought an order staying the operation of the 16th

Amendment and also against enacting any law in a bid to remove the

Supreme Court judges, as per this amendment, until disposal of the

rule.



After primary hearing, the HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam

Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal issued a rule asking the

government to explain why the amendment should not be declared

illegal and contrary to the constitution, and cancelled.



The hearing on the rule began on May 21 last year. Four eminent

lawyers -- Dr Kamal Hossain, Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam, Barrister

Rokon Uddin Mahmud and Barrister Ajmalul Hossain QC made their

depositions to the court as amici curiae.



In their observations, Dr Kamal Hossain and Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam

said there can be no law to remove judges unless there is a law to

recruit judges.



Dr Kamal Hossain had also said the judiciary will be left in a

fragile condition through the 16th amendment.



Echoing the eminent lawyer, the court said the Chief Justice-led

Supreme Judicial Council is the best way to remove judges.



As the 16th amendment is contrary to the basic structure and power

segregation principle of the Constitution, so it is declared illegal

and cancelled, the court said in its ruling.



Meanwhile, the Cabinet on April 26 approved the draft of The Supreme

Court Judges (Investigation) Bill, 2016, having provisions to

investigate the allegations of misconduct by the judges of the High

Court and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, and their

impeachment by parliament.
Oats Paniyaram

Ingredients :

1 cup Quick cooking Oats (Quaker/Saffola)

1 cup Sooji/Rava

1 cup sour Curd

3 tbsp Chana dal

1 big Onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp chopped Coriander

2-3 tbsp chopped Curry leaves

1 tbsp Green Chili paste

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Eno/Fruit salt

1/4 tsp Cooking Soda

Salt to taste

Method

Soak chana dal in water for 1-2 hrs. Drain them.

Dry roast oats and sooji separately until they start changing their color.Do not roast much.Cool them and grind them together in a mixer to a coarse powder.

Beat curd well and add it to a big bowl add ground oats and sooji and mix well.Add enough water to it to get the consistency of dosa batter.

Add salt and cooking soda to the mixed batter and leave it aside for 1 hr.You should leave it at least for 20 mins aside.

Add finely chopped onions, coriander, curry leaves along with green chilli paste,cumin seeds, soaked chana dal and mix well.

Check the consistency of batter,it might become thick as the sooji absorbs water when it is soaked.Add extra required water to it to get the dosa batter consistency.

Just before making paniyaram add eno to the batter and mix well.

Heat the paniyaram/gunta panganalu pan/Aebliskever pan and add 1/2 tsp of oil in each impression.When it is piping hot keep the flame on LOW and pour the batter using a table spoon until it covers 3/4 th and pour some more oil over it and cover it with a lid. Let it roast on low-medium flame until golden brown in color.

When you see the edges turning golden in color use a sharp knife and run it around the edges of each paniyaram and turn them to the other side and roast until golden brown on both the sides.

Serve it hot with Coconut chutney or Mint-coriander chutney or peanut chutney.
12 killed in road accidents

A truck and a CNG run auto-rickshaw collided head-on at Gachhtala on Mymensingh-Netrakona Highway leaving 8 people including 4 of a family dead on the spot on Thursday.

BSS, Dhaka :

At least 12 people were killed in road accidents in Mymensingh, Tangail, Gazipur and Sylhet yesterday.

Eight people, including a woman and two children, were killed as a CNG-run auto rickshaw collided head on with a truck in Gachhtala area on the Mymensingh-Netrakona road in Sadar upazila yesterday.

The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. Officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station Kamrul Islam said the accident occurred when a CNG-run auto rickshaw collided head on with a truck in the area at about 11.45 am, leaving eight people dead on the spot.

In another accident, two persons were killed and another one was injured at Goaliabari rail crossing of Tangail district yesterday morning when a train hit a truck while the truck was crossing the rail crossing, said officer-in-charge of Bangabandhu Bridge East police Asabur Rahman .The deceased were

Truck driver Mihir Ali, 45 and helper Fajlu Miah, 38. In Gazipur, a young man was killed as a bus ran over him on the Dhaka-Tangail highway at Bipile area in the city yesterday morning. The deceased was Rony, 30, a garments worker and son of late Imtiaz Ali, a resident of Munshipara area in Sayedpur. In Sylhet, a truck worker was killed and five others were injured as their truck turned turtle on the Sylhet-Tamabil road under Jointapur upazila of the district, police said.
Can the World Bank make renewable energy cheaper?

Jeff Tyson :

World Bank President Jim Kim has been a vocal supporter of the Paris climate agreement signed last month by representatives from 175 nations. But Kim is on another climate mission too: to make the specifics of the Paris climate agreement matter less by building the economic case for renewable energy.

Speaking at the World Bank's spring meetings last month beside Segolene Royal, France's minister of the environment, energy and the sea and president of the 21st Conference of the Parties, Kim said that despite a ground-breaking climate change agreement in Paris last year, the international community has to assume that most countries will not live up to their commitments.

"There was a lot of intensity and pressure to make a commitment [in Paris]," Kim said. "But there really was this sense that once you did this, then the pressure would be off."

What's important now, he added, is to make renewable energy sources like wind and solar cheaper - to make renewables the best financial option for policymakers around the world so they live up to their commitments not because they are written in a U.N. document, but because it makes the best economic sense.

"So much of the solution is going to be policy change linked to financing, linked to very specific instruments that can bring solar in at [4-5 cents] a kilowatt hour, which would make  the financial argument so powerful that [policymakers] have to move toward renewables," Kim said.

So what can the World Bank, a multilateral financial institution, actually do to bring down the cost of renewables and make the climate-smart investment case that Kim wants the bank to leverage?

'Deal teams' and policy operations

One way the bank hopes to drive down the price of renewables is by making it cheaper and less risky for the private sector to get into the renewable business in developing countries. The bank's private sector investment arm, the International Finance Corp., set a goal last month to expand its climate investments from $2.2 billion a year to $3.5 billion a year and to leverage an additional $13 billion a year in private sector financing by 2020.

For the rooftop solar sector in particular, the bank is putting in place "deal teams" to facilitate doing business with renewables by combining private sector expertise from the IFC and public sector energy expertise from the bank.

There are a lot of opportunities to install rooftop solar panels in developing countries, said John Roome, senior director of the World Bank's Climate Change Group, but "often companies that want to install renewable energy find it difficult to access finance at scale." With so many individual installers trying to break into the industry on their own, costs can be prohibitive.

The bank's new "deal teams" would work to create a market for these installers. One idea is to develop a fund that smaller companies can access to finance their investments in rooftop solar, without needing to go to an individual retail bank and explain how rooftop solar works, Roome said.

For "deal teams" to succeed in creating promising markets for rooftop solar, they have to tailor their efforts to each individual country, Roome said. This means creating specific instruments like funds for installers, but also working with country governments to identify public sector policy reforms that facilitate such a market.

On the policy side, another way the bank is seeking to make renewables cheaper is through an instrument known as a Development Policy Operation - a tool that encourages countries to reform their policies in exchange for financing.

In Indonesia for example, the bank used a Development Policy Operation to help the government reform its national power utility, making it financially stronger and more credible, allowing in turn more renewable operators to sell their products without risk.

Enabling environments and the case for trade

The price of renewables can only decrease when the appropriate technology and infrastructure is in place to allow them to function effectively. The World Bank is investing in those technological enablers, like battery storage, sensors to predict wind patterns, and evacuation lines that transport power from solar power plants into the main power grid.

Beyond financing and direct investments, the World Bank lends expertise to policy makers working to develop the enabling environment for renewables. Efficient procurement systems in-country, low-interest climate investments and even special trade agreements between neighboring countries can help to make renewables cheaper and more efficient, said Charles Feinstein, director of the World Bank's Energy and Extractives Global Practice.

Denmark for example, which relies heavily on variable wind power has transmission networks to Norway and Sweden and pays Norway for backup hydropower to keep its power grid running. And places like Vietnam and Pakistan can absolutely replicate such a system with its neighbors, Feinstein said.

The Word Bank also contributes "economic and engineering studies to demonstrate or show clearly to policymakers what the gains of trade would be," Feinstein added.

Time to act

In his remarks at the World Bank's spring meetings last month, Kim pointed to Pakistan and Vietnam, where the price of coal is still less than the price of solar and other renewables and warned that if countries such as those invest in "forty gigawatts of coal-based electrical power, that's a 50 year investment."

"The thing that I worry about is we're not yet having the urgent conversations about how to tackle the most urgent issues," Kim said. "And the good news there is we actually know how to do it, we know how to bring these prices down, but we're not quite gelled yet."

For Kim though, the question is whether the prices will come down fast enough to prevent long-term investments in coal and other alternatives, which at the moment are still all too appealing for policymakers - and on rare occasions, even for the World Bank itself.

(Jeff Tyson is a global development reporter for Devex. Based in Washington, DC, he covers multilateral affairs, U.S. aid and international development trends).
US offers help to fight terrorism

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was talking to visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Desai Biswal when the later paid a courtesy call on her at the PM office on Thursday. PID photo

The United States is ready to help Bangladesh in fighting terrorism and violent extremism by providing experts and technical supports, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal said on Thursday.Biswal came up with the offer when she paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office here in the morning. After the meeting, PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters. He said Biswal invited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to co-chair a high-level event on migration with US President Barack Obama to be held in New York during the upcoming 71st UN General Assembly in September. Sheikh Hasina and Biswal also discussed the issue of recent secret killings in Bangladesh. Biswal put emphasis on 'better understanding' with Bangladesh to counter terrorism. Expressing her concern over the recent killings in Bangladesh, Biswal said the USA and Bangladesh could share information over combating terrorism and violent extremism.About the issue of terrorism, she said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has personal sacrifice and experiences in combating terrorism. "She (Prime Minister) herself is a victim of terrorism as most of her family members were assassinated in the 15 August carnage in 1975," she said. The US Assistant Secretary of State stressed the need for strengthening community policing system and expressed satisfaction over strengthening security measures by the Bangladesh government for the safety of the US embassy staff.Reiterating her government's 'zero tolerance policy' against terrorism, the Prime Minister said her government is always vocal against terrorism and militancy. "Criminals are criminals, terrorists are terrorists and they've no religion and border, "she said. Referring to the emergence of terrorists and militants during the five-year misrule of the BNP-Jamaat government, Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat clique patronized terrorists and militants.While talking about the recent killings including USAID Staff Xulhaz Mannan, imams of mosques, priests of temples and churches, the Prime Minister said they are the 'soft targets'. "These heinous killings are 'cold-blooded murders'," she said adding such killings are being carried out to sensitize the issue.Hasina also requested the US Assistant Secretary of State to provide information regarding terrorism if they have to combat the menace. She also mentioned the mindless violence and rampage of the BNP-Jamaat clique to resist the January 5 polls and during the three months of the last year. While talking about the issue of the 'conspiracy hatched in the USA against Sajeeb Wazed Joy', the Prime Minister thanked the US government for bringing the accused to justice. State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shariar Alam, PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bloom Barnicat were present.
Save Aleppo from slaughter

By Osama Abo El Ezz :

ALEPPO, Syria - LAST week, Syrian or Russian jets bombed Al Quds hospital, in the eastern part of the divided city of Aleppo. At least 50 people lost their lives, and some 80 more were injured.

Among those killed in the attack was my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Muhammad Wassim Mo'az, a kind man who cared deeply for his patients and his community. He slept in the hospital in case there was an emergency and he had to rush to treat babies and children. He was the last pediatrician in Aleppo.

Another friend, Dr. Mohammed Ahmad, was also killed in the airstrikes. Dr. Ahmad was beloved by colleagues and Aleppo residents. He used to volunteer with children, teaching them how to prevent dental disease during wartime. He was one of the 10 dentists remaining in eastern Aleppo.

Dr. Wassim and Dr. Ahmad join hundreds of my Syrian colleagues who have been killed during the last five years of civil war. Physicians for Human Rights has counted at least 730 murdered medical professionals. Deliberate attacks on hospitals and medical workers have become the norm. Just one day after the bombing of Al Quds hospital, a primary care center that treated more than 2,000 people a month was destroyed by another airstrike. In the last week, schools, clinics and mosques have been deliberately bombed, too.

As one of the few remaining doctors in Syria, I have watched the "cessation of hostilities" that was agreed on in February crumble. Imperfect though it was, it offered Syrian civilians a brief respite from five years of violence. People had begun to recover during the truce, to get their lives back. But we are now seeing a level of destruction that will leave an already battered city in ruins.

It is hard to describe what it is like to live in Aleppo, waiting for death. Some people even pray for its swift arrival to take them away from this burning city. The bombardment has reached such ferocity that even the stones are catching fire. This week I helped bury a man whose body was so charred that no one could identify him.

Planes overhead vie to be the next to strike. Their targets are not fighters, but civilians - mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters whose luck has run out. That is what we live on now, luck. Everyone is terrified and we feel abandoned and alone.

Doctors and nurses are trying our best to put on a brave face for our patients. We know that for the community we serve we represent a last hope, the final defenders of life in this city. But we are also among the fallen. We have all lost medical brothers and sisters to barrel bombs and missile strikes, but we keep on working through the night. We have seen neighbors and friends die in front of us. We are exhausted, and there are not many of us left, but we continue our 20-hour shifts. What is most heartbreaking is when we have to choose which patients to save because there aren't enough doctors to treat everyone. Our hospitals, though they are the targets of bombs, still overflow with the sick and injured.

What was once the universal sanctity of medical neutrality has been eviscerated. This war has set fire to what were long-held agreements on human rights, humanitarian principles and humanitarian law.

We are running out of coffins to bury our friends, family and colleagues. At some point the shelling will kill everything and there will be no life left in Aleppo. Trapped, people are losing any sense of hope. Our time is running out, and the need for action is urgent.

Just a few months ago, Russia, the United States and other global leaders made what they said was a firm commitment to a truce. They are now failing to meet that commitment, and Aleppo's women, children and elderly are paying the greatest price. Syrian government and Russian airstrikes are aiming at the places where civilians gather most, as well as the roads allowing humanitarian assistance into eastern Aleppo. The cessation of hostilities was no cure-all, but its revitalization could end this rolling massacre in Aleppo and prevent the siege that we all fear is coming.

The United States should pressure the Syrian government and Russia to immediately halt airstrikes on civilian areas and hospitals and remove their aircraft from the area, which strike fear in the hearts of Aleppo's children every day. Routes into the city must remain open so that food and fuel for ambulances and hospitals can reach us. We cannot endure a siege.

The United States and Russia say they are committed to the cessation of hostilities and that it extends to Aleppo. But we need more than hollow statements. We need them to push their allies to respect international humanitarian and human rights law. Hospitals cannot be targets.

Everyone should be outraged by these systematic war crimes and do whatever they can to make them stop. The destruction of Aleppo is happening under the world's watch. We pray for it to stop. For Aleppo, for our patients and for ourselves.
Tofail seeks realistic steps against HC verdict

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed on Thursday asked Law Minister Anisul Huq to take realistic steps against the High Court judgment that declared the 16th constitution amendment illegal.Tofail made the call taking floor on point of order in Parliament and criticised the court judgment passed on Thursday. Noting that the parliament has sovereign and supreme power, he said, "If the laws passed in the parliament are scrapped by the court does the sovereignty of parliament remain?"

Earlier, Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam initiated the criticism taking floor on the point of order in the House. Subsequently, MPs across the board joined the criticism and demanded statement of the law minister under the rule 300 of the rules of procedure. Delivering his statement, the law minister termed the judgment is illegal adding that the government will file appeal with the Appellate Division against the verdict of the High Court on Sunday or Monday next.

"They (HC) termed it (the 16th amendment) illegal, but it is not illegal at all... it (the judgment) is not maintainable," he said. "As we believe in the freedom of judiciary, we'll follow legal process and will lodge appeal with the Appellate Division.

No conspiracy against the democracy will be tolerated," he said. The minister said judges could be injudicious, but this Parliament can not be so. "We lawmakers are elected with public mandate and enact laws, so we are responsible to people." Awami League MP Fazlul Karim Selim, Jatiya Party MP Kazi Firoz Rashid and Mujibur Rahman Chunnu, Jasod MP Mainuddin Khan Badal, among others, lambasted the HC for its judgment that turned down the 16th amendment that empowered the Parliament to remove Supreme Court judges for incapacity or misconduct.
Nizami`s death penalty upheld

Staff Reporter : The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday upheld death sentence for condemned war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami for crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971, rejecting his review petition.A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha pronounced the judgment around 11:30am. The three other members were Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Mahmud Hossain and Justice Hasan Foez Siddique. The only course of action left for the war criminal Nizami is to submit a mercy petition for his life to the president. Nizami, Chief of the Jamaat party that opposed Bangladesh's liberation during 1971, was previously convicted of five war crimes charges, including murder of intellectuals. As soon as the news spread, people from all walks of life and different socio-political organisations expressed their satisfaction and joy over the verdict. Besides, many people brought out processions, distributed sweets across the country. They demanded immediate execution of the Apex Court judgment.Gonojagoron Mancha, a platform that has been marching for the capital punishment of all war criminals, brought out a celebration rally at Shahbagh after the verdict.Freedom fighter Zahir Uddin Jalal, also known as Bichchu Jalal, said, "It has been proved through today's (Thursday) verdict that Nizami is a rapist, killer and an agent of Pakistan."Attorney General Mahbubey Alam in his instant reaction expressed his satisfaction over the verdict saying the copy of the full verdict of the review petition will now be sent to the prison authorities, who later would read it out to Nizami. "Nizami can file a mercy petition with President Md Abdul Hamid admitting the crimes," he added.He also said the government will decide about Nizami's execution. "His role behind the killings of intellectuals is known to all. Al-Badr cadres killed the 'golden sons' of our soil at his instigation, incitement and order," said the Attorney General. Sanaul Haque, senior coordinator of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) investigation agency said he was the driving force behind the Razakar and Al-Badr. "He was behind many killings. The families of the victims will be satisfied now," he added. Senior prosecutor Barrister Tureen Afroz termed the verdict as the victory for truth, while her colleague Zead-al Malum said this judgment has met the expectation of the justice-seekers and family members of the martyrs.Meanwhile, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, chief counsel for the convicted war criminal, declined to make any statement about the verdict, saying the time will review the judgment."Whether he (Nizami) will file clemency plea or not, is completely his decision," said the senior lawyer.The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on October 29, 2014 sentenced the former chief of Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS), then student wing of Jamaat, who later was sworn in as the supreme commander of infamous Al-Badr, as it found him guilty in eight charges out of the total 16.On November 23, 2014, Nizami filed an appeal, seeking acquittal of the charges on 168 grounds.On January 6, a four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, upheld the death sentence of the Jamaat Ameer. The Appellate Division upheld the ICT-1 order sentencing Nizami to death for the wartime crimes, including genocide and murder of intellectuals. The Apex Court after holding hearing on the matter upheld his death on three charges, including masterminding the killings of intellectuals at the fag end of War of Liberation, aimed at making the country brainless.The court also upheld death for the Badr leader for killings of around 450 people in villages Baushgari, Demra and Rupshi under Shathia upazila of Pabna on May 14, 1971. Around 30-40 women were violated by the Pakistani troops and Razakars on that day.Nizami was also sentenced to death for his pivotal role in killings of 52 people including children and women in village Dhulauri on November 27, 1971.The SC upheld his life term imprisonment for two charges, out of four in connection with the arrest, detention, torture, and murder of three people, including headmaster Maulana Kasim Uddin of Pabna Zila School on June 4, 1971, complicity in torture, murder and rape at Mohammadpur Physical Training Institute in Dhaka, and murder of Badi, Rumi Jewel and Azad at Old MP Hostel in Dhaka on August 30, 1971. The Appellate Division acquitted the Jamaat leader of two other charges. On October 29, 2014, the ICT-1 sentenced Nizami to death for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. On March 29, 2016, the Jamaat leader filed a plea, seeking review of the Appellate Division judgment. The Apex Court concluded holding hearing on the matter on May 3 and set today for pronouncing verdict.Nizami was shown arrested under ICT act on August 2, 2010. On May 28, 2012, the ICT-1 indicted Nizami of 16 specific charges of crimes against humanity.Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami called hartal on May 8 protesting the verdict of the Supreme Court.Earlier on March 15, the ICT issued a death warrant for Nizami for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971 after the apex court released the full text of its verdict upholding his death penalty.1. Death upheld on 3 charges: His involvement in killing of 450 people at Bausgari and Demra in Pabna on May 14, 1971 and violation of 32 women by Pak troops and Razakars on the same day; murdering of three people at Dhulaura of the district; and for killing intellectuals.2. Life imprisonment upheld in 2 charges: For killing Sohrab Ali, and freedom fighters Rumi, Bodi, Jewel and Azad.3. Acquitted in 3 charges: Killing 11 and rape of 3 in Karmja, which he was originally given death sentence, and two others: torture and killing at Mohammadpur Physical Training Centre and killing of Kasim Uddin, in which he got life imprisonment for each.
Tension runs high

4th phase of UP polls begin tomorrow amid fear of massive violence

Sagar Biswas :

Tension runs high among general people fearing massive violence as fourth phase election to the country's 743 union parishads is going to be held on Saturday apparently without taking extra precautionary measures by the Election Commission.

In most areas, the Awami League-backed candidates and rebel contenders of the same party are now face-to-face centering the polls, which has already deteriorated law and order situation in several localities.

Like the previous phases, 33 Awami League nominated candidates have won in the fourth phase without any contest and before the balloting started, EC sources said.

According to reports received in Dhaka on Thursday, over 500 polling centres in different unions, including all 106 centres of 11 unions under Sadullapur upazila in Gaibandha district, have been declared 'risky' by the local administration.

The situation in Gaibandha is so deteriorating that, out of 106 'risky' centres, 90 centres have been marked 'highly risky'.

In Dinajpur district, about 48 centres out of 75 under Parbatipur upazila have been declared 'risky'. The law enforcement agencies were paying extra attention to Belaichandi, Chandipur, Mommthpur, Mominpur, Mostafapur and Harirampur unions apprehending possible violence.

"Seventy-five centres in eight unions are very important. We have marked 48 centres of six unions highly risky," Mahmudul Alam, Officer-in-Charge of Parbatipur Model Police Station, said yesterday.

Expressing disappointment, Upazila Nirbahi Officer [UNO] of Parbatipur upazila Tarafdar Mahmudur Rahman said, "We have urged the EC to appoint 10 executive magistrates to conduct the polls smoothly. The EC ensured only four magistrates."

The criminals stabbed and injured rebel candidate of Awami League Rabiul Islam at Palashbaria union under Mohammadpur upazila in Magura district yesterday noon. He was admitted to upazila health complex with critical head injury.

In another incident, the criminals hacked to death one Abul Kalam, a supporter of independent chairman candidate Assaduzzaman Jamal Mollah at Sahebrampur union parishad Kalkini upazila in Madaripur district on Wednesday.

"Some unidentified persons hacked him to death when Kalam came out of his house. He was rushed to Kalkini upazila health complex where on duty doctor declared him dead," Officer-in-Charge of Kalkini police station Kripa Sindhu Bala said.

At least 10 people, including police officials, were injured when supporters of two chairmen candidates in Jamalpur's Bakshiganj upazila were locked in a fierce clash on Tuesday night in Jamalpur district.

The situation is almost same in other unions also where supporters of rival candidates are flexing muscles to maintain supremacy in the area and occupy the polling centres.

Meanwhile, the election campaign ended on Thursday midnight in line with the electoral code.

EC Secretary Sirajul Islam said, "We've taken all sorts of preparations to hold free and fair elections. Already, the EC has sent necessary materials, including 5 crore ballot papers, to different district election offices. The law enforcement agencies have assured us about taking stringent measures against unlawful activities."

About 3,245 contenders of different political parties will fight in tomorrow's election. Of them, Awami League has fielded its candidates in 691 unions, BNP in 619, JSD in 42 and Islami Andolon Bangladesh in 154. As per schedule announced by the EC, elections will be held at 714 UPs on May 28 in the fifth phase and the last leg of polls to be held at 660 councils on June 4.

Earlier, the first phase of the election was held to 739 UPs on March 22, second phase to 643 UPs on March 31 and third phase elections to 685 UPs on April 23.


16th amendment illegal: HC

It's contrary to the provisions for freedom of judiciary

The High Court on Thursday declared the 16th amendment to the Constitution establishing Parliament's power to remove the Supreme Court judges illegal and contradictory to the national charter.A three-member special HC bench, headed by Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, passed the order following a writ petition. The two other judges of the bench were Justice Dr Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal. Earlier on March 10, the HC fixed to pass its order on the writ petition filed challenging the legality of the much-talked-about 16th amendment. In its order, the court said the amendment is contrary to the provisions enshrined in the Constitution for the freedom of the judiciary.It said the provision to remove judges by parliament is an accident in the history although the law exists in several countries of the world. In most of the Commonwealth countries, judges are not removed by parliaments.Noting that parliament members cannot go against the party decision as per the section 70 of the Constitution and they have to vote in favour of the party even if they do not approve of the matter, the court said judges will have to wait for MPs' mercy if the 16th amendment remains in force.Meanwhile, Law Minister Anisul Huq and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the state will appeal against the HC order. While delivering statement in Parliament under section 300 of the rules of procedure following harsh criticism by some MPs over the HC's verdict, Anisul said, "They (HC) termed it (the 16th amendment) illegal, but it is not illegal at all... it (today's judgment) is not maintainable." "As we believe in the freedom of judiciary, we'll follow legal process and will lodge appeal with the Appellate Division. No conspiracy against the democracy will be tolerated," he said.The minister said nobody opposed the 16th amendment to the Constitution when it was passed in Parliament in September, 2014 just to restore the provision which had been in the 1972 Constitution. The amendment was brought aiming to ensure the dignity of the judges and freedom of the judiciary.Earlier, Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam and Kazi Firoz Rashid and Jasod MP Mainuddin Khan Badal harshly lambasted the HC's verdict and demanded the statement of the Law Minister under the section 300 in this regard. The Attorney General said, "We're aggrieved at the verdict. We'll file appeal with the Chamber court on Sunday seeking a stay of the judgment. We can directly file the appeal as the High Court in its order gave us the certificate for appeal." On September 17, 2014, the Jatiya Sangsad passed the 'Constitution (16th Amendment) Bill, 2014' without any opposition, empowering Parliament to impeach judges of the Supreme Court due to their incapacity or misconduct. Nine Supreme Court lawyers filed the writ petition with the High Court on November 5, 2014, praying to consider the 16th Amendment as illegal and unconstitutional. The petition also sought an order staying the operation of the 16th Amendment and also against enacting any law in a bid to remove the Supreme Court judges, as per this amendment, until disposal of the rule.After primary hearing, the HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal issued a rule asking the government to explain why the amendment should not be declared illegal and contrary to the constitution, and cancelled. The hearing on the rule began on May 21 last year. Four eminent lawyers-Dr Kamal Hossain, Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam, Barrister Rokon Uddin Mahmud and Barrister Ajmalul Hossain QC made their depositions to the court as amici curiae. In their observations, Dr Kamal Hossain and Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam said there can be no law to remove judges unless there is a law to recruit judges.Dr Kamal Hossain had also said the judiciary will be left in a fragile condition through the 16th amendment.Echoing the eminent lawyer, the court said the Chief Justice-led Supreme Judicial Council is the best way to remove judges. As the 16th amendment is contrary to the basic structure and power segregation principle of the Constitution, so it is declared illegal and cancelled, the court said in its ruling.Meanwhile, the Cabinet on April 26 approved the draft of 'The Supreme Court Judges (Investigation) Bill, 2016', having provisions to investigate the allegations of 'misconduct' by the judges of the High Court and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, and their impeachment by parliament.
Rupali Bank branch robbed again



CHEQUE forgery and stealing money from Sonaimuri branch of Rupali Bank in Noakhali showed once again how insecure is our banking system and particularly the deposits with state-owned commercial banks. The New Nation on Thursday reported disappearance of a bank client's deposit money from his account on Wednesday. The man said he had Tk 45 lakhs in his account but bank officials said there is only Tk 50,000 in his account. As the news spread to others over 200 clients gathered in front of the branch and demonstrated to know the situation with their bank account.

Rumours high on the air that over Tk 50 crore has been siphoned by branch officials, but Rupali Bank has ruled out it saying saving deposits in the branch stood at over Tk 11 crore, so there is no chance of a huge theft. The bank said it is probing a charge against stealing of Tk 1.15 crore by former branch manager to make things clear.

Stealing money from banks is not anything new now as most bank officials believe it is their family money. Only recently an officer of the main city branch of Janata Bank was apprehended for stealing over Tk 1.80 crore from the vault and part of the money was also recovered from his home. In fact these are small amount in comparison to big money laundering from Sonali Bank, which lost over Tk 10,000 crore from 2011 as per a report. Stealing of over Tk 4500 crore using different loan accounts from BASIC Bank is yet another story that showed state-owned banks' money is open to anybody having close connection with the ruling party men. Agrani Bank also reported huge money laundering under the cover of project loans. Earlier Bangladesh Agriculture Bank and Rajshahi Agriculture Bank also lost huge capital to swindlers and of late hackers' even did not spare Bangladesh Bank's deposit.

The Sonaimuri branch incident makes no significant news and yet we must say it must work as eye opener to the respective bank management and the regulators of the banking sector at the top as to how to protect the banking and financial sector from predators' hands. As it appears big thieves are escaping punishment under an impunity culture to encourage more stealing in bulk and in small amount.

Politics is so closely interlinked with corruption that it is impossible for us to seek remedy. But it should be collective responsibility to protect public money being plundered unchecked. It is shocking.
US way of fighting terrorism is wrong and not winning

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal now on a visit to Dhaka has offered to work together on countering terrorism and violent extremism before they take root here. Her quick visit in the wake of the brutal killing of Xulhaz Mannan who was a USAID official and former US Embassy staff showed the US government anxiety for the series of killing and the government's inability to contain.

Knowing how American bomb droppings killed more innocent men, women and children making the terrorists to be more powerful and more widespread. We are not sure how constructive Ms Biswal's advice to our government will be. It is not certainly hopeful for us to know that the US will be fighting terrorism together with our government when our terrorism is more expressions of our internal politics. We do not want to be part of international terrorism.

Only a handful of persons staying in the USA and using American aircrafts carried out the devastating attacks notoriously known as 9/11 attacks in New York claimed lives of nearly three thousand people. Since in the war on terrorism many more thousand lost their lives, still there is no sign of ending.

It remains a mystery how Osama bin Laden could organise such air attacks in New York, who was killed hiding in Pakistan as pathetically a lone figure. But President Bush declared war to fight Islamist terrorism. Occupied Iraq and Afghanistan within hours by a show of US massive military power.

The US government should have learned that it is the political extremism that has promoted religious extremism. The politically motivated war against extremism resorted to by the US military in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere made the innocent Muslim victims angry and offered ample opportunity to Islamist terrorists to motivate more recruits.

The vengeful campaign of barbaric brutalities against the Muslims on mere suspicion has been the reality of American foreign policy since the air attacks on twin-towers in New York in 2001.

The Bush Government considered revenge must be taken on the Muslims with no hold bar cruelty. In Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and other places torture camps were set up to keep the people detained for indefinite period. Muslims were arrested to be sent to other countries to subject them to inhuman suffering. This was rendition. They just disappeared and were not allowed to contact their family members.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan killed thousands of people, countless families disintegrated and many became shelterless. Innocent Muslims are still dying in large numbers nearly everyday in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Use of the mighty military power of the USA and heartless brutality exacted indiscriminately to punish the Muslims for the attacks in New York have not stopped terrorism. Rather they have become more extensive and more brutal.

This much we can say that it has been proved that the US way of confronting terrorists militarily alone has only made terrorism worldwide crisis.

The real American way of fighting terrorism should have been strengthening democracy side by side carrying out targeted military operations. The democratic countries could have been the bulwark against terrorism. But America wanted to win terrorism with superior military power and failed. Terrorism is spreading in Western countries also.

President Obama and many others in the West emphasised on the importance of empowering people through democracy to fight terrorism but the fact of dependence on fire power dominated the US strategy to fight terrorism. Killing against killing has to be well targeted avoiding scrupulously the innocent ones. But innocent ones are being killed by both side in this war against terrorism.

In Bangladesh also what we find is that the government's use of heavy police power while eliminating democracy has resulted in more acts of terrorism. The people are isolated from the government and the government also does not believe in the power of democracy to defeat terrorism. What has followed is more police power and more sensational killings in Bangladesh.

In our view serious terrorist outfits are not to be found in Bangladesh. Due to lack of good governance there are young ones who are desperately angry and expressing their anger through violence.

Answer to our kind of terrorism is not police power but to stop the power struggle of intolerant politics. There is the need for the politics of accommodation as is possible by making democracy functional. But the government is advised by its advisers that one- party strong government is the best way. The country is being divided between pro-liberation and anti-liberation forces.

Thus the talk is force and not peace and political stability.
10 shows to watch out for this summer

Traditionally, summer TV was a season dominated by endless reruns and the occasional Battle of the Network Stars special. But today, with 24/7 cable, Netflix, the internet and a whole world of media streaming right at our fingertips, television networks cant afford to rest on their laurels for three months out of the year. Hence, we have a whole slew of potentially interesting shows premiering this summer. Lets see what awaits us in 2016.

Preacher, AMCThe popular Vertigo comic book about a small town Texas preacher possessed by the unnatural offspring of an angel and a demon comes to AMC with Dominic Cooper (Howard Stark in Marvels various movie and TV franchises) in the title role. (May 22 )

Roots,A&EAlex Haleys best-selling novel about slavery in America (adapted into a justifiably famous miniseries in 1977) gets a slightly more contemporary perspective with Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anika Noni Rose, Mekhi Phifer, James Purefoy and Laurence Fishburne. (May 30 )

Maya & Marty, NBCMaya Rudolph and Martin Short host this umpteenth attempt to revive the old variety show format. (May 31)

Outcast, CinemaxThis horror drama about demonic possession is based on the comic book by Robert Kirkman, who penned another little funnybook called The Walking Dead. (June 3 )

Animal Kingdom, TNTTNT turns the 2010 Australian crime drama starring Jacki Weaver, Joel Edgerton and Guy Pearce into a weekly series. Ellen Barkin takes over for Jackie Weaver as the mad mama behind a rural crime family. (June 7 )

BrainDead, CBSMary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) stars in this goofy political comedy about Washington, D.C. politicians who have been taken over by brain-eating aliens. Sounds far too realistic to succeed. (June 13)

Uncle Buck, ABCABC finally takes the wrapper off this long-on-the shelf adaptation of the 1989 movie of the same name. Mike Epps takes over for John Candy as the wacky relativeprobably because he was so great taking over for Art Carney in that smash-hit 2005 remake The Honeymooners. (June 14)

American Gothic, CBSScandal-wracked author James Frey (A Million Little Pieces) is one of the creative forces behind this murder mystery drama that spans several generations of a Boston family. (June 22)

Stranger Things, NetflixWinona Ryder and Matthew Modine headline this 80s-set drama about a young boy in rural Indiana who disappears into thin air. (July 15 )

Vice Principals, HBODanny McBride (Eastbound & Down) is the creator and star of this raunchy comedy about high school administrators. (July 17)
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.
Not looking to start any arguments, but interested in opinions. I've been using the Panasonic GX8 recently and have discoveredbig surprise to methat I'm actually a huge fan of Panasonic lenses.

Micro 4/3 wins the war when it comes to lens sizea whole kit is lovely and compact, easily portable. For all the popularity of Sony's A7 cameras, some of the new lenses are monsters and a kit doesn't really look to offer much "schlepping" advantage over full-frame DSLRs. The Panasonic 1235mm /2.8 has been thoroughly overshadowed by Olympus's better-on-paper variant of the same idea, but the 1235mm is a truly fine lens by all the measures I personally care about. Just a really great all-rounder that scores highly in every way, from its lovely image quality to focal-length flexibility to its constant maximum aperture to size, weight, and operability. If I shot Micro 4/3 you'd have to use a crowbar to pry that lens out of my hands.

Love it.

If I were going to build a lens kit in the Panasonic lineup, I'd choose four: the 20mm /1.7 II, ; the aforementioned 1235mm /2.8; the "King of Bokeh" 42.5mm /1.7; and the 35100mm long zoom, which would be useful in the landscape I currently live in but which I know only by reputation. That would cover all the bases for me.

And that whole kit weighs in at a grand total of 31.12 ounces (882 grams).

Compare that to just the new single normal zoom for the A7 cameras, the Sony FE 2470mm /2.8 GM, and you can see where the real advantage of Micro 4/3 over FF lies:

Entire 4-lens Panasonic kit: 882 grams

Single Sony FE zoom: 886 grams

This is not to say there aren't still excellent reasons for going with Sony's full-frame mirrorless offerings, but there's going to be a bit of a portability hit. (Somehow, though, I don't see anyone choosing Sony FE quite yet, much less Sony APS-C E-mount, as the best lens line.)

Here's a size comparison between the Canon D80 and the marvelous EF 2470mm /2.8L II and the Panasonic GX8 with its 1235mm (2470mm angle of view equivalent) /2.8. Graphic courtesy CameraSize.com.

Or is it Nikon or Canon? When I wrote a magnum opus magazine article called "The EOS Revolution" for Camera & Darkroom magazine in 1991 or so, Canon was flying high as an innovator. Now, it has the reputation of being complacent and hidebound, a broody hen sitting on its eggs. (That's probably just that "don't mess with success" phase that corporations go through when they insist that the handwriting on the wall isn't actually on the wall.) But its lens lineup is huge and has many high points, including what might be the prettiest normal zoom optically of any, the EF 2470mm /2.8L II. Beautiful lens, and it's hardly Canon's only great one. So does Canon get your nod?

The Leica M-mount has as many fun options as Micro 4/3 and likely more, depending on what you count. Of course, many of the tastier of those options have a very high price barlike a big bouncer at the club door who won't let anyone in. And they lack certain features the market cares for, like, well, that little alleged convenience called "autofocus." Still, I can see Leica M lenses winning the palm for the right person.

I suppose I voted with my wallet when I bought the Fuji X-T1 review sample and 23mm /1.4 lens two years ago. Fuji's lens line just makes great sense for me. Although so far my investment has laggedI now own the 23mm and only one additional lens, the XF 14mm /2.8. The other day Ctein, Moose and I were discussing the Olympus 12mm /2 that Ctein still doesn't like very much, which allowed me to sing the praises of the XF 14mm. Yeah, I know they make a two-stops faster 16mm, but in my view the 14mm is one of the reasons to shoot Fuji in the first place. (Thanks again to Stephen Scharf, who originally recommended it to me.)

But I still haven't plunked down for the 56mm I need or the longer tele zoom I think might be useful for the hills and lakes of Western New York. (It's the only place I've lived where I consistently see small pictures that are far away!) I suspect my commitment to Fuji might be...weak. Too many good alternatives out there I guess. Or maybe it's a knee-jerk frugality that makes me balk at the combined expense.

But what do you think? All things considered, what gets your vote (even if it's not what you shoot with)?

Mike

Original contents copyright 2016 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

TOP's links!

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)

Featured Comments from:

Frank Grygier: "Despite a recent dalliance with a Sony A6000 I have been a dedicated Micro 4/3 user. I happen to have all the lenses that you listed except my 42.5mm is of the /1.2 Nocton variety. I also have many of the Olympus prime lenses. I do find myself gravitating toward the Panny lenses lately and travel mostly with the two zooms you mention. I also pick up the Panny GX8 over the E-M1. I continue to struggle with the selection of Sony lenses for the A6000 and will probably stay with Micro 4/3 because of portability and the investment I have made in the system."

Tom Hassler (partial comment): "...I'm going to cast my vote for the Zeiss Batis line for the Sony FE mount...."

[Please see the Comments Section for the full text of "Featured" comments, where Tom makes some good points about plastics. The Featured Comments are just meant to be samplings of the Comments for people who only have time to read a few. Ed.]

Craig (partial comment): "I strongly dislike the MIcro 4/3 lens lineups from both Olympus and Panasonic because they seem to have decided that since software can correct for geometrical distortion, there's no need for the lenses to do it. Raw files from most of these lens show really bad distortion. While software can straighten the images out, this unavoidably reduces sharpness toward the corners."

Technical Editor Ctein replies: I have to disagree that raw files from most Micro 4/3 lenses show really bad distortion. Apropos the email conversation Mike and I have been having, I've been looking at a lot of uncorrected distortion figures (because it's the fastest way for me to filter out a whole bunch of unacceptable candidates). Some Micro 4/3 lenses have unacceptable levels of geometric distortion. Most don't. I think you're running into sample biasthe focal lengths that you're interested in don't have good performers.

Note that correcting modest amounts of barrel distortion in software (under ~2%) produces no visible degradation in edge/corner image quality at all. It's an entirely useful tool for designers. It's when you correct large amounts in software that you screw things up, because the degradation goes up with the square or cube of the distortion (not sure whichhaven't played with the maths).

Numbers up over 5% are very, very bad, and if you're looking for something in the 24mm-equivalent range in Micro 4/3, you're pretty well out of luck. (I also looked at the various APS-C options. No joy there, either.) Nothing is particularly better than my much-maligned Olympus 12mm, and some are worse. So, no alternative for me, yet (there might be a new Leica 12mm lens coming down the pike, but I ain't getting my hopes up).

But...looking at the same vaguely equivalent-focal-length for the Fuji X cameras, every single lens also has unacceptable levels of distortion. There's nothing in that regard that makes them superior to the Micro 4/3 line.

Except...

The 14mm (21mm-equivalent) Fujinon XF /2.8 has insignificant distortion0.4%. That's ridiculously good for any ultrawide in any format. It's the sole exception to the pattern. So, what did the designers sacrifice to get that good distortion correction? Vignetting is serioussomething like 2.5 stops wide open. That's not a good number. But you can deal with that.

UPDATE: Ctein amends: I have just become aware that DxO and Photozone (where I usually go for lens tests) do the math differently when calculating distortion. Both sites have good and reliable data, but DxO's distortion numbers are precisely half of Photozone's. So...

When I said under 2% distortion's okay and over 5%'s trouble, those are Photozone numbers. Divide by 2 (i.e., under 1% and over 2.5%) if you're looking at DxO's reports.

It's never simple, sigh.

Ryan Cousineau (partial comment): "A very brief, self-deceiving bid for Pentax, as the best value in lenses. The Micro 4/3 stuff is smaller (and the best stuff is very good), and Canikon do Canikon surpassingly well, but if you're a cheapskate like me, the 'obsolete' 50mm /1.4 from Pentax is still the best value around, and you can find fantastic old lenses for no money at all...."

Ken: "What's the Best Lens Line? Well, that depends on what you shoot, doesn't it? For wildlife, which is my primary interest, I am not aware of any line that tops the Nikon and Canon telephotos."

Jeff: "Well, since the 'best' camera is the Leica S, a lot of its appeal comes from the equally superb S lenses. Not small, and perhaps not the state of the art AF, but all have outstanding IQ and weather sealing, and are pretty, too, on that camera. The weakness is that there aren't enough of them...only 24mm to 180mm (equivalent 19144 in 35mm terms), and no wide tilt/shift. Oh, and they're expensive."

Stephen Scharf: "I have the Olympus OM-D E-M1 (terrific camera) and some of the Olympus primes for it, but the two lenses that go with me everywhere with that kit are that sweet, sweet Panny 1235mm /2.8 and 35100mm /2.8. I love 'em. I can fit the entire kit into a small ThinkTank Mirrorless Mover 20 bag, and it is small (8.9 W x 6.1 H x 4.5 D), compact and light, so the entire kit is highly schlepp-able. A truly superb and very versatile kit for travel with literally pro level quality.

"My heart really belongs to Fuji X, though. I know you don't use or have shot with the 1855mm /2.84 zoom, but it is a really good pro-level zoom (David Allen Harvey of National Geographic says is it the first zoom he has ever liked), plus I love, love, love the Fuji 14mm. X-T1, 1855mm, and the fabulous Fuji Fourteen and color me done...."

sneye: "To me Micro 4/3 strikes the best compromise between size, optical quality and equivalent speed. It has a vast collection of native lenses to choose from. I currently own an Olympus 12mm, a Voigtlander 17.5mm and a Panasonic 25mm (among othersI'm embarrassed to mention them all. Anyway, those three see the most use). Each has its own drawing style.

"That said, Fuji's selection of primes looks excellent too. I only wish they made some more /2 lenses like the new 35mm. A maximum aperture of /1.4 seems a bit over the top these days. Pentax offers a few unique small primes I must try one day. Leica? Of course. I keep admiring the subtle transitions which characterize those jewels, but owning one is way beyond my means."

David (partial comment): "Canon lenses are excellent and they have a fantastic array from which to chose. I've used a huge selection of their lenses over the years and they can always be relied upon. The latest 2470mm is really an amazing performer. Many photographers I know have ditched primes in its favor."

hugh crawford: "Re 'For all the popularity of Sony's A7 cameras, some of the new lenses are monsters': Putting on my pedantic hat:) It's simple math. For a given size Micro 4/3 camera or lens, to scale it up to full frame it will be twice as long and have eight times the bulk and weight. The Sony A7 weighs 27.1 oz. with batteries and the kit lens. The Panasonic G7 weighs 19.1 oz. with batteries and its kit lens, but if it were as compact as the Sony A7 it would weigh less than 3.5 oz. So the real question is, why are Micro 4/3 cameras so darn big?

"By the way, did you know that the Crown Graphic is one of the most compact cameras ever? If it was as compact as a Minox it would be 40 inches wide and weigh around 400 pounds, and if a Minox was as compact as a Crown Graphic it would be smaller than a dime and weigh about as much as a cornflake. Back on topic, the Zeiss/Sony 55mm /1.8 may be my favorite lens ever. It's certainly the sharpest lens I've ever used."

Peter Filtness: "Best lens line (and value) for me...Canon FD series. Lasted 20 years+ on a Canon F1/F1n and still going strong on my Sony A7. But you gotta love that manual focus ring...."
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Rain will be heavy at times. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High around 75F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 49F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
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! ! !

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.
Conventional movie wisdom would suggest that there can only be diminishing returns with long-running franchises. There must be a breaking point, right? Especially at movie four, five, six and beyond. There are exceptions, sure, but even the painstakingly plotted Marvel films have had low points.

And yet in the ashes of "Avengers: Age of Ultron," the brain trust behind Marvel Studios and directors Joe and Anthony Russo have built what is easily one of the strongest films of their so-called cinematic universe with "Captain America: Civil War," an engaging, lively and just flat out fun use of the characters we've gotten to know across the last eight years and 12 films.

As our interest waned in the prospect of yet another supervillain threatening to destroy an entire city or planet, Marvel smartly pivoted and turned the conflict inward. With the near inevitability of a civilian death toll any time the Avengers are involved in an incident, the UN steps in with an accord proposing regulation and oversight. Essentially now, the Avengers need permission before they jump into action.

Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) is for it. Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) is against it. And the rest of the Avengers must decide where they side, leading to some interesting alliances  like Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) going against her pal Cap, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) positioning against his friend Black Widow, and so on.

Some of it is rather silly, especially the villain Zemo, whose somewhat nonsense plan leaves a lot to chance and coincidence. Daniel Bruhl, as always, is great in the role, but still little more than a plot device  as though the screenwriters thought that it would be too dark for the good guys to fracture without a push from a manipulative outsider.

The good news is that this Avengers movie in disguise keeps everything rather intimate for a superhero movie. There are only so many times these films can get away with scenes of massive destruction  the thrill (and horror) of the spectacle starts to dull. In "Civil War" the combat is mostly hand-to-hand, the stakes are personal, and the set pieces small. The showdown of the superhero teams is confined to an airport runway, for instance.

That airport sequence, by the way, is exceptionally entertaining. It's both witty and visually engaging and worth the price of admission. Cap, Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Hawkeye, Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) face off against Iron Man, Black Widow, War Machine (Don Cheadle), Vision (Paul Bettany) and the two newbies, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman).

It's also hard not to be a little cynical about the obvious corporate machinations of "Civil War," like the introduction of Spider-Man and Black Panther  two characters who we already know are getting their own movies. Every moment with them feels like a trailer, and like the best trailers, we see only the finest stuff. "Civil War" dares you to not be won over by Holland's youthful comedic charm and Boseman's depth as the stoic prince in the killer suit.

We also can conjecture, for instance, that Spider-Man doesn't ultimately have much of an impact on the plot because the actual Spider-Man movie will eventually come from Sony, not Disney. Does any of this really matter if the movies are good? No, of course not. We just know too much about the roadmap to make any of it seem spontaneous, surprising and organic. Characters can't just break out from the pack on their own merits. If they could, Marvel probably would have resurrected the idea for a Black Widow movie by now.

The thing is, Marvel makes it funny, and that charm and care is what has and will keep audiences coming back over and over again.

"Captain America: Civil War," a Walt Disney Studios release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for "extended sequences of violence, action and mayhem." Running time: 147 minutes. Three stars out of four.
ENERGY  Energy Baptist Church kicked off its National Day of Prayer on Tuesday night, sending up special prayers for its youth as that church has seen an increase in the number of young people coming inside its doors.

Today, Thursday, is recognized as National Day of Prayer, its 65th anniversary. The day was first initiated as a bill in 1952, with the first National Day of Prayer observance coming in 1983. This year's theme is "Wake Up America," influenced by Bible scripture Isaiah 58:1a.

In some areas, a special prayer written by the 2016 honorary chairman  pastor, author and Dallas Mavericks' chaplain Tony Evans  is scheduled to be read at noon.

We thought we'd see what's on the minds of a handful of our religious leaders in the region.

Here's what a few had to say:

 Rev. John Yeo, pastor, Energy Baptist Church

We have a special emphasis right now to be praying for the children, especially graduating high schoolers, grandchildren, all children. Our children, youth and teenager program has really grown at this church and, of course, any time you have growth, you start seeing more needs of the children.  (Our goal is) to not only pray for them, but to establish a mentoring program for them. Thats been our major emphasis, the first three or four months of this year."

 Rev. James Clardy, pastor of New Hope Community Church, Pinckneyville

I myself will be praying with the staff of the hospital at Pinckneyville (Pinckneyville Community Hospital) and also I will be praying for our country, for its leadership and for the unity of the churches. I also am praying that we have a mutual respect for all lives  I know they have the Black Lives and Blue Lives Matter, and Im praying that we respect every life. Also as a pastor, as a Christian, I would pray that we would spread the love of Christ to our neighbors, and our neighbors are not necessarily the one living next door to us, but whoever we meet and that we share hope and peace with each other.

 Father Gary Gummersheimer, pastor of St. Andrew Catholic Church, Murphysboro

Civility in our government structure. Weve got to stop treating each other like were the worlds greatest enemy and start realizing that we need to work together to make the world in which we live a better place. Let me give you an example (he mentions a 1960 picture of then vice president Richard Nixon, laying in a bed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, visited by Lyndon Baines Johnson, then Senate majority leader, and Sen. Everett McKinley Dirksen, senate minority leader).  There were no three people who were more diametrically opposed in politics than those three, but yet they would put those things aside when it came to doing the work of the people.  We need to recapture that kind of civility, because if we dont, were all going to be up the proverbial tributary without a means of propulsion. Its true whether we look nationally or here in the state of Illinois. That same need for civility exists in both places.
CARBONDALE  During a community forum on violence April 21, more than 175 locals gathered in the Civic Center to suggest actions against violence within the community and the city has offered six suggestions.

"The ad hoc citizens' committee expressed concerns with the increase in violence, noting that since January 20, 2016, seven gun-related incidents have occurred in the city," said Garry Williams, interim city-manager for Carbondale.

At the end of the meeting locals were asked to vote for their top five priorities  out of the 38 suggested  for action against city violence.

On May 1 the city presented six items reflecting the votes.

The initiatives consist of an ordinance for chronic nuisance, additional foot patrols, additional street lighting, plans to develop communication with landlords and property managers, eliminating nuisance, and expanding their outreach to students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

"The city council was encouraged to develop an effective and proactive ordinance that will identify and resolve problems associated with chronic nuisance properties," Williams said.

The council will also be moving to help organizations and agencies assist with youth needs amid conflict.

According to the council Randy Osborn, director of the Boys and Girls Club in Carbondale has volunteered to help lead the effort.

"A joint committee could be instituted to identify community outreach activities that might be useful in fostering positive interaction between residents of the city and SIU students," Williams said.
MARION  Williamson County law enforcement officials said on Thursday that foul play is not suspected in the death of a 22-year-old woman from Murphysboro who was found dead in rural Williamson County six months ago, and they are closing the case.

Jeannie Schuurs body was located on Thanksgiving morning by hunters in the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge. She had been reported missing four days prior, on a Monday, by family members. She had reportedly been last seen the previous Saturday walking away from a friends home.

The determination that foul play was not suspected followed an extensive investigation, according to a joint statement submitted to the newspaper by Williamson County States Attorney Brandon Zanotti, Sheriff Bennie Vick and Coroner Michael Junior Burke.

This determination is corroborated by all witness statements and the autopsy findings, the statement reads. The family of Ms. Schuur has our deepest sympathies for their loss, and our hearts go out to them during this difficult time.

The forensic pathologist previously reported via the Williamson County Coroners Office that Jeannie Schuur died of hypothermia. A toxicology report from her time of death showed that Schuur was legally intoxicated, and was under the influence of drugs, according to the statement.

The interviews conducted by the Williamson County Sheriffs Office correspond with the autopsy and the toxicology, it continues. There was no trauma to the body that could be attributed to the cause of death, nor were there any broken bones.

According to the statement, several unrelated motorists indicate they saw a woman who appeared to be Schuur in the early morning hours of Saturday, Nov. 21. They reported that she was stumbling and falling around the intersection of County Line and San Francisco roads in the western part of the county, near Carbondale.

Schuur had been with friends the prior evening and into the morning hours that Saturday. She left her friends around 5 a.m., and departed on foot and alone, the statement says. It further states that the weather conditions that morning were cold, and it was raining and windy. Temperatures reached below freezing that day, as well as the following day.

Christopher Gallegos, 34, of Gorham, Schuurs older brother, said Williamson County officials met with family members on Wednesday and conveyed similar information as that listed in the news release. But Gallegos said the facts as they were presented by law enforcement dont add up to him, he is not confident in the work of county law enforcement, and is frustrated by the conclusion of the case.

For one, Gallegos said its his understanding that his sister was attempting to walk home from a party at a trailer court near the Williamson and Jackson county line after an altercation with a man he described as an on-again, off-again boyfriend of Schuurs. Gallegos said he was previously told by a Williamson County investigator that she was hit in the head during the altercation, and thats why she was leaving the gathering.

But officials told the family on Wednesday the autopsy showed that no trauma to the body could be attributed to her cause of death, Gallegos said.

He said officials told him they believed that Schuur was likely suffering the effects of hypothermia when she was observed stumbling and falling by motorists. Gallegos said that he questions whether that would be the case, but even if it was, hes confused as to how she would have been able to walk several more miles east  the opposite direction of her home in Murphysboro  and into the woods where she was discovered deceased five days after she reportedly walked off.

Thats the wrong way, he said. "Thats not even remotely close.

Gallegos noted that the autopsy was performed on behalf of the Williamson County Coroners Office by Dr. James Jacobi, a forensic pathologist located in Bedford, Indiana, who contracts with various coroners' offices in Southern Illinois. Because Jacobi was at the center of a controversy surrounding the high-profile investigation into the Feb. 18, 2014, death of Pravin Varughese, whose cause of death also was determined to be hypothermia by Jacobi, Gallegos said hes further suspicious about the outcome of the case.

Varughese, who was a 19-year-old SIU student, was found in a wooded area behind Buffalo Wild Wings. In that case, Varugheses family commissioned an independent autopsy, and Dr. Ben Margolis of Chicago indicated in his report that blunt force trauma to the head contributed to Varugheses death. No criminal charges were ever filed in the case involving Varughese. A state's attorney appellate prosecutor is reviewing Varugheses case, and is expected to soon release his report.

Zanotti did not respond to a message seeking further clarification about facts surrounding Shuurs case. The release does not state whether the motorists who observed Schuur stumbling and falling contacted law enforcement to assist her, which drug or drugs were found in her system, or how far they believe Shuur walked, and why she headed out in the opposite direction of her home.

The joint release stated no further comment would be released at this time.

Gallegos said he misses his sister every day. She loved hair and nails, and talked about going to cosmetology school, he said. She had worked at various times as a waitress in Carbondale. He described her as sweet, fun and outgoing  a friend to many. Over 300 people went to her funeral, he said. Everybody loved her.
SPRINGFIELD  A group of Republican lawmakers attempted to turn up the election-year heat Thursday on the state's chief fiscal monitor, demanding that Auditor General Frank Mautino answer questions about his campaign spending as a legislator.

First-term Rep. Grant Wehrli of Naperville, who faces a Democratic challenger in November, said at a state Capitol news conference that he and 19 colleagues sought answers Thursday in their third recent letter to Mautino that read, "The people of Illinois are tired of the many corruption scandals they've had to endure in recent years."

Mautino was a Democratic deputy majority leader in the House for 24 years before the Legislature, controlled by Democrats, appointed him to a 10-year term last fall as auditor general. The Spring Valley politician replaced the retiring William Holland to examine state government spending and compliance with rules and regulations.

Early this year, a citizen group called the Edgar County Watchdogs, the Springfield-based newspaper Illinois Times and the watchdog Better Government Association reported seemingly exorbitant spending by the Mautino campaign, including $214,000 on gas and repairs at a single Spring Valley service station owned by a city alderman. And the campaign paid $274,000 to a local bank beginning in 1999, including $94,000 in repayments on a loan for $26,000.

"The auditor general is the fiscal watchdog of the state, and it is imperative that he operates in a highly ethical manner and we demand that he steps forward at this point in time and clear that up," Wehrli said.

Wehrli said the group sent its first letter Feb. 1 seeking answers within 10 days. Mautino asked for more time. The group then asked for a reply by Feb. 25 but has not had one.

"We will review Rep. Wehrli's letter once we receive it and provide a prompt response to him," Mautino said Thursday in a written statement.

Mautino, a popular lawmaker seen as a mediator on tough issues, entered the House in 1991 to fill the vacancy left by the death of his father, Richard. He joined Speaker Michael Madigan's leadership team in 2009 as deputy majority leader.
SPRINGFIELD  Illinois voters will have to wait at least two more years for their chance to weigh in on whether to ditch the state constitutions requirement that all taxpayer be charged the same rate regardless of income.

The House had to take action by Wednesday on a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed the state to institute a graduated income tax structure, but Democratic supports didnt call the bill for a vote because there wasnt enough support to meet the three-majority needed for approval.

Democrats pointed the finger at Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who they say convinced three to five unnamed GOP lawmakers to back off their expressed support for the proposal.

The constitutional amendment had enough votes a day or two ago  no longer does, Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, said. The long arm of Bruce Rauner reached into the House Republican caucus and simply took people off their positions.

Lang sponsored a companion bill to the constitutional amendment that would have cut taxes for more than 99 percent of taxpayers while raising rates on the wealthiest Illinoisans. Supporters projected that the plan would generate an additional $1.9 billion in annual revenue.

The governors office countered that the Democrats have 71 members in the House, the exact number of votes needed to pass the measure, and didnt need Republican support. House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, echoed that sentiment, calling the supporters remarks rather disingenuous.

Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly added in an emailed statement, Its more likely legislators understand, as the Illinois Department of Revenue reported yesterday, that their graduated tax would result in driving thousands of jobs out of Illinois.

The Department of Revenue issued an analysis Tuesday that suggested Langs proposal would have only brought in about $1.76 billion in new revenue while costing thousands of jobs and driving thousands more residents out of the state.

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan but left-leaning group based in Washington, put out a statement Wednesday criticizing the departments analysis for not taking into account the economic positive impact additional revenue generated by the proposal would have.

The type of economic modeling the department used is notoriously difficult  and notoriously manipulable, Matthew Gardner, the groups executive director, said in a written statement. The hallmark of a sensible dynamic analysis is that it acknowledges the positive economic effects of public investments. By this standard, the (departments) analysis fails utterly.

Rep. Christian Mitchell, D-Chicago, who sponsored the constitutional amendment, vowed to continue pushing the idea.

I think its the most important reform we can make for the state of Illinois, Mitchell said. Until we make a reform to our broken tax code, we are not telling the truth to Illinois voters when we say we can deal with the challenges of education and public safety and infrastructure that we have in this state.
SPRINGFIELD  Senate Republicans used the release of long-awaited figures from the Illinois State Board of Education on Wednesday as ammunition for a renewed attack on a Democratic proposal to overhaul the way the state funds public schools.

Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, has been working for several years on legislation that aims to shift more state money to poorer school districts and was waiting for the state board to release a district-by-district analysis of his proposed funding formula before calling it for a vote.

The boards release of the figures did little to change the conversation about the bill at the Capitol.

Taking the lead for his caucus, Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, who has also been heavily involved in discussions about changing the funding formula, said the numbers showed that Manars plan has become a vehicle for a major bailout of the bankrupt Chicago school system.

Thats a criticism Republicans, including Gov. Bruce Rauner, have leveled at the plan all spring.

Under Manars plan, Chicago Public Schools would receive an additional $175 million next year compared with the 2014-15 school year, according to the state board. Under Rauners proposed budget for next year, which would fully fund elementary and secondary education under the existing formula, Chicago would lose $74 million compared with the current school year, according to previous state board projections.

Initial figures released Wednesday showed Chicago gaining even more  $352 million  but didnt take into account an amendment Manar had filed.

A major component of his bill is that the state would begin covering the employers portion of Chicago teachers pensions, which it already does for teachers in the rest of the state. Under the original plan, the city would have also gotten credit for money it spends to pay down unfunded liabilities in its teacher pension plan, a cost the state also picks up for other districts.

The idea was to try to take steps toward greater parity, Manar said.

But hes striking that part of the plan in response to criticism and as a result lowering the amount of new state money the citys schools would receive.

Another major component of Manars plan is a pair of provisions designed to offset the loss of state funding for some districts.

A so-called hold harmless provision was included to ensure that no district would see its general state aid drop in the first year of the new plan. That would cost roughly $200 million dollars and would phase out over four years.

The proposal also includes adequacy grants to help ensure that all districts have enough money to provide an adequate education for students. That would cost an additional $241 million, according to the state board.

The cost of those provisions also prompted criticism from Republicans.

A statement from Barickmans office noted that Manar has yet to provide any sort of a funding source to pay for it.

Democrats say the same is true for Rauners proposal to increase overall funding for elementary and secondary education next year.

Manar said he included those provisions to address concerns with earlier versions of his plan, which would have resulted in wealthier districts losing state funding.

The time to address the funding source is during budgeting process, he said.

Thats where you have that debate, Manar said. This bill changes the direction on how money is spent, regardless of how much or how little is put in the system. How much we put in is a budget debate; its not a debate about how we distribute it.
Russell D. Morris, 36, of Herrin, also known as "Dickie Donald," was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, according to a news release from acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter.

The alleged offense took place Jan. 29 in Williamson County. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in federal court today. The firearm offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Southern Illinois Enforcement Group and Illinois Department of Corrections is continuing to investigate, with the assistance of the Williamson County State's Attorney's Office.

-- The Southern
WASHINGTON  The federal government on Thursday announced sweeping new rules for electronic cigarettes that will for the first time require the devices and their ingredients to be reviewed, a mandate that could offer some protection for consumers and upend a multibillion dollar industry that has gone largely unregulated.

Before brands are allowed to stay in the market, regulators would have to check the design, contents and flavor of the fast-growing devices, which have found a foothold with teenagers.

"Millions of kids are being introduced to nicotine every year, a new generation hooked on a highly addictive chemical" Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said. "We cannot let the enormous progress we've made toward a tobacco-free generation be undermined by products that impact our health and economy in this way."

The rules issued by the Food and Drug Administration would also extend long-standing restrictions on traditional cigarettes to a host of other products, including e-cigarettes, hookah, pipe tobacco and nicotine gels. Minors would be banned from buying the products.

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that turn liquid nicotine into an inhalable vapor. They lack the chemicals and tars of burning tobacco, but the cigarettes have not been extensively studied, and there's no scientific consensus on the risks or advantages of "vaping."

More than 15 percent of high school students report using e-cigarettes, up more than 900 percent over the last five years, according to federal figures.

Beginning in August, retailers will be prohibited from selling the tobacco products to anyone under 18, placing them in vending machines or distributing free samples. While nearly all states already ban sales of e-cigarettes to minors, federal officials said they will be able to impose stiffer penalties and deploy more resources to enforcement.

For now, the nation's estimated 20 million e-cigarette users may not see big changes. Companies have two years to submit their information to the FDA and another year while the agency reviews it. Government officials said this process is critical to taming the "wild west" marketplace for the products.

"Today's action is a huge step forward for consumer protection," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf. "With this rule, the FDA will be able to prevent misleading claims and provide consumers with information to help them better understand the risks of using tobacco products."

The FDA action comes five years after the agency first announced its intent to regulate e-cigarettes and more than two years after it floated its initial proposal.

Public health advocates applauded the decision.

"Ending the tobacco epidemic is more urgent than ever, and can only happen if the FDA acts aggressively and broadly to protect all Americans from all tobacco products," said Harold Wimmer, president of the American Lung Association.

The vaping industry says the lengthy federal reviews would be time-consuming and costly and could put many smaller companies out of business.

The regulations "will cause a modern-day prohibition of products that are recognized worldwide as far less hazardous than cigarettes," said Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association. "If the FDA's rule is not changed by Congress or the courts, thousands of small businesses will close in two to three years."

The agency has stumbled before in its efforts to regulate the products. In 2010, a federal appeals court threw out the agency's plan to treat e-cigarettes as drug-delivery devices rather than tobacco products.

Ray Story, who filed one of the initial lawsuits against the agency, vowed to sue the government again.

"We will come out with a vengeance," said Story, CEO of the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association. "We're certainly not going to allow this industry to get swiped under the rug."

House Republicans are already pushing back. A House spending committee last month approved industry backed legislation that would prohibit the FDA from requiring retroactive safety reviews of e-cigarettes that are already on the market and exempt some premium and large cigars from those same regulations.

The legislation's chief author, Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, called the FDA announcement an example of "nanny-state mentality."

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have long enjoyed a close relationship with the tobacco industry, which has already given more than $1.8 million to members of Congress this election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The FDA first gained authority to regulate some aspects of cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products under a 2009 law. But e-cigarettes and other vaping products were not covered by the original law.

The FDA spent more than two years finalizing its proposal for regulating nontraditional tobacco products, delayed for months by industry resistance.

Some smokers say they use e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking tobacco or to cut down. However, there's not much scientific evidence supporting those claims, though officials said they are working on research.

"In the meantime, we know there are many other proven cessation tools available," Burwell said.

Sales of e-cigarettes and related vaporizers are projected to reach $4.1 billion in 2016, according to the latest figures from Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog. After growing rapidly over several years, sales have recently begun to slow due to negative publicity and questions about safety.

Retail sales are dominated by a handful of traditional tobacco companies, including R.J. Reynold's Vuse and Imperial Tobacco's blu brands. Those products are sold nationwide at convenience stores and gas stations.

Hundreds of smaller companies sell more specialized products  often with refillable "tanks" and customized flavors  at vape shops and over the Internet.

___

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Tom Murphy in Indianapolis contributed to this story.
Alee Quick Local news editor Alee Quick is the local news editor for The Southern. Follow Alee Quick 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

I was 18 the first time I saw Andrew Bird.

I was a couple months away from graduation and a new life in college. I worked at a hair salon across the street from my high school, where I swept hair and worked the cash register in the evenings after school. I had a high school sweetheart I couldnt stand, and was the member of a rather isolating youth group  it was frowned upon to go to rock concerts, especially with boys who werent your boyfriend.

So when I heard Andrew Bird was coming to town, I nabbed two tickets and called a boy friend who wasnt my boyfriend.

At work we always listened to the radio station out of Lindenwood University in St. Louis, and Birds newest album was in heavy rotation that spring.

From what I could tell from the one or two songs Id heard on the radio, his music was dark and layered: violin looped over buzzing, metallic guitar riffs; voices harmonized in a way that was sometimes hard to follow; glockenspiel and whistling invaded the low softness with bright, sharp accents; the lyrics were political, scientific, morbid. It was endlessly exciting for a high school senior first discovering independent music.

From the moment Andrew Bird walked on stage, I was blown away. The music was unlike anything Id heard. His presence was at once somber and goofy  he closed his eyes and waved his hand around like a fuming grandfather in the midst of making a point. He sang songs like he was having a conversation. He looped several tracks of his own playing and singing atop one another to form intricate hooks. Loops were played back through big, horn-shaped speakers  reminiscent of an old phonograph  which spun around and made the music sound haunting and distorted.

Since then, Ive seen Andrew Bird several more times and Ive bought every new album. And that boy who wasnt my boyfriend? Hes one of my best friends now. We even got our first tattoos together just after I finished college. (No regrets.)

A couple weeks ago  almost exactly nine years to the date after that first show  I saw Andrew Bird again in the same venue (with a different friend), and I was overwhelmed with the nostalgia.

I was the high school kid hearing the music for the first time. I was the college student making friends with like-minded fans. I was the heartbroken girl sitting in silence in a car with a boy I knew it wouldnt work out with while an Andrew Bird song drifted softly from the speakers. I was the young professional taking a detour on a business trip to see a sold-out solo performance in a synagogue in San Francisco. I was the 20-something on vacation with old friends, professing our undying friend-love for one another during the encore.

In that hour-long set two weeks ago at The Pageant in St. Louis, I traveled the length of my formative years. It was political, morbid. It was at once dark and bright. It was layered. It was reminiscent of an old phonograph: Turn the crank, and hear yesterdays music murmur from within.
A Eutawville man accused of shooting his dogs has been returned to South Carolina after being apprehended in Arkansas.

Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell stated Michael Havens II was returned Thursday to face two counts of ill treatment of animals.

Arkansas wasnt far enough to get away from our bringing him to justice, the sheriff said. We made certain authorities there knew wed come get him. We appreciate their taking him into custody.

Havens made his first court appearance since the March incident.

Orangeburg County Chief Magistrate Derrick Dash set bond on the two felony charges at $5,000 cash or surety.

Ravenell said Havens was taken into custody following an April 13 traffic stop in Jacksonville, Arkansas.

The sheriff said Havens had been sought since a March 25 incident involving the Knott Drive mans own dogs. OCSO deputies were originally sent to Knott Drive where neighbors said they heard the sound of gunshots and dogs yelping from a residence on their street.

Havens told investigators he shot his dogs due to complaints from neighbors about the animals, according to an incident report. One animal ran off after being shot while another was tied to a tree.

Animal Control was called out to retrieve the animals. The surviving animal was treated for injuries to its mouth and nose area.

Sheriffs Office investigators obtained warrants on Havens a few days later.

However, the day those warrants were obtained against Havens, a relative reported him missing.

Then the week after we obtained warrants on him, hes taken into custody due to our placing his name in NCIC, Ravenell said. This out-of-state apprehension and return has happened several times in the past few months. Mr. Havens was no exception. With the violence of these allegations, a few states werent going to stop us from bringing him back.
Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5 is considering some building repairs for next year, but is not planning on a tax increase to pay for them.

OCSD5 trustees recently met to receive updates from the administration on instruction, finance and human resources.

Deputy Superintendent Donnie Boland reported earlier that he will not be asking for an increase in debt millage, which now stands at 25 mills.

In addition, next years operating budget is not calling for a tax increase.

Instead, Bolands recommending a $175,000 general obligation bond to be repaid in March 2017.

Boland gave trustees a list of suggested maintenance projects to be paid for with the funds.

An estimated total of $125,000 would be spent at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School on fire doors, hardware and electronic controls on 14 hallways; removal of a window unit and installation of an exit door in F-106 hallway; installation of a fire hood over the kitchen in F-106 and installation of safety film on exterior exit doors.

A projected $35,000 would be spent at Clark Middle to replace the front entrance door system and three front door systems in the A-corridor.

A rear exit door on B corridor at the Technology Center will be replaced at an estimated cost of $9,000. A total of $6,000 is set aside for a contingency allowance.

Academics

The district has created a reading plan based on the states Read to Succeed Act. The district plan serves as an umbrella for the schools individual plans. These plans are due on Sept. 1, 2016, and will be implemented during the 2016-17 school year.

OCSD5s reading plan emphasizes the following: clear and measureable student achievement goals; professional learning opportunities for educators and other partners in support of reading and writing; systemic reading and writing assessment; intervention for students who are not proficient in reading comprehension on grade level and a strategic plan to partner with libraries, art organizations, volunteers and social service organizations to promote reading and writing.

In addition, the administration reported that the district is providing quality education for pre-school children through the Child Development Education Program.

To qualify, a child must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2016, and his or her family must meet poverty guidelines set by the federal government. If the number of children who qualify exceeds the number of spaces available, they will be placed on a waiting list at each school.

Special education

Trustees received a report on the districts special education program.

Students are served in various ways, including self-contained and resource classes.

A self-contained classroom is separated from the general education classes and a special education teacher instructs students in all academic subjects.

A resource classroom is a remedial classroom where students with disabilities are given specialized supplementary education for part of the day.

The districts stated goals for the program include: compliance with federal and state guidelines; implementation of an individualized education program for each child with a priority on improved student improvement and ongoing, professional development for the districts leaders and teachers.

The district has also set the goal to reduce the number special education students by 100.

Human resources

The district is in the process of implementing two new internet-based programs for teachers and administrators that provide more efficient means of record keeping and professional development.

Aesop is an automated calling system that will search for qualified substitutes when teachers enter absences online. It also allows administrators to easily track absences, reasons for absences and who is substituting.

My Learning Plan provides for an efficient means of tracking and managing professional development for teachers.

New 10-point grading scale

Trustees also received a report on how the district will educate employees and the community about the states new 10-point grading policy that replaces the current seven-point scale.

Teachers will be notified about the policy before the end of the current school year and students will be given the information in each course syllabus at the beginning of the school year. Parents and the community will get the information in letters sent home with report cards, newsletters, district and school websites and social media.

According to the administration, the plan has both pros and cons.

On the plus side, it puts South Carolina students on the same footing as neighboring states for scholarships and admission to colleges. All neighboring states are already on the 10-point scale.

On the other hand, the change means requirements for scholarship programs, including Life, Palmetto Fellows and the lottery may have to be revamped since more students will qualify for them under the new grading scale. Criteria for school organizations such as the National Honor Society and the Beta Club could also be impacted.
The South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority recently awarded $4.9 million in grants for water, sewer and drainage projects across the state, including for the town of Santee and the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency.

These grant awards allow the RIA to assist communities with resources that are essential to economic vitality and sustainability, said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt, who also serves as chairman of the RIAs board of directors.

Connecting to basic necessities like water, wastewater, drainage systems and other public facilities is critical to setting the table for economic development, Hitt said.

The town of Santee will receive $417,195 for a new Chapel Branch wastewater pump station, according to S.C. Department of Commerce spokeswoman Adrienne R. Fairwell.

The Lake Marion Regional Water Agency will receive $3 million to serve the Dorchester County area. The money is not for a specific project, but to prepare for future projects, Fairwell said.
U.S. Army Major General Stephen M. Twitty, a 1985 graduate of South Carolina State University, has been nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for promotion to the rank of lieutenant general.

Twitty will become the second S.C. State alumnus to be promoted to the three-star rank in the university's Army ROTC program's history.

The late Henry Doctor Jr., a 1954 S.C. State graduate, was the first alumnus to be promoted to the rank while serving on active duty in 1985.

Very few military officers achieve the rank of lieutenant general, Twitty said. S.C. State University taught me that through hard work, dedication and a good education, anything is achievable.

The values that I learned at S.C. State have shaped me into the person that I am today. I am enormously grateful for the many people that I came in contact with while attending the university. There were many from the faculty, administration and my fellow colleagues that had a tremendous impact on my life."

Twitty currently serves as the commanding general of the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

In conjunction with the promotion, the U.S. Army has announced that Twitty will be reassigned and serve as the commanding general of 1st United States Army at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.

Twitty is a native of Chesnee, S.C.

He was selected as a 2004 S.C. State Distinguished Alumni and inducted into the S.C. State Army ROTC Hall of Fame in 2009.

Twitty has served 31 years in the Army, including multiple overseas assignments and five combat tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

He was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the nation's third-highest award for valor, for his gallantry in combat in Iraq in 2003.
With Ted Cruz having dropped out of the 2016 presidential race, there will be a string of eulogies seeking to autopsy his campaign. At least some of those critiques may hit the mark. In particular, Cruzs campaign strategy went awry in three ways.

First, Cruz consciously copied Obamas micro-targeted campaign of voters. He has been repeatedly praised for a campaign that focused on tiny groups of voters in states like Iowa to learn exactly how to win their vote. But while that works in Iowa where there is time to prepare, it does not work once the primary calendar heats up.

This focus on targeting winnable voters also led Cruz to worry too much about focusing on states he thought he could win. He had success, in the sense that he won most of the states he heavily focused on, but by giving up in other states he let Trump get too far ahead. The most recent example  giving up on the Northeast state primaries to focus on Indiana probably doomed his campaign. Cruz was ahead in Indiana but after Trumps victories in the Northeast, the polls in Indiana changed drastically.

Second, Cruz copied the strategy of every other political candidate in history but Trump: give a speech in front of microphones, leave before taking questions, and avoid gaffes. Partly as a result, the media didnt heavily cover most of his events, and rarely showed his speeches live, in stark contrast to the coverage Trump garnered.

Third, Cruz focused too much on winning the most conservative voter. It is not a terrible idea to start there, especially in a crowded primary. But Cruz campaigned as though being the most conservative candidate was a virtue, rather than campaigning on ideas that matter and arguing why his conservative solutions are the best answers.

These are three legitimate complaints about Cruzs campaign. But the bigger story is that Trump is basically a black swan, an unforeseeable event with extreme consequences, like the Arab Spring, or Leicester winning the English Premier League this year. Even still, without a public immensely dissatisfied with its elected leadership, a post-Constitutional President Obama that has made some Republicans want their own version, and a lapdog media focus, Trump would never have succeeded as he has.

That at least is the version of Trumps success that is most friendly to the conservative movement. In other words, Trumps success is not the fault of the conservative movement, but an isolated issue related to Trumps particular candidacy.

Theres another story, however. Lost in the string of Cruz eulogies sure to come is the bigger point  that every critique of Cruzs campaign will apply as much or more to the rest of the Republican field. Remember, a year ago Republican operators were bragging about the deepest field of candidates in history, including as many as 17 candidates. More importantly for the conservative movement, many of them were serious political conservatives that had been successful governors, senators, and business leaders.

But that deep field turned out to be fools gold. Governors who spent a combined $260 million campaigning for a tiny number of votes. Senators who fantasized about someone killing Cruz on the Senate floor.

The pressing question is why? Why have 40 percent of theoretically conservative Republican primary voters rejected these candidates in favor of a charlatan, con-man, and liar who spends much of his campaign peddling conspiracy theories from the National Enquirer?

The unavoidable conclusion is that they are simply not buying what Republicans are selling.

And this is not really that surprising. Conservatives have been selling essentially the same policy promises since Reagan, even though economic and political conditions in America have drastically changed in the last 30 years. And the Republican leadership, while not particularly conservative, has happily taken the votes of conservatives and promised to act on X, Y, and Z, with precious little intention, or evidence, of actually following up.

So in response, their voters have turned to a candidate with no center, who blows wherever the wind goes, but promises to do so with conviction. Failing to find conviction in Republican leaders, Republican voters have fallen for Trumps false promises.

The long-term problem for conservatives, who are, after all, distinct from the Republican Party, is that regardless of the outcome of the 2016 election, regardless even of the continued existence of the Republican Party, they do not know how to convince voters of their ideas  or even what ideas are most important. Until they fix that, no candidate or campaign magic can fix their problems. Which is to say, Trump is not the problem. His successful candidacy is the evidence of a much deeper problem in the American Republic.
A county positioned for growth knows it must have much to offer business. Industrial parks, infrastructure/utilities, buildings, incentives, workforce: all are vital. Other factors are as important. Notable is quality of life.

Any measure of quality of life will have health care near the top of the list. Orangeburg County and The T&D Region are fortunate to have a solid foundation in health care grounded in the vision of leaders across generations. The Regional Medical Center is a bedrock of health care here that puts the community ahead of many others in South Carolina and other states.

More than three decades ago, RMC expanded to a new campus off U.S. 601 in a move that many thought impossible. The community came together to raise funds and the result was a modern facility that has expanded in health care offerings.

Today, RMC is far more than a traditional hospital, having adapted with the health care landscape many times over while maintaining its status as a publicly owned facility. Credit leaders in Orangeburg and Calhoun counties with preserving ownership by the counties and the local control that remains.

RMCs footprint extends far beyond the time when patients came to the hospital for care. It has an influence on every facet of care in the community, from the patients in its beds to those in the community it is trying to keep well.

RMC owns medical practices; administers treatment, testing and wellness programs beyond its campus; and has affiliations with local care providers. Its alliance with the Medical University of South Carolina makes services from the Charleston hospital available in Orangeburg and links the two hospitals in multiple ways.

Ensuring RMC continues to prosper is of primary importance to the future of Orangeburg and the region. There are challenges.

The fiscal status of the hospital is a primary topic for its board, whose members are appointed by Orangeburg and Calhoun county councils. Trustees and the administration have indentified steps to lift RMC out of a cycle of monthly losses.

As part of the plan, RMC began reducing overtime and some full-time work schedules, eliminated agency and contract staff, focused on flexing of staff and only filled emergent vacant positions, actions that were necessary but unpopular.

RMCs existence is not a risk, as it has tackled difficult times before. But keeping operations consistently in the black is vital for ensuring long-term progress through such measures as the facilitys credit rating.

Recently, RMCs Standard & Poors rating was downgraded from BBB+ to a BBB, an action attributed to the hospitals weaker-than-expected operating performance.

The facilitys inconsistent operating margins are offset by low debt levels, and it is important to note that S&P gives the hospital a stable outlook.

S&P counts as negatives the below-average income and high unemployment levels in RMCs service area, plus the hospitals high dependence on Medicare and Medicaid payments.

The impact of Medicaid cannot be understated. As a public hospital, RMC is committed to serving anyone and everyone, regardless of ability to pay. A community with many who cannot pay can be thankful for that.

But there is a price to be paid. Before the Affordable Care Act, RMC and other hospitals were provided federal funding to help cover the cost of treating indigent patients. The ACAs expansion of Medicaid, designed to ensure all people have insurance coverage, was to eliminate the need for such reimbursements directly to hospitals such as RMC.

But RMC and other S.C. hospitals have been hit with a devastating fiscal reality born of the decision by the states leaders to opt out of expanding the Medicaid program in the state. That leaves many people still without health care coverage, meaning RMC and others serve them even though the hospitals no longer receive direct federal assistance for doing so.

RMC officials project the states failure to expand Medicaid will cost the hospital $72 million between 2014 and 2020. While there remains hope that South Carolinas General Assembly and governor will reverse course and join in the expansion of Medicaid and the federal dollars that would accompany the action, prospects are not good despite the unfolding impact on hospitals, with many in rural areas seeing their very survival in question.

The reality of the fiscal situation and other matters pertaining to the future of RMC will be on the table today as trustees gather for a retreat devoted to strategic planning. Its an important undertaking. What they learn and the course they ultimately plot are vital for RMC  whose survival and prosperity are vital to Orangeburg and the region.
Participants in the Bakers and Caterers Seminar in Antigua with (seated from left): Ali Medjahed- Facilitator, R.Haslam- Marketing Manager, D.Warren- IISS, R.Matthews-Bargain Center.

East Caribbean Group of Companies continues to demonstrate its corporate responsibility in all the markets.





The most recent demonstration of this commitment came with the staging of a seminar in Antigua, aimed at strengthening the capacity of the baking and catering sectors in that Caribbean country.





The seminar, held from April 13  15, 2016, with theoretical sessions at the Antigua and Barbuda Hotel Training Institute (ABHTI) at Dutchmans Bay, and practical afternoon sessions at Vance Jacksons Bakery, was facilitated by Mr. Ali Medjahed of Sweetie Pie Bakery  Mustique, with assistance from ECGCs Quality Assurance Officer, Ms. Lanel Black.





Some twenty-two (22) participants  bakers and caterers  availed themselves of the training in the rudiments of baking, and an introduction to new and palatably exciting finished products to the market.





According to a release form ECGC, all the participants expressed total satisfaction with the quality and content of the seminar, and highlighted the knowledge gained, especially in the areas of Pastry Making, The Storage of Dough and Consistency in Measurements.





The seminar was conducted by ECGC in collaboration with Antigua and Barbuda distributors Inter Island Sales and Supply (IISS) and Bargain Center.





In related news, ECGC will hold its annual National Baking Competition in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Thursday, May 26th, 2016.
Differently Abled Persons and representatives of supporting organization took to the streets for another Annual Awareness March, accompanied as usual, by the Royal SVG Police Force Band. Inset: Zamfir Man Zangie Adams, reigning Calypso Monarch, gave a brief and moving speech, and rendered his song dedicated to Differently Abled Persons.

Friday 29th April, 2016 marked another March and Rally in aid of the Melanie Mc Kenzie Scholarship Fund.





The annual event, organized by the National Society of Persons with disAbility (NSPD), followed the same format as it has for the last ten years or so: a walk through the streets of Kingstown, accompanied by the Royal SVG Police Force Band, and culminating at Victoria Park for the rally.





The event attracted the usual support of Differently Abled Persons (Disabled Persons)  adults and children  persons from the Mental Health Centre (MCH), The Red Cross Society of SVG, the National Society of and for the Blind (NSOF), the Girls High School 2016 Young Leaders, other organizations and individuals.





The Rallys programme, chaired by retired ASP Jonathan Nichols, heard addresses from President/Co-ordinator of the NSDP Mrs. Patricia Cumberbatch, Ms. Polly Oliver of the Ministry of National Mobilization, and songs rendered by representatives of the MHC and the NSOFB, and a special interlude by reigning Calypso Monarch, Zamfir Man Zangie Adams.





Mrs. Cumberbatch did not conceal the difficulty her Society faces in securing financing to maintain its current programmes, not least the Melanie Mc Kenzie Scholarship Fund, which continues to support five students in secondary and special needs institutions.





The President intimated to THE VINCENTINAN, that this years takings along the route of the march, was "disappointing. (Designated persons solicit contributions from the public along the marchs route).





While she thanked the Government, other private sector benefactors and the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for their support to the Society and the march and rally, she appealed for persons to recognize the work of her Society, the role that "Differently Abled Persons can play in society, and to support the cause.

This appeal was echoed by Man Zangie when he took to the microphone.





As a prelude to a partial rendition of one of his winning songs in last years Calypso Monarch Competition  a song entitled Act before its too late and dedicated to Differently Abled Persons and the need to support them  Man Zangie traced his relationship with Mrs. Cumberbatch, and detailed the positive influence she has had on his attitude to Differently Abled Persons like herself. This, he said, was the motivation for the song.





"I am now a proud member of the National Society of Persons with Disability, and I encourage others to join, said Man Zangie.





His moving rendition of his Act before its too late was met with loud applause and a few teary eyes.
Left: Rep. of the Mental Health Center (left) accepts donation from Dr. Reymann. Right: Deputy Administrator of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, Andrew Williams (left) accept donation from Dean of Trinity, Dr. Linda Adkinson (right).

The helping arms of Trinitys Canadian Medical Students Association (CaMSA) were recently extended even further, to embrace a number of health facilities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.





On Tuesday, 26th April, at the campus of the school, members of CaMSA handed over a quantity of items to institutions involved in health care.





Benefiting from the groups generosity were the Lewis Punnett Home, the Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre, St. Benedicts Childrens Home, the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and a number of Health Clinics.





Sonia Stasyszyn, fourth term student and current President of CaMSA, explained: "At the end of every term, we get the students who are leaving to give back, to donate, and we have now accumulated over nine barrels of clothing and other items. We are basically spreading out the clothing and linens donations among those three institutions.





She stated that they were currently organizing other donations. "We have more things coming from Canada, where we are working with dentists, doctors and businesses, friends and family to fill barrels to send here to give back.





Receiving on behalf of the Lewis Punnett Home was Marie Davis, Departmental Manager. She thanked Trinity CaMSA on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment and her institution, saying, "We appreciate your contribution and are looking forward to our continued relationship.





Likewise, Sr. Diana Bailey, Senior Nursing Officer at the Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre, in accepting the donation, echoed a similar sentiment.





Deputy Administrator of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, Andrew Williams, was on hand to receive the items destined for his institution, and accepted on behalf of the Administrator, Grace Walters.





Dean of Trinity, Dr. Linda Adkinson, commented on the students values as linked to that of Trinitys. "We are lucky to have a large, committed group of students who underscore our mission of being, not only clinicians but giving back to the community wherever they can. These students have given up their holiday to do this while their friends have gone off for a couple of weeks. This truly demonstrates their passion for what they are doing.





In highlighting the schools responsibility in the community, the Dean proffered, "This is a responsibility that we have. Its about community, its about wellbeing, as well as taking care of the people who are not well at the moment. I think these activities underscore a very strong program in ethics and professional behavior.




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Azerbaijan's SOCAR-AQS LLC has started drilling a new well at the Western Absheron field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, the company told Trend May 4.

"The drilling of the well #26 at the Western Absheron field will be carried out from the fixed offshore platform #20," said the company. "The well's projected depth is 740 meters."

Solutions, which will allow increasing the well's productivity will be used during drilling, said the company, adding that the azimuth of the new well is 320 degrees.

The customer of the drilling work is Azneft production association of Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR.

SOCAR-AQS was established in 2007 by SOCAR and Absheron Drilling as a joint venture, providing integrated services for drilling and well servicing.
/By Azernews/

By Fatma Babayeva

The U.S.- EU Energy Council restated its support for the commissioning of the Southern Gas Corridor including the construction of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline.

In its statement about the results on its seventh meeting held in Washington D.C. on May 4, the Council stressed the importance of the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector. It also also voiced a support to the construction of the LNG terminals in Croatia, as well as, in Greece if there is a demand in the market.

During the meeting, John Kerry drew the attention to the threat posed by the Nord Stream 2 to the Western Europe as well.

The Councils meeting was co-hosted by the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. Participants from the European side were the Vice President and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, the Vice President of the EU for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic, the Commissioner of the European Union for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Canete and the Minister for the Environment of the Netherlands Sharon Dijksma.

The SGC pipeline network aims to improve the energy security of the EU and diversity its energy supply routes by bringing natural gas from the Caspian region to Europe.

The SGC is included in the EU priority energy projects. It envisages the transportation of more than 10 billion cubic meters of gas extracted at the giant Shah Deniz 2 field located in the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea. The pipeline network will stretch across 3,500 kilometer area from the Caspian Sea into Europe.

At the initial stage, the gas will be produced from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field as part of development of the Stage 2 which is considered as the main source for the SGC project.

However, there is a need to upgrade existing infrastructure and develop a chain of new pipelines in order to achieve full implementation of the project.

Existing South Caucasus pipeline will be expanded with a new parallel pipeline through Azerbaijan and Georgia. Construction of Trans-Anatolian (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic pipelines are main elements of this project.

TANAP will pass through Turkey and join to TAP pipeline in the Greece border. TAP will pass through Greece, Albania and southern part of Italy.

Some 480 kilometers of pipes were welded as part of the TANAP construction whose total length will be 1,334 kilometers.

First gas delivery to Georgia and Turkey is scheduled for late 2018. Gas deliveries to Europe are expected a year after the first gas is produced in offshore fields of Azerbaijan.

In addition, TAP's initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters of gas a year which will be expandable up to 20 billion cubic meters a year. Its construction will start in May 2016.

The SGC is one of the biggest construction projects of our times with a value of $45 billion.

It is a win-win project for all participants which will bring the Caucasian region closer to the Europe.
/By Azernews/

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijani, Greek, Italian and Spanish musicians will assemble in Baku for a grand music festival which will kick off in the International Mugham Center on May 6.

"Sound Waves" folk festival, to be co-organized by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the International Mugham Center, will feature the performances of talented Azerbaijani and Greek musicians, including Kamila Nabiyeva, Rovshan Gurbanov, Jeyhun Muradov, Eleni and Souzana Vougioukl.

Beautiful and memorable melodies will dive one into the enchanted world of folk music and explore the invisible link between Azerbaijani and Greek cultures.

Furthermore, a concert program with participation of Italian musicians will mesmerize Bakuians on May, 13, while Spanish musicians will perform on May 26.

The event is expected to begin at 19:00.Tickets are available at all ticket offices in Baku.
By Gunay Camal

Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported that supply of military units on the first line of defense as well as in the combat zone is done in accordance with standard quotas.

Activities are underway to create the supplementary reserve stocks for long term combat operations, the ministry added.

Troops are being supplied with all caliber ammunition and shells designated for various weaponry systems, hardware and other combat equipment produced in local defense industry facilities, Russia and other countries, the report reads.

Planned activities on replenishment of ammunition and shells used against Armenian armed forces during counter-offensive operations and creation of supplementary reserves are being implemented according to the Defense Ministers order.

Azerbaijan has raised its military spending by at least 10-fold over the last decade to about $4.8 billion in 2015. The country's military budget exceeds the overall state budget of occupant Armenia by $2 billion, while its defense budget saw a threefold increase to $447 million in 2015.

While increasing military expenses, Azerbaijan also purchased new weapons and ammunition from countries of close cooperation in the military-technical field. The main military suppliers of the country are Turkey, Israel, Russia and the U.S. Moreover, the country established its national military industry to avoid dependence on equipment from foreign countries.

As the country is suffering from the occupation of its internationally recognized lands, Azerbaijan has strengthened its defense to force the Armenians to sit at the negotiating table.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

The OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, proceeding talks based on the renewed Madrid principles.

The situation on the frontline aggravated on April 2 after the Armenian military units in the occupied lands began shelling Azerbaijans positions. To protect civilian population, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched counter attacks and as a result, the Azerbaijani troops retook hills around the village of Talish, as well as Seysulan settlement, and also took over Lele Tepe hill located in the direction of Fizuli region.

Azerbaijan and Armenia declared a truce brokered by Russia on April 5. But, still Armenia continues to breach the ceasefire, firing the worst violence in more than 20 years in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.
/By Azernews/

By Laman Ismayilova

A branch of Baku International Multiculturalism Centre (BIMC) has been opened in Israel,Trend reports.

BIMC Executive Director Azad Mammadov and Head of Israeli NGO "International Projects for the Society Arye Gut signed a memorandum of understanding

Under the memorandum, the sides will work together to promote different values such as culture, multiculturalism and tolerance, and ensure successful activity of the Israeli branch of BIMC, representing and protecting the interests of the centre.

The Israeli office will organize events to increase the international community's awareness of Azerbaijan's and Israel's history and culture.

Azerbaijan, located on the junction of two continents- Europe and Asia, created all necessary conditions for representatives of different nationalities, religions and cultures to exist freely.

The International Centre for Multiculturalism was established in Baku in 2014, as a concrete effort to promote the values of multiculturalism.

The multiculturalism centers have been also established in the regions of the country, as well as in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries.

This year, Azerbaijan hosted the 7th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.

By using the UN tribune, Azerbaijan once again showed its multiculturalism traditions, and urged the world countries to respect tolerance, intercultural and inter-civilization dialogue. Furthermore, Azerbaijan named 2016 the Year of Multiculturalism.

The Azerbaijani and Jewish peoples have a long tradition of tolerance and interaction. Estimated 9,000 Jews in the country are "fully part" of Azerbaijani society.

Israel recognized the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan very shortly after the official dissolution of the Soviet Union. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Israel were established in April 1992.

The strategic relationship included cooperation in trade and security matters, cultural and educational exchanges

Azerbaijan and Israel are focusing on many areas, and the four areas that relevant are telecommunications, agriculture, water supply and medical technologies.
The Saudi city of Jeddah has witnessed a general slowdown across all its real estate sectors in the first quarter due to demand-supply mismatch and the countrys overall macroeconomic scenario, according to a report.



The existing demand-supply mismatch is expected to widen as more retail and office supply is expected to enter the market with the easing of backlog projects, stated property iexpert JLL in its Q1-2016 Jeddah Real Estate Outlook.



The report assess the latest trends in the office, residential, retail and hotel sectors across Jeddah in the first three months of the year.



On the residential market, JLL said the villa market saw a 5.4 per cent decline in sale prices and 2.5 per cent fall in rentals over the quarter.



The decline in prices reflects the continued loss of buyer sentiment as a result of the previous 70 per cent loan-to-value ratio, while rents also decreased as they are generally considered less attractive than apartments due to their higher cost.



The apartment sector fared somewhat better than the villa sector, with both prices and rents remaining basically stable over the quarter, it added.



According to the latest survey by the Eskan Committee of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, current supply stands at 793,000 units.



A total of 4,000 units (consisting of standalone villas and apartment buildings) entered the market in the first quarter. The most notable project completed was Daem Residences, which added 120 apartments to the market.



Saudi Arabias Central Bank announced that it will allow specialised mortgage companies to increase their maximum contribution to home financing to 85 per cent.



This is a positive step towards increasing access to home loans and is expected to stimulate demand and will also likely change the current performance rates for villas and apartments, stated JLL in its report.



However, it is still too early to anticipate what impact this will have on the market. The developers of Jeddah Tower (previously known as Kingdom Tower) have announced that the tower is currently 20 per cent complete and scheduled for completion in 2018, it added.



Jamil Ghaznawi, the national director and country head of JLL Saudi Arabia, said: "In the residential segment, sales prices continued to decrease marginally while rents started slowing down in Q1 after continuous growth in 2015. It is also interesting to see that higher quality residential developments are being launched in response to buyer demand for additional amenities."



On the other hand, the office market witnessed a further slowdown in the growth of lease rates, which is expected to continue due to demand constraints throughout 2016, noted Ghaznawi.



Historically, the government and public sector have led demand for office space in Jeddah, but going forward we expect a shift in demand towards private firms as there is hardly any new project announcements, he added.



During the first quarter, about 33,000 sq m of gross leasable area (GLA) was added. This included the completion of Al Andalus Crown Tower on Madinah Road, which added 12,000 sq m of GLA, as well as a smaller office building called Strek located on Prince Sultan Street.



The total supply surged to 925,000 sq m of GLA. Further completions are expected throughout the year, including the Al Khair Tower which will add approximately 43,000 sq m of GLA to the market, stated the JLL in its report.



On an annual basis, average lease rates increased by two per cent. However, the quarter on quarter (Q-o-Q) lease rates decreased marginally by one per cent. Vacancy rates have remained relatively stable at five per cent as of Q1 2016; down from six per cent in the previous quarter.



Looking ahead into 2016, demand for office space from the public sector is expected to decrease after the Ministry of Finance restricted new hires, said the property expert.



In addition to the ministry's announcement that no new projects will be introduced, demand for office space from the construction sector is expected to decrease as well. This will shift the demand from the public sector to the private sector.



Office spaces located north of Madinah Road and Sultan Street have increased lease rates ahead of the completion of the new airport. This should increase demand for office space within close proximity, it stated.



Meanwhile, in the retail market lease rates have showed signs of stabilisation in Q1 as vacancies are absorbed. With more projects materialising over 2016/2017, lease rates are expected to remain stable or decrease marginally, said the JLL in the report.



But with a year on year (Y-o-Y) reduction of nine per cent in the value of retail sales, it could affect retail footfall which in turn will impact demand for retail space.



On the hotel market, JLL said the sector has been impacted by the general economic slowdown as a result of lower oil revenues affecting various demand drivers. With declining visitors, the hotel sector has begun to show signs of weakening across Jeddah.



Interestingly, new supply is expected to be added as a number of hotels are set for completion later this year, and it remains to be seen how they will perform in this economic scenario, he added.



JLL report pointed out that there have been no new additions to the market over the last quarter and supply remained at 8,600 keys.



With a number of projects in the pipeline, 2016 should see a faster pace of hotel delivery with around half of the 3,200 keys forecasted for 2016 expected to materialise.



The key projects include: Radisson Blu Al Salamah, the Ritz Carlton, Movenpick City Star, Assila Hotel and Elaf Galleria. YT February occupancy rates have decreased to 68 per cent; 5 per cent lower compared to the same period in 2015.



Consequently, YT February Available Daily Rates (ADR) and Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) have decreased by five per cent to $229 and 11 per cent to $156 respectively. The likely reason for this is declining business visitors amid an economic slowdown.



According to JLL, the economic slowdown has already impacted performance rates for Jeddahs hospitality sector. Should the planned projects for 2016 materialise, it is expected to cause further declines in hospitality performance rates over the next two years, it stated.



With the development of the new airport, Prince Majed Road will become the new gateway to Jeddah and a number of hotels are already under construction or planned in close proximity.



The area surrounding the Jeddah Haramain Railway station, which will be used to transport pilgrims to Makkah and Madinah, should also see increased demand, and consequently supply, for hotel rooms in the future as the station nears completion, it added.



On the retail sector, JLL said the first quarter saw two key completions: Al Khayyat 3 and Yasmin Mall. These added just over 70,000 sq m of GLA to the market. The total supply of retail space currently stands at approximately 1.2 million square meters of GLA.



While Y-o-Y lease rates have increased for both regional and super regional centres, changes in Q-o-Q lease rates suggest that they have peaked as super regional rates remain stable and regional centres decreased marginally by one per cent as of Q1 2016.



Higher materialisation is expected over the next two years after 2015 saw a slowdown in the number of projects entering the market, said the report.



A further 56,000 sq m of GLA is expected to be delivered in 2016, while 2017-2018 is expected to add over 900,000 sq m of retail space to the market in Jeddah. However, some delays and cancellations are expected, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Ansari Engineering Services, one of the premier multi-disciplined Grade A engineering consultancy practices in Bahrain, hosted an annual gathering for its employees to mark the International Labour Day.



The event, held at Elite Resort and Spa at Muharraq, also included honouring the team members who had served at Ansari for more than 15 years, said a statement from the company.



It comes close on the heels of its successful achievement of ISO 9001 quality management system certification, it added.-TradeArabia News Service






Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Portuguese Industrial Association - Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AIP-CCI) to enhance mutual cooperation in the areas of investment and business.



The agreement was signed by Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, director of SAIF Zone and Hamriyah Free Zone Authority and Jorge Pais, vice president of AIP  CCI, said a statement from the free zone.



The ceremony which took place in Lisbon, Portugal was attended by senior officials from SAIF Zone and AIP-CCI, it said.



Both sides will share knowledge and information, technical expertise, ensure the cooperation between companies and promote research and innovation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Mutual visits, briefings, training and development sessions and exhibitions are the other planned programmes, it added.



Additionally, both parties will refer investors to each other, further said the statement.



Al Mazrouei said: The MoU will help both parties to enhance the volume of investment and trade. We are happy to sign a deal with one of the oldest chambers of commerce and industry associations in Europe.



This will lead to more investment opportunities. We have excellent infrastructure and modern facilities at SAIF Zone, which is an ideal gateway for new business opportunities, he said.



This MoU will further foster fraternal business relationships between the emirate of Sharjah and Portugal, he added. - TradeArabia News Service
Top officials of the Gammon Group, a leading engineering company, and the Saudi Canadian Business Council (SCBC) have revealed plans to collaborate in implementing mega investment projects in Saudi Arabia, said a report.



Sheikh Rafik Mohammed, chairman of Gammon Group, and Edwin Holder, president of SCBC, announced this after their recent meeting in Riyadh.



They said that the Vision 2030 announced recently would be instrumental in spurring the kingdoms development momentum.



Holder said Saudi Arabia would soon become one of the most favourite destinations of foreign investors, thanks to the Vision 2030.



He added that plans have been prepared to make big investments in key projects in the country, and talks are underway to tie up with Gammon Group to pump investments into Jazan Economic City and Rabigh projects, and noted that feasibility studies will be carried out in this regard.



Holder said that the Saudi Canadian bilateral relations are excellent and the Vision 2030 will help to further boost the business ties and economic cooperation. He pointed to several agreements between Saudi Arabia and Canada especially in energy, commerce, industry, and higher education sectors.



Gammon earlier signed bilateral entrepreneurship agreement with the Canadian real estate development giant Ideal Developments Inc. Holder arrived in the kingdom along with several other Canadian business leaders in their bid to forge closer trade partnerships with their Saudi counterparts.



Officials of more than 250 Saudi and Canadian firms attended the high profile Saudi-Canadian small and medium-enterprise (SME) business meeting held in Riyadh.



The Gammon Group, with its corporate office in Jeddah, has been assigned to develop the SR75 billion Jazan Industrial City by bringing in foreign investors to build its entire infrastructure facilities.



Major Indian, Chinese and European firms including the pharmaceutical company owned by Dr. B.R. Shetty, leading NRI businessman and Indian billionaire, have already entered into agreements for investing in the Jazan project, added the report.
Bahrain Telecommunications Co (Batelco), a leading telecom group with operations across 14 countries, posted a 33 per cent fall in first-quarter profit on Thursday as its subscriber base and revenue both declined.



Batelco made a net profit of BD9.6 million ($25.46 million) in the three months to March 31, it said in a statement. This compares with a profit of BD14.2 million a year earlier.



Batelco reported gross revenues for the period of BD90.9 million ($241.1 million), a 3 per cent and 2 per cent decrease year-over-year and over the previous quarter respectively. Revenues continue to be impacted by competitive pressure in a number of markets across the Group.



EBITDA for the period was BD35.1 million ($93.1 million), representing a margin of 39 per cent. Despite a 1 per cent decline from the previous year, EBITDA increased by 13 per cent from the previous quarter. Throughout the period, the Group was able to continue its successful cost containment programmes resulting in a 5 per cent reduction in expenditure compared to the same period last year and an 11 per cent reduction from the previous quarter. The Group continues to sustain its robust EBITDA margin.



The Groups balance sheet remained strong with net assets of BD555 million ($1,472.1 million) and substantial cash and bank balances of BD174.1 million ($461.8 million). Earnings per share for the first quarter of 2016 are 5.8 fils.



Batelco Group chairman Shaikh Hamad Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said: We continue to operate in challenging markets but are encouraged by the strength of the Group as a whole and we believe that by continuing to pool Group resources, technologies and expertise we can enhance competitiveness and performance. We continue to work on restructuring programmes throughout the Group with the aim of reducing operating costs and boosting efficiency and competitiveness as evidenced by the reduction in operating expenses.



Batelco Group CEO Ihab Hinnawi said that while the overall customer base was down by 8 per cent when compared with Q1 of 2015, a number of the Groups operations performed very well and showed marked increases in customer numbers.



It is pleasing to note that our Maldives operator Dhiraagu posted YoY increases in mobile and broadband customers of 10 per cent and 17 per cent respectively. The companies operating under the SURE brand in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and in the South Atlantic and Diego Garcia also performed well, with their mobile and broadband customer bases increasing year over year, he said.



We have a number of Group-wide initiatives in place as well as programmes specific to each geographic location and we anticipate that these efforts will boost performance across the Group going forward. In general our companies operate in very competitive market places as the communications industry today is amongst the most challenging of all industries due to its dynamic nature.



To meet the unrelenting market challenges that we face we need to constantly adapt and look to new revenue drivers. Keeping all our customers connected with world class communications solutions, no matter how far away they are from our HQ, is crucial and among our key goals, Hinnawi added.



Hinnawi continued by stating that in Bahrain, despite aggressive competition, Batelco maintained a steady presence in the mobile market supported by its retention of high value post-paid residential and business customers.



For the period, mobile subscribers in Bahrain remained steady over the previous quarter with a slight decline year-on-year. The Broadband subscriber growth year-over-year was pleasing with customer numbers up by 8 per cent mainly due to the growing popularity of Batelcos TV and other value added services.



Demand for Batelcos broadband services grew YoY as a result of Batelcos continuous investment in its fibre network to reach new developments and replace out of date infrastructure across Bahrain, said Hinnawi.



Our customer centric strategy designed to ensure we meet the needs of our customers across all sectors is making good progress. We are now focussed on a commitment to develop relevant new digital solutions that will benefit all customers, with an emphasis on supporting the growing needs of the business sector in line with our role as Bahrains leading business solutions provider.





We have already laid the foundations for digital solutions and will continue to build on our strong base by developing our portfolio in-house and if required by forging partnerships with other organisations or by the acquisition of an ICT unit. Cloud capabilities, OTT TV services, fibre to the home and the delivery of superfast broadband are also areas we are tightening our focus on during 2016, Hinnawi added.  TradeArabia News Service & Reuters
Smart Dubai, the government office driving Dubais citywide transformation into a smart city, successfully completed its pilot phase for the initial Smart City Index with the ITU, a specialized United Nations agency.

It also held official discussions to further revise the first global standard set of smart city key performance indicators (KPI), to measure smart city transformation across three main topic areas namely economy, environment, society and culture.

The discussions were held as part of the ITU-T Study Group 5 on Environmental and Climate Change Meeting from April 20 to 27, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The delegation from Dubai was led by Nasser Al Marzouqi, from TRA, who is also UAE representative to the ITU and currently chairman of ITU-T Study Group 20 & vice-chairman of ITU-T Study Group 5; Noora Al Suwaidi, head of strategy and performance management at Smart Dubai Office; and Dr Okan Geray, strategic planning consultant at Smart Dubai Office.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr Aisha bin Bishr, director general of Smart Dubai Office commented: Since April 2015 our teams have been collaborating closely with our strategic partners in Dubai to contribute to the development of the first global Smart City Index. The index will be the global blueprint for smart city transformation in the near future, with Dubai as the first pilot city.

Through the Smart City Index, we are encouraging leaders across the globe to uplift their cities, with peoples quality of life at the centre. Dubai has successfully completed its first pilot phase for the Smart City Index, and has contributed the results of the on-site KPI validation visit by ITU and further suggestions regarding revision of existing and also addition of new KPIs, she added.

Climate change and sustainability are real issues today and as city leaders, we recognize that we must take action now to preserve the cities of the future. That is why sustainability and quality of life are at the heart of the Smart City index. The Index will help cities around the world grow smart in a sustainable manner that will protect the environment and contribute to the best possible quality of life for everyone, bin Bishr concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
The UAE Ministry of Interior and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) have signed a joint declaration paving the way for Abu Dhabi to host the Interpol Foundations World Bureau headquarters.



The joint declaration was signed by Brigadier Hamad Ajlan Al Amimi, director general of the Federal Criminal Police at the Ministry of Interior, and by Elias Murr, president of the Board of the Interpol Foundation for a Safer World.



Under the joint declaration, the UAE will host the foundations World Bureau headquarters in Abu Dhabi, in recognition of its prestigious stature and global presence.



The bureau will be a global hub for the organization's work in the region, and a platform to launch and manage a flurry of advanced projects. Through this platform, both parties will endeavour to develop the proper mechanisms and plans pertaining to the headquarters operation and the establishment of the bureaus administrative system and organizational structure.  TradeArabia News Service
With airlines worried that long security lines may discourage summer travelers, the US government said on Wednesday it will add airport staff and bomb-sniffing dogs and ramp up pre-screening enrollment efforts.



The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will add officers at airports expected to have the highest passenger volumes, said Jeh Johnson, secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, in a statement on Wednesday.



He added that he has asked Congress to approve additional funds to pay for officers' overtime and to meet "critical short-term needs."



Security officials are on high alert for potential attacks by groups inspired by Islamic State. On March 22, suicide bombers killed 32 people in Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train.



"As we look ahead to the surge in summer travel, we will continue to consider a number of other steps to ensure enhanced aviation security while also maximizing efficiency at check points," Johnson said.



Airlines such as American Airlines Group, the world's largest, had voiced concern that staffing levels at US airports were insufficient to handle heightened security and greater passenger traffic that's expected for the peak summer tourism season.



"The US travel community is grateful that the well-documented problems with TSA security lane resourcing have the full attention of the Obama administration and Congress," said Roger Dow, president of the US Travel Association, in a statement. "It's alarmingly likely that the mere perception of security hassles at US airports will have an effect on travel."  Reuters
Leading hospitality group InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has welcomed Sandra Bunz as the area director of human resources for IHG Levant.



A German national, Bunz enjoys a rich experience in the field of human resources, specifically in the hospitality industry. She commenced her career in 2000 in the UAE as an HR assistant, and from that moment on, she went up the career ladder steadily and confidently while working with many five star hotels in the UAE, until 2014, when she was first welcomed into the IHG family at InterContinental Abu Dhabi. Her last position was area director of human resources, UAE at InterContinental Dubai Marina, before joining IHG Levant as its HR director. - TradeArabia News Service


Turkish Airlines has added two more nations to its global reach by beginning service to Bogota, Columbias capital, and Panama City, capital of Panama.



These new points join Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Toronto, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Boston, Montreal, San Francisco and Miami as Turkish Airlines rapidly grows its presence in the Western Hemisphere.



The inaugural flight to Bogota and Panama City was highlighted by M Ilker Ayc, Turkish Airlines chairman of the board and the executive committee, with participation of protocol and media representatives and also Turkish Airlines employees at the El Dorado Airport in Bogota. Andres Ortega, El Dorado Airports CEO and Gustauo Him, Republic of Panamas Ministry of Tourism also welcomed the first flight to these cities.



Ayc said: With the launch of the Panama City and Bogota flight Turkish Airlines has increased its number of destinations in the Americas to 14, strengthening its flight network across Central and South America. Were extremely proud to support our country's closer cooperation with Colombia as negotiated by our President during his visit to Latin America, by launching this new flight. We will also add Atlanta to our extensive network later this month and will continue to expand our reach in the Americas."



Both cities are home bases to Star Alliance partners, Avianca in Colombia and Copa in Panama, and the link to Istanbul and Turkish Airlines network will be of great benefit to travelers, adding even more connectivity.



Beginning today, Istanbul  Bogota (BOG)  Panama (PTY) flights will be operated three times per week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in both directions. Round trip fares are available for the route of IST  BOG  PTY starting at $699, inclusive of taxes and fees.



Additionally, for the first six months of operations to new destinations, the airline is offer Miles&Smiles members a 25 per cent reduction in the miles needed to redeem either award tickets or upgrades. - TradeArabia News Service
The board of directors at the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) is looking to privatise the kingdom's airports, a report said.



At a recent meeting in Riyadh, which was presided by GACA chairman Sulaiman Alhamdan, the board highlighted its ambitious plan to convert the airports into financial powerhouses that offer the highest quality of services to the travellers, said a report in Arab News.



They reviewed the latest projects at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, and also the reports on safety, security sector, air transport and central services sector, it said.



The initiative is part of the board's support to Vision 2030, which seeks to transform the entire state into a new country that ranks high among the developed nations.



Other officials at the meeting included Abdullah Aljarbou, planning adviser at the Ministry of Economy and Planning and the undersecretary of planning and followup at the Ministry of Transport; Faisal Alzaben, adviser to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; and general supervisor of information technology Majed Albawardri, among others.
Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
Tony Cercy started in the sales and parts department at Power Service Inc. in 1982. Or, as Scott Sissman, the companys former owner, puts it, the lowest entry-level job.

Cercy, now the companys president, recently completed the sale of the Casper equipment maker to NOW Inc., a publicly traded company worth $1.79 billion.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. But the size of the transaction can be measured by another metric: Enough money will change hands that a U.S. Department of Justice review is required.

The sale culminates a decade of rapid growth for Power Service and follows months of speculation over the companys future.

The oilfield service firm had 32 employees when Cercy took over in 2003. In 2014, at the height of the boom, it employed more than 500 people. Annual revenues surged from $16 million to $270 million over that time.

But the deal also comes amid the worst oil and gas downturn in decades, raising fears Power Services new owners could slash jobs or uproot its new Casper operations.

The upside is that the owners have really deep pockets. If they see it as advantageous to keep the business in Casper, they can, Sissman said. The downside is these are the big boys. Tony has dedication to the workforce and community the new owner wont have. If it isnt in their best interest to be in Casper someday, theyre gone.

Cercy, for his part, is betting the move will be a boon for Wyomings Oil City. A decade of investment in new buildings, high-tech robotics and a trained workforce all help to make Power Services Casper operations economically competitive, he said.

Wyoming is also centrally located between North Dakotas Bakken and oilfields to the south in Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas.

And there is this: Cercy himself is staying.

Im going to stay on in my current capacity, except I wont own the place. I am going to run the Power Service division, Cercy said.

Power Service will keep its name and clenched fist logo, operating as a NOW subsidiary.

The challenges and opportunities of the NOW deal were on display during the Houston firms first-quarter earnings call Wednesday.

NOW CEO Robert Workman termed the dramatic decrease in drilling activity the most challenging operating environment many at the company have ever seen.

NOW has cut 1,650 employees, or 30 percent of its workforce, since the boom reached its apex in late 2014. Some 425 positions have been cut in the first three months of this year alone and, Workman noted, We have more work to do shrinking our balance sheet in this market environment.

But he also highlighted the growth opportunities Power Service provides. The Casper company is, in many respects, like an oilfield general contractor.

Typically after a well is drilled and fracked, teams of contractors are hired to build a well pad. One company pours concrete, another builds the tanks, another is hired to deliver pipes, valves, equipment and so on.

Power Service prefabricates well pads, including all the different elements on a modular unit that can be installed soon after a well is completed.

Workman explained the benefits like this: You can drastically expedite the amount of time the customer can get oil and gas in the pipeline and start making money.

He added later, Ive only seen one company that does what Power Service does, and the quality isnt as high, and they arent nearly as successful in the space. I think they really stand out right now in the market. Theyve almost invented this particular solution on their own.

NOW sees Power Service as a growth opportunity, he said.

A Casper company

Power Service was established when Clyde Sissman and his son, Clyde Jr., bought a floundering oilfield engine company and set up shop on Ash Street in Casper in 1954.

The oilfield equipment was not connected to the electric grid as it is today. Many pump jacks were run by motors, which the father-and-son team specialized in repairing.

Theirs was a small operation. When Cercy came on board in 1982, the company employed 11 people.

Scott Sissman, who later assumed the reins at Power Service from his father, took a conservative approach to business. He maintained a small workforce and took few risks.

Tony was the opposite. I have nothing but admiration for him, to see opportunity, take risks and succeed, Sissman said, describing his former employee as a born salesman.

Cercys acquisition of Power Service also came at a fortuitous time. Natural gas production in the Pinedale Anticline was near its peak and the country was on the precipice of the so-called shale revolution, which would unlock troves of previously inaccessible oil and gas.

Power Services modular well pads were soon being used throughout the Rocky Mountain region and in North Dakotas Bakken formation. The companys Casper footprint grew from 4 acres to 40, its collection of blue metal-sided buildings forming a campus on Caspers west side.

No intention to sell

Cercy had no plans to sell his thriving business. He is 54 and his three children had started a subsidiary, Power Transportation LLC. The benefits of ownership, in other words, were great.

But the companys rapid growth had attracted national attention.

Private equity groups, publicly traded companies and individuals began asking if Cercy was interested in selling. Sometimes company executives would fly to Casper without an appointment to try and persuade the Power Service president on the virtues of a deal.

Cercy held off the offers until last year. Five companies were pursuing an acquisition, including two private equity firms, two publicly traded companies and a private individual.

I decided all of a sudden, what the heck. Lets put together a financial package, send it out to them and see what they have to offer, Cercy said. We were able to narrow it down. Then I became excited.

The deal with NOW is under review by the Justice Department, which is required to evaluate transactions in which a party has annual sales of more than $151 million or assets of more than $15.2 million.

NOW was spun off from National Oilwell Varco in 2014 as a distribution firm. The company has spent the two ensuing years snapping up equipment manufacturers to add diversity to its supply chain.

The Houston firms national network of suppliers and customers will help Power Service access new markets, Cercy said. He predicted Power Service could double its 400-person workforce if the market turns around.

I saw what was happening in the market and I thought this company will be able to take Power Service and to continue to grow it faster and better than I can because of their resources and their footprint, Cercy said.

Still, a turnaround remains in the future. Few companies are expected to begin putting rigs to work with crude priced for less than $50 a barrel, said Workman, the NOW CEO.

The decrease in rig activity has taken its toll on NOWs balance sheet. The company recorded a $63 million loss in the first quarter of 2016, as revenues slumped from $863 million to $548 million.

Power Service has been similarly affected. The companys revenues are 40 percent off 2013 through 2015 levels, prompting the equipment maker to lay off 50 employees in Casper in March.

The vast majority, or 330 of Power Services 400-person workforce, are located in Casper and Green River.

Cercy, ever the salesman, is undaunted. He framed the NOW deal as a good thing for Casper, noting, Sometimes the economy dictates some bad things, some layoffs and whatnot.

Ultimately, weve been a mainstay in Casper for 62 years, he said. And like I said, as soon as this market turns around a little bit, like it always does, then what this opportunity gives us is the ability to ramp up fast, get ready for the market turnaround, hire locally and fill those jobs.
Theres less money to go around in Casper these days, and it could soon affect the Visitor Center.

The Natrona County Travel and Tourism Council met Thursday morning to approve between $36,000 and $40,000 for the Casper Area Chamber of Commerces Visitor Center. The money is more than the Tourism Council agreed to last year, partly because the city of Casper could provide less funding than it has in the past. The Visitors Bureau gave $30,000 to the center last year.

Were in a financial pinch right now, just like the city is, Tourism Council Chairman Reeda George said.

The Visitor Center has been funded in recent years by both the city and the Casper Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, according to the councils documents. During Thursdays meeting, local leaders said the city could potentially give $36,000 to the Visitor Center for the next fiscal year. The city provided $40,000 last year, according to the meetings discussion.

Casper/Natrona County International Airport Director Glenn Januska, who represents Casper on the Tourism Council, said theyd been told if the center was not fully funded, there could be a reduction in services. The chamber asked for $85,500 in total, according to the meetings discussion.

I think well be able to continue, even with the downturn, Januska said.

The Tourism Council agreed to pay anywhere between $36,000 and $40,000, with the understanding that Visitors Bureau CEO Brook Kreder will negotiate an exact number. Even at $76,000 in total, the Visitor Center would be facing a shortfall of $10,000 that could cause changes in center services. The Tourism Council also asked for more information on what services could be hurt by the shortfall. Chamber officials said the Visitors Bureau has only given them money the last three years.

Its a communitywide effort, Kreder said. I mean, weve got to provide visitor services. So one of the things in our offices, were marketing to bring people here. The Visitors Center is hugely valuable. Weve got to have a place, somewhere in the community, where they can go and get information and get their questions answered.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gilda Lara said in a phone interview that at this point, she wasnt sure what a reduction in services would look like. She said that the chamber could use membership dues to further subsidize the Visitor Center, like it has done in past years.

We are going to do whatever it takes, to do the best we can, with the funding that we do receive, Lara said. As we always have.
A Casper man admitted Thursday to taking part in an attempted robbery related to a December shooting that injured one person.

Taylor Whiting pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery. A plea agreement with state prosecutors calls for him to spend up to five years in prison.

Whiting, 25, told Natrona County District Judge Catherine Wilking he knew a group of people were planning to rob a man selling marijuana. Whiting was then going to buy some marijuana from them.

However, the robbery went awry and a man tasked with being the lookout, James Haga, was shot in the arm and hip. A friend drove him to the hospital.

Whiting is being held in the Natrona County Detention Center pending sentencing.

According to a police report, Mason Fletcher was planning to sell drugs to Haga and Steven Spearman on Dec. 4 in a garage on Landmark Drive. However, Haga and Spearman were planning to rob Fletcher of his drug supply, the report states.

Haga was acting as lookout while Spearman was going to steal the drugs. However, Haga walked into the garage at the wrong time and Fletcher shot him, according to the report. Spearman took Haga to Wyoming Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

Fletcher, who is not facing charges for the shooting, has pleaded guilty to the attempted delivery of marijuana.

Spearman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery.

Haga has not faced criminal charges related to the incident.
A man is facing criminal charges for allegedly throwing rocks at the windows of Casper restaurants on Thursday, according to a police report.

Police arrested Darryl A. Anderson about 1:30 a.m. outside Buffalo Wild Wings on East Second Street. Anderson, 44, is charged with property destruction and public intoxication.

Anderson had glossy eyes and slurred speech, the police report states. A breathalyzer indicated he had a blood alcohol concentration of .19 percent. He was not wearing a shirt or shoes when police arrived.

Officers saw three windows of the restaurant and a double-paned door were shattered, according to the report. Anderson told police he had had a lot to drink and had gotten lost. He was angry that he could not find his way back to his hotel and in his anger he began throwing rocks at buildings, the report states.

A witness told officers he also saw Anderson throw rocks at the windows of Qdoba and the restaurants catering van, according to the report. The van had a smashed windshield and drivers side window, as well as several dents in the exterior. The restaurant had damage to some windows.

Anderson was being held in the Natrona County Detention Center as of Thursday afternoon.
Authorities have charged the Mills town treasurer with embezzling more than $64,000 and say the mayor discouraged employees from cooperating with a state criminal investigation, court documents show.

Prosecutors suspect Lisa Whetstone, 50, pocketed town money when she was supposed to deposit the funds into the government bank account. Investigators also believe she used a town credit card for personal expenses, according to the court documents.

Whetstone made her initial appearance Thursday in Natrona County Circuit Court, one day after prosecutors charged her with two counts of felony theft and one count of failure or refusal to account for, deliver or pay over property. She faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Whetstone, who has also served as deputy clerk for the town, is free after posting a $5,000 bond. During her court appearance, she spoke only to answer procedural questions.

Whetstone was represented in court by attorney Keith Nachbar. When a judge asked whether Whetstone had a job, Nachbar said she is still employed by the Town of Mills.

The judge advised Whetstone she is not permitted to have contact with any employees at the Mills Town Hall.

Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation agents began looking into the alleged thefts after a 2015 audit of town funds discovered discrepancies, according to the court documents. Auditors found cash receipts did not match the amount of funds being deposited into the towns bank account. Instead, the deposit slip would have a decreased amount of cash or no cash at all.

Town employees told state agents Whetstone had access to the cash that came into the office, she made the deposit slips and she entered the amount of the deposit into QuickBooks, the court documents state.

Officials received copies of Whetstones bank records, which indicated significant financial burden, according to the court documents.

When state agents interviewed Mills Mayor Marrolyce Wilson in October, she covered her ears when they told her Whetstone was a suspect in a theft, the court documents state. Wilson and Whetstone told city employees they would face discipline if they cooperated with law enforcement.

One employee told a state agent he or she was placed on probation by Wilson and Whetstone after allowing law enforcement to enter the building with a search warrant, according to the court documents.

Wilson did not immediately respond Thursday to a message left at the Town Hall.
Rex Rammell, a Republican running for the U.S. House, said at a news conference Thursday morning he will keep questioning opponent Liz Cheney when she says she is a fourth-generation Wyomingite.

Liz Cheney continues to believe if she states enough times that she is a fourth-generation Wyomingite raising a fifth-generation of Wyomingites in Wilson, Wyoming, that the people will eventually forget that she graduated from high school in Virginia and has not returned to live in Wyoming for 30-plus years, he said at Caspers Pioneer Park, which is next to the Dick Cheney Federal Building, named after his opponents father, the former vice president.

The Cheney campaign did not respond to Rammells accusations.

Regarding Mr. Rammells news conference, we have no comment, said Bill Novotny, Cheneys campaign manager.

Novotny did send an explanation of Cheneys lineage on the side of her mother, Lynne Cheney.

Liz Cheneys great-grandfather, Ben Lybyer, and his brother first settled in Fremont County in 1907. They worked as ranch hands, and then Ben Lybyer later worked in the Salt Creek Oil Field north of Casper.

Liz Cheneys grandmother was Edna Lybyer Vincent. She was raised near Salt Creek and became the first woman Natrona County deputy sheriff, Novotny said.

Lynne Cheney is the third generation and Liz Cheney is the fourth generation, Novotny said.

Rammell, a Gillette veterinarian who is trying to bill himself as the anti-establishment option in the 12-candidate race, first questioned Liz Cheneys Wyoming ties Monday night during a Wyoming Public Radio Debate. He held the news conference in Casper because hes in town campaigning, he said.

Both Rammell and Cheney, also a Republican, moved to Wyoming in 2012. Cheney came from Virginia, where she still owns a house. Rammell came from Idaho, where he lost bids for governor and U.S. Senate.

The issue of whether Cheney moved to Wyoming only to win a federal office has lingered throughout this campaign and during her brief 2013 campaign for U.S. Senate.

Rammell said he had no intention of questioning Cheneys Wyoming bona fides at the public radio debate, he said.

We drew the order of the closing arguments, and she drew the slot before me, he said.

in Cheneys closing remarks, she said she was a fourth-generation Wyomingite. That bothered Rammell, he said.

She is in every sense of the word a carpetbagger, he said.
PHOENIX  State utility regulators have a legal right to question company executives about whether they secretly funneled money into political campaigns, Attorney General Mark Brnovich said today.

In a formal legal opinion, Brnovich sided with Corporation Commissioner Bob Burns, who has been trying for months to get Arizona Public Service to open its books to show political donations. When efforts to secure voluntary compliance failed, Burns made an official demand.

APS refused. And attorney Mary OGrady, writing to Burns on behalf of utility investors, said the power of commissioners to inspect utilities books is limited. So Burns asked Brnovich to take a look.

An APS spokeswoman would say only that the utility is studying what Brnovich wrote.

Burns said the ruling backs his contention that individual commissioners have the authority to gather information about the utilitys political, lobbying and charitable expenditures.

Importantly, the attorney general concluded that the First Amendment does not bar me from investigating the books and records of APS, an argument that APS and others have repeatedly made in response to block my efforts to get this information, Burns said in a prepared statement.

There are allegations  not denied by APS  that APS contributed to the 2014 campaign for Arizona Corporation Commission through one of two dark money organizations that were spending heavily to influence the elections.

Campaign finance records show that Save Our Future Now and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club together spent more than $3 million on the campaign, first to help Tom Forese and Doug Little win the Republican nominations, then to ensure they won the general election.

Both groups have refused to reveal their donors, saying they are organized under federal tax laws as social welfare organizations exempt from state financial disclosure laws.

Compelled disclosure about political contributions that APS or its affiliates may have made out of shareholder profits would go beyond what is required of corporations under Arizona campaign finance law, and would impinge on APS First Amendment rights, Don Brandt, the chief executive officer of APS, wrote to Burns.

Spokesman Alan Bunnell has said APS has been the subject of a nonstop propaganda war by the group Tell Utilities Solar Wont Be Killed. TUSK, which spent $236,000 in the race, largely to defeat Little, is funded by companies that sell and lease rooftop solar units.

It would be irresponsible for us not to defend our company, Bunnell said.

Burns has said what APS spends to influence the election of those who set its rates should be a matter of public record.

Brnovich, in a 12-page opinion, said he reads Arizona law to allow individual commissioners and their employees to at any time, inspect the accounts, books, papers and documents of any utility. He said commissioners may examine utility company officers and employees under oath.

He said that includes political contributions, charitable contributions and lobbying expenses.
Its taco-tasting time in Tucson  festival set at Casino del Sol

For taco fans, Saturday is manna from heaven  more than 25 taco vendors showcasing their magic in the one-day international taco-tasting festival at the AVA at Casino del Sol.

Mero Mero Taquero: International Taco Tasting Festival at the AVA, 5655 W. Valencia Road, Saturday, May 7, will crown Tucsons El Mero Mero Taquero  head honcho taco maker.

This is a 21-and-older event  hire a sitter, it will be worth it  that runs from 3 to 7 p.m. Audience members get to sample the tacos and vote for their favorites, and the winner gets to leave with the crown. Theres live music and tortilla-making demonstrations. The cost is $34 general admission, $79 for VIP through tickets.solcasinos.com

According to the Stars digital food writer Andi Berlin, Mero Mero Taquero  not to be confused with the Tucson taco festival of a few years back  is Rob Betancourts baby. Hes the man behind Bacon Fest and the Michelada Challenge. (Berlin knows a thing or two about Tucsons taco community. In a span of a few months last year, she ate tacos from 100 Tucson vendors, street carts and restaurants.)

Tucson restaurants getting in on the act include Reforma, Boca Tacos and Tequila, Street Taco & Beer Co., Taqueria Porfis, the just-opened Charro Steak downtown and Taqueria El Semental will all participate.

Mamas Hawaiian says aloha

to Anthem

, north of Phoenix

Tucsons popular Mamas Hawaiian Bar-B-Cue is opening a storefront restaurant in Anthem, a master-planned community north of Phoenix.

The restaurant, taking residence in a former Pizza Hut at 3632 W. Anthem Way off Interstate 17, is expected to open in late May, said owner Sam Alboy. This will be the restaurants fifth location; the others are in Tucson and Sahuarita.

Alboy said the move is the companys baby step to expanding into the Phoenix market.

Phoenix is such a big, vast market. We felt we could make a difference in one town and get to know (the market) and maybe expand from there, he said.

Mamas four area locations are at 850 E. Speedway, 6310 E. Tanque Verde Road, 8300 N. Thornydale Road in Marana and 15990 S. Rancho Sahuarita Blvd., Sahuarita. Details: mamasbbqtucson.com

Alboy on Monday said his next Tucson restaurant will be on the south side.

Ryan Clark steaks his claim

with new

PY Steakhouse menu

Ryan Clark rolled out a new menu this week at PY Steakhouse at Casino del Sol Resort and Casino, three months after becoming chef de cuisine of the casinos flagship restaurant.

The menu builds on Clarks already impressive body of culinary work, amassed from his time as executive chef at Lodge on the Desert and as chef of Agustin Kitchen downtown; he left that restaurant in October.

Clark, a multiple Tucson Iron Chef winner, has a reputation for taking the simple and making it sublime. Examples of this are all over his menu: a seafood chowder baked in puffed pasty is perfumed with saffron; the classic wedge salad is topped with a four-minute egg and a tart and savory bleu cheese dressing kicked into overdrive with Dragoon IPA.

Entrees include a shellfish sampler (lobster, oysters, shrimp and crab legs) for two that at $59 is among the restaurants most expensive offerings. It shares top-dollar company with several steaks from $32 to $48; a 22-ounce cowboy rib-eye for $55; and a 24-ounce porterhouse that tips the bill scale at $88.

In addition, Clarks menu includes jumbo diver scallops kissed with bacon made in-house; a half-rack of lamb drizzled with a braised-lamb Madeira reduction; and a Top Knot Farms roasted duck breast served with duck leg sausage. (Top Knot Farms is located west of Benson.)
Sofia Coppola, youve got some competition.

The class of 16 students who are about to graduate from the University of Arizona film program are talented, determined, and ready for their close-ups.

I Dream in Widescreen, the annual screening of short films by the seniors, is slated for Saturday, May 7. The movies run the gamut, from horror to drama to broken trusts to sorrow and tenderness.

This year, its a very mature set of themes and characters, says Jacob Bricca, an assistant professor in the School of Theatre, Film and Television, who guides the students in their editing class.

There are very few films about college students. They are tackling complex and very adult issues in the sense that they are things people deal with as part of life changes, beyond the ordinary concerns.

Student films cost about $2,000; scholarships are available to help, and the students must raise the balance. A big cost, equipment, is provided by the school.

Thats not a lot of money when you consider location costs  one student rented a home for an interior shot, another built a bathroom, which was the lone set piece in the movie.

A typical movie shoot takes three or four days, but the process doesnt begin and end there.

In order to get to a shoot, youve done a couple of months of heavy work on the script, says Bricca. And there are several weeks of pre-production.

After the shoot, there is editing, sound, color correction and titles.

And, finally, the big reveal at I Dream in Widescreen.

THE DIRECTORS

Matt Decker

24, Tucson, director/writer, Blue Goodbye.

Synopsis: When their father dies, two brothers try to come to terms with who he was as a parent and what he did with his life. Its loosely based on relationships Ive had, mainly with my older brother. The whole story takes place in a blue bathroom, which Decker built for the film. Theres always a bathroom in anything that I write.

Favorite movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey. I will always make time to go see it.  The opening sequence is the best Ive seen in my life.

Favorite director: Stanley Kubrick, whose works include The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Clockwork Orange.

The dream: I like writing and editing. He prefers film, but recognizes that television can be a powerful medium. I just want to tell stories. LA will be his evenutal base.

Bryan McAdams

21, Tucson, writer/director, B-Bot

Synopsis: In a world destroyed by nuclear war a toy robot searches for his best friend and happiness in this drama. The most difficult part was getting the robot to walk straight. It was a wind-up robot, and we had to help him maneuver.

When first fell in love with film: I think it started in middle school. I would get together with friends and film YouTube videos. Then I got into YouTube and got a fan base and realized this was what I wanted to do.

Favorite director: John Lassiter, an animator and director and chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios.

Favorite movie: When I was younger, I liked Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Now its anything with a good story that keeps me engaged and entertained.

The dream: I want to try animation to see if thats the path I want to take. If so, Pixar (is the dream).  I just want to be creative and be paid to do it. Decker plans to save money for a move to LA next year.

Alex Guyton

23, Phoenix, writer/director, Non-Smoking Section.

Synopsis: A teen with a rebellious streak fights against his moms need to assert her authority in this comedy. Its a battle of wills Ive seen so many times.

When first fell in love with film: I was in high school. The first film I saw that turned me on to the capabilities of the medium was The Dark Knight. 

Favorite director: Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception and Memento)

Favorite movie:  The Dark Knight, and my favorite comedy is Happy Gilmore. Neither is the best movie Ive ever seen, but still my favorites.

The dream: To be a screenwriter, write for film and television, and perhaps direct. I like suspense and mystery, but I think I would like to write a variety of different genres. He wont go to LA immediately, but eventually plans to settle there.

Ana Humphrey

23, Tucson, writer/director, Two Weeks.

Synopsis: A relationship is threatened by a young womans self-destructive behavior. I was going through a difficult breakup and it was really helpful to me to create this world that was a lot different than the relationship, but where I was in control.

When fell in love with film: The first time I watched Fargo, I thought Oh my God, this is a movie. My parents wouldnt let me watch it when I was a kid, and I stole it from my dads collection.

Favorite movie: Romance and Cigarettes, a 2005 movie directed by John Turturro. Its a very comforting movie; it feels like home.

Favorite director: Jill Soloway, a writer/director on the Amazon series Transparent. She does a lot of improvisation of dialogue and has an organic eye. Also, Paul Thomas Anderson.

The dream: Write and direct the stories I actually want to tell; stuff for the queer community, basically. An eventual move to LA, Chicago or Toronto.

Dom Villarubia

25, Tempe, writer/director, Bookends.

Synopsis: A young, fragile woman puts her family on edge. I just want to make movies about people, which I think a lot of movies dont do today.

When first fell in love with film: Its probably been forever. Even hearing people talk about them got me excited.

Favorite movie: Id see Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir, 1975) a second time.

Favorite director: Right now its Pier Paolo Pasolini. One of the late Italian directors movies is Mamma Roma (1962), which Villarubia is fond of.

The dream: Live comfortably and create films. Thats pretty much all I want to do. Hell likely head to LA.

Greg Castro

22, Overland Park, Kansas, writer/director, Blood Relations.

Synopsis: When her beloved grandfather dies, a young waitress discovers his horrifying secret. I did a lot of research on H.P. Lovecraft (horror fiction writer). ... I decided to tell my own H.P. Lovecraft-style story.

Favorite television show: A spinoff of Breaking Bad, called Better Call Saul. Its good acting and I like the themes.

Favorite director: Stanley Kubrick. When I watch his movies, I dont think about the filmmaking.

The dream: The ultimate is writing, producing television.  I like the creative and logistical parts, and to oversee the whole thing. Movies would be fine, but hes particularly interested in television.  I think TV has so much more going on right now than film. Hell move to L.A. after graduation.

Juan Ruiz

21, Tucson, writer/director, School for Demons.

Synopsis: A young high school student, who has a big chip on her shoulder and goes everywhere with her not-too-competent demon, finds she must be tutored by the stuck-up smart girl in the class. The main character is very close to who I was in high school; I alienated myself from everybody. The film became self-cleansing.

Favorite movie: For inspiration in creature and costume design, just everything, I think the Alien movies. That was a legendary series.

Favorite director: There isnt one director I like 100 percent. But to some extent I like Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight) for his unique style. And I admire Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy) for his details and special effects makeup.

The dream: The number one goal is to make my own movies. I have so many ideas in my mind. Im always imagining shots and dialogues and characters. Its almost an addiction. Hell stay in Tucson to save money, then move to Washington state or New York City.

Eric Webster

22, Tucson, writer/director, The Magician.

Synopsis: A man tracks down the killer of his daughter only to discover revenge isnt as sweet as he thought. I was interested in the idea of obsession and the idea of stalking someone.  I was interested in the in-between space, the space between the event and the revenge.

When first fell in love with film: I was 11 years old. It was my dads birthday and the whole family went to see War of the Worlds. I sat in the theater and I was completely terrified. But as soon as I got home, I wanted to know everything I could about the movie. It was the first moment I realized movies were made by whole teams of people.

Favorite directors: Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood), Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers, Coffee and Cigarettes).

Favorite movie: There Will Be Blood, a 2007 drama directed by Anderson. I was way too young to understand it, but it opened up a lot of possibilities for me. Thats why Anderson has a special place in my heart.

The dream: I would love to write and direct my own material. Ive written a few things I would like to get made. Film and TV both offer unique ways to tell stories.  Im more interested in dramatic, darker material. Im kind of into horror. He is LA bound after graduation.

Kaylah Rasmussen

22, Tucson, director/producer, The Anatomy of Risk.

Synopsis: The drama is about a young man who fears his bride-to-be will reject him if he reveals a secret he has. Fellow student Owen Lewis wrote the script. It was my goal to make it as close to the script as possible.

When first fell in love with film: Ive always loved film. I started making them in the sixth grade  making movies with friends, or by myself.

Favorite director: Steven Spielberg. Most of my favorite movies have been by him. I like playing with fantasy, where everything around you is believable.

Favorite movies: Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones, both directed by Spielberg. I tend to watch those often.

The dream: If I could do anything, I would direct films that can share my Christian faith. When you watch them, you dont see it as a Christian film, but a universal film. Shell move to LA after graduation.

Matthew Ramirez

24, Tucson, writer/director, Piper in the Woods.

Synopsis: Research students claim to be turning into plants and a university psychologist is sent to investigate. Shot at the lush rain forest of Biosphere 2. Based on a Philip K. Dick short story. Sci-fi movies and books are to my taste, so I gravitated to this story. It talked about who you are and where you are going, and told it in such a way that I immediately saw a visual way to tell the story.

Favorite movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Favorite directors: George Lucas , Christopher Nolan.

The dream: I want to direct, hopefully edit, and keep writing. He'll stay in Tucson for now and build his writing portfolio.

OTHER CREATIVES ON THE FILMS

Cora Beckett

22, Tucson, editor on Anatomy of Risk.

When first fell in love with film: Growing up, I had favorite films (Harry Potter was one) and watched them on loops over and over; they were like comfort food.

Favorite directors: Stanley Kubrick, Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), David Lynch (Blue Velvet, Eraser Head).

Favorite movie: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, a 2014 Iranian horror film directed by Ana Lily Amirpour.

The dream: To shoot, direct and edit independent documentaries about social justice issues. After graduation, she and her sister will move to New York and start a production company.

Jiaxin Zheng

22, Chengdu, China, editor, School for Demons.

When first fell in love with film: I preferred to study music, but my parents didnt support me, so I chose a related industry. I was thinking in the future I could do music videos, but after I started, I loved it and I forgot about my original idea. I love editing and documentaries.

Favorite documentaries: Gimme Shelter, Whores Glory. Whores Glory, directed by Michael Glawogger, is a 2012 documentary studying the lives of prostitutes from Thailand, Bangladesh and Mexico. They arent treated as humans, and they should be. They should be respected as humans.

Favorite directors: David and Albert Maysles, directors of Gimme Shelter, the 1970 documentary about The Rolling Stones 1969 U.S. tour.

The dream: I really want to be an editor. I love to put pieces together. Other than that, I want to do documentaries  I want to show the real world to the audiences. Shell move to LA and hopes to work with an international film company that can make use of her knowledge of both the Chinese and American cultures.

Robert Upchurch

22, cinematographer on Two Weeks, B-Bot, and Non-Smoking Section.

When first fell in love with film: I cant remember that far back; Ive always been in love with it. Originally I wanted to be an actor, then I learned about the other roles in (making) films and the acting bug went away.

Favorite director: Denis Villeneuve, director of Sicario and the upcoming Blade Runner sequel. He has a really good understanding of cinematography. His films are beautifully shot and I really admire the camera movement in his films.

Favorite movie: Too many to name.

The dream: I want to be a producer. I want to be more hands on working with a script through development. ... Im also open to new dreams. Hell move to either LA or Toronto after graduation.

Dillon Ramage

23, Sierra Vista, sound editor/mixer on Two Weeks, Blue Goodbye and Bookends.

He did not direct because I didnt have a script I really liked. And I got to work with people I had worked well with in the past.

When first fell in love with film: I always liked watching movies, but didnt fall in love with them until I was in high school. I watched American Beauty with a friend and had never seen anything like it. I realized the storytelling and art in movies.

Favorite director: Im a big fan of David Lynch. The stories are very surreal, and theres always something underneath. Hes so mysterious.

Favorite movie: My Own Private Idaho, a 1991 film directed by Gus Van Sant.

The dream: Im figuring it out as I go along. I didnt know I would study film; I kind of fell into it. I want to do something creative, whatever the art form may be. Im really interested in photography. If he does go into making movies, he would like to do independent movies with queer themes. This summer hell commute to Phoenix to work on a feature film.

Gilbert Rataezyk

25, Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, cinematographer on The Magician, Bookends and Blood Relations.

When first fell in love with films: Probably in middle school. My dad worked at a school in Saudi Arabia and one of his jobs was to make a video for the graduating students, and  I was exposed to what he was doing.  And my family had a big interest in the behind the scenes in films. Sometimes, before we would watch movies, we would look at the behind-the-scene footage.

Favorite cinematographer: Larkin Seiple. He works a lot in music videos and does a lot with a great director named Hiro Murai. ...The work they do together is just spectacular. Then theres the director of photography for feature films Alwin Kuchler. He was the director of photography on Steve Jobs. I just love his work; his ability to immerse himself in the story is really great and he can convey an emotional story visually.

Favorite movie: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, 2006 directed by Tom Tykwer. The thriller is so well captured visually. The story was great and I fell in love with the music.

The dream: To continue working as a director of photography on narrative films, and possibly go into music videos. He expects hell eventually move to LA.

Owen Lewis

21, Tucson, writer, Anatomy of Risk.

Genesis of the story, about a young man with a secret hes scared to reveal: I wrote the story last summer after having an argument with my girlfriend. Its easy for me to feel judged by people, and that translated into there has to be vulnerability.

When first fell in love with film: I was probably 9 or 10. I watched the making of The Odyssey on DVD. I thought it was really cool.

Favorite film: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 2010 fantasy film about a young man who must defeat evil forces to win a womans heart.

Favorite director: Edgar Wright, whose films include Scott Pilgrim and Shaun of the Dead.

The dream: To live in a small cabin somewhere in the woods  probably Finland  and write novels. Hell soon marry and theyll stay in Tucson while he continues to write.
An enormous Douglas fir tree  more than 100 feet tall and possibly 300 years old  has toppled to the ground near a trail high in the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson.

The towering tree, which had drawn the attention and admiration of generations of passing hikers on the Meadow Trail, might have been blown down by wind, say scientists with the University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research.

While the fallen trees apparent age was impressive, it was far younger than the oldest known Douglas fir still growing in the Catalinas  one that dates from the year 1320.

What felled it?

The downed tree, which could have been growing in the mountain forest well before the United States became a nation, apparently fell to the ground recently, based on the appearance of its bark and still-green needles.

Weve had a lot of wind lately, so it wouldnt surprise me if this was a result of wind, said William Wright, a research associate at the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. And the tree might have had a rotten center  weakening it.

Rex Adams, a retired senior research associate with the laboratory, examined photos of the tree and said it looked like it had heart rot. That can happen with the bigger, older trees.

What that means, Adams said, is that fungal pathogens start working on the heart wood. Thats the wood that gives the tree the strength to stand up.

When the heart rot reaches a certain point and the wood becomes weak, a strong wind can bring the tree down, Adams said.

That big tree was surrounded by smaller, younger trees, he said. It was probably the one catching the high winds.

A SCENIC LOSS

Hikers who have walked the Meadow Trail near the top of Mount Lemmon have passed the tree, which grew on a slope above the trail. Many have stopped to admire and photograph it over the years.

It was a bit of scenic splendor  now lost and lamented.

OLDEST Douglas fir

Adams and Wright of the Tree-Ring Laboratory, often trekking in rugged terrain, have searched out some of the oldest trees in the Catalinas.

In 1998, Wright found what is believed to be the oldest living Douglas fir specimen in the range  a tree that was dated to the year 1320 by means of thin core samples that dont damage trees.

One might imagine that a Douglas fir that was living 172 years before Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas would be gigantic.

Not so.

Its only 20 to 30 feet tall and 18 or 20 inches in diameter, Wright said. The oldest ones tend to be much shorter than younger ones because they often survive in somewhat inhospitable but protected sites.
Taiwan Star Wars Day

A fan, right, laughs as he teaches a fan dressed as a Star Wars character how to pose for a photo call as they cerebrate the Star Wars Day in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. May 4 is known as Star Wars Day among fans worldwide since the date sounds phonetically similar to the franchise's slogan: "May the Force Be With You." (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
Louder Than Bombs, the English-language debut from Norwegian director Joachim Trier (Reprise; Oslo, August 31st) starts by introducing us to Jonah (Jesse Eisenberg), a young academic whose wife has just given birth to their first child. Wandering the hospital in search of food following the delivery, he stumbles randomly across his old high school girlfriend Erin (Rachel Brosnahan from Manhattan). Her mother has just passed away from cancer. In a bumbling attempt to explain what hes doing in the hospital, Jonah only manages to get out Well, my wife ... Assuming the worst because of her recent experience, Erin embraces him and offers her sympathies. Unexpectedly happy for the intimate contact and too embarrassed to correct her, Jonah doesnt bother telling the truth. This tiny encounter is representative of Louder Than Bombs as a whole. The film is a glum but vivid paean to sadness and griefone in which peoples own myopic emotions frequently blind them to what others are saying, feeling and doing.

Three years before that emblematic encounter in the hospital, Jonahs mother Isabelle (French legend Isabelle Huppert) died in a car crash. Its an incident most people now acknowledge was more suicidal than accidental. Isabelle was a famous photojournalist with a habit of hanging out in international war zones and capturing the worst of human atrocities. It is this constant exposure to death and indifference that may have contributed to Isabelles premature passing.

In addition to Jonah, Isabelle left behind her husband Gene (Gabriel Byrne), a former actor now trying to break out of his shell of grief and reconnect with his youngest son, Conrad (newcomer Devin Druid). Conrad seems like your typical alienated high schooler. But are the nights spent hiding in his room playing video games just typical teenage ennui or a mask for the confusion and pain hes felt since his mothers death.

With a major museum retrospective of Isabelles work looming in New York City, Jonah shows up to help sort through his moms personal effectswhich have been sitting untouched in the family home since her death. But even this simple gesture is tinged with a hidden sense of despair. What is Jonah doing moping around his sad-sack father and surly younger brother when his lovely wife has just given birth?

Trier (who also co-wrote the screenplay) chooses to tell this story in poetic terms, drifting occasionally into the minds of its characters, allowing them to narrate the film for a period of time and giving vision to their dreams, fantasies and memories. Even with its knotted-up storylines of loss, pain, infidelity, suicide and depression, the drama is slow-simmering. Trier stirs the pot gently, allowing each of the three main characters to drift to the surface organically, concentrating on each for a short while before moving on to the next. Rather than spell out a short, easy path to emotional catharsisas is generally par for the course on this kind of filmTrier simply lets the characters and their situations speak for themselves.

Trier is an observer, not a manipulator. In crafting each scenebe it a long-brewing confrontation between father and son or the hazy memory of a dearly departed mother and wifeTrier includes a wealth of rich details. Although the overall arc of the film is miniscule, individual scenes are beautifully complex. How much effort you put into picking apart each scene will determine how much you actually get out of this film, however. Since the filmmaker declines to offer much in the way of answers, explosions or conclusions, many audience members will find the overall effect too melancholic and unresolved.

The acting is both pained and precise. Byrnes intensely Irish face seems particularly suited for this kind of grief porn. Huppert, though reduced to a string of flashbacks, is never less than mesmerizing on screen. Amid the impressive cast (which also includes Amy Ryan and David Strathairn) Jesse Eisenberg stands out the most. Probably because his deeply understated acting is in such stark contrast to his last bout of uncharacteristically awful scenery-chewing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In truth, though, hes done better work (in Noah Baumbachs tonally similar The Squid and the Whale, for one). This is probably the fault of the screenplay, which works fine on a scene-by-scene basis, but is almost too diffuse in the long run to sweep audience members up in its trajectory. For now, anyway, well chalk Joachim Trier up as a fine director with an eye for the small stuff but a middling screenwriter with a blind spot for the bigger picture.
Tucson Pops Orchestra is kicking its annual Mothers Day Concert in the Park into overdrive with a world premiere and a special violin solo.

Its also inviting Arizona Balalaika Orchestra to sing the popular Russian tune Moscow Night. The concert on Sunday, May 8, launches the Pops Orchestras 62nd annual springtime Music Under the Stars parks series, which runs Sunday evenings through June 5 at DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center in Reid Park, East 22nd Street and South Country Club Road. Concerts begin at 7 p.m. and admission is free, although donations are accepted.

The orchestra will present five concerts this spring:

May 8  Mothers Day: The Balalaika also will join Concertmaster Michael Fan on A. Tsygankovs Mar Dysandra. The program includes the world premiere of Hungarian composer Andras Derecskeis Arizona Promenade; Derecskei is studying composition at the University of Arizona. Wolframs March Laszlo in honor of Pops Conductor Laszlo Veres, Hungarian Dance No. 5 and 6, and selections from The Sound of Music round out the program.

May 15  Stars of the Future: Emerging young artists are in the spotlight including cellist Jun Lee performing Saint Saens Cello Concerto No. 1; and Meghan Clair Crownhart, Emily Gray and Liam Boyd perform an intricate Irish dance to the Lord of the Dance performed by the orchestra. Also on the program, Coplands Hoe Down and Saturday Night Waltz, and selections from Fiddler on the Roof and West Side Story.

May 23  Vocalist Katherine Byrnes is the guest artist, performing You Make Me Feel So Young, Strike up the Band, Embraceable You and other popular tunes. Also, Sibeliuss Finlandia, music from the movie Frozen and Listzs Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6.

May 29  Memorial Day Concert: The annual Memorial Day concert is the highlight of the spring series, featuring a trio of John Philip Sousas most popular songs  Yankee Doodle, The Washington Post March and Stars and Stripes Forever. Other patriotic songs on the program are Salute to Armed Forces, a special tribute to late Tucson Pops board member and Air Force veteran Jim Wheeler and Curnows Where Never Lark or Eagle Flew.

June 5  Violin duo: Violinists George Blum and Jose Moore perform Gottschalks lively Celebre Tarantelle on a program that includes Tchaikovskys 1812 Overture  Veress go-to season finale for years now. Nine members of the audience will be selected to participate as the cannon fire  each holding a drum and waiting for their cue.

For more information on the orchestra, visit tucsonpops.org

Meanwhile, Veress other orchestra, Arizona Symphonic Winds, kicks off its annual spring Music in the Park series on May 14. Concerts are held at 7 p.m. Saturdays at Udall Parks Laszlo Veres Amphitheater, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road.

This is the volunteer groups 27th season of performing free concerts of overtures, light classical music, Great American Songbook standards and Broadway show tunes. Admission is free, but as with the Pops Orchestra, donations are accepted.

The season:

May 14  Stars of the Winds: Winds members perform the quartet from Verdis opera Rigoletto, on a program that also includes overtures, marches and Broadway musical tunes.

May 21  Stars of the Future: The lineup includes performances by a 9-year-old violinist and a 12-year-old trumpeter.

May 28  An Evening with John Philip Sousa: Tuba soloist Mathew Tropman, who teaches at the University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music, performs Carnival of Venice. Works by Sousa, Bernstein and a special tribute to the Armed Forces are also planned.
The thousands expected to gather in the Tucson Convention Center arena for the National Day of Prayer are following in Father Kinos footsteps.

Organizers with Christian nonprofit 4Tucson and the Arizona National Day of Prayer hope anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 people will assemble Thursday evening for prayer, worship and the premiere of a 30-minute film chronicling Tucsons Christian heritage, along with an appearance by Mayor Jonathan Rothschild.

The intent of the film is to explore our history and the legacy of people who have impacted the fabric of our city as it is today and to inspire future action, said Evan Grae Davis, the director of the film A City and a Church Rise Together.

Those people include the Rev. Eusebio Francisco Kino, the Rev. Oliver Comstock Sr., the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Josephine Hughes, among others.

In the film, 14 local artists share work inspired by the faith stories of these historic Tucsonans. Elizabeth von Isser, for example, painted a white peony with splashes of scarlet on the petals to represent Comstocks work with tuberculosis patients. Elmer Yazzie depicted the Sisters of Carondelet rising from the ground, reaching toward heaven.

I wanted to capture the grandeur of the Southwest and the Sonoran Desert, said Domingo DeGrazia, a Spanish-style guitarist who composed an original song for the film. I wanted to have a little bit of lament and yearning, certainly something to capture the struggles Father Kino would have had.

DeGrazias father, the late artist Ettore Ted DeGrazia, was known for his paintings of Father Kino, who is credited with introducing the Christian gospel to the region.

A corresponding book of these stories should be published this fall.

United for Tucson, along with the film, is meant to inspire attendees to pray about what to ask God for Tucsons future, based on how he has prompted people to act in the past, said Brian Goodall, the director of 4Tucsons prayer domain and one of the organizers of United for Tucson.

The free event transcends denominations and congregations on a scale that local faith leaders say they have not before seen. Goodall noted that unlike other Christian conferences and concerts with big names attracting a diversity of denominations, the only draw to United for Tucson is a desire to pray for the city.

This is perhaps the biggest public event hosted by 4Tucson, an organization founded by The Oasis Church pastor Mark Harris more than five years ago to unite Christians for the benefit of the city.

Most churches look at their purpose to serve the people that go to the church, said Harris, executive director of 4Tucson. They dont look at the purpose that they exist for the city.

With a background in starting local churches, Harris saw individual lives changed through new congregations, but he rarely saw that improve larger problems facing the community. Through prayer, he realized change would require mobilizing individuals, engaging the whole community and crossing denominational lines.

So 4Tucson identified 22 areas of focus, from poverty to education to water, and began encouraging laypeople and churches to become educated and involved in community issues. Some of 4Tucsons projects so far include connecting churches to schools to help with clean-up or refurbishment and working with the Arizona Department of Child Safety to improve child welfare, Harris said.

Theyre looking to do good in the sense of working to end homelessness and assure kids are in school and basic values of society are taught to children, Rothchild said.

About 4,000 Christians are involved in more than 50 projects so far.

Were trying to get people to pray for our city, fall in love with our city and join other Christians in finding real, lasting sustainable solutions to some of the problems, Harris said. Were trying to be the catalyst to make that happen.

United for Tucson is the biggest display of that thus far, bringing together congregations that might normally host individual National Day of Prayer gatherings.

There is a movement happening, said Glen Elliott, the lead pastor at Pantano Christian Church. Elliott, who has been at Pantano for 18 years, will lead prayer at the event. When I first came here, I couldnt get pastors to talk together. That is changing. I feel like Im watching something historical happen in Tucson, and Im not one for overstatements.

The Rev. Lois Blei, Arizonas director for the National Day of Prayer, said she knows of nothing to this scale happening anywhere else in the state.

Sound, lighting, facility use and parking are costing the two organizations about $20,000. Attendees pay nothing, though donations are being accepted to cover the price tag for the volunteer-run event, Goodall said.

As of now, there are no plans to make this a tradition, he added. Instead, organizers hope laypeople catch their vision this time around.
Customs agents in Nogales seized three handguns hidden in an SUV that was crossing into Mexico.

On Wednesday, agents at the Port of Nogales sent an Audi SUV to a secondary inspection, where they found three handguns with magazines hidden under the vehicle's front seat, according to a press release from Customs and Border Protection.
A prominent Marana businessman was shot and injured at a family business Wednesday morning, Town Mayor Ed Honea has confirmed.

John Kai Jr. is in stable condition at Banner-University Medical Center Tucson, authorities say.

Marana police are asking the public for help in finding a man wanted for questioning in the shooting.

Detectives are searching for Ruben Duran Munoz, 63, who is described as an investigative lead, said Sgt. Chris Warren, a Marana Police Department spokesman.

Officers were dispatched shortly after 11 a.m. to Kai Construction at 6088 W. Arizona Pavillions Drive to a report of a shooting, Warren said.

The business is near Interstate 10 and North Cortaro Road. It is the office for the Kai family's multiple businesses, Honea said. The family  considered a founding family in Marana  has agricultural, real estate, construction and other interests in the area, and is one of Marana's largest land holders. John Kai is the brother of Marana Town Councilman Herb Kai.

"I have no idea what happened," Honea said. "I was shocked that it did happen. I have known John Kai all my life. It's an open investigation and we do not have any information."

Police found the victim shot at the office. The shooter fled before police arrived, Warren said.

Warren would not say if the victim and the person of interest know each other.

Kai suffered a serious wound, possibly life-threatening, said Capt. Brian Keeley of Northwest Fire District, whose paramedics treated him at the scene and took him to the hospital.

Detectives ask that anyone with information on Munoz's whereabouts call Marana police at 382-2000 or 88-CRIME.
Tucson police identified a teen who was fatally shot in midtown Wednesday afternoon.

Sephaul Booker, 15, was pronounced dead in a parking lot in the 3700 block of East Fourth Street, near North Alvernon Way, said Sgt. Kimberly Bay, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.

Shortly before 4:30 p.m., police responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting and when officers arrived they found the teen with obvious signs of trauma, Bay said.

Officers performed CPR on the boy until Tucson Fire Department paramedics arrived and took over treatment. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene, Bay said.

Detectives did not release any information about the shooting, including a description of a suspect. Detectives were working the case late last night, said Bay.

Investigators ask that anyone with information about the shooting call 911 or 88-CRIME, the anonymous tipster hotline.
The owners of a northwest-side massage business were arrested and are facing money laundering and prostitution charges as a result of a local, state and federal investigation, authorities said Wednesday.

Charles Krause, 69, and Wenjuan Krause, 61, owners of Tui-Na Massage, were booked into the Pima County jail, both on suspicion of one count each of money laundering and receiving earnings of a prostitute, and running a house of prostitution, said Sgt. Pete Dugan, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.

On Tuesday, investigators of the police department's Special Investigations Division worked jointly with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the state Attorney General's Office to serve multiple warrants.

The warrants were obtained following the investigation centered on prostitution and financial crimes, said Dugan.

In October 2015, investigators followed up on information that led to Tui-Na Massage, 2840 W. Ina Road, located just east of North Shannon Road. Detectives determined that multiple women were working there performing sexual acts for money, Dugan said.

The investigation revealed that the Krauses, who are husband and wife, were aware of the illegal acts and were receiving a portion of the money received through the business, said Dugan.

In addition to the business, search warrants were served at the Krauses home in the 1500 block of West Periwinkle Place, and an additional residence associated with the owners in the 3400 block of West Bardot Street, Dugan said.

The Oro Valley Police Department also assisted in the service of the warrants. The investigation is continuing and additional charges and arrests are pending, said Dugan.

Investigators ask that anyone with information regarding this investigation call 88-CRIME.
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild increased the population of Tucson by one, at least on paper.

He made Gov. Doug Ducey an honorary resident on Wednesday, praising the Ohio-born ASU graduate for all of his work on behalf of Southern Arizona. Since taking office in January 2015, Ducey has visited Tucson 18 times.

Rothschild said Ducey was pivotal in persuading Caterpillar to open a regional headquarters in Tucson.

Ducey would take the honor in stride but not before businessman Fletcher McCusker told the audience at the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce about the time Ducey used his Eegees gift card to buy him and his aides something cool to drink.

You can never have too many reminders that there is life outside of Maricopa County, Ducey said.

Ducey primarily focused his remarks on Wednesday to promote Proposition 123, which would funnel $3.5 billion into Arizonas schools over the next decade.

The governor said he worries that a general frustration with government could be a problem for the measure, urging supporters to vote in the next two weeks in the special election.

He said not enough people understand the measure, saying it is easy to persuade them to support it once you explain how Prop. 123 works.

He also touted the budget for next year, calling it a success.

Specifically, he said the state Legislature wants to reward the states three universities and that University of Arizona will win big in terms of funding next year.

During a question-and-answer session, Ducey said there is a significant dollar number allocated for road repairs in Southern Arizona, but he couldnt recall the exact figure.

Ducey was more cautious with his remarks while talking to reporters.

He wouldnt discuss the recent news in the Republican presidential race, saying he was focused on being a full-time governor and would support the nominee.

Ive been pretty clear on this and Ive said what I want to say and that I am going to support the Republican nominee for president, he said.

As for recent dust storms that have closed portions of Interstate 10, Ducey said his administration was looking into any and all solutions.

We dont control the weather, Ducey said, noting it is a major issue affecting Interstate 10.

He said his office could bring people together to find solutions.
PHOENIX  A bid to allow some gun owners to bring their guns into public buildings has suffered a setback, perhaps a fatal one.

It was one of many issues waiting to be voted on as legislators dealt with the state budget, which was passed early Wednesday.

Here are some of the bills voted on Wednesday:

Gun legislation defeated

On a tie vote, the Senate defeated legislation that would have allowed those who have a state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon to ignore the no guns signs on many government buildings.

The defeat came even after Sen. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, said the signs are useless and that criminals already ignore them.

But backers of the measure, led by the Arizona Citizens Defense League, were making a last-minute push to convince at least two foes to change their minds to provide the required 16 votes to send the measure to the governor.

Current law allows the operators of government buildings to declare their facilities to be gun-free zones by posting signs at entrances and providing lockers so those who are armed can store their guns.

SB 1257 would overrule that, saying that government agencies would have to buy and install metal detectors and have security guards at all public entrances. More to the point, the failure to do that would mean that those who have concealed-carry permits could ignore the signs.

Two water measures passed

Gov. Doug Ducey is going to have to decide whether he wants to dilute provisions of state water laws.

On a 16-12 vote the Senate gave final approval to SB 1400, which requires counties that have their own water-requirements for developers to review them every five years. But it would take a unanimous vote of the Board of Supervisors to rescind the ordinance.

The potentially more far-reaching measure, SB 1268, would allow any city within either Cochise or Yuma counties to unilaterally exempt itself from the requirements. It was approved on a 17-12 vote.

Both measures now await action by Ducey who has said in speeches that ensuring Arizona has adequate water is important.

The fight has its roots in the historic 1980 Groundwater Code.

It led to the establishment of five active management areas around the state in the Phoenix, Pinal, Prescott, Tucson and Santa Cruz areas that have regulations designed to reduce groundwater pumping. A key tool is a requirement to show a 100-year assured water supply.

An amendment to that law allows counties to have similar mandates, with Cochise and Yuma having opted in.

Castle & Cooke, which hopes to put in a 7,000-home development in Sierra Vista, got such certification of assured water supply from the state Department of Water Resources. But a trial judge ruled that DWR acted improperly and did not consider the competing claims to the water, notably from the Bureau of Land Management, which is concerned about the water supply for the San Pedro River.

The Court of Appeals is considering the ruling.

But it will not matter what that court decides if SB 1268 becomes law, as it would permit the Sierra Vista council to simply declare that development within its borders is not subject to the assured water supply requirement.

Sen. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, the sponsor of both measures, read letters detailing all the city and county have done to conserve water. And SB 1268 lists specific conditions a city would have to meet to exempt itself from the county ordinance, ranging from having a plan for reuse of reclaimed water to requiring low-water use plants in public rights of way.

Pet store bill moves to governor

Local communities will lose the right to ban the sale of commercially bred animals under the terms of legislation sent Wednesday to Gov. Doug Ducey.

SB 1248 is specifically designed to overrule existing ordinances in Phoenix and Tempe that allow pet shops to sell only rescue and shelter animals. It also would short circuit similar regulations being considered in Tucson and elsewhere.

But proponents said its a good deal because it requires pet stores to ensure their suppliers abide by U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations for the breeding of dogs and cats. And that, they argued, helps ensure animals are not being mistreated.

That contention drew derision from Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson.

The USDA regulations allows (a) dogs mother to be kept in a wire cage that is six inches longer than her body and six inches taller than her body, and they can be stacked three or four high on top of each other, Farley told Senate colleagues.

Sentencing bill for illegal migrants fails

House lawmakers refused to make probation and other sentencing alternatives off limits to people in the country illegally who commit crimes.

Current law already allows judges to consider various factors in determining how long a sentence to impose. One of those is the immigration status of the offender.

SB 1377 sought to spell out if that is the case, a judge must impose at least the presumptive sentence for the crime. That would deny the person any chance to argue there are reasons for the court to be more lenient.

It also would have meant no option for a sentence of probation or other alternative.
Its no surprise that the new Rosemont Mine Final Biological Opinion concluded the mine wont illegally jeopardize imperiled species or destroy their habitat  or that its not proposing to stop the project.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service didnt stop a single project nationally over a seven-year period ending last year due to an endangered-species review, a recent study found.

In that time, out of 6,829 formal reviews, the service only twice found that a project would jeopardize species existence and once concluded a project would illegally destroy critical habitat, said the study, written by two Defenders of Wildlife scientists.

The study also found that despite numerous allegations by critics that the Endangered Species Act harms economic development, the wildlife service has significantly reduced the number of cases that result in findings of jeopardy or illegal habitat modification in the period this study covered compared to earlier decades.

The Rosemont Mine biological opinion, released Tuesday, concluded that while the mine would have significant adverse impacts on a dozen endangered and threatened species, the species would still be adequately protected. In part, thats because of numerous mitigation measures agreed to by Hudbay Minerals Inc., which proposes to mine the site in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson. Environmentalists and other opponents are already planning to sue to get the opinion tossed out.

A local environmentalist said the study's findings matched what she sees in environmental issues playing out in Tucson and says she believes the Endangered Species Act isn't enforced adequately. Two conservative groups, however, said the study underplayed or ignored some the act's negative economic impacts. An Arizona-based wildlife service official said he sees the lack of jeopardy and habitat destruction findings as a sign the service is doing its job properly.

The study by the Defenders of Wildlife scientists examined enforcement of the Endangered Species Acts Section 7. Its a far-reaching, highly controversial provision that requires federal agencies to examine impacts of proposed projects on species before approving them for construction.

A co-author, Yah-Wei-Li, said the study raises very serious questions in our mind about whether the wildlife service is properly enforcing Section 7.

We read many of the opinions where thousands and thousands of acres are likely to be destroyed, said Wei-Li, Defenders senior endangered species conservation director. Its very hard to imagine that of thousands of instances, theres only two examples where a project rose to the level of jeopardizing species.

Local critics of the Rosemont Mine have raised the same question about the services enforcement.

In my experience, the wildlife service, along with a number of other federal agencies, whether its EPA, the Army Corps, the Forest Service or the National Park Service, are all very cautious due to the efforts on behalf of the regulated community to develop projects, said Christina McVie, the Tucson Audubon Societys conservation chair. The fact that many species such as the Florida panther and the Mexican wolf have not recovered belies the argument that the act is having an adverse impact on business or serving the species it was intended to serve.

Representatives of two conservative groups said the study didnt adequately portray the species acts economic impacts, particularly that of a federal review in the late 2000s that triggered major cutbacks in irrigation water deliveries in Californias Central Valley to protect the endangered Delta smelt.

The study also doesnt cover many projects that never get off the ground because their proponents dont want to go through the trouble of dealing with the reviews, said Brian Seasholes, endangered species director for the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank.

The Central Valley Project is the biggest irrigation project on the globe. The effect of the Section 7 review has been tens to hundreds of thousands of acres of land fallowed and lots of jobs lost, said Tony Francois, a senior staff attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation, a group that fights in court on behalf of property rights and limited government.

He said the study soft-pedaled the smelt case, in saying only that the Central Valley project was allowed to proceed after mitigation measures were approved.

A wildlife service official in Phoenix, Steve Spangle, didnt dispute the studys factual conclusions. He said that by heading off jeopardy findings by negotiating with other agencies and developers, thats the way Section 7 is supposed to work.

Agencies have become used to designing projects so their effects on endangered species are minimal, he said.

The goal isnt to issue jeopardy opinions. Rather, its to avoid them by minimizing adverse effects, said Spangle, a field supervisor in the services Phoenix office.

The peer-reviewed study analyzed 81,461 informal biological reviews and 6,829 formal reviews the service conducted from January 2008 through April 2015. Published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Scientists, it found:

One biological opinion that found a project would jeopardize species and destroy habitat  a Forest Service proposal to apply fire retardants on national forests  was rejected by a court and rewritten to contain no jeopardy or habitat destruction conclusions.

The other jeopardy opinion was the Delta smelt case. Its now a national flash point for debate over the species acts impacts and the ongoing California drought. The smelt case is an anomaly, since the vast majority of projects reviewed arent nearly as controversial, Wei-Lei said.

While developers have often complained that Section 7 reviews take too long and cost them needlessly, the formal reviews lasted an average of 62 days, when theyre supposed to finish in 135 days. (The Rosemont biological review lasted much longer, from May 25, 2015 until now).

Wei-Lei said the study did dispel myths about the acts negative impacts, but that wasnt the authors main purpose for preparing it.
Help India!

By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,

A spat between the Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha belonging to the same partythe BJPmakes an interesting story. Perhaps never in the Indian politics such a situation arose.

The ruling United Progressive Alliance is certainly going to capitalize on the growing infighting in the BJP, especially at the time when it itself is under pressure over the issue of scams.

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But there is an individual within the Sangh Parivar, who is more than pleased by the wordy duel between the BJP leaders of both the Houses of Parliament. The man is none other than Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as such developments may pave the way for his rise in the party hierarchy.





Narendra Modi



True Sushma is nursing the ambition of being projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate in 2014 yet the truth is that both she and Arun Jaitley have inherent drawback. They have ended up growing further weak after the latest round over Reddy brothers.

Sushma alleges that Reddy brothers owe their induction into the B S Yeddyurappa cabinet to none else but Arun Jaitley. The other view is that it is none else but Sushma Swaraj, who played a key role in the baptization of the Reddy brothers into the party politics way back in late 1990s when she was taking on Sonia Gandhi from Bellary parliamentary constituency. Ever since then the three brothers did not look back and emerged as arguably one of the biggest mining mafia of the country. With two of the three becoming ministers in Karnataka cabinet and the third, an MLA, the Reddys have become both a liability and asset for the BJP down south. So whenever there is any trouble in Yeddyurappa government they are to be blamed.

The Reddys are known for all the wrong reasons. Opposition leaders in Karnataka allege that they head the mining mafia worth Rs 60,000 crore. Now in this era of scams the BJP is finding it excruciatingly difficult to wage a battle against corruption with Reddys in its rank.

It is in the process of getting rid of Reddys that the BJPnot just the Karnataka governmentwhich is finding itself neck deep in trouble. The party has been split apart over the issue with Lal Krishna Advani choosing not to speak on the present tussle and Atal Bihari Vajpayee physically not in the position to do so.

With Pramod Mahajan killed by his own brother in a mysterious circumstances several years back and the regional satraps like Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharati and even to some extent Rajnath Singh, completely cut to size there is vacancy at the top in the BJP.

There is no dearth of people in the party, who would like to project the lone existing regional satrap of any reckoning, Narendra Modi. True Shivraj Singh Chauhan had also been leading the party quite successfully in Madhya Pradesh but he is not as high profile a leader as Narendra Modi, who unlike Yeddyurappa is facing no trouble in running his government for the last over a decade.

In this great hour of crisis within the party a large number of even softliners would once again drift towards the Gujarat chief minister. There may be some who may argue that Modi may not be acceptable to secular parties within the National Democratic Alliance.

There are leaders within the NDA who feel that it was the riots of the 2002 which led to the defeat of the Vajpayee led government in 2004. Similarly, during the 2009 Lok Sabha election the NDA lost in almost all those states where Narendra Modi campaigned. In Bihar it did much better and won 32 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats because Nitish Kumar kept him away from the state.

But all this is now ancient history. In politics things change so fast that one can not imagine. Throughout the early 1990s Lal Krishna Advani had the similar image. He was held responsible for the movement which led to the destruction of Babri Masjid and subsequent riotings which caused the death of thousands of people and destruction of hundreds of houses, shops and mosques all over the country.

Advani became a sort of political outcast for the non-BJP parties. But by 1998 all the secular parties, including Farooq Abdullahs National Conference, Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress and Chandrababu Naidus Telugu Desam joined hands with the BJP. Initially, it was argued that they are doing so as the BJP has projected soft-liner, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as the prime ministerial candidate.

But the truth is that it was just an excuse. Since Advanis name figured in the Hawala scandal in mid-1990s, Vajpayee emerged as more suitable candidate to be projected as the Prime Minister.

Later the same secular leaders of the NDA had no problem working with the same Advani. Had the NDA won the 2004 election and replaced Vajpayee with Advani these secular parties would have no objection. This is simply because over the years Advani underwent an image makeover.

More than a decade later similar is the case with Narendra Modi. With a sizeable section of media working overtime to improve his image there would have been no problem for the others to join forces with him in the day to come.

It needs to be recalled that both Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley have no big constituencies of their own. Sushma is originally from Haryana and had non-RSS backgroundin fact she has Socialist background. Jaitley had an Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad background in Delhi University but can at best be the Rajya Sabha member.

With some secularists within the NDA and even BJP trying to projectof course with the help of mediathe Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the prime ministerial candidate the hardliner is busy working overtime to promote Narendra Modi.

The BJP has twin strategy to deal with Nitish. Notwithstanding all the protest the Bihar Chief Minister could not stop Narendra Modi from addressing a public meeting in Patna on June 13 last during the BJPs national executive. Mind it, of all the BJP leaders who addressed Modi spoke for the longest duration and he expressed his views on all the national and international issues thus making it loud and clear that he is the man in waiting.

True whatever be the media hype about Nitish Kumar the latter cannot convert his image into votes even in the bordering district of neighbouring UP. In contrast Modi has much larger acceptability all over the countryit may be just after Vajpayee or Advani.

The story that Nitish may be the likely prime ministerial candidate of the NDA in 2014 is being kept alive in the media perhaps deliberately as the Sangh Parivar do not want to lose him.

Barring the natural alliesthe Shiv Sena and Akali Dalalmost all the secular parties have left the NDA. If Janata Dal (United) too leaves, it would be a devastating blow to the BJP. Therefore, just to keep Nitish in good humour his name is repeatedly being projected by a section of media at the instance of the BJP.

True the Gujarat riots may have tarnished the image of the BJP in early part of the century. But it has provided Modi an excellent opportunity to emerge as the tallest Gen Next leader too. Just like the demolition of Babri Masjid was forgotten and forgiven for the sake of politics the Gujarat holocaust of 2002 would also be buried in the past. Modi like Advani may emerge as a big leader.


Help India!

By Twocircles.net Staff Reporter

New Delhi: Last week, a number of media outlets highlighted the Malegaon case and the subsequent acquittal of Muslim youths who had been falsely detained and called masterminds of the blasts. For a number of people, the news went on to reiterate their faith in the judicial system, and reaffirmed their views that one must be called innocent until proven guilty. For many Muslims who are still in jail over such charges, this moment presented a small beacon of hope. For Dr Jalees Ansari, such moments are the only reason to continue fighting.

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Dr Jalees Ansari, a man in his 50s now, has been waiting for his own Malegaon moment: for the past 22 years, he has been accused of orchestrating blasts from Rajasthan to Maharashtra to Hyderabad and called Dr Bomb

In December 2015, he was acquitted by the Hyderabad city metropolitan court after a 22-year wait. Ansari was alleged by CBI to be instrumental in the series of bomb blasts in city at Abids, Humayunnagar police station, Gopalapuram railway reservation centre, Madina education centre and in AP Express on December 6 and 7, 1993, to mark the first anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition. Interestingly, however, the Hyderabad police had claimed that Ansari confessed to his involvement after his arrest. His alleged confessional statement in Hyderabad case was used by prosecution to prove charges in other cases including Ajmer case in which he had been sentenced to life imprisonment.

On May 4, 2016, the Supreme Court dismissed the order passed by Special TADA court in Rajasthan in 2004 awarding a 15-year sentence to Ansari and a 20-year sentence to another accused, Abre Rehmat in relation to the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai trains. Two other accused, Jamal Alvi and Dr Habib, had already been acquitted in this regard. His lawyer, Irshad Hamid, confirmed to Twocircles.net that Ansari had indeed been acquitted of all charges in the case.

This story barely made it into the national media, and for good reason: the mainstream Media was instead occupied by the achievements of Delhi Special Cell.

The same day, the Special Cell had caught hold of 12 people, alleged to be terrorists who had been planning to attack the city. This is precisely the kind of story that the mainstream media loves: India Today, in fact, had no qualms in even saying so in its Headline. Delhi Police nabs 12 Jaish Terrorists it claimed. Let alone the fact that they have been just caught, or that there might be the tiniest of chance that the ones caught might be innocent. That is unimaginable for the media to think about.

Remember, this is the same Special Cell which, in March, couldnt manage to take cases against Abdul Karim Tunda into trial: the evidence presented by the Special Cell was deemed unsatisfactory to even take the cases in trial stage. But when News agencies compete with each other to be the Masters favourite voice, truth is likely to be the first casualty.
Help India!

Perumbavoor (Kerala) : Even as the rape and murder of a Dalit law student continued to rock the poll-bound state of Kerala, police on Thursday claimed that they are zeroing in on the culprits and the investigation is in its last stage.

Police believe that 27-year-old Jisha, whose mutilated body was found by her mother on April 28, was sexually assaluted as there were injury marks on her private parts.

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Speaking to reporters here on Thursday evening, Aluva (rural) Superintendent of Police Yatish Chandra said: The probe has entered the final stage as the questioning of people in custody is going on and the case will be cracked.

While the opposition parties in Kerala have been alleging that police have failed to make any headway in the brutal case, senior police officials seem to be certain that the investigation is on the right track.

Director General of Police T.P. Senkumar, who will be reaching here, on Thursday evening said the probe is being conducted by efficient officers, and is progressing well and in the right direction.

So far, six people have been taken into custody, including two migrant labourers.

A group of 30 police officials have been split into four teams to probe the case from different angles, including for collecting and analysing scientific evidences.

Meanwhile, several high-profile individuals visited Jishas mother Rajeshwari at a hospital where she has been admitted following the trauma caused by her daughters murder.

Among those who visited Rajeshwari were union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawaarchand Gehlot and National Womens Commission chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam.

After meeting Rajeshwari, the union minister said he would inform the Rajya Sabha about what he saw. But he refused to elaborate as the Model Code of Conduct is in force now in Kerala.

Kumaramangalam said she would meet top police and government officials to discuss the case.

But these visits have sparked off a massive row, with the ruling party and the opposition parties trading barbs. The hospital authorities have also aired their displeasure, saying the visits have been disturbing Rajeshwari.

In his Facebook post on Thursday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy alleged that Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader V.S. Achuthanandan was not honest while expressing his opinion after visiting Rajeshwari a few days back.

A video clip of the mother complaining to him (Achuthanandan) about the local legislator and the local ward councillor has gone viral, but he came out and blamed the state government. For a few votes, he has done this, Chandy alleged.

The hospital authorities also complained that the unending stream of visitors has caused more emotional disturbance to Jishas mother.

She has been with us since last Thursday. With lots of people visiting her from Tuesday, she is getting restless as she is yet to come to terms with what has happened, said a doctor who is treating Rajeshwari.

Ernakulam district collector M.G. Rajamanickam, who has opened a joint bank account in the name of Rajeshwari and himself for those wanting to help Jishas family, also slammed the visitors.

In his Facebook post the district collector said the visitors came for publicity and photo-ops.

Meanwhile, the CPI-M on Thursday began a day-and-night sit-in protest near the local police station, demanding the murder mystery be solved without further delay.

CPI-M politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan would meet Jishas mother on Friday and address the protestors.

With the political pot boiling over the murder, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala accused the opposition of politicising the case.

To politicise this as an election issue is unfair and deplorable. Yesterday, I was waylaid by the CPI-M activists when I came out of the Kollam Press Club, Chennithala told reporters on Thursday in Kochi.

You just look into the manner in which numerous cases that have been solved here by our police force. So, we are certain that this case too will be cracked, the minister added.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah asked Chief Minister Chandy to tell the people as to whats happening in the case as no action seems to have been taken by police even after a week. Shah was addressing an election rally in Pathanamthitta.

On Wednesday Jishas autopsy report was submitted to police which revealed that there were 38 wounds on her body.

Even that has led to a controversy, with complaints that the autopsy was conducted by junior doctors at the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital. It was alleged that no senior police surgeon was present then. The states health secretary has now ordered a probe into the allegation.
Help India!

Ram Puniyani

Towards the end of 2015 many a writers and accomplished eminent citizens returned their national honors; protesting against the growing atmosphere of intolerance. The list was long and this acted as a process where some introspection took place in the society. Still the ruling dispensation and its associates in the Hindu right wing politics, the RSS combine, began criticizing those who returned their awards, accusing them of being politically motivated. They were also criticized for doing so to influence the forthcoming state assembly elections in Bihar.

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Most of the awardees stood their ground as the perceptions about tolerance; freedom of expression had crossed the threshold and had undergone qualitative change. This gets confirmed in a 2015 report by US Commission for International Religious Freedom. This USCIRF is a bipartisan US Federal Government Commission. This is first of its kind in the World and is aiming at defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief in the World. The report is very scathing and points out the state of religious freedom in India. As per the report freedom in India is on a negative trajectory, religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased during 2015.

The report points out, In 2015, religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in Indiaminority communities especially Christians, Muslims and Sikhs experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment and violence, largely at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups. The report outlines the violations and points that USCRIF will continue to monitor the situation and may have to recommend to the state department that India should be kept under the country with particular concern. It is a significant report which goes on say that US Government should keep this in mind while shaping the bilateral contacts with India and future of strategic dialogues should be determined according to that.

The USCRIF suggests that the Indian Government publically rebut officials and religious leaders that make derogatory statements about religious communities. This is the crux of the matter. Those understanding Indian politics know by now more clearly than before that the leaders making derogatory comments are either directly the part of ruling party, like Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Giriaraj Singh (both minsters at center) or leading members of Parliament like Yogi Adityanath or Sakshi Maharaj. Then there are others who belong to the affiliate organizations like VHP, Bajrang Dal, which again are part of the broader Sangh Privar or more precisely RSS Combine.

When these statements derogatory to religious minorities are made some from the ruling party will come forward to say that this is not the official position of the party and stop at that. There is neither a reprimand neither demotion of the person concerned. Many have made these derogatory comments even before coming to power like Giriraj Singh but despite that they have been given the positions of power. At these times Mr. Modi, who is presented as a powerful Prime Minister keeps silent for weeks and later comes with some lame unconvincing statement, which is no setback to the one making the statement. It may a sort of pat in the back of the person.

As such it seems to be a coordinated game. Someone makes the provocative statement, and some others from RSS stable come to defend/justify him/her and some other say it is not official while Modi keeps a deliberate silence. Interestingly some statements need not sound derogatory to begin with. Hindutvas patriarch RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwats statement about shouting Bharat Mata ki Jai (Hail mother India) is very revealing. First; he said that we should teach the younger generation to say this. Then he took a step back saying it should not be compulsory. In response to this Asaduddin Owaisi of MIM gave and unwarranted statement that he will not say so even if a knife is put on his throat. To take the story further Maharashtra Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said it is a must for all those who want to stay in India. As a matter of fact this is a subtle intimidation of the religious minorities who dont worship anybody but Allah as per Bharat Mata ki Jai, it becomes like hailing mother Goddess, which they say is not permitted by Islam.

The RSS fellow traveler Yoga guru and entrepreneur Baba Ramdev said that had Constitution not been there by now lakhs would have been beheaded. This is at the top rungs of society, what goes down below from this is that certain elements will ask non Hindus to shout this slogan and refusal to do that may result in unpleasant situation. The writers of report in their naivety may have given this suggestion, not knowing that currently the divisiveness in India is being spread from bottom up and the protection for these elements is coming from the top down.

This is not an enviable situation for democracy in India. The quality of democracy is to be judged by the degree of safety and security of the religious minorities. True, even earlier also anti minority violence was there but now with the BJP Government at centre the intolerance and divisiveness has undergone a sea change. What the awardees were feeling has lots of truth; the feeling of insecurity is accompanied by the gag on freedom of expression, which is going together with the intolerance.

The report has come out at a time Modi is packing his bags for a major trip to US. It is the same place where he was denied VISA for long years due to Gujarat carnage which took place when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. Will the US establishments policies change due to this report? That is a million dollar question, but as now Modi is the Prime Minster and India fits in to the scheme of things designed by US, this time around VISA will not be an issue and Mr. Modi can look forward to one more trip abroad, while such reports can keep adorning the shelves in libraries.
Seven months after the death of Alan Kurdithe little 3-year-old Syrian boy who was washed up dead on a Turkish beach,an artist from North London has started an art campaign to raise awareness about the number of Children caught up in the crisis.

Moving and evocative campaign.

The exhibition of the artists work instead of being placed ingallerieswill be placed in cafes around London so ordinary people can learn more about the plight of these children. The number of children caught up in the war have more than doubled in the last year, according to a recent UNICEF report.

This moving and evocative Art campaign imagines Alans life as it could have been lived if, he had survived and joined his relatives in Canada.

A misplaced child.

Utilizing photos of Alans lifeless body, the title of the campaign "Misplaced Child" refers to his misfortune to have been born in the place at the wrong time. The photo shots imagine Alan doing ordinary things any child in the West might hope to experience such as building his first snowman with friends and going to a funfair.

Turkey, Bodrum 2015.

Alan Kurdi was found dead near the Turkish resort of Bodrum on 2 September 2015. According to new social media analysis, his image made global headlines within hours after photographs of his body were taken by a Turkish journalist Nilufer Demir and quickly spread around the world.

Something about that photo.

BBC News reported that when the photo of the dead boy made headlines, that it was as if the whole world suddenly "seemed to care". It went on to quote Alan Kurdi's aunt Tima who said that there was something about that first photo and that she felt "God put the light" in it to help "wake up the world."

Anonymous artist.

The artist prefers to remain anonymous in order to retain the focus on the child victims involved in this conflict.

The artist will donate part of the money from each sale to childrens charities and there will be charity donation boxes at the exhibitions. The campaign will kick off in Stoke Newington, London at a small cafe called Petit Coin near the artists' studio on date 28 April till 26 June.
To begin with, I was very hungry. In fact, I was so hungry that my mood was tipping toward anger. My partner, Diego, and I cut a route up a quickly darkening Central to the university area's Naruto. In what seems to be an aggressive move I'll never quite understand, Naruto, a relatively new addition to Albuquerque's ramen scene, opened practically right next door to O Ramen, the Studio Ghibli-accented ramen restaurant that has been around for a few years. The concentration of ramen houses across the street from UNM has raised hopeful speculation of the genesis of a ramen corridor  just keep your fingers crossed.

Naruto, which opened its doors in 2015, is the venture of Hiro and Shohko Fukuda, the family behind Santa Fe's successful Shohko Cafe. At Naruto (it's namesake, an adolescent manga ninja warrior. Yes!) the two are slinging authentic Japanese fare with an emphasis on tonkotsu style ramenmade with a pork bone broththat's endemic to Kyushu, Japan's biggest and most southwesterly island. The small, colorful and handwritten food menu consists of several varieties of tonkotsu, a vegetable ramen, fried rice options and gyoza. Comparatively, their alcohol menu is extensive. Imported beers, a huge range of hot and cold sakes and plum wine. If you don't want to catch a buzz, your options are limited to fountain drinks or green tea.

There were few seating options left around dinnertime on a weeknightso Diego and I cozied up to the bar, which looked inward toward the kitchen. Textiles and lamps made of wood and paper hung from the ceiling; bamboo screens divided the space nicely. Impatiently, I drank water from a cup frequently refilled by our very pleasant waiter and, in probably what was an annoying byproduct of having skipped lunch, I stared desperately at the kitchen staff while they worked.

Soon a large porcelain bowl of vegetable ramen found its way to my sliver of the bar. Floating in the broth was a heaping serving of slender wheat noodles, bok choy, black mushroom and red pepper. Nestled near the rim were three perfectly symmetrical slices of tofu. I wasn't tracking the sensations and tastes well in my feeding frenzy, but ever the critic, I noted that the broth was bland and very oily and the amount of vegetables, in a dish that relies on them, were too few. Diego was irritated by having to pay extra for spice, served on the side in the form of what the waiter told us was a jalapeno paste (that's the extreme hot option, $1 extra). His scrawl in the margin of my notebook in bulleted comments states: tofu too soft, noodles overcooked. My less nuanced take on the experience: a solid so-so.

Yet fear not, dear reader, that unhappy encounter is not where this review ends. Soothed by snacks, I went again to Naruto for lunch on a Monday. Emptier now, I had my choice of seats. From the menu's list of add-ons, I opted to add nori and kimchi to the $6.95 tagged ramen price. Seventy-five cents for two thin pieces of seaweed? Why not? $1 for kimchi? OK. This time around, the ramen was excellent. The vegetablesand they were plentifultasted fresh, unseasoned (that's not a criticism) and of great quality. The bok choy was almost buttery, the black mushrooms added texture, the red pepper was crisp. The kimchi was uniquely sweet. I would have happily taken a whole bowl and made it my main dish. Again, the waitstaff was exceedingly prompt, kind and accommodating. My food arrived quickly and when I was done, my check just as fast.

Despite the insights earned from the Fukudas years of running Shohko Cafe, Naruto, independently, is still a fledgling business. As such, it is good, but inconsistent. It seems that, while the front of the house has their end of the business in order, the kitchen is still figuring it out, particularly during busy dinner hours. There's tremendous potential in the foundations already apparent at Naruto. In the manga, the unassuming character of Naruto Uzumaki has the spirit of a powerful fox sealed within his body, it's what makes him special and is a wellspring for his power. There's a metaphor here that I'm grasping at, and it probably isn't hard to infer. Naruto has impeccable core ideals that may reveal it to be, down the road, great. For now, it is still the unremarkable village boy.
Young and innovative designers in China thrive Updated: 2016-05-05 08:09 By Xu Jingxi(China Daily)

A man tries out a VR (virtual reality) game at the 119th China Import and Export Fair, or the Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province, April 15, 2016. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Young product designers in China are on the cusp of rapid growth as the domestic manufacturing sector craves innovation and homegrown brands.

"It is easier for young designers to create products that would appeal to their contemporaries who are becoming a major force as consumers," said Huang Junyi, a 24-year-old graphic designer.

"Many online platforms help design students and fresh graduates to seek business opportunities, which encourages young designers to start their own businesses," said Huang, who co-founded GRI Creative Studio earlier this year.

Selected for the PDC Design Talent program, a scheme run by the Canton Fair Product Design and Trade Promotion Center, Huang was provided a booth free of charge to display his works to companies and buyers attending the ongoing fair.

The program is open to designers aged under 35 who have studied or worked in the design industry for three to five years. It selects eight outstanding applicants to participate in the design exhibition at a session of the Canton Fair.

Michel Millot, 73, a renowned industrial designer from France and one of the first designers who took part in the PDC exhibition, said he hopes to see more young Chinese designers at the fair.

"The Canton Fair, where you can find all kinds of products, is a paradise for designers because what we want more than anything else is to design a variety of products," the founder of Millot Design told China Daily.

"A common problem in the design education across the globe is the lack of teaching that could show designers how to work with engineers," said Millot, who teaches courses at universities in France, Canada and South Korea.

"Young designers can learn a lot at the Canton Fair through exposure to all kinds of products and the opportunity to communicate with manufacturers," he said.

Meng Chao was selected for the PDC Design Talent program right after graduating from Tsinghua University in 2013 with a degree in industrial design. His creative design of a curved sofa attracted much attention. He was invited again to participate in the design exhibition at the Canton Fair the following two years.

Last year, Meng came to the Canton Fair with his co-founded original furniture brand Yuso, which has an average monthly sales of 400,000 yuan ($61,800) on Taobao, the largest shopping website in China.

Meng attributed the rapid development of his business to the Canton Fair.

"Displaying my works at the Canton Fair is very different from displaying at school. At first I just had a miniature of the curved sofa to show and with so many buyers interested in my design, I really wanted to materialize it," Meng recalled.

"And the manufacturers I built contacts with at the trade fair helped me, solving one of the biggest difficulties confronting design startups."
China will not manipulate currency for trade advantage Updated: 2016-05-05 09:51 (Xinhua)

BEIJING - China will not try to devalue the yuan to seek a trade surplus as market-determined renminbi rates and balanced international trade are in the country's interest.

The US Department of the Treasury last week included China on its "Monitoring List" in a semiannual report to the Congress, as China runs "a significant bilateral trade surplus with the United States" and "a material current account surplus."

The Treasury said it will closely monitor and assess the economic trends and forex policies of the listed countries and regions to make sure they do not pursue policies that give them an unfair competitive advantage.

Chinese leaders have made repeated pledges that the world's top goods trader will never boost exports by devaluing the yuan.

In fact, China's huge trade surplus is a result of growing external demand thanks to economic recovery in the United States and some European countries.

The gains were also caused by the waning value, not volume, of China's imports, mainly due to persistent weak commodity prices.

For instance, the volume of China's crude oil and iron ore imports increased 8.8 percent and 2.2 percent in 2015, while their prices dropped 40 percent and 39 percent.

In addition, developed countries' export controls on expensive high-tech products headed for China also contributed to their trade deficits.

China is trying to boost imports to balance its foreign trade as a huge surplus and the subsequent rise in forex reserves may hurt the central bank's flexibility when making monetary policy.

To that end, the State Council, China's cabinet, has rolled out measures to expand the import of advanced equipment, key components and daily consumer goods, and to streamline the trade process.

In a broader sense, China is implementing structural reforms to rebalance its economy to rely more on household consumption, which will boost domestic demand for high-end goods from foreign countries.

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee agreed at a meeting last week that the government should keep the yuan's exchange rates "largely stable."

The decision-making body promised to gradually establish an exchange rate mechanism based on market supply and demand with a two-way floating and flexibility feature.

China's economic fundamentals rule out substantial depreciation of the yuan and support the long-term stability of the currency.

Despite hardships, the country's GDP expansion maintained steam in the first quarter of 2016 with signs of improving growth quality.

A stable currency serves the interest of both China and its trading partners. China will not manipulate it.
Self-taught poet overcomes disability Updated: 2016-05-05 07:56 By Zhu Lixin And Ma Chen Guang In Fuyang, Anhui(China Daily)

Typing with her jaw, woman creates works that resonate with readers in print and on the internet

Wang Yajing taps out some words on a keyboard to greet those who message her online. Unable to use her fingers, she employs her jaw and a computer mouse to send her reply.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at her birth in 1992 in Fuyang city, East China's Anhui province, Wang has written fairy tales, novels and more than 4,000 poems.

She published her first book, an anthology of her poems, in 2012, and her first fairy tale in the Chinese journal Fairy Tale World last year. The poetry anthology resulted in stories about her in the local media, which in turn brought the young poet more fans.

Wang overcame both a physical disability, a movement disorder that affects a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture, and a lack of literary training. She has never attended a single day of school.

When she was 5, her mother Li Juan started to borrow textbooks and teach Wang at home. A year later, Wang was already able to recognize about 1,000 Chinese characters.

In the early years, though it was difficult, Wang was able to write with her left hand. One day, when she was left home alone, her pen fell to the ground. She decided to get it by herself, but fell to the ground from her chair.

She persevered, because writing provided consolation for her challenging life.

"From the names of my family members to the terribly arranged diaries, writing has been bringing me great happiness," she said.

After learning to read, she was "deeply attracted to literature" and her shelves are full of books bought by her parents or given by others as presents. Among the earliest literary works she read were Nicolai Ostrovsky's How the Steel Was Tempered and poems by some of the great Chinese poets.

"The more I read, the more interested in literature I became," Wang said.

She started typing on a secondhand computer, which was much easier for her than writing with pens and paper. Then, in 2008, Wang's grandmother bought her a new computer, as she had completely lost the ability to control her hand. "Since then, I started to use the mouse with my jaw to write poems and novels," Wang said.

She publishes her work, "one or two poems every day", on her networking website and micro blog. "Though not able to experience the daily life of most people, imagination has always been my most important source of inspiration," she said.

Local media reports about Wang have brought her opportunities to make speeches at schools and government offices. She also enjoys talking to her friends and fans on QQ, a Chinese instant-messaging service. "Lonely as I was, I never thought that one day I would have so many friends to share my happiness and tears with," she said.

She was once asked by a friend on QQ if she ever tired of writing. She responded: "Do the street lamps feel tired of lighting?"

"I write all the literary works to seek consolation for myself, not to please others, so I never feel tired of writing," Wang said.

In the wake of the role Wang has played in encouraging people, the country's Communist Youth League granted Wang the National Youth Award on Tuesday, the eve of Chinese Youth Day.

"Chasing dreams can never be called easy. To many people of my age, youth is still there, while dreams have perished. I am lucky to have them both."

Contact the writers through zhulixin@chinadaily.com.cn
US economic hegemony against world reality Updated: 2016-05-05 07:35 (China Daily)

US President Barack Obama delivers a speech during his visit to Hanover, Germany April 25, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Who should make the rules of trade for the Asia-Pacific, or indeed the entire world?

US President Barack Obama said on Monday in a written piece published in The Washington Post, "America should write the rules. America should call the shots."

He said that the rules of trade in the Asia-Pacific must be written by the United States, not China. He also criticized the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership which China is negotiating with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and some other Asian countries as not following "American interests" the way the Trans-Pacific Partnership does.

Should all the trade deals involving any country follow the US' interests in this increasingly globalized world? Obviously Obama believes they should, and further, any trade deal should be operating in favor of the US' interests.

This belief is based on the US' deep-rooted mentality of economic hegemony, which is totally contrary to the reality of today's world, at least in terms of economic development.

It is a pity that the US president chose to ignore the interests of all other people on Earth.

It is all but impossible for a single country to write the rules of trade for the development of a region or the world just to feather its own nest without ever taking into consideration the interests of its trade partners.

China has never pursued such a scenario and is strongly against such economic hegemony.

Instead, China, at which Obama pointed his finger, believes that the core principle for economic cooperation with other countries is for all parties involved to benefit on an equal basis.

The balanced and sustainable development of the global economy depends on a more equal and fair world economic order, which requires the participation of all major economies in its governance, not just the developed nations.

The G20's transition from a gathering of financial ministers and central bankers to that of the leaders of the world's major economies epitomizes the changes occurring in global economic governance. It also points to the fact that the day is gone when a single country could dominate the world economic order.

True, the US is still the most powerful country in the world. But it is impertinent, even wrong for the US and its leader to assume that the country can still impose its will onto the rest of the world by forcing them into accepting the rules it has made.

The world will not buy such hegemony.
A strawberry fi eld in California, the state that produces threequarters of the US crop. California Strawberry Commission

It may have taken two Olympic quadrennials, but it looks like California strawberries will be shipping off to China this summer.

Officials from China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine last month announced the initiation of a draft protocol for the export of California fresh strawberries to China.

The agreement caps a process that began with the special market access China granted for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, when participating athletes requested the juicy red fruit.

"We are honored that the Chinese have allowed California to be the first location in the world to ship strawberries to China," said Rick Tomlinson, president of the California Strawberry Commission.

Chinese officials still have to do their final inspection, "inspect the fields, shipping facilities", Christine B. Christian, the commission's senior vice-president, told China Daily.

"We are hopeful that shipments will start sometime late in the summer," she said. "We're initiating some market research" such as consumer preferences.

"We've been trying to gain access (to China's markets) since 2006," Christian said. "Typically, Asian markets have good pricing and value for our shippers. Certainly, there is a premium that is received for exports to Asia."

China leads the world in strawberry production, but its growing season usually ends in May, when California is reaching peak production.

"Essentially, Chinese strawberries are available in the winter through early spring," Christian said.

"More and more Chinese farmers are growing varieties that were developed in California by the University of California," said Christian, but each strawberry is unique based on its growing conditions.

"There may be some similarities in the variety, but there are going to be differences in the flavor and texture simply based on the growing region," she said.

The two countries produced 56.2 percent of the world's strawberry crop in 2013, according to data from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT). China accounted for 38.7 percent of that total, while the US had 17.5 percent. No other nation was in double digits.

California, with its long growing season, is the strawberry king in the United States, controlling 75 percent of the export market.

Strawberries are the fifth most consumed fresh fruit in the US, after bananas, apples, oranges and grapes, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Per capita consumption of strawberries grew from 2.9 pounds to 6.1 pounds in 2006, according to the statistical website top5ofanything.com.

Fresh consumption made up 60 percent of consumption in the 1970s, the site said. By 2003, it accounted for more than 80 percent. Strawberries rank fourth in the US in production value after grapes, oranges and apples, the site said.

One factor attributed to China's demand for strawberries is its rising middle class income.

China is also involved in the strawberry export business, particularly frozen strawberries, and has surpassed the US as the largest supplier of frozen strawberries to Japan.

Imports of frozen strawberries from China to the US and Canada have surged this decade while US frozen strawberry exports have fallen.

The strawberry page on Alibaba.com's website turns up 9,333 results, mostly vendors of frozen strawberries selling 5 to 20 metric-ton lots.

On the right side of the page are "premium related products", such as "fulvic acid for strawberry fertilizer" for farmers, bone china cups with strawberry design and a teddy bear holding a chocolate-covered strawberry.

Contact the writer at williamhennelly@chinadailyusa.com.
Ambassador demands stop meddling in South China Sea Updated: 2016-05-05 07:47 (Xinhua)

London - Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to Britain, has demanded stopping meddling in the South China Sea dispute by some politicians and media outlets in the United States and Britain, in a signed article to the Times published Wednesday.

Chinese ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming. [File photo]

"The issue of the South China Sea is being ramped up by those in the US and the UK who accuse China of causing tension in the region. They proclaim the principle of free navigation and over-flight but in reality their prejudice and partiality will only increase tension," he said.Their suggestion that China's "hard line" position about the sea increases friction is not based on fact, Liu said, pointing out that China was the first country to discover and name the Nansha islands and reefs and the first to govern them.Although more than 40 of them are now illegally occupied by other countries, "our talks with neighbors to resolve our differences show how committed we are to regional peace and stability," Liu said.China's construction on its own islands and reefs is a matter for itself. These actions are not targeted at any other country. Apart from minimum defense facilities, the building works are primarily civilian in purpose, Liu said.The claim that there is a threat to the freedom of navigation and overflight in the sea is false, he said, adding that more than 100,000 vessels pass through the sea unimpeded every year."Is the freedom of navigation that every country is entitled to really the issue? Or is it the 'freedom' of certain countries to flex military muscle and moor warships on other nations' doorsteps and fly military jets over other countries' territorial airspace?" he asked."If it is the latter, such 'freedom' should be condemned as a flagrantly hostile act and stopped," he said.To accusations that China is "not abiding by international law" and "undermining the rule-based international system," Liu said that China made a clear declaration in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2006 to exclude compulsory arbitration on sovereign disputes and maritime delimitation."More than 30 other countries, including the UK, have made similar declarations," he pointed out."The world will see clearly who is making trouble in the South China Sea. These nations should desist from meddling and muddling. Such actions pose a threat to regional stability and world peace," the ambassador said.
With nomination secured, Trump to aim all guns at Hillary Clinton Updated: 2016-05-05 08:59 (Xinhua)

Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks as (L-R) his daughter Ivanka, his son Eric and Eric's wife Lara Yunaska (R) look on during a campaign victory party after rival candidate Senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination following the results of the Indiana state primary, at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, US, May 3, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - With Donald Trump now being the likely Republican Party (GOP) nominee, he will start to focus his attacks on likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, slinging mud in her direction in what is sure to be a knock-down, drag out fight for the White House.

After Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich dropped out of the race after Trump's big win in Indiana Tuesday, Trump is the last Republican candidate standing in a primary season that started with a dozen candidates.

The New York real estate mogul, who just last summer was dismissed by pundits and political prognosticators as a flash in the pan, has steamrolled through several states and galvanized Republican rank-and-file voters like no other GOP candidate in years.

After virtually securing his nomination, Trump is now ready to focus on a single target -- Hillary Clinton, who is his likely Democratic rival in the November general elections.

"Trump will begin in earnest attacking Hillary Clinton," Brookings Institution's senior fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. "He will call her 'corrupt Hillary' and knit together Benghazi, email server, Whitewater, and her husband's infidelities into a narrative that seeks to make her unacceptable to American voters."

Indeed, Clinton has had her share of scandals over the years. More than two decades ago she was implicated in a failed land deal that became known as the "whitewater scandal."

While in the office of Secretary of State, she was blasted for alleged incompetence -- critics called it negligence -- for not providing better security for the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, resulting in the 2012 terrorist attack that killed four Americans, including US Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Clinton has also taken heat for allegedly using a personal email server while she was secretary of state, instead of a government server. Critics said she could have jeopardized US national security, and a US Justice Department investigation over the issue is ongoing.
Obama sips Flint water, urges children be tested for lead Updated: 2016-05-05 09:36 (Agencies)

US President Barack Obama drinks a glass of filtered water from Flint, a city struggling with the effects of lead-poisoned drinking water, during a meeting will local and federal authorities in Michigan, May 4, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

FLINT, Mich. - President Barack Obama sipped filtered water in Flint, Michigan, on Wednesday and assured angry residents that their children would be fine in the long term despite the "complete screw-up" that contaminated their drinking water with lead.

Obama made the trip to the mostly African-American community to demonstrate that the water there was safe even as he predicted it would take more than two years to replace the city's aging pipes.

Flint, with a population of about 100,000, was under control of a state-appointed emergency manager in 2014 when it switched its water source from Detroit's municipal system to the Flint River to save money. The city switched back in October.

The river water was more corrosive than the Detroit system and caused more lead to leach from its aging pipes. Lead can be toxic, and children are especially vulnerable.

"This was a man made disaster. This was avoidable. This was preventable," Obama told a crowd at a local high school. "Flint's recovery is everybody's responsibility, and I'm going to make sure that responsibility is met."

The president urged parents to ensure their children were tested for lead and said residents should run their taps frequently to flush out remaining pollutants.

After coughing repeatedly during his remarks, he asked for a glass of water, and drank it in front of the crowd. Earlier he sipped from a glass of filtered Flint water during a meeting with regulators. The White House had said that it did not know if the president would drink filtered Flint water.

Obama said the crisis had resulted from government officials at all levels not paying attention. Questions linger over whether environmental regulators could have acted more urgently to help the city, where more than 40 percent of its residents live in poverty.
Canada, China bakery industries boost ties Updated: 2016-05-05 23:40 By NA LI in Toronto(China Daily Canada)

Chinese bakery industry delegates and their Canadian counterparts along with guests pose at the Canada China Food Innovation Trade Forum on April 28 at the Ontario Investment and Trade Centre in Toronto. NA LI / CHINA DAILY

More than 16 Chinese bakery-industry companies and their 14 Canadian counterparts discussed food innovation and trade relations between Canada and China recently in Toronto.

"We hope to introduce the Canadian ingredients into the food processing industry in China; it will bring innovation to the industry and help the industry to expand  market share in China," said Jaclyn Zhang, chairwoman of the Canada China Trade Innovation Alliance (CCTIA) on April 28. "Meanwhile, we encourage Chinese agri-food industries to invest and export to Canada."

The seminar and B2B meetings hosted by CCTIA aim to study the baking industry in Ontario and its competitive advantages and discuss food manufacturing in China in terms of retail trends, needs and challenges.

Some of the iconic Canadian agricultural products such as Canadian wheat, blueberries and maple syrup have a good reputation in China. " Our bakery food will be improved if these agri-food products can be adopted into our bakery processing as ingredients," said Han Lei, deputy president of the All -China Bakery Association.

Some of the Chinese delegates also said they would like to export Chinese agri-food products to Canada.

"Food innovation is based on innovative ingredients. I am looking for a way to plant our improved breeds, such as wheat in Canada; we can re-import the wheat as ingredients and introduce them into our 6,000 leading companies," said Liu Shijin, vice-president of Chinas Food Safety Assocaition.

Ontario is a world leader in agriculture and food processing, one of the top three jurisdictions in North America. Some 52,000 farms grow more than 200 agricultural commodities. That gives food manufacturers fast access to abundant fresh ingredients  from apples and grain to food-grade soybeans and pork, and more.

More than 65 percent of wheat grown in Ontario is bought by the provinces food manufacturers.

"Peel region has the fastest-growing food processing industry in Ontario," said Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson, who participated in the forum from a town in Peel region. "Caledon has 56 percent of the land range mass in Peel. We have a number of foods processing industries and we have a huge opportunity to grow the market in our area. We hope to collaborate and share with Chinese agricultural investors."

The Canadian premier took part in a business mission to China in 2014, and Minister of Agriculture Jeff Leal and Minister of International Trade Michael Chan visited China last year for a trade mission that focused specifically on agri-food opportunities.

"China is an important market for Ontario agri-food businesses both in terms of exports and imports," said Randy Jackiw, assistant deputy minister of the Economic Development Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "It is Ontarios second largest agri-food export market, and we believe there are opportunities to expand trade in Ontarios agricultural products."

renali@chinadailyusa.com
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Late last year the central bank announced that all ATM cards would be EMV-standard chip cards by 2020 to ensure safety for banks and their customers and reduce risks in e-commerce for both buyers and sellers.  Photo thanhnien.vn

Viet Nam News -HCM CITY  The State Bank of Viet Nam has instructed banks to quickly carry out a plan to convert all magnetic cards into chip cards to prevent fraud.

Late last year the central bank announced that all ATM cards would be EMV-standard chip cards by 2020 to ensure safety for banks and their customers and reduce risks in e-commerce for both buyers and sellers.

Napas has been assigned to work with domestic banks to implement this scheme based on a road map. Napas is the new name of the National Payment Corporation of Viet Nam, which was formed through a merger of the Vietnam National Financial Switching JSC and Smartlink Card Services JSC.

Its major shareholder is the SBV, which manages and operates the national card switching system.

According to the latest statistics, there are 90 million cards issued by 43 banks, of which 80 million are ATM cards.

Napas director Nguyen Tu Anh told the online Vietnam Breaking News that most cards did not meet international security standards.

Many nations such as the US and China have switched to chip cards.

If Vietnam does not carry out the conversion, cardholders will easily fall victim to data loss and fraud, Anh warned.

Besides security, the conversion to the new card is also meant to get infrastructure ready for the application of new payment technologies in the near future, according to Anh.

Chip cards, e-wallets and bank accounts are tools to help people make payments without using cash.

Five banks will be chosen to trial the conversion and other banks follow suit.

The five will have to gradually collect magnetic cards from cardholders and replace them with the new ones, and upgrade ATMs and credit card readers to make them compatible with the chip technology.

The banks will announce their replacement road maps and launch programmes to encourage customers to change their cards by 2020.

A spokesperson for Sai Gon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB), who asked not to be named, said the lender issued nearly 240,000 cards of all kinds.

The bank is making all necessary preparations for replacing magnetic cards with chip cards according to a road map outlined by the central bank.

SCB, together with all other banks, the central bank and relevant agencies, will set standards for domestic chip cards and seek to apply those standards in 2017.

SCB plans to upgrade its chip card issuance and chip card-based payment systems before replacing customerscards 12 or 18 months before the SBVs deadline.

But a spokesman for the HCMC Development Commercial Joint Stock Bank (HDB) said banks could not make the switch immediately since standards for chip cards had not yet been announced.

A senior expert with experience in bank cards agreed with the need to shift to chip cards since they offer more advantages including higher level of anti-fraud capabilities.

But they cost VN23,000-35,000 compared to only VN3,000-4,000 for magnetic cards.

The replacement should be done gradually to reduce the cost burden for both issuers and holders.  VNS
Workers at Cat Thai Manufacturing Trading Co.ltd, which specializes in producing components and parts for foreign enterprises in Viet Nam. Of a total of US$128 million poured into export processing and IZs in the first two months, FDIs accounted for $80 million with the remainder coming from domestic firms.  VNA/VNS Photo An Hieu

Viet Nam News -HA NOI  Foreign direct investment (FDI) capital poured into industrial zones (IZs) has rapidly increased recently, bringing large profits for infrastructure development companies.

According to the Management Board of HCM City Export Processing and Industrial Zone Authority (Hepza), from the beginning of this year, export processing and IZs have received a large volume of FDI capital. Of the total US$128 million poured into export processing and IZs in the first two months, FDIs accounted for $80 million and the remainder came from domestic companies.

Hepza also reported that the huge influx of FDI capital allowed the ratio of filled land in export processing and IZs in the city to reach 80 per cent.

The neighboring Binh Duong and ong Nai provinces have also seen an increase in FDI. In the first three months of this year, Binh Duong Province granted licences to 28 FDI projects, with a total investment capital of over $680 million. After registering to add more capital, investors have actively expanded plans to build new factories in the Song Than 1, Song Than 2 and Nam Tan Uyen IZs.

By March 18, ong Nai Provinces registered investment capital and newly added capital for FDI projects reached some $488 million, or a year-on-year increase of 311 per cent. Foreign investors have not only focused on developing industrial parks in Bien Hoa City but have also expanded land lease agreements and have invested in many factories and warehouses in new IZs such as Long uc, Long Thanh and Bau Xeo.

Local experts attributed the increase in investment in IZs since October last year to the official conclusion of trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Many investors from England, Japan, South Korea and Thailand have started investing in IZs.

In HCM City alone, investors have an ambitious plan to develop a Silicon Valley-style high-tech zone in District 9, with total investment capital of $1.5 billion.

By the end of 2016, the business results of five listed infrastructure development companies all showed a profit.

Accordingly, Long Hau JSC in the southern Long An province reported its revenue rose VN10.67 billion ($476,339). Of this figure, revenue from land leases accounted for VN6.69 billion. The companys after-tax profits reached VN20.33 billion, or a 20-fold increase over the same period last year.

Sonadezi Long Thanh in ong Nai Province reported its total revenue of $46.23 billion in the first half of this year. Of this figure, revenue from land leases in IZs accounted for $18.54 billion.

In the northern provinces, Vinh Phuc Infrastructure Development Company reported revenue of $33 billion in the first quarter of this year, or a 3.7-fold increase over the same timeframe last year.

The Thoi Bao Ngan Hang (Banking Times) reported that all businesses are now involved in infrastructure development in IZs, with four businesses expecting strong growth in profits this year. They are Tan Tao, Long Hau, Kinh Bac and Viinh Phuc.

With these high profit targets for this year, industry insiders have predicted that fierce competition between these companies will prompt them to offer new incentives to attract FDI enterprises.

Instead of concentrating on land leases only, as in previous years, they will take advantage of spending their own money to build warehouses, offices, retail space, serviced apartments and high-rise apartments.

Hepza reports that this tendency will see major growth in the next 1 or 2 years as the TPP officially comes into effect.  VNS
A report from Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) found that Thai products dominated shelves.  Photo nld.com.vn

Viet Nam News -HCM CITY  Imported goods, including home appliances and food, have begun to dominate shelves in malls and specialty shops.

In HCM Citys District 7, for example, housewife Minh Phuong can find imported products from Thailand, Japan and the US at supermarkets and shopping malls.

These products are on many shelves at Lotte Mart and Giant near my house. Many smaller stores specialising in products from one country have opened in District 7, especially in Phu My Hung City Centre, she said.

In the past, imported products were mostly clothes, footwear and cosmetics, but they now range from instant noodles to canned food and home appliances. Fresh fruit imports are also common.

E-mart, a South Korean shopping mall in Go Vap District, which opened late last year, has attracted many customers.

One consumer told Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper said that her family visits the supermarket and has dinner there five times a week.

The products are diverse while the price is competitive. The space and decor are clean and beautiful, she explained.

At Metro An Phu in HCM City, the volume of Thai products increased from the day it was sold to Thailands Berli Jucker Public Company Ltd.

A source from Metro told Viet Nam News that although Thailand products accounted for only 2 per cent of goods, the total number had increased after Berli Juckers acquisition.

A report from Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) also found that Thai products dominated shelves.

Shopping malls like the Japanese-owned Aeon Mall and Korean-owned Lotte Mart also offer many Japanese and South Korean products.

Imported products are also being offered online, as e-commerce has developed rapidly in Viet Nam.

Customers can easily buy fruit and fresh meat from Australia, the US and New Zealand by just picking up a phone and placing an order.

Technician Kieu Oanh said her news feed on Facebook has many daily notifications from sellers of imported fruit.

She said that buying imported fruit was a better alternative as local fruit had become more expensive and the quality varied from shop to shop.

On Ly Thuong Kiet Street in HCM City, the owner of a shop that imports 30 boxes of foreign fruits a day usually sells out by 2pm.

Daiso stores selling Japanese products and small convenience shops selling Thai products have also become more popular.

In HCM City, several shops selling Japanese products on Le Thanh Ton Street have opened to meet increased demand.  VNS
The Government should continue to encourage domestic firms to take part in automobile assembly and manufacturing, with a focus on light and medium trucks, agricultural vehicles, special purpose vehicles, passenger cars and buses of international standards with over 55 per cent local content, Long said.  VNA/VNS Photo An Hieu

Viet Nam News -HCM CITY  The Government needs to adopt comprehensive policies to develop the countrys mechanical engineering industry, an industry business group has said.

ao Phan Long, deputy chairman and general secretary of the Viet Nam Association of Mechanical Industry (VAMI), said after 15 years of growth, the engineering and metallurgy industries only have a competitive edge in Viet Nams neighbourhood in manufacturing structural steel and assembling construction machinery.

The industry is capable of building large ships, transformers, electric motors, small capacity petrol engines, and agricultural machinery like grinders and harvesters of rather good quality, he said.

Many domestic firms are part of the motorbike and automobile production chains, but they mainly assemble imported parts, he said.

An industry insider said the mechanical engineering sectors exports topped US$15 billion in 2014, but imports were over $26.5 billion.

Nguyen Van Thu, VAMI chairman, told Lao ong (Labour) newspaper that major projects mostly hire foreign general contractors, especially Chinese, though domestic businesses have the capability.

These contractors bring not only old machinery but also their workers to Viet Nam, leaving the local mechanical industry out in the cold, he said.

The industry is worried about losing market share in the domestic market, especially when the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement takes effect.

Le Van Tuan, general director of Viet Nam Lilama Corporation, said Viet Nams partners in the TPP are developed countries and therefore require high product quality standards.

To enter these markets, Vietnamese companies must offer consistent quality, timely delivery, and reasonable prices, he said, but many do not meet these requirements.

Not much progress has been made by the mechanical engineering industry over the past years due to low investment and unplanned development, Long said.

Besides, each locality developed the industry on its own terms without following a master plan, he said.

These factors mean resources, research and training in the industry have been spread too thin, he said.

He said the Government should have comprehensive and precise plans to encourage investment in the industry.

The country should identify certain key mechanical engineering products for development to improve the industrys competitiveness and keep pace with the latest development and technologies, he said.

Focus should be on a small group of industries like shipbuilding and steel, he said.

The Government should continue to encourage domestic firms to take part in automobile assembly and manufacturing, with a focus on light and medium trucks, agricultural vehicles, special purpose vehicles, passenger cars and buses of international standards with over 55 per cent local content, he said.

But they should not produce passenger vehicles with fewer than 16 seats because it would be hard to take on established global companies, he added.  VNS
Over the last few years, firms exporting Vietnamese basa and tra fish fillets to the US have faced severe problems due to a sudden increase in anti-dumping duties. At these rates, the Vietnamese exporters will find it increasingly difficult to export to the US market. Dharmendra N. Choudhary, a Washington DC-based international trade attorney with the law firm GDLSK LLP, speaks about the reasons behind the change.

Why has the Department of Commerce insisted on selecting Indonesia as surrogate country for Viet Nam? What are the main causes and objectives? As a surrogate value expert, how do you evaluate the Department of Commerces actions in relation to Vietnamese fish exporters?

Dharmendra N. Choudhary

For a long time, Bangladesh was consistently selected as the surrogate country from a list of six potential surrogate country choices circulated by the Office of Policy of Commerce at the beginning of each proceeding.

Very significantly, in these proceedings, Indonesia was not only one of the available surrogate country choices, but also the one for which the US domestic industry vigorously argued. Even then, commerce had all along preferred Bangladesh over Indonesia.

After losing the issue again in 2013, the US domestic industry brought to bear significant pressure on commerce to reject Bangladesh and select Indonesia, a significantly advanced country with higher costs of inputs. Their main motivation for Indonesia was obviously to achieve a higher anti-dumping duty rate.

In order to discredit Bangladesh, the US domestic industry directed their attack against the strongest data in Bangladesh - the price for the main input - whole fish - published by the department of agriculture marketing (DAM data).

However, the Department of Commerce faced a major legal hurdle in selecting Indonesia in the eighth review since Indonesia had just been removed from the list of potential surrogate countries that were deemed economically comparable to Viet Nam based on per capita GNI data. On account of its very high GNI, Indonesia was no longer economically comparable to Viet Nam. Consequently, under US law, the Department of Commerce was precluded from selecting Indonesia as the surrogate country. This is because the Department of Commerce is mandated by law and settled practice to select only an economically comparable country (except in exceptional situations, that is, when none of the six countries provides it with usable price data).

In course of my several trips to Bangladesh, I had extensively interacted with many senior fisheries officials and obtained with great difficulty several signed official letters from Bangladeshi dam officials demonstrating that dam data was exclusively for whole live pond grown pangasius hypophthalmus fish only, the exact type of fish used in Viet Nam for producing the fish fillets. Even so, commerce rejected the dam data relying on unsupported affidavits provided by the US domestic industrys paid consultants. We are challenging all these decisions in the US court of international trade.

In subsequent antidumping reviews, the Department of Commerce has simply followed its decision from eighth administrative review, overlooking the threshold question that Indonesia continues to be economically nom-comparable to Viet Nam.

We strongly believe that the Department of Commerce has erred in rejecting the DAM data, and consequently preferring Indonesia over Bangladesh. We are challenging all these decisions in court and hope for a favourable outcome.

How important is the US International trade Courts recent ruling that its Bangladesh, not Indonesia that should be taken as surrogate country for Viet Nams case? Is it a final decision ? Is there any possibility that the Department of Commerce would appeal this decision?

The courts recent decision in the seventh administrative review appeal affirms the reliability of Bangladeshi DAM data. The court underscored the value of the dam officials letters that affirmed that dam data was exclusively for live fish. Accordingly, the court affirmed the reliability of DAM data and, consequently, the choice of Bangladesh as the surrogate country. This decision is very significant in the sense that it has shut out any lingering doubts about the reliability of DAM data.

The court of international trade has issued its final decision. This decision could theoretically be challenged before the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (i.e. CAFC).

In this litigation, the Department of Commerce is on our side so any decision to appeal rests with US fish industries. They still have time to file an appeal before the CAFC. But, given that the opinion issued by court of international trade is on a factual issue instead of a point of law, there is not a great chance of this decision being reversed.

I also argued before the court in the appeal filed against commerces final results in the ninth review recently. The courts order is expected shortly and we expect the court to remand the surrogate country issue to commerce for a fresh consideration.

Is Bangladesh an acceptable surrogate country for Viet Nam? With your long and vast experience, how do you evaluate the situation? And, what are your suggestions for Viet Nams Government, exporters, and US importers and consumers?

Bangladesh continues to be on the list of potential surrogate countries issued by the Department of Commerces office of policy. Bangladesh still provides reliable DAMprice data, as well as price data for other inputs. Of course, the anti-dumping proceedings are dynamic, and the facts vary from one period of review to another. Bangladesh is, by no means, a 100% perfect choice  no country is perfect on every issue. But, I believe that Bangladesh continues to be superior to all other countries on the list under a totality of circumstances test.

The Viet Nam Government and exporters, in concert with US importers, should continue to support all efforts to obtain the best surrogate value data from the listed surrogate countries and to work to discredit Indonesia. They also must support law suits in the US federal courts to overturn the docs current preference for Indonesia over other surrogate countries, which are economically comparable to Vietnam.

From March 2016, Viet Nams fish exports has entered an 18 months transition period. How difficult is this to Vietnam fish exporter? Do you think this non-tariff barrier is legal under current US-Vietnam trade mechanism and agreements?

The new USDA- food safety and inspection service (FSIS) equivalency standards and nationwide inspection and certification regime adds a new obstacle to the free and fair trade. It is widely believed that the leading Vietnamese processors and exporters already follow globally accepted manufacturing practices.

The USDA-FSIS equivalency programme, however, is extremely complex and must be implemented through new laws and regulations adopted by the Vietnamese Government, which must be adopted and followed by each processor. The USDA must also certify the country and individual processors before they will permit entry of fish fillets. This will require significant changes in the way the factories control and inspect inputs, processing and their HACCP plans.

Since the same equivalency and certification requirement is also applicable to US domestic producers, there may not be a violation of WTOs national treatment rule. However, it is still being examined as to whether the new regulations are in violation of the WTO phytosanitary agreement. No definitive word on that for now.

As you suggest that this is a long fight, what are your suggestions for Viet Nam exporters and US consumers to ensure their own interests prevail?

The Vietnamese processors and Government must work in concert to implement the new USDA-FSIS regulations. US importers and US consumer forums should also be a part of this new push by the Vietnamese Government.  VNS
A field is exhausted in central region of Viet Nam.  Photo hanoimoi.com.vn

HCM CITY  Viet Nams major crops like coffee, pepper and cashew have been affected by the prolonged drought, making businesses worry about possible shortages for processing and export, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In late April the family of Nong Thi Lieu of Tan Thanh Commune in the southern province of Binh Phuocs Bu op District gloomily saw its 400 pepper vines had withered.

The vines, which yielded 500kg of pepper in 2015, had died without water for the last three months.

Lieus efforts to find water by digging over 100 metres into the ground were in vain.

I feel unhappy to see the pepper vines which have been withering day after day, but all efforts to save them were in vain.

What we can do now is to cut off up to the roots to keep them fresh until there is some rain to revive some of them.

Hoang Thi Lien, 43, also of Tan Thanh Commune said last year she had used her savings and borrowed VN300 million to grow 1,500 pepper vines on 1.2ha of land. The vines grew well but the severe water shortage this year forced her to buy a pump and pipes to bring water from over 2km away to irrigate her pepper.

Unfortunately, on a storm on April 18 destroyed 1,200 of her 1,500 vines. With help from troops stationed in the area, she tried to restore the vines but with little success: It is difficult to restore pepper vines that have been broken, she said.

According to Binh Phuoc authorities, the prolonged drought has had a great impact on the province, affecting 27,500ha of various crops and destroying 3,143ha as of April end.

Hoang Phuoc Binh, deputy chairman of the Chu Se District Pepper Growers Association in Gia Lai Province, said production is 50 per cent down from last year because of low fruit-bearing rates, smaller beans and lower weight of the pepper caused by the drought.

Binh said Chu Se Districts output dropped from 5-6 tonnes per hectare last year to 2.5-3 tonnes now.

If there is no rain in the next two weeks, Chu Ses pepper output will suffer further losses.

The drought has damaged not only pepper but also other crops in the Central Highlands and south-eastern region like cashew and coffee.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments cultivation department, due to the impact of El Nino, rainfall in 2016 is 15-30 per cent lower than average, with no rain reported in the provinces of Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan.

The volume of water in reservoirs in the Central Highlands stands at 50-60 per cent of capacity, much lower than at the same time last year.

The extent of arable land hit by the drought has reached 150,000ha, including 136,000ha of coffee and pepper.

Consideration before signing contracts

After a fact-finding tour of pepper growing areas in the Central Highlands and south-eastern region, Nguyen Van Queo, director of Hung Hung Import/Export Co. based in Chu Se District, said the quality of pepper would suffer because growers have had to harvest the crop earlier to avoid the drought.

Despite our great care, pepper production will fall by 25 per cent. Growers have to harvest their pepper crop earlier for fear that water shortages will damage their crop.

In such a situation, there would be a shortage of high-quality pepper, he said.

A report from the Viet Nam Cocoa  Coffee Association (Vicofa) said coffee production has been affected by the worst drought in the last three decades, with 165,000ha of crops facing water shortages and 40,000ha withering.

Vicofa has estimated that Viet Nam will have around one million tonnes for exports in 2016, 25 per cent down from last year.

The drought would also affect cashew yields, output and exports in 2016, the Vicofa report said.

ang Hoang Giang, deputy chairman of the Viet Nam Cashew-nut Association (Vinacas), said his association is worried about output this year.

The yield in the years first crop (which accounts for 90 per cent of annual production) dropped by 20 per cent year-on-year, he said.

This would exacerbate the shortage of raw cashew faced by processing plants since Viet Nam imports 50-70 per cent of it even in normal years, he said.

Cashew prices have soared since the beginning of the year while export prices (of processed cashew) are lower.

Vinacas has recommended that businesses should be careful before signing export contracts because with the present shortages businesses face risks.

Drought yet to peak, warns minister

The massive damage in the Central Highlands and south-east notwithstanding, the drought has yet to reach its peak, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao uc Phat warned during a visit to Binh Phuoc Province on April 23.

Phat urged provincial authorities to step up efforts to combat the drought, which he said would prolong.

He also told them to guide people in coping with the drought, ensure that no one suffers from food or water shortages, prevent diseases, and minimise possible damages from the drought  VNS
CA MAU  The Government has given the green light for the construction of the eastern sea dyke in this southernmost province, with a total investment of VN1.3 trillion (US$58 million).

The investment aims to help residents in the area respond to climate change and the rising sea level.

Ca Mau Province has a 254km-long coast, including 100km facing the eastern sea and 154km facing the western sea. A dyke along the western sea shore was constructed in the 1990s, while the eastern sea dyke has yet to be built.

According to local authorised agencies, the area along the eastern sea is home to 260,000 households, with 130,000ha of farming land.

This area is suffering from serious landslides and saline intrusion, with seawater affecting farming land. Meanwhile, the destruction of protective coastal forests and the polluting of the environment have created unsafe living conditions for the locals.

The Government project, scheduled to be rolled out over the course of many years, will begin this year. Funding will be mobilised every year until the project is finished.

The primary tasks will be building the sea dyke system, planting protective forests, relocating residents and securing their livelihoods.

Local authorities are completing procedures to start the project as soon as possible.

Another investment worth nearly VN18 billion ($800,000) from the State budget has been mobilised to help the province with recovery from the severe drought and saline intrusion.

The provincial authorities directed localities to dredge nine fresh water canals in districts of Tran Van Thoi, U Minh, Thoi Binh and Ca Mau City, and dig new canals in Ca Mau City.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is building a water pumping station worth nearly VN1.2 billion ($53,300) in U Minh District, while repairing and building three irrigational sluices in the communes of Khanh Binh Tay, Khanh Hung and Khanh Binh in Tran Van Thoi District.

Additional State budget spending will be earmarked for affected areas to overcome drought and saltwater intrusion that occurred during the winter-spring crop between 2015 and 2016.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, as of April 15, nearly 40,000ha of rice in the province were damaged due to prolonged droughts and saline intrusion.  VNS
by Thu Huong  Kim Anh

Coffee, one of Viet Nams worldwide renowned specialties, was introduced to the country in 1875 by the French during their colonialisation of Indochina. Coffee plantations were located in the Central Highlands and owned mostly by the French.

This was the same year the Morere family moved to the country and settled down near a Lat. They grew coffee in the 1930s in the Central Highlands, a region renowned for yielding some of the best quality coffee in the world.

The August Revolution in 1945 put an end to the French colonial time in Indochina and Viet Nam became independent. France did not want to lose its colony and came back until the decisive battle of ien Bien Phu, where the much better-equipped French army lost to young Viet Minh troops in 1954.

Pierre Morere, a descendant of the original Morere settlers, has continued in his familys footsteps. His two-hectare coffee plantation in a Sar Village, home to the Mong Cill ethnic people, is located about 20km from a Lat. Morere has been planting Bourbon coffee, a premium type of Arabica coffee that is considered among the finest coffees in the world.

Bourbon coffee trees grow very well in the natural conditions at an altitude of 1,500m in the highlands. The higher they are planted, together with suitable soil and sustainable agricultural approaches, the better their taste gets, Morere said. It was my grandfather who introduced Bourbon coffee to the land in 1930, and then my mother was born there and took over his business."

Their vast coffee plantation prospered during that period but they had to leave Viet Nam at the end of the victorious anti-French resistance war.

Stories about his parents and the poetic land of beautiful flowers and lenient local people in the Central Highlands continued to intrigue Morere.

In 1999, he visited the birth place of his mother as a tourist. Eight years later, he decided to quit his job in a real estate company in France and return to Viet Nam to live and work on a feasibility study of the Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park.

In nearby a Sar Village, Morere accidentally met his grandfathers former workers from the coffee plantation, who were very surprised on seeing him and welcomed him as if he was their relative.

They accompanied Morere to cross over many forests and high hills in search of the precious Bourbon coffee trees that had been abandoned for over half a century. At that time, he decided to re-construct his grandfathers coffee plantation with the best coffee seeds.

Thanks to his familys past reputation in the region, he was granted permission to purchase land in a Sar Village by the local authority, an unusual right for a foreigner in Viet Nam, then started to plant Arabica and also managed to locate the Bourbon trees left by his grandparents.

One of his biggest initial challenges was his limited knowledge about planting coffee.

The paradox of the coffee business is that most of the businessmen in this industry do not study coffee before they step in. Im one of them. I didnt know anything about coffee before I discovered the Bourbon coffee in Viet Nam, Morere said.

But the ethnic people have taught me how to recognise the Bourbon coffee, how to grow it, how to take care of and harvest it properly. They also taught me everything about the soul of the forest where the coffee is planted, as well as how to start a new life here.

Bourbon coffee trees are vulnerable to insects so it is one of the most difficult plants to grow, requiring strict natural conditions and specific agricultural techniques. With the aim of producing fresh coffee beans, Morere has managed to create fresh conditions for his trees by planting them in the forest, isolating them from other trees and applying natural anti-insect substances instead of chemicals.

Coffee, especially the Bourbon, comes from the primary forest so it is best to leave it to grow in its primary condition without pesticides, he said.

The first coffee trees started to bear fruit after only three years, though in other countries is usually takes four years. According to Morere, this was largely due to the favourable conditions and the climate of the region.

Only the red coffee beans are harvested and are processed totally by hand with the assistance of the Cill ethnic people. Each part of the process is done with great care and responsibility.

The original taste of Bourbon Morere Pointu is a mixture of aromas from the forest and chocolate, which will make the drinker remember the taste more than any other coffee, Morere said.

It took him several years to successfully process the coffee beans before creating his own brand name, Bourbon Morere Pointu, and introducing it to prestigious domestic and international customers, notably Annam Gourmet Market and renowned cook Pierre Gagnere.

He has even travelled to Japan to introduce his products to the Japan Coffee Association. The coffee has received much positive feedback on its flavour and quality.

Recently, Starbucks have chosen Arabica a Lat and its premium version, Bourbon, for their coffee stores around the world.

His passion for coffee has made him feel such a close connection with the land where his grandparents used to live that he has no intention of leaving.

I love coffee, the peaceful life by the forest and the lifestyle of the ethnic people here. I do not feel much difference between them and me. I live the way they live, and Im very happy to be considered as their sibling and relative.

I believe that the coffee planted in a Sar Village will become higher and higher in quality and soon become an economic specialty of the region, he said. -- VNS
HA NOI  The State Academic Kuban Cossack Choir will perform at the Viet Nam National Academy of Music on Friday.

The choir, the oldest and the largest national group of the Cossack community, is Russias only professional group of folk artists and has a long history that can be traced to the beginning of the 19th century.

Twenty-one artists led by artistic director and conductor Viktor Zakharchenko will perform a repertoire, which includes Kuban Cossack, Russian and Ukrainian folk songs.

Zakharchenko, one of the choirs soloists, has been honoured with the Peoples Artist of Ukraine title.

He is also the author of more than 200 musical compositions, over 1,000 folk song arrangements and has published several works on folk music.

Being a Cossack, I have listened to Cossack and spiritual songs since childhood, Zakharchenko said.

While a student at the Novosibirsk Conservatory, Zakharchenko began work as a senior choirmaster at the State Siberian Chorus, a position he held till 1974. Since then, he has been working as the artistic director of the State Academic Kuban Cossack Choir.

The choir was established in 1811 for the Black Sea Cossack Army by founders Kiril Rosinsky and regent Grigory Grechinsky. After more than 190 years of performing, the choir believes its mission is to preserve, revive and popularise the Cossack culture.

Combining authenticity with a modern style of rendition, the choirs creativity is an example of how it is possible to make appealing something that is so purely and singularly national.

The choir is recognised nationally and internationally. It has also received the Schevchenko State Prize of Ukraine, the Order of Peoples Friendship and the title of the Academic Artistic Body.

The Kuban Cossack concerts are like family reunions and their songs are like a gulp of crystal clear spring water.

The choir has received great reviews.

"Through its brilliantly masterful art, Kuban Cossacks offers a precious glimpse of the multi-layered history of Russia," French Le Figaro reported.

The miracle they create with their art puts them on par with world giants like the Bolshoi, Japanese Asahi said.

Besides concerts, the choir also records and arranges Cossack songs that preserve and promote the groups traditional culture.

The Ha Noi concert is being co-held by the Department of Performing Art and the Russian embassy in Viet Nam during celebrations to mark the 20th ASEAN-Russia dialogue partnership. -- VNS
ROME  EU president Donald Tusk travels to Rome today with fellow EU institution leaders and German Chancellor Angela Merkel for two days of talks likely to focus on next steps in Europes migrant crisis.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who fears Italy becoming the new migrant frontline after the closure of the Balkan route, will host the first day of talks, followed by Pope Francis on Friday.

As the EU braces for more turbulence notably with next months "Brexit" referendum in Britain as well as renewed Greek debt talks, Italy is keen to keep the focus on forging a joint plan over migrants.

Renzi will start by meeting Merkel from 2pm (1200 GMT), followed by talks with European Commission leader Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council president Tusk and European Parliament chief Martin Schulz.

From 6:30pm (1630 GMT) they will hold a conference on the future of the EU, which will take place in the same room in the Capitole where the 1957 Rome Treaty was signed, founding the body that developed into todays 28-nation EU.

With over 28,500 migrants arrived since January 1, Italy has once again become the principal entry via the Mediterranean, after the controversial EU-Turkey deal and the closure of the Balkan route north.

Rome fears that, unlike previously, Italy will be left hosting masses of new arrivals if, for example, Austria mounts stricter controls at the Brenner pass linking Italy through the Alps to northern Europe.

Threats to the Schengen Treaty on free movement sparked by the migrant crisis were described by Italian Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan as "more dangerous than the euro crisis a few years ago".

UN refugee agency spokeswoman in Italy, Carlotta Sami, on Wednesday welcomed the "movement from an emergency approach to a structured approach, making plans and reflecting on (the) integration" of migrants into countries where they arrive.

After Renzi on Thursday, Pope Francis will meet Merkel and the three EU institution leaders on Friday, before making a speech as he is given the EUs Charlemagne prize, which each year honours "an exceptional contribution to European unification".

The Pope, who usually refuses prizes, explained in February that he accepted this one in order to appeal for a "refounding" of the European bloc.

In November 2014 he called at the European Parliament for Europe to become a "reference point for humanity."  AFP
Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Lieutenant Colonel from the Viet Nam Peace Keeping Centre, told the newspaper Hai Quan (Customs) about his two years of experience working at the UN Peace Keeping Centre in the Central African Republic.

What were the challenges that you and your comrades in arms faced during your mission as UN peace keepers in the Central African Republic?

The Central African Republic is a country that has experienced many conflicts, including several coup detat. In late 2013, when the situation became so serious, the UN decided to help the country establish an interims government headed by a moderate president. As a result, a UN peace keeping centre was established there with a noble mission  to protect the Central African people while maintaining security and stability there. With the UN mandate, we  UN peace keepers had been sent there until a new President and Parliament were elected in late 2015.

Of course, living in such environment, our life was facing many difficulties and challenges.

There were three Vietnamese peace keepers stationed in the African Republic at that time. Our tasks were to conduct daily monitor and write reports on activities of the UN peace keeping mission to send to the UN peace keeping headquarters in New York, the United States.

I should say that the work was so demanding, particularly when the situation there was so tense with many conflicts. For example, in September 2015, there was a serious conflict which lasted more than a month and we had to work round the clock.

In addition, peace keepers from more than 40 countries were sent to work in the Central African State. Working in such an environment was very demanding, particularly because we need to harmonize activities among the UN peace keepers.

Living in a war torn country, every thing was in big shortage, including food and other essential daily necessities. Thats not all as gun fires were heard round the clock. Coupled by those challenges were dangerous diseases, including malaria and yellow fever. Right in the UN peace keeping centre, dozens of people died because of these diseases.

What did you and your colleagues do to overcome those challenges?

Before joining the UN peace keeping forces, we knew that we would face many difficulties and challenges during the mission. But, I and my colleagues all pledged to do our best and fulfilled all the tasks assigned to us. In addition, we had to improve our professional skills while improving our foreign languages.

Before departing to Central Africa, we had to prepare food and other daily essentials, including survival medicines. We even took with us some vegetable seeds with a hope to have some vegetables to feed ourselves in a country where the climate is so severe like Central Africa Republic.

When we arrived there, we did our best to catch up with what was going on there and fulfill all duties assigned to us.

Living far away from home, we - the three Vietnamese soldiers - tried our best to help each other to accomplish our missions.

What lessons have you drawn after completing your assignment in the Central African Republic?

I and my colleagues who had joined the UN keeping missions in other countries have all agreed that it was a valuable lesson for us in serving as UN peace keepers. Through our missions, we have many new friends from other countries and learned many good lessons from them. I could say that we had done our best to create a high profile of Viet Nam in general and the Viet Nam Peoples Armed Forces in particular in the eyes of our foreign friends.

We were very proud to work as UN peace keepers along side our foreign peers. Two years working in the Central African Republic was a precious lesson for me and my colleagues as well as for those who would join the UN peace keeping forces in the future._VNS
Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.  Photo VNA

Viet Nam News -HA NOI  The three-day visit to Viet Nam by Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah from today is expected to boost bilateral co-operation in various fields, especially trade, oil and gas, employment, agriculture and tourism.

During the visit, which is made at the invitation of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the two sides are scheduled to discuss issues of shared concern.

Viet Nam and Kuwait established diplomatic ties on January 10, 1976. Viet Nam opened its trade representative office in Kuwait in June 1993, and its Embassy in the Middle East nation in October 2003.

Kuwait opened its Embassy in Ha Noi in August 2007 and its Consulate-General in HCM City one month later.

The two sides signed a range of agreements, covering such areas as economy, science, technology, trade, tax, air transport, visa exemptions and foreign affairs.

In February 2016, the Kuwaiti Government recognised Viet Nam as having a market economy.

During the 2011-2013 period, two-way trade exceeded US$700 million with $836.7 million recorded in 2011, mostly driven by Viet Nams diesel imports from Kuwait.

Last year, due to the impact of the falling oil prices and the decrease in Viet Nams imports of Kuwaiti diesel, bilateral trade stood at only $220 million.

Viet Nam mainly exports garments-textiles, seafood, wood and timber products, computers, electronics, fruit, vegetables, pepper, footwear and porcelain products to Kuwait.

Its major import items are oil, fertilizer, plastic materials, fabric, chemicals and apparel materials.

In the oil and gas sector, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) is partnering with Japan in the Vietnam-based Nghi Son Oil Refinery and Petrochemical Complex Project worth $9 billion, under which the Kuwaiti side will provide crude oil for the plant.

Construction on the plant began in October 2013, it is scheduled to be put into operation in late 2017.

In March 2016, the Ha Noi Department of Planning and Investment granted an investment licence to a joint project by Kuwait Petroleum International Ltd (KPI) and Japans Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd to deliver oil and gas products in Viet Nam.

Via the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Kuwait has given loans worth about $160 million to Viet Nam to help the country implement 13 rural infrastructure development projects.  VNS
HA NOI  President Tran ai Quang reaffirmed Viet Nams commitment to joining the United Nations efforts for a peaceful world and sustainable development during a reception for the UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson in Ha Noi yesterday.

Viet Nam wanted the UN to continue upholding its role in maintaining global peace, security and helping member states successfully realise agreements of historic significance adopted last year, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, he said.

Quang thanked the UN agencies in Viet Nam for their joint work in devising the 2017-21 Viet NamUN Joint Co-operation Plan, as well as the urgent humanitarian assistance for victims of drought and saltwater intrusion in the south central region, Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta. This included adding Viet Nam onto a list of 22 countries in need of global support.

Eliasson, in reply, hailed Viet Nam for supporting the One UN initiative and for its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2008-09, adding that he backed the countrys bid for the same position in 2020-21.

He hoped that Viet Nam would continue integrating the UN sustainable development goals into its socio-economic development plans and achieve more successes in the future.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General stated that the UN was fully aware of the difficulties caused by drought and saline intrusion in Viet Nam, and pledged that the UN will join hands with Viet Nam to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change.

The guest also spoke highly of Viet Nams efforts in exercising human rights and respecting the UN Charter.

Response to drought

Also yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh acknowledged the assistance to Viet Nam of the UN and other countries in implementing the plan on an emergency response to drought and saltwater intrusion during the talks with Eliasson.

He emphasised that the drought and saltwater intrusion in the south central coast, Central Highlands, and especially the Mekong Delta of Viet Nam, which are exacerbated by climate change, were the worst in more than nine decades.

Minh also appreciated the UNs cooperation with and effective support to Viet Nam over the past years, stressing that his country would continue to be a responsible member of the international community and the UN. It is committed to actively contributing to joint efforts for peace and sustainable development in the world.

For his part, Eliasson said he was impressed with Viet Nams attainments during the 30 years of oi moi (renewal).

He highly values the countrys responsible and effective contributions at UN forums, including as a member of the UN Human Rights Council between 2014 and 2016, and the UN Economic and Social Council for the 201618 term. Viet Nam has also participated in the reform of the UN and sent forces to UN peacekeeping missions.

At the talks, the two sides discussed the major priorities of the international community and the UN at present. They agreed to promote the effective implementation of the historic agreements  the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The Deputy PM and UN Deputy Secretary-General concurred in intensifying Viet NamUN cooperation. They also touched upon the regional situation and recent complex developments in the East Sea.

Eliasson said the UN closely followed developments in regional waters, noting that the easing of tensions was in conformity with the relevant parties interests. He hoped that they would exercise self-restraint, resolve disputes peacefully in line with international law, and push for the finalisation of a code of conduct of parties in the East Sea.

Also yesterday, Eliasson talked to students at the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam and visited the National Hospital of Paediatrics and the Green One UN House in Ha Noi.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said he supported Samsung groups further expansion of investment in Viet Nam to other fields besides electronics, suggesting such industries as energy, sea ports, health care, infrastructure, science and technology.

During a reception for Samsung groups President and CEO Shin Jong Kyun in Ha Noi yesterday, the PM noted that Samsung was the biggest single foreign investor in Viet Nam with six projects valued at US$14.86 billion. The groups projects have contributed significantly to Viet Nam s import-export turnover while creating jobs for more than 130,000 local workers.

He said Samsungs substantial and long-term investments in Viet Nam were evidence of the Southeast Asian countrys attractiveness to foreign investors.

The Vietnamese government will create favourable conditions for Samsungs investment and business activities so that the group will reap more success, he said.

Phuc took the occasion to ask the Samsung group to assist with training and technology transfer to Vietnamese enterprises operating in the support industries, thus giving chances to those enterprises, particularly small- and medium-sized ones, to become suppliers of materials and parts for the groups projects.

Shin Jong Kyun informed his host of the groups business outcomes in Viet Nam , with a good pace of capital disbursement at its projects in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen.

Samsung would seriously abide by Viet Nam s laws on investment, business and social security for labourers, he said.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with Hiroshi Hase, Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, in Ha Noi yesterday, describing education as the countries best realm of co-operation.

He expressed his delight at the two countries signing of the strategic cooperation programme on education while highlighting the comprehensive strategic partnership between Viet Nam and Japan.

Educational collaboration has been brought to fruition, he said, noting that there were increasing numbers of Vietnamese and Japanese students in each others country.

Viet Nams Ministry of Education and Training inked agreements with 17 universities in Japan on support and tuition fee reductions for students. The two Governments have also actively carried out training programmes to help Viet Nam develop skilled manpower.

PM Phuc asked the Japanese minister to press on with the strategic cooperation programme on education, supporting Viet Nam in human resources development, boosting affiliation between the nations universities, and fostering partnerships in scientific research.

He considered the profound relationship between the two peoples a good condition for expanding their cultural ties.

On this occasion, the leader also expressed sympathy for Japan on the heavy damage caused by the recent earthquakes. He highly values the Japanese peoples spirit during infrastructure rebuilding and life stabilisation.

At the meeting, Minister Hase informed the host about education and training co-operation outcomes, adding that the application of the Japanese education model in Viet Nam would be continued.

His country is ready to give training to Vietnamese doctors in cancer treatment using radiation therapy, which Japan has a strength in. It would also work with the Southeast Asian nation to preserve old cultural publications, he said.

The guest also conveyed PM Shinzo Abes invitation to his Vietnamese counterpart to visit Japan in the near future.  VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and chairman and CEO of Global Gaming Asset Management and principal of Weidner Holdings William Weidner.  Photo VNA/VNS

Viet Nam News -HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed hope US companies operating in Viet Nam would reap more success.

He also pledged the best-possible conditions for foreign investors, including those from the United States.

At a reception for a delegation of US investors led by William Weidner, chairman and CEO of Global Gaming Asset Management and principal of Weidner Holdings, in Ha Noi on Wednesday, the Prime Minister hailed the performance of US businesses in Viet Nam and their contributions to promoting the relationship between the two countries.

The Prime Minister said the Viet Nam National Assembly was considering the approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which was expected to boost collaboration between businesses of the two nations.

Expressing delight at the fruitful development of bilateral ties in various areas, the host said the Vietnamese people were delighted to welcome US President Barack Obama to the country.

For his part, Weidner stressed the support of senators for US enterprises to operate in Viet Nam.

Highlighting the great opportunities afforded by the TPP deal, Weidner said US businesses wanted Viet Nam to become the worlds investment attraction gateway.

At a meeting with Chairman of the HCM City Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong yesterday, several US groups delivered their intention to develop a large-scale project in the Thu Thiem new urban area in HCM City. They said the project targets to support the citys urban development and facilitate the growth of trade and financial services in Viet Nam.

During the talk, the US investors also proposed recommendations on investments.

Weidner said that after the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement was signed, many US enterprises wanted to seek investment and co-operation opportunities in the city.

All businesses that want to invest in the project in Thu Thiem have strong economic capacity and rich experience in building leisure centres all over the world, he stated.

According to him, the implementation of the project will help attract more direct investments from the worlds leading financial groups, thus contributing to making HCM City a financial centre of the region.

For his part, Phong said that the city is doing its utmost to create a favourable environment for foreign investors.

Regarding the Thu Thiem project, he assigned the municipal Departments of Planning and Investment and Architectural Planning, and the Thu Thiem new urban area construction and investment management board to work with the US partners on specific contents.  VNS
HA NOI  The Viet Nam Automobile Association has asked Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to resolve problems that transport firms face, including those relating to road maintenance fees, the distance between toll booths and the management of transport prices, an official said.

Nguyen Van Thanh, president of the association, said the Government should review fees for BOT (build-operate-transfer) roads and the distance between BOT toll booths to make it relevant to local people and in accordance with state regulations.

It was necessary to apply scientific technology to toll collection to cut costs and minimise time delays caused by having to stop at multiple BOT toll booths, he said.

Thanh said the Government shouldnt regulate the transport fee, but let it be determined by the market.

Transport enterprises had to declare the transport fee to the local finance department and publicise it, he said.

To improve the effectiveness of transport and provide greater transparency on its price, Thanh said the Government should create favourable conditions for the development of a trading floor to avoid unhealthy competition among freight service providers.

Thanh emphasised the need to reduce troublesome procedures for vehicles operating on fixed routes and enterprises that take part in transport activities.

Thanh also asked the Prime Minister to maintain and open more bus stations near residential areas and tighten the management of transport firms operating under contract to prevent illegal buses from operating without licences as well as the existence of unauthorised stops along roads. He called for stricter control of Uber and Grab Taxi services to create a level playing field among transport services.

Higher toll rejected

The Ministry of Finance has rejected a proposal from Viet Nam Expressway Corporation (VEC) to raise the toll on the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh Expressway.

In accordance with the Ministry of Transports approval of the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh Expressway project, the fee for the expressway is set at VN1,500 (6 US cents) a kilometre, and the price will be increased by 10 per cent every five years.

Given the current socio-economic situation, the fee on the expressway should not be raised, the ministry said.

Previously, the Ministry of Transport said it was not the right time to increase fees on the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh Expressway.

Earlier this month, VEC asked the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport to permit a toll increase of VN500 to 2,000 (9 US cents) a kilometre.

According to VEC, the toll has remained unchanged over the past five years, while the consumer price index has increased by 21 per cent since the expressway opened to traffic in 2011.

In addition, VEC has invested VN590 billion (US$26.5 million) in an asphalt concrete friction course and other auxiliary items to ensure traffic safety. It also broadened toll booths and equipped them with intelligent transport systems. As a result, the maximum speed on the expressway was increased to 120 kilometres per hour on February 22, the VEC said.

The completion of the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh Expressway has helped ease traffic congestion on National Highway 1A and halve the travelling time between Ha Noi and provinces south of the Red River Delta.  VNS
Vo Van Thuong, Poliburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee (PCC) and Chief of the PCC Education and Publicity Commission, candidate for the National Assembly deputies yesterday meets with voters in Bien Hoa City in the southern province of ong Nai. Photo tuoitre.vn

ONG NAI  Candidates for the National Assembly deputies yesterday had a meeting with voters in Bien Hoa City in the southern province of ong Nai.

The candidates included Vo Van Thuong, Poliburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee (PCC) and Chief of the PCC Education and Publicity Commission.

At the meeting, candidates talked to voters about their working agendas and what measures on economic development they would take for the province if they won the election.

The measures included the promotion of industrial and agricultural production, rural development, job generation, enhanced administrative reforms and the provision of public healthcare services.

The meeting was also a venue for voters to express their concerns on many issues to the candidates. Many voters said that they have not had many chances to talk face-to-face with the candidates.

The voters raised their concerns of planning being suspended in Bien Hoa City which was affecting peoples daily lives, the low salary of staff on the commune- and ward-level peoples committees, and of shortcomings in healthcare services.

In this meeting, many voters expressed their satisfaction with the candidates working agenda. They said that the agendas were practical and of enough detail to be relevant to the provinces real situation.

The voters hoped the candidates would realise their agendas once they had won the vote. They also wished the candidates would raise their voice to protect peoples rights.

Vo Van Thuong and the other candidates listened to the voters opinions and recommendations carefully and promised to realise their working agendas if elected.

Regarding the salaries paid to staff on the commune- and ward-level peoples committees, Thuong said that the adjustment of salaries was discussed several times, but had not yet been finalised. He hoped the issue would be resolved soon.

Election preparation

Also yesterday, Tran Quoc Vuong, a member of Poliburo, Head of the PCC Inspection Commission, and member of the National Election Council went to the northern Thanh Hoa Province to check the preparation work for the upcoming election.

After the inspection, Vuong expressed his high appreciation of the provinces preparation work including issues of security.

He asked the provincial authority to further promote information dissemination about the election so as to help people thoroughly understand their rights and obligations, especially in remote mountainous areas.

The local authority was also asked to prepare measures to organise elections in regions where many voters work offshore fishing.

In Thanh Hoa Province, there are 18 candidates for National Assembly deputies, of which female candidates account for over 55 per cent.

Offshore voters go to polls early

Voters who will soon be working on offshore ships and oil rigs yesterday finished casting their ballots.

Yesterday, the Election Council of the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau in cooperation with the Viet Nam-Rusia Joint Venture Vietsovpetro, held early elections for engineers and workers working in offshore oil rigs who cannot take part in the national election of the National Assembly and Peoples Council at all levels on May 22.

The ballot boxes were placed in Vung Tau Airport and Vietsovpetros port in Vung Tau City.

In the early morning, hundreds of engineers and workers of Vietsovpetro and other oil companies went to the polls before leaving for long working trips at sea.

According to the provincial Election Council, about 2,000 voters would take part in the early election.  VNS
KHANH HOA  Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said he appreciated the central province of Khanh Hoas development, but urged the provinces leaders and people to continue creating new initiatives to unlock its full potential.

At a working session with key officials of the south central coastal province yesterday, the Party leader said Khanh Hoa has achieved significant economic growth in recent years, but it had not yet reached its potential. He urged the province not to be complacent.

Trong asked Khanh Hoa to focus efforts on effectively implementing its four socio-economic programmes, and developing three key economic areas, paying more attention to the western side of the province.

Aside from speaking about development, Trong called on provincial leaders and people to protect the nations sovereignty and territorial integrity - especially Truong Sa Island District.

He also reminded the province to successfully organise elections for deputies to the National Assembly and peoples councils for the 2016-2021 term.

At the working session, representatives of ministries and sectors agreed that with 385km of coastline and its proximity to international maritime routes, Khanh Hoa had the tools necessary to develop a modern economy.

The delegates advised the province to focus on the development of Bac Van Phong and Cam Ranh, and create plans to turn Khanh Hoa into an international tourism city and a driving force for the development of the south-central region.  VNS
Wipro, India's third-largest information technology services company, on Wednesday said a court in the United Kingdom had upheld the dismissal of a former employee in the country, Shreya Ukil. She had brought charges of sexual discrimination, unequal pay and unfair dismissal against the company.

In a petition filed before the Central London Employment Tribunal in October last year, Ukil, who worked as a sales and marketing manager, had claimed that she was subjected to "deeply predatory, misogynistic culture" at Wipro, and had sought damages to the tune of 1 million (around Rs 10 crore).

" is pleased the UK Employment Tribunal has upheld the dismissal of the complainant from the services of the organisation as appropriate and rejected claims of adverse cultural attitude towards women in the organisation," the company said.

However, in a press release issued late Wednesday, Ukil claimed the tribunal had found many of her complaints valid, including her unfair dismissal. "The claimant was unfairly dismissed," said the summary judgment, adding that "the complaint of wrongful dismissal fails and is dismissed".

According to Ukil and her lawyers, the court also found the comments of some of her former colleagues about her on different occasions reflected an "extra undercurrent of sexism in their attitudes" towards her, with remarks that "plainly conveyed a sexist innuendo."



In her petition, Ukil also alleged that she was discriminated against in terms of her pay with a salary package of 75,000 a year, almost half the amount her male equivalents were drawing at that time. "The complaints of disability discrimination, and the Equality Act 2010 claims relating to stock options, are dismissed upon withdrawal," the judgment said.

Ukil had alleged the atmosphere for women employees at was "toxic", and she was manipulated into having an affair with a senior executive.

The court, however, observed that it could not find enough evidence to her claim to say that "she was pressured into a relationship that she was reluctant to enter".

Meanwhile, has said the "company has built its business over the years by ensuring it adheres to the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and ethical corporate practices. Any transgression of these beliefs and policies will continue to be dealt with expeditiously and with the strictest action."


Representatives of several opposition parties have come together to criticise the government for continuing to try and dilute the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, which makes it mandatory to get consent of tribals before using of their traditional forestlands.

Jitendra Chaudhury, CPI(M) member of Parliament from Tripura, shared copies of government documents secured through the Right to Information (RTI) Act showing that the environment ministry, tribal affairs ministry and the PMO were engaged as recently as December 2015 in revising the regulations through an executive fiat. Exceptions were provided to the need for consent from tribals and other forest-dwellers.

Representatives from the Congress, CPI(M) and JD(U) were present at the meeting, the National Convention on Illegal Takeover of Forest Lands and Resources, held in Delhi on Wednesday. Leaders of the Telengana Rashtriya Samiti, Bahujan Samaj Party, CPI and the CPI (ML) Liberation sent statements of support for the meeting. The same day, the National Green Tribunal passed an order cancelling forest clearance to the 130-Mw Integrated Kashang Stage-II and Stage-III Hydro Electric Project in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh.

It ruled that the proposal be sent to the gram sabha for approval following a Supreme Court's order. In a Vedanta mining case, the court had upheld a government notification of 2009 requiring the forest clearance process follow the Forest Rights Act and seek consent in areas where tribal or other people's traditional rights exist.

This is one of the few reported cases after the Vedanta judgment where a central government forest clearance has been suspended by the judiciary for not having secured the mandatory gram sabha consent of tribals. Chaudhury said, "The environment ministry and the PMO have continuously tried to dilute the requirement of gram sabha consent for diversion of forest lands for projects. I have documents that show what they have tried. Some officers from the tribal ministry have steadily opposed this. But this illegal effort has not stopped."



Jairam Ramesh of the Congress, also present at the meeting, said: "If the link between forest diversion and Forest Rights Act is broken, it will severely damage the latter."



The documents provided by Chaudhury on Wednesday, which Business Standard reviewed, showed that discussions and correspondence on possible route to dilutions and changes continued within the government at least till December 2015. In November 2015, the documents showed, the environment ministry drafted rules that would de-link the forest clearance process from the provisions of the Forest Rights Act. The ministry sought exemption from seeking tribal consent for underground mining as well. The tribal affairs ministry, the documents showed, again re-iterated in a meeting in December 2015 that clearance cannot not be given without tribal consent. It noted that in cases where the government had tried to de-link clearance from tribal consent, the projects had landed up in court.

The documents suggested the matter has not been resolved conclusively. Discussions would be held, including on new draft rules on how communities run their own forestlands. This has been a bone of contention between the two nodal ministries, with the environment ministry and the state forest departments preferring to continue management of community forests in a manner that provided a greater control to state forest departments.
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.
TOLEDO  Dustin Jefferson apologized through tears Thursday, turning and speaking directly to his late wifes family.

I want to say to you guys, Im sorry, he said.

Jefferson, 40, though, also denied involvement in Kerry OClair Jeffersons murder. Instead, he placed the blame on his mother.

If I had known my mom had this plan I would have stopped her, he said.

Jurors Feb. 9 in Jasper County convicted Jefferson of aiding and abetting first-degree murder. Prosecutors Laura Roan and Brent Heeren argued Jefferson helped his mother, Ginger Jefferson, kill his wife.

Judge Mary Chicchelly on Thursday sentenced Dustin Jefferson to life in prison with no possibility of parole. His mother is already serving life in prison for committing first-degree murder.

OClair Jefferson died of stab wounds Sept. 25, 2013, in Tama.

Nothing about this is easy. What do I say to the man who killed my sister? Nicole Hitchcock told Jefferson during her victim-impact statement Thursday.

She added as her sisters husband, Jefferson was supposed to love and protect OClair Jefferson.

How could you have done this? Why? Hitchcock added later. Only you can answer that, but I dont think I will ever understand.

Hitchcock also read letters written by her young daughters, Maddy and Brooke, to their Uncle Pies. Both expressed sadness for their loss and ongoing love for Jefferson.

Im sooo sad. I really hope you tell the truth. What you did to aunt Kerry was wrong. She loved us and even you, Brooke, 8, wrote.

The trial in Jasper County was the states third attempt to prosecute Jefferson. The first in Tama County stopped because of questions about Native American representation in the jury pool.

Jefferson is a member of the Meskwaki tribe based in Tama County.

The second trial ended with a jury hung 11-1 to convict. A unanimous verdict is required.

Marlene OClair, Kerrys mother, on Thursday also provided a victim-impact statement and also addressed her comments directly to Jefferson.

I really cant believe and dont want to believe that you took Kerrys life, but all the evidence points to that fact that you helped murder her, Marlene OClair said.

Prosecutors alleged Ginger Jefferson, Dustin Jefferson and OClair Jefferson got into an argument after a day of drinking. According to the state, OClair Jefferson had reported her husbands whereabouts to the Meskwaki Nation Police Department.

Jefferson at the time had an outstanding arrest warrant for multiple counts of sex abuse involving a young girl.

Marlene OClair on Thursday reminded Jefferson she had loved him like a son and everyone in the family tried to give him a chance, including her daughter.

You were right when you stated that Kerry had your effing back, even when you were bad,  Marlene OClair said.

She offered no condolences on Jeffersons life sentence, noting his relatives could visit him in prison.

What about our friends and family? All we have is Kerrys gravesite to visit, Marlene OClair said.

She finished with a passage discovered online.

I hope you ache in regret as the truth hits you like a bullet, and you find yourself replying: She loved me more than anyone else in the world and I destroyed her, Marlene OClair read in court.

Though not obligated to speak, Jefferson did before being sentenced. He said he had told his wife a divorce was OK. But, he said, OClair Jefferson refused.

She wouldnt leave me. And I was glad for that. Because I love her. I always did and I always will, he said.

Jefferson added another comment for his wifes family.

I just want you to know, deep down inside, Im not the monster that you think I am.
WATERLOO  Weadeh Noush Tucker apologized and asked for forgiveness Thursday as he pleaded guilty in a drunken driving accident that killed a Waterloo man.

I know what I did was wrong. I was drunk, and I fell asleep behind the wheel, the 25-year-old Liberian citizen said, entering a plea to homicide by vehicle.

Authorities said the sport utility vehicle Tucker was driving in the early morning hours of June 29 left the roadway and slammed into a house on Summerland Drive, striking 84-year-old Milo Mike VanSchoyck, who was asleep in bed. VanSchoyck died days later of his injuries.

Tucker called his actions stupid and turned to VanSchoycks son, Jeff, in court.

Can you please forgive me, said Tucker, who also asked the son to ask forgiveness from the rest of the family.

I can ask them, but its very tough yet, Jeff VanSchoyck said.

Jeff VanSchoyck said his father was family man and noted that he wont be around to see his youngest grandson graduate from high school in the coming weeks.

My dad was a great guy. Family meant the world to him, he said. Its just been tough all around.

Following the plea, Tucker requested immediate sentencing, and Judge Brad Harris sentenced him to up to 25 years in prison with no mandatory minimum before parole. Tucker will also have to pay $150,000 in restitution. Both the prison time and restitution are set by state law.

Assistant County Attorney Brook Jacobsen said immigration authorities will likely take custody of Tucker when he finishes his prison time, and he will face deportation.

Authorities said Tuckers blood alcohol level was .246, more than three times past the legal limit to drive. He had been drinking with two friends and had gone to the Isle Casino Hotel, Jacobsen said. Tucker was turned away at the casino because of a problem with his ID, and he and one of the friends left the establishment with the friend driving. Before they got too far, the friend decided to pull over because he was too drunk to continue, and Tucker climbed in the drivers seat, Jacbosen said.

Milo VanSchoycks home isnt far from the casino, and the sport utility vehicle was headed north on Dysart Road when it entered a ditch, went airborne and traveled through a yard before hitting the house.

Jacobsen said it was a miracle that no one else was seriously injured. Milo VanSchoycks wife had just stepped out of the bedroom moments before the collision. Tuckers face was cut, but his passenger wasnt hurt, according to the accident report.
CEDAR FALLS  A Cedar Falls man and a Denver man were arrested in connection with a drug investigation that included phone taps, GPS tracking and the seizure of thousands of dollars in cash.

On Thursday, FBI agents arrested Chad Ellis Weyland, 38, of Cedar Falls, and Michael Vincent Woodberry Bent, 37, of Denver, on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They were being held in the Linn County Jail in Cedar Rapids as of Thursday afternoon.

Weyland, Bent and six others were named in a criminal complaint filed by the FBI in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. Others charged include: Aldo Omar Lopez Martinez of Marshalltown; Osbolado Nieto-Arreola, also known as Osbolado Martinez-Arreola and Adan Sanchez-Chaves, of Des Moines; Roque Rodriguez-Arellano of Marshalltown; Alejandro Hernandez of Marshalltown; Dennis Sharkey II of Dubuque; and Edward Behrens of Benton, Wis.

The probe involved officers from the Waterloo-based Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

Court records allege Martinez and others supplied Weyland with meth, and Weyland then distributed meth to Bent and others involved in a network in the Waterloo area. Bent, in turn, distributed meth to customers in Waterloo and Dubuque, records state. Investigators also identified Lopez as a supplier of meth in the Waterloo and Marshalltown area, records state.

Authorities have found Weyland with large loads of cash in recent years, court records state. In August 2013, officers found 12 grams of meth and $5,200 in cash during a stop for a traffic violation, records state.

Then a month later, Drug Enforcement Administration agents in San Diego, Calif., intercepted and seized a Federal Express package with $9,500 in cash Weyland allegedly sent to an address in Chula Vista, Calif., record state.

In April 2014, DEA agents seized $30,000 in cash from Weyland at the San Diego Airport. He flew back to Cedar Rapids without the money, and talked with authorities after landing in Iowa, records state. He allegedly cooperated with investigators, but authorities cut their ties with him after they received information he had continued distributing meth in the Waterloo area, records state.

During the investigation, authorities intercepted 1,089 drug-related phone calls and text messages involving Weyland. Bent was intercepted in 5,330 drug-related phone calls and text conversations, records state.

Bent was involved with a high-speed chase in January 2015, and officers found meth on him when he was detained. He was sent to prison on a probation violation and released in September 2015. A month later, he allegedly delivered an ounce of meth to an undercover officer for $1,700 outside Sharkeys home in Dubuque.

In January 2016, investigators were monitoring Weyland at a Cedar Falls hotel when he met with a man driving a silver Acura. Officers obtained a warrant to place a GPS tracking device on the Acura, but it was apparently sold a short time later, and police found it at a dealership.

Police then found the license plates from the silver Acura were transferred to a blue Acura, and officers placed a device on that vehicle. Rodriguez was found driving that blue car during a February 2016 traffic stop in Marshall County.
OELWEIN -- Three people are facing drug charges in Fayette County following a joint narcotics investigation.

According to the Oelwein Police Department, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant April 29 at 37 Sixth St. NW in Oelwein.

Police arrested Tammy Bamford, 44, of Oelwein, for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and gathering where controlled substances are unlawfully used. The charges are felonies.

Bamford is also accused of possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.

"In connection with the search warrant, Oelwein police issued an attempt to locate on a male and vehicle in connection to the residence," according to a prepared statement released by the Oelwein Police Department.

A Buchanan County sheriff's deputy found the person and vehicle on West Hayes Street in Hazleton. Oelwein officers and Buchanan County deputies subsequently seized a quarter pound of meth.

The quantity of drugs has a street value of $14,000, according to Oelwein police.

Forrest Spitzer, 40, of Oelwein, is charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver meth; failure to affix an Iowa drug tax stamp; and gathering where controlled substances are unlawfully used. Those charges are felonies.

Spitzer is also accused of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, which are misdemeanors.

Richard Thompson Sr., 56, of Hazleton, is facing similar charges. He was arrested for possession with intent to deliver meth and failure to affix a drug tax stamp, which are felonies, and for possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.

According to Oelwein police, the investigation is ongoing. Besides the Buchanan County Sheriffs Office, the Fayette County Sheriffs Office and Iowa State Patrol assisted the effort.

In a separate, unrelated case, Oelwein police this week also arrested Heather Annis, 39, of Oelwein. She is accused of committing willful injury, a felony, and interference with official acts, a misdemeanor.

Her arrest followed a report of a disturbance in the 600 block of Fifth Avenue Southwest, according to Oelwein police.
Great Strides Walk is Friday

CEDAR FALLS  On Friday, the Iowa Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is hosting its annual Great Strides walk at Gateway Park.

The walk is a noncompetitive, family-friendly fundraising event.

The walk is open to the public. Check-in begins at 5:30 p.m. with the walk beginning at 6:30 p.m. The total length of the walk is one mile. For more information, call the CF Foundation at (515) 252-1530.

Yard waste

hours adjusted

WATERLOO  The city of Waterloo yard waste drop-off site will be adjusting its hours of operation.

The current hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. will be changed to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days per week, effective Monday.

These hours will be in effect until Labor Day (Sept. 5), at which point the hours will reverse back to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The site is for Waterloo residents only.

Waterloo market opens Saturday

WATERLOO  The RiverLoop Farmers Market in the Expo Plaza downtown begins 8 a.m. to noon Saturday and will continue through October.

The market offers produce, gifts, 9 a.m. free yoga classes and live music from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., featuring guitar and vocals by Yasko Kajtazovic.

Free games and craft activities for kids will be available in addition to complimentary fresh hot coffee.

C.F. market to open Saturday

CEDAR FALLS  The Cedar Falls Farmers Market will open for the 2016 season Saturday. Hours will be 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Early vegetables will be lettuce, rhubarb, asparagus and onions. Vendors also will have fresh baked goods, including breakfast rolls, muffins, scones, cookies, and breads, and there also will be crafts, eggs, meat, pop corn, jams and jellies and more.

The market, located at West third and Clay streets by Overman Park, will be open every Saturday morning, May through October.

Kimball market opens Saturday

WATERLOO  The Kimball Ridge Family Market will open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Ridgeway Place parking lot, at the corner of Kimball and Ridgeway avenues.

Products for sale will include flower, vegetable and herb starter plants, hanging flower baskets, asparagus, rhubarb, eggs, homemade dry noodles, and a large variety of baked goods. Free coffee will be available.

The market takes place every Saturday morning through October.
--- One Mississippi Valley Divisional boys' track meet begins at 4:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Waterloo. Waterloo East and West will participate in that one. A second division boys' track meeting involving Cedar Falls begins at 4:30 p.m. at Cedar Falls High School.

--- "Best Seats in the House," a staged reading directed by Linda Wiges, will be 7:30 p.m. at Oster Regent Theatre, 103 Main St., Cedar Falls. This comedy by Wiges is set in a small-town cafe in Missouri with four women who are lifelong friends. Add a new young waitress with her fresh perspective and the humor abounds. Join the fun at the Chat N Chew with these ladies and their customers. Tickets are $10.
DES MOINES -- Four Democrats hoping to earn their partys spot on the ballot in Iowas U.S. Senate race addressed roughly 70 people Wednesday night at a forum in one of Des Moines bluest neighborhoods.

Current state legislator Rob Hogg; former Lt. Gov. and state Ag Secretary Patty Judge; and former state legislators Tom Fiegen and Bob Krause participated in the event in the Beaverdale neighborhood. The 90-minute discussion was hosted by a pair of local Democrat Party organizations.

Iowas primary election is June 7. The quartet seeks to challenge longtime Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley in Novembers general election.

Each of the Democrat candidates fielded 20 minutes of questions designed, moderator and liberal blog author Pat Rynard said, to address issues both within and outside their comfort zones.

Here are some highlights from each candidate, in the order they spoke Wednesday night:

TOM FIEGEN

Fiegen, who has aligned his campaign with the policies espoused by Democrat presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, said he stands by criticisms he has made on social media of his fellow primary candidates. He has accused Judge and Hogg of aligning with corporate business groups whose interests compete with Democratic causes like the environment and clean, renewable energy.

Fiegen also stood by his belief that Democrat candidates should reject campaign support from well-funded political action committees known as super PACs, even if it puts a candidate at a disadvantage against Republicans.

When Democrats take PAC money, we have divided loyalties. Then we have to choose between the money that got us there and the people. And the Bible says you cant serve two masters, Fiegen said. Call it unilateral disarmament, call it what you want. We have to swear off PAC money.

PATTY JUDGE

Judge addressed perceptions that she is too cozy with corporate agriculture. For example, she has said she does not support a lawsuit brought by a Des Moines water utility against northwest Iowa farms over river pollutants.

Judge said she acknowledges Iowa has a water quality issue, but does not believe litigation is the solution.

Judge said she supports a proposed state sales tax increase of three-eighths of a cent to fund natural resources programs, including water quality projects.

I have said very clearly I do not believe that lawsuits between government entities is the solution to this problem, Judge said. We have a problem. We need to address the problem, and we do know what we need to do: we need a long-term, solid commitment to this issue.

BOB KRAUSE

Krause became emotional when he spoke about his desire to work on veterans issues, saying he knows too many people who have been hurt by post-traumatic stress disorder and foreign wars.

He also stressed his belief that the elections most important issue is income equality. Krause said he supports increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, and referenced studies that suggested low incomes lead to decreased student achievement, and that a $10.10 minimum wage would improve the wages of 300,000 Iowans, impacting 200,000 children.

He said people living on minimum wages are in survival mode and unable to improve their livelihood.

The first thing on the plate has to be incomes, because incomes govern everything else, Krause said. Those 200,000 kids and their IQs and their test scores are more important than anything else we can do.

ROB HOGG

Hogg, an active supporter of renewable energy policy who wrote a book titled Americas Climate Century, articulated his support for tax credits that support the industries, including a solar energy state tax credit that he authored.

In response to a question about previously unsuccessful Democrat candidates who were lawyers, Hogg, an attorney, drew the nights only applause line when he noted lawyers were responsible for the state Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa.

Hogg also cited his work in the Iowa Legislature as an example of how he believes government should work, drawing contrasts with the federal government.

This is one of the key arguments Im making here, that I am an effective legislator and I know how to get things done, Hogg said, noting recent measures passed by the split-control Legislature like Medicaid expansion. I got something done in divided government.  Thats something we need more of in government.
EVANSDALE  A controversial narrowing of part of River Forest Road was approved by the City Council Tuesday night.

But not without its detractors.

To me, this has been pushed down our throats, said River Forest Road resident Lorraine Atkins. Its going to be like Cedar Falls, where theyre going get their roundabouts and probably end up paying far more than it was supposed to cost. And the same thing can happen here.

She was referring to University Avenues reconstruction in Cedar Falls and its projected overrunswhich officials say are related to storm drainage and other issues unrelated to roundabouts proposed.

No roundabouts are proposed on River Forest Road. Evansdale council members approved a project construction contract with Peterson Contractors Inc. of Reinbeck for $1.8 million  more than $400,000 below the project estimate, in a bid letting conducted by the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Federal funds will pay 80 percent of the project cost; city general obligation bond proceeds, repaid with interest by residents property taxes, will pay the rest. Construction could begin later this month and would be completed this year.

Mayor Doug Faas disagreed with Atkins claims that citizens lacked input on the project.

In the last two years alone that project has been at City Hall here 24 times for action or discussion, Faas said. Project maps have been on the wall for months in the council chambers. Weve had two public information meetings down at the CRC (Community Response Center) in duration of 2 1/2 to three hours.

He also said hes mailed letters, put up posters around town, and added, We had here in this room 5 1/2 hours worth of meetings on easements with adjacent property owners and sent them certified letters.

The city received a petition opposing the project containing about 90 signatures. Atkins suggested after the meeting many opponents didnt come Tuesday night because they have given up.

River Forest Road would be narrowed from four lanes to two from Lafayette Road to Central Avenue. City officials have suggested the present four lanes are exceedingly narrow and frequently used by semi-tractor trailers through a primarily residential area.

Some are happy were going to convert this to more of a residential street, Faas said. We hear a lot of complaints about loud trucks coming by and shaking the house and everything else, and that wont be a concern anymore.

River Forest runs between Lafayette Road and an interchange with Interstate 380. The section from I-380 to Central Avenue was improved concurrent with the highway construction; the part from Colleen to Lafayette was not.

Faas said as part of the project, a new route for heavy trucks will be designated in the city, on roads capable of carrying such traffic.
DES MOINES  Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered all flags on the Capitol Complex to be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday in observance of the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony which is to be held at the Oran Pape State Office Building of the Iowa Department of Public Safety in Des Moines.

Also, flags at the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial will be flown at half-staff the week of May 16-20 in honor of National Peace Officer Week.

All government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff Friday as a sign of respect. A memorial ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the memorial to pay respects to Iowa police officers killed in the line of duty.

Costly lawsuit

The states cost of defending Gov. Terry Branstad and his administration against legal action brought against them by Christopher Godfrey now stands at $907,015, according to state records. The Iowa Executive Council this week approved another $34,932 to be paid to the Des Moines law firm of LaMarca & Landry PC for costs associated with a lawsuit brought by the states former workers compensation commissioner.

Godfrey left the post in August 2014 to accept a federal post. Godfrey was appointed to a six-year term as the states workers compensation commissioner in 2009 by former Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat. He has been at odds with Branstad, a Republican, since he refused the governors request in 2011 to step down from his post after Branstad defeated Culver in the 2010 election.

Godfrey sued Branstad and members of his administration in 2012 after the governor slashed his $112,068-a-year salary by $36,000 in 2011. Godfrey  who is gay  sought $1 million in compensation, claiming defamation, harassment, sexual discrimination and extortion. The case in Polk County District Court is on hold while a legal aspect before the Iowa Supreme Court is decided, but no date has been set for the review to take place during the courts new term which begins in September.

Day of Reason

Members of the Central Iowa Coalition of Reason and the Eastern Iowa Coalition of Reason will be celebrating a Day of Reason with an official proclamation signed by Gov. Terry Branstad in his formal Capitol office on Thursday.

Coalition coordinator Rory Moe said the secular, pro-science groups requested the proclamation as part of a nationwide effort to make the National Day of Reason a recognized holiday in celebration of science and intellectual pursuits.

Inmate death

State Department of Corrections officials announced Wednesday an inmate had died at the Iowa Medical & Classification Center in Oakdale. DOC spokesman Fred Scaletta said Clayton C. Manning, 63, died Monday in the IMCC Hospice Care Unit of natural causes due to complications from bladder cancer.

Manning was serving a life sentence stemming from a first-degree murder conviction in Jackson County. He began serving the sentence in April 1981.
WATERLOO  The city will seek damages from contractors for failing to complete storm water lift stations on time.

Waterloo City Council members voted this week to authorize spending up to $58,900 in additional engineering services caused by delays in completing four storm water lift stations.

City Engineer Eric Thorson said the consultant, Snyder and Associates Inc. of Ankeny, will be required to spend more time on site than expected because the work was not finished on time.

We would expect to get that money back through liquidated damages, Thorson said. The contractor is way over the completion date.

Ricklefs Excavating of Anamosa was awarded a $6.58 million contract in June 2014 to build the large pump stations at Hollywood, near the Pat Bowlsby Off-Leash Dog Park; Cedar Bend near Lincoln Elementary School; Fletcher and University avenues; and near the intersection of Downing Avenue and Black Hawk Street.

Those projects were funded by federal grants after the damaging 2008 record floods. They are designed to pump water over the Cedar River and Black Hawk Creek levees when high river levels force flood gates to close.

Thorson said the contracts required the pump stations to be substantially complete by Dec. 31, 2015, with final completion by the end of March this year.

He said the projects are complete now except for punch list items, so its likely the additional consulting costs will be less than the maximum approved by council members this week.The construction contract included a provision for liquidated damages, essentially docking the contract payments a certain amount for each day past the deadline that work wasnt complete.
CEDAR FALLS -- On Friday, the Iowa Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is hosting its annual Great Strides walk at Gateway Park.

The walk is open to the public. Check in begins at 5:30 p.m. with the walk beginning at 6:30 p.m. The total length of the walk is one mile. For more information on cystic fibrosis and Great Strides, call the CF Foundation at (515) 252-1530.
WATERLOO  Not only does Beverly Nagel Ellis not know her birthday, shes not even sure what her name really is.

And its not for lack of memory.

Born shortly after her parents were liberated from a Nazi labor camp in the USSR in 1945, Ellis parents didnt have a calendar with them as they tried making their way back to Rozan, Poland. Molly Nagel only knew her daughter was born in the summer.

So when July 1 rolls around, hey, Im probably a year older, Ellis said.

She told her story to a crowd of several dozen gathered Wednesday evening at the Grout Museum in Waterloo. Ellis was the featured speaker at the Grouts 10th annual Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony, part of its Holocaust educational programming that includes exhibits running through the end of May.

When youre the child of Holocaust survivors, theres an obligation to tell your story, she said.

Ellis mother, Molly Nagel, was born and raised in Rozan, a few photos of which Ellis displayed on a screen for the audience. The images included centuries-old castles surrounded by forests.

Imagine living in a beautiful, idyllic place like this and having it all taken away, Ellis said.

Molly Nagel and most of the Jewish residents of Rozan were taken to the citys synagogue in the late 1930s by the Nazis. They set the building on fire. Some escaped from the fire, including Nagel, who carried scars on her legs for life as a result.

Eventually, she and her brothers ended up at the Komi Labor Camp in what was then the USSR. She was there four years.

She met Sam Nagel, who was a leather craftsman  a valued skill for which he was fed well by the Nazis as a result.

Sam fell in love with Molly and smuggled his extra food to her and her brothers.

It basically kept them alive, Ellis said.

She noted others were left to starve, then replaced by new arrivals at the camp.

The couple was married in the camp by a rabbi and were liberated with the other prisoners in 1945. They began traveling as far as they could away from the camp.

But when they were finally able to travel back to Molly Nagels hometown of Rozan, there was no welcome: The remaining townspeople blamed the Jewish people for the problems, ostracizing them.

Ellis compared the situation to Syrian refugees today, adding her parents also sought refuge in a German refugee camp  for five years  until they were allowed to come to the U.S.

She and her brother, Jack, lived and were educated in Germany until Molly and Sam secured passage to the United States. They resided in Kansas City. Ellis now lives in Des Moines.

History keeps repeating itself, or so it seems, Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart said. The eradication of bigotry and hate must start with each one of us.
Thud.

The all-too-familiar thump could be heard Friday night from Davenport to Sioux City as the Iowa Legislature gaveled out of another unproductive session.

Lawmakers faced consistent school funding shortfalls, serious water quality issues and a paradoxical medical marijuana program that criminalizes users heading into the 2016 term. And, after the Legislature skipped town, they are all still hanging there waiting for a fix.

Early on, it appeared the Republican House and Democratic Senate had learned from the wasted 2015 term. School funding discussions began straight away. A deal was hammered out in relative short order. Other back-burner issues could, feasibly, get hammered out with the time left.

Just maybe lawmakers would this year earn that $25,000 annual salary and $148 per-diem taxpayers shell out.

Both houses were in a rush to get a basic school-funding compromise framed out. The issue, after all, had produced 2015s do-nothing session. So they bickered, but to the credit of lawmakers grappled with the troublesome topic immediately. But few think the 2.25 percent increase for education funding will offset rising costs in K-12 education.

Dont even ask about the inequity in school funding that values some students over others. A half-baked one-off surfaced in the House in the sessions waning days that would have only exacerbated the problem. The rush-job died an unceremonious death during budget negotiations.

At least with educational funding generally hashed out, lawmakers could face other issues that for too long have collected dust.

Progress is, apparently, too much to ask in Des Moines, where the Committee on Can Kicking always has a full agenda.

Gov. Terry Branstads water quality funding plan met immediate resistance. Democrats and educational lobbyists panned the deal as a rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul gimmick. House Republicans floated a seemingly reasonable plan that would apply an existing tax on drinking water to solving the states nitrate problem. Senate Democrats mulled a sales tax hike, which was doomed from conception in an election year.

Nothing moved.

Calling Iowas cannabidiol law busted would be an understatement. An epileptic can use the marijuana extract in Iowa. But purchasing or possessing the oil remains a crime. A lot of air was spent debating the exercise in bad logic. Senate Democrats even rolled out a last-minute proposal to permit patients to buy the extract in neighboring states. It went nowhere.

Still, Iowa criminalizes those who under state law should have access to marijuana treatment.

To be fair, a few things got done.

At least gun-rights advocates can claim a victory. They got their long-sought gun suppressor legalization. Priorities, indeed.

The Legislatures bolstered oversight of Branstads newly privatized Medicaid system, assuming the governor doesnt veto the line item, was a rare victory for substance.

But as a whole, the sessions major priorities went unaddressed. That fact shouldnt shock anyone. Real issues come up. Real issues get tabled. Its the mode of operation at the Iowa Statehouse.

After all, theres always next year.
Rotarians from District 5970 will descend on Waterloo this weekend for their annual District Conference. The district is roughly the north half of Iowa from Spirit Lake in the west, Dubuque in the east to Belle Plaine to the south. Nearly 3000 Rotarians have been providing service to people in need across Iowa and the world.

The legacy of Rotary in Iowa goes back more than 100 years. After the forming of the first Rotary Club in Chicago in 1905, it quickly spread across Iowa in towns large and small. Since then Rotarians have been tireless in providing services of all kinds in nearly every part of the state. In many towns where there is a Rotary Club you will find parks, playgrounds, school and library rooms funded by local Rotary clubs. In Eagle Grove, an entire retirement and nursing home complex was created and is still run by the local Rotary Club.

In addition to physical projects, Rotary clubs have provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to Iowa youths. In fact, Rotary International is the largest provider of scholarships in the world. The young have always been an important focus of Rotary with programs such as International Youth Exchange, youth leadership camps called RYLA and Interact and Rotaract clubs in high schools and colleges.

The dedicated Iowa Rotarians continue to give of themselves selflessly every year. Iowa Rotarians have provided significant assistance to world polio eradication, which may soon join smallpox as only the second disease eliminated on Earth.

Through donations and an inestimable number of volunteer hours, Rotarians have provided services to the needy that in many cases exceed those of government organizations.

Next time you run into a Rotarian, who can often be identified by the Rotary gear lapel pin that is the symbol of Rotary, thank them for all they do in the community. And while you are at it, ask how you can help. Rotary is made up of your friends and neighbors with the only requirement being is a willingness to help others.

This weekend Rotarians are inviting the general public to come help with a service project. On Saturday, they will be assembling macaroni and cheese meals to be distributed to local food pantries across Iowa. The event will take place at the Waterloo Center for the Arts Saturday between 1 and 3 p.m. Community members of all ages are invited to lend a hand. They have a goal of creating 20,000 meals. Come and share in Iowas Rotary Legacy.
Moms and cows

MARTIN WITTMAYER

WATERLOO  This Mothers Day, May 8, many of us will celebrate the powerful bond between mother and child. Tragically, the worldwide symbols of motherhood  dairy cows  never get to see or nurture their babies. Newborn calves are torn from their mothers at birth so we can seize and drink the milk that mother cows produce for them. The powerless, distraught mothers bellow for days, hoping in vain for their babies return. The babies are kept alive elsewhere, to soon become veal cutlets.

Dairy cows spend their lives on a concrete floor, chained with no outdoor access. To maintain their milk flow, they are artificially impregnated each year. Around four years of age, their milk production drops and they are turned into hamburgers.

On Sunday, lets honor motherhood and our natural compassion by refusing to subsidize cruelties of the dairy industry. Lets replace cows milk and its products, laden with fat and cholesterol, with delicious, healthful, cruelty-free nut or soy-based milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream offered in every grocery store. Mother cows and our own bodies will thank us.

Grassleys job

BOB JUSTIS

CEDAR FALLS  Interesting full page ad from the Judicial Crisis Network in the May 2 Courier. The ad thanked Senator Charles Grassley for fighting to preserve Justice Scalias legacy on the Supreme Court. He believes the American people should get to decide what kind of Supreme Court they want with their vote for president.

I could not agree more. In fact, the American people did just that in the last election when President Obama was elected to a second term. The last time I checked terms for the president of the United States are four years, and if Im not mistaken during the months of May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December Obama is still president. Senator Grassley, with all due respect, please do your job.

Praise for Miller

CECILIA GARRIS

OELWEIN  Dr. Kent Miller has been my only physician for many years. I have always found him to be a competent, knowledgeable, personable, interested and honest individual. He conducts himself in a very professional manner, taking appropriate time to discuss and answer all questions posed, to aid, assist, remedy, prevent and support patients situations when in need.

I am very satisfied with my tenure and association with Dr. Miller. I highly respect him and I will continue to be his patient. There is none better in my opinion.

Cultural Marxism

ROGER W. SMITH

WATERLOO  We should have learned from history political opportunists will always seek power by stealing from the wealth creators to pander to the majority. In their vain attempts to found kingdoms of love and plenty, collectivists have spilled oceans of blood and destroyed mountains of treasure. As Ludwig von Mises wrote in Human Action: A Treatise on Economics: Every socialist is a disguised dictator, because no socialist ever gave a thought to the possibility that the state, which he wants to vest with unlimited power, could act in a way of which he himself disapproves.

Socialism is often portrayed with a humane face, as represented by the term democratic socialism. But however it is portrayed, socialism entails the substitution of group decision-making for individual choice. And group decision-making on a large scale tends to be oligarchic and responsive to special interests, even when it is democratically organized.

There is ample evidence socialism is not dead, but it has metamorphosed into cultural Marxism because it can no longer be justified by economic efficiency. Cultural Marxism remains constant to socialisms first principle, to wit, subordinate life to politics. Is that what we really, really want?
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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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If youre interested in trying out an online casino but arent quite ready to commit to one, why not try out one of the many no deposit casinos weve reviewed? You can test drive various casinos completely risk-free, so you can feel confident about your choice before you make a single penny deposit.
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Full disclosure: Ive been a Jessica Hopper fan for quite a while. In fact, she played no small role in my decision to become a music journalist myself. Her writing proves that there is something valuable to be gotten out of music and the critique of it, and that there are things we can learn from music that we cant learn anywhere else. As Rob Sheffield says in his blurb for her new book,, She concedes nothing to the idea that it is dumb to care so much. The excitement in her work comes from her faith that these things are worth scrapping about.

The essays range over the span of Jessica Hoppers 21-year-long career writing for The Chicago Reader, SPIN, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and many other publications. She opens with the personal essay I Have a Strange Relationship with Music, a LiveJournal-ish title that initially made me roll my eyes. Ok, we get it, you really like music. Who doesnt? But what follows is tear-jerking. Hopper waxes poetic on the great Van Morrison album TB Sheets, basking in the glow of her turntables orange light during a humid summer night and getting real about how much she learned about grief and longing from this beautiful album. It sets the tone (and your expectations) for the rest of the book: a tone of respect and unabashed enthusiasm for music.

Album reviews, which are notoriously boring to read (man, I hope this article doesnt wind up printed right next to my album reviews in this same issue), are absolutely vital in her capable hands. In her scathing review of Miley Cyrus album Bangerz, she points her finger straight at us: at consumerism, at misogyny, at the Disney popstar machine that raised Miley, at everything that made her the boringly wild collage of the worst parts of our culture that she is. Hoppers message is clear: Miley Cyrus is awful, and we made her that way. Shame on us.

In Louder than Love: My Teen Grunge Poserdom, Hopper comes clean about her Converse-wearing teenagehood. She recounts the experience that every teenage girl in America has had: listening to some boy talk to you endlessly about a band that you either 1) dont care about, or 2) know more about than he does. But shes not bittershes glad that she became obsessed with Dinosaur Jr. just to impress some boy, because Dinosaur Jr. fucking rocks. She breaks down the barrier between poser and fan, showing us that all that matters is that the enthusiasm is there. Who among us hasnt started listening to a band for the sake of getting attention from somebody we had a crush on? And, perhaps the better question is: Why be ashamed of that?

The section called Strictly Business is where Hoppers music industry knowledge shines. Her Buzzfeed story How Selling Out Saved Indie Rock is my favorite piece in the bookits a peek inside the brutal world of making ends meet as an indie musician, a peek that really cuts through any delusions of grandeur one might have about the careers of mid-level musicians. The reality is that a record deal isnt a guarantee of sustainable income anymore, and that indie bands find themselves fighting for commercial spots both to make a little much-needed cash and to get more exposure than a label could ever give them. We cant accuse bands of selling out when theres no alternative way for them to make enough money to keep making their music.

In her review for the 20th Anniversary Nirvana Boxset, Hopper rips into the money-grabbing record labels even more. Shes fed up with how much money has been bled out of Kurt Cobains corpse, and shes hopeful that, maybe, this will be the last re-packaged re-release of songs that already appear on collections from previous years. With the deaths of several rock legends this year, its a useful reminder that the music industry has little respect for the dead. We can expect the prettily-packaged Bowie and Prince re-issues to start popping up soon.

Hopper is a fine example of somebody who loves music so much that she cant help but criticize it. She has high standards, but also an understanding of the hype and hustle that come along with making music for a living. If music has ever given you the feels, The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic is a necessary addition to your shelf.
Canl Bahis siteleri sektoru son derece onu ack ve farkl ozelliklere sahip bir sektordur. Elbette bahis secenekleri arasnda yuksek kazanc getiren alan kuskusuz canl bahistir. Peki, canl bahis nedir?

Canl Bahis Nedir?

Canl bahis adndan da anlaslacag gibi devam eden musabakaya bahis yapmaktr. Bu bahis musabaka devam ederken de yaplabilir olmasdr. Basta futbol olmak uzere voleybol, tenis, hentbol, basketbol, buz hokeyi ve masa tenisi gibi spor organizasyonlarna canl bahisler yaplabilmektedir. Canl bahis siteleri bu oyunlarn hepsine yuksek oranlara bahis yapmanza imkan tanr. En fazla tercih edilen futbol canl bahisleri diger alanlara gore daha fazla on plandadr. Siteden siteye degisen sartlar ve uygulama esaslar soz konusu olsa da kurallar sabittir.

Canl bahisi populer klan ve heyecan katan en onemli ozellikle musabakann basladg ana dek bahis yapabilmedir. Canl bahis icerisinde yer alan secenekler kazanma sansnz da dogrudan arttrmaktadr. Ilk korneri kim kullanr, ilk tac, gol, sar kart, krmz kart gibi futbol musabakas icerisinde olabilecek hemen hemen her seye bahis yaplabilmektedir. Normal bahisegore de son derece yuksek oranda olmas avantajl yonlerini ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim dogru secenek ksa surede kazancl ckmanza etki edecektir.

Strateji ve dogru analizle 90 dakika gibi bir surede anaparanzkatlayabilirsiniz. Tabi bunu basarabilmek icin mutlaka musabakaya dair ayrntlar iyi degerlendirmek gerekir. Soz konusu musabakann detaylarn inceleyip, cezal, sakat oyuncu veya performans dusen takm oyunu gibi detaylar bilmek canl bahiste kazanc belirleyen onemli unsurdur. Guvenilir Canl bahis hem heyecanl zaman gecirmeyi hem de musabakalar takip ederken para kazanmay saglamaktadr.

Canl Bahis Nasl Oynanr?

Bahislerinizi guvenilir sitelerden gerceklestirdiginiz zaman herhangi bir sekilde para cekme de sorun yasamazsnz. Guvenilir bahis siteleri tespit edip sonrasnda da uyelik islemlerini tamamlamanz gerekmektedir. Belirlenen uyelik sartlarn yerine getirip hesabnza da paray aktardktan sonra bahis islemlerini sorunsuz yapabilirsiniz. Peki, canl bahis nasl oynanr?

Oncelikle bahis konusunda mutlaka dogru site arastrmas yapmalsnz. Yapacagnz arastrma neticesinde buldugunuz site uzerinden canl bahisislemlerini gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Bunun icin uye olup, hesaba para atp, canl bahis bolumune girmelisiniz. Sonrasnda dahil olmak istediginiz musabakann saatini ogrenip, gerekli analizleri yapmalsnz. Tahminlerinizi belirledikten sonra karsnza ckacak olan bahis sayfasndan istediginiz hamleyi yapmalsnz. Bahis tutarn belirledikten sonra musabaka baslayacaktr.

Canl bahis diger normal bahis esaslarna gore farkllklar icermektedir. Bunlardan en onemlisi musabakann gidisatna gore islem yapabilir olmaktr.Ayrca musabakann 2. Yarsna gore hamle yapp ayr bir bahisin soz konusu olmas da ciddi avantajdr. Dogru hamle ile sizde istediginiz bahisi yapp kazanc elde edebilirsiniz. Nitekim canl olarak yapacagnz bahis icin mac oncesi raporlara gore hareket etmek onemlidir. Cunku takmlarn durumlarn analiz etmek tahmin gucunu arttracaktr. Misal tamnn en iyi oyuncusu sakat ya da kart cezals ise takmn performansnda dusus yasanacaktr. Buna ek olarak takmn deplasman performans ile evinde ki performans ayr olacaktr. Burada da takmn musabakay nerede yaptgna bakmak gerekir. Bu ayrntlar da iyice analiz ettikten sonra bahsinizi yapp kazanmann keyfini yasayabilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri

Son derece yuksek getiriye sahip bahis sektoru uzun zamandr faaliyet gostermektedir. Cok ciddi rakamlarn soz konusu oldugu bu sektor zamanla sanal ortamlara donusmustur. Elbette guvenli ve bir o kadar da avantajl olan bu siteler cok yonlu frsatlar sunmaktadrlar. Canl iddaa siteleri gerek yeni uyelere gerekse de hali hazrdaki uyelerine bolca bonus frsatlar vermektedir. Yatracagnz tutara gore belirlenen bonuslar site icerisinde rahat hareket etmenizi de saglayacaktr.

Canl bahis sitelerini kullanmadan once mutlaka guvenli olup olmadgna goz atmalsnz. Zira baz kullanclar guvenli olmayan sitelerden yaptklar islemlerden dolay magdur olmaktadrlar. Nitekim guvenli ve sorunsuz hizmet sunan yurt ds site tercih etmek en dogru secenektir. Sektorde uzun yllar faaliyet gosteren siteleri tercih edebilirsiniz. Bu alanda yer alan yabanc siteler musteri memnuniyetine onem vermektedir. Oncelik site kullanclarn sorunsuz sekilde bahislerini yapabilir olmasn saglamaktr. Bahis sitelerinde amac hem daha fazla kullancya hizmet vermek hem de sektorde emin admlarla ilerlemek onceliklidir. Dogru site tercihi ile sizde canl bahislerinizi sorun yasamadan gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Sizler icin hazrlams oldugumuz canl bahis siteleri listesi su sekildedir;

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Sralams oldugumuz bu siteler sektorde basarl islere imza atms sitelerdedir. Canl bahis konusunda beklentileri karslayacak olan bu siteler sizlere kolaylk sunmaktadrlar. Bol bonuslu secenekle de sizlere farkl bahis yonlerini sunacaklardr. Sistemsel etki icerisinde her zaman etkin sonuc alabilmek icin surekli olarak faaliyet icerisindedirler.

Canl Bahis Taktikleri

Bahis sektorunun en fazla dikkat edilmesi gereken hususu dogru taktik ve dogru tahmindir. Elbette dogru tahmini yapabilmek icin analizi cok iyi yapmak gerekir. Canl bahis taktikleri arasnda ilk sra analiz gelmektedir. Analiz yapamadgnz zaman basarl tahminlerde bulunmanz pek de mumkun degildir. Cunku bahiste onemli olan konu musabakann analizini cok iyi yaplmas gerektigidir. Canl bahisin ozelliklerini iyi bilmek ve nasl bir hamle yapacagnz bilmek gerekir. Ozellikle riskli maclarda yaplacak degerlendirmeler cok daha onemlidir.

Canl bahis yapacaklarn takip edecegi degerler takmlarn durumlar ile alakal olmaldr. Performans uzerine kurulu bahis sisteminde takm degerlendirmesine iyi bakmak gerekir. Iki takmn son 5 macta nasl bir sonuc ortaya koyduguna bakarak hareket etmek onemlidir. Ayrca hangi takm evinde daha iyi performans sergiliyor diye de ayrca bakmak gerekir.

Analizlerle alakal puan durumlarna da goz atmak cok onemlidir. Puan degerlendirmesinde oncelikle takmlarn ihtiyaclar ile dogru orantl hareket etmek gerekir. Cunku olusturulan performans takmn da durumunu ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim istenilen sonucu elde edebilmek icin tum ayrntlar bilmek gerekir. Takm ici duzenden tutunda da takmn son durumuna kadar her ayrnt onemlidir. Iki takmn birbirleri arasnda ki sonuclar da incelemek gerekir. Burada dikkat edilecek detaylarn basnda maclarda kac gol oldugu ve gollerin hangi dakikalarda atldgdr. Cekismeli gecen musabakalarda bazen goller ilk yarda daha fazla olurken baz maclarda da ikinci yarda daha cok gol olmustur. Iki takm arasnda ki maclarda gollerin cogunlugu ilk yarda geliyorsa buna gore bahis yapabilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Bonuslar ve Kampanyalar

Bahis yapanlar veya yapmay dusununler sitelerin sunmus olduklar frsatlar merak etmektedirler. Cunku siteler daha fazla kullancya erismek icin her donem kampanyalar duzenleyerek kullanc odakl hamleler yapmaktadrlar. Canl bahis bonuslar ve kampanyalar oldukca populer olup, siteler bu konuda adeta birbirleri ile yarsmaktadrlar. Birbirinden farkl ozelliklere sahip olan kampanyalar size frsatlar sunmaktadr. Daha cok kazanma ihtimalinizi arttran bu bonuslar daha cesur olmanza da dogrudan etki edecektir. Nitekim bonuslar sitelerin cekiciligini ve avantajlarn arttrmaktadr. En cok kazandran canl bahis siteleri bedava bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin http://www.milano2018.com/canli-bahis-siteleri-2022/ linkinden yardm alabilirsiniz.

Hos geldin bonusu ile baslayan ve sonrasnda para yatrdkca bonus veren cok sayda site bulunmaktadr. Canl bahis bonusu veren siteler yeni uyelere sunduklar frsatlar farkl kampanyalarla mevcut uyelerine de sunmaktadrlar. Hali hazrda siteyi kullananlarn da bonus frsatlarndan yararlanmalar icin donemsel kampanyalar olusturmaktadrlar. Boylece baska sitelere gidisler olmayacag gibi site de daha keyifli zaman gecirmek mumkun klnmaktadr. Bu tur eklentiler yapan sitelerde musteri memnuniyeti daha fazladr.

Bahis siteleri ozellik ve uygulama bakmndan farkllklar bunyelerinde bulundurmaktadrlar. Verilen bonuslarn olusturulmas ve kullanclar aktarlmasnda yatrlan para miktarlar belirleyici olmaktadr. 1.000 TL yatran bir kullanc yuzde 20 bonus frsat olan bir kampanyadan 200 TL bonus kazanabilmektedir. Yatracag tutar 10.000 TL oldugunda bu bonustutar 2.000 TL olabilmektedir. Gerceklesen ve uygulanan esaslar tamamen donemsel olarak yaplan kampanyalarla alakaldr. Iyi Canl bahis siteleri bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin sitelerin vermis oldugu oranlar takip edebilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Yatrma

Online Canl bahis yapacaklarn merak ettigi konulardan bir digeri de para yatrma islemleridir. Oldukca onemli olan bu konuda hata yapmamak cok onemlidir. Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemi sanlann aksine son derece basittir. Oldukca basit ve uygulama esas dogru etki olusturan bu yapda sizde islemi rahatca tamamlayabilirsiniz. Para yatrma konusunda su yolu izleyebilirsiniz.

Guvendiginiz ve herhangi bir sekilde aklnzda soru isareti kalmayan bahis sitesine uye olmanz gerekmektedir. Uyelik islemini sorunsuz sekilde tamamladktan sonra para yatrma islemine gecebilirsiniz.

Kullanacagnz siteye uye olduktan sonra karsnza kullanc ad ve sifresini gireceginiz yer gelecektir. Buraya giris yaptktan sonra site icerisine islemlere devam edebilirsiniz.

Sitede yer alan para yatrma sekmesine tklayp sonrasnda karsnza gelen sayfay inceleyebilirsiniz. Para yatrma bolumunde yer alan ksma ne kadar para yatracagnz yazp devam tusuna basmalsnz.

Yatrmak istediginiz tutar girip sonrasnda da devam tusuna bastktan sonra karsnza kart bilgilerinizi gireceginiz sayfa gelecektir. Kredi kart kullanarak para gondermek isteyenlerin tercih ettigi bu sayfa tum bilgiler girilip islem onaylanmaldr.

Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemini gerceklestirmek icin hesaba havale secenegini de kullanabilirsiniz. Site icerisinde musteri hizmetleri ile iletisime gecerek banka hesap numaralarn ogrenebilirsiniz. Belirtilen IBAN numarasna istediginiz tutar havale edebilirsiniz. Havale ederken acklama ksmna yazlacak bilgilere dikkat etmelisiniz.

Kredi kart veya banka havalesi ile gerceklesen para yatrma islemi sonucunda site hesabnzdan bakiyenize bakabilirsiniz. Bakiyenize gore dilediginiz sekilde bahislerinizi gerceklestirebilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Cekme

Canl bahiste dogru hamleler ve dogru tahminler sonucunda kazandgnz bedeli geri almak isteyebilirsiniz. Kazanclarnz istediginiz banka hesabnza cekebilmek icin uymanz gereken kurallar soz konusudur. Oncelikle bahis sitelerinden para cekebilmeniz icin uye olurken dogru bilgi paylasmnda bulunmanz gerektigidir. Cunku canl bahis sitelerinden para cekme islemi icin kullanc hesab ile talep edilen banka hesap bilgilerinin ortusmesi gerekir. Yani uye olurken verilen bilgi ile banka hesab kime ait ise o bilgiler ayn olmaldr. Bu uygulama sitenin hem kullancsn hem de kendisini guvene alma politikasdr. Ayrca frsatclarn onune gecerek yeni bir uye olusumunun da onune gecmek amac gutmektedir. Uye olan kisi farkl para cekilme talebi verilen hesap farkl oldugunda para cekme islemi gerceklesmeyecektir.

Bahisleriniz sonucunda kazanc elde edebilir ve bu kazancnz da hakknz olarak almak isteyebilirsiniz. Burada son derece basit uygulama soz konusu olurken siteler aras farkl gorunumler soz konusu olabilir. Fakat yine de tum sitelerde uyenin site icerisinde para cekme bolumune girmesi yeterlidir. Burada cekilecek olan tutarn belirlenmesi ve hesap numarasnn girilmesi ile birlikte islem onay gerekecektir. Para cekme taleplerinde sizden gerekli bilgiler istenmekte ve havale islemi istenilen bilgiler esliginde yurutulmektedir. Dogru bilgi paylasmak sorunsuz para cekebilmeniz en onemli kuraldr. Istenilen bilgiler girildikten sonra site sorumlular gerekli kontrolleri yapp herhangi bir sorun yoksa ksa surede hesabnza gerekli paray aktaracaklardr.

Canl Bahis Sitelerinden Para Cekmek Icin Istenen Belgeler

Bahis sitelerine uye olduktan sonra baz kullanclar para cekme taleplerinin karslanmadg konusunda sikayetlerde bulunmuslardr. Bu sikayetlersektorde uzun zamandr bulunan guvenilir bahis siteleri de yer almaktadr. Fakat sikayetlerin dayanaklarna bakldgnda ise islerin tamamen farkl oldugu gorulmektedir. Yasanan bu durum kullanclarn hatal bilgi girmesi ve uyelik bilgileri ile banka bilgilerinin uyusmamas ile dogru orantldr. Birde canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler eksik ya da hatal olarak sunulmus olabilir. Ortaya ckan karsklar neticesinde para cekme talebinde bulunan kisi istedigini alamadg icin sikayetci olmaktadr. Oysa ki istenilen bilgiler dogru ve istenilen evraklar eksiksiz sunulsa para cekme islemi sorunsuz olacak.

Sitelerin para cekme konusunda dikkatli hareket etmesi hilelerin ve illegal faaliyetlerin onune gecmek adnadr. Cunku baz kullanclar farkl bilgiler vererek ikinci hesap acabilmektedirler. Bazen de bilincsizce hatal bilgi girilebilmektedir. Hatal islemlerin cozumu konusunda islem yaptgnz sitenin musteri temsilcileri ile gorusebilirsiniz. Talepleriniz dogrultusunda para cekme islemlerinde ki sorunlar giderilecektir. Canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler listesi su sekildedir;

Kullanc bilgileri ile banka bilgilerini karslastrmak icin kimlik fotokopisi

Banka hesap bilgileri

Ikametgah ve kisiye ait herhangi bir fatura.

Kacak Iddaa

Turkiyede dogrudan bahis yapmak icin resmi kanallar kullanlabilmektedir. Fakat tercih edilen ve oran olarak cok daha fazla frsatlar sunan kacar iddaasiteleri bulunmaktadr. Bu siteler kanunlara aykr sekilde yaplmakta olup, yasal bir dayanag yoktur. Elbette bu sitelerin kurulus merkezi Turkiye olmayp, ds ulkelerdedir ve faaliyetler belirlenen siteler uzerinden yaplmaktadr. Kacak Iddaa oldukca riskli olup, cok dikkatli olunmas gerekir.

Kacak Bahis

Kanunlar cercevesinde istediginiz gibi bahis yapamayabilirsiniz. Bahis yapabilmek icin ya kanuni olarak sorun olmayan ulke dsnda ki kumarhanelere gitmeniz veya kacak bahis sitelerinden islem yapabilirsiniz. Zira bu durum tehlikeli olsa da cok sayda site guvenli sekilde bu alanda hizmet vermektedir. Kacak bahiste oldukca fazla secenek bulunurken yuksek oranda kazanc sunuyor olmas da ragbeti arttryor.

Illegal Bahis

Bahisin bircok alanda yasak oldugu Turkiyede bu alanda cok sayda yabanc merkezli siteler hizmet vermektedir. Illegal bahis sektorunde faaliyet gosteren siteler guvenli hizmet anlays ile kullanclarna frsatlar sunmaktadr. Yurt ds merkezli bu siteler sorunsuz sekilde hizmetlerini surdururken bulunduklar ulkelerde kanunlara uygun sekildedir. Elbette faaliyet noktasnda bulunduklar ulkelerde sorun teskil etmese de Turkiyede faaliyet gostermeleri kanunin yasaklanmstr.

Yasads Bahis

Gerek olusturulan etkenler gerekse de ortaya konulan riskler yasads bahis de oldukca tehlikelidir. Kanunlarn mudahil olduklar bu alanlar da hem kullanclar hem de populer bahis yaptranlar tum riskleri goze almaktadrlar. Fakat yasaklardan uzak sekilde guvenli hizmet sunan siteler de bulunmaktadr. Takipler neticesinde kapatlan sitelerin muhakkak alternatifleri kurularak yollarna devam etmektedirler.

Canl Iddaa Siteleri Nelerdir?

Dunya genelinde kabul gormus cok sayda guvenli hizmet veren populer bahis siteleri bulunmaktadr. Elbette bu siteler dunyann bircok ulkesinde faaliyet gosterse de Turkiyede yasaktr. Sektorde yer alan cok sayda legal iddaa siteleri bulunmaktadr. Herhangi bir kanunsuzlugun olmadg bu sitelerden hzl ve guvenli islem yaplabilmektedir. Tabi bu sitelerde uygulanan oranlar yasal olmayan sitelere gore daha dusuktur. Illegal sitelerin tercih edilme sebeplerinin en onemli etkeni de olusturulan oranlardr. Peki, Iddaa siteleri nelerdir? Faaliyetleri ve uygulama esaslar nelerdir?

Turkiyede faaliyet gosteren yasal iddaa siteleri listesi su sekildedir;

Iddaa

Bilyoner

Tuttur

Birebin

Oley

Nesine

Misli

Iddaa

2004 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslayan Iddaa Spor toto tarafndan kurulmus olup, ilk etapta bayilik seklinde calsmaya baslamstr. Elbette zamanla gelisen teknolojiye ayak uydurarak internet uzerinde de populer bahis severlerin hizmetine sunulmustur. Kuruldugu donemde devletin resmi kurumu olarak faaliyet gosterirken gelinen yeni donemde ozellestirilmistir.

Bilyoner

Turkiyede faaliyetine 2006 ylnda baslayan Bilyoner ilk ozel yasal bahis sitesi olma ozelligine sahiptir. Guvenilir bahis siteleri Turkiyede bunlardr. Ksa surede populer olan site halen faaliyetlerini sorunsuz sekilde surdurmektedir.

Tuttur

Ksa surede adndan bahsettirmeyi basaran Tuttur 2009 ylnda faaliyetlere baslamstr. Guvenilir bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almstr. Gunumuze dek bircok alanda populer bahis yapanlara frsatlar sunarken avantajlar ile de begeni toplamstr.

Birebin

Kullanc odakl calsmalar surdurse de 2011 ylnda sektore giren Birebindiger sitelere gore daha az ragbet gormektedir. Bahis oynamak ise bu sitede oldukca kolaydr. Elbette farkl yaklasmlara sahip olmasndan dolay ilerleyen sureclerde adndan sklkla bahsettirecek gibi gorunuyor.

Oley

2009 ylnda Dogus yayn gruplarnn istiraki olarak kurulmus olup yasal olarak herhangi bir sorunu olmayan sitelerdendir. Bahis siteleri arasnda hzl cks yapms bir sitedir. Oley yapms oldugu yenilikler ile kullanclarn da dikkatini ksa surede cekmeyi basarmstr.

Nesine

Birbirini takip eden surecte Nesine de yine 2006 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslamstr. Yasal bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almay basaran firma ksa surede sevilen ve ragbet goren bir site olmustur.

Misli

2009 ylnda sektore cok hzl giris yapan Misli cok sayda reklam filmi ile on plana ckmay basarmstr. Internet uzerinden hem yasal hem de sorunsuz hizmet veren bahis sitelerinden bir tanesi olmustur.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Kayt ve Uyelik Islemleri

Her zaman populerligini koruyan ve surekli gelisim gosteren canl bahis gun gectikce daha da gucleniyor. Bahis oynamak icin ise sitelere uye olunmas gerekir. Yuksek getirisi ve begeni toplayan faaliyetleri ile cok sayda site bu alanda faaliyet gostermektedir. Elbette sorunsuz sekilde uye olmanz ve faaliyetler gostermeniz de oldukca kolaydr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri dakikalar icerisinde gerceklestirilecek yapya sahiptir.

Uye olacagnz siteyi belirledikten sonra siteye girmeniz gerekmektedir. Girdiginiz sitenin ana sayfasnda uye ol ya da kayt ol bolumu bulunacaktr. Siteler arasnda degiskenlik gosteren bu alanda temel unsurlar bulunmaktadr. Elbette farkllklar olsa da temelinde benzer bilgiler uye olmak isteyen kisilerden talep edilmektedir.

Uye ol bolumune tkladktan sonra karsnza uyelik bilgi formu ckacaktr. Bu formda sizin kim oldugunuzu ogrenmek ve sitenin guvenligini saglamak adna islemler yaplmaktadr. Uyelik formunda yer alan ad soyad bolumunu eksiksiz ve dogru sekilde doldurmalsnz. Sizden bu formda istenen bilgilerin tamamn girmeniz istenecektir. Istenen bilgiler mutlaka dogru ve eksiksiz sekilde olmaldr. Eksik veya hatal bilgi uyelik islemlerinde sorun teskil edebilir. Yine de yanls bilgi girisine ragmen uyelik islemleri tamamlanabilir. Fakat boyle bir yol izleyenler sonrasnda buyuk skntlarla karslasabilirler. Bu skntlarn basnda da para cekme islemlerinde yasanan sorunlardr.

Uyelik islemleri dikkatli ve ozenle doldurulmas gereken yapdadr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri gerceklestirilirken verilen bilgiler site yonetimi tarafndan muhafaza edilmektedir. Herhangi bir sekilde 3. Sahslarla paylaslmas gibi bir durum soz konusu degildir. Bu faaliyetleri surduren sitelerin guven unsurlar arasnda bu nokta onceliklidir.

Bahis sitelerine uye olurken hatal bilgi paylasmnda bulunmak size faydadan cok zarar verecektir. Diyelim ki bilgileri hatal girdiniz ve uyelik onayland. Uyelik tamamlandktan sonra siteye para yatrdnz ve kazanc elde ettiniz. Kazancnz sonrasnda hesabnza almak istediginizde karsnza banka bilgileri bolumu gelecektir. Para cekme talebi gerceklestikten sonra site uyelik bilgileri ile banka hesap bilgileri ortusmez ise paranz alamazsnz. Boyle bir durumla karslasmamak adna bu hususa ayrca dikkat etmelisiniz.
May 5, 2016 | By Tess

Earlier this week, Eric Schmidt, CEO of Alphabet, Googles parent company, announced the benefits that 3D printed construction processes could have on the world, further reinforcing our long held belief that 3D printed buildings will be the future of construction. With a number of innovative companies researching and developing additive manufacturing processes to reinvigorate and even revolutionize the construction industry, we have little doubt that that is where the industry is headed. One such company is Chattanooga, Tennessee based startup Branch Technology, which has just announced it will begin the construction of Chattanoogas first 3D printed home this July.

Earlier this year, Branch Technology announced its Freeform Home Design Challenge, which invited anyone, from architectural firms to individuals, to design a single family home using their innovative 3D printing Cellular Fabrication (C-Fab) technique. Last week, on April 22nd, the winners of the competition were announced, and the winning design, Curve Appeal designed by architecture firm WATG Chicago, will be constructed beginning in July.

As mentioned, the building will incorporate Branch Technologys C-Fab technique, which differs slightly from other 3D printing construction methods weve written about in the past. Essentially, the Cellular Fabrication technique uses a customized industrial robotic arm (the Kuka KR 90), which extrudes a carbon fiber reinforced ABS plastic material into complex, large-scale structures up to 8,772 cubic feet in size. What sets these structures apart from other concrete additive manufacturing processes, is that they only actually make up the inner framework of the building structure. That is, once printed, the additively manufactured framework can be sprayed with traditional low-cost building materials like foam insulation and concrete to make a strong, hybrid building structure.

By using 3D printed complex structures as an interior framework surrounded by concrete, the building walls can benefit from the reduced weight afforded by 3D printing, as well as the structural integrity offered by concrete. The C-Fab walls are reportedly just as strong as traditional concrete walls, but weigh much less, for example, a 1.5 lb plastic wall can support up to 1,500 lbs, while a 2.5 lb plastic wall with spray foam can support 2,980 lbs. Of course, what 3D printing the inner framework also allows is freedom of design.

WATG Chicagos winning Curve Appeal home demonstrates this freedom of design perfectly, as it defies traditional box-like house structures with its entirely curved, even cave-like shape. In this sense, the innovative home design falls in line with Branch Technologys own aesthetic philosophy of being inspired by nature. As founder and CEO of Branch Technology Platt Boyd explains, [The structures] really have no geometric limitations, so it opens up a wide array of possibilities for design and building and architecture. The vision is to look at how things are made in the natural world and then begin translating that into how we can make things in the built environment, whether it be walls or other things.

On top of having their design selected for construction, WATG Chicago also took home an $8,000 cash prize for having won the competition, and the two runner ups, City College of New Yorks Home(less)+House and Romanian Spiru Haret Universitys Urban Leaf, won $1,000 each. In preparation for Curve Appeals imminent construction, the Chattanooga startup must still pass some certifications and safety standards, which are reportedly underway. Branch Technology is currently looking for supply partners to make the innovative 3D printed house a reality.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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sher wrote at 6/29/2016 7:35:57 AM:price of 3d printer for building housePaul Hitchings wrote at 5/12/2016 6:29:44 PM:This tech is really exciting in my honest opinion.




May 5, 2016 | By Alec

The Australian branch of international electronics reseller Computergate has just made an important announcement that could greatly affect Australian 3D printing hobbyists. The Melbourne-based branch has revealed that they are setting up 3D printer support services in Australia, and can already provide services for Zeus and Mojo 3D printers. This new program will provide numerous support services, including helpdesk assistance and extended warranty guarantees.

Its an announcement that will doubtlessly be welcomed by all those hobbyists that have relied on 3D printer resellers for their hardware. To be sure, resellers have played a crucial role in expanding the 3D printing market. As a manufacturers distribution network is often quite limited in its scope, resellers are necessary to bring 3D printers to hobbyists in every corner of the globe. Through competition they are also playing an important role in pushing down hardware costs. Really theres only one downside to relying on 3D printer resellers, and thats when something goes wrong. If youre in need of assistance, troubleshooting or even warranty claims, services sometimes fall short because resellers often just dont have the capacity to deal with those problems.

In attempt to address those shortcomings in the Australian 3D printer market  which is heavily populated by resellers  Computergate Australia will now thus provide custom services. As the company revealed to Australian media, they will be offering on-site extended warranty, helpdesk assistance (during business hours), as well as telephone and onsite support.

To do so, the company has partnered with the Australian 3D Manufacturing Association (A3DMA), the national non-profit industry representative, who will help them coordinate the service through distributors and resellers. They are currently in talks with 3D printer manufacturers and vendors to set up services, and have already received accreditation for Zeus and Mojo 3D printers.

According the companys chief executive Mario Greco, they hope that the existence of such a service network will encourage schools and businesses to take that step into 3D printing. By implementing our managed maintenance programs we expect to deliver superior service offerings to support all products in the field that will provide our customers with a seamless experience, he further said.

Posted in 3D Printing Service

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May 5, 2016 | By Tess

With Mothers Day just around the corner, sons and daughters everywhere will be wracking their brains for the ultimate gift to give to their moms. For some inspiration, we will release a list of ideas for 3D printed Mothers Day gifts, but if none of those ideas is as elaborate as what you want to present to your dearest mother, then maybe this Groupon offer will suit you better. In a shocking, and quite amusing special Mothers Day offer, Groupon is giving the opportunity to one of its clients to have a life-size, full-color 3D printed version of themselves shipped to their mother for the special holiday.

The offer, which is available to one person for the costly price of $30,000, is in collaboration with SWIGRO, an Auburn, Alaska based 3D printing company which is also the official distributor of the BigRep ONE, one of the largest 3D printers on the market today. For those who can afford it, the deal offered by Groupon includes travel costs (up to $2,500) for you to be 3D scanned and for your 3D blueprint to be established, the additive manufacturing of your life-size replica, the painting of it, and the shipping and handling of it to anywhere in the continental United States.

The unique Mothers Day gift could be the ideal thing if you dont get to spend enough time with your dear mother and want her to know youre always by her side (in some capacity). As the offer states, Once your 3D You is delivered, Mom will be able to take you along for all of her favorite activities and experiences such as getting a pedicure, going to lunch or attending a Broadway musical.

Of course, with a price tag of 30k, the humorous giftwhich lets be honest could be just as likely to scare your mother as bring her a smileis not suited for everyone, and only one lucky Groupon customer will be surprising their mother with a 3D printed version of themselves.

Along with this fun, albeit strange 3D printed You Mothers Day gift, Groupon has also posted an offer for a Mothers Day Stand-In, where a Groupon employee would go visit your mother this Sunday in your stead. This last offer is also available to 1 person and is going for the hefty price of $25,000 (to be fair, the deal includes travel as well as a $5,000 shopping spree for your mom). Whether anyone will snatch up these truly one-of-a-kind Mothers Day offers remains to be seen, but if you think your mother would appreciate a life-sized 3D printed version of you by her side at all times, then perhaps it is worth considering.

Posted in Fun with 3D Printing

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May 5, 2016 | By Kira

Fried Vancrean, CEO of leading 3D printing solutions provider Materialise NV, has issued a formal call to establish a unified and standardized approach to measuring the clinical, economical, and patient benefits of medical 3D printing. Doing so, he argues, will enhance the healthcare industrys confidence in new technologies, accelerate research, development, and adoption of medical 3D printing solutions, and ultimately provide more and better care to patients in need.

3D printed medical solutions have already saved countless livesfrom patient-specific surgical guides to titanium 3D printed implants to the possibility of 3D printed transplant organsto say that 3D printing could mean the difference between life and death is hardly an overstatement.

Belgian firm Materialise NV has been at the forefront of developing and providing medical 3D printing solutions to academia, hospitals, and the medical device industry. From 3D surgery planning software to 3D printed tracheal splints, the company has been quick to realize, and implement, 3D printings life-saving potential.

Yet in order to ensure the widest possible adoption of 3D printing technology by healthcare professionals, and in turn, the best possible treatment for patients, Materialise believes it is necessary to design consistent and complete evidence-gathering methodologies that will provide undeniable, standardized and clinical evidence as to 3D printings benefit to the medical industry.

Furthermore, Vancrean has made it clear that Materialise is committed to taking a leadership role in this invaluable initiative.

The goal is nothing short of establishing the groundwork for producing solid clinical evidence on 3D printed medical applications, including anatomical models, patient-specific guides and implants, said Vancrean. Anything short of this will slow down the wonders of medical 3D Printing from becoming available to patients and medical professionals the world over.

There have been several initiatives aimed at properly measuring and validating the clinical benefits of medical 3D Printing, but all have suffered from a lack of coordination and agreed-upon research methodologies, he explained. The fact is, we can only be successful if we take an evidence-based approach across the industry, acting in concert with a set of protocols, methodologies and measurement guidelines. With the proper scientific rigor, our ambition of gaining widespread acceptance of medical 3D Printing will be realized more swiftly, and the patients whom we aim to serve will benefit the most.

The idea is by establishing a rigorous, evidence-based guideline, medical professionals such as physicians, hospitals and policy makers will be encouraged to accelerate adoption of 3D printing technology. It could also spur governmental bodies and insurance companies to include 3D printed solutions as part of their approved plans (as is already the case in Japan). Both results would lead to more patients being able to receive specialized, customized, and effective 3D printed medical care.

It is a noble cause, and Materialise is now calling on industry stakeholders to join its initiative at the Building Evidence for 3D Printing Applications in Medicine event, which will be hosted by SME following the RAPID 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing conference, taking place in Florida this month. The Building Evidence for 3D Printing in Medicine Event, of which Materialise is the founding sponsor, will bring together leaders from the medical and additive manufacturing communities (including Johnson & Johnson, the FDA, and the Mayo Clinic) to address challenges, discuss clinical studies, and share best practices for effective research methodologies.

Watch the SME video below to see several medical and industry experts discuss the advantages and opportunities of medical 3D printing:

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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Shin wrote at 5/6/2016 1:22:18 AM:Currently, technology in bone replacement such as hips and portions of bones is most promising, Also promising is the cost effective nature of 3D printing custom fit prosthetics. Where the argument is currently weakest is 3D printed organs, which are currently bonded weakly, and the problems of rejection. Telling the audience that 3D printing medicine is successful and then showing them artificial hearts and veins that can't handle the pressures of pumping blood, or showing them implants that are rejected causing complications is not the way to garner support. Sadly, people only fund success, not "promising results" that still fail.




Dexter Filkins in The New Yorker:

Hanif got the idea of writing about a nurse in a decrepit hospital. Alice Bhatti (named for his old editor) is a ferociously strong young woman: smart, independent, and rebellious to the point of recklessness. She works as a nurse in the Sacred Heart Hospital for All Ailments, a shambling Catholic institution in Karachi that is corrupt, underfunded, and horrifyingly filthy: rats make nests of human hair; gunnysacks filled with body parts sit in a corner. Alice is Christian, the daughter of a faith healer, from a Christian slum called the French Colony, where Jesus is known as Lord Yassoo. She comes from a family of sweepers, or janitors, a job performed overwhelmingly by Christians. At the hospital, Alice sees the most vicious tendencies of Karachimurders and molestations that go unreported, bodies that go unclaimed. She freely mocks the Islamic faith, in concert with her father, who warns her, These Muslas will make you clean their shit and then complain that you stink. More than anything, Alice is determined to defend herself from an endless wave of insults and assaults:

There was not a single daynot a single daywhen she didnt see a woman shot or hacked, strangled or suffocated, poisoned or burnt, hanged or buried alive. Suspicious husband, brother protecting his honour, father protecting his honour, son protecting his honour, jilted lover avenging his honour, feuding farmers settling their water disputes, moneylenders collecting their interest: most of lifes arguments, it seemed, got settled by doing various things to a womans body.

When a wealthy patients relative tries to force Alice to perform oral sex, she slashes his genitals with a razor and dispatches him to the emergency room. Go to Accidents. And no need to be shy, they get lots of this sort of thing during their night shift, she says. And stop screaming.

More here.
Peter Coates at The Times Literary Supplement:

The original and unsurpassed cowboy president  though the quartets only Easterner, and a New Yorker to boot  was not only an ardent hunter and all-round outdoorsman. The damned cowboy (as the Republican Party boss Mark Hanna derided the vice president elevated to the top job when an anarchist assassin killed William McKinley) was also a skilled naturalist and fervent conservationist, as well as a peerless presidential creator of wildlife refuges, national forests, national monuments and national parks. Small wonder that the cover of Otis Grahams Presidents and the American Environment (2015) shows him at Glacier Point during his 1903 trip to Yosemite.

The pervasive campfire aroma of Roosevelts larger-than-life persona is reflected in book titles such as David McCulloughs Mornings on Horseback (1981), Sarah WattssRough Rider in the White House (2003) or Candice Millards The River of Doubt(2005)  the latter about the near-fatal, post-presidency voyage up Brazils Rio da Duvida that proved to be the last major adventure before 1919, when the man whod survived countless scrapes met a rather unmemorable end, from a blood clot in his sleep. Roosevelt was the sort of person of whom it was easy to imagine that he, like Leonardo DiCaprios character in The Revenant, would have survived a mama grizzlys mauling, a roller-coaster ride down a raging, frigid river, and a night inside a dead horse. After all, as Michael R. Canfield recounts in this new account of Roosevelts relationship with the outdoors, in 1912, in Milwaukee, he pressed on with a scheduled campaign speech despite having just taken an assassins bullet in the chest, proceeding to speak for over an hour, as the bloodstain gradually spread across most of his shirt (the bullet was never removed).

more here.
Santiago Zabala in the Columbia University Press Blog:

In order to respond to this important question, it is first necessary to emphasize that there isnt much difference among philosophers, theologians, scientists, or artists when it comes to intellectual freedom. Whatever the training, traditions, or debates the intellectually free are those who know how their disciplines are framed. For example, when the scientist Laurent Segalat, in his bookLa Science a bout de souffle?, criticized how the management of funds has become more important than search for truth in his field, he was both pointing out what frames his discipline and also exercising intellectual freedom. Only those who thrust us into theabsence of emergency are intellectually free today.

When Martin Heidegger said in the 1940s that the only emergency is the absence of emergency, he was referring to a frame (Ge-stell), a technological power that had grown beyond our ability to control it. Today this framing power is globalization, where emergencies, as Heidegger specified, do not arise when something doesnt function correctly but rather when everything functions . . . and propels everything more and more toward further functioning. This is why he was so concerned with the specialization and compartmentalization of knowledge that would inevitably limit and frame independent and critical thought. So to be intellectually free today means disclosing the emergency at the core of the absence of emergency, thrusting us into knowledge of those political, technological, and cultural impositions that frame our lives.

The recent passing of the philosopher Umberto Eco, the musician Prince, and the filmmaker Ettore Scola ought to remind us how important intellectual freedom is. Their works have all resisted orthodox interpretations of artistic creation, social stereotypes, and fascistic discrimination.

More here.
Big offensive night boosts Wolves to third-straight NSIC victory

The Wolves picked up their fifth win of the year, 49-20 over winless Concordia-St. Paul, improving to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the NSIC North Division.


Altech Secures Settlement for Mining Lease at Meckering

Perth, May 6, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Altech Chemicals Limited (Altech/the Company) ( ASX:ATC ) is pleased to announce that it has executed a settlement and option to purchase agreement for the freehold land that completely encompasses its mining lease application M70/1334 at Meckering, Western Australia. As reported previously, the landowners had objected to the application for grant of the mining lease and the objection was before the Warden's Court (WA). Concurrently, the Company continued to negotiate a settlement with the landowners and a final settlement has now been reached.



The parties have agreed to settle for an undisclosed amount and on the terms and conditions contained below:



- Landowners will dismiss the objection to the grant of M70/1334



- Altech will proceed with the grant of the mining lease



- Landowners have granted Altech an option to purchase 94 hectares of land which includes the area subject to M70/1334



- Option period of 18 months to purchase the land



- Mining operations may commence only after the purchase the land at the agreed price



M70/1334 is estimated to contain ~11 million tonnes of kaolin mineral resources, which will be sufficient to supply feedstock for Altech's proposed Malaysia HPA plant for in excess of 250 years.



Altech managing director, Mr Iggy Tan said "the Company is delighted to have reached agreement with the landowners for the freehold land purchase at Meckering. The grant of M70/1334 can now proceed without objection, following which the Company will submit a Mining Proposal (MP) and a Mine Closure Plan (MCP), and upon approval of these items (and subject to funding) mining operations at Meckering will be ready to commence.



"This is yet another significant milestone achieved in the march to develop the Company's high purity alumina project", Mr Tan concluded.





About Altech Chemicals Ltd





Altech Chemicals Limited (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y) is aiming to become one of the world's leading suppliers of 99.99% (4N) high purity alumina (Al2O3) through the construction and operation of a 4,500tpa high purity alumina (HPA) processing plant at Johor, Malaysia. Feedstock for the plant will be sourced from the Company's 100%-owned kaolin deposit at Meckering, Western Australia and shipped to Malaysia.



HPA is a high-value, high margin and highly demanded product as it is the critical ingredient required for the production of synthetic sapphire. Synthetic sapphire is used in the manufacture of substrates for LED lights, semiconductor wafers used in the electronics industry, and scratch-resistant sapphire glass used for wristwatch faces, optical windows and smartphone components. Increasingly HPA is used by lithium-ion battery manufacturers as the coating on the battery's separator, which improves performance, longevity and safety of the battery. With global HPA demand approximately 19,000t (2018), it is estimated that this demand will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% (2018-2028); by 2028 HPA market demand will be approximately 272,000t, driven by the increasing adoption of LEDs worldwide as well as the demand for HPA by lithium-ion battery manufacturers to serve the surging electric vehicle market.
WASHINGTON  The House Judiciary Committee approved a bipartisan bill on Wednesday making it harder for government agencies to get their hands on Americans older emails and other electronic data.

The legislation would require federal agencies to obtain a warrant before they can force an email service provider, such as Google, to give them access to communications data that is more than 180 days old. Stored videos, text messages and documents would also be covered.

The measure updates the 30-year-old Electronics Communications Privacy Act, written when the use of email was rare. Under that law, old emails are considered abandoned and allows government access without a warrant.

The House Judiciary panel is often divided along party lines. But the bill has over 300 co-sponsors and the panel approved it by 28-0.

The measures two chief sponsors are Kansas Republican Kevin Yoder and Colorado Democrat Jared Polis.

Underscoring the measures broad support, it won applause from Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, a liberal and top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and conservative Mike Lee, R-Utah, also on that panel.

In a statement, they said the measure would make sure the same privacy protections that apply to documents stored in our homes extend to our emails, photos and information stored in the cloud.
BANGUI, Central African Republic  The peacekeepers motioned to the teenage girl weaving through the sprawling camp in the baking afternoon sun selling bananas from a plate atop her head. Soon their real intentions were clear: They yanked her inside their tent and began unbuttoning their pants.

Just 16 years old, she cried and pleaded with them to let her go, telling them she was menstruating in hopes it would dissuade them. Then three men gang-raped her one by one. As she trembled on the ground afterward in fear, they laughed and ate the bananas on her plate. Then they shouted at her to leave.

The attack she alleges happened that day did not kill her, but the torment and stigma that followed just might, she says. A few of her peers saw what happened and it wasnt long before the taunts began, unspeakably cruel even when coming from the mouths of children. They still call her Miss Sangaris, a reference to the name of the French peacekeeping mission that implies she is the soldiers girlfriend.

She has never reported to any authorities what happened to her that day  even the very sight of another peacekeeper walking by sends her stomach into knots, she says.

I want to be anywhere but here, to go someplace where no one knows me and I can start over, she says softly, looking down at her folded hands.

As the U.N. and various countries come under growing criticism for sexual abuse by peacekeepers, the stories of survivors in the MPoko camp at Banguis airport and other camps in Central African Republic suggest the problem could be far larger than previously known. Such survivors have never been interviewed by authorities, because of the hesitancy of victims to come forward and the lack of resources for canvassing throughout the country.

The U.N. alone has already reported it is now investigating more than 100 cases here in Central African Republic, where violence exploded in late 2013. Peacekeepers from France, who are not part of the U.N. mission here, and other soldiers from a now repatriated European mission also are facing accusations of sexual misconduct.

The numbers are expected to grow. Two girls from MPoko who had never been interviewed talked to The Associated Press about their rapes, and several volunteers recounted the ordeals of seven other children. Similar allegations have emerged from other remote towns, where peacekeepers were supposed to protect civilians from sectarian fighting between Christian and Muslim militias. Some are allegations of violent sexual assault while many others involve instances of sex in exchange for food and money in this desperately poor country.

The victims of sexual abuse have little recourse. Nearly all the survivors still live at the very site of their trauma: Few have received any ongoing medical care for post-traumatic stress or sexually transmitted infections. Most cannot identify their attackers, and even if they could, many of the men already have moved on to other assignments outside of Central African Republic.

For example, the 16-year-old who described being gang-raped inside the airport camp could only say her attackers spoke French and were Caucasian. In addition to the French force, other French soldiers were among the European mission serving at the time. She is anonymous because The Associated Press does not name minors who survive sexual violence.

In cases where girls and women became pregnant, paternity testing can help to identify an attacker. Otherwise the allegations are often coming months later, and with few corroborating witnesses. There are no rape kits or physical evidence preserved. Investigators so far have relied on witness statements, and in one case a line-up, which advocates criticized as harmful to the child involved.

The victim has very little support, very little access to trauma counseling and even less support in terms of access to justice, said Yasmin Sooka, a member of the independent review panel that has studied the U.N.s response to the allegations of sexual abuse in Central African Republic.

At a rare hearing in the U.S. Senate last week, lawmakers threatened to withhold funding both for the U.N. and for countries that fail to hold their soldiers accountable. The United States is the biggest donor to the U.N.s peacekeeping operations.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the U.N. and its entities are working to refer victims quickly to service providers and give them the assistance they need. He added that he hopes more victims are coming forward because they now feel safe in doing so. Dozens of girls and women are being interviewed in Central African Republics remote Kemo prefecture.

We expect the number of potential victims in Kemo prefecture to fluctuate as the investigation process moves forward, testimonies are cross-checked and facts ascertained, he said.

France also has launched judicial investigations into the allegations against its troops.

We must investigate and if its proven, convict those who are responsible, said a French top diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not allowed to speak publicly on the issue. Its very important because its the reputation of the French military not only in CAR that is at stake.

EUFOR, a European force that helped guard the area around the airport until a year ago, said it has a zero tolerance policy and is working to investigate cases, although the nationalities of some soldiers are still unclear.

Questions of reparations and damages must also be addressed as most of the victims live in extremely destitute situations, Sooka said. The U.N. has spoken of creating a trust fund, although Sooka noted that it would not include claims of compensation for victims.

While the U.N. has identified cases of suspected abuse in many peacekeeping missions, the numbers are particularly alarming in Central African Republic. Some blame the speed with which existing regional peacekeepers were re-hatted into a U.N. mission without thorough vetting. Peacekeepers also have been living in too close contact with the people they are supposed to protect in a country where impunity has long reigned.

The MPoko airport camp sprang up in a matter of hours, after Christian militia fighters launched an attack in December 2013 against the Muslim rebels in power that sparked months of brutal sectarian violence.

First a few hundred, then a few thousand ran to the grounds by the runway. With time the camp became more permanent, tarps replaced with scrap metal. Now it has its own markets and barber shops, even its own polling station on election day.

Parents here struggle to eke out a living: Most lost everything when rebel fighters burned Christian homes to the ground. Youngsters often try to help their families by scrounging through trash for things to resell or reuse.

One 12-year-old girl recounts with little emotion the afternoon she and her younger brother went looking for plastic containers in the heaps of refuse, looking for things to sell in exchange for money to buy food. They beamed when a peacekeeper offered them a piece of bread. But then she says she was snatched and raped by another man inside the peacekeepers tent as her terrified brother stood outside.

She eventually was treated at a clinic in the camp, she says, where she was given antibiotics for syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease.

Now 14, the girl wearing a T-shirt decorated with a ballerina slipper is back in school and loves to study math. Her true passion though is her faith, and her greatest fear is that her rape may prevent her from becoming a nun.

I dont know if I can still become a sister now that Im no longer a virgin, she says.

She thinks its easier for her to move on than it is for some people, since no one knows what happened that day except her family and the health worker. Her mind churns though when she thinks about the man who raped her that day, about him now back in Europe and her still living here in the camp.

Every time I think about what he has done, how he got away with it and will never be punished, she says, it really hurts inside.

___

Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
NEW YORK  SunEdison, a one-time star in the alternative energy field, filed for bankruptcy protection Thursday after years of rapid-fire acquisitions left the solar company in a desperate cash situation.

Just last week an audit committee reviewing operations at company, based in Maryland Heights, Missouri, just outside of St. Louis, found an overly optimistic culture and its tone at the top. The committee also said that at SunEdison, cash forecasting efforts lack sufficient controls and processes.

Our decision to initiate a court-supervised restructuring was a difficult but important step to address our immediate liquidity issues, said CEO Ahmad Chatila, in a company release.

SunEdison, which had grown to an almost $10 billion solar energy behemoth by July, had burnished that progression through a series of sizeable acquisitions.

After acquiring one company in 2013, the following year it acquired all or portions of nine, then followed in 2015 with another 18 acquisitions or sales.

Yet questions about SunEdisons debt burden had already begun to grow by last year. Between successful acquisitions and sales, aborted multi-million dollar deals began to pepper SunEdisons record.

In July, when the breadth of the company had reached its greatest mass, Vivint Solar backed out of its $1.7 billion sale to SunEdison, saying that it failed to fulfill terms of the deal.

Last month, SunEdison warned investors that the Justice Department had opened an investigation into its activities and that it had also received an inquiry from the Securities and Exchange Commission. By that time, nearly $10 billion in investor holdings had essentially vanished.

Part of the U.S. investigation involves the companys yeildcos Terraform Power Inc. and Terraform Global Inc., which are used by SunEdison to manage projects under contract. Neither of those publicly traded companies are part of SunEdisons bankruptcy filing.

The company filed for Chapter 11 protection in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The company secured commitments for new capital totaling up to $300 million in debtor-in-possession financing to continue business operations.
As a born nerd-iac, Felicia Day searched online to discover her tribe.

Born in Alabama to parents who home-schooled for hippie reasons, all she wanted was to connect with other kids who shared her interest in video games and comic books.

She had no idea how uncool she really was.

Today, Day is a professional actress who co-starred in Josh Whedons Emmy Award-winning Internet musical Dr. Horribles Sing-Along Blog and created and starred in the hit Web series The Guild.

Days New York Times best-selling book Youre Never Weird on the Internet (almost) has been released in paperback, prompting the Internet star to visit Albuquerque at the University of New Mexicos Woodward Hall on at 7 p.m. Friday, April 29. Tickets require a book purchase from Bookworks. For information, call 344-8139 or visit bkwrks.com.

Day visited New Mexico last fall for a signing with George R.R. Martin at his Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe. The Game of Thrones author penned a blurb for her memoir calling her queen of the geek girls.

He responded to it really well because hes a geek himself, Day said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles.

Day defines geek as someone who is really into history or comic books, she said. Its someone whos really passionate about something and really wants to share that passion with others.

WHAT: Felicia Day, author of Youre Never Weird on the Internet (almost)

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, April 29

WHERE: Woodward Hall, University of New Mexico (west of Popejoy Hall and the Student Union Building  close to Yale Boulevard).

HOW MUCH: Priority seating and signing line placement requires book purchase from Bookworks. Visit Felicia Day, author of Youre Never Weird on the Internet (almost)7 p.m. Friday, April 29Woodward Hall, University of New Mexico (west of Popejoy Hall and the Student Union Building  close to Yale Boulevard).Priority seating and signing line placement requires book purchase from Bookworks. Visit bkwrks.com or call 344-8139.

A military brat who moved throughout the South as her father trained in surgery, Days first passions were for math and music. Her grandfather, a retired physicist, encouraged the former while her mother drove her to violin lessons.

She majored in both subjects at the University of Texas at Austin, where she won a full scholarship at 16. Her mother drove her to her college every day for four years, to her daughters major shame.

Being home-schooled gave her a naive sense of confidence, Day said.

I wasnt rejected as much as maybe I should have been as a child, she said. Im a little bit socially awkward in certain situations. (But) it allowed me to be who I am with not being waylaid by peer pressure or societal expectations.

The little girl who longed for companionship found it on the Internet.

I used the Internet to connect with people who had the passions I had, like video games, she said. There was a sense of escape to go out in the world as a child. There were some very beautiful video games that allowed people to experience different points of view with beautiful art design.

After completing her college double majors, she headed straight for Hollywood, where her naivete proved both a blessing and a curse.

Agents and managers advised her to fix her nose, her face, her hair and her boobs, and to lose weight. Acting teachers sometimes turned abusive.

It was hard, she said. But I think my home-schooled background gave me a sense of self. Its OK to be different, and thats the message of my book.

Typecast in Hollywood, where she appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (she was Violet), Day created her own Web series before anyone knew online video could be more than cats chasing laser pointers. She now juggles acting with writing, producing and running a Web video production company called Geek & Sundry. She boasts more than 2 million Twitter followers.

Today shes thrilled to be cast as a mad scientist alongside Patton Oswalt in the reboot of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
A New Mexico native was on the team of reporters whose coverage of the terrorists attacks in San Bernardino in December earned the Los Angeles Times a Pulitzer Prize for breaking news coverage.

The winners were announced April 18.

Kate Linthicum, a 2004 graduate of Albuquerque Academy, traveled to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to learn more about the woman who, alongside her husband, killed 14 people at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino on Dec. 2.

Linthicum said she was also one of many Times reporters who drove to San Bernardino and helped gather information on the day of the attack as details were released.

According to reports, Tashfeen Malik, 27, and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, entered the building that day wearing assault-style clothing and carrying loaded assault rifles and handguns. The couple had met online, been married for two years and had a 6-month-old daughter.

Farook worked at the center as a health inspector and Malik was trained as a pharmacist but stayed home to care for the couples daughter.

Malik was a Pakistani national but spent most of her time in Saudi Arabia where her family were guest immigrant workers. Linthicum flew to Riyadh nearly a week after the shootings, her first time in the oil-rich country. Gathering news there as a woman, she said, was challenging.

It required a different kind of reporting, she said. It was daunting because women are really isolated there. Im used to leaving my hotel, going out on the street and asking someone what they thought. You cant go anywhere there without a male guardian.

The Saudi press office assigned Linthicum a male escort, called a government minder, to accompany her on her interviews and keep an eye on what she was doing.

She located Maliks family but said they were reluctant to talk because they were just as horrified about the incident as everyone else. One of the most surprising things about the story, Linthicum said, was how little information was available about Malik.

It was so hard to get information about this woman, because women in Saudi Arabia dont leave a trace, she said. They dont socialize outside their family and they are isolated. I was surprised at what a small trace she left in a way.

Linthicum graduated from Barnard College in New York in 2008 and joined the Times as an intern a week later. She also was an intern at the Albuquerque Journal in the summers of 2005 and 2006.

This summer, Linthicum, who is bilingual, will transfer to the Times Mexico City bureau and become a foreign correspondent for the paper.

Linthicum comes from a family of longtime journalists. Her mother, Leslie Linthicum, is an award-winning journalist who worked at the Albuquerque Journal as a reporter and UpFront columnist.

Her father, Michael Haederle, was an editor at People magazine and a freelance journalist who contributed to some of the countrys largest publications, including the LA Times.
NAME: Jim Wilder (on the ballot as James Roger Wilder)

POLITICAL PARTY: Republican Party

OCCUPATION: Corporate Sales for a Major International Airline

RESIDENCE: Sandia Park, NM

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Political Outsider; 30 years of continuous employment listening to customers and building strategic business relationships in the airline and travel industries.

EDUCATION: University of New Mexico (1980-1981); B.S. Aviation Management, Florida Institute of Technology (1985)

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: www.electjimwilder.com

Candidate questions

1. If the states revenue downturn persists, would you favor trimming state spending or increasing taxes as a primary response? Please specify which cost-cutting or revenue-generating measures you would prefer.

2. Do you support or oppose raising New Mexicos minimum wage, currently $7.50 per hour? If so, by how much?

3. Do you support or oppose the current policy of including student achievement as part of teacher evaluations? If you support the policy, what percentage of the evaluation should achievement account for.

4. Do you support or oppose legalizing recreational marijuana use in New Mexico?

5. Current state law requires early-grade reading intervention. Coupled with that, do you support or oppose legislation that would automatically require some third-graders without adequate reading skills to repeat the grade level?

6. To provide more money for early childhood programs, do you support or oppose taking more money out of the states largest permanent fund on an annual basis? If you are in support, what sort of accountability measures would you favor?

7. Would you support or oppose the creation of a state ethics commission that publicly releases complaints and holds open hearings?

8. Do you support or oppose making New Mexico a so-called right-to-work state, by changing state labor laws so that nonunion employees would not have to pay union fees as a condition of employment?

9. Do you support or oppose banning abortions after 20 weeks in New Mexico?

10. Do you support or oppose a law banning coyote-killing contests? Do you support or oppose banning trapping and poisons on public lands?

11. Do you support or oppose updating the current prohibition in the law on assisted suicide in order to allow aid-in-dying under certain medical circumstances?

12. Do you support or oppose a change that would earmark the states existing vehicle excise and gasoline tax revenue for state road projects?

13. Do you support or oppose allowing retired law enforcement officers to return to work while still collecting pension benefits to shore up department staffing, if the program protects the solvency of the retirement fund?

14. Do you support or oppose opening the states primary elections to voters who arent affiliated with either major political party?

15. Do you support or oppose expanding the states three-strikes law for repeat violent offenders?

16. Do you support or oppose enacting a cooling-off period before former lawmakers could lobby the Legislature?

17. Do you support or oppose passing a law that would allow local governments to impose curfews on minors under the age of 16?

18. Do you support or oppose archiving webcasts of all legislative meetings for public access?

19. Do you support or oppose establishing a salary for legislators?

20. Should public employees, including teachers, be prohibited by law from serving in the Legislature? Please explain. Personal background 1. If the states revenue downturn persists, would you favor trimming state spending or increasing taxes as a primary response? Please specify which cost-cutting or revenue-generating measures you would prefer.2. Do you support or oppose raising New Mexicos minimum wage, currently $7.50 per hour? If so, by how much?3. Do you support or oppose the current policy of including student achievement as part of teacher evaluations? If you support the policy, what percentage of the evaluation should achievement account for.4. Do you support or oppose legalizing recreational marijuana use in New Mexico?5. Current state law requires early-grade reading intervention. Coupled with that, do you support or oppose legislation that would automatically require some third-graders without adequate reading skills to repeat the grade level?6. To provide more money for early childhood programs, do you support or oppose taking more money out of the states largest permanent fund on an annual basis? If you are in support, what sort of accountability measures would you favor?7. Would you support or oppose the creation of a state ethics commission that publicly releases complaints and holds open hearings?8. Do you support or oppose making New Mexico a so-called right-to-work state, by changing state labor laws so that nonunion employees would not have to pay union fees as a condition of employment?9. Do you support or oppose banning abortions after 20 weeks in New Mexico?10. Do you support or oppose a law banning coyote-killing contests? Do you support or oppose banning trapping and poisons on public lands?11. Do you support or oppose updating the current prohibition in the law on assisted suicide in order to allow aid-in-dying under certain medical circumstances?12. Do you support or oppose a change that would earmark the states existing vehicle excise and gasoline tax revenue for state road projects?13. Do you support or oppose allowing retired law enforcement officers to return to work while still collecting pension benefits to shore up department staffing, if the program protects the solvency of the retirement fund?14. Do you support or oppose opening the states primary elections to voters who arent affiliated with either major political party?15. Do you support or oppose expanding the states three-strikes law for repeat violent offenders?16. Do you support or oppose enacting a cooling-off period before former lawmakers could lobby the Legislature?17. Do you support or oppose passing a law that would allow local governments to impose curfews on minors under the age of 16?18. Do you support or oppose archiving webcasts of all legislative meetings for public access?19. Do you support or oppose establishing a salary for legislators?20. Should public employees, including teachers, be prohibited by law from serving in the Legislature? Please explain. 1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?

2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?

3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If so, explain.

1. I would examine the possibility of trimming spending before I considered increasing taxes, in every situation.

2. I oppose raising the minimum wage. My first full-time job was loading luggage for Southwest Airlines for $6.20 per hour. I learned that hard work, dedication, and education lead to increased earning power. Increasing the minimum wage would stifle entrepreneurship and small business growth. I believe in free market capitalism.

3. I do not support dependence on high stakes standardized testing tied to teacher evaluations. Teachers need to spend more time teaching students than testing them. We need less government involvement controlling our schools and give more control to local school boards and communities.

4. I support legalizing marijuana use in New Mexico and applying similar restrictions that we have placed on tobacco and alcohol use. I dont use tobacco or marijuana, but its not anyones place to tell my neighbor or someone suffering in pain from a disease not to use marijuana.

5. I do not support social promotion. My daughter is a second grade student in the Albuquerque Public School system. If she is not proficient in reading at the end of the third grade, then she should not advance to a higher grade.

6. While I encourage school readiness activities for all children, I do not support expanding government programs. I do not support providing more money for early childhood programs out of the states largest permanent fund on an annual basis.

7. I support the creation of a state ethics commission that publicly releases complaints and holds open hearings.

8. I support making New Mexico a right-to-work state, like Arizona and Texas. The economy in the 19th senate district in New Mexico has stagnated during the last eight years. Our citizens need good jobs, our small businesses need revenue, and our state needs the revenue that a growing economy will generate.

9. As a father who watched two of his children develop in the womb, and after attending both of their births, I support banning abortions after 20 weeks in New Mexico. This is a Life issue and a Liberty issue.

10. I support the 2nd Amendment rights of sportsmen, ranchers, and other citizens. While I believe that we have a responsibility to manage coyote populations in some areas, I think coyote-killing contests should be banned. I also think we should ban trapping and the use of poisons on public lands.

11. I support updating the current prohibition on assisted suicide under certain medical circumstances. I formed my opinion when my father was dying from esophageal cancer. He was not allowed to control his final week of life, and he died without dignity. This is a Liberty issue.

12. I support a change that would earmark a portion of the states existing excise and gasoline tax revenue for state road projects.

13. I support allowing experienced, retired law enforcement officers to return to work while still collecting pension benefits to shore up department staffing, if the program protects the solvency of the retirement fund. I appreciate the service and experience of our active and retired law enforcement officers.

14. I support allowing independent voters to vote for candidates in one established political party in our states primary elections.

15. Yes, I support expanding the states three-strikes law for repeat violent offenders. I also think we need stronger DWI / DUI laws in New Mexico.

16. I oppose enacting a cooling-off period before former lawmakers can lobby the Legislature.

17. I oppose a law that would impose curfews on minors under the age of 16. This is a Liberty issue.

18. I support archiving webcasts of all legislative meetings for public access.

19. I support establishing a basic salary and term limits for legislators. Ive learned during my first campaign this year that our system discourages many hardworking citizens from running for office. There are also too many candidates who are unopposed in our primary elections.

20. Public employees, including teachers, should be allowed to serve in the Legislature. Our governing bodies should be inclusive of all members of the constituency.

Personal background

1. No

2. No

3. No
NAME: Herb Gadberry

POLITICAL PARTY: Republican

OCCUPATION: Real estate broker, been active for 40-some years

RESIDENCE: Edgewood

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:

EDUCATION: high school plus 200 college hours

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE:

Personal background

1. If the states revenue downturn persists, would you favor trimming state spending or increasing taxes as a primary response? Please specify which cost-cutting or revenue-generating measures you would prefer.2. Do you support or oppose raising New Mexicos minimum wage, currently $7.50 per hour? If so, by how much?3. Do you support or oppose the current policy of including student achievement as part of teacher evaluations? If you support the policy, what percentage of the evaluation should achievement account for.4. Do you support or oppose legalizing recreational marijuana use in New Mexico?5. Current state law requires early-grade reading intervention. Coupled with that, do you support or oppose legislation that would automatically require some third-graders without adequate reading skills to repeat the grade level?6. To provide more money for early childhood programs, do you support or oppose taking more money out of the states largest permanent fund on an annual basis? If you are in support, what sort of accountability measures would you favor?7. Would you support or oppose the creation of a state ethics commission that publicly releases complaints and holds open hearings?8. Do you support or oppose making New Mexico a so-called right-to-work state, by changing state labor laws so that nonunion employees would not have to pay union fees as a condition of employment?9. Do you support or oppose banning abortions after 20 weeks in New Mexico?10. Do you support or oppose a law banning coyote-killing contests? Do you support or oppose banning trapping and poisons on public lands?11. Do you support or oppose updating the current prohibition in the law on assisted suicide in order to allow aid-in-dying under certain medical circumstances?12. Do you support or oppose a change that would earmark the states existing vehicle excise and gasoline tax revenue for state road projects?13. Do you support or oppose allowing retired law enforcement officers to return to work while still collecting pension benefits to shore up department staffing, if the program protects the solvency of the retirement fund?14. Do you support or oppose opening the states primary elections to voters who arent affiliated with either major political party?15. Do you support or oppose expanding the states three-strikes law for repeat violent offenders?16. Do you support or oppose enacting a cooling-off period before former lawmakers could lobby the Legislature?17. Do you support or oppose passing a law that would allow local governments to impose curfews on minors under the age of 16?18. Do you support or oppose archiving webcasts of all legislative meetings for public access?19. Do you support or oppose establishing a salary for legislators?20. Should public employees, including teachers, be prohibited by law from serving in the Legislature? Please explain.

1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?

2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?

3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If so, explain.
Albuquerque drone maker Silent Falcon UAS Technologies is helping NASA develop a nationwide traffic management system for unmanned aircraft.

The companys solar-powered drone, designed and manufactured in New Mexico, will be used in flight testing later this year to help NASA gather information needed so new traffic management software can be used for low-altitude flights, said Silent Falcon CEO John Brown.

Were part of a large team of companies working with NASA on a cloud-based software system to integrate unmanned aircraft into the national airspace, Brown said. It will be similar to the Federal Aviation Administrations air traffic control system, but for low-flying (unmanned aircraft systems.) Well do flight trials later this year.

NASA is developing individual software to manage different types of drones for flying in rural and urban zones. That includes flight procedures and rules for aircraft flying beyond visual line of sight, tracking capabilities for safety in populated areas and potential mitigation measures for flights in high-density urban zones.

Silent Falcon flights will specifically test how pre-flight logs are integrated with NASAs traffic management system, Brown said.

Those tests will help define what kind of information is needed from operators before flights and how all that interfaces with the NASA system, Brown said.

Effective traffic management is critical to open the skies to commercial drones.

The FAA is not expected to release comprehensive rules for unmanned commercial aircraft until later this year. But it has already authorized more than 5,000 private companies to operate drones for specific uses in the U.S., said Philip Finnegan, director of corporate analysis at the Teal Group, a Virginia-based aerospace and defense analysis firm.

We assume each company is operating one or two drones, so there may already be up to 10,000 aircraft now authorized to fly, Finnegan said. We need safe air traffic management systems in place to fully develop the commercial market, and thats what NASA is trying to do.

Once FAA rules are in place and traffic management systems are operating, the unmanned aircraft systems market is expected to rapidly expand, Finnegan said.

This year, the global market for drones  including commercial aircraft, military operations and research and development activities  will reach about $7 billion, according to the Teal Group. Its expected to grow to about $12.5 billion by 2025.

Silent Falcon, which launched in 2010, builds its aircraft at a 5,000-square-foot facility in Albuquerques Southeast Heights. Armed with solar panels on the wings and lithium polymer batteries for energy storage, the vehicle can stay aloft longer than most drones on the market today, Brown said. It can be mounted with a range of sensors for various defense and commercial operations.

The company reached about $1 million in sales in foreign markets last year and expects to grow to more than $5 million this year. Its now seeking to lease space part of Google Inc.s 60,000-square-foot building at the Moriarty Municipal Airport, where Google previously operated its own drone subsidiary, Titan Aerospace.
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo.  Wyoming lawmakers continue to wrestle with setting criminal penalties for possession of marijuana edibles that are increasingly coming in from Colorado and other states where the drug is legal.

The Legislatures Joint Judiciary Committee held a daylong hearing in Rock Springs on Wednesday. The panel heard from state prosecutors that although possession of more than 3 ounces of marijuana in plant form is a felony, the law only allows misdemeanor charges for possession of marijuana edibles.

The Legislature earlier this year rejected a bill to make possession of more than 3 ounces of marijuana edibles a felony. Opponents say its difficult to test edibles to determine the amount of THC, the active component of the drug.

The committee will continue work on legislation to set felony limits for edibles possession.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

Rachelle Pasquale got a big surprise from her dogs this spring  too big. Fifteen puppies from three mothers overwhelmed a household of eight adult dogs. Thats why she and Nathan Poncho were in line on a recent Thursday morning with dozens of others, relieved to be taking part in a free spay/neuter clinic being offered by their tribe, Laguna Pueblo, in a warehouse converted to a veterinary MASH unit.

Through an unusual partnership between the pueblo, the Native America Humane Society and the American Veterinary Medical Association, these clinics will be offered three times this year at Laguna in a demonstration of what can be done to help rez dogs nationwide.

Native communities know theres a problem with strays and overpopulation, said Diana Webster of the Native America Humane Society, who surveyed tribal nations when she founded her organization in 2014. Yet most lack basic resources to start addressing the issue  not just money and expertise, but animal control departments and veterinarians.

At Laguna Pueblo, for example, veterinarian Tolani Francisco had been trying for years to get a spay/neuter project going in her community, but could manage to do only a handful of dogs and cats on her own each weekend. It was through her membership in the AVMA that she became the bridge to a first-ever project of its kind for veterinarians.

The AVMA had been looking for a hands-on volunteer activity for its 88,000 member vets and found the perfect partner in Laguna Pueblo, which already had embarked on a proactive approach to addressing its pet overpopulation problem.

We had wanted to do something like this, said Jesse Orozco, director of public safety for the tribe. He said Laguna just passed a landmark animal ordinance in 2014 after dozens of meetings, and had initiated its own vaccination and pet registration clinic last July.

But it was the presence of an AVMA veterinarian within the community that led to the next step, said Webster. Outsiders often want to help Native communities, but dont know how to overcome a long history of distrust from coming in with attitudes of We know better,' she said.

As a Native attorney who grew up partly on the White Earth Ojibwe reservation in Minnesota, Webster wants NAHS to take an alternative approach.

We go in and ask what their vision for their community is, she said. Some groups just want information. But, for a larger project like Lagunas to work, the community has to own it, because coming in once wont make an impact.

Three Laguna clinics were funded by AVMA this year after a pilot clinic last November demonstrated that the project could be pulled off with the efficiency of a military field hospital.

The day before, a team of volunteer veterinarians and grant-funded surgeons swoops in from around the country to turn the warehouse at the Public Safety Department into a veterinary hospital. A half dozen tables are set up, and wired with heart monitors, ventilators, sterilizers, lamps and supplies.

The next morning, community members drop off their pets  dog crates lined up on the floor, cats in a separate room. A team of volunteer vets gives vaccinations and offers exams, while the surgical team prepares for sterilization.

More than 150 dogs and cats are spayed and neutered over the four days, and many more are vaccinated and treated  including two emergency surgeries this year.

Dogs go first and are given relaxants so they will nod off. Unconscious, they are shaved and intubated. The whole surgery takes five to 10 minutes before the patients are moved to a recovery area for toenail clipping, deworming medication and gentle massage.

The more you do, the more efficient you are, said Dr. Nellie Goetz, quickly stitching up an incision as the next patient was being shaved. Goetz, who works at the Santa Fe animal shelter, is among a small number of surgeons skilled in performing rapid sterilizations back to back.

Most of the surgeons with this level of skill serve overseas, said Kendall Houlihan, program manager of AVMAs Animal Welfare Division. Yet many more have already signed up to join the project being called Reaching UP New Mexico for its work in underserved populations.

At the Laguna clinic, two surgeons worked eight to 12 hours a day, with the help of seven volunteer vets and five veterinary technicians.

We want to show the level of care thats possible in a MASH setting, said Houlihan, noting that it is comparable to anything received in a private setting.

This emphasis on quality care was key to winning the tribal councils approval, according to Francisco, because Native communities are so often offered second best. It clearly provides reassurance for the pet owners, who arrive each evening with tears, hugs, and gratitude to pick up their pets, often with the whole family in tow.

People are surprised that its free or donation-only, said James Creager, one of two animal control officers at Laguna, of the spay/neuter clinic. Theyre much more open to talking to you and then we also suggest keeping them close to home, or setting up a cable run.

The messaging is starting to work, he said, as he keeps getting inquiries about the clinics. Other pueblos also are taking notice, according to Francisco, as Acoma and Isleta were invited and sent animals to the clinic.

Moreover, Lagunas public safety department has been invited to give a presentation at Santa Ana Pueblo about how it implemented its animal ordinance, Orozco said.

This approach makes sense for our communities because were self-determined, Webster said of the internally driven initiatives. We have 566 federally recognized tribes in this country and 325 Indian reservations, and not all of them want the same thing.

I used to think it was all spay/neuter, spay/neuter, but its not just that, she said. You need buy-in.
Take moms breath away this Mothers Day with stunning mountain views and a spectacular brunch at Bien Shur Rooftop Restaurant at Sandia Resort & Casino.

The special Mothers Day Brunch offers bakery delights, a breakfast pantry, a made-to-order hot cake station, a farmers market with imported cheeses and lovely salads, as well as a carving station and sweet treats. There also will be a made-to-order Paella station and a sushi station with various offerings, such as crab, salmon, tuna and more, rolled to order.

Its one of those things thats just cool, Bien Shur manager Bill Howley said of the Paella station.  One thing about Bien Shur is we want to be somewhat trendy and do things that people dont see. Its also very high-end Paella, with shrimp and scallops and calamari and chorizo. Its one of those things that, if youve never had Paella, you can actually get to see it being prepared in front of you.

Lighten things up at the farmers market area with offerings that include organic baby greens, assorted house-made dressings, Mandarin orange-jicama and baby spinach salad, and Caprese salad with heirloom tomato, baby mozzarella and basil vinaigrette.

After having your fill of greens, enjoy the Chefs Specialties, which include prickly pear-glazed salmon, honey dijon-glazed chicken, herb-grilled petite New York steaks with cognac and peppercorn demi, steamed springtime vegetables with garlic-and-herb butter, and smoked Gouda-mashed potatoes. You can choose one of the Chefs Specialties or enjoy them all.

Heftier offerings also are available at the carving station that features herb-crusted prime rib au jus and brown-sugar-maple-bacon-wrapped pork loin, which Bien Shurs head chef J. Martin Torrez said is his favorite on the menu.

Satisfy your breakfast cravings with omelets and eggs made to order, smoked bacon, breakfast sausage, home-fried potatoes, red and green chile, and spring vegetable quiche.

There also will be made-to-order fresh pancakes with a variety of fillings and toppings, including coconut, pineapple, chocolate chip, peanut butter chip, blueberries, bananas, pecans, maple syrup and whipped cream.

Dont forget to save room for dessert because there is plenty of it. Choose from Bananas Foster to order, build your own strawberry shortcake with your choice of biscuits, pound cake, fresh strawberries, whipped cream or mint-flavored whipped cream. Also, satiate your sweet tooth with an impressive selection of mini French pastries, cakes and pies.

This brunch is one of a kind, Torrez said. We have a beautiful view from Bien Shur during the day and I dont think you will see another buffet like this in New Mexico.

The brunch is $45 per person and $18 for children ages 5-12. Reserve your spot by calling 796-7500 or visit sandiacasino.com/bien-shur.
Mayor Richard Berry is returning this week from a city-funded trip to Germany.

He and Gary Oppedahl, Albuquerques director of economic development, traveled to Bremen, Germany, to support five local companies at a trade show and make other connections.

It cost about $2,800 each for Berry and Oppedahl to be there.

International travel is rare for Albuquerque mayors, aside from the occasional trip to Mexico.

As for this weeks travel, Berry said he met with executives from Sennheiser, a German company that operates a manufacturing plant in Albuquerque, to thank the company and pledge support for expansion here.

The mayors trip coincided with similar travel by five companies from New Mexico. They attended the Hannover Messe Industrial Technology Trade Show, the largest event of its kind, according to the mayors office.

Participating were Skorpios Technologies, PJ Woodlands LLC, InnovASIC, Pajarito Powder and Advanced Decon Technologies.

Big cars for big officers

More police officers may soon be cruising around Albuquerque in SUVs, not smaller cars.

Police Chief Gorden Eden told city councilors recently that some officers are simply too big to fit comfortably in a Dodge Charger, a popular sedan APD has been buying for officers.

Instead, Eden said, he favors moving to the Ford Explorer, an SUV that offers more room. The vehicle is tall with big windows, he said, improving driver visibility.

Theyre cheaper to buy, too, Eden said in a recent budget hearing.

The mayors budget proposal for next year includes about $1.5 million to replace 34 police vehicles. Thats well short of the citys goal of replacing about 90 police cars a year.

Balancing act

Bernalillo County commissioners managed to balance the county budget  after starting about $19 million in the hole  without layoffs or a tax increase.

But some of the solutions they settled on are temporary.

The county, for example, found some money to support next years budget by tapping into unspent pots of money, such as a fund that supported the old Downtown jail. The problem, of course, is that commissioners wont necessarily be able to find similar one-time sources next time.

Theyre aware of that, obviously, but there werent many easy choices to make.

Dan McKay: dmckay@abqjournal.com.
Ten years ago, Hampton Sides published Blood and Thunder. Its subtitle correctly claimed it An Epic of the American West. Kit Carson and the Navajos were at the center of the story overlaid by the federal policy of Manifest Destiny.

Now, a decade later, Paul Hutton, a distinguished professor of history at the University of New Mexico, has authored a history book that is equally epic in scope but details the dramatic, brutal relations between Americans and Apaches in the mid-19th century.

Huttons The Apache Wars (Crown, $30) sharply and unflinchingly explores the many years of bloody, thunderous conflicts between soldiers based in camps and forts and elusive Apaches in New Mexico and Arizona.

Conflicts, yes, but more clearly defined as a series of skirmishes, scoutings, nocturnal attacks and massacres.

The book covers the warring years from 1861 to about 1890 but also provides extensive historical background.

The geographical heart of the warfare is the territory called Apacheria, a large landmass stretching from Mesilla through the Sonoran desert and mountains of southwestern New Mexico into the desert-and-mountain terrain of southeastern Arizona. A map in the book reveals a number of Indian tribes, Apache mostly, in that territory and extending into northern Mexico.

There is a long cast of characters in this history. Perhaps the most familiar names are the formidable Apache warrior Geronimo and the Apache chief Cochise.

Among the lesser-known figures are Al Sieber, a frontiersman respected by Apaches; Tom Jeffords, the agent for the Chiricahua Apaches who befriended Cochise; Mickey Free, the half-Irish, half-Mexican who was kidnapped and raised by the Aravaipa band of Apaches and later scouted for the American military; and Gen. George Crook, whom the Apaches nicknamed Nantan Lupan or wolf.

Frees kidnapping is the reason Hutton gives for the constant American-Apache fighting.

Hutton also describes the confusion caused by changing Washington politics and federal policies toward Indians.

The book describes the fascinating culture of the Apaches. The Apaches were devoted to the cult of the warrior. Nomads, they raided farms and ranches because it was their primary method for obtaining food and supplies, Hutton wrote.

The Americans did not, at least legally, enslave their Indian prisoners. The federal government had called its glorified deportation policy Indian Removal,  Hutton wrote, and it came into play before the mid-19th century.

Removal fit with Manifest Destiny: Move the Indians out to make way for the white invaders.
A recently released study shows kids in New Mexicos juvenile justice system have had enough pain and trauma to create misery for a lifetime.

We have astoundingly high rates of trauma among our incarcerated youth in New Mexico, says Yael Zakai Cannon, a study author and law professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law.

While the study statistics are grim, the researchers point to programs already in place that could help even the most damaged kids change their lives and strategies that could help prevent problems for their younger brothers and sisters.

The report published this spring by the New Mexico Sentencing Commission examined the history of 220 youths, 13 to 18 years old, incarcerated in the state juvenile justice system in 2011.

It measured youths trauma and victimization, labeled as adverse childhood events or ACEs, and uncovered that of the 190 young men, almost 75 percent had five or more of these events, while almost 87 percent of the 30 young women had more than five and many had all nine of the trauma measures.

Adverse events were emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, parental divorce and separation, family violence, household substance abuse and household member incarceration.

Off the charts

Most national ACEs studies identify people with the highest rates of trauma as those who have had four or five of these adverse events in their childhood. Many of New Mexico youth who have been committed to juvenile justice facilities have as many as eight or nine ACEs. That level of trauma puts those youth off the charts nationally in terms of the research, Cannon says. Unfortunately, studies link a high number of adverse events to poor mental and physical health outcomes. For example, if you have five or more ACEs, you are 16 times more likely to attempt suicide.

Those abused and neglected in childhood have higher rates of cancer, heart and other diseases, she says.

In this study, many of the youths had multiple professional evaluations, both medical and legal. That means they had multiple referrals prior to being incarcerated. The study showed about two-thirds of the teens were incarcerated for parole violations.

Cannon says as a lawyer she often sees children and their families downstream after they have tangled with the law.

She hopes the research helps judges and lawyers work more closely with health-care providers and other professionals to identify children who have suffered trauma earlier and better serve their clients, their families and their futures.

In February, the law school announced a $2.6 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to attract, prepare and mobilize a diverse group of lawyers to pursue justice and racial equity and to achieve improved health and well-being for New Mexicos most vulnerable children and families.

The project is a collaboration with strategic community partners, including UNMs Health Sciences Center, to address unmet legal needs that harm the health and well-being of children and families living in poverty in New Mexico. The project will be headed by the UNM Law Schools Corinne Wolfe Center for Child and Family Justice.

Brain is damaged

Another study author, Dr. George Davis, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with the New Mexico Department of Children, Youth and Family Services Juvenile Justice System, says the study quantifies what experts have known.

Ive always known this is true, but the amount of early childhood adversity is astounding, he says. Its beyond what anyone has admitted. This contributes a new model for understanding delinquency.

The trauma reported, called toxic stress, damages the brain at crucial stages for its development, especially brain regulatory centers that control impulses, emotions and behaviors, he says.

Their brains look different. Their machinery is damaged, he says.

Those brain pathways that seek positive rewards have misfired so often that a child in this situation seeks different stimulation to process what is reward and what is not.

Early childhood adversity dysregulates a kid. Instead of those normal rewards of love and close friendship, they seek out more intense forms of reward. Trauma drives substance abuse and delinquency, he says.

Davis says hes convinced that if childhood abuse and neglect could be eliminated, the state could close the juvenile justice system in 15 years: Its environmental. Not genetic.

Survival strategies

He says the study statistics are particularly compelling, because by the time children are incarcerated, most have been in the states child welfare system for many years.

When people self-report abuse and neglect they often leave out painful experiences. These kids are the most resilient group you will meet. They have already survived enormous adversity. Delinquency itself is a survival strategy.

Denial is another survival strategy: This is an improved methodology from self-reporting. When we ask a kid about abuse or neglect, they wont admit it. Theyve already drunk the Kool-Aid. They think they deserved to be hit.

He says 97 percent of incarcerated youth have substance abuse issues. We know substance abuse doesnt go away. Its a lifelong problem and risk. Adult offenses are often driven by substance abuse disorder. When they come out of incarceration, whats going to help them so they dont get in trouble in the future? We have to play the long game.

Due to the lack of substance abuse treatment generally in New Mexico and because of the limitations of the science of substance abuse treatment, many leave with ongoing substance abuse issues, he says. Since the motor for substance abuse is early abuse and neglect, the only definitive treatment is preventive.

Promising results

Davis says a collaborative medical home model that another study co-author, Dr. Andrew Hsi, developed and directs has promising results.

For 25 years, Hsi has been medical director of the UNM FOCUS early intervention program that provides support and services for families of children from birth through 3 years at risk for or experiencing a developmental delay.

The reasons could include prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol, including being premature, low birth weight and family factors like substance abuse, mental illness, violence or unsupported teen parenting.

We try to reach the family while the parents are interested in their kids lives, while they still dream of a white picket fence for their families, Hsi explains. The program includes medical care for the entire family, home visits and referrals for resources.

Hsi says hes read and watched enough news about violent children and teens in New Mexico. He plans to take action.

He says when the health care system doesnt have the capacity or willingness to work with families at high risk it is like watching trains run off the tracks. Im not willing to just watch it happen. The sooner they are identified, the sooner we and the families can team up to keep lives on track.

With evidence from the study and grant support, he and his colleagues are beginning a demonstration program that would continue to follow children and their families into adulthood.

The medical community at UNM-HSC is willing to lean in and help, he says.

Hsi says hes been at it long enough to see his patients become parents and he sees changes for the better.

One mother, who experienced significant trauma as a child, came into the program with substance abuse and gang-related problems, but she managed to help her children become successful. Her second child is graduating from high school and has high hopes of a military career, he says.

Families are able to recover and regroup and do things better for their kids.
Just a few days before she takes over as Casa San Ysidros site manager, Emily Stovel is looking forward to creating community partnerships that will allow more people to experience the museum.

The look on peoples faces when they get here, theres a sort of passion that is ignited when they arrive, she said Wednesday, adding that she hopes she can help more people reach that passion.

Stovel moved with her family to New Mexico after running a museum studies program at Ripon College, a liberal arts school in Wisconsin.

Casa San Ysidro is a compelling place, she said, and she wanted to be a part of it.

It did to me what it does to most people, Stovel said. It echoes something inside of you and you want to participate and come back.

Stovel initially planned to work as a docent at Casa San Ysidro, but instead took over as tour coordinator in September. She will take over as site director on Monday.

This was a wonderful introduction to New Mexico, she said. Its kind of an intense concentrated New Mexico in here.

She said her time as tour coordinator let her meet the docents, understand how the museum works as well as the relationship between Casa and Albuquerque Museum  the museums website explains that Casa San Ysidro is a program of the museum. That experience, she said, will let her have a more immediate impact when she takes over as site manager.

Stovel hopes to continue expanding and strengthening the museums partnerships so that it can better serve the community.

Im really interested in institutional service, she said. I like to think about how organizations are put together and how they function and then also how those particular public service organizations can serve the community in new and interesting ways.

Albuquerque Museum Director Cathy Wright said Stovel was able to learn from outgoing site director Carol Kennis Lopez how things run at Casa and how things have changed in recent years.

It couldnt have been a more perfect synchronization, Wright said. She said Stovel brings with her a great background and described her as a people person. She said she is also thankful that Stovel had the opportunity to learn how things at Casa run and how things have changed in recent years.

You already have somebody there who can just take over and keep going with it, she said.
Allowing homeowners to raise chickens and pygmy goats, City Councilor Cheryl Everett said before voting on the issue Wednesday, would be one small step for Rio Rancho toward embracing a practice many cities across the nation have welcomed: urban farming.

As a diverse community and as one that recognizes the desirability of families to be self-sustaining if they so choose, or to be selective about how they feed their families, I think it would really put Rio Rancho not in some seedy, smelly backwater, but actually in the forefront of where many urban cities, forward-looking urban communities, are going today, Everett said.

She and three other members of the Rio Rancho Governing Body subsequently voted in favor of the first reading of an ordinance amendment that would add pygmy goats or Nigerian dwarf goats and chickens to the citys list of permitted domestic livestock. Councilors Marlene Feuer and Dave Bency voted no.

A similar measure was introduced in March, but was withdrawn to be revised, including clarifying language listing a pygmy goat as both a pet and domestic livestock.

The new amendment designates pygmy goats as only domestic livestock and would require homeowners to have the animals dehorned and male goats neutered.

Pygmy goats or Nigerian dwarf goats would be allowed only on one-acre lots in E-1 (estate residential) and in R-1 single-family zoned residential districts.

In addition, homeowners would be able to own up to seven chickens on half-acre lots, so long as the fowl are in enclosures in the rear yard, at least 15 feet away from any property line. The original proposal allowed for up to five chickens.

Feuer said that, although her personal opinion on the matter might lean another way, constituents in District 4 voiced their disapproval of the proposed ordinance.

Bency said the addition of chickens could attract coyotes to residential areas.

The attraction of coyotes here could be something else, and coyotes and young children dont mix, Bency said. My concern is for safety. Its an unintended consequence of passing this policy.

Councilors Dawnn Robinson and Shelby Smith said that, although unintended consequences could occur, thats no reason to impede a homeowners freedom.

Ive said it before and Ill say it again: I believe a mans home is his castle, Robinson said. Unless theres some kind of harm coming to someone, you can do what you want on your own property. I will always err on the side of more freedom as long as its not hurting other people.

The governing body must adopt a second reading of the measure for final approval.

In other business, the governing body:
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  In a stunning triumph for a political outsider, Donald Trump all but clinched the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday with a resounding victory in Indiana that knocked rival Ted Cruz out of the race and cleared Trump's path to a likely November face-off with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Trump still needs about 200 delegates to formally secure the nomination, but Cruz's decision to end his campaign removed his last major obstacle.

Ted Cruz  I don't know if he likes me or he doesn't like me  but he is one hell of a competitor, Trump said of his last fierce competitor whom he had dubbed lyin' Ted. Trump, in a victory speech that was much lower-key than usual, promised victory in November, vowing anew to put America first.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders eked out a victory over Clinton in Indiana, but the outcome will not slow the former secretary of state's march to the Democratic nomination. Heading into Tuesday's voting, Clinton had 92 percent of the delegates she needs.

I know that the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong, Sanders said defiantly in an interview Tuesday night. But Clinton already has turned her attention to the general election.

She and Trump now plunge into a six- month battle for the presidency, with the future of America's immigration laws, health care system and military posture around the world at stake. While Clinton heads into the general election with significant advantages with minority voters and women, Democrats have vowed to not underestimate Trump as his Republican rivals did for too long.

Previewing Clinton's general election message, top adviser John Podesta said Trump was simply too big of a risk to be president.

For months, Republican leaders considered him a fringe candidate and banked on voters shifting toward more traditional contenders. But Trump tapped into Republicans' deep anger with party leaders and outlasted more than a dozen experienced political rivals.

Party Chairman Reince Priebus declared the race over, saying on Twitter that Trump would be the GOP's presumptive nominee.

We all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton, he wrote.

Indeed, Trump's first challenge will be uniting a Republican Party that has been roiled by his candidacy. While some GOP leaders have warmed to the real estate mogul, others have promised to never vote for him and see him as a threat to their party's very existence.

Even before the Indiana results were finalized, some conservative leaders were planning a Wednesday meeting to assess the viability of launching a third party candidacy to compete with him in the fall.

One outside group trying to stop Trump suggested it would shift its attention to helping Republicans in other races. Rory Cooper, a senior adviser to the Never Trump super PAC, said the group will help protect Republican incumbents and down-ballot candidates by distinguishing their values and principles from that of Trump and protecting them from a wave election.

Indiana was viewed as the last gasp for Cruz, the fiery Texas conservative. He campaigned aggressively in the state, securing the support of Indiana's governor and announcing businesswoman Carly Fiorina as his running mate.

Cruz had clung to the hope that he could keep Trump from reaching the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination and push the race to a rare contested convention.

I've said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory; tonight I'm sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed, Cruz told a somber crowd in Indianapolis.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is now the only other Republican left in the race. But Kasich has won just one primary  his home state  and trails Trump by nearly 900 delegates.

Kasich pledged to stay in the race, with his campaign manager saying the governor would continue to offer the voters a clear choice for our country.

Only about half of Indiana's Republican primary voters said they were excited or optimistic about any of their remaining candidates becoming president, according to exit polls. Still, most said they probably would support whoever won for the GOP.

Clinton, too, needs to win over Sanders' enthusiastic supporters. The Vermont senator has cultivated a deeply loyal following, in particular among young people, a group Democrats count on in the general election.

Though Sanders claimed momentum, he has conceded his strategy hinges on persuading superdelegates to back him over the former secretary of state. Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders who can support the candidate of their choice, regardless of how their states vote. And they favor Clinton by a nearly 18-1 margin.

Exit polls showed about 7 in 10 Indiana Democrats said they'd be excited or at least optimistic about either a Clinton or Sanders presidency. Most said they would support either in November.

The exit polls were conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.

With Sanders' narrow victory Tuesday, he picked up at least 43 of Indiana's 83 delegates. Clinton now has 2,202 delegates to Sanders' 1,400. That includes pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses, as well as superdelegates.

Trump now has at least 1,047 delegates. Cruz exits the race with 565, while Kasich has 152.

Pace reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report from Washington.

Follow Julie Pace and Scott Bauer on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and http://twitter.com/sbauerAP

 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
The groundbreaking television hit Breaking Bad ceased filming in New Mexico more than three years ago, but the shows star, Bryan Cranston, still has lots of love for the state.

Cranston, who won four Emmy awards for his brilliant portrayal of high school chemistry teacher turned meth kingpin Walter White, was one of the biggest stars at Saturday nights White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington.

On the way out of the Hilton ballroom after dinner, Cranston took a moment to chat with this Washington correspondent about his ongoing affection for New Mexico and Albuquerque, in particular.

I loved it, Cranston told me about his experience filming in Albuquerque. I still live there  I still have a house there. Its a great place and well always be tied.

Cranston, who is creating major Hollywood buzz again for his coming portrayal of former President Lyndon Johnson on HBO, said he returns to New Mexico often.

I may come back in a month or two, he said. I like to come back and visit, and pop in and pop out, and pop back in.

The now-iconic actor, whose primary residence is in California, also spoke fondly of his experience last year recording a voice-over for a New Mexico Tourism Department ad that featured prose from celebrated author Cormac McCarthy.

Cranston told me that Saturday marked his first time attending the White House Correspondents Dinner.

I had a lot of fun, he said.

EL BERN: A night earlier, on Friday, Voto Latino  a Washington, D.C.-based group that encourages Hispanic political participation  hosted a correspondents dinner pre-party on the rooftop of the swanky Hay-Adams hotel overlooking the White House.

Actress Rosario Dawson, an enthusiastic supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and a founder of Voto Latino, told me the Hispanic population is growing in the United States, but has yet to realize its full political potential. And the best way to make that happen is to vote, she said. Dawson seemed interested in the fact that New Mexico has the largest percentage of Hispanics of any state in the country.

We need everybody to participate, said the actress, who is of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent. So often when you look at the media, were only portrayed as criminals  if at all. Voting is really critical. Youve got to be registered and youve got to be willing to vote. There are so many causes and issues, and your voice really does matter, but its not going to matter if its only used over the kitchen table to complain about things. Youve got to show up. I really hope people take advantage of that opportunity.

Michael Coleman: mcoleman@abqjournal.com
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

When 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike and her 9-year-old brother stepped into a strangers van after being dropped off by a school bus Monday, they likely believed they were heading to see a movie.

The stranger, it seems, had a more sinister plan.

According to authorities, he abducted the children, and in a crime that shocked the entire Navajo Nation and surrounding communities, killed Ashlynne, leaving her body along a desolate dirt road that cuts through the desert near the towering rock monument outside the town of Shiprock.

Late Tuesday, the FBI arrested 27-year-old Tom Begaye of Waterflow, N.M., in connection with Ashlynnes abduction and death  putting an end to a massive manhunt and easing fears that rippled through the community regarding all childrens safety.

FBI spokesman Frank Fisher wouldnt say why authorities believe Begaye is connected to the crime. He has a court hearing scheduled for today.

Cheers erupted among hundreds at a vigil being held Tuesday evening for Ashlynne when word of his arrest was announced. Many said the abduction hit close to home.

A friend of Ashlynnes brother Ian Mike avoided being abducted by the suspect.

That boys father, Shawn Mike, said his son was asked to join the children in the strangers van Monday afternoon but declined. The boy said he saw Ashlynne inside the van smiling as she waved goodbye.

You would not believe how thankful I am, Shawn Mike said Tuesday holding back tears. Thank God that he had the wisdom to just say no. I held him so close last night.

Ashlynnes neighbor Nicole Manuelito said she saw the girl playing with some other children at the bus stop Monday afternoon. She said she honked and the kids waved at her. The next time she passed by the bus stop she said Ashlynnes bag was lying on the ground but she was gone.

Manuelito said a man she believes was the suspect came to her house around 4 p.m. and talked briefly to her 13-year-old son and her uncle. She said her uncle asked him his name but he wouldnt answer. Then she said the man drove off in his maroon van.

As the small community of Fruitland began to process the tragedy Tuesday, authorities launched a massive search for the suspect who was last seen driving a maroon minivan with sliding doors, a luggage rack on top and no hubcaps on the vehicles wheels.

The man was described as a light-skinned Native American man in his 20s or 30s with short, dark hair, a teardrop tattoo under his left eye and pierced ears. Authorities later announced the search was over after the arrest of Begaye.

Ashlynne and Ian Mike were on a school bus from Ojo Amarillo elementary school that dropped them off at their regular stop in Lower Fruitland Monday afternoon, according to Shawn Mike.

Shawn Mikes son got off at the next stop and went for a bike ride, which is when the maroon van pulled up to him. The male driver asked Shawn Mikes son if he wanted to go to the movies with them, and when the boy said no, tried to give him a ride home. The boy still refused and the driver left, with Ashlynne smiling and waving out the window.

What happened next is unclear.

Family members say Ian Mike either escaped or was released somewhere near Red Valley just across the state line Monday evening. A passing driver spotted Ian Mike and took him to the Shiprock Police Department, according to authorities.

He told his family members the abductor took Ashlynne to the Shiprock pinnacle and took her over a hill, then came back with her jacket.

Hundreds of volunteers

Volunteers tried to look for her Monday night, but their efforts were called off by law enforcement officers, who continued to comb the area. On Tuesday morning, hundreds of volunteers showed up to look for Ashlynne.

One of those searchers was Graham Beyale, 26, who was driving back to the Four Corners area from the Gathering of the Nations in Albuquerque when he heard his friends girlfriends sister was missing.

He said he immediately wanted to help because the abduction hit close to home.

In Navajo culture theres this concept of kinship, Beyale said. I didnt know her personally, but the drive I had to help try and find her would basically be the same drive I would have with my own little sister.

He said a group of searchers on ATVs found the girls body around noon.

It was really difficult. The picture they put out looks like how my younger sister looked when she was younger, he said. It was really tough.

Shawn Mike said the children were living with their father, Gary, who loves them deeply.

I just cant imagine what the individual said or did to lure them into the vehicle, Shawn Mike said. I know Gary, hes a good father and taught his kids well and really cares and loves his kids.

He spoke with Gary on Monday night and Tuesday morning before Ashlynnes body was found and he seemed very hopeful. After searchers found the body, he was wrecked.

He was in no condition to talk. He was freaking out, very emotional, who wouldnt be, Shawn Mike said.

Wakeup call

Shawn Mike said the crime is a wakeup call for the community.

I think its really important to remind our children everywhere not to talk to strangers, he said. And most importantly to tell them that we love them.

In response to the abduction, the Central Consolidated School District announced Tuesday it wouldnt drop children off at a bus stop without a parent there. If a parent wasnt there, the children would be taken back to the school, said CCSD spokesman James Preminger.

He said that would remain in effect at least until the suspect was caught. Its unclear if that will continue after Begayes arrest.

Superintendent Dr. Colleen Bowman issued a statement Tuesday saying students and staff members at Ashlynnes school are devastated by her death.

Our hearts are broken. Our students are family, Bowman said. Counselors from all of our Kirtland schools were at Ojo Amarillo Elementary Tuesday to speak with the students and staff about her passing.

Bowman asked that students and the community stay strong when dealing with the tragedy.

I also ask our parents and staff to tell their children how much they love them, Bowman said. It is important to honor Ashlynnes memory and for our students, parents, community members, and staff to continue to move forward with their lives.

Tears are falling

Stanley Wauneka, Chapter Manager for the San Juan Chapter House, said everyone is shocked over the crime.

We never expected anything like this to happen in our small community here, Wauneka said. This morning when we heard the Amber Alert we were just praying and hoping we would find her. But we never thought we would find her dead somewhere.

Its unclear why the Amber Alert wasnt sent out sooner. The abduction happened around 4 p.m. and the alert didnt go out until around 2:30 a.m. the next morning.

Shawn Mike said he spoke with young Ian Mike Tuesday morning.

I told him God was with him and thats how he managed to get free, and to just keep praying for his sister, he said. I cant believe how anyone would be so cruel.

The girls family took to Facebook to express their grief.

Tears are falling, the girls mom posted soon after the childs body was found. Mommy loves and misses you my sweet little angel.

Later in the day, she posted again. Mommy will never stop loving you sending hugs to heaven.

Journal staff writer Elise Kaplan contributed to this report
MOGADISHU, Somalia  For Abdiqadir Dulyar, simply reading messages sent to his phone can be chilling.

His voice breaks as he reads a recent one: Keep doing what you do, and we shall come to give your well-deserved award (death).

Dulyar, the 40-year-old director of the Somali TV station Horn Cable, said the threats often lead him to avoid going home and to stay at his office for weeks at a time.

He said his fear was heightened last week after unidentified men opened fire on a car carrying journalists from his TV station in the capital of Mogadishu. No one was hurt.

Somali journalists frequently receive threats, with many being killed. But police rarely investigate them or adequately protect reporters, according to Human Rights Watch, which on Tuesday marked World Press Freedom Day by issuing a report on the dangers faced by Somali journalists.

The deadliest country for journalists in 2015 was Syria, where 14 were killed, followed by France with nine, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Around the world, 72 journalists were killed in 2015 and 10 have been killed so far this year.

Turkeys main journalism association called World Press Freedom Day one for reflection, solidarity and finding a way out of the rapidly deteriorating state of media freedom in the country. Since January, the government seized the largest circulation opposition newspaper; two journalists were put on trial for spying for their reports on alleged government arms smuggling to Syrian rebels; and several pro-Kurdish journalists were detained over their reports on fighting between government forces and the Kurdish rebels.

Turkish academic and columnist Murat Belge went on trial Tuesday, accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a column that suggested he reignited a conflict against Kurdish rebels for electoral gains. Belge faces four years in prison if convicted under a law that critics say Erdogan is using to muzzle dissent.

I am a member of one of Turkeys most populous clubs  the club of people who have insulted Erdogan, Belge said at the end of the hearing. Almost 2,000 cases have been opened against people, including journalists.

The conditions are not there for the Turkish media to celebrate this important day, said Nazmi Bilgin of the Turkish Journalists Association. It is not possible to celebrate freedom when you are not free. Bilgin said 720 journalists had been fired this year, while more than 100,000 websites have been blocked.

In Somalia, which for years has been one of the most dangerous countries for media workers, 59 journalists have been killed since 1992, soon after a civil war began in the Horn of Africa nation, according to the CPJ. The deadliest year was 2012 when 18 were killed. In 2015, three journalists were killed, including Hindia Haji Mohamed, who worked for the state-run broadcaster and had been married to a journalist who also had been slain. She died in December when her car was bombed, an attack claimed by the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab.

The killings of Somali media workers often happen in government-controlled areas that journalists generally consider safe, and reporters must be on their guard at all times. It does not help that they also might face hostility from the government, said Human Rights Watch.

There are signs the Somali government is protecting journalists better. Last month, the government executed a man convicted of assisting the killing of five journalists. A former journalist himself, the man had joined al-Shabab to work as their press liaison and was known to have threatened reporters. He was one of the few prosecuted by the government, which has been urged for years by rights groups to do more to protect journalists.

Despite relative stability in Mogadishu since the ouster of al-Shabab in 2011, journalists say they still feel unsafe from both militants and government officials. Although African Union troops have helped to push Islamist extremists out of all Somalias major cities, the rebels still carry out numerous attacks, hampering the governments rebuilding efforts.

There is the prospect of having a Somali free from oppression, but threats and intimidation against journalists continue and it is very grim  no group or government likes our work, said Dulyar, the broadcast journalist. Despite the dangers, Dulyar said he remains committed to his job.

No matter what, I shall keep working, he said. I shall remain being a messenger for the whole world.

___

Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

___

Online:

https://www.hrw.org/ar/node/289202/

https://cpj.org/
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester has joined other religious leaders in voicing concerns about the political rhetoric surrounding immigration as the presidential primary campaign heads to New Mexico.

Without mentioning any candidate by name, Wester said Monday that candidates who blame immigrants for the nations problems are diverting attention from other issues such as poverty and inequality.

I think some of the rhetoric coming out of this campaign is deplorable, said Wester, who heads the Catholic church in the state with the highest percentage of Latinos. Its scapegoating and targeting people like the immigrant, the refugee and the poor.

New Mexico will hold its primary on June 7.

Wester said some of the immigration proposals by the candidates should alarm voters.

GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump has drawn the most scrutiny from immigration advocates for saying he would push for the mass deportation of an estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally.

Trump also has said he would support requiring Muslims to register in a database and has vowed to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump has compared Mexican immigrants to rapists and drug dealers  a comparison that drew strong criticism from opponents and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, a fellow Republican and the nations only Latina governor.

The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, who heads the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said last week that Trumps reference to murderers and rapists crossing the border was demagoguery that misrepresents the vast majority of immigrants in the country illegally.

In February, Pope Francis, the first pope from Latin America, declared that Donald Trump is not Christian if he wants to address illegal immigration only by building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Wester also said he hoped the issue surrounding refugees fleeing violence in Syria gets more attention as the presidential campaign moves toward the general election. He said various nonprofit groups and Catholic relief organizations are working to resettle the refugees.

___

Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/russell-contreras .
Student efforts to change the University of New Mexicos official seal have gotten the attention of the schools administrative staff.

On Tuesday, the Provosts Office sent out a survey to students asking for their thoughts on the seal, which features a conquistador and frontiersman, figures that some students say glorify Europeans violent treatment of natives.

The University will be reviewing the official seal and would like your input on whether it should be redesigned, the email reads.

That email went out at 11:23 a.m., but by 1:15 p.m. the survey had been pulled from the website hosting it.

This survey has been temporarily suspended in order to devise a more reliable instrument to further continue the conversation, reads a note on the Web page linked to the office of the provosts email.

Some students have said the seal, which was adopted in 1969 though its origins stretch back to the 1910s, is emblematic of deeper-seated racism at the university. In addition to asking administrators to abolish the seal, the protesters also want the university to increase the number of Native American faculty, create a Native American cultural center and to waive tuition for students from federally recognized tribes.

President Bob Frank previously has said hes open to hearing what students have to say about the seal. He also posted a message on Twitter on Monday night, acknowledging the seal offended some while asking for possible alternatives.

Nick Estes, a doctoral student protesting the seal, said the poll sends the message that certain administrators dont value Native students and facultys expertise that in fact the seal is racist.

Ultimately, its up to the Board of Regents to decide if it wants to alter the official seal. Students plan to attend the Academic/Student Affairs and Research Committee meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday to deliver their demands to the regents there.
Editors note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the percentage drop in net income for PNM Resources and for Public Service Co. of New Mexico.

PNM Resources reported a 27 percent decline in net income in the first quarter of this year, partly because of decreasing electric demand at Intel Corp. in Rio Rancho.

PNM Resources said net income plummeted by 59 percent at the companys local utility, Public Service Co. of New Mexico  from $10 million in the first quarter of 2015 to $4.1 million this past quarter.

Plant outages at PNMs coal-fired generating plants, lower earnings from electricity generated at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona, and higher depreciation, property taxes and interest expenses all contributed to the decline.

But a sharp, 7.2 percent drop in industrial load during the quarter helped drag earnings down even more, something the utility said was driven by declining usage at Intel.

Intel continues to show decline on a year-over-year basis, PNM Chief Financial Officer Chuck Eldred said in a recent conference call with investors.

The utility did not disclose what percent of PNMs industrial load is consumed by Intel. And Eldred said Intel has not communicated with PNM about any plans to close its plant in Rio Rancho.

Intel spokeswoman Natasha Martell Jackson said the company could not comment on its operations when asked about the decline in electric consumption.

Intel said last month that it will lay off about 11 percent of its global workforce and close or consolidate some operations, spurring broad speculation about layoffs in New Mexico, where its chipmaking plant currently employs about 1,900 people. Speculation is swirling over the plants future, because the Rio Rancho facility continues to produce older computer chips compared with other Intel factories. The local plant has not received any significant new investment since 2009.

PNM expects better results in earnings in coming quarters after the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission rules on PNMs request for a 14.4 percent rate hike. The PRC held three weeks of hearings in April. A recommended decision by the hearing examiner is expected in June, followed by a final decision by the five-member commission in July. That could pave the way for new rates on Aug. 1.

Pat Vincent-Collawn, PNM Resources chairman, president and CEO, called the rate case a top priority.

Overall, PNM Resources said, net income fell from $14.3 million in the first quarter of 2015 to $10.5 million this year. Ongoing earnings dropped to 13 cents per share, down from 21 cents in the first quarter of 2015.

That reflects the challenges at PNM, since the companys other utility  Texas New Mexico Power  had a generally flat performance.

PNM Resources also managed to cut losses from corporate operations during the quarter, from $3.3 million to $1.1 million, thanks to improved interest expenses and net interest earned on a loan made to the Westmoreland Coal Co. for purchase of the San Juan Coal Mine.

PNM utility did benefit from acquisition of ownership rights in January over 64 megawatts of electricity at one of Palo Verdes generating units, which eliminated PNM lease costs during the quarter. But an extensive outage at the coal-fired Four Corners Power Plant, a 12-day outage at the San Juan Generating Station, and higher depreciation, property tax and interest expenses all combined to offset the gains from Palo Verde, Eldred said.

Given lingering uncertainty about the rate case outcome, PNM Resources reaffirmed a broad, 21-cent range on Friday for its 2016 earnings guidance, from $1.55 to $1.76 per share.
Two Republican U.S. senators are asking the Justice Department to launch a criminal investigation into the Gold King Mine spill that dumped millions of gallons of toxic chemicals into rivers flowing through New Mexico and three other states.

Sens. John McCain of Arizona and John Barasso of Wyoming wrote a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch today making the request.

We believe that sufficient information exists to warrant an investigation by the Justice Department of whether EPA employees or contractors may have committed crimes in connection with the spill, including but not limited to criminal violations of federal environmental laws, criminal negligence and obstruction, the senators wrote.

The spill in August 2015 contaminated waters in the Animas and San Juan Rivers with high levels of arsenic, lead and other potentially toxic heavy metals. The EPA triggered the spill while trying to contain a potential blowout at the abandoned mine near Silverton, Colo. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy later expressed regret that the accidental spill occurred, but the EPA has also maintained that it was trying to mitigate a mess left by private industry.

The EPA on Tuesday defended its actions in the wake of the toxic spill.

After the accidental release, EPA took responsibility for the cleanup, and conducted an internal review of the events leading up to the Gold King Mine incident, the EPA statement said. Also, at EPAs request, based upon the U.S. Department of lnteriors mining expertise, DOI conducted an independent technical review of the incident. Finally, the Agency is awaiting a report by the Office of lnspector General and its review of the incident. These reports will help inform EPAs ongoing efforts to work safely and effectively at mine sites as we carry out our mission to protect human health and the environment.

In their letter to Lynch, McCain and Barasso suggested that the EPA holds private industry to a higher environmental standard than it does the agency itself.

(The Justice Departments) involvement is necessary to affirm that the government is willing to hold itself to the same level of accountability as it holds private companies whose negligence results in serious environmental damage, the letter says.

The senators said their Justice Department request stemmed in part from testimony at an April 22 field hearing in Arizona that examined the cause of the blowout.

New Mexicos congressional delegation initially criticized the EPA for poor communication about the spill. Rep. Steve Pearce has introduced legislation that would establish an independent inquiry into the disaster, perhaps by a university. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, who represents the affected area in New Mexico, and Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich are all pushing legislation to ensure that those affected by the spill are adequately compensated.

Heinrich and Udall have also proposed legislation to boost federal royalty rates on hardrock mining to raise more revenue for abandoned mine cleanup.
Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Joel Boyd is one of six finalists for the position of director of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

School district Chief of Staff Theresa Baca confirmed a report that was first posted on the website of the Nashville-based newspaper The Tennessean on Tuesday and released a statement from Boyd.

I have been invited to meet with the Metro Nashville School Board as part of the Districts superintendent search, he said. I am honored to be considered and I know that this selection is just another testament to the hard work of our teachers, students, administrators and support staff and to the incredible achievements that our schools have made over the last few years.

In an interview later in the day, Boyd said he has received several invitations from search firms to apply for jobs around the country. The one in Nashville interested him. Nashville is a great city, he said, adding he and his wife, Keza, have spent time there. Its an intriguing opportunity; an exciting opportunity to explore. He said he has yet to meet with the school board in Nashville but is scheduled to interview there Thursday.

A phone call to the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools media liaison was not returned Tuesday, but Boyd said its his understanding that they hope to make a final decision in the next few weeks.

Boyd, 37, was selected to head the Fort Worth Independent School District last year, but he withdrew his name after a top teachers union official and two longtime school district volunteers questioned Boyds experience and the Santa Fe school board called a special meeting to try to keep him.

School board member Linda Trujillo, who four years ago was among the group that hired Boyd away from his position as an assistant superintendent in Philadelphia, said the fact that Boyd is so sought after speaks well for what has been accomplished in Santa Fe over the past four years. Whats exciting to me is that districts outside of our state, districts from all around the country, are very interested in the progress we are making in Santa Fe. That is a compliment, she said.

Since Boyd arrived in Santa Fe in 2012, the school districts graduation rate has increased by 5 percentage points, and the gap between the district and the state average has narrowed by 6.8 points. According to the latest state graduation data, Santa Fes graduation rate was 66.8 percent in 2015, up 2.4 percentage points from the previous year. Thats still below the state average of 68.6 percent, and well below the national average of 82 percent.

According to the Nashville school districts website, the district serves nearly 83,000 students and has an operating budget of $790 million. Santa Fe Public Schools serves about 13,000 students and operates on a budget of about $102 million. Boyd currently earns $180,000 a year with a total benefits package of more than $200,000.



SANTA FE _ Santa Fe Public School Superintendent Joel Boyd is one of six finalists for the position of director of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

Santa Fe Public Schools Chief of Staff Theresa Baca confirmed a report that was first posted on the website of the Nashville-based newspaper The Tennessean on Tuesday, and released a statement from Boyd.

I have been invited to meet with the Metro Nashville School Board as part of the Districts superintendent search. I am honored to be considered and I know that this selection is just another testament to the hard work of our teachers, students, administrators and support staff and to the incredible achievements that our schools have made over the last few years, he said.

Boyd, 37, was selected to head the Fort Worth (Texas) Independent School District last year, but he withdrew his name after a top teachers union official and two longtime school district volunteers questioned Boyds experience and the Santa Fe school board called a special meeting to try to keep him.

Since Boyd arrived in Santa Fe in 2012, the school districts graduation rate has increased by 5 percentage points, and the gap between the district and the state average has narrowed by 6.8 points.

According to graduation data released by the state Public Education Department last month, Santa Fes graduation rate was 66.8 percent, up 2.4 percentage points from the previous year. Thats still below the state average of 68.6 percent, and well below the national average of 82 percent.

According to the Nashville school districts website, the district serves nearly 83,000 students and has a general operating budget of $790 million.

Santa Fe Public Schools serves about 13,000 students and operates on a budget of about $102 million.

Boyd currently earns $180,000 a year with a total benefits package of more than $200,000.
Deputies were involved in a shooting Tuesday afternoon in Albuquerques South Valley that left one man hospitalized and at least one more in custody, according to the Bernalillo County sheriff.

The shooting is the second involving BCSO deputies in a week; the earlier one was fatal.

Authorities declined to provide details of Tuesdays shooting, but said the injured suspect, identified late Tuesday as 30-year-old David Hickey, underwent surgery at a local hospital. Hickey will be charged with aggravated battery on a peace officer and aggravated assault on a peace officer after hes released from the hospital, according to BCSO spokeswoman Felicia Romero.

Sheriff Manuel Gonzales said two deputies responded to a call reporting a possible theft at the SpinCycle laundromat near Bridge and La Vega around 3 p.m. Tuesday. They were directed to a silver Saturn with multiple people inside.

The car was driven toward the deputies, striking one, but not seriously injuring the deputy, he said.

Gonzales said two suspects fled, but both ended up being taken into custody.

At some point, shots were fired and Hickey was struck, Romero said.

Deputies immediately rendered first aid to David until paramedics were on scene, she said.

Gonzales said he did not yet know whether any of the suspects were armed.

We know he (Hickey) did receive a gunshot wound, Gonzales said at an evening news conference. I dont know who fired the shots.

Hickey was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where he underwent surgery, Gonzales said. He didnt know his condition.

Witnesses from the scene and occupants of the vehicle are being interviewed at this time, Romero said. A search warrant was obtained for the silver Saturn.

Gonzales said that details were limited because the deputies involved had not given statements on the incident.

Hickey has faced criminal charges in the past, but online court records show he has never been convicted of a felony. He was charged with receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle earlier this year, but that charge was dropped, and he pleaded guilty in 2014 to misdemeanor resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.

The BCSO investigation Tuesday left traffic in the area snarled for hours during rush hour as deputies shut down a portion of Bridge in both directions.

By about 4:30 p.m., about a dozen marked and unmarked law enforcement vehicles were parked in the area.

Jose Ramirez was at a friends home nearby when he heard two gunshots and saw someone running from deputies.

I saw the police catch him right away, Ramirez said.

Ramirez said traffic was so bad he wasnt able to leave his home.

Last Tuesday, at least one BCSO deputy shot and killed 24-year-old Jacquelyn Burke in Albuquerques Northeast Heights. They were part of a U.S. Marshals Service task force seeking Burke, who was wanted for a probation violation in a battery on a peace officer case. That shooting occurred in the afternoon at the Mountain Run apartments.

Digital Editor Robert Browman and staff writer Nicole Perez contributed to this report.

http://youtu.be/SI2fbony00o
Of all the ills plaguing American Indian communities, what hits home the hardest is the scourge of suicide.

The rate of suicide in Indian country has increased by at least 60 percent since 1999, according to a newly released report by the National Center for Health Statistics. In the past 15 years, suicide among Native women rose 89 percent.

Moreover, the study concludes that the actual number of American Indian suicides may be underreported by 30 percent.

For years, Indian country has suffered the highest suicide rates among all racial or ethnic groups in the nation. Poverty, violence and alcoholism are only a few of the constant contributing factors that drive so many Native people to despair.

Generations of abuse in the forms of racism, loss of indigenous languages, and the devaluing of ancient traditions, culture and spirituality have had a devastating impact on American Indian dignity and self worth.

Suicide is more than a public health issue for Indian country. It is a monetary issue.

American Indian nations are losing the battle to save their peoples lives because there simply are not enough mental health dollars available to effectively treat the problem.

The American Indian health care system is shamefully underfunded because the federal government has refused to fully honor Indian treaties.

Tribes signed away rights to large amounts of land and access to natural resources in exchange for promised health care, education and other needed services. But the U.S. government broke those promises long ago and continues to shatter them today.

Every budget cycle, Congress consistently underfunds even basic health care services for American Indians. It is no wonder American Indians have some of the highest rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and mental illness in the country.

The few dollars that do make it to tribal hospitals and clinics are spent on triage and other crisis treatment, not mental health services.

In Canada, indigenous people face many of the same health challenges as American Indians. Recently, a number of First Nations people have started occupying federal buildings in order to call attention to the high suicide rate of their young people.

It has been decades since American Indian activists caravanned to Washington, D.C., in what was dubbed the Trail of Broken Treaties. Those activists took over the Bureau of Indian Affairs building in protest of the U.S. governments mistreatment of native people.

Significant Indian federal policy was changed because of that occupation.

For American Indians, the right to decent health care is long overdue. But the federal government shows no interest in mending its broken treaties with tribes.

Perhaps its time for native people to pay another visit to the nations capital.

Mark Anthony Rolo is an enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. He wrote this for Progressive Media Project, a source of liberal commentary on domestic and international issues; it is affiliated with The Progressive magazine. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
WADI MASHAR, Iraq  From a sandbagged hilltop outpost here, you can see the front line of the Islamic State in the muddy brown houses of Al-Nasr, a village on the next ridgeline, about a mile and a half west. The Iraqi army was supposed to have captured this target a month ago. But the offensive was repelled.

The battle for Mosul, about 35 miles north, must begin with the seizure of such Islamic State positions along the Tigris River. But the Iraqi army isnt ready yet to take a small, well-fortified village like Al-Nasr. So its hard to imagine that Mosul itself can be cleared by the end of the year, as the Obama administration has hoped.

The staging area for the Mosul battle is Makhmour, a few miles south of here. An Iraqi army division has set up its headquarters there, alongside Kurdish peshmerga fighters. U.S. combat advisers are in Makhmour, too, although they werent visible Thursday.

I have limited forces, cautions Maj. Gen. Najim Abed al-Jabouri, the Iraqi commander for the Mosul offensive. He now has about 5,000 troops, but he says he needs a force six times larger and an attack plan that hits Mosul from all sides.

The recent political chaos in Baghdad has hurt army morale and made planning more difficult, he says. We try to move toward the correct way, but the corruption in Iraq is very deep.

U.S. airpower helped the Iraqis capture the nearby village of Mahana last week. The Iraqis were able to walk in, virtually unopposed.

We are a team, always, says Jabouri of the growing U.S. forces in Iraq.

The day after in Mosul may be an even bigger problem than the assault itself. Gen. Najat Ali, the commander of Kurdish forces in Makhmour, says that a political agreement is needed now on governing the big, multiethnic city once the Islamic State is driven out.

We are afraid, after we liberate Mosul, how we will rule, he warns. Hes dressed in the baggy trousers and tunic that are the traditional Kurdish uniform.

The Kurds are probably the toughest fighters in Iraq, and theyve had the best success so far against the Islamic State. But they are desperately short of heavy weapons and ammunition, as I discovered during my brief visit to their front lines.

At the Kurdish hilltop observation post at Wadi Mashar, for example, Lt. Col. Taher Argushi says his forces are hit almost daily with rocket and mortar fire from Al-Nasr, and were attacked last year by mustard gas.

But Kurds here have no heavy artillery or rockets, no chemical-weapons suits, and they lack enough ammunition to fire back regularly at the extremists.

Asked if the Kurds partners in the Iraqi army are good fighters, Argushi answers that with the Iraqis limited progress, despite having abundant weapons, ammunition and U.S. air support, you must say not good. 

The Iraqi regular army, trust me, they are not in a position to do this alone, cautions Masrour Barzani, the national security adviser and intelligence chief for the Kurdistan Regional Government, speaking at his headquarters in Erbil. He said the Makhmour area must be cleared soon by the Iraqi army  so that Mosul is surrounded from the south, as well as from the areas north, east and west of the city already captured by Kurdish forces.

Barzani worries about slow preparation, on both the military and political fronts: We asked for a plan for taking Mosul. The Iraqi Army doesnt have a plan yet, or theyre not sharing it with us.

While Kurdish forces are committed to the Mosul campaign, Barzani said they cant take the lead in Arab areas.

He also stressed the future difficulty of governing a diverse city that has Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen; Sunni and Shiite Muslims; Christians, and Yazidis.

There has to be a political agreement so that all the elements of Mosul will be happy and able to live there.

Some Iraqi officials talk hopefully of an uprising among the local population in Mosul to expel the Islamic State.

This is wishful thinking, said Barzani. He explained that Mosuls residents wont stick their necks out unless they are certain the offensive will succeed.

A dramatic sign of the Obama administrations stake in this fight came with Vice President Joe Bidens surprise visit to Baghdad Thursday. The attack on Mosul will be the decisive moment in this U.S.-backed campaign, but the evidence from the battlefront suggests that a successful assault is still many months away.

Email: davidignatius@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
Longtime GOP Sen. Sue Wilson Befforts departure from the Legislature this year has prompted a swarm of Republicans seeking that seat.

Four men, each proclaiming a conservative fiscal and social platform, hope to succeed Beffort, who served in the Senate for 19 years and was the senior GOP member of the Senate Finance Committee.

The four will be competing in the June 7 primary for Republican votes in Senate District 19, which encompasses Four Hills in Albuquerque, the East Mountains including Sandia Park and east past Stanley and Edgewood to Clines Corners. The winner will face the lone Democratic candidate, Harold Murphree, in a district that is 44 percent Republican, more densely Republican than the state as a whole.

This years complex  and emotional  national races are expected to increase voter turnout for the June 7 primary election.

You go knocking on doors, and people are upset. I try to separate myself and say national politics is different than state politics. Theres different issues. Whatever you dont like on TV, dont blame me for it, said Jim White, a retired Air Force pilot who served in the state House from 2009 to 2014.

White, who lives in Four Hills, said he believes local politicians can change communities. He hopes to make the leap to the Senate by highlighting his experience and his love of budgets and government procedure and his passion for keeping the state stable.

From my military service, Ive seen how countries fail around the world, and it comes down to law and order. So I have a sense of responsibility and an appreciation for what we have in America and in New Mexico, he said.

The state needs to boost economic development and to stay fiscally responsible with a budget reserve, he said.

He said funding for law enforcement and education are paramount.

For Herb Gadberry, who was also in the Air Force and is retired from real estate, having political experience isnt something to flaunt.

Im not part of the establishment, Gadberry said from his home in Edgewood. Im kind of going on being new to the system.

He said the political establishment in Santa Fe gets nothing done and has led the state in the wrong direction.

Were tired of being at the bottom. For 85 years, weve been on the bottom of all the good and on the top of the bad lists. I think that needs to change, he said.

Anthony Thornton also is approaching the race as an outsider.

I am an engineer, not a politician, and I have an R&D background. Given my awareness of the technologies under development at the national labs, New Mexico has the potential to be the Silicon Valley of the Southwest, Thornton said.

Thornton lives in the Paa-Ko neighborhood of Sandia Park and works long distance with a space research nonprofit in Houston. He said he was inspired to join the race after he had a difficult time finding the next step of his professional career in New Mexico after he retired from Sandia National Laboratories.

That told me a lot, he said. I had lots of qualifications and was willing to work, and I couldnt find a decent job. That means young people have to go out of the state  I believe there is an opportunity to bring business back to New Mexico.

But he said that is going to require government to step out of the way.

Jim Wilder agrees with him on that point.

Im a conservative who leans libertarian, very much like Rand Paul, said Wilder, a corporate airline sales executive. I believe in individual rights and freedoms. I believe in less government intervention in peoples lives when it comes to taxes.

Wilder, who lives north of Paa-Ko in Sandia Park, said the primary concerns in his district and the state are jobs and education.

We need to be supporting small business  Driving down through Cedar Crest, there are so many boarded-up businesses, he said.

He thinks tourism to the area and a boost to the educational network, including for private and home schools, could provide a rejuvenation.

Im the only candidate of the four with young children who are in school; that makes me much different from the other three, Wilder said.

Wilder is the only of the four who supports legalizing marijuana.

White and Wilder, who both go by Jim but are listed as James on the ballot, support the idea of allowing freedom in end-of-life choices. Thornton, who notes that as an African-American he is the only minority of the four, and Gadberry are not in favor of such choices.

But they share some fundamental conservative ideas.

All four support a ban on abortion after 20 weeks and oppose raising the minimum wage. They all support right-to-work legislation and oppose social promotion in schools, or promoting third-graders who cannot read at grade level.
Victims of sexual abuse by clergy in the Diocese of Gallup soon will receive ballots that will allow them to approve or reject a proposed $24 million reorganization plan in a 30-month-old Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David T. Thuma on Tuesday approved a 68-page disclosure statement that sets out terms of the proposed reorganization plan, clearing the way for claimants to vote on the plan.

In that statement, the Diocese of Gallup acknowledged that children were sexually abused by priests or others purporting to do the missionary work of the church, resulting in harm and suffering on the children and teenagers of the Diocese.

Thuma will consider whether to approve or reject the reorganization plan at a hearing scheduled June 21.

James Stang, a Los Angeles attorney who represents 57 claimants in the case, said he anticipates his clients will approve the proposed settlement.

If Thuma approves the plan in June, Stang said, hopefully we will be able to get the money out to survivors very promptly.

Stang has estimated that payments would average about $350,000 per claimant, though amounts likely would vary depending on circumstances.

Under the plan, insurers will provide cash payments of at least $13.4 million.

The largest share  $11.55 million  would be provided by the Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America, a nonprofit that insures many Roman Catholic dioceses. Catholic Mutual insured the diocese from 1977 to 1990, when some of the abuses occurred.

The Diocese of Gallup would contribute $3 million and may have to sell its chancery offices in Gallup, subject to the terms of a loan agreement with a bank.

In addition to abuse claims, the settlement also would pay for legal and professional costs that totaled more than $3.5 million through Dec. 30.

The two primary law firms have agreed to a $416,000 reduction in fees, according to the disclosure statement.
Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson  a longshot Libertarian candidate for president  hopes Republicans who cant fathom supporting Donald Trump will consider him instead.

After Trumps big victory in Indiana Tuesday, Johnson cast himself as the only viable small government candidate in the race.

With the withdrawal of Senator (Ted) Cruz from the Republican race, the table for Novembers election is set, Johnson said in a statement. His departure from the race, along with the likely nomination of Hillary Clinton by the Democrats, makes it clear that neither of the two major parties will offer voters in November a small government candidate. What they are offering voters are two of the most polarizing candidates in recent history.

Its worth noting that Johnson supports abortion rights and gay marriage, meaning his candidacy could be tough for many socially conservative Republicans to get behind.

Johnson has not yet secured the nomination of the Libertarian Party, which advocates for smaller government, limited military intervention and expanded civil liberties. But he is expected to do so over Memorial Day weekend, when the party hosts its national convention in Orlando.

In November, there will be three candidates on the ballot in all 50 states: Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and the Libertarian Party nominee. I hope to be that nominee, Johnson said. With millions of Americans now feeling politically homeless, a two-term governor who balanced budgets, cut taxes, cut regulations and truly reduced the size of government may offer the home they are seeking.

Johnson also ran for president in 2012 and secured about 1 percent of the vote nationally.

Meanwhile, New Mexicos Republican primary on June 7 lost some serious luster last night when Ted Cruz withdrew from the race.
NAME: Benny Shendo

POLITICAL PARTY: Democratic

OCCUPATION: Business Consultant

RESIDENCE: Jemez Pueblo

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Current State Senator, District 22, 2012 -Present;

President & CEO, Pueblo Insurance Agency, 2013-2015;

Cabinet Secretary, Department of Indian Affairs, State of New Mexico, 2004-2007;

VP Business Development, Notah Begay III Consulting, 2009-Present;

Senior Manager of Native American Programs at the University of New Mexico, 1997-2004;

1st t Lt. Governor, Pueblo of Jemez, 2002, 2009;

Co-founder, an Diego Riverside Charter School, Jemez Pueblo, 1999;

2nd Lt. Governor, Pueblo of Jemez, 1998;

Assistant Dean of Students, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 1994-1997

EDUCATION: College of Law, University of Colorado Boulder, 1988-89;

Bachelor of Science in Business, University of Colorado, 1987;

Colorado College, attended 1982-1983; St. Catherines Indian School, Santa Fe.

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: bennyfornm.com

Candidate questions 1. If the states revenue downturn persists, would you favor trimming state spending or increasing taxes as a primary response? Please specify which cost-cutting or revenue-generating measures you would prefer.

2. Do you support or oppose raising New Mexicos minimum wage, currently $7.50 per hour? If so, by how much?

3. Do you support or oppose the current policy of including student achievement as part of teacher evaluations? If you support the policy, what percentage of the evaluation should achievement account for.

4. Do you support or oppose legalizing recreational marijuana use in New Mexico?

5. Current state law requires early-grade reading intervention. Coupled with that, do you support or oppose legislation that would automatically require some third-graders without adequate reading skills to repeat the grade level?

6. To provide more money for early childhood programs, do you support or oppose taking more money out of the states largest permanent fund on an annual basis? If you are in support, what sort of accountability measures would you favor?

7. Would you support or oppose the creation of a state ethics commission that publicly releases complaints and holds open hearings?

8. Do you support or oppose making New Mexico a so-called right-to-work state, by changing state labor laws so that nonunion employees would not have to pay union fees as a condition of employment?

9. Do you support or oppose banning abortions after 20 weeks in New Mexico?

10. Do you support or oppose a law banning coyote-killing contests? Do you support or oppose banning trapping and poisons on public lands?

11. Do you support or oppose updating the current prohibition in the law on assisted suicide in order to allow aid-in-dying under certain medical circumstances?

12. Do you support or oppose a change that would earmark the states existing vehicle excise and gasoline tax revenue for state road projects?

13. Do you support or oppose allowing retired law enforcement officers to return to work while still collecting pension benefits to shore up department staffing, if the program protects the solvency of the retirement fund?

14. Do you support or oppose opening the states primary elections to voters who arent affiliated with either major political party?

15. Do you support or oppose expanding the states three-strikes law for repeat violent offenders?

16. Do you support or oppose enacting a cooling-off period before former lawmakers could lobby the Legislature?

17. Do you support or oppose passing a law that would allow local governments to impose curfews on minors under the age of 16?

18. Do you support or oppose archiving webcasts of all legislative meetings for public access?

19. Do you support or oppose establishing a salary for legislators?

20. Should public employees, including teachers, be prohibited by law from serving in the Legislature? Please explain. Personal background 1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?

2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?

3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If so, explain.

1. In my time as senator I have always been supportive of trimming wasteful spending. We need to end tax incentives that have no sunset clause and close loopholes that make it easy for out of state companies to avoid paying state taxes. All options for generating revenue need to be on the table.

2. I support increasing the minimum wage statewide to $10.10. Currently, the cities of Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces all have wages higher than the state minimum. We need to ensure that workers in rural areas of the state have the same opportunity to make a living.

3. I oppose the current policy. As a state we must focus more on teaching our young people rather than teaching to the test. As a grandfather I think that we need to do away with the excessive testing of children and spend more time on teaching the fundamentals.

4. We need to look to other states that have decriminalized recreational use of marijuana. If the data shows that we can safely decriminalize its use then I believe its something that the voters of our state should decide at the ballot box.

5. I oppose automatic retention. The data shows that retention harms children and increases the likelihood of dropping out later. We need to spend more resources on early childhood education and access to intervention particularly in bilingual communities. Automatic retention takes control of education away from parents and teachers.

6. The Land Grant Permanent Fund (LGPF) was established to support education. This huge fund increases by approximately 11% every year. We currently only draw down around 6% for higher education. We desperately need to tap this resource for early childhood education and I support a small annual allocation from this fund.

7. I would support an ethics commission. We need to have more accountability and oversight in state government. We have made some progress by instituting the sunshine portal but we need to have a commission that investigates allegations of impropriety.

8. I oppose so-called right-to-work legislation. The advocates of this legislation are actually attempting to bust unions and undo worker protections like the right to collectively bargain. Unions advocate for both union and non-union members in their negotiations with employers and that needs to be protected.

9. I support a womans right to make her own reproductive choices. I was raised in a family of strong women and come from a culture that values matriarchal leadership. As a man it is not for me to decide or legislate another persons body or choices.

10. As Senator I voted to ban coyote killing contests in 2015. Unfortunately this bill failed in last years session. I would also be open to banning the use of poison on public lands. Not only is it a painful way for an animal to die but it could be ingested by non-target species.

11. I would be open to updating the current law with data from other states. This issue is complex and emotionally charged, but our focus should be on providing compassionate care for those with terminal illness.

12. I support putting a portion of the gasoline tax revenue into state road projects. Even a fraction of a cent would allow the state to rehabilitate roads that have been in disrepair for years.

13. I would be cautious about allowing retired state law enforcement employees to collect pensions while going back to their old positions. We need to increase our efforts to recruit new talent to our state. We also need to ensure that the retirement fund in our state is solvent now and in the future.

14. I think we need to look closely at open primaries. Many Independent and no-party voters are limited to voting in general elections. I think that by including these voters in primary elections we encourage political participation and encourage a more meaningful dialogue.

15. I am cautious about any legislation that takes sentencing discretion away from judges. We now know that mandatory minimums have done terrible harm in minority communities and I think we need to preserve a judges control over sentencing.

16. I support this legislation. There could be the perception of impropriety when a former lawmaker immediately becomes a lobbyist for an issue or organization. This cooling-off period makes sense and is the ethical thing to do.

17. I dont agree that we should impose curfews. I think that this attempt to criminalize our youth is misguided. If we are serious about addressing crime in our communities we need to focus on education, job creation and rehabilitation.

18. I would support archiving webcasts. Webcasting is already available as a live-stream and there is no reason why we shouldnt record and preserve these meetings. Meeting minutes could be preserved digitally this way and provide another opportunity for transparency in government.

19. I would support a small salary for legislators. One of the largest barriers to public service is the fact that our legislators are unpaid. This makes running for office an impossibility for most working people. With a modest salary we can encourage more citizens to run for office.

20. Public employees and teachers are citizens of our state. Our state law is defined as a citizen legislature. I believe that teachers should be encouraged to serve in the House and Senate. We can benefit from having individuals that are working with our youth and families in the state government.

Personal information:

1. No.

2. No.

3. No.
HOUSTON  A 20-year-old man has been convicted of aggravated assault over the 2014 death of his prom date at a Houston hotel following the dance.

Eddie M. Herrera faces up to life in prison after being convicted Wednesday in the case involving the death of 17-year-old Jacqueline Gomez.

She attended MacArthur High School in the Aldine (AHL-deen) Independent School District. The couple went to the prom at the same hotel where they later shared a room.

Houston police say the boyfriend said the couple drank alcohol before falling asleep. Prosecutors say Herrera and his girlfriend took prescription painkillers and the girl was choked during sex.

Herreras mother, Melissa Ann Martinez, awaits trial on charges of providing drugs and alcohol to the underage couple. The Texas legal drinking age is 21.
Albuquerque police officers have determined the 4-year-old girl who was ejected from a vehicle in a crash last week was not buckled in, according to police spokesman Tanner Tixier.

Tixier said officers are forwarding the case to the District Attorneys office, who will decide whether the childs parents should face criminal charges for the incident.

But he warned that its possible the parents arent at fault  the girl could have unbuckled herself or manipulated the seat belt around her while in the car before the crash.

There was no evidence that speed or alcohol was a factor in the crash, Tixier said. The child was pronounced dead.

It looks to be just a tragic accident in which a young child wasnt restrained, he said.

Tixier said it may take weeks for officers to submit the case to the District Attorneys office because officers have to reconstruct the scene and do a thorough investigation.
NAME: Sandra Jeff

POLITICAL PARTY: Democratic

OCCUPATION: Former Legislator

RESIDENCE: Crownpoint

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: (No response)

EDUCATION: (No response)

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: (No response)

1. If the revenue downtown continues, I am open to targeted spending cuts and/or revenue enhancements. Our state cant continue to tax and spend, and expect a different outcome. Everyday citizens, including local governments, are expected to live within their means; the Roundhouse is no exception.

2. I have previously voted to support a one-time increase (2013-SB 214) in the minimum wage to $8.50 per hour. I dont agree with any attempt by either party to politicize minimum wage increases as a divisive wedge issue like abortion or gay marriage . Im also strongly supportive of local control and communities who have increased the minimum wage at the local level, rather than waiting on Santa Fe or Washington, D.C. to act. Any action to increase the minimum wage should be from the local grassroots-level, not top down.

Candidate questions 1. If the states revenue downturn persists, would you favor trimming state spending or increasing taxes as a primary response? Please specify which cost-cutting or revenue-generating measures you would prefer.

2. Do you support or oppose raising New Mexicos minimum wage, currently $7.50 per hour? If so, by how much?

3. Do you support or oppose the current policy of including student achievement as part of teacher evaluations? If you support the policy, what percentage of the evaluation should achievement account for.

4. Do you support or oppose legalizing recreational marijuana use in New Mexico?

5. Current state law requires early-grade reading intervention. Coupled with that, do you support or oppose legislation that would automatically require some third-graders without adequate reading skills to repeat the grade level?

6. To provide more money for early childhood programs, do you support or oppose taking more money out of the states largest permanent fund on an annual basis? If you are in support, what sort of accountability measures would you favor?

7. Would you support or oppose the creation of a state ethics commission that publicly releases complaints and holds open hearings?

8. Do you support or oppose making New Mexico a so-called right-to-work state, by changing state labor laws so that nonunion employees would not have to pay union fees as a condition of employment?

9. Do you support or oppose banning abortions after 20 weeks in New Mexico?

10. Do you support or oppose a law banning coyote-killing contests? Do you support or oppose banning trapping and poisons on public lands?

11. Do you support or oppose updating the current prohibition in the law on assisted suicide in order to allow aid-in-dying under certain medical circumstances?

12. Do you support or oppose a change that would earmark the states existing vehicle excise and gasoline tax revenue for state road projects?

13. Do you support or oppose allowing retired law enforcement officers to return to work while still collecting pension benefits to shore up department staffing, if the program protects the solvency of the retirement fund?

14. Do you support or oppose opening the states primary elections to voters who arent affiliated with either major political party?

15. Do you support or oppose expanding the states three-strikes law for repeat violent offenders?

16. Do you support or oppose enacting a cooling-off period before former lawmakers could lobby the Legislature?

17. Do you support or oppose passing a law that would allow local governments to impose curfews on minors under the age of 16?

18. Do you support or oppose archiving webcasts of all legislative meetings for public access?

19. Do you support or oppose establishing a salary for legislators?

20. Should public employees, including teachers, be prohibited by law from serving in the Legislature? Please explain. Personal background 1. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?

2. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?

3. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If so, explain.

3. I support a comprehensive evaluation for teachers, which truly measures their impact on student achievement. I support an evaluation system that is based on multiple measures, rather than one high-stakes test given one time a year. I also support piloting an evaluation system, rather than sticking with a status quo, which really has not helped our children.

4. Because of New Mexicos dire economic situation, we should not exclude any potential source of revenue generation in our state. For example, Colorado has had remarkable success with marijuana legalization, which has substantially increased funding for education, public safety, and infrastructure. Decriminalization of marijuana possession has substantially reduced the social and public costs upon taxpayers as well. Other states have enacted similar legislation and its worth examining what works and doesnt work.

5. (No response)

6. (No response)

7. Yes. Based on my experience, the current process is extremely political and tainted by political agendas/vendettas rather than doing what is right.

8. Across the state and even in my area, union membership has significantly declined, even in the absence of right-to-work laws. At this point, unions need to be competitive, innovative, and provide value to their membership and employers who have to pay higher wages. Several members of my family have belonged to unions and I realize the importance of unions. At this point, I am neither in favor nor opposed to changing state labor laws.

9. As a Navajo/Dine woman, reared in our culture and traditions, life is very precious and sacred. In the very rare instance that this issue would be voted on, I would support banning abortions after 20 weeks.

10. This is not a major issue in my area or even a statewide issue. However, killing coyotes for fun or sport seems pretty stupid. In my area, persons have a right to defend their cattle, horse, and sheep from anything (including coyotes) that will kill their animals.

11. (No response)

12. The state gasoline excise tax has remained flat/unchanged for many years and is running out of money. In particular, the state gas tax pays for critically needed highway and infrastructure improvements, and does not go into the general fund for politicians to play with. Raising the gas tax a penny or two will make a huge difference to pay for greatly needed highway construction and maintenance projects that have an economic impact on our state.

13. Support. At this point, there is a critical shortage of law enforcement officers. Retired officers bring in existing training and experience that cant be found elsewhere, unless there is a huge infusion of new officers. Rural communities face even greater challenges in hiring and recruiting officers.

14. Support. New Mexicos closed primary system does a tremendous disservice to all citizens who arent affiliated with either party. Our current system is big slap-in-the-face to our democratic system when we literally exclude people who arent registered with either party.

15. Three-strikes laws typically failed in other states, while imposing huge social and political costs on taxpayers because persons convicted for minor crimes were given punitive prison sentences. This issue warrants further study, including specific violent crimes that warrant increased penalties.

16. (No response)

17. Support. Local governments and citizens, not Santa Fe, should have the ability and flexibility to make laws and decisions for what they think is best for their citizens at the local level.

18. Support. What do we have to hide? I strongly believe that we need to be more transparent and open with our citizens.

19. (No response)

20. All persons, excluding felons, should have full access to the ballot and ability to run for office, including serving in the Legislature. As long as they take leave, and not receive any special pay/benefits, I dont see why prohibitions should be allowed.

Personal background:

1. No.

2. No.

3. No.
WASHINGTON  Suddenly, Republicans are confronting a reality that seemed fantastically implausible not long ago: Donald Trump as their all-but-official presidential nominee.

The response Wednesday in some quarters was a mix of denial and resistance that was unlike anything seen in recent history.

Republican leaders, including some who sparred with Trump, pleaded for unity. Prominent GOP lawmakers announced their support. So did some tea party activists.

But many Trump detractors were unmoved. Talk of finding a third-party alternative continued unabated. Big-money donors, including the Koch brothers and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, were notably silent, as was Mitt Romney, Republicans last presidential nominee and a fierce Trump critic.

The overwhelming sentiment  at least within the party establishment, which Trump vilified but now must work alongside to win in November  seemed to be resignation mixed with a determination to make the best of things.

The final stage is acceptance, which I think a lot of people will get to, said Josh Holmes, a Republican strategist unaligned with any candidate. But, he added: I dont think were going to see a seismic shift in people supporting Trump.

The prospect of a primary fight extending all the way to a contested July convention instantly vanished Tuesday night after Trump roared to victory in Indiana and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz unexpectedly stepped aside. Trumps sole remaining rival, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, followed suit on Wednesday, becoming the last contestant to abandon a field that once comprised 17 hopefuls  including many of the partys most acclaimed leaders.

Trump must still collect the 1,237 delegates he needs to officially clinch the nomination, which will take him until the end of the primary season on June 7, when California and four other states vote.

His critics werent yielding, despite the lack of any Republican opponent.

Ample time remains for Trump to disqualify himself, said Katie Packer, a GOP consultant and head of Our Principles PAC, which has spent millions on advertisements across the country attacking Trump.

We continue to give voice to the belief of so many Republicans that Trump is not a conservative, does not represent the values of the Republican Party, cannot beat Hillary Clinton, and is simply unfit to be president of the United States, she said in a statement that defied party efforts to rally behind the nominee-in-waiting.

Trump will enter the general election, presumably against Clinton, as a decided underdog.

There are a few Democratic-leaning states he might make more competitive, such as Pennsylvania, with its large population of disaffected working-class whites. But there are others that have been reliably Republican, like Arizona and Georgia, that could come into play if Latinos and other minorities, antagonized by Trumps insults, turn out in high numbers.

In Nevada, a major battleground in the last few elections, the state Democratic Party sent a taunting letter Wednesday urging Trump  Dear Dangerous Donald  to campaign there, figuring it would hurt his candidacy and other Republicans as well.

General election, wrote Democratic Chairman Roberta Lange, here we go!

Trump spent much of Wednesday looking ahead to the November election, including how he might finance a campaign costing up to $1 billion.

Do I want to sell a couple of buildings and self-fund? the Manhattan real estate developer mused on MSNBC. I dont know that I want to do that necessarily.

Later, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said he would not self-fund his general election campaign but rather create a world-class finance organization.

The move carried some risk. After spending months accusing rivals of trading government favors for donations and claiming, inaccurately, that he alone was paying for his candidacy, Trump faces the danger of undermining his outsider image by accepting big campaign contributions. He has raised more than $12 million, mostly in small sums.

Trump also said he was searching for a seasoned politician with expertise in navigating Congress to be his vice presidential running mate. I have the business  lets call it talents, Trump said on MSNBC. And I think Ill probably go the political route.

First, Trump must pull his party together, which will not be easy.

Some, more or less grudgingly, said they were coming around to the idea of supporting the businessman and reality TV star, even if he was not their first, second or third choice.

Donald Trump has struck a chord with a lot of people, said Jonathan Barnett, a member of the Republican National Committee form Arkansas and a longtime supporter of the states former governor, Mike Huckabee, who quit the presidential race in February. Even though they may not care for him and may not like him personally, and he may not represent their values  they want to give him a chance to try to work these issues out.

But others insisted, in the words of Rory Cooper, a spokesman for the Never Trump political action committee, that never means never.

Social media were filled Wednesday with images of voters burning their Republican registration cards, professing their abandonment of the party or vowing to cross party lines to support Clinton.

Among them was Mark Salter, a former top aide and confidant to Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee. The GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks its on the level, Salter said, referring to Trumps embrace of an unsubstantiated report that linked Cruzs father to President John Kennedys assassination.

Im with her, Salter said of Clinton.

The resistance to Trump extends beyond party elites.

Even as he rolled to victory in Indiana, more than 4 in 10 of those who voted in Tuesdays Republican primary said they were scared or concerned about the prospect of a Trump presidency, a finding consistent with previous exit polls.

Curt Anderson, who worked for another of the unsuccessful 2016 GOP hopefuls, ex-Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, said some in the professional political class will never support Trump.

The question is  will it just be a couple hundred of these folks? Anderson said. Or will it be millions of normally reliable Republican voters who refuse to come over to Trump?



Barabak reported from San Francisco and Mascaro from Washington. Los Angeles Times staff writers Melanie Mason in Indianapolis and Michael Finnegan and Seema Mehta in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
DALLAS  A Dallas homeless camp that once had about 200 residents has closed amid safety and security concerns.

Wednesday was the deadline set by city leaders to have the so-called Tent City shut down and residents moved to shelters or other housing. Social workers and volunteers spent several weeks assisting the last of the homeless people who were living under an Interstate 45 bridge with relocation.

The city said the closure was caused by a string of violence in the camp, including murders and stabbings. Dallas police are investigating two deaths at the homeless camp since January.

About 75 people were still at the site late Monday, but the number dwindled to just a handful by Tuesday, when a bulldozer tore down remaining tents and helped clear debris. There wasnt much resistance, but one couple chained themselves to a concrete pillar in protest before eventually leaving. Some moved their belongings to other homeless sites.

Officials from the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance visited each tent to make sure no one was in them before the site was cleared.

Tent City is officially closed as of right now, said Ron Cowart, supervisor with the City of Dallas Crisis Intervention Unit. People are putting up the fences and securing it.

Citizens groups have pressured the city to address the encampment, which was highly visible from Interstate 30 near downtown and held about 300 people at one point.
More than 200 years ago, the storied ship of legendary explorer Captain James Cook  the one he used to discover Australias East Coast  was scuttled by the British Navy. Now marine archaeologists believe theyve found it off Rhode Island in Newport Harbor.

The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project is planning to announce Wednesday that it has likely located the HMS Endeavour  later known as the Lord Sandwich  one of 13 sunken ships lost when Newport was under siege in 1778, days before the Battle of Rhode Island during the American Revolution.

Marine archaeologists say they are now closing in one of the most important shipwrecks in world history  pinpointing its whereabouts to a cluster of five ships.

All of the 13 ships lost in Newport during the Revolution are important to American history, the group said in a statement, but it will be a national celebration in Australia when RIMAP identifies the Lord Sandwich ex Endeavour.

Researchers with the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project, a nonprofit organization that studies maritime history and marine archaeology sites, used historic documents in London to map out and analyze sites where the ship might be found on the sea floor.

Recent data analysis shows that there is an 80 to 100 percent chance the ship is still in the harbor.

Because the Lord Sandwich was Capt. Cooks Endeavour, the group said, that means RIMAP has found her, too.

Cook, whom some have called the greatest explorer in history, was from a village near Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire, England, according to a historical profile from the BBC.

Cook learned the worlds waters while serving in the Royal Navy, according to the BBC. In the mid-1700s, he was named the commander of the HMS Endeavour and sent on a scientific voyage in the Pacific Ocean.

From 1768 to 1780, he went on three voyages around the world, during which time he encountered Australias southeastern coast and claimed it for Britain, according to the BBC.

A handwritten letter believed to be penned by Cook after his first trip to Australia was discovered in 2002, BBC News reported at the time. It let the Admiralty know he had returned safely from his three-year voyage to New Zealand, East Australia and Tahiti.

After that first voyage, Cooks ship was sold to a private individual and renamed the Lord Sandwich.

It was chartered to the British transport service to carry troops during the American Revolution, according to the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project.

The Atlantic reported that during a British navy attack in Narragansett Bay, the vessel was scuttled and used as a blockade to stop French ships, which had come to help the Americans, from reaching American lands.

The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project said researchers are working to confirm a fifth shipwreck site and determine which ship is located where. The group said that the next phase will require a more intense study of each vessels structure and its related artifacts.

Researchers will make the announcement at Wednesday at the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission in Providence.
SAN DIEGO  Cinco de Mayo is an insult wrapped in red, white and green crepe paper.

Its a faux holiday created by white people who run marketing firms and have no qualms telling Latinos what to celebrate as long as it gets people into bars and restaurants to eat chimichangas and drink margaritas.

So I guess its appropriate that, in the lead-up to this day, Mr. Insult brought his vitriolic campaign to California  which is home to many of the people he has spent the last 11 months slamming to score political points elsewhere.

Up to now, many of the attacks have taken place in states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina where few Latinos live. The population of California is 39 percent Latino.

Where Donald Trump goes, trouble follows. And often, violence, division and mayhem are not far behind.

And so it was last week in Costa Mesa, about an hour south of Los Angeles, when the snake-oil salesman brought his anti-Mexican carnival show to the nations most populous state.

Make that snake-oil salesman and presumptive Republican nominee now that Ted Cruz has suspended his campaign.

California isnt Iowa. There, crowds of white people cheer when Trump vows to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Here, protesters shouted expletives, held placards and waved Mexican flags.

The flag stunt was dumb and counterproductive, and I could have done without it. More on that in a second.

But first, you need to look at the big picture.

At this point, many Latinos dont just dislike Trump. Were way past that. They outright loathe him.

Ground zero for this animosity is California, where voters go to the polls on June 7.

As a native Californian, I think the anti-Trump hatred among Latinos is strongest in the Golden State because those of us who live here have seen this movie before.

One of the most memorable showings was in the mid-1990s, when Republican Gov. Pete Wilson exploited xenophobic fears to win re-election and blew up his own party in the process.

This resulted in dark days for Latinos, who wound up neglected, abused and taken for granted by the Democratic Party.

Still, given that Latinos in California have such a distaste for Trump, why would some of the more thickheaded members of my community play into his hands?

His supporters say that Mexicans  and, by extension, Mexican-Americans  are lawbreakers who dont respect private property, create chaos, and remain loyal to Mexico.

So how do the protesters respond?

They break the law, destroy property, create chaos and display their loyalty to Mexico.

I understand why a lot of people would be furious that this opportunist has scored cheap political points on the backs of Mexican immigrants. As if those immigrants didnt do enough work in this country.

And I understand why people feel strongly enough about taking a stand that they go out into the streets and voice their disapproval over a presidential candidates words and deeds.

This is, after all, the quintessentially American thing to do.

Nativists always call on immigrants, and their children, to assimilate. Well, this is what assimilation looks like.

What I dont understand is why any of these protesters would wave a Mexican flag. Let alone why they would vandalize police cars and terrorize Trump supporters, who may be wrong but have every right to be wrong without being bullied or berated.

These people need to grow up.

Demanding to be respected by the people of one country while waving the colors of another is illogical. Its also bad manners.

Just like Trump displayed when he joked to the audience that, in climbing over barriers and side-stepping protesters to get into the auditorium, he felt like he was crossing the border.

Cracks like this left Joe Scarborough perplexed. During a recent segment of MSNBCs Morning Joe, the host suggested that Trumps advisers must know they need to tone it down.

They understand that Trump cannot win the general election without 35 percent of Hispanics voting for him, Scarborough said. This seems awfully late in the calendar to be doing things that made sense in January.

Wake up, Joe.

What Trump is peddling is anti-Mexican demagoguery, which is intended to scare white Americans into believing that Mexicans are criminals and takers and the ruin of civilization. Then he hopes they flock to him for protection.

These cultural scare tactics are always wrong. They never make sense. They only make enemies.

And Trump has plenty of those in California.
A small but vocal group of University of New Mexico students is using the schools official seal as a springboard for a number of demands they want university officials to meet.

Making demands is hardly the best way to start a thoughtful and respectful dialogue  which the current situation requires.

The students claim the seal is racist because it depicts a frontiersman and a conquistador. It is the latest iteration of a symbol dating back to UNMs founding in 1889. Its been changed infrequently over the years, with the frontiersman and conquistador first appearing sometime around 1910. A Pueblo-style bird also appears on the seal.

Protesters say the two armed men glorify the violent European treatment of natives and are indicative of deep-seated racism at the states flagship university.

Whether the universitys other 25,000-plus students agree  or whether they would support any of the 11 demands  is open to conjecture. But a discussion on the seal is worth having, though it shouldnt be driven completely by a small group of activists.

The groups demands range from the reasonable, such as the recognition of some Native American celebrations, to the overreaching, such as setting up a panel of tribal leaders at the board of regents level.

Some of the demands are unaffordable and, quite possibly, illegal, such as a cluster hire of native studies faculty, hiring more native administrators and waiving tuition for students who are members of federally recognized tribes.

Regardless, there is no better place to have these types of discussions than on an American university campus. And UNM President Bob Frank, whose office was briefly visited by about 20 protesters on Friday, is on record saying hes willing to discuss the students concerns.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
SANTA FE  The state has lined up most of the agencies that will replace Agave Health, one of five Arizona behavioral health companies brought in by the Martinez administration in 2013 and the third to leave New Mexico.

Presbyterian Medical Services, New Mexico Solutions, Valle del Sol and La Familia-Namaste are scheduled to be the primary providers of services to the mentally ill and addicted in 10 of the 12 locations where Agave has more than 3,000 clients, according to the Human Services Department.

Plans have not been completed for the other two locations, an HSD spokesman said.

Agave will pull out of New Mexico on June 30. It cited many months of undue financial hardship as well as Medicaid rate reductions.

The HSD brought the five Arizona companies in to replace a dozen local providers after the administration of Gov. Susana Martinez abruptly shut down Medicaid funding to 15 of them  alleging overbilling and mismanagement  and referred them to the attorney general to investigate possible fraud.

All 15 have since been cleared of fraud, but many were driven out of the behavioral health business.

Critics of the shake-up have been distressed by the disruption of services to a vulnerable population.

Its just one more upset for people who arent stable to start with. Now youre putting them into another transition, Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, a longtime advocate for the mentally ill, said Tuesday. I dont see how you can keep doing this to fragile people.

Kyler Nerison, a spokesman for the HSD, said the agencys top priority in any transition is protecting that access and maintaining care for those who need it.

He said the HSD has been working closely during the transition with the Centennial Care managed care organizations  which contract for the behavioral health services  and we expect that all services will be maintained.

According to HSD, Presbyterian Medical Services will take the lead in Espanola, Grants, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe, with the Santa Fe Mountain Center picking up the intensive outpatient program in Santa Fe.

Valle del Sol  one of the remaining Arizona providers  will handle Los Lunas, Raton and Taos, while New Mexico Solutions will take over two Albuquerque locations.

La Familia-Namaste will take the lead on some services in Las Vegas, but a provider is still being sought for behavior management and community support services. Providers are also being sought for Clayton and Santa Rosa, the department said.
SANTA FE  The huge swath of northwestern New Mexico that makes up Senate District 22 is largely Indian country, and the Democratic primary race this year features an incumbent from Jemez Pueblo and a Navajo challenger.

Sen. Benny Shendo, D-Jemez Pueblo, who is wrapping up his first, four-year term, is facing former Rep. Sandra Jeff, D-Crownpoint, in the June 7 election.

Jeff, who went to court to get on the ballot after initially being disqualified, is a freewheeling Democrat who had a rocky relationship with party leaders when she served in the House from 2009 to 2014.

With no Republican on the ballot in November, the primary winner would get the seat.

The rural district  which is about two-thirds Native American  stretches from Rio Rancho to the Colorado state line and over to near Farmington, and takes in six pueblos as well as the Jicarilla Apache Nation and a portion of the Navajo Nation.

Shendo, who was the states first secretary of Indian Affairs after the agency was elevated to Cabinet level in 2004, just started working as tribal administrator at Jemez Pueblo. He formerly was a consultant with the Jemez Community Development Corp.

Jeff formerly worked for the Public Regulation Commission.

Jeff frustrated leaders of the Democratic majority during her House tenure. She broke with them and voted with the GOP on key issues including legislative redistricting, the state budget and drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants. She didnt vote on a key Democratic-backed minimum wage measure, despite a personal call from Vice President Joe Biden urging her support.

Jeff contends she was putting the interests of her districts rural communities over the wishes of party leaders.

Im not going to be a puppet to the leadership, she said in a recent interview.

Her re-election bid in 2014 was thwarted when courts kept her off the primary ballot because she didnt have enough valid voters signatures on her nominating petitions. She then ran unsuccessfully as a write-in candidate in the general election.

This year, she was disqualified by the secretary of state because she hadnt paid fines for late filing of a campaign finance report. She challenged that in court  with a Republican legislator as her lawyer  but while the case was pending, she struck a deal with Secretary of State Brad Winters office, agreeing to pay $100 rather than the more than $1,000 elections officials said last year that she owed under state law.

Senate Democrats criticized the deal and accused Jeff of campaign finance violations.

The 2014 challenge to Jeffs candidacy was funded by Conservation Voters New Mexico, which has labeled her anti-conservation, saying she sides with the uranium industry. The group is endorsing Shendo, who has sponsored legislation for a study of the impacts of uranium mining pollution on public health.

Shendo ousted incumbent Sen. Lynda Lovejoy, D-Crownpoint, to win the Senate seat in 2012. He had run unsuccessfully in 2008 for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District.

Shendos background is in higher education, including managing Native American programs at Stanford University  where he was an assistant dean of students  and at the University of New Mexico.

He left Stanford and returned to New Mexico to organize the first public charter school on Indian land in New Mexico, at Jemez Pueblo.

Shendo says voters in the district want a good, qualified candidate  which I am.

On the campaign trail, he touts his role in the creation of the states Tribal Infrastructure Fund in 2005. The fund provides money to tribes for water and wastewater systems, roads, power lines and other projects.

Jobs are huge.  When we talk about economic development, we have to talk about infrastructure, Shendo said.


Roughly 500 Albuquerque Teachers Federation members gathered outside high schools across the city Wednesday morning to protest possible funding changes for special education student services.

Teachers and school employees donned matching red T-shirts and held signs with slogans such as Your Child, My Students, Our Community and Our Students Deserve Full and Equitable Funding  No Less!

At issue is the PEDs formula for paying school support staff such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers and counselors.

Union members claim that the department is now only considering face time with students, not the many other tasks these workers perform, like travel between schools, parent consultations and paperwork.

But PED spokesman Robert McEntyre said the unions concerns are groundless and the funding formula has not changed.

The department has accounting procedures to compensate employees for duties that dont involve student face time.

These are nothing more than false claims from special interest groups that are trying to score political points, McEntyre wrote in an emailed statement. The fact is we are spending more than ever before to help our most vulnerable students, including more spending on related services than ever before.

ATF members are not swayed.

PED recently conducted audits of districts ancillary services and the hours logged on the job  a sign that these positions may be cut, boosting workloads for the remaining employees, according to the union.

An ATF flier promoting Wednesdays protests states that districts across New Mexico fear that they may lose a considerable number of personnel before next school year because of the suspicious PED audits.

Gretchen Shore, an Albuquerque Public Schools outpatient therapist who was protesting in front of Highland High, had heard that districts are not going to fill many support staff openings.

They are going to let the contractors go first; they are going to try to keep the employees, Shore said.

In a prepared statement, union president Ellen Bernstein said she hopes activism and public scrutiny will discourage the department from moving forward with its plan to strip school districts of desperately needed funding for therapists and social workers.

Our goal is to prevent even one more dollar being taken from our public schools, she wrote.

PED allocated about $401 million to special education across the state for fiscal year 2017, about the same as fiscal year 2016 but up from the $395 million in 2015.
Exhibiting, perhaps, more gumption than sense, four veteran observers of New Mexicos economy have joined the debate over taxation kicked off last month by my UpFront columns suggesting New Mexico increase taxes and end economic incentives for out-of-state companies.

The four crafted a six-page white paper that says New Mexicans are burdened less by taxes than the average American, gross receipts taxation needs to be reformed, and state government should stimulate our economy through fiscal policy rather than rely on inducements offered to out-of-state companies.

The authors are economic policy consultant Brian McDonald, former head of the University of New Mexico Bureau of Business and Economic Research; New Mexico State University business professor Jim Peach; UNM economics research faculty member Lee Reynis, another former head of BBER; and Chuck Wellborn, an attorney, a founding New Mexico Tax Research Institute board member, and former head of UNMs economic development operation.

In an email, Wellborn said of the collaboration, Our sole goal is to get more honest info out there.

The paper argues that the strength of the gross receipts tax used to be that it was sufficient to keep property taxes extraordinarily low compared to other states. As more and more exemptions to the tax have been enacted, the base has narrowed considerably and GRT revenue collection has declined.

The GRTs weakness is that business-to-business transactions are often taxed. That means the final product delivered to the ultimate consumer may have been taxed multiple times, a phenomenon known as pyramiding.

The GRT is already regressive in that it hits poor people harder than rich people. That regressivity was offset by the 8.2 percent income tax rate on the states highest earners until Gov. Bill Richardson persuaded the Legislature to lower the top rate to 4.9 percent. Now couples reporting $24,000 in taxable income pay the same marginal rate as couples reporting $100,000.

Corporate income tax cuts implemented during the Martinez administration further erode state revenues, making GRT collections even more essential to our fiscal stability at the same time we exempt more goods and services from the tax.

The obvious choice is to eliminate most of the (GRT) deductions, exemptions and credits and reduce the tax rate enough that eliminating those sacred cows is politically palatable to their defenders, the four authors said. Pyramiding has to be addressed, as well, if GRT reform is to have a political chance.

A new tax bracket on high-income earners should be considered, as well, to raise more revenue and improve tax progressivity.

The authors say it is simply not true that New Mexicans are unusually burdened by taxes. Because state government pays for many things that local governments pay for in other states, the combined state and local burden has to be considered. When it is, the tax burden in New Mexico as a percentage of personal income is slightly below the national average.

If you exclude from analysis severance taxes on mineral, oil and natural gas extraction  a tax paid by mining and petroleum companies  the burden on New Mexicos average citizen is reduced further.

The paper does not reject the use, in principle, of tax breaks and other inducements to attract business to New Mexico, but it argues that the state can stimulate the economy with infrastructure projects that will materially improve the long-term health of the states economy, including roads, airports, Internet connections, innovation districts, university science and engineering laboratories, tenured faculty positions and public school equipment and facilities.

There always seems to be a fair number of misstatements about New Mexicos tax system, and the authors found a few in a recent Rio Grande Foundation commentary published in the Journal.

The foundation, citing the Federation of Tax Administrators, claimed New Mexicos tax burden as a percentage of personal income was ninth-highest in the nation, but an apples-to-apples comparison requires a comparison of state and local taxes. The paper also says the federation warns readers not to use its data to compare states.

The paper faults the foundations finding that state and local government workers are overpaid compared with other workers in New Mexico. The foundation excluded the substantial number of federal employees in New Mexico in its analysis. Including those workers brings state and local government compensation more in line with national averages.

The paper found fault in the foundations claim that the state and local workforce is bloated when compared with private sector workers. The analysis again excludes federal workers, who represent a substantial proportion of the states population and who rely on services provided by local and state workers. If federal employees are included, the proportion of state and local workers shrinks.

The paper also contends that because employment by Indian tribes, including employment in tribal casinos, is counted as local government employment, the size of New Mexicos government workforce is overstated.

UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Winthrop Quigley at 823-3896 or wquigley@abqjournal.com. Go to ABQjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
SANTA FE  Republican Gov. Susana Martinez isnt endorsing the GOPs presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump  not now, anyway.

And even though she continues to pop up on lists as a possible vice presidential choice, she reiterated Wednesday that shes not interested.

A spokesman for Martinez said Wednesday that the governor wants to hear how Mr. Trump plans to address issues that directly affect New Mexicans  like how he plans to protect our labs and military bases and end the dysfunction in Washington that has hurt New Mexico more than any other state in the country.

The statement was issued a day after Trumps big win in Indiana drove his closest rival, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, out of the race.

Cruzs decision, followed Wednesday by Ohio Gov. John Kasichs announcement that he, too, was dropping out, leaves Trump the only Republican in line for the nomination. He is likely to face Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the November general election.

CNN on Wednesday cited an unnamed Trump aide saying Martinez was on the Manhattan billionaires preliminary short list for vice president.

Martinez has said repeatedly over the years that she isnt interested in serving as vice president, Martinez spokesman Michael Lonergan said. She appreciates that such attention puts New Mexico in the spotlight, but she is fully committed to serving the people of our state.

Martinez has denounced Trumps remarks about Mexican immigrants on more than one occasion, and last year she called his assertion that many immigrants are rapists and drug dealers horrible.

The Washington Post reported last month that Martinez blasted Trump during a lunch attended by about 60 Republican donors.

Also short of an endorsement was a statement Wednesday from Rep. Steve Pearce, New Mexicos lone congressional Republican, who said, I firmly believe in the power of the people to make the choice as to who will be the GOP nominee, and I will respect that.

In New Mexico, the developments in the presidential race dashed hopes that the state could end up playing a key role in the GOPs selection of a presidential nominee if the race went down to the wire. The primary election is June 7.

State Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, had been working to get fellow Cruz supporters elected as party delegates to the Republican National Convention. Now, hes in wait-and-see mode about how excited to get about Trump.

Im wanting to see  does he embrace the large number of people who were supporting Ted Cruz because of his constitutional conservatism? Montoya told the Journal on Wednesday.

State GOP Chairman Debbie Maestas said she doesnt expect Trumps prospective nomination to be hard for other Republican candidates supporters to swallow.

I dont see that being a struggle. Theres a bigger goal here.  We need to rally together, and we need to support our nominee, she said.

Democrats were quick to say that Republican candidates in New Mexico will face tough questions on whether they stand with Trump and his racist rhetoric and reckless policy ideas.

They announced that Hillary Clinton for New Mexicos Albuquerque organizing office would open Friday, with high-profile Democrats in attendance, including Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., and New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas.
Dick Dale invented summertime. Before he figured out how to channel the power of the ocean and the intensity of non-Western rhythms through an electric guitar, the kids in southern California were mostly square and spent the months between June and September going to barn dances, politely adhering to their parents customs, never daring to wander away from 4/4 timing, never craving to turn the volume up to 11.

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Hopper book is important and engaging
DALLAS  A former Fort Worth police officer who served 21 years of a life sentence for raping a 13-year-old girl has been freed after his accuser admitted that she lied during his trial.

Brian Franklin was released Thursday on $10,000 bail, but Tarrant County prosecutors say theyll retry the 56-year-old man for assaulting the girl in her fathers backyard.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled last month that Franklin did not receive a fair trial in 1995. His accuser testified two years ago that she lied in part of her testimony, but the woman, now in her 30s, is standing by her accusation that Franklin raped her.

The court said the perjured testimony also led others to give false testimony.
A woman who allegedly abducted her 4-year-old son from his elementary school near Jemez Springs Thursday morning was arrested in Albuquerque a few hours later and charged with felony custodial interference.

Authorities had issued an Amber Alert for Angelo Jaramillo, who police say was abducted from the Jemez Valley Elementary School by his mother, 23-year-old Angelica Garcia. State Police said she had possibly been doing drugs and did not have custody of him.

Witnesses saw her leave the elementary school in a silver Ford Taurus, and State Police officers later tracked her to Americas Best Value Inn near Juan Tabo and Interstate 40.

There they found Angelo inside the car, which was parked in the motel parking lot, and they found Garcia nearby.

She initially tried to hide her identity, but eventually she revealed it, according to State Police spokeswoman Sgt. Elizabeth Armijo. She refused to tell State Police more about the incident, Armijo said.

She was charged with felony custodial interference and was expected to be booked into the Sandoval County Detention Center.

Angelo was checked out by paramedics at the motel and later reunited with his father.

The man seen on surveillance footage driving with Garcia was questioned and released without being charged, Armijo said.
New Mexico State Police is investigating allegations of fraudulent time-card activity within the Albuquerque Police Department.

Sgt. Elizabeth Armijo confirmed an investigation Thursday but said she couldnt elaborate until its finished.

Albuquerque police, meanwhile, said they, too, are investigating possible time card fraud and will cooperate with the state.

APD wouldnt detail the specific allegations.

We take our commitment to the taxpayers and community seriously, APD spokeswoman Celina Espinoza said, and we will thoroughly investigate this issue and cooperate with any other investigating agency.

The investigations come at a particularly tough time for the Albuquerque police force. Staffing levels in the department have fallen about 23 percent over the past six years, and a federal investigation in 2014 concluded that APD had a culture of aggression and a pattern of violating peoples rights through the use of force.

As for the state investigation, Armijo said State Police recently received information about alleged fraudulent activity within the department and the NMSP Investigations Bureau is investigating these allegations.

Espinoza said APD opened its own investigation  before State Police did  after allegations of possible time card fraud.

The police union said it wasnt aware of the investigation, and City Halls inspector general and internal auditor said the allegations didnt come from their offices either.

State Police officers arent the only state agency investigating APD. The state Attorney Generals Office is reviewing APDs awarding of a no-bid contract to Taser International for body-camera equipment, after State Auditor Tim Keller said last year that his office had found very clear violations of law.

ABQ Free Press, an alternative newspaper, first reported the State Police investigation Thursday.
ACAs library of educational tools help members improve their business practices. ACA also holds the most popular industry conferences and offers credentialing for collectors, attorneys, and more. ACAs Training Zone subscription gives agencies access to almost all of our education for one low cost.
The Internal Revenue Service could be doing more to identify and examine taxpayers who may be deducting hobby losses to offset their actual income, according to a new report.

The report, from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, found that the IRSs methods for identifying high-income taxpayers who may be offsetting their income with hobby losses do not maximize the use of all the relevant taxpayer information available to the IRS. When tax returns containing potential hobby losses are selected for audit, the examiners do not always address the hobby loss issues, according to the report.

TIGTAs evaluation of IRS data from processing years 2011 through 2014 identified 9,699 individual returns from tax year 2013 that claimed a Schedule C loss of at least $20,000, gross receipts of $20,000 or less, and reported wages of at least $100,000. The taxpayers also reported losses in four consecutive years, for tax years 2010 to 2013. TIGTAs review of a statistically valid sample of 100 tax returns determined that 88 of the returns showed an indication that the Schedule C businesses were not engaged in for profit. TIGTA estimates that 7,511 returns in the total sample population of taxpayers may have inappropriately used hobby loss expenses to reduce taxes by as much as $70.9 million for tax year 2013.

Section 183(a) of the Tax Code generally disallows business tax deductions for activities not engaged in for profit and Section 183(d), also referred to as the hobby loss provision, provides a presumption that most activities are engaged in for profit if the activity is profitable for three years of a consecutive five-year period (two of seven for breeding, training, showing, or racing of horses).

A September 2007 TIGTA report found that approximately 1.2 million taxpayers in tax year 2005 may have used hobby losses to reduce their taxable incomes to potentially avoid paying $2.8 billion in taxes. Identifying and auditing additional individual returns that improperly deduct hobby losses could help to reduce noncompliance in this area. TIGTA conducted a new audit to follow up on the 2007 report to determine whether the IRS was maximizing opportunities to identify the most significant Schedule C noncompliance.

Taxpayers with significant amounts of income from other sources may attempt to reduce their tax liability by including losses from activities not engaged in for profit, said TIGTA Inspector General J. Russell George in a statement. The IRS needs to effectively identify these taxpayers in order to deter future non-compliance.

TIGTA recommended that the IRS make use of research capabilities in its Small Business/Self-Employed Division to identify high-income individual returns with multiyear Schedule C losses and other factors that indicate the taxpayer may not have a profit or capital gain motive for the activity. The IRS should also emphasize the importance of the required filing checks in its preliminary determination of whether to pursue a hobby loss issue and provide tools to assist examiners in documenting their conclusion, the new report suggested.

In response to the report, IRS management agreed with TIGTAs recommendations and plans to take corrective actions.

However, the IRS disagreed with TIGTAs estimate of $70.9 million of additional tax revenue from the tax returns it sampled, given the nine criteria spelled out in under Section 183 of the Tax Code for determining whether a particular activity is engaged in for profit.

It should be noted that the IRS, not the taxpayer, bears the burden of proving the taxpayer does not have a profit motive, wrote Karen Schiller, commissioner of the IRSs Small Business/Self-Employed Division, in response to the report. Therefore, identifying returns with limited gross receipts, repetitive losses, and income from other sources, as used for your audit sample, is not sufficient to conclude that an activity was not engaged in for profit. A full examination of the individuals books and records, addressing all nine factors outlined in the Treasury Regulations in light of the taxpayers specific facts and circumstances, must be conducted to draw an accurate conclusion.
The Internal Revenue Service has released temporary and proposed regulations implementing a new voluntary certification program for professional employer organizations, or PEOs.

The regulations, available today in the Federal Register, carry out legislation enacted in late 2014 requiring the IRS to establish a voluntary certification program for these organizations. PEOs handle various payroll administration and tax reporting responsibilities for their business clients and are typically paid a fee based on payroll costs. To become and remain certified under the new program, PEOs must meet tax status, background, experience, business location, financial reporting, bonding and other requirements described in the regulations. The application process will open on July 1.

A revenue procedure further detailing the application process will be released in coming weeks, according to the IRS. Subsequently, as required by law, the IRS will publish lists of certified PEOs and those whose certification has been revoked or suspended.

The IRS said it welcomes public comment on the regulations. Details on submitting comments can be found in the notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 4, 2016.
Just because you've never done it before doesn't mean it's not within your power. This is the basic...
How Does Behavioral Therapy Help Children with ADHD?

If your child has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), chances are, your physician has discussed or prescribed ADHD medication. You may also have learned that behavioral therapy, also called behavior modification, may be helpful. As you try to figure out the best treatment for your child, bear in mind that these two therapies are not mutually exclusive options. In fact, they often work best together in solving ADHD behavior problems.

This is clearly shown by the landmark National Institute of Mental Healths (NIMH) Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD. NIMH found that medication therapy alone, and medication and behavioral therapy together, resulted in the greatest improvement in childrens ADHD symptoms. In addition, the combination treatment worked best in improving ADHD-associated oppositional behaviors, as well as other areas of functioning, like interactions with parents and school.

Whether you opt for behavioral therapy alone because you prefer a non-medical approach, your childs too young for medication, or your child suffers bad side effects from it, your child can learn social, academic and behavioral skills that will be useful in managing ADHD throughout his life. Most children dont get diagnosed until school age, so if you suspect your child has ADHD before then, its nearly always helpful (and never harmful) to treat him behaviorally as though he has the condition.

How ADHD Behavioral Therapy Teaches Focus

What is behavioral therapy, and how can a parent use it on its own or as a component of combined treatment? While medication works on a neurological level to regulate the brain (kids with ADHD often have irregular brain-wave levels), behavioral therapy addresses specific problem behaviors by structuring time at home, establishing predictability and routines, and increasing positive attention.

This may seem like a tall order, especially to the parent whose child must be reminded every five minutes to stay focused on homework. When ADHD is present, the most basic strategies can be a huge challenge to implement on a day-to-day basis. This is why Sharon K. Weiss, author of From Chaos to Calm: Effective Parenting Of Challenging Children with ADHD and Other Behavioral Problems, recommends that parents narrow their focus. Tackling too much at once will only frustrate a child who has trouble simply remembering to put on both of his shoes in the morning.

[Free Download: The ADDitude Guide to Alternative ADHD Treatment]

To figure out what to work on first, Weiss suggests asking yourself: What does my child need to do so that he can participate successfully in life? When you apply this litmus test, certain things will emerge as more essential than others. The school doesnt care if the childs bed is made, but they do care if he shows up buck naked, says Weiss. While many therapists and educators talk about creating a behavior plan, she asserts that this need not be intimidating. The plan would best include three main components: a narrow focus on essentials, clear, manageable documentation, and a commitment to note and reward improvement when it occurs.

Since tracking progress is another important part of behavior therapy, pick a single goal to work on like getting to school on time as a top priority and monitor it. If your goals are too diverse (going to bed at a certain time, being dressed impeccably in the morning by 8, doing homework immediately after school, and remembering to take the trash out), you probably wont be able to notice and keep track of your childs accomplishments. You cant tell him he needs to be downstairs at a certain time each morning and then, when he succeeds in doing that, ask him why he forgot to comb his hair, says Weiss. When success isnt noticed and complimented, a child with ADHD feels increased frustration and lower self-esteem. He probably wont achieve even one of the things youve asked of him, let alone all of them.

ADHD Behavioral Therapy Goals That Work

Once youve chosen key behavioral problems (say, getting to bed on time or not interrupting someone else when theyre speaking), you then must be clear  and realistic  about your expectations and what youre going to look for. First, ask yourself if your child has the skills to accomplish what you ask of her. For instance, if she typically needs to be told 10 times a day not to blurt out whats on her mind when others are talking, expecting her to hold her tongue without reminders probably wont work very well. Instead, set the goal to remind her a couple of times a day. Or pick a certain time of day to assess how shes doing (morning, for example), then cut her some slack if shes not performing up to par at other times.

Unlike chemically-based intervention, behavioral therapy will have an up-and-down quality to it. Just because he dressed himself and was downstairs for breakfast on time and out the door for school by 8 a.m. today, doesnt mean your child will do it again tomorrow. Stick with whats most important: if prior to the behavioral therapy he was succeeding only two out of five times a week and, now hes now up to three, focus on the improvement. Dont hassle him about the other two times.

[How Does Behavioral Therapy Work?]

What Makes a Good ADHD Behavioral Therapy Plan

When you understand that your child cant get it all right all the time, youre ready to shape her therapy. To this end, Weiss suggests asking yourself the following three questions:

What do I want my child to do that she isnt doing?

How can I relay my instructions in a visual format (so I wont have to tell her what to do)?

What would make it worthwhile for her to do it (i.e., an incentive that is more powerful than whats on her radar screen at the moment shes engaged in inappropriate behavior)?

Set the wheels in motion at a time that demands routine  morning, when its time to get up and dress, mealtime, or bedtime. With an older child, homework time is another option. To fulfill the visual-format component, provide a checklist of selected tasks (for a preschooler, try a picture checklist). This gives your child a reminder of what shes supposed to do and when, and relieves you of the task of constantly delivering it. It also offers a child more control over her actions, and cuts down on parental nagging (which children with ADHD tend to tune out as background noise  especially when theyre overwhelmed).

If she achieves whats on the list, reinforce her positive actions with praise and a reward that matters to them. It doesnt have to be expensive and can include a special activity with you. It doesnt have to be expensive. For a younger child, it might be stickers or an ice-cream cone; for a teenager, it could be extra phone or car privileges.

In his book, ADHD: The Great Misdiagnosis, pediatrician Julian Stuart Haber, M.D., explains a method hes used effectively in his practice. It involves pointing out the annoying behavior, stating the expected behavior, complimenting the improved behavior, then rewarding it. Says Dr. Haber: If a child constantly interrupted you while talking on the telephone or with other people, you would say, Thats interrupting. Now lets practice waiting, without becoming angry and without otherwise responding to the child. When he waits for a few seconds or minutes, you respond by saying, Thats very good. Now youre practicing waiting. After a few times, offer to treat him to a milkshake. When he asks why, respond, Because youve done such a good job practicing waiting.'

Bear in mind that many children with ADHD have trouble transferring what theyve mastered from one setting to another. So while you may get your child to be patient when youre on the phone, he may not be able to keep from interrupting someone on the phone at your sisters house. Thats why your role as your childs advocate is ongoing.

To make sure hes applying new, positive home behaviors in school, youll need to clue his teacher in on what youre practicing. If youve taught your son to ask Can I join in? before he steps into a game, pass that information along to his teacher. Another way to keep him on track is to make note cards (visual cues) to keep on his school desk. This traveling checklist might remind him to raise your hand before you ask a question, or write down the homework assignment before you leave the classroom. Ask his teacher to check things off his list as he completes them.

How to Launch Your ADHD Behavioral Therapy Plan

Parents are a lot less likely to get exasperated and give up if they see results. But when youre in the thick of it, its all too easy to forget that even baby steps indicate that youre getting somewhere. This is one of the biggest obstacles parents face in sticking with a behavioral therapy program, says Karen Miller, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at the Center for Children with Special Needs at Tufts-New England

Medical Center in Boston. Thats why she believes parents greatly benefit from professional coaching before they get started. Although many behavior modifications are common-sense parenting techniques, most parents need support to learn these skills and use them consistently. Parent training, whether individual or group-based, helps moms and dads stay with their goals even if they dont see a change for several weeks  the amount of time it typically takes for progress to begin. If parents habitually toss out a plan too soon, children learn to wait it out, perceptively realizing that they can get away with not sticking to new rules for just the time it takes the folks to throw in the towel.

The involvement of a neutral person, such as a coach, also helps to alleviate tension between partners who disagree on which behaviors to tackle  and how. Dr. Miller prefers group-based parent therapy because it has the added benefit of helping parents feel less alone and less blamed for their kids difficulties. They hear real-life tips from other people struggling with the same issues, learn how to make a behavior plan, and report back on how its working. Its great stress management for them as well.

Every child is different, and its impossible to predict what will work in any given situation. But creating a realistic behavioral plan that you can chart, getting coaching for yourself, and keeping up with your kids performance at home and away are all fundamentally important to behavioral therapy. The golden rule for every parent is to stop asking your child why? If kids with ADHD could answer that question, the condition wouldnt exist. Instead, live in the solution, which should include thoughtful behavioral therapy. Thats when youll be on the road to your childs healing  and his and your happiness.

[Behold the Magic of a Consistent Routine]
The sixth edition of the Brand Trust Report (BTR) brought out by TRA (formerly Trust Research Advisory) ranks Hindustan Times as the most trusted media brand across all media categories in India with a BTR rank of 112. Fever FM stands second, which has entered the BTR rankings with a rank of 156 this year, followed by Zee at No 3 with a BTR rank of 176.

Hindustan Times, the flagship publication of HT Media, leads the Media - Print category in Newspapers (English). Close rival The Times of India follows with a BTR ranking of 205 in 2016. Zee Medias English daily DNA is placed third in this category with a BTR rank of 240.

Fever FM has been rated the most trusted brand in the Media - FM radio category in India. Big FM follows with a BTR rank of 370 in 2016. Radio Mirchi is placed third in this category with a BTR rank of 533 this year.

The report ranks Zee as the most trusted brand in the Media - TV category, followed by Star Gold and Zee News.

Zee is also ranked as the most trusted brand in the Television - Hindi GEC category. Star Gold is ranked second in this category, entering the list for the first time with a BTR rank of 224. The flagship channel from the Star India stable, Star Plus, is placed third with a BTR rank of 328 this year.

In the Television - Hindi News category, Zee News is the most trusted brand, according to the report. The channel has garnered a BTR ranking of 226 in 2016. Aaj Tak is placed second in this category with a BTR rank of 238 this year, while ABP News is ranked third with a BTR rank of 436.

In the Television - English News category, there is only one entry  BBC, which has secured a BTR rank of 538 in 2016.

Samsung Mobiles was ranked the most trusted brand in the personal gadgets category, while Sony topped the list in the durables category. Google was ranked the top Internet brand. The report ranks Amitabh Bachchan as the countrys most trusted personality brand. WhatsApp, Amazon and PayPal also topped their respective categories.

The Brand Trust Report, India Study, is a comparison of the trust held in brands. TRA says that BTR-2016, the sixth in its series, is the result of a comprehensive primary research conducted on the proprietary 61-Attribute Trust Matrix of TRA. This years study involved 18,000 hours of fieldwork covering 2,500 consumer-influencers across 16 cities in India and generated 6 million datapoints and 20,000 unique brands from which the top 1000 brands have been listed in this years report. The 200 page, hardbound report is available for Rs 14,000.
USAF. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez)

Pull the pin and throw it!Time seemed to stand still as the sudden rush of pressurized smoke escaped the canister.Ting  pffft  pfffffffThose words and the proceeding actions are what injected an exhausted and jet-lagged group of 21 Air Force civic leaders with a dose of adrenaline.Mission creep had set in on the group as they were five days into a weeklong, eventful, information gathering mission, but the red smoke now billowing out of the smoke grenade on the flightline of Royal Air Force Base Lakenheath, England, was a wake-up call. It was also the signal marking the landing zone for Air Force pararescuemen responding to an exercise where a convoy had come under simulated attack and required the rescue of an injured Airman.The civic leaders were nearly asleep in their bus when they approached the overturned Security Forces vehicle that appeared to have taken a blast from an improvised explosive device.The group watched as Airmen with the 48th Security Forces Squadron provided security for pararescuemen assigned to the 57th Rescue Squadron, as they jumped into the landing zone. Highly skilled in personnel recovery, the pararescuemen bounded to the scene and seamlessly transitioned from M-4 carbines to power tools, rescued the trapped Airman and were then hoisted onto a HH-60 Pave Hawk operated by the 56th Rescue Squadron.The scenario described above was not a real-life event, but training that showcased the combat search and rescue capabilities of Airmen stationed at RAF Lakenheath. Air Force civic leaders, werent really on a tactical mission; however, the importance of their visit to several bases in Europe is real.The Air Force Civic Leader Program is an Air Staff-level program whose membership is comprised of community leaders selected by the Air Force major commands, National Guard Bureau and Headquarters Air Force.The group consisted of leaders from a wide variety of industries and sectors including banking and economic development, construction, manufacturing, education, healthcare, science and technology.Members are unpaid advisers, key communicators and advocates for Air Force issues. They provide ideas and feedback to the secretary of the Air Force, Air Force chief of staff, and Air Force senior leaders about public attitudes toward the Air Force.As liaisons, they serve as an interface between the Air Force and their communities. They explain and interpret Air Force programs, positions and issues to other key local communicators through personal contact and correspondence, and to the general public through various outreach efforts that include speeches, articles, social media, as well as local, regional, state, and national activities.Air Force civic leaders typically serve for four years in a current status, thereafter serve as a civic leader emeritus. The members meet up to three times a year, once in Washington D.C. and one or two times at an Air Force installation.According to Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein, who escorted the group on the trip, exposing civic leaders to Airmen and families who live and work with allies and partners every day in their countries is essential. Civic leader events afford a level of communication that significantly contributes to the publics understanding of our current state of readiness, as well as operational challenges and issues.Bringing civic leaders to Europe to witness firsthand the importance of our mission there is vital, Goldfein said. Most importantly, they met Airmen and family members who have been sent forward to build vital relationships with our allies and demonstrate our resolve and commitment to European safety and security.On this trip, the civic leaders got an inside look at Ramstein and Spangdahlem Air Bases in Germany, RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in England, as well as a stop in Paris to attend the 100th anniversary ceremony to celebrate the Lafayette Escadrille.The National Military Strategy states that the U.S. militarys purpose is to protect the U.S. and its interests, and central to these efforts is strengthening Americas global network of allies and partners. This trip provided the group the opportunity to witness firsthand the efforts the Air Force is making to enhance partner capacity and maintain constant readiness to deter mutual threats.Members of the group said that because of the trip, they now have a higher degree of understanding of the Air Forces abilities to protect and defend Americas interests.Each of our Airmen in USAFE is building and nurturing relationships every day as they work side by side with our allies and local communities, said Michael Gin, an Air Force civic leader. This experience has taught me that each of our Airmen not only is responsible for their daily work duties in the Air Force, they are also unofficial ambassadors for our nation and each one of us who has the privilege of being an American.
Air Force report on sexual assault highlights program's progress

Air Force reports of sexual assault decreased slightly in fiscal year 2015, while reporting by male victims increased according to the services annual report on sexual assault released May 5.



The report highlights an increase of more than 5 percent for both unrestricted and restricted reports of sexual assault from male victims.



I think were making progress on sexual assault and heading in the right direction, but Im certainly not satisfied that the work is done, said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. We have to keep up the focus and pressure to make sure we are taking care of victims. We have to make sure more Airmen  male and female  feel comfortable reporting, which enables us to follow up appropriately in the justice system.



A positive sign in the 2015 report is the increase in male reporting, which rose by 5.4 percent in unrestricted reports and 6.3 percent in restricted reports, said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody.



Every victim of sexual assault responds differently and requires different support to become a strong survivor. We want Airmen to come forward and seek help, and it's our job as leaders to instill confidence that they'll receive the care and support they need, Cody said. We are absolutely committed to providing the best possible care and support to our Airmen, and I want our Airmen to know they can trust their leaders to support them when they file a report of sexual assault.



Unlike the previous years report, the fiscal year 2015 report is not accompanied by data from the Workplace and Gender Relations Survey, which is only conducted every other year for the active-duty force. The Air Force uses the survey to measure the prevalence of sexual assault in the force.



The Air Force compares prevalence rates to reporting rates to evaluate Airmens confidence in coming forward to report sexual assault and receive support. Ideally, the service wants to eliminate the gap between prevalence of the crime and the number of reports received, then see both numbers come down to zero, said Col. Mark Ramsey, the Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response operations director.



Without the survey data, it is difficult to determine if the decrease in reports this year is tied to a decrease in prevalence or another factor; so, a closer look will have to be taken at next years report to see if a trend can be identified, Ramsey said.



According to the report, the Air Force increased its focus on prevention efforts over the past year, hosting a summit to understand Airmens perspectives and implementing a five-year prevention strategy focused on eliminating sexual assault.



As long as we have even one report of sexual assault in the Air Force, we have a problem, Ramsey said. Were going to continue to draw on every resource at our disposal, and thankfully, we have the best resource in the world  American Airmen. Im confident our Airmen will continue to drive change across our force and move us toward our goal of eliminating sexual assault.
Get AfricaFocus Bulletin by e-mail! Format for print or mobile Uganda: Accountability and Child Soldiers AfricaFocus Bulletin

May 5, 2016 (160505)

(Reposted from sources cited below) Editor's Note "After two decades spent fighting in the bush, Dominic Ongwen, a senior commander in the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), faces trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on seventy counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. ... the first time that a former child soldier will be prosecuted at the ICC and the first time that an accused faces charges for the same crimes perpetrated against him. As such, the Ongwen trial raises myriad questions and poses difficult dilemmas regarding the prosecution of child soldiers." - Justice in Conflict symposium The demands of justice, accountability, and healing after any conflict are all imperative. But satisfying any of these demands, much less all three, is far from easy, particularly in the case of child soldiers. The role of the International Criminal Court is controversial in many ways. But the issues raised in this symposium would remain difficult, regardless of whether the decisions were being made by any other international or national court, governmental body, or truth commission. This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains the introduction and excerpts from three of the commentaries in an on-line symposium on the Dominic Ongwen Trial and the Prosecution of Child Soldiers. Commentaries included are by Ledio Cakaj, Rosebell Kagumire, and Mark A. Drumbl. Additional commentaries in the symposium are available at http://tinyurl.com/havs44v For additional background, analysis, and sources on the Lord's Resistance Army and the conflict in Northern Uganda, widely publicized in the "Kony 2012" on-line campaign, see in particular: http://www.africafocus.org/docs12/kon1203a.php and http://www.africafocus.org/docs12/kon1203b.php For other previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on Uganda, visit http://www.africafocus.org/country/uganda.php ++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++ The Dominic Ongwen Trial and the Prosecution of Child Soldiers - A Justice in Conflict Symposium by Mark Kersten Justice in Conflict, April 11, 2016 http://justiceinconflict.org - Direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/havs44v After two decades spent fighting in the bush, Dominic Ongwen, a senior commander in the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), faces trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on seventy counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. In early 2015, Ongwen was surrendered to the ICC via another rebel army, the Seleka rebel coalition and US forces 'hunting' for LRA combatants in the Central African Republic. To date, Ongwen is the only alleged perpetrator from northern Uganda to find himself facing judges at the ICC. Ongwen's trial is momentous for many reasons. It marks the first time that a former child soldier will be prosecuted at the ICC and the first time that an accused faces charges for the same crimes perpetrated against him. As such, the Ongwen trial raises myriad questions and poses difficult dilemmas regarding the prosecution of child soldiers. To examine these issues, Justice in Conflict is honoured to host an online symposium on The Dominic Ongwen Trial and the Prosecution of Child Soldiers. ... Symposium contributions include: The Life and Times of Dominic Ongwen, Child Soldier and LRA Commander, by Ledio Cakaj Rupturing Official Histories in the Trial of Dominic Ongwen, by Adam Branch The Ongwen Trial and the Struggle for Justice in Northern Uganda, by Rosebell Kagumire What Counts against Ongwen - Effectiveness at the Price of Efficiency?, by Danya Chaikel There is Nothing Extraordinary about the Prosecution of Dominic Ongwen, by Alex Whiting We Need to Talk About Ongwen: The Plight of Victim-Perpetrators at the ICC, by Barrie Sander Shifting Narratives: Ongwen and Lubanga on the Effects of Child Soldiering, by Mark A. Drumbl Press Release: Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Speaks on the Trial of Dominic Ongwen, by Mark Kersten The Life and Times of Dominic Ongwen, Child Soldier and LRA Commander by Ledio Cakaj April 12, 2016 [Ledio Cakaj is a researcher working on conflict in East and Central Africa. His book, When the Walking Defeats You; One Man's Journey as Joseph Kony's Bodyguard, will be published in November 2016 by Zed Books.] It must be strange being in Dominic Ongwen's shoes. Suited up in a large room in a foreign country with fancy lawyers and judges staring him down, accusing him of unspeakable crimes. No wonder he seems amused, bewildered and confused. The legal proceedings must be particularly outlandish to a man, who, snatched from his family as a child, tried to excel at whatever life threw at him, only for life to change the script over and over again. And it must be particularly frustrating for him to be compared to Joseph Kony, a man whose clutches Ongwen has tried to escape for at least the last decade. At ten or so, Ongwen excelled at school and was expected to go far, become a teacher like his parents, a lawyer or a doctor. When fighters from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) abducted him in the early 1990s, he was too small to walk long distances or fight, even though children already fought in the LRA ranks. It was Ongwen's perseverance and his desire to do well and make the adults proud that saw him not only survive the hostile environment but also become a noted fighter. Had the country of its birth provided him with basic security, he might have become a noted lawyer or perhaps a doctor. At fifteen Ongwen was exposed to - and allegedly forced to participate in - the massacre of over 300 people in the village of Atiak, masterminded by Vincent Otti, Ongwen's mentor in the LRA. Under Otti's guidance, Ongwen had to punish civilians who did not help the LRA, fight Ugandan soldiers, and abduct more youths to fill the ranks. Refusal brought beatings and death. While in the first years of his life as a rebel Ongwen might have acted under duress, he was taught, and likely convinced, that the LRA's struggle was just. Kony addressed assemblies of LRA members in true Sunday Mass style saying that the LRA fought for the rights of the Acholi people, who were abused by the Ugandan army. He swore that the Holy Spirit had forced him to save the Acholi. Kony was fond of a line from the Old Testament: "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." Apart from fighting for his people, Ongwen was also told he was lamony  a soldier. The world that Ongwen-the-soldier inhabited was different to the one Ongwen-the-child left behind. Being alive was contingent on killing others. To take their food, clothes, or their ability to shoot back. Survival chances increased with promotion into officer ranks as low-level fighters were the first to die from bullets or pervasive shortages of food. Ongwen obeyed orders, fought hard, and excelled in the way of the rebels. By his late teens he was a commander with bodyguards, 'wives' and young servants. Ongwen was good at fighting and killing. But he never was a top commander, certainly not on par with those who had joined Kony from the start, like Kenneth Banya, Vincent Otti or Okot Odhiambo. Sadly, there were many others like Ongwen in the LRA, young men abducted as children who were eager to please the Lapwony Madit (Big Teacher) Kony. Many of them like, Ochan Bunia, Vincent 'Binany,' or Otim 'Ferry,' have died fighting for Kony. Others, like Patrick Agweng or Jon Bosco Kibwola were killed on Kony's orders, mostly as sacrifices to appease his ego. Of the surviving ones, Okot George 'Odek,' who left the LRA in February 2016, told me, he worried he would be charged by the 'World Court (a reference to the International Criminal Court (ICC)),' like Ongwen. Similarly, Opiyo Sam, another LRA commander who returned to Uganda two years ago, claimed he does not know or understand why Ongwen was singled out by the ICC. Growing older made Ongwen wiser to Kony's ways, which in turn made him lose his commander status and its associated benefits handed out by Kony as he saw fit. Ongwen became openly critical with Kony and was demoted. In his mid-20s Ongwen seemed interested in leaving the LRA but he was too scared to do so, feeling trapped. He was terrified of the bad spirits he had unleashed and worried that they would haunt him if he left the rebels - and the protection of the Holy Spirit - to become a civilian once again. He was also concerned with being thrown in prison or being killed by the Ugandan authorities - a common fear for many LRA members. Ongwen tried more than once to find a way out of the LRA, discussing defection with local clergy, fellow fighters and his 'wives.' In early 2006 as he contemplated surrender once more, Otti called from Congo's Garamba Park. The LRA leaders prepared for peace talks -the Juba Talks - and Kony wanted to show full strength. He wanted all the fighters to assemble in Congo but openly suspected Ongwen, who led one of the last remaining small groups in Northern Uganda, of wanting to quit. Otti said that a new World Court - a reference to the ICC - wanted to capture and kill Ongwen but that the peace talks offered a way out. Ongwen agreed, reluctantly leaving Uganda in August 2006, the last LRA commander to make it to Congo. As the peace talks stalled, Ongwen became reportedly depressed and resorted to alcohol, particularly after Kony allowed its consumption in the spring of 2007. In November 2007 Kony had Otti killed, effectively ending the peace process and any possibility of making the ICC arrest warrants go away, as Otti had promised Ongwen. At the end of 2008, after the Ugandan army launched Operation Lightning Thunder against LRA bases in Garamba Park, LRA groups carried out retaliatory attacks against Congolese civilians, leaving more than a thousand dead in a few weeks. Ongwen was reportedly in charge of a group that attacked Doruma, killing many as they celebrated Christmas. Throughout 2009 and until 2014, he operated in northeastern Congo, often following river Duru into South Sudan where his troops attacked civilians, mostly to secure food. He continued to lead his own group, often refusing to liaise with Kony's messengers or respond to Kony's radio messages. Kony remained suspicious and critical of Ongwen. On three different occasions, he threatened to have Ongwen killed, including in October 2007 when Ongwen was the only commander to protest Otti's execution. In late 2014, a Kony bodyguard stumbled upon Ongwen's group -at that point acting independently of Kony - near the Congo - Central African Republic (CAR) border. Ongwen was somehow convinced to join Kony in Kafia Kingi, a Sudanese Army controlled area in Southern Darfur, where Kony had him tortured and put under house arrest. As in previous instances, Kony said he did not want to kill him because his sister, also abducted at a young age, was one of Kony's favorite wives. With the help of a fighter who was supposed to guard him, Ongwen managed to escape before Kony could do much worse. Ongwen reportedly left the LRA camp barefoot and barely clothed and walked for days towards the CAR border where he was helped by cattle keepers, who took him to a Seleka group, near the town of Sam Ouandja, CAR. Not understanding Ongwen's importance, the Seleka commander reached out, via a local merchant and an NGO worker, to the American Special Forces in Obo, CAR. A US helicopter was dispatched to transport Ongwen from Sam Ouandja to Obo where he was later handed over to the Ugandan army. After a few days in Obo at the Ugandan army base, Ongwen was flown to Bangui and then to The Hague. The Ongwen Trial and the Struggle for Justice in Northern Uganda by Rosebell Kagumire April 14, 2016 [Rosebell Kagumire is a Ugandan journalist, communications specialist, public speaker and award-winning blogger. She has over 10 years experience working at the intersection between media and rights in crisis, women's rights, peace and security.] For previous posts in the symposium, click here. My first trip to northern Uganda was in 2005. I was working at a newspaper in Kampala and went on an assignment. The air was still and tense, our hosts warned us not to stay late at the bar in Gulu town, the biggest town in the province of Acholiland. I had many interviews, comprising of countless horror stories from children as young as five on what they had gone through during the war. They were still 'night commuters' - children would leave their homes in the rural areas to spend a night in the relative safety of Gulu town where the army could protect them from being abducted. I was one of the Ugandans privileged enough not to have any direct experience with war. My parents weren't. Post-independence Uganda saw many turbulences and the struggle for power continued. In the vacuum and absence of national consolidation, resistance and rebel movements mushroomed. The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) were one of the last rebel movements to emerge and put up the longest rebellion, well known for their horrendous tactics and the terrible crimes they committed against the populations of Northern and North Eastern Uganda. The children I spoke with on that 2005 trip lived in a totally different world than me, even though we were from the same country. Besides the LRA's violence, they also witnessed other children, as well as their siblings, parents and relatives either mutilated or die of preventable disease in internally displaced peoples camps set up by the Government of Uganda to 'protect' them. You didn't have to know international criminal law to know these were crimes against humanity. One of the teenage boys I interviewed was Simon. Simon had been recently released after a few months at a rehabilitation centre. But it wasn't really rehabilitation, as the sheer volume of children either rescued or escaped from the LRA was too high for the available centres to provide adequate psychosocial support. Simon had passed through one of those centres and so we sat down to hear his story. As with the heinous acts many children recounted to me, it was hard not to feel pressure rise in your chest listening to these stories. Simon was forced to kill his parents with a machete before he was abducted. The rebels threatened to kill the whole family if he wouldn't do it. Forcing Simon to kill his parents began the process of mutating him into a child soldier. Simon spent many years with the LRA, during which he knew he couldn't return. How could he come back to a community that knew he had killed his own parents? And what was home? His siblings, his relatives, could he ever be forgiven? These were questions that Simon couldn't move past. Like many child soldiers, Simon would go on to kill many more people during his time in the LRA. Finally, after five years in the bush at the age of 20 he was returned to his surviving relatives in the camp after a rescue by the Ugandan army in 2005. But the family didn't want anything to do with him and, in the absence of proper government run shelters and psychosocial services, Simon still battled trauma and nightmares when I visited him again in 2008. Simon's life comes to mind when considering the proceedings against Dominic Ongwen. Ongwen was abducted by the LRA as a child and rose through the ranks of the rebel group. When he was surrendered to the ICC in early 2015, my thought was that any of the children I had interviewed could have become an Ongwen. If they hadn't been rescued, some could have gone on with their fear of return replaced with the power that the gun and rebel hierarchy bring. We are told that Ongwen's trial is about justice. But what does that mean for the local communities who have to heal? This includes those families whose children were abducted just like Ongwen and families whose children were abducted by Ongwen. The calls for forgiveness from some victims are not a surprise. Many know their own children are still struggling to overcome the trauma and cope with the crimes they were forced to carry out. While some believe Ongwen's trial will go a long way to holding LRA accountable and bring some form of justice to victims (evidenced by the more 2,000 victims who have agreed to support the trial), other victims have called for local justice measures and reconciliation. This has precedence, they claim, as top former LRA commanders were granted amnesty by the Government even though they could easily be charged with hundreds of counts of war crimes themselves. The commanders live freely in northern Uganda and many argue that, given that he was abducted, Ongwen, deserves the same pardon. On the other hand, the ICC trial will be important for both victims and the country as a means to understand and confront what really happened in northern Uganda. Ongwen faces 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity include murder, persecution, torture, pillaging, conscription of child soldiers, and sexual and genderbased crimes, which he allegedly committed between 2003 and 2005 in the internally displaced camps of Lukodi, Pajule, Abok and Odek in the north. But in Uganda, while many condemn the LRA and the crimes committed, missing is the role of government which many in the north would have wanted to see interrogated  and investigated. For the people of northern Uganda, the charge of forced marriage will be of particular significance. The Rome Statute doesn't cover it as a crime but the prosecutor has charged it as cruel inhuman treatment. Through the prosecution of forced marriage, the sexual crimes against many women who were abducted and given as rewards for men fighting will uniquely bring out the plight of women during this war. The trial will also have to dig deeper into how one transitions from victim to perpetrator and how capable one can be, if abducted, in forming the necessary intent to commit the crimes Ongwen is charged with. The trial in general will hopefully highlight the complexity of the 20-plus year war where the lines between victim and perpetrator are sometimes blurred. Many also hope that Ongwen's ICC appearance and his possible trial will move the Government and other actors to finally tend to the real needs of the communities on the ground who still have no reparations programs nor reconciliation and truth-seeking processes. The communities are still in need psycho-social support and it is largely wanting. If the proceedings against Ongwen at the ICC can help increase the chances that the people of northern Uganda receive the attention and services they deserve, it holds out the possibility of being a success. Shifting Narratives: Ongwen and Lubanga on the Effects of Child Soldiering by Mark A. Drumbl April 20, 2016 [Mark A. Drumbl is the Class of 1975 Alumni Professor of Law & Director, Transnational Law Institute, Washington & Lee School of Law.] On March 23, 2016, ICC Pre-Trial Chamber (PTC) II issued its decision confirming charges against Dominic Ongwen. PTC II confirmed many charges, including for sexual and gender-based crimes. Ongwen will be tried for some crimes that he had himself endured. These include the war crime of cruel treatment, conscription and use as a child soldier, and the crime against humanity of enslavement. Ongwen was abducted into the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) at the age of 9 while walking home from school. He was bullied, brutalized, and indoctrinated as a child soldier. He rose through the ranks. He ascended to the upper echelons of power, although these remained tightly controlled by LRA leader Joseph Kony. Irrespective of how high he ascended, however, Ongwen's point of entry remains fixed as a young, kidnapped, orphaned, and abused child. Ongwen's defense team invoked this point of entry in its submissions. Defense counsel did so to make two specific legal points. First, that the ongoing and continuous nature of the crime of child soldiering means that Ongwen left the LRA - nearly thirty years later - still as a child soldier and, thereby, that he should be entitled to the evacuation of individual criminal responsibility that hortatorily inheres in the international legal regime that protects child soldiers. Second, the defense team submitted that coming of age in the LRA amounts to a kind of institutionalized duress that excludes criminal responsibility under Rome Statute article 31(1)(d) rather than just mitigating sentence. According to the defense, Ongwen "lived most of his life under duress (i.e. from the age of 9.5 years old)" and his "so-called rank was demonstrative of one thing: that he was surviving better than others while under duress". When making both arguments, the Ongwen defense team extensively (yet unsuccessfully) invoked the findings of Dr. Elisabeth Schauer, a court-appointed expert whose testimony on the dissociation and trauma arising out of the child soldiering experience had been dispositive to the Lubanga case. In Lubanga, child soldiers were the victims and Lubanga the adult perpetrator; in Ongwen, the accused is a former child soldier and many of his alleged victims were children at the time. PTC II perfunctorily dismissed Ongwen's first argument without providing any reasons. PTC II also dismissed the second argument, although not quite as perfunctorily. One judge, moreover, will append in due course a separate, concurring opinion. Reasonable minds can disagree as to whether the defense arguments have merit. The point of my commentary is not to revisit these arguments. ... Instead, my point is to emphasize that international criminal law should proceed in consistent and predictable ways. Here, PTC II slipped. Its understanding of the agency of actual and former child soldiers in Ongwen departs from the understanding previously deployed by the Lubanga Trial and Appeals Chambers, in particular in the sentencing judgments. Lubanga cast the linkage between the past as a child soldier and the present as a former child soldier as linear and continuous. The child soldiering experience was constructed as ongoing and assured: it rendered the children as victims damaged for life, with their reality today as derivative of their previous suffering. Once a child soldier in fact, always a child soldier in mind, body, and soul. In Ongwen, however, the linkage between the accused's past as a child soldier and his present as a former child soldier was seen as discontinuous and contingent. In his opening statement in the Lubanga trial, then Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo portrayed the former child soldiers as indelibly wounded and recurrently traumatized. "They cannot forget the beatings they suffered; they cannot forget the terror they felt and the terror they inflicted; they cannot forget the sounds of their machine guns; they cannot forget that they killed; they cannot forget that they raped and that they were raped." The 2012 Lubanga sentencing judgment (confirmed on appeal in December 2014) had prioritized and excerpted from Dr. Schauer's expert submissions that the Ongwen defense team sought unsuccessfully to invoke. Elements of Dr. Schauer's work pertinent to the Lubanga sentencing analysis include her submissions that "children of war and child soldiers [] often suffer from devastating long-term consequences of experienced or witnesses acts of violence" and that conflict experiences "can hamper children's healthy development and their ability to function fully even once the violence has ceased." ... In Ongwen, however, a different narrative emerges. This narrative contemplates agency, choice, and action. In response to the defense's emphasis on Ongwen's entry into the LRA as an abducted child, PTC II held that "the circumstances of Ongwen's stay in the LRA [] cannot be said to be beyond his control [.]" PTC II concluded that "escapes from the LRA were not rare." It underscored that Ongwen "could have chosen not to rise in hierarchy and expose himself to increasingly higher responsibility to implement policies." It added that the evidence demonstrates that Dominic Ongwen "shared the ideology of the LRA, including its brutal and perverted policy with respect to civilians". PTC II noted that Ongwen could "have avoided raping" forced wives, "or, at the very least, he could have reduced the brutality of the sexual abuse". PTC II thereby shied away from the Lubanga narrative of the pernicious, ongoing effect of being compelled as a child into a violent armed group and socialized therein. Whereas the defense sought to link Ongwen's conduct as an adult to his horrid experiences as a child, PTC II only examined his agency as an adult - as if he had never been a child, let alone a child in the LRA. In rejecting the duress submissions in Ongwen, PTC II elides Ongwen's status as a former child soldier. It's as if he lost that status, or ceded it. Hence, there is a proper way to be a victim. Victimhood is contingent, so to speak, even aleatory. In truth, the Ongwen narrative reflects the diverse experiences of actual and former child soldiers and the complexities of survival and social navigation in invidious circumstances. After all, problematic essentialisms abound in the Lubanga criminal judgments. That said, in the push to confirm charges against Ongwen, PTC II invokes language that should perturb child rights activists. The Ongwen confirmation of charges decision conflicts with a tenet of post-conflict rehabilitation and reintegration. This tenet approaches all persons (regardless of age) who had become associated with armed groups and armed forces while under the age of 18 as former child soldiers and accords them entitlements and treatment that hinge upon this status. The contrast between Ongwen and Lubanga vivifies how narratives of agency, choice, and constraint may become instrumentalized by judges to suit the prosecutorial impulse. This contrast additionally reflects the clumsiness of the criminal law in conceptualizing child soldiering specifically and, in Ongwen's case, victim-perpetrator circularity generally. AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus Bulletin is edited by William Minter. AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at africafocus@igc.org. Please write to this address to subscribe or unsubscribe to the bulletin, or to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the original source mentioned. For a full archive and other resources, see http://www.africafocus.org
Living with mental illness has been a harrowing ordeal for Safiatu Kondeh. The 34-year-old, who lives in Kabala, northern Sierra Leone, with her mother and two children, has had to endure conditions almost worse than the disease.
A Sessions court on Thursday convicted all four accused in the Keenan-Rueben murder case, sentencing them to life imprisonment till death.

The four accused persons, identified as Jitesha Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhaj and Dipak Tival were arrested on October 20, 2011. The incident had shocked the entire country, which demanded a safer environment for women.

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said among the 28 witnesses, five were eyewitnesses, including two women the deceased were defending. There is evidence to show the accused were eve teasing and molesting girls when the victims tried to stop it. This is nothing but a pre-meditated murder, said Nikam.

The group stabbed the two boys, Keenan died the same night. Reuben succumbed to his injuries on October 31, 2011.

The attack was described as brutal in the chargesheet and sexual harassment was declared as the main provocation in the case. The four accused were arrested a day after the incident on charges against murder, conspiracy and molestation.

Following a public outcry, the case was transferred to the fast track court in Sewri in March 2012.

The father of Keenan Santos, one of the two teenagers who was killed while trying to save their women friends from harassment, said on Thursday that justice was delivered after a Mumbai court sentenced to life the four people charged in the case.

Valerian Santos (57) expressed satisfaction over the verdict and said the two victims had been finally meted out justice.

However, this is just the beginning The battle is not over, they might appeal in the higher courts and we have to wait, Santos said shortly after the verdict.

A special womens court in Mumbai, on Thursday, sentenced to life imprisonment the four people charged with killing two men who had tried to prevent the molestation of their women friends five years ago, a legal official said.

Former Maharashtra chief minister, Prithviraj Chavan, expressed happiness that justice has been done in the case and sought more stringent action in such cases involving crimes against women.

The incident took place happened outside the Amboli Bar and Kitchen after Keenan, Rueben and their two women friends had stepped out after dinner.

In January 2012, the police filed a 416-page chargesheet before the Andheri metropolitan magistrate court. In October 2012, the court framed charges against the accused including murder, conspiracy and molestation.
Lenovo has announced via its official social media channels that it will be launching its Z1 smartphone in India on May 10. The smartphone is a project funded by Lenovo and is actually called the ZUK Z1. Lenovo however is branding the device as the Lenovo Z1 for the Indian market.



Premium build quality aside, the Lenovo Z1s highlight is indeed the Cyanogen OS. The handset will come feature-packed with Cyanogens special Android-based software and will also include the various customisations that the software is known for. The Z1 is expected to run Cyanogen OS 12.1 out of the box, which is based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

The ZUK Z1 features a 5.5 inch Full HD screen, and will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor. It is loaded with 3GB RAM and 64GB storage. The device also packs in a 13MP SONY IMX214 camera on the rear, and an 8MP front camera.

In addition, the key features of the device as revealed by ZUK include 4G radios, support for Bluetooth, GPS, USB Type-C port, a fingerprint reader and Wi-Fi. It is powered by a 4100mAh battery.

Lenovo recently made a claim that the Micromax will not be only company to run Cyanogen OS in India. The Lenovo Z1 is indeed going to be second brand to run the same OS officially.
Goa MLA Babush Monserrate has been booked for alleged human trafficking. A summon has been issued to Babush to appear in the Women police station at Panjim. Monserrate, however, surrendered on Thursday afternoon and has been arrested.

Goa Police on Thursday recorded the statement of the minor girl, who was allegedly raped by expelled Congress legislator Atanasio Monserratte in March.

A team of officials from Womens police station visited the state-run protective home where the girl is currently lodged and recorded her statement, a senior official said on condition of anonymity.

A crime branch superintendent of police Karthik Kashyap said Women police station is conducting panchanama at crime scene.

The victim had filed a report against the MLA claiming that she was raped multiple times. But now it is suspected that it is not just a case of rape. So far what the investigations have brought up is that this is a case of the minor being sold to the Goa MLA.

There is suspicion on the mother of the victim as well and she too has been booked for human trafficking.

Sources reveal that the mother of the minor benefitted from the payment being made for the sale of her daughter. For that reason she has also been booked for human trafficking.

Late on Wednesday, Monserrate also known as Babush, was booked by officials of the Panaji police station, for allegedly raping a minor girl, who was earlier his employee.

Mr. Monserrate, who was expelled by the Congress and is now an independent legislator, has been charged with human trafficking and rape in a police case.

He has denied the accusations, stating that the teen who has complained against him used to work in a shop owned by him and was fired for stealing.

But the 16-year-old girl from Nepal has told the police that she was sold to him by her step mother and another woman she referred to as aunty. Mr. Monserrate spiked her drink and then raped her in his bungalow a few weeks ago, the teen has allegedly told the police.
John Stone wrote this post in February of 2012. We are running it today to give readers some background on the unethical journalism practices vis a vis science and particularly the topic of pediatric vaccination.



By John Stone

Martin Moore (left), the unresponsive boss of the organisation ostensibly set up to support members of the public who have fallen victim of the unethical journalistic practices of the Murdoch media empire in the UK (See Age of Autism "Write to Hacked Off.." HERE), sat on a panel set up by the UKs Department for Business to plan the future of science journalism in Britain producing a report Science and the Media: Securing a Future. Moore has repeatedly refused to be drawn on a catalogue of apparent abuses in Deers MMR investigation, including Deers assertion that a Sunday Times news editor, Paul Nuki (right), had hired him to find something big on MMR (which sounds suspiciously like a fishing expedition). It now turns out that Nuki and Moore sat on the same government committee in 2009-10 to determine the future of British science journalism under the chairmanship of Fiona Fox. Fox, the head of Science Media Centre, has also recently given evidence regarding the MMR to Leveson Inquiry on ethics in British journalism.



Meanwhile, Moores organisation Hacked Off effectively sits as unofficial guard dog to the government appointed Leveson Inquiry, which has now heard a succession of witnesses including Fox condemn as irresponsible earlier media concerns about the safety of MMR, but has so far failed to hear witness statements based any of the submissions about Deers investigation.

To date Moore and Hacked Off have ignored documented concerns that:-
This arguments fallacy is actually quite simple. Valid science is never settled. The myth of settled science, which is especially endemic to the biological and medical sciences that rely on private financial interests, is sheer propaganda. Valid science, on the other hand, constantly seeks new discoveries to acquire further knowledge and greater understanding. The pursuit to fully comprehend the complexity of our biological, immunological and physiological systems, therefore, is in perpetual infinite regress. Todays justifications for medical intervention, whether by drugs or vaccines, eventually become tomorrows barbarities as science further penetrates the hidden functions and operations of the human organism. Hence valid medical research should elicit new questions and not settle upon incomplete facts that are then proselytized as universal truths.

By Richard Gale and Gary Null The CDC and advocates for mandatory vaccination consistently repeat a dangerous mantra that finds no warranted basis in medical science. This monolithic industry, now a massive network of private and government institutions, state senates, and supported by a compliant media, want us to believe that science has finally settled the debate over vaccine safety and efficacy. All the data is in, so we are told, and no further research and discussion is necessary because vaccines have been officially ruled to pose no neurological and immunological risk to infants, children, pregnant mothers, adults and the elderly. This official policy is founded upon flawed premises and a primitive understanding about the complexities of the human body and its multifaceted immunological system.

Thank you to Mary Holland for sharing this article with us. Listen to the May 3 broadcast which featured this article by Richard Gale and Gary Null here: Progressive Radio Network, May 3, 2016

A medical science that refuses to ask new questions and settles upon disputed beliefs to sustain an industrys financial portfolio is Scientism, a quasi-faith-based creed now institutionalized to promulgate repressive laws. These laws then advance Scientisms authority. Unfortunately, today this accurately represents the sad state of vaccine research and vaccination policy. Modern vaccine science, and conventional medicine in general, has morphed into a new fascism, a rigid doctrine that has sacrificed the foundations of scientific integrity on the altar of institutional greed, privilege and profit.

During the past decade we have witnessed outbreaks of infectious disease among the fully vaccinated. We observe new viral strains appearing that escape current immunization. There are rising rates in autism and neurological disorders and increases in autoimmune conditions never before observed in large percentages of children. And there is a growing body of research pointing to vaccinations adverse effects upon our immune systems. All of these trends, and many more, give sufficient reason to undertake a serious review of official claims over vaccine safety and efficacy. The evidence on the ground for the alarming rates in childhood illnesses parallel to the ever-increasing number of childhood vaccinations and the governments ridiculous one-size-fits-all policy behind mass indiscriminate vaccination should convince us that vaccine safety is far from a settled matter.

The official CDC position on vaccines is that they are unavoidably unsafe. As New York Universitys professor of law Mary Holland has repeatedly stated, the CDC cant have it both ways. Vaccines cannot be simultaneously safe and unsafe. Yet, by mincing terms, spinning propaganda and misinterpreting and manipulating scientific research to whitewash vaccines life-threatening risks, this is what the government pressures parents to believe.[1]

If we can accept the claim that vaccines are unavoidably unsafe, then the question is how unsafe are they? And now we possess an enormous body of yet to be challenged research, clinical trials, case examples of severe vaccine injury and court compensations paid out to families with vaccine-injured children to conclude that vaccine development has a very long way to go before a medically proven safe vaccine will ever be created. Unfortunately it is our opinion that this research is being ignored or at best marginalized by the most rabid CDC supporters and proponents of mass vaccination.

If the most compelling and thorough medical research indicates that there is no such thing as a safe vaccine, then what are we to make about those in the growing community opposing vaccination who demand safer vaccines while claiming to be pro-vaccine?

First we must acknowledge that all vaccines are unavoidably unsafe and this was a 2011 Supreme Court ruling in the Bruesewitz versus Wyeth case.[2] Therefore all vaccines on the market are categorically unsafe. Perhaps in some distant future a vaccine, which remains only in the imagination of science fiction, will be developed to effectively and safely immunize against an infectious disease. So far, such a vaccine does not exist. Therefore, conscientious efforts to adhere to the precautionary principle and vigilant and consistent evaluation and reevaluation of the risks and benefits of vaccination is both essential and a human right that governments should encourage, protect and uphold.

The majority of vaccine ingredients have been shown repeatedly to have toxic consequences contributing to serious neurological and autoimmune conditions. These effects can be immediate, such as in the case of a child who undergoes seizures and is left with permanent neurological damage shortly after vaccination. Or effects through repeated vaccination can be accumulative and display symptoms many years later. In fact, there is very little scientific data, and nothing conclusive, about repeated vaccinations long term and accumulative immunosuppressive risks. The vaccine industry continues to rely upon outdated research, industry funded studies, conflicts of interest with federal agencies and even scientifically irrelevant data to make its case that vaccine additives and ingredients pose no medical risks. What the industrys arsenal of research sorely lacks is biological and gold standard placebo controlled clinical trials to support this position. In short, accepted vaccine research is little more than junk science. And junk science can make for the best propaganda to convince a population into the deception of vaccine safety. Joseph Goebbels understood this all too well when he stated, A lie told often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.

For those who demand the removal of vaccines toxic ingredients yet remain pro-vaccine in principle, another and perhaps darker equation of vaccine risks is being ignored or seriously misunderstood. It is not simply the aluminum compounds, ethylmercury or thimerosal, Polysorbate 80, formaldehyde and other vaccine additives that are associated with vaccines portfolios of risks and adverse reactions, including those listed in every vaccine manufacturing and product insert and found in the National Institutes of Health Pubmed database of peer-reviewed medical literature. These compounds neurotoxic risks are well known and physicians, pediatricians, and scientists are increasingly being forced to acknowledge them and question the vaccine paradigm.

For example, any and every vaccine that contains aluminum, in any amount, is categorically unsafe regardless of a persons age. This principle should be accepted as a biological and medical fact without question, yet pro-vaccinators deny it outright. In 2015, autoimmune disease researcher Dr. Yehuda Shoenfeld at Tel Aviv University published the definitive textbook on vaccines adverse effects that are now contributing to a wide variety of autoimmune diseases, including fibromyalgia, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, narcolepsy, connective tissue disease, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, type 1 diabetes and a host of others. The majority of the 37 scientific papers in Shoenfelds Vaccines and Autoimmunity identify the adjuvant aluminum as a crucial culprit contributing to the epidemic rise in autoimmune disorders both in the US and abroad.[3]

In mid-2014, concerns over aluminum adjuvants in vaccines, and the HPV vaccine in particular, reached the French Parliament for review. Unlike scientific committee reviews conducted in the US Congress, French politicians publicly weighed in carefully on the data behind the increase in HPV vaccine-injuries in order to rule on the benefits and risks of promoting the Gardasil and other vaccines containing aluminum.[4] France has now established a precedent for the way other governments health officials and legislative bodies should address the growing questions toward vaccine safety.

Pro-vaccine political correctness is fundamentally based upon the faulty assumption that only known neurologically toxic ingredients, such as aluminum and mercury, need to be removed or replaced with safer compounds. There is no sound argument against the removal of these ingredients that will make vaccines safer. Federal agencies tell us that these toxic metals are in insufficient amounts to pose a toxicological risk and are readily expelled naturally by a childs body. Although no amount of aluminum and mercury in any quantity has been proven absolutely safe, when an infant receives 3, 4 or more vaccinations during a single doctors visit, the amount of toxins introduced into its body mounts well above the EPAs and FDAs level of safety.

Fifteen years ago, the CDCs argument may have been sufficient to increase confidence in todays dominant vaccine paradigm. But science advances. Knowledge of the human genome, the emergence of the new science of epigenetics, and a deeper understanding of the bodys immunological activity is opening our horizons to a larger panorama of bio-molecular possibilities and the viral and bacterial activities that are forcing a growing number of scientists to conclude that we really dont know as much about vaccinations impact and risks upon the human organism as we previously thought.

If it can be ascertained that there are serious health risks from the viral and bacterial components that go into a vaccine and the genetic debris and contamination due to vaccine manufacturings primitive technology, then the removal of toxic chemicals is insufficient for safer vaccines. However one wishes to interpret it, vaccines introduce pathogens into the body. These pathogens interact with our bodys cells and DNA in known and unknown ways. Our medical understanding about host-pathogen interactions and viral epigenetics are adolescent. For example, in 2010, researchers from the National Brain Research Center in India reported that our scientific understanding of viral mechanisms of epigenetic control of gene expression continues to baffle scholars. Even what we know so far, the scientists conclude, is still complete.[5] Evidence suggests that undesirable viral and genetic activity introduced through vaccines is contributing to the every-increasing infectious disease outbreaks among heavily vaccinated populations, such as the April 2016 mumps outbreak at Harvard University infecting over 40 students and the many pertussis outbreaks during the past several years. That is, infected persons are mostly fully vaccinated. Consequently, we are witnessing what European scientists warned in 2012, that viral epigenetic mechanisms are steadily evading our immune systems.[6] Therefore, vaccines are increasingly becoming ineffective as new viral strains emerge and the length of immunity provided by vaccines are lessening.

The Human Genome Project ended less than two decades ago. Genomics new subdivision of epigenetics has only gained attention during the past ten to fifteen years. Already epigenetics is turning our earlier beliefs about DNA and genes upon its head. Barbara Lo Fisher summarizes epigenetics as stimuli-triggered changes in gene expression that are inheritable and occur independent of changes to the underlying DNA sequence.[7] In other areas of epigenetic and toxicological research, other than vaccine science, there is greater acceptance of environmental factors affects upon our bodys DNA. It is now accepted that chemicals commonly found in every day products, such as the endocrine disruptive phthalates and bisphenol-A, are altering gene expression and creating havoc with normal hormonal activity. Food companies are increasingly becoming convinced that pesticides used in huge amounts on genetically modified crops are interfering with our bodies genes and are removing GMO ingredients from their products. High fructose corn syrup, processed sugar, and junk food are also becoming more widely accepted as genetic risks contributing to the dramatic increases in obesity, allergies and weakened immune systems.

Science still has very limited knowledge about how bacterial and viral genes interact with our own DNA, gene regulation, and individual genetic dispositions after being injected into the body. This remains a dark area of medical science that scientists are only recently beginning to dive deeper into. Therefore, current vaccine science, says Dr. Toni Bark, is Frankenscience.[8] Doctors, physicians, CDC heads and health officials really have very little clear idea about what we are actually injecting into our children nor its long term consequences on our natural immune systems.

Back in 1971, University of Geneva scientists published a remarkable discovery in the journal World Medicine. According to their study foreign biological materials that enter directly into the blood stream can potentially become part of us and even combine with our own DNA. This activity known as jumping genes, and first postulated in the 1930s by Nobel laureate Barbara McClintock, still largely remains a mystery.[9] These were some of the early precursory hypotheses and studies that would later become epigenetics.

Nevertheless, during the last dozen years biomedical and environmental research, which is unfailingly ignored and denied by the vaccine industry, is gradually mapping new terrains in our genetic understanding. Renowned British epigenetic researcher Dr. Mae-Wan Ho from the Institute of Science in Society has observed that vaccines themselves can be dangerous, especially live, attenuated viral vaccines or the new recombinant nucleic acid vaccines; they have the potential to generate virulent viruses by recombination and the recombinant nucleic acids could cause autoimmune disease.[10] One day it will be conclusively shown that viral and bacterial vaccine components, as well as vaccines toxic chemicals, are fundamentally altering the human genome, weakening natural immunity that gives rise to autoimmune diseases, and directly contributing to both short and long term onset of debilitating life-threatening illnesses affecting millions of people throughout the world.

As we have noted, environmental medicine is diligently pursuing epigenetic investigations to better understand how exogenous chemicals and toxins affect the bodys immune system and genetic disposition. Simultaneously epigenetics remains an anathema within the vaccine industry. This is because epigenetics is the vaccine industrys greatest threat and may well be the harbinger of vaccinations collapse in the future. For that reason we increasingly observe the pro-vaccine community aggressively associating vaccine-injury illnesses with parental gene inheritance. Seeming vaccine injuries, the CDC informs us, are all due to inherited genes and are not stimulated by vaccine interference. More recently we are being told that genes associated with autism have always been present in the human genome.[11] Yet, no one references the other body of research, such as a University of Montreal analysis, that has discovered the majority of these so-called autism genes are de novo.[12] De novo genes are genetic mutations that appear for the first time in a parents germ cell or during the development of the fertilized egg itself. The most likely causal candidates accounting for de novo mutations are epigenetic. Consequently, a woman who is vaccinated during pregnancy will have her unborn child at a higher risk of de novo mutations due to the toxic stew of chemicals, additives and viruses she was injected with. In order to skirt the evidence supporting this scientifically plausible hypothesis, the CDC and its minions in the vaccine industry must continue to rely upon an older, determinist, and regressive view of genetics that denies epigenetic activity. Fortunately this outdated genetic paradigm is rapidly being deconstructed and proven unsound by other scientific disciplines.

Other examples are Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or EDS (a connective tissue disorder) and Osteogenesis Imperfecta (a disorder characterized by brittle bones). Both conditions are known inherited genetic disorders and associated with a series of identifiable gene mutations. And both illnesses are increasing at an alarming rate among young children and adolescents.

In 2014, Dr. Lloyd Phillips conducted independent research to determine why so many young adolescent and teenage girls were rapidly coming down with more serious expressions of EDS. His findings concluded that these otherwise healthy girls carried an EDS genetic marker which remained dormant until shortly after receiving the HPV vaccine or Gardasil. [13]

A similar discovery was made by Dr. Robert Kendall Endres in 2009 who noted in 1962 there were approximately 10,000 cases of brittle bone syndrome worldwide. By 1978 there were 836,000 cases and over 4 million in 2000. This increase parallels the rapid increase in the number of vaccinations recommended in the CDCs vaccine schedule and the WHOs global vaccination initiatives. Although both disorders are associated with certain inherited gene mutations, the plausibility of vaccination as the triggering culprit responsible for their expression and activation cannot be ruled out. [14]

Any one of the many vaccines on the market today can cause enormous genetic and epigenetic disruption in any human being. Epidemiologists are puzzled about why some people according to plan for any given vaccine and why others dont. For example, only 10% of people receiving the MMR vaccine generate high levels of measles antibodies following vaccination while another 10% dont respond at all. Dr. Gregory Polland at Mayos Vaccine Research Group realizes this is undoubtedly due to genetic mutations and an individuals genetic code.[15] The one-size-fits-all vaccination policy now advocated by the CDC and its leading spokespersons such as Paul Offit therefore has no rational and sound basis in science.

Since 1996, the CDCs vaccine divisions and the World Health Organization (WHO) have known they have a very serious health problem with genetic contamination in every vaccine that relies upon animal cell culturing. This is a very dark side of the vaccine industrys manufacturing methodology. The fact that genetic contamination, much which remains unknown and unidentified, is being injected into infants as young as 24 hours after birth receives absolutely no attention and is ignored by those who espouse political correctness on their pro-vaccine posturing.

In the past we have reported on the primitive methodology that vaccine makers still utilize to culture the viruses that go into vaccines.[16] In 1999, the FDA convened a non-public regulatory meeting to review the health hazards of undesirable viral DNA fragments and protein contamination in all vaccines relying on animal cell culturing. Concerns were particularly focused upon vaccines using fertilized chicken eggs: the influenza, MMR and yellow fever vaccines. Among the most worrisome contaminants were prions (tiny proteins responsible for incurable diseases in both humans and animals), viral oncogenes capable of causing cancer, viral variants that might cause AIDS, and multiple known and unknown viruses present in the viruses culture medium. The executive scientists present acknowledged that recombination activity between viral codes and cells in the tissue culture is common and therefore the same can certainly occur in a childs body after vaccination.[17] Again, Barbara Lo Fisher warns that because viruses are constantly mutating and recombining with each other and scientists do not understand how viruses and genes interact, it is clear that what is not known about the effects on human health of widespread use of live virus vaccines is far greater than what is known.[18]

Current vaccine technology makes it impossible to filter out all genetic contamination and DNA debris from vaccine preparations. Therefore the FDA has set weight limits on the amount of foreign genetic contamination permitted. Since vaccine manufacturers have been unable to meet these restrictions, the CDC has reduced the requirements to apply only to cancerous cell lines. Other DNA contamination allowances were increased one hundred fold. According to the FDAs industry guidelines on vaccine production, the removal of foreign DNA and protein contamination from vaccines employing human and animal cell lines is a non-binding recommendation.[19] A recent example of a vaccine temporarily removed from the market by the FDA is Glaxos rotavirus vaccine Rotarix. In 2010, an independent California laboratory identified a foreign pig virus, porcine circovirus 1 or PCV1, present in Rotarix. The CDC immediately reported that this contaminant posed no risks, although babies as young 2 months old were being vaccinated with this swine virus contaminant. The laboratory also found avian leukosis virus in the MMR vaccine and monkey retrovirus fragments in Paul Offits RotaTeq vaccine.[20]

There are approximately 100 million allowable segments of DNA contamination permitted in any single vaccine dose. Much of this unwanted genetic and foreign protein rubbish has never been fully identified and sequenced. And vaccine makers are not required to identify what all of this genetic debris consists of. If a child follows the CDCs recommended vaccination schedule from moments after birth until she or he reaches six years of age, 49 doses of 14 vaccines will have been administered. Isnt it therefore time to pause and review the huge amount of DNA contamination, known and unknown viral genetic fragments children are receiving directly into their bloodstreams and ask whether or not this may be contributing to the enormous rise in childhood autoimmune conditions, including common adult diseases now frequently appearing in children

Dr. Howard Urnovitz is an immunologist trained at the University of Michigan and a leading advocate for informing scientists about vaccine-associated genetic mutations. He is perhaps best known for his research into genetic alterations among veterans suffering from Gulf War Syndrome. Although GWS has been associated with a wide range of toxic exposures, including chemical weapons, organophosphates, depleted uranium, an experimental anthrax vaccine, pesticides and other causes, Urnovitzs discovery was singular. He identified genetic sequences in a particular chromosome well known as a hot spot for polymorphisms among many veterans. What was unusual was that the sequences were non-human and similar to the enteroviral segments from the oral polio vaccine administered to the veterans.[21] Although this research cannot conclude that veterans GWS symptoms are directly related to the vaccines polio virus, it confirms the deep concern over viral genes introduced via vaccination jumping and recombining with our bodys DNA.

In light of the above discussions about gene jumping, recombination of pathogenic viral sequences merging with our bodies own DNA, undesirable mutations, and expression and activation of hereditary genetic predispositions leading to serious autoimmune complications and diseases, consider the following. Mercks Rotateq vaccine for the protection of infants from rotavirus is a genetically engineered vaccine that includes five combined human and cow strains of rotavirus, first developed by Paul Offit at the Childrens Hospital of Pennsylvania. This viral concoction combines bovine rotavirus strains that causes diarrhea in cows with viral strains causing diarrhea in humans. This recombinant, engineered viral strain is then cultured on African Green Monkey kidney tissue. The seed stock that is later used to manufacture future lots of the vaccine also includes fetal bovine (cow) serum and porcine trypsin (an enzyme derived from a pigs pancreas).[22] Are we the only ones who share grave trepidations that an infant will receive a series of 3 rotavirus injections by the age of six months? And we are to believe that it is normal and safe for an infant to be unnaturally exposed to an artificial and abnormal pathogen in this manner?

The genetically engineered rotavirus vaccines, similar to many of the newer vaccines positioned to come on the market in the very near future, contain an attenuated live virus. These vaccines are already raising serious questions about their influential impact upon the vitality of the immune system, our bodies gut microbiome and the even environmental ecologies. In 2012, Norwegian scientists are the University of Tromso concluded that genetically engineered or modified viruses (GMVs) are being increasingly used as live vaccine vectors and their applications may have environmental implications. In all cases there may be circumstances that enable GMVs to jump species barriers directly, or following recombination with naturally occurring viruses.[23]

Finally, the CDC aggressively follows a one-size-fits-all policy in its efforts to keep the entire American population vaccinated. Today there are over two hundred new vaccines in the pipeline and eventually coming to market. As new spikes in diseases occur consistently with each new vaccine approved and entered in the CDCs recommended vaccination schedule, so also will other disease conditions increase as well as new disorders never observed before. Americans today are less healthy than previous generations. More and more people have compromised immune systems and are rapidly becoming immunodeficient. Surprisingly no federal agency or official institution tries to track the total number of Americans with serious compromised immune systems other than recipient of organ transplants, cancer or positive HIV diagnoses. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Associations estimates that 50 million people have any one of 100 and perhaps over 140 different life-threatening autoimmune diseases. The American Cancer Society reports 1.6 new cancer cases annually and rising. Federal health officials downplay the severity of this epidemic by only counting 24 autoimmune diseases.[24]

In addition, poverty is on the rise and conservative estimates record 22% of all children living below the poverty level. Forty eight million Americans live in insecure food households and are clinically malnourished. This too is contributing to the increase in weakened immune systems and diseases. Other health disorders such as chronic lack of sleep, stress, and anxiety are now be associated with weakened immunity and candidates for immunosuppressive disorders. All told, anywhere between 30-50 percent of Americans have weakened immune systems that make them far more susceptible to adverse complications due to vaccines. And live attenuated virus vaccines, which include measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, rotavirus, chickenpox, smallpox, and the live polio vaccine in foreign countries have been shown repeatedly to weaken natural immunity and make the recipient more predisposed to other viral infections.

It is essential that we accept that the science and technology to support vaccine safety remains in its infancy. For those vaccine developers who are looking at vaccinations epigenetic effects on the human genome, our bodies microbiome, and the immune system new and unexpected concerns over safety are coming to light. Moreover, no one is a greater expert on a childs reaction to a vaccine than a parent. But most parents dont have the scientific background to advocate for vaccine-induced injuries. Nor do the physicians, pediatricians, nurses and pharmacists who oversee vaccination have the time and specialized medical training to fully understand each and every vaccines immunological and genetic complexities. Consequently, the official doctrine of vaccine safety is completely based upon blind belief and faith. Yet medical interventions imposed and mandated on the public should be based solely on scientific proof of safety, and the pro-vaccine industry and federal authorities have never convincingly made their case based on gold standard scientific principles. Until the vaccine industry does so, no childs or adults life should ever be put at unnecessary risk.

Richard Gale is the Executive Producer of the Progressive Radio Network and a former Senior Research Analyst in the biotechnology and genomic industries. Dr. Gary Null is the host of the nations longest running public radio program on nutrition and natural health and a multi-award-winning documentary film director, including Autism: Made in the USA, War on Health: The FDAs Cult of Tyranny and Silent Epidemic: The Untold Story of Vaccination.

NOTES

[1] Habakus L and Holland M, Vaccine Epidemic. Skyhorse Press, New York 2012

[2] Bruesewitz et al vs Wyeth LLC. http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-152.pdf

[3] Shoenfeld Y, Agmon-Levin N. Vaccines and Autoimmunity. San Francisco: Wiley, 2015

[4] France: Aluminum Adjuvants and HPV Vaccines Up for Debate. http://sanevax.org/france-aluminum-adjuvants-hpv-vaccines-debate/

[5] http://www.academia.edu/3661430/Epigenetic_modulation_of_host_new_insights_into_immune_evasion_by_viruses

[6] Fisher, BL. Emerging Risks of Live Virus and Virus Vectored Vaccines, National Vaccination Information Center, 2014

[7] Fisher BL. Ibid.

[8] Null, G. Silent Epidemic: The Untold Story of Vaccines (documentary film), 2013

[9] https://vactruth.com/2012/03/13/vaccines-human-animal-dna/

[10] Ho M-W. The vaccines are far more deadly than the swine flu, Institute of Science in Society, July 27, 2009

[11] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160321123650.htm

[12] https://research.chusj.org/en/Communications/Nouvelles/2010/Autisme-et-schizophrenie-Des-chercheurs-evaluent-l

[13] http://www.gardasilsyndrome.com

[14] http://vaccineimpact.com/2015/are-vaccines-altering-our-genes-causing-brittle-bones-in-infants/

[15] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922134546.htm

[16] Gale R and Null G. Vaccines Dark Inferno: What is Not on Insert Labels. September 28, 2009. http://blog.garynull.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/VaccinesDarkInferno2.pdf

[17] Gale R and Null G. Ibid

[18] Fisher, BL. Emerging Risks of Live Virus and Virus Vectored Vaccines, National Vaccination Information Center, 2014

[19] Gale R and Null G. Ibid

[20] http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/April-2010/Vaccine-Contamination-Pig-Virus-DNA-Found-in-Rota.aspx

[21] Buttram H. Vaccines and Genetic Mutation, October 11, 2002 http://www.whale.to/a/yurko.html

[22] http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/April-2010/Vaccine-Contamination-Pig-Virus-DNA-Found-in-Rota.aspx

[23] http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/25756.pdf

[24] Schall T. How many Americans are immunocompromised, Bioethics Bulletin. February 11, 2015
May 4, 2016

Members of a European delegation to the Middle East say they were surprised by what they heard from Christians there: support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and criticism of European policies affecting them.

Chredo, a French nongovernmental organization that aims to help Christians in the Middle East, organized the tour. The group is formally known as Coordination of Eastern Christians in Danger.

Chredo assembled a 30-member delegation to visit the Middle East April 16-21, stopping in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. The group included seven parliamentarians from France and three from other European countries, five journalists, three officials from other European NGOs and 12 Chredo members headed by Patrick Karam, a French lawyer of Lebanese origin.

"We came to this region having in mind a clear and specific goal: to inquire about Christians' situation on the ground in these countries and learn about their needs, suffering and the existential risks they are facing," Karam told Al-Monitor. "We came to try to understand how to help these indigenous communities in order to keep them steadfast in the homelands that have been the countries of origin for their ancestors for thousands of years and try to analyze the impact of French policies on these communities, be it positive or negative. This is what we sought to achieve through all of our meetings and our discussions during the entire tour."

The delegation attended more than 20 meetings in Beirut, Damascus and Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. It met with various political forces and government officials including Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq and a large number of Christian officials in the three countries including clerics, laypeople and officials at NGOs and relief agencies.

Al-Monitor met with the delegation as a whole, as well as with some of its members separately and asked about the visit's reasons and outcomes.

"It is crystal clear that there is a tragedy that requires taking actions regarding the situation of Eastern Christians," said Elie Haddad, a member of the delegation and head of the Rally for Lebanon, the French division of the Lebanese Free Patriotic Movement. "This community seems to be totally disappearing from Iraq. Out of more than 2 million Iraqi Christians who used to be there prior to the recent Iraqi wars, only 350,000 are still present between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan. The majority of Christians we met in Erbil expressed their inclination toward leaving the country for good. The situation is catastrophic in Syria in light of the ongoing war. The emigration is continuous."

Haddad went on, "The Christian community in Lebanon still has all of the essentials for their existence. Yet it is encountering many difficulties, most notably the attempt to impose a president that does not represent Christians. The same applies to the election of Christian [parliament members]. This is added to the attempt to impose an electoral law that does not take into account their votes and will. In addition, they were deprived of the right to vote in parliamentary elections after the other Lebanese forces managed to extend parliament's mandate."

Haddad told Al-Monitor the delegation is concerned with how Christians are affected by politics, but the group itself is not politically motivated. He said, "Chredo is an NGO similar to the other organizations taking part in the delegation. Our move is not designed to serve a particular political agenda, which we were eager to show in the formation of the delegation, which includes parliamentarians from the various French political forces, be they pro-government or opposition forces. In addition, we were keen not to meet any government or political official in Syria, unlike our meetings in Erbil and Beirut. Our meetings in Syria were limited to a number of patriarchs and bishops, in addition to the [Sunni] Mufti of Syria Sheikh Ahmad Hassoun. We made visits to the historic Christian villages near Damascus, to Saidnaya and Maaloula, and met with the steadfast Christian population. We did this is to avoid being [seen as affiliated] with this or that party to the Syrian war."

He added, "We are [adamant] about our neutrality and the transparency of the image that we are seeking to form and convey to Paris."

Karam did not hide his surprise at what he heard from Christian clerics and laypeople in Damascus. "The delegation members heard from Syrian Christians a clear support for the rule in Damascus," Karam told Al-Monitor. "They consider that this rule is protecting their presence in their country. According to them, the opposition Islamist parties pose a threat to their lives as individuals and to their survival as a community in their homeland. They did not hide their support for [Assad] and confirmed that Assad's popularity has increased among [the Christian community] and the majority of Syrians after five years of war, particularly since terrorist groups are controlling the Syrian oppositions."

Haddad said, "In addition, Syria's Christians criticized European governments' policies, specifically French policy. They clearly told us that they expect us, as Europeans, to help them stay and be steadfast in their land  not to help terrorists [or] facilitate Christians' exodus from their homelands to Western countries."

Haddad added, "We have heard the same thing from the Sunni mufti of Syria in terms of the support for Assad, which surprised parliamentarians in the delegation. They will certainly convey it to parties that they represent in France."

This was the 14th French delegation to visit Damascus since the start of the unrest in Syria five years ago. Yet it is the first time that a French parliamentary delegation has visited these three countries in solidarity with Eastern Christians. This visit could be a sign of the start of a new approach to the events in the region.

The delegation members expressed their intention to form "a Lebanese or Eastern Christian lobby" in Paris to liaise with French authorities and represent Christians' interests in shaping French policies in the region. The Christians of Syria and Lebanon, they said, had expressed their opinion that French policymakers often take into account their country's economic interests in the oil-rich countries in the Gulf, rather than the interests of the Christians in these countries.
May 5, 2016

Every year, as sirens blare throughout the country marking the national Holocaust Remembrance Day, I reflect on my uncle, my aunt and the cousins I never knew. I think of my father-in-law who survived a forced labor camp in Hungary and of my mother-in-law who lived in hiding.

In recent years, a cynical politician has been taking advantage of these hours of solemn reverie to score points with the public. This year too, on the evening of May 4, the national fear monger, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was true to his tradition of trivializing the Holocaust. Once again he sprinkled his speech at the official memorial ceremony with demagogic comparisons between the Nazis and Iran, between the incitement against helpless European Jewry and the incitement against Israel the occupier. Yet again he presented the great Zionist enterprise as a retaliatory operation against the Nazi annihilation enterprise.

At last years ceremony on April 2015, the prime minister outdid himself when he told participants how a survivor had implored him to prevent another Holocaust. I responded: 'That is exactly how I see my responsibility. That is exactly how I see my responsibility. Speaking at the annual ceremony at Yad Vashem in 2013, Netanyahu mentioned Iran no fewer than four times so that we would know that in every generation we must see ourselves as if we have survived the Holocaust. And so, a nation that lives under a constant threat of another Holocaust obviously needs a strong leader, a leader who will not hand out lands to Arabs, a leader who is even willing to quarrel with the American president in order to prevent Iran from annihilating Israel.

Over the past few years, a fairly new tradition has been added to Holocaust Remembrance Day: The media features empty refrigerators of elderly survivors and the politicians promise that survivors will never again be poor  even though 45,000 of the estimated 189,000 survivors subsist below the poverty line. On the 2013 memorial day, Netanyahu announced that the government had decided to allocate additional resources for the survivors welfare, care and medications, and we will add as much as needed, with an open heart.

Al-Monitor sought to find out whether the situation of the survivors had improved in recent years, or whether the memorial day has been utilized to spread empty promises in addition to spreading gratuitous fear among the public. We spoke this week with former Labor Party Knesset member Colette Avital, chairwoman of the Center of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors, an umbrella group for more than 55 organizations dedicated to improving the welfare of the survivors and preserving the memory of the Holocaust.

In order to illustrate the attitude of elected officials to the issue, Avital described a meeting held between members of the survivors lobby and Netanyahu when he served as finance minister. His answer to our request for additional aid for the survivors was, What do you want? Weve done enough for Holocaust survivors. Avital said that the Finance Ministry used to really abuse the elderly, dragging out their compensation claims in the hopes that they would die in the meantime. The change, she added, came about following a protest she organized in 2007, a week before Holocaust Remembrance Day. We met with then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He pledged to the survivors that he would no longer just stand at attention when the sirens go off and deliver speeches. And indeed, he established the Holocaust Survivors Authority and the attitude changed for the better.

Nonetheless, Avital noted that in addition to the 45,000 survivors subsisting under the poverty line, there are thousands of elderly Israelis not eligible for state support because they are not covered by the legal definition of survivors. There are 80,000 immigrants from the former Soviet Union who fled into the woods, and thanks to the generosity of the Claims Conference they got a lump sum of 2,500 euros [$2,875], she said. Those who were in so-called open ghettoes, in forced labor camps, and those who endured pogroms in Hungary and Romania only get 3,600 shekels [$950] a year. They are not entitled to free medications and have to make do with old-age benefits. The law on property restitution entitles the needy survivors designated by the finance ministry to 6,000 shekels [$1,583] a year. Of course, this is hardly enough for a life of dignity.

''The government does allocate 4 billion shekels [$1.055 billion] annually for the payment of pensions, medications and local tax rebates for survivors,'' explained the chairwoman of the umbrella organization. The problem is that its never quite enough. One minister blames the other for foot-dragging and inactivity, and there are tensions between the various ministers. We are afraid that the allocation of funds to survivors organizations is tinged with political considerations and favoritism.

Avital said, Its high time for people to understand that these poor souls cannot wait. There are other elderly Israelis who are poor, but the elderly survivors have to contend with reliving all their traumas, in addition to the difficulties of old age. They deserve to live out their last years with dignity. Instead of patchwork benefits, the government must put together an integrated plan to deal with problems of housing, caregiving and also the problem of loneliness, which is one of the hardest issues that trouble the survivors. One cannot just remember them on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day and send them food baskets on the eve of Passover.

Germany has paid tremendous sums  to the tune of 70 billion euros (about $79 billion)  over the years to Israel and Holocaust victims, above and beyond its commitments. But the survivors organizations are forced to hit them up for more. Avital recalled that on several occasions she was sent to Berlin to ask the Germans for more money by Israeli finance ministers who said, We are not to blame. Let the Germans pay. According to Avital, Germany recently significantly increased funding to provide additional caregiving to disabled elderly survivors, but the Germans have troubles of their own these days stemming from the need to deal with the refugees flooding Europe. It seems to me theyre starting to get tired of us, Avital sighed.

Holocaust Memorial Day was not intended as an occasion to beg for handouts from Germany, nor to scare Israelis about a new Holocaust or to regale the public with tales about the heroism of Israeli soldiers or agents of the Mossad and the Shin Bet agency. As laid out by the law designating the annual Memorial Day, the 27th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan will be dedicated to communing with the memory of the Holocaust brought about by the Nazis and their associates against the Jewish people and to the memory of the acts of courage and revolt of those days. And anyone who takes it any further trivializes this momentous day.
May 5, 2016

Four months after the comprehensive nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers  which was largely the result of bilateral Iranian and American negotiations  Iranian and American officials are still debating misunderstandings over the deal and are becoming entangled in new disagreements.

In the latest attack, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei  who has always distrusted the United States while simultaneously giving the green light for the nuclear negotiations  accused the United States of being anti-Shiite, the predominant sect to which the majority of Iranians belong. Today, anti-Islam, anti-Iran and anti-Shiism are the definitive policies of America and the governments who are affiliated with it, said Khamenei during a May 5 speech to administration officials, the heads of branches of the government and ambassadors from Islamic countries on the occasion of the anniversary of the day Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation.

Khamenei criticized the United States, which he referred to with the religiously charged terms of ignorance and idolatrous, for having dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima, killing hundreds of thousands but after many years still not ready to apologize. He also blamed the United States for destroying the infrastructure of countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq and not being willing to accept responsibility for what they have done.

According to Khamenei, reactionary Islam  the violent jihadi movements taking over parts of the Middle East  and American Islam  a softer and more liberal type of Islam promoted by Western countries  are two movements with the same goals.

Khamenei also repeated an old claim that terrorists groups in the Middle East are supported by the United States, saying, Corrupt groups who committed the worst crimes in the name of Islam are supported and backed by the West. He continued, In appearance the West forms an anti-Islamic State coalition, but in reality they support this group and within the anti-Islam framework refer to them as the Islamic State and ruin the image of Islam. Many Muslims have objected to calling the terrorist group by their chosen name and refer to them instead with the Arabic acronym Daesh.

Irans President Hassan Rouhani also addressed the crowd at the event, echoing many of Khameneis criticisms of the United States. Rouhani said that anti-Islam Westerners and their mercenaries in the region are the two blades of a scissor. While he did not blame the United States or the West for supporting terrorist groups in the region, he did criticize the US occupation of Afghanistan and invasion of Iraq, and the chaos those military campaigns created, saying, The responsibility for all of these crimes is [on] the Zionists and the Americans.

Rouhanis criticism of the United States is perhaps his strongest since taking office in 2013. He came into office promising better relations with Western countries, and his decision to assign Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif  who studied in the United States and speaks fluent English  to conduct negotiations with US Secretary of State John Kerry broke a major taboo in Iranian politics.

However, since the January nuclear deal implementation, US-Iran relations have shown no signs of improving. Immediately after the implementation, the United States announced new sanctions on Irans missile program, which Iran was insistent on not being part of the nuclear deal. A US court has ruled that $2 billion in Iranian assets in the United States must go to victims of a terrorism bombing in Beirut. And an April resolution by a US member of congress condemning Irans naval drills in the Persian Gulf caused an uproar in Iran.

Most worryingly for the prospect of better US-Iran relations, remaining US sanctions continue to pose problems for Europeans and Asians seeking to do business with Iran. US officials have suggested that rather than US sanctions, Irans own behavior has caused investors to keep a distance, an argument that Khamenei himself has rejected.
May 4, 2016

The most remarkable thing about the Paris Middle East conference that convenes on May 30 will surely be the absence of Israel and Palestine. It will be a two-state solution conference without the two states. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would have loved to participate, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is glad to stay at home surrounded by the yes men (and women) of his cabinet. The last thing on the Israeli prime ministers mind at this point is any progress on a two-state solution. He swore before the last March 2015 Israeli elections that no Palestinian state will be established during his tenure and he intends to keep his promise to his loyal constituency.

At their Elysee meeting on April 15, Abbas told French President Francois Hollande that he fully supports the French initiative. According to a senior Palestinian Authority official who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Abbas is closely coordinating with the Arab League and Egypt regarding the upcoming conference. The Palestinians are determined to achieve the creation of a new international platform for a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines with a reasonable timeline for the establishment of statehood.

The Paris conference may also mark a turning point for the Palestinians regarding the attitude of the Arab countries toward their cause. According to the senior Palestinian source, there has been much disappointment in Ramallah with other Arab governments, whose attention over these last few months has mostly been focused on the Iran deal and the fight against the Islamic State. Now, the Palestinian leadership believes that the French initiative could redirect the attention of Egypt and of the Gulf states back toward the Palestinian issue.

The Palestinian official told Al-Monitor that the leadership in Ramallah considers the French initiative and international support of the conference the last opportunity for diplomacy to stall an armed intifada. The official expressed concern that failure now could endanger the moderate policies of Abbas, risk Palestinian security cooperation with Israel and perhaps even threaten the survival of the Abbas regime. We have come to a now or never point. The Obama administration must decide to give a chance to diplomacy first at the Paris conference, and thereafter at the [UN] Security Council, he argued. Indeed, it is the Palestinians' intention to ask France and Egypt to put on the table a Security Council resolution based on the outcomes of the Paris conference.

In Israel, reactions to the French proposal are diametrically opposed. A senior Foreign Ministry official involved in the preparations for French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault's visit to Israel in mid-May told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Netanyahu will suggest to the French a call for immediate and unconditional negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority: The prime minister views the French initiative very negatively, as a pre-determination by the international community of the outcome of negotiations," he noted. The Israeli official added that the embassy in Washington actively seeks pressure by both Republican and Democratic members of Congress to block any diplomatic move by President Barack Obama in support of the French initiative or at the Security Council regarding a two-state solution. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations are part of this lobbying effort.

With their initiative, the French face skepticism on the part of the international community, hesitation by the US administration, total rejection by the Israeli government and excessive Palestinian expectations for a breakthrough.

And yet Paris is doing what needs to be done. The conference initiative is motivated not by the chances of its success, but by the significant dangers of a policy vacuum. Hence, the Palestinians would be well advised to curb their enthusiasm. At best, the Paris conference may become a modest building block for a future international structure for Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution; a type of P5+1 that will evolve after the US elections. It could become a basis for a two-state solution process. For such an outcome to evolve out of the conference, the Palestinian leadership must convince both the United States and the European Union that it is ready to compromise, with time, on key positions regarding the permanent status issues, such as the right of return for Palestinian refugees and stringent anti-terror security arrangements on the borders of a demilitarized Palestinian state.

As for the Israeli government, it should comprehend that the more rejectionist its positions are on a two-state solution, the more international pressure will be exerted on it. From the Israeli point of view, the Paris conference may be only the tip of the iceberg. Israels settlement expansion and its occupation policies stand in full contradiction to an evolving international policy consensus.
May 5, 2016

Its understandable that some Syrian Kurdish fighters worry that Washington will dump them once they are no longer useful, and that Russia is feeding their fear to play up its own position. But anyone harboring such worries about the United States should take an equally hard look at Moscows past conduct and likely future objectives.

Russia had a long czarist and Soviet engagement with the Kurds. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has long-standing experience with the Kurdish question, having served as Russias permanent representative to the United Nations Security Council for 10 years, including during the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and its immediate aftermath. Iraqs Kurds have been the subject of high-profile international diplomacy since that time.

Moscow has demonstrated periodic support for an independent Kurdistan, even establishing the short-lived Red Kurdistan inside the Soviet Union and later a Kurdish republic in northern Iran. However, it can be easy to overlook Moscows rather limited commitment to the Kurds in detailed accounts of their interaction over hundreds of years. Russia has not yet demonstrated the sustained interest or determination required to deliver long-term results.

There are good reasons for this. While Russias attachment to the Kurds  whether in Syria, Iraq or elsewhere  has generally had both strategic (broad and enduring) and tactical (narrow and immediate) motives, Moscow has many competing aims. Strategically, a minority group distributed across multiple important regional states provides a useful lever in cooperating with some and balancing against others. For example, across hundreds of years, Moscows style of great-power politics has often put Turkey in the balancing category. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in recent years had been edging toward becoming an important Russian partner  at least until he decided he would rather shoot down a Russian jet in November.

This is where the strategic blends into the tactical. As respected Russian analyst Fyodor Lukyanov told Al-Monitor, the severe conflict with Turkey that erupted in November encouraged Moscow to employ the classical logic about the enemy of my enemy. Russia also aims to remind Ankara that Moscow can operate with this instrument [the support of Kurdish aspirations], especially if Turkey tries to use its negative influence inside Russia, he said, adding that the Crimea Peninsula is the most vulnerable part.

At the same time, Russia clearly has both strategic and tactical objectives within Syria. Here, Moscows tactical support for the Afrin Kurds may prove ephemeral, in that the Kurds political objectives  greater autonomy inside a post-conflict Syria  do not fully coincide with Russias strategic goal to empower a strong central government in Damascus that can maintain internal order and ensure that post-conflict Syria does not export extremist violence.

As Lukyanov put it, Syrian Kurds have not been Russias preferred partners because they have complicated relations with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. While Russian officials regularly assert that the Kurds should participate in political talks  and recently raised an unsuccessful proposal in the Security Council to that effect  Lukyanov argues that Moscows basically neutral attitude would still define policy if not for the Turkish crisis. He added, It doesnt look that there are some larger ambitions vis-a-vis Kurds yet. In other words, Moscows effort to secure a Kurdish role in political talks to salvage a unified Syrian state  and get a chance to grandstand at the UN  is one thing, but lasting fractures and a weakened Syria are another entirely.

Similarly, Moscow is hardly interested in further destabilizing Iraq  or alienating a Baghdad government that it has been assiduously cultivating  to promote the Kurdish cause next door. Notwithstanding hopeful statements from Iraqi Kurdish leaders, Russia supplying the Kurds with arms to fight Islamic State forces that threaten Iraqs survival is a far cry from backing a Kurdish effort to undermine Iraqs central government or even partition the country, especially when Russia may be gaining new political influence there.

Though Iraqi and Syrian Kurds have their differences, Baghdads anxieties probably limit Russian options.

Moreover, over the longer term, Russia has few strategic incentives to deliver what many Kurds really want: their own state. On the surface, it might seem that a major Russian role in creating an independent and friendly Kurdistan could provide Moscow with a new ally in the Middle East and a new instrument of influence. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to work in practice for several reasons.

First, the states expected to sacrifice territory for a new Kurdish state are likely to oppose the idea fervently, and Russia could not single-handedly lead a successful diplomatic effort to create one. Anything this radical would require strong support from the United States, the European Union and many others. In fact, the project would probably require so much support that Moscow could not remain its leader. That means either that the project would not happen at all or that the principal credit would go elsewhere, which is hardly an attractive prospect for Russia.

Second, even if such an effort succeeded, the territorial donor states would become irreconcilably hostile to Moscow for some time to come if it were the architect of a new Kurdistan. United in their anger toward Russia, they would be much less vulnerable to any influence that Moscows alignment with a Kurdish state might provide. Simultaneously, Moscow would be giving up possible influence in their internal politics in the same way that separating Crimea from Ukraine has eliminated Crimeas role in Ukraines politics.

Third and finally, a successful Russian initiative like this would probably prove a harsh reality of political life: Ones allies are always more grateful for future favors than past gifts. An independent Kurdish state would need more financial support than Russia could provide and might quickly find new and wealthier friends.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov are more than sufficiently sophisticated to recognize all of this. Accordingly, their support for Syrias Afrin Kurds is far more likely to be short term and instrumental than long term and philanthropic. As long as the Afrin Kurds get what they want from Russia in the near future and have realistic expectations, they may ultimately be quite satisfied with the arrangement. But it would be a mistake to think that Moscow wont dump them any less quickly than Washington if other interests require it.
May 4, 2016

The relative calm that had reigned for months at Tuz Khormato, Iraq, ended in the early hours of April 24 when an explosion in the town center prompted clashes between the Iraqi government-sponsored, mostly Shiite Popular Mobilization Units and the Kurdish peshmerga forces.

Reports said a militant lobbed a hand grenade into the house of Kurdish notable Goran Gewher. His bodyguards responded and the clashes broke out. The Kurdistan Regional Government sent reinforcements to the town in Kirkuk province.

The clashes ended after six Kurds and about 30 members of the Popular Mobilization Units were killed. Both sides agreed to withdraw their forces from the town.

The events appeared to be localized clashes, but were they?

About 60,000 Kurds, Arabs and Turkmens of Shiite and Sunni sects live in the town. Tuz Khormato is a disputed zone, claimed by both the Kurdish administration and the central government in Baghdad.

In 2014, when the Islamic State (IS) approached Tuz Khormato, Kurdish forces took control of the town. But when the Popular Mobilization Units also came to the area, tensions mounted.

What are the Popular Mobilization Units? After Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, recognized as the top Shiite authority in Iraq, issued a fatwa to fight IS, Shiite tribes in southern Iraq formed the Popular Mobilization Units. These forces are now in Tuz Khormato and want to control it. Facing them are the Sunni Kurdish peshmerga. Tension between them escalated to clashes in November. There were fatalities, but the clashes ended with a cease-fire reportedly arranged by Iran.

This claim offers some light on the background of the clashes at Tuz Khormato. Although the mobilization units were set up by Shiite tribes, few doubt that Iran is behind them. The Tuz Khormato clashes may appear to be local incidents, but they are actually a new page in the history of hundreds of years in Shiite-Sunni discord.

Jabbar Kadir agrees. Kadir, a professor of modern Kurdish history who knows the region well, has taught at universities in Sulaimaniyah, Salahuddin, Mosul and Amsterdam.

Explaining the situation to Al-Monitor, Kadir said Shiite Arabs have a plan to clear out Sunni Arabs and Turkmens from the Diyala region and part of Kirkuk. The Shiite Arabs believe this is a vital project for Iran.

"It is important because this region is close to the Iranian border. The Iran and Baghdad governments share the control of Xanekin, Kelar, Kifri and Khormato. What is called the Shiite bloc begins at Iran, goes through Iraq and reaches the Shiites of Syria  and the real issue is not Khormato, but Kirkuk. If [the militias] reach Khormato, they can connect with Lebanons Hezbollah," Kadir said. "The shortest route to Baghdad goes through Diyala. It's vital to control Diyala to reach Khormato. With a foothold [in Diyala], they can expand toward Dakuk and Taza Khormato. There are already some Shiite Turkmens in the area. It is a Shiite project, but Shiite Arabs can't do it [alone], hence the decision to mobilize the Shiite Turkmens. Shiite Turkmens have historic grievances. They now want to get Iranian support to push back the Kurds."

Kadir insists the tension at Tuz Khormato is a reflection of the Shiite-Sunni conflict in the Middle East and in the Kurdish region and that it will continue. "The Kurdistan Democratic Party [in Iraq] is in alliance with Turkey. It has relations with [the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan] in Iran. We hear reports of Iranian generals getting killed in clashes. This shows the Iranian goal to increase its hold over disputed areas."

Kadir believes this is because of the lack of unity, saying, "The agreement in Tuz Khormato wont last."

He went on, "There are dozens of groups and fighters. Each group has its own leader. They won't obey anybody else. Kurdish representatives don't know who to talk to. The peshmerga has a single leader. All peshmerga will respect his decision. The Popular Mobilization Units are not the same. They talk of peace but send orders to their units to make problems. I don't believe they will truly be willing to sign and respect an agreement."

Mehmet Alkis, a professor and researcher on the Middle East and the Kurds at Dicle University in Diyarbakir, Turkey, also believes the tension at Tuz Khormato is more than a local dispute. Alkis says Tuz Khormato is important to settling the future of Kirkuk and that Iran is definitely behind the Popular Mobilization Units.

"According to reports, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Qasem Soleimani, met Popular Mobilization commanders before they made an agreement with the Kurds. Iranian policies do not favor Kurds. [Some] Kurds are Sunnis, but Iran implements Shiite policy," he told Al-Monitor. "Kurds have never benefited from this Iranian position. Iran has some influence on certain Kurdish parties," especially the Goran ("Change") Movement. "Tehran doesnt want [Iraqi Kurdistan Region President] Masoud Barzani to stay in power. Turmoil in the area serves Iranian interests. The Khormato clashes are part of this policy."

Alkis expects new tensions in the area. "Soon there will be a Kurdish independence referendum. Iran is trying to sabotage that," he said. "They dont want Kurds to get stronger and become a regional actor. Iran will foment troubles in Erbil, Sulaimaniyah or at Soran, or perhaps again at Tuz Khormato. There may be new clashes between the Popular Mobilization Units and the Kurds."

There are reports that Iran, fearing a win by the Kurds, pressured the Popular Mobilization Units to reach an agreement with the Kurds to end the clashes at Tuz Khormato, which would have been against Iranian interests.

Today, life is back to normal at Tuz Khormato, but given Iran's determination to form a Shiite bloc to challenge the Sunni axis, new clashes can break out any time.
May 5, 2016

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is stepping down and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will hold an extraordinary congress on May 22 to elect a new chairman and prime minister. Davutoglu will not be one of the candidates on the ballot. Sources in Ankara explain the process as the graceful exit of Davutoglu from a messy situation and preserving the AKP's status. Al-Monitor columnist Mustafa Akyol has provided a succinct account of the May 1 Pelican Brief blog that rocked Ankara and led to Davutoglu's downfall.

But the blog post was nothing surprising for keen observers of the AKP, especially because it was most likely posted with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's approval.

The blog post, however, does not explain all the details of the complicated relationship between the two men. Erdogan's team has been signaling that Davutoglu's expiration date was fast approaching for a while. One senior Ankara bureaucrat told Al-Monitor in bolder terms, "Davutoglu was to be recycled, we all knew; the question was not if, but just when. It could have been later but certain events expedited the process."

Indeed, the bells had already tolled for Davutoglu on three remarkable occasions. First was in February 2015, when Suleiman Shahs tomb was relocated from Syria. Davutoglus press adviser shared his photos with Turkish generals commanding the operation. That was a sharp blow to Erdogan's ego. The battle over who was the commander-in-chief was not one that Erdogan wanted to let pass easily, yet he seemingly did. Not many people could see Erdogan's resentment  even within his inner circle. Yet, like any shrewd politician, Erdogan was able to control his angst in public.

Then came the period between the elections of June 7 and Nov. 1. The sharp decrease in the AKP's votes in the June elections was due to many reasons, but Erdogan's team strongly signaled it was because the president was no longer the chairman of the party. Davutoglu's team, however, was adamant that it was due to Erdoganmania backfiring, and asked Erdogan to stay away from rallies and public campaigning. Although Erdogan's team was furious at this suggestion, it went along. And on Nov. 1 the AKP's votes reached a climax, in a way certifying that Davutoglu was now a democratically elected leader with significant support. Yet, a quick scan of the news shows that the AKP's Nov. 1 victory was not portrayed as Davutoglus popularity contest. Erdogan and his team did not forget how he was loudly and deliberately asked to remain behind the scenes.

As the Pelican Brief blog highlighted, there were several events where Davutoglu's freewheeling angered Erdogan. In almost all instances Davutoglu was put in his place promptly and diligently. The relationship had an odd pattern: The prime minister would go public with a bold statement, only to be belittled by the president and then having to retract his words. What would follow this strange tango would be a declaration of love and commitment from Davutoglu to Erdogan with pledges of unity, solidarity and brotherhood.

This pattern had become so routine that when a prominent pro-AKP pundit, Nasuhi Gungor, spilled the beans on April 21 during a show on a pro-AKP TV channel, not many took him seriously. Gungor bluntly said that "[the political process] can no longer continue with Davutoglu." He became an instant target of pro-Davutoglu media outlets, scolding him to the point of social lynching. And this was in and of itself a crucial signal that Davutoglu's men had established a nascent media network competing with Erdogan's.

Finally, and possibly the most crucial event that escalated the Erdogan-Davutoglu tension, was trouble-making by the Americans. The word in Ankara is that the cold shoulder Erdogan received in Washington got even colder with the warm American treatment for Davutoglu. It may be viewed differently in Washington, but how it is perceived in Ankara is all that mattered. Erdogan and his team grew suspicious of Davutoglu's appointment with US President Barack Obama, scheduled for May 5.

Erdogan's camp feared a possible victory lap by Davutoglu, after which he would try to maximize some of his more formal powers as prime minister. In order to prevent a power grab, it looks like Erdogan put Davutoglus termination on fast track and pulled the plug on him while he was visiting Doha, Qatar. When Davutoglu came back on April 29, he learned that he was about to be stripped off his most important powers as party chairman  appointing provincial and district heads. The AKPs highest authority, the Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK), handed the humiliating decision to Davutoglu for his approval. Despite multiple pleas to Erdogan, Davutoglu failed to rectify the disaster. What must have hurt Davutoglus team the most was the fact that out of 50 members of the board, 47 signed the decision, and three members deemed too close to Davutoglu were not even consulted. Not one of the 47 MKYK members bothered to inform Davutoglu or his people about the process.

Now that Davutoglu is leaving, what are the possible repercussions? Here are a few:

Who replaces Davutoglu is not important  what matters is the expiration date on the new prime minister. The answer will come when the executive presidency is established. Once the new constitution is in place, there will most likely not be a position for a second man in the system.

Davutoglu is said to be the main architect of Turkey's failed Syria policy. Davutoglu's forced departure may indeed provide a graceful exit to Erdogan from the Syrian morass. Davutoglu is seen as a political figure but not a policymaker. His critics blame the Syrian mess on Davutoglu's love for grand rhetoric, which they say lacks substance. One seasoned Ankara-based reporter said, "He has big words but no one to carry his words even in his own party's management." A possible change in Ankara's Syria policy may mean better relations with the United States, Russia and maybe even Iran.

Several columnists such as Ceren Kenar were quite upset with critical pundits who called her and her colleagues pro-AKP columnists. I personally owe her an apology because the Pelican Brief set the record straight  Kenar was not pro-AKP, but pro-Davutoglu. Now that Davutoglu is departing, the question among the pro-Davutoglu crowd is, which one of them will be worthy to be co-opted to Erdogans side?

The race among Davutoglu's men to step on each other has begun.
May 5, 2016

KIRKUK, Iraq  Farman Mohammad Rashid is from Kirkuk, and like others from the city he has family in Tuz Khormato. I have two aunties there, he told Al-Monitor. He kept in touch with them throughout the violent clashes in the city last week. They say its OK for an hour and then they hear bombs again.

The fighting that broke out April 24 between the Popular Mobilization Units and the peshmerga in Tuz Khormato prompted an unknown number of families to flee the city for the relatively safer Kirkuk and surrounding areas. Although a cease-fire is currently in place, many past such agreements have been violated. Due to the on-and-off fighting beginning in November 2015, some Tuz Khormato residents who fled now say they are never returning, straining Kirkuk, which already hosts over 400,000 internally displaced persons. And with supporters of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) supporting the peshmerga and local Turkmen showing more sympathy for the Popular Mobilization Units, the situation may remain tense for some time.

Several Tuz Khormato residents left during the week of April 25, but many others had already fled during similar clashes in November of last year. I dont think it will be finished soon, said Saman Khurshid, a KDP official who lived in the city until November 2015. There are Shiite militia snipers everywhere. If the militias see Kurds, they shoot, he told Al-Monitor.

On April 27, a cease-fire came into effect that has thus far reduced violence in the town. But Khurshid, who has been living in Kirkuk for over four months, said he needs to see more improvement before he returns. When the situation is quiet Ill be back. If it keeps going like it is now I can never go back. Until now there have been 12 cease-fires, but after a day they break. The cease-fire was violated just last week, and the conflict in November clearly did not end the fighting for good.

In the meantime, Khurshid rents a home with about half a dozen other family members in Kirkuk. Life is good and normal here. There are no problems between sects. Inside Kirkuk, all who fled are good.

Bahr Amin Mohammad, who owns a clothing store in Tuz Khormato, took his family to Kirkuk on April 24. He is now bouncing between relatives indefinitely. I fled suddenly and left everything in the house except my wife and kids, he told Al-Monitor. Mohammad, who has a few family members still in the city, says attacks by militias on Kurdish homes and accompanied looting prompted him to leave.

Like Khurshid, Mohammad is wary of returning. Personally, I decided it will never return to safety. Ill sell my shop and live in Kirkuk from now on for my kids sake, he said. Even returning briefly to check his shop has proven too dangerous. I planned to return once but heard there were snipers out and didnt go, he added.

The local authorities in Kirkuk cannot provide a count of the people who fled Tuz Khormato last week. On April 26, some Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen left the town, said Mohammed Khorshed, director of the organization department at the KDPs Kirkuk headquarters. Due to the exodus being so recent  and for some, temporary  he does not yet have exact figures on how many fled the late April violence.

Khorshed noted that the recent influx is putting a strain on Kirkuks ability to host internally displaced persons. We have so many already. The camps are big, but not big enough, he said. Figures from his office indicate that there were 400,000 internally displaced persons in Kirkuk in July 2015 spread across several camps including Layla and Yahyawa. As some families dont want to return, last weeks migration is sure to have an additional effect on the citys housing market and camps.

The clashes in Tuz Khormato are between the peshmerga  the military of Iraqi Kurdistan  and the Popular Mobilization Units, groups of largely Shiite (and in Tuz Khormato, ethnic Turkmen) fighters formed to fight the Islamic State (IS) in 2014. In 2014, Kirkuk and surrounding locales such as Tuz Khormato were annexed to the Kurdistan Regional Government, although the central government in Baghdad still claims the area.

According to Khorsheds office, the city is religiously and ethnically mixed at 51% Kurdish, 36% Turkmen and 13% Arab. Some Turkmen dispute these figures.

Members and supporters of the KDP government around Tuz Khormato blame the Popular Mobilization Units for the violence. The reasons for the fighting are that a few Shiite militias want to take the town for themselves, said Khorshed.

However, to some Turkmen activists from Tuz Khormato, the peshmerga are the aggressors, trying to erase the historic Turkmen presence there. Tuz Khormato is a strategic city where Turkmen have lived throughout modern history.  Its 60% Turkmen, said Mehdi Al-Beyati, the Baghdad-based spokesman for the Turkmen Rescue Foundation and a native of Tuz Khormato. His foundation campaigns for Turkmen rights throughout Iraq, and his claim that the city has a Turkmen majority contradicts the figures from Khorshed.

A report his organization compiled during the late April attacks claims that Turkmen in the Popular Mobilization Units were merely responding to attacks by the peshmerga. On the evening of April 24, the Kurdish militia started to burn Turkmen houses in the north of the city, read the report, titled Tuz Khormato still bleeding.

Beyati blames actions by Kurdish forces dating back to the start of the US invasion in 2003 for creating the current tensions in the city. The first issue in Tuz Khormato was in August 2003, when Kurdish officials entered the city and began a terrorist operation there. There were no explosions or terrorist operations there before that, he said. Reuters reported clashes between Turkmen and Kurds in the city at that time.

Since its incorporation into the KRG, Kirkuk has witnessed a decrease in violence. All these problems withstanding, people are out in the streets more and safety has improved, especially considering its proximity to Tuz Khormato and IS. But the exodus of citizens and tensions surrounding Tuz Khormato threaten to destabilize the greater Kirkuk area. For a disputed region in a country gripped by mass protests in Baghdad and still partially occupied by IS, this is a troubling development indeed.
A Huntsville company is $100,000 richer this week after winning Alabama Launchpad's inaugural LEAP Alumni Competition in Birmingham.

GeneCapture was co-founded by Dr. Krishnan Chittur, interim chair of the Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering. (Michael Mercier / UAH)

GeneCapture, formerly known as SLP Diagnostics, took home the prize Tuesday after competing against four other teams in Birmingham and Florence. The contest allowed startups to pitch before a three-judge panel about how the money would take their businesses to the next level.

The 2010 Alabama Launchpad winner, which is based at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, is developing a portable instrument to screen for dozens of infectious pathogens in less than an hour for less than $20. Dr. Krishnan Chittur, interim chair of the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at UAH, co-founded the company with two others.

"Our mission is to re-invent infection detection," Chittur said in a statement. "Physicians and other medical personnel should be able to figure out the source of the infection quickly, instead of waiting for two to three days for test results. Our approach is based on a novel method to detect nucleic acid signatures."

The LEAP event also featured presentations from Florence-based PartCycle and Cheeriodicals, QuickTrick Alignment Tools and SutureSign, all of Birmingham. Blondin Bioscience, which is working to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, won $5,000 as the recipient of the People's Choice award.

Alabama Launchpad, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, is a program of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama.

"The progress of all the alumni teams was inspiring and validates our now decade old mission to build Alabama's economy by supporting entrepreneurs by helping them do what they do best, which is building companies," said Launchpad Programs Director Greg Sheek.
Star Wars has become so large it has its own day now. Well at least according to the millions of fans who choose to celebrate the films on the fourth of May every year. It was officially adopted and celebrated by the Walt Disney Company in 2013, a year after they purchased the film franchise from creator George Lucas.

Our friends at Slow News Day decided to imagine what the office Jedi would do if he came to Alabama Media Group for the day.

Millions of fans across the world are celebrating in all different ways, in Malaysia fans built the Millennium Falcon from 200,000 Lego pieces. "Star Force Awakens" star Daisy Ridley released a video showing fans behind the scenes pictures from her on set.

Fans around the world will celebrate in December of 2017 when "Star Wars Episode VIII" is due to be released in theaters.
nic cage and richard stephens.JPG

USS Indianapolis survivor Richard Stephens talks with actor Nicolas Cage on the set of "USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage" during filming in Mobile on July 14, 2015. (Sharon Steinmann/ssteinmann@al.com)

On Thursday, Variety released the first trailer for the World War II disaster movie "USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage," starring Nicolas Cage, Tom Sizemore and Thomas Jane. Directed by Mario Van Peebles, the movie was filmed in Mobile and Orange Beach last summer.

The film tells the true story of the worst naval disaster in American history. Cage stars as Capt. Charles Butler McVay, whose ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the South Pacific in July 1945, after it secretly delivered the atomic bomb that was used on Hiroshima, Japan. The ship sank in 12 minutes.

Of the 1,196 crewmen aboard, 300 drowned. The rest were left floating in shark-infested waters for five days. Only 317 survived.

At the time of the filming, only 30 survivors were still living, and one was present in Mobile. Alabama native Richard Stephens spent some time talking with Cage about how he survived the shark attacks, dehydration, exposure and saltwater poisoning.

Scenes were shot in downtown Mobile, aboard the USS Alabama battleship and in Orange Beach. Local casting, which included the hiring of some 2,000 extras, was handled by Goleman Casting of Mobile.

During filming in Orange Beach, a World War II-era seaplane had to be beached near the Flora-Bama Lounge after unexpectedly taking on water a mile off the coast.

"USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage" is set for release later this month, according to Hannibal Classics.

Here's the trailer for the movie:
Five (or so) new releases that are either good, not-so-good or just worth talking about.

New this week

THE PUNISHER #1. Marvel. Written by Becky Cloonan. Art by Steve Dillon.

For a decade-plus in the dying days of the Comics Code, Marvel operated its MAX line of uncensored, adults-only comics. While the line has been shuddered since 2012, "The Punisher" #1, the debut of writer Becky Cloonan and artist Steve Dillon, would be right at home under the label. The issue, which carries a parental advisory on the cover, is slathered in a sheath of blood with the Punisher taking out goons like he's in a first person shooter. The violence is certainly not excessive -- it is true to the character, after all -- but it does seem to walk close to the line of being gory for the sake of goriness.

The Punisher is one of my favorite comic book characters because he takes the id of Batman and disposes with the haughty moral pretense of justice -- Frank Castle just kills folks that need a' killin'. The story here is true to that basic essence. Castle, who is just a few steps ahead of the DEA, is investigating/slaughtering a drug cartel that's peddling a new super soldier narcotic, and along the way, he meets (or we meet, at least) a couple of new characters that seem to be integral to Cloonan and Dillon's first arc: Face (a psychopathic middle manager in a suit with a killer reveal) and Olaf (Castle's former Marine commander).

I'm not totally sold on the art (Frank is occupying some weird space between being a WASP and a POC -- I'm fine with either, but you gotta pick one or explain otherwise) but the tone is perfect. I hope a lotta folks get what's coming to them in this run.

Generalized Unique Emoticon Scientific Score: (#_#), x.x, :-D

WEAVERS #1. Boom!. Written by Simon Spurrier. Art by Dylan Burnett.

Sid Thyme was a nobody -- a "loser," as he says -- until he happened to be in a bar that exploded. That explosion, in turn, killed Beatrice Harvest, the brains of the Weavers, a mob outfit into drug selling and other criminal enterprises. That wouldn't matter much to Sid, aside from the fact that when a Weaver dies, a new member is immediately chosen to take their place ... by the supernatural spider that resides inside the gang member. So, yeah, this is an unusual six-part miniseries to say the least, as it mixes traditional beats from a mob story (organized crime, looking for possible rat informants, dealing with dons) alongside the mystical elements of basically being possessed by a spider. It sounds strange at first, but as we go through Sid's initiation into the gang and we watch him struggle with his powers (which manifest themselves in predictably grotesque fashion), it becomes a compelling read. Weird, yes. But also good.

GUESS: O_0, :-), /\(00)/\

ROUGH RIDERS #2. AfterShock. Written by Adam Glass. Art by Pat Olliffe and Gabe Eltaeb.

In "Rough Riders" #1, the AfterShock Comics series that imagines a secret force of historical figures by Teddy Roosevelt, we meet Teddy as he gets his mission (investigating the "real" reason why the U.S.S. Maine blew up in Havana Harbor) and begins to assemble his team, starting with boxer Jack Johnson and magician Harry Houdini. Writer Adam Glass's second issue picks up from there, with the continued recruitment of Houdini, Thomas Edison, Annie Oakley and notorious criminal Monk Eastman. It's a lot to pack into one issue, but it never feels rushed, and each character gets a moment or two to shine, with Edison standing out as an arrogant (but cowardly) genius, Oakley a confident shot with a fatal attraction for the bottle and Eastman as someone not to be trusted. Glass has real knack for dialogue -- especially when it comes to Roosevelt (he slayed me with one particularly crude and funny quip) -- and there are so many delightful moments throughout the issue. While these Rough Riders haven't even made it to Cuba yet, this miniseries is already at full gallop.

GUESS: \0/, :-D, >;D

Last week's leftovers

JACKED #6. Vertigo. Written by Eric Kripke. Art by John Higgins.

It would stand to reason that a miniseries that examined the real world consequences of finding super powers in a pill bottle would have a believable and grounded finale, and "Jacked" #6 does not betray the fine writing and development of the first five issues. Instead, our middle-aged hero Josh is all alone -- out of pills and forced to abandon both a shady pseudo-pharmacist and a reckless woman out for revenge -- and set to face a man holding his family hostage. While the conclusion is not altogether a surprise (this series, while reality-based, is too light to end on some downer, after all), there are some clever twists along the way as Josh figures out how to fight someone younger and stronger without the aid of his pills. The personal saga of Jessica (the woman out for revenge against someone who had repeatedly abused her) perhaps ends too tidily, but that's not enough to detract from an overall phenomenal series.

GUESS: *5, :'-), *-*

4 KIDS WALK INTO A BANK #1. Black Mask Studios. Written by Matthew Rosenberg. Art by Tyler Boss.

"4 Kids Walk Into a Bank" #1, the beginning of a five-issue miniseries from writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist Tyler Boss, is at once something familiar but also outrageously different. The story -- preteens Paige, Stretch, Walter and Berger getting wrapped up in some very adult problems -- is cute, and the intro's exploration of how a traditional pen-and-paper role playing sesh can quickly go off the rails has more than its fair share of laughs. But my goodness the art, more specifically the layout, is something else. It's hard to properly describe -- my initial idea was that it seems more like illustrated prose, but that would suggest that there's a lot of dialogue (and there's not). But in a situation where a conversation between four characters is carried out in 48 panels (!) over two pages, the art is both emphasized and weirdly made less important to understanding the moment in the story. That approach (along with at least one prominent meta joke of sorts) is not a traditional route to drawing or writing comics. If it didn't work, I'd at least give Rosenberg and Boss props for trying, but the fact that it all comes together in a fun and unique book? Well, that's really something.

GUESS: :-P, :-O, ^.^
Ashland police say they caught a child predator who traveled from Kentucky thinking he was meeting a teenage girl.

Police Chief Joseph Stanford said Larry Tackett, 55, of Morehead, Ky., was arrested Wednesday and charged with electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act.

Stanford said Tackett had been communicating with several teenage females in Clay County online and contacted an Ashland police investigator thinking he was messaging a 14-year-old female.

On Tuesday, Tackett said he was coming to Ashland to meet the female.

He was arrested at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday upon arrival in Ashland by Ashland police, Lineville police and Clay County Sheriff's deputies.
One person was killed and another wounded when gunfire erupted today at a Birmingham apartment complex in eastern Jefferson County.

The shooting happened on Gallant Drive at Valley Brook Apartments, the scene of multiple violent incidents in the past. Jefferson County sheriff's deputies were working nearby, heard the gunfire and responded to the scene. Birmingham police joined them a short time later.

"What we know is there were multiple people shooting,'' said Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards. "Once everybody got here, it looked extremely chaotic."

Birmingham police late this evening identified the victim as Damon McCann. he was 44.

The shooting started about noon, Edwards said. There was a group of men standing the breezeway of one of the buildings. "There must have been some type of argument, some kind of altercation took place, and witness said a lot of shooting started."

One man was shot in the foot;McCann was shot multiple times in the body. Both were loaded into Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service rescue trucks to go to UAB Hospital. However, one of the rescue trucks, Rescue 28, was involved in a crash with an SUV on Center Point Parkway at Roebuck Drive.

BFRS Capt. Bryan Harrell said the firefighter driving Rescue 28 was taken by Rescue 19 to the hospital with minor injuries. The firefighter was stable as of Thursday afternoon.

Center Point Fire responded to the wreck site and transported the driver of the SUV and gunshot victim to UAB Hospital. The driver of the SUV is also stable, Harrell said.

McCann was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Authorities believe he died from the shooting injuries, and not from anything to do with the wreck. "Based on speaking to the officers, the individual that was shot multiple times here looked pretty bad, he looked deceased to them,'' when he left the apartment complex.

Witnesses and police said there were multiple witnesses to the shooting, and said it appeared more than 30 shots were fired. "They were shooting back and forth,'' Edwards said, "and multiple buildings were also struck."

Edwards said nearly a dozen people were taken to police headquarters for questioning. The shooter could be among them, he said. "There might be one person involved that is a person of interest, but investigators have their work cut out for them,'' he said.

Several witnesses said there were at least two shooters, one of them wearing a Carolina Panthers' jersey bearing the name and number of Cam Newton.

"They've been shooting out here every day in broad daylight all week," said resident Jasmine Thompson,26. "They shoot with kids playing outside having to duck and dodge bullets. This goes on everyday."

Though a tracking dog remained on the scene for more than an hour, the intense search subsided. "We are focusing all of our efforts on the people we have at the administration building to see if the shooter is in custody,'' Edwards said.

Today's victim is Birmingham's 35th homicide so far this year. Of those, four have been ruled justifiable and are not deemed criminal. "You ask the question, what's going on this time of the day, why do we have so many people up here discharging firearms in the middle of the day,'' Edwards said. "You know, most people are working then. It poses a problem."

"Our officers have responded to the this apartment complex on multiple occasions,'' he said. "This shooting incident is nothing new."

"The truth of the matter is, it's going to take people who live in this area to stand up and say, 'Listen, we've had enough and we ant to try to do something and try to be witnesses to help the police,''' Edwards said. "One of the things I can tell you is police can't be here 24/7. The people who live here have to be courageous enough to get involved."

Edwards said today's shooting was something that should never have happened, and maybe could have been prevented if someone had called the police sooner. "It's obvious they all knew each other'' he said. "Normal people don't just start shooting at each other for no reason."

"Anytime you have people recklessly discharging firearms, the change of somebody getting injured is extremely great, extremely high,'' he said. "It's by the grace of God that more people weren't injured up here."
I have seen a lot of cities, villages and towns in the United States. I cant say that I have ever seen a city like Flint in Michigan.

I am here because US President Barack Obama came to the city on an official visit. His motorcade must have passed the same streets we did on the way to his event.

It was startling. I lost count of how many blocks I saw where every single house was abandoned. The poverty rate is incredibly high. According to the latest census, about 42 percent of the population in Flint lives below the poverty line.

In the US, the poverty line is misleading. I dont know anyone who thinks it is an accurate prediction of economic pain. People who live anywhere close to that line surely often go to bed hungry.

The President wasnt here to talk about the crushing poverty. There is something even more shocking. The city was in financial trouble so its leader decided to switch the source of its water supply.

They would no longer pay for water from Detroit but take it in from the Flint River. They didnt treat it properly, so that meant the lead from the pipes seeped into the drinking water.

The residents complained to their government for a year and a half that something was wrong. The water was green or yellow and it smelled. Then people started coming down with painful rashes. They would later find out they were actually poisoning the children of Flint.

I talked to the mother of a six-year-old boy today. She told me about the immense guilt she feels every day. She poisoned her child. She didnt know it but she still feels responsible.

She watches him every day to see if there are signs of the ill effects of high lead levels. It can lead to severe developmental disabilities. Its been linked to anti-social behaviour. The worst part, she says, is that it is irreversible. Her husband says he just wants someone to pay.

He wants the people who knew about the tainted water to go to prison. There are investigations under way and three arrests have been made. The prosecutor has promised that more arrests are on the way.

President Obama tried to sound an optimistic message. He urged the people of Flint to use this crisis to rebuild their city. The state is going to have to pay tens of millions of dollars a year to dig up all the broken pipes and replace them.

The president urged the people to demand the government hire the people of Flint to do the job. He says that could bring about an economic renaissance of a city that appears so clearly broken.

I am sure the people of Flint would like to believe that is possible. I dont think anyone would fault them for being skeptical, though, given all that they have gone through. I am not sure if the people who were lied to about something so serious for so long will ever be able to see their government as a force for good.
Women who seek the procedure face religious and legal obstacles and are forced to turn to risky do-it-yourself methods.

Weve been waiting to meet her for over a month. When we finally did, the case  as weve been referring to her over the phone  told us to call her Sahar.

She asked if she could cover her face with her headscarf, just to make sure no one would recognise her.

Lighting was set up. Sahar triple-checked the frame before sitting for the interview at the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) office in Hebron, where she spoke to us about her self-induced abortion.

The most difficult thing was the bleeding. I was alone after midnight, the 28-year-old mother-of-three said, describing the week-long suffering she underwent.

It was painful, but I forgot the pain and was thinking about how my children would react and what will happen if they see me in that condition, she told Al Jazeera.

I slipped and fell

Sahar says she decided to terminate her pregnancy because the family couldnt afford to bring up another child. Her husband, who doesnt have a stable job as a worker inside Israel, didnt know about her decision.

When he took her to hospital, she told him what she told the doctors: I slipped and fell.

But the truth, Sahar says, is that she hit her stomach, put weight on it and tried to reach into her body for the baby.

Despite being technically possible in limited cases when pregnancy endangers the mothers life or when severe abnormalities are detected, abortion remains severally restricted under Palestinian law.

To have an abortion, a woman needs to get a fatwa. To get that, she needs the approval of an official panel of at least three doctors. Otherwise she and any aide can face jail time  even in cases of rape or incest.

Religious restrictions

All religions ban abortion, Sheikh Ibrahim Awadalla, assistant under-secretary for Fatwa, said.

We cant allow for the execution of Gods creation, he told AlJazeera.

Awadallah said that if religious scholars were to allow abortion, they would indirectly encourage prostitution and incest.

Rights activists and public health experts disagree. Women who want abortion will get an abortion  regardless if its criminalised or not. Ayesha al-Rifai, a Palestinian policy and public health expert, told Al Jazeera.

Thats why we have unsafe abortions Whats worrisome in this is that the system allows incomplete abortion because women usually come to the service facility when they are bleeding due to incomplete abortion.





The law doesnt forbid it and the healthcare providers will have to handle that, she said.

Those who are pro-choice say that the harm reduction concept is insufficient in the Palestinian health system; their fight is to put it on the agenda.

Meanwhile, no exact figures are available on how many women were granted the Muftis approval to abort pregnancies.

Officials at Fatwa estimated that tens obtained approval last year. Yet there is no way to tell how many turned to Israel for abortion, where the laws are more permissive, or had the opportunity to terminate their pregnancies by going to clinics willing to take the legal risk.

According to recent studies that surveyed Palestinian women in refugee camps in 2007 and in Hebron in 2014, the induced abortion rates stood at 40 percent and 11 percent respectively.

Both figures are higher than the World Health Organization average of around 3 percent. Although neither study could be generalised, according to PFPPA experts, they are nonetheless indicative.

But its not just law that stands in the way. A tradition of blame, sin and guilt give women little choice.

Sahar says she contemplated abortion for weeks. She said she looked for answers online, which confused her even further. I used to convince myself that the baby didnt have a heartbeat  I wasnt 40 days pregnant yet, she said.

When asked if she had any regrets, Sahar said that she regrets how shes done it most. Sometimes, she said, she thinks that she might have challenged Gods will.

Like most questions related to bioethical issues and religion, there seems to be several interpretations. Some Islamic theologians permit abortion on very tight grounds provided that the gestational age of the foetus doesnt exceed 120 days, while others confine it to 40 days.

Most Christian denominations consider the foetus a living creature from the moment of conception; others may differ. The debate hence is about prioritising who and what will be protected by the law.

There are spaces that the scholars and subsequently the legal body could move within  be fair to women and yet remain within the boundaries and the permissible spaces based on religion; were not dismissing that, al-Rifai said.

However, do we need to go to the strictest corner of this space? Thats the question. What were doing so far, legally, is that were sitting in the strictest, tightest corner of this permissible space and thats not fair to women and their health.

Al-Rifai says theres a long way to go before women can have safe abortions. Thats why she says they started to focus on the religious establishment in a hope that somewhere down the line, social barriers stemming from what she refers to as misinterpretations of the religious texts would fade away to allow for women to make their own choices.
Glasgow, Scotland  The Scotland Act of 2016, enacted in the UK parliament in late March, has amended the Scotland Act of 1998 and handed a number of new powers to the devolved Scottish parliament.

Of these new powers, one of the more controversial is the power for the Scottish parliament to set its own abortion legislation.

The UK governments Abortion Act of 1967 determines that a pregnant woman in Scotland, England and Wales has legal access to an abortion within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy if two doctors verify that she meets the laws criteria .

The current Scottish government has made clear that it does not intend to alter current legislation: The first minister is on record as saying: We are not looking to change the law at all,' says Denise Christie, the spokeswoman for the Scottish Committee of the pro-abortion rights organisation, Abortion Rights.

However, the initial announcement of the laws devolution has opened up the debate around abortion rights legislation in Scotland, with a number of groups  both pro and anti-abortion rights  campaigning on the issue.

Pro-abortion rights campaigners

Christie says her organisation was concerned about the governments lack of consultation with womens groups while devolution was being discussed. One of the fears was that it was going to open up the debate again, which it has, she tells Al Jazeera.

Christie explains that her group, Abortion Rights, has increased its campaign efforts since the devolution was announced, not to change the legislation but to protect the laws as they stand and to make sure they are properly implemented.

According to Christie, there are still issues with the implementation of the 1967 legislation in Scotland: There has been research to show that women seeking late-term abortions in Scotland are having to travel down to England because they cant access them up here.

Our campaign efforts just now are to make sure the 1967 legislation is implemented as it is because were not seeing that happening. We want to walk first before we can run. There are still women out there who do not have safe, legal access to abortion.

Other pro-abortion rights groups see the forthcoming devolution as an opportunity to make abortion legislation more progressive in Scotland.

Abigail Fitzgibbon is the head of advocacy and campaigns for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS). In a press release dated October 20, BPAS stated: The devolution of abortion gives Scotland the opportunity to create a framework that is fit for purpose, and fit for the women of Scotland today.





The legislation of 1967 was hugely progressive at the time but it certainly wasnt perfect, Fitzgibbon tells Al Jazeera. BPAS has launched a UK-wide campaign entitled We Trust Women, with the aim of finally decriminalising abortion across Britain.

In 2016, a woman cannot choose for herself to have an abortion, BPAS states on the campaign website. Two doctors must decide whether she meets the criteria laid out in the 1967 Abortion Act. Women should be trusted to make their own decisions about their own pregnancies.

Fitzgibbon says she would be very surprised if the Scottish government were to alter current abortion legislation.

[Anti-abortion rights groups] have failed time and time again to get any restrictions in Westminster, Fitzgibbon says. They saw [devolution] as an opportunity to, at the very least, have the time limit [for an abortion] brought down in Scotland.

She says that anti-abortion rights groups seem to always underestimate the degree to which the public supports pro-abortion rights. The public are compassionate and realistic about this.

Anti-abortion rights campaigners

According to Christie, more than 75 percent (PDF) of the Scottish public are believed to support a womans right to choose.

However, she says there is still a strong movement of anti-abortion campaigners who may use the devolution to campaign for stricter abortion laws to be implemented in Scotland.

Within five days of the announcement to potentially devolve abortion to Scotland, there was a motion put to the Scottish parliament by [Scottish National Party MP] John Mason, and it was a pro-life, anti-abortion motion, Christie says.

Additionally, during the 40 days of Lent, between February 10 and March 20, a group called 40 Days for Life held vigils outside a Glasgow hospital.

READ MORE: Inside the UKs Womens Equality Party

The devolution was initially proposed by the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group within the UK parliament. [The group] obviously thought there may be an opportunity that, with a devolved government, they could lobby certain politicians and certain government ministers to change the legislation, Christie says.

John Deighan, chief executive of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) in Scotland, told Al Jazeera that the groups initial aim is to have society examine abortion. With devolution and with the ability to change a law comes a greater responsibility to understand it.

Deighan says that in response to the devolution, the society will spearhead a campaign group entitled: Dont Stop a Beating Heart.

Acting as campaign coordinator, Deighan stated in a press release on January 5: This is a historic and important time for the [anti-abortion rights] movement. The rights of the unborn child are facing new threats with the impending devolution of powers to the Scottish parliament from Westminster.

Deighan believes that current abortion legislation in Scotland is inconsistent with the right to life as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We are for women, but we are for human rights, Deighan says.

Whats next for abortion rights in Scotland?

In a statement sent to Al Jazeera last February, a Scottish government spokesperson said: The Scottish government has no plans to change the law on abortion including any extension to the time limits, and the provision of abortion services in NHS Scotland is already devolved.

Abortion is provided to all women in Scotland who require it within the legal limits. We are working to improve access to abortion for all women, in line with legislation, and will continue to do so.

Its great that the Scottish government have got no reason or remit to change it, but thats just now, and people will campaign to get certain people in certain positions of power, Christie tells Al Jazeera.

Abortion Rights has written to politicians to determine their stance on abortion before the May 5 Scottish Parliament elections.

In their 2016 manifesto, the Scottish Green Party have pledged to liberalise abortion laws in Scotland if elected, stating that they will push for abortion to be removed from the criminal justice system.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Labour Party, along with Scotlands largest political party, the Scottish National Party, has stated in their manifesto that they do not intend to change the legislation surrounding abortion.

According to Christie, while the majority of the public may take a pro-abortion rights stance, there is a very small minority of people who are pushing for the laws to be stricter.

But they still need to be taken seriously and [be] informed of what is the right thing to do.

READ MORE: Is this the end of the Scottish Labour Party?
Tribal council members arrested after killing 17-year-old in northwest region for helping her friend elope, police say.

Members of a local tribal council who strangled a girl and set her body on fire for helping one of her friends to elope in the northwest of Pakistan have been arrested, police said.

Ambreen Riasat, 17, was drugged and strangled before her body was set ablaze in a minibus on the orders of the villages tribal council in Abbottabads Makol district last week, local police chief Khurram Rasheed told Al Jazeera.

The council members tied Riasats body to the seats of the Suzuki minibus in which the couple had eloped and set the vehicle on fire, according to police.

We have arrested 13 people from the council and the victims mother, Rasheed told Al Jazeera.

The mother of the victim was arrested because she was involved in the decision-making and also because she handed her daughter to the members of the council, Rasheed said.

If proven guilty, the suspects could face the death sentence or life in prison, he added.

Call to end honour killings

Ansar Burney, a leading Pakistani civil rights activist, called for a crackdown on honour killings linked to the tribal council system in Pakistan.

The tribal council system should immediately end and everyone involved in such crimes should be punished, Burney told Al Jazeera.

A Jirga [tribal council] does not have any right to give such orders. Even the law does not support the tribal system; who are they to give orders to kill someone? Burney said.

I am ashamed to be living among such people. Women are still slaves in Pakistan. Why do men impose such killings only on women? This trend and mindset needs to change or else our daughters and sisters will face the same future.

Among the cases of recent honour killings in Pakistan was that of a pregnant woman who was stoned to death in 2014 outside the High Court in Lahore. She was believed to have married against her familys wishes.

Nearly 1,100 women were killed last year on the pretext of defending family honour, according to the countrys independent Human Rights Commission.

The killings are carried out by husbands or relatives as a punishment for alleged adultery, illicit sexual behaviour or for women defying their family in the name of love.
Critics say flags that represent autonomous Kurdish region may run counter to Canadas stated mission in country.

Footage of Canadian soldiers sporting Kurdish flags on their uniforms in Iraq has raised questions about Canadas military training mission in the war-torn country.

Canadian military personnel are training Kurdish Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq in their fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

Footage shot by Canadian news channel CTV in Iraq showed Canadian troops wearing the red, green and white flag of Kurdistan, with a yellow sun at its centre, on one sleeve of their uniforms in late April.

A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence told Al Jazeera the Kurdish flag is being used to ensure troop safety.

Our members are wearing the flag of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region to enhance cohesion with partner forces and to ensure easy visual identification, which contributes to force protection, Daniel Lebouthillier said in an email.

Canada remains committed to a unified, stable and secure Iraq.

But critics say the flags  which represent the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq, under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)  send the wrong message, and may actually run counter to Canadas stated mission in the country.

We are supposed to be there supporting Iraq and everyone agrees that strengthening Iraq so that it can take on Islamic State is what is needed, said Peggy Mason, president of the Rideau Institute, an independent foreign policy think-tank in Ottawa.

I frankly find it quite incomprehensible that Canadian soldiers would be wearing the Kurdish flag.

Canada ended air strikes in Iraq and Syria in mid-February, fulfilling a campaign promise made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal party, and bolstered its training mission of Kurdish forces in northern Iraq.

Canada is also continuing to assist the international coalition fighting ISIL with air-to-air refuelling and aerial surveillance and reconnaissance.

Thomas Juneau, an assistant professor of public and international relations at the University of Ottawa, said Canadian troops wearing the Kurdish flag is a pretty marginal issue.

But he said it raises a larger question about Canadas short- and long-term goals in Iraq.

READ MORE: Canada to end bombing missions in Iraq and Syria

Canada does not support the prospect of an independent Kurdistan and wants Kurds to reintegrate into the politics of Iraq more generally, Juneau told Al Jazeera, but at the same time it is strengthening the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

In the short term, it does make strategic sense to support the KRG because theyre one of the best actors on the ground against the Islamic State, Juneau said. But in the long term it doesnt make sense.

Still, Juneau said the flag could be strictly operational, as Ottawa has said.

Kurdish forces shot and killed a Canadian soldier in a case of friendly fire in northern Iraq last year, and as one way to mitigate against the risk of that happening, its not a bad idea, Juneau said.

But the flag of Kurdistan is loaded with symbolism, as leaders of the Kurdish national movement first unveiled it in the early 20th century.

Its a symbol of Kurdish separatism and therefore the wearers of it would be considered to be associated with it, Mason told Al Jazeera.

If Canadian soldiers are wearing this flag, then it certainly gives the impression that Canada supports this.
Increasing numbers of US politicians conclude that distancing from Israel does little to harm their political standing.

While it is not now generally known, its likely that the single most important day for the United States standing in the Middle East took place nearly 70 years ago, on May 12, 1948.

In a White House meeting on that Wednesday, President Harry Truman told his Secretary of State, George Marshall, that hed decided the US would recognise the State of Israel, whose creation would be announced two days later by David Ben-Gurion.

Marshall was enraged. The retired general, admired as the architect of the US victory in World War II, told Truman his decision was a mistake. Support for Israel would offend the US Arab allies, require constant US military support and entangle the nation in a controversial alliance.

The US needed to take a more even-handed approach, he argued, then irritably noted that Truman wanted to recognise Israel not because it was good policy, but because it would gain him Jewish votes  which he needed to win the next election.

Then and now

Marshall was right  and hes been right ever since. Not only did Harry Trumans recognition of Israel gain him the vast majority of Jewish votes in 1948, Jewish-Americans remained steady supporters of the Democratic Party through the next 16 national elections, from 1952 to 2012.

Of course, its not simply support for Israel that has made the majority of American Jews Democrats, its that the Democratic Party reflected, and reflects, their secular and progressive values.

The US' transformation from Israel's erstwhile ally to sometime friend is far from complete. But the transformation marked by Sanders' views - and the public's growing support for them - is significant, perhaps even revolutionary, even though it took seven decades to reach. by

Even so, the Democratic Party has carefully cultivated its support among Jewish voters  as well as pro-Israel Jewish fundraisers  by stridently supporting Israel at every turn and casting votes that have made Israel the largest recipient of the US foreign aid.

But now, albeit slowly, that is changing.

Just as historians cite May 12, 1948 as the day when the US became Israels most important ally, future historians are likely to mark March 17, 2010 as the day when the US began to rethink its relationship with Israel.

On that day, General David Petraeus told a Congressional committee that the perception of US favouritism for Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was sparking anti-American sentiment in the Arab world. Like Marshall, Petraeus implied that the US needed to take a more even-handed approach in the region.

While the Petraeus statement spurred vicious denunciations from the US most prominent pro-Israel voices, the damage was done  and marked the beginning of a distinct erosion in US-Israeli ties.

Over the next six years, increasing numbers of US policymakers concluded that distancing themselves from Israel would do little to harm their political standing.

No longer essential

All of this was bad news for the US supporters of Israel, but worse was yet to come. In 2012, Trumans bedrock belief, that Democrats needed Jewish votes to win the White House, was disproven.

In 2012, Barack Obama won 69 percent of American Jews vote  an overwhelming majority.

OPINION: Why I will vote for Bernie Sanders

But that number doesnt tell the whole story. Obama outpolled Republican Mitt Romney in heavily Jewish New York by almost two million votes  more than New Yorks total Jewish voting population.

Put another way, Obama could have lost every single Jewish vote in New York and still won the state  and the national election.

The same was not true for Florida, where Obama needed the Jewish vote to eke out a small majority. But heres the key: Even had Obama lost every single vote in Florida (and not just the Jewish vote) he would have still won the election.

OPINION: Muslims for Bernie Sanders

This new political arithmetic sent tremors through the American Jewish community. It was now obvious that while the US Jews  most of them left-leaning progressives  might need the Democratic Party, it was not so clear that the Democratic Party needed them.

This conclusion was reinforced by worsening relations between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and by Netanyahus support for pro-Israeli Republicans. A Pew Research poll the next year seemed to bear this out (PDF).

Losing support

As the US support for Israel was waning, so too was support for Israel among American Jews.

Among secular Jews  the core of the Democratic Partys Jewish voting bloc  caring about Israel ranked fifth as an essential Jewish trait (43 percent)  right before having a good sense of humour (42 percent).

In large part, it was this political reality that spurred on candidate Bernie Sanders to criticise Israel in his April 15 televised debate with Hillary Clinton.

Sanders  who spent time on an Israeli kibbutz  characterised Israels 2014 attack on Gaza as disproportionate, intoning that if the US wanted to pursue justice and peace in the region, then it would have to realise that Netanyahu is not right all the time. The statement brought raucous cheers from the audience, including a shouted admonition: Free Palestine.

The statement was significant, not least because a number of Clinton supporters dismissed Sanders as a late convert to the Palestinian cause.

The Vermont senator, they said, was simply making a political calculation. But that was the whole point: Sanders calculated that not only would his statement not cost him votes, it was likely gain him some.

The US transformation from Israels erstwhile ally to sometime friend is far from complete. But the transformation marked by Sanders views  and the publics growing support for them  is significant, perhaps even revolutionary, even though it took seven decades to reach.

But then, to paraphrase Churchill, America always does the right thing  after trying everything else first.

Mark Perry is a Washington DC-based foreign policy analyst and author of Talking to Terrorists: Why America Must Engage with its Enemies.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Conflicts in Syria, Turkey and Iraq threaten to undo Kurdish gains over the past two years.

When protesters stormed Iraqs parliament on September 30, a Kurdish news team from Rudaw found themselves reporting live in the midst of the chaos. A Kurdish Peshmerga soldier outside the parliament told them that protesters had kissed [him] and given [him] flowers. Its very peaceful. It was a momentary gesture in a region that has become increasingly fractured along sectarian lines.

Kurds have been seeking greater independence and autonomy throughout the region in the last hundred years in the wake of what many complain were European-imposed colonial borders that ignored their rights.

Since the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group in 2014, the Kurdish regions in Syria and Iraq have found their areas largely cut off from the central government.

This has brought widespread hopes for a Kurdish referendum on independence in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq, and a federal structure in Syria that would preserve the Kurds hard-fought rights.

Conflicting interests

But a series of incidents in recent weeks have threatened to undo Kurdish gains and are a foreshadowing of worse to come if the differing Kurdish political groups cannot navigate the competing agendas in the region.

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Cemil Bayik told the BBC that they are willing to escalate the conflict with Turkey that has killed thousands.

Across the border in Syrias Qamishli clashes between the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ended on April 23 with dozens of casualties.

The objective for Kurds must be to build stable institutions and seek international support, while not falling into the trap of internecine fighting. by

In Iraq, conflict between Kurds and Shia Turkmen in Tuz Khurmatu, about 170km north of Baghdad, boiled over last week.

These conflicts are all interconnected. Turkeys ruling party and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have amicable relations with KRG leader Massoud Barzani, while Turkey views both the PKK and YPG as terrorist organisations.

While the PKK operates from bases in Iraq, it is widely resented among members of Barzanis Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) who recall the bitter years of civil conflict with it in the 1990s.

There is also a frigid coexistence between the KRG and the YPG-dominated Kurdish areas of Syria. For instance, a border crossing between Kurdish Iraq and Syria has been closed for more than a month.

Three international volunteers for the YPG were briefly detained in mid-April in the KRG while trying to travel home to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The message was clear: the days of an open border are behind us.

Complex situation

At the very moment when Kurds are the most empowered, they face major obstacles. In Turkey the Kurdish-dominated Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) made it into parliament in 2015, only to see the breakdown of the ceasefire with the PKK lead to massive conflict throughout eastern Turkey. There seems little interest on both sides in reducing this conflict.

In Syria the Assad government will move to neuter Kurdish aspirations if it defeats the Syrian rebels with help from Iran and Russia.

Yet here we find Russia politically supporting the Syrian Kurds, and Turkey unsurprisingly attempting to keep them from gaining any ground or playing a role in peace talks.

Syrian rebel groups accuse the Kurds of collaborating with Assad, even though the two forces have come to blows in Qamishli, where Assads forces still control the airport and a small enclave.

That puts the YPG in the unenviable position of being disliked by both sides in the conflict while it still fights a brutal war against ISIL.

In Iraq, the KRG is fearful of Iranian attempts to undermine moves towards independence. Iran has a deep influence over the Shia militias such as Hashd al-Shaabi and in Baghdad.

OPINION: Kurds  pawns and kings in Syria and Iraq?

In the lead-up to the liberation of Mosul from ISIL, the Kurds have been clear that they prefer a Sunni Arab militia such as the Turkish-backed Hashd al-Watani  which is led by the former Mosul governor  to re-conquer the city.

They dont want Iranian-backed Shia militias in Mosul, which they view as an attempt to surround Kurdistan. Saudi Arabia has been growing closer to the KRG over this issue as well, because of fears of Iranian encroachment throughout the region.

A Kurdish spring?

There was a kind of Kurdish spring in the Middle East in the past few years, bolstered by military successes against ISIL.

The US has dispatched military missions to both the KRG and Syrias Rojava in recognition of these achievements.

But when Kurds talk independence or federalism, the US administration is quick to oppose further gains.

The objective for Kurds must be to build stable institutions and seek international support, while not falling into the trap of internecine fighting.

This means finding accommodation in Turkey, patching up differences between the YPG and KRG and frustrating Irans growing power without open conflict or allowing Iran to harm the KRG economically.

As a post-ISIL region comes into shape, the Kurds can play an essential role for the first time in 100 years to heal the regions difficulties.

Seth J Frantzman is a Jerusalem-based commentator on Middle East politics and has lectured in American studies at Al-Quds University. He has just returned from fieldwork in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
With Lebanons municipal elections due next week, civil society groups say it will shake up the old system.

Beirut  Its dusk, and on the second floor of an old building in Beiruts fashionable Badaro neighbourhood, people of all ages are crowding into small rooms and spilling on to the staircase as they strain to hear speeches about whats wrong with Lebanons capital and, most importantly, how it can be fixed.

This is a weekly open house organised by Beirut Madinati  Beirut is my city- one of several new groups seeking to challenge Lebanons political establishment and affect change via an unlikely conduit: Municipal elections due to be held this month.

Weve had enough. Weve all walked in the trash and have been stuck in traffic and suffered from pollution, Zeead Yaghi, a 22-year-old volunteer coordinator with the group, told Al Jazeera as enthusiastic applause for a speaker echoed in the background.

For the first time after what happened in August  theres a space for people like us to actually be in a position to influence how we live our lives daily.

This Sunday, voters in Beirut and Bekaa Valley governorates are set to go to the first of the four-phase municipality elections that occur every six years and are rolled out across the various parts of the country over a month.

This year, the election dates for the Beirut and Bekaa Valley govenorates are on May 8, Mount Lebanon governorates on May 15, south Lebanons on May 22 and north Lebanons on May 29.

INTERACTIVE: Lebanon  At the crossroads

Frustrated by the ineffectiveness of months of sporadic  but highly charged  anti-government protests and advocacy work sparked by a nationwide garbage crisis last summer, and with parliamentary elections  already twice postponed, Lebanese civil society is now setting its sights on Mays local polls.

Elections by Rana

, a democratic way to have a political revolution. We need this new blood coming in, we need change to enter the institutions.]

Im tired of asking incompetent people, people who didnt do anything for this country, to do something, Rana el-Khoury, a creative director at an advertising agency in Beirut, told Al Jazeera.

Elections are a democratic way to change [the country], a democratic way to have a political revolution. We need this new blood coming in, we need change to enter the institutions.

Khoury is one of 24 independent candidates  an eclectic mix of university professors, technocrats and activists  standing in the capitals municipal elections this Sunday as part of the Beirut Madinati campaign.

With a pragmatic 10-point agenda addressing the numerous problems facing Beirut, from public transport to waste management to affordable housing, and a savvy approach involving fundraisers in trendy bars, young volunteers flyering neighbourhoods and a huge social media presence, the group has quickly gained traction and fuelled intense debate.

Elections [in Lebanon] are not used to this sort of activity, explained Carmen Geha, the author of the book Civil Society and Political Reform in Lebanon and Libya and teacher of public administration at the American University of Beirut. Normally campaigning starts a week before and its very personality-based, not policy-based.

The result is a growing buzz around the polls. Municipal elections, usually a dull affair revolving around prominent village families and the usual mainstream families, require voters to return to their ancestral villages.

I think the thrust of it is that this is a space for activism. Where else is there? said Geha. Its good. More lists will increase turnout, which is usually quite low. Its getting Lebanese enthusiastic about elections again.

Although unable to draft legislation or enact big-scale reform, municipalities in Lebanon have become increasingly empowered over the past few years, according to Kanj Hamade, vice secretary general of the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections.

Part of this is financial, he explained, due to the influx of money from international organisations to help municipalities cope with the Syrian refugee crisis, and part of it is political, thanks to calls for greater decentralisation following the rubbish crisis.

They have enough power to be efficient and make a change, Hamade told Al Jazeera. The Beirut municipal council in particular can make real change, as they have a lot of money available to them.

READ MORE: Rubbish pickup resumes in Lebanon in bid to end crisis

Although Hamade was sceptical of Beirut Madinatis chances of beating Lebanons old guard to win any of the 24 council seats available in the capital, he predicted that smaller constituencies in rural areas would see more action.

Young people and women have a great opportunity there, he said. In some places its not a big fight, but maybe the older guy realises he needs the younger, more active guy and includes him on his list. I believe this sort of change is going to happen in several places across the country.

Nadine Moussa, leader of the secular Citizens Movement party, is hoping that one of those places will be the village of Mtein in Mount Lebanons forested Metn district, where she is supporting an independent female candidate  Chantal Bou Akl  run on a list with three other young newcomers against several established political families.





They want to build their agenda and pledges according to peoples priorities and needs, explained Moussa. This is a totally fresh type of campaign, and its shaking up the mentality in the village over there. We are asking residents to choose an agenda rather than a person.

Shifting mentalities is difficult. But with turnout at the last municipal election averaging just under 40 percent  in Beirut it was 21 percent  and the addition of a new generation of voters less connected to the old political establishment, most challengers are looking to the silent majority to carry them to victory.

Each party has its own supporters. But in total, all of them get a small percentage of the Lebanese populations votes, explained journalist Amine Kammourieh, co-founder of another secular, pro-reform movement, Citizens Within a State, which is putting forward independent candidates across the country.

There is another section that doesnt vote, and no one represents them. We are trying to represent some of these people.

On top of a wide range of civil society members, Citizens Within a States list of candidates also includes former ministers such as Charbel Nahas and Abdallah Farhat, setting it apart from similar movements.

We dont want to compete [with the politicians] necessarily, we want to balance the power and tell them that they are doing it wrong, Kammourieh said at a cafe in Downtown near the office of his newspaper, An-Nahar.

Even if we succeed [in being elected], we wont be able to change much unless the politicians agree.

Like many in Lebanon, Kammourieh is cynical about civil societys ability to force a highly resilient political elite to change their ways without electing a whole new set of leaders, which he doesnt see happening any time soon.

Im not optimistic about change occurring, he said with a sad smile. But I have to try. This is like shaking the stick, saying that we are here.
Eduardo Cunha, the architect of efforts to impeach President Rousseff, is accused of obstructing a corruption probe.

A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has suspended Eduardo Cunha, the senior lawmaker at the centre of efforts to impeach President Dilma Rousseff, citing his attempt to obstruct a probe into his alleged corruption.

The speaker of Brazils lower house of Congress is the architect of the impeachment drive, which is expected to see Rousseff forced to step aside from office on Wednesday.

Despite facing criminal charges including bribery and hiding money in Swiss bank accounts, Cunha has survived months of attempts by prosecutors and a congressional ethics committee to see him brought to justice.

But the man Brazilians refer to as a real-life Frank Underwood  the corrupt US politician in the hit Netflix series House of Cards  appeared finally to have been brought down by Justice Teori Zavaski.

The ruling reflected concerns on the Supreme Court that with Rousseff suspended and replaced by her vice president, Michel Temer, Cunha would have moved up to first on the presidential succession list.

Zavaski said in his ruling there is not the least doubt that the suspect does not meet the minimum personal requirements for fully exercising the functions of speaker of the chamber of deputies at this time.

That qualifies him even less so for substituting as the president of the republic, he said.

Prosecutors had long asked for Cunha to be brought to trial in the Supreme Court  which handles all high-ranking politicians  but the court was said to be wary of suspending Cunha while the impeachment battle was in full flow in the lower house.

RELATED: Brazil Senate report backs Rousseff impeachment trial

Cunhas removal from the scene at this point is considered unlikely to change the momentum against Rousseff, since she has already been badly weakened and her case is now in the hands of the Senate.

A conservative member of Brazilian politics growing Evangelical wing, Cunha belongs to the center-right PMDB party, which fatally wounded Rousseff when it broke from her coalition and decided to back impeachment.

Temer is also from the PMDB and Rousseff has accused him and Cunha of being conspirators using the impeachment process to bring her down in a coup.

Cunha is accused of taking bribes as part of the massive corruption scheme centered on Petrobras, the huge state oil company. Dozens of politicians and top executives have been charged or in some cases already found guilty and jailed.

Cunha, who rejects the charges, is also being investigated by the congressional ethics committee over allegedly lying to Congress about possessing secret Swiss bank accounts.
Camp for internally displaced Syrians near Turkish border destroyed with at least 30 people killed, including children.

An air strike on a camp for internally displaced Syrians near the countrys border with Turkey has killed at least 30 people, activists said.

The attack on the camp in Idlib province on Thursday also left dozens of others injured. A number of those killed were children, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.





The Observatory said the dead included women and children and the death toll from the air strikes was likely to rise.

However, the Syrian military said on Friday that it did not target the camp, state news agency SANA reported.

Russias military also insisted that none of its aircraft flew over the refugee camp the, suggesting on Friday that Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front could have shelled the location.

We have attentively studied the information from the air space monitoring data in this area for May 4 and 5, 2016. There were no flights by Russian or any other aircraft, spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian news agencies.

Judging by the damage shown in photographs and video, the camp may have been shelled either on purpose or by mistake by multiple rocket launchers which are currently being used very actively in this area by terrorists from Al-Nusra, Konashenkov said.

However, Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from the Turkish city of Gaziantep, said activists were split on whether Russian or Syrian planes were behind the attack.

Many in the opposition believe that with strikes like this theres proof the government is not serious about the cessation of hostilities, Khodr said.

These people [internally displaced] live close to the Turkish border in search of safetythey think that the closer they are to the border, the safer they are.

Video of the incident posted on social media showed tents on fire and victims buried underneath debris as rescuers tried to put out flames.

IN PICTURES: Death and destruction as Syria ceasefire buckles

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Stephen OBrien, called for an immediate, impartial and independent investigation into the air strikes, which, if found to be deliberate, could amount to a war crime.

All parties to this appalling conflict should understand that they will one day be held accountable for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

He said that initial reports indicate that at least 30 people were killed, and more than 80 injured, among them many women and children, while dozens of tents were destroyed or badly damaged.

Idlib is not part of the partial ceasefire that was announced yesterday after an agreement between the US and Russia.

Aleppo bombardment

The attack is the latest deadly strike on civilians in Syria, with much of the recent focus on the divided city of Aleppo where nearly 300 people were killed in nearly two weeks of air strikes and shelling.

Syrian rebels seized on Friday Khan Touman, a village from government forces near Aleppo overnight, the Observatory reported, gaining important ground near the Syrian city where the US and Russia are trying to de-escalate the war.





The Observatory said that at least 73 people were killed in the battle which took place some 15km southwest of Aleppo in a location near the Damascus-Aleppo highway.

While multiple rebel sources said it had been captured, a Syrian army source denied Khan Touman had been taken.

The attack was launched by an alliance of armed groups known as Jaish al-Fatah, including al-Nusra Front, which has rejected diplomatic efforts to halt the war and promote peace talks.

The US and Russia this week brokered a ceasefire in the city of Aleppo itself.

Throughout the night the battles were very intense, said Abu al-Baraa al-Hamawi, a fighter from the Ajnad al-Sham group, one of the factions taking part in the attack. Areas south of Khan Touman have been liberated, he told Reuters news agency.

The Observatory said 43 of the dead were rebels and 30 were government forces.

Groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, which have mostly supported diplomatic efforts in Syria, were not taking part in the attack, a fighter from one Aleppo-based FSA group told Reuters.

Syrias government has been at war with rebels after it violently put down an initially peaceful uprising against President Bashar al-Assad five years ago.

An estimated 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict, according to the UN, with millions more displaced internally and in neighbouring states.

The crisis has also given rise to the European refugee crisis, as Syrians join hundreds of thousands of others in seeking refuge on the continent.
Barrel bombs hit targets in Aleppo countryside, sources there say, despite US-Russia brokered truce.

Syrian government jets have dropped barrel bombs on targets in the countryside near Aleppo, sources told Al Jazeera, a day after a partial truce was extended to include the battered city.

The ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday at midnight Damascus time, and was supposed to include not only the city but also surrounding districts.

Government air strikes, though, hit Khan Touman and Al-Rashideen district in the countryside, where Assads forces were battling rebels, which would constitute a violation of the truce.

Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from the Turkish-Syria border, said: US officials said that we have an agreement with the Russians to extend the ceasefire to include Aleppo, but now we are getting those reports of attacks, but inside the city itself the situation is calm.

The streets were busier in the centre of Aleppo, Khodr said, as many people ventured out for the first time in days.

The government accused rebel fighters of violating the agreement also in what it said was indiscriminate shelling of government-held parts of Aleppo city overnight.

READ MORE: The sky is falling in Aleppo

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least one person was killed in rebel shelling in the Midan neighbourhood on the government side of the divided city.

Government media said the rockets hit the New Aleppo district.

Calls for the ceasefire to be extended to Aleppo mounted after a surge in air strikes and fighting killed almost 300 people  many of them children.

Once Syrias commercial hub, Aleppo is now divided between the government-held west and the rebel-controlled east, which has been devastated by years of shelling and air raids.

Recent government advances risk cutting the rebel east of the city off entirely.

The surge in violence wrecked the first major ceasefire agreement of the five-year war, which was backed by Washington and Moscow, and had largely held since February.

UN special envoy, Staffan de Mistura, has estimated that more than 400,000 people have been killed in a war that has driven millions of people from the country.
Dateline: Australia

According to Australias Herald Sun, a woman in suburban Melbourne turned to online crowdsourcing to get her neighbors cat out of a tree. Susie Butler of Ferntree Gully, Victoria, reportedly found her neighbors cat, Boots, stuck in a tree around 6am on the morning of April 26. She tried to coax it down, but had no luck. She also tried contacting the local fire department, the city council and the RSPCA. None of them were able to climb the tree and bring the pet down. After Boots spent about 12 hours in the tree, Butler set up an account on GoFundMe to raise the $205 dollars it would take to hire a professional animal rescuer. Within four hours the account reached its goal, with donations from as far away as the United States. Nigel Williamson of Nigels Animal Rescue showed up at 10am on April 27 and successfully removed Boots from the tree. Theres never been a cat I havent been able to get down [from a tree], Williamson told the Herald Sun. Williamson has been rescuing cats for more than 30 years but said this was the first time people had crowdfunded for his services.

Dateline: Germany

An FBI-themed stripper created a security panic in Frankfurts red-light district after being spotted with what appeared to be an assault rifle and a bulletproof vest. A significant number of police officers were deployed on the night of Saturday, April 16, after the costumed dancer was spotted. The 30-year-old Hungarian man was later found inside a table dance bar where he was in the process of stripping out of his FBI-emblazoned clothing. The mans weapon turned out to be a plastic replica, but a police report said the prop had deceiving similarities to a G36 assault rifle. After a questioning by police, the stripper was allowed to perform. Whether his act was a success is not known, police noted in their report. Prosecutors have yet to determine if the dancers rifle replica violates German gun laws.

Dateline: France

A 45-year-old woman was arrested after she entered a police station in Toulouse, in southern France, and asked them to check if her cocaine was pure. The unnamed woman handed officers two bags of pure cocaine and a third of crack cocaine. When asked why she came to a police station with drugs, the woman claimed she simply wanted the officers at the reception desk to test it because she wanted to know it was good quality so people do not die of an overdose. The conscientious drug dealer will be charged with possession or intent to supply and is scheduled to appear in court in January 2017.

Dateline: Thailand

Two anglers told Englands Telegraph newspaper they used their friend's ashes as bait to catch a monster fish. Ron Hopper, 64, died of liver cancer in December before he could go on a much-anticipated fishing trip to Thailand with friends Paul Fairbrass and Cliff Dale. While on his deathbed at home in Hull, East Yorks, Hopper made his friends promise to bring him along on the fishing trip no matter what. A few days before he died he asked us to take his ashes to Thailand and scatter them around the lake because he had really happy memories of the place, said Fairbrass, who went with Dale and Hopper to Thailand last year as a retirement present. I told him we would go one better than that and turn him into bolies and catch a big fish with him. He just cracked up and said it was a brilliant idea. Fairbrass and Dale, both aged 65, took Hoppers ashes and mixed them into special bait balls known as bolies. The two fishermen named the special bait Purple Ronnie and used it at the end of their lines throughout their nine-day Asian trip. Eventually the anglers landed a 180-pound Siamese carp. We were gutted that Ron couldnt come on the trip because he was really looking forward to it, Fairbrass told the Telegraph. But he was definitely with us when we caught that fish.

Dateline: Montana

County officials in Bozeman are trying to get rid of a wealth of Cold War commodes. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports the makeshift bathroom facilities were intended to be used in fallout shelters. The county no longer has any use for the aging SK IV Sanitation Kits, which consist of a fiberboard drum, a toilet seat, commode liner and 10 rolls of toilet paper. The toilet paper warns nuclear holocaust survivors to use sparingly. The Department of Defense didnt want the emergency toilets back and the Federal Emergency Management Agency didnt have a use for them either. The county has offered some to museums. The rest will be sold off at auction. No one has yet offered a valuation on the well-aged paper toilets.

Dateline: Texas

An Austin area elementary school named after no-longer-cool Confederate General Robert E. Lee was looking for a name change, so officials turned to the best place for such things, the internet, and asked the general public to find a new, more culturally appropriate name. Back in March the school board of the Robert E. Lee Elementary School voted eight to one, with one abstention, to change the institutions name. Students should not be required to attend schools named for people who made a choice to lead the fight to keep a race of people in slavery, said board President Kendall Pace. The time has come not to change history, but to honor it differently. Among the different suggestions offered by community members was Harper Lee Elementary School, Spike Lee Elementary School and Bruce Lee Elementary School. The Adolf Hitler School for Friendship and Tolerance ended up garnering eight votes. The winning vote, however, with 45 ballots cast, was Donald J. Trump Elementary. Second place, with 34 nominations, went to Robert E. Lee Elementary. According to Austins Statesman newspaper, the school district allegedly presented the top vote-getters to the board of trustees for review.

Dateline: Mississippi

A group of residents in Jackson held a birthday party for a pothole that has graced their neighborhood for more than a year. Eddie Prosser, who lives on Devine Street in the Bellhaven neighborhood, started off the celebration by placing colorful balloons and a sign in front of the 16-month-old pothole and its two younger brothers. The stunt obviously paid off. Shortly after WJTV reported on the five-foot wide pothole, city crews reportedly filled in the pothole with dirt. Maybe theyll come back and pave it, resident Tracey Metcalf told WAPT-16. If thats the case, we are happy.
PM Haider al-Abadi becomes the subject of ridicule after a photo of him staring at a bloody sofa spawns countless memes.

Could a couch bring down the Iraqi government? Thats what Iraqis fed up with their leaders are hoping for as they vent their anger through sarcasm on social media.

It comes after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the Speaker of the Parliament Salim al-Jabouri issued two separate statements accusing anti-government protesters who stormed parliament on Saturday of insulting the pride of the state.

The statements were accompanied by a picture of each of them standing in front of a white sofa stained with blood, both looking grave.

The hashtag #My_Couch_Is_My_Pride is being used to deride the pair, with thousands of tweets and Facebook posts of people looking at their couches disappointedly.

Hasanain Ali is one of them. Countless people died through the 13 years of violence in the new Iraq and we didnt see a single politician with such a sad expression as we saw on the PMs face in front of the holy couch. It is a very sad thing indeed to see the only person who we hoped can make a change let you down like that, he said.

Prominent figures in Iraq such as the renowned conductor of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, Karim Wasfi, posted a meme of himself playing the cello in front of the sofa. He became famous in May last year when videos of him playing at a bomb site in Baghdad circulated online.

Ahmed Habib, editor of the online Iraqi diaspora magazine ShakoMako.net, told Al Jazeera the response to the political crisis was typically Iraqi.

Their outlook on the countrys state of affairs has always been a mix of sharp analysis and an unlimited supply of sarcasm to make sense of the huge scale of the calamities that have beset them. Therefore, it was no surprise that a picture of the PM commiserating the loss of a couch in the parliament  at a time when every single aspect of the country has collapsed  garnered such a witty and angry response.

Its not only photographs of couches that are being shared; this family sang a traditional southern Iraqi funeral song to their sofa.

Others drew cartoons, paintings or even penned odes to the couch, turning it into a metaphor for their frustration with the ongoing violence.

https://twitter.com/Saraa_Iraq_____/status/727109416642875393

On Saturday, hundreds of protesters pulled down and climbed over concrete blast walls, to get inside Baghdads Green Zone. They then stormed the parliament and attacked several politicians, as well as the white couch.

#My_Couch_Is_My_Pride poses a huge PR problem for Abadi and Jabouri, who are already widely derided by their people and media.
The peace industry is gradually pushing Palestinians further away from any real peace, analysts say.

Next month, a French initiative to revive peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis is expected to take place in Paris.

The new initiative, however, is being held against the background of tensions that have boiled over into violence since October in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the blockaded Gaza Strip. During this period, the Israeli army has killed at least 206 Palestinians, including protesters, bystanders and alleged attackers, while 33 Israelis were killed in stabbing and shooting incidents.

Detached from the reality of hostility are dozens of joint Israeli-Palestinian peace-building NGOs  and other highly creative ventures  who are working to overcome challenges and foster tolerance in the absence of political reconciliation.

Focusing on dialogue, social change and cooperation, activists say they are working to humanise the other and to construct peace on the personal level. These organisations range from joint Palestinian-Israeli schools, radio stations, cafes, womens organisations to interfaith institutions and legal centres.

OPINION: The rise of the Oslo generation

They have also manifested in the form of protest groups, whereby Palestinians and Israelis have participated in joint rallies such as the weekly demonstrations in the Palestinian village of Bilin, which made international headlines and became a symbol of the non-violent resistance movement in the West Bank.

This type of peace activism is known as grassroots, or bottom-up, peace-building.

Sophie Rose Schor, an Israeli-American peace activist, says that as an Israeli, she is implicated in the reality that exists in the country and the future that will play out.

It's a crazy process where you put the Palestinian with the Israeli, the occupier with the occupied. This basically maintains the power relations within the group itself. by Amany Khalifa, a Palestinian activist and organiser at Grassroots Jerusalem

As part of the several programmes she participates in, Schor is the Israel-Palestine project manager of Extend Tours, an organisation that gives tours of the West Bank to young Jewish American students interested in face-to-face dialogue with Palestinians.

This person-to-person connection is vital in creating communities, networks, and empowering an individual to think that they can make a difference, said Schor.

I believe in grassroots efforts, and in the face of institutionalised racism, its the only thing that we, as individuals living here, have at the moment, she added.

Although Amany Khalifa, a Palestinian activist and organiser at Grassroots Jerusalem , an umbrella NGO that supports Palestinian communities in occupied East Jerusalem, has previously participated in dialogue and collaborative efforts, she is critical of their tangible impact.

Its a crazy process where you put the Palestinian with the Israeli, the occupier with the occupied. This basically maintains the power relations within the group itself, she said.

You dont talk about the group itself, you just talk about Amany as a person and Moshe as Moshe  but you never address the political situation that led to this setting. And by the end of it everyone hugs everyone and we go back home to our own realities and nothing has been changed.

READ MORE: Israel is a terrorist state

Despite these individual efforts to garner substantial international and local attention, their work remains largely sidelined within Palestinian and Israeli societies. In fact, those who do participate risk being touted by both Palestinians and Israelis as traitors or collaborators.

Running largely on European Union and Western funds through packages such as the EU Partnership for Peace Programme, many civil society organisations are additionally often obliged to comply with the rules set by the donors  a sticking point for some ventures.

In mid-April, Khalifas Grassroots Jerusalem launched a crowd funding campaign to break free from the limitations set by EU funding programmes. Such restrictions include, among other things, bringing both Israelis and Palestinians together in order to receive funding.

Current programmes perpetuate the notion that the Israeli occupation of Palestine is a humanitarian disaster. They [donors] provide aid which helps Palestinians survive under occupation, not end the occupation. This way they normalise military occupation and economic colonisation, said a statement released by Grassroots Jerusalem at the launch of the campaign.

In the past, about 70 percent of Grassroots Jerusalems funds came from top-down project-based international aid. Today, the NGO is working to become financially independent  a strategy that the group organisers view as being more sustainable.

Critics, however, have also attacked what they see as the movements trivialisation of Palestinian oppression and the normalisation of an abnormal situation between two unequal sides.

The anti-normalisation movement stands in strong opposition to any joint Palestinian-Israeli activism that says peace can be achieved through dialogue and increased cooperation. The movement also refuses to accept any projects that dilute Palestinian oppression, right of return or right to self-determination.

Alaa Tartir, programme director of Al-Shabaka Palestinian Policy Network, says in the past 20 years a peace industry has been created, with the number of organisations that claim to build peace proliferating.





This industry is helpful for few but harmful for many; simply because we are farther away now from any form of just and lasting peace than two decades ago.

Any effort that does not fundamentally challenge and change the power dynamics in the colonial relationship between Israel and Palestine will just hinder the ability of the Palestinians to liberate themselves from the occupation.

Grassroots peace-building initiatives entered the scene in 1967 when Israel occupied the remaining territories of historic Palestine comprising the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza. The Israeli Left stepped in to protest over the occupation side-by-side with Palestinians.

The 1980s came to symbolise the heyday of the Israeli peace movement. Civil society organisations and protest groups such as Peace Now , an Israeli group that campaigns against settlements, proliferated, working to foster dialogue and cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis and opposing policies such as the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.

READ MORE: How Israel is turning Palestinians into Zionists

With the outbreak of the 1987 Palestinian popular uprising , known as the Intifada, however, many of these groups failed to survive in the atmosphere of the uprising.

Another set of similar peace-building organisations emerged after the 1993 Oslo agreements . They developed under a markedly different co-existence tone in contrast to the co-resistance one of the earlier movement.

Coming to be known as people-to-people projects, they evolved under the pretext that the Oslo agreements had resolved the political aspect of the conflict, and all that was left was to break down the psychological barriers of us against them.

Salim Tamari, a Palestinian sociologist and former director of the Institute of Palestine Studies, says that yet again, the failure of politics to institute real change led to the collapse of those efforts in the modern day.

These projects became increasingly untenable because the political process was moving in the other direction in terms of Israeli dictate of entrenchment of settlements and undermining the authority of the Palestinian government. They involved collaborative gestures that created a social psychology of reconciliation without the political process of Palestinian independence, said Tamari.

The ones that continue to exist today, says Tamari, are peripheral and have no real effect.

The current uprising, which erupted in October, has been spearheaded by post-Oslo Palestinian youth. For many, it signals a serious loss of hope and pent-up repression among the new generations who have turned to violence in the absence of other means to an end.

WATCH: The price of Oslo

Schor believes that for any change to take place, the politics at the top need to change. There needs to be a serious desire from Israeli society to make concessions and from Palestinian society to disengage from the rhetoric of all or nothing.

Khalifa, on the other hand, believes that bottom-up grassroots efforts are crucial, but that Israeli peace activists need to work within their own communities to dismantle the Zionist ideology.





Why is it that theyre leaving the 1948 [territories] and going to the 1967 [territories] to support Palestinians? Shouldnt we expect them to talk with their own Israeli communities and families? Its much easier to speak to Palestinians, she said.

They go to a protest and then after the protest they know theres maqloubeh [a traditional Palestinian dish] somewhere in one of the villages. They know Palestinians will welcome them. But its the fight at home thats going to cause them much more of a headache.

Mustafa Barghouti, Palestinian non-violence activist, former presidential candidate and head of the Palestinian National Initiative political party, says he associates occupation with the 1967 annexation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the continuing refugee problem.

Barghouti is an advocate of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, which he believes is key to moving forward.

I dont think there is anything that can be called a joint peace movement. We dont accept them. They are normalisation projects used by Israel and certain foreign countries to normalise the situation.

Palestinians now realise that we need to adopt popular resistance combined with BDS.

Follow Zena Tahhan on Twitter: @zenatahhan
Woman, 53, killed and several wounded in strikes Israel says came after its troops came under fire on the border.

A 53-year-old woman was killed and several others wounded in air strikes on the Gaza Strip as Israel and Palestinian armed groups engaged in one of the worst exchanges of fire since the 2014 Gaza war.

Gaza Strip Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra said that the woman, identified as Zeina Al Omor, had been killed and several others injured by shrapnel in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis.

Israel launched the first strikes in southern Gaza late on Wednesday in response to mortar attacks on Israeli troops along the border.

Early on Thursday, it launched strikes on four targets in northern Gaza and another four in the south later in the day.

On Thursday, the Islamic Jihad group claimed responsibility for firing five mortar shells at the Israeli ground troops operating near the Gaza-Israel border fence.

It said it was the first time since the 2014 Gaza war that it had done so.

Clearing border area

The Israeli military said that during ongoing searches along the Gaza-Israel border, it had found a tunnel running underneath the southern Gaza border at a depth of 27-29 metres.

It was not yet clear how long it was, but the military said it probably reached far into Israel.

Since the 2014 war, Hamas, the movement in de facto control of the Gaza Strip, had tolerated Israeli troops entering 100 metres into the Gaza Strip while clearing the border area, an Israeli military spokesman said.

But this time, Israeli troops digging there came under mortar fire, Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said. It was the second tunnel uncovered by Israel in one month.

One target struck by Israel early on Thursday was a goldsmith workshop in southern Gaza City, residents said. Israel says it has intelligence indicating that workshops are used to produce weapons.

Israel and Hamas accused each other of raising tensions over the volatile territory.

Sources close to Hamas, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Egypt had intervened between Hamas and Israel to defuse the growing tension.

Musa Abu Marzooq, a top Hamas leader based in Qatar, wrote on his Facebook page in Arabic that the two sides had accepted an Egyptian call to return to a fragile ceasefire that has largely remained in place since the 2014 Gaza war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet for Friday morning to discuss the latest flare-up.

Israel ended its permanent military presence in the Gaza Strip in 2005 in what it called the Gaza disengagement.

However, the area remains effectively occupied as Israel retains control of its airspace, seafront and all vehicle access, blocking trade and free movement for the territorys nearly two million residents.
At least 1,600 buildings destroyed and more than 80,000 people forced to flee Fort McMurray as fire sweeps through it.

A state of emergency has been declared in the Canadian city of Fort McMurray as a massive blaze prompted the biggest evacuation in the history of Alberta state.

Officials warned on Wednesday that the fire had the potential to destroy much of the town with a few neighbourhoods already destroyed.

Wind-whipped wildfires, which broke out on Sunday, have destroyed at least 1,600 homes and other buildings and forced more than 80,000 residents to flee.

Danielle Larivee, Albertas minister of municipal affairs, said the fire was actively burning in residential areas, with more than 250 firefighters battling the blaze.

READ MORE: Wildfire forces evacuation of Canadas Fort McMurray

An update from the Municipality of Wood Buffalo later in the evening indicated that the fire was continuing to claim homes and had destroyed a new school.

Authorities said there had been no known casualties from the blaze itself, but deaths were reported in at least one car crash when people were evacuating.

Chelsie Klassen, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said all large oil sands facilities would be properly shut to minimise the damage.

Heartbreaking

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley flew up to survey the situation, while officials in the evacuation centre had to bolt to the south of the city as flames edged closer.

Notley tweeted pictures of the fire from above. The view from the air is heartbreaking, she wrote.

Notley said about 10,000 evacuees moved north where oil sands work camps were being pressed into service to house evacuees. The bulk of the evacuees fled south to Edmonton and elsewhere, and officials said they eventually would like to move everyone south.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, while the full extent of the damage wasnt yet known, that it was absolutely devastating and that there was loss on a scale that was hard to imagine.

Trudeau said he had offered the province his governments full support.

WATCH: Playing with fire

Fort McMurray is surrounded by wilderness in the heart of Canadas oil sands  the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

It was the second major blaze in the oil sands region in a year. Last May, wildfires led to the evacuation of hundreds of workers from the region, and a 9 percent cut in Albertas oil sands output.
At least 160 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the occupied territories since the beginning of the year.
Weddings are one of the few avenues for joy in Gaza, but Israels three-day attack led to deaths and delays.
A Tribute to Herbie +1 is Swedish-born composer / arranger's third "tribute" album, following well-received salutes to(2003) and(2012). For his encomium to pianist / composer, Holmquist called upon two of New York City's most respected sidemen, alto saxophonistand trombonist, known and admired, among other things, for their long association with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, to assemble an ad hoc orchestra comprised of some of the city's foremost jazz musicians (and enhanced by three Scandinavian stalwarts; more about them later). Holmquist wrote all the arrangements, and the "+1" refers to his composition "Stevie R."; the other themes were written by Hancock.Holmquist, an avowed admirer of the late great VJO arranger, writes in a similar vein, a trait that is most conspicuous on, for example, the introduction to "Chameleon," the tasteful ballad "Jessica" (enhanced by Oatts' shimmering soprano saxophone) or his eccentric "Stevie R." There is one perceptible difference (an observation that is in no way meant to disparage Brookmeyer), which is that Holmquist generally swings harder. In Brookmeyer's defense, it must be noted that the Kansas City native could swing as emphatically as anyone (and did) when that was his purpose; when writing for the VJO, however, his stratagem was more often centered on rich tonal colors and understated dynamics, less often on big-band bravado. Without abandoning Brookmeyer's method, Holmquist has taken it a step further and added a more resonant pulse.Besides those already mentioned, the Hancock staples herein restored are "Cantaloupe Island," "Dolphin Dance," "Eye of the Hurricane," "Maiden Voyage," "Watermelon Man" and "Toys." Holmquist adds bright and harmonious textures to each one, making it sound as fresh as the day it was written. Although he labels his approach "minimalist," Holmquist makes good use of every section including the first-class rhythm component anchored by drummerand including guitarist, pianistand bassist. As for the Scandinavians, they are Swedish tenor, Danish trombonist Steen Nikolaj Hansen and Norwegian trumpeter. While each of them is essential, only Nordmark solos (on "Chameleon" and "Toys"). Another Swede, trumpeter Jakob Gudmundsson, sits in on "Hurricane."The other soloists, each one of whom is splendid, are Birnbaum and alto("Cantaloupe Island"), Meyers and tenor("Chameleon"), Oatts (soprano on "Dolphin Dance" and "Maiden Voyage," alto on "Hurricane"), Birnbaum ("Dolphin Dance"), trumpeter("Hurricane," "Stevie R," "Maiden Voyage"), Weiskopf and Riley ("Hurricane," "Toys"), Wind ("Jessica") and baritone("Watermelon Man"). Add to them Hancock's irrepressible melodies and Holmquist's perceptive charts and you have a delectable banquet of big-band jazz designed to assuage almost anyone's appetite.
Australian, Daevid Allen was one of the original progressive rock wizards who founded Soft Machine and Gong, nestled within the British Canterbury movement and beyond. Sadly, he passed away on March 13, 2016. Elevenses will stand barring any reissues from the vaultas his final album and the second release by his Weird Quartet.Allen's solo jaunts are quite varied and includes his University of Errors band amid other projects. Perhaps The Daily Telegraph sums up his legacy and persona best, stating that "Allen reveled in being the court jester of hippie rock and never lost his enthusiasm for the transcendent power of the psychedelic experience."The artist's bizarre, madcap or spaced-out fairytale-like lyricism is consummated by his endearing and unpretentious vocals that became a staple throughout his decades long musical activities. Otherwise, his band includes alternating drummers Trey Sabatelli (The Tubes) and Paul Sears (The Muffins) aligning with keyboardist Don Falcone (Spirits Burning) and bassist Michael Clare (Daevid Allen's University of Errors). Allen's guitar work is devised on reverberating extended notes, often used with a bottleneck or similar implement. He imparts additional psyche-rock treatments via overtures that sound as though he's journeying through the Milky Way, along with Falcone's melodic intervals.Allen doesn't sing on every track, but each piece offers a contrasting perspective. For example, "Alchemy" might be considered a prog-style hootenanny with Sears' playfully discordant keys and the leader's twangy guitar licks. But "Grasshopping," is a dreamland on wheels with synth percussion, groovy organ parts, existential guitar riffs, jazzy sub-motifs and a simple melody line that signals a quasi-1960s feel. The goodness doesn't end there as the quartet follows with" God's New Deal," complete with traces of an Irish jig and Allen's lyricism about what constitutes a deal, based on off-kilter spirituality and common sense. Other pieces firmly reside in the 'head-trip' category rooted in galactic joyrides, abetted by the group's superb musicianship and irrefutable camaraderie. And while Allen may have lurked in the shadows at various times during his career his whimsical prophecies of good cheer are factors that accentuated his distinct artistry.
Mostly Other People Do the KillingPhiladelphia Art AlliancePhiladelphia, PAFebruary 15, 2016"If mostly other people do the killing I guess that means it's sometimes us," replied bassistin response to the inevitable question about the name of his band. Though many consider Mostly Other People Do the Killing (MOPDtK) one of the most original and talented ensembles of their generation, others would argue that jazz itself is the object of the quartet's murderous tendencies. I escaped my typical Monday routine to witness the crime in person at the Philadelphia Art Alliance. The attic room, with benches and folding chairs informally clustered around the instruments, felt like a reboot of the NYC loft scene that hosted the '70s free jazz to which MOPDtK is so indebted.During a lull in a twenty-minute medleyplunged his arm into the belly of his Steinway and muffled the strings of a cyclic motif in the lower register. Meanwhile,scraped his stick around the rim of the snare drum as Elliot coaxed a high-pitched whine from his bass.stood center-stage with his eyes closed, lightly inhaling as his tenor sax whimpered. Five minutes later all four were playing as loudly as they could. If a jazz artist from the 1950's were to hear an excerpt of this moment he might assume that these 21st century cats had literally forgotten how to play their instruments. The actual audience, intellectual types of a broad age range, swayed about with their eyes closed, as if in rapture.But despite moments (or rather stretches) of chaos and abstraction each member displayed staggering prowess on his instrument; the gentleman of MOPDtK are top-tier musicians. Elliot formed the band in 2003 after meeting trumpeter Peter Evans, a former member, at the Oberlin Conservatory for music a few years earlier (though he admitted to almost choosing Swat). Relocating to New York City after college, he played with acts includingand founded the Hot Cup record label, which produces MOPDtK. The bandleader is a formidable bassist in his own right, but the other members have equally stunning credentials.Irabagon, a versatile and expressive technician, gained an international profile after winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk Saxophone Competition in 2008 (past winners include, who beat outin 1991). In addition to leading his own groups and solo projects, Irabagon has cut with contemporary giants including, and guitar godShea, recruited through Halvorson, attended Berklee and was voted "Best Drummer of 2012" by the Village Voice. After his arrival MOPDtK shot to notoriety with the critically lauded releases of Shamokin!!! (2007) and This Is Our Moosic (2008). A year later they racked up Downbeat's Rising Star Ensemble award, in addition to awards in their individual instrumental categories. For their 2015 project Mauch Chunk MOPDtK replaced trumpeter Peter Evans with pianist Ron Stabinsky, who adds a richer chordal basis for their lunacy.This present line-up met for a question and answer session before the show. Elliot perched on the piano bench and barked answers with a dignified glare, his face flanked by bushy sideburns. Stabinsky, sporting a Dr. Strangelove-style glove on one hand, served as a quirky counterpoint to the bandleader's intensity. Shea stood silent in a corner rapidly drumming on his leg while Irabagon, according to the others, "got wasted in the back room." Before joining in Irabagon's pre-show festivities, the musicians shared their artistic philosophy. They believe that all musicians should be free to play whatever comes to them and that the purpose of compositions is not to restrict musicians but rather to prevent them from resorting to their default patterns. Having a developed voice as a musician means being capable of singular contribution in as many contexts as possible, not having one distinctive 'sound.' This philosophy is evident in the chameleonic nature of the musicians: MOPDtK is notorious for their allusions to various historical genres within the jazz idiom.Despite their flamboyant presentation, which walks the line between homage and parody, they claim that humor in no way motivates their period referencesthey simply believe that styles such as '20s era Dixieland are underrepresented."We're not a historical recreation band," Elliot assured us, emphasizing that the group's top priority is to play however they play as individuals, which of course must feature their musical lineage. In fact, the ensemble manages to put a post-modern spin on their historical flashbacks, erratically switching from an entropic cacophony to a swinging bass line or a smooth jazz lope. Moves like this question the typical free-improv values of stylistic coherence and fluency in mood shifts. This was one of many audacious performance habits."Sometimes I'll count off one song and each of us will start playing a different one," remarked Elliot before the show. "If I write something and expect them all to play it note for note I'd better find a different band."And indeed, there would be no way to script the series of pops, squeaks, and growls that marked the beginning of their opening number "Mahoopany" (which quickly shattered into an amalgam of different songs). Shea struck his music stand with a machine-gun-like drum roll, then dropped his sticks onto the snare and began to spank his cymbals bare-handed. Stabinsky and Irabagon took turns erupting into melodic swirls, which grew more frantic and abrasive on "Herminie," the second number.The intensity ramped up gradually throughout the set and climaxed with a near-half hour suite that seemed to take fragments of songs, both originals and covers, and haphazardly spew them out in a collage of sound with no organization beyond the spontaneous directives of the musicians. While introducing the last number, the bassist attempted to recall which songs they had playing in the epic montage. He gave up. Then, as he had with every song, Elliot laid down a simple, groovy riff (which the others proceeded to mercilessly drown out and deconstruct). Throughout the set the bandleader was grinning, laughing, and shouting encouragement at his eclectic troupe of virtuosos.Elliot was not alone in his jubilance; this was one of the most playful bands I have ever seen. They wove their sonic worlds with the attitude of children at play, never saying no to an idea and delighting at every twist and turn. Typically, when musicians free improvise there is a tension between each individual's personal ideas and the mutual desire to stay in tune with how the group is moving as a whole. But at certain points in this concert the musicians chose to shrug off the gravitational pull between them and fly off in their own bizarre directions, only to reconvene moments later in a completely different location.Their reaction time was not perfectoften when one member would begin a new thread it would take seconds for the last to catch onbut what they lacked in reflexes they made up for in sheer force of will. Each musician had the confidence to commit to something totally absurd and each had the faith that his bandmates would follow him there (hence the abrupt changes in rhythm and mood). This attitude of exploration even extended into the realm of "non-musical" sounds. MOPDtK seems fascinated with the physical nature of their instruments and all sonic variety for which the material allows. They often became transfixed on certain aural textures, in addition to melody and rhythm. Jazz has always been attentive to paradigm shifts in popular music, and MOPDtK follows the modern trend of emphasizing timbres (exemplified in the production values of Hip-Hop, Electronica, and post-Beatles Pop).I'm unable to listen to a band of this ilk without starting to question every scrap of musical dogma I've amassed in a short lifetime of music nerdery. This is not accessible stuff, at least for my virgin ears; I still haven't figured out what they're trying to do as musicians or what I should try to hear as a listener. What's most readily apparent is that they're not trying to sound pretty. Okay, maybe sometimes they are, if it's what they feel like doing at the moment, but it's one of many goals, not the baseline from which they build deeper substance, as is the case with most bands. Though it's easy to see that they're not trying to sound conventionally nice (euphonious, accessible, etc...), it's much harder to decipher what their alternative goal is. Should I listen for the emotional elements of their playing and revel in the profundity of such direct expression of what it's like in someone else's mind? Are they really just trying to do things that sound cool and a lot of it goes over my head? Am I overthinking this?If I posed this question to every member of the audience I doubt any two would give the exact same answer. MOPDtK makes complex music in the sense that there are so many valid angles with which to engage, and I believe that asking these questions is part of what a postmodern aesthetic experience entails. The fact that I don't quite understand why I'm listening to a guy make fart sounds through a metal tube makes it extra gratifying when I ultimately settle on a conclusion.My personal answer is this: a good free-form improv group can collaborate to create a sonic realm that is utterly unique. If the musicians are sufficiently on the same page as one another they will all inhabit a certain mental space together, feeling the same inexplicable "mood" or "vibe" and playing in a way that reproduces and morphs it. And if they are subtle and expressive with their instruments I can enter into this world with them so that when the piece ends it feels like I'm waking up to reality. I find this feeling beautiful, and amidst the chaos of MOPDtK's show there were moments of sublimity that brought me there.
           2005     ..        










INTERNATIONAL "Every Kenyan" has had to pay bribes - Odinga tells Al Jazeera

- 5 Mai 2016





The former Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, told Al Jazeera Englishs Mehdi Hasan that he was very worried that next years general election could turn violent and that he would not participate if the Electoral Commission is not reformed in time.



We need to address factors that may lead us to a state of violence that we witnessed in 2008, the opposition leader told Al Jazeeras Head to Head.



We will not go into the gallows, Odinga said. If the Electoral Commission is not properly reformed, there would definitely be no reason for us to participate in the coming elections.



Next years polls come a decade after a disputed election, which left 1300 people dead and 650,000 people displaced. Odinga ran for President back then, but believed the election was stolen from him. He became Prime Minister in a unity government in 2008 until 2013, when he stood unsuccessfully again for President, losing to Uhuru Kenyatta.



During the interview with Head to Heads Mehdi Hasan at the Oxford Union, Odinga also discussed the issue of corruption within the country. He admitted that every Kenyan, including himself, has had to pay a bribe to get things done. The question is when, its not if he quipped. While in government, Odinga was offered bribes but said that he always resisted taking them. He added that he will certainly jail corrupt officials if he is elected President.



On the recent collapse of the International Criminal Court (ICC) trial of Deputy Vice President William Ruto (his ally at the time of the disputed 2007 election), for crimes against humanity, Odinga said it would have been better for Ruto to have gone through a full trial and then discharged for lack of evidence rather than a mistrial.



Odinga slammed the Kenyan government for an intolerable amount of interference in the ICC case and also criticised the African Union (AU) for having a hypocritical relationship with the ICC, which it has previously threatened to withdraw from. The AU has not been honest with themselves because they are saying that ICC targets African leaders, and Ive said its hogwash Most of the African leaders who were before the ICC have been referred there by Africans themselves.



On the issue of Kenyas military involvement in Somalia, Odinga said that if he were to become President he would bring the troops home within one year of taking office.



Odinga and Hasan were joined by a panel of three experts: Nic Cheeseman, Professor at the African Studies Centre at Oxford University; Agnes Gitau, commentator and trade and investment advisor; and Parselelo Kantai, editor of The New African.



This series of Head to Head also includes interviews with former British Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont and Martin Indyk, former US Ambassador to Israel, advisor to President Bill Clinton and US Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations in 2013-2014. In each episode, Hasan goes head to head with a special guest, asking the probing and hard-hitting questions few dare to ask.



Kenya: Democracy on Trial? with Raila Odinga will be broadcast on 6 May 2016 at 20:00 GMT and repeated on the 7th of May at 12:00GMT, the 8th of May at 01:00 GMT and 9th of May at 06:00 GMT. This episode will be available online immediately after it first airs on YouTube and http://aje.io/l9tf.





Dans la meme rubrique : < > L'ecart d'utilisation de l'Internet mobile est presque huit fois superieur a l'ecart de couverture Le secretaire general de lOCI effectue une visite officielle en Russie Tchad : le senateur americain Bob Mendez reclame des sanctions apres la repression des manifestations Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
Cities require smart strategy for long term growth. The attached release, Life-changing Angolan project wins international award in London is a demonstration of how important it is to take a strategic approach to developing a city vision.



A co-designed city vision for the future has been awarded a Masterplan prize at British Expertise International Awards (BEIA) in London. The Masterplan Framework for the Province of Luanda, Angola received the top award for Outstanding Masterplanning Project of 2016.



Designed by a consortium led by Broadway Maylan, Luanda 2030 is a 20-year strategic framework that outlines the transformation of the architectural and urban lines of the Province of Luanda into a liveable, beautiful and international city.



Consortium partners included Urbinvest, Aurecon, Deloitte, Mobility in Chain and the University of Lisbon, with the project also shortlisted for the Outstanding International Leadership category of the BEIA awards.



Feel free to contact me should you require further information.



Aurecons Just Imagine blog features a piece called Cities are being disrupted  who will win?

Excerpts:

Strategic planning at a city level will create an advantage whereby one city succeeds by comparison to others. The first city to truly adopt digital will become a magnet for industries and, as a result, a magnet for prosperity and liveability.

Cities should not be run in the here and now. They should be run as elite business entities and follow a blueprint for success. Unless they are actively identifying emergent risks and strategising for long term growth by seeking to create competitive advantage  they are, possibly, heading for a Kodak moment.
Malawian authorities must take immediate action to stop the ritual killings of people with albinism following the discovery of two more mutilated bodies in the past week, Amnesty International said today.



Details were uncovered yesterday of the killing of a 30-year-old woman with albinism, Jenifer Namusyo, who was found dead on 30 April hours after she was stabbed in the back, abdomen and elbow, with her breasts and eyes removed.



The body of Malawian teenager David Fletcher, who went missing on 24 April, was discovered in Mozambique earlier this week with his arms and legs cut off.



These gruesome killings are a reminder of the grave danger people with albinism in Malawi live in, said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Director for Southern Africa.



Authorities must act now to end this killing spree and take immediate measures to protect these vulnerable people.



Thousands of people with albinism live in fear of being abducted or killed criminal gangs in Malawi, where their body parts are sold for use in rituals.



Namusyo was attacked as she made her way to another village on a bicycle to seek traditional medicine. She left home 2 a.m. and her mutilated body and bicycle were found at 10 a.m. on the same day.



At least 14 people with albinism are known to have been killed in Malawi since December 2014, while five others have been abducted during the same period. Their fate and whereabouts remain unknown.



We call on Malawian authorities to ensure that suspected perpetrators of these horrific crimes are brought to justice, and to address the root causes of these killings, which have left people with albinism living in constant fear, said Muleya Mwananyanda.




AR's Editor Joe Shea Talks About Elections On Iranian TV Bear Stearns Saved By Fed As Lehman Bros. Falters; Major Bank

Failure Looms Over Wall Street, Sends Markets Into 200-Pt. Dive Lie Upon Lie Five Years Into the Iraq War

The Administration Still Churns Out Lies by Randolph Holhut A Small Tragedy Even at 90, As Friends Turn Cool

She Knows the Show Must Go On by Joyce Marcel I'll Take Me Imagine John Wayne or Arnold

In Heels, Silk and a Girdle by Elizabeth Andrews Sen. Nelson Calls For New Fla. Primary; Gov Crist Backs 'Do-Over' Who'll Win? Ask Spock Spock.com Engine Predicts Winners

By Site Searches; It Can be Wrong by Jay Bhatti Chatting Up The Cat God Gave Me Dominion Over Him

But I Think He's a Non-Believer by Constance Daley Death of a Thug The Life and Horrors of Suharto by Andreas Harsono ___________________________ This Just In Sierra Club: McCain Ducked All 15 Key Votes On Green Laws (AR) A Work By AR's T.S. Kerrigan Is Chosen As 'Best Poem' By Wordpress Site Murder At Mile 63

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AFTER 5 YEARS, WE'RE STILL LIED TO ABOUT IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Next week is the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. And it is likely that sometime in the next couple of weeks, the 4,000th American soldier will die in Iraq. [MORE] Momentum

OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - It's 1931, and a 14-year-old girl is standing alone on a stage. She's small and lively with dark curly hair, widespread hazel eyes, slender wrists and an open, eager face filled with the wonder of performing. Her name is Rose, and one day she will be my mother. But now she is performing an Eugene O'Neill monologue called "Before Breakfast" for a ladies' club in a wealthy suburb of Long Island. [MORE] One Woman's World

COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I'm not sure but I think I may be socially incorrect. [MORE] On Native Ground

ENOUGH FOR A WAR, NOT FOR A PEOPLE by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Last week, the National Governors Assn. met in Washington, D.C. One of the tasks the NGA had on its agenda was to ask President Bush to increase federal spending on roads, bridges and other public works projects as a way to stimulate the economy. He rejected their pleas out of hand, claiming that infrastructure projects wouldn't offer any short-term economic boost. [MORE] Brasch Words

BEWARE THE SELF-REVERENTIAL PRESS by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Shortly before the primary votes this past week, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter called Sen. Barack Obama's surge to the Democratic nomination "inevitable." It also called for Hillary Clinton to "start her campaign for Senate majority leader." [MORE] Constance

A CONVERSATION WITH MY CAT Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Normally, when the cat starts his evening rant of meowing continuously until he makes his point, I just take it as long as I can, pick him up, and put him in the garage for the night. He doesn't want to go, but the meowing stops and I don't care if he likes it or not. [MORE] Momentum

OUT OF STRUGGLE, ART by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Here we are again at the crossroads of art and social change, having the opportunity to watch good and great films about the lives of women in support of the Women's Crisis Center. [MORE] Campaign 2008

HOW TO PREDICT SUPER TUESDAY II WINNERS? ONLINE SEARCH by Jay Bhatti NEW YORK, March 4, 2008, 7:00PM ET -- With the outcomes of the Texas, Vermont, Ohio and Rhode Island primaries to be decided tonight, how possible is it that online searching can predict who will win tonight's primaries? [MORE] One Woman's World

DON'T VOTE; IT ENCOURAGES THEM by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Call me angry and disgusted but don't call me un-American because I won't be voting come November. [MORE] On Native Ground

BUSH AND THE KEYBOARD COMMANDOS by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- As the days tick down toward the eventual departure of President George W. Bush from the White House, it's a hopeful sign that most Americans are no longer moved by his Administration's constant exploitation of terrorism for political gain. [MORE] Momentum

WHICH AMERICA DO YOU LIVE IN? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- It's a little confusing. [MORE] Make My Dat

THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] On Native Ground

FIDEL RETIRES: NOW THE COLD WAR IS REALLY OVER by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Maybe now, we can finally say the Cold War is over. [MORE] Make My Dat

THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] One Woman's World

POLITICS IS NO PARTY by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Are you having a hard time focusing your eyes? Do you have faint red spots all over your body? Is there a ringing in your ears and do you see wavy lines when you look at your television set? Do your hands shake when you try to hold a cup of coffee? And have you recently been forgetting what day of the week it is - or what year? [MORE] Make My Day

FOR BETTER OR WORSE ... A LOT WORSE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- "Marriage: It's Only Going to Get Worse." [MORE] Constance

YOU CALL THESE RIGHTS? by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- When you express an opinion you hope to persuade others to your point of view. It doesn't always happen but still, opinion writers try. [MORE] Momentum

THE BRIDGE WOMAN by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - Out there in America - yes, still - is a generation of women who were born in the 1940s, raised in the 1950s, and who came to radical consciousness in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I am one of them. Hillary Clinton is one of them. [MORE] On Native Ground

OBAMA AND MY GENERATION by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- I originally planned on voting for Dennis Kucinich in the Vermont Primary on March 4. [MORE] The Willies:

WARNING: THIS MEDICATION MAY MURDER YOUR FRIENDS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla. -- You've heard the warnings, haven't you? Stop Prozac and you may take a shotgun, an Uzi or an AK-47 and mow down your family and friends, or even a whole classroom full of your fellow students. You didn't? Well, that warning is not on the bottle, but like countless mass-murder incidents before it, Friday's shootings at Northern Illinois University, as well as the Virginia Tech shootings that killed 32 last year, was probably precipitated by the effect of stopping medications that suppress anger and other powerful emotions but do not relieve the underlying cause. Isn't it time we started warning people - or stopped prescribing these medicines? [MORE] One Woman's World

DON'T KNOCK ON MY DOOR by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I wish I could feel delight in my poet's mansion being like Grand Central Station all the time, but I can't. And I wish my place was such a place that someone would one day write: "Her door was always open and she always made you feel all fuzzy and warm in her presence. She could make a cup of coffee seem like a banquet." [MORE] Reporting: Panama

PANAMA'S VIOLENT LABOR UNREST INTENSIFIES Mark Scheinbaum PANAMA CITY, Panama, Feb, 15, 2008 -- After just one day of relative calm, wildcat construction strikes by some members of Panama's largest union flared up again Friday morning, four days after a police sniper shot one worker. More than 140 demonstrators have been injured and at least 500 arrested, authorities say. [MORE] Brasch Words

TO STIMULATE ECONOMY, BUY A CHINESE-MADE U.S. FLAG by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Walking down Main Street, pushing a grocery cart loaded with clothes, toys, and appliances was Marshbaum. Fastened to the right front corner of the cart was an American flag tied onto a three-foot ruler. [MORE] Make My Day

THE TOOTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- To commemorate the death of noted shark exploder Roy Scheider, and the "Jaws" movies that resulted in Erik never setting foot in the ocean again, we are reprinting this column from 2003. Shark Experts 0, Sharks 1 [MORE] Momentum

THE WINTER OF MY DISCONTENT by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - As I write this, it's raining ice. Maybe a half a foot of snow and ice has already landed up here in the woods of Dummerston. Our cars are encased in it, and the door to the house is blocked. The satellite dish that brings in our Internet service quit about 20 minutes ago - frozen solid. [MORE] The Willies

AMERICA TO HILLARY: GET OUT! by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 13, 2008 -- Sen. Hillary Clinton has adopted the Rudy Giuliani strategy, and it's working - for Sen. Barack Obama. It turns out to be the strategy all Democrats are seeking - an exit strategy. But it's not for Iraq. It's for her exit from the race for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. [MORE] Constance

CONFESSIONS OF A DISAPPOINTED VOTER by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- A week ago at just about this time, I completed an article and was about to submit it as scheduled to The American Reporter. I was feeling rather elated, ready to show up on Super Tuesday morning, firmly touch the X next to Rudy Giuliani's name and get on with my day. He was my choice; he would get my vote. [MORE] Reporting: Florida

SIERRA CLUB SET TO SUSPEND FLA. CHAPTER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 10, 2008 -- The national Sierra Club is set to suspend its Florida chapter after years of divisive infighting, the president of the national club told Florida members in a letter delivered to some this weekend. It is the first time in its 116-year history that such a step has been considered by the club, according to news reports. [MORE] One Woman's World

PLANT A NEW WORLD THIS SPRING by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- For a little while, the men will just have to toss and turn in their fear-free-women beds. For a small space of time Hillary Clinton will just have to trudge on toward the White House without my faint applause in the background. [MORE] On Native Ground

VERMONT AND THE 5 STAGES OF CONSERVATIVE GRIEF by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- First, Vermont tried to convince the nation to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. [MORE] Make My Day

REBEL WITHOUT A TONGUE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Kids' brains work in amazing ways. At times, they can grasp complex concepts and make impressive discoveries. Other times, you have to wonder how we ever survived as a species. [MORE] The Willies

FOR DEMOCRATS, NOW IT'S ABOUT RACE, INCOME AND GENDER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Feb. 6, 2008 -- It's not a good time to be a Democrat. As the Super Tuesday results demonstrated, the presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has divided the partly along clear racial, income and gender lines - the very distinctions the party has sought to erase in principle but has emphasized in its pursuit of diversity. [MORE] Momentum

SUPER TUESDAY BLUES by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Super Tuesday has come and gone and I still can't get excited about the upcoming presidential elections. [MORE] The Willies

ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY, YOUR PUSH IS NEEDED by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 5. 2008 -- I'm expecting a sea change tonight. I believe that for the first time in this nation's history we will once and forever banish racism as the deciding factor in the destiny of African-Americans, and indeed adopt diversity as our path to the future. [MORE] Campaign 2008

AT 88, EVERY VOTE REALLY COUNTS by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 5, 2008 -- Pearl Turner will caucus for Mitt Romney tonight in Denver. [MORE] One Woman's World

STAND BY YOUR WOMAN by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- The black vote. The gay vote. The fundamentalist vote. The Hispanic vote. [MORE] An AR Special

SUSPECTS IN BENAZIR ASSASSINATION HAVE TIES TO MUSHARRAF by Ahmar Mustikhan WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When Gordon Brown this past Monday feted coup-leader-turned-President Pervez Musharraf at 10 Downing Street, Britain's new prime minister probably didn't ask the Pakistani dictator a question that is now on many minds: Did you order the murder of Benazir Bhutto? [MORE] Momentum

TO THE VERMONT DELEGATION: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US LATELY? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt.  Back when President George W. Bush and Dick Vice President Dick Cheney were building up to their loathsome war in Iraq, very few people were brave enough to call the bullies' bluff. [MORE] On Native Ground

IF BUSH HAS HIS WAY, WE'LL NEVER LEAVE IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. - In his final State of the Union address on Jan. 28, President Bush cautioned against accelerating U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq, saying that it would endanger the process that has been made over the past year. [MORE] Campaign 2008

CLASH OF COMMENTS AND PROTESTORS AT CLINTON, OBAMA RALLIES IN DENVER by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 1, 2008 -- At least four presidential campaigns of both partiers rolled into in Denver this week ahead of the Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" primaries in 22 states, but it was the Democratic presidential contenders who drew the big crowds and duked it out Wednesday. If sheer numbers are any indication, Sen. Barack Obama - preceded by a buoyant and beautiful Caroline Kennedy - won the round handily. He is the overwhelming favorite to win the Colorado primary next Tuesday. [MORE] The Willies

WHY THE FLORIDA PRIMARY STINKS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Jan. 30, 2008 -- I was with my wife and daughter driving the back way from Miami home to Bradenton when we stopped at a McDonald's in Clewiston, the only big town along the vast shore of Lake Okeechobee, the state's precious freshwater reservoir. The McDonald's had three televisions at a central seating area, each tuned to a different network, and our table was in front of CNN as the very first election results started to pour in around 7:30PM. With them, almost as counterpoint, suddenly came such an overwhelming odor of cow plop that my wife started to throw up as we all ran to the parking lot. [MORE] Passings: Suharto

DEATH OF A KEMUSU THUG by Andreas Harsono JAKARTA - A few minutes after hearing that former president Suharto had died in his hospital bed, Marco, a militia leader in downtown Jakarta, raced to Suhartos house, wearing his jungle camouflage and began guarding the Suhartos residence on Cendana Street. [MORE] Constance

I REMEMBER YOU by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga.. -- It seems to be more often lately that the sentiment is spoken but it's always been out there: "You never get over the death of your child." This is true. But the heartfelt expressions come from some who cannot fathom the notion of losing a child; their own child is who is in their mind, not another mother's child. [MORE]
PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Newscity Robert Maestas News is the news is the news. In these parts, the news continues to provide a picture of the general shape and direction of the thing called New Mexico. Here's what we're looking at this week, here is what caught our eye at Weekly Alibi.

Griego Sentence Protested Back in January 2013, then 15-year-old South Valley resident Nehemiah Griego killed five members of his family. Griego shot his mother, brother and two sisters to death with a .22 rifle before lying in wait for his father and killing him with an AR-15 when the old man returned from work. Griego's father was an ex-con who had converted to evangelical Christianity and worked as a social worker and preacher. Nearly three years later, the state, Griego's relatives and city citizens are still dealing with the consequences of the lost son's heinous crimes. In February, Children's Court Judge John Romero decided Griego was to be sentenced as a juvenile. The result was to be a five year sentence to be served in a treatment facility, followed by the murderer's release. In April, the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office filed an appeal, asking that Romero's decision be overturned and that Nehemiah be sentenced as an adult for the crimes he committed. Under current sentencing guidelines, Griego could face up to 120 years in a penal facility, a marked difference from the five year rehabilitative stay the youth now faces. On Sunday, members of Griego's extended familyincluding several members who flew in from out of state to question the punishment meted out to him by New Mexico's criminal justice systemheld a protest rally near the University of New Mexico. They contend their wishes were not taken into account at sentencing hearings held by Judge Romero, and that as a convicted mass murderer, Griego should spend the remainder of his life behind bars. Though some of Griego's remaining relatives support the current terms of his continued incarceration, protesters are scared for their safety. Neighbor Judith Wyman, a protest participant, told the local daily, A mass murderer, especially one that kills little children, should never be let out.

Kellys Brew Pub Sued Days after the local daily reported that Nob Hill dining establishment and beer repository Kellys Brew Pub might be sold to a Santa Fe company, current and former employees filed a lawsuit against the former filling station and current watering hole. They claim the owners, Dennis and Janice Bonfantine, kept tip money earned by workers and also violated the City of Albuquerque minimum wage ordinance. According to published reports, the New Mexico Center for Law and Poverty has joined with seven plaintiffs and a private law firm in this legal action. According to the lawsuit, employees had to pay for their minimum wage rate by dipping into their own tip money when they made more than what the rate provided. In addition, workers allege that they weren't paid for off the clock work and that credit card tips were withheld from them. Besides back wages, the lawsuit seeks to reclaim lost tips as well as damages incurred in the misappropriation of funds process. When asked about the allegations by a reporter from the local daily, owner Dennis Bonfantine denied them; the new potential owners of Kellys, Santa Fe Dining, declined to comment.
Courtesy Cabq.gov

The May 2 meeting of the Albuquerque City Council featured discussions and Council action on a variety of matters of local import. A proclamation supporting Mental Health Awareness Month, top cops being punished for departmental noncompliance with Department of Justice objectives, and a new version of the citys dangerous dog law were among items considered.

Were All In This Together

The rate of young people who commit suicide in New Mexico is almost twice the rate of suicide in the rest of the nation. With that in mind, the Albuquerque City Council proclaimed May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Ane Romero, a mental health advocate, said lime green is the color to wear to remind people to be aware that one in five people will be diagnosed with mental illness. The proclamation calls out public and private employers, teachers, family, friends and neighbors to be more aware, supportive and compassionate towards those with mental illness. Individuals with mental health conditions can recover ... and lead full, productive lives, the proclamation reads.

Two Stepping

In an unusual move, Albuquerque City Councilors stayed away from any grilling of the citys bosses during the meetings Administration Q & A period. A grilling was expected due to more grumbles from the the Department of Justice about the city police and legal minions being uncooperative. But the Council did go into executive session to discuss pending litigation with DoJ, so this may be where the fireworks flew.

Public Palabras

A number of senior citizens from the newly formed Silver Platinum Downtown Neighborhood Association addressed the Council about increased traffic around the soon-to-be-opened grocery store at Silver and Third Street. Here are some of the public comments:

There are lots of us seniors near the new Silver Street Market.

We need speed bumps. And crosswalks. Maybe a stop sign.

We dont walk as fast as we used to. Can you look in to that and help us seniors out?

We need some more police officers Downtown. It is pretty rough.

Webster Park

Councilors approved naming a future park located at Copper and Wyoming the Officer Daniel Webster Albuquerque Childrens Park. Albuquerque Police Department Officer Webster was killed during a traffic stop near there. Webster was a 20-year Army Ranger veteran and had been with APD since 2006. Webster was well liked in his beat area of south Los Altos.

Maybe Maybe Not

Councilors have been debating how to go about making open space purchases for quite a while. Councilor Don Harris sponsored a bill to reserve 2 to 3 percent of the general reserve or about $4 million a year for the purchase of open space land. The measure was deferred again when questions rose regarding where that money comes from, what will be impacted and how can the money be used. The Council will take this up again at a later date.

Angels Law

The Council has been playing catch with this bill over the last few meetings by deferring it repeatedly. Angels Law refers to a city ordinance regarding harm caused by dangerous dogs. Councilor Diane Gibson introduced a new version, then deferred the vote because the Council cannot vote on a new version of a bill at the same meeting where it was introduced. Councilor Gibson and City Attorney Jessica Hernandez said the bill was still being worked on and comments are still welcome. Councilor Isaac Benton asked if the bill tries to blame the animal and not the owner. The best line of the night goes to Councilor Gibson when she said, Ive been bitten by a lot of dogs. I am kind of an expert.

Behave

Some city employees from the mayor on down could be part of a public ethics and code of conduct training pilot program. The training is being done in order to reaffirm that the city is dedicated to fostering an environment of fairness and accountability. Not all city workers will be required to take the training.

Staffing the Rescue

Council members approved establishing minimum staffing requirements for Albuquerque fire fighters. Each fire station will now have to be staffed with a minimum number of fire fighters and paramedics along with all fire stations having updated essential equipment. Details and staff numbers will vary by station depending on need. For instance, the measure requires a minimum of two paramedic firefighters on each rescue and a minimum of four fire fighters on each engine. Councilor Ken Sanchez got a little emotional when he said he knows first hand the need for two paramedics is a matter of life and death. He said he had to call 911 several times while taking care of his aging mother. Councilor Pat Davis said maintaining minimum staffing requirements helps keep city residents property insurance a little lower.

Top Cops Time Out

Councilors did not approve a bill to economically punish top cop bosses if the city does not comply with the court ordered Department of Justice police reform settlement. The measure would have halted retention and other bonuses. It was sponsored by Councilors Isaac Benton and Diane Gibson and went down on a 6-3 vote with Councilor Pat Davis joining Benton and Gibson in supporting the incentive to prod the top brass into playing nice with the feds. Those against it said it would be hard to carry out, might push out some of the departments institutional knowledge, and holds the upper command staff hostage for the recalcitrance of others.

New Rules

Councilors approved new rules for city Council meetings and agendas. The bill limits the items a member of the public can comment on, to general public comment and two additional topics. It bans signs, posters and banners larger than legal size paper. Councilor Benton said the measure will allow the Council to give attention to the peoples business while supporting the publics right to speak. The bill also moves the consent agenda up before the public comment to allow items on the consent to be dealt with early on in the meeting as many city staff are present for those items. Due to some recent outbursts from the public, Councilor Ken Sanchez asked about the idea of a lengthy ban for people who are consistently being disruptive. Councilor Benton said the bill could be amended in the future.
Law and regulation Automatic Defaults on Student Loans Is Unfair Practice, CFPB Says The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is clamping down on student loan lenders and servicers that automatically default on loans when a co-signer declared bankruptcy or dies. Because private student loans are often sold and securitized, some companies' promises to eliminate so-called "auto defaults" are not being upheld. March 9

Law and regulation FDIC Settles with Higher One, WEX Bank Over Deceptive Debit Cards The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. announced settlements Wednesday with student banking business Higher One of New Haven, Conn., and WEX Bank of Midvale, Utah, for deceptive practices in the marketing of college and university debit accounts. December 23

Every year, millions of students borrow federal loans to cover college expenses. For many, this money is crucial for more than just tuition. It helps these students stay in school by paying for food, rent, transportation and other living costs. But lately, this money has also become the lifeblood for predatory financial vendors that gobble up funds with unnecessary, exploitative and hidden fees.

Although the U.S. Department of Education has taken recent action to eradicate the worst practices companies use to cut into students' pocketbooks, it is not enough. The government should expand the disbursement options available to students to include the Treasury Department's DirectExpress debit card.

At issue are student aid "refunds"  typically grant or loan dollars left over after a student has paid tuition and fees, which often help with living expenses. College students with a bank account can deposit the refund with minimal issues. But many students have no experience with or access to mainstream financial products. While more than half of all new college students already have an account, that is compared to nine out of ten adults overall in the U.S.

When students do not already have their own bank account, they often find themselves at the mercy of the account vendor their college chooses to use.

And here the problems arise. Processing aid refunds has become a big business in recent years. In exchange for disbursing the excess federal aid dollars at a school, vendors often receive preferred access to students to market their financial products, whether through school email addresses or at orientation events. A 2014 Government Accountability Office report estimated that 40% of American college students were enrolled at an institution with such a contract.

Companies have used the captured market of a college campus to sell products that might otherwise be unviable.

Some of these vendors have used their exclusive relationship with a college to soak students with high fees that gobble up their money. Prior to the Department of Education's latest rules, vendors chosen by a college could automatically disburse student funds to high-fee cards. While that will be prohibited this coming school year, some companies will still be able to use their relationship with the college to market otherwise non-viable, high-fee products to students.

For example, Higher One, the largest provider of student aid refunds, charges students 50 cents for each debit transaction on its student checking account  an unusual nickel-and-diming practice. In December, the company agreed to pay $55 million to hundreds of thousands of students to settle allegations of deceptive marketing practices and failure to disclose fees.

Recognizing the problem with refund middlemen, the Department of Education issued rules last fall to level the playing field for students using debit cards on college campuses by banning some of the most egregious practices. College refund vendors can no longer charge students a fee every time they use a refund disbursement card for a PIN transaction in stores. And students must receive neutral information about disbursement options, such as the choice to send refunds quickly to their own bank account, instead of being forced into using an expensive product of the college's choice.

While the regulations provide much-needed protections, the government should take another step to bypass the middlemen entirely by allowing students to use an existing federal product known as the DirectExpress card. Administered by the Treasury Department, this card is used by about 5 million Americans to distribute many types of federal government payments, such as Social Security or Veterans Administration benefits, to individuals without bank accounts.

DirectExpress is specifically designed to be consumer-friendly, safe and convenient to use. Piloting an expansion of the DirectExpress card to some college campuses would test whether this service allows students to affordably access needed aid funds with minimal work for colleges.

Many of the existing benefits and terms of the DirectExpress Card are in line with the Education Department's new rules. For example, the DirectExpress Card does not charge a fee for debit or credit transitions at retailers that accept MasterCard debit cards. Users can also get free cash back when using a PIN at many retailers, like grocery stores. And unlike other banking products, DirectExpress offers guaranteed eligibility for anyone receiving federal funds.

That said the Department of Education would need to adapt the terms of the DirectExpress card to better meet the needs of college students. DirectExpress was created for individuals who receive recurring payments; one drawback is that the card allows for only one free ATM withdrawal per month. To make the card consistent with the new rules for college refunds, students would need to have greater access to free withdrawals in the first 30 days of a semester.

The DirectExpress card provides an introduction to reliable financial products for individuals new to banking. Students can get and use refund money without needing to find a bank account right away, and learn to make the money last until the end of term. In fact, DirectExpress recently introduced an app to help users track their spending. Then, as they become more accustomed to available banking options, they can open an account that fits their specific needs.

Whether it's a textbook or the bus fare to get to class, financial aid refunds provide students with resources that enable them to be successful while enrolled in college. Yet unfair fees cut into the money they sorely need. Offering DirectExpress as one option for college students can help make sure refund money is secure, accessible and all theirs.

Elizabeth Baylor is the director of post-secondary education at the Center for American Progress. Joe Valenti is the director of consumer finance at the Center for American Progress.
Despite strong legislative reforms passed after Sept. 11 requiring banks to track suspicious movements of money, recent news events reveal continued deficiencies in banks' monitoring efforts.

The Paris, Brussels and San Bernardino attacks all call into question the adequacy of banking and other controls to stop the supply of money to terrorists. Meanwhile, the leak of 11.5 million documents from the Panama Papers reveals gaps of a different nature: how can banks feel good about their answer for cyber, fraud and money-laundering risks when so many actors  good or bad  can hide their money in offshore accounts.

The obvious remaining cracks in the system suggest that efforts by banks to report on suspicious activity, as well as share information with each other, aren't strong enough.

Even though data related to multiple cyber, fraud and money-laundering incidents flows through global financial systems, the links between the illegal movement of funds and the sponsorship of terrorism and cyber-crimes is not so obvious. Banks need to focus on integrating systems and strengthening information-sharing so they can convert data into actionable information to prevent future attacks.

Currently, global banks and international bodies have to deal with the confluence of data that emanates from the financial, social and economic aspects of life. With recent technological advancements, tax evaders, terrorists and cyber criminals hide behind and leave their trail in encrypted messages, social media, the cloud, big data and the Internet of Things.

However, this data does exist, albeit in disparate systems, across banks nationally and internationally. But institutions are failing to sufficiently unlock it.

Recent fraud cases, not to mention real-life terrorist financing and human trafficking cases, have shown how weaknesses of integrated controls among financial institutions have been exploited.

If banks cannot strengthen their monitoring and information-sharing efforts on their own, regulatory reforms may be needed. For example, the information-sharing provision of the Patriot Act, passed after Sept. 11, which provides financial institutions with the ability to share anti-money-laundering information, could be strengthened and expanded to include cyber, fraud and other related risks.

Regulations are still evolving related to information-sharing of cyber and fraud risks. For instance, the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center was set up to collect information from banks on cyber-incidents. However, banks do not share all such relevant information. Similarly, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, enacted late last year, provides liability protections for institutions sharing cyber information, but such sharing is still voluntary.

Fraud incidents are also underreported. According to a report this year by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, over 40% of fraud cases were not referred to law enforcement out of fear of bad publicity, among other findings. Perhaps reporting guidelines for fraud and other incidents should be strengthened along the lines of how banks share currency transaction and suspicious activity reports dealing with money-laundering crimes.

Information-sharing has to be operational within individual banks, especially for big and global banks. Functions within banks are still siloed in nature and are not fully integrated to analyze data from different sources. In this regard, banks should consider integrating AML, fraud, and cybersecurity functions within an integrated software platform. This information along with pertinent data from wealthy global clients should be fed into their Security Information and Event Management systems to help banks analyze trends and behavioral red flags, and generate proactive alerts to other banks and government agencies.

Of course, any further steps must be balanced with privacy concerns. But balance does not mean giving automatic deference to privacy to the detriment of security. Banks are already subject to a plethora of privacy rules for information-sharing  even just sharing with a government agency  and criminals can use those privacy rules to their advantage. A fine balance between protecting consumers' privacy and identifying risks from terrorists is needed.

In addition to national authorities, international regulatory bodies also need to intensify efforts to facilitate automatic information exchanges between cross-border financial institutions. The Financial Action Task Force, Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the Group of 8 and Group of 20 have worked for years to establish policies which have influenced banking regulations.

Just as the U.S. passed the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act regulations a few years back to clamp down on the movement of legitimate funds for tax evasion, the FATF must provide strict guidelines to its 36 member nations, many of them named in the Panama Papers, and demand transparency in reporting within their banking systems. Similarly, the upcoming anti-corruption summit in London should result in a stern mandate to member nations of the G-20 to provide autonomy to their banks to report illegal deposits and movement of funds, even if it involves funds of the wealthy and powerful.

Investigations of both the Paris and Brussels attacks point to a lack of information exchange between their government agencies and financial systems. The existing information systems and exchange framework did not provide alerts of trails criminals left behind as they conducted their daily transactions for living, purchasing and traveling within the community. Until the global financial systems work together, the effects of illegal movement of money and its devastating link to terrorism and cyber-attacks cannot be stopped.

Senthil Selvaraj is a certified anti-money-laundering and regulatory compliance specialist. He is a former operational risk executive with Bank of America.
Give It Some Time: CIT Group Chief Executive Ellen Alemany is staying the course on her turnaround plan, which focuses on lending to midsize companies, even though this business line posted weak results for the first quarter. "We want to be the lead bank in the small- and middle-market space nationally, and the customer base in our factoring business is a really crucial part of that strategy," Alemany said. CFO Carol Hayles acknowledged that current market conditions "aren't great" but the company is looking forward to growth in its commercial banking in the coming year. "We've got a lot of new business initiatives going," Alemany said.

The Scenic Route: Empty nesters are making meaningful "third act" career moves, Sallie Krawcheck has observed. People ages 55 to 64 made up 26% of new U.S. entrepreneurs in 2014, an 11 percentage point rise from 1996, she noted in an op-ed this week identifying three types of third act. She cited the examples of JPMorgan vet Blythe Masters, who now leads blockchain startup Digital Asset Holdings; and ex-Goldman Sachs bankers Deborah Jackson, now the founder of Plum Alley, a crowdfunding site for women entrepreneurs;and Jacki Zehner, now chief engagement officer of Women Moving Millions, a nonprofit devoted to helping women and girls. "Are we entering a world in which women's careers peak later than men's?" Krawcheck asks. "In which the guys continue to build straight-line careerswhere one step leads to the nextwhile women take a more scenic route, blending career and childcare in their children's younger years, then roaring back in their third acts?"

Market Makers: When is it going to be the right time for investment bankers to reenter emerging markets and Europe? This is the most important question in dealmaking right now, according to Robin Rankin, Credit Suisse's co-head of mergers and acquisitions. With Chinese companies bidding for U.S. assets and Anbang's unsuccessful bid for hotel giant Starwood this year, Rankin's team has been presenting to would-be buyers about activity here instead of the emerging markets. "If you're not meaningful in the states, you're missing an extraordinarily large customer base, and the one thing we don't know is when European activity is going to pick up," she said.

Who's Who in Gender Equality: Bloomberg has created an index to showcase which companies in financial services are promoting gender equality. The inaugural list on the Bloomberg Financial Services Gender Equality Index has 26 companies, including JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, BMO Financial Group, Metlife and Visa. The media organization expects more companies to come on this year.

Role Call

Karen Parkhill, whose resignation from Comerica was announced Tuesday, has joined Medtronic, a medical technology company based in Dublin, Ireland, as chief financial officer.

BB&T in Winston-Salem, N.C., has said Cynthia Williams, its chief corporate communications officer, will retire June 30.

Beyond Banking

Tech Women Start Nonprofit: Meet Project Include, a nonprofit that collects tech companies' employee data and shares it to help improve the diversity balance in Silicon Valley. The organization plans to have tech companies submit commitments to diversity, focusing on young startups with 25 to 1,000 employees. It also plans to ask the startups' venture capitalist mentors to help with the initiative. Project Include's founders are some of the industry's best known women, some of whom may already be publicly recognized for their gender diversity efforts. Ellen Pao, formerly of Reddit and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Erica Baker of Google are among the eight founding women, who are involved alongside their day jobs.

Quotable

"No matter how senior you get in an organization, no matter how well you're perceived to be doing, your job is never done"  Abigail Johnson, president and CEO of Fidelity Investments and one of American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Finance.
A company that often uses the slogan "Bye Bye Banks" has decided to say hello.

The cross-border payments startup TransferWise, which cultivated a reputation as an alternative to banks and their fees, is canvassing the U.S. for bank partners so it can reach more people who send money to other countries, said Scott Miller, the vice president of global partnerships.

"About a year ago we realized that not everyone is going to come to TransferWise to transfer money," Miller said. "So, wherever they are going to make transfers, we should go to them."

TransferWise promises consumers smaller up-front fees for wiring money to foreign countries, and more transparency about the foreign-exchange rates it charges. It has struck partnerships abroad with upstart, all-digital banks; in February it announced partnerships LVH in Estonia and Number26 in Germany.

Its approach in the U.S. is different because the landscape is different. The U.S. borders only two countries, but it is one of the largest remitters, with transfers between the U.S. and Mexico being the largest in the world. And there are really no upstart, or "challenger," banks the way there are in Europe, but there are nearly 6,200 banks here, with many grappling with how best to approach the future.

Miller said the company is casting its net wide. While no deals have been struck, he said he is having conversations with banks of all sizes, with each asset class having its own potential uses for TransferWise's technology.

There are the big banks, and that sort of partnership would make obvious sense for TransferWise. It would give the company immediate scale, something that many fintech startups hunger for. Of course, those same banks may be uninterested in disrupting their existing business models.

While observers say the money transfer incumbents are likely not worried about disruption, Miller likens that mindset to how the telecommunications industry initially reacted to rival technologies like Skype.

Miller worked for Skype in business development from 2005 to 2013. TransferWise's ties to Skype are deep  Taavet Hinrikus, a TransferWise co-founder, was the first employee at Skype.

"We talked to carriers for years about how we could enhance their business, not just take away their revenue streams," Miller said. "But fintech is sweeping the banking industry much faster."

Miller added that he is "inspired by the number of larger banks wanting to talk to us."

"They see fintech coming and don't know where it is going to eat their lunch, but some are deciding where to embrace it," Miller said, echoing now infamous comments made by JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon, who in his annual letter to shareholders last year warned that Silicon Valley was trying to eat the banking industry's lunch.

Regional banks might be a particular sweet spot for TransferWise. Few see foreign money transfers as a profitable business line; the ones that are in the business are often doing it to serve their customers who ask for it.

"It may not be a moneymaker for the bank, but could be a good supplemental product," said Sam Maule, the head of digital and fintech for NTT Data Consulting. Maule focuses on financial services and insurance.

Small, innovative banks, the type that already have several fintech partnerships, are also a possibility as they look to build out their product offerings.

The development is perhaps surprising. Besides using the "Bye Bye Banks" and "Bye Bye Bank Fees" slogan, TransferWise organized a guerrilla marketing campaign early last year where it led people on a run through Manhattan in their underwear "in the name of transparency."

That type of messaging has not stopped, either. Just a couple of weeks ago in announcing that it has opened up payments between the U.S. and Mexico, it suggested that banks were charging high fees relative to their costs and hiding the markup on exchange rates.

Fees for "international money transfers are far more expensive than banks let on," the company said in a press release then.

But despite all its buzz  the company is backed by high-profile investors such as the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, the billionaire Sir Richard Branson, and Peter Thiel and Max Levchin, the co-founders of PayPal  observers say it faces the same challenge of building scale that many fintech startups do. The company says it moves more than $750 million a month globally for its customers, but the U.S. had $56.3 billion in remittance outflows alone in 2014, according to data from the World Bank.

It needs partners in order to build the type of disruptive business it really wants to be.

"I'm a big fan of fintech  but a lot of these that we call 'disruptors' aren't really disrupting yet," Maule said.

"I do think they need to land a big name that gives them" big volume, he said.

Miller does not see partnerships as something the company needs. Instead, he sees them as "only complementary to the stand-alone business."

Additionally, Miller says that if TransferWise hadn't established itself independently it would not have a shot at partnerships.

"TransferWise did a great job of building its own brand and network, and if they hadn't done that we'd have no chance to wrap that up and partner with a bank," he said. "We are just seeing another growth engine on top of the existing growth engine."


The bathroom wars raging in North Carolina, set off by House Bill 2 passed by the N.C. General Assembly, have attained international attention, partly from a febrile cadre of gay activists, but largely due to the Charlotte Observer that covers the city where the donnybrook began  and N.C.'s capital city daily, the Raleigh News & Observer. Without these papers, both owned by the McClatchy chain, the bathroom gender issue would have come and gone in a few days.

Whether or not boys who claim female hormones can use the girls' restroom is a red herring for a long-running phenomenon of activists and news outlets joining hands to effect social change to suit their vision of America. They are at war with the N.C. General Assembly, claiming that H.B. 2 eliminates the option of state courts for claiming discrimination. However, there is no there there: federal courts adjudicate these matters by long practice anyway, as do state agencies.

For two straight weeks, the Raleigh paper published from four to seven pieces a day on the subject  news articles, editorials, guest opinion, editorial cartoons, letters to the editor, and blurbs in their political happenings column. The theme that emerges is to exhort readers to approve of transgender lifestyles and special rights. If you do not, you are responsible for the amount of business dollars lost to the state from cancelation by businesses, entertainers, conventions, and tourists boycotting North Carolina until H.B. 2 is repealed.

One example of extortion is PayPal canceling an expansion in Charlotte in reaction to House Bill 2. A little research uncovers that the online payments firm does business in ten countries that ban homosexuality, some of which hang violators. And while PayPal has no qualms about doing business with Iran, a rogue state that hates America, the company is adamant that it cannot locate to a state that insists that your gender is what it says on your birth certificate.

Very few of the 70-plus mentions of the subject in the paper over two weeks are balanced, such as not mentioning PayPal's hypocrisy. The dailies employed the blitzkrieg style of left-wing journalism for a subject few care to know about, creating an overall effect of desperation. The campaign is similar in extremism to the unprecedented abandonment of standards by the National Review, which published an entire issue attacking Donald Trump.

The thing to remember is the potency of even a small-town newspaper over a national weekly magazine when it comes to controlling the conversation. The daily paper has the power of print over broadcasting. No matter how sophisticated we think we are, "first there was the word" continues to apply. Since broadcasters do not have "journalists" or a fleet of beat reporters, they rely almost entirely on the print version. Thus, it is the local daily newspapers in Charlotte and Raleigh that decide the tone taken worldwide on the "bathroom wars."

However, the power of a provincial print outlet does not mean much without a full court press by activists, in this case the LGBTQ lobby. They are the most efficient pressure group I have observed in 35 years of publishing. Gay activists include more professional and affluent advocates than most "victimized" minorities, which translates into hyper-organized and coordinated campaigns with close ties to local media.

In the bathroom wars, an obscure city council resolution spread like "prairie fire," the term ultimate activist and murderer Bill Ayers used to describe the fast and complete spread of domestic terrorist causes. Before we knew it, a list of visitors and businesses were boycotting North Carolina as if they had been ready for months to act against an obscure cause.

The global reaction took planning of the sort in which gay cause organizers are expert. And remember, there was no incident or complaint or discrimination lawsuit that instigated the initial local resolution in Charlotte. Instead, gay activists since the late 1980s have brought similar resolutions to local councils with no specific reason  except to create an ironclad local law stating that if, in the future, a LGBTQ city employee hypothetically is discriminated against, he is protected. In effect, these laws and regulations communicate the message: don't tread on me for anything, or I will accuse my employers of discrimination.

Per polls taken in North Carolina, the majority of respondents agree with House Bill 2. Yet activists and the dailies keep spreading support of the cause contrary to the wishes of the citizenry. What else is new?
Anti-Semitism, poetically dubbed the oldest hatred, forever young, is rearing its ugly head in a rapidly unfolding scandal within the United Kingdoms Labour Party. To clean house and/or try to contain the fallout, Labour chair Jeremy Corbyn has initiated an independent inquiry. On May 2, a British paper reported that fifty members of the Labour party have been secretly suspended in the past two months over anti-Semitic remarks. But there have been public suspensions and resignations as well. On May 3, Naz Shah stepped down from the Home Affairs Committee, pending the results of Labours investigation into her past anti-Semitic social media posts. On May 2, Labour suspended three councillors (Ilyas Aziz, Shah Hussain, and Salim Mulla) for anti-Semitic remarks discovered in their social media. On March 15, Vicki Kirby, who was elected vice chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party following being suspended in 2014 for anti-Semitic writings on Facebook, was suspended a second time for posting anti-Semitic remarks (this time, on Twitter). On April 28, former London mayor Ken Livingstone was suspended following a statement he made claiming Hitler was a Zionist. Other recent suspensions include Khadim Hussein (March 23) and Mohammad Shabbir (April 27).

These perpetrators of the anti-Semitism that has been reported so far are mostly posting on social media, and thus projecting their hatred with ease around the world. They include common canards that: equate Israels policies towards the Palestinians and Nazi treatment of the Jews; propagate the blood libel; advocate for the expulsion of Jews out of Israel; and maintain that Israel created and controls the Islamic State. Here are some examples, from the political elite in Britain that were introduced above:

Calls for the Relocation of Israel

"Jews and Muslims lived together in the Middle East, in peace pre 1948. Perhaps it would have been wiser to create Israel in America it's big enough. They could relocate even now." - Ilyas Aziz , July 2014

A post of an image on Facebook titled Solution for Israel-Palestine Conflict that had Israel superimposed in the United States, with the statement relocate Israel Into the United States, with comment problem solved  Naz Shah , August 2014

[The peace pre 1948 reference ignores the lethal Arab riots against Jewish civilians, including in the British Mandate for Palestine (1920, 1921, and 1929), Morocco (1875, 1903, 1907, 1912), Algeria (1934), Iraq (also known as the Farhud, 1941), Egypt (1945), Libya (1945 and 1948), Aden (1947), and Syria (1947); the Arab leaderships genocidal incitement against Jews during Israels War of Independence; and the dhimmi/lower class status institutionalized for Jews throughout the Arab world, all which predate Israels conquest of the territories in 1967, and the rebirth of the modern state of Israel. Calls to relocate Israel deny the Jews their historic and internationally-recognized right to Israel where it is currently. Azizs and Shahs quotes above also imply that Israel instigated its wars against the Arabs, which is patently false.]

False Links Between Hitler/Nazis, and Israel/Zionism

lol we invented Israel when saving them from Hitler, who now seems to be their teacher.  Vicky Kirby , August 2014

[The modern state of Israel was established in 1948, after the Nazis had succeeded in murdering 6 million Jews and Hitler had committed suicide. Despite promising the Jews a national home in the British Mandate of Palestine, the British restricted immigration into the Mandate in the 1930s and 1940s, when the Jews were being persecuted in Europe. So Britain didnt save them from Hitler.

Modern Zionism dates back to over 60 years prior to 1948, with the First Aliyah to Israel (1882-1903), First Zionist Conference (1897), Second Aliyah to Israel (1904-1914), Balfour Declaration (1917), Third Aliyah to Israel (1919-1923), San Remo Conference (1920), Fourth Aliyah to Israel (1924-1928), and Fifth Aliyah to Israel (1929-1939).

Ancient Zionism is of course much older. A sovereign Jewish state had existed before, both in autonomous and semi-autonomous form from around 1000 BCE to 135 CE. The Old Testament is chock full of mentions of Israel, Judah, Zion, the yearnings for the loss of sovereignty during the Babylonian Exile (598-538 BCE), and the subsequent joy from the restoration of statehood under the Persian Empire.]

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."  Ken Livingstone , April 28, 2016

[Livingstones quote is debunked as balderdash here.]

your school education system only tells you about Anne Frank and the 6 million Zionists that were killed by Hitler - Khadim Hussain , February 2016

A reminder of the treatment and suffering of Jews in Nazi Germany. ARE THERE ANY SIMILARITIES TO HOW ISRAEL IS TREATING PALESTINIANS? [SIC]  Ilyas Aziz , August 2014

you and your country doing the same thing that hitler did to ur race in ww2  Shah Hussein , to Israeli soccer player Yossi Benayoun, July 2014

A repugnant new form of fascism: The Palestinian Holocaust in Gaza.

-Mohammed Shabbir, August 2014

Every Palestinian who survives the ongoing genocide in Gaza is a Holocaust survivor - Mohammed Shabbir , August 2014

[Israels actions in Gaza were/are neither genocide nor a holocaust. Click here for an accurate description of Israels defensive actions in Gaza, and comparative statistics of casualties of the Arab-Israeli/Israeli-Palestinian conflict with those of other unrelated conflicts in the Middle East.]

Miscellaneous

Stop drinking Gaza blood. - Ilyas Aziz , August 2014

[Azizs quote propagates the blood libel]

Is this a coincidence. You bloody daam [sic] right it is. We all know Zionism game being played. Its bloody obvious who is manipulating this. Those who are not sure. ISRAEL.  Salim Mullah , August 2015

[Mullahs quote suggests French and Japanese support of the Palestinians resulted in the Islamic State attacking their nationals, and that these attacks were instigated by Israel. This is a conspiracy theory used to defame Israel for the actions of the Islamic State]

Jeremy Corbyn Plays Arsonist and Firefighter

In a seemingly Orwellian tone, one once remarked that the innovative leader needs to be an arsonist and a firefighter. Is Jeremy Corbyn the arsonist/firefighter of anti-Semitism in his party? While proclaiming in this years May Day Parade that Labour stand[s] absolutely against anti-Semitism in any form, he allies himself with terrorist organizations that seek to destroy the Jewish State. He has called Hamas and Hezballah friends, and has recently refused to condemn them despite strong pressure to do so. The latter resulted in Corbyn receiving public praise from Hamas.

Both Hezballah and Hamas are listed as terror organizations by both the United States and the European Union. Hamass charter calls for the extermination of all Jews by Muslims (Article 7), likens Jews to Nazis (Article 20), accuses Jews of defaming Mohammed and challenging Islam and Muslims (Article 28), and accuses Jews of being warmongering and imperialistic (Article 32), among other screeds. Hezballahs charter also states the Zionist entity is aggressive from its inceptionTherefore our struggle will end only when this entity is obliterated

Current estimates project that Labour will lose between 150 to 200 seats in the elections held today. Lets hope that this spike in anti-Semitism within Labour becomes a teachable moment both for the party and the English people.
Bowing to reality, Donald Trump reversed himself and will not self-fund his campaign, according to top aides.

To date, Trump has taken out several personal loans to finance what, until recently, was a bare-bones operation. But with the prospect of Hillary Clinton raising more than a billion dollars, Trump now feels he must tap his extensive personal network of rich friends, as well as other traditional GOP donors, in order to compete.

Wall Street Journal:

Facing a prospective tab of more than $1 billion to finance a general-election run for the White House, Donald Trump reversed course Wednesday and said he would actively raise money to ensure his campaign has the resources to compete with Hillary Clintons fundraising juggernaut. His campaign also is beginning to work with the Republican National Committee to set up a joint fundraising committee after his last two rivalsTexas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov.John Kasichdropped out in the wake of Mr. Trumps resounding Indiana win on Tuesday. Ill be putting up money, but wont be completely self-funding, the presumptive Republican nominee said in an interview Wednesday. Mr. Trump, who had largely self-financed his successful primary run, added that he would create a world-class finance organization. The campaign will tap his expansive personal Rolodex and a new base of supporters who arent on party rolls, two Trump advisers said. The new plan represents a shift for Mr. Trump, who has for months portrayed his Republican opponents as puppets for relying on super PACs and taking contributions from wealthy donors that he said came with strings attached. Mr. Trumps creation of a joint fundraising committee comes eight months behind that of his likely general-election foe, Mrs. Clinton. She and the Democratic National Committee reached an agreement last August to create the Hillary Victory Fund, which raised more than $60 million through the end of March. Of that, about $13 million has been transferred to Mrs. Clintons campaign, while nearly $6 million has gone to the DNC. The former secretary of state raised more than $213 million for her campaign through the end of April, on top of more than $67 million raised by her allied super PACs. On Wednesday, her campaign emailed a donation appeal with the line: 16 Republicans tried and failed to stop Trumpnow its up to us. For his part, Mr. Trump lent his campaign $36 million of the $47 million he spent on the primaries through March, with the rest coming mostly from small donations.

Despite the promise of several top GOP donors not to support him, there is little doubt that Trump will be able to raise all the money he needs to be competitive. Even some of his Democratic friends will probably pony up to support him.

Most of Trump's wealth is tied up in his extensive list of high-value properties. It was never very likely he would sell off a few of them to fund his campaign.

One wild card in Trump's financing is the impact of free media. There is no doubt that Trump will remain good copy for cable nets. If he continues to receive the coverage he's getting now, he can save on buying ads and spend the money on creating a ground game second to none. That's something that Clinton doesn't have and can never get.
Among the many apocalyptic predictions about a Donald Trump presidency, perhaps the least effective have been warnings to American voters that foreign leaders will disrespect or even shun him. Being told to follow the instructions of foreigners rarely carries a lot of weight in the heartland, no matter how much the elites worry about their own standing in the salons of overseas capitals. And the positive words of the likes of Vladimir Putin count for nothing among them.

Perhaps the most vehement denunciation of a Trump presidency came from former Mexican president Vicente Fox, under whose five-year presidency approximately 8 million Mexicans abandoned their homeland to illegally enter the Untied States.

AFP:

In an interview with AFP at his ranch in San Francisco del Rinco, central Guanajuato state, Fox had more tough words for the real estate mogul: Ignorant  crazy  egocentric  nasty  false prophet. He then looked at the AFP camera and pleaded, in English: Wake up, America, from this nightmare! But it was an F-word heard around the world that got attention last month, when Fox, furious about Trumps vow to make Mexico foot the bill for a huge border barrier, told the US channel Fusion that he would not pay for Trumps fucking wall.

Now that Trump appears to have a lock on the GOP nomination, and a chance at the presidency of El Norte, Fox is apologizing. In an exclusive interview with Breitbarts Joel Pollak and Alex Swoyer:

 former Mexican President Vicente Fox apologized Wednesday for the vulgar language he has used regarding GOP frontrunner Donald Trumps proposal to build a wall along the southern border and invited the likely Republican nominee to Mexico to see the border from the other side. (snip) I apologize. Forgiveness is one of the greatest qualities that human beings have, is the quality of a compassionate leader. You have to be humble. You have to be compassionate. You have to love thy neighbor, Fox explained to Breitbart News while sitting in the hotel of the J.W. Marriott in Santa Monica, California on Wednesday afternoon. Love your nation. Love the world, he added. Yes, Im humble enough as leadership be, [a] compassionate leader. If I offended you, Im sorry. But what about the other way around? I dont think he should follow the strategy of attacking others, offending others, to get to his purpose. There are other ways and means of doing it, Fox stressed, adding, I invite him to come to Mexico and to see what Mexico is all about.

Meanwhile, the the U.K., Prime Minister David Cameron reacted strongly to the suggestion of Trump adviser George Papadopoulos that he apologize for his own remarks calling Trump divisive, stupid, and wrong.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has no intention of apologizing to Donald Trump for calling his suggestion that Muslims should be banned from the United States divisive, stupid and wrong.

I am old enough to remember the time when candidate Ronald Reagan was dismissed overseas as a cowboy who should never be allowed access to the nuclear trigger. This reinforced his domestic critics, but we all know how much weight the foreigners carried among the American electorate.
Dozens of head-to-head general election polls between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have been released over the past several months. Almost all of them purport to show Clinton ahead of Trump by a significant margin.

As noted by Thomas Lifson, during the past week, Rasmussen Reports has released a couple polls showing either a tie or a slight advantage to Trump. The Rasmussen poll sits in a sea of other recent polling data suggesting that the edge remains with Clinton.

But are these other polls biased? A look at their methodology suggests that many of them may be. We'll consider a few representative examples that should give Trump's team the keys to start looking for as he turns to pivot and fire the vast ammunition at his disposal in Hillary Clinton's direction during the next six months.

For context, we need to understand the general ratio of Democratic to Republican voters for the presidential ticket among the public. The best way to assess this is just to examine POTUS election results. In 2012, the ratio was 1.08, shifting to 1.16 in 2008, 0.95 in 2004, and 1.01 in 2000.

In other words, the ratio is approximately equal to one. At most, in recent times, perhaps a ratio of up to 1.1 is reasonable to assume, but that would be pushing the boundaries and introducing bias by way of erroneously assuming some permanent leftward shift in the electorate.

On to the problematic polling data.

CNN/ORC released a major national poll yesterday showing Clinton out in front of Trump by 13%. This is apparently "based on 878 registered voters and 12 individuals who plan to register to vote, for a total of 890 registered voters." The exact political composition of all 890 respondents is difficult to determine by looking at the methodology, but if the following information from the poll is any indication, there are some issues:

Based on 267 registered voters who describe themselves as Republicans and 139 who describe themselves as Independents who lean Republican, for a total of 406 Republicans ... Based on 287 registered voters who describe themselves as Democrats and 118 who describe themselves as Independents who lean Democratic, for a total of 405 Democrats.

Looks balanced, until you wonder who the remaining 79 (or 9%) are, and until you look at the ratio of independents to Republicans or Democrats in each division. More than one third (34%) of the "Republicans" are independents, while just 29% of the "Democrats" are Independents. This modest difference is important.

"Independents who lean Republican" are far more likely to lean toward Clinton over Trump  even if they still dominantly support Trump  than are the more "pure" Republicans. On the Democratic side, "Independents who lean Democratic" are often those Reagan Democrats who hold a much higher chance of choosing Trump over Clinton than do more "pure" Democrats  even if they still dominantly support Clinton. Thus, the polling composition is potentially biased against Trump by having a higher proportion of Independents in the Republican group than in the Democratic group.

Then there is a Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll released April 25 showing Clinton ahead of Trump by 11%. When asked, "Do you think of yourself as a Democrat, Republican, or Independent?," 35.7% said Democrat, 30.5% said Republican, and 29.3% said independent. That is a ratio of 1.17 Democrats:Republicans, which is almost certainly too high. Among the respondents, the ratio of those who voted in the Democratic primaries to those who voted in the Republican primaries was a whopping 1.24. Chalk this poll up as one biased toward the Democrats and against Trump.

Moving along to a GWU/Battleground poll from a couple weeks back having Clinton ahead of Trump by just 3%. When respondents were asked their political preferences, just 21% indicated "strong Republican" versus 27% "strong Democrat," and an overall 42%-to-40% advantage for those leaning Democrat over Republican. Once again, the poll is skewed toward hardcore Democrats, who are least likely to vote Trump. The ratio of strong Democrats to strong Republicans (1.3) is probably far too high to be representative. An unbiased sampling of voter preferences would likely have come out with an overall tie between Trump and Clinton, or perhaps a modest Trump lead.

In a NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released during mid-April, Clinton beat Trump by 11% head to head. And then we look at the polling details. When survey participants were asked whom they voted for in the 2012 election, 43% said Barack Obama, and just 31% indicated Mitt Romney. That is a polling ratio of Obama:Romney voters at 1.39 compared to the general election ratio of just 1.08. Nothing to see here, move along...along to the other data in the methodology showing a several-point advantage to those leaning Democratic over Republican.

A McClatchy-Marist poll from late March had Clinton over Trump by 9%, and  once again  the tables are tilted against Trump. There is a 5% bias toward those leaning Democratic in the survey composition.

The goal for every poll should be to accurately represent the public, and if the public has undergone some seismic shift into Democratic territory, then the polling data on Trump vs. Clinton may be correct. But if history is any lesson, data biased toward Democratic voters will severely underestimate the actual mood of the voters and GOP presidential candidate performance come election time. And we see this apparent bias in the historical data.

Take the historical Pew Research Center data on voter "leanings." If this data actually represented the way the public leaned, and individuals voted according to their leanings, the 2000 election would have been won handily by Al Gore (rather than the popular vote tie that occurred), George W. Bush would have lost the 2004 election to John Kerry in a massive landslide (instead, a solid Bush win), and the 2008 and 2012 elections would have been truly staggering victories for Barack Obama well beyond the margins that we saw in practice.

Left-leaning media organizations keep coming up with polling data claiming to show a dominantly and continuously left-leaning public, yet right-of-center politicians win their fair share of elections. What gives? Undoubtedly bad (read: biased) polling data.

The likely state of the Trump vs. Clinton head-to-head is a historically small Clinton lead  on the order of a few percentage points, but not the 10+% claimed  that has evaporated in the past couple weeks to effective parity, or even a small Trump lead.
The Romanian hacker known as Guccifer told Fox News that he repeatedly and easily hacked the private email server used by Hillary Clinton and that there were up to ten others who were also able to gain access.

Marcel Lehel Lazar says he has copies of Clinton emails in his archives. In March 2013, Lazar, writing under the name Guccifer, leaked several emails between Hillary confidant Sydney Blumenthal and Clinton. It was through Blumenthal's account that he was able to gain entry to the private server, he says.

Lazar told Fox News exactly how he was able to hack the server. I.T. experts contacted by the network say his procedure is "plausible." But it should be noted that, at this point, there is no confirmation of Lazar's claims.

Former State Department IT staffer Bryan Pagliano, who installed and maintained the server, has been granted immunity by the Department of Justice and is cooperating with the FBI in its ongoing criminal investigation into Clintons use of the private server. An intelligence source told Fox News last month that Lazar also could help the FBI make the case that Clintons email server may have been compromised by a third party. Asked what he would say to those skeptical of his claims, Lazar cited the evidence you can find in the Guccifer archives as far as I can remember." Writing under his alias Guccifer, Lazar released to media outlets in March 2013 multiple exchanges between Blumenthal and Clinton. They were first reported bythe Smoking Gun. It was through the Blumenthal compromise that the Clintonemail.com accounts were first publicly revealed. As recently as this week, Clinton said neither she nor her aides had been contacted by the FBI about the criminal investigation. Asked whether the server had been compromised by foreign hackers, she told MSNBC on Tuesday, No, not at all. Recently extradited, Lazar faces trial Sept. 12 in the Eastern District of Virginia. He has pleaded not guilty to a nine-count federal indictment for his alleged hacking crimes in the U.S. Victims are not named in the indictment but reportedly include Colin Powell, a member of the Bush family and others including Blumenthal. Lazar spoke extensively about Blumenthals account, noting his emails were interesting and had information about the Middle East and what they were doing there. After first writing to the accused hacker on April 19, Fox News accepted two collect calls from him, over a seven-day period, before meeting with him in person at the jail. During these early phone calls, Lazar was more guarded. After the detention center meeting, Fox News conducted additional interviews by phone and, with Lazar's permission, recorded them for broadcast. While Lazar's claims cannot be independently verified, three computer security specialists, including two former senior intelligence officials, said the process described is plausible and the Clinton server, now in FBI custody, may have an electronic record that would confirm or disprove Guccifers claims.

This is very bad news for Clinton, as Charles Cook, writing in NRO, points out:

For the sake of argument, suppose that, as he claims, he still has copies of the e-mails he supposedly downloaded (he says he has two gigabytes of data). Theres no way that wouldnt be absolutely devastating to Clinton. 18 USC 793(f)(1)-(2) holds that: Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, note, or information, relating to the national defense, 1) through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust, or to be lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, or (2) having knowledge that the same has been illegally removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of its trust, or lost, or stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, and fails to make prompt report of such loss, theft, abstraction, or destruction to his superior officer Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both. As far as I can see, Clinton is guilty of violating at least two federal laws regardless of whether Guccifer can corroborate his claims. Nevertheless, if he were to have the right set of e-mails  or to have solid proof that hed looked inside or copied material from the hundreds of folders he found  it is almost impossible to envision Clinton escaping without being charged.

Sorry, Charles, but it's hardly "impossible." All will depend on how lawyers at the Justice Department interpret the law. Given what we've seen in the past from these characters, I would fully expect them to bend over backwards to get Clinton off the hook  or, at least, drastically reduce the charges that could be filed against her.

Timing is everything. The FBI isn't even close to finishing its investigation, given that agents have yet to interview Clinton and her top aide Huma Abedin. It seems likely that nothing will happen until after the Democratic convention in late July. If that's the case, the DoJ may hold off on making a decision whether to indict Clinton until after the election  a travesty of justice that would put an exclamation point on the Obama era of lawlessness.
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice sent a heavy-handed letter to North Carolina governor Pat McCroy informing him that H.B. 2 (i.e., the notorious "bathroom bill") violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, specifically its prohibition on sex discrimination. The letter stated that [f]ederal courts ... have applied Title VII to discrimination against transgender individuals based on sex, including gender identity. Supporting this claim, the Justice Department cited five cases, including two from the same court, one from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and none from the federal courts having jurisdiction over North Carolina.

Sensing something amiss (citing an EEOC opinion as primary foundation for federal law signals desperation), I looked into whether Title VII protects against discrimination on the basis of gender identity. After spending about thirty minutes researching at my local law library, I found the following cases, all of which hold that Title VII does not protect against discrimination on the basis of gender identity alone:

Johnston v. Univ. of Pittsburgh of Com. Sys. of Higher Educ. (Western District of Pennsylvania  2015): [N]early every federal court that has considered the question in the Title VII context has found that transgender individuals are not a protected class under Title VII.

Lopez v. River Oaks Imaging & Diagnostic Grp., Inc. (Southern District of Texas  2008): Courts consistently find that transgendered persons are not a protected class under Title VII per se.

Etsitty v. Utah Transit Auth. (10th Circuit  2007): [This Court] concludes discrimination against a transsexual based on the person's status as a transsexual is not discrimination because of sex under Title VII.

Sweet v. Mulberry Lutheran Home (Southern District of Indiana  2003): Discrimination on the basis of sex means discrimination on the basis of the plaintiff's biological sex, not sexual orientation or sexual identity, including an intention to change sex.

Oiler v. Winn-Dixie La., Inc. (Eastern District of Louisiana  2002) After a review of the legislative history of Title VII and the authorities interpreting the statute, the Court agrees that Title VII prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex, i.e., biological sex. While Title VII's prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex includes sexual stereotypes, the phrase sex has not been interpreted to include sexual identity or gender identity disorders.

Ulane v. E. Airlines, Inc. (7th Circuit  1984): While we recognize distinctions among homosexuals, transvestites, and transsexuals, we believe that the same reasons for holding that the first two groups do not enjoy Title VII coverage apply with equal force to deny protection for transsexuals.

Sommers v. Budget Mktg., Inc. (8th Circuit  1982): Although this circuit has not previously considered the issue raised on this appeal, we are in agreement with the district court that for the purposes of Title VII the plain meaning must be ascribed to the term sex in absence of clear congressional intent to do otherwise. Furthermore, the legislative history does not show any intention to include transsexualism in Title VII.

Powell v. Reads, Inc. (District of Maryland  1977): A reading of [Title VII] to cover plaintiff's [gender identity discrimination] grievance would be impermissibly contrived and inconsistent with the plain meaning of the words.

Grossman v. Board of Education (District of New Jersey  1975): In the absence of any legislative history indicating a congressional intent to include transsexuals within the language of Title VII, the Court is reluctant to ascribe any import to the term sex other than its plain meaning. Accordingly, the Court is satisfied that the facts as alleged fail to state a claim of unlawful job discrimination based on sex. (This decision was later affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.)

Again, this was after spending only thirty minutes searching.

Yes, technically, the Justice Department is accurate in saying that federal courts have applied Title VII to claims the basis of which is solely a persons transgender status; rather, a handful of federal courts have held as much. The overwhelming majority of federal courts have not.

Why did the Department of Justice fail to mention these cases? Surely the omission was not deliberate. Don't they know that, were this an actual case, cherry-picking case law and making an argument based on an incomplete representation of the law flirts dangerously with violating Rule 11(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure?

No, Im sure it was an accident.

Thomas Wheatley is a law student at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in Arlington, Va. Email him at twheatl2@gmu.edu.
What do you do when you are hours from effectively clinching the GOP nomination? When all the polls point to a big night for your campaign?

I think most of us would take Monday night off and have dinner with our wives. Maybe order some pizza and have a fun night with friends. Or tell your staff to shut off the phones because the candidate wants a little rest and to work on the victory speech.

Instead, Mr. Trump decided to mention one of the most bizarre stories in electoral history, about a young Rafael Cruz standing with Lee Harvey Oswald.

Polifact raised serious questions about the story:

Trumps charge appears to be based on a National Enquirer report alleging that Rafael Cruz is the man standing next to Oswald in a photo from 1963. But technical experts told PolitiFact that no such firm conclusion is possible given the quality of the photograph, and several historians of the period told us theyve never seen Cruzs name come up in connection with Oswald.

The whole story is based on a picture of someone who looks like a young Rafael Cruz, but no one can confirm that it was him. What kind of journalism is that? What kind of candidate even mentions such an outrageous story?

For the record, many anti-Castro Cubans were seen with Lee Harvey Oswald when he was marching for Castro in the summer of 1963.

Some even got into verbal matches with Oswald over Cuba.

I've met a couple of Cubans who argued with Oswald about his support of the Castro regime. You can see bits of these scenes in a Frontline documentary that came out years ago.

So could there be a picture of Cubans around Lee Harvey Oswald in New Orleans? The answer is very likely yes. Does that picture have anything to do with Rafael Cruz supporting Lee Harvey Oswald or the Kennedy assassination? The answer is no!

Let me repeat my serious concerns about the Trump candidacy.

What kind of a man repeats a story like that? The answer is a man who can't control himself or who doesn't know that silence is golden.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
The last two Republican presidents will not endorse the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, in the general election, and spokesmen for George H.W. Bush and George H. Bush say neither man will comment on the contest.

Fox News:

George W. Bush's personal aide, Freddy Ford, said that his boss "does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign." "At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics," Bush 41 spokesman Jim McGrath wrote in an email to the website. "He came out of retirement to do a few things for Jeb, but those were the exceptions that proved the rule." According to the Tribune, the elder Bush has endorsed every GOP presidential nominee since losing his 1992 re-election bid to Bill Clinton. George W. Bush also campaigned on behalf of Sen. John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012. Both Bushes campaigned heavily for Jeb Bush earlier this year, but he dropped out after disappointing results in the first three presidential contests. Neither former president made an endorsement during the rest of the primary season, though George W. Bush was recorded last year telling donors "I just don't like" Sen. Ted Cruz. The younger Bush has also taken veiled jabs at Trump, telling a South Carolina audience in February that "we do not need someone in the Oval Office who mirrors and inflames our anger and frustration." "Strength is not empty rhetoric," Bush also said at the time. "It is not bluster. It is not theatrics. Real strength, strength of purpose, comes from integrity and character. And, in my experience, the strongest person usually isn't the loudest one in the room."

Trump is no fan of the Bushes, having called Bush 43 a liar about the claim that there were WMD in Iraq before the invasion. But the decision by two former presidents not to endorse their party standard-bearer is a symptom of Trump's biggest challenge that he must overcome to win the White House.

There is no doubt that Donald Trump will attract a lot of Democrats in November. Some of his supporters claim that this alone will make him competitive with Hillary Clinton.

Mitt Romney was able to attract 93% of the Republican vote in 2012. What percentage of Republicans will support Trump?

Right now, it doesn't look good for The Donald. A recent Suffolk University poll shows that fully 40% of Republicans would not vote for the nominee if it is Trump, and 19% of those would support Hillary Clinton. Nearly half of Republican women would refuse to support him.

It's a given that these numbers will shrink the closer we get to the election. But Trump can't count on an increase in turnout of white males to offset his loss of support among Republicans. That's because there just aren't enough of them.

The bottom line: Trump has to win almost as many Republicans as Romney did in order to have a chance. Even a fall-off of 5% would mean curtains for The Donald.

That makes unifying the party a lot more important than Trump is letting on.
Although it may no longer need an introduction at this point, the BlackBerry Priv is the first BlackBerry smartphone to hit the market with Googles Android OS out of the box, as opposed to using the Canadian manufacturers proprietary operating system. The smartphone was first released with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop on-board, which means that the arrival of Android 6.0 Marshmallow is going to test whether BlackBerry has the ability to keep its first Android flagship up to date in a timely manner. The company opted for releasing Android 6.0 to select beta tester first, and then gradually expand the softwares reaches to more Priv owners and Beta Zone participants. After a couple of beta releases last month, the third Marshmallow beta update for the BlackBerry Priv is now making its way to T-Mobile customers in the U.S., as well as beta testers in Canada and the APAC region.

The first Android 6.0 beta wave for the PRIV was released on April 13 for BlackBerrys Beta Zone participants who have acquired their smartphone (model number STV100-1) in the U.S. either directly from a BlackBerry shop or from Amazon. The same update  and the one that followed on April 21st  was also released on the STV100-3 variant in Canada and the APAC region, as well as on the STV100-4 in the EMEA region. Now BlackBerry is releasing the third beta wave for Beta Zone participants, and this time around the update takes aim at the BlackBerry PRIV STV100-1 from T-Mobile U.S., and the STV100-3 variant available from Canadian carriers and in the APAC region. T-Mobile was initially expected to launch the Android 6.0 Marshmallow beta update for the BlackBerry PRIV last month  according to Nathan Webster, the manager of BlackBerrys beta program team  but apparently this didnt come to pass and the update is only now rolling out to beta testers.

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Theres still a lot of work to be done before every BlackBerry PRIV owner will be able to enjoy Android 6.0 Marshmallow on their QWERTY flagships. The smartphone has yet to receive an invitation to beta Marshmallow on AT&T and Verizons networks, and of course, we have to keep in mind that beta releases are not meant for everyone. In any case, if you do happen to own the BlackBerry PRIV and you are a Beta Zone participant, remember that the third beta wave released this week is available only for the STV100-1 at T-Mobile U.S., and the STV100-3 in Canada and the Asia-Pacific region.
There are a number of high-profile court battles which seem to attract as much media attention for the actual ongoing battle as they do for the actual reason for the battle. Samsung and Apple is a prime example and Google and Oracle is another. While the base of the Google/Oracle battle is an important one, numerous reports have come through of late about the actual court case and suggestions of jury manipulation and court case timescales. However, all the court antics aside and in spite of being an argument which has gone on for years now, both companies have not reached a settlement and are due to reappear in court from May 9th, Monday.

Much of the media attention has focused on the significantly big figure that Oracle is looking to recover for using an unlicensed version of Java, what they accuse Google of. An argument which Google contrasts by stating Copyrights fair use policy exempts the company from any costs associated with using Java. Those two conflicting views being the crux of the ongoing battle now. However, in terms of that big number, Oracle are looking for compensation in the region of $9.3 billion. This is broken down into a straight $8.8 billion for what Oracle believes Google has made off the back of Java, coupled with an extra half billion in damages. Oracle comes to this figure by suggesting Google has taken around $40.6 billion in total from Android (and by association Java). Which is further broken down by Oracle as $29 billion in revenue for search and advertising, along with $11.6 billion in Android sales. Of that, $11.4 billion in profit, which leads to Oracles self-determined share which equates to $8.8 billion, topped with the extra half a billion in damages. So in some respects, this is a big concern for Google.

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That said, some shareholders and analysts dont believe this is that much of a big deal for the Search giant. Even if Google was found liable and even if they were ordered to pay the full amount sought (which are both already big ifs), the reality is that the $9 billion will not affect Google in any meaningful way and certainly not on its investors. Mike Bailey, FBB Capital Partners Director of Research and who also happens to be a shareholder in Alphabet, made the point that as an awarded amount would be a one-off payment, it would have little impact on the company or its investors in the long term.
Samsung announced the Galaxy S7 family in February this year and the device has been available in stores and online for a number of weeks now. Their latest Galaxy S flagship device is based around either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 or Samsung Exynos 8890 System-on-Chips, paired up with 4 GB of RAM and at least 32 GB of internal storage, plus a MicroSD card slot for customers to add at least another 200 GB of storage. The Galaxy S7 includes a 1440p, or 2,560 by 1,440 pixel resolution, 5.1-inch Samsung AMOLED panel, a 12MP rear camera with improved low light performance, a 3,000 mAh battery including high speed wired charging, wireless charging and high speed wireless charging with the right Samsung wireless charger. This Galaxy runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow under Samsungs TouchWiz user interface and is constructed from a combination of glass and metal. The Galaxy S7 is marginally thicker than the 2015 Samsung Galaxy flagship, the S6, but has a much larger internal battery.

This week, HTC are starting to ship their new 2016 flagship device, the HTC 10. Its around and about this time that other manufacturers or resellers start to either reduce their prices or include freebies with their flagship to help sales when customers might otherwise be distracted by a newly released device. For Samsung and Costco, their latest offer includes bundling a 32-inch Samsung HD TV with the Galaxy S7  but customers also benefit from a portable 5,200 mAh battery charger and a $25 Costco discount card to use in store. The television on offer is a modest set; it is 32-inch across the diagonal but 720p in resolution; the Galaxy S7 smartphone has four times as many pixels in a much more compact design! However, the television is free but in order to quality, it appears that customers will need to buy the Galaxy S7 using a device installment plan. The television must be returned if the Galaxy S7 is returned, as presumably will the $25 Costco gift card and 5,200 mAh portable battery charger. Nevertheless, if you are interested in picking up the Galaxy S7, this could be an enticing deal. The offer is set to run for most of May, so customers have plenty of time to decide.
Fitbit recently released its first quarter earnings report, which showed that the company is growing faster than its competitors in the smart wearables industry. Meanwhile, even as the company brought good news to its investors about soaring profits and increasing market share, the CEO, Mr. James Park, had a revelation at the Q1 earnings call that should get technophiles and smart wearables enthusiasts excited. According to Mr. Park, Fitbit has lined up a range of exciting new products that the company plans to launch later this year. While Mr. Park did not get into the specifics, the company was earlier reported to have applied for trademarks on the Fitbit Flex 2 and the Fitbit Charge 2, according to a filing with the USPTO.

While there are no more details regarding the two aforementioned devices at this stage, the products that are currently in the market seem to be doing just fine for the Silicon Valley tech startup. While the Charge HR was one of the best-reviewed activity trackers from last year, the Fitbit Blaze and the Fitbit Alta have also become highly successful products in their own right, earning as much as 47% of the companys overall revenues during Q1, 2016. Meanwhile, as a Kantar Worldpanel report from yesterday stated, Fitbit has around 61.7% share of the overall smart wearables market in the US, which is certainly something the companys investors would be impressed with. Especially because more fancied competitors like Apple and Samsung are still languishing with low double-digit market shares.

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Fitbit declared overall revenues of $505.4 million in Q1, 2016, having sold a whopping 4.8 million devices during the period. While the number doesnt seem that big at first glance for those used to looking at the eye-popping numbers smartphone manufacturers seem to churn out every quarter, it is important to remember that the fitness tracker and smart wristband business is still in its infancy and has a pretty long way to go before it can match the sheer volumes of the smartphone industry. However, the signs are positive, as according to the aforementioned Kantar Worldpanel report, over one in ten Americans have already tried out a smart wearable, although Europeans are seemingly less enthusiastic about such products.
Roaming plans in Canada compete for your business on a daily basis. Many customers pick and choose which carrier they sign up with based on their roaming plans  they are that popular. There are many Canadian snowbirds that travel to southern parts of the U.S. during the winter, and there is just as much business travel between these two great countries. Without some form of roaming plan, you can rack up a huge monthly bill if you are not careful. Rogers has their Roam Like Home program, Bell has its Roam Better plan, and TELUS has their U.S. Easy Roam. However, if you are not interested in dealing with the Big Three, you can always turn to Roam Mobility  who just happen to be running a summer promotion from June until September with 25-percent off.

Although the deal has not shown up on their website, Roam Mobility sent out emails which talk about the new summer promotion. This promotion is not unusual  they have a current promo that will end May 15th for those that purchase one of their SIMs, devices, or service plans, they will get a 25-percent off coupon with their email confirming their order. The discount code is valid for 25% off any Roam Mobility USA Text+Data, Talk+Text, or Talk+Text+Data daily plan if purchased between June 1, 2016, and September 2, 2016. Only one discount per customer is allowed, although it does appear that if you already have a Roam Mobility SIM, you can still take advantage of this new plan as Roam Mobility lets customers schedule back-to-back plans. In other words, you can use a current promo, and when it runs out, purchase the new one as long as it is within the allowable timeframe.

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Based out of Vancouver, Roam Mobility offers a SIM card that allows Canadian travelers to roam in the U.S. or Mexico. The prepaid Sim card includes adapters to fit any unlocked device  be it a smartphone, tablet, or hotspot. When you activate your SIM, you get a local USA phone number that is yours to keep and reuse each time you travel. Roam Mobility brags that there are no contracts or overage fees because everything is prepaid so there are never any surprises. They offer daily plans for short trips and monthly plans for longer visits. As long as you use their service once a year, the USA phone number you receive is yours to keep for future trips!
HTC has had a very turbulent time over the last year or two as a business. However, indications had started to suggest that HTC was passing through the turbulent period as their latest device, the HTC Vive, seemed to be one which is proving to be a viable product for the company. In spite of being an expensive entry product to the world of virtual reality, reviews and the general consensus is that HTCs virtual reality ambitions and business model looks promising. By association, so does HTCs future.

However, a new report out of Taiwan is now suggesting that HTC is about to spin off its virtual reality business into a separate business. As you might expect, the new business will focus specifically on virtual reality, both the product and development sides of the business. To be clear, this is not the first time that these rumors have circulated and HTC did already deny them. However, the most recent reports (which have yet to be denied by HTC) sent HTC stocks into descent and dropping by 10-percent. A drop which is thought to be a direct result of doubts and concerns over HTCs business model in the absence of the virtual reality side of things. According to the details and although no confirmation has come through from HTC on this, the reports do note that HTC has confirmed that a separate VR company does exist. One that has been set up, is to be supervised (and said to be wholly owned) by HTCs current CEO, Cher Wang.

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Interestingly, these reports do come on the back of a recent VR initiative that HTC has set up dubbed Vive X. The program is designed to help fuel content for the HTC Vive by providing funding and guidance to interested VR-focused start-ups. Whether this has anything to do with laying the groundwork for the rumored spinning-off virtual reality business currently remains to be seen and until any further confirmation comes through from HTC on whether the virtual reality and mobile sides of the business will split, much of what is to come is speculative. However, with the HTC 10 seeming to be a popular option at the moment and with rumors of possibly two HTC Nexus smartphones for this year, the mobile side of things might not be as problematic as analysts seem to think or are suggesting.
Back in January, it was announced that GM had invested $500 million in Lyft. The reasoning for the investment was to work on self-driving cars. GM has been wanting to have their own ride-sharing program for the self-driving age, which is also why they bought Sidecar once they went out of business. Now it looks like they could be putting out some autonomous Chevrolet Bolts as soon as next year, that will actually run as part of Lyft. Now the Chevy Bolt is GMs all-electric vehicle that is going to cost under $30,000 (its actually closer to about $25,000) and will be available in late 2016. So not only would it be an autonomous car, but good for the environment as well.

The two companies are still pretty quiet on the details about this upcoming test for autonomous Chevrolet Bolts, and they havent even named a city yet. Its quite possible that it could be in Michigan, given that GMs world headquarters are in downtown Detroit. However its also quite possible that the test city could be San Francisco, given that is where Lyft is headquartered and started out at. Lyft spoke with The Wall Street Journal, stating that they will want to vet the autonomous tech between Cruise, GM, and ourselves and slowly introduce this into markets. For those that might be unaware of what Cruise is, they are referring to Cruise Automation. Its a three-year old autonomous car company that GM purchased back in March.

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On top of testing out autonomous versions of the Chevrolet Bolt next year for Lyft service, GM is also planning to rent the Chevrolet Bolt to Lyft drivers to do their job essentially, instead of using their own personal car. GM is already renting out Chevy Equinox models to Lyft drivers. So they are looking to expand the program past the Equinox and include the Bolt, which is one of the most talked about models from GM in quite some time  largely due to it being an all-electric vehicle and being under $30,000.

The autonomous car industry is about to get pretty packed. We have Alphabet who just inked a deal with Fiat Chrysler to use some of their 2017 Pacifica minivans in their test driving fleet, we also have Uber who is working on their own self-driving vehicles. Not to mention other auto makers, like Ford who is also testing the Ford Fusion on a test track in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Perhaps youve been there before. Youre minding your own business and enjoying the fruits of your labor by binge watching your favorite shows on Netflix, thanks to the subscription that you paid for with your hard-earned money. Then all of a sudden you hit your monthly data limit because youve been streaming your favorite shows on your smartphone all day. While many people dont run into this issue at all, plenty still do, and Netflix now seems to have a native fix for that as theyve recently started introducing a way to save on data within the official Netflix app. The feature is aimed at letting users configure and adjust the amount of data that they use while streaming so they can avoid going over their limits, which, in most cases these days may not result in fees, but it can end up throttling data.

The feature opens up a list of configurable options for users to pick how they want to watch shows when they stream on their mobile devices, and includes options for watching only when connected to WiFi, an unlimited watch option which lets users stream as much as they want at the highest quality, as well as a low option that lets users stream four hours of content per GB of data, a medium option for streaming about 2 hours of content per GB of data, and a high option for streaming about 1 hour of content per GB of data.

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Theres also a default Auto toggle that sets the amount of time to three hours per GB too which is likely to be the setting that many users leave it on initially. Whatever users choose from the start can be changed at any time so theres no worry of being stuck on a particular option. Data usage can fluctuate for users from month to month, so the new feature from Netflix is flexible enough to shift and accommodate when need be. The option already appears to be live although its unclear of this was a complete roll out to all users or if its a slow roll out heading out to users in batches. Users can find this option in app settings, which is accessible from the hamburger menu at the left edge. Alongside the data saver, Netflix is also set to receive Google Play carrier billing in the near future.
Google has made it quite clear that their focus on VR will be increasing and their physical products of that nature will be expanding far beyond their well-known Cardboard headset. On the software side, Googles expansion of VR has manifested as tours of faraway and beautiful places, class materials, closer looks at masterful and iconic art, and even tours of their own data centers in a 360-degree format, showing outsiders how well Google runs their show in all-telling VR. VP of Product and head of VR for Google, Clay Bavor, sat down with Popular Science to discuss Googles future in the space and the lessons theyve learned and are learning that will get them there.

One of the topics that Bavor touched on was what Cardboard got right and how Google could apply those aspects to future projects in the VR space. Among the best aspects of Cardboard, he named mobility, comfort, approachability and low cost. While it may not be possible to produce a unit quite as cheap as Cardboard with any enhanced capabilities, Bavor did mention that Googles next try at a VR device will take cues from Cardboard by being very comfortable and as cheap as possible. He also said that it would be an untethered experience, not needing a smartphone or a PC in order to function; instead, it would have its own processing center and screen, allowing a more cohesive experience and greater portability. He also said that Google wants to enable an entire ecosystem to explore in the future with regards to VR, as they did with Android.

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Google was also asked about their investment in augmented reality firm Magic Leap and if it was anything to read into. While Bavor did not discount the possibility of Google working on AR at some point, he made it clear that the current focus was on VR and that, for now, Googles relationship with the mysterious startup was strictly as a benefactor. After painting a very interesting picture of the future of Googles ventures and the world of virtual reality in general, Bavor capped off the interview by saying that he wants to make VR accessible, affordable and compelling for everyone.
Artificial intelligence, better known to some as simply A.I., is going to play a big role in the future of computing and how people interact with everything from their smartphones and other mobile devices to their consumer electronics and appliances around the home. Some of this is already possible with devices like the Nest Thermostat and Amazons Echo line of speakers that are powered by the Alexa software, but there is still plenty of room in the A.I. space for other companies like Google to make more waves on the consumer product side of things. While Google has dabbled quite a bit in A.I. for a while already and has done a fair amount of work with it, they should try to place more focus on A.I. in ways that are more accessible to the consumer, like a product that is powered by A.I. software that can be placed in the home or other areas to work in tandem with other smart devices. Thats of course, assuming that Google is not already working on numerous products and services or software that would fit snugly into this realm, which they very well could be doing under wraps until things reach a point that are much closer to completion. To be clear, though, Google has some vast plans for artificial intelligence.

Last week in the 2016 Google Founders letter, Google CEO Sundar Pichai talks about Googles future across different areas of technology, and although there wasnt much to be said in the realm of artificial intelligence at that particular time, Pichai does note that Google is very good at A.I. which may not have been a suggestion that they have some stuff in the works, but it does illustrate that they have the skills to produce something, or provide the software behind it. Pichai has also recently discussed some of what he envisions for the future of A.I. technology coming out of Google, consisting of a world without physical computing devices and wildly intelligent A.I. to assist humans with simple tasks. Google was recently in the news numerous times over the past month or two for their AlphaGo A.I, for taking on and beating international Go champion Lee Sedol. The AlphaGo A.I is part of Googles Deepmind arm. DeepMind has also just recently acquired patient health records of more than one and a half million UK hospital patients in attempts to offer Patient care software such as an app capable of alerting hospital staff when a patients kidney may be about to fail. Things like this are more in line with what Google has been working on with regards to A.I., but it could certainly benefit them to have something on offer like Amazons Echo speaker which is powered by A.I. software, that can readily assist users in a number of different ways.

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If Google were to offer something like the Echo to consumers, it would be something that they already have the software chops to help them produce something rather compelling. Google has done quite a bit of work with deep neural networks and machine learning technology that could be used as a backbone for such an item, and something like this would likely be easy to obtain for consumers at large. The Internet of Things is also where a decent-sized portion of the market with A.I. is headed towards. Amazon already has three speakers in its product lineup that are powered by Alexa software alongside its Fire TV. Samsung meanwhile showed off a concept smart speaker device at its recent developer conference that could potentially act as a smart assistant, and Sony showed off a smart assistant concept called the Xperia Agent back at Mobile World Congress at the end of February. Thats three major tech companies that all compete with Google on some level and are all working on things in the IoT industry which use some form of artificial intelligence.

While an A.I. driven smart home product may or may not be on the ticket for Googles teams of talented engineers, it could certainly benefit the consumer. It would seem that Googles visions for an A.I. connected future are much grander in scale, though. In a recent report from the MIT Technology Review, DeepMinds Demis Hassabis talks about their very large goal of trying to create an A.I. which he refers to as a general A.I., one that is more human-like and is capable of learning to do and complete almost any task that a human can learn. This, of course, would be no easy task and is sure to have years of research and development ahead of it before anything comes to fruition, but its a lofty goal that displays Googles planned efforts in the A.I. space are perhaps less consumer product oriented and more about bettering life as a whole in a number of different ways. Nevertheless, it paints a picture of the sort of possibilities that may one day become reality with companies like Google taking the reigns to dig deep into this particular area of technology, and if Google has the talent in place to work towards goals such as this, surely there has to be some corner of the company that has a desire to create something that focuses more on day-to-day things that we might interact with consistently. While a super-smart artificial intelligence with the power to learn on the same scale as a human sounds rather cool, its really only useful to the average person if it is able to help them in some way. This is where there would be room for technology and products built on Googles A.I. software to be manufactured and put onto the market for consumers, from smart speakers to connected hubs. With Googles work on their IoT platform, Brillo and Weave, there may very well not be a need for Google to produce its own products if the platform is capable of connecting everything. Back during CES in the beginning of this year, Google already mentioned that they even had multiple partners on board to support these platforms in the Internet of Things market, including Alphabet-owned Nest. With Brillo and Weave gaining traction, this is another way Google could be pushing A.I., by making their platform compatible with A.I. products.

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Beyond smart computers that are capable of beating national champions and creating A.I. that can learn as fast as a human, Google has also been using A.I. technology with its most profitable product, Search. As of late last year, Google began using an A.I. technology called RankBrain to help filter search results, as reported by Bloomberg back in October of 2015. According to the report, the technology was able to often times had greater success in tests against experts that were asked to predict which search results would be ranked higher by Google, with RankBrain having a success rate of 80 percent over that of the 70 percent success rate of the human experts. This might seem less exciting than super smart A.I. that can learn how to play games or complete everyday tasks, but its one of the many ways that Google has been using A.I. to its advantage to help its own products perform better, which in turn can provide a better user experience. Lets of course not forget about Googles perhaps most popular work with artificial intelligence technology, the self-driving car. While they are not the only company in this particular area of the market, they might just be the most far along, even having recently struck deals with Fiat Chrysler on autonomous minivans. When it comes to artificial intelligence, Google seems to be working on multiple different angles of the market, from technology that ties into their own products like search to self-driving cars that may one day be able to allow drivers to relax on the way to work.
Samsung has announced quite a few smartphones this year, and the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are quite probably the most popular ones. That being said, this Korea-based tech giant is also expected to announce a couple of tablets in the coming months. Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and Tab S2 9.7 in July last year, and their successors will probably arrive in the same time period this year. The SM-T719 and SM-T813 devices were spotted earlier this year, and it seems like these are the two Galaxy Tab S3 models currently in the development.

That being said, the Galaxy Tab S3 8.0 has been certified by TENAA (Chinas equivalent to the FCC) quite recently. The exact model number were dealing with here is SM-T719c, and thanks to TENAA, we now know what will the device look like, and what specs will it sport (most of them anyway). The Galaxy Tab S3 8.0 will feature an 8-inch 2048 x 1536 AMOLED panel, and will ship with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage on the inside. In case you need more storage, youll be able to expand it up to 128GB via a microSD card slot. This tablet will be fueled by Qualcomms Snapdragon 652 64-bit octa-core SoC running at 1.8GHz, at least in Chinas case. The 8-megapixel snapper will be placed on the back of the Galaxy Tab S3 8.0, and a 2-megapixel shooter will be available up front. The 4,000mAh battery will also going to be a part of this package, and it will not be removable it seems. Android 6.0 Marshmallow will come pre-installed on the Galaxy Tab S3 8.0, and on top of it, youll be able to find Samsungs custom UI, of course.

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The Galaxy Tab S3 8.0 will measure 198.6 x 134.8 x 5.6mm, while it will weight 272 grams. Interestingly enough, this tablet has the same dimensions as its predecessor, and truth be told, its quite similar in terms of the design as well. All in all, the Galaxy Tab S3 8.0 doesnt seem to be a huge upgrade compared to the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0, and we do expect the new tablet to cost as much as the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 did back when it was released. Samsung will probably unveil both the Galaxy Tab S3 8.0 and 9.7 in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for that.
Sprint lost an alarming 264,000 prepaid users in the first quarter of the year, partly because of increased competition from rival carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile and partly because it chose to concentrate more on its Boost brand which is designed to bring in higher profit margins. Considering that Sprint had added 546,000 net prepaid customers in the first quarter of 2015, the drop in the number of prepaid users in just a year can be termed as substantial. However, Sprint is optimistic and is hoping that a major revamp of its Virgin brand with a stronger value proposition later this year should turn the tables on the disappointing quarterly results as far as prepaid is concerned.

Marcelo Claure, CEO at Sprint, said that even though the carrier lost many prepaid customers in the quarter, the overall prepaid segment delivered positive value contribution in the period. He added that the Boost brand, which is designed to bring in higher profit margins than other prepaid brands, actually added more customers than it lost in the quarter. Hence, Sprints overall returns from its prepaid services was encouraging. According to a recent Wave7 research, Sprint is slowly but surely phasing out its branded prepaid services. The research noted that while Sprint Prepaid is available at Sprints retail outlets, RadioShack and Kmart, it is quickly disappearing from Target and Best Buy stores. However, the carrier still considers prepaid as top priority and instead of investing in branded prepaid services, is giving added impetus to its dedicated prepaid brands like Boost. A few days ago, Sprint merged its Assurance Wireless segment with i-wireless to offer prepaid services to low-income consumers across the US as part of Universal Service Funds Lifeline Assistance Program.

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Sprint CEO Claure gave an impression that Sprint probably expected the sharp fall in its branded prepaid customer base and is following a clear-cut strategy which involves sacrificing certain services in favor of more profitable ones. While our losses were in areas we are de-emphasizing such as pay-as-you-go space, were also in the process of relaunching our Virgin brand this year with a much stronger value proposition. Virgin is going through a transformation and will be a very different carrier than it used to be, he said. As recently as in February, Sprint overhauled Virgin Mobiles pricing structure as a response to a majority of prepaid customers who prefer monthly plans. The new pricing structure included free calls and texts in all existing plans but introduced variable rates on data consumption which started from $30 per month for 500 MB of data. Other plans included a $40 per month for 4GB data and $50 per month for 6GB data. These plans also offered free music streaming from Pandora, Slacker, iHeartRadio, and Samsung Milk.
Of the four national carriers operating in the United States of America today, two are more concerned with prepay customers compared with the other two. AT&T and T-Mobile USA are showing growth in their prepay customers whereas Sprint and Verizon Wireless are showing falls in their prepay subscribers. However, the North American market benefits from a number of smaller, regional carriers plus many MVNOs, or mobile virtual network operators. These MVNOs are essentially a reseller of the carriers airwaves, as they buy minutes, text messages and data in bulk and pass on some of the savings to the customer. Some MVNOs are able to use multiple carriers, meaning that the end customer should be able to benefit from a signal almost anywhere. One such example is Google Fi, which uses a combination of Sprint and T-Mobile USA. And today weve news of a new MVNO, Tello, which will piggyback Sprints network. Tello will join over a hundred MVNOs jostling for customers attention.

Tello is a mobile virtual network operator that has been running a UK operation since 2014. The business offers a no frills service and customers benefit from a number of features. Customers can pick between fully customizing their plans using an online dashboard to using a number of Tellos pre-made plans, such as their $9 a month economy plan, which includes 100 minutes, 200 texts and 200 MB of data (up to and including LTE). Tello also offer a Data Savvy plan, which includes 500 minutes, no text messages and 5 GB of data  presumably it expects customers to use instant messaging applications rather than SMS messages. The data savvy plan costs $55 a month. For customers reaching or exceeding their data caps, Tello will throttle their connection speed down to 64 kbps. Tello also offer a pay as you go national and international calling, texting and data service, too. They have promised to offer twenty four hour customer service should you need it.

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As far as devices go, customers can either ring their own unlocked CDMA device to use on Tellos network and for this, there is no activation fee. Alternatively, Tello are selling a number of devices such as the $56 Kyocera Hydro up to the $439 Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Sprints vice president of wholesale solutions, Scott Kalinoski, said this on the new launch of Tello Tellos innovative rate plan and customer-first model is very exciting. I think the straightforward offers and approach to how they do business will resonate in the market. However, Tellos greatest challenge is likely being visible in a crowded market place.
TELUS laid out its investment plans and goals for 2016, and they appear to be very aggressive. They announced investments of $370 million in Vancouver, $275 million in Edmonton, $130 million in Calgary, $62 million in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and $30.5 million in Ottawa. TELUS says that this infrastructure investment will roll out across the country during 2016 and by the end of 2016, they plan on having LTE coverage over 99-percent of the Alberta and Ontario areas and 98-percent of British Columbia. TELUS also plans on updating TELUS storefronts and extend its fibre optic network. They are already trying to expand their role in business solutions, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud-based security services, and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) solutions.

In the nations capital, this is all part of TELUS commitment to investing $1 billion in Ontario by 2019 to bring advanced telecommunications infrastructure to every corner of the province. Ted Woodhead, TELUS senior vice-president of regulatory affairs, said, Were nearly doubling our investment in the national capital region this year, reflecting our commitment to providing advanced telecommunications connections here, and across Canada. In connecting businesses and healthcare facilities in the nations capital directly to our broadband network, we are opening up opportunities for them to operate more efficiently and become even more innovative in how they deliver critical services. Their desire is to expand its healthcare solutions to provide electronic records for medical, pharmacies, dental clinics and healthcare providers across the country.

Andrea Goertz, TELUS Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer says that, TELUS has deep roots in Calgary, and were committed to continuing to invest in our resilient community and province now and into the future, creating jobs and opportunities for Albertans, and ensuring Alberta stays a step ahead in the growing digital economy. They will be reaching the ground level on TELUS Sky  their new office building that will blend office, residential, and retail spaces. They are working to connect more homes and businesses on their gigabit-enabled fibre network to meet the growing demands. TELUS will expand their gigabyte-enable fibre network to cover the increases in demand that area is facing. They want to improve the reach, speed, and capacity of their high-speed internet. Tony Geheran, TELUS Executive Vice-President and President of Broadband Networks said, Our investment of $370 million this year reflects TELUS commitment to provide our neighbours with the fastest, most robust communications technology available anywhere in the world today. TELUS started with IoT back in 2014 and has continued to invest in their infrastructure  possibly the reason for the cost of smartphone plans.
Verizon recently started shipping its HTC 10 pre-orders, which indicated that the company had already started receiving its consignments from the HTC factories in Taiwan. Now, the carrier has started selling the device on its website as well as in its retail stores nationwide, with device payment plans starting from $22.83 per month for qualified customers, wholl be eligible to get the handset with zero down payment on a 2-year payment plan. Subscribers with more modest credit, however, will need to make a down payment of $219.20 and thereupon pay $13.70 per month for the next 24 months. In an online-only offer, the carrier is also waiving off the activation fee on the device for a limited time. One thing to note is that only the 32 GB version of the smartphone is currently listed online with no word on when customers can expect to see the 64 GB model on sale. Verizon is also offering a time-limited $100 discount that will stay in place until May 9th.

Meanwhile, users wanting to grab the unlocked, SIM-free version of the device from HTCs website are also entitled to the $100 discount. That particular model will work with both AT&T and T-Mobile, so AT&T subscribers wanting to give the HTC 10 a go have the option of doing so even though the carrier is not officially selling the smartphone on its network. However, while the $100 discount brings the price of the HTC 10 down from $648 to $548 at Verizon, users buying the smartphone straight from HTC will have to pay a $51 premium to get their hands on the device. It is originally listed on HTCs website at $699, and will cost $599 post discount.

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Even as U.S. consumers are gearing up to receive their HTC 10 units, consumers in China seems to have given the device a cold shoulder, with reports indicating that only 251 units have been pre-ordered in the 11 days since the device was listed on two leading online retail sites in the country. Sources quoted by sections of the Taiwanese media seem to be of the opinion that HTCs decision to launch the lower spec HTC 10 Lifestyle in the country instead of the Snapdragon 820-powered global flagship is one of the main reasons for the reported low uptake for the smartphone in the country.
(ANSA) - Rome, May 5 - Italy and Germany see eye to eye on the asylum seeker emergency and on Italy's proposed Migration Compact but not on how to fund it, it emerged after Premier Matteo Renzi met with German Chancellor Angela Merker in Rome on Thursday. Like Renzi, Merkel called for rational and long-term European Union responses to the exodus of people fleeing wars, persecution and hunger in Africa and the Middle East. Building walls, she said, is not such a response. "Europe must defend the Schengen Agreement or risk falling back into separate nationalism - the very future of Europe is at stake," she said at a joint press conference after the bilateral meeting. "Europe must demonstrate it is a valid force in the world," she said. "With regards to the migrant emergency, the issue is external borders (however) we must come up with ways to solve problems other than shutting down borders. We cannot shut down the borders - we must remain loyal to one another," she said.
(ANSA) - Rome, May 5 - Italy will guarantee 50 litres of free water per day for each member of the most disadvantaged families in the country, Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti said on Thursday, outlining the measure in a government decree.

Galletti said at a conference in Rome that the decree established that the minimum quantity of water necessary to satisfy essential needs is 50 litres per inhabitant per day.

He said it would be up to the electricity, gas and water authority to ensure that families recognised as economically disadvantaged received this "water bonus", and that those included in the category could not have their water supply cut off.


(ANSA) - Bolzano, May 5 - A woman with Zika virus was hospitalized in the northern city of Bolzano and released in good health two days later, sources said Thursday. The patient was infected during a trip to the Caribbean, the sources said. The World Health Organization (WHO) in a March risk assessment report urged European countries, including Italy, to prepare for a possible mosquito-borne Zika virus contagion outbreak.

The risk of transmission of the virus - which has been linked to severe birth defects such as microcephaly as well as neurological problems - will increase as mosquitoes become active with the warm weather, the WHO report said.

"While the Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) is the primary vector, the Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito) - which is present in 20 European countries - can also transmit the virus and remains a potential vector," the report said.

Aedes aegypti is present on the Portuguese island of Madeira and on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. The Aedes albopictus lives in Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the Vatican City.

The WHO recommends a four-pronged prevention approach: pest control, keeping tabs on the virus via an early warning system, swift lab confirmations of possible infections, and alerting the public - especially pregnant women - as to the risk.

The organization last month said pregnant Zika victims who choose to terminate should be granted access to safe abortions.


(ANSAmed) - GAZA, MAY 5 - Yussef grew up in a family of firm supporters of the Islamic militant group Hamas. Suha comes from an environment strongly linked to their political rivals Fatah: yet despite those rigid ideological barriers adolescent love blossoms in a refugee camp in Gaza. This is the plot--openly inspired by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet--of a play by director Ali Abu Yassin which has gained notable success in the Gaza Strip, even though it has no proper theatre and limited secular cultural activities.



The protagonists meet in a cafe whose owner advises them not to break the social rules of the refugee camp. The play reaches a dramatic end, linked to current events in Gaza: Yussef-Romeo will disappear after getting on a migrant boat heading to Europe that sinks in the Mediterranean. The positive reactions from the public so far have further reinforced Abu Yassin's view that Shakespeare remains relevant "in any place, at any time". (ANSAmed).


FLORENCE - Women's experiences of the migrant and asylum seeker crisis in Europe and the Middle East are the focus of a new photo exhibition that opened in Florence on Thursday.



Women on the March is a display of more than 30 images captured by ANSA news agency photographers, which portray the emotional struggles of women refugees and asylum seekers. From periods of waiting, they lead on to situations of fear, but also moments of hope and happiness.



Running until May 10, the exhibition at the Strozzi Palace has been set up to mark the so-called State of the Union meeting organised by the European University Institute, which gathers leading European Union figures for conferences and debates. The focus this year is on women.
Gaza: Israel, new attack after repeated Hamas actions Hamas, open clashes to stop bulldozer in our area

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, MAY 5 - Last night, another launch of mortar rounds from Gaza, Israel once again hit Hamas sites in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner who said the launches "targeted four Hamas terrorist infrastructure sites". It was the second raid from Israeli aviation in a few hours.



The tension therefore hasn't decreased despite the fact that Hamas representative Abou Marzouk, speaking from Cairo and cited by media sources, said that there had been a mediation between the two sides thanks to Egyptian intervention.



Since May 3, "Hamas has repeatedly shot and launched mortar rounds and rockets against Israeli soldiers working in defence operations near the Israel-Gaza security barrier," Lerner said.



Hamas confirmed through Abou Marzouk, who, prior to giving news about the mediation, said that what happened at the eastern edges of the Gaza Strip "is an attempt by Israel to implement faits accomplis on the ground for 150 meters beyond the border barrier. This is what has driven our men to wage this battle. To prevent their bulldozers from continuing in their work".



(ANSAmed).




Syria: at least 6 dead in double attack in Homs province Kremlin, Aleppo ceasefire fragile but we hope for the best

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MAY 5 - At least six people were killed and dozens injured on Thursday in two bombings that took place in a village in central Syria, just hours after the start of a 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo, the focus of fighting and bombings over the last two weeks in the country's north.



The attacks took place in the village of Mukharam al Fawkani, east of Homs.



According to the National Observatory for Human Rights (ONDUS) the victim count stands at 10 dead and over 40 wounded.



The attacks come just one day after the announcement of a ceasefire in Aleppo. A "potentially very fragile" ceasefire due to the "complex intertwining of terrorists and opposition forces" said the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, regarding which, however, "one always wants to hope for the best". (ANSAmed).




NEW YORK - The bombings on Aleppo over the past two weeks are among the "worst" of the five years of war in Syria, said Jeffrey Feltman, the UN's Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, who said those responsible should be brought before the International Criminal Court.



Yesterday an agreement was announced between the US and Russia for a new ceasefire in Aleppo. The announcement came from US sources at the end of another tragic day for the city in northern Syria, which has been a battleground for the past two weeks between government and rebel forces with bombings on houses, hospitals and mosques and a death toll of nearly 300 civilians.



The sources, however, admitted that violations continue in some areas of the city, which was once the economic heart of the country.



The UN Security Council has been summoned for an emergency meeting called by Great Britain and France.


ANSAmed - Today's events in the Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MAY 5 - These are the main events scheduled for today in the Euro-Mediterranean area: TUNIS - Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Arab Maghreb Union (Uma).



ROME - Prime Minister Matteo Renzi meets European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker. Then takes part in an event with Juncker, President of the European Council, Donald Tusk and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.



ANTALYA - regional conference on the 'Agenda 2030' organized by FAO, wit EU commissioner Phil Hogan.



MILAN - First edition of the Festival of Human Rights, event organised by Reset-Diritti Umani and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (running until May 8).



ROME - Spanish Film Festival kicks off. First screening in Rome (to May 10); Milan (May 27-29) and then Trieste (May 30-31).



SIDI BOU SAID (TUNISIA) - 4th edition of "Meetings between European-Maghreb region writers" (until May 6). (ANSAmed).




ROME - Italy and Germany will work together next year at the G7 and G20, Premier Matteo Renzi said after bilateral talks in Rome with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday. He said they would address "the major issues of international politics".



Renzi admitted Thursday that he and Merkel did not see eye-to-eye on Italy's proposal to issue eurobonds to finance spending to tackle the asylum-seeker crisis.



"It's necessary to have a strategy for Africa like the one for the Balkans route," Renzi told a joint news conference after meeting Merkel in Rome. "We have presented a document to our European partners and we have discussed it with Angela's staff," he added, referring to Italy's proposal for a migration compact.



"We don't agree on some points, in particular on the financing.



We proposed eurobonds but there's no agreement on this".



"I rate highly the Migration Compact" presented by Italy for funding sub-Saharan countries of origin and transit. She said "it gives an important impulse." Merkel said "we have different ideas on the funding but we are of the same opinion on the efforts. We will be able to talk about it at the EU summit in June".



Issuing eurobonds is of secondary importance, Renzi said. "An innovative solution must be found, but if the funding solution is different from eurobonds...I want to bring home the result," he said. Renzi said "the important thing is that the Migration Compact gives resources to help Africa".



Merkel said Europe must "defend the Schengen Agreement or risk falling back into nationalisms - the future of Europe is at stake".



"Europe must demonstrate it is a valid force in the world," she said. "We made good progress on the euro. With regards to the migrant emergency, the issue is external borders". However "we must come up with ways to solve problems other than shutting down borders". "We cannot shut down the borders - we must remain loyal to one another," she said. Renzi said Austrian far-right leader Heinz-Christian Strache's characterisation of Italy and Germany as "State migrant smugglers" for their efforts to save people in the Mediterranean was "shameful".



He said "anyone who has seen babies dead in the holds of boats in the Mediterranean, who has seen women giving birth on Italian coastguard ships, knows that hearing someone accusing them of being migrant smugglers is shameful".


Small business development officials from the 21 APEC economies are breaking new ground in efforts to bridge gaps in access and use of digital technologies, intent on harnessing undertapped trade and growth within the sector.

Officials fleshed out measures for lowering barriers to micro, small and medium enterprise participation in the digital space during technical discussions with the private sector that just concluded in Ho Chi Minh CityViet Nams commercial capital.

Trade Ministers from the APEC region will take the next step when they convene in Arequipa, Peru on 17-18 May to bolster trade and growth. They will also draw on a preceding cluster of technical working group exchanges that commences there this week and whose agenda includes facilitating small business development and digital trade.

We see great potential for the integration of small businesses into the digital economy as a driver of growth and continued improvements in living standards, said Dang Huy Dong, Viet Nams Vice Minister of Planning and Investment.

Our focus is on making it easier and faster to start and develop a business through the application of emerging technologies and data flows, he explained.

Emphasis is on the establishment of policy conditions in APEC economies that enable small firms to leverage digital tools for product and service development, business model innovation and trade.

Examples range from online marketplaces, social media marketing and customer management systems, to cloud-based communications, instant messaging and funding, recruitment and payroll systems.

Small businesses that take advantage of the internet are substantially more productive than those that dont and grow faster and have higher export revenue, noted John Andersen, Chair of the APEC Small and Medium Enterprise Working Group, which administers regional policy collaboration within the sector.

Equal access to the digital economy remains a challenge, added Andersen, who is also United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the Western Hemisphere. Many firms grapple with connectivity problems and often harbor concerns about security and equipment costs.

Policy solutions on the table include wider availability of skills training, easing market access and trade restrictions, adopting clear, consistent industry regulation based on international best practices, and expansion of the APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules system to ensure seamless, secure data flows.

Representatives from micro, small and medium enterprises and leading technology providers underscored the potential benefits of an inclusive, principle-guided approach towards bridging the digital divide.

In support of this effort, APEC has partnered with Google to launch a mobile phone-based video competition offering people from small businesses as well as aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to explain how they use their device to help develop and grow commercial ideas.

Building awareness of the economic and social advantages of digital technology can build impetus for policy action needed to put it within arms reach for more people, concluded Andersen.

To participate in the APEC Video Contest, visit www.apec.org/Videocontest2016.aspx. The winning one-minute submission will be awarded a trip to Lima, Peru to meet with CEOs from the Asia-Pacific during the 2016 APEC Economic Leaders Week to take place on 14-20 November.

# # #

For additional information, or to arrange possible media interviews with APEC officials, please contact:

David Hendrickson +65 9137 3886 at [email protected]

Michael Chapnick +65 9647 4847 at [email protected]

More on APEC meetings, events, projects and publications can be found on www.apec.org. You can also follow APEC on Twitter and join us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Once operational the MTB will constitute a number of world first exclusives in terms of its F&B offering, including celebrity chef inspired outlets, unique to Abu Dhabi International Airport. These innovative ideas will be spread across 11,300 m of dining space in the MTB. The F&B offering at the MTB will challenge the very perception of F&B retailing in an airport environment thus far and will set the benchmark for dining concepts moving forward. Bearing in mind the wide demographic that we will be catering to, we are thrilled with the pioneering, avant-garde approaches that we have been able to gather together under one roof, said Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports.

Over 80 concessionaires submitted more than 250 brands to Abu Dhabi Airports when the process began in April 2015. Bidders were required to produce spectacular and innovative ideas that would put an emphasis on enhancing passenger experience above all else. Solutions outlining authentic, technological and sustainable details were sought, which would reflect Abu Dhabis renowned hospitality, to further cement the capitals status as a top-tier destination.

The four main concept pillars that we outlined for the bidders were: experiential dining  adding experience to the occasion; customization  giving customers the chance to interact and be involved with the end product;casualization  providing familiar yet outstanding dining environments, whilst offering a wide menu selection; and personalisation  present brands that resonate with diners and make a personal connection. In addition, we challenged bidders to capture the essence of Arabian hospitality. The winning concessionaires were those that had demonstrated their ability to deliver on the vision behind it all: providing spectacular ideas that will translate into sensational experiences, and exceeding the expectations of our business partners and customers alike, Al Mazrouei added.

ELR currently operates over 260 F&B outlets (including 75 at 13 airports) with growing operations across the Middle East and Australasia. They bring a deep understanding of both the local UAE market as well as international airport operations, with concessions in Dubai, Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore Airports.

HMSHost International is a world leader in creating shopping and dining for travel venues as part of the Autogrill Group, the world leading provider of F&B for people on the move. Through its HMSHost International division the company has F&B operations in 18 European and another 21 airports across the Middle East, Asia and Pacific, and is responsible for bringing more than 250 brands to market.

Lagardere Capital, a joint venture between Lagardere Travel Retail, a division of Lagardere Group, and Abu Dhabi Capital Group, marries expertize in global travel retail and a deep-seated understanding of Abu Dhabis heritage. Lagardere Travel Retail is a pioneering global leader in the travel industry, operating 4,000 stores across travel essentials, duty free and food service in airports, railway stations and other concessions in 30+ countries worldwide. In food service in particular, the company operates 780 outlets in 17 countries, in 73 airports and has over 30 years of experience. Abu Dhabi Capital Group is a private institutional investment house based in Abu Dhabi, having investments across various asset classes, industries and geographies.

SSP Group comes with 50 years of experience in running F&B outlets and currently services international airports across 30 countries including Beijing Capital International Airport in China, Zurich Airport in Switzerland, and John F. Kennedy International Airport in the USA, with more than 30,000 employees. Serving one million customers every day, SSP Group carries more than 300 brands around the world.

When the MTB is complete Abu Dhabi International Airports (AUH) overall capacity will reach 45 million passengers a year. In 2015, a record 23.3 million passengers used AUH as their origin, destination, or transit point.

The MTB, which is set to become the primary gateway for the national carrier Etihad Airways and its partners, will also include cargo and catering facilities, utilities, and related infrastructure. It is situated between the two runways at AUH allowing for the shortest possible journey from runway to parking stand and a quicker and smoother experience for passengers.
Le CBD, cette molecule active du cannabis a aujourdhui le vent en poupe. Et cela est en grande partie du au fait quil permet...
The three clergymen are Fr Nalladimmu Raja Reddy from Mylavaram, Fr Lingala Vijaya Mohan Reddy from Vallur, and Fr Sanivarapu Marreddy from Renigunta. Police says the three resented Mgr Gallelas decisions not to give them money and positions.

Secunderabad (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Three priests in the diocese of Cuddapah, Andhra Pradesh, abducted the local bishop, and mistreated him for hours because of resentment over positions.

Police superintendent Navin Gulati, who is in charge of the investigation, said that Mgr Prasad Gallela was kidnapped in Kadapa after he celebrated a religious service.

The main reason behind the abduction is the grudge the priests developed against the bishop for his non-cooperation in their efforts to loot church funds, the superintendent said.

The main accused is Fr Nalladimmu Raja Reddy, from Mylavaram, head of the Puja International School, and founder of Daddy Home. The second priest is Fr Lingala Vijaya Mohan Reddy, who is the pastor in Vallur. The third is Fr Sanivarapu Marreddy, pastor in Renigunta, Chittoor district.

The three priests are among 14 people arrested a few days ago by police on charges of kidnapping, extortion, attempted murder, bodily harm, mischief, and criminal conspiracy.

According to investigators, the accused blocked the car on which the prelate was travelling, blindfolded him, and took him to a secret location.

They demanded a ransom of five million rupees (US$ 75,000), and threatened to kill him. They also took his wallet, which contained 2,000 rupees (US$ 30), his ATM card, a silver chain with the pectoral cross, and his mobile phone.

The kidnappers locked the bishops driver, Vijay Kumar, inside another car, where they beat him, and took his cash and ATM card, which they used to withdraw 46,000 rupees (US$ 700).

After beating the bishop during the night, and getting him to hand over two million rupees (US$ 30,000), they left him and the driver on the highway to Tadipatri, some 90 km from the city.

Investigators said that the kidnappers had tried several times to kidnap the bishop because he had refused their demands.

Fr Raja Reddy wanted money, Fr Marreddy wanted to be prosecutor, and Fr Mohan Reddy want to head a college. The bishop had however refused to give the money and had appointed other people to the aforementioned positions.

At that point, Fr Raja Reddy contacted Jeereddy Govardhan Reddy, a relative involved in criminal activities, who offered other kidnappers 120,000 rupees [US$ 1,800] to take part in the crime.

Fr Sudhakar, from the Diocese of Kurnool, condemned the action of the three priests. "They were misled by power and money, and have done great harm to the Church."

Fr Jayaraj, another priest in the same diocese, agrees. "Those who believe in money are automatically cast away from the Lord for they plotted against His servants!
by Nozrul Islam

Motiur Rahman Nizami is charged with committing war crimes, genocide, rape and premeditated massacre of intellectuals. At the time, during the liberation war in 1971, he was the leader of the partys student wing. His execution is scheduled in a few days, unless the president pardons him. Catholic Source: "Sentence is politically motivated, but the criminal is not innocent." The abandonment of the old leaders by the new political generation.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - This morning, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh confirmed the death sentence of Motiur Rahman Nizami, leader of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami. The four judges of the Supreme Court rejected the final appeal lodged by his lawyers, who sought an overturning of the sentence already imposed by the Court in January.

The man is accused of war crimes committed during the War of Liberation in 1971. His supporters reject the allegations and denounce Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas political cleansing of her opponents. A Catholic source tells AsiaNews: "The sentence is certainly politically motivated. But what is also certain is that Nizami and others like him, is not innocent.

His execution is scheduled in a few days, unless the president Abdul Hamid decides to grant clemency. Nizami, who is now 73 years old, was leader of the partys student wing, the Islami Chhatra Sangha. In 2000 he assumed the leadership of the most popular Islamic movement in the country, and from 2001 to 2006 he was Minister of the State under the Khaleda Zia government.

He has been in prison since 2010, and in 2014 the International Criminal Court, a special judicial body created by the current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to punish war criminals, sentenced him to death. Our source explains: "It is clear that Hasina wants the consent of the people, who for the large part are in favor of these trials. The goal is to regain the dignity in the eyes of the international community and to affirm respect for human rights in Bangladesh. So on the one hand the government wants to build a good self-image, on the other wants to decapitate the opposition party, which is well organized and violent. "



Prosecutors believe that Nizami is guilty of having created the pro-Pakistan militia Al-Badr, which ordered the massacre of intellectuals, doctors and journalists during the war. Their bodies were found in a swamp outside the capital, blindfolded and hands tied. AsiaNews sources confirmed the violence perpetrated by those who were the "collaborators of Pakistan was often fiercer than the soldiers themselves."



The conviction of former minister arrives in a already troubled political climate, with a growing incidence of Islamic violence, as witnessed by the killing of bloggers and intellettuals branded as "atheists". The source points out, that these violent acts are not "interpretable directly as retaliation by the Jamaat-e-Islami. Rather, the killings are due to the climate of intolerance against these democratic thinkers".

Rather the source promises the opening of new scenarios, given that the national leadership of the Jamaat-e-Islami is thinning because of death sentences carried out against leaders. "Experts in the field - he says - believe that the new generation of the party does not view this elimination of the old guard negatively, rather as a situation that will force a reorganization of the movement on a new basis. They are ready to take the reins, as soon as the law is passed which imposes the obligation to have no religious references within parties. They will give birth to a new party that will have no religious affiliations, but it will contain its ideas, because this is their cultural background".
by Mathias Hariyadi

In recent months, the waters of the South China Sea have seen an escalation in violence and abduction. Basic standard operating procedures are expected to be finalised by the end of May against the Filipino Jihadi Abu Sayyaf group.

Yokyakarta (AsiaNews)  The governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have agreed to address the threats of piracy and terrorism in the South China Sea.

In a closed-door meeting held today in Yogyakarta (Central Java), senior officials from the three nations have decided to conduct joint maritime patrols to counter the escalation of violence and kidnappings by the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf group.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, together with General Gatot Nurmantyo, hosted their Filipino and Malaysian counterparts.

According to Ms Marsudi, the discussions focused on "best practices" used successfully by Indonesia and Malaysia in the Straits of Malacca. We are politically called to make these new arrangements in response to the new challenges in our regions, she explained.

Three more three-party meetings are scheduled. Basic standard operating procedures is expected to be finalised by the end of May, General Nurmantyo said.

The three military commanders from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have agreed to enhance joint cooperation involving the army, the navy and the air force," the general said.

On 26 March, Abu Sayyaf terrorists seized ten Indonesian sailors on board a cargo ship owned by the Patria Maritime Lines. The ship, which was carrying 7,000 tonnes of coal, was intercepted off the coast of Tawi-Tawi, Philippines.

On 1 May, the crew was released. It was unclear whether a ransom was paid or not. However, Filipino media said that a million dollars were paid out to the kidnappers, a claimed Indonesian authorities denied.

Indonesian Army General Kivlan Zen said that negotiations for the release were carried through Sakur Tan, governor of Sulu province (Philippines), and grandson of the founder of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), an Islamic separatist group that reached an agreement with Filipino authorities in the 1990s to create an autonomous Muslim region in Mindanao. A source confirmed this version of the events to AsiaNews.

Currently, Abu Sayyaf is still holding 11 foreign nationals: four Indonesians, four Malaysians, a Canadian, a Norwegian and a Dutch.
by Nirmala Carvalho

The incident happened in the early hours of this morning. According to the fundamentalists, two parishioners damaged saffron flags (the symbol color of Hindu nationalism) exposed outside the church for the festival of Rama. The US religious freedom Commission's report confirms the escalation of violence against Christians in India.

Jobat (AsiaNews) - A mob of 500 Hindu right-wing activists have attacked a Protestant church damaging the entrance and throwing stones at the faithful. The incident happened in the early hours of this morning in Jabat, in Madhya Pradesh. Hindu extremists reacted to the alleged damage to the saffron-colored flags (the symbol color of nationalists) exposed outside the church on the occasion of Ram Navmi festival ( which marks the birth of Rama).



The president of the local branch of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, the Hindu ultra-nationalist ruling party), has been reported to police on charges of riot, damage to a place of worship corruption and violence against women.

Meena Chauhan, superintendent of Alirajpur district police, said that "the problems started at nine o'clock last night, when some people came to us with a complaint against Nirmal Raymind Nigam and his brother, accused of damaging the saffron flags they had placed near the church on the occasion of the festival ". The police immediately registered the complaint, by sending a patrol to arrest the two.



Meanwhile, says Pastor Emmanuel Ariel, " RSS activists [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Hindu ultra-nationalist paramilitary group ed], the BJP and Bajrang Dal [youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, VHP] led by former district chief, threw stones at members of the community, attacked our women and broke the church lamps. " The most shocking thing, he adds, "is that all this happened before the eyes of the police officers, who stood by as silent spectators." The pastor denied that they the faithful of his church damaged the flags: "They were probably torn because of the wind".



According to Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), the episode confirms the deterioration of the situation: "Religious tolerance and freedom of worship in India are deteriorating and violence is increasing."
Rev Han Chung-ryeol had opened a church in Changbai, on the Chinese side of a mountain range that marks the border with North Korea. Here he helped exiles. A source told AsiaNews that such a brutal murder is a signal for all those who help North Koreans flee."

Seoul (AsiaNews)  Rev Han Chung-ryeol was found dead on 30 April with head and stomach wounds. The Protestant clergyman served at a church in Changbai near the border with North Korea.

Speaking to AsiaNews, a Korean Catholic source said that such a brutal death "is a very worrying sign. The pastor knew and helped many refugees from the North and had relations with local Chinese police. Killing him the way it was done could be a signal for all those who help North Koreans flee."

In Changbai, on the Chinese side of the mountainous border, eyewitnesses said they saw the clergyman leave his church last Saturday. Six hours later he was found dead, an axe blow to the head and several stab wounds to the stomach.

Local authorities believe he was murdered by North Korea, since there was a standing order against him from the North Korean government.

Well-loved by his community, Rev Han had established his church in 1993. Whilst he was still in the seminary, some people requested him to come to Changbai to preach.

His ministry to North Koreans began the same year the church was founded. North Koreans were fleeing famine in their homeland that would eventually kill hundreds of thousands.

"He was a good man who, whenever possible, encouraged North Koreans to go home, the source told AsiaNews. He used to say that the countrys fate was in their hands, that the regime would not last forever, and that God would not abandon them.

He did not incite people to overthrow the government. He never sought to proselytise among North Koreans. It is understandable that Kim regime might have wanted him dead because he gave North Koreans something more important than food: hope in a better world.
Fr Cereda confirms the latest reports saying that Jihadi-held Fr Tom is "still alive". He stresses the need to focus on the case, keeping communication channels open and media attention high without pressure or false hopes. Meanwhile, Salesians continue to pray, hold Masses and perform Eucharistic adorations for the kidnapped clergyman.

Rome (AsiaNews)  Two months after Islamic State (IS) militants attacked a facility run by Missionaries of Charity of Aden, in southern Yemen, and seized a Salesian clergyman, Fr Tom Uzhunnalil, it is important to "continue paying attention" and "keep communication channels open", without putting "pressures" or fuelling "false hopes," said Fr Francesco Cereda, Vicar of the Rector Major of the Salesians.

It is important to nurture hope through prayer, he told AsiaNews, because we know he is still alive as Mgr Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, said a few days ago.

A Jihadi group, probably linked to the Islamic State (IS) group, seized Fr Tom Uzhunnalil on 4 March after storming a home for the sick and elderly run by the Missionaries of Charity in Aden. Four sisters of Mother Teresa and 12 lay people present in the facility were killed in the attack.

So far, nothing is known of the fate of the 56-year-old priest. Born in Ramapuram, near Pala (Kottayam, Kerala), He comes from a deeply Catholic family and had been in Yemen for four years. His uncle Matthew, who died last year, was also a Salesian, and the founder of the mission in Yemen.

During Holy Week, unsubstantiated stories began circulating in India claiming that the kidnappers planned to torture, kill and crucify the priest on Good Friday, the day when Christians mark Christs passion and death.

The Salesians and the Vicariate of Arabia have repeatedly denied such unconfirmed rumours; however, the latter have fuelled fears about the Indian priests fate.

In view of the situation, the Salesian Family called on the faithful to pray for Fr Tom on Holy Thursday and during the main Easter celebrations.

Recently, Mgr Hinder had suggested that Fr Tom was "still alive" and that his release was imminent. However, since then, the initial optimism has become somewhat subdued because of the lack of positive developments.

Despite such uncertainty, it is important to pray and keep the story in the news, Fr Cereda explained. "The latest information comes from apostolic vicar, according to whom Fr Tom is still alive," he noted. Hence, it is very important to focus on the story to ensure that public opinion does not forget it.

At present, there are no plans for more days of prayer, but the Salesian Family continues to remember the Indian priest abducted in Yemen in other ways, in vigils and Masses.

"Every Thursday night, the General House here in Rome celebrates the Eucharistic adoration with this particular intention, Fr Cereda said. During a recent meeting in Malta we celebrated a Mass for his release."

Mgr Hinder is in charge of the diplomatic activity work, the vicar of the Rector Major of the Salesians said. Our contribution is through prayers and remembrance.

To mark two months since his abduction, we just sent a letter to Fr Toms brother to express our closeness to the family and our hope for his immediate release. Unless we have bad news, we must hope and pray.
by Kamran Chaudhry

The Pakistani church has created a series of meetings to educate religious sisters about online mission for the World Communications Day, on May 8th. At the beginning of the month, 23 sisters participated in a conference with themed blogs and websites: "We have a vocation also as citizens of the worldwide web".

Lahore (AsiaNews) - Teaching religious how to use social media, a useful tool to boost mission, communicate the faith and give rise to new vocations. This is the purpose of the "Conference on online directives for Catholic nuns" held last May 1 in Lahore.

The event, which was attended by 23 women, was the first of a series of initiatives designed by the local Church ahead of World Day of Social Communications marked by the Vatican for the upcoming May 8, entitled "Communication and mercy: a fruitful encounter ".



Every year, marking the Day, the Pakistani Church prepares flyers and brochures themed on communication. This year, Sister Athens Angeles and the Daughters of St. Paul held a lesson for their sisters, encouraging them to open personal blogs and use social networks with missionary purpose. "The online progress of the sisters - says Sr. Athens - means the possibility of new vocations, better understanding of the mission at a local level, elevation of the dignity of women, opportunities for dialogue with the modern world and greater support to pastoral work".



During the seminar, the Oscar-winning documentary A Girl In The River was screened, which tells of a religiously motivated honor killing in Pakistan. "I hope that the sisters will watch it again - says the sister of Filipino origins - so they can better understand that it is very difficult to take a position when there are such opposite visions. Being religious, our ideal frame of mind is that of the Gospel. As spiritual online guidelines, it is important to have a point of view on the current situation in the country and the laws that affect the most vulnerable communities, especially women.

Since not all religious congregations can afford the creation of a dedicated website, explains Sister Athens, "the active use of social media and blogs is essential to share the joy of serving the Lord through our works."

Following the lecture, the Sisters of Charity of Jeanne Antide Thouret opened their first blog. The sisters run a home for people with disabilities or mental illnesses in Lahore. "We want to encourage young sisters to use the media wisely - says regional superior Sister Hend Salloum - even through the right choice about which photos to publish and what to write. The conference gave us the opportunity to discover our mission as citizens of the worldwide web.
Olmeca Altos Tequila

White Powder Ruined My Trip To Mexico, But This Tequila Saved It

Lots of people go to Mexico looking for tequila; probably a fair number of tourists are keen on sampling some of the local booger sugar, too. But practically no one goes to central Mexico expecting snow, and I would imagine that few return with the same kind of appreciation for tequila (and warm clothes) as I recently did.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting Mexico as the (all-expenses-paid) guest of Olmeca Altos Tequila, a spirit owned by Pernod-Ricard that youve likely never heard of. Tequila is big business in Mexico, but its even bigger business in America. We drink the lions share of the worlds tequila, but for all its popularity we tend to do so crudely, slurping back chilled shots rather than sipping it neat or exploring it in cocktails. You can understand why, then, the purveyors of an up and coming distillery would appreciate some American journalists spreading the word that there are more ways to drink tequila besides out of a prone Chi Omegas navel.

After an evening in Guadalajara at a hotel also occupied by Oasis Noel Gallagher (whose presence incited repeated singalongs by the throngs of fans camped outside), we boarded a bus for Arendas, a town in Jaliscos highlands and the home of the Altos distillery. Kind of like how bourbon can technically be made anywhere (and not just Bourbon, Kentucky), tequila need not be produced in Tequila, Jalisco, the town that gives the spirit its name. In fact, the Tequila Valley probably isnt even the best place to produce tequila, as we would soon learn.

Since 1995, the Mexican government has enforced strict rules that dictate that tequila can only be called such if its produced in designated regions, including the entire state of Jalisco and other isolated pockets. Other things tequila must be: At least 51% of the sugars used in distillation must come from the blue agave plant. Certain aging and dilution requirements must be met, also. Blanco, the clear tequila from your spring break nightmares, requires no aging and can be diluted with water to adjust the alcohol content. Reposado, the gold tequila from your spring break nightmares, must spend at least two months in a wooden container and can be mixed with caramel color, sugar and other additives to adjust the color and flavor. Altos reposado is aged in used whiskey barrels to impart color and flavor.

Ian Lang

I was not supposed to take this picture (due to fire hazard).

Altos is also 100% agave, meaning the agave plant is the only source of sugar used in fermentation, as opposed to things like cane sugar and fructose used in blended or mixtos tequila. 100% agave tequila has rapidly taken over the U.S. ultra-premium market, but the laborious (and expensive) nature of making 100% agave tequila is also why that bottle of Don Julio costs 60 friggin dollars at the liquor store. Agave plants grow and mature irregularly, meaning mechanical harvesting is impossible. The most reliable way to cook the agave is in a also happens to be both the oldest and slowest method (and therefore most costly). Traditional tequila making relies on something called a tahona, a gigantic, volcanic rock wheel that slowly rolls and crushes the agave juices and flavors out of the fibers ahead of fermentation.

Ian Lang

Ian Lang

The harvested agave before they're baked and crushed for fermentation.

What makes Olmeca Altos unique is that they believe they sell an ultra-premium product at a mid-range or premium price. They do this, they claim, by cutting costs where they can, but not where it counts. Agave plants grow sweeter in the drier climate and dense clay soil of the highlands, resulting in larger yields. They save a considerable amount of money on the yeast, which they found is native to their agave plants and is incredibly efficient at converting agave sugars into alcohol. Finally, they combine the slow, expensive tahona crushing method with more modern steel roller crushing to strike a balance between production costs and the quality of the final product.

We learned all this along a fascinating tour of the facility, but experienced it amid something even more special: Snow, conservatively for the first time in 20 years, and possibly as many as 100 (it depended on who we asked). The night before, during an awesome cooking and mixology class where we learned that traditional Mexican cooking was added to UNESCOs Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, I noticed the snow when I stepped out to smoke a cigarette. I would continue to notice it for the rest of the trip, as travel is decidedly less fun when youve only got one pair of long pants and one fleece, and buildings in central Mexico dont really expect to need central heating in mid-March.

Ian Lang

Why they call it "blue" agave remains a mystery...

So how is the tequila? Is it worth the $25 my local ABC store charges? No question. Im far from a tequila connoisseur, but I can confirm that its great sipped neat, sublime in a cocktail like a paloma and, yes, goes down easy as a shot. Like any other spirit with a distinct flavor and character, tequila will take time to find its place in the cocktail scene, which is obviously what manufacturers want  shots result in more Im never drinking tequila again experiences than good ones. To move product through crafted cocktails that actually taste good is a better scenario.

The point is, tequila need not be relegated to shooter status. These days youre still likely to only see it featured at a Mexican bar or restaurant, or even a dedicated mixology bar if you really want to find it used to its potential. But if youre at such a place, think beyond saccharine margaritas or well-worn gin and vodka drinks. Tequila is a fully-realized spirit category with one of the worlds richest cultural heritages behind it, and any serious drinking man would do well to get ahead of the upcoming trend.
Amy Schumer Tries Out Tinder On A Stranger's Account

Trending News: Amy Schumer Took Over A Stranger's Tinder Account. Hilarity Ensued

Why Is This Important?

Because you should never, ever, let someone in a relationship swipe for you on Tinder.

Long Story Short

Amy Schumer hijacked a stranger's Tinder account and got some matches, but they didn't work out so well.

Long Story

If you're a Tinder user, here's a lesson for you  do not, whatever you do, let anyone in a relationship know you have Tinder on your device. What they'll do is pretty much what Amy Schumer did to this Vanity Fair associate during a photo shoot for the magazine's front cover (as seen via The Daily Mail).

Claiming to have never used the dating app before, Schumer asked Andrea Cuttler, the owner of the Tinder account she just hijacked, which way to swipe if she likes the guy (right is correct).

Schumer proceeded to swipe through guys, rejecting them for silly and crude reasons that are probably not that different from how everyone swipes, but just said aloud and with Schumer's signature style of humor.

The comedian's first match is a guy named Michael. "Michael you're 35 like I'm 25," she said, even though Cuttler is actually 31."'A guitar in a picture is a big red flag. That is the clearest you are just trying to get p***y at a party move."

She goes on to rip a guy named Nevada who is topless in his profile photo. "If you're not wearing a shirt in your profile photo, stop."

Good to know eh guys?

When she does finally get a match, with a 38-year-old New York City Firefighter (a gimme job on Tinder) named Thomas.

"How bout lightin my fiya?'" she wrote, assuring Andrea that he probably won't respond. But he did.

"Sure, I'd love to! How are you?" said Thomas.

It was a good response, but Schumer was over it.

She proceeded to say she's "bloated and hemorrhaging," which would be sure to lose any guy, but Thomas keeps on, saying: "Ha. Well. Good to Know."

The conversation didn't go far from there.

Watch the full video below:

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Was Schumer being particularly harsh for the cameras, or is this a good example of how some women swipe on Tinder?

Disrupt Your Feed

That wasn't funny, like at all.

Drop This Fact

Schumer took her boyfriend Ben Hanisch to the Met Gala in New York this week and posted a photo of them on Instagram with the caption: "I'm glad I Met his Balls"
Army Captain Sues President Obama Over Authority To Fight ISIS

Trending News: An Army Captain Sued President Obama Over The Right To Fight ISIS

Why Is This Important?

Because "war" as we once knew it no longer exists.

Long Story Short

A United States Army Captain filed a lawsuit against President Obama, claiming that the ongoing fight against ISIS is not authorized by congress and therefore unlawful. He also claims that the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force does not apply.

Long Story

Yesterday, a United States Army Captain by the name of Nathan Michael Smith filed a lawsuit in Washington's U.S. District Court, naming President Barack Obama as the defendant. In his suit, Capt. Smith alleges that the president's continued fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria lack Congressional approval, and therefore violates the 1973 War Powers Resolution. His claim as a plaintiff, according to the suit, alleges that the continued conflict forces him to violate his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Capt. Smith, stationed at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, states that My conscience bothered me. When I was commissioned by the President in May 2010, I took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, and the War Powers Resolution prohibits the President from waging war without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization.

Presumably, the continued operations in Iraq and Syria are carried out under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (that, or the 2002 continued AUMF in Iraq), approved by Congress following 9/11 to allow military action against Al Qaeda, a terrorist entity against whom it would be otherwise difficult for Congress to formally declare war. ISIS began as an Al Qaeda splinter cell, but Smith alleges that the AUMF would not apply in this situation. According to the suit, both AUMF resolutions were passed with the specific intent of avoiding open-ended conflicts, and were provided with the explicit understanding that neither supercede the War Powers Resolution. The War Powers Resolution dictates that the president must get Congressional approval within 60 days of entering a conflict, or cease operations within 30 days thereafter.

"President Obamas interpretation of the 2001 AUMF effectively converts it into the open-ended resolution that Congress deliberately rejected," the suit alleges.

New York Times

This is not the first time the legality and Constitutionality of President Obama's dealings in the Middle East have come under fire. As Gawker notes, inquiries as to whether the administration sought approval from the Office of Legal Counsel or the White House Counsel have been brushed aside. The administration assured reporters that, at best, they'd engaged with lawyers from key departments and agencies in discussions about the underlying authorities for those actions, according to McClatchy news.

Capt. Smith has not asked for monetary damages, only that the court "declare that the war against ISIS in Syria and Iraq violates the War Powers Resolution because the Congress has not declared war or given the President specific statutory authorization to fight the war, and violates the Take Care clause, and that if Congress does not declare war or give the President specific statutory authorization within sixty days of the judgment, the War Powers Resolution will require the

disengagement, within thirty days, of all United States armed forces from the war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria."

He also requests an award for court costs and attorney's fees, as is custom.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Do we need a better system for authorizing engagement with nebulous entities like ISIS?

Disrupt Your Feed

The U.S. has an obligation to fight terrorist groups like ISIS, but we should do it legally.

Drop This Fact

The last war formally declared by Congress was WWII.
Allen & Overy in has hired a team from Skadden which has announced its exit from the Australian market. The team is significant for A&O as a market-leading US securities practice.Partner Mark Leeman, counsel Cecile Baume and associate Matthew Lim have advised on 6 out of the 10 largest IPOs in Australia and New Zealand since 2013.A planned restructuring of King & Wood Mallesons in Europe and the Middle East has seen a number of partners leave already. Official records at Englands Companies House shows that 8 partners from the London-based office have already departed. Across the affected regions, 15 per cent of the 160 partners are expected to be cut due to the announced changes.In many parts of the world the name iPhone is synonymous with Apple Inc. but not so in China. Despite some success with its smartphones in the Chinese market, a court has ruled that the name is better known for handbags and other leather goods.The Beijing Higher Peoples Court decided that Xintong Tiandi Technology has the right to continue to sell its IPHONE branded products as it trademarked the name three years before Apple was awarded its trademark for electronic goods.The BBC reports that Apple says it is disappointed by the decision and plans to request a retrial in the Peoples Supreme Court.The Belgian lawyer who was defending terrorism suspect Salah Abdeslam described his client as as bright as an empty ashtray according to French newspaper Liberation.Lawyer Sven Mary made the comments to the paper in an exclusive interview in which he also talked of the pressure of representing the prime suspect for the Paris attacks which killed 130 people in November.Mary said that he has been physically assaulted and verbally abused for defending Abdeslam.
Real estate executives are beginning to appear more cautious about the state of the market. DLA Piper s latest market survey shows that 62 per cent of respondents remain bullish about the sector in the next 12 months but in 2014 the figure was 89 per cent.The growing caution is largely attributed to the volatile stock markets but also due to a feeling that prices may be at or near their peak.The US is seen as a safe haven for non-US investors. Chinese investors and those from the Persian Gulf are expected to be especially active in the next year followed by Canadians.Non-gateway cities in the US are expected to see greater foreign investment with Austin, Seattle and Miami set to perform best.The Japan Federation of Bar Associations is considering creating a system to compensate the victims of lawyers embezzlement following a series of cases.The proposed scheme would pay between 3 million and 10 million yen to those whose funds are stolen; this would be funded by bar association membership fees.The Japan Times reports that there were 37 cases in 2015 where legal professionals misappropriated funds totalling 110 million yen.The use of membership fees may prove controversial though as a recent survey of the JFBAs members questioned using their fees to correct the wrongdoing of rogue lawyers.Apple Inc. lost its fight to keep the iPhone name exclusive to its products with a Beijing court deciding a little-known accessories maker can use the label for a range of wallets and purses.The ruling affirmed that Xintong Tiandi Technology (Beijing) Ltd. has the right to use the name on a swath of luxury leathergoods, state publication Legal Daily reported. While Apple retains the trademark for mobile devices, it defeats the companys efforts to gain full ownership of the moniker in the worlds largest mobile market and is the second time it has lost exclusive use in China of a brand name it coined.The decision is unlikely to hurt the U.S. company, which faced a similar issue over the iPad trademark. In 2012, Apple paid $60 million to Proview International Holdings Ltd. to settle a dispute over the right to the iPad name in China.
Roman Ostriakov stole around $6 worth of cheese and a sausage from a supermarket Genoa, Italy, when he couldnt afford anything to eat back in 2011. He was caught, tried, found guilty and sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a fine of 100.



According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald, he appealed the decision, claiming it was attempted theft because he never made it out of the store with food.



But his fate changed this week when Italys highest court, the Supreme Court of Cassation, issued a broad ruling that theft of essential sustenance out of dire necessity is not a crime.



Italian newspaper La Stampa applauded the courts decision, publishing an opinion piece headlined, Right to survival prevails over property.



Britains Telegraph called the decision unusual, comparing it to the US criminal justice systems response to crimes of necessity.



Former Washington DC public defender Alec Karakatsanis noted a recent case, Michael Riggs, who stole vitamins from a grocery store, a crime Californias Court of Appeals said was a petty theft motivated by homelessness and hunger.



He received a 25-year sentence under the states three-strikes law.



The US Supreme Court declined to take up the case, with only one justice voting to hear the appeal.



It's incredible to me that American courts think of the crime as the homeless person stealing, not as the fact that we live in a society where there are hundreds of thousands of homeless people, Karakatsanis said.



There's something fundamentally threatening to the capitalist economic order in a ruling like this  the idea that a person is not personally responsible for an action they take out of economic necessity  because capitalism is based on creating that necessity for million of people around the world.


By Jill Slay, Director, Australian Centre for Cyber Security, UNSW Australia

Chonlachai Panprommas/Shutterstock

The debate about online privacy versus the battle against crime was given new life this week with an attempt in Brazil to ban the popular messaging application WhatsApp.

A well-known and strict judge in a regional area of Brazil issued a court order banning WhatsApp for 72 hours in the whole country on Monday, because of problems he was having getting information from the company that owns the app.

That company is Facebook, which bought the app for US$19 billion in 2014, and it was allegedly not cooperating by handing over data from customers in a drug-running case that the judge was presiding over.

One billion users

The app has become very popular with smartphone users in many parts of the developing world since it provides a free messaging service that rivals SMS.

In February this year, the company said the app was used by one billion people, nearly one in seven people on the planet. The number of users in Brazil is said to be about 100 million people.

But the issue with WhatsApp and other similar apps, including Wickr, is that they guarantee end-to-end encrypted communications. Its this feature that is very popular with those who value personal privacy.

For criminals, it provides a secure channel for avoiding surveillance of any kind. The only way their planning and operations can be accessed by law enforcement agencies, if they are communicated via WhatsApp, is with the cooperation of the company holding the data.

But Facebook says it has no power to access the user data anyway. This case appears to echo the same sentiments as those displayed in the recent Apple versus FBI mobile phone incident.

WhatsApps co-founder and CEO Jan Koum issued a statement via Facebook explaining why it did not have the data the court was requesting:

Yet again millions of innocent Brazilians are being punished because a court wants WhatsApp to turn over information we repeatedly said we dont have. Not only do we encrypt messages end-to-end on WhatsApp to keep peoples information safe and secure, we also dont keep your chat history on our servers. When you send an end-to-end encrypted message, no one else can read it  not even us.

Different cultures

The case is another instance of the lack of clarity between large US-based telecoms and social media companies over collaboration and cooperation with international governments.

The issue of access to and use of data collected from social media is again happening in a framework of different cultures, varying unexplored attitudes to privacy and within authoritarian legislative systems.

This case had a short term (and potentially longer term) and successful conclusion. The WhatsApp suspension was lifted after 24 hours by another judge.

But this is not the first time the WhatsApp service has been banned in Brazil. In December 2015, it was banned for 48 hours. This was also lifted after about 12 hours.

Then, in March, the same Brazilian judge who ordered this weeks ban ordered the vice president of Facebook in Latin America, Diego Dzodan, to be detained by authorities regarding lack of access to WhatsApp data. He was released after 24 hours.

In all cases, the aim of the judges has been to obtain information about alleged criminal activities such as drug trafficking. The approach may seem heavy-handed, but that could be about to change.

Brazil is looking at changes to its legislation governing the use of the internet that could see an end to any attempts to shut down any app across the whole country.

One reform, proposed by lower house deputy Esperidiao Amin, would allow the blocking of specific individuals or IP addresses suspected of illicit activity.

Its less dramatic than withdrawing the service from the whole of the Brazilian population, he told Reuters.

Across borders

But this latest case highlights several issues. First, there is an ongoing debate about the nature of the internet and social media. Liberal democracies have an expectation of a right to privacy, but within them, there is an equal demand for efficient law enforcement, solutions to major crime and provision of national security and protection from terrorism.

Second, companies such as Facebook need to walk carefully and work across different cultures and legal systems to achieve the balance between the demands for security and privacy. Its often hard to see how these can be achieved.

Third, cybersecurity and privacy legislation is still in its infancy in many under-developed economies and advanced applications are being accessed in economies where the legal boundaries are not clear.

Thankfully, it is very hard to envisage a situation such as this occurring in a country such as Australia, where there has been a more engaged debate over the tension between technology, legislation and privacy.

In more developed economies, the problems that arise from the tension between privacy and national security have had much more debate, but have not necessarily been resolved for all citizens.

Jill Slay does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.

Originally published in The Conversation.
A new tax that would require backpackers from overseas to pay tax of up to 32.5 cents for every dollar earned is still likely to be introduced in Australia.Plans for the tax, which has been widely condemned, were announced last year but it was thought that an outcry against would see its introduction abolished.However, the tax was named in the new national Budget as due to come into effect in July this year although officials moved quickly to say it could be delayed for six months for further consultation to take place.People on Australia on a working holiday maker visa can work during their time in the country and currently pay tax only on money they earn beyond the $18,200 tax threshold. The Working Holiday Maker programme, which includes the Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa and Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa, holders can stay in Australia for 12 months and work for up to six months with any one employer.Working holiday makers are regarded as being important to industries like tourism, hospitality and farming who often need seasonal workers and there is already anecdotal evidence that backpackers are switching to New Zealand this summer rather than risk paying the tax in Australia.The National Farmers' Federation said it has received more than 31,000 signatures on a petition opposing the backpackers tax and AUSVEH deputy chief executive officer Andrew White said the proposal has already has an impact with vegetable growers worried about recruiting enough workers to harvest their crops."Australian growers rely on backpackers to offset domestic labour shortages and perform the high amounts of manual labour needed in vegetable production. This decision endangers the availability of this important labour source and could leave growers unable to get crops off the field," he explained.Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond, whose group has lobbied against the tax, said she would welcome a delay for the tax to be discussed further and warned that backpackers are shunning Australia in favour of New Zealand where backpackers pay tax of 10.5%.Statistics from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) show that the number of backpackers coming to Australia has dropped repeatedly over the past two years, with over 34,000 fewer visas granted in 2014/2015 than in 2012/2013.White added that the decline in backpacker numbers needs to be addressed if the country's vegetable industry is to remain viable. "There is simply not enough local labour to satisfy demand during peak harvesting periods, and backpackers play a vital role on Australian farms by providing a workforce during these critical times," he explained.
Hi friends.



I am going to relocate to sydney in July. I graduated with the Geography Information System and Mapping bachelor degree and have being worked for GIS analyser for 14 years.



This occupation is listed on the Skilled Occupations List and I just nominated by NSW next month. the occupation code is 232214.



I learned from here that engineers is facing the higher unemployment and comparely IT is easier to find the job.



Are there gays are engineer? Is it true?
Hi guys,



I'm sure this question has been asked many times before but I couldn't find any recent information (and here's hoping conditions have changed!)

I've been on my most recent 457 visa for 1.5 years and we lodged our decision ready 820 application in September 2015.

I received a visa grant letter informing me that my bridging visa A (class WA) has been granted but it on in effect as I'm still on the 457.

I've now been informed by my employer that I will likely be made redundant in the next two weeks as the company is looking to close their office.

I thought I would then automatically roll onto the bridging visa A, with no work rights (and if I wanted to leave the country I would apply for a bridging visa B).

From what I have gathered in the forums though is that if my 457 visa gets cancelled my bridging visa will also get cancelled and I could only apply for bridging visa E, with no travel rights.

The one big issue I have is we are getting married overseas in September, which means I definitely need to be able to leave the country.



Does anyone have experience with this situation and could maybe shed some light onto it for me? I'm slightly confused!
Hi all,



We received an update to our PMV 300 visa last month, we were asked to provide 2 further documents with we have now done.



Our application has changed to "Assessment in Progress", I believe this is the last step before out decision.



Our application is with the Shanghai office, my question is how long does this step take until our final decision is ready. Are we talking days, weeks or months?



Thanks for your help.



Regards,



Chris
The German carmaker will also host a multi-city road show, with the idea of giving customers a chance to experience the Ameo before making a booking.

Volkswagen has announced that it will open bookings for its upcoming compact sedan, the Ameo, from May 12, 2016, across all its dealerships. The company has also organised a 17-city road show that will be held from May 12 to July 2, giving prospective customers the opportunity to experience the car prior to making their bookings.

The road show will be held across the following cities: Pune, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur, Delhi, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Kochi and Mumbai.

Apart from the road show, VW is working on launching an app, compatible with both Android and iOS, that will provide customers with more details of the compact sedan.



Speaking about the launch of the app, Michael Mayer, director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said, With the Ameo, we seek to amplify our Volkswagen India family and reach out to customers in the Tier II & III markets, offering them the best of Volkswagen. To digitise the customer interface and facilitate the bookings, we are also launching a mobile application for the benefit of interested customers.

Revealed earlier this year at Auto Expo 2016, the Ameo will be powered by the companys familiar 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines  the same units seen on the Polo and larger Vento sedan. However, at the time of launch only the petrol variant will be offered. For the diesel engine VW is going to use a larger and localised turbocharger and will thus launch the diesel Ameo only after this update.

The Ameo is set to enter one of the most heavily contested segments in the market as it looks to take on the likes of the ever-dominant Maruti Dzire and other well-established rivals such as the Hyundai Xcent, Tata Zest and Honda Amaze.
DK "I'm sorry to Seb and also the Team. It doesn't feel great this is probably the messiest first lap of my career." pic.twitter.com/9t5k08xgl0  Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) May 1, 2016

The Austrian Formula 1 team based in Milton Keynes, UK, has confirmed that Kvyat will be downgraded to Toro Rosso, the junior team of Red Bull Racing. Bear in mind that Kvyat started his F1 career at Toro Rosso (2013 and 2014). To date, the young Russian scored 124 career points and finished the 2015 season seventh. Now he is back to square one because a) he was foolish in Sochi; b) Verstappen is a better driver.Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing team principal, had the following to comment: Dany will be able to continue his development at Toro Rosso, in a team that he is familiar with, giving him the chance to regain his form and show his potential. Put plainly, he was told to go and take a seat on the naughty chair.18-year-old Max Verstappen, the youngest driver in Formula 1 history and the son of former F1 racing driver Jos Verstappen, is the big winner of this controversial game of musical chairs, no doubt about that.Max has proven to be an outstanding young talent. His performance at Toro Rosso has been impressive so far and we are pleased to give him the opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing. We are in the unique position to have all four drivers across Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso under long term contracts with Red Bull, so we have flexibility to move them between the two teams, explained Horner.Nevertheless, Max shows great promise. The Dutch youngster has amassed 62 points up to this point, 49 of them in the 2015 season. The question is, what if Max will crash twice into Vettel in Spain? Whatll Marko and Horner do then? I agree with the revised lineup, but I cant help but feel that it's rather harsh, especially for the guy who finished on the podium two races ago. After all, its a dog-eat-dog world out there.
AMG

David is no stranger to driving fast and doing the sideways stuff for the amusement of others, but then again, the racing circuit is one thing and the public road is another. The police flashed him at 178 km/h (110 miles per hour), 48 clicks over the motorway speed limit (130 km/h).If he were to push his Mercedes-Benz C63Coupe Black Series to 180 km/h (111 mph), Coulthard wouldve suffered a bigger consequence than paying a fine of 135, or about $155 at current exchange rates. According to the Code de la Route, drivers who are caught speeding at more than 50 km/h over the limit are fined 1,500 ($1,710). To boot, offending drivers also have to submit their driving licenses.This isnt the first time the French police has fined British racing drivers for speeding in the country of liberte, egalite, and fraternite. In 2000, F1 driver Jenson Button and his BMW 330 were clocked at 232 km/h (144 mph) near the town of Montpellier. In December 2007, Lewis Hamilton has had his driving license suspended for a month after his Mercedes-Benz CLK was clocked at 196 km/h (121 mph) in Laon. Im not the type to make generalizations, but thats how Formula 1 racecar drivers are.Other than David Coulthard, the French police have caught 14 other Gumball 3000 participants speeding in the same place on the same highway. Local media reports that all drivers were spoken to and fined for their misbehavior. Beware of the French rozzers. Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond were also caught speeding in 2013 when both presenters received a three-month driving ban in France. Sacre bleu!Skip to the 30-second mark in the following video for the sauce.
AMG

To be more precise, the Prototype 00 you'll be able to see in the video at the bottom of the page has gone from the status of Geneva Motor Show world debut vehicle to the US demo car.The hypercar will be touring US dealers whose portfolio includes the Pagani badge, but Connecticut's Miller Motorcars was the first to get it, which is how we ended up with this piece of footage.We'll take the time to remind you the designation of the hypercar comes from the late Benny Caiola, a friend of Horacio Pagani who was also the automaker's first customer (sadly, Caiola passed away back in 2010 at the age of 79).At the center of the car, we find's twin-turbo V12, which has been taken from 720 to 789 horses, while the new titanium exhaust changes the soundtrack of the 6.0-liter unit a bit. Oh, and let's not forget the 811 lb-ft (1,100 Nm) of twist.The "standard" Huayra's 7-speed automated manual, supplied by British specialist Xtrac has been sharpened up, but this is not all. The rear axle now uses an electronically-controlled diff, with half shafts using Le Mans-like tech.Pagani explains it has developed a new type carbon fiber for the BC, which is not only 50 percent lighter when compared to that used on the Huayra we used to know but also 20 percent stiffer. As a result, the BC tips the scales at 2,756 lbs (1,250 kg), which makes it a full 291 lbs (132 kg) lighter than the Huayra.With Pagani only building twenty units of the BC, we can't wait for the special moment when one of them steals the show at Cars and Coffee.
EV

After making a cool concept and almost putting it into production, MINI changed its mind and said the Rocketman was a no-go. Apparently, it was too small and not profitable enough, angering many of the loyal fans who said the brand had fallen in love with big cars.Fast forward to 2015 and the Rocketman is back on track, now becoming a plug-in hybrid with similar engines to the 2 Series Active Tourer and based on the UKL1 platform. Now, Autocar has talked to MINI product boss Ralph Mahler and he hints at something slightly different, an- all plug and no combustion.While the Rocketman might find its way into a dealership eventually, the beautiful Superleggera roadster won't because the "roadster segment is small and demand is going down, with new markets opening up. The growth is not there, so it's always a challenge."MINI was as much a pioneer of the EV market as BMW, launching a fleet of test cars at the same time as that chargeable 1 Seris Coupe. However, the car was never put into production. With battery technology advancing by the day, now is a great time to make a Rocketman electric car, especially since MINI vans are Eco-conscious.Even though it could call on the expertise of the team that made the i3, MINI is in no hurry to make the Rocketman. Mahler says that "with a smaller car, it's a bigger challenge. With Rocketman, and talking EV in the future, as the EV engine gets more portable, it's give and take."Where do you put the battery? How much power must it have and what sort of range is needed? MINI might also want to wait until Tesla launches the Model 3 and see what impact it has on the market.
According to Bloomberg , the two executives left because of delays and glitches in production, as well as a recall of the Model X. However, a Tesla representative denied any connection between the two departures and the companys production problems.We must note that Tesla has suffered delays for the launch of every production model they made, beginning with the Roadster and ending with the Model X. Lets hope they do better on the Model 3 , expected to be a game-changer in the automotive industry Mr. Reichows departure from Tesla comes in the form of a leave of absence for a personal break, says the companys representative. Unfortunately for Reichow, he will have to stick around until Tesla finds an adequate replacement. He has worked a total of five years for Tesla Motors and in the past three years, he has led the production team of the American automaker.Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, gave credit to Greg Reichow and his team for their work on developing a manufacturing organization from the ground up, and for making Model S and Model X a reality.As for Josh Ensign, he joined Tesla Motors as VP of Manufacturing in July of 2014 and is also set to leave the company.Tesla Motors lost five executives this year. We are talking about Michael Zanoni, vice president of finance and worldwide controller; James Chen, vice president of regulatory affairs and deputy general counsel; Ricardo Reyes, vice president of global communications; and the two vice presidents mentioned in this story.Even with these departures, Tesla still has big plans for the future, as it is preparing for its biggest manufacturing challenge ever, the $35,000 mass-market electric car and its record reservations. The company received deposits from 400,000 people who wanted a Model 3, and it must also raise production of its current lineup, consisting of the Model S and Model X.
A Beechcraft Bonanza crashed in a residential area on New Yorks Long Island Tuesday after the pilot declared an emergency, reporting a failed vacuum system. All three people on board are dead and the aircraft appears to have broken up in flight. The Bonanza departed Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, about 12:45 p.m., heading for Plainville, Connecticut, according to news reports. About 2:30 p.m., the pilot declared an emergency and reported a vacuum failure. According to audio from LiveATC.net, the pilot told New York Approach he was partial panel and VFR over the top and did not want prolonged flying in IMC to get below the clouds. After a few exchanges and receiving a vector, the pilot said, we are IMC at this time. Later, he said, I just lost a little bit more control here, then we just lost more of our panel. Radar contact was lost moments later.

The aircrafts FAA registry shows the model is a V35B, registered in Bristol, Connecticut, near Plainville. Witnesses near the crash site on Long Island reported hearing an aircraft overhead, then seeing debris raining down from an overcast sky. Authorities recovered the bodies and the NTSB arrived at the scene to find hundreds of pieces of the aircraft and other items scattered around the neighborhood. A few schools in the area had a short lockdown just after the crash, an NBC station in New York reported.
Although there havent been many accidents involving unmanned aircraft systems, there have been enough for the NTSB to begin building the investigatory resources to determine causes, just as they have for years with manned aircraft. In this exclusive AVweb podcast recorded at the AUVSI trade show in New Orleans, the NTSBs Bill English explains whats involved.
5 May 2016 12:58 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Camal

Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported that supply of military units on the first line of defense as well as in the combat zone is done in accordance with standard quotas.

Activities are underway to create the supplementary reserve stocks for long term combat operations, the ministry added.

Troops are being supplied with all caliber ammunition and shells designated for various weaponry systems, hardware and other combat equipment produced in local defense industry facilities, Russia and other countries, the report reads.

Planned activities on replenishment of ammunition and shells used against Armenian armed forces during counter-offensive operations and creation of supplementary reserves are being implemented according to the Defense Ministers order.

Azerbaijan has raised its military spending by at least 10-fold over the last decade to about $4.8 billion in 2015. The country's military budget exceeds the overall state budget of occupant Armenia by $2 billion, while its defense budget saw a threefold increase to $447 million in 2015.

While increasing military expenses, Azerbaijan also purchased new weapons and ammunition from countries of close cooperation in the military-technical field. The main military suppliers of the country are Turkey, Israel, Russia and the U.S. Moreover, the country established its national military industry to avoid dependence on equipment from foreign countries.

As the country is suffering from the occupation of its internationally recognized lands, Azerbaijan has strengthened its defense to force the Armenians to sit at the negotiating table.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

The OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, proceeding talks based on the renewed Madrid principles.

The situation on the frontline aggravated on April 2 after the Armenian military units in the occupied lands began shelling Azerbaijans positions. To protect civilian population, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched counter attacks and as a result, the Azerbaijani troops retook hills around the village of Talish, as well as Seysulan settlement, and also took over Lele Tepe hill located in the direction of Fizuli region.

Azerbaijan and Armenia declared a truce brokered by Russia on April 5. But, still Armenia continues to breach the ceasefire, firing the worst violence in more than 20 years in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 May 2016 14:45 (UTC+04:00)

The European Union is following the developments on the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops very closely.

This was stated by Malena Mard, head of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan on May 5.

The EU hopes peaceful negotiations under the OSCE regarding the conflict's resolution will continue, Mard said, adding that the EU supports OSCE MG efforts for the conflict's peaceful settlement.

Mard, citing EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, once again stated that the status quo of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unsustainable

Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions of Azerbaijan have been under the control of the Armenian military and separatists since a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan ended in 1994. Over 20 years of negotiations have brought little progress in resolving the conflict, though a fragile truce has been in place.

Heavy fighting erupted between Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region on April 2 following the Armenian provocation.

The renewed hostilities, which are regarded as the worst since the ceasefire deal signed in 1994, ended on April 5. But, still Armenia continues to breach the ceasefire

Although the OSCE Minsk Group, which is in charge of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as other international institutions have repeatedly made statements on the conflict resolution, all efforts ended without any result.

Azerbaijan has been and remains committed to the peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 May 2016 15:13 (UTC+04:00)

Russia hopes the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will avoid steps that may disrupt a quite fragile truce, said Russian Presidents Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov further said that the question of the recognition of "independence of Nagorno-Karabakh" has not been discussed with Moscow by Armenia.

"We are closely watching decisions being made in this context," Peskov said. "Of course, we continue to hope that the parties to the conflict will avoid any steps that may disrupt a quite fragile truce and in general trigger the escalation of tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh."

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that there is no reason to be concerned about the discussion of the draft law on recognition by Armenia of the illegal regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Two Armenian MPs recently proposed the country's government to recognize the "independence" of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in defiance of the international law.

This move of Yerevan to resort political provocations in addition to its bloody armed provocations on the frontline with Azerbaijan to breach the peace process and hamper resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was met with strict reaction in Azerbaijan. Baku immediately called on the international community to adequately respond to Armenian provocations.

Long-simmering tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan flared again on April 2 when the Armenian side began to shell the Azerbaijani positions and settlements along the frontline. To protect civilian population, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched counter attacks and repulsed the enemy forces back. On April 5, the two sides agreed on a ceasefire. However, the Armenian forces commit armistice breaches on the frontline almost every day targeting civilians and shelling villages.

Since the escalation of the situation on the frontline, both neighboring and world countries have expressed their concerns over the escalation of the tensions.

Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 May 2016 13:11 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

The ruling New Azerbaijan party has nominated Javid Osmanov, chairman of its Agdash regional organization, for the re-election to the parliament in the Agdash constituency.

MP Siyavush Novruzov, deputy executive of the party, said that the Executive Board of the party made a decision at its April 28 meeting to participate in the parliamentary re-election scheduled for June 18.

Necessary documents have been submitted to the election committee of the district," he said. "The committee will issue a subscription lists after consideration of the application. We will launch collecting signatures as soon as subscription lists are issued. Subsequently, subscription lists and other necessary documents required for the registration of candidacy will be presented to the election committee of the district.

Novruzov noted that 5 persons were appointed as plenipotentiary representatives of ruling party and an observer was sent to the Central Election Commission.

The MP expressed his confidence in the victory of New Azerbaijan candidate in the coming re-election. We have 16 party members in Agdash constituency. From this point of view we may state that we have enough power to win the re-election. On the other hand, our party enjoys people's support for its purposeful policy and this fact also stimulates the victory of our candidate," Novruzov said.

Results of the primary election were voided in the Central Election Committee meeting held on November 17 after consideration of an appeal made by candidates nominated at the mentioned constituency. Schedule of activities on the re-election preparation was also adopted during the meeting.

Later Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an order to hold parliamentary re-election on Agdash constituency  90.

Campaigning for the nominated candidates and their plenipotentiary representatives will begin on May 26 and last until June 17.

So far, six candidates have been nominated for the re-election in the Agdash constituency 90, with four being independent candidates, one from the ruling New Azerbaijan party and one from the opposition Umid party.

The parliamentary re-election is scheduled for June 18. Central Election Committee will summarize results of the election on July 8.

Azerbaijan held the parliamentary elections on November 1, 2015. Nominees from 15 political parties and Azadliq 2015 political bloc of 7 parties participated in the parliamentary race.

Voting was held in 5,547 polling stations in 125 constituencies throughout the country. More than 500 international observers representing 53 countries monitored the election process.

Candidates from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party won the majority of 125 seats in the parliament.

The Azerbaijani parliament is elected every five years through voting for individual candidates in electoral districts.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 May 2016 13:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Gulgiz Dadashova

Baku hopes a new strategic partnership agreement with the EU will upgrade the bilateral ties to qualitatively new level of strategic partnership and provide a better platform for the future of the EU-Azerbaijan cooperation.

Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov addressing the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of V4 and Eastern Partnership in Prague pointed out that the growing number of its strategic partners among the EU member states inspires Baku to advance dialogue with the EU on the same premises.

Azerbaijan has become a country of direct priority to the EUs strategy in its wider neighborhood since the last enlargement of the European Union in 2007. Although over the past year, the bilateral relations between the two sides saw tense period, still Azerbaijan affects Europes interests, mainly in a regional energy strategy.

Baku, relying on its economic and diplomatic policy, seeks a strategic partnership with the EU and has already introduced a draft EU-Azerbaijan Strategic Partnership Agreement in Riga Eastern Partnership Summit. Joint consultations on this agreement have been recently finalized.

The cooperation of Azerbaijan with the European Union is very unique due to the already existing relations and good economic opportunities.

The EU and Azerbaijan could cover the areas where they have overlapping interests, particularly energy trade. In geostrategic terms, Azerbaijan is set to see its importance due to the perspective role to act as a bridge between Europe and Asia.

Mammadyarov further hailed the success of cooperation with V4 Group- Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, adding that Azerbaijan continues to develop a regular high-level political dialogue on issues of common interest.

V4 countries are our important partners also in the EU context and we are convinced that our Visegrad partners will promote the adoption of negotiating mandate by the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Mammadyarov added.

Mammadyarov voiced belief that new geopolitical developments and challenges in the EU neighborhood will also shape EUs future relations with Azerbaijan. We hope that the revised ENP will fit into differentiated aspirations of partner countries in their relations with the EU. Azerbaijan is ready to hold bilateral consultations with the EU with a view of exploring its engagement in potential areas of cooperation and joint thematic frameworks foreseen by revised ENP, said the top diplomat.

While commenting on doubts that the Eastern Partnership is exhausted, Mammadyarov voiced belief that the ability of the Eastern Partnership to deliver in multilateral track assumes ever greater importance in determining the overall efficiency of the program.

In this regard, huge trans-regional projects initiated and realized by Azerbaijan pledge promising effect on revitalization of Eastern Partnership multilateral track, according to Mammadyarov.

Citing the Southern Gas Corridor as an example, the minister recalled that this unique project involves diverse stakeholders from Eastern Partnership region as well as EU member states and candidate countries.

The European Union has shown through the years the great interest in establishing further negotiations with energy-rich Azerbaijan to ensure its energy security. The Southern Gas Corridor project, which will start in Azerbaijan and run through Georgia and Turkey, later in June 2016 through Greece onward other EU countries, guarantees the energy supply to the EU. Obviously, Azerbaijan is and will remain a committed partner to meet joint strategic interests in the field of energy security.

Along with contributing the multilateral cooperation in trans-regional oil and gas infrastructure projects, Azerbaijan also pushes hard to revive the ancient Silk Road.

This railroad will join the ranks of the regions most critical infrastructures once Chinas Silk Road Economic Belt concept comes to the full reality. This already provides a greater room for enhancing transport cooperation with the EU. Azerbaijan is also working on resumption of negotiations on Common Aviation Agreement with the EU, Mammadyarov noted.

Azerbaijan with its vibrant multicultural society can also offer Europe its experience for tackling issues of peaceful coexistence.

Growing threats as radicalization, extremism and terrorism challenge stability and security of Europe and its partners. These threats do not only target the lives of people but also core universal values that ensure peaceful coexistence. Multiculturalism and diversity should be promoted widely in order to overcome modern common challenges, the minister said emphasizing that Azerbaijan is ready to share its experience in this regard.

Debating on security challenges in the EU neighborhood, Mammadyarov spoke about the ongoing military aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan.

The recent provocative acts by Armenian armed forces in this April along the frontline have caused unprecedented escalation in the history of conflict. Armenia has continuously disregarded international calls on moving beyond status-quo in the resolution of the conflict.

"Azerbaijan is interested in a negotiated settlement of the conflict. Its roadmap to peace and stability is clear and based on international law," Mammadyarov said.

"Azerbaijan will not compromise its territorial integrity as it is done by V4 and other five Eastern Partnership countries. Armenian armed forces must unconditionally withdraw from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan and ensure safe return of internally displaced persons with dignity to their places of origin, as its required by relevant UN Security Council resolutions, he added.

Armenia has occupied 20 percent of the Azerbaijani territory in the early 1990s. As an outcome of the war, more than one million of people have been subjected to the ethnic cleansing by Armenia. The occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years which resulted in the renewal of hostilities in early April.

The renewed hostilities, which are regarded as the worst since the ceasefire deal signed in 1994, ended on April 5. Although both sides agreed to cease the operations on the frontline, Armenia still continues its provocations on the frontline and targets Azerbaijani civilians living in the villages adjacent to the frontline zone.

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5 May 2016 16:15 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan has urged the international organizations to increase the efforts for ensuring the rights of over a million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs to return to their native lands.

The remark was made by Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov during a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry reported on May 5.

The deputy minister noted that the main obstacle to ensuring the human rights in the country in general, is the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands.

Khalafov also briefed the UN high commissioner about the latest escalation of the situation on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies in early April, the intensive shelling of Azerbaijani civilians along the line of contact and the casualties.

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein praised the current level of Azerbaijans cooperation with the UN human rights system, including the OHCHR. The Commissioner said he was concerned about military clashes that took place on the contact line of troops.

The bloody war, which flared up in the late 1980s due to Armenia's territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor, left 700,000 civilians from Nagorno-Karabakh and the regions adjoining it, as well as the regions bordering Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, without homes.

They are temporarily settled in more than 1,600 settlements across 62 cities and regions of Azerbaijan.

Moreover, 250,000 Azerbaijanis were expelled from Armenia and became refugees due to Armenia's ethnic cleansing policy after the emergence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan.

More than 400, 000 internally displaced people continue to live in difficult conditions and due to the size and continuation of problem of IDPs in the country; Azerbaijan needs support of international organizations and donors.

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5 May 2016 18:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The government of Azerbaijan carries out big reforms in the education sector, and those working in the sphere bear an important responsibility.



Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov made the remark at the awarding ceremony of the "Best Presentation" contest dedicated to the 93rd anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev on May 5.



Ahmadov believes that educators will make every effort to ensure that students grow up as true citizens of the country.



Speaking at the ceremony, Education Minister Mikayil Jabbarov noted that in the next five years the number of students studying in the country's schools will increase by 30 percent.

This year some 165.000 children will go to the 1st form, compared to 138,000 in 2013, 152,000 in 2014 and 157.000 last year.



This rising tendency requires the use of new approaches for sustainable activities in the field of education, according to the minister.

Jabbarov also emphasized the growing importance of vocational education.

Memorandums have been signed with several international and local organizations, while partnership with business organizations has been enhanced and employment of graduates has been supported. The Education Ministry has proposed reorganization of vocational education system, creation of a new structure for the preparation of elementary vocational and specialized education programs capable of ensuring an adequate supply of labor market.

Recently, the head of state signed a decree on the establishment of the State Agency for vocational training under the Ministry, Jabbarov said.

The minister added that the new structure will improve the effectiveness of training in elementary vocational education and ensure training of competitive qualified personnel.

Following the speeches, the winners of the contest were announced. Under the results of the "Best Presentation" contest, five people were awarded diplomas of the first degree, 11 people - diplomas of the second degree, 16 people - diplomas of the third degree, and 18 people were awarded diplomas.

The competition among students of 9th -11th forms of secondary schools was organized by the Education Ministry, Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the ruling party "Yeni Azerbaijan" Communications and High Technologies Ministry and the National Committee of Free Trade Unions of Education Workers.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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5 May 2016 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Gulgiz Dadashova

Though, the banking industry along with the government has been working on ways to make cash payments obsolete, experts say that Azerbaijan may introduce plastic banknotes.

Expert Ogtay Hagverdiyev assures that the government should think about switching to plastic money. The print of such banknotes requires a little bit more money than printing of the paper, but they will serve much longer, he explained.

First time, when Azerbaijan released new banknotes it spent about 4 million euros, Hagverdiyev reminded. Today, the print requires 1.5-2 million euros, as a much smaller volume of banknotes printed. However the state needs to print money on average every 4-5 years, that is, for example, banknotes of 100 manats are printed every 10 years, but 1 manats are printed every 2-3 years. Plastic money can last up to 50 years, Hagverdiyev told echo.az.

The plastic banknotes are claimed to be more durable than existing currency and also apparently stay cleaner for longer, at least 2.5 times longer-lasting. Polymer banknotes, which also feature security holograms and unique texturing, are harder to fake. Furthermore, when the notes are withdrawn, being plastic they can be recycled into other products.

Being one of Azerbaijan's state attributes manat was first put into circulation on August 15, 1992. The existing banknotes were determined under the Presidential decree 'on changing the nominal value and price scale (denomination) of banknotes of Azerbaijan' dated February 7, 2005.



The denomination aimed at protecting the design of national banknotes, adjusting the nominal rate of national currency- the manat to the international currency rates, as well as simplifying several transaction systems.

The expert went on to say that 48 percent of the money supply is in the hands of public in Azerbaijan, while in Europe the figure is 3-5 percent.

Our people are not psychologically able to immediately get used to plastic money. As a rule, if the money is outside the banking system, therefore, they are out of control. Azerbaijanis still prefer cash payments to payment through plastic cards. However, the positive trend is yet being observed, he said.

Azerbaijan is planning to expand the scope of non-cash payments in 2017. The Taxes Ministry makes proposals to encourage non-cash payments. The requirement for non-cash transactions in the sale of certain excise goods are also among them.

Entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan more than at one-third does not recognize documentation and is based on cash payment. Only 65 percent of businesses (mostly individuals) have bank accounts, which is a serious problem in terms of tax revenue, according to the World Bank.

Some of the countrys largest financial institutions have joined forces with phone companies to develop payment systems that will allow consumers to pay digitally from their phones at the cash register, similar to using a plastic card.

But cash is still the most commonly accepted form of payment in Azerbaijan.

However, expert Vugar Bayramov does not believe that Azerbaijanis are ready to use plastic cards.

Chairman of the Center for Economic and Social Development (CESD) of the country Vugar Bayramov, who also hailed advantages of plastic money, the country lacks tradition of using plastic banknotes.

"While plastic banknotes have several advantages, the existence of traditions of using such money is important both for banks and for the citizens, he told echo.az.

Noting that Azerbaijan has a relatively small financial market, Bayramov does not see a need in being pioneer in such matters.

Transition to the plastic banknotes may become the subject of discussion in Azerbaijan only when the plastic banknotes have been tested in the developed countries, he believes.

Some countries have been using polymer for years. Australia was the first country to go purely plastic in 1996. Brunei (2007), Papua New Guinea (2008) followed the example while Romania was the first European country to introduce a full set of polymer banknotes between 1999 and 2001.New Zealand, Vietnam, China and Canada among the users of the plastic money, while Britain plans to issue first plastic pounds in 2016-2017.

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Follow Gulgiz Dadashova on Twitter: @GulgizD

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5 May 2016 17:41 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Ganja automobile factory and Minsk tractor plant signed a Memorandum on delivery and assembly of 2,000 Belarusian tractors in Azerbaijan in 2016.

The document was signed by head of the Supervisory Board of Ganja automobile plant Khanlar Fatiyev and General Director of Minsk tractor plant Fyodor Domotenko.

The parties agreed on cooperative goods trades for the third party countries and discussed the localization of production in Azerbaijan.

Fatiyev said that agriculture is one of the current development priorities of the country that President Ilham Aliyev declared. In this regard, the issue of sufficient volumes of high-quality agricultural machinery for various purposes is extremely important.

Minsk tractor plant active on the market for 70 years is one of the world's eight largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery. It produces over 62 models of different machines that are exported to over than 100 countries.

The construction of the Ganja automobile plant began in 1986, but could not get ready due to collapse of the USSR. The plant produced its first car VAZ-11113 Oka in 2004. Later on the plant could expand its staff from initial 85 persons to 700.

Now the Ganja plant is able to collect up to 1,000 trucks and 2,000 tractors a year. The factory is currently assembling MAZ, KAMAZ cars and Belarus tractors.

In addition, Ganja automobile plant launched production of various devices for Belarus tractors. The plant gives a one-year guarantee for the equipment it issues. Moreover, quality service in all regions of the country is ensured by the factory.

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5 May 2016 16:37 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Baku has hosted an event marking the 25th anniversary of Azerbaijan's National Culinary Center organized jointly with the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Azerbaijan National Culinary Association (ANCA) and the Center itself, Trend life reports.

Guests enjoyed the exhibition featuring works by Azerbaijani cooks and Azerbaijan's Union of Artists, as well as the stands with photos showcasing the achievements of national cookeries.

Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev, addressing the event, informed about ancient history of Azerbaijani cuisine and its traditions.

The minister said that Azerbaijani culture doesn't consist only from art, national carpets and music.

Our national cuisine is a part of Azerbaijani culture. The richer nation, the richer is its cuisine. Samples of Azerbaijani cuisine are our national heritage, he said. Our malevolent neighbor tries to infringe our national cuisine at every opportunity. But we decently respond to them by our works. We must declare ourselves master of Azerbaijani national cuisine, culinary culture and promote in the world.

Then, the minister handed Tahir Amiraslanov a congratulatory letter from Azerbaijan's First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador , Mehriban Aliyeva.

The minister announced that President Ilham Aliyev has signed an executive order conferring honorary title of Honored Worker of Arts of the Republic of Azerbaijan to national cooks Oruj Aliyev and Tahir Amiraslanov for the promotion of national cuisine.

Tahir Amiraslanov, addressing the event, said that Azerbaijani cuisine is known worldwide. Speaking about the works carried out by the National Culinary Center during 25 years and declaring future plans Amiraslanov stressed that the organization represents Azerbaijani cuisine with dignity.

We have won the National Culinary Cup as well as gained first places at various competitions, prevented provocations of Armenia against our cuisine. We have published a book at the Council of Europe on Azerbaijani cuisine. My biggest desire and intention is to make Azerbaijan a culinary capital of the world, he concluded.

Azerbaijan already has experience in local food promotion, as it patented Azerbaijani breakfast in 2015. The traditional Azerbaijani breakfast consists of sweet butter, various types of white cheese, cream, honey, preserves, tea, and kuku or scrambled egg with herbs.

Dolma  fresh meat and stuffing wrapped in grape leaves or vegetables  is one of the first things one must try while visiting Azerbaijan. Azerbaijanis eat dolma year-round; grape leaf dolma in the spring and winter, vegetable dolma in the summer, and cabbage dolma in the autumn and winter months.

Pilaf, a dish known throughout the world, is a course that is served during any big day in Azerbaijan.

Another mouth-watering dish is levengi  chicken and fish stuffed with walnuts, onions, sweet and sour dried fruit.

In addition, Azerbaijans famous kebab is must-taste item here, accompanied with Azerbaijans famous fresh, juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and sweet pepper. This dish is eaten at every occasion throughout the year.

While staying in Azerbaijan, tourists must taste local pizza or qutab  sugarless flour pancake stuffed with anything from meat, cheese and herbs to pumpkin. Qutab is always served with ayran, a cold yogurt beverage mixed with salt and herbs.

Azerbaijani sweets are something else. People who try it once cannot forget the taste and even try to cook pakhlavas and shakarbura in their home countries.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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5 May 2016 13:20 (UTC+04:00)

Revenues of Azerbaijans state oil fund from the project for developing the country's Shah Deniz gas and condensate field from 2007 to May 1, 2016, totaled $2.488 billion.

SOFAZ announced that it has received $45 million from Shah Deniz project in January-April 2016. Some $5 million of this figure was received in April.

The contract for development of the Shah Deniz offshore field was signed on June 4, 1996. The fields reserve is estimated at 1.2 trillion cubic meters of gas.

The shareholders in the contract are: BP, operator (28.8 percent), AzSD (10 percent), SGC Upstream (6.7 percent), Petronas (15.5 percent), Lukoil (10 percent), NIOC (10 percent) and TPAO (19 percent).

The gas produced at the second stage of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field development will be the main source of the Southern Gas Corridor, which envisages the transportation of the Caspian gas to the European markets.

The second stage of Shah Deniz field development started in December 2013. The total amount of investments provided by the operating consortium will be approximately $28 billion, excluding the construction of the export pipeline systems.

The assets of SOFAZ have decreased by 9.5 percent compared to 2014 and stood at $33.57 billion as of January 1, 2016.

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5 May 2016 10:54 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatma Babayeva

Iran prefers to export liquefied natural gas to the distant markets due to financial and security reasons but favors gas pipelines for transporting its gas to the neighboring countries, Jafar Jafar Pourfarjoud, press secretary of the Iranian Petroleum Ministry, told Trend news agency on May 4.

Iran is currently considering both options, said the spokesman of the ministry by adding Irans plans to purchase vessels for LNG transportation.

Meanwhile, the importance of Iran's hydrocarbon reserves in Europe's energy mix and its role in increasing Europes energy security were also emphasized by the Federica Mogherini, the EUs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Irans gas may contribute significantly to the diversification policy of the EU currently being pursued in its energy markets.

Previously, planning director of the national Iranian gas company Hassan Torbati Montazeri said that Iran will build network of pipelines with a total length of five thousand kilometers in its territory during the next five years. However, the Islamic Republic needs $15 billion investment for it.

The country set a goal to export its natural gas to the EU in near future after the sanctions imposed by the Western countries were lifted.

Nevertheless, the country lacks necessary export infrastructure to realize gas sales. Currently, there is no transit gas pipeline connecting Iran with the EU.

Iran has several pipeline options. It may build a gas pipeline through Turkey. Even, some experts suggest Iran to use the Southern Gas Corridor and build a connection pipeline to TANAP instead of building a separate pipeline.

By joining TANAP, Iran is sure to strengthen Azerbaijans regional position as a transit country. This will not only bring economic benefits, but also political dividends that will be much more significant.

Iran also considers building gas pipeline to Oman where it can use the already existing LNG facilities to transport its gas to the global markets.

Moreover, the country sees Kuwait and UAE as potential buyers of its natural gas supplies as well.

In addition, Iran may build its own LNG facilities within two years, but this time frame seems unlikely.

Over past few months, Iranian officials have stressed numerously that they are negotiating with international companies about both renting and building the floating liquefied natural gas vessels. The country signed an agreement on building FLNG with a domestic company.

Although, some of the sanctions related to the nuclear policy of Iran have been lifted, some of them still remain in place. Irans purchase of U.S. technologies is prohibited currently.

Overall, Irans estimated gas reserves amount to 33.8 trillion cubic meters at the present. It owns 18.2 percent of the worlds total proven reserves.

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Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva

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5 May 2016 17:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatma Babayeva

Iran will block the access to the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. and its allies continue threatening the Islamic Republic.

The warning was made by the deputy commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran-Brigadier General Hossein Salami on May 4.

This Strait is a strategic passage between Iran and other Persian Gulf states through which one fifth of the world oil supply passes.

The Iranian General praised the Islamic Republic Navy during his speech. However, the General did not elaborate which actions Iran perceives as threats to itself.

The U.S should learn from its recent mistakes or will face its consequences, stressed Salami by referring to the recent arrest of 10 U.S. sailors that drifted into the Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf.

Iran has developed a powerful Navy under the IRGC and Armed Forces which is capable to defend the country's interests and independence, said the General by drawing the attention to the fact that the recent arrests prove this statement.

The sailors were released less than a day later.

Salami stated that Iran will block the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea 1982 and will not let any vessels to pass the strait if they threat the Islamic Republic.

The UNCLOS treaty says that innocent passage of vessels through a possible territorial sea should not pose any threat or involve the use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of the coastal states.

The U.S. has not signed this treaty while Iran has, but hasn't ratified it yet.

The Brigadier General further emphasized that the Islamic State would not give in to the restrictions by any power in the world in conducting military exercises by adding Iran has legal right to carry out such exercises in accordance with its strategic plans.

Recently, Iranian Foreign Ministry has also denounced the U.S. Congress for meddling in security measures implemented in the Persian Gulf. On May 4, the Ministry sent a note to the Swiss embassy in Tehran which represents the interests of the U.S. in Iran. The note condemned the intrusive policy pursued by Washington in the Persian Gulf.

Iran will do whatever is necessary to support peace and stability in the Persian Gulf, read the note as a reaction to the bill proposed by the U.S. Republican congressman Randy Forbes last week. The bill called to take measures against Iran's military maneuvers in the Persian Gulf.

Moreover, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the U.S. for keeping a military presence in the Persian Gulf as well and vowed that the Islamic Republic will continue to carry out a range of war drills in the area despite the objections by the U.S..

Whats more, the Iranian Navy plans to carry out at least 20 special military exercises until March of 2017. The exercises will cover different areas of warfare such as missiles, submarines, intelligence and electronic warfare.

However, the weight of the warnings and condemnations uttered by the Iranian officials is questionable. Experts are doubtful that their opinion reflects the state's policy.

By blocking the access to the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will escalate the tense relations with West which just began normalizing after sanctions were lifted in early 2016.

Military confrontation with the U.S. does not fit in Irans current interests and ambitions.

In addition, it is not the first time that Iran threatens the U.S. to block the Strait of Hormuz. Those two have a long history of confrontation, and their vessel encounters happen almost in daily basis.

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5 May 2016 22:49 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatma Babayeva

Iran will be ready to join OPECs quota within one or two months of reaching pre-sanctions level of oil production and export, Rokneddin Javadi, Managing Director of National Iranian Oil Company told Bloomberg on May 5.

Earlier, Javadi stated that Iran will reach the pre-sanctions volume of oil production- 4 million barrels per day by July and to pre-sanctions export levels of 2.2 million barrels in one to two months or by the end of the summer.

The voiced commitment of Iran can be evaluated as the countrys interest in pushing oil prices up, while securing the stability in the oversupplied market.

Iran got rid of some economic sanctions in January 2016 after agreeing to significantly reduce the countrys nuclear potential. In this context, the Islamic Republic declared its desire to restore the pre-sanctions level of oil production and regain its previous market share.

Javadi went on to add that Iran doesnt have any crude oil in floating storage currently, while the country put oil in ships during the sanction years as exports dwindled. The official refused to comment on how much condensate has been stored in the sea.

Irans stance was one of the reasons why the Doha gathering of top oil producers on April 17 failed to obtain agreement on freezing participants oil output in the global market at the level of January-February 2016. Libya did not participate in the meeting either.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia insists other oil producers join freezing act as well, if it puts a cap on its oil production.

The next meeting of the cartel that will be held in Vienne in June 2016 is not expected to resolve the oversupply problem in the global oil market either. Once again, oil producers are going to discuss to revive OPECs output quota and try to freeze their oil production during this meeting.

Many experts said before that oil producers need to cut their production rather than curbing it on current production levels. However, none of the major oil producers wants to compromise their share in the market.

The cartel ceased setting production quotas for individual members in 2011 and abandoned an output ceiling entirely in December 2015.

The EU used to import 800,000 barrels of Iranian oil and condensate before sanctions imposed in 2012.

Iran's crude oil sales to Europe are expected to surpass 300,000 barrels per day once the all contracts that the Islamic Republic signed with international companies come into force.

According to the BPs statistical review of world energy 2015, Iran holds 9.3 percent of the worlds total proven oil reserves and produces 4 percent of the worlds total oil output.

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       3.0 (      -       -         ): editor [at] bahrainmirror.com
Cornish Oven bakery has added two new catering vans to its fleet, with help from asset finance provider Ignition.

Cornish Oven has four shops across Cornwall and delivers sandwiches to offices across the county. It now has two new Jiffy vans to add to its existing five-strong fleet.

The vans are designed to deliver hot and cold food from the shops in Pool, Camborne, Illogan and Helston, and feature heated and refrigerated sides, as well as a hatch for service.

Giles Williams, owner of Cornish Oven, said: Good quality equipment and vehicles are essential to our business. Thankfully, I know that when I contact Ignition, they will respond quickly and give me a good deal.

Paul Caunter, director of Truro-based Ignition, said: Its been a pleasure to work with Giles and his team over the years and to help Cornish Oven succeed by providing the equipment the business needs for essential growth.

Were also reaping the rewards here at Ignition every lunch time, as one of the Cornish Oven sandwich vans we helped to fund now delivers fresh sandwiches to our offices every day!
Bakery ingredients producer Dawn Foods is offering Dobla-branded premium Belgian chocolate decorations and toppings to bakers in the UK.

The new partnership with Netherlands-based chocolate additions manufacturer Dobla means Dawn is now able to offer the decorations and toppings to the UK market.

The range includes chocolate curls and shavings in a range of flavours, as well as chocolate cigarillos and detailed chocolate decorations. Dobla products are ready to use to add visual impact to cakes, cream slices, desserts, ice cream and patisserie.

The Dobla range also features seasonal products such as chocolate spiders webs, pumpkins and ghosts, sprinkle stars in both milk and white chocolate, and a range of designs from holly leaves to chocolate penguins.

There is also a faces assortment, which includes a rabbit, pirate, panda and ladybird. All are available in packs of the same design or assortment boxes of different designs.
6 top reasons to save your money

Most people know they should be saving a portion of their income, but they might not grasp all of the benefits of doing so. Saving is an important habit to get into for a number of reasons  it helps [...]
A St. Petersburg man is facing charges in connection with a robbery attempt that turned deadly in Lealman.

Shane M. Kurucz, 41, is facing charges of felony murder and violation of probation.

Deputies say Shane Kurucz and Michael Biltoft intended to rob resident at gunpoint

Resident shot Biltoft, Kurucz fled scene

Kurucz arrested on felony murder charges

Detectives say Kurucz and Michael Biltoft, 28, drove to a home at 5800 66th Lane N in Lealman with the intent of committing an armed robbery.

During the attempted robbery, Biltoft was shot by the resident, deputies said. His body was found by a neighbor in the driveway of the residence.

Kurucz fled from the scene. Detectives later found him and took him into custody. He was taken to the Pinellas County Jail without further incident.

Detectives are not releasing the identity of the resident who shot and killed Biltoft.

The investigation continues.


A 15-year-old student is accused of stabbing another student, age 14, with a steak knife.

According to Hillsborough County deputies, on Thursday, at approximately 2 p.m. at Wharton High School, the student got into a verbal confrontation with the victim.



The fight became physical and deputies said the student armed himself with a steak knife that he had on him.

Deputies said he stabbed the victim multiple times, and that the suspect then hid the knife in the nearby boys' bathroom trashcan.

The victim was transported to a local hospital. His injuries were described as non-life threatening.

The knife was recovered at the scene.

The student was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence and possession of a weapon on school grounds.

We are not naming the teen in accordance with our crime guidelines because he is a minor.


A former civilian employee of the Beaumont Fire Department has sued Chief Anne Huff and the city of Beaumont, contending workplace sexual harassment that the chief denies.

"I'm very, very confident. I want the truth to come out," Huff said in a telephone interview from a conference of Texas fire chiefs.
After three attacks in three months, Lamar University students were warned on Wednesday that staring at their cellphones and wearing earbuds while walking on campus makes them easy marks for "someone with bad intentions."

According to university records obtained through a public information request, students' cellphones were targeted in three of four robberies this year and taken twice.

There were four robberies within campus police jurisdiction during the 2015-16 school year, according to records.

Lamar University Police Chief Hector Flores advised students they should walk with confidence and pay attention to their surroundings. He said more officers are patrolling by vehicle, bicycle and foot.

"Awareness is key to keeping LU a safe campus," Flores said in prepared remarks.

The most recent incident happened on April 21, when a female student said two men at the John Gray Center pushed her to the ground and stole her wallet.

On April 6, a male student reported that two men threatened him at gunpoint and demanded his cellphone. A single gunshot was fired "in an unknown direction," but no one was hurt and nothing was taken, according to the offense report.

In February, a male student said he loaned his phone to someone who ran off with it. When the student tried to chase after the man, he said a second suspect punched him in the head and pushed him to the ground.

During the fall semester, a male student said a man held a gun to his chin at an apartment building on Natalie Street in a cellphone robbery.

The Houston-based Darrow Law Firm published a study in March calling Beaumont the third-most dangerous city in Texas based on crime, police presence and community socioeconomic factors.

"Given that (Beaumont) ranks so high in crimes per capita in comparison with the rest of the state of Texas, and with other towns and cities nationwide, it could indeed make colleges located in this area more (potentially) unsafe," said Dr. Pamela Perez, a data analyst who worked on the study.

Calls for extra safety precautions at Lamar come amid concerns over the city's 35-percent increase in burglaries from this time last year.

The morning after the April 21 on-campus robbery, Lamar held an already-scheduled self-defense training course.

Marie Culik, a health education specialist at LU who helped organize the session, said it was designed to equip students and faculty members with simple moves to distract an attacker long enough to escape.

Culik said the course was more than just self-defense moves. She said the training empowers people to be vigilant and not fearful.

"If you're learning these skills, you'll probably also be aware of what's going on around you," she said.

The training, which had been scheduled since last fall, was organized by Lamar Institute of Technology as part of weekly events in April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Culik said roughly a dozen people attended the training, with attendance split between students and faculty.

Police have made one arrest in the four on-campus robberies this year.

Of the 23 campus robberies reported since 2011, only five have been cleared, according to university records.

Flores is asking students and faculty to program the department's number (409) 880-8307 into their cellphones and to call when they see a suspicious person or group on campus. The department is also accessible through text at (409) 241-8002.

"Sometimes people hesitate to get involved, but really all it takes is a phone call," he said. "It may be nothing at all, but it also could be the call that stops something bad from happening."

BScott@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/BrandonKScott
Beset by misfortune from a record flood that inflicted millions of dollars in uninsured losses, Deweyville ISD can't escape the responsibility of handing over money to property-poor school districts.

The Texas Education Agency has denied Deweyville's request for a waiver to the so-called Robin Hood law, which could have saved the beleaguered district close to $500,000 this year in revenue-sharing.

The district, facing an estimated $11 million gap between flood damages and insurance coverage, also was included on a preliminary list of Robin Hood schools generated on April 25 for the 2016-17 school year.

A TEA spokesperson said state law does not give the agency latitude to waive revenue-sharing requirements, formally referred to as Chapter 41 Wealth Equalization.

"I was looking at every possibility available as far as helping the district pay for the things it needs to pay for," Superintendent Kevin Clark said. "It didn't hurt to ask."

Deweyville ISD has received some good news, however.

The federal government this week approved additional layers of public assistance aid, allowing local taxpayer-funded districts to recoup three-quarters of their expenses toward what's considered permanent work.

The previous round only covered temporary work or emergency spending. So the additional authority could help the school district offset costs of rebuilding or replacing its elementary school, for instance.

After the town was swamped by Sabine River flooding, Deweyville suspended school for 15 days while the high school west of town was used as a staging area for flood-response and relief efforts. The building also had to be readied to absorb 300-plus elementary students whose school was ruined.

TEA granted waivers for eight of the 15 missed days and signed off on the school district's plans to make up the remaining seven days by adding minutes to class. This allowed the district to not extend the school year beyond the originally scheduled dismissal date, May 27.

Elementary students are finishing the year at the high school campus, getting lessons in odd places like the school's practice gym and band room.

The district is collecting proposals for portable buildings to install on campus and ease the space crunch while they work toward an undetermined long-range fix.

State Rep. James White (R-Woodville) said he plans to pursue state aid for Deweyville ISD when the Legislature convenes in 2017. He said lawmakers have set a precedent for helping districts embattled by natural or man-made disasters.

"Yes, the state has a responsibility (to help)," White said. "I believe that is a very good possibility."

In the meantime, the Deweyville ISD has collected tens of thousands of dollars in supplies and cash from regional businesses and school districts throughout the state.

EBesson@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/EricBesson_news
The following hospitals announced plans to expand, upgrade or renovate their facilities in the last two weeks.

1. $277M Bayhealth Medical Center expansion approved

The Delaware Health Resources Board has approved Dover, Del.-based Bayhealth Medical Center's $277 million expansion plan, according to Delaware Online. The new health campus, which is expected to open in 2019, will be located just 3 miles from Bayhealth's existing Milford Memorial Hospital.

2. $233M construction for new Franciscan St. Anthony Health hospital starts

A groundbreaking ceremony took place Tuesday for the new Franciscan St. Anthony Health hospital in Michigan City, Ind., according to a report from nwi.com. The new hospital, estimated to cost $233 million, is slated to open in the summer of 2018.

3. Sacred Heart breaks ground on hospital named in honor of Quint and Rishy Studer

Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Fla., a member of St. Louis-based Ascension, broke ground Tuesday on its new four-story children's hospital. The new hospital will be named The Studer Family Children's Hospital in honor of Quint and Rishy Studer. Mr. Studer, founder of Pensacola-based Studer Group, is a consultant who has worked with 900 hospitals over his 29-year career.

4. Aurora Healthcare, Froedtert donate facility, funds to Milwaukee health clinic

Milwaukee-based Aurora Healthcare will donate a building with an estimated value of $1 million to Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, and Froedtert will give $12 million to help finance its operations, enabling the health clinic to offer healthcare access to more Milwaukee residents, reports Journal Sentinel.

5. IU Health unveils pediatric mental health clinic

Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health's RileyHospital for Children debuted a new center May 2 to provide pediatric mental health services, according to a Fox 59 report.

6. Nevada hospital to make patient breast health simpler, more convenient

Carson Tahoe Medical Campus in Carson City, Nev., plans to introduce a comprehensive Breast Center at Sierra Surgery to give patients convenient access to complete breast imaging services, reports Northern Nevada Business Weekly.

7. 3 years after destroyed by tornado, Moore Medical Center to reopen

Administrators and clinical staff are preparing to celebrate the reopening of Moore (Okla.) MedicalCenter, which shut down after a massive tornado ripped through the building on May 20, 2013, according to News OK.

8. Harris Health System eyes $70M expansion at Ben Taub Hospital

Houston-based Harris Health System will undertake a $70 million expansion project to ensure the trauma unit at Houston-based Ben Taub General Hospital retains its Level I certification, reports Houston Public Media.

9. Mercy Northwest Arkansas $247M expansion will add 1k new jobs

Rogers-based Mercy Northwest Arkansas plans to invest nearly a quarter billion dollars on capital projects and equipment over the next five years. The health system's $247 million expansion in healthcare facilities and services will create 1,000 new jobs.

10. Loyola University Chicago opens medical research, innovation center

Loyola University Chicago opened an innovative medical research and education center on its Health Sciences Division campus in Maywood, Ill.

11. St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center gains 20 beds

St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, N.Y., is permanently adding 20 beds to accommodate growing patient volume from smaller regional hospitals, according to a report on Syracuse.com.

12. Mercy Health to start on $271M expansion project

A $271 million expansion and renovation at Muskegon, Mich.-based Mercy Health's Sherman campus is set to begin in early May, according to a report from MiBiz.
The Alabama State Senate adjourned Tuesday without voting on a bill that would have freed up money for the state's Medicaid expansion program, according to the Montgomery Advisor.

The legislation would have divided an estimated $639 million payment from the 2010 BP oil spill between state debt payments, coastal road projects and Medicaid. The bill passed the House April 28 and needed to pass the Senate committee to stay alive.

However, the Senate's lack of action Tuesday means the bill cannot pass the current session, according to the report. The move endangers the state's Medicaid program, which needs an additional $85 million to fulfill its obligations and install regional care organizations, which are intended to control healthcare costs for Medicaid enrollees, according to the report.

Senate President Pro Tem Adelbert Del Marsh (R) said the "divided chamber" couldn't reach a consensus on the bill, and he is pessimistic about whether Medicaid will find the extra money it needs.

"Unless the governor calls us back for a special session, they'll have to live within their means like the rest of us," said Sen. Del Marsh, according to the report.
CMS has decided not to terminate East China Township, Mich.-based St. John River District Hospital's Medicare contract, according to the Detroit Free Press.

In an April 14 letter to St. John River District Hospital, CMS said it had discovered serious deficiencies at the facility that "constitute an immediate threat to patient health and safety." In an attachment to the letter, CMS said the hospital had failed to properly monitor a suicidal patient and follow procedures and policies for suicide prevention. CMS said the hospital would lose its Medicare funding May 7 unless corrections were made at the facility.

CMS conducted a revisit survey of St. John River District on April 28 and found the hospital was in compliance with Medicare requirements.

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Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network recorded an operating loss of $17.8 million in the first quarter of 2016, compared to a $9.7 million loss in the same period a year prior.

AHN spokesman Dan Laurent told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the shortfall in the first quarter was largely driven by one-time costs associated with the launch of an EHR system.

A decrease in patient volumes also took a toll on the system's finances. Volumes were down 7 percent year over year in January. However, patient volume has begun to rise, and the system saw a 4 percent year-over-year increase in volume in March, Mr. Laurent told the Post-Gazette.

AHN recorded a net loss of $20.6 million in the first quarter of 2016. The system had projected a $9.4 million net loss for the period.

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Springfield, Ga.-based Effingham Health System plans to reorganize as a nonprofit entity and expand its services beyond Effingham County, according to a report from Savannah Now.

"It's going to give us an opportunity to expand the capabilities and the service to the community around us," Rick Rafter, hospital authority chairman, told county representatives and legislators on April 26, according to the report.

The hospital also plans to develop a self-insurance plan called Effingham Cares, as well as add oncology services and a chemotherapy suite by the end of the year.

Those who currently sit on the hospital authority board would continue to run the organization as a nonprofit. A public hearing on the change will take place July 5, and the reorganization is expected to go into effect in October, according to the report.

The hospital's nonprofit status will provide it with more ways to make money, such as by building office space for physicians and sharing in the ownership of the buildings, according to the report.

Senate Bill 258, which Governor Nathan Deal (R) signed into law April 26, will allow people and corporations to receive tax credits for donations to rural healthcare organizations. Before the law, the Effingham Hospital Authority could not assure donors of gifts that their contributions would be tax deductible.

Effingham Health System is in much better financial shape than many of its rural hospital peers in the state. The hospital was $100,000 in the black last year, despite losing $12 million a year in uncompensated care. Effingham County only gives the hospital $3.6 million in state tax money each year, according to the report.
Boca Raton, Fla.-based Cancer Treatment Centers of America has laid off 81 employees at its Zion, Ill., medical center, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The layoffs represent 5.6 percent of the Zion hospital's workforce of 1,400 people, Cancer Treatment Centers of America spokeswoman Kristen Gerlach said in an email, according to the report.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America also laid off employees at its hospital in Schaumburg, Ill., and its headquarters in Boca Raton. The company has let go of a total of about 350 employees this week, representing approximately 6 percent of its total workforce.

"Like the vast majority of U.S. healthcare providers, Cancer Treatment Centers of America has found it necessary to make certain organizational and staffing changes to align with the reality of the emerging healthcare economy," the company said in a statement provided by Ms. Gerlach, according to the Chicago Tribune. "Our commitment to the delivery of exceptional patient-centered cancer care remains resolute, as does our plan to reach and serve more patients who are seeking our care in the years ahead."

Cancer Treatment Centers of America, a privately held, for-profit company that specializes in complex cancers, completed an $84 million renovation of the 73-bed Zion hospital in November.

However, the Zion medical center's occupancy rates have been lower than initially projected. In its 2013 application for the renovation to the state hospital board, the company forecasted its occupancy rate would rise from 54.3 percent in 2012 to 60 percent in 2013 and 64.4 percent in 2014, according to the report. However, occupancy was only 55.8 percent in 2013 and fell to 50 percent in 2014.

The Zion hospital's patient revenue fell to $615.2 million in 2014 from $649.2 million in 2013, according to the most recent data from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board, the Chicago Tribune reported. Almost all of the Zion hospital's patients have private insurance.

Note: This article was updated May 6 with information on the additional layoffs in Schaumburg and Boca Raton.
The shift toward value-based care models is changing how hospitals think about the business of surgery.

Kevin Kennedy, principal at ECG Management Consultants, and Naya Kehayes, founder and principal of Eveia Health, a division of ECG, discussed the changing ideology behind hospital surgical services during a presentation at Becker's Hospital Review 7th Annual Meeting in Chicago April 28.

"In progressive organizations that are serious about population health, the dialogue around surgical services has changed dramatically," said Mr. Kennedy. Operating rooms, traditionally the most profitable part of the hospital business, are now the greatest threat to an organization's success under risk-based contracts.

Mr. Kennedy pointed out several large health systems that have made significant investments in surgical centers. Sacramento-based Sutter Health owns six surgical centers spread throughout southern California. Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare partnered with Addison, Texas-based USPI in a joint venture under which the two parties will share ASC ownership.

And there are a number of reasons why surgical centers have recently become an appealing investment opportunity for hospitals and health systems, Ms. Keyhayes said. Hospitals are under increasing pressure from Medicare and commercial payers to move surgical services off-site, where care is significantly less costly. Due to advancing clinical technologies, a greater number of complex surgeries can be performed in an outpatient setting. Partnering with an ASC increases a hospital's number of available beds to accommodate more procedures and spur productivity. New device-intensive codes have also increased reimbursement levels to surgery centers.

Traditionally, physician-owned surgical centers staunchly guarded their independence, but changes in the healthcare environment are spurring ASCs to consider new business deals with hospitals, said Ms. Keyhayes. Entering into a joint venture with a hospital can enhance physician compensation by driving new business into the surgical center and providing its physicians with key support.

Commercial and government payers have already expressed interest in partnering with surgical centers. Because ASCs already know their exact costs for each medical procedure they perform, and their operations are significantly more cost-effective, ASCs offer a value-proposition under bundled payment schemes.

And some insurers have no qualms about adopting aggressive strategies to improve their own bottom line. "One health plan has agreed to pay an orthopedic physician group double-digit rate increases for a period of several years, contingent upon the group moving all total joint replacement surgeries out of hospital settings and into its ASC," said Mr. Kennedy. "Hospital leaders are not aware of this agreement. We expect anecdotes like these to become more common as payers push risk-based models."
A physician charged with stealing $177,022 worth of medical equipment from Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University HealthSystem turned himself into police Monday, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Vinay Rawlani, MD, is accused of stealing an ultrasound machine, two ultrasound probes, a video printer, a video storage device, infusion and compression pumps, an automated external defibrillator, a suction machine and a bladder scanner.

Hospital staff launched an investigation when they realized items were missing. Surveillance footage reviewed by security personnel showed Dr. Rawlani was responsible for the thefts, according to the report.

Dr. Rawlani, 34, who was two months away from completing his residency, admitted he accidentally took some of the equipment while traveling between NorthShore's Evanston and Skokie hospitals.

A NorthShore spokesman told the Tribune that the system has terminated Dr. Rawlani's employment and is working with authorities to ensure he is "prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Dr. Rawlani was also serving as chief resident at the McGaw Medical Center of Chicago-based Northwestern University's plastic surgery program. He has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal review, Northwestern spokesman Alan Cubbage told the Tribune.

Dr. Rawlani is in police custody, being held in lieu of a $10,000 bond on charges of felony theft, according to the report.

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Members of a Greenpeace Russia delegation met with Leidulv Atle Namtvedt, the Norwegian ambassador to Russia, and presented him with a letter on the need to stop fishing in the northern Barents Sea, the organization's official website reports.

This sector, which was previously covered with ice most of the year, is now open to predatory commercial fishing due to climate change. In all, 140,000 people have signed a petition to protect this area.

A Greenpeace investigation on the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea showed that many fishing vessels affiliated with worldwide famous companies had been entering areas previously covered by sea ice for three years, through September 2015. Bottom trawling, used in the northern sector of the Barents Sea, may be damaging this vulnerable ecosystem, Greenpeace experts say.

Bottom trawling ranks among the most destructive fishing methods. These ice covered Arctic territories are the last regions that have not been affected by it, and they should be promptly protected, said oceanographer and marine conservation biologist Callum Roberts who is familiar with the report.
An obstetrician and gynecologist who performs abortions at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., filed a civil rights complaint Monday, claiming the hospital broke the law by forbidding her to speak publicly in defense of abortions and the procedure's role in healthcare, according to The New York Times.

The physician, Diane J. Horvath-Cosper, MD, is a public advocate of abortions who urges providers who perform them not to give in to threats. According to her complaint, which was filed with the Office for Civil Rights of HHS last December, officials of the MedStar Washington Hospital Center imposed a "gag order," according to her complaint. From the hospital's point of view, officials say they imposed a sensible precaution against anti-abortion violence.

Dr. Horvath-Cosper belongs to a movement of physicians and other medical staff members who argue that staying silent in the face of hostile anti-abortion rhetoric and protesters only feeds the stigma surrounding abortions, and contributes to its growing restriction.

"The dialogue is dominated by those who have demonized this totally normal part of healthcare," Dr. Horvath-Cosper said, according to The New York Times. "I don't think the way to deal with bullies is to cower and pull back."

However, some medical providers think it is safer for providers who perform abortions to keep a low profile, especially in more conservative and rural regions.

According to Dr. Horvath-Cosper's legal complain, MedStar Washington Hospital Center told her it was concerned about security following the fatal attack at a Planned Parenthood center in Colorado Springs in November by a self-described anti-abortion "warrior," who killed three people and wounded nine. The hospital's medical director ordered Dr. Horvath-Cosper to end her advocacy, saying he did "not want to put a Kmart blue-light special on the fact that we provide abortions at MedStar," according to The New York Times. Since then, the hospital has ordered Dr. Horvath-Cosper to decline several requests for interviews or risk losing her job, she said in the complaint.

If the civil rights office finds the MedStar Washington Hospital Center violated Dr. Horvath-Cosper's rights, it can order the hospital to take corrective action or risk losing its federal funding.

The hospital did not directly respond to the allegations, saying in an emailed statement Monday, "MedStarWashingtonHospitalCenter is committed to providing family planning services for our community, and we do so in a respectful, private and safe environment. We look forward to cooperating fully with the Office for Civil Rights."
Employees of Columbia-based University of Missouri Health have filed a lawsuit against the health system regarding its time-tracking system for hourly employees. The plaintiffs claim MU Health is in breach of its contract for failing to pay proper compensation, according to ABC 17 News.

MU Health uses a Kronos automatic timekeeping system, which keeps track of when employees clock in and out. The plaintiffs claim the Kronos system automatically deducts 30 minutes from employees' shifts if they work more than eight hours straight, even if the employee doesn't take a meal break during a given shift.

The plaintiffs also claim their supervisors are supposed to schedule their meal breaks, and the 30 minutes cannot be deducted from their shift unless the employee's whole 30-minute break is uninterrupted. However, the employees filing the suit said the Kronos system deducted 30 minutes from their shifts, even when the employees did not have uninterrupted breaks.

MU Health adjusted the system to stop deducting time from two employees' shifts, but the plaintiffs allege there are still employees dealing with the same issue.
Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, Ore., has seen a perplexing increase in its number of central line-associated bloodstream infections, and clinicians are working to find the reason why, reports The Oregonian.

Between April and August of 2014, the hospital recorded no CLABSIs. But from September to March, the hospital has seen nearly a five-fold increase in the infections compared to the same time period the year prior.

Windy Stevenson, MD, Doernbecher's chief quality officer, told The Oregonian, "We have examined every detail of every infection both individually and collectively."

The hospital has ruled out central line placement as a problem, and is now focusing on central line maintenance. New caps for the central lines have been brought in, signs are posted reminding staff about the infection reduction effort, managers huddle weekly to discuss the infections and administrators conduct weekly rounds to speak with and listen to front-line staff.

"This has my full attention," Dana Braner, MD, the hospital's physician-in-chief, told The Oregonian. "These children tend to be the sickest and most complex children that a children's hospital deals with."
Medtronic released results of a seven-year follow-up study in which the two-level Prestige LP Cervical Disc was compared to 2-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

The Prestige LP Disc is currently indicated for single-level cervical disc disease causing nerve or spinal cord compression from C3-C7. The disc doesn't have pre-market approval from the FDA for two-level use. The disc has a ball-and-trough design and moves in a range of motions.

Here are five insights:

1. The 2-level Prestige LP Disc patients showed greater rates in overall success  78.6 percent  compared to the patients treated with 2-level ACDF  62.7 percent. Overall success, an FDA requirement during clinical trials, includes four measurements:

 Neurological success

 Neck disability index improvement of 15 points

 Rate of secondary surgeries

 Adverse events

2. The Prestige disc patients showed a neurological success rate of 91.6 percent compared to the patients treated with two-level ACDF who saw a neurological success rate of 82.1 percent. Neurological success refers to whether patients have the same or improved neurological states before and after surgery. For example, some patients may come into a surgery with pinched nerves or slight weaknesses/numbness. If the patient has the same or improved rate of neurological activity, it is counted as neurological success.

3. The Prestige disc patients exhibited greater success rates in patient-reported outcomes, including Neck Disability Index  87.0 percent  as compared to the 75.6 success rate that patients treated with two-level ACDF experienced.

4. Around 4.2 percent of Prestige patients needed second surgeries at the index levels, whereas 14.7 percent of two-level ACDF patients required the same.

5. Adverse event profiles were similar between groups.

"This is the longest follow-up data available on clinical study patients treated with two-level cervical arthroplasty in the United States," said Tommy Carls, vice president of research and development for the spine division, which is part of the Restorative Therapies Group at Medtronic.

Note: Risks of the Prestige LP Disc include, but are not limited to, bone formation (including heterotopic ossification) that may reduce spinal motion or result in a fusion, either at the treated or at adjacent levels.
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Ive used the experience of having worked in the internal affairs division of both the Internal Revenue Commission and the Papua New Guinea Customs Service to share a number of stories and experiences with colleagues, friends and family.

And why did I have this gun put to my head? Well, because I decided to fight corruption. The gun jammed twice and that was all I needed to make my way out of danger and into the crowd to safety.

I have had a gun put to my head and the trigger pulled. I felt God in that silence. What must have been seconds seemed to me like minutes frozen.

I have been an internal affairs officer most of my working life and I have met people and had experiences that have thoroughly moved me, moulded me and brought me to where I am now.

BEFORE I start my rant, let me begin by thanking God for the many blessings he has poured out to me and for the gift of life.

I have noted over time working in an anti-corruption area that, sadly, as the trend is in this country things arent getting any better but appear to be getting worse and that a scary and sad thing is going on in Papua New Guinea.

In the fullness of time we Papua New Guineans must embrace what is happening in Papua New Guinea. Hopefully for PNG there will be calm after this storm.

Corruption is defined by Transparency International as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It can be classified as grand, petty and political, depending on the amounts of money lost and the sector where it occurs.

Corruption is eating into every facet of our society. It has grown its roots, and its roots have sunk deep into the soil taking a very strong grip and it is sucking all the nutrients and water out of our very soul.

If these roots continue to grow, eventually it will leave our fertile lands barren and we will be left to wander the desert for an eternity.

A bleak outlook on life but a reality we may obviously face if PNG, as a country does not take drastic action to do a complete u-turn on the current path and trajectory we are heading down.

Corruption is something that we talk about, it is something we complain about. It is something whose negative impacts we recognise. It is something that even the corrupt acknowledge is a bad and evil thing.

But the irony and the tragedy are in one fold, for in those who engage in corruption, oh how they love it. The tragedy in that same fold is that those of us who do not engage in it directly accommodate it, our levels of tolerance for corruption in Papua New Guinea are amazing.

Over time I have noted that corruption has beaten most if not all Papua New Guineans into submission. Yet I have hope that corruption can be beaten, for corruption comes with its flaws.

I remember once having a conversation with a friend of mine who came to me with the argument that we, the good people ,were missing out because we were not willing to bend or break the law and help ourselves get that unfair advantage to move ahead.

I thought about what he had just said and I replied that the only way I would indulge in corruption and give into it is if corruption benefitted all the people of this country. That is every single person. That if I could steal a billion kina, I should be able to share it among every single citizen equally and justly.

But because corruption sadly wouldnt allow me to do that, as corruption is about greed and is evil, I guess I choose to stand on this other side of the fence and do my best to stand against it. All I can give is my best.

I have heard that a long time ago a great Greek philosopher said, That it is in the nature of men to harm the small thieves and to elect the great ones to public office.

We do that in Papua New Guinea. And that is why Papua New Guinea remains one of the richest islands on earth with nothing to show for it.

Certain leaders boast about the highest GDP growth rates in the world, that we have this, that we have that. I only ask, where? (Although the GDP being boasted about by government may be an error and even more just a lie.)

When a hungry person steals a scone or biscuit from a shop to eat and is caught, they are beaten up by the shop attendants and security. If the police are called in, they get another beating before they are tossed into a cell to recover and fend for themselves. No medical attention is sought.

But when a so-called leader is caught stealing millions of kina, he is written a letter inviting him to come to the police station. He is offered coffee or a soft drink. He is continuously called leader or boss throughout the conversation.

Officers gladly shake his hand as if it is Jesus himself who came down to grace them with his presence. And that is our big man mentality that screws us over and over again.

I was reading some interesting quotes this morning and it got me thinking that this country really needs to start thinking about who we place in that house at Waigani to represent and speak for us.

Some of these quotes may have been spoken with PNG in mind. Of course this isnt the case, but the thought at least made me smile.

Heres one from Portugal  Politicians and diapers should be changed frequently and all for the same reason (Jose Maria de Eca de Queiroz).

Papua New Guinea has too many recycled leaders that really are only in parliament for their own vestured reasons. Sadly it is a common thing will hear amongst the common people that if you want to go from rags to riches all you have to do is get elected to parliament.

In my opinion, leaders who have been convicted of any criminal cases or declared bankrupt at any stage in their lifetime should not be allowed to run for office. Yet in PNG, we continue to vote these people in.

We have politicians who get kicked out by the courts for illegal acts during the elections, acts such as bribery, yet people vote them back in again.

And the police continue to fail to arrest and charge them for their acts of bribery. These so-called leaders are, to be kind, jokes. There is a quote about these jokes. Henry Cate VII said, The problem with political jokes is they get elected.

Corruption has slowly but surely wielded its serpent head into the institutions entrusted to keep watch over the peoples wealth and prosperity: the institutions entrusted to guide and protect our Constitution, to keep our leaders honest and accountable.

I read constantly people asking what the Ombudsman is doing, what it hasnt been doing and what it should be doing. Yet when the government started to tweak and change little things here and there with the Ombudsman, there was hardly any public outcry from the educated elite. Well, there was a cry, but it wasnt loud enough.

The Ombudsman Commission is kept in check by our leaders by starving it of funds. The Ombudsmans effectiveness to go out and conduct investigations are usually hampered by shortage of funds. This can also mean the Ombudsman is limited in attracting the best people with the skills to keep an eye on our politicians.

With the trend of corruption going the way it is we may see many young well educated Papua New Guineans running away to look for a better life abroad. This has happened in many other countries. We could probably label them corruption refugees. After 40 years of independence we are a country going sideways and are way off track.

It is sad to see that we celebrate thieves and vilify good men and women. Those in power will stop at nothing to protect themselves. Even at the cost of putting men and women who have served most of their lives protecting our laws and who have good ethics and morals.

In this process those in power also destroy the reputations of decent hard working, God-fearing people. The politician is not afraid to use even the name of God to cover his sins. A politician sleeping in parliament was caught on camera taking a well-deserved corruption nap. His response to the media hype was that he was praying.

This same politician then goes and distributes bibles in his electorate stamping every front page showing that it was donated by him. But he is not alone, other politicians also have their faces splashed all over vehicles or projects allocated to their electorates stating more or less that it was donated by them. Yet sadly, it was the hard-working taxpayer that paid for that bus or project. It never came out of the politician salary.

We live in a country where our leaders have no faith in the health sector. When they are sick, or their family members are sick, they travel to seek treatment in Australia, Singapore, Philippines or another country.

We live in a country where our leaders have no faith in our own education sector. The government boasts about its free education policy but has no faith in the education sector. They bring to us what they call free education but they never dare take their children to those schools. They send their children overseas to countries like Australia or New Zealand, in some cases also sending their wives with them, buying houses and cars for them. How they can afford that on their salaries is yet another accounting and budgeting miracle.

We live in a country that boasts that agriculture is the true backbone of our societies but we do not invest much in this industry or in the use of latest technology to produce crops. We do not assist our local farmers, and if we do it is usually just before election fever starts.

Papua New Guineans are dying younger than they were before. Our politicians are too busy worrying about lining their own pockets and are forgetting the real reasons they were voted for. They are there to provide the best they can for their people in health, education, law and order, transport, security, basic sanitation and water.

I live in a village community just on the fringes of the capital city and I have been there for five or six years. We have never had running water. Yet the people I live next to are owners of major parts of the city. They have asked for water as long as they can remember. The response has been that they cant pipe water to the area because it is customary land.

Yet in the governments improvement of the road system of the city, they had no qualms about sending in the surveyors to plan a four lane road basically right through the village. But wait, its customary land.

And to deliver water to illegal settlements? Ah well, thats another matter altogether, that one, the member will get his votes from the illegal settlers so you better get those pipes there quick smart. And I can only submit that corruption is the source of all these problems. I can only put it down to greed.

Our leaders still engage in primitive accumulation, many leaders will never rest until they have homes in different countries of the world which they never live in, until they have cars they never drive, until they have beds they have never sleep on because they have no sleep anyway. Even in Port Moresby they have many houses with many different women of the house.

We live in sad times. We have so many homeless children walking around begging. We have so many settlements. Crime rates are so high. Most crimes are not reported.

Most leaders, instead of going back to their provinces and driving development and change in their communities, are holed up in Port Moresby with frequent travel to Australia or Asia for stress relief. Presumably stress from worrying about the next great scam on how they can get the biggest cut in any deal. In the name of service delivery, of course.

Today if you take on any leader in government because you believe they have acted inappropriately, the official line is it is politically motivated and therefore not appropriate and it is you that is actually corrupt.

You can ask all the hard questions you want to but you will never get a straight answer and your answer will be answered with a question. The government is passing laws that are protecting them as individuals and not protecting the citizens.

The recent passing of the compulsory registration of sim cards is not going to serve the bulk of the population but make it harder for people to freely express themselves or leak information on corruption that would otherwise get buried.

Corruption is real in PNG. We all know its here. Yet we the majority remain silent.

Those involved in corruption know its here, but will claim it is not here. Those involved in it will pass it off as being normal business. And when the very few who do speak up and take the fight head on, they get ridiculed and have their lives looked over with a fine comb.

And when the corrupt get cornered they come out swinging. They start arguing that there are more important things to look at like rape, murder or adultery. Some even ask why the corruption fighters are hell bent on getting them.

They tell those standing against corruption that it was not their wives they stole so they should not care. Sadly corruption in its many forms causes so many other social issues in this country. Yet we remain silent. We live in sad times.
Lidl has applied for permission to move into a 23,000 sq ft site close to Connswater shopping centre

The boss of Connswater shopping centre says plans for a Lidl supermarket on the struggling east Belfast site must go ahead - as fears grow that Belfast City Council will reject the new store.

One of Northern Ireland's oldest shopping centres has been struggling to find another big name retailer to fill the void left by its two anchor tenants, Tesco and Dunnes.

Retail experts have highlighted their concerns over the future of Connswater, after both chains pulled out last year.

But now, Lidl has applied for permission to move into a 23,000 sq ft site close to the shopping centre.

However, it is believed planners will put forward the development for refusal to Belfast City Council planning committee on May 17.

Confirmation of the proposed rejection will be published a week before the meeting.

Connswater's general manager Gerry Monaghan told the Belfast Telegraph it was crucial the Lidl store got the go-ahead, as the centre has "been hit" and suffered a drop in footfall.

"We believe Connswater is totally different. We have lost our two main tenants, and now someone wants to double the size, invest and create jobs," he said.

"It's no secret we have been hit, and footfall is down. We need someone to give us a lift again, and we don't see any reason to turn it down."

The Connswater Traders' Association has written to politicians and planning officials urging them to support Lidl's bid.

Plans for the new Lidl store take in three units of the Connswater site, and would see it double the size of the existing store nearby.

It's understood planners have concerns over developing a new retail site, while the much larger 60,000 sq ft Tesco store, sits empty.

DUP MP for East Belfast, Gavin Robinson, has appealed to Belfast City Council planning officials to examine the case. "It is imperative that planning officers reconsider their expected recommendation to refuse this vital application," he said.

"Connswater faces unique pressures after the withdrawal of its two largest tenants and Lidl's investment will transform the fortunes of east Belfast's premier shopping centre."

Belfast City Council and Lidl did not wish to comment.
Lord Price said it's vital to build on renewed relationships like that with Argentina if the UK is to improve exports to Latin America

A minister is leading the Government's first trade mission to Argentina in 10 years.

Trade and Investment Minister Lord Price said he wants to strengthen trade relations with Latin America's third largest economy.

He will visit Argentina today where he will also call for progress on a free trade deal

Lord Price said: "If we are to improve our exports to Latin America, it's vital that we not only build stronger trade ties with traditional trading partners like Colombia, but build on renewed relationships like that with Argentina.

"The growing economies of Latin America offer huge opportunity for British business."
Friday April 29 was by far the most popular time for a trip to the cash machine

A record 1.7 billion was withdrawn from cash machines across the May Day bank holiday weekend as people enjoyed some long-overdue good weather, according to national ATM network Link.

The total value of Link cash withdrawals between Friday April 29 and Monday May 2 surged by 113 million, or 7%, from 1.603 billion during the same period a year earlier to 1.716 billion.

It was the busiest ever May Day bank holiday weekend for the UK's 70,270 ATMs, Link said.

Friday April 29 was by far the most popular time for a trip to the cash machine, as people gearing up for their long weekend withdrew 620 million on that day alone - up by 27 million compared with a year earlier.

The Link scheme connects ATMs across the country, helping people to access cash machines throughout the UK. Link cash withdrawals account for around three-quarters of all cash withdrawals, with the remainder made up of withdrawals where cardholders use their own bank or building society's cash machines to access their money.

The sunnier weather in some parts of the country may have helped to encourage people out to cash machines, Link suggested. The total also may have been boosted by Leicester City fans celebrating their side's Premier League success in recent days, following an anxious wait to see who would clinch the title.

John Howells, chief executive of Link, said: "A mixture of some long-overdue good weather, a packed sporting calendar and the extra day off work that many of us enjoy meant that last weekend marked an all-time high in May bank holiday ATM withdrawals.

"Despite the many different ways to pay that we have in this country, this record for ATM withdrawals clearly shows that cash has a bright future in the UK."

Link said the average amount of cash withdrawn during the recent bank holiday weekend was 66.90, compared with a typical withdrawal of 64.44 a year earlier.
Ryanair is on course to overtake easyJet as the biggest airline in the UK this year buoyed on by its massive growth in Belfast, boss Michael O'Leary has said.

"We're neck and neck at the moment," the Ryanair chief executive said yesterday.

"As we open up the new base in Belfast, we're adding more aircraft this winter in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Stansted continues to grow strongly, we should overtake them by the end of this year."

Speaking about rivals easyJet here said: "I don't get too hung up on whether we overtake them or not. It's only a question of time, when we'll overtake them. It doesn't really make a lot of difference."

Ryanair says it could have 40 routes operating from Belfast International Airport and four million passengers.

It made a grand return to Belfast in March, launching its Gatwick route. A further seven routes followed, and there are now 11 locations it flies to from Belfast. Ryanair yesterday posted increased traffic of 9.9 million customers for April. The airline's load factor increased by two percentage points to 93% while its rolling annual traffic increased by 17% to 107.4 million customers.

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Mr O'Leary talked up the airline's planned use of Boeing's new aircraft, the 737 MAX 200, which he said "would transform" the airline's cost base.

The carrier has ordered 200 of the aircraft and they will enter service in 2019.

"They come with 4% more seats, therefore eight more seats per flight, and the new engine technology will reduce fuel consumption per passenger by about 18% or 19%," he said.

"Last year, fuel accounted for about 45% of our total cost, and if we can reduce that by a double-digit number, it means we're again getting closer and closer to my idea where we can lower our averages fares from 45 (35) to 25 (20), and double our traffic from 100 to 180, 200 million passengers."

Mr O'Leary said the attacks on Brussels in March continued to dampen demand for flying in Europe, though traffic was strong during the Easter holidays.

"The Brussels effect has dampened demand into April to May though funnily enough it did not create as much disruption over the Easter period, but I think that's because a lot of families had holidays booked," he said.

He said he hoped Brussels Zaventem airport, which was the subject of a terrorist attack in March, would be back to full capacity by June.

Meanwhile, Merrion Stockbrokers said Ryanair is to mount further pressure on Europe's biggest airline, Lufthansa, in the German market.

Lufthansa's yield suffered its biggest drop in four years in the first quarter of the year and now the Irish airline is set to pile on more pressure.

Merrion senior equity analyst Darren McKinley said despite Ryanair's business being hit by recent terrorist attacks, it does not face the same pricing concerns as Lufthansa.

"In fact, we would expect Ryanair's increasing presence in Germany to negatively impact pricing at Lufthansa anyway regardless of any terrorist related events," Mr McKinley said.
Dawn French's latest novel is among the new books Richard and Judy are recommending to readers

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan are recommending new books to readers this summer, including Dawn French's latest novel According To Yes (WHSmith/PA)

Dawn French's latest novel is among the new books Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan are recommending to readers this summer.

Titled According To Yes, French's third novel follows an eccentric primary school teacher from England who heads to The Foreign Land of the Very Wealthy - otherwise known as Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Other titles recommended by the couple's Book Club are The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins, Sweet Caress by William Boyd, A Dictionary Of Mutual Understanding by Jackie Copleton, Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham, The Girls by Lisa Jewell, Those We Left Behind by Stuart Neville and Cathy Rentzenbrink's The Last Act Of Love.

Finnigan said: "I love every one of these titles. I know we always say it, but this really is a fantastic list. The books are all page-turners - guaranteed to keep you entertained, mystified and engrossed throughout the summer.

"Wherever the summer takes you, put your feet up and enjoy these wonderful titles."

To celebrate the summer 2016 list, WHSmith has revealed a new, fresh look to the Book Club, both in store and on its website www.whsmith.co.uk/richardandjudy.

Books director Lucy Menendez said: "As you would expect from Richard and Judy, this latest Book Club selection showcases the very best of titles this summer. From stunning debut fiction to the bestselling The Girl On The Train, we're confident this list will appeal to all of our customers and book clubs nationwide."

Readers will also be able to download podcasts featuring interviews with the writers.

Madeley said: "Interviewing the authors for our podcast episodes is always engaging and reveals elements that we didn't know about the authors, their inspirations and influences."

To mark the start of the summer Book Club, authors Hawkins, Jewell and Rentzenbrink are embarking on a countrywide tour starting in St Pancras, London, with further stops in Leicester, Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds and York.

Readers can ask the trio questions on Twitter via @PaulaHWrites, @lisajewelluk and @CathyReadsBooks and follow the Book Club using #WHSRJ.
The rally to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strikes in Londonderry

The family of a republican hunger striker who died in prison has accused Sinn Fein of using his memory in a "blatant electioneering stunt".

INLA prisoner Patsy O'Hara died on May 21, 1981, at the Maze after 61 days on hunger strike.

He was one of 10 hunger strikers who were remembered at a commemoration that took place last Sunday in Londonderry.

O'Hara's family has accused Sinn Fein of using the commemoration as an electioneering stunt.

Sinn Fein, however, has defended the event as "dignified and respectful".

"What should have been a solemn occasion to remember the men who died in such tragic circumstances 35 years ago, was turned into an publicity stunt," the O'Hara family said in a statement.

"Even using the image of Bobby Sands and his election campaign in an attempt to woo voters was a mockery and a distortion of truth and history.

"Bobby Sands and the other hunger strikers were in prison for their part in the fight for Irish freedom that meant the abolition of Stormont, not the preservation of it."

Speaking on behalf of the family, O'Hara's brother Tony claimed Sinn Fein had lost support in Derry and was attempting to use the memory of the hunger strikers to regain ground ahead of the Assembly elections. He said he did not believe his brother would have supported Stormont if he was alive today.

O'Hara was an INLA member from Londonderry. He was convicted in January 1980 of possessing a hand grenade and sentenced to eight years in prison.

A spokesman for Sinn Fein said: "Sunday's event in Derry to mark the 35th anniversary of the death of Bobby Sands and the 1981 hunger strike was a dignified and respectful commemoration which remembered the courage, conviction and determination of all the hunger strikers.

"The large turnout at the event is an indication of the community's respect for all of the 10 1981 hunger strikers, the high esteem in which their memory is held and the inspiration they continue to provide."

The comments from the O'Hara family come after the family of Bobby Sands spoke out when a trust set up in his name - on whose board a number of senior Sinn Fein members sit - published a graphic novel about his life.

The comic, Bobby Sands: Freedom Fighter, was funded by the National Lottery through the Arts Council, authored by 80-year-old Gerry Hunt and published by O'Brien Press in Dublin.

The Sands family issued a statement in response, saying: "It is reprehensible that the family, including our elderly mother, was first made aware of this book when confronted by extracts displayed in the media".

They added: "We are given to understand that the book contains intimate family scenes that no one, other than our family members, would be privy to.

"It is unfortunate that well-meaning people, such as Mr Hunt, are misled by those who profess to be authorities on Bobby's life story.

"Our family once again reiterates that the Bobby Sands Trust does not act on behalf of Bobby, nor does it represent our family, in any shape or form.

"We again call upon the trust to disband and desist from using Bobby's memory as a commercial enterprise."

The publication of the graphic novel also caused a row over the source of its funding.

Unionists questioned the criteria that was used to qualify the book for support and UUP MLA Tom Elliott also took issue with its content.

Mr Elliott said that it sent "the wrong message" to children and sets a "bad example" and doesn't reflect the views of those who believe Sands was a terrorist.
A Canadian group that mixes reggae and rock has been added to the New York State Fair's 2016 Chevy Court lineup.

Magic!, which is known for the hit song "Rude" and a new single "Lay You Down Easy" featuring Sean Paul, will perform at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. The concert is free with admission to the fair.

"This show by Magic! is part of our commitment to diversity in performers and styles of music," Acting State Fair Director Troy Waffner said. "Reggae music was made for summer sunshine and I know this is going to be a fun show."

Magic! is the 12th musical act added to the fair's Chevy Court lineup. Last week, the fair announced rapper Flo Rida will perform at the free concert venue on Thursday, Sept. 1.

The fair will run from Aug. 25 through Sept. 5.

Here is the updated Chevy Court lineup:

 Thursday, Aug. 25: 2 p.m. - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

 Friday, Aug. 26: 8 p.m. - Toto

 Saturday, Aug. 27: 2 p.m. - Magic!

 Sunday, Aug. 28: 2 p.m. - Air Supply; 8 p.m. - Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers

 Monday, Aug. 29: 2 p.m. - Herman's Hermits

 Tuesday, Aug. 30: 2 p.m. - Survivor; 8 p.m. - The Commodores

 Wednesday, Aug. 31: 2 p.m. - Macy Gray

 Thursday, Sept. 1: 8 p.m. - Flo Rida

 Friday, Sept. 2: 8 p.m. - Culture Club

 Monday, Sept. 5: 6 p.m. - Chicago
The funeral cortege of Michael Barr on its way to St Mary's Church in the Melmount area of Strabane (Strabane Chronicle/PA)

Fifteen men have been arrested after a paramilitary display at the funeral of a dissident republican in Northern Ireland.

Police took action after a number of men wearing berets, dark glasses and paramilitary-style combat fatigues marched ahead of the cortege for murder victim Michael Barr.

Barr, 35, from Strabane in Co Tyrone, was shot dead in a Dublin bar last month.

He was allegedly a member of the renegade dissident group that calls itself the new IRA.

He was hit up to three times when two gunmen burst into the Sunset House pub in the Summerhill area of the city.

His murder is believed to have been linked to a bloody underworld power struggle between the Kinahan and Hutch families and their associates.

There are conflicting reports as to whether Barr was the intended target or if a member of the Hutch family was in the pub at the time.

Thursday's arrests came weeks after police faced criticism for not intervening during similar paramilitary displays at a number of republican events in Northern Ireland to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising against British rule in Dublin.

Police Service of Northern Ireland District Commander Superintendent Mark McEwan denied his officers were responding to political pressure.

"We don't respond to political pressure, we are cognisant of it," he said.

He said the operation was "appropriate, necessary and proportionate".

Mr McEwan said police were mindful that a funeral was taking place and stressed the arrests were made away from the church.

"What we saw this morning on the streets of Strabane and in the local area is what appears, to all intents and purposes, to be a paramilitary display," he said.

"As a result of that in the subsequent policing operation we have arrested 15 men in connection with suspected terrorist-related offences."

He added: "The scenes that we have seen today are not unique, but the public do expect us to act in these cases."

Hundreds of people turned out for the funeral mass at St Mary's Church in the Melmount area of Strabane on Thursday morning.

Black flags were also placed on lampposts along part of the cortege's route while a black beret and gloves were placed on top of the coffin which had been draped in an Irish tricolour.

There was a significant police presence on both sides of the border ahead of the funeral.

The men have been detained under the Terrorism Act.

At the time of his death Barr was due to be sentenced at the Special Criminal Court for handling stolen electrical equipment.

He had pleaded guilty to the offence at Finnstown House Hotel on July 18 2014 where a bomb had been found in a car two months earlier.

Republican supporters described him as "ex-Republican POW".

He had lived in Poppintree in the Ballymun area and also in Finglas before moving to the north inner city since taking over the Sunset House pub some time in the last year.
The National Pigeon Service was a key way of delivering news from the front

Top secret plans to use carrier pigeons during the Second World War have been discovered in public records archives.

Pigeon lofts were to be set up in counties Armagh and Enniskillen while a network of birds would be despatched throughout Northern Ireland, according to Ministry of Home Affairs files.

In one letter, the Police and Home Guard Pigeon Service was described as an important auxiliary link in communications.

Anne Craig from the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) said: "It might be easy to label it 'Dad's Army with pigeons', but the British Army used about 250,000 homing pigeons during World War Two.

"They had lofts in different counties and people looking after them. It seems likely that those in the Home Guard were pigeon fanciers, and this was their way of supporting the war effort."

The birds were part of the National Pigeon Service - a key way of delivering news from the front. They carried messages in specially designed leg containers or in small pouches looped over their backs.

Ms Craig added: "There is not a great deal of detail in the file, just some memos and letters from Army HQ, but this probably reflects the secret nature of the plan.

"One mentions a County Pigeon Officer who cannot continue in his duties, while another talks about a grant of 20 to build a loft in Armagh."

Pigeons were used by the Army, RAF and civil defence services throughout the war.

They were carried in all bomber and reconnaissance aircraft and were also dropped behind enemy lines to resistance workers in places like France and Belgium. They often flew in extreme circumstances and were credited with saving thousands of lives.

Some 32 pigeons were awarded the Dickin Medal - the highest honour given to animals -- including Paddy, an Irish pigeon who was the first to bring news of the D-Day landings to England, and William of Orange, who helped save 2,000 lives by delivering a message from a surrounded infantry division in Arnhem.
The Arlene Arkinson inquest should be completed within two weeks, a lawyer said

The Arlene Arkinson inquest should be finished within two weeks, a barrister told the coroner.

Former and current detectives are still due to give evidence to the badly-delayed proceedings into the disappearance of the Co Tyrone teenager in 1994.

Around 30 days of evidence have been heard but the hearing was adjourned recently because of a legal matter which had just come to light. Much of Thursday's hearing was held in closed session to discuss the issue.

Coroner Brian Sherrard said: "Inevitably there is going to be a certain amount of stopping and starting."

He told counsel in the case he would not rush them into something they were not ready to proceed with.

Barrister for the coroner Frank O'Donohue QC said the inquest would sit next Monday and Tuesday and again the following week.

"That should conclude the inquest."

Arlene, a 15-year-old schoolgirl, disappeared on August 13 1994, as she returned to her Castlederg home from a disco in Donegal. Her body has never been found.

Chief suspect Robert Howard was acquitted of her murder in 2005 by a jury which was not told of his conviction for killing a south London teenager several years earlier. He died in prison last year.
Senior presiding officer Teresa McCurdy, from Rathlin Island, off the coast of Northern Ireland, arrives back there after collecting a ballot box

Signs are put outside a polling station at Model Primary School in Londonderry, as people born after Northern Ireland's historic Good Friday Agreement will get their first chance to vote today as polls open for the Stormont Assembly election

Polls have closed in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, with candidates now facing a long wait to find out who is Stormont-bound.

The count process in the proportional representation contest will begin at eight centres across the region on Friday morning and the final outcome is not expected until Saturday afternoon.

On what was a glorious day weather-wise across Northern Ireland, the politicians were early to the polls.

Democratic Unionist leader and outgoing First Minister Arlene Foster voted at a polling station near her home in Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh, while long-time Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness was accompanied by party colleagues as he dispatched his ballot in his native Londonderry.

Earlier at the same Northland Road polling station in Derry, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood carried his daughter Rosa into the building as he voted, while Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt voted along with his wife Lynda at Gilnahirk Primary School in east Belfast.

Alliance Party leader David Ford arrived to cast his vote at the polling station in Second Donegore Presbyterian Church in rural Co Antrim just after 11am, accompanied by his wife Anne, daughter Helen and grandchildren Eli and Lilah.

The poll was the first chance to vote for people born after the historic Good Friday Agreement.

Eighteen years on from the signing of the 1998 peace accord that paved the way for a devolved power-sharing government, voters were selecting the latest batch of 108 MLAs to represent them at Parliament Buildings. There were 276 candidates standing across 18 constituencies.

The Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein are again likely to emerge as the two largest parties on their respective sides of the unionist/nationalist political divide.

During the campaign, Mrs Foster had placed particular onus on seeing off the challenge of Mr McGuinness in the race to see which one of them takes the First Minister's job ahead of the Deputy First Minister's job.

It would require a significant electoral turnaround for Sinn Fein to topple the DUP as the largest party and most pundits believe it highly unlikely.

Mr McGuinness has played down the importance of the job title, given both the First Minister and Deputy First Minister's jobs wield the same authority.

A more significant target for Sinn Fein, which won 29 seats to the DUP's 38 in 2011, might be the 30 seats that would hand it the strength to solely veto Assembly legislation with the use of the much-maligned "petition of concern" voting mechanism.

After a relatively low-key campaign, which has seen social and economic issues feature more prominently than in previous electoral races, the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance Party face an uphill battle to break the DUP/Sinn Fein grip on power at Stormont.

When all the seats have been filled and talks begin in Belfast to shape the next coalition executive's programme for government, the smaller parties are set to face a choice between re-entering the administration as junior partners or taking up the newly established option of forming an official opposition.

The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), Green Party, Ukip, People Before Profit and the Progressive Unionist Party are among the smaller parties also vying for a place on the Assembly benches.

With such a muted campaign, all eyes will be on the turnout figure. The percentage of voters casting a ballot in Assembly elections has been in steady decline over the last two decades. It was 54.5% in 2011.

A total of 1,380 ballot boxes were used at 619 polling stations across Northern Ireland.

The first results are expected on Friday afternoon with the final outcome not expected until 24 hours later.
A man threatened to cut off his partner's breast with a knife and also tried to choke her with a telephone cord as part of a terrifying series of domestic assaults, a court has been told

A man threatened to cut off his partner's breast with a knife and also tried to choke her with a telephone cord as part of a terrifying series of domestic assaults, a court has been told

John Anthony Hughes (53) of Knockshee Park in Omagh, who had recently been released from prison after serving a sentence for assaulting his partner, has been returned to custody following the spate of alleged offences against the same woman.

Hughes is accused of 11 charges, which include assaults, threats to kill, possessing an offensive weapon and attempting to choke in order to commit grievous bodily harm.

A detective constable told Omagh Magistrates Court she believed she could connect Hughes to the offences, which are alleged to have occurred on various dates between December and April.

Objecting to bail, a detective constable explained police were alerted by a friend of the victim who was concerned for her welfare. Officers attended with the victim who made a six-page statement outlining a number of attacks which had occurred since Hughes returned from serving the prison sentence.

She claimed during an incident on December 29, he called her a variety of derogatory names and ripped her T-shirt. He then wrapped a telephone cord around her neck and said: "You're going to die b*****d". The victim, who spoke to police on April 30, said the previous four days had been the worst she had ever endured. In one incident, Hughes had demanded sex, then spat on her and made accusations that she had cheated on him whilst he was in prison.

The woman was lying on her bed and he slapped and headbutted her. He then lay over her and held a knife to her neck which he dragged downwards along the line of her breast and said: "I'm going to kill you and cut off your head."

He then threatened to cut off her breast.

The woman, who by this stage was becoming suicidal, made her way to the home of a friend in whom she confided. During this time she received a text from Hughes which read: "I'll find you. Who dares wins."

On being arrested Hughes denied all allegations put to him. He accepted sending the text, but claimed it was "banter".

The detective said it has since emerged Hughes is wanted by An Garda Siochana in relation to an alleged assault against the same injured party in the Republic, where the couple lived for a time.

In addition, while remanded in custody for the previous attack, the injured party received a letter from Hughes asking her to drop the charges.

Police were firmly opposed to bail because of the violent domestic history and a fear of reoffending.

A defence solicitor said Hughes, who denies all the charges, could be released on bail and put forward an address some 40 miles from the victim's home, and suggested signing daily with police, saying: "My client now realises the relationship is over and he won't be contacting or going back to (the victim) again."

Refusing bail District Judge Peter King said: "The defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence, but I have to balance bail or a remand in custody. Frankly the details outlined in court send shivers down my spine. Clearly there is a distinct and disturbing history."

Hughes was remanded in custody to appear by video-link at Omagh Magistrates Court on May 24.
Belfast Coroners Court was told the witness, his wife and children had not been heard from in seven years

A potentially key witness in the inquest of a dissident republican who hanged himself in police custody has vanished, a coroner's court has heard.

The man, allegedly involved in an altercation with John Brady ahead of his arrest in 2009, may also have been recruited as a State agent, it was claimed.

Barrister Conor O'Kane, representing the Brady family, told Belfast Coroners Court: "He (witness), his wife and his children have left the face of the earth and have not been heard from in seven years.

"Where have they gone?

"It is a reasonable assumption that to leave your family, to take children out of school, to disappear is very difficult without very powerful and wealthy people to help you."

Real IRA man John Brady, 40, was found dead at Strand Road police station in Londonderry in October 2009.

The case is shrouded in controversy over allegations that two officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI) C3 unit - formerly known as Special Branch - visited the veteran republican on three separate occasions before his death.

Rumours of C3 involvement have led to speculation that Mr Brady may have been subjected to a bid to turn him into an informer before he hanged himself in a consultation room.

But the Police Ombudsman subsequently examined these claims and found no evidence to support them.

The ombudsman said two intelligence officers did attempt to gain access to Mr Brady but were turned away by custody staff - a finding investigators said was substantiated by CCTV footage.

Mr O'Kane claimed allegations of police cover-up were central to the high profile case, describing Mr Brady as a man of fortitude who had never had any mental health problems.

"The mechanics of the death have been explored thoroughly," the lawyer said.

"What has never been explored by anybody is why was he arrested in the first place?

"Mr Brady hanged himself because he could not face a number of months or years in prison.

"The question is, what caused him to take that view?"

The court heard that Mr Brady was arrested and charged in connection with a fight outside a primary school.

Police failed to properly investigate the allegations of actual bodily harm and did not speak to key witnesses, according to Mr O'Kane.

There are also questions over how C3 officers knew he had been detained, the barrister added.

"C3 officers were at the police station that day," he said. "How did the two C3 officers know?

"Mr Brady was arrested for actual bodily harm - a relatively minor offence but somehow somebody told C3 officers that he was at Strand Road police station."

Claims the potential witness was an informer were dismissed as "wildly speculative" by Philip McAtteer, counsel for the PSNI.

Meanwhile, serious concerns were also expressed over what Mr O'Kane described as a "secret meeting" between the previous coroner in the case Judge Brian Sherrard and representatives of the PSNI last month.

Demanding to know who attended the meeting last month, he said: "It is important for the family that these things are done as much as possible in open."

The court heard Judge Sherrard had viewed a booklet of sensitive documents to assess their potential relevance because his legal representatives did not have adequate security clearance.

There were some heated exchanges between the Brady family barrister and Coroner Joe McCrisken during the brief hearing.

At one point Mr McCrisken threatened to hand over a transcript of the barrister's comments to a higher legal authority, adding: "This is my court and you must respect it. I am an independent judicial officer and I will not have disrespect.

"I do not think you are showing this court and other colleagues the respect you should."

The coroner said the Brady family could expect a full, fair and fearless inquest which he hoped would be listed for hearing this year.

"It is my intention to move this matter forward at pace," said Mr McCrisken.

A further review hearing was provisionally scheduled for June 21.
Day trippers: The students stop for a picture before heading off for a day away from the city

Ready to play: The students are kitted out for a game of football

Belfast is preparing for a new Viking invasion - but the Scandinavians who are descending on the city at the weekend are aiming to recapture nothing more than old memories during their nostalgic visit.

The 40 Norwegian doctors, lawyers and engineers are all former students at Queen's University.

For many of them it will be their first time back in Northern Ireland since they graduated in the 1970s after living through the mayhem of the Troubles.

One of the organisers, Knut Alten, said he and his countrymen, who lived around the Holylands, were not frightened, though they regularly heard gunfire not far from their homes and were aware of the presence of the security forces.

Mr Alten said that after water supplies from the Mourne Mountains were disrupted by a bomb attack, he and the rest of the students collected water from a stream. The Troubles led to a sharp decline in the numbers of Norwegians enrolling at Queen's, and Mr Alten went on radio back home to reassure potential students and their parents.

"I told them that student life was not as dangerous as it seemed on the news. I said we were not afraid and we, as foreigners, had been told to stay out of politics," he explained.

But why did the Norwegians come to Belfast to study in the first place?

Mr Alten said: "Our secondary school results were too low for us to qualify for university at home, and we chose Belfast because it sounded more interesting than other European cities, and it allowed us to polish up our English."

The Norwegian old boys said they were keen to see the new Belfast, which has changed dramatically since their time in the city. Former unionist politician Cedric Wilson is helping to co-ordinate arrangements for the trip along with his wife Eva, a Norwegian whom he met when she was a student at Queen's.

"We'll be taking them all over Northern Ireland," Mr Wilson said. "They'll be having lunch at Stormont, touring Belfast and the peace walls, and visiting the Giant's Causeway before they attend a major dinner back at the Great Hall at Queen's University."

The QUB alumni will also be going back to their old watering holes around the university which are still standing - the likes of the Botanic Inn, the Eglantine Inn, and Ryan's (the Four In Hand in their day) on the Lisburn Road.

Mr Wilson said the Norwegians were particularly keen to see if they could find members of the Salvation Army who sold them the War Cry newspaper in the Four In Hand every Friday night.

"They could never get over how someone would come into a pub and try to convert the patrons," he added.

Mr Alten said: "After a little coaxing, the Salvation Army used to bring us copies of the Norwegian War Cry."
In the days since Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump became his party's presumptive nominee, Democrats have questioned whether U.S. Rep. John Katko will support the Manhattan real estate mogul.

Not to be outdone, Republicans have pressed Colleen Deacon, Eric Kingson and Steve Williams  the three Democrats running in a primary to determine who will face Katko, R-Camillus, in November  on who they're supporting for president.

Bryan Lesswing, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Katko should "get the talking points ready" now that Trump is the GOP's presumptive nominee.

"Katko has been avoiding reality and evading the Trump topic, but no amount of distancing and side-stepping can change the fact that Katko is on the Trump ticket and his party has paved the way for his nomination," Lesswing said.

Shortly after Lesswing's statement was released, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Chris Pack sent one of his own accusing Deacon, Kingson and Williams of refusing to say who they're supporting in the presidential race.

"Now that Bernie Sanders has promised a contested convention, NY-24 Democrats need to say which flawed candidate they want leading their party's ticket in November," Pack said.

The Citizen contacted the Deacon, Katko, Kingson and Williams' campaigns to ask who the candidates are supporting for president.

Here are their responses:

U.S. REP. JOHN KATKO

Katko, who didn't endorse a Republican presidential candidate before New York's April 19 primary, previously stated he would support the party's nominee for president.

With U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich dropping out of the race, Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee.

But does that mean Katko will support his candidacy? Not so fast.

"I will not support Hillary Clinton," Katko said. "Any candidate has to earn my vote  including Donald Trump. He has a lot of work to do in that regard. I'm concerned with some of the comments he's made, and with the general tone that he's taken."

COLLEEN DEACON

Deacon is impressed with both Democratic presidential candidates, but she is supporting one over the other.

"I'm happy to support Secretary Clinton in her bid for president," Deacon said in a statement Thursday. "She was a fantastic senator here in New York and I am confident she will be a strong president. That being said, I think that Sen. Sanders has brought a valuable voice to the conversation and has brought attention to many important issues."

According to Deacon's campaign, the Syracuse Democrat has been publicly supporting Clinton since December.

ERIC KINGSON

Like Deacon, Kingson believes the Democratic Party has two strong candidates for president.

In a blog post published in February, Kingson said he's supporting Bernie Sanders for president.

"Bernie is igniting the interest and energies of millions of Americans, many of whom have not been previously engaged in politics," Kingson wrote. "We need this at a time when our nation's political institutions are at risk; when our economic institutions seem to work well only for the rich and powerful, not for hard-working people and families. We need new generations of Americans and older ones, too, not only to care about what is happening in our nation, but, like Bernie's supporters, to get involved and become vehicles for a better America."

He added later in the post, "I am running for Congress in central New York (NY-24). When I go to Washington as a new member of Congress, I want to see a Democrat in the White House. And I believe our nation will be best served if that Democrat is Bernie Sanders."

STEVE WILLIAMS

Since Clinton launched her presidential campaign, Williams has been in her corner.

"I volunteered on Hillary Clinton's campaign for Senate when she ran for Senate in New York," he said in an interview Wednesday. "I've always been very impressed by her. She's a brilliant individual."

Williams recalled a recent conversation he had with a friend who is a Republican voter. He was surprised when he heard his friend say that he could see himself voting for Clinton.

"He said  and these are his words, not mine  'She's a fighter and she will not allow any other country to push us around.' And you know, I've got to agree with him on that," he said.
A single motorist has been fined a staggering 91 times for driving in Belfast's bus lanes in just 10 months

Fines are 45 if paid within two weeks.

Over 42,000 fines were handed out with one driver getting caught 91 times.

A single motorist has been fined a staggering 91 times for driving in Belfast's bus lanes in just 10 months. The motorist has accumulated at least 4,000 worth of penalties in that period.

Another driver was caught on 42 separate occasions, and a third was fined 36 times.

They are among dozens of people receiving multiple penalties since a crackdown began last summer.

It comes as new figures show more than 40,000 vehicles have been clocked driving in the city's bus lanes in the past 10 months.

The total value of fines has now topped 1.5m.

One street - Donegall Square East - has produced 630,000 worth of fines alone.

It has led to warnings that over-zealous enforcement will drive shoppers from the city.

Glyn Roberts from the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association said the figures were "astonishing".

"I have a real and genuine worry that it will be off-putting to people coming into Belfast," he said.

Details of bus lane fines were released by the Department for Regional Development after a Freedom of Information request.

Between June 22 last year and May 3, a total of 42,055 fines were issued for driving in 32 bus lanes across Belfast - 133 a day on average.

The worst hotspots for fines were:

Donegall Square East - 16,677 fines worth 631,878.

Castle Street - 11,940 fines worth 403,824.

Great Victoria Street - 6,114 fines worth 244,617.

East Bridge Street - 2,222 fines worth 90,269.

College Square East - 2,050 fines worth 76,332.

In total, fines worth 1,561,057 were issued.

The Belfast Telegraph also obtained details about cars which were fined more than once.

These show:

147 vehicles were caught more than five times.

44 vehicles were caught more than 10 times.

And 31 vehicles were caught more than 20 times.

The highest number of bus lane offences by the same vehicle was a staggering 91.

That is the equivalent of being caught once every three days. The DRD confirmed it was not a vehicle with authorisation to use a bus lane, such as an unmarked police car.

The minimum fine is 45, if paid within a fortnight, meaning that car alone will have accumulated fines of at least 4,095.

Mr Roberts sits on the Belfast Rapid Transit forum, which is a liaison group between DRD and key stakeholders. He said he had raised concerns about the high number of penalties being issued.

"I have raised the need to be sensitive and not adopt an over-zealous approach," he added.

"As much as we support, in principle, the rapid transit project, I do worry about the sheer number of tickets."

The Belfast Telegraph recently reported how almost 35,000 parking tickets were dished out in a 12-month period across Belfast.

Some 2,195 were handed out on the busy Lisburn Road alone.

Mr Roberts said: "We already have a clear problem in excessive ticketing for car parking.

"The worry is that the safer option, in the minds of shoppers, is to go to the big out-of-town stores.

"They don't have to worry about the red coats, the parking is free, and it's a safer option.

"That is the last thing that traders in Belfast city centre or any of its arterial routes want to hear."

Ukip's Northern Ireland leader David McNarry - a strong critic of Belfast's bus lanes - said he was "gobsmacked" at the number of fines.

He cited the car caught 91 times as evidence that drivers were rebelling against the system.

"It seems we have serial offenders, and the reason is pretty clear - you can't travel through our beloved city without falling foul of this nonsensical and abusive restriction on motorists," he said.

A spokesperson for the DRD said: "The purpose of the bus lane enforcement measures is to reduce the number of unauthorised vehicles driving in bus lanes to improve the reliability and punctuality of our public transport system.

"The number of penalty charge notices issued, and the revenue received, will therefore depend upon driver behaviour.

"These measures are not aimed at raising revenue.

"People will not face a penalty charge as long as they do not drive in the bus lanes when they are operational.

"We would question why any driver would repeatedly ignore bus lane regulations in the knowledge they will continue to receive charges."

DRD said money raised helps finance the services it provides.

If you were the driver caught 91 times, contact us at digital.editorial@belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
Gerry Adams has come under fire from the Equality Commission over his use of the 'n-word' on social media.

The criticism is a further embarrassment for the President of Sinn Fein, which has made equality a cornerstone of its policies. The commission said leaders of political parties should show a "positive example".

It said all public representatives need to use language which is "moderate in tone and respectful". The commission also indicated it is not pursuing any action against Mr Adams, as it did against Ashers Bakery over the ongoing 'same-sex cake' controversy. In that case, the commission is supporting an individual, Gareth Lee, who took the case under anti-discrimination laws.

Read More

The full commission statement said: "The commission believes that public representatives need to use language that is moderate in tone and respectful, that promotes an appreciation of the diversity of our society and the principles of equality and non-discrimination. Those in leadership should show a positive example."

The statement was a response to comments made on Twitter by Mr Adams after he watched the Quentin Tarantino movie, Django Unchained, on Sunday night.

The former West Belfast MP withdrew the remarks within 20 minutes and issued several apologies over the next 48 hours.

Dublin TD Mary Lou McDonald - viewed by many as a potential successor to Mr Adams when he decides to relinquish the leadership - said his use of the "very, very loaded n-word" was wrong and an apology was necessary.

Read More

"The reason why the tweet was issued was about context and parallels. He was making a political point. It was just unfortunate that the political point got lost in the fact that a particular term, a horrible term, a very loaded term, was used," she added.

Her comments came after Mr Adams told Ryan Tubridy's radio programme on RTE that he owns hundreds of rubber ducks.

At a press conference at Leinster House on the deal for a minority government struck between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, Ms McDonald was repeatedly asked if she was embarrassed by Mr Adams' behaviour including his tweets about teddy bears some time ago.

Read More

"Only if you think political leaders should be solely talking hard politics all of the time. If that's you're view, fair enough," she said. "I understand that the interview with Ryan Tubridy was conversational. It was fairly light. It wasn't a heavy policy-driven interview. Obviously if he was dealing with issues around public services and health, it would not be appropriate to reference teddies and rubber ducks."

Mr Adams has explained his tweets "Watching Django Unchained - A Ballymurphy N*****!" followed by "Django -an uppity Fenian!" were drawing a comparison between the treatment of black people in the United States with the penal laws of the 19th century and discrimination against Catholics in Northern Ireland in the 1960s over voting, housing and jobs.
An Irish woman who had 9,500 taken from her account by scammers says she is going to the Republic's Financial Ombudsman over the banks treatment of her case.

The lady, named Carmel, fell victim to the fraud after she responded to an email purporting to be bank in February.

The email said the Bank of Ireland wished to update her account details.

She was then prompted to put her own name and her mothers maiden name in a pop-up box, which she did. She was not asked for her password or other security details.

She was then alerted to a number of transactions via her banks text and email service.

She then realised that her account had been emptied in three transactions, all within the space of an hour.

What came back to me was that I had revealed sufficient information to allow [the scammers] to be able to use the data to withdraw the money, she added.

She also stressed that she had the large sum in her account after she changed her car just prior to the scam.

The bank later told Carmel that since she had revealed her own information, they could do nothing about it. That decision did not change after Carmel made a complaint.

While Carmel admitted that the bank did alert her to the problem, she said the procedure would lead you to believe if they alerted you they would do something about it.

Carmel added that she thought telling the bank she had revealed her information in response to an email had reduced her chances of getting the money refunded.

Im a customer for 20 years plus, she said. I have all of my banking with them. I have my mortgage with them. They are making more than [the money lost] from the interest on my mortgage.

Carmel also expressed her dismay at not receiving a phone call from the bank, and dealing only through letters.

My next step is the Financial Ombudsman, so thats what Im on with now, she added.

That seems to be as much as I can do, she continued. But as I say, for such a substantial amount, I would have imagined a phone call at least.

In a statement, Bank of Ireland said: Customers are always advised if they receive a fraudulent pop-up, email or webpage not to reply or follow any of the specified instructions, regardless of how genuine they may appear and report it immediately to the bank.

It added that complaints are assessed on an individual basis.

Irish Independent
AUBURN  A 22-year-old Auburn man with an extensive criminal record was sentenced Thursday for multiple charges, including escaping police custody.

Ponel Jackson, Jr., of 1 Near Place, briefly escaped from custody outside Auburn City Court in November. According to the Auburn Police Department, Jackson was being arraigned on felony robbery charges when he ran out of court. Lt. Shawn Butler said the handcuffed defendant got about 150 yards to Clark Street before officers caught up with him and found cocaine in Jackson's pants.

Jackson pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted robbery for trying to forcibly rob a person on the Arterial West in Auburn on Sept. 8. He also admitted to third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and first-degree escape from the incident in November.

In Cayuga County criminal court Thursday, Judge Thomas Leone noted Jackson is no stranger to the system, having been in and out of jail since he was a teenager.

"For such a young man you have such a long criminal history," he said.

Leone sentenced Jackson to 6 1/2 years for criminal possession of a controlled substance with 3 years post-release supervision, 6 1/2 years for attempted robbery with 5 years post-release supervision and 3 1/2 to 7 years for the escape. Each sentence will run concurrent to one another.

Jackson's attorney, Rome Canzano, also requested his client be placed in protective custody because the escape charge will place him in a maximum security prison.

Also in court:

 An Auburn woman with a criminal record going back 10 years was sentenced Thursday for violating an order of protection.

Samantha Swann, 41, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of first-degree criminal contempt in March in exchange for an agreed-upon sentence of 1 1/2 to 3 years in prison.

Leone said since then, Swann had written a letter asking him to consider shock probation instead of the original plea bargain, requesting treatment for a drug and alcohol problem.

Swann, of 28 Franklin St. Apt. 1, admitted to violating an order of protection after being seen with the victim on two separate occasions last winter. She was previously convicted of third-degree grand larceny in 2010 and served one year in jail for stealing $3,000 worth of untaxed cigarettes.

Leone upheld the agreed-upon sentence of 1 1/2 to 3 years in prison for each charge. Both sentences will be served concurrently.
Muslims are the fastest-growing religious group in the world, but in the United States Islam is often viewed negatively because of constant news about terrorism.

For the average Muslim who seeks peace and security as much as anyone else, that can be both sad and frustrating.

I dont think we always do a good job of telling our story, says Fadel Al Mheiri, an Emirati filmmaker and author of the historical novel Kingdom of Peacocks  Mists of Time.

We are just people and we have the same struggles as anyone else. But the extremists have been able to drive the narrative and that gives non-Muslims the wrong impression about the religion and the people who follow it.

As a result, Americans tend to take a skeptical view of Muslims, more so than they do of adherents to the other major religions. In 2014, the Pew Research Center asked Americans to rate eight religious groups on what Pew called a feeling thermometer with a scale of zero to 100.

Zero was the coldest, most negative rating, while 100 was the warmest and most positive.

Muslims ranked the lowest of the eight with a rating of 40, just below atheists, who scored 41. Jews, Catholics, evangelical Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and Mormons all were viewed much more warmly, Pew reported.

Al Mheiri doesnt find those results surprising. Too often, when Muslims make the news in the United States and around the world, its for violent acts by extremists.

Through his storytelling  both in film and in print  Al Mheiri wants to change the perception that Muslims have in the non-Muslim world.

I think its our responsibility  my responsibility  to give a voice to the other side and let people know that what they see in the news isnt representative of Muslims, Al Mheiri says. But I also encourage non-Muslims to take the initiative and learn all they can about the religion, because knowledge paves the way to understanding.

To begin exploring Islam and get past the stereotypes perpetuated in the media, he suggests that non-Muslims:

Start with online research. This is the digital era, so information that can help educate people is just two or three clicks away. Personal research is always a good first step to learning. Just make sure the internet sources are legitimate, because the web has plenty of misinformation as well. Once they begin exploring, non-Muslims can find a wealth of material about what Muslims truly believe.

This is the digital era, so information that can help educate people is just two or three clicks away. Personal research is always a good first step to learning. Just make sure the internet sources are legitimate, because the web has plenty of misinformation as well. Once they begin exploring, non-Muslims can find a wealth of material about what Muslims truly believe. Just ask. The best way to eliminate any mystery is to have a conversation, and most Muslims welcome sincere interest in and questions about their beliefs. Al Mheiri says not long ago in Washington, D.C., he met with a group from Indiana. I got these great questions about ISIL and about why things are happening the way they are, he says. We talked about why the media focuses so much on negative things about Islam and why average Muslims are being silent.

The best way to eliminate any mystery is to have a conversation, and most Muslims welcome sincere interest in and questions about their beliefs. Al Mheiri says not long ago in Washington, D.C., he met with a group from Indiana. I got these great questions about ISIL and about why things are happening the way they are, he says. We talked about why the media focuses so much on negative things about Islam and why average Muslims are being silent. Visit a mosque. Check with a nearby mosque about the possibility of paying a visit to learn more. Sometimes mosques hold events, such as open houses, where non-Muslim community members are invited with the express purpose of getting to know their Muslim neighbors and learning more about the religion.

Al Mheiri likes to point out that he was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which he describes as a beacon of hope and prosperity that serves as a counterpoint to all the extremist and violent acts committed in the name of Islam around the world.

Good things are happening in the UAE that could give Americans a different image of Muslims, he says, but they either arent reported by the news media in the West or at least dont get the level of attention that negative news does.

I suspect, for example, that a lot of Americans arent aware that the United Arab Emirates just recently appointed the first female speaker of its parliament, he says.

That was Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi, elected to the post in November.

Ultimately, Al Mheiri urges non-Muslims to resist allowing extremists to color their view of an entire religion and an entire people.

You have all these young and foolish people who know hardly a thing about the foundations and principles of Islam who are recruited by ISIL, he says. Many of them have barely left street-life thuggery, drugs or a teenage life engrossed in popular culture and music. Then all of a sudden they are off to the alleged Islamic state to wage jihad.

They become the face of the religion while the vast majority of Muslims who live quiet, productive lives become marginalized or worse, become the target of suspicion because of how they look or what they believe.

It worries Al Mheiri when he hears presidential candidates such as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz talk about banning all Muslims or monitoring their neighborhoods. He would like to see more people in the West play a part in helping to make sure such political rhetoric doesnt get the kind of attention that it has in the past. He also believes the media can do a better job of correcting the misconceptions so many people have about Muslims and Arabs.

But Al Mheiri also says that political leaders and the news media arent the only ones who can make a difference.

Each of us needs to do all we can to understand the lives and beliefs of others, Al Mheiri says. Its important that we see each other as real people and not as the stereotypes that can drive us apart rather than bring us together.

Fadel Al Mheiri is an Emirati filmmaker and author of the historical novel, Kingdom of Peacocks  Mists of Time, the first of a trilogy about the Portuguese invasion of an imaginary kingdom in the Persian Gulf in the early 1500s. He graduated from the American University of Sharjah. He founded his own film production company, Tent Pictures Productions, in 2013 at the Abu Dhabi Media free zone Twofour54.
MARCELLUS  Matt Kehoe's Crooked Barn Farm at 2559 Falls Road in Marcellus is an ever-evolving project.

The Crooked Barn features a CSA, which is short for community supported agriculture. This means people know exactly where their food and flowers are grown and are on first-name basis with the farmer.

This year, he is featuring printed recipes in each weekly share.

"This is a community-oriented experience," Kehoe said.

A typical CSA features a selection of vegetables with the possible inclusion of herbs, fruits and flowers on a weekly basis.

"We do a CSA with a twist," Kehoe said, noting clients can go to the website and personalize their weekly selection from what is available.

The farm also uses insulated bags so the produce stays fresher. And, if people do their research, it is much less expensive than the supermarket.

Kehoe's team includes Molina Sterling, Jess Howard and Kehoe's wife, Kristen, when she isn't teaching art in the Liverpool Central School District.

They work 20 fenced-in acres that he rents from Larry Thorpe, of Chilmark, Massachusetts. The fence keeps the area's sizable deer herd out and also doubles as support for pole beans.

"We are always trying to grow new items," Kehoe said, noting last year the farm grew lemongrass for the first time as well as kallets, which is a cross between kale and a brussels sprout.

This year, the farm is going to add oyster and shittake mushrooms.

Although Crooked Barn's produce isn't certified organic, Kehoe said the farm uses all organic practices including certified organic, non-genetically modified organism seeds, composted horse manure and fish emulsion, while also growing beneficial flowers and hosting a bee hive on the property that is in the foothills of Nine Mile Creek.

The CSA runs for 20 weeks with the start being weather dependent. There are two sizes available, and people can decide to pick up or get delivery for an additional fee. It's not just vegetables as there are herbs, greens, fruits and flowers grown on the farm.

Right now, the land is tilled and planted with the greenhouse ready for round two, which includes starting tomatoes, cucumbers and more.

"Some of the cool weather crop seeds are in the field, like onions, carrots, peas, kale, endive, Swiss chard, rutabaga and collards," Kehoe said.

Kehoe is a fourth-generation farmer from Moravia who went to SUNY Cobleskill to study horticulture. He also owns and operates Digg It, a landscape and construction company based in Marcellus.

A walk around Crooked Barn's property makes it easy to tell that Kehoe is a can-do, buttoned-up, project-oriented guy. As a matter of fact, there is nothing crooked at the Crooked Barn, not even the barn, which has been shored up and straightened with new siding.

He's trying to work out a way to feature the Skaneateles YMCA and Community Center as a drop off area for Skaneateles clients. This will require a minimum number of people to sign up, so if those interested should go to the website, which has a chart for what produce to expect in each month.
MORAVIA  Moravia Central School District has proposed a $21,533,253 budget for the 2016-2017 school year, a nearly 2 1/2 percent increase from last year's budget.

The proposed budget is within a tax levy increase of .35 percent, which is also the tax cap for this year.

According to the district's business administrator, Lisa Kuhnel, regular contractual increases and the proposed addition of a social worker position are the major reasons for the increase in spending.

Voters can also expect to see three special ballot propositions at the polls May 17  one to collect $46,350 for the Powers Library Association, another to purchase and finance two 66-passenger school buses, and the last to establish a Capital Reserve to finance site work, construction and renovation not to exceed $2 million.

The budget vote will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 at the Moravia Middle/HS Board Conference Room.
A corrections officer assigned to Auburn Correctional Facility and Upstate Medical Center pleaded guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor for his role in a scheme that prosecutors say defrauded the state health insurance system out of $1.6 million.

According to a news release from the state Inspector General's office, Joshua Powers, 36, was arrested Thursday and pleaded guilty in Cicero Town Court to petit larceny. Officials said Powers solicited hundreds of coworkers and other state employees to accept hi-fidelity custom fit earbuds and sound suppression ear plugs for free.

The devices were then billed to the state insurance plan as if they were medically necessary hearing aids, in an alleged scheme run by Joshua Miller, 38, of Norbert Place, Minoa, a state licensed hearing aid dispenser and owner of Syracuse Hearing Aid Centers LLC with operations in Cicero, Pulaski and Oneida. Miller was arrested and indicted late last year on felony charges of grand larceny and health care fraud. The Onondaga County Court case against Miller remains pending, officials said.

As part of his plea, Powers paid $72,000 in restitution, the amount in referral fees he received through the scheme. The plea also included a sentence of one year conditional discharge and a $500 fine.

Inspector General Leahy Scotts investigation found that between May 2012 and December 2014, Miller, with Powers connections, solicited hundreds of state employees with a promise of either high-quality earbuds or hearing protection devices meant for shooters  at no out-of-pocket expense. The customers were offered either Tunz Custom Audio Monitor earbuds that are advertised as Ideal for mp3 players, gaming devices, computers and more, and provide pure listening enjoyment, or they were offered Audibel SoundGear or Magnum Ear hearing protection marketed to hunters, industrial workers and law enforcement. Miller, in turn, then billed United HealthCare, administrator of the Empire Plan, as if the State employees were receiving medically required hearing aids for which the insurance company paid $3,000 each, the maximum amount for a hearing aid covered under the plan.

Most of the prospective customers were solicited by Powers, who would recruit coworkers in the state prison system and Upstate Medical University hospital. Miller first met Powers at the New York State Fair in 2013 where Syracuse Hearing Aid Centers LLC maintained a booth that included signage promising no out-of-pocket expense for state employee members of the Empire Plan. Ultimately, with Powers referrals, the scheme targeted corrections officers from facilities across the state, including the Auburn, Cayuga, Five Points, Mohawk, Riverview, Coxsackie, Franklin and Mid-State correctional facilities, as well as the Willard Drug Treatment Campus and hospital staff at Upstate Medical University.

Miller paid Powers up to $300 for each referral he brought in. In total, Powers made approximately $72,000 in referral fees which he used to pay for jet skis, a boat, a pickup truck, auto-racing equipment and an ocean cruise among other items.

The investigation found that the vast majority of Millers business at Syracuse Hearing Aid Centers LLC was through billings to United HealthCare through the Empire Plan, and that more than 90 percent of those billings for hearing aids were found to be fraudulent. The investigation also found that Syracuse Hearing Aid Centers LLC would bill United HealthCare as if Miller provided hearing aids to some relatives of the state employees, who were also covered by the Empire Plan, but provided no devices whatsoever for those relatives.

In total, the investigation found Miller made 575 allegedly fraudulent claims through United HealthCare amounting to $1.65 million in hearing aid billings where no hearing aids were provided. Of those claims, approximately 500 involved state prison and hospital workers, while other claims included members of the state police as well as other state agencies.
Kiren Rijiju, Indias Minister of State for Home Affairs, addresses an event organized by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Amritsar, Jan. 31, 2016.

Indian police plan to conduct more raids across several northern states over the next few days after a special unit of the Delhi Police said Wednesday it had captured three suspected Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) operatives who were allegedly plotting attacks in the capital.

A top official of the Delhi Polices Special Cell said the unit would keep conducting raids in the national capital area and neighboring states.

More arrests cannot be ruled out at this stage, Special Commissioner of Police Arvind Deep told BenarNews.

Acting on a tipoff from Indian intelligence agencies, police detained 13 suspected members of Pakistan-based JeM in overnight raids in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, Deep said Wednesday.

Later on Wednesday, three of the suspected JeM members  Sajid Ahmad, Sameer Ahmad and Shakir Ansari  were formally arrested and produced in a Delhi court, which then gave the police 10 more days to interrogate them through a remand. The 10 other suspects remain in detention but have not been formally arrested.

Sajid and Sameer are from Delhi, and Shakir is from Uttar Pradesh states Deoband town, police said.

Deep said the three men were under surveillance for a long time and were planning to carry out attacks at busy market places in Delhi.

Police sources told BenarNews that homemade bombs, 11 batteries, two timers and about 250 grams of gunpowder were recovered from the three suspects.

They [the suspects] communicated with each other via Whatsapp. We have intercepts of their chats, a police source said.

Definite evidence

The arrested men had allegiance to JeM. We have definite evidence against them, Deep said, adding, Sajid, the mastermind of the outfits Indian cell, is technically sound and knows how to make bombs. He was planning to go to Pakistan shortly.

Nine others who were picked up in the overnight raids continue to be held in detention, police said. All are residents of Delhi and the neighboring town of Ghaziabad.

Police allege the suspects were influenced by JeMs Pakistan-based chief Masood Azhar, who is wanted by New Delhi in connection with an attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001 and the January attack on the Pathankot Air Force Base in Punjab.

Call for caution

Hailing the police action, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju told reporters: We remain on alert for Delhi since it is the capital of the nation and the Delhi Police has done a good job keeping that in mind.

He did not divulge details of intelligence that led to the raids.

The intelligence inputs cant be shared. Otherwise, it would create an atmosphere of fear across the nation, which doesnt send [a] good message to the people, he said.

But security analysts cautioned against celebrating too soon, and called on the government to remain vigilant.

These people, like the ones arrested, are only front faces. They are not the actual perpetrators. They are not suicide bombers. Unless the actual perpetrators are arrested and punished, such acts would not stop, retired Maj. Gen. Afsir Karim, a Delhi-based security analyst, told BenarNews.

Former Admiral H.C. Malhotra, another defense analyst, agreed.

The government cannot afford to be complacent and security agencies have to be in a high state of preparedness all the time. These missions and adversaries would continue, he told BenarNews.

Our internal security also needs to be strengthened as there are several people who are under strong extraneous influences of such terror groups. Security agencies have to collaborate and cooperate with each other to tackle this menace, he said.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (center) and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras (right) listen to Malaysian counterpart Anifah Aman during a trilateral meeting on regional maritime security in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, May 5, 2016.

Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines agreed Thursday to a four-point plan for stopping hijackings and kidnappings in busy sea lanes surrounding their countries by establishing three-way hotlines and coordinating maritime patrols, among other measures.

At the end of a one-day trilateral meeting in Yogyakarta the three neighbors pledged through a joint declaration to implement immediate measures for staving off rising acts of piracy in the Celebes and Sulu seas, including abductions by Islamic militants based in the southern Philippines.

We expect that the cooperation of the three countries can solve the problem, Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo told the trilateral meeting, hosted by Indonesia.

At least four Indonesian sailors and four Malaysian sailors who were recently kidnapped off ships sailing in those waters remain in captivity at the hands of militant groups. The four Malaysians were being held by the Abu Sayyaf Group, but the Indonesians were hostages of a different group, Jokowi said, according to a news release issued by his cabinet.

For sure, we already know the location, we already know in which island [the four Indonesians are being held hostage], but again, the faction is different from the other one, Jokowi said without disclosing the location, but adding that his government was building lines of communication to secure their release.

Thursdays meeting took place four days after 10 Indonesian sailors were freed from Abu Sayyaf custody after being kidnapped off their ship last month. But the meeting took on greater urgency after Abu Sayyaf last week executed a Canadian hostage and as the Philippines responded with a military offensive against the group.

Meanwhile, Malaysian officials said Thursday they were expanding their search at sea for four passengers of a boat declared missing Monday off the eastern state of Sabah.

The search for the missing four  a Malaysian, two Spaniards and a Chinese national  expanded to an area off the town of Kudat covering 3,600 square nautical miles, said First Admiral Mohd Zubil Mat Som who directs the Sabah and Labuan office of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

A learning experience: Indonesian foreign minister

The foreign ministers and military chiefs of the three countries attended the meeting in Yogyakarta.

We learned from the intensive cooperation and communication of the three countries in the effort to release the 10 Indonesian crew members who were taken hostage, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a news conference following the meeting.

This meeting proves the level of commitment of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to ensure peace, stability, and security in the region.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras, who stood alongside their Indonesian counterpart, echoed her words.

Malaysia is committed to take all necessary steps to resolve this problem through cooperation with Indonesia and the Philippines, Aman told reporters.

The joint declaration recognized the growing security challenges, such as those arising from armed robbery against ships, kidnapping, transnational crimes, and terrorism in the region  particularly in the seas separating the three countries.

The three governments also deplored the abduction of innocent civilians by armed groups in the vicinity that have included nationals of the three countries.

In this context, they underscored the importance of protecting the lives, well-being, and rights of their nationals in accordance with international laws, and respective domestic laws and regulations, the declaration said.

Late last month, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Indonesias coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, warned that the waters off the southern Philippines could become the new Somalia unless three countries cooperated through joint security measures such as coordinated maritime patrols.

At Thursdays news conference, Retno highlighted the economic importance of the three countries working together to safeguard the sea lanes. Fifty-five million metric tons of goods and more than 18 million people pass annually along routes in the Sulu and Celebes seas, reports quoted her as saying.

The declaration went on to say that the governments also expressed concerns that these security challenges also undermine the confidence in trade and commerce, particularly the movement of commercial shipping, goods, and people, in the maritime areas of common concern  which in turn can adversely affect the economic activities and welfare of peoples in the surrounding areas.

The document did not specify when the three neighbors would mount joint patrols or set up hotlines to facilitate three-way communication in emergencies or hijackings at sea.

But the neighbors agreed to share intelligence and information through a focal point and render immediate assistance for the safety of people and ships in distress within the maritime areas of common concern, according to the declaration.

Hata Wahiri in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.
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As an environmentalist, I welcome the concept of New Yorks new Clean Energy Standard (CES), mandating dramatic reductions in carbon emissions. But as the founder of the African American Environmentalist Association, Im deeply concerned that our state is ignoring environmental justice while it claims to champion environmental stewardship.

Environmental justice recognizes that urban populations are especially at risk from air pollution. African-Americans suffer from a disproportionate incidence of asthma, a disease that robs us of breath and vigor; steals days from work and school; and costs upward of $1 billion a year in New York City, according to the Department of Health.

Urban air is dirtier air, primarily because of fossil fuels. Theyre burned within the city for transportation and for heating, but even when theyre burned beyond the city for electricity, the pollutants make their way to us.

Thats why Indian Point is so important. It produces 30 percent of New York Citys power with zero emissions. Yet the state wants to close it  even as its trying to help upstate nuclear plants survive. If we lose Indian Point, it will be replaced by fossil fuels spewing carbon, nitrous oxide, and sulfur dioxide into our already impure air, because renewables wont meet baseload power needs for many years if ever.

The health of urban communities should never be sacrificed for the sake of political machinations and unrealistic expectations about technology. African-American New Yorkers struggling for breath need and deserve environmental justice  and that means keeping Indian Point open.

Norris McDonald

New York, N.Y.

McDonald is president of the African American Environmentalist Association
Auburn Fire Department: April 24-30, 2016

 Fires: 3 (1 fire in a structure fire, 2 outdoor fires)

 Motor vehicle accidents: 0

 EMS: 76 (4 cardiac, 16 trauma, 3 unconscious person, 1 cardiac arrest with CPR and defibrillation, 5 overdose, 1 maternity)

 Hazardous conditions: 6

 False alarms: 2

 Investigations: 3

 Haz mat: 7

 Service calls: 2

 Special details: 2

 Mutual aid: Given 1 (haz mat, cancelled while responding)

 Fire prevention presentations: 1

 Fire safety consults with businesses: 6

 Fire inspections: 24

 Vacant building inspections: 1

 J-Fire referrals: 1

 In total, personnel took part in 220 hours of documented training this week. Some topics included fire codes, safety and personal protective equipment, aerial master streams, epinephrine updates, high rise procedures and professional development.

 All personnel are receiving updated training on administering epinephrine with syringes rather than the previous method of auto-injectors. This will expand our ability to utilize this potentially life-saving drug at a significantly reduced cost.

 Five personnel attended the annual Hazardous Materials Conference at the New York State Fire Academy.

 All personnel are completing update tours of the NUCOR facility to improve familiarization and safety in the event of an incident.

 All crews are participating in high rise firefighting training that includes a review of procedures and hands-on training with new equipment.

 April 27 - At about 1:19 p.m. crews were dispatched to Brogan Manor Apartments after a neighbor called 911 to report hearing smoke alarms and smelling smoke in an adjacent apartment. Crews arrived quickly and found a small fire in the kitchen and an unresponsive occupant who was removed from the building and transported to Auburn Community Hospital. The fire was extinguished and the remaining building tenants were able to return to their homes.

 April 28  Crews received training on the Zika virus from the Cayuga County Health Department.

 Fifteen personnel representing all ranks are continuing a program through Onondaga Community College and coordinated by the Syracuse Fire Department, which will improve their education and training and can be applied to a degree in fire science.

 Several staff members assisted in providing firefighting and EMS training throughout New York state this week.
The Bible has been under attack in the western world for over 200 years but never more intensely than today. These attacks have taken different forms and have come from many different corners of the academic world, from philosophers, to scientists, to textual critics. In the specialized world of archaeology the attacks have increased dramatically in the past 50 years. Once a specialization filled with Bible believing individuals, the field of archaeology is now overrun with atheists and skeptics, agnostics and those committed to the destruction of the Bible as a source of true historical information.

These attacks on the Bible are a part of a sweeping movement in western culture. Spearheaded by academic elitists in the university and the public educational system, the news and popular media, and the entertainment industry, these revisionists cloak themselves with supposed objectivity, purity of motives, and the superiority of science over the "uninformed", "unscientific", religious community.

They regularly mock those who question their world-view and their conclusions by name-calling and the worst forms of anti-Bible and anti-Christian propaganda. They have powerfully infected the church by turning Bible believing Christians against the very Scripture which is the foundation of truth and life in this world. Instead of contending for the Bible, Christian academics, pastors, and lay-persons are making egregious accommodations to these destroyers of faith and truth.

In these days of intense spiritual battle, God has called ABR to step into the gap to contend for the truth and to assist the church in this critical hour. ABR is a non-profit ministry dedicated to demonstrating the historical reliability of the Bible and to give answers to questions being asked by believers and non-believers alike. We do this by using original archaeological fieldwork and research along with studies in other apologetic disciplines. We take on the bold claims of skeptics and critics. We challenge the bizarre anti-biblical propaganda that is purveyed upon the public as gospel through television and print media. We uphold the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is God's message for the salvation of all mankind!
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First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

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JORDAN  In light of recent incidents involving lead-laden water at Ithaca city schools, Jordan-Elbridge Superintendent James Froio said he "wanted to know" about the lead levels in the water in his district.

At a school board meeting Wednesday night, Froio discussed the results of water testing at J-E facilities where the firm Asbestos & Environmental Consulting Corp. assessed 124 drinking fountains and sinks last month.

"As far as what our students, our staff and our cooking facilities are using every day, the numbers are good," Froio said.

While the EPA initially ruled any lead levels above 20 parts-per-billion unsafe, the agency is now looking at levels exceeding 15 ppb.

According to Froio, lead levels higher than 20 ppb were found in three middle school sinks: a faculty meeting room, an instructional book room and an empty classroom. There was only one faucet with levels between 15 and 20 ppb located in an old business office.

Still, the results did show some exceptionally high levels of lead in four science labs at the high school, including Room 208  the second floor chemistry lab which tested higher than 70 ppb.

Some students in attendance at Wednesday's meeting admitted to drinking water from the sinks in the labs. Those sinks have since been marked "non-potable water, do not use as a drinking source," while others have been shut off for re-testing.

"Students will know now not to drink from the lab sinks," J-E Director of Facilities Vinny Smith said.

Froio specified that bathrooms were not included in the testing. A second test is scheduled for next week.


For Immediate Release, May 5, 2016 Contact: April Rose Sommer, Center for Biological Diversity, (510) 844-7115, asommer@biologicaldiversity.org

Albert Thomas Paulek, Friends of the Northern San Jacinto Valley, atpaul44@earthlink.net Lawsuit Filed to Stop Riverside County From Swapping Protected

Endangered Species Habitat for Degraded Mining Lands RIVERSIDE, Calif. Public-interest groups and concerned taxpayers filed a lawsuit today challenging Riverside Countys approval of a plan to trade away more than 40 acres of important habitat for endangered plants to a private developer  and receive only highly degraded mining lands in return. If the swap is finalized, the land will be turned over to a private company for development. Without conducting any environmental review and over the objections of citizens and state and federal wildlife agencies, the county agreed this April to exchange land purchased specifically to conserve habitat and protected species under the Western Riverside Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. The land the county will accept in return is part of a century-old mining operation, lacking quality wildlife habitat. The land the county is disposing of contains one of only three of the worlds remaining populations of San Diego ambrosia, an endangered plant, as well as a population of Munzs onion, a state and federally endangered plant. More than $300,000 will be spent moving the protected ambrosia plants to the degraded mining land. Such relocations are rarely successful even when plants are moved to favorable habitat. This land is supposed to be a safe haven for some of Californias rarest plants, not a bargaining chip to facilitate yet more sprawl and development, said April Rose Sommer, a staff attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. The countys arrogance in approving this illegal and ludicrous plan to give away important conservation habitat is staggering. The lawsuit  brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Northern San Jacinto Valley and local environmental advocate Tom Paulek  challenges the projects approval as a violation of the California Environmental Quality Act and the Western Riverside habitat conservation plan, and as a waste of county property and money. More than a decade ago, the county collected public funds to purchase the conservation lands specifically because of the lands ambrosia and Munzs onion populations. The land has been administered since as part of the Western Riverside habitat conservation plans protected lands. The county ignored warnings from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife that the exchange would violate the conservation plan and threaten the species the plan is designed to protect. If the county is permitted to undermine the integrity of the conservation plan in such a careless manner, the plan and the species it protects may die a death of a thousand cuts, said Tom Paulek, conservation chair of the Friends of the Northern San Jacinto Valley. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.



Friends of the Northern San Jacinto Valley Friends has 300 members dedicated to preserving and protecting the northern San Jacinto Valley, the San Jacinto Wildlife Area, and surrounding natural resources through education, restoration, and activism.
This year, four of SA's finest creative minds sat on the various judging panels for the One Show Awards. Here, they exclusively share their individual judging processes as well as what they really think of each other.

For the last six years, the One Club has been allowing entry into The One Show on a quarterly basis in the interactive category. This simplifies the judging process as it means the work being assessed isn't outdated by the time it came to judging; its still fresh and making headlines in the media. Judging this way is also a simpler process as judges are not as fatigued as those who judge in one solid chunk annually, and they have more time to do so. Now, this has proven such a winning strategy that its been expanded and 'quarterly entry' and has been rolled out to all One Show categories.

One Club PR director Pablo Andreu says in terms of selecting those individual category judges, its pretty simple though not easy: They look for the best creatives. The best in various disciplines around the world. Judging the One Show is not an exercise in political manoeuvrings or polemics. Its about the work. Period. To judge work fairly and accurately, the best creatives must review the work. So, they look for the best creatives in a given discipline, whether it be design, radio, PR, film or print.

And that judging is part of the fun. Late last year a four-strong contingent of the best of South Africas advertising industry was selected as category judges for the 2016 One Show awards in Mexico. These were: Alistair King of King James Group, Xolisa Dyeshana of Joe Public for the interactive category, Jenny Glover of TBWA for radio and Nathan Reddy of GRID for the design jury. King goes so far as to say he tends to avoid award nights  Judging is the highlight for me because it gives me such a broad perspective on what is being done in the world at any given point in time. I learn a lot from that. I learn as much from what doesnt win as I do from what does.

Top to bottom, left to right: Alistair King, Xolisa Dyeshana, Jenny Glover, Nathan Reddy

So, while only Reddy will be attending One Shows Creative Week, all were keen to share a few exclusive insights with us on the judging process

1. What was it like judging in Mexico? Was there much interaction with judges of other categories? Whats your most exotic judging location so far?

Dyeshana: It was absolutely incredible  what a beautiful country! To be surrounded by the worlds top creative minds in that setting was a wonderful experience. When it comes to most exotic, its a toss-up for me between Mexico and Cannes; its right up there. We were kept separate but had time for a fair deal of interaction in our down time.

Reddy: We were kept separate but at social functions we spoke about the work. Mexico was just a sensorial experience. Great food, people and culture that added to the overload of inspiration. So Mexico was by far my most exotic, then theres Cannes, just for its scale and global representation.

King: Im afraid I didnt get to see much of Mexico. I basically flew there to spend four days in a dark room judging films, and then came back. Its kind of ridiculous when you think about it. I did steal two hours to sneak into the nearest town to buy a bottle of tequila, but thats the full extent of my Mexican experience. The judging itself is staggered, so not all the juries are there at the same time. But we did do a little mingling with the outdoor jury over dinner, oddly enough when we had dinner outdoors around the pool. I can confirm that there is a restaurant chain in Mexico called Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, as per the Forest Gump film  that cracked me up. Im going to Bali in July to judge the Clios, and Ive taken a few days off to explore. Im hoping that will be exotic.

Glover: My judging experience didnt involve Mexico at all as radio is done online. So, not very exotic  Cannes is also the best I can do.

2. How did you isolate the work and focus on its effectiveness? As its some of the best globally, does it speak for itself?

Dyeshana: It definitely does speak for itself, as some of the most incredible creative work throughout the world. There was no big political agenda and all the judging was based on merit.

Reddy: The one show has become like the D&AD. If you get a merit, it's like hens teeth. A gold is almost unheard of. So great work just leaps out and it's universally great.

King: I found the One Show judging to be very fair and exactly as described. We had a great jury this year and I didnt pick up any politics, which is often hard to miss. Awards are big business, so you can imagine the pressure on some people to do well. Occasionally it bubbles out for everyone to see. The best work absolutely speaks for itself. Its normally very powerful and very hard to ignore, and that tends to be a very good indicator that it would have been effective. Youre essentially trusting the intuition of the jury to tell what works and what doesnt.

Glover: Im too much of a creative purist to ever accommodate politics when judging. I am guided by the simple adage great ideas, well executed and I think this keeps me very focused. Im uncompromising about the marriage of those two requirements and I am never seduced by executional glitter. Having clear parameters is incredibly important when judging because its really easy to be bamboozled and overwhelmed.

3. Talk us through your individual judging process.

Dyeshana: I generally work off my gut, so anything I watch or consume must move me in my gut. Then I look at the detail such as the craft and execution, so how well the idea was stretched or further rolled out to life thanks to the opportunities offered by technology.

Reddy: I look for immediate overall standout. Then I look at the client, the task the problem and the solution. Exquisite craft, great big idea. Relevant and I wish I had done that.

King: Its a painful but necessary process. Unless a commercial is really bad from the outset, you tend to watch it through till the end just in case theres a clever twist or surprise. Then you have seconds before the next ad starts. You pretty much have to concentrate for the entire day, which often goes on for 12 hours. Every now and then, one of the judges drifts off and then has to face the indignity of having their name called out for not having entered in their score, normally accompanied by an irritable "Wake the f@# up" stare from one of the other of the jury members. You do that once and never again. The judging is brutal, actually. You really do have to create something quite extraordinary to stand out from the thousands of films entered.

Glover: One Show radio is judged in stages, so the shortlist is compiled over time as opposed to a single session. This process gives you space to access and evaluate the work and ultimately allows you to think very carefully about the shortlist youre helping curate.

4. Any favourite work you can let us in on?

Dyeshana: I definitely enjoyed the Call Brussels interactive campaign, which set out to refocus Brussels as a tourist destination after the terrorist bombings there. Its something to look out for.

Reddy: I personally loved a packaging job. Think koi fish. Wow. Another personal favourite was the no name paint. Pure design has never been so relevant.

King: I was blown away by a few pieces. This year my favourite pieces were AT&Ts IT can Wait. Its not a particularly lateral idea, but it is flawlessly executed and contains some of the best dialogue used in a commercial. Its power comes from how real the film is. I also love the Harvey Nichols Shoplifting ad, which is one of the most original invitations to download a rewards app that I have ever seen. Its really smart and beautifully done. I also absolutely love this Superbowl domestic violence PSA commercial. When I listened to it for the first time I got a renewed sense of respect for what the call centre personnel have to deal with. They really do have to read between the lines, and I was profoundly moved by that. And then I also loved this, just because its supercool.

5. Let us in behind the persona of your fellow SA judges: What are Alistair King of King James Group, Xolisa Dyeshana of Joe Public, Jenny Glover of TBWA and Nathan Reddy of GRID really like?

Dyeshana: Al got me through the prep as hed been there the week before. From a radio perspective, Jennys the finest we have, no-one compares and its a privilege to have been a judge with her. As to Nathan, hes probably the biggest reason I had such fun in Mexico as we discovered the nightlife together.

Reddy: Xol and myself did a little bonding. All the judges from SA are just great human beings at the top of their game. It was a pleasure to be judging with these fine individuals.

King: Agreed, theyre all top of their game right now. Nathan is one of the true legends of South African design and has been fronting our design industry for a very long time. Hes like the Duracell bunny; hes unstoppable. Xolisa is one of those powerful new forces in our creative industry, proving that theres nothing reckless and irresponsible about creativity and that creativity deserves to sit at the highest levels of business. And Jenny obviously brought an entire new voice to South African advertising and has had a huge influence on our industry's reputation in the global arena.

Glover: I would trust all of these guys to select and fight for the best work. Theyll do South Africa proud!

Only time will tell what work walks away with pencils next week. Until then, click through to our One Show awards special section for more, and watch for live coverage of the One Show Creative Week from our roving reporter, Ann Nurock. One Show Creative Week runs from 9 to 13 May 2016.




Our brains have changed the way we perceive and process information, due to the constant bombardment of information, and we have a diminishing ability to pay attention for extended periods.

Cara Kruger

Cara Kruger, senior account director of Epic MSLGROUP, says, The convergence of digital technologies, falling prices of technological devices and accessibility afforded by the internet has empowered consumers to select the information they wish to engage with. In the same way that consumers have changed the way they consume information, so too do companies need to adapt the manner in which they communicate.

Time Magazine suggests that we have lost our ability to stay focused for longer than approximately eight seconds, just one second shorter than the memory of a goldfish. If poverty of attention is driven by a wealth of information, as economist and Nobel Laurette Herbert Simon proposes, then surely the continuous demand for content must drive this behaviour, suggests Kruger.

Dwindling media circulation figures and decreasing sales are directly linked to the increased adoption of affordable technology and improved access to the internet. In 2015, the number of YouTube and Instagram users increased by 53% and 65% respectively. Second only to the US, South Africans increased their mobile video consumption by 42%. This highlights that although television, magazines, newspapers and other mass media remain very important, their dominance is fast declining.

This fact and the findings of recent research by Microsoft Corp concur with Krugers observation. The study set out to investigate the impact of technology on the way we process information and the research suggests that we are less effective at filtering out distractions than we thought and that modern users are constantly hungry for new information.

Similarly, content now has the shortest life cycle in history and the shift in communication afforded by the Internet and social media has changed the way in which news is reported and consumed.

For this reason, the group has developed its own multimedia ePR tool to convey messages and information to target audiences. The tool allows marketers to transform a static text-only press release or announcement into a dynamic content platform and incorporates videos, soundbites, infographics and social media posts that media and influencers are able to seamlessly share.

In a constantly evolving world, marketers should opt for multimedia formats to convey targeted messaging to their audiences, as these are more engaging and easily shared. As many media platforms, bloggers and influencers are already utilising videos, podcasts, infographics and branded images to convey messages to their audiences, marketing professionals need to promptly adapt should they want to remain relevant, concludes Kruger.
Distell, who took the title of worldwide distiller of the year at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in London, is intent on advancing its reputation for quality. The company has assembled a team of top talent who will combine their skills at what Distell calls the Centre of Excellence: Intrinsic. The key focus of this new department will be the intrinsic quality of the products across the range of wines, spirits, ciders and other drinks.

Johan Venter

Led by Johan Venter, a celebrated brandy master internationally recognised for his contribution to South African brandy, the centre will provide strategic guidance to the production arm of the company. It will also be responsible for maintaining excellence in farm management and viticulture and play a crucial role in building and expanding the company's luxury and craft portfolio. The centre forms part of the company's supply chain function, directed by Schalk Klopper.

Venter said with the company's growing international profile and its rising participation in fiercely contested developing and developed markets, it was essential that Distell not only maintain, but augment its established quality credentials by remaining at the forefront of skills development and technology.

The team

Amongst those reporting to Venter are Razvan Macici, a former Diners Club Winemaker of the Year who was Nederburg's cellar master for 15 vintages and who built the winery's current international profile with a string of accolades and awards including Platter's South African Wine Guide Winery of the Year and most successful South African wine producer at IWSC. As Distell's head winemaker, his focus is to highlight style and innovation in a way that is aligned with the company's strategy.

Working closely with him is viticulturist Drikus Heyns, who holds a masters degree in viticulture and oenology from France's highly respected Montpellier University. He is responsible for all the company's own farms, its jointly-owned farms and the technical services that embrace wine, grape and apple supply.

Master distiller Andy Watts, who has put Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky and the Three Ships range of whiskies on the map internationally and has won a succession of the most coveted global whisky awards, will focus on the company's entire whisky portfolio, including all its Scottish brands, such as Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Tobermory, Black Bottle and Scottish Leader. This year's title holder of the Rest of the World Master Distiller/Master Blender title given at Whisky Magazine's Global Icons awards, he trained in whisky distilling in Scotland.

Mare-Loe Prinsloo, who holds a doctorate in organic chemistry, will be responsible for Distell's internationally lauded brandy and cognac portfolio as well as all other spirits apart from whisky. Amongst the brands involved are Van Ryn's, the country's most decorated name in brandy, prestige heritage House of Bisquit, as well as Oude Meester, Klipdrift and Richelieu.

Charles Osborne, who trained as a chemical engineer and has a Masters in wine biotechnology, is responsible for the cider portfolio and has been extensively involved in innovation and experimental research for the company's products. Hunter's is the world's number two cider brand and Savanna, the sixth, making Distell one of the biggest players in global cider.
A commitment to spend R800m on small farmers and enterprises and a pledge to avoid job losses have helped unblock delays to a three-way merger of bottlers.

The tie-up between divisions of SABMiller, Coca-Cola and the operations of the Gutsche family, will create Africas largest bottler of Coca-Cola and other soft drinks.

The breakthrough deal was made with Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel at the weekend. The deal, which will also see 20% of Appletiser sold to new empowerment shareholders, should pave the way for the long-delayed Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) merger to be approved by competition authorities.

Late last year, the Competition Commission recommended that the merger be approved with conditions, some of which had been suggested by Patel, but last month, he said he was not satisfied with them and planned to intervene at the Competition Tribunal, scheduled to begin hearings on the merger next week.

Patel welcomed the CCBA commitments yesterday, saying they "laid the basis for deeper industrialisation in the economy".

Competition legislation entitles the minister to intervene in mergers on public interest grounds and his CCBA deal follows the agreement he reached last month with global brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev on conditions for its takeover of SAB-Miller. That deal included a R1bn fund to develop small farmers.

Last night, Patel said there were public interest issues in the legislation that firms had to respond to. "When the transaction is structured to take both sets of interests into account, government would have no difficulties with it."

The agreement goes beyond the conditions set earlier, raising the total size of the funds for small enterprise development from R650m to R800m, half of which is to support and train developing farmers and small suppliers and the other half to create 20,000 black-owned retailers of CCBAs products.

The company has also committed to maintaining employment at current levels for three years and not reduce jobs by natural attrition  similarly to that reached with AB InBev. But CCBA may retrench up to 250 nonunionised head office staff.

Food and Allied Workers Union general secretary Katishi Masemola welcomed the deal. "We would like to see harmonisation in respect of working conditions and salaries in the next three years." He said employee share schemes would need to be attended to and harmonised.

CCBA has also agreed that up to 10% of the space in small retailers Coca-Cola-branded fridges can be given to smaller competitors, a less demanding option than the 20% the commission had recommended.

In addition, the broad-based empowerment ownership of the South African subsidiary of the merged company will be raised.

Patel said the most innovative aspect of the deal was the extent to which fridge space is opened up to competing smaller producers. "This is an important element for us as we seek to strike a balance between corporate consolidation and opening up markets, enhancing employment and promoting localisation."

Coca-Colas president and chief operating officer James Quincey said the agreement ensured that "the creation of Coca-Colas largest bottling partner in Africa will strengthen our business, while aligning with the governments imperatives for social and economic development".

Gutsche Family Investments chairman Phil Gutsche said he was pleased the agreement had been reached in a constructive manner. CCBA created an opportunity for continued growth and "demonstrates our confidence about doing business in SA and in Africa", he said.

SABMiller CEO Alan Clark said he hoped there was now a clear path to concluding the transaction.
Catherine Hill-Herndon, US Deputy Chief of Missions (DCM), recently hosted an event at her residence to celebrate the launch of the Pretoria Food Co-operative (Co-op) where members of the Co-op showcased their products alongside the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS).

Pretoria Food Co-operative launch

Local agriculture experts and small farmers gathered to discuss the importance of food co-ops which support farmers, offers training and mentorship and assure markets for their produce.

A new approach to food production

The Pretoria Co-op represents a new approach to delivering fresh produce and is a win-win for small farmers and consumers alike. Hill-Herndon said, We believe that direct marketing of products to consumers offers a value chain that returns higher prices to farmers through the cooperative structure. Similar projects in the US have helped turn smallholder production of food and agricultural products into one of the fastest-growing segments of the food market in the country.

Over the years, we have partnered to help South Africa develop the skills of its farmers and more than 500 South Africans have received agricultural training in the US through our Cochran Fellowship program. The Co-op is one of the USDAs first efforts to assist South African farmers in establishing formal, direct marketing to consumers of high quality goods.

The Pretoria Co-op, which aims to integrate farmers from the Pretoria, Cullinan and Brits areas, launched in late 2015 following four years of planning. It aims to bring a new approach to food production that makes small scale farming more profitable, reduces food waste and gives consumers access to fresh produce at a saving of between 20  25%.

A shared portal

The Co-op will register farmers in a shared portal as Co-op members and shareholders, as well as the consumers as members and shareholders. All Co-op members will use the portal to track their contributions and the Co-ops spend, seek advice and mentorship, financing or loans, as well as engage and learn from each-other on the Co-op forum.

Consumers can subscribe to have baskets of fresh produce, and even farm-baked goods and preserves, delivered to their door weekly or monthly. The Co-op also plans to establish regional distribution points and food markets in future.

One of the founders of the co-op, Daniel Van Boxel, explained that this transparent and integrated approach is modelled on successful Co-ops and markets abroad, but taking into account local challenges and conditions. He hopes to see local farmers benefiting from US agricultural expertise as part of the new initiative.

The new Pretoria Co-op has commitments from 35 farmers and interest from over 300 consumers in the Pretoria area so far; with requests from Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Western Cape and 21 other countries across Africa for the model to be replicated there, too. A number of existing local Co-ops have also shown interest in affiliating with a new, broader Co-op movement. Van Boxel believes that the initiative can be successfully replicated and grown to become an enormous network of thriving small farmers, healthier consumers, and potentially also suppliers, to the benefit of everyone.

We hear a lot about a food shortage, he says. But in reality, I believe there is enough food for everyone  production and distribution has just not been coordinated effectively enough. We need to support our smaller and new farmers to become more productive and profitable, and give consumers access to nutritious food more cost-effectively. The new Co-op model does this.
With less than two weeks left before the May 17 special election, Coconino County officials said more than 22 percent of mail-in ballots have been returned.

Coconino County Recorder Patty Hansen said 9,029 ballots have been returned as of Tuesday, out of 41,283 that had been mailed out. Hansen said more ballots had been returned this election than she had usually seen in similar elections in the same time period.

Hansen said 13 out of 72 precincts are mail-in only precincts, due to a low number of voters in those precincts.

The ballots feature school funding Proposition 123, which seeks to change the Arizona constitution to increase the percentage taken from the State Land Trust Permanent Endowed Fund for a 10 year period, and Proposition 124, which would change the pension system for police and fire departments tied to the cost of living adjustment.

Ballots were sent out April 20, and Hansen suggests those wishing to vote by mail should send their ballot no later than May 12.

Voters who have received a mail-in ballot but do not mail it on time can drop off their sealed ballot at any polling place on May 17, as well as at the County Recorders office.
HARARE: Drought-hit Zimbabwe has invited local farmers and private game rangers to buy wild animals as it destocks national game reserves to save fauna from starvation, the wildlife authority said on Wednesday, 4 May.

Parks and wildlife authority spokeswoman Caroline Washaya said it has asked individuals and private game keepers to step in and buy wild animals "in the light of the drought".

She did not have details of the species or numbers of the animals up for sale.

But the cash-strapped country has been battling to reduce its animals - especially elephants - whose population is more than twice what the parks can accommodate.

A notice in a state newspaper invited "members of the public with the capacity to acquire and manage wildlife" to make offers to buy.

Zimbabwe has in recent years resorted to exporting elephants to countries like China in a bid to raise funds and cut the ballooning population.

The drought has left at least a quarter of the population in need of food aid and President Robert Mugabe in February declared many parts of the rural areas in a "state of disaster".

The drought has further strained national parks that are already burdened by the growing numbers of species like elephants.

The parks authority relies on donations from well-wishers to supply water for the wildlife, and volunteers to carry out patrols to ward off poachers.

The export of elephants to China angered international animal rights groups, but some local conservationists back government plans to sell off wildlife.

"Zimbabwe is facing one of its worst droughts ever, even worse than 1992 when thousands of wildlife were decimated," Jerry Gotora, a conservationist and former chairman of the parks department, told AFP.

"All our national parks are in the driest regions and the biggest question as we experience this drought is 'who is going to feed the wildlife and who is going to give them water?'"

Source: AFP
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is intervening in municipalities that are affected by sewer spillages through the funding of refurbishments of waste water treatment plants.

In a statement, the department said it is responsible for the effective management of the countrys water resources.

In discharging its oversight functions, the department encountered high levels of sewer pollution which negatively impacted on water quality in our water resources, it said.

Upon further investigations it was discovered that the pollution came mostly from dysfunctional municipal waste water treatment plants.

The department noted that waste water treatment works in most municipalities are in a state of decay due to poor maintenance.

The situation is also compounded by the fact that communities are growing but the infrastructure is still the same, which leads to overloading, leading to the spillages we experience. Most plants are operating above their design capacity.

In preventing the further pollution of our water resources, the DWS is intervening in the municipalities mostly affected by sewer spillages through the funding of the refurbishments of the waste water treatment works. Waste water treatment works need to be operating optimally to ensure that treated effluent of acceptable standards is discharged into the water resources, explained the department.

Some of the municipalities benefitting through the Accelerated Community Infrastructure Programme (ACIP) in Mpumalanga include Emakhazeni and Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme local municipalities.

Refurbishment projects are currently underway in Waterval Boven, Machadodorp and Belfast in Emakhazeni local municipality and in Amersfort in the Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme local municipality to ensure that the plants are compliant.

The department is also gravely concerned with the poor performance of most municipalities in terms of the Green Drop report, which is one of the main reasons for the interventions into the municipalities that negatively affect the water quality in sources such as rivers, streams and dams.

We all need to work together as responsible citizens and government to ensure that our waste water treatment works are in good condition and prevent unnecessary sewerage spillages that pollute our water resources, said the department.
The recent Worker's Day was observed by many countries around the world to highlight the importance of good employment standards and fair labour practices. However, with the last official figure for South Africa's high unemployment rate standing at 24.5% in Q4 2015, Worker's Day is also a good time for reflection, and more important action, on what can be done to assist those who do not have regular work to join the ranks of the employed.

Entrepreneurship has long been touted as a potential solution to our employment crisis. We are led to believe that the innate creativity and enthusiasm of South Africans means that we are ideally suited to be small business owners. While we may indeed have an abundance of innovative and dedicated individuals in our country, resourcefulness alone does not guarantee success. After all, five out of seven small businesses in South Africa fail after less than two years in operation.

The reasons behind the failure of these startups are multiple, but essentially boil down to three core causes  no funding, poor access to markets, and lack of experience, knowledge, and support. It would seem that starting a business is relatively easy, but keeping it running steadily and profitably takes skill and practice. Keeping this in mind, in October 2015, Procter & Gamble (P&G) started a business skills academy, the P&G Leadership College, which would serve as a business incubator for a few selected entrepreneurs, some of whom were in the P&G supply chain.

Phumlani Kunene, 21 Queens Laundry & Dry Cleaner

One of these entrepreneurs is Phumlani Kunene, owner of 21 Queens Laundry & Dry Cleaner in Alexandra. Living in an informal settlement where many residents had no running water, Phumlani saw a need in his community for a reliable and quick laundering service. Nearly two and a half years later, Phumlani now has three washing machines and three dryers that he uses for his business, and employs his mother, brother, sister and his aunt at 21 Queens.

I thought I knew what it meant to run a business, says Phumlani. But the knowledge and information I received at the P&G Leadership College made me realise that having your own company is much more than just providing a service to customers. The classes are given by P&G employees, who are experts in their respective fields, and other small business owners, who know only too well the pitfalls of going at it alone. The subjects discussed include a wide range of topics  from market research to finance to strategy to compliance to leadership.

Phumlani found that the financial aspects of the programme, as well as the marketing modules, were the most valuable for him. The college emphasised the importance of keeping records, registering with the necessary regulatory bodies, and how to manage your accounts. I was also made aware of how researching what your customers want and marketing to them appropriately can be key in making your business successful.

In the near future, Phumlani plans to take 21 Queens services to businesses and hotels. He also hopes to find companies who can sponsor the laundry needs of non-profit organisations and charities. Even with the P&G Leadership College course ending in May, he will still have regular mentoring sessions in order to help him achieve his business goals. I know that my trainers will still give me the support and advice I need to grow 21 Queens.

Busi Skenjane, BSK Marketing

Having run her marketing and promotions agency successfully for 12 years, one may think that Busi Skenjane would have already learned everything there is to know about entrepreneurship. But Busi firmly believes that one should always take advantage of any opportunity to gain knowledge, and so she joined the first cohort of students last year in October at the P&G Leadership College.

Busis company specialises in stokvels, from activations for brands, to educational programmes for stokvel members, to publishing niche magazines on the topic. She has even established her own academy for people interested in running their own stokvel and covers subjects like basic financial literacy, investments, and operations management.

Yet her eight months with the P&G Leadership College still had many useful learnings for her. I employ around ten people at any given time, and I have many staff on my books in the course of a year due to the nature of my business. But the course taught me how to handle my HR function far more efficiently, such as implementing policies. It also made me aware of other areas I may have been neglecting, such as finance, explains Busi.

What particularly resonates with Busi about what she learned was that she realised she could have done so much more with BSK Marketing over the past 12 years, if she was equipped with the skills that the P&G Leadership College taught her. Knowledge and expertise are invaluable, and I believe that more entrepreneurs need to be empowered with this so that they can navigate their business to success. Busis future plans include expanding BSK into a one-stop shop for marketers interested in stokvels.

Looking ahead

After nearly eight months of classes, our first group of entrepreneurs will be giving their final presentations next week, where they will share their future plans for their businesses, based on what they have learned in the past eight months at the college. They will continue to have regular mentoring sessions with one of their trainers to ensure that they remain focused.

Soon we will welcome a new cohort of small business owners and, hopefully, provide more entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed. If entrepreneurship is indeed going to be a tool to address unemployment in South Africa, then it is vital that big business share their skills and expertise so that small companies have a better chance of success.
While there has been a well documented need for more IT and software development skills in South Africa, companies themselves often play a part in either losing - or chasing away - key talent, says Zaf Dalvie, software development manager at redPanda Software.

Zaf Dalvie, software development manager at redPanda Software

Yet few could deny that the world of software development and enterprise IT is a grueling one. The stakes are high, with massive businesses relying on developers to keep systems and processes running smoothly. Think about banks, for example  and the financial fallout involved with a breakdown or interruption of services.

But the need to keep things running smoothly increasingly has to be balanced with disruptive innovation  as developers are relied upon to come up with sleeker and faster interfaces and architectures. These innovations need to both charm the end user and reliably deliver the service or product required. And given the furious pace of todays business environment, all of this has to happen within painfully tight deadlines.

As a result, software development companies have a difficult task. They need to tread a fine line between pushing their staff and delivering work on time, with taking care of employees and being mindful of their limits. This often means managing expectations on the client side.

Theyre also human

Despite the common stereotype that has been assigned to the software developer  the antisocial, geeky human being who doesnt mind being holed up for 12 hours  these workers need the same things that most other professionals require in their jobs.

They need to be constantly challenged, but having said this, they also need to be given reasonable time frames within which to work. Increasingly, clients demand creative solutions within a space of a few days  and they expect these solutions to work seamlessly. The reality is that creativity needs space  and time  in which to emerge and develop. But if software developers are constantly smothered by unreasonable deadlines and long hours, it is unlikely that they will produce the type of work that they can be proud of  and ultimately be recognised for. Essentially, it is the task of managers within development houses to set their people up to succeed  instead of setting them up to fail.

Meaningful work: addressing the myth

As with other professionals, developers also need to feel that their work matters. This may require giving them the opportunity to undertake independent research and development, or vary the nature of the projects that they are assigned to. It must be noted, however, that the sensational success of tech giants such as Facebook, Snapchat, etc, have led to an overly romanticised view of the world of software and more broadly, IT.

So while developers may enter the industry with visions of coding the next groundbreaking app or platform, the reality is that software development is often less exciting  while still critically important. For managers, the challenge is therefore to find ways of allowing staff to see the value and impact of the great work that they do  whether it is keeping a business running or developing life-saving mobile apps.

Its tough out there

Given the challenging economic environment, ensuring that the key motivational and hygiene factors are present for development staff is becoming increasingly critical. Local development companies have to compete with U.S. and European companies that can often poach key talent with the promise of higher salaries and exposure to global clients. In addition, companies also need to retain developers at a time when startups have become very attractive and trendy  particularly for young and ambitious software developers.

However, there are factors that are working in favour of established development houses. For one, global companies are starting to view SA as an attractive outsourcing destination. Given the weak rand, and pools of qualified and talented IT professionals based here, it makes business sense for them to outsource. Local development houses can thus develop long-term partnerships with foreign companies  and secure steady work.

Ultimately, though, despite what the local or international trends may be, development companies will have to become astute at managing the desire to create and innovate  with the business need for efficient output.
Worldwide, one in every 114 people is displaced. According to the United Nations an estimated 200 million people globally live outside their home countries, a number that has increased by more than 40% in the past decade. Population displacement is a top global issue, while here in South Africa; illegal immigration is a heated and sensitive topic. However, finding a remedy is about as easy as finding a needle in a haystack.

Stefanie de Saude

An incoming tide

Recent headlines have made it clear that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has its hands full tracking hundreds of thousands of illegal foreigners across the country. Between 2010 and 2015, 333,000 documented illegal foreigners (people with an expired visa or who no longer adhere to the conditions of their permit) were recorded on our shores. These numbers represent individuals who disappeared into the country after their visiting visas expired after 30 days.

However the total number is believed to be much higher because of thousands whose presence in the country has never been logged. Statistics South Africa had previously estimated there were between 500,000 and 1 million undocumented people in the country. Other researchers had put the figure at twice as much.

The problem with policy

Its clear that South African policy makers have a problem and it needs to be resolved fast. The issue is that the law is not consistently applied and neither are the procedures surrounding the foreigners illegality. For example, the Immigration Act says an illegal foreigner must depart, however, if the foreigner wishes to submit an application for a visa after the expiry of their last visa (thereby regularising their status), they may do so if:

1) The individual has not been arrested for the purposes of deportation

2) The individual is illegal for reasons beyond their control (which burden of proof, in my opinion, is unreasonably onerous)

3) The individual is immediately in a position to apply for a visa.

However, in practice, foreigners who approach the DHA in order to regularise their status are either turned away, arrested or spend months awaiting the outcome of the regularisation process. In my experience dealing with the Inspectorate Division however is that these officials believe they are following the correct process. Their intention is not to harm anyone but to uphold the law, which is incorrectly interpreted and which unfortunately has dire consequences for the foreigner.

The new regime has not changed procedures dramatically in relation to the arrest, deportation and detention of illegal foreigners. The drastic change is the regularisation process explained above. Previously, this process could be finalised within a day and after processing, the foreigner walks away with a 'slap on the hand'. Today, the long-winded process, which could take six months or longer to process, results in a criminal conviction.

Unfortunately, and perhaps unbeknown to the officials, the way in which the Department of Home Affairs deals with illegal foreigners and the regularisation process is unlawful and a new approach must be adopted.

Constantin Stanciu via 123RF

Strangled by red tape

The regularisation process takes months (and in some cases, nine months or longer) to process and in most cases, these applications are wrongfully refused. The implication is that the relevant person is illegal for a further nine months. This means that the individual is subject to arrest, detention and deportation, their bank accounts are frozen, they cannot work lawfully, the individual cannot have an active membership with any medical aid, if a child is born to an illegal foreigner the birth of the child cannot be registered and if the child leaves South Africa they will be declared undesirable and banned from returning. The list of implications is endless.

Looking back to 1991 up until 2014, South Africa maintained a flexible immigration policy. After being included into the countrys national security cluster  together with military, police and intelligent services  the DHA was compelled to enforce stricter control to its policy. 22 May 2014 saw the publishing of the regulations which brought into force the Immigration Amendment Act, which meant that individuals were given a single days notice before immigration policy changed. This new regime saw a shift from a flexible South African boarder to a super vigilant and closed border, sadly providing very few foreigners with lawful entry.

Seeking a suitable solution

South Africa is clearly overwhelmed by large numbers of illegal immigrants crossing the countrys porous borders to seek better living standards. The selectivity regarding foreigners relocating to South Africa has taken a shift and now reflects a policy of deep suspicion for foreigners hoping to relocate to our shores. When one looks objectively at these collective changes, it is easy to see why they were implemented. Over the years South Africas population register and its immigration system have been badly corrupted by dishonest foreigner and Home Affairs officials conspiring with each other.

The current immigration policy looks to bring law and order back to South Africas immigration regime in order for the DHA to create a level of normality in the immigration policy while keeping an eye on the demands of both foreigners and South African business. This stability can only be reached once South Africas immigration systems has been restored.

The question then is what can be done in the short term? The answer to that question does not necessarily lie within the strict regime, but rather with the individuals employed by the DHA (and its foreign missions) responsible for enforcing the regime. Adequate training of the immigration regime would definitely be a step towards the right direction as this change alone would have a profound positive affect on foreigners and in turn the South African economy.
General Motors South Africa has renewed a partnership deal with Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University's mechatronics department, aimed at ensuring continued skills development for motor manufacturing in Port Elizabeth.

NMMU Mechatronics Engineering graduate, Nathan Kops (left) is now a full-time employee at GMSA. Inspecting one of the robotic systems in the Struandale assembly plant with him, is automation technician, Rais Salie.

According to GMSA spokeswoman Gishma Johnson, manufacturers around the world have become more dependent on computerised and robotic machinery, increasing the need to align the skills base. NMMU is the only university in the Eastern Cape offering a Bachelor of Engineering degree in mechatronics.

"Mechatronics is a vital skill so it is important we increase our pool of available engineers by training students at the university," Johnson said.

"It is very important to improve this skills base, not just for the automotive sector but also for any manufacturing facility that uses robotic technology."

Mechatronics combines a number of aspects of engineering, including mechanical and electrical engineering, robotics, programming and computer-aided design. NMMU mechatronics chair Professor Igor Gorlach said the university had first approached GMSA when it decided to introduce the degree.

"There were challenges in becoming the first institution to introduce this new degree and at the time we believed we needed strong support from industry," Gorlach said.

"We approached local automotive companies for support in order to establish the degree. The degree needs to be accredited by the engineering council, so we needed to convince them of the academic content as well as the industrial base."

Industry readiness

According to Gorlach, GMSA has contributed R4m to the department and also provides students with access to the latest technologies.

"Because of this partnership, our students are well prepared for industry, with up-to-date theoretical technologies.

"They are very marketable and graduated students are appointed locally, nationally and internationally."

He said GMSA also benefited by the students developing new products and systems for them.

Training and organisational development manager Wayne Osborne, said the partnership provided the opportunity for students to complete their in-service training at the company, acquiring critical on-the-job training and experience. He said GMSA had noted an increase in student numbers over the years, and the growing number of women who graduated in mechatronics.

Source: Herald
Most universities start as teaching institutions, delivering graduates to society. After a number of years, the focus shifts to a more research-oriented approach and, apart from graduates, research papers became an important output of the institution.

At the turn of the past century, innovation became an important strategy globally and patents were added to the list of institutional outputs. This makes universities more attractive to entrepreneurs.

The next step is for universities to become the central players in a knowledge region, as is evident from developments around leading global universities in Leuven, Oxford, Cambridge, Boston, Finland and Silicon Valley, for example.

Here, the boundaries between universities and broader society have become increasingly blurred, especially in relation to the creation of specific technology industries in which the university plays an important role in the establishment of an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Using Leuven as an example, it appears the first step in the establishment of such a knowledge region is for a critical mass of spin-out companies in a specific industry to emanate from universities in the region.

This rapid start-up creation attracts entrepreneurs from outside the university. Venture capitalists and angel investors soon join the activity. Strong networks develop between the stakeholders in such a region, and soon, large multinational companies set up a presence to acquire new innovations and buy young technology companies.

While SA has a small but growing venture capital (VC) sector, the national innovation system still displays several structural deficiencies. One of the most significant of these, often overlooked, is the lack of early, competent and coherent support for new ventures in the research-supported high technology sector.

In the four years ended in 2012, according to the South African Venture Capital Association's 2012 VC Survey, only 4% of VC funding was allocated to seed funding of this nature. In the past 10 years, this sector has attracted less than 2% of private VC investment in SA, despite world-class opportunity production and a consistent funding requirement for more than R500m from entrepreneurs, large universities and research councils.

Influenced also by the VC sector's postdotcom contraction, the government perceived a market failure and implemented public seed-funding instruments in about 2004. In 2008, the state embarked on the implementation of a "second-generation" innovation policy, encapsulated in the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act.

Recipients of government research funding are now required by law to discover, report, protect and commercialise intellectual property, and every research institution in the country must have a technology-transfer office to manage the expensive and often onerous legal requirements introduced by the act.

For more than a decade, state institutions such as the Innovation Fund and its successor, the Technology Innovation Agency, have kept entrepreneurs hopeful, but the government was essentially the only significant early-stage investor. This often produced outcomes that were less than satisfactory, and the absence of private capital in seed-stage technology investment in SA remains a fundamental deviation from international best practice.

Individual universities in SA lack the critical mass to maintain the deal flow to ensure the success of a seed-fund vehicle (by way of illustration, the Oxford University research budget is approximately equal to the entire budget of all South African universities combined). There is thus a need for collaboration, which is the motivation behind the establishment of a proposed University Technology Fund.

To grow a new technology towards successful commercialisation, funding is required for activities during the different phases of technology development. Typically, university technology-transfer offices do not have the funds to develop technologies to VC funding-readiness (or to the stage where an informed decision to mothball the technology can be made). This results in a large number of top technologies emanating from universities being forgotten in the fast-growing patent cemetery of our public sector-innovation channel.

The Technology Innovation Agency Seed Fund plays an important role across the development and funding gap stages, but it is not nearly sufficient to fulfil the needs in this regard. The unfunded mandate causes the behaviour of technology-transfer offices to become skewed away from optimal: they tend to start companies too early and then seek funding from sources with a mismatched risk profile. As a result, investors are either unwilling to invest, or they compensate for the high risk by taking disproportionately large equity portions, which disincentivises the entrepreneurs.

Ideally, the university offices need to be able to nurture the intellectual property for a longer period.

The ideal funding model should enable the offices to provide incremental or "drip funding" to a new technology as it is developed. This will prevent premature company formation and ensure technologies are market-ready before leaving the university environment. The proposed model for the University Technology Fund will attend to many of these problems.

A number of local universities are working towards establishing the fund and aim to involve leading investors who can add value to the initiative. The proposed fund aims initially to combine the strengths of some of the top local universities to raise a single umbrella fund-of-funds, feeding into independent university funds.

Ultimately, the University Technology Fund will anchor universities as the engine rooms of innovation and the knowledge industry, and create national wealth and jobs in accordance with international developments in the higher education sector.

nNel is the head of Innovus, the innovation entity of Stellenbosch University. She was also the driving force behind the establishment of the Nedbank Stellenbosch University LaunchLab, a business incubator that accommodates both university companies and nonuniversity entrepreneurs.

Ideally, the university offices need to be able to nurture the intellectual property for a longer period.

Source: Business Day
Oxford University is unlikely to sanction Ntokozo Qwabe, the controversial #RhodesMustFall leader.

Qwabe caused a public outcry by demanding land back from a white waitress instead of giving her a tip.

An online petition urging the university to revoke Qwabe's scholarship or institute disciplinary action against him had garnered more than 36000 signatures by Thursday afternoon, 4 May.

But a spokesman for Oxford University said the institution encouraged freedom of speech, however offensive it might be.

"Our duty of care to all members of the university means we do not discuss individuals. Oxford is a place where non-violent speech, however objectionable, can be expressed and challenged. Our students may voice opinions which others believe to be misguided or which they find offensive. They have a right to do this, but in exercising it we expect them to respect other people and the law."

Qwabe posted on Facebook on Friday how, when Ashleigh Schultz presented the bill, his friend Wandile Dlamini wrote on it: "We will give tip when you return the land." Qwabe bragged: "She sees the note & starts shaking. She leaves us & bursts into typical white tears (like why are you crying when all we've done is make a kind request? lol!)."

A counter online petition to keep him at Oxford was also launched. It read: "The university is a place where views coalesce and it cannot be allowed to exclude people based on the whim of those who feel superior than others. His not tipping was a choice and daily black Africans experience the rejection felt by that young white woman and he stood up for them."

By last night 1117 people had signed the second petition.

But Qwabe urged his supporters not to sign it. "Leave whiteness to its hysterical ways," he said.

Schultz's encounter earned her a R140,000 "tip" from the public, which she intends using to study.

Source: The Times
South Africa's government is planning a major overhaul of its student funding system. This comes in the wake of protests at the country's universities that saw students successfully freeze fee increases for the 2016 academic year.

Most South Africans need serious financial support to make it through university. GCIS/Flickr

Government aid has been available to poor students for a number of years through its National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), which falls under the Department of Higher Education and Training. But the schemes definition of poor  a family income of less than R120,000 (about US$8,287) per year  has left the countrys missing middle stranded. These young people make up the bulk of the school-leaving population each year. Their parents are teachers, nurses, police and other civil servants whose annual income (on average between R151,728 and R363,930) is above the NSFAS threshold but not high enough to afford university fees. As Rhodes University vice-chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela has pointed out:

This means you have to be desperately poor or wealthy to afford higher education in South Africa.

The proposed overhaul will see NSFAS household income threshold rise to R500,000. This should see many more deserving students get a shot at a university education, though where the university places will come from in an overstretched system is entirely unclear.

At the same time, government plans to centralise student funding. Universities will lose their power to allocate student funds, and instead NSFAS will control student funding directly.

To date, universities have managed their own NSFAS funds. This has been marred by financial mismanagement and allegations of fraud and nepotism at a number of universities.

Such changes seem positive. However, there is nothing to guarantee that these reforms will be effective in supporting students. There appear to be four main hurdles to ensuring that student funding is equitable and efficient, which we will explore in this article. Crucially, these reforms will only work if student funding is opened to public scrutiny and participation.

Hurdles to equitable student funding

So whats holding student funding back?

Government capacity: how will the Department of Higher Education implement a complex grant of this magnitude given its other priority functions? In 2014, universities administered R9 billion in NSFAS funding to more than 400,000 students. How will NSFAS build the structures and the competencies to go from managing zero students to managing 400,000? And if universities are mismanaging relatively small pots of funding, what is to prevent a national office from mismanaging a much larger central fund, which is more complex and difficult to oversee? Indeed, NSFAS has struggled to both disburse funds and recover debt. Student care: When universities manage NSFAS funds, students have direct access to financial aid services and counselling related to the process. This is important because most young people entering universities are the first in their immediate families to do so. They need care and support to navigate university life and student funding. How will NSFAS provide such care services from a central office and ensure that students are not further alienated by red tape? Local knowledge and decision-making: The academics and support staff at each institution have local, particular knowledge of students strengths and weaknesses and the difficulties of each course. They sometimes admit students who are failing on paper, understanding that in practice and with sufficient support such students will succeed. Will the central management of student funding affect universities admission and selection criteria? Will deserving students be excluded, or will these students be forced into courses that they do not want to or cannot do? Institutional autonomy is central to the functioning of universities as a critical space. If the government begins to dictate who should be allowed access to universities, this autonomy will be lost. Trade-offs in funding: There are two ways to fund more students. Either university costs go down or the national higher education budget goes up. If additional money for NSFAS comes from within the existing higher education budget, then university costs will have to go down. This has enormous implications for quality. Austerity measures, in the form of voluntary retrenchments, are already being implemented in some universities. The casualisation of academic staff is in full swing, with more than 50% of academics in South Africa working on a contract basis. How can these processes be squared with student demands for a complete overhaul of the curriculum, the insourcing of workers and support for black academics? On the other hand, the national budget for higher education could increase. South Africa spends only 0.71% of its gross domestic product on higher education, compared with double or more spent by countries like India, the US, Australia, Ghana and Malaysia. But next year there will probably be less money in the budget. The economy is stagnant and the price of borrowing will likely increase substantially if South Africas credit rating is cut to junk status. Where will the money for an increase in NSFAS funds come from?

Public scrutiny is key

These hurdles can only be overcome if citizens have the information and the right to participate in setting the budget and overseeing NSFAS. At the moment the process is almost entirely limited to a small number of government and university bureaucrats.

The first step to deepening democratic participation would be for Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande to provide full information about the forensic audit to probe alleged malpractices in NSFAS. There is no transparency about who is carrying out the audit, what their terms of reference are, expected penalties and remedial action, or even the deadline for findings.

The second step is for NSFAS to make public its detailed financial records so that citizens can identify delays in distributing NSFAS funds and how debt is recovered. National Treasury has just opened up the countrys entire municipal budget dataset to public scrutiny and participation in line with South Africas international commitments to open data. The Department of Higher Education can and should become an innovator and open government data to democratic oversight.

The third step is for citizens to participate in setting the national budget. Should our universities cut their costs and, if so, should it be staffing costs? Should the higher education budget be increased and, if so, where should this money come from? Why does the government spend three times as much on the security cluster as on higher education?

The proposed student funding reforms can make higher education more equitable and sustainable. But this will only happen if NSFAS is subject to public scrutiny, participation and oversight.


"During difficult economic times, consumers gravitate toward the brands they know, the brands they love and trust." Muhtar Kent (CEO of The Coca-Cola Company).

It is difficult times and this quote by Muhtar Kent prompted us to explore what underpins brand love today - what makes it real? Here's what we came up with:

Loyalty

Brand loyalty does exist  up to a point. But it cannot be taken for granted. Subbu Subramanyeswar, Publicis Ambience India.

Consumer loyalty in South Africa is on the decline, particularly because for Generation Y (18-34) brand commitment has never really been a drive to purchase. But for consumers falling into the Baby Boomers and Gen X segments loyalty is still a driving factor, unless the brand begins to deliver a bad product or service, they will keep going back.

Examples of local brands who market strongly to their audience loyalty are Volkswagen and Koo (Tiger Brands).

Rewards

I am still a Smart Shopper  or I will be until I experience something that really changes my feelings about the brand. Clive Evans, The Strategy Department.

Rewards Programs and Loyalty Clubs in South Africa have shown significant growth in the last five years and the number of registered members has almost doubled since 2011. This translates into over 82 million registered programme members, meaning the average adult is signed up to at least three programmes.

The top loyalty programmes in SA are PicknPay Smart Shopper, Woolworths WRewards and Clicks Club Card.

Quality

Perhaps the most salient factor for the most successful brands is the promise of consistent quality. Rosi McMurray, ED of Strategy, The Brand Union.

In the digital era of brand naming and shaming online, no brands long term strategy can be sustainable without delivery on quality. Consumers hold all the cards and social activism has been gaining momentum since the dawn of social media. Brands have nowhere to hide.

For a sobering look at how big brands are faring with regards to quality and service, here is the most complained-about companies in South Africa list.

Agility

"Building a brand is about a thousand little new touches ... Consistency is only for liars." Eric Ryan.

In the last ten years, major brands have lost market share to entrepreneurial brands who know how to be agile and to hustle - we call this the David and Goliath Syndrome.

No longer is their biggest competition the number one or number two brand in the category. Now, theyre threatened by the dreaded all the other, a collection of brands that often arent even listed by name on a market share report, because theyre viewed as too small to matter. Lets be straight. They matter. Their strategy is agile and often more appealing to the competition.

A big brand that caught our eye doing something agile and hipster is Pepsi, who have just launched their Artisanal Craft Soda in the US. This craft beverage contains kola nut extract, certified fair trade sugar and sparkling water - interesting times indeed!

Feeling

What brands can do brilliantly is broker change in people's lives. John Grant, co-founder, St Luke's.

Feeling encompasses brand ethos. This includes values, authenticity, trust and (becoming crucial), being committed to visibly doing good and benefiting a cause outside of the product itself. A brand whose feeling or commitment marketing is outstanding is Unilever  promoting their green eco ethos (over product) in an ongoing series of beautifully designed communications.

In closing: All of these brand love realities will change to a greater or lesser degree, even in the short term. As traditional marketing audiences fragment, integrated and holistic campaigns need to look at incorporating all of these motivators. This is more important now than ever before.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will host a public listening session as part of its reclaimed water rulemaking process on Thursday, May 5, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Flagstaff City Council Chambers, 211 W Aspen Avenue.

The discussion will include reclaimed water conveyances and infrastructure, the state's permits and permitting processes, gray water, end uses for reclaimed water and reclaimed water quality standards.

According to the department, the goal of revising the rules is to keep up with the advances in the field of water reclamation and reuse, recognize the importance of sustainable water supplies, enhance Arizona's unique environment and support environmentally responsible economic growth.

If you have any questions or want to submit comments for the Stakeholder Issues Matrix, email reuserulemaking@azdeq.gov.
SAO PAULO: A Brazilian court on Tuesday agreed to end its blockage of the smartphone messaging service WhatsApp after suspending it for failing to surrender user data, the company said.

WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, appealed against the shutdown imposed on the company on Monday for not handing over information requested in a drug trafficking investigation.

The court rejected an initial appeal, but a second appeal was upheld, a spokesman for WhatsApp told AFP early on Tuesday afternoon.

"WhatsApp is now back online in Brazil!" Facebook co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on his page at the leading online social network.

"Your voices have been heard once again. That said, the idea that everyone in Brazil can be denied the freedom to communicate the way they want is very scary in a democracy."

The shutdown angered users reliant on the free app in Brazil, where cell phone fees for texting and calls are among the highest in the world.

Zuckerberg encouraged WhatsApp users to make their voices heard at an Internet Freedom Caucus event in Brasilia on Wednesday that will focus on introducing laws to prevent such Internet services from being blocked in Brazil.

"You and your friends can help make sure this never happens again, and I hope you get involved," Zuckerberg said.

Rejecting the first appeal, the court said in a statement that WhatsApp was "playing down the importance of an investigation into members of a criminal organization who use the application."

It accused WhatsApp of "covering up the seriousness of the crime allegedly committed -- drug trafficking -- with the argument of defending users' right to privacy."

WhatsApp had insisted it was cooperating with the investigation. Facebook has said it has no technical means for complying with such requests.

The court order from Judge Marcel Montalvao in the northeastern town of Lagarto shut down WhatsApp from 2:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Monday, ordering the cut-off for 72 hours.

The free app is installed on nine in 10 smartphones in the country. The company says it has more than 100 million users in Brazil.

Source: AFP
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To the editor:

Vote NO on Prop 123. I agree with Mr Scandura's letter to the editor (5/3/16). This proposition is about taking our voice away and not about proper funding of education.

Compromise is important in politics but not when the state of Arizona ranks 49th in school funding in our country. Prop 123 will do nothing to change those realities. This awful proposition will only bring in a fraction of the money owed to our children according to Prop 301, passed by voters in Arizona over a decade ago. Prop 123 raids the state land trust that was created to make sure there is some permanent monies to fund K-12 education in our state.

This is not a long-term fix to the problem of under funding education. Making the Republican-led Legislature and the Republican Governor do their job by following Prop 301 is a solution. It is outrageous that the voters of Arizona had to sue them to force compliance.

Vote NO on Prop 123 on May 17, 2016. Force our leaders to follow the law and educate our children. And remember this fiasco in November's election. The Republicans in the state legislature do not care about following the law nor do they care about educating our children.

GREGORY JARRIN, MD

Winslow
One of the stunning breakthroughs of the 21st century is the ability to share massive amounts of information instantaneously, virtually anywhere around the world.

Communication is no longer confined to particular locations or times. A boy in Malaysia can play chess with a girl in Brazil while posting on Facebook, based in the United States, and commenting on a Reddit thread started in the United Kingdom. Scholars no longer have to travel to distant libraries and archives if the information is available online.

These possibilities for connection have led to untold collaborative, creative efforts, such as writers in different locales working on pieces in tandem, and musicians combining their tracks remotely.

Yet, as with any innovation, one must balance convenience with other factors pertaining to the human condition. People are not wired machines with the capability of communicating 24 hours a day and still being able to function. The brain needs time to process information and reorganize itself accordingly. Moreover, some people are more introverted and private than others, requiring even more downtime.

Despite modern technology, there are many pleasures and insights gained by communicating in person, rather than electronically. Peoples glances can be more revealing than what they say. There are joys observing nature in peace and quiet. Creatively often happens in silent, thoughtful moments.

My grandmother was someone who loved to talk with anyone about virtually anything. She enjoyed sharing anecdotes with friends and neighbors. Yet ironically, one of the most open, social people Ive ever met never liked chatting on the phone. Even if I hadnt seen her for months, when I called her up she would say little more than Hello. Im fine, how are you? Hope to see you soon. Part of that, no doubt, was her childhood experience with phone calls being rare and expensive, but another part of it was her temperament.

I grew up in a time when computers first started to get personal. As a teenager, I was the geeky technology user carrying around pages of printouts from simulation games I played or tried to develop. I loved displays of robots, artificial-intelligence schemes, and other innovations. I was one of the first people I knew to use email, post on forums, play online games and join social networks.

As I used computers more often, I became very much aware of whenever I was overdoing it. As much as I enjoyed the online activities, I felt a sense of freedom and release when I shut down my computer and took a long walk or bike ride outside. It was even more relaxing to put computers aside for weeks when I went on vacations. Computers were entertaining and useful, but so were books, newspapers, natural places, conversations, and so many nontechnological pleasures.

Today I still consider myself very technological- and computer-savvy. Im active on Twitter and other social media, write blog posts, send numerous emails every day, and use online sources of information. However, I continue to relish taking breaks from electronic communication and any other form of screen time.

If I am outside, exercising, driving, reading, talking with friends, having dinner with others, and so forth, I dont generally carry any kind of communications or computational device. Only after Im finished taking the break from technology, and feel mentally and physically refreshed, do I check my email and (landline) voice-mail messages.

When Im taking a walk, the last thing I want to do is receive a text message, phone call or email. If Im thinking deeply about a research question, trying to rephrase something Ive written or aspiring to develop a new idea, the same. My brain tells me that it needs quiet time (except maybe music or the sounds of nature) just to function. If someone were trying to contact me, Id find out soon enough and be rested and prepared for it. That is just my own preference; everyone has different levels of comfort about communication.

Perhaps my need for times of disconnection relates to my poor ability to multitask. I admire those who can multitask so well that they can respond to a flow of smartphone and computer notifications and still get work done.

On the other hand, Im sure there are those who would like more quiet and alone time but feel obliged to communicate. If they dont respond instantly to a message, they worry that others might think they are being rude, or cranky or that something is wrong with them.

I hope that society continues to support those who elect to take reasonable breaks from communication and dont always respond immediately. Emergency personnel, such as ambulance workers on duty, would be the exception to the rule.

Recent Nobel laureate Peter Higgs found out about the prize from his neighbors, rather than from an email or phone call. Reportedly he doesnt use the Internet or mobile technology at all. While that level of disconnection is unusual these days, I respect and support the right of individuals to seek the level of connection or disconnection they choose, as long as that choice doesnt endanger others.

Technological development often requires creativity. For some people, creativity requires a measure of breaks from technology.
Protest leader Khaing Ba Khin said that they were also protesting against the use of local residents as porters and guides in the Arakan State conflicts.



Anti-war protesters in front of the UN HQ in New York Anti-war protesters in front of the UN HQ in New York

He said: We are protesting in front of the UN Headquarters because the Burma Army has been forcing and pressurising innocent civilians to work [for them] in ethnic areas where offensives have been launched. This breaches the Geneva Convention.

One of the protesters, U Saw Lwin said: In her New Years greeting State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she would give priority to national reconciliation. President U Htin Kyaw has also said that he will prioritise national reconciliation, but the offensives against ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) seem to suggest that the military and the government are separate.

The protest ran from 1 to 3pm during which time the protestors shouted anti-war and pro-peace slogans.

Translated by Thida Linn

Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
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NAGPUR (PTI): Air Marshal P P Khandekar has taken over as the Air Officer-in-Charge, Maintenance at Air headquarters in New Delhi.



Khandekar, a graduate of city-based Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), was commissioned in Indian Air Force in aeronautical engineering (electronics) stream on 25 July 1977, a Defence release said on Tuesday.



He is a post-graduate in industrial engineering from National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai, and an alumni of Wellington-based Defence Services Staff College.



He has also completed his Masters in Science in Defence and Strategy from the Madras University.



The officer has rich experience on aircraft such as SU-7, MiG-23 and MiG-27 and has commanded Air Force Station High Grounds and Air Force Station Kanpur, it said.



Prior to taking over as AOM, he was Senior Maintenance Staff Officer at the city-based headquarters Maintenance Command, the release added.




Four images from New Horizons' Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with color data from the Ralph instrument to create this global view of Pluto. The images, taken when the spacecraft was 450,000 kilometers away from Pluto, show features as small as 2.2 kilometers. Credits: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

WASHINGTON (BNS): Pluto, originally considered a planet but later characterized more like a comet, continues to puzzle scientists.



The farthest and tiniest planet in the Solar System behaves less like a comet than expected and somewhat more like a planet like Mars or Venus in the way it interacts with the solar wind, scientists have found out in a new research.



Using data from the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument from the NASA-funded New Horizons mission's July 2015 flyby, scientists have for the first time observed the material coming off of Pluto's atmosphere and studied how it interacts with the solar wind, leading to yet another "Pluto surprise."



"This is a type of interaction we've never seen before anywhere in our solar system," said David J. McComas, lead author of the study and professor of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University.



"The results are astonishing," said McComas who leads the SWAP instrument aboard New Horizons.



The solar wind is a continuous stream of charged particles from the Sun. It is the plasma that spews from the Sun into the Solar System at a supersonic 160 million kilometres per hour, bathing planets, asteroids, comets and interplanetary space in a soup of mostly protons and electrons.



Previously, most researchers thought that Pluto was characterized more like a comet, which has a large region of gentle slowing of the solar wind, as opposed to the abrupt diversion solar wind encounters at a planet like Mars or Venus.



Instead, like a car that's part gas- and part battery-powered, Pluto is a "hybrid", the researchers say.



So Pluto continues to confound.



"These results speak to the power of exploration. Once again we've gone to a new kind of place and found ourselves discovering entirely new kinds of expressions in nature," said SwRI's Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator.



Since it's so far from the Sun -- an average of about 3.7 billion miles, the farthest planet in the Solar System -- and because it's the smallest, scientists thought Pluto's gravity would not be strong enough to hold heavy ions in its extended atmosphere.



But, "Pluto's gravity clearly is enough to keep material relatively confined," McComas said.



The researchers also found out that like our Earth, Pluto has a long ion tail that extends downwind at least a distance of about 118,700 km, almost three times the circumference of the Earth, loaded with heavy ions from the atmosphere and with "considerable structure".



Pluto's obstruction of the solar wind upwind of the planet is smaller than had been thought.



The findings have been published in Journal of Geophysical Research -- Space Physics by the American Geophysical Union (AGU).



These findings offer clues to the magnetized plasmas that one might find around other stars, said McComas.




The Su-30SM fighter.

MOSCOW (BNS): The Russian Defence Ministry has awarded a contract to Irkut Corporation for the supply of Su-30SM multi-role fighters as part of the State Defence Order for 2016-2018.



The contract entails the delivery of more than 30 Su-30SM fighters to the Russian Air Force by the end of 2018, the state-run United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said in a statement last month.



Irkut is a subsidiary of the UAC.



The Su-30SM is a multi-purpose "4++"-generation highly-manoeuvrable fighter jet designed for achievement of air supremacy.



The warplanes have been produced for the Russian Ministry of Defence since 2012.


Fourteen men have been arrested at the funeral of a dissident republican in Northern Ireland.

Michael Barr, 35, from Strabane in Co Tyrone, was shot dead in a Dublin bar last month.

He was hit up to three times when two gunmen burst into the Sunset House pub in the Summerhill area of the city and died at the scene.

His murder is believed to have been linked to a bloody underworld power-struggle between the Kinahan and Hutch families and their associates.

There are conflicting reports as to whether Barr was the intended target or if a member of the Hutch family was in the pub at the time.

Hundreds of people turned out for his funeral mass at St Mary's Church in the Melmount area of Strabane on Thursday morning.

Around a dozen men, dressed in paramilitary-style uniform, accompanied the cortege as it travelled towards the church.

Black flags were also placed on lampposts along part of the route while a black beret and gloves were placed on top of the coffin which had been draped in an Irish tricolour.

There was a significant police presence on both sides of the border ahead of the funeral.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said 14 men had been detained under the Terrorism Act.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "As a result of the policing operation at the funeral of Michael Barr in Strabane earlier today, 14 males have been arrested under the Terrorism Act."

Media reports state Mr Barr was suspected of being involved in the Regency shooting where David Byrne was shot dead with AK47s by men impersonating Gardai last February.
A 25-year-old man is recovering in hospital after he was knocked by a rogue wave in Co Clare this afternoon, writes Patrick Flynn.

The American tourist was standing on the shoreline at Doolin Point with his wife when he was swept off his feet.
The Irish Prison Service has launched an investigation into circumstances behind an inmate being locked outside in an exercise yard overnight at the new Cork Prison, writes Kevin ONeill.

A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said that operating procedures had been changed since the incident.

The inmate, in his 20s, was locked into a small exercise yard at the recently opened 45m prison for more than 12 hours and tried desperately to get the attention of staff to get back inside the jail.

The incident occurred in early March despite the fact that the hi-tech prison, which opened in January, boasts more than 300 CCTV cameras.

The inmates ordeal was captured on CCTV cameras.

He can be seen doing star-jumps and jogging to stave off the cold overnight, as well as spending several hours shouting for help.

The ultra-secure nature of the prison complex meant he was not heard until the early hours of the morning when prison staff began their morning head count and discovered the discrepancy.

The young man was brought back to his cell at 7am.

A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service, said: Following the initial investigation, a number of changes to standard operating procedures have been made to ensure a repeat of the incident does not occur.

A source at the prison said that the yard in question is a smaller exercise yard in an area which is not overlooked by cells.

Prior to the incident, it was not monitored at night as there are typically no prisoners in the area.

Monitoring of cameras was instead focused on external areas.

This story first appeared in the Evening Echo.
Update 8.20pm: Outgoing Junior Minister Simon Harris and Meath East TD Regina Doherty look set to be promoted to the senior Cabinet tomorrow by Enda Kenny, writes Daniel Mc Connell.

Mr Harris has been linked to the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, but it is believed current Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe could pip him for that post.

Current Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald looks set to be appointed Tanaiste while remaining on as Justice Minister.

Sources have told the Irish Examiner that a radical shake up of some Government departments is likely.

It is understood that the Department of the Environment will be split and a new Department of Housing and Local Government will be formed and be housed at the Customs House.

The Environment function, taking in climate change, will transfer to the Department of Energy and Communications. Current Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney looks set to transfer to that new department.

Arts Minister Heather Humphreys is being linked with a move to the Department of Agriculture.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar is expected to remain in his department despite some speculation this evening that he could move.

The vote to see Mr Kenny re-elected Taoiseach will commence when the Dail convenes at 12pm.

Simon Harris

Update 4.30pm: One member of the Independent Alliance has expressed his deep disappointment at the document, and has lashed out at its leaking to the media before he and his colleagues got to read it writes Daniel McConnell

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr John Halligan said contrary to the spin, a deal was not yet done on Waterford Hospital.

He expressed his annoyance that the name of the hospital was wrong in the draft document.

Mr Halligan said he and other members of the Alliance are disappointed that the draft programme for Government was leaked to the media before they had a chance to read it.

The Waterford TD said it was "outrageous and unprofessional" and no way to do business.

He said there are now some inaccuracies being reported and he confirmed that the current document does not contain the commitment he was looking for on hospital services in the south-east.

Update 4.00pm: An overhaul of the judicial appointments system, the reopening of garda stations and a new Public Defender System for citizens will be introduced under draft plans for the new government writes Elaine Loughlin and Juno McEnroe.

A new court is to be set up to handle mortgage arrears under the draft programme for government.

While the document has also committed to establish a national service to help struggling home owners and a scheme to help first time buyers get a foot on the property ladder will be set up.

Independent TDs have been given until 4pm to respond to the draft programme for government.

Members of the Independent Alliance and the five rural Independents as well as Katherine Zappone and Michael Healy-Rae all received the document after 2pm.

The document commits the new government to reform the judicial appointments system, through the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board. New legislation will reduce its membership, there will be an independent chairperson and a lay majority including independent people with specialist qualifications.

The numbers of external candidates for vacancies should be reduced to five.

Under the changes, the Governments discretion to appoint judges from outside the list will be removed.

A new judicial council and board will also be set up to promote high standards.

The programme commits the government to increasing garda numbers by 15,000, to double the numbers in the garda reserve and to free up more gardai by putting more citizens in roles.

Under existing capital agreements, new intelligence led policing, an upgrade in ICT infrastructure and further investment in the garda fleet are all committed to again.

The plan also says there will be new and refurbished garda stations throughout the country although it does not say where.

Existing proceeds crime of legislation will also be reviewed and resources will be assessed for the work of the Criminal Assets Bureau.

The new government will also examine how communities interact with CAB about information on suspected use of proceeds of crime.

A smaller CAB could also be set up to target regional criminal assets, the document says.

The Government will also examine the potential for a new Public Defender system which will report to the relevant Oireachtas Committee and government within six months.

A review of the boundaries of garda districts and the spread of garda stations is also committed to.

Deployment and rostering of gardai will also be examined.

The new government commits to launching a pilot scheme to reopen garda stations in urban and rural areas.

Special garda units targeting gangland crime will be fully resourced, the document says. A new dedicated armed unit for the Dublin area has also been committed to, as was promised by Fine Gael during the general election.

A number of commitments have also been given in the area of housing, mortgages and homelessness.

These include new court is to be set up to handle mortgage arrears under the draft programme for government.

The document states that the government will protect the family home and introduce additional long-term solutions for mortgage arrears cases.

This includes the establishment of the Debt Resolution Scheme (DRS) to standardise the supports available to borrowers in mortgage arrears.

A dedicated new court will be set up to sensitively and expeditiously handle mortgage arrears and other personal insolvency cases.

A help to buy scheme will be set up within 12 months to assist first time buyers get on the property market by ensuring availability of adequate, affordable mortgage finance or mortgage insurance.

The Taoiseach will appoint a Minister for housing and the document also provides details on the numbers of social housing to be rolled out.

The draft programme promised to accelerate the delivery of the committed 3.8 billion Social Housing Strategy with local authorities now delivering new hosing in two phases.

The document promises to deliver an extra 18,000 homes by the end of 2017 and a further 17,000 by the end of 2020.

In the first year of government, Nama will also be consulted and encouraged to be more ambitious in its commitment to deliver 20,000 residential units by 2020.

A new rural resettlement scheme is proposed for the first year of government to promote the advantages of rural living and ease of housing pressures in high demand areas.

This will be coupled with a root and branch review of the planning system to reduce the uncertainty and length of the planning process.

Update 2.30pm: A deal between Fine Gael and Independents to form a long-awaited government is expected to be confirmed by 4.30pm this afternoon, 68 days after the general election writes Fiachra O Cionnaith.

Acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny has given the Independent Alliance and five-strong rural TDs group until 3.30pm today to sign off on the deal after weeks of intense negotiations.

The Independents, who are crucial to ensuring Fine Gael has enough support to form a government, were given the document shortly before 2pm this afternoon after lengthy talks over its details this week.

It is understood they were told to give a response to Mr Kenny by 3.30pm today, allowing the Fine Gael leader to inform the Dail by 4.30pm that a final taoiseach nomination vote will take place on Friday.

Deal done.. Enda Kenny to be re-elected Taoiseach tomorrow #iestaff  Daniel McConnell (@McConnellDaniel) May 5, 2016

The 4.30pm cut off point is key to organising a vote tomorrow instead of next week, as Mr Kenny must inform the Dail of the intention to hold a vote by close of business today.

If not, any vote will be delayed until next Tuesday at the earliest, a situation which could lead to a number of Independents coming under fresh pressure in their constituencies not to support the party.

It is believed Fine Gael will have the support of all six members of the Independent Alliance which includes Shane Ross, Finian McGrath, Sean Canney, Michael Fitzmaurice, John Halligan and Kevin 'Boxer' Moran.

In addition, it is believed to have the further backing of four of the five rural TDs members, with Michael Collins understood to be reluctant to enter government with Fine Gael.

Allowing a taoiseach nomination vote to take place tomorrow means Mr Kenny will be able to form a cabinet before the weekend.

However, while between four and five ministerial positions are predicted for Independents, it is unclear whether Mr Kenny will go to each would-be minister directly or ask their Independent group to put forward an individual to potentially fill certain roles.

Update 1.30pm: Independent TDs said there are number of outstanding issues as they entered combined talks to go through a tri-party draft programme for government writes Elaine Loughlin.

A vote for Taoiseach is now highly unlikely to be held today as those involved in negotiations said a number of issues still have to be addressed.

Many Independents have signalled they will have to return to their constituencies tonight to talks with supporters before they vote, which mean a ballot could not take place until at least tomorrow.

Enda Kenny will have to let the Dail know before 4.30pm today if a vote is going to be held tomorrow.

Entering government buildings this afternoon rural Independents said they would not be rushing through the document which Fine Gael officials.

Galway West TD Noel Grealish who is among five rural Independents said he would have to go back to his constituency before signing off on any document.

We are getting the document we have to go through that document with all of us here and the Independent Alliance.

We are looking forward to getting that and going through that and we will see what the outcome of that will be.

We will have to see what is in the final document, will sit down as a group and we will go through it and discuss it to see where we will.

We have to get a government in place that is right, that will work for this country and we are willing to play our part on that, he said.

Tipperary Independent Mattie McGrath said: There are a number of outstanding issues we will have to meet ministers and clarify them, they could be just down to words in some instances but they are still there.

This is a document of probably 150 pages. The small print will be telling; we have to be happy with every sentence in that.

Denis Naughten  who has been widely tipped to be given a ministerial role if he supports a Fine Gael led minority government - said no talk of ministerial positions had yet been discussed

There hasnt been any discussions whatsoever on that and we are still a long way off that, he said.

Our objective here has always been to try and address how a government does its business and I think you are going to see from the document that comes out of this that there is going to be a different approach to government.

Whether we are in government or not has yet to be decided.

Update 10.44am: Independent Alliance spokesman Shane Ross has quickly poured cold water on Simon Coveneys suggestion that a vote for Taoiseach could happen later today.

Independents say that there are a number of issues are still to be ironed out.

Among those are cabinet positions, which the Alliance says will be discussed this afternoon.

Deputy Ross said it is more realistic that we will see a vote for Taoiseach tomorrow.

I dont think therell be a vote on the Taoiseach today, as I think that even if a deal is done today, TDs will want to go back to their constituencies and consult with their constituents and supporters and advisors about that, he said.

Were a lot closer than we were yesterday, as you know, we were rushed into frenetic activity yesterday and quite a lot of business was done,

I dont know whether a deal will actually be finalised today.

Update 10.10am: Acting Fine Gael Minister Damien English is predicting that up to 16 Independents could back Fine Gael.

Itll be a Government that can actually deliver on policy, deliver its budgets, make the necessary changes for homelessness and housing and health and many other areas as well, he said.

And thats the way it looks.

I suppose over the next couple of days some independents might decide its not for them to support this Government, the next Government, thats their choice, their prerogative.

Others might decide to support in certain policy areas, on different days of the week, over the years ahead, but for the moment, it looks like theres, say, 14 to 16 anyway.

Earlier:

Acting Minister Simon Coveney is hopeful that a vote for Taoiseach could take place this afternoon.

The Fine Gael negotiator said a Programme for Government with Independents should be ready by midday.

Minister Coveney said he is confident that the majority of Independents involved in talks will agree to enter Government.

While a vote for Taoiseach may be delayed until tomorrow, Mr Coveney said that Enda Kenny can be elected as early as this afternoon.

"Most of the policy work is now done, and we're hoping we'll have a document, I suspect by around midday, that the Independents and of course ourselves can look at and agree to finalise," he said.

"I know it seems like an eternity for people who are watching, and we are conscious of that, that's why we're very anxious to conclude this process today, if it's possible to do that, and if not, early tomorrow."
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has landed himself in hot water for suggesting that cyclists should be 'taken out and shot'.

The outspoken businessman has said he is unhappy with Dublin City Council's promise to increase the number of bikes on the capital's roads.
Acting Minister Frances Fitzgerald says a 50/50 gender split at cabinet level would lead to better decision making.

Before the election Enda Kenny promised that half of his cabinet would be female.

That now looks unlikely to happen as given the result of the vote.

Frances Fitzgerald said it was a decision for the Taoiseach, but she would like to see more women in cabinet.

"It's still relatively low all things considered, but that will be the Taoiseach's decision obviously anything to do with cabinet.

"There's still a way to go and obviously my own view is that in the vast majority of situations, if you have a critical mass of women involved in decision making - that is the way to go and you get a better outcome."
Voters across the North have been casting their ballots in the election for the Stormont Assembly.

The region's political leaders were among the morning voters, with numbers through the polling stations expected to spike in the peak evening hours.

Democratic Unionist leader and outgoing First Minister Arlene Foster voted at a polling station near her home in Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh, while long-time Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness was accompanied by party colleagues as he dispatched his ballot in his native Derry.

Earlier at the same Northland Road polling station in Derry, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood carried his daughter Rosa into the building as he voted, while Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt voted along with his wife Lynda at Gilnahirk Primary School in east Belfast.

Alliance Party leader David Ford arrived to cast his vote at the polling station in Second Donegore Presbyterian Church in rural Co Antrim just after 11am, accompanied by his wife Anne, daughter Helen and grandchildren Eli and Lilah.

Most of the region was bathed in sunshine through what was one of the warmest days of the year so far.

The poll is the first chance to vote for people born after the historic Good Friday Agreement.

Eighteen years on from the signing of the 1998 peace accord that paved the way for a devolved power-sharing government, voters are selecting the latest batch of 108 MLAs to represent them at Parliament Buildings. There are 276 candidates standing across 18 constituencies.

The Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein are again likely to emerge as the two largest parties on their respective sides of the unionist/nationalist political divide after polls close at 10pm.

Credit:Niall Carson/PA Wire

Mrs Foster has placed particular onus on seeing off the challenge of Mr McGuinness in the race to see which one of them takes the First Minister's job ahead of the Deputy First Minister's job.

It would require a significant electoral turnaround for Sinn Fein to topple the DUP as the largest party and most pundits believe it highly unlikely.

Mr McGuinness has played down the importance of the job title, given both the First Minister and Deputy First Minister's jobs wield the same authority.

A more significant target for Sinn Fein, which won 29 seats to the DUP's 38 in 2011, might be the 30 seats that would hand it the strength to solely veto Assembly legislation with the use of the much-maligned "petition of concern" voting mechanism.

After a relatively low-key campaign, which has seen social and economic issues feature more prominently than in previous electoral races, the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance Party face an uphill battle to break the DUP/Sinn Fein grip on power at Stormont.

Credit:Niall Carson/PA Wire

When all the seats have been filled and talks begin in Belfast to shape the next coalition executive's programme for government, the smaller parties are set to face a choice between re-entering the administration as junior partners or taking up the newly established option of forming an official opposition.

The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), Green Party, Ukip, People Before Profit and the Progressive Unionist Party are among the smaller parties also vying for a place on the Assembly benches.

With such a muted campaign, all eyes will be on the turnout figure. The percentage of voters casting a ballot in Assembly elections has been in steady decline over the last two decades. It was 54.5% in 2011.

A total of 1,380 ballot boxes have been placed at 619 polling stations across the North.

The count for the 18 constituencies will be conducted through Friday and Saturday at eight centres across the region. The first results are expected on Friday afternoon with the final outcome not expected until 24 hours later.
An air strike has hit a refugee camp in northern Syria, near the border with Turkey, killing and wounding dozens of people, Syrian pro-opposition activists said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a camp in near Sarmada, in the north-western Idlib province near the Turkish border, was struck on Thursday afternoon.
The last man standing in Donald Trump's path to the Republican nomination has ended his campaign, making the billionaire businessman the party's presumptive White House candidate.

Speaking to reporters in Columbus, Ohio, state governor John Kasich did not outline his reasons for ending his bid or mention Mr Trump.

Instead, he offered an emotional recount of his exchanges with voters and renewed his call for Americans to spend more time helping one another.

But Mr Kasich acknowledged it was a message that never seemed to resonate.

"The spirit, the essence of America lies in the hearts and souls of us," he said.

"Some missed this message. It wasn't sexy, it wasn't a great soundbite."

Despite his inability to win any contests beyond Ohio, Mr Kasich held on to become the last candidate battling Mr Trump - albeit for only a few hours.

His decision to end his campaign comes a day after his other remaining rival, Texas senator Ted Cruz, announced that he was suspending his campaign.

Mr Kasich was visibly emotional as he thanked his family and staff. "Nobody has ever done more with less in the history of politics," he said.

Earlier, Mr Trump told CNN: "I think John's doing the right thing. I think John will be very helpful with Ohio, even as governor."

Mr Trump stressed that he had a good relationship with the Ohio governor and was willing to consider Mr Kasich as his running mate.

"I would be interested in vetting John," he said.

Touting his two terms as governor and 18 years in Congress, Mr Kasich failed to gain traction with Republican voters in a race dominated by Mr Trump's ability to seize on the electorate's anger and disdain of political insiders.

Although Mr Kasich tried to pitch himself as the best Republican to take on Democrat front-runner Hillary Clinton, the weight of the anti-Trump faction never got behind him.

Viewed widely as a long-shot candidate from the start, Mr Kasich's popularity shot up after his strong second-place finish in New Hampshire's primary in early February.

But from the South to the Midwest, many voters were captivated by his boisterous rivals and his efforts to cast himself as a nicer alternative fell short.

Mr Kasich had pledged to take his campaign all the way to the Republican convention in Cleveland this summer, but his losses in almost all the primaries left him struggling to generate the money and resources needed to sustain a long-term bid.

In an extraordinary effort to send the Republican contest into a contested convention, Mr Kasich and Mr Cruz forged an alliance in late April, going to the states where they were most likely to succeed and deprive Trump the delegates needed to reach the nomination.

As the race grew increasingly nasty on both sides, Mr Kasich largely maintained his vow not to go negative - or, as he told voters, to "take the low road to the highest office in the land".

He did eventually launch a series of blistering criticisms against Mr Trump's candidacy, blasting the businessman for creating a "toxic" environment and preying on people's fears.

Mr Kasich, 63, plans to return to Ohio, where his second term as governor ends in 2018.

"As I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith, that the Lord will show me the way forward and fulfil the purpose of my life," he said.
Australia's most dangerous known operative from the so-called 'Islamic State' group had been killed in a US air strike in Iraq.

The United States confirmed that Neil Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was killed in Mosul on Friday, Australian attorney general George Brandis said.

TONIGHT AT 6: Australia's most wanted terrorist - Neil Prakash - killed by a US airstrike. pic.twitter.com/81Tyr8W2D5  NBN News (@nbnnews) May 5, 2016

Prakash, 24, an Australian citizen of Cambodian and Fijian heritage, converted from Buddhism in 2012 and travelled to Syria a year later.

The former rapper from Melbourne featured in 'IS' recruitment videos, was linked to several terror attack plans in Australia and urged lone wolf attacks against the United States.

"Prakash was a very important, high-value target," Mr Brandis said.

"He was the most dangerous Australian involved with Isil (another name for 'IS') in the Middle East."

Expert Greg Barton's insight into Australias most wanted terrorist Neil Prakash, whos been killed in an airstrike https://t.co/vezUxzckbJ  News Breakfast (@BreakfastNews) May 4, 2016

The United States also confirmed the death in Syria of the sister of a 15-year-old Australian boy who was shot dead by police after he gunned down a police accountant outside a Sydney police station in October last year, Mr Brandis said.

Shadi Jabhar Khalil Mohammad left Australia the day before her brother Farhad Jabhar died.

She and her Sudanese husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, were killed in a US air strike near the Syrian town of al-Bab on April 22.

Both had been 'IS' recruiters of foreign fighters and had inspired attacks against Western interests, Mr Brandis said.

Authorities estimate 110 Australians are fighting for 'IS' in the Middle East.
Donald Trump is taking his first steps towards a full-fledged general election campaign, moving to unite a fractured Republican Party behind him and begin raising the money needed for a national race.

Mr Trump began to reach out to party heavyweights, including making efforts to repair his at-times strained relationships with the Republican National Committee (RNC) and party donors.

A spokesman for George W Bush said the former president does "not plan to participate in or comment on" the 2016 presidential race.

The spokesman was responding to a media inquiry about whether Mr Bush planned to support Mr Trump.

While Bush has largely stayed out of politics since leaving the White House, his refusal to publicly support his party's nominee is remarkable. It underscores the deep frustration within some corners of the Republican party over Mr Trump's candidacy.

His father, former president George HW Bush, also has not been heard from since Mr Trump's string of victories in the north-east primaries and Indiana.

His campaign also named Steven Mnuchin as its national finance chairman on Thursday, saying in a statement that "he brings unprecedented experience and expertise to a fundraising operation that will benefit the Republican Party and ultimately defeat Hillary Clinton".

Mr Mnuchin is chairman and chief executive officer of Dune Capital management LLC, a private investment firm, and previously worked at the New York bank Goldman Sachs.

The process begins just days after Mr Trump's final two intra-party foes, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, suddenly dropped out, clearing his path to the nomination - as members of the celebrity businessman's campaign were set to meet with the RNC and enter a joint fundraising agreement needed for both his bid and Republicans to maintain control of Capitol Hill, aides said.

"In order to really govern, we need majorities in the House and Senate. We're going to work with the party to raise money for down-ballot races to be successful," said Corey Lewandowski, Mr Trump's campaign manager, in an interview on Thursday morning. "Mr Trump has agreed to be available to raise money."

"We're going to with work with the RNC hand-in-glove," Mr Lewandowski said.

Mr Lewandowski said that a fundraising plan has not yet been set for Mr Trump's White House bid, a hugely expensive undertaking even for a billionaire real estate developer. But Mr Trump himself acknowledged that he would have to sell some of his holdings to muster the hundreds of millions of dollars needed to self-fund.

"I mean, do I want to sell a couple of buildings and self-fund? I don't know that I want to do that necessarily," Mr Trump said on MSNBC on Wednesday.

Mr Trump starts out in a deep hole when it comes to fundraising.

As a primary candidate, he prided himself on not soliciting donations and never built a traditional fundraising operation with a finance team that can fan out across the country and raise quick cash for his bid.

Through the end of March, Mr Trump had raised $12m mostly from fans who clicked the "donate" button on his website or bought wares such as the ubiquitous red ballcap emblazoned with his slogan, "Make America Great Again," campaign finance documents show. He also made about $36m in personal loans to his primary campaign.

The contrasts starkly with Mrs Clinton, who has raised some $187m so far and began her general election fundraising effort back in November by setting up a "victory fund" that can solicit huge cheques for her campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties.

Mrs Clinton is spending the better part of this month on a fundraising spree that includes stops in New York, Michigan, California and Texas. Mr Trump, as of Wednesday night, had not a single fundraiser on the books.

The differences do not end there. A pro-Clinton super political action committee that can take unlimited donations from wealthy individuals, companies and unions has already reserved some $90m of advertising for the general election. Great America, which is shaping up to be the main pro-Trump super PAC, was almost $1m in debt as of the end of March.

Ed Rollins, who ran Ronald Reagan's 1984 campaign, hopes to change that. He joined Great America as a senior strategist and said on super PAC conference call on Wednesday that Mr Trump needs all the help he can get with finances. "We're going to figure out what the Trump campaign needs and can't do by itself," Mr Rollins told callers.

Mr Trump's lean campaign team, caught by surprise by the sudden end of the primary process, will likely soon expand and lean heavily on the RNC infrastructure as Mr Trump begins eyeing his November showdown with Mrs Clinton, though that would not fully happen until he officially becomes the nominee in July.

Aides said he also plans to soon begin preparing for the national party convention in Cleveland - "You'll see a very different type of convention this year," Mr Lewandowski said - as well as naming a transition team and a vice-presidential search committee.

Mr Trump has said he has not truly begun the VP vetting process - in four different interviews on Wednesday he gave four different answers as to whether he had consider Mr Kasich - but has said that he would favour a Washington veteran.

"Mr Trump would need someone to help govern in Washington, DC," Mr Lewandowski said. "When a complete outsider is picked to lead the ticket, it makes sense to have someone with government experience on it. He wants a strong executive who has a leadership role in DC."
Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu has announced his resignation.

Mr Davutoglu told the nation: "I decided that for the unity of the (ruling party) a change of chairman would be more appropriate.

"I am not considering running at the May 22 congress."

Mr Davutoglu, who had fallen out with President Recept Tayyip Erdogan, announced he was stepping aside following a meeting with executives of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, which has dominated Turkish politics since 2002.

The decision is not effective immediately.

The party will hold an emergency convention on May 22 to select a new party leader who would also replace the premier.

Mr Davutoglu said he would not run.
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A Minnesota man was flown to a Lincoln hospital for injuries sustained during a semi rollover Wednesday.

Shortly after 10 a.m. on May 4, Jefferson County Communications received a report of a wreck just south of the Jefferson-Saline county line on Highway 15.

The report was that a tractor trailer was in the ditch and the driver was ejected from the vehicle.

Emergency services responded to the site and upon arrival found the tractor trailer rig in the ditch. The trailer, which was loaded with liquid fertilizer, was on its side.

The driver of the vehicle was out of the vehicle and was attended to by EMS personnel, according to a pres release from the Sheriffs Department. The trailer was intact and was not leaking any of its contents.

The driver, Dean A. Peterson, 37, of Glencoe, Minn., was transported to Jefferson Community Health Center, then to a Lincoln Hospital by medical helicopter for treatment of serious injuries. The driver had a dog with him that was not injured and was taken to a Fairbury Vet Clinic for kenneling.

The truck, a 2003 Peterbilt, was pulling a 2003 Walker liquid tanker. The vehicles are a total loss.

The driver stated that he swerved to miss a deer and went onto the east shoulder, according to the press release. As the vehicle was coming back onto the roadway the trailer tipped over, in turn rolling the tractor over into the bottom of the ditch.

Traffic in the area was interrupted for some time, with the road being closed for recovery of the vehicles.

The Department of Roads assisted in traffic control. At approximately 4:30 p.m. the scene was completely cleared and traffic resumed normal flow.

Neither drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash and personal restraints were not in use.

Emergency services that responded were Daykin Fire and Rescue, Jefferson County Ambulance District 33, Saline County Sheriffs Office, Jefferson County Rescue, Jefferson County Sheriffs Office and the Nebraska Department of Roads.
The latest exhibit on display at the Homestead National Monument of America may require a closer look.

Some have been fooled into thinking the pieces on display are paintings or photographs. Upon closer inspection, tiny lines reveal the depictions are actually formed using nothing but duct tape.

I think everyone whos come in here have all said this wasnt what they expected, said Robin Matty, Homestead intern. I think people are going to be very surprised by how detailed they are. They look incredible from far away, then when you get up close they also have a beauty to it where you can see the tiny flecks of duct tape.

The duct-tape display, created by tape artist Chad Farnes, will be at the Homestead Education Center until May 29.

Farnes has exhibited at several locations around the country, such as the Utah County Art Gallery and in Brooklyn, New York at the Crest Hardware Art Show.

He was raised in California and moved to Utah to attend college, according to a press release from Homestead.

Farnes history with tape art dates back to when a roommate used painter's tape to decorate a wall. Farnes began creating his own wall decorations and eventually expanded into using other types of tape, such as masking tape and duct tape, and different surfaces, such as canvas.

The 21 displays at Homestead each represent a different National Park, which Homestead Park Superintendent Mark Engler said is a unique way to recognize what they have to offer.

This is a fun way to look at the experience of the National Parks, he said. The level of detail is amazing and cool to see the inspiration citizens get from the National Parks. This is a great example of that inspiration.

Farnes will host a presentation at the Homestead discussing the display Sunday, May 29 at 2 p.m. at the Homestead Education Center. The presentation will be free to the public.
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OMAHA -- The Tri County Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) participated in the 2016 State Leadership Conference in Omaha, April 7-9. While at the conference, the FBLA members attended several different seminars and competed in tests.

Riley Knust, a current sophomore and Tri County FBLA vice president, was elected by the conference to be the FBLA state news reporter for the coming school year.

The members of the Tri County chapter earned several individual awards during the conference. Riley Knust received honorable mention in Intro to Financial Math. Riley also placed third in FBLA Principles and Procedures and first in Intro to Parliamentary Procedures. Cooper Smith placed eighth in Intro to Parliamentary Procedures. The Local Chapter Annual Business Report written by Shianne Bryant, Riley Knust and Shayna Lijewski earned seventh place.

Jessica Goodwin was recognized as Whos Who in Nebraska FBLA as well as being named as All-State Quality Member along with Riley Knust, Haley Staroscik, Kyleigh Aksamit, Shianne Bryant and Shayna Lijewski. Tri County FBLA also received the Sweepstakes Award for the 34th year in a row. The Sweepstakes Award means that the chapter must complete 10 out of 15 activities set by the state board of directors.

Tri County FBLA was also recognized in several of the state ribbon projects this year. The ribbons that the chapter earned were the Foundation Donor, Connect 2 Business, Step Up 2 Tech, Feed Nebraska and iGive.

Riley and Cooper will compete in tests at the National Leadership Conference June 28 through July 2 in Atlanta, Ga.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has revealed he gave in-principle support to the $7.5 million tax break for the Brumbies land deal in Griffith just before the 2012 election.

Mr Barr told the ACT parliament he had indicated the government's support to waive the lease variation charge on the site in September 2012. With the caretaker period beginning on September 14, 2012, before the October election, it was presumably one of the final acts of the Gallagher government.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The $7.5 million waiver was announced in the 2013 budget and the Liberals have peppered Labor in the ACT parliament this week with questions about whether the benefit went to the Brumbies or to a private developer, given the Brumbies' decision to sell the land. The land was sold for $11.375 million and is now being developed by Graham Potts' Amalgamated Property Group.

The Brumbies moved to the University of Canberra and the deal has sparked considerable unease, including an investigation commissioned by the Brumbies board and outgoing chief executive Michael Jones, which is now with the police and suppressed by the courts.
By May 1916 the effervescent, mysterious King O'Malley, a champion of Canberra and of its designer Walter Burley Griffin, was once again Minister for Home Affairs. Queanbeyan's Age, 100 years ago this week, reported a parliamentary clash.

"EXTRAVAGANCE AT CANBERRA."

"The [recently deposed and still smarting] Minister for Home Affairs (Mr. Archibald) in the House of Representatives criticised the expenditure of the Government in connection with the Federal Capital at Canberra.



"He criticised the reappointment for three years of Mr. W. B. Griffin, Director of Design and Construction. This gentleman, said Mr. Archibald, received a salary of 1000 per year for six months' work in the year. He had cost the Commonwealth about 6000.

King O'Malley resorted to insult when accused of incompetence in his role as Minister for Home Affairs. Credit:Pat Spalding.

" 'The whole trouble,' proceeded Mr. Archibald, with some heat, 'is that the present Minister for Home Affairs [O'Malley] is an incompetent man ... He is a curious product so far as Ministerial life is concerned. You [O'Malley] have no right to be there [in government]. Men like you are in office at the present time when instead we want the best brains of this House at the head of affairs.'

"Mr. Archibald said that while he was in Parliament he would do his duty, and watch Mr. O'Malley as a cat watches a mouse. (Laughter). It was a disgrace to public life that Mr. O'Malley was on the Treasury Bench.



"Here O'Malley accused Archibald that: 'You were born a wombat.'
Australian National University music students, friends of the School of Music and the National Tertiary Education Union have all expressed cautious optimism at the review by Andrew Podger into the future of the school.

The former Public Service Commissioner has now opened a new round of consultation on his plans for the school, which include three streams of degree courses, a strong performance element, and a benchmark of 200 undergraduate students in order for the school to become financially sustainable.

ANU School of Music students Brendan Keller-Tuberg, Ellen Chan, Helena Popovic and Hayden Fritzlaff who are optimistic about the future of the school following the review. Credit:Rohan Thomson

Drummer and bachelor of music undergraduate and president of the ANU Music Students Association Hayden Fritzlaff said students had not yet had the time to fully digest the 44-page report but would be meeting to discuss it this week and would provide further submissions.

"It's early days in our reaction but [Professor Podger] has synthesised a lot of our opinions. We want to make sure we get our views heard."
The construction union is seeking to have the ACT's work safety watchdog fined for allegedly telling a developer that it didn't need to allow officials on to a Belconnen work site.

Meanwhile, in unrelated proceedings, ACT CFMEU organiser John Lomax is taking the Australian Federal Police to the ACT Supreme Court in a bid to force it to disclose information about its doomed case against him.

The CFMEU has launched court action against WorkSafe ACT for allegedly advising a developer not to let officials on to a worksite. Credit:Peter Braig

The case against WorkSafe ACT  understood to be the first time the union has taken the ACT watchdog to court  stems from an encounter on a worksite in Belconnen last month.

The tensions between the two organisations occurred at the development of the Wayfarer apartment complex on the corner of Aikman Drive and Eastern Valley Way, a project promised to create the tallest apartment building in the established areas of Canberra.
Imagine if Malcolm Turnbull announced that Australia's richest would have their top tax rate cut from 45 per cent to 37.5 per cent. It would be considered a bit rich, huh?

Well, that is effectively what he is proposing for Australia's corporate sector with his glide path from a 30 per cent flat tax rate to 25 per cent.

And it is a sign of how well he has distracted everyone with the minutiae of his income tax tricks that people are only just starting to get their heads around the fact that he has gifted an extraordinary tax bounty to Australia's corporate sector.

At least it will be for those companies which actually pay their tax.
Hotels are now the hot ticket in town with all the major developers looking to expand their offerings, triggered by the increased tourism from Asia, the higher propensity for "staycations" among domestic travellers and the rising demand from business and conference attendees.

According to hoteliers who attended the Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) conference held in Melbourne this week, it's a good time to own or manage a hotel.

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel in Sydney

Continued improvements are forecast for the Australian hotel sector this year despite a recent strengthening in the Australian dollar, according to new CBRE research.

CBRE's first quarter Australia Hotels MarketView report tips that appetite for domestic travel will remain firm and that the higher dollar will not be enough of a dampener to discourage overseas visitors travelling to Australia.
Most Australians want a job with an airline or the government, a new study has found.

The survey of more than 10,000 people around the country has found more than half would like to work for Virgin Australia, with slightly fewer saying they would choose Qantas.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection was also among the top 20 choices. Other government departments including health, defence along with the NSW, Victorian and Queensland state governments were also among the most popular choices.

Frank Ribuot, chief executive officer of Randstad Australia and New Zealand which commissioned the research, said the public perception of 150 of Australian employers with the largest number of workers favoured the aviation industry.
Death of Bobby Sands

Britain was put on a nationwide security alert, with potential assassination targets in the government and Royal Family under special guard, as a wave of violence washed over West Belfast following the death of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands.The 27-year-old MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone had been on hunger strike for 66 days, protesting rules in Maze Prison that denied political status to IRA prisoners.

A rioter uses a slingshot against British soldiers in the Falls Road area of Belfast after the death of Bobby Sands. Credit:AP

East-West fights to survive

The chairman of East-West airlines, John Riley, branded the proposed two-airline agreement "signed in secret" by the Federal Government, Ansett and TAA as "the most appalling decision in Australian aviation history". The increase of routes for the trunk operators and their control over the allocation of new routes would threaten East-West's ability to continue and would degrade regional air services.
And if that sort of rhetorical silliness sounds unconvincing coming from Malc, it's less humiliating than his performance on Sky News on Thursday morning. Pick a number, any number That's when the great communicator with a keen head for finance sat down for a conversation with the equally skilled David Speers on Sky News to get into the nitty-gritty of Tuesday night's budget. Specifically, Speers asked what modelling had been done to show that the plans to cut company tax would help the budget bottom line, despite the treasurer and PM both arguing that the cuts would help eliminate the deficit by 2027. "The cost of the plan [to reduce company tax over the next ten years] is set out in the medium-term outlook and shows the budget returning to balance," Turnbull explained.

Except Speers had a reasonable question: "What's it going to cost taxpayers to cut the company tax rate to 25 per cent?" "What it ensures is that we'll have stronger jobs and growth," Mal replied - a response which, you might notice, isn't a dollar amount. Or, for that matter, a sentence that means very much at all. So Speers asked again. And the Prime Minister still didn't answer. "David what you are asking is for me to unpick every single line item of those assumptions going out to 2026/27," he admonished. "I am not going to add to the detail that is in the budget papers." And then Speers picked up the budget papers and asked the PM to explain the bit of detail to which he was referring.

"Treasury has modelled [the cuts] and all of those costs are taken into account in the medium-term outlook. It is set out here on page 311 of budget paper 1." Except that the result wasn't there, and remained tantalisingly opaque even as Speers sighed, "This is not a difficult question." The weirdness continued in Parliament, where both treasurer Scott Morrison and finance minister Mathias Cormann refused to give any details, because um they definitely had great modelling and knew what they were talking about, presumably. But in any case, here's a pro-tip, Malc: maybe be able to support the centrepiece of your budget plan before someone asks you about it on television. Numbers aren't that hard, are they?

Tonewatch: jobs for the boys! And while Parliament will rise today for the final time before the election, it's great to see that dumped PM Tony Abbott has taken the opportunity to remind the electorate of his quiet dignity, impeccable judgement and ability to say just the right thing at the right time. And he's been in spectacular form this week. First he raised some eyebrows on Tuesday when he petulantly declined to applaud Morrison's budget, looking for all the world like a sulky award nominee seething about not getting to settle some scores from the podium. And then there was his ostentatious no-show for Bronwyn Bishop's epic and self-aggrandising valedictory speech in Parliament on Wednesday, concluding her account of her time as Speaker of the House with "I was asked to resign to protect Tony Abbott, someone whom I had assisted and worked with and respected for many years. There is much more than meets the eye in that saga, but not for now."

But that warning shot overshadowed by the enormous booming cannon blast of "the hell?" that was Abbott's praise of Ian Macfarlane, former Resources Minister and failed Nationals MP. Praising Big Ian's work in demolishing the mining tax that would have been very useful right about now, he rhapsodised that "It was a magnificent achievement by the [member] for Groom in his time as minister and I hope the sector will acknowledge and demonstrate their gratitude to him in his years of retirement from this place." And that's let's say problematic. Interest, meet conflict! Not only does it look incredibly dodgy to suggest that there's a quid pro quo between a former minister of the Commonwealth and the mining industry, it also goes utterly against the ministerial code of conduct written by um, Tony Abbott.

Here's what the then-PM demanded of his ministry back in December 2013: "Ministers are required to undertake that, for an eighteen month period after ceasing to be a minister, they will not lobby, advocate or have business meetings with members of the government, parliament, public service or defence force on any matters on which they have had official dealings as minister in their last eighteen months in office Ministers are also required to undertake that, on leaving office, they will not take personal advantage of information to which they have had access as a minister, where that information is not generally available to the public." Oh, and there's this: "Ministers are expected to conduct all official business on the basis that they may be expected to demonstrate publicly that their actions and decisions in conducting public business were taken with the sole objective of advancing the public interest." So, to recap: the man who wrote the above just openly advocated in parliament that the resource sector "demonstrate their gratitude" to the former Resources Minister.
Apparent misuse of taxpayer dollars by the Nebraska Tourism Commission is "appalling," Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday, reacting to a scathing state audit of the agency released last week.

If the governor had control over the commission the way he does with other agencies, "people would be held accountable," Ricketts told the Journal Star.

His comments came in response to a 79-page report published late Friday by the state auditor's office, which questioned a wide range of commission expenses from last year. Those included reimbursing a contractor for alcohol and cigarettes, spending $18,511 to help move an employee from Sidney to Kearney, and paying the commission director's daughter to appear in a tourism marketing campaign.

"They're not being good stewards of the taxpayer dollars," Ricketts said. "There's more accountability if you put it under the governor's purview."

The commission has operated independently since it was spun off from the state Department of Economic Development in 2012, a legislative decision that met virtually no opposition at the time.

On Monday, Ricketts said the audit "demonstrates the problem when the Legislature moves an agency out from underneath the control of the governor's office."

Tourism and its executive director are now overseen by a nine-member board, whose members are appointed by the governor. All nine commissioners were in place before Ricketts took office.

"I can appoint the commission board members, but I can't unappoint them," the governor said.

Kathy McKillip, the commission's executive director, has defended some of the spending but acknowledged holes in its policies and accounting practices, including the lack of an internal manual.

"This audit did exactly what state audits are suppose to do, find areas of weakness so that we can improve upon them," McKillip said in an email Sunday.

There's no manual for forming a new state agency as was done with the Tourism Commission in 2012, she said. As a result of the audit, the commission will begin to craft internal rules and will partner with the state's Administrative Services Department for help with purchases and accounting in the future, she said.

"We consider this a great opportunity (and) something we have wanted since becoming a state agency."

Commissioners are expected to discuss the audit and other issues Tuesday during a quarterly meeting at the Omaha zoo.

Five of the members' four-year terms are up July 1. Even then, Ricketts said, "I have limited options on who I can select."

State law requires six of the nine board seats to be held by a representative of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, representatives of two regional tourism groups and three industry associations. Another commissioner must represent an attraction that has at least 2,000 out-of-state visitors each year. And the remaining two commissioners must come from businesses that derive a majority of their revenues from out-of-state visitors.
Attorney-General George Brandis has ruled out suspending anti-discrimination laws during the same-sex marriage plebiscite campaign.

The Australian Christian Lobby - which has been among the most vocal opponents to same sex marriage - in February called for the federal government to "override" laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexuality during the campaign, which is expected to take place after the election. Its managing director Lyle Shelton has said this would ensure the "no" campaigners could speak freely without being threatened by legal action.

Attorney-General George Brandis says he doesn't think anti-discrimination laws should be suspended during the same-sex marriage plebiscite campaign. Credit:Andrew Meares

Greens senator Robert Simms referred to the proposal during Senate estimates on Thursday as designed to "facilitate a hate campaign".

Senator Brandis rejected this, saying "that's, I'm sure, not their purpose", but said he did not think the laws should be suspended and later ruled out doing so.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says income inequality in the US is responsible for the rise of Donald Trump, acknowledging the outlandish billionaire has the Republican nomination "in the bag".

Mr Trump will be the presumptive nominee at the party's July convention, following an emphatic victory in the Indiana primary which forced rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich out of the race.

Mr Turnbull said anger over real wages, which have shown little to no growth in the US for decades, contributed to the New York businessman's success.
The result at the Tax Office comes on the back of Wednesday's no-vote at the Defence Department where 18,000 public servants rejected the proposed deal by a margin of nearly 55 per cent to 45, an increase on last month's knife edge no-vote .

On Thursday, public servants at the Australian Taxation Office again emphatically rejected a new workplace deal developed under the government's hardline bargaining policy with a 71 per cent no-vote.

The Coalition's hardline stance on public service industrial relations will cost it votes in the election, unions say, in the wake of two big defeats for the government's policy.

The two results, so close to the likely announcement of an election and caretaker period, mean the Coalition has failed to impose its industrial relations agenda on most of the Australian public service after a two-year battle, with only about 30,000 workers, or 20 per cent of the workforce, signing up for agreements offered under the policy.

Australian Electoral Commission public servants will begin voting on Tuesday.

Labor committed last month to ripping up the bargaining policy if it prevails in the federal election, a move that could be a factor in several marginal seats around the country with large numbers of public sector or Defence families.

Union activists reported Labor's policy announcement as a factor in the result at Defence and in the wake of the ATO's no-vote, the main public sector union, the CPSU, vowed to take its fight against the policy into the federal election, likely to be held on July 2.

"Workers in tax and Defence who've rejected these dud deals have told us they're looking forward to soon voting on a bigger stage in the federal election, along with tens of thousands of people working across the public sector," the union's national secretary Nadine Flood said.
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In a column a few weeks ago, I outlined why LB947, a bill which grants professional licenses to individuals who came to Nebraska illegally, would send the wrong message to immigrants in our state who followed the law to make their home here. Policies like this one signal that legal immigrants need not spend the time, effort or money to follow our countrys laws when coming to our state.

Since I last wrote about LB947, the Legislature voted to override my veto of this legislation. Throughout the legislative process, numerous politicians, lobbyists, and special interests shared very compelling anecdotes in their pleas to garner support for this legislation. While I certainly sympathize with some of the difficult situations, Nebraska cannot become a state that uses the ends to justify the means. Cultivating respect for the law provides a strong foundation for growing our state, and it is one of the principles that has made Nebraska the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.

Before the Legislature voted to make LB947 law in spite of my objections, two Nebraskans, who immigrated legally and hold professional licenses, joined me at a news conference announcing my veto of the bill. Both Eser Graham-Marski and Lawrence Asare-Danquah shared their stories about their journey to Nebraska and about why they oppose LB947.

Eser Graham-Marski of Chadron came to Nebraska from Brazil on a student visa. He currently works as a physical therapist at the Chadron Community Hospital. He just became a U.S. citizen after nearly 17 years of navigating our legal immigration system. At the news conference Eser said, [f]ollowing the law to enter the United States requires time, patience and effort. Granting licenses that give access to jobs to people who came to Nebraska illegally sends the wrong message to hardworking people who want to follow the law. It would be unjust to law-abiding citizens for the Legislature to grant these privileges to those who broke the law.

Lawrence Asare-Danquah of Omaha came from Ghana on a student visa in 2002. After receiving his degree from Midland University, he became a U.S. Citizen in 2010. He currently works as a nurse at Nebraska Medicine. Lawrence said, Nebraska is my home, and I am currently working to bring other family members here through the legal process. My family has made the effort to follow the legal immigration process, and allowing others who came to Nebraska outside the legal process to receive professional licenses is unfair.

Stories like these are why I was compelled to veto LB947. By overriding my veto, senators in the Legislature are telling Nebraskans like Eser and Lawrence who followed the law that their time, effort and financial investment in following our legal immigration system are meaningless.

Proponents of LB947 held up the youthfulness of a specific group of young immigrants as a justification for the bill, saying that comparing legal immigrants to young people brought to our state by their parents is unfair. This is misleading.

First, LB947 covers a much broader group of individuals beyond those who received the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) designation. DACA youth are young adults who came to the United States illegally, who have received temporary legal presence from the Obama Administration. LB947 gives professional licenses to individuals with a pending application for asylum as well as a pending application for temporary protected status. None of these groups have an immigration status that allow them to remain in our state for the long term. In fact, the DACA designation for the young adults is set to expire in 2018.

Second, just a few weeks ago the Supreme Court heard a case, which the state of Nebraska is litigating, against the Obama administration, which could potentially give more individuals who came to Nebraska illegally access to professional licenses. This case challenges the Obama Administrations attempt to give temporary legal presence to the parents of the DACA youth.

While I am sympathetic to the youth brought here illegally, the parents who crossed the border clearly broke the law. If the Supreme Court rules the president can go forward, this truly is amnesty. When the president tried to unilaterally act, his plan was put on hold by the lower courts. The bill passed into law by the Legislature would automatically give access to these licenses to the parents of the DACA youth if the Supreme Court decides to uphold the Obama administrations amnesty plan.

LB947 is not only unfair and unjust to Nebraskans who followed the law to come here, but it also makes sweeping changes, which give immigrants, who may only be here temporarily, access to our licensed professions. Nebraska could have avoided these pitfalls if the Legislature had voted to sustain my veto of LB947.

As I travel the state, Nebraskans tell me they oppose giving individuals who came to our state illegally access to public benefits. Staying true to the values that helped make our state the Good Life will help our state continue to grow by attracting people like Eser and Lawrence.

While 31 senators voted to override my veto of LB947, there were 18 senators who stood with Nebraskans and for the rule of law. The senators who did not vote to override my veto of LB947 are Senators Bloomfield, Brasch, Craighead, Davis, Fox, Friesen, Groene, Hughes, Johnson, Kintner, Kolterman, Kuehn, Larson, McCoy, Murante, Riepe, Schnoor and Watermeier. Please consider calling them to express your gratitude for their vote. You can find their information at www.NebraskaLegislature.gov.

Over the summer and fall, I will be working with agencies and my team to develop the next budget and new initiatives. If youd like to share your thoughts on this bill or other proposals that were considered during this legislative session, I hope you will take the time to contact my office at pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or 402-471-2244. I look forward to hearing from you!
The grief-stricken mother of killed Chinese student Michelle Leng has spoken publicly of her devastation at losing her daughter, several years after she lost her husband in an earthquake.

With her head slightly bowed, Mei Zhang silently wept before a swarm of cameras and reporters who had gathered for the family's press conference on the 42nd floor of the Citigroup Centre in Sydney's CBD.

Supported by family members as well as high-profile members of the Chinese community, Mrs Zhang read a statement, describing her relationship with her daughter as one of "deep intimacy".

"We even today still cannot accept the fact that she has left us and we are still in great suffering," she said, speaking through a translator.
Queensland LNP leadership battle: Tim Nicholls, Lawrence Springborg and Tim Mander. Credit:Fairfax Media Cross bench concerns Robbie Katter of Katter's Australian Party, which, along with former Labor MPs Billy Gordon and Rob Pyne holds the balance of power in Queensland's hung parliament, said he would be concerned if an "urban Liberal" MP replaced Mr Springborg as leader. "It's a matter for them to resolve internally, obviously," he said. "But it is undeniable that we have a strong working relationship with Lawrence Springborg - perhaps because he represents the last remnants of the National Party. He understands what we are trying to do while championing rural and regional Queensland and you've seen that with the sugar bill and the ethanol bill.

"And I've heard a lot of this has come out from compulsory preferential voting and our support of it, but they shouldn't lose sight of that fact that he put together the deal for four extra seats and how rare it is to get a private member's bill through the parliament. "Yes, Labor amended it with CPV and we supported it, but he can't use his Jedi mind tricks to dissuade us from our agenda, or what we want to do. "It's a ridiculous proposition to put that up as a reason for a leadership spill and it reeks of opportunity that someone has watched someone control the party through the tough times and now that there is a smoother run towards the election, comes out of the woodwork and wants the leadership. "Our job is to champion rural and regional issues and Lawrence is someone who understands that. "Replacing him with an urban Liberal MP would be something of a concern to us."

Strong Choices and moving forward It is not the only concerns - Mr Nicholls was made the face of the LNP privatisation program under the previous government, which was abandoned by the party in the days following the 2015 election. LNP leader Lawrence Springborg has not included it in any policies since, although he said the party could consider re-visiting it, if the the people of Queensland wanted it. Having announced his tilt for the leadership, if the motion former deputy premier Jeff Seeney moves at the urgent LNP party room meeting on Friday is successful, Mr Nicholls said it was time to move on from the policy he once said was the only option, other than raising taxes, to balancing the state's budget and building its necessary infrastructure. "The people of Queensland delivered their verdict in the Strong Choices program - when you look at that program you have to understand what we faced at the time and that is we had a decade of fiscal deficits, we had expenses growing at twice the revenue and we knew we were going to need to invest in the future of Queensland," he said.

"But the people of Queensland have spoken. "I have accepted that resolution. "We will now be holding the government of Annastacia Palaszczuk accountable. "We have promises after promises but no funds to pay for them. It doesn't matter whether it's cross river rail, it doesn't matter if it's the hollow state infrastructure plan that has no new money for Queensland. "Our job will be to point out the failings of this Labor government that is absolutely asleep at the wheel."

Labor response Education and Tourism Minister Kate Jones was not so sure the public would be as forgiving. She lost her seat of Ashgrove in the backlash against the Bligh government asset sales agenda, winning it back in 2015. "I think that people know that Tim Nicholls went to the election in 2012 promising to reduce electricity prices, saying that he wouldn't sell assets and he broke all of his promises," she said. "That's why they were booted out after the one term. They promised one thing before the election and they did another thing when they came into office.

"But it is clear, that while we're here announcing new flights into Queensland, the LNP can't even decide who the pilot of the plane should be." But Ms Jones said she would not miss having Mr Mander as her Opposition Education counterpart. "I found that Tim Mander used that position in a divisive way - for Safe Schools, I thought that his position was not one that was about creating inclusive schools, and that is certainly the feedback I have received from teachers and parents," she said. Marginal seat concerns Mr Nicholls said he was making his tilt from a "secure" position - code for a safe seat - and he would be "happy" to have as his deputy Nanango MP Deb Frecklington, who had been earmarked for future leadership roles in the previous government.

That's opposed to Mr Mander, whose supporters' rumblings sparked the latest LNP leadership turmoil, who holds his seat of Everton by just 1.77 per cent. Mr Mander has argued his marginal seat is not relevant, as seven other LNP seats sat closer to the bubble. He is understood to be considering as his deputy Tarnya Smith, who holds Mount Ommaney by the second slimmest margin in the state. "It is a totally different situation to the situation with Campbell Newman,where it was possible for him to lose his seat and for us to retain government. That is not the case with me," Mr Mander told ABC radio regarding his traditionally Labor electorate. "There are seven seats more marginal than mine. So if I don't win my seat, we definitely won't win government."

Mr Nicholls, who spent much of the 2015 election campaigning fielding the 'Plan B' leadership questions Mr Newman's marginal seat wrought, said Mr Mander's margin would have to be a "consideration" for his colleagues. "That will be something for the members to consider," he said. "I am sure it will play on their minds. We have gone through two elections where that has been an issue. "I simply say that I am able to offer my colleagues the ability to campaign from a secure base in Clayfield." Counting underway

Number counting has begun in earnest for the Friday vote. Mr Springborg has not stated whether he will also challenge for the leadership if the spill motion is successful. Mr Nicholls again paid homage to Mr Springborg's leadership and said his decision was not an indication of any discontent with the LNP's father's leadership style. "I'm not sure about that," he said over whether Mr Springborg would run. "That will be a matter for Lawrence to determine for himself. I do again place on record my admiration for Lawrence, for the work he's done for the LNP over the many years he has been involved. "His place in history is secure in my view."
A man has pleaded guilty to interfering with a body found in a shallow grave in south-east Queensland nearly three years ago.

But Lawrence Keith Carlton says he didn't murder Michael Peter Klaassen, whose body was found in the grave behind a house at Logan Reserve in September 2013, two months after he vanished.

Lawrence Keith Carlton says he didn't murder Michael Peter Klaassen in 2013.

Carlton entered the two pleas when his trial began in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday morning.

AAP
Sorry parents, your newborn baby is not copying your actions, but it sure is enjoying your attention.

Newborns do not imitate specific gestures from adults, such as poking out tongues or making sounds, and are just as likely to react to random movements, Queensland research has found.

Newborn babies aren't mimicking your actions, Queensland research has found.

A group of University of Queensland School of Psychology researchers studied 106 newborn babies over the first nine weeks of their life, testing them at one, three, six and nine weeks of age.

At each stage, adults presented a variety of facial expressions, gestures and sounds to each newborn and documented their reactions.
A man evading police has fallen seven storeys from a car park in Southbank.

He was seriously injured in the fall of about 20 metres and was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Security guards at the Power Street apartment building first raised the alarm after the man was spotted acting suspiciously in a car park about 3am.

When police arrived at the scene, the man tried to flee, and officers called for support before leaving the car park, Inspector Trevor Cornwill said.
It's already 16.1 degrees in Melbourne, and should reach a top of 23 today.

It's going to be a partly cloudy Friday, and Saturday

Mother's Day on Sunday is looking a bit grim weatherwise at this stage. It looks almost certain to rain, strong winds are forecast and there's a chance of thunderstorms in the evening.
Letty Russell is a Presbyterian pastor and theologian from New York who writes about a concept she calls Church in the Round.

Russell recalls a time in the early 1970s when her church needed to refinish its floors, so they removed the pews from the sanctuary. They placed benches in the sanctuary around a table. They took a large piece of plywood and rounded off the corners in a circular design. They placed it on the table in the center to hold the Communion elements.

This was just in time for the Day of Pentecost.

When people came together for worship, they sat on benches in a circle. They sat closer to each other than they usually did. No one was in the margins because there were no back pews. There was no high altar, no pulpit, and no front and back to the sanctuary -- just people sitting in a circle.

People looked at each other face to face. This new seating arrangement symbolized equality, and the sharing of authority. It was a new way of being together and a fresh way of worshiping together. It was worship in the round!

When the floor was refinished, nobody wanted to bring the pews back into the sanctuary!

Many churches have rows and rows of fixed pews. People sit properly in their pews, facing the front of the sanctuary, like soldiers in formation, staring at the backs of heads. Consider how worshiping in the round might alter our way of thinking. Think of how siting in a circular arrangement could facilitate community and communication.

A circular seating arrangement might make a statement. It might say: The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21).

I am not suggesting that churches tear out their pews and move into a circular seating arrangement. That would be too radical. On the other hand, Jesus was a radical fellow. Maybe churches could experiment with circular seating arrangements for smaller meetings.
An advertising scam offering cheap Apple and Samsung mobile phones has led to thousands of copies of a magazine being pulped.

The ad was placed in My Business magazine, which is based in Sydney, but it was an employee of the WA Small Business Development Corporation who spotted the scam.

My Business magazine was scammed.

"He contacted the Department of Commerce which then launched an investigation," an SBDC spokesperson said.

My Business editor, Phillip Tarrant, said that he had to pulp thousands of copies of the magazine.
Perth people love heading south and getting some Margaret River country air in their lungs - but a new product will give those further afield a chance to get a whiff of the coastal town.

The Chinese will soon be able to breathe in the atmosphere of a region best known for its big waves and wineries thanks to a company that plans to sell Margaret River air in a can.

Vineyards at Leeuwin estate later afternoon in Margaret River.

A specially made air-extraction machine is expected to be brought to the area in July by Green and Clean Air, and cans of Margaret River air could be on shelves in Chinese shops six weeks later.

The company recently began selling air from the Blue Mountains, Bondi Beach, Gold Coast, New Zealand and Tasmania, and company co-founder John Dickinson expects the West Australian version of the product to sell well.
Nawaran, Iraq: The killing and enslaving of thousands of women from Iraq's minority Yazidi community focused international attention on the group's violent campaign to impose its radical ideology and prompted the West to launch an air offensive against the militants in 2014.

It also prompted the formation of an unusual 30-woman unit made up of Yazidis as well as Kurds from Iraq and neighbouring Syria. For them, only one thing matters: revenge for the women raped, beaten and executed by the jihadists.

When Islamic State swept into the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar, a few young Yazidi women took up arms against the militants attacking women and girls from their community.
Istanbul: Turkey's Prime Minister stepped down Thursday, paving the way for President Recep Tayyip Erodgan to consolidate power amid complaints from opponents over his increasingly hard-line policies.

The decision by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to bow out of upcoming elections marks another potential step by Erodgan to move Turkey towards a presidential system and reduce the powers of parliament  further cementing his authority and likely stirring more outrage from rights groups and others critics.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has resigned. Credit:AP

The President has taken an increasingly hard line against perceived opponents, prosecuting journalists and others for "insulting" him.
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The U.S. Senate recently passed legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As the agency that manages the safety and security of our nations airspace, the FAA provides Americans with peace of mind as they travel for work, visit family or take off for getaways all over the world.

The legislation we passed in April provides new updates and improvements to our federal aviation laws that will help ensure more families can fly safely for years to come.

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, in 2015, a record 896 million passengers traversed Americas skies. This aviation system contributes $1.5 trillion to our nations economy and supports 11.8 million jobs for hardworking Americans, as noted by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Better and safer aviation not only helps traveling families, it also boosts the American economy.

In Nebraska, our airports link local communities with the rest of the nation and the world. But, over the years, these rural and community airports have struggled due to diminished funding and misplaced priorities in Washington. It is time to fix these problems, which is why I worked to include several provisions in the FAA bill. These initiatives will strengthen funding for Nebraskas rural and community airports and provide certainty for airports in Lincoln and Omaha as well.

For example, the legislation includes an important provision I worked to include, known as the Small Airport Regulation Relief Act. I am cosponsor of a standalone version of this bill in the Senate, and Congressman Adrian Smith authored companion legislation in the House.

Small airports across the country are being threatened by new rules that direct resources to major hubs like Denver and Atlanta. These rules are giving priority to major cities and threatening funding for local airports like Western Nebraska Regional Airport in Scottsbluff. The Small Airport Regulation Relief Act would preserve this funding, under the Airport Improvement Program, and exempt the airport in Scottsbluff from this harmful regulation.

We also need to protect commercial service for rural and small communities in Nebraska and across the country. The Essential Air Service (EAS) program incentivizes passenger carriers to continue providing service to these airports. Under the Senate FAA bill, we included a provision that will allow airports like those in Alliance, Chadron, Grand Island, McCook, North Platte and Scottsbluff to continue benefiting from this program.

Furthermore, I was successful in including a provision that would assist Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island. Grand Islands airport is growing and hosts a privately-operated federal contract tower. The provision I fought for would compel the FAA to complete a cost-benefit analysis, which would help alleviate financial constraints for this local airport.

Additionally, agricultural aviators in Nebraska will also benefit from safety enhancements in the bill. Far too many agricultural pilots have died in recent years after collisions with unmarked utility towers. In light of this, I advanced a provision requiring these towers to be clearly marked, thereby enhancing safer skies for our agriculture pilots.

I am proud of what the Senate has accomplished with the FAA bill. It is truly a victory for Nebraska and the American people. As the legislative process continues, I will work to maintain Nebraska priorities. Through safer skies and peace of mind, we are making progress for the American people.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.
Latest News NAB reveals six market megatrends for brokers More opportunities for investors, first home buyers

Firstmac shifts up a gear on auto loans National sales manager appointed to pursue growing market

The CEO of major mortgage franchise Mortgage Choice has labelled the 2016 Federal Budget as somewhat frightening.We need leaders who are bold enough to acknowledge that slicing up the same old pie in different ways is simply not going to cut it anymore, Mortgage Choice CEO John Flavell said.According to Flavell, Treasurer Scott Morrison s Federal Budget handed down on Tuesday night is weak in a time when the country needs a structural overhaul.At a time when we require a structural overhaul of our taxation system, we get the usual show bag of fiddles at the fringe to ensure no-one (other than smokers and cashed up retirees) is offended in the lead up to the election, he said.At the end of the day, we need a structural overhaul of our taxation system to promote corporate investment on our shores. We need an environment that encourages Australians to invest in themselves and their future worth in the workplace.The Budget also fails to address Australias increasing levels of indebtedness, Flavell said.Since we fell into the red in 2009, the shortfall between what the government earns and spends has risen to an amazing 21.5% of gross domestic product. This is an inordinately large sum of money  something the Government doesnt seem to care too much about.Maybe they do need to care. Even though the Government has told us not to worry because they have an economic plan, I am still concerned about our increasing levels of indebtedness.While the Mortgage Choice head praised the incentives offered to small businesses in the 2016 Budget, he is ultimately labelling it as benign and a clever PR stunt.Small businesses play a very important role in our economy and they are going to play an enormous role in the future. Whilst it is pleasing to see continued initiatives that encourage small businesses to invest and grow, it is frightening to see the enormous burden the Coalition is placing on the shoulders of these small businesses, Flavell said.That aside, [Tuesday] nights Budget could really be considered a clever PR stunt by the Federal Government. No doubt they would consider their benign Budget to be election winning.
Latest News NAB reveals six market megatrends for brokers More opportunities for investors, first home buyers

Firstmac shifts up a gear on auto loans National sales manager appointed to pursue growing market

Challenger mortgage broking group MoneyQuest has formally announced the launch of its retail franchise operation.MoneyQuest managing director and ex- Mortgage Choice CEO Michael Russell said becoming a franchise allows the opportunity to leverage its intuitive tech-focussed culture and give brokers a supportive and stimulating environment like no other.In February, MoneyQuest opened its industry-first purpose-built film studio in its Melbourne headquarters. The space was designed to give the companys national network of brokers the ability to create professional video content.The industrys newest franchise now wants to support more brokers and consumers with digitally-empowered infrastructure.Todays savvy consumer expects a lot more from their mortgage brokers  and those mortgage brokers have the right to expect a lot more from the business behind them, Russell said.It also became very apparent that many of the industrys brightest brokers were falling short of their potential because they had aligned themselves with a group that was incapable of providing any tangible value.Weve engineered an efficient modern-day franchise system for the consumers of tomorrow. Theyre much more discerning than ever before  and theyre getting smarter every day. Consumers expect a professional, attentive service from genuine experts they can trust.Russell joined MoneyQuest in December 2015 following his resignation of CEO as Mortgage Choice after six years in the role.
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I didnt plan to stop a bike ride with my kids along the Portland, Ore. waterfront to buy legalized pot, but the opportunity presented itself, and I took it.

Marijuana has been increasingly decriminalized and I have struggled with how to discuss the herb and its many stress-relieving medicinal properties  especially as compared to other pharmaceuticals and even alcohol  with my children.

In the end, honesty won out. Yes, I told them, Ive smoked pot. Yes, I said, I think moderate pot use is okay for adults. The sticky part is that its illegal where we live. But here in legal marijuana country, I was excited.

The storefront sale of marijuana seemed, at last, to put it on par with alcohol, which my husband and I consume liberally in front of the kids at home and in public, as do most of the people we know. I often rail against the ridiculousness of mellow pot smoking being illegal while alcohols more cacophonous results rage on unencumbered. It was nice to be in a place that agreed.

My sister and I went inside the dispensary, while my husband stayed outside with the rented bikes and the boys. Unlike liquor stores, pot dispensaries  even in Oregon  only allow in kids under 21 who have a medical marijuana card.

I couldnt help myself: I bought a little. I wondered what I would tell the kids, but the decision was made for me when my husband came in to say the credit card company had called to make sure the purchase was legit.

I think I would probably have told them anyway. After all, making marijuana legal is the right choice, despite naysayers accusations that pot hastens memory loss or makes people lazy. I note that some of the smartest, most productive people I know are total stoners. (I wont name names, but you know who you are.)

Compared to attention-deficit meds or anti-depressants, I believe in the efficacy of a little marijuana, which I mentioned as the young salesman rolled my joint. He nodded and offered up his own anecdotal evidence: Hed done great in school while smoking weed, but when his parents switched him to Ritalin, his grades fell.

This is far from scientific proof, but his story rang true. I believe marijuana can softly, gently slow an active brain and, hence, be a good thing to de-stress the mind and the body.

As I walked out with my goods, I felt a pang of guilt and sheepishness, and then resolve. Am I not tired of being unable to use a substance that helped me relax when alcohol, which really doesnt, was so rampant?

When I walked out, the kids were making jokes, putting fake joints up to their lips with their fingers and taking long drags.

I smiled, and took the ribbing. My 15-year-old snapped a picture of me in front of the dispensary and I wondered if he would send it to his friends, and then I realized I didnt care. I am a pot supporter, and Im not ashamed to admit it. People can disagree. But I loved Portland and its pot-supporting ways. I loved chatting about pot with the waiter at dinner, that people all during the week were able to discuss their pot use in the open, unlike the strange secretive way people might let on about the same behavior in New York.

I didnt smoke in front of my kids, but Im not sure what Ill do going forward when the substance likely becomes widely legal. Will I sit after dinner and take a puff as my husband sips his bourbon? I guess only time will tell.

Thank you, Oregon, for giving me the chance to talk to my kids about my beliefs and not make me feel like a criminal.
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Hes Jamaican it!

A Jamaica-born chef who was once told he might never walk again is not only cruising around the kitchen again, he just achieved his dream of opening his own eatery, unlocking the doors to an island grill in Fort Greene last week.

I knew from the first day I started in the culinary field I always wanted to open my own restaurant, said Canarsie resident Lancelot Brown, who is now the proud owner of Jamaica Grill on Myrtle Avenue between Hall Street and Washington Avenue. Its one of the dreams I wanted to accomplish and accomplishing it is a momentous achievement for me.

Brown  who moved to a public housing complex in Canarsie from Jamaica 19 years ago  has two culinary degrees, and has worked in eateries across the islands and the Big Apple.

But Browns goal of commanding his own kitchen was nearly sliced and diced when he broke his back in a 2004 accident, and doctors told him he might never be able to stand in front of a stove again.

Brown refused to take the prognosis lying down, however, and after years of physical therapy, he was back up on his feet and aiming to make it big.

I wanted to do something more, because I knew I could do more, he said.

He enrolled in the inaugural class of New York City Housing Authoritys Food Business Pathways program, where he learned how to run a business and got help securing the permits he needed to open Jamaica Grill.

At his new eatery, Brown is serving up dishes from his home country that he said are rarely done well in the concrete jungle.

Its one of those cuisines that you either have to go to Jamaica to have it or find somewhere that prepares it really well, he said.

Brown said diners go wild for his vegetarian pasta, made with jerk-spiced butter and tofu  a recipe he created himself  as well as more traditional Caribbean fare such as jerk chicken and curried goat.

Taste it for yourself at Jamaica Grill [474 Myrtle Ave. between Hall Street and Washington Avenue, (718) 2726382, www.jamai cagri ll.net ].
latest news

October 3, 2022

Dee Gambit

Hundreds  if not thousands  of new and returning TV shows and movies are released every month  your options of what to watch are endless. Variety, they say is ...
UB student entrepreneurs win three first place awards at statewide business plan contest

Buffalo Automation Group, pictured above, won first place in the information technology category at the 2016 New York Business Plan Competition. Credit: Nancy J. Parisi.

Each team will receive $10,000 to further their company

This remarkable accomplishment is a testament to the ingenuity and tenacity of some very good UB students and the support they have received. 

BUFFALO, N.Y.  Buffalos reputation as a breeding ground for innovation and entrepreneurship just took a big step forward.

Student-led teams from the University at Buffalo claimed three first place prizes  more than any other school in the state  at the seventh annual New York Business Plan Competition.

They competed against more than 500 student-led teams from 64 colleges and universities from across the state at the contest, which was held April 29 at SUNY Polytechnic Institutes Albany NanoTech Complex.

A panel of venture capitalists, angel investors and investment bankers selected UB teams for top honors in the health care, information technology and energy categories. Each winning team will receive $10,000 plus in-kind services.

This remarkable accomplishment is a testament to the ingenuity and tenacity of some very good UB students and the support they have received, said Martin Casstevens, business formation and commercialization manager at UBs Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR). It also speaks volumes about the entrepreneurial ecosystem, created by UB and community leaders, which is seeding Buffalos transformation into a knowledge-based economy.

Each UB team is connected to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. They are also clients of Directed Energy, a virtual incubator funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and managed by STOR.

Here are descriptions of the student-led teams and their companies:

Abcombi Biosciences (Biotechnology/Healthcare award)

Abcombi is licensing UB-created biotechnology to develop products that improve vaccines by making them more potent and accessible. The companys CEO is Charles Jones, who recently received a PhD in chemical and biological engineering at UB. Co-founders include Jonathan Lovell, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at UB; and Blaine Pfeifer, PhD, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at UB. Abcombi is also working with UB via START-UP NY, a tax incentive program that pairs promising new startups with colleges and universities.

Buffalo Automation Group (Information Technology/Software award)

A graduate of UBs Technology Incubator, Buffalo Automation Group won the 2015 Buffalo Student Sandbox contest and the UBs 2016 Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition (Panasci TEC). The company is developing cutting-edge self-navigation technology for ships. Unlike traditional autopilot systems which follow coordinate information and compass readings, the companys technology is predictive, sensing environmental threats before they arise. Buffalo Automation Group is led by Thiru Vikram, Emilie Reynolds and Alex Zhitelzeyf, all former or current students in UBs School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Buffalo Automation Group is also working with UB via START-UP NY.

Nano Hydro  (NYSERDA Energy/Sustainability award)

The company is led by Parham Rohani, a PhD candidate in the lab of Mark Swihart, UB Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Rohani is developing technology that induces a chemical reaction between inorganic nanomaterials and water to liberate hydrogen as a fuel source to be used in unmanned vehicles and other products that typically run on batteries. Rohani participated in UBs Entrepreneurship Lab, which is run by STOR and UBs School of Management.

Nano Hydro was previously selected to participate in NEXUS-NY, a program that moves promising energy technologies out of universities into commercial firms. NEXUS-NY is run by High Tech Rochester (a nonprofit that spurs innovation and entrepreneurship) and funded by the NYSERDA.
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.
Powers says Cecil Staton's background as entrepreneur, legislator, and academic gives him an important array of skills

ECU's Joyner Library (image courtesy of Wikipedia)

CHAPEL HILL East Carolina University's newly elected chancellor has unprecedented political experience and a diverse resume that will serve the university well, says UNC Board of Governors member David Powers.Cecil Staton, current interim president of Valdosta State University in Georgia, was elected on April 27 by a unanimous vote of the Board of Governors as the new chancellor of ECU. Staton will start on July 1, taking the reins from Chancellor Steve Ballard, who has served in the position since 2004.Staton was one of three finalists considered for the ECU leadership position. His annual salary is set at $450,000, a $65,000 increase over Ballard's current salary of $385,000.Powers, a native of eastern North Carolina, calls ECU one of the most important schools in the university system due to its impact on the economy, and says Staton is an excellent choice given his unusual background in both the public and private sectors.Born in Greenville, S.C., Staton was the first in his family to complete a college education, attending Furman University for his bachelor's degree, and then obtaining two master's degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate from the University of Oxford. He is a former entrepreneur, five-term Georgia state senator, and a faculty member and an administrator at Mercer University in Macon, Ga.Powers said, referencing Staton's background as a state legislator.Powers continued.Powers said that Staton also received positive responses from a wide range of ECU students, faculty, and administrators during the chancellor search process, and that legislators have expressed approval of the choice as well.In a speech before Staton's election, new UNC system President Margaret Spellings, former secretary of education in the George W. Bush Administration, praised the hiring choice, calling Staton anwith aSpellings said.In addition to his capacity for developing good relations with the General Assembly, Staton's experience in university administration gives him the ability to expand the reach and reputation of ECU's medical and dental schools, and to turn the university's research division into a competitor with UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University, Powers said.Powers said.Staton, who in his April 27 address before the BOG joked that by switching from the red and black of Valdosta State to ECU's royal purple he has "new favorite color," stated that he intends to push the university to do well duringStaton said.
vehicles have of late got the whip from those concerned about damage to the environment. First came the Supreme Court registration ban on vehicles having engines above 2,000cc and then the ban on taxis operating on .

The automobile sector has been hit hard. An estimated Rs 5,000 crore was invested in building engine capacity when demand picked up between 2009 and 2013 and the government continued subsidising the fuel. Now, however, diesels future looks dim. The stand against diesel vehicles has impacted sales and the price differential narrowed with petrol.

At stake is the capacity set up by numerous original equipmet makers. About a month after the Supreme Court banned sales of large diesel cars in the National Capital Region, Mahindra & Mahindra reacted with new SUV variants to circumvent this. This move helped it to restore earlier sales levels in the region. Though such re-engineering and diversification to petrol engines helped M&M, investment on diesel technology will also have to be revisited, company officials agree.

Pravin Shah, president and chief executive (automotive) at M&M, said: For any investment, we need a stable business environment to enable it live out its life. We take long-term investment plans into cognizance while developing engines and it cannot be an overnight decision to reverse it.



Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Honda had invested in diesel engine capacities between 2011-12 and 2013-14, when diesel car demand was at its peak. The deregulation in petrol prices in 2010 (even as diesel was regulated) led to widening of the price gap between the two fuels, substantially influencing car buyer preference.

That trend is reversing. Research and rating agency ICRA says diesel accounted for 44 per cent of the 2.78 million passenger vehicles (PVs) sold last year, down from the peak of 58 per cent of the 2.68 mn PVs in 2012-13.

On the one hand you have petrol vehicle buyers waiting and on the other, you sit on unsold diesel vehicles. We have seen a swing of 15 per cent to petrol variants (from diesel) in the case of (our) City (model) during the first quarter of 2016. The situation is uncertain, said Jnaneswar Sen, senior vice-president (marketing and sales) at Honda Cars India.

The rate of swing back to petrol is less aggressive than the swing towards diesel six years earlier. From a mere 15 per cent in 2007-08, the share of diesel vehicles marked a near four-fold jump to 58 per cent in 2012-13. The rate of shift to petrol has been milder, as diesel lost only 14 percentage points share in the past three years, according to ICRA.

Toyota Kirloskar has thus gone ahead with its planned investment of Rs 1,100 crore for a new unit with annual capacity of over 100,000 diesel engines a year. These will power its Innova and Fortuner models, both of which use imported engines at the moment. The plant's inauguration, said N Raja, senior vice-president, sales and marketing, demonstrates our strong belief that diesel is a good fuel when used with the latest technology. Diesel engine technology will continue to be an integral part of every automobile maker, considering the stringent fuel efficiency norms being introduced in year 2017.



Beside increased activism against diesel for being the chief polluter, a major reason behind the demand shift back towards petrol models is the reducing price gap. From as high as Rs 30 a litre in 2012, it narrowed to Rs 10 a litre two months earlier between the two fuels.

With a steep premium of 20-25 per cent (Rs 100,000 and above) over equivalent petrol variants, diesel models are not only substantially more expensive to buy but also to maintain. Further, new petrol hatchbacks are nearly as fuel-efficient as diesel counterparts. Which is why Maruti suspended an earlier plan to double the diesel engine capacity at its Gurgaon factory to 300,000 engines.

It, instead, decided to buy these from Fiat, which has a ready plant near Pune.

"The share of diesel vehicles in overall domestic PV sales moderated to 44 per cent in FY16 and is likely to further decline to 40 per cent by FY17. Over the medium term, it is likely to stabilise around 40 per cent, supported by new model launches in the compact utility vehicle segment and shifting preference towards larger cars, which are largely diesel-driven, said ICRA.

Guenter Butschek, managing director of Tata Motors, said: The whole pollution issue requires more global review, a more holistic approach. We are very strongly committed to fuel efficiency (and) to ecologically responsible drivetrains. We are open to all kinds of discussions and fully support the government but let us actually address the problem.
The Union aviation ministry will form two working groups to address issues related to capacity constraints and at the Delhi and Mumbai airports. The decision was taken on Thursday, at a meeting chaired by R N Choubey, the ministrys secretary.

These two airports are the busiest in the country and also face capacity constraints. More so at Mumbai, which has a single runway and no extra slots for airlines.

The working groups will comprise representatives of airlines, airport operators and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Theyll examine issues related to capacity, reducing airside congestion and runway occupancy, plus better navigation procedures.

At Thursdays meeting, executives of the two airports made presentations on the issues and what was being done to improve air traffic movement.

Mumbai handles 45-48 movements an hour and on occasion over 50; a single runway means it does not have room to accommodate more flights. Theres also a staff shortage at the traffic control tower.

KEY TAKEAWAYS Mumbai and Delhi airports are facing capacity constraints

Mumbai airport has only one runway and no extra slots for airlines

The working groups will comprise representatives of airlines, airport operators and AAI

They will look at ways to reduce airside congestion and better navigation procedures

The capacity constraints issue is hurting new airlines like Vistara

Aircraft movement at Mumbai is 45-48 an hour

The capacity constraint issue at key airports (also at Chennai) is hurting new airlines such as Vistara, which is demanding a model for equitable distribution of slots among airlines.

A formula can be reached so that everyone gets a fair share. New airlines need slots to grow or else there will be a duopoly or monopoly, not good for consumers. Customers will also have an opportunity to experience new services and fares will be kept in check, Sanjiv Kapoor, chief strategy officer of Vistara, had said in April.
Godrej Industries has roped in former Tata CEO Avani Davda as the managing director for its gourmet retail business, Godrej Nature's Basket. Avani will take over as the MD of Godrej Nature's Basket from Mohit Khattar, who moves into a new group level role.

Davda comes with the experience of working across consumer facing sectors of the Tata Group viz. Tata Global Beverages, Taj Hotels, Infiniti Retail, Tata Housing and Tata Infrastructure & Realty.

Tanya Dubash, Executive Director and Chief Brand Officer, Godrej Group, said: "Godrej Nature's Basket is at exciting phase of its growth journey. Avani comes with a wealth of experience in retail, business strategy and brand building. I am positive that Avani will help scale the business to greater heights and wish her the very best in her new assignment." Davda quit in December 2015, three years after it opened store here.
In a bid to make purchase of digital content easier, has introduced direct carrier billing in India. Now Idea's customers will be able to purchase applications, games and movies from Google's Play without a credit card.

Introduced in India for the first time, with this integration, Idea paves the way for a new and secure way to buy and enjoy digital content through a smartphone. This premium service allows Idea subscribers to pay for all applications, content and in-app features on Google Play with the cost being directly charged to the subscribers existing phone credit  be it post-paid or pre-paid. The subscribers will have to merely choose the Idea billing option when prompted during the purchase. A nominal convenience charge will be included in the final transaction.

Speaking on the occasion, P Lakshminarayana, Chief Operating Officer  Corporate, Idea Cellular, said, Idea has been at the forefront of the internet revolution and has built a robust network through an extensive 3G and now 4G rollout. With capabilities to provide wireless broadband services to nearly 880 million Indians, Idea is well poised to take the lead in the way content is served to an increasing army of digital savvy users. This tie up with Google Play creates a vast set of opportunities for Idea subscribers and also builds a secure gateway to the digital world.

Talking about the launch, Mike Hayes, Director, Business Development, Android & Chrome Partnerships at Google said, This collaboration with is the first time Google Play has offered direct carrier billing in India. Like with lower minimal pricing for apps and pre-paid vouchers, we hope to make it easier for people to pay for the content they want on Google Play. And we also hope that this will give a boost to the developer ecosystem in India, helping developers to grow their businesses on Google Play and connecting to Indian customers.

India is presently the worlds third largest smartphone market (GSMA, 2015), and Android devices are extremely popular. Credit card penetration in India is less than 3%, limiting customers ability to purchase mobile content and services. Providing the ease of purchase, Google Play will ensure that the safety of subscribers account information is maintained, as a part of its secure and protected service.
The railway ministry on Thursday sought to allay users' concerns about reports of alleged hacking of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website.

There has been no hacking of the website. No such incident has been detected by the technical teams of the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and . Technical investigations have also not indicated any unusual activity with respect to various (e-ticketing) system components, the ministry said.

It said the preliminary report of a six-member committee set up to look into the matter has not found any indication of a breach of security in any of the databases of the e-ticketing system. The ministry promised to carry out further checks once the purported leaked data are made available, even as the committee continues to investigations.

However, the ministry said no Denial of Service (DoS) or DDoS attack has been successful, fuelling suspicion whether a DDoS attack did occur on the website on Tuesday. A DDoS attack is said to have occurred when hackers sitting at multiple locations or operating from multiple servers or identities launch a simultaneous and coordinated attack on a particular website or machine to bring it down.

The main motive of a DDoS attack is to make the chosen machine or website unresponsive through multiple bad requests, a software engineer who did not wish to be identified explained. This is different from a DoS attack, where it is launched by a hacker from a single location or server, he added.

The official statement also said the gaps reported by Standardisation Testing Quality Certification Directorate (STQC), an arm of the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, in their penetration testing have been addressed, implying the presence of such gaps. IT security of the e-ticketing system is ensured through security audits conducted by STQC.

Audit trails are maintained for access to the system and all sensitive data like passwords are stored in encrypted form. In addition, round-the-clock monitoring is done by a team of experts. Strict physical checks are already in place in the Data Centre, including restricted access and CCTV cameras, the rail ministry said.

Indian Railways e-ticketing system stores two kinds of data, sensitive information including credit card details, login id and passwords which can cause financial risk in case of leakage, and other data such as mobile numbers and email ids. The ministry said no sensitive data have been leaked and other data sets (mobile number, email ids) are available with multiple electronic service providers, including e-commerce firms and telemarketers. So far, leaks through service providers of IRCTC have not been established.

Experts said the governments efforts at containing cyber attacks are wanting. The kind of proactive focus the government needs to focus on cyber security breaches is not there. Denial of hacking is not a solution. IRCTC needs to investigate what sort of due-diligence was done to prevent such an attack. The country is sourly missing a dedicated cyber security legislation, said Pavan Duggal, an advocate who specialises in Cyberlaw and E-Commerce law.

The latest case began with the Inspector General (IG) of Maharashtras Cyber Cell informing the chief commercial manager (CCM)-Western Railways on Tuesday that large volumes of data belonging to users may have been compromised. The CCM, in turn, informed the Railway Board, which called an emergency meeting and decided to form the high-level committee.

IRCTC has a combined user base of 10 million and around 500,000 tickets are sold on its portal every day. The railways e-ticketing arm has now requested the IG-Cyber Cell, Maharashtra, to share the data sets or complaints that have triggered the investigation to ascertain the source of the hack. IRCTC Managing Director A K Manocha, who attended Tuesdays emergency meeting, has written to Delhi Polices Cyber Cell to look into the matter.
Following Supreme Court's interim order on Wednesday, asking tobacco to comply with the Union health ministry's directive to print tobacco packs with 85% health warnings, cigarette major has shut its factories.

"The Supreme Court observed that all parties should endeavour to follow the rules. In the meantime, the company has had to shut its cigarette factories from May 4, 2016 until the company is in a position to comply with the interim requirements pending hearing in the Karnataka high court," the company said in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange.

On Wednesday, a two-judge bench of Supreme Court passed an interim order asking tobacco producers to fall in line with the directive till the decision on the various cases are made. Also, the country's apex court ordered to expedite the hearing of all writ petitions challenging the larger health warning directive and all similar writ petitions pending in various high courts be transferred to the Karnataka High Court for disposal on merits.

By the same order, the Supreme Court also transferred a PIL pending before the Rajasthan High Court, to the Karnataka High Court, to be heard along with the other writ petitions.

On April 1, and most of the other cigarette makers had shut factories, after the directive on 85% pictorial warnings came into effect. Cigarette and other tobacco product makers had taken legal recourse against the Centre's move.

However, after obtaining a favourable ruling from a high court, and some of the other cigarette makers had resumed production April 15 onwards.

The Tobacco Institute of India, which represents 98 percent of India's duty-paid tobacco producers too has asked its members (that include ITC and Godfrey Philips etc) to adhere to the directive till the ruling in the Karnataka High Court comes out.

"In the meantime, it was observed that all parties should endeavour to follow the rules. A copy of the order is awaited," TII director Syed Mahmood Ahmad said. Several calls and message to Godfrey Philips went unanswered. It is not known if this company too will fall in line with ITC to halt production.

The Union health ministry on September 24, 2015, had prescribed 85% pictorial warnings on tobacco products' packaging, which came into force from April 1, 2016. At present, pictorial warnings must take up 40% of the packaging surface.
Food and beverages major PepsiCo India is banking on regionalisation of its salty snacks portfolio to achieve higher sales.

The company, which derives half its Rs 8,130 crore sales from its food business, will have at least 20 new regional flavours of Kurkure, its flagship brand in traditional Indian snacks.

Traditional Indian snacks is a Rs 7,000 crore market. PepsiCo and ITC are the two major players in the category. PepsiCo serves western snacks through its brand Lays.

"Consumer preference for snacks is different in different regions of the country. We are focusing on bringing in new regional Kurkure variants to cater to different sets of consumers," said Partho Chakrabarti, vice-president, snacks, PepsiCo India.

The beverages market in India is facing subdued demand as consumers shift away from colas. Last year, beverage makers had to cut production during the peak April-July months because of low demand. However, the Indian snacks segment is growing with more consumers coming on board.

PepsiCo is banking on the Rs 1,000 crore Kurkure brand being perceived as an Indian snacks brand. Around 30 per cent of Kurkure sales comes from the rural market. PepsiCo recently launched Rs 2 Kurkure packs to increase consumption in rural and semi-urban markets.
Government-owned mining major has cut iron ore prices of fines (with low Fe content) 11 per cent for May to align its prices with global . The company has also cut high-grade iron ore (lumps) prices by four per cent to encourage domestic steel mills to procure the raw material from it.

With this revision, iron ore fine is now quoted at Rs 1,660 a tonne, compared to Rs 1,860 a tonne last month. Similarly, iron ore lump is being sold at Rs 2,000 a tonne effective May 4, against Rs 2,100 a tonne earlier.

Over the past few months, has maintained high prices but demand has slumped recently, resulting in large inventories at mine heads in Odisha. Production obstruction in Karnataka, meanwhile, has resulted in lower availability. NMDCs cut in prices can be attributed to weak demand and abundance of supply in domestic . The company maintained higher price for several months, though, said Tarang Bhanushali, an analyst with India Infoline.

The latest price revision shows a marginal increase so far this calendar year from the January level of Rs 1,560 a tonne of fines and Rs 1,800 a tonne of lumps, reflecting the global trend.

The benchmark iron ore prices for delivery in China slumped by 9.28 per cent in April to end the month at $60.09 a tonne. Demand from the steel and palate industry is weak and there is a huge stock of ore at pit heads of 140 million tonnes (mt), which seems to have forced to cut prices when global prices are rising.
The erstwhile promoters of Ranbaxy Laboratories, the Singh brothers and family have been asked to pay damages of Rs 2,562.78 crore to Daiichi by an arbitration tribunal here for concealing and misrepresenting information during their stake sell to the Japanese firm.

Malvinder Singh, currently the Chairman of Fortis Healthcare, and family including his brother Shivinder Singh, had sold their entire stake of about 35 per cent in Ranbaxy for $2.4 billion in 2008 to Daiichi Sankyo.

However, in 2013, the Japanese pharmaceutical major had filed an arbitration case in Singapore accusing the Indian promoters of concealment and misrepresentation of facts after Ranbaxy paid $500 million to the US Department of Justice as settlement for misrepresenting facts.

The arbitration tribunal has issued an award by a majority of 2:1 in favour of the claimant for damages of an amount of Rs 2562.78 crore, RHC Holding Pvt Ltd said in a statement.

RHC Holding Pvt Ltd is among the sellers of shares of erstwhile Ranbaxy Laboratories along with Oscar Investments, which have been named as respondents in the arbitration suit by the claimant, Daiichi Sankyo.

The statement added the damage amount to be paid include "quantified interest, costs and expenses of the arbitration till the date of award and interest on above until date of payment, against all the respondents jointly and severally".

Commenting on its future course of action, RHC Holding said: "The company is exploring further legal options to challenge the majority award."



It, however, declined to share details stating "all the parties to the arbitration are bound by confidentiality obligations as a part of the arbitration proceedings."



When contacted Malvinder Singh declined to comment.

After buying out the erstwhile promoters, Daiichi spent a total of around Rs 22,000 crore to gain a majority stake in Ranbaxy. Later on, the Japanese firm exited Ranbaxy following a $4.2 billion merger deal between Sun Pharma and Ranbaxy.

Last April, Daiichi Sankyo sold its entire stake of around 9 per cent in Sun Pharmaceutical Industries for over Rs 20,420 crore, which it received after merger of Ranbaxy in the Indian firm, ending its seven years of tumultuous experience in the country.
Reliance Infrastructures wholly-owned subsidiary has received 16 industrial licenses for manufacture of equipment ranging from small arms, heavy weapons, armoured vehicles, ammunition, explosives, electronic warfare systems, missiles, UAVs and directed energy weapon systems, laser systems for target destruction and C4I systems for all defence platforms.

Of the 16 new licences given to Reliance Defence, 11 pertain to land systems, three for naval systems and the remaining two cover niche technologies across the defence spectrum, the company said in a statement.

With these new 16 licences, now has total 27 licences to address the entire spectrum of defence equipment manufacturing.

Read more from our special coverage on "RELIANCE DEFENCE"

The land systems include design, development and production of heavy weapons (artillery guns, air defence guns, mortars, multi barrel rocket launchers, heavy machine guns) of all calibres, electronic warfare systems, ammunition, explosives, tanks, infantry combat vehicles (ICV), directed energy weapon systems, small arms laser systems for target destruction and C4I Systems for various land platforms.

Reliance Land Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of will be the lead venture for the manufacturing of missiles, explosives, heavy weapons, tanks and ICVs and Reliance SED Ltd will be the lead entity for manufacture of electronic warfare systems, directed energy weapon systems and laser systems for target destruction.

The key programmes in these segments have budgetary allocation in excess of Rs 50,000 crore, the company said. The Indian Army will spend an additional Rs 50,000 crore over the next 10 to 15 years on different combat vehicles. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has already given a go ahead for Air Defence Missile Systems worth Rs 40,000 crore, Air Defence Guns valued at Rs 17,000 crore and Mounted Gun Systems worth Rs 15,800 crore. Other projects cleared include upgrades for BMP2 and T?72 tanks, digitisation of Pechora Air Defence System and Electronic Warfare System worth Rs 30,000 crore. Total opportunities already approved are in excess of Rs 200,000 crore for land systems.

Reliance Defence also intends to address a large potential international market for combat vehicles in West Asia, Africa and South America. It wants to develop an infantry combat vehicle which will not only address the domestic requirement but can also address global requirements estimated at Rs 3,50,000 crore ($50 billion).

Reliance Unmanned Systems, another subsidiary of Reliance Defence, intends to target various requirements of the Indian Navy, Army and Air Force for unmanned systems. The combined value of these programmes over the next 10 years is expected to exceed Rs 30,000 crore.

Reliance Naval Systems, a strategic business unit of Reliance Defence, has been issued with three licences to manufacture of underwater systems, electro-optical systems, underwater weapons and C4I systems. The naval system programmes will be undertaken by Reliance Defence and Engineering (formerly Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Company Ltd) which owns the Pipavav dockyard in Gujarat and which was acquired by Reliance Infrastructure, being the largest acquisition in the Indian defence sector. The company will target a combined market of over Rs 50,000 crore for the naval systems.

Reliance Land Systems has acquired land at Pithampur SEZ, Indore, to set up a land systems park under the governments Make in India programme for indigenous manufacturing of broad spectrum of land systems equipment. This greenfield project will address the Rs 2,00,000 crore domestic and Rs 3,50,000 crore global opportunities in the land system segment in the defence industry.

Reliance Defence has industrial licences for the full spectrum of military platforms.
As many as 272 Indian are currently lodged in foreign jails, including 220 in Pakistan and 34 in Sri Lanka, government said Thursday.

Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh told the Rajya Sabha that the main reason for frequent arrest of Indian by Sri Lankan authorities was due to the allegation that they indulge in bottom trawling and there being no physical demarcation of international maritime boundaries.

Read more from our special coverage on "FISHERMEN" Pakistan apprehends 24 fishermen; 4 boats off Gujarat Coast

"As on date there are only 34 and 19 boats which are in custody of Sri Lanka. From time to time, government secures the release of Indian fishermen. The last release that took place was of 99 Indian fishermen on April 9 in exchange for 9 Sri Lankan fishermen," he said.

Singh said this problem is "acute till we achieve some sort of an understanding between fishermen of both sides.The understanding has not been reached even after three rounds of talks between the two fishermen associations."



Asked why an agreement is not put in place despite three rounds of meetings between fishermen associations in which governments are involved, he said "Sri Lankan fishermen have said that you all are involved in bottom trawling. Till the time that is stopped we cannot have an agreement on fishing in each other's waters. That is the main reason that is stopping a proper agreement to come into place between two countries."



Singh said bottom trawling is considered very bad in fishing circles as it wipes out the complete marine life and the Sri Lankan authorities say that "if you give an undertaking that your fishermen will not be involved in the practice, then they can take a different view."



He said government accords highest priority to the safety and security of Indian fishermen and provides regular consular access to those detained in foreign countries and secure their early release by intervening at the highest level.

On Pakistan, Singh said as per bilateral agreement in May 2008, India-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee consisting of retired judges of superior judiciary from two countries are meeting every six months and visiting jails to ameliorate the conditions, ensure humane treatment and expeditious release of prisoners.

To a supplementary that while India is inviting people in Pathankot and it is not being reciprocated by the other side, Singh said "judicial commission has nothing to do with things like Pathankot.
Denting the Congress defence in the ongoing controversy, the Italian judge in the case has said that the note, which mentions AP as a recipient of a bribe as authentic, NDTV reported. The Centre has alleged that this AP stands for Ahmed Patel, Chief Advisor to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Congress in the Parliament had challenged the authenticity of this document.

The note that Judge Marco Maria Maiga is talking about refers to the one written by Guido Haschke, one of the three middlemen said to have bribed Indians for the deal. The Centre wants to question Haschke on the scam.

My judgment does not give a clean chit to Indian politicians. It is up to India to now follow up on investigating its politicians, the judge told NDTV. He added that his trial focused on Italians who bribed Indians for a helicopter deal.

Elaborating on Haschkes version, the judge said that he was vague in stating who AP was in the list that he had. The list also contained notes like FAM and POL; the former is believed to be the family of former IAF chief SP Tyagi. The judge added that there was substantial evidence against Tyagi for accepting kickbacks.

The notes were reviewed in the Italian court, which referred to top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi. Gandhi was said to be the driving force of Indias decision to buy these helicopters when Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was in power.

The revelations have rocked the ongoing Parliament session ever since it has begun.
A suspected massive data hacking case has sent the Railway Board, which manages Indian Railways, in a tizzy. The Board has formed a high-level six member committee of experts to look into the case where personal data of around 10 million users on the website, Indias largest e-commerce portal, is suspected to have been hacked and sold.

Officials suspect the massive data hacking may have involved personal information of users including PAN card numbers, Aadhaar card details, email ids and mobile numbers  immensely valuable set of information for telemarketing companies in the digital age.

We cannot comment until we have seen the data that has been leaked. We will be able to substantiate any claim of data hack or theft only after we have seen the data and checked whether it belongs to the website or some other source, said a senior official.

A senior official from the rail ministry informed the board is investigating into whether the case involves data hacking or an internal leakage, which, if correct, would be a more worrisome issue.

The case began with the Inspector General (IG) of Maharashtras Cyber Cell informing the Chief Commercial Manager (CCM)  Western Railways on Tuesday that large volumes of data belonging to users may have been compromised. The CCM, in turn, informed the Railway Board which called an emergency meeting and decided to form a committee, including three members of IRCTC and three from Center for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), the rail ministrys IT arm.

IRCTC has a combined user base of 10 million and more than 500,000 tickets are sold on the e-ticketing portal every day. The Indian Railways e-ticketing arm has now requested the IG-Cyber Cell of Maharashtra to share the data sets or complaints that have triggered the investigation to ascertain the source of the hack or the leak.

Meanwhile, IRCTCs Managing Director, who attended Tuesdays emergency meeting, has written to Delhi Polices Cyber Cell to look into the matter. Officials are reportedly concerned over the possibility of users credit card details or bank details having been compromised.

The website of IRCTC asks users to share mobile numbers and email ids during registration for booking tickets. However, for credit card and bank account details, the users are directed to the website of the banks which generally deploy more secure firewalls.

The data hacking case comes a week after a joint team of the Bengaluru Branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Western Railways Vigilance Department arrested a man from Basti in Eastern Uttar Pradesh for hacking into the IRCTC website to create fake tickets that used to be sold to a network of agents across the country.

Rail minister Suresh Prabhu had last month ordered a Cyber audit of all the online systems of India Railways to make railways IT system foolproof.
Widening its probe in the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has begun a trail of cash which is suspected to have been paid as alleged kickbacks for the purchase of 12 helicopters from UK-based AgustaWestland.

The financial probe agency has set the ball rolling with the second round of questioning of witnesses and accused in connection with the scam and is likely to quiz former IAF Chief S P Tyagi on Thursday, provided his recording of statement with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ends on Wednesday.

ED, which has been probing the money laundering angle in the case, has summoned cousins of Tyagi after his round of questioning is over besides realty firm Emaar MGFs boss Shravan Gupta. His name cropped up after it was found that the alleged middleman Guido Haschke was an independent director of the firm between September to December 2009.

Company officials said Gupta will cooperate with investgative agencies.

ED, in its charge sheet filed last year in a court, had claimed to have detected flow of alleged kickbacks sent from abroad to companies of the accused Gautam Khaitan and cousin brothers of the former IAF chief. Officials said the flow of funds is being probed as it is alleged that it was quid pro quo to make AgustaWestland eligible to get selected for the final delivery of the 12 AW-101 helicopters to India for VVIP flying duties.

ED, according to the charge sheet, had traced two payments of ^126,000 and another ^200,000 from a company based in Tunisia and others made to Tyagi brothers camouflaged in the form of consultancy fee and its probe had found that the said remittances correspond with the developments taking place in alteration/reduction of mandatory servicing ceiling of the helicopters.



ED claimed that besides these two remittances, the Tyagi brothers including the then IAF Chief Tyagi, also received some amount of cash from Haschke and Gerosa. ED probe found that the alleged middlemen Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, in collusion with the Tyagi brothers Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep managed to make inroads in IAF through Air Chief Marshal Tyagi and thereby could influence and subvert the consistent stand of IAF regarding mandatory service ceiling of the helicopters.



This ground was used by CBI and ED to register their respective FIRs in the case and brought out the alleged illegal involvement of the ex-IAF chief and his cousins in perpetrating the scam.

The agency, sources said, suspects the tainted cash could have been used by the accused for making certain high-value payments and purchase of costly items.

It is also expected that a joint team of the two agencies could be authorised by the government to soon travel to few overseas locations to track the trail of funds, both through wire tranfer and cash.

Sources said while the agency has filed its first charge sheet in the case last year in November, it is now looking to establish the further "proceeds of crime" of the alleged scam in order to prepare a water tight case against other accused and even those named earlier in its prosecution complaint.

"That includes both cash and wire transfer funds routed through multiple or single overseas locations," they said.

It has recently begun a second round of questioning of the accused in the wake of the recent judgement of a Milan (Italy) based court which 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.

The Milan court order also mentions the name of Tyagi at several points.

ED will also go through the contents of the order as soon as it gets translated into English from Italian, they said, adding there could be few more attachments of the accused in the case after the agency detected some more 'benami' properties.

Apart from filing a charge sheet, the ED has also attached assets worth Rs 11 crore belonging to the cousins of Tyagi and Italian national and another alleged middleman in the case Christian Michel James.

All the three middlemen have been notified by the two agencies under the Red Corner Notice of the Interpol also early this year.

While Tyagi has denied all the allegations against him, Emaar MGF has said it has no "business links" with Rahul Gandhi's aide Kanishka Singh while Haschke was an independent director for an "extremely brief period".

As BJP MP Kirit Somaiya dragged Singh's name into the controversy involving alleged kickbacks paid for the VVIP chopper deal, Emaar MGF termed the allegations as "baseless and incorrect.
The government went on the offensive in the AgustaWestland controversy on Wednesday, with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar stating in Parliament that an inquiry into it would focus on those an Italian court judgement named.

Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) leader and Congress President Sonia Gandhi's bete noire Subramanian Swamy has also placed several allegations against the Congress party in the AgustaWestland deal.

The Congress has objected strongly to points raised by Parrikar and Swamy, with leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing the BJP of pursuing a politically motivated campaign to defame the grand old party through the scam associated with the deal.

Here is an account of Congress' rebuttal to the 5 major allegations made against it:

1) Lowering the flight ceiling of the choppers:

BJP: The ruling party has alleged that the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had lowered the flight ceiling requirement of the choppers competing for the deal in a bid to favour AgustaWestland



Congress: Refuting the BJP's allegations, former defence minister A K Antony stated that the decision to change the flying altitude of the choppers from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres was taken by then PMO and Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2003. "The decision to change height was taken by the PMO. The major decision was taken by your (NDA) government in 2003. I am not casting any aspersions, just stating facts," Antony said.

2) Improper field trials:

BJP: Swamy has alleged that the field trials of the AgustaWestland chopper were not conducted properly. Field trials should always be conducted on the helicopter you are going to use, Swamy said. They chose to have field trials in Italy but why was the testing done on another helicopter, Swamy questioned. Swamy alleged that the act amounted to fraud and they (Congress leaders) were prosecutable under section 420 of the IPC.

Congress: Clarifying on the specific charge, Antony, according to the Indian Express, said that the field trials for the AgustaWestland company were carried out in the UK while the trials of the Sikorsky chopper were carried out in USA from January 16, 2008, to February 2008. According to the report, Antony said, "When the file came to me, as defence minister, I objected. Then vice-chief of air staff wrote to the defence secretary. The process followed bureaucratic channels, and I endorsed.

3) Suspicious initials in documents cited by the Italian court:

BJP: The BJP has raised allegations against Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Ahmed Patel, based on suspicious initials found in documents cited by the Italian court.



Congress: The grand old party's Abhishek Manu Singhvi directly addressed the issue of "CP, (Congress president Sonia Gandhi) V-P (Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi) and AP, (Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel)" - the three initials from documents cited by the Italian court, which had led to much heat and chaos in the House. He made detailed references to the Italian court's judgement and stated that the court had not indicted, or found any evidence against any of the Congress leaders. Citing the Jain Hawala judgement ruling argued by Arun Jaitley (now Union finance minister) to bolster his argument, Singhvi said that initials have no evidence in a legal case. "LKA" (Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani) had been acquitted of all charges he reminded members.

4) Cost escalation:

BJP: Alleging impropriety in the price for the choppers agreed upon by the then UPA government, Swamy has said, "In September 2008, contract negotiations committee (CNC) arbitrarily fixed Rs 4,877.5 crore as the deal which was 6 times more." According to Swamy, in January 2006, the air force had given Rs 793 crore as the benchmark rate for the choppers.

Congress: Providing clarification on the matter, Antony, according to the Indian Express, said that the CNC was "constituted and it carried out its discussions with the vendor between September 19, 2008 and January 21, 2009".

According to the report, Antony informed that while the CNC was conducting its discussions, "Air HQ" made recommendations for the inclusion of enhanced safety and protection features  traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS-II) and enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) for all 12 helicopters.

The report added that Antony said that the Special Protection Group and and PMO "recommended inclusion of Medevac System for eight VVIP helicopters".

Attributing the revision of costs to these additions, Antony said, "The CNC, thereafter, recommended conclusion of the contract at a negotiated price of Euro 556.262 million".

5) Tardy investigations and deliberate delays:

BJP: Targeting the Congress, Parrikar, on Wednesday, said, "It appears an 'invisible hand' was guiding the action or inaction of CBI and ED."

He accused the Congress-led UPA of delaying the probe even after the scam had broken out. "The case was handed over to CBI only after (Finmeccanica's former chief Giuseppe) Orsi was arrested," Parrikar said.

Congress: Refuting Parrikar's claims, Antony said that it was the UPA which had acted on the "corrupt company" and cracked down on it. The then government had paid Rs 1,586 crore but recovered Rs 2,062 crore from AgustaWestland, Antony highlighted.

He added that three helicopters worth Rs 900 crore were also impounded.
Dedicated Corporation (DFCC), the Indian Railways' arm implementing the ambitious project, will award contracts worth Rs 14,000 crore in the current financial year (2016-17) in a bid to quickly wrap up work and meet the 2019 deadline for commissioning the Rs 82,000-crore project.

"By July 2016, we are going to place orders worth Rs 10,000 crore. The balance - around Rs 4,000 crore worth of contracts - will be placed in the rest of the current financial year itself. After this, work will be progressing in every section of DFCC," said a senior executive.

He added the company has so far placed 76 per cent of the contracts for civil works and 63 per cent of electrical contracts, apart from 48 per cent of the total signalling contracts.

For the construction of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, contracts worth Rs 4,000 crore were awarded in 2013 followed by another Rs 5,000 crore contracts in 2014. Last year, the DFCC placed around five contracts for signalling and telecommunication, electrification and civil construction. Similarly, nine contracts were placed for Western Dedicated .

The executive said the government-owned firm placed contracts worth Rs 24,000 crore in 2015-16 for various works on the freight corridor. "This is compared to Rs 13,000 crore worth of contracts placed in previous six years (2009-14)," he said. DFCC's capex in FY16 stood at Rs 8,600 crore, compared to Rs 2,800 crore in FY15, a three-fold increase. In 2016-17, the company plans an expenditure of Rs 12,500 crore, including Rs 3,500 crore earmarked for land acquisition and the balance Rs 9,000 crore for contractual payments. The DFCC is constructing the 3,350-km-long freight corridor project, including the 1,800 km of its eastern arm between Ludhiana and Dankuni in West Bengal. The Western DFC will come up between Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai.

ON THE RAILS Rs 14,000 cr DFCC planning to place contracts for civil, signalling and telecom, and electrical works in FY17

DFCC planning to place contracts for civil, signalling and telecom, and electrical works in FY17 Rs 10,000 cr Contracts to be placed by July; rest Rs 4,000-crore orders by March 2017

Contracts to be placed by July; rest Rs 4,000-crore orders by March 2017 Rs 24,000 cr Contracts placed in FY16, against Rs 13,000-crore contracts in the previous six years

Contracts placed in FY16, against Rs 13,000-crore contracts in the previous six years Rs 12,500 cr Spend by SPV under rail ministry in FY17, including Rs 3,500 crore on land acquisition

Spend by SPV under rail ministry in FY17, including Rs 3,500 crore on land acquisition Rs 82,000 cr Project cost. Having already conducted trial run for the first pilot stretch in Bihar, DFCC confident of meeting the 2019 deadline

The project, when commissioned, would take up more than 70 per cent of Indian Railways freight traffic on to its faster, longer and heavier trains.

The Eastern DFC accounts for around 40 per cent of the total project cost. The Phase I of the project between Khurja and Mughalsarai is being funded through 66 per cent debt from World Bank and the rest as equity from the rail ministry.

The Phase II corridor between Mughalsarai and Sonnagar is being funded entirely through government equity, while the third phase between Sonnagar and Dankuni is to be developed on public-private partnership, or PPP mode.
Congress president today came down heavily on the ruling AIADMK government calling it anti-people and anti-farmer by not lending helping hand in times of need.She was addressing an election rally, sharing the dais with DMK President M Karunanidhi in Chennai today.

Gandhi claimed the state government nor the AIADMK party came to help the people when the city faced floods. "It was the people who helped each other," she said.

Gandhi also said contrary to the assurance given by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that flood insurance claims will be settled in four weeks time, they are still pending to be settled by the insurers. Read more from our special coverage on "SONIA GANDHI" Irani takes on Sonia, says Congress uncomfortable courtesy chopper deal

Modi spreading hatred, creating divide among people: Sonia

Sonia back in the drivers seat as Cong goes off track

Uttarakhand, Arunachal, Manipur: How Congress is losing its grip on the states

Country in critical phase: Sonia

According to Gandhi, development in Tamil Nadu has come to an end whereas under the DMK rule several new industries had been set up. She said under AIADMK rule, many industries are migrating to other states and the youth are jobless in the state.

Gandhi charged AIADMK of anti-farmer as it supported an amendment to the land acquisition law that enables government to acquire the land without the farmer's permission.

She also hit out at the BJP run central government saying that it has reduced financial allocation to social welfare schemes.

Congress and DMK have joined hands for the upcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. It was agreed that Congress will contest in 41 constituencies during the upcoming assembly election in Tamil Nadu.

It may be noted, after joining hands for 2004 Lok Sabha polls, DMK had walked out of the Congress-led UPA in 2013. Congress had contested 63 seats in the 2011 elections in alliance with the DMK.
Sitting member of legislative assembly (MLA) and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is all set to re-contest from this constituency that has been her partys stronghold.

The constituency may see a three-way battle between the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the DMK and Peoples Welfare Front.

The DMK has decided to field Shimla Muthuchozhan to take on Jayalalithaa. The 34-year-old claims to have known the constituency very well as she has been living there for over a decade. Jayalalithaa, meanwhile, was elected from this constituency after she became the CM again in May 2015. Founder of VCK  a party which is a part of the PWF alliance  Thor. Thirumavalavan may take on Jayalalithaa.

Strengths



RK Nagar has traditionally been the backyard for the AIADMK. In the past too, candidates who have now moved to DMK and others have contested from this seat as an AIADMK member and won. To add to it, her slew of social welfare measures like the Amma canteens, mineral water, salts and pharmacies have all helped her established a connect with her voters.

Investments and growth has also been a factor to woo industrialists. This, coupled with incentives like VAT exemption on farm equipment may bode well for the chief minister. The leader may go on to win from the constituency, but her alleged arrogance may just cost her some votes.

Weakness



Jayalalithaas handling of the Chennai floods, which submerged the city late last year, was not received well by voters. The opposition would like to cash in on this.

It was reported that the leader just made one appearance in the affected areas and her supposed arrogance had irked people across the board.

Moreover, her inaccessibility to other leaders who wish to reach out to the government in the state was criticised by leaders. Its a part of the country where I cant even reach out to the chief minister. I have made several attempts to talk to their leaders without success. I have access to 28 states in this country, but in the 29th state, even if I call up, when I talk to the power minister, he would hear me and he would say Okay, I will talk to Amma, power minister Piyush Goyal had said.
Thousands of enthusiastic people, including centenarians from the erstwhile enclaves in Cooch Behar, cast their maiden votes in the sixth and final phase of the West Bengal assembly polls in Kolkata on Thursday.

Overall, more than 74% of the 58,04,019 voters exercised their franchise in the first eight hours across 25 constituencies of Cooch Behar (nine) and East Midnapore districts (16), to bring the curtains down on the staggered month-long polls to the 294-member legislature in the eastern state.

As many as 170 candidates, including 18 women, were in the fray.

There were sporadic incidents of irregularities with the opposition parties accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress of resorting to malpractices since balloting began at 7 am.

The overall turnout at 3 pm was 74.15%, with East Midnapore recording 75.19% votes and Cooch Behar 72.31%, an Election Commission official said.

But the day belonged to the voters from the 51 erstwhile enclaves in Cooch Behar, including three centenarians, who were registered as electors for the first time since the country's Independence.

Doddering and frail but nevertheless beaming with pride, 103-year-old Mohammed Ajgar Ali - from the erstwhile enclave of Mosaldanga in Dinhata constituency - led three generations of his family in casting their maiden votes.

Perhaps the oldest first-time voter in the country, Ali is one of the 9,776 newly registered electors from the erstwhile enclaves in Cooch Behar district.

Accompanied by his grandson Joynal Abedin and son Bilal, Ali was brought in a special vehicle provided by the Election Commission to a booth at Mansab Seoragudi Primary School in Mosaldanga - over 700 km from state capital Kolkata.

As he sat down on the floor momentarily, tense eyes darted to the centenarian. However, aided by officials, he was up on his feet and flashed a victory symbol accentuated with a toothless smile.

"Perhaps I have lived for so long only to see this day. When I woke up early in the day, I couldn't stand properly but now that I have voted, I can die in peace," said Ali struggling to hide his emotions.

Similarly, taking the huge leap in the same assembly seat are 103-year-old Haseem Ali Khandakar from the former Dakshin Mashaldanga and Kachua enclaves and Khatemon Bewa of erstwhile Purba and Dakshin Mashaldanga enclaves, said Cooch Behar's Additional District Magistrate Ayesha Rani.

The enclaves were swapped with Bangladesh after the Land Boundary Agreement was implemented last year.

Trinamool candidate from Cooch Behar's Natabari Rabindra Nath Ghosh landed in a controversy when he was caught on camera threatening a polling officer inside the polling booth.

In a video broadcast by a TV channel, Ghosh is seen entering the booth in his constituency and verbally intimidating the polling official and even asking him where he was employed.

In East Midnapore, thousands turned up in over 4,000 disabled voter-friendly booths, aided by the Election Commission's special initiatives.

In Moyna seat, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) alleged that its polling agent's house was broken into and vandalised by Trinamool supporters. The Trinamool, meanwhile, accused the Congress of overwhelming several booths in the onstituency.

Five Trinamool workers were reportedly detained in the assembly segment on the charge of intimidating voters.

In Nandigram, the opposition accused the Trinamool of intimidating and threatening their agents.

The main focus is on Nandigram, where a peasants agitation in 2006-07 against the then Left Front government's bid to acquire farmland for a chemical hub and a special economic zone led to police firing that resulted in 14 deaths. The peasants' protest played a pivotal role in the ouster of the Left Front after 34 years in office.

In 2011, the Trinamool Congress, then in alliance with the Congress, won 20 seats. The Congress got one, while Left Front partner Forward Bloc triumphed in four seats.

This time, the Left Front and the Congress have teamed up against the Trinamool.

While the Left Front is in the fray in 18 seats, the Congress is contesting four constituencies. The alliance has extended support to three Independent candidates.

The Trinamool and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are contesting all the 25 seats.

The votes will be counted on May 19.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday proposed granting on-tap universal banking licences to individuals, groups or entities and companies.

However, the criterion for corporates will effectively rule out entry for business houses like Reliance, Tata and Birla, which had ambitions of floating universal .

According to the draft guidelines, at least 60 per cent of a group's income should come from financial services, as a result of which many large industrial houses are automatically excluded.

"Corporate-promoted non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) won't be allowed to apply for the banking licence," said Abizer Diwanji, head of financial services at EY.

Apart from this, RBI said, to be eligible to apply, the corporate entity should have a minimum asset size of Rs 5,000 crore and a successful track record of 10 years. The corporate group has to float the bank through a non-operative financial holding company (NOFHC). Corporate houses or their promoters can hold up to 10 per cent stake in these new but are barred from having any controlling interest in the bank.

"We have to read between the lines. On the one hand, no corporate house or its promoter can hold more than 10 per cent in the new bank, and at the same time, 40 per cent of the paid-up capital has to be held by the promoter in the bank. Both together are not technically possible. Therefore, corporates have been excluded," said Ashvin Parekh Advisory Services LLP.

Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) having a track record of at least 10 years can either convert themselves into a bank or promote a new bank. Individuals seeking to float a bank, either singly or jointly, should have banking or financial services experience of at least 10 years. In the case of individuals, they have to set up a NOFHC that will then be registered with RBI as an NBFC. All these NOFHCs will not be allowed to open any new financial services entity for at least three years, but are allowed to have a subsidiary or a joint venture in mutual fund, insurance, stock broking etc.

PROMOTING PRIVATE BUT CAUTIOUSLY For a business house to apply for a universal bank licence, at least 60% of its income should come from financial services

A corporate entity should also have a minimum asset size of Rs 5,000 crore and a successful track record of at least 10 years

A corporate group has to float the bank through a non-operative financial holding company

Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) having a track record of at least 10 years can either convert themselves into a bank or promote a new bank

UAE Exchange and IIFL Holdings are two NBFCs likely to apply for on-tap universal banking licence

If found fit and proper for the licence, the minimum capital required to float a bank is Rs 500 crore and the lender needs to maintain a minimum net worth of the same amount at all times

Banking experts say the draft guidelines indicate NBFCs will have the biggest chance to float banks. "It is unlikely that any large industrial business house will be able to qualify under these set of rules," said a senior consultant who has advised corporate houses on banking licence applications earlier. However, the regulation states that preference will be given to those NBFCs that have diversified promoter shareholding.

Two NBFCs that had earlier applied for licences, UAE Exchange and IIFL Holdings, have expressed interest in applying for on-tap universal banking licence.

A senior official at UAE Exchange said prima facie the NBFC meets all the criteria and is looking at applying for a licence once the final guidelines are out.

"Now that bank licences are on-tap, there won't be any rush. We will evaluate and decide if we want to apply for a universal banking licence. We are a large diversified group engaged in lending activities pretty similar to banks. So it makes sense for us to become a bank. We do have a 10-year track record and our loan AUM is about Rs 20,000 crore," said Nirmal Jain, chairman and founder, IIFL Group.

If found fit and proper for the licence, the minimum capital required to float a bank is Rs 500 crore and the lender needs to maintain a minimum net worth of the same amount at all times. The new lenders will also have to open at least 25 per cent of the branches in un-banked areas, keeping in mind RBI's financial inclusion agenda.

The shareholding pattern will be similar to the one for existing private sector banks, where an individual or a company needs to have less than 10 per cent stake and ensure they do not have a controlling stake.

It also states that the promoters need to hold a minimum of 40 per cent of the paid-up voting equity capital of the bank, which will be locked in for five years. If the promoter holds more than 40 per cent of the paid-up voting equity capital, the stake has to be trimmed to 40 per cent within five years. This shareholding has to be further cut to 30 per cent within 10 years and 15 per cent within 12 years.

As far as the shareholding of the NOFHC goes, the promoter group should hold at least 51 per cent of the total voting equity shares.

In all cases, the applications will be screened by the RBI in the first stage and thereafter by a standing external advisory committee, which will be set up by the regulator.

At present RBI provides window only periodically, but rarely, for universal bank licence. Going forward, it intends to keep the window always open for banking aspirants to apply.

Head of a financial advisory business at a large professional services firm said this transition reflects RBI's maturity to have in place processes and systems to consider applications on a continuous basis.

The new lender will have to maintain a capital adequacy ratio of 13 per cent for three years after it starts its business. And the new bank will have to be listed on stock exchanges within six years of the commencing business.
A multi-disciplinary team comprising of experts is being set-up to visit the affected areas in Kerala for making further investigation with regard to reports of Acid or Yellow Rain; Initial tests report no Acidity, Fungus or Spores or any Toxic effect in Plants. .

Attention of the Government has been drawn to some reports of acid or yellow rain in Moolakkada and Kunjithanni villages of Idukki Districts in Kerala. The matter has been examined by the Scientists of the Indian Cardamom Research Institute (under Spices Board), Ministry of Commerce & Industry to find-out the causes and effects of yellow rain. .

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According to the initial tests conducted on the material found on the cardamom leaf, there is no acidity, fungus or spores. No harmful physical or toxic effect has been noticed in the plants. The Ministry has also not received report of any such phenomenon in the Northern Region of the country growing large or black cardamom. .

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Meanwhile, a multi-disciplinary team comprising of experts from Indian Cardamom Research Institute, Indian Council of Agriculture Research and Kerala Agriculture University is being set-up to visit the affected area for further investigation. .

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All Metros across the country being built and operated with Central Government equity have been asked to promote efficiency while hiring manpower and in procurement by taking necessary measures. This was conveyed by Shri Rajiv Gauba, Secretary(Urban Development) during a review of progress of various metro projects and issues related to their functioning here today. Issues ranging from appointment of Independent Directors and Chief Vigilance Officers, standardization of equipment, bulk procurement, fare fixation, performance based promotions, competitive bidding, security etc., were discussed during the two hour long review exercise. .

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A proposal for appointing a common Regulator for all metro projects for fare fixation was discussed and it was decided that the views of respective States would be appropriately taken into consideration in this regard while taking a decision. Officials of Metro projects opined that since the losses on account of metro operations were to be borne by respective States under the law, their views need to be factored while considering a common Regulator. .

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Shri Rajiv Gauba urged all metro operators to ensure early appointment of Independent Directors on the Boards including at least one woman Director as required under the Companies Act, 2013. He also called for early appointment of Chief Vigilance Officers by respective Boards in consultation with Chief Vigilance Commissioner. .

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Stressing on the need for efficiency in project management and metro operations, Shri Gauba suggested Fast Track Promotion policy as appropriate for consideration by respective Boards to attract good manpower talent. .

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He also asked Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to come out with a Draft Tender Document within 3 months to facilitate common bulk procurement of various equipment required by different metros to take advantage of economies of scale on the lines of what is being followed in respect of 7 Ultra Mega Power Projects. Directing the concerned officials in the Ministry of Urban Development to finalise Standardisation of norms for different components including the rolling stock in the context of expansion of metro cities in 3 months, Shri Gauba emphasized the need to promote indigenous production of such equipment under Make In India. He said that while finalizing standard norms for metro equipment, changes in technology needs to be factored in. .

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During discussion on recovering the cost of providing security for metro services and in premises through metro fares, it was felt that this needs to be considered in the context of security being a sovereign function of the States. .

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On the issue of sharing of costs on account of foreign exchange fluctuations, it was informed that this issue was referred to the Ministry of Finance and their response is awaited. .

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Shri Gauba complimented Lucknow Metro for being in a position to commission the priority section of 8.50 km of North-South Corridor between Airport and Charbagh Railway Station by the end of this year. Work on Lucknow Metro started about two years back. .

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Senior officials of the Ministry besides Chief Executives of Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kochi Metro attended the review meeting. .

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AAR
Call on PM by Mr. Han Zheng, Party Secretary of Shanghai and Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China

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Mr. Han Zheng, Party Secretary of Shanghai and Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today. .

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The Prime Minister fondly recalled his meeting with Mr. Han Zheng in Shanghai, during his visit to China last year. Mr. Han Zheng said that Prime Minister Modi's visit to Shanghai last year, and the resultant increased awareness about India, has led to an increase in the number of people from Shanghai visiting India. .

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The Prime Minister said that the Mumbai-Shanghai Sister City Agreement has laid the foundation for strong relations between the financial capitals of India and China. The Prime Minister added that the establishment of the India-China Provincial Leaders' Forum was also a welcome step towards broadening and strengthening the bilateral relations between India and China. .

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Prime Minister Modi and Mr. Han Zheng discussed the current global economic scenario and noted that strong economic growth in India and China can act as an engine of growth for the global economy. .

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FM: Notwithstanding the global headwinds, India continues to maintain a high growth rate at 7.65 in 2015-16 compared to 7.2% in the previous year; Government is following the approach of Reform to Transform through far-reaching structural reforms and has initiated several initiatives to boost investment climate and improve Ease of doing Business .

The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley said though the Asia-Pacific region remains the growth engine for the world, there appears to be a softening in regions growth rate from 5.9% projected last year to 5.7% each in 2016 and 2017. Notwithstanding, the global headwinds, Shri Jaitley said that India continues to maintain a high growth rate at 7.6 in 2015-16 compared to 7.2% in the previous year. While reiterating Indias commitment to partner in the development and poverty alleviation of the poorest countries of the region, the Finance Minister announced that the Government has increased its contribution under the ADF-12 of the ADB to US$ 40 million. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley was addressing the Business Session of the 49th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Asian Development Bank (ADB) held at Frankfurt, Germany, yesterday. .

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Outlining the Indias development paradigm, the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley stressed that the Government is following the approach of Reform to Transform through far-reaching structural reforms. The Government has initiated several initiatives to boost investment climate and improve ease of doing business, the Minister added. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley National Infrastructure Investment Fund (NIIF) has been set-up to stimulate investments in infrastructure. Similarly, several schemes such as Make-in-India, Startup India and Skill India are being implemented to encourage innovations, entrepreneurship and job creation, he added. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley said that Indias massive financial inclusion program has enabled opening of over 200 million bank accounts for unbanked persons. India is using AADHAAR, a unique identification system, as a backbone for targeted delivery of financial subsidies and benefits, the Finance Minister added. .

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Speaking on the role of ADB, the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley said as the Asia-Pacific region navigates its course amidst shifting tides in the global economic environment, ADBs ability to make timely and valued contribution is also being tested".

The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley emphasized that ADB needs to become an agent of change through its support for innovative projects which may otherwise not happen through local intervention. He said that reforms such as empowerment of the Resident Missions of ADB, delegation and decentralization in decision-making are some reform imperatives. The Finance Minister called for continued emphasis on reforms to make ADB a bigger and better MDB. .

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On the sidelines of AGM, the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley had a bilateral meeting with Mr. Hans-Jaochim Fuchtel, Parliamentary State Secretary to the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Finance Minister expressed the hope that Germany would continue to play an important role in Indias fast emerging growth story through enhanced cooperation. .

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The Finance Minister of Bhutan Mr. Lyonpo Namgay Dorji also met the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley. .

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Mr. Takeshi Kunibe, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Japan also met the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley. Both sides discussed SMBC/SMFC Business Strategy and the India Business Strategy. .

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The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley also spoke about Indias experience on how trade, technology and new business models are shaping Asias quest for good jobs at the Governors Roundtable. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley also participated in the CNBC Panel Discussion on Asia Economic Outlook. .

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The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley was accompanied by a high level delegation comprising among others, Mr. Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, DEA, Government of India. .

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The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley has since returned home after completing his days official visit to Frankfurt. .

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Government of India (GoI), Ministry of Civil Aviation has received a proposal from Government of Uttar Pradesh (GoUP) in April, 2016 for grant of Site Clearance for proposed Noida International Airport near Jewar, Dist. Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. GoI has notified a Greenfield Airport Policy, 2008 to provide guidelines for setting up of new airports in the country.

As per the Greenfield Airport Policy, the proposal has been sent to Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Ministry of Defence (MoD) for their comments/observations on the site identified for setting up of International Airport near Jewar, Uttar Pradesh. The proposals are considered by Steering Committee set up in Greenfield Airport Policy in consultation with AAI, DGCA and MoD. .

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This information was given by Minister of State for Ministry of Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. .

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PM appreciates arrangements at Ujjain Simhasth.

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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has appreciated the extensive arrangements made for devotees and tourists at Ujjain Simhasth. In a series of tweets after meeting the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan yesterday in New Delhi, PM also said that he was delighted to know about the usage of technology and the focus on cleanliness at Simhasth. .

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Had an excellent meeting with MP CM @ChouhanShivraj.

He talked at length about extensive arrangements at @Simhasth. .

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Was delighted to know about the usage of technology in @Simhasth. Focus on cleanliness, both on the land and water is appreciable. .

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Its gladdening that devotees and tourists visiting @Simhasth will witness cultural programmes that celebrate our great culture and rich history.", the Prime Minister tweeted. .

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Honble President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the 15th Set of FIEO Niryat Shree" and Niryat Bandhu" Awards to companies from various sectors of exports besides service providers, banks, various facilitating agencies promoting exports during the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) here at New Delhi on 4th of May, 2016. During the function, he also unveiled the brand new FIEO Logo representing growth, vibrancy, innovation and entrepreneurship. .

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During his keynote address President of India said that the global economic slowdown - by bringing down global demand has affected Indias exports. It is a matter of some concern that our exports have been continuously decreasing since December 2014. Indian merchandise exports, recorded at US Dollar 261 billion in 2015-16, constitute a decline of over 15 percent. The Indian service exports were comparatively better, perhaps because of a recovery in our traditional export markets such as the USA, President said. While the export sector remained bleak, there was some comfort brought about by the falling commodity prices globally. With a dwindling import bill, it resulted in a healthy current account deficit of 1.4 percent of GDP in the first three quarters of 2015-16. Yet, we must be concerned with the volume of trade taking place as falling trade levels impact on the economy, industrial growth and employment levels. The volume of world trade is expected to remain sluggish in 2016, growing at 2.8 percent. Shri Pranab Mukherjee also added that in a scenario such as this, we need to devise cohesive strategies of retaining our market share first and then increasing it. In this context, the Government through its Foreign Trade Policy has initiated a number of measures to promote exports of goods and services. .

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Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry (Independent Charge), Commerce Secretary, Smt Rita Teaotia and DGFT Shri Anup Wadhawan were the Guests of Honour at the ceremony. A Coffee Table Book was released at the function by Honble Commerce and Industry Minister, who presented the first copy of the book to the Honble President of India. In her address, the Commerce and Industry Minister said that the fall in export growth was tapering and better export performance was expected in the coming months. The Minister said Indian exporters needed to work on improving the standards of their products, and integrate with the global value chain for better performance. She also complimented the Federation on completing its 50 years. .

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Congratulating the Federation, member exporters and awardees, the Commerce Secretary Ms Rita Teaotia, during her address at the function said that services exports should also be emphasized by the FIEO apart from goods and merchandise exports. .

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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) was set up in 1965 has completed 50 years of its service to the exporting community. The Federation started with a small room in Allahabad Bank building moved to its state of art building at Niryat Bhawan, New Delhi. FIEO added 17 more offices and its membership grew from 131 to over 22000 in 2015-16 recording a compound annual growth rate of 10.8% over 50 years base. .

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Mr S.C.Ralhan, President, FIEO said that the organisation is constantly innovating, upgrading and value adding its services to exceed the expectation of its members and serve the nation. FIEO has extended its arms to support the State Governments through formulation of Export Strategy and Export Policy. The Trade Portal developed by FIEO has provided single window information on all facets of international trade for Indian Exim community. FIEO has played a stellar role in handholding of small entrepreneurs through its workshops, guidance clinic, participation in international trade fairs/exhibitions, selection of technology to name a few, said FIEO Chief . .

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Among the awardees Reliance Industry was adjudged as the top foreign exchange earner and leading exporter of last 50 years. In IT Services, TCS bagged the Gold Award. Exporters from engineering, chemicals, textiles, agro & processed sector, etc. were also given Gold/Silver/Bronze awards. Amongst the supporting institutions, State Bank of India got the Gold award followed by Canara Bank and Punjab National Bank. .

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DSM/nb
had sold 103.6 mn shares of Africa at a price of 126 rand a share. The shares would be sold in a private offering to institutional investors



said on Thursday that it had sold a 12.2 per cent stake in the Barclays Africa Group for 13.05 billion South African rand, or about $882 million.

The British bank is cutting its 62.3 per cent stake in the African business to free itself from regulatory and capital requirements that have dragged on its balance sheet.

Barclays, which has operated in Africa for more than a century, said on Wednesday that it would make its first sale of its stake in the African business after announcing plans in March to do so. The bank would like to reduce its holdings to below a controlling level, or to sell the stake entirely.

On Thursday, Barclays said in a news release that it had sold 103.6 million shares of Barclays Africa at a price of 126 rand a share.

The statement did not give details on who had bought the shares, but the bank said on Wednesday that the shares would be sold in a private offering to institutional investors. It added that the Public Investment Corporation, an investment manager owned by the South African government, had agreed to buy up to 10.3 million shares, or about 1.2 per cent of Barclays Africa.

Barclays now owns aasfaadf per cent of the African business.

Barclays Africa is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and holds majority stakes in banks in 10 countries, with offices in two others. The business's biggest profit driver is South Africa.

The African business was considered one of four pillars of Barclays' strategy, alongside its credit card and its consumer and investment banking operations, under Antony Jenkins, who was ousted as chief executive in July.

But Barclays' new management no longer sees it as a core business because of the regulatory and capital requirements associated with holding a controlling stake, even while not fully owning the business.

James E Staley, who joined Barclays as chief executive in December, the bank is accelerating the sale of businesses it does not consider core operations, and it is focusing its strategy around two divisions: the British consumer bank, and the corporate and investment bank.



2016 The New York Times News Service
In the next 12 to 18 months, American e-commerce major Amazon has the potential to be at the top in the India market, executives at three prominent international analyst agencies told Business Standard.

However, with a caveat. If Amazon focuses more on gross merchandise value (GMV) of the goods sold on its platform than it has so far, and if home-grown rivals Flipkart and Snapdeal move towards profitability, the current pecking order in market share has a good chance of changing, they add.

The strategy these online marketplace companies follow in the next few months will determine whether Amazon gets to be the leader in 2017 or not, according to an executive at one of these firms.

Kunal Bahl-led Snapdeal has already stated that GMV is not a metric it is chasing. Retaining and adding high-quality users would be Snapdeal's goal, Bahl had said in a recent media interview.

A report published by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in May 2015 had placed Flipkart on top of the table with 43 per cent market share, followed by Snapdeal at 30 per cent and Amazon at 18 per cent. One year later, things have moved, say analysts but without giving specific figures. Market share is typically based on GMV in the absence of timely revenue figures, posted to the registrar of companies with a significant time lag and so, making these almost irrelevant, explain sector trackers.

In 2015, goes the estimate, Flipkart's GMV was around $10 billion, Snapdeal's at $4 bn and Amazon's at $2 bn. One of the analysts this newspaper spoke to projected the 2017 GMV at $12 bn for Flipkart, $9 bn for Snapdeal and $6.3 bn for Amazon. However, he added, the math could alter and Amazon could cross Snapdeal's GMV while moving closer to Flipkart or overtaking it, depending on how the three choose the GMV versus profitability play.

GMV has been an important metric for e-commerce entities in getting a higher valuation and attracting a next round of funding from investors. In the process, some companies have even inflated their GMV figures, says an analyst. However, a company such as Amazon does not need to do this, not needing to depend on investor money.

How a company moves in certain categories will also determine the next pecking order in market share. So, reducing emphasis on electronics as a category will help a company in attaining profitability faster, say experts. Although electronics fetches a higher GMV than, say, clothes and accessories because of the higher price of the products, the margins and therefore revenues are much lower in that category. Against one of two to three per cent in electronics, fashion apparel commands a margin of 10-15 per cent. Also, repeat buying is very low in electronics. By shifting the focus from here, an e-commerce player will move quicker towards profitability, a demand increasingly made by investors pumping funds into the internet-led business. But, that could also imply a fall in the GMV pecking order that determines market share.

Apart from GMV market share, some other metrics are used by e-commerce companies to show leadership. For instance, a Comscore analysis had pegged Flipkart on top with 50 million to 100 million app downloads recently, followed by Snapdeal and Amazon at 10-50 mn. Another latest monthly visitor data (without taking into account mobile transactions) shows Flipkart maintaining the lead, while Paytm has picked up traction, it is learnt.

In 2014, Amazon had committed $2 bn for the India market. And, after its first quarter earnings numbers, the group said India was one of the most important markets for it and would invest what it took. ''It's an open cheque book,'' is how Amazon India head Amit Agarwal had described the investment plan of the group.

Flipkart has raised $2.6 bn since May 2014 and Snapdeal $2 bn since the start of 2014 from marquee international investors. Both are learnt to be in talks with investors for raising more funds. Earlier this year, Morgan Stanley, an investor in Flipkart, had marked down the value of its holding by 27 per cent in the Sachin Bansal-led company. That brought down the valuation of Flipkart to $11 bn, from the earlier $15 bn.

Flipkart's valuation markdown is seen as a benchmark for the entire e-commerce sector. But, according to reports, Flipkart continued to talk to investors while pegging its earlier valuation at $15 bn, while Snapdeal, too, stuck to a $6.5 bn valuation.

None of the e-commerce companies mentioned here would comment on market share issues.
Last year, the IMRB-Kantar Brand Footprint survey had two surprise entrants to the top ten Indian brands in terms of consumer reach points: Nandini and Aavin, both dairy brands from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu respectively. And then a few weeks back, Nandini popped up on Euromonitor's list of top ten fastest growing food brands in India. What is driving the rise of the two hyperlocals in the crowded dairy sector?



One reason is the growing influence of regional brands, or hyperlocals, around the world. The IMRB Kantar Brand Footprint report (2015) said, "With the exception of Coca- Cola, top brands per country are invariably local, integral to a country's culture." Both Nandini and Aavin have leveraged their strong local roots to gain acceptance among the communities they serve.

Aavin is the trademark of Tamil Nadu Co-operative Milk Producers' Federation and Nandini, of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF). Both have taken on the might of big dairy co-operatives and local private sector brands. Trust, penetration, service and scale, say officials associated with the brands, have been critical to the growth story. In the IMRB-Kantar report, Virginia Garavaglia, Global Brand Footprint Project Director said, "We see local brands taking number one position in more than three quarters of the 35 countries profiled. These brands tend to be tried and trusted by almost every household in the country."





Given the limited budgets that co-operative brands operate with, it is important to reach as many households as possible with a service that gets talked about. Word-of-mouth publicity, these brands believe, makes up for lack of television commercials and print ads.

The first step is to create a pool of loyal users around local areas of influence. "Co-operative brands will be strong and dominate areas in and around places where they have processing facilities," said an official from Aavin, which has focused on increasing its geographical spread.

Nandini has also widened its reach, but Ravi Kumar Kakade, director of at KMF believes there is more to be done. He said that co-operative brands need to beat the drum more. "We do lots of promotional activities but the pace has to be enhanced," he added. Nandini has roped in popular Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar as its brand ambassador.

Kakade wants a pan-Indian presence for the brand. "We have been striving to evolve a budget similar to Amul but there are hiccups," he said. Dairy brands also need to offer a wide range of products and for that, an official with Aavin said, co-operatives must build a strong chain of suppliers and distributors.

Aavin and Nandini have worked hard at scaling up, building up procurement facilities and creating a processing and distribution network, but there is quite a lot of catching up to do. For instance, in Tamil Nadu the demand for milk is around seven million litres; Aavin procures only around 30 lakh litres. It has, over the last four years or so, invested over Rs 409 crore to improve its dairy infrastructure. Today the societies can process five lakh litres of milk a day and the aim is to add another eight lakh litres per day by the end of this year.

Kakade said, "Reach improves, penetration improves and that automatically highlights the brand image." Both Aavin and Nandini are competitively priced. "Being a co-operative, the process is transparent and there is not a huge mark-up between the price paid to the dealer and that paid by the consumer," Kakade said.

Aavin is cheaper than most other private brands and offers further discounts to regular buyers. "Profit is not their motto and they have government's support," said C K Ranganathan, founder-chairman of FMCG major CavinKare whose products compete with Aavin. However, he added, in metros there are many who are not price sensitive and lean towards private dairy brands for their service.

Kakade believes that Nandini's service is comparable to that of any private sector brand. "The feedback is that consumers don't want to migrate to other brands," he said. Also Aavin has a 24-hour support cell to deal with availability and other issues.

While the two have managed to step across many hurdles, they are still vulnerable to the whimsical politics that co-operatives across the country are subjected to. For instance, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has promised in its election manifesto for the Assembly Election 2016 to bring down the price of Aavin milk by Rs 7 a litre. If the regional co-operative brands want to rise further up the food chain, they will have to rise above the influence of their political masters.
have gathered pace in the late trades on account of value buying in the beaten down bluechips at attractive valuations. Meanwhile, positive trend across the European peers and rise in the crude oil prices supported the indices.

At 14:00 pm, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 249 points at 25,351 and Nifty50 was up 58 points at 7,764.

Oil prices climbed today with Brent breaking the level of $45 a barrel as raging wildfires threatened to cut Canadian output and a decline in US crude production also boosted the commodity.

Read more from our special coverage on "MARKETS"

GLOBAL MARKET

European equities are gaining across the board following a rebound in the crude oil prices. FTSE 100, CAC40 and DAX have climbed between 0.1%-0.5%. Meanwhile, Asian shares barring Chinas Shanghai Composite closed lower for the seventh consecutive trading session after a mixed set of US economic data failed to enthuse the investors. Hong Kongs Hang Seng and Singapores Straits Times lost up to 0.5%. However, Japanese are shut today on account of a public holiday.

STOCKS

HDFC extended gains and remained the top Sensex gainer, up 3% after the housing finance major reported net profit of Rs 2,607 crore for the quarter ended March (Q4FY16), up 40% year-on-year (y-o-y), which was way ahead of Bloomberg consensus estimate of Rs 2,303 crore.

Tata Motors rebounded 2.6% in trades today after witnessing selling pressure yesterday as investors purchased the stock at attractive levels. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the company's British luxury car unit, recorded decline in US sales during the month of April 2016.

Sun Pharma surged 1.7% amid reports that the pharma major is scouting for a partner to market 14 brands it acquired from Novartis in Japan. Among others, Lupin, Dr Reddys Lab and Cipla gained between 0.2%-1.5%.

Larsen & Toubro Infotech (L&T Infotech), IT services & solutions companies and a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro, signed a multi-year contract with Elkjp Nordic AS to provide end-to-end Infrastructure Management and Datacenter services. Shares of L&T rallied over 1.5%.

Hero Moto gained 0.6% ahead of Q4 numbers.

V-Guard Industries shares jumped 20% after it reported over two-fold rise in net profit for the March quarter.

On the losing side, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (SEZ) slumped almost 15% in two trading session. The company reported lower than expected EBITDA margin for the quarter ended March 2016. The stock cracked 4%.

Hexaware Technologies fell 3% after the company posted marginal rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 84.2 crore in March quarter as compared to Rs 83.30 crore a year ago.

Idea Cellular slumped 5% on reports that the telecom company may spend $1.3 billion in adding data spectrum in upcoming auction around July.
might become costlier by 10-15 per cent in the coming months, due to lower production in the previous two seasons.

Lower and uneven distribution of rain in the past two monsoon seasons hit paddy sowing. The Union agriculture ministry estimates output to decline by around two mt this time, to 103.61 mt. Trade sources believe the dip would be between three and five mt for the crop year ending this June.

Staple food for the middle class in many states, it is unlikely, however, to see a sharp increase in price. Its stocks are abundant in government warehouses. And, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has said several times that the government would not allow commodity prices to move up.

Driven by Asia, global output is estimated to decline by 0.7 per cent to 491.4 mt in 2015, as compared to 494.7 mt the previous year. Many exporting countries such as Egypt, Thailand and Vietnam have started quoting higher prices for the next shipment. While Egypt has increased its quote by 1.5 per cent, Thailand has revised its export quotation for its benchmark variety by four per cent more than in January (also on a stronger currency and expectations of new trade agreements. Prices have also increased in Pakistan, due to ongoing sales to Africa.

A price spurt, however, would be capped due to huge availability of stocks with the government and households, said V K Chaturvedi, managing director, Usher Agro, a producer listed on the stock exchanges.

Rice stocks with the governments Food Corporation of India were 22.16 mt on April 1, compared with 19.42 mr the previous month and 12.69 mt on January 1. The stock was 17.09 mt on April 1, 2015.

Stcoks at home have also been augmented by less export demand. Shipments abroad were 5.72 mt between April 15 and February 16, as compared to 7.62 mt in the same period last year.
procurement might be four to five million tonnes (mt) less for the central pool over last year.In absolute terms, this would be a four-year low.

All India procurement was 28.08 mt in 2015-16. The initial estimate of purchase by government agencies for 2016-17 was 30 mt, later revised to 28 mt in the backdrop of drought in much of the country. Total procurement of 21.5 mt was registered till Thursday; it was 20.9 mt in the corresponding period last year. And, arrivals have slowed in most grain .

According to reports, farmers in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have this year preferred selling to private buyers due to instant cash payment, as compared to delayed payments by state.

Farmers get a premium of up to Rs 150 a quintal for the normal variety of in Madhya Pradesh, where the dip in government procurement has been the highest. Last year, MP had surpassed Haryana to reach second place (after Punjab), with 7.3 million tonnes of wheat buying. This year against the projection of 6.8 mt, procurement is likely to close at four mt.

An import duty of 25 per cent has made Australian wheat unviable for flour millers in the south. Madhya Pradesh wheat would cost us Rs 1,850-1,900 a quintal and Australian wheat is available for Rs 1,950-2,000 a quintal. So, an upswing in demand for MP wheat this year is observed, said a miller.

About 22 mt a year of wheat is needed for the Public Distribution System. FCI had an opening stock of 14 mt on April 1. So, a fall of four mt can be absorbed, said the FCI executive.

R K Gupta, acting head of the Directorate of Wheat Research, Karnal, told this newspaper, The wheat crop is looking good and almost 80 per cent has been harvested. The government has estimated production to be around 93.5 mt and we fully agree with that. The rains which happened twice during March has turned out to be beneficial for the crop. In 2015, total production was around 86.5 mt, down from 96.5 mt a year before, and I'am very sure that output would be better than 2015 this year, though it might not be as big as 2014. By our reports, production in Punjab, Haryana and MP is expected to be better than last year. In Haryana and Punjab,it is expected to be 10-15 per cent more than last year.
Shah Rukh Khan's little tot never fails to woo us.

The 50-year-old actor took to his Twitter handle to share the kid's routine before leaving room for a KKR match.

"Compulsory bubble bath before match.Has 2 b taken otherwise the lil Knight doesn't leave the room.Uff the sacrifices I hav 2 make for AmiKKR" he tweeted.

The 'adorable' father-son jodi was spotted yesterday at the stands of the IPL match in Kolkata supporting their team, Kolkata Knight Riders, playing against Preity Zinta's Kings X1 Punjab.

KKR won over Kings X1 Punjab by seven runs.

SRK later tweeted about the match, saying that little AbRam was the man of the match. "Thank u. And yes lil man of the match is our AbRam," wrote Shah Rukh.
The Bangladesh High Court has scrapped the 16th amendment to Constitution, which empowered the Parliament to impeach the Supreme Court judges for incapacity or misconduct.

A three-member special bench headed by Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury by majority view declared the amendment illegal and unconstitutional following a writ petition that challenged the legality of the 16th amendment, reports Daily Star.

After the ruling, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the government will file an appeal against it.

The government will not have to take the High Court's permission for appealing against today's verdict.

The High Court has given the government a certificate that is needed for appeal.

The House led by the Awami League had on September 17, 2014, unanimously passed the 16th amendment and regained the power available in the 1972 Constitution to impeach judges.

Earlier, the apex court judges were removed by the President following the recommendation by the Supreme Judicial Council, a body formed by the Chief Justice and two senior most Appellate Division judges.

The three-member High Court bench began hearing the rule on May 21 last year and heard expert opinions from five amici curiae (friends of court), including eminent jurist Dr. Kamal Hossain.
Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the death sentence of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Motiur Rahman Nizami, dismissing his review plea against the gallows for war crimes, paving the way for his execution.

Nizami, the head of Bangladesh's biggest religious party Jamaat-e-Islami, was convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of intellectuals during the country's 1971 independence struggle.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed this order.

The agenda of Nizami's review was atop the cause list of the top court's bench.

The jail authorities will start preparation for execution after receiving today's order.

The apex court had earlier on January 6 this year upheld Nizami's death in three of the charges.

His death warrant was issued on March 15 after the Supreme Court's verdict was released.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam expressed satisfaction over the apex court's decision and said the nation has been served justice.

Nizami was convicted in October 2014 by the International Crimes Tribunal, which was established in 2010 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.

The International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced more than a dozen opposition leaders for war crimes.

Rights groups said the trials fall short of global standards and lack international oversight.
The Central Government on Thursday moved the Supreme Court for relaxation on ban on diesel taxis in Delhi and Capital Region (NCR).

The Centre told the apex court that the current ban on diesel cabs is affecting BPOs as they use large number of taxis, including the diesel ones to ferry their employees.

It further states that the BPOs bring dollars of foreign exchange and this may go to other countries if the BPOs are not able to operate efficiently.

The Supreme Court will hear the matter on May 9.

Earlier, the Delhi Government sought two-day time from the Supreme Court to file a detailed roadmap on phasing out of diesel taxis.

Stating that the order to ban diesel cabs from NCR has led to law and order problems, the Delhi Government had requested the apex court to implement the order in a phased manner.

The apex court had asked the Delhi Government to give a roadmap as to how it plans to phase out diesel taxis and plan their conversion to CNG.

Due to ban on diesel taxis, Delhi and NCR earlier this week faced heavy traffic jams with the protesting cab drivers blocking roads during the rush hours.

The apex court had on April 30 refused to extend the deadline for conversion of diesel taxis into CNG even as the taxi owners pleaded there is no technology available in the market to convert their diesel cars into CNG.
Popular television star Deepika Singh, who is known for her role as Sandhya on the daily soap 'Diya Aur Bati Hum,' has recently celebrated her second wedding anniversary in Thailand.

The 26-year-old actress, who has been married for two years to director Rohit Raj Goyal, took to her Instagram page and shared a series of pictures with her husband, showing them enjoying every bit of their marital phase.

She captioned one of the snap as, "2 Years down and a lifetime to go!!!!! #HappyAnniversary #CrazyUs #Love #PoutFace?? #PhuketDiaries."

Sharing a snap of the gifts received from the locals, Deepika expressed her gratitude writing, "Overwhelmed and thankful to these lovely people I met today!!! They showered me and Rohit with special gifts and anniversary cake also customised T-shirts that we are wearing!! So thoughtful and kind!!.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested Chhagan Bhujbal's associate and chartered accountant Sunil Naik in connection with the money laundering case.

The special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court had earlier issued a non-bailable warrant against Naik, who was the CA at Bhujbal- owned Mumbai Education Trust (MET) at Bandra.

The Enforcement Directorate is probing Bhujbal, his son Pankaj and nephew Sameer in the case concerning a contract the former allegedly gave a builder in 2005 without inviting tenders when he was the state PWD minister.

Earlier, a special trial court issued a non-bailable warrant against Pankaj Bhujbal and 28 others accused in a Rs. 800 crore money laundering case.

The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau had earlier filed two FIRs against the Bhujbals and others under the provisions of the PMLA to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.
Expelled Congress leader and St. Cruz MLA Atanasio Monserrate, alias, Baabush, who was on Wednesday booked on the charges of raping a minor migrant girl, arrested on Thursday.

Police have also arrested the mother of the victim on the charges of trafficking.

Monserrate was arrested reportedly after he surrendered before the Goa Police.

Confirming the development, Goa Superintend of Police (Crime) Karthik Kashyap told ANI: "After registering a case under on the basis of statement recorded by the victim before the CWC and police, the Goa Police swung into action. After collecting digital, forensic and circumstantial evidences, police have established a prima facie case against the accused and subsequently arrested St. Cruz MLA Atanasio Monserrate. Police have also arrested the mother of the victim on the charges of trafficking. We will produce them in the court and law will take its own course."

The Goa Police yesterday registered an FIR against Monserrate under section 8 of the Goa Children's Act and sections 3 and 4 of the POCSO Act, besides various IPC sections of rape, assault and restraining the survivor.

Earlier, police searched his properties on the outskirts of Panaji.

Monserrate was expelled from the Congress party on charges of anti party activities after the Panaji Assembly by polls last year.

Monserrate, who is an unattached member in the Goa Assembly, has reportedly also a history of being chargesheeted for extortion.

He had recently announced of taking control of the United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) with eyes on the next assembly polls scheduled in early 2017.
Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, who is embarking on her maiden foreign visit to India next week, said her visit will focus on promoting goodwill and strengthening bilateral ties between two nations.

"This is basically a goodwill visit and will focus to strengthen bilateral relations," the Himalayan Times quoted her as saying.

The Nepal President is scheduled to leave for New Delhi at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee on May 9.

She will be staying at Rastrapati Bhawan in New Delhi and is set to hold talks with Indian President and meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 10.

President Bhandari said that her discussions in India wouldn't touch any controversial issue and she will try to clear all misunderstandings between the two nations.

During her stay, senior ministers, including External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and leaders of various political parties will also call on her.

From New Delhi, President Bhandari will head for Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain city, to attend the month-long Simhastha Kumbh Mela on May 12.
Ksh Bhabananda Singh, who was recently appointed as Manipur's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president, today took charge at a ceremony held at the party head office in Nityaipat Chuthek.

Bhabananda Singh was handed over the charge by outgoing president Th Chaoba.

Speaking on the occasion, Bhabananda Singh said that he felt very confident following the overwhelming supports both morally and physically from fellow party workers.

Upholding the firm agenda of the BJP to uproot the Congress Party from India, he opined that eradication of the grand old party from Manipur would be one of his main targets.

He also underscored the contribution made by the outgoing president and lauded his initiative of Th Chaoba for the BJP's popularity in Manipur.

Bhabananda Singh said the result of Imphal Municipal Council (IMC) election could be a game changer for the 2017 Manipur assembly polls.

Spelling out his priorities as the newly-appointed state BJP president, he revealed that he will hold talks with top officials of the government to maintain transparency and accountability in various developmental programmes or projects taken up in Manipur since the past 15 years.

"If we can correct the mistakes and mange to have transparency and accountability in every project, 70 percent of government's deficiency could be solved," he said.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will leave for London on May 11 to attend the Anti-Corruption Summit organized by the UK Government.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, who will host the landmark Anti-Corruption Summit in London on May 12, had extended an invitation to President Sirisena when the two leaders met at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Malta last year, reports Lanka Page.

The summit, a first of its kind, will bring together leaders, business and civil society to agree a package of practical steps to expose corruption, punish the perpetrators and support those affected by corruption and drive out the culture of corruption wherever it exists.

The summit, which will seek to galvanize a global response to tackle corruption, will deal with issues including corporate secrecy, government transparency, the enforcement of international anti-corruption laws and the strengthening of international institutions.

The President will also visit New Delhi on May 13 on an invitation extended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Day after joining hands, a meeting between Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and UCPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ended inconclusively over the position on being the face against Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.

Nepali Congress, the main opposition party, joined hands with the second-largest ruling coalition partner Unified CPN-Maoist and agitating Madhesi-based parties to topple Oli-led government.

The meeting, which took place at an undisclosed location, failed to yield results after Dahal disagreed on the Nepali Congress' proposal to bring down the current government and form a new government.

Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak, who was present during the meeting, informed that both leaders failed to reach to an agreement.

"He (Dahal) said with everything happening apace we haven't been able to convince all of our colleagues," the Kathmandu post quoted Lekhak as saying.

On Wednesday, a meeting of the UCPN (M) officials and standing committee decided to propose Dahal as the prime ministerial candidate.
A new species of wasp has been named after the famous actor Brad Pitt.

An international research team discovered two new endoparasitic wasp species in South Africa and India and significantly expanded their genera's distributional range.

While thinking of a name for one of the new wasps, Dr Buntika A. Butcher, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, recalled her long hours of studying in her laboratory right under the poster of her favourite film actor. This is how a parasitic wasp from South Africa was named after Hollywood star Brad Pitt.

The new wasp species, called Conobregma bradpitti, belongs to a large worldwide group of wasps parasitising in moth or butterfly caterpillars. These wasps lay their eggs into a host, which once parasitised starts hardening. Thus, the wasp cocoon can safely develop and later emerge from the 'mummified' larva. Despite their macabre behaviour, many of these wasp species are considered valuable in agriculture because of their potential as biological control.

Brad Pitt's flying namesake is a tiny creature measuring less than 2 mm. Its body is deep brown, nearly black in colour, while its head, antennae and legs are brown-yellow. The wings stand out with their much brighter shades.

Interestingly, the wasp with celebrity name unites two, until now, doubtful genera. Being very similar, they had already been noted to have only four diagnostic features that set them apart. However, C. bradpitti shared two of those with each. Thus, the species prompted the solution of the taxonomic problem and, as a result, the two were synonymised.

In their paper, the authors from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand and the University of Calicut, India, also describe another new species of parasitic wasp. It is the first from its subtribe spotted in the whole of India, while its closest 'relative' lives in Nepal.

The study is published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
Showering praise on Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for his reply on the AgustaWestland in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the former rose above .

In a tweet, Prime Minister Modi described the Defence Minister's address as 'one of the best speeches displaying best parliamentary traditions'.

The much-awaited reply of Parrikar to the debate on the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal was delivered yesterday amid ruckus in the Rajya Sabha, leading to a Congress walkout over its demand to set up a time-bound Supreme Court-monitored CBI inquiry into the alleged bribery scandal.

Alleging that the procurement process in the AgustaWestland deal was violated, Parrikar yesterday said that the former UPA regime had created 'single-vendor situation' to benefit from the same.

Parrikar said the UPA regime tried to take the longer route of writing to the embassy and the court etc. instead of taking action against the company.

He also said that the government probe 'will focus on the role of those named in the judgment of the Italian court'.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes fortune favoured Real Madrid after the Etihad Stadium club were knocked out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage.

City midfielder Fernando's own goal in the 20th minute of the second-leg at the Santiago Bernabeu was enough to help Real Madrid reach their 14th European Cup finals.

Insisting that his side didn't deserve to lose the match, Pellegrini said that Real were extremely lucky to gain the goal, which he described to be the fortuitous deflection off Fernando's boot.

The Chilean manager, however, said that none of the side deserved the victory, pointing out that penalties would have been the fairest thing to decide the winner,the Mirror reported.

Real will now aim for the Champions League glory when they take on Atletico Madrid on May 29.
Amid the ongoing political crisis in Nepal, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli is scheduled to address the Legislature-Parliament meet at 3 pm on Thursday.

During the meet, Oli will be addressing on the recent political development that had set off after Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the chairman of coalition partner Unified Communist Party of Nepal - Maoist (UCPN-M), issued a statement urging all political parties to support the formation of a new government under his leadership, reports Kathmandu Post.

Earlier in the day, a meeting of the Council of Ministers was postponed after a minister affiliated with the UCPN (M) did not show up for the Cabinet meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Bhim Rawal refused to acknowledge the boycott, citing it was due to the internal homework and discussions of the party.

"They have internal discussion of the party to attend. So they did not come," said Rawal.

Oli's seven-month-old government faces an imminent exit as other political parties have joined hands with a clear majority in the House.

Nepali Congress, the main opposition party, joined hands with the second-largest ruling coalition partner Unified CPN-Maoist and agitating Madhesi-based parties to topple Oli-led government yesterday.
Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli today said he is ready to quit if he lost majority in the Parliament.

Oli, who was addressing the Parliament amid the recent political developments which have cast uncertainty over the fate of the incumbent government, asserted that he is ready to face criticism.

The Prime Minister clarified that he was not for dissolving the Parliament to avoid criticisms and risks lying in front of him and the government.

He said that he was ready to give a shape of national consensus government to the incumbent Cabinet itself.

"Today also, we need consensus. Let us maintain the national consensus and change the government. Neither me, nor my party will obstruct the national consensus," the Himalayan Times quoted Oli as saying, adding the consensus should be forged on the basis of national interests.

He however, pointed out that raising demands for a consensus government and a strong opposition simultaneously are logically incompatible.

In an apparent reference to Nepali Congress, Oli said that he was always for consensus, but some other political parties remained stubborn toward moving ahead and deviated from consensus.

Citing that many forces were trying to linger instability in the country, he urged the major political forces to sit together and hold meaningful discussions to combat them.

"I want to call the main opposition for this," he said.

In the last minutes of his speech, Oli defended the Constitution promulgated last year and the procedures adopted in its promulgation.
As the sixth and final phase of the West Bengal assembly election is currently underway, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged the voters to cast votes in large numbers.

"As the sixth & final phase of gets underway, requesting voters to cast their vote in large numbers," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

The polling for the final phase of the assembly elections is underway in West Bengal.

Under this phase, 25 Assembly seats, including 16 in Purba Medinipur and nine in Cooch behar districts are going go to polls.

The polling began at 7 a.m and will continue till 6 p.m barring minor reports of intimidation and prevention of some polling agents at a few booths at Nandigram in Purba Medinipur and Natabari in Cooch behar, moderate to brisk polling has remained peaceful during the initial hour of voting.

Over 58 lakh voters will decide political future of 170 candidates, including 18 women.

6,774 polling stations have been set up. Maintaining a tight security cover, the poll panel has deployed 361 companies of central forces who are assisted by a contingent of 12,000 state police personnel.

In all, 67 candidates are in the fray for nine seats in Cooch behar, 12 of them independents.

In Purba Medinipur, a total of 103 candidates are vying for 16 seats including 12 independents. Counting of all the 194 constituencies will be held on May 19.
Valerian Santos, the father of Keenan, today said that he would go to any extent to make sure that justice is done, adding if the culprits go in front of god then he would stand in front of the almighty and appeal for justice.

Expressing his delight with the court's verdict, Valerian said the battle is not yet over, adding he is ready to fight it until final justice is done.

"I am very happy after a lot of pain as it's almost five years and the court has given a verdict which I wanted, which we wanted. I know the journey is still not over. They will appeal to the higher court that is their right, we have nothing to say in that. Let them go to the higher court, let them go to the highest court and even if they go in front of the god, I will stand in front of god and appeal and ask for justice for my son. I will keep the fight going," Valerian told the media here.

"I am happy with the life time imprisonment as they should live every moment and think about Kenan and Reuben, they should live every moment the way we are going to live our whole lives," he added.

Valerian also said he felt contended that molestation charges were proved as it would set an example for all the goons of the society who try to harass women.

A special women's court headed by Vrushali Joshi today convicted and sentenced to life in jail all four men accused of the 2011 Amboli murder of Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez, who were attacked outside a popular restaurant in Mumbai's Andheri on October 20 that year.

The four men were arrested on the night of the murder.

Santos and Fernandez were out with a group of friends when the women in their group was harassed and abused by the four men. Keenan and Reuben came forward to rescue their friends.

After a while, the group came back to the spot with over 10 people and repeatedly stabbed Keenan and Reuben.

Keenan died on the same day, Reuben died 10 days later.
An Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between Government of India and Government of Russian Federation was signed in December 2008 for setting up units 3 to 6 at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu in technical cooperation with Russian Federation. Discussions on the draft General Framework Agreement for setting up Units 5&6 (KKNPP 5&6) are currently in progress.

The project is planned to be set up on technical cooperation basis with shared scope of work. The Indian private industry would be involved in supply of equipment, execution of the works contracts, providing services in Indian scope of work and localisation of components.

The Kudankulam site was found to have an optimum potential for locating six units each of 1000 MW by the Site Selection Committee of the Government.

The Government accorded 'in principle' approval for setting up of Units 5&6 at Kudankulam in October 2009, in addition to Units 1&2 then under construction and Units 3&4 which were accorded 'in principle' approval earlier. Regarding the cost of Units 5&6, discussions are in progress on the Techno-Commercial Offer submitted by the Russian side. The cost will emerge on conclusion of the discussions.

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Asia Pacific share market closed mixed on Thursday, 05 May 2016, as risk sentiments were soured by overnight weakness on Wall Street, and as private survey data showed that activity in China's services sector expanded in April, but the gains were slightly less robust than in March. Volumes were thinned by a number of financial centres shut for holidays including those of Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Switzerland, and the Nordic nations and uncertainty ahead of key US jobs data on Friday.

The Wall Street benchmark, which tends to set the tone for most bourses, fell on Wednesday to its lowest level since April 12, amid a lacklustre corporate earnings season and after some mixed data left investors unsure about the health of the global economy and prospects for US monetary policy. In particular, a relatively soft ADP report on private sector employment just 156,000 positions were created in April is seen boding ill for the official monthly US labour data due at the end of the week.

China services Purchasing Managers' Index came in at 51.8 in April, down from 52.2 a month ago, survey data published by Markit showed on Thursday. A score above 50 indicates expansion but the latest reading signals a slowdown in growth. Private sector activity expanded for the second straight month in April driven by services, while output broadly stagnated at manufacturers. The Caixin composite output index fell to 50.8 in April from 51.3 in March.

Among Asian bourses

Australia Market closes in green

Australian share market ended slight higher, as gains in energy, industrials, and financial stocks were more than offset elsewhere. At close of trade, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 rose 8 points, or 0.15%, to 5279.10. The broader All Ordinaries grew 8.90 points, or 0.17%, to 5344.50.

Shares of energy companies closed strongly after global oil prices held relatively steady for the first time in four sessions. US Nymex crude added 0.3% to $US43.78, although global benchmark Brent crude eased 0.7% to $US44.62. Santos lifted 1.43% to A$4.26 and Woodside inched up 0.0.52% to A$27.24.

The banks and financial ended stronger, with Westpac Banking Corp up 0.6% to A$30.49, National Australia Bank up 2% to A$27.84, Commonwealth Bank up 0.3% to A$74.85, and ANZ Banking Group up 1.8% to A$25.34.

Metal mining stocks continued slide, with BHP Billiton down 9.4% to A$18.79, following yesterday's more than 9% falls, after the company said it is facing a massive compensation case over the Samarco mine disaster in Brazil. The company said federal prosecutors are seeking about A$57 billion in compensation. Rio Tinto - which also sank sharply on Wednesday - was 0.73% higher to A$48.20.

Australian retail turnover rose 0.4% in March 2016, seasonally adjusted, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Retail Trade figures. This follows a rise of 0.1% in February 2016.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) International Trade in Goods and Services data showed that the balance on goods and services was a deficit of A$2,163m in March 2016 in seasonally adjusted terms, a decrease of A$881m (29%) on the deficit in February 2016.

China Market ends higher

Mainland China stock market ended tad higher after recouping losses late afternoon after private survey data showed that activity in China's services sector expanded in April, but the gains were slightly less robust than in March. Most of the SSE sectors declined, but airline stocks surged after China's central government on Wednesday unveiled plans to promote airline transportation by pledging to open up low-altitude air space. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index advanced 6.57 points, or 0.22%, to 2997.84. The CSI 300 Index, measuring exchanges in Shanghai and Shenzhen, grew 4.46 points, or 0.14%, to 3213.92.

Shares of airline companies surged after China's central government on Wednesday unveiled plans to promote airline transportation by pledging to open up low-altitude air space. China's biggest carriers, including Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines all jumped more than 3%.

Hong Kong Market falls 0.37%

The Hong Kong stock market finished lower in volatile trade, as risk sentiment was soured by overnight weakness on Wall Street, and amid fresh signs that the China's nascent economic recovery is resting on weak foundations. The benchmark Hang Seng Index dropped 76.01 points, or 0.37%, to 20449.82 points. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, benchmark measure of performance of mainland China enterprises, lost 70.64 points, or 0.81%, to 8626.73 points. Turnover reduced to HK$56.5 billion from HK$61.4 billion on Wednesday.

Worries are mounting that the China's debt-fuelled recovery in the first quarter could be short-lived, amid signs that fresh liquidity has failed to energise China's economic muscles, with the spill-over boosting property and commodity prices instead.

A private survey showed on Thursday that activity in China's services sector expanded in April, but the gains were slightly less robust than in March.

Shares of CKI Holdings (01038) rose 2% to HK$75.2, becoming the best performing blue chip, while New World (00017) ended down 2% to HK$7.44, becoming the worst performing blue chip, after Goldman Sachs' downgrade to "neutral".

HSBC (00005) dipped 1% to HK$49.65. HSBC Private Bank has filed an appeal against the SFC's fine of HK$600 million in connection with its sale of Lehman Brothers-related notes. The hearings are currently held. StanChart (02888) slid 3.3% to HK$57.85 after its management was criticized for high pay in yesterday's AGM in London.

AIA (01299) bucked the downtrend, rising 2% to HK$45.8. Henderson Land (00012) and Sino Land (00083) slipped 1% to HK$47.25 and HK$11.9 after the investment bank lowered its industry view for HK property sector to "neutral".

Melco Dev (00200) put on 3% to HK$8.92. Its associate Melco Crown has agreed to spend US$800 million for share repurchase. Sands China (01928) edged up 0.4% to HK$27.55. JP Morgan said Macau government may prohibit betting via telephone starting next Monday. Analysts see this policy may hurt the business of VIP rooms.

Hong Kong's value of total retail sales in March, provisionally estimated at HK$34.7 billion, dropped 9.8% compared with the same month in 2015, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

Indian indices snap 3-day losing streak

Capital goods stocks and index heavyweights HDFC and ITC led gains for key benchmark indices. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, rose 160.48 points or 0.64% to settle at 25,262.21. The Nifty rose 28.95 points or 0.38% to settle at 7,735.50.

Shares of Idea Cellular slumped on concerns of increase in debt burden and interest costs after a foreign brokerage reportedly said in a research note that the company may spend about Rs 8627 crore ($1.3 billion) in adding data spectrum in key markets in the upcoming spectrum auction around July 2016. Similar concerns weighed on the Bharti Airtel counter. Index heavyweight and housing finance major edged higher, with the stock extending post-result gains. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) dropped on reports that a foreign brokerage has reduced its price target on the stock, citing slowdown in the company's core port earnings growth.

Wipro rose 0.54% to Rs 542.70. The company after trading hours today, 5 May 2016, announced that it has successfully implemented its Software as a Service (SaaS) platform- Managed File Transfer as a Service (MFTaaS) on Amazon Web Services (AWS) for organizations, thereby helping them integrate digitally with their clients, partners and employees. Wipro anticipates that the MFTaaS platform can potentially reduce up to 30% in TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) for its clients vis-a-vis traditional deployments, the company said in a statement.

Shares of Idea Cellular edged lower on concerns of increase in debt burden and interest costs after a foreign brokerage reportedly said in a research note that the company may spend about Rs 8627 crore ($1.3 billion) in adding data spectrum in key markets in the upcoming spectrum auction around July 2016. The stock fell 5.39% at Rs 113.15.

Bharti Airtel also edged lower on concerns of increase in debt burden and interest costs after this same foreign brokerage said in the research note that the company may selectively buy 4G airwaves in the coveted 700 Mhz band in a few circles in the upcoming spectrum auction around July 2016. The stock fell 1.64% at Rs 354.90.

Elsewhere in the Asia Pacific region: New Zealand's NZX50 was up 0.8% to 6876.48. Taiwan's Taiex index slid 0.2% to 8167.96. Malaysia's KLCI lost 0.75% to 1645.09. Singapore's Straits Times index shed 0.2% to 2767.81.

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Government is following the approach of 'Reform to Transform' through far-reaching structural reforms and has initiated several initiatives to boost investment climate and improve Ease of doing Business

The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley said though the Asia-Pacific region remains the growth engine for the world, there appears to be a softening in region's growth rate from 5.9% projected last year to 5.7% each in 2016 and 2017. Notwithstanding, the global headwinds, Shri Jaitley said that India continues to maintain a high growth rate at 7.65 in 2015-16 compared to 7.2% in the previous year. While reiterating India's commitment to partner in the development and poverty alleviation of the poorest countries of the region, the Finance Minister announced that the Government has increased its contribution under the ADF-12 of the ADB to US$ 40 million. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley was addressing the Business Session of the 49th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Asian Development Bank (ADB) held at Frankfurt, Germany.

Outlining the India's development paradigm, the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley stressed that the Government is following the approach of 'Reform to Transform' through far-reaching structural reforms. The Government has initiated several initiatives to boost investment climate and improve ease of doing business, the Minister added. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley National Infrastructure Investment Fund (NIIF) has been set-up to stimulate investments in infrastructure. Similarly, several schemes such as Make-in-India, Startup India and Skill India are being implemented to encourage innovations, entrepreneurship and job creation, he added. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley said that India's massive financial inclusion program has enabled opening of over 200 million bank accounts for unbanked persons. India is using AADHAAR, a unique identification system, as a backbone for targeted delivery of financial subsidies and benefits, the Finance Minister added.

Speaking on the role of ADB, the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley said as the Asia-Pacific region navigates its course amidst shifting tides in the global economic environment, ADB's ability to make timely and valued contribution is also being tested. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley emphasized that ADB needs to become an agent of change through its support for innovative projects which may otherwise not happen through local intervention. He said that reforms such as empowerment of the Resident Missions of ADB, delegation and decentralization in decision-making are some reform imperatives. The Finance Minister called for continued emphasis on reforms to make ADB a bigger and better MDB.

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Arunachal Pradesh to provide single-window clearance for hydropower generation: Chief Minister, Kalikho Pul

The Union Power Ministry is in process of preparing a framework for hydropower development in India and the same would soon be taken to the highest level in the government, a top ministry official said at an ASSOCHAM even.

We are preparing a framework for hydro development in this country, very soon we will take it up to the highest level in the government, so the focus is going to be back on hydro, said Mr B.P. Pandey, additional secretary (Hydro), Ministry of Power while inaugurating a conference on 'Hydropower @Crossroads,' organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

He said that in totality hydropower comes out a much cleaner, greener and sustainable option while adding that water security is an issue in India and there is a need for storages as well.

Highlighting that reducing the costs is one of the major challenges in hydro sector, he suggested for financial restructuring together with use of innovative financing instruments.

How do we bring down costs or tariff of hydro projects, can we overcome and remove some of the long-drawn clearance processes taking into account environmental safety as well and basin studies, can we also devise some innovative financing models in our instruments which may help to restore the investor confidence which as of now has gone down and people are really not investing apart from PSUs, said Mr Pandey.

In his address at the ASSOCHAM conference, Mr Kalikho Pul, chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh which accounts for over one-half of one lakh megawatt (MW) untapped hydropower potential in India will provide single window clearance to all power developers from both central public sector undertakings (CPSUs) and private sector.

We will provide all support to private developers for installing and commissioning of hydropower plants with facilities of single-window clearance, said Mr Pul. All requirements of local coordination will be fast tracked and we will ensure that there are no barriers to investors.

The Arunachal Pradesh chief minister also said that state government was examining various options available for funding the equity participation of state including the option to exit from the same.

We wish to create a win-win situation for the country, the people of the state, the state itself along with its ecological system, hydro- power developers, and entrepreneurs in many fields who would be attracted by such growth and change, he added.

Suggesting that both solar and hydropower should simultaneously be promoted, Mr Pul said that projects between 50-100 MW should be promoted and taken up under the Ministry of Non-Renewable Energy and there is need to source subsidy funding for the same.

With a view to raise the share of hydropower in electricity-mix of the country, the Ministry of Power may set up a green energy corridor to evacuate hydropower generation from Arunachal Pradesh and north-eastern region, he said further.

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Logistics market in India is expected to be worth US$ 307 billion by 2020, Mr. Ram Kripal Yadav, Minister of State for Drinking Water & Sanitation said at an ASSOCHAM event.

India spends around 14.4% of its GDP on logistics and transportation as compared to less than 8% spent by the other developing countries, said Mr. Ram Kripal Yadav, Minister of State for Drinking Water & Sanitation while inaugurating a conference on 'National Summit: Logistics India 2016,' organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

In his address, Mr. Yadav said, the building of dedicated rail freight corridors will promote efficient haulage of containerized cargo by rail. One key advantage of the dedicated freight corridor is that freight trains could be run on time tables similar to passenger trains, and the frequency can be theoretically increased to one train in 10 minutes. This will reduce time for goods transportation between Mumbai and Delhi to 18 hours from 60 hours now.

Waterways are 50% cheaper than road and nearly 30% cheaper than rail. The coastal leg, apart from being more fuel efficient, can also carry larger parcel sizes and provides a great opportunity for consolidation of loads, said Mr. Yadav.

The Government of India's ambition to replace the National Maritime Development Program (NMDP) with the more comprehensive Maritime Agenda 2010-2020 is in line with its objective to increase port capacity. It intends to encourage private investment in both major and non-major ports and bring port performance at par with international standards. Through this program, government plans to invest INR 2,870 billion in generating total port capacity of 3,200 MMT and cater to expected cargo traffic of 2,500 MMT by the end of 2020.

Over 160 airports currently fall into this category and following through on this initiative would improve regional connectivity across the nation. It is difficult to say exactly what scale of impact this will have on the logistics sector since most goods are still transported by road or rail.

But we can be assured that it would only be an improvement on the existing state of things. The reach of companies operating in the logistics sphere would increase if the logistics sector sees transport by air as a viable option, said Mr. Yadav.

The Cargo and Logistics Industry in India can expect to grow at CAGR of 16% in the coming years with inflow of new investments that in turn will create new opportunities for the logistics sector. The 'Make in India' campaign will see investments connect India to global production networks and would generate significant new business for logistics in India. This will make India an attractive location to do business as compared to others in the region.

However, this can happen only with the help of a sound and efficient infrastructure. Though India is improving on its infrastructure despite the sluggish economic growth in the last decade and emergence of large middle class market with increasing purchasing power, few sectors in India still need to catch up with rest of the world to keep pace with development taking place in rest of the world. This will help in bringing down the costs to a considerable extent, highlighted Mr. Yadav.

Going forward, the evolution of India's Cargo and Logistics Industry can be realized through uniform progress across all segments. Appropriate policy changes and opening up capacity and increasing speed with which goods are transported in all modes of transportation, especially rail and water transport, are imperative for the growth of the industry. Transportation of bulk commodities from road to appropriate modes such as rail and waterways can free up capacity for fast moving goods. Further, setting benchmarks and standards for the industry will drive uniformity of warehouses, storage and transport equipment.

Access to cheap capital should be made available to Logistics Service Providers for investments in infrastructure, enabling them to extend longer credit periods to their clients and supplementing their working capital. The government should create a uniform tax structure and do away with multiple check points and documentation requirements, which would lead to speedier delivery of cargo.

The growth of the Cargo and Logistics industry will not only contribute to the GDP, but will also generate employment opportunities.

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Receives bids for 40.58 lakh shares

The initial public offer (IPO) of Parag Milk Foods received bids for a total of 40.58 lakh shares on the second day of bidding for the IPO today, 5 May 2016, as per data from the National Stock Exchange (NSE) website at 16:00 IST. The IPO was subscribed 0.21 times.

The company raised Rs 342.85 crore by selling 1.51 crore shares to a total of 17 anchor investors ahead of the opening of the IPO. The shares were allotted to the anchor investors at Rs 227 per share, the top end of the Rs 220 to Rs 227 per share price band for the IPO.

Among the anchor investors, Nomura India Investment Fund Mother Fund will be allotted 22.02 lakh shares, Tata Balanced Fund will be allotted 19.21 lakh shares and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority - Behave will be allotted 14.23 lakh shares. Other investors include, Government Pension Fund Global, Morgan Stanley Mauritius Company and Copthall Mauritius Investment, among others.

The IPO of Parag Milk Foods, one of the leading manufacturers and marketers of dairy-based branded foods in India, comprises of fresh issue of equity shares aggregating up to Rs 300 crore and offer for sale of up to 2.05 crore shares from existing shareholders. The IPO opened for bidding on 4 May 2016 and closes on 6 May 2016. The price band for the IPO has been fixed at Rs 220-227 per share.

The three investors who are selling shares via the IPO are India Business Excellence Fund (IBEF) which is a unit scheme of venture capital fund Business Excellence Trust, India Business Excellence Fund I (IBEF I) and IDFC Private Equity Fund III (IDFC PE) which is a unit scheme of venture capital fund IDFC Infrastructure Fund 3. IBEF is selling 21.09 lakh shares, IBEF I is selling 39.17 lakh shares and IDFC PE is selling 82.59 lakh shares via the IPO.

From the promoter group, Netra Shah is selling 20.04 lakh shares and Priti Shah is selling 11 lakh shares. Other selling shareholders are selling a combined 31.81 lakh shares.

The company will utilize the proceeds of the fresh issue of shares to fund the expansion and modernisation at its existing manufacturing facilities at Manchar in Pune and Palamaner in Andhra Pradesh and improving the marketing/distribution infrastructure. The company has earmarked Rs 147.70 crore the expansion and modernisation plan. It has earmarked Rs 2.29 crore for investment in its subsidiary for financing the capital expenditure requirements in relation to the expansion and modernisation of the Bhagyalaxmi Dairy Farm. A sum of Rs 100 crore will be used for partial repayment of the working capital consortium loan.

Promoted by Devendra Shah, Pritam Shah and Parag Shah, Parag Milk Foods manufactures a diverse range of products including cheese, ghee (clarified butter), fresh milk, whey proteins, paneer, curd, yoghurt, milk powders and dairy based beverages targeting a wide range of consumer groups through several brands. The company currently has aggregate milk processing capacity of 2 million litres per day. The cheese plant has a raw cheese production capacity of 40 MT per day. The company's two flagship brands are Gowardhan and Go.

The company operates a diary farm through its subsidiary Bhagyalaxmi Dairy Farms Private Limited. It is a fully automated cow farm housing over 2,000 holstein breed cows with superior quality yields. It produces farm-to-home premium fresh milk, which is marketed under the Pride of Cows brand in Mumbai and Pune.

Based on the consolidated financial performance, Parag Milk Foods registered net profit of Rs 31.92 crore on revenue from operations of Rs 1230.60 crore for 9 months ended 31 December 2015. The company reported net profit of Rs 25.96 crore on revenue from operations of Rs 1438.70 crore for the year ended 31 March 2015. The company has stated in its Red Herring Prospectus that it has not declared any dividend in the last five financial years. The company has no formal dividend distribution policy.

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Formalities To Convert IREDA Into Green Bank Near Completion, Says Its CMD

A conference on Achieving 100 GW of Solar Dream by 2022 under aegis of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry unanimously demanded government's intervention to halt the unregulated large influx of solar and wind power panels and equipment from China as most of them are manufactured with sub-standard materials and have the hidden potential to endanger the solar and wind mission of India.

A collective call was also given on the occasion to forewarn the Indian banks not to have excessive exposure to fund such sub-standard imports to facilitate developers of solar and wind energy in India as without proper quality checks, their funds might face a risk of heavier mis-appropriation.

Chairman & Managing Director, IREDA, Mr. K S Popli who inaugurated the Conference duly endorsed the views expressed during the occasion adding that large banks in India are perhaps reluctant to fund the solar and wind projects due to this reason though no developers in these two segments have defaulted on re-payment though might have delayed the pay off schedule.

Mr. Popli further added that his institution the IREDA might be converted in to Green Bank without under going any altercation in its basic structure to enable it access the foreign funding from overseas banks that are currently not supporting the solar and wind funding barring the well known KFW.

With IREDA conversion into Green Bank, it would be entitled to avail of certain benefits, which the agency is currently deprived of and the proposal is being well supported by the Union Power Ministry, said Mr. Popli without specifying any time period for the move to take off.

The Chief Executive, Punjab Energy Development Agency, Dr. Amarpal Singh emphatically demanded the intervention of the central government to check the rapidly rising imports from China for its solar and wind panels including various other equipment as their quality is suspect and cannot sustain solar and wind power generation beyond a period of five years.

The banks especially in the public sector segment have the 70% exposure to fund solar and wind equipment and panels and in the given scenario, their money is at large risk. Therefore, even the banks should use their prowess and pressurize the government to restricting imports of panels and equipment from China so that Indian solar and wind mission takes off without any possible disruption, said Dr. Amarpal Singh.

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Even though there has been high usage of the metro in the second phase of the odd and even programme, yet the bus transport has not been used to its full potential, said Mr. Gopal Rai, Minister of Transport and Rural Development, Government of NCT of Delhi at the 2nd Smart Transportation Infra Summit & Expo organized by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

There is a change in the mindset of the youth whose youthful love for cars and bikes is now being replaced by the consciousness to follow the odd and even programme for a better quality of life.

Mr. Rai expressed his concern over the app based taxi aggregation who have been earning excessively well during the second phase of the odd even, through charging a high surcharge.

The government will check the high surcharge being charged and will let the taxis do business only through fair means, he said.

There is need for a Premium Bus Service in Delhi for the passengers to commute and Government is in the process of its implementation as a pilot project from 1st June 2016, said Mr. Gopal Rai

He requested the manufacturers and businesses to join the government's initiative to implement this project.

Out of the 25 lakh cars in Delhi, only 8000 cars have been challaned during the second phase of the odd and even drive in Delhi, said Mr. Rai.

A common effort through public and government co-operation will promote the successful implementation of any scheme, said Mr. Gopal Rai.

Mr. Rai also said that the odd and even system started in Delhi is not only being talked of within the country but world over.

Mr.

Rai also stated that the second phase of the odd and even system in Delhi was followed by 99.9% people.

Positive energy is limited and to sustain it an efficient system is needed, said Mr. Gopal Rai. He said that the Delhi government is consciously working to sustain this positive energy through its efforts to create public transport.

Mr. P. S Ananda Roa, Executive Director, Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU) expressed that the solution to the problem of traffic congestion and pollution lies in the creation of mass public transport.

Mr. Radhe Shyam Sharma, Chairman Standing Committee of South Delhi Municipal Corporation, said that farsightedness in needed while framing policies and plans for the transformation process to become successful.

He also urged the government to address the issue of parking facility and earmark spaces for parking in colonies.

Mr. Sharma also pointed out that multi level parking facilities have to be created to deal with the problem of traffic congestion.

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As many as 272 Indian fishermen are in jails in four countries, the government said on Thursday.

Of these, 220 are prisoners in Pakistan, 34 in Sri Lanka, 10 in Bangladesh and eight in Iran, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha.

Stating that the government attached the highest priority to the safety and security of fishermen, she said Indian missions regularly sought consular access to them and worked for their early release and repatriation.

"Given the humanitarian and livelihood dimensions of this issue, the government has put in place several bilateral mechanisms to ensure cooperation and understanding between India and the countries concerned, to promote the safety and security of Indian fishermen," she said.

"In case of Pakistan, we have a bilateral agreement on consular access,

signed in May 2008.

"The India-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee, consisting of retired judges, visits jails in both countries, to ensure humane treatment and expeditious release of prisoners, including fishermen on both sides, who have completed their prison terms," she said.

According to her, in the case of Sri Lanka, the Indian mission works closely with Colombo's defence ministry and other authorities to secure the release and repatriation of Indian fishermen.

"In addition, talks are held from time to time between fishermen's associations in India and Sri Lanka," the minister said.

In the case of Bangladesh, "the (Indian) mission seeks consular access from ministry of foreign affairs and contacts local NGOs for their welfare during their imprisonment in Bangladesh," Sushma Swaraj said.

--IANS

ab/mr
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has said the accusations against her were "untruthful" after the prosecutor general urged that she be investigated for obstruction of justice.

The investigation, if allowed by the Supreme Court, will only find out that those who accused her have lied, Xinhua news agency quoted the president as saying on Wednesday.

Senator Delcidio do Amaral has testified and accused Rousseff of trying to interfere in the Carwash Operation, the three-year-long police probe aimed at uncovering a major corruption scheme at Petrobras and its developments.

Amaral's testimony was recently leaked to the press without accompanying evidence.

"Senator Delcidio's words are absolutely fallacious and untruthful," Rousseff said at a ceremony of the government's Agricultural Plan.

General Prosecutor Rodrigo Janot on Tuesday requested a probe be started on the testimony of Amaral. It was the first time Rousseff was officially accused since the scandal broke out.

"I am aware of Senator Delcidio's list and I think his credibility is rather precarious. I believe it is necessary to investigate where his statements came from," she said.

Rousseff is going through an impeachment process and her case is being analysed by a Senate commission.

Should the Senate, which is due to vote on May 11, decide to begin an impeachment trial, Rousseff will have to be out of office for 180 days for the trial to proceed, with Vice President Michel Temer taking over as acting president.

If Rousseff is finally impeached with a two-thirds majority of the Senate, Temer will complete her mandate through January 1, 2019.

--IANS

py/vm
Former Goa education minister and unattached Congress MLA Atanasio Monserrate, who has been accused of raping a minor girl, surrendered before the Crime Branch on Thursday.

Before stepping into the Crime Branch office in Dona Paula on the outskirts of Panaji, Monserrate said he was innocent and a victim of controversy.

"This is a set up. I am innocent and have nothing to fear. I am being targeted as part of a controversy," said Monserrate, who was accompanied by his wife and Congress MLA Jennifer.

On Wednesday, Monserrate, also known as Babush, was booked by Panaji police officials for allegedly raping a minor girl, who was earlier in his employ.

Police sources said Monserrate was formally arrested minutes after his surrender.

According to Superintendent of Police (Crime) Karthik Kashyap, the First Information report was filed under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 328 (causing hurt), 370 (detaining against will), 376 (rape) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Goa Children's Act.

"The FIR has been registered on the complaint of the victim, who is a minor girl, against a person called Babush and further investigation is going on. It is being undertaken by the women's police station. The investigation is at a preliminary stage," Kashyap said.

However, speaking to IANS, Monserrate said the complaint against him was a result of a political conspiracy.

"I had hired this girl to work in my Hallmark store because her parents came to me to look for a job. But she stole some money from the counter and I had sacked her. This complaint is false. There is no question of my getting intimate with her," Monserrate said.

"She has complained at someone else's bidding," Monseratte also said, without giving more details.

Monserrate was elected to the St. Cruz constituency on a Congress ticket, but was sacked from the party after he started hobnobbing with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He has been booked in the past for extortion. His son Rohit was also arrested for allegedly raping a minor German girl five years ago, but was later acquitted.

--IANS

maya/ksk/dg
Even as the political heat generated by the AgustaWestland chopper deal is yet to die down, some more defence deals may come under the scanner, including one on Pilatus basic trainer aircraft, defence ministry sources said on Thursday.

India inked a deal for buying 75 PC-7 Mk II training aircraft from Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus in 2012, ignoring the American Beechcraft T-6C Texan II and the South Korean KT-1 aircraft.

According to the sources, the South Korean government had then lodged an official protest with the ministry over the selection of Pilatus as the "lowest bidder".

A ministry official said collecting information on the AgustaWestland chopper deal, however, remained the government priority, and that a list of officials involved in the deal was being prepared.

The official said the list would be handed over to the investigation agencies for further probe.

A fiery debate on AgustaWestland was witnessed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, where Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that flying altitude and cabin height criteria were changed that led to a single vendor situation after which AgustaWestland was chosen.

The minister said the trials were not even conducted on the AW-101 chopper India was to buy, but on a different representative chopper.

--IANS

ao/tsb/vt
Bharti Airtel International (Netherlands) has signed a deal with Helios Towers Africa (HTA) for divestment of around 950 telecom towers in Congo, a company statement said here on Thursday.

The divestment also includes towers currently under construction in the central African country.

"The agreement will allow Airtel to focus on its core business and customers, while enabling it to deleverage through debt reduction. The deal will significantly reduce Airtel's ongoing capital expenditure on passive infrastructure and also mitigate the proliferation of towers through enhanced sharing," the statement said.

This deal will expand HTA's tower coverage in Africa to over 6,500 owned towers.

The agreement is subject to statutory and regulatory approvals in the respective countries.

--IANS

ag/vd
Reacting to the statement of Former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh on his fallout with Amitabh Bachchan, the megastar says he has the right to say whatever he wants to.

At the music launch of "Bhouri", Amar Singh was asked about Amitabh and his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's names in Panama papers.

AmarSingh said that the "Piku" actor "warned" him against accepting Jaya Bachchan in politics, "considering her inconsistent nature and habits. But I didn't adhere to his noble advice".

Responding to Amar Singh's remarks, Amitabh said at the trailer launch of his upcoming film "TE3N": "He (Amar Singh) is our friend and he has the right to say whatever he want to."

Amar Singh was very close to the Bachchan family for a substantial number of years till some years back, and then they fell out.

--IANS

uma/nv/vt
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul on Thursday sought a financial assistance of Rs.12,000 crore from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reconstruction work following recent natural calamities in the state.

Pul met Modi in New Delhi and informed him that the floods in the state triggered by unprecedented and torrential pre-monsoon rains were of unexpected proportions.

Pul also met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and asked him to set up a Counter Insurgency Operations School for the northeastern region in Arunachal Pradesh.

Modi assured him of all central support in reconstruction activities and to mitigate the flood-induced disasters.

"As immediate relief, the central governments released Rs.66 crore as flood assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)," Pul said later.

Pul informed Modi that several districts, including Tawang bordering China, have been severely affected, and 21 people lost their lives.

He said basic infrastructure, which had been created with great difficulty in harsh terrain and in far-flung areas, was completely devastated.

"Landslides, fissures and massive landslips triggered by the high intensity rains have resulted in even basic amenities like drinking water, electricity, telecom etc. in the state to be non-functional," he said.

Pul said whatever resources were allocated to the state under the NDRF and the SDRF through the years were utilised for providing immediate relief to the people and no major restoration work could be taken up all these years.

Pul said roads, buildings, electricity transmission lines, health centres and schools were being subjected to repeated damage every year, weakening their foundations.

On the Chakma and Hajong refugee issue, the Centre agreed to file separate curative petitions in the Supreme Court over their permanent settlement in the state.

On the Tawang firing incident, Pul told Modi that the situation was under control and being monitored closely.

Pul asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to set up a Counter Insurgency Operations School in Arunachal Pradesh.

He said the school would help the government accelerate trained manpower to take on insurgents in the region.

"The institute would become the centre for research and development relating to insurgencies in the northeast and will provide a roadmap for holistic strategy for the central government," Pul said.

He also briefed the home minister on the situation in Tawang.

"The situation in Tawang is being constantly monitored after Monday's firing incident that left two dead and scores other injured," Pul told Rajnath Singh.

The chief minister also urged the union home minister to deploy additional companies of SSB and ITBP in Tawang and Bomdila and additional CRPF companies for the Kanubari bye-elections scheduled to be held on May 16.

For effective border management with air support along the India-Myanmar border, the chief minister asked for replacement of Assam Rifles with the Border Security Force.

He also requested border fencing along China on the pattern of the India-Pakistan border.

--IANS

rrk/pm/vt
Voters headed for the polls in a series of elections across the UK on what has been dubbed "Super Thursday".

Elections are taking place for the Scottish parliament, National Assembly of Wales, the Northern Ireland assembly and for 124 councils in England, BBC reported.

New mayors will be elected in London, Bristol, Liverpool and Salford, with parliamentary by-elections in Ogmore and Sheffield Brightside.

Voters in the 40 police force areas in England and Wales, excluding London and Greater Manchester, will also elect a police and crime commissioner. The inaugural elections for the positions were held in 2012.

Polling stations across the country opened at 7.00 a.m., with voting allowed until 10.00 p.m.

Counting will take place throughout Friday with the majority of results declared on the day.

However, some English council results will not be announced until Saturday while the final result of the Northern Irish election is not expected until Sunday.

--IANS

ksk/vm
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday summoned ousted Uttarakhand Chief Minister to Delhi for questioning on Monday in a corruption case, officials said.

The summon comes after the CBI on April 29 began probing a videographed "sting operation" allegedly showing Rawat offering bribes to rebel Congress lawmakers to support him during a floor test in the 70-member Uttarakhand house.

Rawat has denied the allegation and called the video fake after it was released by the rebel Congress legislators.

The union home ministry sent a CD of the video to the forensics laboratory in Chandigarh to examine its authenticity.

A CBI source said the forensic report "confirmed" that the CD was genuine after "which was asked to appear on Monday for questioning".

The hill state is without an elected government after Rawat was dismissed following a rebellion in the ruling Congress. The central government imposed President's Rule in the state on March 27.

Rawat has challenged the presidential proclamation and the matter is being heard by the Supreme Court.

The top court has suggested to the BJP-led central government to let Rawat prove his legislative majority on the floor of the house.

The central government on Wednesday sought two days to "seriously consider" the suggestion. The case comes for hearing on Friday.
Chinese and Indian academics and media professionals discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism and new media at a conference held in Inner Mongolia region.

The Third China-India Media Exchange Programme, which began on Wednesday was co-hosted by the Global Times Foundation and India's Observer Research Foundation (ORF), involved 20 media professionals and researchers.

Sun Yuxi, former Chinese ambassador to India, said at the conference that Chinese and Indian foreign ministries are more inclined to speak in the same tone, but it is still difficult for the two countries' media to voice the same opinion.

"Sino-Indian friendship must be built on mutual understanding and better interaction of the two countries' media, because both the Chinese and Indian people get to know each other mainly through our media," Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times and honorary council director of the Global Times Foundation, said.

Media communication lags behind the bilateral political connections, which is better than what is depicted in media, Samir Saran, senior fellow and vice president of the Observer Research Foundation, said during the conference.

Saran noted that Sino-Indian relations are crucial for regional peace and stability in the 21st century.

The conference will continue for three days in the Hobq Desert and three more days in Guiyang in Guizhou province.

--IANS

ksk
The DMK on Thursday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a probe by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the "unaccounted" money held by Tamil Nadu realtor P.Anbunathan, who is allegedly close to several ministers of the AIADMK government.

A memorandum demanding this was handed over to Modi by DMK's spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan and the party Rajya Sabha member K.P.Ramalingam at the Parliament House in New Delhi, and a copy released to the media here by the DMK.

The DMK, in its memorandum, has alleged that Anbunathan, based in Karur, around 380 km from here, has made several investments within and outside India in violation of the Indian laws.

According to the memorandum, the Election Commission and the Income Tax authorities raided a warehouse owned by Anbunathan and seized large volume of case and cash couting machines.

Following the raid, the DMK alleged that the Karur district Superintendent of Police Vanitha Pandey was threatened by unknown persons.

Copies of the memorandum were also sent to union home and finance ministers, union home secretary and secretaries of departments of financial services and revenue, directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation and ED, the governor of Reserve Bank of India and principal commissioner of Income Tax Department.

Incidentally on Wednesday, Anbunathan was granted anticipatory bail by the Madras High Court.

A case was registered against him following the seizure of Rs.10.33 lakh case and several cash counting machines from his godown and a van that was disguised as an ambulance from a garage recently.

--IANS

vj/vd
The hearing on bail plea of the BSP's Rajya Sabha member Narendra Kashyap, who was arrested in the case of his daughter-in-law's alleged dowry death, was on Thursday adjourned by a court here for the third time.

The bail application was first assigned to the court of Judge G. Sridevi. She adjourned the hearing, seeking the forensic report on the death of Kashyap's daughter-in-law.

The next hearing was adjourned when Sridevi was elevated as the district judge. On Thursday too, the hearing was adjourned to May 10.

A police complaint was filed by lawyer Hariom Kashyap, the uncle of Narendra Kashyap's late daughter-in-law Himanshi.

The MP and his wife Devendri Devi have been charged with causing the death of their daughter-in-law, but they tried to dodge police and got themselves admitted in Yashoda Hospital complaining of chest pain.

Police, however, arrested them after discussing the health issues with the attending doctors.

The MP's son, Sagar, was also arrested. All the three were sent to jail. Three other accused are on missing and still on the run, according to police.

The detained MP, meanwhile, moved an application before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), claiming that since parliament was in session, he should be allowed to attend the session under police custody.

The CJM's court reserved its order after hearing arguments from both sides.

--IANS

sps/pm/vt
India, as the largest member of the South Asian comity of nations, needs to display some degree of responsibility towards the region so that it develops to its fullest potential, Nepal's sole dollar billionaire Binod Chaudhary has said.

In a free-wheeling interview here with IANS, Chaudhary stressed upon the need for India to have all its neighbours on its side and take them along on its journey to becoming a global economic power.

Meanwhile, Nepal -- which has the dubious distinction of being among the 20 poorest nations in the world -- will have to stop playing India against China in order to gain from the economic advantages that a burgeoning Indian economy offers, said Chaudhary who is well-known for a practical business approach that has won him advantages at home and abroad.

The man behind the immensely popular Wai Wai noodles (Wai Wai has sold more than a billion packets in India alone), Chaudhary, 60, is one of Asia's most prominent businessmen. President of the Chaudhary Group, which has variegated interests ranging from banking, insurance and finance to housing, he has invested in hotels and real estate, and collaborates, among others, with India's Taj Group.

In 2013, he became the first Nepali entrepreneur to be listed as a dollar billionaire by Forbes. His passion for expanding his business, in the face of stiff challenges, is legendary.

In the backdrop of a nearly six-month-long "misunderstanding" between the two close neighbours that only got resolved this February -- but not before a virtual blockading of the Himalayan nation -- Chaudhary called for "introspection" in bilateral relations.

"Cordial relations between India and Nepal pave the way for successful entrepreneurial ventures... but when differences appear, bilateral economic ties get adversely affected," said Chaudhary.

His multinational Nepali conglomerate, with a portfolio of 122 companies, is spread over five continents with 76 renowned brands in the global market.

Regretting that Kathmandu has not been able to maintain "continuous and cordial relations" with New Delhi, Chaudhary pointed out that Nepal has had 22 governments in the past 25 years since the partyless Panchayat system was overthrown after a popular movement in 1990.

"There is no consistency and as long as decisions are made on the basis of who to reward, a cordial relationship cannot be achieved. We (in Kathmandu) do not have a very consistent and continuous India policy. The India policy in Nepal shifts from person to person," observed Chaudhary, whose grandfather came to Nepal in the late 19th century from Rajasthan.

Stressing the "overall need for both sides to do a true introspection", he pointed out that while India cannot afford to have discontented neighbours around, Nepal cannot afford not to have a highly cordial relationship with India.

"Nepal's progress and social growth is intertwined with India," he observed.

The richest man in Nepal blamed the lingering political instability in the Himalayan nation for strained relations with southern neighbour India and said Nepali politicians continued to play the anti-India card all the time and talked about pseudo-nationalism.

"But what have they been able to give to Nepali people by playing that card? Isn't it time that Nepali politicians realised that the strategies they had adopted in the relationship with India have not worked? Playing India vs China has not worked too...."

Chaudhary also bemoaned the fact that Kathmandu has not been able to create a lobby in New Delhi "strong enough to communicate our grievances to the right people".

"We, as businessmen, have been able to do it through our own businesses or our philanthropic work... It is not difficult to deal with Indian politicians and bureaucracy but the political establishment has not been able to do it," said Chaudhary who, in his relentless march to his billion-dollar empire, has faced innumerable problems but overcame them through his pragmatic approach.

Commenting on India's economic progress and suggesting what Nepal could do to gain from this scenario, Chaudhary said: "The global image of India has transformed and people associate it with respect. Nepal needs to build on this advantage by improving its ties with India."

"To a large extent, Indian politicians and bureaucracy have become business-friendly and you can deal with India. I think we are seeing a phase in India where, if you are willing to follow the rules, if you are willing to be respectful to the system and the regime around you, pay your taxes, respect the norms that you are expected to follow, then the Indian bureaucracy and politicians will support you in doing business...."

Binod Chaudhary was in New Delhi for the India-release of his autobiography in English "Making It Big" (published by Penguin Random House). The story of how Nepal's richest businessman made his billions was first released in Nepali three years ago.

(Deepak Goel reported from Nepal in the 1990s and continues to keenly follow events in the Himalayan nation. He can be contacted at deepak.g@ians.in)

--IANS

dg/vt/ky/tb
Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has met his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of the annual general meeting of the Asian Development Bank.

The two ministers had a brief informal interaction on Wednesday when both were seen exchanging pleasantries in this German city.

Though it was just shaking of hands and exchange of a few words, the leaders tried to send out a message that things will improve between the two neighbours, observers said.

Earlier, both the ministers were in Frankfurt, on a day's official visit for the annual meeting of the ADB board of governors.

--IANS

ahm/dg
The foreign ministers and military leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines met on Thursday to agree on actions against the Abu Sayyaf extremist group.

The summit was convened by Indonesia, and was held in Yogyakara, after the kidnapping of 14 fishermen in two incidents in the international waters of the Jolo, where Abu Sayyaf has bases on various Philippine islands.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, presided over the meeting which addressed the establishment of joint naval and air patrols in the maritime region, EFE news reported citing local online portal Detik news.

The Indonesian Minister for Security Affairs, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, had alerted days before that the southern part of Philippines is in danger and urged that the protection of trade in the area is a matter of the highest priority.

Abu Sayyaf freed 10 fishermen on Sunday after payment of a ransom.

The rebel group carries out frequent kidnappings for ransom with which it finances its activities, including kidnappings of several foreigners, one of whom, the Canadian John Ridsdel, was beheaded on April 25 after the deadline for the ransom payment expired.

Currently, in addition to the four Indonesian fishermen, Abu Sayyaf continues to hold hostage four Malaysians, a Dutch, a Canadian, a Norwegian and several Filipino sailors.

--IANS

ksk
The Islamic State (IS) on Thursday seized full control of al-Shaer gas field, located east of the central Syrian province of Homs, after three days of fighting against government forces.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least 35 regime troops and 16 IS jihadists were killed during the clashes, Efe news reported.

Despite the radicals' seizure of the gas field, clashes between the two sides are continuing in the vicinity of the field, of which soldiers are trying to regain control.

The clashes coincided with airstrikes, launched by warplanes and helicopters.

Al-Shaer has been targeted several times by IS jihadis as it was held by them in July and November 2014, but both times government forces managed to expel them.

--IANS

ksk/bg
A special women's court on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment till death four youths charged with killing two men who tried to prevent the molestation of their women friends five years ago.

Jitendra Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulgaj and Dipak Tival had attacked Keenan Santos, 24, and his friend Rueben Fernandes, 29, on the night of October 20, 2011 after the two tried to stop them from harassing their woman friends outside a restaurant in Andheri.

Special judge Vrushali Joshi pronounced the sentence on the four in the presence of their family members, the kin of the victims and a large media contingent covering the sensational trial for the past five years.

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said he had not sought the death penalty for the accused since it was not the "rarest of rare cases", there was "no conspiracy" and they were not "pre-planned" murders.

Keenan's father, Valerian Santos, 57, expressed satisfaction over the verdict and said the two young victims had been finally got justice.

Keenan and Reuben were killed when they tried to prevent the harassment and molestation of their two women friends with whom they had gone out.

"However, this is just the beginning... The battle is not over, they might appeal in the higher courts and we have to wait," Santos told the media.

Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan expressed happiness that "justice has been done in the case" and sought more stringent action in such cases involving crimes against women.

The incident, which left Mumbai shuddering, happened outside the Amboli Bar & Kitchen that Keenan, Rueben and their two female friends had stepped out from after dinner.

As they chatted outside the restaurant, one of the accused, Jitendra Rana, started misbehaving and sexually harassing one of the two women. This was objected to by Keenan and Reuben and they chased him away.

Enraged, Rana returned a short while later with three associates armed with sticks and choppers.

They brutally attacked both Keenan and Reuben even as the horrified girls screamed for help from passers-by.

A seriously injured Keenan succumbed to his injuries a few hours later while Reuben died after nearly a fortnight in a hospital.

Following a public outcry on safety of women, the assailants were arrested the next morning (October 21, 2011) from Amboli area and the case was assigned to a fast track Special Women's Court.

The police filed a 400-plus page charge-sheet before the Andheri Metropolitan Court in January 2012. The court framed the charges of murder, conspiracy and molestation against the accused.

During the trial, 28 witnesses were examined, including five witnesses, among them the two women whom the victims had bravely defended from the eve-teasers.

--IANS

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A South London Muslim cleric on Thursday demanded an apology from David Cameron after the prime minister last month accused him of supporting Islamic State because he attacked Labour's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan.

Muslim community leader Suliman Gani has firmly denied that he supports the IS terrorist group. He said the allegations were particularly surprising since he was a Conservative voter and had even been invited by a Tory candidate to attend a forum encouraging Muslims to become councillors, RT online reported.

Gani said: "I'm really, really upset. I'm deeply shocked -- I am gobsmacked. Why am I singled out given that I have a track record on showing peaceful co-existence?"

During the Prime Minister's Questions last month, Cameron agreed that Sadiq Khan had shared a platform with Gani, whom he accused of supporting IS.

But Zac Goldsmith, Sadiq Khan's Tory rival in the mayoral election, hit back: "To share a platform nine times with Suliman Gani, one of the most repellent figures in this country, you don't do it by accident."

It later emerged that Goldsmith also had posed for a photo together with Gani who was invited to an event where Goldsmith spoke.

On Wednesday, Cameron doubled down on his remarks, claiming Gani had said women are "subservient to men".

"He said that homosexuality was an unnatural act. He stood on a platform with people who want an Islamic state."

Gani said in a statement posted to social media: "For the avoidance of any doubt, I state again that Islamic State is in no way compatible with my beliefs. I condemn IS wholeheartedly, and have done so repeatedly in public and in private since its inception."

"This allegation that has been made about me is a smear on my good name. It is highly distressing to me, my family, and to those who know me."

--IANS

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Nepal should ensure that investigations into all deaths and injuries during the protests in the southern Terai region are fast and transparent, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.

The US-based rights body said it had learned that police were reportedly refusing to register First Information Reports (FIRs) filed on behalf of the victims.

"Despite endless promises of reform, impunity remains the norm in Nepal," Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a letter to Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.

"Accountability for any abuses by both protesters and police are important, and unfortunately at the moment it looks as if alleged abuses by the police will simply be forgotten."

Following passage of a controversial new constitution in September 2015, political parties and their supporters in the southern Terai plains began a series of protests which led to an effective blockade of imports along Nepal's southern border with India.

Security forces often clashed with the protesters over months of violence, leading to deaths, abuses and injuries on both sides.

--IANS

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The central government on Thursday outright rejected suggestions from some opposition members to bring agriculture income under the tax net, saying this is not being considered at all.

Replying to the debate on the Finance Bill, 2016-17 in the Lok Sabha, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asserted that despite global recession, the Indian economy is doing well. He maintained that it can do much better, provided there is a good monsoon and the government is able to address the vexed issue of non-performing assets (NPAs) of banks.

"Vishwa ke tulna mein hum sabse aage haen (in comparison to the rest of the world, we are far ahead)," Jaitley said.

"After two years of drought, if the forecast of better monsoon rains this year holds good, it will improve agriculture," he said.

The minister said a good monsoon will add to the rural economy and thus the economy - which had been expanding on strength of public investment, the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) and urban demand - can only grow faster.

He pointed out that despite the global recession and uncertainty prevailing on how long the crisis will remain, India still continues to maintain a high growth rate at 7.65 percent in 2015-16 compared to 7.2 percent in 2014-15.

On the suggestion about introducing tax on agricultural income, he said that, firstly, large farm-based income was rare and people using agriculture as a front to hide income from other sources need to be dealt with by the tax authorities.

But he said under the federal structure, the state governments have the power to impose such agricultural tax and counselled Biju Janata Dal floor leader B. Mahtab that it will be ill-advised for the Odisha government to do so.

During the debate on the Finance Bill on Wednesday, Mahtab had asked: "Does it make any sense providing support to the big farmers, not taxing the agriculture produce of the farmers is one thing but not taxing the companies who are earning thousands of crores of rupees?"

Even Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy had said that rich farmers should be brought under the tax net to widen the tax base.

On the issue of one percent excise duty on non-silver jewellery, the finance minister ruled out its rollback, saying the levy was not applicable on small traders and artisans. Only those jewellers with more than Rs.12 crore turnover will attract the duty, he said.

Jaitley conceded that bad loans are an issue and the NPAs of banks remain a matter of concern for his government.

"I would not like to go on a blame game on this. But, we cannot solve the problem of NPAs by hiding it," Jaitley said, stressing that the government is taking steps to bring the banks out of the NPA mess.

He maintained that loans that have been lent without proper due diligence will be investigated, and said NPAs need to be reflected in the balance sheets and subsequently addressed through capitalisation.

He flayed the Congress party for supporting the United Front government's Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) in the 1990s, saying it was "an ill-advised scheme" and was "discriminatory against honest tax payers".

"I am surprised that Mr. Veerappa Moily (Congress) said this is a highly successful scheme," he said referring to the VDS launched in the mid-nineties when P. Chidambaram served as the finance minister under prime ministers H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral.

Jaitley also took a dig at the Congress, and said: "I have not been able to understand the politics of hatred for 'suit' but love for gold".

This was in reaction to Congress opposing the levy of excise duty on gold and other jewellery.

"If the Congress had objections to the levy, it can begin by removing the 5 percent VAT in Kerala where it rules," he said.

Responding to criticism that government's steps have often been against people-oriented schemes, Jaitley said: "In all the three budgets this government presented, we tried to ensure that small tax payers have more money in their hands."

The Finance Bill now goes to the Rajya Sabha, which has to return it and only then the budgetary exercise for 2016-17 will be completed.

--IANS

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Former Jammu and chief minister Omar Abdullah took exception to the exclusion of the legislator of his National Conference from at a train inauguration function in Anantnag district.

In his sharp criticism of the move to ignore his party member, Abdullah tweeted: "What a shame that the office bearer of a political party is a 'guest of honour' but the local MLA isn't included."

NC legislator from Homshalibugh constituency, Abdul Majeed Larmi, was reportedly not invited to a function in Anantnag where Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated two new trains between Baramulla town in the Valley and Bannihal town in the Jammu region.In another tweet, Abdullah said: "I remember Mufti Sahib (late chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed) being given a seat on the dais with (then prime minister) Dr. Manmohan Singh and (Congress chief) Mrs. (Sonia) Gandhi during my term even though it wasn't his area."

The additional trains inaugurated on Thursday would stop at only 10 stations between the two destinations in contrast to other trains moving between Baramulla and Bannihal those stop at 17 stations.

--IANS

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Formula One driver Max Verstappen will replace Daniil Kvyat at team Red Bull from the forthcoming Spanish Grand Prix onwards, with Kvyat moving back to sister team Toro Rosso.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said the switch would allow Verstappen to showcase his "outstanding" talent, and also help Kvyat "regain his form".

The move comes just days after Kvyat was heavily criticised - by Horner included - after twice coming together with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in Russia.

"Max has proven to be an outstanding young talent. His performance at Toro Rosso has been impressive so far and we are pleased to give him the opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing," Horner said to Formula One's official website on Thursday.

"We are in the unique position to have all four drivers across Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso under long term contracts with Red Bull, so we have the flexibility to move them between the two teams."

"Dany will be able to continue his development at Toro Rosso, in a team that he is familiar with, giving him the chance to regain his form and show his potential."

Kvyat was promoted to Red Bull ahead of the 2015 season, in place of the departing Sebastian Vettel. He out-scored team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in his maiden season with the team, by 95 points to 92.

This year the Russian secured the second podium of his F1 career in China, but then cost the team a chance to score points with his double-collision with Vettel.

Verstappen, meanwhile, is widely regarded as one of the best talents on the grid. The youngest driver to compete in the sport, and the youngest points-scorer, he twice came close to scoring a podium during a superb debut campaign with Toro Rosso last year.

--IANS

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The Chinese and Russian military are to hold their first-ever joint exercise on how to counter an "incidental or provocative" missile attack. It comes as the US and South Korea are discussing the deployment of advanced THAAD missile interceptors in Asia.

The exercise, which is to be conducted later this month in Russia, would be a computer-assisted simulation of a missile threat situation, which Chinese and Russian staff officers would deal with jointly, RT reported.

The defence ministries of the two countries stressed that the drill was not "aimed against any third nation".

The announcement follows a visit to Russia of Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan, who met his Russian counterpart, Sergey Shoigu, last week. Speaking at a media conference, they said their ministries need to implement "greater unity and joint effort" to tackle modern security challenges.

The official English-language newspaper China Daily linked the drill with US plans to deploy the THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea. Washington and Seoul insist that the system was necessary to protect America's allies from a missile threat from North Korea, but the plan was criticised by both China and Russia, which said such a move would upset the balance of power in the region.

THAAD includes a long-range radar system, which would cover large parts of China and Russia's Far East, if deployed in South Korea.

North Korea is developing nuclear weapons and rocket technologies in defiance of the UN Security Council, which imposed harsh economic sanctions in response to Pyongyang's latest nuclear test in January.

North Korea says it needs powerful weapons to protect itself from a possible US invasion and offered to suspend its nuclear program if the US stops joint military exercises with South Korea. Washington and Seoul rejected the idea.

--IANS

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Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is expected to visit to India and Britain next week, foreign ministry officials said here on Thursday.

The officials said that Sirisena is expected to leave for Britain on May 11 to attend the Anti-Corruption Summit organised by the British government, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Anti Corruption Summit will bring together world, business and civil society leaders to agree on a package of practical steps to expose corruption, punish the perpetrators and support those affected by corruption, as also drive out the culture of corruption wherever it exists.

Sirisena is then expected to leave for India on May 13 to attend a Hindu festival taking place in Madhya Pradesh state which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two leaders are expected to hold discussions on the sidelines of the festival and discuss issues of mutual interest, including a trade pact with India which the two countries hope to sign soon.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met Han Zheng, member of the politburo of the Communist Party of China and party secretary of Shanghai, who is on a visit to India.

"An important visitor from China comes calling. CPC Party Secretary of Shanghai Han Zheng meets PM @narendramodi," external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Han, who is here on an invitation extended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, is being accompanied by a strong business delegation and will visit New Delhi, Agra, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

After meeting Modi, Han also called on Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh.

"Connecting with China's cities. After calling on PM, CPC Party Secretary of Shanghai Han Zheng meets MoS @Gen_VKSingh," Swarup said in another tweet.

The visit of Han and his delegation is under the exchange programme between the ministry of external affairs of India and the international department of the Communist Party of China (MEA-IDCPC).

"Following the institutionalisation and expansion of the MEA-IDCPC during the landmark visit of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi to China in May 2015, this is the highest level visit from China under this exchange programme," Swarup said earlier on Thursday in his weekly media briefing here.

The last visit from India under this programme was that of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in January this year.

--IANS

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Han Zheng, member of the politburo of the Communist Party of China and party secretary of Shanghai, is visiting India from Thursday.

Han, who is coming on an invitation extended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, is being accompanied by a strong business delegation and will visit New Delhi, Agra, Bengaluru and Mumbai, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in his weekly media briefing here on Thursday.

"The visit is under the exchange programme between the ministry of external affairs of India and the international department of the Communist Party of China (MEA-IDCPC)," Swarup said.

"Following the institutionalisation and expansion of the MEA-IDCPC during the landmark visit of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi to China in May 2015, this is the highest level visit from China under this exchange programme."

The last visit from India under this programme was that of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in January this year.

Swarup explained that the MEA-IDCPC was an innovative programme that afforded the two countries the opportunity for interaction between states and provinces of India and China and catered to the specificities of the two political systems.

"It helps to enhance mutual understanding. Many senior leaders currently in China's leadership have visited India under this programme," he said.

"During his visit, Han Zheng will meet Indian leaders and interact with a cross-section of Indian political and business circles."

According to the spokesperson, it is expected that the interactions during Han's visit will contribute to further strengthening of the closer development partnership that was established during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India in 2014.

--IANS

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Trinamool Congress candidate Rabindra Nath Ghosh was on Thursday allegedly caught on camera while threatening a polling officer inside a booth during the sixth and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections.

Taking cognizance of the media report, the Election Commission has sought a report from the district administration.

In a video broadcast by a TV channel, Ghosh is seen entering a polling booth in Cooch Behar's Natabari constituency, from where he is contesting, and verbally intimidating the official.

"You are acting as a CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) tout; you are here to indulge in touting for the CPI-M?" Ghosh is heard saying and asking the official's name and where he was employed.

As the official says he is posted at a primary school, Ghosh retorts: "Oh, primary school! that will serve me better."

He then moved out of the booth and while boarding his car, he is seen threatening a polling agent for being a "CPI-M tout".

Condemning Ghosh's act, the opposition demanded his immediate arrest.

"The Election Commission should immediately take action in the matter and (Rabindra Nath) Ghosh should be immediately arrested," said Revolutionary Socialist Party leader Ashok Ghosh.

Another Trinamool leader Sonali Guha -- who is the assembly deputy speaker -- was allegedly caught on camera while talking over phone to "bat and drive away a CPI-M agent" from a booth in her constituency Satgachhia in South 24 Parganas.

--IANS

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Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar will address 17 election rallies in Tamil Nadu and Kerala to canvass votes for the CPI-M, party sources said here on Thursday.

Sarkar, a politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), left on Thursday for Chennai to take part in the election campaign in the two poll-bound states.

A CPI-M leader said Sarkar would address eight election rallies in Tamil Nadu and nine in Kerala during his eight-day tour to the two states.

The polling for electing the 140-member Kerala assembly and 234-member Tamil Nadu is to be held on May 16.

Sarkar has just been through election campaigns in West Bengal and Assam.

--IANS

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The Turkish government is shutting down Zaman newspaper, previously a strong critic of President Erdogan, of which it seized control in March, according to CNN Turk.

Zaman was taken over by Ankara in early March. Following the seizure, the government immediately appointed new trustees for Feza Group, which owned the paper.

Police also raided the newspaper's offices to enforce a Turkish court order stating that the outlet must be brought under government authority. The newspaper's editor-in-chief, Abdulhamit Bilici, was fired soon after.

Once the state took over, the newspaper soon turned into a government mouthpiece. The first edition under the new ownership featured the image of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Critics slammed the government for the move, with Zaman supporters taking to the streets of Istanbul in protest. Police deployed tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets on the demonstrators.

Along with Zaman, a number of other Feza Group outlets will be shut down, including Cihan News Agency, Kure.tv.

Erdogan has been fiercely criticized for his crackdown on press freedom in recent months, including the pre-trial detention of two journalists who published a report that purportedly showed intelligence officials transporting arms to Syria.

In late April, Turkey barred foreign journalists from entering the country, without providing any explanation for the move.

News of the shutdown of the media publications comes as Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu effectively resigned following a rift with Erdogan, whose leadership has become increasingly authoritarian.

--IANS

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Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu declared on Thursday that he will not seek mandate at an extraordinary congress on May 22 when Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will choose a new party leader and prime minister.

"I have no sense of failure or regrets in taking this decision... The change of chairs is more proper. I don't want to run as candidate at the congress," Xinhua new agency quoted Davutoglu as saying in a press conference after holding an extraordinary Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting.

Davutoglu said he would not consider being a candidate unless there is a consensus, adding that his relationship of loyalty with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would continue.

"Congratulations. It is the prime minister's own decision," Erdogan told reporters in his first comment about Davutoglu's decision.

The decision to replace the prime minister came after a meeting of Davutoglu and President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday after weeks of tension between the two statesmen.

"If necessary, I would turn down any position that many may think a mortal could not leave," Davutoglu told lawmakers on Tuesday, triggering speculation that he was ready to leave his position due to disagreement with Erdogan, the founding leader of the AKP.

The AKP's central decision and executive board's decision come after Davutoglu, who took over the party chairmanship after Erdogan was elected as president in 2014, has recently reshuffled around 15 provincial and district party heads.

Erdogan has reportedly been seeking an executive presidency, which did not have Davutoglu's full support. Under the current parliamentary system, the presidency is mostly a symbolic institution.

Observers say Davutoglu's upcoming ouster is likely to pave the way for a new prime minister who will back Erdogan's plan of changing the constitution and bringing an executive presidency.

--IANS

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Abu Dhabi, May 5 (IANS/WAM) The Women in Parliaments Global Forum (WIP) has honoured the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for its pioneering step of electing Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi as the first woman Speaker in the Arab world and the Middle East.

Al Qubaisi, Speaker of Federal National Council (FNC), who is currently heading the UAE's delegation to the WIP summit in Jordan's capital Amman, received the certificate of appreciation on Wednesday.

The summit under the theme 'Women in Politics: Fast Forward' is being attended by 260 women parliamentarians from 89 countries to share experiences and best practices on women's role in policy-making.

"We are proud of the international recognition of the UAE's pioneering initiative of supporting women in parliament. We are also grateful to our leadership and to our people who provide trust and confidence to women as active participants in the development process" Al Qubaisi said.

She also said that she was pleased with the honour, not only for the women of UAE, but also for all Arab women.

"We are more optimistic now this will accelerate the efforts for empowering Arab women, especially in the field of political participation," she concluded.

--IANS/WAM

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The most important factor behind the recent stabilisation of the Chinese economy seems to be the sharp turnaround in real estate investment. Investment in real estate was up 6.2 per cent in Q1 2016, after rising just one per cent in 2015. Coming into 2016, most analysts had predicted a decline in real estate fixed asset investment with new construction starts down 20 per cent and property sales volumes down three to five per cent. This negative view was based on the high inventories of unsold housing as well as the excesses in commercial real estate. The conventional view was that it would take another year or two of subdued real estate investment to bring inventories under control. The weakness in global commodities was also largely linked to this subdued outlook for Chinese new construction demand, as construction accounted for the majority of commodity consumption in the Chinese economy.
Dinesh Thakur, the Ranbaxy whistleblower, seems to be waging a lone battle against sub-standard medicine. After the Supreme Court threw out his plea that sought "the creation of a framework for the recall of drugs and a commission to examine faulty drug approvals", Thakur has been diligently uploading information he has collated over the years on his website. It is an eye opener.
may yet snap up Barclays' Africa arm. The UK bank has placed 12.2 per cent of its Johannesburg-listed business with institutional investors. A South African state pension fund took a tenth of the offering, which was worth $878 million, and will now own almost seven per cent of Barclays Africa Group. But that's not enough to deter the former Barclays boss from sniffing around.

The initial sell-down of Barclays' stake looks like a decent enough piece of business by current boss Jes Staley. The sale was achieved at a 6.5 per cent discount to the previous day's close, tight relative to local deals of a similar size. Although the price was actually around the shares' 12-month low, Staley now only has to sell another third of the business to get it below the level at which Barclays will achieve meaningful capital relief.

There's logic in leaving a majority stake on the table. Selling the whole lot to a strategic bidder could let Staley accelerate his strategy. But keeping more than the remaining 50.1 per cent might have allowed Barclays to drip-sell it in stages, while waiting for a bid to emerge. A lock-up restriction gives Staley 90 days to decide what to do.

Diamond has made clear his intention to swoop. Although South African central bank Deputy Governor Kuben Naidoo said on May 3 that he was opposed to private equity bidders for the country's banks, this was not a barb aimed squarely at Diamond, according to a person familiar with the situation. The consortium that Diamond has put together may include US private equity firm Carlyle. But it also includes other investors.

Barclays management could do with South African regulators hardening their resistance in private. Selling out to Diamond would be embarrassing given how hard it would be to counter the perception, however unfair, that he was getting a sweet deal. Diamond's links to Barclays' Libor shame and his huge pay packages over the years still rankle with the UK bank's shareholders and regulators.

But for now, Barclays' initial Africa stake sale seems simply to have set the clock ticking on a bid by Diamond for full control.
Apropos the Chinese Whispers item, "Ramdev's cream for Lalu", (May 5), around four years ago, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad had criticised yoga guru Ramdev for addressing members of Parliament as "murderers and robbers". Now, the two have made a joint appearance before the media, hinting that the days of their bitter relations are over. Prasad even clarified that he had become a permanent brand ambassador of Patanjali Ayurved's products and added that many people were jealous of Ramdev's success.

But the closeness between Prasad and Ramdev seems quite fishy, as the two of them subscribe to different political ideologies. Ramdev is a strong supporter of the Bharaitya Janata Party while Prasad joined hands with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's party, the Janata Dal (United).

What Prasad wants to signify by strengthening ties with the yoga guru is unclear, but it surely is a salute to the "rising sun", which in this case is Patanjali's current market position. But then everything is fair in politics and war.

Ankita Kalia Chandigarh

can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
Business Standard carried a letter to the editor last week, which said public sector banks (PSB) had taken away the right to leave a job. The letter went on to add that in PSBs, officers were not allowed to resign, except on medical grounds, and their applications for resignation were rejected summarily, even if there were no vigilance cases pending against them.

Sounds absurd? Not really. Here is the account of a bank officer who resigned after she was transferred to a place that had no direct road or rail link with her hometown where her family was based. Before resigning, she made representations to the bank, which rejected her plea on the ground that it would set a bad precedent. She ultimately resigned and gave due notice.

Conventional wisdom says that should have been the end of her professional relationship with the bank. But that wasn't the case. The bank didn't accept her resignation and sought an explanation from her for taking unauthorised leave for 10 days sometime in the past. Her explanation that it was an emergency leave and that she was willing to pay up for those days of absence obviously didn't wash, as the bank management asked her to return to her place of posting till the "dispute" was satisfactorily resolved. After many emails and letters went back and forth, the employee has taken the bank to court for denial of her fundamental right to leave a job.

Yet another PSB employee in his early 50s says he submitted his resignation, as he was getting bored with the nature of the job and wanted to explore options. What followed was a nightmare: he was told there were several pending customer complaints about the kind of service he had delivered during his postings in several places across India and that he had to wait till all these complaints reached a closure. The bank also said his continuation in service was necessary, as his presence would be required while dealing with these pending complaints. Repeated requests to the top management and explanations that none of the complaints indicated any fraud on his part helped him. His resignation was accepted - but over nine months after he had put in his papers.

Still, the employee considers himself lucky for two reasons: one, he didn't have to go through the "expensive" process of litigation and, two, the nine-month gap didn't affect him much, as he was anyway planning to take a long sabbatical. But there are cases galore of employees failing to join another company of their choice, as the banks concerned delayed the relieving letters on some pretext or the other.

To be sure, things aren't usually back to normal if an employee withdraws the resignation following counselling by the higher authorities. A now-retired bank official recounts how the mental harassment started after he withdrew his resignation rather late in his career. Three months after the withdrawal, he was transferred to what the bank called a "less taxing" job. The shift happened barely a couple of months before his promotion process was due, ruining his prospects.

These are not isolated cases. In a December 2014 case (Shashikala Devi vs Central Bank of India), the Supreme Court directed the bank to release pension to the widow of a clerk, who made the mistake of "resigning" from his service after 34 years. That's because banking service rules say resignation, dismissal or termination of service disqualifies an employee for pension benefits. However, the apex court ruled that the bank should consider the spirit of the rules. "It will be too imprudent for anyone to suggest that an employee, who, at the time of writing the letter, was left with just about one and a half years of service, would have so thoughtlessly given up retiral benefits," the court said.

There are several such cases in courts across the country, showing the human resource practices of PSBs in poor light. Bank managements, however, say it is wrong to suggest they follow a uniform rule of denying the right to resign, and argue these are stray cases that may have been mishandled by a few overzealous junior employees. In any case, they say exceptions don't prove the rule. The jury is, however, out on this.
The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has announced several freebies to voters in Tamil Nadu if re-elected. These include free mobile phones, free laptops, along with internet and free electricty.This time, other political parties including the main opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, have refrained from offering major free schemes in their election manifestoes.The AIADMKs, issued on Thursday by its head and state chief minister, J Jayalalithaa (pictured), promises all ration card holders will get mobile phones free of cost. A free set-top box will be provided to all Arasu Cable TV subscribers. Free internet and up to 100 units of electricity free of cost, in effect exempting close to eight million consumers from paying power bills. Also, a Rs 500 gift coupon to all ration card holders during the Pongal festival. And, continuation of the earlier free laptop and free internet scheme for students.It also promises a 50 per cent subsidy for women to buy a two-wheeler. A job will be ensured for at least one person from a family. Five new medical colleges will be established in the next five years.The manifesto also reiterates Jayalalithaas earlier promise of complete prohibition of liquor sale and consumption, in a phased manner. Steps will be taken to provide dual citizenship to Sri Lankan Tamils in the state for many years. Expansion of the Metro Rail. And, a Lok Ayukta, a citizens ombudsman.A Rs 100-crore Amma Collateral Fund will be set up for marginal institutions and an Amma Venture Capital Fund of Rs 500-crore for first-generation entrepreneurs.

The Amma Mineral Water scheme will be expanded. And, an Amma Banking Card, to help repayment of loans. All long-term loans for farmers to be waived. The government will, if re-elected, take over sale of beach minerals and a new Granite Policy will be evolved. Ethanol production will be encouraged in sugar mills to ensure better rates to sugarcane farmers. Genetically modified crops will not be allowed and nor will foreign investment in the retailing sector. Around Rs 40,000 crore of agricultural loans will be issued through co-operative banks in the next five years. And, 13,000 Mw of power generation capacity. The scheme to supply free goats and cows for the poor will be continued and free gold for brides from poor families to be enhanced to eight grammes. A subsidy will be offered for purchase of agricultural equipment and powerlooms will be provided free power up to 750 units. Primary school students will be provided a free breakfast, along with the already free mid-day meal. Maternity leave will be raised from six months to nine months. Whenever tea prices dip, the loss will be compensated to plantation workers. Women will be provided training and financial assistance for purchasing auto rickshaws. Maternity assistance for women government staff to be raised to Rs 18,000. Separate houses for fishermen and assistance during the non-fishing period will be raised to Rs 5,000.
The party will take to the streets here on Friday, in a protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and its alleged squashing of democracy in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh.

Party president Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will lead the Save Democracy march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament, with the intention to gherao the latter. workers are slated to troop into the capital from neigbouring states. The march will be a culmination of protests that units have been holding nationwide.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told Business Standard, We will be highlighting not just the elimination of democratically elected (Congress) governments in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh but real issues that the Narendra Modi government wants to divert attention from.He alleged the ruling party was out to vilify the Congress through false accusations and insinuations and the Congress was determined to expose the machinations before the public.

At the protest march, the party will also raise the issue of an alleged crackdown in central universities on student activism and demand proper investigations on the atrocities against students.

They also alleged that the government is curtailing established procedures in Parliament, such as standing committee scrutiny of important Bills.

The BJP has said its members will be protesting against Congress scams at the base of the Gandhi statue in Parliament.
During the discussion on AgustaWestland bribery case in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Congress leader Anand Sharma called diabolical and someone who is obsessed with Congress President Sonia Gandhi. He cautioned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that Swamy is loose cannon and they will soon find the cannons mouth turned towards them, as have Atal Behari Vajpayee and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the past.

Swamy, in the 10 days since being nominated, has vastly improved BJPs firepower in the Upper House. In the last two years, the BJP has found itself both lacking in numbers but also articulate speakers who could take on a constellation of experienced opposition parliamentarians. BJPs more articulate Upper House MPs are ministers  Arun Jaitley and M Venkaiah Naidu  who are burdened with their onerous portfolios, while others like Ravi Shankar Prasad, Smriti Irani, Nirmala Sitharaman and Bhupender Yadav are either too junior or lack the skills to take on such effective speakers as Sitaram Yechury, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mayawati, Sharad Yadav and Jairam Ramesh.

Moreover, Naidu and Jaitley are rare ministers in the Narendra Modi government who have a good rapport with senior leaders in the Opposition ranks, which is necessary for the smooth functioning of the Parliament. Neither, therefore, can afford to launch the kind of attacks that Swamy has done on Congress President Sonia Gandhi. There are already demands from Swamys more enthusiastic followers in social media that the 76-year-old be included in the Union Cabinet, which they argue will allow him to speak even in the Lok Sabha. Both Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi are members of the Lok Sabha.

Read more from our special coverage on "SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY"

Swamys speech on Wednesday indicated that he was likely to concentrate his line of attack on  as he put it during his speech  the one who must not be named. Last week, his naming of Sonia Gandhi on the floor of the House had led to adjournments of proceedings and expunging of his remarks from the record. Unlike several other leaders in both BJP as well as other political parties, and with the exception of Arvind Kejriwal, Swamy is somebody who doesnt believe that Sonia and Rahul are beyond criticism.

The government is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha, and while its numbers are set to improve in the Upper House by 2018, it will not get a simple majority in the Rajya Sabha at least until the current term of the Modi government. This lack of numbers has meant key bills getting stuck in the House. Swamys focus on the Gandhis might also give BJP a bargaining chip with the Congress. Please cooperate or else we will unleash Swamy on you  could now be the unsaid threat.

On Wednesday, Swamy also took care not to insult other members of the Opposition, including Congress MPs like former PM Manmohan Singh and Janata Dal (United)s Sharad Yadav. He took care not to open too many fronts. On May 3, Swamy had tweeted about his meeting with the PM and discussing several issues. He also lauded the PM for his functioning in the Parliament "because his democratic, does not micro-manage MPs and allows free expression."

But only time can tell whether Swamy becomes BJP's brahmastra or its albatross. Swamy was nominated to the Rajya Sabha on April 25 and will serve a six-year term until April 24, 2022. His past record shows that six years is a long time in Swamys school of .

Swamy made it to the Rajya Sabha in 1974 on a Jana Sangh ticket, did a stellar job in fighting the Emergency and was a Janata Party Lok Sabha MP twice in 1977 and 1980.



Swamy, by 1985, was one of the closest advisers of the then PM Rajiv Gandhi. In 1991, Chandra Shekhar included him in his Cabinet. In 1994, the subsequent PV Narasimha Rao government too gave him a Cabinet rank.

In 1991, Swamy  who now talks about building a Ram temple in Ayodhya and has become a Hindutva votary  described the BJP as a party of semi-literates with fascist tendencies. He brought down the Vajpayee government of 1998 when he organized the famous tea party between Jayalalithaa and Sonia Gandhi. He had once called Vajpayee a drunk, while the former PM had called him a CIA agent. In 2000, Swamy wrote a stinging write up against the "creeping fascism of the RSS".

Swamy has never had permanent friends or enemies. In the past, Swami has taken on Indira Gandhi, Vajpayee and Sonia Gandhi. The ones who could keep him on their side were Rajiv Gandhi, Chandra Shekhar and PV Narasimha Rao. All three assuaged Swamy by lending a keen ear to his advice and important positions in their durbars. It will be interesting to see whether Prime Minister Modi will be willing to pay that price and for how long.
The Centre today told the Delhi High Court that it has issued a press note in March this year clarifying that 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) through automatic route was permissible in online retails running under 'marketplace model'.

The submission was made before Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain who said that in view of the March 29 press note, the plea of All India Footwear Manufacturers and Retailers Association against FDI in ecommerce was "infructuous".

The petitioner Association, however, contended that FDI norms were still being violated despite the press note and sought time from the court to consider what course of action to take.

The bench, thereafter, listed the matter for hearing on May 23, when the Association will tell the court whether they intend to challenge the press note by amending the current petition or by filing a fresh one.

As per the press note, while 100 per cent FDI is allowed in ecommerce following a marketplace model, such online retailers are restricted from more than 25 per cent discount from one vendor.

The high court had in an earlier order directed the government to probe 21 e-commerce websites for alleged violation of FDI norms.
About 1700 Indian workers who were arrested and deported by Kuwaiti authorities were found violating visa or residency laws of that country, government said today.

"There is no problem in the case of people who have valid work visa as their problems are solved under the agreements (with foreign countries)," Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha.

However, the task becomes difficult when workers reach foreign countries on tourist visas and then get them converted to work visas "through dubious means", he said.

It is also not possible to keep records of all such people but added that the government reaches out to assist all its citizens promptly if they are found to be in a problem in a foreign land, Singh said.

He said the government was sensitive to the needs of its workers and has "effective" agreements with many Gulf countries including Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to ensure their safety.

The minister said the government has already set up an Indian Workers Resource Centre in Dubai and will set up two more in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

Singh said he and his senior Minister Sushma Swaraj actively check their twitter accounts to reach out to any person needing assistance, while missions abroad were also sensitive to problems faced by any citizen.

He said with the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs now merged with MEA, there was more coordinated effort in this regard.
Concerned about the effects of climate change, 24 villages under Pughoboto sub-division of Zunheboto district in Nagaland today planted 17,000 saplings of different species.

The plantation drive coined as 'Green Pughoboto project' was initiated by local MLA and minister for Roads and Bridges, Y Vikheho Swu, under the Local Area Development Project 2016-17 along with the sub-divisional administration.

People from all walks of life, including young and old participated in the drive.

Planting a tree adjacent to local ground Pughoboto, minister Swu said "Nature is the greatest gift of the God to mankind and therefore, we should plant trees to protect nature."



The minister cited that fury of the nature such as unseasonal heavy showers with thunderstorm, huge hailstones destroying over thousand houses and damaging crops were the effects of climate change.

Appealing to stop felling of trees and to protect the ecosystem, Swu encouraged people to plant at least ten trees if they cut one tree.

"Through 'Green Pughoboto' we want to communicate the very importance of planting trees and to promoting a healthy environment. Trees increase our quality of life by bringing in natural elements and also create an aesthetically pleasing and peaceful environment," Swu said.
Five activists



including a self-styled Area Commander of the ultra outfit People's Liberation Front of India were arrested after an encounter with security personnel at Kadal jungle under Karra police station in Khunti district, the police today said.

The security personnel were on patrol duty in the Naxal-hit areas of the police station when the ultras started firing on them, the police said, forcing them to retaliate.

Addressing a press conference here today, Superintendent of Police Anish Gupta said around 25 rounds were fired from both the sides during the encounter yesterday.

Following the encounter, the security personnel arrested self-styled area commander Jublu Sanga, Anil Herenj, Mani Munda, Ranthu Mahato and Munna Oraon, he said adding a rifle, one gun, one country-made pistol and 25 rounds of live cartridges were seized from them.

In an another incident, he said one person was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Hethgowa village under Murhu police station last night.

The victim, Kero Mundu, was in his sleep when the miscreants shot him.

A police team led by Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Ranvir Singh has rushed to the spot to investigate the incident, he added.
As many as 541 posts, including those of full-time and part-time directors, are lying vacant in various central public sector enterprises, Parliament was informed today.

"As per available information, 101 posts of functional directors and around 440 positions of non-official directors are presently vacant in various CPSEs," G M Siddeshwara, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Several vacant posts are those of CMDs of companies such as MTNL, Hindustan Cables, ITI Ltd, Oil India, Eastern Coalfields, Scooters India, Hindustan Paper Corporation, Jute Corporation of India, among others.

The boards of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) consist of functional (full-time), government (part-time) and non-official (part-time) directors.

The selection of functional directors is made by the Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB).

"The selection of non-official directors is made by the Search Committee and the reconstituted search committee has till April 2016 recommended names for filling up around 260 positions of non-official directors on the boards of various CPSEs," Siddeshwara said.
More than 65.95 lakh tonnes of wheat has so far arrived in the mandis of Haryana compared with 61.26 lakh tonnes during the corresponding period last year.

While giving this information here today, a spokesman of the Food and Supplies Department said out of the total arrival more than 65.93 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured by the government procurement agencies at Minimum Support Price.

Giving details of wheat procured by government agencies, he said more than 17.36 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured by Food and Supplies Department, whereas HAFED has procured more than 24.43 lakh tonnes.

The Food Corporation of India has procured more than 7.12 lakh tonnes of wheat, Haryana Agro Industries Corporation has procured over 5.94 lakh tonnes and more than 11.06 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured by Haryana Warehousing Corporation.

He said apart from this, 1,624 tonnes of wheat has been procured by traders.

He said district Sirsa was leading in wheat arrival where more than 10.07 lakh tonnes of wheat has so far arrived in the mandis.
Pharma firm Aarti Drugs today reported a 9.16 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit at Rs 18.59 crore for the January-March quarter.

The company had posted a net profit of Rs 17.03 crore for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

Consolidated total income from operations rose to Rs 314.61 crore for the quarter under consideration as against Rs 268.67 crore for the same period year ago, Aarti Drugs said in a BSE filing.

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Pepsico India introduces 15 snacks under Kurkure brand * Beverage and snacks major Pepsico has introduced 15 new snacks under its Kurkure brand.

Aiming to grab a share of the Rs 7,000 crore domestic namkeen market, Pepsico India has introduced 15 new snacks offerings under its Kurkure masterbrand keeping in mind the regional flavours.

These snacks would represent different flavours of pan-India and will be available in 150 different pack offerings to cater to different consumption occasions, at different price points.

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GCPL completes 75% stake buy in Kenya-based Canon Chemicals * FMCG firm Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) today said it has completed 75 per cent stake purchase in Kenyan firm Canon Chemicals after receiving approval from the Competition Commission of Kenya.

"The approvals has been received and the company has now completed the acquisition through a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company," GCPL informed BSE.

On February 3, GCPL had said that its subsidiary has entered into an agreement with Canon Chemicals, for the acquisition of a majority equity stake in its business in Kenya for an undisclosed sum.

NBCC secures Rs 133.41 cr business in April



* State-run National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) has secured a total business of Rs 133.41 crore in April this year.

"NBCC has secured a total business of Rs 133.41 crore in the month of April 2016," the company said in a regulatory filing.

Last month, the company's board had approved splitting of company's equity share of the face value of Rs 10 each into five shares of Rs 2 face value each, with a view to make shares more affordable as well as increase market liquidity.

* * * * * * *



Future Generali launches online ULIP 'Easy Invest Online Plan' * Future Generali India Life Insurance today launched its second online product - Easy Invest Online Plan - an online unit-linked insurance plan (ULIP) that offers a wide range of investment options and loyalty additions.

The product is ideally suited for the online savvy investors looking for ease of purchase and a range of investment options.

The product is offered online only and can be purchased across the country.

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Venus rolls out herbal hand sanitizer 'Swachh Guard' * Pharma major Venus Remedies today launched herbal hand sanitizer - 'Swachh Guard'.

"'Swachh Guard' has active herbal ingredients and is a research product from Venus Medicine Research Center," company's CMD Pawan Chaudhary said in a statement.

With the launch of this over-the-counter (OTC) product, the company supports 'Swacch Bharat Mission', he said.
Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today called upon the police to adopt a citizen-centric approach, but asked them not to spare those indulging in anti-social activities.

Patel, who inaugurated the two-day Gujarat Police Conference at Gandhinagar, said police need to deal sternly with anti-social elements, including gamblers and bootleggers.

The conference was attended by all the top police officers of the state, including district Superintendents of Police (SPs), Inspector Generals (IGs), Additional Director Generals of Police (ADGPs) and the state Director General of Police(DGP) P P Pandey, among others.

"The police force needs to come out of its image by taking into confidence citizens for getting positive results. Police should work towards restoring the dignity of the police department," an official press release quoted the Chief Minister as saying.

"Mere presence of men in uniform should instill fear among anti-social elements. At the same time, common men should feel safe and secure while stepping into a police station," she said.

The Chief Minister said that state government has earmarked Rs 38 crore in this year's budget to set up one 'smart police station' in each district and also to open new police stations wherever required.

Patel asked the officers to arrange citizens' visits to police stations to send across a message that their life is safe hands.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters after the inaugural ceremony, Gujarat Minister of State for Home Rajni Patel said that several experts were also invited to share their knowledge with police officers.

"Apart from experts, senior officers with vast experience and knowledge will share their experiences and knowledge with others at the conference. One of the main focus areas of this conference is about maximizing the use of latest technology to detect crimes and maintain law and order," the minister added.
The members of bar association Etahhave threatened to launch protest if cases registered against 40 advocates for allegedly assaulting a police officer are not withdrawn.

An FIR was registered against 40 unnamed advocates for allegedly beating up the station officer of Saket Kotwali, Satya PrakashSharma, presidentof Etah Bar Association, said yesterday.

According to the FIR, on Tuesday, when the advocates saw that their colleague Daya Ram, booked in an Arms Act case, was brought to court handcuffed by police they beat up the station officer, he said.

Sharma said the advocates had only protested against the handcuffing of the lawyer and they have been wrongly booked.

The bar association members met the Superintendent of Police and demanded that the case against the 40 lawyers should be withdrawn otherwise they will launch a protest, Sharma said.

They also demanded a honest and fair inquiry into the case against Daya Ram by the Superintendent of Police.

The SP had said they will look into the matter.
An Afghan official today said a roadside bombing has killed five civilians and wounded five others in a remote northwestern province.

Deputy provincial chief police Abdul Ali Zamani said that the explosion took place in the district of Qadis in Badghis province.

He says a van with the civilians hit the roadside bomb on Wednesday morning, raising the possibility that it was detonated by remote control.

Zamani blamed the Taliban for the attack though no has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Last month the Taliban proclaimed their spring offensive and a week later, launched a massive attack in the capital, Kabul, which killed 64 people.
An analysis has showed that there has been an increase in cancellation charges for air tickets, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said Thursday while emphasising that airfares are not regulated by the government.

In a written reply to Lok Sabha, he said cancellation charges are not fixed and varies from Rs 1,500 to 100% fare of the ticket depending upon the class, price level and time before departure.

Read more from our special coverage on "TICKET CANCELLING" Cancelling train tickets to be just a phone call away

"Analysis on the increase of the cancellation charge was carried out and it was found that there was increase in cancellation charges. Cancellation charges are not fixed," Sharma said.

The Minister of State for Civil Aviation was responding to a query on whether the ministry has taken note of steep hike in cancellation charges by airlines.

However, he did not provide details on whether aviation regulator The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken any action on the matter.

"Airfares are not regulated by the government. With the repeal of Air Corporation Act in March 1994, the provision of fare approval was dispensed with by the government, including charges for cancellation," Sharma said.

In recent times, many local carriers have increased the charges for cancellation of air tickets.

Last month, taking note of domestic airlines increasing ticket cancellation fees by a significant amount, aviation regulator DGCA last month sought an "explanation" from the carriers on the rationale for such a steep hike.
Bharti Airtel Africa today said it will sell 950 mobile towers in the Congo to telecom infrastructure company Helios Towers Africa but did not disclose the deal size.

"The agreement is in line with our stated philosophy of divesting passive infrastructure and promoting sharing of towers to enhance operational efficiencies. Airtel remains committed to DRC and will continue to invest in its operations," Bharti Airtel International Netherlands BV (BAIN) Executive Chairman Christian De Faria said in a statement.

The divestment under the agreement between the two companies also includes towers currently under construction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The deal will significantly reduce Airtel's capital expenditure on passive infrastructure and also mitigate the proliferation of towers through enhanced sharing, the statement said.

With this deal, Airtel will complete the sale worth over USD 2.5 billion of mobile tower assets in Africa. The net debt of the company stood at Rs 83,888.3 crore as on March 31.

Bharti Airtel has decided to exit the tower business in Africa where it had around 14,000 towers.

Helios has also acquired its tower assets in Congo B. Airtel sold its mobile tower to ATC in Nigeria and another deal



in Tanzania is in process of regulatory approval. The telecom major sold its mobile tower to Eaton in Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Burkina Faso and to IHS in Rwanda and Zambia.

This deal will expand HTA's tower coverage in Africa to over 6,500 owned towers.

Airtel will have full access to the towers from HTA under a long term lease contract, the statement said.

The agreement is subject to statutory and regulatory approvals in the respective countries.

"HTA is proud to be chosen by Airtel as its partner for the ownership and management of its existing infrastructure," HTA Chief Executive Officer Kash Pandya said.
BJP President Amit Shah today continued his tirade against the Congress over the AgustaWestland chopper deal and asked former defence Minister A K Antony to reveal at whose behest certain clauses in the agreement with the company were changed. Addressing a series of election meetings in Kerala in support of BJP, which is going all out to make its maiden entry in the state assembly in the May 16 elections, he also referred to solar scams and bar bribery charges and said it was time to weed out the 'corrupt' UDF led by Congress.

Besides, he questioned the Congress' political ideology pointing to its tie-up with the Left in West Bengal while fighting the same in Kerala and said party chief Sonia Gandhi owed an explanation to the people.

Referring to the chopper deal, Shah wanted Antony to reveal why the field trials of the VVIP choppers had been shifted to Italy from India.

"Why was the trials shifted to Italy and at whose behest? On whose request the clauses in the agreement werechanged ?", he asked at a poll meeting at Ranni in Pathnamthitta district.

Targeting Antony, who had stated that BJP had a 'hidden agenda', Shah said "we do not have any hidden agenda. What we do have is open and transparent agenda."



BJP had only one open agenda and that was to dump both the Congress-led UDF and CPM-headed LDF "in the Arabian sea", he said, projecting his party as the alternative in the state where the two fronts had alternately held power.

Addressing a meeting at Manimala in Kottayam District, Shah mentioned about the chopper deal and said 'tainted image' of the previous Congress-led UPA government would "become more clear with more revelations on the deal in the coming days."



The BJP chief alleged that during the ten-year UPA rule there was corruption to the tune of Rs 12 lakh crore and claimed there was not even a single corruption case against the NDA government which came to power two years ago.

Attacking UDF and LDF, Shah said both fronts were following 'vote bank politics'. "BJP does not indulge in politics of appeasement," he said.

Listing out the various corruptions cases, including solar scam and bar bribery case, that hit UDF government in the five years, Shah said there was corruption everywhere.

"It is time we weed out the corrupt UDF government," he said.

Taking a dig at the Congress for its tie-up with CPI-M in



West Bengal, Shah said Sonia Gandhi owes an explanation to the people of the state on 'why in Kolkata it is 'dosti' and 'dushmani' in Kerala'.

"What kind of political ideology is this ?" he asked.

On CPI(M) and Congress charge that there would be communal tension in Kerala if BJP-led NDA comes to power, Shah said his party was ruling in 14 states and there was no communal issue in any of them.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said equal justice and equal protection to all is our motto. This is what BJP governments follow in all the states," he said at rallies in Paravoor and Ernakulam.

Shah said NDA should come to power in Kerala to speed up the declaration of the famous hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala near here as a national pilgrim centre.

Referring to the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit law student in Perumbavoor, Shah charged it was a clear proof of "collapse" of law and order situation in Kerala.
Amnesty International India today demanded Arunachal Pradesh government to conduct an inquiry into the killing of two protesters in police firing in Tawang last Monday.

"Firing live ammunition into a crowd when there is no apparent threat to life amounts to excessive use of force. This loss of life cannot be justified," Amnesty International India Senior Campaigner Abhirr VP (VP) said in a release here.

"Any police personnel found to have used excessive force must be held accountable," he said, adding that the Arunachal government must conduct an inquiry to punish the guilty.

On May 2, two persons were killed and eight others injured when policemen fired on anti-dam activists trying to barge into a police station demanding release of a monk at Tawang district.
Dairy major GCMMF, which sells products under the Amul brand, is planning to invest about Rs 2,500 crore to raise its milk processing capacity to more than 38 million litres per day in the next four years.

"There has been rise in milk demand across the country and therefore, we are planning to raise our milk processing capacity by another 10 million litres per day from current capacity of 28.1 million litres per day (mltpd)," Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) Managing Director R S Sodhi told PTI.

The cooperative is looking to raise the capacity by 2020, which will require an investment of about Rs 2,500 crore, Sodhi added.

"As of now, we are looking to establish one plant each for milk processing in Kolkata and Mumbai and two more plants in Gujarat. Besides this, we have plans to raise the capacity in few existing plants, " he said.

The cooperative has about 60 various processing plants, of which 40 are in Gujarat only.

About 50 per cent of Amul's turnover comes from milk sale only, commodity business contributes 5-7 per cent and the rest comes from value-added products segment.

Besides milk, the cooperative is focusing on value-added products like cheese and has raised cheese producing capacity three times to 120 tonnes per day from 40 tonnes per day in the last six months, as it was unable to meet the rising demand, he added.

In the last six years, the dairy cooperative's turnover has jumped nearly three-fold to Rs 23,000 crore and is aiming to more than double it to Rs 50,000 crore by 2020, Sodhi said.

There are 17 member unions of GCMMF associated with more than 36 lakh farmers across 18,600 villages of Gujarat.

The member unions of GCMMF have also established their own milk processing plants in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan and is procuring milk from other states.
Andrew Yule & Company today said its Board will meet next week to consider the proposal regarding conversion of Bank of Baroda's Rs 29.91 crore loan into equity shares.

The meeting of the board of directors to be held on May 12 will consider two proposals, including "preferential issue of equity shares of the company in favour of Bank of Baroda, against conversion of working capital term loan availed by the company, and preferential issue of equity shares of the company in favour of President of India as per BIFR Order," Andrew Yule & Co said in a regulatory filing.

The government last month cleared conversion of Bank of Baroda's Rs 29.91 crore loan to Andrew Yule & Co into equity shares, paving the way for disinvestment of the Kolkata-based PSU in the next three months.

The conversion of loan to equity would help bring down the cost of servicing of debt, resulting in improved profitability and liquidity of Andrew Yule in coming years, an official statement had said.

"The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for conversion of Working Capital Term Loan amounting to Rs 29.91 crore from Bank of Baroda (BoB) into equity by issuing requisite number of equity shares of Andrew Yule & Co (AYCL)," it said.

This is expected to increase growth and profitability of AYCL and in turn is likely to translate into better share price of AYCL at the time of further disinvestment of government shares of AYCL. Government holds 87.98 per cent in the company.

The conversion of debt to equity will help provide an opportunity to finance working capital needs of existing and new businesses.

AYCL, which was incorporated as a PSU in 1979, is presently engaged in manufacturing industrial ventilation equipment, switchgears and circuit breakers, besides production of bulk tea.

The paid up capital of the company is Rs 66.73 crore.

AYCL was referred to Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) in September, 2004 and subsequently, Cabinet approved a restructuring scheme in 2007. Following this, AYCL has been earning from 2007-08 onwards and it came out of purview of BIFR in July 2015.

As a part of implementation of financial restructuring scheme, Bank of Baroda extended a loan of Rs 52.49 crore to AYCL in 2009, out of which Rs 29.91 crore was Working Capital Term Loan.
Social activist Anna Hazare today withdrew a defamation case that he had filed against former Maharashtra minister Suresh Jain in 2003.

The withdrawal of case comes in the wake of a local court ruling, which said that there were sufficient grounds to frame charges against Jain in the defamation case filed by Hazare.

Jain, former Food and Civil Supplies Minister, was arrested in 2012 in connection with the multi-crore Gharkul housing scheme scam in Jalgaon and is currently in jail.

"Jain has been in jail since the last four years and his bail application has been rejected multiple times. In such condition, it seems that ageing Jain will not come out of the jail," Hazare said in a release.

"He (Jain), too, has withdrawn a defamation case against me in a Jalgaon court and due to my busy schedule and age, even I do not find much time to pursue the present case. Therefore, I have decided to withdraw the case against him on humanitarian ground," he added.

Last month, a Pune court had framed charges against Jain after finding him 'prima-facie' accused of defaming Hazare.

Hazare further said, "Jain, who is currently in jail, is being punished for his deeds and since I have no personal grudge against him, I am not interested in pursuing the present defamation case against him and believe that he will be punished by judiciary."



Hazare's lawyer, Milind Pawar said that they moved an application to withdraw the case in the court of S S Bangad, Judicial Magistrate First Class. The court accepted the plea and he case now stands withdrawn, he said.

Hazare had filed the defamation case against Jain in 2003 after the former minister had levelled corruption charges against the anti graft crusader and called him the "most corrupt" person.

Hazare, who had then launched a campaign against corruption, had accused Jain of graft. However, Jain had alleged that Hazare had misappropriated funds under the guise of his Hind Swaraj Trust.
The United Nations (UN) owes India $62 million  the most it has to pay to any country  for contribution towards peacekeeping operations including troops and equipment, the top official of the world body said.

As on March 31, 2016, the owed troop contributing countries a total of $827 million, including $261 million in troop costs and $480 million for equipment for active missions, Under-Secretary-General for Management Yukio Takasu told reporters here on Wednesday.

Of this total, he said the owed "the largest amount" of $62 million to India, followed by Bangladesh at $59 million, Pakistan at $49 million and Ethiopia at $47 million.

Read more from our special coverage on "UN"

He said money owed to troop contributing nations is "always a source of concern because it is very unfair for them that they provide all the valuable troops, personnel and equipment and they are not reimbursed timely because of financial problems".

At about 7,695 troops, India is currently the second largest contributor among all troop contributors.

Traditionally, India has been among the largest contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping operations, with nearly 1,80,000 troops having served in over 44 of the 69 peacekeeping operations so far.

The country has repeatedly called for the Security Council to consult troop contributing countries before drawing up peacekeeping mandates given that troops now have to function in increasingly difficult and hostile conflict situations across the world's hot-spots.

Among the countries that owe the UN money is the US, which has to pay 1.3 billion dollars for peacekeeping and 917 million dollars towards regular budget.

Takasu said the world organisation's financial situation is "sound and positive", noting, however, that there is "some worry" regarding the areas of regular budget and reserves.

"The financial situation of the United Nations is generally sound," he said.

His overview to the General Assembly's Fifth Committee, which is tasked with administrative and budgetary concerns, included details on the four main assessment areas of the regular budget; UN peacekeeping operations; international tribunals; and the Capital Master Plan.

Takasu said the organisation's cash balances were positive at the end of 2015, except for the regular budget, which showed a shortfall of $217 million, which is being funded by a "very small reserve".

"I think it's prudent to review the adequacy of the reserves. The regular budget is always tight in the last quarter of the year, and this is expected in 2016. The question is whether the size of the reserve is good enough," he added.

For the 2015 regular budget, member States were obligated to contribute a total of $2.771 billion, an increase of $159 million from 2014. Payments received were $237 million higher in 2015 than in 2014, Takasu said.

Unpaid assessed contributions stood at $1.43 billion as of April 30, 2016, down $163 million from the same period the previous year.

For peacekeeping operations, Takasu said the total of unpaid assessments at the end of 2015 was $976 million, reflecting a decrease of $306 million from the previous year.

As of April 30, new assessments of $3.9 billion had been issued, of which $2.4 billion remain unpaid, he said.
The Arunachal University of Studies (AUS), a private university, was inaugurated at its new campus here today.

Formally inaugurating the Academic Block and laying the foundation of the Agriculture and Science Blocks besides Laboratory Block, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said that the private varsity with quality education as its hallmark would continue to strive for excellence.

Lamenting over the dismal education scenario in the schools established under the 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan', the deputy chief minister called for checking poor quality of such schools saying that it would have a cascading affect in the future.

He also called the university autjorities to conduct research on indigenous agri-horti species for their promotion.
Australia's most wanted Islamic State terror recruiter Neil Prakash, who is of Indian-origin, has been killed in a US military airstrike in Iraq, according to officials.

Melbourne-born Prakash, who was linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the US, was killed in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29, Attorney-General George Brandis said, citing American inputs.

"Neil Prakash was the highest value target from an Australian point of view in the Middle East. He was the individual more than any other who had been actively inspiring and inciting domestic terrorism attacks within Australia," the Senator said yesterday.

Brandis said Australian authorities were instrumental in providing US allies with the location of Prakash - the Australian of Fijian-Indian and Cambodian background - in Mosul.

"Australia did cooperate with United States in relation to the identification and location of Prakash," he said.

Brandis said Prakash was "the most prominent and dangerous Australian" and had networks in both Melbourne and Sydney. "He was very actively involved in terrorism recruitment."



Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called Prakash's death as a "very, very positive development".

"Neil Prakash's death is a very, very positive development in the war against Daesh and the war against terror," Turnbull was quoted as saying, using another acronym for the dreaded Islamic State (ISIS).

Earlier, in January, media reports quoting an ISIS member had said that Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was killed in Syria.

The terrorist, who allegedly had contact with some of those accused of plotting an Anzac Day terror attack in Victoria, flew to Syria in 2013, according to reports.

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those who served and died in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.

US officials also reportedly informed that an Australian woman Shadi Jabar, the sister of the 15-year-old western Sydney boy Farhad Jabar who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng in October last year, was also killed in a separate airstrike in Syria.

Prakash was killed in the ISIS stronghold in northern Iraq, while Jabar died seven days earlier in the Syrian city of al Bab along with her husband Abu Saad al-Sudani, AAP agency said.
Australia's most wanted Islamic State terror recruiter Neil Prakash, who is of Indian-origin, has been killed in a US military airstrike in war-torn Iraq, that authorities today said could disrupt the group's ability to attract vulnerable people.

Melbourne-born Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi who was linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the US, was killed in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29, Attorney-General George Brandis said, citing American inputs.

"Neil Prakash was the highest value target from an Australian point of view in the Middle East. He was the individual more than any other who had been actively inspiring and inciting domestic terrorism attacks within Australia," the Senator said.

Brandis said Australian authorities were instrumental in providing US allies with the location of Prakash - the Australian of Fijian-Indian and Cambodian background - in Mosul.

"Australia did cooperate with United States in relation to the identification and location of Prakash," he said.

Brandis said Prakash was "the most prominent and dangerous Australian" and had networks in both Melbourne and Sydney. "He was very actively involved in terrorism recruitment."



Prakash's death is considered significant in disrupting the militant group's ability to lure fighters because of his highly prominent and influential role as a senior recruiter.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called Prakash's death as a "very, very positive development".

"Neil Prakash's death is a very, very positive development in the war against Daesh and the war against terror," Turnbull was quoted as saying, using another acronym for the dreaded Islamic State (ISIS).

"His death disrupts and degrades ISIL's ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts," Brandis said.

Earlier, in January, media reports quoting an ISIS member had said that Prakash was killed in Syria.

The terrorist, who allegedly had contact with some of those accused of plotting a terror attack on Anzac Day - that commemorates martyrs, flew to Syria in 2013.

Prakash has also appeared in ISIS propaganda videos, including one last year in which he called for attacks in Australia.

US officials also reportedly informed that an Australian woman Shadi Jabar, the sister of the 15-year-old western Sydney boy Farhad Jabar who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng in October last year, was also killed in a separate airstrike in Syria.

Prakash was killed in the ISIS stronghold in northern Iraq, while Jabar died seven days earlier in the Syrian city of al Bab along with her husband Abu Saad al-Sudani, AAP agency said.
Australia's most wanted Islamic State terror suspect, who was linked to several attacks on home soil, has been killed in a US air strike in Iraq, Canberra said today.

The death of Neil Prakash is considered significant by Australian and American authorities because of his highly prominent and influential role as a senior recruiter for the jihadist group.

Attorney General George Brandis said Washington had told Canberra that Prakash was killed in Mosul, Iraq, on April 29.

"Neil Prakash was a prominent ISIL member and a senior terrorist recruiter and attack facilitator," he said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Marise Payne, using an acronym for .

"Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the United States. He is considered to be Australia's most prominent ISIL recruiter," he added.

American authorities also told the government that Australian woman Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad died in a similar air strike near the Syrian city of Al Bab on April 22, along with her Sudanese husband.

"Mohammad and her husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, were both active recruiters of foreign fighters on behalf of ISIL, and had been inspiring attacks against Western interests," said Brandis.

She was the sister of Farhad Jabar, a 15-year-old who shot dead police employee Curtis Cheng in Sydney last October. The teenager was killed in gunfire shortly afterwards.

Prakash, who left Australia in 2013 and was known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was linked to an alleged terror plot on Anzac Day last year, when Australia honours its war dead.

He has also appeared in propaganda videos, including one last year calling for attacks on Australia.

"His death disrupts and degrades ISIL's ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts," Brandis added.

Australia has long been concerned about home-grown extremism and raised the terror threat alert level to high in September 2014.

At least six attacks have been foiled on Australian soil over the past 18 months, according to the government. But several have taken place, including the terror-linked murder of Cheng.
Bangladesh's High Court today declared void a constitutional amendment empowering parliament to impeach Supreme Court judges for misconduct and incapacity, sparking a row between the legislature and judiciary.

A three-member special bench led by Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury by majority view declared the September, 2014 amendment to the Constitution "illegal and unconstitutional", a year after a writ petition was filed by a lawyer challenging the amendment.

The verdict called the provision empowering lawmakers with authorities to impeach Supreme Court judges as an "accident of history" expressing fear parliamentary power would be misused by majority strength of the party in power since the Constitution does not allow an MP to defy the party decision.

The verdict came as the parliament is in session where the opposition Jatiya Party lawmakers walked out of the house protesting the judgment.

Law minister Anisul Huq called the verdict "unconstitutional illegal and a conspiracy against democracy".

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's cabinet earlier in August, 2014 approved a proposal to restore parliament's authority in impeaching Supreme Court judges that revived an old constitutional provision stipulated in the original constitution of post-independent Bangladesh.

The 1972 constitution had given parliament the authority to remove SC judges, but the subsequent regime of military ruler Ziaur Rahman had scrapped the provision and replaced it with the Supreme Judicial Council system.

According to the previous constitutional provision, the Supreme Judicial Council, comprising the chief justice and two other senior most judges of the Appellate division of the apex court, investigates allegations of misconduct against any SC judge and makes necessary recommendations to the president.

The president would then take steps as per the suggestions while he could also impeach a judge on grounds of physical and mental incapacity.

The law minister earlier said nations considered "most civilised and with parliamentary system" like the UK, India, Australia and New Zealand have this constitutional provision giving parliament the power to impeach Supreme Court judges.
Fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami could be executed anytime after the Bangladesh Supreme Court today rejected a final appeal against his death sentence for war crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War with Pakistan.

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, who headed a four- member Appellate Division bench, pronounced the single-word judgement at the tense courtroom.

"Dismissed," said Sinha, who is the first Hindu to occupy the post in the Muslim-majority country.

Officials said the detail order would be issued later.

Nizami, 72, has been convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of top intellectuals during the 1971 independence war. He was given capital punishment in October 2014 after being convicted of "superior responsibility" as the chief of the infamous Al-Badr militia forces in 1971.

The so-called elite militia force is blamed for running a systematic campaign on behalf of Pakistan Army to massacre a large number of top Bengali intelligentsia just ahead of Bangladesh's December 16, 1971 victory.

Nizami was particularly found guilty of systematic killings of more than 450 people alone in his own village home in northwestern Pabna, siding with the Pakistani troops.

Tight security was enforced in and around the court complex ahead of the verdict, though unlike the trial court, the apex court procedures did not require Nizami's presence during the delivery of the judgement.

The Jamaat chief is now kept at a special cell for death row convicts at suburban Kashimpur Central Jail.

Today's final verdict comes two days after the bench wrapped up hearing Nizami's petition, seeking a review of the top court's own previous judgement that had confirmed his death sentence.

Immediately after the verdict, Jamaat issued a statement calling Nizami a "victim of state-sponsored conspiracy" and called a day-long nationwide strike on May 8.

"The government has taken a plan to kill Maulana Nizami in the name of trial of crimes against humanity as part of its political vengeance," the statement said.

Nizami, who was a minister in the past BNP-led four-party alliance government with his party being its crucial ally, could be hanged anytime unless he seeks clemency from the president.

President Abdul Hamid has earlier rejected two such prayers by 1971 war crimes convicts, including Nizami's top aide then, who were subsequently executed late last year.

Four politicians have so far been hanged for war crimes since 2010.
Bangladesh's Supreme Court today upheld the death sentence it handed down to chief of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami Motiur Rahman Nizami over crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War with Pakistan.

The four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha pronounced the single-word judgment.

"Rejected," said the top judge about the final appeal of 72-year-old Nizami, who was convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of top intellectuals.

Today's final verdict comes two days after the bench wrapped up hearing Nizami's petition, seeking a review of the top court's own previous judgment that had confirmed his death sentence.

The Supreme Court's decision clears the final legal hurdle for the government to hang the Jamaat-e-Islami chief, who is now left with the only option to seek presidential mercy.

President Abdul Hamid, however, has earlier rejected two such prayers by 1971 war crimes convicts, including Nizami's top aide then, who were subsequently executed late last year.
A bank employee was stabbed to death at his residence allegedly by two unidentified assailants in Rajasthan's Dausa district, police said today.

The deceased has been identified as Ram Singh Yadav (50), assistant manager of Bank of Baroda, they said.

The incident occurred last night when the accused barged into Yadav's rented accommodation, right behind the bank, and stabbed him to death, Station House Officer Mandawar police station Dilip Singh Shekhawat said.

"Local watchman informed police after the incident. The body was handed over to Yadav's family members after postmortem," he said, adding that the matter was under investigation.
Scientists have discovered that long-eared bats are assisted in flight by their ears and body, a finding that may help develop better drones in future.

Contrary to what researchers previously assumed, Christoffer Johansson Westheim and his colleagues at Lund University in Sweden show that long-eared bats are helped in flight by their large ears.

The findings improve our understanding of the bats' flying technique and could be significant for the future development of drones, among other things, researchers said.

"We show how the air behind the body of a long-eared bat accelerates downwards, which means that the body and ears provide lift," said Westheim.

"This distinguishes the long-eared bats from other species that have been studied and indicates that the large ears do not merely create strong resistance, but also assist the animal in staying aloft," Westheim said.

The findings entail a greater understanding of the flight technique of bats. They also highlight the evolutionary conflict between flying as efficiently as possible and eco-locating, ie discovering objects by sending out soundwaves and perceiving the resulting echoes.

Another discovery made during the experiments and never previously described is how the bats generate forward motion when flying slowly, researchers said.

The forward motion is generated when the wings are held high and away from the body at the end of each beat.

"This specific way of generating power could lead to new aerodynamic control mechanisms for drones in the future, inspired by flying animals," said Westheim.

The experiments were conducted in a wind tunnel in which trained bats flew through thin smoke to reach a stick with food on it.

The researchers aimed a laser beam at the smoke behind the bats and took pictures of the illuminated smoke particles.

The researchers measured how the smoke moved to calculate the forces generated by each beat of the bats' wings.
A Vistara flight with 50 passengers onboard from here suffered a bird hit while it was in the process of landing at the Bhubaneswar Airport this morning.

The flight, however, made a normal landing and all passengers are safe, a source said.

The bird-hit aircraft is grounded at the Bhubaneswar airport where engineers are assessing the damage to the plane, they said.

When contacted, Tata-SIA run Vistara refused to comment on the incident.
As many as 3,029 tipplers have visited 39 district-level de-addiction centres in the state for counselling after imposition of total prohibition in Bihar since April 5, an official said today.

State Health Secretary Jitendra Srivastava, who is also Executive Director of Bihar Health Society, said the tipplers seek counselling to help them get over alcoholism.

Of these, 329 have been discharged after counselling, while 432 others are still undergoing treatment, he said.

Srivastava denied media reports about death of five persons due to withdrawal symptoms and said only one person died due to liquor consumption-related problems, while the rest due to other ailments.
Alleging that BJP and AAP have "stalled" development in Delhi, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken today claimed that they will be "taught a lesson" by the people in the upcoming bypolls to the 13 wards of the municipal corporations.

Addressing a local gathering at Nawada at a 'Smarathan Rally' in support of Congress candidate Satpal Sethi, Maken said his party will "show its strength" in the elections due on May 15.

"BJP is in power in the MCD and at Centre, and the AAP is ruling in Delhi, but for the past 25 months, all the development works in Delhi have come to a total halt, as they are clashing with one another," he alleged.

Former MLA and senior party leader Mukesh Sharma claimed the local people had "pledged" their support to the Congress and its candidate.

"Satpal Sethi will win the MCD bye-election with a huge margin, and resume the stalled developments works in the area," he asserted.
Raking up the Ishrat Jahan case to target the previous UPA government, BJP leader Anurag Thakur today demanded in Lok Sabha that a forensic test be conducted to ascertain if a former Home Minister had signed the first affidavit which said she was an LeT terrorist.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Thakur alleged that during the UPA rule, the morale of intelligence agencies like IB and RAW had been broken.

He alleged that the particular former Home Minister did not serve the interest of the country but only the interest of his son, triggering protests by Congress members, led by Mallikarjun Kharge, who objected to the reference being made.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asked Thakur to refrain from naming the former Home Minister.

Thakur went on to say that the moment UPA government filed the second affidavit deleting "terrorist" reference of Ishrat, LeT website too removed her mention from its jihadi list.

He demanded that the Centre should initiate a forensic probe to find out if the former Home Minister had indeed signed the first affidavit.

Thakur also sought to know from the Congress party if it too believed that Ishrat Jahan was not a terrorist.

BJP has been alleging that P Chidambaram, as Home Minister, had amended an affidavit to delete "terrorist" references of Ishrat.

Chidambaram has denied it, saying the signing of the affidavit controversy was only to divert attention and the real issue at hand was whether the Ishrat Jahan encounter was fake.

Ishrat Jahan and her four accomplices were killed on the outskirts of Ahmadabad on June 15, 2004, by the Gujarat Police who said she was a part of an LeT module to kill Modi.
Government bonds (G-Secs) declined on fresh selling by banks and corporates.

On the other hand, the overnight call money rate finished higher owing to good demand from borrowing banks on the back of ample liquidity conditions in the banking system.

The 7.59 per cent government security maturing in 2026 fell to Rs 101.04 from Rs 101.06 previously, while its yield inched up to 7.44 per cent from 7.43 per cent.

The 7.88 per cent government security maturing in 2030 dipped to Rs 100.97 from Rs 101.01, while its yield held stable to 7.76 per cent.

The 7.59 per cent government security maturing in 2029 eased to Rs 99.5650 from Rs 99.61, while its yield ruled steady to 7.64 per cent.

The 7.72 per cent government security maturing in 2025, the 7.68 per cent government security maturing in 2023 and the 8.24 per cent government security maturing in 2027 were also quoted lower at Rs 100.62, Rs 100.5125 and Rs 103.20 respectively.

The overnight call money rates ended higher at 6.20 per cent from Wednesday close level of 6.15 per cent. It resumed higher 6.60 per cent and moved in a range of 6.70 per cent and 6.00 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), purchased securities worth Rs 34.46 billion in 8-bids at the overnight repo auction at a fixed rate of 6.50 per cent as on today, while its sold securities worth Rs 33.75 billion from 27-bids at the overnight reverse repo auction at a fixed rate of 6.00 per cent as on May 4.
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice today suspended powerful Lower House speaker Eduardo Cunha for obstructing efforts to investigate him as part of the Petrobras corruption scandal engulfing the country, a judicial source said.

Cunha, a key opponent of President Dilma Rousseff and architect of impeachment proceedings against her, "used his office for his own illicit ends to prevent the success of investigations against him," prosecutors said in asking the court to take action.

In March, the Supreme Court voted to put Cunha on trial, accusing him of taking USD 5 million in bribes as part of a vast embezzlement and bribery network centered on state oil giant Petrobras.

Cunha, who rejects the charges, is also being investigated by the congressional ethics committee over allegedly lying to Congress about possessing secret Swiss bank accounts.

But the speaker -- who under Brazil's constitution is third in line to the presidency -- had kept ahead of his own enemies and remained the go-to man in the push against the president.

Senators will vote next week on whether to open an impeachment trial against Rousseff.

Judge Teori Zavaski, in his ruling seen by AFP, said Cunha did not meet the requirements to exercise his role as speaker and was even less qualified to fill in for Rousseff.

Rousseff has referred to Cunha as one of "two leaders of the coup" she says is unfolding against her.

The suspension comes at a time of deep political and economic crisis in the South American country, which will host the Olympic Games in August.
The Union Cabinet today gave its ex-post facto approval to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Reserve Bank and the Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on co-operation on currency swap agreement.

As per the MoU signed in February, RBI and the Central Bank of UAE will consider signing a bilateral Currency Swap Agreement on mutually agreed terms and conditions after undertaking technical deliberations, subject to concurrence of respective governments.

The MoU will further strengthen the close economic relationship and cooperation between India and the UAE, an official statement said after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The swap agreement is also expected to facilitate invoicing of bilateral trade in local currencies.
Most of the 100,000 residents of the Canadian city of Fort McMurray were ordered to leave town as a fire swept through the oil sands region, in Alberta province's largest ever evacuation.

"All of Fort McMurray is under a mandatory evacuation order," Alberta emergency services announced, after previously indicating that the northern edge of the fire was "growing rapidly."



The airport was still open.

"Be patient, drive safely and please give way to emergency vehicles," an evacuation notice read.

Gas stations exploded and several homes have already been burnt down, including one of the town's many motor home parks, according to local media.

The air was thick with black smoke.

Authorities urged residents to head toward evacuation centers as the city reeled from what Alberta premier Rachel Notley called the province's largest evacuation.

Long lines of cars headed north via the main highway of the city, while flames ravaged the embankment on the side of the road. Police closed the southward lanes.

"Seek medical attention if you experience breathing difficulties," emergency services said.

The fire, which was contained until Monday south of Fort McMurray, was pushed toward the city by winds and quickly reached homes, helped by a drought in Alberta.

"I know that it's a very scary time," Notley told a press conference. "I know it's a very, very stressful time for people to have to leave their homes under these conditions."



Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had called Notley to offer government aid to the province.

"My thoughts are with people affected by the fire in Fort McMurray tonight. Stay safe and remember to follow evacuation orders," he tweeted.

"We stand ready to help."



A more limited alert earlier saw authorities evacuate 30,000 people.

The province saw record temperatures of nearly 30 degrees Celsius yesterday.

On Monday, some 500 people were evacuated under an initial alert due to smoke from the wildfire.
CBI has registered a case against defunct Paramount Airways and its promoter M Thiagarajan for allegedly defrauding and diverting loan to off shore accounts.

Immediately after registering a case, CBI sleuths swooped on seven locations and carried out searches at Chennai and Madurai.

The CBI alleged that Thiagarajan had submitted fake and false documents to get scheduled operator's licence and had also opened an off shore account in British Virgin Island in the name of a company which was headquartered at Singapore.

He allegedly diverted loans from State Bank of India, Andhra Bank, Indian Overseas and Bank of India to offshore account between April 2008 and October, 2010.

The CBI alleged that the Managing Director of the company had moved the assets without the knowledge of the bank which had extended him credit for the airlines.

It is alleged that the accused had regularly siphoned off large amounts of money and showed them as payment towards Lease Rental-Engine access.

Thiagarajan was not immediately available for comments and SMS sent to his mobile remain unanswered.

The CBI also alleged that he had "induced" the Director General Civil Aviation to issue No Objection Certificate for scheduled operators permit by submitting false abnd fabricated information about the eligibility criteria.

Paramount Airlines had started its operation in 2005 and was flying to South and Eastern part of India before it wound up its operation in 2010.

The company had submitted a plan to re-start the operation with six ATR aircraft in 2013 but the banks wrote to the DGCA asking it to stop the operations of Paramount airlines until the company paid its dues.
For the last several decades 103-year-old Asgar Ali had been waiting patiently for this moment in his life when his voice is heard in the formation of a government.

Early morning today, he fulfilled his dream as he walked out of a polling booth in Dinhata constituency of Cooch Behar district along with voters from three generations of his family.

He is the eldest among 9,776 voters in the erstwhile Indo-Bangladesh border enclaves (Chitmahal) who were eligible to vote for the first time today since Independence after a formal inclusion into the Indian territory last year.

Beaming with pride, Ali happily posed for cameras while flashing the ink mark on his index finger.

"It is like a dream come true for me. I am satisfied now but not sure whether I will be there during next elections," he told reporters.

Accompanying him was his 24-year-old grandson Jaynal Abedin who said his grandfather was very excited ever since he got his voter identity card.

Ali has two sons, five daughters and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

"Since nobody from our family or our neighbourhood had ever voted, we didn't knew how to cast vote. But we got help from polling officials who explained us everything," Abedin said.

The Election Commission had made special arrangements and awareness programs for the first-time voters.

The Bharat Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee, which was fighting for the rights of enclave dwellers, has now become defunct after 111 enclaves of India and 51 enclaves of Bangladesh were exchanged last year in August.

Diptiman Sengupta of the new body Nagarik Adhikar Samanway Raksha Committee told PTI that they voted independently and without any fear.

He estimates that around 20 per cent of the first-time voters in the enclaves were aged above 60.

"All were excited, happy and proud to be part of the electoral process," Sengupta said.

The enclave voters are spread across five constituencies of Dinhata, Mekhliganj, Sitai, Sitalkuchi and Tufanganj.
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram today said he would take up the matter of revival of Nagaland Pulp and Paper Corporation Ltd with the ministry concerned at the Centre.

The minister gave the assurance to Nagaland people as the chief guest of Moatsu festival celebration at Kangtsung village in Mokokchung district of the state.

He said activities for economic development would have to gain momentum in the state and for the revival of NPPC Ltd the matter would be discussed with the ministry concerned.

NPPC was incorporated in 1971 as a joint venture between the state government and Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (A Government of India Enterprise) to manufacture writing, printing and Kraft paper with an installed capacity of 100 tonnes per day at Tuli in Mokokchung district.

The production activities of NPPC were suspended from October 1992 due to continued operating losses.
China Thursday released the first ever Chinese translations of the collective works of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, a rare honour to the famed poet who enjoys iconic status among generations of Chinese people.

In all 33 volumes containing 16 million words covering his poetry, essays, novels and drama sections were released ahead of Tagore's 155th birth anniversary at the China Radio (CRI) which broadcasts in Bengali language besides host of Indian and intentional languages as diplomats from India and Bangladesh also attended the function.

Considering his popularity, Tagore's works have been widely translated in China mostly from English translations but this is the first time his entire works barring songs were translated into Chinese directly from Bengali.

Eighteen Bengali scholars from CRI, state-run Xinhua news agency, Chinese foreign ministry, Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and the Central Communist Party School worked on a five-year project to complete it.

"'The Complete Works of Tagore' is of great significance for the researches concerning works of and south Asian culture in China," said chief translator Dong You Chen who studied Bengali in Russia's Leningrad University in 1960s.

He was deeply influenced by Tagore after reading some of his novels in his early years.

"His humanism not simply confined to India but also China and the rest of the world appeals to Chinese greatly," he said speaking to the media on the sidelines of the meeting.

"Tagore's prose and his poetry are perhaps mostly regarded. His works are frequently noted for their rhythmic, optimistic and lyrical nature," he said adding that all the translators honestly followed the great poet's theories while translating his works.

Tagore, who hadvisitedChinathrice, has a fanatical following in the country with several devoting their lives to learn Bengali and English to translate his works.

One young translator, Cao Yanhua who studied Bengali in Bangladesh and worked as Chinese diplomat there for sometime before joining the CRI Bengali service said she liked Tagore because his works are very romantic, which is the reason why he appealed to the young Chinese.

Tagore became popular in China because he took a stand against opium use among Chinese encouraged by western powers.

The only comparable foreign writer who is equally famous is Shakespeare whose 400th anniversary falls this year.

Cao said her team faced many difficulties in translation because there was no Chinese to Bengali language dictionary.

"Previously his works were translated from English but this is the first time his works were directly translated from Bengali to Chinese. Problems came with many Sanskrit words," she said.

But most importantly the translators received very little money, about 60 yuan (Rs 600) for 1,000 words of translation.

"It is not the money but the passion for Tagore which drove us to work hard," Cao said.

Most of the help was from Bengali experts from Bangladesh while no assistance was sought from India, she said.
China's investments in India, Pakistan and other South Asian countries climbed to USD 12.29 billion and the regional trade crossed USD 111 billion as the world's second largest economy seeks to make inroads into the subcontinent with its Silk Road initiative.

China's cooperation with South Asian nations will be very broad thanks to growing shared interests and market demand, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce Gao Yan said.

A round of key projects has been launched following the China-proposed Belt and Road (Silk Road) Initiative to promote economic growth of the countries and boost regional cooperation, state-run Xinhua agency quoted Gao as saying.

By the end of 2015, China's direct investment in South Asian countries stood at USD 12.29 billion and South Asia's investment in China totalled USD 890 million, she said.

Besides plans to step up investments in India China launched USD 46 billion Economic Corridor with Pakistan through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). The corridor to connect Western China to Pakistan's Gwadar deep seaport on the Arabian Sea in the south was announced last year.

China, the largest single lender to Sri Lanka, also invested over USD seven billion in the island nation.

Last year, trade grew 4.9 per cent from the previous year to USD 111.22 billion between China and eight members under the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation initiative, including Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan, Gao said.

The India-China bilateral trade totalled to USD 65.16 billion last year with trade deficit in favour of Beijing mounting to USD 48.68 billion.

Gao spoke to the media here today ahead of the 4th China-South Asia Expo and the 24th China Kunming Import and Export Fair, which will be held in Kunming, Yunnan Province from June 12 to 17.
Flexing muscles, kicked off military exercises in the disputed South Sea, east Indian Ocean and West Pacific involving advanced warships, helicopters and "special warfare" soldiers.

Three naval ships of China's Nanhai Fleet left a naval port in Sanya, Hainan Province yesterday, kicking off an annual combat drill in the South Sea, east Indian Ocean and West Pacific, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The three ships include missile destroyer Hefei, missile frigate Sanya and supply ship Honghu.

They will later be joined by missile destroyers Lanzhou and Guangzhou, as well as missile frigate Yulin, which are now carrying out other duties.

With three helicopters and dozens of "special warfare" soldiers, the fleet will be separated into three groups that will sail to areas of the South China Sea, the east Indian Ocean and the west Pacific, to conduct varied drills.

The fleet will mobilise naval air force, garrison forces in the Xisha and Nansha islands, and forces of the Beihai Fleet along the way to take part in the drill.

The drill aims to enhance combat readiness and practise coordination between ships and aircraft, and other forces, the navy said.

China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea - a major shipping lane rich in natural resources, resulting in overlapping claims with several other Asian nations like Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

They accuse China of illegally reclaiming land in contested areas to create artificial islands with facilities for military use.

Over half of the world's commercial shipping passes through the Indo-Pacific waterways - including one-third of the world's liquefied natural gas.
An 800-year-old manuscript of "The Romance of the West Chamber", one of China's most popular love dramas, is to be put on display for the first time.

The manuscript will be displayed in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning province.

The manuscript, discovered in Tatirang, a village in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is one of the earliest copies of the story.

It was found in 1986 by a herdsman, along with 27 other documents.

"The Romance of the West Chamber" is about a young scholar and the daughter of a minister, who fell in love without parental approval.

Written by Wang Shifu, a playwright of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), it is recognized as a plea for freedom of marriage in a time when marriages were always arranged.

Bai Wenyu, curator of the Shenyang Palace Museum, told state-run Xinhua agency that Tatirang was once a Yuan city on a busy traffic line.

"From the documents we can deduce that soldiers came from distant Shaanxi province. They read this book to kill time and quench their homesickness," Bai said.
plans to invest 77 billion yuan ($11.9 billion) this year in the construction of civil aviation infrastructure, particularly airports, the country's chief civil aviation regulator said.

will begin with 11 key construction projects and 52 aviation-related upgrades, the Civil Aviation Administration of (CAAC) said yesterday.

"The general aviation sector, especially aircraft research and manufacturing, has became a hot spot of both industrial upgrading and social concern," Feng Zhenglin, head of the CAAC, said.

The aviation sector will get preferential treatment to improve transportation, foster new growth engines, and boost employment and the service sector, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The External Affairs Ministry has directed a number of Indian missions abroad to ask the countries concerned to speed up executing Letters Rogatory (LR) in connection with the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper scam following a request by the CBI.

CBI had a few days back written a letter to MEA on expediting execution of the LRs, which are judicial requests to foreign countries for legal assistance in criminal cases.

The LRs were issued to Italy, Tunisia, Mauritius, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, Britain, United Arab Emirates and Switzerland.

"Yes, I can confirm that we have received a communication in this regard from the CBI seeking an update on the execution reports of the Letters Rogatory that were sent earlier to eight countries.

"We have once again written to our missions in the concerned countries from where the execution reports are pending in order to impress upon them the need to expeditiously execute the LRs and to send the corresponding execution reports at the earliest," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, replying to a question.

Sources said a few countries have either responded to the LRs or executed them partly while some others are yet to respond.

The CBI is currently probing the AgustaWestland chopper scam and it questioned former IAF Chief S P Tyagi for the fourth consecutive day today.

The Enforcement Directorate, in its charge sheet filed last year, had claimed to have detected flow of alleged kickbacks sent from abroad to companies of the accused Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan and cousins of the former IAF chief.

On January 1, 2014, India had 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 payment of kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal.

Asked whether Britain has responded to India's request for extraditing Vijay Mallya, whose Kingfisher Airlines has been accused of defaulting on bank loans of over Rs 9,400 crore, the MEA spokesperson replied in the negative.
The principal of SKM college was today arrested from Darbhanga town by vigilance officials for allegedly taking bribe.

Acting on a complaint by one Gautam Kumar Chaudhary, a resident of Munger district, a Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) team led by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Munna Prasad laid a trap and caught Budhdev Prasad Singh from his office while he was taking a bribe of Rs 70,000 from the complainant, a vigilance department release said.

The principal of the government college had demanded the bribe of the said amount from Chaudhary for releasing payment for plantation of Mahogany tree and other works in the college, it said.

The vigilance department has so far laid 40 traps and arrested 44 public servants this year, the release added.
A 31-year-old B.Ed student was shot dead outside her college at Ramgarh with one of her hands found severed.

Sonali Murmu, a married woman, was allegedly being harassed by one Suken Mandal of Dumka for long who had even threatened her after marriage, Superintendent of Police, M Tamilvanan said.

Prima facie, it appeared to be Suken Mandal's handiwork as he was in love with her, the SP said, adding Mandal is absconding.

Sonali's husband Chitranjan Tudu used to drop her to college, about 15 km from her in-laws place, everyday on a motorcycle. Yesterday, her brother-in-law Naresh Tudu, had dropped her to college.
Japanese auto major Honda expects its components exports from India to jump by up to 50 per cent to around Rs 1,500 crore in the current fiscal as it widens the basket of products supplied to its global operations from here.

The company, which has identified India as a global hub for components, exports different engine parts, forgings and transmissions along with others, produced at its Tapukara plant in Rajasthan to a host of global operations.

"Our exports of components from India has been growing each year. Last fiscal, we did around Rs 1,000 crore and this year we are looking at exporting components worth around Rs 1,400 crore to Rs 1,500 crore," Honda Cars India Senior Vice-President and Director Raman Kumar Sharma said here.

The company has been expanding to new markets for component exports from India. Last year, it started exporting to the US, China and Canada to add to the existing markets, including Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, the UK, Brazil and Mexico.

"We also export components of the Jazz, which is a global model," he said.

Explaining factors behind the increase of exports from India, Sharma said: "There is availability of global quality products at a low cost. When global companies come to India to sell cars, they suddenly find world class components at such competitive prices and hence take the opportunity."



Honda's exports of auto components from India has been gradually increasing. In 2013-14, its component exports had a turnover of Rs 420 crore.

Sharma said Honda India has also been playing a key role in supplying diesel engine parts the Japanese parent's operations in the UK, Turkey and Indonesia.

At present, Tapukara plant has an annual production capacity of 3 lakh units of diesel engines per annum.
CPI leader D Raja today expressed concern in Rajya Sabha over deteriorating condition of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, who is on an indefinite hunger strike against disciplinary action, and urged HRD Minister Smriti Irani to "advise" the university against such action.

"There is a problem in JNU. University Authorities have taken some disciplinary action against some students. Students are on an indefinite fast asking for a reconsideration of the decision of the University. JNUSU chief is on hunger strike. He has been taken to hospital. The minister can advise the University not to got for such action," Raja said.

The member, while speakding during a discussion on the working of the HRD Ministry, added, "I urge you to advise the authorities to reconsider their actions so that students can get out of their turmoil."



In a similar vein, he said the minister should take up in a meeting of the Union Cabinet the demand of Hyderabad University students for passing a Rohith Act to end discrimination.

He said their demand for replacing the Vice Chancellor of the Hyderabad University should also be considered.

Raja also wanted the minister's intervention in ending the controversy in Allabhad University.

Anand Bhaskar Rapolu (Congress) said since the minister "emotionally expressess her motherly feeling", she should show generosity to get all the punishments announced against students in different universities.

Kanhaiya Kumar was today taken to the JNU health centre in a semi-conscious state. However, his health deteriorated later and he was referred to emergency ward of AIIMS.

PL Punya (Congress) alleged that an effort is being made to "impose" an ideology ever since the NDA government has come to power as he talked about Rohith Vemula's suicide, banning of Ambedkar-Periyar circle in IIT Madras and the minority status controversy over AMU.
Opposition Congress in Rajasthan today demanded a judicial probe into the death of 12 people with special needs, mostly children, at a government-run home near Jaipur and asked the BJP government to own responsibility for the incident.

PCC President Sachin Pilot handed over a representation to Governor Kalyan Singh and requested him to visit the state-run home at Jamdoli where 12 specially-abled persons died between April 16 and 27 due to suspected bacterial infection after drinking contaminated water.

"The government is just covering up the issue and running away from its responsibility. A case against those politically responsible should be filed for criminal negligence," pilot told reporters outside the Raj Bhawan.

"Children with special needs died but the government is taking no serious steps. Action against officers is not sufficient. The Chief Minister should have gone to the children's home in Jamdoli but she didn't," he said.

He demanded that a social audit be conducted at the home to find out lapses and irregularities there.

Vasundhara Raje government has appointed a three-member committee to probe the matter and issued instructions for strict action against erring government officials.

Last week, the Centre had sent a five-member team of experts to Rajasthan to assist the state government in investigating the cause of water and food contamination at the home.
Terming as "misleading" the campaign claiming that vehicles in Delhi are an insignificant source of pollution, a green body today slammed the auto industry, saying vehicles, including those running on diesel, emit the deadliest toxins.

Noting that cars emit more Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 than several other key pollution sources in Delhi, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) condemned the "motivated" campaign and said the auto industry is also underplaying the toxic and cancer causing effects of diesel emissions.

CSE said estimates of International Council on Clean Transportation say that cancer risk from diesel vehicles in Delhi is four times higher than petrol cars.

Observing that new action taken by government to curb air pollution has started giving results and it cannot be "derailed", the green body said the city has to step up action on all key sources of pollution, including vehicles, to meet clean air target throughout the year.

"CSE condemns the misleading number game and motivated campaign of the auto industry to claim that vehicles in Delhi are an insignificant source of pollution. It is ironical that now when action has started to show results to curb the killer air pollution in the city detractors are out to derail the process.

"Instead of ensuring that the action builds up momentum quickly, motivated campaigns have been launched to subvert the process. While action on all key sources should be stepped up, vehicles including diesel vehicles will require stringent action as they emit the deadliest toxins within our breathing zone," CSE said.

Noting that the auto industry is underplaying the toxic and cancer effects of diesel emissions, CSE Director General Sunita Narain said an IIT Kanpur study has established diesel cars on an average contribute 78 per cent of PM 2.5 from four wheelers.

"This is significantly higher than the contribution of petrol and CNG cars. Cancer effect occurs at very small doses. According to California Air Resources Board the number of excess cancer cases per million people due to lifetime exposure to only 1 microgramme per cum of diesel particulate is 300 as against 29 for benzene that comes predominantly from petrol.

"The cancer potency of diesel particulate matter is 10 times more than benzene. Even after improving emission standards in California cancer risk from diesel particulate matter in Los Angeles is 68 per cent," CSE said.

CSE said estimates of International Council on Clean



Transportation on cancer risk from diesel vehicles in Delhi are four times higher than petrol cars.

"More than 2,80,000 avoidable cancer deaths in Delhi are being attributed to diesel exhausts. Particulate emissions from diesel and coal combustion are more harmful than others," she said.

She said cars emit more PM 2.5 than several other key pollution sources in Delhi while they also emit more Nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are are a family of poisonous, highly reactive gases, than several other key pollution sources in Delhi.

CSE said vehicles at 36 per cent are the second largest contributor to NOx and only cars emit 6.1 per cent of the total NOx from all sources.

"This is equal to the third largest contributor of NOx which is diesel generator sets at 6 per cent. The rest including domestic sources (2 per cent), industrial areas (1 per cent), hotels and resturaunts (less than 1 per cent) and others emit significantly less than cars. This clearly brings out that Delhi cannot meet its clean air objective if stringent action is not taken on cars," CSE said.

CSE also said the industry has not accounted for the vehicles contributing to secondary particulates (formed from the gases - NOX and SO2) that are quarter of PM2.5 in Delhi's air. CSE said if contribution of vehicles to the secondary particle is accounted for the contribution of vehicles to PM 2.5 will be much higher.

"Kanpur IIT study states that vehicles are the most consistent source of pollution throughout the year while most others are variable - control on consistent sources are important to achieve cleaner air throughout the year.

"Action to control air pollution has started and is showing results. But this needs to gather momentum. More needs to be done. This is an important signal. This needs to be encouraged and not blocked with misinformation. Support action and not inaction," Narain said.

Noting that rising diesel car numbers are "negating" the benefits of moving public transport and light commercial vehicles to CNG, CSE said one diesel car emits particulate matter equivalent to 5 petrol cars, nine diesel cars emits equal to one diesel truck and six diesel cars emit equal to one diesel bus.

"This in other words mean that the total number of diesel cars which is 68,384 diesel cars that got registered in Delhi in 2014-15 has virtually brought back more than 3.4 lakh petrol cars or about 7,598 trucks or about 11,397 diesel buses to pollute the air of Delhi," CSE said.

(REOPENS DES42)



CSE said that although the industry claims that petrol and



diesel cars are equally to be blamed, they, however, omit to mention that emissions related to petrol cars have declined despite the increase in their numbers.

"Industry claims that petrol cars emit more carbon monoxide than diesel cars and, therefore, diesel cars cannot be treated differently. But official data clearly shows that carbon monoxide emissions have reduced despite the increase in petrol car numbers.

"The trends have decoupled. But increase in diesel car numbers are correlated with rising NOx and PM emissions, as diesel cars are legally allowed to emit three times more NOx and several times more particulate matter than petrol cars," CSE said.

It noted that other governments with similar contribution of pollution from vehicles are taking "significantly and stronger" action on vehicles than Delhi.

In Beijing, vehicles contribute 30 per cent of PM2.5, close to what it is in Delhi, CSE said.

To address it, Beijing has capped the number of cars that can be sold in a year, banned diesel cars, introduced Euro-V emissions standards, phased out more than 6 lakh old vehicles, restricted movement of more than 1.5 lakh old and polluting vehicles by labelling them yellow and slapped high and variable parking charges.

"There is barely any action on the cars in Delhi. This demonstrates how even with the current share of vehicular pollution, Delhi will need much more stringent action along with action in all other sectors," CSE said.

It said that the industry is silent about mass failure of diesel car models in meeting real world emissions limits in Europe and the US and worsening air quality.

"Hard selling diesel cars industry is silent on the new emissions results from Europe and the US on diesel cars. Even after meeting Euro V and Euro VI emissions standards NOx pollution is increasing in European cities. The United Kingdom was dragged to the Court for violating NOx standards.

"Spate of emissions testing results have come from the British, German and French authorities over the past few weeks that show how large number of popular diesel car models have failed to meet the official limit and are emitting 6 to 12 times higher than the real world. This has led several governments to come up with policies to restrict diesel cars and further tighten the emissions regulations," CSE said.
A police sub inspector posted in Chief Minister's security cell, who shot dead his wife yesterday, allegedly committed suicide by jumping before a train in Alwar district of Rajasthan this morning.

ASI Phool Chand Yadav shot dead his wife Geeta Devo (40) with his service revolver at Rajasthan Police Academy in Shastri Nagar as he was annoyed with her that she did not allow him consume liquor.

After the murder, he fled to Alwar.

"He was sitting at Khairthal Railway Station in the morning. Some locals found his behaviour suspicious and asked to move from there but he committed suicide by jumping before a train near the station," a GRP official in Alwar said.

The body has been taken to a mortuary and his family members and police officers in Jaipur informed about the matter, the official said.

The couple is survived by two sons and a daughter.
The European Central Bank is set to decide today the fate of the 500-euro banknote, which many people associate with money laundering, the black market and terrorist financing.

But its possible abolition is raising hackles in countries such as Germany.

The violet-coloured bill, the largest denomination banknote in the single currency area and physically also the bigger than the five other euro bills, is on the agenda of a meeting of the ECB's governing council, a bank spokesman told AFP.

Notwithstanding any surprises, the council is likely to vote to stop issuing them, as the bill is believed to be favoured by criminals for moving large sums of money around without the authorities knowing.

"Such notes are the preferred payment mechanism of those pursuing illicit activities, given the anonymity and lack of transaction record they offer, and the relative ease with which they can be transported and moved," according to a recent Harvard University study.

Because of its size and portability, the 500-euro note has become so prized in underground finance that it can trade at more than its face value, and has become known in some circles as a "Bin Laden", the study said.

The 500-euro note is "used more for hiding things than buying them," said French Finance Minister Michel Sapin in March.

"It is used more to facilitate transactions which are not honest than to allow you and me to buy food to eat," Sapin said.

France is pushing to step up the fight against terrorist financing in the aftermath of the bloody series of attacks in Paris in 2015.

The EU Commission had said in February that it would "explore the need for appropriate restrictions on cash payments exceeding certain thresholds and to engage with the European Central Bank to consider appropriate measures regarding high denomination notes, in particular the EUR 500 note."



According to ECB statistics, the 500-euro bills account for just three percent of the total number of banknotes in circulation, but 28 percent of the total value.

Nevertheless, resistance to its possible abolition appears to be particularly high in Germany, where most people still prefer to make payments in cash.

And when the euro was created, it was Germany that had been keen to have a 500-euro bill because it was of a similar size denomination as its 1,000-deutschemark banknote.

Opponents of the note's abolition are concerned that it would simply be the first step in abolishing cash altogether and be replaced by electronic payment systems that can be completely monitored by authorities.
Computer simulations of disease processes and detailed digital models of our organs could provide more accurate monitoring and outcome measurements for clinical trials, according to a new research.

The research being presented at the University of Sheffield in the UKtoday aims to develop a model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) using MRI technology.

"Two-thirds of the patients we assessed could be correctly diagnosed with PAH using our model, which meant only those patients, where diagnosis was unclear, would have had to have the catheter test if this was in full clinical use," said Andy Swift, Insigneo Senior Clinical Research fellow.

Currently, the condition is diagnosed by inserting a catheter into the patient, often in the neck or groin to test the pressure in the pulmonary artery. It's an invasive test that can be distressing to the patient.

Delegates at this year's Insigneo Showcase at The Octagon Centre in University of Sheffield will deliberate how in silico medicine - computer simulations of the human body and its disease processes - can help improve diagnosis and prognosis for conditions like Parkinson's and pulmonary vascular disease.

Although, ultimately destined for the clinic, the technology looks likely to move quickly into use within clinical trials as it can enable more effective monitoring of the impact of new drugs and treatments.

In a study of data from 450 patients, researchers were able to use the model to diagnose PAH accurately.

"Many clinical trials in pulmonary hypertension also use the catheter test as an outcome measure but it could provide a significant advantage to be able to replace it with a less invasive MRI scan as our model also provides more detailed information on physical changes to the heart itself," he added.

Insigneo Senior Clinical Fellow Dr Alisdair McNeill will present his work on the use of gait analysis to develop a model able to assess disease progression in neurological disorders. He is working initially with patients with 22q11 deletion syndrome (a chromosomal defect) who are at high risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

"There are known to be changes to gait that are linked to Parkinson's disease such as shortening of step length," said Dr McNeill.

"Our model will use data including walking speed, step length and rhythm of walking plus other parameters to see if we can pick up changes as the disease progresses or at risk individuals develop Parkinsonism. Although this type of analysis is less likely to be easily translated to the clinic, it could be very effective for clinical trials as so many of the current tests for progression of Parkinson's disease and impact of treatments are very subjective and not sensitive to changes in clinical state.
The government today said a proposal is ready to amend the Divorce Act to halve the separation period for Christian couples seeking to file for divorce by mutual consent.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said the government plans to amend Section 10 A of the 1869 law to reduce the minimum mandatory period of separation from two years to one year to bring uniformity with other personal laws.

The move comes against the backdrop of a Supreme Court ruling and demands by the community.

The separation period under Hindu Marriage Act, Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act and the Special Marriage Act is one year.

Section 10A(1) of the Divorce Act, added through an amendment in 2001, says that a couple seeking divorce should be living separately for a period of "two years or more".

Against the backdrop of the Supreme Court order delivered in April last and demands by members of the community, the Law Ministry has decided to move the proposal to reduce the separation period.

Questioning the existing law, the Supreme Court had urged the Centre to make necessary amendments. "Should Christians stay separated for minimum two years when the period prescribed for others is one year? It does not make sense to us. It is a pure question of law and you (government) should have acted on your own," a bench of Justices Vikramjit Sen and A M Sapre had observed.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by a Delhi-based person while delivering the order.

Some High Courts have also struck down the provision of two-year separation.

Law Commission has on several occasions also recommended amendments to the Divorce Act to make it more women-friendly.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Thursday rejected demands, including from ally Shiv Sena, for rollback of 1% on non-silver jewellery and asserted that jewellers will have to pay taxes.

He said in the Lok Sabha that the government had already constituted a committee over the issue and parliamentarians could give their suggestions to it so that rules related to it could be simplified.

"Tax will have to be paid. But we will ensure that there is no harassment of jewellers," Jaitley said during his reply to a discussion on the Finance Bill.

He also brushed aside the demand made by Deepender Hooda of Congress for exempting jewellers based in rural areas, saying the income threshold is so high for the jewellers eligible to pay the tax that those based in villages will no be covered by it.

Luxury goods like jewellery cannot be kept out of the purview of 1% when the country was moving towards the GST regime, the minister said.

Jaitley also took a jibe at Congress over its concerns for the jewellers based in villages, noting it had come out with 80-20 scheme in 2012-13 to regulate gold import and questioned where its concern for them was then.

If Congress is concerned about tax on gold, then it should have decreased the 5% VAT on it in Kerala when it is 1% in other states, Jaitley said.

The government spends over Rs 2.5 lakh crore from its foreign exchange for the import of over 1100 tonnes of gold annually.

Ever since the levy of one per cent cess on non-silver jewellery was announced in the Budget, there have been protests by the jewellers and demands for rollback by MPs as well.

Even NDA ally Shiv Sena yesterday demanded the rollback, saying the government should shed its "ego" and decide on it as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself opposed levying it in the past.

"I do not understand the logic behind imposing on jewellery. Once GST comes in, central excise will get abolished then what is the necessity of imposing it now... Government should intropect it, it should be rolled back," Shiv Sena member Arvind Sawant said in the House yesterday.

Participating in the discussion on the Finance Bill, Sawant said the levy was imposed even earlier in 2005, 2012 and was withdrawn following protest.

"We were the people who opposed it, including the present Prime Minister... It should be rolled back... Just like the EPFO decision. There is no ego issue," he said.
A French Islamic State cell dismantled in the final stages of planning an attack has yielded a new secret this week, with the release of undercover footage showing how a group of disaffected petty criminals transformed into a terror network.

Filmed by a young French Muslim journalist who infiltrated the group with a hidden camera, the Canal Plus documentary takes an extraordinary inside look at the group, which called itself the Soldiers of Allah.

The cell was nominally led by a young ex-convict who called himself Abu Oussama, who speaks dreamily about his coming death, the palace that awaits him in paradise, the winged horse made of gold and rubies, and the women: "I'm not making this up, I swear," he breathes.

"I got the feeling they're beyond saving. The programming is so well done, if you will, that you can only be their enemy. There is no discussing with them," according to the journalist, who took the pseudonym Said Ramzy in the credits and was known to the jihadis as Abu Hamza.

Ramzy told The Associated Press the cell was actually directed by a Frenchman sent home from Syria by the extremist organisation to plot an attack.

Remzy was considered valuable because, unlike the other members of the cell, he had no criminal past and had never been identified as a radical.

Abu Oussama had been flagged to police by his father, detained in Turkey trying to reach Syria, and imprisoned in France for five months until authorities determined he was no longer a danger, he tells Ramzy.

"They said since I was deradicalized, since I was quiet ..." he says, giggling toward the camera he cannot see. "It's all part of the ruse, brother."



Oussama appears to trust Ramzy, but not all of the cell's nine members had the same faith. One, who went by the name Joseph, warns Ramzy once that he's been found out, without ever explaining. The others ignore the warning, apparently even after all but Ramzy and the Islamic State fighter sent from Syria were rounded up.

"It's just you and me," the man writes in a message to Ramzy as he prepares to hand over a second set of instructions via a mysterious veiled woman who meets the journalist at a school to deliver the envelope.

Islamic State carefully controls its public image via a sophisticated propaganda apparatus and, in at least one case, allowing a crew to film its members in Syria under specifically vetted conditions.

A second journalist involved in the documentary, who went by the name Marc Armone, said he and Ramzy wanted to get past an edited version of Islamic State and into the minds of its European recruits.
Thumping drum beats coupled with melodies of a clarinet and the fat tunes of a tuba took the audience by surprise as visiting French boy band, La Fanfare Couche-Tard played eastern European tracks before concluding its debut India tour here recently.

Taking the stage at Antisocial here for the first of its six-city tour that included performances in Mumbai and Bengaluru, music enthusiasts got an entirely new flavor of classical European tunes mixed with upbeat modern electronic music.

La Fanfare Couche-Tard's irresistible energy stands with a versatile line-up consisting of Gregory Bluad on vocals and clarinet, Florian Vallo playing the saxophone and douk douk, Nathanael Bianconi on the accordion, synth and vocals, Patrice Komlanz for the tuba and bass synth and Robin Veyssiere the man on the drums.

"We used to go on holidays and play music on streets just for fun and later realised that the band had already risen and it felt cool to play together. We met some organisers and started playing gigs and that's how it all happened," says drummer Veyssiere.

Inspirations from melodies of classical European music together with influences ranging from rock to jazz, mixed up with modern dance music beats to create something that is between tradition and modernity is how the band describes its music.

With over 250 gigs in Europe, the band stepped out of France for the first time following the release of its latest album 'Balkanize Me'.

The 10-track album is a work that La Fanfare Couche-Tard takes pride in as members of the band get to express their influence and the inspiration they take from Balkan music.

"We are very proud of this one since we thought of doing an album the moment we had the ideas with us, we wrote the songs and recorded it all in just 6 months. There is lot of energy in it, our music has also evolved over time and it's the nearest what we will be performing during our tours now," says Komlanz.

Playing on the streets is still their favorite and the artists still find time to do it among a busy schedule.

"The streets are the best way to meet people. We have met many organisers of music festivals. You are totally unexpected when u play there, lot of ideas we do now came to us during streets only, you try something new, if people like it you take it back and perform it for the audience later at the shows.

"We can play on the streets completely unplugged and at the stage with all the production too , the tunes are the same we just play it in a different way according to the stage and audience. Some people play on the streets for a living some do it for fun, we are kind of in middle of both," says Komlanz.

Travelling places and meeting new people has been an



important part of this band so much that a whole track is dedicated to a hairstyle and now the band members too proudly adorn the quirky hairdo.

"A lot of our tracks are named after a memory not during a show but our lives together while travelling. We tell stories in our music," says drummer Veyssiere.

"Coupe Mulet is a tribute to the classic haircut, Mullet, we all got it after Florian came up with that haircut first while we were travelling and that's how the idea for the song came. 'Carnet de Voyage' is another track about our travelling and meeting people, we make them happy and they make us happy. It talks about the memories we have collected. We play it at every gig," he says.

Classical music and tabla beats got the Frenchmen's fancy as it was their first encounter with Indian music during a visit to a Gurudwara.

With huge expectations for the India tour, the band says it made memories and experiences that are sure to get reflected in their next releases.

"I think the tour will be a huge influence for us when we head back to studio in France, we have been listening to classical music, tabla and meditative music. It's going to be a huge inspiration for us," says Komlanz.

"For us its not just a music tour, it's more personal, like discovering a culture, meeting new people. New shows, a new album is in planning and it may have these elements. We are just discovering the genres in India and we will continue doing it," says Veyssiere.

The band says it hopes to do a lot more shows in India soon.
An accused in the gangrape of a health worker, who later committed suicide, in January has been detained under the National Security Act by the district authorities.

District Magistrate D K Singh said main accused in the case, Shahid (23), who is in jail, was yesterday detained under the National Security Act.

A 40-year-old married health worker allegedly committed suicide on January 12 as the video of her gangrape by Shahid and three others was uploaded on social media in Chapra village here.
Goa police today arrested former state Education minister and expelled Congress MLA Atanasio Monserratte for allegedly raping a minor girl after 'buying' her from her mother for Rs 50 lakh.

"Monserratte has been placed under arrest. We will be soon moving the court to seek his remand as we need his custodial interrogation," Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Karthik Kashyap told PTI.

The girl's mother too was arrested on the charge of human trafficking, he said, adding that another woman, wanted in the case, was absconding.

Monserratte appeared before the crime branch officials at 3.10 pm today, and was placed under arrest at 8.30 pm.

He has been booked under IPC section 376 (rape), 328 (poisoning), 342 (wrongful confinement, 370 (A) (trafficking) and the provisions of Goa Children Act and the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act.

A senior police official said that police had examined ten witnesses and also recorded the girl's statement before a magistrate.

According to the 16-year-old girl's complaint, her mother and another woman hatched a conspiracy and sold her for Rs 50 lakh to Monserratte in March this year for sexual exploitation.

"Monserratte kept her in confinement, administered some stupefying substance and had sexual intercourse with her several times without her consent," it says.

Monserratte, who was out of Goa yesterday when the FIR was registered at the Women Police Station, today returned and drove to Ribander office of Crime Branch, accompanied by his wife Jeniffer and a few supporters.

Police had issued a summons to him, asking him to remain present before Investigating Officer Sudiksha Naik.

"I have not done anything wrong. The complaint is totally false and bogus. This is just to frame me," he told reporters before entering the Crime Branch office.
Greenpeace India today alleged that the government is "dragging its feet" on an exercise to identify inviolate areas while it continues to allot coal blocks which is "destroying sensitive" forest areas and freshwater sources in a drought-afflicted country.

"It's been close to four years since the exercise to identify inviolate areas started and the Environment Ministry is still dragging its feet on this policy while the coal ministry is going ahead with auctioning and allotting these precious forest areas," said Nandikesh Sivalingam, senior campaigner, Greenpeace India.

"The Environment Ministry's silence gives tacit go-ahead to the government's coal-dependent energy policy. In effect, it allows the greed for coal to take precedence over everything else, including the inevitable consequence of coal mining destroying sensitive forest areas and freshwater sources in our drought-afflicted country," Sivalingam said.

The NGO also demanded that the Environment Ministry fix a deadline to finalise, publicise and enforce the inviolate policy.

Greenpeace India claimed that it had accessed information through an RTI query from the Environment Ministry which revealed that as many as 417 out of 825 current and future coal blocks should be categorised as inviolate areas as per hydrological parameters.

It said that last year, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) assessed 825 coal blocks based on the draft parameters for identification of inviolate forest areas.

For applying the hydrology parameter, the Environment Ministry has recommended excluding 250 m on either side of a first order stream while marking the boundaries of coal blocks.

Taking this criteria into consideration, a whopping 50.5 per cent of the coal blocks are rendered as "partially inviolate" according to the RTI information, Greenpeace India said.

Besides the hydrological parameters, the RTI data accessed by Greenpeace India also claimed that currently the list of inviolate coal blocks stand at a mere 49, covering an area of 1271.43 Sq km as per parameters which includes forest cover and type, biological richness and landscape integrity.

Sivalingam said mining in the forests even beyond the 250



m of the river banks often has a dramatic detrimental impact on the catchment, including water pollution, erosion and worsening water scarcity during dry season.

"If all the streams (second and third order) in the river basins are to be taken into consideration, the impact on central India's water sources could be much higher," said Sivalingam.

Greenpeace India said that reports show that the government has started applying the inviolate policy only "partially".

"However it is not clear how they include or exclude coal blocks from this list. At the same time, coal blocks listed as inviolate are being auctioned or allotted to mining companies.

"What is worrying is the callousness that the Environment Ministry has towards protecting the country's pristine natural resources. It's no longer only about forests, it's clear that mining in the central Indian forest could also have serious impacts on water sources," said Sivalingam.

It said that the lack of information in the public domain on what the current inviolate regions are is also putting forests and water resources "at risk".

"Biodiverse land that should otherwise be left untouched is being auctioned for coal mining. Greenpeace India demands that the Environment Ministry fix a deadline to finalise, publicise and enforce the inviolate policy...

"...Publish the forest areas or coal blocks that are inviolate along with the geo-referenced maps for all the concerned stakeholders including affected forest communities who are to consulted before the land is considered for mining," it said.
The government today said it has asked China to cease its activities in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and has raised its concern at the "highest level".

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh (Retd) said China is assisting Pakistan in the development of the so-called "China Pakistan Economic Corridor" (CPEC).

"Some of the proposed projects under CEPC are in PoK," he said, adding that Pakistan has been in illegal occupation of parts of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947.

"Government has conveyed to the Chinese side, including at the highest level, its concerns about their activities in PoK and asked them to cease their activities," Singh said.

(REOPENS DES 33)



Replying to a separate question on whether India can nominate an expert to UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee, Singh said 15 members of the UN Security Council constitute its membership.

India is currently not a member of the UNSC and thereby is not a member of the Committee.

"A 10 member 'Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team' (Monitoring Team) comprising independent experts assists the Sanction Committee. Depending on the vacancies available India and all other member states could forward nominations of their nationals to serve on the Monitoring Team," he said.

Singh said the name of an Indian expert was forwarded in February and final selections are made by the UN Secretariat based on their assessment of the individual qualifications.

To a separate question, he said as per information provided by the Kuwaiti authorities, 1700 Indian nationals were arrested and deported during a security campaign carried out by the Director General for Residency Affairs between December 1, 2015 and February 21.

Replying to another question, Singh said, on April 13, the US Department of State in its reports on Human Rights Practices for 199 countries and territories, including India, had made allegations regarding certain instances of violation of human rights in India.

"The Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens. Any instances of abuse of human rights are addressed by our internal processes which include independent judiciary, vibrant press, civil society and National Human Rights Commission. India does not take cognizance of internal reports of a foreign country," he said.

To another query, Singh said as on April, there are 35 consultants working in the Ministry of External Affairs. They are engaged for periods ranging from 3 months to 3 years and deployed in different divisions of the Ministry.
The Home Ministry has asked the Law Commission to deliberate on the issue of criminalising marital rape, the Rajya Sabha was informed Thursday.

"The Ministry of Home has requested the Law Commission to deliberate upon the subject of during the course of its comprehensive review of Criminal Justice System," Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said in a written reply.

The minister said the Pam Rajput Committee had made certain recommendations for safety of women which also included criminalisation of .

The recommendations of the Committee had been sent to the concerned ministries/departments for taking action, she said.

"Ministry of Home Affairs has informed that the Law Commission of India, while making its 172nd Report on 'Review of Rape Laws' in March 2000, did not recommend criminalisation of marital rape," she said.

"However, the Justice JS Verma Committee, while giving its report on 'Amendments to Criminal Laws' in January 2013, recommended that the law ought to be amended to delete the exception," she said.

"The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs presented its 167th Report on their Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012 in the Rajya Sabha on March 1, 2013. While giving its report the Committee, inter alia, considered both the 172nd Report on Review of Rape Laws given by the Law Commission of India and the Report of Justice JS Verma Committee," Gandhi said.

The Committee deliberated on the amendments to section 375 of IPC including the issue of marital rape and observed that if it is brought under the law, the entire family system will be under great stress and the Committee may perhaps be doing injustice.
Greek trade unions have called for a 48-hour strike starting tomorrow to protest controversial government plans to overhaul pensions and increase taxes to meet demands of its bailout creditors.

Today's announcement of a general strike came after Greece's parliament said the government's pension and taxation reform bills would be debated and voted on this weekend.

Changes to Greece's pensions system were demanded by creditors as a condition of the country's third bailout in five years, worth 86 billion euros (USD 95 billion), agreed in July last year.

Parliamentarians will also debate whether to increase taxes on high and middle-income earners.

The ADEDY civil servants union said in a statement that the "anti-working class" reforms would not pass, calling for nationwide action.

The powerful PNO seafarers union meanwhile called for a four-day strike from early Friday morning to Tuesday morning which could paralyse ferry services between Greece's islands and the mainland.

The GSEE private sector workers' union told the government to prepare for a "permanent fight" if it did not back down over the reforms.

Marches are expected in Athens and other cities this weekend and will coincide with celebrations for International Workers' Day this Sunday which were postponed from May 1 owing to the timing of Orthodox Easter.

This weekend's strikes will be the fourth called since Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's leftist government took office in September.
Agro-processing firm Gujarat Ambuja Exports today announced the plans to set up a 'corn wet milling' project with an installed capacity of 1,000 tonnes per day in Dhule district, Maharashtra.

"The company proposes to set up a greenfield project of 1,000 TPD (tonnes per day) corn wet milling at Chalisgaon, Dhule district," Gujarat Ambuja Exports said in a regulatory filing.

The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has allotted land and the lease deed has been executed, it said.

"Necessary steps are being taken to obtain statutory approvals and licences for setting up the unit. Negotiation with suppliers for plant and machinery and engineering consultancy services are under process," the filing added.

The company deals in various segments including cotton yarn, solvent extraction, maize processing, flour mill and cattle feed among others.
The wholesale gur (Jaggery) market ended steady in the national capital today with prices after hovering both ways on alternate bouts of buying and selling, finally settled at previous levels.

Muzaffarnagar and Muradnagar gur markets also displayed a steady trend onlittle doing.

Marketmen said arrivals and offtake too remained at a low ebb and volume of business small.

Following are today's rates (in Rs per quintal):



Gur chakku Rs 3,200-3,300, pedi Rs 3,400-3,500, dhayya Rs 3,600-3,700 and shakkar Rs 3,700-3,800.

Muzaffarnagar: Rasket Rs 2,500-2,550, chakku Rs 2,675-3,025, khurpa Rs 2,600-2,700 and Ladoo Rs 2,850-2,950.

Muradnagar: Pedi Rs 3,025-3,125 and dhayya Rs 3,150-3,175.
The Allahabad High Court has disposed of a petition filed by suspended IPS officer Amitabh Thakur in connection with a case of alleged threat handed out to him by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav after directing the trial court here to expeditiously decide his application pending before it in connection with the case.

Justice Sudhir Kumar Saxena of the HC's Lucknow bench passed the order yesterday on a petition filed by Thakur.

Justice Saxena issued the direction to the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Lucknow.

The petitioner had sought directions to the CJM's court to decide his application filed on November 16, 2015, within 15 days, challenging the final (closure) report filed by the police in the case under section 506 of IPC against Yadav who allegedly threatened him on July 10, 2015.

The police, in its report, concluded that the FIR was false and registered with improper motive, hence no further action needs to be taken.

"I direct Chief Judicial Magistrate/ Court concerned to decide the application dated Nov 16, 2015 expeditiously. Unnecessary adjournments will be avoided. Since officers are being transferred frequently and lawyers are regularly on strike, no fixed time can be ordered in this case", the court said.

Government Advocate Rishad Murtaza submitted that only two dates had been fixed after the CD was filed, as such, it cannot be said that there had been any undue delay on the part of the Presiding Officer.

The petitioner said that his FIR against Mulayam Singh was closed by the investigating officer on October 12, 2015.

He challenged the closure report before the CJM, Lucknow, on November 16, 2015.
The Bombay High Court today extended till June 8 the interim protection from arrest given to Maple Group Chairman Sachin Agarwal and MD Naveen Agarwal who were booked for allegedly cheating people by publishing "misleading" advertisements in newspapers promising flats to buyers at cheaper rates.

Justice Reveti Mohite-Dere asked the Agarwal brothers to attend the concerned police station for three days next week and thereafter for two days in a week till June 8.

The Agarwal brothers feared arrest since an FIR was registered against them on April 19. Their company had put up advertisements in newspapers offering one BHK flats at Rs 5 lakh each by using photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Pune Guardian Minister Girish Bapat.

Through the ads, the company claimed that their project 'Maharashtra Housing Day' was part of Pradhan Mantri Avaas Yojna (PMAY). In response to the ads, over 30,000 people had paid Rs 1,125 each to the company as initial deposit, the FIR lodged by police said.

Earlier, a Pune court had rejected their anticipatory bail plea, following which the duo moved the Bombay High Court which had granted them interim protection from arrest till today. The matter was kept today for further hearing.

Defence counsel Aniket Nikam argued that the company belonging to Agarwal was not a fly-by-night entity and they had started refunding money to people who had invested in their project for the one BHK flats.

Nikam said that in the event of any investor failing to apply for refund, the company was willing to deposit the amount due to the people in the high court.

Accepting the affidavit filed by the Agarwal brothers, the court continued till June 8 the interim protection granted to the duo two days ago.

Nikam argued that the company had not informed people that its housing scheme is under PMAY. As soon as the company was informed by authorities to stop bookings, it immediately discontinued the housing project. The company also started refunding charges.

As of now, the Maple Group has refunded more than half of the total amount received. The rest will be done as well, Nikam told the court.
The Gujarat High Court today stayed the state government's move to deduct money from the monthly pension given to dependents of freedom fighters.

Based on a plea filed by aggrieved pensioners, Justice N V Anjaria issued notice to the state government and stayed deduction of pension money until further hearing which will be held after summer vacation.

According to a petition filed by a group of pensioners, dependents of freedom fighters were receiving Rs 6,000 per month pension but the government started deducting varying amounts from it, stating that it had paid them in excess of Rs 1,000 since 2012.

The petition said that the amount being deducted varied.

The government pleader told the court that dependents of freedom fighters were to be offered Rs 5,000 as per a circular dated 2012 and were paid excess which were being deducted.
The Bombay High Court today asked Maharashtra government to strictly implement a law which requires police or jail authorities to immediately inform a judicial magistrate about custodial death in their jurisdiction in order to facilitate a probe.

In 2006, the law was amended to make compulsory for the police or jail authorities to inform a Metropolitan Magistrate or Judicial Magistrate First Class about custodial death, so that a probe is conducted and the body forwarded for inquest within two days, the HC was informed.

Hearing a petition, the court sought to know from the state government what mechanism has been evolved to inform the judicial magistrate about custodial deaths, and whether police stations or jail authorities are aware of this rule and are following it.

Public Prosecutor S S Shinde said the rule was not being implemented and assured that the state would inform the police stations and jail authorities to follow the procedure accordingly.

A division bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka sought to know from the state government whether this procedure has been followed in cases of custodial deaths from 2006 till date.

The bench asked the state to give this information in an affidavit by June 21.

The judges also asked the state to inform by the same date whether police stations and jail authorities have been told to follow the procedure of informing magistrates about custodial deaths in their jurisdiction.

The court was hearing the petition filed by one Leonard Valdaris seeking CBI probe into the death of his son Agnello Valdaris, who died in custody of Wadala Government Railway Police on April 18, 2014.

On a directive of the high court, the CBI had conducted a probe into the death of Valdaris and filed a chargesheet against 10 GRP men.

They were charged with various offences under IPC such as murder, assault, unnatural sex, criminal intimidation, kidnapping, wrongful confinement and also under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The Bombay HC had ordered exhumation of Agnello's body and the medical report could form part of the evidence.

Two other documents will have a bearing in this case - a fax sent by Leonard to the police commissioner pointing out alleged illegal detention, and a reply to an RTI application by Sion Hospital that Agnello had complained to doctors when he was brought for a medical check-up about police allegedly beating him up.
The Bombay High Court will pronounce the judgement on a bunch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the beef ban in Maharashtra tomorrow.

A division bench of Justices A S Oka and S C Gupte had reserved the ruling in January after hearing the arguments.

In February 2015, the President granted assent to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act. While the original 1976 Act banned slaughter of cows, the amendment prohibited, in addition, slaughter of bulls and bullocks and possession and consumption of their meat.

As per the Act, slaughter attracts a five-year jail-term and Rs 10,000 fine while possession of meat of bull or bullock attracts one-year in jail and Rs 2,000 fine.

During the hearing, the HC had refused to grant interim stay to the provisions penalising the possession of beef.

Arif Kapadia, a city resident, and noted lawyer Harish Jagtiani have challenged the provision which says mere possession of beef anywhere in the state is a crime.

This is arbitrary and undermines the cosmopolitan nature of the city which houses people from all religions and communities, they contend.

Other petitions have been filed by Vishal Sheth, a lawyer, and Shaina Sen, a student, contending that the ban on beef violates fundamental rights of citizens.
A headmistress, along with the entire staff in Doda in Jammu and Kashmir, has been suspended after she declared a school holiday on the occasion of her son's wedding.

"We have placed the entire staff of Government High School, Bhagla in Bharat area of the district under suspension as they declared a holiday on Tuesday to celebrate the wedding of the son of the headmaster of the school," Director Education, Jammu, Samita Sethi, said.

Headmistress Sayeeda Anjum, without seeking permission from the authorities, had declared a holiday in the school having over 300 students in the remote area.

The Sarpanch of the village came to know that the school had posted a notice on the notice board signed by the headmistress declaring closure of the school for the wedding of her son.

The Sarpanch called up state Education Minister Naeem Akhtar who ordered an inquiry.

"As soon as we got the information, we conducted an inquiry and senior officials of the education department were sent to the school the same day. They found the school closed and the notice declaring the holiday," Sethi said.

She said preliminary inquiry held the headmistress and the staff, including teachers and those in the administration, guilty of having remained "unauthorisedly" absent from their office duty, after which they were suspended.

"After the inquiry, strict action would be taken against the erring staff members for putting the future of over 300 students at stake. They will be chargesheeted and action will be taken as per the law," Sethi said.
A welfare programme aimed at improving health of mothers and children in Rajasthan will be expanded to other parts of the state, officials today said.

The project, run by a foundation started with Jhalawar district.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has asked the officials to identify districts with different geographical conditions to scale up the programme. She has laid emphasis on effective execution of the programme in districts falling in Tribal Area Development region, an official statement said.

Under the project, Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM), ASHA and Anganwadi workers, jointly identified as AAA, do mapping of villages for recording health and nutrition-related details of pregnant women, lactating mothers and newborns.

Founding Director, Antara Foundation Ashok Alexander told a conference, "This project is showing good results as the entire functioning of these three health workers became easy when they joined each other"



"Adolescent girls of the village, aged between 13 and 19 years,were also being made part of the project".

Health Minister Rajendra Rathore said Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) could be effectively controlled with the assistance of Anganwadi workers joining ANM and ASHA.

Vice Chairman of the state-level Committee for Monitoring of 20-point Agenda, Digambar Singh said the innovative idea of the adolescent girls partnering in the project would yield good results.

On this occasion, the Members of the Council of Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, Chairpersons of various Commissions, Chief Secretary and senior officers of all government departments were present.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje also emphasised on the



need to conserve rainwater in urban areas along with the ongoing Mukhyamantri Jal Swavalamban Abhiyan in rural regions of the state.

She directed the officials to develop rainwater harvesting structures in residential colonies as well common facilities in various cities including Jaipur.

Raje said that conservation of water was required in urban regions and asked the urban planners to use modern technologies while developing sewerage system and install underground ducting in the cities.

"The city developers should be careful enough and ensure that drinking water supply lines and sewerage lines are not laid parallel," she said.

The CM also instructed for urgent action on shifting of central prisons out of the densely populated localities in 16 districts.
President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have gone all out to win over the influential Asian- American community with the Democratic front-runner promising to give them a fair and larger representation if she was elected to the White House.

While Obama listed out the steps his administration took in the last seven years for this small but influential Asian- American community, Clinton promised to give a fair and larger representation to them if elected as the US president in the November elections.

Though none of them named Republican presidential presumptive nominee Donald Trump, both Obama and Clinton referred to his divisive policies and his rhetoric against Muslims, immigrants and other ethnic minorities in the US.

At the annual gala for the Asian-Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS), Clinton said if elected to the White House, she wants more Asian-Americans to serve in her administration.

Asian-Americans are not only the fastest growing ethnic communities in the US but also the most educated and wealthiest ethnic groups in the country, she said.

"I want to let you know that I will make sure that you are well represented in my administration if I am fortunate enough to be your president," Clinton said in her address to a gala reception that was attended by who's who of the Asian-American community including people of Indian-origin.

Prominent among them were Congressman Ami Bera, Neera Tanden, the head of a top American think-tank and important community activist Shekar Narasimhan.

Hillary was the only presidential hopeful to attend the annual gala of the Asian-American community.

Well aware of the importance of this ethnic community, Obama drove down to the gala soon after his arrival from Michigan. He did not mention Trump by name, but pointed to the anti-immigrant sentiment in the in the last few months.

"We have got to push back on any anti-immigrant sentiment," Obama said.

Listing out his achievement including appointing largest number of Asian-Americans not only in his administration but also in the judiciary, Obama said Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Arabs are now included in hate crime statistics.

Two Indian-Americans -- actor Parvesh Cheena and Actress Sonal Shah -- were the Master and Mistress of Ceremonies of the ceremonies. Actor-comedian Aziz Ansari was presented with the Vision Award along with Alan Yang.
A day after Rajya Sabha discussed the AgustaWestland helicopter issue, Congress member Anand Sharma today sought to know from the Government how BJP member Subramaniam Swamy had got access to sensitive and confidential files of CBI and ED in the matter.

Raising the issue through a point of order, Sharma said during the discussion yesterday, sensitive documents of CBI and ED were referred to.

The House "must know how an honourable member or rather less honourable member" was given access to sensitive and secret files, which he has refused to authenticate and place on the table of the House, he said.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said if Swamy had not complied with his ruling that all documents he was quoting must be authenticated by him and placed on the table of the House, rule will take its own course.

"It (the ruling) has to be complied with," Kurien said, adding he had given a ruling yesterday that whatever documents are quoted should be authenticated and placed on the table.

"That has to be complied with," he said.

As Congress members protested, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi stated that Swamy had authenticated and placed the documents he had quoted on the table of the House.

Swamy had taken care of issue, Naqvi said.

Earlier, Pramod Tiwari (Congress) said a TV channel was showing how government agencies were creating the pressure of religious missions to get the Gandhi family implicated.

Raising the issue through a point of order, he alleged that "some traitors are taking money from other countries to create disorder here ... And destablise the country."



Kurien said this was not a question of point of order and disallowed. But Tiwari continued to speak on the matter, also saying that "some traitor" were working to destabilise the country. However, Kurien did not allow the issue to be taken up.
A prominent human rights body has asked the Nepal government to ensure transparent and independent probe into deaths and injuries during the protests last year in the southern Terai region, which led to blockade of imports from India.

Human Rights Watch said it has learned that police in the Himalayan kingdom are allegedly refusing to register First Information Reports (FIRs) filed on behalf of the victims.

"Despite endless promises of reform, impunity remains the norm in Nepal," Asia director at Human Rights Brad Adams said.

"Accountability for any abuses by both protesters and police are important, and unfortunately at the moment it looks as if alleged abuses by the police will simply be forgotten."



Before and after passage of a new Constitution in September 2015, political parties and their supporters in the southern Terai plains began a series of protests which led to an effective blockade of imports along Nepal's southern border with India.

The rights group said security forces had often clashed with the protesters over months of violence, leading to deaths, abuses and injuries on both sides.

In October 2015, Human Rights Watch documented the 25 killings, including of 9 police officers and 16 protesters or bystanders.

By the time the protests ended in early 2016, around 55 people had died.

"While arrests were made for violent attacks against the police, the government has not yet taken any steps to ensure that members of the security forces are held to account for serious human rights violations during the protests," the group said.

The government should ensure that investigations into all deaths and injuries during the protests in the southern Terai region last fall are fast, transparent and independent, it said.

In its letter, Human Rights Watch made specific recommendations to the government of Nepal on necessary steps to ensure accountability for these violations including acting on the findings of the National Human Rights Commission to ensure appropriate disciplinary and legal action in cases of excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests and torture.
A man and four members of his family, including his mother, have been booked for allegedly torturing his wife, police said today.

In her complaint, the 27-year-old woman alleged that her husband and in-laws used to frequently lock her up in a room, starve her and inflict cigarette burns on her, they said.

The victim alleged that her in-laws tortured and harassed her since marriage which went on for five years and even tonsured her, police said.

In March last year, her in-laws drove her out of the house and took away both the children from her, they said, adding she presently lives with her parents at Kalyan in the district.

The accused were identified as the woman's husband Salim, mother-in-law Johra, brother-in-law Saifiuddin and two sisters-in-law Mumtaz and Sahin, police said.

Bazarpeth Police Station has registered an offence under IPC sections 498 A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation).

Although nobody has been arrested in this connection so far, notices have been sent to the accused for interrogation, said Senior Inspector of Bazarpeth Police Station D S Suryavanshi.
Indian Air Force chief Air Marshal Arup Raha today reviewed a new hangar facility for C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at Air Force Station Arjan Singh in West Bengal's Panagarh.

Raha is on a two-day visit to the Eastern Air Command's area of responsibility from today, officials said.

As a turnkey project, Lockheed Martin, the US-based aircraft manufacturer, has built hangar facilities and other associated infrastructure as it was done in Hindon airbase for the military transport aircraft which can refuel mid-air.

The infrastructure is similar to the facilities built world over for Super Hercules tactical aircraft that IAF also operates since February 2011, officials said adding a new transport squadron will be raised at the Panagarh airbase, recently renamed AFS Arjan Singh, to operate the Super Hercules aircraft.

Presently, two AN-32 squadrons operate out of the Jorhat airbase in upper Assam, while a flight of Avro aircraft undertakes VIP communication duties from Borjhar airbase, Guwahati.

With the arrival of two aircraft from the Hindon-based 'Veiled Viper' squadron, IAF's second C-130J Super Hercules hub had become operational last year.

A batch of six C-130J aircraft will be handed over to the IAF by Lockheed Martin early next year.

A fly-past by a single C-130J Super Hercules flying in from Hindon was timed to coincide with the Air Chief's visit to the newly-built hangar facilities at the airbase even as another was parked at the tarmac for static display.

The Air Chief interacted with the air warriors of the airbase and officials of Lockheed Martin.

Raha will also visit other adjoining airbases of Kalaikunda, Salua and Purnea during his visit.
Private sector lender ICICI Bank today became the first financial institution in the country to tie up with the BRICS Grouping-promoted New Development Bank (NDB) for a partnership in bond issuances, co-financing, treasury management and human resources.

As part of the pact, the two lenders -- NDB's first president is ICICI Bank veteran KV Kamath -- will look at each other as "preferred partners", ICICI Bank said in a statement.

The agreement "creates a platform for sharing knowledge and deepening network connectivity between NDB and ICICI Bank," Kamath said, after signing the MoU along with ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar here.

Kamath said NDB's mandate includes partnering with local development banks in member-countries and this MoU will help it leverage the deep market access and insight of ICICI Bank in the country's financial markets.

Kochhar said there are synergies between the two organisations and the MoU will help harness this to benefit both the partners in the long run.

The statement said the agreement will help NDB in exploring rupee-denominated bonds in the domestic and international markets and make both the lenders collaborate to fund development projects in the country.

ICICI Bank and NDB will also leverage a mutually beneficial partnership in other areas such as treasury risk management, account and cash management services and human resource development.

Beyond this, there will be continuous dialogue and regular exchange of information between the two banks for exploring potential partnerships in other areas as well, the statement said.

Headquartered in Shanghai, the NDB began operations with an initial capital of USD 100 billion last year as a multilateral development bank promoted by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

It recently announced its first set of loans involving financial assistance of USD 811 million to support building of 2,370 mw of power capacity within the member-countries. Out of this USD 250 million has come to state-run Canara Bank for on-lending to renewable energy projects.
As school curriculums in the US state of California are set to be revised and updated, a heated debate is raging in the state over whether the region that includes India, Pakistan and Nepal should be referred to as India or as South Asia.

A report in the New York Times said "history is being written" by a California education committee that has found itself at the "center of a raging debate" over how to tell the story of South Asia in revised curriculums.

"The dispute centers on whether the region that includes modern-day India, Pakistan and Nepal should be referred to as India or as South Asia, to represent the plurality of cultures there - particularly since India was not a nation-state until 1947.

"It also touches on how the culture of the region is portrayed, including women's role in society and the vestiges of the caste system," the report said.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of the state's Instructional Quality Commission debating a new framework for the kindergarten to 12th grade social science curriculum.

Some students have argued that describing the region by any name other than India would amount to "erasing their heritage."



The debate has prompted petition drives as well as a social media campaign #DontEraseIndia, the report said adding that the debate "mirrors similar arguments" being made in India, "where Hindu nationalist governments have begun overhauls of textbooks in some states."



It added that while there have been debates in the school system about portrayal Armenian genocide and discrimination against Sikhs in the US, none of the arguments have "persisted as strongly as the fight over the Indian subcontinent."



"That is a reflection of the transformation in California's population, where Asians, including South Asians, are the fastest-growing demographic," the report said.

It quoted deputy superintendent of the California Department of Education Tom Adams as saying that a lot of people are engaged in the debate because California is a "vibrant, diverse state."



"What we're really trying to do here is make sure that the children of California have a curriculum that helps them understand all these groups," he said.

The organisation Hindu American Foundation wants the entire area under dispute to be called India, a reflection of the most important influence in the area.

However, a group of other scholars argue that the area should be referred to as South Asia, challenging the historical accuracy of using only India to describe the region.

(Reopens FGN 17)



"The civilisation that is being covered is Indian," said Suhag Shukla, the executive director of the Hindu American Foundation, which started the social media campaign #DontEraseIndia.

"When you talk about ancient India, that's the birthplace of Indian students. This is an issue not only about accuracy but also cultural competency," Shukla said.

"Names are what define us as people, they represent character and personality," high school freshman Vidhima Shetty said in the report.

According to a Washington-based think tank Migration Policy Institute, there are about 2.2 million immigrants from India living in the US, with a majority living in California.

Professor of anthropology and South Asian studies at Stanford University Thomas Hansen has been debating with the Hindu American Foundation for more than a decade over how Indian history is taught in California.

"The issue is when you can use the term Indian and when you can use Hinduism," he said, as opposed to South Asia.

"This group has a lot of interest in calling everything Hindu and Indian so that it can equate modern-day India with historic roots. But it's absurd. It would be like calling Ancient Rome Italy."



He said that the caste system was an integral part of Indian society even today with roots in the Hindu religion.

"It distorts reality," Hansen said in the report. "This is important for children to understand. Our duty is to make sure that the history is keeping with the scholarly research rather than give in to what a particular group wants."



Shukla added that while her group was not denying the fact that castes exist, it's argument is that it is "unfair" to tie it to Hinduism alone.

During a hearing last month, dozens of Indian students spoke out against the changes the South Asian scholars have suggested to the commission, accusing them of "Hinduphobia" and robbing them of selfhood, the report added.
A Social Science professor from India Prashar Kulkarni has won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for 2016, for the Asia region for his "politically grounded, funny" fiction.

Kulkarni's story 'Cow and Company' about four men in search of a cow was adjudged the 'best piece of unpublished short fiction in English' from Asia and will receive 2500 pounds prize, the Commonwealth Writers organisation said.

He is set to compete with winners from other four regions- Africa, Cananda and Europe, Carribbean and the Pacific - for the 5000 pounds grand prize, to be announced at the Calabash International Literary Festival in Jamaica on June 5.

Set up by Commonwealth Writers in 2012 to "inspire and connect writers and storytellers across world" the prize attracted 4,000 entries from 47 Commonwealth countries in 2016.

Besides Kulkarni three authors from India - Kritika Pandey (Dirty White Strings), Sumit Ray (Girdhar's Mansion) and Vinayak Varma (Instant Karma) were in the regional shortlist.

Commonwealth Writers has partnered with Granta magazine to give regional winners of Commonwealth Short Story Prize the opportunity to be published by Granta online.

Kulkarni, an Assistant Professor in Social Sciences at Yale NUS College Singapore who works at the intersection of religion and political economy said he was encouraged and has been trying to write for many years.

"I have been trying to write for many years now and I feel encouraged to continue. I am thankful for the opportunity to share my work with Commonwealth Writers, and with Granta. I am also looking forward to reading new and exciting voices that emerge from this initiative.
A court in Bihar's Kaimur district today rejected the bail plea of IPS officer Pushkar Anand in a case lodged against him for sexually exploiting a subordinate woman police officer by promising to marry her.

Additional District Judge (ADJ) I Dudhnath Singh passed the order rejecting Anand's bail plea paving the way for his possible arrest in the case filed by a woman police officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in 2014.

The IPS officer was earlier granted anticipatory bail in the case till April 29 by District and Sessions Judge Arun Kumar who had directed the police not to arrest Anand till that date before seeking diary of that case.

The IPS officer of 2009 batch had prayed for bail in the case on the ground that the charge sheet had not been filed.

Police had issued an order for Anand's arrest on April 8 as charges of sexual exploitation levelled against him by the police woman was prima facie found to be correct by a high- level probe team set up by the police headquarters.

Anand was posted as SP in Kaimur when he had allegedly sexually exploited her. The woman officer too was posted in the same district.
The US has said Iraqi forces must fight for their own country and it can only provide a training and advisory role in the war-torn nation, after it emerged that ISIS had killed a third American soldier.

"Iraqi forces must fight for their own country. United States forces cannot be a substitute for those Iraqi forces. Some of our special operators, in fact, are offering them important support, but that support comes in the form of offering advice and assistance. And this is the core of our strategy, which is to build up the capacity of local forces to fight for their own country," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday.

Having learnt important lessons in the last decade, Earnest said the US will not be successful if its US troops act as a substitute for local forces.

Iraqi security forces must be do that for themselves, he said.

"They can count on the support of the United States, they can count on the support of the 65 nations that have signed on to this coalition to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL. This is a fight that the United States is committed to because we under the consequences for our national security," he told reporters at his daily conference.

But, ultimately, it is Iraqi forces that are on the frontlines. It's Iraqi forces that must fight for the security situation in their own country, the presidential spokesman said.

When Barack Obama became the President, there were 144,000 US troops on the ground in Iraq. The number now on the ground in Iraq is 4,000 or 5,000 -- a small fraction of the footprint that was ordered by the previous President in the context of the invasion of Iraq, he said.

"Our strategy is predicated on building the capacity of local forces on the ground to fight for their own country," he said.

Earnest observed that the Iraqi forces have made considerable progress against ISIL.

"All of that progress that Iraqi forces made on the ground against ISIL fighters was only possible because of the important support that they have received from the United States and our coalition partners. That came in the form of training before they even took the battlefield," he said.

Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV was recently killed in combat against ISIS in northern Iraq.

Keating, 31, is the third American combat casualty since the US redeployed forces to Iraq in the summer of 2014 to advise local forces and conduct special operations against ISIS.
State-owned renewable energy player IREDA may raise Rs 1,500-2,000 crore through taxable bonds in the ongoing fiscal to finance projects.

"May be we would like to raise Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 crore this year (financial year) through taxable bonds," Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency CMD K S Popli told reporters here today on the sidelines of an industry event.

The money raised will be utilised for financing renewable energy projects, he said, adding that last fiscal "we raised Rs 2000 crore through tax-free bonds".

Government stopped tax-free bonds as it thinks that these would distort the market, he said. "Some are raising taxable bonds and some are raising tax-free bonds probably that is their (government) thinking."



The CMD further said that 100 GW solar energy target is achievable.

"100 GW will be achieved. 6 GW is done. 20 GW has already been bid out. This year some bidding will happen. Rooftop will pick up. So things are moving faster than we had anticipated," Popli said.

The government has ambitious plans for deployment of 175 GW renewable power capacities by 2022, including 100 GW of solar and 60 GW of wind, which may require investment of around USD 150 billion in the next seven years.
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which provides mid-day meal free of cost to thousands of school children every day, today opened a state-of-the-art kitchen at the Municipal-run R N Cooper hospital here.

The ISKCON Food Relief Foundation's Kitchen at Cooper Hospital in suburban Vile Parle was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, according to a press release.

This kitchen will make healthy and hygienic food for the patients of Cooper Hospital at subsidised rates, besides serving food to thousands of children free of cost in the mid-day meal programme.

The Government provides subsidy to ISKCON for supplying food to children.

ISKCON Spiritual Guru, Radhanath Swami said establishment of this kitchen at Cooper Hospital is one more step towards fulfilling ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupad's dream of no one remaining hungry.

ISKCON's Food Relief Foundation, 'Annamrita', has been continually providing high-quality, healthy and hygienic meal every day to millions of children in the country, he said and thanked the Maharashtra government for supporting ISKCON in this project.

He also thanked the corporates and devotees who wholeheartedly contributed in this project.

The press release quoted "Annamrita" Director, Radhakrishna Das saying, "as of now, we cater to nearly 1.2 million meals daily to underprivileged children every day from our centres in Tardeo, Mira Bhayander, Palghar, Nigdi, Wada, Aurangabad, Gurgaon, Delhi, Faridabad, Kurukshetra, Palwal, Tirupati, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Kadapa, Ranga Nara Gadda, Jamshedpur, Jaipur, Kolkata and Ujjain."



Most of these children come from slums and tribal areas. Everyday, 418 cooks prepare wholesome meals in 20 'Annamrita' kitchens and 303 vehicles carry hope and promise to over a million children in 6566 schools across India," he added.

The ISKCON Food Relief Foundation professionally manages Mid-day Meal Program with trained cooks using the most advanced technology, cooking under hygienic conditions in ISO certified kitchens and using fresh and pure ingredients besides following the FSSAI norms.

The meals are packed and sealed in specially designed stainless steel containers and are transported in vehicles most suited for the logistics, the release added.
The Israeli army's deputy chief of staff has drawn a rebuke from hawkish Israeli ministers for comparing pre-Holocaust Germany to trends in Israel today.

Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, speaking at a Holocaust remembrance day ceremony at a kibbutz in central Israel, said, "If there is something that frightens me in Holocaust remembrance, it is ghastly trends that took place in Europe in general, and in Germany specifically, 70, 80 and 90 years ago, and finding a sign of them here among us, today in 2016."



Education Minister Naftali Bennett called on Golan to correct his statement. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said he was "confused."



The Israeli military said today that Golan did not intend to compare Israel and its army to "the horrors" of Germany 70 years ago.
Diversified group ITC today said its cigarette factories have been shut since yesterday and will remain so till the time it is able to comply with "interim requirements" of 85 per cent pictorial warnings.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court had directed tobacco companies to implement the rule mandating larger pictorial warnings and refused the manufacturers' plea to stay the implementation of new cigarette packaging rules introduced from April 1.

The apex court said that the tobacco companies have to follow the rules till the Karnataka High Court, where all the petitions from various high courts are being transferred, pronounced its final order.

"In the meantime, the company has had to shut its cigarette factories from May 4, 2016 until the company is in a position to comply with the interim requirements pending hearing in the Karnataka High Court," ITC said in a BSE filing.

Last month, the company had resumed manufacturing of cigarettes at its factories, which it had suspended from April 1 in protest against the larger pictorial warnings issue.

The Kolkata-headquartered firm had suspended manufacturing at all its five cigarette factories saying there was a lack of clarity in policy regarding printing of larger pictorial warnings on the packets. All other cigarette manufacturers had taken similar decisions.

A notification by the Health Ministry on September 24, 2015, for implementation of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Amendment Rules, 2014, had come into force on April 1, 2016.

It prescribed larger pictorial warnings, covering 85 per cent of packets on tobacco products.

ITC manufactures a range of cigarette brands, including India Kings, Classic, Gold Flake, Navy Cut, Capstan, Bristol, Flake, Silk Cut, which are manufactured at plants in Bengaluru, Munger, Saharanpur, Kolkata and Pune.

In 2014-15, ITC had a consolidated sales of Rs 17,765.99 crore from cigarettes, which accounted for 46.22 per cent of its net sales of Rs 38,433.31 crore.
Taking the line that capital increase of the Asian Development Bank cannot wait, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today hammered home the need for making the multi-lateral lender "bigger and better" to support growth in the region.

The Asia-Pacific, he said, is trying to navigate its course amid shifting tides in the global economy and ADB's ability to make valued, timely and effective contribution is on test.

"I... Hope that the winds of change sweeping the region will manifest in transforming ADB into a bigger and better bank," Jaitley said while addressing the meeting of the board of governors of ADB.

Resource limitation need not constrain operations of the bank, he said, adding that "capital increase to enable ADB to meet its objectives in the medium and long term cannot be delayed for too long".

Recalling his speech at the last annual meeting of ADB, the finance minister felt that ADB needs to become not just bigger, but better as a model among multilateral development banks (MDBs).

He was of the view that much more needs to be achieved to transform ADB, acknowledging that various steps have already been taken.

Jaitley made it a point to mention that India continues to maintain a high growth rate despite the global slowdown. "Our economy is projected to grow at 7.6 per cent in 2015-16 compared to 7.2 per cent in the previous year," he added.

The minister also referred to the government's approach of 'Reform to Transform' through various structural reforms. "We have taken several initiatives to boost business climate and improve ease of doing business," he said.

Calling for reforms in processes of ADB, Jaitley said decline in disbursements under sovereign projects is a cause of concern and needs to be corrected although disbursements in 2015 showed an increase of 20 per cent over 2014.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today warned of action against those passing off income from other sources as agriculture income but ruled out levying any tax on farm earnings.

Replying to the discussion on the Finance Bill 2016 in the Lok Sabha, he also ruled out withdrawal of the 1 per cent excise duty on non-silver jewellery, a demand that was made by opposition Congress and ruling NDA constituent Shiv Sena.

The Minister said the government will act tough against those found to holding illegal offshore accounts as revealed in the Panama Papers leak under the recently passed stringent blackmoney law.

In his hour-long reply, the Minister dwelt at length on the challenges facing the Indian economy and said the government will work to resolve the NPA problem of banks.

After the reply, the House passed the Finance Bill that marks the culmination of the three-stage budgetary process in the Lok Sabha. The Bill will now go to Rajya Sabha.

"There are two categories. One is honest agricultural income. You may have a large income which is a separate case. That is a rare case. But there are some cases where people are passing off income from other sources as agriculture income. That is a case of evasion. That will be dealt with under the law. That the assessing officer can deal with," he said.

Jaitley said there was no proposal to tax agriculture income. "This cateogry of people earning from agriculture in crores is very little. In any case, please remember, under the Constitution of India, the Centre has no power. It is a State subject."



The remarks assume significance in the context of a recent discussion on the issue in Rajya Sabha where Jaitley had warned Congress leaders not to cry political vendetta if he were to disclose those hiding other income as agri income.

Ruling out roll back of one per cent excise duty levied on non-silver jewellery, Jaitley took jibe at the Congress for its hatred for "suits" but love gold.

"I am unable to understand this politics, this economics where you hate suits but are in love with gold," he said adding the duty was not targeted at small traders and artisans but would be levied only on jewellers with Rs 12 crore turnover in a year.

Jaitley said while prosecution has been launched in the



HSBC list where Rs 6,500 crore of undisclosed assets had come to light, and the Lichtenstein list.

Also, Rs 4,000-4,250 crore had been disclosed under the foreign blackmoney law.

Besides, through assessments another Rs 71,000 crore of blackmoney had been unearthed, he said.

On the Panama Papers leak, he said tax notices have gone to all the names of those holding offshore accounts that have been disclosed and action will be taken against those illegally parking money abroad.

Jaitley attacked the 1997 voluntary disclosure of income scheme (VDIS) as the "most ill-advised" as it allowed undeclared asset holders to pay just 30 per cent tax without any penalty or interest on the 1987 value of gold and jewellery.

"They came out with the most ill-advised VDIS... It was an amnesty scheme. They said that if you are declaring gold and jewellery in 1997 that gold and jewellery would be valued at the price of 1987 and that is why I called it ill-advised.

"An amount of Rs 33,000 crore was declared and about Rs 9,700 crore of tax was paid. No new money came into the system, no cash came into the system and most of the declarants were women and minors," he said.

VDIS was challenged in the Supreme Court as tax evaders were being given the facility of paying tax at 1987 value in 1997.

"If you honestly pay your taxes, you will pay at the current value. If not, you will pay at 10-year-old rupee value. This scheme could have been struck down as discrimination against honest tax payer but for the fact that the then government gave assurance to the Court that no future amnesty scheme would be brought," he said.

Jaitley said the Budget for 2016-17 has provided for a scheme to deal with domestic blackmoney where undeclared assets can be legalised by paying 30 per cent tax and an equivalent amount of penalty.

To settle disputes, the Budget proposed 45 per cent tax instead of regular 30 per cent for income that may have escaped assessment. Also, to companies facing retrospective taxation, an option has been given to them to pay principal amount and interest and penalty would be foregone.

The Minister said this year 33 taxation officers including 7 belonging to Group A were compulsorily retired and 72 including 6 of Group A dismissed.

"Discretion of officers is not the only thing being reduced but action was also being taken against them," he said.

Jaitley said if the Congress had objections to the levy



of one per cent excise duty on jeweller, it can begin by removing the 5 per cent VAT on bullion in Kerala where it rules.

Moving some amendments to the Finance Bill introduced by him on February 28 along with demands for grants and appropriation bill, he listed out measures taken by the BJP government in last two years to give relief to small tax payers and reduce tax litigation.

While the global outlook remains bleak, he said India remains the fastest growing major economy in the world. "But we recognise we have the potential to grow at an even faster pace," he said.

After two years of drought, if forecast of better monsoon rains this year holds good, it will improve agriculture and raise rural income, he said. "Economy which had been expanding on strength of public investment, highest foreign direct investment (FDI) and urban demand, can grow faster if rural demand is added," he said.

Indian economy grew by 7.6 per cent in 2015-16 and is projected to grow by 7.5 per cent in the current year. Latest forecasts predict above-average rainfall in India after two years of drought.

"Tax GDP ratio is low because we have to get people into the culture of paying taxation," Jaitley said.

On his last year's proposal to bring down corporate tax rate to 25 per cent in phases, Jaitley said he had linked it to phasing out of exemptions. "This year nothing has been phased out" so the tax remains at 30 per cent, he said.

But, a flat 25 per cent tax rate is provided for new manufacturing units that claim no exemption.

Jaitley said the global economy was earlier estimated to expand by 3.4 per cent but now it is projected to grow by 3.1 per cent. "It may be lesser than even that."



Asian economies which had done better on strength of India and China, were previously projected to grow at 5.9 per cent but now they are projected to expand by 5.7 per cent.

China grew by 6.5 per cent last year and 6.7 per cent in first quarter while India posted growth of 7.6 per cent in 2015-16. "Their weight increases Asian growth," he said.

(REOPEN DEL52)



Global economic outlook was a serious issue because it cannot be predicted how long the current slump in oil and commodity prices will last, the Finance Minister said, adding that the weak global outlook had impacted sectors like steel and contributed to the bad loan or NPA problem of banks.

"NPA issue with banks is an issue of concern. Some loans may have been given wrongly. I am not going into who is responsible for it. But weakened business cycle due to global economy has also impacted bank balance sheets," he said.

Stating that woes of steel sector were because of not being able to compete with China which is selling below cost, Jaitley said the government has taken a number of steps like fixing a minimum threshold price for import and anti-dumping duties.

These have resulted in revival of steel mills and the sector was turning around, he said, adding that stalled highway projects have also being revived.

Also, steps to aid sugar mills as well as state electricity distribution companies will help address stressed assets.

"Hiding NPA will not resolve the problem. It should be reflected in balance sheet and addressed through capitalisation," he said adding the government was committed to resolving the issue. Aid.
In a new turn, the prosecution in the model-turned-actress Jiah Khan suicide case today sought to invoke murder charge against Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi accused of abetting her death.

The prosecution also demanded that the trial be conducted against Sooraj adding the murder charge.

"Rabiya (Jiah's mother) is the informant and she says it's the case of section 302 of IPC (murder). She was the first one who saw the body hence Sooraj should be charged for murder," Public Prosecutor Kalpana Hire told the special womens' court conducting the trial in the case.

However, the trial court would decide on the murder charge at the time of framing charges against the accused, legal sources said.

Hire told the court that it should frame charges of rape and causing miscarriage without woman's (Jiah) consent against Sooraj.

Special Judge A S Shende will continue to hear the arguments on framing of charges on May 20.

Responding to Hire's arguments, Sooraj Pancholi's lawyer Prashant Patil told the court that there is no evidence for framing the charges of murder against Pancholi.

Patil said even there was no evidence against Pancholi to charge him for abetment.

He said the abortion of Jiah was a medical termination as there was no evidence to suggest that she went to doctors.

Earlier in the day, CBI's lawyer Bharat Badami moved the application saying that advocate Dinesh Tiwari (state- appointed prosecutor) cannot represent in the case but the CBI prosecutor should appear in the case.

However, the court rejected CBI's prayer saying it has already allowed Tiwari to conduct the trial.

Meanwhile, Rabiya's lawyer Swapnil Ambure said he has grievance with CBI opening the case.

But when the court asked Ambure to open the case, he sought time even as CBI said it wanted more time to argue.

Patil also said doctors in their statements to police



informed that Jiah was depressed and was under medication.

He said that in earlier instances too Jiah tried to commit suicide by slashing her hand and taking pills.

25-year-old Sooraj, who recently made his Bollywood debut, has been charged by CBI with abetting suicide of Jiah with whom he had met through Facebook in September 2012 and the friendship blossomed into "intimate relationship" over a period of time.

As per the charge sheet filed in a court here, it is alleged that on June 3, 2013, when Jiah was found hanging by her mother at her Juhu residence, she had left the house of Sooraj in the morning where they had been staying together for the last two days.

According to CBI, Sooraj had allegedly hidden facts and fabricated information during questioning, the forensic analysis of his statements have indicated.

The analysis, which is part of the charge sheet filed by the agency in the suicide case of 26-year old Nafeesa Rizvi alias Jiah Khan, has "established that Sooraj was concealing relevant information about actual reason behind the incident and the statement given by him is incomplete and fabricated".

The young actor, who is the son of Bollywood couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, refused to be part of any scientific tests like polygraph or brain mapping which the agency wanted to conduct to get to the bottom of his alleged role in the incident, the sources had said.

CBI has alleged that the three-page note seized by Mumbai Police on June 10, 2013 was purportedly written by Jiah which narrated her intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture allegedly experienced at the hands of Sooraj which led to her suicide.

It alleged that the letter was not signed and even not addressed to Sooraj but it incriminates Sooraj only.

In October 2013, Rabiya had moved the Bombay High Court alleging that Jiah had been murdered and sought a CBI probe which was granted.
In yet another remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra today alleged that his educational degree and "marriage story" are "fake".

"The one whose story of a tea shop is fake, marriage story is fake, electoral assurances are fake, educational degree fake...His bhakts (followers) are putting out fake posts to comfort themselves," Mishra tweeted.

In his election affidavit of 2014 during the parliamentary polls, Modi had mentioned Jashodaben as his spouse. Jashodaben and Modi are known to have been estranged.

Earlier, Mishra had also called Modi an "ISI agent" after Pakistan's Joint Investigation Committee probing the Pathankot attack visited the site in Punjab. An official of Pakistan's spy agency was also part of the committee. His remark against the Prime Minister had attracted criticism.

Alleging that Modi's degree was "fake", Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also written to the Delhi University vice chancellor, demanding that details of his degree be put on the varsity's website as truth should emerge on a matter of "grave concern".

Meanwhile, the AAP fielded MLA Jitendra Singh Tomar, who was arrested over the alleged fake degree charges, against the Prime Minister.

Tomar, who was sacked over the alleged fake degree charges, said Modi should also be arrested in a similar way like he was.

"I was charged with possessing a fake degree. There are similar charges against the Prime Minister now. A similar process should be adopted for Narendra Modi, the way it was adopted for me.

"The police should arrest him. They should also take him to the Delhi University and ask him to show the hall in which he appeared for exams. Everyone is equal before law. They should also follow a similar procedure the way it was adopted with me," Tomar said.

The Tri Nagar MLA has also filed an RTI with the DU seeking details about Modi's degree.

"When AAP leaders went to DU yesterday seeking details of the degree, the Public Information Officer initially declined to share info saying she did not have orders to share the information. The PIO asked them to bring the roll no from the PMO. If there isn't anything thing (degree) then from where will they give the information," Tomar said.

He has also filed an RTI seeking copy of Modi's application form, copy of enrollment form in Modi's handwriting, copy of relevant register, copy of his mark sheet of each year, copy of convocation list of 1979, copy of announcement list during convocation.
A 14-year-old boy, who was kidnapped three days ago, was today rescued and four abductors arrested, a senior police officer said here.

Mohit Meena, son of a farmer from Barai village in the district, was kidnapped on May 2 and the abductors had allegedly demanded Rs one crore as ransom from his family, Inspector General of Police, Bhopal, Yogesh Choudhary said.

The boy was rescued from the accused identified as Arun Meena (20), Malkhan Meena (20), Rahul Lodhi (19) and Raja Sallam (20), he said, adding, Arun had kidnapped the boy and other three are his accomplice.

A case has been registered in this connection, the IG said, adding further investigation is on.
Veteran left-hander Yuvraj Singh feels India Test captain Virat Kohli is the best batsman of this generation but deemed it unfair to compare him with Sachin Tendulkar as he feels that it will take a lot more hardwork from the Delhi lad to match the maestro's legacy.

Yuvraj said Kohli and South African AB de Villiers are presently the best batsmen of the generation and hoped the former too becomes a great player for India just like Tendulkar.

"I think 100 centuries is really far away to think," Yuvraj said when asked if Kohli would be able to reach Tendulkar's milestone of 100 international tons.

"Tendulkar was a great player and great ambassador of India and it is going to take a lot (of hardwork) for Virat Kohli to come in comparision with that," he told NDTV.

"Virat (Kohli) is in great form. He is the best batsman of this generation wlong with AB de Villiers. So, I hope one day he becomes a great player for India."



Yuvraj, who is yet to feature in the ongoing Indian Premier League for his new franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad because of an ankle injury, said he is fit to take the field tomorrow against Gujarat Lions at Hyderabad.

"I am hoping to play tomorrow's game in Hyderabad," he said.

"As long as I am playing I want to play all three formats whenever I get an opportunity to play.
Lucknow-based education startup EduAce Services today said it has raised USD 1 million (about Rs 6.6 crore) in seed funding from Foxconn-backed MoMagic.

Founded in 2012, EduAce Services uses the quizzing format of education and has 'School Quiz League - Pratibha Ki Khoj' as a flagship programme.

"We have a unique format. General knowledge is a part of the curriculum till class 8th and after that it is left to the student to pursue, even though current affairs is a major segment in many competitive exams. This is what we want to change and bring in quizzing as an active form of learning," EduAce Services founder and CEO Gaurava Yadav said.

He added that the company will use the funds to add more learning programmes and expand its operations in the country.

"Right now, we have a presence in 3 states and 25 cities, touching about 2,500 schools. The aim is to take this to 10 states, 35 cities and 5,000 schools in the next one year," he said.

Yadav added that the company will focus on tier II and III more as quizzing opportunities are often few in these places.

"In terms of revenue, in the first year, we aim to get about Rs 7.5 crore," he said.

EduAce currently has operations in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi-NCR.

"This association will greatly benefit the overall school learning in India at large, enabling the future generation of India to be future ready," MoMagic founder and CEO Arun Gupta said.

Rishnik was the fund raising advisor to both companies.

While investments in edu-tech segment have lagged behind those seen in eCommerce, but investors are keen on the space, especially online education.

Fidelity, SAIF and Helion has invested in online test preparation platform Toppr, while Accel and Tiger Global invested USD 5 million in online tutoring platform, Vedantu.
A 45-year-old man has been sent to jail for 10 years for raping and trying to strangulate a woman with a Delhi court terming his act as "barbaric, diabolic and disturbing".

The court described as "vile" the act of the convict, a Delhi resident, while observing that the woman was subjected in 2014 to one of the most "reprehensible" crimes.

"The convict in this case has committed the vile act of rape upon the prosecutrix. He also attempted to kill her. It is true that he has a family to support but we must see the plight of the woman, who was subjected to rape, which is universally considered to be amongst the most morally and physically reprehensible crimes in society...

"It is an assault on the body, mind, privacy and the entire fabric of the victim. Her dignity is shredded. The social stigma attached to this crime is such that many a time, a crime would go unreported by the victim," Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain said.

The court held the convict, who was the driver of the victim's in-laws, guilty of offences of rape and attempt to murder under the IPC and observed that "he had grudges against his employers and he was looking for an opportunity" to take revenge from them.

"It is true that the woman did not sustain injuries on the vital parts of her body but the facts and circumstances lead to the conclusion that the accused had attempted the said act with the intention to cause her death.

"His act was barbaric, diabolic and disturbing. I agree with the submissions of prosecutor that it is not necessary that every attempt to kill would result into injuries," the judge said.

The court also said that some minor discrepancies in the victim's statement and complaint were not fatal to the case.

"I do not consider such omissions as fatal as it is the settled law that FIR is not an encyclopaedia of facts. It is not expected of a victim to disclose all the finer aspects of the incident in the FIR...

"The victim who suffers from an incident, obviously, is in a state of shock and it is only when she moves in her comfort zone, she starts recollecting the events one by one and thus to stop the victim from elaborating the facts to describe the finer details, if left out earlier, would be too much," the ASJ said.

According to prosecution on June 24, 2014, the woman, who was living alone in a house, alleged that the driver came to her house asking for water but pounced on her from behind.

He tried to strangulate her with a phone charging cable and then raped her, the woman's complaint said.
A local court has sentenced a 38-year-old man to 5 years rigorous imprisonment in connection with his wife's death in 2014.

Thane District Judge A S Bhaisare yesterday convicted one Shiv Kumar Patel, a railway employee, under section 304A (causing death due to negligence) of IPC and also slapped a fine of Rs 1,000 on him.

If Patel fails to pay the fine, then he will undergo 3 months additional imprisonment, the judge, who relied upon the deposition by his 10-year-old-son, noted.

The prosecutor told the court that Patel used to frequently quarrel with his 36-year-old wife Shalini Patil, a who was RPF Constable, over petty issues.

The couple had two sons one aged ten and another eight.

On December 10, 2014, Shalini was found dead in mysterious circumstances in the house and the police then registered a case of accidental death, the court was told.

Later on the receipt of the autopsy report, police converted it into a case of murder under section 302 of IPC and arrested the accused.

His elder son deposed that his father hit his mother following which she collapsed and never woke up. Then, Patel dropped him to school and when he returned, his mother was still lying on the bed in an unconscious manner.

Subsequently, she was taken to a hospital and was declared dead before admission.

Patel suspected that his wife was having an extra-martial relationship, the court was told.
A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to seven-year imprisonment for raping his niece for many years.

Additional Sessions Judge Harpreet Kaur yesterday sentenced Sukhwant Singh Sidhu, who was living in Rani-Bagh locality, to seven years in jail, a police official said today.

The convict, who was out on bail at the time of verdict, has been arrested.

Officials of NRI Police Station here said the complaint was lodged with them through e-mail sent from the UK, whereupon the victim wrote to the Inspector General Police stating that as she was repeatedly raped by her uncle, at home for many years.

The victim, born in 1980, was left with her uncle by her mother for the purpose of her study. But she was raped since she was 9-year-old, but she could not tell about it to anyone due to fear, a police official said.

But as soon as she went to the UK after completing her MBBS, she wrote an email to Punjab Police and subsequently a case of rape was registered in the NRI Police Station on May 5, 2014 and Sukhwant was arrested on July 7 the same year.

During the pendency of the case, she visited India and along with her mother recorded their statements before the police and court.
In a breather to Nepal's embattled Prime Minister K P Oli, the Maoists led by Prachanda today made a U-turn and decided not to withdraw support to the coalition government "for the time being".

The decision to continue support to the coalition came following a meeting of the top brass leaders of the coalition partners at the residence of the Maoist chief at Baluwatar this morning.

Those present at the meeting included UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' himself besides senior UML leaders - Jhalanath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam, according to Pramod Dahal, press advisor of Prime Minister Oli.

The Maoists made a U-turn in their decision in less than 24 hours, after they announced their decision to form a new government under Prachanda's leadership.

Prachanda, known for his anti-India stance, had served as Prime Minister of Nepal for a brief period from August 18, 2008 to May 25, 2009.

The party has decided not to withdraw its support to the Oli-led government "for the time being".

The party has not yet disclosed what type of understanding it reached with the Maoists to change its earlier decision.

A Maoist leader said: "Our party has decided to wait for now given that there are some legal complications in registering the no confidence motion against this government. The coalition will remain intact now."



The government is also set to present the budget for the new fiscal year next month.

Earlier, a deal was reportedly reached between UCPN- Maoist and main opposition Nepali congress to topple the Oli- led government.

It was learnt that Prachanda and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba made a pact to change government leadership and form a national government led by the Maoist chief, developing cracks in the ruling alliance in the seven-month-old government led by Oli.

Main opposition Nepali Congress is not happy with the working style of Oli-led government. The agitating Madhesi parties are also not happy with the coalition led by Oli as the government has turned deaf ears towards the demands of the Madhesi parties, that had launched six-month-long agitation in which more than 50 people were killed.
A day after Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari accepted resignation of Vijay Mallya, members in the Upper House asked about the status of recommendation of Ethics Committee expelling him for not paying loans.

Raising the issue, Naresh Agrawal (SP) said the Ethics Committee yesterday presented its report and the Chairman in the evening accepted the resignation of Mallya.

"When Ethics Committee report came to the House, did the Chairman have powers to accept the resignation? Then what is the status of the Committee report? What value is it of now," he asked.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the report presented is property of the House and it was free to discuss or debate it.

The Chairman, he said, "acted according to the rules and as per Constitution. That we cannot question here."



"House has a report. House is free to discuss it. House is free to take a decision on it," he said.

Agrawal asked what was the validity of the report after the Chairman has accepted Mallya's resignation.

Kurien said that gentleman has resigned and should the House discuss it?



A BJP member too asked about the relevance of the report after the Chairman has accepted the resignation.

Jairam Ramesh (Cong) wanted to know when the discussion will take place on Gujarat State Petroleum Corp's alleged scam of Rs 20,000 crore in KG Basin.

He said the Gujarat company's scam was based on a real CAG report unlike the "mythical" scam based on "bogus documents" raised by Subramanian Swamy.

He went on to demand that the House should not adjourn sine dine before the GSPC issue is discussed.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi quoted from Constituion to say CAG reports on state affairs are tabled in state assemblies and Public Accounts Committee of the states go into it and the Parliament does not discuss them.

However, the government has left it to the Chairman to decide on the notice for discussion given by Congress members, he said, adding "Whatever decision he takes will be acceptable to us."



Anand Sharma (Cong) said it was not a state subject as financial instituions who had loaned money to GSPC are involved and accused the government of "running away from a discussion."



Kurien said he will convey to the Chairman the views of the House seeking a decision on the notice.

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said there should be discussion on the subject this week.

K C Tyagi (JDU) said the business advisory committee (BAC) had accepted two short duration discussions - one on the AgustaWestland controversy and the other on KG basin scam.

Now that discussion on AgustaWestland issue has taken place, the one on KG basin controversy should also take place, he said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel today urged European leaders to protect EU borders or risk a "return to nationalism" as the continent battles its worst migration crisis since World War II.

As Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi kicked off two days of talks in Rome with Merkel and senior EU officials, the German leader said Europe must defend its borders "from the Mediterranean to the North Pole" or suffer the political consequences.

Support for far-right and anti-immigrant parties is on the rise in several countries on the continent which saw more than a million people arrive on its shores last year.

In Austria, Norbert Hofer of the far-right Freedom Party is expected to win a presidential run-off on May 22 after romping to victory in the first round on an anti-immigration platform.

Merkel told a press conference with Renzi that Europe's cherished freedom of movement is at threat, with ramped-up border controls in response to the crisis raising questions over whether the passport-free Schengen zone can survive.

With over 28,500 migrants arriving since January 1, Italy has once again become the principal entry point for migrants arriving in Europe, following a controversial EU-Turkey deal and the closure of the Balkan route up from Greece.

In previous years, many migrants landing in Italy have headed on to other countries -- but with Austria planning to reinstate border controls at the Brenner pass in the Alps, a key transport corridor, Rome fears it could be stuck hosting masses of new arrivals.

Renzi lashed out at Austria today, describing Vienna's position as "anachronistic".

"This is the wrong attitude even if there is a migrant crisis," he said.

Italy is pushing for NATO naval patrols off Libya in time for the summer people-smuggling season, and a deal with Libya on the model just concluded with Turkey.

Today, Renzi stressed the need for "a strategy for Africa" to stem the influx from there.

He wants EU aid for African countries that have seen large numbers of migrants set off, in a bid to lessen the poverty that drives many of them to leave home.

"The important thing is to invest in Africa," Renzi said.

But he added that Germany and Italy were in disagreement over how to fund the plan, with Germany against using eurobonds to offer finance to African countries.
Lashing out at central forces for allegedly trying to terrorize voters, Trinamool Congress MP Suvendu Adhikari today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP of sending central forces to terrorize voters.

"The central forces are terrorizing voters. They are seen beating and threatening voters. The BJP and (Prime Minister) Modi have sent the central forces with the sole intention of terrorizing voters and creating havoc on the poll day," Adhikari, also party candidate from Nandigram assembly seat, told PTI.

He, however, expressed confidence that people would cast their votes in favour of development work ushered in by TMC. "People will give a befitting reply to the reign of terror," Adhikari said.

Election Commission has deployed 361 companies of central forces who are being assisted by a contingent of 12,000 state police person for the sixth and last phase of polls today in East Midnapore and Cooch Behar districts.
Launching an all out attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress today dubbed him as "Jagadguru" (preceptor of the world) of "politics of blackmail" who is "masterminding a conspiracy" to implicate its leadership in the AgustaWestland case.

Setting the tone for the debate on the VVIP chopper scam in the Lok Sabha tomorrow as also a Congress rally, party spokesman Jairam Ramesh alleged that the "sole objective" of Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah was to "fix" Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the scam.

Ramesh also claimed that the Prime Minister did have a "brushoff meeting" with his Italian counterpart in New York last year after which India "diluted" its position on the Italian Marines issue and invited AgustaWestland to participate in Make In India programme.

"Subramanian Swamy represents the politics of blackmail, insinuation and inneundo whose Jagadguru is Modi," he claimed.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is expected to lead the party's offensive in the House.

While there has been no formal word on who would pitch Congress' case during the debate, talk in the party is that besides Gandhi, chief whip Jyotiraditya Scindia and senior leader M Veerappa Moily would put forth the party's view.

"The Narendra Modi-Amit Shah approach of governance is fake investigation ....They have no interest in bringing closure to any case," he said making a strong pitch for a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the chopper deal.

He said that BSP, JD-U and Left parties along with Congress have demanded such a probe to ensure a "doctored" inquiry does not take place.

Alleging that the Modi dispensation wanted a "doctored inquiry to tell the world that Congress leadership is the beneficiary", he said "There is no doubt that the Prime Minister himself is masterminding the conspiracy to implicate the Congress leadership..."



"You cannot run the government by practising politics of vendetta, revenge and intimidation...Governments do not function by looking backwards but forward," Ramesh said.

Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, he said "acche din" (good days) for him would come only when the Congress leadership has been "fixed".

Attacking Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, the Congress leader said his reply in the Rajya Sabha to the debate on AgustaWestland issue yesterday was one of the "worst examples in parliamentary history" as instead of responding to issues raised by the opposition, he read out a "catalogue of accusations and charges".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a visit to Iran this month with an aim to bolster overall bilateral ties with the Persian Gulf nation in a range of areas including energy, trade and investment and connectivity.

Modi's proposed visit is being seen as an effort by India to step up engagement with strategically important West Asia, a region endowed with vast oil and gas reserves.

Modi had last month travelled to Saudi Arabia, considered Iran's arch rival. In August last year, he had visited United Arab Emirates, another key player in the region.

When asked about Modi's visit to Tehran, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup only said both sides are in the process of finalising the dates for the trip.

"We share a very close, historical and civilisational friendship with Iran, a relationship which is in existance for a long period of time. Prime Minister had been extended an invitation by President (Hassan) Rouhani when the two had met in Ufa (Russia).

"Prime Minister had accepted the invitation in principle. We are currently in the process of working with our Iranian counterparts to work out the suitable dates," he said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Tehran last month during which the two sides had agreed to step up engagement in oil and gas sector. During her visit, President Rouhani had said his country can be a "reliable partner" for India's energy needs.

Iran had opened several lucrative sectors after sanctions against it were lifted under a historic nuclear deal.

There has been a rush for investment in the resource-rich nation by global economic powers including Japan, China, the US and several European countries following lifting of the sanctions.

India too has been eying deeper energy ties with that country and has already lined up USD 20 billion investment in oil and gas, petrochemical and fertiliser projects there.

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

Iran is an important country for India for its energy security as well as to get access to oil and gas-rich Central Asian nations.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has pulled out of a UN-backed World Humanitarian Summit, saying the gathering would fail to pressure governments that are denying basic help to victims of conflict and disease.

"We no longer have any hope that the (summit) will address the weaknesses in humanitarian action and emergency response, particularly in conflict areas or epidemic situations," MSF said in a statement yesterday.

It charged that the summit, due to take place in Istanbul on May 23-24, would not address "serious gaps" in the response to the Ebola epidemic and the "serious restrictions placed by some states on humanitarian access, denying people basic services".

The first meeting of its kind is expected to gather around 45 heads of state and government as well as UN agencies and non-governmental organisations to brainstorm about global humanitarian action.

"We can no longer see how the (summit) will help the humanitarian sector to address the massive needs caused by continuing violence against patients and medical staff in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan," MSF said.

The charity also cited the plight of "civilians intent on fleeing being blocked at borders in Jordan, Turkey and Macedonia (and) the inhumane treatment of refugees and migrants desperately trying to find safe haven in Greece and Australia."



It said it feared the summit would fail "to reinforce the obligations of states to uphold and implement the humanitarian and refugee laws which they have signed up to".

The United Nations voiced disappointment with the MSF decision but said it was continuing "full speed ahead" with the summit.

"It's disappointing because I think the summit was going to deal with a lot of issues that are vital to MSF and on which MSF traditionally presents a strong and influential voice," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a press briefing.

He said delegates will seek to strengthen conflict prevention, respect for international humanitarian law, the protection of civilians and health workers and providing unimpeded humanitarian access.

MSF, one of the world's leading emergency aid providers, has increasingly become a victim of conflict itself.

Last year alone, 75 hospitals managed or supported by the charity were bombed, the charity said without elaborating.
India's High Commissioner to the UK Navtej Sarna today interacted with more than 75 Indian academics and students here to explore Indo-UK cooperation in the field of education.

Dame Asha Khemka, principal and chief executive of West Nottinghamshire College Group, also addressed the gathering, which included Indian-origin academics who had visited India under the Global Initiative on Academic Network (GIAN) programme.

Sarna briefed the audience on the UK-India relationship in education, research and innovation, highlighting bilateral programmes such as India-UK Education Forum, UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI), Newton-Bhabha Fund and Generation UK-India programme.

The event at India House in London was aimed at exploring India-UK cooperation in the field of education, an official release said.

The High Commissioner also spoke about GIAN, initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.

An announcement was made during the visit of the Prime Minister to the UK about the UK's plans to send 100 academics to India over the next two academic years as part of the initiative.

Sarna also introduced the new "100 Foot Journey Club", a collaboration between the High Commission of India and the London School of Economics (LSE) South Asia Centre, which will host its first event as a talk by Raghuram Rajan, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, next week.
National Conference MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi today criticised the railways for not inviting him for the flagging off ceremony of two new train services held in his Homeshalibugh constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.

"I was not invited by the railway authorities but by the Deputy Commissioner as I am the local MLA," he said.

The MLA questioned the motive of the PDP-BJP government to include the name of Sartaj Madni, PDP General Secretary and uncle of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed, in the advertisements for inauguration of the new trains while his name was excluded.

The function took place at Anantnag railway station.

"I left the function when the PDP supporters began hooting as my name was being called on the podium," Larmi said.

He said he told the Chief Minister that he would not want to be part of a function where political opponents are being disrespected.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah earlier said, "What a shame that an office bearer of a political party is a 'guest of honour' but the local MLA isn't included."



Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu flagged off the two new DEMU train services between Banihal-Baramulla and Baramulla-Budgam through video conferencing from Rail Bhavan in New Delhi.

"What a pity that the @BJP4India & @jkpdp conspired to denigrate the institution of elected representatives! cc @sureshpprabhu," Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.

In another tweet, he said, "The station where the function is being held is in Homshalibugh constituency @sureshpprabhu sahib."



Omar said, "Was he (Majeed) snubbed because he is @JKNC_ MLA? I remember Mufti Sahib (former Chief Minister and PDP patron) being given a seat on the dais with (then PM) Dr Manmohan Singh and Mrs (Sonia) Gandhi during my term (as CM) even though it wasn't his area".
A three-member team from National Commission for Women (NCW) today visited Delhi University's Hindu college in connection with a row over alleged "discriminatory" rules and high fee for its girls hostel.

Taking suo motu cognisance, the NCW had issued a notice to the college last month seeking an explanation about the hostel rules for girls which have been termed as moral policing by students.

The NCW officials interacted with the protesting students as well as college authorities.

"A three-member team of NCW visited the college today and gave a patient hearing to both the parties. The college was given a week's time to reply to the show-cause in which they failed," NCW official Ira Jha told PTI.

"The commission today extended the deadline to May 15. Any further action will be taken only after that," she added.

Hindu College has been providing on-campus hostel facilities to male students for decades. However, the girls' hostel, which has been recently constructed, was supposed to be functional from the 2016-17 session.

The prospectus for admission to the hostel triggered an outrage among the girl students who alleged that the rules laid down were "discriminatory" and amounted to "moral policing".

The prescribed fee also irked the girl students as the male students of Hindu College pay Rs 47,000 as hostel charges while the girls were asked to pay more than Rs 82,000.

The rules listed in the hostel prospectus asked students to dress as per "normal norms of the society", and made it clear that no visitors will be allowed without prior permission "including girl students". It said the residents will be allowed only one night-out in a month and also had a provision for random checks by the warden at any time.

Some of the other rules included mandatory presence of all residents in the hostel by 8.30 PM and a bar on roaming inside the hostel after 11 PM. The prospectus also said a dress code may be notified for residents, if deemed necessary.

Students have been protesting against the alleged discrimination between girls and boys while deciding the rules and the fee for the hostel.

Following protests, the college authorities had announced there will be no admissions to the girls' hostel. Students who had taken the prospectus were asked to return those and get their fee refunded.

However, later the college decided to reconsider its stand and has formed a committee to look into the issue. The Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) had also issued a notice to the college yesterday on the same issue.
National Conference President Farooq Abdullah today appealed to the Supreme Court to protect the interests of medical students of Jammu and Kashmir, saying the extension of NEET to the state would put their future in peril.

"The extension of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) to Jammu and Kashmir will be detrimental to the interests of the students from the state and will put their future in peril," Abdullah said while addressing party workers at Pattan in Baramulla district.

Appealing to the Supreme Court to safeguard the future of the students from the state, the former Chief Minister said the PDP-BJP government should treat this matter with "utmost seriousness" as any "callousness" would harm the dreams of "our students who have been studying hard in preparation for their entrance examinations".

Abdullah, who was Union minister in the previus UPA-led government, said the extension of NEET to Jammu and Kashmir would also rob its female students of the 50 per cent reservation that was introduced by the National Conference government in the state's medical colleges to boost women empowerment and education.

"Our girls will have to compete on a national level for this reservation and the very purpose of reserving 50 per cent seats in medical colleges for them will be defeated.

"Apart from this, our students have spent the last two years preparing for their entrance examinations based on the state board syllabus and curriculum, while NEET is based on the CBSE curriculum. This has created anxiety in the minds of our students and the state government has been reluctant to allay their fears and assuage their apprehensions and those of their parents," Abdullah said.

Earlier, the NC presiddent inaugurated a newly constructed mosque and 'Ziyarat Sharif' (shrine) at Ziyarat Hazrat Mohuiddin Khan Sahab Naqshbandi at Nihalpora Pattan and offered prayers there.

"The state government should keep its promises made to the people and ensure there is delivery of governance in every nook and corner of the state," he said.

He expressed disappointment at the "induced misery" because of the state government's "insensitivity and apathy", demonstrated by the extension of National Food Security Act to the state.

"Today our people are out on the streets to protest for their basic requirements of ration and this doesn't augur well for peace and stability in the state. Developmental projects in the state have been put on the back-burner and people are suffering," he alleged.
New train services from Agartala to Delhi and Kolkata will be introduced after May 20 this month, an official said here today.

"The state government was informed by the railways authority that super fast trains from Agartala to Kolkata and Delhi would be introduced within this month after May 20," State Transport Secretary Samarjit Bhowmick told reporters here.

Agartala found a place in the broad gauge railway map in March this year.

"Two major hurdles for introducing the super fast trains are maintenance facility of the trains and a recent landslide on Haflong -Badarpur railway track in Assam. Works are on to clear the debris on Haflong -Badarpur railway track and Northern railways were asked to provide maintenance facility to the trains to be stationed at Agartala railway station," he said.

Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had also informed two MPs from Tripura - Jitendra Chowdhury and Sankar Prasad Dutta yesterday in Delhi that the model code of conduct for the Assembly elections in Assam and the ongoing Parliament session had come in the way of introducing new train service from Agartala, but the services would be launched after May 20.
BJP Vice President Avinash Rai Khanna today highlighted that in the past ten months of BJP-PDP coalition in the state not a single case of corruption has been seen which indicates the party's commitment to public probity.

"In Jammu and Kashmir also not a single case of scam or corruption has been noticed during 10 months rule of BJP-PDP coalition government, which indicates the commitment to public probity of the party", Khanna, also party in-change for Jammu and Kashmir, said during a meeting with district office bearers of BJP in Poonch.

Felicitating some girl students for their performance in Class XII exams, Khanna said that girls should be provided level-playing field to compete with boys.

Also talking to Dalit and Christian families in the meeting, Khanna said that BJP government under Narendra Modi is concerned about their equality and stands for social and economic upliftment of the weaker sections, including the Scheduled Castes.
There is no proposal pending before the government or the Bar Council of India to regulate the fee charged by advocates, Lok Sabha was informed today.

Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said in a written reply that as per the Bar Council of India, the standard of professional conduct and etiquettes for lawyers, including charging of fee, is prescribed in the council's rules.

He was asked whether the government is aware that a large number of advocates are charging high fees from their clients, including those belonging to the poor sections of the society.

"At present, there is no proposal pending with the government/BCI to regulate the fee charged by advocates. However, since the charging of high fee relates to the standard of professional conduct and etiquettes of advocates, the representations received in this regard are forwarded to BCI for necessary action as deemed appropriate," he said.

According to the council, advocates charge fee from their client as per their standing and seniority in the Bar.
There is no proposal at present with aviation regulator DGCA for allowing commercial use of drones in the country, government said today.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has recently put out draft guidelines for obtaining Unique Identificiation Number (UIN) for operations of civil drones and unmanned aircraft system, after consultations with various stakeholders including the security agencies.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma informed the Lok Sabha that civil use of drones by non-government agencies, organisations or individuals is restricted.

This is being done to "regulate unwarranted use of drones and for the safety of manned aircraft/ air space and personnel until regulations for drones are in place," he said in a written reply.

To a query on whether the government proposes to allow commercial use of drones in any part of the country on pilot basis, Sharma said, "currently, there is no such proposal with DGCA".

For using drones, government organisations have to get a no-objection certificate from the DGCA.

As per the draft guidelines issued last month, DGCA would register all civil unmanned aircraft and issue an Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) on a case-to-case basis.

Currently, aircraft rules do not cover use of drones as well as their sale and purchase.

Meanwhile, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has not yet issued standards and recommended practices for certification and operation of civil drones.
The number of right to information (RTI) applications has come down to around 7.55 lakh in 2014-15 from over 8.34 lakh a year before as departments and ministries are putting more information in public domain on their own, government said on Thursday.

"As per the Annual Report of Central Information Commissioner (CIC) for 2014-15, a total of 7,55,247 applications were received by reporting public authorities as against 8,34,183 applications in 2013-14, registering a decline of 78,936 applications," Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh said in Rajya Sabha during the Question Hour.

Congress member Rajni Patil asked the minister whether incidents like murder of activists were responsible for the decline in the number of applications.

Read more from our special coverage on "RTI"

He also said the number of RTI applications pending with public authorities as on April 1, 2013 was 1,28,447 compared to 89,785 as on April, 2014 which also showed a decline of 30.09 percent over the previous year.

Singh replied that the "primary reason" for this trend was that "more departments are putting information in public domain suo motu".

Citing the example of Department of Personnel and Training which he heads, the minister said the orders related to transfer of officers are put on the website even before it reaches the concerned official.
Nepal's embattled Prime Minister K P Oli today rejected calls by Madhesis to re-write the new Constitution, hours after surviving a threat to his government following a U-turn by Prachanda-led Maoists who decided not to withdraw support to him.

Addressing the Parliament, Oli refuted reports that he was planning to dissolve the House in the wake of possible withdrawal of support to the seven-month-old coalition government by UCPN-Maoist.

"There is no truth in the rumour about dissolving the Parliament. It is totally baseless," he said.

His remarks came hours after the top leaders of the coalition partners met at the residence of the Maoist chief Prachanda and decided not to withdraw support to the government for the time being.

It has not been disclosed what type of understanding the Maoists have reached with Oli's party to change its earlier decision.

A Maoist leader said: "Our party has decided to wait for now given that there are some legal complications in registering the no confidence motion against this government. The coalition will remain intact now."



In his address, 64-year-old Oli also called the main opposition party Nepali Congress and other parties to seek solution to all the problems through parliamentary exercise.

He urged the disgruntled parties to come forward for talks to resolve their issues.

The issue related to re-demarcation of the boundary will be decided through a high-level commission and the issue related to inclusiveness of all sections of the society has been addressed through amendment to the Constitution, he said.

Oli, however, rejected the demand made by a section of political groups which are raising the issue of re-writing the new Constitution, apparently referring to Madhesis who are not happy with the statute approved in September.

"There is no provision to re-write the constitution as the constituent assembly has already been transformed into a Parliament, which has no authority to do so. However, we can amend the Constitution time and again to incorporate grievances of the disgruntled groups," he said.

He said the government is sensitive towards the demands raised by the Madhesi people and other ethnic groups.

"The remaining grievances could be resolved through dialogue and talks. There is no good alternative to dialogue and agreement. The government wants to resolve all the problems through dialogue," he said.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, wants the government to rewrite the Constitution so that the concept of secularism, identity-based proportional inclusive representation and federal democratic republic status to Nepal could be constitutionally ensured.

The Madhesi parties led the six months-long violent agitation, mainly to protest against the seven-province federal model enshrined in the Constitution.

Nearly 60 people lost their lives during the agitation



that also disrupted the supplies of petroleum products and cooking gas among other essentials to Nepal, leading to severe hardships to the people.

Nepal had blamed India for the disruption of supplies by imposing an unofficial blockade. India repeatedly rejected the allegations.

The agitation, however, ended unexpectedly in February just before Oli's maiden visit to India without any political agreement.

Oli in today's speech claimed that his India visit not only succeeded in normalising relations and ended border blockade, but also helped in improving ties.

He said that the government will now pay attention towards post-reconstruction works.

Oli urged all political parties to move forward unitedly to speed up post-earthquake reconstruction works, to implement the Constitution and uplift the economy of the country, which suffered due to the earthquake.

He refuted the allegation that there was corruption in reconstruction works and said the government wants to move ahead in a transparent manner in this regard.

Oli said the government has mobilised 1,600 engineers to carry out survey works in order to speed up of the reconstruction works.

Although the government last year received commitment for 400 billion rupees from international communities for reconstruction, the amount has not yet been actually received.

However, the government is working towards signing agreements for receiving Rs 180 billion rupees as grants and loans for the purpose from different donors.

The government has also requested additional Rs 75 billion rupees assistance from India for reconstruction.

India has already pledged to provide USD 1 billion equivalent to NRs 110 billion assistance for reconstruction works last year.

Oli also claimed that his government is strong and he is not worried about its stability.
Killing of two cattle traders in Jharkhand last month reverberated in Rajya Sabha today with the Opposition alleging an "organised design" to create "communal polarisation", a charge rejected by the government which said a "wrong impression" was being created against the BJP and the Prime Minister.

Calling the government's attention on the issue, CPI(M) MP Tapan Kumar Sen asked the Centre: "Can you wash your hands off it by saying it is a state subject?



"The issue has a clear political content. It is an organised design of pouncing upon cattle traders by an organised group to bring about a different kind of polarisation."



Maintaining that the incident was "an organised, premeditated action and not some spontaneous incident," Sen referred to incidents in Haryana and other parts, saying "in every such case there is a communal angularity by some fringe group belonging to your organisation -- some Sena or the other.

"The question is whether you can continue to utilise these fringe groups to bring about polarisation and divisiveness in the polity."



Rebutting the charge, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju rued that a "wrong impression is being created" in the country against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed that communal incidents have come down in January- March this year compared to a year-ago.

Rejecting charges about BJP hand behind such incidents, he said those involved in the Jharkhand murder have a criminal record and they were not part of the BJP.

"How can you say that BJP made that environment? We acted immediately after the death of the cattle traders," Rijiju said, as Opposition members reminded him that there was a BJP government in Jharkhand.

Observing that cattle trade was "not prohibited in India and it has been going on for ages", Rijiju said maintaining a peaceful environment and communal harmony is not just the job of the government, but also of the political parties.

Two Muslim cattle traders were found hanging from a tree in a village in Latehar in Jharkhand last month after which police arrested some persons including one with links to a local right-wing outfit.

Putting the onus on states, Rijiju said in a statement that police and public order are state subjects and state governments were primarily responsible for prevention, detection, registration and investigation of crime and prosecuting the criminals.

The CPI(M) leader also said the manner in which the



minister has responded showed he "undervalued and undermined" the issue "may be with a deliberate motive". Sen also said that besides Muslims, dalits also bore the brunt of such attacks.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad said the acts of projecting a particular community that it trades in cattle for slaughtering them is "wrong". "We should not divide cattle trade on religious lines," Azad urged.

Rijiju said the government was bound by the Constitution and not crossing its boundaries and added that false allegation are being levelled against the party.

Citing examples, the Minister said, about a week before Delhi assembly elections, TV channels carried reports on attacks on churches. "When we inquired about them, only three instances came to light, that too individual cases and not organised. Such incidents also sully the image of the country," Rijiju said.

On incidents like the lynching of a Muslim over the beef row in Dadri in UP in September last year, he said the Centre had assured the state government of all possible help.

When such incidents happen, Rijiju said the Centre cannot go in and take over the State's role of lodging FIRs or investigating as this is a state subject.

Criticising the social media, the Minister said that pictures and other information were being propagated on social media platforms which were inciting the public.

"Wrong impression is being created in the country against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

BJP member M J Akbar, who is a member in the Upper House from Jharkhand, insisted that "an individual's sin should not be transferred" to the party and claimed that the principal accused in the Latehar incident "belongs to a regional party in Jharkhand which is not part of the ruling allinace".

Cautioning against attempts of "malicious maligning" in such incidents, he said there is instead a need to introspect why these things have happened and recalled how Mahatma Gandhi had in riot-hit Noakhali talked of 'Madina Model' calling for respecting the places of worship of others.

Azad said the states should be instructed to arrest



members of such fringe groups (senas) that are formed in several states like Maharashtra.

"These senas are targeting a particular community and stopping them from carrying out their trade. This should stop. States should be asked to strictly act against such senas and arrest them," he added.

Recalling an earlier remark of Rijiju on the beef issue, Ghulam Rasool Balyawi (JD-U) made a satiric remark saying "your senior minister said those eating beef should go to Pakistan. So first throw out your own minister who had said he would consume beef. First throw him out of Cabinet and then throw him out of the nation."



Latching on to the issue of killing of cattle traders, D Raja (CPI) pointed fingers at a number of similar incidents and said "what is happening in this country is nothing but communal fascism" and asked the government whether it justified the killings of Muslims and Dalits.

He said such incidents were not just related to police and public order and asked "how come in the name of beef eating and cow, Muslims and Dalits are being attacked. How can somebody take in their hand the right to prescribe others what to eat or what not to eat? What they are doing in the name of cow and beef eating is violation of the Constitution."



To this, Rijiju said in any incident or violation of law, FIRs are registered, probe is carried out and action taken and it is expected to be carried to its logical conclusion. The Central police forces are made available to states on the request of the state governments.

Giving details of such incidents, Rijiju said there were 13 instances relating to cow and beef-transport, resulting in Hindu-Muslim communal incidents in 2015 and eight in 2016.

In 2015, such incidents have been recorded in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

This year so far, such instances have been recorded in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.
Opposition parties today voiced concern over the developments in central universities like JNU and Hyderabad University and regretted that educational institutions have become political arena, which needs to be stopped.

As the House took up discussion on functioning of HRD Ministry, members also voiced concern over the quality of education, saying it is deteriorating.

Samajwadi Party member Naresh Agrawal alleged that students are being targeted in central universities and vice chancellors are being used for it.

"This has never happened before that vice chancellors of central universities are being used to target students. This has happened in JNU, Hyderabad and now in Allahabad," he said.

This is a wrong precedent and needs to be checked, he said, asking "Why are such incidents happening in central universities?"



Agrawal claimed that an RSS leader is said to be running the organisations such as AICTE, which drew strong reaction from the BJP members.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said allegations cannot be levelled against a person who is not present in the House.

At this, Agrawal asked, "Then why were names and allegations levelled in the House yesterday on AgustaWestland?"



He also raised the issue of "rampant corruption" in mid-day meal scheme.

"I want to urge you to check the rampant corruption in the mid-day meal schemes. This is concerning. If we are able to check this, it will help in enhancing the status of primary education in the country," he added.

Agrawal said there is a need to look into the issue that several states have not lifted the share of foodgrains allocated to them for running the scheme.

He suggested that government should set up a recruitment board to fill the vacancies in the universities.

He said that only 3 per cent of GDP is being spent on education. "We need to spend 6 per cent of the GDP on education, as is recommended, so that more and more children can be educated. This will also help is educating them about the population explosion," he added.

Agrawal said the quality of education in the country is deteriorating, which is a worrying trend.

Taking a dig at HRD Minister Smriti Irani, he said: "There is a debate over the degree of HRD Minister, but this issue of fake degrees is dangerous. It has to be checked at the earliest."



He also said the government should bring in a legislation to check cheating by students during exams.

The SP leader said Governors in the states have a control over higher education as it is a Central subject.

Earlier states were consulted while appointing vice chancellors, but now they are not being concluded.

He said that no decision has been taken on the Centre-State contribution on Sarva Siksha Abhiyan.

Participating in the debate, Viplove Thakur (Cong)



expressed concern over weak foundation of the country's education especially at primary and elementary level, and urged the government to ensure sufficient number of teachers in schools and other infrastructure facilities.

She said that with mushrooming of colleges, the quality of education has deteriorated. The government should put in place a mechanism to permit those colleges which have all necessary infrastructure to provide higher education.

"You cannot wash your hands saying education is a state subject. You allocate lands for setting up of colleges and universities. There should be some criteria for giving permission for new colleges," she added.

Referring to recent incidents in JNU and Hyderbad University, Thakur said, "The education has become political arena. Don't link students with politics. ...Colleges and universities should not have divisive tactics. Don't disintegrate."



She also said that the history written by well known historians and intellectuals should be not be interpreted in the current context and books banned.

Asking the government to change its mindset, Thakur said, "Save yourself from those who talk divisive tactics. In the name of religion, don't get bad name to the country. Bring new revolution to boost the education sector that will help the country grow."



Harivansh (JD-U) attacked the government for cutting the budget for the HRD Ministry and said the government made big announcements in the Budget 2016 but these cannot be implemented without adequate funds and investment.

The Budget for the education sector to the total GDP has come down to 3.8 per cent in 2015-16 from 4.1 per cent in 2014-15 and 4.67 per cent in 2013-14, he said.

Noting that both primary and secondary education are in bad state due to shortage of teachers and inadequate facilities, Harivansh said except for Kerala, the student- teacher ratio in schools is very low in other states.

Instead of addressing this problem, the government has reduced the budget for teachers training programme this year, he said airing concerns about rising school drop outs.

He alleged that the new IITs have been planned without proper preparation and sought the government to present a white paper on the status of these new intitutes.

Thakur said the government should not interfere in the autonomy of institutes like JNU and appointment of vice chancellors should be made based on talent.

Highlighting various measures taken by the NDA government, Prabhat Jha (BJP) urged the Opposition members to "cooperate and contribute" and not to politicise the issue.

"NDA government does not believe in politicising education. Congress and Opposition charge NDA of saffronisation. But the PM believes only in one religion, that is, Constitution of India," he said.

Sharing about the steps taken in education sector, Jha said that the government is coming out with new National Education Policy, which will change the sector in a big way.

The policy is being consulted across the country and a committee has been set up to finalise it, he added.

Md Moinul Haque (Trinamool Congress) stressed the need



for quality check of mid-day meals in schools, saying that as many as 280 complaints took place about poisonous and poor quality of meals between 2013 and 2016.

He said it was unfortunate that in one of the cases, even 23 children had died.

He also demanded addressing the issue of dropouts and shortages of teachers.

Haque said that IIM draft bill threatens the autonomous structure of IIMs and referring to JNU episode said "a child must be taught how to think but not what to think."



SC Misra (BSP) said 41 per cent population of India was below 19 years and hence went to schools but sadly 22 million children in the country can not study due to economic onstraints.

The rate of dropout was so high that only 33 per cent children could reach class 12 and said Right To Education Act could not ensure compuslory education to children.

While the condition of government schools was poor, a large number of private schools had closed due to wrong policies, he said and demanded introducing teaching of English in government schools from class I instead of Class VI.

He said there was no dearth of funds for education with the government as every taxpayer paid 1 per cent education cess.

CP Narayanan (CPI-M) said any step to withdraw the mid-day meal scheme would not be good as poor children could be retained only through nutrititive food.

Dileep Kumar Tirkey (BJD) lamented that 10 lakh schoool chilren were going outside the country for education every year which was not good.

He also stressed the need to introduce national sports fitnss programmes in schools and allocating marks for excellence in sports while lamenting that lack of sports activities was forcing children to become victims of diabetes and other serious diseases at a very young age.

Dr K Keshava Rao (TRS) stressed that entire education syllabus of schools needed an overhaul as it was not suited to the needs of the children in India



"If education fails a generation is destroyed," he said and demanded that curriculum of students should include what is relevant in India and not only what is happening in Australia and US.

Dr Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu (Cong) said budgetary allocation for education was curtailed at a time when 35 million children in the age bracket of 6-14 years were not going to schools.

(Reopen PAR47)



Shwait Malik (BJP), in his maiden speech, demanded stern action against such elements raising anti-India sentiment and slogans in campuses. Referring to JNU, he said strict action should be taken against the guilty and no compromise should be done.

He also sought strict supervision of the mid-day meal schemes and asked elected representatives to do vigilant supervision for its effective functioning.

Malik also demanded strict action against private schools carrying out malpractices for exploiting students.

He also lauded the various initiatives taken by the country. He said the country which was once considered as "Vishwa Guru" had been attacked many times and its education system tinkered with.

K P Ramalingham (DMK) said voice must be raised to strengthen the education system. He said there is a need to set up a mechanism to ensure that 25 per cent admissions are done for lower sections of society.

Basawaraj Patil (BJP) suggested bringing vital changes in the education policy that is embedded with country's culture and serve its interests.

He asked the HRD Minister to give a new thought to the country's education policy and sought focus on searching talent among the country's tribals, who have a lot of skills. He also suggested doubling the number of Kendriya, Navodaya and Kasturba Vidyalayas in the country.

Ram Kumar Kashyap (INLD) said despite large number of schools, colleges and universities, the level of education in the country was going down.

Palvai Givardhan Reddy (Cong) and Anil Desai (Shiv Sena) also gave some suggestions for improving and strengthening the education system in the country.
A government appointed committee on yoga education has recommended seven programmes for implementation in universities, the government today said.

In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said the recommendations of the panel are being examined.

Giving details, the minister said the panel, headed by Professor H R Nagendra of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bangalore, has recommended a certificate course of 6 to 12 months, BSc yoga of 3 to 6 years and post-graduate diploma of 1 to 2 years duration.

Other courses recommended are post-graduate diploma in yoga therapy (1 to 2 years), MSc yoga (2 to 4 years), PhD (3 to 5 years) and Doctor of Philosophy (integrated) yoga of 4 to 6 years.

The committee has also prescribed the qualifications for faculty of yoga, she said.
Over hundred parents staged a silent protest outside the school premises of Delhi Public School Mathura Road's against its move to not roll-back the fee hike despite an order by Delhi Government.

The school authorities maintained that only those private schools need to have prior permission from the government before increasing the fees which are built on land alloted by DDA/other government agencies on concessional rates, and the Mathura road branch of DPS has a different land deed.

Delhi government had last month ordered DPS Mathura Rod and DPS Rohini to rollback fee hike and refund the increased fee collected by the schools in the academic session 2016-17.

The move came after over 400 parents from both the schools approached Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia with a complaint alleging that the schools have arbitrarily hiked the fee.

Sisodia had also directed the Directorate of Education (DoE) to take necessary action against the "errant" schools that have not only hiked fees but also "compelled" students to buy books from private publishers.

DPS Rohini had announced rollback of the increased fee.

However, agitated parents today claimed that the Mathura Road branch has refused to do so claiming they have communicated their response to DoE and are waiting to hear from them.

"Despite government order, the school has not rolled back the hiked fee. They claim that they have replied to the DOE order on fee roll back and are waiting for a response," said one of the parents.

The parents also claimed that the fee has been hiked by 17 to 20 per cent this year amounting to annual fees of Rs 1,25,000 to Rs 140,000 per annum per student.

"There has been a systematic fee hike which comes to over 200 per cent during last 6 years. Many parents are struggling to pay the increased fee while no additional facilities are being provided in the school," another parent said.

School Principal Manohar Lal said that the land deed of the school does not have the clause to take permission from government before fee hike.

"The allotment letter given to us based on the land deed in 70s does not require us to take prior permission. We have replied to the notice from DOE and are awaiting their response," he said.

The government has asked private schools to seek prior sanction from DoE before increasing student fee and submit detailed proposals in this regard latest by May 31.

Key documents including details of receipts and payment account, income and expenditure account, balance sheet for the years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 along with budget estimates for the ensuing year, statement of salary disbursed to staff, and detail of all funds-- reserve, general and gratuity, also need to be submitted by the schools.
Bollywood actress Vidya Balan says because of her films and the amount of time she spends in Kolkata, people often think she is a Bengali.

The actress made her debut in films in a leading role with the Bengali movie "Bhalo Theko" in 2003 before debuting in Bollywood with "Parineeta".

The 38-year-old "Ishqiya" star will be next seen in "Te3n" which is set in Kolkata.

"I don't think there is a question of returning to Kolkata because I spend half my days there invariably. But it was wonderful. People are so warm and welcoming, my debut film was a Bengali film, even before 'Parineeta', so they actually think I am Bengali," Vidya told reporters here.

The actress garnered acclaim for her portrayal of Vidya Bagchi, a pregnant woman searching for her missing husband in Kolkata in "Kahaani" and will be back to the city for the sequel.

"Everyone speaks to me in Bengali and I show off my Bengali wherever I can, I know songs, rhymes and slangs... When I am in Kolkata, I don't miss home that much. I am back there for 'Kahaani 2' now and it feels we went there for 'Te3n' and just stayed back."



Directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, "Te3n" also features megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and is about a crime that affects its three lead characters.

Bachchan, 73, stars in the film as John Biswas, a grandfather on the pursuit of justice since eight years while Siddiqui plays Father Martin Das, whose life was changed forever by the same crime that claimed the life of John's granddaughter.

Vidya will be seen in a special appearance as the cop who swings into action when an identical crime is repeated eight years later.

The "Paa" actress says it was nice to work with Nawazuddin after their hit film "Kahaani".

"Nawaz and I were meeting in Kolkata after six years, after we shot 'Kahaani'. In these six years post 'Kaahani' we hadn't met at all. Both of us had lots of films in between but it was nice catching up with him and working. Most of my scenes are with Nawaz."



The actress learnt how to drive for her role and says filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, who is the creative producer in "Te3n", was her driving instructor.

"I know how to drive but I've never been a confident driver but for this I wanted to do it myself so I actually drove around Kolkata. Sujoy was my driving instructor. That's the only real preparation I did."



The film is scheduled to release on June 10.
A leader of UP Navnirman Sena, who is absconding in a case relating to conspiracy to kill JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, was today denied anticipatory bail by the Delhi High Court.

Justice Pratibha Rani declined to grant relief to accused Amit Jani, saying his alleged role in the incident in which a loaded pistol and a letter threatening to kill Kanhaiya and Umar Khalid, who were arrested under sedition charges over a controversial JNU event, were recovered from a bag in a DTC bus and needs to be investigated by the police.

"No anticipatory bail at this stage. Arms were recovered from the bag and it needs to be investigated by the police," the court said.

The court was hearing the anticipatory bail filed by Jani, who claimed that he was falsely implicated by the police as he had not written any letter threatening to behead the two.

Jani, through his counsel Rajesh Sachdeva, submitted that he has no connection with the gun allegedly found in the bus.

Delhi police counsel Amit Ahlawat opposed the plea saying the bag, in which the gun was kept, has four live cartridge and it was required to be probed.

The letter was duly undersigned by Jani, the police said,



adding his arrest was necessary to find out the truth.

The counsel for police also submitted that three persons have been arrested in the case and they have disclosed Jani's name, who had allegedly asked them to keep the bag in the bus.

On April 14, a pistol and a letter, purportedly written by Jani who had earlier threatened Kanhaiya over Facebook, were recovered from a bus operating between Kashmere Gate ISBT and the JNU campus.

As per the prosecution, it was the driver of the bus who spotted an unclaimed bag and had raised an alarm. He had also registered a complaint with the police station concerned.

Following the complaint, the police has arrested Jani's brother, Saurabh Agarwal, and his associate, Sulabh Bharadwaj and Chanderbhan, for writing the letter and leaving the weapon and cartridges in the bus. The trio are presently in custody.

The police is still searching for Jani, who remains the prime suspect in the case lodged at Tilak Marg police station.

Kanhaiya, who is on bail, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February in a sedition case over an event on campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty has supported the online campaign calling for a boycott of the upcoming Kerala polls in the wake of rape and murder of a Dalit woman in the state.

According to police, the woman, a law college student, hailing from a poor family, was raped and brutally assaulted before being murdered at her house at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28.

The crime has been dubbed "Kerala's Nirbhaya" for its chilling similarities to the gang-rape in 2012 of a young Delhi student on a moving bus.

The girl later succumbed to her injuries.

Many are calling for boycott of the votes if the government and police fail to bring the culprits to justice.

Pookutty shared on Twitter a poster, which read, "No Excuses for RAPISTS. HANG THEM ON THE SPOT. NO VOTE NO JUSTICE."



He wrote, "Guys and Gals be firm about this. Kerala is not Delhi, we have to be assertive."



Two persons have been taken into custody in connection with the crime.

Yesterday, another Dalit woman, a 19-year-old nursing student, was allegedly gangraped in Varkala, Kerala.
Seven teams of poll strategist Prashant Kishor will tour districts falling in 14 divisions of Uttar Pradesh this month to plan out an electoral campaign for Congress for Assembly polls due next year.

Team PK will hold extensive tours of districts falling in 14 divisions from May 8 to 22, a party release said here today.

The team had earlier met UP Congress leaders of different cells and departments and also toured three divisions including Gorakhpur and Allahabad.

The divisions which will be covered by the teams are Devi Patan, Basti, Azamgarh, Faizabad, Mirzapur, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Kanpur, Saharanpur, Meerut, Aligarh, Agra, Moradabad and Bareilly, the release said.

During these tours, the team will stay in each district for two days and will interact with office bearers of the district Congress committees, leaders of frontal organisations, blocks, cells and divisions, it said.

The team will also visit the sitting and former peoples' representatives.

Meanwhile, a meeting of all block presidents has been called in Lucknow on May 10. On May 11, 12 and 13 meetings of leaders belonging to Varanasi, Allahabad and Gorakhpur respectively have been convened for detailed discussions in which AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry, UPCC president Nirmal Khatri and Prashant Kishore will be, the release said.

Babbar criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for



cashless society, saying people of the country are not "plastic" but "emotional".

"In the country where 90 per cent sector is unorganised people cannot be plastic rather they are emotional. They help each other due to emotions. BJP will have to suffer losses for what it has done creating problems for common man," he said.

Asked why the agressive campaign started by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in UP has slowed down, Babbar said it was because of the Parliament session as the entire focus of the top leaders has shifted there.

"Important leaders of the state including PL Punia, Pramod Tiwari, Ghulam Nabi Azad have got busy in Parliament where burning issues are being raised. We have to focus there. But soon we will again be concentrating in UP," he said.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Congress had secured only two seats in UP with Sonia and Rahul emerging victorious from their family strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi respectively.

The party is trying to regain its lost moorings in the state where it currently has only 29 MLAs in the 403-member Assembly.

Congress has been in political wilderness in UP since 1989 following the emergence of 'Mandal-Mandir' politics and rise of BSP which took away its crucial Dalit vote base.

Mayawati's party had also lured a large chunk of Brahmin votes in the past when candidates of the community were given tickets by her to contest elections.

The Brahmin community plays a significant role in poll outcome in central and eastern UP as it is the dominant caste there.

Once a traditional vote bank of the Congress, Brahmins in the state shifted allegiance to BJP in the aftermath of the emergence of 'Mandal-Mandir' politics.

Perhaps, to keep Brahmins in good humour, the party is projecting former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial face.

In a bid to woo Hindu votes ahead of the Assembly polls in UP, Rahul Gandhi recently offered prayers at the Hanuman Garhi Temple in Ayodhya, becoming the first member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to visit Ayodhya since the demolition of the disputed structure in 1992.

Rahul recently completed 2,000 km 'kisan yatra' in Uttar Pradesh to woo voters in favour of his party.
President Pranab Mukherjee today paid rich tributes to former President Giani Zail Singh on his 100th birth anniversary.

Mukherjee described the former President as a true 'Giani' (one who is full of knowledge). The President also recalled Giani Zail Singh's deep understanding of Indian history, culture and civilisation, a press release issued today by Rashtarapati Bhavan said.

He said Giani Zail Singh was a great soul and his rise is an evidence of the opportunities Indian democracy provides to every citizen irrespective of the status.

"The great heights that Giani Zail Singh rose to, from a humble and poor background bears testimony to this great feature of Indian democracy," Mukherjee said.

The President remembered his services to the nation as a freedom fighter, Chief Minister of Punjab, Home Minister of the Union of India and President of India. He also recalled his role as a Parliamentarian.

A documentary on the life of Giani Zail Singh and a book 'Fragrant Recollections' (Collection of memoirs and tributes on Giani Zail Singh) were released by Vice President Hamid Ansari and Gurdeep Kaur, daughter of Giani Zail Singh respectively and their first copies were presented to the President.
Australia's election campaign will officially start soon with climate change policy and union corruption in the national building industry shaping into key battlegrounds for the July 2 poll.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said today that he was likely to visit Governor-General Peter Cosgrove this weekend to lock down the date and officially start the election campaign.

A heartening historical fact for Turnbull is that no Australian federal government has lost power after a single three-year term since the tumultuous early years of the Great Depression. But Australia is now in an extraordinary era of political volatility as it grapples to diversify an economy that thrived on a mining boom that has gone bust.

If the opposition center-left Labor Party wins the election, it will mean Australia's fifth change of Prime Minister in six years.

Turnbull replaced his unpopular predecessor Tony Abbott in a leadership ballot of lawmakers in the ruling center-right Liberal Party in September, only two years after the coalition government was elected. The change of Prime Minister immediately boosted the government's standing in opinion polls, but recent polls suggest the government is now running neck-and-neck with Labor.

Ostensibly, Turnbull has called an early election because a hostile senate has refused to pass legislation that would allow the government to create a building industry watchdog called the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC). The ABCC was disbanded in 2012 by a former Labor government, which is linked to the trade union movement.

While the plight of the ABCC seems an obscure issue to most voters, the political debate focuses attention on opposition leader Bill Shorten's history as a union official.

Before he entered parliament in 2007, Shorten was a senior official of the Australian Workers Union, one of five unions targeted by government-commissioned inquiry into union corruption. Labor condemned the inquiry as a politically motivated witch hunt.

Shorten rejected suggestions by inquiry lawyers that he had had conflicts of interests when companies made donations to his union while he was negotiating with them over workers' pay. Even Labor supporters criticised him over of the donations.
Facing criticism for delay in payment to farmers, Punjab government today released Rs 1,029 crore to wheat growers for purchase of their crop during the current Rabi marketing season.

All transactions have been electronically documented and payments have been credited to the accounts of the commission agents/farmers, an official spokesperson said.

Instructions have been given to all the procurement agencies to expedite the lifting process, he said.

Meanwhile, Food and Civil Supplies Department and the local administration have also been instructed to visit grain markets and purchase centres under their jurisdiction to oversee the ongoing wheat procurement operations.

They have also been asked to listen to the grievances of farmers, commission agents and others.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had yesterday revalidated and extended the validity period of the authorisation of Rs 17,523 crore as Cash Credit Limit (CCL) till May 31 for the wheat crop of the Rabi 2016-17 season in Punjab.
Rahul Gandhi will be campaigning in Tamil Nadu on May 7 where Congress is contesting the Assembly polls in alliance with the DMK.

Next week, Gandhi will be canvassing support for his party candidates in the South.

He will be in Tamil Nadu on May 7 and 10, in Puducherry on May 10 and in Kerala on May 11 amd 12.

"Will be in Tamil Nadu on 7th May, in TN & Puducherry on the 10th & Kerala on 11th & 12th May. Program details to follow (sic)," the Congress Vice President said on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Later, Gandhi's office said the Congress Vice President would be addressing a public meeting at Madurai in the afternoon on May 7.

In the evening, he will address a rally at Coimbatore followed by another one in Tiruvallur district.
A high-level meeting chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh today discussed various issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir including rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandit migrants, return of civilian land by the army and the situation along the line of control.

The meeting was attended among others by Defence Minister Manohar Parikar, state Governor N N Vohra and National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval.

According to official sources, the issue of surrender of civilian land being used by the army was discussed at the meeting and it was decided that state's Chief Secretary will hold a meeting with Defence Ministry officials to identify those and work out a proposal.

The army had in principle agreed during the tenure of Omar Abdullah government to hand over the 139-acre 'Tattoo ground' to the state government but a final decision had to be taken by the Defence Ministry.

Now, according to the sources, the army has been pressing for regularisation of a land in picturesque Gulmarg in return for the 'Tattoo ground'.

The rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley and identifying land for their resettlement also came up for discussion.

There are about 62,000 registered Kashmiri migrant families in the country who left the state after the onset of militancy in the 1990s. About 40,000 registered families stay in Jammu, while another 20,000 in the national capital. The remaining 2,000 families are settled in other parts of the country.

The high-level meeting also took stock of the situation prevailing along the International Border and Line of Control, amidst reports of infiltration attempts from across the border with the onset of summer, the sources said.

The meeting also reviewed the action taken to maintain security in the Valley in the wake of recent unrest following the killing of four persons in action by security forces against violent protesters enraged over alleged molestation of a girl.

In a statement, the Home Ministry said the meeting was called to review the developmental projects and other related issues regarding the state.

It was decided that the matter relating to surrender of civilian land not required for operational purposes by the army would be expedited.

The army has restructured its requirements for land which it would make available to the state government for development projects, the statement said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh tonight spoke to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and expressed his "deep sadness" over the killing of six persons in a thunderstorm at Simhastha Mahakumbh in Ujjain.

During the telephonic conversation, the Chief Minister told the Home Minister that normalcy will be restored in the temple town by tomorrow morning.

"Shivraj Chouhan himself is monitoring the situation at Ujjain. He is leaving no stone unturned to improve the situation on the ground," Singh tweeted.

Six persons were killed and around 40 injured this evening when heavy rain accompanied by lightning and squall wreaked havoc at the site of the ongoing Simhatha Kumbh Mela here, flattening and uprooting pilgrims' tents.
Expelled Congress legislator Atanasio Monserratte, who has been accused of raping a minor girl, today appeared before the Crime Branch here, a day after the Goa police registered an FIR against him.

Monserratte was out of the state when the FIR was lodged against him with Women's Police Station for allegedly raping the 16-year-old girl in March.

Summons were issued to Monserratte, a former education minister, asking him to remain present before Investigating Officer Sudiksha Naik.

The MLA, accompanied by his wife and few supporters, came to the Crime branch office at around 3.10 PM.

Before stepping in to the office, he told reporters, "I have not done anything wrong. The complaint is totally false and bogus. This is just to frame me. Nothing more than that."



Responding to a media report that he allegedly spiked the girl's drink before raping her, Monserratte said, "I watch 'Sawadhan India' (TV programme), but I don't know what they put in the drink. I have not spiked any drink."



He said he is yet to get the copy of the complaint.

"I have not got the copy of the complaint filed. She was working in Hallmark (his showroom). Her parents are voters from my constituency. One of my supporters introduced me to her parents and said she was loitering around. That is how I took her on the job," he said.

"It is definitely something to do with politics. I am not hiding from anyone. I am here to surrender myself to police, let them interrogate me," he further said.

Prior to this, the Goa police today conducted searches at various places, including the politician's residence, in connection with the case.

"The searches were held at various establishments in and around Panaji and an apartment owned by Monserratte," an official said.

"The teams were dispatched at various locations as part of the investigation. We are trying to collect evidences, as per the statement given by the girl," he said.

The situation in Taleigao village, where Monserratte has a bungalow, was tense. Huge police force was deployed outside his house as a team led by SP (Women Police Station) Kartik Kashyap conducted the searches.

The police, who had booked Monserratte under section 3,4 of POSCO Act, and relevant sections of the IPC and Goa Children's Act, today also registered an offence against him and the girl's step-mother under relevant sections for human trafficking.

"The offence of human trafficking is also registered



against Monserratte and stepmother of the girl at Women's Police Station. The girl in her statement before Child Welfare Committee of state-run Apna Ghar (protective home) has claimed that Monserratte had purchased her from her stepmother," a senior police official said on condition of anonymity.

Kashyap, however, refused to comment on developments in the case.

Earlier, the Goa police recorded the girl's statement. "A team of officials from Women's police station visited the state-run protective home where the girl is currently lodged and recorded her statement," the official had earlier said.

In her statement before Child Welfare Committee, she had alleged that Monserratte has raped her several times in the past.

The legislator, who represents St Cruz constituency, was expelled from Congress recently for anti-party activities.

When contacted, his wife Jeniffer, who represents the Taleigao constituency, refused to comment on the case.

Meanwhile, the state Congress also refained from commenting on the case, but advised media against character assassination.

"The legislator should come out with his statement on this matter as the charges are serious. Until and unless things are proved one cannot do any character assassination. I also appeal to media not to indulge in this," Congress state secretary Durgadas Kamat told
The Gujarat High Court today ordered the state government to re-frame rules governing the functioning of women's protection homes which it held as outdated.

The direction was given by a division bench of Justice Akil Kureshi and Justice A J Kogji on a PIL filed by NGO Peace and Equality Cell and Sahiyar on the living condition of its inmates.

The high court said the rules governing such homes were framed in 1964 and needed to be updated as they have become outdated.

The bench also asked Gujarat government to fill the post of regular Superintendent in each of these homes by August 15 and kept the matter for further hearing on June 8.

It also ordered formation of a seven-member committee which will recommend new rules to Gujarat government.

The committee has members from state government and NGOs among others.

The PIL was filed following reports in October 2014 of some women from a protection home in Odhav here escaping.

The petition sought the court's direction to the state government to improve aspects like infrastructure, rehabilitation and recreational facility, hygiene, separate facility for mentally challenged women, among others.

Hearing the same PIL, the high court had earlier directed constitution of a four-member committee to visit at least eight such homes in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Godhra, Palitana, Chikhli and Bhuj.

The committee members, headed by the Principal Secretary of Women and Child Development department, visited these homes and submitted a report which was placed before the court.
Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final for the second time in three years after overcoming Manchester City 1-0 in their semi-final second leg.

Brazilian midfielder Fernando deflected Gareth Bale's cross into his own net after 20 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu for the only goal of the tie after the first leg ended goalless.

Fernandinho came closest to taking City to their first ever Champions League final when his shot clipped the outside of the post a minute before half-time last night.

Real beat Atletico 4-1 after extra-time in Lisbon two years ago to win the competition for a 10th time and will be hoping for a repeat when they face Diego Simeone's men in Milan on May 28.

The hosts were given a huge boost before kick-off as Cristiano Ronaldo made his return after a three-game absence due to a thigh injury.

By contrast, City were dealt a massive injury blow inside 10 minutes when captain Vincent Kompany was forced off once more with a muscle problem in an injury-disrupted campaign.

Eliaquim Mangala was forced on to deputise for Kompany, but City's makeshift defence wasn't overly troubled despite the presence of Ronaldo and an in-form Bale in the first 45 minutes.

Ronaldo was looking to equal his own record of 17 Champions League goals in a season, but sent his first chance well over the bar with a header from Dani Carvajal's cross.

However, Madrid got the luck they needed to swing the tie in their favour with their next attack as Bale was played in on the right of the City box and his intended cross spooned up off Fernando and into the far corner to leave Joe Hart helpless.

The difference in European pedigree between the clubs couldn't have been starker as Madrid were playing in their 27th semi-final, whilst City were in the last four for the first time.

That inexperience looked to be taking hold as City enjoyed decent spells of first-half possession without troubling the Real defence.

However, they came within inches of finding the crucial away goal just before the break when Kevin de Bruyne picked out Fernandinho and the Brazilian midfielder's low driven shot clipped the outside of the post.

The goalmouth action was all in City's box early in the second period as Hart was called upon to keep his side in the match.

Luka Modric spurned a huge chance to put the tie to bed when he fired straight at Hart as the Croatian seemed surprised himself not to have been flagged offside.

Hart also kept out a Ronaldo header and fierce drive from the edge of the box as Madrid pressed.

Bale then saw a looping header come off the bar as, just as in the first leg, Madrid constantly caused City problems from set-pieces.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini turned to the pace of Raheem Sterling and Kelechi Iheanacho in place of the ineffectual Yaya Toure and Jesus Navas for the final quarter.

And Pellegrini's men nearly snatched the goal they needed a minute from time when top scorer Sergio Aguero's first serious effort of the tie dipped onto the roof of the net.

Real keeper Keylor Navas then injured himself in scurrying from his goal to clear a long through ball.

Yet, despite a frantic finale, Madrid continued their record of not conceding a goal at home in the Champions League this season to progress to their 14th European Cup final.
Reliance Defence today said it has received 16 industrial licences for manufacture of a wide array of high technology equipment that include small arms, heavy weapons, armoured vehicles, ammunition, explosives, electronic warfare systems and missiles.

"Of the 16 new licences given to Reliance Defence Ltd, 11 pertain to Land Systems, 3 for the Naval Systems and remaining 2 covering niche technologies across the Defence spectrum," the company said in a statement.

The Land Systems include design, development and production of heavy weapons, Electronic Warfare Systems, ammunition, explosives, tanks, Infantry Combat Vehicles (ICV), Directed Energy Weapon Systems, Small Arms Laser Systems for target destruction and C4I Systems for various Land Platforms, Reliance Defence, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Infrastruture said.

The company said Reliance Land Systems Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Defence Ltd, will be the lead venture for the manufacturing of missiles, explosives heavy weapons, tanks and ICVs and Reliance SED Ltd will be the lead entity for manufacture of Electronic Warfare Systems, Directed Energy Weapon systems and Laser Systems for target destruction.

"The key programmes in these segments have budgetary allocation in excess of Rs 50,000 crore. The Indian Army will spend an additional Rs 50,000 crore over next 10 to 15 years on different Combat Vehicles," the company said.
Nepal's relations with India have shown signs of improvement after his maiden visit, Prime Minister K P Oli told lawmakers today.

He said that he also visited Nepal's northern neighbour China and the "unprecedentedly successful" trip helped fulfil Nepal's interests.

Oli visited India in February after Madhesi groups ended their six-month protest against the new Constitution.

Addressing the Parliament, Oli said his visit succeeded in normalising relations and ended border blockade with India which disrupted the supplies of petroleum products and cooking gas among other essentials to Nepal, leading to severe hardships to the people.

The relations have also started improving, Oli said.

Nepal's ties with India soured during the anti- Constitution stir. Nepal had accused India of disrupting the essential supplies by imposing unofficial blockade. India repeatedly refuted the claims.

Oli said his government's signing of trade and transit agreement with China is not directed against another neighbour and Nepal being a land-locked country should open up its border points to both the neighbours.

He also assured the people that the government is committed to end the current problem of load-shedding within two years.
Asserting that reporting the truth is not a crime, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said a country without a free and independent press has nothing to teach and cannot fulfil its potential.

"To those who try to coerce or imprison reporters, we will always say loudly and clearly that committing journalism, reporting on the truth, is not a crime. It is a badge of honour and today we salute all near and far who proudly wear that badge," Kerry told reporters on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day.

No government, whatever its pretentions or whatever its accomplishments, can fairly claim respect if its citizens are not allowed to say what they believe or denied the right to learn about events and decisions that affect their lives, he said in his special appearance before the State Department press.

"A country without a free and independent press has nothing to brag about, nothing to teach, and no way to fulfil its potential," Kerry said.

Noting that every journalist is unique, Kerry said governments who crackdown on them may seek to convey strength, but what they actually convey is a deeply rooted kind of insecurity and weakness.

"It is no secret that we live in a turbulent era, and that the heart of a lot of that turbulence is a struggle that is waged over truth versus either outright lies or the obfuscation and denial of truth," he said.

In a separate statement, the White House thanked the journalists around the world without whom democracy could not flourish and whose courageous work helps hold authorities to account.

"These are the men and women who work to ensure that debate on public issues can be, in the words of Justice William Brennan, 'uninhibited, robust and wide open'. Through such debate we make the choices that shape our lives and the world around us," said Ned Price, spokesman of National Security Council of the White House.

"While it is in the nature of responsible journalism to confront the powerful, the corrupt and the brutal, too many journalists risk their liberty and even their lives in doing so," he said, adding that from China to Iran to Venezuela, brave men and women languish in prison for no greater crime than seeking to inform their fellow citizens.

"The United States calls for the release of those who have been imprisoned for exercising the freedom of expression that is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, even as we encourage governments to foster societies in which journalists can work freely and without fear," Price said.
Metro rail companies, being built with Central government equity across the country, have been asked to speed up appointment of independent directors and promote efficiency in hiring manpower.

This was conveyed by Urban Development Secretary Rajiv Gauba here today during a review of progress of various metro projects and issues related to their functioning.

Senior officials of the ministry, besides chief executives of Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kochi metros attended the meeting.

Issues ranging from appointment of independent directors and chief vigilance officers, standardisation of equipment, bulk procurement, fare-fixation, performance-based promotions, competitive bidding and security were discussed during the two-hour long review exercise, an official statement said.

A proposal for appointing a common regulator for all metro projects for fare-fixation was also discussed and it was decided that the views of respective states would be appropriately taken into consideration in this regard while taking the decision, it said.

Gauba also urged all metro operators to ensure early appointment of independent directors on the boards including at least one woman director as required under the Companies Act, 2013.

The official also called for early appointment of chief vigilance officers by respective boards in consultation with the chief vigilance commissioner.

Stressing on the need for efficiency in project management and metro operations, Gauba suggested 'fast-track promotion' policy as appropriate for consideration by respective boards to attract good talent.

Gauba also emphasised on the need to promote indigenous production of metro equipment under the 'Make In India' initiative of the government.

He also complimented Lucknow Metro for being in a position to commission the priority section of 8.50 km of North-South Corridor between Airport and Charbagh Railway Station by the end of this year, it said.
The brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman at Perumbavoor is becoming campaign material for the May 16 Assembly polls with both ruling UDF and rival LDF trading charges over the issue of safety of women in Kerala.

Criticism against police for the way it handled the case and alleged failure of government machinery in nabbing the culprits even a week after the incident has apparently pushed the Congress-led UDF government to a corner.

The woman, a law student who hailed from a poor family, was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house at nearby Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. The incident had triggered widespread protests across the state.

The CPI(M)-led opposition has tried to corner the government over the fact that the incident came to the limelight only four days after the crime.

They have also alleged that police tried to cover up the incident in view of the elections and that the heinous crime was indication of collapse of the law and order situation under Congress rule.

However, government immediately announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the victim's family and a job to her sister.

Putting up a brave face, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had yesterday said government was committed to ensuring the safety of women and would bring the culprits to justice at the earliest.

He cited the speedy probe and trial that took place in the case of the murder of Saumya, who was pushed out of a moving train and raped in Thrissur district a few years ago.

Chandy also said police in the state was very quick in solving some sensational murder cases and ensured maximum punishment to the culprits.

Referring to opposition criticism on police handling the Perumbavur rape case, he said it was a tragedy which should not have happened but no one should politicise the issue.

Both Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who came to visit the victim's ailing mother at a hospital, had to feel the heat of CPI(M) activists, who raised slogans against the government. Chennithala had to return without meeting the woman due to the protests.

Marxist veteran and opposition leader V S Achuthanandan



has alleged that the Congress government had shown total negligence in the investigation and dereliction of duty from the side of police cannot be justified at any cost.

"The pain of a mother, who brought up her daughter by doing petty jobs, is unbearable," the 93-year-old leader said, adding, the brutality was much worse than what happened in the Nirbhaya case.

Achuthanandan also alleged that police was trying to take somebody into custody and portray them as accused and there should be protests against this move.

Echoing similar sentiments, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said the incident clearly showed that the government "is a total failure in ensuring safety of women in the state."



Chandy has countered the allegations, saying "this is an occasion for all the people to come together keeping aside political affiliations.It is a time to stand united and treat the incident as a social menace."



He also hit out at the opposition for staging protests and preventing the Home Minister from visiting the victim's ailing mother. The Chief Minister also said senior political leaders like Achuhanandan and Balakrishnan should show some more maturity while reacting to incidents like this.

Congress minister and state minister for Excise K Babu said CPI(M)'s attempt to "politicise the tragedy is shameful and using it as a campaign tool condemnable."



Accusing government of completely failing to protect dalits and women, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan has alleged that law and order situation is deteriorating in Kerala.

He claimed that both LDF and UDF have not been able to do anything to protect marginalised sections of society.
A tourist family was today robbed of cash, gold ornaments and other valuables by the some unknown persons after opening blank fire near Narayani temple under Ganjam district.

The incident took place when four members of a family from Jajpur were on their way to the famous Narayani temple in Ganjam district, the police said.

Four motorcycle-borne miscreants stopped their vehicle on the way to the temple and opened fire in the air to terrorise them.

They were allegedly looted cash of around Rs 12,000 and gold ornaments from the female members of the family after breaking the window panes of the car, the police said.

"Patrolling has been intensified in the area to nab the miscreants," said Inspector In-charge, Khallikote police station, Bibekananda Swain.
The theft of over Rs 36 lakh from two unmanned ATMs in the city on Tuesday night has rattled bank customers, but the bank managements said there was nothing to ring an alarm bell for.

It is a "rare incident", the bankers stated and promised they would continue to repose faith in the city police for the security of the teller machines.

"This is an accident. A very rare case. We have informed the police and they are looking into it," Bandhan Bank Founder-MD and CEO Chandra Shekhar Ghosh told PTI when contacted.

Robbers late on Tuesday night looted over Rs 36 lakh by breaking into two unmanned ATMs - one belonging to the Bandhan Bank on private road and the other to the SBI, barely two kilometres away, in the Seven Tanks area at Dumdum.

"That ATM has a security guard who stays there during daytime but we have not appointed anybody for the night. The ATM is, however, under CCTV surveillance to record everything," Ghosh said.

At present, Bandhan Bank has 50 ATMs in the city while there are 230 nationwide.

On whether the bank has plans to start keeping guards at night, Ghosh said that would "escalate the cost" and they would rather rely on the Kolkata Police.

"Keeping guards at night will raise the expenses. We are not thinking of that option. We have confidence in the Kolkata Police... And in this case also they (Police) have the CCTV footage and I am sure that the robbers will soon be nabbed," Ghosh said.

When contacted a senior official of the SBI said the bank has "outsourced the maintenance as well as security of the ATM", therefore the bank could not be held "responsible for the theft."



In fact, the CCTV footage at the Bandhan Bank caught three miscreants in the act, sources in the Kolkata Police said.

"Both the maintenance and security of that particular ATM



have been outsourced. So we are not liable for what has happened there because the money which was stolen is also insured. So the bank will not be affected. The bank's administration has taken a note of the incident," the senior official of SBI said.

However, at the SBI ATM, the robbers had cut the wires of the CCTV camera and hence any recording of the theft was not there.

Police, believing that both were the handiworks of the same gang, was depending on the CCTV footages at the Bandhan Bank ATM.

"We are looking into the footage but going by the nature of the crime it seems that one gang has done it and they are from the locality or from the surrounding areas," a senior official of the Kolkata Police said.
Unidentified youths today looted above Rs 55 lakh from two separate banks in Odisha's Jharsuguda and Dhenkanal districts at gun point, the police said.

While above Rs 50 lakh was looted from the Beheramal branch of Bank of India in Jharsuguda town at around 2 PM, three persons took away about Rs 5 lakh from the UCO Bank at Motanga in Dhenkanal district, they said.

Both incidents took place between 2 PM to 3 PM, the police said adding about six-seven armed and masked persons came on motorcycles and entered the BOI at Jharsuguda.

Armed with pistols and knives, they first overpowered bank employees and put them inside a room before taking away cash from both the counter and the strong room, said Khirasagar Nayak, Inspector In-charge of Jharsuguda police station.

While one of the miscreants was speaking in Bengali, others were speaking in Hindi. They fled the place soon after committing the crime, the police said.

The Police have sealed all exit points of the industrial town to prevent the miscreants from escaping.

In another incident, above Rs 5 lakh cash were looted by three miscreants from UCO bank, Dhalapur branch, in Dhenkanal district at gun point.

"Two of a three-member group entered the bank and threatened the employees at gun point. They left the place after the crime. However, the police have recovered Rs 1 lakh from near the bank building," said Nikhil Kanodia, SP, Dhenkanal.
Rajya Sabha MPs today condemned the recent police action on Allahabad university students who were protesting against moves to allow only online registration for entrance exams.

During Zero Hour, Tapan Kumar Sen of CPI(M) raised the issue of lathicharge on students on May 2 in which agitating students were "brutally beaten" and several were injured.

Sen said the laticharge took place when the students were protesting the Vice Chancellor's order on compulsory online application and online entrance exam.

"Government of India has declared war with the students of central universities. First it was JNU and Hyderabad University and now it is the Allahabad university," he said.

The concerns raised by Sen found support with many other members in the House.

The president of the Allahabad University Students Union was being targeted by the university administration, Sen claimed.

Students are being threatened with disciplinary action and an FIR has been lodged against Richa Singh and other office bearers of the students union. They have been accused of rioting and vitiating the academic atmosphere of the university, he said.

Sen also informed the House that JNU students are sitting on a hunger strike protesting against the "vindictive punishment order" by the university administration.

He added that JNU Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar is also on hunger strike and his condition is stated to be "very critical".

Last month, JNU rusticated research scholars Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya and fined Kumar Rs 10,000 for their involvement in a controversial event held in campus in the memory of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Leading Russian musicians today staged a classical concert in the ancient theatre of Syria's ravaged Palmyra in a show by the Kremlin to herald its successes in the war-torn country.

Famed conductor Valery Gergiev led Saint Petersburg's celebrated Mariinsky orchestra through pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sergei Prokofiev and Rodion Shchedrin in front of a crowd of Russian soldiers, government ministers and journalists.

Cellist Sergei Roldugin -- a personal friend of President Vladimir Putin recently caught up in the scandal over the leaked Panama Papers -- played a solo against the stunning backdrop of the Roman amphitheatre where jihadists from the Islamic State group staged mass executions less than a year ago.

"Thank you for today's amazing humanitarian act -- the concert in a Palmyra liberated from terrorists," Putin said in an address from Russia broadcast at the start of the concert.

"I see it as a sign of gratitude, of remembrance, of hope," Putin said.

Syrian troops backed by Russian air strikes and special forces on the ground recaptured UNESCO world heritage site Palmyra from Islamic State group fighters in late March, delivering a major propaganda coup for both Damascus and Moscow.

Russian army sappers said last month that they had demined the ancient site -- known as the "Pearl of the Desert" -- where jihadist fighters blew up ancient temples and looted relics.

The Kremlin has shipped foreign journalists to the concert as it basks in the retaking of Palmyra, one of the most significant achievements since it launched a bombing campaign, criticised by the West, to support ally President Bashar al-Assad in September.

Putin said that he saw the concert as a sign "of hope not just for the rebirth of Palmyra as a cultural asset for the whole of humanity, but for seeing modern civilisation rid itself of this terrible scourge of international terrorism".

Mikhail Pyotrovsky, the director of Russia's Hermitage Museum, told journalists at the scene that "Palmyra is injured but she has not been killed" and pledged help in restoring it.

Sitting in the audience, Syrian tour guide Anwar Al-Omar told AFP that while he thought only Russia could help rebuild the ancient town he was downbeat about its prospects in the long-term.
Karnataka High Court Chief Justice S K Mukherjee is likely to replace Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph, who is being shifted out.

The recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium relating to these transfers is before the Law Ministry which is likely to take a decision soon, sources said.

The transfer of Justice Joseph, who has been in the recently following the verdict quashing the President's Rule in Uttarakhand, has been criticised by former Law Minister and Congress leader M Veerappa Moily and former ASG Indira Jaisingh.

"I do not know for what reasons he has been transferred, but if the government has intervened then it will be the most tragic part in the judicial history," Moily said.

"It will make a big dent on the independence of judiciary in the country," he said.

Jaisingh tweeted that "First Justice Shakder who authored the Priya Pillai judgement was transferred, then Justice Joseph who wrote the Uttarakhand judgement."



In another tweet, she said "Was our faith in the judiciary misplaced? Why are judges who write judgements against the government at the Centre being transferred?"



Meanwhile, Acting Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh/ Telangana High Court Justice D B Bhonsle has been recommended for the post of Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court in place of Justice D Y Chandrachud, who has been recommended to be a judge of the Supreme Court.

Justice N Kumar, a senior judge of the Karnataka High Court could be made Acting Chief Justice of that High Court.

Sources said the transfer of Justice Joseph cannot be linked with the Uttarakhand verdict as the Collegium has primacy over judges appointment and the government's role is minimal.
Tata Motors, which was allotted land for its proposed Nano car plant in Singur in West Bengal which eventually was shifted to Gujarat, had a tough time today in the Supreme Court to justify its claim for retaining it.

A bench comprising justices V Gopala Gowda and Arun Mishra questioned the manner in which over 400 acres of land was allotted to Tata Motors without adhering to the section 4 and 5 of the Land Acquisition Act which mandate public notice for receiving objections.

The bench noted that the entire exercise was done by "bulldozing the law" as the then Cabinet suo motu cleared the allocation of the land identified by the automobile major which was the task of the government of the day.

The bench said it was a farcical exercise through which the land was allocated and it was a "legal mala fide".

It said there were several grey areas which needed to be answered and the company has to first address those questions.

The court said, "You cannot argue that they (farmers) have accepted the award so they cannot challenge the acquisition. This case is under different footing and there are several issues which needs to be answered."



Senior advocates appearing for the company had submitted that the matter should be referred to the constitution bench which was not accepted by the bench which continued with the hearing.

The court was hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the quashing of Singur Land Acquisition Act by the Calcutta High Court.

The state government had moved the apex court against the high court order which had struck down the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act 2011 that allowed it to reclaim the 400 acres of land given to Tata Motors.
Markets regulator Sebi is considering changes to its settlement norms by bringing in a new provision that would enable settling all 'insignificant' cases without any "market-wide impact" on payment of certain charges.

The cases pertaining to serious securities market violations, which may have severe impact on the markets, would be left out of the consent framework, Sebi Chairman U K Sinha said today.

"We have conducted a review of our consent mechanism and have found that the total number of consent cases in 2015-16 has come down and the reason it is coming down is that there is a provision in our consent regulations PFUTP (Prevention of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) violations about whether it has market wide impact or not.

"But, our officers and advisory committee were not very sure about what is a market-wide impact," Sinha told reporters on the sidelines of a summit.

"Sebi's intention is that we focus more on serious cases. So we want insignificant cases are taken through this (consent mechanism). Accordingly, we have clarified that to the team, through a guideline, what is the market wide impact.

"The next stage is that there is demand from experts that Sebi should do this through a regulation. So we will be moving in to introduce such changes for some regulations on that," he said.

In the consent settlement process, the entity facing a probe by Sebi is subjected to certain fees and restrictions without admission or denial of alleged irregularities, and the regulator thereafter drops its charges and the investigations with a caveat that all disclosures made to it are correct. The case can still be re-opened if some new facts come up later.

In the past, Sebi has refused consent settlement in some big cases including one Reliance Industries and its erstwhile subsidiary Reliance Petroleum for alleged insider trading.

After Sebi refused to allow consent settlement, the Mukesh Ambani-led company had challenged the decision at the SAT, but its plea was rejected there also. Sebi is yet to pass its order in this case and some experts believe that the changes in settlement norms may pave the way for RIL to make a fresh attempt at settlement process.
Security forces should undertake modern technology upgrade in order to meet emerging challenges in the field, Union Minister for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary today said.

He was speaking at a ceremony in which two central forces -- CISF and SSB -- were awarded for undertaking innovative measures to ensure better public interface.

The minister said such awards would encourage good practices in different states and scale up recognised best practices in police forces.

While the Central Industrial Security Force received the 'Smart Policing' awards given by industry body FICCI for launching an internet-based 'lost and found' service at 59 civil airports in the country, which ensures restoration of lost goods to air travellers, border guarding Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) got it for deploying smartly-dressed personnel along the Nepal and Bhutan border to frisk and allow people to enter into India since last year.

An official data said, last year, articles worth about Rs 11 crore were restored to their bona fide owners and articles worth about Rs 21.5 crore was handed over to various airport operators in the country under this service of CISF, tasked with security duties of airports.

"More than 18,000 items have been found and reported through this web application till now during the said period," the CISF said.

The border interaction teams of SSB were deployed for interacting with people coming into India from Nepal and Bhutan and were made to wear Safari suits instead of their regular combat uniforms.

"The teams are trained in interacting with people with respect and politeness," the SSB said.
Police today arrested six persons for making pirated copies of the Marathi film "Sairat" and seized 23 CDs, in raids conducted at seven places here.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) sleuths seized three computers along with 6000 blank CDs during the operation. Material used for making pirated copies was also recovered, police said.

Surendra Ghosalkar (34), Hashim Khan (21), Shabaaz Khan (22), Mustaq Khan (23), Ibnesh Shah (34) and Abdul Shah alias Bablu (22) were arrested for allegedly making the pirated CDs of the superhit movie.

The accused are booked under relevant sections of IPC (Indian Penal Code) and Information Technology Act.

National award-winning filmmaker and "Sairat" director Nagraj Manjule had yesterday alleged that a copy of the film had been leaked and is being circulated through pirated CDs and other media.

In a similar operation, police yesterday arrested Kasim Shaikh for selling pirated copy of the film under Swargate police station limits in Pune.
Hitting the campaign trail in Tamil Nadu, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today hit out at AIADMK government for alleged "inaction" during the devastating floods last December and for supporting in Parliament the Modi regime despite its failure to help the state.

"At that time of suffering, did your government come forward with help, did the AIADMK come and wipe your tears, did they care to extend helping hand to you, did they bother to reach you and provide relief that you so badly needed?" she asked, referring to the unprecedented deluge in the city and elsewhere in the state caused by torrential rains.

She said it was not the government, it was not the AIADMK but the people who helped one another during "the long hours of fear and distress."



"I salute the people of Chennai and Tamil Nadu for their courage and resilience," she said at the well-attended rally in which DMK chief Karunanidhi and leaders of other alliance parties were present.

Gandhi alleged that Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had assured people that insurance claims will be settled in four weeks but now four months had lapsed and no such thing happened.

"The Modi government has reduced funds for crucial social welfare and rural development programmes for schemes meant for welfare of Scheduled Cstes, Scheduled Tribes for women and children. Yet the AIADMK does not protest and continues to support Modi government in Parliament in Delhi," she said.

She also said farmers were not getting water and people were hit by drinking water scarcity yet "both Modi and AIADMK government have not come to your help."



The Congress chief alleged that development in Tamil Nadu has "virtually come to an end. Farmers were pushed to suicide and handloom industry which sustained lakhs and lakhs of weavers was under acute stress making it "difficult for their families to feed their children and support family.
A Spanish judge wants two senior Russian officials with links to the Kremlin arrested so they can be questioned in court about suspected money laundering and criminal association.

National court judge Jose de la Mata Amaya has issued international arrest warrants for Nikolai Aulov, deputy director of Russia's federal drug control agency, and Vladislav Reznik, who is a member of parliament's lower house for the main Kremlin party and deputy chairman of its financial markets committee. Both men are viewed as allies of President Vladimir Putin.

They are among 15 suspects in a years long investigation into alleged Russian mafia activities in Spain, according to court documents released this week. The court said their whereabouts are not known.

The judge handed down his ruling in January. A national court spokesman said the case was never placed under judicial secrecy after the arrest orders were issued on January 22 but it only became publicly known after Spain's El Mundo on Tuesday published a story based on documents outlining the judge's order.

The spokesman said he did not know whether those named in the document had Spanish lawyers. He spoke on condition of anonymity, in keeping with court policy.

The Russian federal drug control agency said the Spanish judge's decision to seek Aulov's arrest was "legally unprofessional, a political hit job and perhaps connected with drug mafia revenge," the state RIA Novosti agency reported.

A lawyer for Reznik, Alexander Gofshtein, also has described the case as being politically driven.

The judge ordered that three suspects should be held without bail if they are captured. The others, including Aulov and Reznik, are to be brought to Spain for questioning so that a judge can determine whether they should also be held pending a possible trial.

If they are in Russia, however, that is unlikely since Russia's constitution bars the extradition of Russian citizens to other countries.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will travel to Britain and India next week to attend an anti-corruption summit and a religious event in the two countries respectively, foreign ministry officials said today.

President Sirisena will leave for London on May 11 to attend the Anti-Corruption Summit hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron on May 12, they said.

Cameron had invited Sirisena when the two leaders met at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Malta last year.

The summit, a first of its kind, will bring together world leaders, business and civil society to agree a package of practical steps to expose corruption, punish the perpetrators and support those affected by corruption and drive out the culture of corruption wherever it exists.

The summit will seek to galvanise a global response to tackle corruption.

From Britain, the President will travel to India on May 13 on an invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend a religious meeting.
A day after high-voltage debate on AgustaWestland issue, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was today targeted in Rajya Sabha by Congress members who wanted to know how he got access to sensitive and secret files of CBI and ED and whether he had authenticated the documents quoted by him.

Deputy Leader of Congress Anand Sharma raised a point of order, saying sensitive documents of CBI and ED had been referred to when Swamy spoke in the House yesterday.

The House "must know how an honourable member or rather less honourable member" was given access to sensitive and secret files, which he has refused to authenticate and place on the table of the House, Sharma said.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the Rule will take its own course if Swamy had not complied with his ruling that all documents he was quoting must be authenticated by him and placed on the table of the House.

"It (the ruling) has to be complied with... That has to be complied with," Kurien said.

As Congress members protested, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Swamy had authenticated and placed on the table of the House the documents he had quoted. Swamy has taken care of the issue, Naqvi said.

Later, another Congress member Jairam Ramesh wanted to know whether the documents, which were quoted by Swamy to target the opposition party, were authenticated or not.

"Yesterday you had asked a member of the House to authenticate documents. Have all those documents been authenticated and made available to the House? Have all those authenticated documents been submitted to the House," he asked the Deputy Chairman.

Ramesh alleged that the member was making "inunendos" on the basis of those papers.

Kurien said he will get it examined.

Ramesh, however, persisted asking "how much time it will take? You say you will expunge (unparliamentary comments) but can you expunge them from YouTube, from the live television? He has not authenticated till now."



Kurien said he will ask the Rajya Sabha Secretary General to put up a note in this regard.

Swamy, a newly-nominated member, had yesterday said he was quoting Italian court's documents to allege that a bribe of 30 million euros was paid in the Rs 3600 crore deal for 12 VVIP choppers. Out of this, 6 million euros went to IAF personnel, 8.4 million euros to bureaucrats and Rs 125 crore to 'AP', Swamy had claimed.

Congress members had insisted then on authentication of whatever he was reading from.

He replied that he was reading from the same note that Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi read from and that if he were to authenticate, then Singhvi also should do so as there cannot be separate rules for different people.

In the midst of exchanges, Kurien had said both will have to authenticate.
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal will lead a high level delegation to Shanghai in China from May 7 to showcase the state as an attractive investment destination.

During his four-day visit, Badal, accompanied by a delegation of top state officers, would visit an international cycle show on Sunday (May 8) and attend a meeting with China Bicycle Association.

The Deputy Chief Minister is scheduled to have parleys with top Chinese business leaders from sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, textiles and infrastructure development and impress upon them to invest in the state, an official release said.

Badal will also hold a meeting with Vice Chairman, Shanghai Municipal Agricultural Commission, Feng Ziyong on May 9 and visit Suzhou Industrial Park the next day. He will also participate in an investment summit on May 11.

Other members of the delegation include Pankaj Munjal, Chairman, Hero Cycles and Bhavdeep Sardana, Director, Sukhjit Starch and Chemicals.
Sun Pharma has inked a pact with International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) to develop a novel botanical drug for the treatment of dengue, which could hit the market in four years.

"Today we have signed an agreement for the development of Cissampelos pariera (Cipa), a botanical drug, in collaboration with ICGEB. Usually any drug development takes around 4-8 years but since we have done some pre-clinical work already we expect the drug to hit markets in the next four years," Sun Pharma Senior Vice President - Business Development and Portfolio Management Kirti Ganorkar told PTI.

Once developed, the company plans to register the drug across various global markets, he added.

"As we go along, we will apply to get it registered all over the world," Ganorkar said.

The agreement permits Sun Pharma access to all the intellectual properties of the drug across 17 countries.

When asked about the pricing of the product, Ganorkar said: "We are still at a very early stage and it is difficult to say about the pricing but one thing I can say right now is that our target is to make it very affordable."



Sun Pharma will fund the entire development programme and pay royalty following commercialisation of the drug. ICGEB on the other hand will provide the technical know-how and pre-clinical expertise.

However, the Mumbai-based drug major did not disclose the financial details citing confidentiality clause.

A botanical drug is a plant-derived medicinal product that is intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease in humans.

ICGEB Director Dinakar M Salunke said a drug for dengue is being increasingly recognised as an unmet public health need.

"Using the knowledge of traditional Indian medicine, we explored the indigenous herbal bio-resource to identify plants with pan-DENV inhibitory activity and identified Cipa as a safe, affordable and effective solution," Salunke added.

Sun Pharma said the estimated cost of medical care for those who get infected with dengue is equal to nearly USD 550 million annually. Additional indirect economic costs, which are borne by patients and their families, lost wages, will be another USD 550 million.

India represents nearly 50 per cent of the global population estimated to be at risk of dengue. It is believed that dengue costs India over USD 1.1 billion annually.
Director Yash Chopra, who shot most of his romantic dramas in the lush mountains of Switzerland, has been honoured with a special statue by the government.

The bronze statue of the late filmmaker, which weighs about 250 kilos, was inaugurated on Wednesday by his wife Pamela and daughter-in-law Rani Mukerjee, said a statement from Yash Raj Films.

Chopra, who opened a legacy of South Asian tourists flocking to Switzerland, loved to spend time in the country besides shooting his movies.

This statue is installed at the heart of Interlaken, inside the Kursaal area, near the Congress Centre which is a prime, popular spot with tourists.

Ministers and senior bureaucrats from the Swiss government attended the inauguration event that was organised by Interlaken Tourism and Jungfrau Railways.

This is not the first time the filmmaker has been honoured in this way. The government of Interlaken awarded him the honorary title of "Ambassador of Interlaken" in 2011, and Jungfrau Railways named a train after him - an honour shared only with the railway's founder, Adolf Guyer.

The five-star Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken also named a suite after Yash Chopra.
Residents fleeing a voracious wildfire in western Canada's Fort McMurray thronged a tiny hamlet several hours away today as firefighters battled to contain the raging blaze consuming a huge section of Alberta's oil sands region.

By the thousands, evacuees are arriving in Lac La Biche after making a chaotic escape from the epicenter of the inferno that has claimed two lives and destroyed entire neighborhoods of the oil city of Fort McMurray and its outskirts.

So far about 100,000 people have fled the path of the monster blaze some have dubbed "the beast."



"There's no guide on how to get out of a forest fire," evacuee Alan Javierto told AFP in Lac La Biche, about 300 kilometers south of Fort McMurray, where many recounted a hurried, frightening escape as homes and businesses were reduced to cinders.

Television footage showed trees ablaze right on the edge of highways crowded with bumper-to-bumper traffic trying to leave the disaster zone, as billowing black smoke darkened the sky.

The government has declared a state of emergency in Alberta, a province the size of France that is home to one of the world's most prodigious oil-producing industries.

"The footage we've seen, the cars racing down highways while fire rages on all sides is nothing short of terrifying," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told lawmakers in Ottawa.

Trudeau's government has pledged to match one dollar for each dollar donated by the public to the Red Cross, which is providing aid to those in need.

Authorities have been battling the blaze with air tankers, helicopters and hundreds of firefighters, even as high winds have continued to whip up and spread the flames.

The flight from Fort McMurray began in earnest shortly before midnight Tuesday after a mandatory evacuation order in the city.

Late yesterday fires forced the evacuation of Saprae Creek, a neighborhood east of the city's airport where even firefighters were forced to pull out.

Oil companies crucial to the region such as Suncor, Syncrude and Shell are also pulling out non-essential employees, and several firms have set up emergency shelters in their huge bungalow worker communities.

The fire has already destroyed some 2,000 homes on the outskirts of Fort McMurray, consuming 10,000 hectares, authorities said.

The region has been left bone-dry after a period of unusually scant rainfall and unseasonably high temperatures.
Police have arrested three persons and seized a total of five firearms from them in two separate incidents in the district, an officer said today.

"One of the firearms seized from them was manufactured at Indian Ordnance Factory at Kanpur and of 0.32 bore," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Parag Manere told reporters.

He said police arrested Chandrakant Naik (28) from Dombivli (east) in the district on May 3 and seized from him the Kanpur-make revolver, besides a 7.65 mm bore pistol and 2 cartridges.

Police also picked up his accomplice, identified as Durgesh Mhatre, and recovered a country-made revolver and a cartridge from him on the same day.

The collective value of the weapons is Rs 1.15 lakh, the officer said.

"Thane police are in the process of finding out from the Ordnance Factory whether the revolver was stolen from there," he said, adding that police are also trying to identify the person who was supposed to purchase the weapon from Naik.

Another person, identified as Abhay Mhatre who is believed to be an aide of the duo, is absconding.

In another case, police picked up one Sonu Tajisingh Parihar from Ulhasnagar township and seized two country-made revolvers from him yesterday.

Singh is charged under Arms Act.
Security will be tightened in and around the city here from tomorrow in view of the visit by top political leaders, including a brief halt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for electioneering in the next few days.

Modi will be arriving at the city airport tomorrow at around 1.15 PM by a special flight en route to neighboring Kerala for campaigning.

After a five minute-halt, he will shift to helicopter and leave for Palakkad in Kerala, some 40 km from here, police said.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will also address an election meeting here on May 7 in support of DMK-Congress-MMK alliance candidates, they said.

Works for putting up a large stage are in progress and senior Congress leaders are supervising the arrangements at VOC Park Grounds, police said.

BJP President Amit Shah is scheduled to visit the city for an election meeting at the same ground on May nine.

BJP and alliance party leaders today inspected works at the spot.

Considering the high profile VIPs, the city will be under tight security cover during the three days, police added.
Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu today announced he would step down in two weeks as ruling party chief and premier, in a shock exit set to further boost President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's growing powers.

Divisions between Davutoglu and Erdogan that had been rumoured for months burst into the open yesterday, with the two leaders holding crisis talks at the presidential palace that failed to resolve the conflict.

Davutoglu said after a central executive committee meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) that the party would hold an extraordinary congress on May 22 and he would not be standing for a new mandate.

This means that the premier -- who headed the government since 2014 when Erdogan moved from the premiership to the presidency -- will step aside from his twin jobs of AKP boss and prime minister and the congress will choose a new leader.

According to the conventions of the AKP -- a party co-founded by Erdogan to bring Islam into the mainstream of Turkey's secular politics -- the party chairman and head of government are the same person.

"I don't think I will be a candidate in the next congress in the current circumstances," Davutoglu said.

He added that after "consultations with friends", including Erdogan, "I have decided that it will be better to change party leader... For the continuation of the AK Party's unity".

The development, branded a "palace coup" by the opposition, rattled financial markets.

In an emotional farewell statement, Davutoglu gave a long description of his achievements as premier and insisted he held no regrets.

But alluding to a lack of support by some within the AKP, he said he could not be a candidate for the party leadership "if there is no consensus".

The appointment of a potentially more pliant prime minister would allow Erdogan to further consolidate his powers as he seeks to win backing for controversial constitutional changes to make Turkey a presidential system.

Since becoming president after over decade as premier, Erdogan has sought to tighten his grip on the levers of power, leading critics to accuse him of authoritarianism and cracking down on press freedom.

"What happened is a palace coup. Davutoglu should have resisted," said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
Two brothers, stated to be Congress supporters, were today hacked with sharp weapon and shot at by unidentified men in Sujapur of Malda district with the opposition alleging involvement of Trinamool Congress in the incident.

A senior police officer, however, maintained that the incident was due to property dispute and there was no political angle to it.

Sirajul Islam was standing in front of his house when some unidentified motorcycle-borne men stopped nearby and attacked him with sharp weapon, the police officer said.

On hearing Sirajul's cry for help, his brother Monsur rushed out and he too was attacked by the assailants who then open fired on the duo.

The brothers, who had reportedly worked for Congress during the Assembly poll in the area a few days back, were taken to Malda Medical College and their condition was stated to be stable.

Local Congress and CPI(M) leaders claimed that "TMC carried out the attack to create fear psychosis among the opposition members in the area".

However, Trinamool Congress slammed the "two new friends" of "doing cheap politics over a village feud".
Two militants, belonging to the banned United Tribal Liberation Army (UTLA), were arrested today by security forces at Lalpani in Cachar district.

Acting on specific information, a joint team of the police and Assam Rifles launched a joint operation in the area along the Assam-Manipur border and arrested the duo, Cachar Superintendent of Police Rajbir Singh said.

The militants were identified as Lalbykelien Gengte and Chonken Simte, both belonging to Manipur, and were allegedly involved in several killings in the neighboring state.

A gun, two wireless sets, two mobile handsets and Rs 50,000 in cash were recovered from the two militants, Singh said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron today stood by his criticism of Donald Trump's vow to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, after an adviser to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee asked for an apology.

Cameron, who had dismissed the idea as "divisive, stupid and wrong" when Trump proposed it in December, told a press conference in London that it was clear that "the policy idea that was put forward was wrong".

However, he said the billionaire property tycoon "deserves our respect" for his victory in one of the most contentious and chaotic nomination battles in generations.

In the wake of a shooting by a Muslim couple in San Bernardino, California, that left 14 dead, Trump urged a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".

The remarks prompted condemnation from around the world, and Cameron told parliament: "I think his remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong and I think if he came to visit our country, he would unite us all against him."



He was responding to a question about a petition signed by more than half a million people calling for Trump to be banned from entering Britain, where Muslims make up about five percent of the population.

A foreign policy advisor to Trump, George Papadopoulos, told The Times this week that the campaign team had been shocked by the British prime minister's comments.

"I can't speak directly for him (Trump) but it would seem that if prime minister Cameron is serious about reaching out, not only to Mr Trump's advisers but to the man himself, an apology or some sort of retraction should happen," Papadopoulos was quoted as saying.

Asked today whether he owed Trump an apology, Cameron told reporters: "It's obviously a matter for the voters in the US to decide who they choose as their next president.

"Knowing the gruelling nature of primaries and what you have to go through, anyone who makes it through that extraordinary contest to lead their party into a general election certainly deserves our respect.

"But what I said about Muslims, I won't change that view, I don't change that view, I'm very clear that the policy idea that was put forward was wrong, is wrong and will remain wrong.
The UN Security Council's sanctions committee has sought information from member states about individuals involved in supplying funds to terror groups like al-Qaeda or ISIS to blacklist them, saying freezing of assets are one area the "sanctions can really bite".

"It is crucial that member states, particularly those neighbouring Iraq and Syria, are vigilant in implementing the 1267 regime," Chair of the ISIL and al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Gerard van Bohemen of New Zealand said in a briefing to the Security Council here yesterday.

He said the movement of funds and fighters outside of ISIS controlled territory provides an opportunity for members states to prevent the wider spread of ISIS.

"This is where the sanctions measures can have the most impact. When effectively targeted and implemented, the sanctions can place pressure on ISIS and its affiliates, preventing dispersal of funds and disrupting further attacks on civilian populations," Bohemen said.

He said the "measures for freezing of assets are one areathe sanctions can really bite" but for this, the committee needs targeted designations of individuals involved in the generation and movement of assets.

"Member states with information about these individuals and entities have an important role to play in putting forward new listing requests. It is also crucial that member states provide updated information to the monitoring team in the 1267 committee on the nature of the threat, listed individuals, entities and status of their implementation," Bohemen said.

Such information is fundamental to the operation of the regime, he said.

"The Council and the international community can only target their response effectively if they have up to date information," Bohemen said.

Late in March, China had again blocked India's bid in the Sanctions Committee to ban Jaish-e-Mohammed chief and mastermind of the Pathankot terror attack Masood Azhar.

After the attack on the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot in January, India had in February written to the UN, calling for immediate action to list Azhar under the al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee.

However, China had blocked thebid by putting a technical hold. India had strongly slammed the use of the "hidden veto" in the Sanctions Committee, saying "the procedures of unanimity and anonymity of the al-Qaeda, Taliban and ISIS Sanctions Committees need to be revisited. The procedures of unanimity and anonymity result in a lack of accountability.

Bohemen said while ISIS had lost control of some territory



and the destruction of significant parts of its oil infrastructure had led to a drop in its internal capacity to generate revenue, the group was looking to increase its revenues through internal taxation, the smuggling of antiquities and kidnapping for ransom.

While some foreign terrorist fighters returned from conflict zones disillusioned by what they had experienced, others returned radicalised, battle-hardened and well- networked, Bohemen said.

He warned that such fighters posed a great risk to the wider international community and it was difficult to detect their travel because many used broken travel routes to and from conflict zones, which made it much harder to track them.

ISIS affiliates were also steadily gaining footholds in Libya, Afghanistan and Yemen, becoming increasingly important to the main group's survival.

Noting that the movement of funds and fighters outside ISIL-controlled territory provided an opportunity for Member States to detect and prevent its spreading further afield, he said sanctions, when effectively targeted and implemented, could exert pressure on ISIL and its affiliates, preventing them from distributing funds and disrupting further attacks on civilian populations.
Two top UN officials have told the Security Council that those responsible for hospital attacks and starvation sieges in Syria's frontline city of Aleppo should face trial for war crimes.

The 15-member council met yesterday to discuss the crisis in Aleppo just as the United States and Russia agreed to extend a truce to end nearly two weeks of near-constant attacks in the northern city.

"Let me be absolutely clear once again: intentional and direct attacks on hospitals are war crimes," said the UN's top political affairs official, Jeffrey Feltman.

"Using starvation as a weapon during conflict is a war crime."



Feltman demanded that Syria be referred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague for war crimes prosecutions.

"Those responsible for war crimes must be held to account," he said.

A bid by the council in 2014 to refer Syria to the ICC was blocked by China and Syrian ally Russia, and it appeared unlikely that a new push for such action would garner enough support.

UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien said "life for people in Aleppo is horrendous" as he condemned the "inexcusable, deeply disturbing attacks" on medical facilities.

Those responsible for the attacks "must understand that these acts cannot and will not be forgotten," said O'Brien.

"Those who are responsible must know that they will one day be held accountable," he added.

Hospitals in both rebel and government-held areas of Aleppo have been hit, triggering global outrage and calls for an end to the fighting.

The upsurge in Aleppo has left hundreds dead and is threatening to derail international efforts to resume peace talks in Geneva this month and push ahead with a plan to end the five-year war.

The United States, France and Britain put the blame squarely on the regime for the escalation, but Russia insisted Bashar al-Assad's forces are fighting terror groups in the city.

"The regime has launched more than 300 air strikes, 110 artillery strikes and 18 missiles, and dropped more than 68 bombs on the city over just these last two weeks," US Ambassador Samantha Power told the council meeting.

Power rejected Russian and Syrian claims that the attacks were directed at extremists, saying recent targets included an ambulance, a market, a bakery, a school and a mosque.

Syria's Deputy UN Ambassador Mounzer Mounzer said regime forces were taking on terror groups in Aleppo.

"What the Syrian government has been doing in the city of Aleppo is merely the fulfilment of its obligations to protect its citizens from terrorism," he told the council.
Amid growing cries seeking justice for the victim of Kerala's sensational rape and murder, the state government today asserted the culprits would be brought to justice even as the chief investigating officer in the case was removed.

"It is a serious case. It is a time taking investigation. Scientific evidences are required. There are no lapses and efforts are being done to nab the real culprits through a scientific probe," Home Minister Chennithala told a meet-the- press here.

In a related development, Chief Investigating officer DySP Anil Kumar was removed and A B Jijimon appointed to head the team probing the rape and brutal murder of the 30-year-old Dalit law student at her home in Perumbavoor on April 28.

Chennithala said the shake-up was done as Jijimon has a better understanding of Perumbavoor area.

As the incident is becoming a campaign material for the May 16 assembly polls with both ruling UDF and rival LDF trading charges over ensuring safety of women, police said Kumar would continue in the probe team, which is under supervision of ADGP Padmakumar and IG Ernakulam Mahipal Yadav.

Union Social Justice Minister Thawarchand Gehlot visited Perumbavoor and held discussions with officials. Gehlot visited the victim's mother at the Taluk hospital in Perumbavoor where she is undergoing treatment and assured her that the government would ensure that the family gets justice.

He kept the media at bay, saying as the Model Code of Conduct was in place due to the May 16 Assembly elections in Kerala, he would not make any statement.

The minister, who held meetings with investigating officials, said he had been deputed by the Rajya Sabha and the report he prepared about the incident would be tabled in the the Upper House tomorrow.

National Women's Commission chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam also visited the victim's mother and said, "The whole country is shocked that such a brutality has taken place."



Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes P L Punia expressed concern over the delay in arresting culprits and said if family wants, he will push for a CBI probe into the gruesome incident.

"This is highly shocking," Punia told PTI after visiting the victim's mother and her house in Perumbavoor and asked the Kerala police to immediately arrest the culprits who committed the heinous murder.

Noting that "Kerala has never been known for this kind of brutality as we see in North India including New Delhi", Punia said there has been "some flaw" in implementing the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 enacted against the backdrop of Delhi gangrape incident in Kerala in its letter and spirit.

"...It is a matter of concern that the culprits have not been arrested so far. Whatever efforts have been taken, that has not reflected in the arrest of the culprits," said Punia.

He said police have informed him they have interrogated a number of people in connection with the incident.

"About 125 people have been interrogated, questioned, and 10 very intensely questioned and they are hopeful that something would come out and the culprit would be arrested within next one or two days," he said.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik today referred two controversial bills to President Pranab Mukherjee, including one to curtail powers of mayors, which led to a war of words between senior minister Azam Khan and Raj Bhavan.

The Governor has sent Uttar Pradesh Nagar Nigam (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and UP Nagarpalika Vidhi (Amendment) Bill, 2015 to President Pranab Mukherjee for reference, a Raj Bhavan release said here.

After going through both the Bills, the Governor found that some provisions in the two proposed legislations were contrary to the concept of local self administration and democracy, it said.

Referring to a provision in the Nagar Nigam Bill, the release said it empowers the government to issue show cause notice to Mayors and chairmen on getting complaints of corruption, inaction and misbehaviour with officials and in case of not being satisfied with their replies, can curtail their administrative and financial powers and give their charge to administrative officials.

After that, the government will order an inquiry against them but who will conduct it and its process has not been stated in the bill, it said.

The Governor has also informed the Chief Minister about sending these bills to the President.

Azam Khan has alleged that the Bill was not given assent so that mayors could not be punished for their "dishonesty".

He accused the Governor of stalling several bills by not giving his assent and that it was giving an impression that Naik was working under the "influence of a party".
Slamming brakes on a water-train offered by the Centre for the parched Bundelkhand region, the Uttar Pradesh government today said the crisis was "not as serious" as in Maharashtra's Latur.

The state government, however, requested the Centre to provide it 10,000 tankers for distributing water in the region.

"UPCM @yadavakhilesh requests GOI for 10,000 road tankers to distribute water in Bundelkhand from available water resources around the region (sic)," the CM office tweeted.

Bundelkhand is facing a crippling shortage of water and with an eye on the 2017 Assembly polls, political parties are trying to take credit for resolving the crisis.

Ruling Samajwadi Party has accused local BJP leaders of asking the Centre for a water-train to snatch credit from the Akhilesh Yadav government, which has distributed relief packets in the region.

"We do not have any requirement to bring water by train ...We have made arrangements for providing water...Wherever tankers are required, an assesment has been made and tankers have been bought," Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan said.

"There is no such crisis (that we need) to bring water from outside," he said, adding handpumps have been rebored and ponds redug for ensuring water to the people of these areas.

In a similar refrain, senior Uttar Pradesh minister Shivpal Singh Yadav said in Kanpur, "We do not need water from outside...When we will need water, we will ask for it...Where will we store it if it comes through train like this?"



Meanwhile, a 10-wagon water-train for Bundelkhand has reached Jhansi where it is parked in the railway yard.

"The wagons are ready to be filled with water from a nearby reservoir for dispatch to the destination as and when needed," Commercial Officer, Jhansi Railway Division, Girish Kanchan said.

"So far, there is no demand from anywhere for water...It will be sent if there is any demand or if we get any further directives," Kanchan said.

District Magistrate of Mahoba Biresh Kumar said water was available in nearby villages and it will be fetched from those sources. "If there is no water source, request will be made to make alternative arrangements," he said.

With social media going abuzz with reports that the water train sent by the Centre was empty, the Chief Minister directed DM Jhansi to conduct an inquiry.

The Chief Minister will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the drought and water crisis in Bundelkhand in New Delhi on May 7, official sources said.

With Bundelkhand facing severe heat wave and drought, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced a special package for the parched area, while the Centre has chalked out a multi- pronged strategy to mitigate the woes of distressed farmers, several of whom have committed suicide.
The US has said it is concerned about the allegations of gross violations of human rights in by its security forces during its counter-terrorism operations.

"We have seen the reports of his (a local leader's) death while in military custody, and we would direct you to the Pakistanis for any further information on the events surrounding his death," State Department spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau told PTI.

She was responding to a question on the death of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Aftab Ahmed, who died in the custody of Rangers paramilitary force under controversial circumstances.

Read more from our special coverage on "PAKISTAN"

MQM has accused rangers of extrajudicial killings. According to a Dawn report, Director General Rangers Maj Gen Bilal Akber on Tuesday accepted that the MQM leader was tortured by Rangers in custody, but maintained that he died due to a heart attack.

"Even as Pakistan undertakes difficult and important counter-terrorism operations on its territory, the United States remains concerned about allegations of gross violations of human rights in Pakistan," Trudeau said.

"Indeed, we consistently discuss these concerns with the government of Pakistan, in both civilian and military channels, as part of our ongoing dialogue on counter-terrorism and security cooperation," she said.

"That dialogue, including at the highest levels, emphasises that any excessive or extrajudicial use of force or breaches in due process and the rule of law ultimately undermines Pakistan's democracy and long-term counter-terrorism efforts," Trudeau said.

Last week, in a memorandum to the State Department and US lawmakers, MQM alleged that the Pakistani Army and its paramilitary Rangers are conducting atrocities against the Mujahir community in Karachi.

"Since the formation of MQM in 1984, over 20,000 of its workers and supporters (mostly ethnic Mujahirs) have been brutally murdered by the Pakistan Army and other law enforcement agencies," it said.

The memorandum titled "SOS" was accompanied with a fact sheet report about extrajudicial killing, arrest and missing workers in Karachi since 2013. Copies of the memorandum, along with the report, was also presented to members of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee by members of MQM US during a Congressional hearing on Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

"Since 2013, thousands of MQM workers have been arrested and tortured by paramilitary rangers, dozens have been extrajudicially murdered and hundreds have disappeared while their whereabouts are still unknown," the memorandum said.
A coalition of countries battling Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq pledged today to pour more resources into the fight, after coming under strong pressure from Washington for greater contributions.

The promise came after a meeting in Stuttgart of defence ministers from countries involved in the anti-IS coalition, during which US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter drove home the message that to deal IS a body blow, "all must do more".

Carter's call to step up the fight came just a week after US President Barack Obama reiterated a long-standing demand for members of NATO to increase their defence spending to meet the alliance's target of two percent of output.

In a joint statement, the coalition stressed their "strong support to further accelerate and reinforce the success of our partners on the ground and for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term, in order to hasten the collapse of ISIL's control" over the city of Mosul in Iraq and Syria's Raqqa.

Speaking to reporters, Carter said he was "confident that today's meeting will produce additional military commitments".

Besides military resources, defence ministers meeting at the US European Command's headquarters also examined their economic and political contributions to the campaign, he said.

"It's going to take more to win. We're going to win but we all need to do more," Carter told reporters.

"This fight is far from over and there are great risks," he said.

But "allowing ISIL safe haven would carry even greater risk. To accelerate ISIL's lasting defeat, all must do more," he said, using another acronym for the Islamic State group.

Carter also paid tribute to a US Navy SEAL who was killed in Iraq today during an IS attack on a position of Kurdish peshmerga forces north of Mosul.

"The whole country has to be grateful to this young man and his family for this sacrifice. But tragically losses will occur.

"This is necessary to protect our country and not to do something would entail even greater risks," he said after the talks with the defence ministers of Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Spain.

Carter said he had proposed that the anti-IS coalition hold another meeting in Washington this summer.
The Voluntary Health Association of Assam (VHAA), supporting bigger pack warnings on tobacco, has welcomed the Supreme Court directive to tobacco companies to implement the new rule of 85 per cent pictorial health warnings on both sides of tobacco product packets.

"We welcome the Supreme Court directive that also clarified that Pictorial Warning Rules of 2014 have come into effect from April 1 last. Therefore, all steps should be taken to enforce the order and petitioners cannot violate the notification issued by the Health Ministry", VHAA Executive Secretary Ruchira Neog said today.

Enforcement of the new bigger pictorial pack warnings rule will bring greater awareness about the serious and adverse health impact of tobacco use especially among youth, children and illiterate, she said.

The Supreme Court yesterday passed the directive staying an earlier order of the Karnataka High Court which had prevented implementation of these rules and directed that all matters (27 writ petitions) will be heard by one court, the Karnataka High Court, in the next 8 weeks.

VHAA is one of the organisations in the country that has been actively supporting the implementation of the 85 per cent Pictorial Health Warning Rules in India by tobacco companies.

Meanwhile, in a positive development a major tobacco company and chewing tobacco companies have started implementing the 85 per cent pictorial health warnings on both sides of their packs of their known brands and most selling ones, Neog said.

The packs that bear April 2016 as the manufacturing date, she said, "by implementing the 85 per cent pictorial health warnings the tobacco and chewing tobacco companies have showed there are no issues in implementation of the new health warnings.

They demonstrate that there is sufficient space for brand names, etc and is a clear testimony that this is practical and possible".

"It's practical in implementing the new tobacco health



warnings and if these companies can implement the new health warnings why can't others", the VHAA Executive Secretary asked.

"The arguments given by other cigarette companies and beedi industry are all baseless now. Tobacco companies' claims about limited branding space due to the size of the pictorial health warnings is unwarranted", Neog asserted.

"There is no evidence to suggest that pictorial warnings have adversely effected livelihoods of tobacco growers and workers since their introduction in 2009.

On the contrary, production of tendu, bidi tobacco, bidis and cigarettes has increased year on year since 2010.

Millions of people engaged in tobacco farming, manufacture and production activities face economic and health hazards", she claimed.

"Another tobacco industry argument suggesting an increase in illicit trade due to the larger pictorial health warnings is a myth perpetuated by the industry.

Factors that determine illicit trade include the Government's ability to enforce tax measures and collect duties, the ease and cost of smuggling tobacco in a country and the extent of tobacco industry participation in such trade activities", Neog said.

"As a matter of fact, prominent pictorial warning on tobacco products will enable enforcement agencies to identify illegal/smuggled cigarettes and help them to seize non-compliant products", she pointed out.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump today said his vice presidential pick would be someone with political experience having the respect to deal with the Senate and the Congress.

After a stunning victory in the Indiana primary that made him the Republican presumptive nominee, 69-year-old Trump did not hint at any names but said most likely his deputy would have political experience.

"Most likely, and it will be probably a person with political experience. Because I mean, while I've been in the world of politics all my life, the business, I will handle so well, we will bring our jobs back and we'll bring our economy back," he said in an interview to ABC .

"But I would like to have somebody that could truly be good with respect to dealing with the Senate, dealing with Congress, getting legislation passed, working toward something where we're not signing executive orders every three days like President (Barack) Obama does," Trump said.

But at this point he has no names in mind, he said in response to a question.

"Not a name in mind, but I do like the political sphere. I mean, you know, you have the military sphere, you have the political sphere and you have the business. Well, the business, I handle. I think I'm going to be very, very good on the military, to be honest with you. I think that will be the hidden strength," he said.

"And I think probably I would like to go with somebody with great political experience," Trump said.

He said that he would unite the party and would not only be raising funds for the party but also writing big cheques.

"I'll be writing big cheques. I'll be making major contributions to the party," he said.

"So far, I've spent my own money. I think it's listed at USD 44 million, and that has been my own money, and also taken small contributions," he said.

"(Going forward), we will probably take small contributions. We'll take the limits. I don't want big contributions now. People can contribute to the party. There will be a unification, there's no question about it. I'm really looking at small contributions, really not the big ones," Trump said.

Claiming that a number of Republican leaders are calling him to join the "Trump Train", he hoped that his bitter primary rival Senator Ted Cruz from Texas would endorse him.

"I think it would be nice. I've been saying for a long time that there's some people that I almost don't want their endorsement, Republicans, I really don't, because it was too rough and they were too nasty. And I don't think it's going to matter, frankly. It's going to be me," he said.

"And I am a Republican and I'll do a good job. And I'll do a great job on trade and on the economy, on jobs, bringing jobs back. That's -- you know, I'll do great on the military," he said.
Filmmaker Omung Kumar says he hopes that his upcoming biopic "Sarbjit" gets released in Pakistan also as there is nothing objectionable in the movie.

The film is based on Sarabjit Singh, an Indian national who died following an assault by fellow prisoners at a Pakistani jail.

"We are sending it (the film) to them for their censor (board). There is nothing objectionable in the film. We would like it to release everywhere. We have just told the facts and these are from both sides, India as well as Pakistan," Omung told PTI.

The film stars Randeep Hooda in the titular role of the Indian convict, who was convicted of terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court.

Omung, who previously directed "Mary Kom", wants the Pakistan censor board to watch the film and then take a call.

"Once they see the film it will be clear to them. Without seeing the film anybody can say it's a wrong thing. They should see the film and take a judgement on it," he said.

Scheduled to release on May 20, the film stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, as Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur, Richa Chadda, Darshan Kumar among others.
It is for survival of the human race and love for it that directions have been passed for the past one year on the issue of air pollution, the Delhi High Court today said while asking AAP government to show what has been done to protect trees in the city.

"We are not fighting for the environment but for survival of the human race. Not for love of plants and trees, but love for the human race," a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva said while noting that forest density was less in many areas of the capital.

"Show us what you have done in last one year? Show us photos and maps? Show us the action you have taken? We do not want words (on paper) we want to see it," the bench added.

It observed that normally when a nature was left to itself, it would reclaim the land it has lost, but the human race never leaves anything alone.

"Greed overtakes everything," it added.

The court directed the Delhi government to place before it data of 1996 with regard to forest cover as it existed back then in the national capital and the current position. It directed the government to file the data and reports within six weeks.

Delhi Police, meanwhile, was asked to file an affidavit within two weeks on how it was going to utilise balance funds of around Rs 175 crore that was currently with it and with specific timelines.

The direction was issued after central government standing counsel Vivek Goyal informed the bench that as per a communication received from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Rs 275 crore was allocated for the period 2012-2017 to Delhi Police for spending on modernisation of traffic and communication network of the force, but only about Rs 100 crore has been spent till 2016.

Taking note of the submission, the court observed that the police had spent only "paltry sums" in last four years and now in the fifth year of plan, it was going to "splurge" which was "not how planning works".
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said she would protect the special status guaranteed to Jammu and Kashmir under article 370 of the Constitution, as she was promise-bound and cannot betray the people.

"When we fight elections, be it BJP or Congress or PDP, we take oath that we will protect the constitutions of India and J-K. So, we are promise-bound and we cannot betray. This is our identity and we have to protect it," Mehbooba said here.

She was addressing a gathering before flagging-off four new DEMU trains between Banihal-Baramulla and Baramulla-Budgam in Kashmir Valley at Anantnag railway station.

Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu flagged-off the trains through video-conferencing from Rail Bhawan in New Delhi.

Mehbooba said before taking oath as the chief minister, she was asked not to ally with the BJP, but she responded by saying that in 1947 the state had already acceded to the whole country, which included the saffron party.

"But what we have to see is how to protect our identity. Those things which the God has given us and the constitution of India has given to us, we have to protect them.

Recently, there was a conference in Delhi where Chief Justice and all the justices of the country were present. I told them only one thing that Jammu and Kashmir's special position under Article 370 is part of Indian constitution," she said.

The Chief Minister, however, said that for protecting the identity of the state, the impression that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is very bad, needs to be changed.

"There are a lot of misconceptions about J-K. The girls in our state are safe compared to the rest of the country. The good things about Kashmir do not reach the people outside. The discussion is only about when someone pelts a stone or waves a flag.

I feel this (train) service is the start of the coming of good things," she said.

Recounting the events of the past four months, the Chief



Minister asked the civil and police administration to reach out to the families of those who died or suffered injuries in the ongoing situation and also devise a strategy so that their miseries could be lessened.

"We have to support the affected families whatever can we can," she said.

"Those who died or suffered injuries are our own people. Reach out to their families. I should get the exact figures so that we can take a decision about their future. It will be good to involve elders and local Auqaf Committees in the process," Mehbooba added.

Invoking the rich cultural traditions of Jammu and Kashmir, she said these values of amity and brotherhood can help in combating the extremist onslaught.

"We can't fight everything with guns and jail. We will have to look for alternative means to ensure peace and stability in the state," she said.

Expressing deep concern over the menace of drug addiction in the Valley, Mehbooba said the district administration of south and north Kashmir should make it a priority to set up 'Drug De-addiction Centres' in these areas where the afflicted youths should be provided remedial measures.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister was informed that the situation is slowly returning to normalcy with almost 90 per cent drop in street protests during this month as compared with July.

Complimenting the J&K Police and other forces for handling the situation with as much as possible restraint and putting the Valley on the path of normalcy, she said the worst phase of the prevailing crisis is over.

"In these last four months, I have got no complaint against any Deputy Commissioner or Police officer. We have undergone three months of immense disturbance. While the worst phase is over, the after effects are going to be dealt with more empathy," she said.

Expressing deep concern over the burning of schools in Kashmir Valley, she said such incidents have inflicted colossal loss on the society at a time when the process of development has been halted due to the ongoing situation.

"As if the casualty suffered by the process of development in Kashmir due to the ongoing situation was not enough, we now have people burning down schools. Such incidents will not only destroy the social fabric of our society but it will also impact the future of our children who are toiling hard to shine in every field, despite the odds," she said.

Earlier, Director General of police K Rajendra said the restoration of normalcy will remain the top priority for the forces in coming days.

"While a semblance of normalcy has been restored, there is no scope for complacency. Police will continue its drive against miscreants," he said.
Four girls, aged between two and 10, were allegedly drowned by their mother who later attempted to commit suicide today in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan.

Police officials said they were investigating the matter after the bodies of the four minor girls were found in a water tank in the Samungli area of Quetta, the provincial capital.

"Initially, their father Muhammad Khan said that his wife was mentally ill and had poisoned the minor girls," a police official said.

"But doctors at the hospital where the bodies were taken said they have been killed by drowning," he said.

The bodies of the girls - identified as Zakia, Farzana, Parwana, Yasmeen - were shifted to Quetta Civil Hospital for autopsy, where the mother was also admitted in an unconscious state.
(Reuters) - Twenty-First Century Fox Inc reported quarterly earnings in line with Wall Street expectations as the company's cable channels brought in higher affiliate fees and ad revenue while its movie studio turned out blockbuster film "Deadpool."

Fox, owner of cable networks Fox Channel and FX, reported a better-than-expected 5.7 percent rise in adjusted revenue for the quarter that ended in March. Excluding items, the company earned 47 cents per share, in line with projections from analysts polled by Thomson I/B/E/S.

Revenue from the cable network business, which accounts for more than half of Fox's total revenue, rose nearly 10 percent to $3.94 billion in the quarter.

Fox shares were flat in after-hours trading at $29.80.

Fox Channel benefited from the raucous U.S. election campaign.

Total day and primetime ratings for Fox topped all U.S. basic cable channels from January through March, the first time in the network's history that it has led basic cable in both categories for a full quarter, according to Nielsen data.

The network averaged nearly 1.4 million total-day viewers over the quarter and 2.4 million primetime viewers.

FX also got a boost from strong ratings for the miniseries "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story".

Domestic advertising sales in the cable business rose 17 percent in the period, while overall television revenue increased 5 percent to $1.3 billion.

Fox Chief Executive James Murdoch, on a conference call with analysts, confirmed that the company is in talks to supply programming for a new online TV service being developed by Hulu. The move is part of Fox's strategy to expand its programming to new digital platforms.

"We want to make our programming more available, not less," Murdoch said.

At the film studio, superhero movie "Deadpool" sold more than $760 million in tickets, making it the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history. The unit's operating income before depreciation and amortization rose 23 percent to $470 million from a year earlier.

Revenue excluding the sale of Fox's direct broadcast satellite TV businesses rose to $7.23 billion from $6.84 billion in the third quarter ended March 31.

Analysts on average had expected revenue of $7.18 billion, according to Thomson I/B/E/S.

However, net income attributable to shareholders fell to $841 million, or 44 cents per share, from $975 million, or 46 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, the company earned 47 cents per share.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles and Narottam Medhora in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr and Diane Craft)
Devotees gather on the banks of river Ganga to perform rituals in Kolkata. If Indias parliamentary seats were to be re-allocated across states on the basis of populationthe Constitution requires that the allocation be looked at in 2026the Gangetic belt would send 275 of 548 MPs to the Lok Sabha, according to estimates.
Autodesk, a leader in 3D design technology, today announced it will provide advanced design to local MSMEs from the manufacturing sector as per a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Maharashtra government.Beginning May 5, 2016, Fusion 360, Autodesk's cloud-based software tool for Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) will be made available for free (subject to satisfying relevant criteria) to MSMEs registered with the Department of Industries and with annual turnover less than Rs 100,000,00.

Additionally for MSMEs in Maharashtra with an annual turnover over Rs 1 crore the software will be available at a price of Rs 1,999 (plus taxes) with a two years validity, through the Mahaonline portal. This initiative was agreed upon between and the Maharashtra government during the Make in India week in February. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "This will enable our MSMEs to uniquely design and manufacture their products as per international standards. This partnership of Government of Maharashtra and will create a potential for Maharashtra MSMEs to become globally competitive and locally productive."

also launched the customer showcase portal www.bharatfusion360.com which will help promote the work of MSMEs who derive greater business success by using Fusion 360. Further, the company will help the MSMEs to showcase their work at national and international platforms.

Autodesk would also be training around 8000 franchisees in the state on the optimum usage of Fusion 360 design platform.

"Today, with Cloud technology, it's possible to democratise design. As the pioneer in delivering the entire product development process on a cloud-based platform, Autodesk is uniquely positioned to enable Indian MSMEs to leapfrog to world class manufacturing capability," said Pradeep Nair, Managing Director, Autodesk, India & SAARC.

Fusion 360 is a complete CAD, CAM and collaborative product development platform available on the cloud. It helps move easily between industrial design & mechanical engineering with direct, freeform and parametric modeling. It saves the extra cost for data management, simulation and visualisation. It enables you to work online, offline, Mac, PC or mobile.
The wearable products company is planning to sell its health and fitness tracking devices through mom and pop stores in addition to the existing outlets owned by large retail chains.

"At present our products are available in 500 outlets across India and we are planning to double this number by roping in mom and pop stores by the end of this year," Manisha Sood, country general manager of the US-based company said on Thursday.

After entering the India market in July last year with the off-line sales through large retail chains including Reliance and Chroma, now aims to have India among its top five markets in the world, according to Sood. Its global revenues more than doubled at $1.9 billion in 2015 as compared to $714 million in the previous year.

The company also sells these products through its on-line partner, Amazon, in India.

All the 7-odd products that track the fitness routines and body vitals including the heart beat besides alerting the user about his or her physical exercise needs, have been launched in the country. It had roped in movie actress Shraddha Kapoor as its brand ambassador and was about to launch a big media campaign around these products soon.

"It is 70 percent software and 30 per cent device. That makes product a unique offering in this segment,"Sood said while explaining as to how their App comes as a one common platform that provides information, insights and guidance for users and also help them reach their health and fitness goals. The products are priced in the range of Rs 4,500 to Rs 25,000.

Though people between 25-45 age group have been target buyers for the company, even the school going children also seen wearing these devices in India thanks to the growing gifting industry and also owing to the growing popularity for these devices, according to Manisha Sood.

Like in other countries Indian companies have also been showing a lot of interest on these devices for the corporate well-ness programmes they conduct for their employees . By using these tracking health and fitness devices, the companies were able to save 6 per cent in employees' insurance bill and also were able to improve the productivity levels among the employees, she said.

Fitbit was also in negotiations with many Indian insurance companies, most of which were thinking about bundling these devices with the health policy product, according to Manisha Sood. She said Fitbit products have a 17.6 per cent market share in India.

Responding to a question, she said the company was going to conduct a feasibility study in the next six months on making these products within India.
Offline search, Hindi maps, real-time traffic alerts, pit-stop pro with search along routes and booking a cab  Google Maps has come a long way in India since its first entry in 2007, when having a map meant going through confusing sheets of paper.

At present, over 5,000 cities in India are on Google Maps. India is among the top three nations contributing with the most local guides, and is among the top five countries using offline maps.

Googles effort to map India has evolved over the years. The initial steps to map India started with finding addresses by using landmarks  first time in 2009. Before that, Google had started the use of Map Maker in India, which allowed users to edit the maps they use. The success of Map Maker led to the spawning of local guides.

In the last two months, the Google Maps team in Hyderabad has tried to come up with several features that would make using maps in India easier and commute convenient. It is also asking users to share local addresses by allowing them to directly sign-up from within Google Maps.

Sanket Gupta, product manager, Google Maps, said: When we started Google Maps 10 years back (globally), we had nothing; it was a blank sheet. Since then we have put maps into every persons pocket.



Though India is not as well mapped as the US, several features that have been launched on Google Maps have come from Indian usage. For instance, the latest offline maps, which have been made available in India.

I have personally seen that whenever your network is on roaming usage, data speeds are slow. Moreover, connectivity in India in several areas is spotty. Our offline maps allows users to get turn-by-turn driving directions without internet connection, said Gupta.

Gupta further added that Google Maps is a global product, which will be localised for each type of geography. For instance, Google maps will now also be available in Hindi. We have been working on this for sometime now. Its a huge effort from our side. We completed this last year when we launched the voice-navigation in Hindi. The best part is that we have come up with the Hindi maps all through machine learning since it is one of the most elite languages. Earlier, we would have done it manually, Gupta added.

With more and more people spending time on their handsets, Google Maps has also incorporated pit-stops while still being on track. This could be either for a situation wherein you are running low on fuel and want to figure if you need to turn back, or drive along to the closest petrol station. Or, when you are on way to attend a social function and need to pick-up a bouquet or gift on the way. Search along route feature will come in handy.

The other feature that gets embedded with Google Maps is the taxi-booking feature. Available in 27 cities, Google has partnered with cab partners Ola and Uber, and a user can book a cab seamlessly with just one tap. Of course, Ola and Uber apps have to be downloaded on the handset.

Google Maps also has added a real-time traffic update feature. This feature allows users to see current traffic conditions right in the Maps and also compares how long certain routes will take. This feature is available on all national highways and 34 cities across India.

Among the new features, Google Maps allows users to explore, review, and share experiences of places on the Maps. More importantly, Google now allows sharing of the venue with friends and family via WhatsApp, email, hangouts or any other sharing platform.
Etihad Airways, which has 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways, on Wednesday said the alliance carried 63 per cent more passengers from the country in 2015 at 3.3 million.

"We (Etihad and Jet Airways) have carried 3.3 million passengers between India and Abu Dhabi in 2015.

"This is a growth of 63 per cent over 2014," Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer Peter Baumgartner told reporters.

"This makes the Etihad-Jet combine the largest international carrier from this country, flying in and out 1 in every 5 passengers, operating 254 flights a week from 15 gateways cities in the country and enjoying as much as 21 per cent market share," Baumgartner said.

While Etihad directly connects 11 cities in the country with Abu Dhabi directly, Jet connects four more cities with the Gulf city.

The UAE national carrier has from Sunday added Mumbai as the fourth destination for the super jumbo Airbus A380 that boasts of the world's first family suite in the skies called The Residence, offering a three-room suite (a living room, bedroom and a shower), 9 first-class apartments, 70 business studios and 417 economy class seats.

The world's seventh largest airline group started deploying A380s on its network from December 2014. It has since then been connecting Abu Dhabi with New York (daily), London (twice a day) and Sydney (daily) and from May 1, Mumbai (daily).

From June 1, it will also fly the super jumbo to Melbourne daily.

With this, a passenger from Mumbai can fly all the way to New York (JFK) or London with just a halt in Abu Dhabi, Baumgartner added.

Baumgartner further said the deployment of the world's largest aircraft on the Mumbai-Abu Dhabi sector shows the importance the airline accords to this market, which is the largest sourcing market for the flag carrier of the Emirate, getting close to 19 per cent of its total business in terms of load factor. .

Etihad becomes the fourth international carrier to deploy the A380s from the city after Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa, all of which also connect Delhi with these aircraft.

"We are flying 44,000 seats a week and hope to fly more with the A380 service," he added. Abu Dhabi has over 51,000 seats a week as part of the bilateral between the two nations, which means to and fro there are 1,02,000 seats available on the sector.

Baumgartner further said "India continues to be a crucial part of Etihad's growth strategy contributing significantly to the airline's global operations and job creation and connecting India with the rest of the world.

"Bringing our flagship product to India is further proof of the significance of this market and more importantly, our commitment to this country's economy. Of the more than 26,000 employees from as many as 144 nationalities, more than 20 per cent are Indians."

Baumgartner, however, repeatedly parried questions on allegations that the UAE carrier has pushed down its partner Jet to being a feeder carrier. Jet is the largest international carrier from the country.

Baumgartner also avoided questions about the reported plans of his carrier to increase stake in the Naresh Goyal-run carrier through debt investment. Etihad has so far invested over $750 million in Jet.

From the cargo side, he said the airline is the ninth biggest carrier from the country. Last year, it airlifted as much as 1.2 lakh tonne cargo to and fro from the country.

He said this is likely to go up further as the bilateral trade is set to jump 60 per cent by 2020 to $100 billion.

The UAE is the largest Arab investor in the country and the 10th largest overall, while India is the third largest trading partner for the Emirate.

Etihad launched only in 2003 has gone on to become the seventh largest airline group in the world carrying 17.6 million passengers in 2015, out of which close to 18 per cent or 3.3 million were to and from India alone.

The airline connects as many as 117 destinations from its Abu Dhabi hub, deploying 122 aircraft (and 204 more on order).

Along with its 49 code partners and five equity partners, it has carried 111 million passengers in 2015. It has 10 A380s now and more have been ordered.

The airline owns 49 per cent each in Alitalia and Air Serbia, 40 per cent in Air Seychelles, 33 per cent in Etihad Regional, 30 per cent Virgin Australia and 24 per cent in Jet Airways.

That apart, it also owns equity in Air Berlin and the Swiss-based Darwin Airline.
Bharti Airtel Africa today said it will sell 950 mobile towers in the Congo to telecom infrastructure company Helios Towers Africa but did not disclose the deal size.

"The agreement is in line with our stated philosophy of divesting passive infrastructure and promoting sharing of towers to enhance operational efficiencies. Airtel remains committed to DRC and will continue to invest in its operations," Bharti Airtel International Netherlands BV (BAIN) Executive Chairman Christian De Faria said in a statement.

The divestment under the agreement between the two companies also includes towers currently under construction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The deal will significantly reduce Airtel's capital expenditure on passive infrastructure and also mitigate the proliferation of towers through enhanced sharing, the statement said.

With this deal, Airtel will complete the sale worth over $2.5 billion of mobile tower assets in Africa. The net debt of the company stood at Rs 83,888.3 crore as on March 31.

Bharti Airtel has decided to exit the tower business in Africa where it had around 14,000 towers.

Helios has also acquired its tower assets in Congo B.

Airtel sold its mobile tower to ATC in Nigeria and another deal in Tanzania is in process of regulatory approval. The telecom major sold its mobile tower to Eaton in Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Burkina Faso and to IHS in Rwanda and Zambia.

This deal will expand HTA's tower coverage in Africa to over 6,500 owned towers.

Airtel will have full access to the towers from HTA under a long term lease contract, the statement said.

The agreement is subject to statutory and regulatory approvals in the respective countries.

"HTA is proud to be chosen by Airtel as its partner for the ownership and management of its existing infrastructure," HTA Chief Executive Officer Kash Pandya said.
Radiation emissions from mobile towers don't have adverse impact on human health and India should have more mobile towers to boost network, Minister of Communication and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday. "There is no scientific basis and truth stating that radiation from mobile towers and handsets causes adverse impact on human beings and animals. There are rumours all around the country that due to mobile towers, people will be suffering from cancers and other diseases but it is completely baseless and unfounded," said Prasad.

"There is no impact on humans. There is no empirical evidence of any danger to human life because of all this. Even World Health Organization (WHO) after 30 years of studies has revealed there are no such threats," said Prasad in the Lok Sabha during the Question Hour. Lending his support to the mobile towers, Prasad said that six high courts in the country have clearly said in separate rulings that there is no radiation from mobile towers that impact human health. "Across the world, there is no impact. But I want to ask why are such issues raised in India only? No one has raised such issues in the US, the UK, China or Korea where mobile towers are installed in large numbers," Prasad asserted.



In India, there are more than 100 crore mobile phones. More than 40 crore people are using the Internet and out of 40 crore internet connections, over 60 per cent are mobile based. "In dearth of mobile towers, there will be more call drops. Can we live without mobile phones? Can we afford to do that? If you don't want that to happen, please allow mobile towers to come up in your areas," he said. Prasad said that people should be pragmatic and if people have apprehensions about radiation, they should be worried about undergoing X-Rays or to being screened by metal detectors.

BJP's Rama Devi asked in Parliament if any scientific research has been conducted on the impact of radiation on birds. Prasad in reply said there is no basis to such apprehensions. "A committee set up by the Allahabad High Court made it clear that there is no impact of mobile tower radiation on human beings and animals. Several studies on the impact of radiation from mobile towers and handsets have been conducted in different countries, under the aegis of WHO," said Prasad.

In the area of biological effects and medical applications of non-ionising radiation, approximately 25,000 articles have been published over the past 30 years. Though some people may feel that more research needs to be done in this field, scientific knowledge in this area is now more extensive than for most chemicals. Based on a recent indepth review of its scientific literature, the WHO concluded that current evidence does not confirm the possibility of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields. However, some gaps in knowledge about biological effects exist and need further research.

Prasad however mentioned that during the audit carried out by Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) cells, a total of 108 sations of the Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have been found exceeding the prescribed EMF radiation limits in the years 2013, 2014, 2015 - up to February 29, 2016.

"For all these non-compliant BTSs, TERM cells have imposed financial penalty amounting to Rs 6.60 crore of defaulting Total Solar Pyranometers as per the prescribed DoT guidelines. One BTS in Haryana LSA was shut down, he said.

Across the world, there have been doubts over mobile phone radiation being a health hazard.

The 13 nation INTERPHONE project - the largest study of its kind ever undertaken - was published in 2010 and did not find any substantial link between mobile phones and brain tumours. The International Journal of Epidemiology published a combined data analysis from INTERPHONE, a multinational population-based case-control study of glioma and meningioma, the most common types of brain tumour. The authors concluded, "Overall, no increase in risk of glioma or meningioma was observed with use of mobile phones. There were suggestions of an increased risk of glioma at the highest exposure levels, but biases and error prevent a causal interpretation. The possible effects of long-term heavy use of mobile phones require further investigation."


The Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA) have this week released research which shows that sales turnover generated by nearly 2,000 Irish companies using Invoice Finance reached 25.9bn in 2015, up 2% on the same figure for 2014.



This is the highest annual sales turnover figure registered for Irish companies using Invoice Finance since statistics for Ireland were first collated by the ABFA in 2002. The ABFA is the body representing the Invoice Finance industry in the UK and Ireland.



It is estimated that 231 million in Invoice Finance was advanced to Irish companies with a turnover of up to 1m at the close of the last quarter of 2015, while 299 million was advanced to Irish companies with a turnover of between 1million and 5 million. Companies with a turnover in excess of 5 million received 743m.

Furthermore, the statistics also show that a variety of sectors in Ireland utilise Invoice Finance including Manufacturing, Distribution, Services, Transport, Retail and Construction.



The research was released by ABFA ahead of their Annual Conference today which is taking place in Dublin. Approximately 250 delegates from the UK and Ireland are attending the ABFA Annual Conference, which will be moderated by Current Affairs Journalist, John Humphrys. The presenter of BBC Radio 4s Today programme will also make a keynote speech at the event.

Speakers from the Irish Exporters Association, Alix Partners and Talking Social Media will also be represented.

Chief Executive of the ABFA, Jeff Longhurst says, "ABFA members support thousands of client businesses and are doing more than ever to support the economic recovery and it is right that we celebrate that. Asset based finance is now one of the primary sources of funding for businesses of all sizes."

He added, "It is competitively priced and providers can also offer quicker decisions on asset based finance than on traditional unsecured lending. While this form of commercial finance had long been associated with SMEs we are seeing increased appetite from larger businesses to secure finance to fulfil growth plans and expand order books.



Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Topaz have this week announced their support for The LEGO Exchange, a new initiative that is helping to raise funds for their charity partner, the Jack & Jill Childrens Foundation, through unwanted Lego donations to fund home nursing care for sick children nationwide.



The Jack & Jill Foundation, which was founded in 1997, provides direct funding to families of children up to the age of 4 years old suffering from severe intellectual and physical developmental delay as a result of brain damage, enabling them to purchase home nursing and respite care.



The retailer is calling on customers across the Topaz and Re.Store network to donate their unwanted, loose Lego bricks with all proceeds going to Jack & Jill.

Every 16 raised will deliver 1 hour of home nursing care to families in need. The charity drive aims to fund thousands of home nursing hours with the contribution of Topaz staff and customers in this Lego exchange to fund home nursing care hours.

It is hoped that families, preschools, schools and businesses across the country will jump on board and donate their unwanted Lego to Jack & Jill.



Topaz have already launched this initiative at 5 of their locations where customers can donate LEGO directly onsite. These sites include Clonshaugh, in North Co. Dublin, Kilmacanogue in South Dublin, Kill in West Dublin, Newcastle in Co. Galway, and Douglas in Co. Cork with more locations to follow.

People can also donate their Lego by dropping it off at one of 38 DPD Ireland depots situated across the country, or the Lego can be donated or sold at the Jack & Jill Charity Boutiques located in Newbridge, Arklow, Wicklow, Carlow, Crookstown and Naas, where bricks are being bought for 4 a kilo.



CEO and Founder of the Jack & Jill Childrens Foundation, Jonathan Irwin said, "This campaign is about finding a new home for your unwanted Lego bricks and raising money for home nursing care to help change a young childs life for the better."

He added, "We ask customers across the Topaz and Re.Store network to rescue their loose Lego for us, whether they might be stored in a cupboard or hidden under a bed. No need for boxes, instructions, or full sets  its the loose Lego bricks that were after."



Source: www.businessworld.ie

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A new survey commissioned by Data Solutions has found that more than half of Irish companies dont provide regular cyber security training to staff.

This is despite the fact that almost half of those surveyed see staff as one of the two biggest sources of data breaches. Just 21% said that criminals were most likely to be behind a data breach.



A further 15% said that they have not made changes to their cyber security in the last year, despite the rise in cyber-attacks globally.



Complete analysis of the survey results will take place at Data Solutions fourth annual Secure Computing Forum which will be held in The Round Room at The Mansion House, Dublin on 12th May.



Security Sales Manager at Data Solutions, David Keating says, "Its worrying to see that there has been an almost 10% increase in the number of organisations opting not to offer training around cyber security risks to staff, as the number of cyber-attacks has been increasing year-on-year."

He added, "Its especially important to focus on new staff and ensure that they know the basics, such as spotting a phishing attack, checking the reply address when sending an email and check and re-checking when sending encrypted files. Since employees are seen as the most likely source of a data breach, their training needs to be prioritised."

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Barclays Plc said on Wednesday it is selling shares representing 12 percent of Barclays Africa Group and that South Africa's state pension fund would be an anchor investor.

Barclays Plc is selling down its 62 percent stake, which is worth some $5 billion, in Barclays Africa Group (BAG) under a plan by new Chief Executive Jes Staley to simplify the bank's structure and generate higher shareholder returns.

Barclays said in a statement it would sell 103.6 million shares in BAG, with up to 10.3 million shares going to South African state pension fund Public Investment Corporation (PIC), representing up to 1.2 percent of BAG.

"This is an important first step as we seek to reduce our shareholding in Barclays Africa to a level that achieves accounting and regulatory deconsolidation," Staley said in a statement.

PIC, Africa's largest fund manager with more than $122 billion of South African government employee pension assets under its custody, is already the second-biggest shareholder in BAG with a holding of about 6 percent.

Earlier on Wednesday, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters in Johannesburg that talks were taking place between PIC and Barclays about the fund buying some of the Barclays holding.

"There are discussions going on about the PIC increasing its stake in Barclays Africa," the source said, declining to be named because the matter is private. "There's no PIC-led consortium. It's just the PIC,"

The PIC is the second investor to show interest in BAG, which runs South Africa's biggest retail bank, after a source told Reuters last month that Atlas Mara has teamed up with private equity group Carlyle to prepare a bid.

However, any deal involving a private equity player could face regulatory opposition from South Africa's central bank.

"As a regulator, we would not be comfortable with private equity play for any of the banks," deputy governor Kuben Naidoo said at a press conference in Pretoria on Tuesday. He did not comment on any specific bank.

Valued at $330 million, Atlas Mara was set up by former Barclays Chief Executive Bob Diamond, who has confirmed that his firm has already lined up funding for an offer, without elaborating on what form the financing would take.(Reuters)



Source: www.businessworld.ie
Much disagreement and debate between Native American Tribal leaders in Utah, county land managers, even our state legislators and federal delegation  Congressmen Bishop, Chaffetz  and Governor Herbert and President Obama about a proposed Bears Ears National Monument in southeast Utah.

The 1.9 million acres south of Canyonlands National Park is already designated a wilderness area in Utah but could get designation as a national monument before Obama leaves office if the Protect Bears Ears campaign has its way.

Heal Utah, a state environmental organization, featured on their podcast earlier this week Matt Noyez who works with an organization working with the Bears Ears Intertribal Coalition. Part of his interview was featured on Tuesdays For the People program on KVNU.

My role in the organization is really helping to create an organization that can help advance this on a number of different fronts like a lot of good non-profits and charitable organizations do, Noyez explained.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, a multi-tribe American Indian group urging protection for a 1.9 million-acre region south of Canyonlands National Park says San Juan County has excluded tribal perspectives in crafting a proposal that could shape public-lands policy for generations to come. Meanwhile, some local Navajos have split from the group, worried a federal designation would impede tribes access to the scenic highlands west of Blanding.

True Utah grass-roots Navajo strongly oppose national monument designation, according to Rebecca Benally, a first-term San Juan County commissioner and Navajo quoted by the Tribune. And of course the proposal is opposed by Utah officials who see it as another affront to state rights and determination over how to use the land.
What has Gov. Abbott done about the six mass shootings on his watch?
Nueces County Commissioner Brent Chesney presented a $2,000 check to the Hammons Education Leadership Programs by Commissioner (HELP), officials said. HELP takes at-risk and disabled students and others into the world of work. HELP's Jennifer Valadez (from left), Jenn Hollingsworth, board member Christine Belin, Commissioner Chesney, HELP Director Ridge Hammons, board members David Loeb, Mike Creel, Joanna Busenlehner, Mike Bergsma, Linda Benavides and board member and city council member Rudy Garza Sr. attended the presentation.

SHARE Dorothy McClellan (left) and Nikola Knez Contributed photo About 30 members of HELP and the Kings Crossing Church of Christ walked together in support of Multiple Sclerosis research, treatment and education. This partnership is one of the few like it in the groups that support this work throughout the year, and raised about $1,000 in donations to the Multiple Sclerosis society. Perkes

Local films lauded at Houston festival

Nikola Knez, president of iFilms LLC, was awarded two prizes at the 49th annual WorldFest International Film Festival in Houston on April 16, officials said.

WorldFest Houston is the third longest running International Film Festival in North America, and the oldest independent film festival in the world. The films were selected from among more than 4,500 entries from 74 countries, officials said.

Knez is the recipient of 40 film awards since founding iFilms LLC, a full-service film production company in Corpus Christi in 2007.

At the gala banquet Knez and Dorothy McClellan of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, who wrote the screenplay and served as criminal justice consultant for the film, received a Gold Remi for their docudrama, "The Doctor's Prison Cell."

The following Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi students narrated and acted in the film: Mariah Claiborne, Hannah Evans, Schuyler Ballew, Frank Moreno, Rose Gutierrez and Christopher Lee Herod. Feature scenes were filmed in the brig on the Lexington Museum on the Bay.

"The Doctor's Prison Cell" examines international human rights abuses that occurred in the Balkan War (1991-95). The film focuses on a Bosnian physician who was director of the surgical recovery unit of the Vukovar Hospital during the three-month siege of the city in 1992. Her efforts to care for more than 1,300 patients as she stood knee-deep in blood in the basement of the bombed-out facility are heralded. When the city was overtaken by the Serbian military in 1992, she was captured, imprisoned, tortured, raped, and subjected to mock execution. She survived to share her story and that of the hundreds of patients and medical staff at the hospital who were slaughtered. She was eventually released in a prisoner exchange after waging a 21-day hunger strike. In the film, she provides detailed testimony that is now included in the evidentiary records of the International Criminal Court of Justice in The Hague, as well as the records of the National Archives of Croatia. The film also includes numerous interviews with eyewitnesses and survivors, including medical staff and clergy.

Knez was awarded a Silver Remi for "I Conquer: Infection," a 2-D animated film produced for the Corpus Christi-based It's Your Life Foundation project promoting children's well-being headed by Salim and Zehra Surani and their daughters.

Perkes given award from bar association

Justice Greg Perkes of the 13th Court of Appeals received the Cameron County Bar Association's 2016 Outstanding Service Award on April 30 at the annual gala in Brownsville, officials said. Perkes recently also received a Certificate of Completion from the National Judicial College for its Advanced Skills for Appellate Judges course. The CCBA Outstanding Service Award is given each year to a person who exemplifies service to others, service to their communities, service to the legal profession, and advancing the administration of justice, officials said.

HELP, church walk together to fight MS

About 30 members of HELP and the Kings Crossing Church of Christ walked together in support of Multiple Sclerosis research, treatment and education. This partnership is one of the few like it in the groups that support this work throughout the year, and raised about $1,000 in donations to the Multiple Sclerosis society.

Compiled by Natalia Contreras
SHARE Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times file The Texas Department of Transportation wants to move and raise the Harbor Bridge, which links Corpus Christi's Northside with North Beach, for safety reasons. Officials for the Port of Corpus Christi say another advantage will be that the new bridge's clearance will be high enough to serve taller vessels. Contributed Rendering Flatiron Constructors Inc. and Dragados USA Inc., the firm the state hired to design and build the span that will replace the Harbor Bridge, have called their concept a "100-year bridge." Contributed photo Photo showing Port of Corpus Christi, Harbor Bridge, SEA District. CHRIS RAMIREZ/CALLER-TIMES Del Richardson, CEO of Del Richardson & Associates, tells the Port Authority she is prepared to meet with Hillcrest residents. The port hired her company in March to coordinate a program that will relocate residents and buy properties in the neighborhood to make way for the Harbor Bridge replacement project.

By Chris Ramirez of the Caller-Times

Vickey Lloyd accepts that a moving day is in her future.

On Wednesday, she wanted to meet the group that is going to help her through it.

The local NAACP chapter held a meet-and-greet social event at the Oveal Williams Senior Citizen's Center to introduce Del Richardson and her consulting team to residents of Hillcrest. The Northside neighborhood is expected to be dramatically changed during the state's Harbor Bridge replacement project.

One by one, local dignitaries  including those from the city and county and the Port of Corpus Christi  showered company founder Del Richardson, with hugs and welcoming messages.

Flanked by supporters such as NAACP chapter president Terry Mills and Tanya Simpson, the widow of late police Chief Floyd Simpson, Richardson said she was eager to meet with residents and property owners soon to work out their relocation plans.

"We are a company with a heart for the people and a mind for the business," Richardson told the reception crowd. "I want to thank you for this opportunity to serve you."

Port officials in March selected her firm, Del Richardson & Associates Inc., to coordinate what could be hundreds of residents displaced by the construction over the next three years.

State transportation officials want to replace the aging Harbor Bridge with a modern cable-stayed span, one with a higher clearance and a more gradual incline. Doing so, however, means creating a path that could greatly impact Hillcrest, one of Corpus Christi's last remaining predominantly black neighborhoods.

The port has authorized spending up to $20 million to buy properties in Hillcrest and to relocate residents who want to move.

Lloyd had been living in Dallas, but returned to the neighborhood five years ago when her father fell ill. She already has made up her mind on what to do with the property on Koepke Street  she's moving.

"We needed to see who the people are," said Lloyd, a retired postal worker. "I know who to address now as this thing continues."

Under the relocation plan, homeowners can be moved to a home that is deemed "comparable," based on a variety of factors, such as size and amenities. Renters are eligible to be relocated only if the landlord is eligible and opts to sell their property to the port.

John Hill lived in his home on Hulbirt Street, directly behind Lloyd, for most of his life. He hasn't made up his mind on what to do with the property, but said he was still weighing his options.

"If I can come out for the better, I intend to do so," said Hill, 58.

Groundbreaking will be in late spring or early summer, transportation officials have said. The project is slated to cost $898 million and take about five years.

Twitter: @Caller_ChrisRam
Caller-Times file Actors Constance Marie (from left), Jennifer Lopez and Edward James Olmos (far right) surround director Gregory Nava as they watch playback footage while filming scenes for "Selena" in Poteet on Oct. 19, 1996.

SHARE Caller-Times file Edward James Olmos (left) and actress Jennifer Lopez play around with a set of drums in between takes on the set of the Selena movie in Poteet, TX on Oct. 19, 1996. Caller-Times file Jennifer Lopez performs on stage as Selena during filming of a concert scene for the movie on the slain singer's life on location in Poteet, TX on Oct. 19, 1996. Caller-Times file Actress Jennifer Lopez tries to quiet a crowd of film extras who play her concert fans in the "Selena" movie as the Steadicam operator waits during filming on location in Poteet, TX on Oct. 19, 1996. Caller-Times file Abraham Quintanilla Jr., left, pats the stomach of actor Edward James Olmos, remarking on the weight Olmos gained to play him in a movie about his daughter Selena. The pair were being interviewed for the Spanish TV talk show "Cristina" on location during film production in Poteet on Oct. 19, 1996. Related Coverage Fiesta de la Flor ends with fireworks over bay

By Allison Ehrlich of the Caller-Times

Jennifer Lopez has become such a household name it's amusing to realize how little she was known when filming the biopic "Selena" 20 years ago. A Caller-Times writer and photographer traveled to Poteet to cover the filming, and the photographer included a note on one image of Lopez performing on stage, "Jennifer Lopez, (I think is her name) the actress playing Selena."

Following Selena Quintanilla Perez's tragic death on March 31, 1995, her life story was making the rounds in unauthorized books only a few short months later. So her family began to plan for a movie to commemorate her life. They eventually teamed up with writer and director Gregory Nava who spent two months living with the Quintanillas and shot the film over a four-month period in 1996.

Locals were eager to appear in the biopic of their beloved star. Casting calls for extras were held at several spots around town and thousands showed up or turned in applications. Filming took place around Corpus Christi in November 1996. One scene had more than 3,000 extras recreating a candlelight vigil at Hector P. Garcia Park the night of Selena's death. Another had extras in black tie and sequins to show Selena's 1994 Grammy win, with Del Mar College's Richardson Auditorium filling in for New York's Radio City Music Hall.

Fans from around the area also made the trek to Poteet the month before to serve as extras in the scene set in Monterrey when eager fans crowded the stage almost to the point of collapse, clamoring for Selena to sing. Lopez as Selena calms the crowd by stepping back out to sing a slow introduction to "Como la Flor."

In this photo taken on Oct. 19, 1996, actors Constance Marie, Jennifer Lopez and Edward James Olmos surround director Gregory Nava as they watch playback footage while filming scenes for "Selena" in Poteet.

While Lopez has had an impressive music and film career since starring in "Selena," she lip-synced to Selena's music for the entire movie  except this scene. In a cast interview on Leeza Gibbons' talk show in 1997 after the movie's release, Lopez confirmed the three words were the only ones sung with own voice.

Fiesta de la Flor, celebrating Selena's life and music runs Friday and Saturday. Movie fans will have several chances to watch the film in the American Bank Center's Selena Auditorium on Saturday during the festival. And be sure to check out the Caller-Times on Friday for special coverage on Selena and Fiesta de la Flor, or go online to www.caller.com/Selena.

Allison Ehrlich is the archive coordinator for the Caller-Times. Contact her at allison.ehrlich@caller.com and follow her on Twitter @CallerArchives.
SHARE Cecelia Garcia Akers Hector P. Garcia

By Beatriz Alvarado of the Caller-Times

Photographs belonging to Dr. Hector P. Garcia will be added to a permanent collection at the Library of Congress, according to a news release from the library, the world's largest.

Cecilia Garcia Akers, his daughter, said the monumental admission was unfathomable months ago.

"This is wonderful exposure for my father," she said. "Because of the national political scene right now, all of us can turn to him as an example of an immigrant who made a real difference."

Before handing over the photographs to the Library of Congress Veterans History Project staff, Garcia Akers will share memories and discuss her father's legacy featured in her new book, "The Inspiring Life of Texan Hector P. Garcia." The May 20 public event will be at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

The book, in its second printing since its release last month, is Garcia Akers' personal take on her father's endeavors as a civil rights pioneer. The Mary and Jeff Bell Library at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi hosted a reception and book signing for Garcia Akers last month.

Dr. Hector P. Garcia, a World War II veteran, is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and founded the American G.I. Forum in 1948. Garcia also worked as a physician in Corpus Christi.

Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 to collect, preserve and make accessible the firsthand remembrances of America's war veterans, according to the news release. The Library of Congress is home to more than 162 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats.

Twitter: @CallerBetty
GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES The Wesley Community Center, which offers child care for homeless families, is losing federal funding for the program.

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By Kirsten Crow of the Caller-Times

A child care program for homeless families is losing $150,000 in anticipated federal funding, officials said Wednesday.

The Wesley Community Center was notified this week by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that a grant the nonprofit has received since 2001 will not be renewed, said MaLinda Faughn, executive director of the center.

The community center relies on the grant to fund one of its services  the homeless children's program, which gives homeless families access to child care and enables parents to seek employment, go to work or attend school, she said.

Although the center will continue its homeless children's program for as long as possible, it is expected the service will end without a funding infusion.

The center is seeking community support.

"(Corpus Christi has) foundations and individuals who truly care about children, and it's our hope they will be able to help fund this program," Faughn said.

Residents interested in donating can through the center's website at www.wesleycommunitycenter.org. Donations also can be mailed to P.O. Box 7099, Corpus Christi, TX, 78467.

Twitter: @CallerCrow
SHARE CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Dr. Lloyd Stegemann

By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times

Dr. Lloyd Stegemann may not have much political experience, but he said he has the skill set needed to represent his constituents.

On Wednesday, the 47-year-old bariatric surgeon announced his candidacy for City Council District 4. Stegemann is hoping to be the new face of the district after Colleen McIntyre announced she will not seek re-election.

Stegemann is used to meeting patients at his practice, The Better Weigh Center, and coming up with the best treatment plan for them. Doing his job requires listening, consulting with peers, and coming up with a solution that works.

"That's exactly what government should be doing as well," Stegemann said.

Though he has been interested in local politics for years, Stegemann said he needed to spend time building his career and raising his son. With more help at his practice and with his son about to attend school, he said the timing was right.

"I have much more time to pursue that interest," he said. "I'm very interested in making the entire area better."

If elected, Stegemann wants to focus on safety in his district and making sure businesses feel welcome.

"I want to make sure we're creating an atmosphere where businesses feel like they can thrive," he said.

Stegemann spent Wednesday evening meeting with constituents at the Schlitterbahn on Padre Island. He has previously served on medical boards that pertain to his profession. Stegemann is a 1987 graduate from Carroll High School and an alumnus of Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
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Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican national holiday that commemorates an all-day battle in Puebla, Mexico, when the Mexican military defeated the numerically superior French forces that invaded Mexico in 1861. The French, along with the Spanish and English, had occupied Veracruz, Mexico's major port, in response to Mexico President Benito Juarez's moratorium on Mexico's European debt. Spain and England withdrew while the French began collecting port revenues from incoming ships in lieu of payment on the debt and ordered their troops into the interior.

Although the 1862 defeat in Puebla slowed down the advance, the French capitalized on political divisions in the country and a weak treasury in order for Napoleon III to establish a monarchy with Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph at its head.

The French takeover did not occur without either a military response or a popular reaction of significant nationalist proportions. The defense of the homeland acquired extra meaning from the earnest Juarez who continued to exercise his authority as president and national symbol of mourning, in his elegant black suit, riding a black horse-drawn carriage that miraculously managed to keep him ahead of the French military. Hostilities finally ended when Mexican forces defeated the French in 1867 and President Juarez ordered the execution of Ferdinand together with some Mexican monarchists who had opposed him.

The celebration of the battle of Puebla also acknowledges the heroic role of Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a 32-year-old officer from Goliad, Texas. Soon after the surrender of Veracruz, Juarez had appointed him minister of war and navy, and assigned him to lead the Army of the East and the defense of Puebla. Soon after the battle of Puebla and before the French had advanced on Mexico City, President Juarez hosted a celebration of Zaragoza as a national hero. The president also declared May 5, 1862, a national holiday and changed the name of Puebla de Los Angeles to Puebla de Zaragoza.

Zaragoza has a special place in Mexico and Texas history. He not only originated in Goliad and claimed relations with Tejanos from the colonial period, but he began his military career in the Monterrey-Saltillo area and married a young woman from Monterrey. In preparation for the famous battle of Puebla, Gen. Zaragoza recruited around 500 Tejano cowboys from the Jim Wells County area of South Texas who served as cavalrymen in the fight against French intervention even in the months and years following that actual battle.

Capt. Porfirio Zamora, from Palito Blanco, Texas, served as one of the commanders and received a promotion to the rank of major after the war, as well as the second highest military medal for bravery, "La Condecoracion de Segunda Clase."

Zaragoza's personal connections to Texas alone do not fully explain his exalted place in history. The active efforts to remember him and the battle of Puebla also contributed to the memory. News of the battle and Zaragoza's role as "the General from the Border" and "the native son" of the region, according to the well-known scholar Americo Paredes, arrived in South Texas as early as 1867 when performers like Onofre Cardenas from San Ignacio, Texas, sang ballads about both. Newspapers from Texas and California also acknowledged their histories and announced the celebrations by the 1870s. Texas cemented his memory as an iconic transborder and transnational hero against foreign aggression by establishing the General Zaragoza State Historic Site near Goliad.

So why should we continue finding relevance in the memory of the Battle of Puebla, Juarez, Zaragoza and Zamora? Because it affirms enduring and shared values such as advancing the just defense of the homeland and the necessary cause for marginalized and maligned people. These tenets are still upheld today.

Recognizing and practicing this kind of valued behavior also grants a good measure of humanity to the descendants of the heroes of Puebla, including the Mexican immigrants among us who have historically labored long and hard for low pay and little positive recognition.

History, after all, is not just a record of things past, it is also the binding arc of humanity and the ennobling opportunity to recognize the equal worth of others and to act on their behalf.
According to Vishal Mehta, managing director at McCann Indonesia, the creative dialogue in Indonesia is changing for the better. Indonesians are getting out of collectiveness, and its a transition that has impacted the mood of the nation, he said.

Everything happens in groups here, but slowly Indonesians are wanting to stand out as individuals, Mehta added. Brands are talking about going for your dreams. Theres a positive, can do attitude in Indonesia now.

From telcos to cigarette companies, Mehta has seen brands ride this cultural evolution, but said the biggest challenge for Indonesia is still finding its own creative voice. Despite having a unique and rich culture to draw on, Mehta believes examples of outstanding work that reflects the country have been few and far between.

An exception might be Line Indonesias 2014 online film Ada Apa Dengan Cita?, which translates to Whats up with love?. The film expanded on the original Indonesian film of the same name, made in 2002, and used the same actor and actress.

The original Ada Apa Dengan Cita is one of the most iconic Indonesian films ever made, Mehta said. The film is about a pair of high school lovers who part ways in the end when the boy goes to study abroad. What Line did, smartly, was play with the idea of reconnecting with school friends via Line.

Speaking more broadly about film and music in Indonesia, Mehta said the industry is not at the level that it needs to be. While some film directors, like Joko Anwar, have attained international acclaim, Mehta said there are few other examples.

India has Bollywood," he said. "Thailand has a distinct style and the culture shows, but for some reason Indonesias voice hasnt been depicted so far. The mainstream industries are also young and a bit shy of experimentation. There are traditional forms, but they havent evolved enough to be noteworthy. And this impacts the work in advertising because advertising is part of the creative ecosystem.

According to Mehta, few brands truly represent Indonesian stories. Wardah, a local beauty brand that shows modern Indonesian women in a real way is one exception.

While its difficult to pinpoint the suppression of Indonesias expression in the past, it might boil down to education and a government dictatorship under which the "culture of many was led by a few for many years.

However, when it comes to breaking new ground with creative work in todays Indonesia, Mehta sees that design and digital are helping the country get ahead.

Design and digital

With no uncertainty, Roy Wisnu, chief creative officer at MullenLowe Group Indonesia, points out that ecommerce is currently the hottest category in Indonesia.

Ecommerce is the new telco, just as telco was the new cigarettes years before that, Wisnu said. There is a sense of euphoria toward e-commerce in Indonesia right now. Everywhere you go, you see ads, apps and even people carrying or wearing paraphernalia related to online shops, on-demand transportation and services.

He observed that advertising budgets are also increasingly going into digital. For creative work, a focus on digital is also pushing Indonesian agencies to develop and execute using a different process.

Theres a lot more trial and error but thats the exciting part, Wisnu said. He also said the most innovative brands in Indonesia are those that offer tangible solutions to people.

For example, Go-Jek, a local on-demand motorbike service provides a solution to Indonesias well-known traffic problem and is opening up job opportunities and income to lower-educated groups.

They did an excellent job on their branding," Wisnu said. "Go-Jek is starting to become an everyday word. Theyve done well in training their riders in customer service. Indonesians like brands that walk the talk and do it creatively.

At the same time, a new kind of celebrity is being created exclusively by online platforms.

Now there are very powerful influencers in every space: food, travel, beauty and so forth. They have huge fan followings, Mehta said. Theyve become very important to Indonesias future of storytelling. People are really influenced by people and what they have to say.

Here's a look at some influential key opinion leaders in different fields:

Beauty:



Food:



Travel:



Youth icons on social media:



Design is another area that Mehta said is indicative of Indonesian ingenuity. Architecture, furniture design and fabrics are just a few disciplines that stand out.

Indonesians are very patient people, and when it comes to craftsmanship and form they truly excel, Mehta said.

Perhaps no one personifies this trait more than Mochamad Ridwan Kamil, the incumbent mayor of Bandung. Kamil founded the Bandung Creative City Forum, which has helped turn the city into a creative hub. Apart from running the city government, Kamil is also an award-winning architect who has put his expertise into improving the citys design and reinventing public spaces.

Mochamad Ridwan Kamil

With more creative role models in the public spotlight, Indonesia is in a unique position to evolve. Young generations that have been brought up on digital are also eager to work across disciplines and are helping to make a difference to the countrys future in the creative space.

Right now I would say there is no famous or outstanding advertising creative from Indonesia, Mehta said. In terms of advertising veterans, theres no one that really made it to the international level. But I have real faith in the youngsters coming up, and they will play a big role in the future of Indonesian creativity.

Within Indonesian agencies as well, collaboration has never been more important. From media specialists to developers to content providers and programmers, through to producers and artists, Wisnu sees agencies and brands working less in silos.

Creatives are more aware of the technical, mechanical and even financial sides of the process," Wisnu said. "They also have a pulse on whats happening internationally. On the business side, even those in finance are expected to be more aware of the creative side of the process.

A less hierarchical process must be put into practice, as the world moves faster than ever, he added.
Facebook has bold ambitions for its Messenger platform, following the announcement of new features, services and the launch of botschat-based interfaces designed to simulate human conversation and to help consumers complete tasksat its recent F8 developer conference. By allowing developers to create bots on Messenger, Facebook aims to transform it into an integrated digital-lifestyle platform that plays a new intermediary role between brands and consumers.

Facebook is not the first messaging app to introduce bots. In Asia, apart from WeChat, the wildly popular Chinese messaging app that has already morphed into the lifestyle platform where Chinese consumers spend almost half of their mobile Internet time, Japan-based Line also recently announced its intention to give developers access to building bots.

Bots: New conversations between brands and consumers

Facebook hopes these changes makes "the product a more central part of peoples daily lives," according to David Marcus, who leads messaging at Facebook. Here, Facebook is playing catch-up with WeChat and its rich mobile ecosystem, which is filled with powerful features and services, including branded public accounts, WeChat Payment, e-commerce, access to smart services such as hailing a taxi, paying utility bills and more.

With the aim of offering more convenient and contextual experiences within Facebook Messenger, bots reduce the need for consumers to switch between apps to perform tasks. This is evident in some of the partnerships that Facebook announced, enabling brand interactions to take place inside the existing chat environment that consumers are already familiar with.

While the functions of existing bots are limited, bots powered by artificial intelligence (AI) will be able to learn consumer preferences over time and eventually be able to deliver more utility by personalising content. Facebook MFacebooks own virtual assistant that mixes human curation and AIis for now only available to a few thousand users in California. Once more broadly rolled out, M will automate and aggregate this network of bots to make them smarter and more relevant, facilitating more adoption and reliance on Messenger.

Adoption in APAC

Facebook recently said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that the potential is greater in Asia Pacific than it is in any other region because it consists of two-thirds of the world's population, and it's all mobile. Of Facebook's 1.59 billion monthly active users, 540 million are located in this region, and the region also represents more than a third of the company's entire user base, making it Facebooks largest geographic segment.

Our data mirrors Facebooks publicly announced numbers: 84 percent of metro Indian online adults are on Facebook at least once a month, as are 71 percent of Australian online adults. This is also in line with how marketers in Asia Pacific are focusing their social marketing efforts. According to Forrester's Q4 2015 Asia Pacific Social Marketing Online Survey, Facebook is the most adopted social-marketing platform by marketers in the region. In particular, Australia, India, and Singapore showed social platform adoption more similar to Western countries than to non-English-speaking markets in the region such as China, Japan and South Korea, where platforms like WeChat, Line, and Kakaotalk are highly popular.

This bodes well for the adoption of Facebook Messenger, as the company encourages its users to download the Messenger app to use its direct messaging feature amongst Facebook contacts. Similarly, we expect to see similar trends in terms of the adoption of Facebook Messenger bots in Asia Pacific, with mature markets like Australia, Singapore and Japan beginning to experiment with bots, followed by other maturing markets that include India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Answering to new customer expectations

The changes to Facebook Messenger have the following implications for marketers looking to utilise bots to increase engagement with their mobile customers:

Facilitate always-on conversations: Facebooks objective is to have consumers talk to Messenger-branded bots the way they talk to friends, facilitating always-on conversations between brands and their customers. Beyond the promotional opportunities, marketers should not lose sight of the fact that personal and human-to-human interactions are key, especially for the questions bots will not be able to answer.

Facebooks objective is to have consumers talk to Messenger-branded bots the way they talk to friends, facilitating always-on conversations between brands and their customers. Beyond the promotional opportunities, marketers should not lose sight of the fact that personal and human-to-human interactions are key, especially for the questions bots will not be able to answer. Create two-way conversations, not ads: In a world that is dominated by mobile, marketers must be ready to deliver utility to their customers in their mobile momentin real-time context, with relevant content, and accepting dialogue under their customers terms. To be human, helpful, and handy, marketers must mix human interactions into bots.

In a world that is dominated by mobile, marketers must be ready to deliver utility to their customers in their mobile momentin real-time context, with relevant content, and accepting dialogue under their customers terms. To be human, helpful, and handy, marketers must mix human interactions into bots. Provide real-time customer service support: Facebook Messenger allows users and brands to exchange pictures, emojis, maps, shipping notifications, or real-time status updates for a package delivery. For example, a number of large global brands such as AXA, Hyatt, and KLM have already started using the platform to provide customer-service support. It offers key benefits to brands: weaving brand message into customers daily lives, keeping conversations private, and mitigating the potential for negative viral messages.

Facebook Messenger allows users and brands to exchange pictures, emojis, maps, shipping notifications, or real-time status updates for a package delivery. For example, a number of large global brands such as AXA, Hyatt, and KLM have already started using the platform to provide customer-service support. It offers key benefits to brands: weaving brand message into customers daily lives, keeping conversations private, and mitigating the potential for negative viral messages. Get ready to lose some control to Facebooks walled garden: While Facebook has not yet shared details on how it plans to monetise Messenger, based on past indicators marketers should expect to have to spend money with Facebooks broader ecosystem to get access to the affinity data Facebook collects. Marketers risk losing direct data and insights if their customers use more of Messenger and less of their own branded apps and sites.

Recommendations

Although Facebook Messenger is trying to play catch-up to WeChat, the bulk of WeChat users are within mainland China, with many WeChat functions unavailable to international users.

While these announcements from Facebook are disruptive and can potentially change the way brands interact with their customers, it is still early days. Marketers in Asia Pacific who are not already using WeChat as a social-marketing platform can consider Facebook Messenger as an alternative to engage with customers outside of China. They should also learn from the rush to apps and do not launch a bot for the sake of it: Only do so once the marketing organisation can be sure that it can deliver value. It may also be wise to focus on a few core services when experimenting with bots. While the design of how the bot is important, it would not matter if it did not have the ability to deliver more contextual experiences in real time.

We expect more to come from Facebook, especially for e-commerce opportunities, bearing in mind that Facebook Messenger does not yet allow payments directly through a credit card like its competitors. Given the e-commerce boom in Asia Pacific, we wouldnt be surprised if Facebook takes on Apple, Samsung, Google and WeChat to make a play for the mobile payment opportunity.

Thomas Husson is VP and principal analyst and Clement Teo is senior analyst with Forrester
Heath will take on the role of worldwide executive director and chief growth officer, reporting to worldwide CEO John Seifert. In an exclusive interview, Heath told Campaign Asia-Pacific that the move to New York follows the expansion of responsibilities he took on in January when Seifert was appointed worldwide CEO.

Chris Reitermann, currently CEO of Ogilvy China, and Kent Wertime, currently COO of Asia-Pacific, will step up as joint-CEOs for APACthe first time the network has built such an arrangement here.

Heath will continue as chairman for Asia-Pacific and will join the board of the newly formed WPP AUNZ, the result of a recent merger of WPP's Australia/New Zealand properties and STW, to represent Ogilvy's interests in that market.

Reitermann will remain based in China, will continue as China CEO and will also lead North Asia. Wertime will continue to be based in Bangkok and will be responsible for Southeast Asia and India. Hong Kong will continue to be the network's regional headquarters, however.

Jerry Smith, currently regional president of OgilvyOne Asia-Pacific, will take over Wertime's role as COO of O&M Asia-Pacific. He will be based in Hong Kong, reporting jointly to Wertime and Reitermann, and will continue to lead OgilvyOne.

In the new role, Heath will lead and manage a worldwide growth plan for securing new clients and managing a portfolio of clients across the globe. "I will continue to be involved with the clients I've been working on in this part of the world, which include Unilever and Coca-Cola," he said. "I will be helping to shepherd our global relationships with them."

Co-CEOs suit the times

"The region is significantly larger than it was eight to nine years ago when [former worldwide CEO, then APAC CEO] Miles Young went to New York," Heath said. "The way the world is operating and the current focus on clients... the channel of conversations and actions doesn't go through regional layers. It now goes to the lead market or the biggest market. China has its own reporting line, as does India and Singapore. This move is a reflection of the way the world has become a little flatter. We don't have to pummel everything through a regional management hierarchy anymore. In some respects, we should remove a layer of regional management."

Heath had earlier noted that the regional HQ, as it exists for Ogilvy Asia-Pacific, is a "rather grandiose name for a very small and fluid structure." There is little point, he added, in moving the new CEOs to Hong Kong and then having them travel most of the time.

Furthermore, Heath said, clients highly prize local insightparticularly in markets such as China and India. "I think theres an opportunity for both of them [Wertime and Reitermann] to make sure were leaders locally and experts in local market opportunities."

Heath's outlook and legacy

Heath said that despite the rocky start to 2016 due to the economic slowdown in China and Hong Kong, he believes he leaves Ogilvy in a strong position. "We are well along on a three-year plan to build growth areas such as ecommerce, content, consulting and production capabilities," he said.

Building up these areas will be a focus for the network through a mix of partnerships, training and acquisitions. "Some of these skills, such as ecommerce, will benefit from acquisitions, but we will be selective," he said. "Consulting has delivered very well for us. It is now 25 to 30 percent of our business, so we will double-down on it. In terms of content production, [email protected] is a very fast-growing piece of the business. We will be looking at new models and how we work with a production arm, H&O, in terms of offshoring and a hub-and-spoke model."

Looking back on his stewardship of Asia-Pacific, Heath said, "It's been really nice to have stayed in front, to continue the success and momentum that Miles [Young] left."

Seifert praised Heath's accomplishments at the network's APAC helm. "Our position as the largest agency in Asia-Pacific and our stellar creative reputation in the region is owed in great part to Paul and his leadership teams hard work over the past six years," Seifert said. "I am very grateful that he will be partnering with me to achieve our global growth ambition. We are also incredibly fortunate to have continuity in leadership with the promotions of Chris, Kent and Jerry. I have no doubt they will continue to build upon our leadership position in the region."
It is understood that incumbent TBWA and FCB were also involved in the pitch.

In parallel, Justin Dee has been appointed to the role of senior business director of Y&R Shanghai. Dee will oversee the agencys Danone Water China portfolio as well.

Dee joins Y&R with over 16 years of experience, the last 10 years in Beijing on automotive brands including BMW and Lexus. Most recently he worked four years on the client side as senior marketing communication manager at BMW.
To mark the anniversary of last year's devastating Nepal earthquake, Asian Paints Nepal honoured the memory of the victims through a social-media campaign titled Hamro Nepal (Our Nepal) in a campaign by Creo Communications (creative), Outreach Nepal (media) and DigitalIn (digital).

The campaign asked people to wear black and an armband on the date itself, but also delivered a message of positivity to overcome the pain and suffering and to look forward toward a prosperous Nepal.

Four celebrities endorsed the social message in videos posted on the brand's Facebook page:

Kiran Manandhar, eminent artist

Karishma Manandhar, well-known actress

Dinesh DC, film director

Indira Ranamagar, award-winning social activist

According to Ujaya Shakya, MD of Outreach Nepal, the social-media campaign attained reach of 3.2 million, about 2,000 comments, almost 900 shares and about 1.27 million video views in 10 days. The digital campaign was supported with press advertisements and TVCs with positive messages from the four celebrities.

As part of the initiative, Asian Paints Nepal pledged to build 30 temporary shelters for affected households in a village near Kathmandu, which had been totally destroyed. The brand will also provide toilets for each shelter, cobbled road works, waste management facility, solar lights for each house and for the village roads, along with training on health and hygiene systems.
Seeking to prove that its 4G network is fast enough to 'replace' the eyes of people engaged in real-time activities, Singtel and Ogilvy built special headgear that combined two smartphonesone serving as camera and the other serving as a display. The resulting film shows a fencing demonstration, a game of Whack-a-Mole and, most impressively, precision driving stunts being performed by people who are having their reality mediated by the headgearand the brand's network. The brand and agency assert that the project used the carrier's actual network, with no funny business for demonstration purposes.

Ad Nut is not sure the Whack-a-Mole game qualifies as "extreme", but is duly impressed by the driving demo, and finds the dreamlike quality of the video, especially the fencing portion, quite pleasing.

Bravo for an elegant demonstration with a high level of technical difficulty and a high level of impact.

Ad Nut also likes the skid-mark version of the brand's logo at the end of the video:

Here's a behind the scenes video:

CREDITS

Project title: Singtel Data ExStream

Client: Singtel

Creative Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Singapore

Executive Creative Director: Melvyn Lim

Account Management: Mark Teal, Edmund Quah

Planning Director: Adil Ismeer

Senior Art Director: Yong Ping Loo

Senior Copywriter: Augustus Sung

Agency Producer: Danli Lok

Production House: The Prosecution Film Company

Director: RosleeYusof

Exposure: Film, digital, social media

Media planning and buying: Havas Media
| BY Ricki Green |

In a global re-alignment of its CRM business, DDB Group has announced the name change of its CRM business to TRACK, which will replace the RAPP brand in Australia and New Zealand.

DDB Worldwide has enjoyed a highly successful relationship with DAS owned RAPP (part of Omnicom Worldwide) for over 15 years prior to launching its own global CRM network in 2015. TRACK is a wholly owned subsidiary of DDB Group Worldwide and the move comes as a result of the increasing and integrated role CRM, data and analytics are playing within the broader DDB Group globally.

Says Marty OHalloran (pictured), chairman, DDB Group Australia and New Zealand: The timing is right for us to invest in our own CRM network as there is an increased focus on the integration of CRM capabilities across clients and platforms.

RAPP Germany announced the move to TRACK last year and has since been joined by offices in North America, Europe and Asia. We are delighted to now be launching the brand across Australia and New Zealand.

We have enjoyed a highly successful relationship with RAPP for many years but we are at a scale and time in the business life cycle that we need the freedom to invest further in CRM capabilities and control our capabilities more in local markets. We have significant plans to re-launch and grow the business across Australia and New Zealand as well as integrate these capabilities into the broader strategic framework of Group clients.

Incumbent RAPP managing directors in Auckland and Melbourne, Rob Limb and Tess Doughty respectively, will remain in the top chair and all existing RAPP staff will transfer to TRACK.

DDB Group Australia CEO, Andrew Little, said he is delighted to announce the recent appointment of Christine Gardner to the position of TRACK Sydney managing director.

Says Little: Christine joins us from M&C Saatchis CRM business, Lida. Christine is an outstanding business leader, has a clear vision for the business and will prove a strong member of the existing team as they spearhead the regional agenda together.

Says Chuck Brymer, CEO, DDB Worldwide on the launch of TRACK: The innovative and unique range of services the agency offers deserves its own individual brand, which can also expand in the future.
| BY Ricki Green |

Joel Pearson is re-joining Whybin\TBWA Sydney as its planning director. He was previously with the agency in 2012 as an interactive brand planner.

Pearson returns to the TBWA stable from fellow Omnicom agency, PHD Australia, where he has been head of digital innovation for the past 14 months.

An experienced strategist who has spent time in digital, media, and creative agencies locally and abroad, Pearson is best known for his role leading global distribution planning on the Dove Real Beauty Sketches campaign which won a slew of awards including a creative effectiveness Lion.

After several years in London as global innovation director on the Unilever business, Pearson returned to Australia in 2015 to lead digital innovation at PHD Australia. He has been instrumental in the agencys recent new business success.

Says Hristos Varouhas, chief strategy officer at Whybin\TBWA: Were excited to have Joel back in our planning team. He is exceptionally smart, a great collaborator and epitomises the modern planning hybrid that will help us ensure clients brands are kept at the forefront of culture, which is critical in genuinely disrupting todays cluttered media landscape.

Says Pearson: I am absolutely delighted to be re-joining Hristos and the team at TBWA. Not only are they some of the nicest people in the business, but they consistently produce some of the best work in the market.
| BY Ricki Green |

AIRBAG has today announced the addition of senior commercials director David Rittey, formerly of Exit Films, to its roster.

Rittey is currently completing a campaign for Edith Cowan University via 303 MullenLowe Perth, and his reel includes work for some of the worlds top brands, including AMP, Medibank, Dettol, Berri, Sanitarium, The Red Cross and Moccona. Rittey merges beautifully crafted cinematic imagery with documentary filmmaking techniques, and authentic performances from both actors and non-actors.

Rittey graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2000 where he managed to achieve every film students dream  having his graduate piece selected for the Academy Awards as well as numerous other festivals on the international circuit. His short film Closer also went on to achieve international success, nominated for the Palm dOr at the 57th Cannes Film Festival.

His skills were honed in New Zealand, before returning to Australia in 2008 where he continued building on his impressive body of work.

Says Rittey: Ive always admired AIRBAGs energy and modern production model. It feels like a really positive next step for me and Im looking forward to applying my interest in visually engaging storytelling to craft filmic TVCs, as well as some of the new mediums theyre exploring.

Says Adrian Bosich, managing partner, AIRBAG: David has a beautiful eye, elicits touching performances, and has enough ego to have a vision, without being a diva. We are extremely excited to have David, and his talent for storytelling, join us at AIRBAG.
| BY Ricki Green |

The Art Directors Club, one of the worlds first non-profit organizations to champion commercial creativity and the artists who create it, has today announced a significant reinvention of its international ADC Young Guns program honoring the body of work from creatives 30 years of age and under.

In a bold departure from the traditional awards show model, the organization has transformed the program, now in its 14th iteration, into a curated invitation competition where nominees will be handpicked by an esteemed cultural influencer committee made up of 40 leading thinkers, makers and visionaries from 11 countries representing a range of creative fields.

The influencer committee, which is highly diverse in terms of gender and ethnicity, includes ADC Hall of Fame laureates Aussie expat and R/GA vice chairman Nick Law (pictured), Paula Scher, partner, Pentagram and John Maeda, design partner, Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, as well as creative luminaries such as Apple creative director Arem Duplessis, The New York Times Magazine deputy art director Gail Bichler, PAPER Magazine co-founder and editor Kim Hastreiter, OK Go bassist Timothy Nordwind and others (see below for complete list).

Each member of the influencer committee will nominate five individuals from around the world who they feel are the most talented and forward-shaping creatives 30 and under in any creative field, including design, motion, photography, advertising, new media and product design. The 200 influencer committee nominees will be notified and asked to submit their portfolios free of charge.

In addition to the influencer committee nominations, ADC members are eligible to submit their portfolios online free of charge to be considered for a select group of additional nominations chosen by ADC staff.

ADC YG 2016 winners will be announced and celebrated in September 2016, and a selection of their work shown in the ADC Young Guns 2016 global traveling exhibition.

A prestigious final judging panel of 12 who will make the ultimate selection for the next generation of honorees is split between past ADC Young Guns and ADC Board members, including a few who are both. The panel includes past ADC YGs Rei Inamoto, Inamoto & Co. (formerly of AKQA); Natasha Jen, Pentagram; Tracy Ma, Bloomberg Businessweek and Stefan Sagmeister, Sagmeister & Walsh, as well as ADC Board members Keira Alexander, Work-Order, Day for Night Festival (also a past YG winner); David Charles, David Charles Creative and Sundance fellow; Kim Hastreiter, PAPER Magazine; Nicole Jacek, NJ(L.A.) (past YG); Masashi Kawamura, PARTY (past YG); Dany Lennon, Creative Register; Noreen Morioka, M+ and Philippe Meunier, Sid Lee.

Says Meunier: Our goal with the new ADC Young Guns is to curate talent and build a invigorating club for the creative community. Rather than an award program, ADC YG is now a creative incubator and ongoing platform built to cultivate the winners talents and help them make big, beautiful things in their careers.

Says Jacek: With guidance from a global panel of top-tier influencers who have helped shape and evolve our culture in so many ways, ADC Young Guns has been transformed from a traditional industry competition into a whole new curated program that will identify, celebrate and nurture the most interesting, innovative and future-shaping young creatives from around the world.

Says Charles: Starting this year, ADC Young Guns now goes beyond an award and back to ADCs roots of being a real club. It will now be an inspiring, safe space for the best young talent in the world to further develop their craft and talents with mentorship, special events and fellowships that help them become the people steering the ship towards a more creative and kinder future for our industry.

The complete ADC Young Guns 2016 influencer committee includes:

 Rebecca Allen, UCLA Media Arts (USA)

 Hector Ayuso, OFFF (Spain)

 Sam Baron, Fabrica (Italy)

 Alex Bec, Its Nice That (UK)

 Gail Bichler, The New York Times Magazine (USA)

 Tim Brown, IDEO (USA)

 Alex Czetwertynski, creative/tech director (USA)

 Liza Defossez Ramalho, R2 (Portugal)

 Pinar Demirdag & Viola Renate, Pinar & Viola (France/Turkey)

 Arem Duplessis, Apple (USA)

 Justin Gignac, Working Not Working (USA)

 Kim Hastreiter, PAPER Magazine (USA)

 Jessica Helfand, Design Observer (USA)

 Erik Kessels, Kesselskramer (Netherlands)

 Gary Koepke, SapientNitro (USA)

 Nick Law, R/GA (USA)

 Jonathan Levine, Master & Dynamic (USA)

 Tracy Ma, Bloomberg Businessweek (USA)

 John Maeda, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (USA)

 Debbie Millman, Sterling Brands (USA)

 Timothy Nordwind, OK Go (USA)

 Eddie Opara, Pentagram (USA)

 David OReilly, artist (USA)

 PES (Adam Pesapane), PES Films (USA)

 Louisa Pillot, Bromance Records (France)

 Matt Pyke, Universal Everything (UK)

 Craig Redman, Craig & Karl (UK/USA)

 Joachim Sauter, ART+COM (Germany)

 Paula Scher, Pentagram (USA)

 Bibi Seck, Birsel + Seck (Senegal)

 Kamal SInclair, Sundance (USA)

 Louisa St. Pierre, Bernstein & Andriulli (USA)

 Richard Turley, MTV (USA)

 Elizabeth Valleau, Grey Group (USA)

 Alissa Walker, Gizmodo (USA)

 Jessica Walsh, Sagmeister & Walsh (USA)

 Kelly Woh, AKQA (China)

 Robert Wong, Google Creative Lab (USA)

 Martin Woodtli (Switzerland)

About the new ADC Young Guns Club

The reinvented ADC Young Guns is a multifaceted member club focused on curating talent. ADC Young Guns sets itself apart by selecting its members by their entire body of work and their personalities, in a quest to recognize the most creative young, forward-thinking talent in the world in all fields of creativity, from advertising to film and technology to industrial design.

The ADC Young Guns Club has five components:

 ADC YG Dinners: ADC will host curated ADC YG Dinners at interesting spot around the world, including at a number of NeueHouse locations. The exclusive guests will include a mix of ADC Young Guns, ADC YG Nominators, ADC YG Judges, cultural influencers and members of NeueHouse. The inaugural dinner will take place on June 15, 2016 in NYC curated by Kim Hastreiter, co- founder and editor, PAPER Magazine.

 ADC YG Lectures/Screenings: ADC will also hold lectures and screenings at NeueHouses and other locations around the world featuring ADC Young Guns, their work and stories, and will be open exclusively to ADC Youn

g Guns and NeueHouse members.

 ADC YG Parties: A number of parties and creative stimulating experiences will be held around the world at NeueHouses and elsewhere, exclusively for the ADC Young Guns Club members. The inaugural ADC YG Party will happen this summer, featuring performances by WOLVVES NYC and Xia Xia Technique (Timothy Nordwind and Dan Konopka of OK Go DJ set, featuring Psychoflower MC).

 ADC YG Awards Show: ADC will announce and celebrate ADC YG Winners each year at NeueHouse in Hollywood, CA. The glamorously cool show will be open exclusively for the ADC Young Guns Club, ADC Members, ADC YG Judges, ADC YG Nominators and selected cultural influencers. The inaugural ADC YG Awards Show on September 22, 2016 will be an intimate creative experience featuring exclusive music and art.

 ADC YG Exhibitions: More than just a traveling exhibition, this immersive creative experience will showcase the mind-blowing work of each years new ADC YG Winners.

 Other elements of the the program include an original ADC YG song composed and performed by Xia Xia Technique (Timothy Nordwind and Dan Konopka of OK Go featuring Psychoflower MC) and music video, both in collaboration with NJ(L.A.); partnership with NeueHouse locations worldwide and media partnership with PAPER Magazine; and a new ADC YG Award Cube designed and engineered by Master & Dynamic, in collaboration with NJ(L.A.).

ADC Young Guns and other club activities throughout the year are made possible in part through the generous support of ADC global partner Shutterstock.
Police: 2 dead, 6 injured in shooting at St. Louis high school; suspect killed

Three people were dead, including the gunman, and at least six others injured after a shooting at a high school in St. Louis on Monday, police said.
Food

By: Cook Britain

With layers of airy sponge and sweet buttercream balanced by decadent coffee and walnut flavours, this cake is simply divine.

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"We're not singularly opposed to having exceptions to the double jeopardy rule, particularly if we know in relation to scientific advancement such as DNA that there is something that has come up that wasn't available at the time the person was first tried. We're not against the exception in that instance."
"We've got so many young women and men growing up who see these fairytales where everyone is straight, and everyone's white, and everyone's able-bodied so when I was re-imagining these fairytales I was thinking what if Beauty in Beauty and the Beast actually had a disability and had to walk with a cane? How would that change her story?" she said.
The Guyana government has conditionally approved licences and has allocated spectrum to the carriers to offer 4G services, helping to boost data speeds to live stream, uploading audio, video and images.

Finally, we will bring you 4G. I know that youve waited a long time and I am as happy as you to say that we have received approval from the Government, said GTTs CEO Justin Nedd.

Our 4G mobile network will enable you to connect to the internet much faster than ever before whether to browse, watch videos or movies, download music or shop online. All Smart phones sold by GTT are ready to experience the faster speeds.

A Digicel spokesperson has also confirmed that it is set to receive authorisation and will be ready to offer 4G services.

The approvals are subject to National Assembly approval ahead of the long-awaited passing of the Telecommunications Bill.
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Three college students who first met while attending a Catholic high school in Florida have launched a scholarship fund to help others experience faithful Catholic education at a Newman Guide college. As we went off to different colleges, we kept in touch and found time to catch up whenever we returned []
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

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.
Ah, just look at these two naturally aspirated beasts going head to head in a rolling start drag race..its not something you get to see every day!



Lets start with the obvious, and talk about the surprisingly underrated Ferrari F430 Scuderia. And yes, its called the F430 not the 430 like many tend to pronounce.

This is a 510 PS surgical instrument, capable of reaching 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.6 seconds, which is incredibly fast even by todays standards. The F430 Scuderia was unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show by none other than Michael Schumacher and it was praised for its weight-to-power ratio of 2.5 kg/hp, 325 km/h (202 mph) top speed and being as fast as the Enzo around the Fiorano test circuit.

On top of everything else, the F430 Scuderia sounds like the whole world is on fire once you put your foot down (personal experience), and it will snap your head back into yesterday if youre not constantly aware of how brutal its semi-automatic transmission can be.

The 911 (991) GT3 is a modern-day car, and even though it has less power (475 HP), it will still hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.5 seconds.

The problem is that this is a rolling start drag race and even if it wasnt, the result would have still been pretty much the same.

In case you havent watched the video or havent figured it out yet, the Ferrari wins  but not by much. These two cars are very close in terms of performance, yet the F430 Scuderia takes it, despite its age.

What can we do other than tip our hats?

VIDEO
While Peugeot will start producing cars in Iran from late 2017 and Audi is considering a market entry, things have taken an awkward turn for Chevrolet.



The GM-owned brand has been banned from selling its vehicles in the Middle Eastern country, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized the carmaker and asked government to support local car production, as Reuters reports.

Even the Americans are not interested in buying such cars because of their weight and high fuel consumption. Why should we import the cars from a bankrupt American factory? This is very odd, Khamenei said, according to his official website.

Following the Iranian leaders criticism, an import deal of 200 Chevrolet cars, which should have come from South Korea, worth approximately $7 million, was cancelled.

The person who has registered the car orders has been informed that their import is not allowed. The cars are not in the country yet and were only loaded to be shipped to Iran, an unnamed official in the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade, was quoted saying by the semi-official Mehr news agency.

Khamenei also condemned rich young people who are seen driving expensive vehicles on the streets of Irans capital, Tehran, stating that they were the result of identity crises and bad education.

Most international sanctions applied to the Islamic Republic were lifted in January, following a nuclear deal reached with the USA and other world powers, opening the market for the first time after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, prior to which US-made cars and trucks were appreciated in the country.

Note: Chevrolet Bolt pictured

PHOTO GALLERY
While BBC is gearing up the new season of the Clarkson-free Top Gear, Chris Evans took a break from his busy scandal-filled schedule to share some thoughts about the man hes replacing.



In an interview with GQ Magazine, Evans seemed surprised that the famous quarrel and dispute with Oisin Tymon got Clarkson sacked, instead of the other  much more serious  misconducts and controversies hes been involved over the years:

What is fascinating is that he went for what he went for, considering what had gone on before. If you look at the chronology of controversy of Top Gear over the last five or six years, it is bizarre that he went for losing his rag over his dinner when there had been international incidents before that

When asked about his relationship with Clarkson, Evans said, straight off the bat, that they used to get along (although they havent met in a long time), considering Jezza a master at what it does and one of his heroes.

We used to get on. I dont know if we still get on because I havent seen him in ages. But he is one of my heroes. Hes entertaining. He was great on Top Gear and I love his writing. I agree [that he is a bit of a bigot], but I just take the things I like. He is funny. He deconstructs things really well. They say if you can explain complicated things to a six-year-old you know what youre talking about, and I am like his six-year-old.

Evans also added that you dont need to be Hercule Poirot to figure out there-s an anti-Top Gear/anti-Chris Evans agenda in some British publications, but without the involvement of Jeremy Clarkson.

Clarkson himself denied sabotaging Evans or the BBC, especially as he stands to earn some money if the show lives-on:

Its been suggested that I am behind it, that I am trying to scupper him. But I discovered the other day that every time it gets recommissioned I get paid, so thats a curious bit of BBC contract but I wish them all the very best, stated Clarkson.

PHOTO GALLERY
Making people queue up for your cars is one thing; changing the trade in the entire country is quite another, much more difficult to handle.



Elon Musk has decided to do things his own way even in sales. No dealerships for Tesla, he has decreed. Customers will get their Model S, X or 3 directly from company-owned stores.

Not in Connecticut they wont. Negotiations between the automaker, new-car dealers and General Motors for a legislation that would allow Tesla to implement its strategy in the state, where law requires manufacturers to sell new cars solely through dealerships, fell through.

The franchise system has worked very well for nearly 100 years, Bradley Hoffman of the Connecticut Auto Retailers Association said. It establishes a fair playing field for us the local dealers, national manufacturers, and customers looking for the best price and customer service.

A last-minute attempt by Tesla, who promised to would create 150 new jobs in the state in addition to the 25 employed in each shop, didnt cut it. Not even if said employees would get paid from $40-100k a year plus benefits.

Without an agreement, I couldnt bring it to a vote in the Senate, Majority Leader Bob Duff told CT Post. New car dealers and GM are powerful lobbyists.

Of course they are. And theyd rather not change a century-old system thats serving them very well to accommodate a rival. Nothing personal, just business.

Photo Gallery
Renault will expand its model range in Europe this year with the introduction of four new products.



Revealed at the brands 2016 shareholders meeting, they include a C-segment sedan, which will replace the current Fluence and will probably be dubbed the Megane Sedan (name unconfirmed). It will ride on the same CMF platform as the hatch and borrow its styling cues and engine lineup.

The French will enter the pickup truck segment on the Old Continent with the 1T, which is also part of the brands expansion. Since the Duster Oroch is unlikely to arrive in Europe with Renault logos, chances are we are looking at the production version of the Alaskan Concept, which will be underpinned by the same platform as the Nissan Navara.

Renault will also unveil a B-segment crossover for the European market in 2016, which could turn out to be a facelifted version of the 3-year old Captur. Finally, a seven-seat variant of the Scenic will be introduced this year, slotting below the Espace flagship MPV. It will probably be named the Grand Scenic..

PHOTO GALLERY
Toyota recently launched the Innova Crysta in India at a starting price of Rs 13.84 lakh. Apart from the GX, VX and ZX trims, the E and G are also offered, but only as made-to-order models. Toyota is offering a long list of bolt-on accessories that can be kitted to the new MPV. We have shortlisted some of the most essential and practical items that you can opt for. Have a look.

1. Protectors

Toyota has designed a bull bar for the rear bumper. This one not only provides protection, but also enhances the look with its neat design and small chrome accent on it. This is unlike the bulky, ugly bull-bars currently available in the market as an after-market accessory.

2. Utility rack

Another utility-focused add-on is the roof rack specially designed for the MPV. All the extra luggage can be carried by this roof rack and basket, which can hold a load of up to 60kgs.

3. Integrated rain visors

These visors not only look stylish, but also keep the windows dry in the rains and reduce wind noise. These are available with chrome inserts too.

4. Interior accessories

There is a lot of equipment on offer for the cabin of the Innova. Some of the most essential items that one should opt for includes floor and trunk mats, which are offered in fabric or rubber materials. Other accessories like scuff plates, wooden panel, cushions and seat covers are also offered as an OEM fitment.

5. Chrome pack

Just like the after-market chrome kits available for most cars nowadays, the Innova can be also be kitted up with this cosmetic accessory. Toyota is offering chrome surrounds for the radiator grille, bumper and fog lamps. The ORVMs, window line and the door handles can also be treated with chrome, while the tail lights, rear licence plate and the rear bumper can also be opted with a chrome job.
The new Toyota Fortuner has been launched in Malaysia. It is available with two engine options and they have been priced at Rs 30.99 lakh (187,000RM) for the diesel and Rs 33.16 lakh (199,999RM) for the petrol model. The car was unveiled last year and is the second generation for the SUV.



This new Fortuner has become longer, wider and more luxurious than the outgoing model. Noticeable design elements include chrome heavy grille, scythe-shaped headlights and LED lights for the top-spec models. The trim list is similar to what we have seen on the Innova Crysta and includes bits like power seats, climate control, touchscreen infotainment system, leather upholstery and a host of driving aids like traction control and ABS with EBD. The petrol variant is a higher-spec model than the diesel and gets most of the above mentioned features as standard.



The petrol engine is a 2.7-litre producing 163bhp and 245Nm of torque. It now gets dual VVT-I technology and is mated to a six-speed AT complete with paddle shifters. The diesel on the other hand, is the 2.4-litre unit (now available in India with the Innova Crysta) that produces 150bhp and 400Nm of torque. This too gets the six-speed AT and all-time AWD.



The vehicles are assembled in Thailand and exported to various countries around it. In the Indian context, this is an important car as it is pretty much the leader of the D-segment thanks to its large sales volume. It is one of the pillars on which Toyota gains its volumes and we believe that they will introduce the car in 2017 but not hike prices too much to ensure that the Fortuner stays competitive.

Source:Paultan
Photo: Mission Hill Family Estate

One of West Kelowna's most well-known wineries is being recognized in France for its stunning architecture.

Mission Hill Family Estate, and specifically its architectural design led by award-winning architect Tom Kundig, is featured in Architectural Digest France.

It is flattering to be included in a world's best, says winery director Ingo Grady.

We think about leaving a legacy behind. And the architecture, that is both timeless and enduring, accomplishes that really well.

The article entitled the 'The finest cellars of architects', features 16 wineries from around the world including locations in Italy, Chile, Spain, South Africa, Napa Valley and one Canadian winery  Mission Hill.

Anthony's (Mission Hills proprietor Anthony von Mandl) vision has always been to put the Okanagan wine region on the world map and we are doing it with our wines, with our food, with our summer concert series, our sculptures and now to be recognized by Architectural Digest  hopefully people find the architecture welcoming and unique because frankly people do not build like this anymore.

He adds that his travels around the world have taught him that exporting Okanagan wine is not what 'we' are meant to do, it is bringing the world to the Okanagan that will count.

We should still travel, showcase our wines internationally, but the effort needs to be collaboratively with the hotels, with the tourism folks, because our job is to bring visitors to the Okanagan. It is far more lucrative, far more sustainable, than us hitting the road to regions where people are mildly amused there is wine in Canada, says Grady.

But, when you show them the amazing images of Okanagan wine country, the architecture, you hook them.

Following this week's news, Grady says there is more exciting stuff to come at Mission Hill, but he can't fill us in on all the details yet.

Anthony's appetite to make a statement with our wines, with the guest experience but also with the architecture seems to be insatiable, says Grady.

To make great wine you do not need a bell tower, that just frames the guest experience and maybe it is a bit of beacon that looks ahead.
A new program at UBC's Okanagan campus may change the way radiation affects cancer patients and how they feel during treatment.

Starting this fall, in collaboration with the BC Cancer Agency's Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior, the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences will offer a masters and PhD program in Medical Physics.

Associate Prof. Andrew Jirasek, chairman of the newly developed medical physics graduate program, is excited about the opportunities in cancer research the program will bring to the Okanagan.

There is a great marriage between physics and medicine, says Jirasek, explaining that UBC faculty work on a range of research projects in radiation oncology, medical imaging and biomedical spectroscopy.

The outcome of our research will ultimately transform the way radiation therapy is delivered. This in turn will lead to better treatment for patients, improving the efficacy of radiation therapy while at the same time reducing the side effects.

Jirasek and colleagues from engineering, biology and chemistry are using an optical technique called Raman spectroscopy to see how radiation may affect people at the cellular level.

From here, dosage can be adjusted to be more precise and targeted.

This is a very powerful technique. We can record and analyze information about how cells and tissues change throughout treatment, says Jirasek. Previously, the only outcome of treatment was disease status; for example if a tumour had shrunk or grown. Our hope is that this Raman analysis will provide accurate treatment evaluation sooner.

Timing with cancer treatment is everything, he says, stressing the sooner successful therapy is implemented, the better for the patient.

Under this new Medical Physics graduate program, students will have access to a full graduate course curriculum in radiation oncology medical physics, and will have the opportunity to learn about, and work on, world-class research projects.

As radiation is such a significant part of cancer therapy, its important to make it as effective as possible, Jirasek says. Advances in delivery technology have enabled radiation beams to be rotated and adjusted to target the tumour and spare the healthy tissue, which will reduce side effects.
Photo: Satyrenko

Researchers at UBC Okanagan have designed a program aimed to enhance your happiness and well-being and they want to help you.

The research study is now looking to help people increase their happiness in life.

The well-being study aims to teach participants how to enhance resiliency to lifes challenges, live a meaningful and fulfilling life, improve health and relationships and become more mindful.

Traditionally in the field of clinical psychology, we have focused on developing treatments to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, says Lesley Lutes, the director of clinical training.

However, we have spent little time focusing on how to increase things such as well-being and happiness.

Lutes and social psychologist Derrick Wirtz are currently looking for members of the community to participate in the study, which launches this month.

Study participants can expect to gain tangible, research-based skills to help navigate the daily challenges of life with a new approach and set of skills that can make a difference both emotionally and physically.

The mission of this new clinical trial is essentially to bring together everything we know about how to increase well-being and happiness from the field of social psychology research and test it in one comprehensive trial to develop an evidence-based treatment for well-being and happiness using cognitive behavioural therapy, says Lutes.

The happiness and well-being study includes a nine-month randomized clinical trial.

Participants will receive some compensation for their time during assessments, at mid-point, and at the end of the study.

To find out more about the happiness and well-being study, contact the research team at 250-807-8746 or email [email protected]
Photo: CTV

You're only human. Don't expect to do the impossible.

That's the message former Kelowna fire Chief Gerry Zimmermann would pass on to his brethren fighting a devastating wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta.

Zimmermann was fire chief when Kelowna went through the disastrous 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire.

"When I look at what they are going through right now, it makes ours pale in comparison. It obviously brings back the memories, but I really feel for those people. It's right in the city," said Zimmermann.

"We only evacuated 30,000 people, and they're at ... 80,000."

Zimmermann, who became the face of the firefighting effort in 2003, said the wave of emotions he felt then have come back as he watches what is happening in Fort McMurray.

The feeling of sheer hopelessness.

We were doing the best we could, but we knew at our best we were just steering it. It does bring back the feelings of helplessness, for me anyway.

"We never wanted people to know how we were feeling. But I just feel for those people."

At a news conference Wednesday morning, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said at least 1,600 structures have been lost.

Three neighbourhoods have suffered significant loss, and Notley said if the wind does what is expected of it, more neighbourhoods will be threatened today.

"Wind is their biggest enemy because it's blowing it all over the place," said Zimmermann.

"That's exactly what happened here. About seven o'clock the winds would come up and it was hottter than heck. That's when we had our problems."

Zimmermann said with fires such as these, it's not the wall of flame that scares firefighters the most.

"It was the wind blowing the embers over top and starting again behind us. It sounds like that's exactly what happened there."

From battling the 2003 fires, Zimmermann said he knows firefighters in Fort McMurray are frustrated and angry, especially structural firefighters who are not used to seeing this level of devastation.

He said they can't judge success or failure by what they couldn't do.

"It's how many did you save that would have been gone if you weren't there. I remember saying at one point, we've lost 238, but we probably saved 1,000 that would have been gone if we weren't there.

"I'm sure these guys are going to be in the same place. I think that's what pulled our guys through because they were pretty down."

Meanwhile, Premier Christy Clark said the province is doing everything being asked of it by Notley.

"What Alberta has asked of us is that we focus on trying to contain the 48 fires in British Columbia in the Peace region," said Clark.

"One of which is about six kilometres from the Alberta border. What they need (us) to do is to make sure we are containing the fires within our own borders, so they don't jump the border."

Clark said if the Siphon Creek fire does jump the border into Alberta, B.C. crews would follow the fire there.

"It isn't normally what we would do, but Alberta firefighters are working as hard as they can. We don't want to add to their burden."

She said the province will also assist with equipment and other resources, but said with 48 fires burning here, we can't send firefighters into Alberta.
Photo: Instagram

It's all about having a Big Mac for a big smile.

McDonalds restaurants across the Okanagan are celebrating McHappy Day for the 23rd year in a row.

All day, $1 from a sale of every McCafe, Big Mac sandwich or Happy Meal goes to local Boys and Girls Clubs and Ronald McDonald Charities. Since its inception, McHappy Day has raised more than $51 million for Canadian children.

Members of the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club have joined staff at restaurant locations from West Kelowna to Lake Country, opening doors, cleaning tables and helping in the kitchen.

Boys and Girls spokesperson Richelle Leckey said this year's proceeds will support the clubs' Safe Place to Belong initiative.

We know that not every young person in our community has it easy, and we want to be sure that no matter what a kid's circumstances, they have a safe place to belong where they have a chance to become healthy, successful and active participants in society, she said.

Donations can be made at www.boysandgirlsclubs.ca
Photo: Jason Edmonson

Our thoughts are with Fort McMurray residents

Our thoughts and prayers this week are with our neighbours in Fort McMurray, Alberta, who have been devastated by a raging wildfire that has caused immense loss of property. Fortunately, to date, there has been no reported loss of life.

Citizens in the Okanagan know firsthand the impacts of forest fires, and I know all citizens in our region are in support of the many first responders who are working tirelessly to regain control of the situation.

The Federal Government will be providing military support to assist with the firefighting efforts, and the Prime Minister has indicated other supports may be available as this situation unfolds.

I would also like to thank those citizens who have donated to the Canadian Red Cross relief effort for victims who have lost homes in this tragedy.

Bill C-14

In Ottawa this week, debate has been largely focussed on Bill C-14 (Medical Assistance in Dying), with daily sittings extended into the late evening, as the Liberals prepare to shut down debate using an upcoming vote to enact time allocation.

After my recent MP reports on this subject, the overwhelming response I have had on this bill is supportive, however with concerns, as well as constructive suggestions, on how the bill might be further improved with additional safeguards.

One additional challenge to this Bill is that the Supreme Court has established a June 2016 deadline for the bill to be passed. This Supreme Court imposed deadline ultimately limits not only the debate, but what amendments and other criteria might be added to further ensure that the bill does not adversely impact those who are most vulnerable.

As an example of this, Bill C-14 currently proposes that a written request for medical assistance in dying is independently assessed by two doctors or nurse practitioners.

One suggestion I received is that this two person requirement could be expanded to include a social worker, a medical ethicist, a palliative care expert, and possibly someone with mental health experience. This is only one example of potential amendments that could better strengthen this legislation.

Bank bail

One other update I would like to provide stems from my April 13th MP report on the Bank bail in legislation contained in the new Liberal Budget Implementation Act.

At the time of that report, it was unclear if the bank bail in provisions would specifically exclude the deposits from everyday bank customers. I can now confirm that the bank bail in provisions would exclude, and thereby protect, consumer bank deposits from this legislation.

As a result I now believe that the bank bail in provisions will further strengthen our Canadian banking system, while adding increased accountability with less taxpayer risk.

For a refresher on this topic, here is my April 15th MP report.

On a final note, I would like to announce that my primary West Kelowna Constituency office has made a small move:

West Kelowna Constituency Office

2562-B Main Street

West Kelowna

The new location has ample parking, and I invite citizens to drop in if you require assistance or would like to arrange an appointment.

For seven of the next eight weeks I will be in Ottawa, as the House is now in the spring session, which is the busiest of the year, until the anticipated June 24th summer adjournment.

This summer, as in previous years, I will be conducting my annual summer listening tour. I look forward to visiting all communities and regions within Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.

As always, your comments, questions, and concerns are welcome. I can be reached at [email protected] or toll free 1.800.665.8711.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: The Canadian Press

BC Liquor Stores are doing their part to help the thousands of people who were forced to flee a massive wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta.

A full evacuation of the community of 80,000 was ordered Tuesday as flames ripped through the town.

Starting Wednesday, BC Liquor Stores customers can donate $2, $5 or more to help the Red Cross in Alberta reunite family members, provide evacuees with shelter, food and water, and assist with longer-term needs as the community rebuilds.

The massive wildfire started spreading in the Fort McMurray region earlier this week, threatening more than a dozen nearby communities, destroying property and forcing residents to flee their homes.

After a mandatory evacuation order was issued yesterday, officials estimate as many as 1,600 homes and buildings have been destroyed  in an area spanning 10,000 hectares.

Donations made to the Red Cross in BC Liquor Stores from April 27 through May 3, will be directed to Ecuador earthquake recovery efforts, as originally planned.
Photo: naumoid

A water quality advisory remains in effect for 400 residents living within the Ellison area, east of Old Vernon Road.

The Glenmore-Ellison Improvement District (GEID) warns of elevated turbidity levels and poor water quality conditions that are typical within the Mill Creek source during summer months.

The water quality is being monitored by GEID staff and the distribution system is being maintained.

Those properties under the advisory have water that is considered fair due to elevated turbidity. Interior Health recommends children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, boil their water for one minute or seek a safe alternative.

While GEID customers in the Glenmore area receiving water from the new Okanagan Lake intake via the McKinley Reservoir have attained water quality improvements in recent months, they still remain under the advisory.

No advisory is in effect for properties serviced by the McKinley Landing water system.
Photo: Facebook - Chelsea McRandom

A group of Kelowna residents cleaned up a beach, then a second group of Kelowna residents cleaned up the same beach and decorated some trees  in both instances, people got really angry.

After a group of "Mushroom Beach" users voluntarily spent an afternoon cleaning up the beach, local residents were apparently furious about the "type" of people that facilitated the clean.

Are you kidding me?, wrote an area-resident. This story does nothing to improve the image at our local Lake Avenue Beach  yes, its called Lake Avenue Beach.

The surrounding neighbourhood is tired of dealing with this sort of stuff and you (Castanet) are actually harming our efforts to improve the image at that beach."

The following weekend, a group of local residents hit the sand for another cleanup at "Lake Avenue Beach." It was paid for through two grants, the Partners in Parks grant and Strong Neighbourhoods grant  worth a total of $11,000.

This is the first time weve seen kids on this beach, said resident Dayna Margetts at that event. Often people just go through as fast as they can because of the stuff thats going on.

As part of their effort, the group planted more than 100 native plants and painted trees funky neon colours.

Following that cleanup, another group of people were offended. Dozens of commenters flooded Castanet's social media, comments and forums, mortified that the group would paint the trees.

Just my opinion, but painting the 'natural' plants and trees not only looks terrible, but ironically is very unnatural, wrote Anderson Coutu.

Who even paints trees?! wrote Katie Groves. Like did they actually let the kids decide how to 'clean' the beach?

Those poor trees. They look horrible! added Stefania Valor.

This is the ugliest thing I have ever seen and I am really pissed off that this was allowed to be done to these beautiful old trees, chimed in Sharon Tabian Schrieber. I have emailed a complaint to the city and I hope something is done to restore the trees to their natural state.

Still, the City of Kelowna said the tree-painting was researched, discussed and approved.

There were staff on site during the event. It definitely was managed to ensure the appropriate trees and the appropriate product was used,  said Louise Roberts, community and neighbourhood services manager for the city.

It is not a danger to the trees at all. They were trying to 'animate' the area, just sort of it make it fun, added Roberts.

It is not permanent paint, it is temporary, it is like chalk  it will wash away. There is special product on the market just for this type of activity, safe for environment and can be used on public trees.

She says any community group that applies for a grant has to provide a proposal that is then reviewed and approved by city staff.

It is reviewed by an internal staff working group and is accessed on its viability and practicality. That includes representatives from parks and bylaw and everything. Our staff worked alongside them through the whole project, said Roberts.

They put a proposal in and we thought it was a good idea. They had a lot of people there that day and they all had a lot of fun.

Roberts said city staff were surprised by the negative public backlash.

It has been done in other communities as a big, fun thing to do. People said it was so much fun to go out and do it. Like in all things, some people like it and some people have different opinions, said Roberts.
Photo: Facebook - ONE Boardshop

A kid-friendly, pet-friendly food truck rally will feed your hunger, Thursday, in Kelowna.

Entrance to the Cinco de Mayo rally is free.

Visitors will find a bouncy castle, balloon artist, candy-filled pinatas, 15 local food trucks and a DJ spinning tunes.

The food trucks will be serving up lots to eat, including tacos, burgers, poutine, crepes, mini doughnuts, ice cream, fresh squeezed lemonade, schnitzel, specialty coffee and shaved ice.

The Okanagan Food Truck Rally will run from 5 to 9 p.m. behind One Boardshop, at 2330 Harvey Ave.
Its big, its red and its rolling into Kelowna.

The Heart and Stroke Big Bike is saving lives by pedalling across the country to raise awareness and funds for the foundation.

In Kelowna, 33 teams consisting of more than 800 riders will take a seat on the bike, in an effort to raise a goal of $120,000 for the city and help raise $1.5 million for B.C.

Jessica Samuels with the Okanagan-Kootenay Heart and Stroke Foundation says residents are coming together with their colleagues, fellow students, or friends to raise money together to ride the Big Bike.

Of course all the money raised goes to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, she said. We like to raise money for research and save lives and create survivors of heart disease and stroke.

For the last 18 years, Richard Rappel has been a driver for the Big Bike.

I take it all across British Columbia. We do about 200 rides or so for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, explained Rappel. Almost everybody that you know has always had problems with heart and stroke problems, so that is always a good cause for me.

Cheer on the Big Bike as it rolls around Kelowna until Saturday, May 7.

- With files from Rob Balsdon
Photo: CTV

A Prince George man has been charged in relation to the targeted shooting that occurred in that community last week.

Following the incident, four suspects were arrested with one of them, Jamie Wade Fatum, 23, being charged with attempted murder with a firearm, pointing a firearm and possession of a firearm without a licence

Police are continuing their investigation and charges against the other arrested individuals may be considered.

At about 12:20 a.m. April 29, Prince George RCMP received a report of a shooting in a parking lot near the intersection of 17th Avenue and Upland Street.

Officers arrived and located an adult male suffering from what appeared to be at least one gunshot wound, said Cpl. Craig Douglass. Officers began first aid until medical first responders arrived on scene. The victim was transported to hospital for treatment.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call RCMP at 250-561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, online at www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca, or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (274637) using keyword pgtips.
Photo: Twitter - YLW

WestJet is flying about 5,000 pounds of food and water donated by Kelowna firms to a small airstrip at Firebag, Alta., for evacuated Fort McMurray residents currently staying nearby, says Kelowna airport manager Sam Sammadar.

The flight left just after 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Some 2,000 people are located at camps around Suncor's oilsands site where the airstrip is located, north of Fort McMurray where crews are battling a massive, out-of-control wildfire that has burned some neighbourhoods to the ground.

Sending out a huge thank you to a@westjet for organizing the #FortMcMurray humanitarian flight! YLW tweeted Wednesday.

The airport also thanked donors for pitching in, including Bark n' Fly dog daycare, the BC SPCA, B.C. Tree Fruits, DeSimone Farms, Skyway Group, Bread Co., Ironman Holdings and others.

Water, sandwiches, fruit, other food and pet kennels are being flown in on a regularly scheduled flight to Firebag, said Sammadar.

The Bombardier Q-400, which seats 78, usually flies oilsands employees who are scheduled to work at Suncor.

They are not flying people into work at this point, said Sammadar. They are getting people out of there.

Sammadar said Fort McMurray's airport was closed to regular flights. The forest service has taken it over. The airspace is closed due to air tanker activity.

In a call to the airport manager last night, Sammadar was told it was a disaster for the community that was already suffering due to the downturn in the oil economy.

Meanwhile, WestJet spokeswoman Lauren Stewart said the airline also flew to another airstrip north of Fort McMurray, which included working with Alberta Health Services, to bring water and supplies into the area and transport patients who were mobile enough to board a plane, out of the area.

WestJet employees and some others who couldn't get out of the area Tuesday were flown from Fort McMurray's airport earlier Wednesday but the airport is now closed.

This is a rapidly evolving situation, said Stewart. We will be making a donation of $25,000 to the Red Cross with employees to match. We are encouraging cash as the information from the Red Cross sounds like this is most useful at this time.
Photo: Andy Dutot

Update: 4:54 p.m.

Two forest fires in northwest Alberta have forced more people out of their homes.

All residents in the hamlet of Glenevis, as well as those north of the Alexis reserve, about 68 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, have been ordered to evacuate the area.

"There's been one house that has burned so far," RCMP Cpl. Laurel Scott said Wednesday afternoon.

"There have been no injuries."

A reception centre has been set up at the Cherhill Community Centre.

Also, rural residents south of High Level between Bushe Reserve and Highway 35 have been ordered to leave their homes due to a fire, according to Alberta Emergency Alert.

The government agency says residents have been asked to go to the Town of High Level office to register and receive further instructions.

High Level is 780 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

Update: 4:40 p.m.

According to Alberta news reports Heart Lake residents are being evacuated due to a wildfire.

A vehicle collision, along Highway 881, is said to have sparked the blaze. There are indications the incident was a fatal head-on crash Wednesday afternoon.

Heart Lake is located 60 kilometres north of Lac La Biche. Highway 881 is reported to be closed from Conklin to Highway 858 due to wildfires and traffic related incidents.

A new fire has sparked in Alberta, according to a Castanet reader.

The fire was started by a vehicle near Heart Lake, south of Conklin.

Firefighting resources in the area are concentrated on the Fort McMurray fire and have not arrived to tackle it.
Photo: Google Street View

Kelowna RCMP are looking for a lone man after weapons and other items were located in a vehicle he was allegedly driving.

Events began to unfold late Tuesday night when police attempted to stop a vehicle on Highway 33, going more than twice the posted limit.

Police did not give chase.

A short time later, RCMP were notified of a vehicle speeding into a cul-de-sac in the Black Mountain area.

The man was seen running from the vehicle, through a yard and down Lynrick Road.

Police secured the area, but were unable to locate the man.

Inside the abandoned vehicle, police found a .22 calibre handgun, ammunition, brass knuckles, an extendable baton, several cellphones and drug paraphernalia.

The suspect is described as:

Caucasian

6-feet (183 cm)

Wearing jeans, pink hoodie and carrying a man bag.

If you witnessed this incident and have not yet spoken to police you are asked to contact Const. Paetz 250-980-5353.

Or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown.
Photo: Contributed

A man has been charged with second-degree murder after a fatal stabbing in Chilliwack.

Police say officers responded to reports of a stabbing Tuesday afternoon and found one man dead and another with a knife.

Sgt. Stephanie Ashton of the Integrated Homicide Investigations Team says a 63-year-old man was arrested and has been charged in the death of a 49-year-old man.

Ashton says witnesses reported seeing the suspect hitting a cyclist while he was following the victim's car.

She says the two cars collided in a parking lot and that the 49-year-old man was stabbed during an altercation.

Police believe the two men knew each other.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The Trudeau government cut short debate and forced a vote in principle Wednesday on its proposed new law on medically assisted dying, enraging opposition MPs who said they're being deprived of the right to speak on a crucial life-and-death issue.

The Liberals used their majority Wednesday to impose a time limit on second reading debate of the bill.

But while the opposition parties were united in denouncing the restriction on debate, MPs from all parties came together later Wednesday to easily give the bill approval in principle. The bill passed by a vote of 235-75, with support from most Liberal, NDP and Bloc Quebecois MPs as well as 20 Conservatives and Green Leader Elizabeth May.

Lone Liberal Robert-Falcon Ouellette and solitary New Democrat Christine Moore joined 73 Conservatives, including interim leader Rona Ambrose, in opposing it.

The bill must still be examined by the Commons justice committee, which could recommend amendments, before returning to the Commons for more debate and a final vote.

Prior to the vote, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould argued that limiting debate and getting the bill quickly to committee is necessary to ensure the bill passes by June 6, the deadline for enacting a new law set by the Supreme Court, which struck down the ban on assisted dying last year.

However, the Commons justice committee and the Senate's legal and constitutional affairs committee have already begun simultaneously conducting hearings on the bill  not waiting for it to pass second reading in the Commons  so it's not clear why MPs could not have continued debating it at least until those committee hearings wrap up.

The move to impose time allocation set off a furor in the Commons.

"I am absolutely outraged," said Alberta Conservative MP Blaine Calkins, adding that his constituents have "very impassioned views" on assisted dying which they expected him to express during the debate.

The Liberal government has lengthened by two years the environmental hearings for something as "innocuous" as a proposed pipeline, Calkins argued, "yet they're only going to let one in four MPs at second reading on this bill talk about something as important as the sanctity of human life."

"This is an abomination and it violates my privileges as a member of Parliament."

Wilson-Raybould countered that opposition parties rejected an offer earlier this week that would have allowed for "unlimited" debate after midnight. And she maintained it would be "irresponsible" to miss the court deadline.

"If we do not have legislation in place as of June 6, there will be no safeguards in place, the medical practitioners will have uncertainty with respect to the eligibility criteria around somebody who wants to access medical assistance in dying," she told the Commons.

But Green Leader May argued that the deadline could be missed "with no harm done" since the parameters for assisted dying set out in the Supreme Court's ruling would take effect until such time as a new law was enacted. She said the "harm to democracy" caused by limiting debate is greater than the risk of missing the deadline by taking the time to do the legislation right.

In striking down the ban on medically assisted dying, the Supreme Court recognized the right to assisted death for clearly consenting adults with "grievous and irremediable" medical conditions who are enduring physical or mental suffering that they find intolerable.

The federal government last month introduced a bill that takes a more restrictive approach. It would require a person to be a consenting adult, at least 18 years of age, in "an advanced stage of irreversible decline" from a serious and incurable disease, illness or disability and for whom a natural death is "reasonably foreseeable."

All parties have promised free votes on the bill.

Ambrose said Wednesday that she'd vote against the bill at second reading, in hopes that it will be amended at committee to strengthen protection of the conscience rights of medical practitioners who refuse to help a patient die and improve safeguards for people with disabilities.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said he'd vote for the bill but reiterated his call for the government to refer the new law, once passed, to the Supreme Court to see if it respects the court's ruling and does not violate the charter of rights.

But at a news conference to mark the six-month anniversary of his government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not appear overly enthusiastic about amending the bill and ruled out altogether a reference to the top court.

He defended the restrictive approach taken by the government, arguing legalization of assisted dying "is a big change for the country" that needs to be undertaken cautiously. He expressed confidence that the bill complies with the court ruling and the charter.

"I do not agree that every time we have a bill that we should go to the court and ask them if they believe our bill is charter compliant. To do so would be to undermine the government's role," Trudeau added.

The bill may get a rougher ride in the Senate than it got Wednesday in the Commons, judging from the tough grilling senators gave Wilson-Raybould when she appeared before the legal affairs committee.

Some, including Liberals Serge Joyal and James Cowan, suggested the bill would not stand up to a charter challenge because it is too restrictive. Others, including Conservatives Don Plett and Denise Batters, said it fails to adequately protect the conscience rights of doctors or to provide safeguards for vulnerable individuals, such as those with mental illnesses.

Frances Lankin, an independent senator recently appointed by Trudeau, expressed concern that the bill would not allow advance requests for a medically assisted death from individuals suffering from conditions such as dementia that will eventually render them incapable of giving informed consent.

"I generally support this but it just doesn't go far enough," Lankin told Wilson-Raybould.
Google's Tilt Brush allows you to draw pretty much anything in your virtual space. The technology looks really cool, but more than anything, it just looks like a heck of a lot of fun.
Photo: Twitter - BC Forest Fire Info

A by-the-numbers look at forest fires in Canada over the last four-plus decades:

373,597: Forest fires in Canada between 1970 and 2015

51,320: Forest fires in B.C. between 1990 and 2015, the most of any province during that time

32,894: Fires in Alberta during the same time, the second-highest total of any province

64,639,645: Hectares of land burned by forest fires between 1990 and 2015

17,388,508: Hectares burnt in the Northwest Territories, the largest amount of any province and territory between 1990 and 2015

13,840,763: Hectares burnt in Saskatchewan during the same time, the most of any province

3: Percentage of fires each year that grow to more than 200 hectares in size

$130.5M: Property losses to forest fires between 1990 and 2015

(Sources: Natural Resources Canada, Statistics Canada, National Forestry Database)
Photo: Contributed

The Central Okanagan could experience a thunderstorm Wednesday evening.

Residents living in Black Mountain and Dilworth report hearing thunder and seeing lighting strikes in their area.

Downtown Kelowna saw periodic rain during the afternoon.

Environment Canada is forecasting a 60 per cent chance of showers for the evening with a northwest 20 kilometre wind.

The low for overnight is 10 C.

A thunderstorm may also strike in the north and south of the Okanagan Valley.

Send your weather pictures to [email protected] for our gallery.
Photo: Contributed File photo.

Coldstream is spearheading an effort for an air quality service, that would be funded through the North Okanagan Regional District.

This is the only regional body that can address that issue, said regional board director Doug Dirk. The air shed is common shared...so it makes sense that leadership should come from this level.

North Okanagan communities and electoral areas are being asked if they would agree to fund such a service.

Dirk, a Coldstream councillor, confirms that residents' concerns over the Pinnacle pellet plant output is one reason why the district is pushing the matter. But he said air quality in general in this part of the Valley needs to be monitored.

(Pinnacle) brought it back on the radar so that's ongoing, the measuring and the results, the monitoring, said Dirk. "What it brought to light was that the background levels, which everyone is dealing with, are already high.

A regional approach is the only thing that will really have any significance. Coldstream can do all sorts of things but it's not going to have that impact.

The idea already has one no.

NORD board chairman Rick Fairbairn said his constituents in Area D have rejected it before.

Other agencies are dealing with air quality issues including dust and smoke, insisted Fairbairn.

An effort to have such a service failed before and NORD's chief administrative officer David Sewell said it was important that the purpose and scope was clearly defined.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The Fort McMurray, wildfire feels like a local disaster for Atlantic Canadians, who have spent anxious hours waiting for word on family and friends.

Much of the Fort Mac workforce comes from the east coast, and there are few Atlantic Canadians who aren't close to someone who lives there, or have lived there themselves.

"It's just devastating. My stomach is just in knots even thinking about it out there," said Jeremy Douthwright, who worked in Fort McMurray for three years before returning to New Brunswick a year ago to run an auto repair shop.

"I talked to my old roommates that I lived with just about a year ago in Beacon Hill and that house is gone. All of Beacon Hill is gone," he said.

Social media on the East Coast is buzzing with comments from people shocked by the pictures, videos and stories coming out of Alberta as the flames continued to burn.

Others were making contact with loved ones affected by the fire.

"My family there have lost everything. My heart is breaking for everyone there," wrote one woman from Dartmouth, N.S.

It has been said that Fort McMurray is Newfoundland and Labrador's second-largest city, and one columnist suggested Wednesday you could say the same about Cape Breton.

On Wednesday, Premier Dwight Ball said from St. John's: "The wildfire that is currently raging in Alberta and those impacted, including the thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians living and working there, are foremost in our thoughts today."

"Although these events are taking place in Alberta, the effects are being felt in every community on Prince Edward Island," P.E.I. Premier Wade MacLauchlan said in the legislature.

Added New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant: "Historically, our two provinces have had an important relationship and many New Brunswickers who reside or have family there have been directly impacted by this event. We are concerned for their safety."

Michael de Adder, a freelance editorial cartoonist whose work appears in the Halifax Chronicle-Herald and the Toronto Star, said he felt compelled Wednesday to draw a cartoon expressing his feelings.

On a vacation flight to Toronto, he sat next to a couple from Atlantic Canada who were headed to Alberta to help, while the person sitting on the other side of him had family in Fort McMurray.

He said that speaks to the impact of Fort McMurray on the Atlantic provinces.

"I think if you walked into any Tim Hortons in Atlantic Canada, the same thing would be true. There would be people affected closely to what's happening today."

He took out his sketch pad, and by the time he landed, de Adder had drawn two out-stretched arms  one from Fort McMurray and the other from Atlantic Canada  with hands clenched in support.

De Adder sent the cartoon out on Twitter as soon as he landed.

"Fort McMurray has helped us out financially over the years, it's the least we can do to help them out," he said.

For Douthwright, he said it's difficult when you know so many people suffering losses and there's little he can do to help.

He said some of his friends were stuck on the highway for seven hours in an effort to get out of Fort McMurray and to a place they could stay.

"No fuel left anywhere and mass panic as everyone tries to get out. I spoke to one of my friends and she sent me a picture of the Abasand blaze and said her house was gone," he said.

"It's tough because we can't just hop in our vehicles and go help them or give them stuff, but our support and them knowing that we're here for them will help."

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version referred to Premier Randy Ball. Ball's first name is Dwight.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Some evacuated residents of Fort McMurray are having to pack up again as officials have determined they need to get out of their emergency shelter in Anzac, Alta., tonight.

The Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo has tweeted that because of changing weather patterns, they have been advised by Alberta Forestry to clear out Anzac, Gregoire Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation.

Wood Buffalo Mayor Melissa Blake has also confirmed the new evacuation.

Officials say RCMP will be going door to door in the affected communities and buses will start leaving the area at midnight.

They stress that residents are urged to remain calm "as there is adequate time for evacuation in a safe and timely manner."

More coming
Photo: Facebook

Former Toronto mayor Rob Ford's nephew says he will run for the city council seat vacated by his uncle.

Michael Ford says he has resigned as trustee with the Toronto District School Board to seek election as a councillor for Ward 2.

Rob Ford died in late March at age 46, 18 months after a cancer diagnosis scuttled his bid for a second term as mayor, although he easily won election as a councillor in his west-end ward.

Now, Michael Ford will seek the same seat in the family's stronghold of north Etobicoke.

Like his uncle before him, Michael Ford says he will fight to ensure tax dollars are spent properly.

Toronto city council decided Wednesday to hold a byelection on July 25 to replace Rob Ford.
Photo: The Canadian Press Public Services and Procurement Minister Judy Foote

The federal government is embarking today on a formal review of Canada Post that will look at whether the Crown corporation should continue with its plan to cut door-to-door mail delivery.

The four-member independent panel could also examine whether the national letter carrier should get back into the banking business.

An official in Public Services Minister Judy Foote's office says the panel will look at "all options" as it conducts the review.

The task force panel, to be announced by Foote at a news conference in Ottawa, will provide an interim report by the end of summer, with final recommendations to be made before year's end, said Annie Trepanier, a spokeswoman for the minister.

The postal unions have been pushing the banking option as a way for Canada Post to make money.

The postal service ditched its financial offerings in 1968, but the Canadian Union of Postal Workers argues that re-introducing banking at the agency's more than 6,500 outlets could generate revenue that's been lost as fewer people send letters.

Seniors groups and advocates for the disabled cried foul when Canada Post announced a controversial plan to phase out home mail delivery and switch millions of Canadians over to community mailboxes.

During the election campaign, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau pledged to restore door-to-door mail delivery. Once in power, he temporarily halted a move over to community boxes that was already underway.

But Foote told a parliamentary committee earlier this year that any return of home mail delivery service would depend on what the Crown corporation can afford to provide.

At the same time, the minister said she expected the review panel to look at other avenues of business that would enable Canada Post to be self-sustaining.
Photo: Andy Dutot

An evacuation order in another part of Alberta has been cancelled.

A blaze west of Edmonton caused an evacuation of houses and schools on the Alexis reserve as well as in the hamlet of Glenevis on Wednesday.

Late Wednesday night, the order for the entirety of the County of Lac Ste. Anne was lifted and residents were told they could return home.

A spokeswoman for the First Nation initially said two homes had been destroyed, but later said that was wrong and no homes were burned.
Photo: Twitter

Laura Gislason and her boyfriend Kyle Benio escaped the Fort McMurray wildfires with just the clothes on their backs.

Now safe with relatives in Edmonton, her thoughts centre on the dog and cat they were forced to leave behind: a 16-year-old bichon-Shih Tzu named Gabi and Pastel, a five-year-old calico.

"There should be food or water for them to get to for a few days, at least, but I don't know," frets Gislason.

"I hope that they just thought that we will be coming back soon and had a nap or something."

A day after raging wildfires forced residents to flee the Alberta city, Gislason was among several pet owners frantic to get information on how they could retrieve animals left behind.

Many desperate residents took to Facebook to plead for help: "We had to turn my three horses loose. If anyone sees or hears of them please contact me," writes Megan Bastien.

"Two small dogs are locked in a house downtown right now.... Can anyone help? She has tried all the provided numbers to no avail," says Natalie Lynn on behalf of a pet owner.

Animal rescue agencies expressed similar frustrations at being unable to do anything while an evacuation order is in place.

"It's nonstop. We're more so just getting desperate pleas from people to go into Fort Mac and get their animals, which is not something we can do. I mean the police are on every corner stopping people from doing that," says Melissa Foley of Farm Animal Rescue & Rehoming Movement.

Foley says she expected to receive 17 pigs that have been temporarily housed in someone's yard outside the community. She says countless dogs, cats, horses, pigs and other critters have been abandoned amid the chaos for all sorts of reasons.

"A lot of people are, say, stuck at Edmonton airport, they were supposed to be coming home, their dogs are there or they're going out of town and people were supposed to be watching their animals and then decided just to take off and leave the animals in the home," she says.

Others were at work when they were told to leave town and simply couldn't retrieve their furry friends.

That was the case with Gislason, who says she was downtown when she learned of the order to evacuate. By the time she and her boyfriend jumped in the car to head home, their street was blocked. All they could do was drive south to relatives in Edmonton without the dog and cat.

Deanna Thompson, executive director of the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society, says local authorities don't seem to have a formal plan to help stranded animals.

Her group started a Facebook page to share information, and has seen hundreds of individuals offer a safe haven to pets and livestock.

"It's been amazing the number of businesses, kennels, dog food companies, rescue organizations, humane societies that have all stepped up and offered assistance," she says.

"We've got crews on standby. We've got lots of people willing to help out and we'll just continue to try and get some more information."

Foley is in Wetaskiwin, Alta., about a five-hour drive from Fort McMurray, but says she plans to head as close to the oilsands community as possible with trailers and trucks. Her goal is to establish a meeting place where people can bring animals to get food and water and to get them moving out of the area.

Dog owner Chantelle Boutin says one of her two dogs died from the stress of their evacuation.

"We escaped and we came here to Anzac, which was our heaven, our safe place. They took care of our dog," Boutin says from the Anzac Rec Centre, one of the facilities just outside Fort McMurray that's helping evacuees.

"When we arrived, Buddy was so stressed out that he passed away, but he's in heaven."

Pet owners can call the SPCA at 780-743-8997. A Facebook page set up by Fort McMurray Fire Emergency Animal Assistance asks animal owners to fill out an online form. The information will help local authorities and animal rescue organizations rescue four-legged pals left behind.
Photo: RCMP

Kelowna RCMP are asking for the publics assistance locating a missing Kelowna resident.

Crystal Moore, also known as Crystal Cullum, was last seen on May 2.

"Police are very concerned for Crystal Moore's health and well-being, and friends and family report that it is out of character for her to be out of contact for this long, says Cpl. Tania Carroll.

She is described as:

Caucasian

42 years old

5-foot-6 (171 cm)

130 pounds (59 kg)

Medium build

Dirty blond hair

Blue eyes

She was last seen wearing a one-piece grey jump suit with pink writing, says Carroll.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Moore is urged to contact their local police, or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown.
Photo: Contributed

Springfield Road will be reduced to single-lane traffic starting May 9.

While crews complete road resurfacing, restrictions will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning May 9 to May 19 from Benvoulin Road to Ziprick Road.

All lanes will be reopened after 5 p.m.

Weather permitting, daytime paving will happen on May 18-19 and May 24-26.

"Work on the intersection of Springfield Road and Dilworth Drive is anticipated during the evening hours between 6 p.m. and midnight on May 26," said the City of Kelowna in a news release.

"Motorists can expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during construction. Those traveling through the construction area are asked to obey signage and onsite traffic safety personnel."
Photo: Natalie Stolz

An adorable baby goat has been missing for nearly 24 hours and its family is very concerned.

Sophie, the less than three-pound, one-foot-tall goat, disappeared from its enclosure on Field Road in East Kelowna Wednesday at about 2 p.m., and hasn't been seen since.

We don't know what happened. The pen she was in is pretty much impossible to get out of  it is goat proof. There are other goats and sheep and rabbits living in there, so I don't know how she could've gotten out, says owner Natalie Stolz.

So we are wondering if maybe someone came and took her, or if maybe she did somehow escape and she wandered and someone has found her. Perhaps someone saw her, someone has her.

Sophie still requires bottle feeding three times a day and Stolz is concerned for the goat's well-being.

If she is out lost, she is probably dead, says Stolz. I am just hoping someone saw her or has her or found her or knows anything at all.

She says she is desperate to find the little kid.

We've had more than 10 people searching for her for over five hours yesterday, searching again today, we have posters posted all over online, says Stolz.

I love her to death and miss her so much.

Sophie was last seen wearing a brown collar with "bling" on it and Stolz says she is super friendly.

To contact Stolz with information click here.
Photo: Carmen Weld

Downtown Kelowna drivers who use the Chapman Parkade as their daily parking spot were met with a lot of orange cones this morning.

Parking stalls throughout the multi-storey parkade were blocked with orange cones forcing drivers to pass empty stalls and head up to the roof to find a spot before 9 a.m.

Tom Wilson, with the City of Kelowna, says crews are at the parkade today replacing heat sensors in the sprinkler system.

Crews are closing a few stalls at a time as they move through the parkade, says Wilson.

Once theyve switched out the heat sensors, the parking stalls are re-opened.

He says as of 9:10 a.m. there were still 50 parking spaces available in the parkade, according to the city's parking management department that was overseeing the work.
The Kelowna Jaycees are hitting the ground running in 2016, increasing membership and making an impact in the community.

Known more formally as the Junior Chamber International (JCI), the group continues to make headlines  from its volunteer initiatives, to its decision to become a co-ed organization, to the one of its flagship projects happening tomorrow, the newly named BDO Leadercast Kelowna 2016.

The junior chamber is going through a very great expansion and shift, and the Leadercast event is one of our big events. We are really excited about the things we are doing to it this year and how we are incorporating some of our new members, says Jaycees communication director Ryan Lancaster.

At its core, Leadercast is about leadership, it's about personal development, it is about community, it is about inspiration, it is about entrepreneurship, it is about intrapreneurship.

The event is broadcast live each year from Atlanta to 100,000-plus people in hundreds of hosting locations around the world, including Kelowna.

Speakers this year include Steve Wozniak, Kat Cole, James Brown and dozens more. The Kelowna event will be hosted by Raghwa Gopal, CEO of Accelerate Okanagan.

This years theme is Architects of Tomorrow and will focus on what it means to be a visionary leader.

The Kelowna event will be attended by more than 200 of the areas most influential leaders and will be hosted at the UBC Okanagan campus this year. Tickets will include the event itself and will be followed by a networking social.

Lancaster says events like Leadercast are why the Jaycees are buzzing right now. He adds that a move last year by the Jaycees to include women in their membership has been met with excitement from the community.

When the vote came through, we were delightfully surprised it went through and delightfully surprised with how seamlessly the transition happened, says Lancaster.

He says since the change, the Jaycees membership has grown exponentially, climbing from 60 members last year to almost 100 in the recent months.

Women just showed up to our next meeting in droves, which was awesome, says Lancaster.

He says women have played a vital role in the success of their recent events and events to come.

The concern was that the dynamic would change, old boys club, blah blah blah, but it didn't. When women started getting involved it was another person to offer value to our work. It was really seamless and it has been great for the organization as a whole, says Lancaster.

We are all still a group of good positive people who are trying do personal development, trying to connect with their community and trying to get back. Whether you are male or female, that is an across the board motivation.

He says he believes in the mandate of the group strongly, as it has been crucial in his own personal and professional development.

A lot of what we do is training and business and personal development. The first meeting I even went to was a self-defence class, laughs Lancaster.

I was kneeing a bag being held by the president at the time. From that to amazing training sessions with other community members. It is so awesome. It is a great group of young professionals looking to better themselves and better their community.

If you're interested in this year's BDO Leadercast Kelowna 2016, click here to buy tickets.

The schedule is full of amazing people, says Lancaster.

Whether you are an entrepreneur or a intrapreneur or you just want to be a better leader, Leadercast will leave you feeling inspired. It will motivate you and it will give you the simple life lessons and professional lessons that you can take back and apply to your life.
Those who argue that Christy Clark's $195,000 salary is inadequate make a reasonable point.

For services rendered, she should receive at least as much as any top-level CEO employed in British Columbia's energy industry, and all her wages and benefits should be provided directly by the private sector. The provincial taxpayer would thereby be relieved of any financial burden, and having a new paymaster would make quite clear who this Premier actually works for.

Larry Kazda
Photo: Contributed

Galen G. Weston wants in on the medical marijuana business.

Weston, the head of the country's largest drugstore and grocery chain, said Thursday that pharmacists are well-positioned to dispense the drug in a safe manner.

"We're an industry that is extremely effective at managing controlled substances," said Weston, Loblaw's president and executive chairman, following the company's annual general meeting Thursday.

"It gives pharmacists the opportunity to work directly in real time with patients as opposed to doing it through the mail, working on their doses and making sure it actually has the therapeutic effect that it is intended to have."

Although he doesn't see any "safety or credibility" issues with the current mail system, where patients are sent the drug from a licensed producer, Weston said patients would be able to receive more consultation if the dispensing was done face-to-face.

If given the go-ahead from Ottawa, Loblaw (TSX:L) would be open to dispensing medical cannabis in all forms, at all their Shoppers Drug Mart and grocery pharmacy locations, Weston added. The company operates about 1,700 pharmacies under its various banners.

The pitch from Weston is not entirely new. A spokeswoman for Shoppers Drug Mart delivered a similar take in February in its efforts to persuade the federal government to allow pharmacists to sell medical marijuana.

Still, his comments mark the latest sign that the marijuana industry is increasingly seen as a legitimate way for businesses to make money in a hyper-competitive retail sector.

Loblaw is not directly lobbying Ottawa on the issue, but it is supporting the Canadian Pharmacists Association in its efforts.

Last month, the professional group updated its stance, saying it had growing concerns over what it calls a "lack of clinical oversight" in the use of medical marijuana if pharmacies don't play a "front-line role" in providing access to the drug.

The Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada, whose members include London Drugs, I.D.A. and Rexall, also holds a similar view.

Under Health Canada's rules, patients are only able to buy medical marijuana from licensed producers and are no longer permitted to grow their own, something they were allowed to do prior to 2013.

In February, a B.C. court recently struck down the law as unconstitutional. Federal Court Judge Michael Phelan ruled that forcing patients to buy marijuana through the mail from a licensed producer was an "arbitrary and overbroad" violation of patients' charter rights.

Ottawa is looking at making changes to the regulations and expects to complete the process in August.

The Liberal government has also committed to legalizing recreational marijuana use, although no timeline has been given on that initiative.

Weston said Loblaw is currently focused only on the distribution of marijuana for medical use, not recreational use.
Photo: Contributed

A 36-year-old man has been arrested in the theft of five million bees in Quebec.

Provincial police said Thursday the bees had not yet been found.

They suspect the accused also made off late last month with 180 hives belonging to Jean-Marc Labonte, who estimated the value of everything stolen at $200,000.

The man was arrested Wednesday in Mandeville, about 100 kilometres north of Montreal.

The bees were hibernating for the winter and were supposed to pollinate the blueberry bushes around the Lac-Saint-Jean region before moving on to cranberry fields in July.

The accused was to be arraigned Thursday afternoon.
Michel Chamberland was sleeping heavily after his night shift as an operator at Syncrude when a friend phoned and woke him up with news of an evacuation.

The 25-year-old says he wasn't sure if it was true, until he opened the door of his Fort McMurray home and saw black smoke and heard the crackling of flames.

He quickly tossed some clothes in a bag, grabbed his wallet and passport and jumped into his pickup truck, where a dash cam recorded his harrowing drive out of the burning city.

The popular video, posted on YouTube, shows orange embers raining down on Chamberland's truck as towering flames with purple peaks line the side of the road.

At one point, a motorcycle zooms by and a line of cars can be seen cutting across a grassy hill to get to the main road.

"Oh my God, I can feel the heat!" Chamberland says in the video, with other parts of his narrative emphasized with curse words.

His truck slowly moves through traffic as about 80,000 residents try to flee the oilsands capital.

"I don't know where to go," Chamberland mutters as police officers wave him south.

He phones his parents and they urge him to keep heading south to their home in Edmonton. He also calls his boss to say he won't be in to work that night.

Chamberland eventually lets out a sigh as the video records blue sky ahead of billowing smoke. But the relief is temporary.

"The house is gonna be gone," he says.

The wildfire Chamberland fled on Tuesday has continued to burn, and although officials haven't updated the damage, they estimated Wednesday that 1,600 structures  most of them homes  have burned.

In an interview with The Canadian Press in Edmonton, Chamberland said Thursday that he continued his trip south of Fort McMurray on half a tank of fuel.

He was able to top up at Wandering River before its gas station ran dry. He also filled up a jerry can and drove back to help a friend whose vehicle was on empty and stranded on the side of the road.

Eight hours after leaving his home, Chamberland completed the 435-kilometre trip to Edmonton.

It was a worrisome trip, he recalled.

"I wasn't sure if all this traffic was going to make it out. It was moving pretty darn slow and the flames were just getting bigger."

Yet he's eager to return. He said his company may soon fly him and other essential workers back to spell off others who need a break.

In the meantime, he's licensed his video to raise money for others affected by the fire.

"It's pretty devastating," said Chamberland, who added it's scary to think about what will be left of his hometown.

"It's gonna look different now."

On the web, the video is posted in six parts and can be found here.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Game show host Alex Trebek says it looks as if Canadians will soon be able to apply to compete on Jeopardy again.

Trebek, who has presided over the quiz show for more than 30 years, is in Ottawa to receive the key to the city and met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau briefly.

The prime minister has praised Trebek's financial contributions to the University of Ottawa.

The two also discussed a return of Canadians to Trebek's popular show.

Changes in Canada's digital privacy laws last year caused problems over Internet applications, but Trebek says they are being ironed out.

Trudeau suggested the host had worked out a fix for the problem.

"I'm sure you've been grilled on that," Trudeau said.

"Well yes, because everyone blames us and I keep turning it around and saying ...."

Trudeau interrupted: "You're blaming me instead."

"Well not quite," Trebek said, adding that he has been told a solution is in the works.

The show's website says it cannot accept registration information from Canadians but "we are currently evaluating this matter."

Trebek was born in Sudbury, but attended university in Ottawa.

Early in his career, he hosted a number of CBC television programs, including the high school quiz show Reach for the Top.

He moved to the United States in the 1970s and became an American citizen in 1998.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, who presented the key to the city to Trebek, said he was being honoured for his "philanthropy and activism, his unrelenting commitment to higher education and his steadfast loyalty to his alma mater, the University of Ottawa."
Photo: The Canadian Press

Justin Trudeau took a small army of 44 people with him for a three-day visit to Washington last March, at a cost of more than $25,000.

The size and preliminary cost of the delegation invited to accompany the prime minister on his first visit to the U.S. capital has been disclosed in a document tabled in the House of Commons.

It's not clear whether the delegation included one of two taxpayer-funded nannies employed by Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, to help look after their three young children.

The kids accompanied their parents on the trip and were filmed playing on the White House lawn, with a nanny at one point chasing after the youngest, Hadrien.

A separate document also tabled in the Commons shows that two caregivers, employed as part of the staff at the prime minister's residence, were paid a combined salary of $30,850 over the first three months of Trudeau's term in the top job.

That does not include the cost of foreign or domestic travel for either of the nannies, one of whom was spotted during a prime ministerial trip to Paris last year.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office said such travel costs for the nannies would come out of the Global Affairs Department's "international conference allotment."

The two documents were tabled Thursday in response to written questions by Conservative MP Blaine Calkins about the cost and size of the Washington delegation and the cost of employing the nannies.

Trudeau's much ballyhooed Washington visit included a private tete-a-tete with President Barack Obama and a lavish, glamorous state dinner at the White House.

Among those who accompanied Trudeau were at least nine cabinet ministers; five of his top PMO aides; his mother, Margaret Trudeau; Gregoire-Trudeau's parents; top bureaucrat Michael Wernick; Liberal party president Anna Gainey; and chief Liberal fundraiser Stephen Bronfman.

The document about the Washington trip pegs the total cost for all 44 persons on the trip at $25,995, including $6,755 for accommodations and $5,000 for meals and per diems. But it notes that not all invoices and claims for that trip have yet been processed.

The document on the nannies says that the caregivers are paid salaries in the range of $15 to $20 per hour for work during the day and $11 to $13 per hour for night shifts. They are not entitled to overtime.

They are, however, entitled to three weeks of paid vacation each year and are eligible for coverage under the public service health care, dental care and pension plans.

News that Trudeau had put two nannies on the public payroll last November sparked some controversy. The PMO said at the time that Trudeau would not increase the overall household staff at the prime minister's residence but was making adjustments to the staff complement to suit his young family's needs.
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
CDC adds Peru to interim travel guidance related to Zika virus

Media Statement For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 05, 2016

Contact: Media Relations,

(404) 639-3286

CDC is working with other public health officials to monitor for ongoing Zika virus transmission. Today, CDC posted a Zika virus travel notice for Peru. CDC has issued travel notices (level 2, practice enhanced precautions) for people traveling to destinations with Zika. For a full list of affected countries/regions, visit http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-travel-information.

As more information becomes available, CDCs travel notices will be updated. Travelers to areas with cases of Zika virus infection are at risk of being infected with the Zika virus. Mosquitoes that spread Zika are aggressive daytime biters. They also bite at night. There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika virus. The best way to avoid Zika virus infection is to prevent mosquito bites.

Some travelers to areas with Zika will become infected while traveling but will not become sick until they return home and they might not have any symptoms. To help stop the spread of Zika, travelers should use insect repellent for three weeks after travel to prevent mosquito bites.

Some people who are infected do not have any symptoms. People who do have symptoms have reported fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. The sickness is usually mild with symptoms that last from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon and the number of deaths is low. Travelers to areas with Zika should monitor for symptoms or sickness upon return. If they become sick, they should tell their healthcare professional when and where they have traveled.

CDC has received reports of Zika virus being spread by sexual contact with sick returning travelers. Until more is known, CDC continues to recommend that pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant take the following precautions.

Pregnant women

Should not travel to any area with Zika.

If you must travel to or live in one of these areas, talk to your healthcare provider first and strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites.

If you have a male partner who lives in or has traveled to an area with Zika, either use condoms, the right way, every time you have sex or do not have sex during your pregnancy.

Women trying to get pregnant

Before you or your male partner travel, talk to your healthcare provider about your plans to become pregnant and the risk of Zika virus infection.

You and your male partner should strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites.

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is very likely triggered by Zika in a small proportion of infections, much as it is after a variety of other infections. CDC is working with Brazil to study the possibility of a link between Zika and GBS. For more information on Zika, visit www.cdc.gov/zika .

###

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESexternal icon
Discussion

Approximately 2.8 million older adults have severe vision impairment,** a condition associated with chronic diseases, depression, and social isolation (4). During 2014, vision problems were estimated to cost $145 billion annually (5). Vision impairment is associated with falls, which occur frequently among older adults and often cause long-term disabilities (2). In 2013, the direct medical costs of falls among persons aged 65 years were $34 billion (6).

In this assessment, 46.7% of adults aged 65 years with severe vision impairment fell, compared with 27.7% of those without severe vision impairment. The differences were statistically significant in all but six U.S. states (Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Vermont, and Wisconsin). In 11 states and DC, approximately half of older adults with severe vision impairment fell. In 2014, an estimated 1.3 million persons aged 65 years with severe vision impairment fell in the previous year.

These findings are consistent with those from previous investigations that found an association between vision impairment and falls (2). Factors associated with falls include contrast sensitivity and poor balance, as well as poor visual acuity (2). Additional reasons include multiple chronic conditions, gait problems, lower extremity muscle weakness, and the use of multiple medications, some of which might exacerbate these problems (7). Addressing these risk factors would require a range of interventions, including education, medical risk management, exercise, and home modifications (7), as well as improved access to and use of eye care. Evidence-based interventions to prevent falls among older persons have been identified (http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/community_preventfalls.html.) In the only randomized controlled trial to date that evaluates fall-prevention interventions among older adults with vision impairment, investigators reported that, of the two interventions examined, a home safety intervention (e.g., increasing illumination, removing throw rugs, etc.), but not a strength and balance training program, significantly reduced falls among persons with vision impairment aged 75 years in New Zealand (8).

A number of evidence-based fall interventions address environmental hazards using occupational therapists (http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/compendium.html), but these interventions are not designed for persons with vision impairment. Given the variety of visual factors associated with falls (visual acuity, visual fields, and contrast sensitivity) as well as visual barriers in educational materials (print size, poor contrast, and visual clutter) (9), randomized controlled trials of fall-prevention interventions intended for persons with severe vision impairment are needed (10).

The findings in this report are subject to at least five limitations. First, BRFSS data are self-reported and the accuracy of responses might be affected by recall, social desirability, or other factors. Second, these data are cross-sectional and do not permit causal inference. Third, although these estimates are age-adjusted, they do not account for differences such as health behaviors or chronic conditions that might be associated with vision impairment and also contribute to falls. Fourth, the median response rate was low (<50%). Finally, all of the excess falls among persons with severe vision impairments might not be caused by vision impairments.

Many state health departments are committed to reducing falls among older adults. The prevalence of falls among adults aged 65 years with severe vision impairment varies widely among states. However, the consistently high prevalence of falls among older persons with severe vision impairment suggests the need for all states to implement evidence-based fall reduction interventions specifically targeted to the needs of persons with severe vision impairment as well as to improve methods to prevent vision impairment. This approach might lead to fewer injuries, higher quality of life, and greater independence among older adults, as well as reduced health care costs.
Summary

What is already known about this topic?

Laboratory confirmation of suspected cases of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome is an essential component of surveillance for these diseases. The Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network (GMRLN), initiated in 2000, has made substantial progress in providing high quality laboratory surveillance needed to verify achievement of measles and rubella elimination targets.

What is added by this report?

The GMRLN is the largest globally coordinated laboratory network, with 703 laboratories supporting surveillance in 191 countries. During 20102015, >700,000 serum specimens were tested, and >20,000 viral sequences were reported globally. During the past year, the number of laboratories that participated in molecular proficiency testing increased from 22 to 90. Performance indicators for collection of samples for case confirmation and timeliness of reporting of laboratory results are being met by most laboratories.

What are the implications for public health practice?

High quality surveillance is only possible if suspected measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome cases can be quickly confirmed by the laboratory. The GMRLNs focus on standardization and quality control ensures that public health workers can rely on timely and accurate results. Building and maintaining this advanced state-of-the-art global laboratory network, capable of providing real-time disease surveillance, gives support to measles and rubella elimination efforts and surveillance for other vaccine-preventable diseases and for emerging pathogens of public health concern.
HeidelbergCement - April 2016

HeidelbergCement is to install a new 4500tpd kiln line at its Schelklingen works in the German province of Baden-Wurttemberg. The kiln is being made by ThyssenKrupp and is expected to come on-stream during the second quarter of 2018.

To secure approval of the purchase of Italcementi, HeidelbergCement is proposing to sell that companys assets in Belgium and operations associated with it.
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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.

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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, 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 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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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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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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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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Eugene, OR, United States

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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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Monterey Luxury Hotels

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.

Norfolk Luxury Hotels

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.

Palm Springs Luxury Hotels

Palm Springs Luxury Resorts

Palm Springs Luxury Villas

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.

Rochester Luxury Hotels

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.

Pigeon Forge Luxury Hotels

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.

Jacksonville Luxury Hotels

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.

Minsk Luxury Hotels

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.

Jaipur Luxury Hotels

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.

Chicago Luxury Hotels

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!.

Auckland Luxury Hotels

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

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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.

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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.

Sedona Luxury Hotels

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.

Key West Luxury Hotels

Key West Luxury Resorts

Key West Luxury Cottages

Key West Luxury Villas

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
Tribune Publishing Chairman Michael Ferro is interviewed May 5,2016, on CNBC. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Ferro said newly outlined plans will bring more value to shareholders than Gannetts offer for the company. (CNBC)

Tribune Publishing and its chairman, Michael Ferro, are ready to turn the page after rejecting Gannett's $815 million offer to buy the owner of the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and other major newspapers, but some analysts and shareholders are far from sold.

In an interview Thursday, Ferro said Chicago-based Tribune Publishing's newly outlined plans for leveraging the digital assets of the company will bring more value to shareholders than Gannett's offer.

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"There's no price," Ferro told the Tribune. "We're not for sale. We'll always listen to everybody but we're not for sale."

However, analysts say there's growing shareholder pressure for the company to engage in negotiations with Gannett and predict a higher offer  perhaps as much as $18 a share  could materialize. Tribune Publishing stock gained a penny Thursday to close at $11.03.

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Gannett, publisher of USA Today and more than 100 newspapers, made an offer to buy Tribune Publishing last month for $12.25 per share in an all-cash deal that included the assumption of $390 million in debt. Since then, the back-and-forth has taken on an increasingly hostile tone, with Gannett going public April 25 to increase pressure on Tribune Publishing to engage in discussions.

The unanimous vote to reject the offer has not deterred Gannett, which signaled Wednesday it would consider sweetening the offer.

"The shareholders we have spoken to think the company should be engaging with Gannett, and they're in favor of a transaction at a price," CRT Capital Group analyst Lance Vitanza said. "We just happen to think the price should be higher."

Steven Lampe, whose New York-based hedge fund accumulated 150,000 shares of Tribune Publishing stock last fall, agrees.

"It's unconscionable that they won't negotiate," said Lampe, whose stake is less than 1 percent.

"I would like to see Tribune management and board engage in a dialogue with Gannett ... negotiate the highest price for a sale of Tribune Publishing, and let the shareholders decide for themselves," Lampe said.

Tribune Publishing on Wednesday reported a first-quarter net loss of almost $6.5 million, or 22 cents a share, compared with net earnings of $2.5 million, or 10 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Excluding the San Diego Union-Tribune, which Tribune Publishing acquired last May, revenue fell more than 7 percent to $368.7 million.

Ferro became Tribune Publishing's largest shareholder in early February, when his investment firm, Merrick Media, bought a 16.6 percent stake in a $44.4 million deal. Oaktree Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based investment firm, is the second-largest shareholder, at 14.8 percent.

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On Thursday, Ferro said Tribune Publishing's new digital commerce strategy, which is set to launch across the company's websites this year, will help offset declining print advertising revenue.

"We have content, we have users," he said. "We just need to get paid for it. Facebook, Google and Apple know how to do that. We have to use the same technologies, the same services, the same math and science and (artificial intelligence). Nobody is doing that well right now in our space."

Matthew Brooks, an analyst with Macquarie Capital said in a report Wednesday that Gannett's offer could approach $18 a share, based on Tribune Publishing's earning projections for 2016.

"We think Ferro and his team have a better strategy for revitalizing Tribune than the old team," he wrote. "But when over 85 percent of sales are print and sales are falling 7 percent, we think it makes more sense to accept the Gannett offer than to accept the risks of a turnaround in a secularly declining industry."

Vitanza said he believes ultimately, the offer from Gannett will be too good for Tribune Publishing to refuse, despite Ferro's ambitious plans for the company.

"I think (Ferro) believes everything he's saying," he said. "However, when someone is offering you $30 million on top of a $44 million investment you made just three months ago, you don't turn that down. You take that and you put it in your pocket and you find another good opportunity."

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rchannick@tribpub.com

Twitter @RobertChannick
April was full of lows and highs for Dave Glatt.

On April 11, Glatt closed his 44-year-old Evanston restaurant, Dave's Italian Kitchen, with little more than a Facebook announcement and a single line on the official website ("We're Closed Forever! Thank You!"). Yet, just a few weeks later, Glatt announced that his restaurant, a community mainstay, may be given new life.

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After Glatt's initial closing announcement, I interviewed him about what led to the abrupt closure  his staff wasn't informed before the hatchet drop, and neither was the community. "Until the very end, I thought I'd find some way to keep it going," he said.

"Basically, it came down to debt. I couldn't generate enough sales to maintain that space." Indeed, as reported in Tribune sister publication The Pioneer Press, Glatt would be filing for "bankruptcy resulting from a number of failed business decisions associated with managing a 6,000-square-foot restaurant."

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Glatt opened the most recent location of Dave's, at 1635 Chicago Ave., in 2000 but, since the 2008 recession, had lost nightly business, he said: "It was a 200-seat restaurant that would only fill up on Fridays and Saturdays." Besides the difficulty of maintaining the sizable space, which cost nearly $17,500 a month in rent, Glatt also had to contend with his large, four-page menu.

"Oh God, it was too big," he said. "You want to attract new people, so you add more menu items, but that just drives up costs. We did too many items, and we could never raise prices as much as we wanted."

In the end, "the math was just so wrong that I couldn't get past it," Glatt said. With 20 employees to let go, "the last of the money went to tilting at that windmill," he said, paying back what he could, despite an empty savings account.

And that was that, according to Glatt, at least as of two days after announcing the end of Dave's. On April 13, he told the Tribune his next plans were to pursue a memoir and cookbook project based on his time as a restaurateur. Reopening a restaurant was the last thing on his mind, if he'd ever reopen at all.

Operating costs of the 200-seat Dave's Italian Kitchen at 1635 Chicago Ave. were simply too high, owner Dave Glatt said. (Bob Seidenberg / Pioneer Press)

Since then, though, Glatt has postponed his writing plans: On a Facebook post, which has now garnered more than 1,000 likes, 350 shares and 200 comments, Glatt announced that he would be opening a "much smaller & more streamlined version" of his restaurant, called Dave's IK. "I look forward to justifying your kindnesses," Glatt wrote in that post.

In a follow-up interview, the restaurateur tells me he was approached by Evanston City Council members about reopening his restaurant, this time at 815 Noyes St. Paul Zalmezak, Evanston's senior economic development coordinator, connected Glatt with Harry Major, a landlord of the 1,200-square-foot space, formerly home to DMK Kitchen and, later, Arlen's Chicken.

The proposed restaurant will seat 40 people, which Glatt sees as much more manageable. "It will feel like my first restaurant. I like that," he said, referring to the original Dave's Italian Kitchen, which he opened in the '70s.

For Zalmezak, this is an opportunity to retain a local business and preserve jobs. "Banks don't like to deal with restaurants, (even) under ideal conditions," he said in a phone interview. "But you consider a deal like this because of the character of a guy like Dave. He's been in the community for 44 years, and clearly there's a strong client base." Citing the current void of business on Noyes, along with student and theater foot traffic, Zalmezak predicts Dave's IK will be better poised to succeed.

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The project hinges on funding, with Glatt applying for a loan through the city. On a recent Wednesday night, Evanston's Economic Development Committee met to discuss Glatt's $30,000 loan proposal for restaurant equipment. According to Zalmezak, the committee approved to move the proposal to a full City Council vote, scheduled for May 9. At that point, the council will consider Glatt's new corporate structure and business plan before awarding the loan.

Glatt projects his total costs to reopen at a minimum of $60,000. In addition to the city loan, he told the Tribune, a friend and fan of his restaurant, who requested anonymity, also lent him $30,000. "I won't be the owner of Dave's IK," Glatt said.

Major, the landlord, is also offering Glatt generous terms on the new restaurant, including discounted rent for the first two years and money to finance improvement costs. "The space is already great; it just needs a few updates," Glatt said.

Together, all of these developments mean that Glatt hopes to resuscitate Dave's as soon as the end of May. While he waits on the city's loan approval, Glatt is redesigning his menu to be more agile and has already hired back nine of his former employees for the new venture. Most of all, he is looking forward to getting back into the kitchen.

"I've really missed my food," he said. "It's not a happy day without it."

Update (Friday, May 6, 12 P.M): At 11 a.m., Glatt's daughter, Sara Glatt, posted to the Dave's Italian Kitchen Facebook page, announcing a GoFundMe page for the business, effectively bolstering the $100,000 already collected from private donors. She writes: "Though a majority of Evanston's aldermen have expressed a willingness to extend a loan to us, we would prefer not to do that as the City has more pressing needs. I will be re-employing many of our recently unemployed staff and we would love to open around Memorial Day."

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jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @joeybear85
Anthony Triplett was convicted of murder May 4, 2016, nearly a decade after he strangled and raped Janince Ordidge in her Hyde Park home. Triplett was already serving a life sentence for the murder of Urszula Sakowska in her Southwest Side home. (Illinois Department of Corrections)

A former cable repairman who had been sentenced to life in prison for raping and killing a customer on a routine service call was convicted Wednesday in the sexual assault and murder of a second woman.

The conviction of Anthony Triplett, now 35, came nearly a decade after he strangled and raped Janice Ordidge. She was found dead in her bathtub two days after Triplett made a service call to her home in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood.

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"It's finally over," said Ordidge's older sister, Loretta Shamley, who traveled from Memphis for the trial. "It's been a long time coming."

After a seven-day trial, a Cook County jury took only 40 minutes to convict Triplett. His DNA had been found under Ordidge's fingernails, authorities said. Prosecutors have described Triplett as a sociopath and psychopath.

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After Ordidge's killing in October 2006, Triplett was questioned several times by police and gave a sample of his DNA, but he was allowed to keep making service calls for a Comcast subcontractor, Premier Cable Communications. Officers even dropped him off at his job after one interrogation, according to trial testimony.

Seven weeks after Ordidge's slaying, Triplett raped and killed Urszula Sakowska, 23, at her Southwest Side home. Her body was also found in a bathtub.

Janice Ordidge was found strangled in her bathtub in Hyde Park on Oct. 23, 2006, in Chicago. (Family photo)

Jurors convicted Triplett of that murder in 2013, and Judge Kevin Sheehan sentenced him to life in prison.

Prosecutors decided to try him for the second slaying, but the case was repeatedly delayed after Triplett fired his attorneys.

Triplett took the witness stand Tuesday at his trial and in a soft voice attempted to convince jurors that he had consensual sex with Ordidge after protecting her from an unidentified man with dreadlocks and a goatee who he claimed she was arguing with in her apartment.

Under questioning from Assistant State's Attorney Ashley Romito, Triplett said Ordidge gave him her iPod as "collateral" for installing an illegal cable connection before they had sex.

He also admitted forging customers' signatures on multiple work orders that day as well as the day Sakowska was killed.

Jurors were allowed to hear about Triplett's conviction for Sakowska's murder. At his 2013 trial, prosecutors presented evidence that DNA tied him to her death, her blood was found on his coat and he tossed aside a silver Seiko watch stolen from her home when police approached him at work.

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Sakowska's fiance, Grzegorz Magiera, a truck driver who came to Chicago from Poland to build a life with her, attended the Ordidge slaying trial.

Shamley got to know him during the 2013 trial, and he promised he would be there to support Ordidge's family, she said.

"He said he would be here for us  and he was," Shamley said, smiling.

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Civil lawsuits filed by both families against Comcast and Premier Cable are pending and will likely move forward after Triplett is sentenced for a second time, said Colin Dunn, the families' attorney.

Shamley said her sister had chosen her apartment in the Twin Towers apartment complex in Hyde Park for its safety. Another sister rented a unit in the other tower, she said.

Ordidge, who was a surgical coordinator at Northwestern's Prentice Women's Hospital, loved cooking and decorated her apartment with photos from her travels to places such as Venezuela, England and Ireland, her sister said. She planned to go back to nursing school, she said.

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Nearly a decade later, Shamley said she still struggles with how Triplett was allowed to keep making service calls even after repeatedly being questioned by police.

"I will never understand that," she said. "He should have never been allowed to return to work."

sschmadeke@tribpub.com

Twitter @SteveSchmadeke
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis visits the picket line at Beasley Elementary School on the South Side as part of a one-day strike led by the union April 1, 2016. (Anthony Souffle / Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago Teachers Union said Wednesday that it's not likely to strike before the end of the school year, choosing instead to continue to press state and local lawmakers to provide a financial lifeline to the city's troubled schools.

"We've made a serious play about getting the schools funded, we have to watch that play out," union Vice President Jesse Sharkey told reporters after a monthly meeting of the CTU's House of Delegates. "Right now, we're focused on trying to get revenue."

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There's one major caveat to the message that came of the delegates' meeting: If Chicago Public Schools unilaterally eliminates the teachers' pension pickup  an option the district says it is still weighing  an immediate strike is still possible.

CTU President Karen Lewis indicated she doesn't expect that to happen. "It doesn't save them enough to poison the waters," Lewis said of the prospect of the district removing the pickup.

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A district spokeswoman said earlier Wednesday that its "preference has been to address the pension pickup through negotiations, and we are confident that both parties can work together on this issue because CTU leadership already agreed to phase out the pension pickup  and a neutral labor negotiator recommended that agreement as the path forward."

Lewis wrote a letter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel Monday asking him to provide the city council with "a clear pathway" to ending the ongoing budget stalemate in Springfield. Lewis then listed a series of long-standing union recommendations, among them the re-implementation of a city pension levy and "increased and equitable funding from local, state and federal sources."

"Revenue solves funding problems," Lewis wrote. The union separately laid out a "revenue recovery package" for CPS that includes a call for higher fuel taxes; a shift of the $1.2 billion in borrowing proposed for the troubled Lucas museum to schools; a tax on rideshare services like Uber and Lyft; and an increase in the city's hotel tax.

The district faces a pension bill of about $675 million next month. CPS officials have said the district can make the pension payment only with the help of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of short-term borrowing.

After borrowing money through a strategy that resembles a payday loan, the district projects it would end its budget year with about $24 million in cash. That, officials have said, amounts to less than two days worth of operating expenses. CPS CEO Forrest Claypool has said the district needs a new line of credit to remain solvent in the coming budget year and has sought to pressure Springfield lawmakers to overhaul the state's current school funding formula.

A school funding measure that Claypool and the CTU have endorsed was scheduled for a vote Wednesday in the state Senate, but it was delayed amid bickering between Democrats and Republicans over the proposal's fiscal ramifications.

The union, in turn, unveiled its series of proposals for the city to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the school system. Those steps would surely be a hard sell before the City Council.

"Teachers are about providing solutions to problems, and CPS and the City have no plan on the table. All they've done is beg a tone-deaf governor for a bailout he is unwilling to give," Sharkey said in a statement prior to Wednesday's delegate meeting.

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"We have identified half a billion dollars that can triage the bleeding at CPS. We are asking the mayor and aldermen to implement what we believe is a solid package of financial emergency supports to ensure our district does not go belly up."

A spokeswoman for Emanuel said the union's proposals were misleading, while calling on the CTU to focus its efforts on changing the state's education funding formula.

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"Before asking Chicago taxpayers to pony up more money, we need to fix this inequity in Springfield," mayoral spokeswoman Kelley Quinn said in a statement.

Negotiations to replace a teachers contract that expired last June 30 are ongoing. The CTU opened the door to a strike when it rejected an independent arbitrator's recommendations for a new contract last month. Under state law, CTU could strike after May 16, providing the union gives 10 days notice. The last day of school is June 21.

The union already staged a one-day walkout April 1 to bring attention to contract negotiations and funding issues. The legality of that move is being challenged by CPS.

The arbitrator's recommendations included an 8.75 percent base salary increase over a four year contract and the resumption of raises based on experience and educational levels in the final three years. The arbitrator agreed with the district's proposal to phase out after two years the long-standing practice of picking up 7 percentage points of teachers' 9 percent pension contribution.

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CPS has prepared for the possibility of a teachers strike before the end of the school year with a plan that includes canceling final exams but allowing elementary and high school graduation ceremonies to proceed. Claypool has said the school year would only end early if teachers went on strike.

jjperez@tribpub.com

Twitter @PerezJr
Surveillance footage from inside Cook County Jail allegedly shows Correctional Officer Branden Norise kicking and punching inmate Randall Brown as he tried to remove Brown from a day room on July 4, 2013. (Blake Horwitz Law Firm) (Handout)

Seconds after he was punched and pulled to the floor by a burly Cook County Jail guard, inmate Randall Brown was in full protection mode, face-down, arms over his head.

But still, the punches and kicks kept coming.

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As other inmates in the room scattered, correctional officer Branden Norise cocked his right hand and hit Brown hard on the top of the head with three quick punches, surveillance video of the incident in 2013 showed.

Norise then delivered a swift kick to Brown's face as the officer's unused handcuffs swung from the back of his belt. After several more left-right combinations, Norise ended with another kick that appeared to catch Brown in the temple. Finally, he reached down and handcuffed Brown and dragged him to his feet and out of the room.

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On Thursday, Brown filed a federal excessive force lawsuit against Norise and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, alleging he had done nothing to provoke the beating.

"He went crazy," Brown, 50, told the Tribune in a telephone interview. "I was just trying to protect myself ... trying to hold my balance."

Brown, who was at the jail on a cocaine possession charge that was later dropped, claimed in the suit he didn't report the incident because he was threatened by other jail personnel who said they'd bring felony charges against him and keep him locked up for seven years if he tried to complain.

His attorney, Blake Horwitz, said Thursday the incident exemplified a culture among jail guards that they can act with impunity.

"This officer felt that he could do whatever he wanted to at the time and nothing would happen to him," Horwitz said. "He wanted to make an example of an inmate, and he did."

The case has been held up by Dart as an example of how the collective bargaining agreement with the union that represents jail guards makes it difficult to weed out and punish problem employees.

Over the past two years, Dart has unsuccessfully tried to have Norise criminally charged and fired over the incident.

Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, said Thursday that prosecutors, after reviewing the video, determined Brown was the "initial aggressor" and that it couldn't be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Norise had used excessive force. Daly said Brown could be seen punching the officer twice and also attempting to grab Norise's legs when he was on the floor.

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Brown also told prosecutors in an interview that "he did not wish to pursue criminal charges unless the officer was going to pursue charges against him," Daly said.

While Norise was fired after an internal investigation found he had used excessive force, his appeal of his termination was upheld by the Merit Board  a commission that rules on disciplinary matters involving sheriff's employees.

Records from the Merit Board hearing posted on the sheriff's website show Norise, who is trained in martial arts, testified Brown had attempted to grab him and disobeyed commands to stop resisting. Norise testified he continued his actions because he didn't think he had control of Brown, who was "trying to grab his leg even after (Norise) had struck him in the head with both his hand and his foot," the records show.

Cara Smith, the sheriff's chief policy officer, called the Merit Board's decision to side with Norise "outrageous."

"None of us can understand how they viewed it the way they did  when you're kicking someone when they are down," Smith told the Tribune.

Dart appealed to the Cook County Circuit Court, but a judge also found in Norise's favor. The sheriff is now appealing to the Illinois Appellate Court, Smith said.

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Norise, meanwhile, is back at work, returning to the jail last month after the Circuit Court ruling, Smith said. On top of his $60,000-a-year salary, Norise, who had been suspended without pay since March 2014, was paid $117,000 in back wages, she said.

Norise, 41, of Sauk Village, could not be reached Thursday for comment. A spokesperson for the Teamsters Local 700, the union that represents jail employees, did not return calls and emails seeking comment.

Cook County court records show Brown, who also has gone by the alias Freddie Dollars, has a long criminal history that includes felony convictions for burglary and drug possession. In 2007, he was convicted of burglary and sentenced to 10 years in prison, records show.

His most recent conviction came just months after his beating at the jail, records show. In November 2013, he was convicted of attempted burglary and received four years behind bars. He was paroled in November.

The incident between Brown and Norise occurred in a jail unit where medication is dispensed to detainees. Brown, who had just been arrested on the drug charge a day earlier, was one of about 20 inmates inside a glassed-in bullpen when he allegedly ignored orders to sit down.

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The video  which has no audio  showed Norise enter the room and try to remove Brown from the bullpen. After a brief scuffle, Norise can be seen hitting Brown with a roundhouse right hand and then taking him to the floor, where he continued to kick and punch him for about 10 seconds as other inmates watched.

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Brown said Thursday that just before the beating, Norise had stormed into the room asking him if he was "the (expletive) who asked to use the washroom."

When Brown used an expletive in his reply, Norise pushed him and threw a punch, Brown said.

"That's when I went to the ground and folded up in a fetal possession," Brown said. "I was trying to protect myself from being hit."

Brown said he suffered injuries to his right shoulder and numbness in his left hand as a result of the attack.

jmeisner@tribpub.com

Twitter @jmetr22b
Mayor Rahm Emanuel took a dim view Thursday of a package of tax increases the Chicago Teachers Union proposed to help cover a massive funding shortfall at the school district, instead calling on union leaders to join him in pressuring state lawmakers to change the way school districts are funded to bring more money to the city.

The mayor was responding to a revenue package union officials released Wednesday they said could shore up the district's finances as a $675 million pension payment is due next month. Rather than raising taxes here, however, Emanuel said the onus should be on Springfield to change how school district pension costs are covered.

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"Chicago taxpayers already pay twice for pensions," Emanuel said when asked whether he backs any of the CTU ideas. "They pay for their own teachers' pensions in Chicago when they pay property taxes. They also pay income taxes that supports every other teacher's pension. The idea is not to ask people to pay taxes more, which would give our state, get them off the hook for actually fully funding education fairly so poor kids are not adversely affected by the state of Illinois that underfunds education as a total set of dollars."

Emanuel has not been shy about raising taxes big and small during his five years in office, championing increases to parking and hotel taxes, 911 fees and water and sewer rates, in addition to the huge property tax hike and trash collection fee he pushed through as part of his 2016 budget.

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But when he was asked again Thursday about the CTU's "revenue recovery package" proposal  including a call for higher fuel taxes, a shift of borrowing proposed for the troubled Lucas Museum to schools, a tax on ride-share services like Uber and Lyft, and an increase in the city's hotel tax  the mayor returned to his talking points about how Chicago taxpayers already shoulder an unfair portion of the statewide school pension burden.

"I think if you look at the taxpayers of Chicago, they pay twice already for teachers' pension," Emanuel said while talking to reporters at an unrelated event. "And I'm not going to let the state of Illinois get off the hook. I understand they say raise more taxes. A big part of the answer here is getting the state of Illinois to live up to its obligation to poor kids. And I would say to the teachers union leadership, get off the sidelines with three weeks left, join us in changing the policies and priorities of Springfield."

The state picks up pension costs for suburban and downstate school districts, but city taxpayers have picked up the cost for Chicago Public Schools pensions. A bill in Springfield to provide more money to CPS for pensions is stalled in the Senate.

jebyrne@tribpub.com

Twitter @_johnbyrne
Monica Kelsey and the town of Woodburn, Ind., dedicated the first Safe Haven Baby Box of its kind on April 26, 2016, at the Woodburn Volunteer Fire Department. The box, which is temperature controlled and has a padded inside, is electronically monitored and sounds an alarm within the fire station whenever the door is opened. (Chad Ryan / The Journal Gazette via AP)

In her mid-30s, Monica Kelsey learned her life began in tragedy. Her mother, at the age of 17, had been attacked, raped and left for dead. In the aftermath of her assault, she decided to have an abortion, still illegal in 1972. But at the underground clinic she had a change of heart, according to Kelsey's autobiography, and continued with her pregnancy. Later, she would abandon her infant when Kelsey was two hours old.

More than four decades later, Kelsey is now a volunteer firefighter and anti-abortion advocate. She's among those leading the charge to install climate-controlled baby boxes  places for mothers to anonymously deposit their unwanted children  across Indiana, the first of which were placed at the end of April.

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"This is not criminal," Kelsey recently told the AP. "This is legal. We don't want to push women away."

The boxes work a bit like a cross between a library book drop-off and a people-pod you might find in a Japanese capsule hotel. Padded and kept at comfortable temperature, the small box automatically alerts emergency responders within a minute of a baby being deposited. Kelsey told the IndyStar that the incubator locks after a baby is placed inside, and any baby left in one will be retrieved within five minutes.

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The first receptacle was recently embedded in the brick wall of a fire station in the Indiana town of Woodburn, near the Ohio border. Another box followed in Michigan City. Each box costs between $1,500 and $2,000, according to Kelsey; Indiana's Knights of Columbus will fund the initial batch of 100.

Baby boxes are legal thanks to so-called safe haven legislation, also known colloquially as Baby Moses laws. In 1999, then-governor of Texas George W. Bush signed the first Baby Moses bill into law, in the wake of 13 dead infants found in Houston trash bins.

All 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C., now have some form of such child abandonment laws. Abandoned infants must be no older than a certain age; Indiana's law stipulates children under 45 days old may be anonymously dropped off at a firehouse, hospital or police station.

Such boxes are not a uniquely American phenomenon. South Korean pastor Jong-rak Lee, profiled in the 2015 film The Drop Box, constructed a Moses box at his house in the mid-2000s. Of the 660 babies reported to have come through his box, the Lee family has adopted 19.

The boxes seem to invite just as much controversy, however, as they do infants. In Europe, the boxes became a point of contention in 2012, when the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child argued that drop-offs facilitate abandonment.

"Baby boxes do not operate in the best interest of the child or the mother," UNCRC sociologist Maria Herczog told the Christian Science Monitor. "They encourage women to give birth in unsafe and life-threatening conditions."

Despite these laws, child abandonment in trash bins and other often-fatal areas has not stopped. Between 1999 and 2006, only 40 women in Texas used the state's Baby Moses law, the Dallas Morning News reported. During the same 7-year span, 3,000 children had been abandoned.

Looking for an explanation why the Baby Moses laws went unused, the Morning News turned to Geoffrey McKee, a forensic psychologist and author of the book Why Mothers Kill. A mixture of fear and shame, he said, likely prevented women from using the law, particularly among teenagers and other women who want to keep their pregnancies secret. Advocates have also found that spreading information about the existence of Baby Moses laws  particularly to women who might abandon children  to be a challenge.

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But other initiatives have seen more success than Texas. In 2013, the Secret Safe Place for Newborns Program, which began in Alabama but now operates nationally, said it had saved the lives of 2,000 abandoned children.

Some proponents of the laws argue that any life saved is a boon. John Richardson, the Texas pediatrician who proposed the first U.S. Baby Moses law, told The Washington Post in 2004 that the numbers didn't matter from his perspective. "If we've saved one baby," he said, "then my efforts have been worthwhile."

For the Indiana boxes, the state Department of Health officials issued a report voicing concerns that the incubators could be a liability. Kelsey believes that the boxes are safe, and the anonymity afforded by the new baby boxes will encourage more women to follow the Baby Moses laws rather than illegally abandoning their infants.
If the unions that represent Chicago's police officers had their way, the records of hundreds of thousands of citizen complaints against cops would have been fed into the shredder by now.

They wouldn't be available for the U.S. Department of Justice as it tries to determine whether police have routinely engaged in behavior that violates the civil rights of citizens. They'd be gone.

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The DOJ review was launched after Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Laquan McDonald, 17, who was shot 16 times though he posed no apparent threat to Van Dyke or others at the scene.

Last month, a mayoral task force completed its own review and recommended sweeping changes in the Police Department and its oversight system.

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Against that backdrop, it's disappointing that Chicago's police unions haven't abandoned their fight to keep the public from obtaining a trove of disciplinary records dating to 1967. The unions went to court last year to stop the city from releasing them to journalists after a state appellate judge ruled that the documents are public records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. The unions say their contracts required the city to destroy the files long ago.

A pair of arbitrators sided with the unions earlier this year, and the matter appeared headed back to court. But the DOJ's investigation hit the pause button on that battle.

In Springfield, two Chicago Democrats are trying to preserve those records indefinitely. State Sen. Patricia Van Pelt and state Rep. LaShawn Ford each has sponsored bills to amend the Illinois Local Records Act to prohibit governments from destroying police misconduct files. State lawmakers should act quickly to pass legislation.

There has never been a stronger argument for sunlight on police disciplinary records. The DOJ is examining the Police Department's policies and practices, with special attention to the use of deadly force and patterns of racial discrimination. The disciplinary files are key to that investigation.

Before he shot McDonald on Oct. 20, 2014, Van Dyke had been named in 20 citizen complaints in five years. None of those complaints resulted in discipline.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's task force has called for a complete overhaul of the police disciplinary system and a citywide reconciliation process beginning with a public acknowledgment of the Police Department's "history of racial disparity and discrimination." The task force also noted that disciplinary protections enshrined in police contracts prevent the city from holding officers accountable for misconduct.

The Independent Police Review Authority doesn't consider previous complaints against an officer when investigating a new one, for example. And the police contracts say that disciplinary records older than five years  seven if the complaint alleged excessive force or criminal conduct  are to be destroyed.

Instead of using its records to spot patterns like Van Dyke's, the city is supposed to ignore and erase them. That is blatantly against the interest of the community. It shields bad cops from accountability. It's precisely the sort of practice that put Chicago under the microscope of the Department of Justice.

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What will the DOJ learn from the police misconduct records? We have a pretty good idea because the documents of complaints less than five years old aren't at issue here. City officials agreed to release them after the appellate judge explained the Freedom of Information Act to them.

That subset of records shows, for example, that complaints filed by white citizens were found to have merit more often than those filed by blacks, and that black officers were punished more often than white officers for similar findings of misconduct.

It showed that disturbingly few cases  fewer than 2 percent  led to disciplinary action against an officer, and that many officers escaped punishment entirely despite repeated complaints.

Meanwhile, taxpayers have been tapped again and again to cover the costs of a never-ending string of lawsuits over police brutality and other misconduct. In fact, the city's excuse for hanging onto the disciplinary records instead of destroying them is that they might be needed to defend against all those suits.

There's another group with a compelling interest in preserving the old records. Dozens of prison inmates, most of them African-Americans, say they confessed to crimes they didn't commit because they were tortured by Cmdr. Jon Burge and his crew in the 1970s and '80s. The city has already paid more than $100 million in settlements to Burge's victims, and the General Assembly created a special commission to expedite review of the remaining claims. The disciplinary files likely contain crucial evidence in those cases.

Yet the unions have continued to press to destroy those records  and they were winning, until the arbitrators agreed to stand down. That reprieve will last only until the DOJ wraps up its review, unless the General Assembly acts now.

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Lawmakers: You cannot afford to drop the ball as the legislative session expires. Police misconduct records must be preserved so they can be released to their rightful owner: the public.
Robbin's officials, including Mayor Tyrone Ward, brown suit in background, and then police chief Mel Davis, center, address members of the media concerning untested rape kits found in the Robbins Police Departments evidence room Aug. 20, 2013 in Robbins, Ill. (Anthony Souffle, Chicago Tribune)

A January 2013 Cook County Sheriff's Office inspection of the evidence room at the beleaguered Robbins Police Department turned up 176 rape kits dating back to 1986 that were just gathering dust.

Fifty-five of the kits, which contain evidence collected from sexual assault victims, had never been submitted to the state police crime lab for DNA testing, the Sheriff's Office reported. Samples from the other 121 kits had been tested, and in some cases even matched to known individuals, but Robbins police never pursued the cases.

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Whether due to financial hardship, misconduct or just plain neglect, the inaction of the Police Department allowed rapists to remain on the streets, and, in a number of documented cases, sexually assault more victims, the Sheriff's Office said.

Since last spring, a pair of sheriff's detectives has been working its way through Robbins' cold case rapes. To date, five men have been charged with sex crimes upon re-examination of evidence, but most of the cases are no longer prosecutable, having already exceeded the statute of limitations.

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"How many crimes might have been prevented? How many rapes? If only the police had done their job," Cara Smith, chief policy officer for the Cook County Sheriff's Office, told the Southtown last year. "These poor victims were essentially victimized again by the police they trusted to find their attackers."

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart worked with Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, and the Illinois State Police to craft a bill that would institute checks and balances on the handling of rape investigations by local police departments. (Nancy Stone, Chicago Tribune)

In an effort to prevent similar miscarriages of justice from occurring in the future, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart worked with Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, and the Illinois State Police to craft a bill that would institute checks and balances on the handling of rape investigations by local police departments.

The legislation, which passed the Senate last month and is making its way through the House, would amend the existing Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Act to require that state police notify the appropriate state's attorney's office, in addition to the investigating agency, of positive DNA matches on sexual assault evidence submitted by local police departments.

That way, the state's attorney can keep tabs on pending sexual assault cases to ensure local departments follow through with their investigations.

Currently, the state police crime lab notifies only the investigating agency when there's a hit on submitted DNA evidence, and it's then incumbent on that agency to find the identified suspect and obtain a DNA sample to confirm the match.

Once the match is confirmed, the suspect can be arrested and prosecuted. In Robbins, however, officers failed to collect confirmation samples from identified sexual assault suspects, the Sheriff's Office reported.

"They just did not follow up on these investigations," Cunningham, the bill's sponsor, said. "So you had a situation where a positive match was made, a rape suspect was identified and then the Police Department didn't follow up on it, essentially allowing a rapist to go free."

Because the state police do not get involved beyond informing the investigating agency of the DNA match, they were not aware that Robbins had failed to follow up on so many leads.

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"While trying to get our hands around how big the problem was in Robbins, I asked state police to provide me a list of every case they ran for Robbins and didn't get anything back on," Smith said. "The state police says, 'We don't track that,' which is crazy to us, to have an agency analyzing evidence but not looking to see if anything comes of that evidence.

"If you were looking at this, you'd say 'Jesus, we have a problem in Robbins. We're analyzing all this evidence, but there's no follow through."

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Cunningham's bill would provide that check on local departments, as well as require them and state police to take an annual inventory of every sexual assault case they handle, and send written notice to the appropriate state's attorney.

Beginning in 2017, the bill would also require that the state police post on their website a quarterly report breaking down the number of sexual assault case submissions made by every law enforcement agency statewide, the number of positive DNA matches made on those submissions and the number of times an agency has followed up a positive match with a confirmatory sample.

The bill does not go so far as to sanction departments that fail to conduct rigorous sexual assault investigations, however.

"Departments knowing that there is going to be a public record that's easily accessible by ordinary citizens and the media will help ensure they follow up on these investigations," said Cunningham, who added that sanctioning departments was not something he and the Sheriff's Office had contemplated when crafting the bill.

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"We are confident this will help prevent incidents like those that occurred in Robbins from happening again in the future," he said. "And if we find out it doesn't, we can come back and look at different remedies."

Cunningham said he expects his bill to pass the House by the end of May and hopes the governor will sign it into law over the summer.

zkoeske@tribpub.com
There is more than 80 years of combined experience between Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, left, and Senate President John Cullerton. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

When Mike Madigan first took his seat in the Illinois House of Representatives, the wide-eyed youths of the world were proclaiming the virtues of Coca-Cola.

"I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony," they sang on an Italian hilltop.

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Peace. Unity. Democracy. It was 1971.

More than four decades into Madigan's tenure, Illinois couldn't be much further from those ideals.

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In fact, Madigan has muffled one of the few common choruses among Illinoisans of all political stripes  support for term limits. For yet another year, Illinoisans will be deprived of a referendum on the ballot to vote on this matter.

Nearly four out of five Illinois residents support term limits, according to polling from the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It's no wonder Madigan doesn't want to give voters the choice to restrict political staying power.

Strong demand for term limits in Illinois should come as no surprise.

Only 25 percent of Illinoisans are confident in their state government, according to poll numbers released Feb. 17 by Gallup. This stands as the lowest rate in the nation by an eight-point margin, and is far lower than that of any other Midwestern state.

The best case for term limits in Illinois might be the fight surrounding, well, term limits. Only the strongest of political machines could so effectively deny Illinoisans their voice on an issue with such widespread support.

In a 2014 fight to put legislative redistricting to a popular vote, that same political machine provided a prime example of why Illinoisans feel a need to end the status quo in the first place.

A citizens group wanted a vote on its plan to take redistricting out of the politicians' hands and make the process nonpartisan. The group collected nearly double the 300,000 signatures required by law to get the measure on the November 2014 ballot. But a lawsuit filed by a longtime associate of Madigan prevented voters from being heard on the matter.

Instead, the ballot saw three nonbinding survey questions, one of which Madigan later admitted was placed purely to boost Democratic turnout for then-Gov. Pat Quinn.

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It's no wonder so many Illinoisans see state politics as a power trip and not a public service.

Opponents of term limits often argue they restrict the voice of voters. If constituents put a politician in office for decades, doesn't that mean he or she is doing a good job?

Perhaps, but tenures stretching across generations have led to un-democratic outcomes for voters across the state. Madigan has consolidated his power through decades of fundraising, redistricting and scare tactics, to the point where nothing can become Illinois law without his approval.

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How's that for democracy?

With more than 80 years of combined experience between Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, entrenched political figures run the show in Illinois. The same is true in cities across the state  especially the Windy City. Of the top 10 biggest cities in the U.S., Chicago is the only one without term limits for its mayor or City Council members.

Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, often dubbed "the real mayor of Chicago," took office in 1969.

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As things stand, Illinois taxpayers are on the hook for politicians who use the system to earn a paycheck at all costs. The average lawmaker salary in the General Assembly is more than $80,000, according to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. And that's for what is legally considered a part-time job.

And don't forget about politicians' pensions. A career state lawmaker who retires at age 66 can expect to receive $2.1 million in lifetime pension benefits, according to Illinois Policy Institute research. With that kind of money on the line, it's not surprising that statehouse stalwarts are fighting to maintain the current system.

Term limits aren't just a cosmetic change. They aren't a feel-good Coke commercial. They're a powerful reform that can make Illinois democracy work again.

Austin Berg is a writer for the Illinois Policy Institute. He wrote this column for the Illinois News Network, a project of the Institute. He can be reached at aberg@illinoispolicy.org.
The Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 school board stands for the Pledge of Allegiance before a regular meeting at Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox on Thursday, April 14, 2016. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

The resignation of Arvid Johnson from the Lincoln-Way High School District 210 school board is another step toward restoring trust with the community and addressing the district's deficit.

As the school year winds down, the days tick toward the shuttering of the practically new Lincoln-Way North High School in Frankfort. Last summer's decision to close the school led to a lawsuit and prompted parents, community members, state investigators and media to examine the district's finances.

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Investigations are ongoing, but the findings to date hopefully serve as a warning about the importance of local school governance and the need for transparency and integrity throughout the process.

A strong school board acts as a legislative branch of government, charged with setting policy, controlling spending and overseeing the executive branch, or the administration headed by a superintendent. Weak boards that play a ceremonial role and are too cozy with administrations are a disservice to their communities.

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Proper oversight of local schools is critically important because public education in Illinois is funded mostly through property taxes. Homeowners wanting to protect their investments are learning they need to elect quality candidates to school boards, then remain vigilant that they perform the duties people elected them to do.

As elected public officials, school board members are accountable to taxpayers in their communities. When a school district's financial house is in disorder, they bear responsibility for the situation and must answer to voters.

Johnson is president of the University of St. Francis, where former Lincoln-Way Superintendent Lawrence Wyllie was a board member, until recently. Wyllie is no longer listed as a trustee on the university's website.

Johnson, who cited "family and personal reasons" for his decision to step down, is the third Lincoln-Way school board member to resign this year, following Christopher McFadden and Kevin Molloy.

Public service on a school board requires a commitment of time and diligence. Members who cannot fulfill those commitments are right to step aside. Those who remain must answer to citizens for the state of affairs in their district.

Transparency has not been kind to Lincoln-Way of late. Recent revelations of concern include refunding more than $375,000 in driver's education fees to parents because the district neglected to renew a state waiver that would have allowed it to charge more than $50 in fees per student.

Accountants recently discovered the district inappropriately spent capital improvement bond money on operations, a move that cost taxpayers $5 million. The board then said the district's true financial condition had been masked by improper accounting.

More questionable Lincoln-Way deals reported by the Southtown include the purchase of $5 million in farmland without an appraisal, the Superdog canine obedience school and generous retirement benefits for Wyllie, who received a $368,000 annuity in addition to his $312,000 annual pension, the highest in the state for a former superintendent.

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These and other examples indicate a culture of administrative mismanagement and lack of adequate board oversight. To demonstrate a willingness to change the organizational culture and accept responsibility for their failures to fulfill their duties as elected officials, two other longtime Lincoln-Way school board members should step down.

Christopher Kosel has served on the board since 2005 and faces re-election in April, and Christine Glatz has been on the board since 1993 and was most recently re-elected in 2015 to another four-year term.

Kosel and Glatz, the board's vice president, must accept the reality that their chances of being re-elected are slim. In the wake of the decision to close Lincoln-Way North and the mounting revelations of prior financial mismanagement, I think the electorate has learned enough about the true state of the district not to trust either board member with another four years in office.

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The choice, then, becomes whether the two are willing to act in the best interests of the district and exit sooner rather than later so that Lincoln-Way is better positioned to tackle the hard work of addressing its financial woes, correcting its organizational deficiencies and rebuilding trust with the community.

Glatz and Kosel should view the situation from the perspective of residents and parents who are hurt and confused by the decision to close North a mere eight years after it opened. Voters approved a $225 million referendum to build two schools  North and West  with the understanding that additional facilities were needed to accommodate enrollment projections that never materialized.

Citizens of Lincoln-Way feel deceived. They want a full accounting of the district, which is on the state's financial watch list and has seen its bond rating downgraded to just above junk status.

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A thorough investigation of the district's finances by the Illinois State Board of Education should provide additional answers when it is concluded. If North closes as expected, in a few weeks Lincoln-Way will reach the most painful aspect of its dire situation.

After that, the community will look to move forward. One remaining question is whether it can do so with public servants dedicated to transparently pushing its administration to always act in the best interests of residents.

tslowik@tribpub.com

Twitter @tedslowik
A medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles. As Illinois moves closer to opening its first dispensaries, some employers have begun navigating the tricky landscape of medical weed at work. (Spencer Weiner, Los Angeles Times)

A Southland entrepreneur on Thursday joined the chorus of patients, medical professionals and others critical of Gov. Bruce Rauner's stance on medical marijuana.

Steve Weisman, CEO of Windy City Cannabis, voiced frustration with the state's reluctance to allow the fledgling medical marijuana program to succeed.

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"The legislature and governor should be ashamed," Weisman told me. "They're saying to patients, 'We don't mind you suffering because it's not politically expedient for us to vote'" to expand or extend the program.

Windy City Cannabis operates four Southland dispensaries in Homewood, Posen, Worth and Justice. I reached out to Weisman to ask his reaction to this week's criticism of Rauner by members of the Illinois Medical Cannabis Advisory Board.

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Board members on Monday recommended once again that the state expand the list of medical conditions that would allow people to qualify for the program. Board Chair Dr. Leslie Mendoza Temple noted the governor's past rejection of the board's recommendations, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"We don't get everything that we want on this board anyway, several times over," the Tribune quoted Mendoza Temple as saying.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported Wednesday that 6,200 people had been approved to use the drug and 8,100 had completed applications. That's well below estimates that the industry needs 20,000 to 30,000 participants to sustain operations.

State law allowed the creation of 21 cultivation centers and 60 dispensaries statewide. The pilot program allows people with 39 conditions and diseases to use medical cannabis, but critics say the scope of qualifying conditions is too narrow. Advocates want Illinois to add other medical conditions that would enable the pool of patients to grow.

Rauner's director of the Department of Public Health, Nirav Shah, has twice rejected the advisory board's suggestions to add autism, chronic pain syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, neuropathy, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain due to trauma, chronic post-op pain, intractable pain, migraines and osteoarthritis.

On Monday, the board again recommended adding those 10 conditions plus two new ones: Type 1 diabetes and panic disorder.

Marijuana does not cure diseases, but it provides relief from the suffering experienced by people with cancer and other painful conditions, Weisman said.

"Patients want access," he said. "Unfortunately we have to say to them the state doesn't recognize their suffering."

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Illinois is in the middle of a four-year pilot program approved by the legislature and former Gov. Pat Quinn. The program is set to expire at the end of 2017, and Rauner has vetoed a measure that would have extended the program past 2018.

The Land of Lincoln is among 24 states and the District of Columbia that have launched medical marijuana programs. Recreational marijuana use is legal in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia.

Among the headwinds threatening the success of the program in Illinois is the reluctance of doctors to issue medical marijuana cards for patients. Some group practices refuse to allow doctors to certify medical marijuana because it remains illegal under federal law.

Marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 narcotic with "no current accepted medical use." The Drug Enforcement Administration said in a recent letter to U.S. senators it plans to decide "during the first half of 2016" whether to change marijuana's classification.

The regulation of marijuana is a Catch-22. Federal policy makes it difficult to grow the drug and conduct research. Experts cite the lack of U.S. research among reasons to maintain the drug's illegal status.

"The research we are seeing is very favorable" about the medical benefits of marijuana, Weisman said. Still, the Food and Drug Administration refuses to accept foreign research, he added.

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Social attitudes are evolving though, with Walgreens recently publishing a blog post on the topic.

"Research has also shown marijuana provides pain relief in ways traditional pain medicines don't," states the informative "Clarifying Clinical Cannabis" post on the Walgreens' blog by author Dahlia Sultan, a resident pharmacist at Walgreens and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

I believe Rauner, who brands himself as pro-business with his Turnaround Agenda, is taking a decidedly anti-commerce position with his stance on medical marijuana. The recent "Marijuana Business Factbook 2016" published by Marijuana Business Daily said retail sales of medicinal and recreational pot are expected to reach $4.3 billion this year, up 26 percent from 2015.

The overall impact of legal marijuana on the U.S. economy could reach $17.2 billion this year, the report said. The industry is forecast to hit sales between $24 billion and $44 billion by 2020.

"The projections reflect marijuana's march toward the mainstream as it emerges from the shadows to become a respectable, above-board industry that is giving birth to scores of jobs, fostering new business opportunities and creating a broad ripple effect across the country," Chris Walsh, managing editor of Marijuana Business Daily, said of the report.

Illinois was positioned to be at the forefront of the industry when the pilot program was approved in 2014. But the effort seems to be dying on the vine due to Rauner's lack of support.

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With marijuana now legal in nearly half the states and its medical benefits slowly being documented, advocates are optimistic the DEA will reclassify the drug this summer. The removal of that barrier would accelerate the acceptance of marijuana usage nationwide.

For now, entrepreneurs in Illinois have to contend with an administration that seems determined to let the pilot program go up in smoke.

"The only way to change the outcome is if the governor feels embarrassed" over his refusal to ease the suffering of patients who would benefit from medical marijuana, Weisman said.

In a state where a 10-month budget stalemate has denied funding to social agencies that serve people in need of home medical care and other programs, I think shame is an ineffective weapon.

Appealing to the governor's pledge to encourage business development might be a more effective strategy.

tslowik@tribpub.com

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Twitter @tedslowik
Northwestern University freshmen Anthony Morales, 19, left, and Matthew Kafker, 18, are charged with institutional vandalism and hate crime to a place of worship in connection with vandalism to the Alice Millar Chapel on campus. (Cook County sheriff's office)

One of two former Northwestern University students charged with hate crimes and vandalism for allegedly spray-painting racist and homophobic messages, along with phallic drawings and the word "Trump" inside a campus chapel in Evanston last March, pleaded not guilty at the Skokie courthouse on Thursday even as his attorney said alcohol played a role in the crime.

Matthew Kafker, 18, and Anthony Morales, 19, were both students at Northwestern in March when authorities said they entered the Alice Millar chapel in the 1800 block of Sheridan Road after hours on March 11 carrying cans of spray paint. The next morning, chapel staff discovered a swastika and slurs against African-Americans and gays scrawled on walls and numerous spray-painted penises drawn throughout, including the chapel's organ, authorities said.

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On Thursday at the Skokie courthouse, Kafker pleaded not guilty to all charges. Kafker, dressed in a suit and tie, was in court with his father, Scott L. Kafker, who is chief justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Both Kafkers declined to comment after the hearing.

Defense attorney Barry Spector on Thursday told the court that evidence will show that alcohol was a factor in the crime.

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Authorities said the men sprayed lines over the faces of Muslim students in photographs and wrote "Trump" under one set of penises they drew.

After being identified on the video and arrested, authorities said both men gave handwritten and videotaped confessions. The men, freshmen at the time of the incident, are no longer enrolled at the university, a university official said.

Evanston-based defense attorney Barry Spector in a phone interview on Thursday said his client is very remorseful and has apologized for his actions.

"To me this is more about an 18-year-old kid who drank more than he ever drank in his life before and went and did something really unfortunate, to say the least," Spector said. "This kid is not like a racist hater kid at all. He is such a good person.

"We're dealing with it," Spector added. "There's a lot of charges. None of them were really a big surprise. They pretty much charged him for every word that was written. He's trying to make it right. He apologized to the people he had to apologize to. He can't believe he's in this position cause this is not who he is."

He said Kafker is living with his family in Massachusetts. "They totally support him. They stand behind him 100 percent," he said.

Morales and Matthew Kafker are charged with hate crime at a church/synagogue/place of worship, along with institutional vandalism and burglary, criminal damage and criminal defacement, all felonies, said Cook County prosecutors.

Morales is expected to enter a plea when he is arraigned at the Skokie courthouse on May 11.

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Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Danny Diaz recently found three American avocets and willets  rare migratory shorebirds  at the Lake Michigan shoreline in Waukegan.

When Libertyville resident Andy Stewart learned of the sighting, he went to the beach and found the willets  but the avocets were gone. Stewart later searched for another rare migrant, the hooded warbler, at Captain Daniel Wright Woods in Vernon Hills. He didn't find that either, but said, "They'll be back soon."

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Birders like Diaz, Stewart and Grayslake resident Tom Lewin, who just saw his first bobolink of the year at the Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve near Grayslake, can see these rare birds in part because of the Migratory Bird Treaty signed 100 years ago.

It is because of that treaty and a subsequent U.S. law that birds like the hooded warbler, avocet, willet and bobolink continue to delight birders in North America, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the National Audubon Society.

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Signed in 1916 between the United States and Great Britain, the treaty was the first major U.S. legislation to protect birds that migrate between borders. The countries agreed to stop hunting insect-eating birds and create specific hunting seasons for game birds. That treaty led to the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which made it a crime to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill or sell a migratory bird or any of its parts, including nests, eggs and feathers.

The law has saved billions of birds, according to the National Audubon Society, and led to a 1936 treaty with Mexico, similar to the pact with Great Britain, protecting many of the birds northern Illinois residents are seeing now.

"The treaty was signed two years after the passenger pigeon went extinct," said Stacy Iwanicki, natural resources coordinator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. "A lot of other species were in serious decline, including the great egret.

"The treaty was one of the acts in succession that led to our growing understanding of ecology, though they didn't use that word back then. As concerned as we are about the environment these days, we have to realize we've made some huge strides in the right direction. We can't forget that history and need to realize we are where we are because of the efforts of so many people literally across many borders."

Birds actually migrate through Illinois nearly year-round, Iwanicki said, with some, like American tree sparrows, spending winter here. Others, like the Baltimore oriole, spend summer here, while birds such as the palm warbler pass through to breed farther north.

May is the most magical time for some birders because so many more species can be found, and the males in May are in their breeding plumage  decked out in yellow, green, black, blue, orange, red, and other colors with varying wing bar and eye stripe patterns, experts said. In addition, males are singing now to defend feeding territories and find mates, which adds a chorus of whistles, buzzes and chirps to spring mornings.

Roughly 250 species of migratory birds can be found in northern Illinois in May because they are following the insects, Iwanicki said.

Insects emerge as the leaves unfold, and that's what springtime migratory birds such as warblers, flycatchers, tanagers, grosbeaks, sparrows, gnatcatchers, wrens and buntings eat. Iwanicki added the birds help keep the insect population in check, which in turn maintains the health of trees and other plants.

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"It's almost like the trees have moving Christmas ornaments," said Richard Bisbee, a Round Lake resident who started birding two years ago. "It's like the trees are decorated for spring."

Bisbee admitted: "I used to not like spring before I was a birder. It was wet and there weren't any leaves on the trees, and it seemed like there was mud everywhere. Now I actually love it. I love you can go out every day and see new things coming through. Every day you see reports of vagrants, like the Swainson's warbler that was seen at LaBagh Woods (in Chicago)."

In May, you can see 15 or more species of warblers or shorebirds in one day, he said.

"Last May, I was birding at McHenry Dam, and I stood in one spot for a half hour watching all the warblers," Bisbee said. "I saw the beautiful yellow and black and white highlights of the magnolia warbler. Then I'd look on the other side and see another warbler, a black and white, or a chestnut-sided. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with them. It's a great problem to have."

Bisbee will be out May 7 with hundreds of other birders combing Chicago and collar counties for the annual Illinois spring bird count, always held the first Saturday in May to afford the greatest chance of recording the most number of species in a single day.

"The density of the birds this time of year, with more of them and more kinds, and the weather getting nicer with longer daylight, it just all works," Stewart said.

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Stewart, of Libertyville, visited the Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area in Deerfield in early May and saw blackburnian warbler, ovenbird, northern waterthrush and blue-winged warbler. The next day he was driving around western Lake County with a friend looking for muddy spots that attract shorebirds.

"I especially like sparrows this time of year, because of their really great plumages," Stewart said. "I think (the) clay-colored sparrow is one of the most beautiful birds."

Iwanicki applauded groups such as local National Audubon Society chapters, forest preserves and others for purchasing and restoring habitat that helps these migratory birds survive. Chicago and the suburbs serve as crucial stopover sites for migratory birds, said Field Museum biologist Doug Stotz.

"Lake Michigan concentrates migratory birds," Stotz said. "They are flying in a broad sweep over the city and lake, and when dawn breaks, they are desperate for a patch of green where they can rest and feed."

That's why Illinois Beach State Park in Zion, Waukegan Municipal Beach and Montrose Harbor in Chicago are favorite places for northern Illinois birders to visit in May.

Migratory birds have new challenges in the 21st century. For example, power lines kill up to 175 million birds a year, while communication towers kill 50 million and uncovered waste pits up to 1 million, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, wind turbines kill about 300,000 migratory birds annually, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Preventing many of the bird deaths caused by communication towers can be as simple as changing the light bulbs from steady red lights to flashing lights, according to the National Audubon Society.

Iwanicki said the best thing people can do to help migratory birds is to get educated.

"Be aware," she said. "Care. And never quit learning. Know that these birds need a variety of habitats to survive, and support efforts to keep legislation strong. Pay attention to these issues  realize we are the most powerful animal on the planet and think of how we can use that power for the good."

Sheryl DeVore is a freelancer for the News-Sun
President Barack Obama meets with British Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street, Cameron's official residence, in London on April 22, 2016. The president was on a six day trip to strategize with Saudi Arabia, England and Germany on a broad range of issues, including a focus on how to rein in Islamic State. (Carolyn Kaster / AP)

President Barack Obama's visit to Britain, including a joint news conference with Prime Minister David Cameron on April 22, underscores the vital partnership between that nation and the United States. The visit also highlights the complementary roles of two influential international leaders  Prime Minister Cameron and Queen Elizabeth II.

Cameron's Conservative government is embroiled in an intense debate over continued membership in the European Union. Britain is not a member of the euro currency union, relying instead on the pound, the nation's traditional money and an important global currency.

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A June referendum will decide whether the nation will remain in the common commercial market. Obama has tried to encourage support for remaining in the EU.

This repays an important favor Cameron did for the U.S. administration early last year during a visit to Washington. In a January 2015 news conference with Obama, the leaders emphasized the importance of tough nuclear negotiations with Iran. There was an honest effort to explain the high stakes involved and also the great difficulty of negotiating a durable agreement with Tehran  controversial then and now.

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Cameron spent time contacting members of the Senate to try to mitigate pressures to impose more sanctions on Iran. The absence of any backlash reflects the special nature of this alliance. No other foreign leader could have lobbied Congress without complaint.

The "special relationship" between Britain and the U.S., forged during the terrible first years of World War II, has endured despite sometimes-severe strains. The evolution of the Anglo-American partnership highlights important events of that global total war and the Cold War and post-Cold War eras which have followed.

David Cameron's predecessor Tony Blair paid a high political price for his faithful support of the administration of George W. Bush in the invasion of Iraq. Yet the Anglo-American military alliance, and the wider NATO structure, were at no point seriously threatened.

Britain's commitment to tradition as well as representative government is ably personified by Queen Elizabeth II. She is the head of state of the United Kingdom, which includes those independent Scots, and plays important if subtle political roles. Over four centuries ago, namesake Queen Elizabeth I was forcefully in charge of the British Isles.

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Today, royalty and representative government have important complementary functions. In 1867, Walter Bagehot published his important book "The English Constitution." He brilliantly described and analyzed the "efficient functions" of Parliament and the "dignified functions" of the monarchy.

The former establishes the government. The latter performs the ceremonial activities of the nation, by so doing insulating national institutions from the passions of party politics. The United States lacks such a distinction, which helps explain our own durable fascination with the British royals.

Since World War II, Americans have paid considerable attention to developments in the British monarchy  the happy, the tragic and the scandalous. That war helps explain why this is true.

Before the United States formally entered the global war, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and government colleagues gave priority to forging a close alliance with the Americans. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and colleagues reciprocated. Britain's king and queen visited the U.S. in June 1939, just before Hitler's Germany invaded Poland.

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Cameron was diplomatic when asked to comment on truly disturbing aspects of the U.S. presidential campaign. Nonetheless, he implied great concern, with great effectiveness.

British government institutions will endure. Queen Elizabeth, prudent and responsible head of state, deserves some credit for that  shared credit.

Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen distinguished professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War." Contact him at acyr@carthage.edu.
The Rev. Daniel Brandt, left, chaplain for the Chicago Police Department, blesses a statue in memory of 9-year-old Kira Mammoser on May 4 outside Advocate Children's Hospital in Park Ridge. (Jennifer Johnson, Pioneer Press)

It was a sunny May morning in 2013 when two horses from the Chicago Police Department's Mounted Unit paid 9-year-old Kira Mammoser a visit outside the Park Ridge hospital she had called home for the last four months.

It would be one of the last outings of her short life.

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Nearly three years later to the date, the horses were back at Advocate Children's Hospital, joined by a vibrantly colored, life-size horse statue that will serve as a memorial to the little girl who loved animals.

A dedication of the statue, which was donated to the hospital by Kira's parents, Cindy and Chuck Mammoser, took place Wednesday behind the Children's Outpatient Center, with family  including Kira's twin bother, Christian  friends, hospital staff and several Chicago police personnel present. The Rev. Daniel Brandt, the Chicago police chaplain and Park Ridge native who helped arrange for Kira to meet and pet the live horses three years ago, blessed the memorial statue and those gathered around it.

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"I tell everybody, this is what Kira would have painted a horse," said Chuck Mammoser, a sergeant with the Chicago Police Department's organized crime unit, as he stood in front of the statue, its periwinkle blue body decorated with large, multi-colored butterflies. "This is what a 9-year-old kid would paint a horse. There were no others like this."

The statue, Mammoser explained, was once on display as part of Horses of Honor, a public art campaign dedicated to recognize Chicago police officers killed in the line of duty. Kira's horse was reportedly sponsored in memory of Officer Eric Lee, who was shot and killed in August 2001 while trying to break up a fight in a South Side alley.

The Mammosers, of Chicago's Dunning neighborhood, bought the horse after reading an article announcing that many were being put up for auction, the couple said.

"We said, 'We should buy one.' And then we kind of said, 'What would we do with it? "" Cindy Mammoser recalled. "When we saw this one, we thought it would be perfect for Kira."

The idea of donating the statue to Advocate Children's Hospital then formed.

"We were trying to figure out something to do for the hospital, because they clearly meant a lot to us. They became another family to us," Chuck Mammoser said. "When I saw the horse, I knew immediately this was the one."

Kira Mammoser died May 29, 2013  just three weeks after the horses from the mounted unit visited her in the parking lot. According to the hospital, Kira had been diagnosed with a rare disease called ROHHAD, or rapid onset obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation and autonomic dysregulation. When she was diagnosed in 2009, there were only 75 known cases of the disease, the hospital said.

According to ROHHAD Fight Inc., an organization dedicated to awareness of ROHHAD and fundraising, the disease affects the nervous system and lung function, requiring most patients to use a ventilator to breathe.

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Lisa Boland, director of specialty and support services for Advocate Children's Hospital in Park Ridge, said she worked with the Mammosers to find a permanent location for Kira's memorial statue after Cindy had written hospital president Mike Farrell asking if the hospital would accept it.

"It's going to be viewed by so many children," Boland said. "I think it's just so fitting with our colors of the hospital, and it blends in so well."

Cindy Mammoser said Kira, who had a fondness for all animals and wanted to be a veterinarian, would have loved the statue.

"She truly did care about other people and she always wanted to give to other people," Cindy said, adding that the many colors and the butterflies painted on the piece would have excited her as well.

"She wanted things bright and colorful. She loved rainbows," Cindy said.

Chuck Mammoser described his daughter as funny, memorable and not afraid to speak her mind.

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"She got a fortune cookie once, and I opened it for her and it said, 'You will have a profound influence on others,' " Chuck said. "I still have that on the fridge. It absolutely described her."

jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @Jen_Pioneer
CYO coordinator Jennifer Richards, from left, stands with CYO Spelling Bee winners Josie Guzzo of St. John the Evangelist, Zachary Plebanski of St. Casimir, Oluseyi Ogundipe of St. Paul and pronouncer Celine Henderlong after the contest at St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point. (St. Mary school)

I-65 ramp closure in Merrillville

The eastbound 61st Avenue ramp to southbound Interstate 65 in Merrillville will be closed Sunday through May 12 due to a concrete restoration project, the Indiana Department of Transportation said. Workers will be removing and replacing concrete. The ramp will reopen by the end of the day on May 12. Traffic will be detoured south on Broadway and east on U.S. 30 to the I-65 interchange at 81st Avenue.

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Amateur Radio Club throws party Saturday

The Lake County Amateur Radio Club W9LJ presents The Indiana QSO Party from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday behind the Lake County EMA building, 2900 W. 93rd Ave., Crown Point. Ham radio operators, their families and interested people are invited to this Amateur Radio Relay League sponsored contest, which involved contacting as many ham radio operators as possible while working portable and off the grid. The club also will meet from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 13 at the Lake County EMA building for the program Observing the Sun presented by the Calumet Astronomical Society. More information on both events is at www.W9LJ.org.

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Burns Harbor boot drive is Saturday

The Burns Harbor Volunteer Fire Department will be at the intersection of State Road 149 and Highway 20 from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, weather permitting, to fill their boots with donations for the Hoosier Burn Camp. All proceeds go directly to Hoosier Burn Camp where young people who have suffered the physical and mental trauma associated with a severe burn injury can be just one of the kids. More information about Burn Camp is at http://hoosierburncamp.org/.

Finish up those crafts at library event

Here's a chance to work on your unfinished craft projects, or simply enjoy creating coloring, while visiting fellow crafters and budding artists at the Valparaiso Public Library, 103 Jefferson St. at 2 p.m. May 24. Coloring sheets and pencils/crayons are provided. The event is free and no registration is required.

Registration open for Chalk the Walk event

The 4th Annual Chalk the Walk event, sponsored by the Family & Youth Services Bureau, will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 11 on the sidewalks surrounding the Porter County Courthouse in downtown Valparaiso. More than 100 3-by-3 foot squares will be filled with colorful chalk drawings created by people of all ages and skill levels. Each drawing is sponsored by an area business, organization or individual. Sponsorships for the 4th Annual Chalk the Walk are still being accepted, and the Family & Youth Services Bureau will accommodate any sponsor as long as space is available. Artist registrations are also available for those 16 and older, and there is no fee to be an artist. Artists who register in advance will be partnered with a sponsor who needs an artist. More information and forms are with the Family & Youth Services Bureau at 219-464-9589 or www.fysb.org.

Staff report
Dakota Yorke, a transgender Portage High School senior who is running for prom queen, speaks about her life on Friday, April 29, 2016. (Kyle Telechan, Post-Tribune)

Dakota Yorke has become a media darling since I first met her.

The 18-year-old Portage High School senior has appeared on several Chicago TV news shows this week, four of them on the same day. She's been interviewed by a handful of national publications, from New York to California. And she's been the focus of a few viral videos, reaching as far as the United Kingdom.

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My previous column introduced Yorke to a much wider audience beyond her usual social media sites and YouTube channel. So much so that my Facebook posts about Yorke have received more hits, shares and comments than any other post I've written since I began using that platform.

"My life has been dramatically changed forever," Yorke told me through tears earlier this week. "Without this happening, my voice wouldn't affect as many lives positively as it does now."

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With such publicity, however, comes more vulnerability.

Yorke has become a highly visible target for critics. Not only for critics of a transgender teen, assigned male sex at birth, who's running for high school prom queen. But for critics of all transgender people, a national narrative that borders on gender panic.

"You and her are both sick," said one male reader who didn't leave his name on my voice mail. "A teenage boy ... should never be a prom queen. Period."

Other readers agreed, expanding this local issue to a broader perspective.

"Jerry, do you really feel the rights as a woman aren't being infringed upon?" asked Aubrey Billingsley of Portage. "In other words, two biological boys get to win each of these crowns (king and queen), depriving an actual girl of winning anything."

Billingsley raises an excellent point, and one raised by other readers, including a few PHS parents with daughters.

"How do you not see all this craziness as a forefront to a bigger agenda?" Billingsley asked.

Dakota Yorke, right, a transgender Portage High School senior who is running for prom queen, poses for a photo with her mom, Dawn, on Friday, April 29, 2016 in their Portage home. (Kyle Telechan, Post-Tribune)

That agenda, she contends, could lead to women's safety issues in public bathrooms that allow usage by transgender women assigned male sex at birth, as well as to others being allowed to qualify for female scholarships, world records and other gender-specific achievements.

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"Will this all fall to dudes in dresses, pretending to be girls?" she said.

If you believe Yorke and other transgender people are simply playing pretend, I guess I can see your point. Each person, each case, comes with unique circumstances. But I'm convinced Yorke is not a dude merely sporting dresses while playing pretend.

As I wrote in my previous column, Yorke has identified as a girl more than a boy since birth, according to her mother, Dawn Yorke, who's supportive, protective and loving.

"I never cared how she identified regarding her gender, as long as she was a good person who was kind and respectful to others," Dawn told me.

I view this parenting stance as admirable, even courageous. Not everyone agrees.

"Now we know where and why Dakota thinks he is a woman!" commented one female reader.

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If you met Yorke, you'd realize she is more woman than man.

This is why I asked photographer Kyle Telechan to shoot a video of Yorke so we could show readers her voice, femininity and mannerisms. (You can watch it here.

Any future decisions from Yorke involving surgical procedures with her body may someday match her current self-image. That's her business. Not mine. Or yours.

"This is a well written article, but I could not disagree more with the decision of the school administrators," said Raymond Dix Jr., pastor of Bethel Church in Gary.

"If we allow immutable characteristics like gender to undergo redefinition, or be subject to feelings, then where do we draw the line? For instance, hypothetically, can I, a black male, suddenly decide that since I have felt like a white person, identify as such? Am I now eligible for anything whiteness might bring?"

"This is madness and it's a step closer to the ruin of our civilization," Dix said.

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The ruin of our civilization? Really?

This must be the thinking behind what prompted one mother to contact me last week, asking me to write about Yorke's run for prom queen. This was before most anyone outside of PHS was aware of it.

"How is this even legal?" the mother asked.

This particular situation isn't about legality. It's about Yorke making a request to school officials regarding her childhood dream, and they allowed her to do so. And about the school's senior body voting for Yorke as a prom queen finalist.

This is about her fellow classmates (of both genders) who've already voted on whether Yorke, or one of the other finalists, will be crowned prom queen Saturday night at the Porter County Expo Center.

"Either way, I feel like this (prom queen run) is going to influence, motivate and help many people," Yorke said. "That has been my biggest goal."

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Her goal has been met many times over as far as I can tell.

I've heard from countless supporters of her decision, including a few people who identified themselves as a transgender person living in Northwest Indiana. Yes, there are many others besides Yorke, who has become a willing poster child.

By far, the positive feedback has trumped the negative backlash against Yorke, who has largely ignored the nasty comments.

"I just want to thank everyone who has shown me so much love and support," Yorke told me repeatedly this past week.

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Instead of lashing out against her critics, she has fully embraced her support from strangers, such as this email I received.

"Jerry, I'm very impressed with your 'trans' article this morning, but even more impressed that Portage High School has been so supportive of Dakota," said Dennis Norman of Valparaiso, a former PHS teacher.

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I'm impressed, too. And I remain impressed with Yorke and her mother, Dawn, who will be special guests on my Casual Fridays radio show.

The way I see it, regardless what happens on prom night, Yorke has already been crowned  as a champion for transgender teenagers.

Tune in Friday at noon, or at 7 p.m., on WLPR, 89.1-FM, streaming at . Call in with your comment or question at 219-769-9577.

jdavich@post-trib.com

Twitter @jdavich
Jodi Koplin's Jigglejam show follows the first annual Race for Humanity 5K, Sunday, May 15, at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie. ( Illinois Holocaust Museum)

Your family can take steps to make the world a better place  and get a workout at the same time. The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is holding its first annual Race for Humanity 5K, Sunday, May 15.

The race will begin and end outside the museum at 9603 Woods Drive in Skokie. Check in time is 7:30 a.m. and the race begins at 8 a.m. Walkers are welcome. Strollers are allowed at the 5K but no dogs or bicycles for safety reasons.

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Kids ages 12 and under can participate in a 1K Fun Run, which starts at 8:15 a.m..

Grownups will appreciate the complimentary massages and stretches offered after the race. Post race, families will be entertained by Jodi Koplin's Jigglejam, a favorite of kids and parents.

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General registration for the 5K is $35; $30 for members. The Kids 1K costs $18. All proceeds will support the work of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Preregistration is required.

For details, call (847) 967-4821 or go to www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/5k.

It's been good to know you

A party is planned to say, "So Long Friends: An Elephant and Piggie Farewell," 2-4 p.m. Saturday, May 7 at Morton Grove Public Library, 6140 Lincoln Ave. The event marks the unveiling of the last book in Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series, "The Thank You Book." There will be stories, crafts, games and snacks.

For details, call (847) 965-4220 or go to www.mgpl.org.

Language lesson

Kids don't need to be bilingual to enjoy the World Language Storytime: Spanish, 6-6:45 p.m. Friday, May 13 at Niles Public Library, 6960 W. Oakton St. There will be stories and songs in Spanish, plus a little English. Kids will do a craft project and there will be snacks for all.

For details, call (847) 663-1234 or go to www.nileslibrary.org.

Something to sing about

Young children should particularly enjoy a Family Sing-Along with Skokie Preschool Teachers, 6:30-7:15 p.m. Thursday, May 12 at Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St. Everyone will learn new songs and rhymes at this drop-in event.

For details, call (847) 673-7774 or go to skokielibrary.info.

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Make a meal

...in the great outdoors at Campfire Cooking, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18 at Wildwood Nature Center, 529 Forestview Ave., Park Ridge. Selections will range from gourmet to kid-friendly as you and your children try different cooking styles, using sticks, Jars, Dutch ovens, hobo pies and more. The cost is $26 per family. Registration is required.
With the scope and penalties of Chinas social credit system being further clarified in 2021, legal and regulatory compliance has become more important than...
Three major shipyards in Zhejiang Province yesterday said they are seeking investors to help them restructure out of bankruptcy.

Two Zhoushan-based subsidiaries of China Shipbuilding Industry Corp and Zhoushan Xuhua Metal Materials Co, which was registered as a shipbuilder, went bankrupt last year.

The three companies owed 1.7 billion yuan (US$262 million) but had assets with a book value of 670 million yuan in houses, land tenure, docks and wharfs, according to recent data.

They have until June 15 to look for investors to provide a cash deposit of 5 million yuan. But the three companies are not obliged to continue operations in shipbuilding or maritime activities as stated clearly by their prospectus.

A staff at the China Classification Society said Chinese shipyards rarely have sufficient funds for shipbuilding amid the slowing economy.

State-owned shipyards Wuzhou Ship Repairing & Building and Sainty Marine Co have gone bankrupt since the end of 2015, and Wuhu Shipyard Co indicated recently it was about to do so.
Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei(L) attends the 49th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asia Development Bank (ADB) in Frankfurt, Germany, on May 4, 2016. The Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors is being held in Frankfurt from May 2 to May 5, which discusses the economic situation of the Asia-Pacific, structual reform of Asian countries as well as further reform within the ADB. (Xinhua/Luo Huanhuan)

Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei on Wednesday called for speeding up structural reforms to enhance the flexibility and resilience of the economy.

Speaking at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB), Lou said the world economy is still faced with severe challenges and countries should speed up their structural reforms to enhance the flexibility and resilience of their economies and foster sustainable growth by means of innovation.

As an important institution of multilateral development, ADB should adapt itself to changes in a proactive way and work out a more forward-looking development strategy that includes cooperation between high and middle-income countries, Lou said.

He maintained that ADS should develop innovative policies, improve the quality of its projects, improve its governance structure and raise institutional strength, comprehensively expand its partnership with existing multilateral development aid agencies and new institutions, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the BRICS Development Bank.

He also suggested ADB strengthen its partnership with private institutions through the public-private partnerships (PPP).

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ADB and the 30th anniversary of China's cooperation with ADB.

Lou said China will support ADB as always and deepen its all-round cooperation with ADB. Lou disclosed that China will donate 100 million U.S. dollars to the 11th replenishment of the Asian Development Fund (ADF 12) to help low-income members of ADB in reducing poverty.

ADB on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with AIIB to strengthen cooperation for sustainable growth.

According to the agreement, AIIB and ADB will strengthen cooperation, including co-financing, at the strategic and technical levels on the basis of complementarity, value added, institutional strengths and comparative advantages, and mutual benefit.

AIIB and ADB are already discussing projects for co-financing in the road and water sectors. The first of these projects is expected to be Pakistan's M4 highway project, a 64 km stretch of motorway connecting Shorkot to Khanewal in Punjab Province.

The two institutions will undertake regular high-level consultations between them and joint data collection to promote the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the COP21 climate agreement, according to a press release by AIIB.

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Logo of China National Petroleum Corp. [File Photo: sohu.com]

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Northeast Refining & Chemical Engineering Company on Wednesday secured an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract from a Cambodian conglomerate to construct a 620 million-U.S.-dollar oil refinery in its first phase.

The EPC contract was inked here between Li Limin, chairman of CNPC Northeast Refining & Chemical Engineering Company, and Hann Khieng, managing director of Cambodian Petrochemical Company, under the presence of Cambodian Minister of Mines and Energy Suy Sem.

Under the contract, the Chinese firm will carry out detailed engineering design of the project, procure all the equipment and materials necessary, and then construct an oil refinery for the Cambodian Petrochemical Company.

Li said the construction of the oil refinery in the first phase will be completed at the end of 2018 with the oil production capacity of 2 million tons per year.

"The oil refinery will reduce the country's import of petroleum," he said.

"This project will greatly contribute to developing the economy of Cambodia."

According to Li, CNPC Northeast Refining & Chemical Engineering Company is one of the three top refining and chemical engineering firms in China.

Hann Khieng said the plant, which will be built with the latest equipment and technologies, is located in Cambodia's southwestern Preah Sihanouk province.

"It will be the first oil refinery in Cambodia," he said, adding that the company will increase its investment in the project to 3 billion U.S. dollars with the increased capacity of 5 million tons per year in the next phases.

"Now, it should be the time for Cambodia to build its reputation as an oil producer for domestic use and export," he said.

Minister of Mines and Energy Suy Sem welcomed the project, saying that the investment clearly demonstrated the confidence of investors in Cambodia's political stability and favourable business atmosphere.

"This project will not only provide huge advantages to Cambodia, but also contribute further to enhancing friendly relations and good cooperation between Cambodia and China," he said, expressing his sincere thanks to the Chinese government for encouraging investors to Cambodia.

Currently, Cambodia totally imports petroleum from Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand as its seabed's oil and gas have not yet been exploited.

According to government figures, the Southeast Asian country spent nearly 1 billion U.S. dollars to buy 2.55 million tons of oil last year.
Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group (LCIG) is formally launched on May 4 in Beijing to nurture a smart ecosystem through investment and incubation of innovations in areas of future importance. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

Global PC and smartphone juggernaut Lenovo will beef up investment on next-generation smart devices, core technologies, universal connections of different devices, and a database center based on cloud infrastructure, CEO Yang Yuanqing revealed on May 4.

"We're setting up the Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group (LCIG) to nurture a smart ecosystem by investing in and incubating innovations and new technologies in areas of future importance," said Yang at the launching ceremony of LCIG this Wednesday, when the company introduced a US$500 million investment fund.

The launch of LCIG is one of Lenovo's latest structural changes to drive stronger innovation, more customer-oriented products and fast growth, according to the company's official news release last month.

The newly structured group, which was formerly known as the Ecosystem and Cloud Services Group, has incubated over 10 firms in fields like internet applications, cloud services and online authentication with the help of Lenovo's global resources and external capital support.

The US$500 million investment fund will mainly focus on cloud computing plus big data, artificial intelligence (AI) plus robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) and consumption upgrading, said George (Zhiqiang) He, senior vice president at Lenovo and president of LCIG.

The first project incubated under LCIG was SHAREit, a popular cross-platform file transfer tool that now boasts 520 million users worldwide and ranks as the most downloaded app on Google Play in 36 countries and regions.

LCIG's investment roadmap also includes smart healthcare, augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) smart glasses, financial services and telecommunications.

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Communist Party of China (CPC) mouthpiece the People's Daily has called on Taiwan to stick to the "1992 Consensus," lest cross-Strait relations swing back to turbulence.

In a commentary to be published on Thursday, the newspaper says the "1992 Consensus," which endorses the One China principle, is key to steady developments of cross-Strait ties and forms the political basis for positive interactions between the two sides.

Although the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are still not unified, "the fact that both sides belong to the one same China has never changed, nor will it change in the future," the article reads.

The "1992 Consensus" was reached between the mainland and Taiwan, not between specific political parties, according to the commentary, which adds that negating the consensus would undermine peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

"Every step forward in cross-Strait ties over the past eight years was the result of political trust built on the '1992 Consensus,'" it says.

Negating the "1992 Consensus" would without doubt led to the collapse of that political trust as well as the institutionalized negotiation mechanism between the two sides, making the "status quo" promised by Taiwan's newly-elected leader nothing more than "empty talk," the commentary says.

"History has shown that opposing Taiwan independence allows cross-Strait ties to sail to a bright future; otherwise, the boat of peaceful development would go astray and even capsize and sink," it reads.

The commentary quotes Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, saying that the Chinese mainland's policy toward Taiwan is clear and consistent, and it would not change along with the change in Taiwan's political situation.

"We will resolutely contain Taiwan independence secessionist activities in any form, safeguard our country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and never allow the historical tragedy of national secession to happen again," Xi is quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the commentary says the mainland's adherence to the "1992 Consensus" is not only a matter of principle, but also a gesture of "good will."

It goes on to state that the mainland is willing to push forward cross-Strait negotiations and facilitate economic and social exchanges and collaboration between the two sides, in order to enhance the well-being of people from both sides and build a community of a shared future.

The hard-won progress made in cross-Strait ties needs meticulous care from both sides, the commentary says, calling on the island's newly-elected leader to make a "responsible" choice on whether to adhere to the "1992 Consensus" or to adopt an elusive approach to cling to the "Taiwan independence" secessionist claim.
A meeting was held on Wednesday to prepare for the upcoming nationwide election of local lawmakers.

The General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People' s Congress, the top legislature, Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Publicity Department of CPC Central Committee held the seminar.

The year 2016 will see over 900 million Chinese directly elect more than 2.5 million lawmakers in county and township-level people's congresses. Based on this election, state organs in counties and townships will have their new heads.

Over 2,850 county-level regions and more than 32,000 townships will take part in the election, which is one of the biggest political events in China.

Under China's current Electoral Law, deputies to people's congresses at the level of townships and counties, who account for more than 90 percent of lawmakers at all levels nationwide, are elected directly by voters every five years.

A statement issued after the seminar urged all officials to understand the significance of this election.

Attendees called for strengthened leadership of the CPC in the whole process of the election, putting strict criteria for candidates, in a bid to select capable, honest lawmakers that represent the interests of people from all walks of life.

In addition, attendees called for strict supervision in a bid to ensure the cleanness of the election.

The migrant population's rights to vote should be safeguarded, and the election organization authority should properly organize lawmaker candidates' meetings with voters, they said.
The central government will provide financial support for corporate debt restructuring and training of laid-off workers, Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said at the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank's Board of Governors in Frankfurt, Germany, on Tuesday.

The Finance Ministry's current priority, Lou said, is assisting China's supply-side reforms and alleviating the fallout from the painful process of shedding overcapacity and piled-up debt.

Subsidies will support the restructuring of corporate debt and help train laid-off workers for new jobs as the coal and steel industries see shutdowns or shake-ups, Lou said.

He said China has not subsidized coal, though it has been accused by other countries of dumping cheap steel products worldwide and disrupting the global market.

Subsidies are also being provided to the country's farmers, supporting tree planting and the use of organic fertilizers to help them shift to sustainable models, he said.

China has also stopped subsidizing diesel-fueled fishing boats and public buses, instead shifting money to clean-energy vessels.

Lou twice referred to Germany's successful transformation from "the sick man of Europe" to an economic powerhouse in the 2000s, to make his case that reforms incur short-term pain but reap long-term rewards.

"Germany seized the opportunity and pushed through structural reforms," he said. "As we all know, if we do not reform, we'll fall off the cliff."

In the early 2000s, Germany's economy had gone from being a post-World War II miracle to a laggard in Europe after its bloated social welfare programs and narrow labor rules eroded the country's competitiveness. By 2003, then-chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was engaged in an overhaul.

In Lou's view, Germany's reform of its social welfare system and improvements in the flexibility of its labor market laid the foundation for the nation's resilience in the face of the global financial crisis.

Wei Shangjin, chief economist of the ADB, agreed that money should not be used to shore up unprofitable companies in industries plagued by overcapacity, but rather should facilitate the formation of a "new economy" that includes channeling laid-off workers into other jobs.
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A Chinese college student who allegedly stabbed his roommate to death and beheaded him in March may be able to plead diminished responsibility at trial after a medical assessment found him to be depressed, local police said yesterday.

The suspect, identified by his surname Teng, was a freshman at Sichuan Normal University in southwest China. He has been in police custody since his roommates murder on March 27.

According to a medical evaluation entrusted by police in Chengdu Citys Longquanyi District, Teng was found to have a depression disorder and diminished responsibility.

The attorney for the victims family said they will appeal the medical evaluation.
Wednesday is the first anniversary of the landmark meeting between Xi Jinping and then Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu.

The Chinese mainland and Taiwan have come through military confrontation and division to embrace increasingly warm ties over the past six decades, and May 4, 2015, saw another major step forward -- the first meeting between leaders of the KMT and Communist Party of China (CPC) since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012.

During the meeting, Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, urged both sides of the Taiwan Strait, as well as the CPC and KMT, to trust each other to maintain peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and work together to build a community of common destiny.

Xi's remarks set the tone for cross-Strait relations in the past year, in which people from both sides enjoyed closer exchanges against the backdrop of Taiwan leadership elections that gave the island a new leader.

Concrete benefits

Liao Hui-ching still remembers the morning of Sept. 21, 2015, when she reached Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian Province by sea from Taiwan and quickly passed through customs thanks to simplified entry-exit procedures introduced on that day.

All Liao needed was a simple card, rather than the previous entry permit with an expiration date.

"The old paper entry permit had to be re-applied for every three months. I had to fill in forms, stand in queues and pay an application fee. It was not convenient at all," she said.

Liao's card even served as a pass for high-speed rail lines.

In the eyes of Li Cheng-hung, president of a Shanghai-Taiwan business association and chairman of Taiwan Karon Valve Machinery Co., the agreement on avoidance of dual taxation in cross-Strait trade signed last year has benefited them most.

With the pact, Li said, enterprises are not "skinned" twice, referring to dual taxation.

Taiwan financial authorities estimated that the new pact would save business people from Taiwan 3.9 billion new Taiwan dollars (120.6 million U.S. dollars) a year.

"Policies that serve the immediate interests of Taiwanese people have made the destinies and the future of people across the Strait more interconnected, and laid a solid social foundation for tightening cross-Strait relations," said Yang Yizhou, vice president of the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots.

"Young people in Taiwan are looking for opportunities whenever and wherever they can. They are willing to have a try in the mainland but don't know where to start," said Meng Hsien-ting, a 27-year-old Taiwan businessman who now runs a company in Fujian providing professional training and other services for young Taiwanese people who want to work in the mainland.

As far as Meng is concerned, a lack of knowledge about the mainland has blinded young Taiwanese people to the prospects they could enjoy there.

"If we tell young people from Taiwan what situations they are going to encounter in the mainland and how they can deal with them, their concerns will melt away," said Meng.

During the May 4 meeting, Xi called for efforts to create more opportunities for ordinary people, small businesses, farmers, fishermen and young people who want to start their own career, promising to protect the legitimate interests and rights of Taiwanese businesses on the mainland and create a better environment for their development.

More to come

Following the Xi-Chu meet, Xi and Ma Ying-jeou came together in Singapore in November in the first meeting between leaders of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait since 1949, turning a historic page in cross-Strait relations.

"It was such a sweet moment when Xi and Ma were holding hands together, just like family members," said Cheng You-ping, professor with National Taipei University, "This perfectly showed that Taiwan and the mainland belong to a community of common destiny."

Figures provided by Ma at the time showed that more than 40,000 students have taken advantage of academic exchange programs, and more than eight million tourists have traveled between the two sides each year since 2008, when the mainland and Taiwan embarked on a peaceful development fast track with dozens of agreements signed. Annual trade is now worth over 170 billion U.S. dollars.

Last year, 40 percent of tourists visiting Taiwan came from the mainland. It is also Taiwan's largest destination of investment and export.

During China's "two sessions" political congresses in March, Xi told legislators that the mainland's policy toward Taiwan is clear and consistent, and it will not change with Taiwan's political situation.

"Compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Strait are expecting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and we should not disappoint them," he added.

Echoing Xi's words, the government work report reiterated "a cross-Strait community of common destiny," vowing to share with "our fellow countrymen and women in Taiwan both the responsibility of the Chinese nation and opportunities for development."

"Building a community of common destiny between both sides of the Taiwan Strait has been an effective approach and a vital goal for pushing forward cross-Strait relations," said Ni Yongjie, vice director of Shanghai's Taiwan Research Institute.

Two days prior to Chinese New Year in February, a powerful earthquake killed 117 people in southern Taiwan.

The following day, the counties of Beichuan and Lushan in southwest China's Sichuan Province, both having suffered greatly in the devastating May 12 earthquake in 2008 and received support from Taiwan afterwards, offered relief donations to the Taiwan Red Cross.

"Compatriots across the Taiwan Strait are one family whose blood is thicker than water," Xi said when expressing his condolences to quake victims on the same day.

"The historical experiences and lessons, the present emotional connection between people across the Strait, as well as the need for future integration of resources on both sides have called for building a community of common destiny," said Ni.
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Vice President Li Yuanchao expressed hopes that youngsters blend their personal aspirations with the Chinese Dream on Wednesday, China's Youth Day.

Li said at a symposium attended by youngsters who won an award for their contributions, that they should be harbingers of innovation and entrepreneurial activities, and contribute to the country's drive to build a moderately prosperous society.

Li also urged them to make contributions to the 13th Five-year Plan, to understand, support and participate in reforms.

Young people should practice socialist core values and be law-abiding citizens with integrity, love and take care of their families, volunteer for public good and be a civilized Internet user, Li added.
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Chinese health authorities on Wednesday called for enhanced management of hospitals and treatment during a teleconference.

During the teleconference, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) prohibited medical institutions from outsourcing departments and publishing fake medical advertisements.

The NHFPC also called on medical agencies to strengthen management of the clinical use of medical techniques.

The use of techniques that are not allowed in clinical practice under Chinese regulations, including an immunotherapy treatment using cells generated by a patient's own immune system, should be limited to research, the NHFPC said.

Health authorities have been urged to enhance supervision and crack down on illegal medical practices in hospitals within their jurisdictions.
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Photo taken on April 5, 2016 shows the lighthouse on Zhubi Reef of Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, south China. [Xinhua]

Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to Britain, has demanded stopping meddling in the South China Sea dispute by some politicians and media outlets in the United States and Britain, in a signed article to the Times published Wednesday.

"The issue of the South China Sea is being ramped up by those in the US and the UK who accuse China of causing tension in the region. They proclaim the principle of free navigation and over-flight but in reality their prejudice and partiality will only increase tension," he said.

Their suggestion that China's "hard line" position about the sea increases friction is not based on fact, Liu said, pointing out that China was the first country to discover and name the Nansha islands and reefs and the first to govern them.

Although more than 40 of them are now illegally occupied by other countries, "our talks with neighbors to resolve our differences show how committed we are to regional peace and stability," Liu said.

China's construction on its own islands and reefs is a matter for itself. These actions are not targeted at any other country. Apart from minimum defense facilities, the building works are primarily civilian in purpose, Liu said.

The claim that there is a threat to the freedom of navigation and overflight in the sea is false, he said, adding that more than 100,000 vessels pass through the sea unimpeded every year.

"Is the freedom of navigation that every country is entitled to really the issue? Or is it the 'freedom' of certain countries to flex military muscle and moor warships on other nations' doorsteps and fly military jets over other countries' territorial airspace?" he asked.

"If it is the latter, such 'freedom' should be condemned as a flagrantly hostile act and stopped," he said.

To accusations that China is "not abiding by international law" and "undermining the rule-based international system," Liu said that China made a clear declaration in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2006 to exclude compulsory arbitration on sovereign disputes and maritime delimitation.

"More than 30 other countries, including the UK, have made similar declarations," he pointed out.

"The world will see clearly who is making trouble in the South China Sea. These nations should desist from meddling and muddling. Such actions pose a threat to regional stability and world peace," the ambassador said.
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Russia will form three military divisions in response to increasing military presence of NATO near its borders, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said Wednesday.

Two divisions are to be built in the western military district, and one in the southern military district, each with some 10,000 personnel, Shoigu said at a teleconference with top military officers.

The program would be finished by the end of this year, he added.

Russia-NATO relations have been at a low point since armed conflicts broke out in eastern Ukraine in early 2014. Russia has repeatedly expressed concerns over the military buildup by NATO in neighboring countries.
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Unaccompanied children seeking asylum will be resettled in Britain from Greece, Italy and France, Downing Street announced Wednesday.

Unaccompanied children registered in Greece, Italy or France before March 20 will be eligible for resettlement, and the British government will work with local authorities on plans to resettle them, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

It noted the British government had adopted a twin-track approach to dealing with the migrant crisis by "helping the most vulnerable while not encouraging new perilous crossings to Europe."

The resettlement plan will be restricted to children registered before the EU migration agreement with Turkey came into force on March 20.

"The retrospective nature of the scheme will avoid creating a perverse incentive for families to entrust their children to people traffickers," Downing Street explained.

Announcing the plan in Parliament on Wednesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron said, "we must stick to the principle that we shouldn't be encouraging people to make that perilous journey."

"That's been the cornerstone of our policy and that should remain the case," he added.

The British government "is not putting a fixed number" on children to be accepted, but will work with local authorities across the country to decide how many children will be resettled, according to the prime minister's office.
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A 48-hour regime of silence will start in Syria's northern city of Aleppo as of Thursday, the Syrian army announced Wednesday.

The regime of calm state will go into effect at 1:00 a.m. Thursday (GMT 2300 Wednesday), said the military statement.

The truce in Aleppo comes as the city has witnessed over 10 violent days, during which over 120 people were killed and hundreds of others wounded.

The U.S.-Russia-backed truce in Aleppo came to bring a lull to the troubled city that has witnessed the most violent shelling from the rebels on government-controlled areas.

Opposition activists also accused Syrian warplanes of striking rebel-held areas in the eastern part of the city.

The "regime of silence" has previously been announced to include areas in the countryside of the capital Damascus and the northwestern province of Latakia.

Russia and the United States have recently discussed including Aleppo in the regime of calm.
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday left New York for Washington, D.C., where he will co-host the climate action 2016 summit together with the World Bank and other partners Thursday morning.

Following the opening session of the summit, the secretary-general will speak to the media with Jim Yong Kim, the president of the World Bank group, Segolene Royal, the minister of the environment, energy and marine affairs of France, and Stephen Catlin, executive deputy chairman of the XL Group, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric at a daily news briefing here.

"The summit brings together representatives from governments, businesses, philanthropy, civil society and academia, to take the climate action agenda forward," he said.

Later on Thursday, Ban is expected to visit a middle school in Brookland with DC Mayor Muriel Elizabeth Bowser, where the UN chief will inspect green projects the school is implementing.
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The United States and Russia have agreed to extend the fragile truce in Syria to the northern Aleppo city and its surrounding areas in an effort to de-escalate violence in the war-torn country, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday.

"Since this went into effect today at 00:01 in Damascus, we have seen an overall decrease in violence in these areas, even though there have been reports of continued fighting in some locations," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

Syrian government forces and the opposition have clashed over the past ten days in Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria, despite continued diplomatic efforts to restore the ceasefire agreement reached in February.

The Syrian government has blamed the rebels in Aleppo for violating the truce, while opposition activists accused Syrian warplanes of striking rebel-held areas in the eastern part of the city.

To ensure that the truce continues in a sustainable way, the U.S. is coordinating closely with Russia to finalize enhanced monitoring efforts of the renewed cessation, Toner said.

"It is critical that Russia redouble its efforts to influence the regime to abide fully by the cessation," Toner said, adding that "the United States will do its part with the opposition."

"Attacks directed against Syria's civilian population can never be justified, and these must stop immediately," the spokesman said.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of "repercussions" if his government does not adhere to the ceasefire agreement.

"Unequivocally, if Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions," Kerry said. "And one of them may be the total destruction of the ceasefire and they go back to war."
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U.S. Ohio governor John Kasich on Wednesday afternoon officially announced the end of his bid for the White House, leaving New York billionaire Donald Trump uncontested in the Republican presidential race.

In an emotional speech, the governor thanked his supporters and campaign workers, while detailed what the country's leaders need to do to lessen the hardships that citizens are facing.

"Economic growth gives people an opportunity to realize many of their hopes and dreams in life. And without a job, the family is weaker, the community is weaker, the neighborhood's weaker, the state suffers and our country struggles," said Kasich in his home state Ohio.

Meanwhile, he mentioned what he has learned or been inspired from people he encountered during the campaign.

"You know I've learned something, folks," Kasich said, "that we all need to slow down our lives. Slow down our lives and listen to those around us."

"The people of our country changed me," he said,"They changed me with the stories of their lives."

Kasich's quit followed Texas senator Ted Cruz who dropped out of the race Tuesday night after having finished a distant second in the crucial Indiana primary. Kasich placed last in the contest.

Both of Cruz and Kasich were already "mathematically dead" in the quest for a majority of delegates before the Indiana primary in which their strategy to join forces to deny Trump the nomination was also proved in vain.

Kasich has won just one state during the race so far -- his home state of Ohio. He trailed Trump by some 900 delegates.
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A screenshot shows Peter Chen, the spokesperson of Leng Mengmeis families. [China News Service]

Family members including the mother of the 25-year-old Leng Mengmei, who was murdered in Australia, have reportedly come to the country to attend a re-hearing.

Peter Chen, who speaks for the family members, said there are some rumors about the case spreading online. He hopes people can stop spreading unreal information.

Chen added that Leng's family, who are still in deep sadness, were not ready to have an interview. Although Leng's mother may meet the press on Thursday, May 5.

On Wednesday, ABC reported that Leng's 27-year-old uncle Derek Barret who is accused of her murder pleaded not guilty.

Berret also did not appear in court but will attend the trial on June 29.

Australian authorities arrested and charged Barret last week in connection with her murder.

Derek Barrett's lawyer Bill Whitby attended a brief hearing at a Sydney court on Wednesday where he told reporters his client was not finding conditions at the Sydney police center "particularly attractive".

Leng, a Chengdu native, had been in Australia for over five years and recently graduated from the University of Technology Sydney while living with her uncle, aunt and cousin in western Sydney.

Last week, Leng's body was discovered floating face down by a tourist at a popular site called the "blow hole" on the New South Wales state central coast.

It's believed she had been stabbed multiple times in the neck.
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Indonesia is preparing for a new round of executions, police said yesterday, around a year after Jakarta put seven foreign drug convicts to death by firing squad.

Officials recently started getting ready after an order from the attorney-general's office, which oversees executions, said Central Java police spokesman Aloysius Lilik Darmanto.

He said no date had been set for the executions, which will take place on the prison island of Nusakambangan in Central Java, and he did not know who would face the firing squad.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has repeatedly insisted that drug traffickers must face the firing squad to stem rising narcotics use. There are scores of drug convicts on death row in the country, including Indonesians and foreigners.

"We have been making preparations," Darmanto said. "We are ready whenever the order comes."

Capital punishment

Indonesia executed in April last year seven foreigners  two Australians, a Brazilian and four Nigerians  and an Indonesian for drug offenses.

Since then, no one else has been put to death, but officials continued to insist that it was the country's right to use capital punishment.

Among the foreigners on death row are Frenchman Serge Atlaoui and Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, who were both pulled from the last round of executions.

A British grandmother, Lindsay Sandiford, is on death row in Bali after she was caught smuggling a huge stash of cocaine into the resort island.

Darmanto said preparations included ensuring locations where the executions would take place were ready. For last year's executions, the drug convicts were taken to a jungle clearing on the island, which houses several high-security prisons, and tied to stakes before being shot.

"We have also prepared the facility for the bodies," he said. "Each death row convict will face a group of 10 shooters and one group commander. We have selected and trained the personnel."

The April round was the second under Widodo. Since he took office in 2014, 14 drug convicts  mostly foreigners  have been executed.
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Canada is responding at a nationwide level to fight the "catastrophic" wildfire in northern Alberta which caused the largest evacuation in the province's history, officials said Wednesday.

The wildfire raging through Fort McMurray has forced the entire city with over 88,000 residents to evacuate, destroyed 1,600 homes and buildings, and consumed more than 10,000 hectares, according to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.

"As we start to move down the road with respect to recovery, understanding the scope of the recovery efforts that we have before us, we'll engage with the federal government, with the municipality, and we will ensure that the citizens of Fort McMurray and surrounding communities are supported as they all come together to get through this," said Notley.

Notley said a memo of understanding about support from the military focused on three elements: helicopter search and rescue for people caught or left behind the fire line in communities outside Fort McMurray, airlift of materials and personnel, such as firefighters, and, at a later point, the potential for ground support to assist in accessing the area to determine when it is safe for people to return.

The Alberta premier said she had all the powers she needed to deal with the catastrophe without declaring a state of emergency.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government is mobilizing national efforts in the rescue and relief process.

"While the full extent of the damage isn't yet known, we certainly do know that for those who have been affected by this fire is absolutely devastating. It's a loss on a scale that is hard for many of us to imagine," Trudeau said in Ottawa Wednesday afternoon.

On the six-month anniversary of his cabinet swearing-in, the prime minister pledged to offer support to the affected, noting that rebuilding would take years.

"We have mobilized a certain number of Canadian Forces aircraft," said Trudeau after a CC-130 Hercules departed from the 8 Wing base in Trenton, Ontario, with a crew to assist with the Fort McMurray wildfire.

The Canadian Armed Forces said CH-146 helicopters were also being deployed at the request of the Department of Public Safety to help as the wildfire continues burning in the hot dry and windy weather condition.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the Canadian Armed Forces would be making all assistance available to the Alberta government.

Meanwhile, the province of Ontario is sending 100 firefighters to Alberta while British Columbia provincial crews are fighting its own fires. Firefighters are hoping a coming cold front may bring relief.

Canadian Red Cross has received incoming donations and is appealing for food and fresh water for those forced to dislocate at least 20 km away from home, with thousands of evacuees expected to settle in Edmonton, the provincial capital more than 400 km to the south.

The local airport has been closed to all commercial flights, and oil sands operators including Suncor and Shell have shut down regional facilities to make room for evacuees.

Perhaps surprisingly, no major casualties have been reported. Fort McMurray's critical infrastructure and downtown core -- including the water treatment plant, waste water treatment plant, Highway 63 and the Grant MacEwan Bridge -- remained intact Tuesday night.

Most of the structures have been damaged in the outskirts communities such as Beacon Hill, Abasand and Waterways. Fort McMurray's only hospital, the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, was evacuated Tuesday as flames approached from the Waterways neighborhood.

Among the properties gone with the flames, there was a house belonging to local political leader Brian Jean, leader of the official opposition Wildrose Party and Alberta MLA for Fort McMurray-Conklin.

"It's burned to the ground. Along with 50 years of my life in Fort McMurray and memories and stuff," Jean told CBC News. "But that's it, it's just stuff."

Jean said the disaster is the latest in a series of economic challenges the community has faced in recent months. "We're a very resilient community," he said. "We will come back strong. We will rebuild. We will rebuild better than ever, and I'm excited about the prospects."

In a statement, Queen Elizabeth said the royal family was "shocked and saddened" by the wildfire devastation to Fort McMurray.
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At least 17 civilians were killed in a U.S. bombing raid in northern Iraq's city of Tal Afar in the early hours of Thursday, Al Jazeera's Arabic channel reported.

The victims included 12 children and three women, according to the report, which offered no further details. No official information from the Iraqi government is currently available.

It remains to be known if the civilians were "mistakenly" targeted by the United States, which is leading an international coalition to strike important logistic sites of the Islamic State militant group in Iraq.

In the latest U.S. Air Force's "mistaken" airstrike, a AC-130 gunship aircraft targeted a civilian hospital in northern Afghanistan's Kunduz city, killing 42 people. Sixteen U.S. military personnel, including a general officer, were later disciplined for their role in the blunder.
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The forthcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is not expected to yield any breakthrough in the two nations' territorial spat, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

"This issue will be touched upon in one way or another. But it is hardly possible to expect immediate and serious progress, because this topic is extremely sensitive and requires meticulous and constant work at the experts' level," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He added that the meeting, scheduled to take place Friday in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, would help solve the issue.

Moscow and Tokyo have territorial disputes over the four Pacific islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, which prevented the two sides from inking a peace treaty after World War II.

Relations between Russia and Japan have soured after the latter, together with the United States and the European Union, slapped sanctions on Russia in 2014 in response to Russia's role in the Ukraine crisis.

Putin is expected to pay a return visit to Japan later this year.
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At least nine people were killed in twin bombings that rocked Syria's central province of Homs on Thursday, a military source told Xinhua.

A car bomb and a booby-trapped motorcycle went off at the town of Mukharam al-Fukani in the eastern countryside of Homs, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Emergency crew are working to deal with the aftermath of the bombings, the source added.
Private investment firms in China are facing tighter regulation as the country's securities market regulator steps up its crackdown on illegal activities.

According to the China Securities Regulatory Commission, 25,607 private investment firms registered with it as of Jan 15 manage assets worth 5.1 trillion yuan ($760 billion).

Typically, private investment firms in China are private equity firms, venture capital companies and hedge funds that invest in stocks and bonds in the secondary capital markets.

Of late, their investments have came under scrutiny for a variety of irregularities like incomplete and false information disclosure, selling investment products to unqualified investors (who did not have requisite level of funds), illegal fundraising, financial fraud, market manipulation and insider trading.

Hu Lifeng, a researcher at China Galaxy Securities Co, told Xinhua News Agency, "Many investment firms lacked sound internal corporate governance and many engaged in highly leveraged trading without proper risk control, which ended in forced liquidation and exacerbated the market volatility."

So, the CSRC has enhanced inspections and tightened regulations governing the day-to-day operations of private investment companies.

For their part, the authorities concerned in Beijing and Shanghai reportedly suspended registration of business licenses for investment firms and wealth management companies.

At least 27 investment firms were fined or subjected to administrative restrictions for rule violations after the CSRC inspected more than 140 firms last year.

Another 21 firms were investigated by the police for suspicious criminal and illegal activities, according to the regulator.

The crackdown followed the 2015 summer rout of the Chinese bourses that roiled global markets and portrayed China in poor light among the investor community.

"The regulation and self discipline of the private investment funds failed to keep up with the rapid development of their business," Hu told Xinhua.

Another aspect that seems to have riled the CSRC is the investment firms' propensity to misuse funds raised from their listing on the National Equities Exchange and Quotations, better known as the New Third Board, an over-the-counter share transfer system for non-public small firms and startups.

The government set up the NEEQ in late 2012 to support the cash-strapped small companies and startups. Listing on the NEEQ is not via an initial public offering, so it does not make the firm concerned a public company.

It is suspected many investment firms may have funnelled money raised from the NEEQ into speculative trading on stock exchanges or to form illegal or unauthorized funds, instead of sticking to their stated objective of investing it in small firms and startups.

A controversial case in point is China Science & Merchants Investment Management Group, a high-profile NEEQ-listed private investment firm.

After scooping up 9 billion yuan from the NEEQ, it played the A-share market, where the yuan-denominated stocks of companies based in the Chinese mainland are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses by mainland citizens.

What raised brows all over was its aggressive play. Local media studied China Science & Merchants's filings and estimated it may have invested at least 4 billion yuan in 16 listed companies between July and August last year.

The company's share market investments attracted attention also because they seemed to be inconsistent with its assurance to its investors it will invest 60 percent of the NEEQ proceeds to set up new private equity funds, 30 percent in funds for mergers and acquisitions, and structured funds (which do invest in stock markets), and the remaining 10 percent in new emerging strategic industries and to replenish its capital.

China Science & Merchants was among the companies that received warnings and administrative restrictions from the CSRC. The company was pulled up for violating the rule of information disclosure. It did not make sufficient disclosure about its fundraising plans and how it would use the proceeds. China Science & Merchants declined to comment for this story.
Two exhibitors stand by their small smart home appliance booth at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. The ongoing fair attracts 25,000 enterprises from home and abroad. [Photo/China Daily] A unit of the expo sensitizes China's manufacturers to shapes, sizes and branding

At the Canton Fair, or the biannual China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, chubby robots move around and invite passers-by to check the oxygen level in their blood. They offer help to those needing an oxygen boost.

Nearby, screens cover a booth with 2,500 green acrylic tubes. Visitors throw curious glances, wondering what's inside. Behind the curtains is a 3-D printer that produces ... chocolates.

At other stalls, more gadgets abound: portable air purifiers, music-playing and scent-spraying lamps ... all promising to make life fun and convenient.

Local and overseas design firms' booths are clearly a key attraction at the fair, which will end on Thursday.

Around 25,000 exhibitors, mostly small and medium-sized Chinese manufacturers, are taking part in the fair. The Canton Fair Product Design and Trade Promotion Center or PDC was set up in 2011 to reach out to them.

According to Xu Bing, deputy director of the China Foreign Trade Center, the PDC aims to "upgrade made-in-China products with innovative design and thus improve the competitiveness of China's exports".

Tin Huang, director of industrial design at MITO-design, a firm from Taiwan province, has been attending the PDC Design Show since 2012. His team designed a series of children's headphones in 2014 for Vcom International Ltd, a manufacturer of electric cables based in Guangzhou.

About 300,000 units were sold during the October-November session of the fair as consumers liked the playful design and replaceable covers featuring popular animation themes.

Huang is now working on developing the second generation of the headphones. "Within months of the launch, buyers were asking us to upgrade the product and add new features by the spring (April-May) session," said Steven Hu, sales director of Vcom.

"The economic climate now is tougher than the global financial crisis in 2008. Chinese manufacturers are facing fiercer competition not only in terms of price but product design," Hu said. "To survive, we must provide something new to fill a niche."

Huang from MITO-design said Chinese manufacturers are realizing the importance of design after the financial crisis.

While the business volume of the Canton Fair kept dropping from 2011 to 2015, the MITO-design's booth at the trade fair has been receiving about 20 new clients each session. Talks with about 300 clients marked the latest session.

A man test-drives a mini electric car at the ongoing Canton Fair in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. Innovation and design have become key elements at this time-honored trade fair. [Photo/China Daily]

To better serve its clients on the Chinese mainland, MITO-design has set up an office in Foshan, a major manufacturing base in Guangdong.

In all, 723 design firms from 18 countries and regions have taken part in the PDC exhibition since 2011, interacting with more than 80,000 exhibitors and buyers.

"China's manufacturing sector no longer takes upgrading and transformation as empty talk. The design industry has considerable room for development," said Alan Yip, founder of Yip Design Ltd of Hong Kong, which has an office in Shenzhen.

"The term "industrial design" was introduced in China about 20 years ago. Ever since, the design sector has been seeing rapid growth, nurtured by the mainland's strong manufacturing sector," Yip said.

But some problems remain. Some clients drive a hard bargain with designers, or ask the latter to submit their designs first, but don't clear bills promptly. "It shows some business owners still undervalue design," Yip said. "Some others haven't used design services before, so the PDC events help educate them."

Younger entrepreneurs are more conscious of the importance of design. Zhan Jianquan, 37, studied graphic design at Tsinghua University and returned to Shenzhen in 2003 after graduation to work as the creative director at his father's ceramics factory.

He designed the logo to better promote the brand Stechcol at home and abroad. He has been active in design competitions since 2008, winning international awards.

Zhan is now leading a team of 100-odd designers and 400-odd factory hands. He has also invited independent designers such as Yip to generate fresh, bold ideas.

"Entrepreneurs born in the 1980s and 1990s reject copycats and advocate combining manufacturing capacity and design competence," Zhan said.

Some Chinese manufacturers are not only upgrading product design but building their own brands. Jorg van den Hoven, director of Orange Branding, an Amsterdam-headquartered design and branding consultancy, has got 40 business leads per day for the company's branding service at the fair.

"In the coming 10 years, the Canton Fair will no longer be a commodity fair but a brand fair where companies sell products with added value," van den Hoven said.

"Chinese companies now understand they need clear, strong branding that links their products with a lifestyle to differentiate themselves from competitors and possibly raise the price."

Jewelry box brand Vlando and stationery brand Vpack belong to Dongguan Weiqun Packaging Products Co Ltd, an original equipment manufacturer for which Orange Branding has designed strategies.

Until Orange stepped in, the Dongguan-based OEM made products for overseas luxury brands like Gucci. It had no distinct identity of its own in the marketplace, leave alone brands.

With the help of Orange Branding, however, the two brands came into their own. Vlando targets women aged between 25 and 40 who buy light luxury products. Vpack targets startups that seek to build up colorful workplaces.

Orange Branding has helped the two brands to stand out from the crowd. Their combined overseas sales are expected to be between $1.5 million and $2 million this year, according to James Wei, CEO of Vlando and Vpack.

The products are mainly sold on online marketplace Amazon. "In the era of e-commerce, it costs less for Chinese manufacturers to try out original brands in overseas markets and we can receive instant feedback to improve our products," Wei said.

"With a strong manufacturing capability and the convenience of e-commerce, it is worth a try to launch our own brands."

The Canton Fair is co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the provincial government of Guangdong, and organized by the China Foreign Trade Center.
South Korean design firms are expanding in China.

A delegation of 27 firms has displayed the power of "Korean design" at the biannual Canton Fair being held in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

One of the fair's divisions, the Product Design and Trade Promotion Center, has included a design exhibition as a side show to the main event.

The exhibition has put on display intriguing, wide-ranging product designs ranging from an electric fan without blades to a cutting board sterilizer.

"Made in China 2025", the national strategic plan to encourage industrial upgrading and innovation across the country's manufacturing sector and creative industries, provides business opportunities for South Korean designers, according to Hong Min-seok, head of the China office of the Korea Institute of Design Promotion and the leader of the delegation.

"As the growth in China's manufacturing sector and creative industries gathers pace, demand for design services is expected to surge. We are confident about the prospects for closer cooperation between Chinese manufacturers and South Korean design firms," Hong told China Daily.

Ethan Jeong, CEO of Goth Design, has been participating in the exhibition since 2012 and established long-term partnerships with 50 Chinese companies.

"South Korea and China share similar cultures, so it is easy for South Korean designers to understand Chinese clients' needs," said Jeong.

Since the start of this millennium, a hallyu, or a wave, of South Korean TV dramas and pop music has been sweeping China. "Korean design" would mark an extension of the wave.

Founded in 1970 under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea, the KIDP aims to improve design education and help its design industry to develop at home and abroad. It set up an office in China in 2013.

"Design is part of a nation's soft power. I hope the Chinese government will also vigorously promote Chinese original designs overseas to correct some foreigners' misconception that all Chinese products are copycat versions," said Alan Yip, chairman of the Hong Kong Design Trade Association.

In addition to design companies, many South Korean manufacturers showcased innovative products at the fair. Contraptions like mini high-pressure tooth sprays caught the eye of buyers from across the world.

"Design is key to adding value to products and is the secret of South Korean manufacturers' rise in the global marketplace," said Hong from KIDP China.
A company in the capital of Shandong province was once famous for its "hot metal", but the decline of the local industry poses a dilemma for younger employees.

"To resign, or not to resign, that is the question," said Du Peng, a 36-year-old electrician for the Jinan Steel Group in Jinan, the capital of East China's Shandong province.

For the past two years, Du has only worked at the State-owned company for two days a week. In truth, he has nothing to do at work but sit and chat because since 2013, Shandong's largest steel producer has intermittently suspended production.

Jinan Steel, known as Jigang by its employees, has lost nearly 4 billion yuan ($616 million) since 2012. Two years ago, it announced plans to lay off 10,000 workers by the end of this year.

The decline in business has also forced the company to cut wages. Du makes about 3,000 yuan a month, about half of what he earned five years ago. "Wages will continue to fall, which will force more workers to quit," he said.

Most of the company's older workers, those within five years of retirement age, can opt to retire and receive their pensions immediately. However, that's not an option for younger and middle-aged workers such as Du. If they are dissatisfied, their only alternative is to quit.

A working community

Du was born into a Jigang workers' family and grew up in the workers' community, which is home to 40,000 employees and 60,000 immediate family members.

He has a 12-year-old son and his wife, who is from a nearby village, is a homemaker. To make ends meet, he works part-time as a taxi driver. His father Du Zufeng retired from his job as a security guard at Jigang five years ago. The 64-year-old is now recovering from a stroke that left him almost blind. Du Peng's 62-year-old mother spent her entire working life as a sales assistant in a shop owned by the steel mill.

Du Peng's hesitation over quitting his job stems from the difficulties he encountered 10 years ago when he tried to obtain an "iron-rice-bowl", a job for life, at Jigang.

After graduating from a vocational school run by the company, he discovered that his childhood friends had become his rivals in the search for work. If he had been born several years earlier, he could have taken a job in the steel mill once his mother or father retired, but the company decided to only employ college graduates, meaning there was no work for him.

Instead, he applied for a driving license and trained as a bus driver. However, before he could start work, Jigang reversed its employment policy and began hiring non-graduates. In 2005, Du Peng passed an entrance exam Jigang arranged for the children of its employees.

"Jigang children have an ingrained mindset; they are born to become steel workers, nothing else," Du Peng said.

Du Zufeng warned his son: "Once you quit the iron rice bowl, you will never get it back. Maybe the government will help like it did before?"

Du Peng thought a government rescue package was unlikely because the company's products and technology have long lagged behind the market. "This time things are different," he said.

In March, the central government announced that it had set aside 100 bill-ion yuan to help workers laid off in the coal and steel industries this year. According to Yin Weimin, the minister of human resources and social security, about 1.3 million coal workers and 500,000 steel workers will lose their jobs.

Decline is inevitable and the company is the architect of its own failure, according to Du Peng. "The most advanced steel-rolling equipment in the mill was a second-hand machine imported from Ukraine in the 1990s. The Ukrainians had used it since the late 1970s," he said. "Who would rely on such outdated machines to restore a business against today's fierce competition?"

Falling output

Jigang mainly produces steel plates, deformed steel bars for the construction industry and screw-thread bars which are used to reinforce small ships.

Its annual output of crude steel rose from about 7 million metric tons in 2000 to more than 12 million tons in 2007, when the government paid special attention to expanding the production capacities of a number of industries. Last year, Jigang produced just 6 million tons of crude steel.

"It's a pity the company didn't increase investment in the research and development of new products and technology during the good times. It just expanded its production capacity as fast as possible, just as long as its products made money," Du Zufeng said.

Jigang workers often cite the privately operated Rizhao Steel Group as a comparison. The company, also known as Rigang and located in Shandong's Rizhao city, is much smaller than Jigang, but far more profitable.

It has imported advanced equipment from Italy to produce special steel that can be used in the aerospace and aviation industries and in the construction of expressways.

Rigang has a geographical advantage, too, because it is located near Rizhao Port, a large coal and iron harbor on the Yellow Sea. By contrast, Jigang is 300 km from the nearest port and 90 percent of its iron ore is imported by ship.

"More important, Rigang operates like a modern enterprise, while Jigang runs like a small club," said a retired steelworker surnamed Rong. "The company provided everything - from daily life necessities to apartments, education to medical care," said the 70-something lifelong Jigang employee.

Having joined the company in 1965 at age 19, Rong feels the steel mill is his home. "All of the older workers feel they are the owners of the mill. And we know everyone in each other's families. We will never take the initiative to quit our jobs, but the younger workers only see Jigang as an employer."

Du Peng admitted that he has mixed emotions about quitting. "My feelings about Jigang are complicated because my grandparents were among the first generation of workers, the people who built the mill from zero in the 1950s. My son also grew up here," he said.

In 1958, the Qingdao Railway Bureau transferred his grandparents from Qingdao to help construct the steel mill. Once they arrived in Jinan, they joined tens of thousands of workers from around the country, including a large group from the Anshan Steel Group in Liaoning province, founded in the 1920s by Japanese forces who occupied Northeast China at the end of the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05).

That history is the reason Jigang workers speak in their own distinctive accent, a combination of the accents of Jinan and wider Northeast China.

A family affair

Du Peng has four uncles and an aunt. All of them worked for Jigang in some capacity, with the exception of one uncle. Instead, he was assigned to work as a doctor in Linyi county in Dezhou, Shandong, during the "educated youths" campaign of the 1970s, when students were sent to "learn from the peasants", as Mao Zedong put it.

"My uncle tried his best to transfer back to Jigang, but now he would rather stay in Dezhou," Du Peng said.

Another uncle, Du Zuguo, was a music teacher at the Jigang Middle School, which is owned by the company. Now, his daughter is a lawyer in Jigang's legal department and his son-in-law is employed by the company as a civil engineer.

"Before, education and medical care were regarded as subsidiary industries. But, after the company's schools and hospitals were opened to students and patients from outside the company they became Jigang's most profitable businesses," Du Zuguo said. "The departments where my daughter and son-in-law work usually take on business and projects from outside Jigang."

Zhang Zhongfa, deputy director of the Jigang Hospital, said outsourcing its services has saved the hospital: "After 2011, the subsidy paid to the group declined rapidly. The doctors had a strong sense of crisis, and reforms were initiated."

Since 2011, the hospital has formed partnerships with 15 clinics in nearby townships, and in 2012 it began offering first-aid services in more than 30 local towns.

Six years ago, the company gave the hospital a subsidy of 40 million yuan, but last year the flow of funds dried up completely. Despite that, the hospital's operating revenue rose to more than 200 million yuan last year from 80 million yuan in 2011. The average number of patients treated annually has doubled to nearly 300,000.

New business, new money

The company's non-steel activities are now its major breadwinners. They include energy resources, natural resources, new materials, engineering technology, information technology, logistics, real estate, modern service sectors and agriculture.

In 2012, the operating revenue generated by these new activities accounted for about 29 percent of the group's total, but now they account for more than 50 percent, according to Jigang's information office.

Gao Xiang, head of the company's property management department, told Shandong Business News the new activities will play a major role in the company's future development: "During the planned economy, we used them to save money. Now, we use them to earn money. The supporting roles will play leading roles in the foreseeable future to win time for the restructuring of the steel industry."

According to Gao, the forced transformation of Jigang's industrial structure will have a beneficial effect on the environment, because as the city's largest coal burner and user of industrial water, the company has long been the largest polluter in the city.

Three years ago, the provincial government announced plans to relocate Jigang to Laiwu, a town to the southeast of Jinan that is home to the Laiwu Steel Group, despite opposition from the employees.

However, the decline of the company's steel business stymied the plan.

"The government should show more foresight in relocating such a big business," said Lin Lin, a third-generation Jigang employee. "Without technological breakthroughs and huge input into environmental protection, relocating the company just means relocating the sources of pollution.

"Beijing moved all of its polluting industries to neighboring Hebei province, but do Beijingers have clean air all year round?" he asked. "Jigang people are also the victims of pollution. The 'cheap' steel China exports is not cheap at all because everyone pays for it."

Lin and Du Peng have been friends and neighbors since childhood and they often discuss their futures. "Technicians can always find a job," Du Peng said. "We are thinking of learning English and going to work in developed countries."

His father Du Zufeng looked at him thoughtfully. "That would be the bigger step our family has taken since your grandfather left Qingdao to come here," he said.
BEIJING - China's State Council said on Wednesday that the country will intensify crackdowns on intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement and the production and sales of counterfeit goods this year, particularly in the Internet sector.

Supervision and management will be strengthened to fight fake and inferior products, targeting items including drugs, gasoline and diesel oil, construction materials and children's products, according to a circular issued by the State Council.

China will boost exchanges on IPR with the United States, Russia, Japan and European countries while strengthening cooperation with Africa, Latin America and countries along the Belt and Road, it said.
BEIJING - China is ready to invest 77 billion yuan ($11.9 billion) this year in the construction of civil aviation infrastructure, particularly airports, the country's chief civil aviation regulator said on Wednesday.

The country will begin with 11 key construction projects and 52 aviation-related upgrades, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

"The general aviation sector, especially aircraft research and manufacturing, has became a hot spot of both industrial upgrading and social concern," said Feng Zhenglin, head of the CAAC.

The aviation sector will get preferential treatment to improve transportation, foster new growth engines, and boost employment and the service sector, according to a statement released on Wednesday after a State Council executive meeting.
Female coal miners work at the Huaibei mine, East China's Anhui province, March 24, 2016. [Photo/IC]

As the 2015 profit reporting season comes to an end, the performance of domestic coal companies seems weaker than earlier expectations, due to overcapacity, poor demand and lower prices, Securities Daily reported on Thursday.

Last year, 39 listed coal companies reported a net loss of 5.1 billion yuan ($785.4 million), plummeting 1,120 percent year on year, the newspaper reported, citing statistics from Choice Data, a data brand under East Money Information Co Ltd.

Shaanxi Coal Industry Co Ltd posted the biggest loss, 2.99 billion yuan, followed by SDIC Xinji Energy Co Ltd, 2.6 billion yuan, and China Coal Energy Co Ltd, 2.5 billion yuan.

Statistics also showed that 34 coal firms reported a year-on-year decline in net profit.

Among them, Anhui Hengyuan Coal Industry and Electricity Power Co Ltd reported a net loss of 1.4 billion yuan - this represents a 8,292 percent decline from a year earlier. Shanxi Coking Co Ltd posted a net loss of 830 million yuan, falling 4,299 percent year on year.

The average liability ratio of the 39 listed coal companies reached 60 percent last year, the highest level since 1999. In 2014, the figure was 56 percent.

However, 19 companies still reported net profit last year, among which China Shenhua Energy Co Ltd ranked first with 16.1 billion yuan, followed by Yanzhou Coal Mining Co Ltd and Wintime Energy Co Ltd.

China is the world's largest coal producer, but the coal sector is being hard hit by an industrial glut. The State Council announced earlier this year plans to slash capacity in the coal industry and stop approving any new coal mines before the end of 2019.

The country will shut down 500 million tons of capacity and consolidate another 500 million tons into the hands of the most efficient mine operators in the next three to five years, according to a guideline issued by the State Council.

China's coal consumption will be around 4.3 billion tons by 2020, as the government pushes for cleaner and greener growth despite the slowing economy, Wang Xianzheng, president of the China National Coal Association (CNCA) said during an industry conference last month.

For the next five years, the coal industry will prioritize restructuring and upgrades, which means cutting capacity and more mergers, Wang added.
Singapore-based Frasers Hospitality unveiled its plan to open 10 more properties in China's key cities, according to the company's CEO Choe Peng Sum.

"The expansion of our portfolio in China reflects not only our success in meeting the evolving needs of China's buoyant domestic and international travel market, but also clearly demonstrates our confidence in China's steady rise as a global economic powerhouse", Choe said at the opening ceremony of Fraser Place Tianjin on Friday.

The global hospitality asset management and operations group established presence in China in 2005 with Fraser Place Shekou Shenzhen.

"Altogether we have 14 in operations now. We will open another 10 in China's cities where Frasers has an established presence, Tianjin, Wuxi, Chengdu, Shanghai and Shenzhen, and new market launches in Nanchang, Dalian and Changsha," said Choe.

The strengthening of Frasers Hospitality's portfolio, which is right on track to reach its goal of 30 properties with 7,000 units, in China is a significant contributor to its global expansion target of 30,000 units by 2019.

Choe expressed his belief in China's economic development and transition, and added that China can maintain its growth.

Although China lowered its growth target this year, "frankly speaking, 6.5 percent GDP growth is very high compared to a lot of countries all over the world."

"China has a big population, when you have a big enough population, you have an internal consumption that is able to sort of support the growth of economy. The government has put in place infrastructure not only for the first-tier cities but for second- and third tier-cities, that also forms a very good backbone for future growth," Choe said.

About China's current slowdown, Choe said: "I still feel that although the world economy is very flat, a lot of China's slowdown is due to government self-imposed methods to have a soft-landing. In other words, if the government didn't impose these controls, the country could enter a bubble economy, which means very fast growth and then a hard-landing which is even worse."
A Boeing 747 passenger jet of Air China takes off from the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, February 11, 2016. [Photo/IC]

China is mulling new plans to bolster development of civil aviation, rental housing, as well as smart manufacturing, part of the supply-side reform to drive economic growth, according to a State Council executive meeting on Wednesday.

The meeting, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, said more airports will be built to help distant regions with poor transportation links that are often hit by natural disasters, as well as cities with large populations and serious traffic jams.

The country will also increase civil aviation projects in key agricultural and State-owned forestry areas to facilitate aid and medical treatment during emergencies.

China is ready to invest 77 billion yuan ($11.9 billion) this year in the construction of civil aviation infrastructure, particularly airports, according to Xinhua citing the country's chief civil aviation regulator.

The nation will begin with 11 key construction projects and 52 aviation-related upgrades, said the Civil Aviation Administration of China after the executive meeting.

More nonmilitary aircraft will be used for resource exploration, environmental monitoring and transportation services.

Private investments will be encouraged to take part in new airports construction.

Meanwhile, the meeting decided to boost the supply of rental housing market by encouraging individuals to rent their own homes according to law, and transforming commercial real estate into rental housing.

The move is aimed to encourage home investments and will be a major push of the country's destocking efforts, said the Shanghai Securities News on Thursday citing Yan Yuejin, research director of Shanghai-based E-house China R&D Institute.

The government will expand the safety net of public rental housing among migrant workers, newly employed graduates as well as young professionals such as doctors and teachers.

Those who are qualified but not covered by the public housing program will be subsidized, said the meeting.

In addition, the Cabinet urged deeper integration of internet and the manufacturing sector by building innovative demonstration bases, utilizing technologies such as cloud computing and big data, and encouraging service-oriented manufacturing.

More favorable policies in fund and land will be rolled out to support small businesses in this endeavor, said the meeting.
Aircraft parked at Changsha Huanghua International Airport in Central China's Hunan province, April 2, 2016 [Photo/VCG]

SYDNEY - Chinese airline China Eastern will increase its flights from Shanghai to Brisbane, the Queensland state government announced on Thursday.

Queensland state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said daily flights would commence in December, following high-level discussions during her recent trade mission to China.

She said the move would provide a significant boost for tourism in the state.

"Our partnership with China Eastern was a first and the airline has shown great confidence in my government's ongoing commitment to increase aviation access to Queensland," Palaszczuk said.

"Having met with senior China Eastern officials in China recently and putting the case for more flights to and from Queensland, I'm very pleased in their decision to increase their commitment from three flights per week to seven."

She noted the daily route would bring up to 85,000 inbound passengers to Queensland and generate 53 million Australian dollars ($39.72 million) in economic benefit to the state.

"We know that every dollar we generate for tourism supports Queensland jobs."

The government noted a record 400,000 Chinese travellers visited Queensland in 2015 contributing almost 1 billion Australian dollars ($749.48 million) in visitor expenditure.

Tourism minister Kate Jones said Queensland state became the first Australian state to partner with China Eastern in a landmark agreement late in 2015.

"Continuing to strengthen partnerships in the Asian market is a key focus for our government with the aim of generating increased visitation from the region," Jones said.
Executives of JD.com's fast-moving consumer goods unit take a group picture with 6 countries delegates during the company's third International Wine Festival kicked off on May 4, 2016 at its headquarters located in Beijing.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Themed at "premium wines at affordable prices", China's largest direct selling e-commerce giant JD.com jointly launched its third International Wine Festival and imported wine strategy on Wednesday in Beijing.

According to Wang Zhiqiang, general manager of liquor purchasing and marketing department of business of JD.com's fast-moving consumer goods unit, three main perspectives, including "direct sourcing from leading overseas brands", "continually building cross-border e-commerce platform" and "introducing wine producing regions", have been elaborated as the company's next business strategy on developing online sales for imported wines.

By optimizing international supply chain management, cooperating with overseas governments and introducing world's high-profile wine brands to China market, the company aims at building a cost effective one-stop online shopping platform for domestic imported wines customers.

South African Ambassador to China, Dolana Msimang, Director of Agricultural Trade Office in Beijing of United States Department of Agriculture Bruce Zanin, Commercial Counselor with Chile's embassy in China Andreas Pierotic, and delegates from another four countries, who have close cooperation on China's imported wine, all participated in the event.

"When it comes to Chinese market, Italian wine is far from reaching its full potential," said Giovanni Brignone, spokesman for the Italian embassy to China. "China is nowadays the fifth wine consumer in the world, 7 percent of the total consumption and the fourth major importer in terms of value, and yet, Italy is the fifth supplier in China."

He expressed that with appropriate strategies, both in terms of the communications and marketing, and thanks to JD's contribution on accessing to Chinese e-buyers, they are confident to successes in China market.

Currently, the imported wine sector is witnessing a rapid growth due to the stimulation of the revised cross-border e-commerce regulations as well as the increasing number of overseas wine brands, who are eager to throw their hats in the nation, to lure a significant amount of consumers.

Statistics from The International Organization of Vine and Wine shows that imported wines to China increased by 44 percent year-on-year, reaching 550 million liters. Chinese middle class were the major driving force in the market.

According to JD.com, the company has become Lafite's largest retailer in the Chinese mainland. In 2015, the company's red wine sales doubled in 2015 compared to 2014.

It has sourced directly from 12 top wine producing countries, including France, Australia, Chile, Spain, Italy and the US, and directly imported millions of bottles of wine from more than 100 high-profile brands.

During the event, Australian wine producer Penfolds also jointly cooperated with JD.com to exclusively debut its Max's range wine for online selling in the country.

The Max collection, which includes a Shiraz, a Cabernet, a Shiraz/Cabernet blend and the flagship wine, Max Schubert, is in honour of Penfolds'former chief winemaker, Max Schubert.

Ewan Proctor, the North Asia brand ambassador of Penfolds Wines, said that the brands of Penfolds have earned impressive sales on JD.com and some of them have become top 10 selling wines on the platform.

"We can reinsure to our Chinese customers that the Max's range sold on JD.com are the genuine article of Penfolds Wines," said Proctor.
Some 600,000 tulips are in full blossoms in a local park in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, attracting an average of 20,000 people to visit on a daily basis. The tulips are said to be imported from the Netherlands and bloom for only 25 days. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

The 4th China-South Asia Exposition and the 24th China-Kunming Import and Export Commodities Fair will take place in Kunming, Yunnan province from June 12 to June 17.

The exposition, themed "accelerating cooperation and development between China and South Asia and Southeast Asia", establishes a platform for China and South/Southeast Asian countries to enhance their cultural ties.

Gao Yan, vice-minister of commerce, said,"The cooperation potential is huge for China and South Asia, as we have increasing common interests. The growing demands for projects, closer relationship among companies on both sides, as well as the growing wishes for further cooperation are testaments to the potential."

"In the first quarter of 2016, the volume of international trade between China and South Asia was $25.6 billion," Gao said.

With a huge demand, South Asia is a key construction contracting market for China. Chinese companies' newly signed contracts in the area reached $5.1 billion in the first quarter, up 200 percent year-on-year.

"China has been the main source of foreign investment for South Asian countries. Better yet, the biggest foreign investment for some South Asia countries," Gao said.
Home prices in first- and second-tier cities will probably rise this year because of relaxed regulatory policies, but if the overall economic situation continues to sour, this may put downward pressure on the real estate market, according to the Blue Book of Real Estate 2016, released on Thursday.

If the country's economic growth continues to decline, home prices will probably start to fall across the board from the second half of 2017, said economists from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who compiled the book.

Authors of the CASS book estimate that the real estate market is set to recover this year as the favorable policies continue. Eased macroeconomic policies may further release speculative demand and raise demand for housing, which will result in increases in housing sales and home prices in general.

Additionally, the sales recovery of commercial housing in first- and second-tier cities may provide incentives for real estate developers to increase investments.

However, "since 2014, the country's real estate investment growth rate has continued to decline", said Wang Yeqiang, a researcher at the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the CASS.

"In 2015, the growth rate of real estate investment had hit a record low of 1 percent," said Wang, a co-author of the book. "China's real estate investment has started to enter a long-term downward cycle."

If the macroeconomic situation worsens, which is quite probable, the risks of China's real estate market will increase, the report said.

"Sharp rises of home prices in some key cities from the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 may only be a short-term uptick," said Wang.

"Considering both the possible macroeconomic downturn in the longer term and the trend of a tightened policy stance, we draw the conclusion that we may see an overall decline in home prices starting from the second half of 2017," Wang said.

To achieve a healthy development of the real estate sector, the authorities need to clamp down on speculation, analysts said.

"Regulators need to encourage normal consumption and cool down speculative deals," said Ye Jianping, economist of Renmin University of China in Beijing. "Taxation policies, for example, can be used to that end, but administrative measures should be avoided".
A worker at a steel depot in Qingdao Port, Shandong province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chinese steelmakers' efforts to cut capacity will help the global steel industry out of the woods despite a surge in prices in the past two months, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

Shen Danyang, the ministry's spokesman, attributed the surge to a rise in the prices of iron ore in global markets. He said increased activity in the infrastructure sector is also boosting both domestic and global demands for steel products.

His comments came after the international media reported that global steel price on average had risen from $305 per metric ton earlier this year to $365 in April because China had cut between 150 million tons and 200 million tons of steel and iron production capacity to tackle the issue of overcapacity.

Since March, China has adopted a series of measures including a plan to gradually cut steel production by 100 million tons by the end of this year and 200 million tons by 2020 to tackle the problem.

"It is a global issue for all countries to cope with the overcapacity of steel and iron products," said Shen.

"If other countries could take similar moves to reduce capacity as China has done, it is possible for the global steel sector to cast off from this cumbersome situation."

Sun Jin, director of communications at Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Co, one of the country's biggest iron producers by capacity, said the company's trains are no longer busy carrying piles of steel. Many production lines have closed.

"Even though the company announced two months ago that it would cut up to 50,000 jobs, there have been no layoffs or pay cuts yet. The company just wants to optimize labor resources, reduce human resource costs and enhance labor productivity. We still give workers a basic salary and social security. They just work somewhere else," he said.

Eager to restore its earning ability, the Wuhan-based steelmaker's non-steel businesses including new materials, energy resources, engineering and information technologies, logistics and modern services sectors have become its main breadwinners.

The government said 500,000 workers in the steel sector are expected to lose their jobs as part of the efforts to cut the overcapacity. It will provide 100 billion yuan ($15.37 billion) for retraining and helping them find new jobs.

"China is a large exporter of steel and a big importer for special steel used in shipbuilding, weapons, auto and machinery manufacturing. However, the import prices of steel are three times as much as export prices on average," said Zhao Ying, a researcher at the Institute of Industrial Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.

"The country needs to improve the quality of its steel products and move up the value chain to high-end steel products," said Zhao.

Zhang Yu in Shijiazhuang contributed to this story.
Mergers and acquisitions in China's hospital sector became a new focus in 2015, and large-scale deals and more cross-border transactions will likely be made in the near future, said a report by global auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers on Thursday.

There were 48 mergers and acquisitions of Chinese hospitals last year, of which 27 were general hospitals and their disclosed investment amount totaled 3.98 billion yuan ($612.1 million). In contrast, the disclosed value for specialized hospitals fell sharply in 2015 compared to 2014.

Leon Qian, PwC northern China transaction services & healthcare industry leader, said investors were previously attracted to specialized hospitals, especially dental, obstetric and paediatric hospitals, as they had low risk and could be easily replicated and enlarged to generate profits.

"However, with more capital flowing in, such targets (specialized hospitals) had become scarce, which led to a dramatic drop in investment in 2015. Also in 2015, general hospitals became the main focus of investment as they yielded stable cash flows and tended to offer the most benefit for new funding," said Qian.

The report also showed that there has been a rise in investment activity in public hospitals, with their total disclosed deal value reaching 844 million yuan in 2015.

Investment in private hospitals reached a record high in 2014 in both the volume and value. However, in 2015, the deal value plunged to 3.94 billion yuan, largely because of fewer deals associated with specialized hospitals.

Notably, the rising role of strategic investors, in particular A-share listed companies, in hospitals has elicited exponential growth in deal value since 2014. The disclosed investment amount totaled 3.8 billion yuan in 2015.

"Strategic investors are looking to explore horizontal integration with A-share listed healthcare companies, including pharmaceutical, medical equipment and healthcare management enterprises," said Jin Jun, PwC China strategy consulting partner.

Despite the strong interest of financial investors such as private equity funds in healthcare, the disclosed deal value dropped to 985 million yuan in 2015, decreasing by approximately 65 percent compared with 2014.

"With strategic investors continuing to have a strong interest in the healthcare market and financial investors willing to pour more money into the industry, large-scale deals will likely be made in the near future, including hospital group or standalone hospital acquisitions," said Jin.

Jin added that more cross-border transactions are expected to be conducted in various ways, such as consolidation and joint ventures, and healthcare company IPOs will be more popular in capital market.

The report also said China's investment trends in healthcare saw a shift from traditional targets, such as medical examination centers and dental clinics, to core business areas including hospitals, rehabilitation centers and clinics in the past four years.
A worker welds a Model S sedan at Telsa Motor Inc's assembly plant in Fremont, California. [Photo/Agencies] Automaker plans big expansion to tap into changing public mood toward vehicles

US electric automaker Tesla Motors Inc plans to open at least 10 new stores this year in China, which recently became its second-largest market after the United States in the first quarter of 2016, with a growth rate of more than 300 percent, a senior official of Tesla told China Daily on Wednesday.

"We are very confident about our future in China. The development of our business is sustainable," said Zhu Xiaotong, president of Tesla China.

Zhu said that the last couple of years has seen a significant change in public perceptions toward electric cars in China.

"People's interest in the Model S two years ago was based on a sense of curiosity. Now Tesla buyers are very rational, they want a car that can fulfill their traveling needs," he said.

"The transformation is vital as demand is now much more sustainable," Zhu added.

With strong policy support, China's new-energy vehicles sector recorded an explosive growth last year. The country produced 340,471 NEVs and sold 331,092, an increase of 330 percent and 340 percent respectively from the previous year, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed.

The automaker does not release its sales in any single market.

Globally, it delivered 14,820 cars in the first quarter, up about 50 percent year-on-year. It aims to deliver 80,000 to 90,000 cars globally this year.

Tesla's confidence in the China market is also due to strong government support. Both central and local governments have offered preferential policies with regard to NEVs. For example, Shanghai offers free license plates for several NEV models, instead of the bidding policy for gasoline vehicles.

On Tuesday, Tesla China said the company's models had once again been approved for free license plates by the Shanghai transportation authority.

The Shanghai government renews its list of automakers eligible for free NEV license plates annually. This year's list was announced several days ago.

Tesla also plans to build a factory in China. At the end of last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the company planned to build a factory in China in three years, without providing details such as the location.

Musk has said on many occasions that Tesla's vision is to create sustainable energy vehicles which are affordable to the general public.

On April 27, Xin Guobin, vice-minister of industry and information technology, had a meeting with Jon McNeill, Tesla's president of global sales and service in Beijing.

Tesla did not disclose the detail of the meeting, but the ministry said on its website that it was about the development of Tesla's China business and further cooperation.

Several media outlets said on Wednesday that the meeting was about the details related to building factories in China.

Duan Zhengzheng, the senior PR manager of Tesla China, said that the automaker is currently investigating that most appropriate location for its China plant, and could not disclose any further details.

However, a number of Chinese media outlets have reported that Suzhou in Jiangsu province may be its location.

"Localization will help its sales for sure," said Zhang Yu, managing director of Automotive Foresight Co, "local production means Tesla will get subsidies from the government, but it needs to hurry, as the subsidies offered to manufacturers and customers are set to decline over the next few years."
Yang Yuanqing, chairman and CEO of Lenovo. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Lenovo Group Ltd announced on Wednesday the establishment of a $500 million investment fund, seeking new growth points as the world's largest personal computer maker is wrestling with a declining global demand for PCs and a faltering smartphone business.

The fund, solely financed by Lenovo, will be used to finance startups in cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, robotics, Internet Plus and other emerging sectors.

Yang Yuanqing, chairman and CEO of Lenovo, said the new investment unit, Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group, will help the company find the biggest commercial opportunities in the next decade.

"We won't place a limit on the size of our investment in innovation as long as startups' products fit with Lenovo's broad strategies and really boast cutting-edge techs," Yang said.

According to Yang, Lenovo is also encouraging its employees to work on innovation projects, which can grow into independent firms, become the company's units and leverage capital from other investment firms to scale up.

He Zhiqiang, Lenovo's senior vice president in charge of the new investment unit, said the company will invest in 10 to 20 startups every year and help spin off at least 10 companies from Lenovo's internal incubation projects this year.

"We value quality over quantity, with focus on early-stage startups," He said, adding the company is also eyeing overseas investment opportunities.

Lenovo's intensified efforts to boost innovation came as the company is facing mounting pressure in the PC and smartphone businesses, two of its major revenue sources.

In the first quarter of 2016, Lenovo failed to make its way into global top five smartphone vendors for the first time, according to the research firm International Data Corp.

The company is having difficulty in reviving its appeal to consumers who are willing to buy more expensive handsets while its Chinese peers Oppo Electronics Corp and vivo Mobile Communication Technology Co Ltd leap forward.

In the same period, the global demand for PCs hit a nine-year low, despite that Lenovo maintained its leading position in terms of quarterly shipments.

Di Jin, a research manager at IDC China, said Lenovo's products are facing fierce competition, so it makes sense for the company to look beyond smartphones and PCs for new opportunities.
An outlet of Apple Inc in Tianjin. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Apple Inc has lost exclusivity on the use of the "iPhone" trademark in China and has to share it with a Beijing-based leather products maker.

The Beijing Municipal High People's Court has ruled in favor of Xintong Tiandi Technology (Beijing) Ltd, which sells a number of leather products such as smartphone cases and handbags under the name "IPHONE".

In 2002, Apple applied for the "iPhone" trademark for its electronic goods in China, but it wasn't actually granted until 2013.

Xintong Tiandi filed for its own "IPHONE" trademark in China in 2007, the same year the first generation of Apple's iPhone was launched in the United States.

In order to obtain the exclusivity on the use of the "iPhone" trademark in China, Apple first took the case to the Chinese trademark authority in 2012, but it failed as the agency claimed Apple couldn't prove the name "iPhone" was a well-known brand prior to Xintong Tiandi's registration in 2007.

Apple then filed a lawsuit in a Beijing court. However, the court ruled against it and Apple appealed to the Beijing Municipal High People's Court.

The court said that the company didn't sell the iPhone in the Chinese mainland until 2009.

The final judgment means Xintong Tiandi could continue to use the trademark to sell its products.

Apple didn't comment on the ruling.

It came as Apple's latest quarterly earnings showed a 13 percent drop in revenue as sales of iPhones slipped. China was a particular weak spot as the sales in China fell 26 percent to $12.49 billion, due to weak demand for iPhones.

Xintong Tiandi confirmed the court ruling on its website and said the decision represented a victory for free consumer markets.

James Yan, a Beijing-based analyst at Counterpoint Technology Market Research, said: "The failure of the trademark fight would not have a great impact on Apple's brand and image, but it might confuse consumers as they don't know whether these products are made by Apple or some producers copy Apple's name, when they are buying leather products embossed with the 'IPHONE' brand."

Zhu Dalin, an analyst at Beijing-based Internet consultancy Analysys International, agreed.

Zhu said the influence of Xintong Tiandi is very minor, which wouldn't pose a threat to Apple anyway, and Apple mainly focuses on electronic devices, such as smartphones and iPads.
File photo taken on July 2013 shows students, some with their parents, wait to enroll for the new semester at Tsinghua University.[Photo/China Daily]

Tsinghua University was listed as one of the world's 20 best schoolsa first for Chinain a prestigious international ranking that was released recently.

The achievement reflects China's growing reputation for quality teaching and research that is attracting more students from abroad.

The 2016 Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed Tsinghua University in 18th place, just behind Cornell in the United States and ahead of renowned institutions such as Johns Hopkins and the London School of Economics. Tsinghua rose from 26th place last year.

Peking University rose to 21st from 32nd place last year, and for the first time Zhejiang University, Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University entered the top 100.

Phil Baty, editor of the rankings, said leading academics increasingly view China's leading universities as being among the world's best.

"This is primarily because China has invested heavily in its universities, giving them the resources they need to compete against the very best in the US and Europe," he said.

According to the Ministry of Education, China received more than 377,000 students from 203 countries in 2014. About 2,500 higher education institutions in China offer places to foreign students.

Rapidly improving standards and the benefits of a Chinese university degree for students' prospects have prompted foreign governments to encourage study in China.

The British Council's Generation UK campaign, launched in 2013, aims to increase the number of British students taking part in studies or internships in China to 80,000 by 2020. Since the campaign began, the number of British students going to China annually has increased by more than 40 percent, reaching 7,900 last year.

Lukas Thibaut, spokesman for the education division of the British Council in China, said China offers British students fantastic opportunities to develop their cultural awareness and international outlook.

Kate Smith, 29, an Australian in the first year of a PhD in environmental science and engineering at Tsinghua University, said Chinese universities' high rankings play a big role in students' choice of where to study.

Smith decided to study at Tsinghua after receiving a scholarship from a foundation that supports between 10 and 20 students annually in pursuing postgraduate studies abroad.

The rankings give an overall score to universities based on a wide-ranging survey of scholars. The latest rankings are based on 10,323 responses from 133 countries.

China has its own Academic Ranking of World Universities, launched in 2003. Last year, no Chinese universities appeared in the top 50.
A private car is seized by transport authorities in February because its driver offered rides for payment and failed to provide the required licenses in Beijing.[Guo Qian/For China Daily]

Teacher attacked with knife by driver from ride-hailing service

The alleged murder of a young woman by a Didi taxi driver on Monday evening triggered public concern over the safety and supervision of online car-hailing services.

The Transport Commission of Shenzhen on Wednesday told China Daily it will release detailed supervision measures after the Ministry of Transportation launches the regulation for online car-hailing services later this month.

Local police said that the 24-year-old woman was murdered by a Didi driver in Shenzhen on May 2.

The woman, surnamed Zhong, was an English teacher at a primary school in Shajing, Baoan district. She hailed a Didi taxi from her home near the Shenzhen Hi-tech Industrial Park to go back to school on Monday evening.

Shenzhen police on Tuesday evening announced that the driver, surnamed Pan, was arrested and Zhong's body had been found.

Pan, 24, admitted picking up Zhong at about 9 pm and taking her to a remote road, where he forced Zhong to hand over valuables with a knife and then murdered her.

Didi also disclosed the suspect did not have a criminal record and was reviewed by his previous 18 passengers as "a qualified driver with no record of complaints".

The killing made a splash on local media and triggered calls for more attention to be paid to the safety of online car-hailing services.

Tang Yi, a Didi driver in Shenzhen, said the company told drivers to ensure that their information is complete.

To register at Didi, the driver needs to fill in his/her name, ID, mobile phone number, city, license plate number and car brand online.

But Tang said drivers can start to take passengers without the information being double checked.

He added that some drivers even use photo editing software to change the car license and suggested Didi set up an offline verification system. Some drivers use one car to register with two different, even fictitious, license plate numbers, so that they can receive more orders.

Last July, a driver who registered on Didi with car information he found online raped a female passenger in Beijing. The driver had a criminal record of patronizing prostitutes.

In March, the Shenzhen transportation bureau had a meeting with major service providers in the city and asked them to provide driver information, but Zhai Yuhui from the bureau said only partial information was handed in.

"After checking this information with the police database, we can ensure the personal and car information registered on these platforms is authentic, but whether they are hired is not our decision," Zhai said. He added that these companies also need to make sure drivers use the registered car and license plate to take passengers.

Didi states it checks driver registration information with the criminal record database approved by law enforcement agencies and driving record data from the Department of Vehicle Administration.

The company said it will launch an in-app 110 police number to further enhance safety protection.
A caregiver who was found guilty of killing an elderly woman in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, was sentenced to death on Wednesday, bringing the issue of the supervision of the senior care market back into the spotlight.

He Tiandai, housekeeper convicted of killing her elderly client.

He Tiandai, the 46-year-old convicted of murder, did not lodge an appeal.

At her trial, she admitted the December 2014 killing of a 70-year-old woman she was supposed to have cared for. She had put sleeping pills and poisonous chemicals in the victim's soup and had injected the liquid into the victim's buttocks and belly. She had also throttled the elderly woman with a nylon rope.

The caregiver said at an earlier trial she had killed the woman, her employer, because she wanted to get her monthly pay in advance. She had looked after the elderly woman for only four days when she committed the murder.

She also claimed to have killed another seven elderly people and said she had attempted to kill two more between June 2013 and December 2014, although prosecutors did not charge her with any of those possible crimes because of a lack of evidence.

Li Shaomei, former vice-chairwoman of the Shenzhen Federation of Trade Unions and a provincial political adviser, pointed out that the case triggered a crisis of confidence in the housekeeping industry.

"The good are mixed with the bad in the housekeeping market," she said. "Agencies should provide a comprehensive system of training and vocational schools, and colleges should highlight relevant courses."

Instead, many housekeepers and caregivers are freelancers and seek jobs through agencies, which are supposed to carry out background checks before recommending them to households. Those checks have been improved since He's case was exposed.

A manager at an agency in Guangzhou, who gave her surname as Chen said she asks for would-be workers' identity cards and checks out where they have worked before.

She said she prefers workers who come with recommendations.

Chen said people are now asking more questions.

"The caregiver murderer was just an individual case," Chen said.

"It is good to improve the supervision of the housekeeping industry but I don't want to see people demonize housekeepers because of an individual case," She said.
Tourists visit the Danxia scenic spot in Zhangye, Northwest China's Gansu province, on Sept 20, 2013. Gansu province launched 100 projects in 2014, including industrial development, tourism and environment protection, and invited private investment involvement. [Photo/IC]

One-month examination of 18 provinces and regions to look at effectiveness in carrying out directives from the State Council

China will conduct a one-month, sweeping examination of a series of incentives encouraging private investment that were designed to boost the role of such investment in the country's economic development.

The examination will review implementation of 39 State Council documents released in 2014 that have encouraged social investment in key innovation sectors. It will be conducted throughout May in 18 provinces and regions across China.

The review was announced at Wednesday's executive meeting of the State Council, or China's Cabinet, which was presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

"Any decline in private investment will affect the vitality of China's economy," Li said.

"What's more, private investment is a crucial driving force for the country's private economy, which provides over 80 percent of the country's total employment opportunities," he added.

China's economy increased by 6.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, within the 6.5 to 7 percent yearly growth target that the government set in March. This has to some extent steadied nerves internationally regarding China's economic performance, after the year began with stock markets tumbling and negative expectations at home and abroad.

However, there were concerns because the country's private investment rose in the first quarter by only 5.7 percent, down by 7.9 percentage points compared with the same period last year.

The premier called on local governments and ministries to provide support for private investment. "We should not offer umbrellas on sunny days and take them away while it is raining," Li said.

While China is going through an economic transition from being an export-oriented economy to one that is consumption-driven, private investment momentum is considered to be a long-term driving force for economic growth. It is also seen as reflecting the private business sector's confidence in the nation's economy.

Since 2005, the State Council has been carrying out incentives to encourage private investment. A number of major infrastructure projects that were previously off-limits to private investors were gradually opened up for social investment. Private entrepreneurs can now invest in projects in transportation, energy, water and environmental protection, as well as urban utilities.

However, implementation of these incentives has faced various setbacks, such as local red tape and difficulty in getting loans.

"What bothered me most is that we private investors are not treated the same as our public counterparts, and we still face too many restrictions," said a private entrepreneur who requested anonymity.

The comprehensive examination, which is to be completed by the end of the month, is expected to keep steady the momentum of China's private investment growth.

"Problems found during the examination need to be handled appropriately, and a third-party evaluation will be carried out toward the implementation of incentives in encouraging private investment," the premier said.
A patient weeps in front of the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps on Wednesday. Wang Zhuangfei / China Daily

The military hospital involved in a case in which a dying cancer patient accused search engine giant Baidu of providing misleading medical treatment information suspended all its services on Wednesday for a "thorough investigation".

The Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps said it will respond by Saturday to requests from other patients seeking compensation, The Beijing News reported.

"Due to the hospital undergoing education and rectification, we will from today (Wednesday) temporarily suspend all external services," the hospital said in a notice. The services include emergency care, outpatient and inpatient services.

The People's Armed Police Force said it would cooperate fully with the investigation.

In a brief statement released on the Chinese military's news website, the force said it paid great attention to the case and had already sent its own team to the hospital.

Wei Zexi, a student at Xidian University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, died in early April after receiving immunotherapy treatment at the hospital.

Earlier media reports and some patients claimed that the hospital said in its promotional material that the techniques it used for cancer treatment came from Stanford School of Medicine in the United States.

Jana Chow, manager for media relations at Stanford Health Care, said in an e-mail to China Daily on Wednesday, "Stanford Health Care and Stanford School of Medicine have no connection to this hospital, or to this case."

Becky Bach, Stanford School of Medicine's media specialist, said that Stanford has never had any cooperation with any Chinese hospital in the cellular treatment sector, including the hospital involved in the case. She doesn't understand why the hospital emphasized that the techniques were introduced from Stanford, according to Caixin magazine's WeChat account.

Wei was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare, often ternimal cancer of the soft tissue, in 2014 and his parents sent him to the hospital last year after learning on Baidu that the immunotherapy used there had been developed at Stanford and was very effective.

Wei disclosed this in an online post in February, two months before he died.

Families and relatives of patients who have received or are receiving similar treatment said they turned to the hospital after learning from websites or newspapers that the therapy is effective and had been introduced from the US.

According to descriptions on Baidu of the therapy used by the hospital, it treats diseases by extracting immune cells from patients, reproducing large numbers of them that are re-injected into the patient to kill a disease or virus.

Families and relatives of patients receiving the therapy at the hospital confirmed the descriptions.

The website of Stanford School of Medicine states that the school has immunotherapy programs, but the research is still at the clinical trial stage.
Shan Jiajiu restores a painting from Qing Dynasty. [A still image from China Central Television]

"Those who do the job should be humble and have a presence of mind to sit behind desk, despite how alluring the outside world is," said 59-year-old Shan Jiajiu, an ancient painting and calligraphy restoration specialist at the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Shan has been doing this job for 38 years, with nearly 200 decayed ancient paintings and calligraphies being restored out of her hands. The renovation of a piece is a complicated and long process. From her experience, the longest period can last for one year, the shortest three months.

An ancient painting or calligraphy has four layers of paper or other materials as its structure. One is the layer of painting itself, called Huaxin, the other paper layer sticking to Huaxin is called Tuoxin paper, and another two layers of paper behind Huaxin and Tuoxin paper are backing papers.

"The hardest step is to separate Huaxin from Tuoxin paper," said Shan after she peels off two layers of backing papers. "One mistake will destroy the ancient painting."

The total thickness of Huaxin and Tuoxin papers measures at 0.22 mm. At first, scraps of Tuoxin paper are stripped from Huaxin. Gradually, the scraps that stick hardest to Huaxin cannot be stripped off but have to be rubbed off with fingers.

Shan Jiajiu rubs off scraps of Tuoxin paper from Huaxin with fingers. [A still image from China Central Television]

"It needs to be done very carefully, just like treading on thin ice," said Shan with her eyes and even her whole body absorbed in where her finger was moving.

"It all depends on this hand. The feeling and the skills cannot be achieved in one or two days," she said. "It is what I practiced and accumulated in the last 38 years."
Voting scorecards from hunting and conservation groups in Montana give low marks to Billings Republican legislators, and to the states GOP in general.

For example, Project Vote Smart  which tracks several groups' voting scorecards  shows conservation groups' approval of Rep. Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, has dropped the longer he has spent time in the Legislature.

Essmann has served in the Legislature since 2005. In 2015 he was elected chair of the Montana Republican Party.

Essmann is not alone. In the Montana Sportsmen Alliances recent ratings of Montana lawmakers on seven votes in last years Legislature, all 13 Billings Republicans ranked low. Sen. Elsie Arntzen, R-Billings, received some of the groups lowest marks. Arntzen has served in the Legislature since 2005.

She is now running for the position of State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The superintendent sits on the State Land Board, which oversees how state lands are managed. Montanas primary election is on June 7.

Agendas

Obviously these groups are looking to hurt or help specific candidates, said Craig Wilson, a professor of political science at Montana State University Billings.

To me, endorsements and ratings like this are like political polls; you do have to be cautious to accept it as to who is the organization, he added, noting that some groups hide what they really support behind creative names.

Essmann questioned the validity of such scorecards and said Montana Republicans are a diverse group that dont always vote as a political body, sometimes to the chagrin of party leaders like himself.

I think every legislator, whether they are a Republican or a Democrat, tries to represent their constituency and represent them in a vote on a one-to-one basis, Essmann said. There is always a variety of opinions.

In a rare example of legislative harmony, though, last session Essmann sponsored a bill to revise state requirements for tagging game that was unanimously supported by Republicans and Democrats.

Newbie

The Montana Sportsmen Alliance is the latest group to jump onto the scorecard bandwagon tracking a few issues mainly of interest to hunters. The scoring was based on votes on issues like a bill that would have allowed a late cow elk hunt, increasing fishing and hunting license fees and enshrining trapping as a form of hunting protected under the state constitution.

Montana Audubon, Montana Environmental Information Center, the Northern Plains Resource Council and Montana Conservation Voters are some of the other groups that track legislators votes on bills relating to the environment and conservation.

Although on the surface the bills these groups track may seem like they are all about recreation, access to public lands or clean air and water, they also impact the diversity of Montanas economy.

Outdoor recreation in Montana generates an estimated $5.8 billion in consumer spending, according to a study by the Outdoor Industry Association, and accounts for 64,000 jobs. Other studies have shown that access to nearby public lands and the recreational opportunities they provide are among the top reasons out-of-staters chose to move to states like Montana.

Looking back

Concern for the natural world hasnt always been so politically divisive in Montana.

Back in the 1970s there was a period where everyone was concerned about the environment, said Bob Brown, a former Republican legislator from Whitefish who served in the Legislature for 27 years, his last term as Senate president.

Thats not the case now. On conservation and sportsmen issues, Brown sees the Legislature often dividing between the countryside and towns. That may be because Democrats have managed to hold on to many of the urban areas, setting up a divide with more conservative country folk, he said.

Billings is a prime example. Out of six senate seats, only two are held by Democrats. Of Billings 13 representatives in the House, only four are Democrats.

Those Democrats are concentrated in Billings downtown, hospital and university areas, as well as on the far south side. The exception is House District 52, the area between the southwest end of towns largely commercial region and the sugar mill to the east. That district is represented by Rep. Dave Hagstrom, R-Billings, who beat his Democratic opponent in 2012 by less than 250 votes.

Dividing on access

Access seems to be one issue that has become particularly divisive along party lines, whether it is access to streams and rivers or longtime public roads that have been closed by new private landowners.

The Republican party has become less inclined to support access than it was 10 years ago, said Dave Wanzenreid, who served for nine sessions in the Legislature as a Democrat from Missoula.

Every issue is far more politicized than it used to be, he added. Its progressively gotten worse.

Access to public lands is also at the core of a conservative push for the takeover of federal lands by the state  or greater state control over federal land management  a movement that has swelled across the West.

Some GOP officials have argued that federal lands are managed poorly and that the state could do a better job. Sportsmen and women packed the Capitol in Helena in February 2015 to oppose legislation supporting the issue. They fear state takeover will prove more costly and could result in the sale of public lands, reducing public access for recreationists.

Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, ended up vetoing a bill that would have created a task force to study the cost of federal lands management, a measure that was supported by all of Billings GOP legislators.

I do not support any effort that jeopardizes or calls into question the future of our public lands heritage, Bullock wrote in his veto.

One of Montanas biggest advocates for greater state control over federal lands has been Sen. Jennifer Fielder, R-Thompson Falls. She is vice-chair of the Montana Republican Party.

National trend

Former legislators Brown and Wanzenreid say the divisiveness in state politics is a reflection of whats been going on in Congress and as television celebrity and construction magnate Donald Trump has become front-runner of the Republican primary race for president of the United States. Trumps message is so spiteful that some Republicans have publically backed away from supporting him.

Voters seem more willing to throw the bums out, Brown said. Its an angry, knee-jerk reaction that isnt as thoughtful. Were seeing that generally across the nation.

The divisiveness has led to Brown  who thought his Republican credentials were unquestionable  being called a RINO, or Republican in name only.

Ive tried to recognize that times change, but I cant change my mind on all things, he said.

Wanzenreid sees the current political debates as an unwillingness to compromise even though opposing politicians may largely agree on an issue.

On almost every issue, probably 80 percent of whats discussed people agree on, but they let the other 20 percent become an obstacle.
Wang Yajing at her home in Fuyang. Lu Qijian / For China Daily

Typing with her jaw, woman creates works that resonate with readers in print and on the internet

Wang Yajing taps out some words on a keyboard to greet those who message her online. Unable to use her fingers, she employs her jaw and a computer mouse to send her reply.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at her birth in 1992 in Fuyang city, East China's Anhui province, Wang has written fairy tales, novels and more than 4,000 poems.

She published her first book, an anthology of her poems, in 2012, and her first fairy tale in the Chinese journal Fairy Tale World last year. The poetry anthology resulted in stories about her in the local media, which in turn brought the young poet more fans.

Wang overcame both a physical disability, a movement disorder that affects a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture, and a lack of literary training. She has never attended a single day of school.

When she was 5, her mother Li Juan started to borrow textbooks and teach Wang at home. A year later, Wang was already able to recognize about 1,000 Chinese characters.

In the early years, though it was difficult, Wang was able to write with her left hand. One day, when she was left home alone, her pen fell to the ground. She decided to get it by herself, but fell to the ground from her chair.

She persevered, because writing provided consolation for her challenging life.

"From the names of my family members to the terribly arranged diaries, writing has been bringing me great happiness," she said.

After learning to read, she was "deeply attracted to literature" and her shelves are full of books bought by her parents or given by others as presents. Among the earliest literary works she read were Nicolai Ostrovsky's How the Steel Was Tempered and poems by some of the great Chinese poets.

"The more I read, the more interested in literature I became," Wang said.

She started typing on a secondhand computer, which was much easier for her than writing with pens and paper. Then, in 2008, Wang's grandmother bought her a new computer, as she had completely lost the ability to control her hand. "Since then, I started to use the mouse with my jaw to write poems and novels," Wang said.

She publishes her work, "one or two poems every day", on her networking website and micro blog. "Though not able to experience the daily life of most people, imagination has always been my most important source of inspiration," she said.

Local media reports about Wang have brought her opportunities to make speeches at schools and government offices. She also enjoys talking to her friends and fans on QQ, a Chinese instant-messaging service. "Lonely as I was, I never thought that one day I would have so many friends to share my happiness and tears with," she said.

She was once asked by a friend on QQ if she ever tired of writing. She responded: "Do the street lamps feel tired of lighting?"

"I write all the literary works to seek consolation for myself, not to please others, so I never feel tired of writing," Wang said.

In the wake of the role Wang has played in encouraging people, the country's Communist Youth League granted Wang the National Youth Award on Tuesday, the eve of Chinese Youth Day.

"Chasing dreams can never be called easy. To many people of my age, youth is still there, while dreams have perished. I am lucky to have them both."
Photo taken on Dec 25, 2012 shows bullet trains which will put into operation on the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway, at a highway-speed train base in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province. [Photo/Xinhua]

The first regular red-eye bullet train running from Shanghai to Beijing will start operation on May 15, Shanghai railway police authority said on Wednesday, the city's local news paper Xinmin Evening News reported.

Shanghai railway police said that the red-eye bullet train, G8, will leave Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station at 7 pm and arrive at Beijing South Railway Station at 11:48 pm. Trains running overnight are popularly known as "red-eyes".

It will be the first time that a bullet train running from Shanghai to Beijing will operate after 6 pm. The train will return to Shanghai the next day.

The ticket prices will be 933 yuan ($143.68) and 553 yuan, the same like the daytime ones.

The authorities said more police officers will be onboard on the red-eye bullet train to ensure safety at night.

Another bullet train with sleeping cars, D312, which ran from Shanghai Railway Station to Beijing South Railway Station temporarily during the Spring Festival holiday, will also start regular operation later.

It will leave Shanghai at 7:10 pm and arrive at Beijing at 7:07 am the next day.

China Railway Corp, the country's railroad operator, said earlier this year that it would add "red-eye" bullet trains to its fixed operation schedule to cater for a growing demand.

China has seen a massive increase in train passengers in the past decade. Some 2.5 billion passengers took trains in 2015, up 6.07 percent from a year earlier.
Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected the Central Military Commission (CMC) joint battle command center in Beijing on April 20, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

In a sign to strengthen an anti-graft campaign in the People's Liberation Army (PLA), China's military has for the first time sent corruption inspection teams to its units, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.

The move will run parallel with a practice that already sees inspectors sent for civilian departments by the country's anti-corruption watchdog, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

As part of a military reshuffle, the PLA set up its own corruption-fighting division in January, the discipline inspection commission, under China's top military decision-making body, the Central Military Commission (CMC). A military auditing office was also established to organize and guide internal audits and supervision.

President Xi Jinping, who also chairs the CMC, issued a stern warning of "cabals and cliques" in the Communist Party of China in a speech published in the People's Daily on Tuesday.

Xinhua also reported that the new graft inspectors finished a two-day training session on Wednesday and have been divided into 10 teams before being sent to various units around the country.

The latest step came after the military set up a hotline in January for people to report corruption and other misconduct.

Since the crackdown on graft was launched three years ago, many high-ranking officials, including some military figures, were investigated.

President Xi urged leaders of the CMC organs to draw a profound lesson from the corruption cases of Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, both former vice chairmen of the CMC, and take a clear-cut stand against corruption while addressing the military reform in January.
Shanghai Disneyland will strive to ensure "safe and pleasing service of high quality" to its guests in China, the CEO of Walt Disney Co promised President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Robert Iger made the remark while meeting with Xi in Beijing, just before the start of the park's trial operation on Saturday.

"It's good to see the fruits of efforts over the years," Xi said. He congratulated Iger for the upcoming official opening of the park on June 16.

The project, the first Disney park on the Chinese mainland, was approved when Xi was working as Shanghai's Party chief in 2007. It is a joint investment by Walt Disney Co and Shanghai Shendi Group Co, and revenue will be shared.

"By working together, our two countries can accomplish some big tasks," Xi said.

He said that as China-US cooperation has a solid foundation, "it is important for both sides to expand new areas of cooperation and carry on cooperation in greater depth".

"The Chinese government is totally open to such efforts" and will provide support, Xi added.

He also expressed his wish to see a bilateral investment treaty with the United States signed at an early date.

"What the Walt Disney Co has achieved in China I think is a perfect example of cooperation, but it also came after years of understanding, years of building up deep respect for one another and appreciation for each other's interests," said Iger, also deputy chief of the US-China Business Council.

"I support many efforts to strengthen US-based companies' cooperation in China. I am particularly a supporter of the bilateral investment treaty."

Jia Xiudong, a research fellow with the China Institute of International Studies, said the park is an example of win-win cooperation between the two nations.

"It earns money, provides convenience to Chinese tourists and promotes cultural exchanges," Jia said, adding there are more such cases emerging in China-US cooperation.
As part of its revamped disciplinary reinforcement and anti-corruption system, central inspection teams are being sent to all main parts of the Chinese military.

After a training session on Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 teams of the Central Military Commission's newly appointed inspectors are assuming their posts in all CMC departments and theater commands.

This will be the first time the top military authority has established a standing anti-corruption force that will be directly under its control within its units, PLA Daily reported, adding that this will help reshape the military's disciplinary inspection system.

The move was planned by President Xi Jinping, who is also the CMC chairman, and is aimed at purifying the People's Liberation Army, a source close to the matter said.

The inspection teams directly reporting to the CMC will be more effective in improving the behavior of officers at major general level and above, he said.

There are 15 departments under the CMC and five theater commands, which means each inspection team will oversee two departments or commands on average.

It was not known whether these CMC departments and theater commands, which were formed in January at the height of the unprecedented military reform guided by Xi, have their own anti-graft bodies.

The former top PLA departments  general staff, political, logistics and armaments  as well as seven former regional commands had their own disciplinary inspection commissions.

The training session for inspectors was held by the CMC Disciplinary Inspection Commission. Senior officials from the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection were invited to share their experience during the training.

General Xu Qiliang, vice-chairman of the CMC, asked inspectors to take advantage of the CMC's authority and the fact that they will be close to the units they supervise to fulfill their missions.

Ren Jianming, director of the Clean Governance Research Center at Beihang University in Beijing, said that sending disciplinary inspection teams to CMC departments and regional commands is part of the country's reform of its anti-corruption system.

He said it will take some time for people to see whether the measure will eliminate the roots of corruption within the military, suggesting the PLA should continue to explore ways to achieve this goal.

In February, the Chinese military set up a hotline and a mailbox for people to report corruption and other misconduct.

In late November, Xi vowed to give more independence and authority to disciplinary inspectors and auditors when he presided over a Central Military Commission meeting that officially unveiled the ongoing PLA reform.

Over the past three years, nearly 50 senior officers of the PLA and the Armed Police Force have been convicted or investigated for corruption allegations. They included Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, both former vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission. An investigation of Guo was launched in April last year and he is awaiting trial. Xu died in mid-March last year before standing trial.
China expects to work with ASEAN countries to promote a good relationship and send a signal of peace and stability to the world, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday.

Li made the remark when meeting with Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachith.

"China is willing to work with Laos and ASEAN countries ... to maintain and promote China-ASEAN relations and the good atmosphere of East Asian cooperation, and to send a signal of peace and stability to the world," Li told the new Laotian president.
The Kunqu Opera Fifteen Strings of Coins stars both veteran masters and young performers.[Photo provided to China Daily]

It is unlikely that Zhang Shizheng will forget the spring of 1956.

As a teenage actor of Zhe-jiang Kunqu Opera Troupe, he made his first trip from the country's east to Beijing along with the troupe's other performers, including Kunqu Opera veterans Zhou Chuanying and Wang Chuansong. They were going to debut Fifteen Strings of Coins, a classic of the local opera, in the capital.

With its roots in Suzhou, in East China's Jiangsu province, Kunqu is among the country's earliest operas. It combines singing, dancing and acting.

Fifteen Strings of Coins tells the story of a respected legal figure in ancient China, who corrects a previously misjudged murder case. The show's Beijing premiere was a success.

Staged dozens of times in the city, it was attended by top leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, and some 70,000 people during a 20-day stay.

The troupe also toured other parts of the country with nearly 100 shows viewed by another 140,000 people that year.

Zhang was an apprentice of Zhou, who, along with five other Kunqu masters, remade Fifteen Strings of Coins in 1955 and established Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe the following year.

Now, in his 70s, Zhang can clearly recall his first trip to Beijing.

"It was a life-changing experience for me. Although I performed a small role in the show then, I couldn't fall asleep on the train to Beijing because I was too excited and nervous," he says.

"After the tour, my teacher (Zhou) passed his role to me and taught me how to play it from scratch. He wanted me to carry on the legacy."

To celebrate the contemporary show's 60th year, Fifteen Strings of Coins will return to Beijing on May 12. The production will gather generations of Kunqu artists from three established troupes - Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe, Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe and Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe.
Greater transparency needed in higher education circles Updated: 2016-05-06 06:45 By Fung Keung(HK Edition)

The recent revelations that some local universities have secretly established companies in tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands point to the need to strike a balance between academic freedom and financial transparency.

The University Grants Committee (UGC), which provides government funding to, and supervision over, publicly funded universities in the city, must walk a fine line between allowing local universities to be administratively independent but financially accountable to the supervisory agency. Citizens will welcome tighter supervision of local universities.

Nobody is accusing the UGC of dereliction of duty. But it seems that closer scrutiny over local universities' finances is desired. In recent years, most of the eight government-funded universities in Hong Kong have launched numerous self-financing degree courses and they have reaped huge profits from these operations. Some might hide such profits in private companies registered in offshore tax havens. The media have reported that these offshore companies don't even appear in the universities' financial reports. Their secrets would remain unknown if not for the disclosure of the so-called Panama Papers recently.

According to reports carried by the local media, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong have all established companies in the British Virgin Islands. Nobody is accusing them of sheltering profits in these offshore private companies. However, many citizens are quite curious as to why public universities need to establish companies in tax havens. It might be legal for local universities to form private companies in tax havens but morally, they owe the public an explanation.

The UGC should be lauded in respecting local publicly funded universities' academic freedom. On the other hand, however, it must make sure that government funds are not squandered or misused. A gray area remains that universities' privately run self-financing programs or courses are using facilities in the universities such as classrooms and libraries. The UGC must ensure that such privately run programs are compensating the government for using publicly funded facilities.

For the universities to come clean, it is desirable that they allow the UGC to inspect the books of their secretly established companies in offshore tax havens. The UGC must also make sure the self-financing programs of local universities are paying the government for using university facilities.

If the universities' accounts in offshore tax havens cannot be touched by the authorities, it could lead to mishandling, and perhaps corruption, of earnings from self-financing programs. It is no secret that some university administrators and educators use these funds for vacations or training programs overseas. Such usage definitely requires closer oversight.

In a nutshell, the UGC is well-advised to play a more active role in inspecting universities' private companies formed in offshore tax havens to ensure there is no improper conduct or misuse of funds, irrespective of the sources. The universities, meanwhile, should be more transparent in informing the UGC and the public how much money they have stashed away in companies in tax havens and whether they are using government funds appropriately. Universities should try not to give the public an impression that they behave like "little independent kingdoms".

In Hong Kong's higher education circles, more transparency is clearly required.

(HK Edition 05/06/2016 page10)
If grizzly bears are delisted and hunting is authorized, Montanas season will be so restrictive that the state will not allow the shooting of any bear traveling with another bear to avoid killing a female.

The take-home for the hunting season is that it would be very conservative and designed to limit the harvest of females, said John Vore, Fish, Wildlife and Parks Game Management Bureau chief.

To that end, season dates would also be designed to protect females. Since sows with cubs emerge from dens later in the spring and go into hibernation earlier in the fall than males, Montana is proposing its spring season to run between March 15 and April 20 and the fall season between Nov. 10 and Dec. 15.

The rough outline of the proposed season, mandated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is contained in an agenda item for next Thursdays Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting, which will start at 8 a.m. in FWPs Montana WILD building next to Spring Meadow Lake in Helena.

Montanans have not hunted grizzly bears since 1991. The animals were listed as a threatened species in 1975 and were protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Who hunts

Whether to even hold a grizzly hunting season will be decided at the end of each year. At that time wildlife officials from Montana, Wyoming and Idaho will review all grizzly bear mortalities, from natural deaths to collisions with cars and bears removed for killing livestock. If the mortalities exceed certain preset limits, no season will be held.

If there is an allowed harvest it would be split among the three states, likely with Wyoming having a larger take because it contains more Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear habitat, Vore explained. Montana contains 27 percent of the GYEs grizzly habitat.

The tristate harvest limits would be hammered out each year by wildlife officials from the states.

Vore said there would be no attempt in Montana to allow hunters to remove whats known as management bears, those that are causing problems. That was tried in the past and met criticism for not being a fair-chase hunt and therefore unsportsmanlike.

Opposition

Jane Goodall, the noted African chimpanzee researcher, is the latest to add her voice to a chorus of opponents to a GYE grizzly bear hunt.

Their future isnt secure yet, because they face so many threats to their survival, she said in an email released by the Humane Society.

Goodall is among 58 scientists who submitted a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday objecting to the agencys proposal to remove protection for GYE grizzlies. Public comment is being taken on the USFWS proposal until May 10. Critics have said the agencys 60-day comment period is too brief to review all of the voluminous documents.

Hunt units

Montana would carve its portion of the Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear habitat into seven management units that would range east from the Montana-Idaho border to Butte, and then south to the Wyoming border and include the Beartooth Mountains. Each unit will have its own harvest quota. If the quota is reached the unit would be closed.

We dont want a whole bunch of bears coming out of any one place, Vore explained.

Other restrictions Montana has proposed include: Making it illegal to take a bear in its den; a mandatory hunter orientation course for license holders; a 12-hour reporting period for harvests and mandatory check within two days; and the closure of a season would occur within 24 hours of reaching either the female quota or the male quota.

Licenses

A Montana grizzly bear license would cost $150, $1,000 for nonresidents. But in most years it would be unlikely that any nonresident licenses would be issued since they are only given out at a rate of 10 percent of the resident licenses issued.

The licenses would be issued through a drawing. Anyone drawing a grizzly license would have to wait another seven years to apply again. If a hunter shot a grizzly it is a once-in-a-lifetime trophy, the hunter would not be allowed to apply for a license in Montana again.

These are very conservative regulations with a capital V, Vore said.

Any hunting season is also reliant on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services pending decision, which is likely to be challenged in court by wildlife advocates. So Montanas first grizzly bear hunting season in decades could still be a long ways off, if ever.

Public comment on FWPs proposed season will be taken at the Thursday commission meeting and remain open through 5 p.m. on June 17. The commission will take final action on the grizzly bear hunting proposals at its July meeting.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida gestures during a press conference at the International Media Center in Hiroshima, Japan on April 11, 2016 after Foreign Ministers meeting of G7 countries visit the Peace Memorial Museum. [Photo/IC]

JUST ONE DAY after he concluded his first official visit to Beijing, Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida traveled to Thailand on Monday and emphasized that "it is important for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to demonstrate unity" toward China's maritime presence in the South China Sea. Haiwainet.cn commented on Wednesday:

That Kishida sought to lobby Southeast Asian countries to contain China on the South China Sea issue right after his visit to China, with which his country will expand cooperation in his words, is not a total surprise. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is just as capricious.

Although improving, the relations between China and Japan, as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said during the meeting with Kishida over the weekend, are still "fragile", which requires both sides to work closely to recalibrate and improve their ties.

This is unlikely to happen if Japanese senior officials remain fickle, especially when it comes to China's legal interests in the South China Sea, which does not even geographically concern Japan.

Tokyo's intervention in the waters is not only baseless, but also fraught with shady intentions.

Of course, as much as it is willing to increase political trust with Tokyo, Beijing did not expect a groundbreaking reconciliation as a result of Kishida's visit. Whether or not the two countries will manage to reach key consensuses on their disputes largely depends on Japan's sincerity in doing so.

On the one hand, Japan says it hopes that the South China Sea issues could be settled in a peaceful manner. On the other, it has sold cutting-edge weapons to Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines and Vietnam, which will only add fuel to the flames, and may even trigger a confrontation.

To fix the relationship between Japan and China, candid dialogue and exchanges, not insincere diplomatic maneuvers, are required.
The parents of Wei Zexi, a computer science major at Xidian University in Shaanxi province who died of a rare form of cancer, wait outside a funeral home in Xianyang, Shaanxi province, on April 13, 2016. [Photo by Wan Jia/For China Daily]

THE DEATH OF WEI ZEXI, a college student who suffered from a rare type of cancer, continues to spark discussions online. An editorial on Beijing News said on Wednesday:

Wei's death has exposed to us an inevitable fact: There are large numbers of hospitals that charge high prices for ineffective treatments.

More worryingly, these hospitals get licenses from the medical authorities. They have even been given a name "Putian-style hospitals" because many of the investors in these private medical centers come from Putian in southeast China's Fujian province.

How to solve that? Some have proposed strengthening State regulation and requiring doctors to only give patients treatments that have proven effective. That proposal faces a dilemma in practice because some of the new treatments have not yet entirely proved their effectiveness but it is believed they will or that they offer the best hope of recovery.

Of course, Putian-style hospitals also use treatments that have already proven ineffective. However, in reality it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other.

To solve the problem, what we should ask is: What kinds of patients visit Putian-style hospitals?

The answer is: Those diagnosed with rare diseases, such as the rare cancer Wei had. They visit these private hospitals because the government's medical insurance system does not cover their diseases and if they visit public hospitals they will still need to spend lots of money, so they grasp the hope offered by experimental treatments.

More importantly, as the medical insurance does not cover their illnesses, the information about these diseases and the hospitals that offer treatments for them is far from sufficient for patients' to make informed decisions.

It is time the medical insurance covered more diseases. For those diseases not covered by the State, commercial insurance companies should offer cover. Of course, the government also needs to intervene to make sure they compete with each other instead of forming a monopoly.
Chris with his students.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

There is an old saying "Ignite positive energy, detonate small universe". The definition of the positive energy refers to all the motivation and emotion that gives people hope, encourages them to pursue their goals. I had never imagined that I would meet a foreigner who was so full of positive energy. His help makes me look like a duck in water. I really appreciate that, and he has also inspired many others.

His name is Chris, a retired navy officer from United States, who was the first foreign teacher in my university in 1986. To be exact, he is Chinese American. First, I'd like to share our first encounter. I still remember clearly the first time I met him was in the English corner held in our college. I didn't pay much attention to him because he was an old little fat man. He stayed for a long time not only talking with students but also brought his personal computer and showed us a video about old JiaYing University. We were amazed by the old video. Our university looked so poor in 1986. He told us he was the only foreign teacher in our college at that time. When I got to know him, I found him to be a very kind, grateful and happy man. After his retirement, he came back to China to help students.

From then on, I met him frequently. He told me about his life and interesting stories in the US. We talked a lot about western culture. It's always fun to talk with him. With his help, my spoken English improved a lot and I became more confident about myself.

But Chris was not just helping me but helping everyone who needed his help. As long as the students wanted to practice English, he would welcome them. He went to our school's English corner every week. Whats more, he would invite some students to his house and then they would talk while cooking. Now, he is very famous and popular in our school just like Chinese model Lei Feng. He did all the things totally for free and hes happy and fun.

He's my idol who is always full of positive energy which affects me a lot.


Im writing this for dozens of people who know, love and appreciate Henan's Lei Feng. ( Mr. Luo, the founder of the Binhe Park English corner; Mr. Li, a 78-year-old English student; Mr. Song, a retired government leader in Henan; and hundreds of others in Zhengzhou who know Henan's Lei Feng.)

There is no doubt about who the 'laowai Lei Feng' is in Henan province. I've known him for more than four years. He came to China in 2013. He has the most positive energy and temperament of anyone I've ever known. He even wrote a song for his students called 'Happy Every Day.' He shares his philosophy of life by having a positive attitude, by loving and helping everyone from the cleaner on the street to the government leader.

He always does what is required by his school and his leaders and never questions anything. He performs all the tasks with a smile on his face. Everyone who knows him will tell you exactly what I am saying. Everyone, including two television networks, call him 'the foreigner Lei Feng.'

One day, I was with him at Wanda Zhongyuan in Zhengzhou. We were walking along after having a meal at one of the shopping malls restaurants. A man walked up to him and they talked for a while. They obviously knew each other because my friend, the 'laowai Lei Feng', reached into his pocket and gave the man all of the money that he had. It was very likely more than 1,000 yuan. I know that he gives money regularly, usually in large amounts, to help the handicapped orphans.

I was very surprised when I saw what he did. It felt a little awkward to ask him why he gave that man so much money. But then curiosity took over. He replied, That man takes care of handicapped orphans. Right now he has more than 30 orphans that he cares for. I give him money to help feed the orphans and give them the medical care that they need.

Another day, while in a Denis supermarket, he was standing in line to pay for the items that he'd bought. A woman with two children was in front of him. The woman was short of about 30 yuan to pay for the items that she wanted to buy. My 'laowai Lei Feng' saw what was happening. The lady's small boy was playing on the rail that forms the queue. He reached into his pocket and got a 50 yuan note. He dropped it on the floor and then looked away as if he didn't know what he'd done. When he turned back, the little boy was looking at the 50 yuan note. He picked it up and gave it to the little boy and motioned him to give it to his mother so that she could get all the things that she needed. He did not look at the woman for fear that he would be discovered for what he'd done to help her.

Every Sunday morning unless he is sick, it is raining or he has class at the No. 19 Middle School where he teaches, he will be at the Binhe Park helping elderly people, college students and small children with their English. I know that sometimes he returns home and cannot feel his feet due to the numbness of the cold. Yet he loves the people there at the English corner and will do whatever he has to do to help them with their English learning.

Many foreigners have come there, but none of them are dedicated to the people. They want to get paid and not help others for free. He spends about three hours every Sunday to help the people there. One old man, Mr. Li, comes there every Sunday and recites for Zhengzhou's Lei Feng his 'homework'. He listens to Mr. Li and helps him with with pronunciation and other skills of speaking English.

Two local television networks have carried stories about him. ZZTV-2 and HNTV International Channel have done lengthy stories about him documenting his work at the English corner. HNTV sent an entire production crew of seven of their employees to make the story. Some of the school administrators where he works have said that CCTV-9 also used some of the stories from ZZTV-2 and HNTV International Channel on their station.

When HNTV came and filmed him, I was very moved at one thing that he insisted upon was to have the cleaner who cares for the property there in the video because the cleaner is his friend.

He is a blogger for China Daily and has been recognized by China Daily as well. He is Michael Murphy. He is from Texas, and is an English teacher in Zhengzhou.

He was resisting me sending this, but, I told many people who know him and they all insisted that I tell you about him. I asked him to read this to make sure that all of the stories are accurate.
Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at his New York presidential primary night rally in Manhattan, New York, US, April 19, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Now it's certain: We stand on the precipice of a bloody and historic battle. No, not a war between China and the US, who will continue to be the best of frenemies (friends and enemiesmuddling through because there is no alternative. Rather momentarily a nasty, savage battle strewn with body parts between the now all-but anointed US Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump begins. The outcome, however, is far from clear as is the fallout for China in this brave new world.

This will be a war full of skeletons. Trump has said that he has no interest in Clinton's plan for the future, and that he will instead concentrate on her pastthe skeletons in her closet. So we can expect him to not only follow Senator Bernie Sanders' playbook accusing her of being the candidate of the 1%, but also harping on her record as Secretary of State and First Lady. And for good measure, Bill Clinton's sexual misadventures will be luridly revisited, sparking a retaliatory review of Trump's own sexual escapades, ones that he even proudly boasts about.

But of much more consequence are Trump's alleged ties to the Mafia and a cast of unsavory characters, as well as Trump's dubious record of success as a businessman. And of course, all the outrageous remarks Trump has made will be replayed ad infinitum by the Democrats.

This will be a battle of blood. Trump started it off in his inimitable juvenile manner, picking a fight with a female FOX-TV journalist who he said had "blood coming out of her whatever". More substantively, he will focus on the death of the American ambassador in Libya and blame his opponent for her flawed leadership. Both candidates will discuss the bloodshed around the world recently by the Islamic State and other terrorists and non-terrorist actors.

This will also be a contest for hearts and minds, indeed for the soul of the Republican Party. The "Party of Lincoln" began idealistically as a high-minded group opposed to slavery but now it has descended into a selfish, backward-looking, isolationist bunch of know-nothings. Abraham Lincoln must indeed be spinning in his grave.

The election will determine if the Republicans will get back to a model of pragmatic cooperation to govern, or will remain in opposition, especially if Trump leads the party to a devastating defeat of historic proportions such as conservative Barry Goldwater's in 1964. One thing is certain however, Ted Cruz is far from dead, and this talented but dangerous demagogue could well be back with his extremist views in 2020.

The Democrats will be pursuing its traditional liberal agenda but will questioning free-trade, one of the pillars of the international economic order that has stimulated the world economy since the end of World War II.

What does it mean for China? It's hard to say as China-bashing by candidates is as much as pastime in US presidential elections as kissing babies, usually superseded by sanity and pragmatism after the inauguration.

The choice for China in this case, however, may well be between the devil and the deep blue sea. Trump seems hell-bent on starting a destructive trade war with China, among others. Clinton, author of the US pivot/rebalance to Asia, is no friend of China's.

In either case, China, a country through its long history has admired negotiating through strength, will see a switch from Barack Obama's softball to a newly intense hardball contest. At least Clinton is the devil we know and at least we have many established bilateral dialogues to keep us talking and minimizing the chance of something more ominous.

No matter who wins, the election's outcome will be of historic proportions. Either a true political outsider will be elected by legions of angry disaffected voters, armed with a blank slate and the possibility that anything goes, or a woman of considerable experience but disliked by many, will become President of the United States for the first time in its 240-year history.

The author is a senior adviser to Tsinghua University and former director and vice-president of ABC Television in New York.
Chinese examinees walk towards an exam site to attend the 2015 China National Civil Service Examination in Nanjing city, East China's Jiangsu province, Nov 30, 2014. [Photo/IC]

Civil service is no longer the first choice of students, according to a survey jointly conducted by Fudan University and Shanghai Open University.

The study shows that only 8.6 percent want to become civil servants while 23.4 percent prefer multinational companies, 21.1 percent want to start their own business and 20 percent prefer working for public institutions.

In a comment piece, China Youth Daily said the survey it reveals that the attitude of young people is changing. They are no longer attracted just by stability and regular income but want more. For the new generation, career now means fulfillment of goals, a work that gels with their personality and an option that guarantees fast promotion. Any company or institution that ticks these boxes instantly becomes much sought-after.

Initially, todays college students should be praised for having the courage and intellect to follow their own hearts. A modern country with a well-established comprehensive system can afford to offer and accommodate individuals diversified choices, allowing every talent to perform at his best and avoiding waste of human resources due to excessive competition in some areas.

By choosing their own path, todays youths show that there is a relatively healthy competition environment, a sustainable virtuous cycle and an inspiring progress of our society.

Also the discussion above does not mean that were denying the value of civil servants. What should be really made clear is that civil servant means serving the people, so everyone who wants to apply must bear in mind at least one belief: its unrealistic to dream of using such a position to achieve power or enjoy some privilege. Essentially, a civil servant is no more than a normal occupation devoted to serving the public. Youths whore sincerely keen to contribute more to society are the most suitable candidates for applying for this job and deserve respect from anyone.

All in all, from the individuals perspective, improving your own ability and always keeping pace with the latest information are essential for personal development, whatever industry or occupation youre in; from the governments perspective, it should put more effort on perfecting the regulation of the labor market, improving the talent development mechanism, offer more opportunities and help young people when theyre starting their own business.

( Wu Zheyu organized from China Youth Daily )
Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks as (L-R) his daughter Ivanka, his son Eric and Eric's wife Lara Yunaska (R) look on during a campaign victory party after rival candidate Senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination following the results of the Indiana state primary, at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, US, May 3, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - With Donald Trump now being the likely Republican Party (GOP) nominee, he will start to focus his attacks on likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, slinging mud in her direction in what is sure to be a knock-down, drag out fight for the White House.

After Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich dropped out of the race after Trump's big win in Indiana Tuesday, Trump is the last Republican candidate standing in a primary season that started with a dozen candidates.

The New York real estate mogul, who just last summer was dismissed by pundits and political prognosticators as a flash in the pan, has steamrolled through several states and galvanized Republican rank-and-file voters like no other GOP candidate in years.

After virtually securing his nomination, Trump is now ready to focus on a single target -- Hillary Clinton, who is his likely Democratic rival in the November general elections.

"Trump will begin in earnest attacking Hillary Clinton," Brookings Institution's senior fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. "He will call her 'corrupt Hillary' and knit together Benghazi, email server, Whitewater, and her husband's infidelities into a narrative that seeks to make her unacceptable to American voters."

Indeed, Clinton has had her share of scandals over the years. More than two decades ago she was implicated in a failed land deal that became known as the "whitewater scandal."

While in the office of Secretary of State, she was blasted for alleged incompetence -- critics called it negligence -- for not providing better security for the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, resulting in the 2012 terrorist attack that killed four Americans, including US Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Clinton has also taken heat for allegedly using a personal email server while she was secretary of state, instead of a government server. Critics said she could have jeopardized US national security, and a US Justice Department investigation over the issue is ongoing.
JOHANNESBURG - Protesters, angered by a change in municipal boundaries which they fear will leave them worse off for social services, torched 13 schools in South Africa's northern Limpopo province, police said as tensions rose ahead of local polls in August.

The latest protests were triggered by a high court ruling upholding a decision to shift some districts from one municipality's jurisdiction to another.

Many protesters said the change meant the quality of social services would change, leaving them worse off.

With elections scheduled for August 3, the demonstrations over services are starting to take on an increasingly political tone, suggesting they could get worse in the next few months.

Police said residents in Vuwani district and nearby areas set alight a post office and other government buildings on Monday and Tuesday nights leaving smouldering structures behind.

Residents had also set up roadblocks to the area, Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said.

The protests began after the High Court upheld the Demarcation Board's decision to include the districts, currently under Makhado municipality, into the Malamulele district after residents had filed a case to oppose the change.

"What we are requesting from the police is that they ... provide more manpower in the area and ensure that important public infrastructure is protected," said Limpopo Premiere Stanley Mathabatha speaking on local TV news channel, eNCA.

The Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said the actions of protesters undermined government efforts to improve education and infrastructure.

"It is not only a waste of taxpayers' money to lose valuable existing infrastructure but disrespects the hard work of every law abiding member of society," Motshekga said in a statement.

Opposition political parties are seizing on the anger as evidence of the failings of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), in providing services around the country.

The ANC has said it is still best placed to lead the country having successfully campaigned against white minority rule under apartheid which ended in 1994.
RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Wednesday insisted that the accusations against her are "untruthful," after the prosecutor general requested that Rousseff be investigated for obstruction of justice.

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff reacts during a launch ceremony of Agricultural and Livestock Plan for 2016/2017, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil May 4, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

The investigation, if allowed by the Supreme Court, will only find out that those who accused her have lied, said the president.Senator Delcidio do Amaral has testified and accused Rousseff of trying to interfere in the Carwash Operation, the three-year-long Federal Police probe aimed at uncovering a major corruption scheme at Petrobras and its developments.Amaral's testimony was recently leaked to the press but without accompanying evidence."Senator Delcidio's words are absolutely fallacious and untruthful," Rousseff said at a ceremony of the government's Agricultural Plan.General Prosecutor Rodrigo Janot on Tuesday requested an investigation be started on the testimony of Amaral. It is the first time that Rousseff has been officially accused since the scandal broke out."I am aware of Senator Delcidio's list and I think his credibility is rather precarious. I believe it is necessary to investigate where his statements came from," she said.Rousseff is going through an impeachment process and her case is being analyzed by a Senate commission.Should the Senate, which is due to vote on May 11, decide to begin an impeachment trial, Rousseff will have to be out of office for 180 days for the trial to proceed, with Vice President Michel Temer taking over as acting president.If Rousseff is finally impeached with a two-thirds majority of the Senate, Temer will complete her mandate through Jan. 1, 2019.
Gov. Steve Bullock and his wife, Lisa, earned $157,202 in 2014, according to their tax return released Wednesday, and they have given to several charitable foundations in Helena and Missoula in the past 10 years, though how much was donated was not disclosed.

The Democrat and his wife earned $1.6 million total over the 10-year period, according to tax returns released Wednesday.

Bullock's campaign also reported charitable donations to groups such as the Cathedral of St. Helena, Helena Education Foundation, Helena Vigilante Runners, Grandstreet Theater and YMCA of Missoula.

The release did not include the value of those donations or specific years given.

Campaign Spokesman Jason Pitt said "the Bullocks are not millionaires" so they had not kept confirmation letters, tax worksheets or other detailed giving records from a decade ago.

"Other than colleges, and some children's health organizations which they have personally been touched by," Pitt said, noting the Ronald McDonald House as one national group. "The Bullocks have committed their charitable giving to local Montana-based organizations."

Pitt declined to characterize what the records say about Bullock's leadership as governor.

"We're being very transparent and are asking (Republican candidate for governor Greg Gianforte) to do the same," Pitt said, noting the release also came with a list of questions about the opponent's giving. "We're going to ask folks to look closely at Gianforte's giving. Did he give to groups you support?"

Gianforte, along with his wife, Susan, made at least $220 million in the past 10 years, primarily from the sale of their Bozeman tech company, according to tax records they released in January. About half of that money was donated to the Gianforte Family Foundation, a charitable trust that quickly became the second largest in the state behind only the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, according to a Gazette State Bureau analysis of federal nonprofit records.

In 2013, the latest year for which public records are available, the Gianforte foundation issued 80 grants totaling almost $6 million, leaving the foundation with $133 million in assets.

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

"We're all free to give to the causes that are near and dear to our hearts," said Ron Catlett of the Gianforte campaign. "That's why the Gianfortes have given more than half their income away in the last 10 years and why the governor and his family have given to their favorite charities."

According to Jason Pitt with the Montana Democratic Party, Bullock's previous charitable contributions were:

YMCA of Missoula

Helena Area Community Foundation

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Missoula

Holter Museum of Art

Montana Special Olympics

Lewis and Clark Library Foundation

Cathedral of St Helena

FOCUS Missions (Fellowship of Catholic University Students for Andi Lambert)

Grandstreet Theater

Helena Education Foundation

JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)

Montana Hope Project

American Cancer Society

Montana Public Radio

Angel Fund

Helena Food Share

YMCA of Helena

Helena Public Montesorri Parents

Carroll College

Go for the Gold Foundation (support children and families on their cancer journey)

Columbia University

Family Promise

Montana Youth Leadership Forum

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)

Locks of Love

THRIVE

March of Dimes

Claremont McKenna College

Helena Vigilante Runners

Fit to Fight (Missoula)

Mariah's Challenge

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) - Montana

Prickly Pear Land Trust

Montana Food Bank

YWCA of Helena

Ronald McDonald House

Montana Wilderness Association

St Jude Children's Research Hospital

Montana Meth Project

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Helena

St Peter's Hospital Foundation

The Friendship Center

Myrna Loy Center

Groups the Bullocks plan to give to in 2016:

Mariah's Challenge

Cathedral of St Helena

Helena Education Foundation

Claremont McKenna College

Family Promise

Helena Vigilante Runners

Grandstreet Theater

YMCA of Missoula

Helena Area Community Foundation

Carroll College

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Helena

St Peter's Hospital Foundation

Helena Public Montessori Parents

Montana Meth Project

Columbia University

Holter Museum of Art

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)

Myrna Loy Center

Lewis and Clark Library Foundation

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Missoula

Locks of Love

Angel Fund

Helena Food Share

YMCA of Helena

Montana Food Bank

Ronald McDonald House

Montana Public Radio

YWCA of Helena

Montana Special Olympics

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) - Montana

Montana Hope Project

Prickly Pear Land Trust

Montana Youth Leadership Forum

The Friendship Center

The following donations were designated for 2016 via the SECGC Campaign:

Myrna Loy Center

Gallatin Valley YMCA

Angel Fund

Head Start of Rocky Mountain Development Council

Montana Wilderness Association

Head Start of Central Montana

Montana Hope Project

Helena Vigilante Runners

Lewis and Clark Library Foundation

Mariah's Challenge

NAMI - Montana

Helena Public Montesorri Parents

Montana Trout Unlimited

Prickly Pear Land Trust

Bike Walk Montana

Holter Museum of Art

Montana Wildlife Federation
The improving momentum of China-Japan ties is still comparatively fragile, Vice-President Li Yuanchao told a group of visiting senior Japanese politicians on Thursday.

Li noted that the ties have improved in the past year.

"Japan is hoped to meet China at the halfway point to properly tackle the relevant sensitive issues. We both need to make tangible efforts in improving the two-way ties," Li said.

The group of Japanese politicians visiting Beijing was led by Masahiko Koumura, vice-president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and a frequent guest to China.

Li said the relationship had been off the track for a period of time in the past few years, and the lessons are profound.

"China is ready to boost the steady and healthy development of the two-way ties in the spirit of taking the history as a lessons and looking to the future. We are ready to accommodate the basis of the four key political documents between the two countries," Li said.

Koumura said the exchanges in various fields are hoped to be strengthened between the two countries, the feelings of the two peoples about each other to be improved, and the Japan-China friendly cooperation to be alive and well.
Kirk Wilson, executive director of the China-Britain Business Council (China), introduces the report. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Made in China 2025 strategy will not pose challenges to British companies, but will provide huge opportunities for them, said a report by the China-Britain Business Council.

The China-Britain Business Council's major new report "Made in China 2025" complied with the support of UK Trade and Investment, was launched on May 4 in Beijing. About 50 companies have attended to learn about this strategy and potential opportunities it might bring over.

China put forward its "Made in China 2025" strategy last year to transform from rough manufacturing to more value-added production.

Kirk Wilson, executive director of the China-Britain Business Council (China), said that the British companies have paid close attention to this strategy since it was announced.

"When China first announced the Made in China program, I think it raised a lot of questions for British companies. The wording of the report was very ambitious So China wants to upgrade its manufacture capability, that presents challenges for British companies," he said.

"But we believe there are a lot of opportunities, as China does move up the value chain; there will be a lot of more high-end customers for British technology that is why we wrote the report."

The report said that this strategy will actually create huge cooperation opportunities for China and British companies, including in the industries where the British companies have great strength, such as the high-tech equipment, technology and management consulting services, joint research and development, design, education, vocational training, financial and professional service.

Stephen Phillips, chief executive of the China-Britain Business Council, said that in the future the cooperation between China and Britain will not be restricted on certain key regions, but will cover the whole of China, as he has observed that many provinces and cities have made their own specific action plan that go with the Made in China 2025.

The report also specifically provide enterprises information and successful cooperation cases in this report, to help British companies and Chinese companies get to know each other better. More reports on this topics will also be launched later to help British companies continuous understand the latest updates on this strategy.
Even as Donald Trump became the last candidate standing in the GOP primary, Montanas top two statewide elected Republicans avoided supporting him.

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Ryan Zinke passed Wednesday on questions about whether theyd encourage Montana Republicans to back Trump, whether theyd actually met the frontrunner, or had contacts for his campaign.

They also would not say whether there was anything in the Trump platform with which they agreed, or whether Montana would continue the half century of voting Republican in presidential races.

Trump's last challengers for the GOP nomination, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, dropped out of the race after losing to Trump in Indiana on Tuesday.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has said Trump is now the party's presumptive nominee for president.

I will not vote for Hillary Clinton, Daines said in a quote offered by his staff as an alternative to answering The Gazettes questions. Donald Trump is not my first choice, or even my second for president, but we must defeat Hillary in November.

Daines was the second member of the U.S. Senate to endorse Marco Rubio for president. He might have been first had the paperwork been handled differently.

Last December, Rubio turned to the Yellowstone Club, a private southwest Montana ski community for the uber-wealthy, to raise money at a $2,700 per person event. The Republican senator from Florida dropped out or the race in March after losing badly in his home state to Trump.

Last month, Daines told CNN he hoped Rubio would run for president again.

Zinke told the Montana Standard in March that he thought Trump was positioned to win the Republican nomination and avoid a brokered convention. Montanas lone representative didnt endorse Trump, saying instead that all 18 Republican candidates running at the beginning of the election were qualified.

Tuesday, Zinke stopped short of supporting Trump. His staff didnt mention Trump by name.

"Rep. Zinke would never support Mrs. Clinton and her anti-coal, anti-gun, anti-military policies, and will be looking carefully at who the presumptive nominee surrounds themselves with as advisers. said Heather Swift, Zinke spokeswoman. Rep. Zinke looks forward to supporting whomever wins the Republican nomination.

Trumps campaign in Montana has been disconnected from the Montana GOP. For months, the state Republican office didnt have contact information for the Trump Montana campaign, which was coordinated by supporters networking on Facebook.

Last month, Montana supporters appointed a spokeswoman, and more recently a regional representative from the Trump national campaign began recruiting supporters interested in becoming delegates.

The Montana GOP will select its delegates May 14 for the Republican National Convention July 18 through 21 in Cleveland.
HELENA  The issue of infrastructure was front and center in the Montana governor's race Wednesday, as the two leading candidates traded barbs over who to blame for the political deadlock over a funding source to pay for roads, bridges, sewers and other projects.

During a news conference at the steps of the Capitol, Republican Greg Gianforte again blamed Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock for stubbornly opposing GOP proposals by staking a position that Gianforte called "my way or no highway."

Meanwhile, Bullock traveled to Butte to again pitch a $200 million plan he unveiled last week. Bullock used the State Korean War Veterans Memorial in Stodden Park as the backdrop for pushing for a bipartisan infrastructure plan.

A compromise bill fell one vote shy of passage last year after wrangling over funding formulas and a list of projects that outraged conservatives.

One of those proposed projects was a veterans home that would have been built in Butte.

"There is an empty lot here in town that should be bustling with construction activity and supporting hundreds of jobs in Butte," the governor said. "It sits empty because a small handful of legislators put Montana politics ahead of Montana jobs, played fast and loose with our economy, and voted down an infrastructure bill that would have resulted in thousands of jobs and investment across Montana and right here in Butte."

Gianforte and other Republicans have dismissed Bullock's proposals as political gamesmanship.

"The governor had four years to get infrastructure funding done," Gianforte said. "Let me say to the lawmakers who are with me today coming back to serve in the 2017 session: I'm sure you're greatly frustrated."

While Bullock and Gianforte say infrastructure funding will be a top priority, neither has yet to flesh out details of their plans.

A key obstacle is differences over a funding formula, with some Republicans balking at using bonds to borrow the money needed to finance state projects.

Gianforte said he had "no philosophical opposition" to using bonds, but said he preferred using cash to pay for a wish-list of projects that he has yet to identify.

Bullock said his visit to Butte was part of his administration's effort to hear directly from Montanans about their priorities.

Earlier in the day, the Montana Department of Transportation announced it would be seeking public input on a long-range transportation plan, the bulk of it paid by federal money.

The five-year plan features $2.2 billion of highway and bridge improvements, including work on 13,000 miles of state and federally roads, according to Charity Watt, a state transportation planner.

But the state has millions of dollars in other infrastructure needs  not only to roads, but to sewer and water systems, schools and other needs  that both sides agree will go unfunded without a deal.
HELENA  Montana and federal officials have made a deal that will allow the state's five firefighting helicopters to respond to some blazes on federal lands, after they were barred from doing so last year as fires raging across the West led to equipment shortages.

The agreement allows the retrofitted Vietnam-era helicopters to be used when lives are at risk or when the governor declares a state of emergency, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation spokesman John Grassy said Thursday.

Additional details about the deal, which was finalized this week, will be released during Gov. Steve Bullock's fire briefing in Butte Friday.

"There will be state aircraft flying on federal fires this summer," Grassy said.

The helicopters were barred last year from responding to fires in national forests and U.S. Bureau of Land Management land because federal standards require they use smaller buckets to scoop water. The issue sparked tension between state and federal officials with a shortage of resources available to fight blazes during an active fire season last year across the West.

The five modified Bell UH-1H helicopters have increased power that enables them to carry 324-gallon buckets. However, U.S. Forest Service policy, developed after helicopter crashes in the past, requires aircraft of that type to carry water-scooping buckets 100 gallons smaller.

The issue is specific to Montana's helicopters and not any other state's aircraft of equipment, Forest Service officials previously said.

The helicopters also respond to fires on state or private lands burning in Montana, and the state refused to decrease the size of the buckets because that would reduce the aircraft's effectiveness, DNRC officials said at the time.

Discussions between Bullock and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, whose department the Forest Service is under, led to a federal inspection of the state's aviation program last summer. The program was deemed safe in September, when the fire season was dying down, leaving the sides to negotiate how to broaden federal standards to allow the helicopters' use.

"We have had six months of negotiations where we pushed them and they pushed us," State Forester Bob Harrington told the state Environmental Quality Council on Wednesday.

Forest Service spokesman David Smith said the talks centered on how to use the helicopters to protect the lives of Montana residents while not endangering the lives of firefighters.

"We are pleased to have reached an agreement to ensure an adequate aviation response to wildfires as we prepare for the uncertain 2016 fire season and seasons to come," Smith said.
(Photo : YouTube Screenshot) A 500-year-old temple found a new way to spread Buddhism through a robot monk.

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A Buddhist temple outside Beijing created a little robot monk that can chant mantras and explain the basic creed of faith, with the hope spreading ancient teachings via cutting-edge technology.



Dubbed as Xian'er, the robot monk stands just 2 feet (60cm) tall and is encased on a saffron-yellow robe with a shaved head, holding a touch screen gadget on his chest. Even spending a lot of time at the tranquil monastery, the little robot frequently wears an expression of surprise.



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Xina'er is capable of responding to voice commands, performing different motions with his wheels, and answering 20 basic Buddhism-related questions and a monk's daily life at the 500-year-old temple.



According to Xina'er's creator Master Xianfian, the robot monk could be a modern tool for spreading Buddhist wisdom across China.



"Science and Buddhism are not opposing nor contradicting, and can be combined and mutually compatible," he told Reuters.



He continued saying the religion filled a void in the fast-changing, highly advanced society.



"Buddhism is something that attaches much importance to inner heart, and pays attention to the individual's spiritual world," he said.



"It is a kind of elevated culture. Speaking from this perspective, I think it can satisfy the needs of many people."



Xian'er is a joint project between the temple, a tech company, and artificial intelligence experts from prestigious Chinese universities.



The robot monk was debuted last October and has appeared on a number of robotic fairs in China. But Xian'er is no social butterfly, as it spends most of his time meditating on an office shelf in Longquan.



The concept of a Xian'er was first conceived by Xianfian through a cartoon. He described his creation as "a reflection of innovative Buddhist spirit... [who] might help traditional Buddhism reach a wider public more easily."



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TagsRobot monk, Robot, Buddhism, Xian'er, Master Xianfian, digital world
(Photo : ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images) Safety concerns about the use of car-hailing services has been growing among the Chinese population.

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A young woman traveling to her workplace on Monday was killed along the way by the driver of the car she had called for a ride.



The victim, a 24-year-old primary school teacher, had called for a car from the car-hailing company Didi Chuxing, according to Southern Metropolis News. She was going to the school Monday night when the incident happened.



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Before entering the vehicle, the woman was able to take a blurred photo of the car's rear showing its number plate, which she posted online. Later, a post in an online forum said that the victim's family was unable to contact her.



The driver, a 24-year-old man, was caught the following day in his rented residence, Nanshan District police revealed. He admitted to robbing and killing her the teacher, before dumping her body in a remote area in the city of Shenzhen.



Real Credentials, Fake Vehicle



Car-hailing company Didi explained in its microblog that the suspect had genuine credentials, including a real ID, a driving permit as well as vehicle registration papers. However, the number plate of the car used in the crime is different from that of the car registered with the company.



Didi has vowed to monitor its drivers more strictly in light of this incident.



Growing Fears



The murder of the school teacher highlights one of the reasons why many members of the public have fears about using car-sharing services. Earlier in March, thousands of Chinese drivers who registered for car-hailing companies such as Didi Chuxing and Uber were found to have criminal records, some of them related to criminal offences and some to drug abuse, according to South China Morning Post.



Shenzhen authorities said that at that time, 1,425 drivers working for the car-sharing companies had records of drug abuse while another 1,661 had records for other criminal offences. At least one driver was a registered psychiatric patient with a history of violence in public.



In April, reports of car-hailing service drivers posting photos of unsuspecting passengers on the internet was the subject of a heated public debate.



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(Photo : Borja Sanchez-Trillo/Getty Images) Senior care has been turned into a business, especially by a nanny in Guangzhou who killed her patient in order to quickly receive her pay.

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A Chinese nanny, who killed a senior in the hopes of quickly getting her pay, has been sentenced to immediate execution.



He Tiandai, a 46-year-old carer, was sentenced to immediate execution yesterday, May 4, by a court in Guangzhou in south Chinas Guangdong province, according to Shanghai Daily. She admitted to killing He Yanzhu, a 70-year-old woman, who was under her care.



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The suspect committed the crime on December 16, 2015 - just four days after she was hired to take care of the victim. She agreed to the salary set by her employer, which was 2,500 yuan (about USD $385) per month. She was told that in case her job ended at any time before the end of the first month, she will still be paid in full.



The family of the victim, who are unrelated to the suspect despite the family name, said the suspect was trustworthy and a hardworking person based on first impressions. The victim was also considered healthy despite suffering from osteoporosis. However, just four days after the suspect was hired, the victim unexpectedly died, causing her family to be surprised.



The suspect reportedly put sleeping pills and insecticide in the meat soup that she fed her victim with. After two hours, the victim was still alive, so the suspect strangled her with rope.



After she death, the suspect asked the woman's family for her full salary as promised. However, after noticing that some of the victims belongings went missing, they speculated that the suspect had stolen them and so withheld her salary.



While the suspect and her employers were still arguing over the salary, the police were called in to conduct an investigation. They found several poisoning paraphernalia which included rat poison, insecticide, and syringes in the suspects luggage. They also found the victims earrings in the suspects possession.



The suspect admitted in court that she killed the victim because she wanted to get the money quickly. She also admitted to nine other attempted murders using similar methods, two of which were not successful.



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Tagsnanny, He Tiandai, senior, Murder, insecticide, Sleeping pills
(Photo : Getty Images) Beijing has announced that it will conduct more military war games in the South China Sea this month to upgrade the naval readiness and capabilities of its troops.

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China has sent advanced warships and submarines to the South China Sea in preparation for military exercises set to be conducted this month, according to Xinhua.



China on Wednesday said the military drills are 'routine exercises' aimed at upgrading the naval capabilities and readiness of the Chinese Navy.



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Beijing said the ships, including a guided missile destroyer, would take part in anti-submarine, anti-missile, and other drills.



Naval officials refused to divulge exactly where in the South China Sea the exercises will be conducted except to say that it will take place this year.



Military deployments



China announces its military drills in the South China Sea from time to time in an attempt to be transparent in its military deployments.



Beijing is laying claim to almost the entirety of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea where $5 trillion of ship-borne trade passes through each year.



The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan have overlapping claims to the reefs and islands in the international waterway.



At odds



Beijing and Washington have been at odds over the South China Sea issue as the two nations continue to accuse each other of militarizing the region.



US naval and aerial forces have been patrolling the waters near China-controlled territories as part of so-called freedom of navigation operations.



Beijing has repeatedly protested against the presence of US troops in the region claiming the military activities in the area has heightened tensions between claimant countries.



Washington has openly criticized China's reclamation activities in the disputed islands and has taken up the cudgel for the smaller states that have rival claims in the South China Sea.



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TagsMilitary exercises, South China Sea, guided missile detroyer, routine exercises, china
(Photo : Getty Images) China warned American voters to be "objective," as Donald Trump is no longer opposed for the GOP nomination.

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The news that Donald Trump is now the presumptive GOP nominee for the coming US presidential election drew words of caution from China yesterday.



Trump built his campaign, in part, on aggressively anti-China sentiment. On Sunday, speaking at his rally in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Trump furthered this line of rhetoric when he said, "we can't continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what they're doing."



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Now, following a decisive victory in the Indiana primary, Trump stands alone, the general election - and likely democrat nominee Hillary Clinton - his only obstacle to acting on his words.



China responded to the American public's latest affirmation of the polarizing billionaire, warning voters of the economic consequences of electing Trump.



"It's important to point out that the core of bilateral economic-and-trade cooperation is mutually beneficial," said China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei. "We hope all the American people from different sectors view this relationship in a rational and objective way."



Chinese media also detailed the possibility of a trump win in November.



An article by Xinhua News Agency pointed out the contrast between Trump's momentum and Clinton's struggle against Bernie Sanders, noting that "a number of Americans find [Clinton] stiff and unapproachable...someone who does not understand the needs of ordinary Americans."



Experts in America say that a Trump White House would have the power to economically pressure China, but they warn of danger.



J.W. Mason, economics professor at John Jay College, said of Trump's plan to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, "I think it could be very destructive for the rest of the world."



Trump talked of tariffs of up to 45%, which former opponent Ted Cruz criticized as a tax on American consumers, who would have to pay the difference in the price increase.



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Tagsdonald trump, china, 2016 election, trump nomination, Xinhua News Agency, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz
Feds drop the hammer on North Carolina over bathroom law 05 May, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |

RALEIGH, N.C. (Christian Examiner)  The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has fired off a terse letter to the governor of North Carolina over House Bill 2, the state's recently passed law which prohibits men from using women's multi-occupancy restrooms and vice versa  a law LGBT advocates claim is discriminatory against transgenders.

In the May 4 letter to Gov. Pat McCrory, the DOJ claims the state and the governor are in breach of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 after it passed (and he signed into law) HB 2. Title VII, the letter said, prohibits discrimination against transgenders.

"Specifically," the DOJ letter said, "the State is engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against transgender state employees and both you [the governor], in your official capacity, and the State are engaging in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of Title VII rights by transgender employees of public agencies."

The Obama administration has not only staked out its position for North Carolina, but for all states, universities and most employers in the U.S. ... The right and expectation of privacy in one of the most private areas of our personal lives is now in jeopardy.

"Access to sex-segregated restrooms and other workplace facilities consistent with gender identity is a term, condition, or privilege of employment. Denying such access to transgender individuals, whose gender identity is different from their gender assigned at birth, while affording it to similarly situated non-transgender employees, violates Title VII."

HB 2 took effect on March 23, 2016. It was passed and signed into law after the Charlotte, N.C., city council enacted its own civil rights ordinance which gave those who are biologically male or female, but identifying as another gender, access to the other gender's restrooms.

Several other jurisdictions were also considering similar ordinances before the state acted to prevent a "patchwork" of inconsistent laws within the state. State lawmakers claimed they were ensuring state sovereignty (and public safety) by passing the bill.

The DOJ sees things differently, claiming the law is "facially discriminatory" to state and local government employees who are transgender. The letter claimed the U.S. attorney general is seeking a court order to ensure the state's compliance with Title VII. It also demanded a response.

"Please advise the Department, therefore, no later than close of business on May 9, 2016, whether you will remedy these violations of Title VII, including by confirming that the State will not comply with or implement H.B. 2, and that it has notified employees of the State and public agencies that, consistent with federal law, they are permitted to access bathrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity," the letter said.

The DOJ also sent letters to North Carolina Department of Public Safety and University of North Carolina "similarly notifying them of our conclusion that they have engaged in violations of Title VII, as well as violations of Title IX and its implementing regulations, and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013."

That law claims "gender identity"  actual or "perceived" gender-related characteristics  must be accommodated.

Gov. McCrory issued a statement in response to the DOJ demand. In it, McCrory said the Obama administration claims "one part of House Bill 2, which requires state employees in public government buildings and students in our universities to use a restroom, locker room and shower facility that match their biological sex, is now in violation of federal law."

"The Obama administration has not only staked out its position for North Carolina, but for all states, universities and most employers in the U.S.," McCrory said. "The right and expectation of privacy in one of the most private areas of our personal lives is now in jeopardy."

McCrory said the state would review the law to determine the next steps it would take. The state could lose federal funding if it does not act.

Ironically, the definitions section of Title VII in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not include "gender identity" as a class, but in the regulations adopted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) last year, extra-legal non-discrimination protections were extended to transgenders.

Therefore, what was not put in place by an act of Congress, the lawmaking body of the government, was granted by court interventions and administrative actions.

"Federal courts and administrative agencies have applied Title VII to discrimination against transgenders based on sex, including gender identity," the DOJ letter said.

Transgenderism is the result of the psychological disorder known as "Gender Dysphoria," in which the person is born with a particular biological sex but selects and identifies with the opposite gender.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force revealed that multiple US agencies including FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration will be assisting in the investigation of the murders of American missionaries Randy Hentzel and Harold Nichols, whose bodies were recovered in a rural Jamaican province this past weekend.

"Yesterday, I called the United States ambassador to Jamaica to update him on the investigation and to assure him that we are doing everything possible to identify the criminals responsible for these brutal acts," said Police Commissioner Dr. Carl Williams of JCF.

Both Hentzel and Nichols worked with a Pennsylvania-based Christian organization called TEAMS for Medical Missions, and had set off on their motorbikes to check on a site where they were constructing a house for a poor family.

The Jamaican Observer reported that autopsies on the bodies had been completed, and it was found that Hentzel died of a gunshot wound, but Nichols' body had both gunshot and chop wounds.

JCF spokeswoman Dahlia Garrick told WFMZ-TV that "one of them, Harold (Nichols), had a wound to the head. Randy (Hentzel), when he was found, had blood coming from his mouth."

"It's something no one would have thought would have happened," Garrick said. "There was nothing to indicate anyone wanted to do them harm. They are highly respected people within the community."

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness visited Nichols' wife Teri, and prayed for the grieving family.

He said: "There are no words that can give any comfort for the loss of a loved one, especially under such tragic circumstances. It's always such a terrible thing, but the strength and true Christian spirit of forgiveness displayed here - the people of Jamaica want you to know what has happened here doesn't represent them."

"They, like you, want to see justice. This issue of crime is affecting everyone everywhere, and from what I've seen from the outpouring of the community, they do support you," he added.

Nichols' wife told The Gleaner she felt sorry for the murderers.

"Personally, I don't feel angry. Maybe there's a stage where, at some point, I'm going to be ticked off, but I feel sad for whoever committed this terrible crime. They don't know what they were doing or who they were doing it to."

She hoped that her husband's life and his death was used by God, to bring more people to him.

"I know God works all things to the good, and that Harold's life will never be defined by its last 15 minutes. God had a purpose in his life and I just feel good things are going to come out of this," she said. "I believe with all my heart that people are going to come to the Lord because of this, and I think it's going to have a huge impact, which is already happening, so it's not in vain."

"Missionaries have played a vital role in our national development. Many have made Jamaica their second home and through their selfless service have demonstrated a real love for our people. Randy Hentzel and Harold Nichols dedicated themselves to the people of St. Mary and Jamaica," Holness stated on his Facebook page.

"Their murders have had a painful impact on the community as the people mourn their tragic passing. I traveled to St Mary...and I assured both families that the government will work with the police to ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished," the prime minister said.
A knowing, self-aware laughter came over the crowd at the Q Conference in April. Gabe Lyons, the founder of Q, revealed the survey results of conference attendees to show that among the five remaining presidential candidates it was John Kasich who took the plurality of the vote. It was not even close. Among the more than 1,000 evangelical leaders at the event, Kasich received 49 percent of their support. Ted Cruz came a distant second at 18 percent, and Hillary Clinton garnered 16 percent. Donald Trump had the support of only 2 percent of attendees. It is eerie to read these survey results from the Q Conference in light of the recent developments in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. After a resounding victory for Trump in Indiana, Cruz has dropped out of the race, and Kasich suspended his own candidacy yesterday, leaving Trump as the Republicans presumptive nominee.

This moment is ironically symbolic of the 2016 GOP presidential race and of Kasichs campaign in particular. The vast majority of Americans chose not to vote for a politician precisely because of the very characteristics that many evangelicals, like those at Q, like about him.

At a time when incivility is perceived as courage, and a lack of anger equated to a lack of understanding, Kasich is the odd man out.

In this upside-down presidential election, Kasich was the most offensive candidate running.

How so? His faith hurt him more than it helped. Laura Ortberg Turner described this dynamic in an article in Politico, How Kasichs Religion is Hurting Him with Conservatives. Kasich is a member of the Anglican Church of North America, formed following a split with the Episcopal Church over divisions regarding biblical ...

1
Sales of religious fiction recently took a nosedive.

But that didnt discourage popular Bible teacher Beth Moore from writing her first work of fiction this year.

In between writing Bible studies and speaking on tour with her Living Proof Ministries, the 58-year-old author composed her first fictional title, The Undoing of Saint Silvanus. Scheduled to be released in September, the book follows a young woman returning home to New Orleans.

Who knows if I'll ever write another novel, that's entirely up to Jesus, stated Moore. But somehow he saw fit for me to get through this one.

Slow sales also didnt stop industry veterans from launching a new Christian fiction publishing house last month, with plans to release 40 to 50 titles in 2017.

Among Americans overall, fiction is a good bet. When given a chance to read for fun, most adults prefer to settle in with a fiction book (53%) than with a nonfiction book (45%), according to a recent Barna Group ...

1
Relics of Christ's Passion to be Presented at Nevada Churches to Celebrate Jubilee Year of Mercy Contact: Denise Serafini, Apostolate for Holy Relics, 860-496-0648



LAS VEGAS, May 5, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Eight rare Relics of the Passion, with a unique musical and meditative program focused on the Passion of Christ, will be presented at churches in Las Vegas and Mesquite Nevada on May 11, 12 and 13. The event, designed to connect participants to the roots of their faith, is sponsored by 2 churches in Las Vegas and 1 in Mesquite in collaboration with the Apostolate for Holy Relics (AHR), an organization founded 10 years ago in Los Angeles.



It's very rare to see a group of related holy relics all in one place as is presented in this program. Collections such as this are generally seen only in Rome or the Holy Land and is something that most people only get to see once in a lifetime.



The documents for these relics have been reviewed and authenticated prior to the commencement of the first tour in 2007. Since then, the Relics of the Passion have been venerated in more than twelve archdioceses and 9 dioceses throughout the world. Because of the Holy Father's declaration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, the AHR is pleased to be presenting this extraordinary collection at area churches as part of a nationwide tour promoting God's Mercy.



The Relics of the Passion collection includes: A piece of the True Cross, which was discovered by St. Helena



A piece of the Holy Table from the room where the Last Supper took place



A piece of the Column of Flagellation



A piece of The Crown of Thorns



A replica of the Holy Nail, fashioned using filings from the true nails, making it a relic of a lesser class.



A relic from the head of St. Longinus, the centurion who pierced the side of Christ



A picture of (the effigy of) the Veil of Veronica touched to the original with a Vatican seal attesting to the fact.



A piece of the exterior wrapping for the Shroud of Turin Schedule of events  All 7:00 PM



Las Vegas

May 11, 2016 St. Anne's Church 1901 S Maryland Pkwy

May 12, 2016 St. Bridget's Church 220 N 14th Street



Mesquite:

May 13, 2016 La Virgen de Guadalupe Church 401 Canyon Crest Drive



Additional information regarding the AHR can be found at relictour.com.



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home World American senator calls for U.S. to open its doors to more Syrian Christian refugees

American senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas calls for the United States to open its doors to Syrian Christian refugees who have fled their homes due to religious persecutions.

Cotton told the senate back in March that "Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world." He shared the story of a Syrian Christian minister and his 12-year-old son who were executed six months ago for not renouncing their faith. The terrorists cut off the boy's fingers and challenged his father to renounce his faith as a Christian and go back to Islam to save the boy from further suffering. They were both murdered, however, by means of crucifixion.

The cross is a symbol of salvation to Christians because it was on the cross that Jesus Christ suffered and died for the sins of many. Today, the terrorists use the cross to strike fear among Christians.

Prior to Cotton's statement, John Kerry, Secretary of State, had already testified in House subcommittee that there is a need to reevaluate the Islamic State's (IS) practice of genocide. Kerry later on declared that the IS was actually practicing genocide. He made this declaration the same day that Cotton made his statement.

However, despite the fact that Syrian Christians are facing massive genocide, these Christians have very slim chance of being admitted into the United States as well as other Western countries as refugees, as pointed out by The Guardian.

In his speech before the senate, Cotton pointed out that according to the State Department, no more than one percent of Syrian refugees admitted into the United States are members of religious minorities, according to the State Department. The senator added that this underrepresentation, however, is not because of discrimination.

The members of these religious minorities reportedly chose not to register under their organization because of fear.

Consequently, Cotton introduced "Religious Persecution Relief Act." This act proposes to allow the entry of around 10,000 Christian refugees and members of other religious minorities from Syria into the United States each year for the next five years. To ensure security, they will still go through the same scrutiny as other refugees from Syria.
After a pair of school tax increase proposals were defeated by Billings voters Tuesday, levy supporters were left scratching their heads about what went wrong.

Im frustrated, School District 2 Board Chairwoman Greta Besch Moen said. I still feel the community cares about kids. I still feel they care about education.  I think we have to figure out what the rationale was for voting against the levy.

Perhaps it shouldnt be that surprising. With about 60 percent turnout  the same as when a slew of levies offered in 2012 failed  Billings stayed true to its mercurial reputation when it comes to raising taxes.

Billings passed levies in 2013, and shot them down in 2012. In 2010, results split. A levy failed in 2008, two passed in 2007, and two failed in 2006. The 2013 elementary general fund levy passed with more than 19,000 yes votes. This year, the elementary offering received only about 14,000 yes votes.

In Bozeman, a general fund levy has passed every year for at least the high school or elementary district since 1983  except for 1993, when no levy was offered. Missoula has passed every type of levy it has offered since 2008, except for a building reserve levy that year. Helena passed any levy offered in the past 20 years, according to a presentation from the Montana School Board Association.

In Butte, we havent had a levy not pass in the foreseeable past, district business office director Dennis Clague said.

Great Falls has proven to be a tougher crowd, passing levy offerings in two elections and rejecting them in two others since 2008.

How have some cities passed levies like clockwork? Certainly officials in Billings would like to know if theres a secret to success.

I would, too, said Bozeman Public Schools Director of Business Services Mike Waterman. Its obviously been a historically supportive community. Were obviously very appreciative.

It can be difficult to compare results in Montana, according to Montana School Board Association Director of Governmental Relations Bob Vogel.

Its just such a big state and a diverse state. It really just depends on local conditions, he said.

Crisis mode

Many education officials hoped they had found a recipe to success in 2013, when Yes For Kids, a group that spearheaded a pro-levy campaign, adopted a more sophisticated approach. But in hindsight, the issues were very different in 2013.

We were very much in crisis with over 100 classrooms over accreditation, Besch Moen said. I think when the community saw the dire straits that we were in, they responded. These were signature issues that people could see, tangible.

District officials repeatedly emphasized that teacher and support staff positions the 2016 levies would have added were largely designed to offer additional services for students, not to address shortfalls. The accreditation problem has been slashed by about three-quarters.

Maybe people viewed (this year) as more optional, said Luke Kobold, who co-chaired Yes For Kids this year. I do have a sense that since it wasnt in a crisis mode, it probably was not viewed as important right now.

This year also marked what appears to be the first defeat for Hilltop Public Solutions, a political strategy firm that Yes For Kids first hired in 2013, on a levy issue in the Billings area.

Yes For Kids raised about $235,000 between March 26, 2013, and May 8, 2014, according to campaign finance reports, and spent nearly all of it. Hilltop received more than $30,000. Brush Fire Strategies received more than $27,000 for paid phone calls and polling. Reports list the group as being based in Washington, D.C.

That period reflects two electoral efforts, the spring levies and later bond election. But in the groups first two finance reports, between March 26 and May 22, Yes For Kids spent almost $104,000. The spring election was held May 7.

The most recent campaign finance report filed for this year, from March 25 to April 20, shows the group spent barely more than $1,000 during that time. A later report will likely show further spending; a pair of $10,000 contributions, one from Billings Clinic and one from St. Vincent Healthcare, were filed as pre-election contributions.

Bottom line

SD2 trustees decided to offer the levies at their March 21 meeting.

We did have less time than weve had in the past. Whether that was the core factor or not, I cant really say, Kobold said.

Vogel suggested that being on the hook for a $122 million bond weighed on voters.

I think that this hits taxpayers as they look at it, and say 'hm, were willing to do this but were not willing to do anymore right now, he said. That seemed to be the case in a lot of other areas of the state.

Maybe theres a different nomenclature we can use, Kobold said. Maybe theres a little bit of apathy around Yes For Kids.

All parties said that many voters dont understand Montanas school finance system, which requires local taxpayers to pony up for any money districts want to spend beyond a state-mandated minimum.

Its almost Rube Goldberg in its design, said Billings Education Association President Scott McCulloch.

Heres the bottom line, he said. When levies dont pass, there is a sense that the community hasnt looked close enough at what were doing in the schools. Its also an indication that we have more work to do for the community.
home World Australian university union takes back threat to de-register Christian student organization, will amend regulations instead

A university union in Australia has taken back its threat to deregister a Christian evangelical group from the Clubs & Societies program for making faith in Jesus a requirement for membership. The union will instead amend its C&R Regulations.

"The Board has listened to its members and acknowledges the importance of such declarations to some of our faith based clubs and societies," said the University of Sydney Union in a statement.

According to Honi Soit, the Sydney University Evangelical Union was given an ultimatum by the USU in February that the former would be deregistered if they did't take out the article in its constitution -- required by members to sign -- that says that they have the "desire in joining the EU to declare my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour, my Lord and my God." The request for its removal was in line with the USU's regulations that all societies, groups, and clubs should be accessible to everyone. They said, as reported by The Daily Telegraph, that it's unfair that while all other organizations in the university follow this regulation, the Evangelical Union had not adhered to it for a number of years.

"The EU has always believed that having a faith-based declaration as part of the process is important to maintain the identity of the club as Christians," said George Bishop, the president of the Sydney University EU. "While all our activities are open to everyone and we are keen to spread the gospel of Jesus, when it comes to people who have a say about our constitution and want to lead in the society they should be in agreeance with the objects and aims of the society a and for a Christian group that necessarily involves a faith in Jesus."

Following a month of deliberation, the USU arrived at the decision to amend the regulations. Other faith-based organizations have given their support for the decision, including the Sydney University Muslim Students' Association, the Buddhist Society, the Orthodox Fellowship, the Catholic Asian Students' Society, the Catholic Society, and the Coptic Orthodox Society (FOCUS).

The announcement was made on May 2, saying that amendments will be made to the regulations in order to allow faith-based groups in the university to have "faith based declarations as a condition of membership and Executives of faith based clubs registered under the USU C&S program." Moreover, the board of directors came up with a proposal to set up a regular "Faith Roundtable." The statement says that this would help promote "greater interfaith and intercultural understanding and to ensure that the voices of faith based groups are heard at the highest level of student governance."
home World Biblical explanation on human origin explains human DNA diversity and challenges evolution - research

A new study claims that the origin of human ethnic groups is best explained by the Biblical model instead of the principle of evolution.

The research, published April 27 in Answers Research Journal, found that the Young Earth Creation (YEC) model, which gives the Biblical explanation on how the human race was scattered, accounts for the present diversity in human DNA according to race.

Evolutionists have argued that humans were first separated into different ethnic groups about 100,000 years ago. On the other hand, the YEC stipulates that human diversity began when the human race was dispersed after the Tower of Babel was created about 4,000 years ago.

In the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel, God scattered the humans to different parts of the world and assigned various languages to them.

Researcher Nathaniel Jeanson studied why African people groups had more mitochondrial DNA diversity compared to other people groups. Taking data gathered 40 years ago, he discovered that, generally, African women married at a younger age compared to other women.

Jeanson said that this data "suggests that this practice may have been true historically, well before Westernization took hold of the African continent."

"Since mtDNA in humans is thought to be inherited primarily through the maternal lineage, this finding cast my previous mtDNA calculations in a new light," he added. He calculated for the mitochondrial DNA "clock" using his findings about how generation times differed based on ethnicity.

Marrying at a younger age led to faster generation times among Africans, which could have caused their DNA to diversify faster. Jeanson said the YEC model, not the evolutionary model, was more precise in terms of computing for the number of DNA differences.

"Differential generation time data and a constant rate of mtDNA mutation are sufficient to explain human mtDNA diversity on the YEC timescale across all ethnic groups," he concluded in the study.

The researcher said further studies are needed to help verify his findings.
home World Canada freethinkers want secular government in Saskatchewan; Muslim MLA fine with Christian prayer in assembly

A petition to stop the practice of saying a Christian prayer before government proceedings was brought to the legislature in Saskatchewan, Canada, but the province's first and, currently, the only Muslim Member of the Legislative Assembly said that he does not mind the practice.

"I think we should keep the prayer; it is a blessing," said Regina-Pasqua MLA Muhammad Fiaz, as quoted by The Star Phoenix. "The majority of the people agree with it. I totally agree that we should keep the prayer."

He said that it's a tradition, and it does not matter which the prayer originated from, be it from the Quran, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Old Testament of the Bible, or the New Testament.

The petition, which is "calling upon Saskatchewan government to cease its Christian bias in the legislature and in its Christmas messages," was raised by the Regina chapter of Centre for Inquiry Canada, a non-profit freethinking organization, prompting the question of separation between church and state. It is, in a part, a response to a ruling made by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2015.

In that ruling, the court said that a municipal council in Saguenay, Quebec should stop opening its meetings with a prayer, saying that it violates freedom of conscience and religion.

Brad Wall, the Premier of Saskatchewan, reportedly did not apply it since the ruling does not cover the legislature of the province nor the Parliament. Also, there had not been any concern or challenge against it.

The Centre for Inquiry is calling for Wall to lead a secular government in the province. Apart from the removal of the prayer, they also want to end the practice of delivering Christmas messages "which favour one religious perspective over other perspectives or creeds."

"Saskatchewan residents are now submitting this complaint and requesting that the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly acknowledge the spirit of this human rights affirming decision and end prayers in the legislature," says the petition. As for the Christian message, it says, "Residents of Saskatchewan are calling upon the premier to cease these messages or make any such messages religiously neutral."
home World Christians at risk of being wiped out in Iraq and Syria amid intense persecution from ISIS

Christians in Iraq and Syria face the risk of extinction due to actions of genocide suffered from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Many Christian churches in Syria and Iraq are reportedly being destroyed by the extreme Islamic group. Millions of their members are forced to flee their hometowns as refugees, while those who left behind are killed.

Many of these churches have been around for thousands of years already. As Juliana Taimoorazy, executive director and founder of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council, stressed in an interview with National Catholic Register, "We gave a lot to Christianity as Eastern Christians, and we gave a lot to humanity as the Assyrian people: Our history is 6,700 years old, and we established the first library in the world, among other contributions."

The Roman Catholic Church is also one of the religious groups that condemns the displacement of many Christian communities. In Nineveh Plains in Iraq for instance, more than 100,000 Christians have been forced to flee since the Islamic State occupied the region.

Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, said, according to Christian Post, that these Christians have been forcibly relocated and threatened, and they now worry about their survival.

Still, some leaders of the Catholic religious group, including Bishop Yousif Habash of Syrian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance based in New Jersey, believe that even though ISIS may take away everything from the Christians, there is one thing that they cannot take away, and that is their faith.

Many religious groups and leaders have called for people to pray for the persecuted Christians in Iraq and Syria, specifically for their survival. Taimoorazy further reflected that after survival, they will also need restoration and then rebuilding.

Father Douglas al-Bazi, a priest who has experienced the wrath of ISIS, warned people of the dangers to come, saying in an interview with Christian Post that the word "genocide" is an understatement. The Islamic State is not only cooking a one-time event. They are rather trying to change history by wiping out an entire people group.
home US Church of Scientology faces lawsuit on forced abortion accusations from former member

A court has ruled that a lawsuit filed against the Church of Scientology on charges of forced abortion can proceed.

The ruling is a legal victory for Laura Ann DeCrescenzo from New Mexico, who fought seven years to have the court hear her case. She said she is also suing the organization for intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment.

At the very young age of six, DeCrescenzo became a member of the Church of Scientology, where she helped as a volunteer. When she turned 12, she left home and went to live in the organization's headquarters in the West Coast, the Pacific Area Command Base or "PAC Base," which is also called the "Big Blue" because of the building's color.

While there, she worked at Sea Org, the organization's religious order, where she signed a billion-year contract that tied her to the organization. DeCrescenzo said she was cut off from her family.

"I wasn't allowed to speak with my family," she revealed at a 2010 press conference, ABC 7 reported. "You're not allowed to have more than twenty dollars on you at any given time."

She received a small weekly pay a up to $50 on good days, but mostly lower than that a for her job, which lasted from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. When she turned 13, she was made to adapt an "adult" work schedule, and her work hours were extended to past midnight. She was constantly deprived of sleep.

She said she was also constantly being watched, and she was not allowed to wander alone.

However, her most traumatic experience with the organization happened when she got pregnant. She said people forced her to have an abortion, telling her the baby was just "tissue" and that it was for "the greatest good." She was told that If she didn't comply, she would lose her husband, her home and her job. She was only 17 at that time.

"I never agreed to have an abortion," DeCrescenzo said. "Did I concede? Yes, I did. Does it kill me every day? Yes, it does."

The forced abortion has caused her "severe emotional stress," she said. She planned to get out of the organization by attempting suicide.

"I actually took a gulp of bleach because I knew that if I was considered a suicide risk, they would get rid of me immediately," she explained. However, she was not able to leave the Church of Scientology until four years later.

DeCrescenzo filed charges against the organization in 2009.

Bert Deixler, the organization's legal counsel, said that the law allows churches to advise a minister to put off having children.

"Under the First Amendment, churches may encourage a minister of a religious order to forego child rearing so she or he may continue a religious life. Courts may not interfere with those efforts," Deixler said.

He filed for the case dismissal, which Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John Doyle denied. Although it took seven years for the lawsuit to proceed, the case can now go to trial.
home World Daily prayer will continue in Canada legislature despite petition to drop it

Saskatchewan Premiere Brad Wall has said daily prayers will continue in the legislature despite calls to have it stopped.

Wall said the Christmas message he gives every year, which is also being petitioned to either be stopped or be made "religiously neutral," will be delivered as usual for as long as he is premiere.

The daily opening prayer has been a part of the routine in the legislature. However, the Centre for Inquiry Canada, said it invades other people's beliefs because it tells them what to pray.

"No one is saying that Christians can't practice their own faith, or Muslims or Hindus or any religion there is. We're fine with people practicing their own faith, but where we start to have concerns is when people come along and tell others what they should or shouldn't believe," David Richards, member of the organization, said according to CBC News.

Richards said the petition was backed by some Christian pastors who agreed that the government should not be telling people how they ought to pray. Richards suggested that, to keep the legislature neutral, people should simply hold a moment of silence instead of pray.

Wall has remained firm in pushing through with the daily prayer, saying that there had been no complaints issued about it. He said "a few people" are asking to have the opening prayer dropped, but those people do not represent the majority of Saskatchewan.

The opening prayer will continue to be a part of the proceedings, he maintained.

"I don't want to see the prayer changed," Wall said, according to another CBC News report. "And I would work against seeing the prayer removed from the legislature. I think it is important and it should continue."

The issue of having opening prayers at government meetings became a much debated issue when the municipal council in Saguenay, Quebec faced a legal battle against complaints to cease the prayers before meetings. In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that the municipal council should stop having opening prayers in their meetings.
home Faith Half of American pastors believe there will be a future Antichrist

Almost half of American pastors believe that the Antichrist is a real person who is already fast approaching. Studies have shown that most of these pastors are Baptists and Pentecostals, as well as those who are considered less educated.

This was the result of a survey conducted by the Southern Baptist Convention's Lifeway Research sponsored by Charisma House Book Group. They interviewed 1,000 Protestant senior pastors and asked them about their beliefs about the return of Christ, the details of rapture, and the Antichrist a basically focusing on end-times theology.

LifeWay Research Vice President Scott McConnell believes that end-times theology is still an interesting yet challenging topic. "Most people want their pastor to preach about the Book of Revelation and the end of the world," McConnell said. "But that's a complicated task. Pastors and the scholars they cite often disagree about how the end times will unfold," he added.

That's pretty much what the survey has shown. There has been much disagreement when it came to the biblical rapture where it is believed that dead Christians will be raised from the dead and join with the living Christians in meeting the Lord up in the clouds. There has also been divisions when it came to the ideas of premillennialism, where it is believed that Christ would rule over the Earth on his second coming.

The only times the pastors shared a remarkable degree of agreement was with the expectation of an Antichrist. Nearly half of the pastors a Baptists and Pentecostals a believe that there will be a future Antichrist. Others who didn't share the same views believe that the Antichrist is only a personification of evil or that the Antichrist has already been here.

Education also played a factor in shaping the pastors' ideas about the Antichrist. Those who have achieved lesser education are more likely to believe in the coming of the Antichrist while those with a master's or doctorate are less likely to share the same view.

"The big picture of Revelation is clear a Jesus returns, people must be ready, evil is defeated," McConnell said about the results. "With the rest of the details, there is room for disagreement," he added.
home US Hillary Clinton vs Donald Trump election news 2016: Trump is a 'loose cannon' & risky choice for president, says Clinton

U.S. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton took quick aim at presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday, saying the United States should not take a risk on an unreliable candidate.

"He is a loose cannon, and loose cannons tend to misfire," Clinton said in an interview with CNN, citing Trump stances including an allegation that climate change was a Chinese hoax.

Clinton, a former secretary of state, said Trump would have to offer policy specifics in ahead of the Nov. 8 presidential election and criticized him for his positions on issues including nuclear weapons and abortion.

"He makes these grand statements and grand accusations," Clinton said of the real estate magnate and former reality TV star. "At some point when you're running for president, you actually have to put a little meat on the bones. You've got to tell people what it is you're going to do and how you're going to do it."

Clinton lost the Democratic primary contest in Indiana on Tuesday but still looks set to win her party's nomination, leading her rival, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, by more than 800 delegates. Trump's win in Indiana on Tuesday pushed his rivals out of the race and left him as the presumptive nominee.

In a preview of the likely general election battle, Clinton laughed when asked if she was ready to take on Trump, saying: "Oh, please."

"This is to me a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who has knocked out of the way all the Republicans because they were just dumbfounded," she said.

Clinton said she knew how to run a campaign against Trump and took a swipe at Trump's 16 Republican presidential rivals who started out in the 2016 campaign.

"They didn't know how to deal with him," Clinton said. "They couldn't take him on the issues because they basically agreed with them. And they didn't know how to counterpunch."

Asked how "scorched-earth" the campaign was likely to be, she replied: "You know, he's the one making that decision. ... He's the one who's run the campaign insulting people, demeaning women, degrading people with disabilities, talking about keeping Muslims out of the country, he's the one that's been running that kind of very negative, aggressive, bullying campaign.

"I'm going to keep staying on the kind of campaign I'm running," she said.
home World India charges two Catholic priests with attempted murder, kidnapping for ransom of bishop

The Indian police arrested two Catholic priests for kidnapping Bishop Prasad Gallela early last week.

The priests, Fathers Raja Reddy and Mohan Reddy, reportedly confessed to committing the crime. Twelve others who were arrested are believed to be members of the gang they hired to kidnap the prelate.

Bishop Gallela, who belongs to the diocese in Cuddapah, Andhra Pradesh, was kidnapped on April 25 while he was on his way home from celebrating Mass. He said his attackers handcuffed him and brought him to "an undisclosed location." There, his kidnappers beat him. His driver was also held captive.

The bishop said the men who kidnapped him demanded him to pay an amount equivalent to $75,000. They also repeatedly asked him about the diocese's financial transactions.

"When I asked who they were, they said they are from the police but police does not behave like this," he told UCA News.

His kidnappers released him and his driver the following day, but not before he agreed to give them $30,000. They were left in a place about 90 kilometers away from his diocese.

When the police conducted an investigation, they discovered that the two priests were involved and were the ones who planned the kidnapping. According to police superintendent Navin Gulati, the two also confessed to four earlier kidnapping attempts.

Gulati said the priests were angry that they got transferred. One of them heads a charity funded by sponsors from overseas and accused Bishop Gallela of mishandling the funds. The prelate's kidnapping was done out of "greed for money and power," Gulati said.

The two priests were charged with kidnapping and attempted murder.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India has not commented on the issue, but spokesperson Father Gyanparakash Topno said it is "shocking" to discover that priests were involved in the crime.

Bishop Gallela, who is still recuperating from his injuries, has yet to release his statement on the issue.
home Faith John Piper encourages Christians to choose burial over cremation

John Piper, founder of desiringgod.com and chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary, encourages Christians to prefer burial over cremation.

In a post on his website desiringgod.com, the pastor shares his views on the matter based on what he has discovered through the Bible. Piper points to Philippians 1:20, a verse that says, "Glorifying God is what the body is for a in life and in death."

Piper writes on this post that "our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit," implying that human bodies should be used for God's glory. The pastor continues to refer to 1 Corinthians 15:37 as well as verses 42a44, saying that people's bodies are destined to be resurrected to glory. Piper believes that burial is like sowing the body as a seed, which is a picture of the body's resurrection.

Cremation is discouraged as it uses fire, which depicts evil and damage, as well as hell. It shows contempt, as Piper writes in his post, and not the glory that the body is destined to have.

Furthermore, fire has always been related to injury or torture. It is not a good picture of how to leave the earth, and Piper believes it is not what the Bible wants to impart.

Nevertheless, Piper clarifies that the option for a burial is not a command but a preference, so as not to condemn people who practice cremation.

Chuck Colson, an evangelical leader and founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries and daily radio commentary "BreakPoint," had said that there were suspicions connected to cremation since it was a practice done by pagans during the early Christian period.

Colson, who passed way in 2012, had told his "BreakPoint" listeners back in 2007, as reported by Christian Post, that Christians buried their dead, and that Jesus' resurrection should inspire people to treat the body, even the deceased body, with respect.
Four years ago, Aubree Honcoop was finishing middle school. And while most students were beginning to gather stomach butterflies in the transition to high school, she had something else in mind.

Honcoop enrolled in college at Montana State University Billings.

"I wanted to become a doctor," she said. "I knew I was interested in the sciences."

A year later, Aubree's sister Bethany followed and also enrolled in college classes. Together, they satisfied their high school and college requirements with high grade marks along the way.

On Saturday, the sisters will graduate from MSUB. Aubree, 18, will finish with degrees in biology and chemistry. Bethany, 17, will have a degree in political science with a minor in psychology. After that, the students are off to more educational endeavors.

"We couldn't stop the progress they were making," said Marissa Honcoop, their mother. "It was kind of like a steamroller."

Dual credit

The Honcoops hail from the Seattle area, where their father, Jeff, once checked off high school and college classes at the same time. They moved to the Huntley/Shepherd area when the older sibling, Aubree, was in the third grade.

Bethany and Aubree said that at the end of middle school, they felt like they wanted more out of the next step. They didn't want to coast through high school if they could help it. Bethany said that their parents were great motivators.

"We encouraged them to work hard and introduced the idea of taking harder classes," Marissa said. "And they were game."

Initially, the Honcoops intended to take dual college and high school credit classes through the Huntley Project school district. Marissa said that the school board of trustees didn't warm to the idea.

Aubree and Bethany were then enrolled as home-schooled high school students. They simultaneously took classes at MSUB through University Connections, its dual-credit program for high school students. They fulfilled their high school requirements while at college.

Becky Lyons, MSUB's director of advising, said that the university's dual enrollment programs have seen lots of growth, especially in recent years. Students can choose to take a few college credits for a head start or, like the Honcoops, dive into the full course load.

"That first semester felt ambitious to me," Aubree said.

After that, it simply became their normal school environment. Bethany followed a year later, but through summer classes she was able to finish in three years, alongside her sister.

Staying grounded

Despite the work, the social aspect of those teenage years weren't lost to the Honcoops. They feel that other than the specific class work, their situation wasn't particularly peculiar.

"Our friends have done a really great job keeping us grounded (and) including us," Bethany said.

This year, Aubree attended prom at Huntley Project High School. This was after being vice president of MSUB's science club and president of the chemistry club.

Bethany said her coursework on constitutional law was especially interesting. She plans to enroll in law school at the University of Arizona, perhaps pursuing family or public interest law areas.

Aubree said that her research work at MSUB was the most interesting, particularly her work on protein expression, which relates to the generation and action of proteins in organisms.

Aubree is looking into M.D.-Ph.D programs, including the possibility of joining Bethany in Arizona. She wants to go into oncology.

But for the moment, the sisters will rest on their hard work as dual high school and college grads.

They're very, very bright and have always been motivated," Marissa said.
home Faith Knights of Columbus raises awareness of Christian persecution in Middle East, Syrian archbishop pleads for help

Archbishop Jean Clement Jeanbart from Syria had asked people at New Haven, Connecticut to help the people in his country. Speaking at an event co-sponsored by the Knights of Columbus on May 1, he shared with the more than 350 people present what is happening to his home in Aleppo.

"They have destroyed the whole city," he said, according to Fox61. "When I think about all that it (Aleppo) was and all that it is now, you may be sure that I cry in my heart."

Around 20 percent of Aleppo is under the control of the Islamic State aka Daesh terrorists, he said, and they intend to erase Christianity in the Middle East. Jeanbart emphasized the need to help the Syrian Christians whose history and ancestry dates back to the time of the Biblical Paul.

"What is important is to help and to save this original group of Christians," he said, as quoted on the Knights of Columbus website. "The Lord wants that. They have been living for 2,000 years among hardships, difficulties and persecutions, and they continue."

Following Secretary of State John Kerry's confirmation that genocide is being committed against Christians and other religious minorities, the Knights of Columbus is helping to raise awareness on the issue. In April, they released a television ad that centers on the needs of Middle Eastern Christians.

"Persecution of Christians in the Middle East has been declared as genocide," the TV commercial says, "but the attacks continue. Christians are still being kidnapped, killed and sold into slavery. Relief efforts are sorely needed a your help is sorely needed."

According to Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson, they have raised around $10.5 million for ad campaigns that put into focus the plight of Christians in the Middle East.

"Are we willing to allow these communities which go back to the time of Christ and the time of the Apostle Paul to become extinguished?" he said. "It is a struggle between humanity and the enemies of humanity. So, we can't make this a secondary issue."

According to non-profit organization Open Doors, the persecution level in Syria is extreme, and the main cause is Islamic extremism. Since the start of the war in 2011, 7.6 million Christians have been displaced. The BBC reported that as of August 2015, the United Nations estimated at least a quarter of a million Syrians have died, while 4.5 million have fled and 6.5 million were internally displaced. Fox16 says that at last 1,000 people were killed last year simply because they were Christians.
home Entertainment 'Last Days in the Desert' movie focuses on the human side of Jesus, says Ewan McGregor

"Last Days in the Desert," a film that focuses on the temptation of Jesus Christ, will be shown in cinemas on a limited release on May 13. Prior to its screening, lead actor Ewan McGregor shared his thoughts about the movie.

"The film is very much about the human side of Jesus, because I don't know how you go about shooting the divine side," McGregor said during an interview with the Daily News.

The film is set during Jesus' stay in the desert for 40 days, praying and fasting. The imagined chapter that the movie centers on shows him on his way out of the desert when he meets a father and son who are in need of guidance. Yoshua (Jesus' name in Hebrew) struggles with the Devil over the fate of the ordinary family as he finds himself facing human conflicts.

"I did quite a bit of research on Jesus going in ... reading all these books about who Jesus was and who he wasn't and that wasn't helpful to me," he said. He found his character after he stopped reading, saying, "I just started to think about a man who was communicating with his father, and was frustrated with the lack of response."

McGregor plays the role of Jesus as well as the devil. The 45-year-old actor explained that the latter role could have been given to another actor or it could have been presented as a classical creature with horns.

"But because the devil's role in the story is to mess with Yoshua ... how do you not trust the words that seem to be coming out of your own mouth?" he said.

.@larissenach Thank you! I feel like I'm very much discovering the character along with you. #AskRR  Richard Rankin (@RikRankin) December 17, 2016

Film director and screenwriter Rodrigo Garcia, according to the report, said that Jesus and his followers were poor whose environment was harsh; thus, he didn't go for the starry-eyed, clean-robed look the way Jesus was portrayed in some other New Testament-based films.

"Jesus and his followers were very poor and lived in a harsh environment so out there 40 days in the desert he is all but a homeless man," he said.

Garcia also went to different places to find the right desert to shoot the film in, even considering Israel, but eventually decided to go for the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southern California.

"There was no cell signal out there, it was just very peaceful," McGregor said. "Between setups all the actors would sit in the desert and look at the sky."

Apart from McGregor ("Moulin Rouge," "The Ghost Writer"), "Last Days in the Desert" also stars CiarAn Hinds (Mance Rayder in "Game of Thrones") as the father, Ayelet Zurer (Superman's biological mother in "Man of Steel") as the mother, and Tye Sheridan (young Cyclops in "X-Men: Apocalypse) as the son. Cinematography was done by Emmanuel Lubezki, who won three Academy awards for "Gravity," "Birdman," and "The Revenant."
home World Billy Graham: Mission trips beneficial to Christians

Rev. Billy Graham, a famous Baptist minister, wrote a post saying that mission trips are of great help to Christians.

In his post for the Kansas City Star, Graham, who is now 97 years old, encouraged parents to allow their children to experience taking part in mission trips abroad. He explained that these trips prove to be advantageous to young Christians, and taking on such trips is one of the most memorable experiences a person can have.

Christians in other places go through depressing moments where they feel that they are isolated. They feel that people do not really care about their existence. Having visitors from other countries would make them feel better. It gives them enlightenment and boosts their emotional status. The Baptist minister said these while comparing the scenario to Saint Paul's disciple Timothy's visits to other Christians.

The experience does not only leave a touching mark on the group being visited, Graham said in the post, but it also gives the visitors good outlook about sharing their life and time with others, most especially those who belong to a different culture.

The minister also wrote that most people who get involved in such trips may have never experienced what others have experienced such as hardships, poverty, and life challenges. These mission trips allow their mind to expand so they can see through God's eyes.

Some young Christian celebrities have also tried going to such trips. Among them are Sadie Robertson, who went to Guatemala to donate rainboots to hundreds of children with the boot company Roma, and Jill Duggar, who went to South America for a missionary work together with her husband, Derick Dillard and infant son, Israel.

Duggar stated on the Dillard Family website that it felt like God was calling them to work overseas by going on mission trips on long term basis. They prayed about it and God put the desire in their hearts. So when God opened an opportunity for them, they grabbed it and went on with God's plan for their lives.
home World Philippine elections 2016 news: Watchdog says campaigns the 'most terrible' yet

A Philippine non-partisan organization that works to make sure the elections are held without fraud said this year's election campaign season has been the "most terrible" in the country so far.

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), which is affiliated with the Roman Catholic church, expressed disappointment at how the candidates have gone about their campaign strategies, resorting to "negative campaigning and rhetoric" and using "accusations and character assassinations" to their advantage.

Such strategies, PPCRV said, are confusing the voters.

"I'm sad to say that it's only now that we experienced this terrible campaigning. Never had there been a time when the elections have been subjected to such vicious campaigning," PPCRV head Henrietta de Villa said, as reported by UCA News.

PPCRV has actively participated in voters' education activities in Catholic communities in the Philippines. In the present election season, de Villa said it seems like the candidates need more education than the voters.

"It seems that good manners and right conduct don't matter anymore," she stated, adding that nothing else seems to matter but "to win at all cost."

With just a few days before the Philippine elections, the heat of the campaigns has intensified. Among the presidentiables alone, many issues have surfaced in the last two weeks.

One of them, Rodrigo Duterte, who has been leading the polls and has made international headlines because of his joke about a rape victim and comments about cutting ties with the U.S. and Australia, has been accused of having several bank accounts with billions of pesos. Duterte's appeal to the masses was that he lived a simple life and lived in a simple home unlike other government officials.

Recently, a senatorial candidate said he is filing charges against two presidential candidates, Grace Poe and Mar Roxas, on the basis of vote buying. Another presidential candidate, Jejomar Binay, is facing investigations for graft and corruption.

The Philippine elections 2016 will be held on Monday, May 9.
home Life Pope Francis asks Christians to ponder on spiritual journey

Pope Francis, during the the morning mass at the Santa Marta residence at the Vatican on Tuesday, spoke about the many Christians who are confused, and categorized them into: the "mummified" or motionless ones; the stubborn; the vagabond; and the half-way Christians or those who stop in the middle of the journey.

In his homily, the Pope reflected on Jesus' words, "I am the Way," and according to Radio Vaticana, he told those who were present that Christians need to follow Jesus consistently. However, some get held back, and these confused ones are unable to continue on their Christian journey.

The Christians who stay still and don't move forward are what he called "non-Christian Christians." One can't tell what they are since they are Christians, he said, but are slightly paganized. These people don't move forward in their spiritual lives and "don't make the Beatitudes bloom in their lives."

"Excuse me for saying it, but they are like an (embalmed) mummy," the pope said, "a spiritual mummy there. There are Christians who are 'spiritual mummies,' motionless, there. They don't do evil but they don't do good deeds."

The stubborn Christians, meanwhile, are those who know that they are moving forward in the wrong path but stil insist that it's the right way to go. These refuse to listen to God, who tells them that they're going in the wrong direction.

The vagabond Christians, on the other hand, are the wanderers in their spiritual lives -- those who move forward in their journey but don't really know where they're going. They have lost the call of Jesus and don't have a compass to find the way out.

"They lose their way because they are constantly turning and often this turning is wrong and takes them to a dead end," the pope explained. "Turning so many times, (the road) becomes a labyrinth and then they don't know how to get out."

Finally, the half-way Christians are those who get distracted, become fascinated, and are seduced by human things -- it might be an object, an idea, a proposal, or a landscape. He said that Christian life is not a fascination; rather, it's the truth.

As he drew to a close, he asked his listeners to check their own lives to see if they, too, have stopped along the way or if they are still following Jesus.

"Today let us ponder this question just for five minutes," Pope Francis said. "How am I doing on this Christian journey? Am I standing still, making mistakes, turning here and there, stopping in front of the things that I like, or (am I following) Jesus who said 'I who am the Way'?"
home World Second refugee seeking asylum in Australia sets herself ablaze

A refugee from Somalia who was being detained on an island in the Pacific set herself ablaze on Monday, and the Australian government is putting the blame on refugee advocates, who it says have encouraged asylum seekers to self-harm.

"The recent behaviors in Nauru are not protests against living conditions," said Immigration Minister Peter Dutton at a news conference on Tuesday, as quoted in a Reuters report. "They aren't protests against health care, they aren't protests against the lack of financial support."

He said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, that refugee advocates have been "encouraging some of these people to behave in a certain way, believing that that pressure exerted on the Australian Government will see a change in our policy in relation to our border protection measures."

The young Somali woman, reported to be either 19 or 21 years old and who is now in critical condition, is being treated at a hospital in Australia. She was staying at a detention camp in Nauru. Prior to her self-immolation, a 23-year-old man from Iraq had done the same thing in front of United Nations officials. He was taken to an Australian hospital but later died.

"We are distressed that refugees are attempting such dreadful acts in order to attempt to influence the Australian Government's immigration policies," said the Nauru government in a statement, as reported by SMH. The refugees, it said, have the same freedoms as the locals and "their conditions are better than most other refugee camps across the world."

The offshore processing center in Nauru is one of the places where asylum seekers are sent after being intercepted trying to get to Australia by means of people smugglers. They are taken to these remote processing centers and are reportedly told that they would never get to settle in Australia. A similar camp located on Manus Island was ruled as illegal by the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea, reported Reuters, and was shut down last week.

The conditions in the camps are said to be harsh and, according to reports, child abuse happens within their borders. Some of the people are said to have stayed there for months. With this, Australia has been criticized for its strict immigration policies.

"There is no doubt that the current policy of offshore processing and prolonged detention is immensely harmful," said the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Australia. "There are approximately 2000 very vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru. These people have already been through a great deal, many have fled war and persecution, some have already suffered trauma."

However, the Australian government remains firm with their policies. Asylum-seekers in Nauru are allowed to settle in Cambodia, and those in Manus Island are welcomed to stay in Papua New Guinea, but only if they are willing.
home US List of colleges seeking Title IX religious exemption from transgender rules released by U.S. education department

The U.S. Department of Education has finally granted the petition of activist groups such as those supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) to release the list of colleges and universities that sought to gain Title IX religious exemption from transgender rules.

The education department's website lists 232 colleges that have been granted exemptions and 31 still pending. The LGBT activist groups refer to this list as the "Shame List" and is intended to be used in their anti-discrimination campaign.

Human Rights Campaign share the same opinion that the religious exemption will put transgender and gay students at risk. "Many LGBT students may find themselves enrolled at schools that are granted the legal right to discriminate against them partway through their degree program," HRC stated in their report last December, adding "Students should have the opportunity to make determinations about school attendance based on full information regarding a university's ability to legally discriminate against the student."

As stated in the Title IX: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." The outgoing Obama administration has made it clear that this law also applies to transgender individuals who may be subject to sex discrimination.

Moreover, a religious exemption is attached to this statute, giving schools affiliated to a denomination the freedom to practice their religious tenets without being liable to the Title IX.

It is this religious exemption that sent colleges scrambling to the Department of Education for a request to be exempted. Schools need only make an official request and the exemption will automatically be granted since no government branch or agency is authorized by law to deny it. The Obama administration has ruled out that only nondenominational evangelical schools may not obtain an exemption.
home Faith Target stock prices in dramatic fall after more than a million peple boycott store over transgender bathroom policy

More than a million shoppers have pledged to boycott the retail company due to a bathroom policy that allowed its transgender customers and employees to use the bathroom according to their gender identity. This boycott has led to a dramatic fall in Target's stock prices from $84.10 per share on April 19 when the announcement was made to about $79.36 just last Friday.

In a public statement released, Target has clearly made its stand regarding the issue of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) and gender equality with its inclusive bathroom policy. "In our stores, we demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways. Most relevant for the conversations currently underway, we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity," Target has then announced and added, "Everyone deserves to feel like they belong. And you'll always be accepted, respected and welcomed at Target."

Conservative groups and most prominently the Christian activist group American Family Association spearheaded the boycott campaign as they believe that Target's bathroom policy will only pose as a threat to their wives and daughters.

The group's president Tim Wildmon wrote in their online petition, "Target's policy is exactly how sexual predators get access to their victims. And with Target publicly boasting that men can enter women's bathrooms, where do you think predators are going to go?"

The Family Policy Institute of Washington also released a statement stating that the drop in Target's stock prices is indicative of just how much the American people are uncomfortable with the policy.

The group believes that the consumers' boycott makes Target lose its appeal to the investors and may even trigger companies to ultimately cease doing business with the giant retailer.

In a response to the company's dramatic fall in stock prices and the boycott that triggered it, Target said in a statement to Today that the company still believes they're doing the right thing with its inclusive bathroom policy.
home US Ted Cruz responds to Caitlyn Jenner as transgender bathroom war escalates

Ted Cruz has dismissed Caitlyn Jenner's criticism regarding his take on the controversial North Carolina transgender bathroom bills.

Maintaining his stand that transgenders should use bathrooms according to the gender specified on their birth certificate and not on the gender they identify with, Cruz said his primary concern is not the "Caitlyn Jenners of the world," but people who can take advantage of girls in the restrooms.

He cited a law that political rival Donald Trump, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Pres. Barack Obama reportedly want to pass, which states that "any adult man can go into a girl's restroom if he feels like a woman at that minute."

Such a bill, he said, "opens the door for predators."

"This is not a matter of right or left, or Democrat or Republican. This is common sense. It doesn't make sense for grown adult men, strangers, to be alone in a restroom with a little girl," Cruz told CNN.

In a video posted on her Facebook page, Jenner criticized Ted Cruz after using the women's bathroom at Trump Tower. Last month, Donald Trump was quoted as saying he would allow Jenner to use whatever bathroom she liked in any of his buildings.

On Wednesday, April 27, the reality TV star went to Trump Tower in response to Trump's offer. The video shows her entering the building, searching for the restrooms and entering the women's restroom. When he went out, he left a message for both Trump and Cruz.

"Thank you, Donald. I really appreciate it," Jenner said. "By the way, Ted, nobody got molested."

The fight over transgender bathroom rights has intensified since North Carolina passed into law the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (House Bill 2) last month, which mandates transgenders to use bathrooms based on the gender assigned to them at birth and not the gender they identify with.
home World Zimbabwe's National Schools Pledge sparks outrage among Christians

The Zimbabwe government introduced the new National Schools Pledge on May 3, but the reaction has not been positive. Christians have expressed outrage, but the government defended the pledge.

"The wording of the Pledge is actually derived from the preamble [of the Constitution]," said Primary and Secondary Education permanent secretary Dr. Sylvia Utete-Masango, as quoted by The Herald. "This is part and parcel of the new curriculum. We are trying to strengthen the issues to do with our value system, heritage and who we are as a people. The new curriculum is underpinned by a philosophy."

Zimbabwe's new National Schools Pledge goes: "Almighty God, in whose hands our future lies, I salute the national flag. Respecting the brave fathers and mothers who lost lives in the Chimurenga/Umvukela. We are proud inheritors of the richness of our natural resources. We are proud creators and participants in our vibrant traditions and cultures. So I commit to honesty and the dignity of hard work."

Non-government organization Progressive Teachers Union Zimbabwe said in a Facebook post in March that the pledge violates the constitutional rights of the children, apart from violating the teachings and principles of the Bible.

Among other things, the group said that kids are not in the age in which they can make vows and oaths, but that is what the pledge is -- a solemn vow or commitment -- and the government is forcing the kids to make that promise. The group also said that the Bible instructs Christians not to swear, which is what authorities are making the kids do.

Furthermore, the groups explained that the pledge violates the Constitution's Right to Freedom of Conscience. Quoting Chapter 4 Section 60 (2), the group wrote: "No person may be compelled to make an oath that is contrary to their religion or belief or take an oath in a manner that is contrary to their religion or belief."

In late April, the group has announced that they have officially rejected the pledge.

According to The Herald, two litigation cases have been filed by Christians at the High Court against the pledge. The complainants reportedly claim that it promotes ancestral worship and is an offense to their faith, as well as violates both the Bible and the Constitution. Moreoever, the report quoted a critic as saying that "there is an agenda to bring Islam into institutions of learning," and a strategic document is allegedly ready to be implemented.
Tuesday election results brought disappointment to public education advocates in Yellowstone County where voters turned down six of eight levies.

In Custer Public Schools, 62 voters said yes to a building reserve levy and 13 said no, according to the district clerk. The approved levy will provide $21,000 annually for 10 years.

In Blue Creek Elementary district, 444 voters supported the districts $50,000 levy request, while 310 were against, according to unofficial results from the Yellowstone County Elections Department. Blue Creek school leaders asked for money to fund an additional teacher and other school operating costs.

In Billings Public Schools, the elementary levy request garnered 14,223 votes for and 15,131 votes against. The high school levy received 16,641 votes for, and 18,203 against. Together, the levies would have raised about $2 million next year to help educated 16,300 students.

Without the levy, more Billings high school students will be in overcrowded lab classes next fall. Without the levy, some K-8 students will have to wait another year or longer for innovative, hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) classes in their schools.

Support your schools

Despite these setbacks, we expect our local public schools will do absolutely the best job possible with the resources they have.

Meanwhile, all of us who support quality public education can help. Volunteer in your local schools, contribute as you can. The Partners in Education Program, which pairs local businesses with Billings schools, is needed now more than ever to match volunteers with student needs. The work of the Foundation for Billings Public Schools is more vital, providing classroom grants and spearheading Project Lead the Way to raise private donations for the K-8 STEM program.

The defeat of levies in Billings, Canyon Creek, Elder Grove, Pioneer and Independent school districts Tuesday continues the trend seen in our county in the past two years when most school levies went down. Three years ago, Billings voters approved three K-8 levies.

Passage in Bozeman

The Tuesday election story is very different in Gallatin County where the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported that all school levy issues passed. That included a $25 million bond issue to expand Belgrade High School. A six-year $9.9 million levy for Bozeman school repairs passed, along with elementary and high school operating levies. Bozeman school district plans to ask voters next year for money to build a second high school. Voters also approved levies in Big Sky, Anderson, Gallatin Gateway and Monforton districts.

After election results came in, Billings Superintendent Terry Bouck said that no existing services would be cut because of the vote. But he said the 2016 levies were part of the districts strategic plan, which will have to be reviewed.

It would make everyone happier if voted operating levies werent part of school strategic plans. But state law says that part of school funding can only come from voter-approved property tax levies. Explaining and understanding that fact is a crucial step in gaining local school support.

Theres more work to do in Billings and Yellowstone County.
Bangladesh Islamist party leader to hang for war crimes

Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a final appeal from the leader of the top Islamist party against death sentence for atrocities committed during the 1971 war of independence, lawyers said, meaning he could be hanged at any time.

The Supreme Court in January upheld the death penalty for Motiur Rahman Nizami, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, for genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of top intellectuals during the 1971 war.

Nizami, 73, a former legislator and minister under Khaleda Zia when she was prime minister, has been in jail since 2010 when he was charged with war crimes by the tribunal set up by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that year.

The war crimes tribunal has sparked violence and drawn criticism from opposition politicians, including leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, that it is victimising Hasina's political opponents.

No Peace Without Justice, a non-profit organisation based in Italy, has called the tribunal's proceedings "a weapon of politically influenced revenge whose real aim is to target the political opposition".

The government denies the accusations.

East Pakistan broke away to become independent Bangladesh after the war between India and Pakistan. About three million people were killed.

The verdict comes as the Muslim-majority nation has seen a surge in militant violence in which atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers have been killed.

In the last month alone, five people, including a university teacher, two gay activists and a Hindu have been hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants.

The government has blamed the increase in Islamist violence on Jamaat-e-Islami, but the group denies any link to the attacks.

Four opposition politicians, including three Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, have been convicted by the war crimes tribunal and executed since late 2013.
Christian pastor murdered after helping North Korean refugees

A Chinese pastor has been killed on the North Korea-China border after a lifetime dedicated to helping refugees.

Han Choong Yeol's body was found riddled with stab and axe wounds on April 30. He was killed by North Korean spies, according to the persecution charity Open Doors.

Han had left his home town of Changbai on the Chinese side of the Sino-Korean border at midday and when he had not returned later that afternoon, a large search operation was launched.

His body was discovered around 8pm.

Han's colleagues desribed him as "extremely passionate for North Koreans" and he regularly helped refugees from the authoritarian state with food, medicine and clothes. According to Open Doors Han knew his life was in danger after a deacon at his church was kidnapped in November 2014 and never returned.

"His ministry came with a price," said the charity in a statement.

Han was 49 when he died and left behind a wife, a son and a daughter.

Up to 70,000 Christians are estimated to be imprisoned in North Korean labour camps and Open Doors ranks the country as the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian. Faith is illegal and all Christians face torture, imprisonment and even death if they are caught worshipping.
Church will allow same-sex weddings in my lifetime - Scottish Tory leader

Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, has predicted gay church weddings will happen in her lifetime.

Davidson is the first openly gay leader of the Scottish Tories and a member of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. In a wide-ranging interview with Pink News she said the Church had "come a really long way in a short time and we already have practising ministers in Scotland who are openly gay".

She acknowledged the decision was ultimately one for the Church's general assembly.

"I believe I'll see it in my lifetime, absolutely," she added. "I certainly hope so.

"The Church has come a long way very fast. It still has a long way to go but it's absolutely going in the right direction. I'm very hopeful I'll be able to see gay church weddings in my lifetime."

The Church of Scotland has a constitutional commitment to respect the "liberty of opinion in points which do not enter into the substance of the Faith". Unlike the Church of England, it allows ministers in civil partnerships to be appointed. At its 2016 General Assembly, which begins on May 21, the CoS is set to vote on whether to extend this acceptance to ministers in same-sex marriages.

However ahead of a decision on whether to allow same-sex weddings in churches, the CoS has asked its theological forum to report on the theology of same-sex marriage. The forum's report is not likely to be considered until the Church of Scotland's general assembly in 2017.

A Church of Scotland spokesman said: "It would be premature to try to predict either what the report will say or how the Assembly will decide."

Davidson has led the Scottish Tories for five years and is up against Labour's Kezia Dugdale and the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon at the elections for Scottish Parliament on Thursday.

David Robertson, moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, said: "It's hardly surprising that Ruth Davidson supports SSM and, as a member of the Church of Scotland, she thinks the church should do so as well. It is likely that the Church of Scotland Assembly will vote this May to allow ministers to be in same sex marriages, which means that any commission seeking to look at whether ordinary members can is pretty pointless. They can hardly say it's alright for ministers but not for members!

"The whole situation is an example of the Church following the culture, rather than challenging and leading it. Ruth Davidson thinks this is progress and the church is advancing. But the Church of Scotland is losing tens of thousands of members every year (this year they are down to 350,000). It is in sharp decline. I suspect that the two issues are related. As William Ralph Inge famously quipped, 'Whoever marries the spirit of this age will find himself a widower in the next'."
Deputy IDF chief: Today's Israel is like pre-holocaust Europe

The Deputy Chief of the Israel Defence Force (IDF) has compared current trends in Israeli society to those in pre-Holocaust Europe, the Times of Israel reports.

Speaking at an event to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day on Wednesday, IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj Gen Yair Golan warned against what he saw as "growing callousness and indifference towards those outside of mainstream Israeli society".

He also called for a "thorough consideration" of how society treats the disadvantaged and "the other" in its midst.

The Times of Israel described the speech as "strongly worded" and "uncommon for a military commander".

In the speech Golan said the Holocaust should bring Israelis to "a deep reflection" of the character of man but of their character as well.

He said: "It should bring us to deeply consider the responsibility of leadership, and the quality of a society."

But he added: "If there is something that frightens me in the memory of the Holocaust, it is identifying horrifying processes that occurred in Europe...70, 80 and 90 years ago and finding evidence of their existence here in our midst, today, in 2016.

"There is nothing easier than hating the other. There is nothing easier than raising fears and sowing terror. There is nothing easier than becoming callous, morally corrupt and hypocritical."

The Times reported that Golan specifically touched upon the issue of moral flaws within the army, saying the strength of the IDF was its ability to thoroughly investigate and punish wrongdoers "and take responsibility for the good and the bad," without justifying their actions or attempting to cover them up.

"We believe truly in the justness of our path, but not everything we do is just," he said.

Education Minister and Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett called for Golan to withdraw his words.

"A moment before our soldiers are compared to Nazis, with 'endorsement' from up high  the deputy chief of staff has erred and must rectify it immediately," he said.

Jewish Home MK Bezalel Smotrich also criticised the speech: "What frightens me is absurd and twisted comparisons that taint the memory of the Holocaust, particularly when they come from important figures such as the deputy chief of staff."

But opposition leader Isaac Herzog supported Golan and tweeted: "The malcontents who will now begin railing at him should know: This is what morality and responsibility sound like."
Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton: Why evangelicals are facing a painful dilemma

The presumed victory of Donald Trump in the race for the Republican Party nomination for the US presidency has left many evangelicals floundering. In Ted Cruz they saw someone who was morally upright and who ticked all the right boxes on the moral issues they held dear: gay marriage, transgenderism, abortion and religious discrimination. Furthermore, he is a sincere Christian who spoke their language as a native.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, is none of these things. His religious commitment is questionable, as are his sexual ethics, and he is a very late convert to the pro-life camp. As well as his inflammatory language and vulgarity, these are characteristics that will make many churchgoing evangelicals struggle to warm to him.

However, they have no love for his presumed opponent either. Hillary Clinton, for many, is tainted by her association with her husband, whose popularity with the electorate was barely dented by the Monica Lewinski affair. Republicans have been relentless in attacking her over the 2012 Benghazi killings, which saw the murder of US ambassador Christopher Stevens. Most of all, evangelicals struggle with her support for maintaining abortion rights and opposing attacks on Planned Parenthood. She is presented as untrustworthy and unlikeable.

As Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said in his podcast yesterday: "Christians in the United States are now going to face a very excruciating set of decisions. Many of us are going to be facing the reality that if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee and Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, we will not be able to vote in good conscience for either."

In a thoughtful response to Cruz' withdrawal, Prof Bruce Ashford of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary said the 2016 election "an almost-irreplaceable opportunity for evangelicals to redefine ourselves and regain our witness". He said Trump's candidacy offered the chance for evangelicals to criticise both front-runners and would "show that Christian wisdom often defies traditional social and political categories such as Democratic and Republican". He also argued that it was possible to broaden its moral appeal from purely a concern for the unborn to concern for immigrants, refugees and the poor, and that evangelicals could help to heal a "toxic" political culture.

Russell Moore, who has been a fierce critic of Donald Trump, told Baptist Press: "This is a time for Christians to be sober-minded about where our ultimate citizenship and allegiance are located. No amount of political power can fill the void left by abandoning our Christian convictions, so we must keep praying  both for our country's political process and for our churches, that we would be faithful embassies of the kingdom."

However, other prominent evangelicals were more sanguine about a Trump presidency. His supporter Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, told Baptist Press: "Look, people may have their doubts about Donald Trump's pro-life conversion and his commitment to appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court. But as I often say, Hillary Clinton doesn't even claim a pro-life conversion and there's absolutely no doubt about what kind of Supreme Court justices she's going to nominate."

While most polls have Hillary Clinton  still, in spite of a continuing strong challenge from Bernie Sanders, the probable Democratic nomination  beating Trump in a head-to-head, nothing can be ruled out after his remarkable rise. He has unquestionably played on xenophobia, racism and sexism, but he has also tapped into genuine issues about jobs and a sense of unease about America's place in the world. The question for evangelicals is whether they will be willing to overlook his serious moral failings in favour of what they believe is his ability to deliver a better quality of life and a greater sense of security.

However, many Christians see genuine dangers in a Trump presidency and are using language of a kind rarely heard in American elections. In a column for RNS, evangelical ethicist David Gushee writes of a call to resist Trump signed by leading theologians and activists, and says: "I am personally heartened that many Americans, including many Republicans and many of my fellow evangelicals, have in their own ways communicated a deep, visceral, fundamental sense that this particular candidate represents a unique kind of danger. I am hopeful that the resistance of decent folk will, in the end, keep him out of the White House."

But he is not sure, and at this stage, neither is anyone else.

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
Homeless Jesus sculptor: Don't edit Jesus out of London's landscape

The 'Homeless Jesus' statue, planned for the pavement outside Methodist Central Hall Westminster but banned by Westminster City Council, is "a statement about what's happening in London", according to its sculptor Tim Schmalz.

The statue, a version of which has just been installed in the Vatican, depicts a life-sized figure sleeping on a park bench, covered with a blanket, his exposed feet bearing nail marks of crucifixion. Versions exist in the Vatican, Toronto, Washington DC and Madrid.

After St Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square rejected it as inappropriate, the historic Methodist Central Hall asked the Council for permission but was turned down on the grounds that it would "fail to maintain or improve (preserve or enhance) the character or appearance of the Westminster Abbey and Parliament Square Conservation Area".

Schmalz told Christian Today that the number of homeless people in the Westminster area  there are an estimated 265 rough sleepers  made the statue a highly relevant addition to the building's frontage. He rejected the council's claim that the area was already saturated with monuments, saying: "It's a modest park bench against a wall and would not create a negative impression. Where we wanted to place it would merge into the church  it's something you would discover as you were walking by."

He said the council's decision was an attempt to "edit out of the visual landscape" an image that was based purely on Christian values.

A petition to get the council to change its mind has so far attracted more than 1,600 signatures.

The superintendent minister of the Central Hall, Rev Dr Martyn Atkins, told Christian Today that it would be appealing to the appropriate body. "Our appeal will be based on the fact that hundreds of people have signed our petition and that we believe the judgment of the council is wrong," he said, adding that "the figure of Jesus is welcomed by huge numbers of people, including those who do not own the name of Christian."

When the rejection of the application was announced Westminster City Council said: "We welcome public art and sculptures in Westminster. However, there are traditionally a large number of applications for monuments and memorials in Parliament Square and the surrounding area and it reached saturation point some years ago when the council introduced a policy of no further statues being allowed in this area."
Huawei honor 5C specs, release date news: Phone has premium features but with mid-range price

Huawei's follow-up to its honor 4C is now available, in China for now. The honor 5C specs are almost similar to some flagship phones, but its price range is intended for the mid-range market, roughly US$139.

The Chines tech giant launched their premium phone, the P9 and the P9 Plus, early last month, but it didn't take long to release another for its mid-range lineup. The honor 5C offers a 5.2-inch display screen with 1920 x 1080 screen resolution. It gives out 423 ppi pixel density and offers 10-point touch screen.

Huawei's mid-range phone contains a homegrown SoC chip, HiSilicon Kirin 650, which is an octa-core processor, four cores running at 2.0 GHz and another four at 1.7 Ghz. It is then then paired with a Mali T830 GPU. It comes equipped with 2GB of RAM and a non-removable 3,000-mAh battery, said to offer up to 25 days on a standby mode.

Internal storage is pegged at 16GB, but expandable up to 128GB by a microSD card via its second SIM slot. An 8MP camera is on the front while the back contains a 13MP camera, both having a BSI sensor and f/2.0 aperture lenses.

The honor 5C is enclosed in an aircraft-grade aluminum shell that offers superior protection, but still nice to the touch with its ergonomic rounded design. It also features a BOX integrated sound chamber, independent smart PA amplifier and SWS sound tuning algorithm, which is meant to offer great sound quality.

Huawei also boast its fingerprint sensor, located below the main camera that can unlock the phone in 0.5 seconds. Out of the box, it has an Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system, with EMUI 4.1 user interface on top.

The 3G variant is at 888 Yuan, which is around US$139, while the 4G variant is priced at 999 Yuan, roughly US$154. One can choose from black, silver and gold for its colors.

Huawei has not issued any statement if it plans to offer the honor 5C in Europe and North America, but sooner or later, online stores will be offering them as well.
Imam accused by Cameron of supporting ISIS: I wish I could sue him

Suliman Gani, the imam at the centre of a row between David Cameron and Sadiq Khan, has said he wishes he could sue the Prime Minister.

The south London cleric has dominated the London mayoral campaign. He was labelled an ISIS supporter by Cameron in an attempt to link Khan, Labour's candidate for London Mayor, to extremists.

At Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) on Wednesday, Cameron said: "He [Gani] describes women as subservient to men, he said that homosexuality was an unnatural act.

"He stood on a platform with people who wanted an Islamic state."

This followed another PMQs on April 20 where Cameron said: "This man [Gani] supports IS."

Gani responded by saying the allegations were "preposterous". In an embarrassing turn for Cameron it emerged Gani was a Conservative supporter who had previously been invited to an event encouraging Muslims to stand as Tory councillors.

He told ITV: "I do not [support Islamic State] and I categorically state that if the Prime Minister had to say those very same words outside parliament I would sue him.

"I have categorically condemned Islamic State."

He continued: "I'm really, really upset. I'm deeply shocked - I am gobsmacked. Why am I singled out given that I have a track record on showing peaceful co-existence?

"I have been working, engaging with all parliamentarians, cross party parliamentarians.

"Why am I being singled out to be labelled by Zac Goldsmith to be the most repellent figure in the UK?"

During the ITV interview Gani accepted he is unable to launch a libel case because of rules which safeguard MPs' freedom of speech.

The exchange at PMQs centred on allegations of anti-Semitism within the Labour party. Corbyn rebutted the accusations and told Cameron to reflect on the way Zac Goldsmith's campaign for London mayor smeared Labour candidate Sadiq Khan, who is a Muslim. He accused the Conservatives of running a "repulsive campaign of hate" against Khan.

Corbyn went on to say Labour has set up an inquiry into antisemitism and Cameron should follow suit and set up one into racism in the Tory party.
Man files restraining order against God

We all have times when we might feel God is against us. But one man in Israel thinks God is particularly mean to him.

So he has sought a restraining order against the divine from the Haifa Magistrate's Court.

The story was first reported on the Walla news site on Wednesday and says the request was made by a resident of Haifa, a port city in northern Israel.

The man represented himself in court. No attorney for God was present and the protocol for the hearing noted God did not turn up. But the report in Times of Israel pointed out the court did not specify how it ruled the divine was not present and not merely exercising the right to remain silent.

The claimant said he had tried to obtain a restraining order from police ten times but that police had simply sent a patrol car to his house. Details of precisely what God had done to him was not mentioned in the report.

Judge Ahsan Canaan, who presided over the case, dismissed it as ludicrous. He said the man needed help that the court could not provide.

The Times of Israel notes: "The report did not include a response on the outcome from any of the multitude of available spokespeople on behalf of the Lord."
Pakistan: Christians protest plan to demolish four churches

Four churches are set to be torn down to make way for a train line in Lahore, Pakistan, plans which campaigners say "belittle Christians".

Christians protested in front of the Lahore High Court on May 3, insisting that they would not allow their places of worship to be destroyed.

They chanted slogans including "we don't give an inch of our holy places" and "we want our rights".

Four churches in Lahore will be affected - Cathedral Church, Naulakha Church, St Andrew's Church and Bohar Wala Church.

"There is no respite for them and one problem after the other seems to follow Pakistani Christians," said Nasir Saeed, director of CLAAS-UK.

On Easter Sunday a suicide bombing in a Lahore park killed 72 people. It was the deadliest attack in Pakistan since the massacre of 134 children at a military school in Peshawar in December 2014.

"The Christians who are still in mourning after the Easter Sunday attack and are still trying to deal with that trauma, are now faced with the issue of the demolition of their four historic churches in Lahore... the province where Christians suffer most," Saeed said.

"These churches were built pre-Pakistan and these all churches are located at very expensive and prime locations which politicians and Islamists are jealous of. They cannot stand that Christians have such prime property and ... so try to use any excuse to grab the land and belittle Christians."

Saeed criticised what many Pakistani Christians see as the failure of the government to protect religious minorities.

"The Government shouldn't play with Christians' religious feelings and should avoid further aggrieving pressurizing the Christian minority of Pakistan," he said.

A new report released on Monday by the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) found that the Pakistani government last year "continued to perpetrate and tolerate systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations".

USCIRF has recommended Pakistan be designated a 'country of particular concern' by the US since 2002 and its new report is damning about Pakistan's failures. "For years, the Pakistani government has failed to protect citizens, minority and majority alike, from sectarian and religiously-motivated violence," it said.

"Pakistani authorities also have failed to consistently bring perpetrators to justice or take action against societal actors who incite violence."
It is a privilege to serve since 1999 as your county commissioner. Previously, I was a teacher and administrator in the Adult Education Center for the Billings Public Schools. Both careers allowed me to help people.

Accomplishments as commissioners, we:

1. Rebuilt the Rimrock arena at MetraPark following the tornado.

2. Constructed a new 116-head stalling barn.

3. With the help of the U.S. Marines, rebuilt the Riverside Cemetery. Those who die without means now have a respectful final resting place.

4. Expanded the countys GIS and Data Information System to become one of the most interactive in the state.

5. Insured that the James F. Battin Federal Courthouse would remain located downtown by moving county parking spaces off site.

6. Yellowstone County has 1,500 miles of roads from Custer to near Park City. I work to insure adequate funding to support a high level of service to you the taxpayer.

Goals:

1. Public safety is a must. The police arrest, judges sentence, and counties are responsible for housing inmates. Our jail is well beyond capacity. There is immediate need for a larger womens wing. The June ballot seeks authority to obtain a local bank loan to construct a womens wing. No property tax is requested. Rather, the loan will be serviced by charging the state of Montana and federal government to house their inmates. When the loan is paid off, the county will have a womens wing thats largely been paid for by someone else. As we grow in population we will need that space for our own inmates.

2. Secure space for one or two additional state District Court judges.

3. I will continue to monitor the Heights/Lockwood bypass project to insure the mile-long bridge has a path for pedestrians and bicycles that is separated from vehicles.

Allow me to respond to a few questions that have come up during the campaign:

1. Ill vote NO to expand the number of commissioners. Three are enough. We are paid to work full time and there should be no outside business interests that compete for that time. Five commissioners simply are not warranted and will expand the size and cost of government.

2. Ill vote NO for a Yellowstone County 2 cent gas tax.

3. Ill vote YES for fiscally responsible county government. We have strong reserves with an AA+ bond rating. Be assured I will do my part to manage Yellowstone County in the most cost effective way possible.

Its an honor to be your county commissioner.

Editor's note: The jail plan presented by the Yellowstone County sheriff and finance director includes covering operating costs for a new women's unit by housing additional out-of-county prisoners for fee, and servicing the proposed construction loan with current county tax levy proceeds.
Trump certain to win Republican nomination after rival Kasich quits

Donald Trump is certain to become the Republican nomination for US President after his sole remaining rival, John Kasich, quit.

The New York billionaire now faces the challenge of uniting deep divides in the party and has promised to chose a vice president candidate with political experience. He was the assumed nominee after he won the Indiana primary on Tuesday, forcing closest rival Ted Cruz to abandon his bid.

However it was not until the Ohio governor Kasich quit his campaign that Trump was set to win the nomination, to the horror of many within the Republican establishment.

Trump told NBC News he would work with the Republican National Committee to raise about $1 billion for the general election campaign.

Kasich, the Ohio governor, had stayed in the race in hopes of persuading Republicans to choose him as the nominee at a contested convention in July. He ended his campaign as a clear path emerged for Trump to amass the delegates needed to secure the nomination outright.

"As I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith that the Lord will show me the way forward and fulfil the purpose of my life," Kasich said in Columbus, the Ohio state capital.

Some Republican leaders said they would support Trump since he would be the nominee, stressing the importance of defeating Clinton in the general election. But there was no mad rush to support him as is typically the case when a presumptive nominee is crowned.

Former President George W. Bush, whose brother Jeb was defeated by Trump in the primary campaign, made clear he was staying out of the race. "President Bush does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign," said his spokesman, Freddy Ford.

However John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee, said he would support Trump. McCain is a senator from Arizona who is seeking re-election this year and was insulted by Trump last year.

"As John McCain has said, he will support the nominee of the Republican Party, who is now presumptively Donald Trump," said McCain's Senate campaign spokeswoman, Lorna Romero.

But the wounds from a brutal primary battle were still raw among many Republican loyalists who simply cannot bear to support Trump because they worry he could spell disaster for the party in November.

Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska reiterated statements that he would not back Trump and pointed to a February Facebook post in which he said he would look for an alternative candidate if Trump became the nominee.

Nebraska's other senator, Republican Deb Fischer, made clear in an interview with Nebraska Radio Network that she would support the party's nominee but was not comfortable with Trump.

"Mr. Trump is going to have to work hard to bring the party together," she said.

South Carolina's Republican governor, Nikki Haley, issued a statement saying she would support the Republican nominee but was "not interested" in being the party's vice presidential running mate.

But Oklahoma Republican Governor Mary Fallin endorsed Trump enthusiastically and welcomed talk of her as his possible No. 2.

Since launching his White House bid last summer as a long shot amid a crowded field that included governors, former governors and senators, Trump repeatedly defied predictions that his campaign would implode.

He prevailed over rivals he derided as "grown politicians," despite making provocative statements along the way that drew sometimes furious criticism from many in the party but fed his anti-establishment appeal.

In a series of television interviews on Wednesday, Trump made clear he would not be looking to placate everyone after a tumultuous primary campaign in which many establishment Republicans rallied around "Stop Trump" and "Never Trump" movements.

Party loyalists have been appalled by the bombastic, bullying style of the former reality-television star, his denigrating comments about women and his proposals to build a wall on the border with Mexico and deport 11 million illegal immigrants.

"I am confident that I can unite much of it, some of it I don't want," Trump said on NBC's "Today" show. "Honestly, there are some people I really don't want. People will be voting for me. They're not voting for the party."

The New York Times quoted Trump as saying he would soon form a team to help him in the search for a vice presidential nominee to be announced in July. He put retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson on the committee. Carson, who like Trump has never held elective office or served in government, endorsed Trump after pulling out of the Republican presidential race earlier this year.

Support for Trump among Republicans jumped nationally in recent weeks to the highest level of the primary campaign, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. A recent poll found Trump with the support of 53 percent of Republican participants, well above Cruz at 25 percent.

In a potential general election contest, Clinton led Trump by about 10 percentage points among likely voters. The poll included 623 Democrats and 556 Republicans and had a credibility interval of 5 percentage points.

Clinton called Trump a "loose cannon" on Wednesday and said America should not take a risk on an unreliable candidate.

Additional reporting from Reuters.
Trump restates ban on Muslims entering US: 'They're destroying Europe'

Donald Trump has said Muslim migrants are "destroying Europe" as he reasserted his policy to ban them from entering the United States.

During an interview after his recent victory in Indiana, the New York billionaire who is the Republican party's presumptive nominee for President, said he did not care if the pledge caused him damage with voters.

"They're destroying Europe, I'm not going to let that happen to the United States," Trump said on Wednesday during an interview on Morning Joe.

"I don't care if it hurts me," he told hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. "I'm doing the right thing.

"I've been guided by common sense, by what's right," he continued.

"We have to be careful. We're allowing thousands of people to come into our country," he said. "Thousands and thousands of people being placed all over the country that, frankly, nobody knows who they are."

He added: "We don't know what we're doing."

Trump is now certain to become the Republican nominee for President after his two remaining rivals, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, quit the race.

The idea for Muslims to be banned from entering the US was announced by Trump after the San Bernardino terror attacks.

"Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," he said in the aftermath of the attack where two ISIS supporters shot dead 14 people.

He later clarified he only meant Muslims who were not US citizens.

David Cameron has refused to apologise after calling Trump "stupid and wrong". He will visit the UK in August for a fundraising bid. Downing Street has said the Prime Minister would meet Trump but had "no intention" of withdrawing his comments made in the House of Commons in December.

Trump's spokesman said there were "no hard feelings" and that "once nominee, Mr Trump would entertain an invitation from Mr Cameron".
Why we joined the Big Church Switch

It's not often that I am lost for words, but it does happen. I remember being dumbfounded in a Bible study a few years ago when a member of the group boldly declared that it would not matter if the world were concreted over and mass extinction took place because God would make a new heaven and a new earth. As far as he was concerned, the planet we live on today could be torn up and thrown away as if it were all one giant cosmic mistake, while God whisked his people away to their new heavenly home.

At my church, St Peter's Harrow in North West London, we've been thinking a lot recently about God's purpose for the world and for the church. We've returned to a verse that defined our church when it was restarted nearly 30 years ago. At the end of the book of Revelation, John sees the new heavens and new earth. In his vision the new Jerusalem comes down out of heaven to settle on a renewed earth and God declares from his throne: "Behold, I am making everything new." (Rev 21:4) This is the culmination of God's great plan of salvation. The Apostle Paul says much the same thing in his letter to the church at Colossae. He paints an extraordinary picture of the reconciliation of all things through the blood of Christ. He makes it clear that nothing is left out in this vision of the supremacy of Jesus.

These verses shape our vision. We don't want to be a church of converts waiting for heaven, wondering what we're still here for. We want to be a church of disciple makers, culture shapers and society transformers precisely because God is calling us to join with him in the renewal of all things. Everything means everyone.

As a result, two society transformers at St Peter's recently encouraged me to take more of a lead on creation care. As a nation we need an 80 per cent reduction in our carbon emissions by 2050, becoming a zero carbon economy by the end of the century, if we are to have any chance at all of stopping climate change. This, they argued, was a chance for the church to show some leadership. I could sense the urgency in their voices. Now I have to be honest, I cannot say that creation care has been the hallmark of my ministry. Increasingly, however, I have come to recognise that creation care must be an integral part of our ecclesiology if we are to genuinely allow the verses outlined above to inform our soteriology. If 'all things' really does mean 'all things', and of course it does, then we needed to take the environment more seriously as a church. I wanted to respond to the challenge of these two society transformers, but I wasn't sure of the best way to take things forward.

The Big Church Switch has enabled us to do just that. Though my family has been using green energy for both gas and electricity for years, it never occurred to me to encourage the church to do the same thing. Vicarage and church had remained separate in my mind. The Big Church Switch challenged that way of thinking. It was a light bulb moment.

The Big Church Switch is a partnership between Christian Aid, Tearfund, 2buy2 and Parish Buying. The idea is that by pooling our collective buying power, churches and individual Christians can switch our energy supply from fossil fuels to renewable energy while securing some market-beating renewable tariffs.

This does two things. First, as more churches join the scheme and demand increases, it puts pressure on government and business to invest in renewables.

Second, reducing investment in fossil fuels will lower carbon emissions and help limit climate change, which is already impacting the poorest communities around the world. To make it as easy as possible the Big Church Switch guides you through the entire process, removing all the challenges and complexities along the way. It is such a simple idea, something any one of us can do, yet it has cosmic ramifications. I realised immediately it was a no brainer for us as a church. I urge you to consider if it might be for yours too.

For more information about the Big Church Switch visit www.bigchurchswitch.org.uk.
A Fort Bend County 18-year-old who was reported missing has asked her parents to call off the search.

Heather Clark was last seen by her family Saturday, when she told her parents she was going to Lifetime Fitness in the 1300 block of Texas 6. She later left her vehicle and cellphone in that parking lot to go to a party with a friend, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office.
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Suspected members of rival gangs put the Harris County criminal courthouse on high alert Thursday, a day after more than a dozen people were ejected from the courthouse for shouting and threatening each other.

More than a dozen deputies from the sheriff's office and the Precinct 1 constable's office lined the hallway outside of state District Judge Jan Krocker's courtroom Thursday, with more deputies from both agencies on the street outside in case of another disturbance.

The tensions may have contributed to a prosecution witness being jailed for contempt of court Thursday after refusing to testify despite repeated admonishments from the judge.

"I'm not saying anything," the 20-year-old man announced repeatedly on the witness stand.

Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said a murder trial involving a known gang member brought several factions to court late Wednesday where they argued and had to be ejected from the courtroom.

He said the arguments increased in the hallway and more than a dozen people were escorted out of the 20-story courthouse at 1201 Franklin. Rosen said the increased police presence in and around the courthouse Thursday was "just in case."

"We just want to maintain a sense of decorum and keep everybody safe," he said.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers around the building said they witnessed large groups of young men, about 15 or 20 total, shouting at each other and challenging each other to fight as they were escorted out.

Rosen said Thursday he is investigating whether the altercations turned physical.

The man on trial, 23-year-old Jonathan Rawlins, is charged with murder, accused of gunning down Ernest Moore on May 17, 2015.

Moore, 21, was killed at a large pool party at the Chancellors Family Center in the 6500 block of Dumfries. Police said Moore was involved in a fistfight and when he tried to leave, he was followed and shot multiple times. He died at the scene. Another man, Dresean Holmes, 22, is also charged with murder in the case.

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James Nielsen/Staff

Roadway signs, free Wi-Fi and an efficient parking system were among the reasons cited for giving Houston's Hobby Airport a 4-star rating from Skytrax, which ranks airports and airlines around the world based on passenger experience. Three U.S. airports and 36 global airports got that rating.

"One of our main goals is to provide customers at all of the Houston Airport System facilities with a 5-star experience, and these latest ratings show that our efforts and focus are on the right track," Mario Diaz, director of the Houston Airport System, said in a news release. "We have made important strides in enhancing customer service, returning our assets to opening-day-fresh condition and striving to provide the level of overall excellence that our customers deserve and demand."
Anthony Mackie would like you to know that the big scene in "Captain America: Civil War" everyone will be talking about - a massive superhero brawl on the tarmac of the Leipzig airport in Germany - might be a blast to watch, but it was miserable to shoot.

"We're filming in Atlanta, where it's 95 degrees and 90 percent humidity," said Mackie, who reprises the role of Sam Wilson, aka the winged superhero Falcon, for the third time. "You're wearing this heavy costume, and you have three layers of clothes on. You're a grown, 40-year-old man running around dressed like an idiot. So no, it was no fun at all."

So why does Mackie keep coming back for more?

"Because we have a lot of fun together," he says about his co-stars, particularly Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, Falcon's partner in crime-fighting. The two actors met on the set of the 2011 comedy "What's Your Number?" before Mackie joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even though they didn't share any scenes, the two became fast friends.

"Being friends in real life definitely makes it easier," Mackie says. "It helps make the character-based humor in the movie funnier. All the stuff on the screen between Chris and I comes out of our friendship. It's fun when you can go to work and you know the other guy has your back."

Born in New Orleans, Mackie, 37, landed his first starring role in Spike Lee's "She Hate Me" in 2004. He will next be seen playing Martin Luther King in the HBO drama "All the Way," about the relationship between the civil rights leader and President Lyndon B. Johnson (Bryan Cranston), which premieres May 21.

"When I was preparing for the role, I decided I wouldn't try to impersonate him because I don't look like him or sound like him," he says of playing King. "It was more about capturing his essence and giving the audience an opportunity to learn about this period in his life."

Mackie's ability to leapfrog through film genres and land so many radically different roles is a testament to his talent. But the actor humbly gives the credit to his agents, saying half of the battle to snag good parts in Hollywood isn't waged by actors.

"I know a lot of actors who are much better than I am, but they don't get the best jobs because they don't have the best reps. You're only as good as the people who represent you, and I am lucky to have some pretty great ones. Then when it's time to work, you just have to show up and deliver."
"The Meddler" is the kind of deeply felt, personal filmmaking that transcends the specific to reveal a universal truth - in this case, a loving, if exasperated, appreciation for the moms of the world.

One of the more brilliant touches by writer and director Lorene Scafaria's script is the voice-over, which is done in rambling voicemail messages that Marnie (Susan Sarandon, as the meddler in question) leaves for her daughter Lori (Rose Byrne). Anyone who's received a message like this from his or her mom will be able to relate, as she attempts to squeeze in every thought and bit of news.

Lori is a screenwriter who is single, mired in a depressive funk after a breakup with an actor and the death of her father. Marnie, too, is trying to find her way in the world in the wake of her husband's death, having moved from New Jersey to Los Angeles to be closer to her daughter.

So when Lori pushes away her meddling mom, feeling smothered, Marnie finds other people to tend to. She befriends Freddy (Jerrod Carmichael), a young Genius Bar employee at the Apple Store who helps her with her iPhone; she drives him to and from night school. She also baby-sits for Jillian (Cecily Strong), one of Lori's friends, and helps her plan her dream wedding.

More Information 'The Meddler' Rated PG-13: for brief drug content Running time: 100 minutes xxxx See More Collapse

Marnie happily busies herself with the lives of others and finds some adventure along the way, too: She accidentally wanders onto a movie set and becomes an extra for the day; after a mishap with Freddy's brother, she finds herself stoned and meets a friendly former cop, Zipper (J.K. Simmons). But all the meddling becomes a way for her to avoid dealing with her deeper emotional issues, including the devastating loss of her husband.

Scafaria clearly took the motto "write what you know" to heart, and in a director's statement, she describes how the film stemmed from her own experience with her mother. She says: "This is her story, but with a little more adventure." The honesty and authenticity pay off beautifully in "The Meddler," which is an accurate depiction of the double-sided love - at once irritated and deeply needy - that an adult daughter can have for her overly involved mother.

That nuanced portrayal of such a delicate relationship is powered by the funny and sweet performance by Sarandon, who is as good as she's ever been as Marnie. She makes the character lovable and charming, even in her most intrusive moments, and she's impossible to resist.

But there's also a bittersweetness, a sadness to her meddling, which she does for a lack of anything else to do. Her desire and need to be loved, to be needed, is palpable and moving.

Byrne is also spot-on as the anxious and frayed Lori (she's also a dead ringer for Scafaria herself). The two actresses perfectly capture the sometimes competing desires of mothers who want to see their children happy and daughters who want to be happy for their mothers. It's a complicated emotional register, but the trio of Scafaria, Byrne and Sarandon get it perfectly right.

Now, go call your mother.
You don't have to travel to Kentucky to sip bourbon and wear outlandish hats.

Many Houston restaurants and bars will be hosting Kentucky Derby parties Saturday, May 7, for the 142nd Run for the Roses.
Authorities are searching for a 74-year-old man who walked away from a hospital Wednesday in northwest Houston.

James Bell was last see about 6:45 p.m. at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital, according to the Houston Police Department.
Acrid plumes of black smoke blanketed parts of west Houston for hours Thursday as a raging warehouse fire forced one school to evacuate and residents to shelter in place amid concerns of possible environmental contamination from chemicals stored on the property.

Runoff from the firefighters' efforts sent vivid red streams of chemical additives flowing into Spring Branch Creek, and authorities warned residents to avoid the water there and in nearby ditches and culverts until it could be tested. Results are expected on Friday.

More than 170 firefighters spent hours containing the four-alarm blaze, which caused massive explosions that sent balls of fire shooting skyward.

"It was like throwing bombs in the air," said Sasha Martinez, 21, who gathered with others to watch just a few streets away from her home in the Spring Branch area.

Despite the ferocity of the blaze, no one was injured, authorities said.

Hours after firefighters extinguished the conflagration, arson investigators pored through the tangled mess of waterlogged debris and ash-stained wreckage at the Custom Packaging and Filling Company in the 1700 block of Laverne Street near Spring Branch Drive. Blackened barrels - many of which were marked with labels warning they contained chemicals that posed environmental hazards - could be seen amid the detritus.

Company representatives could not be reached for comment by the Chronicle, but a company manager working with investigators identified the contents as petroleum-based additives and pesticides, said Houston Fire Department Capt. Ruy Lozano.

Firefighters dropped foam on the fire and tried to cut off its air supply to minimize runoff, but they could not completely stop the flow into Spring Branch Creek, which feeds into Buffalo Bayou. Fire officials later said that high waters in the creeks and bayous will help dilute the contaminants.

The company serves industrial customers and handles various hazardous substances, according to its website and records of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It has no record of environmental violations with TCEQ or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and has not been inspected by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the last five years, records show.

Started in garage area

The fire began after 10 a.m. in a garage area behind a home where cars were being repaired; the flames spread quickly, residents said.

David Nagy, who runs Associated Installation Services nearby, said his employees rushed into his office to tell him about the fire. They walked down the street and saw flames ripping through the auto-repair yard, sparking explosions as the fire reached the vehicles' gas tanks.

Extinguishing the blaze was made more complicated by the close proximity of other warehouses, which easily could have ignited, Lozano said.

Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for residents near the fire, specifically in areas north of Westview, west of Bingle, south of Hammerly and east of Blalock. Residents were told to turn off their air-conditioning systems to avoid drawing in potentially dangerous air.

Officials lifted the order about 2 p.m., but continued to urge people to stay away from the area if possible.

Tar on cars

About 650 children and 80 staffers at nearby Spring Branch Elementary School were evacuated to Don Coleman Coliseum at 1050 North Dairy Ashford, Spring Branch Independent School District officials said.

Lelina Cantero, a fifth-grader, said she was scared when the students were loaded onto buses to leave the school.

"Some kids were crying because they were worried about their brothers and sisters," she said.

Javier Chavez, 34, who lives about three blocks from where the fire started, said he got to the coliseum before noon to pick up his 6-year-old son, who is a kindergartner at the school. He said he was relieved to find his son safe.

"You can see the smoke and the black tar all over the cars," he said. "It's a bit of a concern because we're not sure what the company is that's burning right now."

Still, Chavez remained concerned. He works for Rice University in the Department of Chemistry in shipping and receiving.

"I work with hazardous chemicals constantly, so I completely know what the outcomes of some of these things can be," he said.

CORRECTION: A gun shop near the warehouse fire did not burn, as was previously reported in this article. The Freer Gun Shop is still open for business.

Carol Christian, Mark Collette, Matt Dempsey, Craig Hlavaty and Dale Lezon contributed to this report.
Before you pore over our choices of iconic Texas bars, you should know that the criteria didn't involve places with media buzz or expertly mixed cocktails.

On the other hand, we sought out just the opposite: under-the-radar joints with cold beer, live music and oftentimes a spacious dance floor. While grand bars abound in Texas, the state really prides itself on grungy saloons and loud dance halls, the "old as dirt" establishments that have stood the test of time.
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The Houston school board on Thursday unanimously approved a school funding plan that would send more money to schools serving the most students from low-income families, despite an across-the-board cut of $179 per student.

Houston schools will receive $179 less for each student they teach next year than they did this year. The cut could translate to more than $500,000 for some of the district's biggest schools.

REPORT: How much each Houston area ISD spends per student

District schools receive additional funding per-student for various factors, including for students who are English language learners and those who are from low-income families, so much of the $179 cut will be made up elsewhere. Overall, this per-student reduction equals about $40 million in cuts across the district.

Much of those cuts will be offset by a new funding plan that would redirect $21 million in federal funds to schools based on how many students from low-income families they serve. Schools with the highest student poverty rates would receive as much as $455 in additional funds for each qualifying child, the district said.

STATE BY STATE: Website ranks the states that spend the most, least on public school students

Only about 20 of HISD's 280 schools would not qualify for the funding because their low-income population is below 35 percent.

This is one part of an effort to cut $95 million out of HISD's budget as the district is set to send about $165 million back to the state for the first time because it's designated a property wealthy district. Under the state's education funding system, HISD is considered a wealthy district, despite the fact that 80 percent of Houston students come from low-income families.

The rest of the budget trimming will be done in the coming weeks, with the HISD budget set to be approved in June. The plan does not include cutting gifted and talented funding as had previously been proposed.

ANALYSIS: Let's look at the efficiency of public education spending

Interim Superintendent Ken Huewitt has proposed several cuts, including ending the $10 million bonus program for teachers and other school staff, and cutting $11 million in contracts with outside vendors. He also would eliminate the $19 million that went to help a few dozen low-performing schools, as part of former Superintendent Terry Grier's "Apollo" reform program.

Additional cuts of about $15 million still need to be identified, the district said.

The HISD financial woes stem from the district expecting, for the first time, to have to send tens of millions of dollars back to the state because it is considered too property wealthy under the state's education funding system, which is being challenged in court.
Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle

The list of candidates to be the next president at Texas Southern University in Houston has been whittled to two, the university said.

The TSU board of regents is expected to pick from the two candidates, selected by a search committee led by TSU Regent Oliver Bell. The university will not identify the candidates, but said in a statement this week that the committee interviewed applicants from across the United States in late April.
WEST GLACIER  Click on a website that Mary T. McClelland created a few days ago, and youll see waves lapping at the shore of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park.

But what youll hear is the noise of a helicopter passing overhead.

It makes you want to turn it off, doesnt it? McClelland says. Thats sort of the point, because when youre there, you cant turn it off.

McClelland this week released an open letter to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell on behalf of Friends for a Quiet! Glacier Coalition, which calls for an end to scenic helicopter tours over the park by 2017.

The website, quietglacier.wix.com/coalitioninformation, is gathering signatures for a petition directed to Jewell, National Park Service director Jonathan Jarvis and Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, which asks for just that.

Glaciers solitude has been shattered by hundreds of helicopter overflights, McClellands letter says, and the incessant noise pollution endured by wildlife and visitors is destroying what Glacier stands for  the pinnacle of natural beauty and tranquility.

The petition was approaching 100 signatures Tuesday.

The people who run the helicopter tour companies  two are based in West Glacier  think the impact is vastly overstated.

Fifteen seconds after we go over, youd never know we were there, says Jim Kruger, owner of Kruger Helicop-Tours. When they ban Harley-Davidson motorcycles, they can talk to me. Have you ever heard a group of them going up Going-to-the-Sun Road?

'Still no peace'

McClellands letter says 30 years after noise pollution created by helicopter tours in Glacier was identified as a priority problem at congressional hearings, 17 years after it was listed as a critical issue in Glaciers General Management Plan, and 16 years after passage of the National Parks Air Tour Management Act, nothing has changed.

We still have no peace in Glacier, McClelland said. Today, more than 500 helicopters per month fly sorties over our nations only international peace park and World Heritage Site.

Only one quarter of 1 percent of the 2.3 million people who visit Glacier each year take a helicopter tour, according to McClelland.

More than 99 percent of the visiting public is adversely affected by the actions of an extreme few, she adds. Helicopter overflights are an inappropriate use, unless they are for rescue, research or necessary park administration. The small number of acoustic offenders is disproportionate to the large number of visitors and the wildlife that are adversely impacted.

The helicopter tour companies say those extreme few include the elderly, and those with physical disabilities, who would not otherwise have the opportunity to see most of Glacier Park.

They have as much of a right to see it as anybody else, Kruger says.

McClelland argues that Going-to-the-Sun Road gives those visitors the opportunity to experience the park.

Anyone who can get into a car or a bus or a boat can see Glacier, she says. Anyone who cant access those options wont be able to get into a helicopter, either.

The conveniently located helicopters and their pilots also provide quick aid in search-and-rescue and wildfire fighting efforts, tour operators point out. They say the helicopters wont be sitting at the ready, a short distance from the park boundary, if theyre banned from showing paying visitors Glacier from the air.

Returning to quiet

Friends for a Quiet! Glacier Coalition is not an organization in and of itself, McClelland said, but is a group of people and organizations that have expressed similar concerns with noise pollution in Glacier.

According to McClelland, they include the Sierra Club, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, the National Park Conservation Association, Wilderness Watch, the Swan View Coalition, Friends of the Wild Swan, the Montana Ecosystems Defense Council, the North Fork Preservation Association and Headwaters Montana.

They support and want to help Glacier restore its soundscape, and get back the quiet that has been the parks signature, she says.

McClelland said she grew up in Glacier, the daughter of parents who worked for the National Park Service, and splits her time between Illinois and Montana.

On the other side of the issue are Glacier Heli Tours, owned by Minuteman Aviation of Missoula, and Kruger Helicop-Tours. Both take off just outside the park near U.S. Highway 2 in West Glacier.

Minuteman owner and president Jerry Mamuzich was out of town and unavailable for comment Tuesday, and employees declined to speak on behalf of the company in his absence. Kruger said he thinks the vast majority of Glacier visitors arent bothered by an occasional scenic tour flying overhead.

Kruger is entering its 36th year flying visitors over Glacier. Glacier Heli Tours is beginning its 32nd year.

McClellands letter says the coalition is responding to the park services call to action for this years NPS centennial celebration.

It calls on Jewell to use the services 100th birthday on Aug. 25 to announce that helicopter overflights will be discontinued per Glacier National Parks 1999 General Management Plan, and that helicopter scenic tours will cease no later than 2017.
GALVESTON - A man charged with capital murder in the slaying of two Baytown teenagers has been arrested for the second time in Mexico, and authorities in Chambers County are waiting to see if he can be extradited.

Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said Wednesday that he has been waiting for weeks for the extradition of Brandon Flores, who was 20 at the time of the slayings.

Flores is one of three Baytown men accused in the February 2015 abduction and killing of 18-year-old Alex Chavez and 17-year-old Jarvis Morgan. The sheriff said Flores had been arrested in Mexico in December, but was released.

The victims' families were informed Wednesday that Flores was in custody at a federal penitentiary in Mexico, sheriff's Capt. Dwayne Wright said.

Hawthorne said his office has been working closely with the U.S. Marshal's Office, which is charged with apprehending international fugitives, but that he is disheartened by the long process and its uncertain end. He noted that it took just three or four weeks to extradite a teenager who had violated his probation and fled to Mexico after driving drunk and being involved in a crash in Tarrent County that killed four people.

Alfredo Perez, a spokesman for the Marshal's Service, said that it could take a few months to a year to complete Flores' extradition.

An added complication is that Mexico, which has no death penalty, typically will not extradite persons who face the death penalty in the United States. That problem has been resolved, Wright said, and wording to satisfy Mexican authorities was included in a provisional warrant for Flores' arrest that was served in Mexico.

Wright said U.S. marshals and Mexican federal police arrested Flores in Reynosa, Mexico, three weeks ago.

Flores' previous arrest in Mexico was for a minor charge for a crime committed in that country, but he was released before Mexican officials learned that he was wanted in Texas, Wright said. He declined to provide specifics of the first arrest in Mexico for fear of jeopardizing the extradition.

Chambers County District Attorney Cheryl Lieck has sent documents to the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, D.C., needed for the extradition, Hawthorne said. Lieck could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but Perez said the extradition was being handled by the department's Office of International Affairs. A representative of that office could not be reached for comment.

"I am thankful that he is behind bars and can't abduct or kill anybody else," Hawthorne said.

Chavez and Morgan disappeared Feb. 18, 2015, after visiting Flores to get a haircut. Their bodies were discovered March 5, 2015, in a secluded bayou near Anahuac, a town of about 2,200 located 50 miles east of Houston. Wright said Flores shot them to death, but declined to offer details, such as the type of firearm used, because two of those charged with capital murder have not been indicted.

In addition to Flores, Valentin Jose Lazo Jr., 27 at the time of his arrest; Jose Juan Chavez, 17 at the time of his arrest; and Richard Gonzalez, 21 at the time of his arrest, were charged with capital murder. Wright said they were in the car that drove the victims to the Anahuac bayou. A Chambers County grand jury in May 2015 declined to indict Gonzalez, angering the families of the victims. Hawthorne said Gonzalez cooperated with investigators. Lazo and Chavez have not yet been indicted and are being held without bail in the Chambers County Jail.
GALVESTON  Two Beaumont men were fatally shot early Thursday after forcing their way into a home in Winnie, a Chambers County sheriff's office spokesman said.

Demarcus Wilson, 24; and Robert Leger Jr., 33, were shot to death by an occupant at a residence in the 900 block of Fifth Street , sheriff's Capt. Dwayne Wright said.

Leger was taken to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Beaumont, where he was pronounced dead.

Wright gave the following account:

One vehicle, possibly two, arrived at the Winnie residence about 3 a.m.

At least three men with guns forced their way inside and pointed them at two men. A woman was also present.

Another man asleep in another room was awakened by the commotion. He saw the men threatening his friends and began firing at them.

Two of the men fled.

Deputies arrived within minutes, discovering a gravely wounded Leger in the house and called an ambulance. As deputies surveyed the area they found Wilson's body behind a fence about 50 yards from the residence.

Police are looking for a third man known to them only as Deray.

Investigators initially believed that one of the dead was from Houston and that a third man was injured and treated at Winnie Community Hospital. Further investigation showed both conclusions to be false, Wright said.

Investigators are treating the shooting as a home invasion and the shooter will not be charged, although the incident will be reviewed by a grand jury, Wright said.

"When he saw his friends had guns pointed at them he felt like his friend's life was in danger," Wright said.

Wright said three guns were confiscated at the shooting scene and investigators were looking for a fourth gun. He declined to release the name of the man who fired the fatal shots because he has not been charged with a crime.
Dawson High School's Encore Choir will experience a dream come true this May, performing live with the Houston Symphony during three final family concerts of the 2015-16 season.

DHS students will perform the suite from "The Little Mermaid" during Dreams Can Come True concerts at two venues:

Thursday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Saturday, May 7, at 10 and 11:30 a.m. at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Audiences will hear the world premiere performance of "This Is the Dream," written and sung by a leukemia patient and a long-term leukemia survivor.

The DHS Encore Choir is directed by Roxan Silva.

For Cynthia Woods Mitchell ticket information, visit http://www.woodlandscenter.org/tourarchive.html?n_id=2634&date=2016-05-26. Free mezzanine and lawn seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For Jones Hall tickets and information, call 713-224-7575 or visit www.houstonsymphony.org.

Events at UHCL to recognize alumni

University of Houston-Clear Lake alumni and community friends can join Hawks for coffee, snacks and conversation at UH-Clear Lake Alumni Coffee Table, 6-7 p.m., May 9, in the Bayou Building, Atrium II, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston.

The event is sponsored by the UHCL Alumni Association and offers the opportunity to interact with university alumni, faculty, staff and current students.

UHCL alumni are also invited to honor the newest members of the UHCL Alumni Association at Soaring Hawks Celebration, 6-8 p.m., May 13, Bayou Building, Atrium II, 2700 Bay Area Blvd.

Call the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, 281-283-2021 to volunteer or for details.

UH Gallery exhibit features new graduates

Experience the culminating works of University of Houston-Clear Lake art students at the 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition, open through May 12 at the UHCL Art Gallery, located in the university's Bayou Building, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston.

The exhibit includes pieces in a variety of mediums, all created by graduating or recently graduated art students.

Gallery hours are 9 a.m.  6 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m.  noon on Friday. Call 281-283-3376 or visit http://www.uhcl.edu/artgallery for details.
The founder and president of local nonprofit KidsRStrong2 stopped by a recent 288 Rotary Club meeting to encourage members to get involved in the fight against children's cancer.

Tomika Gamble, whose son Isaiah at the age of 9 is already a cancer survivor, has a passion for supporting children and families in need.

"Through my family's struggle and battle with cancer, it became my mission to ensure that my son's battle was not in vain. With that drive came KidsRStrong2," Gamble said.

For more information, visit www.kidsrstrong2.org

Mahjong benefits D'Feet Breast Cancer

With a nod to the Chinese New Year, Mahjong players are encouraged to wear red for the Celebration of Spring, benefiting D'Feet Breast Cancer Inc., 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 25 at Hotel Galvez, 2024 Seawall Blvd.

Tickets are $50. RSVP by May 10 to Nikki Greenlee, nikkigreenlee@gmail.com, or the D'Feet 24-hour hotline, 409-771-5574.

Contemporary center spotlights Texas artists

The Galveston Arts Center will present two solo exhibitions by Texas artists-"Vital Signs," by Margaret Smithers-Crump and "The Habit of Being II," by Mari Omori-now through May 22 at 2127 Strand St.

Visit www.galvestonartscenter.org for details.

288 regional group heads to Washington

Community officials and business leaders have their sights set on the nation's capital.

Representatives of the Greater 288 Regional Partnership will meet with elected officials and Congressional staff May 17-20 in Washington, D.C.

"This trip schedule will allow all attendees an excellent environment to reach out to congressional leaders to learn more about their agendas and communicate their concerns on transportation issues facing our region," Partnership Chairman Mark T. Ingram said. "With this trip we are paving the way to establish sound transportation priorities."

Visit www.greater288.org to learn more.

Synagogue welcomes folk dancers

Israeli folk dances are open to the public from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Mondays through May 23 at Congregation Shaar Hashalom, 16020 El Camino Real.

Tickets are $4 per session for members, and $5 for nonmembers. Call 281-488-5861 or email csh@shaarhashalom.org for details.

Civic group celebrates 61st anniversary

Texas Railroad Commissioner Christie Craddick will be the guest speaker at Galveston Republican Women's 61st anniversary event, 5 p.m. May 18 at Fisherman's Wharf, 2200 Harborside Drive.

Tickets are $35. RSVP by May 12 to Fran Card, pelicanway88@att.net or 409-632-0400.

Ballroom dance set for May 7 in League City

DanceSport Club's Denis Kojinov and Jeanette Chevalier will perform at a Let's Dance ballroom event, 7-10 p.m. May 7 at Hometown Heroes Park, 1001 E. League City Parkway.

Admission is $8. Contact Neva Schroder, 417-838-2204, with questions.

Dancers practice at Heroes Park

Dancers, from beginner to advanced, can practice at their own level of ability to a variety of music at Hump Day Dance Practice, 1-3:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoons at Hometown Heroes Park, 1001 E. League City Parkway.

The practice is free, but League City requires nonresidents to purchase an activity card. For details, call Neva Schroder, 832-864-2721.

Lakewood Yacht Club welcomes young sailors

Training is available at the Lakewood Yacht Club and kids throughout the Clear Lake area are ditching their cell phones for wetsuits and sailboats.

Directed by Olympic competitor Marek Valasek, the club's youth sailing program trains athletes age 6 and up in opti, laser and Olympic-grade 470 class. For information, contact Valasek, sailingdirector@lakewoodyachtclub.com.

Fishing tournament to fund scholarships

The Congregation B'nai Israel Saltwater Fishing Tournament will raise funds for youth programs, including scholarships to summer camp, June 5 at 3008 Ave. O in Galveston.

Entry forms are due May 20. Contact tournament director Steve Hoffman, 281-491-6565 or steve@hoffmanig.com, or visit www.cbigalveston.org for information.
Brett Coomer/Staff

U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady and top Montgomery County officials toured flood-damaged areas and homes Wednesday with representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Woodlands Republican and the local officials are trying to make a case that the suburban county should be included in a presidential disaster declaration and thus be eligible for individual assistance, county officials said in a statement.
A federal jury on Wednesday convicted a man who was accused of sexually abusing a child 24 years ago.

The panel found George Chad Deputee, 42 of Lodge Grass, guilty of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive contact of a child. The jury deliberated a little more than two hours in a trial that began Monday.

Prosecutor John Sullivan said in court records that the victim contacted law enforcement in 2012 and reported that Deputee had repeatedly sexually abused her when she was a child. Sullivan said the victim was younger than age 12 at the time.

Deputee was indicted in 2015.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters ordered Deputee into custody. A sentencing date will be set later.

Deputee faces a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine on aggravated sexual abuse count.
LIVINGSTON  The lone black student at Park High School, Darius Ivory, said Thursday he doesn't see flying the Confederate flag as racist.

Following multiple shoving matches, shouted threats and other disturbances that distracted students from their education, Park High School has banned displaying the Confederate flag on school property, Park High Vice Principal Tom Gauthier said.

"There was no valuable education that day," Gauthier said about the incidents.

The heated debate over whether preventing the flag from flying was violating First Amendment rights or if allowing the flag to fly was promoting racism has caused tension in the rural Montana town that, according to the 2010 census, has a black population of 0.3 percent.

Ivory, a recent transfer student from Houston, Texas, said he's never felt threatened by the Confederate symbol. He was raised around it.

"I don't see it as a bad thing," he said. "I'm not a slave, and it takes way more than flying a flag to faze me."

The 19-year-old Ivory moved to Montana and just started at Park High School when a rumor began to spread around the school that another student, a 17-year-old, had made some sort of threat against him. Another student, Alexis Bowman, said she heard a white student had threatened to hang and drag Ivory behind his truck.

When school administrators heard the rumor, Gauthier said he contacted the 17-year-old. The student denied threatening Ivory, but acknowledged making negative statements about the black student.

"He comes out and said he doesn't like black people and is racist," Gauthier said. "In my 20 years as an educator, I'd never heard someone admit they were racist."

The 17-year-old was raised in Missouri and had a bad perception of black people, Gauthier said. The student was warned there would be consequences if the behavior continued. The 17-year-old's mother told Gauthier later that she said the family did not share their son's beliefs.

Two weeks later on April 22, the 17-year-old drove to school with a Confederate flag on his truck.

"It was a really bad coincidence actually, because a second student, unrelated to the first, also was displaying the flag that day," Gauthier said.

Gauthier said a student removed the flag from the 17-year-old's car. A video of another student burning the flag was shown to police by the 17-year-old's father, said Livingston's Chief of Police Dale Johnson.

A school resource officer identified the student who burned the flag and said the student may face citations for theft and destruction of property.

The reactions from students were so strong, Gauthier said, the school had to take steps to bring things back under control. Administrators banned the flag and suspended the 17-year-old who had brought it to school.

Administrators sent an email to parents alerting to them to the events. The email read in part: "There were two students who came to school this morning displaying Confederate flags on their vehicles. This caused considerable disruption ... most classes had to devote class time to address student concerns and anger."

This led to an outrage among students and members of the community alike.

"Facebook exploded," Gauthier said.

Citing Tinker v. Des Moines, a case from the 1960s involving high school students who were banned from wearing black arm bands to protest the Vietnam war, Gauthier said the school was well within its rights to ban the flag.

The next week, however, Gauthier heard students would be coming to school on April 29 with Confederate flags ready to be displayed. The students parked their cars off school property in protest of the ban.

"The second group didn't do it for racial reasons," Gauthier said. "They did it because they were angry at the ban."

Johnson said the only students who displayed any aggression were the ones against displaying the flag.

"They were more mad than I was, which I appreciate," Ivory said. "They aren't tolerating the racism, and I respect that."

But, Ivory said he had a Confederate flag on his phone for a while. "I don't see anything racist about it," he said.

The school also has been in contact with Ivory's guardian, who was concerned about Ivory's safety. Gauthier said he assured the guardian there was no threat of violence against Ivory.

Ivory grew up in Houston and moved to Livingston a month ago. When he came to school, he said he was quiet and shy and realized he was the only black student. He wasn't sure how people would react.

"Everyone made me feel welcome, though," Ivory said. "Everybody thought I was awesome, obviously. To me the people here are awesome."

Coming from Texas, Ivory said he has grown up seeing the Confederate flag everywhere. It stood more for Southern pride than for racism.

When Gauthier told Ivory about the 17-year-old student's flag and alleged threat, Gauthier said Ivory seemed surprised.

"He asked to meet with the boy who had made the comments," Gauthier said. "They ended up talking for over an hour. It was interesting. I mean the student didn't pull any punches; he was clear about what he thought."

Ivory said when he spoke with the 17-year-old student and heard where he'd grown up and his experiences with black people, he understood where he was coming from. Since then, he has made a point to continue to spend time with the student. Though the 17-year-old dropped out following his suspension, he returned to school Monday  something that didn't bother Ivory.

"We've hung out a couple times," Ivory said. "He is a cool kid. I like him."

Gauthier said the same about Ivory, who he said was a great kid and not the victim people would like to portray him as.

Gauthier said after a meeting Tuesday with parents and other members of the community that most people understood why the ban was put into place.

Several Montana Human Rights Network members have notified the network of the Livingston dispute, said Rachel Carroll Rivas, Montana Human Rights Network co-chair.

Carroll Rivas commended Gauthier's and Livingston's actions to ban the flag.

"The Confederate flag is one of the preeminent symbols used to incite fear, promote oppression, and honor a dishonorable time in our nations history," Carroll Rivas said. "There is good reason that the Confederate flag, monuments and other associated symbols are being challenged in Montana and across the country.

While there was tension during the Tuesday meeting between the two sides, Gauthier said the school has no intention to reverse the ban for the time being.

"People on both sides of this issue can learn from what happened," Gauthier said. "As long as there is continued open dialogue."

This article has been updated with Gauthier's correct name.
CASPER, Wyo.  With Ted Cruz, Wyoming Republicans presidential favorite, out of the race for the White House, members of the states majority political party will have to decide how  or whether  they will vote for the highest office in the land.

Presidential hopeful Donald Trump thus far hasnt gained much traction in Wyoming, having received only one of the state's delegates. Republican voters disliked his brash style, and his perceived lack of understanding of the Western lifestyle and values. A western Wyoming couple have spent millions on a political action committee that was created to defeat him, using powerful television ads. The New York businessman hasn't yet campaigned in the state. He's been unpopular among the LDS, who comprise a sizable voting bloc in the state and who have watched Mitt Romney criticize Trump, and Trump counter that Romney lacks a strong faith.

At least 24 of the states 29 GOP national delegates had committed to Cruz, the U.S. senator from Texas.

But Cruz suspended his campaign Tuesday, Ohio Gov. John Kasich is also out and Trump is the presumptive Republican candidate.

The national convention isnt going to be as exciting as we thought it was going to be, said Bonnie Foster, chairwoman of the Natrona County GOP. But there still will be excitement and fun. I think a lot of them were preparing for the contested convention.

Republican voters have the option of uniting behind Trump, which many indicate they will do. They could vote for the Democratic nominee, who will likely be Hillary Clinton, vote for a third-party candidate, write in a candidate or skip the presidential part of the ballot in November.

Trump's political success has occurred amid a fusillade of controversial comments and positions by the real estate mogul. He wants to build a wall along the border  and have Mexico pay for it  to keep undocumented immigrants out of the U.S. He has criticized women for their physical appearances and, in the case of Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly, for being assertive on her menstrual cycle. He has said women should be punished for having abortions, a comment he later recanted. He wants to ban Muslims from entering the country. And he has received support from members of the KKK and other white nationalist groups.

Cheyenne Republican Jimmy Orr, a White House spokesman under George W. Bush, said Trump is a political novice and has said some things he may not mean. Hes also a showman, a reality television star who knows how to call attention to himself.

Trump has tapped into some real concerns, such as national security and immigration, Orr said. Trump will become more moderate as he seeks to win the general election. All presidential candidates are partisan when theyre vying for their partys nomination, and all move to the center to win the general election, said Orr, a longtime journalist who served as director of digital media for Bush and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I dont believe a lot of the showman schtick, he said. I dont. I think theres a different person in there.

We need to support the nominee, said Foster, the Natrona County GOP chair. He might not be everyones first choice. The one thing we know is hes good at business and hes created jobs. People need to look at his campaign structure and his business structure. He has a lot of minorities working for him and a lot of women working for him. I know he has that rhetoric, but youre going to see that calm down a lot.

Cheyenne Republican Dicky Shanor is a delegate to the national convention in Cleveland who said he's been talking to other Wyoming delegates and to the Cruz organization.

Im honored to be a Cruz delegate and still pledge to vote for him on the first ballot unless he were to release his delegates," Shanor said.

Shanor said he doesn't know what he'll do if he's released from Cruz.

Ill certainly coordinate with the rest of the Wyoming delegation," he said. "We will continue to be in contact with the national Cruz campaign as well and find out where other states are at that are similarly situated.

Astrid Northrup, of Powell, who has been a Republican since the early 1980s, doesn't plan to vote for a president this year. She doesnt think Trump is an actual Republican and she disagrees with the Democratic Party platform.

Donald Trump has only been a registered Republican since 2012, before that he was a lifelong Democrat, she said. He had short stints as a member of the Reform Party and as an independent. When he ran for president in the year 2000, he ran as a Reform Party candidate. If you read the Republican platform, its clear Trump does not represent the Republican platform and Republican ideals.

Our Principals PAC has spent about $17.4 million fighting against Trump. Just this year, Marlene Ricketts has spent about $4.3 million and Joe Ricketts has contributed about $1 million, according to Federal Election Commission records. Joe  who lists an address of Little Jackson Hole on FEC records  made his fortune founding the company now known as T.D. Ameritrade. The couples son is Nebraska Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts. The family also owns the Chicago Cubs.

The PAC does not plan to give up, its chairwoman told USA Today on Tuesday.

Tim Stubson, Republican candidate for Congress who led Wyoming campaign efforts for onetime GOP presidential hopeful Marco Rubio, released a statement congratulating Trump as the presumptive nominee.

The Clinton campaign sees an opportunity to obtain votes from Republicans and independents and is seizing on Trumps weaknesses. On Wednesday morning, John Podesta, chairman for the Clinton campaign, said in a statement Trump is too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world.

Some Republicans may cross over and vote for the Democratic nominee, said Aimee Van Cleave, executive director of the Wyoming Democratic Party.

I do think that its going to change some of the dynamics of the race," she said. "Republicans across the country, especially here in Wyoming, are going to have to consider what their values really are. If youre looking at a candidate who has the stances he does, and is not endeared by the leaders of our state, theyre going to have to come down to are they just going to have to just vote party lines or if theyre going to consider candidates based on the actual individual running."
CASPER, Wyo.  A Casper man who allegedly robbed a Evansville bank at gunpoint Tuesday is facing charges in federal court.

Kemp Eugene Cravens turned himself in to police shortly after the robbery, according to a charging affidavit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Wyoming.

Cravens, 64, is charged with one count of robbery, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. He remained Wednesday in the Natrona County Detention Center.

He surrendered to police about two hours after stealing $12,000 from Platte Valley Bank, according to the charging affidavit and police.

Cravens drove a rented white SUV on Tuesday and parked it about 9:30 a.m. in front of the bank on Luker Lane, the affidavit states. He was wearing a hooded jacket, a dark covering over his face, dark sunglasses, blue jeans, black boots and black gloves and had a semi-automatic handgun on his waist.

According to the affidavit, Cravens demanded money from two bank tellers. While the tellers were removing money from their cash drawers, Cravens took the gun from his belt, showed it to them and placed the gun back on his waist. The tellers handed cash to Cravens, who put the money in a bag on his hip. The cash totaled about $12,000.

No customers were in the bank at the time, police said.

Officers learned a white SUV had been checked out from a car rental company in Casper by Cravens on May 2, the affidavit states. They called Cravens wife, who told them Cravens had gone to Riverton with a friend. After speaking with police, the woman called Cravens and told him he was a suspect in a robbery. He told her he was going to turn himself in.

Police later arrested Cravens outside Casper City Hall, according to the affidavit. When interviewed by officers, Cravens confessed to robbing the bank. He also admitted to wielding a loaded handgun at the time.

Officers searched the SUV and located a pistol and a large amount of cash inside, the affidavit states.

The Natrona County Sheriffs Office, Casper Police Department, Wyoming Highway Patrol and the FBI assisted the Evansville Police Department in their investigation of the robbery.

The robbery took place a day after a bank heist in Douglas, about 45 minutes east. The suspect in that robbery was arrested while fleeing on Interstate 25. He has been identified as 52-year-old Charles Mathis.

Authorities do not believe the two robberies are connected.
SHERIDAN  Authorities are looking into the death of a Sheridan College student.

The student was found dead Monday afternoon in his dorm room. Officials do not suspect foul play.

Officials say an autopsy performed Wednesday found nothing physical to explain the death.

The Sheridan County Coroner's office says officials will know more in two to three weeks when toxicology results are available.

In a statement from the college, officials noted that counseling services would be available for students and employees who need it.

The Sheridan Police Department is assisting campus police with the investigation.
CASPER, Wyo.  In a small town in northeast Wyoming, a school district with 18 staff members is facing the state's budget crisis the best it can.

The district will eliminate a school nurse, meaning the closest care in emergencies is 30 minutes away. It cut a janitor position to part time.

But it can't lose teachers without a disastrous impact, said the district's superintendent, Charles Auzqui. The high school, for example, has only one teacher for each subject area.

Sheridan County School District No. 3 in Clearmont is part of a coalition of districts in the state that says 92 positions have been lost this year, the result of K-12 cuts made by the Legislature and a likely decline in school enrollment.

Those positions are unfilled vacancies or jobs left open after retirements. No layoffs have been reported, according to Kelly Gould, spokesman for the coalition.

Cuts made by lawmakers amount to about $36 million less for school districts over the next two years. The money lost is a reduction to an additional funding stream added last year  an adjustment to account for rising costs of living, utilities, teachers salaries and materials. The money had been on the books since 2000; it just hadn't been paid out to schools for years, according to the coalitions statement.

The coalition, which originally consisted of seven districts, formed to push lawmakers to pay that additional money.

Districts are not asking for more money, said Boyd Brown, superintendent of the third-largest district in Wyoming, Campbell County. Theyre asking the Legislature to honor the legislative model so that we can fulfill our collective commitment to Wyoming students and invest in the future  a more vibrant, diversified Wyoming economy.

Wyoming calculates the cost of education based on a number of factors. But the biggest indicator of cost is the number of students attending each district. That number is anticipated to drop over the next few years, as it has done in similar economic times. Families will leave Wyoming as jobs in the energy sector continue to disappear.

Thats what frustrates educators. They say the model self-adjusts, and government should let the model do what it was built to do: require fewer dollars for fewer students.

In Sweetwater County School District No. 2, Superintendent Donna Little-Kaumo has watched her enrollment dwindle, and expects it to continue.

The coming year will be one of attrition, declining to fill vacancies or retirees, she said. But some of those positions they are declining to fill are teacher retirements and resignations. Even though no one is losing their job, classrooms are already impacted, she said.

What she fears is that the following year will be worse as enrollment continues to drop and the second year of legislative cuts hits local budgets. By then, she believes attrition will not be enough, and not just for her district, but for large areas like Gillette and small places like Clearmont.

The coalition also released a letter to lawmakers Wednesday detailing the ways in which the cuts are going to hurt districts and offering the 92 jobs lost as preliminary evidence of the direction districts are going as they adjust to less cash. The letter requests that the coalition be added to the agenda for the Joint Education Committee meeting June 13-14 in Casper.
POWELL.  A Wyoming man has pleaded not guilty to charges that he illegally guided hunters while working for a ranch in the fall of 2013.

Wyoming requires an outfitting license for people being compensated for helping big or trophy game hunters. Prosecutors say 47-year-old Jim Pehringer of Cody served as an unlicensed guide for eight different hunters on Antlers Ranch in fall 2013.

Investigators say Pehringer had been put in charge of managing hunting on the ranch and collected thousands of dollars as a guide. Ranch owners and other landowners can guide hunters on their property without a license, but their employees still need a license to do so.

Hunting outfitters must pay a $1,600 application fee, pay $600 annually and meet other state requirements.
A man accused of sexually assaulting a child in Conroe last year is now behind bars in Montgomery County after his capture in Kosovo, authorities said Wednesday.

The search for Rexhap Rraci, 20, recently ended when investigators tracked him down to Pristina, the capital of the once war-torn nation.
In most cities, bank robbers stick up their local financial institutions in disguises like ski masks or large sunglasses.

But as anyone in Texas will tell you, Austin is not most cities.

So it's little surprise that Tuesday in Texas' reigning capital of keepin' it weird and all things hipsterdom, an alleged Austin bank robber was caught on camera wearing the most hipster of hipster fashion staples: the skinny jeans.

Even funnier, the Austin Police Department called the suspect out in its release of surveillance photos to the public (see video).

The suspect allegedly entered the Benchmark Bank at 1901 N. Lamar Blvd. Tuesday, May 3, in the aforementioned skinny jeans, black blazer, black boots, black shirt and wig, and allegedly stole an undisclosed amount of money.

The suspect then fled in a silver four-door sedan.

The suspect is described as a male, age 20-30, roughly 6 feet tall, with a thin build. He also had a bandage on his face at the time of the alleged robbery.

The heist was one of three bank robberies in three days in Austin, according to Austin Police.

A day prior, a suspect in a much more subdued black dress and stylish pair of sunglasses (see photos above) allegedly demanded money from a teller at a Wells Fargo, 1601 W. 35th St., before striding out with an undisclosed amount of cash in a pair of sensible low-heeled shoes.

Then on Wednesday, May 4, a suspect robbed another Benchmark Bank, located just a block from the Wells Fargo. The man (see photos above) walked in wearing a striped shirt, blue jeans and sneakers and demanded money from the teller before escaping, proving that in both fashion and federal crimes, sometimes simple is better.

No one was hurt in any of the incidents (which is why we feel OK making fun of the fashion choices involved).
An advertisement featuring a multiracial family posted on Old Navy's Twitter account brought out a slew of trolls, prompting a response from one of Sen. John McCain's sons.

Navy Lt. Jack McCain, who is in an interracial marriage with Air Force Reserve Cpt. Renee Swift McCain, posted a picture of him and his wife in support of the Old Navy campaign.
In an interview on Fox News Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas said he will support Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump if he says sorry for smearing Sen. Ted Cruz.

His demand that Trump make amends reflects a broader conundrum in the Republican Party, which is struggling to put the last nine months of divisive campaign vitriol behind it and gather members to support the presumptive nominee.

RELATED: Cruz walks a tightrope in Trump's GOP

"You had Donald Trump lie repeatedly and  heavens to Betsy  accusing the most honorable guy in the race of all kinds of dishonesty," Gohmert, R-Tyler, told Fox host Stuart Varney, referring to Trump's attacks on Cruz. "As a Christian, Stuart, if he apologizes, then yes, I will forgive him and come on board."

Trump hasn't proven himself inclined to apologize, and a redress to Cruz isn't likely forthcoming.

That could present a particularly stinging scenario for Republicans in Texas, the biggest base of support for Cruz, who suspended his campaign for the nomination on Tuesday after holding the runner-up spot for months.

RELATED: Supporters expect Cruz to remain on the national stage

In the later days of the race, Trump trashed Cruz repeatedly, encouraging audiences at his rallies to chant "lyin' Ted," the nickname he bestowed on his opponent. Twice, Trump invoked National Enquirer reports unfriendly to Cruz  most recently alleging a connection between Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, and JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

Cruz fans in Texas says they are struggling to decide how to proceed. Former Cruz campaign tea party chair JoAnn Fleming told the Chronicle she won't "be a cheerleader for the national GOP" with Trump at its helm.

RELATED: Divisive GOP presidential race ventures into unknown territory

"I don't intend to abandon my principles for the sake of winning," she said.

Trump's demeanor was off-putting to Republicans beyond Texas, as well. Quartz reported on Tuesday that handfuls of party officials and major figures were turning away from the Republican Party or voicing grave pessimism for its future.
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Maggie Wright, 70, had high hopes for 2016. She had envisioned an epic battle to the end between delegates on the floor of the Republican Party's national convention, where she would help lead the fight for Sen. Ted Cruz, who she has supported since his 2012 underdog bid for U.S. Senate.

On Tuesday her hopes were crushed.

Beginning on March 1, the retired homemaker and tea party leader from Burleson, Texas, had prepared an entire campaign to win a delegate slot. She invested $600 for promotional materials, printed 400 mailers, refined her resume and practiced her stump speech. Wright was ready to take the fight to Cleveland.

Until Cruz, after a crippling loss in Indiana, withdrew his candidacy and ceded the nomination to Donald Trump.

"Our nation chose evil over good," she said, choking back emotion. "If God does not rain down on America, he needs to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."

RELATED: Analysis: Cruz's sudden exit from GOP race catches supporters off guard

Months of anticipation suddenly were moot. Journalists and pundits had spent most of 2016 chattering about the prospect of a historic contested convention in Cleveland in July, where delegates from the 50 states would caucus contentiously until a winner emerged.

As that scenario became Cruz's last shot at the nomination, his campaign diligently encouraged activist supporters to run for delegate slots, and in state after state it found resounding success. Now all those delegates have lost their purpose.

Wright still plans to go to the Texas GOP convention and seek her spot in Cleveland.

"I don't know if they'll vote for me because my flyers all say I'm running to vote for Ted until the last ballot is cast," she said.

Still, Texas convention will be overrun with Cruz fans. And, according to JoAnn Fleming, former tea party chair for the Cruz campaign, there remains work to be done by the activists who planned on fighting for Cruz at convention.

"Cruz delegates have been in the trenches and should help write the rules for the Republican convention and should help shape the Republican platform," Fleming said.

RELATED: Supporters expect Cruz to remain on the national stage

Wright is weighing whether to mail out or scrap the papers she had printed. On Wednesday she still was reeling from the shock of learning via Facebook that Cruz  whom she calls the favorite political leader of her life  had left the presidential race.

What will she do with her SUV wrapped in an image of Cruz's face and campaign logo?

Unable to find an answer, she held out hope that this is not the end, and Trump will not lead the Republican Party in the presidential election. That's why she still aims to try her best to win a spot as delegate in Cleveland.

"We never know what will take place at convention," she said. "Something might happen. You never know."
AUSTIN -- A Texas state official put on paid leave amid last year's contracting scandal has been reinstated after 15 months in which she received nearly $150,000 in salary without having to work.

The official, Frianita Wilson, a longtime procurement officer at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, never was accused of wrongdoing related to the state's scandal-plagued deal with Austin technology company 21CT. She was put on leave last December at the start of multiple investigations because her husband oversaw the project and she signed off on paperwork for a separate contract with 21CT.

Almost exactly 15 months later, on March 21, Wilson returned to work, state officials confirmed Thursday.

"Frianita Wilson was put on administrative leave out of an abundance of caution at the outset of the investigations," said Bryan Black, a spokesman for the Health and Human Services Commission, which includes the Department of Family and Protective Services. "We are not aware of any wrongdoing on her part and welcome Mrs. Wilson back to continue her state government service."

At her $9,900 monthly salary, she made around $148,500 while on leave.

Wilson's return means that no state employees still are in limbo related to the $110 million Medicaid fraud detection contract with 21CT, which was awarded without any competition through a little-known purchasing program meant for much smaller projects.

Five people resigned in the months after the contract was canceled in December of 2014, including Wilson's husband, Doug Wilson, who was then the health commission's inspector general. The commission's top lawyer, Jack Stick, and its executive commissioner, Kyle Janek, also stepped down.

Two other people put on paid leave the same day as Wilson also resigned: Erica Stick, Jack Stick's wife and the commission's then-chief of staff, left a month into the leave, while Cody Cazares, Jack Stick's former chief of staff, exited last August.

A sixth high-ranking official, Casey Haney, resigned around the same time due to controversy over a $97,000 payment for a graduate degree that was paid out soon after he joined the agency, and before he took any classes.

Frianita Wilson is the only official who faced scrutiny who managed to stay at the agency.

The contract, which sparked a special audit, legislative reforms and criminal investigations, is believed to still be the subject of an FBI probe. An FBI spokeswoman did not return a message seeking comment Thursday.
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.
With cuts to statewide funding, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development expects its loan program, and those like it, to take on greater demand.

State Director Ryan Taylor said many small communities want to handle the population growth that has come to the area and make their communities attractive places to live for the long term. With state coffers running below expectations due to low energy prices, many rural towns could turn to one of Rural Developments more than 40 federal funding programs.

I think we will probably see more applications, Taylor said. Were definitely part of the mix.

For example, Taylor said proposed domestic violence crisis centers in oil country that did not get state oil and gas impact funding looked to Rural Development. While committing to a loan was a concern for the nonprofit centers, the agencys programs and others like it could become another option.

During fiscal year 2015, Rural Development invested $301 million in projects statewide, according to Taylor, who said Rural Development attempts to spur economic development in rural areas from a variety of angles.

The agency has invested in health care, including financing a new medical campus in Hazen for Sakakawea Medical Center. Rural Development made a direct loan for $11 million and a guaranteed loan through Union State Bank for $10.3 million, which together financed about 70 percent of project costs.

For child care, the agency partnered with Cankdeska Cikana Community College and the Spirit Lake Tribe for a new Head Start facility. North Dakota is among the top five states for broadband connectivity in the nation because of the aid provided by the agency. And for housing, the agency provided $66 million for affordable housing in 2015.

We really pave the way for businesses to come into the community and be successful, said Taylor, adding community facilities are important to workforce attraction and retention.

Rural Development also partners with rural cooperatives and helps businesses directly.

Helping more rural businesses start and expand diversifies the rural economy, getting small towns off the roller coaster of commodity driven cycles," according to Taylor. This could be helping an equipment manufacturer expand funding ideas that would add value through processing of the agriculture products or, in the case of Hettinger, Rural Development provided a $2 million no interest loan for a new veterinary clinic.

Taylor said a lot of projects the agency funds also include business plans and feasibility studies, providing seed money vital to startups.

In 2015, Rural Development funded 37 business projects. It funded 32 in 2014, 30 in 2013 and 30 in 2012. The agency has helped more than 500 businesses, directly or indirectly, since 2009.
North Dakota tribes will band together and seek state funding in an effort to promote tourism on reservations as part of North Dakotas larger visitor experience.

We want (visitors) to experience the whole state, including native culture, said Les Thomas, vice chairman of the Turtle Mountain Tourism Association.

Tribal leaders along with state and federal officials are meeting at the North Dakota Native Tourism Summit, a two-day event in Bismarck, with the goal of forming a tribal tourism association in the state, which would be an affiliate organization of the national American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association, and begin developing a plan to pursue a larger tourism industry on reservations.

The opportunity for tribes is tremendous, said Ed Hall, tourism specialist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

He said by bringing in outside visitors, tribal businesses will benefit from visitor spending. The influx of dollars would make businesses on the reservation more sustainable and raise the economic capacity of the tribe.

Strengthening tourism on tribal lands would not only benefit tribes but the state as a whole. The state Tourism Division markets North Dakota to the world and the tribes are part of North Dakota.

Tribes not isolated theyre an asset, Hall said. Tribes open other doors beyond the usual (tourism) markets.

About 1.7 million international tourists visit Native American communities annually, presenters from George Washington University said, which accounted for 5 percent of overseas travelers to the United States in 2014.

At ITB in Berlin, one of the world's largest travel trade shows, the tribal tourism booth within the Discover America display placed ninth out of thousands two years ago and was in the top 15 last year, Hall said. So the international interest in tribal-related travel is immense.

Its a win, win, win situation for the entire state, said Thomas.

A united tribal tourism initiative started after, using grant funds it received from the Northwest Area Foundation to help with poverty reduction, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa hired a team from George Washington University to help develop its tourism assets. It worked out well for the tribe, and it decided to share that knowledge and success with other tribes in the state.

The statewide tribal association would help bring together the partners needed for success. The tribes will need to work with state government for marketing, other towns for creating a larger tourism package and colleges for workforce.

Tourism in North Dakota is all about partnerships, said Thomas, pointing out that North Dakota partners with surrounding states in marketing its own attractions as part of a larger regional visit.

Following that same impetus, in the Fort Berthold travel guide, visitors will find attractions from the surrounding communities as well as tribal sites. The same is true for the Turtle Mountain Tourism Association brochure, which depicts Mystical Horizons, the International Peace Gardens, the tribes casino, a newly constructed heritage center, as well as some Canadian destinations. The association also works with the Norsk Hostfest, promoting one another.

Scott Davis, executive director of the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission, said tourism, the states third largest industry, has long been strong but the state is working to beef it up even more now that oil and agriculture are struggling.

Some partnership steps being taken include a master cultural plan with the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department at On a Slant Village, including coordination of tribal ceremonies to be held in the park. There is also a snowmobile trail that was developed from Bottineau to Belcourt and there have been talks about a Native American history kiosk at the Bismarck Airport.

Youre landing in Indian country; you want to feel that, Davis said.

The challenge is developing the product, Hall said. Many of the tribes have some type of tourist attraction but a successful tourism industry will require more infrastructure, like local businesses and services, than what is currently on reservations. International travelers will expect a broad spectrum of goods and services.

Where the tribes strengths lie are in the possibilities for hands-on experiences.

People want to be infused in culture, Hall said.

If they are kayaking down a river, they want to hear stories about it. They want to know the history behind what they are eating.

There is strong demand for tribal products. The Turtle Mountain tribe makes baskets that would fit this and visitors could even learn and make their own baskets alongside artisans. At the new heritage center, which will be open in July, there will be a tepee village for artists and musicians to do just that.

The tribal tourism association, which will answer to the United Tribes Board of Directors, will meet again at the annual Tribal Leader's Summit in Bismarck to craft a strategy for seeking a state appropriation, perhaps as part of the Tourism Divisions budget, to help fund tribal marketing and tourism-related development.

Should it pass, the NATIVE Act recently passed by the Senate, would be another resource for tribes at the federal level.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., wont be making a formal endorsement in the presidential race.

Sen. Hoeven is not endorsing in the presidential race. He will support the nominee of the party, Don Larson, Hoevens campaign manager, said in an email Wednesday.

Donald Trump emerged with a clear path forward this week as the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party for president. His last remaining competitors, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, dropped out of the race following Trumps strong showing in the Indiana primary.

Hoeven, 59, is running for a second Senate term. His opponents in the race are longtime Democratic-NPL Party state Rep. Eliot Glassheim of Grand Forks and Libertarian Party candidate Robert Marquette.
Even as it tries to revive itself after emerging from bankruptcy, Detroit faces a new crisis: it had to shut down many of its schools this week because of a sickout by teachers. The Detroit Federation of Teachers engineered the stoppage to pressure the Michigan legislature to agree to a $715 million aid packagewithout which, Detroit schools could run out of money by June. Michigan governor Rick Snyder wants to tie the aid to reforms that would bring new leadership to the troubled system, but some legislators are skepticalwith good reason. Snyders plan represents the fifth major reform agenda in the last 30 years for the Detroit Public Schools, which have been plagued by lousy leadership, a reform-resistant union, and a shortage of resources. Instead of a new plan for an old system, its time for Snyder and Michigans legislators to try something new.

Detroits public schools began their decline in the 1970s, as middle class residents fled the city. Even as the educational challenges increased, however, the systems bureaucracy grew and grew. The board of education gained a reputation for financial mismanagement, fostering the impression that Detroits schools were being operated as a jobs program for adults, rather than to educate kids. By the late 1980s, the system ran a $180 million deficit, with a high school dropout rate of 50 percent and daily absenteeism averaging almost 20 percent of all students. The state brought in new management to stabilize the school systems budget.

Education reforms followed. Some principals gained the freedom to select their own curriculum and staff. A bitter teachers strike undermined these reform efforts, shuttering schools for 26 days in September of 1992. As one school board member told the press: [The strike] hit the reform effort upside the head like a two-by-four.

The school district continued to drift. Controversy erupted when the board mishandled $1.5 billion in borrowed money meant to renovate schools. In 1997, then-governor John Engler proposed dissolving the board of education and turning the system over to a new group appointed by Mayor Dennis Archer. In September 1999, however, the teachers struck again, this time for nine days, in opposition to Archers reform proposals, which included a merit-pay system tied to classroom performance. Archer wound up dropping the idea.

Five years later, with the system showing little progress in educating students, frustrated Detroit residents voted for yet another reform plan, this time giving management of the schools back to an elected school board. That decision proved disastrous; the districts finances quickly deteriorated. In September 2006, teachers went on strike yet again, this time over proposals to freeze pay and require greater health-care contributions. By 2009, the district faced a $259 million deficit, as the new board failed to cut costs to respond to a rapid enrollment decline. Governor Jennifer Granholm seized control of the Detroit school district in February 2009 and installed a financial manager to right the ship. An audit discovered hundreds of employees getting paid for no-show jobs and salaries allocated to dead people. Obama education secretary Arne Duncan called the district a national disgrace. The systems graduation rate had plunged to 25 percent, and in 2009, its students registered the lowest scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress tests since the exams have been given.

The state of Michigan has maintained control since 2009, but progress has been halting, in part because of the school systems institutional dysfunction. The recalcitrant teachers union has successfully resisted many reforms. And Detroits bankruptcy, which left the city short of resources, hasnt helped. Residents keep fleeing the city, and students keep leaving the school system. Enrollment is down to just 49,000, from 168,000 in 2000. Facing these challenges, Snyder recently appointed the respected former bankruptcy judge Steven Rhodes to try and right the systems finances. But Rhodes isnt an educator, and Detroits kids desperately need better schools. Snyder should recognize by now that they wont get them from the sclerotic and inept public system.

There is another way. In recent years, dozens of charter schools have been established in Detroit, attracting tens of thousands of city students. In fact, charter schools now enroll more students in Detroit than the public school system does. Snyder should aim highertoward the complete elimination of traditional public schools in favor of an all-charter model.

Too radical? Not for New Orleans, which took this path after Hurricane Katrina, transitioning from its 120-school public education system to one dominated by charter schools. To bring about the transformation, New Orleans turned to the Louisiana Recovery School District (RSD), a state body instituted to take over failing schools. After Katrina, the RSD became the public school operator in New Orleans. By 2007, some 60 percent of the citys kids were enrolled in charters. New Orleans phased out its last government schools in 2015, effectively completing the changeover to an all-choice system. Graduation rates and test scores have rallied impressively. And its all happened in a network of schools that educates nearly as many children as Detroit does.

Not surprisingly, charter schools in Detroit have their opponents. In fact, some critics are using the latest crisis to undermine charters, proposing to limit their ability to expand. Michigan should be doing exactly the oppositephasing out Detroits reform-impervious public school system, encouraging local groups and charter operators from around the country to open more schools, and giving all Detroit residents the opportunity to escape the toxic grip of the citys disastrous educational system.

Photo by jackjayDIGITAL/iStock
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
In the long-running war between the media and Donald Trumps marvelous talent at fabrication, the media finally scored a point. Yesterday, Trump doubled down on the preposterous claim he made earlier this week, that Ted Cruzs father was seen with Lee Harvey Oswald several months before JFKs assassinationa claim that originated in a National Enquirer cover story last month.

It was a major story in a major publication, Trump told ABCs George Stephanopoulos, on Good Morning America. You cant knock the National Enquirer.

Oh, but you can. Cruz and his father both denied any association with Oswald, and Politifact gave it a pants on fire rating, the lowest possible designation on the falsity scale. In a less common form of fact-checking, Jake Tapper at CNN took a full two minutes on his show The Lead to debunk Trumps claim, which he called bizarre, and completely uncorroborated.

This is two and a half minutes of must-see TV. @JakeTapper explaining and debunking the Cruz/Oswald story https://t.co/JGqJDp9sUj  Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 3, 2016

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Tapper was hailed for his display of forceful truth telling, with media critic Jay Rosen calling it one of the highlights of the campaign on Twitter. But the praise directed at Tapper for essentially doing his job is a function of the medias failure, particularly on TV, to call out Trumps lies. Now that Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee, that has to change.

Its true that Trumps consistent lying is tough to combat because he is not deterred by facts. He continues to repeat statements even when confronted with evidence to the contrary, and he seems impervious to the brutal ratings lobbed at him by fact-checkers. On Politifact, Trump has a 3 percent true rating, and a 9 percent mostly true rating, for a grand total of 12 percent of claims that are more true than untrue.

Most politicians change their tune when called out, says Glenn Kessler, a fact-checker at The Washington Post, but not Trump. Trump is unusualunprecedentedin that no matter how often it is determined that what he is saying is false, he doesnt stop saying it.

Trumps long-running lies are actually an opportunity. Real-time fact-checking is tough, but with Trump, thats not the issue. He is repeating old claims that have been found false, says Kessler, so theres no excuse for TV hosts not to be prepared. These TV hosts should not be letting him get away with that.

But they are. One prime example, highlighted this week by BuzzFeed Editor in Chief Ben Smith, is Trumps assertion that he was against the war in Iraq before it started. He has repeated this claim often and confidently. I said, Dont go into Iraq, Trump told Melissa Harris-Perry, in one of many such statements. I said it loud and clear. He has even claimed that Bush sent people to stop him from opposing the war so vocally. At his foreign policy speech in DC last week, Trump said he was totally against the war in Iraq, very proudly, saying for many years that it would destabilize the Middle East.

Trumps key quote begins at 15:07

This is patently false. Completely bogus, says Kessler. It has been fact-checked up the wazoo. No evidence has been found that he vocally opposed the war and one key piece of evidence proves that he supported it. BuzzFeeds researchers found an audio recording from 2002 in which Trump is asked if he supports the war. Yeah, I guess so, Trump says, and adds that he wishes George H.W. Bush had done it right the first time.

But you wouldnt know that from watching TV.

While some print publications have allowed Trump to slide on this issue, notably a Maureen Dowd column in The New York Times, TV is the greater culprit. Andrew Kaczynski, also of BuzzFeed, tweeted a list of 12 TV segments in which Trump goes unchallenged on his position about Iraq. Not on the list are the two most recent cases, on MSNBCs Morning Joe yesterday morning, and NBCs Nightly News last night. On Morning Joe, Trump said about Iraq, I didnt want to do it. As a civilian I was totally against it. The hosts, who hadnt specifically asked Trump about Iraq and could barely get a word in edgewise, quickly continued to the next question.

Not only did host Joe Scarborough not challenge Trump, he defended him a short while later while talking to the shows guest, Sam Stein, a political reporter at The Huffington Post. Trump said the week the war started that it was going to be a mess, Scarborough told Stein. I mean, he certainly said that ahead of Hillary Clinton.

When Stein reiterated that Trump claims to have been a vocal opponent before the war started, the MSNBC host responded that voters dont care about candidates past positions. They dont care about your past. They care about their future.

Thats a pretty wild statement to make about voters, and about viewers. Trumps positioning himself as dovish (or as Dowd described it, a mix of dove, hawk, and isolationist) is incredibly significant, and would be even if it were true. Its a cornerstone of his foreign policy position, and it differentiates him from Hillary Clinton, whose support for the war is a stain on her record and might have cost her the nomination in 2008. Were a humanitarian nation, Trump said in DC. But the legacy of the Obama-Clinton interventions will be weakness, confusion, and disarray, a mess.

In his piece, BuzzFeeds Smith called out a list of media organizations who have allowed a flat lie about the most important American policy decision in decades [to] ooze its way into fact.

TVs failure to challenge Trump on this and many other issues is compounded by the fact that theyre dining off the Trump outrage cycle. A FiveThirtyEight analysis found that between December 22 and March 30, Trump led the news more than half the time, but that no story trended for longer than two days. While much of the coverage is newsworthy, plenty more is ratings fodder.

Both Kessler and Kaczynski called it frustrating to watch the truth being mangled in segment after segment. The Washington Post fact-checker doesnt have the audience that Anderson Cooper has at a Town Hall watched by a million people, says Kaczynski, so even while the fact-checkers are studiously collecting damning evidence, millions of viewers are being fed unfiltered lies.

So far Trump has returned from all attempts to catch him in a lie with even more preposterous lies. But at this point, its not about catching Trump, or changing him, its about giving audiences what theyve been promised: the truth.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Chava Gourarie is a freelance writer based in New York and a former CJR Delacorte Fellow. Follow her on Twitter at @ChavaRisa
A fire that forced the evacuation of the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, destroyed 80 percent of the homes in one neighborhood and extensively damaged property in a number of others, and officials warned it could get worse Wednesday.

More than 80,000 residents were ordered to flee as flames moved into the city, destroying whole neighborhoods. No injuries have been reported.

An overnight update from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo said the Beacon Hill suburb in the south end has suffered the most damage from flames with 80 percent of the homes lost. A dozen trailers on one street in the neighborhood of Timberlea have gone up in flames, with serious losses are reported in the Abasand and Waterways suburbs. Some homes have been lost in four other neighborhoods.

Fire chief Darby Allen told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on Wednesday that parts of wooded areas of the city are still burning but no structures were currently on fire. But Allen said hes worried about the plumes of smoke he sees outside his window and worried about the wind and its direction. It could be even more devastating unfortunately, he said.

Firefighters were working to protect critical infrastructure, including the only bridge across the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only route to the city from the south.

Forestry manager Bernie Schmitte told reporters overnight that there was still danger from very high temperatures, low relative humidities and some strong winds.

Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in a statement Wednesday he is watching the situation with great concern and said situation is fluid and evolving rapidly He noted the federal government is monitoring the situation carefully, including the military.

Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan, in a conference call from Germany early Wednesday, confirmed a formal request for assistance has been received from the Alberta government. What form that will take  at least on the military side  is still being determined and they are expecting to hear soon about the kind of equipment and personnel required.

Were making all assets available, whatever the province and the emergency operations center assesses that they need, he said.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley called it the biggest evacuation in the history of the province. Residents were panicked.

When you leave  its an overwhelming feeling to think that youll never see your house again, said resident Carol Christian, who drove to the evacuation center with her son and their cat.

It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping  up the hills where you live and youre thinking, Oh my God. We got out just in time.'

Fort McMurray is the heart of Canadas oil sands region. The Alberta oil sands are the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Most oil sands projects are well north of the community, while the worst of the flames were on the citys south side.

We appreciate that some of you have lost properties. We have people working here right now that have lost property, too, Allen said.

Suncor, the largest oil sands operator, said it is reducing production at its regional facility  about 15 miles north of the city  so as to allow employees and their families to get to safety.

Medical staffers who were evacuated to Noralta Lodge, 26 kms (16 miles) north of Fort McMurray, were ready when a local woman went into labor.

The blaze had burned since Sunday and seemed on its way to being neutralized Tuesday morning, but it overwhelmed firefighters when winds shifted quickly and drastically in the mid-afternoon to the southwest of the city.

Pictures and video on social media depicted a hellish scene of fire jumping roads and burning debris pitched into the paths of cars as frantic residents, lined up bumper to bumper, scrambled and fumbled to find their way through the thick grey haze.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he spoke with Notley and said the federal government stands ready to help. He urged residents to follow evacuation orders.

As the afternoon wore on and the fire intensified, more and more sections of the city were ordered evacuated until the entire community was ordered out after 6 p.m.

Oil sands work camps were being pressed into service to house evacuees as the raging wildfire emptied the city.

Officials were also evacuating non-essential staff at Suncors base plant. It is 30 kilometers (18 miles) away and one of the closest facilities to the city. Spokesman Paul Newmarch said evacuees were moving into the plants work camps.

(AP reporter Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed.)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Anyone who has had embarrassing photos posted on social media or been deluged with angry messages can attest to the high emotional cost of cyber bullying. But there is also a cost in real dollars for some to clean up their online reputations, including legal fees, security measures and even counseling.

For the 40 percent of adult Internet users who are dealing with this issue, according to 2014 Pew Research Center data, and numerous school-age children, there is a new insurance policy to help mitigate the financial repercussions.

Chubb Ltd recently began offering optional cyber bullying coverage for its homeowners insurance clients. The coverage is included in the companys Family Protection policy, which costs around $70 a year. It covers up to $60,000 in compensation to clients and their families to pay for services including psychological counseling, lost salary and, in extreme cases, public relations assistance.

Its so hard to have complete control online, said Christie Alderman, vice president of client product and services, Chubb personal risk services. We do know that when it does occur it can be really devastating.

Nicole Prause, a neuroscientist from California, learned the costs of cyber bullying the hard way.

After publishing a 2013 peer-reviewed paper that suggested sex addiction is not a clinical diagnosis, Prause said she was subjected to online insults from people she believes oppose her work.

The abuse varied in scope, from repeated claims that she faked her data to comments about her appearance.

I had a TED Talk (posted online) and they just filled it with tranny comments, said Prause, who worked at the University of California-Los Angeles at the time the attacks began. They have definitely singled me out.

Prause filed a cease-and-desist order against her harassers, and said those persons are no longer allowed to contact her directly. But Prause said she spent around $5,000 to mitigate the damage over the years, hiring an attorney and someone to take screenshots of the abuse lobbed at her online.

Rich Matta, the chief executive officer of ReputationDefender, an online reputation management firm, says that the average consumer dealing with this problem can spend around a few thousand dollars a year to combat cyber bullying.

Its no surprise that remediation of cyber bullying is now insurable, Matta said, referencing the Chubb insurance policy.

But some feel that taking out an insurance policy against online harassment is going too far.

Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and a professor of criminal justice at Florida Atlantic University, said insurance for cyber bullying reinforces a victim mentality and is tapping (in to) the fear.

You can do a lot on your own to safeguard your reputation, Hinduja said.

Experts say it is important for consumers to be proactive in protecting their online reputation, by taking a few simple steps.

Here are a few tips to avoid the cyber bully trap:

1. Keep it private

Hinduja recommends setting social media profiles to private, to avoid writing posts that are too frequent and opinionated, and to block or mute accounts that go too far.

You are going to be a much better advocate for yourself, Hinduja said.

2. Be proactive about your childs online presence

While more schools are educating kids about cyber abuse, Matta said parents still need to monitor how their kids use social media. They need to establish some boundaries and rules around when its OK to use technology, he said.

3. Get help when you need it

For those who feel overwhelmed managing their online presence, resources like online ReputationDefender can offer a reprieve  for a price. ReputationDefender typically charges private clients between $3,000 and $20,000 per year, while Reputation 911 (http://reputation911.com/) offers monthly packages for personal reputation management between $195 and $995.

(Editing by Beth Pinsker and Matthew Lewis)
Officials representing charities say granting North Dakotas five American Indian tribes exclusive rights to host online gambling could effectively end charitable gambling in the state. The tribes want Gov. Doug Burgum to approve the idea under tribal-state agreements known as compacts. The current compacts expire at the end of this year and only Burgum can approve them. The tribes argue that their casinos have been hurt by the explosion of the charities Las Vegas-style pull tab machines. Burgum heard arguments from the charities and tribes on Friday. He says the terms of the compacts are still being negotiated and should be completed next month.
Jane Jacobs AP file photo

Jane Jacobs, the great urbanist who demolished modernist architectural orthodoxy, would have turned 100 on Wednesday.

(AP file photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Google saluted the 100th birthday of the great American urbanist Jane Jacobs on Wednesday with a delightful cartoon on its homepage, emphasizing her impish smile and owlish glasses.

Anyone who clicked on the design jumped to a page with biographical information about the author of "The Death and Life of the Great American Cities," the seminal 1961 volume that took a wrecking ball to modernist architecture and city planning.

As a salute to Jacobs, and in part in response to a reader's Tweet yesterday, I'm posting a 2006 appreciation I wrote for The Plain Dealer after Jacobs' death.

AN APPRECIATION

When riots convulsed suburban Paris last fall [2005], it was easy to think of Jane Jacobs, America's greatest prophet of architectural doom.

Jacobs, who died last week in Toronto at age 89, devoted part of her classic 1961 book, "Death and Life of Great American Cities," to a devastating critique of the type of high-rise, government-built tower blocks, where the violence erupted in France.

The riots were sparked by rage among Muslim immigrants from North Africa about unemployment and marginalization. But architecture critics around the world quickly pointed out that poor architecture and planning also played a role.

Le Corbusier and Jose Oubrerie. Photo courtesy of Jose Oubrerie. Photo supplied by the Wexner Center for the Arts.

Commentators singled out Le Corbusier, the Franco-Swiss architect whose visionary urban-planning schemes of the 1920s and '30s inspired the urban-renewal projects that swept cities around the globe after World War II, from Chicago to Paris.

Sins of the masters

By excoriating Le Corbusier, the critics echoed arguments first stated by Jacobs. She pointed out in her seminal book 45 years ago that Le Corbusier's plans for a "Radiant City" of towers set within a park would fail.

In the first instance, she wrote, Le Corbusier ignored the need for roads and parking garages, which inevitably would turn his vision of skyscrapers in a park into skyscrapers in parking lots.

More to the point, Jacobs railed against the idea of segregating city residents by economic status and warehousing the poor in towers isolated from other neighborhoods.

She called those unable to afford housing in the private market "a special collection of guinea pigs for Utopians to mess around with."

Clichy-sous-Bois residents walk past the wreckage of a burnt car, Nov. 2, 2005, where riots occurred east of Paris.

Jacobs advocated a completely different kind of urbanism, based on the dense, intimate, economically mixed neighborhood in Greenwich Village, where she lived in the 1950s while working as an editor for the magazine Architectural Forum.

She likened her neighborhood to a ballet, where stevedores, meat cutters, schoolchildren, churchgoers, shoppers and business owners made their entrances and exits around the clock, thereby creating a public realm that more or less policed itself.

Eyes on the street

She summed up the connection between public vitality and safety with the phrase "eyes on the street," now repeated like a mantra by city planners around the

United States.

Jacobs' theories sparked a wholesale retreat from the massive urban-renewal plans of the postwar era. She undermined big-government construction czars such as New York's Robert Moses, who bulldozed entire neighborhoods and replaced them with chilling high-rise complexes such as Co-Op City in the Bronx.

Jacobs prepared the ground for New Urbanism, the increasingly influential movement in planning and urban design, which advocates the traditional, pedestrian-oriented community planning popular in America before the age of the automobile.

It's also possible to see the influence of Jacobs' ideas in the Hope VI program of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, under which the old high-rises are being replaced with low-rise, mixed-income developments in which market-rate and publicly subsidized apartments are designed to be indistinguishable.

Neighborhood-oriented architects around the country, including Cleveland's Paul Volpe, who has designed hundreds of new houses and apartments in the city over the past two decades, certainly owe a debt to Jacobs.

Pivotal volume

Jacobs' book quickly became a classic of the 1960s, along with others that changed American culture, including "Silent Spring," by Rachel Carson; "Unsafe at any Speed," by Ralph Nader; and "The Other America," by Michael Harrington; and "The Feminine Mystique," by Betty Friedan.

As an observer of architecture and planning, Jacobs rivaled the pro-Modernist critic Lewis Mumford, who wrote for The New Yorker and who loathed her book, calling it an example of "aesthetic philistinism with a vengeance."

She also anticipated the work of William Whyte, the down-to-earth writer and editor who documented how Modernist planning and architecture often created sterile environments that hurt the very cities they were meant to help.

Jacobs' influence is all the more impressive considering she never trained as an architect and never graduated from college. She was instead a journalist, an activist and a generalist who, as Whyte said, used "the eye and the heart" in her incisive observations of city life.

Walking the talk

Jacobs also put her beliefs into political practice. In 1968, she was arrested on charges of riot and criminal mischief for breaking up a public meeting on a Robert Moses plan for an expressway that would have rammed through Lower Manhattan, destroying the neighborhoods she loved.

Later that year, she moved to Toronto out of her opposition to the war in Vietnam and to help her two sons avoid the draft.

Jacobs soon became embroiled in the urban struggles of Toronto, where she wrote other books on philosophy and urban economics. But she never surpassed the impact of "Death and Life."

The urban battles fought by Jacobs continue, but it would be wrong to regard her word on Le Corbusier and Modernist architecture as final.

In truth, much of the damage caused to American cities after World War II was caused by traffic engineers and by mediocre imitators of Le Corbusier and contemporaries such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe - not by the first-generation Modernists themselves.

The Jacobs vision today

Meanwhile, the New Urbanist pendulum threatens to swing too far. While promoting a more human-scaled vision of city planning, advocates of the movement often promote ersatz historical architecture, which threatens to turn cities and suburbs into nostalgic theme parks.

Jacobs' principles can be warped by New Urbanists just as much as the innovations of Modernism were distorted by the slack-minded followers of Le Corbusier.

A lot has changed since Jacobs wrote her great book - particularly the huge shift of population in the United States from cities to suburbs.

Nevertheless, her perceptions remain astonishingly fresh. Her passion, outrage and acute perception still make "Death and Life" essential reading for anyone who cares about cities.
Fleeing, I-77: On April 18, police observed a speeding gray Dodge Ram pick-up truck on I-77. The truck eluded police, instead exiting onto the Ohio Turnpike entrance where it drove through a booth, destroyed the stop arm, hit a concrete barrier and entered I-80.

The truck drove for miles on the turnpike before pulling over. The Maryland driver, 49, apologized to the officer, who noticed he smelled like alcohol. The man said he had been at a downtown Cleveland bar, where he had two beers. He was headed to a Fairlawn hotel room when the incident occurred.

The driver said he was a subcontractor who had been working in the area for a month. After failing a field sobriety test, he was arrested for drunken driving.He was also cited for disregard for safety, speeding and failure to comply.

Marijuana possession, I-77: On April 20, police observed a speeding white Nissan Sentra with a cracked windshield traveling southbound on I-77. While talking to the Cleveland driver, 22, the officer noticed two kids - ages 2 and 4 - not sitting in a booster seat.

The man told the officer he just came off probation for stealing scrap metal, and the car belonged to his brother. It turned out the man didn't have a driver's license. While searching the car, police found marijuana hidden inside of a child's sock located in a backpack.

The man was cited for not having a license, driving an unsafe vehicle, no child restraints and marijuana possession. An officer picked up his girlfriend, who worked at Wendy's. She drove the car and children home.

Recovered property, I-77: On April 20, police observed a tan sedan traveling too close to an SUV. When the officer ran its plates, the vehicle came up stolen out of Cleveland.

The sedan drove through rush-hour traffic attempting to elude the officer. Eventually the car was pulled over near Wheatley Road. The Cleveland driver, 51, said he borrowed the car and never gave it back.

It turned out the driver had a warrant from the Lindale Police Department. He was arrested for receiving stolen property.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
RafterCoates.jpg

Mark Rafter is charged with aggravated murder, murder, aggravated vehicular homicide and other charges in the death of Kayla Coates.

(Brooklyn Police)

BROOKLYN, Ohio -- A Brooklyn man who was injured and charged with murder in an Interstate 480 crash that killed a Baldwin Wallace student is recovering in a rehabilitation center.

The criminal case against 49-year-old Mark Rafter will begin as soon as he is cleared by doctors, Joseph Frolik, spokesman for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, said Wednesday.

Frolik would not say where Rafter is or how long Rafter's rehab is expected to take.

Rafter is charged with aggravated murder, aggravated vehicular homicide and other charges in the Valentine's Day crash that killed 20-year-old Kayla Coates.

He "purposely" drove the wrong way on a highway and crashed into Coates' car, according to an indictment filed March 9. A warrant for his arrest was issued the same day, court records say.

Rafter was driving his 2005 Ford F-150 pickup westbound in the wrong lane of Interstate 480 near Tiedeman Road. He struck Coates' 2016 Ford Fiesta, police said. She died at the scene.

Rafter had been in critical condition at MetroHealth Medical Center since the Feb. 14 crash.

A MetroHealth spokesman said Tuesday that Rafter was discharged. The spokesman would not say when the hospital discharged Rafter.

Hospital officials upgraded his condition to serious April 20, and he was still in the hospital as of last week.

If you wish to discuss or comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments section.

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CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A man accused of firing the shots that killed a man during a shootout outside a Cleveland Heights bar is being held on $1.2 million bond.

Stephen Johnson, 28, pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder Thursday in front of Cleveland Heights Municipal Court Judge A. Deane Buchanan.

Johnson is charged with shooting and killing 24-year-old Dejon D. Forbes Tuesday outside the Sunny Spot Lounge. Another man was shot in the hip.

Detectives found Forbes in a car parked in a lot of a laundromat adjacent to the bar, police said. Forbes was taken to University Hospitals Case Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office said he died of multiple gunshot wounds to his torso and right leg, as well as a laceration of his left lung.

Cleveland Heights Assistant Prosecutor Kevin P. Roberts told the judge the circumstances of the shooting were "extraordinary" and requested a $1 million bond.

"A shootout occurred at a very well-traveled location in the city at Noble Road and Grayton Road," Roberts said in court.

Cleveland Heights police found several bullet casings near that corner, Roberts said. Bullets also struck a nearby stop sign and a police car across the street. Detectives found more casings outside a bar across the street.

Investigators used surveillance video to identify Johnson as the gunman who shot Forbes, Roberts said.

Johnson was found with a gun, the assistant prosecutor said. He also told his mother, "I may have killed him" after the shooting, Roberts added.

Officials haven't discussed a possible motive for the slaying.

Johnson's preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. May 13.

Johnson has two previous felony convictions, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court records show. He was on probation until January 2015.

Johnson was found guilty in July 2013 of possessing criminal tools, drug possession, receiving stolen property and having weapons while under disability, court records show. A judge sentenced him to six months of community control under the supervision of the county's probation department.

He violated the terms of his probation in May 2014 when he tested positive for drugs, records show.

Prior to that, Johnson was convicted in November 2011 of drug trafficking, attempted tampering with evidence and failure to comply with the order of a police officer, court documents show. He was sentenced to a year of community control.

Another man also faces charges in connection with the shooting.

Antonio Longino, 23, was taken into custody Wednesday on a charge of tampering with evidence, Cleveland Heights Police Chief Anette Mecklenburg said. He was released from jail after he posted $100,000 bond.

Mecklenburg would not discuss details of Longino's role in the shooting. She said Longino is expected have his first court appearance Monday.

Longino is a former Arizona State University linebacker and a 2011 graduate of Shaw High School in East Cleveland.

Multiple reports and social media posts indicated that Longino was planning to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent. However, a Bengals spokesman on Thursday denied that the team had expressed an interest in Longino.

If you wish to discuss this story, visit today's crime and courts comment page.
Michael Madison Verdict.jpg

Michael Madison awaits the verdict in the case of three women who were killed in East Cleveland.

(John Harper/cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A jury found Michael Madison guilty of murder in the deaths of three women in East Cleveland.

The 12-person jury announced its decision in the more than five-week trial Thursday afternoon. The jury will now decide whether to recommend Madison be put to death or if he'll spend the rest of his life in prison.

Madison killed Shirellda Terry, 18, Shetisha Sheeley, 28, and Angela Deskins, 38.

His defense attorneys did not dispute that he killed the women, and formed a defense based on the theory that the killings were not the orchestrated actions of a "serial killer."

Prosecutors said that Madison posed as a charming man who lied about his identity to gain the trust of women.

At least one witness for the state said that Madison harbored deep resentment for some of the women in his life, including his mother and the mother of his two children.

This is a breaking news story. More information will be added as it becomes available.
Cinco de Mayo keeps getting bigger and bigger every year in America. Is it because Americans are taking more and more of an interest in the origins of this holiday - which celebrates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862? Who knows. Either way, they love to indulge in Mexican beers, margaritas and tequilas - along with all kinds of Mexican food. Sometimes, history inspires us that way. So, OK, here are some spots that will make you say, "Ole! Ole! Ole!" (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Cinco de Mayo: Cleveland bars, restaurants to celebrate the Mexican holiday

Cinco de Mayo keeps getting bigger and bigger every year in America. Is it because Americans are taking more and more of an interest in the origins of this holiday  which celebrates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862? Who knows. Either way, they love to indulge in Mexican beers, margaritas and tequilas  along with all kinds of Mexican food. Sometimes, history inspires us that way. So, OK, here are some spots that will make you say, Ole! Ole! Ole! (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Barrio

Barrio, three locations (in Lakewood, Tremont and downtown), barrio-tacos.com,: The taco empire built with build-your-own tacos will celebrate its anniversary and Cinco de Mayo at the same time. All three locales open at 11 a.m. today and will serve $5 margaritas and drink deals. Good margaritas, too. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Don Ramon

Don Ramon, 6278 Pearl Road, Parma Heights, 440-886-0566; donramon-granfiestamex.com: The spicy salsa, seafood fajitas and strong margaritas make for a happy chowdown. The murals and black velvet painting make you wanna say Ole! (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

El Carnicero

El Carnicero,16918 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, 216-226-3415; elcarnicerolakewood.com: They go loco for the tacos at this outpost of Hot tamale! Yeah, they dig those too  along with the margaritas and kitschy decor on the walls. (Photo by Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

El Tango

El Tango Grill, 14224 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-226-9999; eltangogrill.com: The cactus with hanging bric-a-brac, candles and paintings make for an ornate take on south-of-the-border decor. The menu is just as novel. Ah, but come Thursday, they will be drinking margaritas like there is no tomorrow. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Johnny Mango

Johnny Mango, 3120 Bridge Ave., Cleveland, 216-575-1919; .jmango.com: The margaritas are stellar year-round, though we must point out that May is Margarita Month at Casa Mango. They come in various flavors and will go down swimmingly with happy-go-lucky vibes that always accompany Cinco de Mayo. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Loco Leprechaun

Loco Leprechaun, 24545 Center Ridge Road, Westlake, 440-250-5626: The name conjures visions of mariachi bands doing "Danny Boy." Nope. The Irish-Mexican joint just loves a wide-ranging party  one that comes with deep discounts on tacos, margaritas and tequila shots. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Lopez on Lee

Lopez on Lee, 2196 Lee Rd, Cleveland, 216-932-9000; lopezonlee.com: Whoa, is this the Wild Wild West or mild, East Side? This place injects some woohoo into Lee Road, thanks to its tequila selection and cactus-juice devotees. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Los Gallos

Los Gallos, 630 Broadway Ave., Bedford, 440-232-1322; losgallosmexican.com: The murals and cozy vibes make it feel like some faraway sipping post. The food is spicy and fine. The sangrias? Really good, and enough of them will make you imagine you're elsewhere. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Luchita's

Luchita's, 3456 West 117th St., Cleveland, 216-252-1169; luchita.com: This spicy institution celebrates Cinco de Mayo by doing its annual rollout of chiles en nogada  a traditional dish of poblano chiles filled with picadillo (ground meat, fruits and spices) and topped with a walnut-based cream sauce and pomegranate seeds. (Photo courtesy Luchita's)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Momocho

Momocho, 1835 Fulton Road, Cleveland, 216-694-2122; momocho.com: Is there a place with a wider selection of tequila in town? Can't think of one. Check out the specialty margaritas, too. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar, 28601 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 900, Woodmere, 216-896-9020; paladarlatinkitchen.com: This Nuevo Latino cafe will roll out an all-day deal on good vibes for Cinco de Mayo  complete with drink deals on mojitos, $4 margaritas and select Latin beer. Oh, and there's live music from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Note: Paladar will be doing it regular Happy Hour -- 4-7 p.m. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Villa y Zapata

Villa y Zapata, 8505 Madison Ave., Cleveland, 216-961-4369; facebook.com/pages/Villa-Y-Zapata/291258833302: About as traditional as you can get  authentic food, old-school vibes and a margarita for the ages. (Photo courtesy Villa y Zapata)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Zocalo Mexican Grill and Tequileria

Zocalo Mexican Grill and Tequileria,2071 East Fourth St., Cleveland, 216-781-0420; zocalocleveland.com: The Mexican lanterns, massive tequila list and sombrero over the bar are a nice touch. So is the party-hearty vibe, which comes with 20 margaritas and 120 tequilas. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo -- the holiday that marks the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

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John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo -- the holiday that marks the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)
Norma J. Bitz, 81, Bismarck, died May 3, 2016. Mass of Christian burial will be held at noon Friday, May 6, at Church of Saint Mary, 806 E. Broadway Ave., Bismarck. Graveside services will be held at 4 p.m. at Balfour Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. today at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 E. Divide Ave., Bismarck, where a rosary/vigil service will begin at 7 p.m.

Norma Jean Bitz was born July 29, 1934, in Mankato, Minn., to George and Hazel (Korolsky) Udelhofen. She was raised and educated in Balfour. On Nov. 4, 1959, Norma married Leo Bitz, in Harvey. They owned and operated the New Frontier Club in Denhoff from 1973-88. In 1988, they moved to Bismarck. Leo died in May 1993, near Briene. Norma went to work as a certified nurses assistant at St. Vincent Care Center until 1996, then she became employed at the Terrace. In 1999, she returned to work at St. Vincent Care Center. After retiring from St. Vincent Care Center, she got bored and then began her job with Touchmark Care Center, she worked there until she turned 80 years old.

Normas passion in life was fishing. She would go fishing all day, if she only caught one fish it was okay with her. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She will always be remembered for her teasing personality. Norma loved being with people. Her life clearly reflects that. Family was always very important to her. Every holiday was always spent with family, with lots of food and fellowship. Christmas and birthdays were her favorite, she loved opening gifts and watching others open gifts.

Norma was dearly loved and will be deeply missed by her family and many great friends. She is survived by her son, Delvin Bitz, Wyoming; her three daughters and one son-in-law, Deb Bitz, Bismarck, Donna Fowler, Asheville N.C., and Denise (Clark) Brown, Baldwin; her nine grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Norma was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Leo; two sisters, Margaret Swan and baby Jeanette Udelhofen; two brothers, Virgil Udelhofen and baby brother, Robert Udelhofen; and one grandson, Delvin "Junior" Bitz.

Go to www.eastgatefuneral.com to share memories of Norma and sign the online guest book.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple says he will support Donald Trump as the Republican Partys nominee for president.

Dalrymple spokesman Jeff Zent said Thursday that the governor will back the partys nominee, and if that ends up being Trump, then thats who he will support.

While Trump doesnt yet have the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the GOP nomination, he was virtually assured it when Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich both suspended their campaigns this week.

Dalrymple wasnt available for an interview Thursday, Zent said. When asked by KFGO radio host Dan Hammer on Wednesday if he will endorse Trump, Dalrymple joked, Well, Im pretty much down to one choice, arent I? according to a podcast of the interview.

I have said all along the way that I will be supporting the Republican nominee, whoever that turns out to be, and that looks like its going to be Donald Trump, so I will be supporting him, Dalrymple told Hammer.

Dalrymple also said he believes Trump can unite the Republican Party.

He has shown skills at being able to bring people together, groups of people. Will he be able to do it? Well watch and see, he told Hammer.
You don't have to be a technical genius to make valuable contributions to science. This is a concept personal genomics entrepreneur Anne Wojcicki has touted in interviews. What is important for a successful scientific venture is finding a way to get ordinary people excited about and interested in science, which is something Wojcicki strives to do with 23andMe, a company she co-founded with Linda Avey and Paul Cusenza to provide genetic testing to consumers. The company is one of the first, and only, companies to offer genetic profiles directly to consumers, rather than through doctors or researchers. Getting ordinary people interested in genetics  especially interested enough to shell out $199 to give their genetic information to a company  is crucial to the 23andMe's success.



Anne Wojcicki speaking at a SXSW event. Mindy Best | Getty Images

But Wojcicki also hopes 23andMe will inspire more public interest in genetics and in science in general. She has encouraged people who might not consider themselves technical geniuses to still participate in science.

"It's one of the things I want people to understand about science.... You don't have to be the best person in the world at it," she said in an interview with documentary website Makers. "But you can be good, and there are so many different opportunities in science."



23andMe turned 10 years old last month, and in that decade more than 1 million people have mailed test tubes full of their spit to the company's labs for analysis. Among them are Wojcicki's own family members.

Several years ago, Wojcicki and her then-husband, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, found through testing that he carried a genetic risk of Parkinson's disease. They began researching the issue, and they found some research suggesting that caffeine could help stave off the disease, so they began drinking coffee together. They also exercised together. "There's clearly things you can do in your environment to try to prevent disease," Wojcicki told Makers, "and I want to know what those things are."

Success has not been a steady path upward, of course. The Food and Drug Administration told 23andMe to stop offering information on potentially heritable diseases in 2013, before partially reversing that decision last year. The company now has regulatory approval to provide information on whether a person carries a gene that might create risks of their children developing a disease. That is a significant change from the information it used to offer on 254 health risks.
Azimo, a U.K. online money transfer business aimed at making it cheaper to send cash around the world, has raised $15 million led by Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten as the start-up looks to expand its presence in Asia. The funding round brings Azimo's total amount raised to $40 million to-date. Existing investors eVentures, Frog Capital, Greycroft, Accion and MCI also contributed to this round of funding. At its last round in June 2015, the company was valued at $100 million, according to several media reports. Michael Kent, chief executive and founder of the start-up, said that this was "not far off" and the latest round is a "big uplift" on that valuation, but could not disclose the actual figure. Azimo allows users to transfer money around the world in over 80 currencies at a rate it claims is cheaper than some banks and other established rivals. The receiver can get that money through different methods from a simple bank transfer to picking up physical cash or having it delivered to their mobile wallet, banking services that can be done via simple text messages.



$600B market

The investment by Rakuten, which has been called the "Amazon of Japan," will help Azimo establish a larger presence in Asia. The British start-up already allows its customers to send money to Asia and it wants to improve that process and, more crucially, take advantage of the growing number of migrants in Asia wishing to send money back home. "What you have in Asia is a very mobile-literate region with high Android penetration. We're addressing lots of people within Asia travelling cross-border who don't have many options to send money," Kent told CNBC in a phone interview. The investment is going to be used on establishing an office in either Hong Kong, Singapore or Japan and "working through the finer details with regulators", Kent added.



A screenshot of Azimo's platform Azimo

International migrants will send $601 billion to their families in other countries this year, with developing countries receiving $441 billion of that, according to the World Bank. And more data from the organization shows that outflows from countries such as India, China and Bangladesh are on the rise, a trend Azimo is hoping to capitalize on. These countries have traditionally been countries that receive large inflows. The average cost of sending remittances is about 7.68 percent of the overall transaction. Azimo is just one company aiming to cut its charges, putting it up against traditional players, with the likes of WorldRemit, which recently received a $45 million investment, and TransferWise. Azimo said it is different because it's focusing on outflows from other regions in the world. "We are trying to build something that can point to different parts of the world more easily than they can. We are deeper in Europe. WorldRemit's focus is the U.S., U.K. and Australia. We are focused on the big markets in Europe," Kent said.



Social media transfers?
Wright did not say his earlier claims were false, however. He said he had not deceived lead developer Gavin Andresen and bitcoin consultant Jon Matonis, both of whom had written blogs in which they said they believed him to be bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, a name assumed to be a pseudonym.

Australian tech entrepreneur Craig Wright, who earlier this week said he would provide "extraordinary proof" that he was the creator of digital currency bitcoin, will not provide any further evidence, according to a post on his blog on Thursday.

Uncovering Nakamoto's real identity would solve a riddle dating back to the publication of the open source software behind bitcoin in 2008, a year before its launch.

"I'm sorry. I believed that I could do this. I believed that I could put the years of anonymity and hiding behind me," Wright wrote.

"But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke. I do not have the courage. I cannot."

After coming under pressure to provide more credible evidence that he was bitcoin's creator, Wright had published a post on Monday that said he would post "independently verifiable documents and evidence" that would back up his claims.

The post could no longer be found on the blog site.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.


The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note , which moves inversely to its price, dipped to about 1.744 percent, after earlier rising. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond also slid to 2.607 percent after climbing earlier.

U.S. government debt prices rose on Thursday, as investors digested economic data, rising oil prices and comments from Federal Reserve officials.

In prepared remarks in California, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said global headwinds have partly prevented the Fed from raising rates again.

San Francisco Fed President John Williams told CNBC that two to three rate hikes this year would be "reasonable."

On the data front, weekly jobless claims rose 17,000 to 274,000. Economists polled by Reuters expected the number to come in at 260,000. Also, layoffs by U.S.-based companies accelerated in April, sending year-to-date job cuts to the highest level since 2009, a private study reported Thursday.

Domestic companies announced plans to let go 65,141 workers last month, a 35 percent increase from March, according to the report by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Investors also kept an eye on oil prices. Brent crude traded at $44.96 a barrel, up 0.8 percent, while U.S. crude settled 54 cents, or 1.2 percent, higher at $44.32 a barrel. Oil traded higher earlier in the day but gave up some of its gains.

 CNBC's Tom DiChristopher and Reuters contributed to this report.
FARGO -- The death of a 28-year-old Fargo man who reportedly jumped off a highway overpass into traffic in January has been ruled a suicide, according to a report released this week by the Cass County Coroner's Office.

A witness told police she saw the man, Cody Kadrmas, dive headfirst off the 45th Street South bridge onto Interstate 94 on Jan. 21, according to a Fargo Police Department report.

The witness said she and three co-workers were driving across the bridge when she saw Kadrmas go over the concrete barrier on the west edge of the bridge, the police report stated.

Kadrmas fell 26 feet before landing in the left lane of eastbound I-94. No vehicles hit him, and no motorists were hurt, authorities said.

One driver told police she saw Kadrmas falling and that she slammed on her brakes and swerved to avoid hitting him, the police report said.

Another driver told police she noticed Kadrmas on the bridge climbing a snow pile up to the top of the concrete barrier. The driver then took the on-ramp to eastbound I-94 where she saw Kadrmas lying on the interstate, the police report said.

Kadrmas' mother, Nancy Gibbs, said she disagrees with the coroner's conclusion that her son's death was a suicide. She said she believes he was trying to move out of the way of traffic on the bridge when he accidentally went over the barrier.

Kadrmas, who had a history of mental health problems, died from his injuries Jan. 24 at Essentia Hospital. A toxicology test found no alcohol or illegal drugs in his system, the police report said.
A floor crew pull steel pipe out of a natural gas well in the Barnett Shale of Fort Worth, Texas that is owned by Chesapeake Energy Corporation.

Shares of Chesapeake Energy jumped more than 10 percent in early trading Thursday after posting quarterly earnings that met analyst expectations.

The stock gave up some of its earlier gains and closed up 1 percent.

The second-largest U.S. natural gas producer reported an adjusted first-quarter loss of 10 cents a share on Thursday, in line with Reuters estimates, and said it struck a $470 million deal with Newfield Exploration for some assets in Oklahoma.

Chesapeake said it would sell about 42,000 net acres of its fields, with current production of 3,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Analysts at Sterne Agee CRT said these two factors "further dent the weakening bear case on CHK shares."
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Hong's appeal came right after he said that the U.S. presidential election "is its domestic affair" and that China has "no comment on what is happening now with the election." Despite being the U.S.' largest trading partner, China's turbo-charged ascent to world power in the last few decades has unsettled the U.S.-dominated world order amid challenging economic conditions since the global financial crisis. Trump has played on these insecurities in his campaign, saying that China had waged "economic war" against the U.S. by taking American jobs. On Sunday, he compared the U.S. trade deficit with China to rape. He also proposed that tariffs on imported Chinese goods be increased. Chinese officials have avoided criticizing the brash billionaire directly, although last month finance minister Lou Jiwei called Trump an "irrational type."
WHEN: Today, Thursday, May 5th

WHERE: CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" and "Squawk Alley"

Following are excerpts from the unofficial transcript of a CNBC EXCLUSIVE interview with Expedia Chairman Barry Diller that aired on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" (M-F, 9AM-11AM ET) and "Squawk Alley" (M-F, 11AM-12PM ET) today, Thursday, May 5th. Following are links to the video on CNBC.com:http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000515313 and http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000515317.

All references must be sourced to CNBC.

DILLER ON DONALD TRUMP BEING EVIL

There's nobody I've ever known in politics ever that has been  that has risen to national  I mean, to the presidency, that was actually of evil character. I mean, there's been incompetence. There's been, with Nixon, Nixon-ness, but 

Simon Hobbs: Why do you say he's evil? Why is he actually evil?

Diller: Because anybody who attacks people in the manner that he attacks people  anybody who would do that, anybody who  if I have a disagreement with you or I think you don't like me, I don't have the right to find out the vulnerability that I think could make you miserable and that is just completely unfair. I don't have that right. He has that as a natural state. I call that evil. That is evil.

DILLER ON DONALD TRUMP

Barry Diller: I said I'd either leave the country or join the resistance, which I said about six months ago, seven months ago. I've decided I'm not leaving the country, for sure, if he's President, which I still think is impossible. But I will join the resistance. As will everyone who is sentient.

Simon Hobbs: What does that mean, join the resistance?

Diller: Pitchforks.

DILLER ON TRAVEL AND EXPEDIA HISTORY

Expedia had been in business for a couple of years and actually, the leader was Travelocity at the time. That was really the first one that went in. But Expedia came in and undercut them essentially. And so, I saw it, and I went to Steve Ballmer at Microsoft and I said, "what are you guys doing? You don't want to own this thing. This is stupid. This is not your business, you got  it's public because the guys who ran it convinced you that they should have their own little currency, but it is a waste of your time. I'll buy your position." And he said yes. So we did. And we did it literally, closed the deal and on September 11ththe world changed. Ceased to exist for that, you know, next few weeks. And we had an out clause. We could not go forward with the deal because we had a material adverse change thing that if anything happened between  and we said, we sat around and said, "should we do it?" And somebody said, "if there's life, there's travel." I said, "that's true." So we bought it on literally, with that knowledge. And then, of course, travel came back.

DILLER ON AIRBNB

Simon Hobbs: What does Airbnb do to you? Some say as Airbnb maybe it goes into the public market and it has to grow, well maybe it will take on some of the hotel inventory from the big hotels as well, therefore, where does that leave Expedia and Priceline?

Barry Diller: Airbnb and Homeway are going to take pieces out of the standard vertical hotel business, right? But they aren't going to take it all away. People are still going to  hotels provide, you know, what we know of as hotels. A building with 20 floors and 200 rooms or 40 floors and 500 rooms or whatever it is. And all of the services that go in that. That's appealing to business travelers, of course, and a lot of leisure travelers in urban centers. If you want a vacation, you have four kids and you don't want to be stuck in two rooms in this big vertical thing, you have other alternatives. I don't think  a lot of people say Airbnb is really going to take away from hotels. It will take some, but it is not going to take their business away.

DILLER ON INVESTMENTS

Hobbs: Both you and Priceline have made acquisitions. When Priceline makes an acquisition, it tends to bolt the management onto what it's got and bolt the technology onto what it's got. You took a very different decision. Fundamentally different in that you would have one technology platform. It took time and it look a lot of money 

Diller: Huge. Huge amount of money.

Hobbs: And some say you almost lost your CEO in that process. It was quite painful, wasn't it?

Diller: Oh, it was horrible. We went through three years  we had not really invested in technology. What happens in most of these internet companies is everybody works 24 hours, 7 days a week to get audience, etc. They don't pay much attention to infrastructure. So we had to change our entire infrastructure to be able to actually deliver our services. That took a huge amount of capital  at least 1.5 billion, 1.7 billion of actual tech capital to achieve that. Now we have the ability to buy Orbitz, to you know, buy Travelocity. To integrate them into our service. So it turned out to be a good investment. But like all that stuff, it is painful.

Hobbs: Why do you keep buying companies and then  you buy the brand as you just said, and strip out the back office and fill them with the inventory that, broadly, you've already got. Why don't you spend those billions advertising the brands that you have?

Diller: Well, because the thing is  first of all, we can't advertise more. We don't think. I mean, we advertise, I think, somewhat efficiently. Who could ever say that you get total efficiency with advertising would be a fool. So the idea of us buying brands that have traffic, and then putting them into our more efficient system that they have just simply by scale, it is just very good economics. And also, each of the brands has a resonance of its own and one brand does not serve all, we believe.

DILLER ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

I find myself on a Google site, that has a microphone on it and I don't know what it is actually called. And you simply talk into it, and you say tell me what happens when you have sinusitis. And an answer comes back. An audio answer. It hears you in natural language and it responds. And that, when you think about it  you think about it two years, five years, seven years ago, you'd say well how do you do that? That is an intelligent  there is intelligence. It's tech, it's all tech, it's numbers. But it is intelligence. Artificial intelligence is just the next advance. Much more, to me in an evolutionary way, than is VR because virtual reality, to me, it's a nice whistle, but it's not a profound thing. But the ability of these services to be able to serve you in ways that to you appears like magic  that is why artificial intelligence when it relates to travel, when it relates to being able to essentially serve you without even your understanding how and give you a result that delights you, that's magic.

Simon Hobbs: Elon Musk says we should be scared. Should we be scared?

Barry Diller: Yeah, if you take artificial intelligence to its natural conclusion, then in fact, you have smarter beings than we are who can walk and talk and kill and control.

DILLER ON DREAMWORKS

Simon Hobbs: What did you think when you found out that DreamWorks was being sold to Comcast? Do you still talk to Jeff Katzenberg?

Barry Diller: Oh yeah, yeah. Yes, of course I do. And I was very happy to congratulate him. I thought it was necessary. I thought it was little sad, you know, not overwhelmingly, but 

Hobbs: Why is it sad?

Diller: Well because, look, DreamWorks started when it was the whole thing, which was movies, television, animation and several other things, as an alternative to the closed major studio system. It was a new studio with big dreams. And for life reasons, god knows you could've have gotten three smarter people together. But for life reasons, interest reasons, changing times reasons, that dream of building that into an independent major company essentially didn't work out. Didn't work out because literally the members of that consortium all had their  their interests were  they were not interested as time went in the same things. So I thought, that is a little sad. But by the way, how can you be sad? Steven Spielberg is making great movies and seems very happy. David Geffen wakes up happy, goes to sleep happy, has a great fortune that he is going to give away. And Jeffrey Katzenberg for ten years built animation, and wrote to me the day  because I congratulated him  he said, "I can't wait to get on to the new adventure." So Jeffrey is going to have a third act.

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Paying for education is not easy for anyone, with four-year tuition and room and board at private colleges averaging nearly $44,000 and close to $20,000 at public colleges. For black students, particularly those from low- and moderate-income families, the hurdles are even higher. They are twice as likely to borrow for college as their white counterparts, according to a recent study of race and debt by a Brookings Institution senior fellow and others. In addition, low- and moderate-income black students who borrow wind up with debt that is about $7,700 larger than those of whites. These black students' debt averaged over $27,000, compared with a little under $20,000 for white students. Asian and Hispanic students had even less debt than whites.

"We were expecting something like this, but I don't know that I expected the magnitude," said Michal GrinsteinWeiss, lead author of the study and an associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis. GrinsteinWeiss and coauthor Samuel Taylor pointed to several potential reasons for the difference. One possibility, they said, is that while they were able to measure students with comparable family incomes, they could not fully control for all types of assets and debts. And in general, white families tend to have significantly more wealth. Some 63 percent of white students who graduate from public four-year colleges and universities borrow to do so, but 81 percent of black graduates go that route, according to a study of student debt by Demos, a public policy research organization. When it comes to associate's degrees, 57 percent of black students borrow, versus 43 percent of whites  and the black students borrow an average of $2,000 more. And that is without controlling for income.

"It's what we call parental transfer. Parents of white students are more able to help them with college, with liquidity and with assets to draw on," Grinstein-Weiss said.

Another possible reason for the difference in debt levels may be tied to the schools students attend, the researchers said. Black students are disproportionately represented in the ranks of students at for-profit schools, which tend to offer less need-based aid and often are not cheap. An associate's degree at a for-profit school costs only $956 less than a bachelor's degree at a public four-year institution, according to Demos. Certainly, not all for-profit schools are predatory institutions, but they tend to market to low-income minority students who may have less information about the schools' quality and their graduates' job prospects and less awareness of other options, said Washington University's Taylor.

Getty Images

Another possible reason blacks are more likely to borrow is the history of disparity in access to quality education, Grinstein-Weiss said. Children in low- and moderate-income families may attend lower quality public schools, for example, and the education they receive may limit their college options and their awareness of the possibilities.

One way students can cut college costs is by completing a degree quickly and reducing their time in school. However, low-income students may have other demands, like an outside job, that make that challenging. Another option is to attend a school that offers you a larger financial aid package, even if it is not your first choice. Saving early and often is also key to reducing the college debt burden, Grinstein-Weiss said, though of course low-income families can find that tough to do.
Though Constellation Brands and Molson Coors have been his favorites lately, he decided to put all the big dogs to the test. He compared Constellation, Molson Coors, ABInBev and Boston Beer .

"With Anheuser Busch InBev's gigantic $107 billion acquisition of SABMiller coming closer and closer to fruition, the competitive landscape in the beer business is about to change dramatically," the " Mad Money " host said.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo this year, Jim Cramer thought it would be the perfect time to re-rank beer companies, given that results from all of the industry's major players have now been reported.

Constellation delivered a strong quarter last month and has made a series of acquisitions that have allowed it to expand within the industry. In 2013 it snapped up the U.S. rights to Corona and Modelo for $2.9 billion. More recently, it purchased Prisoner Wine Company for $285 million, which gave it five fast growing wine brands.

Constellation also discussed potentially spinning off its Canadian wine unit in an IPO, which could help raise capital to pay down debt and possibly do more deals.

Read more from Mad Money with Jim Cramer

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Molson Coors also reported a strong quarter on Tuesday, which propelled the stock to new all-time highs. The real story, Cramer said, is that it will be taking full control of the MillerCoors joint venture as soon as InBev closes its acquisition on SABMiller.

"TAP has already shown that they can cut costs, which is why I think this MillerCoors deal could be transformational. More upside ahead," Cramer said.

Ever since ABInbev formally announced the SABMiller deal in November, Cramer says the stock has been hostage to regulators. Every time it looked like the merger would go through smoothly it would rally, and whenever it hit a roadblock it would plunge. At this point, most roadblocks have been cleared; that's why the stock has been able to rally.

Finally, there is Boston Beer, maker of Sam Adams. While the rest of the group has roared higher, Boston Beer has been crushed.

"This seemingly endless sell-off makes perfect sense when you look at how rapidly Boston Beer's revenue growth has slowed in recent years," Cramer said.

Ultimately, for those investors willing to pay roughly the same valuation for everything in the beer space, Cramer recommended sticking with Constellation Brands. He ranked Molson Coors in close second, given its MillerCoors acquisition.
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Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has touted his ability to self-fund most of his campaign, named a hedge fund veteran on Thursday as finance chairman for his general election bid. Steven Mnuchin, chairman and CEO of Dune Capital Management, said in a statement he will help Trump "create a world-class finance organization" to fuel his campaign. Mnuchin previously was chairman of OneWest Bank Group and was a partner at Goldman Sachs. "Steven is a professional at the highest level with an extensive and very successful financial background. He brings unprecedented experience and expertise to a fundraising operation that will benefit the Republican Party and ultimately defeat Hillary Clinton," Trump said in a statement.

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Jewel Samad | AFP | Getty Images

The billionaire businessman repeatedly touted his ability to self-fund his GOP primary campaign. While his campaign committee had taken in about $12 million in donations by the end of March, Trump himself had loaned it about $36 million. The creation of a larger finance organization is necessary for a general election effort. However, it raises questions about Trump's assertions that he does not need donor money and therefore is not beholden to any special interests, a point of appeal for some voters.
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Media mogul Barry Diller may think Donald Trump is evil, but don't expect the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to be shunned by CEOs if he lands in the White House, two experts predicted Thursday.

"People will adapt and find ways to work with him. Some CEOs will support him, some won't. I don't see him being ostracized somehow as inappropriate by a big group of CEOs out there," Harvard Business Review Editor-in-Chief Adi Ignatius said in an interview with CNBC's "Power Lunch." "CEOs don't have much of a choice. If it happens to be a President Trump, they're going to have to deal with him," added Sydney Finkelstein, a professor at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business and author of "Superbosses." Trump has been outspoken against some businesses.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Jewel Samad | AFP | Getty Images

While leaders may like his call for lowering the corporate tax rate, his policies on China will have advocates and detractors, Ignatius said.

However, "this is early stages for what in the world Donald Trump actually believes in," he noted. Trump won Indiana's primary on Tuesday, prompting his remaining opponents, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to suspend their campaigns. Barry Diller, chairman and senior executive of IAC and Expedia, had harsh words about the billionaire on Thursday's "Squawk on the Street." "There's nobody that I've ever known, ever, that's risen to the presidency that was actually of evil character," he said. "Anybody who attacks people in the manner that he attacks people  that's evil."

However, Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone doesn't seem concerned about a President Trump.

"I think he's going to be the president. And whoever he has around him, is going to be people who are going to help him get things done," he told "Closing Bell" on Wednesday.

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A leading seismologist has warned that a major earthquake is overdue to strike Southern California, The Los Angeles Times reported.

The portions of Southern California that extend along the San Andreas fault have not seen a major earthquake since 1857, according to the LAT.

That leaves the fault  which is considered both the state's longest and most dangerous fault  ripe to produce a quake that could potentially reach as high as magnitude 8, Thomas Jordan, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center, said to the LAT.

"The springs on the San Andreas system have been wound very, very tight," Thomas said. "The southern San Andreas fault, in particular, looks like it's locked, loaded and ready to go."
A luxury London apartment complete with astounding views is a pipe-dream for all but the very, very rich. However, for one lucky person, this option could be available for practically nothing. Two technology entrepreneurs are offering one lucky individual the opportunity to rent out an en-suite room in their London penthouse, which they claim is worth some 8 million ($11.6 million), free of charge.

Inside the 8 million penthouse in London. Courtesy of SpareRoom

"We'd like to find an interesting flatmate to hang out with - we don't need the money (hence the room is FREE!) but we want some good company - someone to hang out with, party with, bounce ideas around with and generally enjoy all that London has to offer," the advert on flat-share site, SpareRoom, reads.

Not only would the person be paying no rentas all bills are includedthe flat-sharer would have their laundry and cleaning sorted by household staff; a team of drivers would be on hand, and there would be a chef to cook their meals five days a week. The penthouse apartment is located in central London, near Paddington station.

Inside the 8 million penthouse in London. Courtesy of SpareRoom

"We are open minded about the sort of person we'd like - you might already be successful and wealthy and want to live with like-minded people or at the very least you'll be ambitious. Being entrepreneurial and into technology is a big plus and enjoying getting drunk quite often is essential!"

There are of course some house rules. No smoking or any additional pets are allowed, as lodgers will already be in the company of two Chihuahuas. In addition, any of the renter's guests would need permission before coming to the apartment.

Too good to be true?

While many would be skeptical by this advert, when contacted by CNBC, SpareRoom said the advert appeared to be "genuine", even though it was a rarity compared to its usual listings.

"In the twelve years we've been running SpareRoom we've never seen another ad quite like it," Matt Hutchinson, communications director at SpareRoom, told CNBC via email.

Inside the 8 million penthouse in London. Courtesy of SpareRoom

Hutchinson added that he had spoken to the live in landlord, Andrew, personally the day the advert was placed, and that the two men were looking for someone to share the apartment with, for company. When contacted by CNBC, Andrew was not available to comment.

"There's a growing number of people who rent out rooms for social reasons, not just for the financial benefit. Most can't afford to waive the rent entirely though, and most of the homes aren't quite as posh as this one either," Hutchinson added. A similar situation occurred in January, when SpareRoom founder Rupert Hunt offered up to three people the opportunity to "pay what (they) can afford"from 1 to 1000 a monthto come live with him in his 3 million East London home. If someone does manage to obtain the flat-share in Paddington, they'd be getting it for a bargain compared to the average monthly rent of 747 per room in London, according to SpareRoom.
Anonymous has launched a 30-day attack against "all central banks" and major financial institutions, the activist-hacking group warned this week, after recent strikes on several major banks around the world by different hackers. Anonymous claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on the National Bank of Greece on Tuesday, just a week after Qatar National Bank suffered a major data breach attributed by the media to a Turkish group called Bozkurt Hackers.



Leo Lintang | Getty Images

In March, the Bangladesh Central Bank reported $100 million stolen from its account at the Federal Bank of New York after a weekend break, according to media reports. The Bangladesh Central Bank said hackers had transferred the money to bank accounts in the Philippines and Sri Lanka. An unnamed official from Greece's central bank told Reuters on Wednesday that the bank's website had suffered a denial-of service attack on Tuesday. This came after Anonymous announced the start of a "30-day campaign against central banks around the world," in a You Tube video.

30-day campaign

"Operation Icarus has moved into the next stage, for today, we have continually taken down the website of the Bank of Greece. This marks the start of a 30-day campaign against central banks around the world," the group, which adopts the so-called Guy Fawkes mask as its symbol for hacking, said on Tuesday. In a later video, Anonymous extended its intended targets to include "MasterCard and Visa , Bank for International Settlements, all central banks, the IMF and the London Stock Exchange and every major banking system." "Our message is clear. We will not let the banks win. We will be attacking the banks with one of the most massive attacks ever seen in the history of Anonymous," the group said.



Large-scale power disruption

In a different twist, hundreds of thousands of homes in Ukraine were left without electricity in December after an alleged malware attack on the power system. The attack was the first known example of hackers bringing down a major power network and attacks on major utility companies are an increasing concern for governments and corporates.

Plus, a U.S. cybersecurity expert claims to have discovered more than 272 million hacked email accounts, in what would be one of the biggest-ever data breaches. Alex Holden, who has previously uncovered other huge data breaches, said the accounts were offered to him for next to nothing by a Russian hacker. The news circulated in the media this week, after Holden announced it on the website of his company, Hold Security. Some governments have launched expensive security programs in the wake of the threat. In February, President Barack Obama proposed a U.S. cybersecurity budget of $19 billion for the fiscal year 2017, a more than 35 percent increase from 2016.

In November, the U.K. government said it planned to almost double its investment in cybersecurity to 1.9 billion ($2.8 billion) over five years.
Working with families and providing aftercare are critical to fighting addiction on North Dakota Indian Reservations, U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp said Thursday after meeting with counselors at a drug treatment center in New Town.

She said she and others have come to the conclusion that a law enforcement-only approach to addiction wont work. Nor will treatment and detox. Without aftercare and jobs, we arent likely to be successful, she said.

Heitkamp said she found it educational to speak with drug and alcohol counselors, conceding that most of her discussions about addiction treatment and behavioral health happen with policymakers.

Counselors told her that engaging families is an important part of lasting treatment, noting that families can be in denial about an addiction or grow to accept it.

You have to change the environment that people come home to, she said.

Heitkamp said the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations Circle of Life Drug Treatment Center, an outpatient counseling and drug treatment center, is overwhelmed by calls, sometimes having to turn down people who want help. Because many tribal members are uninsured, the center has trouble billing for its services and getting enough funding to hire staff.

Heitkamp links rising substance abuse on MHA Nation to the oil boom, which brought more heroin and methamphetamine to the state. She noted that the problem is not unique to the reservation, but that the reservation presents unique challenges and unique responsibility of the federal government.

In the Minot region, which neighbors the MHA Nation, heroin and methamphetamine use have increased by 400 and 438 percent in the past year, her office reported in a release.

If we start from the perspective that what happens at Standing Rock or on Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara doesnt matter, thats not who we are as North Dakotans, she said.
Malia Obama will be attending the world's 'most prestigious university,' when she joins the Harvard University Class of 2021, according to The Times Higher Education World University Rankings published this week.

President Obama's daughter, who recently announced that she will be taking a gap year before starting at Harvard in the fall of 2017, will join the oldest university in America  that counts more than 45 Nobel laureates, over 30 heads of state (including her father) and 48 Pulitzer prizewinners in its alumni. It also receives one of the largest financial endowments of any higher education institution in the world - $1.5 billion for 2013, according to its website.



The top ten most prestigious universities are mainly located in the U.S., although both Cambridge University and Oxford University in the U.K. made the cut, albeit slipping from rankings two and three to four and five, respectively.



Asian universities made a big leap  claiming 18 places in the top 100 universities, up from ten in 2015. Japan's University of Tokyo held onto its 12th place.
Last month, North Carolina passed an appalling anti-gay law that blocks local governments from passing rules that protect gay and transgender people from discrimination. Rightfully so, it ignited a firestorm of controversy, and threats from some of our nation's leading tech corporations to cease doing business with the state. But what should be an inspiring show of "corporate responsibility" rings hollow when some of these same entities are taking our hard-earned dollars and using them to fund a platform of hate and violence.

Donald Trump's racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rise to the top of the GOP mountaintop is undeniable. With his likely coronation slated for July 17th's Republican National Convention, it is astounding how many of the event's corporate sponsors are the very same entities taking a stand in North Carolina. Many of them are tech companies, most prominently Google, who say all the right things, but time and againwhether through hiring practices or, in this case, bankrolling hate speechbetray what little regard they have for communities of color.
A May 16 photo of Philippines' president-elect Rodrigo Duterte (seated, right) with property magnate and former senator Manny Villar during a press conference in Davao City. Business titans, turncoat politicians, celebrities and rebel leaders have descended on the long-neglected far southern Philippines, hoping to gain favor with the nation's shock new powerbroker.

May 18, 2016: How the Philippines and China could find a common cause

Left turn. Is that like a hard left, a 90-degree pivot, right now? Or a gradual, gently sweeping arc in that direction? Key questions, when you're looking at what shape or form Rodrigo Duterte's new government is going to take in the Philippines, are, What exactly does the "revolutionary government" he's promised actually mean? How "red" is it going to be? Duterte's acknowledged he's going to be his country's first leftist president. But he says he's not a communist, describing himself as left-leaning, rather than card-carrying. Let's say socialist then. What about his government though, when you consider he's promised to bring Jose Maria Sison back from a 30-year exile and install him in the new cabinet? Duterte's planning to go to The Hague for talks with Sison soon. They've already conferenced over Skype. Sison, known colloquially as "Joma," is the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and Duterte's intellectual inspiration. Sison taught a young Duterte at the Lyceum in Manila in the '70's. Marcos jailed Sison for nearly a decade for subversion. After the dictator fell, Sison was released. Shortly after, while travelling in the Netherlands, the Philippines revoked his passport. He's been stateless since, and continues to live in the Netherlands. He's been seeking asylum there as a political refugee since 1987. The United States has classified him as a terrorist since 2002. Similarly, the EU. But the Philippines dropped subversion charges, so he's not wanted by Manila.

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The CPP distances itself from Sison, claiming he's just an advisor and consultant now. But the Philippine military continues to view him, as well as the CPP's military wing, the New People's Army (NPA), as a threat. Sison was charged with bombing a building in Manila, and suspected of being the mastermind behind several Philippine political assassinations. As well, some 40,000 lives have already been lost on both sides since the Communist insurgency erupted in the 1970s, including more than 10,000 civilians. And those numbers are conservative. What isn't well reported is the fact that Duterte has managed to strike a deal with the Communists to keep them from creating havoc in Davao, which sits smack bang in the middle of Communist territory in the island's south. They operate there, but non-violently. Outside Davao though, the group still operates with impunity. In other words, Duterte's managed to create an island of stability within an ocean of volatility because he's managed to push Communist extremism to the periphery of Davao. This wouldn't be possible on a national scale, simply because the question arises, where would Duterte push the Communists out to? An answer could lie in his suggestion of a ceasefire with them. Bringing Sison back could be part of that plan: cessation of violence in return for political inclusion. Not, if you can't beat them, join them. More, get them to join you, so everybody stops fighting. We know Duterte's earmarked four cabinet portfolios for the CPP: land reform, the environment and natural resources, labor and employment, and social welfare.

Will a political stake be enough, when the CPP's stated aim is to overthrow the Philippine government?

Any ceasefire would also likely mean the release of hundreds of CPP prisoners. This is unlikely to sit well with the military, who've spilled blood capturing these same people, and more blood fighting thousands of others. But this could be the right time, if there is such a thing as a right time to co-opt Communist revolutionaries. The NPA's ranks have shrunk over the years to less than 4,000 now. That's only about half a small army division. Perhaps the NPA is a spent force. This month is also, coincidentally, the 50th anniversary of China's Cultural Revolution - that violent, decade long social spasm that turned China upside down. There are reasons to worry we could be seeing a revival of that ugly '70's show, in China as well as the Philippines. I'm bothered by uncomfortable parallels between Duterte and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. It's not so much the cult of personality that's been allowed to center on both men. On both their parts it's a preference for ideology over institutions and formal systems. In Xi's on-going onslaught against corruption, for example, he's used party spies and goons, as opposed to state prosecutors as his dogs of war. For Duterte, it's the death squads, vigilantes and extra-judicial killings of druglords. Whether they were actually in his employ or on his payroll is beside the point. It's the fact they were literally mercenaries, outside the system. But they were working with him, and used by him. My point is, sometimes you can tell a man by the company he keeps, who his friends are. Duterte hasn't just dealt, done business and negotiated with the Communists. He's supped with them. Sure, the CPP partially funds itself by collecting "revolutionary taxes" from businesses both big and small for the privilege and security of operating in areas it controls. In imperfect democracies, that arrangement is called the monthly neighborhood shake-down. An extortion or protection racket by any other name. But the CPP's primary backer is still, no surprise, China. So watch how Duterte plays the CPP, and China. It could be the difference between finding common cause, and identifying with the Communist cause.



Election tarpaulins featuring Rodrigo Duterte, erected on a street in Davao City. His landslide presidential victory was built on foul-mouthed populist tirades that exposed deep voter anger at the establishment. Noel Celis | AFP | Getty Images

May 16, 2016: Watch out for the '100-day stare'

Ladies and gentleman! In this corner, we have a a Viagra-enhanced 71-year-old, with an 11-0 election record and 30 years' fighting a devil's assortment of reds, greens, and the new black in the god-forsaken furthest point south in the Philippines, the undisputed people's champion, The Punisher, Rooooooooo-dee, Duerte Harry, Rodrigo Duterte!

But wait a minute. Who's the challenger? Who's on the back foot, after Duterte's crushing victory in the presidential elections? It's pretty obvious who Duterte would describe under his breath as "those bums I beat." That would be "the establishment," which is why that's one of the most important things to watch - whether he reaches out, not just across the aisle, but across a huge political gulf. And who he reaches out to, what deals he cuts.

Duterte needs to make up serious legislative ground to get the support he needs to form a coalition and rule effectively - his party is simply too small to stand alone.

This will take all the charm, persuasion, guile and possibly "pork," he can muster. Winning the establishment over, or at least getting them to compromise, isn't going to be easy. It's not just antipathy he's up against, in some cases it's vile dislike. As I've written before, Philippine politics is intensely personal. Whether or not Duterte's got the numbers in the Philippine House and Senate matter a lot for legislation to do with everything from signing off big infrastructure projects left on the table by Aquino to a regional autonomy bill in the hope of quelling southern unrest once and for all. Peace (and law and order) and profits are linked. The more you have of the former, the more likely you are to have of the latter - investments, development aid, etc, which could be a bargaining chip for the incoming president to win over his detractors. Legislative numbers also matter if Duterte wants to push through changes in the constitution, abolish Congress, and turn wholesale towards a parliamentary form of government, which the Philippines experimented with very briefly during the Marcos years.

So, potentially big changes ahead. We know winning an election isn't the same as governing. But Duterte's proven he can run a place even as Hobbesian as Davao, that he can deal muscularly with druglords and militants. But can he translate that management effectiveness on a national scale? We should watch to see if it's going to be a long six years for Duterte. Can Duterte, in sporting parlance, even "go the full twelve"? Watch what kind of shape he's in after the first three months or so, the period journalists conveniently term his "first 100 days."

I'd watch for what I call the 100-day stare. The political equivalent of what military men call the "1,000-yard stare" - the blank, vacant look of a soldier paralysed by the horrors he's seen in battle. At his last campaign rally Duterte implored people, "Give me time," to solve his country's manifold problems. For the pugnacious political fighter from Davao, the clock's running. He's unlikely to be saved by the bell. If Duterte goes down for the count, possibly because he can't get his opponents onside, in politics as team sport, well, there's always the freshly minted Senator Manny Pacquiao, who could use his new, elevated position, to make a run for the presidency in 2022. We'll be keeping score.



Customers sing karaoke at a nighclub in Davao City in Mindanao on May 10 - the city where president-elect Rodrigo Duterte honed his crime-fighting skills. He most recently announced plans to impose a nationwide- curfew for children and may ban the serving of alcohol after midnight. Noel Celis | AFP | Getty Images

May 13, 2016: Time to pull out the old Cold War playbook

It's not so much that I've got a bad feeling about the new, incoming Duterte government in the Philippines. But the situation does make me worry. A lot's been written about nostalgia politics, the yearning in the Philippines (as in America) for a strong, no-nonsense leader. Rodrigo Duterte fits that description to a tee. But, as always, self-styled champions of law and order, and the poor - people's presidents - usually come with compromises, which the U.S. has learned time and again from working with dictators of various stripes during the Cold War. The compromises are usually accommodated amid the greater aim of protecting or furthering U.S. interests. In the case of the Philippines, it's as simple as ABC - allies, bases and crude (oil). And they're all connected, as these factors always tend to be in geopolitics. First, allies. Yes, the Philippines has been a strong and dependable ally of the United States for several decades. It's a nation made in our image, as American journlist and historian Stanley Karnow described it. Sure, they kicked the U.S. out of bases in Subic and Clark in the early '90's. That was then. Now, we've just recently signed a basing deal that gives the U.S. access to five major military installations across the Philippines - some for access to the South China Sea, some to support counter-terror operations in the south of the country.



What did the State Department mean by its congratulatory message to Duterte, in which it said America looked forward to working with his new government on "issues of mutual interest" and "common challenges"? It meant China, and Islamic State. So, tick A and B. What about C, crude oil? Well, that's connected to the first two because it's centered on both the South China Sea and the southern Philippine state of Mindanao. The sea lanes through the South China Sea aren't just about shipping access. They're also about strategic access; for the Seventh Fleet to continue acting as the region's naval regulator, and to check China's push to project its power outside its traditional sphere. Then there's also the issue of access to resources - oil and gas, and fisheries. Similarly for Mindanao. In fact, Mindanao could be a jackpot for resource companies, as well as for resource-hungry nations (read China). U.S. diplomatic cables thrown into the public domain by WikiLeaks show that Washington has been aware for some time of an estimated $1 trillion worth of oil, gas and minerals on and underneath Mindanao and in the waters surrounding it. Whoever manages to tame Mindanao gets access to all that wholesome resource goodness.



If Duterte can settle the south politically, the key will then be balancing the competing interests of U.S. and China.

It's easy to see Duterte as a local politician potentially in over his head on the national stage already, with the potential to be pushed and pulled by two geopolitical giants. But I suspect he's the one who has leverage over both. Firstly, the U.S. will likely continue dealing with Duterte, even if his administration took the gloves off at home. Let's say, if, just if, he manages to change the constitution, abolish Congress, and set himself up as a leftist dictator ... Well, it wouldn't be the first time such a thing's happened in an impoverished country. And the U.S. has a history of working with these types. It's not so much a reversion to form, a continuation. Imagine "The Donald" doing business with "Duterte Harry"? Both know how to get things done. One's a businessman. The other, well, we shall find out. We all should be paying close attention. If it's Hillary who has to deal with Duterte, well, probably not much difference. There's politics, and there're U.S. national interests. As for China, even if you believe it's a hegemon, it's also a country that understands pragmatism. It'll share, even with the U.S., if there's enough to go around. In the Philippines, with the South China Sea and resources, there's a lot at stake. But plenty for everyone. I believe China understands it doesn't have to be a zero-sum game with the U.S. So for all those now-creaky Cold Warriors, its time to push yourselves out of those La-Z-Boys, put on your reading glasses, pop an Advil or three, and dust-off your playbook.



People crowd outside a polling station in Quezon City in Manila on May 9, when more than 80 percent of eligible voters - a record proportion - turned out to cast their votes. Ted Aljibe | AFP | Getty Images

May 11, 2016: Expectations are so high, they're where the air gets thin

Official results of the Philippine elections aren't out yet, but it's clear Rodrigo Duterte is the new president. It's not about the absolute numbers anymore, it's the gulf between Duterte, with most but not all votes counted, and his nearest rival, Mar Roxas. Duterte leads by such a margin that, if it was due to vote-buying or fraud, would be one of the biggest thefts in political history.

Similarly, with most but not all votes counted, it's already clear turnout hit record levels, comfortably above 81 percent. This makes Duterte's victory not just a landslide, but a political earthquake as well.

He's just broken the monopoly on political power that a small handful of powerful and inter-married families have enjoyed pretty much since independence.

So he's a trailblazer. But he's also set himself up, almost certainly, to fail. Having made promises he will clean up corruption within six months of taking office, expectations are so high, they're where the air starts getting thin.

Duterte needs to remember this election was a huge gamble for voters. They're trying something new out of desperation, because the recent history of Philippine presidencies has been one of almost serial failure in terms of the daily lives of the majority of Filipinos.

Perhaps this is a good sign.



Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different outcome, Einstein said, is insanity.

And to be fair to the out-going office-bearer, President Benigno Aquino probably made more headway on improving the lot of the average Philippine person than any leader in recent memory. But the strong economic story hasn't trickled down nearly far enough. Not when 1-in-4 poverty, exemplified by Manila's horrific slums, still exists.

It's not so much a widening rich-poor gap (although this is true too); That's in larger part due to the rich getting richer, while the poor seem to be trapped at the same level of poverty the country hasn't been to grow its way out of.

It's more about the quality of growth and, consequently, the quality of life. Some peoples' financial circumstances may have improved but even the rich face the same struggles - traffic, sclerotic infrastructure, a corrupt civil service, and crime. Money just insulates them a little better.

Can Duterte deliver? It's not just the poor who voted for him who're watching whether the back-to-the-future style of government he seems to be pointing to will work. The establishment, whose monopoly on power he broke, are more than ready to gloat if he fails.

If he does, it will be the country's loss. And for more than 100 million Filipinos, who're among the most optimistic people on earth, it'll be just the latest disappointment for a people who deserve better.

Rodrigo Duterte gestures to members of the media at a polling station in Davao, Mindanao, on May 9. Veejay Villafranca | Bloomberg | Getty Images

May 11, 2016: Now's the time to start looking for political ROI

With the almost-shock victory of Roddy Duterte as the new president of the Philippines pretty much in the bag, it's probably a good time to look back. What? Not forward? What about trying to figure out what his policy priorities are, how he's going to govern? We'll get to that. Bear with me, first. Duterte seems to me to be the kind of man who won't forget where he's come from. And won't forget who his friends are either. Which makes me curious who's actually behind him. A politician who reportedly makes $2,000 a month after a 30-year career in local politics probably won't be a man of significant means, right? Yet when confronted with the evidence, Duterte admitted he had $5.7 million in the bank. In one account. From rich friends, he joked. Maybe from savvy investing. But I doubt it. So who is bank-rolling Duterte? Philippine campaign finance laws, such as there are, aren't going to be much help. There're no caps on contributions to politicians and their parties or campaigns. Politicians can pull in as much as individual hearts prefer and corporate balance sheets can bear. Politicians also aren't obliged to go public about who these people and companies are, until one month after the elections. That's right, after. By which time the money's either been spent or skimmed. And the political horse those people and companies backed is already in power. Or not.

Sounds like a job for campaign finance reform. But which politician would support it, when the rules have allowed them to be, shall we say, so light on financial disclosure? Why's this important? Because political financing, like organ transplants, is the gift that keeps on giving. Or at least that's the expectation - that people, and particularly companies, that back politicians with money are going to want a return. Let's not confuse politics, especially in Southeast Asia, with charity. It's the usual cycle of patronage politics - the more you give, the more you expect back. Want an example? The non-profit Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism found a total of just 301 entities - people or companies - who financed the 2010 presidential election. That's more like the number of investors in a hedge fund, or some other type of limited partnership investment vehicle, and it concentrates influence over newly-elected president by putting it in very few hands. We like to say there's no such thing as a free lunch. In the case of politics, it gives a very different meaning to the term "free election," or lack of one. The good news is, the formidable minds at the Financial Times expect that there was a ramp-up in election spending this year (a third more) by politicians as well as the government - enough to bump up Philippiine GDP to between 6.5 percent and 7 percent this year from 5.8 percent in 2015. Talk about fiscal stimulus. But this isn't investment in infrastructure, jobs, healthcare or education. This is money that puts people in power. Leaders come and go. Sometimes people are glad to see the back of them.



People are already focusing on the fact that Duterte's party is small. And how, so far, he doesn't have the kind of personal connections needed to form a legislative coalition. Politics in the Philippines has traditionally been more about personalities and loyalties than parties. Party-jumping is so common it's a veritable workout. Personal chemistry and trust must play a part. But you'd expect that, as concentrated as financing and contributions are on such a small handful of people and companies, money must play a bigger role in policy decisions and governance. The question is what does that money want in return? Call it political return on investment (ROI). Sometimes the return is in the currency of position and power. Sometimes it's in the form of advantageous positioning for investments and contracts. I'd say watch the companies that start doing well, or better, as the Duterte administration gets underway. Newer conglomerates, which tend to be owned by Filipino-Chinese rather than old-line Spanish/mestizo families, could have an advantage. And I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the original currency of their campaign contributions was renminbi.

Women queue to vote at a polling station in manila on May 9, 2016. Lam Yik Fei | Getty Images

May 9, 2016: If you're planning a coup, consult me first

We're more than six hours into voting here in the Philippines. With opinion polls giving a healthy lead to Rodrigo Duterte, here's some of the factors that could sway the outcome. Turnout: Voter turnout expected to be high, about 70 to 75 percent of the Philippines' 54.4 million registered voters. A past peak was 80 percent. It needs to be high for Duterte to win. Getting out to vote is harder in rural and outlying areas, for obvious reasons. But that's Duterte's base, the masses. The recent ''Come-leak'' hacking of data of millions of voters could potentially affect turnout, as well as preferences. Weather: Sunshine, with a few clouds, average temperature of 37 degrees. In urban areas this might affect middle-class voting - a long queue in the heat lacks appeal for many. Swing voters: Unusually, in this election the middle-class is the swing vote - had been leaning towards establishment candidates, as expected, but now split. The inflection point was Grace Poe's endorsement by disgraced former president Joseph Estrada, which turned off middle-class voters. #PhilippineElection2016 #Duterte goes in w/10pt lead, 33%. Most votes wins, no plurality needed

Youth vote: About 40 percent of eligible voters are 18-35 years old. Many will be firs- time voters. Few, if any, have memories of the Marcos years. Political analysts say that's left them particularly impressionable to very savvy nostalgia campaigning, including on social media, by ''strongman'' candidates Duterte, and "Bong Bong" Marcos. Negative campaigns: Campaigning in the Philippines is tame in comparison to the current bare-knuckle bouts happening in the U.S. Whatever the media, there are little to no direct personal attacks. Conversely, both Duterte and Bong Bong Marcos' social media strategy has focused on positioning the candidates in the same league as iconic strongman leaders, and suggesting the need for and benefits of more authoritarian rule. Locals call digital and social media spin operations ''Black Ops." Marcos apparently has a dedicated operations center entirely devoted to it.

#PhilippineElection2016 45min before 6am poll start. Tight 2-horse race. #Trapo's rallying behind #Poe vs #Duterte

Coup: Rumors are flying around that a Duterte win could trigger a coup by establishment parties, or at least recounting of votes and other administrative and procedural, as well as possibly legal, means to stall a power transition. The flip-side risk is Duterte mobilizing supporters in response, for civic action at least. There's also talk paramilitaries could be involved. Some voters are still nervous about Duterte's links with Communist groups. He's denied he's a Communist, says he's left-leaning rather than card-carrying. Former President Fidel Ramos is quoted saying, ''If you're planning a coup, consult me first''. He was only half-joking, which suggests no one's run the idea by him. The political eminence grise still carries weight and influence with many sides. Ramos encouraged Duterte to run, but is confident he'll respect the law. Ramos was key to ousting Marcos, and had a significant hand in both People Power revolutions. As President Cory Aquino's defense minister he also thwarted nine coup attempts. He's 88, but still a game-changer.

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May 8, 2016: The Philippines is suffering growing pains

When you think of animals as people, and start attributing human qualities to them, sociologists call it anthropomorphizing. I like to think of countries and economies in human terms. But I'm still thinking of a new term to coin to describe it.

Basically, I see development in people terms. I ask how a country makes its way in the world, like how someone makes a living. What kind of work they do. I also like to think about what countries want to be, and can be, when they grow up. Similar to wondering whether a kid who's good with animals, say, is necessarily going to end up a vet. When I look at the Philippines, it's a country that looks like it's grown up too fast. The economy is 70 percent consumption. Development economists will tell you that usually happens when a country is mature, and rich. Think the U.S., or Japan, where what people spend and invest accounts for up to two-thirds of the economy. But the Philippines is still a lower middle-income economy. That kind of reliance on consumption in the Philippines isn't bad, or wrong. But it looks like a country trying to run before it's barely learned to walk. Functionally, economies start looking after themselves by farming. Then they go from growing things, to making things: manufacturing. Finally, when they're all grown up, they transact things, provide services. The Philippines, though, is still taking stumbling steps and tying to get its balance with agriculture. But the land is fertile, and its people are originally agrarian. By the 1960s that had helped make the Philippines a significant rice economy, for example. It's one reason why the International Rice Research Institute is based here. But over the last few decades countries like Vietnam have overtaken the Philippines in rice - both growing it and exporting it. The problem lies in land reform, or the lack of it. The Philippines has the dubious distinction of being probably the most prolific in initiating land reform in Asia, but as prolific in its failures to follow through. It's a history of many false starts.

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Filipino farmers now mostly make a living growing things for big companies, rather than for themselves, because they rent rather than own land. It's a squandered opportunity. There's simply not enough incentive to learn and invest to grow more, faster or better. There's also not much manufacturing or industry in the Philippines. Some lower-value-added electronics get made here. There's also ship-building and repair, but those are mainly Japanese and Korean offshore operations. Part of the problem is not enough of a skills base due to underdeveloped vocational education. The recent boom in BPO (business process outsourcing) has been phenomenal. But how many call centers can a country have? To grow BPO, companies will have to move higher and faster up the value ladder of services. Start offering specialized functions like finance and HR, or even full back-office operations - like Indian IT companies have - while making sure Filipino wages stay comparatively competitive. I wrote earlier about how Chinese investment, in everything from highways and power plants to casinos and real estate, could be the Philippines' next big growth driver. The infrastructure would help the economy, structurally. That's good. It stays once it's built, and makes the country more competitive. The other money, though, is cyclical. It could leave as quickly as it came. Which leaves resources, in the ground as well as in the sea (oil and natural gas). But that brings with it worries about the potential historical curse of many resource economies, if not managed carefully. Growing up isn't easy. But it helps if it happens as nature intended. Or in the case of countries, as development economics intended. There're no natural laws, and no plan that works for all. The Philippines, like all economies, will have to find its own way in life.

Workers pack bananas at the Tagum Agricultural Development Co. plant in Davao del Norte on Mindanao in April 2008. Romeo Gacad | AFP | Getty Images

May 8, 2016 : Why heading south could be the way up

I spend much more time listening and observing than I do reporting and writing. In between, I do a whole lot of thinking. Trying to connect dots. Trying to see stories that emerge from them. Here's what I saw today, after listening intently to a trio of people, and what I figured out after my brain cooled down from the processing. First, the listening. It kicked off with the young but very clued-in and connected Philippine expert Richard Javad Heydarian. Then, former President Fidel Ramos, 88 years old but still very much a political heavy, a true eminence grise. Finally, well into last night, Roddy Duterte, the maverick Davao mayor and front-runner who's looks likely to become the next president of the Philippines, when the country votes on Monday. The standout theme in what all of them said today, was Mindanao, the second-largest and southern-most island in the Philippines. Heydarian thinks about how the resource rich and highly cultivatable island province could be the next driver of the Philippine economy. How that can't happen unless and until there's a lasting peace and political accommodation with militant Islamists and Communists in control there. And how China could be the catalyst to make these things happen. Duterte, meanwhile, spent at least half of a three-hour off-the-cuff address at his last rally before campaigning ended midnight Saturday talking about re-starting peace talks with Mindanao militants. Practically, we assume that means leveraging his extensive experience dealing with all the groups in a 30-year political career there in order to revive legislation that stalled at the tail-end of the Aquino administration, which would give Mindanao devolved authority, and disarm at least the Moro militants. Ramos, who admits to having a big hand in in Duterte's decision to run for president, said a political solution to the problem of the south would be key to the Philippine economy's future growth and development. In other words, peace would lead to more prosperity. He also welcomed engagement with China, and Chinese investment in the Philippines.

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Earlier, I wrote about a strong hunch that China could be a new growth driver for the Philippines. The logic went: Cut a deal to compromise on the South China Sea, draw-in Chinese investment in Philippine infrastructure, roll out the red carpet for Chinese high-rollers at Manila's casinos, and let many of the same fellows buy up high-end Manila real estate. Presto - new pillar for the economy, building on BPO and remittances. But after all my recent listening, though, and the thinking that followed, I'm adding Mindanao to the equation. To get engaged and involved in the Philippines, China would likely require a show of good faith from Manila. It could mean the Philippines keeping quiet (or at least not rubbing it in Beijing's face), if United Nations rules in favor of Manila's claim that China doesn't own all of the South China Sea, as is likely to happen when the Hague delivers its decision on Manila's claim in the next month or so. It could also mean revoking a recently inked agreement with the United States to set up new bases in the Philippines - a deal meant to counter China's assertiveness in the South China Sea, as well as support counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency efforts against militants in the south.

Villagers watch a horse fight in November 2015 in the southern Philippine town of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato. Horse fights have been banned since 1998 but are still held by many Mindanao communities. Jeoffrey Maitem | Getty Images

Being discrete on the Hague ruling would be fairly easy for the new president. Aquino filed the case. The new president also has executive authority to renegotiate the U.S. base agreement. Will he? If he can get China on-side, possibly. Once China's satisfied diplomatically, on the South China Seas, and U.S. access to Philippine bases, we get to the roll-up-your-sleeves work. That is, settling the south politically, then developing it, through heavy Chinese investment. And what would China want from all this? For one thing, access to resources in Mindanao, which U.S. and Australian companies have struggled to exploit. China and its companies, on the other hand, aren't as hung up on law and contracts. For another, possibly favorable positioning and access to jointly developing resources in the South China Sea. Is it too far fetched to imagine that China's already kick-started this whole chain of events? Maybe my brain's been in over-drive a bit too long. But something clicked when I started hearing talk - unsubstantiated - that Duterte could be receiving financial support from China, possibly through Filipino-Chinese tycoons.

May 7, 2016: People do what people do everywhere: laundry, loving, fighting

In the first world, we talk about an embarrassment of riches. Which is usually a disingenuous, back-handed conceit. In the Third World, people don't have that luxury.

The Philippines belongs to the much more grey Second World. It hasn't arrived. But it's managed to pull itself out of the anonymity of countries too poor to be gifted with any sort of easily recognizable international identity, other than notoriety. But poverty in the Philippines is still a good story. Is it an accurate one though? Most of us know about Smokey Mountain, where the poor live, parasitically, off the rotting refuse of those richer. We've also heard about Filipinos so poor they're forced to live in cemeteries. 6% growth, but #TrickledownEconomics hasn't trickled down far enough. #PhilippineElections2016 #RichPoorGap

A few afternoons ago, we found ourselves in San Andreas Bukid. Like most slums in Manila, it's a self-contained world of hardship, pocketed in by high-rise office buildings, malls and condos. The juxtaposition is always jarring. The streets and alleys we walked through weren't quite post-apocalyptic. But there was a common disorder and displacement; many things, and people, where they shouldn't usually be. Cars and trucks, abandoned in the middle of the street. Kids running around naked, when they should be in school. Flea-infested mongrels foraging through garbage. A dead four-year old girl, in a baby casket.

Yep, to say there's poverty in the Philippines is still accurate.

What we saw has to be a key question for whoever becomes the next president - should one in four people be living in poverty, in one of Asia's fastest growing economies ?

Yet, beyond the obvious economic modelling that says poverty holds back growth and development, that it encourages crime and corruption, that it keeps people from achieving their full potential, we saw something else. #SanAndreasBukid slum kids. Improving 1-in-4 poverty key priority for new #RP President. #PhilippineElectios2016

We saw life, and death, and such a normalcy to living we could almost imagine the poverty wasn't there. Here, people do what people do everywhere: their laundry, their loving, their fighting. They were just going about their lives. And not just in quiet desperation. It may be too easy to say that poverty doesn't feel so bad when it's all you've ever known. But the residents we saw appeared to be living lives that could be almost "everyday." Just across the street from you and me, with a richness just thanks to being alive.

A Filipino boy runs near puddles along the railroad tracks in Pasay City in Manila in July 2005. The area is now being gentrified but slums remain. Paula Bronstein | Getty Images

May 7, 2016: The 'one-night millionaires' have all grown up

Those of you who've been in the service, or who have family who are, will probably be familiar with Filipinos in the U.S. Navy. It's been a time-honored tradition for thousands of them to sign on, and eventually become U.S. citizens. What a lot of people probably aren't aware of, is how extensively Filipinos are involved in the civilian maritime trade; About 500,000 of them work on commercial vessels around the world. They dominate the industry. That's according to the Philippine Shipowners Association, which coordinates training for seamen, and helps them find work once they're qualified to be at sea. You could argue that Filipinos are culturally predisposed to a life at sea, because theirs is an archipelagic nation, spread out over more than 7,000 islands. But in reality, the big attraction for so many Filipinos of being a seaman (though roughly 5 percent of the Filipinos working at sea are female, usually in higher grades) is simply the money. The lowest rating makes about $12,000 a year, which is comfortably more than average starting pay on land at home. The highest, say a captain on an oil tanker, can make up to $180,000 a year, depending on experience. And it's all tax free. Like OFWs, though, there's the hardship and loneliness of being away from home and family. Stints at sea average about nine months at a time. The profile of Filipino seamen has changed over the years. The association jokes there was a time not so long ago when Filipino seamen were called ''one-night millionaires''. Because after getting paid a lump sum at the end of a contract, seafaring legend has it seamen would blow it all on a night on the town and go home to their families penniless. Fortunately, today's Filipino seaman, the association says, is younger, and more responsible with their hard-earned money.

May 6: Why China will be a game-changer for the Philippines

One of things that gets me up and out of bed every morning is the challenge of figuring out the ''how'', and ''why'' of things I'm reporting on, events I'm covering. There's what makes headlines. There's news. And there's the backstory, and the story itself. All distinctly different. I prefer to try and nail down the story first. Which helps me make sense of the news and headlines. Talking to smart people, to help me understand the ''how'' and ''why'', is my stock in trade. So this morning I had a sit-down with CLSA's Alfred Dy, who made a lightbulb go off inside my otherwise pretty dim head usually. Here's the nut of the Philippine story. A lower-middle -ncome country that got to where it is today on the back of the sweat and labor of Filipinos working overseas. Remittances. More recently, on the less sweaty labor of Filipinos in air-conditioned call centers. The explosion of BPO (business process outsourcing) in the Philippines. Both together account for a fifth of the economy. So far, pretty darn impressive.

The big question hanging over the economy, and the next president, is 'now what?'

The answer seems apocryphal, at first, especially for a country as proud as the Philippines. And as colonized. First by the Spanish. Then, in effect, if not fact, by the United States. China, meanwhile, could help the Philippines write the next chapter in its growth and development.

Counter-intuitive, right, when the Philippines has been openly challenging China's claim to the South China Sea? But imagine a Duterte presidency making good on its promise of engaging China unilaterally. Some sort of compromise that trades China manufacturing new sovereign territory out of sand in the middle of the ocean, in return for China building much needed infrastructure on Philippine soil. Take that a step further (though this could happen pretty much concurrently), and imagine a nascent Philippine gaming sector supercharged by a flood of Chinese high-rollers who bring extra suitcases bulging with cash to buy Philippine real estate. Sound familiar? The same story's played out in Macau/Hong Kong, as well as Singapore. If you build it, they will come; the casinos, and the Chinese, with their money.

Will they? No reason they won't, other than added flight time. But Manila's probably just another hour away. And certainly more exotic than urban, built-up Macau/Hong Kong or skyscrapered Singapore. The Philippines would also be significantly better value for assets like high-end real estate. At the state level, any push by China commercially into the Philippines (or better yet at a G-to-G development level), would be sweet for Beijing. Especially with the U.S. reinserting itself into the Philippines with a new base agreement, which allows access for U.S. men and material to several military bases in the country. That move, of course, is to make sure a worryingly assertive China thinks twice. Even with its history as a key U.S. ally in Asia, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if the Philippines hedges, plays both sides as it were. It wouldn't be about selling out or welcoming new colonizers with open arms. It would simply be smart geopolitics. And good business. Could a Duterte presidency make that happen? Going by his track record running Davao, and turning it over more than 20 years from a crime-ridden, drug-addled haven for criminals, to one of the safest cities in the Philippines, Duterte is a man who can get things done. One of the ways he's rehabilitated Davao, was attracting business and investment.

May 7, 2016: For political bang for the buck, the Philippines are hard to beat

The vast majority of Filipinos are Catholic; in this photo, survivors of super-typhoon Haiyan march during a religious procession in Tolosa on the eastern island of Leyte in November 2013. Philippe Lopez | AFP | Getty Images

In religion, the still staunchly Catholic Philippines is very much pro-life. But politics is another matter. Votes and, more worryingly lives, are still cheap. The stereotype is of Filipinos as a warm, social, fun-loving, live-for-today people, which is largely true. But there's also a culture of violence here that can be easy to underestimate. It goes beyond the old-school macho posturing of what's still a mostly conservative Catholic society. Political violence, with every election cycle, is alive and well. And very real. Maybe it should be no surprise, when you consider handguns are easily available. Owning one is quite common, and very few of them are registered. As expected, in the run-up to this election there's been an upsurge in politically related violence. Let's just say it straight out - shootings and assassination attempts.

Don't think anything as twisted and Machiavellian as 'The Manchurian Candidate.' But still the stuff you only think happens in movies, as a skim through recent local press reports shows.

In April, a candidate running for mayor in a town in Maguindanao (a province in the southern and predominantly Muslim Mindanao autonomous region), barely survived a bomb attack. He'd just been out campaigning. Also in April, a man running for governor got ambushed by gunmen walking out of his hotel. On a Saturday morning.

And these guys are the ones who're still alive. According to government statistics, during the last national elections three years ago, 145 people were killed by politically-related violence.

In execution, the attacks are brazen, very public, and also galling in an apparently Westernized and English-speaking democracy. Even more so, in one of Asia's fastest-growing economies.

This isn't about growing income disparity, and aggrieved people being left behind. This is about power, and what people are willing, and able, to do to achieve it. Mao famously said power grows from the barrel of a gun. It is an operating principle in Philippine politics, especially at the local level. Forget about PAC's and Super PAC's raising money in the millions. For political bang for the buck, it's hard to beat the Philippines. I've been told the going rate for a motorcycle drive-by shooting (here, as in Thailand, the most common and preferred method) is $450. Two guys, one drives, the shooter sits behind him with the gun. It's all over in seconds, both disappearing in a cloud of two-stroke smoke into the country's notoriously snarled urban traffic.

So if Rodrigo Duterte's Dirty Harry-style campaign rhetoric offends your political sensibilities, get real. As far as it's come, the Philippines is still, not so much heavily militarized, as heavily-armed. And not afraid to flex that muscle. At least politically, Manila is still a cowboy town.

A placard in front of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo during a Catholic Church-backed anti-abortion rally in August 2011 in Manila. Dondi Tawatao | Getty Images

May 7, 2016 Life imitating art imitating life

Politics in the Philippines is less about policy, more about personalities and compelling backstories. It's also about life imitating art, or rather, the movies. On Thursday night, we drove out to Tondo (more on that later) in north Manila, and crashed a rally for Joseph Estrada, the disgraced former president who's more than landed on his feet after being booted from office on corruption charges in 2001. He's been the mayor of Manila the last three years, and he's running again. But he was just the opening act, at his own rally. The star was Grace Poe, who's running for president. #CNBC shooter #BraniffWoo, producer #DianeJorolan and I survived #Poe's #Tondo rally. #PhilippineElections2016



How's that work?

Well, Poe's adoptive father is the late Fernando Poe Jr., one of the Philippines' most beloved movie stars. Famous for his hardman, action-hero roles in a slew of movies through the 70's and 80's. And his best buddy on the silver screen, as well as in real life? Joseph Estrada. Ah ... To follow politics in the Philippines, sometimes it's more important to keep up with the entertainment and gossip rags than political journals. But, wait, why's Tondo so important? It's a legendarily tough neighborhood, the home of hard men. It's also home to Smokey Mountain, an entire village built on top of a rubbish dump. And the setting for one of Fernando Poe Jr.'s most famous movies, 1986's "Iyo ang Tondo kanya ang Cavite." Double ah ... To know politics in the Philippines, you gotta know your movies.

Enroute #Poe rally in #Tondo, legendarily tough neighborhood in SE #Manila. #PhilippineElections2016



May 6, 2016: Go tell the world journos know how to die

Straight off the plane in Manila, we headed right to the International Press Center to get officially accredited to cover the Philippine elections. While waiting for our paperwork to be processed, I noticed a marble memorial just as you drive into the IPC. It commemorates the lives of 32 local journos, doing exactly what I do. Except they were killed, brutally, in one of the worst cases of mass murder in modern Philippine history. The memorial, erected by the National Press Club of the Philippines, reads: "Go tell the world journalists know how to die ..." They died in the Maguindanao Massacre and it occurred not that long ago, in November 2009. The journalists were among 58 people killed in an attack orchestrated by the then-provincial governor, to head off an election rival.

A Filipino police officer working on the investigation into the 2009 massacre in Ampatuan, Maguindanao Province, holds a list of the victims' names. Jeoffrey Maitem | Getty Images

The governor's son, Sajid Ampatuan, was among 28 people charged. He spent more than five years in a Manila jail, awaiting trial. Last year, he was released on bail on insufficient evidence.

This year, he's running for mayor of one of the towns in Maguindanao. Sajid isn't the only politician accused or convicted of major crimes who's standing for office in Philippine elections this year. Local press point to two ex-presidents - one convicted of plunder (Joseph Estrada) and one on trial for vote fraud and graft (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo). In previous elections, a convicted pedophile ran for Congress from behind bars. He won.

All of which highlights what Philippine watchers call a culture of impunity.

It's not so much that the rich and powerful (most politicians in the Philippines are both) are above the law. It's more that they're able to make the law work for them. Legally, someone has to be "convicted with finality," and have no avenue left to appeal, to be disqualified from running for office. But money buys high-priced lawyers who're able to stall legal proceedings, which buys politicians time to get elected. Once in power, they use their office and position to influence judges. #WorldPressFreedomDay: A new @RSF report shows journalists are having a tougher time doing their job.

None of this is especially new, or peculiar to the Philippines. What is worrying, is why Filipinos still elect the politicians they do. Filipinos are a generous and accommodating people. You might even go as far as saying they're chronically forgiving. But do they have a more flexible moral and ethical construct, as can be the case in many developing countries? Or is the answer as simple as vote-buying? Well, that still happens in the Philippines. And will, in this election too. In fact, it's become systematic and institutionalized, so much so that politicians no longer have to even do it themselves directly. They simply stump up the money, pass it to ''coordinators'' in barangays (the smallest administrative district or ward), who're supposed to share out the splits with families. The irony is that the people whose votes are bought don't get all of the money. The coordinators often end up skimming a cut, often a big one. So goes money politics. Not so much one man, one vote - more, one family's vote. I've been told the going rate's about $100. If a quarter of the population wasn't in poverty, the political math would be very different.

Filipino protesters at the Chinese embassy in Makati City in July 2007 to coincide with the first day of a hearing at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague into the two countries' competing territorial claims. J Gerard Seguia | Pacific Press | LightRocket | Getty Images

May 6, 2016: Jet ski diplomacy on the South China Sea

I suppose there's no reason why - weather and waves permitting - a 71-year old man can't hop on a jet ski and zip 125 nautical miles all by himself out to a small pile of rubble in the middle of the South China Sea. That would be to what's known as the Scarborough Shoals, the closest thing to the Philippines that's sticking out of the water in the South China Sea. The question is, why would he ?

Supporters of the man who's promising to do just that - macho, trash-talking Roddy Duterte, front-runner in the Philippine presidential elections - are happy to cheer him on.

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What a photo opp, if he does. Duterte, like McArthur 70-odd years ago, wading ashore and planting a Philippine flag, staking his country's claim. (Cue Ray-Bans. The only thing missing would be Doug's corncob pipe.) Probably even more assertive, physically, than Aquino taking China to court in The Hague, over the South China Sea. Duterte, if elected President, is also promising to go one-on-one with China. Head to head over who owns what in that stretch of water. Which sounds diplomatically virile, but which will cause jaws to drop geopolitically. Why? Because it threatens to scuttle the entire approach woven together so far by the Philippines, the rest of Southeast Asia, and the US to deal collectively with China when it throws its geopolitical weight around in the region. What Duterte wants to do, is go cowboy. Alone.

The worry, and the risk, is he's more likely to cut a deal with China than hold the line. He's already offered to bring China in to help build Philippine infrastructure. And God knows, the Chinese are pretty damn good at heavy engineering. The backdrop to these worries, of course, is Aquino's case pending in the Hague. A ruling's due out sometime in the next month or so, on whether or not China's claim to pretty much all of the South China Sea flouts UN conventions. The Philippines, and four other Asian nations, are adamant their own claims to a similar chunk of the 3.5 million square kilometers (many of the claims overlap), are as legitimate as Beijing's. But only Manila, a minnow in regional (much less international) diplomacy, had the temerity to challenge China directly, when it filed its case against Beijing three years ago. .@MartinSoong tells us the history of the view from the rooftop of this building. #PhilippineElections2016

Just to remind ourselves what all the geopolitical marking of nautical territory is all about, the South China Sea is rich in reserves of undersea oil and gas, plus a whole lotta fish. But it's not just about resources. It's about logistics. More specifically, freedom of navigation. For half the world's commercial shipping fleet, the South China Sea shipping lanes are a superhighway, as well economic lifelines for many of the countries using them. Roddy might cut a pretty good deal with China  for the Philippines. But that could leave the rest of the region, and the US, adrift.

A military checkpoint at Samal Island in the Philippines' south, where John Ridsdel was kidnapped. The Canadian retiree was later beheaded by Abu Sayyaf militants. Herman Lumanog | Pacific Press | Getty Images

May 6, 2016: Is Filipino terror turning non-profit?

One thing I'll be trying to get a better sense of this trip here is, whether or not Islamic State (IS) has really managed to plant its black flag in the Philippines. The secessionist issue in Mindanao looks like it's just gotten a whole lot more complicated, and could be an even bigger challenge for whoever takes over from Noynoy - as President Benigno Aquino's affectionately known - at Malacanang. This has implications for peace and stability, of course. But also for development, the social fabric, and country risk for investors. So far, no Filipino jihadists are reported to have been exported to Syria or Iraq, unlike Indonesia and Australia, the top two terrorist producers in this region. But the brutal beheading mid-April of retired Canadian mining executive John Ridsdel strongly suggests an IS connection. Whether it is real, or apparent (and intended to be) is the question. The Abu Sayyaf militants who carried out the killing placed what looked like black flags with IS symbols behind them in videos.

The events took place in southern Mindanao, which is predominantly Muslim, and an autonomous region which the central government in far-away Manila has struggled for decades to control. So far, nothing new. But the big difference this time is, money wasn't the motivation, as it's usually been for kidnappings in the south. Yes, they demanded a record ransom for Ridsdel, at least at first. But rather than drag out negotiations after the deadline had passed, they killed him. Is it now about ideology, rather than money? Politics over terror-as-business? The politics of IS are about Islamization. Not just of a population, but of a region. That's what their idea of a caliphate is all about, which so far they appear to be picturing as in and around Syria. But a more distant caliphate in Southeast Asia isn't a new idea. Proto-IS terrorist groups like Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) have been focused on achieving this since the late 1960's. JI was purportedly behind the Bali bombings in 2002 and is linked to Al-Qaeda as well as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the Philippines. Though Indonesia-based, JI's known to have cells in Thailand and Malaysia. Amidst this potentially heightened threat of a multinational terror group moving in, proposed legislation that would have brought peace in the south - including disbanding Moro and creating an autonomous region with devolved power and administration - has flopped. There was no appetite for it in an election year, either from incumbents, who didn't want to risk political capital by supporting the bill, or from voters; the Philippines is 80 percent Catholic, 5 percent Muslim, after all.

Out-going president Aquino has no authority to bind the incoming administration to the peace process. So for the new president, the Mindanao issue (including as well a separate and equally long-running Communist insurgency, also in the south) will continue to fester. And possibly worsen  on Thursday the Philippines agreed with Indonesia and Malaysia to work together on maritime patrols to beat back Abu Sayyaf militants who've ramped up their ship hijackings in the southern Philippine islands. About $40 billion worth of cargo goes through those waters each year, Reuters reckons  the last thing the Philippines needs is a Somali-style piracy industry. The question is, what's Abu Sayyaf up to? Have they really "gone IS"? Or are they just showing off, as it were, to try and attract the endorsement of IS, as well as its financial backing? Meantime, the folks at Jane's, the security and defense experts, think the failure of peace legislation for the south risks Moro militants losing patience and defecting to even more violent groups, including ones that have pledged support for IS. Jane's also sees an increasing risk of terror attacks in Mindanao. The Ridsdel beheading could just be the beginning.

Supporters of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte protest in Manila on May 2 after a rival candidate challenged Duterte to open his bank accounts to public scrutiny. Noel Celis | AFP | Getty Images

- See more election coverage from Martin Soong on Twitter.



May 5, 2016: Holding out for a hero

This election in the Philippines could be a political watershed. Sure, reporters always like to make proclamations like that. But think about this; The front runner, tough-guy Roddy Duterte, isn't exactly from the political establishment, isn't the latest scion from any political family. He's a total outsider to the entrenched system. So we're possibly talking about the end of dynastic politics in the Philippines. And that's saying something for a country that's been run since independence, for better or for worse, by a handful of old-line surnames. And Duterte's not even related by marriage to any of them! Having said that, Duterte's appeal to the masses isn't just because he's anti-establishment (and apparently extra-legal.) It also seems to be because of a worrying sense of nostalgia, part of a trend we've been seeing recently. Sure, you can think Trump's promise of a return to a simpler America. But also remember, not much more than a year ago, Prabowo was astride a stallion, or in a Suharto-like songkok (plus Raybans), roaring into a vintage microphone. That was Indonesia, of course.



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In the Philippines, there seems to be a yearning for a strongman to return, too. Odd, you might think, after the disastrous plundering of the Marcos kleptocracy. But remember, the median age of the Filipino population is just 22, meaning a significant number of Filipinos have no memory of the Marcos years. As well, despite the strides President Aquino has made relieving the Philippines of its burdensome reputation as the "sick man of Asia," much below the surface remains the same: the corruption, the often porous administration of the law, the concentration of influence and money within a handful of families and their cronies. #Philippine politics less about policy than personality, compelling bak stories. #PhilippineElections2016

Add to that, development and prosperity have come with the usual price tag: widening income inequality. For the poor (and about a quarter of the population still lives at or below the poverty line), 6 percent GDP growth means much less than it does for the head of a conglomerate or his children. Development, including much needed infrastructure, has focused primarily on cities, not on less built-up rural areas, including the country's south. That's something that's fueled the ongoing insurgency and unrest in that region.

The point is, the Philippines is looking much better by the numbers. But the system hasn't changed, or at least, not enough to make a difference for millions of Filipinos. As a result, they seem to yearn for a leader who's not so concerned about the process, legal or political. Not so concerned about how things are done. They just want someone who can fix things, as Duterte claims he can. Can he, though? Sometimes you need to be careful what you wish for. A singular political savior versus a system that has prevailed through changes of government and the often naive political whims of a disgruntled, disenfranchised electorate? Filipinos will decide soon. Beating the heat. They're too young to vote. But 18-35 yr olds = 40% of eligible voters. #PhilippineElections2016

- See more election coverage from Martin Soong on Twitter.

May 5, 2016: Filipinos do their home work

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Sometimes reporters like to use random locals they meet to try and tell a story about an entire country they're covering. There's a conceit here. As if they'll always get a direct and accurate extrapolation that way. But it's easy to do, and it instantly personalizes a story. Sometimes, though, the numbers (which can more often than not be dull and gray), and simple economics (the so-called ''dismal science''), tell the story so much better. So this is a story about data, and what it says is this; there's a huge rebalancing underway in the Philippines, which is largely underreported.



Filipina maids carry shopping bags out of a mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They are among the roughly 12 million workers from the Philippines employed outside the country. Fayez Nureldine | AFP | Getty Images

We know how important remittances are. More than 10 percent of Filipinos work overseas. That's about 12 million people. They do it because they can make the kind of money they never could at home. The amount they send home is huge -equivalent to 10 percent of GDP. The impact is direct. Most of it is spent, immediately. And consumption is 70 percent of GDP. This has been happening year in and year out for decades. But something else has been happening more recently. You may have heard how what's known as ''BPO'', or business process outsourcing, is booming in the Philippines. In plain English, that's call centers. You may have also heard that the Philippines has overtaken India as the preferred base for BPO. That's because Filipinos have a greater fluency in, and facility with, English. Because they're more service-oriented, more eager to please, however you want to say it. All true. But did you know that BPO has quietly ramped up to about $20 billion a year in revenues? Nearly as much as remittances. At the current rate, BPO business will overtake remittances within the next few years as a source of income for the Philippines. So far, it's created about a million jobs for Filipinos - at home.


There is surprisingly low penetration still of synthetic rubber gloves in the medical field. People are allergic to natural rubber, but the industry has been slow to switch to synthetic gloves. Kraton Performance Polymers makes polymers used in diapers, synthetic gloves and other products, and this switch is one of many reasons that Rubric Capital Management's David Rosen thinks shares of Kraton are worth $65 to $97. The shares rose nearly 15 percent Wednesday, following his presentation, to just shy of $26.

CEOs are also chief capital allocators. This is a point Warren Buffett has repeatedly made: that the role management plays in allocating capital across businesses and boosting returns on that capital is a critical yet poorly recognized one. It seems shareholders are wising up: Rosen mentioned that the compensation of Kraton's management depends on how much it improves the company's return on capital employed (or "ROCE"). Meanwhile, at General Motors , the key metric is now return on invested capital, as The Wall Street Journal pointed out.

"Book on TripAdvisor" is making waves. Nicholas Danaher of Domando Capital Management thinks shares of TripAdvisor , which closed Wednesday around $63, could "at least" double. That's in part because he equates its new "Book on TripAdvisor" option as the travel industry's equivalent to Amazon.com's "Buy With 1-Click." It could make the site, already hugely popular for research and reviews, a "tollbooth for the global travel market," he said (and its commissions on booking are lower). The stock has been hugely unpopular because of its volatility and the company's tendency to miss on earnings or guidance estimates, as it just did again Wednesday, with shares down another 4 percent or so after-hours. Much larger rivals Priceline Group and Expedia will bear watching.

Shrugging off Silicon Valley. Danaher dismissed the notion that start-up Airbnb stands in the way of his thesis on TripAdvisor (as did John Khoury on Hyatt Hotels, for different reasons). Larry Robbins of Glenview Capital Management meanwhile remains invested in shares of Laboratory Corp. of America , noting that in the case of troubled would-be rival Theranos, "did disruption work? No!"

Satellite antennas that provide good in-flight internet are heavy. There's a problem with the idea that business aviation will remain a cash cow for Gogo , said Ailanthus Capital Management's Genevieve Kahr: the satellite antennas that now best transmit the internet are way too heavy for small private jets. So, lucrative private jet operators often stick with Gogo's super-light "air-to-ground" antennas instead. The "holy grail" for small planes, said Kahr, would be a satellite antenna that was also small and light. Kymeta, it turns out, is a 4-year-old company out of Redmond, Washington, working on precisely that.

Italian banks, especially the demutualizing ones, are worth a closer look. That's the case Davide Leone of his eponymous firm made as the overhaul deadline imposed by Italy's government approaches. Bank demutualizations are typically profitable, he said, and Italy should be no exception. It means a transition from a "vote per head" model in which labor costs tend to be higher, salaries more protected, and bank branches more numerous, to a "vote per share" model that's typically more profitable and efficient. Geography (northern Italy is in better shape than southern) and collateral quality, he emphasized, are key to selecting the better-positioned ones.

There's no "magic light switch" for the oil patch. You often hear people today say that if oil prices go back above $50, a "gusher" of U.S. supply will come back online. Not so fast, said David D'Alessandro of CMDTY Capital Management (echoing what Jeffrey Ubben of ValueAct Capital Management has also told us). There are key differences between now and 2010, when the fracking boom started. Back then, unemployment was still high, and financing was super cheap and plentiful. Today, both labor and capital markets are tighter, plus the regulatory environment is stricter. Plus, firms that do raise money on an oil-price rebound are more likely to use it to shore up their damaged balance sheets than to produce more oil right away, said D'Alessandro. It's partly why he thinks "the lows are in" for the oil price.

Pipelines store oil, too. Another common misconception, said D'Alessandro, is that the world has 900 million barrels of oil-storage overhang. Only about two-thirds of that storage is actually usable, he said (which admittedly is still a lot); more than 300 million barrels are "stored" in places like China and India's strategic petroleum reserves, which may not ever be released, in big, new oil refineries (like Brazil's notorious Petrobras), and even in pipelines. The massive build-out, aided by the master limited partnership structure, of U.S. pipelines has required many millions of barrels of oil to fill a new pipeline before a barrel in becomes a barrel out.

The oil age still has a ways to go. Nick Tiller of Precocity Capital thinks Royal Dutch Shell shares are worth double  or more  their current price of $50. He noted that high oil prices actually hurt Shell's return on capital employed during the boom (it fell from 14 percent to 10 percent), since new fracking technologies were expensive, and the oil-services companies reaped more of that benefit. Now, he expects Shell's capital expenditures to fall in half, to around $25 billion, while its production grows thanks to its just-closed acquisition of BG Group, which also transforms the company into roughly half natural gas. But Shell is still an oil play, too, and Tiller is OK with that: he expects oil demand to grow through 2030, the popularity of Tesla Motors notwithstanding. Coal, he said, peaked as a share of world energy in 1920 and yet survived  even at times thrived  over the next century. Oil could play out the same way.

What do negative rates actually mean? In the case of Shell, some of whose bonds maturing in the next couple years have been offering a negative yield, it means that "bondholders are paying Shell to pay shareholders' dividend," Tiller said. And a nice "fat dividend" it is, of around 7.5 percent.

And what about excess balance sheets? In discussing his short position against Bank of the Ozarks , Muddy Waters Capital's Carson Block brought up the company's large unfunded balance sheet commitments. Unfunded commitments have become a point of contention for bank investors specifically worried that troubled oil and gas players will call on them and distress loan portfolios. But Block also mentioned what unfunded commitments more broadly seem to have stemmed from: the post-crisis era where banks with excess balance sheets were eager to reframe their bloat as a valuable future portfolio. In Ozarks' case, this, in Block's colorful language, became an "a--backward" business model.

The line between public and private. Hyatt Hotels is attractive to Long Pond Capital's Khoury for a number of reasons. It's sold off lower-end properties that could be disrupted by Airbnb. It has an attractive business model particularly in its managed and franchise business, which basically leases the Hyatt name and tools to hoteliers. In fact, that business almost fits Warren Buffett's "ideal" characteristics in which it takes almost no capital and yet grows, Khoury said. And Hyatt 's shares have lagged along with the lodging space  which Khoury called the "most out-of-favor sector in public markets today"  meaning the opportunity to get more value per dollar invested has grown. And then, there are the huge share buybacks the controlling Pritzker family has executed (and accelerated as shares sold off), reducing the public float by a whopping 41 percent. "If they keep repurchasing," Khoury said, "at some point, there'll be no float left!"

Again, this is just a smattering of what was said. There was also Social Capital's Chamath Palihapitiya saying Jeff Bezos of Amazon is  ironically, in this age of digital disruption  "building the most durable company in the world," one that is potentially worth 10 times its current value. Larry Robbins reiterated he is still long LabCorp along with pet health-care company VCA, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Anthem, Flextronics International and CBS (whose cord-cutting concerns he likened to drug distributor McKesson, which also "was supposed to be going out of business in 2004"). Starboard Value's Jeffrey Smith said the second-largest paperboard maker, WestRock, is worth about double where it's trading today.

A parting observation: Here were some of the world's savviest investors arguing persuasively that the market is undervaluing many good individual businesses  by 50 percent, or more. And these were not particularly obscure or troubled companies like Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, . Not one stock picker that I heard remarked on how everything was too expensive thanks to extreme central bank policy, or that it was particularly difficult to find a good underpriced investment, or anything of the sort.

To be sure, DoubleLine Capital's Jeffrey Gundlach (the "new bond king") remarked separately in our "Closing Bell" interview that he sees more big opportunity on the short than long side of the equity market today  although he did recommend a long, hedged position in mortgage real estate investment trusts. And Stanley Druckenmiller, the famed longtime investor, blatantly warned the audience to get out of the stock market, saying of the Federal Reserve's policy that the "chickens are coming home to roost."

For now, though, most investors combing through corporate balance sheets remain focused on getting the market to realize their goose of choice is really a golden egg.
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Chief Operating Officer Bibop Gresta says that between him and his business partner German entrepreneur Dirk Ahlborn, he's the crazier one. Ahlborn was the one who pitched Gresta the idea of building Elon Musk's Hyperloop by starting their own venture that would crowdsource hundreds of scientists working part-time on the project. Musk proposed the Hyperloop as a faster and cheaper alternative to the high-speed rail approved in California. His concept involved propelling a passenger pod through a vacuumed tube, maximizing efficiency by minimizing air resistance. Gresta was initially hesitant about getting involved with the project. He said that the feasibility of the project was as likely as him, an Italian, becoming a U.S. president.

But Ahlborn persisted, forwarding Musk's proposal to Gresta with comments from NASA and Boeing saying they would support the project. Gresta called Ahlborn and told him, "Listen, you are crazy, but I think I'm crazier and we're going to do it." Today, Gresta, 44, marvels at HTT's progress from feasibility study stage to construction in just a few years, something he said wouldn't have been possible for a more traditionally structured company. HTT's platform allows more than 520 scientists from 42 countries to contribute to the project with a minimum commitment of 10 hours a week. Gresta said people have donated $60 million to HTT without the company actively asking for funding. HTT expects that its Hyperloop will reach a top speed of 760 miles per hour, just below the speed of sound. Gresta said this should shorten the commute between Los Angeles and San Francisco to just over 30 minutes, and it all could become reality by 2018.

Bibop Gresta. David A. Grogan | CNBC

The success of the Hyperloop could disrupt several industries and positively impact society, said Gresta. For example, he said, it would make it possible for organs to reach patients more quickly. Gresta is passionate about Hyperloop and says the business of "moving passengers is very sexy because it influences all of our lives."

"In some cities you lose two, three years of your life by living there because right now traffic is becoming a big problem, in terms of health," he added. "I've never seen anything like this, honestly, and that's the demonstration that when humanity comes together to solve our biggest problem, they do it. No matter what," Gresta said.


Bored at work? You could always try suing your employer. That's what Frederic Desnard, a 44-year-old Parisian worker, has done. He filed a lawsuit against Interparfums, a perfume and cosmetics company, demanding more than $400,000 in compensation for being "bored out" of his $90,000 a year job, according the Washington Post, citing French media.

Interparfums did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Desnard alleges that his employer demoted him from a high-profile position in the company in an effort to convince him to voluntarily quit his job. He was later fired after a car crash caused him to go on prolonged sick leave.

Desnard did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. French labor laws are notoriously protective of employees. The 3,400-page labor code makes it difficult for employers to fire workers. When the French government sought to loosen the code in March, thousands of workers went on strike.

I think [employees] are often surprised to find out that have fewer rights than they think they do. Larry Cary Founding partner at Cary Kane

Of course, Desnard isn't the only employee dissatisfied with his occupation. Some 68 percent of Americans reported a lack of engagement with their job in 2015, according to a Gallup poll.

However, before you decide to take your boss to court, you may want to read up on U.S. labor laws, which are quite different from French regulations. "Generally speaking, in Europe, it's harder to discharge employees than it is in the United States," Larry Cary, founding partner at Cary Kane, a law firm in New York City, told CNBC.
Situated on the north coast of Spain, the bustling port of Santander is perhaps most famous for being the original home of Banco Santander, one of the world's biggest banks.

As well as being the birthplace for a banking giant, the city is also jostling to be one of the world's most innovative and technologically agile cities by harnessing the so-called internet of things.



To achieve this, thousands of smart sensors have been dotted around the city's streets, enabling a range of data to be analysed.

"The internet of things unites all the data coming from sensors, along with the data the city already has and data provided by citizens," Joaquin Gonzalez, director of Telefonica in Cantabria, told CNBC's Sustainable Energy.

"With this knowledge we can make decisions, decisions which help us along the path towards a more productive city," Gonzalez added.

Key features of Santander's 'smart' city include devices installed at streetlights and facades to monitor temperature, noise and emissions.
WILLISTON  Early March oil production numbers show that North Dakota will likely drop below 1.1 million barrels per day for the first time since June 2014, the states top oil regulator said.

An official update will be released next week, but Director of Mineral Resources Lynn Helms told an oil industry group in Williston he expects to see a severe production drop.

"It's going to be bad, Helms told the Williston Basin chapter of the American Petroleum Institute Tuesday night.

North Dakota saw a smaller than expected drop in oil production in February as more companies put fracking crews to work to complete wells and maintain cash flow.

The state produced an average of 1,118,333 barrels of oil per day in February, a 0.4 percent drop from January, according to preliminary figures released in April.

But March figures, scheduled to be released May 12, are reflecting the more significant production drop Helms had been anticipating.

I think thats a significant milestone, Helms told the oil industry group.

The declining North Dakota oil production  down from the record 1,227,483 barrels per day set in December 2014  is prompting Helms to reevaluate an earlier projection he made that the state could one day produce 2 million barrels of oil per day.

Its kind of taken away hope of getting to 2 million barrels per day, Helms said.

Low oil prices are forcing operators to focus drilling activity only in the core areas of the Bakken where wells have the greatest production. As oil prices recover and drilling expands to other areas of the Bakken, those high-producing wells will be declining, Helms said.

Its really kind of doubtful that were going to make that (2 million barrels per day) because were drilling everything in the core where the best wells are, he said.

Helms said he still thinks North Dakota could hit 1.8 million barrels per day.

Monte Besler, an oilfield consultant known as the FRACN8R who was among those at Tuesdays event, pointed out that Helms projections are based on todays technology, but advancements could allow operators to recover more oil.

We dont know where that number is going to end up at for sure, Besler said.

Helms also spoke Tuesday night about several industry efforts to increase the amount of oil recovered from the Bakken, including pilot projects planned this year to test enhanced oil recovery techniques.

Helms continues to project that North Dakota will eventually have 55,000 to 65,000 oil wells. The state has more than 13,000 producing wells now.

North Dakota oil production is second in the U.S. to Texas, which produced 3.23 million barrels per day in February, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Facing a prospective tab of more than $1 billion to finance a general-election run for the White House, Donald Trump has reversed course, saying he would actively raise money to compete with Hillary Clinton's fundraising juggernaut. (WSJ-subscription)

The Rolling Stones are asking Trump to stop playing their songs at his campaign events. The rock band said they have not given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and "have requested that they cease all use immediately." (AP)

With Trump close to clinching the GOP presidential nomination, China is urging Americans to be "rational and objective" in viewing the relationship between the two countries. Trump has been critical of China in the campaign, proposing stiff tariffs. (CNBC)

Bond guru Jeff Gundlach is predicting Trump  the presumptive GOP nominee now that John Kasich and Ted Cruz bowed out  will win the White House. Trump will have a very large deficit while in Office, the DoubleLine CEO said from the Sohn Investment Conference. (CNBC)

Legendary billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller told Sohn attendees to get out of the stock market and buy gold. He cites as reasons the Fed's easy money policies and the slowing Chinese economy. "[Gold] remains our largest currency allocation," he added. (CNBC)

Hedge fund billionaire David Einhorn, head of Greenlight Capital, said at Sohn he's short Caterpillar (CAT) and long General Motors (GM), as the former faces a decline in some of its core businesses and the latter tightens its belt and faces a stronger future. (CNBC)

Chamath Palihapitiya, founder and CEO of Social Capital, said at Sohn Amazon (AMZN) will be worth $3 trillion in 10 years, and its retail business unit won't be the biggest factor in driving the shares to that eye-popping value. (CNBC)

Palihapitiya, a former Facebook (FB) executive, joins CNBC's "Squawk Box" for one hour, starting at 8 a.m. ET, to talk about a range of tech trends from Apple (AAPL) to Twitter (TWTR) to what else he's investing in now.

Apple plans to take its latest trademark dispute over the iPhone name in China to the mainland's highest court. Apple recently lost its appeal in a lower court, which ruled in favor of Xintong Tiandi Technology (Beijing). (South China Morning Post)

Tesla (TSLA) reported a slightly narrower loss than expected, while revenue matched forecasts. Tesla also accelerated production targets, now aiming to deliver 500,000 vehicles annually by 2018. The stock was 4 percent higher in premarket trading. (CNBC)

Yahoo (YHOO) lost a 15-year partnership with AT&T (T), which awarded its Web and mobile portal hosting contract to Synacor (SYNC), a small market cap stock that's soaring nearly 150 percent in premarket trading. (Seeking Alpha)

Tribune Publishing (TPUB) said its board unanimously rejected Gannett's (GCI) unsolicited $815 million takeover offer, and will proceed instead with a strategic plan to revive its print business and tap growth in digital content. (Reuters)
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Following a series of failed missile tests and a claim of a hydrogen bomb during the past few months, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing his nation for an historic political gathering beginning Friday.

Known as the Congress of the Workers' Party, the last such gathering was in 1980 to present Kim's father, then-heir apparent Kim Jong Il. Friday's event in one of the world's most secretive nations will be only the seventh party congress in the country's history. And regime changes could be unveiled, according to North Korea watchers. In particular, there could be announcements related to a broad generational shift to younger government officials and ruling elites. "He wants to go into this congress and get rid of a lot of older generation people, and replace them with younger people," said Bruce Bennett, senior defense analyst at the Rand Corp. "What it appears that he's trying to do is to prove that he's in power, that's he's capable, that youth can now take this country to new heights."

Kim himself is believed to be his early 30s, and has been in charge since after the death of his father in late 2011.

And if a revolving door of top leaders is any indication since Kim's ascension, it seems lonely at the top  especially in a place like North Korea. Kim, so far, doesn't appear to have the equivalent of a deputy or trusted number two man. In contrast, his late father's inner circle had included Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong Un's late uncle who was executed in 2103. Jang had unique access in the ruling elite and was a go-between with Chinese leadership. He also ran a vast, multinational ring of state trading companies that generated income for the North. He was the equivalent of an entrepreneurial superstar and prince maker, according to experts.

This party congress is all about him Bruce Bennett senior defense analyst at the Rand Corp.

Jang's execution eliminated, arguably, the most influential senior party official remaining from Kim's father's era, according to a 2013-14 report from the Pentagon to Congress.

Young leader Kim, meanwhile, has been cleaning house and reshuffling top brass since taking over the helm.

"He's up to now five defense ministers he has replaced in four years. That's an incredible pace," said Bennett. "His dad replaced three in 17 years. And two of them died of old age." And like any rogue dictator wary of loyalty and broad economic stability, cracking down on activity is an effective strategy.

Citing a South Korean official, North Korea apparently has banned weddings and funerals to tighten security for the party congress, The Sunday Times reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) gives field guidance during a visit to the Tonghungsan Machine Plant under the Ryongsong Machine Complex in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 2, 2016. KCNA | Reuters

"The party congress, I would argue, is a huge, big, major deal. And he [Kim] doesn't want weddings getting in the way of that. He doesn't want people celebrating something else," Bennett said. "The ban on marriages and those kinds of things, as I understand it, it's just this week that that's really occurring. But he wants the focus on him. This party congress is all about him."

Kim is likely feeling the heat after experts disputed the North's claims of a hydrogen bomb test earlier this year. But still there are ongoing concerns. Could Kim be under pressure to attempt a second H-bomb test and fuel the possibility of a nuclear catastrophe? Meanwhile, improvement to the North Korean economy and promises to raise the standard of living have yet to materialize. In 2013-2014, the regime expanded the number of economic development zones for foreign investors from five to 25. But the initiative remains in its infancy, according to the CIA. Firm political control remains the priority. Kim also faces toughened United Nations sanctions on the North, though the impact will take time. And it's unclear to what extent China, North Korea's strongest ally, will cooperate with those intensified sanctions.

Being a nuclear-weapons power is a priority for the North.

The ruling elite bankrolls its nuclear ambitions through varied sources of income including exported minerals and other commodities. Other sources of cash flow include exported North Korean slave labor to China and as far away as Europe, according to United Nations documents, congressional testimony and research by North Korea experts. Meanwhile, North Korean per capita GDP in 2013 was about $1,800, according to the CIA Factbook. Economic statistics suggest that by 2005, North Korean GDP overall had retreated to late-1980s levels, according to experts. In contrast, South Korean per capita GDP has soared from around $1,200 in the early 1960s to more than $22,000 today.

The regime still cannot feed its own people without outside food aid. North Koreans rely on massive black markets in big cities and the countryside to buy rice, produce, beer and school supplies  often with hard Chinese currency. These markets essentially are tolerated by the government and have become permanent fixtures in the economy. And Kim already has warned of potential economic difficulty akin to the 1990s, which was marked by widespread famine.
ITHACA, N.Y.  Tompkins Trust Company announced it has hired Abby Peterson for a position entitled, marketing communications business partner.

Her job responsibilities include coordinating marketing initiatives, events, and media relations in the Tompkins Trust market of Central New York and the Finger Lakes, the bank said in a news release. In addition, she will provide marketing support for other banks under the umbrella of Tompkins Financial Corp. (NYSE: TMP), focusing on graphics and social-media campaigns.

Peterson has a degree in integrated marketing communications from Ithaca College. She has more than four years of experience working at a full-service marketing agency  Hagan Associates in Vermont, according to her LinkedIn page.

Founded in 1836, Tompkins Trust has 13 branches in Tompkins County, Cortland, and Auburn.

Contact The Business Journal News Network at news@cnybj.com
The ancient coin market remains robust, despite some concerns about cultural patrimony laws that may impact the ability of American collectors to buy and sell some ancient coins. Numismatic Guaranty Corp.s NGC Ancients program, led by David Vagi, continues to help make buyers comfortable with ancient coin collecting by taking much of the guesswork out of grading, authenticating and attributing of ancient coins.

In this week's Market Analysis we're highlighting three ancient Greek silver coins that sold at Heritages April 14 to 19 auctions held at the Chicago International Coin Fair in Rosemont, Ill. Here is one of them:

The Coin:

Pegasus silver stater of Syracuse, 317 to 289 B.C., Choice AU, Fine Style

The Price:

$1,997.50

The Story:

The NGC Ancients program notes when coins are of Fine Style, such as on this Sicilian silver stater from Syracuse, struck under Agathocles as King of Sicily between 317 to 289 B.C, which NGC graded Choice About Uncirculated.

As NGC notes, Since the dies used to strike ancient coin dies were hand-engraved, style can vary greatly from one die to another, even among coins from the same series. Coins of superior style are designated Fine Style and NGC clarifies, The Style of an ancient coin may be defined as the visual impact the design, based upon quality of its composition and engraving.

This example received a 5/5 for strike and a 3/5 for surfaces. The primary considerations for surface quality are luster, corrosion, porosity, encrustation, silvering, cleaning, marks, hairlines and scratches. NGC adds, Factors contributing to the analysis of Surface may be segregated according to the three main phases of an ancient coins life: circulation; use, burial and recovery; and conservation.

The coin sold for $1,997.50 in the Heritage auction.

Keep reading this Market Analysis:

Athenian Owl tetradrachm highlights Heritage CICF auction

Aegean Turtle stands on this Greek silver stater of 480 to 457 B.C.

Connect with Coin World:

Get our free report: How to Invest in Rare Coins
WATFORD CITY -- Millions of people across the country comb through the Craigslists online classifieds daily looking for deals.

But for a few people in the Bakken, a deal advertised on the site that seemed too good to be true actually was.

Rhonda DeHaan, a Watford City real estate agent, recently had photos of one of her properties stolen and used on Craigslist post. The post claimed to be renting out a 1,293-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home for $750 a month in the newly constructed Pheasant Ridge subdivision in Watford City. The houses listing price is $325,000.

Its unfortunately a common scam, DeHaan said.

DeHaan had a person call her to ask about the property after seeing it on Craigslist.

A Dickinson man looking to rent the home from the unknown Craigslist user told DeHaan he had been told to send the $750 deposit to a U.S. Post Office box and that the keys to the house would be sent to him later because the user had to leave town. If the man had sent money, there would have been no keys given in return.

Dickinson Police Capt. David Wilkie said its difficult to prosecute those behind the scams because they are usually operating across international waters, where U.S. laws dont apply. Just like other ads on the site, he advises people to not transfer money through the mail, Internet or wire transfer.

Just be smarter than they are, he advised.

Craigslist scams have been occurring in the Bakken for the past few years, say area real estate agents.

Shirley Dukart, broker associate with Home and Land Co. in Dickinson, was part of a scam last year when someone from another country posted photos of twin homes she was selling on Craigslist as their own.

Luckily, Dukart was called by a man asking about the home after he did some research online. Soon after, the Craigslist post was removed.

In that instance, Dukart was able to receive the scammers information from communication between the interested renter and the scammer. She then reported it and the user was removed from the site.

Wilkie said though those who believe they are involved in a scam should report it to the authorities, it wont always solve the ever-revolving door of fraud.

You can report it, but thats not going to stop the person from doing another ad under another email, he said.

Tracey Hoff, broker and owner of The Real Estate Co. in Dickinson, said he has had his properties used on Craigslist at least six times in the past year.

He said that in a company meeting this week, it was discussed how one of their properties popped up on Craigslist recently claiming to be for rent at $800. The listing was priced much cheaper than even some apartments in the area, he said, which prompted inquiries.

They make it look too good to be true, he said. They do prey on the people that are coming to the area and maybe dont have a contact on the ground, or somebody that is in a high lease that thinks that they can save half of their money, and ultimately they just lose their money.

Hoff said in one of the latest situations, the scammer asked for half of the deposit up front with the promise to send the keys after payment.

I think for the public; if it looks too good to be true, dont send the money, he said.

Hoff said it is frustrating for him because real estate companies work for the public and, in these situations, there isnt much they can do after someone has sent the money to the scammer.

He advises interested renters reach out to an agent when they see an online post about real estate.

Its always good to talk to somebody that is in the business you know for that support and that voice of reasoning, Hoff said.

Dukart advises people to view properties listed in person and make sure they are actually for rent and check the phone number on the posted sign to see if its the same as the phone number in the ad.

DeHaan echoed Hoff, saying renters should deal with credible people when money is involved.

Consumers should be aware that it is probably best to deal with either a property manager or a licensed Realtor, because then they know they are dealing with somebody that is credible, she said.

Craigslist advises people to avoid scams by not extending payment to strangers, wiring funds, giving out personal information on background checks or renting sight-unseen.

Wilkie said its best simply to stay away from transactions on Craigslist and other online sources.

I wouldnt do anything online because that is too easy to manipulate, he said.
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.
The memories of war come back fast anytime Milton Omlid, who enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 22, hears the distinct sound of a helicopter.

Whap, whap, whap.

To this day, he'll hear the noise of those blades and he's transported back to Vietnam.

Its something about helicopters," said Omlid, 68. "I think about it every day.

Upon graduating from Watford City High School, he attended North Dakota State College in Wahpeton to study mechanics for two years. After college, he joined the army.

Omlid, weighed no more than 120 pounds, took his physical exam and got in, but what the veterans at the college in Wahpeton told him still lingered in his mind.

"They said, Well, youre so small, youre going to make a perfect tunnel rat, said Omlid, explaining the tunnel rats were the smaller soldiers in Vietnam who would search underground passageways for enemies.

I said I could do anything but maybe that," said Omlid, who wanted to join the 101st Airborne Division, the same unit as his father, a World War II veteran who flew gliders.

But the army recruiter told him he was too small and hed never make it so he signed up to be an airplane mechanic, a job which had plenty of openings, according to Omlid.

While at basic training camp in Fort Lewis, Wash., a drill sergeant had asked him what he was planning to do in the army and he told him he was going to be an airplane mechanic.

He laughs at me, and he gets right down in my face and he goes, Airplane mechanic? You dummy! He goes, You want to be an airplane mechanic you shouldve joined the Air Force because the army doesnt have no airplanes; theyve got helicopters. Youre gonna be a door gunner or on a helicopter and youre going to be dead in 15 minutes when you get to Vietnam, he told Omlid.

Still, he thought: It cant be that bad.

He spent 18 weeks at an aviation school in Fort Rucker, Ala., then was sent on his first tour in Vietnam. He flew into Cam Ranh Bay and was assigned to helicopter maintenance with the 134th Assault Helicopter Company, which was stationed on a base in Phu Hiep.

He maintain the helicopters even after he joined a gunship crew and eventually became a crew chief.

Each gunship carried 14 rockets and two miniguns, which each fired 6,000 rounds a minute, Omlid said.

The gunships always flew in twos, "like a team," he said. One would fly above the other one that was lower to the ground. Each carried a pilot, co-pilot, crew chief and a door gunner.

As crew chief, Omlid fired a machine gun out of helicopters door while the door gunner fired out as well.

We put out a lot of firepower, he said.

The gunships would provide backup to other bases being overrun and help the infantry guys who were pinned down, he said. Most often, the gunships would fly in tight circles to protect medevac helicopters that were transporting injured soldiers.

We flew every day, Omlid said. In the air, theyd come on the radio and tell us what our mission was. Your heart would be just beating a thousand rounds a minute because you never know what its going to be.

The gunships were extremely heavy, due to the ammunition they were carrying: about 10,000 rounds of minigun ammo and 2,000 rounds of door gun ammo.

"And wed fire everything. Sometimes, wed re-arm three, four times a day," he said.

The gunships would fly low to the ground, 10 feet or lower, skimming the tops of the jungle, a tactic which Omlid said made them less of a target. By the time the enemy spotted them, they'd take off.

Wed be amongst palm trees trying to keep the blades from hitting and then trying to get our RPMs to build up so we could take off flying," he said. The scariest part was just getting in the air.

Omlid did two tours  23 months  in Vietnam and recalls a couple times when his helicopter was shot down or there was an engine failure.

Anytime you went down, if the rotor blades hit so hard that theyd hit the ground, the crew chief was generally killed," Omlid said. That was because the torque of the blades and then the transmission would come through the bulkhead on my side.

That was how Omlid's best friend died. A young man from West "By God" Virginia. The two worked in maintenance together and later both became crew chiefs on the gunships.

I knew everything about him," Omlid said, of his family, his fiance Sally and where he grew up in West Virginia.

The two were on a mission together, flying on two different gunships. It was extremely foggy and the pilot on Omlid's friend's helicopter thought they could make it over the top of the mountain. As it turns out, it wasnt the top, but the side of the mountain.

Ingrained in his mind is the image of Omlid's friend, who had waived at him from the other helicopter to catch his attention.

Were maybe 50 feet from each other," Omlid said.

After he got Omlid's attention, he made a cross sign with his fingers before hitting the side of a mountain.

It just blew me away. And then two minutes later, hes dead," Omlid said.

Omlid always thought he wanted to go to West Virginia to see his friend's mom and dad, but never did. He said he might head to West Virginia to visit his grave site. Maybe this summer, he said.

After his second tour, Omlid worked in the oil field running tools for more than 20 years. Then, he was a contractor in the safety business and traveled all over the country to big refineries in Chicago, St. Louis and Houston. For the past three years, he's worked for an oil company in Wyoming and is currently semi-retired.

He retired from the North Dakota National Guard as a combat engineer.
Scott Woods: Artists Need to Put Their Merch on the Table

Make sure your work is out thereand where you can sell a copy or two.
SHARE Louise Blais

By Kevin McKenzie of The Commercial Appeal

Louise Blais, consul general of Canada in Atlanta, arrived in Memphis this week with a binder to offer statistics about trade while also enjoying Canadas role as this years honored country for the Memphis in May International Festival.

Yet, in her second year serving as Canadas Atlanta-based diplomat for the region and on her second official visit to Memphis, Blais said Wednesday that Memphis in May cultural experiences at two museums are other examples of what will stick with her.

At the National Civil Rights Museum, an underground railroad exhibit highlighted the fact for her that some 80,000 American slaves made their way to Canada, where they were welcomed and created communities, Blais said.

We know that story very well, because its part of our heritage, taught in most universities or even high schools, she said. Its not that well known here.

A visit to the National Ornamental Metal Museum, where a Memphis in May exhibition of the jewelry and sculpture of Canadian artist Corrine Hunt is underway, provided another moment for Blais. Hunt most famously designed the 2010 Vancouver Olympic medals.

Memphis has made an impression on Hunt, Blais said.

She told me that she was so inspired by Memphis and you can see when youre speaking to artists, they mean it, Blais said. Shes weaving in music, thoughts, Elvis.

The Memphis metropolitan area exports more to Canada than any other single country, with $1.7 billion shipped north in 2014.

Canada is also Tennessees No. 1 trading partner, with $8.6 billion worth of goods shipped to Canada a year and $5.8 billion imported from Canada, according to the latest statistics provided by Blais. About $1.3 billion worth of automobiles were the states top export north.

Canada has had a new prime minister, Justin Trudeau, since November, who has said the U.S. is back on his desk as the No. 1 priority relationship, she said.

Canadians see a lot of opportunities in the U.S. economic recovery, but all see new realities at home with dropping oil prices, she said. That has made the Canadian government rethink its priorities and want to invest in innovation and technology fields.

With both Democratic and Republican candidates criticizing the North American Free Trade Agreement, Blais was prepared to defend NAFTA as an overwhelmingly positive trade agreement.

Before NAFTA, North American trade including Canada, the U.S. and Mexico totaled $289 billion, she said. By 2014, it was $1.3 trillion.

Not only do we sell things to each other, we make things together that then gets exported, she said. So over 6 million U.S. jobs are supported by trade with Mexico and over 9 million with Canada.

She said Canadians are watching the U.S. presidential election closely. What happens in the U.S. tends to have a big impact on her country, Blais said.

Canada will work with whoever is elected; were very confident in that, she said. But I will say that as keen watchers of whats going on right now in the election campaign, we like many Americans agree that its an unprecedented race.
More than 80 Memphis-area small business owners work on websites at a Google "Let's Put Our Cities on the Map" workshop at Southwest Tennessee Community College.

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By Kevin McKenzie of The Commercial Appeal

More than 80 Memphis-area small business owners gathered in a community college auditorium today to learn about getting an online business presence from an industry giant, Google.

A business website that looks good on a desktop computer isnt keeping up with todays consumers, said Soo Young Kim, who heads the California-based technology companys small business engagement from offices in New York.

With its Lets Put Our Cities on the Map initiative, Google is providing free advice and online tools to small businesses for building responsive design websites that also display well on mobile phones and devices, Kim said.

We know now that people are using their phones for everything, even before they go and shop, even when they want to learn something, when they want to do something, she said.

We want to make sure that small businesses are taking advantage of the opportunities that are coming to them through search, through maps, people are looking for them."

With some 30,000 cities across the country, Google also is teaching small business owners how to ensure that their business information and images pop up with a free Google My Business feature that pops up when consumers use Googles search engine.

A business photo, description and links to a website, phone number and directions can be made to appear.

Kim said that Google first launched its small business efforts in 2011 after realizing that 97 percent of Internet users are looking for products and services online, but more than half of small businesses didnt have a website.

Only 37 percent claimed the search listing that pops up in Googles search engine, she said.

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Southwest Tennessee Community College partners with Google to provide similar seminars on a quarterly basis about getting an online presence, but this was the first gathering in Memphis led by Googles experts, said Rory Thomas, the centers executive director.

Small-business owners are at a competitive disadvantage if they dont know how their firms are appearing in Google searches, or whether customers coming to their websites may be visiting a competitors site first, Thomas said.

Most people have no idea, he said.

Summer Owens, one of the small-business owners in the audience at smSouthwests Macon Cove Campus, said Googles information is very valuable, especially for entrepreneurs just starting out.

Owens, 36, said she learned the hard way about getting a website after starting her motivational speaking business, S.O. What! LLC, about four years ago.

Shes also started a nonprofit foundation as a former teen mom with a marketing background who worked for the Memphis Grizzlies, ServiceMaster and FedEx before starting her own firm, she said.

I dont have a physical location for my business anyway, nor do I want one, so an online presence is crucial for me to get business, Owens said. Just like everybody else, everybody finds me online.

Google started its Get Your Business Online program in Texas, rolled it out nationally and last year launched its Lets Put Our Cities on the Map initiative, Kim said.

In Tennessee, Google has gained recent attention with an announcement last December that it is putting a $600 million data center in Clarksville, about 50 miles northwest of Nashville.

Google also is rolling out its 1-gigabit Google Fiber Internet and television service in Nashville and Davidson County. The 1-gigabit Google Fiber Internet service is priced at $70 a month, or $130 with 150 television channels.

Kim acknowledged that in addition to offering free online tools at gybo.com, and a free domain name for a year through a partnership with StartLogic, Google is marketing some its own services to small-businesses.

While helping the business owners build websites, for example, they are introduced to Gmail for Work, which allows e-mail addresses to reflect domain names, and Google Adwords Express, which helps advertise through Google searches and maps. Both are paid tools offered by Google, she said.

Still, the tech giants goal is to help small firms acquire the online capability that has become business hygiene, Kim said.

We hear from a lot of small-businesses that even before they get funding, people want to see a website, she said.
October 1, 2015 - A horse drawn carriage travels on Main Street in the Pinch District. The city of Memphis has hired an architect to revisit a mothballed plan for redevelopment of the Pinch district, with an eye toward supporting nearby anchors St. Jude and the Bass Pro Pyramid. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)

SHARE Artist rendering of proposed Crosstown development of old Sears building. The massive Crosstown Concourse redevelopment is so aspirational that the half-dozen "entities" that subsidized the project's financing have just won a national award. Courtesy of Looney Ricks Kiss

By Ted Evanoff of The Commercial Appeal

New Memphis Institute will continue its Celebrate Whats Right in Memphis series on Tuesday by hosting a panel discussion among a handful of Memphians proposing major construction projects in the city.

Our theory of change is that what you pay attention to is what grows, Nancy Coffee, chief executive of New Memphis Institute, a 30-year-old nonprofit that grooms civic leaders, said about the series.

Scheduled to appear are entrepreneurs and executives including Chase Carlisle, Andy Cates and Richard Shadyac for the 90-minute session, which will begin at noon in the Holiday Inn-University of Memphis at 3700 Central Avenue. Tickets cost $30.

Carlisle heads real estate development at Carlisle Corp., a Memphis firm that has proposed One Beale, a 30-story apartment tower and possible separate office building near the riverfront.

Cates, chief executive of RVC Outdoor Destinations, had a large hand in the $200 million renovation of Sears Crosstown and has proposed redeveloping Mud Island.

Shadyac is chief executive of ALSAC, the fund-raiser for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, which has committed to a $1 billion expansion in the Medical District and, nearby, is considering redevelopment of the Pinch District on North Main Street.

With billions of dollars currently invested in major recreational, medical, industrial, retail, educational, tourism, and lifestyle-oriented projects, says the institutes note announcing the panel, it is clear Memphis is a city on the rise. These projects have the opportunity to significantly impact Memphis livability and are, in many ways, a hallmark of this pivotal time in the citys history. As we near Memphis Bicentennial, these investments are a vote of confidence for our citys future.

Cates is scheduled to moderate the panel. Also scheduled for the panel are Anna Holtzclaw, director at Urban Land Institutes Memphis chapter; Tommy Pacello, special project manager for U3 Advisers; and Terrence Patterson, Downtown Memphis Commission president.

First Tennessee Foundation sponsors the Whats Right series.

New Memphis Institute, founded after the pivotal 1979 Memphis jobs conference, earlier was named Leadership Academy and originally was known as Goals for Memphis.
By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal

A 22-year-old man charged in the killing of 7-year-old Kirsten Williams was sentenced Thursday to 45 months in prison for possessing a gun days after her shooting.

Jordan Clayton, a felon, pleaded guilty in February to a federal charge of possessing a Glock .40 pistol on or about April 14, 2015. Williams was fatally shot April 10, 2015 in the 2600 block of Durby Circle, a few blocks from the intersection of Lamar Avenue and Pendleton Street.

Clayton is charged with first-degree murder in a pending case in Williams' death.

Branden Brookins, Carl Johnson and Carlos Stokes are also charged in her death.

Stokes is the brother of 15-year-old Cateria Stokes, who was fatally shot at about 2 a.m. April 10, 2015 in the 4500 block of Cottonwood Road, about a 10-minute drive from where Williams would be shot hours later.

Officers found Cateria in bed unresponsive, police said, and she was pronounced dead.
By Yolanda Jones of The Commercial Appeal

Police said Thursday that a 16-year-old boy was the person shot and killed Wednesday night in Southeast Memphis.

Officers responded at 8:39 p.m. to the shooting on Getwell and New Willow.

Police said Terrance Smith was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound in the back. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Investigators said they have no suspects and have not released any details about the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-2274.
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By Richard Locker of The Commercial Appeal

The Tennessee Department of Human Services family assistance office at 3360 South Third Street in Memphis has reopened Thursday.

The office was closed Wednesday night after a power surge in the building required repairs of the electrical system. DHS announced Wednesday night that the office would be closed until repairs could be made and at that time, it was unclear how long that would be.

But the repairs were completed and the office reopened about noon Thursday, said DHS spokeswoman Stephanie Jarnagin in Nashville.

PREVIOUSLY ...

The Tennessee Department of Human Services' family assistance office at 3360 South Third Street in Memphis is being forced to close temporarily for repairs to its electrical system, the agency said Wednesday night.

DHS said a power surge in the building resulted in a power outage that requires repairs.

A DHS spokeswoman said it's not clear how long the office will be closed. but DHS's other family assistance office in Memphis, at 3230 Jackson Avenue, is open for services to DHS clients and families in need of assistance.

Employees will not report to the Third Street office Thursday and will be eligible for administrative leave, but some employees will be notified to report to work at the Jackson Avenue location, DHS spokeswoman Stephanie Jarnagin said.
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NASHVILLE  Three Tennessee Supreme Court justices and seven intermediate state appeals court judges are up for retention elections statewide in August, and the Tennessee Bar Association is asking all judges on the ballot this year to sign a campaign code of conduct "to assure fair and impartial judicial elections," the TBA said Thursday.

The Tennessee Fair Judicial Campaign Code of Conduct is a joint effort of the bar association and the Tennessee Supreme Court, which last December revised the Code of Judicial Conduct's Canon 4 to reflect changes recommended after the 2014 judicial elections that involved an unsuccessful campaign led by Republican state Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey to defeat three Supreme Court justices appointed by former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen.

The TBA's fair judicial campaign code incorporates Canon 4 and asks judicial candidates to abide by them. The Canon specifies how long a campaign can last (one year), how funds can be raised, and what candidates can say and do while campaigning.

"Judicial elections are different," said TBA President Bill Harbison, a Nashville lawyer. "Judges are not permitted to make promises or pledges about how they will rule because we expect them to proceed case by case to apply the law to the facts and come to fair and impartial decisions. The code helps to ensure this impartiality by committing the judges not to make pledges, promises or commitments on how they will rule in cases."

Judicial elections on this year's Aug. 4 ballot include retention elections for three Tennessee Supreme Court justices and seven state appeals court judges appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam and seated since the last regular judicial election in 2014. Voters across Tennessee will cast their votes on whether to retain or reject each of the 10 judges.

In addition, 15 candidates for state trial-court judges will be on the ballot in eight judicial circuits across the state, including five candidates for two judgeships in Shelby County  one in Chancery Court and one in Circuit Court.

In the 2014 elections, where all judges were on the ballot, more than 116 judges subscribed to the code. The TBA this week is sending letters to judges and judicial candidates on this year's ballot. TBA will post the names of judicial candidates who subscribe to the code on its website at http://www.tba.org/node/83220.

The three state high court judges up for retention elections in August are Justices Jeffrey S. Bivins, Holly Kirby and Roger A. Page.

The code of conduct changes put in place in December by the state Supreme Court include rules that make it clearer that judges and judicial candidates are permitted to endorse other judges; allow judges to seek, accept or use endorsements from any person or organization; permit judges to speak on behalf of his or her candidacy through any medium, including campaign ads, websites and campaign literature; and clarify the prohibition on judges simultaneously seeking judicial and non judicial office.

The Tennessee Bar Association is the state's largest association of lawyers, with over 13,000 members.
FILE - In this May 3, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

By Michael Collins of The Commercial Appeal

WASHINGTON  Tennessee Republicans in Congress began falling in line behind Donald Trump Wednesday, now that the New York real-estate mogul has effectively clinched the GOP presidential nomination.

Speaking to reporters in Kingsport, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Maryville suggested he would back Trump.

"My focus will be on keeping a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate so we can do more things like the law we passed fixing No Child Left Behind, which was the largest transfer of power from Washington to the states in the last 25 years," he said.

Alexander stressed that Trump was not his first choice for president. For months, the senator had resisted getting involved in Tennessee's GOP primary, but threw his support to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio two days before voters went to the polls on March 1. After Rubio dropped his bid, Alexander announced he would back Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

But while Kasich was on the verge of ending his campaign on Wednesday, Alexander said, "I will support the Republican nominee for president when we have one."

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker in an emailed statement provided to The Tennessean, said, "My plan always has been to support the Republican nominee. It is my hope that the national conversation will shift to what the candidates will do to solve the problems our nation faces. I do believe Donald Trump's foreign policy speech last week was an important step in that direction."U.S. Rep. Diane Black of Gallatin said "the three scariest words in the English language today are 'President Hillary Clinton.'"

"I will support our presumptive nominee, Donald J. Trump, in the general election and call on Republicans across Tennessee to do the same," she said. "After eight years of failed liberal policies, this is a time for our party to unite and put a conservative in the White House."

Meanwhile, Mary Mancini, the head of the Tennessee Democratic Party, slammed Republicans on Wednesday for getting behind Trump, whom she called "the most dangerous nominee in history."
The Commercial Appeal files A billboard and organization signs welcome visitors to "The Great City of Memphis" on May 3, 1950. The location is believed to be the City Limits on North Thomas near the Wolf River.

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May 5

25 years ago: 1991

ANN ARBOR, Mich.  President Bush attacked the "notion of political correctness Saturday, saying it had led to "inquisition," "censorship" and "bullying" on some college campuses. In a commencement address to University of Michigan graduates devoted to three "freedoms"  "enterprise, speech and spirit"  Bush joined a growing political backlash against the idea that free speech should be subordinated to the civil rights of women and minority members.

50 years ago: 1966

Contracts for river piers for Memphis' new 50-million-dollar Mississippi River bridge will be let Oct. 28 if all goes well, Tennessee Highway Commissioner David Pack predicted yesterday. "I must emphasize that there are unpredictable factors that could preclude us from letting the first contract in October but we are optimistic," Mr. Pack said in Nashville.

75 years ago: 1941

Dr. Willis Cohoon Campbell, Memphis' internationally known orthopedic surgeon whose vision, determination and genius healed thousands of cripples, died yesterday morning at St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago. He was 60.

100 years ago: 1916

WASHINGTON  President Wilson announced last night that the tentative agreement between General Scott and General Obregon in the American-Mexican dispute over American soldiers in Mexico provides "a basis of co-operation which promises to prevent misunderstandings."

125 years ago: 1891

NASHVILLE  The second week of the spring meeting at West Side Park opened most auspiciously today with about 6,000 people in attendance and a card of seven races. It was another day of surprises. And the sporting public was fairly slaughtered by the bookmakers.
SHARE Buddy Billings has been named interim fire chief for the town of Collierville.

By Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal

Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner will nominate interim Fire Chief Buddy Billings to the permanent post, setting aside a search for an outside candidate.

Joyner confirmed his decision Wednesday. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen is scheduled to consider the Billings nomination at its meeting Monday.

Billings, a longtime employee of the town fire department, took the role of interim chief following the retirement of Jerry Crawford at the end of February. The town narrowed the search to four finalists from outside the department, including former Memphis Fire Director Michael Putt.

Joyner said the search for an outside candidate ended because Billings changed his mind about staying in the chief's job.

"We had actually talked to Buddy before we went out on a search. And at that particular time, he said that he didn't feel like he was interested in becoming the permanent chief," Joyner said. "But I think as time went on, and he received encouragement probably from others, he decided that he would like to be the chief."

Joyner said town staffers went through a lengthy interview process with other candidates. "But I have to say that going in, Buddy would have been our first choice."

Reached by phone Wednesday, Billings confirmed he'd changed his mind. The 57-year-old said he'd worked for the town since he was 19, and that, at first, he didn't want to stay in the chief's job because he was thinking about retiring in a few years. "I just felt like they might want to get somebody to stay a little longer," Billings said.

But different people urged him to stay. "I've talked with a lot of firemen from all ranks of the department from the bottom to the top," he said. "I've talked to citizens I've known all my life that are part of the community. Chamber members. People at church. Even my preacher. He told me I ought to take it, I'd be a good man for the job, type thing."

He said he told the mayor about his change of heart about a week ago. "Now I'm all in, 100 percent, and raring to go."

He said he'd already spoken with some of the town's five aldermen and anticipated they'd support his appointment as chief.

Collierville is a fast-growing suburb and the fire department's operations accounted for nearly $7 million in spending in the most recent fiscal year. The department has 72 employees. The salary for the Collierville fire chief ranges from $70,000 to $121,000. Billings earns $95,400 as interim chief, said town spokesman Mark Heuberger.
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Politicians are never without numbers to support their argument. Sometimes the statistics are manipulated to make a particular point. Other times there are bare-faced lies in their tweets. Correct and accurate numbers do get used, but even then, their opponents dismiss the numbers rather than engage and debate them.

Are statistics and data at risk of being reduced to mere noise, however valid they may be?

On April 18, the U.K. Treasury put the potential cost of leaving the EU at 4,300 per household per year. Chris Grayling, a leading Brexit campaigner, says he does "not accept a document of doom and gloom from the Treasury." It strikes me as odd that a government minister dismisses the Treasury when discussing Brexit, but presumably is quite happy to use its documents when they support other government policy. Dismissing numbers rather than engaging with them lets electorates down.

The U.S. primaries are also rife with dodgy statistical claims. Take, for example, Donald Trump's claim that black people kill 81% of homicide victims: "Pants on fire," according to PolitiFact. This is a new area of "post-truth" elections, and it's not exclusive to the Republicans.

Tim Harford, the Financial Times' undercover economist, says we are all responsible. He lays the blame on politicians and on our desire to consume things in sound bites in place of deeper, dryer analyses.

Is all hope lost? Are statistics destined to be abused and thus ignored? Will this public disdain of numbers damage their usage in business?

I hold out hope. Here are my three exhibits.

Exhibit A: When Charts Attack!

The clip above is from Newsnight, a daily British news show. Evan Davis is interviewing Nicky Morgan, a government cabinet minister, following George Osborne's budget being approved in March. They are discussing how the Conservative Party's monetary policy will affect the poorest people more significantly than the richest.

During the interview, Morgan is ambushed by a simple, powerful bar chart. It shows that the poorest people in the U.K. will be most significantly affected, while the richest will see almost no change in their standard of living.

The brilliance of this is the time taken by Davis to explain the chart. He explains the axes, what they mean and, importantly, where the data came from. Morgan has no escape except to flounder that she's not seen this chart but claim that she does check the data.

Exhibit B: We Can All Be Citizen Journalists

Makeovers provide new perspectives

As engaged citizens, we need to do the fact-checking ourselves. Political fact-checking organizations check claims and present the data clearly (for example, PolitiFact in the U.S. and FullFact in the U.K.). We can't ask our politicians to stop bending the numbers -- they won't. What we can do is take personal responsibility to challenge the numbers we hear. We also need to push our politicians to be more open with their numbers: How and why did they make their conclusions?

Another way to engage is to explore the data ourselves. #MakeoverMonday is a social data project that does exactly this. Every week, people take a new chart and dissect and redraw it to find new truths within the data. When a community comes together to explore your data afresh and present different truths (or expose falsehoods) in charts, everyone benefits. If citizens band together to create multiple perspectives on data, everyone benefits.

Exhibit C: Embrace This Fact: 'Data Is a Language'

Kim Rees, co-founder of Periscopic, on the PolicyViz podcast

"Data is a language," said Kim Rees, co-founder of Periscopic, on a recent PolicyViz podcast. "It's a means to convey an opinion, an argument."

You and I could take one single data set and use it to create multiple truths. They would all be valid. Statistics do not provide a single truth. This is as true in business as it is in politics.

Simon Beaumont, head of information at NHS Southern Health in the U.K., told me recently about the impact data has had in his organization. "Data doesn't give you an answer, it prompts a discussion," he said. If enlightened organizations can embrace this truth, why can't politicians?

Politicians who patronize voters by dismissing rather than engaging with statistics could learn a lot from people like Beaumont. It's time to acknowledge the flexibility of statistics. It's time for us all to use them for conversation.

Politicians, the media and voters all need to be more mature when discussing data. Of course, people choose the numbers which support their viewpoint. Let's not trivialize politics by dismissing opponents' numbers. Let's instead engage and counter with intellect.
In New York City, IT employees of EmblemHealth recently staged a protest over the decision to outsource their jobs. CEO Karen Ignagni told the employees the company needed to modernize its platforms and didn't have the money or expertise to do this work.

Among those at this protest was Phillip Tsen, a former outsourcing project manager. It was once his job to move IT work to outsourcing firms.

By joining the demonstration, Tsen wanted to show his support for EmblemHealth workers losing their jobs. Emblem's justifications for its wholesale layoff of its IT employees are similar to those Tsen once made as an outsourcing project manager. The difference is that he just doesn't believe in those arguments anymore.

Tsen was a global leader of IBM offshore management for more than 15 years. He has a master's degree in computer science from Columbia University and earned a patent for his work on a knowledge transfer process. He left the industry in 2011. He now considers himself an unemployed writer.

[Related story: Sold Out offers a new look at the H-1B debate.]

Tsen has written a work of fiction inspired by his experiences of running outsourcing operations. This book, The PM Executioner: A Project Manager's Journey in Offshoring Jobs, describes what happened to one Peter Fallon, a project manager. (The book is available in both Kindle and softcover editions; Amazon price $2.99 - $16.95. What's this?)

This book brings you inside the conference rooms where the decisions are being made. It explores the friction and dynamics among executives embarking on this course and shows its impacts on the affected workers. It helps you to understand their pain. It's a compelling read.

Booklocker; jacket art by Todd Engel Published in December, former offshoring project manager Phillip Tsen has written a fictional account of his experiences.

Fallon is increasingly troubled by the human consequences of his previous work and the questionable actions of executives paid large bonuses for eliminating jobs.

Tsen began his professional career as an artist working as a designer at a textile firm. (You can see some of his work by scrolling down on this page.) But when the textile industry moved offshore, he changed careers and pursued studies in computer science, and joined Bell Labs when it was part of AT&T. He was a manager and distinguished engineer.

In an interview, Tsen explains the reasons for writing this book, and talks about his hope that it might move executives to reconsider their direction. He describes the effort as a personal redemption.

What follows are edited excerpts from an interview.

What prompted you to write this book?

Instead of being an executive, sitting in a war room, looking at a spreadsheet where decisions can be made easier, I worked in the field. You see people suffering. You see people trying to resist and fight [the outsourcing of their jobs]. I see all the things that are going on behind the scenes. You deteriorate inside your heart. I couldn't do it anymore, and took a leave of absence and wrote what's inside my heart.

After a year, I went back to the job. I tried to get back to my work again. But I saw the affected IT workers, people with gray hair, with families, children in college, people who really need a job and I felt like: 'What am I doing here?" I quit and then wrote a book to get my voice out.

What is the personal toll of this work?

Some companies feel they have no choice [to outsource], and need to fix the processes and save the money. They are trying to do something that appears as if they are transforming the business to a better position. That seems like a good reason for it, but I'm still not sure that's the right solution.

The savings (per job) are 30% -- if you offshore 100 people your savings is about $3 million. That's a quick savings. But then at the beginning of the next year, after you have done all the offshoring, the CEO and executives take million dollar bonuses. This is just not right at all. That's what is hurting me, this betrayal of loyal employees.

The book's main character, Peter Fallon, argues that "we weren't responsible for firing hundreds of people; we were responsible for saving hundreds more by making this company solvent again." That's sounds like a moral justification for offshoring jobs. Isn't it?

In 2001-2002, when the dot.com bubble burst, [saving a company] seemed like a good reason for outsourcing. I put my heart into it and did a good job. But in the years following the dot.com bubble, a lot of CEOs turned to outsourcing to appeal to Wall Street. In their hiring agreements there is a pre-set cash bonus and if you meet this number, you get this much in bonus. That's what I've seen happening.

Not every every CIO or firm decides to offshore their IT department. What arguments are brought to bear by companies that reject offshore outsourcing?

Some companies take moral responsibility, social responsibility and don't go offshore. Rather than lay off people, they try to retain their valuable, loyal employees. I don't mean job protection, because a company does not have the obligation to protect an employee's job. The employee needs to bring their value, and management also needs to bring its value. I'm not anti-offshoring because there are certain low-cost offshore skills that can help speed up the initial rollout of new technologies. But it's your loyal employees that know the best processes and the data.

Phillip Tsen, author of "The PM Executioner" and former IBM global outsourcing manager.

Companies that outsource their IT departments, and then announce job cuts, will call it a hard decision. To me, it's an easy solution to go offshore. They feel they can achieve business success by holding the service provider accountable to meet all the KPIs [Key Performance Indicators].

That's not the truth. Companies that retain their employees through a recovery retain their competitiveness. Companies that offshore are losing that competitiveness, that loyal employee -- you are losing the stability of a team in the long term.

You put a lot of weight on loyalty. The premise is that a firm's IT employees will be adaptable and will act in the best interest of the company. You don't think that's true for offshore resources?

Exactly, yes. When you offshore your knowledge, the person that you train will take your technical and business strategy knowledge and work for your competitors when they offshore their stuff. You never get a loyal, stable team offshore. Long-term, you are better off to keep your employees and use offshore for short-term work.

There are some IT departments that outsource the vast majority of their IT work, if not all of it. What is the outcome for firms that take this path?

A firm will say IT is not their core business. The drivers may be out-of-date systems, work backlogs, an understaffed IT department. They see their staffs as higher paid and decide that going offshore is cheaper. A lot of times managers [in other departments working with IT] are not following the best practices of project management. Requirements are vague because they don't understand the complexity, which leads to modifications, small releases and patching. A lot of IT employees feel they have become the scapegoats. To me that's a symptom.

Outsourcing the IT department does not solve your problem, because the other departments in the firm are not following best practices. The offshore vendors will charge more for modifications. You think you are saving, but you're not saving.

The culprits are the middle and higher managers -- they have not fostered a [company-wide] organization that follows good practices. Changing the pool of employees, from U.S. employees to offshore employees, does not say that you will have a better system. You are moving to a long-term headache.

Are there moral consequences to these decisions?

It's not morally correct that you just lay off your long-term employees, and you sacrifice and push them out door, then you take big bonuses. There are ways to do this -- everyone needs to bring value. Management is the culprit that fosters inefficient organizations. IT is not alone, and they are not the ones that should get the blame.

People do not take the approach that "we are in this together" -- they do not all tighten up the belt. Outsourcing the employees is morally incorrect, and strategically not the right solution for the long-term.

Your point is that a company that offshores believes they can improve their IT operations through vendor contract management, but what you are saying is they really can't. What are they losing?

They will lose their competitiveness because their offshore IT department is unstable. They have a continuous turnover. When you implement a new strategy, the [IT] response time will be slower because you are dealing with a handful of new resources again.

What impact will offshore outsourcing have, generally, on corporate IT?

This is probably a dangerous path we are going down. Because of my experience, back in the 1980s, working as an art director [in a textile firm], everything went offshore so we lost the textile industry. At that time, telecom was booming. I hopped on that wagon right away because I have a can-do attitude. I join AT&T Bell Labs and become a manager and distinguished engineer. But my department went offshore to India.

Now I ask: What's next if we continue this trend of offshoring? Do you think offshore will be cheaper forever? Years down the road, if you look at the percentages of increase, your Indiana labor cost will be lower than the India cost. But by then we won't have the capability anymore because nobody will be in that profession. That's what I worry about for the long term.

I'm not anti-offshoring; I'm not pro-protectionism. But definitely the behaviors -- laying off people and then getting big bonuses -- those things need to be transparent. There needs to be a law to disclose that.... and to disclose how many H-1B holders are on-site for a purpose that's illegal.

Will transparency make a difference?

Transparency will make the moral issue more visible. Management will think twice because they also want to protect their brand image.

There is an IT employee at New York Life who earned a computer science degree and is training her replacements from an IT services contracting firm. In an interview, she was asked: What would you say to any young person today who is considering a computer science major? Her recommendation was not to major in that because there's no future in it. Do you think that students should major in computer science today?

I do not encourage that (majoring in computer science) because of the trend we are going down. Being a developer, tester or engineer of software -- those are jobs that will be offshored.

Is "executioner" a word used by project managers in the offshore outsourcing industry?

One person, early in my career, said to me, "You are the executioner." At one time I thought, that's just a way to survive [as a project manager in outsourcing engagements]. When I look back at that now, the person who called me an executioner actually had a much earlier sense of what I was getting into. That's why I used the word.

A lot of what's in the story is based on facts. Here is an example: One person who lost a job because of an offshore outsourcing decision had a plaque in his office marking his 25th anniversary at the firm. He cleaned out his office, but the only thing he left behind was the anniversary plaque. That's an image that has haunted me for years.
U.S. presidential candidates should embrace encryption and narrow government access to Internet users' data as part of a comprehensive technology agenda, IT trade groups say.

While the FBI and some lawmakers have pushed in recent months for encryption workarounds in criminal investigations, presidential candidates should "recognize encryption as a critical security tool," 13 tech trade organizations said in a set of tech policy recommendations released late Wednesday.

By narrowly targeting governments' access to consumer data, the next president can promote global trust in digital goods and services, said the groups, representing hundreds of tech companies. Trade groups signing the letter included the Telecommunications Industry Association, the Consumer Technology Association, and BSA.

The letter suggests presidential candidates haven't spent enough time talking about tech-related issues. "The technology sector is eager to see robust engagement on, and ultimately support for, the issues that matter most to our nation," the letter says.

The groups will work to make sure innovation issues are "infused" into the presidential campaign, said Dean Garfield, president and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council. "The issues we have outlined are too important to be ignored or treated like bumper sticker slogans," he said in a statement.

The letter offers candidates ideas on how to improve the U.S. economy, added Heather Greenfield, communications director for the Computer and Communications Industry Association, another group signing on.

"As candidates talk about growing the economy, this list offers some low-cost and even no-cost ideas that help our entire economy," she said by email. "As the candidates fine-tune their policy proposals, we hope to show how the tech industry can offer not just innovative products for consumers, but smart strategies for economic growth for the country."

Top tech priorities for the presidential candidates should also include promoting best practices for cybersecurity, welcoming skilled immigrants, and investing in science and technology training programs, the groups said.

So far, the U.S. presidential campaign has largely stayed away from technology issues, with illegal immigration, worker wages, and other issues dominating the campaign. Businessman and reality TV star Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee, have spent little time talking about tech issues.

Trump has talked about shutting down parts of the Internet as a way to block communication between terrorists.

Clinton has talked about cybersecurity issues in some recent speeches, and her website includes a short policy statement on cyberattacks.

Clinton will encourage the public and private sectors to work together "to strengthen security and build resiliency for economy and infrastructure," her website says. "Our country will outpace this rapidly changing threat, maintain strong protections against unwarranted government or corporate surveillance, and ensure American companies are the most competitive in the world."

Clinton and Trump have both raised concerns about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement that many tech groups have pushed for. The candidates worry about the trade deal taking jobs away from U.S. workers, while tech companies see it as opening up new markets for their products.
The Marketing departments new digital advertising program doubled traffic to the company website. Great news  except that there was no corresponding bump in sales revenue. Once that fact became clear, the CEO asked the CIO to get involved.

This all happened at a company I have worked with, but its not all that unusual. The truth is that there are many ways that online numbers can be inflated that have nothing to do with real people looking at actual ads or content. In this case, Marketing had tried to generate more website traffic without ITs advice. Now that the CEO has put the CIO on the case, Marketing may well learn that IT has some valuable insights into how digital marketing can be abused.

One thing that IT knows is that you cant judge Web traffic until you have separated the bots from the human eyeballs. A 2015 White Ops study, The Bot Baseline: Fraud in Digital Advertising, revealed that an astounding 98% of the views for an auto manufacturers video ad could be attributed to bots. The Association of National Advertisers, working with White Ops, predicts that bots will cost digital advertisers $7.2 billion in 2016, up from $6.3 billion in 2015.

A lot of what happens in the world of online advertising amounts to outright fraud. Rapid growth and a flood of money have attracted scammers. Although there certainly are honest operators doing legitimate business, some of your companys digital advertising budget is probably wasted. Common scams include the following:

Fraudulent traffic sourcing. Website traffic brokers add links to third-party websites that direct traffic to their customers sites. The traffic broker is paid based on the number of visitors that get redirected this way. Ethical brokers earn their money by persuading real people to follow a link that promises interesting content. Thats hard work, though, so unethical brokers simply deploy bots to visit customers sites. How do you know whether your broker is ethical? You should certainly do some research before signing a contract, but if your due diligence is spotty, you might not find out the truth until, like the company I described above, you realize that the new traffic isnt generating any additional sales.

Virtual browser bots. This refers to malware that creates a virtual browser on the computer of some unsuspecting victim. Its invisible to the computers owner, who remains unaware that his computer is silently visiting websites, clicking links and scrolling through pages, creating the impression that the computer owner is doing it all. These bots can be quite sophisticated, accurately mimicking the behavior of a person preparing for a car purchase or a grandparent searching for holiday gifts, for example  even pausing between clicks to simulate human reading time. Naturally, most traffic-measuring services will report a large audience until the bots are detected.

Pixel stuffing, ad stacking and tab-unders. With pixel stuffing, ads are stuffed into a 1-pixel-by-1-pixel unit, too small to be noticed by most people and indecipherable to those that do. The advantage for fraudsters is that they can fit a lot of pixel-stuffed ads on a single screen or Web page. Thats similar to the appeal of ad stacking, where multiple advertisements are placed on top of each other in a single unit. Each ad is counted as viewed, but anyone who does see a page with stacked ads will only see those on top. Both pixel stuffing and ad stacking often show up on tab-unders, further reducing the chance that anyone will actually see them. These are windows that open out of sight behind another window but still get counted as viewed by ad-tracking software.

Bot-detection tools are improving but wont save you from this sort of thing entirely  by the time the software detects bot traffic, you already have a problem. The state of the art is another reason that IT should be consulted about digital advertising programs. IT is much less likely to think that bot detection is a panacea that completely protects marketing dollars.

When it comes to digital marketing, here are some basic precautions you should take:

Buy ads from reliable sources . The name-brand sites that were all familiar with are more expensive than others, but thats because they offer reliable audiences and services that can help verify views. For example, Facebook recently began offering advertisers the option of having a third party, Moat, verify that the ads appearing in a users news feed was viewed by a human.

. The name-brand sites that were all familiar with are more expensive than others, but thats because they offer reliable audiences and services that can help verify views. For example, Facebook recently began offering advertisers the option of having a third party, Moat, verify that the ads appearing in a users news feed was viewed by a human. Focus on the right metrics. Rather than relying solely on CPM (cost per thousand views) or CPC (cost per click), focus on sales conversion, loyalty program enrollment or other business measures. Landing-page visits and other micro measures are easy to track but do little to grow the business. Calculating ROAS (return on advertising spending) correlates advertising to business results and helps direct advertising spending to the most effective channels.

Rather than relying solely on CPM (cost per thousand views) or CPC (cost per click), focus on sales conversion, loyalty program enrollment or other business measures. Landing-page visits and other micro measures are easy to track but do little to grow the business. Calculating ROAS (return on advertising spending) correlates advertising to business results and helps direct advertising spending to the most effective channels. Monitor everything. You get what you measure. Online advertising is a complex web of advertisers, brokers, resellers, strategy firms, websites and more. Understand the role of each player in the supply chain, including partners of your partners. Insist on inventory transparency in order to understand where programmatic advertising is being run.

You get what you measure. Online advertising is a complex web of advertisers, brokers, resellers, strategy firms, websites and more. Understand the role of each player in the supply chain, including partners of your partners. Insist on inventory transparency in order to understand where programmatic advertising is being run. Track and pay only for human views. Scrutinize ad bills carefully; deciphering these charges can be time-consuming but can help reduce advertising costs. Refuse to pay invoices from blacklisted or unapproved sites. In addition, calculate cost-per-human for each ad on every website by subtracting a reasonable estimate of bot views. (Software tools can provide a probable percentage.) Then use cost-per-human data per advertisement to help determine how to best allocate the advertising budget.

The most important thing is for Marketing to understand that ITs experience with cybersecurity, technology vendors and compliance can help improve advertising effectiveness and therefore seek its involvement at the outset. If youre in IT and aware that your organization us using digital advertising, share some horror stories with Marketing and ask to be part of the digital advertising team. Your good advice will go straight to the bottom line, which pretty much guarantees that it will be appreciated.

Bart Perkins is managing partner at Louisville, Ky.-based Leverage Partners Inc., which helps organizations invest well in IT. Contact him at BartPerkins@LeveragePartners.com.
Microsoft today said it would, as it indicated last year, end the free Windows 10 upgrade offer on July 29.

Today's reiteration shouldn't have come as a surprise: Windows 10 growth, largely spurred by the free upgrade, has slowed since September 2015 and probably has reached a point of diminishing returns.

In September, Windows 10's global user share as measured by metrics vendor Net Applications, grew 28% over the month prior. Since then, 10's month-over-month growth has slowed, first to 21% for October, then to 13% and 10% in November and December, before accelerating again in January 2016 to 20%.

From January, it's been downhill, with growth rates for February, March and April fluctuating between 8% and 11%.

(Computerworld ignored the massive growth rate of August 2015, the first full month of Windows 10's availability; August's 1,325% growth over July was due not only to the July 29, 2015, launch, but also to the negligible user share Windows 10 had prior to its release.)

Windows 10's impressive 20% month-over-month growth in January was likely fueled by new device purchases at the end of 2015, a once-a-year opportunity of gains that, even with slumping PC sales, will probably repeat even without a free upgrade offer.

What's clear from the data is that the free upgrade has, first, done its job -- today Microsoft announced there were 300 million "active devices" running the OS worldwide -- and second, outlived its usefulness. The bulk of those who wanted the upgrade from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 have taken it. Only relatively small percentages of customers will accept the offer in the future, even if it's extended, assuming Microsoft doesn't amp up the aggressive pitches to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to upgrade.

That does not mean there may not be a bump in growth over the next three months: Laggards will certainly take the upgrade as the deadline nears, trying to make it under the wire. But those month-over-month increases will just mask the fact that the offer has served its purpose.

If Microsoft hasn't paid a price for instituting the free upgrade, its ecosystem has: Analysts from all corners have attributed some of the continued contraction of PC sales to the free deal.

In other words, Microsoft has reasons, one in particular, to end the offer: Doing so will placate its OEM (original equipment manufacturers) partners, the Lenovos, Dells and HPs of the computer industry, who will have a better chance of selling new hardware with the offer abandoned.

Microsoft has made it clear that it values its OEM partners: It has, for instance, made a radical change to what hardware it will support in the future, saying in January that only Windows 10, or more specifically, "the latest Windows platform at that time," will support future systems. The policy is a strong signal to OEMs that Microsoft will push new hardware as it markets 10. It also establishes a precedent if, down the line, Microsoft decides to declare Windows 10 unfit for, and thus unsupported on, older hardware.

Just as importantly, Microsoft must ensure that its relationships with enterprises -- the core of its business -- remain positive. Continuing the free upgrade would, as Directions on Microsoft analyst Wes Miller pointed out in March, put the paid/not-paid contrast into even starker relief for corporate customers, who must continue to pay handsomely for Enterprise edition licenses.

While anything's possible, and Microsoft could extend the free upgrade offer, even indefinitely, the data hints that doing so would not continue to dramatically boost Windows 10 adoption. With inherent negatives in making something free that others -- important others -- must pay for, Microsoft will end the deal.

As it should.
Garvan Walshe was National and International Security Policy Adviser to the Conservative Party until 2008.

In The Producers, Mel Brooks and his sidekick decide to put on a musical so terrible that its doomed to fail. As well as the eponymous Springtime for Hitler and Germany/Winter for Poland and France, the play features such ditties as Come on Baby, be a smartie/Come and join the Nazi Party.

It would seem The Producers have got their hands on the Labour Party. Jealous of Corbyn the Musical, did they script this strategy session, held beneath signed photographs of the EdStone?

 Look at Clause IV. We need to change it. I dont think the opening Labour is a social democratic party is very good.

 Yes, its too associated with parliamentary institutions people dont trust. We need direct action.

 Quite right Labour is a social direct action party.

 Socialist not social.

 Good good.

 But have you read Matthew Goodwins book?

 No

 Where he talks about how the left behind, older, poorer people are turning to UKIP. Shouldnt we do something for them?

 What do they like?

 White vans?

 Shut up, Emily.

 Theyre patriots. They like British Values.

 HmmLabour is a British Values Socialist Direct Action Party. Doesnt exactly trip off the tongue

 What about nation  they like the nation, dont they?

 Good. Labour is a National Socialist Direct Action Party. NSDAP.

 Snappy.

 And you know, Labour, it sounds just a bit too, well, difficult.

 Yeah, were the party of workers; work should be enjoyable.

 Work through joy.

 Nah, sounds like a holiday camp.

 Did someone say camp?

 Never mind, Ken, go back to your newts.

 We need something, I dont know emancipatory.

 Eh?

 Emancipatory, having to do with freedom.

 Soz.

 You mean, like makes you free

 Labour makes you free?

[General Laughter]

 But

 Nobody asked you, Liz. Everyone knows youre a Blairite stooge.

 Part of some great international conspiracy.

 Of the rich.

 And the media establishment.

 Because were Labour, for the many, not the Zionists.

 That doesnt quite scan does it?

 Youre right. Lets just drop the Zionist rubbish.

 Yeah. Labour, for the many, not the jew!

It didnt, obviously, happen like that. The truth is a good deal more alarming. Labour has been taken over by the far left; and far-leftists arent just much more left-wing than other leftists. They dont just believe in greater equality or are more suspicious of authority than more moderate, left wingers. Their ideology is totally different. While moderate leftists supported parliamentary democracy, the far left hoped for a Soviet victory in the Cold War.

Though the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the pro-Soviet left of an alternative, they didnt abandon their view that the Western capitalist system was illegitimate and incapable of reform. Theirs is a Manichean struggle.

Their doctrine makes moral judgements easy. Its only principle is that the West is on the wrong side of history. Therefore, the Wests crimes are treated as proof of its immoral repression; while anti-western crimes are excused because they are the only way to resist Western hegemony.

Israel finds itself on the wrong side of this divide, and the Manichean left excuses anti-semitism because its directed against the system. But by the standards of the things the far left has excused, anti-semitism in the Labour party isnt so bad  compared to the Ukrainian famine, Stalins purges, the cultural revolution, or the especially vicious Peruvian terrorist group Sendero Luminoso. To a movement used to overlooking the murder of millions, anti-semitism is the mildest of sins.

Britains Labour party is now controlled by these Manichaeans, and they simply dont care how rude or offensive they are when they suggest that Hitler supported Zionism; or, when deciding to demonise Israel, out of all the tyrannies in world history only ever compare it to the Nazis.

It did not come as a surprise that a petition supporting the disciplining of John Mann, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-semitism, not Ken Livingstone, quickly reached thousands of signatures. The far left is riddled with this prejudice. Jeremy Corbyn could only change that by standing up to the people who have been his allies all his political life. If his performance at Prime Ministers Questions yesterday, where he was happy to condemn the Conservative Party but only said he did not approve of Hamas and Hezbollah, is anything to go by, dont expect him to.
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Mass Evacuation As 'Apocalyptic' Inferno Engulfs Canadian Tar Sands City



By Deirdre Fulton

05 May, 2015

Commondreams.org

A raging wildfire in a Canadian tar sands town has forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed several residential neighborhoods, offering a bleak vision of a fiery future if the fossil fuel era is not brought to an end.

The blaze in Fort McMurray, Alberta, started over the weekend, doubled in size on Monday, and grew into an inferno on Tuesday. It is expected to worsen on Wednesday as strong wind gusts and record high temperatures persist.

"It's apocalyptic," John O'Connor, a family physician who has treated patients with health problems in the region related to tar sands pollution, told the National Observer.

"There was smoke everywhere and it was raining ash," evacuee Shams Rehman said to the Globe and Mail after he and his family reached an evacuation center in the resort town of Lac La Biche, Alberta. "I've never seen anything like it."

Brian Jean, the leader of Alberta's opposition party and a resident of the city, said much of downtown Fort McMurray was going up in flames: "My home of the last 10 years and the home I had for 15 years before that are both destroyed."

According to the Edmonton Journal:

Officials estimate 17,000 citizens fled north to industry sites. Another 35,000 headed south, including 18,000 people enroute to Edmonton. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper as people packed families and pets into cars, trucks and campers. Line-ups snaked around gas stations and late in the evening, RCMP were advising they would travel the highway with gas to assist stranded motorists. Wednesday morning, the Alberta government took to social media to say that it would be escorting a fuel tanker along Highway 63 to help people who were still waiting for gas.

No casualties have been reported.

Fire season came early to Western Canada this year; already there have been 311 fires in Alberta, according to the province's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and approximately 192 fires in British Columbia.

Experts attribute the early onset and extremity of the fires to human-caused climate change, exacerbated by a strong El Nino effect, which led to a drier and warmer winter with lower-than-average snowfall.

"Because spring came about a month early here, we are already in the middle of our prime fire season for the spring," Mike Flannigan, a wildfire expert at the University of Alberta, told Global News. "Given the already dry conditions means it's easier for fires, once they sustain themselves, to go underground until it gets windy and they re-appear."

Furthermore, University of Lethbridge professor Judith Kulig told the publication, "the whole aspect of climate change and global warming...is then interrelated [to] things such as insect infestation, so pine beetle increases because it's not a cold enough winter. The trees are infested and drier and more prone to fire."

At Climate Central on Wednesday, senior science writer Brian Kahn put it succinctly:

The wildfire is the latest in a lengthening lineage of early wildfires in the northern reaches of the globe that are indicative of a changing climate. As the planet continues to warm, these types of fires will likely only become more common and intense as spring snowpack disappears and temperatures warm.

Fort McMurray is home to the Athabasca tar sands, the largest single oil deposit in the world, containing an estimated 174 trillion barrels of bitumen. Tar sands oil production is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada, and greatly increases the country's contribution to global warming.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License








The Trump Train Chugs Into Indiana

By Dr. Binoy Kampmark

05 May, 2016

Countercurrents.org

No rivals left in the race. This was the effect of Donald Trumps victory in the GOP primary in Indiana, which netted him 57 delegates and sunk the aspirations of two near irrelevant contenders. It had been one of the most savagely negative campaigns, characterised by tens of thousands of attack ads directed against a person who has effectively become the presumptive Republican nominee for President.

After huffing about country and drawing God out more than He would ever care for, the vampiric Ted Cruz conceded that he would be suspending his campaign. Not even his courting of the evangelical vote had worked.

A glimpse of his mind, if ever such speeches can yield any insight, would have suggested God and cruise missiles, the continued nonsense about the US as an exceptional power that needs to rub noses in the dirt of history and bully its way to glory. When having to inflict indecencies on the international stage, always call yourself indispensable.

Ohio governor John Kasich joined Cruz in the exit ceremony, and being similarly short of ideas about why he had reached such an impasse, called on that good figure in the sky. As I suspend my campaign today I have renewed faith, deeper faith that the Lord will show me the way forward.

This repeated insistence on drawing out the services of a divine absentee land lord over the tenancy of life has been a striking feature of the Republican contenders, an aspect of which has been side-stepped by the Trump show. Earthly realities, even if they seem to be mediated through the fogged up lenses of television and re-runs of The Apprentice, seem to be of greater interest there.

In New York, Trump appeared at the podium, flanked by the usual female bodyguard of model wife and model progeny, and stuck to the formula that sees him as the likely main candidate for the GOP.

The mixture of populist aspiration and gibberish followed, though what is always refreshing about Trump is a near de-secularised notion of American faith. The only divinity he ever saw was no doubt in the mirror, and such attitude shows.

In a call reminiscent of the seductive luring of Ronald Reagan Democrats during the 1980s, he suggested that the miners of West Virginia and Pennsylvania would be looked after. This is a point he has reiterated through his campaign: bring back American steel and coal, and stick it to those powers indifferent to US interests. Im a free-market guy, but not when youre getting killed, he claimed before rally-goers in Carmel, Indiana. Look at steel, its being wiped out. Your coal industry is wiped out, and China is taking our coal.

This is all fanciful stuff, given that coal, and its miners, is very unlikely to come back. In the words of Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, The real war on coal, or at the least on coal workers, took place a generation ago, waged not by liberal environmentalists but by the coal industry itself. And coal workers lost.

Trump rubbished the Clinton legacy around free-trade and its maniacal push for offshoring jobs and keeping costs down, despite being himself a beneficiary of an America that prides itself on keeping wages low.

Then came half-sensible remarks about US infrastructure, which resemble, he argues a Third World country. Such tags are always deceptive, but the Republic has been fraying, and greying, at the edges for some time. The problematic nature of Trump-speech is its hazardous whirl, from sensible utterance to moronic plunge. Noting how US airports need to be improved relative to international counterparts, he was happy to suggest that investment in the military needed to increase dramatically. Good militaries, in this dreamed up logic, make good economies.

The Republican movement has become dizzyingly desperate in how to evaluate the Trump phenomenon. Some insist on fighting him to the bitter end, or at the very least to the convention itself. The Never Trump Pac, created to specifically make sure Trump does not appropriate the Republican Party, continues to be noisy through the views of such figures as senior advisor Rory Cooper.

GOP Chairman Reince Priebus is not of same mind. We all need to unite and focus on defeating Hillary Clinton, he tweeted. Having attempted, in the weirdly inane world of Twitter-speak, to hashtag Trump into electoral oblivion, Priebus weakly turned it to a hashtag against Clinton (#NeverClinton).

The yay sayers are growing in number. Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, boxed as suitably moderate, decided that that Trump was his man. The response from Reagan advisor Bruce Bartlett was swift and brutal. Alleged wanker moderate Jon Huntsman throws in with Trump. Pathetic.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal insists that the GOP stop being the stupid party, a Herculean task at best. Arizona Senator John McCain, despite having been mocked by Trump over his past as a prisoner who was tortured, has decided to become a ticket holder on the Trump train.

The point of Trumps current lead is that any move at the convention against him will be seen as disastrous. On the other hand, the GOP machine men and women will be wondering if going with Trump will also come with its own destructive promise, a suicide pact that will banish the party into the wilderness. The chalice is being readied.

Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com








Americas Biggest Of All Big Lies

By Eric Zuesse

05 May, 2016

Strategic-culture.org

On April 26th, Reuters headlined from Romania, Were Not Here to Provoke, Say U.S. Pilots on Putins Doorstep, and gave as an example: We're not here to provoke anybody, we're here to work with our allies, says Dan Barina, a 26-year-old pilot on his first trip to a region where tensions have risen markedly since Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Romania's neighbor Ukraine two years ago.

How can it not be provoking', when Russia now faces a threat from Obama and America's NATO alliance, thats vastly worse than what America had faced from the Soviet dictator Nikita Khrushchev and the USSRs Warsaw Pact alliance in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis? That was just one missile-base, 90 miles from the U.S.  not dozens of them, some right on Russias border. Are those American pilots idiots to believe their superiors absurd statements about what their mission is, or is insanity the explanation here  or, is there even some third explanation possible for this oblivious statement from the American pilot? Perhaps those soldiers and airmen are simply drowning in (or drunk with) U.S. propaganda? They really believe that Russia is moving too close to NATO, not that NATO has already moved too close to Russia? Really? The Reuters report said that NATO countries were doing this to protect themselves from an increasingly aggressive Russia. Wow. But thats the line promoted by U.S. President Barack Obama. And hes accepted as a decent person not only by the millions of voters in his own Democratic Party (though not in the Republican Party, which blames him for everything except the truth: that he is governing so far to the right that they have to concoct false leftist reasons to criticize him); but, hes also respected even by the publics in Europe, where they suffer the flood of refugees from the invasions he leads. After all: one must never underestimate the power of propaganda, to warp the publics minds.

On February 2nd, the U.S. Defense Secretary, Russia-hater Ashton Carter, announced  and the equally Russia-hating NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed and endorsed  Americas quadrupling of its troops and weapons on and near Russias northwestern borders; and Americas pilot Dan Barina is part of this extremely hostile action, by the U.S. and NATO, against the people in Russia.

Russia is now surrounded, on and near its borders, by numerous U.S. nuclear weapons  weapons and troops that are as close to St. Petersburg and Moscow as they can possibly get without actually invading Russia.

In 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev dissolved the USSR and ended its Warsaw Pact, upon a promise from the regime of U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush to the then-Soviet (soon-to-become merely Russian) leader, that NATO would move not one inch to the east  a promise which the American President told his people in private was actually a lie, but which they, and all subsequent U.S. Presidents, have accepted as Western policy founded on that lie, by expanding NATO not merely one inch to the east, but right up to Russias very borders. Thats what this February 2nd policy by U.S. President Barack Obama and his NATO stooges is bringing substantially closer to culmination.

How can this not be provocative? What type of idiot can believe his superiors when they say Were not here to provoke anybody? Of course, its not to provoke Russians: its to downright terrify them. Theyd have to be crazy not to be terrified, at being increasingly surrounded by these WMD, from what is increasingly clearly their enemy.

This big lie, that what America is doing there is defensive, is stanched up by other, lesser, lies, such as Obamas lie that the reason why hes expanding Americas Strategic Defense Initiative (anti-ballistic missile, or star wars) system, in Europe, has been to protect Europe from Iranian nuclear missiles. Iran never had nuclear weapons, and Obama reached an agreement with Iran that will for decades prevent Iran from having them, but he still expands the SDI system right up to Russias borders, as protection against Iran. The people who protest against Obamas lies are then marginalized as mere kooks, which is the way to get idiots to ignore even the most barefaced facts (such as Western terrorization of the Russian population), because only idiots can continue to believe such liars as the Obama regime, when their lies are so obvious as this. These protests against Obama and NATO and all of Western aggression, arent coming from Americas Republicans or other right-wingers: the smearing of these protesters with that broad-brush taint can be believed only by idiots  people who are willingly suckers, suckers notwithstanding the blatancy with which the facts run against the lies they swallow.

From the very get-go, in 1983  when the Republican U.S. President, Ronald Reagan (with the active support of Ashton Carter at MIT), started the SDI project, under the lie that disabling a combatants retaliatory ability isnt profoundly aggressive against that opponent (basically checkmating him)  the SDI concept was aimed at achieving an invasion of the Soviet Union which couldnt be effectively countered; it was aimed ultimately at replacing the balance-of-power system of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), by a gross imbalance of power that would enable conquest of the opponent; it would enable a blitz-attack against the Soviet Union, an attack which wouldnt be able effectively to be responded to via a counter-attack; it would enable an attack which would pre-emptively disable that response to it. In other words: its all a con, a lie, to say that SDI is purely a defensive measure. It can be the most decisive aggressive measure, the only way thats even conceivable to win a nuclear war (as some of the Wests aristocrats think can be done).

Wikipedia notes about Ashton Carter: Carter was a supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, as well as an advocate of preventive wars against North Korea and Iran.[43][44][45] In response to increase in tension in Ukraine, Carter considered proposing deployment of ground-launched cruise missiles in Europe that could pre-emptively destroy Russian weapons. Thats a hawkish background just as Hillary Clintons is, virtually indistinguishable from that of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney; and yet, Barack Obama, when he was starting his political career in a region where the opposition to invading Iraq was strong, Obama claimed that he opposed invading Iraq. Yet, somehow, once he was finally inside the White House, suddenly the people he was surrounding himself with were Wall-Street-backed individuals who had supported invading Iraq (and any other country whose leader was friendly toward Russia). He did to Libya, Ukraine, and Syria, what George W. Bush did to Iraq. If thats not fraudulent democracy, then what is? The public had been given no indication they would be getting, with Barack Obama, merely a more-articulate version of George W. Bush.

America has been lying not only regarding its aggressive designs against the Soviet Union, but (and this is far more heinous)  afterward, when the supposed ideological reason for the Cold War had ended  it is lying even more blatantly in its justifications for its (and NATOs) anti-Russia policies despite communism having ended and the Soviet Union (and its Warsaw Pact) disbanded.

How much longer will the aristocracy that control the U.S. Government be able to get away with such obvious lies, such continuation and even escalation of the Cold War after its very raison detre (anti-communism) is long-since gone? If it turns out to be too long, then only a matter of time will pass before those buttons get pushed and those nuclear weapons are released, to destroy the world. Horrific as those weapons are, they are built, and manned, to be used. If this seems unimaginable, then the question has to be this: Is it as unimaginable as is the manifested-existing evilness of Americas aristocracy (such as Barack Obama, Ashton Carter, George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, George Soros, the Koch brothers, etc.) and of the aristocracies (in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere) that are allied with it?

And, the use of Crimea as an excuse for this restoration of the Cold War (which is already a hot war in Ukraine, Syria, and other lands, where the U.S. sees fit to replace leaders that ally with Russia), is just as bogus as is the use of Iranian nuclear weapons as an excuse for installing SDI. Any aristocracy that needs to lie so blatantly in order to continue along such a catastrophic path as this, needs to be defeated, instead of to be believed and obeyed. They might as well be Satan. Except that, unfortunately, theyre not mythological  which makes all the difference: this demon is all-too-real.

Here are some news reports from perhaps the worlds best living investigative reporter, Christof Lehmann, who has provided shocking details about how vile this global-aristocratic operation is, regarding Syria  entailing not only the U.S. aristocracy, but the European ones, and the Arabic ones, the entire rotten-through-and-through Western alliance (an alliance of aristocracies who can be satisfied with nothing less than their collective global conquest).

The first report, on 2 May 2013, titled EU Lifts Oil Embargo on Syria  Buys Directly from Al Qaeda, summarizes the key facts that Western media had already reported (prior to their being virtually banned from reporting these things in the West), things such as that 27 of the 28 EU nations had already decided in April 2013 to purchase oil stolen from Syria by the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda linked rebel group, in order to assist the Saudi and Qatari royals in financing the moderate opposition forces (such as Al Qaeda  the group that had perpetrated 9/11 and other terrorist attacks against Western populations; and, even Seymour Hersh reported, on 4 April 2014, that Obama and U.S. allies were supplying weapons to al-Nusra) to defeat the Syrian army of Bashar al-Assad. (Assad is Shiite but secular, the opposite of fundamentalist Sunni Islamic, which is the jihadism that the Sauds and their fellow-Arab royals are devoted to; and Assad is furthermore allied with those Arab-royals chief oil-and-gas competitor, Russia; so, Western aristocracies help these Sunni jihadists who are being sent into Syria to overthrow Assad.)

The second in the series, on 8 August 2013, was titled EU/US Al-Qaeda Massacres on Kurds for Oil and Secession. It opened with this summary:

In April 2013, the European Union lifted its embargo on the import of oil from rebel held Syrian territories. The import [of oil] is primarily to come from the predominantly Kurdish region of Syria. In July and August 2013, confirmed and unconfirmed reports about massacres of Kurds, committed by western-backed, Al-Qaeda associated insurgents, increase simultaneously with an influx of insurgents [jihadists] from western countries. An estimated 17,000 fighters from the Kurdish Workers Party, PKK have deployed from Turkey to the region near Irkuk, in the Kurdish Administrated Region of Iraq. The function of the EU/US strategy  massacres [of Syrias civilian population] for oil, to finance mercenaries [those jihadist groups that are pouring into Syria to eliminate Assad], and to create a demand for secession among Syrian Kurds, over perceived security concerns.

The third in the series, on 22 June 2014, was titled, U.S. Embassy in Ankara Headquarter for ISIS War on Iraq  Hariri Insider, and it opened:

The green light for the use of ISIS brigades to carve up Iraq, widen the Syria conflict into a greater Middle East war and to throw Iran off-balance, was given behind closed doors at the Atlantic Council meeting in Turkey, in November 2013, told a source close to Saudi-Lebanese billionaire Saad Hariri, adding that the U.S. Embassy in Ankara is the operations headquarters.

A trusted source close to the Saudi-Lebanese multi-billionaire and former Lebanese P.M. Saad Hariri told, on condition of anonymity, that the final green light for the war on Iraq with ISIS or ISIL brigades was given behind closed doors, at the sidelines of the Atlantic Councils Energy Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, on November 22-23, 2013. 

Certain circles in Washington put a hell of a lot of pressure on Obama to put a gun to al-Malikis head, said the Hariri source, adding that time was running out and Obama was hesitant. Asked what he meant with time was running out and if he could specify who it was that pushed Obama, he said: Who exactly pressured Obama? I dont know who delivered the message to Obama. 

The summit was, among others, attended by Turkeys President Abdullah Gul, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernst Monitz, Atlantic Council President Frederick Kempe, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former U.S. National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft [and others].  Noting that a prominent member of Saudi Arabias royal family, Prince Abdul Rachman al-Faisal has been named as the one being in command of the ISIS brigades, and if he could either confirm or deny, he nodded, adding that the Prince is responsible for financing the operation and for part of the command structure, but that the operations headquarters is the U.S. Embassy in Ankara Turkey.

The fourth in this series, on 7 October 2013, was titled, Top US and Saudi Officials responsible for Chemical Weapons in Syria, and its so good, it simply must be read (just click onto that link). This report documented that Obamas accusation that Assad had been responsible for the August 2013 sarin attack in Syria is a lie, and that Obama and his allies are the actual people who were behind that sarin attack. It opened: Evidence leads directly to the White House, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, CIA Director John Brennan, Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Bandar, and Saudi Arabias Interior Ministry. It described the scheme, by the White House, plus Saudi King Salman, plus Turkeys President Erdogan, plus Qatars Emir Thani, to run sarin-precursor chemicals from Muammar Gaddafis stockpiles through Turkey into Syria, to be turned there into sarin, so that the 21 August 2013 gassing in Ghouta Syria resulted, and it was blamed, by these liars, against Assad, so that it could be used by U.S. President Obama as the excuse to do to Assad what Obama and his allies had already done to Gaddafi.

There were many subsequent news-reports, by Seymour Hersh and others, which documented different aspects of this operation, but none gave a fuller picture of it than did the original, by Christof Lehmann.

By no coincidence, Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi, Bashar al-Assad, and Ukraines Viktor Yanukovych, all were leaders who had been friendly toward Russias Vladimir Putin. The idea among the Western aristocracies is to eliminate all of Putins foreign allies, and then (once he has no foreign allies remaining) to get rid of Putin himself, because Putin refuses to buckle to Western control.

As regards jihadist groups such as Al Qaeda and even ISIS: though theyre of big concern to Western publics, Western aristocrats are far more concerned to conquer Russia. Their foreign policies display this top priority of theirs. To these aristocrats, jihadists are just a side-show. The main event is Russia. The end of communism, and of the USSR, and of the Warsaw Pact, dont really make any difference to them. They want the land, and its resources. They dont care about the people on it  anywhere. Just nuke em, maybe? Its a messy job, but its the type of job for people such as Dan Barina. Western taxpayers pay their salaries, but the people who control what they do are the Western aristocrats.

Thus, for example, Obamas National Security Strategy 2015 uses the term aggression 18 times, and 17 of them refer to Russia; none of them refer to Al Qaeda, nor to ISIS (which he calls instead ISIL, because thats the English-language version of DAESH, the name that the royal Sauds give to the organization), nor to the Sauds and the other Arabic royal families, who finance jihadist groups. (Their only demand upon them is to avoid perpetrating their terrorism within their own countries  to do it only abroad.) However, if the Wests enemies are their own aristocracies, which control both their government and their news media, then it makes sense that their propaganda will blame Russia and its allies (i.e.: blame the countries the Wests aristocrats want to conquer), for everything they can concoct to blame them. Where the publics main enemy is in charge, its natural for that enemys chief foreign enemy to be blamed by the government and the news media, so as to get one enemy of the aristocrats (their own public) fearful of the aristocrats other enemy (the foreign aristocracy they want to defeat). Lets have you and him fight it out.

Western governments have been heisted by Western aristocrats. This is what has become of Western democracy  and not only of Western kings and princes such as reign in the Arabic countries. Theyre all actually tyrannies, even the ones (such as Obama) who speak pretty phrases  who lie right and left about why they are doing what they are doing.

The entire U.S. alliance  all of the aristocracies that comprise it  are rotten to the core. Millions of refugees have poured into Europe, and the publics in Europe are outraged, but the people who are behind it all are their own nations leadership (both elected and unelected), who support or even participate in American invasions and coups  not those refugees, from the mass-murder and chaos those Western leaders had caused, in Iraq, in Libya, in Ukraine, in Syria, and elsewhere. The publics in the West take the terrorist attacks and other blows, while their government and media blame Russia and its allied countries such as the BRICS, though the real villains are their own national leadership, and the leadership of the Western alliance  the invasion-alliance.

The sickness, thats destroying the world, emanates from Washington and Riyadh, not from Moscow and Beijing. The proper name for it is conquest. This is not the way authentic democracy functions. Feudalism used to function this way. Fascism now does. And now, the biggest of all its Big Lies is that its all being done in order to promote world peace and security. Its like in George Orwells allegorical novel, 1984.

The real enemy lies within, where it reigns, even in the outlying aristocracies. It calls itself the Western alliance. Its not only responsible for the invasions that are increasingly a curse upon the world; it (via the Collective Defense provision of the NATO portion of it) constitutes the hair-trigger for global nuclear annihilation.

Either NATO will end, or the world as weve always known and wanted to live in it, will. Its one or the other. George Herbert Walker Bush left us this curse upon the world, and the challenge now is to end NATO now, because, if it shouldnt have ended when the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact did, then when should it end  or is it going to end only when the world-as-weve-known-it ends: in nuclear annihilation? If its not going to end in nuclear annihilation, then a global decision will have to be made, that NATO is a criminal organization, which must be ended now.

The result of that would be a better and a safer world, for everybody. Aristocratic dreams of world-conquest have already reached beyond the danger-point, to the alarm-bell. If the solution is not now, it will be the final solution for everybody. The dreams of Obama and many others in the U.S. aristocracy, for Prompt Global Strike and The Rise of US Nuclear Primacy, are a mythical solution that will actually lead inevitably to such a final solution  not only for Russians, but for everyone.

Peter S. Rieth, at East-West Accord, headlined on April 28th, Are Polands Elites Itching for War with Russia? and he documented that they are, and that their hatred of Russians goes back at least to when Poland invaded Kiev in 1919. He vaguely urges the Obama Administration to withdraw its thousands of new troops and new weapons from Poland, because, The United States fails to recognize that although it will presumably retain command over any American troops eventually stationed in Poland, it will be helpless in the face of Polish impetuosity. But his statement is ambiguous, weak, and even evasive: the actual reason that (as he only implicitly acknowledges) the Polish aristocracys impetuosity could produce World War III, is that both Poland and the U.S. have signed the NATO Treaty with its mutual-defense Article Five saying, in effect, that whenever one member-nation claims to have been attacked by Russia, the U.S. will launch its nuclear weapons against Russia. The only rational opinion of such a commentary as that, is: Cut it out! The reality is: End NATO now!! NATO after 1991 is a criminal organization, the biggest threat to the entire world; and, such pusillanimous commentaries, which dont even point to the real hair-trigger for nuclear war, are worthless.

Nothing short of ending NATO now, will suffice. Gorbachev ended the Warsaw Pact in 1991. When will NATO end  or will the world end first?

The worst part of it is: Germany, France, and UK, havent yet withdrawn from NATO. Until they do, NATO will continue to be the red-hot danger it is. No rational voter in any of those countries will vote for any politician who fails to state clearly: End NATO Now! We must withdraw from NATO!!

Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of Theyre Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRISTS VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.








 Time's Shoddy Coverage (cont) | Main | When Palestinians Kill Palestinians  Not Newsworthy? 

June 08, 2011

Rooftop Productions Uses Fabricated Ben Gurion Quote in Movie

In its 2010 movie With God on Our Side,? Rooftop Productions assails Christian Zionists for their allegedly unreflective support of Israel. In a particularly jaundiced summary of Israeli history, Christopher, the young narrator, reports the following:

In a letter to his son in 1937 David Ben Gurion, who would later become the first Prime Minister of Israel, stated The Arabs will have to go, but one needs an opportune moment for making it happen, such as war.?

Its a compelling quote that fits in nicely with producer Porter Speakman's agenda, but its a fabrication. It's a fake quote that was debunked well before the 2010 release date of With God On Our Side.?

In 2006 Benny Morris wrote a letter describing the quote as an invention, pure and simple.? To see the letter, go here.

As Christopher, the narrator, recites the fabricated quote, Speakman splashes the text across the screen in images that can be seen below.

The first section of the fabricated quote. The second section of the fabricated quote. The last section of the fabricated quote. The fabricated quote serves as a centerpiece to Speakman's version of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Will he acknowledge and correct the error?

Posted by dvz at June 8, 2011 12:22 PM

Well of course he won't acknowledge the fact that it's not true. He used it deliberately and probably knew it wasn't true!!

Posted by: brynababy at June 10, 2011 08:37 PM

I hope that you will pursue this through the proper channels. This is a serious academic offense and could result in his suspension or dismissal. http://blogs.plos.org/plos/2008/09/uk-sets-out-guidance-on-research-misconduct/

Posted by: ProfessorMiao at November 6, 2011 08:20 PM

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Indiana, political experts say, put Donald Trump over the top.

That's true, to a degree, but it's not the whole truth.

The whole truth is that the 2016 GOP Indiana presidential primary was the place where Ronald Reagan's Republican Party died.

Trump's triumph here and the withdrawal of his top rival, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, from the race means the fight for the GOP nomination is over. The Donald now is fewer than 200 delegates away from becoming the party's standard-bearer at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

Within the GOP, Trump now is nearly as inevitable as sunrise and sunset.

His rise is a signal that an era of Republican and conservative domination of the national debate is over. The coalition that Ronald Reagan built has been split, shattered, demolished.

Reagan's political genius was that he could keep social conservatives, economic conservatives and disaffected, distrustful working-class whites marching together. He pulled those groups together in a way that defined this country's history and political dialogues for nearly 40 years. Reagan's shadow loomed over the first Bush presidency, what is likely to be the first Clinton presidency, the second Bush presidency and the Obama presidency.

That shadow has been banished now.

The Reagan era is over.

That much became clear on the day Hoosiers went to the polls.

In the morning, the man who touted himself as Reagan's heir  Ted Cruz  went on a rant in Evansville about how unfit Trump was not just to be president but even to consume oxygen others might breathe.

Cruz said Trump was a "narcissist," "utterly amoral," a "serial philanderer" and "a pathological liar"  and those were the compliments. It doesn't appear that The Donald and Lyin' Ted, to use Trump's words, will be singing kumbaya or exchanging holiday cards in the near future.

Cruz's diatribe was a kind of death wail, a primal cry of anguish that the world he and so many other conservatives knew and loved was no more. The Gipper, like Elvis, has left the building.

Donald Trump's rise has been as much a repudiation of Republican doctrine as it has been anything else, a gleeful romp through the GOP graveyard, a malevolent mauling of the conservative message.

Discerning social conservatives understand that.

That's why, not long after Cruz withdrew from the race, many social conservatives I know were wrestling with tough questions on social media:

Should we vote for a Democrat in the fall?

Should we just stay home?

Should we give up on politics altogether?

Their anguish echoed that of a woman I talked with at a Cruz rally a week before the vote that ended his campaign. The woman said she was a Republican and a conservative, but she couldn't see herself voting for Trump under any circumstances. If The Donald were the GOP nominee, she said she just might vote for a Democrat for the first time in her life.

As she talked, the Cruz supporters packed around her nodded their heads.

They're likely to vote for Trump just as soon as hell freezes over.

Savvy Democrats understand that.

On primary day, Kip Tew  former Indiana Democratic Party chairman and the chair of Barack Obama's Indiana campaign in 2008  talked with me over the air. He barely could contain his enthusiasm for both a Trump candidacy and a fractured Republican Party.

Trump's rise, Tew said, put Indiana in play for the likely Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton.

More than that, Tew said, it gave Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg a boost in his battle with incumbent Republican Gov. Mike Pence. He also argued having Trump at the top of the GOP ticket would help Baron Hill, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, in his tussle with Republican candidate Todd Young.

Maybe.

The thing about crack-ups as large and profound as this one is that it's easier to determine what's been lost than it is to see what's been gained.

We know now that, thanks to the voters of Indiana, the old Republican Party  the party of Ronald Reagan and his devotees  is dead.

But the new Republican Party, the GOP that will emerge from this cataclysm?

That story remains to be told.

John Krull is director of Franklin College's Pulliam School of Journalism, host of "No Limits" WFYI 90.1 Indianapolis and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
By Jon Webb of the Courier and Press

City Council attorney Josh Claybourn will relinquish his spot as an at-large Indiana Republican delegate at July's GOP convention in Cleveland. His reason? Donald Trump.

In a statement issued on his Facebook page and first reported by CNN on Wednesday night, Claybourn said he will "neither vote for, nor in any way support, Mr. Trump."

Claybourn's decision came one day after Sen. Ted Cruz dropped out of the presidential race and mere hours after Trump's final opponent, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, did the same, leaving the real estate mogul as the presumptive Republican nominee.

In his statement, Claybourn says he previously thought he could influence a contested convention and steer delegates toward a different nominee. But once it became clear Trump would capture the nomination on the first ballot, he decided not to attend.

"(Trump) opposes free trade, he's skeptical of free speech and free association, he peddles fear and mean-spirited insults, and he lacks a mature temperament needed at home and abroad," the statement reads in part. "... Donald Trump's supporters hope for a better America and I share that hope. However, I believe a Trump presidency would bring less peace, more economic hardship and a greater deterioration of freedom and respect. I cannot in good conscience attend a convention supporting him."

An alternate delegate will attend the convention in Claybourn's place. Each of the 57 delegates is assigned an alternate.

Claybourn's decision has been met with mixed reactions. Some online commenters praised him for sticking to his beliefs, while others criticized him for not doing his "job."

Rex Early, chairman for Trump's Indiana campaign and an at-large delegate himself, described Claybourn's statement as "grandstanding."

"I'd rather he just slip away and shut up," Early told the Courier & Press. "Most people, if they decided they couldn't vote for Trump, they'd just silently disappear and let their alternate take over. I thought it was pretty low-class to make a big deal about it. He's talking about the next president of the United States."

When reached on Thursday, Claybourn said he didn't issue the statement to garner attention for himself. He just wanted to clarify why he wouldn't attend the convention, which runs from July 18-21.

"There's been a lot of attention on the 57 delegates, and if someone stepped aside, there would a lot of questions as to why," Claybourn said. "And I wanted that information to be available."

Claybourn said much of the negative reaction he's received has come from people who don't understand the process. A lot of them, he said, thought delegates were paid or elected positions. Delegates are volunteers. And Claybourn pointed out that, had he attended, he'd actually have to pay his own way. Convention fees run about $2,000, he said. Add in hotel and travel expenses and he could have been looking at a $4,000 bill.

He was especially curious as to why someone like Early would be upset about his decision.

"I could go and cast my protest vote at the convention, and I know there will be a lot of delegates who will do that. I think the better thing to do is to step aside and let a Trump supporter go," he said. "I think Trump supporters and Rex Early should be happy I'm stepping aside so they can have someone who shares their views attend."

Trump nabbed a resounding victory in Indiana, including in Vanderburgh County, where he captured 54 percent of the vote during Tuesday's primary. That puts him at 1,053 delegates  just 184 short of what he needs to win the nomination on the first ballot.

Claybourn is in prestigious company. Mitt Romney, the party's 2012 nominee, also announced on Wednesday that he will skip the convention. Former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush have also criticized the divisive Trump, as have 1996 Republican nominee Bob Dole and 2008 nominee John McCain.

House Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday told CNN he can't support Trump "right now."

"What's really surprising, frankly, is the number of other delegates and high-ranking Republicans who have reached out to me and expressed support and said they shared my views," Claybourn said.
 U.S. Pro-Tehran Lobby Meets Putins Propaganda Machine | Main | BBC's Jeremy Bowen Follows PLO Dictates 

May 05, 2016

Majority of Gazan Arabs Believe Attacking Israel is Important, Poll Says



A recent survey shows that a majority of Palestinian Arabs in the Gaza Strip put a high premium on attacking Israel.

The poll was conducted by the Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD), based in Ramallah, from April 18-21, 2016. Palestinian Arabs in both the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), which is administered by the Palestinian Authority (PA), and those living in the Gaza Strip, ruled by U.S.-designated terror group Hamas, were polled.

The survey had a margin of error of 3 and a sampling size of 1,200.

Seventy-one percent of Gazans polled deemed armed attacks against Israel? as important.? Thirty-two percent of West Bankers shared this sentiment.

Forty-five percent of Gazans surveyed believed negotiations with Israel were important, whereas only 23 percent of West Bank Arabs believed this to be the case.

A majority of both West Bank (72 percent) and Gaza residents (77 percent) polled believe that reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, the movement that dominates the PA, is important.

The poll indicated that Hamas is not considered trustworthy: the terrorist groups political bureau,? shura [decision-making body] council and military wing,? are not considered dependable by a majority of Palestinian Arabs in either the West Bank or Gaza. Fatah did only marginally better; 50 percent of West Bankers and 54 percent of Gazans surveyed said the movement was trustworthy.

Low opinions of Palestinian organizations were expressed in other ways as well.

Only 21 percent of West Bankers and 33 percent of Gazans described their rulers as transparent. Majorities of both, 60 and 52 percent respectively, didnt find their governments as respectful of human rights.? Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed in the West Bank did not believe the PA was accountable to the people.? Fifty-eight percent of Gazans polled said the same about Hamas.

Only five percent of all Palestinians surveyed believed the government of PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah was satisfactory at providing job opportunities. Similarly, single-digit expressions (6 percent) of confidence were evidenced by all Palestinians when asked if the PA was doing a good job at improving financial transparency.?

AWRAD noted that more than 80 percent of respondents believe there is corruption in government institutions in both the West Bank and Gaza.?

Yet, the leader most popular with Palestinian Arabs to resolve this and other complaints expressed in the survey, is a convicted terrorist and murderer.

Marwan Barghouti is the most electable leader,? according to AWRAD. Barghouti, the former head of Fatahs Tanzim faction, is currently serving five life sentences plus 40 years in an Israeli prison for his role in the murders of a Greek monk in 2001 and four Israelis in 2002. As CAMERA has noted, Barghoutis popularity was evident in a September 2015 poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy Survey (Poll: Majority of Palestinians Support Another Intifada,? Sept. 25, 2015).

AWRADs poll can be found here.

Posted by SD at May 5, 2016 02:45 PM

I wonder what the response would've been if Gazans were asked, "Do you think it's worth attacking Israel, if Israel will bomb Gaza in response?"

Posted by: Gary Katz at May 12, 2016 04:16 PM

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Lenny and Anne Dowhie

St. Philips, Indiana

Now that Ron Drake is the Democratic nominee for the 8th District Congressional race we need to know the following:

Does he support the national law that allows women to control their own medical decisions without governmental interference?

Does he support equal pay for equal work and will he support such legislation as needed?

Does he support continued funding of Planned Parenthood for non-abortion related health services?

Does he support increased funding and efforts to improve our public schools?

Does he support teachers' rights to unionize and collectively bargain? Does he support the requiring of all teachers to pay a "fair share" bargaining amount to the union?

Does he support the EPA rules and guidelines as relates to water quality?

Does he support the continuing EPA effort to clean the air, particularly in Southern Indiana?

Does he support rules and laws that govern chemical runoffs from farms into watershed areas?

Does he support President Obama's nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court. If not, why not?

Will he publicly support Ms. Clinton as the Democratic nominee for president? Will he promise to cast his vote for her?

Will he support laws that require public employees to perform their jobs regardless of their personal religious views? Will he support rules and laws that support nonbelievers as strongly as he would support laws for believers?

Does he support eliminating marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug and seek to decriminalize it's use?

What are his positions on "mandatory minimum" prison terms for nonviolent drug users? Does he support the use and expansion of "drug courts" as an alternative to prison?

Will he back or introduce laws to limit the number of "for profit" prisons? Will he support legislation that will tighten controls on "for profit" prisons?

Does he support investments in renewable resources and expanding tax credits to homeowners and others who purchase such systems?

Does he support same sex marriage?
 Salon.coms Ben Norton Smears Israel, Again | Main | Majority of Gazan Arabs Believe Attacking Israel is Important, Poll Says 

May 05, 2016

U.S. Pro-Tehran Lobby Meets Putins Propaganda Machine



The National Iranian American Council (NIAC), a pro-Tehran non-governmental organization based in the United States, has ties to Russia Today (RT), a propaganda arm of the Russian government led by Vladimir Putin.

Michael Rubin, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a Washington D.C.-based think tank, noted the connection between the NIAC and RT in a blog for Commentary magazine (Is Iran Lobby Pro-US or Pro-Putin?,? May 4, 2016).

As CAMERA noted in its Special Report on NIAC (The National Iranian American Council; Tehrans Best Friend in Washington,? Nov. 24, 2015), news media often rely on the Council as a source in covering U.S.-Iranian relations and the Middle East in general. Yet, the press usually fails to disclose NIACs history, including ties to a corrupt former member of the U.S. Congress, connections to Iranian-state-backed businesses and the near-obstruction by the council of U.S. courts in unsuccessful lawsuits that NIAC filed to silence a critic.

CAMERAs Special Report noted that NIAC consistently has misled outsiders about its membership numbers, possible lobbying activities and even the councils reason for being. NIAC founder Trita Parsi has claimed the council was created to enable Iranian Americans to condemn the Sept.11, 2001 terror attacks?despite the origins of the group dating to 1999 with the purpose to oppose U.S. sanctions against Tehran for its presumed nuclear weapons program.

The report also highlighted Parsi and NIACs penchant for conspiracy theoriesa tactic Rubin noted is shared by RT.

Rubin quoted an October 2015 book called Putins Propaganda Machine: Soft Power and Russian Foreign Policy, by Marcel H. Van Herpen, the director of the Cicero Foundation, a Paris and Maastricht think tank. In his book, Van Herpen noted that since 2009, anchors of RT programs (such as Peter Lavelle) did not hide their explicit anti-American views. RT also started inviting representatives of marginal, often extreme right antigovernment groups, who were presented as experts. One of these groups was the so-called 9/11 truthers, people who believe that the 9/11 attacks were not the work of al-Qaeda terrorists but a U.S. government conspiracy.?

Rubin pointed that NIAC has come to rely on RT to publicize itself during the same period in which RT had become an offensive propaganda weapon.? The AEI scholar cited just a few? of Parsis RT conspiracy-tinged contributions, as well as those by other NIAC staffers, including NIAC policy director Jamal Abdi and Reza Marashi.

Marashi, Rubin wrote, had started at the State Department as an intern and come to attention of his bosses for his unnatural curiosity about the identities of democracy grant recipients inside Iran.? Now a NIAC staffer, he identified himself as a former State Department officer? in an Feb. 2012 interview with RT.

Noting RTs guests and purported experts,? Rubin concluded:

Many organizations seek to chime in and seek to inform or shape the policy debate, but few would think it wise to make their case alongside 9/11 Truthers, Neo-Nazis, and other hate-groups. Then again to argue that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a normal state that has shed its ideology is to be just as divorced from reality. What is shocking, however, and more than a bit worrying is that those purporting to advance a relationship which they argue would be good for the United States think nothing of associating themselves with such conspiracy theorists or lending themselves as agents of Kremlin propaganda.?

Michael Rubins article in Commentary can be found here.





Posted by SD at May 5, 2016 12:37 PM

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By Ollie Barstow

F1 Editor

Red Bull has never been one to shy away from contentious driver decisions, but the news that Max Verstappen will replace Daniil Kvyat in the Red Bull Racing team for the remainder of the 2016 F1 season has caught almost everyone in the F1 fraternity by surprise... not least the drivers themselves, no doubt.

However, while demoting a driver just two rounds on from when he was stood on the podium has raised more than a few eyebrows, there is definitely more method to Red Bull 'madness' than initially meets the eye, while this certainly doesn't mean 'the end' for the man himself either...

For one of the most unassuming drivers on the grid, Kvyat has rather uncomfortably emerged as Red Bull's headline-grabber in the last few races, but from the darling of the Chinese Grand Prix to the villain of the Russian Grand Prix just two weeks later, the 22 year-old finds himself relegated altogether now.

As far as F1 faux pas go, Kvyat's race day error(s) in Sochi shouldn't seem enough to warrant losing his race seat alone, though as much as it seems his Shanghai podium has been forgotten by Red Bull, it's worth pointing out that that result was itself spike amidst a run of bad form that the man himself had described 'embarrassing'

Indeed, if you think Sochi was the first time he had been given a stern talking to by Helmut Marko this year, his 18th and 15th place grid positions in Australia and Bahrain are likely to have prompted discussions too.

Excuse or justification, one or two bad races are unlikely to be the sole - or even main - reason for the inter-team swap, not that it makes the situation any less galling for Kvyat who, it is easily forgotten, out-scored Daniel Ricciardo in his first season as a Red Bull driver and acquitted himself admirably in a team that declined sharply last year.

In Red Bull's defence though, Verstappen is an asset it needed to protect. Though no-one knows exactly what contract the Dutchman had agreed when he was first announced unexpectedly in 2014, it is largely assumed he was being primed for Red Bull in 2017.

What isn't clear is whether there was a clause that could have allowed another team, most likely Ferrari, to tempt him away. We have been here before, of course... the F1 landscape could have been a very different place had Red Bull not 'gazumped' BMW to secure Sebastian Vettel early in 2007.

Furthermore, though the timing of the decision has been called into question, making the change before the fifth round does in fact make sense in a Red Bull context.

No doubt keen to keep nurturing Verstappen's abilities, there was nonetheless probably a limit to what could be achieved in the 2015-engined Toro Rosso, a car that while handy at the moment is likely to slip down the order as the year progresses.

By contrast, with Red Bull priming for a much anticipated Renault engine update in Canada, it gives Verstappen two races to acclimatise to the RB12 with all the attention but otherwise not too many expectations.

Even so, with the upgrade rumoured to be worth up to half a second a lap, podiums will undoubtedly be anticipated thereafter

Indeed, Verstappen is facing a new kind of pressure to succeed in the Red Bull team. Though the youngster has remained remarkably unflustered beneath the burning spotlight of anticipation, the sheer circumstances of the swap and the fact he is replacing what wasn't exactly an underperforming driver makes this an entirely new challenge for the teen.

After all, overachieving in a Toro Rosso is one thing, matching lofty Red Bull targets is another... as this announcement alone shows, Red Bull's policies are strict bordering on ruthless.

On the other side of the joint RBR/STR motorhome, as bitter as it will inevitably feel for Kvyat initially, there is nonetheless opportunity here to be grasped if he can show resolve and refocus.

While he may struggle to see it this way right now, Kvyat must now consider this as a chance to recover some reputation, one that has never quite flourished under the Red Bull umbrella.

Considered to have some of the best car control of any driver on the grid and one of the most intelligent people in the paddock, Kvyat's unassuming demeanour has nonetheless never sat well with Red Bull's rather more brazen image. Indeed, sources within the team say he was urged to show more of his livelier 'behind the scenes' personality in front of the camera, but found it hard to do so.

By contrast, Verstappen is a wonderful story for F1 and for Red Bull's image. Inexperienced and young, yet skilful and unfazed, Red Bull's ethos may be more geared towards its brand than pushing energy drinks these days, but from a marketing perspective across the board Verstappen is entirely spot on.

Indeed, as awkward a situation it is, it should be noted that Kvyat is the first driver from the Red Bull fold to be given a 'second chance' by reverting back to Toro Rosso. He may be the hard done by 'victim' in this scenario, but Kvyat is still capable of looking quick in the competitive STR11... as far as demotions go, he isn't slipping too far down the hierarchy for the moment at least.

Indeed, since it seems Verstappen was always heading for Red Bull in 2017 anyway, given only two people have ever left (or been dropped from) the Red Bull fold and landed F1 drives elsewhere - Sebastian Vettel and Vitantonio Liuzzi -, Kvyat at least has another 17 races to place himself in the shop window or raise funds to go it alone for 2017.

As Christian Horner notes, Red Bull is privileged to have the flexibility and depth in quality to be able to swap between teams and while its supportively ruthless 'tough love' driver strategy has its critics, few can deny it hasn't been a pioneer in nurturing young talent to the pinnacle of the sport.

On this occasion, - unlike many Red Bull alumni before him -, Kvyat's F1 story isn't over and while you could consider that to be nothing more than a backhanded vote of confidence, Red Bull has seemingly galvanised itself by rearranging four drivers that each arguably now have more to prove to its employers than they did a few days ago....

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SMS Management & Technology chief executive Jacqueline Korhonen has resigned after just over a year in the job, as the company forecasted yet another poor half.

Chairperson Derek Young said on Monday night that a three-year growth plan had been in place but results were not up to scratch.

Recent performance has been disappointing and well below expectations. I believe that Jacquelines decision is in the best interests of the company and provides for new leadership to refocus the business on both its core and emerging service offerings," he said, while thanking Korhonen for her time with the solutions provider.

SMSMT's share price had fallen from a peak of $5.43 in October to $1.84 on Monday afternoon.

Korhonen joined SMSMT as chief executive in February last year after heading up Infosys Australia for seven years and serving 23 years with IBM. Young said at the time of her appointment that Korhonen had a "a track record of managing and delivering profitable growth within technology companies".

Also on Monday night, the company named chief financial officer Rick Rostolis as the replacement chief executive. Rostolis came to SMSMT in October 2010 with 12 years of professional services experience with KPMG.

"The combination of Ricks strong commercial background and deep understanding of the business positions him well to mobilise the management team and deliver improved performance," Young said. "The successful execution of our strategic plan will form the basis for sustained value creation for our shareholders."

The new chief, who starts immediately, will be on a base salary of $600,000 per year with a potential $200,000 short-term cash bonus and a long-term incentive of $200,000 tied to company stock.

Current group financial controller Peter Sherar will fill the CFO vacancy created by Rostolis' promotion.

Consulting arm bleeds, 100 employees depart

SMSMT also downgraded its second-half forecast on Monday night. The company had already copped a hammering in February after reporting shrinking revenue and profit for the first half-year - a result that it blamed on its Advisory and Solutions consulting arm.

At the time, Korhonen was upbeat about the second half - but the company revealed Monday that the Advisory and Solutions business is continuing to struggle.

"Unfortunately, H2 contract wins and revenue for the Advisory and Solutions business have been poor with SMS consulting H2 revenue (January-April) significantly down on the prior corresponding period," said the announcement to the ASX.

SMSMT's consultant team has shrunk by 100, going from 920 staff in the first half to 820 now. Billable utilisation for the remaining consulting staff is at just 80 percent for the second half, equating to a $4 million to $5 million hit on full-year earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.

"While there are some signs of improvement in billable utilisation in Q4, this will not be sufficient to meet market consensus expectations. The company expects full year EBITDA for the year ending 30 June 2016 to be in the range of $15.5 million to $16.5 million prior to any one-off items," stated the company.

New chief Rostolis said that the company would have to prioritise quick wins. He said its managed services and consulting arms dealt with different sales cycles, and the company needed to "calibrate" accordingly.

Large multi-year managed services opportunities involve detailed and significant client investment decisions, while Advisory and Solutions opportunities are often aligned to investment horizons which are reflected in more frequent and shorter sales cycles.

"We will be rebalancing our various sales teams to focus specifically on discrete areas of our market, particularly in our Advisory and Solutions business, as a priority, he said.

A share buyback campaign would continue, according to the company.

Updated 10:25am 5.5.2016: SMS spokesperson clarified the circumstances of the reduction in consultant headcount.
Readify has created an annual revenue stream worth more than $1 million after productising all the intellectual property created building solutions for clients over the past 10 years.

The new business unit, named IP Factory, is expected to grow 25 percent in the next two years.

Readify managing director Graeme Strange said: "Many tech companies have made the transition to product and managed services and then let the original services business die or used it as a cash cow to fund the product development.

"Over more than a decade, we have built a growing, profitable services business and retained the best people, so we certainly wont throw that out of the window."

After the acquisition of Huegin in September 2015 and nabbing a 20 percent stake of user experience design house Folk, Readify decided to put both companies' intellectual property to use. According to Readify, it has seen a 61 percent increase in annuity revenue by adding subscriptions from IP.

We were like jewellers leaving the gold shavings on the floor. Once a project was done, we just moved on and left all that valuable IP because we were busy being a services business, Strange said.

The Microsoft partner says it wants to become "Australia's first innovation powerhouse" but will continue to be a services business company first.

The company is also encouraging employees to suggest ideas for products. These will be analysed and the strongest ideas will be "put through a specific commercialisation process to get them to market". Staff would be rewarded in the process, Readify announced.
Former Nutanix channel director Darrin Edkins has joined EMC as manager of its mid-market all-flash solutions business.

In the newly created role, Edkins will focus on EMCs mid-market flash storage offerings to channel partners and solutions providers.

Early Tuesday morning, the storage vendor unveiled at its global conference the Unity range of flash arrays that are specifically targetted at small and medium clientele.

This is a really exciting time for the all-flash market. With the launch of Unity at EMC World overnight, this technology truly has reached a point where it is accessible and affordable to all markets, said Edkins.

"Im looking forward to working with EMCs channel ecosystem to put in place plans to make all-flash data centres a reality. Its a privilege to join a market-leading team and Im eager to see where flash takes us over the next year.

Edkins joined hyper-converged storage vendor Nutanix in September 2014 as director of channels for ANZ. He left Nutanix in April, and was replaced in the interim by Asia-Pacific director of channel sales Andrew Cheong.

EMC is competing against Nutanix in the fledgling hyperconverged systems marketplace. Nutanix has a first-mover advantage in Australia, after hiring its first country manager in 2013 and appointing Avnet as a distributor in September 2014.

However, EMC's VCE division is chasing its startup rival with the VxRail appliance, which was launched in February.

Prior to joining Nutanix, Edkins was enterprise and storage channel development manager for Dell from 2010 to 2014. He worked in various roles for Hewlett-Packard from 2000 to 2008, ending up as enterprise storage and server partner programs manager. He was also a x86 systems specialist for Sun Microsystems ANZ from 2008 to 2009.

Over the past six months, EMCs flash storage portfolio has expanded to include solutions for customers spanning all market segments and application use cases, said EMC regional sales manager Darren McCullum.

This puts our channel partners in a fantastic position to support their customers as they modernise their data centres. With Darrins extensive knowledge of the channel market, we are pleased to welcome him to the EMC All Flash Solutions team.

Overnight, EMC senior vice-president of worldwide channel sales revealed that the company would merge partner programs with Dell next year after the two companies combine. Once the merger is completed later this year, EMC and Dell partners will be able to cross-sell the entire range from both vendors as long as they have been approved.

Dell boss Michael Dell also told audiences at the opening day of EMC World that the new parent company would be rebranded to Dell Technologies, which encompasses the enterprise business, known as Dell-EMC.
A 10-year-old Finnish boy was awarded US$10,000 (AU$13,340) by Facebook's bug bounty program after discovering a vulnerability in the Instagram coding which allowed him to delete any message in the application.

I would have been able to eliminate anyone, even Justin Bieber, the recipient, identified as Jani, told the Finnish publication Iltalehti in his native tongue, according to a Forbes report.

Jani verified his claim by deleting a comment Facebook posted to a test account and the vulnerability was patched in late February 2016, the social media company told Forbes.

Although he is technically too young to have an account on Facebook or Instagram, Jani is reportedly the youngest recipient of the company's bug bounty award.

Jani told Iltalehti that he learned his hacking skills by watching YouTube videos and said he has dreams of joining the security industry as a white hat hacker.

This article originally appeared at scmagazineus.com
Cybersecurity researchers at the University of Michigan developed a series of attacks that allowed them to hack into Samsung SmartThings connected home systems and remotely unlock doors.

One of the researchers, PhD candidate Earlence Fernandes, told SCMagazine.com via email that an incorrect OAuth implementation in an Android remote control app made the attacks possible.

One attack used a malicious application placed on a phone to eavesdrops on a potential victim when he or she sets a new PIN code for a door lock, according to a video that Fernandes's team posted to YouTube on 2 May.

Once the new code has been set, the attacker will receive a text message containing the new PIN that will allow them to unlock the door, researchers said in the video.

Another attack requires that researchers exploit vulnerabilities in the existing SmartApp, which controls the Samsung SmartThings connected home systems, by sending a message to the SmartApp from a separate computer that will enable them to program their own PIN codes for the door lock, the researchers said.

Fernandes explained that over-privilege was the core root of all the attacks.

When this is combined (as we showed in our work) with other more common issue like use of unsanitised strings over HTTP, improper OAuth implementation, [and] users falling for phishing attacks, the overprivilege flaws become much more dangerous because they can be exploited using malware, or even remotely at that point, Fernandes said.

Developers should limit app privileges to those who need them to carry out their assigned tasks, Fernandes said, adding other problems could be solved by using secure development practices and following established security practices.

The vulnerabilities were disclosed to SmartThings in December 2015 and as of April 29, 2016 these have not been fixed, Fernandes said. However, he noted Samsung has already improved its documentation and has made changes to look over its app review process.

Smart Things chief executive and founder Alex Hawkinson said in an emailed statement to SCMagazine.com that his company is fully aware of the vulnerability and is continuing to secure the platform.

The potential vulnerabilities disclosed in the report are primarily dependent on two scenarios  the installation of a malicious SmartApp or the failure of third party developers to follow SmartThings guidelines on how to keep their code secure, Hawkinson said.

He added that the malicious SmartApps have not and would not impact customers because of the company's review process that wouldn't approve the malicious apps for publication.

Tripwire Senior Security Researcher Craig Young, who studied similar vulnerabilities in Samsung and other connected home systems, speculated to SCMagazine.com that the vulnerability most likely exists within the SmartThings ecosystem.

It doesn't sound like the flaws exist in the Samsung code or the SmartThings code, but more like an issue with one of the outside developers with whom that the company, Young said.

Samsung is probably waiting on an outside developer, which may be a small business or even a single individual, to patch the vulnerable code, he said, and doesn't want to disrupt its end-users service while they wait.

This article originally appeared at scmagazineus.com
Dick Smith's online store has reopened today under the new management of Kogan - a month ahead of schedule.

The website was originally slated to go live in June, but was built in just under two months using the existing platform and logistics infrastructure of Kogans online store.

We are extremely proud of the speed with which we were able to relaunch the Dick Smith online business, with a leading website, product range, and back-end systems to power the operation, said Kogan executive director David Shafer.

All orders from today onwards come with the full backing of the Kogan.com business, and are supported by our first class Australian customer service team.

The new Dick Smith store is already stocked with over 5,500 products from the likes of Samsung, Apple and Microsoft. The site will also start selling Kogans own-branded products and home appliances, a market Dick Smith announced it was going to enter five months before it sank into administration.

Kogan is marking the occasion with a relaunch sale on selected products. Founder Ruslan Kogan said in March he had no plans to reopen Dick Smith as a brick-and-mortar retail store.

The Australian-born online retailer bought selected intellectual property from Dick Smith back in March after the company collapsed earlier this year, including branding, websites and customer database.

The collapse of Dick Smith led to the closure of 363 stores in Australia and New Zealand and nearly 2,500 jobs gone.

Dick Smiths recent history has been disappointing for many Australians, but for millions of us, it is an iconic brand we all know and love. We will work hard to restore the faith Australians have put in the Dick Smith brand for almost 50 years, said Shafer.

Our digital efficiency will help to make the latest products more affordable at Dick Smith, and rebuild the legacy of the brand as a leading destination for the latest technology.

The remaining Dick Smith stores were expected to close permanently by 3 May.
Pronto Software received CeBIT's 2016 Top Business Solution award for its enterprise resource planning (ERP) software Pronto Xi.

The CeBIT business technology awards recognise "excellence, innovation and achievement in the information and communications technology industry," according to Pronto.

Victoria-headquarted Pronto Software is a business management software developer with adaptable functionalities that can cater for different fields from mining to retail.

Pronto Software chief operating officer Chad Gates said: "Our vision is to deliver tools to enable a modern, web-based, connected enterprise. Prontos continued innovation is focused on helping our customers be more productive; work smarter; and giving them access to information about their business from anywhere, on any device, whenever they want or need it."

Pronto has expanded its integration capabilities by leveraging IBM's technology in its Pronto Connect architecture.

Pronto recently launched its Pronto Cloud division in response to market needs for cloud innovation. The vendor's latest product, Pronto Xi 730 offers a new web interface with "seamless access" to Pronto Xi from anywhere with an online connection.
Data center News

EMC Says Partner-Led Sales Are Booming, But Must Change, In Run-Up To Merger With Dell

Joseph F. Kovar

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EMCs Scott Millard

EMC executives made the case this week for taking the channel lead after the completion of its acquisition by Dell by detailing how much the company's indirect sales have grown in the past year -- and suggesting how partners should go forward with new technology.

To a packed room at the EMC Global Partner Summit, Scott Millard, vice president of sales for EMC's Americas channel, acknowledged that sales since EMC last updated its channel program have not always been easy, but said the company and its channel have overcome questions stemming from the pending acquisition.

"Despite all the challenges in the market, I feel we're on a roll," Millard said at the summit, held in conjunction with EMC World in Las Vegas. "Through 2015 and the first quarter in 2016, you outperformed North American sales overall."

[Related: EMC World: David Goulden Lays Out EMC's Private, Public, Hybrid Cloud Strategy]

Millard said EMC's indirect sales for many of its key products have increased significantly over the past year.

For instance, he said, VCE's channel business grew 35 percent year over year in the first quarter, and 85 percent of that business was channel-led. VCE's new VxRail hyper-converged infrastructure solutions, which have sold out since their February introduction, were led by channel partners in 96 percent of sales, he said.

EMC's XtremIO all-flash storage array sales last quarter rose 47 percent year over year, with 67 percent of sales being channel-led, Millard said. Sales of the Isilon scale-out NAS line rose 27 percent year over year, with 65 percent of those sales partner-led.

Even EMC's high-end VMAX array, typically a direct sales play for the vendor, did well for the channel, Millard said. Normally, well over half of VMAX sales are done via EMC's direct sales team, but after last quarter's introduction of the all-flash storage version, about 66 percent of sales were partner-led, he said.

Overall, if service provider partners are included, about 77 percent of EMC's sales went through the channel, Millard said.

"Our partners are truly driving our products to the modern data center," he said.

Millard echoed the thoughts of other EMC executives, including Gregg Ambulos, senior vice president of global channel sales, by telling partners that, after Dell completes its acquisition of EMC, the combined channel program will eventually be one that looks more like the current EMC program.

That is in line with what some EMC channel partners have heard.

Bob Olwig, vice president of business strategy at World Wide Technology, a St. Louis-based solution provider and channel partner to both EMC and Dell, said he has been told that Dell Technologies will eventually lean more toward the EMC channel program as the companies come together.

"That's great news for us, since we're more heavily into EMC," Olwig told CRN.

Olwig said the combination of EMC and Dell will be even better for channel partners going forward.

"One plus one equals three," he said. "You have to look at the different value segments and how the two companies dominate in them. There's very little overlap product-wise. To me, the combination broadens the opportunity to sell into our customer base. It will be easier to work with one channel team and one channel program."

Jeremy Burton, EMC's president of products and marketing, told partners that they are key to applying new architectures including flash storage, cloud-enabled platform, scale-out platforms and software-defined technologies to help customers modernize their IT.

"Modernizing the IT infrastructure is a no-regrets move to get on the way to building the cloud environment," Burton said.

A big part of that modernization is the increasing use of converged infrastructure, Burton said.

Converged infrastructure is the sweet spot in remote office and department deployments, he said. "I suspect that's why VxRail is flying off the shelves.  When we get together with Dell and Get Dell servers in there, we'll have a very great offering," he said.

Millard's and Burton's comments fit what Sirius Computer Solutions is seeing, said Ben Hoch, director of infrastructure services for the San Antonio, Texas-based solution provider and EMC channel partner.

"What EMC is telling us, we began to see it in the last six to 12 months," Hoch told CRN. "The shift in IT spending is happening. Our primary storage business is strong, but in terms of proofs of concepts, customers are looking for converged infrastructure, hyper-converged infrastructure, and public cloud options."
Samsung Bets On A New Device For Work

With the Galaxy TabPro S, Samsung is making its biggest push yet to get its devices into the hands of workers. And the convertible tablet is up to the challenge, said Tim Wagner, global president for commercial mobility services at Bethesda, Md.-based DMI.

The Windows 10 device is "the first 2-in-1 that could truly compete against the Microsoft Surface line, said Wagner, a former Samsung executive whose current firm is a partner of both Samsung and Microsoft. "This one, in my opinion, is the first [Windows device] from Samsung that has the right specs. It's the right size and has all of the right equipment under the hood.

Following the recent launch of the TabPro S, we took a look at how the device compared to Microsoft's Surface Pro 4. But what about for those who are weighing the TabPro S against Apple's productivity-friendly tablet, the iPad Pro? Here's our comparison of the specs and prices for the two devices.

Also, be sure to check out more of the CRN Test Center's side-by-side comparisons of the latest smartphones, tablets, and 2-in-1s.
This year is the first time in three years that I have not served on the board of directors of (ISC)2. When my term ended and I decided to step aside and collect myself. It was a worthy endeavour in many ways. But the detractors, such as one glorified tool punk who was convinced that the realm of information security began and ended with his favourite 'click, click, next tool, finally wore me down. If you kick a dog enough eventually it wont bark anymore.

Now, as I reflect on my time with the organization Im seeing some of the highlights in sharper detail. One of the main highlights of the (ISC)2 organization was the creation of the (ISC)2 Foundation. The Foundation started in 2011 as a non-profit charity through which members and the public at large could contribute to scholarships for folks that want to pursue a career in the security field. Very recently the Foundation was rebranded and relaunched as the Center for Cyber Safety and Education.

From the Center for Cyber Safety and Education:

To empower students, teachers and whole communities to secure their onlife life through cybersecurity education and awareness with the Safe and Secure Online educational program; information security scholarships; and industry and consumer research.

In addition to this, the Center for Cyber Safety and Education created and runs the Safe and Secure Online program. This is a volunteer run program driven by some of the 110,000 (ISC)2 members that teaches kids how to stay safe when they venture out on to the tubes' of the Internet. Im happy to see that theyre planning to role out an expanded program soon.

I had a chance to speak with the CEO of (ISC)2, David Shearer, and asked him where he sees the organization heading.

One of the things that David shared was that the Center for Cyber Safety an Education had licensed the image of Garfield for the Safe and Secure program. At first I was hesitant as I remember the lasagne eating feline from decades earlier but, then the simple elegance hit me. This was a character that children can identify with and the humour would help to reinforce the educational aspect. Well played.

Another change that Shearer shared was that in order to volunteer with the Safe and Secure program one would have had to have been a (ISC)2 member historically. Now that part had been opened up to allow for a wider pool of volunteers. A positive move.

The part of the Foundation, now Center, that really resonated with me was the scholarship program.

I met a scholarship winner when I was in Los Angeles last year. She was very happy for the opportunity that the Foundations philanthropy had provided her in her bid to move forward in her education. This memory came back to me yesterday and it was a pleasant one to revisit. Remembering things like this makes me realize that there is a lot of good being done by the organization that I may have very well lost sight of in the last year.

I asked Shearer where things will move from here for (ISC)2. He said, "We cant be thought leaders and sit on the sidelines" and that there is a need for greater advocacy.

Good things are afoot.
Tens of millions of stolen credentials for Gmail, Microsoft and Yahoo email accounts are being shared online by a young Russian hacker known as "the Collector" as part of a supposed larger trove of 1.17 billion records.

That's according to Hold Security, which says it has looked at more than 272 million unique credentials so far, including 42.5 million it had never seen before. A majority of the accounts reportedly were stolen from users of Mail.ru, Russia's most popular email service, but credentials for other services apparently were also included.

Hold discovered the breach when its researchers came across the hacker bragging in an online forum. Though the hacker initially asked Hold for 50 rubles for the initial 10GB stash -- that's equivalent to about 75 cents -- he eventually turned it over to them in exchange for likes and votes for him on social media.

Some 40 million of the credentials came from Yahoo Mail, 33 million were from Microsoft Hotmail, roughly 24 million were from Gmail, and nearly 57 million were from Mail.ru, according to Reuters. Thousands of others came from employees of large U.S. companies in banking, manufacturing and retail, and hundreds of thousands more reportedly were from accounts at German and Chinese email providers.

In an email message, Google declined to comment on the incident but said users should establish a recovery phone number for their Google accounts.

Yahoo, Microsoft and Mail.ru did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
IMG_4821.JPG

L to R: President of Maritime Museum Terry L. Bollman, Robert Smith, Director of Administration, (sitting): Hank Tojusen of Fletcher Construction Company, and President Emeritus, Dr. Jack C. Hoover sign contracts signaling the beginning of the preservation of the Maritime industry here in Pascagoula. (Tyler Carter/Gulflive.com)

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi-- Thursday at City Hall marked a day of realization that the preservation of the Mississippi Maritime Museum's rich history will now have a home located within the old Pascagoula High School.

In March, Gov. Phil Bryant keynoted the 3rd annual General Membership Meeting for the museum and discussed how important shipbuilding in Pascagoula has been for the men and women who serve in the armed forces.

Dr. Jack C. Hoover, president emeritus of the museum, was present at City Hall on Thursday to sign contracts along with Terry L. Bollman, president; Robert Hardy, treasurer; Robert Smith, building and facilities committee chairman; and Hank Tojusen of Fletcher Construction Company.

"Bids were sent out and Fletcher Construction submitted the best bid and one we accepted, so now, construction and renovations has started at the old band hall at the old Pascagoula High School, so this is a big occasion and our first big step forward to have the world-class Maritime Museum," Hoover said.

Phase I of the project involves transforming the former PHS Band Hall building into a 3,000-square-foot Maritime Activity Center, which will house museum offices, conference room, and facilities for receipt and archival storage of maritime artifacts. Additionally, 3,000 square feet will be provided for training and hands-on projects for local students as the MAC becomes operational.

Phase II will include the former Math and Science building at PHS. Renovations there will consist of it being converted into the 17,000-square-foot Maritime Museum. The museum will highlight Mississippi's 300-year maritime legacy utilizing interactive displays on the shipbuilding industry, the Port of Pascagoula, the offshore oil industry and the Chevron refinery. Also within the museum will be displays of the LNG complex, the seafood and menhaden industries, and recreational resources along the Pascagoula River and the Gulf Coast.

The Mississippi Maritime Museum is a body established in 2010 to build a museum in Pascagoula to preserve the history, educate others about Mississippi's Maritime heritage, and honor those who built the many vessels constructed in Mississippi. Since WWII, Pascagoula has been the epicenter of shipbuilding activity in the state of Mississippi, as it is the home of Huntington-Ingalls Shipbuilding, Signet Shipbuilding, VT Halter Marine, Signal International, the Chevron Pascagoula Refinery and many suppliers.
July 24 is tequila day! Click through the slideshow above to check out the top Yelp-reviewed margaritas in southwestern Connecticut.

If you're planning on making your own cocktails at home, you're probably looking for the best you can affordyou're willing to spend a bit more money on it. What you're paying for, in that circumstance, is nuance, says Shannon Healy, the owner of the Durham, North Carolina bar Alley Twenty Six. But, says Shannon, if you're mostly mixing drinks, the nuance is lost. It doesn't make sense to buy the fanciest bottle you can findand in fact, he advises against it.

Here's what he does advise: When picking poisons, find a bottle that really tastes true to itselfvery much a bourbon or a gin or a tequila, respectivelywithout costing much. You want the flavor of the spirit you choose to come through on the other side of the cocktail, and you want to actually like the flavor that comes through.

Tequila

What to look for: Something vegetal and peppery.

What he stocks: El Jimador. "This isn't one to sip and ponder," says Shannon, but it has all the crisp, refreshing pepperiness he's looking for, and it's just right in a margarita.

Shannon takes the following into consideration when buying for his bar, and the same rules apply for any home bar cart:

Steer clear of fancy, heavy bottles. Glass is expensive, too. And what you really want is to drink the stuff, not look at it. "Try not to fall too much in love with the packaging," says Shannon, "Don't pay for the things that aren't important to you. For me, the taste is much more important than anything else."

Look for the alcohol by volume (ABV). "The difference between a 100-proof whiskey and an 80-proof whiskey is how long they left the tap running," Shannon says. And while ABV isn't by any means the sole indicator of quality, it's a better value to buy higher ABV since you can add water or extra ice at home, doing the same work as distillers do in turning a 100-proof spirit into an 80-proof one: dilution.

Keep availability in mind. You're probably not restocking your home bar as often as Shannon is restocking the bar at Alley Twenty Six, but range of availability is something to consider once you've found a booze you want to stick with.

Shannon's picks for mixed-use (i.e. not sipping) spirits:

White/Light Rum

What to look for: "What you're looking for in white rum is something that will go well with lime juice and tiki drinks," Shannon says. "It should be that refreshing, zippy spirit." If you can find an inexpensive light or white rum that's been barrel-aged, that's what you should buy (most white or light rums are now aged in steel tanks): The barrel provides buttery vanilla notes.

What he stocks: El Dorado 3-year or Cruzan, both of which are barrel-aged.

Dark/Black Rum

What to look for: A dark, assertive, and slightly funky spiritthe opposite of what you'd use in a clean, bright daiquiri. (Stick to the white rum for that. Side note: When I was in Durham, Shannon made mealthough I traditionally avoid ruman excellent daiquiri with Cruzan.)

What he stocks: El Dorado. If you prefer a very dark rum, seek out Hamilton black rum.

Gin

What to look for: If you're only going to have one bottle of gin, choose something that is very classically gin-likeas opposed to a softer, more floral or cucumber-scented modern gin.

What he stocks: Beefeater is "a 94.7 ABV, a by-the-numbers example of a London dry gin," Shannon says, explaining that it's the perfect gin for a martini: It's "the style of gin we most think of when we think of classic gin profile: a good amount of juniper, very slatey." It's also not as assertive as Tanqueray (my personal favorite, due, I'm sure, to it being my parents' gin of choice), and while it may not necessarily be exactly the right gin for every drink, "it's almost never the wrong one."

Bourbon

What to look for: Something spicy and peppery and lean-tasting.

What he stocks: Shannon likes a few bourbons, depending on what he's doing with them. Wild Turkey 101 is his all-purpose bourbon: "I like it because it's a high-rye bourbon", he says, which gives it the spiciness he's looking for. (He also likes the high ABVit's 101 proof; "I can add more water by stirring the ice around some more").

Larceny is his go-to for stirred drinks, while he likes Fighting Cock for anything shaken or sweet, since the spiciness can stand up to the sugar.

Vodka

What to look for: "There's no other category more fraught with fancy bottles and marketing campaigns than vodka," says Shannon, so it's a good idea when shopping for vodkas to be especially mindful of advertising.

What he stocks: If you prefer a wheat vodka, go for the rye-based, slatey-tasting Russian Standard; for potato vodkas, Shannon likes Luxus. Both, he says, represent great value in the vodka category.

What are your bar cart go-tos? Share your recommendations in the comments.
Stephen Buchanan was on the list to become a Stratford police officer.

But when he pulled up in front of the home of what he thought was a 13-year-old girl in Fairfield in October, police said it had nothing to do with law enforcement.

On Thursday morning, the 27-year-old Buchanan pleaded guilty in Bridgeport to attempted second-degree sexual assault, attempted risk of injury to a minor and attempting to entice a minor in an obscene act.

Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin said he would impose a sentence of up to three years in prison on Buchanan when he is sentenced July 1.

Defense lawyer Michael Fitzpatrick said he would reserve comment on the case until the sentencing hearing.

Buchanan, a member of the Connecticut National Guard until his arrest, was one of 10 men snagged in a sting at a house in Fairfield. The sting, set up by TV newsman Chris Hansen, Fairfield Police and States Attorney John Smriga, had Fairfield University theater students posing as 13-year-old boys and girls. When the suspects showed up at the house to have sex with the teenagers, they were arrested, and the incidents were video recorded for a later television program.

Senior Assistant States Attorney Ann Lawlor told the judge that after police took Buchanan into custody at the decoy home, they found a loaded gun, a roll of duct tape and a knife in a bag in his car.
Youve probably heard about this IRS scam before, but now authorities say the scammers are becoming more agressive.

Connecticut Better Business Bureau is seeing a peak in the number of telephone calls from frightened consumers who are victims of the IRS imposter scam. The ruse involves telephone callers claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service. The victims are told they owe money and must pay immediately or they will be arrested.

The fake IRS calls have been rampant across the country. BBB now sees a significant number of Connecticut consumers being indiscriminately called. The criminals are known to ask for personal and financial information, in addition to leaving dozens of threatening messages if nobody picks up the telephone.

We are seeing a spike in the number of calls over the past several weeks from consumers who say are being threatened by the callers, who demand immediate payment by an untraceable method, and threaten them with arrest if they don't," according to Connecticut Better Business Bureau spokesman Howard Schwartz.

Connecticut BBB has received several dozen calls about the IRS scam in the past two weeks alone, and the number of calls from worried consumers continues to grow.

The callers try to frighten their victims, and unfortunately, it often works. The good news is that the consumers who contact us ignored the callers' demands.

Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remains a major threat to taxpayers, headlining the annual Dirty Dozen list of tax scams for the 2016 filing season, the Internal Revenue Service said. The IRS has seen a surge of these phone scams as scam artists threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation and other things. The IRS reminds taxpayers to guard against all sorts of con games that arise during any filing season.

Earlier this year, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration announced they have received reports of roughly 896,000 contacts since October 2013 and have become aware of more than 5,000 victims who have collectively paid over $26.5 million as a result of the scam.

The IRS has more information on how the criminal scheme works and how to avoid it at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0519-irs-imposter-scams-infographic.

Anyone who receives an IRS Imposter Call is urged to contact the IRS at 860-297-5962 and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 877-382-4357.
MILFORD  Police arrested a New Haven man at the Connecticut Post Mall after he allegedly sent a text to woman Wednesday threatening to shoot her and her child.

Timothy Tolliver, 30, of Winthrop Avenue in New Haven, will be arraigned laster today at Superior Court on a second-degree threatening charge, police said.
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Donald Trumps ascendance as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee is polarizing the political class in Connecticut, whose reactions range from pragmatic acceptance to dumbfounded defiance.

Out of 350 million people, were left with Donald Trump? Youve got to be kidding me, said former Gov. Lowell Weicker Jr., an estranged Republican who has butted heads with Trump. I think its the last act in what has been a long string of Republicans destroying themselves. I suspect after this election there will be a total reformation of the party.

So long, party of Connecticuts William F. Buckley Jr. and George H.W. Bush. Hello, party of Trump.

A once-unfathomable scenario is now reality for Republicans after Trumps two remaining GOP rivals, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, quit the race after dismal showings in Tuesdays Indiana presidential primary. Neither was able to recover from Trumps rout last week in the Northeast, including Connecticut.

Trumps adherents say his success in the GOP nominating race is due to voter resentment toward politics as usual in Washington. They brushed off criticism from members of the Never Trump group, who say the New York real estate mogul is merely an opportunist posing as a conservative.

Theodore Roosevelt wasnt considered a conservative, yet hes on Mount Rushmore, said Mike Garrett, Bridgeports Republican Town Committee chairman. As Ronald Reagan would say, My 95 percent friend is not my 5 percent enemy. The people have spoken.

Democrats, who are going through their own schism between backers of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, treated Trump as a punchline.

So are you taking away the town Republicans shoelaces and belts? said Ned Lamont, a Greenwich cable television entrepreneur who ran for the U.S. Senate and governor.

Lamont, a Democrat, views Trump as a favorable matchup for Clinton, but one that should not be underestimated. A terrorist attack on U.S. soil between now and the November election, he said, could change the dynamics of the race.

Id tell the Democrats, watch out for what you wish for, Lamont said.

Tea party debt

Despite saying he would challenge Trump all the way to the Republican National Convention this summer, Cruz suspended his campaign not long after the polls closed in Indiana on Tuesday night. The Texas senators departure left the GOP without options.

In Connecticut, Cruz failed to win a single town or city and finished a distant third to Trump and Kasich. His supporters characterized primary voters as shallow for gravitating toward Trump.

Its not American Idol,  said Bob MacGuffie, a tea party stalwart from Fairfield who led the volunteer effort for Cruz in the state. Hes hijacked (the GOP), whatever you want to call it.

MacGuffie said its not too late for Trump to win over conservatives and libertarians like himself. Hes looking for Trump to spell out his positions on limiting the size of the federal government and appointing conservatives to the Supreme Court, which MacGuffie said could sway him.

I dont know if he has the self-awareness and reflection to realize that he should reach out to those who have created the opening through which he has walked, MacGuffie said. It was the tea party that did this. We didnt work for the last seven years so that he could off-ramp the liberty movement into the swamp.

Establishment fatigue

Kasich didnt survive much longer than Cruz, folding his campaign Wednesday after having won just his home state of Ohio. The Buckeye State governor and former House Budget Committee chairman had a niche of household-name Republicans backing him in Connecticut, including former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays.

People like me do not have a candidate, said Shays, who campaigned for Kasich in New Hampshire, Michigan and Connecticut. For me this is a very unhappy thing to see happen to my party and my country.

Jamie Millington, Fairfields RTC chairman, said Republicans want a winner. Trump gives the GOP a chance to offset the advantage Democrats have in the states largest cities, he said.

Trump seems to have a lot of appeal to middle class voters and really seems to resonate with working class voters in Connecticut, Millington said.

Trumps GOP supporters say theyre tired of their party nominating candidates favored by the establishment, but who dont appeal to the broader electorate.

The past has shown that our political leaders and our party leaders havent always had the finger on the pulse of the Connecticut voters, Millington said.

neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
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.
NEW YORK  Two Fairfield County men were arrested early Saturday after, police said, they climbed into up onto beams above the Brooklyn Bridge.

Sean Cody, 26, of Broad River Lane in the Southport section of Fairfield, and Scott Lockett, 24, of Hoyt St. in New Canaan, were charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and trespass.
The most pressing challenge we face in accomplishing the goal of retiring the remaining chimpanzees in laboratories is the availability of enough high-quality sanctuaries to fill this need. Above, chimpanzee Midge enjoying his retirement at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. Photo by The HSUS

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Our movement is taking on one of its biggest projects ever  absorbing the duties of care for hundreds of chimpanzees once used in laboratory experiments and transferring them to private sanctuaries. These facilities, with the help of the public, the government, and animal welfare groups, will take on the responsibility of providing a living environment for 700 additional chimps (including 300 owned by the government), on top of the 500 or so now in a small network of sanctuaries. Just the other night, I spoke at the annual gala of Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, which is also planning on taking a number of lab refugees. In all, it will cost the custodians of these animals more than a quarter billion dollars over the lifetime of the chimps.

Yesterday, a partnership agreement was announced between Project Chimpsa new sanctuary in northern Georgia backed financially by The HSUS and other partiesand the University of Louisiana at Lafayettes New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) laboratory to retire its more than 200 chimpanzees. NIRC had been the subject of an HSUS undercover investigation in 2009, and the transfer of these chimps represents a remarkable conclusion to a saga that included hundreds of steps to get to this point where the invasive experiments have ended and the chimps are on their way to a new life.

The HSUS and other animal organizations have worked tirelessly for decades to end the use of chimpanzees for invasive research. Some of the most significant gains came last year when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upgraded protections for captive chimpanzees in response to an HSUS legal petition. Following that decision, the National Institutes of Health announced its intention to retire all government owned chimpanzees, scrapping plans to maintain a colony of 50 chimpanzees for possible future use. These changes have essentially brought an end to invasive chimpanzee research in the United States. But now we must focus on ensuring that the approximately 700 chimpanzees who remain in laboratories are retired to sanctuaries.

The most pressing challenge we face in accomplishing this goal is the availability of enough high-quality sanctuaries to fill this need. Project Chimps is adding a third big facility to the small network of facilities set up to provide long-term care to chimps. The Project Chimps sanctuary is receiving some financial support from the University of Louisiana but will also need significant help from the public to provide all of these chimpanzees with the sanctuary they deserve as quickly as possible.

Stay tuned, as Project Chimps is expecting its first residents to arrive in June. Its leadership plans to eventually house over 250 chimpanzees in nurturing and natural surroundings, ensuring that they have a healthy, enriched, and peaceful future. To help ensure the best possible care for these new residents, Project Chimps has brought together an accomplished team of professionals with decades of experience in the care of these extraordinary animals. You can learn more about the sanctuary here.

Were glad to have played a role at every stage of this process and thankful to all of the advocates who joined us in taking action when we asked. How phenomenal is it that not only are we celebrating the end of invasive experiments on chimps, but we are also closing in on the mass transfer of chimps from labs to better, healthier, and forever-safe living environments.
Pa. is about to vote. Here's what to know about voting and ballot access in 2022

Elections
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.
Grizzly bears, much beloved characters in the natural drama that is Yellowstone, could find themselves in the gunsights of trophy hunters seeking a wall mount or rug in their homes, if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife proposal goes through. Photo by Alamy

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Last night, I participated in a two-on-two debate about trophy hunting on the popular program Intelligence Squared, with the live audience rejecting the resolution that hunting promotes conservation. So much of the discussion turned on the escapades of globe-trotting trophy hunters who slay the worlds rarest animals, yet claim somehow that they are doing a favor to wildlife. Its a case again of how people bent on hurting animals strain to assign a social benefit to their actions in order to confuse the public, obscure their motives, and thwart our efforts to drive humane reform.

We have our own trophy hunting controversy revving up in the United States that may rival the killing of Cecil the lion in generating public disapproval and disgust. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed removing federal protections for grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and state wildlife agencies in the area are poised to unleash trophy hunters to kill North Americas biggest predators  not for food or management, but for bragging rights.

This week, Dr. Jane Goodall and 58 other prominent scientists submitted a letter to FWS denouncing the plan. The letter questions the FWS finding that the grizzly bear population in the area has achieved long-term viability and stability. There is far too much uncertainty reflected in the current science to justify such a conclusion; rather, the best available science and the precautionary principle demands continued federal monitoring of this vulnerable population, which will only happen with continued ESA protection, they stated.

Yellowstones grizzly bears are in the news right now, after FWS revealed that Scarface, an older bear who has been called one of the parks most famous grizzlies, was shot and killed outside the park last November. FWS is investigating that shooting because the bears are still protected under the ESA. But if the new proposal goes through, it could be open season on dozens of bears, including the world famous grizzly 399. These animals, much beloved characters in the natural drama that is Yellowstone, can find themselves in the gunsights of trophy hunters seeking a wall mount or rug in their homes, as the animals stray beyond a national park boundary invisible to them.

The FWS proposal to delist grizzly bears is premature and it carries enormous consequences, especially for the gateway communities that draw millions of tourists who visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, in the hope of catching a glimpse of its famous grizzly bears. In The Humane Economy  in relation to the economics of trophy hunting versus wildlife watching  I write how the park and the grizzly bears are an economic engine for the Yellowstone region, generating hundreds of millions in economic activity last year alone. Take out the grizzly bears, and make any survivors wary, and youve just removed the star of the show.

Grizzly bear populations are not resilient to human persecution. Human-caused mortality contributes to more grizzly deaths than any other single cause, even without trophy hunting. If we add that to the mix of threats, including habitat loss and climate change, these animals could again face great jeopardy as a community.

Join me to voice your opposition to this ill-conceived proposal. Tell FWS to maintain protections for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystems grizzly bears under the ESA. The comment period closes on May 10th so it is vital you act now.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Wedding anniversaries, like other significant milestones, are indeed a time to celebrate with family and friends and even a time to reflect on commitments made in years past.

Good marriages get better with time, so each year should be a celebration of making something that was good and meaningful -- into something that even gets even better.

And whether you fell in love at first sight, or your love grew over time, if you've successfully reached a milestone wedding anniversary -- it's nonetheless a time to pause and celebrate and to give thanks for the joys experienced, and love and hopes shared.

No truer words could be spoke about Lorraine and Arthur Cavaliere who marked their 63rd wedding anniversary at a celebratory dinner party in Pauline's Italian Cuisine in Matawan, N.J. together with family members who they hold most dear.

The couple said their "I do's" April 26, 1953 in St. Mary's R.C. Church in Long Island City.

However, they settled on Staten Island the year they wed, initially in South Beach, then to Grant City, until finally settling in Huguenot for most of those 47 years -- the community where they were parishioners at Our Lady Star of the Sea R.C. Church. They opted to relocate moved to Manalapan, N.J. in the year 2000.



Mrs. Cavaliere, the former Lorraine Mary Laucella, was born 86 years ago on March 26, 1930 in Long Island City, and is one of 10 children.

As a little girl, her family moved to a farm in New Jersey but when the Depression hit the family returned to Long Island City.

A graduate of Long Island City High School, Lorraine met Arthur at a friend's wedding.

Two years later Arthur proposed marriage in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan and the following year the couple married. .

Lorraine worked in a bank on Wall Street at the time, but left the work force three years later to become a mom and homemaker.

When her children were grown, she worked in PS 11 in Dongan Hills, where she prepared lunches for school children, until her retirement.

According to her daughter, Angela Gregorio, her mom "loves her family, going to church, cooking, walking, reading and traveling."

Lorraine was a member of the Friendship Club in Mount Loretto when on Staten Island. Now living in Covered Bridge in Manalapan, when not with family, folks will find her to be the first helping hand to all of her neighbors.



Mr. Cavaliere, 89, was born August 18, 1926 in Manhattan and is one of four siblings.

As a youngster, he worked in his parents' Mom and Pop store on York Avenue in what was called German Town.

He also worked for Coca-Cola, and at the New York City Pubic Library.

After that, Arthur spent the next 20 years as a Code Enforcement Inspector for the city Department of Housing and Preservation and Development, Manhattan.

During the time he worked for the city, he was an independent agent selling and investing in real estate on Staten Island.

During his early retirement years, he kept busy as a salesman for Montalbano's Pool Center in New Springville.

"My dad and family lived above his parents Mom and Pop's fruit and vegetable store on York Avenue and 87th street," adds Angela, who goes on to explain that the area consisted mainly of those of Irish and German descent and not many Italians-Americans at that time.

She adds, originally they were not very welcome, but her grandparents always provided food for the less fortunate families living nearby -- and for that they became respected in the neighborhood.

And inasmuch as they lived in the poorer area of town, right across the street lived a number of movie stars and models.

"The Barrymore's lived on East End Avenue and they were always traveling so they paid my dad to decorate their Christmas tree which they purchased from my grandfather," she adds.

The rich and famous would buy Angela's grandmother Angelina's famous spaghetti and meatballs which at that time was $5. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia was mayor at the time and lived nearby in Gracie Mansion.



For the last 29 years, Arthur and Lorraine have spent every winter at their home in Tamarac, Florida as "snowbirds" and keeping busy with their growing family.

They "awesome twosome" are parishioners of St. Thomas Moore R. C. Church.

Their children consider them to be absolutely the best role models anyone could hope for and in each of the three places they resided in -- Huguenot, Tamarac and Manalapan -- they are considered the "rock" of the neighborhood and whose exemplary character always leaves everyone they encounter in a much more positive light.

"They are looked up to and respected not only for their dedication to their family, friends and to each other but the wonderful sense of humor they possess," says Angela.



In addition to Angela Gregorio of Colts Neck, N.J., the Cavalieres are the parents of Frank Cavaliere of Long Pond, Pa., Liz Menicucci of Colts Neck, N.J., and Loriann Cavaliere of New Springville. They are the proud grandparents of seven and great-grandparents of two.

Congratulations, folks!

CELEBRATIONS: MAY 6 & 7

Happy birthday Friday to Robert Rispoli Jr., Dr. Ron Scheff, Connie Cerrachio, Jack Boyle who turns 7, Christopher Hepworth and Joseph O'Rourke.

Happy 32nd wedding anniversary Friday to Marianna and Caesar Ciardiello.

Saturday is birthday time for Grace McAuliffe, Dr. Frank Carpiniello, Robyn Ruehl-Lippert, Joanne Mortimer O'Connor, Kathy Ferrulli, and twins Gina and Christine LaMazza.

Happy wedding anniversary Saturday to Rosemary and Robert McCormick and to Denise and John Bahil.
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Unexpected news arrived from FROM Software, a company perhaps best known for its ultra-difficult Dark Souls series. It may have something new in mind to go for its best-known title, however, based on a new FROM Software recruitment video. And the new focus is virtual reality.More specifically, the video discussed a new title that would be coming out in 2017, and notes that it will be compatible not only with PlayStation 4, but also Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation VR. That's an interesting distinction, and suggests that FROM Software could be working on something VR-based.Lest some start wondering about a VR-based version, word from Hidetaka Miyazaki--FROM Software's president--says that there's no plan right now for "...any sequels, spin-offs or tie-ins." However, there's every possibility that this will be a refinement of old IP like the Armored Core mech combat series, or perhaps a completely new piece. Miyazaki recently noted that FROM Software was working on new IP, so there's every possibility that this could be something completely different.It's kind of a shame that this isn't likely to be a Dark Souls game; one thing VR really needs right now is a " killer app ", so to speak, and a Dark Souls VR title might well be that title. But it doesn't have to be; even an Armored Core title might do that job, and the idea of new IP stepping in is seldom unwelcome. If it's PlayStation VR compatible, it may also be compatible with the various PC-based VR platforms, which could provide some further augmentation.We'll have to wait until 2017 to see just how it all goes down, but we could have something very exciting to come in fairly short order. We may even get a first look at it when E3 comes around in about a month and a half. FROM Software may have something exciting in the wings, and we'll see soon enough.
Google is a gigantic global media company which is in the business of gathering, owning and exploiting information about each and every one of us.

It has photographed your house and stuck a picture of it on the internet, which still seems to me an abominable cheek. In the process of touring the country, the companys vans used a snooping software which could capture emails, documents, text messages and photographs from unsecured Wi-Fi networks.

Every time you do a Google search, a log is made of the date, time and what your computer has looked for. Google has a personal profile of you  your likes and dislikes, your obsessions, interests and fears.

Every time you do a Google search, a log is made of the date, time and what your computer has looked for

That is what the company does. The information it collects has served to make it the biggest single advertiser in the world with stupendous revenues. I dont suggest that it is malign, but it is certainly greedy  witness its strong disinclination to pay its fair share of tax  as well as voracious.

My point is simply that it makes money out of knowing as much as possible about us. So when I read in yesterdays Mail that up to 1.6 million NHS patients have had their private medical files passed on to Google without their permission, I must say I was not altogether surprised, though I was certainly shocked.

The data will have included patients complete medical histories, including whether they had been diagnosed with HIV, depression, suffered from drug or alcohol abuse, or had had an abortion or any sexual diseases.

Now, before you have a seizure  if you have been a recent patient at the Royal Free or one of its sister hospitals  let me stress that the confidential data passed to Google was encrypted, and so supposedly could not be broken down into individual case histories. So perhaps we need not throw a fit.

Nonetheless, it was impudent and high-handed of the Royal Free Trust to give this information to a company such as Google without the knowledge, let alone consent, of the patients involved.

I dont quarrel with the doctors at the Royal Free, who wanted a Google company called DeepMind to develop an app to alert them when patients are at risk from a form of kidney failure caused by dehydration. Their motives appear to have been entirely altruistic and honourable, though they may have been guilty of naivety.

Moreover, although the Royal Free Trust can justly be accused of presumptuousness, it doesnt appear to have acted in a venal way since it is claimed that no money changed hands.

That said, there remains much cause for concern. In the first place, can the Royal Free be absolutely certain that the data could not be decoded if it fell into other hands?

There are numerous examples of government agencies mislaying confidential information, of which perhaps the most notorious is the loss by HM Revenue and Customs in 2007 of 25 million child benefit records. Two computer discs containing names, dates of birth, and bank and address details were never recovered.

If the Royal Free had confidential information about me concerning a recent ailment which I preferred to keep quiet about, I dont think I would be overjoyed by the thought that personal details about me had left the precincts of the hospital, even in encrypted form.

And can the Royal Free or anyone else be absolutely sure that when Googles DeepMind has fulfilled its side of the bargain it may not make some further use of the data which no one has thought of?

This is a company, I repeat, which thrives on personal information, and asking it to put data in a cupboard and forget about it is a bit like expecting a recidivist bear not to open a pot of honey that has been consigned to its keeping.

Here I should mention that Google has a long-standing interest in storing information about peoples health. Back in 2009, when he was still in Opposition, David Cameron considered transferring our health records to Google or Microsoft in the event of the Tories winning power. Fortunately this barmy idea was never followed through.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt must draw the line on sharing of personal data

Am I being paranoid? Possibly. Google is not the only company in the world which strives to build up a profile of each of us for commercial reasons. Open your wallet, and you will find that every card inside it leads back to some vault of private information about you which you might have rather kept to yourself.

Yet Googles appetite for acquiring personal knowledge about us exceeds that of any other organisation in the free world which I can think of. Very few, if any, other private companies have been accused  as has Google with its Street View software  of harvesting private information concerning peoples sex lives, banking details and medical histories.

What makes the Royal Free Trusts decision to pass on data to the company all the more inexcusable is that two years ago health officials were forced to scrap a national project to harvest patients records without their consent.

The so-called Care Data programme had been intended to extract details from patients files and store them on a national database so that they could be used by academics and private companies. This was put on hold after complaints that patients had not been given enough opportunity to opt out, and the information might be used for the wrong purposes.

Its true that this data, although anonymised, would have been linked with personal details such as dates of birth, and therefore might theoretically have been traced back to individuals.

This is not seemingly the case with the information that has been given to Google by the Royal Free. But surely the principle must stand that even if private information is encrypted, it should not be passed on to third parties without the consent of the individuals involved.

The Royal Free Trust has behaved as though it owns these private details. It doesnt. They do not belong to the Trust in any shape or form, but to the individuals concerned who have received medical treatment.

It is worrying that other hospitals  such as St Marys in London  should reportedly be contemplating following the example of the Royal Free, and entrusting confidential information in encrypted form to Google or other third parties.

If no objection is made, a precedent will have been set. Other hospitals will almost certainly follow suit, and personal information might end up in hands even more undesirable than Googles.

Even worse, one can imagine financially hard-pressed trusts being tempted to ask for money in return for information. The nightmare, though it would flout all sorts of rules, is that data might one day be passed on that was not encrypted.
'He's a lightweight, not someone to be considered seriously.' It could have been the judgment of the world on Donald Trump. But, actually, it wasn't. It was Ronald Reagan (pictured)

The verdict is unambiguous: 'He's a lightweight, not someone to be considered seriously.' It could have been the judgement of the world on Donald Trump. But, actually, it wasn't.

These words were spoken by President Richard Nixon about Ronald Reagan in the Seventies. Nixon added, for good measure, that Reagan was 'shallow' and of 'limited mental capacity'.

Gerald Ford, who took over the presidency when Nixon had to resign after the Watergate scandal, was no less dismissive.

In a 1976 press release when Reagan announced he would challenge Ford as Republican nominee for the White House, Ford stated: 'The simple political fact is that he cannot defeat any candidates the Democrats put up. Reagan's constituency is much too narrow, even within the Republican Party.'

The Democrats were equally nonplussed. Those who did not write him off him as a man itching to start World War III, saw Reagan as merely useless a B-list Hollywood actor whose best film was called Bedtime For Bonzo and starred a monkey.

Dunce

Washington grandee Clark Clifford  who was an adviser to four Democrat Presidents including JFK  simply called Reagan 'an amiable dunce'.

Yet Reagan not only won the election in 1980 and 1984; he went on to become one of the 20th century's towering figures.

Today, many of the U.S.'s brightest and best are once again united in their view: the man the Republicans have chosen as Presidential candidate is so unqualified for the job that this was  in effect  the week Hillary Clinton became the 45th president.

Yes, she has to see off her pesky Left-wing challenger Bernie Sanders before she can win her party's official nomination.

But that's almost done. And the rest is easy. Come the November presidential poll, she will face a man so barmy, so extreme, so utterly unpresidential, that she can't lose. A dunce who is not even amiable. Donald Trump is going to gift Hillary Clinton the White House.

But some serious U.S. commentators are questioning conventional wisdom and citing Reagan's rise to the White House all those years ago as a possible portent of things to come.

They are chastened by how wrong so many pundits have already been over 'The Donald', how he was written off from the start  only to come out with the Republican nomination.

They are seriously starting to wonder if he could go all the way and win the U.S. election in November.

Likewise, some in the British Establishment now fear David Cameron will have to work hard to patch things up with Trump after saying the tycoon's suggested ban on Muslims was 'divisive, stupid and wrong'  and that if Trump 'came to visit our country he'd unite us all against him'.

Could 'The Donald' really make the White House? If so, what kind of President would he be?

Let's be blunt about the task Trump faces. He is massively unpopular. A Washington Post/ABC News poll last month found 67 per cent of likely voters had an unfavourable opinion of him.

Could 'The Donald' really make the White House? If so, what kind of President would he be?

Among most Americans he is only slightly less popular than Vladimir Putin (who comes in at around 70 per cent unfavourable). And in certain key groups, Hispanics, women, the young, he is off the scale  properly detested, even feared.

But American presidents are not elected in a single nationwide contest. And it is because of this that he could secure victory.

Under its Electoral College system, the people don't actually vote directly for the President; they vote for a group of electors in their own state.

And these electors  538 in total  then cast their votes to decide who enters the White House. The point is that in the U.S. Presidential election of 2012, if just 64 electors' votes had gone to the other side, the Republican candidate Mitt Romney would have beaten Barack Obama.

Since most states are already firmly in the Republican or Democrat camp, it is these few votes at the margins that count.

And Trump, with his hugely resourced campaign and outrageous populist pledges, could swing them his way.

Moreover, he represents the anti-Establishment, a no-nonsense change for those fed up with the entire political class.

In New York a few weeks ago, I met Carl Paladino, who ran for the New York state governorship for the Republicans in 2010.

He is a Trump man now, and waves aside what he regards as old-fashioned talk of Democrats and Republicans and party allegiances.

'Imagine you are a carpenter on a building site,' he told me, 'you sweat all day and get wet and cold. You don't care about party. You want a champion. That's Trump. It's about him.'

The carpenters, united, could swing it Trump's way. They would need help from fitters and joiners and other men (yes, his supporters are almost entirely men) who work with their hands. But it could be done.

The so-called rust belt states  in the north-east and midwest  are ripe for the picking. Trump does best in areas where the death rate among white people under 49 is highest  the downtrodden working class.

Megalomaniac

Many of these people traditionally vote Democrat, but they have been voting for Bernie Sanders  Hillary Clinton's Left-wing rival for the Democrat nomination  rather than Hillary herself. She lost the Michigan contest to Sanders, just as she lost Indiana to him this week.

Yes, Sanders is a socialist and Trump a billionaire plutocrat. But on trade  protection of American jobs  Sanders and Trump are on the same page.

Add a dash of Trump's xenophobia and he's in business.

Those who voted for Sanders because he speaks up for the little guy might well feel that Trump is closer to their hearts than Hillary.

The so-called rust belt states  in the north-east and midwest  are ripe for the picking. Many of these people traditionally vote Democrat, but they have been voting for Bernie Sanders  Hillary Clinton's Left-wing rival for the Democrat nomination  rather than Hillary herself

So President Trump is not a fantasy. There is a path for him.

Not an easy one, but a path nonetheless.

But if he won, what then?

Again, the conventional wisdom might well be wrong. He is portrayed as a dictator. A megalomaniac. A man who has taken over a political party for his own crazed purposes.

All of which might be true.

But if Trump seriously thinks he can run America as he runs Trump Casinos, he has a shock coming. America was designed to be ungovernable without the consent of Congress.

Trump may have pledged to build a wall with Mexico, but he could never get that passed, still less a scheme to keep Muslims out of America.

He would need Congress on his side. He would need the Supreme Court to agree that it was constitutional.

Defeat

Remember the key Obama policy of closing Guantanamo Bay was stymied not by Republicans but by members of his own party in Congress? He said: 'DO IT'. They said no. And Guantanamo is still open.

Even in foreign affairs, where presidents can make quite a splash, the system is likely to defeat him. Trump seems, for instance, to be in favour of torture and has said that, as President, he'd authorise 'worse than waterboarding' against suspected terrorist captives.

But already John Rizzo, a top lawyer at the CIA when the agency employed so-called enhanced interrogation techniques, has pointed out that President Trump would face a revolt by his own staff.

It would be carnage if he tried to implement his preferred torture measures. Not for the captives, but for the President.

But would he care? Would he not just shrug and move on?

Perhaps the greatest oddness of Trump is that his core supporters are a fading and old-fashioned constituency  angry white people  but his politics are uber-modern.

He has no ideology. He believes in what works, and is, in some ways, surprisingly Left-wing.

He will fight a dizzying campaign this summer, coming at Hillary Clinton from the Right and from the Left. He will even accuse her of sexism for sticking up for Bill during his 'bimbo eruptions'. He'll dodge and weave, confuse and outrage, and generally shake up the nation.
When the Mail called on the Government to give sanctuary to child refugees languishing in squalid, lawless camps around Europe, it was purely out of a sense of compassion.

No one has been more vigorous than this paper in voicing public concern over the effects of uncontrolled immigration on Britains social fabric.

But we are also proud of this countrys noble history of giving safe haven to those fleeing war and oppression. So we argued that it was our moral duty to help these children.

No one has been more vigorous than this paper in voicing public concern over the effects of uncontrolled immigration on Britains social fabric. But we are also proud of this countrys noble history of giving safe haven to those fleeing war and oppression. So we argued that it was our moral duty to help these children

We understood why the Prime Minister was instinctively reluctant to open the doors. He feared that accepting them would encourage other parents to send their offspring on the perilous journey to Europe in the hope of a new life in this country. Wisely, he wanted to avoid such a pull factor.

Mr Cameron also argues that it is ultimately better for displaced people to remain close to their country of origin, so that when conditions improve, its easier for them to return. Hes quite right.

But there are times when cold logic gives way to a more visceral human response. These frightened children  some as young as five  are vulnerable to all forms of vile exploitation.

Common decency demands that we help them and it was for this reason alone that we urged the Government to act.

So we are relieved and delighted that Mr Cameron appears to have had a change of heart. It shows his compassion and that he recognises the growing anxiety over the safety of these boys and girls.

Downing Street has come up with a solution which seems both humane and practical. Immigration officials and charity workers will visit camps around Europe collecting child refugees, having first ensured they have genuinely fled a war zone and are under 16. Its vital that these checks are rigorously enforced.

Numbers are hard to gauge but the maximum estimate is around 3,000. Given that we currently have annual net migration into Britain of 330,000, it should not be a huge burden.

We are relieved and delighted that Mr Cameron appears to have had a change of heart. It shows his compassion and that he recognises the growing anxiety over the safety of these boys and girls

Crucially there will be a cut-off date. Any child who entered Europe after March 20  the day the EU signed the treaty under which Turkey agreed to take back any asylum seekers who had crossed into Greece  will not be eligible. They will either be looked after where they are or returned to Turkey.

This will put a strict limit on numbers and allay Mr Camerons fear of encouraging more children to be sent across the Mediterranean in leaky boats.

As to the cost of resettlement, care and education, the Mail believes that should not fall on hard-pressed councils. These children are refugees from foreign wars. Wouldnt it be fitting to dip into our massive foreign aid budget to pay this bill?

To his great credit, Mr Cameron has listened to the humanitarian and moral arguments on a hugely complex issue. We believe he is doing the right thing.

The laws still an ass

Here we go again! A celebritys encounter with a prostitute is exposed in an American newspaper. His name and the story of the liaison is all over social media in this country (and has been for almost five years) but there is a High Court injunction against him being identified by the British Press.

In recommending that another recent gagging order  over the married celebrity who had engaged in a threesome  be overturned, Lord Justice Simon rightly said it was inappropriate for newspapers to be banned from saying that which is common knowledge.
Husbands and fathers who have been locked up for breaking the law admit they feel guilty and ashamed of the impact their behaviour has had on their families.

The prisoners at Norwich Prison share their regrets in a new documentary for ITV which goes behind the walls of the Norfolk jail.

Of the 2,500 new prisoners who pass through its gates every year, half of them are fathers leaving their children to grow up without them, and their wives suddenly coping as single parents.

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Nick Grady, who is serving a 13-year sentence for conspiracy to supply cocaine, hugs his wife and daughter during visiting time in HMP Norwich. Inmates who keep family ties alive are six times less likely to reoffend

Statistics reveal that a fifth of marriages will break up under the strain of one partner serving a prison sentence, yet those who manage to keep family ties alive are six times less likely to reoffend.

As a result, prisons endeavour to recognise the importance of family contact, with Norwich's visitors' centre providing support for the inmates' loved ones.

But they have to balance family contact with security - meaning everyone has to be vigorously searched, even babies.

Prison officer Darren, explains: 'Obviously it's a shame, you've got young children coming in, in little carriers.

'They are only a couple of weeks old or sometimes days old and it's something we have to do because people do secrete items on children and young babies - the nappy area is a big area.'

Governor Will Styles said they have to be strict when searching babies and young children because the drug trade in prison is 'so lucrative'.

Father of three Nick was jailed when his youngest son turned one and he regrets that visiting him in prison is all he has ever known

In the past they have found drugs smuggled inside children's cards and letters to their fathers or sewn into the clothes wives bring for their husbands.

Will said: 'We even have people who get themselves recalled into prison for the sole purpose of coming back in here and selling the whole lot of drugs in prison because theres so much money to be made.'

Prisoner Nick Grady, who is serving a 13-year sentence for conspiracy to supply cocaine, said being separated from his three young children and knowing they have to be searched every time they visit makes him want to change his ways once he is released.

He said: 'It's one of the hardest things about being here, the fact that my children have to get used to this.'

He is currently two years into his sentence and was arrested when his youngest son, Austin, had just turned one. Visiting his father in prison is all the little boy has known.

Liam Poore, 21, says he misses his family after being sentenced to 20 months for buying a stun-gun online

Liam's mother Lorraine, pictured visiting him in prison, said it is hard for the whole family - even the dog - having her son behind bars

Nick, who partner is standing by him, said he never expected to be serving such a long spell behind the bars for supplying drugs.

He said: 'The enormity of the sentence absolutely shocked me. You miss your family every minute of every day.

'They count it down by Christmases and birthdays to go.

'Austin has grown up in here, he took his first steps in here pretty much in the visitors' hall. It's not new to him, he's been coming since he was one.

'Having seen what my family are going through, the hardness of it. The last year and a half, two years, I've watched my little boy grow up from a weekly visit - its not what I want.'

Nick's children are just three of nearly a quarter of a million children in the UK estimated by charities to have a parent in prison. That's double the number affected by divorce.

Nick admits his sentence his harder on them and his partner than it is on him.

Of the 2,500 new prisoners who pass through HMP Norwich's gates every year, half of them are fathers leaving their children to grow up without them, and their wives suddenly coping as single parents

A documentary airing on ITV has gone behind the walls of the prison to meet the inmates

Viewers had mixed responses while watching the show - from sympathy for the inmates to anger

'It's more of a punishment on my family than it is on me to be honest. She's still got to pay the bills.

'She's still got to get the kids to school. She's still got to clean and clothe them. It's not an easy life,' he said.

It's more of a punishment on my family than it is on me to be honest. She's still got to pay the bills

It is a life that another young inmate, Liam Poore, 21, and his family are currently coming to terms with.

He's still reeling from the shock of being separated from his parents, brothers, and girlfriend and being sentenced to 20 months for buying a stun-gun online.

He said: 'I've put pictures on the wall to try and make myself feel a little bit more like home. Just to remind me of the people I love and miss. When you feel a bit down, it feels like they're with you.'

Before coming to prison Liam was working as a window cleaner and going to college to train as a plumber.

He said when he bought a 7 stun gun online, he had no idea it was illegal weapon.

Asked why he bought it, he said: 'Just to p*** around with my mates with. I didn't know it was a firearm. I thought if the police would have found it on me, it would have just been a slap on the wrist.'

His mother Lorraine, who now regularly visits him in prison, was also shocked.

She said of his jail sentence: 'I was just so shocked. It was justwell, bombshell. It's just really hard to see your son go away for something so stupid. And I miss him so, so much.'

Drug dealer and father of two Rocky Gamble is serving his sixth custodial sentence and said he wants to change his ways

Rocky's partner is standing by him while he is behind bars. He said: 'I can't lose her and the kids - they're my world'

She added: 'The whole family are affected, it's not just me and his girlfriend Paige, it's the whole family - even the dog.'

HMP Norwich houses more than 750 adult inmates and young offenders, ranging from seasoned criminals to those serving their first prison sentence.

Many prisoners are not new to the system - like 30-year-old father of two Rocky Gamble, who is back inside after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin with an estimated street value of 200,000.

It is his sixth custodial sentence so he has been in and out of the lives of his daughter, aged ten, and son, seven,

Despite issues with discipline inside the prison, he says he has changed and no longer wants to live a life a crime because of the impact on his family.

Under his current sentence he may have to serve another 12 years but his partner has said she will wait for him.

He said: 'Sometimes I sit and wonder why she does wait for me, she's a good girl. F*** me, I'm going to have sort myself out. I can't lose her and the kids - they're my world, do you know what I mean?'

However, not everyone was sympathetic when the documentary aired last night.

Viewers took to Twitter to air their opinions - from sympathy for the inmates, to anger over how easy they seemingly have it.

Macc tweeted: 'Being on "basic" means no TV & locked up for 22 hours. All prisoners should be on that.'

Chelsie Brown wrote: 'It makes me sick how easy British inmates have it!'

hile fluffbrainz: 'God you wouldn't want to reoffend in my prison what is this country coming to where do all the idiots come from.'

Sub Kay added: 'One chap especially got a long sentence for nothing almost, crazy justice.'
David Beckham's impeccable style sense has seen him top a list of best dressed British men - pushing Prince William into second place.

In the poll, Daniel Craig came third while the always-dapper Duke of Edinburgh took fourth place.

The winner of the worst dressed title is equally unsurprising, with Jeremy Corbyn beating Boris Johnson to the title, thanks to his Eighties Wilson's tracksuit and his love of socks with sandals.

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David Beckham, pictured at a charity auction in London, led the pack when it came to best dressed men

Jeremy Corbyn has topped a list for worst dressed male public figure, as voted by British men

Russell Brand's Goth-inspired look also failed to impress the 2,000 people surveyed, as he came in at third place, while Andy Murray was fourth.

It comes as Harvey Nichols launches a new campaign called Great Men, which pokes fun at the sartorial choices of famous male figures throughout history.

The video campaign jokes that William Shakespeare was 'dressed like a Christmas bauble', while Albert Einstein's sandals and Charles Darwin's beard also come under fire.

President Obama is mocked for his 'dad jeans', while the London mayor is given a new haircut.

The survey of 2,000 people, which was conducted on behalf of the department store, found that David Cameron is considered the best dressed politician by men and women.

Prince William, pictured with the Duchess of Cambridge in India, came closely behind in the style stakes

But Boris Johnson and Russell Brand came in second and third respectively on the worst dressed list

Nigel Farage, Zac Goldsmith and George Osborne are also considered to be among the country's most stylish politicians according to the poll.

Other celebrities to feature on the worst dressed list included Andy Murray, Donald Trump and Jeremy Clarkson

The research found that sandals worn with socks is considered to be the worst fashion faux pas that men make.

Wearing trousers that are too short, along with badly fitted clothing, shorts that are too shorts, high waisted trousers and skinny jeans are all considered to be style mistakes by the British public.

According to the research, men are not fans of brogues and loafers without socks and skinny jeans; whereas women consider top knots and beards to be bigger fashion errors.

It comes as Harvey Nichols launches a new campaign called Great Men, which pokes fun at the sartorial choices of famous male figures throughout history

President Obama is mocked for his 'dad jeans' in the tongue-in-cheek video campaign

Fashion expert Kate Nightingale, who lectures at the London College of Fashion, said: 'To be liked by the British public, those in the limelight need to express individuality whilst looking like they belong.

'It's a thin line to tread, but David Beckham, as the British public have pointed out, gets it right.

'Politicians struggle to strike this balance, which may be why they feature so prominently in the worst dressed lists.

'However, previous studies have shown that wearing tailor-made suits that fit well, strong colour contrasts between shirts and suits, and a warm tie portray a more trustworthy and successful image.'

WORST DRESSED BRITISH MEN 1. Jeremy Corbyn 2. Boris Johnson 3. Russell Brand 4. Andy Murray 5. Donald Trump 6. Jeremy Clarkson 7. Elton John 8. Chris Evans 9. Simon Cowell 10. David Cameron

BEST DRESSED BRITISH MEN 1. David Beckham 2. Prince William 3. Daniel Craig 4. Duke of Edinburgh 5. Idris Elba 6. Benedict Cumberbatch 7. Lewis Hamilton 8. Prince Harry 9. David Cameron 10. Eddie Redmayne




Held in the Berners Tavern private dining room at The London EDITION, specialists from California's premiere wineries; Louis M Martini, Orin Swift , J Vineyards and MacMurray Estate, will guide guests and visitors through a selection of one-of-a-kind wines. The sessions will alternate between two themes: A Taste of California and a Louis M Martini Masterclass. Each session will provide you with insight into the wine making process and the geography in that region of the US. Experts will then be on hand to guide you on a tasting of around five to six wines. Along with some new wine knowledge, you'll also get some keepsakes to take home from the wine producers. The sessions, which run from 6pm to 8pm, are perfect for both novices and the more advanced wine drinkers. Head to the hotel's award-winning restaurant after for yet more elegant tipples and expertly prepared dishes. The next dates are October 25 and November 15.
Think face masks are all about cracking clay or gloopy creams? Think again. Launching in Selfridges next week is a revolutionary new mask that is completely dry.

Thats right: no gunk to dribble down your neck, just a fabric mask that you pop on your face and - 15 minutes later - take off to find fewer wrinkles, more hydrated skin and a brighter complexion.

But thats only one of the ground-breaking new masks available. From ones that bubble and fizz to some you peel off in one go, we get under the skin of the latest products to perk up your skin . . .

DRY MASK

Nanette de Gaspe, 85, selfridges.com (from May 12)

The ingredients in this dry face mask include a blend of oils, waxes, plant extracts and proteins and are impregnated in the fabric. Nanette de Gaspe, 85, selfridges.com (from May 12)

It's rare in the beauty industry to come across something thats unlike anything youve ever seen before, but this is such a find. The fabric mask hooks over your ears and its totally dry, so you can walk around or have a drink while its working.

The ingredients - a blend of oils, waxes, plant extracts and proteins, are impregnated in the fabric. After 15 minutes, your skin has absorbed all it can use, but the active ingredients continue to work for several hours, so its great to use before a special occasion.

Tests are said to show up to a 62 per cent increase in hydration and up to 20 per cent reduction in wrinkles, three hours after use.

VERDICT: My skin felt incredibly soft, and fine lines were noticeably smoothed. It is wildly expensive, but can be used at least three times - use for three days in a row in the run-up to a big event and its cheaper than a facial in a spa.

TIN MAN MASK

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery PowerFoil Mask, 15 for one, 56 for four, nationwide

The foil on this sheet mask is designed to improve the penetration of the serum in which it has been soaked, so you can look as though youve had seven hours of sleep after only ten minutes. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery PowerFoil Mask, 15 for one, 56 for four, nationwide

Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair serum has thousands of devotees claiming it leaves them glowing the next morning.

This foil sheet mask is designed to improve the penetration of the serum in which it has been soaked, so you can look as though youve had seven hours of sleep after only ten minutes.

Apparently, the foil stops the product evaporating. Theres loads of hyaluronic acid, too, a chemical that draws water to the skin and plumps it up, as well as various soothing ingredients.

VERDICT: Apart from the comedy value of looking like the Tin Man from The Wizard Of Oz, this mask calms redness and leaves skin plumped. Use just before bed and leave the residue on overnight.

BUBBLE BATH MASK

Origins By All Greens foaming deep-cleansing mask, 32, origins.co.uk

Origins is Britains number one mask brand, so its not surprising it has one of the newest formulations.

This foaming mask contains clay and a host of super greens including spirulina, spinach and green tea, which seems a bit like jumping on the green bandwagon as theres no real evidence they do a lot if used on your skin.

You apply the product to the face, where it transforms into a cooling foam that gently cleanses the skin.

VERDICT: The foam was a bit disappointing. Id expected cascades of the stuff rather than gently tingling micro-bubbles that slowly formed on the surface.

It left my skin feeling soft, but I think it probably has more value as a three-times-a-week deep cleanser rather than as a weekly, special occasion treatment.

Blithe Patting Water Pack - Soothing & Healing Green Tea, 43, cultbeauty.co.uk

SPLASH MASK

Blithe Patting Water Pack - Soothing & Healing Green Tea, 43, cultbeauty.co.uk

Imported from South Korea, the origin of a lot of the latest mask trends, splash masks are being touted as the quickest and most effective way to give your skin a boost - and a way to get the benefits of a face mask in just 30 seconds.

This mask is a liquid that contains lactic acid, a mild exfoliant and fruit and herb extracts.

You can use it in the shower, pouring a capful into your hand and patting on to your face before rinsing off. Or simply mix in a bowl with water and splash on to your face, pressing your hands against the skin so it gets the benefit of the ingredients.

VERDICT: The contents of this mask are really good - and would undoubtedly have a positive effect on oily or spot-prone skin. But splashing them on and rinsing in the shower felt like an ineffectual way of applying them.

JorgObe The Original Black Peel-Off Mask, 22, selfridges.com

RUBBER TYRE MASK

JorgObe The Original Black Peel-Off Mask, 22, selfridges.com

Peel-off masks are big business in Korea and are about to become huge here - not the ones that peel off in little sections, but thick rubber tyre-style ones that come off in one piece. They start as a powder, which you mix with water before applying.

This pre-mixed version is designed to deep clean oily skin. It combines black clay, charcoal and witch hazel in a gooey gel that you apply to the T-zone, where it sticks to the stuff clogging pores and dead skin cells.

VERDICT: It can take longer than promised to dry fully, but its worth waiting because when you peel it all off in one go, its very satisfying. It wont extract every blackhead, but does leave skin looking clearer. Weekly use gives even better results.

MILLIONAIRES MASK

Givenchy Le Soin Noir, 225 for four (stockists: 01932 233 824)

Although this mask looks like something a burlesque dancer might wear, it left Claire Coleman's skin brighter, plumper and tighter. Givenchy Le Soin Noir, 225 for four (stockists: 01932 233 824)

I know this is beyond obscenely expensive, but its more than just a face mask - its a haute-couture fashion and beauty hybrid.

You take a fine lace mask that looks like something a burlesque dancer might wear and soak it in Vital Black Algae Sap Concentrate - a blend of two types of seaweed that have been shown, albeit in a test tube, to have an anti-ageing effect.

The idea is the weave of the mask gently lifts your skin while areas where the lace is denser - around the eyes, across the forehead - soak up more of the liquid, putting it where its needed most.

VERDICT: After 20 minutes, I removed the lace, but there was lots of divine-smelling serum still left on my face.

The instruction is to massage it in, but there was too much. In future, Ill add half the amount, rinse out the mask and use it again. It left my skin brighter, plumper and tighter.

Mizon Vita Lemon Sparkling Powder Duo, 10, cultbeauty.co.uk

FIZZING MASK

Mizon Vita Lemon Sparkling Powder Duo, 10, cultbeauty.co.uk

This mask comes as two sachets of powder. You add the first to a bowl of lukewarm water, wait for it to dissolve, then add the second.

This reacts with the first, fizzing and bubbling to produce carbon dioxide. Vitamin and antioxidant-rich compounds are meant to revitalise and tighten your skin.

You can cup your hands and pat the bubbling mixture on to your face or dunk your face in the bowl while its fizzing.

The manufacturers promise it will give lacklustre skin an instant glowy boost.

VERDICT: Like a chemistry experiment, this produced the promised bubbles. The gentle fizzing and tingling sensation as I dipped my face into the bowl would get me going on a sluggish morning.
After learning that she might never be able to have a child, Rebecca Barley was willing to try anything that might improve her chances.

Rebecca, 22, suffered a miscarriage two years ago. She explains: 'The pregnancy was a surprise, but we were absolutely delighted - and grief-stricken when I lost the baby. Then I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome and was told this would make conceiving again harder.'

The disappointment made her and partner Benjamin, 25, who both work in accounts, realise how much they wanted to start a family.

Rebecca Barley, 22, from Leicestershire, was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, which makes it hard to conceive, but was delighted when she got pregnant after using a fertility gel

'I bought an ovulation kit and we hoped the doctors were wrong. But ten months on, I still wasn't pregnant. It was too early to ask the GP about fertility tests, so I looked on fertility forums online for something that might help.'

Rebecca, from Leicestershire, learned about a fertility gel called Conceive Plus, which promised to improve her chance of becoming pregnant.

The gel is designed for women to use as a lubricant during sex. Its makers claim that it gives a man's sperm a boost by creating the ideal environment for them to reach the woman's egg.

'We tried it just three times that first month  and my next period was late. We were beyond thrilled. Benjamin had got so used to me showing him the negative pregnancy tests that he refused to believe he was seeing two lines on this one. We'd wanted it for so long.

Serena Edwards, from Devon, started trying for a baby with her husband Dan (right) at 35 and thought her age could count against her. But she fell pregnant within two months of trying the gel and gave birth to Jackson

'Maybe it was the gel, maybe it was just our time. But I firmly believe the gel was the key to our success.'

Rebecca and Benjamin welcomed their little girl Mila to the world in March, weighing 6 lb 4 oz. 'And she's been perfect ever since,' says Rebecca.

For the one-in-seven UK couples who struggle to have a baby, fertility treatment can be time-consuming, complex and terribly expensive. Anything that might improve their odds without ruining their finances can seem like a godsend.

Certainly, a growing number of women - many of whom post enthusiastically on online forums such as the ones Rebecca visited - are convinced that fertility gels such as Conceive Plus have helped them to become pregnant.

Rebecca says she was grief-stricken when she suffered a miscarriage two years ago. After trying for a baby for ten months, she turned to online forums for help and learned about Conceive Plus

But some experts are concerned that the wrong gels may reduce your chances of conceiving. So what evidence is there, and how do these gels work?

Erica Ghasim is one satisfied customer. The 39-year-old and her husband Gabriel, 29, a building contractor, had been trying for a baby for five years since suffering a miscarriage in October 2010.

Maybe it was the gel, maybe it was just our time. But I firmly believe the gel was the key to our success

'I became convinced we had a problem or that I was too old,' says the manicurist from Llandovery in Wales. 'I went to the doctor many times, but I was never referred to a fertility specialist, it was so frustrating. I was sceptical a lubricant could help at first, but tried to keep a positive mind.'

Erica had tried everything to boost her fertility, from vitamin supplements to ovulation kits and stress-relieving herbal teas. She used the gel for just two consecutive days, between Christmas and New Year 2015.

'On the second occasion, I felt a warmth in my belly and I just knew it had worked this time,' she says. 'I couldn't wait and took a pregnancy test a day before my period was due.'

The test was positive. 'I repeated it five times before I allowed myself to believe it,' she laughs. 'On a recent midwife appointment, we heard the heartbeat for the first time and both burst into tears. On our next scan we're hoping to find out our baby's sex - I feel it's a girl. I'm due on September 18 and we can't wait.'

Rebecca and her partner Benjamin welcomed their little girl Mila, pictured, to the world in March, weighing 6lb 4oz. She is convinced that the gel was key to their success

There's no doubting the emotional power of Erica's story. But how are these gels supposed to work?

Existing fertility gels, such as Conceive Plus and Pre-Seed, are found in pharmacies or supermarkets. They are designed to be used during sex in place of lubricants, such as K-Y Jelly, which may upset the pH balance of the vagina or even damage sperm because of the preservatives and stabilisers they contain.

The fertility gels claim to have two effects. First, to increase moisture levels in the vagina, making it easier for sperm to travel up to the cervix. Second, to optimise the pH, or acid balance, of the vagina to increase sperm's chances of survival - the vagina is naturally acidic and hostile to alkaline sperm. Of 200 million sperm released in one ejaculation, only 200 will make it to the egg. So by prolonging sperm life, chances of pregnancy may be increased.

Rebecca says she tried the gel just three times in the first month and her next period was late. She says that she and her partner were 'beyond thrilled' when they discovered she was pregnant

But some experts question whether the gels can live up to the high hopes of the women using them. Professor Geeta Nargund, medical director of Create Fertility, a chain of specialist clinics, says they may help, but only for certain women: 'The only use for products such as these are in women who need a lubricant because they have vaginal dryness.

'Those women will benefit from a gel that has no harmful effect on sperm motility and function. Others may not.'

I went to the doctor many times, but I was never referred to a fertility specialist. I was sceptical a lubricant could help at first, but tried to keep positive

Fertility expert Nick Raine-Fenning, medical director at Nurture Fertility in Nottingham, warns against using anything that is not scientifically proven: 'We don't advise the use of gels in any of our fertility clinics or IVF units.

'There's evidence that when mixed with semen during intercourse, lubricants may cause less sperm to be able to move or cause the sperm to move more slowly. There's also a worry that lubricants could damage sperm DNA.'

A 2014 study measured the effect on sperm function of 11 lubricants, including some that claimed to boost fertility. It found that two - Pre-Seed and Conceive Plus - improved 'motility', a measure of how much sperm moves. All the others had a detrimental effect. Nonetheless, others in the medical community insist that the gels do have their uses.

Dr Fiona Richards, a GP practising in Barnsley, says: 'For a couple trying to achieve a pregnancy, every month they don't is increasingly frustrating. As well as giving them lifestyle advice, I'd be happy to suggest products such as this that may increase their chances.'

Serena suffered a serious car accident six years ago and was unsure about whether she had sustained any long-term damage that could affect her chances of conceiving

Meanwhile, the makers of fertility gels are working hard to prove that they can make a difference.

The latest brand to hit the market - a 12.49 gel available in Boots called FertileCheck - says it can back up its claims with clinical trials.

The product's Sperm Motility Index (SMI) was measured - that is, how much it aided sperm's movement. An SMI of 0.75 or lower is classed as toxic to sperm, while any higher figure may help boost sperm activity. FertileCheck had an SMI of 0.99, higher than all other commercially available products. Pre-Seed, a popular fertility gel only available online, has an SMI score of 0.93.

Of course, what happens in the Petri dish isn't the same as the human body - a 2012 study found women who used lubricants of any kind conceived at the same rate as those who did not. Above all, experts warn that women should not turn to fertility gels as an alternative to seeking medical help.

When a pregnant friend recommended Conceive Plus fertility gel, she decided to give it a go and fell pregnant after a couple of months. She describes 12-week-old Jackson as 'a complete charmer'

'If women are experiencing dryness, it's important to investigate why,' Nick Raine-Fenning cautions. 'There could be a hormonal or bacterial cause that needs addressing.'

Professor Nargund agrees. 'A gel isn't going to help if you have blocked Fallopian tubes, you're not ovulating regularly or you have endometriosis, for example.'

Still, for women who desperately want to have a baby, such a cheap and readily available helping hand can be attractive.

Serena Edwards, a project manager from Devon, and husband Dan, 43, a service engineer, started trying for a baby just over a year ago.

'I was afraid I might struggle to fall pregnant,' she says. 'At 35, I knew my age might count against me. And six years ago, I was involved in a serious car accident. I didn't know how much damage I'd sustained inside.'

When a pregnant friend recommended Conceive Plus fertility gel, she decided to give it a go - and fell pregnant within two months. Today, Serena and Dan are proud parents to gorgeous baby Jackson, who's 12 weeks old.

'We couldn't be happier,' she says. 'Jackson is amazing. He's a complete charmer.'
Nadia is married to Geelong Cats star Jimmy Bartel, and gave birth in 2015

Applying fake tan and shaving your legs at the first signs of labour is probably the last thing on most women's minds.

But Nadia Bartel did just that.

The blogger and stylist made the somewhat unusual confession in a blog post, and admitted that while it 'isn't normal', she 'couldn't handle anyone (apart from Jim) seeing my bumpy, fluid retentive and hairy legs'.

Sharing her story: Nadia and Jimmy Bartel welcomed their son Aston James in November last year

Candid confession: In the early stages of what she thought was labour, Nadia got up at 5am to shave her legs and apply fake tan

Honest: The stylish beauty said she 'couldn't handle anyone (apart from Jim) seeing my bumpy, fluid retentive and hairy legs'

The Melbourne resident, who is married to Geelong Cats star Jimmy Bartel, has shared a candid insight in to her birthing story five months after the couple welcomed their son Aston James.

'I lay there awake all night,' she wrote on her blog, Chronicles of Nadia.

'At 5 am I got up and had a shower, shave my legs and decided to apply some spray tan.

'Errr, so I know applying spray tan because you think you are going into labour isnt normal.

'And yes before you comment to say the doctors wouldn't notice and I need to get my priorities right.

'You are probably right, but I blame those pregnancy hormones.'

Restless night: Nadia said she had been awake all night with braxton hicks that were strong and painful

Going about her day: But by 7am the pain was gone, and she brushed it off as a false alarm

Nadia had spent the night convinced she was going in to labour.

She needed to go the bathroom every 20 minutes, and the braxton hicks she has been experiencing for the past few days were strong and painful.

But by 7am, after she had applied her tan, the pain ceased and she brushed it off as a false alarm.

She went to work for a couple of hours, met her girlfriends for lunch and came home.

It was then that the braxton hicks started again in full force.

Baby on board: Nadia's 'braxton hicks' started to become more frequent, and she went to the hospital

Beautiful family: Little Aston James was born on November 27, 2015 at 6.50am

'The pain became more regular; I started watching the time and I realised I was getting the contractions closer together and now they were happening every seven or so minutes,' she said.

She called Jimmy, and an hour later they headed to hospital.

But if Nadia's pre-birthing story was unusual, every mother could relate to what came next.

Giving birth: Nadia opted to have an epidural, and spent two and a half hours pushing

A father's love: She has shared candid photos of her son and husband through her blog and Instagram

In her blog, Nadia spoke about her decision to have an epidural after: 'the pain intensified and never got better'.

She also spoke openly about having her waters broken by her obstetrician, and the pain that came with pushing for two and a half hours.

Nadia gave birth to Aston James at 6.50am on Friday, November 27.

Scary: After the adrenaline of just giving birth wore off, Nadia was in a lot of pain and was unable to walk

After the adrenaline of having just given birth wore off, Nadia was left unable to walk and in a lot of pain.

The pain was so bad Jimmy needed to carry her to the toilet, and she frantically googled her symptoms.

'They diagnosed me with pelvic girdle pain, with a form of Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD),' she wrote.

Adorable: After giving birth she was diagnosed with pelvic girdle pain, with a form of Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, and needed 12 weeks rest

Little fan: She recently shared a photo of Aston at his first AFL game, the adorable tot clad in a Geelong onesie

'The way I pushed Aston out (with my legs spread and up) also contributed to making it worse.'

Nadia needed to rest for 12 weeks, and was only able to walk small distances with no heavy lifting.
roller coaster-like wild run (see below for his flips on minimal wages) - you go ahead! But watch your wallet, and fasten your seatbelts it's going to be a bumpy ride . Listed below are the headlines showed in Google News, the most-frequently-cited-source of news. Paul Ryan is a smart man on earth for his own good. How about others: Bushes? McCain? ...Who wants to go with Trump for hisBut watch your wallet, and fasten your seatbelts it's going to be a bumpy ride

Yeah, you want an outsider? You got one now, visualizing Trump's climbing up a physical slope, Climbing the Learning Curve, like a pro - professional politician? Trump is a fast learner as he claimed. You can see how skillful he can be trying to get closer to the round table - hierachy of politics.

Back to 2008, New York Times articles pointed out Obama's resolved position in policy would help him prevail in the end - Obama won.

In modern politics, you can't flip-flop, trying to weather the storm as great leaders make unpopular decisions - you can't follow the crowd !

Will you? Can you afford to see Trump forms his own big-boy club ((see below, Trump recruit a Wall Street heart-breaker) ) to use the entire nation resources for his own gain? "I love the poorly educated people" --> I use these axxxxx, foolish dreamers, ha, ha, ha ... I won't do it. I said to serve my purpose.

Believe him: Trump'll make the best deal, as he wrote in his books, not for you, the voters, but for himself - Gotcha!

Think again, again, and again -

I knock on wood" for me, for you, and for our country. May the Lord guide the ship through the storm.
A beauty blogger has revealed how a simple procedure to remove a small birthmark turned into a cosmetic nightmare after laser surgery left her face swollen and blistered.

Molly Martinson, 23, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, underwent the procedure last year to remove a small port wine stain on her right cheek.

But the beauty blogger was devastated after it left her looking like she'd been 'exposed to radiation' with extensive bruising and burns.

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Molly, (pictured with her barely visible birthmark before the surgery) underwent treatment to remove a small port wine stain. She was left devastated after it left her looking like she'd been 'exposed to radiation'

Molly's eye swollen shut the day after surgery: The beauty blogger has revealed how the simple procedure to remove a small birthmark turned into a cosmetic nightmare after laser surgery left her face blistered

Molly, pictured recently wearing make up to cover up the scar from the botched laser surgery last year

The area felt raw far a month and although the redness has since reduced, one year later, some scarring is still visible.

The beauty blogger took to her YouTube channel, Molly Mae Beauty, to tell her shocking story.

Video courtesy: YouTube/Molly Mae Beauty

She said: 'I thought of getting it removed when I was younger but never acted on it until I found out the potential dangers of port wine stains.

'I didn't do it because I thought it looked ugly but because tons of people throughout my life always asked what happened to my face - and never left me alone about it.

Left: Molly pictured aged 10 with the barely visible birthmark; Right: Molly after the botched laser surgery

After being told her birthmark was spreading and could damage her sight, Molly, (pictured with make up to cover the scars of the botched procedure) decided to go ahead with laser treatment

'It got tiring after years of people constantly asking what was on my face,' she added.

'So before I figured out the dangers of my birthmark, I was always self-conscious of it.'

After being told her birthmark was spreading and could damage her sight, Molly decided to go ahead with laser treatment.

During the first two sessions Molly experience slight bruising around the birthmark that healed in 10 days.

Happy with the results, Molly attended her third appointment in July 2015 - a day she describes as the most horrible of her life.

Left and right: Molly after the botched laser surgery, which caused blistering and her eye to swell

This time, after zapping the birthmark, Molly felt excruciating pain and knew something was wrong.

She added: 'When the surgeon handed me the mirror, my stomach literally turned upside down.

'There was bruising all across my cheek, even where I don't have a birthmark.

'I physically felt nauseous and started crying instantly. I was appalled.

Left: One month after surgery and the scars remain; Right: Nine months after there is still slight scarring

'I felt like my face was ruined and there was not a thing I could do about it.

'I was shaking and terrified. I was not only emotionally distressed but physically as well. I wanted to vomit.'

The next day Molly's eye was swollen shut and her skin was blistered and raw for a month.

She said: 'It hurt for four weeks. I realised it felt like a burn - like someone took a hot coal to my face and burned me.'

Molly, pictured recently, said of the ordeal: 'Even the slightest touch made me cry in pain'

'Even the slightest touch made me cry in pain,' she added.

'I didn't want to go out in public for days because it looked like I was exposed to radiation.

'I did go out a few times because I simply had to and everyone just stared at me in disbelief.

'It took just over a month for it to heal. I still have slight scarring which I am getting corrected by a new surgeon.'

In most cases port wine stains are harmless but should be monitored if close to the eye can spread and cause problems.

However, the young blogger insists people seeking laser surgery to research well beforehand.

She added: 'People need to do extensive research on who they are choosing to go to.

'I didn't do that and I wish I would have after finding out the same surgeon burned someone who got laser hair removal.
Weddings are often a time for tradition with elegant dances to kick off the evening 'do.

However, one happy couple traded in the usual waltzs seen on the dance floor for a heavy metal mosh pit inviting guests to rock out with them.

Emily Spaven, 29, and husband David Sharkey, 35, from London, tied the knot on 29th April at Barberstown Castle in Straffan in Ireland.

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Emily Spaven married David Sharkey in Ireland last week and provided a special surprise for her guests when she had her band play Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine

The pair decided to surprise their guests by getting their live band, The Seducers, to play the 2009 number one Killing In The Name by Rage Against the Machine.

The couple had originally picked a selection of tamer wedding tunes including a mix of pop and Motown hits but at the last minute they chose to add the rock and roll hit to the list.

Knowing that the choice might turn a few heads Emily captured the band's cover of the song on camera which saw her guests form a mosh pit on the dance floor.

The pair hired The Seducers to play a mix of Motown and pop but then added the rock anthem a few weeks before their wedding. Pictured: guests during the wedding breakfast

Expecting to turn a few heads Emily captured the guests reaction to the song on camera which saw them form a mosh pit on the dance floor

The bride says that her guests were happy to embrace the rock and roll vibes, with her husband in particular enjoying it.

She told Metro.co.uk: It was crazy. A full-on mosh pit formed on the dance floor  David was crowd surfing and everything.

It was just the perfect day, from start to finish, but rocking out to some Rage Against The Machine was definitely one of my highlights.

Following their special day Emily uploaded the clip of her enthusiastic guests to Facebook where it has received almost 3,000 views since its upload on Monday.
A woman who was sexually abused for four years has said she 'felt sick' when she discovered the paedophile who attacked her could walk free from prison in just over two years.

Waiving her right to anonymity, abuse victim Rochelle Brunt, 27, from Redruth, Cornwall, is campaigning for a law change because her attacker, who was jailed for five years, is expected to be released by 2018.

Ms Brunt, a care worker, was assaulted by paedophile Jason Viles, 44, between the ages of six and ten.

Rochelle Brunt, 27, was abused by Jason Viles, 44, between the ages of six and ten. She was sickened after discovering her attacker will serve only half of his five year prison sentence

Viles, from Penzance, Cornwall, denied abusing Ms Brunt but was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault at Truro Crown Court in December last year

She feels 'let down' by the justice system after discovering he could be free in just over two years, and has launched a petition calling for all paedophiles to serve the entirety of the sentence handed down to them.

'He stole my whole childhood and it had a massive effect on me. I find it hard to trust people; I build walls to keep myself at a distance, and needed sleeping pills to sleep in the lead-up to the trial,' Ms Brunt said.

'I still suffer flashbacks now, but I see myself as a survivor and not a victim.

'Nothing I do will change his sentence, as the appeal date has now passed, but if I can make a stand and maybe change things for other people in the future then it'll be worth it.'

Viles, of Penzance, was a friend of the family who abused Ms Brunt while babysitting her and her siblings.

The IT technician, who worked at a school, was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault at Truro Crown Court in December 2015.

Ms Brunt, pictured as a child, told her mother about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Viles, who was a family friend, just three years ago

During his trial the court heard Viles would sit underneath a duvet with Ms Brunt and masturbate. He would also attempt to get her to touch him.

On one occasion he pushed his penis between metal bars into her bunk bed.

'At the time I was so young I didn't really understand what was going on but I knew something wasn't right,' Ms Brunt said.

'I don't blame my parents in any way, as they had no idea he was a paedophile, but I felt like I couldn't say anything at the time as I either wouldn't be believed or my dad would go and kill him.'

She avoided the family home whenever Viles came over, a habit her parents put down to a personality clash and a teenage temperament.

It wasn't until she confided in her mother three years ago that a police investigation was launched.

Ms Brunt said that she was nervous in the run-up to the trial, but all nerves evaporated the moment she saw her attacker in the dock, replaced by a sense of determination.

She added: 'At first the sentence felt like a victory, as I expected him to get three or four years, but when the police told me he could be out in half of that I felt sick.

'The justice system is shocking, and his attitude in court was sickening. He never showed any remorse, denied all the charges and sacked his counsel after two days, meaning that the trial was adjourned for two weeks.'

Ms Brunt, pictured with her husband Gary Maxey, is still suffering from flashbacks as a result of the abuse and feels 'let down' by the justice system

During the trial, Ms Brunt said, she was unhappy with her treatment at the court and said she was made to feel like the criminal.

'He was bailed right up until the day he was sentenced and, despite him being prevented from contacting me, I still saw him walking up through Redruth on one occasion.

'During the trial I wasn't allowed to have a cigarette when he was, and even had to be accompanied to the toilet. He freely wandered around the court.

'I understand it's a case of 'innocent until proven guilty', but I felt like I was the one on trial, and how do they expect people to come forward to report these kind of crimes?

'It took two years and five months to get him into Crown court, as he refused to admit any wrongdoing and stayed with a not guilty plea.

'If he behaves, he'll be out in the same time it took to get him into court in the first place.

'My husband, parents, family and friends have supported me completely and I can't thank them enough.

'Hopefully people will sit up and take notice and make sure other people won't suffer in the same way I have.'
For the lucky three who have made it to tomorrow's final of MasterChef, it represents a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But the series' most unlikely heroine is undoubtedly Jane Devonshire, a 50-year-old stay-at-home mum from Hampshire whose culinary experience comprises of cooking hearty meals for her four children and extended family.

The housewife, who left her marketing job 18 years ago to care for her family, has said the show has given her a new lease of life.

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'New lease of life': Jane Devonshire pictured with (l-r) Harry, 17, Ben, 13, Rebecca, 21, Mark (husband), and Sam

Jane Devonshire is a stay-at-home mum from Hampshire who practised her culinary credentials by cooking hearty family meals

Jane has now reached tomorrow's final and said she has stayed true to her style of cooking by making classic dishes

Jane stormed through the earlier rounds with her hearty home cooking, serving dishes including scotch eggs, poached trout and stuffed lamb and credited her cooking skills with rustling up Sunday lunches for 14 people - including four children.

Series 12 of the hit BBC One show has been particularly tense, with an impressive calibre of talent, and for Jane the hard part was learning to make just 'one plate of pretty food'.

But the mum of four is now in the running for the crown alongside Billy Wight, 32, a property surveyor who learnt to bake thanks to his nanny and his parents' dinner parties and Jack Layer, 27, a project manager who warmed up for the show by whipping up sweet pea creme brulees for his girlfriend.

She said: I very much wanted to do that and to stay true to who I am.

'At times I found it intimidating because people were using all these techniques and equipment and everything else but I thought if I did that I wouldnt be staying true to myself, so sometimes I would be standing there with just a few saucepans and some linguine, thinking wow, look at what everyone else is doing.

Its always been my dream to take everyday food and just elevate it a little bit, make it a little bit more interesting, thats what I try and do at home and I wanted that to come through in my MasterChef stuff.

For the first part of the semi-final, Jane made a trio of rabbit with rabbit wellington, right, rabbit stew and rabbit chops which were well received by judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode

Jane creates the ice cream with a helping hand and then adds the bee pollen

Jane said she wanted to be true to herself and has cooked classics despite initially finding it 'intimidating' when competitors used fancy techniques

Jane, who lives with her husband Mark, 50, and youngest sons, Harry, 17, and Ben, 13, in Hampshire, said cooking for her family who can all be incredibly fussy at times  including one son who has coeliac disease, so cannot eat gluten  means she has experience of being inventive with her cooking.

She said: Having four kids is a great way to experiment with food because there are only so many shepherds pies you can cook, as delicious as it is.

I love cooking, its where I go when Im stressed or Im tired or Im unhappy, its my automatic go to thing to do. Because of this, one of the things Ive always wanted to do is to make sure my kids have lots of experience of different foods, so Ive tried to put different influences into my food day to day.

Experimenting with herbs and spices and flavours and trying to incorporate that into my cooking and that helped me an awful lot when devising recipes for the show because it gave me a great point of reference to work from.

Jack, left, Billy, centre, and Jane made it through to the Chef's Table and went through to tomorrow's show

Jane said: Having four kids is a great way to experiment with food because there are only so many shepherds pies you can cook, as delicious as it is'

Jane is through to the final tomorrow and hopes for a career as a chef or to start a cookery school after going on Masterchef

The 'MasterChef fanatic' previously said her 13-year-old son encouraged her to fill in the form and her children are over the moon about her success so far.

She is the talk of Twitter among their friends and she said: Its nice to be more than just mum at home.

Jane hopes Masterchef will lead to a new career and hopes to become a chef or open a cookery school, but starting a restaurant would be hard because it's a 'young person's game.'

She added that parenthood has also helped her keep her head when it comes to the stresses of the MasterChef kitchen.

Jane explained: When youve got four kids, you cant be seen to collapse on the floor in a big heap. Even if in your head youre thinking Oh no, what am I going to do? then on the outside youve got to stay calm, anything else doesnt do anybody any good.

Im also the eldest one by quite a long way, so those two things combined allowed me to step back and put things in perspective. Also, cooking is my comfort zone. I can be surrounded by a sea of mess and people shouting but if Im cooking I can be calm.

Jane served up her ice cream with all three chefs finding it challenging to make the Michelin star-quality food

Billy and Jane hug in celebration of getting through to the final and the trio are elated

In last night's episode, the four semi-finalists were in Mexico to embark on a series of challenges, the first saw them split into two teams and making two different types of Mexican street food each, including tostadas and burritos.

THE OTHER FINALISTS Billy Wright, 32, has stood out from the other competitors because of his penchant for elaborate dishes and weird and wonderful techniques. The commercial property surveyor, who lives with his girlfriend in London, said: I very rarely cook anything twice, I have to say, I like to challenge myself with different flavours, different textures, different temperatures.' Jack Layer, 27, believes his popularity with the MasterChef audience comes from the fact Ive enjoyed every moment. Ive never wanted to grumble, never wanted to groan. People tell me they can just tell Im absolutely ecstatic to be there and feel lucky to be there. Ive never taken it for granted. He discovered his passion for cooking as a ten year old when he made a birthday dinner for his grandmother.

Tonight, the final four cooked a classic dish and put their stamp on it, before taking part in the Chef's Table.

Billy made a Shepherd's Pie with a confit egg and lamb ragu, Juanita created a creme brulee with three different flavours, Jane made rabbit wellington, rabbit chops and rabbit stew with seasonal vegetables and Jack made a clotted cream rice pudding with various forms of cherries and ice cream.

Jane said her choice was down to growing up eating rabbit and she wanted to 'elevate it.'

John Torode said her dish contained a lot of 'technical knowhow' and would prove difficult to make sure the wellington wasn't dry and the stew was tender but the judges were impressed.

But Juanita, 38, from Wiltshire, failed to impress and left the competition before the Chef's Table.

Jack then has to serve up a variation on the classic eggs benedict, but with quail's eggs, ham and an asparagus mousse, Billy makes the main of mash with braised oxtail while Jane made bee pollen ice cream for the dessert.
Fresh off her father Donald's big win in the Indiana primary earlier this week, Ivanka Trump is celebrating a victory of her own after her eponymous fashion collection earned her an award for excellence.

The 34-year-old was presented a FABB Achievement Award for her Ivanka Trump accessories line at Wednesday night's Fashion Accessories Benefit Ball in New York City, and she and her team celebrated by wearing her line from head to toe.

Ivanka looked especially radiant in a black and white lace dress from her line, which she paired with classic black pumps.

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Proud moment: Ivanka Trump accepted a FABB Achievement Award for her eponymous accessories line at Wednesday's Fashion Accessories Benefit Ball in New York City. She is pictured with her brother Eric

Paying tribute: When she took the stage, Ivanka praised her team and noted that it is wonderful that they get to celebrate 'amazing awards' together like the one they won that night

The mother-of-three, who just gave birth to her son Theodore James a month ago, donned a red lip and tied her golden blonde hair back in a low ponytail with a black satin ribbon.

Ivank was undoubtedly excited by the honor, and one of her team members took to her Snapchat account to share pictures and videos from the night.

One of the clips sees Ivanka posing on the red carpet, and someone in the background notes that 'she knows how to pose'.

In another picture from the night, the entrepreneur is proudly standing with her brand's design director.

Ivanka, who also has lifestyle website dedicated to women who work, gushed about her team when she stepped on stage to receive her award.

Making memories: One of the members of her team, posted videos and pictures of Ivanka on her Snapchat account throughout the night

Walking ad: The 34-year-old and her team celebrated by wearing head to toe Ivanka Trump to the event

The executive vice president at the Trump Organization told the audience that it is wonderful that she and her employees are 'able to work together and to support each other and ultimately to be able to celebrate together as we receive amazing awards like the one we are getting tonight'.

When she sat back down next to her brother Eric, who cheered her on throughout the night, Ivanka lifted the award up in the air and told her employees: 'We are taking this out tonight like the Stanley Cup.'

Before the event, Ivanka took to Instagram to share a picture of herself all dressed up and puckering her lips in front of a window with a view of Manhattan.

She also posted snapshots of herself posing with her team and her speaking on stage at the event.

Red carpet pro: Ivanka posed by herself (left) and with her label's design director (right)

Room with a view: Ivanka puckered up for the camera before the event, sharing this playful snapshot on her Instagram page on Wednesday night

Back to business: Ivanka posed for a photo on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art bright and early Thursday morning

'For my first week checking back in to the office, it's been a busy one!' she captioned the image. 'Tonight, I'm receiving the FABB Achievement Award for our incredible accessory collection. I'm so proud of our amazing team! #FABBLive2016.'

Despite Wednesday night's celebration, Ivanka was up bright and early the next day and posing for a photo on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

'Breakfast at the Met. #ManusXMachina,' she captioned the image, referencing the them of this year's Met Gala.

Running a lifestyle website and brand in addition to her work at the Trump Organization keeps Ivanka incredibly busy, and less than three weeks after her son Theodore was born, she started making appearances at her office again.

Busy week: Ivanka joined her father Donald on stage during his victory speech at Trump Tower in New York after he won the Indiana primary election on Tuesday

Ivanka happily watched Donald's opponent Ted Cruz announce that he was dropping out of the presidential race alongside her sisters-in-law, Lara (front) and Vanessa (back)

Tight-knit: Lara and Vanessa, who are married to Ivanka's brothers Eric and Donald Jr., respectively, posed with her for this black and white snapshot

However, Ivanka is as committed to her family as she is her career, and the happy mom often shares photos of herself bonding with her newborn, as well as her older children Arabella, four, and Joseph, two.

It has been an unbelievably busy week for Ivanka, who spent Monday night at the Met Ball with her husband Jared Kushner, 35.

Before the high-profile event, she took to Instagram and Snapchat to post pictures and videos of Arabella and Joseph helping her get ready for the big night.

Although she just gave birth a month ago, Ivanka proudly showed off her trim physique in a red jumpsuit by designer Ralph Lauren.

On Tuesday night, Ivanka was at Trump Tower in New York with her family as she celebrated her 69-year-old father's win in the Indiana primary, as well as his opponent Ted Cruz's announcement that he was dropping out of the presidential race.

Perfect pair: Ivanka donned a stunning Ralph Lauren jumpsuit when she attended the Met Gala on Monday night with her husband Jared Kushner, 35

Happy as can be: Ivanka and Jared are pictured with their four-year-old daughter Arabella, two-year-old son Joseph, and their newborn son Theodore James in their first family portrait as a family of five

Best big sister: Arabella can be seen holding her new baby brother in this precious snapshot shared on Instagram by Ivanka last month

Ivanka's brother Eric tweeted a photo of her with his wife Lara and their sister-in-law Vanessa as they watched the Texas senator on television.

'Glued to the TV!' he captioned the image.

Meanwhile, Donald Jr. took to Instagram to share a photo of Ivanka and Lara with his wife Vanessa, writing: 'The Trump ladies watching the results come in and some interesting news. @ivankatrump @laraleatrump and Vanessa Trump. #MakeAmericaGreatAgain #Trump2016 History in the making family time.'

Ivanka spent much of her pregnancy campaigning for her father, and it looks like her hard work has paid off.
Queen Maxima certainly knows how to stun as she attended the Liberation Day Concert in a glitzy golden gown.

The Dutch Queen wore the floral-sequinned dress to take part in the celebrations in Amsterdam, which mark the day the German army surrendered in 1945.

The 44-year-old had been presented with purple blooms as she waved to the crowds, watching the concert before taking to the river.

Queen Maxima stunned in a glitzy golden gown as she attended the Liberation Day Concert in Amsterdam

Maxima and King Willem-Alexander attended the celebrations with the King, walking the red carpet

The Argentinian-born royal paired her show-stopping dress with metallic court shoes, while her husband King Willem-Alexander wore a pinstriped suit and cobalt-blue tie.

The monarch's honey-blonde hair was worn in tousled waves and she accessorised with diamond bracelets to add even more sparkle.

The Queen looked radiant with natural makeup and carried an oatmeal shawl, just in case the temperature dropped.

After watching the celebrations, the couple left on a boat down the river Amstel, waving to the crowds gathered.

Maxima last wore this dress in March, when she attended a state dinner in Paris with French president Francois Holland during a royal visit.

Following directly on from Remembrance Day, May 5 is a national day of celebration known as Liberation Day throughout Amsterdam and the Netherlands.

The Dutch Queen wore a floral-sequinned dress to take part in the celebrations which mark the day the German army surrendered in 1945

The Argentinian-born royal wore metallic court shoes matching her show-stopping dress

People stand on a bridge - which displays a banner reading 'Pass On Freedom' - and gather in rowing boats to watch the Liberation Day Concert

The King and Queen intently watched the concert which traditionally takes place on and around the river Amstel in front of the Royal Theater Carre

The crowd were certainly in a joyous mood at the celebrations and clapped performers

Maxima laughs during the celebration, right, as she applauds with the King, left

The royal couple wave to the crowds at the Dutch celebration which takes place every year on May 5

King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and the Prime Minister Mark Rutte, left on a boat on the river

The German army surrendered on this day in 1945, bringing the Second World War to an end for the Netherlands

Queen Maxima last wore the gold dress when she attended a state dinner held by Francois Hollande in Paris, with her husband Willem-Alexander, in March

The Queen wore gold for the state dinner held by French leader Francois Hollande tonight during her two-day state visit to France

The concert traditionally takes place on and around the river Amstel in front of the Royal Theater Carre.

The German army surrendered on this day in 1945, bringing the Second World War to an end for the Netherlands.

Since then, the nation has strived to be the capital of freedom, independence and tolerance. To celebrate its continual liberation and societal freedoms, various activities and events are planned throughout the city.
Transplants using organs infected with HIV have been carried out on patients in a major breakthrough which could save thousands of lives.

It is hoped successful transplants from donors with HIV to patients with the infection will lead to more organs becoming available - giving hope to those on the transplant waiting list.

In a breakthrough which has been hailed the most significant medical advance for decades, HIV-infected organs from three donors have been transplanted into four HIV patients in the last five years.

Charities hope it will inspire people living with the condition to join the organ donor register.

There has been a small number of transplants in the UK from donors with HIV and it is hoped the medical breakthrough will inspire people living with the condition to join the organ donor register

Two people donated their liver which while the other donor donated two kidneys with each organ successfully transplanted, NHS Blood and Transplant said.

Both kidney transplants performed by Nikolaos Karydis at Guy's hospital in central London in May last year, have been successful.

The outcome for the liver patients is not known.

Dr Karydis and his team had to take extra precautions to avoid contracting the virus themselves, such as covering all exposed body parts and doubling up on gloves and face masks.

But he said the risk of transmission to surgical staff was 'small'.

NHS Blood and Transplant officials approved the procedures after decades of infected donor organs being rejected and despite the appeals of some surgeons.

I told the doctor, ''You've got to take a risk sometimes in life, so I will go for it Transplant patient

Only HIV-positive patients awaiting transplants can be given the organs - which carry the risk of a 'super-infection' if the strains of HIV do not match.

Speaking to the Mirror, the first patient to undergo the surgery said he was willing to take risk.

The 40-year-old man from London discovered he was HIV-positive 15 years ago and was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure five years later.

He was seriously ill with his kidneys only working at eight per cent capacity when doctors suggested the surgery.

'Initially, I was sceptical. But we sat down and had a good talk. I said I would think about it,' he said.

Doctors hope the breakthrough will inspire people living with HIV to join the organ donor register

'I told the doctor, ''You've got to take a risk sometimes in life, so I will go for it.''

'Even so, he had mixed emotions. 'I just prayed it would be OK.'

The unidentified patient described feeling strange when he awoke from the operation as he needed to pass urine for the first time in four years.

He was discharged from hospital after 20 days with a fully functioning kidney and no longer needs dialysis.

The patient has revealed his story to encourage more people to join the register.

A HIV-positive donor left their kidneys which were successfully transplanted into two HIV positive patients in May last year

Dr Rachel Hilton, a consultant kidney specialist at Guy's Hospital, told the newspaper: 'We now know we can accept organs from deceased patients with well-controlled HIV, to give to other HIV-infected patients on the transplant waiting list.

'This initiative means they may be transplanted more quickly, which helps ever yone waiting on the list.'

Professor John Forsythe, associate medical director for Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, described the development as 'exciting'.

'It's exciting that some people with HIV in the UK have helped benefit patients with HIV after their death by donating their organs.

'In the UK there is a shortage of organ donors and on average three people a day die in need of an organ transplant.

'While organ transplants from donors with HIV are limited to recipients with HIV infection, innovations like this open up the possibility of donation where it did not previously exist and will help to reduce the shortage of donor organs.

'We hope the news that there have been a small number of transplants in the UK from donors with HIV will inspire people living with the condition to join the NHS Organ Donor Register.'

Up to 6,500 patients across the UK are in desperate need of a transplant.

Professor Forsythe said successful organ transplants of this kind from donors with HIV to recipients with HIV are now possible thanks to the improvements in the management and treatment of the condition.

'But it is important that organs donated can be safely used and will not cause harm to the recipient.

Surgeons wore extra protective clothing to minimise the risk to themselves while performing the transplants (file photo)

'For someone with HIV to become an organ donor their condition needs to have been responding well to treatment and there should not be evidence of secondary complications of the condition,' he added.

As with any organ transplant, Professor Forsythe said they work hard to minimise the risks to the recipient.

We hope the news that there have been a small number of transplants in the UK from donors with HIV will inspire people living with the condition to join the NHS Organ Donor Register Professor John Forsythe

'We carefully evaluate all donors, and with potential donors with HIV we also need to understand how well their HIV has been treated and whether the donor had any infections or illnesses associated with more advanced HIV.

'Surgeons will use this information to balance the risks of using an organ from someone with HIV with the risk of their patient dying while waiting for another organ to become available.

'The surgeon will ensure that the recipient understands and accepts the risk. All transplants are dependent on people being willing to donate and families being prepared to help transform other people's lives by donating a relative's organs,' he said.

Professor Forsythe said medics were very keen that everyone, regardless of their health status, registered a decision to donate on the NHS Organ Donor Register and told their family.

'Please don't let the fact you have a health condition stop you from registering as a donor,' he added.

HIV charities welcomed the development.

Ian Green of the Terrence Higgins Trust said: 'There is potential benefit for everyone.'
A heartbroken mother has spoken of the 'impossible' situation her family is facing with two of her children fighting for their lives in different countries 900 miles apart.

Leah and Shaun Scott, feel torn between ten-month-old son Oscar who is critically ill at a hospital in Italy while her daughter Paige, three, is dying in a hospice close to home in Norwich.

All three of their children have been diagnosed with the incurable genetic disease Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD), which has a life expectancy of just five years once the symptoms start.

Tragically, Paige's disease is so far advanced there is little doctors can do.

But twins Oscar and Phelix were given hope when the NHS agreed to pay for treatment in Milan which could prolong their lives.

Phelix is in a stable condition at the same hospital in Italy as his twin where the pair received gene therapy.

However, Oscar has not reacted well and the family has now been forced apart for three months with both parents having to make the 900-mile trip from one to the other.

Leah and Shaun Scott, 27 and 30, have been left utterly heartbroken after all three of their children were diagnosed with a rare and deadly brain condition they unwittingly passed on

Three-year-old Paige is gravely ill at a hospice in Norwich while her baby brothers Oscar and Phelix are being treated for the same disease at a hospital in Milan, Italy - 900 miles away

The couple are pleading with staff at Great Ormond Street to move the twins back to the UK after Mrs Scott was forced to abandon them in Italy and fly home at the weekend to be with Paige after doctors warned she might die.

Their tragic situation meant that she had to first go before a court in Italy and assign parental responsibility to a visiting friend to make medical decisions for the twins, one of whom is critical, while she was out of the country.

She then flew to her daughters bedside at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital; terrified she might not make it in time.

Thankfully when she arrived Paiges condition had improved and she was moved to a local hospice. But if she suffers another setback she will not be resuscitated.

But yesterday heartbroken Mrs Scott had to leave her terminal daughter with her husband and fly back to Italy where Oscar is still receiving treatment for breathing difficulties after he developed life-threatening pneumonia following chemotherapy.

Its beyond ridiculous,' she said.

'People keep asking how we are coping but to be honest we dont have time to think about it because we are too busy flying back and forth between two countries trying to be there for our children when they need us.

Its terrifying to receive calls telling you to get on a plane because your child might not make it and you have no idea until you land if they are still alive or not.

I am absolutely desperate to get the twins back to the UK as quickly as possible and am begging for help to do that.

Mrs Scott, who was born without a hand, found out that twin boys Oscar and Phelix (left) have the incurable condition Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD), which has a life expectancy of five years. She has already watched the disease rob her daughter Paige of her ability to walk and talk, and she is now under hospice care

Shaun Scott is staying with his terminally ill daughter Paige, three, while his wife travels to Italy to be with their twin boys who are being treated for the same brain disorder

They have received the treatment we came here for and I believe they would be better off back in the UK now. I need my children in the same country so I can be a mother to them all.

Oscar and Phelix went to Italy in February for revolutionary gene therapy to try and cure them of the terminal genetic condition that will claim their life of their older sister.

She has advanced MLD an incurable disease which robs children of their ability to walk, talk, eat or see, ending with paralysis before death.

Its terrifying to receive calls telling you to get on a plane because your child might not make it and you have no idea until you land if they are still alive or not Leah Scott, 27

Her condition is so severe that should she would not be resuscitated if she were to suffer a setback, meaning every day she has alive is precious.

But Mrs Scott says she feels stuck in Italy as medics claim Oscar is not well enough to be moved, but given their heart wrenching situation she is pleading for a way to be found.

The twins were diagnosed shortly after being born. Mrs Scott was already heavily pregnant with them when Paige was finally diagnosed after a lengthy round of tests.

She was offered the option of terminating her twins after being warned they too might be carriers.

Mrs Scott refused and hoped they would be spared, but at weeks old they were devastated when tests showed they too had MLD meaning all three of their children carried the terminal disease.

Paige was already too advanced to benefit from any treatment, which is thought only to work before symptoms show.

But the family travelled together to Italy for treatment arranged by consultants at Great Ormond Street to try and delay onset in the boys.

A fundraising appeal to cover the cost of transport and accommodation was launched last year but funds are now running low due to the length of time they have been forced to remain in Italy.

Factory worker Mr Scott has been unable to return to work as planned as he looks after Paige while her mother is in Italy with her brothers.

Miss Scott was pregnant with Oscar and Phelix (left) when Paige (left and right) was diagnosed with MLD. She was offered a termination but prayed the boys would not inherit the disease. Six weeks after they were born, tests confirmed they too had the faulty gene that causes it

The family is now fundraising so she can continue to fly between both the twins' and Paige's bedsides

Mrs Scott was terrified when last month Oscars condition reached critical, thought to be a reaction to chemotherapy ahead of the bone marrow transplant.

She said: I could hear his breathing wasnt right, it was so severe they had to take him out of isolation where he has been since having the chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant.

His chest swelled with fluid and I was told he was suffering with pneumonia and pleurisy.

The nurses were sobbing and praying.

'I was terrified and had to call Shaun and tell him to get here in case we lost him. That meant him leaving Paige. It was awful.

The nurses were sobbing and praying. I was terrified and had to call Shaun and tell him to get here in case we lost him. That meant him leaving Paige. It was awful

Doctors in Italy then realised Oscars new bone marrow was not producing new platelets as hoped.

They had to give him 'back up bone marrow harvested from his own body - but as its untreated it contains MLD cells.

'We have no idea what it means in terms of success for the treatment as they have never had to do it before.

'We will just have to wait and see to know if it has been a success or not.'

Then last weekend Paige was rushed into hospital and Leah received a call telling her she needed to fly home urgently.

She said she felt like she was being forced to abandon her sons to be with her dying daughter.

Now with two critical children in two countries she faces an agonizing situation that doesnt look set to change, unless medics in the UK respond to her plea to bring her sons home.

Mrs Scott said: The situation is impossible, in fact at times it feels ridiculous. We are beyond desperate to get home and are sure there must be a way of transporting Oscar safely.

I believe he could be better treated here for his current condition.

Being apart as a family when our children are so seriously ill is so hard.

A new fund has been launched to help the family cover their travel and accommodation costs as they continue to be forced apart.

For details visit their GoFundMe page
THE GUSTAV SONATA by Rose Tremain

THE GUSTAV SONATA

by Rose Tremain

(Chatto 16.99)

In a small town in Switzerland in 1947, two young boys meet at school and forge a friendship that will last a lifetime.

Ten-year-old Gustav Perle lives with his impoverished widowed mother. His fathers death is shrouded in mystery.

Despite his love for his mother, she is cold towards him, impressing on him the need to master himself. If he can do that, she tells him, he will be able to deal with everything life throws at him.

Anton Zweibel, a gifted young pianist from a well-to-do, loving Jewish family, struggles with nerves that threaten to undermine a promising musical career.

In Gustav, he finds a loyal and stalwart friend, but their relationship is destined never to be straightforward.

From their boyhoods, the novel swoops back to the war years and the lives of Gustavs mother and father, to untangle what happened between them.

In the background lingers the shadow of Hitlers Reich reaching into the heart of neutral Switzerland and affecting the lives of many. It is only when Gustav and Anton have grown up and taken their lives in quite separate directions that there can be any kind of resolution.

Elegant and spare, the novel traces the subtle nuances between friendship and passion, betrayal and disappointment.

In it, Rose Tremain shows how good intentions can result in suffering, and does so with grace and tenderness.

ALL THINGS CEASE TO APPEAR by Elizabeth Brundage

ALL THINGS CEASE TO APPEAR

by Elizabeth Brundage

(Quercus 16.99)

George Clare arrives home from work to find Catherine, his wife, axed to death in their bed, their young daughter playing nearby. He is the immediate and obvious suspect.

But what, at first, seems to be a crime novel is much more, working on several levels. Its the painful story of a marriage that should never have happened.

Flashing back and forward through George and Catherines lives, the narrative reveals that their apparently perfect match was in fact anything but. Its also the story of the three orphaned Hale brothers, who lose everything after the double suicide of their parents, but who befriend the Clares after the couple buy the dilapidated and haunted Hale family farm.

Furthermore, its a chilling portrait of a psychopathic killer. Not so much a whodunnit but a whydunnit, this richly imagined, sprawling novel contains scalpel-sharp dissections of the characters and their increasingly complex relationships.

Weaving in and out of each other, their stories tighten into an inextricable knot, and momentum gathers until the inevitable climax is reached and the police start investigating.

SERIOUS SWEET by Al Kennedy

SERIOUS SWEET

by Al Kennedy

(Jonathan Cape 17.99)

Jon Sigurdsson is a divorced civil servant who is pathologically precise in his dealings but disenchanted with his work. He lives in an ex-council flat in Clapham where, under a pseudonym, he pens bespoke letters for discerning women from which he, and they, gain companionship.

Meg is a bankrupt ex-accountant and recovering alcoholic working in an animal welfare centre, conscious she has screwed up her life once and is unhappily certain that she will again.

The novel charts in minute detail the same hellish day in their lives as they separately navigate London during 24 hours that will change things for both of them.

As their stories unfold, so does their love affair. The City of London plays its own part, too, seen through occasional snapshots of random Londoners in transit and as Jon and Meg criss-cross it.
Ameen Khan, a visually impaired railway employee, says he was recruited under the disabilities quota assigned for desk jobs - but ended up sweeping floors a week after joining work.

About 30 partially sighted or blind railway workers allege that they have been forced by officials to sweep, lift garbage, and clean sewage at state-owned railway hospitals and residential colonies.

With Masters and B.Ed degrees, these people were aiming for desk jobs at the Northern Railways Delhi division, but were handed brooms instead despite their disabilities and the risk to their safety.

Sholayram, Suraj, and Kapil say they were recruited by the Delhi division of Northen Railways, and have been forced to work as Sanitation workers despite being selected for other departments

Railway officials are insisting they followed the rulebook.

These employees were selected through the process of direct recruitment, said Dimpy Garg, additional divisional railway manager (ADRM), Delhi.

At the division-level, recruitment can only be made for the post of sanitation workers. Accordingly, they have been placed in sanitation jobs. Placements have been made as per the rules framed by the railway board.

Khan recalls his first day of duty on March 16, 2016, when the duty manager refused to assign him a job.

A few days passed and then I got a bigger shock. I was issued another appointment letter asking me to join as a safaikarmi with clear instructions to join by March 28, failing which the appointment letter would be considered cancelled, the 41-year old said.

He has refused to abide by the government order and has decided to take on the authorities.

Khan, who says he was initially selected as an operator in the wireless department, has been posted in the office of the railway hospital's chief health inspector.

Ravinder, Rajesh, and Prem Bharti are among 30 blind or partially-sighted workers allegedly in this position

I will not succumb to their pressure; I will fight for my dignity, he said.

Mail Today met these railway employees at their workplaces, and found that the condition of the others was no different from Ameen Khans.

Three of them  Sholayram, Suraj and Kapil  were sweeping the ground near a community centre at the Kishanganj Loco Shed Railway Colony.

Can a blind person see the garbage strewn in the premises? Can we collect the garbage and take it to the dumping site in a trolley? We have no option but to report to work or we could lose our job, said Sholayram.

He is a Delhi University graduate who travels for over two hours from Burari to reach his workplace near central Delhis Filmistan area.

Sholayram added: But we want an answer from the railway authorities. Our disability could never discourage us but we did not expect this humiliation.

The plight of the workers is not hidden. Residents of the colony told stories of their woes, but expressed their inability to help them.

They have been reporting daily to work. It is impossible for them to sweep the roads. Its a shame that the railway authorities have turned apathetic to these people with disabilities, said YS Meena, a railway employee and a resident of the colony.

Railway officials are insisting they followed the rulebook where the men's recruitment was concerned

Shankar, a postgraduate in political science from Delhi University currently posted as a sanitation worker at Shakur Basti area, had a similar tale to tell.

Initially we were asked to lift garbage from the drivers running room at the railway station, but after three days we stopped getting work, he said.

We have no place to sit here. We have to spend the entire day sitting under a tree along the railway tracks, added Shankar, who hails from Chennai, while recalling that his selection for the railway job was his biggest hope but has only added to the darkness in his life.

Shankar and three others  Prem Bharti, Ravinder and Rajesh  were found sleeping under a tree near the Shakur Basti railway station. Many other visually challenged recruits, including women, have been posted at railway colonies in Daya Basti and Sarai Rohilla, as well as railway offices at Basant Road in Paharganj.

Vishwanath, who works at Pratap Nagar in central Delhi, said his request for an indoor job was turned down by authorities.

I am even ready to work as a peon. I requested my supervisor to assign me any office job, but in vain, he said.
As the Italian court verdict on the AgustaWestland deal rocked Parliament, the judge who heard the case punctured the Congresss claims that there is no evidence against party president Sonia Gandhi.

Speaking to a TV channel, judge Marco Maiga said he has not given a clean chit to any Indian politician and the judgment is not a final one.

Alleging that the bribes given went beyond the Tyagi brothers, who are cousins of former Air Chief SP Tyagi, a suspect in the corruption case, the judge put the onus on Indian investigators to establish a kickback trail.

Judge Marco Maiga said he has not given a clean chit to any Indian politician over the scandal, which concerns the purchase of VVIP helicopters

An Italian court held last month that bribes were paid to clinch the Rs 3600-crore VVIP helicopter deal.

The judgment has created political uproar, as the court referred to a handwritten document from a middleman suggesting that Sonia Gandhi and her political adviser Ahmed Patel were paid off.

The Milan Court of Appeals  equivalent of an Indian high court  has given details of how bribes were allegedly paid by helicopter-maker Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen to clinch the deal.

The order reportedly mentions the name of Tyagi at several points.

The Congress strongly denies there is any evidence linking party chief Sonia Gandhi to the scam

The judge, however, maintained that his verdict was only against senior officials of the chopper company and middlemen who had paid bribes to some officials in India, and that it was up to Indian investigators to follow the money trail.

Asked about the cooperation the court received from the Indian government, he said: All we had was a copy of the CAG, request for proposal, agreement copy and nothing more than that.

Meanwhile, the CBI questioned former IAF Chief SP Tyagi for the third consecutive day, besides quizzing advocate and former board member of Aeromatrix Gautam Khaitan.

The agency has called the then assistant chief of Air Staff (Plans) NV Tyagi to be examined in connection with the alleged irregularities in the deal.

Sources said NV Tyagi was part of a team of senior officials who were involved in the deliberations to reduce the specifications of the helicopters for the VVIPs. They also claimed that Khaitan admitted setting up IDS Tunisia during questioning.

IDS Tunisia is a subsidiary of IDS India. The company was one of many through which bribes were allegedly routed by middlemen from AgustaWestland to other countries, sources said.

CBI officials, not willing to go on record, claimed that Khaitan only admitted setting up the company and not any alleged transfers of funds through it.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has been probing the money laundering angle in the case, has summoned Tyagi and his cousins as well as realty firm Emaar MGF's boss Shravan Gupta.

Guptas name cropped up after it was found that the alleged middleman Guido Haschke was an independent director of the firm between September to December 2009.

The ED, in its charge-sheet filed last year in a court, claimed to have detected alleged kickbacks sent from abroad to companies of the accused Gautam Khaitan, and cousin brothers of the former IAF chief.
Liquor baron Vijay Mallyas tenure in the Rajya Sabha came to an end on Wednesday, with Chairman Hamid Ansari accepting his resignation after he sent a fresh letter under his signature.

Mallya took the step a day after his scanned letter was rejected on procedural grounds.

Announcing the decision in the House, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said a resignation letter from Mallya dated May 3 was received by the Chairman. He has accepted his resignation, effective from Wednesday, May 4.

Vijay Mallya's tenure in the Rajya Sabha has ended. After two days of quibbling, the Chairman agreed to accept his resignation rather than ordering his expulsion.

Mallya, the independent member from Karnataka, is accused of defaulting on loans worth over Rs 9,400 crore.

The decision came on a day the Ethics Committee of the Rajya Sabha, headed by Congress leader Karan Singh, submitted its report to the Upper House recommending the expulsion of Mallya with immediate effect, rejecting his defence on the matter and dismissing his resignation.

Ansari's OSD Gurdeep Singh Sappal said on Twitter: "Hamid Ansari, Chairman Rajya Sabha, accepts resignation of Vijay Mallya, resubmitted unconditionally & as per correct procedure."

The Rajya Sabha had written to Vijay Mallya on Tuesday informing him of the rejection on procedural grounds, prompting a fresh resignation to be sent on Wednesday.

In his first letter to Ansari, Mallya had said that he did not want his name and reputation to be further dragged through the mud.
Chief Justice KM Joseph was transferred to Andhra Pradesh, by order of the Chief Justice of India

The Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court, KM Joseph, who recently hit the headlines for his bold judgment quashing Presidents rule in the state, has been transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court by an order from the Chief Justice of India, TS Thakur.

Though the transfer of High Court judges is a prerogative of the Chief Justice of India and no political interpretation is generally given to it, the decision has already triggered a row due to its timing.

However, sources said the transfer of Justice Joseph, who hails from Kerala, to a southern state, has been pending for some time and was part of routine transfers.

Along with it, Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Dilip B Bhosale, has been made the new Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh, as Madhya Pradesh Chief Justice Ajay Manik Rao Khanwilkar is likely to be elevated to the Supreme Court.

Senior advocate and social activist Indira Jaising tweeted: Death of independence of judiciary. Justice Joseph transferred to Andhra Pradesh, What is the explanation for this? Was our faith in the judiciary misplaced? Why are judges who write judgments against the government at the Centre being transferred? First Justice Rajiv Shakdar (of Delhi High Court) who authored the Priya Pillai judgement (in favour of the Greenpeace India campaigner) was transferred, then Justice Joseph who wrote the Uttaranchal judgment.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: This raises serious questions about independence of judiciary. This is shocking

Ousted Chief Minister Harish Rawat (right) addressing a press conference in Dehradun

Centre considers floor test

Meanwhile after repeatedly turning down advice from judges, the Modi government on Wednesday did a big U-turn in the Supreme Court where it has challenged the quashing of Presidents rule.

It said it was seriously considering holding a floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly to end the constitutional impasse in the state.

As the hearing began on Wednesday, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi representing the Centre told the bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra that he will take instructions, work out the details, and get back to the court on Friday May 6.

The Bench then said if the Centre is not willing to conduct a floor test it will continue a detailed hearing and pronounce a verdict before the court closes for summer vacation on May 13.

Rohatgi told the court that if the Centre agreed to a floor test, its modalities can be worked out in the court on Friday.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear that it is ready to temporarily suspend Presidents rule to facilitate the floor test.
In spite of moderate rain in some parts of Himachal Pradesh, forest fires continued to rage in the lower hills, with 60 more breaking out since yesterday.

The total number of ground fires in the state has risen to 614, and an area of about 6,600 hectares has been affected, Forest Department officials said.

The National Green Tribunal today sought responses from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and the governments of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh on the issue of forest fires raging in both the states.

Deadly: A forest is seen on fire near the northern hill town of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh

Forest rangers try to put out a blaze. The total number of forest fires in the state has hit 614, officials said.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also issued a notice to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), asking it to file its response in the matter by May 10, the next date of hearing.

The tribunal had issued a show-cause notice to both states yesterday, observing that it was shocked that everybody was taking the issue so casually.

A long-awaited spell of showers lashed most parts of Uttarakhand today, supplementing fire dousing operations across the state. However, two more deaths were reported from Nainital, taking the overall death toll to nine.

Rains which started on Tuesday evening in the higher reaches of the mountains hit the plains overnight, drenching the forests and buttressing efforts by the agencies engaged in a massive firefighting exercise.

Over 11,000 personnel are at work on the ground in the state.

However, rains doused the fires raging in forests in surrounding areas of Kasauli and Shimla, and normalcy had been restored.
JD(U) veteran Sharad Yadav showed his frustrations with the AgustaWestland scandal

The debate in the RS on the AgustaWestland corruption scandal was lengthy.

JD(U) veteran Sharad Yadav admitted he had burnt the midnight oil to study the papers sent by colleague KC Tyagi to prepare for the debate, but was unable to comprehend much.

He interrupted Manohar Parrikar during his long-winded reply, saying: Itna lamba bhashan kaun samjhega (Who will understand such a long speech)?

AWGP head nominated to RS

Pranav Pandya, head of All World Gayatri Parivar (AWGP), has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Narendra Modi government.

On April 22, the government had nominated Subramanian Swamy, Narendra Jadhav, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Suresh Gopi, Swapan Dasgupta and Mary Kom as the new Rajya Sabha members.

Mumbai-born Pandya, an MD, is director and head of AWGP - a modern adoption of the age-old wisdom of Vedic Rishis, who practiced and propagated the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Its headquarters is in Haridwar.

Jaya's lawyer to be SC judge

The SC Collegium has recommended noted senior advocate L Nageswara Rao, who is a counsel for Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa in a DA case, for appointment as a judge of the apex court.

Rao earlier served as Additional Solicitor General during the UPA-II government and the present NDA government before he resigned.

Sources say others recommended for elevation to the SC are the Chief Justices of Allahabad, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala.

AAP leaders at DU to find proof

Three AAP leaders met DU authorities to seek proof of PM Narendra Modis graduation degree. They claimed that DU directed them to approach the PMO.

While V-C Yogesh Tyagi did not comment on the meeting, he maintained that the universitys RTI department is looking into it.

The leaders landed in DU a week after the CIC directed DU and Gujarat University to provide the information to Kejriwal.

No successor for Dhowan yet

Navy chief admiral RK Dhowan is retiring this month-end, but the government is yet to make an announcement of his successor.

Though not a rule, precedent has it that the name of the new chief is announced a month before the take-over day.

As per the navys succession order, vice-admiral Sunil Lanba, who heads the western naval command, is next in line to become the chief.
Delhi Police have arrested a 24-year-old man who once took part in a dance show on reality TV, saying he swapped his showbiz dreams for the horror of jihad.

Mohammed Sajid, 24, was allegedly part of a syndicate planning attacks on the Capital.

Sajid was influenced by jihadi videos and was pushed over the edge by his handlers, who constantly taunted him for being a dancer, saying it was against Islam.

How will you face Allah? was a jibe he frequently faced, a police officer said.

Delhi Police are holding 12 people who they believe were planning major attacks in Delhi

Sources say he was disheartened after failing to qualify for the main draw of two TV dance shows, and the snide remarks triggered his radicalisation.

On Wednesday officials arrested Sajid and two others, Sameer Ahmed and Shakir Ansari, as well as detaining nine people for allegedly being part of a terrorist module inspired by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) group, which India blames for a deadly attack in January at Punjabs Pathankot airbase.

The families of these young men have denied the police allegations.

JeM connection?

Officials claim Sajid was recruiting people in the name of Jaish, though central agencies are sceptical about the possibility of a direct link with the outfit.

According to the police, the 12 men met in December at Sajids house in north-east Delhis Chand Bagh area.

During this meeting, Sajid propagated terror activities. We have evidence for this, alleged Arvind Deep, special commissioner of police (special cell).

According to officials, Sajid has accepted that he was in touch with Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhars brother.

Grief: Sajid's family at their house in Delhi's Chand Bagh. They completely deny he is linked to a terror conspiracy, saying he does not know the others arrested.

The special cell has registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

Teams are conducting raids and more arrests are likely.

The anti-terror unit has seized 11 batteries, two timer devices, three pipes and over 250 grams of black powder, suspected to be an explosive substance, from the three men arrested. They were trained in making improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, through online sources, police allege.

Their links with the Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit was traced through technical input. Shakir was to leave for Pakistan soon and was in touch with a relative of Masood Azhar, added Deep.

Target practice

Officials claim that during interrogation, the men revealed their plans to carry out serial strikes at popular markets in the city and places with high foot-fall. According to the police, the accused watched videos of terrorist outfits and had literature from such groups.

However, police have not recovered any direct evidence linking them with terrorist organisations in Pakistan.

We will analyse their WhatsApp data during further investigation, Deep said.

All the twelve were part of a WhatsApp group where they allegedly shared details about the terrorist outfit, Deep added.

The families of the twelve claim that all of them have been falsely implicated in the case by Delhi Police, and that they arent even friends. They say the men only went to the same masjid to offer prayers.

10-day judicial custody for suspects

By Sneha Agrawal in Mail Today

The three alleged JeM operatives arrested by Delhi Polices special cell were sent to judicial custody for 10 days by a Delhi court on Wednesday.

In the remand application it is alleged that Sajid was indulging in anti-national activities and had motivated others as well.

He had allegedly called for a secret meeting in December 2015, where he showed a blueprint of how to make an IED.

In an intercepted conversation it was revealed that Sajid contacted his associate and told him that he had prepared a product and needed to test it in some park to check its capacity and range.

Police had initially sought 15-day custody stating that explosives had been seized from Sajid and they wanted to interrogate the accused to unearth the alleged conspiracy.

Defence counsel MS Khan opposed the plea, saying police had already recovered materials and there was no need for custodial interrogation.

Sister claims 'bomb-maker' Sajid 'was burned by hot milk'

By Shashank Shekhar in New Delhi

Policemen stand outside Sajid's house in North East Delhi

Delhi Polices claim that Mohammed Sajid was an expert at bomb-making and injured his left hand while making an explosive device has been rubbished by his sister, who says that the burn wounds were caused by hot milk.

Sajid used to stitch womens innerwear at the ground floor of their three-storey building in Chand Bagh, a locality in North East Delhi, and also lived there.

His relatives allege that police have falsely implicated him in the terror case.

On Monday Sajid asked for a cup of milk, which I was boiling. When it was time to take the milk, he started hitting me on my head and mocked me. I got irritated and threw hot milk on his hand that severely burnt him, recalled his elder sister Mehzabi.

She claims this mistake is now being used by police to arrest her brother.

Calling the police theory bogus, Sajids family members said that raid team took away shaving blades, batteries, a paint box, poison used to kill insects, the motor of the sewing machine, and a box in which the family had kept goods for Sajid and Mehzabis weddings.

Why would he make explosives in his own house, which is barely 20 feet wide, when he knew that it is strong enough to kill us all? If it exploded in his hand then how is it possible that no one heard about it or complained to cops? If he was doing something unlawful we would have given him to the cops, his mother Amna said.

When Mail Today spoke to other residents of their locality, they denied hearing the sound of an explosion any time recently.

It was at around 10.30 when cops barged into the house and only women were present in the house as others, including Sajid, had gone to offer namaz. Police broke into the ground floor where he lived and started throwing his belongings. They pushed us away when we intervened, said Mehzabi, adding that her brother was a skillful tailor but not a terrorist.
This blurry image shows the main suspect in the 30-year-old's shocking rape and murder

Police have released a sketch of the suspect in the brutal rape and murder of a 30-year old Dalit woman in Kerala.

The image emerged as a post-mortem revealed the victim suffered 38 separate wounds in the shocking attack.

No arrests have been made so far in connection with the murder of the law student, which happened at her small wayside house in Perumbavoor on April 28, but three people have been picked up for questioning.

The shocking incident also had its echo in the Rajya Sabha, with members demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits while the state government promised stern action.

With the incident snowballing into an embarrassment for the state, which is in the midst of campaigns for May 16 Assembly elections, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition leader V S Achutanandan visited the victims mother at Perumbavoor Taluk Hospital.

While Chandy dismissed reports that the case had weakened after the delay in arresting the culprits, he pledged that the government would spare no efforts in bringing the culprits to book.

Later in the day the government announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the woman, who was found brutally murdered when her mother returned home from work.

A government job will also be provided to the womans sister.

Remembrance: A candlelight march for justice underway in Kochi, Kerala
While the Delhi government is taking stringent action against private schools over 'unjustified' fee hikes, the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have failed to do so.

Huge sums are being charged by private schools in Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram, leaving parents angry and out of pocket.

At the Pathways School in Noida, fees have risen by 10 per cent this year alone. The parents of a student of class six are being made to pay Rs 99,000 a quarter, plus an annual IT fee of Rs 20,000 - and that's on top of uniform and book charges.

Hikes in fees at private schools have left parents angry and out of pocket (picture for representation only).

Unwilling to pay this amount, more than 300 parents protested outside the school yesterday morning.

Despite the high price tag on the education of their child, they alleged the quality of the school and its education is sinking.

'The school has been increasing the fee by 10 per cent every year. Last year, we paid Rs 90,000 as the quarterly fee and this year we have been asked to pay Rs 99,000.

'There are charges above this fee too. The school charges Rs 20,000 as IT fee and we have no idea where the money goes,' said a parent named Swati, whose child is a student of Pathways School on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

Even after repeated calls and messages, the director of the school, Dr Shalini Advani, did not respond to queries.

Recently, the Delhi government pulled up two branches of Delhi Public School, ordering them to rollback the fee hike. A similar order was issued to GD Salwan Public School.

Neeti Shrivastava, president, Gautam Budh Nagar Parents Association, said: 'Why are they not walking in the footsteps of Delhi government? The Uttar Pradesh government has no control over the private schools due to which the parents have to suffer.

'We have started a signature campaign and will be submitting the complaints to the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Every school in Gautam Budh Nagar district is following its own set of rules.'

Hundreds of parents face the brunt of fee hikes every year. Unlike in Delhi, there are no guidelines in the neighbouring areas.

Large numbers of parents in the National Capital Region (NCR) have been protesting against the unjustified fee hike by authorities.

Vasistha Dabas, a parent whose children are class three and six students at a prominent international school said: 'The Haryana education department is a toothless body which has no control over private schools.

'As most of the schools belong to prominent politicians or its owners are well connected, they have been implementing rules according to their strength to mock common people.'

Lack of guidelines from the state education department in these areas has forced the parents to pay arbitrary fees.

Manoj Kaushik, district education officer, told Mail Today that there are no clear guidelines regarding the annual fee hike in Gurugram.
The AgustaWestland helicopter scam represents the medias mea culpa moment.

It has ripped the veil off the nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, armed forces personnel, and arms dealers. But at the heart of this nexus lies the media.

Last week, at the Red Ink awards for excellence in journalism hosted by the Mumbai Press Club at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), the theme was: 'Who shot the messenger?'

The AgustaWestland helicopter scam has demonstrated how journalism can be compromised by those in positions of power

Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and Power Minister Piyush Goyal were in attendance.

The panel comprised Ravish Kumar (NDTV), Siddharth Varadarajan (The Wire), Sucheta Dalal (Moneylife), and myself. It was moderated by Shobhaa De.

Among the awardees were TN Ninan, chairman and editorial director of Business Standard, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The panel debate was followed by a spirited question-and-answer session. The panelists rightly raised concerns about violence against journalists doing their jobs in often difficult circumstances.

The example of Jagendra Singh, who was burnt alive by the mafia in Uttar Pradesh, resonated strongly. Many in the audience spoke about the need to report fearlessly despite the continuing attacks on journalists.

Youth Congress members demand the resignations of BJP CMs Raman Singh and Vasundhara Raje, alleging that purchases from Agusta by their governments led to losses of Rs 65 lakh and Rs 1.14cr respectively

But who really 'shot the messenger?' In my opening remarks on this central theme of the debate, I said the messenger - a synonym for the media - often shoots itself in the foot by being co-opted by politicians and business houses.

Co-option leads to compromised journalism. That, in turn, has corrupted important sections of the mainstream media over the past decade. Loss of public trust in the media inevitably follows.

Co-option of journalists occurs in several ways.

Sonia Gandhi has also faced questions over her possible role in the VVIP helicopter deal

Individual journalists in the AgustaWestland case, for example, wrote favourable stories on the helicopter deal. Middleman Christian Michel, now a fugitive from justice, had been given a six million euro (Rs 45 crore) budget to 'manage the media'.

The money was well spent. Between 2010 and 2013, few critical articles appeared on the AgustaWestland deal, though a large dark cloud of scandal hung over it.

The irregularities leading up to signing the contract have been spelled out in detail in the verdict delivered by the Italian court of appeal.

The staggering level of corruption in the deal, with kickbacks estimated at 30 million euros (Rs 225 core), would not have gone unnoticed had the media done its job. It didnt.

The Radia tapes showed how senior editors could be manipulated, wittingly or unwittingly, to doctor stories. Their narrative was pre-decided. The facts were then moulded to fit that spurious narrative.

It should, of course, be the other way around: facts first, narrative next. In the AgustaWestland case, the facts were not allowed to intrude into the narrative.

The subversion of the Indian media is a relatively new phenomenon. Through the 1980s and 1990s corruption within the media was largely absent.

By the 2000s the advent of private news television channels made the media an attractive target for political parties and business houses.

A new breed of journalists had by then emerged. Many catapulted directly into television. They had little background in the principles of factual print reportage. Eventually, print itself became co-opted.

The pressure of political parties and business houses to 'manage the media' coincided with a downturn in the economics of media. Advertising dried up. The print business revenue model (80 per cent advertising, 20 per cent circulation) began to crumble.

Digital medias free content drew eyeballs but little ad revenue. The time was ripe for co-option.

Former IAF chief SP Tyagi arrives at the CBI headquarters to assist officials with the investigation

Distrust of media is not restricted to India. Opinion polls conducted in Britain have long ranked lawyers, politicians and journalists as the most 'mistrusted professionals'. Doctors and teachers are rated as the most trusted.

In the febrile US presidential campaign, both print and television journalists have come under fire for biased reporting by middle-class Americans fed up with the Washington-New York media establishment - an echo of Indias Lutyens media cabal.

CareerCast, an American website, recently ranked a journalists job as the 'worst profession'.

Heres what it said: 'A gradual decline in print publications at the turn of the century became a steep downturn for the past decade. Publications folding mean far fewer job prospects, and declining ad revenue means unfavourable pay for those in the Fourth Estate.'

The malignant impact of PR-driven journalism was underscored in the recent four-hour interview by the Financial Times with Vijay Mallya.

Gentle questions were lobbed at the absconding businessman, allowing him to play the victim and paint Indian banks and the Indian government as the culprits.

A similar PR job had been done for Rajendra Pauchari, the former head of TERI, when he was in the midst of defending himself in a case of sexual harassment.

The polarisation of Indian media into Left and Right silos has worsened matters. Political parties and corporate houses take advantage of the ideological bias and financial weakness in the media.

Individual journalists and media houses are increasingly vulnerable to being compromised. In the end, whether or not an individual journalist succumbs to inducements (in cash or kind) depends on the balance of the journalists integrity and vulnerability.

The 20-odd journalists who witnessed Christian Michels hush fund know who they are.

Credibility is the principal currency journalists possess. Lose that and you lose everything. Reputations built over decades can be damaged irreparably within days.

When the full details of the AgustaWestland case emerge, some well-known bylines will have nowhere to hide.
The fight is nothing new. It is as old as the ages themselves.

Sometimes it rages into a battle, and sometimes simmers in the background. This is the fight for turf in whats believed to be the biggest money-spinner - religion.

And this time around the gloves are off.

Tradition doesn't allow women to pour mustard oil on the deity at the Shani Shingnapur temple

Since time immemorial, people who run religion have ruled using the tool of fear. They understand its power. They have worked hard at instilling the fear of God in us.

The more we fear the Almightys wrath, the more we toe the line and listen to those who claim to be His agents on the earth.

Target

These people tell us about the innumerable ways the ire of God will strike us down, if we break the rules laid out by the people who run the fear-propaganda machine.

The easiest targets of this machine are women, who unfortunately are not on a level-playing field, not only in India but all over the world.

So, if we break religious fasts, we will suffer consequences. If we wear certain colours we may face doom. If we buy metal - iron or steel - on a Saturday, Saturn will be displeased. If we visit temples during our period, trouble will dog us. Worse, we will be accused of defiling the temple.

And God does not take breaking the rules lightly!

Society makes women follow these rules. Somehow the responsibility for keeping it all going smoothly falls to woman.

See how in families, the men munch upon meaty bits of mutton or chew plump chicken legs, while the women in the house eat vegetables. Because being vegetarian is pious.

The women will make egg bhurji for the men binging on alcohol as they slink back into their kitchens and work.

The women have to keep the most religious fasts and facilitate all the religious customs of the family.

It is easy to appease God through a womans hard work!

The fear-propaganda machine keeps turning and keeps feeding this fearful society into doing all it can to prevent mishaps.

The Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra, in the news these days, falls in the same category.

Who has not quaked at the anger Lord Shani can unleash upon mere mortals? Who has not counted the days to the seven years of Saturns cycle which enters everyones life? Who is not mortally afraid of Shani Bhagwan?

Mystery

And then if the main temple dedicated to this God is inbuilt with a certain air of mystery and unreachability - what could be better?

So, women cant go inside the sanctum. Women cant pour mustard oil on the deity from plastic bottles sold by the temple authorities. They can merely stand there, quivering, praying to the God while the men bond with Him.

And if a worshipper looks back while walking out, the dangerous side of the God will literally climb up your shoulders. What will happen to you next is anybodys fearful guess.

Then what happens when a band of brave women insists on the right to pray to the lord at the Shani temple and wins that coveted right through the aegis of the highest court of the land? The keepers of the propaganda machines go into overdrive.

And these seers, who are probably senile, make it their responsibility to announce that now there will be multiple rapes inflicted upon the women of this land. Lord Shani will fall heavily on women in India.

How can there be any dilution in the seat of religious power? How can the people who hold the reins give away control? How can these people be sure that the grabbing of these rights by women will not spill into other arenas of life?

Fear

Once this understanding is clear, we can see where the statements of people like the seer originate.

The religious machinery earns its zillions only through public fear.

The moment there is a crack in the facade, the machinery spins overtime. And these people begin saying the most ridiculous things.

Religious leader Swaroopanand Saraswati said that the Kerala temple tragedy "may have occurred due to women forcibly entering the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra.

The horror of such a statement will strike deep in many hearts, and women may go crawling back into the dark holes they have been in all this while.

What a pity. See how easy it is for these men to blame women for anything and everything. Disgusting.

It is time to wrest control, and prove that the hand that rocks the cradle does indeed rule the world.

And here I rest my case.
Modi termed Defence Minister Parrikar's speech as the best one as the Minister rose above politics to place all the facts

PM Narendra Modi had a word of praise for Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who demolished the Congresss defence on the AgustaWestland corruption scandal during an invigorating debate in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Modi termed it one of the best speeches and complimented the minister for rising above politics to place all the facts.

Sources later added that the PM has advised Parrikar to speak more in Hindi when he replies to the debate.

Lawyer files litigation via WhatsApp

A US-based Indian lawyer found an ingenious way to file his petition to the Supreme Court.

The lawyer from Texas texted a video message to CJI TS Thakur on WhatsApp detailing how to ensure overall development of the country and its citizens.

He requested the CJI to treat it as a PIL.

The Court accepts petitions on post cards and letters, but having them on WhatsApp was a first.

The CJI asked lawyer Ashok Arora to put the voice message on paper for the Public Interest Litigation (PIL).

Jairam Ramesh's allegations against Modi

Ghulam Nabi Azad recently referred to a newspaper report citing that the government has cut a deal with an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland pact to malign the Congress leadership.

Now his colleague Jairam Ramesh cited an old Hindi film titled Chhoti si baat (a little talk) to allege that Modi had an informal tea meeting with his Italian counterpart to dilute the case of Italian marines in exchange for information against the Gandhis.

'Joseph shifted on health grounds'

Markandeya Katju, known for triggering rows with his social media posts, apparently does not see any controversy in the sudden transfer of Uttarakhand Chief Justice KM Joseph, who had quashed Presidents rule in the state.

Katju tweeted that after asking reliable sources he came to know that Joseph was transferred as per his request.

The transfer was not because of some judicial order he passed. It was because of health reasons, he said.

Jaitley hits out at Hooda in Parliament

Arun Jaitley took a dig at Congress member Deepender Hooda in Parliament for raising the issue of tax imposed on jewellers.

Jaitley said the opposition party was concerned over suit-boot, a reference to Rahul Gandhis jibe at Modi for wearing an expensive outfit when he hosted US president Barack Obama, but supports the gold traders.
Showing parts of India as the territory of China or Pakistan online could now land you a jail term of up to seven years and a fine of up to Rs 100 crore.

The move is part of the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016, and comes after recent instances where social networking sites showed Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as part of Pakistan and China, respectively.

If the Bill becomes a legislation, online platforms like Google will have to apply for a licence to run Google Maps or Google Earth in India.

The move is part of the The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016 following recent instances where certain social networking sites showed J&K and Arunachal Pradesh as part of Pakistan and China, respectively.

According to the proposed law, it will be mandatory to get permission from a government authority before acquiring, disseminating, publishing or distributing any geo-spatial information on India.

The Bill says those who already have this information will be required to apply for a license within a year of the law coming into existence.

According to the draft Bill, no person shall depict, disseminate, publish or distribute any wrong or false topographic information of India, including international boundaries, through internet platforms or online services, or in any electronic or physical form.

Violators will be punished with a fine ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 100 crore and/or imprisonment for a period up to seven years.

Geo-spatial information is imagery or data acquired through satellites, aircrafts, airships, balloons, or unmanned aerial vehicles. It includes graphical or digital data depicting natural or man-made physical features, or boundaries, or any information related to these like surveys, charts, or maps.

The government also proposed to set up a Security Vetoing Authority to carry out checks on the geospatial information of India in a time-bound manner, and as per regulations framed by an apex committee.

The Security Vetoing Authority shall consist of an officer of the rank of joint secretary to the government of India or above as chairman, and two members - a technical expert and a national security expert.

Anyone who wants to publish or distribute geo-spatial information on India can apply - for a fee - to the authorities, and acquire a license, the Bill says.
Vodafone took 1,200 out of Mr Brown's account twice, instead of his month 63 payment

At the start of the year I had planned to cancel my contract with Vodafone but instead I decided to stay on and upgrade my phone.

I thought payments would continue to go out of my account via my direct debit but in March Vodafone told me they would be taking out 1,195 from my account, instead of the usual 63 I pay.

I contacted them and was told the payment was an error and the money would not be taken.

But it did then come out of my account and I had to call back and arrange for the money to be refunded which it eventually was on 7 April.

Now today, a week later, the sum of 1,248 has come out of my account and when I contacted Vodafone they told me I would have to wait for the refund as it cant be paid instantly.

Instead of waiting I contacted my bank and cancelled the payment.

Ive spoken to Vodafone several times and am very confused by the situation.

Each time I call them Im told the payments were an error but no reason has been given as to why they were taken.

In total Ive called Vodafone around 30 times now trying to sort this out but am still none the wiser.

Its quite a significant amount to come out of my account so how can I make sure it doesnt happen again? Anthony Brown, via email

Rebecca Rutt, of This is Money, replies: Upgrading your phone should be a relatively easy process, especially as you are already a customer with Vodafone, however your experience seems far from straightforward.

Vodafone has now twice taken a large sum of money from your account with no explanation as to why it has done so.

On top of this, you have called up 30 times to speak to it and have still not been told why the money was taken out.

Although it was refunded, its not acceptable for any company to change a direct debit amount without first telling the customer and explaining the reasons why the sum has changed.

As you are getting nowhere with Vodafone, we got in touch with it to try and find some answers.

Vodafone told us that its records show in January you had planned to cancel your account but instead upgraded it.

At this point an error was made and instead of the account running as normal, it was marked in your account that you had taken out a new phone agreement and then cancelled it. The result of the cancellation was a termination fee which was automatically taken off your March bill.

The exact same error happened in April  despite you calling Vodafone and it refunding the charge for the March payment.

Billing error: Instead of taking 63 from my account, Vodafone has taken 1,200 for two months running

A spokesperson said: Were very sorry this happened. Weve corrected his account records and this wont happen again.

'Mr Brown has accepted a 150 gesture of goodwill by way of apology for the problems hes faced.

While its a positive thing your problem has now been resolved, without our intervention its unlikely this would have happened as you had called Vodafone 30 times already with no answers.

ARE YOU HAVING A PROBLEM WITH VODAFONE? Are you having problems with a Vodafone contract? This is Money would like to hear your story. E-mail: rebecca.rutt@thisismoney.co.uk

Unfortunately your story is not unique and our inbox has been flooded with complaints around billing and payment issues from Vodafone recently.

Another route you could have taken is complaining officially to Vodafone, and then after eight weeks taking your complaint to the ombudsman  if you werent happy with the response from Vodafone.
The owners of Hotel Chocolat are set to pocket more than 20million each as the company confirmed details today of its float on London stock market.

Founders Angus Thirlwell - the son of the inventor of Mr Whippy ice cream - and Peter Harris will share 43.5million and retain a 66.6 per cent stake in the 167million company when trading in the stock commences next Tuesday.

Thirlwell, who is chief executive of the upmarket chocolate producing and retailing group, said: Today is a significant moment in the development of Hotel Chocolat and we are delighted to have received such strong demand from investors.

Sweet: Founders Angus Thirlwell, pictured, and Peter Harris will share a 43.5million windfall from the listing

The company is raising 55.5million from an initial public offering of 37.5million shares at 148p each on the London Stock Exchanges junior AIM.

Hotel Chocolat, which has 81 shops in the UK and three in Denmark, is looking to use 12million of the sum raised to open new shops, improve its website and update its chocolate factory in Cambridgeshire.

The firm began in 1993 under the name ChocExpress as a mail-order firm before going upmarket.

It has a cocoa plantation in the Caribbean where chocoholics can pay 10,000 to spend a fortnight at its luxury hotel. It also created Rabot1745, a restaurant in Londons Borough Market where all dishes are cocoa-themed.

The first Hotel Chocolat store in America opened in Boston in 2009 followed by New York state at Roosevelt Fields in November 2011.

Hotel Chocolat has previously funded expansion with two sets of innovative chocolate bonds, where interest was paid to investors in chocolate.

Thirlwell's father Edwin developed the trademark white ice cream Mr Whippy which he sold from vans in the 1940s.

He sold the business to Northern Dairies, which later became Northern Foods, but stayed on as a consultant and was dispatched to Antigua and Barbados to turnaround BICO, also known as the Barbados Ice cream Company.

His role was to help shift cornets and lollies in one of the hottest, most popular tourist destinations in the world.

The younger Thirlwell grew up in Barbados but was sent to Barnard Castle School in Durham where he first developed his entreprenurial skills.

As a sixth former with loaves of bread and butter freely available in the school common room, the self-styled Mr Whippy-junior supplied hungry younger students with midnight snacks in their dormitories, for a fee.

With zero costs, little by way of competition, and a captive market, the chocolate entrepreneur got a taste for business.

He dropped out of a French and economics degree at Sheffield University to sell computer components in France before meeting Hotel Chocolat co-founder Peter Harris while working at Torch Computers in Cambridge.

The pair launched Chocexpress, a mail order firm, which traded well for eight years, but they decided to rebrand it as Hotel Chocolat.

Thirlwell, who also enjoys reading ancient tomes about the history of chocolate, has children aged 25 and 27 lives with wife Libby near Cambridge.

Expansion: Hotel Chocolat, which has 81 shops in the UK, will use the proceeds to open new shops, improve its website and update its chocolate factory in Cambridgeshire

Hotel Chocolats listing news came on the day small business telecoms firm Toople said it had successfully placed 25 million shares at 8p each, and also expects to commence dealings on Tuesday next week, albeit on the London Stock Exchange's main market.

Meanwhile, shares in online loans company Morses Club began trading on AIM today, having raised 68.5million through a placing of shares at 108p each, giving the firm an initial market capitalisation of 140million. Shares in Morses Club were flat in afternoon trading at 108p.

The Hotel Chocolat float also follows that of a number of high profile firm's on the LSE's main market this year, including Metro Bank, which floated at the beginning of March, spread-betting company CMC and brickmaker Forterra.

Metro Bank raised 400million from investors, with its shares closing at 2,150p on its first day of trading from an offer price of 2,000p. Today Metro Bank shares were up 8.5p, at 2,020.5p.

Spread-betting company CMC Markets had a less positive debut as it slipped on its first day of trading in February for its 240p offer price. But the stock was recovered since, pushing above 250p a shares - although it was down 3p at 250.5p today.

Meanwhile, Britains second biggest brick maker joined the London stock market last month with a valuation of 360million.
A gang of teenagers accused of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl as she walked home from school were 'drunk on wine' during the brutal attack, say police.

Fourteen men are accused of raping and killing Yuyun, a schoolgirl whose body was discovered a rubber plantation in Bengkulu, Indonesia, last month.

Twelve of them have been arrested and are in custody on the island of Sumatra while two remain on the run.

Local police claim the men, seven of whom are under 18, were drunk on wine during the incident and have shown no remorse for it.

Twelve of the men accused of raping and murdering a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Bengkulu Province, Indonesia in April were seen hiding their faces as they emerged from a police cell on Thursday (above)

According to Indonesian site Detik News, some of the men have been laughing since their arrest.

Despite public outrage over her death, none of those being accused of it have shown any remorse, he said.

Yuyun's death has prompted a string of protests across Indonesia reminiscent of those held in India following the death of student Jyoti Singh in Delhi in 2012.

On Thursday the country's president Joko Widodo called for those responsible to be punished 'as severely as possible'.

'We all grieve for her tragic passing. Arrest and punish the perpetrators as severely as possible,' he told Twitter followers.

The men accused include seven minors, five adults and two who are said to be on the run. One is her ex-boyfriend and two others attend her school, TIME reported.

Yuyun (above right in a family photograph released by her mother) was walking home from school when she was killed

The crime has sparked outrage across Indonesia and prompted women to take to the streets in protest. Above, a girl wearing a mask which reads SOS takes part in a march held in the victim's memory in Jakarta

Yuyun disappeared on her way home from school on April 2 in the village of Kasiah Kasubun.

Her bruised body was found two days later by villagers who said her hands were tied, the BBC reported.

Her mother later told the Corporation she had been planning to train to become a teacher.

'We don't own very much, our children are our most precious possessions. They are the ones I have been struggling for my whole life,' she said.

The rape is reminiscent of the 2012 rape and murder of Indian student Jyoti Singh in Delhi. Above, girls put their hands together while marching in Jakarta in the victim's memory

Yuyun's death sparked a social media campaign titled 'Light a light for Yuyun'. Women lit candles during a march on Thursday in Jakarta
President John F Kennedy ordered one of his top Secret Service agents to make sure that his wife did not meet Aristotle Onassis on a trip she took to Greece in 1961.

The President summoned Clint Hill to the Oval Office in front of his brother Bobby, who was Attorney General at the time, to give him the extraordinary warning.

He told Hill to not let Mrs Kennedy cross paths with Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping magnate with a reputation for being a womanizer.

Kennedy was apparently paranoid that Onassis had designs on the First Lady - who she married after his assassination - and would try and sleep with her.

In a new book Hill reveals that two years later Kennedy let his wife spend time with the multi-millionaire on his yacht in the Mediterranean to get over the grief of losing their infant son Patrick.

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Mr Kennedy (pictured with Jackie in 1961) kept a close eye on his wife, Jackie, when she went on trips abroad and had Hill watch her every move. Former Secret Service agent Clint Hill has revealed that president John F Kennedy ordered him to make sure Jackie didn't meet Aristotle Onassis in Greece in 1961

The President told Hill to not let Mrs Kennedy cross paths with Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping magnate with a reputation for being a womanizer. Jackie Kennedy married Onassis following JFK's assassination

He knew that Onassis was an opportunist but was so concerned for his wife he let her go away - sending a grief-struck mother away from her husband and into the arms of another man.

Hill served five Presidents during his 17 years in the Secret Service and was there in November 1963 when JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

In his new memoir Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Hill reveals details about the affair between Jackie and Onassis and how the President tried to stop it.

Jackie first met Onassis in 1958 on his yacht during a meeting between her husband and Winston Churchill.

At the time Kennedy was a Presidential candidate and wanted to meet his boyhood idol and make peace between their two families as they had been at odds over World War II.

As the men talked, Onassis showed Mrs Kennedy around his yacht - and a romance was born.

Onassis is said to have told Costa Gratsos, one of his closest aides, There's something damned willful about her, there's something provocative about that lady. She's got a carnal soul.

Their relationship became an issue for the President in 1961 as the Bay of Pigs crisis was raging and Kennedy was due to make his first trip to Europe with stops in Paris, Vienna and London.

Jackie would also stop in Greece on a solo personal at the end of the official trip.

Shortly before he departed for Paris, Hill was asked to come to the Oval Office where he was surprised to see the President sitting next to his brother.

Jackie Kennedy, pictured in Athens, Greece, made a personal trip to Greece in 1961 after traveling through Paris, Vienna and London with her husband

At the time Onassis not only had a reputation as a playboy, he had legal issues with the United States as well and had been accused of fraud.

According to Hill, President Kennedy said: Clint, I understand you will be doing the advance for Mrs Kennedy in Greece.

Hill replied: Yes Mr President, thats what I have been advised.

JFK looked at his brother and then told Hill: The attorney general and I wanted to make one thing clear and that is, whatever you do in Greece, do not let Mrs Kennedy cross paths with Aristotle Onassis.

Hill writes: At that time I had no idea why he would make such a request, but I simply answered: "Yes, sir, Mr President".'

President Kennedys main reason for the trip was to get to know French President Charles de Gaulle.

Kennedy meanwhile arranged a hectic schedule for herself that matched up with her husbands for official functions.

They arrived on May 31 that year and two million Parisians lined the street for the parade. Jackie's family - the Bouviers - were originally from France and she spoke the language fluently.

By the time she arrived in Greece, Hill was worried as the trip had been highly publicized and he feared that the crowds would try to swarm her.

Jackie, pictured touring Epidaurus, Greece, first met Onassis in 1958 on his yacht during a meeting between her husband and Winston Churchill

Upon her arrival in Epidaurus, Greece, in June 1961, Jackie was greeted by the mayor and other officials

She toured some historic sites and spent the rest of the holiday at a private villas in the seaside town of Kavouri where she sailed on the yacht of the propertys owner, Markos Nomikos.

Hill did as he was told and kept her away from Mr Onassis.

Hill writes: I never did figure out a good explanation for President Kennedys request to keep Mrs Kennedy away from Aristotle Onassis other than the fact Mr Onassis had been in legal trouble with the United States, and perhaps the President was concerned about repercussions should the press have gotten photos of Onassis and Mrs Kennedy together.

On that trip in 1961 however, Mrs Kennedy did not cross paths with Aristotle Onassis.

JFK's controlling side came out in 1962 when his wife was planning a trip to the Amalfi coast in Italy.

The President again called Hill in and gave him specific instructions.

He said: I dont want to see photos of her at luncheons with eight different wines in full view or jet-set types lolling around in bikinis. Do what you can to remind her to be aware of that. Above all, no nightclub pictures.

As it turned out Jackie would visit a nightclub in Positano and spend a wild a night in Capri with Princess Irene Galitzine - but they managed to avoid the press.

The death of Patrick Kennedy in August 1963 would bring the First Lady back to Onassis.

Patrick died after two days from a respiratory illness and Hill writes that his heart ached for Mrs Kennedy and the President over the devastating loss.

When the President went to the Otis Air Force Base hospital in Massachusetts to see his son he looked like he had been to hell and back, with swollen eyes and sorrow etched over his face.

In his new memoir Five Presidents, former Secret Service agent Clint Hill reveals details about the affair between Mrs Kennedy and Mr Onassis and how Mr Kennedy tried to stop it. Hill served five Presidents during his 17 years in the Secret Service

Hill was there in November 1963 when JFK was shot dead along his motorcade route in Dallas as his car passed through Dealey Plaza

JFK's vehicle was surrounded by officials and Secret Service agents when he was shot and killed in Dallas in 1963

After JFK was shot, a Secret Service agent climbed on to the vehicle as Jackie Kennedy stood over her husband

Hill led Kennedy into the room and closed the door behind him; later Hill was told that the doctors released Patrick from the tubes so he was able to hold his son for the first and last time.

Jackie was still too weak to attend the funeral which was probably a blessing as the President broke down as the tiny white coffin was lowered into the family plot.

Jackie stayed in Hyannis Port for the rest of the summer and her husband took great pains to be supportive to her, Hill writes.

But she was having a much more difficult time getting back to normal and she seemed to be spiraling further into depression.

Her sister Lee Radziwill had been trying to persuade her to take up the offer made by Onassis, with whom she had already had an affair, to spend some time on his yacht in the Mediterranean to try and lift the depression.

Hill writes that members of Mr Kennedys own staff were expressing concern how this would appear to the public.

Onassis was known for his party lifestyle and was providing his personal yacht for use by the First Lady.

Hill writes that Jackie was aware of the political ramifications but he was so concerned about Mrs Kennedy that he insisted she should go.

On October 1 she did just that and disappeared for two weeks on board the Christina, Mr Onassis luxury yacht with nine double guest cabins.

The trip was extensively covered by the media and photos appeared of Jackie and Onassis at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

They were seen holding hands in ancient Smyrna and later the tour stopped at Skorpios, Onassis own private island, which was shaped like a scorpion.

On the final night all the guests, which included Lee Radziwill, her husband Prince Stanislas Radziwill and Commerce Secretary Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Susan, were given expensive gifts - Jackies was a diamond and jewel necklace.

Her aides said that when she returned to America she was not only healed - she was a different woman.

After JFK was assassinated in 1963, Jackie Kennedy married Onassis five years later. Pictured above is the couple in 1969

Onassis and Jackie Kennedy (pictured in 1968 with ten-year-old Caroline Kennedy) were married on October 20, 1968, on Onassis' private island

The great irony of JFKs suspicions is that he had been cheating behind his wifes back for years.

The most notorious of his affairs was Marilyn Monroe but Kennedy is said to have had flings with dozens of admirers.

Among them was Mimi Alford, a White House intern with whom he had an 18-month liaison including having sex with her in his wifes bed.

Alford, who was just 19 at the time, wrote in her memoir that she felt powerless as he pulled her into Mrs Kennedys room and undressed her - even though she was a virgin.

She also claimed that he once made her inhale a sex drug at a debauched party at Bing Crosbys desert ranch and coerced her into performing a sex act on an aide.

While on that same trip to Paris in 1961 Kennedy is said to have asked notorious French brothel owner Madame Claude to find him a prostitute who looked like his wife only hot.

In Hills book he goes over the awful moment that JFK was shot dead in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

Hill was one of those running alongside the Presidential motorcade and jumped onto the Presidents car when the first shot rang out.

He described the third shot - which killed Mr Kennedy - as like the sound of a melon shattering onto cement as it made Mr Kennedys head explode.

The book says: (Mrs Kennedys eyes filled with terror as she reached out and grabbed a piece of the Presidents head that had flown onto the trunk.

She didnt even know I was there. She was in complete shock. Her husbands head had just exploded inches from her face.

Jackie told Hill: My God! They have shot his head off!

Years later when Mr Hill was reassigned to Secret Service HQ to train new agents and he would have to watch the Zapruder film which captured the assassination.

Hill writes that it was surreal to see the horror from a different perspective. And theyd play the film over and over, sometimes in slow motion, so I had to relive it over and over. It was excruciating.

Hill admits that he was suffering from PTSD and turned to drink to help with his problems, something he says he is not proud of.
A Boston traffic reporter signed off with her female name for the first time this week during a live broadcast.

WBZ-AM traffic reporter Scott Eck signed off on Wednesday as Kristen Eck.

While working for one of the area's most popular news stations, she has been going through a transition.

WBZ-AM traffic reporter Scott Eck signed off for the first time Wednesday, May 4, 2016, as Kristen Eck, a public step toward her transition

Transgender issues have been part of the national conversation ever since Olympian Bruce Jenner announced to the world that he identifies as a female and was changing his name to Caitlyn Jenner.

Attention to transgender issues continued with the recent battles in several states over bathroom access for transgender people and the firing of former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling from ESPN for forwarding a Facebook post that many found offensive.

And although Eck, 45, was aware of the heightened public interest, her decision to live as a woman was deeply personal.

She said she knew at age 5 she was supposed to be a girl.

She told WBZ: 'This has been a journey of sorts that Ive been on for the last 40 years of my life.

'It was when I was about 5 years old that something clicked in my head and I realized that I was different from most of the other kids around me.

'There was something from deep within me that said, "This isn't my body," or this isn't the body that I'm supposed to have.

'I felt very genuinely and very deeply that I was supposed to be a girl.'

Eck reports on crashes, traffic jams and detours from a helicopter during morning and evening drive times for the area's dominant news radio station

Eck has said: 'This has been a journey of sorts that Ive been on for the last 40 years of my life'

Eck reports on crashes, traffic jams and detours from a helicopter during morning and evening drive times for the area's dominant news radio station.

She said: 'The last 40 years for me there has been a lot of inner turmoil, and it reached the point that it was affecting my health because I didn't like myself.'

She said she was stressed out, grinding her teeth, overweight, and smoking way too much.

'I couldn't hold it anymore and I didn't want to,' the Barnstable native said.

Eck told WBZ: 'A lot of people were wondering about that, saying if you're making this transition, if you're becoming Kristen, does your voice go away? And it doesn't.

'It'll be the same voice that you hear every day in the helicopter; that you've been hearing every day in the helicopter.

'That stays the same. The sense of humor stays the same  for better or worse.

'My love of doing this [radio] stays the same. So there are a lot of things that won't change at all.'

Eck has been transitioning with the help of Fenway Health transgender counseling services and has been on hormone therapy for the better part of a year.

The announcement Wednesday is part of a yearlong period of living as a woman, after which she hopes to have gender reassignment surgery.

'I am a much healthier and happier person now,' said Eck, who technically works for a station contractor.

Eck, 45, said she knew at age 5 that she was supposed to be a girl

Eck made the announcement to her colleagues Tuesday; and as far as the newsroom at the CBS station is concerned, she is the same person she was before the name change and the same valued 19-year member of the on-air team

Eck made the announcement to her colleagues Tuesday; and as far as the newsroom at the CBS station is concerned, she is the same person she was before the name change and the same valued 19-year member of the on-air team.

'The way I look at it, Kristen Eck is doing the same great job as Scott Eck was before, and that's the end of the story,' said Peter Casey, WBZ's director of news and programming.

And drivers can expect to hear the same smooth voice they have for almost two decades as they sit in traffic.
Bill Cosby is trying again to delay hearings in his criminal case while he fights to get the sex-assault charges in Pennsylvania dismissed.

The disgraced comedian asked the state Supreme Court on Wednesday to review last week's decision by an appeals court that upheld the case.

Cosby, 78, is charged with indecent sexual assault over a 2004 encounter with former Temple University employee Andrea Constand.

His preliminary hearing is set for May 24.

Bill Cosby (pictured in February) is trying again to delay hearings in his criminal case while he fights to get the sex-assault charges in Pennsylvania dismissed

The state's high court could dismiss the appeal, hear the appeal and delay the hearing, or take the appeal but refuse to grant a delay.

Cosby, 78, is charged with indecent sexual assault over a 2004 encounter with former Temple University employee Andrea Constand

District Attorney Kevin Steele has said it's time for the case to move forward. Cosby was arrested Dec. 30 and has not yet entered a plea.

Steele reopened the case last year after new evidence emerged that he thought strengthened the accuser's 2005 police complaint.

That evidence includes similar accounts by dozens of other Cosby accusers and Cosby's admission, under oath in a deposition, that he had gotten sedatives to give to women he hoped to seduce.

Cosby's lawyers say there's no harm in delaying the probable-cause hearing, given that prosecutors took nearly 12 years to bring charges.

The heart of their underlying argument to dismiss the case is that former District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. now says he had promised that Cosby would never be prosecuted over the encounter.

Castor has testified that he urged Cosby's late lawyer, Walter M. Phillips Jr., to have Cosby testify in a civil lawsuit brought by the woman, Andrea Constand.

Steele seized on that newly-released testimony in reopening the criminal case last year.

'The (former) district Attorney ... made an unequivocal and binding promise to Mr. Cosby that the commonwealth would never prosecute him,' defense lawyer Carl A. Solano wrote in the motion for a stay.

'That right will be irreparably lost if the May 24, 2016 preliminary hearing is allowed to go forward.'

Cosby remains free on $1 million bail.

Steele was traveling Wednesday and was unavailable for comment, a spokeswoman said.
Missing: Natalie Hemming was last seen on Sunday

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 31-year-old woman went missing from her home.

Natalie Hemming was last seen in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, on Sunday afternoon and was reported missing by a relative shortly after 4pm on Tuesday.

Detectives described the disappearance as 'out of character' and said they are keeping an 'open mind about the circumstances'.

A 42-year-old man from Milton Keynes was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the investigation earlier today and remains in police custody.

Ms Hemming, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, was last seen wearing a blue top, blue jeans and a short black jacket.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Steel, of Thames Valley Police Major Crime Unit, said: 'Our priority is to find Natalie and return her to her family as soon as possible.

'We would like to speak to anyone who has any information about where Natalie may be or anyone who has seen her since 3pm on Sunday.

'If you recognise someone fitting Natalie's description or have any details which could assist with the investigation, no matter how insignificant you feel they may be, please contact the police.

'Officers are keeping her relatives updated at this time.'

Thames Valley Police today searched a property in Newton Leys, Milton Keynes in connection with the investigation but would not say whether the house belonged to Ms Hemming or the suspect.

A spokesman would not be drawn on whether the suspect and Ms Hemming were known to each other, or the details surrounding his arrest.

Investigation: Thames Valley Police officers today searched a property in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
An abused wife whose husband wanted to take her to join ISIS is dramatically saved in a new documentary on life in Britain's most diverse towns.

The terrified victim from Luton - named only as Fatima - was forced to watch horrific Jihadi John-style beheading videos recorded in Iraq and Syria.

Her mother-in-law would also hold her down while her husband, from an arranged marriage, would pull her hair, punch her in the stomach and threaten her with a knife.

Bangladesh-born Fatima was then told they were going to Syria and she fled to a Bedfordshire Police station, using an interpreter to reveal her ordeal to detectives.

Her story will be shown tonight on Channel 4's 24 Hours in Police Custody, which also broadcast the moment English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson attacks a Muslim prison inmate.

This is the moment a Muslim bride, left in a blue headscarf, was rescued by police after her husband threatened to take her to join ISIS against her will

The terrified victim - named only as Fatima - had been held down by her partner and mother-in-law and forced to watch horrific execution videos recorded in Iraq and Syria. She is seen her speaking to a police officer who helps interpret

With exclusive behind the scenes access to Bedfordshire Police, the documentary reveals the ongoing battle to control tensions between extremist groups in Luton, the most racially and religiously diverse town in Britain.

Fatima's story shows the level of abuse that she suffers at the hands of her Muslim husband in a town she moved to after their marriage was arranged.

Her own mother-in-law even helped her son attack his wife, who doesn't speak English.

However, she managed to escape and flee to a Luton hotel with her brother, from where they made a panicked plea for police help.

The pair were then taken to a safe-house before officers tracked down her abusive husband.

Investigating Officer Gill Cook-Smith described the region as having 'two extreme worlds'.

She said: 'I would say Luton is a bit of a tinder box; youve got two big elements here, youve got the ELD, The English Defence League that grew in Luton with a guy called Tommy Robinson and youve got the Muslim Extremists.

'It is pretty hard for the police to deal with that.

'The July 7 bombers, they actually caught the train down from Luton. Youve heard in the news recently of families, whole families, going off to Syria. There are two extreme worlds in Luton.'

Last to appear is English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson, arrested at Luton Airport after arriving home from a holiday abroad

He is charged with assaulting a Muslim inmate during a recent detention at HMP Peterborough (pictured, in a CCTV still)

On the show English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson is arrested at Luton Airport after arriving home from a holiday abroad.

He is charged with assaulting a Muslim inmate during a recent detention at HMP Peterborough.

The police officer shows him CCTV footage revealing how Robinson walks past the victim before suddenly turning and punching him to the ground.

The far-right founder insists that he attacked the Muslim man in self-defence.

Speaking to the camera while in custody about life in his home town of Luton he said: 'If youve got three kids like Ive got and youre growing up in a town like this with everything thats going on - I think Ive got a duty as a dad to try and change that.

'Luton was named by what American Government, American CIA as the epicentre of all terrorist activity. Its not a joke, you know what I mean?

'Theres killers out there. Thats the thing. Talk about ISIS, youre fighting ISIS abroad  you dont have to fight them abroad, youre standing next to them in the bank.'

Also featuring in the documentary are mother and son duo Julie and Jake Wright, who are both hauled into custody after an argument with their neighbours.

Video evidence appears to show the pair shouting racially aggravated abuse at a woman and her son who live a few doors down on their street.

Both react violently when they are first arrested, with their tempers failing to ease when they arrive at the station.

Also featuring in the documentary are mother and son duo Julie (left) and Jake Wright (right), who are both hauled into custody after an argument with their neighbours

Video evidence (pictured) appears to show the pair shouting racially aggravated abuse at a woman and her son who live a few doors down on their street

However, when being interviewed they mellow and both speak about rows with their neighbours that they claim have become such a strain on their lives that they have had to fork out nearly 1,000 in hotel bills just to get away from it for the odd night.
The son of one of Australia's wealthiest cattle barons is embroiled in a legal stoush with his three siblings over his $60 million inheritance more than a decade after their parents died in a plane crash.

Mark Menegazzo has been locked in a long-running court battle with his siblings after claiming they short-changed him with a $60 million settlement when he opted out of the family business Stanbroke Group in 2007.

Their parents, Peter and Angela Menegazzo, were killed in a fiery light plane crash in NSW in 2005 and left the family fortune - estimated to be worth $499 million - equally to their four children.

Mark Menegazzo, the son of Australian cattle tycoons Peter and Angela Menegazzo (pictured), has been locked in a long-running court battle with his siblings over his $60 million inheritance

The Stanbroke Group owns six properties across 1.6 million hectares in northern Queensland, a processing plant and feedlot.

Mark received $64 million as his quarter share of his parent's assets in 2007 when he opted out of the family business, the Brisbane Times reports.

He also received full ownership of Queensland Gulf property Vanrook Station, which was valued at almost $56 million, in exchange for relinquishing his ownership in companies and trusts left to the children.

Mark's siblings Debra, Brendan and David also agreed to absolve an $18.5 million debt he owed in the negotiations.

Peter and Angela Menegazzo were killed in a fiery light plane crash in NSW in 2005 and left the family fortune - estimated to be worth $499 million - equally to their four children

Cattle baron Peter Menegazzo, pictured being farewelled at his funeral in 2005, owned the Stanbroke Group, which has six properties across 1.6 million hectares in northern Queensland, a processing plant and feedlot

He filed a statement of claim in the Queensland Supreme Court in 2013 claiming he should have received another $40 million from his parent's fortune and accused his siblings of short-changing him in a 'secret agreement'.

Mark tried unsuccessfully to change his statement of claim in court on Tuesday to say his siblings did not deliberately undervalue his parent's estate but it was an 'equitable common mistake'.

He is still pushing for the $40 million he claims he is owed and he is also suing PricewaterhouseCoopers claiming they undervalued his father's fortune, which led to him receiving his share of $64 million.

Former potato grower Peter Menegazzo bought Stanbroke for $490 million in 2003 with Queensland grazier Peter Hughes and Hungry Jacks founder Jack Cowin.

He bought his partners out within a few months.

It is not known when the matter will return to court.
A five-year-old girl has been trained to develop a photographic memory so sharp it allows her to memorise 500 separate items in preparation for the NAPLAN exams - even though she won't be sitting the test for another three years.

Julia Rozenkova is one of a handful of students of Shichida Education - a controversial Japanese brain-training teaching method whose trainers work with children as young as six months old.

While she is too young to sit the nationwide numeracy and literacy test next week, she has been signed up to the learning program, which costs parents up to $3,157 a year, three years early.

As part of her training, she has been taught how to memorise hundreds of daily items in succession, a skill which will stand her in good stead for the test when she comes to sit it, say tutors.

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Five-year-old Julia Rozenkova recited 500 items in a row after memorising 10 sheets which had 50 images of the selected items printed on them (above)

In a video shared by Julia's father, Vladislav she is seen rattling through a list of five hundred separate items almost without hesitation.

Clapping at points and reciting the items with a song-like rhythm, she was prompted only once - on item 494, a sock.

Mr Rozenkov, who works in medical research, enrolled Julia in the program when she was just three, and say she enjoys going to classes more than anything.

'She gets excited by learning. We've been very happy with her progress,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

While the children are typically given a card of 50 items to memorise every fortnight, the 51-year-old Rozenkov said Julia was able to remember each of the pictures on the page after just a few days.

'They give them the pages of 50 pictures and they tell them a story about how to link them to remember them.

In a video shared by Julia's father, the child rattled through the items after learning them over the course of 10 10 weeks

The little girl claps while reciting the words with a song-like rhythm (above) and is only prompted once by her father on item 494, a sock

Julia can also memorise music by looking at song sheets once, learning whole songs to play on the piano at a time

Julia's father, Vladislav (seen above left with his wife, Phuong Nguyen) said their daughter's favourite thing to is going to school. She also excels at ballet, he said, because she is able to remember all the moves quickly

'We just let Julia repeat her words every day, just a few minutes of practice, and she normally remembers within a few days or a week.

'You can see that she's very relaxed she's not even thinking about it. It's photographic, she just takes a snapshot of all the pictures.'

HOW YOUR CHILD CAN DEVELOP A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY Tutors at Shichida Education say the below techniques allow children to develop their photographic memories: Children aged two Show the child a grid with nine pictures in it for three seconds then ask them to point out where each image was in an empty grid. Aged four Show the child a photograph and ask them to replicate it in a drawing. Aged five and above Show flashcards while telling a story using the words they depict. After 50 flashcards, ask the child to repeat what they saw in order. Increase the number of items with new stories and flashcards each week.

Since posting the video Julia has learned another 150 items, bringing the sequence of photographs she can remember in order to 650.

Speaking of preparing her for her exams in a few years, Mr Rozenkov, who works in medical research, said: 'She's just turned five so it's still a long way until NAPLAN but obviously we hope that her results will be good and above average.

'It's more just what she learns daily.'

Julia is also enrolled in Russian and piano lessons and can play entire songs from memory after glancing at song sheets a handful of times.

'She plays everything from memory, she doesn't read the music. She looks at the new piece a couple of times and after that she doesn't look at the notes. She doesn't need it.

While teachers claim the optimum age for honing photograph memory is between six-months-old and three, it can be taught at any age to any child with enough practice, said teacher Hanako Ward.

'While a child is young the photographic memory can be developed. Children are able to work on their photographic memory because in the early years of life they are very dominant in the (brain's) right hemisphere of processing,' she said.

Photographic memory, she continued, is a 'uniquely right-hemisphere dominant skill'.

Honing the ability while children are young means they are more likely to have success in the NAPLAN exams which measure the level at which the country's children are learning.

The Shichida Australia program has centres in Melbourne and Sydney and more than 30 across Japan

'It helps when they do a test like NAPLAN because they can draw on acquired information. Kids that do have photographic memory can naturally process information a lot easier.

'Parents are getting their kids to study for it but we believe it's not about cramming. It's about teaching the kids how to process information.'

Hanako Ward, who teaches at the centre, said any child has the ability to hone their photographic memory

Some experts have slammed the centre, however, for promoting what they deem to be unnecessary preparation for the test which is designed to assess a child's natural learning abilities.

Professor Michael Nagel who specialises in early learning at the University of the Sunshine Coast said there was 'no evidence' to suggest a child's memory could be enhanced in infancy.

'What this might be is an exceptional child with an exceptional memory but we know from science that memory improves with age.

'Trying to make a link between being able to memorise and being able to perform in the NAPLAN exam is a bridge too far,' he said.

Commenting on the wider trend of parents who appear to push their children to extremes to achieve academic success, he said: 'All parents want their kids to have the best start in life but, for whatever reason, we've seen a cultural shift that suggests the sooner we do things the better.

'We've stopped letting kids be kids. The welfare of children it's not just about how well they do in the NAPLAN.'

Shichida Education, which has four centres in Melbourne and Sydney and 30 across Japan, has attracted controversy in the past.

Experts claimed its ambitious learning goals for children and babies encouraged competitiveness, with some suggesting pupils may be damaged by having such high expectations thrust on them at such a young age.

Last year the centre revealed how it was teaching babies as young as six months old to speak foreign languages and recognise fine art.
GPs are treating thousands of dementia patients in care homes like second-class citizens, a damning report warns today.

Some are refusing to visit vulnerable patients unless they are paid up to 36,000 a year, and will only prescribe drugs over the phone.

One elderly woman was made to wait in agony for 17 hours after suffering a severe allergic reaction because the GP would not see her out-of-hours.

Second class: Alzheimers Society say some GPs are refusing to visit vulnerable patients unless they are paid up to 36,000 a year, and will only prescribe drugs over the phone (file photo)

Some surgeries will not even register patients once they move into a home because they are deemed to take up too much of doctors time.

A report by the Alzheimers Society warns that many of the 280,000 residents in care homes are being subject to a second-class service by GPs and other NHS specialist staff.

It reveals that GPs are charging a fifth of care homes to visit residents when they should be doing it for free.

LIVING WAGE PUTS ELDERLY AT RISK The national living wage could help push more than a quarter of care homes out of business within three years, experts warned yesterday. Around 5,000 care homes are at risk of closure because they are weighed down by too much debt and do not make enough profit to cover the repayments. The industry is already struggling as councils have been told to cut budgets, causing many to reduce the fees they pay care homes to look after elderly people who cannot afford to pay their own bills. The living wage of 7.20 an hour could now tip many over the edge, according to consultants Opus Business Services. Their spokesman Nick Hood said: With the Living Wage there will be a rising tide of closures. The only hope of salvation is if the Government wakes up in time and loosens its purse strings.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimers Society, said: Far from having their rights respected, people with dementia are often treated as second-class citizens.

This has got to stop. People with dementia living in care homes are just as entitled to receive free care from the NHS as anyone else.

Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, which represents care homes, who also wrote the report, said patients were being all but abandoned by GP services.

An estimated 70 per cent of adults in care homes have dementia and need regular check-ups by GPs, as well as extra visits if they are unwell or suffer a fall.

But doctors say they are already under huge pressure and do not have the time or the resources to provide such a dedicated service.

They also point out that in the past, many of these patients would have been looked after in hospital, and now the NHS is leaning on them to provide the same high level of care.

The report is based on a survey of 286 care home managers in England, which found that a fifth were being charged by GPs to go and visit patients.

Doctors say they're under huge pressure and don't have time or the resources to provide a dedicated service (file photo)

One care home was paying out 36,000 a year while the average was 12,000  money which could be spent improving care for dementia patients.

Care home managers said GPs often refused to visit patients, particularly out of hours.

Jean Smith, 85, who is in a care home in Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, waited 17 hours for a GP after developing a sudden allergic reaction to antibiotics. The doctor had refused to visit because it was a weekend.

Earlier this year senior GPs voted to end visiting care homes unless they were paid extra money.
Sainsbury's and Amazon are to go head-to-head in a battle that will transform Britain's shopping culture and trigger a new price war.

The supermarket is re-inventing itself with the 1.4billion purchase of Argos, which will allow shoppers to click and collect more than 50,000 products within four hours.

There will also be a same-day delivery service of thousands of products from a combined business that will dwarf the UK sales of Amazon.

Amazon has already planned its retaliation with the appointment of a former Asda executive as its new British chief and the imminent launch of its own fresh food home delivery service.

Sainsbury's is re-inventing itself with the 1.4billion purchase of Argos, which will allow shoppers to click and collect more than 50,000 products within four hours - sparking a battle and price war with Amazon (file picture)

The move is predicted to trigger a titanic price war, delivering further savings to families in terms of putting meals on the table.

The developments will accelerate changes in British shopping culture towards buying through smartphones and computers rather than on the high street.

They also raise questions as to how the likes of Tesco and Asda, which already have substantial online shopping services, will respond.

A study by retail analysts Mintel reported online grocery sales were 8.6billion last year. And it is predicting they will soar 73per cent to reach 15billion by 2020.

The management at Sainsbury's are trying to future-proof the company by tackling the threat posed by the budget chains, Aldi and Lidl, on one side and Amazon on the other.

However, City analysts say the diversification and huge costs involved represent an enormous gamble.

Yesterday, Sainsbury's revealed that sales in 2015 were down by 290million compared to the year before at 25.8billion. As a result, underlying profits fell by 13.8per cent to 587m.

The falls were largely driven by the impact of the discounters, which have forced the company to cut prices by an average of 4per cent over the past two years.

Bosses at Sainsbury's have taken the view that this slow decline is likely to continue unless they take drastic action.

Chief executive Mike Coupe explained the strategy, saying: 'The market is changing very rapidly, our customers have more choices than they have ever had. The use of technology is becoming more important in the retail sector.

'By acquiring Argos we will provide our customers with the ability to buy well over 50,000 products, collect them in any one of 2,000 outlets, whether that is Argos or Sainsbury's stores, within four hours. We think that is pretty compelling in the overall scheme of things.

'We think it would be pretty compelling and unique in the world when we have rolled out and executed what we are planning.

Online retail giant Amazon has already planned its retaliation with the appointment of a former Asda executive as its new British chief and the imminent launch of its own fresh food home delivery service (file picture)

'The ability to click and collect in over 2,000 locations that are convenient to you, on your doorstep, or indeed have it delivered to home across a wide portfolio of products will be quite compelling.'

The company is also working on improving 3,000 of its own-label products to maintain its reputation on food quality.

Sainsbury's has already made significant strides away from being a simple grocer. The company's clothing lines, including Tu, have proved popular with sales up 8.5per cent in 2015.

The company said 70per cent of these purchases are made online and then collected in stores.

Sainsbury's also has a growing financial arm and bank, with plans to start offering mortgages.

It opened 69 'Local' stores during the year and sales through its convenience stores were up nine per cent during the year to over 2.3 billion.

The combined sales of Sainsbury's and Argos are around 30billion, which dwarfs the UK figure for Amazon in 2015 of 6.31billion. The take-over is currently going through an approvals process by the competition authorities.

Amazon has ambitious expansion plans under its new boss, Doug Gurr, who has returned to Britain after overseeing the company's business in China.

The internet retailer is planning to create over 2,500 new permanent jobs this year, bringing the UK total to more than 14,500.

It launched Amazon Pantry, which offers big brands including Colgate, Kellogg's and Ariel, in November last year.

The prices are generally lower than in the supermarkets. However, customers do need to subscribe to its Prime service, which costs 79 a year.

It also has a partnership with Morrisons where the supermarket will sell its fresh produce through the Amazon site starting later this month.
Vanished: Angela Kelly is missing with her children

A mother has vanished with her two young children hours after accusing police of taking them away from her.

Angela Kelly was last seen with her daughters Shanti Harbourne, 12, and five-year-old Maya-Rose Kelly-Johnson in Camberley, Surrey, on Sunday evening.

The night before their disappearance, Miss Kelly posted a message on Facebook saying police had 'illegally' taken her children away, giving her no warning besides an email.

She wrote: 'Can anyone help? The police took my children into care last night... tried to run but they caught us... they had no paperwork but took the children anyway... only an email of a court order sent to my email address... I need to negotiate with them when their offices open again on Tuesday... anyone got any experience? Thanks.'

At 6am on Sunday, Miss Kelly wrote again: 'Hi everyone... Shanti and Rosie still being held against their will and mine by the state... but I feel stronger today... thank you for your messages of support, loves... xxx.'

It is not known whether the girls were officially released back into her care, but later on Sunday, Miss Kelly and her children disappeared.

Scotland Yard appealed for help last night in tracing them amid suspicions that they are being harboured by family members. A spokesman said this morning that the family had not been located, but would not comment on Miss Kelly's Facebook claims.

Within minutes of Miss Kelly's Facebook post on Saturday, her mother Sylvia, a retired superintendent registrar, wrote back: 'Dad & I are meeting you at the Town Hall at 11am. My no is if you want to change that. Love Mum xxxxxx.'

Police appeal: Shanti Harbourne, 12, and Maya-Rose Kelly-Johnson, five, have not been seen since Sunday

Dozens of other friends posted messages of support.

In March, Miss Kelly, the managing director of a restaurant, wrote on Facebook: 'No court order is ever valid If you are being evicted etc etc... stand up for yourselves!'

Police believe the children may be in Camden, north London, but said the family also have links to West London.

Online messages: The night before their disappearance, Miss Kelly posted a message on Facebook saying police had 'illegally' taken her children away, giving her no warning besides an email

A spokesman said: 'Police are appealing for the whereabouts of two children who have gone missing.

'Shanti Harbourne, 12, and her five-year-old sister Maya-Rose Kelly-Johnson have not been seen since May 1. They were last seen in Camberley, Surrey, at 11pm on May 1.
If you think City bankers earn the big bucks, think again.

The real fat cats are more likely to work for a foreign IT company and be based in the London suburbs, new research suggests.

German software maker SAP has emerged as the best paying firm in the UK, with staff taking home an average of 90,000 in pay and perks.

Scroll down for video

The real fat cats are more likely to work for a foreign IT company and be based in the London suburbs

The package, which is more than three times the UK average, includes an average basic salary of 75,000.

The little known firm has its UK headquarters in Feltham, a suburban town two miles from Heathrow airport and far removed from the glamour of Central London.

Second in the top ten best paying companies in the UK is EMC, another technology firm you have probably never heard of.

It is based seven miles away in the London suburb of Brentford. Its staff receive an average package of 86,500, including a basic wage of 70,000.

The third and fourth positions are both taken by consultancy firms, which are often derided for their love of management jargon but command huge fees from blue chip clients.

Those lucky enough to work at McKinsey & Company receive an average of 85,499, whole staff at Boston Consulting Group receive 83,311.

Perhaps surprisingly, there are just three banks, all of them foreign, in the list of the top ten best-paid companies compiled by online recruitment firm Glassdoor.

These are Germanys Deutsche Bank, where staff earn 75,000 on average, Japans Nomura International (74,990) and French lender BNP Paribas (73,000)

Experts said shortage of highly skilled IT workers means people with computer skills command huge salaries

By contrast there are five technology firms in the top ten. As well as the two already mentioned, there are three Silicon Valley giants: Facebook (79,500), Cisco Systems (74,000) and Google (73,000).

Experts said the shortage of highly skilled IT workers means people with computer skills can command huge salaries, particularly as more of us rely heavily on technology at work and at home.

Dr Andrew Chamberlain from Glassdoor said technology boffins have the superstar effect as they can help companies reach millions of people through their smart phones.

He said: Tech salaries in particular tend to be high because of a shortage in specialist skills such as software development and programming, with a bidding war for these workers now underway.

The lack of a single British bank in the top ten may seem surprising, given the multi-million packages lavished on top executives and investment bankers.
Fed up with having to throw another pair of saggy 'Nora Batty' tights in the bin?

Now a British start-up firm claims it has the answer.

Heist, which is based in an old Spitfire factory in London's Mornington Crescent, boasts it has 'cracked the perfect pair of black tights'.

They don't sag around the crotch or the knee, and are not itchy either  or so the company claims.

Heist, which is based in an old Spitfire factory in London's Mornington Crescent, boasts it has 'cracked the perfect pair of black tights' - with the 22 hand-sewn pair having an elasticated waistband (pictured above)

The firm, which launched in November, says its hosiery has already proved a hit with customers, generating 10,000 in sales a day.

The secret, it says, is a more elasticated waistband. While most tights have 500 to 1000 spirals of elastic fibre around each thread, it uses 5,000.

The waistband is made out of a fabric used in sportswear, so it does not sag or leave marks on the body.

The tights also don't have any seams - making them invisible under clothes and eliminating the oft ill-placed gusset.

This comes at a cost. The tights, which are hand-sewn in Solferino in Italy, are not cheap, retailing for between 19 and 22.

Founder Edzard van der Wyck, 35, said he launched the company after his wife complained how difficult it is to get comfortable, stylish hosiery

The firm, which launched in November, says its hosiery has already proved a hit - generating 10,000 a day

The problem of saggy tights was probably best illustrated by Nora Batty from sitcom Last of the Summer Wine

He told the Telegraph: 'Tights are a tolerated but hated product. If you ask women what they think of tights, at first they say they're fine but then they admit they can't wait to rip them off at the end of the day. No one enjoys wearing them.'

But he added: 'We've cracked the perfect pair of tights, which is part of every woman's wardrobe.'

The problem of saggy tights was probably best illustrated by Nora Batty from the long-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine.
A British Muslim group has told its members that women should not be able to go further than 48 miles without a male chaperone.

Blackburn Muslim Association stipulates that it is not permissible for a women to go more than 48 miles, roughly three days walk, without her husband or a close male relative.

The statement is on a question and answer section on the groups website which offers solutions and answers to religious, social or financial matters according to Sharia teaching.

A Muslim group has said that women members should not travel more than 48 miles alone (picture posed by model)

The group claims to have received local government funding and is listed as an affiliate of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the Telegraph reported.

The website also states that men must grow beards and advises women to cover their faces.

Justine Greening, the International Development Secretary and equalities minister said the advice had no place in modern Britain branding it disgraceful.

Miss Greenings intervention came following a question from Tory MP David Davies in the Commons who asked if efforts to improve sexual equality would be made easier if organisations like the Blackburn Muslim Association were not putting out information to people that women should not be allowed to travel more than 48 miles without a chaperone?

Miss Greening replied: Frankly the view that they expressed on it is disgraceful and unacceptable.

Justine Greening branded the website's advice as 'disgraceful and unacceptable'

It has no place in Britain and is contrary to our British values and I think the Blackburn Muslim Association should very clearly and publicly withdraw those comments.

The Blackburn Muslim Association and the Muslim Council of Britain were unavailable for comment last night.

Dr Sheik Howjat Ramzy, an Oxford-based scholar and former head of the MCBs education committee told the paper: I believe this is offensive in this day and age that such a restriction should be placed on any woman against her wishes.

This practice was a very old tradition which had been followed by some when there was no security for women and when women were at risk of being abducted when travelling alone. - this was a tradition at the very beginning of Islam.

I would think no Muslim man has the right to impose these restrictions of movement. Women should be free to go where they please.

I believe they should withdraw this statement and not degrade women. Islam gives great freedom to women  travel is part of that freedom.

Lord Green, the founder of the think-tank Migration Watch UK, said: There is no place in our society for restrictions of this kind on the freedom of women.
Back in 2000, a little boy with cropped hair appeared before magistrates in Weston-super-Mare. Robert White's track record set him apart from other delinquents.

He was just 12 and barely 4ft, but was already a public menace. Council officials, working with police and social services, had compiled a list of his misdemeanours for the bench.

In the previous three months alone, the pint-sized youngster had been involved in at least 70 incidents of criminal damage, theft, assault (breaking a teenager's nose on one occasion), spitting at members of the public and verbally abusing and intimidating neighbours and shop staff. Most seriously, perhaps, he had shone a laser beam at a bus, causing the vehicle to crash, and frequently pelted cars with stones.

Serial offender: Robert White, left aged 12 in 2000 and today aged 29, has been in court 33 times in 17 years

Sometimes he was with his older brother; at other times he was in a gang. Robert White, however, was the common denominator in all these offences.

His file made startling reading. On one particular day, the dossier revealed, he was in trouble five times, 'banging on shop window intimidating staff (6.45am)' . . . 'refused to leave lighting shop  threatened to cause damage and steal (12.25pm)' . . . 'part of group seen shoplifting in several stores (12.35pm)' . . . 'destroyed floral display at Marks & Spencer  abusive to customers and staff (4.20pm)' . . . 'entered Woolworths twice during the day causing disruption'.

White was given an anti-social behaviour order, which banned him from the centre of Weston-super-Mare, where he lived. At the time, he was the youngest person in Britain to get an Asbo.

'Get out of Town,' screamed the headline in local paper, the Weston and Somerset Mercury, a front page which reflected both the decision of the court and the feelings of exasperated locals. The story received acres of coverage in the national press. They may yet make a film about Robert White. It could either be a gritty portrayal of recidivism  or a farce.

You will understand why when we tell you a little more about what happened to him, or rather, what didn't happen to him after he left court that day nearly two decades ago.

Asbos were introduced in 1998 by the Labour government to tackle persistent 'minor' offenders  in particular, so-called feral children  whose increasingly yobbish behaviour blighted communities but all too often went unpunished.

Feral child: Robert White, aged 13 in 2001

Anyone caught breaching their Asbo, it should be stressed, could be subject to criminal proceedings and a custodial term of up to five years.

How many breaches did White chalk-up? An astonishing 160, before finally being locked up, at the age of 15. He served just six months of a 12-month sentence for burglary and car theft at a young offenders' institution, where he would later boast of having had his own PlayStation and personal computer.

His parents  at least, in the biological sense  had the cheek, in one interview at the time, to blame the 'soft treatment' their son received for failing to rehabilitate him.

Casting aside their own role as parents for the moment, they were probably right. By the time he had reached adolescence, any chance he had of making something of his life  and repaying the debt he owed to society for the havoc he had wreaked  had almost certainly gone.

White is now 29 and a serial criminal. He has been in the dock 33 times since getting an Asbo all those years ago.

His latest appearance before a judge was at Bristol Crown Court last week, which heard how he was part of a gang, armed with an axe and a machete, which stormed a house in his home town. One of the victims lost two teeth and had his car, iPhone and cash stolen.

White, sporting the same crew cut hair he had as a boy, was jailed for six years and four months.

His story has implications beyond Weston-super-Mare. For, many will argue, it epitomises the shortcomings in the youth justice system that are having such a devastating impact across Britain.

Asbos were axed last year and Home Office statistics on their effectiveness are revealing. Of the 24,323 Asbos issued over the past decade or so, more than half were breached at least once. In some places, the figure was as high as 90 per cent.

When an Asbo was breached, it was done so on average five times. Few of these resulted in custodial sentences. So for many youngsters, say critics, they became a 'badge of honour', not a deterrent.

That undoubtedly proved to be the case for the young Robert White.

One of five children, he grew up on the Bournville Estate in Weston. His father, Richard, a delivery driver, and mother, June, have since moved to another part of the seaside town.

Delinquent: White, pictured at age 14 (left) and age 15 leaving Weston Super Mare magistrates' Court (right)

When they lived there, their estate was known by locals as the 'Bournville Bronx'. No family, they say, did more to contribute to the neighbourhood's tarnished reputation than the Whites.

The area has improved but, even now, few people are prepared to speak openly about their former neighbours. 'Robert White came from a very large family group,' said a pensioner, who asked not to be named. 'There is still a feeling of fear surrounding them. The extended family is still very active on the estate.

'As a youngster, Robert was always trying to impress his relatives. He was almost out of control, vandalising the local primary school, swearing at the elderly and just being a right pest.'

One woman who complained about him had excrement, spaghetti and tomatoes smeared over her windows and doors. Another neighbour had CCTV installed as a result of constant intimidation. Two others asked to be rehoused.

Defiant: Robert White, 12, leaving court in 2000

White was expelled so many times that no school would take him. He had to be home-tutored. In reality, he was left to roam Weston.

Residents suspected it was White who was behind a pub fire on the estate a few years ago.

They still remember the day he was given an Asbo  and what he did afterwards. Just 48 hours later, he brazenly flouted his ban by entering a community centre in the 'exclusion zone'  after drinking a litre of cider  and hurling abuse at a woman.

He was fined 10 and his mother was made to attend lessons on how to control her children. White's brother, Ben, older by two years, was often to be found by his side.

At one court hearing, White leaned against the courthouse wall puffing a cigarette, in between throwing stones at photographers, while Ben rode his bike through the court doors.

But, in a narrative that has become depressingly familiar, the family portrayed themselves as the real victims.

'We've never been helped,' Mrs White told the Daily Mirror in an exclusive interview at the height of Robert's notoriety in 2002.

'We've never been given advice. All we've had is hostility. When things go wrong, blame it on the Whites.'

Six months after that 'exclusive', her youngest son was making headlines again. Magistrates finally lost patience with him after hearing how he and three accomplices had been joyriding in a stolen Peugeot. A police chase ensued. White threw objects at the squad car as it followed. Officers finally stopped the vehicle using a stinger device, a spiked strip which shredded its tyres.

White, who could not write, gave the magistrates a letter written on his behalf which read: 'I am very, very, very sorry.' By then, as we said earlier, he had breached his Asbo at least 160 times, but only now, nearly three years on, was he finally taken off the streets of Weston-super-Mare.

'You have, over the years, been offered many chances to mend your ways, but you have rejected all of them,' the chairman of the magistrates told him.

White wept as he was led away from his parents in handcuffs.

His tears didn't last long. Shortly after being released, he was invited on to ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald. Drinking binges, he said, were behind most of his criminal activities. 'I started getting bored, going shoplifting, fighting. I'm probably drunk for most of them. That's why we go out shoplifting, earn money and get drunk.

'When I got caught for the first time I was pretty scared going down to the cells and that, but I got used to it after a while.'

Behind bars: He has been ailed for more than six years after he and three fellow thugs stormed a house armed with an axe and a machete, beat up residents and stole a car. Pictured, outside court with mother June in 2000

And the Bristol young offenders' institute where he had spent the past six months? It was a 'holiday camp', he said. Not surprisingly, the experience did nothing to curb his almost sociopathic behaviour. His first taste of adult prison life came in 2005 when, aged 18, he was jailed for four months for offences that included assaulting a police officer. Aged 21, he was back inside again  this time for a four-year stretch for threatening a shopkeeper with a machete.

He got out in June 2011. His family held a barbecue to celebrate. It was here that he met mother-of-two Hayley Wills, who was 19.

The pair hit it off and began dating. They lived together, on and off, for four years.

Hayley revealed: 'All of his family bragged and boasted about him being the youngest person to get an Asbo.'

She added. 'They wanted to show how tough he was. I didn't think it was anything to boast about.

Face of the Abso generation: Robert White, age 12

'But I thought he deserved a second chance. Everything was good at first. We had a laugh and a giggle. He was good with the kids. He would bring me flowers and chocolates.'

During their time together, White was arrested twice and their home was once raided by police.

'They took all my kitchen knives as they matched the description of a knife he had used to threaten someone,' Hayley said.

She discovered her boyfriend was also on heroin, a habit that began, he confessed, around the time he received the Asbo  aged 12.

'He would say to me he was going out for a drink with his friends and I wouldn't see him for three or four days. That's when he was using,' said Hayley, who has moved to her hometown, Birmingham.

'Then he'd call me, saying he was sorry. I gave him an ultimatum: sort it out or that's it. I couldn't have that around my kids. I left him because I had to protect them.'

That was two years ago. 'I'm not in contact with him any more,' she said. 'But I saw on Facebook that he'd gone down for six years.'

His victim was Noorul Ali, whose family run the Tandoori Masala curry house in Weston-super-Mare. 'He's OK, but we don't want to say anything,' said Mr Ali's sister, Sultana. Who can blame them? Mr Ali, who is from Bangladesh, was visiting friends in April last year when White and three others burst into the house. All of them, bar the gang member wielding the machete, had their faces covered. 'The offence involved significant planning and it was a prolonged incident,' the court heard.

'They [White and his accomplices] were shouting variously and collectively,' said the prosecutor.

'One hit him [the victim] in the mouth and then he was punched by all of them at different times, and they continued to shout, to give them everything.'

A top left at the scene had White's DNA on it. White himself was found nearby using Mr Ali's iPhone. He was the only gang member to be caught.

His father, Richard, a driver with private postal company UK Mail, and mother, June, who works in a care home, did not wish to speak about their son, said a young woman who answered the door of their terrace property last week.

But his sister, Emma, who lives with her partner and two young children on the edge of Weston-super-Mare, insisted he did not deserve his reputation.

'I know he's no angel but he's nothing like as bad as people are suggesting. He just got in with the wrong crowd. Mum and Dad are really unhappy about the way he's being portrayed. I do not recognise my brother by what I read in the papers. It's very upsetting. I'll stand by him.'

Her brother, just to recap, has been in court 33 times and is responsible for hundreds of offences in his home town.

Labour councillor James Clayton represents Bournville ward on Weston council. He said: 'The stories surrounding Robert White's time on the Bournville Estate are legendary and his Asbo was something he wore like a badge of honour.

'It did very little to deter his anti-social behaviour because Asbos were never properly enforced. It just meant he moved up to the next rung on the ladder of criminality.'
A Foreign Office minister has said Tim Peake feared being left in space if relations with Russia soured

British astronaut Tim Peake feared being left stuck in space if the West's relations with Russia deteriorated, a Foreign Office minister has said.

But Tobias Ellwood told MPs he had received assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Major Peake will not be abandoned on the International Space Station (ISS).

The Tory frontbencher, who said he is a friend of the astronaut, raised the issue with Mr Putin during the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.

A Russian Soyuz FG rocket blasted Major Peake into space in December, and he is spending six months on board the ISS.

Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate on Anglo-Russian relations, Mr Ellwood said: 'I had the opportunity to meet President Putin at the Baku Azerbaijan Games last year and wasn't quite expecting to see him, I have to say.

'But I did say to him that a friend of mine had cause to use Russian transport and was a bit concerned about international developments - the East and West - and he might get stuck at the end of his destination and not be able to get back.

'That friend of mine was called Tim Peake, he was using a Soyuz space capsule to get himself up to the International Space Station and didn't want to be abandoned up there.

'Mr Putin grabbed my arm and said, 'Mr Ellwood, tell Mr Peake we will not abandon him'.

'And that gives you an indication to say that it is possible to isolate some of these enormous concerns that we have, the sanctions that take place, that allow us to work on the international stage to tackle some of these areas, but also culturally and professionally and indeed from an industrial perspective, commercial perspective, to be able to continue these relationships.'
The first time real estate executive and presumptive GOP nominee for president Donald Trump is mentioned substantively in the Education Week archives is 1990. But the Common Core State Standards, which Trump professes to despise, didnt exist yet. And the 1990 article has nothing to do with shrinking or eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, something Trump says he wants to do .

So why was he in the story? You may not be surprised to learn that it was over a piece of property in Los Angeles. Trump wanted to turn it into a skyscraper , we reported nearly 26 years ago. But the Los Angeles school board had other ideas.

Trumps real estate group owned the site of the Ambassador Hotel on tony Wilshire Boulevard (as it happens, the site of Robert F. Kennedys assassination in 1968), and wanted to turn it into a 125-story office tower. But the Los Angeles board had selected the site for a high school that would serve 3,000 studentsthe board said the plan for the school was a key piece of its efforts to relieve overcrowding in the district.

The district voted unanimously to use eminent domain to force the sale of the property from Trumps organization. Trump was having none of it, and a bitter public feud between his group and the school board began. The two parties respective valuations of the land, for example, were tens of millions of dollars apart. Some local businesses sided with Trump.

The dispute between the district and the Trump Organization has been acrimonious. The two parties disagree over use of the property, dispute its worth, and question each others motives, former Education Week reporter Michael Newman wrote on May 23, 1990. And, thus far, attempts at a compromisesuch as an alternate site for the schoolhave failed.

So what happened? The Los Angeles Times, in a retrospective late last year , noted that in 1991, Trumps group agreed to take a $48 million deposit it had from the district and effectively cede control of the property to the district. That was much less than what his group had been demanding for the property. As the Times put it, Trump blinked.

The story didnt end there, as a lot of legal wrangling ensued over just how much money should change hands. At one point in 1993, Education Week reported that the school district had decided to drop its Wilshire Boulevard plans and look elsewhere for a new school. The final resolution to the disagreement came in 2001, when the district decided to buy the property after all for nearly $77 million. Today, its the site of a K-12 school campus.

School construction is still on Trumps mind, although in a different way. Last March, Trump gave an interview with the Washington Post in which he complained that the country spent money over and over again on building things like schools in Iraq, only to see them get blown up.

And yet we cant build a school in Brooklyn. We have no money for education, because we cant build in our own country, Trump told the Post.

And some might find irony in the fact that, roughly a quarter-century after his fight with the L.A. school board, Trump praised the power of local school boards in a campaign video posted to Facebook.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
This is the incredible moment Peruvian police take down a drug-smuggling plane by shooting it out of the sky.

The officers confiscated more than 70 kilos of cocaine after a sustained shoot out when the plane crash-landed in the valley of Pichis Palcazu.

A video taken by the enforcement authorities shows the plane smash into the ground and start to burn while the sound of gunfire echoes around the valley.

Dramatic: This is the incredible moment Peruvian police take down a drug-smuggling plane by shooting it out of the sky

Boom: A video taken by the enforcement authorities shows the plane smash into the ground and start to burn while the sound of gunfire echoes around the valley

Ablaze: The officers confiscated more than 70 kilos of cocaine after a sustained shoot out when the plane crash-landed in the valley of Pichis Palcazu

One suspect, thought to be a Columbian drug smuggler, escaped from the scene but the 58-year-old Bolivian pilot was shot and arrested.

In the mad scramble, it is believed that the smugglers managed to make off with or hide up to 200 kilos of cocaine worth millions of dollars.

The US government said Peru is the world's largest producer of the drug.

Last week Colombia deported Peru's most-wanted criminal drug lord Gerson Galvez back to his homeland.

He was arrested on Saturday at a Medellin shopping centre and deported to Peru less than 24 hours later because he did not have migration papers.

Galvez was first spotted in March in Ecuador before being seen in Panama and Colombia.

Danger: One suspect, thought to be a Columbian drug smuggler, escaped from the scene but the 58-year-old Bolivian pilot was shot and arrested.

Escape: In the mad scramble, it is believed that the smugglers managed to make off with or hide up to 200 kilos of cocaine worth millions of dollars

Confiscation: The US government said Peru is the world's largest producer of the drug

Force: Last week Colombia deported Peru's most-wanted criminal drug lord Gerson Galvez back to his homeland

Dubbed by Peruvian media as the 'new El Chapo', in reference to Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, Galvez is wanted in connection with 101 killings in Peru, where he is also alleged to have managed large shipments of cocaine from the nation's main seaport in Callao.

The head of Peru's police, General Vicente Romero, came personally to Bogota to oversee the deportation of Galvez, who is considered highly dangerous.

Peruvian authorities had been offering a 150,000 US dollar (102,000) reward for information leading to his arrest - the largest bounty offered against any Peruvian criminal.
Top British universities are slipping down global league tables as Asian institutions jump up the working rankings.

Oxford and Cambridge have both fallen two places this year in a major international league table, with the number of UK universities in the top 100 reducing from 12 to 10.

Bristol and Durham universities  both considered among the country's elite  have both fallen out of the list altogether.

Meanwhile 18 Asian universities now feature in the top 100, with the Tsinghua University, Beijing rising to 18th and Peking University jumping up to 21st.

Oxford (pictured) and Cambridge have both fallen two places this year in a major international league table, with the number of UK universities in the top 100 reducing from 12 to 10. Bristol and Durham universities  both considered among the country's elite  have both fallen out of the list altogether

The Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, published last night, suggest Britain may be starting to lose its grip as an international leader in higher education.

Yesterday, experts said the drop could be due to a range of factors, including a harsher treatment of students and academics seeking visas, which could be barring the world's brightest and best from the UK.

They also said the growing pressure on institutions to take students from disadvantaged and 'diverse' backgrounds may be a cause.

Alan Smithers, professor of education at the University of Buckingham, said: 'The UK university system is still punching above its weight, but there are worrying signs that its global standing may be in decline.

'In part, this is because for immigration reasons universities have become less open to students and scholars from around the world.

'But it is also because of government interference. Its current polices are causing universities to take their eye off the ball of recruiting the best to comply with government demands to increase the proportions entering and graduating from state schools, ethnic minorities and postcodes from which in the past few students have come.'

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, added: 'I think our universities continue to be very strong - just look at the exciting capital projects going on at most of those places listed in the new rankings. The challenge is that other parts of the world may be improving even faster than our own institutions.

'It is, however, true that there is a perception abroad that our higher education sector has been hit by our migration rules, which is damaging.'

Last month, figures obtained by the BBC showed more than 30,000 non-EU students a year have had their visas curtailed by the Home Office in the past three years.

The National Union of Students said international students were being 'scapegoated' in order to meet targets on net migration. Last year, a public outcry followed the refusal of the Home Office to allow Chinese academic Miwa Hirono (pictured) of the University of Nottingham to stay in the UK

And 410 educational establishments had their licences to sponsor international students revoked in the same period.

At the time, the Home Office has said that since 2010, it had 'cracked down on immigration abuse from poor quality institutions which were damaging the UK's reputation as a provider of world-class education, whilst maintaining a highly competitive offer for international students who wish to study at our world-leading institutions.'

But the National Union of Students said international students were being 'scapegoated' in order to meet targets on net migration.

Last year, a public outcry followed the refusal of the Home Office to allow Chinese academic Miwa Hirono of the University of Nottingham to stay in the UK.

Universities UK, which represents vice chancellors, has warned that well-publicised crackdowns on immigration have resulted in fewer applicants from scholars and students in India and other key countries.

Anthony Seldon said: 'I don't know of a university in Britain that doesn't want to broaden it's diversity.

'But we should not expect too much of universities when for 25 years schools have been trying without significant impact to narrow social and ethnic achievement divides.
David Cameron has banned his children from playing on their electronic devices on Saturday mornings.

Revealing the domestic rules at Number 10, he said would get upset if he caught them breaking the rule.

The prime minister spoke openly about his family life as he was quizzed by a group of 10-year-olds.

The Prime Minister David Cameron is pictured checking the web on an iPad as he eats breakfast during a Tory party conference. But he says he has banned his kids using their iPads on Saturday mornings

During the wide-ranging interview, he also told one of the children that if Britain left the EU it would be harder for him to study abroad.

The prime minister, who was three children with his wife Samantha, has previously said the couple limit their screen time and encourage them to lead very active lives.

They introduced rules for Nancy, 12, Elwen, 10, and five-year-old Florence, including a ban on mobile phones and limited access to the familys iPad.

Last week, at an event to mark the 10th anniversary of the First News childrens newspaper, Mr Cameron took questions from ten children.

Alex Garcia-Ghuran, from Hertfordshire, said: We learned from Mr Cameron that his children do not get to play with any electronic devices on Saturday morning and he will get upset if he catches them breaking the rule. That sounded like my dad.

They also challenged Mr Cameron on a range of topics, including support for child refugees, library closures and the EU referendum.

James said: David Cameron was really tall and very friendly. I asked him how it would affect me personally if we left the EU.

A young girl is pictured using an iPad mini. Mr Cameron said he would get quite upset if his children disobeyed the iPad rule

He spoke to me about how it may be harder to go to universities and study in different countries if we left.

Sharna said she was interested to know how Mr Cameron would help the unaccompanied Syrian refugee children coming to the UK settle in and reunite them with their families.

She wrote: He answered by saying that he was going to give the opportunity for up to 3,000 Syrian refugee children to enter the country between now and 2020.

He told us to keep this a secret until the next day, when he was going to make this announcement. He talked about giving them a good education and looking after them while they are in this country.

Amelia Angel Fleming, from Cambridge, asked why the Government allowed fracking for shale gas under national parks.

He told her: If it was dangerous we would not do it. When you transport gas all the way to Britain, think about all the energy you are using. If we use our own gas, it will reduce carbon emissions and it might even mean cheaper bills.

Amelia later said Mr Cameron had given her a good answer, but I still dont agree with it.

Isabelle Hall, from Yorkshire, said Mr Cameron was extremely tall and seemed really nice.

She added: Even though he was in a rush, he still answered nearly all of our questions which I thought was kind.

In 2014, Mr Cameron said his children watched nature programmes rather than cartoons, and took part in sport and played music.
Two New Zealand television presenters have apologised after a naked womans crotch was broadcast live during a segment on nude dining.

Story, a prime time current affairs show, was covering a dining stunt set up by a radio station when a waitress walked in front of the camera during a live cross, revealing a close up of her genitals.

The footage was not blurred.

Two TV presenters from New Zealand were left red faced after a womans crotch was aired live in prime time

The mishap occurred when a female waitress (pictured) walked in front of the camera in a segment on nude dining

Presenters Duncan Garner and Kim Vinnell offered a 'genuine' apology to viewers if they saw too much

I cant believe what I just saw, said Duncan Garner, the shows co-host.

Later in the show, after the program aired its second segment from the restaurant in Hamilton, in New Zealand's North Island, Garner offered a genuine apology to viewers who may have seen a little bit more than they wanted.

He later tweeted: Did you see what I saw?

Both Garner and co-host Kim Vinnell told viewers at the start of the program they were apprehensive about crossing live to the restaurant.

This can go so wrong in so many different ways, Vinnell said.

Garner said he was a bit worried about the segment but reporter Lachlan Forsyth was one of the teams most experienced.

Story, a primetime current affairs show, was covering a nude dining stunt set up by a radio station

Viewers took to the program's Facebook page to comment on the mishap.

What made yous think having a bunch of nude people on live TV was a good idea, was bound to have slip ups [sic]. Pretty awkward to watch with the family, one person wrote.

Another viewer said: Thanks story, my kids just seen things they didn't wish to see...and I didn't wish to explain just yet... bravo! [sic]

Veteran TV presenter Duncan Garner tweeted after the incident: 'Did you see what I saw?'

The show and its parent company Mediaworks has apologised for the on air slip up

Other posters saw the lighter side of the incident, saying there was no need to apologise for the nude shot - and one person said it was lucky he had live rewind.

The show apologised again on Facebook the following day.

If you saw last night's show we'd like to say we're very sorry the shot in the broadcast from the Hamilton cafe revealed more than we intended.

The hosts said they were apprehensive about live crossing to the restaurant at the start of the show

Co-host Kim Vinnell told viewers that the segment could go 'so wrong in so many different ways'
Well its not quite handbags at dawn. More like one particularly garish ladys bag versus a home-made spear, the rough-hewn flint bound to its ash-wood shaft with nettle twine.

Because Grayson Perry, the Turner Prize-winning transvestite potter, so much admired in fashionable circles, has launched a blistering attack on fellow celebrity Bear Grylls, TVs helicopter-hopping action man, and the kind of old-fashioned masculinity he represents.

Sparking a row ahead of a new series on modern masculinity, All Man, which starts on Channel 4 tonight, Perry said that Grylls would be better off teaching people how to walk into an estate agent in Finsbury Park and come out with an affordable flat.

Grayson Perry attending a party at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. But there's more to Britain than just London you know, Grayson

Thats in North London, by the way. Like most of our cultural ruling class, Perry seems to think that Britain begins and ends with London.

Or hunting for a good state school for their children. Not foraging for wild mushrooms, eating seaweed or teaching a bunch of jungle wannabes how to survive on a desert island.

Its a shrill but instructive outburst from the celebrated ceramicist and professional show-off, and Grylls responded in predictably robust style, saying of Perrys attack: Its desperate. [Gryllss TV programme] The Island celebrates masculinity. It shows what men can do when stripped of everything  if were suddenly without technology, without our car, without our supermarket and without our conveniences. Is it useless then?

TV adventurer Bear Grylls was this week named as the youngest ever Chief Scout. Does he represent something wrong about masculinity? I don't think so

The fact is that Perrys comments are so spectacularly wrong-headed, so smug, ignorant and unimaginative that they almost defy belief.

You may love Bear Grylls or loathe him, or maybe just find him getting a bit too glossy and successful these days: too many swooping helicopter shots, too much hanging out with outward-bound celebrities  Barack Obama even appeared on his show.

But theres no doubt that he approximates more closely to most peoples idea of a bloke than Grayson Perry. He has no fear of climbing cliffs, sleeping out in jungles or eating unusual parts of animals  and admits he dreads going to drinks parties and having to make small talk.

Perry is another kind of creature altogether, very much at home, one imagines, at a metropolitan cocktail party wearing one of his latest amusing creations: dressed as Pippi Longstocking perhaps or Anne of Green Gables. Fine, if thats what butters your crumpet.

But he goes further: this is how all men ought to be nowadays, he argues. Exploring their feminine sides, playing with their identities and leaving all that manly outdoor stuff behind. It simply has no place, says Perry, in the modern world.

In Las Vegas men are men and women are...ringcard girls. Britain's Amir Khan (right) prepares to fight Mexico's Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (left) at the weekend

But Bear Grylls and his macho world are part of a very British tradition that goes right back through the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, the founding of the Youth Hostel Association, the Boy Scouts (Grylls is Chief Scout) and that firm, no-nonsense hero of Empire with his neatly clipped moustache, Lord Baden-Powell.

Its hard to imagine a less fashionable figure in todays landscape than old Baden-Powell, yet his insights were timeless.

The great outdoors is a tremendous place to learn self- reliance, experience real risk, test your courage and learn to work in a team. To stop whining, put up with a few bumps and bruises, get the job done and come back home at the end of it pink-cheeked, a few pounds slimmer and altogether a fitter, better, happier person.

And whats wrong with that?

No doubt it all sounds far too hearty and outdated in the fashionably languid salons frequented by the likes of Perry.

A hangover is what he calls Gryllss style of Boys Own outdoor adventuring: a useless leftover from a vanished past.

What is going on when builders are staging their own Great British Bake Off? To be fair these guys at a building site in Cambridge did raise a lot of money for charity

The truth is that boys (of all ages) are as desperate as ever to be allowed to be boys still. Witness the staggering success of The Dangerous Book For Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden, which went straight to the top of the best-seller charts on its launch in 2006 and is full of stuff about how to make a bow and arrow, lay tripwires, and hunt and cook a rabbit.

A health and safety nightmare, and, of course, a colossal hit, beaten in the sales charts after its publication in the U.S. only by Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.

Yet our nannyish society becomes more regulated and feminised by the day, as even some outspoken feminists acknowledge.

In a culture weighted, almost prejudiced, against traditional masculinity, there can be few men who havent heard the complaint: Oh, that is such a male way of looking at it!

To which the most reasonable answer, I suggest, is: Well, I am male. What do you expect?

A generation of boys is growing up frustrated, bored to tears in a world of No Skateboarding, No Ball Games, No Competitive Sports; by history lessons that demand they empathise with the victims of the Empire, but never hearing those stirring tales of unbelievable bravery or grim self-sacrifice for a higher good that have gripped schoolboys for centuries. The Cockleshell Heroes? The Dam Busters? Nelson at Trafalgar? Not a chance.

Was David Beckham the ultimate 'man's man' or the first person to lead us on the slippery slope to metrosexuality?

That whole field of masculine heroism, loyalty and comradeship  qualities that ultimately protect families, nations and win wars against tyrannical foreign powers  is dismissed by Perry contemptuously as being nothing more than a capacity for casual violence.

Men might be good at taking the risk of stabbing someone or driving a car very fast, he sneers. But when it comes to opening up, men are useless.

So, in Perrys fantasy world, instead of cultivating physical courage, mental toughness and practical skills, men could make a more useful contribution to the modern world by talking about their feelings.

This is all we need. Already there are far too many weepy youths on talentless talent shows, blubbing because they just got pipped at the post by some other desperate warbler or criticised slightly by Simon Cowell.

And the cross-dressing potter wants more of this! God help us. Hasnt Perry heard that, quite apart from everything else, Women Do Not Fancy Blokes Who Blub?

He is always eager to open up about his own feelings, of course. Nowadays, he favours what he calls a Little Bo Peep look.

Its the furthest from the macho look you could get, he gushes. Its vulnerable, its young, its humiliating. The fantasy of humiliation is a big drug for many men.

T ell that to the thousands of white teenage boys for whom humiliation at school is a daily reality. Survey after survey has shown that young white males are struggling.

Grayson Perry sporting his Little Bo Peep look. The lady behind him seems to be admiring his shoes

They are 50 per cent less likely to attend university than women from the same socio-economic background, and 52 per cent less likely if they are from a poor background.

This is not because boys are more stupid than girls. It is they who are being kept back by the feminised system that education has become.

Its unlikely Perry will see his desire fulfilled, that modern man will abandon his longing for risk, challenge, the outdoors, and settle down at home in a fright wig and a pair of satin pumps, eating a nice salad and feeling pleasantly vulnerable and humiliated. Most likely men will just ignore him and carry on doing whatever it is they like doing  even if that means spending an entire afternoon in their shed sorting their screws into slotted, double-slotted and Phillips.

Still, figures like Perry are influential, and his ill-thought-out prejudices and loud-mouthed opinions do huge harm.

For as the Roman poet Horace put it forcefully 2,000 years ago: You can drive Nature out with a pitchfork, but she will still return.

And if male instincts are scorned, repressed and stifled by political correctness, they will simply come out in ever more ugly ways: drunkenness, mindless aggression, predatory and pornified sexual behaviour. You cant civilise boys by turning them into girls. Only by turning them into better boys.

Perrys message is the mirror- opposite of Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady  remember him?  who sang that notorious song: Why cant a woman be more like a man? His refrain today is more like: Why cant a man be more like a woman?
People can be heard crying out in amazement at the amazing sight

The humpback whale jumped out of the water with its mouth wide open

Onlookers began filming after a massive whale was sighted in the dock

People were standing on a dock in Alaska preparing for a fishing charter

A group of people waiting to depart on a fishing charter had the fright of their lives when a huge whale breached just feet away from them.

Spectacular footage shot in Ketchikan, a small harbour town on the south-east end of Alaska, shows the water surrounding a small dock bubbling rapidly before a giant humpback whale breaches the waters surface.

The whale remains above the surface for several seconds with its gigantic mouth wide open before diving back out of sight.

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Footage of the whale's greeting at the Knudson Cove Marina shows the water surrounding the dock rapidly bubbling

The majestic humpback then leaps out of the water for a feed before diving out of sight

The whale remains above the surface for several seconds with its gigantic mouth wide open before diving back out of sight

Excited onlookers can be heard crying out in amazement as one woman laughs and says 'Oh my god'.

The whale was initially sighted by the captain of a fishing charter in Knudson Cove Marina, who started filming the majestic creature.

Ketchikan is known for rich wildlife activity including black bears and wolves and is a popular dock for cruise ships touring along the states south-east coast.

Excited onlookers can be heard crying out in amazement as one woman laughs and says 'Oh my god'

The whale was initially sighted by the captain of a fishing charter in Knudson Cove Marina, who started filming the majestic creature
A Romanian hacker known as 'Guccifer,' who posted unofficial emails sent to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has revealed how he 'easily' penetrated the Democratic frontrunner's emails.

In interviews with Fox News from a jailhouse in Alexandria, Virginia - where he is being held on cyber crime charges - Marcel Lehel Lazar, 44, told the media outlet that it was simple for him to figure out how to break into Clinton's personal email server, and he did it twice in 2013.

'For me, it was easy ... easy for me, for everybody,' he bragged to the news outlet.

Romanian hacker Marcel Lehel Lazar (above), 44, was extradited to the U.S. from Romania last month, accused of cyber crimes. He claims he 'easily' hacked his way into Hillary Clinton's email

Lazar said he first went into journalist and Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal's email account by doing extensive research on him and then correctly guessing his security question.

He said Blumenthal's emails were 'interesting', as he was talking about 'the Middle East and what they were doing there', but it's unclear who he was talking to.

Lazar said he then would see emails from political operatives, such as Clinton, and was able to trace their IP addresses and use 'IP scanner' software to see if ports were open and email addresses 'alive.'

He claims he compromised Clinton's emails 'like twice' and said the contents 'were not interesting.'

'I was not paying attention. For me, it was not like the Hillary Clinton server, it was like an email server she and others were using with political voting stuff,' he said.

Lazar, who goes by the cyber handle 'Guccifer' says it was 'easy' for him to break into Clinton's personal email - but he admitted that her emails weren't 'interesting'

Fox News said it could not independently confirm Lazar's claim, but spoke to security experts who said it seems plausible.

'This sounds like the classic attack of the late 1990s. A smart individual who knows the tools and the technology and is looking for glaring weaknesses in Internet-connected devices,' Bob Gourley, a former chief technology officer (CTO) for the Defense Intelligence Agency, said.

Lazar says he is self trained and did most of his hacking from his small village in Romania.

'Cybersecurity expert Morgan Wright told the outlet, 'The Blumenthal account gave [Lazar] a road map to get to the Clinton server. You get a foothold in one system. You get intelligence from that system, and then you start to move.'

Clinton and her camp deny that her personal email server was compromised by any foreign hackers

Lazar's victims aren't named in his nine-count indictment, but they reportedly include Colin Powell, Sydney Blumenthal and a Bush family member

But Gourley also warned that 'Unfortunately, in this community, a lot people make up stories and it's hard to tell what's really true until you get into the forensics information and get hard facts.'

For her part, Clinton denies her personal email server had been compromised by foreign hackers, saying 'No, not at all' when asked by MSNBC.

'There is absolutely no basis to believe the claims made by this criminal from his prison cell,' Clinton's national press secretary, Brian Fallon, told NBC News. 'In addition to the fact that he offers no proof to support his claims, his descriptions of Secretary Clinton's server are inaccurate. It is unfathomable that he would have gained access to her emails and not leaked them the way he did to his other victims.'

He added that her server shows no trace of foreign hacking.

Clinton's private server contained nearly 2,200 emails containing information now deemed classified, and another 22 at the 'Top Secret' level.

The government has publicly posted about 45,000 pages, with roughly 7600 still left to be released at the end of February, according to NBC News.

Lazar is also accused of hacking into the personal accounts of Colin Powell and a Bush family member, two former U.S. presidents, a former U.S. Cabinet member, a former member of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and a former presidential advisor.
The young boy can now sleep, walk, play and

for help and found a new treatment online

A young boy with eczema so severe he spent the first six years of his life unable to sleep because of the pain has made a complete recovery in just three months after his mother discovered a miracle cream for him on Facebook.

Tyler Saunders, 6, started breaking out in painful rashes at just eight months old but his mother, Debbie Maddalena-Saunders, said she had no idea that as he grew, the severity of his skin condition would continue to worsen.

Ms Maddalena-Saunders, from Old Bar, north of Sydney, said she had reached breaking point after spending years nursing her son as he cried through the night in 'excruciating' pain, unable to go to school, play with his sister or even perform mundane tasks like walking.

Turning to social media in a desperate attempt to find a way to help her little boy, Ms Maddalena-Saunders came across a South African dermatologist whose cream was able to give young Tyler a new lease on life.

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Tyler Saunder's eczema was so severe he was unable to sleep, walk or go to school with his peers

The young boy(right) was even forced to wear socks on his hands so he would not rip his tender skin

But after starting a new treatment plan, the six-year-old has been given a new lease on life

Dr Richard Aron posted promising results of his treatment plan - the Aron Regime - on the Eczema Association of Australasia Facebook page and after an online consultation the concerned mother had a script for a compounded cream made up of moisturiser, topical steroids and antibiotics.

'[It was] made for age, weight and severity of eczema and a doctor here would oversee it,' Ms Maddalena-Saunders told Yahoo Seven.

Tyler started using the cream in September and by November the boy who had previously been forced to wear socks on his hands to stop him tearing away at his inflamed skin had all but disappeared.

'It was mind-blowing  he had always lived with such a heavy burden but then he had this light and spark behind his eyes,' she told Kidspot.

He started breaking out in painful rashes at only eight months old and got progressivley worse as he aged

Before and after: Tyler's skin was red, itchy and inflamed (left) before using the Aron regime (right)

His mother would put socks on his hands to stop him scratching at the rashes but the itching never stopped

Ms Maddalena-Saunders said it was a nightmare for her having to watch him in 'excruciating' pain

Tyler started using the cream in September and by November the boy who had previously been covered in red welts had all but disappeared

Dr Richard Aron prescribed Tyler a compounded cream made up of moisturiser, topical steroids and antibiotics

WHAT IS ECZEMA? Eczema is a recurring, non-infectious, inflammatory skin condition that affects one in three Australasians. Atopic eczema is the most common form of the disease and causes the skin to become red, dry, itchy and scaly - flaring and subsiding with no apparent reason. In more severe cases the skin can weep, bleed and crust over which can cause significant discomfort. The condition affects people of all ages but usually appears in early childhood and disappears at around age six. Source: Eczema Association of Australasia Advertisement

Ms Maddalena-Saunders, who was prepared to travel to France to get Tyler alternative treatment, was completely blown away by the results and wanted to share his transformation with other eczema suffers to prove there is an effective treatment out there.

'We are already down from four applications per day to two, but best of all - it works,' she wrote.

Years earlier, Ms Maddalena-Saunders started collecting pictures and videos that illustrated the pain and discomfort her brave son had endured throughout his short life.

'He has some good days but those days would be most people's nightmare. Other days were so bad I couldn't film them,' she told Kidspot.

But the images of her son crying and begging for relief have now been replaced by an active young boy who can't seem to wipe the big, toothy grin from his face.

Ms Maddalena-Saunders was completely blown away by the results and wanted to share his transformation with other eczema suffers to prove there is an effective treatment out there

Years earlier, she started collecting pictures and videos that illustrated the pain and discomfort her brave son had endured throughout his short life

But the images of her son crying and begging for relief have now been replaced by an active young boy who can't seem to wipe the big, toothy grin from his face

Before the treatment Tyler couldn't spend extended preiods of time in public but now he is happily enrolled in school (Pictured: Debbie Maddalena-Saunders with Tyler)

Now, the boy who once had to be carried around because the rash on his legs was so painful has a busking licence and has danced for crowds of people in Melbourne.

'Watching him dance and seeing the joy in him after so much pain was overwhelming,' she told Yahoo Seven.

'I feel like crying every time I see him [dance] because he couldn't do it for such a long time.'

But the 'little warrior' has not forgotten his past and selflessly donates a portion of his takings to the doctor who changed his life in the hopes he will continue helping other children just like him, according to Yahoo Seven.

'He wanted to help other kids with eczema,' Ms Maddalena-Saunders said.

Now, the boy who once had to be carried around because the rash on his legs was so painful has a busking licence and dances for crowds of people in Melbourne
Former Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush will not endorse Donald Trump, their spokesmen have announced.

Presidents 41 and 43 said they would not back Trump, despite him becoming the presumptive nominee after his two Republican rivals dropped out of the race for the White House.

Both of the former commanders-in-chief joined a growing list of prominent Republicans who have refused to back Trump's run for the presidency.

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Former Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush (pictured in 2013) will not endorse Donald Trump

Former President George W. Bush, whose brother Jeb pulled out of the race in February after a string of dismal results, will not be taking part in the campaign whatsoever.

When asked if the most recent Republican president would throw his significant political weight behind Trump, his spokesman Freddy Ford said: 'President Bush does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign.'

Former President George H. W. Bush's spokesman Jim McGrath said: 'At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics.'

Donald Trump has all but wrapped up the Republican nomination after Texas senator Ted Cruz and Ohio governor John Kasich dropped out of the race following the Indiana primary on Tuesday.

However, some GOP members are still holding out for a contested convention, which could happen if Trump does not secure the required 1,237 delegates.

He currently has 1,053 delegates, but is likely to secure most of remaining 514 still available as he has no competition.

Trump is now the Republican presumptive nominee after his two remaining rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich dropped out of the race for the White House

Not a popular choice? Several Republican big hitters have said they won't back him or have remained silent, including House Speaker Paul Ryan

Republican senator Ben Sasse, of Nebraska, reiterated statements that he would not back Trump and said he would look for an alternative candidate if Trump became the nominee.

There was notable silence from House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has spoken critically of Trump but has refused to run as an alternative candidate.

Tim Miller, a former spokesman for Jeb Bush, tweeted: 'Never ever ever Trump. Simple as that.'

Republican Senator Deb Fischer madeclear in an interview with Nebraska Radio Network that she wouldsupport the party's nominee but was not comfortable with Trump.

'Mr Trump is going to have to work hard to bring the partytogether,' she said.

South Carolina's Republican governor, Nikki Haley, issued a statement saying she would support the Republican nominee but was 'not interested' in being the party's vice presidential running mate after there were rumors Trump might call on her.

But Oklahoma Republican Governor Mary Fallin endorsed Trump enthusiastically and welcomed talk of her as his possible No. 2.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Trump has the 'opportunity and the obligation' to unite the GOP.

He said the party was committed to 'restoring economic and national security' and preventing a 'third term of Barack Obama' if Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton wins the White House.

McConnell called on Trump to unite the party around 'our goals'.

Former President George W. Bush (pictured with his father and Jeb Bush in 2009), whose brother Jeb pulled out of the race in February after a string of dismal results, will not be taking part in the campaign whatsoever

It came as hundreds of Republican supporters set fire to their voter cards and declared support for the #nevertrump campaign, which seeks to keep the billionaire out of the White House.

Such is the resentment towards Trump, many are now readying themselves to vote for the Democrats despite being lifelong Republican supporters.

Dennis Jordan tweeted: 'I've been a lifelong loyal @GOP, since the day I could vote. Tonight, I have unregistered and now am an Independent.'

Lachlan Markay posted a photograph on Twitter of his District of Columbia voter registration card burning.
He and 60 Minutes news crew were jailed after botched operation in April

The father at the centre of the 60 Minutes child abduction bungle has demanded US$500,000 (AU$670,000) for the release of a former Australian soldier and three men who orchestrated the botched plan.

Adam Whittington's Gold Coast family has called on Channel Nine to front up the cash so Ali Elamine will drop the kidnapping charges against him and his colleagues who were hired by the father's former Brisbane partner Sally Faulkner, The Australian reported.

The four men have been behind bars in Lebanon since April 6 after they snatched Mr Elamine's two children off a busy Beirut street from their grandmother who was walking them to school.

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The father at the centre of the 60 Minutes child abduction bungle, Ali Elamine (pictured), has demanded US$500,000 for the release of a former Australian soldier and three men who orchestrated the botched plan

Adam Whittington's (pictured) Gold Coast family has called on Channel Nine to front up the cash so Ali Elamine will drop the kidnapping charges against him and his colleagues

Mr Whittington's pensioner mother, Georgina, said the family did not have US$500,000 to secure her son's release and called on Channel Nine to help as lawyers for the Australian and Mr Elamine are close to striking a deal if they agree to pay up.

'Please, please, Channel Nine help us. Bring Adam home. It was their fault, it went wrong. They cant just put the blame on Adam,' Ms Whittington told The Australian.

'I feel it is [Nine's] responsibility.'

If the money is paid, it could see the release of dual Australian-British citizen Mr Whittington, Briton Craig Michael, and locals Khaled Barbour and Mohammed Hamza on bail.

This news comes just days after it was revealed Ms Faulkner had been blocked from having any contact with her children who remain in Lebanon.

Ms Faulkner was forced to return to Brisbane following the botched kidnapping attempt.

Mr Elamine's ex-partner Sally Faulkner spent two weeks in the Lebanese prison alongside Tara Brown (above) and the 60 Minutes crew after the kidnapping attempt before she was released

Mr Whittington and his colleagues were hired by Ms Faulkner. She is pictured after her release from a Beirut prison

A family source said Mr Elamine, 32, was not letting her contact her five-year-old daughter, Lahela, or her three-year-old son, Noah.

'No Skype, no photos, blocked on Whatsapp ... and [Mr Elamine] is not answering phone calls from her,' the source said.

Ms Faulkner spent two weeks in the Lebanese prison alongside Tara Brown and the 60 Minutes crew after the kidnapping attempt before she was released.

In exchange for the charges against her being dropped Ms Faulkner was forced to sign over the custodial rights of their children.

At the time, Mr Elamine insisted Ms Faulkner would be allowed to visit her children in Lebanon.

He recently uploaded a photo to Facebook showing the children smiling as they eat lunch with their father.

This news comes just days after it was revealed Ms Faulkner had been blocked from having any contact with her children who remain in Lebanon

Following Brown and her team's release, 60 Minutes presenter Michael Usher admitted the team had made mistakes and confirmed an internal investigation is underway.

'There's one thing we want to state very clearly from the outset: we made mistakes,' Usher said.

He said the 'mistakes and failures' had been 'the subject of a lot of soul searching here at Channel Nine'.

Usher said the chain of events were 'complex and distressing' which had gone 'badly wrong'.
The Chicago Teachers Union on Wednesday opted not to vote for a strike, deciding instead to focus on pressuring the city to come up with more money to shore up the financially-beleaguered school system.

The unions House of Delegates put off casting ballots on whether to hold a strike before the end of the school year. That does not mean that a strike is completely off the tablethe union could still call a meeting for a strike vote. It needs to give the state 10-day notice before going on the picket line. And the union has threatened to strike if the Chicago school district cancels the so-called pension pick-upa long-standing policy in which the district pays 7 percent of union members pension payments, something the district has said that it can no longer afford to do.

The last day of classes is June 21.

The union released a series of stepswhat it called a Recovery Package for Chicago Public Schools that it says will add $502 million to the districts coffers.

We have a recovery plan that the school district and the city council should consider, CTU President Karen Lewis said in a union-provided statement. Our plan will provide our district with a way to sustain itself until the governor and the legislature pass a budget that will provide equitable funding to CPS. The revenue recovery plan is an effort to prevent more cuts in student programming and education services.

The unions plan calls for the city to add, re-instate, or increase a series of taxesincluding the personal property lease tax, the ride share tax from companies like Uber and Lyft, the corporate employer expense tax, and the hotel accommodations tax. The union has also long called for the city to use additional TIF (Tax Increment Financing) surplus for the schools.

Teachers are about providing solutions to problems; and, CPS and the City have no plan on the table, the unions vice president Jesse Sharkey said in the statement. All theyve done is beg a tone deaf governor for a bailout he is unwilling to give. We have identified half a billion dollars that can triage the bleeding at CPS. We are asking the mayor and aldermen to implement what we believe is a solid package of financial emergency supports to ensure our district does not go belly up.

The district called the CTUs revenue proposals misguided and argued that it lets Gov. Bruce Rauner and legislators in Springfield off the hook for failing to provide adequate funding for the citys public schools. District leaders called on the union to return to the bargaining table, reverting to a central theme in its argument that the district, city, state, and union all have to play a role in solving the $1 billion budget deficit.

Instead of fighting to fix the states broken funding formula that discriminates against Chicago children and costs the District more than $500 million a year, the CTU leadership wants to place the entire burden of solving CPS finances on Chicago taxpayers alone, a district spokeswoman Emily Bittner said in a statement.

Rather than throw in the towel until 2019 on a solution in Springfield, now is the time for the CTU leadership to press harder than ever for justice, Bittner said. We continue to urge the CTU to join forces with CPS to ensure that Chicagos children get their fair sharing of funding, instead of 74 cents for every dollar that students every else in Illinois get from Springfield.

The union contract expired on June 30 last year, and the two parties have been trying to hammer out a deal ever since. In January, the union announced that it had a serious offer from the district a four-year pact that included salary increases over the life of the contract, a phase-out of the pension pick-up, and a limit on charter schools, among other things. But that deal was quickly scuttled in February, when the unions Big Bargaining Team voted against it.

Last month, an independent fact-finderagreed to by both the district and the unionrecommended the deal from January . CTU has balked at that recommendation, while CPS has endorsed it.

The district has also been ramping up its efforts to get relief from the state, arguing that the school system cannot dig itself from the hole without a change in the way Illinois funds its schools and without pension relief. The district also argues that it cannot agree to a deal with the union that would add to the deficit.

A city spokeswoman told the Chicago Tribune that the unions proposal was misleading . Kelly Quinn, the spokesperson, said that union should focus its efforts on the state.

Before asking Chicago taxpayers to pony up more money, we need to fix this inequity in Springfield, the paper quoted Quinn as saying.
Public health officials are scrambling to find the source of an outbreak of the potentially deadly Legionnaires' disease in the Sydney CBD.

A team of 16 council and health workers are inspecting dozens of cooling towers in Margaret, Kent, King and George Streets on Thursday.

The City of Sydney has confirmed that three members of the public have contracted the disease.

A Sydney man has been left fighting for his life after contracting the potentially deadly Legionnaires' disease (stock picture)

It comes as an elderly man and two women - who all work around Wynyard train station - have fallen ill since Anzac Day,Seven News reported.

The elderly man is in a critical condition, while one woman remains in hospital. The third person has since been discharged.

A City spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'As public health is our number one concern, we are taking the matter very seriously, and providing every assistance to NSW Health who are leading the investigation.

'The City will continue to provide the community with information about the issue as it becomes available.'

Tens of thousands of commuters pass through the suspected infection area each day, and it is also a focal point for tourists.

Cooling towers in the area are being inspected as outbreaks are often associated with contaminated air conditioning systems in large buildings.

The City spokesperson said: 'Under the Public Health Act, the City maintains a register of air conditioning towers and who is responsible for their maintenance.

An elderly man and two women - who all work around Wynyard train station - have fallen ill since ANZAC Day (stock picture)

'However, due to Sydney's global city status, the City of Sydney also conducts a proactive risk based inspection and sampling program of approximately 1,400 cooling towers across its area. The City's cooling system inspection program is up to date.'

Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia caused by a bacterial infection of the lungs that can develop after someone breathes contaminated water vapour or dust.

The latest outbreak comes after a man aged in his 80s died in March after contracting the disease near Town Hall area.
Three Miss Lebanon Australia judges have exclusively told Daily Mail Australia Salim Mehajer's little sister was not their top choice for the beauty pageant title, amid allegations the contest was fixed.

Mary Mehajer was announced the winner of the contest at Doltone House in Sydney on Sunday, with her suspended deputy mayor brother all smiles as his 'baby sister' took out the crown.

The win has mired the contest in controversy, with one contestant complaining to the NSW Office of Fair Trading and critics pointing out the event was sponsored by Salim's company, Mehajer Bros.

When Daily Mail Australia contacted one judge, celebrity dentist David Carr, he told Daily Mail Australia: 'We were just a little bit surprised at the result. We were surprised because none of us voted for her'.

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Mary Mehajer was crowned as Miss Lebanon Australia on Sunday evening at Dolton House, Pyrmont. Her brother, the suspended Auburn deputy mayor Salim, was all smiles at the time

Catwalk: Mary Mehajer (left) and contestant Sanaa Ammoun (right) competed for the bikini wear title

More contestants are pictured strolling along the runway during the bikini contest at Dolton house

Evening wear: Two contestants shimmy down the Miss Lebanon Australia 2016 runway

The 'baby' of the Mehajer family cradled a large bouquet as she posed for pictures with her parents, Mohamed and Amal, and the rest of the clan

The nervous competitors, including Ms Mehajer (in a silver sequined dress, centre), placed their hands on their hips as they waiting for the winner to be announecd

A fellow contestant has complained to Fair Trading NSW about the Miss Lebanon Australia contest

The Mehajer Bros. logo is pictured inside the official guide to the Miss Lebanon Australia contest

Dr Carr told A Current Affair none of the judges rated her number one.

A second judge, who asked not to be named, confirmed to Daily Mail Australia Ms Mehajer was not her preferred option.

'I personally had voted for a few of the other girls... I had two favourites in mind myself.

'Look, she was up there, she was definitely up there.

'If the others had voted for her too she would have had the chance of winning number one.

A third judge, Krystsina Labuzova, also told Daily Mail Australia Ms Mehajer was not her favourite contestant either - though she said she was 'one of the best girls'.

When Daily Mail Australia contacted one judge, celebrity dentist David Carr (pictured), he said: 'We were just a little bit surprised at the result. We were surprised because none of us voted for her'

A third judge, Krystsina Labuzova (pictured), also told Daily Mail Australia Ms Mehajer was not her favourite contestants though said she was 'one of the best girls'

Ms Labuzova said she believed Ms Mehajer would be 'one of the top three or five' girls, 'But I wouldn't say she was my top choice'.

'She was pretty good, like I did expect she'd make it to one of the (final) three girls (the winner and two runner ups).

'I've seen how the beauty contests run before and if she (had) more experience I think she's very good.

'If you sum up all the marks from all the judges it could've happened. She wasn't the lowest mark'.

A fourth judge said Ms Mehajer was in their top three girls along with the first and second runners up, Mary Hakim and Jessica Nercessian.

'She was certainly articulate. She's very nice looking,' the judge said.

'Certainly Mary was top three with me. I would need the voting slips to confirm her exact position'.

Judges had to give the nine contestants a mark out of 20 each for the daywear, swimwear and evening wear and question and answer components of the pageant.

A second judge told Daily Mail Australia she had her eye on two other candidates but added Ms Mehajer was 'definitely up there'

Strutting her stuff, Ms Mehajer (centre) faced off against eight competitors in her quest for the prestigious title, catching the attention of several onlookers (right

The votes were then passed up to an adjudicator where the votes were tallied. Daily Mail Australia could not reach the fifth judge on Thursday.



One contestant approached by Daily Mail Australia said the contest was 'rigged, rigged, rigged' - although this has been denied by Joseph Khoury, the pageant director.

A contestant has lodged a complaint with the NSW Office of Fair Trading and the agency is assessing whether it can investigate.

A member of audience, who didn't want to be identified, told ACA the result of the competition was 'disgusting'.

'When it came down to them selecting the top five, when his sister was in it (Mr Mehajer's sister Mary), everyone knew it was game over,' the audience member said.

'He (Mr Mehajer) acted in a way where I literally thought he was the one crowned Miss Lebanon.'

Belle of the ball! Touting a bouquet of flowers, Mary Mehajer poses with a friend (left) after sweeping the title. On right, she is pictured during a candid moment with Salim Mehajer's wife, Aysha

In this family photo obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Mary is pictured furthest on right with (from left) Aysha Mehajer, Salim Mehajer, the matriarch of the eight-strong clan Amal and sister Khadijeh

Choreographer Louis Abou Anny, who helped train the contestants in how to walk the stage and dance, told Daily Mail Australia Ms Mehajer deserved to win because of her 'simplicity'.

'She's the best. She's very simple, she's elegant, she's a natural. She's very natural, she deserves it'.

Mr Mehajer was pictured grinning when Mary when the competition, celebrating with a vague platitude on social media: 'Greatness is to stay humble when the world calls you great.'

Daily Mail Australia has approached Salim Mehajer and pageant founder Joseph Khoury for comment.

Salim's older sister Khadijeh 'Kat' Mehajer is likely to bring some more good news to the family with a 'big wedding' to fiance Ibrahim Sakalaki expected later this year.

Old pictures obtained by Daily Mail Australia recently showed both Kat and Aiisha have turned over a glamorous new leaf in the lead-up to the ceremony.

Khadijeh (left) is pictured with look-a-like sister Aiisha (right). The pair are often confused with one another

Revealing photos of Salim Mehajer's sisters Kat (pictured left) and Aiisha (right) before their dramatic transformation have emerged

It is unknown how long ago the photographs were taken, but Aiisha (pictured left, before and right, after) has had dramatic changes to her appearance over the years

Salim Mehajer's wife Aysha Mehajer (centre) is pictured with Khadijeh (right) during family celebrations

Despite the newfound attention, Kat Mehajer has remained silent, working hard to promote her family's new 'Beauty Bar' business on Instagram.

The Mehajer clan has courted the spotlight since Salim's extravagant wedding in August 2015. But it has brought an unprecedented level of scrutiny to his personal, business and council affairs.

The wedding - which he hired helicopters and Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Harley Davidsons for - also left Mr Mehajer with a $220 City Council fine for closing Frances Street in Lidcombe.

Stark pictures also emerged of Salim Mehajer's wife, Aysha, in her youth before she met Mr Mehajer and changed her name by deed poll from April Amelia Learmonth.

Salim Mehajer married Aysha in what he called the 'wedding of the century' last year, and has faced the unforgiving glare of the public spotlight ever since
MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews has been caught ogling Melania Trump live on national television.

The Hardball host was heard enthusiastically commenting on Mrs Trump's 'runway walk' as she joined her husband for his victory speech in Indiana on Tuesday.

While Brian Williams was speaking about the impact the result would have on the Republican party, Matthews could be heard talking about Mrs Trump's appearance.

Apparently unaware he was speaking into a hot mic, Matthews said: 'Did you see her walk? Runway walk. My God is that good. I could watch that runway show.'

MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews was caught ogling Melania Trump live on national television as she joined her husband for his victory speech in Indiana on Tuesday.

Williams quickly cut to commercials, but not before scores of people heard what his colleague had said.

Mrs Trump hit back at Matthews, defending herself as an 'independently successful woman'.

'Melania Trump is an accomplished businesswoman and entrepreneur in her own right, achieving tremendous success in a variety of industries, including an illustrious modeling career, as well as being a dedicated wife and mother,' her spokesman told Variety.

'It is unfortunate to see the continuous inaccuracies and misrepresentations made by the media of Mrs Trump as anything less than the independently successful woman that she is.'

Dozens of people took to Twitter to slam Matthews, demanding MSNBC take him off the air.

Michael Hayes tweeted: 'The way you talk about Trump's wife should get you thrown off the air. You're a real slime ball.'

Another Twitter user, called Eva, wrote simply: '#ChrisMatthews is a vile pig.'

Greg Pollowitz added: 'Chris Matthews has been a pig for a long time'.

Martsen said: 'Good God Chris Matthews is disgusting in every way.'

Apparently unaware he was speaking into a hot mic, Matthews said: 'Did you see her walk? Runway walk. My God is that good. I could watch that runway show'

Furious: Dozens of people took to Twitter to slam Matthews, demanding MSNBC take him off the air

Matthews has been accused of making sexist comments in the past.

In 2011, he said Republican Governor Sarah Palin 'could not be hotter as a candidate'.

'Theres something about her. Its primordial,' the Hardball anchor said.

Did you see her walk? Runway walk. My God is that good. I could watch that runway show

'When she walks and moves, theres something electric about it. Look at, theres something. Other candidates dont do this. Shes constantly in motion. She looks, obviously, very attractive. Shes doing something that works.'

In 2008, he told MSNBC's Morning Joe that Hillary Clinton had not earned her right to run for president and that she was only in politics because of her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

'I think the Hillary appeal has always been somewhat about her mix of toughness and sympathy for her,' Matthews said.

'Lets not forget the reason she is a U.S. senator, the reason she is a candidate for President is because her husband messed around. We keep forgetting it.

'She didnt get there on her merits, because everyone felt, "My God, this woman stood up under humiliation". Right? Thats what happened.'

He later apologized and admitted his words were 'nasty'.

In 2006, Matthews said 'it would be hard for a woman to take on the job of president' because some men do not like listening to them.

'We were watching Hillary Clinton earlier tonight. She was giving a campaign barn burner speech, which is harder to give for a woman. It can grate on some men when they listen to it, fingernails on a blackboard, perhaps.'

He also said Nancy Pelosi said she would struggle to beat President George W. Bush in debates over drug reform and the minimum wage.

'How does she do it without screaming? How does she do it without becoming grating?' Matthews asked.
Detectives say the man had 'obviously' been the victim of a homicide

His body was also wrapped up in a plastic bag

Martinez was allegedly in the G Stone Crips crew, it's been reported

The body of a man who was discovered with 'cement shoes' and his hands tied behind his back belonged to 28-year-old Peter Martinez, it's been revealed.

Martinez's body washed up on Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn this week.

Police sources told DNA Info that Martinez was in the Bobby Shmurda-linked G Stone Crips crew.

Sources told the newspaper Martinez owed cash to someone and was missing for three weeks.

Shmurda was arrested in 2014. The rapper is in jail with bail set at $2million and faces various charges.

The body of a man who was discovered with 'concrete shoes' and his hands tied behind his back belonged to 28-year-old Peter Martinez, it's been revealed. Martinez is seen left and right

Convicted on ID theft charges, Martinez was given a two-year sentence in 2011, according to The New York Daily News.

Martinez also had 31 arrests under his belt, the newspaper reported.

A Kingsborough College student came across the corpse, which was also wrapped up in a plastic bag, on the shoreline, NBC New York reported.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told the TV station: 'This individual was wrapped in plastic bags and his arms were tied behind him and his feet were submerged in concrete.

'Obviously a homicide.'

Former student Daniel D'Angelo told NBC New York: 'It's a little crazy, especially in this area, for something like that to happen.

'Especially near a college campus and everything. It's crazy.'

Police are still investigating but so far no one's been arrested.

Cement shoes, where a victim's feet are submerged in concrete before they are dumped in the river or sea, are something of mob legend.

But there are real-life stories of when an unfortunate soul has crossed a mafia boss.

Ernest 'the Hawk' Rupolo's body was found anchored by concrete blocks when in 1964 in Jamaica Bay the body was fished out, according to a 2008 article from Washington City Paper.

Martinez was in the Bobby Shmurda-linked G Stone Crips crew, it's been reported. Shmurda (pictured in a file photo) was arrested in 2014. The rapper is in jail with bail set at $2million and faces various charges
A convicted killer who escaped from a New Jersey prison has been spotted on security cameras at a drug store around 45 miles from where he was last seen.

Arthur Buckel, 38, from Clifton, was seen walking into a CVS store in Barnegat Township on Wednesday morning, police said.

He is believed to have stolen a car in Hammonton, near the the Bayside State Prison unit at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Winslow Township, before dumping it at the drug store.

Arthur Buckle, 38, from Clifton, New Jersey, was spotted walking into a CVS store in Barnegat Township on Wednesday morning, a day after he escaped from prison

Buckle is believed to have stolen a car in Hammonton, near the the Bayside State Prison unit at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Winslow Township where he was being held, before dumping it at the drug store

The vehicle, a white 2015 Chevy Silverado, was found at around 10.15am, USA Today reports.

Buckel was discovered missing from his cell during a bed check on Tuesday morning, police said.

He was serving a three-year sentence for aggravated assault, burglary and drug possession before he decided to flee.

Buckle, who was previously jailed for manslaughter, was serving a sentence for aggravated assault and burglary when he escaped

It is not clear what prompted him to escape, as he was just weeks away from being considered for parole.

Buckel had already served a lengthy prison sentence after he was convicted of aggravated manslaughter for killing his girlfriends baby as a teenager.

In 1995, the babys mother, who lived in Barnegat Township, had brought her daughter with her to visit Buckel for Labor Day weekend.

He was 18 when he was sentenced to 25 years in prison in July 1996 for slapping 10-month-old Caitlin Colon because she was crying, according to the Jersey Journal.

He was required to serve at least 12 years and six months in prison before he could be considered for parole  and was released in June 2010.

Buckel returned to prison in November last year and was eligible for parole on May 21. Without parole, he will remain in prison until November 21, 2017, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

But now, he faces an additional three to five years in prison after he is recaptured, a New Jersey DOC spokesman told USA Today.

Buckel is described as white, with blue eyes and brown hair. He is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs about 180 pounds, has a beard and mustache as well as a small tattoo underneath his left eye.

Anyone with information about Buckel is asked to contact the Special Investigation Unit on 800-523-3829.
The heartbroken husband of a British man has received an email from Australia's immigration department labelling his partner an overstayer - nearly four months after he died.

Marco Bulmer-Rizzi has described the email as the final humiliation in a saga that has seen his marriage refused recognition in South Australia, him cut out of his husband's funeral arrangements and airport staff confiscate his partner David Bulmer-Rizzi's ashes.

'I'm speechless,' Mr Bulmer-Rizzi, who is also from Britain, told Buzzfeed. 'It's inappropriate, insensitive, and avoidable.'

David Bulmer-Rizzi (front) died while on honeymoon in Australia with husband Marco last year

David Bulmer-Rizzi was emailed by Australia's immigration department on Wednesday saying he was an overstayer - months after his death. The email was automatically forwarded to his husband Marco

Mr Bulmer-Rizzi was automatically forwarded the email from his husband's inbox - titled 'OVERSTAYER' - from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection on Wednesday.

The message said that the department's database showed David was in the country 'without a valid visa.'

The email left Mr Bulmer-Rizzi confused and hurt, but it's just the latest in a string of traumatic events he's endured since his husband's death.

After marrying in London in June last year, the couple travelled to Australia. David died in January during the last stop on his honeymoon when he fell down stairs and cracked his skull in Adelaide.

Following his death Mr Bulmer-Rizzi was told David's death certificate would read 'never married' because South Australia does not recognise same-sex marriage.

That meant that all decisions surrounding David's death had to be approved by his father-in-law and not his widowed husband.

Public uproar following the ruling saw South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill personally intervene to remove the term.

But to add insult to injury, when Mr Bulmer-Rizzi tried to return to the UK with David's ashes, he was stopped by immigration in Hong Kong.

Airport staff demanded to know what the ashes were - and why he had them.

British couple David (left) and Marco Bulmer-Rizzi in Greece last year celebrating their wedding

Because the death certificate did not list him as next-of-kin, and because Hong Kong, like Australia, does not recognise same-sex marriage, the ashes were confiscated.

After an official overruled security, the ashes were returned.

Mr Bulmer-Rizzi criticised Australia's immigration system for being uncoordinated and insensitive following this week's email.

He is now concerned David could be labelled an illegal immigrant to boot.

He said he handed David's passport to immigration when he left Australia for the United Kingdom.

'Obviously they [the Australian officials] didn't record the fact that I had handed over David's passport when I left Australia,' he said to Buzzfeed.

'And the South Australia register office that issued me David's interim death certificate should have told immigration.'

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection said David was in the country without a valid visa

A spokesperson from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said the agency had written to Mr Bulmer-Rizzi to apologise for any distress caused by the email.

'The department will examine the circumstances of this case in an effort to identify ways to further improve its processes,' the spokesperson said.

'The department sincerely regrets any distress caused to the family and loved ones of Mr Bulmer-Rizzi.'

Officials have also offered to discuss the matter personally with Mr Bulmer-Rizzi, the spokesperson said.
Uber have told its drivers that they can now pick up passengers from Sydney Airport's domestic and international terminals, in a further blow to the taxi industry.

Passengers will be able to flag an UberX or UberBlack car through a virtual queue system at each terminal and be met by drivers at the airport's free public pick up zones.

The lucrative airport pickup had been the sole domain of taxi's but since legislation passed legalising the ride-sharing app, Uber decided to lift its block on accessing passengers from the site.

This has caused outrage among taxi drivers who have labelled their Uber counterparts as 'cowboy bandits and non-tax payers'.

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Uber have told its drivers that they can now pick up passengers from Sydney Airport's domestic and international terminals

Uber said the controversial move was made in response to thousands of passengers who open the app at the airport expressing interest in booking an uberX ride.

'In response to the huge demand for UberX at Sydney Airport, we have opened functionality in the app for driver-partners to pick up riders from the airport,' Uber said in a statement on Thursday.

Sydney Airport said last month it was considering new arrangements including a potential dedicated pick-up zone, but had not agreed upon how it would be implemented while also avoiding congestion.

Following Uber's announcement on Thursday, airport authorities said they will be working with the ride-sharing app and other driving services to develop 'new arrangements to accommodate all booked service operators at the airport'.

'We will shortly be consulting with our airport partners regarding these new proposed arrangements, as it's essential to ensure we implement a solution that works for everyone and minimises traffic circulation through the airport precinct.'

Uber said it would continue to work with the airport on finalising signage and designated pick-up zones, but taxi drivers have slammed the move as 'arrogant and irresponsible'.

Passengers will be able to flag an UberX or UberBlack car through a virtual queue system at each terminal

The lucrative airport pickup had been the sole domain of taxi's but since legislation passed legalising the ride-sharing app, Uber decided to lift its block on accessing passengers from the site

The NSW Taxi Council have slammed the decision as they believe Uber drivers will only 'clog carparks and increase traffic congestion' in the area

According to the NSW Taxi Council, Uber have instructed its drivers how to avoid paying airport access fees and advised them to use car parks of Sydney Airport Corporation Limited (SACL) and adjacent local residential streets as 'waiting areas'.

NSW Taxi Council CEO Roy Wakelin-King said Uber have 'thumbed their nose' at relevant authorities which will cause significant traffic congestion in the area and surrounding car parks.

'It is unfortunately becoming a regular feature of the way Uber operates that they make unilateral decisions and expect people to accept these arrangements without recourse,' he said in a statement.

'We understand that SACL were working in good faith to come up with a solution for all point to point transport providers and Uber has just gone ahead and announced its own plans regardless of these arrangements.'

He said the instructions given to Uber drivers will clog carparks, increase traffic congestion and impact heavily on local residents and businesses.

NSW Taxi Council CEO Roy Wakelin-King said the instructions given to Uber drivers will clog carparks, increase traffic congestion and impact heavily on local residents and businesses

'These will have direct negative impacts on people who are using Sydney Airport to catch a flight or to be picked up by their friends or families, as well disturbing local residents,' Mr Wakelin-King said.

'It is time for the government to help people whose lives and income are being directly affected by illegal action from these cowboy bandits and non-tax payers,' Michael Jools from the Australian Taxi Drivers Association said

'These will have direct negative impacts on people who are using Sydney Airport to catch a flight or to be picked up by their friends or families, as well disturbing local residents,' Mr Wakelin-King said.

'Uber appears to have little regard for the efficient operation of the Sydney Airport precinct and surrounding area.'

He said the groups need to come up with a 'sustainable and responsible' approach that all parties must abide by in order ensure Uber doesn't 'operate freely on these lands' while also avoiding unnecessary congestion.

Michael Jools from the Australian Taxi Drivers Association also criticised Uber's decision, claiming that the move came without consultation with relevant regulatory bodies.

He said legislation allowing the ride-sharing service stipulated that Uber drivers could not access the airport and has called on the government to step in.

'It is time for the government to help people whose lives and income are being directly affected by illegal action from these cowboy bandits and non-tax payers,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'Enough is enough,' he added.
A driver who was 'daydreaming' when she hit and killed a cyclist a week before the victim was due to marry has been spared jail by a judge for having a 'gross lapse in concentration'.

Alessandra Anne Campanella, 34, pleaded guilty to aggravated driving without due care after she crashed into Erana Scharfbillig from behind at Grange in Adelaide back in 2014.

Ms Scharfbillig, who was 'virtually stationary' on her bike near the curb, did not regain consciousness after she was hit and died as a result of her injuries.

Alessandra Anne Campanella, 34, pleaded guilty to aggravated driving without due care after she crashed into Erana Scharfbillig from behind at an intersection (pictured) at Grange in Adelaide back in 2014

Campanella was spared jail time on Wednesday by District Court Judge Paul Cuthbertson who said in his sentencing remarks the driver had 'a bad loss of concentration' and failed to keep a proper lookout 'probably because she daydreamed'.

Judge Cuthbertson said most drivers would be guilty of momentary lapses but in this instance it had devastating consequences.

'The offender was doing nothing legally wrong except not paying appropriate attention, something that we all do when driving to a greater or a lesser degree,' he said.

In their victim impact statements, Ms Scharfbillig's family said they still wanted to know why the crash occurred.

They also said Campanella had shown little remorse since the incident.

Campanella was spared jail time on Wednesday by Adelaide District Court (pictured) Judge Paul Cuthbertson who said in his sentencing remarks the driver had 'a bad loss of concentration'

'I think I can say that the accident occurred because the offender was lacking in concentration to such an extent that her car drifted off to the left-hand edge of the road and struck Erana,' Judge Cuthbertson said.

'From my experience in this area, both as counsel and as a judge, I can assure the family that there are many complicating issues here and that they should not judge the offender merely because of her lack of contact.

'Many lawyers tell their clients not to make contact with the family of a person they have harmed for many reasons.'

Judge Cuthbertson described the driver as a 'good person' who will 'carry this cross for the rest of her life'.
A woman asked dad for '20-30k' and he said 'Malcolm can go f*** himself'

They uploaded the hilarious results of

Young Australians have decided to take Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's advice and ask their parents for a '20-30k' loan to purchase their first home - uploading the hilarious results to Twitter.

Mr Turnbull was labelled 'out-of-touch' after making comments to ABC Radio Melbourne's Jon Faine on Wednesday morning suggesting wealthy parents should 'shell out' to help their children into the housing market.

One young woman decided to give it a shot and text messaged her dad asking for a '20-30k' loan on the Prime Minister's recommendation.

'Tell Malcolm to go f*** himself,' her father responded.

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Young Australians have decided to take Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's (pictured) advice and ask their parents for a '20-30k' loan to purchase their first home

One young woman decided to give it a shot and text messaged her dad asking for a '20-30k' loan on the Prime Minister's recommendation

'Tell Malcolm to go f*** himself,' her father responded

She uploaded the text message exchange to Twitter and was flooded with other hilarious screenshots of Australians asking their parents the same question.

'Malcolm Turnbull said kids should ask their parents for financial help to buy a house, can I have $30k' another woman asked her mother.

Her mother suggested she would need a lot more than $30,000 to crack the housing market.

'You should be asking for $300k,' she said.

Others were surprised by the responses, with one parent responding with, 'sure why not,' after her daughter asked for $20,000 for a deposit on a house.

The young woman's hopes were quickly crushed and she said her mother rang her hysterically laughing after sending the text message.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been labelled 'out-of-touch' after he suggested parents should 'shell out' to help their children who have been 'locked out' of the housing market

One dad made reference to a 'Kurdish saying' explaining, 'the well fed does not understand the hungry'

One mother suggested she would need a lot more than $30,000 to crack the housing market

Another young Australian hoping for a handout to get into the housing market got a swift response of 'No' from her father after asking for $30,000

Another young Australian hoping for a handout to get into the housing market got a swift response of 'No' from her father after asking for $30,000.

One mother suggested Mr Turnbull could afford to help his son and daughter, but other Australians may struggle.

'I am sure he can afford to help his kids but most "normal people" have no chance #turnbullisoutoftouch' she said in an email to her daughter.

Another parent simply palmed off the question saying: 'I think you should ask Malcolm Turnbull for that $100k'.

One dad made reference to a 'Kurdish saying' explaining, 'the well fed does not understand the hungry'.

Mr Turnbull's comments were made to Mr Faine on Wednesday morning as the host questioned the Prime Minister over his negative gearing policy after Treasurer Scott Morrison delivered his first Budget.

Another parent simply palmed off the question saying: 'I think you should ask Malcolm Turnbull for that $100k'

One mother suggested Mr Turnbull could afford to help his son and daughter, but other Australians may struggle

Others were surprised by the responses, with one parent responding with, 'sure why not,' after her daughter asked for $20,000 for a deposit on a house. But her hopes were quickly crushed after her mother rang 'laughing hysterically'

'It's [negative gearing] created conflict with effectively the kids of your and my generation who can't get into the market and they're saying: "For goodness sake, you baby boomers, you just want everything and you're locking us out",' Faine said.

'Are your kids locked out of the housing market?' Mr Turnbull asked.

To which Faine responded with a 'yes'.

'Well you should shell out for them. You should support them, a wealthy man like you,' Mr Turnbull quipped, triggering a laugh from the radio presenter.

'That's what they say,' Faine said.

Mr Turnbull added: 'Yeah exactly, see you've got the solution in your own hand, you can provide a bit of intergenerational equity in the Faine family.'

His comments sparked a verbal lashing from Opposition Leader Bill Shorten during Wednesday's Question Time.

Mr Turnbull made the comments to ABC Radio's Jon Faine on Wednesday morning and sparked a verbal lashing from Opposition Leader Bill Shorten (pictured) during Question Time that day

The interview followed the delivery of Treasurer Scott Morrison's first Budget on Tuesday night (centre lauded by colleagues)

'Is that really the prime minister's advice for young Australians struggling to buy their first home - have rich parents?' Mr Shorten asked.

'Just how out-of-touch are you?'

But the Prime Minister did not back down.

Mr Turnbull said Labor was 'sneering at hard-working Australians who seek to make something for their children'.

'This is a political war they want to commence against aspiration, against ambition, against enterprise,' he said.
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These incredible pictures offer a glimpse of daily life in North Korea - one of the world's most secretive states where photographers' visits are normally carefully choreographed and monitored.

Builders, cyclists, businessmen and fishermen can be seen going about their lives in Pyongyang, where North Korea's current ruling party is gathering for its biggest political congress for nearly 40 years.

The images offer a fascinating window into the lives of the country's normal citizens, who live under intense government surveillance and whose access to the rest of the world is carefully monitored.

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The secret state: A guide wearing a traditional dress walks in front of visitors at the Arch of Triumph in North Korea's capital Pyongyang

The 105-storey Ryugyong Hotel (pictured), currently under construction, will be the largest building in the city upon its completion

Intricate: A television remote control is carefully placed inside a crocheted holder with a teddy bear decoration on a table in a restaurant in Pyongyang

Flowers for a festival: People travel on a tram in the capital city in a week when Kim Jong-un is due to cement his position as Supreme Leader

In one picture, dozens of people are seen exercising on the banks of the Taedong River, while just below them a solitary fishermen stands waiting for the day's catch.

A series of images show a policewoman in full uniform directing traffic, while another shows a street cleaner preparing the capital ahead of the rare party congress.

Leader Kim Jong-Un is expected to deliver a keynote address at the opening of tomorrow's congress which will be minutely scrutinised for suggestions of a significant policy shift or personnel changes in the nuclear-armed nation's governing elite.

The 33-year-old Kim was not even born when the last congress was held in 1980 to crown his father, Kim Jong-Il, as the heir apparent to his grandfather and the North's founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

A policewoman, dressed immaculately in a dark blue suit, controls traffic at a roundabout in Pyongyang while standing in front of flags of the ruling Workers' Party

A group of men wearing suits and ties wait next to a pair of elaborately dressed women at a bus stop

A construction crane is seen on the top of a tall building in Pyongyang as the city is shrouded in early morning fog

A worker fixes a trolley bus while a North Korean flag - bearing the star of the ruling Workers' Party, flutters in the background

A man smoking a cigarette walks past a row of taxis parked outside a large department store in central Pyongyang

North Korean residents walk past the store in the central city, which will tomorrow host Workers' Party delegates from all over the country

A group of five builders work to fix the corrugated iron roofing of a building in central Pyongyang

While the agenda - and even the duration - of the event is still unknown, its main objective is widely seen as cementing Kim Jong-Un's status as supreme leader and legitimate inheritor of the Kim family's dynastic rule.

The congress is also expected to confirm, as party doctrine, Kim's 'byungjin' policy of pursuing nuclear weapons in tandem with economic development.

Since Kim took power after the death of his father in late 2011, North Korea has carried out two nuclear tests and two successful space rocket launches that were widely seen as disguised ballistic missile tests.

A group of labourers work on a construction site in central Pyongyang as the city continues expanding despite international sanctions

Hundreds of metres of ropes used by the builders hang down between levels of scaffolding on the building site

A group of students wearing their shirt and tie school uniforms cross a bridge in downtown central Pyongyang today

Women wearing traditional Korean dresses - decorated with colourful flower patterns - walk through an underground crossing

Dozens of people site packed on a tram travelling through the city center yesterday as it prepares for the party congress meeting

Even as the international community responded with condemnation and sanctions, Kim kept the throttle opened up on the North's single-minded drive towards a credible nuclear deterrent with additional missile and technical tests.

There has been widespread speculation that the congress would be preceded by another nuclear test in a gesture of strength and defiance that would allow Kim to claim genuine nuclear power status in his speech.

In an analysis of the most recent satellite pictures of the North's main nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University on Thursday said there was no clear evidence, one way or the other, of whether an underground detonation was imminent.

The images dated May 2 showed only a 'very low level of activity,' the institute said on its closely followed 38North website.

Pictured is the House of Culture, where portraits of Kim il-Sung and Kim Jong-il hang where the party congress is due to be held

A propaganda billboard in Pyongyang shows North Korea soldiers marching alongside technicians and sportsmen

The 558ft-tall Juche Tower stands tall on the Taedong River. The building was built in 1982 to mark Kim Il-sung's 70th birthday and is named after his 'juche' policies of self reliance

The sun sets behind a group of heavy polluting chimneys in the capital Pyongyang

A man fishes on the banks of the Taedong River while dozens of people exercise on the footpaths behind him

A group of people exercise on the banks of the Taedong River early this morning

'Whether the level of activity indicates that Pyongyang has made all necessary preparations to conduct a nuclear test on short notice at this site or is associated with normal maintenance work remains unclear,' it added.

South Korean government officials believe the North is ready to conduct a test as soon as the order is given, and say a decision might have been taken to test during the congress, which the world's media have been invited to Pyongyang to cover.

Officials in Seoul say they expect the congress to last four days, with the opening day devoted to Kim's speech and a lengthy report on the party's achievements.

The congress will also elect a new central committee, which in turn selects the party politburo.

A group of labourers work to gather produce in a field just outside of the state capital

Under blue and sunny skies, a man paints a solar street lamp located in the suburbs of the capital Pyongyang

A man reaches for one of the flags of the ruling Workers' Party which are being displayed in large numbers across the city this weekend

A group of women dressed in cold weather gear and wellies work in a field just outside the city

A construction worker wears a uniform bearing the communist red star symbol at Jangchon Vegetable Co-op during a government-organised trip for reporters

A woman takes notes outside a building while residents of Pyongyang walk through a residential area of the city

A group of workers trudge their way through a muddy field. It is believed the ostracized state is facing famine due to global sanctions triggered by Kim Jong-un's nuclear tests

Children play together at a kindergarten at the Jangchon Vegetable Co-op farm during the state-run visit

Some analysts are predicting significant personnel changes, as Kim brings in a new, younger generation of leaders, picked for their loyalty to him.

Preparing for the congress involved mobilising the entire country in a 70-day campaign that New York-based Human Rights Watch denounced as a mass exercise in coerced labour.

'This ruling party congress is a rare event, but it's made possible by the forced labour that untold thousands of North Koreans are subject to as part of everyday life under Kim Jong-Un's abusive rule,' said Phil Robertson, the group's deputy Asia director.

People across the country, including women and children, were ordered to demonstrate their loyalty through increased forced labor to produce more goods and crops in order to cover the costs of the congress, Robertson said.

Women carrying plastic flowers walk against strong winds in central Pyongyang

Suited delegates of the seventh Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) arrive in Pyongyang earlier this week

A guide adjusts flowers under a mural showing former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung at a former ammunition factory

Pedestrians walk by a flower arrangement and billboard with the words: 'The 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea' written on it
Feds Punish NY Corruption: Sheldon Silver Sentenced to 12 Years

Sheldon Silver, former New York Assembly Speaker, knows the legal system very well. But this week he became intimately familiar with an aspect of the law that was previously only an abstraction to him -- federal criminal sentencing statutes.

Silver, who was just one of many local politicians caught up in an anti-corruption sweep by the local US Attorney General for the Southern District of New York, was hit hard. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison for corruption and, reports The New York Times, the judge seemed particularly perturbed by Silver's determination to do wrong.

The Charges

The son of a hardware store owner on the Lower East Side, Silver rose to the top of state politics, only to fall very hard after a very long and respected career. Silver was convicted on November 30 of last year on multiple charges, including honest service fraud, money laundering, and extortion. He traded money for favors and referrals for favors, among other activities, including accepting bribes.

The verdict did not take long to reach -- two hours -- and Silver was forced to relinquish his Assembly seat shortly thereafter. But he was very clearly not alone in choosing the dark side -- his replacement, for example, was charged with corruption only two weeks after taking Silver's seat. But because he had been around so long and was so highly respected, prosecutors were intent on punishing Silver in particular, according to The New York Times.

Basic Honesty

Even the judge in this matter seemed intent on letting Silver know just how disappointing and audacious his behavior was. Judge Valerie E. Caproni of Federal District Court in Manhattan reportedly pointed out at sentencing that even before his arrest, when some of his fellow legislators had been arrested on corruption charges, Silver remained undeterred. "One would think that the image of Mr. Silver's colleagues being arrested and led off to jail would have caused someone who was basically honest to reappraise what was going on," Judge Caproni said. The judge also pointed out that Silver had betrayed the public and contributed to cynicism about politics and power.

Talk to a Lawyer

If you have been accused of a crime of any kind, talk to a lawyer. Don't delay. Start working on your defense today. Many criminal defense attorneys consult for free or a minimal fee and will be happy to assess your case.

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A 35-year-old woman who survived two bouts with cancer is now working as a bounty hunter.

Shanda Zapata took up the career in 2013 and is working to pay off $800,000 in medical costs, according to Barcroft Media.

In an interview with the outlet, Zapata, a mother to four children, said: 'I chose this job because I get to help people and sort of be a bad ass.

'When I put a child molester away, it feels great. It makes me feel that bit stronger that I can do this for my community.'

Shanda Zapata, who survived two bouts with cancer, now works as a bounty hunter. She is seen with her four children, five-year-old Dominic, nine-year-old Journey, 11-year-old Keeley, and 17-year-old Skyler

Zapata, seen standing and holding a firearm, is working to pay off $800,000 in medical costs

Zapata has said: 'I chose this job because I get to help people and sort of be a bad ass'

The ex-Hooters waitress continued: 'I make me feel that while, yes, I am female - I am strong. I am capable. And I can put dangerous people away.'

The first colon cancer diagnosis came when Zapata was 19 years old, and the second 12 years after, Barcroft Media reported.

Zapata, of Colorado, also told the outlet: 'I have been shot at, lunged at with a knife, attacked by pit bulls and even had drug dealers throw needles at me like darts.

'You never know what is going to be behind that door when you kick it down. Everyday could be your last.'

She can work as a bounty hunter in 47 US states, and frequently teams up with fellow bounty hunters, Barcroft Media reported.

The first colon cancer diagnosis came when Zapata was 19 years old, and the second 12 years after

She can work as a bounty hunter in 47 US states, and frequently teams up with fellow bounty hunters

Zapata, of Colorado, has said: 'I have been shot at, lunged at with a knife, attacked by pit bulls and even had drug dealers throw needles at me like darts'

The mother, who works finding Mexican Mafia members and motorcycle gang members, knows both Krav Maga and Brazilian jiu jitsu

The mother, who works finding Mexican Mafia members and motorcycle gang members, knows both Krav Maga and Brazilian jiu jitsu, according to the outlet.

Zapata's equipment includes assault rifles and 'a Smith & Wesson pistol with custom grip,' Barcroft Media staid.

Zapata told the outlet: 'I overcame cancer twice.

'I was cut open. I worried I'd never recover.

'I've lost everything in my life and now been left with a huge debt.

'But now I'm out here hunting some of America's most dangerous criminals and making something of myself.'

Zapata's equipment includes assault rifles and 'a Smith & Wesson pistol with custom grip'
You never know what gem you'll uncover in a second-hand book shop, but finding a journal from the Napoleonic Wars is like striking pure gold.

In this case it was the diary of Lieutenant-Colonel John Squire, of the Royal Engineers, who served with the Duke of Wellington during the Peninsular War between 1810 and 1812 that was found in Tasmania.

The amazing discovery was made in the Cracked And Spineless bookshop in Hobart when the journal was found buried under a pile of old books.

Co-owners of the Cracked And Spineless bookshop in Hobart, Richard Sprent and Mike Gray, display the journal of Lieutenant-Colonel John Squire of the Royal Engineers

The journal is all handwritten and shows hand-drawn diagrams of weapons and tunnels

Co-owners Mike Gray and Richard Sprent bought the bookshop from the previous owner in 2011, and believe that the journal had been lying there for years undiscovered.

'I had left someone to take a look around and they found in it in the back of the shop under some books. I thought at first it was worth $20,' Mr Gray told Daily Mail Australia.

'But after taking a closer look I saw that it was obviously a very old journal.

Lieutenant-Colonel Squire's journal dates back to the Napoleonic Wars and was found in the Cracked And Spineless bookshop in Hobart

It was the diary of Lieutenant-Colonel John Squire, of the Royal Engineers, who served with the Duke of Wellington (pictured) during the Peninsular War between 1810 and 1812

John Squire's signature is in the journal

'I did some googling about the author of the journal John Squire and soon it was clear how old it was. It's definitely genuine. It is not that big but is just the right size to fit into a soldier's pocket. This particular journal is from May to July in 1811.'

The Mercury reports that the journal is indeed authentic after UTAS senior European history lecturer Gavin Daly confirmed that it was 'certainly not a copy'.

NAPOLEONIC WARS (1792-1815) The Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts where European powers fought for dominance over the European continent. One of the contributing factors to the outbreak of The Napoleonic Wars was after France's Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the kidnapping and execution of the Duke of Enghien. Napoloen was finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815. A rebellion launched the Peninsular War (1807 - 1814) - a conflict between Napoleon's empire and Spain, Britain and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula. Lieutenant-Colonel John Squire served as the Duke of Wellington during 1807-1814's Peninsular Wars. He was involved in two 1811 sieges of Badajoz in Spain.

'I'm not aware of anyone who had knowledge of John Squire writing a journal and I've never seen a journal from him cited in the history of the Peninsular War,' Dr Daly said.

'It's highly technical, with detail about wind direction and the sieges of Badajoz, which he was part of.

The journal is all handwritten and shows hand-drawn diagrams of underground tunnels and battle plans. Notes on the weather and events of the day are also detailed by Lieutenant-Colonel Squire.

Mr Gray also said that Lieutenant-Colonel Squire was mentioned by the Duke of Wellington twice in dispatches.

But despite the historical significance of the journal, Mr Gray said it would still be sold.

'These type of journals belonging to soldiers do exist and a number have turned up over the years. John Squire also wrote letters that have been preserved and also published a book in 1811,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'We are a small business so we will be selling it. But we won't be mercenary about the price and want to make sure that it'll be properly curated before we sell it on.'

Lieutenant-Colonel John Squire served as the Duke of Wellington during 1807-1814's Peninsular Wars. He was involved in two 1811 sieges of Badajoz in Spain.

The war was between Britain, Spain and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula.

Notes on the weather and events of the day are also detailed in the diary

The Duke of Wellington, Irish-born British soldier and statesman, 19th century (in a portrait from 1956)
A man who served 16 years in prison for murdering his partner and two young children after she demanded a threesome with her best friend will soon be released.

Sandor Cikos was handed a 21-year sentence after pleading guilty to the murder of his de facto wife, Allison Penrose, and their children, four-year-old Jake and 18-month-old Travis, at their West Dapto home near Wollongong, south of Sydney, on December 6, 1999.

Cikos, who was a fitter and turner, has been in custody since January 2000 and became eligible for release last July, and the New South Wales Parole Authority agreed to grant parole on Thursday.

Ms Penrose and her children were killed by her husband just months after she watched him have sex with her friend - a sexual fantasy she wanted to fulfil.

Sandor Cikos (right) was handed a 21-year sentence after pleading guilty to the murder of his de facto wife, Allison Penrose (left), and their children, four-year-old Jake and 18-month-old Travis

A Corrective Services spokesman told Daily Mail Australia he would be released later this month.

The threesome occurred on February 1999 before Ms Penrose and her children were killed in the December.

And when it did not live up to her expectations, Ms Penrose became consumed with jealousy and became violent towards him in the months leading up her and her children's deaths.

The father-of-two 'felt he had to do something and killing her seemed to be the only thing he could do' after Ms Penrose threatened to kill him if he did not end the life of her friend.

Once her fantasy had become a reality, she apparently did not like what she saw,' Justice John Dunford said at the time of Cikos's sentencing.

Almost immediately, she commenced to abuse and berate the prisoner for having had intercourse with the girlfriend in front of her, and she struck the prisoner and ordered him out of the house, and also the girlfriend.

Cikos had not planned to kill his partner and children until the night before.

Ms Penrose and her sons were murdered at their West Dapto home near Wollongong on December 6, 1999

Travis (left) and Jake (right) were strangled by their father even though they had plastic bags put over their heads

He struck Ms Penrose over the head with a pipe in their bedroom before turning her over and choked her.

Cikos then went to choke his two sons to death even though he had put plastic bags over their heads.

The only reason Cikos gave for taking two innocent lives was he could not bear the thought of them going through life with the pain of having lost their mother and knowing that their father had done it'.

Upon hearing the news of the murderer's release, Ms Penrose's father Allan said he and his family were angry Cikos was going to be free.

One of the bodies being rolled out of the West Dapto home in 1999 following the murders

Upon hearing the news of the murderer's release, Ms Penrose's father Allan said he and his family were angry Cikos was going to be free

'If he's out, in the world, I really don't want to come face to face with him,' Mr Penrose told 9News.

'It's still like yesterday you know - shocking. And you're living with it every day.
A second man, aged in his 30s, was taken to hospital with serious injuries

Paramedics were called to a rural road 65km north of Perth, on Thursday

One man has died and another man taken to hospital with spinal injuries after a horror head-on crash on a rural highway.

Police and emergency services were called to the Brand Highway, 65km north of Perth, after two cars were involved in a head-on collision just after 5am on Thursday morning.

It's believed a Toyota Land Cruiser was travelling on the wrong side of the road when it collided with a Mitsubishi Lancer, according to 9 News.

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The driver of a Mitsubishi Lancer, (pictured) has died and another man taken to hospital with spinal injuries after a horror head-on crash on a rural highway 65km north of Perth

Police and emergency services were called to the Brand Highway, 65km north of Perth, after two cars were involved in a head-on collision just after 5am on Thursday morning

A second man, who was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser (pictured), was trapped for up to 15 minutes before he was freed by firefighters and taken to Royal Perth Hospital in a serious condition with chest and spinal injuries

The driver of the Lancer, a 38-year-old father, died at the scene.

A second man, who was driving the Land Cruiser, was trapped for up to 15 minutes before he was freed by firefighters and taken to Royal Perth Hospital in a serious condition with chest and spinal injuries.

Footage from the scene near the Nolan Street junction shows the entire roof cut from a Mitsubishi Lancer involved in the crash.

The Western Australia Police major collision unit are investigating the incident.

A second crash occurred near the scene when a motorist failed to see a road block being set up by police near the initial crash

The Western Australia Police major collision unit are investigating the incident

A second crash occurred near the scene when a motorist failed to see a road block being set up by police near the initial crash.

The motorist was forced to brake heavily to avoid a collision and skidded off the road onto the gravel shoulder, according to Perth Now.

The highway was blocked off between towns Muchea and Gin Gin and police expected road blocks to be in place for several hours.

The Brand Highway is a major route between cities Perth and Geraldton and reportedly carries a large volume of heavy vehicle traffic.
Hundreds of mourners have gathered to farewell gangland figure 'Mr Big' Walid Ahmad after he was gunned down at a Sydney shopping centre on Friday.

The streets surrounding Lakemba Mosque in Sydney's south-west were filled with onlookers for two hours on Thursday afternoon as Ahmad's coffin was carried to the hearse by friends and family chanting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is the Great).

The 41-year-old 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 with injuries.

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Hundreds of mourners have gathered to farewell gangland figure 'Mr Big' Walid Ahmad

Ahmad was gunned down at Bankstown shopping centre on Friday in 'well-planned ambush'

Semi Ngata, also known as "Tongan Sam", and Fadi Ibrahim pay their respects to Walid Ahmad

Ahamd's mother and sister (second from right and right) attend the funeral at Lakemba Mosque on Thursday

Police also attended Thursday's funeral to keep an eye on proceedings, both from on the ground and from helicopters, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Kings Cross identity Fadi Ibrahim joined the mourners and was flanked by his bodyguard 'Tongan Sam' Ngata.

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, also in Sydney's south-west.

It's feared Friday's shooting could be 'payback' for the killing, and police are investigating if indeed it is.

On Sunday it was revealed relatives of Ahmad 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, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The streets surrounding Lakemba Mosque in Sydney's south-west were filled with onlookers for two hours on Thursday afternoon

As Ahmad's coffin was carried to the hearse, friends and family chanted 'Allahu Akbar' (God is the Greatest)

The 41-year-old 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 with injuries

Police also attended Thursday's funeral to keep an eye on proceedings, both from on the ground and from helicopters

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

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.

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.

Ahmad's body was driven away from the funeral in the hearse for a private burial.

Kings Cross identity Fadi Ibrahim was reportedly in attendance at Thursday's funeral flanked by his bodyguard 'Tongan Sam' Ngata

Ahmad is a central figure among Sydney's middle eastern crime gangs and his death has sparked serious concerns about an emerging gang war

Shocking images emerged of the moment paramedics tried to resuscitate Ahmad after he was gunned down in a 'targeted attack' outside the shopping centre

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

Police surround a man at the shopping centre after the shooting

Hoda Darwiche, 32, had stopped to buy a coffee at a cafe when she was caught in the crossfire and shot in the leg

Nael Hamid (pictured) is thought to be Ahmad's bouncer and made light of the situation by saying his injuries were due to 'fireworks'

The 41-year-old 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 with injuries
McNamara maintains Rogerson asked him meet him at shed to fix door

Former police detective Glen McNamara denies he planned the execution of a university student and alleged drug dealer in a storage shed, claiming he was at the murder scene to fix a stiff door.

McNamara, 56, and his co-accused, Roger Rogerson, 75, also a former detective, are alleged to have murdered Jamie Gao, 20, before stripping him of 2.78kg of ice and dumping his body at sea.

McNamara told the NSW Supreme Court that Rogerson asked him to fix a door at a storage shed in Padstow in Sydney's south-west, which would later become a murder scene on May 20, 2014.

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Former detectives Glen McNamara (left) and Roger Rogerson (right) are accused of murdering university student and alleged drug dealer Jamie Gao

Mr Gao's body was spotted by fishermen on May 26, 2014, wrapped in a surfboard bag and a blue tarpaulin and bobbing in waters off Cronulla

But Crown prosecutor Christopher Maxwell QC told the court the former detectives were at the shed arranging it for a planned killing, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

'I put it to you that you were down at that shed at that time for a reason very different to fixing that door,' Mr Maxwell said.

McNamara replied: 'No'

'You were arranging the shed,' Mr Maxwell continued.

'No,' he said.

'You were working out the best way to kill Jamie Gao,' to which McNamara replied: 'Absolutely not.'

McNamara told the NSW Supreme Court that Rogerson asked him to fix a door at a storage shed in Padstow in Sydney's south-west

CCTV footage shown in court allegedly shows McNamara and Mr Gao arrive at the storage

The pair continue to accuse each other of killing Mr Gao in the long-running trial.

McNamara says Rogerson shot and killed the 20-year-old, and that he helped dispose of his body because Rogerson threatened his life and the lives of his daughters.

But Rogerson maintains it was McNamara who shot and killed Mr Gao.

The Crown alleges that Mr Gao's body was thrown overboard from McNamara's family boat.

The body was spotted by fishermen on May 26, 2014, wrapped in a surfboard bag and a blue tarpaulin and bobbing in waters off Cronulla.

Both Rogerson and McNamara have pleaded not guilty to all charges against them.The trial continues.




A 21-year-old woman accused of going on a spending spree after $4.6 million was mistakenly transferred into her bank account had been living in a sub-penthouse apartment with Sydney Harbour Bridge views before her arrest.

Christine Jiaxin Lee was detained at Sydney Airport on Wednesday night when she attempted to leave Australia en route to Malaysia - four years after she wrongly received the money.

When the Malaysian national appeared in Waverley Local Court on Thursday, she claimed she was living at a prestigious sub-penthouse in the inner west of Sydney.

The chemical engineering student spent Thursday night behind bars after she was granted bail but had inaccuracies in her bail information.

With natural surroundings and oceanfront views of Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Rider Boulevard apartment is rented at $780 a week or $3120 per month, according to property records.

The contemporary property boasts two bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, a spacious living and dining area which leads to a balcony - and just walking distance from cafes, restaurants and shops.

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Christine Jiaxin Lee (right) has been arrested on suspicion of spending millions of dollars that were mistakenly transferred into her account four years ago

The Malaysian national had been renting a lavish penthouse in Sydney's inner west, believed to be $780 a week

The Rider Boulevard apartment boasts sweeping oceanfront views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and city

Pictured is a $780-per-week sub-penthouse apartment in the same building where Ms Lee lives, similar to the one she rents

The 21-year-old woman is accused of going on a spending spree after she wrongly received $4.6 million

Her boyfriend Vincent King (pictured) - who tried to pay a $1000 bond for her release - was only carrying a Malaysian ID card and officers could not verify his identity

Wielding a batch of documents, Mr King appeared at Waverly Local Court on Friday for a bail application

Mr King (pictured in a Real Madrid jacket) has said he had no knowledge of his partner Christine Lee's windfall

She allegedly splashed out $3.3 million in less than a year when she made purchases on designer handbags and reportedly made cash transfers, according to Nine News.

Earlier on Thursday, she was granted bail but her boyfriend Vincent King - who tried to pay a $1000 bond for her release - was only carrying a Malaysian ID card and officers could not verify his identity, The Daily Telegraph reported.

There was also a misspelling on her bail address, which must be updated in front of a magistrate before she can be released.

The chemical engineering student will return to court on Friday where she's expected to walk free from custody.

Lee appeared at court on Thursday after being charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

She was granted bail in court on condition that she report to police twice daily, surrenders her emergency passport and lives with her boyfriend in the suburb of Rhodes.

The court heard that although the police fraud unit had started their investigation into the withdrawal of the money in 2012, they only issued the arrest warrant on March 4 this year.

The student told her lawyer that she had obtained the emergency passport to fly home to Malaysia to visit her parents, who did not know about her arrest.

Lee's lawyer, Fiona McCarron told the court that the money was partly spent on luxury items like expensive handbags, to which the Magistrate commented: 'That's a lot of handbags.'

And Ms Stapleton agreed with the lawyer when she said the police would struggle to prove the spending of the money was illegal.

'They gave it to her,' said the Magistrate, who added that if it was proved that the money was indeed given to Lee, then the student would owe the money to the bank and have to pay it back.

Her boyfriend of 18 months Vincent King did not bring verifiable documentation to court on Thursday

The student will spend a night in jail after her boyfriend - who tried to pay a $1000 bond for her release - was only carrying a Malaysian ID card and officers could not verify his identity, meaning they had to refuse her bail

The chemical engineering student was arrested at Sydney Airport as she tried to board a flight to Malaysia

'But she wouldn't necessarily have broken the law,' said the Magistrate.

Court documents revealed she is alleged to have committed the offences on multiple occasions between July 2014 and March 2015.

She was mistakenly given a $4.6million overdraft on her Westpac account four years ago and allegedly owes the bank $3.3million after spending the cash on designer goods.

It is alleged she failed to notify the bank that she was not entitled to the money. The court heard she knew police were attempting to make contact with her and she obtained an emergency Malaysian passport in order to leave the country.

She was granted bail for $1,000 and faces strict bail conditions, with Magistrate Lisa Stapleton agreeing with the prosecution that her attempts to flee Australia meant that she posed a flight risk.

But Ms Stapleton suggested Lee may not have broken the law as the money she spent 'isn't proceeds of crime. It's money we all dream of', according to Fairfax Media.

She agreed with Lee's lawyer it would be hard to prove Lee had done anything wrong.

The court heard she knew police were attempting to make contact with her and she obtained an emergency Malaysian passport in order to leave the country

Lee still allegedly owes $3.3 million to her bank after spending the cash on designer goods and handbags

Lee obtained an emergency passport before attempting to make the flight on Wednesday, the court heard

'She didn't take it from them. They gave it to her,' she said.

If that was so, Lee would owe the bank the money spent but would not have broken the law, she added.

Lee, who claimed to have obtained the emergency passport because she had lost her original one, will not be allowed to enter any international airport.

She is also not allowed to apply for another passport. Lee, who has lived in Australia for five years, lives with her boyfriend at Rhodes in Sydney's north-west.

She is three years through a four-year chemical engineering degree but has deferred her final year. The woman is due to appear at Downing Centre Local court on June 21.

Earlier on Thursday, her boyfriend of 18 months, arrived at Waverley Local Court where he told reporters that he had no knowledge of the funds.

He said he had 'no idea' she had ever been given access to the money and reportedly claimed to have never seen her make any extravagant purchases.

It wasn't until Thursday morning when Lee called him asking for help that he knew anything about it.

When told how much money she'd had access to, he said 'that's big money'.

The 21-year-old made a brief appearance at Sydney's Waverley Local Court (above) on Thursday morning
The teenager who claimed he wanted to 'terrorise' non-Muslims and plotted an attack for Anzac Day has been refused bail.

The 16-year-old boy was arrested near his western Sydney home on April 24 after allegedly trying to source a gun and a bomb manual for the attack on April 25.

Parramatta Magistrate Christine Haskett refused to release him from custody in a decision on Thursday saying there was an unacceptable risk he would commit an offence.

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Zemarai Khatiz (centre) the lawyer representing a 16-year old-accused of planning an Anzac Day terrorist attack leaves court on April 26 after entering a not guilty plea. The teen has since been refused bail

Speaking at the teen's bail hearing on April 26, crown prosecutor Chris Choi said there was a strong case against the boy, who had been plotting the attack from as early as April 16.

Ms Choi said there was a serious risk the boy would fail to appear or endanger the safety of the public if he was granted bail.

If he was released, she argued, he had a greater urgency to achieve 'what he failed to do' on Anzac Day.

When asked why he chose April 25, the teenager had replied: 'Because here in Australia the kafir (non-Muslims) celebrate Anzac Day and I want to terrorise them on the day', Ms Choi said.

Ms Choi said the teenager first came under investigation between May 5 and May 8 last year.

He was at that time referred to the national disruption group and agreed to undergo a de-radicalisation program to address 'violent, extremist behaviours'.

He has been in custody since April 24, when he was arrested by officers from the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) near his home in Sydney's west.

Officers allegedly posing as extremists had caught the young teen, who had been trying to find a gun and bomb manual at the time.

Police presence was increased across the state following the arrest of the teenager. Above are officers at Martin Place in central Sydney last month when the 16-year-old hoped to 'terrorise' non-muslims

The boy had been using a messaging application with the profile picture of a lion on the Islamic State flag.

Evidence on his phone had also revealed recruitment videos and other Islamic State propaganda.

The 16-year-old extremist's parents were distraught from his arrest and told the courts that they would be willing to use their $1.2million home as a security if the teen was granted bail.

The boy's mother wept and buried her head on her husband's shoulder during the prosecutor's address at the Parramatta Children's Court.

The Sydney teenager, 16, was arrested on April 24 and charged with terror-related offences. He was allegedly planning an attack for Anzac Day (above is the Martin Place service)

The boy was taken to Auburn Police Station (pictured) and appeared before Parramatta Children's Court by video link

And the boy's father later pleaded for his son to be allowed to come home.

He said: 'To get my son back home I would do anything ... I love him with all my heart and he's everything to me.'

The boy had not attended court and instead appeared by video link.

Following the boy's arrest in late April, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said police were working around the clock to keep the public safe.
Senior Tories have hit out at Zac Goldsmith for running an 'outrageous' anti-Muslim campaign as an election day poll handed Sadiq Khan a huge 14-point lead in the London mayoral vote.

Andrew Boff, the Conservative leader on the Greater London assembly, said Mr Goldsmith's strategy to attack Mr Khan for his links to Muslim 'extremists' in the race to replace Boris Johnson in City Hall was a mistake.

And in a remarkable broadside on the Tory mayoral candidate, Mr Boff said his party's tactics could damage relations with the Muslim community.

The negative campaign run by the Tories looks set to have failed as a YouGov survey suggested Mr Khan is likely to be 11 points clear of his Tory rival on the first round of voting before he finishes even further ahead once other candidates are eliminated.

The ballot boxes for the London Mayoral election were gathered at the Kensington Olympia today ready for the count to get underway

The London mayoral candidates, Labour's Sadiq Khan with his wife left, and Tory Zac Goldsmith with his wife Alice, right, both emerged to vote early today. They face a long wait for a declaration as the City Hall race will not be counted until tomorrow

The poll indicates Mr Khan is set to shake off the toxic anti-Semitism row which has engulfed Labour for the past week.

But by the time the City Hall results are declared this afternoon, Mr Corbyn is expected to have lost around 150 council seats, overall control of the Welsh Assembly and may have seen his party slip into third place in Scotland.

Minutes after the polls closed in the London mayoral election last night, Mr Boff criticised Mr Goldsmith's strategy for focussing on Mr Khan's apparent links with radical Muslims, telling the BBC: 'It was effectively saying that people of conservative religious views are not to be trusted and you should not share a platform with them. That's outrageous.'

He added Mr Goldsmith had 'done real damage' and had 'blown up bridges' that the Tories had built with London's Muslim communities, adding it was a mistake to 'equate people of conservative religious views with sympathising with terrorism'.

'I mentioned that I thought this was a mistake for future integration in London. If you are a London politician this is just a bizarre thing to do,' he said.

'I do believe it's going to affect Conservatives at the sharp end, especially in those parts of London where there is a high Muslim population.'

Boris Johnson and his wife Marina voted near their Islington home today as his two terms as Mayor drew to a close

In other elections yesterday - dubbed 'super Thursday' because of how many polls are taking place - around 40 new police and crime commissioners will be elected and mayors will also be chosen in Bristol, Salford and Liverpool.

David Cameron is looking to win back council seats lost to Ed Miliband in 2012 while Ukip hopes to capitalise on debate around the EU referendum to make progress in England and Wales.

Two House of Commons by-elections also took place, with Labour retaining safe seats in Ogmore and Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough.

The picture in English councils, the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly is expected to be becoming clear by dawn.

Counting in London does not begin until 8am Friday and the successor to Boris Johnson is expected to be declared sometime this afternoon.

The final poll on the London Mayoral race, released today by the Evening Standard, suggested a big win for Mr Khan in the final round run off for City Hall

The final poll, by YouGov for the Evening Standard, suggested a comfortable win for Mr Khan today - forecasting a 57 per cent to 43 per cent margin for the Labour candidate.

In an early blow for Mr Corbyn, one of his most prominent and vocal supporters announced she had voted for someone else.

Charlotte Church, who performed at a tour in support of the new Labour leader, revealed she had backed Plaid Cymru in today's Welsh Assembly elections.

The singer tweeted: '@Plaid_Cymru all the way for me today!!!'

Voters in the London Borough of Barnet reported problems at polling stations today and said they were being turned away and told to come back later.

Jeremy Corbyn cast his ballot in his Islington constituency today as he braced for a tough results night after the polls close at 10pm

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, left, could pull off the unlikely feat of leading the Conservatives to second place in Scotland today. She could be Opposition leader to Nicola Sturgeon, pictured casting her ballot in Glasgow, who is expected to re-elected as First Minister today

David and Samantha Cameron both turned out to vote in the London Mayoral election earlier today

Several people reported on Twitter that polling station staff admitted to not having up to date voter lists - meaning it was impossible to check voters who arrived without polling cards were at the right polling station.

Some voters said they were able to vote with a polling card but others said they were still turned away.

Conor Pope said: 'People in Barnet being turned away and told to come back later because polling stations have wrong voter lists.'

Elizabeth Burling said: 'Unable to vote in Barnet, despite having polling cards, as ''not on the list''.'

But Robert Rams insisted he had been unable to vote without difficult adding: 'Don't know what all the fuss is about.'

Charlotte Church, who has been a vocal support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, revealed she had voted for the Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru

Labour yesterday was forced to walk back a prediction from Mr Corbyn that he would not lose any council seats in today's polls.

Asked if Mr Corbyn stood by his forecast today, the spokesman said: 'I think that may have been slightly misinterpreted - what he said was he would make no predictions about the number of seats to be won or lost in the local elections.

'We are not in the business of losing seats and we are fighting to win as many as possible tomorrow.'

Told that was not what Mr Corbyn had said, the spokesman added: 'I'm just explaining, the previous sentence was he was making no predictions about seats being gained or lost.'

A Benedictine Monk from Pluscarden Abbey leaves a polling station in Miltonduff, Moray, after voting in the Scottish Parliament election today

More than 2,700 council seats, mopre than 40 police and crime commissioners and two House of Commons constituencies are also up for grabs in today's elections

Asked if Mr Corbyn had 'misspoken', the spokesman said: 'I'm telling you what he was intending to say.

'He was saying we are not in the business of losing seats, I'm telling you what he has said everywhere else.'

He insisted: 'We are not making predictions about seat losses or gains, that is what he was saying yesterday and will continue to say.

'We will be fighting for every seat that we can win.'

The Tories yesterday continued a last minute scramble to try and reverse Mr Khan's polling lead in London over Zac Goldsmith.

Polling stations were open across the country from 7am today, including inside this portakabin on Bury New Road for local elections in Sedgeley

Voters went to the polls under sunny skies in Haringey, North London, as today's elections continued

The Richmond MP launched a 24 hour campaign blitz, making visits across the capital to venues including a kebab shop, milk round and a street market.

And in the Commons, Mr Cameron used Prime Minister's Questions to ratchet up the pressure on Mr Corbyn over alleged links to Hamas and Hesbollah.

Mr Corbyn initially tried to dodge the issue, insisting: 'I have made it very clear Labour is an anti-racist party and there is no room for anti-Semitism.'

But under intense pressure he then conceded that any group that committed racist or anti-Semitic acts was 'no friend of mine'.

Early voters in Barnet reported problems at the polling stations after they were turned away because voter lists were out of date

Despite advice to take polling cards, one voter Elizabeth Burling said she was still turned away from the polling station by staff

Ian Shapiro said he was one of nine people at his local polling station who had been turned away despite bringing their polling card with them to vote

The attack came after Israeli ambassador Mark Regev delivered a thinly-veiled attack on politicians who 'embrace' Hamas, the armed wing of which is banned in Britain as a terrorist group.

In Scotland, the SNP are expected to be returned with a bigger majority while Labour and the Tories scrap over second place.

Polls suggest Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson could be installed as Opposition Leader as voters continue to turn away from Labour north of the border.

Labour is on course to lose overall control in Wales while Ukip could win their first ever seats in Cardiff Bay - with controversial candidates Neil Hamilton and Mark Reckless at the top of regional lists for seats.

In Scotland, the SNP is expected to extend its majority at Holyrood as the party holds huge polling leads. Labour and the Conservatives are vying for a distant second place

Polling stations are open across Britain as 45 million people are eligible to vote in at least one of scores of election taking place on 'super Thursday'
One person was killed and at least five were wounded following a gun attack overnight in Minneapolis where at least 32 rounds were fired.

Police reported the attack happened at around 9pm on Wednesday in the north of the city.

When officers arrived at the scene, one man was dead, two were in a critical condition and at least three others were suffering from gun shot wounds.

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Police confirmed that one person died and two were in a critical condition following the shooting in Minneapolis

The shooting happened last night around the 1600 block of Newton Avenue North in Minnesota, pictured

Police from the fourth district arrived within two minutes of the attack after being alerted by members of the public and ShotSpotter notifications.

Inspector Mike Kjos told the Minnesota Star Tribune three of the victims were dropped to hospital by citizens.

A large area around the crime scene has been sealed off.

Police believe the suspect escaped in a car possibly to the North Commons Park area of the city.

A large group of people gathered at the scene including relatives of the dead man.

Police have not yet confirmed the number of suspects they are looking for or the name of the male victim.
Protests were held in Sittwe, Mrauk U, Pauktaw, Ponnagyun, Minbya, Rathedaung, Buthidaung, and Maungdaw.

The protesters were calling for the Burma Army to halt offensives against the Arakan Army (AA) and for the Arakan Army and Union Government to hold meetings to come up with political solutions to the fighting. They also called for all those unfairly sent to prison for having ties to the AA to be released and for the Burma Army to stop violating the human rights of the Arakan people.

About 10,000 people protested in Sittwe.

One of the organisers of the Sittwe protest, Ko Yazar Min Aung said to Narinjara News: We are protesting for the government to immediately carry out a peace process, to release the people that have been detained and imprisoned on suspicion [of having ties with AA], and to stop recruiting innocent civilians as porters.

Another organiser, Daw Kyawt Sein, the chairperson of the Arakan Alin Tagar Group said: We want the Burma Army to stop launching offensives against the Arakan Army. We want them to stop because the Arakan people living in rural areas of Arakan State have been suffering a lot. The Burma Army has been using Arakan people as porters and overworking them. The Arakan people have to flee safe areas because they fear being forced to overwork.

Around 5,000 people gathered Shite-Thaung Temple in Mrauk U before marching round the town.

Sayadaw Wunna Tharya, a monk from Oo Gaung Monastery in Mrauk Oo said: We are holding a protest to demand a halt to the fighting. In order to stop the fighting we must first analyse why the fighting broke out. Fighting breaks out in Burma due to the differences between the [ethnic] states and central [Burma], it is due to inequality. We believe the wars will end if the government and the [army] Commander-in-Chief can sit together with ethnic leaders at a table and solve the needs of the ethnic people.

Over 4,000 people protested in Pauktaw.

The Pauktaw protest leader Ko Zaw Min Oo said to Narinjara News: We want peace, that is why we are protesting. It is especially important to halt the wars and human rights violations.

He also said that the authorities banned protesters from using the word army [tadmadaw in Burmese] in reference to the Arakan Army (AA). Instead protesters in Pauktaw had to call them the Arakan armed group.

U Sanda Thiri, the chief abbot of Sanda Yama Monastery in Pauktaw Township, said: We want the Union Government to consider the Arakan peoples demand to halt the fighting. You cant solve peace like this. You need to discuss this peacefully at a table.

Over 1,000 people protested in Minbya and Rathedaung and according to local resident Ko Myo Naing about 3,000 people protested in Ponnagyun.

The Minbya protest leader U Ba Thein said: We demand a halt to fighting and human rights violations and political solutions to political problems. We expect the new government to consult the public on their views and to solve the peace [issues] that the previous government was unable to do.

The leader of the Rathedaung protest, U Hla Myint said: If the new Union Government and the NLD are unable to solve the publics demands, we will need to make bigger demands. We will submit our demands to parliament.

Fighting broke out between the Burma Army and the AA in the mountains in Rathedaung Township, Ponnagyun Township, and Buthidaung Township from 16 to 22 April. Thousands of innocent Arakan people have fled and are in need of relief aid.

Translated by Thida Linn

Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
A photo has emerged appearing to show a Massachusetts police officer using his cell phone whilst driving his patrol car.

Reading police are investigating the incident after the photograph gained considerable attention on social media, according to the Boston Globe.

Chief Mark Segalla confirmed in a short statement that the force are looking into the photograph to learn whether the officer in question was actually texting whilst driving.

Chief Mark Segalla confirmed in a short statement that the force are looking into the photograph to learn whether the officer in question was actually texting whilst driving

Dressed in his familiar fluorescent yellow coat with American badge, the police officer appears to have his right hand on the steering.

In his left hand, a mobile phone can just about be seen from above the vehicle's door, which is clearly marked Reading police.

The shocking image was captured by local resident Gerry A. Sullivan, who uploaded the picture to her Facebook page.

She said she spotted the police officer in his car and quickly grabbed a snap of him from the passenger seat of her car.

'As I was riding passenger thru reading square at about 25 miles an hour this is what I saw! He was driving right beside me,' she wrote on Facebook.

'No he wasn't parked he was moving at the same speed! Didn't even realize I took his picture!! So bad that our police are breaking the law!'

The shocking image was captured by local resident Gerry A. Sullivan, who uploaded the picture to her Facebook page

'We are not looking to rush to judgment  at this early stage we do not know if the vehicle was being driven or was parked along the side of the road,' Chief Mark Segalla said.
Police may soon have the extraordinary power to use their 'gut feeling' to stop someone they suspect of posing a serious risk from entering mosques.

The Guardian reports that a bill passed through parliament this week could mean police officers are able to use their instincts to stop individuals from entering places of worship or being involved in protests.

The Crimes Bill 2016 - which was moved through the New South Wales upper house on Wednesday - gives police the power to create serious crimes prevention orders and public safety orders.

Police may be able to use their 'gut feeling' to stop enforce serious crimes prevention orders

However critics have condemned the bill's introduction, with the NSW Bar Association warning it could have 'grave implications for the rule of law' in the state.

Lawyers too have spoken out against the bill, saying it diminishes equality.

'This isnt a question of the gradual erosion of equality before the law  the passing of these bills means it is gone,' David Porter, a solicitor at Redfern Legal Centre told The Guardian.

'These new bills introduce public safety orders that are not about safety, but about control. They are about shutting down all sorts of public events, from protests to footy finals.'

Greens upper house member David Shoebridge also raised questions in parliament about the law's introduction.

He said it was wrong for police to have the ability to use the extraordinary powers in situations where they have insufficient evidence for a criminal prosecution.

The bill means people may be refused entry to protests or places of worship such as Lakemba Mosque, pictured, in Sydney

'If a gut feeling satisfies a police officer that a person poses a serious risk to public safety or security and they think the order is reasonable, off they will go,' Mr Shoebridge said.

'The order can be made if the officer is satisfied of certain thingsif they get the kind of gut feeling that police officers get.
Michael Leaberry skipped bail in September after he was arrested on suspicion of child sex offences. Police only this week alerted the public to the risk he poses

Police face questions after it emerged that a child sex abuse suspect disappeared seven months before they raised the alarm.

Michael Leaberry, of Ipswich, Suffolk, skipped bail after he was arrest for suspected child sex offences. He has not been seen since September.

Despite the serious allegations he faces, police only this week admitted his is a risk to children as they launched a public appeal to find him.

Suffolk Police first described Leaberry as a missing person when he failed to arrive for a bail appointment in Flintshire, north Wales last year.

He was later found to be in Chelmsford, Essex living under a false name, Stephen Bugman, but then skipped bail for a second time and has not been seen since.

Police again launched a missing person search for him in November, but this week admitted they have failed to find him.

Ipswich MP Ben Gummer is demanding answers from his police chiefs over why it took so long to alert locals.

He said: 'There is clearly a considerable worry here. I will be seeking assurances from the chief constable that everything was done to inform the public in a legal and ethical way.'

A spokesman for child protection charity the NSPCC added: 'The police often have to make complex operational decisions about whether to make a public appeal for information based on the intelligence they have about a suspect.

'However, we'd expect serious consideration be given to alerting parents, schools and the wider community at the earliest possible opportunity when someone is thought to pose a risk to children.'

Police say they did not warn the public earlier about the potential risk he posed to children because they didn't want to 'undermine any subsequent criminal proceedings'.

Leaberry left North Wales in January 2015 as he moved to Ipswich and later Essex. He is believed to have been in Ipswich on September 29.

Leaberry has moved around Britain in recent years, living in Suffolk, Essex, Norwich, Cheshire and Wales

Leaberry, who had blue hair when he was first arrested, has lived in Suffolk, Essex, Norwich, Cheshire, and North Wales over the last few years as he moved around the country.

Finally making an appeal for information, North Wales Police said last night: 'North Wales Police are appealing for information to trace Michael Philip Leaberry, 35, who is wanted in connection with child sex offences in Flintshire.'

Det Ch Insp Simon Williams added: 'I would also appeal to Mr Leaberry directly to come forward. Due to the nature of the [alleged] offences he is considered to present a risk of harm to children.'

Ipswich MP Ben Gummer is demanding answers from police over their handling of the search

Asked why it had taken seven months to warn the public, a North Wales Police spokesman said: 'Since Michael Leaberry has been missing, North Wales Police in conjunction with Suffolk Police have pursued all lines of enquiry to try and trace his whereabouts and safeguard the public.

'These enquiries have continued since Michael Leaberry failed to answer bail.

'Due to those enquiries proving negative, and after careful consideration that we do not undermine any subsequent criminal proceedings, we took the decision to release his full details and seek the support of the public.'

Mr Gummer also warned about the difficulties the case raises.

He added: 'This is a very concerning case. It raises important issues that exist between keeping the public safe and ensuring a fair trial in the future - and also not impugning someone's reputation who has not yet been convicted.
A Mexican policewoman sacked for posing for a topless 'selfie' in her uniform that went viral has told of how her marriage is in crisis over her new found fame.

Nidia Garcia revealed how her husband isn't speaking to her, and her family were left speechless by the pictures - as she is now working as a stripper since leaving the police force.

Nidia, told MailOnline: 'The photo wasn't taken for my husband. And he was so disgusted that I had been capable of letting another man take such photos that he left the house.'

Posing: Mexican ex-policewoman Nidia Garcia was sacked after a topless photo of her in uniform went viral

Racy: Nidia Garcia found herself at the centre of a social media storm after this picture of her, topless in a patrol vehicle while she was supposed to be on duty in the northern town of Escobedo, went viral

'I told him that if he wanted to leave, then he should go. Now, as I am beginning to perform as a stripper, he is pretending none of it is going on,' she said.

The photo wasn't taken for my husband, and he was so disgusted that I had been capable of letting another man take such photos that he left the house. Ex-policewoman Nidia Garcia

Nidia revealed the topless photo inside a police vehicle while on duty were taken a year ago as part of a 'funny game' she was playing with her patrol partner.

She said: 'My patrol partner is like a brother to me. I'm not having an affair with him, or anyone else, we simply took the photos as a laugh.'

But when Nidia lost her phone last month, she began to receive messages from an anonymous caller, threatening to publish the pictures on social media unless she slept with them.

'It was a horrible time. I was so scared of destroying my daughters' lives and becoming known as an immoral woman in my hometown,' she said. 'I knew the blackmailer was someone within my police unit, but I chose to ignore the messages.'

The uncensored photo was published on Facebook on Friday April 15, and by the Sunday it had already been shared over 500,000 times across social media platforms.

Sensation: Nidia's racy snapshot was shared on social media platforms more than 500,000 times in just two days, and became a massive talking point in Mexico

Threats: According to Nidia, the photograph came to light when she lost her phone and she started receiving threatening phone calls from an anonymous person threatening to publish the snap unless she slept with them

Life-changing: Since losing her job as a police officer following the online outrage, the mother-of-two is now pursuing a new career as a table dancer in strip clubs across the country

Star: Nidia is going on a nation-wide tour of strip clubs across Mexico, and she is fully booked until September

Nadia went on: 'It was awful, mainly because of the disappointment within my family. I had to explain to my parents why I did it, and who I did it with.

'It's only now that they're coming to terms with it,' she said.

Nidia has two young daughters with her husband Jesus Miguel Galindo, who is also a police officer in Nuevo Leon state, a region to the south of Texas troubled by organised crime.

'My husband is ignoring the fact that I'm now a stripper. The whole scandal has been extremely hard on him, since he has to listen to his colleagues laugh about me and make fun of him.'

'I just want to put it behind us and start again. But these things are impossible to forget,' she said.

Nidia's supposed repentance hasn't stopped her from making the most of the situation. Less than a week after the photos emerged she had signed on with a talent agent and was performing at the Monterrey strip club Poisson.

Official: Nidia claims the topless photo was taken more than a year ago as part of a 'funny game' with her patrol officer, who she described as being 'like a brother'

Favourite: Her agent has even put the rest of his clients on hold so he can concentrate fully on Nidia's work

Performer: Nidia is making good money in her new career as a stripper, receiving 480 for every performance

Split: Nidia says her police officer husband Jesus Miguel Galindo (pictured) refuses to acknowledge her after the incident and has walked out of the family home

Famous: Nidia's photograph became a huge sensation in Mexico as it spread across social media, thanks to its official setting and her 'nice breasts'. Pictured, a model of topless Nidia with a criminal

She has also established a Facebook fan page with over 100,000 followers, regularly broadcasts live streams divulging intimate personal details such as her 36C cup size, and promoting her personal hashtag #bubispalaraza (boobs for the people).

'I'm an artist and performer, so I'm learning how to keep my fans happy,' she said.

'Nidia is one of the most famous women in Mexico,' says her agent Mario Rodriguez, who pays his client $700 (480) for each strip show she puts on.

'Whoever was threatening her with posting her intimate photos online did her a massive favour.'

Now a bona fide stripper, Nidia is fully booked until the start of September. She will spend the coming months touring Mexico's top strip clubs.

'We'll be across the country, from Oaxaca to Tijuana,' said Mario, who has put his other clients on hold in order to make the most of Nidia's fame.

'We'll be looking to work in the United States too if things go well. We're going to make as much money out of this sensation as possible.'

Nidia added: 'What was one of the most traumatic experiences has turned into a life-changing opportunity. I'm going to get my head down and work.'

Favour: According to Nidia's agent, Mario Rodriguez, whoever published the uncensored photograph actually did Nidia a favour by giving her an audience

Life-changing: Even though it caused her husband to leave her and horrified her family, Nidia is determined to make the best of what she described as a 'traumatic experience'
The Royal Navy has fired a warning shot at a Spanish patrol boat as it tried to 'hassle' a US nuclear submarine attempting to dock at Gibraltar, it has emerged.

Spanish Guardia Civil vessel Rio Cedena twice tried to disrupt the visit by ballistic missile sub USS Florida as it was approaching the British Overseas Territory on the southern tip of Spain.

Flares were fired across its bow as it sailed in front of the American submarine and the Royal Navy reportedly dispatched its squadron patrol vessel HMS Sabre.

Spanish Guardia Civil vessel Rio Cedena twice tried to disrupt the visit by ballistic missile sub USS Florida (shown in this file picture) as it was approaching the British Overseas Territory on the southern tip of Spain

Flares were fired across the bow of a Spanish Guardia Civil (file picture) as it sailed in front of the American submarine

According to the Sun, the incident has caused outrage among senior officials in Gibraltar with one 'top source' saying: 'This is not only a very dangerous game for the Spanish to play but it is unbecoming of a NATO ally to treat the US Navy with such contempt.'

The newspaper reports that the incident happened in mid-April and senior Royal Navy sources have confirmed the flare firing.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman told MailOnline this morning: 'We dont comment on force protection measures or submarine operations.'

The Sun reported that a spokesman for Gibraltar's Governors office as confirming the incident.

It is not the first time such incursions have been reported.

In August, the Government of Gibraltar said they were 'astonished and appalled' after Spanish police used boats and helicopters to make several incursions into British waters.

The Royal Navy reportedly dispatched its squadron patrol vessel HMS Sabre (file picture) when the incursion took place

The incident happened as a US Navy submarine was approaching Gibraltar during a visit

A year earlier HMS Sabre was embroiled in a stand-off with Rio Cedena after another illegal incursion.

Britain was given Gibraltar in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, but Spain has said it will never renounce its claim to sovereignty.

Spanish aggression over the Rock increased after the election of Mariano Rajoy as the countrys prime minister in 2011.

But relations between Madrid and London over the Mediterranean territory have deteriorated drastically since the construction of an artificial reef by the Gibraltar government which Spain says has interfered with their fisherman.

Madrid responded by imposing tighter border controls, leading to long delays at the frontier, as the row escalated.
A swimsuit commercial starring supermodel Bar Refaeli has been banned by Israeli television executives.

The advertisement, which is for her own swimsuit line, shows the 30-year-old model enjoying the sunshine on a beach while wearing a bikini, including close-ups of her bottom.

Miss Refaeli, who was three months pregnant when the commercial was filmed, can also be seen getting changed into one of her bikinis, albeit while standing behind a car door.

Controversial: Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli's 45-second advertisement for her own swimsuit line for Hoodies has been censored in her native country

The close-up shots of the model's bottom in an outdoor shower, and the moment she appears to be putting on her bikini bottoms have made Israeli television authorities reach of the scissors.

The Second Broadcasting Authority for Television and Radio have ordered for several segments to be cut out of the 45-second commercial in order for it to be shown on Israeli television.

Even with the new edits, the ad for the model's 'Bar for Hoodies' can not be shown before the country's 10pm watershed, the Second Broadcasting Authority for Television and Radio said.

The supermodel, who is five months pregnant, announced her pregnancy on her Instagram on New Year's Eve.

Day on the beach: The short clip shows the supermodel frolicking on a beach, having a shower and walking around at a beach house

Cut off: Segments showing close-ups of the model's bottom in a shower was deemed too raunchy by Israeli television authorities

Too revealing: Another short clip appears to insinuate that the supermodel is standing naked behind a car door

Cut down: Even with the new edits, the ad can not be shown before 10pm on Israeli television

It is Ms Refaeli's first child with husband Adi Ezra and she recently revealed that the couple are expecing a girl.

Last summer, Bar talked about her desire to have a big family in an interview with Hello! Fashion Monthly.

She said: 'I think this will be a decade of family...I come from a family of four children,' she told the publication.

'A lot of mums could read this and think, "Yeah, try having one first". Hopefully, Ill have a big family, but Ill take it one by one.
Two men allegedly carrying out a violent attack on a woman more than met their match when a cage fighter and Jiu-Jitsu expert came to her aid.

Marc Grayson, 27, of Maitland, New South Wales, awoke to terrifying screams early on Tuesday morning and went to investigate, and came across two men who threatened him.

But the pair fled with Mr Grayson in hot pursuit and he eventually tackled one to the ground, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

This CCTV image shows a man wearing a black hooded top (left), who police are searching for after the attack

Mr Grayson grabbed the other man but he escaped after his pants tore.

Despite being annoyed about not nabbing them both, he held the first alleged attacker down until police arrived.

'I am just a bit filthy that I didn't get the second one; I should have got him,' Mr Grayson, whose first cage fight is in a few months, told the Sydney Morning Herald.

He described the screams that alerted him to the incident like ones he '[hadn't] really heard before' and 'pretty awful'.

Police Detective Inspector Mitch Dubovski told the newspaper: 'If he had not have turned up, who knows what could have happened?'.

The victim, a 40-year-old woman, had been on her way to an early morning gym session when she parked her car and saw two men outside.

The men allegedly involved in the attack had got off a train in Maitland about 4am on the morning the alleged assault took place

Despite waiting for them to leave, when she got out of her car they set upon her, according to police.

They allegedly punched her in the face repeatedly and threatened to stab her before stealing her bag.

She was taken to the John Hunter Hospital for treatment.

After police arresting a 24-year-old man at the scene, they found the woman's belongings and a weapon nearby,The Maitland Mercury reported.

He was charged with offences including robbery in company cause wounding, using weapon in company to avoid arrest, carry cutting weapon on apprehension and reckless damage.

Police said they appreciated Mr Grayson's efforts and now needed the help of the community to locate the other alleged offender.

CCTV footage showed the men getting off a train in Maitland earlier that morning.

Police have described the other offender, who fled on foot, as of Aboriginal appearance, about 165-170 centimetres and aged in his early 20s, wearing a black hooded jumper.

They've warned people not to approach him as they believe him to be dangerous.

People are urged to contact immediately police if they see the man.
A small crowd of pupils does nothing to help and can be heard laughing

This is the shocking moment a vulnerable teenage schoolgirl is filmed being held up by her hair and savagely beaten in front of laughing children.

The brutal footage shows the girl, 14, being punched in the head and stamped on before her attacker drags her across the pavement by her ponytail while slapping her.

And the attacker can be heard shrieking 'Do what I say or you'll die' as she hits her about the head.

Pupils in school uniform can be heard shouting 'Oh my god' and giggling in the background while the vicious onslaught continues.

Sickening sounds can be heard as the offender viciously punches the girl in the head six times in quick succession.

The victim is dragged across the pavement, left, at Gleniffer High School, Scotland, and repeatedly punched and kicked, right

The assault begins with the girl being pushed to the floor, left, before she is brutally punched in the head, right

Sickening noises can be heard as the bully hits the victim, left, while crowds, right, stand by and jeer

The disturbing video was filmed at Gleniffer High School in Paisley, Scotland.

The assault lasts around 15-seconds before the attacker storms off after delivering one final kick and punch to the head.

No one attempts to help the girl even though a group of around six children are stood watching.

Eventually a voice can be heard saying 'break it up' three times and the attacker leaves the scene.

The mother of the victim, who does not want to be named, said her daughter had been the victim of further abuse after the video was shared on social media.

She told the Daily Record: 'My daughter didn't want to fight that other girl, but she was attacked anyway. She is sore and bruised from the attack but that fact that it was filmed has made it worse.

'It has been shared over Facebook and when she went back to school other pupils had been laughing about it. It's pretty sickening to be honest.'

The mother of the victim said her daughter has been subjected to 'sickening' taunts since the video, left and right, was uploaded to social media

Renfrewshire Council and Police Scotland are investigating the incident at Gleniffer High School, pictured

Police Scotland confirmed they were investigating the incident but that no arrests had been made at this stage.

A spokesman for Renfrewshire Council described the attack as 'completely unacceptable'.

The spokesman said: 'We are cooperating with a police investigation and can confirm that the young person allegedly involved in the assault is currently not in school.

'We are also carrying out our own disciplinary investigation.'
Spotlight star Mark Ruffalo has been lending his support to demonstrators marching against hedge fund investment into fossil fuels.

The Shutter Island actor was spotted leaning out of the back of his car and handing out flyers with a beaming smile on his face in New York.

Ruffalo appeared relaxed as he held up a sign warning that Hedge fund investment into 'dirty energy' can lead to cancer.

Spotlight star Mark Ruffalo has been lending his support to demonstrators marching against hedge fund investment into fossil fuels

The Shutter Island actor was spotted leaning out of the back of his car, handing out flyers with a beaming smile on his face in New York

The American actor, who once played the Incredible Hulk, even took time to chat to passersby and pose for photographs.

He was supporting activists ahead of the annual Sohn Investment Conference at Lincoln Center Sohn Investment Conference, New York.

Activists have been showing their dismay at hedge funds investors pouring funds into fossil fuel investment and supporting climate change denial groups while warning about the threat of cancer.

Environmental group Hedge Clippers held a demonstration outside the Sohn Investment Conference, where hedge-funds were revealing their latest investment ideas.

The Wisconsin-born actor took time out to meet some of the activists and other residents in New York

The American actor, who once played the Incredible Hulk, even took time to chat to passersby and pose for photographs

Mark Ruffalo drives by to support the cause as protestors march on the annual Sohn Investment Conference

It is not the first time Mark Ruffalo's activism has caught the public eye. The movie star was filmed holding a banner with the childhood pictures of people who identify as being abused by priests.

Speaking at the protest in February, he said: 'I'm here to stand with the survivors and the victims and the people we've lost from Catholic priest childhood sex abuse.'

Just hours later Ruffalo appeared on the red carpet dressed in a navy blue tuxedo alongside wife Sunrise Coigney where he is nominated for a best supporting actor award for Spotlight.

Activists have been showing their dismay at hedge funds investors pouring funds into fossil fuel investment and supporting climate change denial groups while warning about the threat of cancer
Stunt is in response to a dance challenge from international police forces

Four more cops then join them and perform the viral 'running man' dance

Scottish police have entered a high stakes international dance competition - by doing the 'running man' in front of Edinburgh castle.

Officers strutted their stuff in front of the famous landmark in response to a challenge from bobbies in New Zealand.

Earlier this week, NZ officers shared a 30-second clip of them doing the notorious 'running man' dance on Facebook and called on forces across the world to join in as part of a recruitment drive.

The #RunningManChallenge has already been taken up by the New York City Police Department (NYPD), who shared a clip dancing in front of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The hilarious clip begins with a lone bagpiper playing 'Scotland The Brave' in front of Edinburgh Castle

A police officer runs up to him, shaking his arms and asking him to stop, but the piper continues, and the cop waves over a police car which pulls up behind the pair

And now Scotland's very own police force have released their own rendition - which includes bagpipes and traditional Highland dancing.

The video, which was shared on their Facebook page, has clocked over 240,000 views in nine hours and over a thousand comments from amused Scots.

The clip begins with a lone piper playing 'Scotland The Brave' in front of Edinburgh castle when a police officer runs up to him, shaking his arms and asking him to stop.

The piper continues, and the cop waves over a police car which pulls up behind the pair.

Four other officers - all of them female - join the scene, and after a few seconds pause break into the 'running man' routine which sees them pretending to run on the spot.

At this point the song 'My Boo' by the Ghost Town DJ's is played over the video, with lyrics including 'at night I think of you' and 'I want to be your lady'.

The officers suddenly stop their 'running man' routine and break into traditional Highland dance, twirling each other around with their arms linked.

The male bobby also shows off some impressive robot moves as he waits to be spun around.

The hilarious clip ends with the officers once again breaking into the 'running man' dance and coming towards the camera with big smiles on their faces.

The final shot is of the original policeman, who pops his head back in front of the camera and gives a cheeky wink into the lens.

Four other officers - all of them female - join the scene, and after a few seconds pause break into the 'running man' routine which sees them pretending to run on the spot

The hilarious clip ends with the officers once again breaking into the 'running man' dance and coming towards the camera with big smiles on their faces

Before exiting the shot, one of the police officers mimics Prince Harry with a 'mic drop' gesture, which the royal enacted in a viral video with the Queen last week ahead of the Invictus Games

They shared the video with the caption: 'We accepted the #RunningManChallenge from @NYPDnews & pass it to @metpoliceuk @TorontoPolice & our own @PolScotCollege.

'Thanks to piper Andrew Vernon.'

The video quickly attracted hundreds of comments from Scots across the country, who have commended the police's efforts.

Nicole Dunlop wrote: 'Fantastic. You really showed those other forces how it should be done.'

Lesley Rhoddan said: 'Great for everyone to see the police do have a sense of humour and are just normal like the rest of us.'

Chris Kidd added: 'Well done, that gave me a chuckle and certainly beats the NYPD version.'

Brian Hamilton joked: 'I did the running man with the police and I got done for resisting arrest.'

The Royal Falklands Island Police also commented, saying: 'Very good Police Scotland...in the process of organising the Royal Falklands Island Police version...true kelper style of course.'

Other forces in Los Angeles and Australia have said they plan to rise to the challenge, although officers on the Isles of Scilly declined the invitation saying the force there 'had a team of five and a combined age of over 300.'
Eight IDP camps Hpre, Masat Shadaw 6, Masat Shadaw 8, Zai Awng, Maga Yang, Pa Jau, Lana Zup, and Bumtsit Pa camps, were affected by the strong winds. Apart from family shelters in the camps schools, school dormitories, committee offices and other structures like toilets were damaged by the wind storm.

The Maijayang IDP camps superintendent, Bawk Naw, said his camp was hit the hardest with the wind destroying 260 household shelters.

He said: We have submitted to the NGOs who have built these schools. We have also submitted to the KIOs IDP Relief Committee, and the IRC [International Rescue Committee], but we still havent received any answers yet.

Maijayang, Bumtsit Pa and Masat Shhadaw 8 IDP camps all suffered heavy damage.

The Sadon Township Women's Organising Committee secretary Daw Jan Roi Seng said the refugees have been repairing the damaged schools and homes by themselves at the Zai Awng IDP Camp as they still have not yet received any aid.

She said: We have to leave the damaged schools. Tools and materials inside the schools have been very damaged. For some houses that can be repaired, the villagers worked together to repair the roofs and the residents have to make themselves comfortable. Some IDPs couldnt find the iron sheets for their roofs as they had been blown away so they have to live in their neighbours homes."

Reached for comment, Zau Raw, the secretary of the the KIOs IDP Relief Committee, told the Kachin News Grop that the organisation has been trying its best to provide aid to the IDP camp residents who have been affected by the strong winds.

He added that local organisations and NGOs have also been holding discussing about how to provide assistance to the IDP camps.

Over 100,000 Kachin people have been living in refugee camps since fighting resumed between the Burma Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in June 2011.

Translated by Thida Linn
A taxi driver is celebrating after an eye-catching painting he bought at a car boot sale for 40 sold for more than 92,000 - after deciding to sell because the artwork didn't match his new wallpaper.

The London cabbie even managed to haggle down the 60 asking price wanted for the Indian work of art by 20 before taking it home with him.

The 2ft 10ins by 23ins work hung on a wall in his house for years before he recently decided to sell it while redecorating.

He took the painting to an auction house who confirmed it was actually a 19th Century painting of an Indian town scene, initially valued at 500.

The painting of Amritsar, pictured, featuring the Golden Temple in the background, was initially bought for just 40 at a car boot sale, 20 less than the asking price

The painting is a far cry from a view of the Indian city of Amritsar in modern times, pictured (file photo)

But interest in it took off after bidders identified the subject matter as being the historic town of Amritsar in northern India with the Golden Temple, the holiest religious complex of the Sikh religion, in the background.

The artist is believed to have been painter Baba Bishan Singh, who came from a family of painters responsible for maintaining the murals and motifs on the walls of the Golden Temple.

The artist is even depicted in the bustling scene and is seen painting a portrait in an alcove of a building, which drove up interest further.

Potential buyers queued up to bid on the painting which eventually sold for a hammer price of 75,000. With fees added on the overall price paid for it was 92,250.

The cabbie, who is said to be a British Sikh, was 'over the moon' with the result because his taxi was off-road at the time with a flat tyre.

A spokesman for London auctioneers Roseberys, said: 'It was a painting that caught his eye at a car boot sale.

'He had it hanging in his living room for 30 years and only decided to part with it when he redecorated and decided the painting didn't fit in with his colour scheme.

'He was very happy when we told him it could be worth between 500 to 1,000.

Roseberys said interest in the artwork spiked when bidders realised it showed the Golden Temple, pictured

London auctioneers Roseberys, pictured, said the driver was 'over the moon' when he heard the news as his taxi had just got a flat tyre

'But after our catalogue went online it attracted a lot of interest and we had four or five serious telephone bidders on the day of the sale.

'Because the subject matter was the holiest temple in Sikh culture it became a very important and very sought-after item.

'When we called the vendor after the sale to give him the good news he was over the moon and couldn't quite believe it.

'He had been having a bad day as his taxi had a flat tyre but he decided to give himself a few days off after the sale.
A Ghanaian girl who had life-changing surgery to remove a tumor that grew behind her eye is now training to be a medic herself as she wants to help those with similar deformities.

Dorothy Anning, now 21, went to America in 2008 for the operation that removed the tumor which had replaced her eye socket.

Her complicated surgery was carried out by neurosurgeon Dr Jim Robinson who had never seen a case as severe as Dorothy's.

After about two months of recovery she returned to Ghana and is now hoping to follow in her doctor's footsteps by tending to those with disabilities and deformities.

She said: 'He is the best doctor I have ever known. He inspired me so much that I wanted to be like him and now I am in medical school soon to be a physician.'

Proud: Dorothy Anning, now 21, is attending medical school as she hopes to follow in the doctor's footsteps that so dramatically changed her life with life-changing surgery in 2008

Before and after: The tumor grew so large that it replaced the space where her eye should have been

Dorothy was only six when she developed a cranial tumor that grew from the bone in her skull and protruded out behind the right half of her face.

As she got older, the tumor grew and it occupied the space where her eye should have been.

She recalled people being 'scared' of the sight of her and how they would even run away in fright.

As her condition worsened, a Ghanaian doctor contacted Children's Cross Connection in Atlanta and they agreed to pay for her medical care and cover her travel expenses.

Happier times: Dorothy, pictured with mother Comfort, back in Ghana following the successful operation

These CT scans show the severity of the tumors' growth and after it was removed in its entirety (right)

She was treated by Dr Robinson who had never handled such a rare and serious type of brain tumor that was compressing and distorting the brain.

Speaking to AJC.com he recalled: 'You could see how deep it went inside her head and the shift and pressure in the brain. There was a cosmetic component to it but it was growing for years, getting bigger and bigger. She was tough as nails. She was absolutely sweet too.'

It was too risky to treat with radiation and so his only choice was to remove the entire tumor without any residual.

The surgery took more than 23 hours over two days of surgery.

Dr Robinson had to work 'freestyle' at various points in the risky operation which involved working in the skull and face in what he described as his 'greatest accomplishment' as a surgeon.

Once Dorothy had recovered from the removal of the tumor, he performed a reconstruction of the missing skull and upper eye socket.

Inspiration: Dorothy is now hoping to emulate the doctor that treated her, Dr Jim Robinson (right)

After a lengthy recovery time Anning and her mother, [appropriately named] Comfort, returned to their homeland.

For the first time in Ghana Dorothy was able to 'walk with my head up high' without people running away in fear at her appearance.

She kept up contact with her doctor and attends a physician school at the University of Ghana.
had to rescue the group from the five-metre waves

A group of students and teachers who went kayaking during wind gusts in excess of 100km/h had to be rescued by off-duty life guards after they were stranded at sea.

The six students and two teachers from Brauer Secondary College on the south-western coast of Victoria were on camp at Anglesea when they took to the waters while there were five metre waves.

Transport Safety Victoria are investigating the incident after off-duty lifeguards were forced to rescue the students and teachers from the rough waters, reports The Age.

Off-duty lifeguards were forced to rescue the students and teachers from the rough waters in Anglesea (pictured)

'Despite the weather warnings for this week, we're dismayed to see people continuing to put themselves and others at risk,' TSV's director of maritime safety Peter Corcora.

The incident happened during a day with severe weather warnings, with Bureau of Meteorology showing nearby Aireys Inlet recorded 109km/h winds at 9.30am.

After the boats capsized the group of students and teachers spent an hour on the kilometre from the shores before they were rescued.

A TSV investigation will investigate the company who leased the kayaks as well as Brauer Secondary College.

The six students and two teachers from Brauer Secondary College (pictured) were on camp when they took to waters on kayaks despite a severe weather warning

Victoria has been battered by strong winds this week with severe weather warnings in place

There are reports of trees falling on homes and boats washing ashore (pictured: a boat in Mornington Harbour)

Brauer Secondary College principal Jane Boyle said staff monitored weather reports and made sure students were nowhere near the water when the wind gusts struck.

'This incident occurred early in the morning, well before the bad weather set in,' Ms Boyle said.

Victoria has been battered by strong winds this week, with reports of trees falling on homes and boats washing ashore.
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If you thought yesterday was a scorcher, just wait until Sunday.

The hottest day of the year so far saw the temperature reach 21.5C (71F) in London and sent the deer in Richmond Park heading for the nearest water to keep cool.

By Sunday the mercury is expected to be nudging 25C (77F), way above the typical temperature for early May in the capital of 16C. But the weekend warmth will come at a price as a noxious cloud of pollution, a spike in pollen levels and even the threat of forest fires threaten to wreck the balmy weather for thousands.

Sufferers of heart and lung conditions have been advised to avoid strenuous exertion due to the possibility of high pollution levels drifting over the country from northern France.

Young deer join members of the public in enjoying the weather in Richmond Park, west London, as temperatures soar into the 70s

Temperatures in London are expected to reach as high as 26C on Sunday, which will be hotter than LA and Madrid. Pictured are sunbathers in the capital's Green Park

A woman admires the blossom on a hot day in Regent's Park, London, as temperatures rise to 23C in the capital, seven degrees above the average for this time of the year

After a hot day in Derbyshire teenagers cool off as they jump from a tree and a bridge over the river Dove at Mappleton near Ashbourne

It is the hottest day of the year today with temperatures reaching a whopping 23C in London (pictured) - seven degrees above average

Members of the public take to Brighton beach at lunch to sunbath and relax as the seaside resort basks in sunshine

A girl plays in fountains overlooking the Tower of London as people enjoy the warm weather on the South Bank in London

Three women, who were unfortunately at work today, managed to get out in the sun at Green Park in London on their lunch break

A woman bares her flesh to top up her tan as the scorching sun shines down on Brighton beach this afternoon

The tree pollen count is also set to rise throughout most of southern England and the Midlands, with those allergic to birch and oak pollen advised to keep doors and windows shut. One in four of Britains 18million hay fever sufferers are allergic to tree pollen, causing sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes during the season that lasts until mid-May when grass pollen begins to be released.

Meanwhile, fire services are scrambling to warn crowds flocking to the countryside of the risks posed by dry undergrowth.

Although seeing temperatures reaching around 20C (68F) in early May is far from unusual, it is a welcome relief from the particularly cold weather much of us experienced last week.

The UK experienced unseasonably cold conditions at the end of April with hail, sleet and snow falling across much of the UK.

Even London saw showers that were wintry in nature, with graupel (also known as soft hail) falling.

Not only was it chilly during the day, but also at night when temperatures dropped below freezing quite widely with many people needing to scrape the frost off their cars before work each morning .

Even on the morning of the May 1 temperatures had fallen to -3C (27F) in Santon Downham in Norfolk. Thankfully, the risk of frost has now passed and overnight temperatures will be returning to around or above the seasonal average over the next few days.

Despite the soaring temperatures, a toxic dust cloud is settling over Britain today as health chiefs warn vulnerable people to avoid outdoor exertion.

The Saharan cloud will spread across the whole of England today, with more serious levels of air pollution in Wales.

It is expected to last for around four days, with high levels in some parts of the country on Sunday.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has warned asthma sufferers that they may have to use their reliever inhaler more often.

Hot weather hits the city of London, as seen at Tower Bridge, where a man has taken his top off to get some rays on his body

People enjoy the warm weather in St James' Park in London where the hottest temperature in the UK has been recorded

Cool as ice: Natalie Ekstrom, 20, and Mara Vinersar, 26, eat an ice cream as people enjoy the warm weather in St James' Park, London, which is the hottest place in the UK

Temperatures skyrocketed this afternoon to a whopping 23C as Britain basked in glorious sunshine for most of the day. Pictured are people enjoying the sun on South Bank in London

Crowds bask in the early summer sunshine on the riverside near Tower Bridge, London

A statement on the Defra website said: 'Southeasterly airflow from the continent is likely to encourage moderate air pollution to persist across many areas of England and Wales, and perhaps become more widespread, affecting Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland with locally high levels in places.

When levels are 'high' Defra states: 'Adults and children with lung problems, and adults with heart problems, should reduce strenuous physical exertion, particularly outdoors, and particularly if they experience symptoms. Older people should also reduce physical exertion.

'Anyone experiencing discomfort such as sore eyes, cough or sore throat should consider reducing activity, particularly outdoors.'

The Met Office said the high pollution levels were due to the stable atmosphere, pollutants arriving from Europe and the high levels of sunshine.

Britain is set to bask in sunshine this weekend, with temperatures expected to soar to the highest that has been seen this year.

But areas along the east coast from Newcastle down along the Yorkshire coast are expected to be cooler, with temperatures in the mid to high teens.

And thundery showers are expected to develop in the South West tomorrow night before spreading north into Wales and the Midlands on Saturday.

People sunbathe in the hot weather in Regent's Park, London, as temperatures rise to 23C in the capital, seven degrees above the average for this time of the year

Pictured is the sun shining on the River Thames at Newbridge in Oxfordshire. Britain today recorded its hottest weather of the year

People sunbathe in the hot weather at Granary Square, King Cross, London, as temperatures rise to 23C in the capital, seven degrees above the average for this time of the year

People enjoy the sun in Potters Field Park, in London, as many parts of the UK enjoy a day of warm weather

Picture shows people out punting on the River Cam in Cambridge on Thursday, May 5 as the good weather continues

A man enjoys playing with his dog in the sea, during hot and sunny conditions, at Formby beach, in Formby, Merseyside

The sun rays beat down on the glorious rapeseed fields covering the small village of Croft in Greater Manchester, where it reached 19C

Britain is set to bask in sunshine this weekend, with temperatures expected to soar to the highest that has been seen this year. Pictured is Brighton beach today

Olivia and Ella both age four play on their scooters at Barry Island beach in South Wales as they enjoy the warm sunny weather

Members of the public take to Brighton beach at lunch to sunbath and relax as the seaside resort basks in sunshine

A woman relaxes by the castle as she enjoys the warm sunny weather in Cardiff South Wales

Kim Mitchell reads a book in Bute Park as she makes the most of the warm sunny weather in Cardiff South Wales. Temperatures are set to rise even higher over the weekend as the good weather continues

A seal basks in the glorious sunshine on the banks of the River Esk between Ruswarp and Whitby, North Yorkshire

Tess Macdonald, aged six, enjoys war sunny weather amongst blooming tulips and daffodils in Glasgow's Botanic Gardens

A man relaxes in a tree by the River Taff as he makes the most of the warm sunny weather in Cardiff South Wales

A family are pictured enjoying a summer riverside walk at very sunny Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire

Three-year-old Olivia Pennington enjoys picking daffodils in the hot, sunny weather in Blackpool today

However, the sunshine for most areas this weekend will be a marked change after a washout Bank Holiday in many parts of the country.

On Sunday, Birmingham will also see temperatures reach highs of around 25C, with most of Wales expected to see 22C. Scotland is set to see warm, but cooler temperatures of 19C in Glasgow, 15C in Aberdeen and 13 in the Western Isles.

The average temperature for this time of year in London is 16C and so the weekend could be as much as 10C above average.

The highest recorded temperature for the UK so far this year was the 20.3C observed last month in Porthmadog, North Wales.

Thusday and Friday: The Saharan cloud will spread across the whole of England today, with more serious levels of air pollution in Wales. Tomorrow it eases slightly, but moderate air pollution will Tayside and Aberdeenshire

Saturday and Sunday: It is expected to last for around four days, with high levels in some parts of the country on Sunday (right)

Pollution levels: This Defra guidance shows how asthma sufferers may have to use their reliever inhaler more often this weekend

It was a beautiful start to the day in Dovedale in Derbyshire. Today is set to be even warmer than the last couple of days

Pictured is a bird ducking its head into the water, looking for a bite to eat, on a beautiful morning in Foolow, Derbyshire

Pictured is a red and white hot air balloon preparing for take-off on a sunny morning in Dovedale in Derbyshire

The sun shines on Haddon Hall in Bakewell, Derbyshire, as temperatures rise across the whole of the country ahead of the weekend

Expectataions: Met Office forecast charts suggest temperatures of 24C and 26C are possible in the South East on Saturday and Sunday

The sunshine for most areas this weekend will be a marked change after a washout Bank Holiday in many parts of the country. Pictured is a pheasant

Lambs play in the fields by a tree (right) as the mist eases away in Dovedale, in Derbyshire, this morning

A stunning sky before sunrise at Tynemouth Priory, North Shields, as temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-20s in some parts of the country over the weekend

A seagull rests against a stunning red sunrise at Tynemouth Priory, North Shields, this morning




Former prime minister Tony Abbott spent more than $7,000 of tax payer's money on beer wine and over a two month period - with one grog run exceeding $1,800.

Bottle-shop receipts show the office of the then-Prime Minister, led by chief of staff Peta Credlin, spent a total of $7,340 over about eight weeks from February to April last year.

One receipt exceeded $1,800. Others hit $1,700 and the $1,100 mark.

The finer details of the thousands spent on booze was released by the Australian Information Commissioner under freedom of information laws after it was found it wouldn't breach Mr Abbott's privacy.

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The wine and beer Tony Abbott spent $7,340 tax dollars on over a two month period has been revealed - with one grog run exceeding $1,800 (stock image)

One receipt from March 12, 2015 exceeded $1,800 (left) and another receipt from March 30, 2015 exceed $1,700 (right)

$35 bottles of Clonakilla Hilltops shiraz and Riesling were popular choices, as was Oakridge's The Parish chardonnay and $41.99 bottles of Devil's Lair Margaret River.

On February 28 last year, more than $500 was spent on the Devil's Lair drop from Vintage Cellars in Canberra's Manuka.

Labor Senator Penny Wong had spent about 13 months arguing for the release of the receipts.

Mr Abbott's then department reportedly took six months to respond to the freedom of information request which has just a 30-day statutory timeframe, Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Bottle-shop receipts show the office of the then-Prime Minister, led by chief of staff Peta Credlin, spent a total of $7,340 over about eight weeks from February to April last year (stock image)

A receipt (left) from February 28, 2015, shows the office spent $1,161.47 on alcohol. On February 9, 2015, the office spent almost $990 on booze (right)

The receipts had been handed over blacked out, with the details redacted.

'Seriously, you must have run out of toner,' Senator Wong told a Senate hearing in October.

It was then argued Mr Abbott's 'beverage preferences' were a matter of personal privacy.

However, Acting Information Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim ordered Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to release the receipts because it was unclear whether the alcohol was based on the personal tastes of Mr Abbott.

'If it had been shown that the former prime minister had directed the purchases in accordance with his personal preferences, then I accept that the alcohol brands could be the personal information of the former prime minister,' Commissioner Pilgrim said, according to Sydney Morning Herald.

'However, in the present circumstances, I think any connection between the purchase decision and the personal preferences of the former prime minister, if there is a connection, is too remote.'

Another receipt with no visible date shows Mr Abbott's office spent $1,103 on alcohol

Labor Senator Penny Wong had spent about 13 months arguing for the release of the receipts (stock image)

On February 16, 2015, the then-Prime Minister's office spent $707.19 on alcohol (left). On March 24, 2015, the office spent $453.48 (right)

On February 23, 2015, the office spent $226.74 (left) on alcohol. On March 12, the office spent $182.96 on alcohol (right)

On March 3, 2015, the office spent $143.96 on alcohol (left). On February 2, 2015, the office spent $149.94 (right)
A three-year-old boy has been pictured apparently snorting cocaine at his family home in Bulgaria - but his mother insist it was just a 'joke' and the substance was actually flour.

The photo shows the little boy identified as Mladen posing with what appears to be three lines of white power and a tube held to his nose at his home in Sindel in Bulgaria's Varna Province.

After the picture was posted online, it sparked outrage among social media users and there have been calls for the child to be taken into care.

The image was uploaded onto the social media profile of 'Tina Vi Nuri' and was accompanied by the comment 'Mum and dad's little junkie'.

A three-year-old boy has been pictured apparently snorting cocaine at his family home in Bulgaria - but his mother insist it was just a 'joke' and the substance was actually flour

But Nadezhda Nuri, the boy's mother, told local media it was simply a joke and that the photo had been published by their 13-year-old daughter Stiliana.

The mum said the lines on the table were actually flour and that Stiliana had staged a photoshoot with her little brother Mladen in the living room while she cooked in the kitchen.

Mrs Nuri said that she was illiterate and would have been unable to post the picture online herself.

She said: 'My mother first saw the [picture of the] children and called me. I couldn't have done such a thing, I don't even know how to write.

But Nadezhda Nuri, the boy's mother (pictured), told local media it was simply a joke and that the photo had been published by their 13-year-old daughter Stiliana.

Village locals have defended Mrs Nuri, saying she is a good mother and that her husband, whose name was not mentioned in reports, is working in Germany and has left her to take care of their children

'My daughter must have taken the photo and uploaded it online. I can't do it because I can't even read or write, nevermind use a computer.'

Village locals have defended Mrs Nuri, saying she is a good mother and that her husband, whose name was not mentioned in reports, is working in Germany and has left her to take care of their children.

Daughter Stiliana Nuri then confirmed that it was a joke and said she regularly staged similar photoshoots with her younger brother.

The teenager said: 'I was only joking, I got the idea from Facebook. I have never seen real drugs. I once saw a woman on Facebook making lines with flour and then snorting it.'
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A child runs past a horse-drawn cart. A woman drinks tea from a bench. An Indian boy sleeps in a courtyard.

This is daily life inside the Indian city of Jodphur. And all these scenes have one thing in common.

They are all going about their business against a beautiful blue backdrop  one that has come to signify the city after centuries of tradition.

Sea of colour: A child runs past the owner of a horse-drawn cart in the city of Jodhpur which is famed for its blue-painted buildings. The colour was was used to denote Brahmins, or upper-caste, households, in the hope it would discourage looters if the city was ever attacked

An Indian woman collects water from a clean-drinking water tap in Jodhpur, nicknamed the 'Blue City' due to its colourful buildings

An Indian boy sleeps on a wall in the courtyard of a building in Jodhpur, known as the 'Blue City' after the colour of its buildings

An Indian woman drinks tea from a stall in a square popular with morning commuters and families living nearby in the city of Jodhpur

Miller Rajendra Prasad Joshi, 46, grinds flour in his mill in Jodhpur. He earns three Indian rupees (3p) per kilo or 250 rupees (3) per day

An autorickshaw is seen parked next to the blue-painted walls of the old city of Jodphur that sits in the shadow of the Mehrangarh Fort

Blue is the colour: Houses are seen below the walls of the Mehrangarh Fort in the old quarters of the Indian city of Jodhpur

Indian schoolgirl Reshmi, 17, hangs washing to dry from the roof of her home where she lives with her extended family in Jodhpur

Jodphur is famed for its sea of blue houses that sit in the shadow of the Mehrangarh Fort that was built by Maharaja Man Singh in the 15th Century.

The colour was historically used to denote Brahims, the highest of the four Hindu castes that are made up of priests and scholars, in the hope it may discourage looters if the city ever came under attack.

Over the years, many other non-Brahim houses were also painted blue.

An Indian woman performs chores on the balcony of her home in Rajasthan's famous 'Blue City' of Jodhpur

Indian neighbours Sharda, Sopa and Kosholi share a joke on the steps outside their homes in the Indian city of Jodphur

Murali sits on the doorstep of her son's home. Many of Jodhpur's houses retain the traditional blue paint that has come to signify the city

Indian tailor Abdul Hakim, 75, stitches clothing inside his workshop surrounded by the traditional blue paintwork that signifies the city

A motorbike is seen in front of parts of a mural running along buildings on the same street in the Indian city of Jodhpur

Items belonging to Indian Hindu devotees sit inside the courtyard of a temple in Jodhpur in pictures taken last month in the Indian city

Indian workers carry brooms for sale along a street in the old quarters of Jodhpur that sits in the shadow of the Mehrangarh Fort

There are a few theories why this happened, one being that the colour was a good reflector of heat.

Another was attributed to termites.

Copper sulphate is an effective insect repellent, but can turn blue under certain conditions.

Painted handprints are seen on a wall in the Indian city of Jodhpur which is famed for the blue-painted walls in the old quarters

Pots used to store water sit on a wall alongside a makeshift stall in the old quarters of the Indian city of Jodhpur

Indian neighbours Laxmi Naryan Sharma, 82, Joshi, 81, Reshan Devi, 67, and Navi Singh, 70, who are retired from government and private jobs, talk on the steps where they meet each afternoon in Jodhpur

Indian grandmother Kishan Jodh, 62, poses for a photograph in front of blue-painted walls in her home in Jodhpur

Indian resident Umer, 50, poses for a photograph in the window of her home in Jodhpur

Pots used to store water are seen against the wall of a building in the old quarters of the Indian city of Jodhpur

Detail of a window shutter is seen on the side of a blue building in the old quarters of the Indian city of Jodhpur

A pendant (right) bearing a right-handed svastika , one of the 108 symbols of the Hindu god Vishnu, hangs inside a balcony at a home

Indian residents gather to talk and read newspapers as they wait to be served at a tea-stall in Jodhpur

Flowers and offerings sit in front of a mural depicting the Hindu God Shiva in the courtyard of a temple in the Indian city Jodhpur

Traditional leather embroidered shoes known as khussas hang for sale in a shop in the Indian city of Jodhpur
Israel has marked Holocaust Remembrance Day with its annual two minute standstill designed to mourn the six million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators.

The annual event saw pedestrians, traffic and businesses come to a stop as a siren sounded while the names of many of those killed were read out in parliament.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attending the main ceremony at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

A man stands motionless on a street in Jerusalem as a siren sounds to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day

Men women and children stopped what they were doing to reflect on the Nazi genocide of six million Jews

The annual event sees the country come to a virtual standstill with pedestrians and traffic stopping whatever they are doing for two minutes

An Israeli flag flutters in the background as a couple stand near train tracks during the moment of silence

This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day saw controversies triggered by statements made by Israel leaders

People stand near wreaths as Holocaust Remembrance Day sirens are sounded at Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem

This year's memorial day comes as a report by Tel Aviv University found a drop in violent attacks against Jews last year, but said the number remains high.

It has also been embroiled in controversy due to a series of provocative comments made by Israeli general Yair Golan and Netanyahu.

Golan, the Israeli army's deputy chief of staff, drew a rebuke from hawkish Israeli ministers for comparing pre-Holocaust Germany to trends in Israel today.

Speaking at a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at a kibbutz in central Israel, he said, 'If there is something that frightens me in Holocaust remembrance, it is ghastly trends that took place in Europe in general, and in Germany specifically, 70, 80 and 90 years ago, and finding a sign of them here among us, today in 2016.'

Education Minister Naftali Bennett called on Golan to correct his statement. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said he was "confused".'

The Israeli military said today that Golan did not intend to compare Israel and its army to 'the horrors' of Germany 70 years ago.

Meanwhile Netanyahu railed against the modern day continuation of anti-Semitism, which he labelled 'poisonous' propaganda in the West.

He said: 'What led to the Holocaust is the incitement to hatred that continues today against Israel.

'Anti-Semitism didn't disappear with the death of Hitler in his bunker... propaganda in the Western world against Israel is no less poisonous than that of extremist Islam and the Arab world.'

Netanyahu singled out 'British parliamentarians, Swedish officials and opinion leaders in France' for criticism in his comments at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Centre.

'If throughout history, Jews were designated as enemies of humanity, today it is the state of the Jews that is the enemy of humanity, and this lie has no bounds,' he said, referring to Israel.

The event is held annually to commemorate the six million Jews killed by Nazi Germany

Two elderly women are comforted by relatives as they visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Centre

A man stops and stands motionless outside outside a store in the centre of Jerusalem
The cancer surgery will now be carried out without the woman's consent

Doctors say she will live only six months if she doesn't have surgery

Senior judge Mr Justice MacDonald has ruled that schizophrenic who refused a hysterectomy lacks the capacity to make decisions about her treatment

Surgeons can perform a hysterectomy on a paranoid schizophrenic who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and lacks the mental capacity to make decisions about treatment, a judge has rule.

Mr Justice MacDonald has concluded that surgery would be in the woman's best interests after bosses at an NHS hospitals trust with responsibility for any cancer treatment asked him for a ruling.

The judge said he would outline the reasoning behind his decision in a written judgment which would be published soon.

He had analysed the case at a public hearing in the Court of Protection - where judges consider issues relating to sick and vulnerable people who might not be mentally capable of making decisions - in London.

The woman's interests had been represented by staff from the office of the Official Solicitor - who help vulnerable people embroiled in litigation.

Barrister Vikram Sachdeva QC, who represented the hospitals trust, said the woman had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer earlier this year.

He said she had 'expressed a wish to have a child' and he described the case as tragic.

'She was admitted to hospital... for surgery but declined it, which has necessitated this application to the court,' he told Mr Justice MacDonald.

'Without surgical treatment her life expectancy - assuming the diagnosis of ovarian cancer is correct, the probability is at least 80% - is approximately six months.

'If she has surgery she has the chance of a cure, and likely survival of at least three to five years.'

Barrister Conrad Hallin, who represented the woman's interests and had been instructed by the Official Solicitor, supported the trust's application and said 'in terms of the diagnosis the evidence seems overwhelming'.

A hearing was held at the Court of Protection in central London after the NHS took the issue to court

Mr Justice MacDonald said he was satisfied that the woman lacked the mental capacity to make decisions.

Mr Justice MacDonald ruled that the woman could not be identified.
Dorota Trec, who is facing trial accused of keeping over 200 rabbits in filthy conditions in a junkyard in Brooklyn

A Brooklyn woman dubbed the 'bunny hoarder' who is facing trial accused of keeping over 200 rabbits in a filthy junkyard has snapped at a court judge calling her a 'crazy weirdo'.

Dorota Trec lashed out at judge Marguerite Dougherty at Brooklyn Criminal Court during a pre-trial hearing as the pair clashed over points of law.

Trec, a Polish immigrant, is facing charges of torturing and injuring the rabbits which are kept in a rent yard in Gowanus.

She is also accused of using the animals in an experiment to attempt to breed the pets with blue and pastel colored fur.

Trec appeared in court yesterday and appeared to be sweating as she brazenly argued with the judge.

According to the New York Post, the defendant told the judge she would not turn up to any future court dates.

But when Dougherty made it clear the case would move forward without her, Trec began yelling, calling the judge a 'crazy weirdo' and describing the case as a 'corruption against rabbits.'

Trec shouted: 'Its a mafia, its a corruption against these rabbits. This case could go even to Washington.

'Theres substantial violation of due process, and corruption. And the mafia. These people are thieves. They took the rabbits without a warrant. Thieves, trespassers, mafia and ignorant.'

Trec first came to the attention of the authorities when officials raided her yard finding 200 rabbits.

It then led to her threatening to sue animal rights activist Natalie Reeves for $2billion for saying that the animals were kept in a filthy junkyard.

Trec lashed out at judge Marguerite Dougherty at Brooklyn Criminal Court during a pre-trial hearing as the pair clashed over points of law calling her a 'crazy weirdo'

It was also alleged that some of the rabbits were suffering from diseases including syphilis and bite wounds from fighting each other.

The rabbits were then seized by police and animal welfare authorities in January 2015 from a dirt lot behind a tire shop in the Gowanus neighborhood, after Reeves notifed them.

Trec was arrested soon after and prosecutors demand that she pay for their care in city facilities  at least $40,000  or sign over ownership.

She accuses authorities of wrongful arrest, trespassing, defamation, harassment and wrongful seizure.

Her trial is scheduled to start at Brooklyn Criminal Court next month.
Suttha Saivanid, the Tak Deputy-Governor said the Thai government had been in contact with Burmas recently elected National League for Democracy government to set in place a process to start the repatriation of the refugees.

The Democratic Voice of Burma reported that the Mr. Suttha told reporters that the governments of the two countries, together with the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, are set to brainstorm a road map for the repatriation.

The Tak Deputy-Governor told reporters that the process to repatriate the 100,000 people in nine refugee camps on the Thai Buirma border would begin within two to three years time. The Mae Sot meeting was attended by representatives of the UNHCR and Thai security officials from Umpium, Mae La and Nupo refugee camps.

A refugee from Umphien camp who asked not to be named told Karen News that the problem they have is not with the time frame to return voluntarily with dignity to their homeland. The refugee said that living dignity in the camp is now being undermined by the decreasing food rations and cuts to other vital services in the camp.

You cannot afford to care for dignity if you dont have enough to eat or feed your family. The issue is not about being repatriated in two or three years time. The critical issue is how will we survive the massive cuts to our rations, our health services and education while we wait to be repatriated? The important issue is how do we feed our families when donors are withdrawing their support? We are now being driven out by the donor cuts not the Thai government.

A camp committee member from Umphiem camp said that the issue of repatriation is nothing new for them.

It has always been the position and policy of Thai government to send us home when the conditions are right. The Thai government alone cant start the whole repatriation process. When we are to be sent back home, the Burma government will also need to be involved and take responsibility for their part in the process. We are not hearing of any official statement about this.

The camp committee member said that they have not been informed by the Thai authorities about this recent discussion about repatriation and that if it has started there should be official discussions among local Thai officials and the various camp committees if the process is to start taking place.

Naw Blooming Night Zan, a member of the Karen Refugee Committee said that no representative from KRC attended the recent meeting, but she had attended previous meetings where the Tak Deputy Governor also made his position clear about the return of refugees.

In a meeting with our committee in the previous month, the deputy governor told us that right now there is no plan to send the refugees back. He told us that he agreed that the situation is not conducive to send refugees home. However, they said that they will not stop individuals who make their own decision to go back.

Naw Blooming Night Zan said that KRC was told that the Thai government will not forcibly repatriate refugees as it is not their policy to do so. The Thai government has agreed in principle that repatriation should be according to international standards where refugee will return home voluntarily and with dignity.
The journalists were hurt, but did not suffer serious injuries

A mass fight kicks off, and one of the thugs gets a rifle out and fires

As they film, three men get out of a car across the street

This is the shocking moment that a television news crew comes under actual fire following a street brawl in Ukraine.

The TV news team was filming a seemingly innocent report on a road accident in the city of Odessa in south-western Ukraine's Odessa Oblast region.

CCTV footage captures a car parking on the opposite side of the road and three men getting out to cross the busy street and confront the journalists.

This is the moment a local thug fires a rifle at a crew of television journalists in Osedda, south-west Ukraine

A mass brawl breaks out in the street, with both sides landing punches, when one of the trio of thugs returns to the car.

He pulls a pump-action rifle out of the boot and walks back across the road with it, before opening fire on the journalists.

He appears to fire off at least three shots at the news team at point blank range, however it is not clear how many found their targets.

Three of the journalists were wounded, although local media said they were not badly hurt.

One man received shot wounds to his head and back but his coat reportedly saved him from more serious injuries.

As the camera crew films in the street, three men get out of a car on the other side

A second CCTV camera captures the fight in the street, with both sides landing punches

One of the three thugs returns to the car and pulls out a pump-action rifle

The other two injured journalists both suffered broken noses, suggesting they were injured in the punch-up rather than in the shooting.

The journalists scattered and fled when they realised someone was shooting at them. The attackers then ran back to their car and sped off.

But they were quickly apprehended and arrested by the police who now have them in custody. The shooter is said to be a 26-year-old man.

The television journalists were hurt, but did not suffer serious injuries, as a result of the incident

The conflict was sparked as the news team, from Ukraine's Channel 7, was covering a road accident that happened outside their offices.

Police spokeswoman Alla Marchenko said: 'Three members of the television news crew received injuries.'

Two cameramen and one reporter were taken to a local hospital for treatment to their wounds.

Police are still investigating the case but it is expected that charges will be pressed against all three attackers.
He was previously charged with fraud but court case collapsed in 2011

Dr Lawrence Adler, pictured, 63, is accused of faking medical reports for 350 each to help maximise personal injury claim payouts

A family doctor wrote fake medical reports for 350 each on a 'no-win-no-fee' basis for personal injury lawyers to try to maximise compensation payouts, a tribunal heard.

GP Lawrence Adler, 63, signed off fictitious reports, making up or exaggerating injuries said to have been suffered by claimants, a panel was told.

Adler, who lives in Radlett, Hertfordshire, was investigated by police and the Insurance Fraud Bureau before being reported to the General Medical Council.

He now faces misconduct charges accusing him of being 'misleading and dishonest.'

One said he knew nothing about a personal injury claim being made on his behalf.

The 21-year old claimant - a driver who was unhurt in a road crash - claimed for 800 damage to his car but ended up getting an extra 2,400 from insurers for 'injuries'. He refused to bank the cheque.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester was told the events spanned a four year period between 2004 and 2008 when Adler was working at Belmont Health Centre in Harrow.

Counsel for GMC, Mr Paul Raudnitz said Adler had entered into Contingency Fee Arrangements with personal injury lawyers in which he agreed not be paid for work if his reports did not result in a damages payout.

But as a result he had a 'financial interest' in the outcome of claims and lost any independence as an expert witness - and he failed to declare his CFA arrangement to those insurance firms being sued, the hearing was told.

A motorist known as Claimant A had been involved in a road accident on the M25 in October 2006 when another driver went into the back of his car.

But although he was never examined or even spoken to by Adler, two medical reports were prepared about him by the GP in August 2008 without his knowledge, it was said.

Mr Raudnitz added: 'Claimant A didn't seek or attend any examination and didn't know anything about a personal injury claim made on his behalf.

'He said he remembers a discussion with the solicitor and they encouraged him to make a claim but he chose not to make a personal injury claim because, thankfully, he had not been hurt.

'The car he was driving belonged to his mother, the car was damaged and he made an insurance claim for that. He received a cheque for 794 and he thought his case was closed.

Adler allegedly wrote fake medical reports for personal injury cases while working at Belmont Medical Centre, pictured, in Harrow between 2004 and 2008

'Then on October 1, 2011 he received a cheque for 2,473. He didn't bank the cheque and asked for his case file and realised a personal injury claim had been made in his name without his knowledge.

'He found his medical records from the University of Nottingham and the file also contained documents that falsely had Claimant A's signature.

'The address was not his address and the signature was a forgery. There was an accompanying questionnaire which said the medical report was accurate but Claimant A says he had never seen the questionnaire before, never signed it and never seen any medical reports.

'The file also contained two reports done by Dr Adler based on his examination of Claimant A plus an invoice from Dr Adler for 350 plus VAT.

'Both reports were completely fictitious. Report one and report two were both different and in both the address for Claimant A was false.

'In the first report, Claimant A was described as a 21 year old telesales executive. On the other report he's described as a 21 year old student.

'The first report says he was a back seat passenger in a friends car but by the time report two was written he became a driver in his own car.

'Both reports listed a series of injuries said to be sustained - but in both reports the injuries were entirely fictitious, no injuries were sustained at all.

'In report one after he accident they exchanged details and Claimant A is said to have gone to an NHS walk in clinic.

'By the time report two was written it appears that Claimant A was going to the University of Nottingham medical centre.

'Report one said Claimant A took one week of work and a prognosis saying he had been advised to have intensive physiotherapy for eight months until his symptoms completely resolved.

'Report two advised physiotherapy but said an estimated two months until the symptoms resolve.

'In report one Dr Alder says he Claimant A is still anxious about driving and estimated eight months until that was resolved.

'In report two any such reference is entirely omitted and there is nothing about anxiety whilst driving or resolution of such anxiety.'

The hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, pictured, in Manchester, was told Adler charged 350 per report and even created one without a patient's knowledge

A 19-year old shop assistant known as Claimant B had been involved in two unrelated road accidents with motorists between 2007 and 2008 but Adler tailored his conclusions on medical reports compiled for the two insurance companies acting for each driver in a bid to maximise payouts from each firm, it was said.

He told Direct Line who were acting for the driver involved in the first accident that Claimant B had been more severely injured in that crash.

Yet he told insurers at Zurich the teenager was more seriously injured in the second crash.

Adler admitted writing the medical reports but claims he did so honestly. He examined a patient he believed to be Claimant A and filed a report based on what he was told.

As regards Claimant B he said he assumed each insurance company would have seen both reports and denies deceit.

In 2010 Adler was charged by police investigating an alleged plot to obtain fraudulent payouts worth up to 4m and he was accused of involvement in the laundering of 89,000 between between January 2007, and March 2010.

He was also accused of fraud by dishonestly making false representations, namely that Medico-Legal reports and invoices were genuine, with intent to gain.

But in December 2011 the case against him and 13 other people including several lawyers and an insurance broker collapsed at Southwark Crown Court due to lack of evidence.

At the time a judge described the prosecution as 'scandalous.'
America's oldest Second World War veteran has died in Louisiana aged 110.

Frank Levingston, who served in Italy, was born in 1905 after spending two days in a veterans' hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Levingstone passed away over night according to his nephew Hosea Levingstone.

America's oldest Second World War veteran Frank Levingston has died in Louisiana over night

The 110-year-old veteran served as an army private before he was honorably discharged after the conflict

Levingston, pictured left, visited Washington DC for the first time in December where he was honored

According to Arktellexhomepage.com the army veteran will be buried next week following a funeral service at Wesley Grove followed by a burial at Cotton Valley Community Center.

It is understood Levingstone served as a private during the Naples-Foggia Campaign between 1943 and 1944.

Last December, Levingston was greeted as a hero during his first ever visit to Washington DC.

At 110 years old, Frank Levingston has seen the invention of the airplane, two world wars and 19 presidents come and go.

But, until this week, he had not yet seen our nations capital.

Levingston, accompanied by his niece and nephew, was given a water canon salute as his plane touched down at Reagan National Airport.

He was greeted with a standing ovation, a Veterans Medal of Honor and a rendition of God Bless America, according to KPLC's Jillian Corder.

Levingston, pictured, never married and despite living to 110 never had any children

Levingston, pictured, will be buried next Tuesday following a service in Cotton Valley Community center

Levingston, who served in the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II, said the trip was a dream come true.

'I'm just overwhelmed with joy,' he told WUSA 9. 'I appreciate it.'

The veteran's packed schedule includes trips to the Martin Luther King Jr. and Lincoln memorials, as well as an appearance as the guest of honor at the Pearl Harbor Day ceremony.

His niece Shannon McCowan-Levingston said they have also been invited to the White House.

Levingston, who now lives in Lake Charles, Louisiana, celebrated his 110th birthday in October.

Born in 1905, he grew up with seven siblings in North Carolina and had little formal education before he joined the army.

Levingston fought in the Naples-Foggia Campaign before he was honorably discharged in 1945.

After the war Levingston became a union worker and specialized in cement finishing. He now enjoys fishing, playing dominoes and watching the stock market, according to 7 KPLC.

'I feel very good,' he said on the eve of his landmark birthday.

'I've been through so many dangerous things, and I'm still here.'

Levingston's Washington, D.C. adventure has been provided by Honor Flight Austin, marking the first time the nonprofit has given a trip to an out-of-state resident.

Speaking at his departure ceremony, Levingston said he was 'humbled' by the people who supported him, according to the American Press.

And Levingston reminded the audience to celebrate veterans everywhere.

'Appreciate the service of not only me, but all these other servicemen that sacrificed their time and some of their them our lives,' he said.
German soldiers were forced to withdraw from NATO defence exercises because to continue would be in breach of the military's restrictive overtime limits.

The group participating in the alliance's training drills in Norway left after 12 days because they had exceeded their overtime limits.

Currently overtime cannot be compensated with additional pay. Instead, soldiers are given time off - which has lead to complaints they have days with absolutely nothing to do.

A German Tornado jet flies over the country after taking off from a military base in the north. It has emerged the country's soldiers had to leave a NATO training drill early because of restrictive limits on their overtime

The paper reported soldiers were stuck in bases in the middle of the week, unable to work, while others clocked off at 4.30pm but were trapped in overnight bases with nothing to do.

Hans-Peter Bertels, the parliamentary commissioner for Germany's armed forces, said: 'It can't be that we can't fulfil our NATO obligations because of overtime,' Bild reported.

Stories about German equipment and supply shortages have been surfacing for years.

Last year, it was reported German soldiers replaced heavy machine guns with broomsticks during a NATO exercise.
Fatality occurred when motorcyclist drove into the back of a lorry

One died and two seriously injured in police shoot-out in France

A motorcyclist died and two suspected people smugglers in a British registered car were seriously wounded by Belgian police today during a shoot-out on a packed motorway.

The drama unfolded on the A16, close to the French port of Dunkirk, after a high-speed chase that started across the border in Belgium.

A car being chased by officers reached speeds of up to 125mph, and became so badly damaged that it was travelling on its wheel rims.

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One person died and several were injured after a high-speed chase and shoot-out on the A16 motorway near the French-Belgian border when Belgian police pursued 'British people smugglers'

As they swerved in and out of traffic, there were a series of accidents, including one in which a motorcyclist crashed into the back of a lorry.

'The incident started soon after 5.30am,' said a local traffic police source.

'Belgian police were pursuing suspected people smugglers on the A16.

'Shots were fired, and the car being chased caused a huge pile-up of traffic. There were numerous injuries, and one fatality.'

Gunfire was heard by a number of witnesses before the car being chased was forced to a halt.

Two bullet holes can be seen in the back of the Audi reportedly driver by two British Iraqi men

Two men inside were seriously wounded and were immediately airlifted to hospital in nearby Lille.

'Both were hit by police bullets and immobilised, while two other men were arrested,' said another witness.

Police later suggested that the men in the Audi might be 'British-Iraqi'  migrants from Iraq with UK passports.

Officers were originally alerted to the maroon Audi A4 they were driving by a truck driver, who said he had been threatened with a knife by one of the suspects.

The truck driver said he had 17 migrant stowaways in his lorry, and that the men were involved in trying to get them to Britain.

A Belgian police source said officers were first alerted at 5.40am, following a relatively minor road traffic accident involving the Audi, during which a driver broke his leg.

The two wounded men were the alleged people smugglers who had been chased by Belgian police from across the border, and two others were arrested

The high-speed police chase caused a number of accidents, including one fatal incident when a motorcyclist crashed into the back of a lorry

It was 20 minutes later - at 6am - that officers started chasing the Audi, which had by now left the scene of the first accident.

The Belgian source insisted that gunfire had solely been used to stop the Audi, but sources in France said two of the men on board were hit by the gunfire.

There were at least three accidents related to the shoot-out, said the Belgian source, but 'work was still going on to try and work out how they were all related.'

The motorcyclist who died was Dutch, a police source added.

Gangs of people smugglers using high-speed cars registered in Britain can often be seen operating openly around migrant camps in northern France, especially around Dunkirk and Calais.

Police are powerless to arrest them, unless they can prove a crime, but surveillance operations are carried out constantly.

The people smugglers usually pay third parties to take the migrants to Britain, instead concentrating on collecting money and keeping the routes open.

The area of northern France where the accident happened is a notorious for gangs of people smugglers who arrange trips across the Channel to the UK for migrants sleeping rough in the area.

They charge up to 2,000-a-head, often smuggling their 'clients' in the back of lorries and vans.
while they drilled the tooth out

For the operation Lucha had to lie down and she was then knocked

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This is the astonishing moment an elephant had an infected molar removed by a veterinary dentist.

When Lucha, a female Asian elephant, went off her food and her concerned keepers checked her over they realised the root of the 33-year-old's problems was a wobbly tooth. The tooth had moved and become infected, leaving Lucha in excruciating pain.

Vets at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire called on veterinary dental surgeon Dr Peter Kertesz, who helped the team extract the massive molar - and the whole operation was caught on camera by keepers.

Nic Masters, head vet at the Zoological Society of London, said: 'While most people dread the idea of a visit to the dentist, for Lucha the elephant it was a relaxed experience, due to the regular training and close relationship she has with our keepers.

'The keepers quickly noticed when Lucha was off her food, and as soon as we identified the problem tooth, we called upon expert zoo dentist Dr Peter Kertesz to help out.

'When anaesthetizing an animal, we can't predict what side they'll lie down on, but thanks to training, Lucha was able to lay down on the right side, ensuring we could access her gum easily, and quickly remove the tooth to get her back on her feet as soon as possible.'

Lucha and the herd of ten Asian elephants at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo are part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP).

Asian elephants are classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, and ZSL has been working in Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary in western Thailand to tackle the human-elephant conflict that threatens lives and livelihoods and protect the forest ecosystem.

Mammoth problem: When Lucha, an Asian elephant, went off her food her keepers checked her over and realised she had a wobbly tooth

Knocked out: The tooth had become infected, leaving Lucha in excruciating pain so the zoo called in dental surgeon Dr. Peter Kertesz

Team effort: Vets at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo called on veterinary dental surgeon Dr Kertesz who helped the team extract the massive molar

Root of the problem: Dr Kertesz drilled Lucha's tooth out of her mouth after it became loose, moved and then became infected and sore

The offending object: During the successful operation the team removed the mammoth molar (pictured) which was hurting Lucha
She was drugged, strangled and burned alive by

A 16-year-old girl in rural Pakistan was drugged, strangled and burned alive on the orders of village elders for helping a couple elope.

Pakistani police arrested 15 members of a tribal council in in Makol in northwest Pakistan accused ofordering the killing of the teenager - including her mother and brother.

The murder of the girl has been labelled an 'honour killing', with her family members present at her 'trial' and allegedly supporting her death sentence.

Honour killing: Members of the tribal council that sentenced the 16-year-old to be burned alive is parade by Pakistani police, who also arrested the girl's mother and brother, who reportedly supported her death sentence

The 16-year-old girl was set on fire last week in the townof Donga Gali, about 30 miles northeast of the capital,Islamabad, on the orders of the council, said district policechief Saeed Wazir.

Police said the honour killing was ordered as punishment forwhat the council deemed irreparable damage to the village'sreputation.

The couple which the teenager is alleged to have helped elope appeared to have escaped.

The girl's mother and brother were also arrested, Wazirsaid, as they were present during the meeting and allegedlyagreed to the sentence.

A local anti-terrorism court on Thursday remanded the 15 suspects into police custody for two weeks on murder and terrorism charges.

Evil: The tribal council in northwestern Pakistan ordered that the teenager should be killed for helping her friend elope with a man of her choice

Police said the honour killing was ordered as punishment for what the council deemed irreparable damage to the village's reputation

Jirgas, or tribal councils, are often called in Pakistan'snorthwestern regions as a means of local conflict resolution,but their edicts have no legal standing under Pakistani law.

Hundreds of women are murdered by their relatives in Pakistan each year on the pretext of defending family 'honour', but it is rare to hear of those who facilitate elopements being killed as well.

Activist Samar Minallah such jirgas can make such decisions to teach a lesson to other women in the community.

'Until and unless you take strong action against these jirga members and their supporters in the community, no law can help to stop the brutal killing of women for honour,' she told AFP.

Pakistan amended its criminal code in 2005 to prevent men who kill female relatives escaping punishment by pardoning themselves as an 'heir' of the victim.
Chunks of a giant flag that inspired the American national anthem after it weathered a brutal British bombardment have emerged for sale for the first time.

The red, white and blue banner billowed in the 'dawn's early light', after The Royal Navy tried in vain to capture Baltimore in September 1814.

The original flag had been kept by Major George Armistead following the battle. Small sections of the flag were removed and given to various military figures.

A section of the original Star Spangled Banner which flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore when the Royal Navy attacked between September 12 and September 14, 1814

The final eight feet of the of the original banner was cut off and given to various military figures

The banner was flying above Fort McHenry, pictured, after the British bombardment in September 1814

Major Armistead commissioned local woman Mary Pickersgill to make two flags for Fort McHenry, the largest one which was flown on the morning after the British bombardment which inspired the poet Francis Scott Key to write the poem which later became the Star-Spangled Banner.

Eventually, slithers of the original flag were presented to American Civil War hero General Cornelius Gilbert Attwood, whose family have now placed the fragments up for sale.

The majority of the historic flag was donated by Major Armistead's family to the Smithsonian Institute.

The immense 30 by 42 feet standard originally flew at Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor during the naval stretch of the Battle of Baltimore.

The garrison and the banner survived a 25-hour shelling that lasted from September 12 until September 14, 1814 and when the smoke and heavy rain cleared the flag was flying.

Now the 2in x 3.25in white segment and a red 1.5in x 1.25in swatch from the pennant have emerged for sale for the first time with a $40,000 price tag.

The final eight feet of the original banner, which is in The Smithsonian, pictured, have been cut off

American poet Francis Scott Key was travelling under a truce on one of the 19 British war ships and did not know if his countrymen had been triumphant until the rain and cannon smoke cleared.

It was then he gazed across the water and saw his nation's colours. He then wrote the poem which would later be adapted into the anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.

General Attwood was given the fragment of the 15 stars and stripes ensign for his service fighting against slavery in the American Civil War.

He fought with the 25th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and fragments of standards he fought under are also in the framed lot.

General Attwood was likely presented with the scrap by his friend Commodore George Preble, who looked after the flag in the 1870s.

The original Star Spangled Banner is now in the prestigious Smithsonian Institute, in Washington DC - although eight foot has gone missing and is believed to have been presented to other war heroes.

The segments are being sold by American auctioneers RR Auctions.

Bobby Livingstone from the auctioneers said: 'This really inspired the American anthem and it really helped develop our nationhood and patriotism.

'It's amazing to think that this is the very flag Francis Scott Key saw by 'Dawn's early light' and was inspired to write the poem which was adapted into the song.

'It is incredibly rare to be able to own such a great piece of early American history and particularly the flag that flew over Fort McHenry.

'This piece has excellent provenance it has been in the family of the man it was gifted to for more than 100 years.

'Cornelius Gilbert Attwood was a veteran of the civil war and he was given the pieces of the flags probably 50 years after the original battle and they have been cared for by his family ever since.'

The War of 1812 was sparked by trade blockades caused by the Napoleonic War, which then erupted when a British ship opened fire on an American trader.

In the wake of this attack Americans faced off against the Canadian colonial troops and British soldiers, with bloody battles taking place in both countries.

Despite Washington DC being sacked it is disputed which side won, and the conflict resulted in improved relations between America and the British Empire.
A man on a rampage terrified shoppers at a mall on Thursday afternoon when he randomly attacked at least six people.

The attacker, who appeared to be wearing boxing gloves, attacked shoppers at Regency Plaza Shopping Centre in Adelaide just after 1pm, punching them from behind and kicking at least one of his victims.

Shop owner Ericson Montgomery said he feared for his life as he confronted the man, of African appearance, The Advertiser reported.

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The attacker who rampaged through an Adelaide shopping mall punching shoppers at random

He heard screaming near his store then saw the attacker kicking a victim before moving on and assaulting another person.

'These were not just little hits, they were king hits of the most vicious kind,' Mr Montgomery told The Advertiser.

He followed the man, who attacked a 56-year-old woman, before confronting him - which caused him to fear for his life.

'I was just trying to get him off the track to make sure he wasnt going to kill anyone.'

At least six people were attacked at the mall in Adelaide on Thursday afternoon, including a 56-year-old woman who was taken to hospital with facial injuries

He and a bakery owner warned other shoppers to stay away as the man made his way through the mall.

The woman attacked by the man was taken to hospital with facial injuries, The Advertiser reported.

Police were called to the scene, set up cordons in the area and searched with a dog, but the man had fled.

The man was described as being of African appearance in his late 20's with a slim build, wearing a white t-shirt, khaki shorts and what appeared to be black gloves on his hands.

A 20-year-old Broadview man was arrested just after 10.30pm on Thursday, police said in a statement.

He was being questioned by police and was expected to be charged with numerous counts of assault.

Police said he was likely to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday.

They were still hoping to hear from witnesses or other victims.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A desperate father is suing the school where his daughter (pictured) is a pupil for the cost of sending her to self-defence classes to help protect her from bullies

A desperate father is hoping to make UK legal history by suing his daughter's school for the cost of sending her to self-defence classes to help protect her from bullies.

The parent, who does not want to be named, is taking Thorns Community College in Stourbridge, West Midlands, to a small claims court in a bid to claw back 57.35 for the weekly martial arts lessons.

He claims the school is liable for failing to protect his 14-year-old daughter from classroom bullies, and says since she moved to the school last September she has been verbally abused, taunted on social media and even punched in the face while she ate her lunch.

She is now taking classes in Jeet Kune Do (JKD), which her father says will equip her 'with the necessary skills to protect herself'.

He said: 'We moved house in the summer and my daughter started in Year 10 in September but almost from the start there were problems.

'It started with verbal bullying but soon escalated to shoving and punching. I think some of the other girls were jealous and said she was posh because her previous school was nicer.

'Every day she was being teased or bullied both at school and on social media. I went to the school but they didn't seem to care or take it seriously.

'In January my daughter was having lunch in the canteen and a group of girls from the year above approached her and she was punched twice in the face.

'She called me on my phone and told me what had happened. I rang the school but they didn't take it seriously and were blase.

'I called the police who spoke to the girl involved. I went into the school and told them that if they couldn't keep my daughter safe they would have to pay for her to have self-defence classes.

'She goes every Tuesday for training of JKD and it has really improved her confidence.

'The physical attacks have stopped but the verbal abuse continues every day. She is in her GCSE years so we can't move her which is a real shame because the school is in crisis.

'Bullying is a major problem at the school. I have taken this action to sue the school because it's the only way to make them take notice and actually do something to tackle it.'

The girl said she is too scared to walk around school on her own in case she is set upon by the gang of bullies.

She said: 'The trouble all started as soon as I joined the school. A group of older girls called me s**g, s**t and b****. I have no idea why.

The parent, who does not want to be named, is taking Thorns Community College in Stourbridge, West Midlands, to a small claims court in a bid to claw back 57.35 for the weekly martial arts lessons

The father claims Thorns Community College (pictured) is liable for failing to protect his Year 10 daughter from classroom bullies, and says since she moved to the school last September she has been verbally abused, taunted on social media and even punched in the face while she ate her lunch

'They carried on abusing me on Facebook so I blocked them but they wouldn't stop.

'I didn't even speak to them but it has got so bad I am too scared to walk around the school on my own so my friends have to come with me wherever I go.

'The teachers don't seem to care. Every time I was abused or physically attacked I went to the school and wrote about 60 individual statements but nothing ever gets done.

'The day I was punched an older girl started hassling me in school. I told her to leave me alone but she followed me and corned me in the canteen.

'She punched me and my head bounced off a table. I had a massive black eye.. I told the school but they only told my dad what had happened after I called him.

'I feel really let down by the school. I do have friends but I have to keep looking over my shoulder in case one of the bullies is after me.'

The father's case is backed by community group Parents Against Bullying at Thorns (PABAT) after figures revealed the school had dealt with more than 400 incidents of bullying in the last two years.

Police have been called to the school - which caters for 1,245 pupils aged 11 to 16 - on 22 separate occasions since 2014.

A spokesman for the group said: 'This is thought to be the first case of its kind anywhere in the United Kingdom where a parent has been forced to take such drastic action due to the inability of the school's leadership to deal with a case of bullying.

'We have fully advised and supported the parent throughout his dealings with the school.

Principal of Thorns Andy Cox (pictured) confirmed the school has received the court notification and will be 'acting on that in due course'

'If the case is successful, we will be encouraging other parents whose children are being bullied to take the same action.

'Hopefully this will force the college to address the bullying issue by a small minority of children who appear to act with impunity.'

The father has applied to the court claiming back the 57.35 cost of the classes and 25 court costs.

The particulars of the claim states: 'I have met with and complained to the Head of Inclusion, the Principal and the Chair of Governors. Despite all of this, the action taken has been minimal and the bullying has continued.

'As a result of the bullying and threats of physical violence, I have enrolled her on a self-defence course. Given that the school has failed in its statutory duty to protect her.

'I have taken the very unusual step of equipping her with the necessary skills to protect herself.

'As I have been forced to do this, due to the school's inaction, I believe the school should refund the initial joining fee and first partial month's lesson costs.

'The school has refused, hence this application.'

The claim, which comes for a total of 82.35, was made on April 23 and the school has until Saturday to respond.

If they do not respond, the father will win his claim by default. The school can also choose to contest the claim in a court of law or pay the amount being claimed for.

Principal of Thorns Andy Cox confirmed the school has received the court notification and will be 'acting on that in due course'.

He said: 'The claims made by the parent behind PABAT stem from an issue concerning a pupil which was dealt with swiftly and appropriately by staff earlier this year.

'It is important we protect this pupil, along with all other pupils at the school, and it is for this reason we will not be going into further detail on this matter.

'We have a zero tolerance policy on all kinds of issues including bullying, verbal abuse and racism. Like many other schools we have incidents to deal with, which are quickly and properly handled by staff.

'Young people will always test boundaries and these figures reflect our determination to instil tough, simple and effective sanctions where boundaries are crossed.

The father's case is backed by community group Parents Against Bullying at Thorns (PABAT) after figures revealed the school (pictured) had dealt with more than 400 incidents of bullying in the last two years

'We work with the police on a regular basis on all kinds of class work, as well as to deal with any incidents which arise in school. Rest assured we will continue to work with parents and pupils when incidents arise to make sure we all put the safety and the needs of children at Thorns first.'

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) revealed the school had to deal with 222 reported disciplinary incidents in the last academic year, as well as 185 since September.

The incidents include pupils and staff being verbally abused, physically assaulted, racially abused and bullied.

In the last two years 183 pupils have been booted out of the school after being handed fixed term exclusions while five have been expelled.
Karen News attended a workers rally in Mae Sot on the Thai Burma border and spoke to workers in Kawkareik, Karen State about what it meant to them.

As many as 200 migrant workers in the Thai border town of Mae Sot took to the streets on the 126th May Day to demand for workers equal rights and to be paid the full minimum wage set by the Thai government.

Win Zaw Oo, a mason worker who joined the May Day march organized by the Myanmar Rights Protection Working Group spoke to Karen News.

Now workers dont get equal rights, so now I want that we get equal rights. Our workers should also respect and follow Thai laws and regulations. The NGOs that are working for workers should encourage and educate the workers about their rights. Even though the Thai government has officially set the minimum wage in Tak province area at 300 baht [a day], not more than 10% of migrant workers get that amount. Therefore, there needs to be pressure put on the Thai government and businessmen to make it happen.

U Moe Joe, director of the Joint Action Committee for Burmese Affairs who co-organized the May Day event told Karen News that they held the ceremony to give knowledge about the background story of how May Day started, and for employers and the authorities to take responsibility for workers to be given their rights.

Speaking to Karen News U Moe Joe said.

The main purpose of this [May Day event] is the spirit of May Day. The spirit of May Day means people worked for eight hours, that leaves eight hours for leisure and eight hours for rest. If workers cannot do something alone, they can do it with through the strength of unity. We want people to cooperate. In all cases, obstacles and difficulties, it is always better to work with a team than to try to do it yourself. That is the spirit of May Day. If something is needed, you have to pay with your sweat and even blood. I want this spirit to spread to all workers. And for the rights the migrant workers are not getting, I want to show and encourage them to ask for those rights within the Thai law.

Win Zaw Oo said that he expected to learn more about workplace issues by attending the May Day event. Win Zaw Oo also represents a group of Burmese migrant workers in the southern Mae Tao areas and he said that he wanted to share what he learnd from the event with all the workers in his area.

May Day is an internationally recognized day for workers to get knowledge about their rights. The reason I joined the ceremony is that I am on the workers side and I am also a worker. As I am a leader, I want to share the knowledge with the people living in the Mae Tao areas. When we solve the social problems or workers problems, I want to share this knowledge with them for their understanding.

There are as many as 200,000 Burmese migrant workers in the Mae Sot area which is located opposite the Burma border town of Myawaddy.

U Moe Joe, the director of JACBA said that most workers in Mae Sot dont get paid the minimum wage.

Even though [Thai] government has considered increasing the minimum wage to 300 baht all over Thailand, Mae Sot and some other districts still pay a minimum wage under 200 baht. So I want to call for the [Thai government] to press for 300 baht in Mae Sot and other districts.

U Moe Joe had some words of advice for both the Thai and Burma governments on settling work related problems.

If there are some problems with migrant workers, the two governments should discuss and make a shelter for the workers to stay temporarily. If the problems continue, instead of having the meeting with the Thai and Myanmar governments, I think it would be better to have a joint committee from Thailand and Burma. I just want to let the Thai government know.

Sandar Win, a worker at Tesco Lotus in Mae Sot also joined the May Day event hoping to learn more about workers right.

May Day is the worlds workers day so I came here because I wanted to know more about workers right more than what I have already known.

Sandar Win came to Thailand in 1999. She said that in the past it was hard to survive with the daily payment of less than 150baht when she worked at a garment factory.

When I worked at a factory, I only got 120 baht a day. Every month I got something over 3000 or 4000. It was not enough for us. But now, 300 baht a day is enough [for living].

Across the border Kawkareik Town is only 45 minutes drive from Mae Sot, but most workers are unaware of May Day and its significance.

Thar Ku, a motorcycle taxi driver living in Kawkareik told Karen News that he learned about the worlds important days when he was in school, but now he has no idea what is May Day or the International Labor Day.

Speaking to Karen News on May 1, Thar Ku said.

I dont know what day is today. I have to work everyday. I work today to get food to eat for today. The business is getting harder and harder. When I was child, I learnt about days. Now as we are struggling for our living, we dont even know about these days anymore.

As a taxi driver, Thar Ku earns between 20,000 (about USD $20) kyats and 2,000 (about USD $20) kyats. Thar Ku is a member of the local taxi driver association, but said that there is now hardly any benefit in doing so.

I have a membership with the taxi driver group. We dont get any social or healthcare support from the group. We have few workers in this town. Most of the people are away working in a foreign country. I dont know anything about workers rights.

Thar Ku is not alone in being unaware of workers right, Mai Lay, a domestic worker in Kawkreik agreed that she has a lack of knowledge about workers right.

I live in Hpa-an. I first worked at a grocery store. I got 100,000 kyats (about USD $100) a month, but here I worked as a domestic worker and I also get 100,000. The former job was tiring, but here at home, they treat me like their family. The work is not that tiring. It is more convenient to stay here. Even though I am happy working here, I still want to work somewhere that has better opportunities. In Myanmar, we dont know anything about work opportunities and workers rights. Some of my friends are working in Bangkok. They said they are doing well. I think the opportunities we get here are not the same.

Mai Lay said that as a domestic worker, its hard to learn about outside world, but she hope to see a better opportunity come to Burma.

Speaking to Karen News on May Day, Mai Lay said.

People say today is the worlds workers day, May Day, but I dont really know what it is. I only saw it on TV. I am doing domestic work and I dont go out, I dont know what is happening out there. I want to work somewhere that gives me a better salary. I want to live like other families do and I want to be happy like anyone else. I hope there will be better opportunity in Myanmar for me and for me to get better pay.
Under fire: Chris Evans, pictured in London today, should be investigated for bullying, his former sidekick John Revell has claimed today

Chris Evans' former business partner today accused the BBC of 'stunning hypocrisy' for not suspending the star over bullying claims.

John Revell, who is better known as his Radio 1 and Virgin sidekick 'Johnny Boy', said his friend of 30 years is 'out of control' but his bosses are too 'scared to stand up to him'.

Former colleagues and friends have said Evans is a 'bully' and a BBC insider claims he recently reduced an employee to tears after screaming at her.

Mr Revell said today: 'It doesn't surprise me. If this was anyone else, theyd have been suspended'.

He also claims that the BBC has a file of complaints about Mr Evans 'yet they've nothing about it'.

Evans is the new host of Top Gear but since he took over it has been hit with a series of setbacks, including allegations about the host's volatility.

Matt Le Blanc's decision to 'donut' around the Cenotaph for the new series is claimed to have caused a rift and led to a furious row.

Last week ex-colleagues, including the husband of one of the show's executives who quit after five months, who also worked closely with him, said he bullied staff and claimed he exposed himself.

Mr Revell, who started Ginger Productions with him, said he wanted to speak out because he believes the millionaire presenter has 'gone too far' and 'its got to stop'

Mr Revell told heatstreet.com: 'Hes out of control. I had hoped hed got to an age where he would have stopped bullying and shouting and screaming. The BBC is unable to control him'.

'He can be absolutely vile. Hes like a spoilt child. If you say no to him he tends to lose his rag. I think BBC management are scared of him'.

After the BBC sacked stars like Tony Blackburn and former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, he said: 'The hypocrisy is stunning'.

A BBC insider said last week that in April Evans shouted so violently that he reduced an employee to tears and continued to scream until an engineer intervened.

Mr Revell said hearing about this incident convinced him to speak out publicly about the star.

Mr Evans has not commented on the hurtful allegations made by one of his oldest friends.

But he did tweet this afternoon: 'Seek out humour and humanity and you won't go far wrong. A wise man just told me that'.

Heyday: Mr Evans and Mr Revell at a BBC roadshow at the height of his fame in the 1990s - 'Johnny Boy' has called on the corporation to investigate alleged bullying

Close: John Revell, pictured centre with Mr Evans when he moved to Virgin Radio, says that his old friend is getting special treatment. Other members of his team pictured are Tina Ritchie, left, Dan McGrath, right and Holly Samos, centre

Cryptic: Mr Evans has not yet responded to Mr Revell's remarks - but tweeted this advice given to him this afternoon after the criticism emerged. It is not clear if the two are related

He is not the only former friend and colleague of the Radio 2 presenter to speak out about his 'volatile' behaviour.

Dan McGrath, who has worked with Evans on his BBC radio show alongside Mr Revell, slammed the broadcaster for being allowed to be 's**tty to people to 'get the results he wants'.

His wife Lisa Clark left her role as a Top Gear producer last December amid claims Evans' 'control freak' behaviour forced her to quit

On a public Facebook page, Mr McGrath wrote: 'It's just so sad that nothing has changed over the last 15 years...(Leopards & spots)

'Does he still believe, even at the age of 50 it's worth being properly s**y to people to get the results he wants? Given our recent experience...I guess so.'

The comments were prompted by another former colleague of Evans, Steven D Wright, who accused the presenter of exposing himself on the set of The Big Breakfast, something the 50-year-old has previously admitted to in an interview with the Sunday Times.

Mr Wright said: 'He'd had a bath so dropped his towel and stood stark b****** naked for ten minutes while I prepped his next iv (sic) with Zig & Zag. I looked down at it then continued talking. I could tell he was annoyed I never 'reacted'.

'It was a classic bit of bullying but didn't affect me although it would have been different if I'd been a young female runner though.'

In response to Mr McGrath's post, Mr Wright added: 'Once a c***, always a c***'.

Former BBC and Channel 4 executive Nicola Gooch added: 'I thought the same thing. You are right about it being bullying. Total f*****.'

The BBC has declined to comment today but Mark Linsey, Director of BBC Studios and Bob Shennan, Controller of Radio 2, were last week forced to deny claims that their biggest star was out of control.

He said: 'The assertion that Chris Evans' behaviour at Radio 2 since beginning work at Top Gear has been in any way below BBC acceptable levels is completely untrue.'

Dan McGrath, right, said Evans was 's*****' to people to 'get results he wants' months after his wife Lisa Clark, left, quit as a Top Gear producer amid claims Evans is a 'control freak'

Some of the comments made on Facebook alleging Evans is a bully who 'would expose himself' to colleagues

Mr Linsey added: 'Since taking on Top Gear alongside his Radio 2 breakfast show, Chris has displayed even greater commitment and professionalism.

'He remains a team player, a huge asset to the BBC and continues to show outstanding leadership in all he does on radio, television or for Children in Need.'

The revamped Top Gear show - previously presented by Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May - has already faced a series of controversies and setbacks.

Matt Le Blanc sparked public outrage when he was seen doing doughnuts around the Cenotaph, which many dubbed as an intentional bid to court controversy.

The stunt is said to have caused friction between Friends star Le Blanc and Evans - the two stars of the show - who later apologised 'unreservedly' to fans.

It followed a number of breakdowns and an embarrassing gaffe in which it was revealed that a Morris Minor Chris Evans was seen driving had not been properly taxed.

Last night Jeremy Clarkson launched a scathing attack on the Corporation, branding it tiresome for being obsessed with political correctness.

In a revealing interview, he said he suffered from the nonsense views held by his former bosses and criticised their endless quotas.

Row: Mr Evans was forced to apologise over Matt le Blanc's donutting around the Cenotaph - the broadcaster was said to be furious and did not know about the plan

Rivals: Jeremy Clarkson has said he's finding it 'entertaining' that Chris Evans (pictured together last year) is having a 'hard time' to relaunch Top Gear

He also took a swipe at his Top Gear successor Chris Evans for only being interested in hiring celebrities for the motoring show and joked he was paid more than 14million to leave.

Clarkson, 56, left the BBC in March 2015 after the decision was made not to renew his contract following his fracas with producer Oisin Tymon over a steak dinner.

He was followed by co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond, along with the shows executive producer Andy Wilman.

Earlier this year he issued an apology to Tymon after settling a 100,000 racial discrimination and personal injury claim.

Tymon launched the action against Clarkson and the BBC after the presenter gave him a bloody lip in the bust-up.

Clarkson said he was glad to have left the BBC as Top Gear would have ended up tired and boring, adding: We would have piloted it into a hillside and that would have been the end.
The husband of a fitness instructor who was murdered inside a Texas church by a suspect wearing a SWAT uniform has spoken out saying he is 'finding peace' with god.

Terri 'Missy' Bevers was found with puncture wounds to her head and chest at the Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian last month as she set up an exercise class.

A suspect carrying tools which were consistent with the injuries Mrs Bevers suffered was spotted on CCTV walking through the church but no arrests have been made.

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Brandon Bevers, left, has spoken out for the first time since the death of his wife Missy, right, who was found killed inside a Texas church by a suspect wearing a SWAT uniform

Mr Bevers says he has turned to God in order to find peace and strength in the wake of his wife's death. Pictured is Mrs Bevers, who worked as a fitness instructor

Now her husband Brandon Bevers has spoken out about his wife's death, saying he continues to co-operate with police and and has found strength by leaning on God.

He told NBC News from outside a police station in Texas: 'If it wasn't for me leaning on God as heavily as I am right now, OK, there is no way  I would be melted just into this asphalt.

'There is no way the Brandon Bevers before this would be standing here today without me leaning on God, and His word and His direction, like, I find peace in it. It's very comforting. I obtain wisdom from it.'

He also added he had been to visit police officers working on the case as he often likes to talk what he has on his mind.

Police released CCTV footage from inside the church showing the suspect wearing a SWAT uniform

Mrs Bevers was found with puncture wounds to her head and chest at the Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian last month as she set up an exercise class

Mr Bevers also added he had refused to read any reports detailing the injuries his wife sustained before she died.

He added: 'I haven't even read it, so don't divulge. I haven't even read the story. I saw it and I was unwilling to even...and I'm not even there so don't tell me anything.

Bevers was found dead by one of her bootcamp participants at the church at around 5am on Monday, April 18.

Last week it was revealed that her father-in-law Randy, pictured took a bloody T-shirt to the dry cleaners just days after she was killed

Authorities have said they found evidence of forced entry at the church and believe Mrs Bevan may have walked in on a robbery while preparing for her Camp Gladiator fitness class.

They also claimed someone tried to clean up the crime scene.

Police have asked the public to watch the video of surveillance closely to see if they can recognize the walk of the individual and are offering $10,000 for any information about the alleged crime.

Meanwhile, last week it was revealed that her father-in-law took a bloody T-shirt to the dry cleaners just days after she was killed.

Randy Bevers took the stained clothing into the Dry Clean Super Center in Midlothian, Texas, on Friday, insisting the blood belonged to his injured Chihuahua.

He arrived on Friday, four days after daughter-in-law was killed in the church.

According to an affadavit seen by CBS Dallas/Fort Worth , Midlothian police seized a woman's white shirt, size XXL.

They also obtained a copy of a receipt for the shirt which claims to have 'animal blood all over' it.

Workers from the store contacted police that day, telling authorities that Bevers told them the stains were animal blood.

He told the news station he'd taken his Chihuahua to the hospital after it had gotten into a fight with another dog.

There is nothing to suggest the blood came from a human being, but authorities are still waiting for the results from a DNA test.
The number of immigrants illegally crossing over the Mexican border into America has risen sharply, according to newly released figures.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has revealed that child migration is on par with figures from 2014.

From October 2015 to March 2016, border officials stopped 27,754 unaccompanied children, representing a 78 percent jump from 15,616 apprehended in 2015, according to The Hill.com

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The number of immigrants illegally crossing over the Mexican border into America has risen sharply, according to newly released figures

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has revealed that child migration is on par with figures from 2014

The news comes as Donald Trump's vow to round up and deport all of America's undocumented immigrants if he is elected president could shrink the economy by around 2 percent.

The shocking findings came from a study which is due to be released by conservative think tank the American Action Forum.

The research adds to concerns about the Republican White House nominee's policy proposals, which range from tearing up international trade agreements to building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.

About 6.8 million of the more than 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally are employed, according to government statistics.

Removing them would cause a slump of $381.5 billion to $623.2 billion in private sector output, the Washington-based non-profit said in its analysis.

Trump, who effectively sealed the Republican nomination this week, has called for the deportation of anyone living in the United States illegally, arguing foreign workers hold down salaries and contribute to unemployment

The removal of migrant workers could leave potentially millions of jobs unfilled due to a lack of legal workers willing to do them

Trump has further angered opponents by saying Mexico was sending rapists and drug dealers to the USA

The study added that removing those workers could leave potentially millions of jobs unfilled due to a lack of legal workers willing to do them. Industries with the highest share of undocumented workers include farming, construction, and hospitality, according to the research.

'The things Donald Trump has said are utterly unworkable,' said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the forum's president, and the top economic adviser to Senator John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.

Trump, who effectively sealed the Republican nomination this week, has called for the deportation of anyone living in the United States illegally, arguing foreign workers hold down salaries and contribute to unemployment.

That position has drawn strong opposition from business leaders like the conservative billionaire Koch brothers as well as from human rights advocates.

A father carries his sleeping son, 3, after their family illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border

Immigrants walk handcuffed after being caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico borde

Trump has further angered opponents by saying Mexico was sending rapists and drug dealers to the United States, and by calling for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country to shore up national security.

But his hard line stance on immigration has also triggered strong support among many U.S. voters.

Some 52.6 percent of respondents to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in September said they want to see most or all undocumented immigrants deported, compared with 34.6 percent who want to see most or all of them stay.

The American Action Forum analysis used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to estimate the value of the output from undocumented immigrants. It also concluded that there would not likely be enough legal employees in these sectors to fill the vacancies that would result from mass deportations.

The study did not factor in potential impacts of mass deportations on consumption, investment and other economic factors, the group said.
A 19-year-old Swedish high-school student has added to the debate about the sexualisation of the female body by posing topless for her class photo.

Hanna Bolander, from Vaxjo, southern Sweden, said she took part in the stunt in order to make a point about equality because if male students can pose topless, so should women.

The teenager said it was the entire class' idea that one woman and one man should pose topless to highlight the issue, and she volunteered.

#FreeTheNipple: Hanna Bolander, 19, posed topless next to her male classmate in order to make a point about the sexualisation of women's bodies and equal rights

Speaking to Swedish media, Ms Bolander said that while staff at the school were 'not thrilled' at the stunt but allowed it because they respected her rights.

'Our class came up with the idea that one of the girls should bare her breasts, so I volunteered,' She told Expressen.

'My classmates are politically active. We just thought somebody should take a stand and show her breasts and it just felt natural.

'I don't regret it at all. I just thought "why shouldn't I be able to do that if guys can take their tops off?"

'I have met men with bigger breasts than mine and they never felt the need to keep them under wraps.

Equal rights: Ms Bolander said that if topless men didn't raise eyebrows, then neither should topless women

'As a feminist I should be free to reveal as much flesh as the opposite sex. I think it's a social construct that we should think of breasts as such a big deal.'

Hanna - who posed alongside a bare-chested male classmate for the photo - said she was 'surprised but pleased' that her school had gone ahead and published the yearbook despite their reservations.

The theatre and aesthetics student added: 'My principal and the photo company weren't thrilled but they respected it and said they just wanted to inform me of the risks.

'However my equally topless male friend was not given any such information.'

Reactions to the photo had been 'mixed' but her family given her their full backing despite being 'a bit scared', she said.

She added: 'My favourite reaction came from a Norwegian man in his 70s who told me if he had a granddaughter who'd done this he would have been so proud.
Pioneering surgery has been carried out on a rhinoceros to close a massive gaping wound after poachers tore off its horn along with half of its face.

A team of leading vets operated on Hope at a wildlife centre in the Limpopo Province of north-eastern South Africa.

Elephant skin was used to patch up the gruesome injury while staff also used elastic stitches to close the massive hole on its face.

Pioneering surgery has been carried out on a rhinoceros to close a massive gaping wound after poachers tore off her horn along with half of her face

A team of leading vets operated on Hope at a wildlife centre in the Limpopo Province of north-eastern South Africa

The animal had been attacked by poachers, who hacked off her horn, and almost all of her face along with it, last year.

The operation on the hook-lipped rhino involved an Abdominal Re-Approximation Anchor (ABRA) closure system - usually used to close up human stomachs - to stretch and pull her facial wound shut.

The Saving the Survivors team was specifically put together to care for and look after rhinos who have fallen victim to poaching.

Chris du Plessis, Product Manager at Surgitech - a South African-based medical equipment distributor who brought the technology over from Canada - said that the surgery on Hope's face was ground-breaking because it had never been used on an animal before.

Suzanne Boswell Rudham, a member of the Saving the Survivors team said of the ABRA system: 'Basically it's developed for people who've had stomach surgery where they can't close the wound.

'Before they used it to stitch it and staple it, now this system actually pulls in the tissue without destroying any cells.'

Johan Marais, founder of Saving the Survivors group, said: 'Whether it will work, we'll see - two weeks will tell. If she doesn't rip it off.

Elephant skin was used to patch up the gruesome injury while staff also used elastic stitches to close the massive hole on her face

The animal had been attacked by poachers, who hacked off her horn, and almost all of her face along with it, last year

'She's a strong girl. These rhinos are fighters; they are the most resilient, they just don't give up. She's amazing.'

Local reports said that over 60 per cent of Hope's face had healed thanks to her previous successful surgeries.

But she still needed to undergo the cutting-edge surgery to close the massive gaping facial wound that was constantly being attacked by flies and their larvae.

Ever since her case achieved worldwide attention, Hope has thrown a spotlight on rhino poaching in South Africa and she has become a pinup for the conservation of the threatened species in the country.

The team are now hoping that the latest operation - just one in a succession of surgeries - will see the massive wound she has on her face completely healed.
Students in Spain are being forced to take a new course  in exorcisms.

Their college, which is funded by the Spanish government, has called in a priest to give a seminar entitled 'The Evil'.

Father Jose Antonio Fortea Cucurull has previously written a treatise on demonology that includes a manual on exorcisms.

Demon lecturer: Students in Spain are being forced to attend a new course in exorcisms which include a seminars entitled 'The Evil' given by Father Jose Antonio Fortea Cucurull (pictured)

The University College of Barberan and Collan has made it compulsory for its 196 students to attend the conference that covers 'fields related to the devil, exorcisms and being possessed and hell', it was reported by The Local which cited newspaper El Diario.

Signs state the exorcism lecture is 'obligatory' unless students have a valid excuse, although it is not clear what that may include.

The college is connected to the public research institute Complutense University of Madrid and is funded by Spain's Defence Ministry.

The lecture has reportedly angered some students, but no one has yet submitted a formal complaint.

In 2010, Father Cucurull defended the Vatican after the Pope's chief exorcist claimed the child sex abuse scandals rocking the Church were evidence of the Devil's presence there.

The University College of Barberan and Collan is connected to the public research institute Complutense University of Madrid (pictured) and is funded by Spain's Defence Ministry

Father Gabriel Amorth, 84, who has carried out more than 70,000 exorcisms in a career spanning 24 years said Pope Benedict 'fully agreed' with him in 'casting out evil'.

He added: 'We have cardinals who don't believe in Christ, bishops connected with demons. Then we have these stories of pedophilia.

'You can see the rot when we speak of Satan's smoke in the holy rooms (of the Vatican).'

But Father Cucurull accused Father Amorth of going too far with his comments.

Speaking at the time, he said: 'Cardinals might be better or worse, but all have upright intentions and seek the glory of God.
She also admitted that on one occasion she rented a car for a drug dealer who repaid her with drugs

Hadad said she had tried meth three times, crack 10 times, cocaine 10 times, ecstasy 20 times and acid once

She also had phone sex with another inmate, 25-year-old Brandon Carson, and has been arrested 5 times since 2010

Hadad, 42, also spoke about injecting meth for sexual reasons with an inmate named Steven Sullivan

after admitting to her actions in a deposition

A Florida lawyer has been disbarred after admitting to inappropriate sexual relationships with men behind bars and a history of drug use.

Linda Hadad, 42, a former public defender in Volusia County who became a criminal defense attorney, at one point even spoke with an inmate who she was both representing and having a sexual relationship with about injecting meth.

The inmate, Steven Sullivan, said the drug would make the two have better sex.

The Florida Bar said in a statement; 'Hadad engaged in a pattern of misconduct that included illegal drug use and sexual relationships with clients.

'She had inappropriate intimate relationships with inmates at the Volusia County jail while she represented them, and engaged in inappropriate phone calls, which were routinely recorded by the jail.'

Trouble: Linda Hadad (above in a 2010 mugshot) admitted to using drugs, having sex with clients and phone sex with inmates

Out of a job: The Florida lawyer was disbarred after admitting to her actions in a deposition (left in October arrest for driving on suspended license, right in November arrest for driving on suspended license and attempting to flee an officer)

Lengthy history: Hadad said she had tried meth three times, crack 10 times, cocaine 10 times, ecstasy 20 times and acid once (left in July for driving on suspended license, right in August arrest for driving on suspended license and attempting to flee an officer

In a lengthy deposition Hadad admitting to using crack, cocaine, meth, acid, marijuana, Xanax, Adderall, and oxycodone, among other drugs.

Hadad said she had tried meth three times and as recently as one year ago, crack 10 times and most recently a little over a year ago, cocaine 10 times, ecstasy 20 times and acid once.

She admitted as well that on one occasion she rented a car for a drug dealer who repaid her with drugs.

She was also forced to listen to phone sex recordings during her deposition that she made with Sullivan and another inmate, 25-year-old Brandon Carson, while they were behind bars.

Carson, who during their conversations spoke frequently about conspiracy theories and believed that the atomic bombing of Hiroshima occurred in 1954, alluded at one point to an upcoming conjugal visit between the two.

Hadad also lamented the fact that he was behind bars, telling him in one conversation; 'Youre in jail and I cant touch your penis wrinkle.'

She then said; 'Im mad. We still have to get my sex toy too. We were supposed to go to the sex shop.'

Man: Hadad also had phone sex with another inmate, Brandon Carson (above)

Hadad also admitted to kissing Carson while he was in prison 'one time.'

Her conversations with Sullivan however were far more graphic and sexual in nature.

When the two spoke about shooting meth Hadad voiced her concern, at which point Sullivan tells her; 'B****, you do what the f*** I tell you to do.'

He then tells her; 'Go buy a diabetic needle. Im gonna shoot you up one goddamn time. You act like its such a goddamn crime cause I want you to be in euphoria for f****** 30 minutes? Sorry.'

Hadad responds to that by saying; 'All right. If you want me to, Ill try it.'

During her deposition Hadad admitted it was her in the recordings, and at one point asked if she could stop hearing herself having phone sex.

Hadad has been arrested five times before, once in 2010 for driving under the influence and four other times after that for motor vehicle registration issues.

She also admitted to being yelled at by a police officer who threatened to arrest her after she flashed a bouncer to get into a club without paying a cover.
A British man has become an unwitting internet star after borrowing his son's GoPro to record his trip to Amsterdam - only to accidentally film himself for the entire trip.

Howard Newman's son Mark posted the amusing footage online after his father returned to Hampshire, UK, from the Netherlands with his wife Joan to find he had been using the tiny camera the wrong way round.

It was only when the Luddite passed the GoPro back to his son so he could edit the footage did they realise the hilarious mistake - which the father blamed on the positioning of the device's buttons.

The clip begins with Howard, 69, with the camera pointing at his face and not out of a train window as he intends, proclaiming: 'And here we are in the Netherlands. Notice the difference.'

Howard Newman, pictured, has become an unwitting internet star after borrowing his son's GoPro to record his trip to Amsterdam - only to accidentally film himself for the entire trip

Oblivious to his error, he smiles happily, attempting to film his wife but in fact still pointing the camera at himself, before exclaiming 'it won't stop' as he fiddles with the buttons.

The not-so-tech-savvy gentleman then reappears, stating: 'Take two; I failed on the last one but we are now at Rotterdam Central.

'Im taking over from Michael Portillo on his Great European Railway Journeys. What do you think?'

Attempting to show viewers what is going on outside on the station platform, he declares: 'There's a starling about to get squashed. Thats the nature bit of this film.'

At other points in the video he points out a train overtaking plus a view of Rotterdam from their train, neither of which can be seen.

For one brief moment he even films the right way round, panning the camera as an airplane passes overhead, but then somehow manages to revert back to filming in selfie mode.

Later, he adds: 'This is us just leaving our last stop before Amsterdam.

'Unfortunately you cannot see it as its above us so instead Ill have to show you Joan with her duck face,' he says, pointing again at his wife, who cannot be seen.

To make matters worse for Howard, he passes the GoPro to his wife as they approach Amsterdam, who manages to film the entire segment the right way round.

When they finally arrive at the station, he takes back control of camera duties but again unwittingly turns it on himself, before moaning: 'I wish I could see what I am filming.'

Howard Newman's son Mark posted the amusing footage online after his father returned from the Netherlands with his wife Joan, pictured left, to find he had been using the tiny camera the wrong way round

It was only when the Luddite passed the GoPro back to his son so he could edit the footage did they realise the hilarious mistake - which the father blamed on the positioning of the device's buttons

To make matters worse for the gentleman, he passes the GoPro to his wife as they approach Amsterdam, who manages to film the entire segment the right way round

Mark Newman told MailOnline: 'My parents came around mine after their holiday as I had lent my dad my GoPro so that he could film their holiday for me to edit when they returned.

'I do quite a few holiday videos for me and my wife and he thought it would be nice to have one for himself.

'He's not great with technology so I gave him a quick rundown of how the buttons work - not thinking it would be that difficult as there is only three - and set him on his way.

'Upon uploading the video to edit I put it all together to watch un-edited to see what footage he had captured.

'It was then that we realised that what he had captured he was just his face due to the fact he thought the lens was the other side.

'My mum was in tears laughing, especially as the bit of filming she did she actually got it around the right way.'

Posting the video online, Mark wrote: 'I lent my dad my GoPro for his holiday to Amsterdam with my mum, when he returned it with much anticipation of me editing his footage we realised that he had been filming with the camera the wrong way around.

'He blames the buttons being in the wrong place!'

When they finally arrive at the station, he takes back control of camera duties but again unwittingly turns it on himself, before moaning: 'I wish I could see what I am filming'
The childhood friend of a missing Michigan woman has been arrested for her murder.

Jordan McClanahan, 23, turned himself into police on Tuesday, allegedly admitting to murdering his longtime friend Jessica Leigh White, 21.

White was last heard from the night of April 23, when she sent her mother and sister a text message from McClanahan's house in Hazel Park, saying 'Jordans dad is cussing him out. this is awkward.' Her phone was shut off an hour later and she was never seen again.

Police visited the home twice in the ensuing days as family and friends searched for White, but they never found sign of White's body.

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Jordan McClanahan, 23 (left), turned himself into police on Tuesday, admitting to killing his friend Jessica Leigh White, 21 (right), who has been missing since April 23

Cops searched McClanahan's home after he turned himself in and found White's body in an attic crawl space

Meanwhile, McClanahan claimed that White left that night to visit another friend in Detroit, and he even aided family and friends in the search for the missing woman. Neighbors also say he was acting normal, going for runs around the neighborhood.

The last message White sent to her family the night of April 23, when she was allegedly visiting McClanahan at his home. She said the situation was 'awkward'

'It's disturbing to know that this gentleman was assisting the family in attempting to locate a person that he knew (was dead),' Hazel Park Police Chief Martin Barner said. 'We know they have been friends since grade school.'

McClanahan lives in the home with his father and brother, who accompanied him to the police station Tuesday night when he turned himself in.

Cops then conducted a third search of the home and found White's body hidden 'in an enclosed attic' accessed by a door in McClanahan's bedroom which is concealed by a desk.

White's mother, Karen White, spoke with the Detroit News after her daughter's body was found on Tuesday.

She says she received a text late Tuesday night, that another search was being conducted at McClanahan's house.

'I waited out on the sidewalk until someone could talk to me and they said they had found her ... but couldnt give me any more details. I dont know what they did to her but they said they still had to get a positive ID. But they know its her.

'Things are pretty confusing right now. I cant tell you when I slept last. But I knew something was wrong  and I knew something had happened in that house,' White said.

An autopsy shows that White died of strangulation with a ligature. Hazel Park police did not reveal any more details on how she died or the motivation for the murder. Authorities say McClanahan and White appeared to be just friends and were not in a romantic relationship.

McClanahan remains in police custody and is expected to be formally charged with felony murder on Thursday.

Jordan's father and brother told police that they didn't know what had happened until Tuesday, when they accompanied him to the police station. Two men who appear to be McClanahan's relatives seen walking outside of the house on Wednesday

McClanahan posted this picture of himself and a woman, who appears to be White, to Facebook last year. Jessica commented on the picture 'I was so gone that day lmao'

Video Courtesy WXYZ

Michael's father and brother claimed they didn't know about the murder or about McClanahan hiding the body in the home until the day he turned himself into police. Police say the two men have been cooperative in the investigation.

'Its as new to us as it is to everybody else,' McClanahan's father Michael, 65, told the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday. 'I'm just so sorry for the family. ... Its just a shock. It was late yesterday when we found out.'

As for the argument he and his son were having, which White texted her mother and sister about, Michael said 'I chewed him out' about dropping his phone and White 'just happened to be there'.

He says he has no idea while his son would have killed White.

White's mother says her daughter went over to the house because she pitied him.
David Cameron today refused again to apologise for branding Donald Trump 'divisive, stupid and wrong' but did admit the Republican deserved 'respect' for his White House campaign.

The billionaire tycoon became his party's presumptive nominee for the US general election yesterday after the last of his rivals dropped out of the race.

The Prime Minister lashed out at Mr Trump last year after he made controversial remarks about banning Muslims from entering the US - going far further than other international leaders.

Mr Cameron was challenged to withdraw his remarks at a Downing Street press conference today alongside Japanese premier Shinzo Abe.

David Cameron, pictured making his remarks at a Downing Street press conference with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe today, refused to apologise to Mr Trump for calling him 'stupid'

But the PM said: 'It is obviously a matter for the voters of the United States who they choose as their next president.

I have to say that knowing the gruelling nature of the primaries and what you have to go through, anyone who makes it through that extraordinary contest to lead their party into a general election certainly deserve our respect.

But what I said about Muslims, I wont change that view, I dont change that view.

'I am very clear that the policy idea put forward was wrong, is wrong and will remain wrong. I am very clear on that.

Mr Cameron's refusal to apologise came as Mexico's former president did say sorry to Mr Trump.

Vicente Fox, who left office in 2006, launched an expletive loaded tirade at Mr Trump over his claims he would build a wall between the US and Mexico.

But Mr Fox today told Breitbart: 'I apologize. Forgiveness is one of the greatest qualities that human beings have, is the quality of a compassionate leader.

'You have to be humble. You have to be compassionate. You have to love thy neighbor.'

Mr Cameron's spokesman yesterday insisted the PM had 'no intention of withdrawing' his controversial remarks.

Mr Trump is expected to make a visit to Britain as part of his general election campaign later this year.

Downing Street admitted yesterday Mr Cameron would have no problem 'in principle' meeting with Mr Trump despite his earlier that entering the UK would ensure Britons 'united' against him.

Mr Cameron's initial intervention in November came after a petition to the Government demanded Mr Trump be banned from Britain.

The row was triggered after the politician called for a 'total shutdown' on Muslims entering the US in the wake of the Paris attacks.

Mr Trump seized his party's White House nomination with a big win in the Indiana primary on Tuesday, pictured

He also warned of the danger of terror attacks in London, prompting a further outcry from other senior British politicians.

At the time of the row, Mr Trump was still seen as a rank outsider in the Republican race.

Following Mr Trump's primary win in Indiana, which effectively secured the nomination, George Papadopoulos, who advises Mr Trump on foreign policy, said it would now be 'wise' for Mr Cameron to apologise and invite Mr Trump to the UK - or risk the special relationship.

Mr Papadopoulos told The Times: 'First we need an invitation. Of course if the United Kingdom extended an invitation it would be a tremendous show of unity and a wonderful spectacle.

'That invitation has not yet been extended ... but if it is it would be received in a positive way.'

Asked if Mr Trump would forgive Mr Cameron's comments, Mr Papadopoulos told the newspaper: 'I can't speak directly for him but it would seem that if Prime Minister Cameron is serious about reaching out, not only to Mr Trump's advisers but to the man himself, an apology or some sort of retraction should happen.

'To see Mr Cameron come out as the most vocal opponent was uncalled for.

'Considering that we believe that the UK-US relationship should be a cornerstone, not just of Nato policy but elsewhere, it would be wise for him to reach out in a more positive manner to Mr Trump.'
Burma Campaign UK called for the release of the three activists after their arrest in July 2015. The three were arrested after calls by Buddhist nationalists for their imprisonment in a social media campaign, branding the work the group does as a betrayal of Buddhism.

The activists were charged with allegedly visiting the Kachin Independence Organisation under Articvle 17 (1) of the Unlawful Association Act, and for allegedly crossing into India illegally.

Promoting religious freedom is a very important issue for Burma right now and we need more activists like Zaw Zaw Latt, Pwint Phyu Latt and Zaw Win Bo, Wai Hnin, Campaigns Officer at Burma Campaign UK, said in a statement.

They should be released immediately so they can continue their peaceful activities to bring religious harmony in the country.

Burma Campaign UK maintains that the arrest of the three activist is political and that they therefore fall under the category of political prisoners.
McWade, who displays her disability sticker and suffers from several disabilities, was left waiting another two hours for another truck

Shupe, a Trump supporter, claims he had been told by God to leave her

But when tow truck driver Ken Shupe he saw her Bernie Sanders campaign sticker and abandoned her at the side of the busy

She called her local mechanic to haul her vehicle to the

A Trump-loving tow truck driver refused to help a disabled woman stranded on the interstate after he noticed her Bernie Sanders sticker.

Cassy McWade, 25, had called her local mechanic for help after she was involved in a car crash on a highway near Asheville, North Carolina, on Monday.

But when Ken Shupe, of Shupee Max Towing, arrived to haul her vehicle back to the garage for repairs, he took one look at her Bernie Sanders campaign sticker and left.

Scroll down for video

Tow truck driver Ken Shupe (right) refused to help Cassy McWade, (left) who is disabled, when she was stranded on the interstate after he noticed her Bernie Sanders sticker

'He said, 'I can't tow you ... you're a Bernie supporter,' the stunned motorist told the Huffington Post. 'I was like, 'Wait, are you serious? You're kidding me.'

McWade, who displays her disability sticker and suffers from psoriatic arthritis, impaired mobility, early stage Crohn's disease, severe fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, was left waiting another two hours for another truck to arrive to tow her to safety.

But Shupe, a Trump supporter, claims he had been told by God to leave the 25-year-old behind.

'Something came over me, I think the Lord came to me, and he just said, 'Get in the truck and leave,'' he said.

Shupe had taken one look at her Bernie Sanders campaign bumper sticker and sign, and abandoned her on the side of the road

McWade was left waiting another two hours for another truck to arrive to tow her wrecked car (pictured) to safety

The Bernie supporter said that her disabilities mean she was unable to walk to the nearest exit so she was left waiting on the side of the busy highway(pictured)

The conservative Christian, 51, from Travelers Rest, South Carolina, said he felt proud that he 'finally drew a line in the sand and stood up for what I believed.'

He also claimed that when he had done business with 'socialist-minded' people in the past, he had not been paid.

But for McWade, who was concerned that a bout of Crone's could strike at any moment, the experience was terrifying.

'I was in a little bit of a shock, and definitely a little scared,' she said.

The Bernie supporter said that her disabilities mean she was unable to walk to the nearest exit or even lift her own hood, so she was left waiting on the side of the busy highway.

McWade said she supports Sanders presidential bid and has even volunteered for the Democrat's campaign. He's 'not in it for the money, that is probably my favorite thing,' she explained.

Shupe, a Trump supporter, claims he had been told by God to leave the 25-year-old behind and was proud to have 'drawn a line in the sand'

Shupe, who originally supported Ben Carson, said that now Trump is the Republican presidential nominee, he is throwing his full support behind him

McWade, who was concerned that a bout of Crone's could strike at any moment, said the whole experience was terrifying

Shupe, who originally supported Ben Carson, said that now Trump is the Republican presidential nominee, he is throwing his full support behind him.

The tow truck driver said he had never discriminated against a Bernie supporter before but stands by his decision.

He said that even if he had been aware of her disability, he still would have refused to tow her, although he may have waited with her for another truck to arrive, ABC reports.

'I stand by my decision, and I would do it again today if the opportunity presented itself,' Shupe said, adding that Hillary Clinton supporters could expect to receive the same treatment.

Despite his controversial stand against Democrat supporters, Shupe insists he is not prejudiced.
A mother and father from Alaska have been charged with child neglect after allegedly keeping their teen daughters in a 'completely filthy' home while they lived in a camper outside.

Timothy Hogan and Patricia Haugstad-Hogan, from Anchorage, were arrested in March two months after their daughters, then 17 and 16, escaped from the $400,000 property to seek help.

The girls say they were forced to sleep on a mattress in the basement of the four-bedroom home for five years and had been left without water, power or heat since May 2015.

Timothy Hogan and Patricia Haugstad-Hogan are facing charges of child neglect after allegedly forcing their teenage daughters to live in the basement of this 'filthy' home in Anchorage, Alaska

Police say the girls lived in the basement of the home which was filled floor to ceiling with bags of trash and human waste while their parents lived in this camper parked outside

Police who investigated the property said the upper floors were piled with bags of trash from floor to ceiling, with paths cleared between the mounds of garbage so the girls could move about.

Upstairs were several bags filled with human waste, since the house had no running water for the toilet, while mold covered the ceiling and walls.

In the kitchen one hob appeared to be used for cooking, the Alaska Dispatch News reports, while the others were covered with grime.

Meat and other food sat on the kitchen counters unrefrigerated, while there was a 'strong odor of old trash and rotting food' from the rest of the house.

Police said the basement, where they pair are believed to have been living, was also littered with trash but was in a considerably better state than the rest of the house.

There was a small drain and tap in the corner of the basement where the girls apparently washed, detectives said, while a mattress under the stairs seemed to serve as their bedroom.

The girls also told police that they had never been to public school, and officers were unable to find any record of them in the school system.

Police say they girls escaped the filthy home on Christmas eve and made their way to a shelter. When police later arrived to question the parents, they had no idea the girls had left

Any home schooling the girls had received was 'sporadic and inconsistent', the police noted, and estimated the pair had also not been to a dentist or a doctor for several years.

Police said the teens had 'no opportunity to meet friends, socialize or contact outside family members within the Anchorage area.'

While the girls reported feeling 'trapped' inside the property, police could not find evidence that they had been kept against their will under lock and key.

Meanwhile Hogan and Haugstad-Hogan lived in a camper van in the driveway of the home, though the conditions inside the vehicle have not been reported.

The alleged abuse only came to light on Christmas Eve last year after the pair fled the basement and made their way to the Covenant House youth shelter, more than five miles away.

When police later arrived at the home to question the parents, they had no idea the pair were even missing, according to detectives.

Christy Lawton, director of the state Office of Children's Services, said that the two girls did not return to the family home after arriving at Convent House.

Her agency assumed emergency custody of the girls in early January, according to Lawton, shortly before police went to inspect the property.

Authorities had attempted to file felony charges against the parents, but yesterday state prosecutors slapped down the attempt, saying there was insufficient evidence.
The former president of Mexico who said in February that his country would not pay for a 'f***ing wall' Donald Trump has proposed building on America's southern border shocked the world of geopolitics with an unqualified apology on Wednesday night.

Vicente Fox, who f-bombed the presumptive Republican nominee's signature proposal, said in an interview with a Breitbart.com reporter: 'If I offended you, Im sorry.'

That's a dramatic turnaround from his interview more than two months ago with the Fusion television network, when he said: 'I'm not gonna pay for that f***ing wall. He should pay for it. He's got the money.'

Trump immediately tweeted his demand for an apology, and Fox offered one on Wednesday.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS

APOLOGY ANGST: Vicente Fox said on Wednesday that he was sorry for his curse-laden insistence weeks ago that he would never 'pay for a f***ing wall' proposed by Donald Trump between his country and the U.S.

BIZARRE: Breitbart.com interviewed Fox in California, recording his unprecedented apology for bashing the Republican Party's chosen presidential candidate in a foul-language tirade

Fox, who led America's southern neighbor from 2000 to 2006, challenged Trump to accept his remorse.

'I apologize,' he said. 'Forgiveness is one of the greatest qualities that human beings have, is the quality of a compassionate leader. You have to be humble. You have to be compassionate. You have to love thy neighbor. Love your nation. Love the world.'

Trump has said in recent weeks that as his presidential candidacy began to look inevitable, many of his former Republican detractors have made fence-mending overtures.

Fox's came with an appended request, however.

'What about the other way around? I dont think he should follow the strategy of attacking others, offending others, to get to his purpose,' he told Breitbart. 'There are other ways and means of doing it. I invite him to come to Mexico and to see what Mexico is all about.'

Hours later on Bill O'Reilly's Fox News Channel program, Fox reiterated his call for Trump to 'come to Mexico and learn about the real Mexico.'

Fox had previously hammered Trump as a 'false prophet' and a 'looser' on Twitter, and proclaimed that he wasn't welcome in the ocean resort town of Cancun.

TWITTER-BURN: Trump demanded an apology in February and said if he had cursed his way through an interview about his proposed border barrier, he would have been pilloried for it

While he insisted on O'Reilly's show that he's 'not for open borders,' Fox said Wednesday night that American citizens will ultimately 'pay for the war on trade' if Trump puts in place his long-simmering plan to slap tariffs on American companies that move jobs outside the country.

Those costs, Fox said, would ultimately be passed on to consumers.

'Imagine the U.S. citizen paying 40 per cent more for the car he is buying today!' he told O'Reilly.

Trump's plan envisions Americans voting with their feet, buying lower-priced and lesser-taxed products made in the United States.

The billionaire appeared with O'Reilly earlier in the same broadcast and offered a message to Vicente Fox.

'Get your money ready, 'cause youre going to pay for the wall,' the GOP's standard bearer said.

Asked if he was likely to soften his approach, Trump said: 'No, of course not. Look, we lose a fortune with Mexico  trade deficit  $58 billion a year. The wall's going to cost ten. Believe me, they'll be able to afford it.'

'And we're going to end up having a very good relationship with Mexico. But right now, sadly, like everybody else, they're taking advantage of our country on trade and at the border. So we'll get it straightened out.'

MORE FIGHTING WORDS: Fox called Trump 'crazy,' 'ignorant' and 'a looser' [sic] on Twitter just last month

Trump, should he win the White House, would have his hands full with a hostile Mexican government that has only recently begun a charm offensive to soften some of its leaders' rhetoric.

In February, Mexican secretary of foreign affairs Claudia Ruiz Massieu called Trump 'ignorant and racist.' A month later, Mexican president Enrique Nieto compared the real estate tycoon to Hitler.

And in April, Mexico's chief economic minister Ildefonso Guajardo threatened that his country would pull out of all trade with the United States if Trump became president.

With each succeeding insult, Trump told his swelling audiences at campaign rallies that 'the wall just got ten feet higher.'
This is the moment a car thief who had only been released from prison days earlier crashed a stolen van into a teacher's car during a dramatic police pursuit after taking the legal high 'Spice'.

Joseph Gornall, 25, and passenger Jamie Green, 22, were high on the dangerous substance, a type of synthetic cannabis, when they stole a 20,000 Toyota Hilux from a Biffa Waste site in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire.

The van was spotted by police, who began to tail the pair, before Gornall, who had no licence and left prison just days before, smashed the vehicle into a Seat Ibiza which was driven by school teacher Deana Portess.

This is the moment a car thief who had only been released from prison days earlier crashed a stolen van into a teacher's car during a dramatic police pursuit after taking the legal high 'Spice'

Joseph Gornall, 25, (left) and passenger Jamie Green, 22, (right) were high on a type of synthetic cannabis, when they stole a 20,000 Toyota Hilux from a Biffa Waste site in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire

Grimsby Crown Court heard the victim suffered neck strain whiplash and has not been able to return to work, or even write, following the collision in Cleethorpes on March 29.

Gornall, 25, of Scunthorpe, was jailed for four years after he admitted aggravated vehicle-taking, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance.

And Green, 22, also from Scunthorpe, was sentenced to three years after he admitted he was carried in the stolen car, which was driven dangerously - and also pleaded guilty to a previous offence of stealing chocolate bars from a shop.

Judge David Tremberg told Gornall: 'You posed a significant risk not only to your own health and welfare but also to your passenger and other members of the public and the police.

Dashcam footage from Humberside police shows the moment officers caught up with Gornall after the crash

The van was spotted by police, who began to tail the pair, before Gornall, who had no licence and left prison just days before, smashed the vehicle into a Seat Ibiza which was driven by school teacher Deana Portess

'You engaged in a chase in a built up area where there was a lot of other traffic about. You drove at speed and drove through a red light.'

Judge Tremberg also said he was 'astonished' Gornall had never held a driving licence.

The pair, who appeared in court via video link, sniggered as the judge was told of their escapade.

Jeremy Evans, prosecuting, said the pair had cut the telephone wires at the Biffa site and tampered with the alarm system, which did not activate.

They seized a haul including money, a laptop, mobile phone and then took the Toyota which was later spotted and police officers began their pursuit.

The pair seized a haul including money, a laptop, mobile phone from a Biffa Waste site before taking the Toyota which was later spotted and police officers began their pursuit

Footage was captured of the chase by on-board police cameras and the Humberside Police helicopter

The court heard Gornall had ignored Give Way signs, and despite going over the stinger device, ploughed on at 35mph on the bare steel rims of the Toyota.

The vehicle then drove along past Cleethorpes Police Station, before ignoring the Give Way sign at a junction and striking Ms Portess' white Seat Ibiza.

Footage of the chase was captured on video by on-board police cameras and the Humberside Police helicopter.

Ms Portess' vehicle had been written off following the collision, and she requires regular physiotherapy for her injuries.

It was revealed Gornall committed the offence just days after being released from prison on licence for a raid at the same Biffa site in 2014, when he took the keys of a 4X4.

He had also taken an ambulance from outside Scunthorpe hospital when the vehicle's keys were still in the ignition in February 2013, and later crashed it.

Gornall had ignored Give Way signs, and despite going over the stinger device, ploughed on at 35mph on the bare steel rims of the Toyota before crashing into the Nissan

Ms Portess' vehicle WAS written off in the collision, and she requires regular physiotherapy for her injuries

Ian Haywood, mitigating for Gornall, said his client had only been released from prison on licence days earlier, but a row at the family home forced him to live in a tent and 'falling back in with local associates and offending.'

Ella Anderson, for Green, said her client had been taken into local authority care at the age of two and was placed with a number of foster families.

She said a foster brother, who was 'like a father figure' had died from cancer when Green was aged 17, and he then 'went off the rails' and began using illegal drugs, as well as regularly taking'Spice.'
A Chinese villager has revealed his shock after the stray puppy he adopted off the streets turned out to be an endangered species of bear.

Wildlife authorities in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture confirmed the animal was an Asian black bear - a first-class state-protected species in China.

The unnamed farmer told the officials that he came across the little black ball of fur several weeks ago in south-west China's Yunnan Province.

The farmer said he adopted the animal, which he believed to be a dog, because it looked weak and thin

As weeks went by the animal began to take on an unusual form and its appetite continued to grow at an alarming rate

The man claimed he mistook the bear for a Kunming wolfdog, an established breed in China, which was traditionally used by the military.

He said the animal looked weak and thin and that he adopted it so that he could give it food and raise it with his other dogs.

But as weeks went by the animal began to take on an unusual form and its appetite continued to grow at an alarming rate.

It was at this point the farmer contacted the local wildlife authorities, who immediately identified the animal as an Asian black bear, notable for a patch of white fur on its chest.

Officials believe the cub may have strayed from the nearby forests and become separated from its mother.

The farmer contacted the local wildlife authorities, who immediately identified the animal as an Asian black bear

They added that it would most likely have been killed or bred in secret if its species had been recognised by the wrong person.

But thankfully for the young bear, the farmer nursed it back to health, and officials were able to take the animal and send it to the local Dehong Prefecture Wildlife Shelter.

According to local reports, the cub will be kept there until it learns how to survive on its own in tough natural conditions, after which it will be released back into the forests.

Asian black bears, like the equally endangered giant pandas, are threatened by poachers, who kill them for their paws, which are considered a delicacy.

The capture, killing, breeding, and trading of the animals is strictly forbidden in China, with offenders facing up to 10 years in prison or - in the case of trafficking pandas - even death.
After Barr was buried the police swooped to arrest 14 terror suspects

was gunned down in Dublin execution last month

Police have arrested 14 people in Northern Ireland after the funeral of a 'New IRA' member gunned down in Dublin last month.

The suspects were all held under the Terrorism Act after Michael 'Mickey' Barr was laid to rest in his home town of Strabane, County Tyrone today.

The dissident republican, 35, was shot up to three times after two men burst into the Sunset House bar in Dublin's Summerhill a fortnight ago.

Today at his funeral more than dozen people in paramilitary-style uniform walked in front and alongside the cortege.

Men in berets, sunglasses and camouflage carried his coffin, which was covered in an Irish flag and had a beret and gloves resting on top.

Funeral: A guard of honour flanks Barr's coffin of Michael Barr at his funeral in his home town in Northern Ireland

Arrests: 14 suspects were all held under the Terrorism Act after Michael 'Mickey' Barr was laid to rest in his home town of Strabane, County Tyrone today (pictured)

Raid: Officers were seen swooping on a house in Strabane shortly after the funeral of Michael Barr in the town

More than 500 mourners turned up for Mr Barr's funeral today which was accompanied by a heavy security presence.

Shooting: Mickey Barr's death believed to have been linked to a bloody underworld power-struggle between the Kinahan and Hutch families and their associates.

Both Gardai from Ireland and the PSNI on both sides of the border at Lifford and Strabane stopped motorists and asked for identification while a PSNI helicopter circled overhead.

The funeral cortege was accompanied by full republican military trappings as his funeral cortege was brought to the church.

Another guard of honour was formed by another republican group wearing white shorts and black ties.

Among the leading mourners were Mr Barr's mother and father, Martina and Colly as well as his partner Jade and the couple's five children Tiarnan, Killian, Caitlin and his grandmother Theresa.



Barr, known as Mickey Barr, was due to be sentenced in the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Thursday for handling stolen electrical equipment in a hotel in July 2014 where a bomb had been found in a car two months earlier.

His murder is believed to have been linked to a bloody underworld power-struggle between the Kinahan and Hutch families and their associates.

There are conflicting reports as to whether Barr was the intended target or if a member of the Hutch family was in the pub at the time.

At his funeral mass at St Mary's Church in the Melmount area of Strabane his parish priest sent a message of support to communities in Dublin living in fear of gangland crime.

Fr Michael Doherty said the community of Strabane in Co Tyrone was behind those facing the continuing violence on the streets of the Irish capital.

Afterwards the Police Service of Northern Ireland said 14 men had been detained under the Terrorism Act.

In a statement, a spokesman said: 'As a result of the policing operation at the funeral of Michael Barr in Strabane earlier today, 14 males have been arrested under the Terrorism Act.'

The 14 men are all understood to have been at funeral this morning.

Message: Floral tributes for Michael Barr at his funeral, left by his son Tiarnan, left, and children Cillian and Caitlin, right

Security: There was a large police presence in Strabane and it appears that the PSNI had planned an operation to grab suspects under the Terrorism Act after the funeral

Tensions: PSNI watch the funeral cortege pass as a guard of honour flanked the coffin in Strabane Co Tyrone this morning. Barr was shot dead at the end of April in a pub in Dublin

Gangland warfare: There have been six murders in a tit-for-tat battle between bosses Christy 'Dapper Don' Kinahan, left, and Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, right

Barr's murder was the sixth in bitter feud between warring Irish gangland bosses Christy 'Dapper Don' Kinahan and Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch.

Sources say one line of inquiry is that he was shot dead at The Sunset House pub for leaking information to gardai about the AK-47s used in the Regency Hotel shooting in February.

In the hotel attack, David Byrne was shot dead in revenge for the murder of Garry Hutch, 34, in Spain last year. Mr Hutch was a nephew of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch.

However, it was believed at the time of the Byrne killing that gang boss Christy Kinahan Sr's son Daniel was the intended target of the hotel shooting in February.

The Monk's brother Eddie Sr, 59, was gunned down days later in his home in a reprisal for Byrne's death.

Then came the murder of Noel 'Mr Kingsize' Duggan, 55 - a friend of The Monk's - at his home in leafy Ratoath, Co. Meath.

Preceding the assassination of Barr, bystander Martin O'Rourke was shot dead on Sheriff Street in a case of mistaken identity.

Sources in Ireland have said that Barr may have even supplied the weapons. Barr is also believed to have provided accommodation to a gunman involved in the Regency Hotel attack.

Sources say the most likely culprits for his murder are members of the gang run by Spanish-based 'Dapper Don' Christy Kinahan.
Hillary Clinton could be called on to testify about her secret server and email set-up just as she enters the home stretch of her fight for the Democratic nomination.

A federal judge ordered senior State Department aides to deliver statements under oath about the unusual arrangement and whether they acted in 'good faith' during a Freedom of Information Act Request by potentially omitting emails from the clintonemail.com system.

Judge Emmet Sullivan also said 'based on information learned during discovery, the deposition of Mrs. Clinton may be necessary.'

Sullivan and the conservative organization that brought the case are seeking to determine whether Clinton and other State Department officials 'purposefully' routed documents 'out of agency possession in order to circumvent a FOIA request.'

Hillary Clinton could be called on to testify about her secret server and email set-up just as she enters the home stretch of her fight for the Democratic nomination.

Conservative oversight group Judicial Watch brought the Freedom of Information Act suit that led to yesterday's ruling.

It stemmed from an investigation by the watchdog organization into Huma Abedin's special approval to work at the State Department and for private sector companies concurrently.

Clinton and other State Department officials with knowledge of Abedin's employment status and the email system have been caught in the dragnet.

Sullivan, who was appointed to the court by Bill Clinton, said in his ruling, 'Notably, the process by which the State Department took possession of Mrs. Clinton and Ms. Abedins federal records from the clintonemail.com server was through self-selection by Mrs. Clinton, Ms. Abedin, Ms. Mills and their private counsel.'

Aides from State that will have to testify over the next eight weeks during discovery include Former Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills, Clinton's right-hand woman Abedin and IT specialist Bryan Pagliano.

Pagliano who reportedly set up Clinton's server and maintained the clintonemail.com making him a top person of interest. He plead the Fifth in a Justice Department investigation into Clinton's emails and took an immunity deal.

Sullivan said, 'The circumstances surrounding approval ofs use of clintonemail.com for official government business, as well as the manner in which it was operated, are issues that need to be explored in discovery to enable the Court to resolve, as a matter of law, the adequacy of the State Department's search of relevant records in response to Judicial Watchs FOIA request.'

The eight-week discovery period puts the process on track for completion at the end of June.

Republicans will hold their nominating convention the week of July 18. Democrats immediately follow the week of July 25.

The last Democratic Primary is on June 14, when the District of Columbia votes. Bernie Sanders has fallen far behind Clinton in the race but said he intends to stick it out until at least the end of the primary and possibly through the convention.

There's a sense within the Sanders campaign that Clinton could become a less-than-desirable nominee because of her email drama as the convention approaches. Party elites tasked with making a final decision could give their stamp of approval to Sanders, instead,

If Clinton's slapped with a court order to testify in early July, the strategy may grow legs, particularly is Sanders is able to pull off a string of wins over the next month.

TESTIFY: Case stems from an investigation by a watchdog organization into Huma Abedin's special approval to work at the State Department and for private sector companies concurrently (right). State Department IT specialist Bryan Pagliano (left) reportedly set up Clinton's server and maintained the clintonemail.com making him a top person of interest, too

Republicans meanwhile hope that she'll become the Democratic nominee as planned and implode later in the summer or fall.

'Maybe she wont even be able to run,' Donald Trump mused yesterday during an interview with CNN as he talked about the FBI investigation.

Clinton's said that's all wishful thinking. She reconfirmed yesterday she hasn't even been contacted by the FBI about the matter.

The FBI is looking into whether Clinton's emails were ever hacked, potentially resulting in the collection of sensitive information by foreign governments.

The former cabinet official says they were not, and she never sent or received classified information anyway.

A review of her emails by the State Department concluded that her emails contained information government agencies would like to remain secret, even though it wasn't classified at the time.

A Romanian hacker who goes by the name of 'Guccifer' is now claiming that he did infiltrate the system and decided against sharing the emails because they did not interest him.

He's behind bars for a related incident, when he hacked Clinton confidante Sidney Blumenthal's account, exposing conversations between he and the then-secretary of state.

A spokesman for Clinton's campaign yesterday blew off the claims of Marcel Lehel Lazar, aka, Guccifer.

'There is absolutely no basis to believe the claims made by this criminal from his prison cell,' the Democrat's national press secretary, Brian Fallon, told Politico.

He said, 'In addition to the fact he offers no proof to support his claims, his descriptions of Secretary Clintons server are inaccurate. It is unfathomable that he would have gained access to her emails and not leaked them the way he did to his other victims.'
of California. It was initially ruled an accident but authorities reopened the case in 2011

The daughter of Natalie Wood is speaking about her mother's tragic death in a new interview and how she believes her mother came to fall of a boat and drown when out on a trip with her husband Robert Wagner and their friend Christopher Walken.

'I think it was an accident,' said Natasha Gregson Wagner during an appearance on Good Morning America.

'I have my answers. I don't spend any time actually thinking about that.'

She then added; 'I feel sad that I don't have my mom and my younger sister doesn't have my mom. And my daughter doesn't have her grandma'

When asked about rumor's that her stepfather Robert Wagner may have killed her mother, Natasha said; 'Oh I know he didn't.'

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Opening up: Natalie Wood's daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner (above) spoke about her mother's tragic death in a new interview saying it was an accident

Tragedy: Natalie Wood (above) died 34 years ago after drowning off the coast of California. It was initially ruled an accident but authorities reopened the case in 2011

Not having it: Natasha shot down claims that her stepfather Robert Wagner (above with Natalie and Natasha) had anything to do with killing her mother

'I just grew up thinking that I had two dads and that that was normal. And he is the greatest. I love him so much. He's been a real champion,' added Natasha about Robert.

'He's been my protector. He's been my mom and my dad. He's worked so nicely with my real father. They've been so great, you know, co-parenting me.'

When recent claims made by the captain of the ship that he saw Natalie and Robert arguing shortly before she disappeared were brought up, Natasha said; 'He is somebody that I cant even dignify with a response because he's so undignified.'

Natasha was appearing on the show to promote the new perfume she has released in honor of her mother, Natalie.

Natasha also spoke about how heartbroken she was to lose her mother when she was just 11 because she had just started to pull away from her, saying; 'I didn't want her to nurture me as much as she had. And so, you know, I went through a lot of feelings ... I felt really guilty. Like I should have been a better daughter.'

She added however that she still thinks about her mother all the time.

'Here, where I live, we have a lot of butterflies. And so my dad told me after my mom died that every time I see a butterfly that it's my mom,' said Natasha.

'And so I've told my daughter that. Every time we see a butterfly, my daughter will say, "Momma, do you think that's grandma Natalie?" And I say, Oh, absolutely."'

Natalie's death was initially ruled an accidental drowning, caused by her slipping and falling, but authorities reopened the case in 2011 after the captain of the yacht, Dennis Davern, claimed he had originally lied to the authorities.

In March, Robert was filmed and photographed in a heated discussion with Natalie's sister Lana, who demanded to know why he had been refusing to speak to police.

Natalie's body was found floating in the sea off Catalina Island, California, on November 29, 1981. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning.

Memory: Natasha has released a new perfume in honor of her mother, Natalie (left in 1971, right in 1981 with her mother)

Family affair: Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, and Daughters Katie Wagner, Natasha Gregson Wagner, and Courtney Wagner in 1981

In 2013 though, a new coroner's report revealed that bruises found on the actress' face, wrists, knees, and ankles occurred before she went into the water - not, as the 1981 report had concluded, as she struggled to climb back aboard the yacht after falling over the side.

Those bruises could have been 'non-accidental' and she could have been assaulted aboard the yacht, the medical examiner claimed.

Robert had told investigators that Natalie, who could not swim, must have fallen in the water when she got up to try to retie a dingy that had been knocking against the side of the yacht.

He is not considered a suspect by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.

Natalie's body was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.14 percent, nearly twice the legal limit for driving. She was also found to be under the influence of a motion sickness medication and a painkiller, which likely increased her level of intoxication.

The captain of the yacht, Davern, told both 48 Hours and the Today in 2012 that he heard Robert and Natalie arguing the night of her disappearance and believed Robert was to blame for her death.

He said that after Natalie went to bed, he heard the fight continuing in her cabin, including sounds of a physical struggle.

He also claimed that a fight had broken out between Robert and Christopher Walken, who was also aboard to yacht. Davern claims Robert waited several hours after his wife disappeared to call authorities.

Fond recollections: 'He is the greatest. I love him so much. He's been a real champion,' said Natasha of stepfather Robert Wagner (above with Natalie in 1972)

Investigators have said that Robert has not cooperated with their current investigation, which led to Natalie's sister Lana confronting him in March.

The pair came face-to-face at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Palm Springs in California, where he was attending a lunch event honoring his wife and former Bond girl Jill St. John, who he married in 1990.

In footage of the meeting, Lana, 69, asks Robert; 'Why won't you speak to the detectives? They're super guys.'

He responds; 'Lana, why would you even bring up anything like that?

As the confrontation continues, he says: 'I have talked to everybody. You have accused me. You have accused me of murdering her. I can't believe you'd do something like that.'

He eventually walked off after saying: 'I have stopped and said what happened.'

Roberts lawyer, Blair Berk, has said the actor has 'fully cooperated' with police and has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Natalie, who was just 43 when she died, rose to stardom in 1947 playing little Susie, the girl who didn't believe in Santa Claus, in Miracle on 34th Street.

She was nominated for her first Oscar while still a teenager for her work opposite James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause, and went on to receive two more nominations - for Splendor in the Grass and Love with the Proper Stranger before she was 25 years old.

Natalie is most famously known however for playing Maria in West Side Story

She was also a teenager when she first married Wagner in 1957, though the two divorced in 1962 and were then remarried in 1972 until her death.

In their decade apart Wood gave birth to Natasha.
Caroline Parry (pictured arriving at Teesside Crown Court), 45, was head of English at a Middlesbrough secondary school when the authorities realised she was swapping sick fantasies with a man in the US

A 'highly-respected' teacher used her school USB stick to store a haul of graphic child sex abuse images which she had swapped with a 'fellow paedo' in the US.

Caroline Parry, 45, was head of English at Bishopsgarth School in Stockton, Teesside, when she began swapping sick fantasies with the man online.

The married mother-of-three then spent six years exchanging photographs with the man of children as young as two.

When police raided her home, they discovered 20 child abuse images on her laptop and USB stick, along with a series of messages in which the disgraced teacher said the child victims were 'loving' what was happening to them.

The court was also told how Parry revelled in the idea of being a 'fellow paedo'.

At a previous hearing Parry, of Ormesby, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to making and possessing indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography involving a horse in an admission which sent 'shockwaves' through the teaching profession.

She has now been jailed for 18 months, after a judge described her 'fall from grace' as 'nothing less than spectacular'.

Handing down the sentence, Judge Stephen Ashurst said: 'You are regarded by the outside world as being a responsible mother.

'You have been well-respected for many years as a senior teacher at a local school.

'Your marriage is now in tatters, your home life disrupted, your career in ruins and, I am sure you will appreciate, all of this is self-inflicted.'

Judge Ashurst described how she maintained an online relationship with the man for 'a number of years' after he described his sexual preferences in 'explicit details'.

'He described his sexual preferences for sex with children - in particular very young girls and also with their mothers - and he sent very disturbing still and moving images to you,' he said.

'Far from being repulsed by what you were either viewing or downloading, you encouraged him in his sick fantasies. He referred to you as being a "fellow paedo" and you went along with that.'

The court was told how, when police raided her home, they found 20 indecent images of children - both moving and still - with 16 of them being of the most serious category.

The judge said Parry described the child victims as 'cute' what was happening to them, despite the images showing serious abuse by adults of children as young as two.

He added that the local community could be reassured that the victims were not family members or pupils.

But he said that, regardless of where they lived in the world, the gravity of the offending was such that an immediate custodial sentence could not be avoided.

Parry was put on the sex offenders register for 10 years and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

At a previous hearing Parry admitted making and possessing indecent images of children and one count of possessing extreme pornography involving a horse. She was jailed after appearing at Teesside Crown Court (pictured)

Harry Hadfield, prosecuting, said the investigation was launched by the National Crime Agency while it was looking into the conduct of the man in the US.

On the USB stick which contained images of abuse, they also found school materials relating to Key Stages 4 and 5, he said.

Rachael Dyson, defending, said Parry was 'extremely remorseful for her actions' and keen to work with the authorities to address her behaviour.

She described her as working long hours.

'It is expected that her arrest, charge and guilty plea has sent shockwaves through that profession - people being completely surprised that a woman who had been so highly-respected would commit offences of this nature,' she said.

After the hearing, Colin Radcliffe, operations manager at the NCA's CEOP Command, said: 'Whilst there is no evidence that Caroline Parry abused her position of trust at her place of work, we consider that she poses a significant risk due to the nature of the images she was downloading and viewing.

'The chat logs which she had engaged in seemed to span a number of years, and were extreme in nature.

'Individuals who think they can share indecent images of children under the radar of law enforcement should know that we will pursue them and ensure they are brought to justice.'

A spokesman for Bishopsgarth School said: 'Ms Parry is no longer employed by the school and we would like to reassure our parents and carers that these offences are in no way related to the school or its pupils.

'Furthermore, we have very robust policies and procedures in place to safeguard and protect children in our care.'

An NSPCC spokesman added: This was an appalling crime committed by someone who was trusted to look after children.

'To deal in these images  each one of which shows an innocent child suffering sexual abuse  fuels a demand for this vile market.
A teenage oligarch's son told how he wanted to 'expel the devil' from his mother when he strangled her to death with the cable of a phone charger in a Russian hotel.

Egor Sosin, 19, claimed minutes after killing her that his mother had wanted to have sex with him, and he had refused, before he brutally attacked her, according to a new witness.

Gruesome new details have emerged over the murder of 44-year-old Anastasia Novikova-Sosina, ex-wife of construction mogul Igor Sosin, in a blood-strained hotel suite in the Volga River city of Kazan.

Killed: Egor Sosin, 19, attacked his mother Anastasia Novikova-Sosina in a hotel in Kazan in December

Brutal: Soisin claimed Ms Novikova-Sosina (pictured) had wanted to have sex with him, and that he refused before he attacked her in the five=star suite in the city of Kazan, in central Russia

Fears: Ms Novikova-Sosina - whose former husband is construction mogul Igor Sosin - had decided to take her son with her to the hotel because she was worried about his drug use, according to a friend

Sosin, who said on social media he was a student at the Hult International Business School in London, is reported to have told state investigators: 'I had been choking her about half an hour. Satisfied that she had died, I sat on her and began to punch her with all my force.

'I hit her in the face. There were not less than 20 hits, they were strong.

'I cried when I hit her, and I was well aware that with my actions I was killing my mother.

'I bit her into the neck on the right side and felt the blood in my mouth.

'I saw blood running from my mother's face from my hits.'

Now LifeNews - which has close links to law enforcement in Russia - has reported that the teenager gave his first explanation of why he killed his mother to staff from five star Korston Hotel when they entered the room where the mother and son were sharing in December.

Hotel manager A. Mananov told investigators: 'He said that the woman was his mother.

'According to him, she tried to persuade him to be intimate, and gave some pills. Sosin said that he refused to have sex, and then expelled the devil out of her.'

It has been reported that a 'preliminary finding' of paranoid schizophrenia was diagnosed after psychiatric examination of Sosin junior.

As yet there has been no official comment on his mental state.

Violence: Sosin (pictured) told investigators he choked her for half an hour until he was satisfied she was dead, before starting to hit her with all the force he could muster

Terrifying: Sosin, centre, revealed 'I bit her into the neck on the right side and felt the blood in my mouth'

Gruesome: Ms Novikova-Sosina's body was discovered in a blood-soaked room after her son was found wandering the corridors of the hotel in just his underwear

If such a diagnosis was confirmed, and accepted by the court, he would not face trial for murder, or go to jail, because he was not responsible for his actions.

Instead he would be ordered to undergo treatment in a psychiatric hospital.

However, the court will have to examine testimony from the wealthy teenager which suggests he knew he was killing his mother.

In his first comments on the killing, tycoon Igor Sosin said he had been in close contact with his ex-wife over their concerns for their son.

The boy's mother had told him the teenager's behaviour was 'not quite sane' and that he was 'obsessed with delusions of persecution'.

He told investigators: 'I regularly called Egor, to be sure that he was sleeping at home.

'On one occasion, the way he spoke seemed to me messy, so I decided that he had some inadequate condition.

'And then I got a call from Anastasia. She said that Egor had had a party in their apartment and they used the laughing gas and 'mushrooms' there.'

Horror: Sosin revealed to investigators he watched as his mother's blood ran from her face

Weapon: The authorities believe Ms Novikova-Sosina was attacked with a mobile phone charger cable, like the one above in the room

Sick: He has since been found been found to be mentally ill by experts, and may therefore not be imprisoned

An anonymous psychologist has revealed that Egor's mother consulted her less than a week before her tragic death.

'In the last conversation Nastia (Anastasia) immediately confessed to me that she found out something terrible - her son was using drugs.

'It became evident when Egor arrived to Moscow from New York.'

The psychologist added: 'She noticed that her son behaved in a strange way. He didn't actually hide anything from his mother.

I cried when I hit her, and I was well aware that with my actions I was killing my mother. I bit her into the neck on the right side and felt the blood in my mouth. I saw blood running from my mother's face from my hits.

'She was scared to leave Egor alone.

'That's what she actually said: 'It's impossible to leave him unattended. His father isn't in the city. Egor has some strange friends, and am afraid they will take everything out of the apartment while I'm away'. That's why she went to Kazan with him.

'I started asking her if she tried to cure Egor. Nastia said: 'He went through detoxification from drugs'.

'And I said that the procedure won't be of much help, especially if keeps taking them.

'She said: 'He needs to be treated'. She asked me to find a good clinic'.

'Nastia said that she asked her son about which drugs he was taking. He said: 'These are just hallucinogens'.

'Nastia was also saying that there were some ball-shaped pills all over the apartment.

'Anastasia was angry, and couldn't believe that her beloved son could become a drug-addict.

'Their relationships started deteriorating when Nastia found out about those strange pills.

'She started having arguments with Egor when she found about the pills, telling him: 'You're a big boy, this is disgusting' and such.

'He was very angry with her.

'Her son started being aggressive towards her. I warned her: 'It's dangerous to stay with him on your own. Leave'.'

Warning signs: A friend has revealed how Sosin began to get aggressive towards his mother

Help: She had been discussing getting her son treatment ahead of the ill-fated trip to Kazan

She stressed: 'I begged Nastia not to argue with her son, not to touch him, or talk to him.'

It is said at the time of her murder, Ms Novikova-Sosina was seeking treatment for her son over his alleged drugs habit, say the Russian media.

The teenager told police his mother had given him medication, which resulted in hallucinations.

'I met with my mama for some medical procedures,' he said.

'She gave me some pills and later in the apartment, in our hotel, some unclear things started happening, hallucinations, as I am still feeling now.'

Witnesses say that on the day of the arrest they heard mother and son arguing so loud that people wanted to call the police.

The authorities were finally called when staff at the five star Korstan Hotel called police after finding Sosin walking around in only his underwear on Saturday.

Police arrived shortly afterwards, and 'found a young man strongly intoxicated with drugs', a law enforcement source from the regional branch of the Interior Ministry revealed.

'A woman with signs of violent death was found in his room,' the source continued.

Blame: The teenager told police his mother had given him medication, which resulted in hallucinations

'The police found out that the woman and the young man arrived from Moscow in the afternoon, rented a room, and in the evening the young man beat up and suffocated his mother during an argument.'

Police have said they were investigating the possibility that Ms Novikova-Sosina had been strangled with something like a mobile phone charger, after pictures of a similar object appeared on Russian television.

Sosin Senior is famous as a co-founder of Starik Khottabych, a renovation and construction giant, and is often seen on the Cote d'Azur resorts.
He said: We will accept the ethnic parties that have applied to become UNA members. The UNA will hold a meeting to approve them. Im quite certain that they will be accepted because ethnic people need to be strong. Now, the Kachin people are uniting and the Karen people are uniting, thats why the UNA needs to be strong.

The decision on whether to accept the parties as new members will be taken at a UNA members meeting on 7 May.

The eight current members of the UNA are: the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), the Arakan National Party (ANP), the Zomi Congress for Democracy (ZCD), the Karen National Party, the Mon National Party (MNP), the Kachin State National Congress for Democracy (KNDC), the Shan State Kokang Democratic Party (SSKDP), and the Kayan National Party.

Over 100 party members from the SNLD, ANP, ZCD, and MNP won parliamentary seats in the 2015 election.

Dr Manam Tu Jar, the chairman of the Kachin State Democracy Party (KSDP), one of the parties that has applied for UNA membership, said: We applied for UNA membership before the 2015 election started. They amended their policies, rules and regulations then sent them to us and asked us whether we agreed with them. We have already informed them that we accept the UNAs policies, but they still havent responded yet.

The six ethnic political parties applying for UNA membership are: The KSDP, the Arakan Patriot Party, the Chin League for Democracy, the Danu National Progressive Party, the Chin Progressive Party, and the Mro National Democracy Party.

Translated by Thida Linn

Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
Trudy Ali-Balogun, 55, of Stratford, east London, abused her role as a 25,000 a year housing officer at Southwark Council to help process 24 bogus homelessness claims

A housing officer who took a 2,000 backhander every time she processed a fake homelessness claim for illegal immigrants as part of a 2.4million council scam has been jailed.

Trudy Ali-Balogun, 55, of Stratford, east London, abused her role as a 25,000 a year housing officer at Southwark Council to help process 24 bogus homelessness claims.

She was paid a 2,000 bribe for each application she approved and used the money to treat herself to holidays around the world, Inner London Crown Court heard.

Ali-Balogun approved false birth certificates for children who never existed, as well as made-up wage slips, bank statements and fake foreign passports.

She was jailed for five years while fraudsters Biayo Awotiwon, 47, and Adeyemi Oyedele, 48, were given five months each.

Kudiartu Falana, 60, was handed a five month jail sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.

Joseph Olaiya, 53, was sentenced to six months suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.

Their trial was part of the wider investigation known as Operation Bronze which has been running since 2011 and has so far yielded more than 30 convictions.

Ibrahim Bundu, a former homeless housing case worker, was previously jailed at Woolwich Crown Court for processing false homeless housing applications in return for backhanders.

He is currently serving a six year sentence after failing to pay back the 100,000 ordered by the courts.

Ali-Balogun, who studied criminology at university, was processing bogus applications while working alongside Bundu from November 2003 until her suspension in April 2005.

Many of the applicants she helped within the Nigerian community were in the country illegally.

Ali-Balogun also processed false birth certificates for children to help the fraudsters jump the housing queue.

Ali-Balogun, who studied criminology at university, was processing bogus applications while working for Southwark council (pictured) alongside Bundu from November 2003 until her suspension in April 2005

Michael Goodwin, prosecuting, explained that the fraud cost the council about 2.4million and left genuine homeless people without a roof above their heads.

She sought to exploit and capitalise in the weaknesses and procedures which were clearly in place at the time.

Her misconduct represents an abuse of trust placed in her by the local authority.

Mr Goodwin explained that the case worker was paid at least 20,000 in backhanders and used the bungs to fund trips abroad.

Part of her function and responsibility was to protect the public purse by ensuring only those in need of homeless housing were granted it.

She acted for financial reward and that would have been paid to her directly by applicants or by third party fixers who were working in the community.

The prosecutor explained that the offences took place when there was a significant shortage of housing available, something which remains the case.

Joseph Olaiya, 53, was sentenced to six months suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service

Taxpayers' money was being used to subsidise housing for fraudsters who claimed to be homeless despite owning other properties.

Ali-Balogun was said to have been responsible for 24 applications which she knew contained forged signatures as part of the sophisticated arrangement.

Only she could have known that it was not being signed as it should have been, said Mr Goodwin.

Bogus National Insurance numbers belonging to genuine people were also used along with fake Home Office vignettes granting indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

In some cases the Home Office had no records of the applicants ever existing in the country.

Mr Goodwin said at least 20 properties were occupied by tenants who were not entitled to them.

Some of the defendants even used bogus birth certificates in order to pretend they had children which would speed up their applications, among other benefits.

If they had two or three children they were entitled to bigger properties which the council had to find from their waiting list.

Four applicants - including Falana - ended up buying the properties at a reduced price as a result of their deception using the Governments Right To Buy scheme.

These properties are now likely to be subject to county court proceedings to determine whether they should be handed back.

Oyedele a former assistant to the Nigerian High Commissioner, is refusing to leave his Bermondsey flat, the court heard.

Falana obtained a four bedroom property in central London after previously being rejected for homeless housing due to her children not having indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

She bought it in 2007 at a 60,000 discount under the Right to Buy scheme.

Olaiya used three bogus children to help further his claim along with a fake passport when he was unlawfully in the country after previously been deported.

Oyedele was found to have considerable funds in his bank account and did not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK and no evidence was ever found that he had any real children.

Awotiwon purchased a flat in Southwark, with a mortgage in 2004 for around 172,000 which she was letting out while claiming to need homeless housing.

She received 226,000 of housing over a 12 year period and is refusing to leave.

Mr Goodwin said she was essentially a landlord while claiming to be homeless.

Ali-Balogun was paid a 2,000 backhander for each application she approved and treated herself to holidays around the world, Inner London Crown Court (pictured) heard

The court also heard that Ali-Balogun herself had previously applied for a council home as a result of domestic violence.

Operation Bronze started in 2011 and was based on the review of suspicious data matches from the Cabinet Offices National Fraud Initiative (NFI) and the Metropolitan Police Operation Amberhill.

So far 30 fraudsters have been convicted and 41 properties have been recovered and re-let to those with a genuine need for housing.

Ali-Balogun was found guilty of misconduct in public office.

Awotiwon, of Southwark; Oyedele, of Bermondsey; and Falana, of Walworth, were each convicted of a single count of obtaining services by deception.

Olaiya, of Gillingham, Kent, was found guilty of attempting to obtain services by deception.

Jailing Ali-Balogun for five years Judge Mark Bishop said: You carried out these applications in such a way to make it look like you had carried out the correct procedures.

Social housing, in particular in central London, is scarce. People wait in the queue for many years for council accommodation.

By your misconduct you reduced the housing amount of available housing stock for genuine homeless applicants.

When no housing was available the council had to place those looking for a home in B&B accomodation leaving the local taxpayer to foot the bill, said Judge Bishop.

You carried out this conduct for backhand and the jury found you were dishonest. You would not have processed any of these applications which were being made without this money.

It seems to me very likely that you were paid more than 20,000. You would not have done it without being paid for it. This was a very serious abuse of public trust that was placed in you.
The number of reported forcible sex crimes on college campuses has increased substantially over the past decade.

Between 2001 and 2013, postsecondary institutions reported a 120 percent rise in the category of forcible sex crimes on campuses, according to a report compiled from multiple federal data sources by the US Education and Justice departments released on Wednesday.

The report released by the National Center for Education Statistics showed that in 2001, roughly 2,200 sexual assaults were reported on college campuses. In 2013, that number increased to 5,000 being reported.

Between 2001 and 2013, postsecondary institutions reported a 120 percent rise in the category of forcible sex crimes on campuses (file photo above)

The report showed that in 2001, roughly 2,200 sexual assaults were reported on college campuses. In 2013, that number increased to 5,000 being reported (file photo)

'Its just not possible to know whether rates went up or simply rates of reporting went up, Christopher Krebs, chief scientist at nonprofit research organization RTI International, who studies sexual assaults on college campuses, told the Wall Street Journal.

He explained that due to reporting rates for sexual assaults being low, it's difficult to read 'too much into fluctuations in crime counts.'

In recent years, more college campuses have encouraged victims to come forward and report sex crimes, especially since in 2014 the White House created a task force on sexual assault.

The US Department of Education also began to release the names of colleges that were under investigation for mishandling sexual assault case.

Krebs told WSJ that he would not be shocked 'if the numbers of reported sex crimes continues to rise as victims feel more comfortable coming forward with complaints.'

According to Department of Justice data from 2007, one in five women in undergraduate college programs are sexually assaulted or experience an attempted sexual assault.

In recent years, more college campuses have encouraged victims to come forward and report sex crimes, especially since in 2014 the White House created a task force on sexual assault (file photo)

In addition to the data on sex crimes, the report also provides wide-ranging data on safety, including discipline, bullying, drug use and security measures within K-12 schools, undergraduate and graduation institutions.

Data showed that the overall crime rates reported by colleges decreased between 2001 and 2013 by 34 percent to 27,600 as more than half were burglaries.

Those number break down to 18.4 crimes per 10,000 full-time-equivalent students.

Bullying and crime reports decreased significantly for younger students between the ages of 12 and 18 in 2014, as there were 33 reports of 'nonfatal victimizations' for every 1,000 students.

In comparison, in 1992, there were 181 reports per 1,000 students.

Furthermore, schools reported 486,400 violent incidents and 363,700 thefts for students in that same age range in 2014.

To comply with the Clery Act, schools that receive Title IV federal student aide are required to release crime statistics.
A 7-Eleven customer has complained the chain's $3 super-size coffee fits into the cheaper $2 cup.

Melbourne man Joshua Booker wrote to the convenience store giant to Facebook and claimed their famous cut-price coffee  starting at $1  is not as value-for-money as it seems.

'The super sized costs $3 and fits in the $2 cup,' Mr Booker wrote on 7-Eleven Australia Facebook page on Wednesday morning.

Daily Mail Australia tested the allegation.

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7-Eleven customer Joshua Booker, from Melbourne, has complained the chain's $3 super-size coffee (right) fits into the cheaper $2 cup (left)

Daily Mail Australia tested the allegation by purchasing a $3 super-size latte from a central Sydney 7-Eleven to pour it into the $2 cup

Daily Mail Australia purchased a $3 super-size latte from a 7-Eleven store in central Sydney and poured it into the large $2 cup.

We found the $3 coffee fit into the cheaper cup, though it was slightly more filled.

'Can't really call it super, can you?' Mr Booker told Herald Sun.

However, the tap on the coffee machine was too low for the super-size cup, meaning a small portion of the latte spilt when it was taken off the machine.

We poured the $3 latte into the $2 coffee cup (pictured) to see the difference in size

We found the $3 coffee fit into the cheaper cup, though it was slightly more filled

The super-size coffee holds 17 per cent more than the large, according to Herald Sun, despite costing 50 per cent more.

Mr Booker told the paper head office were apologetic when he called, and had sent him three free coffee coupons.

He said he would keep buying the $2 coffee, but never opt for the $3 cup again.

Allegations 7-Eleven had been underpaying staff exploded in recent months.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted 7-Eleven and Mr Booker for comment.

The $3 coffee fit into the $2 cup, though it was slightly more filled. The super-size coffee holds 17 per cent more than the large, despite costing 50 per cent more
The love child of a deceased billionaire and the owners of his estate are still stuck in a court battle more than a year after legal proceedings began, as she looks to keep her multi-million-dollar inheritance.

Olivia Mead, the daughter of late mining magnate Michael Wright, has been fighting to hold onto the $25 million slice of her father's empire she was awarded by the Western Australia supreme court, ever since the decision was appealed last Feburary.

But on Thursday a judge gave the case a hurry along, ordering Mr Wright's estate to dramatically cut back its lengthy appeal, saying that despite its notoriety the case was sill 'run of the mill'.

Olivia Mead is stuck in an intense court battle to keep her $25million share of her late billionaire father Michael Wright's estate

Ms Mead the product of Mr Wright's relationship with Elizabeth Anne Mead after he divorced three women.

Ms Mead's mother, Liz, said she contacted Mr Wright when Olivia was born but only managed to speak to his secretary.

After receiving a bouquet of flowers, she then didn't hear from him for another nine months.

Ms Mead said her earliest memory of her father is from when she was about three-years-old and said she only saw him about every two months.

The teen lived a relatively normal life as a supermarket checkout girl and studied public relations at a Perth university before starting her legal battle.

On Thursday Justice David Newnes criticised the length of the documents submitted in the case, ordering they must be trimmed by some 40 per cent and imposing a 28-day time limit.

'The case is getting lost in the detail,' Judge Newnes said

'It just seems to me the grounds require some serious editing to draw out the heart of the case.

The 20-year-old was awarded her $25m inheritance by the Western Australia supreme court last February, but the decision was immediately appealed by the owners of Mr Wright's estate

Mr Wright, pictured, was a business partner to Lang Hancock, the father of mining magnate Gina Rinehart

'The issues are not so complex they can't be dealt with expeditiously.'

The 20-year-old, whose father was a business partner of Lang Hancock, father of Gina Rinehart, was initially awarded a $3 million stake.

However that amount was found to be too insignificant by the WA Supreme Court, who increased it eight fold.

Lawyers for David Lemon, the estate's executor, initially lodged nine grounds of appeal.

Justice David Newnes has attempted to move the case along, criticising the length of the documents submitted by both parties

Their major argument surrounded whether the judge who awarded Ms Mead her share of the fortune, had erred in not making adequate provision for the estate.

Ms Mead had only sought about $20 million but in his judgment last year, Master Craig Sanderson concluded she deserved far more, given her half-sisters had both received $400 million.

The case hit headlines when it emerged that Ms Mead had included a $AUD1.6 million crystal-studded grand piano and diamond-encrusted bass guitar among a list of expected future needs .

Master Sanderson said she had just let her imagination run wild the same way most teens would if asked to outline such needs and was not 'a gold digger'.
A schoolgirl who became an internet sensation after a picture of her protecting a stray dog from a heavy downpour went viral has confessed to being stunned by the reaction.

Peruvian student Daniela Segura Morales said she was heartbroken to see the puppy shivering in the rain as she walked home after a Saturday morning exam at school.

A photograph of the 16-year-old protecting the puppy from the heavy rain and drying it with her school blazer swept the internet last week, drawing praise from all corners of the globe.

'I was afraid it was going to die in the cold, what else could I do?' she said, speaking to the MailOnline in her hometown of Huancuyo, in the south-central Peruvian region of Junin.

Caring: Schoolgirl Daniela Segura Morales drew praise from around the world after she was pictured protecting a puppy during a downpour in her hometown of Huancuyo, Peru

Heartwarming: This photograph shows Daniela caring for the animal as it shivered in the rain. But the 16-year-old told MailOnline she was stunned by the positive reaction she has received on social media

'My first reaction was to protect him and dry him off until he stopped shivering and it stopped raining.'

The images of Daniela went viral after a bystander snapped them of her sheltering the animal as it hid in a doorway.

But Daniela was amazed to discover the drenched dog had an owner, who had carelessly left it out alone in the rain.

'Just when it stopped raining a lady opened the door and the dog went inside,' continued Daniela, whose dream is to open an animal shelter when she's older and 'has enough money'

'That's when I realised the dog had an owner and I told the lady she should be careful because her dog was shivering in the cold.

As long as there are people who do care for animals then there is a way forward. Schoolgirl Daniela Segura Morales

The student, who is in her last year at secondary school, said she has always been interested in animal welfare - especially in a country where stray cats and dogs wander the streets and the authorities do little to deal with the problem.

'I think the awareness about animals here is terrible,' she said.

'Sometimes I see children mistreating dogs and that only shows their parents must set a bad example.

'But there are also people who do care for their dogs, who worry about them and cry for them if they get lost.

'That shows there are two groups: those that don't care and those that do. But as long as there are people who do care for animals then there is a way forward.'

Daniela, who is currently caring for three abandoned puppies with her mother Graciela, admitted to being 'overwhelmed' by the attention she has received.

Her proud mother said they were trying to find a home for the puppies as, despite Daniela's selflessness in caring for animals, she is allergic to dogs and cannot have one at home.

Daniela added: 'I can be with a dog for a little while but I can't have one at home.'

Modest: Daniela insisted that she only did what seemed to her to be a normal reaction to an animal suffering

Warm hearted: Daniela told MailOnline: 'I can be with a dog for a little while but I can't have one at home'

Praise: After the photograph went viral, Daniela has been invited to join the animal welfare association in her town. Authorities in Peru do little to help stray animals so it is up to caring volunteers like Daniela

Home: Daniela, who dreams of opening an animal shelter when she is older and 'has more money', spoke to the MailOnline at her home in Huancuyo, in the south-central Peruvian region of Junin

But she was delighted to have been invited to join the animal welfare association in her hometown Huancayo.

'There's a woman who looks after 15 dogs in her home and finds the money to support them. She is the kind of person who deserves more attention than I do right now!'

Her kindness has turned her into an internet sensation, with comments from Europe, the U.S., Turkey, China, South Korea and India.

But despite all the attention, which has also been picked up on by her classmates, Daniela is modest.

'I was only doing something I would always do, I didn't know my photo was being taken.
A vulnerable woman was raped and forced to become a slave in a year-long ordeal, a court heard.

Colin Leacock, 33, is accused of raping the vulnerable 36-year-old at his home in Bayswater, west London, after meeting her through the dating site Match.com in March 2015.

His sister Mandy Leacock, 35, is accused of wounding the vulnerable complainant at her home in St Johns Wood.

Colin Leacock, 33, is accused of raping the 36-year-old at his home after meeting her through Match.com in March 2015. His sister Mandy Leacock, 35, (pictured) is accused of wounding the vulnerablewoman

The siblings are also alleged to have assaulted the woman and causing her serious injuries during the past year. They were both arrested at their homes on Tuesday.

The complainant was degraded and she was forced to become a slave, said prosecutor Edward Aydin.

This went on for 12 months, she was told that the police would never believe her and the abuse went on.

Mandy Leacock appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and assault causing actual bodily harm.

Mandy Leacock appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court (pictured) charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and assault causing actual bodily harm

Colin Leacock faces two charges of rape and one of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Mandy Leacock, of Westminster, was remanded in custody until a preliminary hearing at Southwark Crown Court on June 1.

Colin Leacock, will appear before magistrates later today to face charges with an appropriate adult today.
Police have begun an investigation after anti-Semitic literature was discovered at a university.

Posters and flyers denying the Holocaust were found at Edinburgh University on the anniversary of Hitler's birth last month.

More were discovered the following day pinned to a notice board at Glasgow University.

Police have begun an investigation after posters and flyers denying the Holocaust were found at Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities

The posters, entitled The Greatest Swindle of all Time, included the quotes: 'In war, truth is the first casualty' and 'Given the nonsense that is turned out daily by the Holocaust industry, the wonder is that there are so few skeptics [sic].'

Underneath, a link to a web page that purports to uncover the 'Holocaust Fraud' was provided.

Last night, the Jewish Student Chaplain in Scotland warned that students are increasingly feeling uncomfortable on campus.

A Jewish student group said it hopes the incident will make people aware of the scale of anti-Semitism in Scottish institutions.

The posters were first found on a notice board in Edinburgh University's King's Buildings on April 20.

A university spokesman said yesterday: 'We are removing the posters from campus wherever we find them and taking steps to identify the distributor. We have informed the police of our concerns about these posters.'

The first of the leaflets were discovered at Edinburgh University (pictured) on April 20. A spokesman said they were being removed from campus as soon as they were being found

At Glasgow University, posters were discovered in the Boyd Orr Building.

Louis Faber posted a photo of one on social media and wrote: 'Absolutely disgusted to find these flyers attached to Glasgow University buildings as I walked to my Jewish Students Society AGM.'

He added: 'This is living proof anti-Semitism is more alive than ever on our British university campuses and across the globe. Universities must now take these issues seriously.'

The posters included statements claimed to have been made by US author Professor Norman Finkelstein, best known for his controversial book The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering.

A Glasgow University spokesman said it was possible posters there were placed by some from outside the university.

He said a 'small number of leaflets containing objectionable comment on the Holocaust' were found.

A spokesman at Glasgow University (pictured) said it was possible posters there were placed by someone from outside the university

He added: 'The University of Glasgow has a zero tolerance policy on racism, anti-Semitism and the distribution and display of materials that are likely to cause offence.'

Rabbi Yossi Bodenheim, Jewish Student Chaplain in Scotland, said: 'Students are not feeling comfortable on campus and it's happening more and more.'

Commenting on the Edinburgh posters he said: 'According to my understanding, it was the date of Hitler's birthday it was put up. That is very offensive.'

Lea Balint, president of the Glasgow Jewish Students Society, said: 'We have never actually encountered such open and hostile anti-Semitism before on campus.'

He added: 'We are hoping this might be an eye-opener that there is a problem at universities.'

Andy Peel, Edinburgh University Students' Association vice president of societies and activities, said: 'Anti-Semitism will not be tolerated anywhere in our venues and we fully support the University of Edinburgh's investigation into how this material appeared.'

A police spokesman said: 'Police in Edinburgh have been made aware of concerns regarding a communication displayed in the University of Edinburgh and surrounding areas. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding this.'
Alexander was stabbed 30 times, slit in the throat, and shot in the forehead

The 35-year-old was sentenced to life in prison in 2013 for boyfriend Travis Alexander's murder in 'a jealous rage'

Arias also hopes to have children sources say although the state bans conjugal visits

But a prison minister admitted rules are often bent for the inmates

Ceremonies are 15 minutes, held in the prison cafeteria with a few cupcakes for a wedding cake

She is said to want all of her friends and family to be able to attend the day

Arias hopes to wed the man, who hasn't been named, wearing a fitted dress, diamond and gold wedding band and holding a bouquet

Friends say she's inundated with messages from men and receives marriage proposals 'on a weekly basis'

The notorious killer has been planning a 'fairytale' wedding behind bars

Jodi Arias has fallen in love with one of her many admirers, sources claim

Convicted killer Jodi Arias has found love behind bars and is planning to marry behind bars, sources claim.

The notorious murderer is currently serving life without the chance of parole for shooting and stabbing her boyfriend Travis Alexander to death in what prosecutors said was a jealous rage because he wanted to break off their relationship.

But that hasn't stopped Aris, from Salinas, California, finding love with one of her many admirers, sources toldIn Touch.

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Convicted killer Jodi Arias has found love behind bars and is even planning a prison wedding, sources claim

The 35-year-old, who was spending up to nine hours that day Skyping with followers and fans from her cell last year, has been corresponding with several men and is said to receive marriage proposals 'on a weekly basis.'

And now she's told friends that she is planning to marry one of them in a prison wedding.

'She wants to have all of her friends and family there,' a friend told the magazine. 'It will be the fairytale wedding to a man she loves.'

Arias, who is keeping the identity of the groom-to-be a secret, is busily planning her big day behind bars.

Sources say she hopes to walk down the aisle wearing a 'figure-hugging' dress, a big diamond ring and a wedding band. Her long brunette hair will be worn down while she also plans to carry a bouquet.

But Arias' 'fairytale' wedding may be just that.

The inmate is currently subject to a six month ban on visitations after admitting she called a correctional officer a 'c*** blocker' after they denied her request for a haircut, on February 3.

The 35-year-old, who was spending up to nine hours that day Skyping with followers and fans from her cell (pictured at Estrella Jail, Phoenix in 2013) last year, has been corresponding with several men and is said to receive marriage proposals 'on a weekly basis'

Poser: The 35-year-old killer was snapped by admirers who have been skyping with Arias in her prison cell following her conviction for murder

While Arizona Department of Corrections guidelines prohibit inmates from wearing a gown or exchanging rings during prison weddings.

Ceremonies are basic, taking place in the jail cafeteria and lasting 15 minutes. The 'wedding cake' is a few cafeteria cupcakes while the newlyweds can be granted anywhere between just a few minutes together to four hours depending on their record.

Conjugal visits are banned in Arizona so any contact the new husband and wife do have will be closely monitored by prison staff.

However, a prison minister told In Touch that the strict rules surrounding inmate weddings are often bent.

But the question remains why anyone would want to marry a woman convicted of shooting her last boyfriend and stabbing him nearly 30 times in 2008.

International media attention soon followed after she did two television interviews in which she told a bizarre story of masked intruders breaking into the home and killing Alexander while she cowered in fear.

She subsequently changed her story and said it was self-defense after Alexander attacked her on the day he died.

Guilty: Jodi Arias was convicted of the murder of her boyfriend Travis Alexander. She was subject to two death-penalty hearings. The first was declared a mis-trial, the second ended with a holdout vetoing execution

Victim: Prosecutors said Arias heartlessly killed Alexander (pictured together above) because he wanted to break up with her

Her 2013 trial became a media circus as details of their kinky relationship and the violent crime scene emerged in court and were broadcast live.

Spectators traveled to Phoenix and lined up in the middle of the night to get a seat in the courtroom to catch a glimpse of what had become to many a real-life soap opera.

The original jury was deadlocked on whether to sentence her to death, setting up another penalty phase trial that began last year.

After months of testimony and efforts by Arias' lawyers to portray Alexander as a sexual deviant who physically and emotionally abused her, the second jury also failed to reach a unanimous decision  this time 11-1 in favor of death.

The 11 jurors who wanted the death penalty said the holdout juror had an agenda and was sympathetic to Arias.

The prosecutor in the trial, Juan Martinez, later wrote that the juror had fallen in love with Jodi Arias in spite of the gruesome evidence that convicted her.

Sheila Isenberg, author of 'Women Who Love Men Who Kill,' says that people who start relationships with notorious, tabloid-headlining murderers are drawn to the spotlight. Others may believe that they are the only ones who see the 'true' good side of the killer.

Bloodied: The police evidence file showed how Travis Alexander's blood was left in the bathroom of the home he shared with Jodie Arias

Grisly: Police crime scene pictures showed the aftermath of Travis Alexander's murder

Martinez added that Arias was able to turn on the charm to manipulate those around her.

'She's very gifted at being deceitful,' he remarked.

While her own defense lawyer, L. Kirk Nurmi, said his client would 'get what she wants by using her sexuality' as he revealed she had tried to flirt and charm him to manipulate him into doing what she wanted.

The family of the victim, who described the killer as 'evil', will likely be furious that the woman who murdered their son gets to move on with her life.

Meanwhile Arias, is planning her future with her husband-to-be which, friends say, even includes children.

'Of course she's thought of having a family and having kids,' her friend said. 'She's wanted them for a while.'

It's unlikely that dream will ever become a reality while Arias in serving life in jail. But the inmate, with the help of her legal team, is putting together an appeal and is said to be determined to get out of prison to start a real life with her new husband.
Delacruz then alleged wanted to have sex with the girl in

A Texas couple have been arrested and charged with sex trafficking and indecency after offering a girl $10,000 to take her virginity.

Officers in the city of Frisco detained Adriana Aguilar, 33, and 32-year-old Cirino Santiago Delacruz last week after they were accused of offering the girl money for sex.

They are now both being held at the Collin County Detention Center with immigration holds from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Cirino Santiago Delacruz, left, and Adriana Aguilar, who have been arrested and charged with sex trafficking and indecency after offering a girl $10,000 to take her virginity

According to the New York Daily News, the alleged incident took place in December when Aguilar, a friend of the victim drove her to an apartment where Delacruz was waiting, after telling her they were going to run an errand in Dallas.

When they arrived, Aguilar told the girl that Delacruz would give her $10,000 to have sex with her and take her virginity.

But according to police, the victim refused this and was physically forced into a bedroom where Delacruz kissed her and groped her.

It is claimed he then tried to take off her pants but she fought him off and fled the bedroom, which caused Aguilar to become angry with the girl.

It is then alleged Delacruz paid $100 for being allowed to grope the victim, and tried to give $50 to the the victim but she refused to take the money.

The female suspect then told the girl not to tell anybody what had happened.

In an affidavit obtained by the Dallas Morning News, Aguilar said that the girl had accepted the offeer for sex and that is why she took her to the apartment.

She added that she didn't know what had gone on in the bedroom between the girl and Delacruz.
Samantha Johnson (pictured above on a different holiday) died during a trip to Magaluf

A British holidaymaker who drowned in a bath in Magaluf told her sister she was having a 'the best holiday of her life' just hours before her tragic death.

Samantha Johnson from Blackpool, Lancashire, was found unresponsive in her hotel in the Majorcan resort after staff noticed water seeping out from under the door.

Her devastated sister Carlie today told how the 23-year-old had 'too much to drink and fell asleep while the bath was running'.

Mother-of-three Miss Johnson, 22, told MailOnline: 'I spoke to her at about 4pm and she said she was having the best holiday of her life. She loved being abroad and making new friends and having fun.

'She said she had been to the beach and was sunbathing and having a few drinks. She seemed absolutely fine.

'Then they found her just after 11pm. Our whole family is completely in bits.

'She loved to play with my kids, she was a great auntie. She would help them with their homework and colouring-in. She touched a lot of people's lives because she was the life and soul of any party.'

A post-mortem by Spanish authorities confirmed Samantha had drowned at the three-star Hotel TRH Torrenova on Monday night.

Carlie said she understood Samantha had flown to Mallorca with her boyfriend, but he had to return to the UK on Sunday to work.

Samantha's sister Carlie (pictured together) said the family have been left devastated by her death

Samantha, who lived with her mum, 53-year-old Lynn Johnson, has three other siblings; Chloe, Daniel and Gavin Smee.

Carlie, mother to Romany, seven, Ryley, five, and two-year-old Rihanna, said her sister was due to stay on the island for another nine days.

Carlie said: 'We found out when mum got a phone call off the police in Spain.

'I was actually in Blackpool visiting. We all felt sick and confused. It hasn't sunk in yet what's actually happened but we have to cope.

'The police said there was no evidence of a crime. It's just an awful accident. The post-mortem said she drowned and I just hope she went peacefully.

'Samantha loved going out and loved being abroad. When I spoke to her she said how she wanted me to come out with her one day and we made plans for that.

'She had been up to see me a few weeks ago and we spoke nearly every day. There are so many people who will miss her.'

Her sister says she had too much to drink before falling asleep in her hotel room bath

Samantha, 23, pictured with her mother Lynn Johnson. The family say she was the 'life and soul of any party'

Shelley Cross, a close friend who was formerly engaged to Samantha's brother Daniel, set up the fundraising page.

Ms Cross, 37, said: 'Samie was a real party animal. I'm not going to lie, she did like a drink, but it's just gone badly wrong.

'She was like a sister to me because I was very close to her and Carlie through their brother.

'She used to come into a pub in Blackpool when I ran it and would always come round to the house to watch a movie and chill out.

'She last came round a couple of weeks before she went away to borrow a pair of shoes for her holiday.'

Miss Johnson was staying at three-star Hotel TRH Torrenova when she tragically died on Monday night

Ms Cross added: 'When Danny rang me to tell me what had happened I was stunned more than anything. It's really shaken us up.

'We used to play together with Danny's little girl Lucy so over the last three years we became great friends.

'It's awful to think that she's drowned but it's just a terrible, terrible accident. Everyone is devastated.'

Samantha's friends and family hope to raise 8,000 with crowdfunding page in order to repatriate her body and arrange a funeral next week.
The U.S. Navy and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are now testing a new unmanned drone warship.

The first Navy drone ship is a 132-foot ACTUV (Antisubmarine warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel) known as Sea Hunter, which cost around $120 million to build. The military says more can now be produced for $20 million or so each. But some are concerned that with no humans at the controls, these "robot ships" could be hacked, pwned remotely, and used by America's enemies to attack the United States.

Sea Hunter will be tasked with patrolling the oceans worldwide to detect and track enemy submarines. Sea Hunter does this without even one human on board, and can track an enemy sub for thousands of miles, months at a time out at sea.

"[The Sea Hunter] as the unique capability to go out, to see other vessels operating potentially in our own waters," DARPA's Jared Adams told reporters who met with military officials in San Diego to view the vessel on Monday.

Sea Hunter will be the focus of joint DARPA/Navy test operations over the next two years off the California coast.

From the U.S. military publication Stars and Stripes:

During the testing phase, the ship will have human operators as a safety net, but once it proves to be reliable, the autonomous surface vessel will maneuver itself  able to go out at sea for months at a time and travel up to 10,000 nautical miles. Program manager Scott Littlefield said there will be no "remote-controlled driving of the vessel." Instead it will be given its mission-level commands telling it where to go and what to accomplish and then software will enable it to drive itself safely. The military initially built the diesel-powered ship to detect stealthy diesel-electric submarines, but developers say they believe it has the capability to go beyond that, including detecting mines. There are no plans at this point to arm it. "There are a lot of advantages that we're still trying to learn about," Littlefield said. Some see the possibility that the full-size prototype could pave the way to developing crewless cargo vessels for the commercial shipping industry someday, he added. Countries from Europe to Asia have been looking into developing fleets of unmanned ships to cut down on operating costs but the idea has sparked debate over whether it's possible to make robotic boats safe enough to run on their own far from land.

More up-close coverage at Business Insider, and Tech Insider.
A woman is suing an 18-year-old college student's estate after she suffered severe injuries when the teen fell on her from an eighth-floor window ledge in Philadelphia last year.

Erica Goodwin, 45, of Lansdowne was left permanently disabled and is unable to return to her job at the state Department of Human Services, her lawyer, Joe Tucker, told Philly.com.

On January 15, 2015, Goodwin was walking on 16th Street when 18-year-old Rebecca Kim fell from the eighth-floor of a building that housed Art Institute of Philadelphia students.

Kim, who was a freshman at Temple University, was at the building to visit a friend when she said she wanted to take photos from the ledge when she either fell or jumped and landed on Goodwin below on the street.

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On January 15, 2015, Erica Goodwin was walking on 16th Street when 18-year-old Rebecca Kim (pictured above) fell from the eighth-floor of a building that housed Art Institute of Philadelphia students

Goodwin suffered seven spinal-cord fractures and underwent spinal-fusion surgery. In addition, she had a fractured shoulder bone, chipped or lost some teeth and had broken ribs from the incident (scene pictured)

Kim, who was a freshman at Temple University, was at the building to visit a friend when she said she wanted to take photos from the ledge when she either fell or jumped and landed on Goodwin below on the street (scene pictured)

Kim's death was ruled a suicide by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office.

The pre-pharmacy student who was originally from Edison, New Jersey, posted to her Facebook account before her death 'It was intentional.'

Tucker said that Goodwin suffered seven spinal-cord fractures and underwent spinal-fusion surgery.

In addition, she had a fractured shoulder bone, chipped or lost some teeth and had broken ribs from the incident.

Her lawsuit names the administrator of Kim's estate, the property companies, the Art Institute students who lived in the apartment as well as the Art Institute of Philadelphia.

Kim's death was ruled a suicide by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office (scene pictured)

The pre-pharmacy student who was originally from Edison, New Jersey, posted to her Facebook account before her death 'It was intentional' as her status (pictured)

It was filed Friday in Common Pleas Court and states that she has suffered physically, financially and emotionally.

Goodwin's lawsuit states that some of the windows in the building were easy to slide open while others were bolted shut.

The defendants 'were aware or should have been aware that students often opened the windows . . . and would throw objects from the windows or partake in other dangerous and unsafe behaviors,' the suit says, according to Philly.com.

'Despite this knowledge, defendants failed to take corrective action to prevent injury to others.'

Her lawsuit names the administrator of Kim's estate, the property companies, the Art Institute students who lived in the apartment as well as the Art Institute of Philadelphia (scene pictured)

Kim's uncle and estate administrator, Richard Sin, filed a similar lawsuit in Common Please Court in December.

His suit argues that the property managers and school failed to properly secure the windows in the building and didn't take other measures to prevents students and guests from going onto the window ledges.
He tipped off fellow gang members to police activity and told someone he killed people as a hit man for the gang

Vancito Gumbs (pictured), who was an officer in DeKalb County, tipped off fellow gang members to police activity and told someone he killed people as a hit man for the gang

Forty-eight members of a violent nationwide gang that 'infected the good people of our communities like a cancer' have been indicted.

Members of the Gangster Disciples are accused of committing murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, credit card fraud, robbery and extortion.

All but two were arrested in nine states - Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Tennessee and Wisconsin - after a three-year investigation.

One of those indicted included former police officer Vancito Gumbs, who tipped off fellow gang members about police attempts to catch them and claimed he acted as a hit man for the gang.

John Horn, the US attorney in Atlanta, said: 'These charges show how a national gang really can wreak havoc on communities across the country.'

In Georgia alone, the gang was responsible for at least 10 murders and 12 attempted murders, Horn said.

'The Gangster Disciples are a highly organized and ruthless gang that recognizes no geographical boundaries,' said Britt Johnson, head of the FBI's Atlanta field office. 'Its members have for too long indiscriminately preyed upon and infected the good people of our communities like a cancer.'

The Gangster Disciples began in Chicago after the leaders of two different gangs, the Black Disciples and the Supreme Gangsters, joined forces in the 1970s. It now operates across 24 states.

Operating much like a major corporation, national leaders communicate with local leaders through conference calls and there are networking activities, celebrations to mark the founder's birthday, weekend events and an annual Gangsters Ball, the indictment said.

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Membership dues are collected and budding gangsters are taught to peddle drugs or torch their cars and homes to collect insurance money.

The gang's hierarchy is based on the premise that 'the enterprise will be ready to step in and run the United States should its government fail,' the indictment claimed.

The national leader of the gang, known as the chairman, is in prison and is identified in the indictment as L.H [Larry Hoover, pictured] - he is currently serving six life sentences in jail

Gang members legitimized themselves in their communities by organizing events such as food drives to feed the homeless and, in a sinister twist, 'stop the violence' rallies.

One recruit was allegedly killed when he failed to show up for a neighborhood clean-up event organized by the gang.

The national leader of the gang, known as the chairman, is in prison and is identified in the indictment as L.H [Larry Hoover]. He is not charged in the indictment.

Board members are the highest-ranking gang members after the chairman, and at least one of them, Shauntay Craig, is charged in the Atlanta indictment.

State-level leaders are called governors. Regional leaders, who oversee several states, are called governors of governors.

Among those 'governors of governors' charged include Alonzo Walton, who oversaw a region that included Georgia, Florida, Texas, Indiana and South Carolina; Terrance Summers who oversaw Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida; and Adrian Jackson who was governor of governor for the western states, including California.

Most shockingly, a former Atlanta-area police officer described as a 'bad apple' was also indicted.

Vancito Gumbs, who was an officer in DeKalb County, tipped off fellow gang members to police activity, including an October raid on a bar that he knew a gang member frequented, the indictment said. He also told someone he killed people as a hit man for the gang.

He resigned in October after someone reported he was using drugs.
Police in Virginia are investigating a fiery car crash after a disgruntled diner employee slammed his SUV into the restaurant on Wednesday.

The scary incident - which injured three people, as well as the driver - occurred at the Silver Diner in McLean, west of Washington D.C.

The man behind the wheel of the Hummer was a restaurant employee who had been off work on bereavement leave since April 5, NBC 4 reported.

The man rammed the restaurant three times, according to reports, with the car catching fire on the final hit.

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Fiery crash: The diner employee smashed his car into the restaurant during the lunch rush on Wednesday in McLean in Virginia. Police are investigating whether it was intentional

The car burst into flames moments after hitting the diner, sending customers running out to the street

Footage taken at the scene appears to show two men pinning the driver to the ground after the crash

The driver of an SUV appeared to deliberately ram the entrance of a diner in McLean, Virginia, during the lunchtime rush Wednesday

A Fairfax County Police spokesman said he could not confirm whether the crash was deliberate

Investigators are now looking into whether the man caused the crash on purpose.

Witnesses described the incident as terrifying, with customers fleeing the diner as it caught fire.

'We had just gotten out of the car, as we were walking up we heard a bam!' witness Rhonda Fuller told WTVR.

'When we looked, we said oh my gosh, he just ran into the building!

'He hopped the curb and everything!'

Fuller's sister performed CPR on a man who got pinned between the Hummer and the building.

Footage taken at the scene also appears to show show men pinning the driver to the ground.

The scary incident - which injured three people, as well as the driver - occurred at the Silver Diner in Tyson's Corner, west of Washington D.C.

Three people and the driver were hurt in the crash and were transported to hospital.

All of the injuries were considered non-life threatening.

'One was transported to the DC burn center, two were transported to Fairfax Hospital and one was treated on the scene and let go,' Willie Bailey, Battalion Chief of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, told WTVR.

A Fairfax County Police spokesman said he could not confirm whether the crash was deliberate.

The incident happened during the busy lunch period, at about 12:45 p.m.

No charges have yet been filed.

Bereavement leave is typically taken to make arrangements required by the death of a family member.
Norwegian Public Roads Administration expect road to re-open in May but the job can be

in summer, to become an avalanche hot-spot and disappear

Snow causes the road, which is a tourist

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Mesmerising drone footage has captured the painstaking process of a mountain road being dug out of the snow in preparation of summer in Norway.

The incredible video was posted online by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and shows a section of the Trollstigen serpentine mountain road being literally unearthed and rediscovered.

Based in Rauma Municipality, the country road connects the town of Andalsnes with the village of Valldal, and its spectacular views make it a popular tourist attraction.

When heavy snow falls in winter the road becomes an avalanche hot-spot and the government shuts it down for safety reasons

Incredible: Drone footage captured the moment the road is literally dug out of the snow in preparation of summer in Norway

But when heavy snow falls in winter the road becomes an avalanche hot-spot and the government shuts it down for safety reasons, causing it to disappear.

At the end of each April, workers from the NPRA take to the mountainside to presumably first find the road and then dig it out with snowploughs and a lot of patience.

It takes the workers an entire month to carve the road out of the snow before Trollstigen is generally re-opened and back in use by the end of May.

This year the extensive operation started on April 25 and a drone captured the team hard at work shifting the snow to expose the surface of the road.

It takes the workers an entire month to carve the road out of the snow and Trollstigen is generally re-opened and in use by the end of May

This year the operation started on April 25 and a drone captured the team hard at work shifting the snow to expose the surface of the road

According to information posted online, the NPRA cannot say exactly when the road will re-open as the job is affected by many things including weather and temperature.

But the drone footage, which was captured by a geologist, shows that the team have indeed made a good start in clearing some of the snow.

In the clip a bright yellow snowplough takes on the seemingly impossible task of carving a path through the vast mountainside.

The large tractor fires snow over the side as it clears the road, while another plough is seen working on another section of the winding surface.

The NPRA cannot say exactly when the road will re-open as the job is affected by many things including weather and temperature

A yellow snowplough is seen firing snow over the side of the mountain as it takes on the seemingly impossible task of clearing the road

Slowly but surely more of the road, which is flanked by a large wall of ice, starts to come into view and a curved pathway through the mountainside emerges.

The clip concludes with a last look at the progress made by the team who will no doubt be returning to continue with their work the next day.

Trollstigen was opened in 1936 by King Haakon VII and is used by thousands of tourists in the summer, who enjoy it for its 10 per cent decline and numerous hairpin bends.

The road has been closed every November for the last six years before it is later dug out again in late spring, as demonstrated in the video.

Progress: Slowly but surely the long and winding road starts to come into view and a curved pathway through the mountainside emerges
The mystery of an aspiring hip hop artist found unconscious with critical injuries in the middle of the road has left his family pleading for answers.

Andrew Mavridis, 27, remains in an induced coma after he was found unconscious lying on Tallai Road in Queensland's Gold Coast hinterland about 5.30am on Tuesday.

He was found with no identification or phone, wearing just boxer shorts and a t-shirt.

As police attempt to establish if he was assaulted or was victim of a hit-and-run, his family has pleaded for witnesses to come forward.

Andrew Mavridis, 27, remains in an induced coma after he was found unconscious lying on Tallai Road in Queensland's Gold Coast hinterland about 5.30am on Tuesday

As police attempt to establish if he was assaulted or was victim of a hit-and-run, his family (pictured) has pleaded for witnesses to come forward

His father George Mavridis said they were desperate for answers.

'We're always going to be speculating until we know what's happened and I think speculation is not helpful,' the father of the middle-child told media on Thursday.

Andrew, the father of a two-year-old boy, had a 'difficult time' recovering from a separate head injury suffered six years ago, Mr Mavridis added.

'It's like your worst nightmare revisited.'

Doctors have told the family it's a 'wait and see' situation as they conduct tests to assess whether Andrew might have brain damage or other problems in the future, Mr Mavridis said

'We're always going to be speculating until we know what's happened and I think speculation is not helpful,' the father of the middle-child told media on Thursday

Doctors have told the family it's a 'wait and see' situation as they conduct tests to assess whether Andrew might have brain damage or other problems in the future, Mr Mavridis said.

'Anyone that might know anything - no matter how small it might be - just come forward and help the police put the picture together so we can know what happened that day.'

Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Garrett revealed they want to speak to one motorist in particular.

'We're particularly interested in a late model white 4WD wagon similar to a Toyota Prada,' Sgt Garrett said.

'The vehicle was fitted with a black bullbar. It had signage on it and it had an amber light on its roof, similar to some sort of trade vehicle.'

The 27-year-old is in an induced coma at Gold Coast University Hospital.

Passing motorists found him lying in the road with severe head injuries about 200m from the home he lives at with his parents.

Passing motorists found him lying in the road with severe head injuries about 200m from the home he lives at with his parents (scene pictured)

'We're particularly interested in a late model white 4WD wagon similar to a Toyota Prada,' Sgt Garrett said

Mr Mavridis was found with no identification or phone, wearing just boxer shorts and a t-shirt (scene pictured)
Public backing for a German far-right party is at its most popular in its history - just days after it said Islam was incompatible with the country's constitution.

Opinion polls have given Alternative for Germany (AfD) support of 15 per cent - gaining significant ground on Chancellor Angela Merkel's main coalition partner, the centre-left Social Democrats.

Formed only three years ago on a eurosceptic platform, AfD is now Germany's third strongest party, according to a recent survey.

Public backing for Germany's far-right party AfD is at its most popular in its history - just days after it said Islam was incompatible with the country's constitution. AfD members are pictured voting on Saturday

The statistics were revealed as Merkel today urged European leaders to protect the EU's external borders or risk a 'return to nationalism'.

She said today that border defence represents a 'challenge for the future of Europe' from 'the Mediterranean to the North Pole'.

Merkel said earlier this week that the rise of the far-right in Germany was a phenomenon that 'we have to deal with'.

'We see that there are political forces with very negative rhetoric on Europe,' she said, referring to AfD.

'We have to ensure that Europe is a project that people understand,' she said, adding that a key message that has to hit home is that 'it's better with Europe than without Europe'.

The statistics were revealed as Angela Merkel (pictured) today urged European leaders to protect the EU's external borders or risk a 'return to nationalism'

The populist upstart outfit has shifted its rhetoric to one that rails against the influx of 1.1million asylum seekers in 2015, and last weekend adopted an anti-Islam platform.

German politicians from across the spectrum criticised the anti-immigration party on Monday after it declared Islam incompatible with the constitution.

The AfD backed a manifesto pledge at a congress on Sunday to ban on minarets and the burqa, the full face and body-covering gown worn by some Muslim women.

It has no lawmakers in the federal parliament in Berlin but has members in half of Germany's 16 regional state assemblies.

Merkel has said freedom of religion for all is guaranteed by Germany's constitution and that Islam is a part of Germany.
ISIS militants badly damaged the archaeological site and used it to carry out horrific public executions

Performance was called 'With a Prayer for Palmyra' and was the first to be held in the theatre since last year

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The Syrian regime put on a patriotic celebration at the ancient city of Palmyra, with flag-waving and military music in a place where just last year jihadists carried out mass executions.

President Bashar al-Assad's forces were able to display its control over the world heritage site six weeks after the army, with Russian help, recaptured it from ISIS.

The event, held yesterday, marked the centenary of Martyrs' Day, when Syrian nationalists were executed in Damascus by the Ottoman occupiers in 1916.

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People attend a music concert in the ancient theatre of Syria's ravaged Palmyra yesterday following its recapture by regime forces from ISIS

People wave Syrian national flags as they attend a music concert in the ancient theatre of Syria's ravaged Palmyra yesterday

Singers perform next to a portrait of Khaled al-Assaad, the late 82-year old retired chief archaeologist of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra

The orchestra plays last night during the concert in Palmyra where dozens of people have been executed by ISIS

Russian soldiers and dignitaries were invited to the concert held in Syria's ravaged city of Palmyra yesterday

Only around 15 to 20 per cent of Palmyra has actually been excavated so experts believe there is much more to discover

President Bashar al-Assad's forces were able to display its control over the world heritage site six weeks after the army, with Russian help, recaptured it from ISIS

The event, held yesterday, marked the centenary of Martyrs' Day, when Syrian nationalists were executed in Damascus by the Ottoman occupiers in 1916

On Thursday a Russian orchestra also performed in the arena before last night's performance (pictured)

The Syrian regime put on a patriotic celebration at the ancient city of Palmyra, with flag-waving and military music in a place where just last year jihadists carried out mass executions

Last July ISIS released a video showing the mass execution of 25 Syrian soldiers in the theatre. Bullet holes remain visible on one wall

The event's presenter said: 'We are here to celebrate those who died to save our homeland. We salute the martyrs of Syria and among them the heroes who died in this very theatre.'

Last July ISIS released a video showing the mass execution of 25 Syrian soldiers in the theatre. Bullet holes remain visible on one wall.

In a symbol of Moscow's role in the recapture of Palmyra, 20 Russian soldiers marched onto the stage waving Russian and Syrian flags.

On Thursday a Russian orchestra also performed in the arena watched by countrymen in their military.

Russian maestro Valery Gergiev conducted the Mariinsky orchestra in what is the first performance since the theatre was used by ISIS to hold public executions.

Despite the scorching afternoon heat, the St Petersburg-based orchestra played a range of music including Bach and Prokofiev, in front of a packed crowd.

The concert, dubbed 'With a Prayer for Palmyra,' included Bach's Chaconne for Solo Violin, a cello piece by Rodion Shchedrin and Sergei Prokofiev's First Symphony

Russian maestro Valery Gergiev conducted the Mariinsky orchestra in what is the first performance since the theatre was used by ISIS to hold public executions

The concert, dubbed 'With a Prayer for Palmyra,' included Bach's Chaconne for solo Violin, a cello piece by Rodion Shchedrin and Sergei Prokofiev's First Symphony.

Cellist Sergei Roldugin, who was named in the Panama Papers scandal, was the star soloist in the performance which was well received by the audience.

The ancient amphitheatre seats were mainly filled with Russian servicemen, including those who have been working to remove old ISIS landmines in Palmyra.

The city was retaken by Syrian government troops with the help of Russian airstrikes earlier this year.

Cellist Sergei Roldugin, who was named in the Panama Papers scandal, was the star soloist in the performance which was well received by the audience

The ancient amphitheatre seats were mainly made up of Russian servicemen, including those who have been working to remove old ISIS landmines in Palmyra

The city was retaken by Syrian government troops with the help of Russian airstrikes earlier this year

The ISIS militants badly damaged the world famous archaeological site of Palmyra, destroying two ancient temples and damaging other artefacts.

In opening remarks, Gergiev said that with the concert, 'we protest against the barbarians who destroyed monuments of world culture.'

There was also a video linkup in which Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the audience.

Putin said he regards the concert 'as a sign of gratitude, remembrance and hope - of gratitude to all those who fight terrorism without sparing one's own life; of remembrance for all victims of terror, regardless of the place and time of crimes against humanity; and of course hope not just for the revival of Palmyra as a cultural asset of all humanity but for the deliverance of modern civilization from this terrible ill, from international terrorism.'

In opening remarks, Gergiev said that with the concert, 'we protest against the barbarians who destroyed monuments of world culture'

The Islamic State group held public executions in the ancient theatre in Palmyra before the site was captured by Russia-backed Syrian forces

The IS militants badly damaged the world famous archaeological site of Palmyra, destroying two ancient temples and damaging other artefacts

In a video message, President Putin said he regards the concert 'as a sign of gratitude, remembrance and hope'

Syrian troops backed by Russian air strikes and special forces on the ground recaptured the UNESCO world heritage site Palmyra from Islamic State group fighters in late March, delivering a major propaganda coup for both Damascus and Moscow.

Russian army sappers said last month that they had demined the ancient site -- known as the 'Pearl of the Desert' -- where jihadist fighters blew up ancient temples and looted relics.

Russian maestro Valery Gergiev is one of the world's best known conductors but has faced some criticism in the West for his strongly pro-Kremlin views, with his tours sometimes interrupted by protestors.

The concert in Palmyra will not be the first he has conducted in a place where the Russian military has carried out controversial operations.

In 2008 the Ossetian-native conducted a concert in Tskhinvali, the main city in separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia that was heavily damaged in the short Russian-Georgian war that year.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov meanwhile told journalists that Gergiev's Syria concert 'deserves to be valued most highly' as a gesture of solidarity and 'refusal to accept violence and terrorism'

Russian maestro Valery Gergiev is one of the world's best known conductors but has faced some criticism in the West for his strongly pro-Kremlin views

The amphitheatre performance was well-attended by officials and Russian soldiers this afternoon

Gergiev also conducted a charity concert in Tokyo for victims of the Fukushima tragedy in 2012 and led a charity concert tour to raise funds for victims of Russia's Beslan school massacre in 2004.

Gergiev is often seen as an instrument of soft power of the Kremlin. He endorsed President Vladimir Putin in his election to the third term in 2012.
Omar Carlton, 44, received his sixth in a string of arrests over the last 10 years for fondling women's feet in public libraries throughout Illinois

An Illinois man has been taken into custody for touching a woman's feet in a public library, receiving his sixth arrest for fondling females' feet in the last 10 years.

Omar Carlton, 44, was charged with felony aggravated battery in a public place for allegedly putting his bare foot over a woman's open-toed shoes at the Warrenville Public Library in April.

Carlton allegedly placed his bare foot on top of the woman's shoes at least four times as she worked at a desk cubicle in the library, the DuPage County State's Attorney's office said.

He was taken into custody on Wednesday and his bond was set at $100,000.

It is just one arrest in a long history of convictions involving the feet of at least eight women, according to The Beacon-News.

Carlton was arrested in October after he allegedly fondled the feet of four women inside North Central College's Oesterle Library in Naperville

The women, who Carlton made alleged contact with at different times and places in the library, had taken their shoes off while studying in the library one evening.

Carlton, who had been banned from the campus due to 'similar suspicious and unusual behavior' in 2010, then allegedly used his bare feet to fondle the girls, who were between the ages of 18 and 22.

He was charged with 10 misdemeanor counts, including battery, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass to a building, according to the Naperville Sun.

Carlton pleaded guilty to a criminal trespass charge and placed on conditional discharge in 2009 after touching a woman's foot with his bare foot three times in a Wheaton College library, where he had earlier received a 'no trespassing' order.

Carlton most recently was charged with aggravated battery in a public place for allegedly putting his bare foot over a woman's open-toed shoes at the Warrenville Public Library (pictured) in April

He spent eight days in jail and was placed on two years of conditional discharge in 2006 after he placed his bare foot on the bare foot of a woman at Naperville Public Library.

Carlton was charged with battery twice in 1996 in related incidents. He pleaded guilty to putting his bare foot on a woman's bare foot in a College DuPage library and was ordered to serve 10 days of community service.

And at a Morraine Valley Community College library, Carlton was accused of crawling under a table and fondling the toes of a woman who was studying.

Carlton has also served jail time for criminal trespassing at Aurora University, in 2007, and Wheaton, in 2003, as well as for resisting officers in 1999 and robbery and aggravated battery in 1990.
The baby girl was released from the

A six-year-old Michigan girl allegedly body slammed a one-year-old girl because 'she didnt like her.'

The alleged incident took place on Monday night in Battle Creek Michigan and police are seeking neglect charges against Ernestine Dorphinghaus, 47, who was watching the children at the time.

The injured child's grandmother, Dorphinghaus, 47, took the one-year-old in for treatment for her head injuries, according to the Detroit Free Press. The child has since since been released from the hospital.

dangerous situation: A six-year-old Michigan girl allegedly body slammed a one-year-old girl on Monday night because 'she didnt like her,' according to Battle Creek Police

The grandmother told police that she first learned of the infant's injury when other children told her that her baby was bleeding and crying.

Dorphinghaus reportedly took the injured baby to the mother of the older child's home and the mother told her to take her to the hospital. The mothers of both children have not been publicly identified.

A neighbor told the mother of the older child that she saw her daughter pushing the baby's face into the concrete and also kicking her in the head.

The six-year-old cannot be charged because of her age but Dorphinghaus may be charged with child neglect.
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Nearly 200 firefighters battled a large blaze on Thursday at a warehouse complex in Houston that officials said released hazardous materials into the air and forced the evacuation of hundreds of students from a nearby elementary school.

The four-alarm fire, which generated towering plumes of black smoke, began about 10 a.m. at a custom packing and filling company in west Houston.

The blaze caused various explosions that rattled the industrial area and surrounding neighborhoods.

On fire: Nearly 200 firefighters battled a large blaze on Thursday at a warehouse complex in Houston

Mystery: Authorities have not said what they believe started the fire, nor have they named the warehouse or its owner

Giant flames: The four-alarm fire, which generated towering plumes of black smoke, began early Thursday morning at a custom packing and filling company in west Houston

Houston Fire Department spokesman Ruy Lozano says investigators are waiting to speak with the property owners so they can help identify the products that burned, but officials think pesticides might have been involved. Lozano also mentioned that another product was a petroleum-based solvent.

'At this time, we have no reason to believe that there's been a direct threat to any homes and there's been no reported injuries. So we're very fortunate,' Lozano said.

An alert ordering people in nearby homes and businesses to stay inside, close all windows and shut off air conditioning remained in place Thursday afternoon, said Michael Walter, a spokesman for Houston's Office of Emergency Management.

Firefighters were focused on putting out hot spots after the blaze had been brought under control.

At least three structures were involved in the blaze, Lozano said. Authorities have not said what they believe started the fire, nor have they named the warehouse or its owner.

About 650 students and 80 staff members at a nearby elementary school were taken by bus to an indoor arena located about seven miles away.

'Right next to (the fire) was Spring Branch Elementary and we needed to get those kiddos out,' said Chuck Brawner, police chief with the Spring Branch school district. Brawner said the elementary school was the only school in that area.

Hazardous materials: investigators are waiting to speak with the property owners so they can help identify the products that burned, but officials think pesticides might have been involved

No injuries: 'At this time, we have no reason to believe that there's been a direct threat to any homes and there's been no reported injuries. So we're very fortunate,' said an official

'Right next to (the fire) was Spring Branch Elementary and we needed to get those kiddos out,' said Chuck Brawner, police chief with the Spring Branch school district. Brawner said the elementary school was the only school in that area

Putting it out: Firefighters pour water on a large blaze on Thursday. The blaze caused various explosions that rattled the industrial area and surrounding neighborhoods
Jeff writes, "Combined, Washington State is providing Microsoft and Boeing $1 billion annually in tax breaks. Cumulatively, Microsoft's state tax has saved its shareholders $8.6 billion in costs. While the company quietly surpassed $1 trillion in all time revenue, its home state faces emergencies in education funding, homelessness, heroin addiction and escalating crime."

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been an outspoken advocate for education and the less fortunate among us. With Microsoft's cumulative state tax savings, Washington state could have funded the entire McCleary education settlement for five years, Gates' own initiative for forty state charter schools and restored almost all of the $961 million cut from the University of Washington's annual budgets since 2009.

With just a small portion of its tax savings from this year, we could easily double Seattle's city budget for emergency efforts to address the sharp rises in homelessness, heroine addiction and crime.

Or, the funds could cover 17 percent of the $50 billion cost for Seattle's 25 year public transit initiative, ST3, saving taxpayers significantly.

Westneat mentions, "our booming aerospace and high-tech sectors combined paid just 3 percent of all state business taxesthe resultof decades of special deals won by lobbyists in Olympia" and Washington state is the third highest ranked state in the country for tax subsidies. At a federal level, Microsoft holds more than $108 billion offshore, avoiding $35 billion in additional corporate taxes.
Students were left horrified after their school bus drove past their classmate's dead body as his mother cradled him on the side of the road.

One of the teenagers on board was the older victim's brother.

The eighth grade student, who has not been identified, was fatally struck by a car in Cedar Springs, Michigan, just after 7am on Wednesday.

Police are investigating the incident as a suspected suicide.

Tragic: Police in Cedar Rapids, Michigan, (file image) are investigating a suspected suicide after an eighth grade student, who has not been identified, was fatally struck by a car around 7am on Wednesday

According to MLive.com, one of the victim's brothers was on the bus which drove past, despite normally taking a different route.

He reportedly rushed straight to the driver and told him the boy on the street was his brother.

But due to traffic, the driver could not avoid passing the horrific scene, exposing 20 students on board to it.

One student who was on board told MLive.com: 'It was a shock, just to see a mother encasing her child and rocking him. I can't imagine what the family is going through right now.'

Police said the victim's family is new to the area.

He had not been attending school recently. His siblings are in ninth and fourth grade in neighboring schools.

Once the students on board the bus reached school, they were taken in to an assembly hall to speak to teachers and school counselors.

Laura VanDuyn, superintendent for the school district, wrote a letter to parents.

''It is with a broken heart that I share with you sad news in our Cedar Springs community,' VanDuyn wrote.
Kempton showed up to the Marion County Jail to turn herself in Friday, while Isis is still missing

retaliation after accusing her of stealing two horse saddles, which was found to be untrue

She was involved in a disagreement with a former tenant, Kate Taylor, and kicked her out claiming that she was being '

An Oregon woman who is accused of dognapping showed up to jail in a limousine to turn herself in to police on Friday.

Brooke Kempton, who is also known as Rose Mary Skoda-Kempton, allegedly stole a four-year-old black whippet named Isis after she was involved in a disagreement with a former tenant, Kate Taylor, KPTV reported.

When Kempton arrived at the Marion County Jail on Friday to turn herself in, deputies waiting for her saw a black limousine pull into the parking lot.

Kempton allegedly kicked Taylor out claiming that she was being 'disrespectful.'

Brooke Kempton (left), who is also known as Rose Mary Skoda-Kempton, allegedly stole a four-year-old black whippet named Isis from her former tenant, Kate Taylor (pictured right with Isis)

When Kempton arrived at the Marion County Jail on Friday to turn herself in, deputies waiting for her saw a black limousine pull into the parking lot (above) as she was reportedly the passenger inside

According to KPTV, the dispute between the two women started when 30-year-old Taylor was moving out and went to collect her two horses that were being boarded at Kempton's mother's home, which was part of their rental agreement.

Taylor explained that she was forced to short-sale both horses, despite Kempton telling her that she could remain there until this August after the leasing rental started in October.

'She really didn't give a reason [for the eviction],' Taylor told KPTV. 'This is literally less than a 24-hour notice to get everything out, everything moved.'

Police say that Tuesday, Kempton went to Taylor's father's home around 8am and claimed that his daughter stole two saddles.

As retaliation, Kempton said that she was taking Taylor's dog.

'It just happened so quickly, I just thought, 'I need to get the dog, where is she going with the dog?'' Kevin Taylor, Kate's father, told KPTV.

Kempton allegedly kicked Taylor out of the home (above) claiming that she was being 'disrespectful'

Kempton then accused Taylor of stealing two horse saddles and in retaliation, Kempton allegedly stole Isis (above)

He said that he tried to stop Kempton by jumping on the back of her truck, but she sped off.

The father, who said it happened so quickly, suffered minor injuries to his shoulder and upper body and was treated at the hospital.

'I'm just super thankful that my dad is okay through this whole situation,' Kate Taylor told KPTV.

'Really, at this point, I just want my dog back.'

Kempton's claim about the stolen saddles appears to be false, police say.

Police charged Kempton with third-degree robbery and first-degree theft.

Isis weighs 15 pounds and has a microchip.

Authorities are asking anyone who has information about the whereabouts of Isis the dog should call Marion County Dispatch at 503-588-5032.
Mengmei Leng always dreamed of studying in Sydney, but it was a dream that led to her death.

A tourist discovered the 25-year-old Chinese student's body, naked and with up to 30 stab wounds, in a blow hole at Snapper Point on the NSW Central Coast in April.

Her mother arrived in Sydney this week to see the place of her daughter's dreams, still unable to comprehend her death.

'The time will never turn back to when Mengmei and I were living happily with each other,' she said through a translator on Thursday.

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Mei Zhang Leng, the mother of murdered Chinese woman Mengmei Leng, speaks to the media in Sydney on Thursday

Derek Barrett, 27, (left) is accused of stabbing his niece Mengmei Leng (right) to death and dumping her body in a blowhole at Snapper Point on the Central Coast in NSW last month

Mrs Zhang wipes away tears during a media address in Sydney on Thursday, when she said her daughter Mengmei had always dreamed of studying in Australia

Mei Zhang Leng, (second right), the mother of murdered Chinese woman Mengmei Leng, speaks to the media in Sydney

Mrs Zhang, whose husband died in 2008, said: 'You can never imagine how painful it is to me. The saddest thing in life is losing someone you deeply love'

Mrs Zhang breaks down in tears as she addresses media after her daughter's death

Police believe Mengmei Leng was murdered inside her family home at Campsie, south-west of Sydney. An autopsy revealed she tried to fight off her attacker and suffered a number of stab wounds

'You can never imagine how painful it is to me. The saddest thing in life is losing someone you deeply love.'

Mrs Zhang's husband died in 2008, leaving just she and her daughter, also known as Michelle, to depend on each other.

Ms Leng left her home in Chengdu five years ago to study at the University of Technology Sydney.

'Mengmei had always dreamed of being here to study,' her mother said, adding that her daughter was a feeling and understanding girl.

Barrett, who is married to Ms Leng's aunt, was charged with over the 25-year-old student's murder after police released CCTV footage of her last shopping trip in Sydney's CBD on April 21

Ms Leng appears to have visited the where her body was found 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

She had lived with her 48-year-old aunt and her aunt's husband, Derek Barrett, at their Campsie home since she arrived in Australia.

Barrett, 27, has been charged with her murder.

Mrs Zhang thanked the Australian and Chinese communities for their support during a time when she is suffering greatly.

She also thanked NSW Police, including homicide squad Detective Inspector Gary Jubelin, for investigating her daughter's death.

A fund has been set up to help pay for Ms Leng's funeral and support her mother when she returns to China.

Barrett's lawyer, Bill Whitby, told Burwood Local Court on Wednesday that Barrett would be pleading not guilty and he was shocked and upset over her death, according to the ABC.

Friends and family of Ms Leng were in the packed courtroom but Barrett was not required to attend and will appear on June 29.

The 25-year-old, who is originally from China, is a University of Technology Sydney graduate who studied economics and hospitality business management

Police released CCTV footage to track Ms Leng's last movements, which showed her shopping in Pitt Street Mall before boarding a train at St James Station and getting of at Campsie in Sydney's south-west

An autopsy revealed Ms Leng attempted to fight off her attacker and suffered a number of defensive wounds, as well as over 30 stabbing blows

Barrett, who is married to Ms Leng's aunt, was charged over the 25-year-old student's murder after police released CCTV footage of her last shopping trip in Sydney's CBD on April 21.

The footage showed her shopping in Pitt Street Mall before boarding a train at St James Station and getting of at Campsie in Sydney's south-west.

Police believe Ms Leng returned to her family home in Campsie on the Thursday afternoon where she lived with her uncle, aunt and cousin.

She was allegedly murdered inside the home.

An autopsy revealed Ms Leng attempted to fight off her attacker and suffered a number of defensive wounds, as well as over 30 stabbing blows.

It is believed CCTV footage captured a car entering Lake Munmorah national park around 7am on Sunday.

Police will allege Ms Leng's body was inside the car.

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.

Barrett did not apply for bail after he was arrested. He wore a blue forensic jumpsuit and did not speak nor show any emotion throughout the hearing via video link last month, according to The Daily Telegraph.

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.

The 25-year-old, who is originally from China, is a University of Technology Sydney graduate

Security footage showed Ms Leng shopping in Sydney's Pitt Street Mall on the Thursday before her body was found
A survey has found airlines are perceived to be the best place to work, with Virgin Australia taking out the number one spot of most desirable workplace.

More than 10,000 people around the country took part in the 2016 Randstad Australia and New Zealand survey to form a list of the 20 companies jobseekers would most like to work with.

The 2016 Randstand award was announced on Thursday night at Sydney Harbour, with Virgin Australia, Qantas, BAE Systems, Seven Network and ABC taking out the top five spots,Sydney Morning Herald reported.

A survey has found airlines are perceived to be the best place to work, with Virgin Australia taking out the number one spot of most desirable workplace

Mr Ribuot said airlines were perceived to offer interesting work, training opportunities, work-life balance, career progression and excellent salary benefits while being environmentally and socially aware

Chief executive officer of Randstad, Frank Ribuot, told the paper jobseekers were mostly hunting for a good salary, good work atmosphere and work-life balance.

Overall, 46 per cent of respondents said they would like to work with an airline.

He said airlines were perceived to offer interesting work, training opportunities, work-life balance, career progression and excellent salary benefits while being environmentally and socially aware.

84 per cent of respondents also considered travelling for work as a bonus.

It is perceived to have more attractive attributes than any other sector.

One in three said they would like to work with state or federal governments for long-term job security, work-life balance, and social and environmental awareness.

Companies that produce consumer goods were popular among 38 per cent of respondents.

The results of the Randstad award 2016 was announced on Thursday night at Sydney Harbour

The 20 most popular companies to work for 1. Virgin Australia 2. Qantas 3. BAE Systems 4.Seven Network 5. ABC 6. GHD Engineering 7. Nestle 8. Department of Immigration and Border Protection 9. Wesfarmers 10. National Disability Insurance Agency 11. Department of Health 12. Department of Defence 13. Australian Federal Police 14. Mondelez (Cadbury, Vegemite) 15. Coca-Cola Amatil 16. Victorian Government 17. Queensland Government 18. Computershare 19. NSW Government 20. Flight Centre Source: Randstad Australia and New Zealand

Qantas came in second with airlines being most popular. 84 per cent of respondents considered travelling for work as a bonus
Fans praised the bands for carrying out Nick's last wish on social media

may he rest in the pit'

A dead metal fan has had his ashes scattered over the mosh pit at the concerts of his favorite bands.

Behemoth paid tribute to a deceased fan, named only as Nick from Illinois, at the band's gig in Chicago on April 29.

Frontman Adam Nergal Darski told the crowd: 'I have never done this before.

'Our friend and massive Behemoth fan; his name was Nick. All I've got to say is, wherever you are, rest in peace, my friend.'

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A dead heavy metal fan has had his ashes scattered over the mosh pit at the concerts of his favorite bands (pictured, Behemoth frontman Adam Nergal Darsk empties a vial of white ashes over the edge of the stage)

Fellow metal band Dying Fetus also sprinkled the ashes of Nick at one of their concerts. The band had posted a picture of vocalist and guitarist John Gallagher holding a vial of ashes which had Nick's name written across before the gig (pictured)

Footage filmed at the concert showed Darski empty a glass vial of white ashes over the edge of the stage and onto fans below, before breaking into a rendition of the band's song, Antichristian Phenomenon.

Meanwhile, fellow metal band Dying Fetus also sprinkled the ashes of Nick at one of their concerts.

The band had posted a picture of vocalist and guitarist John Gallagher holding a vial of ashes which had Nick's name written across, ahead of the show. In the caption, they wrote about the odd request, asking if they should carry out their fan's last wish.

Behemoth paid tribute to the deceased fan, named only as Nick from Illinois, at the band's gig in Chicago on April 29

After scattering the ashes, the band broke into a rendition of the band's song, Antichristian Phenomenon

Behemoth (pictured) from Gdansk, is at the forefront of the Polish death metal scene

And after overwhelming support, they scattered Nick's ashes on stage at their gig in Chicago on May 3 before playing a rendition of his favorite song.

After the event, they posted an update, saying: 'We just scattered Nicks' ashes in the pit for his favorite song, 'Homicidal retribution', may he rest in the pit'.

While some may be shocked by the decision to scatter someone's ashes over a crowd, fans of Dying Fetus took to social media to praise the band and Nick for being laid to rest in the most 'metal' way imaginable.

Brendan Ritchie wrote on Facebook: 'Dying Fetus, you guys are the f***in' greatest for respecting his last wish and fulfilling it just like he asked. Class acts and much respect to yous. Our brother is where he belongs..... Home in the pit. R.I.P Nick!'

Craig Smith agreed adding: 'Hell yeah thats the way to do it let the man go out the right way you guys kick f***ing ass I will always be a fan of you guys, rock the hell on.'

Thomas Niehof wrote: 'This is a great way to honor a dedicated fan. I think you did something awesome today.'

Meanwhile Jamie Lennon praised the move, simply writing: 'Now that's f***ing metal.'

Behemoth, from Gdansk, is at the forefront of the Polish death metal scene while American metal band Dying Fetus were formed in Upper Marlboro, Maryland in 1991.
The father of a 12-year-old girl accidentally shot by a constable serving eviction papers in Pennsylvania pleaded not guilty Thursday to homicide charges.

Authorities have accused 58-year-old Donald Meyer of pointing a loaded rifle at Constable Clark Steele on January 11.

Meyer has blamed the constable for his daughter's death, calling Steele a 'murderer.'

Steele fired a single shot in return, which went through Meyer's arm and hit Ciara Meyer, who was standing behind her father.

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Donald Meyer leaves the Perry County Courthouse after his arraignment (left). Meyer's 12-year-old Ciara was accidentally shot by a constable serving eviction papers. Meyer pleaded not guilty Thursday to homicide charges

Meyer pleaded not guilty Thursday to homicide charges

'I hope we get justice and that murderer goes to jail,' Meyer told reporters as he entered the courthouse.

Ciara was apparently home sick from school at the time of the incident.

Steele has been cleared of wrongdoing and isn't facing charges.

Meyer should have anticipated Steele's visit to the apartment near Duncannon because the constable had been there 'numerous times' about the pending eviction and had given Meyer a January 11 deadline to move out, authorities said.

Court documents showed Donald and Sherry Meyer owed about $1,780 in back rent and court costs.

State police said the family had not appealed the eviction order.

In Pennsylvania, constables are elected officials with limited law enforcement powers.

They serve warrants, transport prisoners and perform other duties for Pennsylvania's district courts, the lowest level of the judiciary.

Authorities have accused 58-year-old Donald Meyer of pointing a loaded rifle at Constable Clark Steele on January 11

Steele fired a single shot in return, which went through Meyer's arm and hit Ciara Meyer, who was standing behind her father

Donald Meyer also asked the judge for a new lawyer during the arraignment.

Meyer said he has a conflict of interest with his attorney but offered no further explanation.

Court-appointed attorney Jerry Philpott, ABC 27 reported, told media of Meyer: 'Yes, he's got an issue. I don't want to talk about it any more than that.'

Meyer told the TV station: 'He's lying, constant lies.'

PennLive reported that Judge Kathy Morrow requested Philpott consult on a potential new attorney with the public defender's office.
Jonah Hill has scored a new pad in one of Manhattan's most coveted apartment buildings.

The two-time Oscar nominee sealed the deal on a four-bedroom pad in The Schumacher, located in the city's Noho neighborhood.

It was a pricey purchase for the 32-year-old actor, who paid $9.16million for the 3,280-square-foot luxury residence.

Jonah Hill (above in February) has purchased a new apartment in New York City

The two-time Oscar nominee spent $9.16million on the pad, which is located in the city's Noho neighborhood (above)

The 3,280-square-foot luxury residence features four bedrooms and looks over a private courtyard

Gimmie Shelter reports that the apartment, which was originally on the market for $9.5million, comes 'extensive wall space designed to showcase large-scale works of art.'

Hill's new residence features a 'private wing' for the bedrooms that will look out over a private courtyard.

One of the listing brokers for the apartment was Frederik Eklund of Bravo's Million Dollar Listing.

Eklund posted a photo on Instgtam last December celebrating the fact that he had sold a residence in the building that was being listed for $9.5million.

The Schumacher is a former printing factory that was turned into an apartment building with 20 residences.

A 'downtown playwright and poet' was even hired to write a piece about the project which is posted on the building's website called Once.

The listing broker for the property was Frederik Eklund (above in April) of Bravo's Million Dollar Listing

Hill scored Oscar nods for his work in Moneyball and Wolf of Wall Street, and has also starred in big budget fare including the 21 Jump Street movies, How to Train Your Dragon trilogy and the Judd Apatow films Superbad, Knocked Up and Funny people, to name a few.
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In a touching tribute a sea of mourners gathered to pray for three young men killed in a 'high speed' car crash in Manchester.

Hundreds of people from across the country turned for the funeral of Hamzaa Iqbal, Munib Afzal Karim and Hamza Gujjar, who died after the Audi S5 they were travelling in crashed in the suburb of Whalley Range in the early hours of Wednesday April 27.

Hamzaa, 24, from Burnage, and Hamza, 20 from Bramhall, were pronounced dead at the scene. Their friend Munib, 21, from Stockport, was seriously injured in the crash and died in hospital the following day.

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This picture shows the staggering number of people who turned out to pray for Hamzaa Iqbal, Munib Afzal Karim and Hamza Gujjar

Family and friends paid their respects to them at Victoria Park Mosque and the Muslim Heritage Centre in Whalley Range today

The bodies of the young men were placed in coffins in front of mourners as they gathered to read the Janazah, a Muslim funeral prayer

Pictured, the wrecked Audi A5 after it crashed into two parked cars and a sign post in Manchester, leaving all three men with fatal injuries

Police arrested a 17-year-old and a 19-year-old, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after the fatal crash (pictured)

The men had been travelling home from Munib's sister's wedding when their car crashed. Family and friends paid their respects to them at Victoria Park Mosque and the Muslim Heritage Centre in Whalley Range on Thursday.

Swathes of mourners, some travelling as far away as Scotland and the south east made the long journey to pray for the three friends.

Such was the size of the congregation that the funeral had to be held at two sites, with women attending the Islamic prayer or Salat al-Janazah at the mosque, while men attended a separate ceremony at the heritage centre.

Scores of people have paid tribute to Munib, Hamza and Hamzaa since the crash. Social media has been flooded with emotional messages to the men, with friends also holding vigils at the crash site to remember them.

Police have previously said the hired car they were travelling in was going at 'high speed' when it crashed into a signpost and two parked cars close to Whalley Range High School for Girls.

A 17-year-old who was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving has been bailed until June 11 pending further enquiries and a 19-year-old, who was taken to hospital after the crash, was also arrested on suspicion of the same offence but has since been de-arrested.

Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses to the incident. Anybody with further information can call police on 101 or by contacting Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Mourners share an embrace at the funeral as hundreds of men of all ages gather to pay their respects to the lives of the three young men

Munib Afzal Karim (pictured with his family) bravely battled to survive after two of his friends were killed in the crash but could not recover

Hamzaa, 21, (pictured) sadly died at the scene along with his friend Hamza, 20, after the car crashed into a signpost and two parked cars
Accused: Sean Fitzgerald, 31, is alleged to have thrown a second-grader over a three-to-four-foot high counter then 'dragged' him at Minetto Elementary School, Oswego County, Tuesday

A teacher in Minetto, New York, who allegedly threw a second-grader over a counter and physically dragged him around the school has been arrested.

The incident is said to have occurred Tuesday at Minetto Elementary School in Oswego County while Sean Fitzgerald, 31, of Baldwinsville, was taking a disruptive child to the principal's office.

He is claimed to have thrown the boy over a three-to-four-foot-high counter on their way to the office, then 'dragged' him into the office - in full view of staff members, including the principal, CBS News reported.

'It was certainly dramatic for the staff,' Oswego County School Superintendent Dean Goewey told CBS.

But he said he didn't think any other children saw it, as 'it was a very low-visibility incident.'

The child was unharmed, police said.

In a letter to parents, Goeway said School administrators immediately contacted New York State Troopers after the 'physical altercation.'

'While I cannot control the conduct of every teacher in every situation, and will not rush to judgment, I will ensure that District policies on discipline and dealing with student conduct are followed,' he said in the letter.

'District personnel are accountable for their actions,' he added.

Fitzgerald has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. This is his fourth year working at the elementary school.

He has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a class 'A' misdemeanor, and harassment in the second degree, a violation, and was issued a ticket to appear in court on May 18.
A parched President Obama had a coughing fit yesterday during a speech in Flint, Michigan, as he addressed the city's battle to get lead out of its water, leading him to beg more than once for a glass of H2O.

The struggle may have looked like a stunt, but the White House ensured reporters today that it was not.

'The president was speaking publicly for an hour...I think most people get thirsty when they talk for a long time,' the president's spokesman, Josh Earnest, said today.

Earlier in the day, Obama had made a show of drinking the filtered Flint water to prove it's not contaminated after a journalist asked him if he would.

Today his spokesman noted that he did so at the request of a reporter in the room, and not as part of a premeditated photo op.

He later said, 'I would acknowledge that the president was indulging the photographers in which he consumed water from Flint after the briefing from federal officials. But at the speech the man was just thirsty.'

Earnest also found himself playing clean up this afternoon on the president's claim at yesterday's event that he may have consumed lead paint chips as a child and turned out just fine.

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A parched President Obama had a coughing fit yesterday during a speech in Flint. Michigan, as he addressed the city's battle to get lead out of its water, leading him to beg more than once for a glass of H2O.

During his speech Wednesday afternoon in Flint, the president sported a persistent cough.

After several fits and starts, Obama finally said to no one in particular, 'Can I get some water?'

The crowd erupted as Obama twice stated, 'I want a glass of water.'

'I'm alright. I'm gonna get a glass of water right here. Let's make sure we find one. It'll be filtered, hold on, I'm gonna talk about that in a second,' he said. 'Settle down everybody.'

For whatever reason, the president's water was not promptly delivered.

Coughing again, he said, 'I'm still waiting for my water. Somebody obviously didn't hear me. Usually I get my water pretty quick.'

'Now the reason I know I'm OK is because I already had some Flint water,' he told his concerned audience.

Finally someone fulfilled his request, and the president said, as he took a swig, 'Here we go!'

'I really did need a glass of water. This is not a stunt,' Obama told the rowdy audience once he'd quenched his thirst. 'Everybody settle down. This is a feisty crowd.'

The president was in Flint to demonstrate to the residents of the Michigan town that the federal government is concerned about the water crisis and is committed to helping them resolve it.

The struggle may have looked like a stunt, but the White House ensured reporters today that it was not. 'The president was speaking publicly for an hour...I think most people get thirsty when they talk for a long time,' the president's spokesman said

Flint, Michigan resident Sue Quintanilla holds our a cup of water for President Barack Obama as he asked, 'Can I get some water?'

In another effort to show that the filtered water in the locality is now safe to consume, the president drank from a glass earlier in the afternoon he said contained water from Flint, following in Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's footsteps.

'Generally I haven't been doing stunts but here you go,' he said, taking a sip after he was asked if the glass sitting in font of him was filled with Flint water.

The president said his consumption of the water 'just confirms what we know scientifically, which is that if you're using a filter...then Flint water at this point is drinkable.'

Filtering the water, he said works 'as a short-term measure' and is 'the right thing to do.'

'And, frankly, it's going to be a lot more convenient than people traveling long distances to try to lug back a bunch of bottled water. All right?'

The White House had previously mocked the act and suggested Obama wouldn't parrot Snyder during his journey.

'I'm not aware of any photo-ops that involve the President's consumption of water,' the president's spokesman told reporters on Monday.

Perhaps dehydrated after speaking to officials in the room for more than 15 minutes prior, the president acquiesced and wet his whistle by taking a sip of the Flint water during the afternoon meeting at the urging of reporters in the room.

Earnest said as he fielded questions about the incident today, 'It was actually a reporter in the pool who said, Mr. President could you drink the water, so he did.

'He doesn't usually indulge hem in these kinds of stunts but in this case he did,' Earnest added.

In an effort to show that the filtered water in the locality is now safe to consume, the president took a drink from a glass he says contained water from Flint during a meeting earlier in the day

The White House had previously mocked the act as a 'photo op' and suggested Obama wouldn't do the same during his journey. 'Generally I haven't been doing stunts but here you go,' he said, taking a sip after he was asked if the glass sitting in font of him contained water from Flint

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, right, drinks filtered Flint tap water with Flint resident Cheryl Hill while listening to her concerns with the city's ongoing water crisis at her home on April 18, 2016. Snyder said he would drink Flint's water for roughly a month to show residents it is safe

The president met with city residents yesterday in Flint and gave public remarks to the community before flying back to Washington.

In his first visit to Flint since the lead poisoning crisis began, Obama told residents they should have their children checked if they were exposed to the water but they should not panic.

'Lead is a serious issue and if undiagnosed and not dealt with it can lead to some long-term problems,' he said. To anyone working with a health care provider, he said, 'your child will be fine.'

Aside from science, Obama said the reason he can say that 'with some confidence' is it wasn't until the 80s that the United States began banning lead in paint, toys and gasoline.

'So if you are my age, or older, or maybe even a little bit younger, you got some lead in your system when you were growing up,' he said. 'You did.'

'I am sure that somewhere when I was 2 years old that I was taking a chip of paint, tasting it, and I got some lead.'

The president said he wasn't trying to make light of their situation, rather he was pointing out that as long as children have good healthcare, they won't have any long-term development issues.

Today Earnest was asked to confirm that the president really ate lead paint chips as a child.

'I think the president was making the point that the effort to remove lead from gasoline and from paint is a relatively recent phenomenon,' the White House official said.

Repeating Obama's explanation, he said it was actually 'common for even young children to be exposed to lead' before 1980.

Earnest said the president did not want the parents of Flint children 'to despair about the future opportunities for their kids to succeed.'

Yes, they should get proper health care for their children and follow the guidelines to counteract the impact of elevated levels of lead in the blood stream, the president's spokesman said, 'but they shouldn't further restrain the ambitions of their kids because of this situation.'

'And I think the president's a good example....even when the president himself was a kid, he was exposed to lead.'

Earnest said he was not sure what form of lead the president was exposed to, whether it be paint, gas or pipes.

In any case, 'the president was exposed to that lead as a kid, and he had a very bright future that allowed him to attend Harvard Law School and become President of the United States,' he said.

The inquiring reporter, CNN's Michelle Kosinski, said the comparison was apples to oranges - some of the Flint kids had levels of lead in their blood eight times what it should have been.

Earnest then told her, stunningly, 'I guess the president's point is he wasn't even tested for lead when he was a kid, so we don't know exactly what his elevated level was.'

He quickly recast it as beside the point, which is that 'being exposed to lead is not going to limit the potential of these kids.'

Drinking fountains are marked 'Do Not Drink Until Further Notice' at Flint Northwestern High School where President Obama talked with local residents about the ongoing water crisis
Aussie entrepreneur Craig Wright backed off from his offer to produce more evidence that he is Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto. He's also wiped his website, except for a final, rather ominous message.

The BBC reports that he regards himself as the victim of false allegations after security researchers revealed his earlier "proof" was no such thing.

Craig Wright had pledged to move some of the virtual currency from one of its early address blocks, an act many believe can only be done by the tech's creator. This would have addressed complaints that earlier evidence he had published online was misleading.

Dr Wright said that he was "sorry". "I believed that I could put years of anonymity and hiding behind me," he blogged. "But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke. I do not have the courage. I cannot. "When the rumours began, my qualifications and character were attacked. When those allegations were proven false, new allegations have already begun. I know now that I am not strong enough for this."

This doesn't prove that he isn't Satoshi. But the evidence being requested would be no big deal were he the real Satoshi, as he claims, and wanted to convince people of it, which he does. It's all very odd. At this point, he looks like Uri Geller smiling helplessly in front of Johnny Carson, explaining that he can't bend the spoons because something bad is in the air.

But that's a bit easy, isn't it? People are going to be talking about hidden agendas as much as simply writing him off: is he deliberately obscuring things? Is he a stalking horse or scapegoat of some kind?

Technically-brilliant people aren't necessarily good at social manipulation (or avoiding being socially manipulated). The old sawhorse is

to say "follow the money". Funny how that's not always an option, especially when the ledgers are immaculate.

The tone of his blog post  an enigmatic disappearance that leaves the suggestion of his identity unresolved  is very alarming.
A liberal group is soliciting information from people who feel they've been 'victimized' by Donald Trump in the course business dealings with the billionaire.

Opposition research firm American Bridge today launched the crowdsourcing site DonaldTrumpScrewedMe.com to expose the presumptive GOP nominee 'as the exploitative cheat that he is.'

American Bridge President Jessica Mackler said in a statement 'too many regular people have been hurt by Donald Trump's exploitative self-enrichment and their stories deserve to be heard.'

'Trump built his fortune by preying on seniors, veterans, small businesses, and middle class families. He's a con man who has consistently pushed the limits to take advantage regular people,' she said, and 'needs to be held accountable.'

A liberal group is soliciting information from people who feel they've been 'victimized' by Donald Trump in the course business dealings with the billionaire



Opposition research firm American Bridge today launched the crowdsourcing site DonaldTrumpScrewedMe.com to expose the presumptive GOP nominee 'as the exploitative cheat that he is.'

A contact sheet on the website reads: 'If you have been personally screwed by Donald Trump, or have a friend or relative who has been taken advantage of by Trump, we want to hear from you!

'Telling your story will help make sure that others like you are not abused by Trump. Together, we can put an end to Donald Trumps aggressive business tactics that hurt hard-working Americans while hes padding his pockets with your blood, sweat, and money.'

The group is targeting digital ads at Trump's properties in Manhattan, Atlantic City, and Palm Beach, it said in a statement, and is looking for horror stories from current and former employees, tenants and anyone who was 'scammed' by Trump as it attempts to document Trump's 'dirty dealings.'

Trump is embroiled in a civil suit worth a minimum of $40 million over a school his company ran for wannabe-real estate moguls branded as Trump University.

The personal mentor aspect of the program cost participants $35,000, and some payees are alleging they were defrauded.

A lawyer for Trump said last week he and his client want the case to go to trial before a jury. The matter remains undecided for now, as the GOP primaries wind down, and the general election begins.

Before he dropped out, Marco Rubio tore into Trump over the charges, as did Mitt Romney, who mocked the billionaire's business acumen in light of the discontinuation of his lines of Trump Vodka and Trump Steak.

Democrats are now seizing on Donald Trump, too, following him becoming the only Republican candidate for the Oval Office.

A mixture of repulsion over the insults he's lobbed at constituencies they hope to win in November and delight at what they now see as a general election that is theirs to lose, left-aligned groups rallied the troops against Trump as they set their sights on the November battle.

'Now that Donald Trump is the "presumptive GOP nominee," some Republican operatives and politicians and conservative journalists are taking a hard look in the mirror and accepting that they can't see themselves supporting a misogynistic and xenophobic demagogue like Donald Trump, who has consistently failed the commander in chief test.

'We agree: #NeverTrump,' American Bridge said in the email that included a round-up of influential conservatives going bananas over the Trump nod.

Americans United for Change meanwhile used the occasion to bash Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for holding up President Barack Obama's appointee to the Supreme Court and pointed out that if the seat remains vacant, and the GOP wins in November, it will be up to Trump to make a new nomination.

'It's official, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are refusing to do their jobs because they want Donald Trump - a racist, sexist, misogynistic, nativist, isolationist, pathological liar who said he would date his daughter if they weren't related and won't rule out using nuclear weapons in the Middle East to make the next appointment to the Supreme Court,' the organization's president, Brad Woodhouse, said.

A former Democratic National Committee spokesman, Woodhouse said, 'This suicide pact is bad for our constitution and for America but at least it ensures that Republicans will go down in ignominious defeat in November.'

DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said on Twitter, 'Trump spreads hate. And we will defeat him in November.'

In a longer statement sent out by the party committee she said, 'Tonight, Donald Trump is the Republican Party.'

'Ted Cruz may have been the least-liked politician in Washington, but Trump is one of the least liked men in America, and Democrats will hold him accountable for his offensive rhetoric, dangerous ideas, and lack of judgment every single day between today and November 8th.'

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has not defeated her primary rival Bernie Sanders, but the intra-party battle is expected to produce the former secretary of state as the Democratic nominee.

She said on Twitter Wednesday morning, 'There's only one candidate left who can stop a Trump presidency.' Last night asked her backers to donate to her through the medium 'if you agree we can't let him become president.'

In a longer statement sent out by the party, she said, 'Donald Trump is the Republican Party. Ted Cruz may have been the least-liked politician in Washington, but Trump is one of the least liked men in America, and Democrats will hold him accountable for his offensive rhetoric, dangerous ideas, and lack of judgment every single day between today and November 8th'

Democrats seized on the news Tuesday evening that Donald Trump would become the Republican nominee for the Oval Office, sending out barrage of attacks on the businessman whose presidency they say would be 'dangerous' for America

She likewise said on Twitter this morning, 'There's only one candidate left who can stop a Trump presidency'

An email read, 'It would have been unimaginable a year ago, but after last night, it's inevitable: Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee for president. Donald. Trump.

'I don't know how else to say it: The whole world is counting on us to win this thing. And we owe it to them to step up. Please give today and let's start defeating Donald Trump right away.'

With Cruz and Kasich's elimination and the RNC rallying around the presumptive nominee, the burden of the 'Stop Trump' effort now falls squarely on the shoulders of Democrats and allied outside groups.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee is running Facebook ads against Trump, 'defining him early and moving the debate to our turf.'

'This is key to winning,' it said in a statement.

A CNN/ORC International poll released on Wednesday found that she'd run circles around Trump in a general election, beating him 54-41.

Her campaign chairman, Podesta, sought to reinforce her argument in a statement on Tuesday night, as he said,'Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump has demonstrated that hes too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world. With so much at stake, Donald Trump is simply too big of a risk.'

Correct the Record, a Super PAC supporting Clinton that she's legally allowed to coordinate with, picked up the baton and said Trump was 'effectively delivering the final and fatal blow to the Republican Party as we know it.

'Trumps newly-minted position as presumptive GOP nominee has fellow Republicans predicting that the Party will get destroyed and others rac[ing] to distance themselves from Mr. Trump by any means possible,' the PAC said.

One thing is now clear, Correct the Record contended, '#NeverTrump' has now become '#EventuallyTrump and now the GOP has officially stamped what they like to call the party of Lincoln the #PartyofTrump.

'The comb-overthrow of the Republican party is complete.'
A ministry leader who is part of the fundamentalist Christian sect Quiverfull that the Duggars are a part of is running a retreat to help arrange marriages among teenagers.

Vaughn Ohlman is charging families over $1,000 to spent three days in November at a retreat in Wichita, Kansas where young members including single teenagers can meet other other young single members of the opposite sex for 'young, fruitful marriages.'

The Get Them Married Retreat was suddenly cancelled however after it began getting coverage in the press on Thursday.

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Success: Vaughn Ohlman has written that his son Joshua had an arranged marriage to his wife Laura (above with their child) that was incredibly successful

'Let Them Marry is a ministry dedicated to the purpose of educating, challenging, and calling Christians to a Biblical understanding of the godly path to marriage by providing books, pamphlets, and articles on the topic,' writes Ohlman on his ministry's site.

'Ultimately, our goal is to glorify God by getting our young people married.'

In his bio he writes: 'Vaughn is husband to one, father to six and grandfather to four. He has been studying the issues concerning the path to marriage since at least 2008; becoming more and more convinced of the problems and dangers of dating and courtship.'

One of the people who has benefited from an arranged marriage he claims is his own son Joshua, whose story he shares on the site.

Joshua and his wife Laura met for the first time on the day they were betrothed after their fathers set up their union.

Laura's father spoke to Joshua before that day to make certain he was good enough for his daughter.

Joshua and his wife Laura met for the first time on their wedding day after their fathers set up their union

Vaughn Ohlman is part of the fundamentalist Christian sect Quiverfull that the Duggars (above) are a part of is running a retreat to help arrange marriages among teenagers

'After the ceremony began a very pleasant time, as the rest of the party got to watch the newly betrothed husband and wife begin to get to know each other sitting, holding hands, and grinning foolishly much as every young couple since the world began,' writes Ohlman.

He later adds of the union: 'In the days that have passed everyones biggest complaint seems to be the couples foolish grins and the fact that they are both forever on the phone with each other.'

The name Quiverfull comes from an Old Testament psalm that says children are more important than anything, and thus encourages marriage and procreation.

Vyckie Garrison, a former disciple of Quiverfull, said in an interview with People that after marriage 'the wife is obligated to provide sex to her husband on demand.'

She also said: 'Your body doesn't belong to you, and you are just required to submit to that.'

This could explain reports stating that it was Anna Duggar who felt she was to blame after her husband's cheating scandal.
A Florida man has been arrested after trying to steal a python from a pet store by putting the animal down his pants.

Pinellas County deputies said that Travis Treder went into Animal House Pet Center in Saint Augustine asking about the reptiles that were for sale.

However as the staff weren't looking, Treder took a baby python out of its glass enclosure and put it in the front pocket of his pants.

Fortunately the theft was caught on the store's security cameras, which was notified by staff, and one tried to stop Treder from leaving the store.

Snake: Footage captured on security cameras shows Travis Treder reaching into the glass enclosure and pulling out the baby python (right)

Hope it doesn't bite: This is the moment the thief puts the snake in his pants, before trying to leave the store

According to the arrest report, Treder pushed an employee out of his way.

However another customer, an off-duty security guard, managed to stop Treder, and restrained him until police arrived.

Footage taken at the scene shows the man tying Treder's hands with cable ties.

'We waited on him for probably 15 minutes and then we went into the office to see what he was going to do, and sure enough, he targeted our higher-end snakes again,' the owner of the store, Steve Silk, told WFLA.

Silk also said Treder has stolen snakes and lizards on two separate occasions in the last nine months.

Facing charges: Travis Treder was restrained by a customer (left) and then arrested, and is now facing theft and resisting a merchant charges

However staff have now posted a photo of him in the store so that someone might recognize, should he ever return.

The store owner said the python is valued at $149 dollars.

Treder was arrested and charged with petit theft and resisting a merchant.
Every day mountain rescue teams bring down stranded hikers, risking their lives in the process - but few have experienced a rescue quite as terrifying as this one.

The incident occurred on a sheer cliff in Utah's Lone Peak Wilderness, 10,000 feet above ground, when the rope that was supposed to keep the crew safe became caught in the rotor blades of the helicopter just above their heads.

A sound like an explosion followed as the helicopter came careening towards them, and only a little luck - and the skills of expert pilot Kent Harrison - saved the day, as this incredible footage shows.

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Terrifying: In September 2015, a search and rescue team (pictured) were sent up a precariously high cliff to retrieve the body of Kerry Crowley, 43, who had fallen 300 feet and died, landing on an outcrop in a sheer cliff

So near: The helicopter, piloted by Kent Harrison, was flying close to the cliff when disaster struck. Harrison, an experienced pilot, had flown many similar missions - but wasn't counting on a sudden moment of bad luck

The footage, newly released by Utah Department of Public Safety, shows the team recovering the body of hiker Kerry Crowley, 43, who had fallen 300 feet to her death on September 8.

She had landed on a small ledge on a terrifying sheer cliff, and it was decided that a rescue team of seven, plus Harrison in the chopper, would get her back.

Harrison had flown dozens of similar missions perfectly, KSL reported, and the team seemed to have nothing to worry about.

Then something went very wrong.

As Harrison hovered just above their heads, the blades whirring just feet from the cliff face, the rope that was used to secure the team tightened and was caught - but not cut - on one of the blades.

'We heard a cannon go off. It sounded like an explosion,' rescuer Ben Robertson told KSL.

It was a moment of terrible luck and great luck all at once: had the rope been pulled all the way around, the helicopter would have been pulled into the mountain, killing them all instantly.

Instead, the rope was brought around to the tail rotor - which was in the exact perfect position to cut it, whipping it off the vehicle.

But death was still just seconds away.

Trapped: An orange safety rope (pictured, left) was swept into the path of the helicopter's main rotor. Had it been dragged all the way around, everyone would have been killed

Luck: As luck would have it, the tail rotor was in the exact perfect position to cut the rope - but the helicopter's main rotor was dangerously damaged, and the vehicle was swinging dangerously toward the rescuers

As the rescuers fell over, startled and jolted by the rope, the chopper dipped and whirled violently towards their heads.

A vital part of the main rotor - the part connecting the blade to the rotating head - had snapped in two, causing Harrison to lose control.

'My first thought was, I need to crash this helicopter. I had no idea if the helicopter was going to fly for more than a few seconds at that point,' he told KSL.

Managing to regain control over the damaged vehicle, he pulled it away from his colleagues and managed to safely land it in a field, saving all of the crew - and himself.

And though Harrison modestly credits the landing to 'a very, very lucky moment,' Robertson is stronger with his praise.

'He saved everybody's life that day, without question,' he said.
Peter Allott, 37, deputy head of the 15,000-a-year St Benedict's School in Ealing, west London, became addicted to child sex images and Class A drugs after being introduced to both at 'chemsex' parties

The deputy head of a scandal-hit Catholic private school was jailed today after admitting getting hooked on child pornography blowing 600 a week on paedophile drug parties.

Peter Allott, 37, led a double life working as a high-flying devout Christian headteacher, while at the weekends he indulged in drug-fuelled sex orgies, swapping sickening images of children with other perverts.

The Cambridgeeducated deputy headteacher became addicted to child sex images and Class A drugs after being introduced to both at 'chemsex' parties organised on gay dating app Grindr.

He amassed nearly 400 horrific images of children as young as two, which he kept on his iPhone and on a hard drive in his office at the 15,000-a-year St Benedict's School.

Investigators also found the Class A drug MDMA, otherwise known as ecstasy, in a raid of his home, a property owned by the school.

The private school in Ealing, West London, which counts comedian Julian Clary, Tory peer Chris Patten and actor Andy Serkis amongst its alumni, has been dogged by scandal after one teacher was convicted of nearly four decades of sexual abuse of children and another priest is still on the run from a child abuse charge.

The school and its linked Benedictine monastery, Ealing Abbey, was condemned four years ago for a 'lengthy and cumulative failure' to protect pupils in its care from child abuse.

The scandal, which did not involve Allott, led to five monks and three former teachers being linked to child abuse.

Although Allott was working at the school at the time of the abuse, investigators do not believe he abused any children in his care.

Blackfriars Crown Court heard how the former Tory councillor, who served on the Perivale ward from 2006-2010, fooled parents with his devout Christian public persona, while in private he indulged in drug-fuelled orgies with other perverts.

Jailing Allott for 33 months, Judge Peter Hillen said: 'You are someone who has degrees and Master's degrees and studying for a doctorate.

'Someone who had early ambitions to enter the church and then education, who rose to be a deputy head of a prestigious school.

'Someone who has engaged in public service and political service. Someone who has engaged in charity work. Someone who was a high flyer.

'All of that has been destroyed and is fully in ruins by what, in the words of your own counsel, was an addiction to debauchery.

'Two years after you sadly lost your mother and shortly after the death of your grandmother, you started to seek relief from your grief in chemsex parties, talking to other potential sexual partners on the Grindr networking site and meeting them, using Class A drugs, crystal meth and M-Cat, then engaging in sexual activity.

The Cambridgeeducated deputy head became addicted to child sex images and Class A drugs after being introduced to both at 'chemsex' parties. He amassed nearly 400 horrific images of children as young as two, which he kept on his iPhone and on a hard drive in his office at the 15,000-a-year St Benedict's School (above)

'It was at the drug parties that you became aware of, and addicted to, indecent images of children. I use the phrase of a paedophile ring, that's precisely what that was.

'You were leading in effect a double life that over the weekends you would engage in chemsex parties using crystal meth and M-Cat and having sex with multiple partners but also watch these images.

'Then on Monday morning you would put on your suit and you would be the brilliant, high-flying deputy headmaster doing your public duty and your work for society.

'A split personality, the devoted life on one side but the bespectacled deputy head master was a lie because the other side of your life was one of debauchery.'

Bespectacled Allott sat quietly with his lip trembling as the court heard of his two-years of paedophilia.

When detectives from the National Crime Agency's specialist child abuse team arrested Allott in December last year, they found nearly 700 illegal images and videos of children and extreme pornography.

You were leading in effect a double life that over the weekends you would engage in chemsex parties and then on Monday morning you would put on your suit and be the brilliant, high-flying deputy headteacher Judge Peter Hillen

Michael Shaw, for the prosecution, said: 'He found himself in a spiral of addiction to drugs and took part in 'chemsex' parties whereby he would binge on drugs at the weekend and engage in viewing these images with likeminded individuals.'

Mr Shaw said when Allott was asked about the fate of the children in the images, he said: 'I would be surprised if some of them were still alive.'

Allott admitted possessing 25 'grossly offensive' images on a hard drive and sharing the images with other offenders. He also pleaded guilty to possession of drugs.

In mitigation, Daniel Taylor said Allott offended after losing his mother to cancer and then his grandmother.

A spokesman for the school said the community was 'shocked' by the former deputy head's offending.

Allott, who taught there from 2004 and was promoted to deputy head in 2012, often defended the school's legacy, assuring prospective parents touring the school that the culture of child abuse had been eradicated.

Father David Pearce, the former head of the junior school, was jailed for eight years in 2009 after being convicted of abusing five boys over a period of 36 years.

Another former abbot, Father Laurence Soper, jumped bail before he could be charged with child abuse offences and remains on the run.

A spokesman for the school said: 'St Benedict's has been shocked and saddened by the offences committed by Mr Allott. He has already resigned and will not be returning to it.
A California couple have come forward with a story about being kicked off an Allegiant Air flight after notifying staff that their son has a peanut allergy.

Kyson Dana and his wife Sara were flying out of Provo, Utah, on Monday with Allegiant and were heading to home Oakland, California.

Once on the plane, Sara told a flight attendant that their two-year-old son, Theo, had a serious peanut allergy, and asked if they could keep any peanuts away from him.

'My wife said, ''We're obviously flying on the plane, and we recognize the risks. We have an EpiPen with us'',' Mr Dana told WGN TV.

Kicked off over peanuts: Kyson Dana and his wife Sara were flying out of Provo, Utah, on Monday with Allegiant and were heading to home Oakland, California, when they were asked to deplane because of their son

At their seats the couple wiped everything down with sanitation wipes, in case there was a trace of peanuts from the previous flights.

A second flight attendant then appeared, asking the passengers around the family not to eat peanuts. Mr Dana said everyone agreed.

'And it seemed like the situation was resolved,' he said.

However, moments later, a third flight attendant came up to them and, according Mr Dana, said: 'We've spoken to the pilot and we are going to have you removed from the plane.'

Mr Dana said the flight team told the family they consulted with a medical professional, and decided it wasn't safe to let them fly.

They were made to leave the flight, but were not offered any accommodation or refund.

'Ever heard of worse customer service????' Mr Dana posted to Facebook at the time.

After the incident on Monday, Mr Dana posted this message to his Facebook, explaining what happened

'They were being unreasonable': Allergist Dr. Kay Walker said that Allegiant Airlines overreacted

However, American Board of Allergy and Immunology Certified allergist, Dr. Kay Walker, said Allegiant were overreacting.

'I think they were being unreasonable,' she told WGN.

'The odor of peanut will not harm you. The dust, when it settles, could possibly harm you--even though that is also rare.'

Mr Dana said he got a statement from Allegiant Airlines following the incident, though they are yet to comment to the media.

Kyson Dana was flying with his wife and their two-year-old son Theo when they were told to get off an Allegiant Airlines flight, after the crew became worried about the child's peanut allergy

The statement read, in part: 'On behalf of the entire Allegiant team, please allow me to offer my sincere apology for the inconveniences this incident has caused for you and your family. We regret that you were denied boarding due to any misunderstanding regarding the severity of your childs peanut allergy. I realize that medical issues can be highly challenging. We just wanted to make sure you arrived home safely.'
Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse is standing firm in his non-support of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump calling for an 'adult' third-party candidate instead.

After tickling the internet last night by asking whether an official RNC tweet, which commended the GOP candidates, was from a parody account, Sasse switched social mediums and penned a 1,400-plus word Facebook post entitled 'an open letter to majority America.'

In it, Sasse smacks both Washington and the parties' two likely nominees, Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton saying, 'there are dumpster fires in my town more popular than these two "leaders."'

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Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse wrote a 1,456 word letter to Americans and posted it to Facebook suggesting a third-party option may be the best route to go

Sen. Ben Sasse also sassed the Republican National Convention's Twitter account for suggesting that the GOP primary was a good thing

He noted that Washington was so broken and the political parties so petty that 'they're like a couple arguing about what color to paint the living room, and meanwhile, their house is on fire.'

This after mocking the Republican National Committee's Twitter account for writing, 'Thank you to the entire Republican field for a hard fought race. The Party is better for your efforts.'

'I assume this is a parody account,' Sasse said last night, before posting his Facebook diatribe.

On Facebook, Sasse suggested that perhaps the American people eschew the parties and the two candidates.

'Why shouldnt America draft an honest leader who will focus on 70 percent solutions for the next four years? You know...an adult?' Sasse wrote.

Sasse didn't name names, but had a few ideas of who would fit the mold and what they might accomplish.

First he suggested that he or she shouldn't have young children.

'Such a leader should be able to campaign 24/7 for the next six months,' Sasse suggested. 'Therefore he/she likely can't be an engaged parent with little kids.'

The reason why third-party challenges don't usually get far off the ground is because getting ballot access in all 50 states is a substantial hurdle and said candidate would be way behind in fundraising as well.

Sasse said he didn't want to see the candidate go through an ideological purity test because such a person would likely be more conservative than both Trump and Clinton anyway in order to be viable throughout the United States.

Sen. Ben Sasse laid out a number of issues that a third-party president could tackle after he or she committed to just serving one term

'Imagine if we had a candidate,' the senator mused. 'who hasn't spent his/her life in politics either buying politicians or being bought.'

'Who didn't want to stitch together a coalition based on anger but wanted to take a whole nation forward,' he continued.

'Who pledged to serve for only one term, as a care-taker problem-solver for this messy moment,' Sasse suggested.

The Nebraskan also pushed the idea that the leader would focus on three or four big national problems during those four years.

Sasse had suggestions for those too.

First the president would come up with a national security strategy to take out jihadist groups like ISIS.

On the domestic front the president would tackle the budget and entitlement reform, along with passing some of the responsibility back to local and state governments to fix the K through 12 school systems.

Finally Sasse suggested that this dream president deal with 'incumbency protections' that would limit lifelong politicians staying power on Capitol Hill, including their ability to lobby.

'This really shouldn't be that hard,' Sasse said.
She was 'very worried' that her niece could be 'in a lot of danger'

His wife Linda 54, warned that her husband was 'up to something bad'

They were last seen driving away in Simpson's white van on Wednesday

The 57-year-old told staff that Carlie's father had been in a terrible crash

A nine-year-old girl who was abducted from school by her uncle is in 'a lot of danger' her aunt has warned.

Linda Simpson warned that her husband Gary, 57, is 'up to something bad' after he pulled her out of class at her Rogersville,Tennessee school, falsely claiming her father had been in a car wreck.

An AMBER alert was issued Wednesday night for Carlie, 9, who has not been seen since.

'I'm very worried. I'm very concerned,' Linda, told the NY Daily News. 'I think she's in a lot of danger. I don't see why you would kidnap a kid if you weren't up to something bad.'

Gary Simpson (left) abducted his niece Carlie Simpson, 9, (right) from her Tennessee school yesterday

The family realized Carlie had gone missing after the youngster failed to get off the school bus at the end of the day.

'She gets off the bus at my house and she didn't get off,' Linda said.

Panicked, the 54-year-old said that called her husband multiple times but he never answered.

Then she called the school who told her that Gary had picked up Carlie earlier that day. He had also told teachers that she might not make it to school the following day.

The pair were last seen driving away in Simpson's 2002 white Dodge Conversion Van. It was described as having Tennessee plates, with chipping paint and a stripe down the middle.

An AMBER alert (pictured) was issued Wednesday night for Carlie, 9, who has not been seen since

Linda says she has no idea exactly where her husband, who does not have custody of Carlie would have taken their niece but believes he would have gone somewhere remote where they won't be found.

'I'm sure he's smart enough to not be out where someone might find him,' she said.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for Gary Simpson and are urging the public to come forward if they spot either him or Carlie.

The 9-year-old is described as being blond, blue-eyed and around 4'8 inches tall. She was last seen wearing a black and grey tank top with blue jeans.

Simpson is balding, wears glasses, 5'10 inches tall, 157 pounds and was last wearing a brown cap, a dark colored shirt and jeans.
Equivocation about whether Trump meets party 'standards' comes as scores of top Republicans wrestle with how to deal with controversial nominee

Ryan put to rest speculation that he could emerge as 'white knight' at convention when nomination was up for grabs

He earlier spoke out against Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US as 'not what this country stands for'

'I'm not ready to do that yet,' says Ryan of falling in line with Trump, after pondering his own 2016 run

Trump says he's not on board with Ryan plan after Speaker becomes highest profile Republican to break with Trump

Donald Trump jumped into a spat with House Speaker Paul Ryan Thursday after Ryan said he's 'not ready' to back Trump as the Republican Party's nominee.

The dueling statements immediately put Trump, who just locked up his party's nomination, into a test of wills with Ryan, who as leader of House Republicans must steer his cohort through a contentious convention where members are split over how to handle Trump.

"I am not ready to support Speaker Ryan's agenda,' Trump wrote in a brief statement issued Thursday afternoon.

'Perhaps in the future we can work together and come to an agreement about what is best for the American people. They have been treated so badly for so long that it is about time for politicians to put them first!' Trump added.

The statement fell far short of some of Trump's attacks on his former primary rivals, but nevertheless laid down a marker with Ryan, who pointedly withheld his support from Trump in an interview with CNN Thursday.

Time on his side? Ryan says he's 'not ready' to support Trump yet

In doing so, Ryan became the highest-ranking Republican to hold back from supporting Trump, speaking in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN.

'Well, to be perfectly candid with you, I'm not ready to do that yet,' Ryan said, asked about supporting Trump. 'I am not there right now. I hope to and want to,' he added  indicating it would be possible for Trump to win him over.

'I think what a lot of Republicans want to see is that we have a standard bearer that bears our standards,' he said.

'I think conservatives want to know does he share our values and our principles,' he said. 'There's a lot of questions conservatives are going to want answers to,' Ryan said  in comments that provided Trump an opportunity to prove his conservatism going forward.

Lots to chew on: GOP leaders are split over whether to back Trump as he tries to win the whole enchilada

Trump hit back with his own statement, saying he's 'not read' for the Ryan agenda

'The bulk of the burden on unifying the party will have to come from our presumptive nominee,' Ryan said, suggesting it is Trump who will have to move toward conservative leaders and not the other way around.

He added: 'Saying we're unified doesn't in and of itself unify us, but actually taking the principles that we all believe in, showing that there's a dedication to those, and running a principled campaign that Republicans can be proud about and that can actually appeal to a majority of Americans -- that, to me, is what it takes to unify this party.'

Ryan had forecast his concerns about Trump in a speech during the primary season following an outcry over Trump's proposed Muslim ban, which Trump released in response to the attacks in Paris.

'What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for, and more importantly, it's not what this country stands for,' Ryan said.

The rising star in the GOP got drafted into Speakership when Ohio Rep. John Boehner quit his post.

Ryan's comments reflect a GOP that is wrestling with how to handle Trump, who romped through the primary states and bested 16 rivals including many top party figures, while also completely blowing through a party 'autopsy' conducted after Mitt Romney's failed 2012 election.

Party leaders hoped to find a way to avoid losing Hispanic voters. Trump launched his campaign by saying Mexican 'rapists' were streaming across the border. On Thursday, he dug into a tortilla salad on Cinco de Mayo and said he loves Hispanics.

'We don't always nominate a Lincoln and Reagan, but we hope that that person advances the principals of our party and appeals to a wide vast majority of Americans,' said Ryan in the interview.

'I was pretty clear and I was outspoken on a number of occasions where I think that he did the wrong thing or said the wrong thing, and I'll do that in the future if need be,' he added.

Ryan's criticism is noteworthy for a number of reasons. As head of the convention, he will gavel it to order and oversee what could be nasty fights over the substance of the platform. He would have had a pivotal role if Trump had failed to get a majority of delegates, and would have had considerable power over party machinations.

With Trump effectively sewing up the nomination, Ryan's role should be more ceremonial.

He is also a relatively unblemished figure in the GOP House, having been goaded into taking the speakership as a figure mostly trusted by conservatives as well as more centrist members, and as a fresh face for the party's future.

Trump regularly says he plans to beat Hillary Clinton by winning states like Ryan's home state of Wisconsin.

Trump has divided the party in part because of his volatile campaign style and penchant for stirring up controversy, but also for some ideological heresies.

On Wednesday, he indicated he was looking at the possibility of a minimum wage hike. He has hailed Planned Parenthood, and vowed not to let people die 'on the sidewalk' even as he calls for repealing Obamacare. On the minimum wage, he said he was 'open to doing something with it.'

Other plans: 2012 GOP nominee and 2008 nominee John McCain both are skipping the GOP Convention

Ryan's comments come as 2012 nominee Mitt Romney indicated he wouldn't even go to the 2016 GOP convention in Cleveland.

Neither will President George W. Bush or his father. Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 nominee, won't be attending either.

Ryan's Senate counterpart, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, essentially backed Trump on Wednesday.

'I have committed to supporting the nominee chosen by Republican voters, and Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee, is now on the verge of clinching that nomination,'McConnell said in a statement.
He is a federal security officer and she is a teacher at another school

Police have launched a huge manhunt for Eulalio Tordil, 62, who allegedly gunned down Gladys Tordil, 44, outside High Point High School in Maryland

The man who allegedly shot dead his estranged wife while she was picking her children up from school has been identified as a federal security officer.

Police have launched a huge manhunt for Eulalio Tordil, 62, who allegedly gunned down Gladys Tordil, 44, outside High Point High School in Beltsville, Maryland.

The pair were seen arguing outside the school at 4.40pm on Thursday and a man tried to intervene.

Tordil pulled out a handgun and shot the bystander in the shoulder a number of times before fatally shooting the mother, police said.

Cops are hunting down the suspect, who is still believed to be armed.

Tordil is an employee of the Federal Protective Service, which provides security at federal buildings and properties.

Maryland court records show a permanent no-contact order had been issued against him March 17 in a domestic violence case.

Mrs Tordil is believed to be a teacher at nearby Parkdale High School in Riverdale.

She was waiting in the parking lot of High Point High to pick up her two children when she was confronted by her husband.

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Mrs Tordil (pictured) is believed to be a teacher at nearby Parkdale High School in Riverdale, Maryland

A mother who was picking up her children from High Point High School (police at the scene pictured) in Beltsville, Maryland, has been shot dead

The mother was pronounced dead at the scene while a man who was shot in the shoulder was taken to hospital. Pictured, emergency services at the scene

Students comfort each other at High Point High School after the shooting on the campus in Beltsville, Maryland

'A woman was in process of picking up her children when she was confronted by a man,' Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski said.

'An adult bystander saw it becoming heated and tried to intervene as he approached the male.

'The male produced a handgun and fired at him a number of times, striking him in the shoulder. He is in a stable condition and is expect to survive.

'The male then turned the weapon on the female and shot her several times.

'At no point was this an active shooter situation or a barricade inside the school. This appears to be domestic violence. No students were directly involved.'

The alleged gunman fled the scene and police were searching for him last night.

Students shelter and call loved ones from a bus at High Point High School after the shooting on campus

Police (seen outside the high school this afternoon) are not believed to be looking for an active shooter

The shooting took place shortly after 4.30pm, more than two hours after classes finished, with shots heard near the parking lot at the rear of the school. Pictured, emergency services at the scene

The mother was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man who tried to intervene in the argument was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was said to be in a good condition.

The shooting took place shortly after 4.30pm, more than two hours after classes finished, with four shots heard near the parking lot at the rear of the school.

A witness told Fox 5 he heard four gunshots ring out.

A softball game taking place on a school field descended into chaos as players and spectators dashed into a storage cupboard after hearing the gunfire.

The school was briefly placed on lockdown but any teachers and students left at the school have since been allowed to go home.

A gray truck seen parked outside the front of the school may be owned by the shooter.

Paramedics, cops and firefighters are still at the scene. A police helicopter also landed on the school's football field as emergency services reacted to the shooting.

A truck which may have been owned by the shooter was seen parked outside the rear of the school
OBAMA COMMUTES SENTENCES FOR 58 OFFENDERS: THE LIST IN FULL

Life sentences

Steven Bernard Boyd  Augusta, GA

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and to possess cocaine and cocaine base with intent to distribute; distribution of cocaine hydrochloride (three counts); possession of cocaine and cocaine base with intent to distribute; Southern District of Georgia

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (September 29, 1998)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

Donald Brooks  West Point, GA

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and at least 50 grams of cocaine base; Northern District of Georgia

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (October 18, 2002)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

Eddie Brown  Washington, DC

Offense: Unlawful possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of cocaine base; District of Columbia

Sentence: Life imprisonment; (September 20, 1990)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2017

Charles C. Brown  Providence, RI

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of cocaine base, aiding and abetting; possession with intent to distribute more than five grams of cocaine base; District of Rhode Island

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (May 20, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

Dwayne Berman Cooper  Miami, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to manufacture cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession of cocaine with intent to manufacture cocaine base; Middle District of Florida

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (August 27, 1996)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

Marion Clarence Cooper  Miami, FL

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and aiding and abetting; District of South Carolina

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (November 12, 1996)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

Roberto Antonio Davila  San Antonio, TX

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; distribution of marijuana and aiding and abetting said offense; Western District of Texas

Sentence: Life imprisonment; three years' supervised release (February 28, 1995)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

Thomas Farmer  Cincinnati, OH

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Eastern District of Kentucky

Sentence: Life imprisonment; (December 7, 1995)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2017

Christopher Gulley  Pensacola, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; Northern District of Florida

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 12, 1996)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

George Howard Jones  Raleigh, NC

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute cocaine base and cocaine; Eastern District of North Carolina

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (August 22, 1996)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

Kenneth W. Kemp  Guttenberg, NJ

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; distribution of cocaine base (three counts); did cause interstate travel in aid of racketeering (two counts); possession with intent to distribute cocaine; distribution of cocaine; Eastern District of Virginia

Sentence: Life imprisonment; five years' supervised release (April 11, 1994)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

Javier Mendoza  Pharr, TX

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute 1,264 kilograms of cocaine; Southern District of Texas

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (August 25, 1998)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2018

Jessie Lee Robinson  Jefferson City, MO

Offense: Distribution of cocaine base (two counts); possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Western District of Missouri

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (November 15, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2018

Larry Simmons  Savannah, GA

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine; distribution of more than 5 grams of crack cocaine (two counts); Southern District of Georgia

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (April 21, 2003)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

John Herbert Talley  Chattanooga, TN

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute cocaine base; use of a communications facility to wit: the telephone, to facilitate the commission a felony (two counts); Eastern District of Tennessee

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (December 4, 1995)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

David Anthony Trotter  Pensacola, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; Northern District of Florida

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (October 15, 1993)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

Fulton Leroy Washington  Compton, CA

Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture phencyclidine; possession of piperidinocyclohexane-carbonitrile with intent to manufacture PCP; attempt to manufacture PCP; Central District of California

Sentence: Life imprisonment; five years' supervised release (October 10, 1997)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

Bill Westcott  Candler, NC

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; Middle District of Florida

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (December 19, 1991)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016

Other sentences

Jasmine Allen  Bunnell, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; manage or control a residence for the purpose of unlawfully manufacturing, storing and distributing a controlled substance; distribution of five grams or more of cocaine base; Middle District of Florida

Sentence: 235 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (November 5, 2008); amended to 188 months' imprisonment (February 29, 2016)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Timothy Antjuan Augustus  Hampton, VA

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine base and cocaine; Eastern District of Virginia

Sentence: 210 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (March 1, 2007)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Shannon Lee Blake  Phoenix, AZ

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; District of Wyoming

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release; $1,000 fine (July 2, 2007)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2018.

Aundra Coats  Cleveland, OH

Offense: Distribution of cocaine base; Northern District of Ohio

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 21, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Jacob George Colbert  Richmond, CA

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of cocaine base; District of Minnesota

Sentence: 235 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (December 8, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2018.

Vernon Copeland  Smyrna, GA

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine; laundering of monetary instruments (three counts); Northern District of Georgia

Sentence: 360 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (May 19, 1992)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Wade Cutchen  Newport News, VA

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute heroin and cocaine; possession with intent to distribute heroin; Eastern District of Virginia

Sentence: 324 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (September 15, 2000); amended to 262 months' imprisonment (May 19, 2015)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 2, 2017.

Efrem Rahoman Douglas  Knoxville, TN

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Eastern District of Tennessee

Sentence: 300 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (September 19, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Roy Geer  Tavanier, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to import cocaine; attempt to import cocaine; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; attempt to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; Southern District of Florida

Sentence: 252 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release, $8,500 fine (May 24, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Jamal Hanson  Temple Hills, MD

Offense: 1. Distribution of 50 grams or more of cocaine base; District of Columbia 2. Possession of contraband in federal prison; District of New Jersey

Sentence: 1. 262 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (August 2, 2002) 2. Eight months imprisonment (July 16, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Antonio Nicholas Hill  Taylors, SC

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; District of South Carolina

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 15, 2006)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Carla Yvette Holte  Largo, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; distribution of five grams or more of cocaine base (two counts); possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; Middle District of Florida

Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (November 2, 2001)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2018.

Corey D. Howard  Indianapolis, IN

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute in excess of five kilograms of cocaine (mixture); Southern District of Indiana

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release; $2,000 fine (February 9, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Joseph John Jones  Tarpon Springs, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture containing cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Middle District of Florida

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (August 6, 2007)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Twaine Jones  Washington Park, IL

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride; possession with intent to distribute marijuana; Southern District of Illinois

Sentence: 360 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release, $5,000 fine (November 6, 2000); amended to 324 months' imprisonment (October 29, 2008)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Abbas Rauf Kareem  Daytona Beach, FL

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Middle District of Florida

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 12, 2008)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2018.

Tomma Jean Kent  Des Moines, IA

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; Southern District of Iowa

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (September 21, 2007)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2018.

Rick Lee Lamere  Bellingham, WA

Offense: Conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute; District of Montana

Sentence: 460 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (January 13, 2005); amended to 320 months' imprisonment, 10 years' supervised release (January 11, 2007)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2018.

Ohara Linear Laws  Houston, TX

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Southern District of Texas

Sentence: 282 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (September 19, 2003); amended to 240 months' imprisonment (May 8, 2008)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Larry Lewis  Pensacola, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Northern District of Florida

Sentence: 360 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release; $1,000 fine (October 20, 1999); amended to 324 months imprisonment (June 18, 2006); amended to 262 months' imprisonment (July 2, 2015)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2017.

Trevis Love  Harriman, TN

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; Eastern District of Tennessee

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 27, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Leonard Mason  Claymont, DE

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine; Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release; $2,500 fine (February 2, 2011)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Christopher Dale Masters  Broken Bow, OK

Offense: Maintaining a place for purpose of manufacturing, distributing, and using methamphetamine; Eastern District of Oklahoma

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release (March 10, 2005); amended to 235 months' imprisonment (February 29, 2016)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Stanford Mathis  Valdosta, GA

Offense: Distribution of more than 50 grams of cocaine base; Middle District of Georgia

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (December 18, 2003)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Maurice Matthews  Katy, TX

Offense: Distribution of 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Eastern District of Louisiana

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (April 29, 2009)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Michael Tyree Mays  North Las Vegas, NV

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine; Central District of California

Sentence: 360 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (May 13, 1999)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2018.

Jerome Lee Menefee  Montgomery, AL

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Central District of California

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (October 24, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Michelle Miles  Brooklyn, NY

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base; distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; Eastern District of New York

Sentence: 360 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (March 24, 2000)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Troy Lamar Morton  Iron Station, NC

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana; Western District of North Carolina

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (November 18, 2003)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 5, 2018.

Cintheia Denise Parra  Memphis, TN

Offense: Possess with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of methamphetamine; Northern District of Mississippi

Sentence: 235 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (September 21, 2006); amended to 188 months' imprisonment (March 18, 2015)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Gerardo Gilberto Rivera  Brownsville, TX

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 11.02 kilograms of methamphetamine; Southern District of Texas

Sentence: 235 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (June 8, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Alberto A. Rosales, Sr.  Miami, FL

Offense: Continuing criminal enterprise; importation of marijuana; attempted importation of marijuana; possession with intent to distribute heroin (three counts); Southern District of Florida

Sentence: 85 years' imprisonment; three years' special parole (March 29, 1989); amended to 70 years' imprisonment (October 28, 1992)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Artrez Nyroby Seymour  Chicago Heights, IL

Offense: Narcotics conspiracy; Northern District of Illinois

Sentence: 300 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (September 21, 2005); amended to 240 months' imprisonment (March 3, 2016)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Lavelle Span  Milwaukee, WI

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; distribution of cocaine base (two counts); Western District of Wisconson

Sentence: 372 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (May 26, 1999)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Jerome Clarence Sumral  Los Angeles, CA

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; District of Hawaii

Sentence: 20 years' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 20, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Golden Sutton  Henderson, KY

Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of cocaine base; possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; Southern District of Indiana

Sentence: 300 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (October 28, 2002)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Derrick Terry  Chicago, IL

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Northern District of Illinois

Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (January 29, 2003)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Jedrek W. Underwood  Houston, TX

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base and aiding and abetting; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Southern District of Texas

Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (March 8, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Chela H. Urbina  Boynton Beach, FL

Offense: 1. Conspiracy to import cocaine; importation of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute a mixture containing cocaine (Southern District of Florida) 2. Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics (Southern District of New York)

Sentence: 1. 360 months imprisonment; five years supervised release (November 14, 1995) 2. 27 months imprisonment (concurrent); three years supervised release (May 1, 1997)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on September 2, 2016.

Wayland Thomas Wilson  Dallas, TX

Offense: Conspiracy; use of a communication facility (three counts); money laundering and aiding and abetting; Northern District of Texas

Sentence: 444 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release; $25,000 fine (November 12, 1993)
New jail is part of

Australia's biggest jail housing 5,000 criminals will be built in Sydney's south-west as the NSW government plans to shut down Long Bay Jail and sell off its seafront land.

The new mega-jail will be built at one of three sites in Wollondilly, 90 kilometres from Sydney, as a way to deal with overcrowding in the NSW prison system, the Daily Telegraph reports.

It will replace Sydney's Long Bay jail at Malabar, which will be sold for its prime real estate.

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Australia's biggest jail housing 5,000 criminals will be built at Wollondilly in Sydney's south-west as the NSW government plans to shut down Long Bay Jail (pictured) and sell off its seafront land

'Long Bay is a prime bit of real estate with close access to the eastern beaches, the airport and the city,' Corrections Minister David Elliott said.

'I've long held the view that prisoners should not have the enjoyment of a seaside setting.'

Mr Elliott said in a statement that Long Bay would not close until the new prison is operational.

The new prison, which will have the same population as the town of Byron Bay, will be both privately built and managed.

Mr Elliot said it was part of the government's plan to cater for the rising prisoner population and better manage and reform inmates

Corrections Minister David Elliott said in a statement that Long Bay (pictured) would not close until the new prison is operational

The plan was revealed after Premier Mike Baird quashed Mr Elliot's bid to house up to 300 prisoners by temporarily reopening Parramatta jail in Sydney's west.

The Parramatta proposal was opposed by Planning Minister Rob Stokes and local MP Geoff Lee following fears it could interfere with the light rail and extension of Westmead Hospital.

About 3,000 apartments are also set to be developed near Parramatta jail.

Long Bay Jail has a population of about 1,200 prisoners. Australia's largest prison is the Acacia facility in Perth, which holds 1,426 inmates.
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Jeremy Corbyn has been branded 'not credible' by a member of his own shadow cabinet after the leader's allies claimed disastrous election results were a 'remarkable success'.

Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray spoke out after Mr Corbyn's first big electoral test saw the party lose council seats in England and put to the sword by the SNP and Tories in Scotland.

Moderates queued up to condemn the leadership, saying the lack of progress south of the border and worst Scottish showing for more than a century was evidence it could not mount a realistic challenge at the next general election.

The veteran left-winger's own deputy Tom Watson admitted Labour was in a 'serious' situation as he pleaded for potential rebels to give him more time, while shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray complained it was not 'credible'.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in Sheffield today, a safe seat where the party won a by-election. He told activists that the party had defied predictions and 'hung on' in the round of elections

With all 129 seats declared in Scotland, Labour had lost 13 seats - shedding constituencies to the SNP and even the Tories. The party has lost 25 council seats overall in England so far

But Mr Corbyn himself hailed the fact that his party had 'hung on' and shadow chancellor John McDonnell insisted it had performed 'well' and things were going to plan.

With 113 out of 124 English council elections declared, Labour has lost control of just one authority and dropped 25 seats.

However, it was still the worst showing by an Opposition party since the 1980s and critics pointed out that the Tories are in turmoil over the looming EU referendum.

In Scotland, where Mr Corbyn's allies had claimed his anti-austerity and anti-Trident stances would play well, the party has been humiliated by the SNP and beaten into third by the Conservatives.

The performance has not been worse since 1910, before women and men had equal voting rights.

But Nicola Sturgeon's dream of a second independence referendum is over for now after the First Minister lost her overall majority.

There was also a major breakthrough for UKIP, who have gained 26 seats and even won in Wales for the first time with Nigel Farage saying his party has taken votes hand-over-fist from Labour because of the 'Corbyn effect'.

In a crumb of comfort for Labour Sadiq Khan has been elected Mayor of London ahead of Tory Zac Goldsmith  though the Tooting MP has been careful to distance himself from the party leader.

On an extraordinary election night across the UK it was revealed:

Labour avoided forecasts of huge losses in England, only losing control of one council. But it was still the worst election performance by any opposition party for more than 30 years

Party made no major gains anywhere in the UK despite Tory civil war over June EU referendum

Labour was humiliated in Scotland, where the Tories replaced it as the official opposition. Nicola Sturgeon won an historic third term for the SNP but the chances of another independence referendum have receded after she fell short of an overall majority

Sadiq Khan defeated Tory rival Zac Goldsmith in the battle to become Mayor of London. But there have been claims the Labour candidate will refuse to appear with Mr Corbyn to celebrate his victory

Ukip has picked up seven seats in Wales and raided Labour votes to grab 27 more council seats, triggering warnings that the party has been 'complacent' about the threat posed by Nigel Farage. Controversial former Tory MP Neil Hamilton was among those elected to the Welsh assembly

The surge by the Eurosceptic party meant Labour failed to gain an overall majority in Wales, falling two seats short of the 31 it needed

Labour's anti-Semitism row has hurt the party at the polls, with strong swings against it in heavily Jewish areas

After 113 of 124 councils declared results, Labour has lost 25 seats, Tories have lost 35, Lib Dems have won 38, Ukip have won 26 and the Greens have lost one

With all seats declared in Scotland, the SNP has lost 6, Labour 13, Tories have gained 16, Lib Dems were unchanged and the Greens have picked up an extra four

Mr Corbyn stressed that Labour had avoided some of the most dire forecasts. 'All across England last night we were getting predictions that Labour was going to lose councils. We didn't, we hung on and we grew support in a lot of places,' he told activists.

With all 129 seats declared in Scotland, Labour had lost 13 seats - shedding representation to the SNP and even the Tories

'There is a lot of building to do in Scotland, we are going to be with you, we are going to walk hand in hand with our party in Scotland to build that support once again so that the Labour tradition in Scotland will be re-established once again.

He added: 'I'm sure I can send a message on behalf of everybody here to our colleagues in Scotland: We are with you.'

The Labour leadership was given some comfort by figures for predicted national vote share (PNS) calculated by polling guru Professor John Curtice. They suggested the party had a slender advantage across the country, on 31 per cent to 30 per cent for the Tories, 15 per cent for the Lib Dems and 12 per cent for Ukip.

But MPs pointed out that Oppositions typically needed a double-digit at this stage in the electoral cycle to be on course for victory at the general election. And a slew of senior figures hit out at Mr Corbyn's performance as leader over his first eight months in the job.

Shadow Scottish secretary Mr Murray said the leadership needed to reflect on the 'super Thursday' election results which saw the party crash into third place behind the Tories in Scotland while failing to make gains in England.

'I don't think that the public see the UK Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn at the moment as being a credible party of future government in 2020,' Mr Murray, Labour's only MP in Scotland, told BBC Radio 4's the World at One.

'That's something, after this week's results, we should reflect on, the leadership of the party should reflect on - and find a way of finding a strategy and a narrative that changes the perception of the UK Labour Party across the United Kingdom so that we can go on and have a real shot at winning in 2020.'

Mr Murray told BBC Scotland Radio earlier: 'I was promised a Jeremy Corbyn bounce when he became leader of the Labour Party at UK level and I'm not sure we've seen it. In fact we probably have seen a bounce but it's the wrong way.'

Setback: Jeremy Corbyn, pictured left leaving his home today, has been told the 'clock is ticking' after his party was trounced by Nicola Sturgeon's SNP, right in Glasgow. However, she will be unable to argue for a second independence referendum after losing her majority

Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie told MailOnline Mr Corbyn seemed to have his 'fingers in his ears'.

'There is always a time to put a brave face on things but the truth is we shouldn't be moving backwards, we should be going forwards,' he said.

'These results ought to be a wake up call. Basically the public is saying pull your socks up, stop focusing on niche issues.Talk to the broader public.'

The Prime Minister seized on the 'historic' results in Scotland with a post on Twitter

Mr Leslie said the leadership should not be trying to slap down critics. 'If they think this is doing well, I would hate to see what doing badly looks like,' the MP said. 'David Cameron is giving happy smiley comments. He has got his feet up, he is having a good time.'

Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox, who nominated Mr Corbyn for leader, said the results were 'not good enough'. While she did not support an immediate challenge to Mr Corbyn's position, she warned: 'The clock is ticking.'

'This is not a route back to power in 2020 for the Labour party so I think it's actually been an incredibly disappointing night for us  Labour activists have been pounding the streets for the last few months.'

Ukip leader Nigel Farage said the early results suggested it would be a 'great night' for Ukip, pointing to 'strong performances' in the north east and in Wales

Backbencher Neil Coyle said he now regretted giving Mr Corbyn his nomination, as he said Labour was 'moving away from government' under his leadership.

He blamed the 'fixation' of senior figures around the leader on 'peripheral' issues like unilateral nuclear disarmament for the party's failure to break through.

He added: 'We've fallen back from where we need to be.'

Veteran MP David Winnick said: 'The party faces a crisis and the onus is on Jeremy himself. He should decide whether his leadership is helping or hindering the party. I think all the evidence shows that it is not helping.'

And Bassetlaw MP John Mann said the Scottish result was 'cataclysmic' for Labour, adding that it was clear that the recent row over anti-Semitism had cost the party votes in the Jewish community.

Mr Mann said Labour should have been enjoying a 'landslide' victory, but told the BBC: 'It is clear that the Jewish vote, which for generations in families has been Labour, has gone against Labour tonight.

'We have seen that in Bury, we have seen it in Glasgow, I think we will see it tomorrow in parts of London.

'This is a huge challenge - it's going to define Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. He has to lead from the front and get on top of this problem.'

'The question we have to look at is we were all told Jeremy was going to be bring in these five million voters who haven't voted before.

'It's not happening  it hasn't happened. Things haven't changed. We haven't got those new voters coming out at all. We need to look deep and hard at why hasn't that clarion call from Jeremy worked?

'Negative for us as it's been for the last few years is immigration. There's no question about it, it's losing us votes and we do lose votes round here especially to Ukip.'

What a difference five years makes: Maps comparing this morning's election results in Scotland with 2011 show losses for the Labour party

Prime Minister David Cameron heaped praise on Ms Davidson for her role in securing the 'historic' result in Scotland, saying if anyone had told him five years ago the Tories would overhaul Labour he would have thought they were on drugs.

Speaking to activists in Peterborough, Mr Cameron said waiting for council results when you were in power was usually like anticipating the 'hangman's noose'. It was extraordinary that six years into government the party still had the most councillors in England, he said.

'People, I think, look at the big picture,' he said. 'They want us to go on delivering what we promised in our manifesto.'

He joked that if someone had told him five years ago that the Tories would recover so strongly in Scotland 'I would have told them to go away, lie down, stop taking whatever they were taking, and come back and tell me what they really thought'.

Mr Cameron and Ms Sturgeon congratulated each other in a phone call this afternoon.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage said it was a 'great night' for his party, pointing to 'strong performances' in the north east and in Wales.

He added: 'I've been going back and forth to Wales paying those ridiculous tolls, looks like it'll be worth it.'

He told Sky News that Labour support was suffering because it had been taken over by a 'hard left caucus'.

Urging Mr Corbyn to 'start broadening our appeal,' Mr Mann said: 'Let me say that this speculation about a challenge to Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, it was my view a month ago and a day ago that shouldn't be one. It's my view today that there shouldn't be one. What we need is him to get on top of the big issues and start broadening our appeal.

'We should have been winning by a landslide across the country with the way this Tory government's been acting and the way they've dealt with the country, the collapse in economic confidence.

'We're doing okay, not bad results, we're holding our own, but we should be doing dramatically better than this.

'But now is not the time for any challenge and that's the view as well of virtually all of my colleagues who I speak to who the media might call somewhat critical of some of Jeremy's policies. So that isn't going to happen.'

Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson insisted there were 'crumbs of comfort' in the results for Labour.

'The pundits said we would lose every seat in Scotland and we managed to retain a few and even make a gain.

'And the key focus for us was in the English local government seats which are the key seats in the areas which we need to win back in the march to the 2020 election.

'And there is some cause for hope in seats like Harlow, Redditch and Southampton - areas we need to make sure we win back, in the parliamentary sense, in 2020,' he told BBC Breakfast.

Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray

John Ferrett, leader of Portsmouth's Labour council group, launched a scathing attack on the leadership, saying the party's vote was collapsing to Ukip due to the 'Corbyn effect'.

He told BBC Radio 4 that Mr Corbyn was 'incompetent' and 'incapable of giving the leadership we need'.

Moderate Labour MP Mike Gapes also expressed anger at Mr Corbyn this morning.

He tweeted: 'Labour losing seats in first year of opposition after Tory fiasco of recent weeks is very bad. Where is straight talking, honest politics?,' he added, mocking the leadership's election slogan.

Meanwhile, shadow cabinet minister Andy Burnham confirmed he was considering a run for the mayoralty of Greater Manchester, in a move that is likely to be interpreted as a mark of pessimism about Labour's prospects of seizing power in Westminster at the next election.

Key Corbyn ally John McDonnell insisted Labour had done 'well' in the elections and critics should 'put up or shut up'.

'I've been talking to Labour party members all over the country, they're saying ... for goodness sake, get behind the leader of the Labour Party that was democratically elected.

'It's time to put up or shut up. I think most Labour party members are saying look, you're damaging our campaign by the continuous carping.

'I've never been in a situation where two days before a poll a group of them are talking to the media about a leadership coup  and yet we still do well. Look, get behind us and stop carping, there's room for everyone in this Labour party, everyone can make a constructive contribution, that's what we expect them to do.'

He added later: 'I think we've had a remarkable success.

'Pundits were predicting we'd be losing hundreds of seats and we haven't, in fact we have gained many.'

Ms Cox told the BBC: 'Jeremy needs to personally recognise that this isn't good enough.

'He needs to take responsibility, he needs to set out a route map to power in 2020, and let's rally first and foremost around the EU referendum.

'We need to look very hard at what's gone wrong in the last eight months and put it right.'

Asked if she expected a leadership challenge, Ms Cox said: 'Nobody is talking about that now and I don't think it is the right course of action, but the clock is ticking.

'Jeremy needs to convince members up and down the country that we have a strategy to get back into power. We need to be winning on days like this and we need to make sure that people starting listening to what the Labour Party is offering.'

Mr Coyle told the BBC that after six years of a Conservative-led government Labour 'shouldn't be losing seats, it's as simple as that'.

And he added: 'We are moving further away from government, I think, because we seem to be fixated on some issues that are peripheral and we seem to have a team which isn't projecting either unity within the party or a vision and policies that the voters want.'

Criticism: Labour MP John Mann (pictured) said Labour had lost votes to Ukip because of the party's poor record on immigration - Nigel Farage, right today, said that the 'Corbyn effect' helped them to another excellent night at the polls

ANDY BURNHAM MAY GO FOR MANCHESTER MAYOR JOB AFTER TWO LEADERSHIP FAILURES Andy Burnham is considering standing to be mayor of Greater Manchester after a series of failed leadership bids. Mr Burnham's spokesman said 'approaches have been made' over running for the role in next May's election to install the region's first directly elected mayor. He has served as MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester since 2001 and the role would give him the chance for one of the biggest jobs in local government in England. The Shadow Home Secretary failed to beat Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership battle last summer and lost credibility after a series of humiliating U-turns on policy and direction during the campaign. He first attempted to brand himself as the modernising candidate in the Labour leadership election but as Mr Corbyn's popularity rose, he swerved to the left and pitched himself as the radical left-wing candidate. Seconds after the polls shut in elections across the UK last night, Mr Burnham's spokesman said: 'Approaches have been made to Andy Burnham to give consideration to this role. 'It is early days and no decision has been taken. Whatever the decision, he will continue to serve the leader of the party and stay in the shadow cabinet.' Advertisement

Mr Coyle denied that his intervention was part of an anti-Corbyn 'coup', but said it was time for the leader to widen his inner circle to increase 'diversity' of opinions.

Former cabinet minister Lord Hain said Labour was 'not showing the kind of momentum you would have expected' after a 'disastrous' Budget and with the Conservatives split over Europe.

'The leadership has to show that it can win the centre ground, as well as doing what Jeremy has done very effectively in bringing the left back into the party,' he told the BBC.

'What he hasn't shown anything like an ability to do is win the centre ground votes that we need to win a general election.'

Former MP Huw Irranca-Davies, who triggered the Ogmore by-election by quitting Parliament to stand for a Welsh Assembly seat, predicted that other Labour figures would turn their backs on Westminster.

He told Sky News: 'I don't think this will be the end of it. I think more will look for opportunities of serving their party, their communities, their country, in different ways in different places, and that's a good thing.'

Moderate Labour MPs  who have spent the last eight months complaining bitterly about Mr Corbyn's leadership  said that if the party did not gain seats it would be a 'disaster'.

Earlier this week, Mr Corbyn declared that 'we are not going to lose seats, we are looking to gain seats where we can'.

But only a day later, his official spokesman said the comments had been 'misinterpreted' and should not be taken as a prediction of what might happen.

Anticipating a disastrous night north of the border, insiders described rebuilding the party in Scotland as a 'long-term project'.

Former leadership contender Liz Kendall  ramping up pressure on Mr Corbyn  has said Labour should be aiming to gain at least 400 council seats.

Leaked Labour local government analysis of results dating back to 1974 shows the average council election gains for an opposition party in a non-general election year is 434 seats.

The last time a party in that situation lost seats was Labour in 1985, when it was tearing itself apart over the Militant group.

Average gains for new opposition leaders is 515 seats.

For parties heading for a general election victory, the average gain is 526.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon enjoys her night as the Glasgow count meanwhile in Edinburgh this Labour candidate slept as his party was thrashed

Tired faces were seen at counts across the UK as volunteers waited for ballot papers, including in Harlow, Essex (pictured)

The Tories managed to gain 256 council seats in 1998, when Tony Blair was at the height of his popularity, and won a further 1,344 seats in 1999 as Labour lost 1,161.

While officials tried to focus on the vote yesterday, Labour continued to be engulfed by the anti-semitism row.

In a sign of deep party splits, it emerged there had been the same number of complaints about Mr Mann challenging Ken Livingstone over his remarks, as there had been complaints about anti-semitism itself.

The suspension of prominent Corbyn cheerleader Jackie Walker, over allegations she said 'many Jews' were chief financiers of the slave trade, took the total suspended party activists to 19.

A Survation poll for the Jewish Chronicle showed Labour's support among Jews has fallen from 18 per cent at the last general election to 8.5 per cent.

Labour MPs were last night sharpening the knives for Jeremy Corbyn (pictured left at his polling station in Islington yesterday) amid predictions of the worst performance by an opposition party for 30 years. Meanwhile David Cameron (pictured with his wife Samantha visiting their local polling station in Westminster today) is hoping to win key council seats off Labour in England and could even replace Labour as the opposition party in Scotland

ENGLAND LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS (LISTED A-Z) Adur - Awaiting results Amber Valley - Awaiting results Barnsley - Awaiting results Basildon - No Overall Control (NOC) no change Basingstoke & Deane - Con Hold Birmingham - Lab hold Blackburn with Darwen - Lab hold Bolton - Lab hold Bradford -Lan hold Brentwood - Con hold Bristol - Awaiting results Broxbourne - Con hold Burnley -Lab hold Bury - Lab hold Calderdale - NOC no change Cambridge - Lab hold Cannock Chase - Lab hold Carlisle - Lab hold Castle Point - Con hold Cheltenham - Awaiting results Cherwell - Awaiting results Chorley - Lab hold Colchester - NOC no change Coventry - Lab hold Craven - Con hold Crawley - Lab hold Daventry - Con hold Derby - Lab hold Dudley - Lab lose to NOC Eastleigh - Lib Dem hold Elmbridge - Awaiting results Epping Forest - Awaiting results Exeter - Lab hold Fareham - Con hold Gateshead - Awaiting results Gloucester - Awaiting results Gosport - Con hold Great Yarmouth - NOC no change Halton - Lab hold Harlow - Lab hold Harrogate - Con hold Hart - NOC no change Hartlepool - Lab hold Hastings - Lab hold Havant - Con hold Huntingdonshire - Awaiting results Hyndburn -Lab hold Ipswich - Lab hold Kingston-upon-Hull - Lab hold Kirklees - NOC no change Knowsley - Lab hold Leeds - Lab hold Lincoln - Lab hold Liverpool - Lab hold Maidstone - Awaiting results Manchester - Lab hold Milton Keynes - NOC no change Mole Valley - Awaiting results Newcastle-under-Lyme - NOC no change Newcastle-upon-Tyne - Lab hold North East Lincolnshire - NOC no change North Hertfordshire - Con hold North Tyneside - Awaiting results Norwich - Lab hold Nuneaton & Bedworth - Lab hold Oldham - Lab hold Oxford - Lab hold Pendle - NOC no change Peterborough - Con gain from NOC Plymouth - NOC no change Portsmouth - NOC no change Preston - Lab hold Reading - Lab hold Redditch - Lab hold Reigate & Banstead - Awaiting results Rochdale - Lab hold Rochford - Awaiting results Rossendale - Lab hold Rotherham - Awaiting results Rugby - NOC no change Runnymede - Con hold Rushmoor - Con hold Salford - Lab hold Sandwell - Lab hold Sefton - Lab hold Sheffield - Awaiting results Slough - Lab hold Solihull - Con hold South Cambridgeshire - Con hold South Lakeland - Lib Dem hold South Tyneside - Lab hold Southampton - Lab hold Southend-on-Sea - NOC no change St Albans - Con hold St Helens - Lab hold Stevenage - Lab hold Stockport - NOC no change Stroud - Awaiting results Sunderland - Lab hold Swindon - Con hold Tameside - Lab hold Tamworth - Con hold Tandridge - Con hold Three Rivers - Awaiting results Thurrock - NOC no change Trafford - Con hold Tunbridge Wells - Con hold Wakefield - Lab hold Walsall - NOC no change Warrington - Awaiting results Watford - Awaiting results Welwyn Hatfield - Con hold West Lancashire - Lab hold West Oxfordshire - Con hold Weymouth & Portland - NOC no change Wigan - Lab hold Winchester - Awaiting results Wirral - Lab hold Woking - Awaiting results Wokingham - Con hold Wolverhampton - Lab hold Worcester - Con lose to NOC Worthing - Awaiting results Wyre Forest - Con hold Advertisement

One voter in Glasgow decided to spoil their ballot paper by scrawling 'all crooks' on the voting card

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Corbyn's party suffers near-wipeout in Scotland but chances of fresh independence referendum fade after SNP fails to get overall majority

The SNP failed to secure a second overall majority at Holyrood today dealing a heavy blow to its plans to restart the campaign for Scottish independence.

Nicola Sturgeon faces a new term as First Minister having failed to match the historic achievement of her predecessor Alex Salmond five years ago.

The SNP lost six seats overall while the unionist Conservative Party surged into second place with an extraordinary 16 gains.

Ruth Davidson will be the leader of the opposition and led the fight against a second independence referendum during the Scottish elections.

The Labour Party was devastated as Scottish politics realigned along nationalist-unionist lines, leaving leader Kezia Dugdale relying on a list seat to get into the Scottish Parliament.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, arriving at the Scottish Parliament election count at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow

Before the final results were achieved, Ms Sturgeon declared victory and claimed an 'historic' achievement as the SNP secured a third term in power.

But the new opposition leader, Tory Ruth Davidson, said Scotland's voice would not be ignored and hit out at proposals for a second referendum.

She said: 'I hope the message that was resonating was of being a strong opposition, of holding the SNP to account, to saying no to a second independence referendum.'

But the chances of a fresh referendum on Scottish independence appear to have receded after the nationalists only secured 63 seats - two short of an overall majority.

The SNP's likely allies in the new parliament, the Greens, are not thought to be supportive of staging another poll on the issue.

Nicola Sturgeon (pictured in Glasgow this morning) pledged to govern for the whole of Scotland after results indicated her SNP party were on course to win a historic third term at the Holyrood Parliament

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson with her partner Jen Wilson, pictured, who had a great night, but Labour rival Kezia Dugdale (pictured at the Edinburgh count with her partner Louise Riddell), suffered disaster

The nationalists, led by Nicola Sturgeon, who retained her Glasgow Southside constituency, remain on track to increase their majority and secure a historic third term. Above, SNP activists celebrate at the Glasgow count this morning

Campaigners mounted a legal challenge to his result in the 2015 general election, after he lied over the leaking of a memo which falsely claimed Nicola Sturgeon had told the French ambassador she would prefer Conservative leader David Cameron to the then Labour leader Ed Miliband as prime minister.

Labour are preparing for more woe in Wales, where an exit poll showed the party is on course to lose control of the Welsh Assembly.

The party is set to lose three seats, according to the ITV poll, while Ukip is expected to pick up its first seats in Wales and could win as many as eight.

Labour's Carwyn Jones looked set to remain First Minister in Wales, but may have to seek a coalition partner as the party struggled to maintain its overall majority in the Welsh Assembly.

Mr Jones ruled out a pact with Tories or Ukip, but indicated he would be ready to consider working with Plaid or the Liberal Democrats.

Labour hangs on as largest party in Wales - but suffer stunning loss as Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood seizes Rhondda stronghold

Labour is has remained the largest party in the Welsh Assembly but suffered a bitter blow after losing one of its stronghold seats to Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood.

The party, led by Carwyn Jones held on to a number of safe seats as well as seeing off a challenge from the Liberal Democrats in the marginal seat of Cardiff Central.

But it suffered a surprise loss in Rhondda, where Ms Wood won with nearly 3,500 more votes than Labour cabinet minister Leighton Andrews Andrews.

Surprise victory: Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood, pictured centre, seized control of the Rhondda seat

Meanwhile Ukip has won its first seats in the Welsh Assembly, with controversial former Tory MP Neil Hamilton among those representing the party.

Labour secured 29 seats in the Welsh Assembly, two short of the 31 it needed for an overall majority. Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives ended up virtually neck-and-neck, with 12 and 11 seats respectively.

Labour's shock defeat in Rhondda represents a loosening of control over the south Wales heartlands.

Ms Wood, who was not expected to beat Labour cabinet minister Leighton Andrews said the victory indicated that a 'new dawn is about to break in Wales'.

She said: 'To win here, in the Rhondda, to win where you've lived all your life and grown up is a real honour. A new dawn is about to break in Wales. People have voted for change.'

Former secretary of state for Wales Lord Hain told the BBC the result was 'a terrible shock for us in Welsh Labour'.

And in the constituency vote there were cheers of relief for the Liberal Democrats, who avoided a total wipeout after leader Kirsty Williams's emphatic victory in Brecon and Radnorshire.

As well as increasing her share of the vote, her 15,898 votes were more than double those of the second-placed Tory candidate.

She said: 'It will take a long time to rebuild the party, but I'm really proud that rebuild begins here.'

London Tories hit out at Zac Goldsmith's anti-Muslim campaign as final poll hands Sadiq Khan a 14-point lead in race for mayor

Senior Tories have hit out at Zac Goldsmith for running an 'outrageous' anti-Muslim campaign as an election day poll handed Sadiq Khan a huge 14-point lead in the London mayoral vote.

Andrew Boff, the Conservative leader on the Greater London assembly, said Mr Goldsmith's strategy to attack Mr Khan for his links to Muslim 'extremists' in the race to replace Boris Johnson in City Hall was a mistake.

And in a remarkable broadside on the Tory mayoral candidate, Mr Boff said his party's tactics could damage relations with the Muslim community.

The London mayoral candidates, Labour's Sadiq Khan with his wife left, and Tory Zac Goldsmith with his wife Alice, right, both emerged to vote early today. They face a long wait for a declaration as the City Hall race will not be counted until tomorrow

The negative campaign run by the Tories looks set to have failed as a YouGov survey suggested Mr Khan is likely to be 11 points clear of his rival on the first round of voting before he finishes even further ahead once other candidates are eliminated.

The poll indicates Mr Khan is set to shake off the toxic anti-Semitism row which has engulfed Labour for the past week.

Senior Conservative sources admitted Mr Khan was likely to win.

The final poll on the London Mayoral race, released today by the Evening Standard, suggested a big win for Mr Khan in the final round run off for City Hall

Boris Johnson and his wife Marina voted near their Islington home today as his two terms as Mayor drew to a close

Minutes after the polls closed in the London mayoral election last night, Mr Boff criticised Mr Goldsmith's strategy for focussing on Mr Khan's apparent links with radical Muslims, telling the BBC: 'It was effectively saying that people of conservative religious views are not to be trusted and you should not share a platform with them. That's outrageous.'

He added Mr Goldsmith had 'done real damage' and had 'blown up bridges' that the Tories had built with London's Muslim communities, adding it was a mistake to 'equate people of conservative religious views with sympathising with terrorism'.

'I mentioned that I thought this was a mistake for future integration in London. If you are a London politician this is just a bizarre thing to do,' he said.

'I do believe it's going to affect Conservatives at the sharp end, especially in those parts of London where there is a high Muslim population.'

In other elections yesterday - dubbed 'super Thursday' because of how many polls are taking place - around 40 new police and crime commissioners will be elected and mayors will also be chosen in Bristol, Salford and Liverpool.

Two House of Commons by-elections also took place, with Labour retaining safe seats in Ogmore and Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough.

Counting in London did not begin until 8am Friday and the successor to Boris Johnson is expected to be declared sometime this afternoon.

The final poll, by YouGov for the Evening Standard, suggested a comfortable win for Mr Khan today - forecasting a 57 per cent to 43 per cent margin for the Labour candidate.

In another blow for Mr Corbyn, one of his most prominent and vocal supporters announced she had voted for someone else.

Charlotte Church, who performed at a tour in support of the new Labour leader, revealed she had backed Plaid Cymru in today's Welsh Assembly elections.

The singer tweeted: '@Plaid_Cymru all the way for me today!!!'

Voters in the London Borough of Barnet reported problems at polling stations yesterday and said they were being turned away and told to come back later.

David and Samantha Cameron both turned out to vote in the London Mayoral election earlier today

Several people reported on Twitter that polling station staff admitted to not having up to date voter lists - meaning it was impossible to check voters who arrived without polling cards were at the right polling station.

Some voters said they were able to vote with a polling card but others said they were still turned away.

Conor Pope said: 'People in Barnet being turned away and told to come back later because polling stations have wrong voter lists.'

Elizabeth Burling said: 'Unable to vote in Barnet, despite having polling cards, as ''not on the list''.'

But Robert Rams insisted he had been unable to vote without difficult adding: 'Don't know what all the fuss is about.'

Earlier this week Labour was forced to walk back a prediction from Mr Corbyn that he would not lose any council seats in the polls.

Asked if Mr Corbyn stood by his forecast, a spokesman said: 'I think that may have been slightly misinterpreted - what he said was he would make no predictions about the number of seats to be won or lost in the local elections.

'We are not in the business of losing seats and we are fighting to win as many as possible tomorrow.'

Told that was not what Mr Corbyn had said, the spokesman added: 'I'm just explaining, the previous sentence was he was making no predictions about seats being gained or lost.'

A Benedictine Monk from Pluscarden Abbey leaves a polling station in Miltonduff, Moray, after voting in the Scottish Parliament election today

More than 2,700 council seats, mopre than 40 police and crime commissioners and two House of Commons constituencies are also up for grabs in today's elections

Asked if Mr Corbyn had 'misspoken', the spokesman said: 'I'm telling you what he was intending to say.

'He was saying we are not in the business of losing seats, I'm telling you what he has said everywhere else.'

He insisted: 'We are not making predictions about seat losses or gains, that is what he was saying yesterday and will continue to say.

'We will be fighting for every seat that we can win.'

Polling stations were open across the country from 7am today, including inside this portakabin on Bury New Road for local elections in Sedgeley

Voters went to the polls under sunny skies in Haringey, North London, as today's elections continued

Richmond MP Mr Goldsmith launched a 24 hour last-ditch campaign blitz in a bid to overhaul Mr Khan's advantage, making visits across the capital to venues including a kebab shop, milk round and a street market.

And in the Commons, Mr Cameron used Prime Minister's Questions to ratchet up the pressure on Mr Corbyn over alleged links to Hamas and Hesbollah.

Mr Corbyn initially tried to dodge the issue, insisting: 'I have made it very clear Labour is an anti-racist party and there is no room for anti-Semitism.'

But under intense pressure he then conceded that any group that committed racist or anti-Semitic acts was 'no friend of mine'.

The attack came after Israeli ambassador Mark Regev delivered a thinly-veiled attack on politicians who 'embrace' Hamas, the armed wing of which is banned in Britain as a terrorist group.

Early voters in Barnet reported problems at the polling stations after they were turned away because voter lists were out of date

Despite advice to take polling cards, one voter Elizabeth Burling said she was still turned away from the polling station by staff
Snapchat debuted a taco-themed filter, sales of margaritas are set to soar

Independence Day (September 16) is the real celebration for Mexico

Mexicans commemorate the day but it is not a public holiday

It marks Mexico's triumph over France which helped the US in the Civil War

May 5 is a huge holiday in the US to celebrate all things Mexican

Bars across America are braced for business on Thursday May 5 as the nation celebrates all things Mexican for Cinco de Mayo.

Margarita and taco sales are expected to rocket, as they do every year.

President Barack Obama held his final Cinco de Mayo reception at The White House on Thursday afternoon, with food from the city of Puebla and a performance from rock band Mana.

However, in Mexico the occasion isn't even a public holiday.

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President Barack Obama held his final Cinco de Mayo reception at The White House on Thursday afternoon

Mexican music: Obama invited Guadalajara rock band Mana to perform at the event on Thursday

San Antonio, Texas-based chef Johnny Hernandez in the East Room before serving the El Cinco meal

The day, commonly mistaken by Americans as Mexico's Independence Day, in fact relates to another military victory.

On May 5, 1862, Mexican forces triumphed over the French army in Puebla, a key colonial hub southeast of Mexico City.

It came more than 50 years after gaining independence from the Spanish on September 16, 1821.

The event was significant for Mexico; it was a moment of resilience for the young nation, withstanding foreign intervention.

But it was arguably just as significant - if not more - for America.

Many historians believe that if Mexico had lost the battle of Puebla, it would have had devastating consequences for the outcome of America's Civil War.

The French had been courted by the Confederacy as reinforcements against Union forces.

It is believed Napoleon planned to use Mexico as a tactical base.

WHY AMERICANS LOVE CINCO DE MAYO MORE THAN MEXICANS Ignacio Zaragoza, led Mexican soliders to victory the battle of Puebla in 1862. It meant the French could not claim Mexico as a 'base' from which to support the Confederacy in America's Civil War The day, commonly mistaken by Americans as Mexico's Independence Day, in fact relates to another military victory. On May 5, 1862, Mexican forces triumphed over the French army in Puebla, a key colonial hub southeast of Mexico City. It came more than 50 years after gaining independence from the Spanish on September 16, 1821. The event was significant for Mexico; it was a moment of resilience for the young nation, withstanding foreign intervention. But it was arguably just as significant - if not more - for America. Many historians believe that if Mexico had lost the battle of Puebla, it would have had devastating consequences for the outcome of America's Civil War. The French had been courted by the Confederacy as reinforcements against Union forces. It is believed Napoleon planned to use Mexico as a tactical base. However, losing Puebla proved a setback - supposedly giving the Union enough time to regroup and ultimately triumph. Ignacio Zaragoza, who led the battle of Puebla, declared that the day should be commemorated annually, and ever since Hispanic communities in southern US states have done so. But in Mexico it is not a holiday on the same scale. It is commemorated, not celebrated, and comes just days after Labor Day, which is a public holiday, on May 1.

However, losing Puebla proved a setback - supposedly giving the Union enough time to regroup and ultimately triumph.

Ignacio Zaragoza, who led the battle of Puebla, declared that the day should be commemorated annually, and ever since Hispanic communities in southern US states have done so.

Celebratory filter: Snapchat debuted a taco-themed filter sponsored by Taco Bell, bizarrely turning users' faces into a giant moving taco with eyes

But in Mexico it is not a holiday on the same scale. It is commemorated, not celebrated, and comes just days after Labor Day, which is a public holiday, on May 1.

The real celebration is Independence Day. Even Mother's Day is arguably more of a celebration for Mexicans, with restaurants chock-a-block with children taking their parents for celebratory dinner.

On Thursday, however, Mexico was the theme of the day in America.

Snapchat debuted a taco-themed filter sponsored by Taco Bell, bizarrely turning users' faces into a giant moving taco with eyes.

For the White House celebration, Obama commissioned San Antonio chef Johnny Hernandez to cook Mexican cuisine, featuring food typical of the colonial city of Puebla.

And he hosted rock band Mana - known for their social activism for Latino rights - who performed.

It is not the first time they have performed for Obama, who has lauded their music and their politics in the past.

The quartet from Guadalajara, Jalisco, performed at a campaign event for Obama's 2012 campaign in Las Vegas, Nevada.

'It was a historic moment for the band and a battleground state,' Texas Rep Cesar Blanco, who campaigned for Obama, said at the time.

'It was the first time a world-famous Latino musical group had come and performed with a president.'

They also performed during his inauguration in 2013.

The band members arrived in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to speak at an event titled Latino Talks, which also featured Hispanic celebrities such as Eva Longoria.

Thumbs up: Donald Trump posted a photo to Twitter sitting in front of a taco bowl on Thursday

Speaking against a backdrop of the current presidential race, and Donald Trump's incendiary comments about Mexicans, they band told an audience they are optimistic about the role of Latinos in America, but stressed the need to vocalize their rights.

Alex Gonzalez, the band's drummer, said: 'It's incredible to see how everyday so many Latinos are achieving amazing things in all different levels; sports, arts, politics, the list can go on and on.

'We've been very attached to the Latino community in the U.S and we've seen how it's grown. This tour [Latino Power, starting in September] is about celebrating all the contributions that Latinos have made in this country.'

He added an urge to Latinos to carefully consider their vote this November.

'Vote for the party that you think will contribute for the next four years for your community, to your state, to this amazing country,' he said.

Meanwhile, Trump celebrated Cinco de Mayo by posting a photo of himself sitting in front of a taco bowl on Thursday afternoon.
The mystery surrounded the death of fitness instructor has deepened as search warrants in the murder case reveal she received a 'creepy' message days before her death and was having ongoing financial and marital problems.

Terry Missy Bevers was found dead with puncture wounds to her head and chest at the Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian, Texas, in April as she set up an exercise class.

A suspect carrying tools consistent with the injuries she suffered was spotted on CCTV walking through the church, but no arrests have been made in the case.

But three search warrants released on Thursday reveal that just days before her murder, Bevers received a creepy and strange message from an unknown man on LinkedIn.

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Warrants related to murder of trainer Terri Bevers (left) reveal she and her husband Brandon (right) were having marital and financial struggles before her death

Messages recovered on phones owned by Bevers and her husband Brandon Bevers reveal that they were having problems in their marriage and had been enduring ongoing financial problems, NBCDFW reports.

One arrest warrant said that messages from confirmed to authorities that as well as ongoing financial and marital struggle, there was evidence of intimate/personal relationship(s) external to the marriage.

Authorities have identified potential persons of interest in the case, using target numbers, based on the communication  which includes texts, photographs, videos and deleted messages that were recovered.

The target numbers references in the warrant identified nine people linked to 11 phone numbers.

However, police said they are not considered suspects at this time.

According to the affidavit, the killer may have used a cellphone to record the slaying, the Dallas Morning News reports.

We dont have information that indicates the killer talked to any target numbers, nor do we have specific information to believe the killed video recorded the murder, Midlothian Assistant Police Chief Kevin Johnson said, according to NBC.

Bevers (pictured) received a creepy and strange message from an unknown man on LinkedIn three days before her death

He added that as with any case where a specific suspect is not found immediately, family and friends were initially the focus of the investigation.

Detectives did identify another man who confirmed to police that he had been messaging Bevers on LinkedIn from January until her death.

He said that the messages began on the social network and ultimately became flirtatious and familiar.

Police recovered evidence from his phone and Bevers phone that showed their interactions were intimate and that their conversations had been deleted.

In another warrant, investigators said that a friend of Bevers told them that she had showed her a private message she received on LinkedIn less than three days before she was killed.

Neither of them knew the man who sent it, but the friend said both she and Bevers found it creepy and strange.

However, during a police interview, the friend was unable to recall the name of the man who sent the message.

In a third search warrant, investigators are requesting cellphone date from around the time Bevers was killed.

Police released CCTV footage from inside the church showing the suspect wearing a SWAT uniform

They hope that if her killer was carrying a phone, it could have pinged a tower near the church where she was found, according to NBC.

Meanwhile, Brandon Bevers has spoken out about his wifes death  and said is continuing to co-operate with police and has found strength in this difficult time by turning to God.

'If it wasn't for me leaning on God as heavily as I am right now, OK, there is no way  I would be melted just into this asphalt, he told NBC.

'There is no way the Brandon Bevers before this would be standing here today without me leaning on God, and His word and His direction, like, I find peace in it. It's very comforting. I obtain wisdom from it.'

He also added he had been to visit police officers working on the case as he often likes to talk what he has on his mind.

He also added he had refused to read any reports detailing the injuries his wife sustained before she died.

Bevers was found with puncture wounds to her head and chest at the Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian last month as she set up an exercise class

I haven't even read it, so don't divulge. I haven't even read the story. I saw it and I was unwilling to even...and I'm not even there so don't tell me anything.

Terri Bevers was found dead by one of her bootcamp participants at the church at around 5am on April 18.

Authorities have said they found evidence of forced entry at the church and believe Mrs Bevan may have walked in on a robbery while preparing for her Camp Gladiator fitness class.

They also claimed someone tried to clean up the crime scene.

Her father-in-law Randy (above) took a bloody T-shirt to the dry cleaners just days after she was killed

Police have asked the public to watch the video of surveillance closely to see if they can recognize the walk of the individual and are offering $10,000 for any information about the alleged crime.

Meanwhile, it was revealed last week that her father-in-law took a bloody T-shirt to the dry cleaners just days after she was killed.

Randy Bevers took the stained clothing into the Dry Clean Super Center in Midlothian, Texas, on Friday, insisting the blood belonged to his injured Chihuahua.

He arrived on Friday, four days after daughter-in-law was killed in the church.

According to an affidavit seen by CBS Dallas/Fort Worth , Midlothian police seized a woman's white shirt in a size XXL.

They also obtained a copy of a receipt for the shirt which claims to have 'animal blood all over' it.

Workers from the store contacted police that day, telling authorities that Randy Bevers told them the stains were animal blood.

He told the news station he'd taken his chihuahua to the hospital after it had gotten into a fight with another dog.

There is nothing to suggest the blood came from a human being, but authorities are still waiting for the results from a DNA test.
Britain's worst drink-driving hotspots are in areas with large numbers of migrants from Eastern Europe, it has been revealed.

A new 'league of shame' showed that Boston, Peterborough and Wisbech are all in the top ten places for having motorists banned for boozing.

Each has a large foreign-born population following a huge influx of Eastern Europeans drawn to the area by an abundance of agricultural and factory jobs.

A 'league of shame' shows that Boston in Lincolnshire (pictured), Peterborough and Wisbech are all in the top ten places in the UK for having motorists banned for boozing - and each has a large foreign-born population

Leicester, meanwhile, had three postcode areas in the top ten for drivers banned from the roads since 2011 for the crime of driving or attempting to drive with an alcohol level above the legal limit.

Heading the roll of shame for drink-driving offenders was Croydon, south London, with 687 people losing their licence. In total, 273,070 motorists across the UK were convicted for being over the limit.

The figures were released by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency following Freedom of Information requests.

AA president Edmund King said account had to be taken of the number of breath tests carried out in each police force area. More people being asked to blow in the bag could correspond to more failed tests.

But he said: 'You also have to look at demographic factors. We know that the drink-driving laws are very well understood by UK citizens because of having had years of campaigns at Christmas and the summer.

'East Anglia has a lot of manual workers, agricultural workers, from Eastern Europe and they are much less likely to be aware of them and so end up getting behind the wheel after too many drinks.

'The penalties are also much stricter in the UK, which deters people from drink-driving. The severity of punishment is not the same in some European countries. This is likely to be an element.'

Peterborough, which has a large foreign-born population following an influx of Eastern Europeans drawn to the area by an abundance of agricultural and factory jobs, is among those to have a high number of banned drivers

Boston in Lincolnshire, where one in six of the 65,000 population is foreign-born following a huge influx of Eastern Europeans, was the second worst hotspot with 598 banned motorists.

It was followed by Peterborough in Cambridgeshire with 589 banned. The nearby market town of Wisbech, where around one in three of the 30,000 population is from Eastern Europe, is tenth with 470 being stripped of their licence.

The findings echo comments made in 2007 by Cambridgeshire's then chief constable Julie Spence. She said immigrants arriving with 'different standards' from those in the UK, notably over issues such as drink-driving, which saw a 17-fold rise in arrests of foreigners in a year, had caused huge pressure.

Postcodes making up the rest of the top ten are CV6 (Coventry), LE3 (Leicester), LE4 (Leicester), LE2 (Leicester), NN3 (Northampton) and SL1 (Slough).

The statistics record where a stopped vehicle is registered, rather than the location in which the motorist was caught.

Heading the roll of shame for drink-driving offenders was Croydon, south London, with 687 people losing their licence. A total 273,070 drivers across the UK were convicted for being over the limit (file image, breathalyser)

Terry Hogan, co-founder of the Motoring.co.uk website, which uncovered the figures, said: 'Those who want to drink should take public transport rather than their car. In turn, public transport companies must ensure that there is the sufficient infrastructure in place to support this. Steps such as these will lead to safer roads for everybody.'

Recent surveys have revealed 10million UK drivers get behind the wheel despite being over the drink-drive limit.
More than half of the country shares foreign policy views more similar to presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump than likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Pew Research Center analyzed how voters felt about the country's place in the world and found that 57 percent believe that the United States should deal with its own problems first before helping out abroad, according to the Washington Examiner.

Trump labeled this idea 'America First' in the foreign policy speech he gave last week, as Pew researchers pointed out that 'the public remains wary of global involvement.'

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Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump may have hit the nail on the head when it comes to foreign policy and intention overseas, a new Pew Research Center poll shows

More than half the country believes in a foreign policy that's more in line with what Donald Trump is proposing than where Hillary Clinton stands

On the flipside of that question, 37 percent of survey respondents said they believed the United States should help other countries deal with their problems.

Echoing the results of the first question, 41 percent of respondents said the U.S. does too much in terms of solving the world's problems.

Another 28 percent said the U.S. did the right amount and another 27 percent said too little, with 4 percent saying that they didn't know.

Respondents were also asked if the United States' involvement in the global economy was a good or bad thing and the responses were pretty evenly split with 49 percent saying it was a bad thing and 44 percent saying it was a good thing.

Trump had used the 'American First' tagline on the campaign trail for several weeks, before officially debuting it last week when giving his first official foreign policy address at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Democratic surrogates for Hillary Clinton's campaign  Madeleine Albright, Bill Clinton's former secretary of state and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, whose name has been floated as a potential vice presidential pick  quickly tore into Trump for not knowing the slogan's historical context.

The 'America First-ers,' as Albright called them, believed that the United States should stay neutral in World War II on the idea that the Nazis did not represent a threat.

Donald Trump gave his first major foreign policy address a week ago at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington and officially unveiled the 'America First' slogan

'Maybe he never read history? Or he doesn't understand it?' a bemused Albright told reporters on a conference call.

'I want to echo what Secretary Albright said about the title of this vision, "America First,"' Kaine said.

'If you don't know enough history to know that was the name of the movement that tried to keep the U.S. out of World War II, that said the Nazis weren't a threat to us, and we didn't need to worry about it,' Kaine continued.

'If you don't know enough history to know that  that's almost a disqualifier right there,' Kaine said.

Of course, Trump's variation of 'America First' has nothing to do with Nazis and everything with putting the United States' priorities ahead of the country's allies' needs.

Not surprisingly Trump's supporters are among the most adamant about an 'America First' foreign policy, including its role in the global economy.

According to the poll, 65 percent of GOP registered voters who support Trump say U.S. involvement in the global economy is bad.
The heartbroken father of an Afghan translator who killed himself rather than face deportation from the UK branded the British Government a 'disgrace' yesterday and said it had 'deserted' his son.

Hours after learning his eldest son Nangyalai Dawoodzai, 29, committed suicide in England, Malik Sayed Agha wept as he blamed the UK for the tragedy.

'He went to Britain with his heart full of hope and they destroyed that,' he said at his home near the Afghan capital Kabul, adding: 'He served the British loyally and was threatened because of it by the Taliban.

'I could hear my son crying when he called, he was depressed and could not believe the people he helped and admired turned their backs on him. We are disgusted by a country we called a friend. Is there no compassion?' Mr Dawoodzai's wife, with whom he had a two-year-old son, has cried constantly since hearing the news, he added.

Hours after learning his eldest son Nangyalai Dawoodzai, 29, committed suicide in England, Malik Sayed Agha blamed the UK for the tragedy

Last night Major James Driscoll, who started a Daily Mail-backed petition to let Afghan interpreters into the UK, said: 'If suicide is preferable to going back, then that shows what level of threat is perceived.

'At the point when an interpreter feels he's better off dead and actually kills himself  that's when you know the Government's argument no longer stands up.'

Mr Dawoodzai helped the injured as a driver and translator for the UK-run hospital in Camp Bastion. Mr Agha said his son was one of three family members who worked for the British. But he was badly beaten after threats from the Taliban.

One of his brothers 'vanished' after being taken by the fanatics, another left Afghanistan to seek sanctuary in France and Mr Dawoodzai had to pay people smugglers to help him travel to Britain.

Yesterday his father said he hoped the death of his 'lovely, kind and educated' son would help change the 'stone hearts' of the Government and bring about a policy change allowing others who served a 'chance for a good, safe life'.

He added: 'My son was a good and happy man, but became very angry and depressed. How could a people he served with pride, strength and determination treat him like this? My family are disgusted.' And Mr Dawoodzai's uncle, Zeya ul Haq, warned: 'Anyone employed by the coalition is now a target.' He went on to say: 'He was a good and loyal man who served the British and Afghan people well. No one can believe his treatment in the UK.

'He turned from a happy, proud father to someone depressed. He was an educated, talented man prepared to face danger for the British. It is hard to believe he is dead.'

Mr Dawoodzai, who worked for the UK between 2009 and 2012, arrived in Britain last year and sought asylum but was told he would have to apply in Italy, where he had been fingerprinted on entry to Europe. He was arrested earlier this year and held at an immigration centre where, according to fellow translators, he was told he faced deportation.

Mr Dawoodzai, who worked for the UK between 2009 and 2012, arrived in Britain last year and sought asylum but was told he would have to apply in Italy (file photo)

In February he considered returning home and actually spoke to the Home Office about a visa, but was warned by his family that it would be too dangerous.

Last Wednesday he left the Birmingham hostel where he was living and travelled to West Bromwich, where he committed suicide at a friend's flat, locking himself in before hanging himself.

The Mail's campaign has highlighted how translators who were the 'eyes and ears' of UK troops have been 'abandoned' to the Taliban, who hunt them down as 'spies'.

They have been shot dead outside their homes, beaten and seen family members, including children, kidnapped and murdered. Former translators are now being told they face possible deportation.

Yesterday, a translator called Najib who is living in hiding, said his friend played a vital and dangerous role that had made him as a Taliban target. He added: 'This is a tragedy. He and others have been betrayed by those they helped in their time of need. Britain should be ashamed. They refuse to recognise we are in danger and Afghanistan is more dangerous than when they left.'

A Number 10 spokesman said: 'Where there are individuals who worked for us, who have concerns about intimidation, then we will look at those and judge each on a case-by-case basis and provide protection where it is needed.'
Three quarters of EU citizens working in the UK would have been barred were it not for Brussels diktats on free movement.

Research by Oxford Universitys Migration Observatory lays bare how EU rules mean that migrants who would not qualify for a visa can come here freely and take jobs.

Three out of four EU workers in the UK would not meet the work visa rules if Britain leaves the EU.

In the retail, hotel, restaurant and farming sector at leas95 per cent of staff would fail to meet the criteria.

Leave campaigners are likely to seize on the study as proof Britain is unable to control which workers it lets in.

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Research by Oxford Universitys Migration Observatory lays bare how EU rules mean that migrants who would not qualify for a visa can come to Britain freely and take jobs. A coach-load of migrants from the Western Polish town of Zychlin board a coach in Warsaw to take them to start their new lives working in Britain

The visa regime, which applies only to non-EU citizens, is designed to ensure that Britain only admits migrants with skills needed by the economy.

But the rules cannot apply to EU citizens, who do not have to face checks on their skills or education. Eastern European migrants, in particular, are filling many of Britains low-skilled jobs.

Leaked documents produced by the Department for Work and Pensions have warned that mass immigration from Europe is having a disproportionate impact on the UK and damaging society.

The internal Whitehall paper said that EU citizens are overwhelmingly the biggest winners in the UK jobs market  responsible for a staggering 75 per cent of the growth in employment.

Graduates from Eastern Europe are taking low-skilled jobs, topped up by generous in-work benefits, without having contributed, from Day One, it claims. This is damaging the social policy objectives of getting lower-skilled British citizens into work, according to the analysis.

The Migration Observatory study was carried out for the Financial Times, which released the findings last night.

It said that as many as 94 per cent of EU workers currently employed in retail, hotels and restaurants would fail to meet existing entry requirements, as would 96 per cent of those working on Britains farms. The report claims that, if Britain votes to leave the EU, the country will have to find a new way to fill these jobs.

Author Carlos Vargas-Silva said: Most sectors of the UK labour market now have a significant EU migrant workforce  and many of these are lower-paid sectors.

Even if the immigration system is redesigned after a Brexit vote, any system that selects EU workers based on skills and pay is likely to hit these sectors hardest.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove (pictured), who is campaigning for Brexit, said: In my view our immigration policy means that we have some people who can come into this country who we might want to say no to'

But Leave campaigners argue that mass immigration has driven down wages. They argue that if Britain leaves the EU, the jobs could be filled by UK-born workers.The study shows there are almost 2.2million EU workers in the UK, making up just over 6.6 per cent of the workforce. Manufacturing companies have more EU staff as a proportion of their workforce than any other sector  at just over 10 per cent of the three million they employ.

A total of 442,000 EU citizens are employed in retail, hotels and restaurants in the UK, making up almost 8 per cent of the sectors 5.7million workforce. Banking and finance employ about 360,000 workers from the EU, or 6.8 per cent of the sector.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove, who is campaigning for Brexit, said: In my view our immigration policy means that we have some people who can come into this country who we might want to say no to and others, who we might want to attract, who cant currently come in.

Its not for me a matter of numbers, its a matter of the type of people that we want in this country. Thats why I think we need to leave, take back control and decide who we want in this country and at what rate.

It came amid renewed controversy over a decision by ministers to hand over 1.8billion to five countries, including Turkey, to help prepare them for future EU membership. Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Tory MP Philip Hollobone said the Governments national living wage  due to hit 9 an hour by 2020  would turn the UK into a land of milk and honey.
Donald Trump said Britain would be 'better off without' the European Union - just days after he criticized President Obama for taking sides on the upcoming referendum.

The Republican Party's presidential nominee-in-waiting appeared to back Brexit during a Fox News Channel interview, laying the blame at the EU's door for 'horrible' migration.

Earlier this week, Mr Trump refused to weigh-in on the vote during a sit-down with DailyMail.com. pledging he was 'not going to give Britain any advice'.

He also slammed President Obama for taking a pro-EU stand, saying he should have remained 'more neutral'.

Taking a stand: Donald Trump said Britain would be 'better off without' the EU in a Fox News interview

Criticism: Three days ago Trump told DailyMail.com that President Barack Obama shouldn't have taken sides in the 'Brexit' controversy, and that he wouldn't be giving the UK any advice

During the interview with Fox anchor Bret Baier, the real estate tycoon appeared to take his first definitive stance on the June 23 referendum but insisted he was 'not making a recommendation'.

He said: 'I know Great Britain very well,' the real estate tycoon said. 'I know  you know  the country very well. I have a lot of investments there.

'I would say that they're better off without it. But I want them to make their own decision.'

He added: 'I think the migration has been a horrible thing for Europe. A lot of that was pushed by the EU.

'I would say that they're better off without it, personally, but I'm not making that as a recommendation. Just my feeling.'

The comments came just days after Trump criticized Obama for saying that Britain should vote to remain in the EU in next month's vote.

'I didn't think it was a good thing for him to do it,' Trump told DailyMail.com.

He said in a wide-ranging interview that Obama should have remained 'more neutral' as president, and that he wouldn't be offering the U.K. his opinion as the date of the referendum approaches.

'I would say that I'm not going to give Britain any advice, but I know there are a lot of people that are very, very much against being in the EU,' he said.

Trump did show plenty of leg in the interview, casting Europe as a simmering cauldron of immigration bitterness and resentment, nearing a spilling point in the UK and other nations whose once robust borders are now open to the rest of the continent's people.

'Back of the queue': Obama said in an April press conference with UK Prime Minister David Cameron that Britain would be at a disadvantage and a weaker U.S. ally if it were to leave the European Union

Sea of humanity: More than a million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe last year, and the EU's borderless interior has largely permitted them to move from country to country

'I look at what's happening with Germany, I look at what's happening with various other countries,' he said, 'where they've taken in people that they really don't know too much about.'

'And in some cases they know nothing. There's no paperwork. There's no documentation.'

'I think it'll go down as a big mistake,' Trump fumed, speaking of European nations' commitment to accepting a flood of Middle Eastern refugees, particularly those from war-torn Syria.

'I'm not sure that Europe will ever be the same. Because you look at what's going on already. It's a disaster. And that has to do  much  with the EU.'

The real estate tycoon said it was inappropriate for Obama to publicly express a preference that the United Kingdom remain a part of Europe.

Posters with campaign logos sit on a wall at the Britain Stronger In Europe campaign offices in London (left) while opposition Vote Leave branded mugs sit on a table after a speech attacking David Cameron

Sit-down: Trump was interviewed on the eve of the Indiana primary by U.S. Political Editor David Martosko (at left)

The president sided with British Prime Minister David Cameron, who opposes his nation's exit from the EU, during a joint pres conference on April 22.

Obama hinted that the U.K. would be less valuable as an ally and trading partner if it isolated itself from Europe.

'The United States wants a strong United Kingdom as a partner,' he said. 'And the United Kingdom is at its best when it's helping to lead a strong Europe. It leverages U.K. power to be part of the European Union.'

Obama also warned that if Britain exits the EU, it would find itself 'in the back of the queue' behind the larger united Europe in any future U.S. trade negotiations.

'Our focus is in negotiating with a big bloc, the European Union, to get a trade agreement done,' he said.

Migrant soup: Trump said Europe may not 'ever be the same' after untold numbers of migrants have swept through border after border, calling unchecked migration 'a disaster, and that has to do  much  with the EU'

A cautious but deliberate Trump told DailyMail.com of Obama's intervention that 'I didn't think it was a good thing for him to do it.'

'I thought he should have remained somewhat more neutral. But it's fine. He decided to do it. I'd rather remain a little bit neutral.'

'I don't like to interject myself into that discussion,' Trump explained. 'I would say this, that I think the migration is a sad thing for Europe.'
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Residents of a Chinese city were shocked to see a vast number of dead fish appearing in a local lake yesterday.

Horrifying images show the animals covering a large part of Hongcheng Lake in Haikou, southern China's Hainan province.

Sanitation workers have been recovering the dead fish and have so far collected 30 tonnes, the People's Daily Online reports.

Horrible discovery: The fish were discovered yesterday floating in Hongcheng Lake in Haikou, southern China's Hainan province

Shocking images: Vast number of dead fish is seen covering a large part of the waters with modern city buildings at the background

Starting the recovery process: The fish are thought to be scaled sardines, herring like fish that can be found in the Pacific Ocean

According to Haikou City Board of Marine and Fisheries, the large number of dead fish is due to a change in salinity.

Its suspected that the fish have floated in from another place.

40 sanitation workers have attended the scene to recover the deceased animals.

The fish are thought to be scaled sardines, herring like fish that can be found in the Pacific Ocean. Scaled Sardines can grow up to nine inches in length but are usually around half of that size.

Staff at the Marine and Fisheries Agency told local reporters that pollution can be ruled out as a cause of death.

They also said that they will investigate the matter further and take measures to prevent seawater from entering areas where freshwater fish reside.

This isn't the first case of tonnes of deceased fish being found in China.

In 2015, thousands of animals died overnight at a commercial fish farm in southern China's Guangdong province after the lake became polluted.

Over 1,000 tonnes of dead fish were found floating in the water near Huizhou City.

Workers rushed to clear the lake using plastic baskets and nets to scoop them out, creating a huge mountain of rotting fish on the shore.

Disturbing images: Staff at the Marine and Fisheries Agency told reporters that pollution can be ruled out as a cause of death

Clean up: According to Haikou City Board of Marine and Fisheries , the large number of dead fish is due to a change in salinity

Sad images from Hainan: Sanitation workers have been recovering the dead fish and have so far collected 30 tonnes
These are the faces of men who spend most of their time underground away from their wives and broad daylight.

For the first time, the men have been put into the spotlight after a collection of images showing them with their wives straight after work gained attention on China's social media sites.

The men work in a mine in the city of Huaibei in east China's Anhui province, reports the People's Daily Online.

The images have caught the attention of people on China's social media who say the men deserve respect

The photos were taken after they returned from the mine and then after they had a shower

The contrast between the before and after shots is interesting with both sides being more affectionate

Sad: Chinese coal miners spend most of their time working underground away from their families (file photo)

A total of 14 couples have been featured.

The pictures show side by side comparisons of wives with their husbands after they have returned from work followed by images after the men have had a shower.

The men look instantly different once they have taken a wash which proves one of the aims of the collection - to treat the men with respect.

The wives also look different, leaning in closer to their husbands in a loving way.

More than a dozen couples took part in the photo shoot which aimed to showcase the tough lives of some of China's industry workers.

More respect: The images have brought to light the amount of work that goes into being a miner

People online have said they deserve more respect for their skilled and dangerous jobs

The coal and steel sectors employ around 12 million workers in China, according to authority (file photo)

The images have been popular on China's social media sites.

On China's Twitter-like Weibo people were discussing their respect for coal miners.

'Ba li wan shua' said: 'My father is also [a coal miner]. The thought makes my heart ache.'

While 'Zhang gu liang' wrote: 'Coal miners are hard-working people. The whole industry is facing a downturn. Many mines haven't been able to pay their workers for a few months.'

And 'Xin ru zhi shui 27301' said: 'It's hard-earned cash for coal miners. Respect.'

The images were taken to show the strong bond between the couples whose husbands work in mines

Happy photos: The men work in a mine in the city of Huaibei in east China's Anhui province

Anhui province is a relatively poor area of China where many people work in mining and agriculture industries.

Huaibei is home to the Huaibei Coal Mining Group, the largest mining group in east China.

It's been reported to produce 17 million tonnes of coal every year.

Huaibei coal factory also employs women who separate coal from other objects brought back to the surface.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the coal and steel sectors employ around 12 million workers in the country.

Many of China's coal mines are facing closure with over 1,000 coal mines expecting to close this year according to the country's energy regulator.

China has a total of 10,760 coal mines with 5,600 of them estimated to close eventually.

China has a total of 10,760 coal mines with 5,600 of them estimated to close eventually
A four-year-old child with Autism has passed away after he had been forced to walk 12 miles by an unlicensed recovery centre as part of a recovery treatment, his mother claimed.

The child named Jia Jia died on April 27 while he was residing in a rehabilitation centre for children with autism in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province.

Jia Jia's mother Zhang Wei has vowed to take legal action against the centre's owner, reports the People's Daily Online.

Horrofying story from the treatment centre: Children are being led by their therapists on a walk

Tragic story: Jia Jia died on April 27 after he was made to walk long distances and use weights

The children were made to walk 12 miles a day as part of their treatment programme

Chinese media claim that Jia Jia died after a 12 mile walk which the Tiandao Zhengqi autism centre said was part of its brand new rehabilitation training.

The centre is private and has no relevant business license, according to People's Daily Online.

According to Zhang Wei, she enrolled her son at the facility in March after reading about it in a book.

Jia Jia was diagnosed with autism at the age of two.

Zhang had tried to sign Jia Jia for several programs to help him deal with his autism however there was a wait of around one or two years.

On March 2, she took Jia Jia to Guangzhou, in southern China, from their home in Dandong, in north-east China, and paid 31,200 yuan (3,294) for the three month program.

Zhang claimed that Jia Jia was required to wear heavy clothes and walk around 12 miles a day.

The boy was not allowed to eat any processed food only vegetables, rice and a few fruits, said the mother.

The children were also believed to be required to drink plenty of water and then walk with weights.

Horrifying story: The rehabilitation centre where Jia Jia died after being made to walk 12 miles

Zhang Wei provided a centre's timetable to local reporters.

The timetable shows the child's usual routine was waking up at around 6am, having breakfast, walking 6 miles before having lunch and taking a nap.

Then at around 13.35, Jia Jia would walk another 5.6 miles along with some additional training.

Zhang says she received a call at 9.30 from the centre saying that her child had a fever.

One minute later, the facility said they had called an ambulance.

According to a doctor's report, Jia Jia hadn't been well for some time suffering from viral pneumonia in the weeks leading up to his death.

His parents have already commissioned Zhongshan University forensic centre in Panyu to follow up on the autopsy performed at Jia Jia's funeral home.

Zhang Wei told reporters: 'I just want to use my experience and tragedy to get parents to wake up'.

Tiandao Zhengqi has dismissed 10 children at its centre following Jia Jia's death, according to Chinese media.
A team of experts are finalising the examination of a valuable coffin found inside a 2,000-year-old tomb of an ancient Chinese emperor.

The coffin is believed to have belonged to Liu He, also known as Marquis of Haihun, an ill-fated monarch from West Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD) who ruled just 27 days before being overthrown by his ambitious general.

Archaeologists say findings from the coffin could help demystify the dethroned ruler, who had been described by some as a 'useless emperor who drank and had fun all day long'.

Painstaking: Chinese experts are cleaning up the coffin, believed to belong to Liu He, in a lab in Nanchang

Extraordinary finding: Liu's tomb has been studied since 2011 and has produced over 10,000 pieces of relics

Resting place: The precious cemetery was discovered five years ago at the village of Da Tangping in Jiangxi

Expert also said that results of the digging would help clarify the relationship between Liu and other remains found in the burial chambers, according to Huanqiu, an affiliation to People's Daily.

Cleaning up of the coffin, which takes place inside a laboratory in Nanchang city, is at its last stage.

The team have obtained the royal seal and some of the jade ornaments and will clean up Liu He's teeth, the accessories on his remains and a mat made of crystal glass, said the same report.

A large number of teeth have been found from Liu He's remains, which the researchers have used for a DNA test.

Researchers hope the DNA test could explain the cause of Liu He's death.

By comparing Liu's DNA results with those of the other remains, researchers also hope to clarify more details of the tomb. For example, whether the number five tomb belonged to Liu's mistress or his son.

Major discovery: Experts hope a DNA test could help explain the death of Liu, who had rule for just 27 days

Well preserved: Liu's burial chamber is billed the best-preserved royal tomb from the West Han Dynasty

Rare relics: Other items found at the site include gold coins, hoof-shaped ingots, jade pendants, a distiller

The cemetery, which contains eight tombs and a chariot burial site, was first discovered in 2011 at the village of Da Tangping around 30 miles north of Nanchang.

It has been regarded as the best-preserved royal tomb from the West Han Dynasty.

The site has been studied for five years and has produced over 10,000 pieces of cultural relics, including Wuzhu bronze coins, jade and thousands of other gold, bronze and iron items.

The coffin was hoisted out in January, 2016, and has been undergoing examination.

Archaeologists were able to identify the owner the coffin and the tomb by a seal found inside the coffin, which says the name 'Liu He'.

Other items found at the site include gold coins, hoof-shaped ingots, jade pendants, a distiller, horse-drawn vehicles, a board game and 2,000-year-old bronze lamps.

The goose-shaped lamps, which would have been filled with water, were designed to dispose of the smoke inside the tomb.

Since 2011, more than 10,000 pieces have been discovered at the tombs and 110 of these have gone on display at Jiangxi Provincial Museum in Nanchang.

THE USELESS EMPEROR OF CHINA: WHO WAS LIU HE? Born in 92 BC, Liu He was the grandson of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, whose tenure was one of the most prosperous periods on the Chinese history. Liu stepped to the throne in 74 BC after his uncle died without an heir. However after just 27 days in the office in Beijing, he was dethroned by an imperial decree issued by the Grand Empress Dowager Shangguan. The deposition was initiated by his ambitious general, named Huo Guang, who claimed in a report that Liu had lived a debauchery, extravagance and wanton way as a ruler. Huo Guang also claimed that Liu had done 1,127 'ridiculous things' in his short reign. Though some historians think this was Huo's political trick. He was also stripped of nobility and sent back to his home province, Jiangxi, to live. Liu was given the title of Marquis and land in Jiangxi by the Emperor Xuan of Han around ten years later. He was the shortest-reigning monarch on the Chinese history. The controversial ruler died from an unidentified illness in Jiangxi aged just 33. Source: Jiangxi News, China Daily

Hoof-shaped gold items excavated from the tomb of Haihunhou dating back to the Western Han Dynasty

Gold plates measuring nine inches long, four inches wide were found inside the main tomb at the royal site
When Liu Yongwei went into hospital for chest surgery, he was not expecting to come out of hospital minus a kidney.

Liu injured himself while driving a tractor in Suzhou, Anhui province on June 12, 2015 and underwent chest surgery, the People's Daily Online reports.

However months later when he went to the local hospital for a check up, they told him that his right kidney was missing.

Horrifying story: Liu claims that during surgery on his chest someone stole his right kidney

Mystery: It was only during a check-up months later that he was told he was missing a kidney

Nervous doctors: Liu claims that he is being refused treatment because he only has one kidney

Trouble post surgery: The note from the doctors says he is missing his right kidney

Liu was hospitalised after the tractor accident and sent to a local hospital on June 12.

His injuries were so severe that he was transferred to the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College in Xuzhou on June 19.

Liu told reporters: 'The doctors said several of my organs had been crushed into my chest in the accident, including my right kidney. They had to perform an operation immediately to restore them.'

Doctors undertook the surgery which lasted around eight hours.

After the surgery, Liu claims that a surgeon named Hu Bo told him that he took his right kidney out and found it intact so he put it back in.'

A second operation was performed on July 1 to clean up his wounds.

A month later, Liu had his stitches taken out however the wounds weren't completely healed so he went to his local hospital for treatment.

It was then when he learned the horrifying news that he was missing a kidney. In pure disbelief, he went to other local hospitals and had several CT scans however they all had the same verdict. Liu was missing a kidney.

He reported it to police however they are still investigating and so far have not come up with any answers.

Liu told reporters that his health is deteriorating: 'I used to be strong but now i'm nothing'.

He says that his left kidney is now deteriorating.

Liu also said he now can't get treatment in hospitals: 'Doctors know my right kidney is lost and now they are afraid to operate on me'.

Unanswered questions: The man's receipt from the hospital where he had his initial operation on his chest

Shocking story: Liu says his health has deteriorated and his left kidney is now having issues
Rents have continued to rise steadily across Britain after George Osborne's tax rises for buy-to-let landlords, new figures have revealed.

However, concerns that landlords would increase rents substantially in a bid to recoup their losses have so far been 'unfounded', according to insurer HomeLet. It said rents on new tenancies signed on rental property outside London during the three months to April were on average 5.1 per cent higher than a year ago, up from 4.9 per cent in March.

It means the average rent across the country - excluding London - now stands at 764 a month, HomeLet said.

Rents have continued to rise steadily across Britain after George Osborne's tax rises for buy-to-let landlords

It follows a 3 percentage point increase in stamp duty on buy-to-let properties, and a reduction in the tax relief that landlords can claim.

However, the reduction in the tax relief that landlords can claim is being introduced over the next four years and so the full effect has yet to hit landlords' profits.

The study also found that the North West of England was the only region where rents were lower than a year earlier, falling by 1 per cent to 659 a month on average.

Northern Ireland and Yorkshire and the Humber were the only areas where average rents were lower month-on-month, with falls of 0.7 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively.

In Northern Ireland, the average rent is 608, while in Yorkshire and the Humber it is 627.

Rents in Scotland are rising faster than anywhere else in the UK, with an 11.4 per cent annual increase taking the average monthly figure to 704. In Wales, rents saw a 4.3 per cent annual increase, taking them to 597 on average.

In London, rents on new tenancies signed over the three months to the end of April were up 7.7 per cent on a year earlier, taking the average rent in the capital to 1,543.

It marks the third month in a row that London has recorded this rate of increase, according to the figures published by HomeLet.

It follows an online campaign that highlighted some of the worst renting experiences amid the higher cost of renting, particularly in London.

Hundreds of disgruntled renters shared their horror stories on Twitter, using the hastag #ventyourrent.
Many of us would assume that once we've installed antivirus software or parental controls on our PC that we're well protected from online threats.

But new research suggests this may not be the case after it found such software might actually make your computer less safe.

In particular, the software can lure the computer into a false sense of security by providing lower levels of protection than many modern browsers offer by default.

Many of us would assume that once we've installed antivirus software or parental controls on our PC that we're well protected from online threats. But new research suggests this may not be the case. A study from Canadian researchers shows such software might actually make your computer less safe. Stock image

For the study, Mohammad Mannan, assistant professor in the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering (CIISE), and PhD student Xavier de Carne de Carnavalet examined 50 commonly used software programs.

Each of the programs claim to make computers safer by protecting data, blocking out viruses or shielding users from questionable content on the internet.

Time and again, the researchers found that these programs were doing more harm than good.

HOW THE PROGRAMS CAN DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD At the root of the problem is how security applications act as gatekeepers, filtering dangerous or unwanted elements by inspecting secure web pages before they reach the browser. Normally, browsers themselves have to check the certificate delivered by a website, and verify that it has been issued by a proper entity, called a Certification Authority (CA). But security products make the computer 'think' that they are themselves a fully entitled CA, thus allowing them to fool browsers into trusting any certificate issued by the products. This research has important implications not only for everyday computer users, but also for the companies producing the software programs themselves.

'Out of the products we analysed, we found that all of them lower the level of security normally provided by current browsers, and often bring serious security vulnerabilities,' said de Carnavalet, who was surprised by how widespread the problem has become.

'While a couple of fishy ad-related products were known to behave badly in the same set-up, it's stunning to observe that products intended to bring security and safety to users can fail as badly.'

At the root of the problem is how security applications act as gatekeepers, filtering dangerous or unwanted elements by inspecting secure web pages before they reach the browser.

Normally, browsers themselves have to check the certificate delivered by a website, and verify that it has been issued by a proper entity, called a Certification Authority (CA).

But security products make the computer 'think' that they are themselves a fully entitled CA, thus allowing them to fool browsers into trusting any certificate issued by the products.

This research has important implications not only for everyday computer users, but also for the companies producing the software programs themselves.

Normally, browsers check the certificate delivered by a website and verify it has been issued by a proper entity, called a Certification Authority (CA). Security products make the computer 'think' they are themselves a fully entitled CA, thus allowing them to fool browsers into trusting any certificate issued (illustrated)

For the study, Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering examined 50 commonly used software programs and parental control applications. The list of security programs is shown. Highlighted entries are products that may install a root certificate and proxy tls connections, according to the study

The list of parental control applications studied is pictured. The researchers said they reported their findings to the respective vendors so they can fix their products and hope to bring their attention to these issues

'We reported our findings to the respective vendors so they can fix their products,' said Mannan. 'Not all of them have responded yet, but we hope to bring their attention to these issues.'

'We also hope that our work will bring more awareness among users when choosing a security suite or software to protect their children's online activities,' says de Carnavalet, who cautions that internet users should not view these security products as a panacea.

'We encourage consumers to keep their browser, operating system and other applications up-to-date, so that they benefit from the latest security patches,' he says.

'Parental control apps exist that do not interfere with secure content, but merely block websites by their domain name, which is probably effective enough.'
Infants were studied repeatedly over their first couple of months

Parents imitate their babies on average once every two minutes

When a proud parent coos, or pokes out their tongue it warms their heart to see their baby following suit and many believe their little darling is copying them as they peer over the cot.

But new research has found that babies up to the age of two months are incapable of copying facial expressions, gestures or speech.

Instead, any exaggerated movements the newborns make are simply because they are responding to excitement to the interaction.

When a proud parent coos, or pokes out their tongue, it warms their heart to see their baby following suit and many believe their little darling is copying them as they peer over the cot. However, researchers have found that babies up to the age of two months are incapable of copying facial expressions, gestures or speech

While it may look like they are imitating the example of their elders, they are making gestures they would have made anyway.

The researchers concede babies may become excited at being the centre of attention - and make more gestures than they would have done.

STUDYING IMITATION IN BABIES For their study, the researchers scored the responses of 106 infants at one, two, six and nine weeks of age. They used a wide range of gestures, including tongue protrusion, mouth opening, happy face and sad face as well as three vocal gestures 'mmm', 'eeee' and 'click' sounds. They also used object movements similar to facial gestures - a spoon protruding through a tube and a box opening, and two hand gestures - index finger protrusion and grasping. They found they were just as likely to make a different face or gesture as to make a similar one. The researchers concede babies may become excited at being the centre of attention - and make more gestures than they would have done. However, they are simply making the same hand movements they would have made anyway, rather than making imitations.

However, they are simply making the same hand movements they would have made anyway, rather than making imitations.

Virginia Slaughter of the University of Queensland said the abilities of babies to copy has been a hotly contested question in psychology.

She said: 'Numerous studies from the 1980s and 90s indicated no imitation by newborns, while others claimed it was there.

'We wanted to clear up the confusion because the 'fact' newborns imitate is widely cited, not just in the fields of psychology, neuroscience and paediatrics but also in popular sources for parents.'

The research  carried out with Janine Oostenbroek of the University of York - was published in Current Biology.

It suggested that previous research techniques had been flawed.

In most studies researchers only tested infants responses' to an adult poking out her tongue, and opening her mouth.

The baby would be assessed as to how frequently he or she did this before seeing the adult.

But because the adults did not make any other expressions, the research did not show the baby was imitating what they saw.

To study how babies imitated others, newborns were presented with a range of different gestures (pictured) at specific weeks of their development. They used a wide range of gestures, including tongue protrusion, mouth opening, happy face and sad face as well as three vocal gestures 'mmm', 'eeee' and 'click' sounds

The results suggested babies aren't born with the ability to copy, but develop the skill within their first few months. These charts show how the copying behaviour changed over time for different gestures and sounds

Professor Slaughter added: 'If infants also increase their tongue protrusions when an adult models a happy face or finger pointing, then it's not a case of imitation, but probably excitement at seeing an adult do something interesting.

'We eliminated this problem by assessing infants' responses to a wide range of different models.'

For their study Professor Slaughter and colleagues scored the responses of 106 infants at one, two, six and nine weeks of age.

They used a wide range of gestures, including tongue protrusion, mouth opening, happy face and sad face as well as three vocal gestures 'mmm', 'eeee' and 'click' sounds.

They also used object movements similar to facial gestures - a spoon protruding through a tube and a box opening, and two hand gestures - index finger protrusion and grasping.

In other studies, researchers only tested responses' to an adult poking out their tongue, and opening their mouth. The baby would be assessed as to how frequently he or she did this before seeing the adult. Because the adults didn't make other expressions, the research didn't show the baby was imitating. Stock image

They found they were just as likely to make a different face or gesture as to make a similar one. She added: 'Infants aren't born with the ability to copy what other people do, but they acquire that skill during the first months of life.

'One possibility is that being imitated plays a role in this acquisition.

'In another study from our lab, we found that parents imitate their babies once every two minutes on average; this is a powerful means by which infants can learn to link their gestures with those of another person.' The researcher say that the findings will come as encouraging news for anyone who has noticed that their newborns don't imitate them.
Although it has not been regarded a planet since 2006, Pluto continues to excite and surprise astronomers the more they learn about the dwarf planet.

Last year Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft sent back the first pictures, and since then it has revealed surprising features including icy lakes, a complex atmosphere and mountain ranges.

Now the latest New Horizons data shows the way it interacts with the solar wind is completely unique, and surprisingly it makes it seem more like a larger planet than a comet.

lthough it has not been regarded a planet since 2006, Pluto (pictured) continues to excite and surprise astronomers the more they learn about the dwarf planet. The latest data shows the way it interacts with the solar wind is completely unique, and surprisingly it makes it seem more like a larger planet than a comet

Solar wind is a stream of high-energy, charged particles, mainly electrons and protons, flowing outward from the sun.

The plasma travels through the solar system covering 550 miles (900km) every second, at a temperature of 1 millionC.

Because the particles are charged they interact with magnetic fields.

WHAT THE DATA SHOWED Like Earth, Pluto has a long ion tail, that extends downwind at least a distance of about 100 times the dwarf planet's radius or 73,800 miles (119,000km), almost three times the circumference of Earth. The tail is loaded with heavy ions from the atmosphere and with 'considerable structure'. Pluto's obstruction of the solar wind upwind of the planet is smaller than had been thought. The solar wind isn't blocked until about 1,844 miles (2,968km). Pluto has a very thin 'Plutopause' - the boundary of Pluto's tail of heavy ions and the sheath of the shocked solar wind that presents an obstacle to its flow.

The solar wind interacting with own magnetic field causes the beautiful Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.

But the way the particles interact with Pluto has surprised scientists because it is unlike anything ever seen before in the solar system.

Nasa's New Horizons space probe has been travelling to Pluto since 2005, and began its first close approach of Pluto last July.

An instrument on board gathered data during its flyby last year, allowing scientists to observe the material coming off of Pluto and seen how it interacts with the solar wind.

'This is a type of interaction we've never seen before anywhere in our solar system,' said Professor David McComas, lead author of the study.

'The results are astonishing. We were fascinated and surprised' he said.

It had been thought Pluto was characterised more like a comet, gently slowing down the solar wind over a large region, as opposed to abruptly diverting the solar wind like Mars or Venus.

This figure shows the size scale of Pluto's interaction with solar wind. The bow shock is shown where solar wind ions were about 20% slowed down from the upstream solar wind speed. The Plutopause (purple) is a finite-sized boundary layer at the nose and separates the solar wind (blue) from the heavy ion tail (red)

Solar wind is is a stream of high-energy, charged particles, mainly electrons and protons, flowing outward from the sun (pictured). The plasma travels through the solar system covering 550 miles (900km) every second, at a temperature of 1 million C

Instead Pluto is a hybrid, the researchers said.

'This is an intermediate interaction, a completely new type. It's not comet-like, and it's not planet-like. It's in-between,' Professor McComas said.

'We've now visited all of the classical planets and examined all their solar wind interactions, and we've never seen anything like this.'

'These results speak to the power of exploration. Once again we've gone to a new kind of place and found ourselves discovering entirely new kinds of expressions in nature,' said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator at the Southwest Research Institute.

'Many people were surprised by Pluto's complex geology and atmosphere. This paper shows there's even more that's surprising there, including its atmosphere-solar wind interaction.'

New Horizons crossed the sun-Pluto line from the dashed portion of trajectory into the solid portion of the trajectory in the cutaway. Pictured is Pluto's interaction with the solar wind as inferred from Nasa's observations along the trajectory of the New Horizons flyby

Artist's impression of the New Horizons spacecraft that completed its first flyby last July. The latest finding from the craft's data shows the way it interacts with the solar wind is completely unique, and surprisingly it makes it seem more like a larger planet than a comet

WHAT IS A PLANET? Pluto has not been classed as a planet since 2006. According to the IAU, a cosmic body must satisfy three conditions before it can be classified as a planet. The first is that it must be in orbit around the sun, and not be the satellite of another planet. Second, it must have sufficient mass to form a spherical shape under its own gravity. And finally it must have cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit. The latter was the condition that lost Pluto its planet status. This is because it orbits in the Kuiper Belt at the outer edge of the solar system, where many other icy rocks and worlds orbit in its vicinity.

Since it is so far from the sun, an average of about 3.7 billion miles (5.9 billion km), and because it is so small, scientists thought Pluto's gravity would not be strong enough to hold heavy ions in its extended atmosphere.

But, 'Pluto's gravity clearly is enough to keep material sufficiently confined,' McComas said.

The researchers separated the heavy ions of methane, the main gas escaping from Pluto's atmosphere, from the light ions of hydrogen that come from the sun using the Solar Wind Around Pluto (Swap) instrument.

The scientists found that very little of Pluto's atmosphere was made of neutral particles.

'This is backwards for many other planets, where the neutral particles stay relatively close to the planet,' said Michael Liemohn, a University of Michigan astrophysicist, who was not involved with the research.

'An ion particle becomes influenced by the electric and magnetic forces present in the solar system, which can be a very efficient acceleration processes.

'But at Pluto, McComas et al found that only a wisp of atmosphere leaves the planet as ions.'

Nasa's New Horizons science team were happy to see the spacecraft's images of Pluto in July last year. The Swap data will continue to be analysed for many years to come the scientists said, until they get to grips with the implications of the data

Dr Heather Elliott, astrophysicist at Southwest Research Institute and co-author on the paper, said the study shows how different Pluto is to the planets in our solar system.

'Comparing the solar wind-Pluto interaction to the solar wind-interaction for other planets and bodies is interesting because the physical conditions are different for each, and the dominant physical processes depend on those conditions,' Dr Elliott said.

'The range of interaction with the solar wind is quite diverse, and this gives some comparison to help us better understand the connections in and beyond our solar system,' Professor McComas said.
It can be difficult to stay motivated when trying to get fit or lose weight, but being rewarded for every step you take could make things a little easier.

That's the thinking behind the Sweatcoin app.

It tracks the number of steps using the iPhone's built-in sensors and uses 'complex software' to make sure people aren't cheating.

It then rewards them with a digital currency called 'sweatcoins' that can be redeemed with select retailers.

The Sweatcoin app tracks your steps using the iPhone's built-in sensors and uses 'complex software' to make sure people you aren't cheating. It then rewards users with a digital currency called 'sweatcoins' (pictured left) that can be redeemed with select retailers. An example leaderboard is pictured right

Rewards include Vivobarefoot running shoes, Kymira infra-red clothing and fitness classes from Wonderush or BOOMCycle.

'This whole business is pegged to making movement valuable,' co-founder Oleg Fomenko told Reuters. 'Eventually, sweatcoin is going to have a rateof exchange tied to the British pound.'

Sweatcoin, available for free in the UK from Apple's app store, offers one coin for every 1,000 steps.

HOW SWEATCOIN WORKS Sweatcoin tracks the number of steps using the iPhone's built-in sensors and uses 'complex software' to make sure people aren't cheating. It then rewards them with a digital currency called 'sweatcoins' that can be redeemed with select retailers. Rewards include Vivobarefoot running shoes, Kymira infra-red clothing and fitness classes from Wonderush or BOOMCycle. Sweatcoin, available for free in the UK from Apple's app store, offers one coin for every 1,000 steps. To put this into perspective, official guidelines encourage people to walk between 5,000 and 10,000 steps a day. An Android app is in development and the app is expected to roll out to other regions soon.

To put this into perspective, official guidelines encourage people to walk between 5,000 and 10,000 steps a day.

An Android app is in development, and the app is expected to roll out to other regions soon.

Within weeks users can have enough to exchange forfitness products or services in its marketplace.

The company has signed up four London start-ups to offerSweatcoin as part of an employee rewards programme that willoffer extra days off, subsidised healthy meals or free massagesfor sweatcoins they accumulate through activity.

If Sweatcoin succeeds, the long-term idea is that insurersor employers might pay to take sweatcoins off the market as areward to users for their physical activity.

'Right now, movement is valued at zero,' Fomenko said. 'Howmuch value a sweatcoin will have will be a market decision butwe know it's not zero.'

There will be competition. Another British start-up,Bitwalking, is also seeking to launch its own digital currency.

Sweatcoin, available for free in the UK from Apple's app store, offers one coin for every 1,000 steps. To put this into perspective, official guidelines encourage people to walk between 5,000 and 10,000 steps a day. An Android app is in development, and the app is expected to roll out to other regions soon

But Sweatcoin is confident in its software, which iscarefully calibrated to prevent slouchers from faking activityby cross-checking data on activity and location to verify steps.Most rival apps rely simply on user-reported information.

The company is also developing a proprietary version ofblockchain anti-tampering technology to manage the distributionof its currency, akin to how bitcoin transactions work.
Australian entrepreneur CraigWright, who earlier this week said he would provide'extraordinary proof' he was the creator of digitalcurrency Bitcoin, has spectacularly backtracked.

According to a post on his blog, he said he will not provide any further evidence that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, a name assumed to be a pseudonym.

However, he didn't say whether his earlier claims were false or not.

Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright (pictured), who earlier this week said he would provide 'extraordinary proof' that he was the creator of digital currency Bitcoin, has spectacularly backtracked. According to a post on his blog, he said he will not provide any further evidence that he is Satoshi Nakamoto

Uncovering Nakamoto's real identity would solve a riddledating back to the publication of the open source softwarebehind bitcoin in 2008, a year before its launch.

'I'm sorry. I believed that I could do this. I believed thatI could put the years of anonymity and hiding behind me,' Wrightwrote.

'But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared topublish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke. I donot have the courage. I can't.'

After coming under pressure to provide more credibleevidence that he was Bitcoin's creator, Wright published apost saying said he would post 'independently verifiabledocuments and evidence' that would back up his claims.

'I'm sorry. I believed that I could do this. I believed that I could put the years of anonymity and hiding behind me,' Wright (pictured) wrote

The post could no longer be found on the blog site.

After years of speculation and rumour, many rejoiced earlier this week when Wright came forward as the creator of Bitcoin.

But not everyone was convinced and one expert believes it may never be possible to prove who the man behind the digital currency really is.

'There's no way you can conclusively prove that you are the creator of bitcoin,' said Jerry Brito, executive director of Coin Center, a Washington-based cryptocurrency think tank, who is sceptical of Wright's claims.

The Australian entrepreneur convinced journalists as well as a longtime Bitcoin contributor he was the real deal using a technical demonstration involving Nakamoto's secret bitcoin keys.

But Wright's public documentation, which he posted online Monday, underwhelmed others and left the question of Nakamoto's true identity far from settled.

Tracking a pseudonymous cryptographic genius would be challenging under the best circumstances.

Here, the creator is someone who invented a way for people to send money around the world anonymously, without banks or national currencies.

'There's no way you can conclusively prove you are the creator of bitcoin,' said Jerry Brito from Coin Center, a Washington-based cryptocurrency think tank, who is sceptical of Wright's claims. Bitcoins (illustrated) are lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next

The Australian entrepreneur convinced journalists as well as a longtime Bitcoin contributor he was the real deal using a technical demonstration involving Nakamoto's secret bitcoin keys (stock image). But Wright's public documentation underwhelmed others and left the question of Nakamoto's true identity far from settled

Someone who apparently disappeared five years ago for unknown reasons. None of that has stopped people from trying.

Journalists, researchers and amateur detectives have scoured Nakamoto's emails and online posts, plus the original bitcoin code, for unusual phrases, cultural references and other potential clues to their author.

One of the most celebrated candidates - to his own dismay - was an unassuming Japanese-American engineer who found himself in the cross-hairs of Newsweek magazine in 2014.

A Newsweek cover story fingered Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto, a retired resident of suburban Los Angeles County, after citing circumstantial clues and a vague comment that Nakamoto made when confronted briefly on his front doorstep.

WHAT IS A BITCOIN? A LOOK AT THE DIGITAL CURRENCY What is a bitcoin? Bitcoins are lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. They are the basic unit of a new online economy which runs independently of any company, bank, or government. Because Bitcoins allow people to trade money without a third party getting involved, they have become popular with libertarians as well as technophiles, speculators  and criminals. Who's behind the currency? Bitcoin was launched in 2009 by a person or group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto and then adopted by a small clutch of enthusiasts. Nakamoto dropped off the map as Bitcoin began to attract widespread attention, but proponents say that doesn't matter: the currency obeys its own, internal logic. Dr Craig Wright was suspected as the creator following a report by Wired last year and he has now confirmed his identity as the cryptocrrency's founder.



What's a bitcoin worth?

Like any other currency, Bitcoins are only worth as much as you and your counterpart want them to be. Bitcoins are lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. Physical coin used as an illustration In its early days, boosters swapped Bitcoins back and forth for minor favors or just as a game. One website even gave them away for free. As the market matured, the value of each Bitcoin grew. At its height, a single Bitcoin was valued at $1,200.



Is the currency widely used?

That's debatable. Businesses ranging from blogging platform Wordpress to retailer Overstock have jumped on the Bitcoin bandwagon amid a flurry of media coverage, but it's not clear whether the currency has really taken off. On the one hand, leading Bitcoin payment processor BitPay works with more than 20,000 businesses - roughly five times more than it did last year. On the other, the total number of Bitcoin transactions has stayed roughly constant at between 60,000 and 70,000 per day over the same period, according to Bitcoin wallet site blockchain.info.



Is Bitcoin particularly vulnerable to counterfeiting?

The Bitcoin network works by harnessing individuals' greed for the collective good. A network of tech-savvy users called miners keep the system honest by pouring their computing power into a blockchain, a global running tally of every bitcoin transaction. The blockchain prevents rogues from spending the same bitcoin twice, and the miners are rewarded for their efforts by being gifted with the occasional Bitcoin. As long as miners keep the blockchain secure, counterfeiting shouldn't be an issue. Advertisement

The article sparked a media frenzy and a car chase with reporters that ended at the Los Angeles offices of The Associated Press - where Dorian Nakamoto emphatically denied any involvement with bitcoin.

An earlier contender named in a 2011 New Yorker magazine piece was Michael Clear, then a graduate student in cryptography at Trinity College in Dublin.

The New Yorker cited some of Nakamoto's writings, which used British slang such as 'maths' for mathematics and 'flat' for an apartment.

It also noted that Clear had worked on currency-trading software for an Irish bank and co-authored a paper on 'peer-to-peer' technology similar to that used in bitcoin.

The currency launched in 2009 by a group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. A Newsweek cover story fingered Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto (pictured) after citing circumstantial clues and a vague comment that Nakamoto made when confronted briefly on his front doorstep

At first, according to the New Yorker, Clear was evasive when asked at a cryptography conference if he had created bitcoin. But he later denied it repeatedly.

He also suggested another candidate to the New Yorker reporter, naming Finnish researcher Vili Lehdonvirta, who studied virtual currencies and created video games.

'I would love to say that I'm Satoshi, because bitcoin is very clever,' Lehdonvirta told the New Yorker, after laughing for several seconds. 'But it's not me.'

Speculation has also focused on a Hungarian-American computer scientist named Nick Szabo, who was called a likely candidate by linguistic experts who conducted their own 'reverse textual analysis' - essentially, looking for distinctive phrases or word patterns - on an early white paper by the bitcoin creator.

The only problem? Szabo, who has worked on other digital currencies, has repeatedly denied creating bitcoin.

Dr Wright (pictured) was unofficially named as the founder in a report released at the end of last year and the 45-year-old has now outed himself publicly for the first time. The report features posts on Dr Wright's blog - which was deleted after the report was published - that declared his intent to launch a 'cryptocurrency paper'

Other scientists' names have surfaced over the years - some theories pose the notion of two or three working together. But denials have usually followed each new mention.

At one point, two Israeli mathematicians floated, and later retracted, the notion that bitcoin was created by the founder of Silk Road, an online bazaar known for trade in various illicit goods.

Conspiracy theorists have even speculated it could have been the work of some shadowy government agency - no one's saying which government - to undermine established currencies or somehow monitor online transactions.

That theory depends on the unproved notion that the creator retained the ability to decode bitcoin's encryption.

Vice magazine once suggested Nakamoto might be Gavin Andresen, an American software expert and early bitcoin enthusiast who has helped push bitcoin forward in Nakamoto's absence.

Andresen has denied it - and on Monday declared he believes Wright is Nakamoto.
If you are left-handed you might need different scissors and struggle with the position of the mouse on most computers.

But, on the other hand, you might also be better at maths.

A new study has found a significant correlation between people's handedness and their ability to perform arithmetic tasks, but the correlation changes depending on age and gender.

If you are left-handed you might need different scissors and struggle with the position of the mouse on most computers. But, on the other hand, you might also be better at maths. A new study has found a significant correlation between people's handedness and their ability to perform arithmetic tasks (stock image)

Psychologists from the University of Liverpool and the University of Milan conducted a study involving 2,300 students in Italy aged between six to 17 years.

They asked them to complete a number of mathematical tasks, including simple arithmetic and problem-solving.

'This study found there is a moderate, yet significant, correlation between handedness and mathematical skill,' said Giovanni Sala, who conducted the study.

But the relationship is complicated.

HOW THE STUDY WORKED Psychologists from the University of Liverpool and the University of Milan conducted a study involving about 2,300 students in Italy aged between six to 17 years and asked them to complete a number of mathematical tasks, including simple arithmetic and problem-solving. The participants' degree of handedness was ascertained by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, a questionable to assess how much an individual is right- or left-handed or ambidextrous.

'We found that the degree of handedness predicted mathematical performance in different ways, according to age, type of task, and gender,' Sala told MailOnline.

'I know it's not easy to convey the message. We ran five experiments, and in every experiment the relationship between math performance and handedness was different.

'In male adolescents, strong left-handers were the best for example.

'In children, strong left- and right-handers were the worst regardless the age.'

The participants' degree of handedness was ascertained by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, a questionnaire that assesses how much an individual is right- or left-handed or ambidextrous.

The researchers then analysed the results in relation to the extent to which they were right- or left-handed.

Psychologists from the University of Liverpool and the University of Milan conducted a study involving 2,300 students in Italy aged between six to 17 years. They asked them to complete a number of mathematical tasks, including simple arithmetic and problem-solving. Stock image

Some scientists believe the choice to use the left hand over the right is influenced by the way the brain's hemispheric bias developed in the womb, when the fundamental structures of the brain were first formed. Stock image pictured

The way the brain works is fundamentally connected with 'hemispheric bias' - the way different functions are associated with the left or right side of the brain.

'Handedness is an indirect expression of brain lateralisation,' Sala told MailOnline.

LEFT HANDED PEOPLE LIKELY TO EARN LESS A 2014 study of 47,000 people indicated left-handers are at a disadvantage at work. It found people who favour their left hand earn 12 per cent less over their lifetime. The researchers said the study dispelled the myth that 'lefties' are more likely to be gifted than their peers. The reasons for the disparity are unclear but economists suggest people who are left-handed may be at a fundamental cognitive disadvantage. The data suggests left-handed children are more likely to have learning issues.

'For example, some - about 30 per cent - of left-handers have a more developed right hemisphere, which is related to spatial skills. So handedness may be a sign of specific brain patterns affecting cognition, which in turn affect mathematical performance.'

Some scientists believe the choice to use the left hand over the right is influenced by the way this hemispheric bias developed in the womb, when the fundamental structures of the brain were first formed.

'We also found that the degree of handedness and mathematical skills influenced by age, type of mathematical task, and gender,' said Sala.

For example, the most lateralised children, that means those who were very one-sided, either left- or right-handed, tended to under perform compared to the rest of the sample.

'However, this effect disappeared in male left-handed adolescents, who performed much better than their peers.'

'These results must not be considered definitive, but only a step towards the conception of a new and more comprehensive model of the phenomenon; A model able to account for all the discordant outcomes reported so far.'
Despite sitting in a galaxy 73 million light-years from Earth, astronomers have managed to determine the weight of a supermassive black hole.

The cosmic void is found at the heart of galaxy NGC 1332 in the Eridanus Group and measurements suggest it weighs the equivalent of 664 million solar masses.

Describing the measurement as providing 'unprecedented' accuracy, the astronomers said it will help them determine the fate of large galaxies in the universe.

Despite sitting in a galaxy 75 million light-years from Earth, astronomers have managed to weigh a supermassive black hole at is centre. The cosmic void (illustrated) is found at the heart of galaxy NGC 1332 in the Eridanus Group and measurements suggest it weighs the equivalent of 664 million solar masses

In fact, this measurement is so accurate, the researchers said it is the equivalent of 664 million solar masses, +/- 64 million solar mass.

A critical measurement for this is the ratio of the mass of a galaxy to the mass of the black hole at its centre.

It is believed all large galaxies form around a supermassive black hole, providing a powerful gravity field and devouring any stars or other matter that approaches too close.

By comparing the mass of the galaxy to the mass of the hole, astronomers can determine which of the two is growing more quickly.

THE ALMA TELESCOPE The Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array, Alma, began operations in 2011 and provides a uniquely high-resolution view of the universe at millimetre wavelengths. Its 66 radio dishes can be moved automatically to provide a 'zoom lens' facility. Its main array includes 25 dishes of 12m diameter, with four further dishes of this size plus 12 smaller, 7-metre antennae. Alma is a joint venture of the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory, European Southern Observatory, and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

This in turn points to the likely fate of the galaxy and, perhaps, the wider universe.

To weigh this supermassive black hole, a team at Rutgers University, led by Professor Andrew Baker, used the Alma radio telescope array in Chile.

Alma, the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array, consists of 66 moveable radio telescope dishes located at high altitude in the Andes Mountains.

The telescope is at 16,400 feet altitude and in a very dry location.

This improves the resolution at the wavelengths it studies.

This high precision instrument was able to detect the carbon monoxide gas swirling around the black hole, which is about 73 million light-years away in the constellation Eridanus.

By measuring the Doppler shift of the gas, its rotational speed was calculated at up to 1.1 million miles per hour.

This combined image of NGC 1332 shows the central disk of gas surrounding the supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy. The astronomers were also able to detect the carbon monoxide gas swirling around the black hole, which it calculated at up to 1.1 million miles per hour

This enormous speed could only be achieved in the gravity field of a black hole weighing 664 million solar masses.

Reporting the findings in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, Professor Baker described the Alma instrument as the world's largest astronomical project and one which has already provided new insights.

'This has been a very active area of research for the last 20 years, trying to characterise the masses of black holes at the centres of galaxies,' he said.
Last month, the same researcher who set the code argued we should narrow our search for aliens down to the ones who could see us too

If aliens tried to contact Earth using an encrypted binary message, would humans understand what it said?

Rene Heller, an astrophysicist at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, has set up a test to find out.

As part of the Seti Decrypt Challenge, the scientist has released a large message made up of 0's and 1's - and he's asking to public to crack it.

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If aliens tried to contact Earth using an encrypted binary message, would humans understand what it said? Rene Heller, an astrophysicist at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, has set up a challenge to find out. A section of the code is shown above

THE RULES OF THE CONTEST - No restrictions on collaborations. - Open discussion on social networks of possible solutions strongly encouraged. - Three hints to the solutions can be offered as per request. - A code break should be able to identify the height of an alien, how long it lives, how big its signal-transmitting device is, how long it's been communicating across the galaxy, what it lives on and the age of its solar system. - On 3 June 2016, a list of the successful SetI crackers (in chronological order) will be released. Advertisement

'Suppose a telescope on Earth receives a series of pulses from a fixed, unresolved source beyond the solar system,' he wrote.

'A computer algorithm identifies the artificial nature of the pulses. It turns out the pulses carry a message.'

The full code can be found here and result of the competition will be announced on June 3.

A code break should be able to identify the height of an alien, how long it lives, how big its signal-transmitting device is, how long it's been communicating across the galaxy, what it lives on and the age of its solar system.

Heller says you can team up with as many people as you want, and many have already taken to Twitter to post their progress under #SetiDecryptChallenge.

You are allowed three clues, and whatever method you turn in your results, it has to be readable by a human.

Last month, Heller published a paper which argued we should narrow our search for aliens down to the ones who would be able to see us too.

The research, published in the journal Astrobiology, included work by Professor Ralph Pudritz abd discusses ways to ensure that aliens trying to detect life on Earth are successful.

In the search for alien life, astrobiologists focus most of their search efforts on planets and moons that are too far away to see directly with telescopes, so they study them by tracking their shadows as they pass in front of their own host stars.

'The approach we utilize is the so-called transit method of detecting planets as they traverse their host stars,' Pudritz told MailOnline.

Last month, Heller published a paper which argued we should narrow our search for aliens down to the ones who would be able to see us too. Pictured is an artist's impression of an exoplanet

'This is arguably the simplest and most direct method of actually discovering that a planet is present and what its size is.'

If a planet crosses in front of its parent star's disk, then the observed visual brightness of the star drops a small amount.

THE 'SUPER GOLDILOCKS' ZONE Traditionally, astronomers have focused the search by looking for planets in their star's 'habitable zone' - more informally called the 'Goldilocks zone'. This is the swath of space that's 'just right' to allow an orbiting Earth-like planet to have liquid water on its surface, perhaps giving life a chance. But so far that has been just a sort of binary designation, indicating only whether a planet is, or is not, within that area considered right for life. A new index was introduced last year, which is more nuanced. It produces a continuum of values that astronomers can punch into a form to arrive at the single-number habitability index, representing the probability that a planet can maintain liquid water at its surface. Advertisement

By measuring the dimming of starlight as a planet crosses the face of its star during orbit, scientists can collect a wealth of information, even without ever seeing those worlds directly.

'To prove that life is present on that planet is a much more difficult and involved task, one that is only now being planned by using the latest telescopes,' the pair continued.

'But once again, one starts with candidates that have been detected to be earth-like, for example rocky planets like ours, with an interesting atmosphere that you would get by doing these transit type of observations.'

To identify a potential target, first scientists would need to understand whether or not the planet could be capable of hosting life as we know it.

'You would analyse the light of a host star that has passed through the planet's atmosphere to see if it contained finger prints of molecules associated with life,' he added.

Heller and Pudritz said that we should be focusing our search on the Earth's transit zone - a thin slice of space that if aliens were living in, they'd be able to see the earth passing in front of the sun.

The Earth's transit zone (ETZ) offers around 100,000 potential targets, each potentially orbited by habitable planets and moons, the scientists said - and that's just the number we can see with today's radio telescope technologies.

The Earth's transit zone (ETZ) offers around 100,000 potential targets, each potentially orbited by habitable planets and moons, the scientists say. Geometrical construction of ETZ shown. The yellow circle represents the sun, the blue circle is Earth, not to scale

'The bottom line is that if you are capable of doing careful observations of stars, it would be difficult to miss the transit method,' continued the researchers.

'So it would be hard to miss our earth if you were an observer in the ETZ - within a few thousand light years from us.'

'We obviously cannot predict what other possible extra-terrestrial observers are capable of in terms of detecting earth like planets with intelligent life,' Pudritz said.

'But this search procedure is based on the method that has proven itself as simple and effective and based on basic physical ideas, like blocking the light of the star, that really could not be missed.

Dr Heller added 'if any of these planets host intelligent observers, they could have identified earth as a habitable, even as a living world long ago and we could be receiving their broadcasts today.'

THE BREAKTHROUGH INITIATIVES The Breakthrough Initiatives were founded in 2015 by Russian entrepreneur Yuri Milner and his wife Julia, to seek scientific evidence of life in the universe. The first project, Breakthrough Listen, is the most comprehensive, intensive and sensitive search ever undertaken for artificial radio and optical signals. It will be a complete survey of the 1,000,000 nearest stars, the plane and centre of our galaxy, and the 100 nearest galaxies. All data will be open to the public. The second, Breakthrough Message, is a $1m competition to design a message representing earth and humanity that could potentially be understood by another civilisation. The aim is to encourage public debate about sending messages beyond earth. A third project, called Breakthrough Starshot, will rely on tiny so-called 'nanocraft' flying on sails pushed by beams of light through the universe. They will travel to the Alpha Centauri star system 25 trillion miles (4.37 light years) away on a twenty year mission to look for alien life. Heller and Pudritz propose that the Breakthrough Listen Initiative, part of the most comprehensive search for extraterrestrial life ever conducted, can maximise its chances of success by concentrating its search on Earth's transit zone. Advertisement

Several projects are already under way, both to send signals from earth and to search for signals that have been sent directly or have 'leaked' around obstacles, possibly travelling for thousands of years.

Heller, a post-doctoral fellow, worked with Pudritz, while at McMaster University in Canada. He is now working in a project at the Max Planck Institute, Germany, that will be heavily involved in a new space observatory dedicated to planet searches (Plato).

'We have also focused our paper at the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI) community that uses radio telescope searches,' Pudritz said.

'As theorists, we are interested to gauge whether or not surveys might be mounted to sample the large number of sources in the earth transit zone (ETZ) that we have proposed - of the order of 100,000,' Pruditz told MailOnline.

'A full survey would require a huge amount of observation time.'
Swarms of drones could soon bring relief to drought-stricken regions by 'seeding' clouds to increase rainfall.

In a step towards that goal, a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft has, for the first time, successfully managed to seed a cloud during a test flight in Nevada.

The Savant aircraft  named the 'Sandoval Silver State Seeder'  fired off two silver-iodide flares during its 18 minute flight at Hawthorne Industrial Airport.

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A fixed-wing unmanned aircraft has, for the first time, successfully managed to 'seed' a cloud during a test flight in Nevada. The Savant aircraft  named the 'Sandoval Silver State Seeder'  fired off two silver-iodide flares during its 18 minute flight at Hawthorne Industrial Airport

HOW CLOUD-SEEDING WORKS Microscopic particles of silver iodide are shot into existing clouds using land based generators or aircraft. Silver iodide is an ice-forming agent,which causes supercooled water droplets to freeze in the clouds. The 'ice embryos' interact with the surrounding water droplets, and eventually grow to snowflakes. These fall to the ground as snow or raindrops, depending on the surface temperatures. Cloud seeding can also, in some cases, cause the cloud to grow larger and last longer than it would have without the modification.

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) drone didn't make any rain as it only went 400 feet  but DRI has described it as a 'major milestone.'

'With a wingspan of 11ft, 10 inches and its light weight design (less than 55lbs) the Savant is the perfect vehicle to conduct this type of operation,' said Mike Richards, CEO of Drone America.

Drone America performed the test flight under an FAA agreement in partnership with the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS).

This flight was the first use by DRI of the Nevada Test Site's Certificate of Authorization (COA), which grants authority to operate the Savant at altitudes up to 1,200 feet.

'Not only does this demonstrate the capabilities of the Savant,' said Amber Broch, chief engineer, 'but it also shows the tremendous potential to use unmanned systems as tools for environmental science and innovative natural resource applications.'

In January, the same team used a DAx8 eight-rotor drone and successfully completed flare tests.

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) drone didn't make any rain as it only went 400 feet  but DRI has described it as a 'major milestone'

Drone America performed the flight under an FAA agreement. This flight was the first use by DRI of the Nevada Test Site's Certificate of Authorization, which grants authority to operate the Savant at altitudes up to 1,200 feet. Pictured is the team behind the achievement

While this may be the first drone to perform cloud seeding, it isn't the first time the technique has been used.

Last year, Arizona revealed plans to create artificial rain clouds by flying planes over the Rockies and seeding the sky with silver iodide.

They hope the technology will allow them to mitigate some of the worst impacts of climate change  but not everyone is convinced.

The process of cloud seeding was first proposed in the 1940s at the General Electric labs in Schenectady, New York.

Two decades later, the Central Arizona Project and the Salt River Project invested in research to make it a reality.

'It hasn't been taken off the table as a potential tool as we work our way through drought now and in the future,' Nancy Selover, Arizona's state climatologist told Becky Brisley at Cronkite News.

Since 2007, CAP has put about $1 million toward research happening in other states to increase the supply of water in the Colorado River system.

Water in the air, even in dry areas, can be transformed into ice crystals by using planes to seed the atmosphere with chemicals such as silver iodide or dry ice

The system works on the premise that rainfall takes place when supercooled droplets of water form ice crystals.

As a result they become too heavy to remain suspended in the air, and fall, often melting on their way down to form rain.

Water in the air, even in dry areas, can be transformed into ice crystals by seeding the atmosphere with chemicals such as silver iodide or dry ice.

They create rain by inducing nucleation  a process in which water is in the air condenses around the particles and crystallises to form ice.

SCIENTISTS FEAR HOSTILE NATIONS COULD CONTROL THE WEATHER If it seems like it never stops raining, blame the Russians. Or even the North Koreans. CIA chiefs fear hostile nations are trying to manipulate the world's weather, a conference heard in February. A leading academic last year told how he got a mysterious phone call asking whether foreign countries could be triggering droughts or flooding. Professor Alan Robock, from Rutgers University in New Jersey, said: 'Consultants working for the CIA rang and said we'd like to know if someone is controlling the world's climate would we know about it? 'Of course they were also asking - if we control someone else's climate would they then know about it.' The professor is one of many scientists from around the world are actively looking at manipulating the weather as a way of combating climate change. Professor Robock told the callers that any attempts to meddle with the weather on a large scale would be detectable.

But some scientists are concerned about silver building up in river basins, as well as legal uncertainties over who should get the additional water.

Compared to other alternatives, such as desalinating seawater, cloud seeding is the cheapest option, though it isn't going to be a drought-buster on its own.

In a recent Wyoming Weather Modification pilot project, the technology resulted in an increase of seasonal snow water accumulations of 5 to 15 per cent.

But Selover, the state climatologist, told Cronkite News that the trickiest part of cloud seeding is measuring whether an area got more rainfall.

'So the effectiveness of it is in doubt,' she said. 'It's not that it's completely ineffective  they're pretty sure it has some impact  but it's pretty hard to measure.'

In January, the same team used a DAx8 eight-rotor drone and successfully completed flare tests for seeding
The pyramids of Egypt have held their secrets for more than 4,500 years.

Now, Egyptian and foreign experts have begun unraveling their mysteries with the help of space particles.

The team are using 'cosmic rays' to create maps that show the internal structures of these ancient wonders - and they say they could hold some surprises.

Last week, archaeologists revealed the first results of their work involving the Bent pyramid, 25 miles south of Cairo.

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Last week, archaeologists revealed the first results of their work involving the Bent pyramid, 25 miles south of Cairo. The 3D images show the internal chambers of the 4,600-year-old structure, as well as clearly revealing the shape of its second chamber

WHAT TECHNOLOGY ARE THEY USING TO PEER INSIDE PYRAMIDS? Infrared thermography - Infrared detects infrared energy emitted from object, converts it to temperature, and displays an image of its temperature distribution to reveal objects that may be hidden. 3D scans with lasers - Lasers bounce narrow pulses of light off the interiors of a structure to map it in detail. Once the scanning is complete, the data can be combined into a highly detailed 3-D model. Cosmic-ray detectors - This detects muons that are created when cosmic rays hit the atmosphere. Muons pass harmlessly through people and buildings. Muons traveling through rock or other dense material will slow and eventually stop. The idea is to catch the muons after theyve passed through an pyramid and measure their energies and trajectories. Researchers can then compile a 3D image that reveals hidden chambers, Advertisement

The 3D images show the internal chambers of the 4,600-year-old structure, as well as clearly revealing the shape of its second chamber.

Located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur, the Bent pyramid was one of the earliest to be built under the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu.

Mehdi Tayoubi, president of the Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute, said that plates installed inside the pyramid collected data on radiographic particles known as 'muons'.

Muons rain down from the Earth's atmosphere. The particles pass through empty spaces but can be absorbed or deflected by harder surfaces.

By studying particle accumulations, scientists may learn more about the construction of the pyramid

It has two entrances, which opens onto two corridors leading to two burial chambers arranged one above the other.

Some had suggested pharaoh Sneferu was buried inside the pyramid in an hidden chamber, but the latest scans have ruled out that possibility.

Egyptian and foreign experts have begun unraveling their mysteries with the help of space particles. The team are using 'cosmic rays' to create maps that show the internal structures of these ancient wonders - and they say they could hold some surprises

The Bent Pyramid in Dahshur, just outside Cairo, is distinguished by the bent slope of its sides. It has two entrances, which opens onto two corridors leading to two burial chambers arranged one above the other

'From these plates, more than 10 millions of muon tracks were analysed,' Tayoubi, who is also co-director of the ScanPyramids mission told Discovery.

'We count the muons and according to their angular distribution we are able to reconstruct an image,' Tayoubi said.

'For the first time ever, the internal structure of a pyramid was revealed with muon particles.

'The images obtained clearly show the second chamber of the pyramid located roughly 60 feet above the lower one in which emulsions plates were installed,' he added.

'For the construction of the pyramids, there is no single theory that is 100 per cent proven or checked' They are all theories and hypotheses,' said Hany Helal, the institute's vice president.

'What we are trying to do with the new technology, we would like to either confirm or change or upgrade or modify the hypotheses that we have on how the pyramids were constructed,' he said.

The Bent Pyramid in Dahshur, just outside Cairo, is distinguished by the bent slope of its sides.

Lasers bounce narrow pulses of light off the interiors of a structure to map it in detail. Once the scanning is complete, the data can be combined into a highly detailed 3D model

Muons traveling through rock or other dense material will slow and eventually stop. The idea is to catch the muons after theyve passed through an pyramid and measure their energies and trajectories. Researchers can then compile a 3D image that reveals hidden chambers

It is believed to have been ancient Egypt's first attempt to build a smooth-sided pyramid.

The Scan Pyramids project, which announced in November thermal anomalies in the 4,500 year-old Khufu Pyramid in Giza, is coupling thermal technology with muons analysis to try to unlock secrets to the construction of several other ancient Egyptian pyramids.

Tayoubi said the group plans to start preparations for muons testing in a month in Khufu, the largest of the three Giza pyramids, which is known internationally as Cheops.

'Even if we find one square meter void somewhere, it will bring new questions and hypotheses and maybe it will help solve the definitive questions,' said Tayoubi.

The team will also be using infrared 3D scans and lasers to study the two pyramids in Giza and the two in Dashur.

The same technology, they say, could also help find a possible hidden tomb in Tutankhamun's burial chamber that may be belong to Queen Nefertiti.

Many previous missions have attempted to unravel the mysteries of the pyramids, but scientists have yet to come up with a concrete theory explaining how the structures were built.

Khufu's pyramid, also known as the Great pyramid of Giza  the tallest of all the pyramids  was built by the son of Snefru, founder of the fourth dynasty (2,575-2,465 BC), and the Khafre's pyramid or Chephren was built by the son of Khufu.

Infrared detects infrared energy emitted from object, converts it to temperature, and displays an image of its temperature distribution to reveal objects that may be hidden

Architects and scientists from Egypt, France, Canada and Japan will also use infrared technology and detectors to map two pyramids at Giza and the two Dahshur pyramids, south of Cairo. The Great Pyramid of Giza is pictured from the left and Chephren Pyramid on the right

The two pyramids at Dahshur were built by Snefru.

'The idea is to find the solution to the mystery of the pyramids,' said Tayoubi.

'A similar attempt was made 30 years ago, but this is the first project at a global level using cutting-edge technology to look inside the pyramids,' he said.

Project 'Scan Pyramids' is expected to last until the end of this year.

Damati said the 'infra-red and muon' technologies that would be used to search the four pyramids could also be useful to look for a possible hidden chamber in King Tutankhamun's tomb, which may be the burial place of Queen Nefertiti.

Archaeologists have never discovered the mummy of the legendary beauty, but renowned British archaeologist Nicholas Reeves said in a recent study that her tomb could be in a secret chamber adjoining Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of Kings at Luxor, southern Egypt.

Reeves, who was in Luxor in September to probe his theory, believes one door of Tutankhamun's tomb could conceal the burial place of Nefertiti.

Many previous missions have attempted to unravel the mysteries of the pyramids, but scientists have yet to come up with a concrete theory explaining how the structures were built. Pictured is the red Pyramid in Dahshur, Egypt

The project will begin south of Cairo with the scanning of the so-called Bent Pyramid at Dashour, followed by the nearby Red Pyramid. Later, the two largest pyramids on the Giza plateau will also be scanned. The structures are over 4,500 years old

Scans of the north wall of King Tutankhamun's burial chamber have revealed features beneath the intricately decorated plaster (left) a researcher believes may be a hidden door, possibly to the burial chamber of Nefertiti. He claims faults in the rock (highlighted right) are characteristic of a door being cut and bricked up

THE GHOST DOORS After analysing high-resolution scans of the walls of Tutankhamun's grave complex in the Valley of the Kings, Dr Nicholas Reeves spotted what appeared to be a secret entrance. He uncovered the 'ghosts' of two portals that tomb builders blocked up, one of which is believed to be a storage room. The other, on the north side of Tutankhamun's tomb, contains 'the undisturbed burial of the tomb's original owner - Nefertiti', Dr Reeves argued. Advertisement

Egypt has already approved using radars to search the boy king's tomb, which was found by British Egyptologist Howard Carter in 1922.

Last year, Egypt's antiquities minister Mamdouh El-Damaty said scratching and markings on the northern and western walls are strikingly similar to those found by Howard Carter on the entrance of King Tut's tomb.

El-Damaty was visiting Luxor with British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves.

Dr Reeves suggested that Tutankhamun, who died at the age of 19, may have been rushed into an outer chamber of what was originally the tomb of Queen Nefertiti.

He said high-resolution images of King Tut's tomb 'revealed several very interesting features which look not at all natural.

They feature like very straight lines which are 90 degrees to the ground, positioned so as to correspond with other features within the tomb.'

These features are difficult to capture with the naked eye, he said.

Reeves said the plastered walls could conceal two unexplored doorways, one of which perhaps leads to Nefertiti's tomb.

He also argues that the design of the tomb suggests it was built for a queen, rather than a king.

Mehdi Tayoubi, president of the Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute, said that plates installed inside the pyramid collected data on radiographic particles known as 'muons'. Muons rain down from the Earth's atmosphere. The particles pass through empty spaces but can be absorbed or deflected by harder surfaces

Dr Nicholas Reeves claims to have found evidence for the bricked up entrances to two additional chambers to Tutankhamun's tomb. These include the burial chamber for Queen Nefertiti, who Dr Reeves claims was the boy-kings co-regent and may even have been his mother, and new hidden storage room, as shown above

Dr Reeves describes how he uncovered the 'ghosts' of two portals that tomb builders blocked up (shown in yellow on the right). One, he says, is a storage room, and the other the tomb of Nefertiti (bust pictured left)

WERE KING TUTANKHAMUN'S PARENTS ALSO COUSINS? The complex family arrangements of Tutankhamun has been one of the great mysteries surrounding the young king. While his father was known to have been Pharaoh Akhenaten, the identity of his mother has been far more elusive. DNA testing has shown that Queen Tiye, whose mummy is pictured above, was the grandmother of the Egyptian Boy King Tutankhamun In 2010 DNA testing confirmed a mummy found in the tomb of Amenhotep II was Queen Tiye, the chief wife of Amenhotep III, mother of Pharaoh Akhenanten, and Tutankhamun's grandmother. A third mummy, thought to be one of Pharaoh Akhenaten wives, was found to be a likely candidate as Tutankhamun's mother, but DNA evidence showed it was Akhenaten's sister. Later analysis in 2013 suggested Nefertiti, Akhenaten's chief wife, was Tutankhamun's mother. However, the work by Marc Gabolde, a French archaeologist, has suggested Nefertiti was also Akhenaten's cousin. This incestuous parentage may also help to explain some of the malformations that scientists have discovered afflicted Tutankhamun. He suffered a deformed foot, a slightly cleft palate and mild curvature of the spine. However, his claims have been disputed by other Egyptologists, including Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. His team's research suggests that Tut's mother was, like Akhenaten, the daughter of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye. Hawass added that there is 'no evidence' in archaeology or philology to indicate that Nefertiti was the daughter of Amenhotep III. Advertisement

In 2010 geneticists used DNA tests to examine the parentage of Tutankhamun and suggested it might be the mummy above, known as the Younger Lady, who was the boy-king's mother. Other experts have claimed, however, that Nefertiti was a cousin of King Tut's father and may have been the boy's mother

If Dr Reeves' theory is correct, it may resolve a number of oddities about Tutankhamun's burial chamber that have long baffled researchers.

For instance, the treasures found within seem to have been placed there in a rush, and are largely second-hand.

'The implications are extraordinary,' he wrote.

'If digital appearance translates into physical reality, it seems we are now faced not merely with the prospect of a new, Tutankhamun-era store room to the west [but] that of Nefertiti herself, celebrated consort, co-regent, and eventual successor of Pharaoh Akhenaten.'

Joyce Tyldesley, senior lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Manchester, told The Times that Dr Reeves's hypothesis may prove correct.
Astronomers are getting closer to finding worlds that resemble our own planet.

Nasas Kepler mission has played a major role in achieving this, after confirming more than 1,000 planets outside our solar system.

Some of these planets are slightly larger than Earth and orbit in the habitable zones of their stars.

But its mission isnt over yet. Nasa will make an announcement at 1pm ET on Tuesday, May 10 to reveal the planet hunters latest discoveries.

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Astronomers are getting closer to finding worlds that resemble our own planet. Nasas Kepler mission has played a major role in achieving this, after confirming more than 1,000 planets outside our solar system

When Kepler was launched in March 2009, scientists did not know how common planets were outside our solar system.

Thanks to its treasure trove of discoveries, astronomers now believe there may be at least one planet orbiting every star in the sky.

Kepler completed its prime mission in 2012, and collected data for an additional year in an extended mission.

In 2014, the spacecraft began a new extended mission called K2.

K2 continues the search for exoplanets while introducing new research opportunities to study young stars, supernovae and other cosmic phenomena.

KEPLER'S HISTORY OF PROBLEMS In 2012, Kepler lost use of the first of two failed gyroscopic reaction wheels. Four wheels are used point the telescope in a specific direction, according to NASA, and in May of the following year, the second wheel broke. After months of work, engineers were unable to restore them. The Kepler telescope was reborn in 2014 as 'K2' with a clever strategy of pointing the telescope in the plane of Earth's orbit, the ecliptic, to stabilize the spacecraft. The probe has been mining the cosmos for planets by searching for eclipses or 'transits,' as planets pass in front of their host stars and periodically block some of the starlight.

But it hasn't been without its challenges.

Last month, Nasa managed to bring its Kepler back online after losing touch with it.

Ground controllers discovered the problem right before they were going to point Kepler toward the center of the Milky Way as part of a new kind of planetary survey.

'Mission operations engineers have successfully recovered the Kepler spacecraft from Emergency Mode (EM),' the space agency said at the time.

'The mission has cancelled the spacecraft emergency, returning the Deep Space Network ground communications to normal scheduling.'

The Emergency Mode began approximately 14 hours before the planned maneuver to orient the spacecraft toward the center of the Milky Way for Campaign 9.

The team therefore ruled out the maneuver and the reaction wheels as possible causes of the EM event.

The vast 75 million-mile distance between Kepler and Earth make it all the harder to fix.

Kepler was on its way to join ground observatories in surveying millions of stars in the heart of our galaxy. Pictured above is an undated artist's concept provided by Nasa shows the Keplar spacecraft moving in space

'Even at the speed of light, it takes 13 minutes for a signal to travel to the spacecraft and back,' mission manager Charlie Sobeck said in a weekend web update from Nasa's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

In 2012, Kepler lost use of the first of two failed gyroscopic reaction wheels.

Four wheels are used point the telescope in a specific direction, according to Nasa, and in May of the following year, the second wheel broke.

After months of work, engineers were unable to restore them.

The Kepler telescope was reborn in 2014 as 'K2' with a clever strategy of pointing the telescope in the plane of Earth's orbit, the ecliptic, to stabilize the spacecraft.

In the original Kepler mission, the telescope identified more than 4,600 candidate worlds and 1,918 confirmed planets. And, a handful of these planets share striking similarities with Earth. Closeness in size and stellar radiation levels has astronomers wondering if Kepler-438b, Kepler-442b, and Kepler 452-b, might be habitable

The probe has been mining the cosmos for planets by searching for eclipses or 'transits,' as planets pass in front of their host stars and periodically block some of the starlight.

Despite its history of breakdowns, Kepler has continued to gather data for Nasa.

Last year alone, the spacecraft discovered what scientists called Earth's 'closest twin' outside the solar system; rocks in the habitable zone of another star; a dimming pattern coming from a faraway star; and the first supernova to be seen wit visible light.

More than 1,000 of Kepler's detected 5,000 exoplanets have been confirmed to date, according to Nasa.

Kepler is named after the 17th century German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler.
It can be seen everywhere from busy sidewalks to concerts; teens and adults are becoming increasingly attached to cellphones, some looking down at a screen more than at their surroundings.

Now, a California high school has found a way to force its students to disconnect, CBS reports.

Upon entering class, all students must lock their phones into Yondr bags, which cant be opened until the class ends.

A California high school has found a way to force its students to disconnect from their smartphones. Upon entering class, all students must lock their phones into Yondr bags, which cant be opened until the class ends

Yondr was founded by Graham Dugoni, and aims to help people engage with their surroundings without the distraction of a phone.

Dugoni explains to CBS that the Yondr bags are a tool to symbolize the shift toward real life interactions.

When a person enters a phone-free zone, their phone is first placed into a Yondr case, which is then locked in a way that resembles the security tags seen in clothing stores.

Phones remain in the possession of their owner, but cannot be accessed.

In order to use the phone, the person must return to the 'lock and unlock' station, and then move to the 'phone access zone.'

The idea is being tested at Mercy High School in Burlingame, California, according to CBS.

But, administrators arent the only ones who have taken to the idea.

Since its launch, the lockable bags have been put to use by high profile performers, including comedians Dave Chappelle and Hannibal Buress.

When a person enters a phone-free zone, their phone is first placed into a Yondr case, which is then locked in a way that resembles the security tags seen in clothing stores. The area highlighted in green (above) shows the 'phone-free zone' of a Yondr venue

Phones remain in the possession of their owner, but are not usable. In order to access the phone, the person must leave the phone-free zone to unlock the case. The area highlighted in green, on the right side of the image, shows a 'phone access zone' where the phones can be freed from their pouches

Chappelle explained to CBS that devices have grown to be such a distraction during performances that hes adopted a no cellphone rule.

Yondr bags are now mandatory at all of Chappelles shows.

On the website, Yondr explains that the companys vision is to allow people to experience the power of a moment as it is happening.

Smartphones have fundamentally changed how we live. How to integrate them into our lives as a useful tool, rather than a compulsive habit, is a question that needs an answer, Yondrs vision states.

The idea is being tested at Mercy High School in Burlingame, California, according to CBS. But, administrators arent the only ones who have taken to the idea. Since its launch, the lockable bags have been put to use by high profile performers, including comedians Dave Chappelle (pictured left) and Hannibal Buress (on right)

Attendees must pass through the lock and unlock station, pictured above. Here they can have their phones locked away in the Yondr bags to enter the 'phone-free zone,' or release the phones in order to use them i a 'phone access zone'

We think smartphones have incredible utility, but not in every setting. In some situations, they have become a distraction and a crutch  cutting people off from each other and their immediate surroundings.

Yondr has a simple purpose: to show people how powerful a moment can be when we arent focused on documenting or broadcasting it.

At Mercy High, students tell CBS that locking away their phones has taken some getting used to.

But, they say the pouch has helped reduce the compulsive urge to check their notifications.

Moving forward, CBS reports, Yondrs creator says he hopes to see these bags used in venues that seat as many as 20,000 people.
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If you've ever been disappointed by the beige looking gloop presented to you as a meal on a long-haul flight then you may wish you were transported back half a century to the golden age of fine dining - on a plane.

A surreal collection of nostalgic images of plane food taken on board Scandinavian Airlines flights in the 1950s to 1980s depict relaxed-looking guests being served caviar, lobster and whole cream cakes.

As if that wasn't enough to make modern passengers salivate in disbelief, there are even whole legs of ham being carved up in front of the guests on the Norwegian carrier.

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This mock up of cabin service in the 1970s show eager customers waiting to be served from the central reservation where whole lobsters, chicken and racks of lamb and being served

Scandinavian Airlines released a selection of vintage photographs to celebrate their 70th anniversary. Included are incredible moments like a leg of ham being caved on board a flight (above)

In this photo taken in the 60s, an air stewardess is offering pepper to her guest while a sommelier, wearing a silver tasting cup, is ladling out the salad

Economy class in the 1980s, as the photograph above reveals, is much more similar to the flying experience we might find today

It was clearly a time before terror in the skies was feared as large knives were brandished in the carving of the ham, the cutting of salami and filleting of a whole salmon.

These were served with generous slices of bread, cut from a whole crusty loaf.

Each guests has a small platter of butter nearly curled into balls.

In one of the photographs, a chef wearing his whites and a hat is seen preparing a selection of seafood for contented looking guests.

Among the smorgasbord of items is a small tray of caviar, which is set against slice of lemon.

In this undated photograph, a passenger is being served fresh Norwegian lobsters with their shell still on. Two aperitifs are set on ice next to the rest of the shell fish on the trolley

The photographs were from the 1950s to 1980s. Above, a couple choose between slices of meat from the carving board or a lobster from the platter in the 1950s

Perhaps it was a time before serious turbulence in the air but this picture taken in the 70s shows a chef plating up from a trolley where all of the food is on display

It must really be the golden age of flying as a passenger asks for just a little bit of cheese from the impressive looking platter

In first class in 1969, an air hostess is holding out a plate for inspection by the traveller while the chef portions out the seafood

This photo from the 1980s shows that caviar is still on the menu in first class and the fresh seafood also included prawns and salmon

In another scene, a smiling air hostess is seen serving a guest with a porcelain tea cup while the trolley in front of her also offered cream cake and fruit.

Forget having to limit how much alcohol passengers consume, instead guests were offered a large selection of drinks, which included beer, wine and spirits.

Many of the images were taken before the cabin was divided up into economy, business and first class, meaning that everyone was served a lavish meal.

Menus from the era also showed items that look more like those you might find at a Michelin-starred menu.

For example, a hand-written menu that was in use between 1946 and 1948 had items such as consomme and roast chicken.

Another menu from the 1980s for a route between Copenhagen and Bangkok had items such as crepes with mushrooms and bacon and Bavarian cream with rum.

A selection of these images were released to celebrate 70 years of Scandinavian Airlines.

It was clearly a time before terror in the skies as large knives were brandished in the carving of the ham, cutting of the salami (above, in 1969) and filleting of a whole salmon

Another view of the food cart in 1969 shows a member of the crew filleting portions of salmon while another offers up a plate of salami with crusty bread

Freedom was in the air as these guests on board a flight in the 1960s show as one playfully offers the other grapes from the fruit bowl

Tea in the first class cabin in the 1960s was served on a low trolley and in porcelain cups. You could also get a slice of the cake or some fresh fruit

In this undated photo, guests await service service from a platter but it seems that lobster and caviar are no longer options

On a flight to Asia in the 1960s, an air hostess offers a very happy looking traveller some snacks while her colleagues are pouring out the drinks behind her

Lobster was frequently featured on the menu of Scandinavian Airlines. These photos, taken in 1981, shows what you might have eaten when you flew business class

Meanwhile, on board another flight in the 1960s, a man sitting in economy is handed a plate of food that's looking a lot less extravagant

In this advert showing life on board a Scandinavian Airlines flight in the 1970s, the Champagne appeared to be free flowing while on offer was lobster and caviar

In the 1970s, those in economy would have received a plate of food looking something like this, featuring prawns,smoked salmon and egg

In the 1970s, you might have received a whole steak on your plate. But unfortunately you might have struggled with the knife and fork

Above, passengers travelling in the 80s, have been handed relatively modest trays of food. On the right, a chef wearing whites is still on board to serve the food to first and business class passengers

Many of the images were taken before the cabin was divided up into economy, business and first class, meaning that everyone was served a lavish meal. Above, undated photos showing what meals were like in economy (left) and first (right)

In the 1970s, it seems, Scandinavian Airlines still hired a sommelier to work the flights. Above, one is seen standing in the back while his colleague presents a wine

There's plenty of room during a meal time in the 1950s as show in this scene where passengers have the option of wine and Champagne at the same time

Scandinavian Airlines clearly took their sandwiches seriously. Above is a sample of the Danish open sandwich menu offered in the 1960s

An impressive French menu is served on board a flight between Copenhagen, Bangkok and Singapore in the 1950s as pictured above
A Manchester-bound easyJet flight was forced to divert to Italy for a medical emergency after one of the pilots and a passenger fell ill.

Holidaymakers were returning to the UK from the Mediterranean island of Malta when the Airbus A320 made an unscheduled stop in Milan.

The plane was met by paramedics when it landed at Milan-Malpensa Airport and the co-pilot and passenger were taken away in ambulances, passengers reported.

An easyJet spokesman said the co-pilot and passenger's illnesses are believed to be unrelated

The Airbus A320 was flying from Malta to Manchester when it diverted to Milan-Malpensa Airport

An easyJet spokesman told MailOnline Travel the illnesses are believed to be unrelated.

Passenger Darren Bradshaw said a woman stood up around an hour into the flight and asked if there was a doctor or nurse on board.

He said: The lady was anxious and looked worried. It seems another female passenger in the middle of the aircraft had been sick and fainted.

There was a doctor sitting right next to me and he went to attend to the lady. When he came back, he just said that she had fainted.

'He didn't seem that worried about the situation. The cabin crew were then left dealing with the sick female passenger. The cabin crew were calm and dealt with the passenger well.'

Bradshaw said flight attendants went back and forth with sick bags and the poorly passenger stayed in her seat, but it didnt appear that her condition improved.

A short time later, the captain announced that the co-pilot had taken ill and the plane would have to divert and land as soon as possible.

Bradshaw said: He did not say anything about the condition of the pilot. It all seemed a little bizarre and unreal.

'First a passenger just takes ill, then there is an announcement regarding one of the pilots being ill. All the crew were calm and acting very professional.

A passenger snapped this photo of an ambulance and paramedics after the plane landed in Milan

Flight EZY1998 arrived at Manchester Airport two hours behind schedule following the medical diversion

Bradshaw said the plane made a 'quick landing' and the plane was boarded by paramedics, police and airport officials.

He added: 'The pilot and passenger were both taken off in chairs by paramedics. They did not walk off the aircraft. Both were sat up in the chairs.'

Both were then loaded into ambulances parked next to the plane.

Passengers waited on board until a new crew of pilots and flight attendants arrived to fly the plane back to the UK.

Flight EZY1998 was scheduled to land at Manchester Airport at 2:10pm on Wednesday afternoon but arrived two hours behind schedule at 4:20pm, Flightradar24 reported.

The easyJet spokesman said passengers were given updates on the situation and refreshments during the stop in Milan.

He added: The aircraft was met by the by emergency services as a precaution. The two medical issues are believed to be unrelated.
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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Thousands of people gathered along the Thames today as London welcomed a 930-passenger luxury cruise ship that boasts a snow grotto and is set to become the largest ocean-going vessel to be christened on the famous river.

The Viking Sea, which measures more than two football pitches in length, was christened with a spectacular fireworks display depicting the colours of the two main runners in the Mayoral elections.

Before the extravaganza illuminated London's skyline, the ship entered the Thames Estuary, passing Gravesend, Kent, and squeezing through the Thames Barrier in Woolwich, before it was photographed with sights such as the O2, Canary Wharf, the Shard and the City in the background.

The 745.4-ft long ship, owned and operated by Viking Cruises, had previously sailed from Venice via the English Channel and Atlantic and the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.

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Viking Cruises christened its second of six planned ocean ships in Greenwich, London this evening with fireworks depicting the colours of the two main runners in the Mayoral elections

The spectacular display illuminated the iconic skyline as Viking Sea became the largest ocean ship to be christened in London

The stunning fireworks lit up the dark skies over London, delighting the thousands of people who had gathered to see the 930-passenger luxury cruise ship

Viking Ocean Cruises' newest ship, the Viking Sea, approaches London's Greenwich Pier, with Canary Wharf pictured in the background

The 930-passenger Viking Sea, classified as a small cruise ship, is the largest ocean ship to be christened on the Thames

As it sailed along the Thames the brand new cruise ship passed London's O2 Arena and appeared to rival its height

Passengers gather at the front of the ship to take in London sights such as Canary Wharf, Greenwich, the Shard and the City

Viking Sea is the second sea-going cruise ship from Viking, with passengers being promised chic Scandinavian decor in staterooms

After passing through the Thames Barrier (pictured) in East London the cruise ship sailed to Greenwich Pier

These aerial shots reveal the scale of the Viking Sea, which measures more than two football pitches in length at nearly 750ft

A crowd gathers near Greenwich Pier in East London to watch the Viking Sea cruise ship dock after sailing to London from Venice

Viking Sea's on-board luxury spa features a 'snow grotto' where artificial snowflakes fall from the ceiling through chilled air

Viking Sea completed its inaugural voyage from Istanbul to Venice last month, and following her christening in London tonight the vessel will spend her maiden season sailing around Scandinavia and the Baltics as well as the Mediterranean.

It is the second ocean-going ship from Viking, which is known more for its smaller vessels that sail the rivers of Europe and Asia.

The all-balcony ship has a luxury spa with a snow grotto where artificial snowflakes fall from the ceiling through chilled air, and three pools, including an infinity pool on the aft deck and one that is protected by a retractable roof.

Holidaymakers can choose from five different room classes, with staterooms ranging from 270 square feet to more than 1,100 square feet.

With sights such as the Shard and Canary Wharf visible in the distance, the Viking Sea approaches its dock in East London

London skyscrapers, including the Walkie-Talkie, Cheesegrater and Gherkin, provide a stunning backdrop for the Viking Sea

Holidaymakers can choose from five different room classes, with staterooms ranging from 270 square feet to more than 1,100 square feet

The Viking Sea cruise ship passes the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf and the O2 Arena en route to a dock at Greenwich, London

The Viking Sea, which has multiple restaurants, a spa, live theatre and three pools on board, enters the Thames Barrier in East London

Spanning 1,706ft across the river, the Thames Barrier, near Woolwich, is one of the largest movable flood barriers in the world

People look out from a restaurant roof terrace as the Viking Sea cruise ship docks at Greenwich in London

The Viking Sea cruise ship is guided by tug boats along the River Thames towards Greenwich in East London

The Viking Sea cruise ship passes along the Thames, near Gravesend in Kent, on her way up the river to Greenwich ahead of her official naming ceremony this evening

Passengers have a choice of three pools to relax in, including an infinity pool and one that is protected by a retractable roof

On board, guests will have plenty of space to unwind. There are three pools, multiple lounges with amazing views and several restaurants

On board, they have plenty of options to pass the time  from a lounge with stunning views at the front of the ship to a theatre where they can watch live performances. Multiple restaurants serve everything from American classics to heart-healthy options.

With a gross tonnage of 47,800 tons, Viking Sea is the first ship in nearly a decade to hold a naming ceremony in Greenwich and heralds a wave of impressive new arrivals to the cruise terminal in Greenwich.

It passed through the Thames Barrier shortly after 11am and moored at Greenwich at around 12:15pm, when 48 sailors saluted the ship as they stood on the Cutty Sark's yardarms in a traditional naval custom to welcome her.

A spokeswoman for Los Angeles-based Viking Cruises said the company chose London for its christening because it is a special city for founder and chaiman Torstein Hagen and for its impressive scenery and history.

London will be a stop on future itineraries for Vikings fleet of ocean ships. In 2018, London will be the final destination on the soon-to-be-built Viking Suns round-the-world journey.

Viking Sea will be the first ship to be named in Greenwich for nearly a decade and heralds a wave of impressive new arrivals to Greenwich

The ship is the second ocean-going ship from Viking Cruises, which is known more for its smaller vessels that sail the rivers of Europe and Asia

Starting in this month, Viking Sea will cruise around the Mediterranean and Scandinavia with up to 930 passengers on board

With some of the best views, Viking Sea's Explorer Suites are the largest staterooms on the ship, measuring up to 1,100 square feet

Later this evening, the ship's christening will be followed by a celebratory fireworks display.

Hagen said he aimed to buck the trend of bigger cruise liners by creating smaller ships that can easily access historic destinations.

Ahead of the maiden voyage and christening, Hagen said: 'Too often in recent years the most talked about ships have been the biggest ships.

'It is our view that some cruise lines have focused too much on building bigger ships and not enough on helping guests connect with the destination.'

The all-balcony ship has a spa with a snow grotto where artificial snowflakes fall from the ceiling, and three pools, including an infinity pool on the aft deck and one that is protected by a retractable roof

Viking Sea passed through the Thames Barrier shortly after 11:00am and moored at Greenwich at around 12:15pm where 48 sailors met the yard-arm of the Cutty Sark in a traditional naval custom to welcome her

Later this evening, the 930-passenger cruise ship will be christened followed by a celebratory fireworks display in London

Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises, said he aimed to buck the trend of bigger cruise liners by creating smaller ships that can easily access historic destinations

Last year Viking Cruises' first ever ocean-going cruise ship, Viking Star, sailed up the Thames on its maiden voyage (pictured: Viking Sea)

Hagen added: ''We have created ocean cruises that put the destination at the centre of the experience, with smaller ships that are smarter in design.

'As our second ship sets sail with her first guests we look forward to introducing more travellers to the unique way that Viking does ocean cruising  a style of cruising that was inspired by our experience and success on the rivers.'

Last year Viking's first-ever ocean-going cruise ship, Viking Star, sailed up the Thames to Greenwich on its maiden voyage.

The nine-deck passenger ship, which left Istanbul in April 2015 on the first stage of its journey to Norway, sailed past London landmarks including Canary Wharf, the O2 Arena, and Greenwich's Royal Naval College.

It was anchored overnight at Greenwich before it continued its journey to the Norwegian city of Bergen, where it was christened during the country's Constitution Day Celebrations.
Finnair is the most eco-friendly airline in the world, according to a new study.

Research carried out by Warwick University claims that TAP Portugal and Virgin Australia are also among the least polluting carriers.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, American Airlines was found to produce the highest amount of greenhouse gases, followed by other US carriers, including Delta Airlines and United Airlines.

A study from Warwick University ranked major airlines using emissions data supplied to the Carbon Disclosure Project. In 2014, Finnair was the cleanest airline among them

The information, tracked between 2007 and 2014, showed that the majority of airlines saw an increase in their carbon footprint

The study was conducted by Dr Frederik Dahlmann, an assistant professor of global energy at Warwick Business School, using data recorded between 2007 and 2014 as part of the Carbon Disclosure Project.

Ranking of the world's cleanest airlines were made of the results from 2014.

Apart from Virgin Australia, all of the top five clean airlines were based in Europe while those in the USA faired badly.

However, Dr Dahlmann concedes that the rankings are not precise.

As there is no obligation from the airlines to supply the data, Dr Dahlmann was only able to collect emissions information for 20 major airlines.

Some, like easyJet, Etihad and Ryanair, have only recently started releasing emissions related data.

Airline mergers also made rankings difficult.

Data for British Airways stopped in 2011, when it merged with Iberia to form IAG.

Finnair had a consistent level of emissions over the seven year period but some, like Scandinavian Airlines, actually seems to have reduced their carbon footprint over time.

Similarly, emissions data for American Airlines only started in 2013 when it merged with US Airways.



Both of these mergers will have significantly increased the measured carbon footprint of the carriers as the fleet size is increased.

Whether it's down to mergers or increase in the size of the fleet, the study has shown that over a seven year period, almost all of the airlines have seen an increase in the volume of emissions.

However, some, like Scandinavian Airlines, appears to have been able to reduce their emissions over time.

Dr Dahlmann said: 'The data demonstrates that for most airlines emissions are either growing or stagnant, none are showing a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.

'This is despite many airlines introducing modern and more efficient planes to their fleet.'

The professor also warned that due to the increasing number of flights, which is set to double by 2030, cutting emissions will be 'a real problem'.
Travellers who are planning a sunny getaway may find a deal or two as a new study suggests summer airfare prices will be at their lowest level in seven years.

The US-based study found that summer flights havent been this affordable since 2009 and its partly due to the tumbling price of jet fuel.

This June, a typical round-trip domestic flight is expected to peak at $240 (165) as millions of air travellers fly to destinations across the US and abroad.

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Passengers may find a deal this summer, with one study suggesting prices will be at their lowest since 2009

The study, conducted by flight comparison website Hopper, found that the average price of a round-trip flight in April remained flat at $221 (152), effectively unchanged from March and slightly lower than expectations.

Prices are expected to increase by 5.6 per cent in May to $233 (160) per flight before peaking in June, a month when demand increases as more people go on holiday.

Still, Hopper found that prices are down 12 per cent on last year and more than 20 per cent on 2014.

Prices are expected to come back down in July ($224) and August ($211) before falling to $206 in October, said Hopper.

This June, a typical round-trip domestic flight in the US is expected to peak at $240, the study found

In terms of interest, the study found that the top trending destination for US travellers is Chicago, with the average round-trip flight currently costing $157.

It was followed by Orlando ($186), Boston ($232), New York ($200) and Atlanta ($176).

Honolulu, Phoenix, Fort Myers, Florida, Las Vegas and Fort Lauderdale are among the destinations trending downward, said Hopper.

For international destinations, the top trending cities are Sydney, Auckland, Mexico City, Santiago in the Dominican Republic and San Salvador. Tokyo, Seoul, Cancun, Paris and New Delhi are trending downward.

Hoppers findings are based on an index that combined search data for every origin and destination in the US.
Her child may take after his dad Justin Timberlake, but Jessica Biel has good things going for her too.

The 34-year-old actress was casually stylish and in a smiling mood as she stepped out for lunch in Santa Monica, California on Wednesday.

Jessica was wearing blue jeans with a light blue top, creamy blazer and white trainers, and looking remarkably slim.

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Mom's day out: Jessica Biel looked happy and content while out for an Italian lunch in Santa Monica, CA on Wednesday

The star proved she's got a healthy appetite too judging by the bag of take-home goodies she was carrying.

Jessica's solo outing came on the heels of a recent interview interview with Today in which she revealed how much son Silas is like his father Justin, 35.

'He is a ham, just like his dad  serious ham,' Jessica told the morning show at a Baby2Baby Mother's Day event in Los Angeles last week, adding: 'He thinks everything is funny. He goofs on me all the time.'

Glowing review: The 34-year-old actress and restaurateur was also happy to reveal in a recent chat with the Today show how much her son Silas takes after his famous dad Justin Timberlake

'He is a ham, just like his dad': Jessica said that Silas, now one year old, shares some of Justin's personality traits; the proud dad shared this photo with his son on Instagram last June

Jessica added that her little boy's humor isn't too mature just yet.

She continued, 'He thinks sneezing is really funny. Hes in that moment where he thinks bodily functions are really funny.'

A love for music is another similarity Silas shares with his famous father with the proud mom noting, 'He likes Erykah Badu, and he likes Stevie Wonder. He likes a groove.'

That should bode well for Justin, whose first new song in three years, Can't Stop The Feeling, comes out on Friday.

On Wednesday, Justin tweeted '2 more days' before fans get to hear it.

Funny family: Jessica was pleased to talk about her funny family at a Mother's Day event in Los Angeles on April 27

Musically inclined: Silas - seen here with Justin last December - already shares a love for music with Jessica telling Today, 'He likes a groove'

Jessica also described what motherhood means to her as she's about to celebrate her second Mother's Day.

On being a mom, the actress said, it 'changes your perspective massively.'

Even though her toddler son just celebrated his first birthday the brunette beauty mentioned an ever present 'invisible umbilical cord.'

Reason to celebrate: The actress - pictured on April 14 - will celebrate her second Mother's Day this year

'Youre still connected to that same person, even though youre not in the same body anymore. That does not go away.'

Jessica also talked about her husband of three years and what the family-of-three do for fun.

'We do a lot of yard hangout. You know, like, picnic blanket on the yard, music, books everywhere, crawling through the grass. That kind of stuff.'
She's currently filming her role as a baddie in the new Power Rangers reboot.

But Elizabeth Banks was joining in the fun with another film franchise on Wednesday.

The 42-year-old celebrated Star Wars Day by donning a gold bikini in the style of Princess Leia.

The Force is strong with this one: Elizabeth Banks celebrated Star Wars Day by donning a gold bikini in the style of Princess Leia

She posted an Instagram snap standing in front of Jabba the Hutt - a slug-like alien from the original trilogy.

It was captioned: 'Happy @StarWars Day! Finally got my hands on a gold bikini. #MayThe4thBeWithYou.'

Star Wars day is celebrated on May 4 by fans of the films, based on a pun of May the Force be with you.

The Pitch Perfect star didn't quite get into the spirit of the full original, opting instead to wear the bikini over her clothing which included a black hooded onesie.

Original: Princess Leia's gold bikini slave costume from Return of the Jedi in 1983 has become one of the most iconic images in popular culture, as well as cementing Carrie Fisher as a sex symbol

The Hunger Games beauty did add a fake braid over one shoulder, however, as she showed off her natural beauty make-up free in the mock-up.

Princess Leia's gold bikini slave costume from Return of the Jedi in 1983 has become one of the most iconic images in popular culture, as well as cementing Carrie Fisher as a sex symbol.

Meanwhile Elizabeth has been proved her supernatural prowess on set of the sci-fi project in Vancouver, Canada.

Joining in: The glamorous star posted the Instagram snap recreating the iconic scene on May 4th - celebrating the pun-based Star Wars day (pictured in February)

She's a super powered villain in her role as Rita Repulsa in the upcoming Power Rangers - due for release on March 24, 2017.

Elizabeth was outfitted with striking, long, pointed gold nails as Rita, which coordinated with gold markings along her face and in her hair.

Speaking with People last week, Elizabeth shared her excitement over playing the character, especially since she had 'never played a villain before.'

The Lego Movie star gushed that when it came to playing the villainous character, she was most excited about 'world domination  and being unpredictable as a character.'
Sarah Jessica Parker dolled up for interviews at Z100 radio station, ABC Studios, and NBC Studios in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Stylist Erin Walsh put the 51-year-old actress in three outfits, including a frilly floral frock and SJP silver T-strap heels.

The eight-time Golden Globe winner had her naturally long locks coiffed by Serge Normant, and she sported a smoky eye by Leslie Lopez.

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Whirlwind promotions: Sarah Jessica Parker dolled up for interviews at Z100 radio station, ABC Studios, and NBC Studios in Manhattan on Wednesday

Effervescent: Stylist Erin Walsh put the 51-year-old actress in three outfits, including this frilly floral frock and SJP silver T-strap heels

Glammed up! The eight-time Golden Globe winner had her naturally long locks coiffed by Serge Normant, and she sported a smoky eye by Leslie Lopez

SJP changed into a blue scoopneck dress and her $350 'Fawn' pumps for The View, where she reluctantly defended her Met Gala ensemble.

'Well now I feel lousy,' the All Roads Lead to Rome star - who doesn't read her own press - groaned at the topic.

The Ohio-born blonde and her white Hamilton/1760s-inspired Monse suit landed on several worst-dressed lists.

'I took [the Manus x Machina] theme incredibly seriously,' Sarah admitted defensively.

On the spot: SJP changed into a blue scoopneck dress and her $350 'Fawn' pumps for The View, where she reluctantly defended her Met Gala ensemble

The All Roads Lead to Rome star - who doesn't read her own press - groaned at the topic: 'Well now I feel lousy'

Yay or nay? The Ohio-born blonde and her white Hamilton/1760s-inspired Monse suit landed on several worst-dressed lists

Sarah admitted defensively: 'I took [the Manus x Machina] theme incredibly seriously. I research it. I go to exhaustive detail to understand the meaning of the theme'

She continued: 'And it just isn't a great way to spend your time worrying about what people say or trying to fix it or make it feel better. It's perfectly all right'

'I research it. I go to exhaustive detail to understand the meaning of the theme. And the world is such now that everybody gets to have an opinion, and isn't that wonderful? We live in a democracy and all sorts of people can say all sorts of things. And it just isn't a great way to spend your time worrying about what people say or trying to fix it or make it feel better. It's perfectly all right.'

The Sex and the City alum then weighed in on the latest Photoshop controversy involving an unnamed photographer digitally-shrinking Rumer Willis' prominent jawline.

'To Rumer, it must feel as if it's a sort of statement that there is a flaw that needs fixing that is evident to everybody else,' Parker said carefully.

'Does it qualify as bullying?' The Sex and the City alum then weighed in on the latest Photoshop controversy involving an unnamed photographer digitally-shrinking Rumer Willis' prominent jawline

Any friends of fans of mine who posted this I would appreciate if you took it down. The photographer Photoshopped my face to make my jaw smaller and I find it really offensive for anyone to try and change the way you look so drastically. I love the way I look and I won't support anyone who would feel a need to change the way I look to make me beautiful. Whether or not they realize it, it is a form of bullying, which I won't stand for. A photo posted by Rumer Willis (@ruelarue) on May 3, 2016 at 11:55am PDT

Parker said carefully: 'To Rumer, it must feel as if it's a sort of statement that there is a flaw that needs fixing that is evident to everybody else. I'm not saying it does or doesn't [qualify as bullying]. I think that's a very subjective feeling that we can't say to her isn't'

'I think the question is does it qualify as bullying? I'm not saying it does or doesn't. I think that's a very subjective feeling that we can't say to her isn't.'

The seven-time Emmy winner also wore a grey sweatshirt, baggy blue jeans, amd white Mary Janes while promoting her partnership with Mylan for Food Allergy Awareness Month.

It turns out SJP's 13-year-old son James has a life-threatening allergy to peanuts, which spared her twins Marion & Tabitha - who turn 7 next month.

The mother-of-three and husband Matthew Broderick will celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary on May 19.

A cause close to home: The seven-time Emmy winner also wore a grey sweatshirt, baggy blue jeans, amd white Mary Janes while promoting her partnership with Mylan for Food Allergy Awareness Month

'Anaphylaxis: For Reel': It turns out SJP's 13-year-old son James has a life-threatening allergy to peanuts, which spared her twins Marion & Tabitha - who turn 7 next month

Impressive: The mother-of-three and husband Matthew Broderick will celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary on May 19

Ironically, divorce is the subject of Sarah's next acting gig - the HBO series Divorce about a woman called Francis whose affair ends her marriage.

Premiering this summer/fall, the drama was created by Sharon Horgan (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, Catastrophe) and also features Molly Shannon and Robert Forster.

The diminutive shoe designer also continues to sell her heels at Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Zappos Couture.

Premiering this summer/fall! Ironically, divorce is the subject of Sarah's next acting gig - the HBO series Divorce about a woman called Francis whose affair ends her marriage
May the fourth is a day of celebration for Star Wars fans.

And Australian actress Ruby Rose has gotten in on the action taking to Instagram to transform herself into Star Wars characters using photoshop.

The 30-year-old posted images of her face superimposed onto the bodies of Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker.

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Androgynous: Australian actress Ruby Rose superimposed her face onto images of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia to celebrate Star Wars Day on May 4

The first of the two photos shows Ruby's distinctive facial features on the body of Luke, the Jedi Master, in a scene from one of the original trilogy films wearing an orange bodysuit and clutching a weapon.

The second image is a close-up shot of Ruby's face on Princess Leia's head donning her signature hairstyle of two large buns along with her recognisable costume - a high neck white dress.

Princess Leia's characteristics seem to suit Ruby almost as much as they did Carrie Fisher, who starred as the fearless princess in the original Star Wars trilogy and again in the 2015 blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The tattooed beauty's striking features even appear to make a good fit for Mark Hamill's character, showing that Ruby's effortless looks know no end.

See more from Ruby Rose as she shares uncanny photos of her as Star Wars characters

Princess who? The tattooed beauty's striking facial features fit Princess Leia's famous get-up eerily well and she could almost be mistaken for actress Carrie Fisher

The photos were posted in celebration of Star Wars Day, a holiday created and observed by Star Wars fans, which falls on May 4.

The date was chosen because of the catchphrase May the fourth be with you, as easy pun on the film franchise's slogan May the force be with you.

Ruby, who has been very open about her battle with depression, recently took to twitter to express her gratitude and happiness at her darkest times coming to an end.

Darker days: The 30-year-old has been open about her battle with depression and recently took to twitter to express her gratitude and happiness at her most difficult times coming to an end

The former DJ and television host was inspired to speak about her struggles once again after being reminded of a gut-wrenching tweet she had posted at the height of her battle.

Speaking to E! News the 29-year-old said she was blown away when a fan found the tweet which she had posted in 2013 while she was 'really, really depressed'.

The post stated: 'It is with great sadness that despite everything I have tried in the short time I was given I am still losing my battle with depression.'

Tattooed beauty: Ruby shot to international stardom after appearing on Netflix's Orange Is the New Black as Stella Carlin

However, she chose to use the reminder to share a touching post, celebrating her lighter life today.

'Just hang in there, like one day at a time, and it does get better. I know that's cliche, but it just does.'

While three years ago the Aussie indicated she was losing her battle, now her career in the spotlight continues to go from strength to strength.

The actress and model shot to stardom in Orange Is the New Black and has been busy filming her latest action film, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage with Vin Diesel.
Hugh Bonneville playing a champion of truth, outraged by suppression of free speech?

This is the intriguing casting down at Chichester where Mr Bonneville, fresh from his lordly turn in TVs Downton Abbey, abandons the aura of privilege to give a watchable performance as naive, high-minded man of the people Dr Stockmann.

Chichester audiences should enjoy this richly-staged production. The entourage is of a high calibre and Howard Daviess direction is assured. There is a particularly good crowd scene, the citizenry shouting from the auditoriums aisles. We see that the line between mob rule and democracy is indeed a slender one.

Hugh Bonneville playing a champion of truth, outraged by suppression of free speech? This is the intriguing casting down at Chichester where Mr Bonneville gives a watchable performance as naive Dr Stockmann

Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville stars as Dr Stockmann in the production of An Enemy Of The People

Theatregoers may be drawn primarily by the presence of Mr Bonneville. He delivers a commanding performance when Stockmann is the affable, confident father. He becomes marginally less convincing when Stockmann wobbles and weeps; yet here is an actor with distinct stage presence.

The greatness of Ibsens An Enemy Of The People is that it retains its fury at power while still showing us all sides of the argument. Stockmann has discovered that the expensive new spa in his home town  where his brother is mayor  is using poisoned water. He supposes this discovery will make him a hero.

The local newspaper says it will print the expose. Then the cogs of commerce and politics turn and we have a brilliant dramatic representation of that dishonourable newspaper practice known as the reverse ferret.

The mayor (William Gaminara) points out that the town could be bankrupted if the spa is closed. The shopkeepers leader (Jonathan Cullen) panics. The newspapers editor (Adam James) capitulates. Whistleblower Stockmann has been stitched up. When the public meeting is whipped against him, he is nearly lynched.

Theatregoers may be drawn primarily by Mr Bonneville's presence, thanks to his commanding performance

This sort of thing can happen. Just look at the way some Right-wing editors are at present surrendering their principles to the pro-EU brigade. This play never loses its sting. A few years ago I would watch it and think of the suppression of anti-vaccine research. Today we may think, perhaps, of the cover-up after the Hillsborough disaster.

Director Davies, making handsome use of Chichesters large stage, sets this production in the 1930s or 1940s: trilbys, flapper hats, one of the women in high- waist trousers.

This makes for a handsome spectacle but there is a danger in modernising the tale. For we might start asking where, Mr Ibsen, are the lawyers? It may have been different in 19th-century Norway but no story of free speech today, or even in the 20th century, is complete without the scurvy presence of those distinct enemies of the people, the lawyers.

Not that Ibsen was interested solely in the debatable topic of press restraint.

He was raising nobler questions about loyalty to conscience. The true soul must be prepared to be unpopular. That is as true of politicians, actors, journalists, Uncle Tom Cobley and all.
Hugh Bonneville looked in good spirits at an after show party on the opening night of his play at the Chichester Festival Theatre on Wednesday.

The 52-year-old Downton Abbey star appeared on stage as the chief medical officer of the baths, Dr Stockman, in An Enemy Of The People.

A crowd of middle-class, middle-aged punters gathered for the opening night of the play, directed by Christopher Hampton and written by Henrik Ibsen.

Triumphant night: Hugh Bonneville looked in good spirits as he headed to an after show party on the opening night of his play at the Chichester Festival Theatre on Wednesday

The actor's performance before a packed house was met with a long applause as he bowed multiple times to his adoring public.

The stage door was clear for Mr Bonneville as he made his way from the theatre and into the press party, free of autograph hunters and fans.

He was seen flashing a big smile as he walked out of the theatre with a group of friends and his wife Lulu Williams.

Good night? He was seen flashing a big smile as he walked out of the theatre with a group of friends and his wife Lulu Williams

Round of applause: The Downton Abbey star flashed a big smile after starring in the opening night of An Enemy Of The People

Speaking after the performance people said what a lovely guy Bonneville was because he remembers everyone's name and 'speaks to everyone like an old friend.'

The actor who shot to international fame in 2010 playing Robert, Earl of Grantham, in the BBC period drama, Downton Abbey mingled with fans and showbiz insiders wearing a flowery blue shirt for the after party.

In the play, Bonneville plays a character who goes to the press with a story about bacteria-ridden baths and the threat it poses to a small unnamed town.

Ready to celebrate: Hugh was dressed in a blue floral print shirt as he left the theatre

Leading man: The big and small screen actor laughed and chatted with his family and friends

Let's celebrate: The group headed to an after party to mingle with Hugh's castmates

Close to home: Hugh admitted in a recent interview that he was loving working so close to his West Sussex home, where he lives with his wife Lulu and their son Felix, 14

Joining Hugh is the production is his former Downton co-star Michael Fox, who played footman Andy Parker in the ITV period drama.

The new production marks Hugh's return to the Chichester stage after an 18 year absence, having previously starred in The Handyman.

Hugh admitted in a recent interview that he was loving working so close to his West Sussex home, where he lives with his wife Lulu Evans and their son Felix, 14.

He told the Peterfields Post: 'I tend to go for a run, or a wobble, on the way to the theatre.

'I feel very rooted here. Much as I love the West End, I prefer the commute over the South Downs to Chichester.'

Cool and collected: There was no sign of nerves as the actor arrived for the performance at the renowned festival earlier on Wednesday

Leading man: The 52-year-old Downton Abbey star appeared on stage as the chief medical officer of the baths, Dr Stockman, in An Enemy Of The People

The actor's return to the stage comes after he recently shot new period drama Viceroy's House, which tells the story of life inside the Viceroy's House during the Partition of India in 1947.

The actor has the lead role as Lord Louis Mountbatten - who was later killed in an IRA bomb in 1979 - while Gillian Anderson plays his wife Edwina.

The movie is directed by Gurinder Chadha - behind hit films Bend It Like Beckham and Bride And Prejudice - and is due for release later this year.

Listen to me! Hugh's character Dr Stockmann is initially hailed a hero, before being vilified by the townspeople in the compelling Ibsen play
Her performance in the West End hit Funny Girl hit headlines last week due to some reported drama off stage.

But it seems that Sheridan Smith has turned a corner this week, and was once-again greeted by a throng of adoring fans as she left the Savoy Theatre on Wednesday night.

Leaving via the stage door, the 34-year-old actress was greeted by a throng of fans - including of the four-legged variety, an excited French Bulldog.

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Greeting her fans! It seems that Sheridan Smith has turned a corner this week, and was once-again greeted by a throng of adoring fans - including one very cute pooch - as she left the Savoy Theatre on Wednesday night

Leaving the theatre following an afternoon performance of the musical - based on the life and career of Broadway star, film actress and comedienne Fanny Brice - Sheridan looked to be in high spirits.

And it was seem she wasn't immune to the charms of the waiting Frenchie, as the former Hollyoaks star couldn't resist picking the pooch up for a cuddle as she clambered into her car.

Perched on Sheridan's lap the cute dog was clearly pleased to see the actress, and nuzzled up to her face as the actress giggled.

Happy to see you all: Leaving via the stage door, the 34-year-old actress was greeted by a throng of fans - including of the four-legged variety, an excited French Bulldog

A very special greeting: Perched on Sheridan's lap the cute dog was clearly pleased to see the actress, and nuzzled up to her face as the actress giggled

And while the cute pooch appeared to capture most, if not all, of Sheridan's attention, the Gavin and Stacey star also had plenty of time for her other fans.

Chatting away and smiling for selfies with a collection of enamoured devotees, the actress couldn't have looked any happier.

And while she looked a chic as ever, Sheridan's laid-back temperament seemed to have influenced her wardrobe for the day, as she sported a casually chic ensemble.

In fine form: Leaving the theatre following an afternoon performance of the musical - based on the life and career of Broadway star, film actress and comedienne Fanny Brice - Sheridan looked to be in high spirits

Time for chat: Chatting away and smiling for selfies with a collection of enamoured devotees, the actress couldn't have looked any happier

Laid-back star: And while she looked a chic as ever, Sheridan's laid-back temperament seemed to have influenced her wardrobe for the day, as she sported a casually chic ensemble

Wearing a black leather biker jacket, a low-cut vest and fitted trousers, the actress channelled a typical casual yet stylish vibe.

Whilst she added a flash of colour with a pink printed scarf, before rounding her whole look off with a high-fashion note by donning a pair of camel block heeled boots.

The actress kept her blonde lock tied back off of her face thanks to a black bandana, allowing her to showcase her pretty features - which she further defined with a hint of mascara and a flash of lipstick.

Sheridan's up-beat appearance followed her enthusiastic comments on the week's run so far, on Tuesday.

Speaking for the first time since reports emerged of trouble back-stage last week, Sheridan told the Evening Standard:

The show must go on: Sheridan Smith looked relaxed and happy as she left The Savoy Theatre in London on Tuesday night

'Its always pressure if its the fans favourite show. Im just pleased I didnt disappoint and Im glad they thought I pulled it off.'

While her co-star Darius Campbell added: 'Sheridan was great, she always is.'

The actress looked relaxed and happy as she chatted to audience members, with one who had apparently travelled from Mexico.

Among those in the audience were Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who is currently in the UK filming Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Posting a photo montage on his Twitter, he wrote: 'Another night of fantastic London theatre @FunnyGirl_UK Spectacular Sheridan Smith & ENTIRE company crushed it! #WOW.'

Comfortable: The 34-year-old actress wore a pair of skinny jeans, long black coat, suede ankle boots and animal-print scarf

Greeting her public: Sheridan delighted fans as she stopped for hugs, selfies and autographs outside the stage door

It seems the production is running smoothly following last week's cancellation of one evening performance.

Although the theatre blamed technical issues, some audience members claimed Sheridan 'appeared drunk on stage'.

A production source told the Mail there had 'a lot of fear and terrible upset. The cast have been told to keep their mouths shut and support Sheridan'.

Audience member Abigail Richter 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.

Making an effort: One fan had travelled from Mexico to see Sheridan and presented her with roses outside

Star in the audience: Star Wars actor Mark Hamill went to see Sheridan in action and was really impressed

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.

Despite reports, the theatre and Sheridan have issued vehement denials, with the actress' spokesperson saying: 'I have spoken to my client and this is categorically not true.'

Sheridan has been in the role since December when the production originally opened in the smaller Menier Chocolate Factory in Borough, before moving to the West End last month.

Treading the boards: Sheridan has been in the role since December when the production originally opened in the smaller Menier Chocolate Factory

Breaking her silence: Sheridan spoke out following reports she was struggling to cope with the pressure, saying 'Im just pleased I didnt disappoint'

Joining Sheridan (Fanny Brice) and Darius (Nick Arnstein) in the musical is Marilyn Cutts (Mrs Brice), Valda Aviks (Mrs. OMalley), Gay Soper (Mrs Strakosh), Natasha J Barnes (Emma/Mrs Meeker), Maurice Lane (Mr. Keeney), Bruce Montague (Ziegfeld), Joel Montague (Eddie).

Sheridan won raves reviews when the show opened, having followed in the footsteps of singing legend Barbra Streisand, who played Fanny in the 1964 Broadway production and the 1968 movie.

In March, Sheridan pulled out of one of the shows after finding out her beloved father Colin had been diagnosed with cancer.

Speaking about the role last year, she said: 'It's a dream role. I'd have kicked myself for the rest of my life had I not done it.'
Pia Miller has opened up about her desperate struggle to track down her estranged father online - and how their reunion did not go exactly how she had hoped.

The Home and Away actress, who emigrated to Australia from Chile when she was just four-years-old along with her mother, brother and sister, spoke about her decision to find her 'absent' father.

She told Marie Claire that she started making calls and reaching out to people who fit his description online.

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Search: Pia Miller has opened up about her desperate struggle to track down her estranged father online - and how their reunion did not go exactly how she had hoped

Pia, 32, who now has two children of her own, said she had no memory of her father and had not seen him since the rest of her family packed up and left for Australia.

The model, who has been nominated for Logie for her role as Katarina Chapman in Home and Away, described her first, brief, phone conversation with her father as 'really overwhelming'.

'It was one of those life moments that was, at the time, so difficult to grasp. There were all of these feelings, emotions and curiosities. But looking back now, I'm glad I did it.'

Strong bond: The Home and Away actress said finding her father helped her appreciated her mother, former fashion designer Angelica Blanco

Candid interview: She decided to travel to Chile years later in 2011 to meet him face-to-face, but she was left a little disappointed

She decided to travel to Chile years later in 2011 to meet him face-to-face, but she was left a little disappointed.

'I thought that (meeting my father) would be a story about getting to know him, but it ended up being a story about appreciating and loving my mother so much,' Pia said.

Pia now has no contact with her father and has been left with a fresh appreciation for her mother, former fashion designer Angelica Blanco.

In the interview she also discussed the breakdown of her marriage with AFL player Brad Miller in October.

Split: In the interview she also discussed the breakdown of her marriage with AFL player Brad Miller in October

Family bond: She said they still have a strong friendship for the sake of their son Lennox, 9, and her other son Isaiah, 13, from an earlier relationship

Off duty: Pia has recently been nominated for a Best New Talent award at this year's Logies for playing police officer Katarina Chapman in Home and Away

But she said they still have a strong friendship for the sake of their son Lennox, 9, and her other son Isaiah, 13, from an earlier relationship.

Months after their split, Pia left fans shocked as she was quick to move on and begin a relationship with Director Agent Tyson Mullane.

'Entering into anything new has its own challenges and excitement and beauty and fear,' she told TV Week.

Pia, who has previously modelled with Megan Gale, added 'everything is falling into place.'

New flame: Months after their split, Pia left fans shocked as she was quick to move on and begin a relationship with Director Agent Tyson Mullane

Doting mother: The model emigrated to Australia from Chile when she was just four-years-old with her mother, brother and sister

Bikini babe: Pia recently promoted her brother's new bikini line on her Instagram page
They are on opposite sides in Captain America: Civil War.

So it was no surprise Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany were throwing shade at each other on Wednesday.

The co-stars joined Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan and directors Joe and Anthony Russo for a chat in AOL's Build Speaker Series.

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Frenemies: Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany were throwing shade at each other at AOL's Build Speaker Series on Wednesday

'It was very difficult working with Lizzy,' the 44-year-old, who plays Vision, revealed. 'I felt like I carried her the whole way through.

'Likewise,' Olsen, who plays Scarlet Witch shot back. 'I was wearing heels,' she added.

The British star continued: 'I've been carrying Downey for like eight years.'

Jibe: 'It was very difficult working with Lizzy,' the 44-year-old, who plays Vision, revealed. 'I felt like I carried her the whole way through'

Carried: 'Likewise,' Olsen, who plays Scarlet Witch shot back. 'I was wearing heels,' she added

backbone: The British star also joked he'd 'been carrying Downey for like eight years'

Mushy: While the ensemble blockbuster features many unique match-ups in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the duo confirmed theirs forms the 'heart' of the movie

While the ensemble blockbuster features many unique match-ups in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the duo confirmed theirs forms the 'heart' of the movie.

'Those scenes feel like the moral compass for the movie,' Bettany revealed of their shared screen time.

'They are arguably the most dangerous superheroes - like walking nuclear bombs, and they have a lot in common because if that.'

Assembled: The co-stars joined Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan and directors Joe and Anthony Russo for a chat in AOL's Build Speaker Series

Opposites attract: Olsen sides with Captain America in the film

Head to head: Bettany meanwhile is on Iron man's side

Divided we fall: Both characters were introduced to the MCU in Age of Ultron as opponents, but ended up on the same side

Olsen added: 'We don't really know whats coming, but Joss [Whedon] and [his preceding film, Age Of] Ultron tried to speckle in a little some sort of connection between the two of them, or that she was interested in him and what sources him because it sources her powers, and there's that sort of pure connection between the two of them as well.

But the two quickly resorted to good-natured jibes once again, as Olsen suggested Bettany had no thoughts in his head because he is a 'blonde actor', while he described her as a 'f*cking Millennial' when she tried to describe her film study background.

The two can be seen going head to head when Captain America: Civil War is finally released on Friday.

Connected: Olsen confirmed the earlier film to tried to 'speckle in a little some sort of connection between the two of them, or that she was interested in him and what sources him because it sources her powers, and there's that sort of pure connection between the two of them as well'

Heated relationship: Bettany said he and Olsen were 'arguably the most dangerous superheroes - like walking nuclear bombs, and they have a lot in common because if that'
She's one of the most in-demand Hollywood stars and constantly surrounded by film crew, managers and her close friends.

And it seems Australian actress Margot Robbie, who is one of four siblings, doesn't like being by herself.

The 25-year-old actress from the Gold Coast told Oyster magazine: 'I always wish I could be alone... but then as soon as I'm actually alone for more than 15 minutes, I'm in a group text, like "what's everyone doing?"'

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Margot Robbie, who is one of four siblings, says she doesn't like being by herself and tells Oyster magazine if more than 15 minutes pass, she initiates a group text

The garrulus former Neighbours star went on to say she can't sleep in 'deathly quiet hotel room' and needs 'doors banging and washing machines and people yelling and all that.'

When told by the interviewer he sometimes has to be alone to write up articles for 72 hours, Margot replies, in apparent wide-eyed disapproval: 'I'd go insane.'

Margot was raised in Queensland in a small house with her younger brothers Cameron and Lachlan and older sister Anya.

Playing it safe: Margot wore a sleek white Calvin Klein at the Met Gala on Monday night

She has previously told how she shared a room with Cameron until the age of 16 and misses her family whenever she works away Stateside or is living in London where she lives with two friends and producer boyfriend Tom Ackerley.

She is exceptionally close to her siblings and last year her aspiring actor brother Cameron told the Gold Coast Bulletin that he was armed with plenty of advice from his Wolf Of Wall Street star sister.

'My sister and I liked to perform all the time, (including) skits at home. When she started succeeding, I realised you can do this as a job.'

Sociable: She lives in London with two friends and her producer boyfriend, Tom Ackerley. Pictured with Tom at the Arizona Coyotes Vs New York Rangers game in NYC in February 2015

'She is such a grounded, supportive and intelligent girl. Theres such a business side to this world ... and shes helping with (that).'

The actress has recently been promoting her upcoming flick Suicide Squad, in which she plays fictional super villain Harley Quinn.

Suicide Squad follows a group of supervillains imprisoned in an asylum who are offered clemency by a secret government agency in return for carrying out covert black ops.

Also starring in the movie are the likes of Will Smith, Care Delevingne and Jared Leto.

Margot is also set to appear in film Legend Of Tarzan alongside Alexander Skarsgard.

Upcoming: Margot is starring in the highly anticipated film Suicide Squad as the super villain Harley Quinn
Alessandra Ambrosio suffered a wardrobe malfunction while on the Malibu beach set of her photo shoot on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old stunner's nip-slip occurred as she was posing in a perilously plunging gown from her ale by Alessandra clothing company.

It's no surprise considering the Brazilian mother-of-two was combating windy weather throughout the day.

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Oops! Alessandra Ambrosio suffered a wardrobe malfunction while on the Malibu beach set of her photo shoot on Wednesday

Letting it all hang out: The 35-year-old stunner's nip-slip occurred as she was posing in a perilously plunging gown from her ale by Alessandra clothing company

Marilyn moment! It's no surprise considering the Brazilian mother-of-two was combating windy weather throughout the day

Stylist Inge Fonteyne selected the nude pleated dress for Alessandra, while Carolina Gonzalez applied her make-up, and Frankie Foye tamed her windblown tresses.

It's possible Alessandra's line may be on its way to launching a fragrance component, given that the model was photographed clutching a giant sized perfume bottle.

The catwalk queen posed barefoot as she cradled the giant bottle in her arms.

Alessandra was fabulously made-up for the moment as well, with her brunette tresses swept into a dramatic side-part.

Life's a beach! Stylist Inge Fonteyne selected the nude pleated dress for Alessandra, while Carolina Gonzalez applied her make-up, and Frankie Foye tamed her windblown tresses

Dropping jaws: Ambrosio was the picture of glamour in the plunging creation

Picture perfect: The 5ft9in stunner flirtatiously angled her leg

Heaven scent! It's possible Alessandra's line may be on its way to launching a fragrance component, given that the model was photographed clutching a giant sized perfume bottle

#behindthescenes with @alessandraambrosio #TheAproject @davidbellemere @ingefonteyne @frankiefoye @cgonzalezbeauty  A photo posted by Carolina Gonzalez (@cgonzalezbeauty) on May 4, 2016 at 9:30pm PDT

Her complexion was made all the more radiant with a peachy glow of blush and smoky eye shadow.

She also donned a pair of gold heels and large hoop earrings.

Playing with her hair and the fabric of her long flowing skirt, it was apparent that the model was having a total blast as she flashed her famous smile.

Smile! Playing with her hair and the fabric of her long flowing skirt, it was apparent that the model was having a total blast

A total pro: Ambrosio looked right at home as she posed up a storm in front of the camera

Casual touch: The mother-of-two ditched the heels for sandals when she stepped away from the cameras

Walk and talk: The model clutched the fabric of her skirt as she strolled through the set

Alessandra made sure to share behind-the-scenes moments from the photo shoot on her Snapchat account as well, where she posted a video of herself getting all dolled up just before going front of the camera.

She also took to Instagram to share a photo of herself during the photo shoot from afar, once more hinting that the project was for her fashion line by using the hashtag 'alebyalessandra'.

'Good to [sea] you again... #theAproject #alebyalessandra #secretproject,' she captioned the black and white image.

Alessandra launched her own fashion and life style brand named Ale by Alessandra in a collaboration with US retailer Cherokee two years ago.

Joining in on the fun! The photographer David Bellemere jumped onto the platform to strike several silly poses

All in good fun: The pair let loose on the beach side platform

Let's dance! The model grooved alongside the famed lensman

In her element  #alebyalessandra #theAproject #secretproject A photo posted by ale by Alessandra (@alebyalessandra) on May 4, 2016 at 5:48pm PDT

Speaking to Glamour in 2014, Alessandra described her inspiration behind the line as a combination of Malibu and her native Brazil.

'My inspiration is really a reflection of my lifestyle, and it's Brazil meets Malibu. It's bohemian chic. It's comfortable. It's sensual. It's feminine. It's very flowy with soft fabrics,' she said.

Alessandra has three-year-old son Noah and seven-year-old daughter Anja with her businessman fiance Jamie Mazur.

The couple have been together since 2005.

Strike a pose: The looker teased her 'secret project' on Instagram that same day

Ending the day on the perfect note  #theAproject #secretproject #alebyalessandra #greatcrew #repost @alebyalessandra A photo posted by @alessandraambrosio on May 4, 2016 at 9:08pm PDT

All dolled up: The looker showed off her glam makeup on Snapchat
Cara Santana and Ashley Madekwe are the best of friends.

The pair decided to indulge in a girly day as they grabbed some lunch at a little cafe on Los Angeles' trendy Third Street.

Cara is known for her red carpet style, but on this occasion the 32-year-old actress was dressed down and comfortable.

Girls day out: Cara Santana and Ashley Madekwe were spotted strolling along Third Street in LA on Wednesday as they went to grab lunch at a cafe

She wore a maroon bomber jacket, a pair of ripped light blue jeans and a baggy white T-shirt.

The actress looked relaxed and chilled as she completed her outfit with a pair of reflector sunglasses and black heeled boots.

Her hair was tied back into a small bun, which showed off her clear complexion and flawless skin.

Ashley looked like she had just done a serious session at the gym as she was dressed head to toe in workout gear.

Dressed down chic: Cara looked relaxed and chilled as she completed her outfit with a pair of reflector sunglasses and black heeled boots as Ashley was dressed head to toe in workout gear

Comfy and casual: Cara likes to dress up on the red carpet but on this occasion the 32-year-old actress was dressed down and comfortable

The slim actress wore black leggings, a matching black tank top, a grey sweater and a pair of black trainers.

She too styled her hair in a bun as she wore a pair of peach and black sunglasses to protect herself from the Californian sun.

Cara decided to dress up for Instagram however.

BFF's: The pair sported similar hairstyles as they both decided to tie their locks into a bun

The Texas-born beauty shared some stunning pictures on the social media site as she posed and pouted for the camera.

Her outfit was simple but classic as she wore a white strappy bodysuit and a pair of light denim jeans.

She accessorized her look with a thick black choker necklace and some statement silver earrings.

Her make-up was subtle but smokey. Her lips were nude as she wore a slick of mascara and some foundation.

Snap happy: The Texas-born beauty shared some stunning pictures on the social media site as she posed and pouted for the camera
Elizabeth Olsen stole the spotlight in a floral dress at a Captain America: Civil War screening on Wednesday in New York City.

The 27-year-old actress portrays Scarlet Witch in the third installment of the Captain America franchise starring Chris Evans in the title role.

Elizabeth looked super bewitching in her body-hugging blue dress with white flowers that included a short train.

Best dressed: Elizabeth Olsen rocked a long floral dress on Wednesday at a screening of Captain America: Civil War on Wednesday in New York City

The younger sister of twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen had her long blonde hair down in casual curls and wore just a hint of natural makeup.

Captain America star Chris, 34, opted for the casual chic look in a pale polo shirt, blue blazer and black jeans.

Robert Downey Jr, 54, who portrays Tony Stark aka Iron Man in the film was spiffy in a charcoal grey suit, blue striped shirt and pink and blue tie.

Bewitching outfit: The actress portrays Scarlet Witch in the third installment of the Captain America franchise

Famous family: The younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen was first seen as Scarlet Witch in the post-credits of Captain America: The Winter Soldier

After party: Elizabeth changed into a sleeveless outfit for the after party

Hit movie: Captain America: Civil War featuring Elizabeth already has made more than $250 million after opening last weekend overseas

Anthony Mackie, 37, who portrays Captain America's ally Falcon also looked dapper in a dark blue suit and white dress shirt sans tie.

Captain America: Civil War opens in wide release on Friday and follows 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger and 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The film is directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo who also directed The Winter Soldier.

Opposite sides: Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans find themselves battling each other as Iron Man and Captain America land on separate sides over government oversight of superheroes

Trusted ally: Anthony Mackie portrays Cap's trusted ally Falcon in the movie

Good guys: Jeremy Renner portrays Hawkeye and Paul Rudd plays Ant-Man in the movie

Best friend: Sebastian Stan who portrays Cap's childhood friend Bucky Barnes aka the Winter Soldier looked smooth in a three-piece blue suit

They also will direct Marvel's two-part Avengers: Infinity War due out in 2018 and 2019.

The screening hosted by The Cinema Society also drew Jeremy Renner who portrays Hawkeye and Paul Rudd who plays Ant-Man.

Paul Bettany, who plays Vision, escorted his wife Jennifer Connelly to the screening.

The screening also drew model Josephine Skriver, socialite Olivia Palermo and actress Jaimie Alexander.

Husband and wife: Paul Bettany who plays Vision escorted his wife Jennifer Connelly to the screening

She's a model: Josephine Skriver showed her model looks in a little black dress and gladiator heels

Socialite and actress: Olivia Palermo and Jaimie Alexander wore all-black to the event

Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody, 43, and his model girlfirend Lara Lieto also attended the screening together.

New York City native Christian Slater, 46, also was present.

Fashion photographer Nigel Barker, 44, scored cool dad points as he brought son Jack to the screening of the highly anticipated Marvel film.

Teaming up: Paul and Elizabeth teamed up again at the after party

Sealed with a kiss: Robert gave Jennifer a kiss on the cheek as they caught up

Oscar winner: Adrien Brody took his model girlfriend Lara Lieto to the movie

New York native: Christian Slater also was spotted at the screening
Jennifer Lawrence lent her star power to the premiere screening of a new series from feminist and activist Gloria Steinem in New York on Wednesday night.

The movie star, 25, arrived for the event looking all woman in a black minidress with a scoop neckline and semi-sheer lace panel over the thigh-skimming skirt.

The Oscar winner clearly wanted to add her support for the series titled Woman that explores issues facing women around the world.

See more on Jennifer Lawrence as she joins feminist Gloria Steinem at Woman screening

Support: Jennifer Lawrence showed off her womanly curves in a scoop-necked black minidress with semi-sheer lace skirt as she arrived for a special screening of documentary series Woman on Wednesday night

Jennifer paired her dress with some black and silver heeled sandals and accessorized only with a large oval-shaped ring on her left hand.

Her naturally dark roots were showing through her platinum blonde dyed hair that was styled in a feathery bob falling just above her shoulders.

She used brown pencil on her brows and added some rouge and a splash of bright red lip color.

All woman: The actress, 25, showed off her platinum blonde hair styled in a feathery cut and flashed some skin int he low-cut number

Feminism rules: Jennifer was on hand to lend her star power to the event held for feminist icon Gloria Steinem, 82, and her new documentary series about issues facing women around the world

Steinem also went for a black ensemble as she joined Jennifer at the special screening.

The feminist icon, now 82, opted for a black top and pants with an embellished black leather jacket.

Jennifer was also escorted tot he event by her Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle director David O. Russell.

The filmmaker wore a black suit and tie with a white shirt.

Woman begins airing on the Viceland channel on May 10 and 'focuses on a variety of issues from sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo to unacknowledged murdered and missing women in Canada, femicide in El Salvador, and the incarceration of mothers in America.'

Brought a friend: The Oscar winner was accompanied by her Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle director David O. Russell, who joined her and Steinem for photos

Pleased to see you: Jennifer received a warm greeting from the journalist and activist who led the Feminist Movement in the 1960s and 70s

Also supporting Steinem was Mariska Hargitay from Law & Order: SVU.

The raven-haired actress, 52, wore a black and white woolen dress and a black overcoat.There, too, was Meryl Streep wearing a black coat with a large deep blue wrapped stylishly around her neck.

Jennifer cut a distinctly more laidback figure when she was spotted earlier on Wednesday at The American Retro Bar & Grill in New York.

Strong women: Support for Steinem's latest venture also came from Mariska Hargitay, the star of Law & Order: SVU

Heavy hitter: Meryl Streep, 66, showed up as well wearing a black overcoat with a deep blue scarf wrapped stylishly around her neck

Team: Steinem also posed on the red carpet with, from l-r, filmmaker Spike Jonze, Viceland founder Shane Smith and Viceland producer Suroosh Alvi

Inside look: Inside the theatre, Steinem participated in a Q&A about the making of the series

Comfortable: The actress left The American Retro Bar in New York on Wednesday morning looking distinctly more comfortable

Furry friend: Jennifer found a novel way to keep her pooch warm and safe
She's no stranger to showing off her fabulous curves, having found fame on Australia's Next Top Model in 2011.

And Simone Holtznagel made sure her fit frame was on show as she headed out for lunch with a male companion at The Paddington in Sydney, on Wednesday afternoon.

Turning heads as she passed by, the 22-year-old beauty was hard to miss as she highlighted her slender body in a sexy all-black ensemble.

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Bold move! Simone Holtznagel was hard to miss as she headed out for lunch with a male companion at The Paddington in Sydney, on Wednesday afternoon

The racy attire consisted of a lingerie-style lace bodice, which featured a plunging neckline, and a tight pair of ripped jeans, clinched at the waist with a slick belt.

She styled her getup further with nude strappy heels and a delicate bracelet, while concealing her striking eyes behind a set of designer shades.

Her blonde tresses were worn loose in tousled waves and her pretty facial features wee accentuated with subtle tones of makeup.

Turning heads: The 22-year-old beauty highlighted her lean and slender frame in a sexy all-black ensemble

Strutting her stuff: The former Australia's Next Top Model star looked sensation during the outing

Daring to bare: The racy attire consisted of a lingerie-style lace bodice, which featured a plunging neckline, and a tight pair of ripped jeans, clinched at the waist with a slick belt

Simone and her friend appeared to be in great and content spirits during the low-key outing, walking side-by-side as they made their way down the streets.

The blonde bombshell burst into the limelight when she made it to the finals of the seventh series of Australia's Next Top Model, which saw Montana Cox claim the title and Simone place third behind Liz Braithwaite.

Since then, she has modelled for Playboy on 'The College Issue' special and Men's Style Magazine, with many of her shoots showing her either scantily clad or completely topless.

Attention to detail: She styled her getup further with nude strappy heels and a delicate bracelet, while concealing her striking eyes behind a set of designer shades

A beauty: Her blonde tresses were worn loose in tousled waves and her pretty facial features wee accentuated with subtle tones of makeup

In October, Simone confessed she felt like she had 'struck gold' when she graced the cover of Playboy Magazine in the US.

The Sydney native posed topless for the Playboy shoot, which she said she didn't regret but made her mother 'hysterical.'

She recently appeared in a campaign for Guess, following in the footsteps of fellow blonde bombshells Gigi Hadid and Kate Upton.

TV fame: Simone burst into the limelight when she made it to the finals of the seventh series of Australia's Next Top Model, which saw Montana Cox claim the title and Simone place third behind Liz Braithwaite

Popular: Since then, she has modelled for Playboy on 'The College Issue' special and Men's Style Magazine, with many of her shoots showing her either scantily clad or completely topless
She's just graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelors degree in Occupational Therapy.

However former My Kitchen Rules contestant Lynzey Murphy, 25, clearly still finds the time to adhere to her gruelling fitness regimen.

The personal trainer uploaded a video to her Instagram on Thursday, which saw her performing pull ups with fellow trainer Dylan Rivier at an outdoor gym area in Bondi Beach - and she's nearly beating him to the top each time.

Sky's the limit! Lynzey Murphy, 25, shows just how strong she is as she nearly beats fellow trainer Dylan Rivier in a series of pull ups

The video, filmed from behind, shows the extremely toned duo effortlessly doing a series of sky walk pull ups.

Lynzey captioned the video: 'Heading to cloud 9 with @builtbydylan in Bondi today #bondibeach #bondi #monkeybars #airwalking #pullups #bondibeachbarbrutes.'

A sky walk, or air walk, pull up involves lifting your feet as if you are walking up a flight of stairs at the same time as pulling yourself upwards, which thanks to Lynzey and Dylan's incredible upper-body strength, looks like a simple task.

Fit and toned! Lynzey's male work out partner, Dylan, is almost trying to keep up with the dedicated fitness enthusiast, who is setting the pace

Effortless: The two make the incredibly challenging exercise seem simple and easy as they breeze through the series without breaking a sweat

Lynzey's dedication to fitness is clearly visible as she pushes her way to the top with perfect control, before jumping off and high-fiving her workout partner.

The passionate home cook is flaunting her gym-honed physique in a barely-there workout outfit, of black bike shorts and a matching black crop top.

Meanwhile, Dylan also flaunts his hard work and his exceptionally muscular shoulders and arms as he goes shirtless for the morning workout.

Just last month, Daniel Conn, 30, and Lynzey Murphy, 25, confirmed that they are indeed a couple during a television interview with The Morning Show's Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies, following speculation.

Job done: The pair laughed and high-fived each other as they dropped back onto the ground, while displaying their very taut and toned physiques

Loved up: After initially denying their romance, Lynzey and former Sydney Roosters player Daniel Conn, 30, confirmed they were a couple in April

The former Sydney Roosters player revealed that they met through a mutual friend, while Lynzey added: 'so I cooked Dan dinner, and one thing lead to another and we ended up here.'

And Daniel told Daily Mail Australia: 'I can see why she did so well on My Kitchen Rules on Channel Seven - the girl has great skills in the kitchen.'

Lynzey and her Texan dad Robert proved very popular among MKR viewers on the series in 2015 and showcased their great cooking skills on various occasions, however did not win the show.
Australian star Margot Robbie has proved her acting talent in Hollywood.

And it seems she also has the fashion and modelling credentials down pat, with the 25-year-old posing up for a stunning photo shoot and accompanying cover for Oyster magazine.

The blonde bombshell wears a variety of stylish ensembles in the images that showcase her incredible figure.

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Picture perfect: Australian actress Margot Robbie has posed for a stunning photo shoot for Oyster magazine

In one inside shot, the former Neighbours poses in a black crop top and matching high-waisted shorts that flaunt her tanned and toned trim pins.

With her blonde locks out in loose waves and barely any makeup on her complexion, she radiates and oozes natural sex appeal.

In another shot, the Focus actress stands by the pool of the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, basking in the sun.

White hot: In one shot Margot wears white high-waisted bottoms, a matching crop top with a grey sweater on top, the ensemble allowing a sneak peek at her toned abs

She wears white high-waisted bottoms, a matching crop top with a grey sweater on top, the ensemble allowing a sneak peek at her toned abs.

Also poolside in another frame, she can be seen sitting on a pink and black sunbed wearing a blue and white checkered shirt with a sheer black tulle coat on top.

She also dons a crown atop of her golden locks and accessorises with purple pointed heels.

Fashionable: Also poolside in another frame, she can be seen sitting on a pink and black sunbed wearing a blue and white checkered shirt with a sheer black tulle coat on top

The series of pictures also include another beautiful close-up of Margot in the same ensemble, with her hair tucked into her shirt with the front layers of her locks hanging loosely around her face.

Meanwhile, her makeup is soft and natural looking, kept to a minimum with mascara, foundation, bronzer and a pink lip.

And in yet another frame, she poses by a pink backdrop, wearing an elaborate high-neck and embellished top.

Angelic: The series of pictures also include another beautiful close-up of Margot in the same ensemble, with her hair tucked into her shirt with the front layers of her locks hanging loosely around her face

Glitzy: And in yet another frame, she poses by a pink backdrop, wearing an elaborate high-neck and embellished top

She dons the same ensemble on the cover for the magazine, showing it off by wearing her hair in a messy bun.

Meanwhile, Margot - who hails from the Gold Coast - told Oyster magazine she doesn't particularly like to be by herself at times.

'I always wish I could be alone... but then as soon as I'm actually alone for more than 15 minutes, I'm in a group text, like "what's everyone doing?"' she said.

Stunning: She dons the same ensemble on the cover for the magazine, showing it off by wearing her hair in a messy bun

Need company: Margot, who is one of four siblings, says she doesn't like being by herself and tells Oyster magazine if more than 15 minutes pass, she initiates a group text

She went on to say she can't sleep in a 'deathly quiet hotel room' and needs 'doors banging and washing machines and people yelling and all that.'

When told by the interviewer he sometimes has to be alone to write up articles for 72 hours, Margot replies, in apparent wide-eyed disapproval: 'I'd go insane.'

Margot was raised in Queensland in a small house with her younger brothers Cameron and Lachlan and older sister Anya.

Playing it safe: Margot wore a sleek white Calvin Klein at the Met Gala on Monday night

She has previously told how she shared a room with Cameron until the age of 16 and misses her family whenever she works away Stateside or is living in London where she lives with two friends and producer boyfriend, Tom Ackerley.

She is exceptionally close to her siblings and last year her aspiring actor brother Cameron told the Gold Coast Bulletin that he was armed with plenty of advice from his Wolf Of Wall Street star sister.

'My sister and I liked to perform all the time, (including) skits at home. When she started succeeding, I realised you can do this as a job.'

Sociable: She lives in London with two friends and her producer boyfriend, Tom Ackerley. Pictured with Tom at the Arizona Coyotes Vs New York Rangers game in NYC in February 2015

'She is such a grounded, supportive and intelligent girl. Theres such a business side to this world ... and shes helping with (that).'

The actress has recently been promoting her upcoming flick Suicide Squad, in which she plays fictional super villain Harley Quinn.

Suicide Squad follows a group of supervillains imprisoned in an asylum who are offered clemency by a secret government agency in return for carrying out covert black ops.

Also starring in the movie are the likes of Will Smith, Care Delevingne and Jared Leto.

Margot is also set to appear in film Legend Of Tarzan alongside Alexander Skarsgard.
That sour puss may be from eating something Lemony.

Neil Patrick Harris was spotted grabbing lunch in full costume on the set of A Series Of Unfortunate Events on Tuesday.

The 42-year-old's transformation into the dastardly Count Olaf is so complete that there is clearly no point in getting out of character during break times.

Every minute counts: Neil Patrick Harris was spotted grabbing lunch in full costume as Count Olaf on the set of A Series Of Unfortunate Events on Tuesday

Once again he rocked the villain's pointed prosthetic nose, pointier chin beard, sinister unibrow and trademark greying hair.

His outfit of a frill-cuffed white shirt, green pants and black loafers was possibly the most unfortunate thing about him.

The Netflix series, which is being shot in Vancouver, Canada, is based on the beloved series of books by Lemony Snicket, the pen-name of Daniel Handler.

Transformation: Once again he rocked the villain's pointed prosthetic nose, pointier chin beard, sinister unibrow and trademark greying hair

The story - narrated by Snicket, who will be voiced by Patrick Warburton - sees NPH's character take in three orphaned children after the death of their parents, with a view to getting his hands on their considerable inheritance.

Violet (Malina Weissman), Klaus (Louis Hynes), and Sunny (no casting has been announced yet) Baudelaire face trials and tribulations at the hands of the evil Count as they seek to discover the secret behind their parents demise.

The Baudelaire children's story is told throughout 13 books, and the series has sold more than 65 million copies worldwide.

The real deal: What NPH is supposed to look like

The series was previously adapted into a film with Jim Carrey starring as the villainous Count Olaf who is out to steal the fortune of the late Mr. and Mrs. Baudelaire.

However, the 2004 film - directed by Brad Silberling - combined the first three books in the series: The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, and The Wide Window.

The new series will consist of eight initial episodes; a release date has yet to be confirmed.
They are said to have welcomed a second child together five months ago, but Hugh Grant and Anna Eberstein are rarely ever seen together.

Therefore, the duo naturally stood out at an intimate crowd with pop group AllSaints on Thursday night as they made their first public outing since she reportedly gave birth to their daughter.

The famous pair also sported 'his and hers' blazers as they arrived at Annabel's in the stylish London district of Mayfair.

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Making an appearance: Hugh Grant (right) enjoyed a rare outing with Anna Eberstein (left) on Wednesday night as they attended the All Saints private gig at Annabel's in Mayfair, London

Swedish television presenter Anna looked effortlessly elegant, with minimal make-up and messy hair that was left tousled around her shoulders.

Having returned to a sleek, statuesque silhouette, Anna was wearing a long, black blazer as a dress but she paired it with caged ankle boots and little else.

With her endless legs left bare, the mother-of-two was enjoying a night off at one of the British capital's hot night spots.

Leggy display: Anna is thought to have welcomed Hugh's fourth child in December 2015, his second daughter

Looking formal: The handsome actor - who has two children with Anna - was looking very formal for the musical event

Her counterpart, with whom she's never confirmed a relationship but also has a three-year-old son name John, was dressed in a particularly formal fashion for a gig.

The Love Actually actor was wearing a suit and a fashionable knitted, skinny tie, which was loosened at the neck in a relaxed fashion when he left, later that night.

The new parents were there to see a performance by singers Melanie Blatt, Shaznay Lewis, Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton, who reformed as a girlband at the start of 2016, almost two decades on from their chart reign.

Hugh and Anna's appearance was quite a statement, considering their notoriously private stance on family and relationships.

Heading home: The stunning Swedish TV presenter looked effortlessly elegant on her outing

His and hers: She was sporting a blazer, just like his, but hers was worn as a dress

While it was widely reported that they welcomed a second child at the end of last year, neither party ever confirmed the happy news.

Equally, their relationship status is still unknown because Hugh has two other children - a daughter, Tabitha, four, and Felix, two - with Chinese-born receptionist and actress Tinglan Hong.

According to reports, Felix was born three months after Grant's other son John, meaning both women were pregnant at the same time.

Top performers: AllSaints' (From left) Nicole Appleton, Melanie Blatt, Natalie Appleton and Shaznay Lewis performed to an intimate crowd

Listening party: The foursome were able to relax with their guests after a hotly-anticipated performance

Special guest: Musician Pixie Lott (left) was among the stars attending the special album listening party

Giddy: She would have been the right sort of age to be a huge fan of the band the first time around

Fellow guests: Also at Annabel's that night was radio DJ Sara Cox

Last year Hugh told Swedish newspaper Nojesbladet that he and Anna were no longer together, although he did say they were still close.

The actor said he saw his son John - born in September 2012 - most days as the boy and his mother live within walking distance of his London home.

Anna also recently made her feelings on marriage clear, when she tweeted: 'Marriage is dead (and boring) Long live other options.'

Other attendees at Thursday night's event included musicians Pixie Lott and Ella Eyre as well as radio DJ Sara Cox.

Hanging out: She hung out inside the venue with Ella Eyre (right) on Thursday night

Looking glam: She was wearing a cute black dress with a white handbag and a fur stole

Reformed: The girl band reformed at the start of 2016 with hopes of recreating their former success

Casual: Ella was wearing a white top with black leggings and knee-high boots

Party dress: While Sara plumped for sparkle at the music listening party

Looking chic: Melanie flashed her lingerie in a polka dotted blouse that was completely sheer

Sisters: Natalie (left) and Nicole (right) plumped for similar skinny trouser outfits with pointed heels
She no longer parties as hard as she did in her Geordie Shore days.

And Vicky Pattison, 28, showed just how far she's come from her wild days on the popular reality show when she stepped out in an elegant pale pink satin dress for a friend's birthday at the Libertine club in London on Thursday.

The star cut a refined figure as she exited her taxi at the popular nightspot accompanied by pals.

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A refined figure: Vicky Pattison, 28, stepped out in an elegant pale pink satin dress for a friend's birthday at the Libertine club in London on Thursday

The Geordie lass complemented her billowing gown with a teetering pair of peep toe golden stilettos.

She wore her brunette tresses in loose curls which fell over her shoulders and sported a classy application of make-up in keeping with her stylish ensemble.

Vicky kept a straight face as she made her way inside the venue, displaying plenty of eyeliner and a slick of glossy pink lipstick.

Pretty in pink: Vicky put on an incredibly busty display in the glamorous gown

Happy! She might not party as hard as she did in her Geordie Shore days but Vicky still had a good time

Stunning: Earlier in the evening Vicky and the birthday girl celebrated at Steam and Rye

Earlier in the evening, Vicky and birthday girl Sarah Ali-Khalid visited Steam and Rye, with Vicky looking the picture of happiness - smiling broadly as she stepped out the taxi.

The Loose Women panellist put on a brave face after her name was brought up in the latest spat between Jeremy McConnell and Stephanie Davis.

The Irish hunk tweeted Vicky a flirty message asking when she was going to take him out, much to the annoyance of Stephanie.

However, Vicky appears to be taken with former TOWIE star Mario Falcone, recently admitting that she fancied him.

Elegant: The star cut a refined figure as she exited her taxi at the popular nightspot accompanied by pals

Time to party: Vicky kept a straight face as she made her way inside the venue, displaying plenty of eyeliner and a slick of glossy pink lipstick

Looking good: She wore her brunette tresses in loose curls which fell over her shoulders and sported a classy application of make-up in keeping with her stylish ensemble

Pretty as a picture: Vicky certainly stood out from the crowd in the classy ensemble

The pair have been spied enjoying a number of dates and have also hinted that they have moved in together, although it has been claimed she is simply crashing.

They recently enjoyed a night out together - with Vicky spotted sneaking out of Mario's posh pad the next morning.

Despite the pair's cosy display, a representative for Vicky insisted the reality star chums are nothing more than friends, adding that Mario has been helping the I'm A Celebrity winner revamp her newly-purchased Brentwood pad.
She is believed to have split from boyfriend Jeremy McConnell after finding a string of flirtatious messages in his phone.

But Stephanie Davis appears to be picking herself back up following her latest heartbreak as the star shared an inspirational quote to Instagram on Thursday.

'Bent but not broken, shaken but not shattered, discouraged but not defeated,' the post read, hinting that the 23-year-old actress is ready to move on.

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Moving on? Stephanie Davis appears to be picking herself back up following her latest heartbreak as the star shared an inspirational quote to Instagram on Thursday.

The former Hollyoaks actress' romance with the Irish model has been hitting the headlines since they met in the Celebrity Big Brother house earlier this year, most recently because of the blonde's social media rampage.

Stephanie is alleged to have revealed yet more of Jeremy's philandering behaviour, after sharing a host of messages from the 26-year-old model to tattooed beauty, Mia Portman as well as Vicky Pattison.

According to the Mirror, Stephanie took to Twitter and posted a series of screenshots which are allegedly from Jeremy to an unknown Irish girl - though she is said to have deleted them later.

Motivational: 'Bent but not broken, shaken but not shattered, discouraged but not defeated,' the post read, hinting that the 23-year-old actress is ready to move on.

Pursuing a flirtatious tone from the get go, the tattooed model - who first met Stephanie on CBB in January - tells the object of his affections that she has an 'amazing bod' amongst other things.

Writing in what appears to be a direct message on Twitter from his official account (@JezzaMcConnell), the reality star gushes: 'Shame you have a bf like i'd of taken you out treated you like a princess that u are (sic).'

After asking for the girl's number, Jeremy goes on a final charm offensive by giving the girl another compliment.

Over for good? The former Hollyoaks actress' romance with Jeremy has been hitting the headlines since they met in the Celebrity Big Brother house earlier this year, most recently because of her social media rampage

And it seems that Jeremy was very taken with her, as in another messages supposedly shared by Stephanie, the model appears to confirm that his romance with the former soap star is over.

Claiming that he and Stephanie 'can't get past' their much-publicized, and goes on to accuse Stephanie of being a 'psycho' - presumably following yet another heated argument or bust-up.

However the biggest betrayal for the actress in the whole exchange came when Jeremy appeared to be trying to coax the girl to return his flirtatious advances with the model claiming the couple 'barely knew' each other when he apparently slept with other girls.

The girl in question: The actress, 23, is alleged to have revealed yet more of his philandering behaviour, after sharing a host of messages from the model, 26, to tattooed beauty, Mia Portman (pictured)

Got his eye her; And it seems that Stephanie also discovered Jeremy had been trying to catch Vicky Pattison's eye too, as he sent a flirty tweet to her - swiftly on the back of his girlfriend's social media vent

A very public vent: According to the Mirror, Stephanie took to Twitter and posted a serious of screenshots which are allegedly from Jeremy to an unknown Irish girl - though she is said to have deleted them later

Game over! Jeremy claimed that he and Stephanie 'can't get past' their much-publicized, and goes on to accuse Stephanie of being a 'psycho' - presumably following yet another heated argument or bust-up

Appearing to play down the seriousness of their entire relationship, one message reads: 'Despite what the press might say I'm a loyal guy.

'I might have slept with a few people when seeing Steph but I wouldn't do it in a committed relationship we barely knew each another (sic).'

Accompanying the screenshots, Stephanie is said to have told her fans that she'd 'seen the light' before saying that she was preparing for a girls' night out - presumably to take her mind of her errant lover.

And in a further outburst she is said to have later tweeted: 'For all your information by his f****d up messages I have tried for two days but no getting through to him. I love him despite it all (sic).'

Not so sunny: The girl in question, believe to be a model known as Mia Portman, subsequently told The Sun the exchange took place when Jeremy was away on his tempestuous holiday with Stephanie in Cape Verde

Speaking about their brief contact with one another - which is reported to have happened at the end of April during hi break to Cape Verde with Stephanie - she explained that it was for the actress' own good.

MailOnline has contacted representatives for both Stephanie and Vicky, while a spokesperson for Jeremy declined to comment.

After the tweet became public knowledge, the girl in question, Mia Portman, spoke to The Sun about her decision to reveal Jeremy's pursuit of her.

Speaking about their brief contact with one another - which is reported to have happened at the end of April during hi break to Cape Verde with Stephanie - she explained that it was for the actress' own good.

She told the website: 'I told Stephanie and like usual she finds everything hard to believe. This isn't to Stephanie.

'Stephanie needs to learn not to forgive a cheat, she claims Sam really hurt her and she wasn't standing for it anymore so why is she forgiving Jeremy?!' The beauty claimed she did it to show her Jeremy's true colours

Drama, drama, drama: The latest twist in the romantic drama follows rumours that Stephanie is supposed to have been cheating on Jeremy for months

'Stephanie needs to learn not to forgive a cheat, she claims Sam really hurt her and she wasn't standing for it anymore so why is she forgiving Jeremy?!

'It's direct to Jeremy. Because girls need to know what he is. He isn't loyal.'

But it seems Jeremy wasn't all that heartbroken over the couple's latest split, as Stephanie took to Twitter only hours later to reveal that he'd set his sights on Vicky Pattison.

Sharing a screenshot of a message she received from a fan, Stephanie appeared to reveal jeremy had contacted the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! winner for a date.

Offered some advice, telling her the whole incident was a 'wake up call', the message added yet another twist to the couple's apparent split.

Too soon? But it seems Jeremy wasn't all that heartbroken over the couple's latest split, as Stephanie took to Twitter only hours later to reveal that he'd set his sights on Vicky Pattison

'I have my dignity': Stephanie made her feelings on the situation clear by adding a sting of laughing emojis, before appearing to announce her split from Jeremy, before proclaiming she wasn't 'desperate'

Happy again? She signed off from the sight, and the drama, with tweet proclaiming her future was 'bright'

Ending the message on a slightly sour note, the well-wisher send Stephanie a grab of Jeremy's Twitter account, along with another caption reading: 'Oh and he tweeted vicky pattiosn asking when she was taking him out, then deleted it! (sic)'

And it certainly appeared to be the truth, as in the accompanying snap, a post now deleted read: '@VickyGShore when u taking me out (sic).'

However, there is nothing to suggest Vicky herself has been involved in any exchanges.

Stephanie made her feelings on the situation clear by adding a sting of laughing emojis, before appearing to announce her split from Jeremy.

Cearly defiant in the face of Jeremy's actions, she wrote: 'So glad I have my dignity and pride and not desperate!'

She added the telling hashtag '#finallybacktome' in, as well as a sting of heart emojis.

A TIMELINE OF STEPHANIE AND JEREMY'S ROCKY ROMANCE 5 January: Couple meet for the first time on Celebrity Big Brother. At the time, Stephanie is in a relationship with male model Sam Reece. 29 January: Jeremy is evicted from Celebrity Big Brother 5 February: Stephanie leaves the CBB house and confirms she considers her relationship with Sam over and is hoping to be with Jeremy. 21 February: The pair briefly split after a misunderstanding over drunken text messages, leading them to cancel an appearance on Loose Women. 22 February: The couple reveal they are back together and make a joint appearance on Loose Women a few days later. 2 March: Stephanie dumps Jeremy after their CBB co-star Scotty T reveals the Irish model slept with dancer Caroline Pope. 11 March: The pair are reunited on holiday in Majorca after Jeremy insists he slept with Caroline before they were officially dating. 26 March: Stephanie announced she has dumped Jeremy again after accusing him of sleeping with five different women in recent weeks. 4 April: Following a series of loved-up posts Jeremy and Stephanie once-again confirm their relationship is back on track. 21 April: The couple fly out on a romantic getaway to Cape Verde - though the love-in is short-lived as claims emerge of arguments. 3-4 May: Rumours emerge surrounding allegations of Stephanie cheating on Jeremy for months with an actor. Followed days later by Stephanie posting screenshots of a conversation between Jeremy and a girl, before alluding to a split.

The latest twist in their romantic drama comes hot on the heels that Stephanie is supposed to have been cheating on Jeremy for months.

According to the Mirror, a source revealed pals of an unknown actor had been in touch with Jeremy to tell him Stephanie had been cheating on him.

The actress and the good-looking thespian are supposed to have they have been seeing each other in secret for some time.

However a representative for Stephanie branded the rumours 'pure work of fiction' and denied any wrong-doing on her part.

And the messages may have been prompted by the alleged violent row that erupted between the couple, in which Jeremy was said to have grabbed his girlfriend's arm as she begged him to stop - which followed news that he was left needing six stitches in his hand after a boozy bust-up.

The couple's five month relationship has been a constant source of drama, with the love-birds seemingly breaking-up and making-up on a near constant basis.

After sending sparks flying in the CBB house in January, when Stephanie was still officially in a relationship with model Sam Reece, Jeremy and the actress struck up romance on the outside.

However, their relationship has been rocked by a series of revelations about Jeremy sleeping with other women before they publicly confirmed their status as an item.
Lauren Goodger has confirmed her split from Jake McLean after almost four years of on-off dating.

The former TOWIE star, 29, insisted the pair are amicable and said she is 'feeling positive and looking forward to the future'.

A spokesperson for Lauren said in a statement released to MailOnline: 'We can confirm that Lauren and Jake have split up.

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It's all over: Lauren Goodger has confirmed her split from Jake McLean after dating on and off for four years, telling MailOnline she is 'looking forward to the future'

'The break was amicable and there was no-one else involved. Lauren is feeling positive and looking forward to the future.'

The couple have been dating since 2012 but split for the first time in 2013 before rekindling their romance two years later.

They then split just months later in October 2015 - despite Lauren getting Jake's name tattooed on her wrist.

Lauren first set tongues wagging earlier this week when she deleted all trace of Jake from her social media accounts.

The 29-year-old's Instagram was once adorned with loved-up photos of her and her boyfriend but not a single snap of the couple now remains on her account.

Love on the rocks? The former TOWIE star, 29, sparked rumours that she had split from Jake earlier this week when she deleted all traces of him from her social media accounts

Lauren has not been mentioning Jake on Twitter and has instead focused on promoting her fitness DVD and contouring products.

She has also been posting numerous sexy selfies and been seen treating herself to regular hair and beauty treatments.

However, in between the glamorous snaps, Lauren posted a cryptic message on Instagram on Saturday, which read:

'Stay exclusive. Don't be everywhere... Don't involve yourself with just anyone... Leave a little mystery to your night.'

See TOWIE updates as Lauren Goodger sparks rumour of split with Jake McLean

Gone without a trace? The 29-year-old's Instagram was once adorned with loved-up photos of her and her boyfriend but not a single snap of the photo now remains on her account - pictured in 2013

Fans were quick to jump to conclusions, and one user wrote: 'Anyone else notice she deleted all pics of her bf?....'

While another incorrectly believed that Lauren may be getting back with long-term ex-boyfriend, Mark Wright, as one wrote: 'Are you and Mark gettin it on?? Something fishy is going on!!!'

Meanwhile, Jake took to social media to post a photo of himself on a boys' night out as he celebrated a friend's birthday on Tuesday.

He captioned the image: 'Happy birthday to my brother from another mother Whos also behind 99.9% of my hangovers..'

Perfect pair: The couple often shared romantic photos of each other together on social media sites

Hidden meaning? Lauren posted a cryptic message on Instagram on Saturday, which read: 'Stay exclusive. Don't be everywhere... Don't involve yourself with just anyone... Leave a little mystery to your night'

Lauren also appeared to have been partying with her friends over the past few days.

And the blonde beauty emphasized that Jake wasn't there to join her in her New! Magazine column, as she wrote: 'I had a wicked night out with the girls last weekend. My mate Della's son Miles had a private birthday party in South Woodford.

'TOWIE's Liam Gatsby was there and some of Jake's other mates, but Jake didn't come. I was like, "Yes, I can get as drunk as I want!" Ha ha! I had a horrific hangover the next day though.'

Jake also took to social media to post a photo of himself out with the lads as he let his hair down on Tuesday.

Back with the boys? Jake took to social media to post a photo of himself on a boys' night out as he celebrated a friend's birthday on Tuesday

The couple have been dating since 2012 but split for the first time in 2013 before rekindling their romance two years later.

They then split just months later in October 2015 - despite Lauren getting Jake's name tattooed on her wrist.

Only last month, the pair were spotted looking more loved-up than ever as they enjoyed a date night together.

However, in recent interviews Lauren hinted that their romance might be hitting the rocks as she called Jake 'over protective' and 'paranoid' about her travelling to London and mingling with fans.
She came out to support her husband Paul Bettany, but ended up stealing the spotlight instead.

Jennifer Connelly put on a trendy show as she arrived at the Captain America: Civil War screening on Wednesday in New York City.

The 45-year-old actress looked much younger than her years in a short edgy dress which showed off her toned pins.

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Much younger than her years! Jennifer Connelly, 45, arrived at the Captain America: Civil War screening on Wednesday in New York City

The vampy number featured a skin-tight leather upper half with an exposed silver zip down the middle.

Breaking up the dark colour scheme, was the heavily embellished metallic lower half of the dress.

The short nature of the dress clung to her frame and allowed the Noah star to confidently put on a leggy display as she stood arm in arm with Paul.

The full leather sleeves displayed eighties style shoulder padding, while she continued the jet-black look with a sparkly black clutch and grungy lace-up heeled boots.

Revealing her pins: The short nature of the leather and metallic dress clung to her frame and allowed the Noah star to confidently put on a leggy display as she stood arm in arm with Paul

A-list friends: She put on quite the jovial display at the screening and on one occasion was seen greeting Downey Jr, 54, who portrays Tony Stark aka Iron Man in the film

Her signature thick dark brown eyebrows boded well with her sleek brunette locks which was parted down the middle.

Black liner coated her eyes along with lashings of mascara and she put on a big smile with a deep pink pout.

Paul, 44, who met Connelly while filming A Beautiful Mind in 2001, looked dapper in a form-fitting navy checkered suit.

Pairing it with a crisp white shirt and navy tie, he added a vintage element with a pair of kooky purple tinted glasses.

Whilst Jennifer came out to support her hubby, she has also been working hard on her own career.

Style chops: A heavily embellished metallic lower half of the dress complemented her grunge lace-up boots

Currently, the beauty icon is filming for the drama American Pastoral alongside Ewan McGregor and Dakota Fanning.

She is also mother to three children - Kai, 19, from her previous relationship with photographer David Dugan and Stellan, 13, and Agnes, four, with Betanny.

As busy as she is, she put on quite the jovial display at the screening and on one occasion was seen greeting Downey Jr, 54, who portrays Tony Stark aka Iron Man in the film.

The veteran was dapper in a charcoal grey suit, blue striped shirt and pink and blue tie.

Star of the movie: Robert Downey Jr was spiffy in a charcoal grey suit, blue striped shirt and pink and blue tie

Wow: Elizabeth Olsen rocked a long floral dress on Wednesday at a screening of Captain America: Civil War

Stud: Chris Evans, who also stars in the film, made a handsome appearance

A whole host of other stars also turned up to the eagerly anticipated screening, including the film's Elizabeth Olsen.

The younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen looked super stunning in her body-hugging blue dress with white flowers that included a short train.

Chris Evans, who also stars in the film, made a handsome appearance alongside a plethora of guests which included model Josephine Skriver, socialite Olivia Palermo and actress Jaimie Alexander.

The film is directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo who also directed The Winter Soldier.

Demure: Model Josephine Skriver (L) and socialite Olivia Palermo (R) looked sophisticated in their dark ensembles at the screening




She's undoubtedly one of Australia's most beautiful faces with an equally enviable figure.

And Pia Miller put her incredible physique on display as she posed for her first ever Marie Claire Australia cover for their June issue.

The 32-year-old radiated a quiet but sexy confidence during the magazine shoot, flashing some thigh as she rested one foot on a wooden box in a behind-the-scenes snap.

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Legging it! Home And Away's Pia Miller flashed some cleavage and put her trim pins on display as she posed for her cover of Marie Claire's June issue

The Home And Away actress donned a chic, understated shirt dress by Alaia, flashing a glimpse of a black bra underneath.

Her long, chocolate tresses were styled in loose, salt-sprayed waves which cascaded over her shoulder as she struck a sultry expression.

In another snap, the model and actress was styled in a sporty tangerine frock, cinching her waist with a statement gold belt.

See Home and Away updates as Pia Miller goes on display on the cover of Marie Claire

Orange you looking lovely! The 32-year-old looked quietly sexy in a tangerine frock with a sporty neckline

Flashing some skin: For the shot that would eventually make the cover, Pia looked effortlessly chic in an Alex Perry gown

While posing in the dress that would make the cover of the long-running publication, the mother-of-two looked effortlessly chic as she put her cleavage on display in an Alex Perry frock.

In the accompanying interview, the Home And Away actress spoke for the first time about how she tracked down her estranged father online - and how their reunion did not go how she had hoped.

The mother-of-two split from Brad last year after struggling to balance her family life and filming commitments for the soap.

That's a wrap! It is the mother-of-two's first ever Marie Claire cover

Telling all: The brunette beauty opened up to the publication about her romance with film producer Tyson Mullane

'I'd shoot all day, jump on a plane, race home and make dinner - it was like I was working full-time in both places,' she said.

'I was trying to do everything and it took a toll on me physically, I think it took its toll on everything.'

She is now dating film producer Tyson Mullane, but remains friends with Brad for the sake of their son Lennox, nine, and her other son Isaiah, 13, from an earlier relationship.

Star appeal: Most recently, the brunette beauty was nominated for a Logie for Best New Talent in the 58th Logie Awards

Social media fan: The stunner - who is famed for playing Katarina Chapman in Home and Away - often takes to her Instagram page to share lots of sizzling pictures of herself
It's been nearly two years since the last series of hit crime drama Peaky Blinders.

And it looks like the BBC period show is back with a bang as leading man Cillian Murphy strips off for some sexy scenes.

The Irish actor gives Tom Hiddleston a run for his money as he ends up flashing his bare backside as he romps in the new series.

He's a cheeky one: Cillian Murphy strips off for a sex scene in the new episode of Peaky Blinders as it returns for Series Three

Leading man: The Irish actor is back as Birmingham crime boss Tommy Shelby

The 39-year-old is seen getting his kit off for his role as Birmingham crime boss Tommy Shelby in the opening episode of Series Three.

Speaking about the new series, Cillian said: 'I wasnt aware my bottom was going to be in the first episode that much.

'Making the whole of episode one was a tremendous experience.'

Cillian's bottom-baring scenes came after fellow actor Hiddleston thrilled fans when he too showed off his backside in BBC mini-series The Night Manager.

All star cast: Cillian is joined in Peaky Blinders by Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Esme), Joe Cole (John), Sophie Rundle (Ada), Harry Kirton (Finn), Helen McCrory (Polly), Finn Cole (Michael), Paul Anderson (Arthur) and Kate Phillips (Linda)

Series Three sees the return of Tommy in the drama about the real-life Peaky Blinders gang, who operated in Birmingham in 1919.

Cillian recently admitted he found filming Peaky Blinders exhausting, especially because he has to smoke so many cigarettes.

He told Deadline: 'I dont want to come across like Im moaning. Its such a f*cking gift. Im just being honest, it just destroys you.

'(Afterwards) I try not to do anything. Its just the relentless nature of who he is and scheduling and everything thats involved. I guess because hes so fundamentally far away from me in every way, its such a massive journey to get to and I know when Im in it, Im just f**king in it and then it takes a while to just shake it off. He never sleeps, he never eats.'

Peaky Blinders starts on BBC Two on Thursday 5 May.
She was one of the best dressed at Monday night's Met costume Gala in New York.

Now back in Los Angeles, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley continued her week of high fashion form as she was seen letting her hair down.

The British beauty proved that her day-to-night style is a work of genius, as she headed to the Paige Denim headquarters in a chic day outfit before slipping into a sleek one-shoulder maxi for Rihanna's concert on Wednesday.

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Day to night: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley made a stylish switch from day (left) to night (right) on Wednesday as she continued a week of high fashion form

Rosie started the day with work on her mind, leaving the studio for a shop in her skinny jeans and an elegant, sleeveless duster coat.

She elongated her never-ending legs in tan ankle boots that cleverly matched her small suede handbag.

And while Rosie was keen to switch up her garbs for later in the evening, she wore the same up hairstyle that drew attention to her exquisite features.

Letting her hair down: She was one of the guests in attendance at the LA date on Rihanna's ANTI tour

Glamorous: The British beauty look glamorous in black as she left The Forum in Inglewood

To step up the glamour, Rosie slicked on a bright rouge lipstick but kept her make-up look otherwise to a minimum.

The blonde beauty's accessories were also parred down so that it didn't detract from the stylish one-shoulder neckline.

Rosie's maxi was belted at the middle with a large retro fastening and was long enough to completely conceal her shoes as she made strides out of the venue.

Grecian goddess: It was a look that was not too far removed from her red carpet Met Gala image

Similar but not the same: Rosie attended the Costume Institute Gala, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in a stunning one shoulder white dress

Heading home: The model was among guests including Kylie Jenner and Ashlee Simpson

Jason Statham's fiance hadn't been the only high profile name on the guestlist, because the Anti tour drew attendance from Kylie Jenner, Ashlee Simpson and Cindy Crawford's teenage daughter Kaia.

Rosie stunned earlier this week when she hit the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, where the annual Met Gala was being held once again.

Paying subtle homage to the Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology theme, the brunette wore a Grecian Ralph Lauren dress with futuristic design details.

All white on the day: To run business errands in the day, Rosie rocked a chic sleeveless duster coat
Jodie Foster will head Down Under at the end of this month to premiere her latest directorial pursuit Money Monster.

The veteran Hollywood identity will celebrate nearly 50 years in the movie business, having shifted her focus from acting to directing from 2010.

Speaking with News Corp in an interview published on Thursday, the 53-year-old reflected on her long-running career in film.

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'That's a long time': Jodie Foster has reflected on her long-running career in film as she prepares to travel to Australia to premiere her latest directorial venture Money Monster

'That's a long time,' she said.

'The greatest thing about that is that I got to work in the 60s, the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, the 2000s and the 2010s, and each one of those eras in some ways has been more interesting than the next.'

Jodie will travel Down Under on May 30 to attend the world premiere of Money Monster, which stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts.

New direction: The thriller stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts

Creative pursuits: Jodie has really only shifted her focus to directing in the last five to six years

On Wednesday, Jodie's former Panic Room co-star Kristen Stewart gave a heartwarming speech in honour of the Oscar-winning actress who had been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

The Twilight star took to the podium and began: 'Jodie Foster was my favorite actress before I was cast as her daughter in a movie called Panic Room when I was 10.'

'She came onto the movie late and I was totally there to show her the ropes,' Kristen joked.

High honour: On Wednesday, Jodie's former Panic Room co-star Kristen Stewart gave a heartwarming speech before presenting her with her star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame

Conditions: Jodie said she didn't want to have a star on Hollywood Boulevard unless it was in conjunction with a directing project

But as the laughter died down, she continued on a serious note: 'Of all the examples that I could have had at such an impressionable age, there's nothing self-serving about her.'

The Silence of the Lambs star opened up to Variety recently about why she waited to accept the honor after being in the industry for 50 years.

'I made this conscious decision that I didnt want to have a star on Hollywood Boulevard unless it was in a conjunction with a movie I was directing,' Jodie confessed.
She's the undisputed queen of British daytime television thanks to her role as This Morning co-host.

And Holly Willoughby was reigning supreme in the style stakes as she got to work on an outdoor segment on London's Southbank on Thursday.

Showcasing her hourglass curves in all their glory, the TV presenter, 35, looked effortlessly elegant as she slipped into a figure-hugging pastel pink dress to take part in a pizza baking demonstration.

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Pretty in pink: Holly Willoughby was reigning supreme in the style stakes as she got to work on an outdoor segment on London's Southbank on Thursday

The feminine number by the brand Cecily cinched her in the waist with a small belt, which further emphasised her curvaceous figure.

The asymmetrical neckline along with the half sleeve element of the dress gave the outfit a cool modern twist.

Holly's luscious blonde locks which were blow-dried to perfection billowed in the wind, and she accentuated her naturally pretty features with low-key make-up.

Ladylike: The feminine number by the brand Cecily cinched her in the waist with a small belt, which further emphasised her curvaceous figure

Pretty as a picture: The asymmetrical neckline along with the half sleeve element of the dress gave the outfit a cool modern twist

Co-hosts: Co host Phillip Schofield, 54, who wore a mint green shirt, looked overjoyed at being filming for the segment involving outdoor pizza ovens

Putting her sartorial knowledge to good use, the former model elongated her 5ft 7in frame with a pair of nude heels as she strutted around the set.

Getting stuck into the spirit of things, Holly was spotted holding on to a pizza whilst her silver-haired co host Phillip Schofield, 54, chowed down on the cheesy goodness.

Presenter Steve Wilson was also on hand as he talked through the live pizza-making demonstration with chef Matt Reed.

The entertaining demonstration of the Italian food staple also drew in a crowd of eager spectators who were awarded with pizza slices from the bubbly blonde.

Breakfast is ready! Getting into the spirit of things, Holly was spotted joining the demonstration

Focus: The blond beauty ensured she held on to the pizza tightly as she didn't want to make a mess

Rewarding himself: Phillip chowed down on the cheesy goodness after the demonstration was over

Holly, who was so taken by her summery outfit for the day took to Instagram to let her doting 923,000 followers know what she was wearing.

She captioned the photo: 'Thursday's look on @itvthismorning ... Dress by @wearcecily.'

The two presenters were in a much better mood than Wednesday morning where they got riled up by controversial US writer Meghann Foye, the woman behind the much talked-about 'ME-ternity concept.

She claims childless female employees should be allowed time off work to avoid burning out after she observed new mothers returning to work with a fresh sense of confidence.

'Thursday's look on @itvthismorning': Holly took to Instagram to let her 923K followers know that she was wearing a dress by the brand Cecily

Hungry crowds: The entertaining demonstration of the Italian food staple also drew in a crowd of eager spectators

After listening to her argument, Phillip bit back: 'Isn't this just pandering to a bunch of tree-huggers, when you say, "What I need time is just some thinking time? I haven't got time for work, I need some reflection".'

Viewers watching the daytime TV programme were torn over how to react to the interview and Meghann's concept, with many of them agreeing with Holly and Phillip and claiming that her ideas are ridiculous, while even more seemed to find their interviewing method very harsh.

Twitter user @_Miamii_ wrote, sharing their balanced opinion: 'I do think Holly and Phil were harsh on her - everyone is entitled to an opinion. But, I don't agree with her #MeTernityLeave #ThisMorning.'

Holly raises three children, Harry, six, Belle, four, and Chester, two, with TV producer husband Dan Baldwin.
The current status of their relationship is unclear after they announced plans to postpone their wedding and take some time apart.

But Chloe Jasmine Whichello was bound to spark rumours that her nuptials to fiance Stevi Ritchie are back on as she was pictured toting what could have been a wedding dress while out shopping in West London on Thursday.

The 24-year-old model attempted to conceal and protect her garment within a clothes bag, though the contraption was slightly unfastened, allowing what looked to be a white dress with netting to peep through.

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Is the wedding happening after all? Chloe Jasmine Whichello was bound to spark rumours that her nuptials to fiance Stevi Ritchie are back on as she was pictured toting what could have been a wedding dress while out shopping in West London on Thursday

The former X Factor contestant was sure not to give anything away as she held a stoic facial expression while sauntering along the street with a female pal.

The reality star was sporting a white outfit of her own for her retail therapy session, clad in a white flared jumpsuit with a grey, lace motif around the calves.

She protected her shoulders from catching a chill with a grey shawl, while injecting a pop of colour into the look with blue stilettos that boasted a contrasting hot pink sole.

What's that? The model, 24, attempted to conceal and protect her garment within a clothes bag, though the contraption was slightly unfastened, allowing what looked to be a white dress with netting to peep through

Her signature blonde locks were worn in retro, curled up-do, which matched the seemingly vintage-inspired make-up look she rocked beneath her over-sized shades.

While it's believed Chloe is currently going through a heartbreak of her own, the TV personality looked to be the one offering a supportive hand as she tenderly placed her arm on her friend's shoulder during their walk.

It was last reported that Chloe and Stevi have postponed their summer wedding after a series of explosive rows.

Two weeks ago, Stevi, who protests that he and Chloe-Jasmine were 'very much still in love,' shared a cryptic post on social media that suggested it's best to take an active approach to life.

Staying positive: While it's believed Chloe is currently going through a heartbreak of her own, the star looked to be the one offering a supportive hand as she tenderly placed her arm on her friend's shoulder during their walk

The Celebrity Big Brother star shared a cosy selfie with Chloe-Jasmine on Twitter on Wednesday alongside the phrase: 'Knowing is not enough we must apply, willing is not enough we must do xx.'

The former X Factor contestant cuddled up to his partner in the sweet snap, with Chloe-Jasmine, pouting for the lens as she wrapped up in a fur coat.

The inspirational quote, by German quote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, prompted confusion from fans on the social media site who questioned whether it meant the couple were back together again.

Cryptic: The Celebrity Big Brother star shared a cosy selfie with Chloe-Jasmine on Twitter last month alongside the phrase: 'Knowing is not enough we must apply, willing is not enough we must do xx'

Stevi confirmed on earlier that week that while the couple are still together, they have postponed their wedding after a string of heated arguments.

He told The Mirror: 'We're still together. Chloe is going to a juice retreat next week, just to sort her head out and get things together.'

The X Factor reject went on to admit that they have 'put too much pressure' on their union and the long-distance factor hasn't helped.

He continued: 'I have been a bit nasty with things I might have said at the time. We all do it. We're all human. [But] we still very much love each other. We're very much in love still.'

Despite Stevi's defiant interview, Chloe-Jasmine appeared to hint that all is not well as she shared a cryptic post on Monday evening.

On hold: It was last reported that Chloe and Stevi have postponed their summer wedding after a series of explosive rows

Alongside the snap, which is a painting of hands reaching out trying to grab straws, she wrote the simple caption: '#GraspingAtStraws'.

'Grasping at straws': As Stevi refuted the break-up, Whichello uploaded a cryptic post to Instagram

Trying to make things work: Chloe-Jasmine shared a post on Instagram which was focused on a passage by John Greenleaf Whittier titled Don't Quit

Earlier in the day she also uploaded a post which was focused on a passage by John Greenleaf Whittier titled Don't Quit.

While they were adamant that their love would stand the test of time, the couple's turbulent time has come just months before they were set to tie the knot.

A representative for the reality stars  who found fame on The X Factor in 2014  released a statement to The Mirror which explained that the pair were taking time apart due to busy work schedules.

However it is claimed the pair ended the relationship for other reasons as a source told the publication: Chloe has decided to end her engagement.

The relationship became abusive and volatile causing her to heavily relapse into alcohol abuse. She had to get out of the relationship. It became very toxic.

MailOnline have contacted Chloe's representative for comment.
She's busy planning her wedding again after reconciling with Johnny McDaid.

But Courteney Cox looked stylish as she grabbed dinner with a male friend at Craig's Restaurant in West Hollywood on Wednesday, after rekindling her romance with the Snow Patrol rocker, 39.

The 51-year-old wore a chic monochrome look while out to dinner with her pal.

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Dinner with friends: Courteney Cox left Craig's Restaurant in West Hollywood with a male companion on Wednesday

The former Friends star looked relaxed, smiling as she exited the celebrity favorite.

Courteney, who is reportedly engaged again to the 39-year-old Irish rocker after briefly splitting last year, wore a gold band on her ring finger.

She added a crisp white blouse, which she tucked into skinny cropped trousers.

Chic: The 51-year-old looked stylish in a white blouse and black trousers combo

Stepping out: The actress carried a leather jacket and wore black heels with cute bows

Courteney, who has an 11-year-old daughter with ex-husband David Arquette, 44, left her brunette hair down and accessorized with large hoop earrings and gold necklaces.

She added a classic black leather bag, and casually carried a leather motorcycle jacket slung over her arm.

The actress, whose new drama Mothers and Daughters comes out on Friday, completed her look with black heels with cute bows.

The actress and her musician fiance met in 2013 and were engaged for 18 months before calling things off because he was homesick for Ireland and she refused to leave Los Angeles.

Wedding's on: Courteney wore a gold band on her ring finger, amid reports she and 39-year-old Johnny are engaged again

Fun night: The Cougar Town star flashed a smile as she climbed into her car after dinner

However, they got back together in March, and are said to be busying planning their wedding in Ireland and are considering tying the knot in the same Irish castle where Paul McCartney wed Heather Mills, according toLife & Style.

'She really wants a low-key wedding with about 100 guests,' a friend told the magazine, adding: 'Their good friend Ed Sheeran will be playing and Johnny will be singing a song he wrote especially for Courteney.'

Courteney's best friend and former costar Jennifer Aniston is expected to attend, along with Friends actors Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry.
They used to be co-stars and real life house mates.

And it seems the bromance between Ryan Corr and James Stewart certainly is still going strong.

The former Packed To The Rafters stars attended the opening night of Queen-inspired musical We Will Rock You at the Lyric Theatre, Star City in Sydney on Thursday.

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Bromance still there! Former Packed To The Rafters stars Ryan Corr and James Stewart went to the opening night of We Will Rock You together in Sydney on Thursday

The pair appeared to be enjoying a boys night out, with Ryan's girlfriend Kyla Bartholomeusz and James's rumoured new love interest Jessica Nock, no-where to be seen.

Ryan posed in front of the posters enthusiastically with one hand on his hip and another up in the air, channelling his Saturday Night Fever dance moves.

The Holding The Man star looked dapper in a navy suit, high-shine shoes and a skinny black tie.

Sporting his sandy blonde locks in tight ringlets and swept over to one side, the 27-year-old also showed off some facial hair.

Chatting away: The pair stopped to speak to press as they made their way along the red carpet

Dapper dude! The Holding The Man star looked dapper in a navy suit, high-shine shoes and a skinny black tie

Night fever! The 27-year-old appeared to be channelling his Saturday Night Fever moves as he posed enthusiastically in front of the show's posters

Old friends! The pair used to be real life house mates while co-stars on Packed to The Rafters

Meanwhile, James was dressed down more for the occasion, wearing a T-shirt and a zipped up leather jacket to the opening night.

The now Home And Away star, 40, had his dark locks pushed back in a slight bouffant.

The pair happily chatted away to the cameras on the red carpet, sharing some tales and a laugh.

On Monday, the duo were spotted together out to brunch together with James's Home And Away co-star George Mason and his girlfriend Manon Buchalet also there as well as Ryan's girlfriend Kyla.

Moved on? James is pictured with blonde beauty Jessica Nock in a group shot posted to social media on Monday with the pair joined by Kyla Bartholomeusz, Ryan Corr, Manon Buchalet and George Mason

Former flames: In May last year James and Packed To The Rafters star Jessica Marais announced they split

The boys were seated in the middle of a group snap, later posted to Instagram, with with Ryan's arm around his girl, while single father James, appeared to have his arm on the thigh of blonde beauty Jessica Nook.

It's the first girl the actor has been linked to since his high profile split from partner of five years, and former Packed To The Rafters co-star Jessica Marais, last May.

The couple share a four-year-old daughter Scout together.
Matthew McConaughey looked sharp as he left the Jimmy Kimmel Live! studios on Wednesday after an interview with the TV host.

The 46-year-old Oscar winner sported a crisp white shirt and smart trousers as he strolled out of the El Capitan Theatre.

Unfortunately for some of his patient fans waiting outside, the Interstellar star didn't have time to stop and sign autographs.

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Camera ready: Matthew McConaughey looked sharp as he left an appearance at the Jimmy Kimmel studios in Hollywood on Wednesday

The actor cut a relaxed figure as he walked into the studios earlier in the day.

The True Detective star was clean-shaven and wore jeans and plain t-shirt along with a pair of well-worn boots.

Meanwhile, the actor paid a touching tribute to Merle Haggard at the event held inside the 2016 American Country Countdown Awards on Sunday.

Suited up: The 46-year-old actor wore a pristine white shirt and formal black trousers for the interview

'Each loss hits us as hard as a death in the family. Country music lost a towering figure; the late great Merle Haggard.'

He added: 'Merle was an outlaw before the outlaws and a hero to all of country's finest.'

He then introduced the medley performance which closed out the night featuring Toby Keith along with the star's legendary back-up band The Strangers.

The country legend, who died April 6 at the age of 79, was known for such hit songs as Okie From Muskogee and Sing Me Back Home.

Low key look: On his arrival to the El Capitan Theatre the True Detective star kept it casual in jeans and a t-shirt

Entourage: The Oscar-winner chatted with an assistant as another member of staff carried his suit for him

While Matthew made an appearance at the country music event his wife Camila Alves, 34, was spotted out in Malibu with the couple's children Livingston, three, Vida, six and Levi, seven.

Matthew and Brazilian born Camila met in a Los Angeles bar in 2006, and got engaged on Christmas Day in 2011, after welcoming their two eldest children.

The couple married in Austin, Texas in June 2012.

Matthew paid tribute to country legend Merle Haggard at Sunday night's 2016 American Country Countdown Awards

Matthew said in 2014 that Camila put some pressure on him to get married, and he's glad that she did.

'I had to get to the point where I saw it as more than just the thing to do,' he told GQ, adding: 'I wanted to really want to.

'You know, I didnt want it to be a destination; the fun is that were on the adventure together. And look, some of it had to do with her putting it on me.'
Her rollercoaster romance with Jeremy McConnell has hit yet another rocky patch.

But Stephanie Davis knows the perfect cure for heartache as she spent Thursday with her pals.

The former Hollyoaks star shared selfies as she glammed up for a girls' lunch in Manchester before changing into a jumpsuit for a night on the town.

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Moving on: Stephanie Davis enjoyed a day out with pals in Manchester on Thursday, sharing cheerful selfies amid her latest drama with on/off boyfriend Jeremy McConnell

The Celebrity Big Brother housemate started her day by heading our for a lunch in the sun with some friends, pouting for a selfie before she headed out.

The Instagram snap shows the 23-year-old blonde dressed in a black jacket layered over a t-shirt, with her long locks piled into an up do.

With a pair of aviator shades on and a full face of makeup, Steph pouts for the pic snapped in her bathroom mirror.

'Buzzing'! Later that day Steph showed off her night out ensemble as she got ready to hit the town

'Lunch time with the girls its a beautiful day Put on some lipstick and your highest heels, with the biggest smile,' she captioned the cheerful photo, adding in a separate caption on Twitter: 'Keep your head heels and standards high'.

A few hours later and Stephanie was rocking another look, showing off an edgy jumpsuit in an army green hue, which she teamed with black heels and mirrored shades.

Posing next to a male pal, the star told her fans she was excited to hit the town. 'We ready, Manchester buzzing, so hot in manny it's like abroad! Off to pick up the girls and out back in my home land.'

Later on Twitter, Steph retweeted an inspirational passage about moving on from heartache, which read: 'Shes tired of playing the games, tired of the lies and disloyalty... while waiting on you to love her she learned to love herself...She will cry and get over it she will hate you and love you again...She will leave and come back over and over again but one day she wont. Everyone has a breaking point #truth.'

Moving on? Stephanie Davis appears to be picking herself back up following her latest heartbreak as the star shared an inspirational quote to Instagram on Thursday.

The former Hollyoaks actress' romance with the Irish model has been hitting the headlines since they met in the Celebrity Big Brother house earlier this year, most recently because of the blonde's social media rampage.

Stephanie is alleged to have revealed yet more of Jeremy's philandering behaviour, after sharing a host of messages from the 26-year-old model to tattooed beauty, Mia Portman as well as Vicky Pattison.

According to the Mirror, Stephanie took to Twitter and posted a series of screenshots which are allegedly from Jeremy to an unknown Irish girl - though she is said to have deleted them later.

Motivational: 'Bent but not broken, shaken but not shattered, discouraged but not defeated,' the post read, hinting that the 23-year-old actress is ready to move on.

Pursuing a flirtatious tone from the get go, the tattooed model - who first met Stephanie on CBB in January - tells the object of his affections that she has an 'amazing bod' amongst other things.

Writing in what appears to be a direct message on Twitter from his official account (@JezzaMcConnell), the reality star gushes: 'Shame you have a bf like i'd of taken you out treated you like a princess that u are (sic).'

After asking for the girl's number, Jeremy goes on a final charm offensive by giving the girl another compliment.

Over for good? The former Hollyoaks actress' romance with Jeremy has been hitting the headlines since they met in the Celebrity Big Brother house earlier this year, most recently because of her social media rampage

And it seems that Jeremy was very taken with her, as in another messages supposedly shared by Stephanie, the model appears to confirm that his romance with the former soap star is over.

Claiming that he and Stephanie 'can't get past' their much-publicized, and goes on to accuse Stephanie of being a 'psycho' - presumably following yet another heated argument or bust-up.

However the biggest betrayal for the actress in the whole exchange came when Jeremy appeared to be trying to coax the girl to return his flirtatious advances with the model claiming the couple 'barely knew' each other when he apparently slept with other girls.

The girl in question: The actress, 23, is alleged to have revealed yet more of his philandering behaviour, after sharing a host of messages from the model, 26, to tattooed beauty, Mia Portman (pictured)

Got his eye her; And it seems that Stephanie also discovered Jeremy had been trying to catch Vicky Pattison's eye too, as he sent a flirty tweet to her - swiftly on the back of his girlfriend's social media vent

A very public vent: According to the Mirror, Stephanie took to Twitter and posted a serious of screenshots which are allegedly from Jeremy to an unknown Irish girl - though she is said to have deleted them later

Game over! Jeremy claimed that he and Stephanie 'can't get past' their much-publicized, and goes on to accuse Stephanie of being a 'psycho' - presumably following yet another heated argument or bust-up

Appearing to play down the seriousness of their entire relationship, one message reads: 'Despite what the press might say I'm a loyal guy.

'I might have slept with a few people when seeing Steph but I wouldn't do it in a committed relationship we barely knew each another (sic).'

Accompanying the screenshots, Stephanie is said to have told her fans that she'd 'seen the light' before saying that she was preparing for a girls' night out - presumably to take her mind of her errant lover.

And in a further outburst she is said to have later tweeted: 'For all your information by his f****d up messages I have tried for two days but no getting through to him. I love him despite it all (sic).'

Not so sunny: The girl in question, believe to be a model known as Mia Portman, subsequently told The Sun the exchange took place when Jeremy was away on his tempestuous holiday with Stephanie in Cape Verde

Speaking about their brief contact with one another - which is reported to have happened at the end of April during hi break to Cape Verde with Stephanie - she explained that it was for the actress' own good.

MailOnline has contacted representatives for both Stephanie and Vicky, while a spokesperson for Jeremy declined to comment.

After the tweet became public knowledge, the girl in question, Mia Portman, spoke to The Sun about her decision to reveal Jeremy's pursuit of her.

Speaking about their brief contact with one another - which is reported to have happened at the end of April during hi break to Cape Verde with Stephanie - she explained that it was for the actress' own good.

She told the website: 'I told Stephanie and like usual she finds everything hard to believe. This isn't to Stephanie.

'Stephanie needs to learn not to forgive a cheat, she claims Sam really hurt her and she wasn't standing for it anymore so why is she forgiving Jeremy?!' The beauty claimed she did it to show her Jeremy's true colours

Drama, drama, drama: The latest twist in the romantic drama follows rumours that Stephanie is supposed to have been cheating on Jeremy for months

'Stephanie needs to learn not to forgive a cheat, she claims Sam really hurt her and she wasn't standing for it anymore so why is she forgiving Jeremy?!

'It's direct to Jeremy. Because girls need to know what he is. He isn't loyal.'

But it seems Jeremy wasn't all that heartbroken over the couple's latest split, as Stephanie took to Twitter only hours later to reveal that he'd set his sights on Vicky Pattison.

Sharing a screenshot of a message she received from a fan, Stephanie appeared to reveal jeremy had contacted the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! winner for a date.

Offered some advice, telling her the whole incident was a 'wake up call', the message added yet another twist to the couple's apparent split.

Too soon? But it seems Jeremy wasn't all that heartbroken over the couple's latest split, as Stephanie took to Twitter only hours later to reveal that he'd set his sights on Vicky Pattison

'I have my dignity': Stephanie made her feelings on the situation clear by adding a sting of laughing emojis, before appearing to announce her split from Jeremy, before proclaiming she wasn't 'desperate'

Happy again? She signed off from the sight, and the drama, with tweet proclaiming her future was 'bright'

Ending the message on a slightly sour note, the well-wisher send Stephanie a grab of Jeremy's Twitter account, along with another caption reading: 'Oh and he tweeted vicky pattiosn asking when she was taking him out, then deleted it! (sic)'

And it certainly appeared to be the truth, as in the accompanying snap, a post now deleted read: '@VickyGShore when u taking me out (sic).'

However, there is nothing to suggest Vicky herself has been involved in any exchanges.

Stephanie made her feelings on the situation clear by adding a sting of laughing emojis, before appearing to announce her split from Jeremy.

Cearly defiant in the face of Jeremy's actions, she wrote: 'So glad I have my dignity and pride and not desperate!'

She added the telling hashtag '#finallybacktome' in, as well as a sting of heart emojis.

A TIMELINE OF STEPHANIE AND JEREMY'S ROCKY ROMANCE 5 January: Couple meet for the first time on Celebrity Big Brother. At the time, Stephanie is in a relationship with male model Sam Reece. 29 January: Jeremy is evicted from Celebrity Big Brother 5 February: Stephanie leaves the CBB house and confirms she considers her relationship with Sam over and is hoping to be with Jeremy. 21 February: The pair briefly split after a misunderstanding over drunken text messages, leading them to cancel an appearance on Loose Women. 22 February: The couple reveal they are back together and make a joint appearance on Loose Women a few days later. 2 March: Stephanie dumps Jeremy after their CBB co-star Scotty T reveals the Irish model slept with dancer Caroline Pope. 11 March: The pair are reunited on holiday in Majorca after Jeremy insists he slept with Caroline before they were officially dating. 26 March: Stephanie announced she has dumped Jeremy again after accusing him of sleeping with five different women in recent weeks. 4 April: Following a series of loved-up posts Jeremy and Stephanie once-again confirm their relationship is back on track. 21 April: The couple fly out on a romantic getaway to Cape Verde - though the love-in is short-lived as claims emerge of arguments. 3-4 May: Rumours emerge surrounding allegations of Stephanie cheating on Jeremy for months with an actor. Followed days later by Stephanie posting screenshots of a conversation between Jeremy and a girl, before alluding to a split.

The latest twist in their romantic drama comes hot on the heels that Stephanie is supposed to have been cheating on Jeremy for months.

According to the Mirror, a source revealed pals of an unknown actor had been in touch with Jeremy to tell him Stephanie had been cheating on him.

The actress and the good-looking thespian are supposed to have they have been seeing each other in secret for some time.

However a representative for Stephanie branded the rumours 'pure work of fiction' and denied any wrong-doing on her part.

And the messages may have been prompted by the alleged violent row that erupted between the couple, in which Jeremy was said to have grabbed his girlfriend's arm as she begged him to stop - which followed news that he was left needing six stitches in his hand after a boozy bust-up.

The couple's five month relationship has been a constant source of drama, with the love-birds seemingly breaking-up and making-up on a near constant basis.

After sending sparks flying in the CBB house in January, when Stephanie was still officially in a relationship with model Sam Reece, Jeremy and the actress struck up romance on the outside.

However, their relationship has been rocked by a series of revelations about Jeremy sleeping with other women before they publicly confirmed their status as an item.
She stars in new movie Our Kind Of Traitor and Naomie Harris pulled out all the stops when she walked the red carpet on Thursday evening.

The 39-year-old opted to wear a burnt orange jumpsuit which had a frill running down one side as she posed for snaps at the event held at the Mayfair hotel in London.

The gorgeous actress shared a fun red carpet posing session with her dapper co-star Damian Lewis, with the pair laughing and joking for the cameras.

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Making an entrance: She stars in new movie Our Kind Of Traitor and Naomie Harris pulled out all the stops when she walked the red carpet at the Mayfair hotel in London on Thursday evening.

Namie's one shoulder statement piece flattered her figure perfectly and she carried a cute slogan cute bag in her hand.

With her raven locks flowing in loose curls down past her shoulders, she completed her look with a pair of silver metallic heels.

She was in good company on the night as Damian, who also stars in the movie, appeared looking dapper in a smart suit.

Wow thing: The 39-year-old opted to wear a burnt orange jumpsuit which had a frill running down one side as she posed for snaps at the event

Show-stopper: The one shoulder statement piece flattered her figure perfectly and she carried a cute slogan cute bag in her hand

Damian kept things casual, ditching the tie in favour of an unbuttoned look, while sporting an impressive beard.

The two Brit stars burst into fits of laughter on the red carpet, barely holding it together for the photo session.

Naomie and Damian's movie tells the story of a couple who find themselves lured into a Russian oligarch's plans to defect.

Pals: Naomie looked delighted to be reunited with her co-star Damian Lewis on the red carpet

Good to see you! The stunning actress broke out into a big smile as she posed with the dapper actor

Keep it together! Damian made Naomie burst out laughing as they added some fun to the photo session

One serious one: The Brit stars managed to reign in their laughter to pose for some shots

They are soon positioned between the Russian Mafia and the British Secret Service, neither of whom they can trust.

Slated for release on May 13, the film also stars Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard.

Naomie recently told The Guardian that it is important to her to play strong female characters.

In a world of their own: Damian fixed his look as he and Naomie shared a conversation while the cameras clicked away

A-lister: Naomi appeared polished to perfection as she made her star turn

What a joker! Damian pulled faces much to the amusement of his gorgeous co-star

Right hand man: Damian looked dapper in a smart suit and open necked shirt

She said: 'Im not interested in playing roles that stereotype me as a woman or as a black woman.

'I grew up with incredibly strong, powerful women around me who were highly intelligent and doing their own thing, and those are the women Im interested in portraying because thats what I know to be the truth.

'A woman who waits around for a man, pines after them I dont have any experience of that kind of woman, so I dont think Id be very good at playing that kind of character.'

Talented group: Naomie and Damian lined up with their director Susanna White for a snap

Leggy lady: Latina actress Jana Perez looked incredible in a neon orange dress and statement heels
It looks as though Cat Slater might be in for a choppy ride when it comes to her storyline on Redwater.

As Jessie Wallace appeared to be filming some dramatic scenes off of the coast of Dublin, as filming for the EastEnders spin-off continued on Wednesday.

Looking particularly windswept after an excursion out to sea in a dinghy with members of the crew, the 44-year-old actress looked to have been filming a dramatic scene with co-star, Oisin Stack.

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Is that you Kat? Jessie Wallace appeared to be filming some dramatic scenes off of the coast of Dublin, as filming for the EastEnders spin-off continued on Wednesday

Jessie, who is set to star in the new BBC drama along-side long-term co-star Shane Richie (Alfie Moon), looked to be enjoying a change of scenery - having left Albert Square earlier on this year.

Heading out to the windswept yet breathtaking coast surrounding the Irish capital, the actress appeared to have been prepped for a day out by the wardrobe department.

Rocking a remarkably different look to Kat's usual form-fitting wardrobe, the star had been kitted out in a pair of baggy fawn chinos, a loose white blouse and a teal parka.

Where's that Slater style? Looking particularly windswept after an excursion out to sea in a dinghy with members of the crew, the actress, 44, looked to have been filming a dramatic scene with co-star, Oisin Stack

And rounding off the remarkably sensible and muted affair, Jessie also wore warm olive parka.

However, it seems that all is not lost for fans of Kat Slater's trademark style, as Jessie also sported a pair of impractical dark brown leather boots, which came with a chunky and high heel.

But perhaps the biggest surprise was Kat's usual perfectly styled do had been replaced by a tangled and windswept look - even without the aid of the sea breeze.

Not quite the square! Jessie, who is set to star in the new BBC drama along-side long-term co-star Shane Richie (Alfie Moon), looked to be enjoying a change of scenery - having left Albert Square earlier on this year

Wrapped up warm? Heading out to the windswept yet breathtaking coast surrounding the Irish capital, the actress appeared to have been prepped for a day out by the wardrobe department

Jessie appeared perfectly at home on the outdoor set with the rest of the crew, however, as she was clearly enjoying the new direction Kat and Alfie have been steered in.

Beaming in-between takes, she could be seen chatting away to her co-star Oisin Stack, who cut a rugged figure with his beard.

But it seems the co-stars were in for some action, as following a brief pow-wow with the crew they were put into a boat and zipped out to see.

Bonding behind the scenes: Beaming in-between takes, she could be seen chatting away to her co-star Oisin Stack, who cut a rugged figure with his beard

Action-packed day? But it seems the co-stars were in for some action, as following a brief pow-wow with the crew they were put into a boat and zipped out to see

A helping hand: Jessie was in safe hands though, as the crew made sure the appropriate safety measures were in place

It's all good fun: The BBC favourite couldn't help but giggle as she was helped into a boat by a burly man

Setting sail: The actress and her co-star were zipped out in a smaller boat later on in the proceedings

And Jessie was even given a body-double - suggesting that their was some action-packed drama in-store on the shoot.

And while little is known about what Redwater holds for its new cast, Shane and Jessie hinted the show had a sinister undertone during an interview in January.

Speaking about the six-part drama, which sees Kat and Alfie visit Ireland in the search for answers to some important questions brought about in their exit from EastEnders, Shane revealed its a departure from anything Walford related

In for some action: Jessie was even given a body-double - suggesting that their was some action-packed drama in-store on the shoot

Keeping warm: Oisin looked to be keeping warm thanks to a hot water bottle

A sinister thriller? And while little is known about what Redwater holds for its new cast, Shane and Jessie hinted the show had a sinister undertone during an interview in January

Sharing a tantalising hint of what fans can expect, Shane said: 'It's a really dark story. I read the first episode and I kept thinking Wicker Man [Robin Hardy's 1973 cult classic starring Christopher Lee].'

Explaining the premise of the new drama, he added: 'It's a standalone drama, it has nothing to do with EastEnders apart from Cat and Alfie. It's not a spin-off, it's six stand alone dramas.'

See more of the latest on EastEnders stars Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie

And elaborating on what exactly set his mind racing to horror films when he read the script, Shane described how the first episode sees Kat and Algie arrive in a secluded and strange village in the Irish countryside.

'It's a really dark story. I read the first episode and I kept thinking Wicker Man [Robin Hardy's 1973 cult classic starring Christopher Lee]': Co-star Shane Ritchie hinted at a very sinister plot earlier on in the year

Wrap up: The shivering star was given a leopard print blanket to keep her warm while on the boat

Job done: She was assisted up the large stones steps as they returned to dry land
Alessandra Ambrosio went for a boho look as she ran errands with son Noah.

The Victoria's Secret model wore a long, fringed coat as she held hands with her adorable three-year-old son while out in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The 35-year-old covered up with 1970s-style crochet jacket.

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Boho style: Model Alessandra Ambrosio wore a fringed coat while out with three-year-old son Noah in Los Angeles on Thursday

The stylish model looked relaxed and clutched a coffee and her smartphone.

Her white, oversized cardigan coat featured a long fringe and relaxed belted waist band

She added a leather handbag with braided strap and long fringe added to her bo-ho look.

The doting mom tightly held her son's hand as they waited to cross the street, before guiding him safely across the cross-walk.

Doting mom: The 35-year-old kept a tight grip on her son's hand as they waited to cross the street

Fringe appeal: The Brazilian model added a fringed leather back with braided strap

Alessandra, who also has a seven-year-old daughter Anja with businessman fiance Jamie Mazur, added round retro sunglasses to her seventies-style look.

The Brazilian beauty wore a dusty pink tank tucked into distressed jeans, which were frayed at the hem and had a large split inseam.

She accessorized with a delicate pendant necklace, and added suede heeled boots.

Busy mom: Alessandra wore a retro round sunglasses and suede boots as she led Noah across the street

Coffee run: The Victoria's Secret model held a coffee and her smartphone as she ran errands

Little Noah wore a cute striped top with marbled blue sweats and velcro sneakers with a car design on the sides.

And while she was bundled up on Thursday, Alessandra showed a little more than she intended while posing for a photo shoot for her clothing line ale by Alessandra in Malibu on Wednesday.

The model suffered an unfortunate nip slip as she posed in a plunging gown with thigh-high slit and billowing train.
She is one of showbiz's most glamorous women.

And Dame Joan Collins once again lived up to her reputation as she was joined by her husband Percy Gibson at the star-studded paperback launch of her book in London on Thursday night.

The 82-year-old glamourpuss looked incredible in a sexy little black dress as she unveiled the new edition of her tome 'The St. Tropez Lonely Hearts Club' on the arm of her husband.

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Stunner: Dame Joan Collins once again lived up to her reputation as she was joined by her husband Percy Gibson at the star-studded launch of her new book in London on Thursday night

Joan stuck to her tried and tested uber glamorous look in her black mini which boasted a host of dramatic detailing on the shoulders.

The black bottom of the dress slashed across her chest before extending into a sheer and beaded panel with dramatic tree style applique.

She wore her hair in her usual huge waves which were perfectly styled to ensure she was picture perfect for her big night.

Her make-up was perfectly applied and glamorously touched up, with a slick of pink lipstick highlighting her glossy pout and smudged black eyeliner affording a preened feel.

Loved-up: The 82-year-old glamourpuss looked incredible in a sexy little black dress as she unveiled her latest tome 'The St. Tropez Lonely Hearts Club' on the arm of her husband

Paperback princess: Joan has published 16 books since the 1985 launch of her first autobiography Past Imperfect

Blissfully happy: Percy barely left his wife's side during the night out

Percy, who married Joan in 2002 and is 32 years her junior, ensured her looked his very best for his night of supporting his stunning wife.

The Peru-born gent opted for a navy three piece suit with intricate checked detailing paired with a light blue shirt and tie.

Joan has published 16 books since the 1985 launch of her first autobiography Past Imperfect.

Power couple: Percy, who married Joan in 2002 and is 32 years her junior, ensured her looked his very best for his night of supporting his stunning wife

Little black dress: Joan went for the tried and tested little black dress look

Good read? Joan looked simply enticed as she tucked into the paperback edition of her tome

Coy: Joan looked chic and coy as she fluttered her eyelashes behind a fan

Proving her star power, a host of celebrities turned out to support her, including socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson who looked incredibly elegant.

Sporting a white button-down shirt tucked into tapered black trousers, the pretty star styled her blonde tresses into perfect curls.

Joan and Tara have long rubbed shoulders at society bashes with both the iconic stars moving in the same circles.

Friends in high places: Proving her star power, a host of celebrities turned out to support her, including socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson who looked incredibly elegant

Stunner: Sporting a white button-down shirt tucked into tapered black trousers, the pretty star styled her blonde tresses into perfect curls

High fashion friends: Yet more stars at the bash included Elizabeth Hurley who looked sensational in an elegant little black dress in an elegant and sophisticated cut

All the stars: Elizabeth looked fabulous alongside Patrick Cox and Joan

Rubbing shoulders with royalty: Elizabeth enjoyed a chat with His Royal Highness Prince Azim of Brunei

Cosy: Prince Azim cosied up for a snap with Stephanie Beacham on the evening

Yet more stars at the bash included Elizabeth Hurley who looked sensational in an elegant little black dress in an elegant and sophisticated cut.

Looking typically ageless, she styled her light brown tresses into loose waves which tumbled over her shoulders and perfectly framed her flawlessly made-up face.

Sir Michael Caine turned out looking suave in a navy suit with a lighter blue shirt underneath while sporting his now-trademark spectacles.

Michael's wife of 43 years Shakira was also at the event on the arm of her movie legend husband sporting an all black ensemble.

The happy couple: Michael's wife of 43 years Shakira was also at the event on the arm of her movie legend husband sporting an all black ensemble

All the stars: Sir Michael Caine turned out looking suave in a navy suit with a lighter blue shirt underneath while sporting his now-trademark spectacles

Drink o'clock: It was time for drinks at the star-studded soiree

Mummy and daddy: Proving themselves to be as fashion forward as their children Pandora and Charles Delevingne were wearing extremely quirky styles comprising of bold colours and unique style

Patterned pair: Pandora Delevingne looked vibrant alongside another glamorous guest

The whole crowd: Joan posed alongside Richard Delevingne and Theo Fennel

Flying the flag for the fashion crowd was the parents of Poppy and Cara Delevingne - Pandora and Richard.

The happy couple bestowed the honour of being Cara's godmother on Joan, proving their long and steady friendship with the actress.

Proving themselves to be as fashion forward as their children the duo were wearing extremely quirky styles comprising of bold colours and unique style.

All the team: (L-R) Leslie Bricusse, Gloria Hunniford, Christopher Biggins and Yvonne Romain attended

Chic couples: Georgiana and Nigel Havers posed for snaps with Joan and Percy

In with Biggins: Joan cuddled up to old friend Christopher Biggins at the launch
She is famed for her political activism as much as her acting career.

And Jane Fonda thinks it's 'fabulous' that so many young actresses are tackling Hollywood's pay inequality and gender issues.

The 78-year-old actress and committed feminist opened up to Vogue.com on Wednesday as she praised stars such as Amy Schumer, Jennifer Lawrence and Lena Dunham for publicly taking on the establishment.

Committed feminist: Jane Fonda opened up to Vogue.com on Wednesday about Hollywood's pay inequality and gender issues. The actress attended A Night In The Catskills Gala in April

Discussing the ongoing pay gap debate with Vogue, she said: 'I think it's fabulous. They (these actresses) happen to be very talented and successful and very funny. It's interesting how many of them are comedians.

She continued, 'I think that issues of gender and equality lend themselves to comedy. Whether it's Lena Dunham or Amy Schumer or Samantha Bee. We had a whole night of feminist comedians a few months ago in New York to support the new campaign for the equal rights amendment. There were men there, too.'

The Monster-In-Law star hosted an evening of comedy presented by the Fund for Women's Equality and ERA Coalition in New York recently to support the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Fonda is confident that now the issue is being tackled by high-profile stars it will be resolved sooner rather than later and women will be paid the same salaries as their male counterparts.

Change is coming: Jane said, 'Equal pay is still an issue everywhere. I think it's a big problem and I think it's going to be solved. I bet within my lifetime. Which is saying something because I'm pretty old!'; here she is seen with beau Richard Perry

Asked if she finds it frustrating that it is still a prominent problem, but is optimistic that change is coming even within her lifetime.

She added: 'Equal pay is still an issue everywhere. I think it's a big problem and I think it's going to be solved. I bet within my lifetime. Which is saying something because I'm pretty old!'

And asked why she has such a positive outlook on the situation she said American Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has given her 'hope.'

Jane currently stars in Grace And Frankie. The second season will drop on Netflix on May 6.

What a gal! Trainwreck star Amy Schumer, seen here on Thursday in NYC, has also addressed pay gap
He made the most of his time with girlfriend Chloe Moretz when she was in London shooting her upcoming film The Little Mermaid.

But as she jetted back to her native Los Angeles to promote her latest flick, Bad Neighbours 2, Brooklyn Beckham appeared to be missing having her by his side as he shared a sweet snap of the pair wearing matching Vans on Thursday.

Pining for his long-distance love, the 17-year-old son of David and Victoria Beckham wrote: 'Matching missing this one,' alongside a heart emoji.

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Pining for his long-distance love, Brooklyn Beckham shared a sweet snap of himself with girlfriend Chloe Moretz as he wrote: 'Matching missing this one,' alongside a heart emoji

Speaking in the June issue of British InStyle, Chloe touched on her relationship with the star, explaining that she's well used to the 'mass frenzy' that comes with romancing a fellow celeb.

The candid interview saw the star speak her mind on dating while being in the public eye, something she readily admits she finds 'horrible and weird'.

You already know what I look like in a bathing suit. You know what I look like in a sex scene. You know what I look like when I say I love you to someone. Youve already seen it all,' the actress explains.

Loved-up: Despite the drawbacks, Chloe and Brooklyn have been spending increasing amounts of time together in recent weeks

And coupling with someone like Brooklyn, 17, whos under the same spotlight creates its own additional problems, Chloe adds. It creates a mass frenzy and they follow you in separate cars so you cant just run around and share little silly and cute moments,' she points out.

Despite the drawbacks, Chloe and Brooklyn have been spending increasing amounts of time together in recent weeks.

Brooklyn recently shared a sweet snap with the Kick-Ass actress who was seen resting her head on his shoulder in the black and white image, which he captioned with a simple heart emoji.

Back in LA: Chloe jetted back to her native hometown of Los Angeles on Thursday as she appeared on the set of 'Despierta America' to promote the film 'Neighbors 2 Sorority Rising' at Univision Studios

Getting in the swing of things: Chloe, in a pair of Mother jeans and cream embroidered top, got into the spirit of the day by donning a sombrero

The picture confirmation came the day after the teens were spotted side by side, enjoying a London day out.

Brooklyn and Chloe were first romantically linked back in the summer of 2014, when they were spotted together on several occasions as friends.

Whilst Chloe is currently based in Los Angeles, Brooklyn divides his time between the US state and his hometown of London.
She never fails to add a touch of glamour to London's glitziest soirees.

So it came as no surprise to see Elizabeth Hurley had pulled out all the stops for Joan Collins' star-studded book launch on Thursday.

Arriving on the arm of shoe designer Patrick Cox, the 50-year-old actress was a vision of elegance as she strolled through the streets of the capital with her date for the evening, an old friend of hers.

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Glamorous: She never fails to add a touch of glamour to London's glitziest soirees. So it came as no surprise to see Elizabeth Hurley had pulled out all the stops on Thursday with shoe designer Patrick Cox

Looking sensational in an elegant little black dress in a sophisticated cut, she dazzled on the outing.

She injected a stylish touch of glitz to the ensemble through the brooch at the waist which matched her glimmering handbag and sparkly earrings.

Looking typically ageless, she styled her light brown tresses into loose waves which tumbled over her shoulders and perfectly framed her flawlessly made-up face.

Glamorous: Looking sensational in an elegant little black dress in a sophisticated cut, Elizabeth dazzled

Perfect pair: Arriving on the arm of her pal Patrick, the 50-year-old actress was a vision of elegance as she strolled through the streets of the capital with her date for the evening, an old friend of hers

Meanwhile, Patrick also turned heads on the evening in a tailored brown suit that complemented his tanned complexion.

Injecting a splash of colour to his ensemble, he tucked a pink pocket chief into his blazer which was secured with white buttons.

Proving why he's made his fortune as a successful shoe designer, he donned a pair of snazzy printed shoes with multi coloured design.

Golden girl: She injected a stylish touch of glitz to the ensemble through the brooch at the waist which matched her glimmering handbag and sparkly earrings

Brunette beauty: Looking typically ageless, she styled her light brown tresses into loose waves which tumbled over her shoulders and perfectly framed her flawlessly made-up face

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson injected yet more star-power to the paperback launch of Joan Collins' The St. Tropez Lonely Hearts Club.

The 44-year-old socialite went for an extremely smart and stylish shirt and trousers combo.

Tara was sporting a white button-down shirt tucked into tapered black trousers, with the dark trousers matching the buttons on her shirt.

The pretty star styled her blonde tresses into perfect curls while her make-up was perfectly applied with a smokey eye paired with a nude lip.

Joan and Tara have long rubbed shoulders at society bashes with both the iconic stars moving in the same circles.

Glamorous pair: Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Elizabeth Hurley injected yet more star-power to the paperback launch of Joan Collins' 'The St. Tropez Lonely Hearts Club' in London on Thursday

High fashion friends: Yet more stars at the bash included Elizabeth Hurley who looked sensational in an elegant little black dress in an elegant and sophisticated cut

Familiar faces: The girls have been regular faces on the London social circuit for many years

Stunner: Sporting a white button-down shirt tucked into tapered black trousers, the pretty star styled her blonde tresses into perfect curls

Friends in high places: Proving her star power, a host of celebrities turned out to support her, including socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson who looked incredibly elegant

Chatting away: Elizabeth caught up with Joan within the event where both women looked stunning

High fashion(ista): Proving herself to be quite the fashion world sweetheart, Elizabeth arrived on the arm of shoe designer Patrick Cox

Stunner: Dame Joan Collins once again lived up to her reputation as she was joined by her husband Percy Gibson at the star-studded launch of her new book in London on Thursday night

Woman of the hour Joan stuck to her tried and tested uber glamorous look in her black mini which boasted a host of dramatic detailing on the shoulders.

The black bottom of the dress slashed across her chest before extending into a sheer and beaded panel with dramatic tree style applique.

She wore her hair in her usual huge waves which were perfectly styled to ensure she was picture perfect for her big night.

Her make-up was perfectly applied and glamorously touched up, with a slick of pink lipstick highlighting her glossy pout and smudged black eyeliner affording a preened feel.

Loved-up: The 82-year-old glamourpuss looked incredible in a sexy little black dress as she unveiled her latest tome 'The St. Tropez Lonely Hearts Club' on the arm of her husband

Paperback princess: Joan has published 16 books since the 1985 launch of her first autobiography Past Imperfect

Blissfully happy: Percy barely left his wife's side during the night out

Percy, who married Joan in 2002 and is 32 years her junior, ensured her looked his very best for his night of supporting his stunning wife.

The Peru-born gent opted for a navy three piece suit with intricate checked detailing paired with a light blue shirt and tie.

Joan has published 16 books since the 1985 launch of her first autobiography Past Imperfect.

Power couple: Percy, who married Joan in 2002 and is 32 years her junior, ensured her looked his very best for his night of supporting his stunning wife

Little black dress: Joan went for the tried and tested little black dress look

Good read? Joan looked simply enticed as she tucked into the paperback edition of her tome

Sir Michael Caine turned out looking suave in a navy suit with a lighter blue shirt underneath while sporting his now-trademark spectacles.

Michael's wife of 43 years Shakira was also at the event on the arm of her movie legend husband sporting an all black ensemble.

Flying the flag for the fashion crowd was the parents of Poppy and Cara Delevingne - Pandora and Richard.

The happy couple bestowed the honour of being Cara's godmother on Joan, proving their long and steady friendship with the actress.

Proving themselves to be as fashion forward as their children the duo were wearing extremely quirky styles comprising of bold colours and unique style.

The happy couple: Michael's wife of 43 years Shakira was also at the event on the arm of her movie legend husband sporting an all black ensemble

All the stars: Sir Michael Caine turned out looking suave in a navy suit with a lighter blue shirt underneath while sporting his now-trademark spectacles

Mummy and daddy: Proving themselves to be as fashion forward as their children the duo were wearing extremely quirky styles comprising of bold colours and unique style
She's gone on TV to defend her Met Gala outfit and hit back at critics online.

But on Thursday Sarah Jessica Parker made a return to the basics as she attended the Outstanding Mother Awards in New York.

The 51-year-old wore a Huishan Zhang simple floral patterned frock to the event as she sported elegant heels with a strappy design.

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Never fails: Sarah Jessica Parker made a return to the basics as she attended the Outstanding Mother Awards in New York on Thursday

However, it was just the day before that the actress appeared on The View and defended her Met Gala attire.

But her perhaps her most passionate defense came after a self-styled fashion blogger mocked her for failing to grasp the them of this year's Met Gala.

While many thought she looked a million dollars as she powered down the red carpet in an outfit inspired by the musical Hamilton, the Ivy Marshall Blog was not one of them.

Well heeled: The 51-year-old wore a simple floral patterned frock to the event as she sported elegant heels with a strappy design

However, it was just the day before that the actress appeared on The View and defended her Met Gala attire

A three-way Instagram image which mocked the clothing of Sarah, designer Diane von Furstenberg and the awfully dressed Madonna, was captioned, 'this trio didnt get the memo.'

The fuming 51-year-old actress wrote: 'Got the memo. Always welcome thoughts but I'm a stickler for the theme and pay close attention to what it means. Every year with great consideration, research and conviction.

'The understanding of man and machine, how they intersect, when and why is what we considered. Perhaps you weren't aware of the technology used in the details and embellishments of the design.

'Or perhaps you simply didn't like what I wore which is completely fine but you can't accuse me of not paying close attention and adhering to the theme. With respect and warmest regards, sj.'

Outstanding mothers: Joanna Coles, Guest, Louise Camuto, and Joy Mangano joined SJP at the event

'Didn't get the memo': The Ivy Marshall fashion blog mocked Sarah, designer Diane von Furstenberg and Madonna

It seems the fans are on SJP's side, with one commenting on the original Instagram photo: 'I feel bad for you. Your blog is completely discredited now. You still have time to close this account.'

The Sex And The City favourite looked chuffed to bits with her all-white Monse outfit, which boasted a backless white jacket with ruffled sleeves, bust-boosting corset and baggy breeches.

She rounded off her look with a trendy pair of blue stilettos from her very own SJP Collection.

Boasting at the event about how she came up with her latest stylistic masterpiece, she told reporters she was inspired after seeing the popular Hamilton musical with her twin daughters.

A striking look: Sarah decided to wear the ensemble after watching Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton musical

Explaining how it touched on this year's Manus x Machina theme, she said: 'You have to really ponder how youre going to illustrate that in some way without having something that lights up or is LED.

'Technology becomes more about what we use outside that is a part of getting through the day. So for me I like arriving at this.'

Sarah was co-chair for the event in 2014, and is known for going all-out when it comes to her look for the annual gala.

The star recently told the New York Post that she will no longer be sticking to Anna Wintour's 'no selfies' rule.
Peaky Blinders was back, fresh from conquering America, more extraordinary and original than ever with Cillian Murphys mix of boyish, blue-eyed, charm and ruthless intensity particularly mesmerising.

The first episode of the series was a gloriously combustible, incongruous, cocktail of bloody gangland brutality, tender romance, family soap, and international politics that spanned Small Heath and the Soviet Union, ingeniously incorporating everything from Winston Churchill to Radiohead.

It opened with Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) getting married, living in a big house in the country, and ended with our hero stashing stacks of cash in a safe the size of a walk-in wardrobe.

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Back in the black country! Peaky Blinders was back, fresh from conquering America, more extraordinary and original than ever with Cillian Murphys mix of boyish charm and intensity particularly mesmerising

But anyone thinking this meant he was settling down to enjoy a quiet life of domestic bliss and lucrative fruits of the family business was horribly mistaken.

On the contrary...As his predecessors through the ages - from Jesse James and Pinkie Brown to Michael Corleone and Tony Soprano  could have told him, Tommys life was about to become more complicated, not less.

Tommys prospects highlighted one of the reasons why Peaky Blinders is so successful and impressive. The more popularity and acclaim it has received, here and abroad, the darker and more complicated creator/writer Steven Knight has made it, creating a visual and verbal style that is simultaneously raw and sophisticated, original and traditional.

From its derivative, simple, origins as a British Boardwalk Empire or Brummie Brighton Rock, it has now expanded its ambitions much as Thomas Shelby has, becoming a working class costume drama somewhere between Gangs Of New York and When The Boat Comes In: Downton Abbey with cocaine, crime, bare-knuckle fighting and killing.

Season Threes premiere started with Tommys wedding and culminated with a killing, or rather an assassination.

From the chapel to the safe: It opened with Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) getting married, living in a big house in the country, and ended with our hero stashing stacks of cash in a safe the size of a walk-in wardrobe

The first mystery left hanging from the previous series was quickly resolved. Tommys bride  arriving in a horse-drawn carriage with a blue veil teasingly place over her face  was revealed to be...Grace Burgess not May Carleton. Tommy, perhaps surprisingly, had chosen love over business connections. Like a lot of gangsters, he was just a big romantic at heart. Supposedly...

A portrait of Tommy, Grace, and their son hung on the wall of their country home, but we soon saw convention had hardly tamed him.

The photo of the happy couple with their wedding guests captured him with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, as cool and insouciant as ever.

Cillian Murphys first line of the new series as Tommy was characteristically blunt.

Today was my f**king wedding day! he told the members of the Shelby gang, bemoaning the fact the soldiers from Graces family had turned up in their uniforms.

At long last: Tommys bride  arriving in a horse-drawn carriage with a blue veil teasingly place over her face  was revealed to be...Grace Burgess not May Carleton

For her sake, he implored them: Despite the bad blood, well have none of it on my carpet. No cocaine either. And no sucking petrol out of their cars. The main thing is, you bunch of f**kers: no fighting!

Besides maintaining an improbable peace between the guests, refereeing the simmering feud between his wife and Aunt Polly, and keeping a leash on his brother Arthur (who's weaning himself off whisky with a potent, problematic, mix of religion and cocaine), Tommy was also constantly placating Graces concerns/conscience.

Much like Carmela Soprano or Nucky Thompsons wife in Boardwalk Empire, Grace was aware of Tommys line of work but increasingly worried about and warning him of its consequences.

The previous series had seen Tommy expand his racetrack rackets from the Midlands into London and taking on Churchill with an arms heist, but now even he was unnerved as he risked becoming a victim of his own success, straying out of his depth.

Im scared, Grace, he admitted quietly. Im scared for you. Im scared for the baby.

This was Cillian Murphy in his element  the classic outlaw/underdog railing against his fate, determined to feed his need for power and money and fight for his class against the powers that be.

The end of the rope has been this mans destiny since the night he was born, his nemesis Chief Inspector Campbell had said about him.

He found himself inveigled into a deal arranged on his wedding day involving the weight of Winston Churchill, the Russians buying guns to fight the Bolsheviks in Georgia, and guest who was a possible infiltrator from the Soviet Embassy. Hey, it could happen...

On the plus side he was meeting a woman who was going to pay him more money than the Shelbys had dreamed of.

A woman alone in Birmingham with $10, 000 in a case? he queried.

Like Icarus? Previously Tommy expanded his racing rackets from the Midlands into London and took on Churchill, but now even he was unnerved as he risked becoming a victim of his own success

She also has a revolver, his source (a Russian Anton Kaledin replied, using an accent that roamed several continents). I thought you trusted women.

I dont trust Birmingham, Tommy explained dryly. Ill have her picked-up by the police. This is our city.

He did too.

Tommy, Arthur...may I present the Grand Duchess Tatiana Petrovna of Tbilisi, Georgia, said a certain Sergeant Moss, building up his part with the best dialogue of the night. Grand Duchess, may I introduce you to the Shelby brothers - Small Heath, Birmingham.

It fell to Tommy to decide if Kaledin or the Duchess was double-crossing him.

We should never have got into this! complained his brother Arthur (a coruscating Paul Anderson).

There are powerful people in this country who want to help these mad bastards  including the King, Churchill, and half the Tory party, explained Tommy, with just as much complaint. And if we refuse, they will see to it that we hang for one of our many sins.

The suspense as Arthur led his impending victim away from the wedding was brilliantly tense with Kaledins request can I use the lavatory? clearly a reference to The Godfather and the lurid, furious, finale that followed like a homage to Scorsese - frenetically cutting between a couple having sex, Arthur and Kaledin grappling, and bouts of bare-knuckle fighting between Shelbys men and the soldiers.

Graces uncle used the opportunity to mention that he knew about Tommys bravery in the war but had heard rumours of his criminality and corruption talking to Tommy, as he put it, General to General.

Were a bit too close to the fighting to be Generals, Tommy carped.

His political stance was emphasised by the soundtrack that greeted Arthurs torment as he killed Kaledin and disposed of his body: Radioheads You And Whose Army? Come on, if you think you can take us on/You and your cronies/You forget so easily.

Afterwards whilst his brother was fraught with guilt and torn between loyalty to the family and Linda and her faith, Tommys reaction to the events of the night was  characteristically - more composed/icy.

Just get this business done and get away from things like this, Grace had implored him during the traditional first dance at the wedding. Just run the tracks and sell cars, she told him. Promise me? A wedding vow?

I promise, Tommy said with dead emotion. No gun in the house. Our child will never seen one.

I love you Thomas Shelby. You keep us safe ! she sighed.

I promise. Ill make us safe, he uttered back, sealing their marriage with a lie and surely knowing that history suggested otherwise.
She's been enjoying a blissful family break in her favourite spot in the Bahamas.

But Tamara Ecclestone's holiday was interrupted on Thursday when she was forced to hit back at trolls who slammed the socialite for supposedly allowing her two-year-old daughter Sophia to get sun burned.

After Tamara and her husband Jay Rutland shared a number of cute images of the tot on holiday, some Instagram followers suggested the parents should keep an eye on Sophia's skin, prompting an angry outburst from doting mum Tamara.

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Criticism: Tamara Ecclestone's holiday was interrupted on Thursday when she was forced to hit back at trolls who slammed the socialite for supposedly allowing her two-year-old daughter Sophia to get sun burned

Both Tamara and Jay have been happily uploading snaps to their Instagram accounts this week as they enjoy some family time in their favourite holiday spot.

But a couple of snaps of Sophia, nicknamed Fifi, prompted criticism over her holiday glow.

'She's sunburnt :(' one of Jay's followers wrote under a pic of the little girl playing in the water, while another added: 'Get some factor 50 on her!'

Blissful trip: Tamara and her husband Jay Rutland shared a number of cute images of the tot on holiday in the Bahamas this week

Hitting back: Tamara shared another pic of her little girl on Thursday, and underneath took the time to tell her side of the story, explaining she and Jay used filters on some of their snaps

'Should a baby really be tanned though,' added another follower of Tamara's. But some fans pointed out that the parents had clearly used an Instagram filter on some of their snaps.

Tamara shared another pic of her little girl on Thursday, and underneath took the time to tell her side of the story.

'For all you busy bodies commenting on Sophia's tan she is not burnt in the slightest has been wearing factor 70 and kept out of the mid day sun,' the mum wrote.

Defence: Tamara told her followers she and Jay have made sure their daughter has been 'wearing factor 70 and kept out of the mid day sun'

Fun time! The holiday is Tamara and Sophia's sixth vacation this year, having last travelled two weeks ago to Los Angeles

Making memories: The family have enjoyed some amazing experiences during their break

'She is a lucky girl that tans quickly none the less I am fully aware of the dangers of the sun and she has never burnt. What can I say @jayrutland is partial to a filter calm your boners people.'

The holiday is Tamara and Sophia's sixth vacation this year, having last travelled two weeks ago to Los Angeles, where her sister Petra Stunt lives with husband James and their three chlidren.

Tamara visited Switzerland - where her father Bernie lives - in March and February, while she also flew to Dubai in January and February.

The family also spent Christmas in Gstaad with Bernie, 85, and his new wife Fabiana Flosi. 38,
He spent the evening promoting his latest movie offering, Our Kind Of Traitor, at the Mayfair hotel in London, alongside the beautiful Naomie Harris.

But Damian Lewis, 45, made sure he had time for his stunning wife, Helen McCrory, 47, and he whisked her off for a romantic meal at Kitty Fisher's restaurant soon after.

Still wearing his smart suit, Damian could barely keep his hands off fellow actor Helen as they posed for pictures together outside the cute little eatery.

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Sweet: Damian Lewis enjoyed a date night with his lovely wife Helen McCrory at Kitty Fisher's restaurant on Thursday night - following the premiere of his new movie, Our Kind Of Traitor at London's Mayfair hotel

Smart: Damian looked rather dapper in his midnight blue suit which was slim-fitting in design

Helen also looked rather lovely in her black satin dress,wearing a bright yellow coat over her shoulders as she beamed from ear to ear.

She added some extra inches to her height wearing a sky high pair of silver heels as she supported her man.

Earlier on in the night, Damian joined co-star Naomie on the red carpet, with the 39-year-old looking great in an orange jumpsuit which had a frill running down one side.

The gorgeous actress shared a fun red carpet posing session with Damian, with the pair laughing and joking for the cameras.

A happy time: Damian and Helen were surrounded by a host of friends who also turned out to support his success

Power couple: Damian could barely keep his hands off Helen who looked lovely in a black satin dress, with a bright yellow coat draped over her shoulders

The couple that dine together... They remained close as they headed inside the venue

Namie's one shoulder statement piece flattered her figure perfectly and she carried a cute slogan cute bag in her hand.

With her raven locks flowing in loose curls down past her shoulders, she completed her look with a pair of silver metallic heels.

She was in good company on the night as Damian, who also stars in the movie, appeared looking dapper in a smart suit.

Making an entrance: Naomie Harris joined Damian at the Mayfair hotel for the premiere of their new movie earlier that evening

Pals: Naomie looked delighted to be reunited with her co-star Damian on the red carpet

Wow thing: The 39-year-old opted to wear a burnt orange jumpsuit which had a frill running down one side as she posed for snaps at the event

Show-stopper: The one shoulder statement piece flattered her figure perfectly and she carried a cute slogan cute bag in her hand

Damian kept things casual, ditching the tie in favour of an unbuttoned look, while sporting an impressive beard.

The two Brit stars burst into fits of laughter on the red carpet, barely holding it together for the photo session.

Naomie and Damian's movie tells the story of a couple who find themselves lured into a Russian oligarch's plans to defect.

Good to see you! The stunning actress broke out into a big smile as she posed with the dapper actor

Keep it together! Damian made Naomie burst out laughing as they added some fun to the photo session

One serious one: The Brit stars managed to reign in their laughter to pose for some shots

They are soon positioned between the Russian Mafia and the British Secret Service, neither of whom they can trust.

Slated for release on May 13, the film also stars Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard.

Naomie recently told The Guardian that it is important to her to play strong female characters.

In a world of their own: Damian fixed his look as he and Naomie shared a conversation while the cameras clicked away

A-lister: Naomi appeared polished to perfection as she made her star turn

What a joker! Damian pulled faces much to the amusement of his gorgeous co-star

Right hand man: Damian looked dapper in a smart suit and open necked shirt

She said: 'Im not interested in playing roles that stereotype me as a woman or as a black woman.

'I grew up with incredibly strong, powerful women around me who were highly intelligent and doing their own thing, and those are the women Im interested in portraying because thats what I know to be the truth.

'A woman who waits around for a man, pines after them I dont have any experience of that kind of woman, so I dont think Id be very good at playing that kind of character.'

Talented group: Naomie and Damian lined up with their director Susanna White for a snap

Leggy lady: Latina actress Jana Perez looked incredible in a neon orange dress and statement heels
Fresh from taking America by storm with its first two series, Peaky Blinders returned to the small screen in the UK for it's third series, on Thursday evening.

And while there was a healthy does of the usual themes - ranging from drug abuse to violence, and throwing in some strong family values along the way - fans only had eyes for the leading man, Cillian Murphy.

Making a triumphant return as the swaggering and broodingly intense Thomas Shelby, the 39-year-old actor managed to set the internet alight with his chiseled good looks.

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'Cillian Murphy's cheekbones deserve their own spin-off series': Peaky Blinders third series returned with a bang on Thursday, and fans only had eyes for the show's leading man, Cillian Murphy

One avid viewer summed up the fan frenzy, observing: 'Cillian Murphy's cheekbones in #peakyblinders deserve their own spin-off series.'

And Jonny Geller wasn't the only one who'd missed the actor's seering good looks either, as the compliments poured in - helping to make the series a trending topic.

From cheeky comments about his naked body, to his cheekbones and handsome appearance, the Inception actor truly stole the limelight in the series premiere - despite the Shelby clan all getting up to no good, despite their best intentions.

Those cheekboned though! Making a triumphant return as the swaggering and broodingly intense Thomas Shelby, the 39-year-old actor managed to set the internet alight with his chiseled good looks

Stealing the show: From cheeky comments about his naked body, to his cheekbones and handsome appearance, the Inception actor truly stole the limelight in the series premiere

'@Cillian Murphy - how much are these cheekbones insured for??!!' asked @kennysmo.

One fan, @Shennners, summed up the general mood of the internet, tweeting: 'Cillian Murphy is just indecently fit.'

While @sarahpeel93 gushed: 'Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby. The eyes, the suit, the accent. Yes,yes and yes. #peakyblinders'

A new national treasure: One admiring fan wrote:'@Cillian Murphy - how much are these cheekbones insured for??!!'

Indecently good looking! @Shennners summed up the general mood of the internet, tweeting: 'Cillian Murphy is just indecently fit'

The man of the hour! Despite the usual mix of drugs, violence and a raucous extended family, Tommy Shelby was all the fans could talk about

Another admiring observation came from @fabbs23, who complemented the actor on his chiseled body - on display during a raunchy bedroom scene -, cheekily quipping:

'A naked Cillian Murphy improves your day that's for sure. #peakyblinder.'

@Enolajay declared the Irish actor was now the 'glorious highlight' of her week, while @LauzBaker was more slight slightly more forward, tweeting: 'Cillian Murphy you are a walking, talking sex symbol.'

That's a yes then: One excited user was all in a flutter over the Irish actor, with @sarapeel93 writing: 'Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby. The eyes, the suit, the accent. Yes,yes and yes. #peakyblinders'

A game changer? Another more cheeky observation came from @fabbs23, who complemented the actor on his chiseled body - on display during a raunchy bedroom scene

A real highlight: @Enola_Jay declared the naked actor the highlight of her week

A star is born: @LauzBaker was more slight slightly more forward, tweeting: 'Cillian Murphy you are a walking, talking sex symbol'

But it seems the episode, which centered around Tommy's marriage to long-term love interest Grace Burgess (Annabelle Wallis), also went down well with fans.

And earned high-praise from the majority of Black Country devotees tuning in, with the mood being summed up by @danny_clare, who declared it one 'Hell of a return for the Shelby family'.

The MailOnline's TV Critic Jim Shelley was equally as impressed as the viewers, and remarked that Cillian's performance was a 'mix of boyish, blue-eyed, charm and ruthless intensity' that was 'particularly mesmerising'.

While the series premiere also gained high praise, as he remarked: 'The first episode of the series was a gloriously combustible, incongruous, cocktail of bloody gangland brutality, tender romance, family soap, and international politics that spanned Small Heath and the Soviet Union, ingeniously incorporating everything from Winston Churchill to Radiohead.'

The next installment of Peaky Blinders airs on BBC2 on Thursday May 12 at 9:00pm.

Hell of a show! But it seems the episode, which centered around Tommy's marriage to long-term love interest Grace Burgess (Annabelle Wallis), also went down well with fans
As a bikini blogger there's little doubt that Natasha Oakley has hundreds of swimsuits in her wardrobe.

And the blonde beauty rolled out yet another sexy two-piece as she soaked up the sun in Miami on Thursday.

This time the 25-year-old opted for the hue of blue as she hit the beach with best girlfriend and business partner, Devin Brugman, and her boyfriend, Gilles Souteyrand.

Scroll down for video

Beauty in blue: Natasha Oakley showed off her ample cleavage in a sexy blue bikini as she continued her getaway in Miami on Thursday

Her azure halterneck bikini accentuated the Instagram star's ample cleavage while high-cut bottoms showed off her pert derriere.

The bronzed babe shielded her eyes with a pair of clear perspex shades and she protected her feet from the hot sand with a pair of flip-flops.

Makeup free, Tash's blonde tresses were pulled back and swept off her face in a low bun.

Sun kissed: The hue of the suit complemented Natasha's sun kissed tan

Flawless: It also showcased her toned flat tummy

During their sun-baking session, Tash enjoyed a cuddle with her handsome model boyfriend while Devin was busy working on her tan.

The brunette American beauty flaunted her own dangerous curves in a very skimpy orange spliced bikini featuring tie-up bottoms.

After the trio enjoyed their day on the beach, they headed back to their hotel, with Tash and Gilles walking hand-in-hand.

Two's company: As always Natasha was joined by her best girlfriend, Devin Brugman

Three's not a crowd: The twosome were also joined by Tash's boyfriend, Gilles Souteyrand

Beach bums: The girls' swimsuits featured G-string bottoms

The group is currently staying at the Delano hotel, taking advantage of all the luxuries the accommodation has to offer.

Tash and Devin launched their blog A Bikini A Day in 2012, and have since become some of fashion and digital media's most powerful influencers.

They have also launched a successful Monday swimwear line and are also branching out into activewear.

Helping hand: Devin and Gilles helped Tash slip on her flip-flops so she could protect her feet from the hot sand

Romantic: Tash and her beau walked hand-in-hand, the handsome model showing off his own ripped physique

Been there, seen that: During their sun-baking session Tash enjoyed a cuddle with her handsome model boyfriend while Devin was busy working on her tan

Successful: Tash and Devin launched their blog A Bikini A Day in 2012, and have since become some of fashion and digital media's most powerful influencers

Last month, Tash and Devin unveiled their six-week fitness programme called Body Love, which includes a total of ten workouts with strength and cardio training.

The mantra for the workout program is 'loving your body, and then giving your body love', with a message of embracing one's imperfections.

'Uniqueness is greater than anything, and we guide ourselves with the belief that we are, and everyone else is, beautiful,' they wrote in the description.
Tunisia-Libya border trade will resume 'very soon': Tunisia

Tunisia is confident that trade at the main border crossing with Libya will resume "very soon", local authorities said, nearly a week after the Libyan side imposed a blockade.

"This problem will be resolved very soon," Tahar Matmati, the governor of Medenine, which lies on the principle route between Tunisia and Libya, told AFP.

Discussions between the two sides are primarily focused on "the nature of products imported into Tunisia", Matmati said, adding that the Libyan side wanted a "single tax imposed on all products and that requires certain administrative procedures".

Commercial traffic through the Ras Jedir border post was blocked by the Libyan side, slowing the flow of people across the frontier as each vehicle was thoroughly searched Fathi Nasri (AFP/File)

Commercial traffic through the Ras Jedir border post was blocked on Friday by the Libyan side, slowing the flow of people across the frontier as each vehicle was thoroughly searched.

An official from the Zouara local council in Libya, Hafedh Muammar, told AFP Tuesday that the blockade was put in place in protest against the "smuggling of subsidised goods", such as petrol.

The Zouara local council at the beginning of April pledged its allegiance to the unity government led by Fayez al-Sarraj, which is trying to assert its authority in Tripoli.

The paralysis of traffic across the frontier has angered the population in southeastern Tunisia, where the economy is reliant on cross-border trade, including of contraband goods.

The two countries share nearly 500 kilometres (310 miles) of border.

In recent months, Tunisia closed the Ras Jedir and Dehiba border crossings twice -- for 15 days each time -- in response to jihadist attacks on its territory.

The Tunisian side has also built a 200 kilometre-long system of trenches and sand mounds in an attempt to boost border security.
Uber assembles international insights in policy board

Uber introduced a newly formed policy board that includes a former vice president of the European Commission, as the ride-sharing service navigates regulatory roads around the world.

The new board, including former EU Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes, held its first meeting this week, Uber advisor David Plouffe said in a blog post.

"We had vibrant discussions about every aspect of our business and the unique challenges and opportunities Uber faces around the world," he said of Wednesday's meeting.

Uber has faced stiff resistance from traditional taxi drivers the world over, as well as bans in some places over safety concerns and questions over legal issues, including taxes Andrew Caballero-Reynolds (AFP/File)

"As ridesharing continues to grow, we look forward to the Board's candid advice and insights."

The board also includes former Peruvian prime minister Roberto Danino; Quality Council of India chairman Adil Zainulbhai; one-time Australian competition and consumer commission chairman Allan Fels; Gesner Oliveira, who served as president of the Brazilian Administrative Council for Economic Defense; and Saudi princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud.

The board roster also includes former US secretary of transportation Ray LaHood and Melody Barnes, who was assistant to the president and director of the White House Domestic Policy Council from 2009 to 2012.

"For decades, transportation policy has played second fiddle to the likes of the economy, education and healthcare," Plouffe said.

"Yet transportation is key to all these areas of public policy."

Uber's business has boomed since it launched in San Francisco in 2011.

But the smartphone app has faced stiff resistance from traditional taxi drivers the world over, as well as bans in some places over safety concerns and questions over legal issues, including taxes.

Thousands of taxi drivers disrupted traffic across Portugal last month as they protested against Uber, which they accuse of illegally undercutting their business.

Licensed taxi drivers, who must undergo hundreds of hours of training in some countries, often complain that Uber drivers do not pay for permits or taxes.

Uber says it is not a transport company like taxi firms, and that it simply connects drivers with passengers.
Pacific castaways survive four weeks adrift

Four men have been rescued after spending nearly a month adrift in the Pacific surviving on fish after their boat was blown off course by a storm.

The men, given a clean bill of health on arrival in the Marshall Islands, were dropped off in the capital Majuro by a fishing trawler which found their small wooden boat several hundred kilometres (miles) south of the city.

Tatika Ukenio, Boiti Tetinauiko, Bonibai Akau and Moamoa Kamwea told officials they left their home in Kiribati, an island nation more than 650 kilometres (400 miles) from the Marshalls, on March 23.

Four sailors from the Pacific nation of Kiribati who spent 26 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean, seen after being rescued and taken to Majuro hospital in the Marshall Islands, on May 4, 2016 Hilary Hosia (AFP)

Although details of their ordeal are still sketchy, they were blown off course by a storm and later turned off their single outboard engine to conserve fuel and began drifting.

They survived by catching fish with gear they had on board before spotting the Taiwanese-owned, Marshalls-flagged "Koo's 102" on April 18.

When the castaways saw the trawler, they had enough fuel left to get close to the vessel and attract the crew's attention.

Koo's Fishing Company representative Orlando Paul said the men were "fit and well" after being picked up, so the trawler continued its fishing expedition before returning to Majuro on Wednesday.

The men were taken to Majuro Hospital, where doctors said they were healthy.

They are staying at the Marshall Islands Resort while the foreign ministry and the International Organization for Migration arrange their repatriation to Kiribati, expected on Sunday.

Epic tales of survival are not uncommon in the northern Pacific, where tiny islands are separated by vast expanses of ocean.

Another Koo's trawler rescued three Mexican drifters who were lost at sea for nine months in 2006.

In January 2014, Salvadoran fisherman Jose Alvarenga washed up in the Marshalls, more than 13 months after he set off from Mexico's west coast with a companion, who died during the voyage.
Odds against: Risky course for Mongolia's child jockeys

Racing their steeds across the endless Mongolian steppe, child jockeys as young as seven dream of glory and riches in a country where horses are a national passion.

Yet rights groups warn of a dark underbelly in the sport -- where vulnerable pre-teens face the risk of crippling injury and harsh treatment or even physical abuse by trainers.

Tsendsurengiin Budgarav's hopes turned into a nightmare when he was 11 and had a career-ending fall that shattered his right thigh.

Child jockeys compete during a winter race in Argalant district of Tov Province, west of Mongolian capital Ulan Bator Byambasuren Byamba-Ochir (AFP)

His trainers denied him hospital treatment and insisted he kept quiet, he said. Infection set in but he was not operated on for a year, leaving him almost bedridden. Now 17, he is undergoing a new course of surgery to enable him to walk with crutches.

"I felt so sorry that I fell off that day, I wish I hadn't ridden that horse," he told AFP from a hospital bed, fighting back tears.

He liked the awards and medals of his glory days, he said, but claimed his trainer "used to put out his cigarettes on my forehead like lighting a match".

"I never told my mother about it," he added.

For hundreds of years Mongolian tournaments have showcased the horsemanship skills which helped Genghis Khan's armies conquer a vast swathe of the Eurasian landmass.

Modern races are gruelling tests of stamina for the horses, far longer than even Europe's top steeplechases, so that small children are preferred as riders.

Contests became more numerous and lucrative on the back of the landlocked country's recent resources boom, offering cars and cash for prizes, with some 600 races held annually.

More than 11,000 children are registered as jockeys, according to the government's child protection agency. Some 150 participated in the main official celebrations of Naadam, Mongolia's biggest festival, in Ulan Bator.

Budgarav's mother is an unemployed disabled single parent, and the family lives on her social welfare allowance and her elderly father's pension.

To help pay medical bills after his accident, his younger brother Munkherdene began jockey training, earning a salary of about $75 a month.

Medals from races still hang proudly from carpet lining the inside of the family's ger tent.

But in 2013, he also fell from his horse -- suffering severe head injuries after the animal slipped on icy ground before a winter race, leaving him with persistent headaches and memory loss that prevents him from attending school.

"Since I hurt my skull... my head hurts so badly, and makes me angry," said Munkherdene, now aged 14. "Also I forget new lessons quickly."

- Far from home -

A 2014 UNICEF report said that some 326 child jockeys were hospitalised in 2012, mostly with head or bone injuries.

It surveyed 529 child jockeys, with some five percent saying they had been beaten or kicked by their instructors.

Aspiring Mongolian jockeys leave their families and schools behind as young as seven to learn from trainers, known as "uyach" in Mongolian, who also become responsible for their education.

Critics say they have little recourse if victimised.

A source at the Mongolian National Human Rights Commission, who asked not to be named because his opinions clashed with official statements, told AFP that trainers choose boys from poor families as they are less likely to sue in the event of a dispute or injury, even if they have signed a contract.

"It is hard to live with an uyach far from home, missing family and mother," Munkherdene said, describing a gruelling daily regime of training, cleaning and maintenance work, as well as bullying by his trainer or older child jockeys.

- Political race -

Later this year Mongolia will bring in new child protection legislation, banning kids from winter races, in a bid to curb the number of injuries due to slippery ice-and snow-covered terrain. The law will also mandate punishments for trainers if children are injured in summer contests.

Child protection advocates have long demanded the measure, but close links between government officials and racing events mean enforcement is in question.

Mongolia's Prime Minister Chimediin Saikhanbileg approved a horse race in February where 16 children fell from their horses, two of them breaking their legs, according to the National Human Rights Commission.

In Mongolia the term "uyach" carries significant status, and also applies to racehorse owners who have others train their animals. They include members of parliament and high-profile CEOs, giving the sport powerful supporters, while politicians who own fast horses can expect a warm reception in rural areas where most voters are herders.

Dangaagiin Avirmed, head of the Mongolian United Federation for children told AFP: "The races are being held because decision makers love to watch, and their horses are there. That's why they don't cancel the race, no matter how many children got hurt."

And the sport's appeal also endures for children with few other options.

Munkherdene still hopes to return to the stables despite his head injury, nursing ambitions to become a trainer.

"I will be a good uyach who treats jockey kids with kindness and orders them to wear helmets, and pays them enough," he added.

"When I become a successful uyach, I will heal my mother and brother."

Spectatos watch a winter race in Argalant district of Mongolia's Tov Province Byambasuren Byamba-Ochir (AFP)

Tsendsurengiin Budgarav, a 17-year-old race horse rider, has his stitches cleaned on his injured leg, at a hospital in Ulan Bator Byambasuren Byamba-Ochir (AFP)

More than 11,000 children are registered as jockeys in Mongolia, according to the government's child protection agency Byambasuren Byamba-Ochir (AFP)
Jail no barrier to political career in Philippines

Walking off stage after a rock star-like performance and rapturous crowd reaction, Sajid Ampatuan oozes confidence that he will be elected mayor of a southern Philippine town despite facing charges of mass murder.

Ampatuan is among a bewildering array of politicians accused or convicted of major crimes who are running for office in Monday's national elections, deepening concerns over a "culture of impunity" in the Philippines where powerful figures are often above the law.

Among the others are two ex-presidents -- one convicted of plunder and the other on trial for alleged vote fraud and graft. One of the most infamous cases in previous elections was a convicted paedophile who twice ran for a seat in congress from behind bars and won.

Shariff Aguak's mayoral candidate Sajid Ampatuan is escorted by supporters and bodyguards during a campaign rally in Maguindanao province, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, on April 28, 2016 Mark Navales (AFP/File)

Ampatuan, like the others, insists he is innocent.

"My conscience is clean," Ampatuan, 33, told AFP after the campaign rally in his impoverished hometown of Shariff Aguak, during which he sang on stage alongside a minor television celebrity as hundreds of voters screamed and sang their support.

His father, former provincial governor Andal Ampatuan, allegedly ordered his sons and their armed followers, to kill 58 people in November 2009 in an attempt to stop a rival's election challenge.

Sajid Ampatuan was among 28 members of the extended clan charged with murder over the "Maguindanao Massacre", regarded as the worst outbreak of political violence in the Philippines in which 32 journalists were among the victims.

Sajid spent more than five years in a Manila jail while on trial, along with his relatives and about 100 others who were also charged.

But he was allowed to post bail last year after the judge ruled the evidence against him was weak.

"I'm a victim too," Ampatuan said, referring to his time behind bars.

"The court itself released me. That means I had no involvement."

Ampatuan is now running for mayor of Shariff Aguak, one of the towns in Maguindanao province where his family remains the most powerful political force.

The Ampatuan family is one of many Muslim clans that rule areas of the southern Philippines, often using their own private armies to enforce authority.

Ampatuan insists his family is still loved in the area, despite its leaders being charged with mass murder.

"I grew up here, the people know me. They know my family and what we did to help them. My grandfather, my father, my brothers. Ever since the 1950s, they (the voters) have been helped by the Ampatuans," he told AFP.

- Powerful family networks -

One common theme among the candidates running this year while facing charges is that they come from rich and powerful political families, which can manipulate deeply corrupt political and judicial systems.

One of the most prominent politicians is Gloria Arroyo, who is enduring a long trial for corruption and vote fraud that was allegedly committed when she was president from 2001 to 2010.

Arroyo, who is suffering from a spinal illness, has been detained in a government hospital since she was arrested in 2011.

She initially won a seat in congress representing her family's provincial stronghold immediately upon standing down as president, and was re-elected in 2013 despite the charges against her.

She will win a third consecutive term next week as she is running unopposed.

Meanwhile, siblings Joel and Mario Reyes are running for mayor and vice-mayor respectively of the resort town of Coron even though they are in jail for allegedly masterminding the murder of a prominent environmentalist in 2011.

Another controversial figure is Rey Uy, facing charges for running a vigilante death squad that allegedly killed over 80 people as mayor of the small southern city of Tagum. He is campaigning to win back his seat.

- Absurd system -

Under the law, a person must be "convicted with finality" to be disqualified from running. Hence, even someone convicted of a crime can still run as long as he or she has an appeal pending with the courts.

Political analyst Ramon Casiple described the system as "an absurdity" that allows the rich and powerful to evade justice.

He said politicians facing criminal charges use high-priced lawyers to delay legal proceedings. Then, while the process is stalled, they get elected.

"(Afterwards) they can use that public office as a springboard to pressure the court," said Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform.

One example was Romeo Jalosjos, a political kingpin from the southern Philippines, who was convicted in 1997 of raping an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to life in jail.

He was a congressman when convicted and still ran successfully for re-election from behind bars in 1998 and 2001. In 2007, Arroyo controversially reduced his sentence and he walked free two years later.

An even more prominent criminal still enjoying a successful political career is ex-president Joseph Estrada, who was convicted in 2007 of plunder during his time in power and sentenced to life in jail.

But Arroyo quickly pardoned him, and he was elected mayor of Manila in 2013. Estrada is running for a second term and is regarded as a near certainty to win on Monday.

Sajid Ampatuan is running for mayor of Shariff Aguak, one of the towns in Maguindanao province where his family remains the most powerful political force Mark Navales (AFP/File)

Former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr (C) attends the arraignment of his electoral sabotage case at a regional trial court in Pasay, suburban Manila, in March 2012 Noel Celis (Pool/AFP/File)
'Dictator' Duterte facing coup rumours in Philippines

Anti-establishment Philippine politician Rodrigo Duterte's rollicking ride to presidential favouritism has triggered warnings of a coup should he win next week's election, with opponents branding him a dictator in the making.

The Philippines has endured a tumultuous democracy since millions of people took to the streets to overthrow dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, with a succession of leaders having to quell military unrest and one president ousted in another uprising.

Duterte is enjoying a double-digit lead over his rivals ahead of Monday's presidential election, but he has created enemies with vows to embrace communist rebels and threats to abolish Congress or create a revolutionary government that could rewrite the constitution.

Philippine presidential favourite Rodrigo Duterte speaks during the 'Presidential Dialogue', in Manila, on April 27, 2016 Noel Celis (AFP/File)

"The moment he tries to declare a revolutionary government, that is also going to be the day he will be removed from office," Senator Antonio Trillanes, a former navy officer famous for leading failed military uprisings in 2003 and 2007, told AFP on Wednesday.

"This guy has no respect for democratic institutions."

Trillanes said some in the military were "strongly averse" to Duterte's long-standing ties with communists, and that the reaction "could be violent."

Communists in the Philippines are waging one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies, with tens of thousands killed since the rebellion began in 1969. Dozens still die each year as the communists retain support among the poor.

Duterte has ruled the major southern city of Davao, which was one of the communist hotspots, as mayor for most of the past two decades, ending violence there by forging close ties with the rebels.

He has vowed to offer communist leaders posts in his government.

He has also raised deep fears about the rule of law under his presidency, promising to kill tens of thousands of criminals and pardon himself for mass murder.

On some occasions while campaigning Duterte has boasted about wanting to set up a dictatorship, and praised Marcos, but other times said the opposite.

- Dictatorship fears -

President Benigno Aquino, who is limited by the constitution to a single term of six years, has spoken out repeatedly in recent weeks about his concerns that Duterte could turn into a dictator.

"Now that we are free, people who act like dictators are the ones in the lead," Aquino said on Wednesday, as he warned the gains of democracy were in jeopardy.

Senator Grace Poe, tied in second place with administration candidate Mar Roxas about 10 percentage points behind Duterte, on Thursday joined the growing chorus.

"His own words are a preview of what will happen to our country. If you visit a dictatorship like North Korea, everything looks well. But many are hungry and too terrified to complain," Poe told reporters.

Ashley Acedillo, another coup plotter-turned-lawmaker, told AFP that a "military intervention" was likely under a Duterte presidency.

"The armed forces will stand true to its constitutional duty to protect the people and the state," he said.

The ex-coup plotter's warnings are not bluster, according to Manila-based security analyst Rommel Banlaoi.

"We will face a Duterte government that is very unstable," Banlaoi told AFP.

Duterte has gained support across all sectors of society by fashioning himself as an anti-establishment politician who can achieve quick fixes to deep-rooted problems, such as crime and poverty, according to analysts.

He has promised to end crime within six months of his presidency by ordering security forces to go on a killing spree, as well as increasing the salaries of soldiers and troops.

He has been accused of running vigilante squads in Davao that have killed more than 1,000 suspected criminals. At times he has boasted about his involvement but on other occasions denied any links to the death squads.

On Thursday, Duterte gained the endorsement of the influential Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ), a conservative Christian group believed to have more than a million voters that are required by their leader to vote as a bloc.

Independent vice presidential candidate Antonio Trillanes answers questions during an interview in Manila, on May 5, 2016 Noel Celis (AFP)

Rodrigo Duterte is enjoying a double-digit lead over his rivals ahead of Monday's presidential election in the Philippines Noel Celis (AFP/File)

Philippine presidential candidate Grace Poe greets supporters during a campaign rally in Dasmarinas, Cavite province, on May 3, 2016 Ted Aljibe (AFP)
Fall of Afghan highway reveals virulent power struggle

The decision to sack an Afghan strongman accused of deliberately handing over parts of a crucial southern highway to the Taliban has laid bare power struggles and tribal feuds within police ranks, worsening insecurity.

Dozens of police checkpoints on the 160 kilometre (100 mile) highway connecting the provincial capitals of Tarin Kot, in Uruzgan, and Kandahar last week fell under Taliban control, raising security alarms.

Their loss prompted a chorus of allegations that they were deliberately surrendered on the orders of Rahimullah Khan, a local powerbroker and deputy Uruzgan police chief.

An Afghan policeman keeps watch from a checkpoint on the Kandahar-Tarin Kot highway Rateb Noori (AFP/File)

Rahimullah has since been summoned to Kabul and will be dismissed, multiple sources told AFP, including General Abdul Raziq, the powerful police chief of Kandahar who is leading the fight to wrest back control of the highway -- a regional economic and military lifeline.

"With Rahimullah there have been a lot of complaints that he intentionally gave up security posts... in an effort to undermine (his superiors) and to strengthen his own position," said Martine van Bijlert, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network.

"But the cost of destabilising the area so overtly could be very high."

Fears loom that Rahimullah's removal could trigger a violent backlash from his Popalzai tribe which dominates security ranks.

Sources inside the interior ministry in Kabul said they are beefing up security in Uruzgan before news of his dismissal spreads.

Rahimullah's rise and downfall encapsulates the challenges Kabul's Western-backed government face in reigning in warlords and strongmen sowing anarchy for private gain.

It also reflects the struggle to secure remote provinces such as Uruzgan, where Australian, Dutch and American troops fought for years.

- 'Key source of strife' -

The fall of outposts is becoming a woefully familiar pattern in Uruzgan -- a remote, mountainous province straddling drug-smuggling routes that is teetering on the brink of collapse as insurgents encircle Tarin Kot.

The Taliban's resurgence in the area is blamed in large part on what security officials and observers call Rahimullah's Machiavellian manoeuvres to cling to power.

In recent months scores of outposts fell in Khas Uruzgan, Charchino and Dehrawud districts as rumours swirled of a government decision to oust Rahimullah from his post, security officials said.

Last year, dozens of other outposts across Uruzgan fell within days of the mysterious assassination in Kabul of his influential elder brother Matiullah, the police chief who kept an iron grip on the province.

Many policemen walked from their posts, ceding weapons and territory to the Taliban as Kabul sought to block the appointment of Rahimullah to replace him.

In a compromise, Kabul eventually appointed him as deputy police chief despite his lack of formal military experience or basic literacy.

Authorities have played musical chairs with a permanent replacement for Matiullah, and there is currently an acting police chief in place.

"A government delegation this month visited Uruzgan and identified Rahimullah Khan as a key source of strife in the area," a top provincial official told AFP, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

"They recommended his immediate dismissal to the interior ministry, which accepted the proposal. But they are treading carefully as he remains influential among his supporters."

- 'There will be bloodshed' -

Rahimullah was not reachable for comment and his sub-commanders stressed that the highway outposts were not surrendered without a fight.

"We fought for 11 days without any support. We ran out of drinking water and my men were drawing up the engine coolant water of police vehicles to survive," commander Pacha, one of Rahimullah's men, told AFP.

"The Taliban have laser-guided guns and it's hard for us to fight with our antiquated weapons at night. We had no choice but to run for our lives once the Taliban destroyed our post."

Strongmen allied with Rahimullah's Popalzai tribe, a minority in Uruzgan, openly tout the police force as something of a family heirloom and warn of repercussions if he is dismissed.

"There will be bloodshed inside Tarin Kot if the government goes ahead with his dismissal," warned Haji Khoda Raham Khan, a prominent tribal leader and Rahimullah's uncle.

"This is a conspiracy to take back power from Popalzais. Without Rahimullah there will be anarchy," he told AFP.

Since the Taliban were toppled from power in 2001, Uruzgan has been largely run by powerbrokers allied to Popalzais, prompting recriminations from other dominant tribes.

Police outposts straddling the Kandahar-Tarin Kot highway, now riddled with Taliban mines, fell after Raziq demanded control of part of the roadway that runs through his province, officials close to him told AFP.

Raziq, the most powerful police commander in southern Afghanistan is from the Achakzai, the largest of tribes in the region.

"The Taliban are taking advantage of the negative rivalry between commanders, plunging our country into chaos," Uruzgan Governor Mohammad Nazir Kharoti told AFP.

"The government cannot serve the interests of one person alone."

Dozens of police checkpoints on the 160 km highway connecting the provincial capitals of Tarin Kot, in Afghanistan's Uruzgan and Kandahar, have fallen under Taliban control, raising security alarms Rateb Noori (AFP/File)
Bangladesh Islamist leader set to hang for war crimes

The leader of Bangladesh's top Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami is set to hang within days after the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld his death sentence for war crimes.

Motiur Rahman Nizami was convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of intellectuals during the country's 1971 war of independence.

He was tried by a controversial war crimes tribunal set up by the government that has sparked deadly protests, with Jamaat and its ally the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) saying it is aimed at eliminating their leaders.

Leader of Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party Motiur Rahman Nizami sits inside a van as he is taken to a prison after being sentenced at the International Crimes Tribunal court in Dhaka, in October 2014 Tanvir Ahammed (AFP/File)

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said jail authorities would begin preparing for Nizami's execution once they received a copy of the verdict.

"We're satisfied. Now there is no bar to execute him unless he seeks clemency from the president and the president pardons him," he told AFP after the Supreme Court dismissed the 73-year-old's final appeal.

Security has been stepped up in Dhaka, already tense after a string of killings of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities by suspected Islamist militants.

In the last two weeks alone, two gay rights activists, a liberal professor and a Hindu tailor who made derogatory comments against the Prophet Mohammed have been hacked to death.

Hundreds of people who had campaigned for the Islamist leaders to be tried for their roles in the 1971 war burst into impromptu celebrations at a square in central Dhaka and in the port city of Chittagong.

"Justice has finally prevailed. We hope the government will now execute him without wasting any time," said Imran Sarker, a secular blogger.

Three senior Jamaat officials and a key BNP leader have been executed since December 2013 for war crimes despite global criticism of their trials.

Jamaat said the charges against Nizami, a former government minister, were false and aimed at eliminating the leadership of the party.

- Bodies dumped -

Nizami took over as party leader in 2000 and played a key role in the victory of an Islamist-allied government in the 2001 general election.

The 1971 conflict, one of the bloodiest in world history, led to the creation of an independent Bangladesh from what was then East Pakistan.

Prosecutors said Nizami was responsible for setting up the Al-Badr pro-Pakistani militia, which killed top writers, doctors and journalists in the most gruesome chapter of the war.

Their bodies were found blindfolded with their hands tied and dumped in a marsh on the outskirts of the capital.

The trial heard Nizami ordered the killings, designed to "intellectually cripple" the fledgling nation.

He was convicted in October 2014 by the International Crimes Tribunal, which was established in 2010 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government and has sentenced more than a dozen opposition leaders for war crimes.

Rights groups say the trials fall short of global standards and lack international oversight, while the government says they are needed to heal the wounds of the conflict.

"It will be for future generations to decide whether this (war crimes) law was passed to serve a special purpose," lead defence lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain told reporters after the court's verdict on Thursday.

In 2013 the convictions of Jamaat officials triggered the country's deadliest violence in decades.

Around 500 people were killed, mainly in clashes between Islamists and police, and thousands of Islamists were arrested.

Jamaat has called a nationwide strike for Sunday to protest the court's decision, although analysts said violence was unlikely given the extent to which the party's support base has been weakened.

The execution of three Jamaat-e-Islami leaders in 2013 sparked riots across Bangladesh which resulted in the deaths of around 500 people

Activists who fought in Bangladesh's 1971 war celebrate on May 5, 2016 after Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of top Islamist party leader Motiur Rahman Nizami for war crimes
Trump shores up Republican unity as he takes on Clinton

Billionaire Donald Trump set about unifying a fractured Republican party Thursday, fortified by the support of a key party leader as he launches into battle for the White House against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Late Wednesday the top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, publicly endorsed Trump's candidacy "to prevent what would be a third term of Barack Obama."

"As the presumptive nominee, he now has the opportunity and the obligation to unite our party around our goals, McConnell said in a statement.

With unfavorability ratings among the highest of any modern presidential candidate, and concern within his own party US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sought to assuage concerns Timothy A. Clary (AFP)

Trump's commanding victory in Indiana's primary Tuesday pushed remaining challengers Ted Cruz and then Ohio Governor John Kasich out of the race, leaving the real estate tycoon an uncontested path to the nomination.

Their capitulations brought the curtain down on one of the most contentious and chaotic nomination battles in generations, in which Trump pummelled no fewer than 16 rivals into submission.

"Now we'll unify the party," Trump, 69, told Fox News on Wednesday. "We're going to get people together."

But with unfavorability ratings among the highest of any modern presidential candidate, and concern within his own party about his temperament, the real estate mogul swiftly sought to assuage concerns about how he would govern.

"I know people aren't sure right now what a President Trump will be like," he told The New York Times.

"But things will be fine. I'm not running for president to make things unstable for the country."

- 'They loved me' -

Trump also began discussing the idea of his possible running mate, telling ABC News he wanted "a person with political experience" to compliment his own business acumen.

Names being tossed around included Senator Rob Portman of critical swing state Ohio, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

Trump himself said he could consider Kasich, a former congressman who helped balance the federal budget, as his vice presidential pick.

Bowing out on Wednesday, the Ohio governor grew wistful about the thousands of Americans he met on the campaign trail.

"They loved me, they encouraged me. The people of our country changed me... with stories of their lives," he said.

Just as Trump seized the GOP mantle, a new CNN poll emerged that highlighted the formidable challenge facing him.

It found Clinton, hoping at 68 to become America's first female commander-in-chief, leading the tycoon 54 percent to 41 percent -- her largest lead since July.

Nevertheless, the former secretary of state suffered a shock loss in Indiana to her challenger Bernie Sanders, who has pledged to remain in the race until the end despite an extremely steep hill to climb.

Clinton has amassed 2,217 delegates -- just shy of the 2,383 needed to secure the nomination, according to a CNN tally. Sanders is at 1,443.

- 'Loose cannon' -

With the matchup essentially set, several prominent Republicans are refusing to support Trump in November despite his status as the presumptive nominee.

Those refusals highlight the continued tensions within the GOP, which has been at a loss to describe the stunning ascent of a brash billionaire who was given no chance of winning when he launched his campaign last June.

"If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed... and we will deserve it," tweeted Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump rival whose campaign fizzled.

Like Trump, Clinton was already pivoting to the general election.

"He is a loose cannon, and loose cannons tend to misfire," she said on CNN.

"He makes these grand statements and grand accusations," she said. "At some point when you're running for president you actually have to put a little meat on the bones."

Her campaign released an advertisement mocking Trump's claim that he will unify the Republican Party, airing a collection of video clips showing his former presidential rivals and other prominent Republicans denouncing him in withering terms.

The former reality TV star is "the most vulgar person ever to aspire to the presidency," says Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the race last month.

- Hillary 'easier to beat' -

Trump dismissed Clinton's criticism along with concerns about his unfavorability ratings, saying his campaign had attracted millions of supporters to the Republican Party.

"Hillary will actually be easier to beat than many of the senators, governors, etc. we were just victorious with," he told NBC.

Having amassed 1,053 delegates, Trump was already close to reaching the magic number needed to avoid a contested party convention in July.

"I believe Donald Trump will ultimately get chosen," Republican National Committee chief Reince Priebus said in an extraordinary embrace of a candidate the establishment had fought tooth and nail to stop.

"We need to get behind the Republican nominee."

Trump is pushing ahead with his campaign to reach 1,237 delegates nevertheless, heading to West Virginia to hold a rally on Thursday evening.

The delegates count for the US primaries Paz PIZARRO, Alain BOMMENEL (AFP)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign released an advertisement mocking Donald Trump's claim that he will unify the Republican Party Timothy A. Clary (AFP)

US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz conceded to supporters in Indiana that he no longer had a viable path forward Gabrielle Lurie (AFP/File)
Indonesia and neighbours agree to patrol waters after kidnappings

Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are to launch a joint patrol in their waters after a recent surge of kidnappings by a radical Islamic group, according to an agreement struck on Thursday.

The decision to patrol the Sulu and Celebes seas, which together form a key waterway between the three countries, comes just over a week after the southern Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf beheaded a Canadian captive.

Abu Sayyaf gangs have earned many millions of dollars from kidnapping foreigners and locals in the region since the early 1990s.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency personnel are seen return from a patrol Manan Vatsyayana (AFP/File)

Ten Indonesian sailors were abducted off the southern Philippines by Abu Sayyaf in March, but returned home last week after being freed.

"We will undertake coordinated patrol in the maritime areas of our common concern," Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said after a meeting initiated by Indonesia, and attended by foreign ministers and military commanders.

The Sulu and Celebes seas are used as for the passage of 55 million metric tonnes of goods and over 18 million people per year.

The three countries also agreed to set up a hotline to communicate faster during emergency situations, improve coordination when giving assistance to people and ships in distress as well as intensifying information and intelligence sharing.

"We recognised that threats from armed robberies against ships, kidnapping and other transnational crimes if not addressed appropriately can undermine the confidence in trade and commerce in our region," Marsudi added.

Authorities say the Abu Sayyaf 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.

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.

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.
Sri Lanka suspends MPs after worst brawl in 12 years

Sri Lanka's parliament on Thursday voted unanimously to suspend two of its members for one week with immediate effect over their involvement in the worst punch-up in the legislature in 12 years.

The two men, one from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Party and the other from an opposition faction loyal to former president Mahinda Rajapakse, were held responsible for sparking Tuesday's brawl.

The chamber descended into chaos after former army chief Sarath Fonseka said a 2006 bombing in Colombo was an inside job, enraging MPs loyal to Rajapakse who clashed with parliamentarians from the ruling party.

Sri Lanka's parliament on May 5, 2016, voted unanimously to suspend two of its members for one week over their involvement in the worst punch-up in the legislature in 12 years Lakruwan Wanniarachchi (AFP/File)

One MP was hospitalised after receiving a black eye while several others suffered minor injuries.

Tuesday's violence in the parliamentary chamber was the worst since a June 2004 attack on a Buddhist monk MP by lawmakers from the then ruling party. The monk was seriously injured.

Fonseka, now a government legislator, told parliament the December 2006 bomb attack blamed on separatist Tamil Tiger rebels had been stage-managed by the then president's brother Gotabhaya Rajapakse, who was defence secretary at the time.

Gotabhaya escaped the December 2006 bombing in Colombo unhurt, but it killed two members of his military convoy.
S. Africa mum sentenced for trying to sell baby on Internet

A South African mother who tried to sell her 19-month-old baby boy on the Internet for $340 was given a five-year suspended sentence, a justice official said Thursday.

The 20-year-old mother will not spend time in jail, but will live under house arrest for three years.

The woman, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, put the baby up for sale for 5,000 rand in an advertisement on the Gumtree website last year.

The baby was put up for sale on the Gumtree website

A member of the public alerted the police who arrested her in an undercover operation in October.

"She was given a wholly-suspended sentence of five years," National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson-Kara told AFP.

She will "undergo correctional supervision, which means basically house arrest for a period of three years," Ramkisson-Kara added.

The mother said she had tried selling her baby after her boyfriend stopped paying childcare following paternity tests that showed he was not the child's father.

Human trafficking carries a maximum life jail term or a fine of 100 million rand ($6.7 million).

But the court sitting in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday handed down a lighter sentence after considering the woman's circumstances.
US aid ship docks with food for Sudan war zones

Dockers began unloading tens of thousands of tonnes of food from a US aid ship on Thursday destined for war-torn areas of Sudan, an AFP correspondent reported.

The bulk carrier Liberty Grace docked in Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast with a cargo of 47,500 tonnes of sorghum, a staple food in Sudan.

Dozens of stevedores were unloading the shipment onto waiting trucks.

A docker walks past a ship carrying US aid organised by the US Agency for International Development and the World Food Programme at Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, on May 5, 2016 Ashraf Shazly (AFP)

"It will take 14 days to unload" the entire shipment, said the ship's captain Peter Matesic. It was his third trip to Sudan with a cargo of food aid.

A member of the crew said the vessel took 25 days to reach Port Sudan from Houston, Texas.

The food aid organised by the US Agency for International Development and the World Food Programme was to be delivered to several war-torn areas of Sudan but mainly to Darfur.

A brutal conflict erupted in the western region in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels rose up against the Arab-dominated government of President Omar al-Bashir.

Some 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict and more than 2.5 million been displaced, according to the United Nations.

Since 2011, when South Sudan became independent, Khartoum has also been battling insurgencies in two areas on the border -- Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

The food aid was also meant for tens of thousands of South Sudanese refugees who have arrived in Sudan fleeing war at home.

More than 50,000 South Sudanese have fled into Sudan since January to escape the violence and food shortages across the border.

Two years after it became independent, South Sudan descended into a brutal civil war that has killed tens of thousands of civilians.

The shipment will meet food needs of "at least one million internally displaced people and 200,000 South Sudanese for three months," WFP Sudan chief Adnan Khan told reporters.

Khan said the shipment had not been affected by a funding shortfall facing the WFP and other UN agencies in Sudan.

In late April, the WFP said it was facing a shortfall of $181 million for the next 12 months, which was hampering its work in Sudan, particularly with South Sudanese refugees.

He said humanitarian needs in Sudan were increasing following renewed conflicts in some areas, adding that almost 50 percent of humanitarian assistance came from USAID.

"This is from farmers of Texas, a gift from American people to Sudanese, to those affected by conflict in Darfur... and to South Sudanese," said Washington's charge d'affaires in Khartoum, Benjamin Moeling.

US humanitarian assistance to Sudan this year has totalled $300 million, Moeling told reporters in Port Sudan, adding that Washington would continue supporting civilians in Sudan's war zones.
North Korea readies for party congress, nuclear test fears persist

North Korea readied Thursday to kick off its most important ruling party gathering for nearly 40 years, amid persistent concerns of a nuclear test, despite no clear signs of an imminent detonation.

Leader Kim Jong-Un is expected to deliver a keynote address at the opening of Friday's party congress, which will be minutely scrutinised for suggestions of a significant policy shift or personnel changes in the nuclear-armed nation's governing elite.

The 33-year-old Kim was not even born when the last congress was held in 1980 to crown his father, Kim Jong-Il, as the heir apparent to his grandfather and the North's founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

Delegates of the seveth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) arrive in Pyongyang on May 3, 2016

While the agenda -- and even the duration -- of the event is still unknown, its main objective is widely seen as cementing Kim Jong-Un's status as supreme leader and legitimate inheritor of the Kim family's dynastic rule.

The congress is also expected to confirm, as party doctrine, Kim's "byungjin" policy of pursuing nuclear weapons in tandem with economic development.

- Nuclear drive -

Ahead of the congress, national and Workers' Party flags lined the broad, rainswept streets of Pyongyang, while banners carried slogans such as "Great comrades Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il will always be with us".

Since Kim took power after the death of his father in late 2011, North Korea has carried out two nuclear tests and two successful space rocket launches that were widely seen as disguised ballistic missile tests.

Even as the international community responded with condemnation and sanctions, Kim kept the throttle opened up on the North's single-minded drive towards a credible nuclear deterrent with additional missile and technical tests.

There has been widespread speculation that the congress would be preceded by another nuclear test in a gesture of strength and defiance that would allow Kim to claim genuine nuclear power status in his speech.

In an analysis of the most recent satellite pictures of the North's main nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University on Thursday said there was no clear evidence, one way or the other, of whether an underground detonation was imminent.

The images dated May 2 showed only a "very low level of activity", the institute said on its closely followed 38North website.

- Test 'unclear' -

"Whether the level of activity indicates that Pyongyang has made all necessary preparations to conduct a nuclear test on short notice at this site or is associated with normal maintenance work remains unclear," it added.

South Korean government officials believe the North is ready to conduct a test as soon as the order is given, and say a decision might have been taken to test during the congress, which the world's media have been invited to Pyongyang to cover.

Officials in Seoul say they expect the congress to last four days, with the opening day devoted to Kims speech and a lengthy report on the party's achievements.

The congress will also elect a new central committee, which in turn selects the party politburo.

Some analysts are predicting significant personnel changes, as Kim brings in a new, younger generation of leaders, picked for their loyalty to him.

Preparing for the congress involved mobilising the entire country in a 70-day campaign that New York-based Human Rights Watch denounced as a mass exercise in coerced labour.

"This ruling party congress is a rare event, but it's made possible by the forced labour that untold thousands of North Koreans are subject to as part of everyday life under Kim Jong-Un's abusive rule," said Phil Robertson, the group's deputy Asia director.

People across the country, including women and children, were ordered to demonstrate their loyalty through increased forced labor to produce more goods and crops in order to cover the costs of the congress, Robertson said.

North Korean missiles

Since Kim Jong-Un took power after the death of his father in late 2011, North Korea has carried out two nuclear tests and two successful space rocket launches - (KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/File)
Russian orchestra performs in Syria's war-scarred Palmyra

Leading Russian musicians staged a classical concert in the ancient theatre of Syria's ravaged Palmyra in a show by the Kremlin to herald its successes in the war-torn country.

Famed conductor Valery Gergiev led Saint Petersburg's celebrated Mariinsky orchestra through pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sergei Prokofiev and Rodion Shchedrin in front of a crowd of Russian soldiers, government ministers and journalists.

Cellist Sergei Roldugin -- a personal friend of President Vladimir Putin recently caught up in the scandal over the leaked Panama Papers -- played a solo against the backdrop of the Roman amphitheatre where jihadists from the Islamic State group staged mass executions less than a year ago.

The Islamic State group held public executions in the ancient theatre in Palmyra before the site was captured by Russia-backed Syrian forces Joseph Eid (AFP/File)

"Thank you for today's amazing humanitarian act -- the concert in a Palmyra liberated from terrorists," Putin said in an address from Russia broadcast at the start of the concert.

"I see it as a sign of gratitude, of remembrance, of hope," Putin said.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond slammed the concert as "a tasteless attempt to distract attention from the continued suffering of millions of Syrians" as air strikes blamed on regime forces killed at least 28 civilians in a camp for the displaced on the border with Turkey.

"It shows that there are no depths to which the regime will not sink. It is time for those with influence over Assad to say enough is enough," Hammond added, in a veiled reference to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's key ally Russia.

Syrian troops backed by Russian air strikes and special forces on the ground recaptured UNESCO world heritage site Palmyra from Islamic State group fighters in March, delivering a major propaganda coup for both Damascus and Moscow.

Russian army sappers said last month they had demined the ancient site -- known as the "Pearl of the Desert" -- where jihadist fighters blew up ancient temples and looted relics.

The Kremlin has shipped foreign journalists to the concert as it basks in the retaking of Palmyra, one of the most significant achievements since it launched a bombing campaign, criticised by the West, to support Assad in September.

- 'Wounded but not killed' -

Putin said that he saw the concert as a sign "of hope not just for the rebirth of Palmyra as a cultural asset for the whole of humanity, but for seeing modern civilisation rid itself of this terrible scourge of international terrorism".

Mikhail Pyotrovsky, the director of Russia's Hermitage Museum, told journalists at the scene that "Palmyra is injured but she has not been killed" and pledged help in restoring it.

Sitting in the audience, Syrian tour guide Anwar Al-Omar told AFP that while he thought only Russia could help rebuild the ancient town he was downbeat about its prospects in the long-term.

"I am pessimistic. It will be difficult to bring tourists back," he said.

Gergiev is one of the world's best known conductors but has faced backlash in the West for his strongly pro-Kremlin views, with his tours sometimes interrupted by protestors.

Roldugin, the godfather of Putin's eldest daughter, was revealed as being at the head of a vast offshore empire that controls some $2 billion (1.75 billion euros) by the Panama Papers leaks in April but has been fiercely defended by the Kremlin strongman.

The concert in Palmyra was not the first that Gergiev has conducted in a place where the Russian military carried out controversial operations.

In 2008 the Ossetian native conducted a concert in Tskhinvali, the main city in separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia that was heavily damaged in the short Russian-Georgian war that year.

Gergiev also conducted a charity concert in Tokyo for victims of the Fukushima tragedy in 2012 and led a charity concert tour to raise funds for victims of Russia's Beslan school massacre in 2004.

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses participants and guests of a Mariinsky orchestra concert in the ancient theatre of Syria's ravaged Palmyra via a video link from the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi on May 5, 2016 Mikhail Klimentyev (Sputnik/AFP)
Saudi allows Binladin Group tenders after layoffs: report

Saudi authorities have allowed construction giant Binladin Group to tender for public building projects in the kingdom again, local media reported, just days after the firm reportedly laid off 77,000 foreign workers.

The Saudi daily Al-Watan reported on Thursday that a royal decree passed this week granting tender permission could aid the struggling group, which has faced unprecedented scrutiny since one of its cranes collapsed in Mecca last September, killing more than 100 people.

The paper had earlier reported that as of last Sunday 77,000 Binladin Group workers had been laid off. The group confirmed some departures, but refused to provide an exact figure.

Saudi Binladin Group laid off 77,000 foreign workers, a report says Mahmoud Mahmoud (AFP/File)

As a result of the decree, several projects involving Binladin Group, including the King Abdelaziz Airport in Jeddah, will resume, Al-Watan cited an aviation official as saying.

Saudi Binladin Group was founded more than 80 years ago by the father of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, killed five years ago by US Navy Seals.

It developed landmarks including the domed Faisaliah Tower in central Riyadh and the Mecca Royal Clock Tower, one of the world's tallest buildings.

After decades of thriving on lucrative government contracts, the company faced unprecedented scrutiny after one of its cranes working on a major expansion of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam's holiest site, toppled in September.

At least 109 people including foreign pilgrims died, leading King Salman to suspend the firm from new public contracts.
Land damage has Gazans pointing finger at 'Egypt pipeline'

When huge sinkholes and deep cracks began appearing across the ploughed fields and asphalt roads of the southern Gaza Strip, residents and farmers knew better than to blame natural causes.

Although no one has ever seen it, locals around Rafah city -- on Gaza's border with Egypt -- claim the culprit of this landscape destruction is a one-metre wide underground pipeline set up by Cairo to pump seawater deep into the frontier earth.

Cairo has never confirmed the pipe's existence, but Palestinians are adamant it is being used to deliberately flood smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt.

Palestinians claim Cairo is using an underground pipeline to flood smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt Said Khatib (AFP)

Egypt says the cross-border tunnel network has allowed militant groups to smuggle personnel and weapons between the enclave and the vast Sinai desert, where security forces are battling a jihadist insurgency.

But the sea water is also allegedly devastating the quality of the earth, leading crops to fail, while destroying some of the trade tunnels that have formed a lifeline for Palestinians living under Israeli blockade.

Plumes of smoke rise on the horizon in the southern border area caused by the Egyptian army bombing jihadists who carry out near-daily attacks on security forces in the Sinai.

A few metres from the border, under a plastic shelter between deep craters, a group of Palestinians are struggling to scoop puddles of water out of a tunnel which plunges into the sand.

Coated to the knees in mud, they scrabble to solidify the cracking walls.

"There is mud, mud everywhere," laments one of the men who, like others, refused to disclose his identity.

"One hundred people used to work here every day. It's all over now."

The men say the tunnel was built to carry goods into the area, which is impossible to visit without the approval of Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the strip.

- 'This is a disaster' -

Palestinian and Egyptian traders used to smuggle all kinds of goods in and out of Gaza, helping to keep the strip, which has been under Israeli blockade for a decade, from suffocating.

But since 2013, Egypt's army has destroyed hundreds of tunnels, which Israel says are used by Sinai-based jihadists to access hospital treatment in Gaza.

Cairo makes no distinction between tunnels for commercial or military purposes.

Hamas was a close ally to Egypt's former Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, who was toppled in 2013 and replaced by former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Since then, Cairo has regularly accused Hamas of supporting jihadist attacks inside Egypt.

Palestinians believe the flooding of the area has played a major role in a spate of separate tunnel collapses so far this year, in which at least 15 Palestinians -- including 11 Hamas fighters -- have died.

The Egyptian authorities declined to comment on the army's activities along the border, but stressed they were not intended to harm Gaza residents.

Palestinian officials warn the sea water is having a devastating impact on agriculture, with large areas of land becoming effectively unusable.

"This is just the beginning and it is already a disaster," said Abu Osama Nogira, an engineer in charge of Health and Environment in the Rafah municipality.

Nogira shows pictures, impossible to authenticate, allegedly showing the pipe. One metre in diameter, it supposedly runs along the 12 kilometre (7.5 miles) border 20-25 metres (22-27 yards) below the surface and is pierced at intervals to allow sea water to seep into the ground, he said.

- Impossible to live -

A third of Rafah's water, its agricultural reserves and parts of its infrastructure network, are located in the immediate vicinity of the border, Nogira said, warning that continued flooding could lead the electricity grid, roads and water treatment facilities to breakdown.

Even before talk of the pipeline, Palestinian authorities estimated that 97 percent of groundwater in the area was polluted and dangerous for consumption, and it is feared that meagre drinking water supplies are now also likely to become salinated.

"The governorate of Rafah, with 230,000 inhabitants, will become impossible to live in", Nogira says, echoing UN predictions that the entire Gaza strip may be uninhabitable by 2020.

On the Egyptian side of the border, human rights groups say that more than 3,000 families were forcibly evicted and thousands of homes destroyed when the army established a buffer zone designed at securing the border.

Egypt's alleged actions leave Farouq Breika, literally, with a bitter taste in his mouth.

"We used to drink water from the well and cook with it", the 73-year old farmer reflects. "Now it is not even good for agriculture.

"The earth has been soaked with salt water for months," he says.

Faced with closed borders from both Israel and Egypt, he adds: "we have nowhere else to go".

Sinkholes and deep cracks have appeared across ploughed fields next to the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip Said Khatib (AFP)
At 103, Indian man votes in first election

Frail, aided by his grandson and beaming with pride, 103-year-old Asgar Ali was among thousands who cast their ballots for the first time in elections held in eastern India on Thursday.

Caught in one of the world's most intractable border disputes, Ali had been stuck in stateless limbo for decades until a historic land swap last year between India and Bangladesh.

Ali, his 18-strong family and thousands of others became Indian citizens under the deal in which their Bangladeshi enclaves on the Indian side of the border ceased to exist.

Asgar Ali votes for the first time, aged 103, in India's Masaladanga enclave Diptendu Dutta (AFP)

On Thursday, they voted for the first time, in the final phase of assembly elections in West Bengal state, which have been dominated by feisty Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her regional party.

"I am very happy to have voted," Ali told AFP through grandson Jamal Hussain.

"This is the first time ever that I have voted in, or participated in, the democratic process," said Ali, who was helped by election officials at a polling booth in the district of Cooch Behar.

Last year's pact saw Bangladesh assume sovereignty over 111 Indian enclaves on its side of the border.

India meanwhile took 51 Bangladeshi enclaves on its own side.

Enclaves are small pockets of one country's territory surrounded by the other.

It meant more than 50,000 people who were living in the enclaves could access citizenship benefits such as schools and healthcare that they had lacked since 1947.

"I voted hoping that it would lead to change, some work in our village, in our neighbourhood. Maybe we will get a hospital," said Ali, a former farmer who counts 18 immediate family members.

"All leaders are good. Whoever wins should get work done in our neighbourhood," he added.

The enclaves dated back to ownership arrangements made centuries ago between local princes.

The parcels of land survived partition of the subcontinent in 1947 after British rule and Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence with Pakistan.

The overwhelming majority of people living in Indian enclaves in Bangladesh opted for Bangladeshi citizenship under the deal, rather than resettle across the border in India.

In India, all of those living in the 51 Bangladesh enclaves decided to stay put and take up Indian nationalities.

Counting and results of elections in West Bengal and four other states will be held on May 19.
Higher layoffs push US jobless claims up

An increase in layoffs pushed US claims for unemployment insurance higher last week but the jobs market remains tight, Labor Department data showed Thursday.

Initial jobless claims, a sign of the level of layoffs, rose by 17,000 in the week to April 30 to 274,000.

Despite the rise, claims held below 300,000 for the 61st consecutive week, the longest such streak since 1973. The four-week moving average of claims was just 258,000.

Initial jobless claims in the US, a sign of the level of layoffs, rose by 17,000 in the week to April 30 to 274,000 Spencer Platt (Getty/AFP/File)

While the Labor Department report does not tabulate layoffs, the consultancy Challenger, Gray and Christmas reported Wednesday that job cuts by US employers jumped 35 percent last month to more than 65,000, taking the total layoffs since the beginning of the year to over 250,000, the highest level for that period since 2009.

"We continue to see large-scale layoffs in the energy sector, where low oil prices are driving down profits," said chief executive John Challenger.

"However, we are also seeing heavy downsizing activity in other areas, such as computers and retail, where changing consumer trends are creating a lot of volatility."
From airbase in Syria, Russia monitors fragile truce

Russian servicemen in sand-coloured fatigues sit by phones and computer screens at a base in northwestern Syria, monitoring a ceasefire often on the brink of collapse.

In coordination with a US centre in the Jordanian capital, soldiers at Russia's Hmeimim airbase record breaches of the truce -- brokered by Moscow and Washington -- from barracks converted into a makeshift call centre.

"This is our direct line to Amman," said the head of the ceasefire monitoring centre, Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko, pointing to a telephone.

Russian soldiers work behind their screens in a reconciliation center as they monitor the truce in Syria at the Hmeimim air base in the Latakia province on March 17, 2016 STR (AFP/File)

"And these two phones are for calls from any resident of Syria and from citizens of the world."

Russia began a major bombing campaign in support of its longtime ally President Bashar al-Assad in September, enabling regime forces to seize back territory.

A ceasefire introduced on February 27 between the government and non-jihadist rebels largely held for several weeks before starting to fall apart as fighting surged in Syria's divided second city Aleppo.

While Kuralenko showed off satellite images attesting to Moscow's monitoring work to journalists on Wednesday during a press tour organised by the Russian defence ministry, deadly violence raged in Aleppo.

On Thursday a new 48-hour ceasefire took hold in the northern city as Assad's regime and rebel forces gave in to mounting diplomatic pressure.

Aleppo had been left out of the so-called "regime of silence" -- reportedly at Moscow's request -- declared last week in a bid to salvage the February 27 ceasefire.

World powers have since stepped up diplomatic efforts to end violence in the city that has claimed the lives of 280 civilians since April 22.

Kuralenko accused rebel groups of responsiblity for most of the truce violations.

Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov blamed attacks by Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front for preventing Aleppo's initial inclusion in the fighting freeze.

"As of today the regime of silence (in Aleppo) has been prevented by the terrorist group Al-Nusra," Konashenkov said on Wednesday, accusing the extremist movement of perpetrating rocket attacks on residential areas of Aleppo.

Konashenkov, however, underlined that the freeze in fighting along two major fronts in Syria's northwest and the Damascus region was overall being respected.

- Hopes for villagers' return -

In the village of Kawkab, northeast of Damascus, elderly men in chequered headdresses, accompanied by Russian colonels, participated in the signing of a local agreement allowing residents to return after the area was recaptured from Al-Nusra.

Locals danced alongside Kalashnikov-wielding Syrian soldiers while children in dusty clothes brandished Syrian flags and portraits of Assad. Around the corner, Russian servicemen unloaded humanitarian aid trucks.

"Some 10,000 people used to live here," a local leader, Ahmed Mubarak, said through a translator. "I don't know how many there are now, but I am sure that in four days they will be back."

Located near a frontline, Kawkab was recaptured by government forces about a year ago, locals said, but residents had not felt it was safe to return until recently.

"Russia has played a significant role in the peace process," Mubarak said, echoing statements by Russian defence officials. "Of all countries it has provided the most aid."

Since President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria in mid-March, Moscow has presented itself as a key peacemaker on the ground.

Konashenkov said that more than 90 towns and villages and 52 rebel groups had signed local truces with government forces that have Moscow's backing.

He said that these local agreements had seen around 7,000 fighters lay down their arms.

"That's a lot," he said.

Russia has been a key player in UN-mediated talks between the regime and opposition forces but has dismissed calls for Assad to step down.

The Kremlin has insisted the West should focus its efforts on ending the five-year conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people before it can tackle extremist organisations such as the Islamic State group.
Aleppo fighting swells Syrians at Jordan border to 64,000: guards

Increased fighting in recent weeks around Aleppo has swelled the number of Syrian refugees stranded at the border with Jordan to more than 64,000, Jordanian border guards said on Thursday.

The kingdom said in April that about 50,000 Syrians were stuck in no-man's land, a three-fold increase since January when it imposed tough security checks at the Hadalat and Rokbane crossings.

Border guards said Thursday that there were now in excess of 64,000 Syrians along the frontier, including more than 5,000 who arrived in a 24-hour period last week.

Jordan is already home to more than 630,000 Syrian refugees Khalil Mazraawi (AFP)

"The number of refugees has hit 59,000 at Rokbane and it's rising," the head of Jordan's border guards, General Saber Al-Mahayra, told reporters on Thursday.

Another officer told AFP that 5,000 others were massed at Hadalat, about 70 kilometres (40 miles) further west.

Mahayra said nearly 5,500 had arrived at Rokbane since last week, an influx he partly attributed to increased fighting around Syria's second city Aleppo, where more than 280 civilians have died in recent weeks.

Jordan, which is already home to 630,000 registered Syrian refugees, has insisted it must screen newcomers to ensure they are genuine refugees and not jihadists seeking to infiltrate the country.

The kingdom is now allowing in only a few dozen refugees each day after screening.

According to Mahayra, around 2,000 Syrians currently camping near the border are suspected by Jordanian authorities of involvement with the Islamic State group.

Weapons have already been seized from some would-be refugees along the border, he added.

After Syria's conflict erupted in 2011, Jordan initially kept open 45 crossing points along its 378 kilometre (235 mile) frontier.

But after a mass influx into the kingdom -- Amman says the true number of Syrians in Jordan is closer to 1.4 million -- there are now just five crossing points open, and three of those are reserved for the wounded.

Syria's conflict began with anti-government protests but fighting quickly escalated into a multi-faceted war that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

A Jordanian soldier stands guard as Syrian refugees arrive at the Al-Hadalat crossing -- one of five border points with Syria Khalil Mazraawi (AFP)
Australian backtracks on fresh proof that he created Bitcoin

Australian Craig Wright on Thursday went back on a promise to provide further proof that he created Bitcoin because he was "not strong enough" for the public scrutiny, raising fresh doubts over his claim.

The secretive businessman on Monday identified himself as the creator of the pioneering digital currency after years of speculation about who invented it.

The move stunned the world of virtual currencies, although some experts were not convinced, and Wright promised to provide further "extraordinary proof".

The Bitcoin currency was launched in 2009 Karen Bleier (AFP/File)

Bitcoin is a technically sophisticated currency based on the same underlying mathematics as governments and militaries use to encrypt codes.

Unlike traditional currencies such as the dollar or the euro, which require the sponsorship of a central bank, Bitcoin is decentralised.

"I believed that I could do this. I believed that I could put the years of anonymity and hiding behind me," read a statement posted on his website.

"But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke. I do not have the courage."

The Outside Organisation, a public relations firm that has worked with Wright, said the statement was "legitimate" but declined to comment further.

Wright had made his claim through three media outlets -- the BBC, The Economist and GQ magazine -- and also wrote a blog.

The BBC said Wright had presented some proof that only the true creator of Bitcoin could have provided.

It posted a video of him demonstrating the signing of a message with the public key associated with the first transaction ever done on Bitcoin following its 2009 launch.

These keys had to be created by Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym used at the time by the currency's creator, the British broadcaster said.

But The Economist was more sceptical, saying there were still a number of steps to go through in order to verify the claim and "important questions remain".

Digital coins are created by supercomputers and then traded online or exchanged for goods and services by a peer-to-peer network of computers connected to the Internet.

Despite some early notoriety over its use by drug dealers on the dark web, the system has grown beyond its radical libertarian roots and is being taken increasingly seriously by the financial establishment.

Billions of dollars worth of Bitcoins are now in circulation.

- 'I'm Sorry... And goodbye' -

The BBC's technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones, said Wright's refusal to provide more proof was "bound to raise fresh doubts" about his claim.

Cellan-Jones said that Wright in the last 24 hours had "initiated an experiment designed to show that he does possess Satoshi's cryptographic keys, then done an about-turn".

"I have always stressed that it was his endorsement by Jon Matonis and Gavin Andresen from the Bitcoin Foundation that we found compelling," the journalist wrote.

"But now they -- and I -- have been involved in this failed experiment, which is bound to raise fresh doubts."

In his statement on Thursday, Wright mentioned both Matonis and Andresen, saying he hoped their credibility would not be "irreparably tainted".

"They were not deceived, but I know that the world will never believe that now," he said.

Wright said his "qualifications and character were attacked" and he was "not strong enough".

"I know that this weakness will cause great damage to those that have supported me," he said.

"I'm Sorry" read the title of Wright's statement, which ended with the words: "And goodbye".
Egypt's Sisi ignores criticism, vaunts economic achievements

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi vaunted on Thursday his "unprecedented" economic achievements, ignoring mounting criticism by opponents and the press after police raided a journalists' union to arrest two reporters.

Sisi, a former army chief who toppled his Islamist predecessor in 2013, has faced steadily growing dissent over what critics call his regime's heavy handedness.

On Thursday, several private Egyptian newspapers called on him to apologise for a police raid on Sunday to arrest two reporters inside the Journalists' Syndicate in Cairo.

A supporter of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi waves a of portrait of him as protesters gather outside the Journalists' Syndicate headquarters in Cairo on May 4, 2016 Mohamed El-Shahed (AFP)

A day earlier hundreds of journalists protested at the syndicate's headquarters in Cairo and demanded that the interior minister be sacked.

But in a live address broadcast on state television Sisi -- who has shown little patience for critics in the past -- ignored the furore and touted his economic accomplishments, warning again that "evil" people were conspiring against Egypt.

Sisi said that during a recent trip to the coastal city of Alexandria supporters shouted at him: "We are with you, don't be scared!"

"I am talking to the Egyptian citizen who is telling me: 'Don't be scared.' No, I am the one telling him not to be scared," Sisi said, speaking at an event to kick off of a harvest of 1.5 million acres of crops on reclaimed agricultural land in western Egypt.

Sisi, who was elected in 2014, said what has been accomplished during his time in office was "unprecedented".

He said Egyptians' lives were being improved by a new network of roads and an increase in electrical production.

He also spoke about plans to build factories in Sinai to shore up the economy of the impoverished peninsula, where authorities are facing a deadly insurgency by jihadists from the Islamic State group.

- 'People of evil' -

Egypt's economy has been damaged by turmoil since an uprising overthrew strongman Hosni Mubarak in 2011, and jihadist attacks since have taken a toll on tourism.

The economy grew by 4.2 percent last year, according to International Monetary Fund figures, but has yet to return to pre-2011 expansion rates and the IMF expects growth to slow this year.

Tourism revenues slumped 15 percent in 2015 and Egypt's foreign currency reserves are under intense pressure, falling to $17 billion in April from more than $36 billion in 2010.

Sisi said his task was to build a proper state.

"We are not a real state... we are talking about a state of law, and institutions, respected by the world," he said.

But the stronger the state grows, he said, the more "the people of evil conspire" against it.

Sisi often makes such references to unidentified conspirators in his speeches, sometimes alluding to supporters of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, overthrown by Sisi in 2013 after just a year in office.

Following Morsi's ouster, authorities killed hundreds of Islamist protesters and jailed thousands in a crackdown that extended to secular activists.

Sisi had been feted by millions of Egyptians who protested against Morsi's divisive rule, and many say the country needs a strong leader after years of unrest.

But dissent is growing and some former allies have turned against Sisi, particularly over a resurgence in police abuses.

Last month, a deal to hand over two islands in the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia provoked a storm of outrage in Egypt, with more than 1,000 people holding a rare protest in Cairo to denounce the deal.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi dismissed mounting criticism by opponents, warning that "evil" people were conspiring against Egypt Kazuhiro Nogi (AFP)
Tent collapse kills 7 at India religious gathering

At least seven pilgrims were killed after a storm caused a tent to collapse onto devotees at the Kumbh Mela mass religious gathering in central India, triggering a small stampede, police said Thursday.

Forty others were injured when the makeshift tent caved in following strong winds at one of the sites of the Kumbh, a pilgrimage that draws millions over four weeks to participate in a sacred bathing ritual.

"We have recovered seven bodies and 40 people are injured," Rakesh Gupta, a senior regional police officer in Madhya Pradesh state, told AFP, adding that emergency workers in Ujjain district took the injured to hospital.

An Indian pilgrim injured after a tent collapse caused a stampede at a religious event is treated by medical staff at a hopsital in Ujjain on May 5, 2016 STR (AFP)

The officer said the tent's collapse triggered a minor stampede but could not confirm whether any of the deaths were caused by the crush. Fatal stampedes at religious gathering are common in India.

India's premier offered his condolences to the families of the victims on Twitter.

"Anguished over the loss of lives at the Kumbh due to heavy rains. May Almighty give strength to the bereaved families to overcome the grief," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

The month-long Simhastha Kumbh Mela, which began on April 22, is the largest Hindu event to take place on the banks of the river Kshipra, with about 50 million pilgrims expected to attend.

The event is held every 12 years in accordance with the celestial line-up of planets.
4 dead in Saudi raid on 'terror' cell near Mecca: ministry

Saudi police shot dead two suspected militants and two others blew themselves up during a raid near the holy city of Mecca on Thursday, the interior ministry said.

"The terrorists started shooting towards security forces, which they responded to", leading to the deaths of a pair of suspects while the others "committed suicide by blowing themselves up with suicide belts", the ministry's spokesman said in a statement.

Police had surrounded the suspects' hideout between the holy city of Mecca and the mountain resort of Taif, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) to the east, on Thursday morning when the shootout occurred.

A member of the Saudi special police stands guard during a military parade in Mecca on September 17, 2015 Mohammed al-Shaikh (AFP/File)

A simultaneous raid occurred on a hideout in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where two people were arrested, "and they are being investigated for their involvement in this cell", the spokesman said.

"The security operation is still underway. Explosives are being removed and the area combed. And the suicide belts, explosives and weapons at the first location are being dealt with," the spokesman said.

The raids were part of surveillance and followup, "including to what happened in Bisha on Friday".

At that time, two suspects died in a shootout with security forces who foiled a car bombing in Bisha, southwestern Aseer region.

A third suspect, Iqab Mujab al-Otaibi, fled but was later arrested wearing an explosives belt, the ministry announced last Sunday.

According to the ministry, Otaibi allegedly took part in a deadly shooting at a Shiite mosque in 2014 and a bombing at a mosque inside a Saudi special forces compound in the southwestern city of Abha last August.

Both attacks were among several bombings and shootings claimed by the Islamic State group of Sunni jihadists since late 2014 in Saudi Arabia.

IS also said it was responsible for shooting dead a Saudi police colonel in the Riyadh region last month.

IS considers Saudi Arabia's Shiite minority to be heretics.

The IS group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has reputedly called Saudi Arabia's Sunni rulers "apostate tyrants" and called on Saudis to rise against them.

The kingdom is part of the US-led coalition bombing IS in Iraq and Syria, and Saudi political and religious leaders routinely denounce IS attacks -- at home and abroad -- as contrary to Islam.
Israel court urges return of Palestinian attackers' bodies

Israel's supreme court called on the government Thursday to hand the bodies of Palestinians killed carrying out attacks over to their families, in a blow to a policy that has divided Israeli officials.

The court issued a recommendation rather than a mandatory ruling, so the government could choose to ignore it, although it would risk new criticism if it did so.

The president of the court, Elyakim Rubinstein, urged "the police to coordinate with the families and return the bodies of their sons before Ramadan," the holy Muslim fasting month that begins in early June.

Mourners carry the bodies of Palestinians during their funeral on February 23, 2016 in the West Bank village of al-Qubaybah Abbas Momani (AFP/File)

Rights groups Adallah and Addameer had petitioned the court on behalf of nine families whose relatives' bodies have been withheld by the security forces, some for more than six months.

Muslim custom demands that the dead be buried as soon as possible.

The families argue that the security forces are taking revenge against them for the actions of their sons and say it has added to their grief.

According to Palestinian statistics, Israel is holding the bodies of 18 attackers, 12 from annexed east Jerusalem and the rest from the occupied West Bank.

Mohammed Mahmood, a lawyer with Addameer, welcomed the ruling as a "good decision."

Mohammed Alyan, whose son Bahaa boarded a bus on October 13 with a friend and killed three people and whose body is still being held, posted on Facebook that the ruling was a "victory of willpower".

The policy of withholding bodies has divided Israeli officials. Its leading advocate, Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan, says it prevents funerals for attackers turning into political demonstrations and acts as a deterrent.

But senior figures in the military say it stokes tensions with the Palestinians.

Israeli Arab lawmaker Osama Saadi called the court's recommendation a "blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, which has a clear stance not to hand over the bodies".

Netanyahu last month was reported to have told Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon not to return the bodies of Palestinians, but has since shifted policy.

A wave of violence since October last year has killed 204 Palestinians and 28 Israelis, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.

Rubinstein called for the bodies to be removed from mortuary freezers 48 hours before they are handed over so they are not delivered frozen.
Bush clan has no plans to back Donald Trump

America's most prominent Republican family, the Bushes, are declining to endorse Donald Trump for president, handing the GOP presumptive nominee an early setback in his efforts to unite a fractured party.

Former presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, who undoubtedly bristled at Trump's bullying attacks on candidate Jeb Bush, signaled through their offices that they will stay on the sidelines during this cycle.

The elder Bush has endorsed every Republican nominee in the past five elections, but he does not have plans to endorse Trump in 2016, his spokesman Jim McGrath told the Texas Tribune on Wednesday.

The Bushes, who undoubtedly bristled at Trump's bullying attacks on candidate Jeb Bush (C), are declining to endorse Donald Trump for president Spencer Platt (Getty/AFP/File)

"At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics," McGrath told the paper. "He came out of retirement to do a few things for Jeb, but those were the exceptions that proved the rule."

The 41st president's son Jeb Bush dropped out of the race in February.

Jeb's brother George W. Bush "does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign," his personal aide Freddy Ford told the paper.

Trump has launched bitter attacks on George W. Bush during this year's campaign. In February he called Bush's decision to invade Iraq "one of the worst decisions in the history of the country," and said the Bush administration "lied" about Saddam Hussein possessing weapons of mass destruction.

Jeb Bush, who exited the race that month, endorsed Ted Cruz in March, and has said Trump would lose in a landslide if he were the nominee to go up against Democrat Hillary Clinton in the general election.

George W. Bush's former chief of staff, Andrew Card, said Thursday that Trump has to become more respectful about the party's leadership and show greater "maturity" about handling tough decisions if he wants Republicans to coalesce around him.

"Donald Trump's got a lot of work to do to earn my vote, and to earn the confidence of people who are leaders in the Republican Party," Card, now the president of Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire, told MSNBC.
Economic reforms to spur Saudi's 'rapid' change: FM

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister voiced confidence Thursday that the kingdom could implement an ambitious plan to diversify its economy, saying it had already undergone "incredible" change in recent decades.

The Vision 2030 plan will take the country's advancement "to another level", creating jobs and making government "more efficient, more transparent, more accountable," Adel al-Jubeir said.

He told reporters that Saudi Arabia would not succumb to foreign pressure to ease what he described as "social restrictions".

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, pictured on May 2, 2016, voiced confidence that the kingdom can diversify its economy with the Vision 2030 plan Denis Balibouse (POOL/AFP/File)

"What Saudi Arabia has done in the last 50 years is incredible. Very few if any societies have been able to change as rapidly and as effectively as Saudi Arabia has over the last 50 years," he said.

Jubeir was responding to a Norwegian journalist who asked how the kingdom could achieve its wide-ranging Vision 2030 plan, to reorient the economy away from oil, while it restricts free speech and other civil liberties.

"They are social restrictions, not necessarily government restrictions," Jubeir told a press conference with his visiting Norwegian counterpart, Borge Brende.

"When you have a society that is conservative, that lives by certain morals, you have to respect this. But these what you call restrictions are part of who we are and our society will deal with them in its own way."

Saudi Arabia is an Islamic absolute monarchy with one of the world's tightest restrictions on women, including the only ban on female driving.

Jubeir said Saudi society will deal with the women's driving issue on its own terms and "not because somebody outside the kingdom criticised us or asked that this happen."

The kingdom had the third-highest number of recorded executions in the world last year, according to Amnesty International.

Rights activists have also complained that Saudi Arabia imprisons people for exercising the right to free expression.

But Jubeir said there has been "very positive, if not radical change in Saudi Arabia and we were able to do this while adhering to our values."

In the early 1960s there were no schools for women but now more than half of college students are female, the minister said, pointing to other changes including the development of government and business infrastructure, and dramatic improvements in health.
Japanese PM hopes for peace progress with Putin

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he hoped to make progress on a World War II peace treaty with Russia and a long-simmering territorial dispute in talks Friday with President Vladimir Putin.

Abe said Thursday there was great potential for unlocking better economic relations between Japan and Russia if they could find a solution to their historical differences.

He also said it would be difficult to make progress on pressing world issues like Syria, Ukraine and North Korea without constructive Russian involvement.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a joint press conference with Belgian Prime minister after their meeting in Brussels on May 3, 2016 John Thys (AFP/File)

Abe is due to meet Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics.

"Between Japan and Russia, even after 70 years and more since the end of World War II, no peace treaty has been concluded, which is highly irregular," Abe told reporters in London during his tour of European capitals.

"This is the 13th time that I meet with President Putin in a summit. Without the two leaders talking to each other directly, we can never solve this problem."

Tokyo-Moscow relations have been hamstrung by the row that dates back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the four southernmost islands in the Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan.

"We have to resolve the issue of the occupation of the Northern Territories and we must conclude the peace treaty," Abe said.

He said Japan and Russia could "unleash the great potential" in "economic and other fields" only if they solved the "abnormal situation" through a peace treaty.

He said he wanted "frank dialogue" with Putin on these points.

Abe said that on Syria, the Islamic State jihadist group, Ukraine, North Korea and Iran, "we need Russia to be constructively engaged in order to bring solutions".

He also said he hoped to welcome Putin to Japan in the future.

"In order to make this visit significant, we would like to study and search for a most appropriate timing for that to happen," he said.

Abe has been visiting European capitals ahead of the Group of Seven summit he is hosting later this month.
Brexit would make UK 'less attractive' for Japanese companies: Abe

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday warned that Britain would become "less attractive" for Japanese investment if it votes to leave the European Union in a June referendum.

Following talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron at his Downing Street office in London, Abe said many Japanese companies chose specifically to be based in Britain because they saw it as a gateway to the EU bloc.

"A vote to leave would make the UK less attractive as a destination for Japanese investment," Abe told reporters at a press conference.

British Prime Minister David Cameron (L) greets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe outside 10 Downing Street in central London on May 5, 2016 Adrian Dennis (AFP)

"British membership is also best for Japanese investors in the UK. About 1,000 Japanese companies operate in the UK, employing 140,000 people.

"Many of the Japanese companies set up their operations in the UK precisely because the UK is a gateway to the EU.

"Japan very clearly would prefer Britain to remain within the EU. It is better for the world that Britain remains in a strong EU," he said.

Cameron said Japanese investment in Britain totalled 38 billion ($55 billion, 48 billion euros) at the end of 2014 and had played a particularly important role in reviving British car manufacturing.

Nissan Sunderland in northeast England is Britain's biggest car plant.

"Japan is a country that matters enormously to the prosperity of the UK," said Cameron, who wants Britain to remain in the EU.

Japan and Britain are the world's third and fifth biggest economies respectively.

- EU trade Japan's priority -

Japan and the EU are closing in on signing an economic partnership agreement, which Cameron said could be worth 5 billion a year to Britain.

"Japan and the UK believe it is very important to reach a political agreement on the Japan-EU EPA as soon as possible this year," Abe said.

"Japan's priority is negotiating trade deals with Europe, with the EU, a large trade area rather than individual states in Europe.

"Britain has a greater voice in trade negotiations because it is part of the EU."

Abe said that due to the close partnership between Tokyo and London, Japan's interests were at stake in the referendum, which polls suggest could be neck-and-neck.

"For all these reasons, Britain's friends around the world, including Japan, will be watching your decision on June 23 with very close attention."

Abe is not the first foreign leader to visit Britain and voice support for it staying in the EU.

Last month US President Barack Obama said Britain being in the EU magnified its global influence, and outside the bloc it would go to the "back of the queue" when it came to signing trade deals.

Abe has visited Italy, France, Belgium and Germany this month in preparation for hosting the Group of Seven summit on May 26 and 27 in the Ise-Shima region between Tokyo and Osaka.

He said the summit would focus on the world economy and global security.

Abe heads to Russia on Friday for talks with President Vladimir Putin.

British Prime Minister David Cameron (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are pictured as they tour the Hitachi North Pole train maintenance depot in west London, on May 5, 2016 Anthony Devlin (Pool/AFP)
Air strikes on Syria displaced camp kill 28 as Aleppo truce holds

Air strikes killed at least 28 civilians in a camp for the displaced in northern Syria near the Turkish border as a 48-hour ceasefire took hold in Aleppo.

The truce came after fierce violence in and around Aleppo and was made possible as President Bashar al-Assad's regime and rebel forces gave in to mounting diplomatic pressure for a pause.

But as relieved civilians went out onto the streets after two weeks of heavy fighting in the divided city, a key battleground in Syria's five-year civil war, others were attacked further west.

A ceasefire took hold in Aleppo after fierce violence in and around the city and was made possible as regime and rebel forces gave in to mounting diplomatic pressure George Ourfalian (AFP)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said air strikes struck the camp for internally displaced people near Sarmada, in Idlib province, which is controlled by Syria's Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front.

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said women and children were among 28 civilians killed while 50 others were wounded.

Mamun al-Khatib, director of the Aleppo-based pro-rebel Shahba Press news agency, said "regime aircraft" fired missiles on the camp in the village of Al-Kammouna.

"Two missiles fell near the camp causing people to panic and two more fell inside where a dozen tents caught fire," he said.

Online images showed emergency workers putting out fires among damaged blue and white tents.

The US said it has not confirmed if the strikes were carried out by regime forces, but described them "totally in keeping" with its past operations.

"There's absolutely no justification for attacks on civilians in Syria, but especially on what appears to have been a refugee camp," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

The European Union called the bombardment "unacceptable", while the United Nations' top aid official demanded an immediate investigation.

"If this obscene attack is found to be a deliberate targeting of a civilian structure, it could amount to a war crime," said Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs.

- US, Russia monitoring -

The February 27 ceasefire brokered by the United States and Syrian ally Russia called for an end to fighting between regime forces and rebels nationwide but did not include jihadist-held areas.

Fierce violence in and around Aleppo, which has claimed the lives of more than 280 civilians since April 22, sparked an intense diplomatic push by Washington and Moscow to salvage peace efforts.

Late Wednesday the Syrian army said it had agreed to calls from Russia and the US for a two-day truce in Aleppo that would begin from 1:00 am on Thursday (2200 GMT Wednesday).

An AFP correspondent in Aleppo said Thursday there had been no signs of fresh air raids.

Residents who had cowered indoors for days emerged and some set up tables and chairs on the streets to enjoy the sunshine, drink tea and smoke cigarettes, the correspondent said.

Shopkeepers also reopened their doors while fruit and vegetable markets -- one of which was struck in an April 24 raid that left 12 dead -- were running again.

The local council dispatched bulldozers to remove rubble in stricken areas where water and electrical supplies were also restored, the AFP correspondent said.

After a whirlwind of talks involving diplomats from top world powers and the UN, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced the truce had taken effect and that violence had already fallen off.

He said US officials in Geneva were coordinating with their Russian colleagues on "enhanced monitoring efforts for this renewed cessation".

The Russian defence ministry said its ceasefire monitors had agreed with their US counterparts to oversee this truce until midnight on May 6.

In Aleppo, the head of the local branch of the powerful Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) rebel force, Ahmad Sanada, told AFP the group would respect the truce.

The head of Syria's opposition High Negotiations Committee Riad Hijab meanwhile urged the international community to impose "robust measures" to ensure respect for the ceasefire.

- Palmyra concert -

Diplomats are hoping a nationwide ceasefire can underpin efforts to resolve Syria's five-year war that has already killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions out of their homes.

Mediators hope that UN-backed peace talks could resume later this month in Geneva, although previous rounds have failed to make any major breakthrough with the regime rejecting the opposition's demand that Assad step aside as part of a political transition.

On Thursday, a suicide attack and a car bombing in central Homs province killed at least 12 civilians, the Observatory and state television said.

The twin bombings came amid recent fighting in the area between Islamic State group fighters and regime troops.

IS claimed responsibility for the attacks, according to SITE Intelligence Group.

The area is near Palmyra where on Thursday Russian maestro Valery Gergiev led Saint Petersburg's celebrated Mariinsky orchestra in front of a crowd of Russian soldiers, government ministers and journalists.

Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site, was retaken from IS on March 27 with Russian support.

Civil war in Syria Adrian Leung, John Saeki (AFP)

Shopkeepers in Aleppo reopened their doors while fruit and vegetable markets -- one of which was struck in an April 24 raid that left 12 dead -- were running again Karam al-Masri (AFP)

Syrians demonstrate in Idlib, in northwestern Syria, to show solidarity with the civilians of the northern city of Aleppo Omar haj kadour (AFP/File)
Al-Qaeda pull out of two southern cities: Yemen tribes

Al-Qaeda militants began withdrawing Thursday from two cities in Yemen's southern Abyan province following tribal mediation to spare destruction, tribal sources said.

"Hundreds of Al-Qaeda fighters have begun to hand over to provincial authorities public buildings which they controlled" in Abyan provincial capital Zinjibar and the nearby city of Jaar, a tribal mediator told AFP.

A tribal elder involved in the mediation said their departure comes amid pressure from residents who wanted to spare their cities from being destroyed like other southern towns which the jihadists once controlled.

Yemeni forces, pictured celebrating on April 23, 2016, have driven out Al-Qaeda militants from two cities in Yemen's southern Abyan province Saleh Al-Obeidi (AFP/File)

This comes after government troops backed by air and ground support from a Saudi-led coalition launched last month a widespread operation against jihadists in south and southeastern Yemen.

The tribal mediator said the withdrawal will be completed within a week.

But he warned that the jihadists could stop the operation if they come under attack.

The jihadists will be leaving with their weapons and are expected to pull back to a mountainous region which separates Abyan from the provinces of Shabwa and Baida, tribal sources said.

The militants last month fled the key southeastern city of Mukalla, the capital of Hadramawt province, and other coastal areas, due to the government offensive.

In a statement released Wednesday, the militants threatened to attack the homes of officials and soldiers who took part in the offensive to drive them out of Mukalla.

Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is regarded by Washington as the network's most dangerous branch.
US bans sale of e-cigarettes to those under 18

The United States Thursday issued a sweeping ban on sales of e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and hookahs to those under 18, marking the first time these products have been federally regulated.

The ban will go into effect in 90 days, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, which issued the final rule after several years of study and debate.

Until now, the marketplace for tobacco products outside of traditional cigarettes has been like "the wild, wild west," said Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products.

Traditional cigarette smoking has declined in recent decades, but youths are increasingly turning to e-cigarettes, which are battery powered devices that heat a nicotine liquid -- and flavored cigars Justin Sullivan (Getty/AFP/File)

"This final rule is a foundational step that enables the FDA to regulate products that young people were using at alarming rates -- like e-cigarettes, cigars and hookah tobacco -- which had gone largely unregulated," he told reporters.

Key aspects of the rule include barring the sale of e-cigarettes to minors online or in person, prohibiting the distribution of free samples and not allowing vending machines, unless they are located in an adult-only facility.

The rule also requires manufacturers to get the FDA's marketing approval for any products that were issued after February 15, 2007, to show that their "products meet the applicable public health standard set forth in the law."

However, it does not place any restrictions on advertising and marketing, and does not ban flavoring ingredients, which public health experts say serve a lure to young customers.

Zeller said future rules may extend the current ban on flavored cigarettes to cover cigars and little cigars known as cigarillos. Down the road, there may also be nicotine warnings and child-resistant packaging.

The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids president Matthew Myers called the FDA move a "critical first step," but warned it "falls short in protecting kids from e-cigarettes," he said in a statement.

"It does nothing to restrict the irresponsible marketing of e-cigarettes or the use of sweet e-cigarette flavors such as gummy bear and cotton candy, despite the FDA's own data showing that flavors play a major role in the skyrocketing youth use of e-cigarettes."

- Rising youth trend -

The FDA gained the power to regulate a wider range of tobacco products in 2009, with the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

A preliminary rule was issued in 2014, resulting in more than 135,000 public comments, an FDA spokesman said.

About one in five Americans smokes, and the habit kills 480,000 people in the United States each year, according to health authorities.

Traditional cigarette smoking has declined in recent decades, but youths are increasingly turning to e-cigarettes, which are battery powered devices that heat a nicotine liquid -- and flavored cigars.

E-cigarette use among high-schoolers rose from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 16 percent in 2015 -- a more than 900 percent increase -- according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last year, three million middle and high school students were current e-cigarette users.

Another recent study, carried out by the FDA and the National Institutes of Health in 2013-2014, showed four out of five youths who use some form of tobacco also had tried a flavored tobacco product in the past month.

The FDA said that studies showing e-cigarettes may help traditional cigarette smokers quit are "anecdotal," and more evidence is needed to show the impact of the devices on a wider population level.

- No cigar exemption -

The FDA gave no exemption for so-called premium cigars, despite lobbying efforts from the industry.

"All cigars pose serious negative health risks," said Zeller.

"To exclude such a product from FDA regulation would be neglecting our duty to protect public health."

Now, makers of cigars have two years to disclose to the FDA "important factors such as ingredients, product design and health risks, as well as their appeal to youth and non-users," according to the 499-page FDA rule.

"We are deeply disappointed," said a joint statement from Eric and Bobby Newman, president and executive vice president of J.C. Newman Cigar Company in Tampa, Florida.

"The premium cigar industry is made up of dozens of small, family-owned cigar makers, like us, along with thousands of small, independent specialty cigar stores across the country," they wrote.

"The cost and burdens of onerous regulations threaten the entire industry."

According to Gary Giovino, chair of the department of community health and health behavior at the State University o New York at Buffalo, the FDA regulations could also prove too steep for some small businesses that make e-cigarettes.

"These companies likely will not have the resources to deliver all the information the FDA is asking for," he said.

"This could stifle innovation and hurt public health in the long run, to the extent that innovative e-cigarette products will help people move off of combusted tobacco products."

The electronic cigarette K Tian / G Handyside (AFP)

A customer picks from different flavors of electronic cigarette vapor Joe Raedle (Getty/AFP/File)
Life returns to Syria's Aleppo after two weeks of fighting

After two weeks of hiding at home or underground to escape death, residents emerged onto the streets in Syria's battered second city Aleppo as a truce took hold there Thursday.

"Last week it was ghost city -- even if residents were still here -- as they were too scared to step outside," father-of-three Mohammed Helwani said.

"Today of course the situation is better with the truce," the 31-year-old owner of an Internet cafe said.

Syrian vendors sell fruits and vegetables in the rebel-held Bustan al-Qasr district in eastern Aleppo on May 4, 2016, a few hours before a ceasefire took effect Karam al-Masri (AFP/File)

The Syrian army late Wednesday said it had agreed to calls from Russia and the United States for a two-day truce in Aleppo that would begin from 1:00 am on Thursday.

"Some residents have gone out into the streets, but they're still afraid air strikes will return  and with them massacres and death," Helwani said.

More than 280 civilians were reported killed since April 22 in the fighting in divided Aleppo, with regime air strikes pounding the opposition-held east while rebels fired a barrage of rockets into the government-controlled west.

But on Thursday afternoon, some residents in the city's rebel-held east sat outside their homes drinking tea and smoking cigarettes, an AFP reporter there said.

Electricity and water supply had returned and local council bulldozers cleared rubble from stricken areas, he said.

Renewed fighting in and around Aleppo in recent days had threatened the full collapse of a landmark ceasefire agreed between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels in late February.

- Regime 'resting a little' -

In the past two weeks, residents had only dared to venture out for a few hours in the evening to run errands.

One resident said he continued to sell his vegetables in one of the city's markets in the daytime when there was no bombing in the area, but that he saw very few customers in the morning.

"People started to come out to shop at around 5:00-6:00 pm and I started to really make sales then until 9:00 pm," 26-year-old Khaled said.

After those couple of hours "movement slowed down again and most shops closed because of the nighttime airstrikes," he said.

On Thursday morning, fruit and vegetable markets -- one of which was struck in an April 24 raid that left 12 dead -- were again up and running.

AFP's correspondent said there had been no signs of fresh air raids on the east of the city since the ceasefire took effect.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said there had been no bombing in the city, though it said a civilian had died in a western district from rebel shelling that came minutes after the ceasefire took hold.

But some of Aleppo's residents -- who have been at the centre of some of the worst fighting in Syria's five-year war --remained cynical.

"I reckon the regime asked for the truce because they wanted to rest a little before attacking the rebels again later," said Abu Ibrahim, a satellite dish repair man.

Damascus has said it targets Syria's Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and blamed the jihadists for violating the February 27 ceasefire, which did not include areas where the group is present.

Perfume shop owner Mahmud Sheikh agreed the truce would not last.

"Every time the regime strikes, it just blames it on Al-Nusra's presence -- which is why the truce is not holding," he said.

The sound of war had not completely abated on Thursday evening in Aleppo's east, where residents could hear the sound of fighting to the south of the city.

Syrians shout slogans during an anti-regime protest in the rebel-held Bustan al-Qasr district in eastern Aleppo on May 5, 2016 Karam al-Masri (AFP)
Britain blasts Russia for blocking UN condemnation of Aleppo fighting

Britain on Thursday slammed Russia for blocking a UN Security Council statement condemning the Syrian military offensive in the battleground city of Aleppo.

The statement was circulated to the 15-member council on Wednesday during an emergency meeting on Aleppo but was dismissed by Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin as a "propaganda coup".

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said Russia's refusal to back the statement "speaks volumes about their support for and protection of the Assad regime."

A Syrian man walks past destroyed buildings on May 2, 2016, in Aleppo's Bab al-Hadid neighbourhood which was targeted recently by regime air strikes Karam Al-Masri (AFP/File)

President Bashar al-Assad's forces launched an offensive in Aleppo on April 22 that they said was aimed at flushing out jihadists. But the West has accused Damascus of targeting civilians, hitting hospitals and markets.

After air strikes hit a camp of displaced Syrians near the Turkish border on Thursday, the British ambassador called for more pressure to be exerted to rein in the Damascus regime.

"It is really high time for every member of the Security Council to use every last drop of influence on the Assad regime to get them to respect the cessation of hostilities and every other obligation under international humanitarian law," said Rycroft.

At least 28 civilians, including women and children, were killed Thursday in the bombing of the camp in Sarmada in Idlib province, which is controlled by Syria's Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front.

The proposed statement would have condemned the upsurge in Aleppo and attribute the violence to the Syrian military offensive.

Addressing the council on Wednesday, Syria's Deputy UN Ambassador Mounzer Mounzer insisted that regime forces were taking on terror groups in Aleppo.
Afghan poppy crop could fuel new Taliban attacks: US general

A bumper poppy crop in Afghanistan will help fund the Taliban and likely lead to fresh attacks on Afghan security forces after the harvest, a US general said Thursday.

Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, a senior spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan, said fighting in Helmand province had actually dipped in recent weeks while members of the Taliban harvest poppy fields -- but warned the lull was temporary.

"As the harvest really concludes here, and we think it concludes really as soon as this week, we do expect to see an uptick in the Taliban efforts to attack the ANDSF (Afghan National Defense and Security Forces)," Cleveland said in a video call with Pentagon reporters.

Afghan farmers harvest opium sap from a poppy field in Zari District of Kandahar province on April 12, 2016 Jawed Tanveer (AFP/File)

Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has been generally rising over the past decade, fueling the Taliban insurgency and spurring a growing crisis of drug addiction despite costly US-led counter-narcotics programs.

Though the total area under cultivation dropped during a drought last year, the southern province of Helmand retained its title as leader in growth of opium, which is used to produce heroin.

"There is a concern that with this very good poppy crop that they had this year, it is going to result in the Taliban being able to turn that into money for their efforts," Cleveland said.

Poppy farming has boomed over the years in southern and western regions, which include the most volatile parts of the country where the Taliban insurgency is the strongest.

Afghan forces have been sent to the area around Lashkar Gah, Helmand's capital which recently came close to falling to the Taliban.
Americans split on allowing guns on campus

Should university students and professors be allowed to bring guns on campus? Americans are divided on the issue with no end in sight to the deadly shootings that regularly rock the nation.

The United States -- where gun violence kills some 90 people a day -- has been hit by rampages at institutions of higher learning in recent years.

But opinions differ on how to prevent such massacres, with some arguing that arming up is key, while others are pushing for tougher gun control.

Gun activists march near The University of Texas campus on December 12, 2015 in Austin Drew Anthony Smith (Getty/AFP/File)

This week, Tennessee became the latest state to allow concealed firearms on its publicly funded college and university campuses.

On the other end of the spectrum, the governor of Georgia vetoed a similar bill just days ago after it was easily approved by local lawmakers.

"From the early days of our nation and state, colleges have been treated as sanctuaries of learning where firearms have not been allowed," Governor Nathan Deal, a Republican, said in announcing his veto.

"To depart from such time honored protections should require overwhelming justification."

- Virginia Tech trauma -

The debate comes in the wake of several deadly campus shootings in recent years, most notably at Virginia Tech in 2007, where a student gunman killed 32 people before taking his own life.

More recently, a shooter killed nine people at the Umpqua Community College in Oregon in 2015. And in 2012, a man methodically gunned down seven people at Oikos University in Oakland, California.

The all-powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) claims that such shooting tolls would never be reached if students had the right to carry weapons to protect themselves.

Under the leadership of the gun lobby, at least 19 states introduced legislation to allow the concealed carrying of guns on campus in 2013, and at least 14 states introduced similar legislation in 2014, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). But only a couple of those bills were passed and enacted, it said.

In contrast, according to the NCSL, shootings pushed lawmakers in five states to introduce legislation to prohibit concealed carry weapons on campus in 2013 -- but none of the measures passed.

The result is a complicated mosaic, with some 20 states banning arms on campus, some 20 others leaving the choice up to educational institutions, and the remainder allowing the carrying of guns under certain conditions, including being permit holders. The last group includes Colorado, Idaho and Kansas.

- Unarmed at disciplinary meetings -

In Tennessee and Arkansas, carrying a fireman on campus is limited to staff and faculty. And the new Tennessee law, which takes effect July 1, still bans guns from disciplinary meetings or public events at gyms, for example.

In Mississippi, a student or teacher can go to class armed after he or she has gone through training on handling the weapon with a certified instructor.

The biggest recent pro-gun victory was in Texas, where, as of August 1, concealed handgun license holders will be allowed to bring their weapons onto the campuses of public universities -- including into dorms and gyms.

The date the law will take effect was not chosen at random -- it coincides with the 50th anniversary of a mass shooting by a gunman perched on the clock tower at the University of Texas at Austin.

Daniel Hamermesh, an economics professor emeritus at the university, caused a stir when he said he was leaving because of the law.

"With a huge group of students, my perception is that the risk that a disgruntled student might bring a gun into the classroom and start shooting at me has been substantially enhanced by the concealed-carry law," he wrote in an open letter.

A memorial for the 32 shooting victims in front of Norris Hall on the Virginia Tech campus in 2007 -- the debate over guns on campus comes in the wake of several deadly campus shootings in recent years Tim Sloan (AFP/File)
US man found guilty in 'Grim Sleeper' killings

A jury in Los Angeles convicted an ex-garbage collector and police garage attendant on Thursday of murdering nine women and a teenage girl over a period of two decades.

Jury members reached the verdict against Lonnie Franklin Jr. in the so-called "Grim Sleeper" killings after less than two days of deliberations, ending a macabre case that exposed the city's seedy underbelly.

Franklin, 63, who faces a possible death sentence, was given the moniker "Grim Sleeper" because of a 13-year gap in the murders, which took place between 1985 and 2007.

Lonnie Franklin Jr., 63, was given the moniker "Grim Sleeper" because of a 13-year gap in the murders, which took place between 1985 and 2007 Barbara Davidson (Pool/AFP)

Although he was arrested in July 2010 after his DNA was connected to some of the victims, appeals and judicial wrangling repeatedly delayed efforts to bring him to trial.

Franklin stalked the streets of South Los Angeles at a time when an epidemic of crack cocaine plagued the neighborhood, the authorities say.

Several of his victims were prostitutes and drug addicts whom he shot or strangled, dumping their bodies in alleyways or trash bins. He raped some before killing them.

Prosecutors said Franklin took advantage of some of his victims' addiction to crack to lure them to his backyard camper with money and drugs before killing them.

The youngest victim was 15 and the oldest 35. However, the authorities say they suspect Franklin is behind dozens more killings than the 10 for which he was convicted.

Investigators searching his home found nearly 200 pictures and videos of women, many of whom have not been identified.

His attorneys disputed the DNA evidence against him during the three-month trial in which 61 people testified, including a surviving victim.

Defense attorney Seymour Amster told jurors that the killings could have been committed by a "mystery man" and that there was insufficient evidence to convict Franklin.

However, prosecutors argued that no evidence of anyone else connected to the killings had been found.

Franklin showed no emotion in the courtroom as the guilty verdicts were read.

Investigators connected him to the killings after the arrest of his son in 2008 for weapons and drug possession. A DNA analysis on the son began a trail that led to the father, who was arrested in 2010 -- 25 years after the first body was found.

The killing spree was the subject of a 2014 HBO documentary by British filmmaker Nick Broomfield, who claims the Los Angeles police failed to properly investigate the murders because the victims were mainly drug addicts and prostitutes.
US entrapped Navy officer accused of espionage: lawyer

A Navy officer facing espionage charges for allegedly handing military secrets to Taiwan and China was entrapped in a "nefarious scheme" by government agents, his lawyer argued in testimony made public Thursday.

Prosecutors say Lieutenant Commander Edward Lin -- a decorated Navy veteran -- committed a string of offenses including espionage, mishandling classified information and failing to follow lawful orders. He is also accused of adultery and using a prostitute.

Given the sensitive nature of the case, much of it remains classified, but the Pentagon on Thursday played reporters a recording of parts of Lin's initial hearing last month.

Prosecutors say Lieutenant Commander Edward Lin -- a decorated Navy veteran -- committed a string of offenses including espionage, mishandling classified information and failing to follow lawful orders Handout (Navy Visual News Service / MCS1 Sarah Murphy / HO/AFP/File)

"The defense maintains that the government has engaged in a nefarious scheme to entrap Lieutenant Commander Lin," defense lawyer Larry Youngner said during the so-called Article 32 hearing, which took place April 8 at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.

Without going into details, Youngner said his client had been "enticed" by a Mandarin-speaking FBI informant during a series of meetings beginning last August.

"Did the government prey on his vulnerabilities and entice him to engage in something he would not otherwise have engaged in?" Youngner asked.

Prior to his arrest, Lin, 39, was assigned to a special squadron based out of a Marine Corps air base in Hawaii that flew special intelligence-gathering planes.

Youngner also questioned whether the information Lin had carried was actually classified, or whether it was all "open source."

Prosecutors said their evidence comes partly from two days of interrogations after Lin's arrest at Honolulu airport on September 11, 2015, and that Lin had admitted to a string of specifications outlined in the charges against him.

Youngner responded by saying the interrogation and subsequent evidence were tainted because Lin had not been properly read his rights.

Lin's defense team also said the government had tried to sensationalize the case by adding the prostitution and adultery charges, saying those allegations should be dealt with separately.

The officer who headed Lin's hearing has made a recommendation to the commanding admiral about whether the case should be referred to a full court-martial, but no decision has been made public.

Lin remains in custody at the naval brig in Chesapeake, Virginia.

The case emerges amid heightened tensions between China and regional neighbors in the South China Sea, where Beijing is building massive military structures including radar systems and an airstrip over reefs and tiny islands in contested waters.

A 2008 Navy article says Lin left his birthplace of Taiwan when he was 14 and eventually became a naturalized US citizen.

Although the Navy has said Lin passed secrets to China, Taiwan and possibly other countries too, only Taiwan was referenced in the 80 or so minutes of testimony made available Thursday.
Australia says most dangerous Australian IS operative killed

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australia's most dangerous known Islamic State movement operative had been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq, the government said Thursday.

The United States had confirmed that Neil Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was killed in Mosul on Friday, Attorney-General George Brandis said.

The 24-year-old Australian citizen of Cambodian and Fijian heritage converted from Buddhism in 2012 and traveled to Syria a year later.

The former rapper from Melbourne city featured in Islamic State recruitment videos, was linked to several attack plans in Australia and had urged lone wolf attacks against the United States.

"Prakash was a very important, high-value target," Brandis told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

"He was the most dangerous Australian involved with ISIL in the Middle East," Brandis added, referring to the militants as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The United States also confirmed the death in Syria of the sister of a 15-year-old Australian schoolboy who was shot dead by police after he gunned down a police accountant outside a Sydney police station in October last year, Brandis said.

The sister, Shadi Jabhar Khalil Mohammad, left Australia the day before her brother Farhad Jabhar died.

She and her Sudanese husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, were killed in a U.S. airstrike near the Syrian town of al-Bab on April 22. Both had been Islamic State recruiters of foreign fighters and had inspired attacks against Western interests, Brandis said.
Jail guard sentenced to 7 years for sex assault on NY inmate

NEW YORK (AP)  A federal jail guard was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in prison after an inmate gave an in-court account of how he sexually assaulted her inside a New York City lockup last year.

"You raped me," the unnamed woman told Rudell Mullings, as she read from a statement in federal court in Brooklyn. "It wasn't consensual sex. It was rape."

The inmate, who was sentenced to 30 years for a homicide, told U.S. District Judge Edward Korman that Mullings had harassed her over the course of several weeks before finally accosting her Feb. 14, 2015 in a hallway of the Manhattan lockup where she was waxing the floor. She described how the hulking man approached her from behind and restrained her. She said he pulled down her pants and raped her.

Former federal jail guard Rudell Mullings leaves federal court in New York after being sentenced to seven years behind bars on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, for raping an inmate. Mullings pleaded guilty earlier in the year and was seeking a lighter sentence but a judge said he needed to send a strong message that abuse of prisoners won't be tolerated. (AP Photo/Tom Hays)

Court papers say the guard afterward warned the woman not to report him because he would lose his job. They say he also told her there were no security cameras in the hallway that could corroborate her story.

Choking back tears, the inmate said she was already traumatized from being molested by relatives as a child. The assault, she said, "has caused me tremendous pain, humiliation and grief."

After DNA testing confirmed Mullings had sex with the inmate, he initially told investigators it was consensual. But last year, he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a prisoner, a charge carrying a term of up to three years in prison under sentencing guidelines.

On Wednesday, Mullings told the judge: "I am ashamed of my conduct. I was in a position of authority and I abused that authority." And his lawyer asked for six months of jail time and six months house arrest.

But Korman  after criticizing prosecutors for not making Mullings plead guilty to more serious charges  called the guidelines "ludicrous" given the circumstances of the case. A harsher sentence was needed to send a message to other guards "that this conduct is totally unacceptable and deserves severe punishment," he said.
US government: North Carolina LGBT law violates civil rights

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina law limiting protections to LGBT people violates federal civil rights laws and can't be enforced, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday, putting the state on notice that it is in danger of being sued and losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding.

The law, which requires transgender people to use public bathrooms that conform to the sex on their birth certificate, has been broadly condemned by gay-rights groups, businesses and entertainers. Some have relocated offices or canceled shows in the state. Several other states have proposed similar laws in recent months limiting protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

In a letter to Gov. Pat McCrory, the Justice Department said federal officials view the state law as violating federal Civil Rights Act protections barring workplace discrimination based on sex. Provisions of the state law directed at transgender state employees violate their anti-discrimination protections, the letter said.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory pauses while making comments concerning House Bill 2 during a government affairs conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. A North Carolina law limiting protections to LGBT people violates federal civil rights laws and can't be enforced, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday, putting the state on notice that it is in danger of being sued and losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

"The State is engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against transgender state employees and both you, in your official capacity, and the state are engaging in a pattern or practice of resistance" of their rights, the letter said.

The DOJ notification appeared to be an attempt by President Barack Obama's administration to extend a new requirement involving which bathrooms and locker rooms transgender people will be allowed to use, McCrory said.

"This is no longer just a North Carolina issue, because this conclusion by the Department of Justice impacts every state," McCrory said during a forum with the state's chamber of commerce. The move represented "something we've never seen regarding Washington overreach in my lifetime."

McCrory, who signed the bill into law in March, has defended the law and said he didn't think it would have any financial impact, either on the economy in general or on federal school funding in particular.

But shortly after it was passed, PayPal reversed plans to open a 400-employee operation center in Charlotte, Deutsche Bank froze expansion plans near Raleigh and convention officials reported some meetings were avoiding the state. Nearly 200 corporate leaders from across the country, including Charlotte-based Bank of America, have urged the law's repeal, arguing it's bad for business because it makes recruiting talented employees more difficult.

House Speaker Tim Moore, who helped pass the law known as House Bill 2, said he would speak with McCrory and Senate leader Phil Berger about the state's legal options. Moore told reporters that the letter was an attempt by the Obama administration to "continue its radical left agenda" in his final months in office.

"This is a gross overreach by the Obama Justice Department that deserves to be struck down in federal court," Berger said in a news release.

The Justice Department said in a separate letter to the 17-campus University of North Carolina system that the state law violates Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination in education based on sex. That could lead to North Carolina losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal school funding.

The letter effectively serves as a warning to the state to proceed at its own peril or risk being sued. Civil-rights groups and several individuals sued in North Carolina federal court in late March seeking to overturn the law.

McCrory and GOP legislators "were warned about these dire consequences, but they ignored the law and the North Carolinians it would harm and passed the bill anyway," said a statement from the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal, which helped filed the lawsuit.

It has not been uncommon during the Obama administration for the Justice Department to weigh in on hot-button civil rights issues. In March, the department sharply discouraged state court administrators from jailing defendants who can't pay court fines for petty offenses. The letters to North Carolina don't have the force of law, but it puts the state on notice that its actions are being watched and run afoul of federal civil rights laws.

The letters seek confirmation by Monday that people can "access bathrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity."

The government could file a lawsuit to protect state employees from discrimination, the letters said.

The Justice Department's intervention could affect similar laws passed in other states.

Mississippi's House Bill 1523, which becomes law July 1, says government and business workers can deny services to people by citing their own religious beliefs that marriage should only be between a man and a woman and that a person's gender is set at birth and is unchangeable.

The day after Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed the bill, Democratic U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, asking her to block what he called the "overreaching, unconstitutional, and blatantly discriminatory piece of legislation." Thompson told The Associated Press in a text message Wednesday that he had heard about the Justice Department's letter to North Carolina.

"I would expect a similar letter to be sent to Mississippi in the near future," Thompson said. "The circumstances in both states are closely aligned. Discrimination in the name of religion is illegal."

Officials from Bryant's office and the Mississippi attorney general's office said they had not received a letter from the Justice Department by Wednesday.

"Mississippi's law prevents state agencies and political subdivisions from punishing employers that opt to have gender-specific standards" for employees' dress or restroom use, Bryant spokesman Clay Chandler said. "This law does not establish or mandate a specific policy for restroom facilities."

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Emily Wagster Pettus contributed to this report from Jackson, Miss.

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Follow Emery P. Dalesio on Twitter at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/emery-p-dalesio .

Protesters gather outside the the North Carolina Museum of History as Gov. Pat McCrory make remarks about House Bill 2 during a government affairs conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. A North Carolina law limiting protections to LGBT people violates federal civil rights laws and can't be enforced, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday, putting the state on notice that it is in danger of being sued and losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Obama urges Asian-Americans to stand up to bigotry

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Barack Obama on Wednesday urged Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders to fight bigotry and to press Congress to update U.S. immigration policy.

Obama said America's tradition is to welcome newcomers because it was founded by immigrants. He said that tradition also makes difficult to understand why some people are blocking efforts to overhaul U.S. immigration laws.

"We don't simply welcome new immigrants. We are born of immigrants," Obama told hundreds attending the Asian Pacific American Institute of Congressional Studies' annual awards dinner. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization promotes Asian-American and Pacific Islander participation and representation in politics.

President Barack Obama give the gives a shaka hand gesture as he begins to deliver the keynote address at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies 22nd Annual Awards Gala Dinner in Washington, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Comprehensive immigration legislation cleared the Senate in 2013, but House leaders did not bring the bill up for a vote. Obama has used his executive authority to shield some immigrants living illegally in the country from deportation, but more than two dozen states, led by Texas, challenged his action in federal court.

The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in the case and a decision is expected by the end of June.

In his remarks, Obama said: "The actions I've taken on my own can't take the place of what we really need, which is Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. ... You have the power to push Congress to do it."

He said the AAPI community is the fastest-growing minority group in the U.S., but is also significantly underrepresented at the ballot box.

In a reference to Donald Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, Obama urged the audience to push back against anti-immigrant sentiment, especially from people who stoke such feelings for political gain.

Trump has called for barring Muslims from entering the country, and also has pledged to deport the estimated 11 million people living illegally in the U.S.

Obama said that just as the U.S. has moved beyond "No Irish need apply" signs, questioning the loyalty of Catholics, persecuting Chinese immigrants and its treatment of Japanese-Americans and immigrants during World War II, "we are going to move beyond today's anti-immigrant sentiment, as well."

"We will live up to our ideals," said Obama.

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Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap
Ex-Utah Sen. Bob Bennett, ousted in tea party wave, has died

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Former U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett, of Utah, who shied away from the spotlight but earned a reputation as someone who knew how to get things done in Washington, has died. He was 82.

Bennett assistant Tara Tanner said he died Wednesday from complications of pancreatic cancer and a recent stroke.

The Republican was first elected in 1992 and was widely seen at home as politically moderate, which at times put him at odds with Utah's highly conservative Republican base. His middle-of-the-road reputation led to his ouster in 2010 at the state convention by delegates fueled by tea party anger.

FILE- In this Dec. 9, 2010, file photo, Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, heads for the Senate floor for cloture votes on Capitol Hill in Washington. An assistant says former Republican Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah, one of the first incumbents ousted in a national wave of tea party-led anger in 2010, has died. He was 82. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg, File)

Bennett had a stroke on April 11 that paralyzed the left side of his body and left him unable to stand or swallow. He told the Deseret News a week later the cancer had been diagnosed within a year earlier. It started in his pancreas but had spread to his stomach and near his liver. Bennett said he was receiving hospice care at his home in Arlington, Virginia.

Bennett was criticized by opponents within his own party for being in office too long after promising to only serve two terms, for supporting a bailout for distressed banks, and for working with Democrats on his own health care bill to require Americans to buy health insurance.

In the run-up to the 2010 election, Bennett took on a decidedly more conservative tone. But he failed to sway the 3,500 Republican state delegates, a generally more conservative group that selected the party's candidate in a caucus system.

Following his loss, Bennett ran a consulting firm and worked as a lobbyist in Washington.

He also became a resident scholar with the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics and penned regular opinion columns for Salt Lake City newspapers.

The former senator also became a vocal critic of the conservative wing of the party. He repeatedly said it was pushing the party away from mainstream Americans in favor of ultra-conservatives in the model of Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee in 1964 who was soundly defeated in the presidential election.

Tributes from public figures came in Wednesday night.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said in a statement that Bennett was a friend and counselor. When Romney moved to Utah to run the 2002 Winter Olympics, he said, Bennett helped him navigate government agencies and committees.

"His keen mind made him a leading figure in the Senate on issues as disparate and far-reaching as emerging technologies and federal budgets. He was respected by men and women on both sides of the aisle, not only for his expertise but also for his common touch, his common sense, and his commitment to uncommon virtues," Romney's statement said.

U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, of Utah, said in a statement that Bennet sought innovative solutions and was widely respect in the Senate.

"Our state has benefited tremendously from his many years of loyal service," the statement said. "I will remember Bob not only as an admired colleague and a trusted partner, but also as a cherished friend that I will miss dearly."

Former Utah congresswoman Enid Greene Mickelsen, whose single term in the mid-1990s overlapped with Bennett, remembered him as thoughtful and well-read person. He carried nothing but a novel on his flights commuting from Washington to Utah. Bennett also had a sense of humor, she said, remembering campaign ads he ran that poked fun at the tall, bald senator's looks.

"He was someone who stayed calm when lots of other people were running around thinking the sky had fallen," Mickelsen said.

Bennett stayed on top of emerging technologies and in 2001 became one of the first members of Congress to purchase a hybrid vehicle. In 2006, he advocated for tax breaks for fuel-efficient vehicles.

Bennett's interest in technology began in the late 1970s. He served as chairman of American Computers Corp. from 1979 to 1981 and president of Microsonics Corp. from 1981 to 1984.

During his 18 years in the Senate, Bennett served on the Senate Appropriation Committee and leveraged that position to direct as much money as possible to Utah. Bennett frequently dismissed critics of congressional earmarks, saying the money was going to be spent anyway and Utah deserved its fair share.

He would ask those who questioned him, "Would you rather have that money go to Los Angeles?"

While Bennett proudly touted every earmark he secured for the state, he said he was most proud of a bill he sponsored in 2008 that helped designate how public lands in southern Utah would be managed. It was a thorny issue that environmentalists, developers and federal agencies fought over for years, although it received little public attention.

Bennett came from a line of prominent Utahans. His grandfather, Heber J. Grant, was the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his father, Wallace Bennett, served four terms in the Senate.

The political bug caught Bob Bennett early on. His first elected office was that of student body president at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Bennett is survived by his wife, Joyce, six children and 20 grandchildren.

FILE - In this May 8, 2010 picture, U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, speaks at the 2010 Utah GOP Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. An assistant says former Republican Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah, one of the first incumbents ousted in a national wave of tea party-led anger in 2010, has died. He was 82. (AP Photo/Steve C. Wilson, File)
South Korea's latest online celebrities: Stray cats eating

JANGSEONG, South Korea (AP)  The stars of the latest online trend in South Korea stay out of sight most of the day. Viewers don't seem to mind waiting for hours while nothing happens. When the stray cats finally come to eat the food left out for them, people watching online sit enraptured by their feline charms.

The livestreamed "Cats Meok Bang" show is a twist on an online trend of young South Korean men and women tucking into feasts in real time, while viewers send messages and sometimes virtual cash. In a country where young adults increasingly live and dine alone, the shows have become so popular, some hosts have made small or big fortunes from the virtual cash sent from viewers.

While the stars of those programs seek a rapport with their fans, cat TV has gained viewers despite its uneventfulness. Some avid fans say they quit watching soap operas, reading online news or playing mobile phone game to watch. One says instead of smoking every time he gets stressed at work, watching the cats restores his peace of mind. While cats have generally fascinated the Internet, a show devoted to watching them eat is unusual. But it has helped change negative images of stray cats in South Korea, which has traditionally seen them as thieves.

In this April 29, 2016, image made from video provided by Cat TV host Koo Eun-je, stray cats approach foods prepared by South Korean Koo Eun-je, the 35-year-old host of the online Cat TV, at "a restaurant for cats" in JeollaNamdo, South Korea. The stars of the latest online trend in South Korea are stray cats, eating food left out for them as viewers sit enrapt at their feline charms. Koo's livestreamed Cats Meok Bang show is a twist on an online trend of young South Korean men and women tucking into feasts in real time, while viewers send messages and sometimes virtual cash. In a country where young adults increasingly live and dine alone, the shows have become so popular, some hosts have made small or big fortunes from the virtual cash sent from viewers. (Cat TV host Koo Eun-je via AP) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

"Cats Meok Bang," a mash-up of the Korean words for broadcasting and eating, began by accident. While visiting his mother-in-law in a mountainous village in southwestern Korea, Koo Eun-je saw a cat outside, wondered how it survived and put out leftover fish for it. The next day, the cat was back so Koo kept feeding him, and the others who followed. Finally, he set up a surveillance camera and livestreamed the scene online.

"We started the channel simply for me and my wife to watch, but other viewers also started watching it," the 35-year-old who previously worked as a web designer said in an interview near the lake where he goes bass fishing for the cats. "We guessed that there would be one or two cats, but now it turns out that 17 cats are coming to eat food."

Four months on, 110,000 South Koreans watched the show on a monthly average and more than 10,000 of them have bookmarked the show. Some viewers sent him virtual cash items, which help cover his living expenses and cat food. Others send food and donations to Koo. As his cat TV got popular, at least one copycat show emerged.

Koo has turned the area outside the family home into what he calls "a restaurant for cats." Its decorations change regularly. A chalkboard features the day's menu, and about a dozen cats' nicknames are written on a piece of paper. A fish bowl and trays of food sits on a pink blanked covering the ground. Everything is at a standstill except a pinwheel spinning in the background and small toys, a rubber duck and sometimes hula dancers, in the foreground. Serene music plays from a speaker. Larger toys like a Hello Kitty doll are in the background, and beyond them are rice and pepper farms and a patch of sky.

Sometimes birds fly by. Other times, Koo's mother-in-law is seen sweeping outside the house. Once or twice a day, Koo appears onscreen, replenishing the food.

When a cat finally enters the scene, viewers share their excitement, exchange live chats, call out the cat's name and tell them to eat well.

"They are like unexpected joy suddenly visiting you," said Park Tae-kyung, a 33-year-old computer graphic designer in Seoul. For the past two months, Park said she played the cat TV all day at work on a computer screen and watched the show before going to bed. When she spotted a cat at work, her colleagues rushed to the screen to stare at it.

During the slow hours after patients leave his office, Yoo Young Hoon, a 49-year-old physician in Seoul, said he always plays the cat TV on the screen next to the medical chart. The show has replaced his time on Facebook and his day is full of newfound cat-related activities although he still does not plan to adopt one.

"I was never fond of cats before," he said. "Now when I take a walk after lunch, I go to places where I might run into street cats."

The only game he plays, he said, is Neko Atsume, the popular mobile game where users collect and feed cats.

Unlike dogs that are considered loyal to their owners, cats do not have a positive image in South Korea. Stray cats are called "thief cats" because they are believed to survive by stealing food from humans. They are unwelcomed creatures who scavenge rubbish. Many of South Korea's older generations still view cats as a wicked, untrustworthy animal.

But viewers of the cat TV said they began paying attention to those animals roaming around the street with affection.

"I always walked looking straight ahead. But now once in a while I look down, like beneath a car, to see what kind of cats live near my house," Park said. "When looked closely, those street cats were full of charms."

Fortunately, the reactions from Koo's mostly elderly neighbors were heart-warming.

"They were surprised how devotedly the meals were prepared," Koo, the host of the cat TV, said. "I wish the show would be remembered as a channel that people can blankly stare the cats eating and rid their stress and worries from life."

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The livestream service is available only in Korean on Popkon TV but some past videos can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzxKMM2z5BW11OpFXiUcVyA

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Lee reported from Seoul. She can be reached on Twitter: www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP

Her previous works can be found on: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/youkyung-lee

In this Thursday, April 28, 2016 photo, South Korean Koo Eun-je, the 35-year-old host of the Cat TV, listens to a reporter's questions during an interview in Jangseong, South Korea. Koo's livestreamed Cats Meok Bang show is a twist on an online trend of young South Korean men and women tucking into feasts in real time, while viewers send messages and sometimes virtual cash. In a country where young adults increasingly live and dine alone, the shows have become so popular, some hosts have made small or big fortunes from the virtual cash sent from viewers. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

In this April 28, 2016 photo, South Korean Koo Eun-je, the 35-year-old host of the Cat TV, walks along a lake to try to catch fish for street cats in Jangseong, South Korea. The stars of the latest online trend in South Korea are stray cats, eating food left out for them as viewers sit enrapt at their feline charms. Koo's livestreamed Cats Meok Bang show is a twist on an online trend of young South Korean men and women tucking into feasts in real time, while viewers send messages and sometimes virtual cash. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Community questions delay in Amber Alert for Navajo girl

Several hours after a stranger abducted an 11-year-old Navajo girl as she played near her home, few outside the reservation knew she was missing.

Cellphone alarms jolted New Mexico residents at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, giving the first warning beyond the Navajo Nation to keep watch for Ashlynne Mike and the man who lured her into his van. He took the girl and her brother Monday afternoon soon after they got off the school bus in a desolate stretch of the reservation.

The Amber Alert's delay has drawn sharp criticism from those who believe more could have been done to find Ashlynne alive, while others say issuing it earlier would have made little difference. Officials and community members say it took too long for information to get from the tribe to the outside authorities who could help, wasting precious search time.

Law enforcement officials escort Tom Begaye, left, after he made an initial court appearance Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at Farmington Municipal Court in Farmington N.M. Begaye has been accused of abducting and killing 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike. He faces murder and kidnapping charges. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

"My phone buzzed and I realized that this has gotten really serious. Why did it take so long for the Navajo Nation to issue an Amber Alert?" said Rick Nez, president of the tribe's San Juan Chapter, where Ashlynne lived.

The country's largest American Indian reservation does not have a system to issue its own child abduction alerts, and a fraction of the 566 federally recognized tribes do. In most cases, state authorities coordinate with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to send word about abductions of children in danger of serious injury or death.

Efforts for the Navajo Nation to implement its own alert system have not materialized. The tribe was one of 10 named in a 2007 pilot project through the U.S. Justice Department to expand Amber Alerts into Indian Country.

Heidi Jose, a relative of Ashlynne's, said she has long felt Navajo police are slow to react to reports of missing people and requests for help from residents. She and dozens of others questioned the delay in the time that police learned the girl was missing and when surrounding agencies got word to provide re-enforcement.

"Why is it that they're not snapping their fingers, you know, and saying, 'A child is missing. OK, let's go,'?" Jose said. "This is something that for them  the Navajo police  is a wake-up call."

Navajo police Capt. Bobby Etsitty says the delay stemmed from a lack of information on the abduction and the suspect and from the time it took to notify outside authorities.

Tribal officials didn't know that a man in a maroon van had nabbed the children until the 9-year-old brother arrived at a police station in the New Mexico community of Shiprock, having been picked up by a passer-by. The boy said the man took his sister into the hills and returned without her.

Ashlynne's body was discovered Tuesday morning. Funeral services are scheduled for Friday in Farmington, the same day Tom Begaye Jr. is to appear before a federal judge in Albuquerque. He has been charged with kidnapping and murder in Ashlynne's death.

The investigation began after the children's family reported them missing to police around 6:30 p.m. Monday, said Ashlynne's uncle, Shawn Mike. Her brother showed up at the police station around 7:15 p.m. and struggled to recount the kidnapping.

Shiprock police sent a basic description of the suspect and his vehicle about an hour later: a man with spiky hair in a red van with tinted windows. Authorities didn't know which way it was headed.

About 20 minutes later, an aunt of Ashlynne's went to the Farmington Police Department, frustrated that an Amber Alert had not been issued, police Lt. Taft Tracy said. He called the FBI, which knew of the kidnapping.

The local sheriff's office said it found out by chance around 9:30 p.m. when talking to the bureau about an unrelated case.

"We struggle sometimes with communications between agencies and especially with the Navajo Nation," San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christensen said. "We'll expend all resources when it comes to a child. We want to get that kid back alive."

The FBI handles major crimes in Indian Country when the suspect, victim or both are American Indian. It notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 12:20 a.m. Tuesday of the need for an Amber Alert, and the organization informed New Mexico State Police of the abduction, the center's Robert Lowery Jr. said.

State police had to ensure it met the proper criteria, and an Amber Alert was sent out more than two hours later.

Lowery said the need for an alert intended to rescue a missing child dwindled because tribal police had credible information from Ashlynne's brother that the kidnapper drove off without her.

Crews began looking for her Monday, but the search focused on the opposite side of the highway from where she was found.

Capt. Etsitty said Navajo police followed all protocols in getting an Amber Alert issued. But Navajo President Russell Begaye, no relation to the suspect, acknowledged this week that the tribe needs a more effective response system using modern technology.

Tribal lawmakers are seeking an explanation for the delay.

The case also sparked a renewed effort to ensure officers know how to respond appropriately to child abduction cases and gather information for Amber Alerts, Etsitty said.

"I imagine any and everything could be improved," he said.

This undated photo provided by the New Mexico State Police shows Ashlynne Mike. The air and ground search for the abducted Navajo girl ended tragically Tuesday, May 3, 2016, when authorities found the 11-year-old dead near the towering rock formation that gives the New Mexico town of Shiprock its name. Ashlynne Mike was kidnapped from the Navajo Nation, FBI spokesman Frank Fisher said. (New Mexico State Police via AP)

This photo provided by San Juan County, N.M. Detention Center shows Tom Begaye of Waterflow, N.M. Begaye was arrested in connection with 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike's disappearance and death. The FBI said Mike, was abducted after school on Monday, May 2, 2016 and her body was found the next day. (San Juan County, N.M. Detention Center via AP)

Kynareth Longoria, 7, left, and Letitia Buck, second from left, and other family members mourn for Ashlynne Mike during a vigil for her at the Nenahnezad Chapter House., on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Fruitland, N.M. Tom Begaye Jr. was arrested later Tuesday in the death of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike. He made his first appearance Wednesday before a federal magistrate in Farmington. (Steve Lewis/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

San Juan Chapter President Rick Nez, second from right, walks out of the Farmington Municipal Court building on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 after an initial court hearing for Tom Begaye, who has been accused of abducting and killing 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike. He faces murder and kidnapping charges. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Law enforcement officials escort Tom Begaye, center, after he made an initial court appearance Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at Farmington Municipal Court in Farmington N.M. Begaye has been accused of abducting and killing 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike. He faces murder and kidnapping charges. (Jon Austria /The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

This Tuesday, May 3, 2016 photo community members comfort one another, during a vigil for Ashlynne Mike at the San Juan Chapter House in Lower Fruitland, N.M. The FBI said Ashlynne Mike, was abducted after school on Monday and her body was found the next day. Tom Begaye was arrested in connection with Mike's disappearance and death. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Stirred by Sanders, Democrats shift left on health care

WASHINGTON (AP)  More Democrats seem to be having doubts about the federal health care law, a contentious issue for most of President Barack Obama's tenure and one of the defining elements of his legacy.

With the administration counting down its final year, Sen. Bernie Sanders' call for "Medicare for all" appears to have rekindled aspirations for more ambitious changes beyond "Obamacare."

That poses a challenge for Hillary Clinton, who has argued that the health care law is working and the nation should build on it, not start over.

FILE - In this July 30, 2015 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., waves after speaking at a rally with registered nurses and other community leaders celebrate the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, on Capitol Hill Washington. With the Obama administration counting down its final year, many Democrats are finding less to like about the presidents health care law, unsure about its place among their partys achievements. Sanders call for Medicare for all seems to have rekindled aspirations for bigger changes beyond Obamacare. That poses a challenge for Hillary Clinton, whos argued that the health care law is working and the nation needs to build on it, not start over. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Two recent polls have shown an uptick in negative ratings of the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, and the shift seems to come from Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. For example, in the latest installment of the Kaiser Family Foundation health care poll, the share of Democrats with unfavorable views increased by 6 percentage points.

Underlying the unease seems to be a growing conviction that the law did not do enough. About 27 million people remain uninsured, and many who gained coverage find it costly. Kaiser found that for the first time, a 51-percent majority of Democrats wants to expand what the law does, a sharp increase from the 36 percent who said so in December.

The health care law was a good start "but it doesn't do all the things we need to have done," said Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash.

"I think frankly Bernie's campaign has stirred it up," he added. A longtime advocate of coverage for all, McDermott is supporting Clinton.

Democrats' shifting views could make things tricky for Clinton if she's picked as the nominee over Sanders, which appears likely. Clinton established her commitment to covering the uninsured long ago, during the losing battle for health care legislation in her husband's administration.

Going into the 2016 primary season, she cast herself as the candidate of continuity, promising to defend Obama's health care accomplishments from repeal by Republicans.

Lately she's been stressing changes she'd make to increase coverage, make it more affordable and even encourage states to experiment with government-sponsored alternatives to private health insurance, as Colorado is debating.

"She can't have so many people who are not excited about something and say 'I'm going to continue it for eight more years,'" said Robert Blendon, a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who follows public opinion on health care.

Overall, Democrats still support the Obama health care law by broad margins, especially if the alternative is repealing it. But the nonpartisan polls released last week registered surprising movement.

A Pew Research Center poll found that overall the public disapproves of the law by 54-44 percent, a change from last summer when it found Americans almost evenly divided. Part of the explanation was a 12-point drop in support among Democratic-leaning independents.

Kaiser's April tracking survey found 49 percent of Americans had an unfavorable view of the health law, with 38 percent favorable. That showed slippage from a 47-41 split in March.

Among Democrats, the share of those with unfavorable views went up from 19 percent in March to 25 percent in April. "It's being driven by the Democrats. That's what's so interesting here," said Mollyann Brodie, who directs the Kaiser poll.

Many people covered by the law express mixed feelings.

Karen Rezny of Austin, Texas, says the health care overhaul has saved her life by allowing her to get better quality treatment for advanced breast cancer. She was uninsured when she was first diagnosed, and before the law passed, insurers would have rejected her because of her medical condition.

But as a massage therapist, Rezny struggles with the out-of-pocket costs. She's still paying off bills from last year.

"I feel like the ACA is a step in the right direction, where a lot more work needs to take place," said Rezny.

"There's a problem with the name of the Affordable Care Act," she added. "It is not affordable for some."

Lodiza LePore, a photographer from Bennington, Vermont, is paying about $1,000 a year for a policy with a deductible of more than $3,000. The deductible is the share of medical costs individuals must pay each year before their insurance kicks in.

"You go to the doctor, and you think your insurance is going to cover it, and then you get billed," she said. "You have insurance but you can't really use it."

Former Obama health care aide Ezekiel Emanuel agrees with Clinton that the health law is a success, but it needs more work.

"Some of the compromises and problems that are inherent in the way the ACA works are coming out, and solutions are needed," Emanuel said. "There's no resting on your laurels on this."
NC college system's federal funds in crosshairs of LGBT law

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  North Carolina's prized public universities could be the biggest losers as state leaders defend a new law limiting the rights of LGBT people.

The 17-university system, which includes the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University as well several historically black colleges, risks losing more than $1.4 billion in federal funds if the Republicans who run the Legislature don't reverse the law. The U.S. Justice Department wants an answer by the end of business on Monday.

That deadline was set in letters this week to University of North Carolina leaders, Gov. Pat McCrory and the state's public safety agency, warning that the law violates civil rights protections against sex discrimination in education and employment.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory makes remarks concerning House Bill 2 while speaking during a government affairs conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. A North Carolina law limiting protections to LGBT people violates federal civil rights laws and can't be enforced, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday, putting the state on notice that it is in danger of being sued and losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

If the DOJ follows through on its enforcement threat, tens of thousands of students also could lose around $800 million in federally backed loans that cannot be borrowed to attend institutions that violate Title IX of the federal Civil Rights Act, UNC spokeswoman Joni Worthington said Thursday.

"It's a very big stick," said Katharine Bartlett, the former law school dean at nearby Duke University. "The federal government is giving funds under certain conditions."

State legislative leaders vowed to resist what they describe as Washington's bullying, but it remains to be seen how far they'll go to defend a position compromised by a federal appellate ruling in Virginia last month.

The North Carolina law requires transgender people to use bathrooms and locker rooms conforming with their birth certificates, rather than their gender identity, and leaves LGBT people out of a statewide anti-discrimination code that also bars local governments from providing additional protections.

UNC President Margaret Spellings is two months into her new job, having succeeded Tom Ross, who was pushed out last year after the university system's governing board was overhauled by the state's ascendant Republican leaders. They have been eager to revamp a system that many consider the state's leading bastion of liberal thinkers.

Now, the former Education Secretary to President George W. Bush has found her leadership tested as she steers the UNC system between the conservatives who just appointed her and the federal agency she once led.

Spellings was criticized by LGBT student groups for not doing more to lobby against the law before it was approved in a daylong special session in March. She declared that while the UNC system is obligated to follow the law, campuses need not make any significant changes to comply with it. The law lacks any enforcement mechanism, and the schools will not venture to impose one on their own, she said.

She also said she hoped legislators would change the law, and in yet another statement, she acknowledged that UNC students, faculty and staff are "hurt, angry and even afraid" as a result of the law.

She said the UNC administration's "factual guidance on the requirements of the law has been misinterpreted by many as an endorsement. ... Nothing could be further from the truth."

"This law is sending a chill throughout the University of North Carolina," she continued, harming recruitment and retention, prompting alumni to take back donations, and major conferences to be delayed, canceled or moved out of state.

None of these statements prevented the Justice Department from declaring that UNC remains in violation of federal law  a determination that she said she takes seriously.

It seems unlikely that state and federal authorities will allow the impasse to continue to the point where UNC actually loses this money. While the Education Department has in the past withheld federal funds due to a Title IX violation, in the past decade the agency has reached settlements instead, spokeswoman Dorie Nolt said in an email.

"It's not really in anybody's interest that North Carolina loses," Bartlett said. "Who loses from that? All the children and young adults involved in the education system of North Carolina. A lot of people get hurt."

The DOJ letters cited the appellate ruling protecting a Virginia high school student's right to use bathrooms aligned with his new gender identity, which also applies to North Carolina and other states in the Fourth Circuit.

A similar case in suburban Chicago was settled after the Education Department threatened the loss of millions in federal funding, but a group of parents in that district, in Palatine, Illinois, sued Wednesday to challenge the Obama administration's interpretation of Title IX to include gender identity.

This interpretation is "just beginning to be tested in court," said John Dinan, who teaches about state-federal relations at Wake Forest University.

The conservative legal group that filed the Illinois lawsuit says the Obama administration's position is flawed.

"Title IX is very clear in its plain language that schools can maintain restrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex because this is the only logical way to protect the rights of all students," said Kelly Fiedorek, a lawyer with Alliance Defending Freedom. What the federal agencies are "trying to say is that sex should be interpreted to include gender identity, which is very fluid."

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Follow Emery P. Dalesio on Twitter at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/emery-p-dalesio

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This story has been corrected to reflect that the state law was passed in March, not last month, and that the Justice Department letter cited UNC, not Spellings and the university board, as violating civil rights law.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory pauses while making comments concerning House Bill 2 during a government affairs conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. A North Carolina law limiting protections to LGBT people violates federal civil rights laws and can't be enforced, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday, putting the state on notice that it is in danger of being sued and losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Protesters gather outside the the North Carolina Museum of History as Gov. Pat McCrory make remarks about House Bill 2 during a government affairs conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. A North Carolina law limiting protections to LGBT people violates federal civil rights laws and can't be enforced, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday, putting the state on notice that it is in danger of being sued and losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory makes remarks concerning House Bill 2 while speaking during a government affairs conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. A North Carolina law limiting protections to LGBT people violates federal civil rights laws and can't be enforced, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday, putting the state on notice that it is in danger of being sued and losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Markets Right Now: US stocks end flat after 2 down days

NEW YORK (AP)  The Latest on developments in financial markets (all times local):

4:00 p.m.

U.S. stocks ended the day nearly flat as indexes stabilized after two days of losses.

Energy companies rose with the price of oil and health care stocks advanced. Consumer companies and telecommunications stocks were the biggest decliners.

A number of companies fell after releasing results that didn't impress investors. Electric car maker Tesla sank 5 percent and cereal maker Kellogg fell 3 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 9 points, less than 1 percent, to 17,660. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell a half of a point, to 2,050. The Nasdaq composite fell 8 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,717.

Bond prices didn't move much. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note held steady at 1.78 percent.

11:45 a.m.

The energy sector is leading the stock market higher in midday trading as indexes stabilize after two days of losses.

Apache rose 7 percent Thursday and Newfield Exploration climbed 6 percent.

Several companies were also rising after reporting earnings that beat analysts' forecasts. Discovery Communications rose 5 percent and Allstate added 4 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 60 points, or 0.4 percent, to 17,712.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index added six points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,057. The Nasdaq composite edged up 14 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,740.

The price of U.S. crude oil climbed 3 percent to almost $45 a barrel in New York.

Bond prices didn't move much. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note held steady at 1.78 percent.

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9:40 a.m.

Energy stocks are leading an early gain on Wall Street as the market stabilizes after two days of losses.

Oil producers were rising in early trading Thursday as the price of oil jumped about 3 percent. Newfield Exploration climbed 6 percent.

Several companies were also rising after reporting earnings that beat analysts' forecasts. Discovery Communications and Allstate each rose 5 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 48 points, or 0.3 percent, to 17,697.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index added four points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,055. The Nasdaq composite edged up 10 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,735.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.79 percent.

___

9:40 a.m.

European markets are making solid gains after a difficult start to May that had its roots in concerns over the state of the global economy, primarily the scale of the slowdown in China.

The mood appears to have steadied somewhat in the run-up to Friday's nonfarm payrolls report for April.

The economic data that's come out of the U.S. this week has been mixed, with the private payrolls report from ADP worse than anticipated.

Kit Juckes, a strategist at Societe Generale, is cautioning against reading too much from the ADP release for April as it has a "poor correlation" with the official data and, in any case, the 156,000 jobs it estimated wasn't far off the recent average. "In other words, it tells us very little," Juckes said.
George W. Bush said to be not commenting on Trump victory

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Bush family may not be receptive to any effort by likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to reach out to skeptics in the party.

A spokesman for George W. Bush said Wednesday the former president does "not plan to participate in or comment on" the 2016 presidential race.

The spokesman, Freddy Ford, was responding to an inquiry from The Associated Press about whether Bush planned to support Trump.
NYC workplace protections take effect for family caregivers

NEW YORK (AP)  Workplace protections are now in place for New York City residents who also have caregiving responsibilities at home.

The law, signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in January, took effect Wednesday.

It protects employees from termination, demotion, or denial of promotion because of their status as a family caregiver.

If the law is broken, the worker could recover lost wages or damages.

The mayor calls family caregivers "unsung heroes."

The city's human rights commissioner, Carmelyn Malalis (KAHR'-meh-lihn muh-LAHL'-ihs), says parents and people caring for sick or disabled loved ones are among the hardest workers in the city.

___

Online:

 Caregivers' fact sheet: http://on.nyc.gov/1W8dmsI
Uncertainty over vote on EU membership weighs on UK economy

LONDON (AP)  Uncertainty over Britain's looming vote on whether to remain in the European Union is weighing on the nation's economy, with another key indicator showing Thursday that growth is close to stagnating.

A gauge of activity in the services sector  the so-called Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index  dropped more than expected in April to 52.3 points from 53.7 in March, the lowest since February 2013. The figure is on a 100-point scale, with the level of 50 separating contraction from expansion.

Because nearly 80 percent of Britain's economy is based on services, the drop points a broad-based slowdown.

FILE- In this March 7, 2016 file photo, British Prime Minister David Cameron arrives for an EU summit at the EU Council building in Brussels. Cameron said Wednesday May 4, 2016, advocates of leaving the European Union have not thought through the impact it would have on the economy. (AP Photo/Francois Walschaerts, File)

"Uncertainty emanating from the EU referendum has brought the recovery to its knees," said Samuel Tombs, the chief U.K. economist for Pantheon Macroeconomics.

The pessimism was reflected in two other surveys this week, with contractions in manufacturing activity and a slowdown in construction.

The surveys are closely watched by the Bank of England as an overall gauge of the economy's strength. Chris Williamson, the chief economist at financial information provider Markit, said the surveys show growth grinding to a near halt after the economy expanded by a quarterly 0.4 percent in the first three months of 2016.

"The deterioration in April pushes the surveys into territory which has in the past seen the Bank of England start to worry about the need to revive growth, either by cutting interest rates or through non-standard measures such as quantitative easing," Williamson said. Quantitative easing is a form of stimulus in which a central bank typically buys bonds from banks as a way to boost lending.

The surveys revived worry about a country still struggling to overcome the lingering impact of the 2008 financial crisis. James Sproule, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, argued that underlying factors besides a possible British exit from the EU  or "Brexit"  may be feeding into a "less than rosy economic picture."
Italy: Don't want to take migrants? Then you pay

ROME (AP)  A top aide to Italian Premier Matteo Renzi says Rome supports a proposal by the European Union's executive to fine nations for refusing migrants they were supposed to accept.

Fewer than 600 of 40,000 asylum-seekers who were supposed to be relocated from Italy to other EU countries have been transferred since October.

On Thursday, the European Commission proposed that countries refusing to accept migrants should face fines of 250,000 euros ($287,000) per person rejected.

Migrants and refugees crowd the tracks of a railway station used as a makeshift camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, May 5, 2016. The European Union pressed ahead Wednesday with efforts to persuade Turkey to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe and take back thousands more by offering Turkish citizens the prospect of visa-free travel within the bloc. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Undersecretary for European Affairs Sandro Gozi said Thursday that Italy backs the proposal.

He says it's "unacceptable" some didn't honor their obligation to accept asylum-seekers who were supposed to be relocated from Italy, Greece and Hungary.

A child flies a kite near a fence at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, May 5, 2016. The European Union pressed ahead Wednesday with efforts to persuade Turkey to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe and take back thousands more by offering Turkish citizens the prospect of visa-free travel within the bloc. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Mohammed Majd Nasser, right, sits with his relatives leaving for the camp of Ladakia at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, May 5, 2016. The European Union pressed ahead Wednesday with efforts to persuade Turkey to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe and take back thousands more by offering Turkish citizens the prospect of visa-free travel within the bloc. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Dozens of billboards honoring Stalin put up in Russian city

MOSCOW (AP)  Billboards honoring Soviet dictator Josef Stalin have appeared across Russia's third-largest city ahead of Monday's celebration of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

The Communist Party branch in Novosibirsk said it put up dozens of the billboards ahead of Victory Day to honor Stalin as commander in chief of the Soviet forces that defeated the Nazis.

A party statement said war veterans were pleased the party "is restoring historical justice."

People walk past the poster with WWII Soviet dictator Josef Stalin which was sponsored by local branch of the Communist Party celebrating Victory Day in Novosibirsk, Russia, Thursday, May 5, 2016, about 2800 kms (1,750 miles) east of Moscow. Russia celebrates victory in WWII on May 9. (AP Photo/Ilnar Salakhiev)

Scholars estimate that under Stalin more than 1 million people were executed in political purges. Millions more died in the vast prison camp system or as a result of mass starvation and deportations.

But an increasing number of Russians now admire Stalin as a strong leader who led their country to victory and stood up to the West.

Russian Air Force aerobatic teams "Strizhi" (Swifts) on MiG-29 and "Russian Knights" on Su-27 fly over Moscow's Kremlin during a general rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade which will take place at Moscow's Red Square on May 9 to celebrate 71 years after the victory in WWII in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Russian military helicopters fly over Ivan the Great bell-tower and Moscow's Kremlin during a general rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade which will take place at Moscow's Red Square on May 9 to celebrate 71 years after the victory in WWII in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
Woody Allen says he's made wife Soon-Yi Previn's life better

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Woody Allen says in a revealing interview that he has made wife Soon-Yi Previn's life better and the controversy that surrounded the couple in the 1990s hasn't traumatized him.

Allen tells The Hollywood Reporter in an interview posted online Wednesday that the 45-year-old Previn had a difficult upbringing in South Korea before being adopted by Allen's former girlfriend Mia Farrow. Allen says he has "been able to really make her life better" by providing her with "enormous opportunities." He tells the magazine that she's "very sophisticated" now and has "become a different person."

The 80-year-old director adds that he stayed "immune" from the criticism surrounding the beginning of their relationship by continuing to work.

FILE - In this July 15, 2015, file photo, director Woody Allen and wife Soon-Yi Previn attend a special screening of "Irrational Man", hosted by The Cinema Society and Fiji Water, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Allen told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview posted online on May 4, 2016, that he has made wife Previns life better and the controversy that surrounded the couple in the 1990s hasnt traumatized him. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file)
Autopsy: Slain Georgia college student was stabbed 4 times

ATLANTA (AP)  A student killed on his college campus in central Georgia as he tried to help three female students was stabbed four times in the upper torso, an autopsy found.

Former student Joseph Anthony Scott is accused of stabbing freshman Donnell Phelps with a pocket knife with a 3 1/2-inch blade at Fort Valley State University, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent J.T. Ricketson told The Telegraph (bit.ly/1T3f0LM) in Macon.

The attack happened late Tuesday afternoon as students prepared for final exams.

Fort Valley State University President Paul Jones speaks during a news conference on the stabbing death of freshman student Donnell M. Phelps in Fort Valley, Ga., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Joseph Anthony Scott, 24, fatally stabbed Phelps and wounded campus public safety officer Ernest Johnson. (Jason Vorhees/The Telegraph via AP)

Scott, 24, faces charges including murder and aggravated assault in the death of Phelps, 19, and an attack on a campus security officer.

The officer, Ernest Johnson, was stabbed seven times but is expected to survive, Ricketson said at a news conference Wednesday.

Police say Scott was harassing and groping three young women near the school cafeteria, and Phelps came to their aid by trying to intervene. Scott began stabbing Phelps, who collapsed on the ground near the school's infirmary and later died, police said.

Scott then ran toward the college's main gate and attacked Johnson, who was unaware that Phelps had been stabbed moments earlier, police said.

A university employee, Donavon Coley, separated Scott from the security officer and helped restrain him until police arrived, authorities said. After Scott was taken into custody, he kicked out a window of a campus police vehicle, Ricketson told the newspaper.

The freshman class planned a candlelight vigil to remember Phelps at 7 p.m. Thursday on the campus, about 30 miles southwest of Macon.

Phelps was an agriculture engineering technology student from nearby Marshallville, Georgia, who graduated from Macon County High School in 2015.

A small piece of crime scene tape is still tied to the sign out front of the Florence J. Hunt Infirmary at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Ga., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Freshman student Donnell M. Phelps was fatally stabbed by 24-year-old Joseph Anthony Scott after coming to the aid of at least three young women who were being harassed by Scott on campus Tuesday. (Jason Vorhees/The Telegraph via AP)
Some howl over Alibaba's place in anti-counterfeiting group

SHANGHAI (AP)  The prospect of sitting in a Hyatt Regency ballroom in Florida and listening to Jack Ma, founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, deliver the keynote for the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition's conference this month did not sit well with Michael Kors' general counsel. In fact, Ma's imminent speech  and the IACC's April decision to welcome Alibaba as a new member  so incensed the U.S. luxury brand that it severed its longstanding connection with the Washington-based industry group.

"IACC has chosen to provide cover to our most dangerous and damaging adversary," Lee Sporn, general counsel for Michael Kors, wrote in an April 21 letter to the IACC executive board. Sporn said employees would be banned from attending IACC events as long as Alibaba is a member, and ordered the brand's name scrubbed from all IACC materials.

The letter offers a rare glimpse of the deep loathing one of China's most successful global companies can provoke. The controversy sparked by Alibaba's inclusion in the IACC, which counts Apple, 21st Century Fox and Procter & Gamble among its more than 250 members, calls fresh attention to the role Alibaba plays in the multibillion-dollar global counterfeiting industry  a question that has become more pressing as the company pushes to take its e-commerce juggernaut global.

In this March 19, 2016 photo, Jack Ma, executive chairman of the Alibaba Group, listens to a speaker during a panel discussion held as part of the China Development Forum at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. The International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition's decision to welcome Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba as a new member - and allow founder Jack Ma to make the keynote speech at its May 2016 conference - so incensed the U.S. luxury retailer Michael Kors that it severed its longstanding connection with the Washington-based industry group. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

To supporters, Alibaba embodies the best of Chinese capitalism, providing livelihoods to multitudes of entrepreneurs who set up shop on the company's e-commerce platforms. For many, Ma is a folk hero, a self-made billionaire who couldn't get a job at Kentucky Fried Chicken but managed to transform an idea hatched in his modest living room into the largest IPO in history. Detractors, however, say he built his empire on a foundation of fakes, and that his U.S.-listed company continues to facilitate large-scale, global criminal enterprise.

"Alibaba's strategy has consistently been to provide lip service to supporting brand enforcement efforts, while doing as little as possible to impede the massive flow of counterfeit merchandise on its platforms," Sporn wrote in the letter, first reported by The Wall Street Journal last week and obtained by The Associated Press. "By admitting Alibaba as a member and applauding Mr. Ma's appearance at the Spring Conference, you give Mr. Ma a powerful tool to speak to brand owners and regulators about his efforts to work collaboratively and effectively with brand owners  in the experience of many of your members a shockingly brazen lie."

Alibaba on Thursday reported $3.7 billion in quarterly revenue, a 39 percent jump from the prior year period, and a whopping 423 million active buyers a year. It maintains that it diligently fights fakes, employing hundreds of full-time anti-counterfeiting staff and spending tens of millions to purge its platforms of counterfeit goods.

Alibaba said in an emailed statement that IACC membership would allow it to work more closely with brands to enforce intellectual-property rights.

"The war against counterfeits can only be won when all industry players join forces," Alibaba said. "We are part of the solution."

But frustration with Alibaba's anti-counterfeiting efforts has been building.

In December, the United States Trade Representative warned it was "increasingly concerned" that large quantities of counterfeit goods are still sold through Alibaba's platforms and that enforcement operations are too slow, difficult and opaque. Some brand owners go even further. Gucci America also a member of IACC  alleges in a lawsuit that despite Ma's tough talk on fakes, the sale of counterfeit goods is, in fact, part of Alibaba's core business. Alibaba dismisses the case as "wasteful litigation." The Kering Group, which includes Gucci, declined to comment.

"Alibaba can be a force for evil or a force for good," said Dan Plane, a director at Simone IP Services, a Hong Kong intellectual property consultancy that is also a member of the IACC. "If you don't let them in the room and hold their feet to the fire," he added, "you're missing an opportunity."

Still, he conceded, "It's taking a risk. You can imagine people bringing rotten eggs and tomatoes to the event with Jack Ma and saying, 'Do you know how much you're costing us each year?'"

The IACC board, in an April 29 letter to members obtained by the AP, noted that it created a special category of membership for Alibaba, which is subject to annual review and is barred from holding leadership roles or voting.

The board wrote that the intellectual-property community and Alibaba "are keenly aware that the platforms' problems remain severe." It said Alibaba's membership "is an acknowledgement of a mutual commitment by the IACC and Alibaba to continue their engagement to find effective solutions to rights-holders' concerns."

Alibaba is already a member of the International Trademark Association, which says it has more than 6,700 members  including Michael Kors, which declined to comment for this story.

Alibaba "hired a lobbyist and are giving speeches, they're joining organizations. That's progressive, but it's also smoke," said Rick Helfenbein, president of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, which has lobbied U.S. authorities to sanction Alibaba. "They have yet, in our eyes, to exhibit the will" to fight counterfeiting, he said. "Anything else they do really doesn't much matter."

The French intellectual property protection group Unifab has also expressed doubts about IACC's decision to admit Alibaba, though the group did invite Jack Ma to speak at a conference in February. Alibaba ended up sending Matthew Bassiur, head of global intellectual property enforcement, instead.

Unifab's director general, Delphine Sarfati-Sobreira, said her members were still waiting for "convincing results further to the promises made by Alibaba."

The IACC says it vets members, but a second controversial company has found its way onto the membership roster: Sinofaith IP Group. Three of the investors in the Shanghai-based investigations company were at the center of a 2009 lawsuit brought by Swiss power technology giant ABB Asea Brown Boveri, the AP showed in an investigation last year .

Before joining Sinofaith, the men were top executives at an investigations company called China United Intellectual Property Protection Center. China United employed a woman who was caught selling fake ABB circuit breakers  even as she accepted money from ABB for anti-counterfeiting work. Chinese judges acknowledged the double-dealing but exonerated upper management, and ABB lost the suit. China United closed after the litigation, and its principals went on to invest in and help run Sinofaith, according to corporate filings.

Sinofaith also advertised as clients major brands including GE, Toyota, 3M and Nike, which had not given the firm permission to use their name or no longer worked with the company, the AP found.

Sinofaith executives did not respond immediately to requests for comment. IACC president Robert Barchiesi declined to comment.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Simone IP Services is an intellectual property consultancy, not a law firm.

In this April 29, 2015 photo, staff members hand out brochures to visitors at the Alibaba Group's booth at the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing. The International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition's decision to welcome Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba as a new member - and allow founder Jack Ma to make the keynote speech at its May 2016 conference - so incensed the U.S. luxury retailer Michael Kors that it severed its longstanding connection with the Washington-based industry group. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

FILE - In this Oct. 12, 2012 file photo, women shop in the Michael Kors section of Macy's shoe department in New York. The International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition's decision to welcome Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba as a new member - and allow founder Jack Ma to make the keynote speech at its May 2016 conference - so incensed the U.S. luxury retailer Michael Kors that it severed its longstanding connection with the Washington-based industry group. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 18, 2015 file photo, Alibaba founder Jack Ma speaks at the CEO Summit, attended by 800 business leaders from around the region representing U.S. and Asia-Pacific companies, in Manila, Philippines, ahead of the start of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition's decision to welcome Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba as a new member - and allow founder Jack Ma to make the keynote speech at its May 2016 conference - so incensed the U.S. luxury retailer Michael Kors that it severed its longstanding connection with the Washington-based industry group. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
1 dead in South Carolina after crash during deputy chase

STARR, S.C. (AP)  Sheriff's deputies say one person is dead after a wreck in South Carolina following a chase where speeds topped 100 mph.

Anderson County Sheriff's Lt. Sheila Cole told local media outlets that a deputy was chasing a burglary suspect early Thursday when the person being chased crashed near Starr.

Cole said a suspect rammed the vehicle through the front glass doors of a convenience store shortly after 1:30 a.m., took some items and left. A deputy called to the store saw the suspect leaving.

The vehicle crashed minutes later. The driver was the only person in the car and was thrown from the vehicle.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the wreck.
Uganda government bans press coverage of protest movement

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP)  Uganda's government on Thursday banned media coverage of a protest movement against the disputed re-election of the country's long-time president.

A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday ordered a ban on live press coverage of a "defiance campaign" by opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who claims he won the presidential polls in February, Information Minister Jim Muhwezi told reporters in Uganda's capital, Kampala. The ban appears to be aimed at local television stations that have been broadcasting protests.

"This serves as a last warning," he said, adding that media outlets that defy the ban risk having their licenses revoked.

A Ugandan judge last week issued a temporary order stopping the protest events, but that decision has been criticized by rights activists as well as the Uganda Law Society, which urged the judiciary "not to lend itself to conduct that appears to undermine the enjoyment of human rights and freedoms."

In asserting the ban of live coverage of protest events, however, Ugandan officials including the attorney general and the police chief  on Thursday cited the judge's order and said those who don't like it can appeal.

Besigye's party has been holding prayer sessions every Tuesday that are widely seen as a new form of anti-government protest. The security forces have repeatedly been deployed around Kampala, including outside the home of Besigye, to foil street protests. On Thursday police fired tear gas to disperse a small group of opposition supporters who had gathered in downtown Kampala.

"It is a very worrying trend to the effect that liberties are being eroded gradually," said Livingstone Sewanyana of the Kampala-based group Foundation for Human Rights Initiative.

"The Ugandan government's decision to ban live broadcast coverage of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change's activities, although manifestly unlawful, fits the now depressingly familiar pattern of restricting freedom of expression in a bid to muzzle opposition voices," said Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International's deputy regional director for the East African region.
State's attorney asks to step aside from Chicago police case

CHICAGO (AP)  Cook County's embattled state's attorney asked a judge Thursday to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case against a white Chicago police officer she didn't charge until more than a year after he shot a black teenager 16 times.

In a motion that surprised civil rights attorneys who were set to continue their push to force Anita Alvarez off the case, her office filed a motion to have someone else prosecute Officer Jason Van Dyke, who is charged with first-degree murder in the October 2014 killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Alvarez was voted out of office under withering criticism of her handling of the case and is leaving office in December. She didn't charge Van Dyke until hours before the court-ordered November 2015 release of the dashcam video.

Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, charged with first-degree murder in the October 2014 shooting death of a black teenager, sits in court for a hearing in his case at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago, Thursday, May 5, 2016. Anita Alzarez, Cook County's embattled state's attorney, has asked a judge to appoint a special prosecutor in the case. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)

On Thursday, even as she was asking off the case, Alvarez continued to defend herself against allegations that her close political relationship with the police officers' union created a conflict of interest and made her reluctant to pursue criminal cases against officers in misconduct and shooting cases.

She explained her reason for asking off the case in a statement: "I believe that the results of the recent election and the impending transition of this office make this the best and most responsible decision."

If Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan approves her motion, as is widely expected, it would clear the way for the appointment of an outside prosecutor, which activists and civil rights attorneys have demanded. Gaughan said he would announce his decision on June 2.

After the hearing, the attorneys who had been trying to force Alvarez's removal from the case said they hoped that the judge would appoint an independent prosecutor who is not affiliated with Alvarez' office or that of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

"There is, as a matter of reality, a close nexus in terms of personnel and in terms of non-aggressiveness in these matters between the state's attorney and the (state) attorney general's office," said lawyer Locke Bowman, who represents a coalition trying to have Alvarez removed from the case.

Madigan's office didn't immediately respond to a phone request for comment.

The release of the dashcam video showing Van Dyke shooting McDonald over and over led to major protests and federal and local investigations of the police department. It also prompted Mayor Rahm Emanuel to fire the police superintendent, Garry McCarthy.

Alvarez has defended her office's handling of the case, which she has called very complicated, and her record in filing charges against police officers. But the timing of her announcement of charges  just hours before the court-ordered release of the video  helped feed accusations of a cover-up by the department and Alvarez's office.

On Thursday, Alvarez expressed hope that by handing over the case to a special prosecutor, she might help restore faith in the legal system.

"It is my greatest hope that the citizens of Chicago who have been shocked and polarized by this crime and this tragedy will understand and welcome this decision," she said.

Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, right, who is charged with first-degree murder in the October 2014 shooting death of a black teenager, stands with his attorney Dan Herbert before a judge during a hearing in his case at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. Anita Alzarez, Cook County's embattled state's attorney, has asked a judge to appoint a special prosecutor in the case. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)

FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2015 file photo, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez talks to reporters in Chicago. Alvarez asked a judge Thursday May, 5, 2016 to appoint a special prosecutor in the case of a white Chicago police officer who shot a black teenager 16 times. Alvarez has faced months of criticism over her handling of the case and why it took more than a year to bring charges. If a judge approves her motion to recuse her office, it would clear the way for an outside prosecutor. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

FILE - In this March 23, 2016 file photo, Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke, charged with murder in the 2014 videotaped shooting death of black teenager Laquan McDonald, walks in a courtroom during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. The attorney for Van Dyke has asked for sheriff's deputies to guard the officer as he enters and exits court. The judge could rule on those requests during a hearing Thursday, May 5, 2016. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool, File)
Myanmar anti-Muslim activist arrested for post about Suu Kyi

YANGON, Myanmar (AP)  A prominent anti-Muslim activist has been arrested for posting a provocative statement on Facebook about Myanmar's army commander and the country's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, the head of a Buddhist nationalist group and a human rights lawyer said Thursday.

Nay Myo Wai, chairman of Yangon based Peace and Diversity Party, was arrested Wednesday after a complaint was filed against him for a Facebook posting falsely claiming that army commander Min Aung Hliang had not seized power because he wanted to marry Suu Kyi.

He could face up to three years in jail and a fine if convicted of using a telecommunications network to extort, threaten, obstruct, defame, disturb, inappropriately influence or intimidate. The suit was filed by Wai Yan Aung, an executive member of the Burma Teachers' Federation.

Suu Kyi's government, which took power at the end of March, has been cautious in dealing with the widespread anti-Muslim sentiment, which has been spearheaded by nationalist Buddhist monks. The issue became a major problem when violence broke out in 2013 in the western state of Rakhine between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims.

Nationalists assert that the Rohingya do not represent a legitimate domestic minority, but are rather illegal immigrants who should be called Bengalis.

The previous military-backed government did virtually nothing to curb the sometimes violent sentiment against the Rohingya and other Muslims.

Nay Myo Wai has had a high profile in several demonstrations held with Buddhist monks, including one last week protesting the U.S. Embassy's use of the term "Rohingya." He has made public presentations of atrocity photos trying to link Muslims with terrorists, and last year issued death threats to Myanmar journalists who reported about an anti-U.N. rally in Yangon.

Win Ko Ko Lat, chairman of the Myanmar National Network, a Buddhist organization, said he believed the arrest of Nay Myo Wai was unfair because it was not confirmed that the Facebook account was controlled by him and he was not the sort of person to insult others.

"We will try to get him out," he said.

Human rights lawyer Robert San Aung, who represented many clients who faced political charges under the previous military-backed government, supported the arrest.
Spanish court seeks arrest of Putin-linked Russians

MADRID (AP)  A Spanish judge wants two senior Russian officials with links to the Kremlin arrested so they can be questioned in court about suspected money laundering and criminal association.

National court judge Jose de la Mata Amaya has issued international arrest warrants for Nikolai Aulov, deputy director of Russia's federal drug control agency, and Vladislav Reznik, who is a member of parliament's lower house for the main Kremlin party and deputy chairman of its financial markets committee. Both men are viewed as allies of President Vladimir Putin.

They are among 15 suspects in a years long investigation into alleged Russian mafia activities in Spain, according to court documents released this week. The court said their whereabouts are not known.

The judge handed down his ruling in January. A national court spokesman said the case was never placed under judicial secrecy after the arrest orders were issued on Jan. 22 but it only became publicly known after Spain's El Mundo on Tuesday published a story based on documents outlining the judge's order.

The spokesman said he did not know whether those named in the document had Spanish lawyers. He spoke on condition of anonymity, in keeping with court policy.

The Russian federal drug control agency said the Spanish judge's decision to seek Aulov's arrest was "legally unprofessional, a political hit job and perhaps connected with drug mafia revenge," the state RIA Novosti news agency reported.

A lawyer for Reznik, Alexander Gofshtein, also has described the case as being politically driven.

The judge ordered that three suspects should be held without bail if they are captured. The others, including Aulov and Reznik, are to be brought to Spain for questioning so that a judge can determine whether they should also be held pending a possible trial.

If they are in Russia, however, that is unlikely since Russia's constitution bars the extradition of Russian citizens to other countries.

____

Lynn Berry in Moscow contributed to this report. Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

____
The Latest: Autopsy shows slain student was stabbed 4 times

ATLANTA (AP)  The Latest on the stabbing death of a Fort Valley State University student in central Georgia (all times local):

9:15 a.m.

Authorities say an autopsy shows that a student killed on his college campus in central Georgia was stabbed four times in the upper torso.

A small piece of crime scene tape is still tied to the sign out front of the Florence J. Hunt Infirmary at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Ga., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Freshman student Donnell M. Phelps was fatally stabbed by 24-year-old Joseph Anthony Scott after coming to the aid of at least three young women who were being harassed by Scott on campus Tuesday. (Jason Vorhees/The Telegraph via AP)

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent J.T. Ricketson tells The Telegraph (bit.ly/1T3f0LM) in Macon that former student Joseph Anthony Scott is accused of stabbing freshman Donnell Phelps with a pocket knife with a 3 1/2-inch blade.

The 24-year-old Scott faces charges including murder and aggravated assault in the death of the 19-year-old Phelps and an attack on a campus security officer, who is expected to survive.

Police say Scott was harassing and groping three young women near the school cafeteria Tuesday, and Phelps came to their aid by trying to intervene. They say Scott began stabbing Phelps, who collapsed on the ground near the school's infirmary and later died.

_____

7:30 a.m.

A candlelight vigil is planned to remember a Georgia college freshman who was stabbed to death at Fort Valley State University as he tried to help three female students.

School officials say the freshman class plans the vigil for 19-year-old Donnell Phelps at 7 p.m. Thursday on the campus, about 30 miles southwest of Macon in central Georgia.

Twenty-four-year-old former student Joseph Anthony Scott faces charges including murder and aggravated assault in Phelps' death and an attack on a campus security officer, who is expected to survive.

Police say Scott was harassing and groping three young women near the school cafeteria Tuesday, and Phelps came to their aid by trying to intervene. They say Scott pulled out a pocket knife and began stabbing Phelps, who collapsed on the ground near the school's infirmary and later died.

Fort Valley State University President Paul Jones speaks during a news conference on the stabbing death of freshman student Donnell M. Phelps in Fort Valley, Ga., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Joseph Anthony Scott, 24, fatally stabbed Phelps and wounded campus public safety officer Ernest Johnson. (Jason Vorhees/The Telegraph via AP)
Brazil's high court suspends house speaker, foe of president

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Brazil's top court voted unanimously Thursday to suspend the scandal-tainted leader of the lower house of Congress from his duties.

Chamber of Deputies Speaker Eduardo Cunha, one of the most powerful politicians in Brazil, is accused of corruption and obstruction of justice.

A nemesis of President Dilma Rousseff, Cunha began the impeachment case that now has the Senate considering whether to put her on trial.

FILE - In this April 26, 2016 file photo, a demonstrator hold a sign that reads in Portuguese "1,314,003 people require the mandate of Eduardo Cunha be annulled" during a protest against the president of House Speaker Eduardo Cunha, before the ethics committee of the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia, Brazil. Cunha was named among many top officials to be investigated for corruption by the Supreme Court, authorized by Brazil's attorney general according to Brazilian news reports on Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)

Justice Teori Zavascki stripped Cunha of his duties early in the day, then the 10 other justices voted to back that move.

Cunha said at a news conference that he will appeal the decision and won't resign. He called the decision "strange" and "a political retaliation" for his opposition to Rousseff and her Worker's Party.

"It is obvious that there is a political process behind this," Cunha said. "But, God willing, we will end this next Wednesday. God willing the president will have to step away."

The Senate is scheduled to vote Wednesday on whether to put Rousseff on trial for possible removal from office, which would result in her suspension during the proceeding.

The Supreme Court's decision was based on a request made in December by chief prosecutor Rodrigo Janot.

Janot, who called Cunha "a criminal" in his accusation, alleges the speaker used his position to obstruct investigations against him involving corruption at state-run oil giant Petrobras and at the lower house's ethics committee.

Justice Luis Roberto Barroso said the decision to interfere in another branch of government was harsh, but needed. "I don't want to live in a different country. I want to live in a different Brazil," he said while casting his vote.

Outside the Supreme Court, fireworks erupted as the majority vote needed to suspend Cunha was reached.

Zavascki said that because the speaker is under investigation, he is unfit to be in line for the presidency should Rousseff be impeached.

If the Senate accepts charges against the embattled leader next week, Vice President Michel Temer, an ally of Cunha's, is set to take over. The speaker is next in line, but the Supreme Court's ruling prevents Cunha from filling in if needed.

Cunha has been leading the effort to oust Rousseff over allegations she used budget tricks to hide government deficits that have contributed to the worst recession in decades for Latin America's largest economy.

An impeachment measure passed overwhelmingly last month in the Chamber of Deputies, much thanks to Cunha's lead, and is now before the Senate.

The speaker's suspension has no direct impact on the vote, but Solicitor General Jose Eduardo Cardozo said he would cite it as the basis for a new appeal to the Supreme Court seeking to annul the impeachment process. Cardozo said he will argue that Cunha abused his office to seek revenge against adversaries, including Rousseff.

Speaking earlier at a dam inauguration in the Amazon state of Para, Rousseff called Cunha "shameless" for leading the impeachment process against her.

"Better late than never," she said of his suspension.

While the decision might have come too late for supporters of Rousseff and her Worker's Party, it's sure to be celebrated in many circles.

"Cunha is the only person that brings Brazil together" in shared contempt, said Francisco Fonseca, a political analyst at the Fundacao Getulio Vargas think tank.

A poll by the respected Datafolha institute in April found 77 percent of Brazilians wanted Cunha to step down or be stripped of his mandate. That was even more than the percentage of Brazilians who wanted to see Rousseff (61 percent) or Temer (58 percent) impeached.

A group of Cunha-allied lawmakers signed a letter of support saying the speaker's suspension caused "a great institutional crisis." But other legislators celebrated the suspension in a raucous session.

A few have started talking about Cunha's succession, since his deputy Waldir Maranhao is also accused of corruption.

Besides obstruction of justice charges, Cunha faces several corruption allegations. In March, prosecutors accused him of corruption and money laundering for his role in negotiating contracts for drill ships, including a payment of $5 million.

Swiss prosecutors say Cunha owned secret bank accounts at Julius Baer bank, which he has never declared to Brazilian officials. In December, those accounts had 2.4 million Swiss francs, according to local reports.

Brazilian investigators say they believe those funds are connected to corruption with a Petrobras oil field operation in Benin. Cunha has said the funds came from selling canned meat in African countries in the 1980s and he is only the beneficiary of the account, not its owner.

Brazilian investigators say Cunha also has held undeclared accounts in the United States since 1990, with funds of more than $20 million.

A senator-turned-government witness said Cunha and the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party were paid more than $10 million by BTG Pactual bank to get an executive order approved by the lower house.

In court testimony from a lobbyist who pleaded guilty in the case, Cunha is accused of being paid bribes worth more than $12 million from constructors Odebrecht, OAS and Carioca to renovate Rio's port area ahead of the Olympic Games.

Despite all these charges, Cunha managed to stall the Chamber of Deputies' ethics committee, which has not gone far in investigations against him.
Cruz's strong 2016 run may enhance his conservative clout

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  In finishing the Republican presidential race well ahead of Donald Trump's other rivals, Ted Cruz is likely to be a leading GOP voice for the foreseeable future.

Less clear is whether Cruz harnesses that clout to boost Trump's White House bid  after all the bad blood between them  or simply solidifies his place as a champion of conservative causes, Senate troublemaker and star of Texas politics.

"There's no question" Cruz remains No. 1 in Texas despite falling to Trump nationally, says political consultant Matt Mackowiak, who's based in the state.

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a primary night campaign event, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

"There's no bigger draw, there's no one whose endorsement means more, there's no one who has a larger organization," Mackowiak said. "To me right now, he is the Texas leader, and the national leader, of the conservative movement. That wasn't the case when the race started."

In the Senate, Cruz infuriated leaders in both parties instead of working cooperatively on legislation and other issues. He incited House conservatives, who helped take down John Boehner as House speaker, and he can be expected to resume those allegiances, and his show-horse ways, in using the Senate as a platform for a possible 2020 presidential bid.

"Clearly, he didn't come here to remain in the Senate," John Cornyn, Texas' senior senator and Senate majority whip, recently told a Dallas TV station. "He came here to run for president."

During his White House campaign, Cruz reveled in, rather than toned down, his bomb-throwing mentality, an approach that left many Republican colleagues disdainful of him when he was the last viable alternative to Trump.

As a mostly powerless first-term senator, though, Cruz used his short time in Washington before running for president to frame contentious national issues in ways that boosted his political career. His all-night quasi-filibuster failed to stop President Barack Obama's health care law but caused a national stir. The 2013 government shutdown he helped force didn't advance GOP goals but made Cruz a hero in conservative grassroots circles.

Brendan Steinhauser, a former tea party organizer who later managed Cornyn's 2014 re-election campaign, said Cruz can succeed with more of the same: "I think he has to continue to fight and be who he is."

"There's obviously a lot more people paying attention to him as a senator," Steinhauser said. "I think he's got some political capital. It's how you decide to spend it."

Meantime Cruz's place atop the political heap in the largest conservative state is secure. Both Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick enthusiastically endorsed his presidential bid.

Cruz isn't expected to face a serious Republican primary challenge when he's up for Senate re-election in 2018. The primary race is probably the only one that will matter because a Democrat hasn't won statewide office in Texas in 21 years.

Patrick served as the Cruz campaign's Texas chairman and suggested that if Trump wins the presidency, he should tap Cruz to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.

"It is my hope that after a few weeks, Trump and Cruz meet," Patrick wrote on Facebook. "The race between the two had been very heated but I hope they can mend fences sooner than later."

An immediate endorsement from Cruz seems unlikely. Cruz didn't mention the now presumptive Republican presidential nominee during his concession speech Tuesday, which came hours after Cruz unloaded on Trump, calling him "utterly amoral," a "pathological liar" and a "serial philanderer."

Cruz's relationship with Trump worsened during the presidential campaign. After calling him "terrific" and avoiding conflict as some of the other GOP White House contenders criticized the front-runner and saw their popularity plummet, Cruz finally went after the billionaire in January. But Cruz saved his harshest and most personal words for the morning of what turned out to be his last day as a candidate.

Cruz could have continued campaigning through the end of the Republican primary season, but weeks of facing more harsh criticism from Trump might have tarnished him before a possible second presidential bid  especially if Hillary Clinton wins the White House in November.

Not endorsing Trump could prove wise should the New Yorker lose the general election handily. Cruz supporter Shak Hill, who ran for U.S. Senate in Virginia in 2014, said he'd rather not hear Cruz mention Trump again.

"For Senator Cruz, and other like-minded conservatives like me, a short-term endorsement would violate a longtime principle and fight," Hill said. He said Cruz should not speak in opposition to Trump "but I would absolutely not endorse. Principles matter."

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Man sues Connecticut police, city for mistaken arrests

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP)  A Connecticut man is suing the city of Bridgeport and its police department after he was arrested three times and was detained in a repeated case of mistaken identity.

The Connecticut Post reports (http://bit.ly/1W9KOPB ) Pedro Martinez filed the suit Tuesday in Bridgeport federal court following numerous run-ins with police officers who mistook him for another Pedro Martinez wanted in Texas.

The lawsuit states that after Martinez's third arrest in August 2015, Bridgeport officers refused to compare his fingerprints with the Martinez from Texas and kept him in custody. Martinez was arraigned on criminal charges, but was later released by a Superior Court judge because his fingerprints didn't match the wanted man.

Attorney Robert Berke says the illegal detainment violated his client's civil rights.

Bridgeport officials declined to comment.

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Image of Asia: Directing traffic on a North Korean street

In this photo by Wong Maye-E, a traffic policewoman directs vehicles at a street junction in front of a sidewalk decorated with Workers' Party flags in Pyongyang, North Korea. Members of North Korea's ruling party have gathered in Pyongyang ahead of their biggest political conference in decades. Foreign experts say North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un will likely use the meeting to place his loyalists into key positions, strengthen his push to upgrade his country's nuclear arsenal and cement his grip on power.
Global, local leaders vow hard work against temperature rise

WASHINGTON (AP)  International leaders and local officials on Thursday pledged to work hard to stem the rise of global temperatures by investing in public transportation and electric cars, planting trees and switching to solar energy.

At a climate action summit, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged governments, businesses and civil society to make good on the landmark climate agreement concluded late last year in Paris by more than 170 countries. The deal aims to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with preindustrial times.

Ban called on cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and on companies to invest in green technologies with the goal or cooling the planet and ensuring cleaner air and better health.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speaks at the Climate Action 2016 Summit at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

"We need action now," Ban said. "Temperatures continue to rise. Arctic sea ice is melting fast. Droughts, storms and floods are costing lives and productivity."

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said governments and corporations should invest in lower-carbon transport systems and switch over from road to rail and water transport.

"Inaction means we will not meet our targets set in Paris, and the global temperature will soar above 2 degrees Celsius," Kim said. "That would spell disaster for us, for our children, and for the planet."

Earlier, the mayors of major cities around the world announced a program to share their knowledge and know-how to fight hotter temperatures, air pollution and other effects of climate change.

"It's about leadership, energy and passion that will help cool the planet," Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed told the conference.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said in an Associated Press interview that it was important for cities, the population centers, to counter global warming at the local level.

Hidalgo has pledged to phase out diesel-powered automobiles in the French capital in favor of electric cars and has installed electric charging stations for that purpose. She also is closing the famous Champs Elysees boulevard to traffic once a month, planting 20,000 trees around the city as well as vegetation on the walls and roofs of buildings and aiming to use renewable energy in development projects.

"It's at the level of cities that most of the action must be taken to implement the Paris agreement and to achieve results," Hidalgo said.

Paris Mayor Annie Hidalgo, left, speaks with Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre before speaking at a news conference with the C40 and the Compact of Mayors during the Climate Action 2016 Summit at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Paris Mayor Annie Hidalgo speaks at a news conference with the C40 and the Compact of Mayors during the Climate Action 2016 Summit at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Former Vice President Al Gore, center, accompanied by World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, left, arrives before a speech by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the Climate Action 2016 Summit at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
GOP states benefiting from shift to wind and solar energy

WASHINGTON (AP)  If there's a War on Coal, it's increasingly clear which side is winning.

Wind turbines and solar panels accounted for more than two-thirds of all new electric generation capacity added to the nation's grid in 2015, according to a recent analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy. The remaining third was largely new power plants fueled by natural gas, which has become cheap and plentiful as a result of hydraulic fracturing.

It was the second straight year U.S. investment in renewable energy projects has outpaced that of fossil fuels. Robust growth is once again predicted for this year.

FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2015 file photo, wind turbines dot the landscape near Steele City, Neb. Wind turbines and solar panels accounted for more than two-thirds of all new electric generation capacity added to the nations grid in 2015, according to a recent analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy. The remaining third was largely new power plants fueled by natural gas, which has become cheap and plentiful as a result of hydraulic fracturing. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

And while Republican lawmakers in Washington have fought to protect coal-fired power plants, opposing President Barack Obama's efforts to curtail climate-warming carbon emissions, data show their home states are often the ones benefiting most from the nation's accelerating shift to renewable energy.

Leading the way in new wind projects are GOP strongholds Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, home to some of the leading critics of climate science and renewable energy incentives in Congress. Republican-dominated North Carolina trails only California in new solar farms, thanks largely to pro-renewables polices enacted years ago under a Democratic legislature.

The most dramatic change has been seen in the plummeting cost of emissions-free wind energy, which has declined by two-thirds in the last six years thanks to the availability of cheaper, more efficient turbines. An annual analysis by the investment firm Lazard determined that wind energy is now the lowest-cost energy source, even before federal green-energy tax incentives are factored in.

"We are entering the era of renewables," former Vice President Al Gore said Thursday at the Climate Action 2016 conference in Washington. "It's a very exciting new reality."

Billions of dollars in private equity are going to construct massive new renewables projects, especially in the Sun Belt and Great Plains. Thousands of miles of new high-voltage transmission lines are also under construction to send power from the wind and sun from the sparsely populated areas where it is collected to the urban centers where it's needed.

Even with the surge in new projects, energy from such renewable sources as wind, solar and water accounted for only about a tenth of total U.S. power generation last year.

Still, the U.S. leads the world in wind energy with about 48,800 utility-scale turbines operating across the country, generating enough electricity to power about 20 million homes. By 2030, the Energy Department estimates wind will provide a fifth of the nation's electricity.

"Wind energy is very low-cost and not subject to the fuel price risk that both natural gas and coal face," said Michael Goggin, senior director of research at the American Wind Energy Association, an industry trade group. "Adding wind is cheaper than new gas or new coal. It is by far the lowest-cost resource."

Coal has dropped over the last decade from providing half of all U.S. electricity to about one-third.

Peabody Energy, the world's largest coal company, last month joined a growing list of major mining firms forced to seek bankruptcy protection. Wall Street appears to also be writing coal's financial obituary. JPMorgan Chase recently announced it will no longer finance new coal mines or coal-fired power plants, following similar announcements from other big banks.

While new clean-air regulations and tax incentives for renewables are having a negative impact on coal, the plummeting cost of cleaner-burning natural gas made possible by fracking is largely driving the closure of many old coal-fired power plants. Exports of coal to foreign customers such as China also are down.

"We didn't see the decline coming this fast and this deep," said Luke Popovich, spokesman for the National Mining Association, an industry trade group.

Meanwhile, the long-promised potential of Clean Coal technology has yet to be realized. A model power plant in Mississippi designed to capture the carbon dioxide generated from burning coal has encountered repeated delays and multibillion-dollar cost overruns.

Closures mean America's coal mines now employ about only about 56,700 people, down from a peak of more than 10 times that. By contrast, the fast-growing solar industry now employs more than 210,000 workers. Wind energy accounts for another 77,000 by federal estimates.

Political giving by the big coal companies and their executives has declined, but the industry still spends heavily to protect its interests in Washington. Pro-coal interests spent at least $11 million to influence the 2014 Congressional midterm elections, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. More than 95 percent of that went to support Republican candidates.

Among them is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who rarely misses an opportunity to blame Obama's "War on Coal" for killing mining jobs. Nearly all of the 27 states that have sued to stop the administration's carbon emissions-cutting Clean Power Plan have GOP governors.

For Republicans from areas benefiting from renewable energy, the political calculus can be complicated. An increasing number of them try to balance criticizing Obama's environmental efforts with quietly supporting the federal tax incentives helping drive investment in renewables.

GOP leaders compromised with Democrats and a growing number of pro-renewables Republicans to include a five-year extension of tax breaks for wind and solar projects as part of a federal budget agreement approved in December.

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, among the earliest boosters of government support for wind power, points out that fossil fuels and nuclear plants have long benefited from tax credits. Last month, MidAmerican Energy announced plans to invest another $3.6 billion to add new turbines in Iowa, which already gets about a third of its electricity from the wind.

"We've seen the economic success story behind renewables up close and personal," Grassley said as the new project was announced. "There are more than 6,000 good wind jobs in Iowa."

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Follow Michael Biesecker on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mbieseck and find his work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/michael-biesecker
Channing Tatum is bringing his 'Magic Mike' act to Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP)  Channing Tatum is bringing his "Magic Mike" act to Las Vegas.

The 36-year-old actor has announced that he's directing "Magic Mike Live Las Vegas." It's billed as a live male strip revue based on the movie "Magic Mike" and a sequel, "Magic Mike XXL."

Tatum starred as the title character in the films and is a former stripper himself, but he says he won't be taking the stage for the live show. Alison Faulk did choreography for the movies and will also choreograph the live act.

FILE - In this June 25, 2015, file photo Channing Tatum arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Magic Mike XXL" at the TCL Chinese Theatre. Tatum announced on May 4, 2016, that he would direct a live Las Vegas male strip show based on the "Magic Mike" movies. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
Woman arrested for staying silent during traffic stop sues

TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  A Philadelphia woman who was arrested after she refused to answer questions during a traffic stop in New Jersey has sued state police, claiming troopers violated basic rules by arresting her for remaining silent.

Rebecca Musarra, an attorney, filed the federal civil rights lawsuit after the Oct. 16 stop on Route 519 near the border with Pennsylvania in Warren County, NJ.com reported (http://bit.ly/21zKGbV ). At least three troopers insisted after she was pulled over that refusing to answer questions was a criminal act, according to the lawsuit.

Spokesmen for the state police and the attorney general's office, which is representing the troopers, declined to comment on the allegations. State police spokesman Capt. Stephen Jones said the department's internal affairs office conducts a review any time misconduct is alleged.

"In the event that problems are identified, training and/or disciplinary measures are implemented where appropriate," Jones said in an email.

Lawyers for the state have sought in court filings to have the case dismissed, claiming that the troopers "acted in good faith and without fraud or malice."

A trooper pulled Musarra over for suspected speeding, requested her license, registration and insurance, and asked if she knew why she was being pulled over, according to dash camera footage obtained by NJ.com through an open records request. Musarra said she provided the documents but didn't respond to the troopers.

"You're going to be placed under arrest if you don't answer my questions," one of the troopers told her before she was handcuffed and taken to a police station. Musarra asked the troopers if she was being detained, and one of the troopers said, "Yeah, obstruction."

Musarra said a supervisor watched dashboard camera footage and let her go without charges.

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This story has been corrected to show that Musarra is from Philadelphia, not New Jersey.

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Cruise ship passengers have been hanging out at an Alaska homeless shelter to get free coffee and a bite to eat, but few have bothered making a donation, said one of the nonprofit's board members.

Tourists in Ketchikan often stop by looking for a restroom, and some decide to stay longer, First City Homeless Services chairwoman Evelyn Erbele told the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly on Monday.

'If we have a snack, they'll take the snack and they'll sit there and watch TV,' Erbele said. 'It's called 'audacity,' isn't it?'

The shelter relies on donations and funding from Ketchikan and its borough.

Break spot: Tourists in Ketchikan often stop by looking for a restroom, and some decide to stay longer, First City Homeless Services said on Monday. Pictured here are people at the shelter

Last year, the homeless shelter had 365 visitors.

'It's a shelter, and we don't turn anybody away,' Erbele told The Ketchikan Daily News on Tuesday.

Chris Alvarado, the shelter's services manager, said he sees why tourists come to the shelter, which is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. six days a week.

'Sometimes some of the stores are not open really early, (so) sometimes people will come up here and get coffee and just hang out,' Alvarado said.

While few people end up donating to the shelter, Alvarado said it doesn't bother him.

'We are for the homeless, but we're also for the community, for anybody, who needs a safe place to stay,' he said.

'This door is open for anybody who needs resources ... I just can't see myself turning somebody away for a cup of coffee even if they're not from here or they're using the bathroom or if they needed a break from walking around.'

First City Homeless Services has a $77,635 budget this year and is requesting $14,000 from the borough, according to its application.
Behind closed doors, North Korea opens ruling party congress

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP)  North Korea on Friday opened the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980, a major political event intended to showcase the country's stability and unity under young leader Kim Jong Un despite international criticism and tough new sanctions over the North's recent nuclear test and a slew of missile launches.

North Korea's information committee said the congress began Friday morning. More than 100 foreign journalists  brought in to give the event a global audience  were bused to the venue but were allowed to view it only from outside. No one but presumably the thousands of delegates and officials were allowed inside the ornate April 25 House of Culture, draped in red party banners and flags.

The congress promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades. Pyongyang, the capital, has been spruced up, and large groups of students and workers could be seen around the city as a light rain fell Friday. They were preparing for parades and rallies that are to be held in conjunction with the political theater going on inside the congress hall.

A North Korean man walks out of an underpass while seen framed by the Workers' Party flags, in front of the April 25 House of Culture, the venue for the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Kim Jong Un, grandson of national founder and "eternal president" Kim Il Sung, is officially presiding over the congress, though North Korea has announced precious few details of what it will entail.

The last time North Korea's ruling party held a full congress was in 1980, before Kim Jong Un was even born.

It has held other big meetings since  notably in 2010 and 2012  but all six previous congresses came under Kim Il Sung, who died in 1994. This congress provides a major opportunity for Kim Jong Un, who is still largely a mystery to the outside world and has yet to travel abroad or meet any world leaders, to step out of the shadows of his grandfather and father, Kim Jong Il.

Though it remained unclear Friday whether Kim Jong Un would address the congress or when, he has patterned himself more closely after his charismatic grandfather than Kim Jong Il, his notoriously reticent father, who almost never spoke in public.

The congress is expected to tout his successes on the nuclear front and promise economic improvements to boost the nation's standard of living  two themes that the state media hit hard as the congress approached. Mostly, however, the congress is about Kim himself, and putting him front and center in the eyes of the people and the party as the country's sole leader.

"Now we are greeting the new era of Marshal Kim Jong Un," said Choe Un Su, a 75-year-old retiree. "We should make the American soldiers get out of South Korea and under the leadership of our marshal we can open up the path of reunification."

Though some personnel shuffling and economic policy tweaks may be forthcoming, Pyongyang has made been clear it has no intention of backing down on its nuclear development program.

Hours before the ruling party's congress, the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency boasted of the country's military achievements that followed its nuclear test and long-range rocket launch earlier this year, including claimed advancements in developing nuclear warheads, missile re-entry vehicles and long-range rocket engines.

It said the congress would be a historic celebration because the guidance of Kim Jong Un has elevated the country into a "nuclear, space power" and pushed into the "absolute prime" of its efforts to build a "thriving nation."

On paper, the congress is the party's highest-level decision-making body, though the real decisions are made by Kim and his inner circle. The delegates at the congress  who will probably number in the thousands  will be there more to endorse than debate.

But it will likely provide some insights into what Kim's priorities are, and who he wants to help him carry them out.

"The significance of the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea is that it will be a turning point in our revolution," professor Song Dong Won of North Korea's Academy of Social Sciences told an Associated Press television crew in Pyongyang. He said the congress would present "the successes of the last 30 years" and a "brilliant plan for the ultimate success of our revolution."

More than any major policy surprises, the congress is likely to be a forum for the expression of loyalty to Kim and of his dual guns-and-butter policy of developing North Korea's nuclear weapons while also building its domestic economy. That strategy has become his trademark, but many outside economists believe it can't work because of the heavy price the nuclear program brings in international sanctions.

Another important feature of the congress may be who gets titles, or loses them.

Many analysts expect Kim to replace the party's old guard with younger elites loyal to him.

He may formally elevate his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, to a position that would essentially make her his second-in-command. Believed to be in her late 20s, she is currently a vice department director at the party's Central Committee and frequently appears at her brother's public events, standing out amid elderly male officials.

Foreign journalists film the April 25 House of Culture, the venue for the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

North Koreans carry bouquets of decorative flowers as they wait at the Kim Il Sung Square on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea's capital has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

North Koreans carry bouquets of decorative flowers as they wait at the Kim Il Sung Square on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

North Koreans carry bouquets of decorative flowers as they make their way towards the Kim Il Sung Square on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

North Korean women sweep the roads on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

The April 25 House of Culture, the venue for the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea is seen framed by the Workers' Party flags decorating the streets on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

A North Korean woman walks into an underpass while a man uses his mobile phone across the street from the April 25 House of Culture, the venue for the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

A foreign journalist uses his smartphone to record himself in front of the April 25 House of Culture, the venue for the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Foreign journalists are seen filming and reporting from across the April 25 House of Culture, the venue for the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Bouquets of decorative flowers belonging to North Koreans who have gathered, are placed at the Kim Il Sung Squareon Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

A North Korean traffic police woman stands in front of Workers' Party flags decorating the streets on Friday, May 6, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea has been duly spruced up, the masses prepped for their rallies and leader Kim Jong Un appears to be set to take center stage Friday when North Korea pulls back the curtain on what promises to be the country's biggest political show in years, if not decades: the first full congress of its ruling party since 1980. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
New York home to idiosyncratic works from actor-playwrights

NEW YORK (AP)  It's been an exciting season for theater in New York, with some solid revivals, thoughtful new plays and lively comedies. And then there's the show where a guy's ax gets stuck in an invisible tree.

That's a moment in the lovely show "The Woodsman," which combines sparse dialogue, haunting music and captivating puppets. It's a passion project from an artist who wrote and also stars in it  and this season he's not alone.

Idiosyncratic works from actor-playwrights also include a hit hip-hop flavored show about Alexander Hamilton, a madcap adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility" and a Broadway musical that features an actor with a pair of fluffy toy sharks on his arms.

This image released by Polk and Co. shows James Ortiz during a performance of "The Woodsman." Ortiz is one of many actor-playwrights currently performing on the New York stage. Others include, Lin Manuel Miranda in "Hamilton," Seth Rudetsky in "Disaster!", and Kate Hamill in "Sense and Sensibility." (Matthew Murphy/Polk and Co. via AP)

That last one is from the singular mind of Seth Rudetsky, who with Jack Plotnick, wrote the musical "Disaster!" a spoof of 1970s disaster movies that closes this weekend. It's a gleefully cheesy comedy with nun jokes and the cast tap-dancing emergency instructions in Morse code. Rudetsky plays a "noted disaster expert."

"It's very much my sense of humor and my musical taste. I've always come from the place of 'What do I find entertaining?'" Rudetsky said. "I feel confident putting it out there because I'm thinking, 'I would love this' instead of 'Hey, what would people like?'"

James Ortiz, who created "The Woodsman," also followed his heart. He fell in love with puppetry growing up in Texas and read all of "Wizard of Oz" creator L. Frank Baum's 14 books in college. Combining those two loves made sense in a show that he created, designed sets, made the puppets and co-directed with Claire Karpen. ("There is a lot of me all over that stage," he acknowledged.)

What emerged is the origin story of the Tin Man told with puppets, live music and few words. It's quirky and sublime, with performers onstage manipulating life-size witches and a Tin Man puppet while creating the sound of rain with their fingernails and squawking like birds. It ends its run at New World Stages on May 29.

"I wanted to see if a puppet could be as dynamic and as layered as an actor could be. Could there be whole scenes between puppets and actors? And could that not feel like a trick or a gimmick?" said Ortiz. "I was curious to see if that could work. So this was an opportunity to play with all of those questions."

For Kate Hamill, creating something for the stage was born from frustration at too few meaty female parts. She had written short plays before but was interested in doing something full-length.

"I thought, 'Well, wouldn't it be interesting if I could create a new classic? For myself to play a role but also for other women to play these interesting roles?'"

During a car ride with Andrus Nichols, the producing director and co-founder of Bedlam theater company, the two bonded over their love of Jane Austen, and Hamill suggested they'd be great starring as the main sisters in "Sense and Sensibility."

Nichols challenged her to write an adaptation. So Hamill wrote a check to her friend and postdated it. "I bet her $100 I could do it and I really didn't want to lose the $100," she said.

The version they came up with, under the innovative directing of Eric Tucker, is a delightful whirlwind with a 10-member cast, furniture zooming across the stage on coasters, actors turning into horses and waving tree branches as if they were forests.

While staying completely faithful to the speech and soul of the novel, Hamill's script explores how people respond to social pressures  do they break the rules or follow them?  so she created a sort of Greek chorus of gossips to apply the pressure.

"When I was approaching this book, I thought, 'Well, why do an adaptation as opposed to a new play?'" she said. "For me, the answer to that is why do an adaptation unless you have a point of view?"

The show is currently playing downtown in New York and productions will open this fall at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and the Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Hamill is particularly proud that her work  initially written so she didn't have to act as just someone's girlfriend  created substantial work for dozens of other women.

And she didn't lose any money. Remember that $100 promise she made to Nichols? "She didn't get to cash the check," Hamill said, laughing.

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Online:

http://thewoodsmanplay.com

http://bedlam.org/

http://www.disastermusical.com

___

Mark Kennedy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

This image released by Polk and Co., shows cast members, from left, Catherine Ricafort, Roger Bart, Baylee Littrell, Seth Rudetsky, Rachel York, Kevin Chamberlain and Olivia Phillip during a performance of, "Disaster!." Rudetsky is one of many actor-playwrights currently performing on the New York stage. Others include, Lin Manuel Miranda in "Hamilton," Kate Hamill in "Sense & Sensibility," and James Ortiz in "The Woodsman."(Jeremy Daniel/Polk and Co. via AP)
Black woman who defied Swedish neo-Nazis inspired by Mandela

STOCKHOLM (AP)  A black woman who stood up to 300 neo-Nazis in Sweden hopes her gesture will draw attention to the fight against racism in the Scandinavian country.

Tess Asplund tried to block the path of the Nordic Resistance Movement as the right-wing extremist group marched in the town of Borlange on May 1.

An image of Asplund facing the neo-Nazis up close with a clenched fist has been shared thousands of times on social media in Sweden and internationally.

In this image made from video from Sunday, May 1, 2016, Tess Asplund gestures towards a group of far-right protesters in Borlange, Sweden. A black woman who stood up to 300 neo-Nazis in Sweden hopes her gesture will draw attention to the fight against racism in the Scandinavian country. Tess Asplund tried to block the path of the Nordic Resistance Movement as the right-wing extremist group marched in the town of Borlange on May 1. An image of Asplund facing the neo-Nazis up close with a clenched fist has been shared thousands of times on social media in Sweden and internationally. (DT.se via AP) SWEDEN OUT

The 42-year-old anti-racism activist told Swedish Radio her defiant gesture was inspired by the late Nelson Mandela, who fought against apartheid in South Africa.

"I felt when they arrived that they shouldn't be here and spread their hate," Asplund said. "I don't think I was even thinking. I just jumped out. Things happened quite quickly. Then a police officer pulled me away."

A video of the incident from the Dala-Demokraten newspaper shows Asplund walking backward as she faces men with shaved heads at the front of the procession. One of them tries to shove her aside while another counter-demonstrator is forcefully pushed out of the path of the parade.

Asplund said she was stunned by the attention she got after images of her defiant gesture spread in Sweden and beyond.

"I have fought against racism for 26 years. I am 42 now. And if this is a thing that makes people pay attention to the fight against racism and xenophobia, then that's very good," Asplund told Swedish Radio. "But I don't want people to see me as a symbol. There were a lot of others who were there against the racists in Borlange."

David Lagerlof, the photographer who took the most shared photo of Asplund, said he was getting ready to take photos of the approaching march when Asplund suddenly walked out into the middle of the street.

"I thought, 'how is this going to end?' She got out there and stared into the eyes of the leader of the demonstration," Lagerlof told The Associated Press. "They continued going forward, stone-faced."

Swedish anti-racism organization Expo published his photo on its website, and Lagerlof also posted it on social media. Many people shared the image and expressed support and admiration of Asplund's defiance.

J.K. Rowling, author of the "Harry Potter" series, tweeted "Tess Asplund, you are magnificent" and shared Lagerlof's image.

"I don't know if it gets any bigger than that," Lagerlof said.
The Latest: 78 refugees rescued off Greece in 2 incidents

ROME (AP)  The Latest on Europe's response to the wave of migration from the Middle East and elsewhere (all times local):

7:25 p.m.

The Greek coast guard says 78 refugees have been rescued from crippled smugglers' boats in two separate incidents in the eastern Aegean Sea.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel prepares to leave at the end of a joint press conference after a meeting with Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, in Rome, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A patrol vessel from the European Union's Frontex border agency picked up 56 people off the island of Chios on Thursday, and a Greek coast guard launch rescued another 22 off the nearby islet of Panaghia.

More than 1 million refugees and other migrants have reached the Greek islands from nearby Turkey since the beginning of 2015, on their way to Europe's prosperous heartland.

But arrivals have decreased sharply after March 20, when an agreement between the European Union and Turkey on addressing the influx came into effect.

A total of 87 people reached the Greek islands on Wednesday.

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6:05 p.m.

Italian Premier Matteo Renzi said there's much agreement with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that a development strategy is needed for Africa to help ease the migrant crisis.

Migrant issues were a major topic of discussion between the two leaders at a working lunch in Rome Thursday.

Many of the migrants who are brought to Italian shores after rescue from smugglers' boats are fleeing poverty. Most aren't eligible for asylum in the European Union and face deportation.

Renzi told reporters there is "total" agreement with Merkel that long-term strategy to spur job development in Africa is needed and that "Europe must take the leadership on this."

Funding for such development remains to be resolved.

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4.45 p.m.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is warning that Europe risks succumbing to nationalism by closing borders as a solution to the migrant crisis.

Austria has said it will close the key Brenner crossing with Italy if necessary to stop the flow of asylum-seekers and other migrants northward, after they are rescued from smugglers' boats off Italy's coast.

Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, after holding talks in Rome with Merkel Thursday, described Austria's strategy as "mistaken," ''anachronistic" and "unjustified."

Merkel told reporters the migrant crisis must be resolved "in a way different from closing borders."

She added: "We can't close borders ... We must be loyal to each other."

Merkel says EU nations must defend the Schengen border-free travel agreement or "else we risk falling back into nationalism."

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1:10 p.m.

A top aide to Italian Premier Matteo Renzi says Rome supports a proposal by the European Union's executive to fine nations for refusing migrants they were supposed to accept.

Fewer than 600 of 40,000 asylum-seekers who were supposed to be relocated from Italy to other EU countries have been transferred since October.

On Thursday, the European Commission proposed that countries refusing to accept migrants should face fines of 250,000 euros ($287,000) per person rejected.

Undersecretary for European Affairs Sandro Gozi said Thursday that Italy backs the proposal.

He says it's "unacceptable" some didn't honor their obligation to accept asylum-seekers who were supposed to be relocated from Italy, Greece and Hungary.

Macedonian policemen stand behind the fence during a protest at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, May 5, 2016. Migrants and refugees protested against the poor camp conditions and the closed border. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

A man looks a t a Macedonian soldier during a protest at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, May 5, 2016. Migrants and refugees protested against the poor camp conditions and the closed border. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Greek policemen stand near tracks of a railway station during a protest at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, May 5, 2016. Migrants and refugees protested against the poor camp conditions and the closed border. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Footage from within Islamic State attack cell yields secrets

PARIS (AP)  A French Islamic State cell dismantled in the final stages of planning an attack has yielded a new secret this week, with the release of undercover footage showing how a group of disaffected petty criminals transformed into a terror network.

Filmed by a young French Muslim journalist who infiltrated the group with a hidden camera, the Canal Plus documentary takes an extraordinary inside look at the group, which called itself the Soldiers of Allah. The cell was nominally led by a young ex-convict who called himself Abu Oussama, who speaks dreamily about his coming death, the palace that awaits him in paradise, the winged horse made of gold and rubies, and the women: "I'm not making this up, I swear," he breathes.

"I got the feeling they're beyond saving. The programming is so well done, if you will, that you can only be their enemy. There is no discussing with them," according to the journalist, who took the pseudonym Said Ramzy in the credits and was known to the jihadis as Abu Hamza.

FILE- In this Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 file photo, elite police officers arrive outside the Bataclan theater after several dozen people were killed in attacks around Paris. A French Islamic State cell dismantled in the final stages of planning an attack has yielded a new secret in the first week of May 2016, with the release of undercover footage showing how a group of disaffected petty criminals transformed into a terror network. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu, File)

Ramzy told The Associated Press the cell was actually directed by a Frenchman sent home from Syria by the extremist organization to plot an attack. Remzy was considered valuable because, unlike the other members of the cell, he had no criminal past and had never been identified as a radical.

Abu Oussama had been flagged to police by his father, detained in Turkey trying to reach Syria, and imprisoned in France for five months until authorities determined he was no longer a danger, he tells Ramzy.

"They said since I was deradicalized, since I was quiet ..." he says, giggling toward the camera he cannot see. "It's all part of the ruse, brother."

Oussama appears to trust Ramzy, but not all of the cell's nine members had the same faith. One, who went by the name Joseph, warns Ramzy once that he's been found out, without ever explaining. The others ignore the warning, apparently even after all but Ramzy and the Islamic State fighter sent from Syria were rounded up.

"It's just you and me," the man writes in a message to Ramzy as he prepares to hand over a second set of instructions via a mysterious veiled woman who meets the journalist at a school to deliver the envelope.

Islamic State carefully controls its public image via a sophisticated propaganda apparatus and, in at least one case, allowing a crew to film its members in Syria under specifically vetted conditions. A second journalist involved in the documentary, who went by the name Marc Armone, said he and Ramzy wanted to get past an edited version of Islamic State and into the minds of its European recruits.

They went first to French mosques that adhere to the austere Salafi strain of Islam, which many in the French government have linked directly to Islamic State's claim of religious purity. But there, Ramzy was warned to be on guard against the extremist recruiters  and he later discovered an entire genre of Islamic State propaganda that derides French Salafists.

"They are fundamentalists but they are also opposed to taking political power," Armone said. For the jihadis, "it's the Islam of the Internet, of McDonalds and Subway. There are a handful of mosques they go to, but really just a handful."

The main recruiting grounds are the Internet  specifically the encrypted app Telegram  and prison. And, the film says, this is where the French system seems least equipped to handle them.

The police intelligence unit that searches for jihadi recruitment materials has no Arabic speakers, relying instead on Internet translation programs. The prisons are equally strapped for resources, according to the filmmakers.

Ramzy is drawn into the jihadi web via a Facebook page that turns out to be managed from inside a French prison, by an inmate who goes so far as to send his bank transfer information for donations.

The story accelerates after the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead and the city reeling from shock. One of the cell is put under house arrest during the state of emergency, and the others frantically and somewhat ineptly try to obtain a working Kalashnikov and explosives to carry out an attack on a night club ordered by Souleymane, the Frenchman sent by Islamic State from Syria.

By then, Armone said, France's intelligence services both knew about the cell and knew that a journalist had infiltrated. Ramzy was never arrested, and he cuts off contact when the suspicious cell member sends him a final message after the December sweeps dismantled the group: "You're finished."

Ramzy said he was nervous but reminded himself throughout the six-month process of the activists in Raqqa who continue to risk their lives to film life under Islamic State rule. And, he added, the members of the cell "aren't terribly clever."

"That makes sense, because to think you're going to paradise for killing innocent people, you have to be especially stupid," he added. "And that may yet be what saves us."
The Latest: Prosecutor in Chicago police case seeks recusal

CHICAGO (AP)  The Latest on the case of a white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the shooting of a black teenager (all times local):

10:30 a.m.

Cook County's embattled state's attorney has asked to recuse her office from prosecuting a case involving a white Chicago police officer who shot a black teenager 16 times.

FILE - In this March 23, 2016 file photo, Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke, charged with murder in the 2014 videotaped shooting death of black teenager Laquan McDonald, walks in a courtroom during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. The attorney for Van Dyke has asked for sheriff's deputies to guard the officer as he enters and exits court. The judge could rule on those requests during a hearing Thursday, May 5, 2016. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool, File)

If the judge approves, it would clear the way for the appointment of a special prosecutor, which activists and civil rights attorneys have demanded. Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan said Thursday that announce his decision about the request June 2.

Outgoing State's Attorney Anita Alvarez has faced months of criticism over her handling of the case and why it took more than a year to bring charges.

Officer Jason Van Dyke is charged with first-degree murder in the 2014 killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. The release in November of video contradicted police accounts of the shooting and set off protests.

Alvarez has defended her handling of the case.

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7 a.m.

The attorney for a Chicago police officer charged in the shooting death of a black teenager has asked for sheriff's deputies to guard the officer as his client enters and exits court.

The Chicago Tribune reports (http://trib.in/1QSlWDM ) that Officer Jason Van Dyke's attorney, Daniel Herbert, made the request in a court filing made public Wednesday. Herbert previously asked a judge to allow Van Dyke to skip routine court appearances, citing safety concerns.

The judge could consider those issues, as well as a request for a special prosecutor to take the case, during a Thursday hearing.

Civil rights attorneys and activists have criticized Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez for waiting over a year to charge Van Dyke and want her to be removed from the case. Alvarez has defended her handling of police cases.

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EU top officials in Kosovo to celebrate visa-free regime

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP)  Senior European Union officials have urged Kosovo's politicians to leave aside disagreements and work together on their difficult path toward joining the bloc.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos on Thursday met in Pristina with top officials and politicians "to share the celebrations" after the European Commission recommended a visa-free regime a day earlier, expected to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council within weeks.

Before that Kosovo must "have ratified the border/boundary agreement with Montenegro and strengthened its track record in the fight against organized crime and corruption."

E.U foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, left, swaps places with Kosovo prime minister Isa Mustafa during a joint press conference in capital Pristina, Kosovo on Thursday, May 5, 2016. European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini congratulated Kosovo on the recommendation for lifting the visas, and also urged its political grouping to dialogue ahead of a very difficult path toward membership into the bloc. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

Wednesday's proposal, on the same day as the Commission recommended visa-free travel for Turkey's citizens, joins Kosovo with other Balkan countries that have enjoyed the privilege for some years now.

They also urged dialogue as for months Kosovo's opposition has disrupted the Parliament to protest a deal with Serbia that gives more powers to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo and another on a border demarcation pact with Montenegro.

"Unity and diversity are EU's motto and very easily they could be Kosovo's too," Mogherini told the Kosovo parliament, filled with the opposition lawmakers who have been boycotting it for about two months.

Mogherini, who is mediating Pristina-Belgrade talks to try to overcome their differences, said that the ethnic Serb minority's association in Kosovo "will not be a parallel governing ... and does not put in question Kosovo's territorial integrity."

The U.S. and its NATO allies carried out a bombing campaign in 1999 to force Serbian forces out of Kosovo and get Belgrade to accept the deployment of a NATO peacekeeping force.

In 2008 Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, recognized by 111 countries though not by Belgrade. Five EU member countries that do not recognize it have not blocked its integration steps.

Last year Kosovo has signed a stabilization and association agreement with the EU that is expected to promote economic growth in one of Europe's poorest countries.

The EU has been Kosovo's main supporter in development aid and its countries are Kosovo's main trading partner.

Kosovo took another step into the European fold this week when it became a member of UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations.

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Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania contributed to this report.

E.U foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, left, flanked by Kosovo prime minister Isa Mustafa, center, and European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, right, during a joint press conference in capital Pristina, Kosovo on Thursday, May 5, 2016. uropean Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini congratulated Kosovo on the recommendation for lifting the visas, and also urged its political grouping to dialogue ahead of a very difficult path toward membership into the bloc. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Tennessee man facing new charges over Muslim assault plot

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP)  A Tennessee man accused of planning to burn down a mosque in New York is now facing more federal charges.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press (http://bit.ly/23s7ABx ) reported that a grand jury on Tuesday indicted Robert Doggart on solicitation to commit arson of a building and threat in interstate commerce charges.

In July 2015, a grand jury indicted the 64-year-old Doggart on charges of solicitation to commit a civil rights violation. He pleaded not guilty.

Authorities believe Doggart spent months plotting an assault on a Muslim community outside Hancock, New York. He was arrested in April 2015.

Doggart's attorney Garth Best couldn't be reached for comment.

Doggart is scheduled to appear in federal court in Chattanooga on June 3.

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Saudi raid targeting Islamic State group near Mecca kills 4

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP)  Saudi Arabia says a raid targeting suspected Islamic State militants near the holy city of Mecca saw security forces shoot and kill two people while two others blew themselves up with suicide belts.

The raids on Thursday marked the first time Saudi officials have acknowledged targeting the kingdom's Islamic State affiliate near the city that is home to the Kaaba, the holy cube-shaped shrine of Islam toward which its faithful pray. It comes ahead of this year's hajj pilgrimage in September.

An Interior Ministry statement says the raid was carried out to halt an imminent attack, without elaborating. It said no security personnel or civilians were wounded.
Marchers at Auschwitz honor Jews killed in Holocaust

OSWIECIM, Poland (AP)  Several of the thousands of people who on Thursday attended the March of the Living, a yearly remembrance march at Auschwitz-Birkenau, shared their reasons for taking part.

"I am here in memory of all the brothers and sisters of the Jewish faith who perished because they were Jewish. I want to make sure that I, and with all these kids who are here, pay homage to them."

Sam Peltz, 83, a Holocaust survivor from Poland who now divides his time between Long Island, New York and Delray Beach, Florida.

Sam Peltz, 83, a Holocaust survivor from Poland, now living in the U.S., stops for a photo prior to the yearly March of the Living, in the former German Nazi Death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

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"It's a really important day, Holocaust memorial day, and the March of the Living symbolizes the victory of the Jewish people over the terrible Nazi Shoah. Nearly all of the relatives of my grandparents have died in the Holocaust, and being here is very meaningful to me, like closing a circle. I haven't started to cry yet but I am sure I will. And it's a great honor and source of pride to be here as a member of the Knesset."

Yael Cohen Paran, 42, a member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

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"I am here because I am Jewish. My family doesn't have any direct connection with the Holocaust, thank God, but I am also a gay man, and I am very aware that plenty of homosexuals were also rounded up and murdered by the Nazis in these camps. ... We are also having a debate in Europe about how to welcome refugees from Syria and the big question for us is how much we as Jews should welcome them into Europe, even though we worry they might come with anti-Semitic ideas. And personally I believe we should be more welcoming."

David Baker, 51, a teacher of philosophy and psychology from London.

____

"I came here to give witness to the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust due to the inhumanity of the Germans. I want to be a living witness and tell my sons and my grandchildren, and I hope they will do this as well. We are Jewish, and on my father's mother's side 80 percent of the family was wiped out. I have a lot of mixed emotions here because of all the death and inhumanity. My children must be witnesses so that this will never happen again."

Daniel Moreinis, 49, an economist from Panama City, Panama.

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"We are here to learn more about history, to see with our own eyes what the camp looked like and how hard the conditions were of the people who were here. We learn a bit about the Holocaust at school, but I feel we could be learning more."

Anita Boniecka, 17, from Bydgoszcz, Poland. She was with other members of a scouting group that took the name of Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker who rescued some 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto.

Yael Cohen Paran, 42, a member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, stops for a photo prior to the yearly March of the Living, in the former German Nazi Death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

David Baker, 51, a teacher of philosophy and psychology from London, stops for a photo prior to the yearly March of the Living, in the former German Nazi Death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

Daniel Moreinis, 49, an economist from Panama City, Panama, stops for a photo prior to the yearly March of the Living, in the former German Nazi Death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)
Deputy shoots man while attempting to make arrest

COLUMBIA, Tenn. (AP)  Authorities say a Tennessee sheriff's deputy shot a man while investigating suspected illegal activity.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that the shooting happened Wednesday evening in Columbia.

The TBI says a preliminary investigation has found that the Maury County Sheriff's Department arranged to meet a male subject as part of the investigation. The bureau says the situation escalated when deputies tried to arrest the man, and at least one deputy fired a gun, hitting him.

The agency said 25-year-old Trevor Jacoby was being treated Thursday at a hospital. The agency said Jacoby was white. It doesn't identify officers involved in shootings, and the sheriff's department did not respond to a phone message Thursday.
Review: Fiennes, Swinton simmer and boil in 'Bigger Splash'

A craggy, stormy volcanic island off Sicily. Some fabulous real estate. A little food porn. Tilda Swinton's face, and Ralph Fiennes'  well, a lot more than his face.

What more could a film buff want?

To be fair, "A Bigger Splash," by director Luca Guadagnino, has an uneven feel. For 90 minutes it floats along as a relaxed exploration of four quirky characters  attractive, lustful, bored, somewhat confused  and the shifting ties that bind them, carnally and otherwise. Then, suddenly and shockingly, it turns into a psychological thriller for the last half hour. It's a shift in tone that feels uneasy and a little forced.

This image released by Fox Searchlight shows, from left, Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson, Matthias Schoenaerts and Ralph Fiennes in a scene from "A Bigger Splash." (Jack English/Fox Searchlight via AP)

But by then, you've been lulled into a second-glass-of-wine feeling  perhaps a result of watching those lazy, al fresco meals overlooking the sea. Your defenses are down, and you're ready to flow with it until the end, even though you have a feeling you're going to be left a little unsatisfied.

The setting is the Sicilian island of Pantelleria near Tunisia, where Marianne (Swinton) and her boyfriend of six years, Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) are staying in a sprawling home atop rocky cliffs, with a nice swimming pool (the film is a reworking of the French New Wave classic "La Piscine," which should give aforementioned film buffs a sense of where things are headed).

Marianne is a rock star not unlike David Bowie  a role that fits the pale, androgynous, chameleon-like Swinton to a T  who is recovering from vocal cord surgery and not allowed to speak. This means that for most of the film, Swinton lacks one of an actor's chief instruments: the voice. This challenge also suits Swinton to a T; in fact, it was her own idea to render Marianne virtually speechless, jettisoning dialogue originally planned for her.

Boyfriend Paul is a rather brooding, hunky, protective type with his own troubled past, and the two are enjoying a fairly idyllic period of mutual recovery  nice meals, afternoons in the nude by the pool  when the phone rings. It's Harry (Fiennes), a gregarious record producer and Marianne's former flame, arriving unexpectedly on the island. As if his uninvited visit isn't enough, Harry's brought along a surprise: a 20-ish daughter, Penelope (Dakota Johnson), whom he's only recently met.

And now, dear reader, we digress for a moment to consider the simple delight of Ralph Fiennes' broadening, deepening performances in recent years. If you're like me, you might once have thought the best Fiennes moment came in that tragic, sexy scene where he brings Kristin Scott Thomas out of the cave in "The English Patient."

But that was 20 years ago, and since then Fiennes has been everything from deliciously villainous  yeah, the one with no name  to, recently, exquisitely funny in "The Grand Budapest Hotel." And now he is uninhibited, both physically and emotionally, and quite riveting as Harry, a man burning with unresolved appetite.

Watch him sing sexy karaoke with Penelope  yep, sexy karaoke with his daughter. Watch him try to woo Marianne back with the help of some warm, freshly made ricotta cheese (this is the aforementioned food porn.) And finally, watch Fiennes dance rapturously to the Stones' "Emotional Rescue." It's a cliche, but we'll say it: It's worth the price of admission.

OK, digression over. After 90 minutes on simmer, our four-burner stove goes straight to boil. A relationship sours, to stunning effect. Despite the feel that we've entered an entirely different film, it's hard to deny this is the most exciting part.

Well, almost. Have we mentioned Fiennes dancing to "Emotional Rescue"?

"A Bigger Splash," a Fox Searchlight release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America "for graphic nudity, some strong sexual content, language and brief drug use." Running time: 124 minutes. Three stars out of four.

MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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Follow Jocelyn Noveck on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/JocelynNoveckAP

This image released by Fox Searchlight shows Ralph Fiennes in a scene from "A Bigger Splash." (Jack English/Fox Searchlight via AP)

This image released by Fox Searchlight shows, from left, Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes and Matthias Schoenaerts in a scene from "A Bigger Splash." (Jack English/Fox Searchlight via AP)

This image released by Fox Searchlight shows Tilda Swinton, right, and Matthias Schoenaerts in a scene from "A Bigger Splash," in theaters on May 4. (Jack English/Fox Searchlight via AP)
Tow truck driver leaves Bernie Sanders supporter stranded

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina tow truck driver certainly isn't "feeling the Bern."

Kenneth Shupe tells FOX Carolina (http://bit.ly/1SMV9yz) that he stopped hooking up a woman's car to his tow truck Monday after he noticed a sign supporting Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in rear window of the vehicle.

Shupe, who supports Republican Donald Trump, says he told her that he couldn't tow her car because she was "obviously a socialist." He tells the station that he told her to "call the government" for a tow.

Cassy McWade, who was left stranded, says she believes that the Shupe wouldn't want someone to do the same thing to him if the situation were reversed. Her mother calls it an act of "bigotry."
Police: 1 dead, 1 collapsed near school bus after shooting

MIDLOTHIAN, Va. (AP)  Police in Virginia say one person is dead and another collapsed in front of a stopped school bus after a shooting.

Chesterfield County Police said in a statement that the shooting occurred about 8 a.m. Thursday at the Mallard Cove Apartments in Midlothian. Police say one person who was shot fled the shooting scene and collapsed in front of school bus preparing to load children.

No children were injured and police say the shooting was not visible from the bus stop.

Police say the person who collapsed near the school bus was taken to a hospital for treatment. The other person died at the scene of the shooting. The preliminary investigation indicates that the shooting was drug related.
Iraq defeated IS in Ramadi at a high cost: A city destroyed

RAMADI, Iraq (AP)  The dust of thousands of wrecked buildings drifts over the Iraqi city of Ramadi. Once home to around 1 million people, it stands virtually empty.

Apartment block after apartment block has been levelled. A giant highway overpass at the main entrance to the city lies crushed. Every bridge over the Euphrates is toppled. The walls of homes are shredded, exposing furniture and bedding. Graffiti on the houses still standing warn of explosives inside.

When Iraqi government forces backed by U.S.-led warplanes wrested this city from Islamic State militants after eight months of IS control, it was heralded as a major victory. But the cost of winning Ramadi has been the city itself.

FILE - Iraqi security forces and Sunni tribal fighters help trapped civilians cross out of neighborhoods under Islamic State group control in Ramadi in this Jan. 4, 2016, file photo. As they fled the city earlier this year, IS militants methodically destroyed buildings, infrastructure, bridges and dams in a scorched earth tactic that Iraq and U.S. officials fear they will use as they come under attack in other cities, particularly Mosul. (AP Photo, File)

The scope of the devastation is beyond any of the other Iraqi cities recaptured so far from the jihadi group. Photographs provided to The Associated Press by satellite imagery and analytics company DigitalGlobe Inc. show more than 3,000 buildings and nearly 400 roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed between May 2015, when Ramadi fell to IS, and Jan. 22, after most of the fighting ended. Over roughly the same period, nearly 800 civilians were killed in clashes, airstrikes and executions.

The destruction was caused by IS-laid explosives and hundreds of airstrikes from the U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi army artillery. On top of that, the Islamic State group is increasingly using a scorched earth strategy as it loses ground in Iraq. When IS fighters withdraw, they blow up buildings and wire thousands of others with explosives. The bombs are so costly and time-consuming to defuse that much of recently liberated Iraq is now unlivable.

"All they leave is rubble," said Maj. Mohammad Hussein, whose counterterrorism battalion was one of the first to move into Ramadi. "You can't do anything with rubble."

As a result, officials with the U.S.-led coalition and Iraq are rethinking the way they fight to regain territory from IS. Coalition planes are using fewer airstrikes and smaller, more targeted munitions in urban areas. Explosives disposal teams are undergoing greater training to deal with what IS leaves behind.

The new approach is key as Iraqi forces prepare an offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq's second-biggest city, held by IS since mid-2014.

"They know they can't just turn Mosul into a parking lot," said a Western diplomat in Baghdad who has attended meetings with coalition and Iraqi defense officials regarding the Mosul operation. The diplomat commented on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

Mosul is roughly two-thirds larger in size than Ramadi, and up to 1.5 million residents remain in the city  a far higher number than were still in Ramadi as Iraqi forces fought to regain it. That puts a considerable number of civilians in harm's way.

Ramadi, on the Euphrates River west of Baghdad, is the capital of Iraq's Sunni heartland, Anbar province. In May 2015, IS militants captured it with a barrage of truck bombs and suicide bombings that overwhelmed government forces.

The extremists levelled the main provincial security headquarters, the Anbar Operations Command center, with explosives. They destroyed government buildings, took over homes, dug tunnels and blew up the houses of people associated with the government. The electrical grid was almost completely destroyed and the water network heavily damaged. Militants blew up the city's remaining bridges and two dams.

They turned Anbar University into a headquarters. When Iraqi forces retook the university later, the retreating militants set fires that burned for days. Much of the campus is now in ruins.

Coalition aircraft dropped more than 600 bombs on the city during the eight-month campaign to recapture it. The final assault came in December, as government forces moved into its central districts.

Trying to uproot fighters, aircraft and Iraqi artillery unleashed devastation. Haji Ziad Square, for example, is a strategic intersection with lines of sight down major thoroughfares. So IS fighters deployed heavily there, and approaching Iraqi forces called in intense strikes to help clear them. Not a structure in the square was left standing.

In a district on Ramadi's western edge that was a key route for entering Iraqi forces, at least a dozen large residential towers have been levelled.

Ramadi's residents today are scattered, living in Baghdad and villages nearby.

A small resort town on nearby Habbaniyah Lake  where as recently as 2012 Iraqis came to jet-ski and boat  is now a camp for thousands of people displaced from Ramadi and other Anbar communities.

Umm Khaled, a 30-year-old woman at the resort, said her husband went back to Ramadi after the militants were driven out to see what was left of their home. He brought back pictures on his phone.

"It was like there was nothing. And it's not just our house  the entire neighborhood," said Umm Khaled, pregnant with her fourth child. She did not want her full name used, fearing for the safety of relatives still under IS rule.

With no place to live but the camp, they've run through their savings. They don't know how they will rebuild.

"God willing, we will go back home," Umm Khaled said, "but probably we will stay in these camps for a long time."

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Butler reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Ali Hameed in Baghdad, Osama Sami in Ramadi, Iraq and AP photographer Bilal Hussein in Beirut contributed to this report.

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Follow George at https://twitter.com/sgreports; Butler at https://twitter.com/desmondbutler and Alleruzzo at https://twitter.com/mayaalleruzzo

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Online: The DigitalGlobe imagery of Ramadi: http://djzwe7ud6gp1s.cloudfront.net/

Two buildings in Haji Ziad Square in of the Iraqi city of Ramadi show extensive damage in this March 20, 2016, photo, months after U.S.-backed Iraqi forces freed the city from the Islamic State group. More than 3,000 buildings and nearly 400 roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed, and whole city blocks wiped out in some cases, by airstrikes, fighting or intentional destruction by the militants. The massive destruction is forcing officials from Iraq and the U.S.-led coalition to rethink tactics as they move to retake other cities from the militants. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

This combination of two satellite photos provided by DigitalGlobe and analyzed by Allsource Analysis shows a high-rise apartment complex in Ramadi, Iraq, on June 22, 2014, left, before the city fell to Islamic State militants, and on Jan. 29, 2016, after coalition airstrikes and heavy fighting to re-capture the city. During nine months of fighting, the U.S.-led coalition dropped hundreds of bombs on the city, hitting IS positions as well as infrastructure like roads, bridges and buildings. As they fled the city early this year, IS militants also methodically blew up buildings and infrastructure in a scorched earth campaign. (DigitalGlobe and Allsource Analysis via AP)

This Jan. 29, 2016, satellite photo provided by DigitalGlobe and analyzed by Allsource Analysis shows a destroyed overpass on a major highway intersection north of the Iraqi city of Ramadi. More than 3,000 buildings and nearly 400 roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed in the fierce fighting for the city, including by airstrikes from the U.S.-led coalition, by artillery and by the militants, who blew up buildings as they retreated. (DigitalGlobe and Allsource Analysis via AP)

This Jan. 29, 2016 satellite photo provided by DigitalGlobe and analyzed by Allsource Analysis shows heavy damage to the Anbar Operations Command Complex and to the Warrar Dam on the Euphrates River in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, wrested earlier this year from Islamic State group control. When they took over the city in May 2015, the militants blew up many of the buildings in the command compound, which was the main police and military headquarters in the province. The dam is used to divert water from the river into a nearby canal. (DigitalGlobe and Allsource Analysis via AP)

This Jan. 29, 2016, satellite photo provided by DigitalGlobe and analyzed by Allsource Analysis shows bomb craters in one neighborhood of the Iraqi city of Ramadi. More than 3,000 buildings and nearly 400 roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed in the fierce fighting for the city, including by airstrikes from the U.S.-led coalition, by artillery and by the militants, who blew up buildings as they retreated. (DigitalGlobe and Allsource Analysis via AP)

Jinat Ali, 7, left, and her sister Aya Ali, 5, pick their way through the rubble of their destroyed home in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi on April 3, 2016. Months after U.S.-based Iraqi forces freed the city from the control of the Islamic State group, the vast majority of Ramadi's population of 1 million remain displaced after the extensive destruction wreaked on the city during months of fighting. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

Samira Ouda Faris, left, and Fawzia Khalil Brahim laugh and cry on March 21, 2016, as they recount the day when they heard Iraqi forces had wrested control of their home city of Ramadi from Islamic State group militants. The women and their families, including 11 children, live in a small tent in a camp for displaced people in the nearby town of Habbaniyah. Nearly all of Ramadi's population of 1 million remains displaced months after the city's recapture because of the vast destruction wreaked by months of fighting there. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

In this March 20, 2016 photo, Maj. Mohammed Hussein, an officer with Iraq's elite counterterrorism forces, shows a photo of a slain Islamic State group militant still wearing in a suicide vest, taken during fighting that freed the city of Ramadi from IS control earlier this year. As they fled, the militants destroyed some buildings and booby-trapped others with explosives, leaving behind an empty prize for government forces retaking the city. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

FILE - Smoke rises from Islamic State group positions after an airstrike by U.S.-led coalition warplanes in the Iraqi city of Ramadi in this Dec. 25, 2015 file photo taken during the Iraqi government offensive that drove the militants out of the city. During months of fighting, the U.S.-led coalition dropped more than 600 bombs on the city, artillery pounded districts and retreating militants unleashed a scorched earth policy destroying buildings _ all contributing to vast destruction. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Iraqi counterterrorism soldiers raise an Iraqi flag on the ruins of a building near the provincial council headquarters in Ramadi in this Dec. 27, 2015 file photo, during the offensive that freed the Iraqi city from nearly a year of rule by the Islamic State group. Satellite photos show the price that months of fighting wreaked on the city: More than 3,000 buildings and nearly 400 roads and bridges damaged or destroyed, with whole city blocks wiped out in some cases, from airstrikes, fighting or intentional destruction by the militants. (AP Photo/Osama Sami, File)

FILE - Smoke rises from Islamic State group positions after an airstrike by U.S.-led coalition warplanes in the Iraqi city of Ramadi in this Dec. 25, 2015 file photo during the Iraqi government offensive that drove the militants out of the city. Ramadi, the provincial capital of Iraqs Sunni heartland, was declared fully liberated early this year. But the cost of victory may have been the city itself, with widespread destruction from strikes, artillery and the militants' scorched earth tactic of destroying buildings and infrastructure as they fled. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - An injured woman comforts another as they wait for treatment after clashes between Iraqi forces and Islamic State group extremists in a village outside Ramadi, in this March 9, 2016 file photo. Months after Iraqi troops wrested control of Ramadi from the militants, most of the city's population of 1 million remains displaced, unable to return because of continued fighting in surrounding areas and massive destruction. (AP Photo/Osama Sami, File)

Iraqi counterterrorism forces drive past a ferris wheel in a central district of Ramadi on March 20, 2016. Months after being wrested from the control of the Islamic State group, Ramadi remains devastated with no running water or electricity, entire residential blocks destroyed and no clear picture on when or how it can be rebuilt. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Combat boots lie in the dirt on March 20, 2016, in Ramadi, left behind after a battle weeks earlier between Islamic State group militants and Iraqi security forces. As they fled Ramadi earlier this year, the militants destroyed some buildings and booby-trapped others with explosives in a scorched earth tactic that left behind an empty prize for government forces retaking the city. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Iraqi workers dig a trench for a new water pipe near Haji Ziad square in the center of Ramadi on March 20, 2016. Months after the city was freed from Islamic State group control, reconstruction has hardly begun in Ramadi, where entire city blocks were leveled and infrastructure was smashed in months of fighting, illustrating the giant task Iraq will face as it recaptures more cities from the extremists. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

A hotel on the shore of Iraq's Lake Habbaniya, shown in this March 21, 2016 photo, now shelters thousands of families who fled the Islamic State group in Anbar province, including the provincial capital of Ramadi. Months after Ramadi was retaken from the militants, most of its 1 million residents have not returned because of the widespread destruction of their homes, and some say their savings are running out, leaving them dependent on aid handouts. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Hussein Jassim walks through the ruins of his house in the Iraqi city of Ramadi on April 3, 2016, months after the city was retaken from Islamic State group control. More than 3,000 buildings were destroyed and damaged in fighting or by scorched earth tactics by the militants. For many residents, their homes represented their entire life's savings, and few have the means to rebuild, presenting a massive reconstruction task for an overburdened Iraqi government. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

FILE - Iraqi army Humvees race toward the front lines on the outskirts of Ramadi during heavy clashes with Islamic State group militants in this Sept. 12, 2015, file photo. The fighting eventually led to the recapture of the city from the extremists. After the massive destruction wreaked on Ramadi, Iraqi and coalition officials are rethinking tactics as they prepare for an assault to retake the biggest IS-held prize, the northern city of Mosul. (AP Photo, File)

A stairwell at the library of the University of Anbar in the Iraqi city of Ramadi shows heavy damage in this March 20, 2016 photo. The campus served as headquarters for the Islamic State group before Iraqi forces retook the city earlier this year. As they retreated, the militants set fires in some university buildings and blew up others. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

A family house lies in ruins in the Iraqi city of Ramadi on March 20, 2016, weeks after the city was retaken from the Islamic State group. Entire city blocks were leveled by fighting, airstrikes and by the militants themselves, deliberately blowing up buildings as they fled. For many residents, their homes represented their entire life's savings, and few have the means to rebuild, presenting a massive reconstruction task for an overburdened Iraqi government. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Books lie strewn around the library of the University of Anbar in the Iraqi city of Ramadi in this March 20, 2016 photo. The campus served as headquarters for the Islamic State group before Iraqi forces retook the city earlier this year. As they retreated, the militants set fires in some university buildings and blew up others, part of a scorched earth campaign that contributed to the massive destruction in the city. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

A member of Iraq's elite counter-terrorism forces walks through the library of the University of Anbar in the city of Ramadi on March 20, 2016. The campus served as headquarters for the Islamic State group before Iraqi forces retook Ramadi earlier this year. As they retreated, the militants set fires in some university buildings and blew up others, part of a scorched earth campaign that contributed to the massive destruction in the city. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
US military: Al-Qaida working more closely with the Taliban

WASHINGTON (AP)  Al-Qaida is working more closely with the Taliban in Afghanistan, raising concern that the militant group could bolster the fight against Afghan government forces, a spokesman for the U.S.-NATO mission said Thursday.

"By themselves, we don't think that they pose a real threat, a real significant threat, to the government of Afghanistan," Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, a spokesman for the mission, told Pentagon reporters during a video conference from Kabul.

"But because we think that al-Qaida is ... beginning to work more with Taliban, they can present a bit of an accelerant for the Taliban. They can provide capabilities and skills and those types of things."

Nearly 15 years after the U.S. invaded after 9/11 to root out al-Qaida and oust its host, the Taliban, Afghanistan remains a dangerous country. Last fall, the head of al-Qaida, Ayman al-Zawahiri, announced that he was backing the new leader of the Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor.

"Since that time, we have seen more interaction" between the two groups, Cleveland said.

He estimated that there were 100 to 300 members of al-Qaida in Afghanistan.

"Although they have been significantly diminished, they do have the ability to regenerate very quickly, and they still do have the ability to pose a threat," he said.

The U.S.-NATO coalition has around 13,000 international troops, including 9,800 Americans, in Afghanistan. They are focused on training and assisting Afghan forces as they take on the insurgency largely on their own. Around 3,000 of the U.S. troops are engaged in counterterrorism operations against the Taliban, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group

The U.S. conducted just under 100 counterterrorism strikes against al-Qaida and IS militants in Afghanistan between January and the first of March. During April, there were just under 19 strikes, the majority against IS and a few against al-Qaida targets, he said.
Kansas trial nears end in anti-abortion activist's threat

WICHITA, Kan. (AP)  Jurors have gone home without reaching a verdict in the trial of a Kansas anti-abortion activist accused of sending a letter suggesting someone might place an explosive under the car of a doctor training to perform abortions.

Deliberations will resume Friday in the trial of Angel Dillard. The lawsuit was filed under a federal law aimed at protecting access to abortion services.

A government attorney said during closing arguments Thursday it constituted a threat because Angel Dillard intended to make the Wichita doctor afraid to offer abortion services.

But a defense attorney portrayed the letter as simply a warning protected by the First Amendment.
Prosecutor: Officer justified in shooting man with BB gun

SUFFOLK, Va. (AP)  A Virginia police officer was justified in fatally shooting a man armed with a BB gun that looked like a handgun, according to a state prosecutor.

Suffolk Commonwealth's Attorney C. Phillips Ferguson released a report Thursday, saying an investigation showed Officer James Babor's use of deadly force against 28-year-old Corey Achstein was reasonable based on several factors, media outlets reported.

"In short, based on all the facts, evidence, and established law, I find that Officer (James) Babor's use of deadly force was justified and does not constitute criminal misconduct," Ferguson wrote. "Therefore, this office declines to prosecute any charges against Officer Babor."

Babor and Officer Cheryl Abrigo encountered Achstein on Dec. 28 after responding to reports of a man chasing three juveniles and threatening them with a gun.

Babor warned Achstein six times to comply before firing, Ferguson said. Achstein, who was white, reached for his waist, twisting toward Abrigo and Babor, who thought Achstein was reaching for a weapon. Babor fired one shot, striking Achstein in the back. He later died at a hospital.

Police found a metallic pellet gun at the scene.

"It was a replica of a handgun, with no indication that it was not a real firearm," Ferguson wrote.

Babor and Officer Cheryl Abrigo remain on administrative assignment while the police department finishes an administrative investigation, according to city spokeswoman Diana Klink.

Suffolk Police released the body camera video Thursday, which shows the moments leading up to the shooting and when the fatal shot was fired.
With Cruz out, social conservative leaders rethink Trump

NEW YORK (AP)  With their champion, Sen. Ted Cruz, now out of the presidential race, groups opposing abortion and same-sex marriage say they'll bide their time and warily assess Donald Trump before deciding whether to back him as the Republican nominee.

During months of campaigning, Trump has made some statements about abortion and gay rights that pleased social conservatives and others that unsettled them. That inconsistency, coupled with various liberal-leaning comments he made in past years, has deprived Trump of an enthusiastic embrace by the social conservative camp.

Now, with Trump the presumptive GOP nominee, there are recalculations being made by activist leaders who had backed Cruz, such as Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council.

FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2013 file photo, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins speaks in Washington. With their champion, Sen. Ted Cruz, now out of the presidential race, groups opposing abortion and same-sex marriage say they'll bide their time and warily assess Donald Trump before deciding whether to back him as the Republican nominee. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

"I endorsed Ted Cruz because of his clarity and conviction on issues that are central to our mission," said Perkins "Now I'm going to step back and see what Donald Trump says."

Two critical factors for Perkins: Who Trump picks as a running mate and what signals he sends about how he'd vet future judicial nominees.

Perkins also said that Trump  if he wants to solidify support from social conservatives  should study up on the details of their views.

"He needs to surround himself with people who understand these issues, and he needs to listen to them. I'll be watching who he brings around him," Perkins said.

Similar caution was voiced by Cruz supporter Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage. The group was a major player in the unsuccessful campaign to prevent the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage.

"We will take our time to assess options and determine whether Mr. Trump is willing to engage in a discussion of the importance of these issues," Brown said in an email.

Trump's mixed commentary on gay rights issues has irked activists on both the left and right. For example, he has expressed misgivings about a North Carolina law curtailing rights protections for LGBT people, and he has also faulted the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that struck down state bans on same-sex marriage.

Among the statements that troubled many conservatives was Trump's comment in a TV interview that women getting illegal abortions should be punished. He quickly backtracked after sharp criticism from anti-abortion activists who said it undercut their efforts to empathize with women while targeting abortion providers with restrictive laws.

The Susan B. Anthony List was among the anti-abortion groups assailing Trump. Said its president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, last month, "Each pronouncement Mr. Trump makes on the issue of life seemingly must be corrected by someone 15 minutes later."

Dannenfelser, who was impressed by Cruz, is now open to backing Trump if he holds the anti-abortion line on three issues  defunding Planned Parenthood, supporting federal legislation that would ban most late-term abortions, and selecting federal judges who'd carry on the legacy of conservative Antonin Scalia, the late Supreme Court justice.

"There is no question that we have been and will remain vigilant," Dannenfelser said in regard to Trump. "But he has given us commitments ... We are cautiously optimistic he'll stay steadfast."

Another major anti-abortion organization, National Right to Life, had supported Cruz in the primaries. As of Thursday, it had not indicated publicly whether it would back Trump, though its president, Carol Tobias, noted that the group  like others in the social conservative realm  was opposed to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

One prominent abortion opponent  economics professor Michael New of Ave Maria University  went public with a tweet this week urging some leading Republican to launch a campaign against Trump now that Cruz and John Kasich have dropped out.

New, who employed the hashtag NeverTrumpForever, said he questioned Trump's ability "to articulate the pro-life position in an attractive manner." He also expressed doubts that Trump would nominate judges who would uphold anti-abortion laws.

Back in late February, when his campaign was thriving, Cruz formed a religious liberty advisory council and named 19 prominent social conservatives to serve on it, with Tony Perkins as the chairman.

Among its members was Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of the Texas-based First Liberty Institute.

Shackelford says he's now open to supporting Trump, depending on how he handles one specific issue  the selection of judicial nominees for the Supreme Court and other federal courts with a view toward protecting religious freedom.

"I didn't have any doubt about the type of justices Ted Cruz would appoint," Shackelford said. "I haven't had any interaction with Donald Trump or his team, but if he's committed to solid judicial appointments, he'll get my support."

Another member of the Cruz advisory council was the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, pastor at a church in Sacramento, California, and president of the evangelical National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.

Rodriguez said he would expect Trump to endorse "a pro-life, pro-family, religious liberty, and immigration reform agenda."

"To date Donald Trump's comments about immigration have been inflammatory, impractical and unhelpful," Rodriguez said in a statement. "Now that he is the presumptive nominee, we call upon him to immediately stop rhetorical commentary he has previously used that discredits groups, including Latino immigrants."

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Follow David Crary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CraryAP
Tourists use Alaska homeless shelter to grab coffee, snack

KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP)  Cruise ship passengers have been hanging out at an Alaska homeless shelter to get free coffee and a bite to eat, but few have bothered making a donation, said one of the nonprofit's board members.

Tourists in Ketchikan often stop by looking for a restroom, and some decide to stay longer, First City Homeless Services chairwoman Evelyn Erbele told the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly on Monday.

"If we have a snack, they'll take the snack and they'll sit there and watch TV," Erbele said. "It's called 'audacity,' isn't it?"

This May 3, 2016 photo shows the sign of the First City Homeless Services in Ketchikan, Alaska. Cruise ship passengers have been hanging out at an Alaska homeless shelter to get free coffee and a bite to eat, but few have bothered making a donation, said one of the nonprofit's board members. (Nick Bowman/Ketchikan Daily News via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

The shelter relies on donations and funding from the city and its borough, and it's requesting more money from officials. Ketchikan is called the First City because it's the first stop in southeast Alaska for ships traveling the Inside Passage.

Last year, 38 cruise ships stopped there, bringing 944,500 visitors to this community of 8,200 people, according to the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau. The homeless shelter had 365 visitors that year.

"It's a shelter, and we don't turn anybody away," Erbele told The Ketchikan Daily News on Tuesday (http://bit.ly/1QSGvzX ).

Chris Alvarado, the shelter's services manager, said he sees why tourists come to the shelter, which is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. six days a week.

"Sometimes some of the stores are not open really early, (so) sometimes people will come up here and get coffee and just hang out," Alvarado said.

While few people end up donating to the shelter, Alvarado said it doesn't bother him.

"We are for the homeless, but we're also for the community, for anybody, who needs a safe place to stay," he said. "This door is open for anybody who needs resources. ... I just can't see myself turning somebody away for a cup of coffee even if they're not from here or they're using the bathroom or if they needed a break from walking around."

First City Homeless Services has a $77,635 budget this year and is requesting $14,000 from the borough, according to its application.

Ketchikan is widely known for wanting a bridge to connect the island town to its airport on a neighboring island. But that span, which became known as the Bridge to Nowhere, became a deriding example of congressional earmarks and hasn't been built. Visitors can only reach Ketchikan by sea or air.

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EU official Tusk: Idea of one European nation is 'illusion'

ROME (AP)  Worried about anti-European Union sentiment fueling nationalism on the continent, a top official said Thursday that the bloc must "stop the radicals" from gaining power by making citizens feel safe amid the migrant crisis.

EU Council President Tusk joined other leaders in a debate in Rome on the state of the European Union.

Nationalists and anti-European sentiment have gained ground in elections in several EU nations. Fears of being overwhelmed by migrants are testing a major EU accomplishment  Schengen "border-free" travel  as several countries erect or plan physical barriers.

From left, European Council President Donald Tusk, Professor Joseph Halevi Horowitz Weiler President of the European parliament Martin Schulz and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, right, attend the panel discussion "State of the European Union", in Rome, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

"Today we have to admit that this dream of one European state with one common interest, with one vision...one European nation, this was an illusion," Tusk said.

The former Polish prime minister said the EU is facing a "really risky and tricky" moment.

An urgent goal for Brussels, Tusk said, must be to "convince our citizens that we are able to provide this feeling of security and stability" by "re-establishing effective control of our external borders."

That strategy, Tusk contended, can "stop the radicals in their march for power."

Much of the EU's external sea borders is being sorely tested by human traffickers who launch unseaworthy boats filled with migrants toward Italian, Greek and other southern nations from Libyan shores. Hundreds of thousands of refugees have been brought to EU shores when rescued at sea and then seek asylum in EU nations.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, citing the migrant crisis, said "suddenly we discovered that not everyone was applauding or sharing" EU views.

The EU officials came to Rome on the eve of a ceremony at the Vatican to give Pope Francis the International Charlemagne Prize for his message of tolerance, solidarity and encouragement. The prize honors work done in the service of European unification.

Italy's prime minister Matteo Renzi, left, talks with the president of European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, center, and the president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, right, during their meeting in Rome, Thursday, May 5, 2016. (Angelo Carconi/ANSA via AP Photo) ITALY OUT
Canada evacuating 8,000 wildfire evacuees by air

FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta (AP)  Canadian officials will start moving thousands of people from work camps north of devastated Fort McMurray in a mass highway convoy Friday morning if it is safe from a massive wildfire raging in Alberta.

Officials airlifted 8,000 people on Thursday and will continue the airlift Friday, while a mass migration of cars will move south in the morning.

The Alberta provincial government, which declared a state of emergency, said more than 1,100 firefighters, 145 helicopters, 138 pieces of heavy equipment and 22 air tankers were fighting the fire, but Chad Morrison, Alberta's manager of wildfire prevention, said rain is needed.

A helicopter flies past a wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Alberta declared a state of emergency Wednesday as crews frantically held back wind-whipped wildfires that have already torched homes and other buildings in Canada's main oil sands city of Fort McMurray, forcing thousands of residents to flee. (Jason Franson /The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

"Let me be clear: air tankers are not going to stop this fire," he said. "It is going to continue to push through these dry conditions until we actually get some significant rain."

The fire continued to grow, but it is moving away from Fort McMurray and the rate of its growth has slowed. No rain clouds were expected around Fort McMurray until late Saturday, with 40 percent chance of showers, according to forecasts by Environment Canada.

More than 80,000 people have emptied Fort McMurray in the heart of Canada's oil sands, authorities said.

About 25,000 evacuees moved north in the hours after Tuesday's mandatory evacuation, where oil sands work camps were converted to house people. But the bulk of the more than 80,000 evacuees fled south to Edmonton and elsewhere, and officials are moving everyone south where they can get better support services.

Officials flew 8,000 evacuees to Edmonton and Calgary by Thursday night. They hope the highway will become safe enough on Friday to move the remaining people out via the south. It was not safe Thursday.

A helicopter will lead the evacuation convoy on Friday morning to make sure the highway is safe. It will pass through Fort McMurray where the fire has torched 1,600 homes and other buildings.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said the first convoy will be 400 vehicles and officials would see how that goes.

There have been no injuries or death in the province from the fires. Notley said financial support will be provided to Albertans and that cash cards may be made available for evacuated residents.

The Alberta government also declared a province-wide fire ban to reduce the risk of more blazes in a province that is very hot and dry.

Fort McMurray is surrounded by wilderness and is Canada's main oil sands town. Despite the size of the town and its importance to the Canadian economy, there are essentially only two ways out via car. The region has the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

Aided by high winds, scorching heat and low humidity, the fire grew from 75 square kilometers (29 square miles) Tuesday to 100 square kilometers (38.6 square miles) on Wednesday, but by Thursday it was almost nine times that  at 850 square kilometers (328.2 square miles). That's an area roughly the size of Calgary  Alberta's largest city.

Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. Morrison said they are investigating the cause of the fire but he said it started in a remote forested area and said it could have been lightning.

A combination of factors conspired to make this wildfire especially ferocious, said Bill Patzert, a climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. The El Nino global weather system brought Alberta a mild winter and low snowpack, he said.

Patzert said the flames sparked at a time between the snowy season and before springtime rains that turn the landscape green, making the region especially vulnerable to wildfire.

"In a way, it's a perfect storm," Patzert said. "It's been warm, it's been dry and windy. It's the in-between period before you're in the full bloom of spring."

The fire is driving one of the largest evacuations in North America in recent memory, said Bill Stewart, co-director of the University of California's Center for Fire Research and Outreach at the University of California, Berkeley.

With few exceptions in the United States, an entire town hasn't been threatened on this scale for more than 100 years, he said.

"You could add five times the number of firefighters, but you can't get all the embers," he said. "There's no way to put out every ember flying over firefighters' heads."

The fire has dealt a blow to the region's crude production, with companies curtailing production or stopping it altogether.

Notley said the infrastructure for oil and gas production remains largely unaffected, but output is naturally down because their employees are not there.

The city's airport suffered only minor damage because of the "herculean'" efforts of firefighters, said Scott Long of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency. Firefighters have focused on protecting key infrastructure like the water treatment plant, the hospital and the airport. Crews water bombed the city Thursday.

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Associated Press writers Rob Gillies in Toronto and Scott Smith in Fresno, California, contributed to this report.

Smoke rises above trees as a wildfire burns in Fort McMurray, Alberta on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Alberta declared a state of emergency Wednesday as crews frantically held back wind-whipped wildfires that have already torched homes and other buildings in Canada's main oil sands city of Fort McMurray, forcing thousands of residents to flee. (Jason Franson /The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Smoke fills the air and trees burn in Fort McMurray, Alberta, on Tuesday May 3, 2016. The entire population of the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray, has been ordered to evacuate as a wildfire whipped by winds engulfed homes and sent ash raining down on residents. (Kitty Cochrane/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Smoke from a wildfire rises in the air as cars line up on a road in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. At least half of a northern Alberta city was ordered evacuated Tuesday as a wildfire whipped by winds engulfed homes and sent ash raining down on residents. (Greg Halinda/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Smoke fills the air as people drive on a road in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. At least half of a northern Alberta city was ordered evacuated Tuesday as a wildfire whipped by winds engulfed homes and sent ash raining down on residents. (Greg Halinda/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

This photo take through a car windshield shows smoke rising from a wildfire rages outside of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The entire population of the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray, has been ordered to evacuate as a wildfire whipped by winds engulfed homes and sent ash raining down on residents. (Mary Anne Sexsmith-Segato/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

This photo provided by Tyler Burgett shows flames from a wildfire along Highway 63 in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. At least half of the northern Alberta city was ordered evacuated Tuesday as a wildfire whipped by winds engulfed homes and sent ash raining down on residents. (Tyler Burgett via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
The Latest: Navajos frustrated over delay in Amber Alert

FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP)  The Latest on the abduction and killing of an 11-year-old Navajo girl in northwest New Mexico (all times local):

4:10 p.m.

Several hours after a stranger abducted an 11-year-old Navajo girl as she played near her home, few outside the reservation knew she was missing.

Kynareth Longoria, 7, left, and Letitia Buck, second from left, and other family members mourn for Ashlynne Mike during a vigil for her at the Nenahnezad Chapter House., on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Fruitland, N.M. Tom Begaye Jr. was arrested later Tuesday in the death of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike. He made his first appearance Wednesday before a federal magistrate in Farmington. (Steve Lewis/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Cellphone alarms jolted New Mexico residents at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, giving the first warning beyond the Navajo Nation to keep watch for Ashlynne Mike. A man took the girl and her brother Monday afternoon.

The delay in sending out the Amber Alert and notifying local law enforcement of the kidnapping has led to sharp criticism from those who believe Ashlynne could have been found alive. Others say an earlier alert would have made little difference because her brother, who escaped, said the kidnapper drove off without her.

The Navajo Nation relies on outside agencies to get the word out about child abductions.

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1:10 p.m.

The funeral for an 11-year-old Navajo girl who was kidnapped and killed on the edge of nation's largest American Indian reservation is set for Friday.

Federal authorities say Ashlynne Mike was abducted along a dirt road near her home Monday after a bus dropped her off from school. Searchers found her body Tuesday morning, about 30 miles away and south of a monolithic rock that gives the community of Shiprock, New Mexico, its name.

Tom Begaye, a 27-year-old from the area, has been charged in her death and is scheduled for a hearing Friday in federal court in Albuquerque.

Shawn Mike, a family spokesman and Ashlynne's cousin, says her funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at the Civic Center in Farmington, a town at the edge of the Navajo Nation.

This undated photo provided by the New Mexico State Police shows Ashlynne Mike. The air and ground search for the abducted Navajo girl ended tragically Tuesday, May 3, 2016, when authorities found the 11-year-old dead near the towering rock formation that gives the New Mexico town of Shiprock its name. Ashlynne Mike was kidnapped from the Navajo Nation, FBI spokesman Frank Fisher said. (New Mexico State Police via AP)

Law enforcement officials escort Tom Begaye, left, after he made an initial court appearance Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at Farmington Municipal Court in Farmington N.M. Begaye has been accused of abducting and killing 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike. He faces murder and kidnapping charges. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Q&A: How Michigan lawmakers differ on Detroit school revamp

LANSING, Mich. (AP)  The fate of Detroit's debt-ridden school district rests with the Michigan Legislature, where lawmakers have passed widely different restructuring plans and have just six weeks to resolve their differences before a summer adjournment.

Teachers are back at work after more mass sick-outs kept 45,000 students from attending for two days. The union has received assurances that teachers whose compensation is spread out over a full year will be paid this summer.

But emergency aid previously approved for the state-managed district will run out by June 30, putting summer programs at risk and raising doubts about whether the doors will be open next school year.

Teachers rally outside the school district's headquarters, Tuesday, May 3, 2016,m in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called out sick over concerns that many may not get paid if the financially struggling district runs out of money. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

A $500 million proposal approved early Thursday by House Republicans  many angered by the sick-outs  includes provisions criticized as anti-union. A $717 million plan OK'd by the Senate in March has bipartisan support.

Some questions and answers about what legislators are debating:

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IS THERE ANY CONSENSUS?

There is agreement on the framework of an overhaul first proposed by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder a year ago. The 97-school district would be divided similarly to how General Motors was split into two companies post-bankruptcy. The current district would stay intact for tax-collection purposes to retire an estimated $500 million in long-term debt now being repaid from operating funds. A new district would educate the students, and its finances would be overseen by a commission of state appointees.

Much of the blame for the money troubles can be traced to plummeting enrollment, which is a third of what it was a decade ago in part because many Detroit parents have turned to charter schools and suburban districts. Detroit Public Schools, which has been under state control for all but three years since 1999, is spending 40 percent of state per-pupil funding to repay past cash-flow borrowings. It is a liability that Snyder describes as "crushing" efforts to improve academics in the country's worst-performing district of its size.

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HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?

Lawmakers are at odds over how much of a state bailout is needed to rescue Michigan's largest school district. While agreeing to spend around $500 million in tobacco settlement money on the debt, the House balked at allocating another $200 million for the new district's "transitional operating costs" included in the Senate bills and instead allotted $33 million. "I don't think we want to be in a situation where we pass a sum of money and then two or three months later we're right back in front of the Legislature asking for more," said Democratic Sen. David Knezek, of Dearborn Heights.

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WHAT IS THE MAIN STICKING POINT?

Tension surrounds an effort endorsed by Snyder, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and the Senate to create an A-to-F accountability system and a commission of mayoral appointees to make decisions about opening and closing schools, including an uncapped number of publicly funded charters that enroll about 36,000 students. It has faced stiff resistance from the school-choice lobby, which has sway in the Republican-led Legislature and contends the commission is designed to bolster traditional schools at the expense of charters. GOP House Speaker Kevin Cotter said it would "choke out" charters.

But supporters say the Senate plan would automatically allow for the replication of high-quality A- and B-rated charter schools. "There are some great charter providers in the city. But there's some charters that woefully underperform and deserve closing  the same as there are some public schools ... that don't do well and probably should find the same fate," said Sen. Bert Johnson, a Highland Park Democrat whose district includes portions of Detroit.

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WHAT ARE OTHER DIFFERENCES?

Unlike the Senate, the House plan would prohibit current labor contracts from being transferred to the new district and  in an apparent swipe at the union after the sick-outs  enact tougher anti-strike provisions such as boosting fines and letting the state superintendent and attorney general challenge strikes as illegal. The House also voted to implement merit-based pay for teachers and administrators and allow for uncertified teachers. Labor unions blasted the bills as "some of the most despicable anti-student, anti-public school, anti-teacher provisions we've seen." Other differences include how quickly residents could elect a school board and the process of hiring a superintendent.

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WHAT'S NEXT?
The Latest: Sister elated after 'Grim Sleeper' verdicts

LOS ANGELES (AP)  The Latest on the verdicts in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings (all times local):

2:50 p.m.

The sister of the youngest victim of the "Grim Sleeper" serial killer says she was elated when she heard guilty verdicts in a Los Angeles courtroom.

Lonnie Franklin Jr. faces a possible death sentence after being convicted Thursday of 10 counts of first-degree murder in slayings spanning two decades.

Samara Herard, the sister of 15-year-old victim Princess Berthomieux, says she had waited so long for justice she almost didn't think it was going to happen.

Herard says her sister had a heart of gold and deserved to live a full life. She says she wasn't surprised Franklin showed no emotion during the verdict because he didn't value life.

The penalty phase of the trial is scheduled to start May 12.

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1:50 p.m.

A jury has convicted a former Los Angeles trash collector in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings that spanned more than two decades and targeted vulnerable young black women in the inner city.

Lonnie Franklin Jr. was found guilty of all 10 slayings Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court after a two-month trial in the potential death penalty case. He showed no emotion as the verdicts were read.

He was also found guilty of one count of attempted murder.

Prosecutors said Franklin stalked vulnerable young black women in the South Los Angeles area during the crack cocaine epidemic.

The 10 victims, including a 15-year-old girl, were fatally shot or strangled and dumped in alleys. Some were prostitutes and most had traces of cocaine in their systems.

The killer was dubbed the "Grim Sleeper" because of an apparent 14-year gap after one woman survived an attack in 1988.

A defense lawyer claimed a "mystery man" was the killer, though the prosecutor said that theory was fabricated.

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1:40 p.m.

A former Los Angeles trash collector has been convicted of the first of 10 murder counts in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings.

Jurors found 63-year-old Lonnie Franklin Jr. guilty on the count Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Decisions on nine more murder counts are still being read in court.

The killings spanned two decades and the 10 victims included a 15-year-old girl.

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12 p.m.

Jurors have reached a verdict in the trial of a Los Angeles man charged in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings that targeted vulnerable young black women over two decades.

Lonnie Franklin Jr. could face the death penalty if convicted Thursday in the 10 slayings after a two-month trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The verdict was set to be announced at 1:30 p.m. PDT.

The 10 victims, including a 15-year-old girl, were fatally shot or strangled and dumped in South Los Angeles during the crack cocaine epidemic. Some were prostitutes and most had cocaine in their systems.

The killer was dubbed the "Grim Sleeper" because of an apparent 14-year gap after one woman survived.
Trump says he'll name running mate at convention

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP)  Donald Trump said Thursday that he will name his vice presidential pick at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this July.

Speaking in an interview with The Associated Press, Trump said that it was still early in the process to select a running mate, but that he would soon form a committee to begin vetting running mates.

"It is early  we just won yesterday," Trump said. "I will announce it at the convention. A lot of people are interested."

FILE - In this Sunday, May 1, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts to a song during a campaign rally at the Indiana Theater in Terre Haute, Ind. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

His aides have declined to identify any candidates, but former rival Ben Carson, whom Trump has said is helping with his vice presidential search, told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that a Democrat may be among those considered. Trump has said he intends to pick a Republican with prior government experience.

Trump has not yet reached the number of delegates required to clinch the nomination, but now has a clear path to becoming the Republican standard-bearer after his remaining rivals, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, suspended their campaigns this week.

Trump also said that he would "do whatever the maximum standard is" in terms of separating his business interests from his role as president if he wins in November. He named Steven Mnuchin, a private investor with ties to New York and Hollywood, as his national finance chairman on Thursday. While he has largely self-funded his primary run, he has said he would engage in some fundraising for the general election.

Trump has expressed reluctance to liquidate any of his holdings to finance that campaign.

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Colorado city to pay those sent to jail over court fines

DENVER (AP)  In a rare move, a Colorado city has agreed to pay dozens of people, most of them homeless, who were sent to jail because they couldn't afford to pay fines for minor offenses like panhandling and jaywalking.

The $103,000 deal requires Colorado Springs to pay up to 66 people $125 for each day they spent behind bars. The city said municipal courts stopped imposing "pay or serve" sentences by the end of 2015 and the ordinances that allowed the practice have been changed. It also provided jail and court records of people who were jailed because they could not pay fines so they could be tracked down and paid.

The settlement comes as several other cities, including New Orleans and Jackson, Mississippi are facing federal lawsuits claiming authorities use jail or the threat of it to get people to pay court fees or fines. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that people cannot be jailed if they do not have the money to pay.

Mark Silverstein, legal director of the ACLU of Colorado, speaks during a press conference Thursday, May 5, 2016, in Colorado Springs, Colo., to announce a settlement with the City of Colorado Springs over what the ACLU calls "debtors' prison practices." The city agreed to compensate dozens of people put in jail because they couldnt afford to pay fines for minor offenses like panhandling and jaywalking. Silverstein says such sentences were banned by a 1971 Supreme Court ruling but they still persist at some city-level courts. (Mark Reis/The Gazette via AP) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

The group behind those lawsuits, Washington-based Equal Justice Under Law, has also challenged cities for setting high bail amounts that keep defendants in jail as they await trial.

In Colorado Springs, people who told judges they could not afford to pay fines were sentenced to serve a day for every $50 they owed, with some sentenced to multiple terms for multiple offenses.

The ACLU said one of four people it represents in Colorado Springs, Shawn Hardman, served a total of more than three months in jail after being sentenced on four occasions for allegedly violating panhandling restrictions. The ACLU says he only held a sign soliciting donations and never violated the rules.

People eligible to be paid under the deal were also ticketed for violations like staying in parks after hours and having an open container of alcohol, which are most commonly enforced against homeless people, ACLU of Colorado legal director Mark Silverstein said. Besides violating the rights of those jailed, the city's practice also wasted taxpayers' money, he said.

"Nothing addresses the real problem that causes people sleeping in a park or sleeping on the side of the highway," he said.

The settlement was amicable, both sides agreed.

"We were pleased with the process of working together with the ACLU to make our judicial processes better and to ensure we are in alignment with the law," Mayor John Suthers, Colorado's former Attorney General, said in a statement.

Mark Silverstein, legal director of the ACLU of Colorado, speaks during a press conference Thursday, May 5, 2016, in Colorado Springs, Colo., to announce a settlement with the City of Colorado Springs over what the ACLU calls "debtors' prison practices." The city agreed to compensate dozens of people put in jail because they couldnt afford to pay fines for minor offenses like panhandling and jaywalking. Silverstein says such sentences were banned by a 1971 Supreme Court ruling but they still persist at some city-level courts. (Mark Reis/The Gazette via AP) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT
The Latest: Mayor says escaped inmate no longer in his town

BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP)  The Latest on the search for an escaped inmate in New Jersey (all times local):

4:45 p.m.

The mayor of a New Jersey town that was the center of a search for an escaped prisoner says the state has told him the convict is no longer there.

These undated photos provided by Barnegat Police Department shows Arthur Buckel. Corrections officials say the minimum security inmate was missing when guards at Bayside State Prison in the southern New Jersey town of Hammonton performed a count Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (Barnegat Police Department via AP)

Barnegat Mayor John Novak said Thursday that 38-year-old Arthur Buckel is no longer in the town.

Surveillance video captured Buckel shopping at a CVS on Wednesday, a day after the minimum security inmate was found missing when guards did a count at Bayside State Prison in Hammonton.

Buckel had been serving a sentence for aggravated assault and was scheduled to be considered for parole this month. He previously served 14 years for aggravated manslaughter of a baby.

A spokesman for the state corrections department wouldn't comment on the investigation.

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11:40 a.m.

New Jersey town has increased security at schools, while a "flood of leads" has failed to turn up an inmate who escaped from prison.

Barnegat Mayor John Novak said Thursday his town will continue searching for 38-year-old Arthur Buckel unless it gets confirmed information he is no longer there.

Surveillance video captured Buckel shopping at a CVS on Wednesday, a day after the minimum security inmate was found missing when guards did a count at Bayside State Prison in Hammonton.

Novak says police officers are stationed at the town's schools and that state police will escort buses Thursday afternoon.

Buckel had been serving a sentence for aggravated assault and was scheduled to be considered for parole this month. He previously served 14 years for aggravated manslaughter of a baby.

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9 a.m.

Police in New Jersey say security footage has captured images of an escaped inmate walking into a pharmacy, one day after vanishing from a state prison.

The Barnegat Police Department identifies the man in the images taken at a Barnegat CVS on Wednesday morning as 38-year-old Arthur Buckel. Corrections officials say the minimum security inmate was missing when guards at Bayside State Prison in the southern New Jersey town of Hammonton performed a count Tuesday morning.

Buckel, whose last known address was in Clifton, had been serving a sentence for aggravated assault. He was scheduled to be paroled later this month.

Buckel previously served 14 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter of a 10-month-old child. He was released in 2010.
Baffert returns to Kentucky Derby with under the radar horse

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  Bob Baffert feels under the radar with his latest horse at the Kentucky Derby. All anyone wants to talk about is American Pharoah, last year's winner who went on to become the sport's first Triple Crown champion in 37 years.

Outside his barn at Churchill Downs, visitors pull special edition bourbon bottles decorated in Pharoah's teal silks out of plastic grocery bags for the Hall of Fame trainer to sign. He listens patiently while they recount their memories of the people-loving colt, "who made them feel so good," Baffert said.

He calls it the "American Pharoah hangover." Clearly it's the best kind to have.

FILE - In this June 18, 2015, file photo, trainer Bob Baffert walks Triple Crown winner American Pharoah after the horse arrived at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Baffert is back at Churchill Downs bidding for his fifth career Derby win with Mor Spirit, a colt lacking the buzz American Pharoah enjoyed a year ago but still a top contender to wear the garland of red roses. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)

"I don't know if we'll ever see one that intelligent, that kind, where I could bring him out here and you guys could be all over him. He didn't care, he loved human contact," Baffert said. "Nobody flies that much and runs that well. It's just crazy that he could handle it. I don't think we'll see one that tough."

Earlier in the week, Baffert and wife Jill visited American Pharoah at his new home in Lexington, where the colt is busy producing possible future Derby runners when he's not greeting the public five days a week.

"It was a little emotional. It was like going to visit your child at camp," Baffert said. "I think he recognized Jill. She talks to him in this little high sweet voice and he nickered to her. He's still really sweet and kind. They let me walk him around and be by myself with him."

Then it was time to get in the car and drive back to reality.

Waiting at Baffert's barn with a view of the twin spires was Mor Spirit, another horse like Pharoah with a misspelled name. He has never been worse than second in seven career starts. Mor Spirit has previously mixed it up with some of his Derby competition, finishing second to Exaggerator in the Santa Anita Derby and second to Danzing Candy in the San Felipe in his most recent starts.

"Expectations might be a little bit lower," Baffert said. "Turning for home if he's right there I know he'll fight and get a piece of it."

Notice he didn't say win.

"You have a lot of horses here that are pretty equal," he said. "There's so much parity, they haven't really separated themselves. Maybe there will be another American Pharoah. Maybe Derby day some horse is just going to step up and say, 'Hey, I'm the one.'"

That's what Pharoah did last year, setting Baffert and his family, owner Ahmed Zayat, jockey Victor Espinoza and the stable help on a historic journey that captured the public's imagination in a way horse racing rarely does anymore.

"When Victor came off him after the Breeders' Cup," Baffert said, "I told him we'll never have another American Pharoah."

Still, he's always searching. All of Baffert's other Derby candidates fell by the wayside for one reason or another this winter, leaving Mor Spirit still standing. He'll be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.

"He's done everything well since he's been here," the trainer said. "He really likes the surface and that's very important."

The last time a Baffert horse started the Kentucky Derby from post 17 was Point Given in 2001, with Stevens aboard. They finished fifth as the 9-5 favorite that Saturday in May before going on to win the Preakness and Belmont as well as Horse of the Year honors.

No horse has ever won the Derby from that post, where Mor Spirit landed.

"We'll just have to make history again this year," Baffert said.

FILE - In this June 6, 2015, file photo, American Pharoah jockey Victor Espinoza, left, and trainer Bob Baffert, second from tight, join members of owners Ahmed Zayat's family holding up the Triple Crown Trophy after American Pharoah won the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Baffert is back at Churchill Downs bidding for his fifth career Derby win with Mor Spirit, a colt lacking the buzz American Pharoah enjoyed a year ago but still a top contender to wear the garland of red roses. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)
The U.S. Navy SEAL who died in an attack by ISIS in Iraq on Tuesday secretly married his fiancee before he deployed, it was revealed Friday.

Charles Keating IV married sweetheart Brooke Clark before he left home, People first reported.

The two planned a wedding for November, but eloped prior to Keating's departure for Iraq, friends of the slain SEAL told People.

'He wanted to protect her in case anything happened to him,' a fellow SEAL told the magazine.

Scroll down for video

Charles Keating IV married Brooke Clark before deploying for Iraq. The pair, pictured, planned an official wedding ceremony for November, friends said

A Navy spokesperson, who confirmed the secret marriage, said that such arrangements are commonplace among service members

Clark, left, and Keating, right, lived in the San Diego area. Keating was slain in an ISIS attack in Iraq on Tuesday

'Charlie may have had a feeling about this mission. Maybe he was just being prudent. This is a terrible loss to Brooke and to all of us,' the SEAL said.

One friend called the marriage a 'well-guarded secret'.

A Navy spokesperson, who also confirmed the secret marriage, said that such arrangements are commonplace among service members.

'There are certain benefits to being married, and a lot of couples put that in place as a protective measure,' Lt. Beth Teach told People.

According to a LinkdIn page, Brooke works as an event organizer for a California wine company.

News of the secret marriage came as the Pentagon commented on Tuesday's attack in northern Iraq, saying it was a 'surprise'.

'Obviously, had we had the forces there, been able to see this attack coming, they would have responded differently to it,' Peter Cook, the Pentagon press secretary, said.

Keating is the third U.S. service member to be killed in combat in Iraq since U.S. forces returned there in 2014

This map shows the location in northern Iraq where Charles Keating IV was killed on Tuesday

'Perhaps this could have been avoided. That's certainly something that we're looking at carefully. This particular attack was not anticipated and we were forced to respond.'

Keating is the third U.S. service member to be killed in combat in Iraq since U.S. forces returned there in 2014.

Keating was a member of what the military calls a quick-reaction force that was called to the scene of the gun battle in which a small U.S. military advisory team had already become involved.

The Islamic State force managed to penetrate the Kurds' lines but ultimately was pushed out of the area.

The U.S. military's main spokesman in Baghdad, Col. Steve Warren, said Wednesday that it was unclear how IS managed to assemble an attacking force of an estimated 125 fighters, plus vehicles, without being detected prior to the assault.

'You can't observe every inch of earth every moment in the day,' Warren said. 'There's not enough eyeballs out there to watch it all, anyways.' He said the militants were initially successful by surprising the Kurdish force but ultimately were beaten back.

'So it was a failed attack, but certainly, they were able to martial and deploy a force that surprised the Peshmerga forces,' Warren said. The Peshmerga are a Kurdish militia.

Cook was asked whether Defense Secretary Ash Carter is looking for ways to make the U.S. advisory mission less dangerous.
The Latest: Sumner Redstone testifies in competency case

LOS ANGELES (AP)  The Latest on a case that will determine the mental competency of media mogul Sumner Redstone. (all times local):

2:30 p.m.

Attorneys say Sumner Redstone has given sworn testimony in a mental competency case that is scheduled to begin trial on Friday.

FILE - In this April 20, 2013, file photo, media mogul Sumner Redstone arrives at the 2013 MOCA Gala celebrating the opening of the Urs Fischer exhibition at MOCA, in Los Angeles. A judge ruled on Monday, May 2, 2016, that Sumner Redstone should give 30 minutes of videotaped, sworn testimony in a case about the ailing media mogul's mental capacity that was filed by Redstone's ex-girlfriend and longtime companion, Manuela Herzer. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

Attorneys for Redstone and a former girlfriend told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David J. Cowan that the testimony was given Thursday morning. They did not elaborate, other than to say it went smoothly.

Cowan ruled on Monday that he needed to hear from Redstone. He ordered that Redstone give 30 minutes of videotaped sworn testimony at his home.

The video will be played in closed session shortly after the trial begins on Friday morning.

Redstone's ex-girlfriend Manuela Herzer contends Redstone is mentally incapacitated and has been unable to make informed decisions since October, when he ordered her kicked out of his mansion.

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1 p.m.

Sumner Redstone's attorneys say the ailing media mogul paid two of his ex-girlfriends $150 million over a five-year period before kicking them out of his life.

The sums were paid to Redstone's ex-girlfriend Sydney Holland and Manuela Herzer, who is asking a Los Angeles judge to rule Redstone was mentally incapacitated when he kicker her out of his home in October.

Both women may testify in a mental competency trial that is scheduled to begin Friday in Los Angeles.

Herzer's attorney Pierce O'Donnell has said his client is not motivated by money, but is concerned about the 92-year-old Redstone's wellbeing.

Redstone's lawyers say Herzer lied to their client, who wants her out of his life.

Redstone controls CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. through his company, National Amusements.
Kate Beckinsale dishes on her Sarah Silverman girl crush

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Friendly exes are nothing new among Hollywood's consciously uncoupled, but Kate Beckinsale says her feelings run deep for ex-boyfriend, Michael Sheen, and his girlfriend, Sarah Silverman.

"Michael and I have obviously not been together for a very long time, what 16 years or 15 years, something like that? And we've always got on really well. So I'm always surprised when people find that surprising because it's quite well-established. It's just that I'm quite deeply in love with his girlfriend. So that's new," she joked in an interview Thursday in Los Angeles.

Beckinsale, Sheen and Silverman shared an emotional reunion at Tuesday's Los Angeles premiere of Beckinsale's new period comedy, "Love & Friendship." The celebrity trio was all hugs and smiles as they greeted each other and posed for photos on the red carpet. Beckinsale wiped tears from Silverman's beaming face before the group headed into the screening.

Kate Beckinsale, left, a cast member in "Love & Friendship," greets Sarah Silverman at the premiere of the film at the Directors Guild of America on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

"We just like each other. I always get really excited when I see Sarah. I forgot there was that many cameras there. But yeah, we had just been to see my daughter's school play about three days before so there's really no excuse for everyone getting over-excited like that," Beckinsale explained.

Beckinsale and Sheen have a 17-year-old daughter, Lily.

"Love & Friendship," from writer-director Whit Stillman, was shot in Ireland and is set in the 18th century. Beckinsale's favorite part was the local lore surrounding U2's Bono.

"We shot in Dublin, which is a gorgeous and beautiful city and full of the most incredible people. And everybody's got a story about Bono, which I found fascinating. So you're going to a pub and someone will say 'let me tell you my story about' and then the driver would tell it and the man who cleaned out the trailers had a Bono story. Bono gets around apparently in Dublin! And everyone's got one, which I loved," she said.

Beckinsale stars as a recently widowed social climber with a delightfully devious partner in crime, played by Chloe Sevigny. It opens May 13.

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Online: http://loveandfriendshipmovie.com/

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Follow Nicole Evatt on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NicoleEvatt
Los Angeles man guilty in 10 'Grim Sleeper' serial killings

LOS ANGELES (AP)  A former Los Angeles trash collector was convicted Thursday of 10 counts of murder in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings that targeted poor, young black women over two decades.

Lonnie Franklin Jr. showed no emotion as the verdicts were read and family members who had wondered if they would ever see justice quietly wept and dabbed their eyes with tissues in the gallery.

"We got him," exclaimed Porter Alexander Jr., whose daughter Alicia, 18, was shot and choked. Her body was found under a mattress in an alley in September 1988. "It took a long time. By the grace of God it happened. It's such a relief."

Lonnie Franklin Jr. appears in count in Los Angeles, Thursday, May 5, 2016. The former trash collector in Los Angeles was convicted Thursday of 10 "Grim Sleeper" serial killings that spanned two decades and targeted vulnerable young black women in the inner city. (Barbara Davidson/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool) MANDATORY CREDIT

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty during the second phase of trial scheduled to start May 12.

Franklin, 63, was also was found guilty of one count of attempted murder for shooting a woman in the chest and dumping her body from his orange Ford Pinto two months after Alexander's killing. The survivor, Enietra Washington, provided a link to seven previous slayings and was a key witness at trial.

The killings from 1985 to 2007 were dubbed the work of the "Grim Sleeper" because of an apparent 14-year gap after Washington's shooting, though prosecutors now think he never rested and there were other victims during that span.

The crimes went unsolved for decades and community members complained that police ignored the victims because of their race and the fact some were prostitutes and drug users.

Much of the violence unfolded during the nation's crack cocaine epidemic when at least two other serial killers prowled the area then known as South Central.

The 10 victims, including a 15-year-old girl, were fatally shot or strangled and dumped in alleys and garbage bins. Most had traces of cocaine in their systems.

The cases were reopened after the last killing when a task force was assigned to revisit cases dozens of officers failed to solve in the 1980s. The team compiled ballistics evidence and DNA testing that hadn't been available at the time of the first killings.

Franklin, a onetime trash collector in the area and a garage attendant for the Los Angeles Police Department, had been hiding in plain sight, said Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman.

He was connected to the crimes after DNA from a son, collected after a felony arrest, showed similarities to genetic material left on the bodies of many of the victims.

An officer posing as a busboy retrieved pizza crusts and napkins with Franklin's DNA while he was celebrating at a birthday party.

It proved a match with material found on the breasts and clothing of many of the women and on the zip tie of a trash bag that held the curled-up body of the final victim, Janecia Peters. She was found Jan. 1, 2007, by someone rifling through a dumpster who noticed her red fingernails through a hole in the bag.

Silverman described the victims as sisters, daughters and mothers who suffered frailties but had hopes and dreams.

She projected photos of the 10 women from happier days, many smiling from headshots that captured their youth and hairstyles of the times. The images were in stark contrast to gory crime scene and autopsy photos also displayed of half-naked bodies sprawled among garbage  images that made family members wince, weep and recoil.

Samara Herard, the sister of the youngest victim, Princess Berthomieux, said there were things she didn't want to see during the trial and had to hold her head down at times, but was elated with the verdict.

"I wanted to remember the sweet little girl who had her whole life in front of her," Herard said. "She had a heart of gold and she deserved to live a full life."

Defense lawyer Seymour Amster challenged what he called "inferior science" of DNA and ballistics evidence. During his closing argument, he introduced a new theory: a "mystery man with a mystery gun and mystery DNA" was responsible for all the killings. He said the man was a "nephew" of Franklin's who was jealous because his uncle had better luck with women, though he offered no supporting evidence or any name.

Amster based the theory on the testimony of the sole known survivor, Washington, who crawled to safety after being shot in Franklin's flashy Pinto. She testified that her assailant said he had to stop at his "uncle's house" for money before the attack.

Silverman scoffed at the "mystery nephew" notion, saying it was as rational an explanation as a space ship dropping from the sky and killing the women. She said Franklin had lied to Washington and was probably stopping at his house to get his gun.

Washington later led police to Franklin's street, but not his house.

The attack fit the pattern of other killings and showed how the killer carried out the crimes, Silverman said. The bullet removed from Washington's chest came from the same gun used to shoot the seven previous victims and she provided a detail that would later prove telling.

Washington described how her attacker took a Polaroid photo of her as she was losing consciousness. Police searching Franklin's house more than two decades later found a snapshot of the wounded Washington slouched over in a car with a breast exposed.

The Polaroid was hidden behind a wall in his garage.

Lonnie Franklin Jr., center, sits in count in Los Angeles, Thursday, May 5, 2016. The former trash collector in Los Angeles was convicted Thursday of 10 "Grim Sleeper" serial killings that spanned two decades and targeted vulnerable young black women in the inner city. (Barbara Davidson/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool) MANDATORY CREDIT

FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2015 file photo, Enietra Washington pauses to compose her thoughts as she notices serial killer suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr., during a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court. Washington is the sole known survivor in 10 "Grim Sleeper" serial killings. Franklin was convicted Thursday, May 5, 2016, of the serial killings that spanned two decades and targeted vulnerable young black women in the inner city. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

FILE - In this May 2, 2016 file photo, a montage of photos of alleged victims is projected on a screen in the courtroom during the during closing arguments in the serial murder trial of Lonnie Franklin Jr., seated at far left, in Los Angeles Superior Court. Franklin was convicted Thursday, May 5, 2016, of 10 murders and one attempted murder in the serial killings that were dubbed the work of the Grim Sleeper because of a 14-year gap in slayings that spanned two decades in South Los Angeles and targeted vulnerable young black women in the inner city. (Mark Boster/ Los Angeles Times, Pool, File)

Lonnie Franklin Jr. sits in count in Los Angeles, Thursday, May 5, 2016. The former trash collector in Los Angeles was convicted Thursday of 10 "Grim Sleeper" serial killings that spanned two decades and targeted vulnerable young black women in the inner city. (Barbara Davidson/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool) MANDATORY CREDIT

Porter Alexander Jr. and his wife Mary, whose daughter Alicia, 18, was shot and strangled, face reporters in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, May 5, 2016. Lonnie Franklin Jr., a former Los Angeles trash collector, was convicted Thursday of 10 counts of murder in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings, including Alicia, that targeted poor, young black women over two decades. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

This undated photo provided by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office shows Princess Berthomieux, who was strangled and discovered naked and hidden in a bush in an Inglewood, Calif., alley on March 9, 2002. Lonnie Franklin Jr. was convicted of killing Berthomieux and several other women on Thursday, May 5, 2016. (Los Angeles County District Attorney via AP)

This undated photo provided by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office shows Janecia Peters, who was shot in the back and strangled and found in a trash bag in a trash bin on Jan. 1, 2007. Her body was found in the same alley where Bernita Sparks body was found 20 years earlier. Lonnie Franklin Jr. was convicted of killing Peters, Sparks and several other women on Thursday, May 5, 2016. (Los Angeles County District Attorney via AP)

This undated photo provided by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office shows Alicia Alexander, who was shot and strangled and found naked under a blue foam mattress in an alley on Sept. 11, 1988. Lonnie Franklin Jr. was convicted of killing Alexander and several other women on Thursday, May 5, 2016. (Los Angeles County District Attorney via AP)
Students cast light on darker side of Harvard's history

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (AP)  A new student project at Harvard aims to share the school's history lessons that don't make into brochures.

Seven undergraduate students say they're trying to reframe Harvard's history by researching cases of oppression from the school's past.

They presented their research on campus Thursday, exploring cases including a Harvard panel that was formed in 1920 to expel gay students, and a 1922 proposal to limit the number of Jewish students.

Brianna Suslovic poses at the foot of the John Harvard statue in Harvard Yard prior to presenting a study concerning the history of oppression at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, May 5, 2016. A group of Harvard students delivered lessons as part of a new research project meant to cast light on the darker corners of the university's past, and to lift up figures that history has long overlooked. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Senior Brianna Suslovic started the project this year after seeing Harvard grapple with its history in other ways.

Harvard recently replaced the job title "house master" following complaints that it was tied to slavery, and Harvard's law school abandoned its crest over its ties to an 18th century slaveholder.

Students say their research adds context to similar ongoing debates.

Harvard student Eden Girma gestures while presenting a study to classmates concerning the history of oppression at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, May 5, 2016. A group of Harvard students delivered lessons as part of a new research project meant to cast light on the darker corners of the university's past, and to lift up figures that history has long overlooked. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Harvard student Eden Girma places a hand on her t-shirt of President Obama while presenting a research project to classmates concerning the history of oppression at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, May 5, 2016. During the presentation, students learned about a Harvard panel that formed in 1920 to expel gay students, of a 1922 proposal to limit the number of Jewish students and that Harvard went more than 200 years without admitting a black student. Obama graduated from Harvard Law School. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Harvard student Abby Duker gestures while presenting a study to classmates concerning the history of oppression at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, May 5, 2016. A group of Harvard students delivered lessons as part of a new research project meant to cast light on the darker corners of the university's past, and to lift up figures that history has long overlooked. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
US military supporting Yemen in fight against al-Qaida

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Pentagon is providing military support, intelligence, ships and special operations forces to help in the ongoing operations against al-Qaida militants in Yemen, U.S. officials said Thursday.

The U.S. military is helping Yemeni, Emirati and Arab Coalition forces that are battling al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, and were recently able to retake the port city of Mukalla from AQAP control.

A senior U.S. official said that American special operations forces are advising the Yemeni and Emirati forces in the region, and that they are working at the headquarters level and are not near the conflict. The official was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity.

Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said the U.S. is providing "limited support" to the Arab Coalition and Yemeni operations in and around Mukalla. He said that includes planning, airborne surveillance, intelligence gathering, medical support, refueling and maritime interdiction.

Davis declined to discuss whether or not special operations forces were in the country. But he said the U.S. has sent a number of ships to the region including the USS Boxer amphibious ready group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is embarked with the group. The USS Gravely and USS Gonzalez, both Navy destroyers, are also in the area.

"Trained and supported by an Arab Coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Yemeni government forces and resistance fighters have retaken Mukalla and continue their offensive against AQAP in eastern Yemen," said Davis. "AQAP remains a significant security threat to the United States and to our regional partners and we welcome this effort to specifically remove AQAP from Mukalla and to degrade, disrupt and destroy AQAP in Yemen."

Late last month forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognized government drove AQAP militants from Mukalla, a year after they captured it. Mukalla had been their stronghold.

Al-Qaida had gained ground amid the chaos that has reigned in Yemen since 2014 with Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels fighting the internationally backed government and its allies with the Saudi-led coalition.

Security officials and witnesses also said Thursday that al-Qaida militants in Yemen were pulling out of Zinjibar and Jaar, two coastal cities east of the key southern port of Aden, following tribal-led negotiations.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters while the witnesses requested anonymity out of safety concerns.

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Sheriff: Unclear if suspect shot self or if deputy shot him

COLUMBIA, La. (AP)  A man wanted in a neighboring jurisdiction pulled a gun while deputies had him surrounded but it's not clear if he killed himself or if he was shot by a deputy, a northeast Louisiana sheriff said Thursday.

Caldwell Parish Sheriff Steve May said Louisiana State Police are investigating the death of Kenneth Magourick (muh-GOH-rick). Court documents spell his name Magouirk (muh-GWIRK).

May said the incident began when a woman, whose age he didn't know, and her 57-year-old daughter were making a routine check Tuesday on their unoccupied trailer. Magouirk confronted them and held a gun to the older woman's head, the sheriff said.

He told the women he had just gotten out of prison for murder, and that the U.S. marshals and the Ouachita Sheriffs' Office were looking for him, May said. "If the law come out there, he was going to leave in a body bag," May said Magouirk told the women.

May said Magouirk soon let them go, and they called a reserve deputy they knew, who called the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office Special Response Team quickly surrounded the trailer, and the leader saw Magouirk lying on the bed.

"They hollered at him, had a short conversation. At some point, they convinced him to put his hands behind his head," May said. "They thought he was going to surrender. He started lowering his arms. They kept saying, 'Let me see your hands. Let me see your hands.' He came up with a gun. He fired a shot and an officer fired a shot."

The body was sent to Little Rock, Arkansas, for autopsy, which could take up to a month, said Dr. Charles Clack, coroner for Caldwell Parish.

Magouirk did not actually serve time for murder. He had been charged with murdering a Shreveport woman, but a jury convicted him in 1987 of manslaughter in the death of Katherine Thomas. She was kidnapped from her home the evening of Good Friday, 1986, killed, and her body thrown in the Ouachita River, on the other side of north Louisiana, according to a 2001 opinion from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Magouirk was sentenced to 21 years at hard labor, then the maximum, said Jerry Jones, district attorney for Ouachita and Morehouse parishes.

He did not serve the full 21 years and it's not clear how much time he actually did serve. In 2000 Magouirk was accused of sexual battery against his girlfriend's 14-year-old daughter, and was convicted in 2001. Magouirk served that entire 10-year sentence, Jones said.

Jones said the latest warrants against Magouirk, for carnal knowledge of a juvenile and failure to register as a sex offender, were sworn out March 31 in Ouachita Parish.

"It's always a shame to see someone die. But Kenneth Magouirk was a sexual predator who repeatedly attacked women," Jones said.
Endo reports 1st-quarter loss, trims full-year guidance

DUBLIN (AP)  Shares of Endo International PLC plunged in extended trading Thursday after the drugmaker slashed its full-year outlook because of increasing competition and regulatory delays.

Endo now expects full-year earnings of $4.50 to $4.80 per share, with revenue of $3.87 billion to $4.03 billion. Previously the company expected to earn $5.85 to $6.20 per share on revenue between $4.32 billion and $4.52 billion.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet expect earnings per share of $5.68 on revenue of $4.3 billion, on average.

Endo, which makes both branded and generic drugs as well as over-the-counter medications, said it will shut a facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, and reduce its workforce in Huntsville, Alabama, as part of the restructuring of its generics manufacturing business. The company did not provide more specifics but said the moves are expected to lead to savings of about $60 million in 2017.

For the first three months of the year, the Dublin-based company reported a loss of $133.9 million, or 60 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for amortization costs and asset impairment costs, came to $1.08 per share.

The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 10 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.05 per share.

The health care company posted revenue of $963.5 million in the period, which did not meet Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $964.4 million.

A year earlier Endo posted a loss of $75.7 million, or 43 cents per share, on revenue of $714.1 million.

Separately Endo announced several personnel changes. Brian Lortie, president of its U.S. branded pharmaceuticals, will step down when a successor is named. He had joined the company in 2009.

Also, two executives are joining Endo's board: Douglas Ingram, former president of Allergan Inc. and current CEO of Chase Pharmaceuticals Corp., and Todd Sisitsky, managing partner of Endo shareholder TPG Capital. Endo also said it has amended a standstill agreement with TPG that will let TPG buy more Endo stock on the open market, subject to certain limitations.

Endo shares have decreased 57 percent since the beginning of the year and 69 percent in the last 12 months through the close of regular-session trading Thursday.

After the release of the earnings report, the stock traded at $20, down nearly 25 percent in after-hours trading.

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Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on ENDP at http://www.zacks.com/ap/ENDP

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Trump's Cinco de Mayo post draws ire from some Latinos

NEW YORK (AP)  Donald Trump's social media post on Thursday to mark Cinco de Mayo immediately went viral, spawning criticism from some Latino groups that found it offensive and pandering.

Trump took to Twitter and Facebook with a picture of himself eating a taco bowl and the caption: "Happy Cinco de Mayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!"

The post generated tens of thousands of retweets and seemingly as many jokes. But not everyone found it amusing.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a primary night news conference, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights organization, tweeted a short time later that the Republican presidential front-runner's post was "clueless, offensive and self-promoting."

"Eating a taco or wearing a sombrero doesn't cut it w/our community in 2016," Murguia tweeted.

Trump's poll numbers among Latinos have been consistently poor since he began his campaign by promising to build a border wall to prevent "killers" and "rapists" from coming to the U.S. from Mexico. A Gallup poll released last month showed 77 percent of Hispanics had an unfavorable opinion of Trump, while only 12 percent viewed him favorably.

The Latino Victory Fund, a left-leaning political group, released a statement that said "Donald Trump is doubling down on his racist, anti-immigrant, anti-Latino and anti-Mexican rhetoric." And Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico who has clashed with Trump over the proposal to build a border wall, joked to Fox News that he saw that Trump is "now having some enchiladas and some Mexican food - I hope that he will not get indigestion."

Democrats also seized upon the post, suggesting it highlighted Trump's weakness with Latinos. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton's campaign tweeted out a video  with Spanish subtitles  recounting Trump's past comments supporting mass deportations of immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

A Trump campaign spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment about the reaction to the post.

Cinco de Mayor originally commemorated the Mexican Army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In the United States, it has since been transformed into a celebration of Mexican culture and food.

The taco bowl  an American creation  is not actually on sale at the Trump Grill, but the Trump Cafe in the candidate's namesake tower offers a "Taco Fiesta!" for $13.50.

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Bustos reported from Miami.

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Brexit 'would make UK less attractive to Japanese investors': Shinzo Abe

Brexit would make the UK "less attractive" to Japanese investors, the country's premier Shinzo Abe has warned in Downing Street.

In another major international intervention in the referendum campaign, Mr Abe stressed that Japanese firms viewed the UK as a "gateway" to Europe.

Mr Abe said that a Leave vote "would make the UK less attractive as a destination for Japanese investment," at a joint press conference in Number 10 with Prime Minister David Cameron.

Prime Minister David Cameron greets his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on the steps of 10 Downing Street in central London ahead of talks

The Japanese premier also stressed that Tokyo is more interested in doing a trade deal with the EU as a block, rather than "individual states" in Europe.

The views echo those of US president Barack Obama, who provoked a furious backlash from the Leave camp when he warned a post-Brexit Britain would be at the "back of the queue" when it came to a new economic agreement with Washington.

Mr Abe said the referendum was a matter for the British people, but added that Tokyo "would be watching your decision with very close attention".

The Japanese premier said he wanted the UK to keep its strong voice in Europe as this gave it more influence over the international economy.

Mr Cameron and Mr Abe stressed they wanted to speed up the conclusion of a landmark trade deal between the EU and Japan.

Mr Abe pointed out that more than 1,000 Japanese firms had invested in Britain, securing some 140,000 jobs.

"British membership is also best for Japanese investment in the UK," Mr Abe said.

Mr Cameron underlined the close business relationship with Tokyo, stating: "We benefit more from Japanese investment than any other country in the world apart from the United States of America; by the end of 2014 the total value of Japanese investment in the UK was 38 billion - a huge figure."

The PM said the proposed EU-Japan trade deal would deliver an annual 5 billion boost to the British economy.
Counting begins in biggest test of political opinion since general election

Counting has begun in the biggest test of political opinion since the general election, after polling stations closed across the UK at 10pm.

With 45 million people eligible to vote, "Super Thursday" was being seen as the first nationwide verdict on Jeremy Corbyn since he stormed to victory with massive grassroots support as Labour leader last September.

But the day was marred by chaos at 155 polling stations in north London, where Barnet Council was forced to apologise and offer emergency proxy votes to residents whose names were missing from polling lists.

Voters are heading to the polls across the UK in the biggest test of political opinion since the general election

Among those stopped from casting their ballots was Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who has been critical of Labour's handling of the anti-Semitism controversy.

Results were expected overnight in elections to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, dozens of English councils, the mayor of Salford and parliamentary by-elections in Sheffield Brightside and the south Wales seat of Ogmore

But counting for the Northern Ireland Assembly and the mayor of Liverpool will not begin until the morning and voters in London will have to wait until Friday evening to learn the identity of their new mayor and Assembly members.

Also being announced on Friday were the Police and Crime Commissioners for 36 English force areas, and counting in some councils will continue into the weekend, finally ending with the declaration of four Welsh PCCs and a mayor for Bristol on Sunday.

An upbeat Mr Corbyn said he was feeling "very happy" and gave a thumbs-up as he went to put his cross in the box at a polling station in Islington.

On the eve of polling, Labour retreated from comments the leader made in the final days of the campaign that the party was on course for gains in the local authority elections.

Mr Corbyn changed tack, saying "predictions are not that important" as the party feared losses after Labour made nearly 800 gains under Ed Miliband when the seats were last contested in 2012.

The party's main hope of success is that Sadiq Khan takes back City Hall in London after eight years of Tory rule.

David and Samantha Cameron voted at Central Hall Westminster, a short walk away from Downing Street.

Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith has tried to seize on the anti-Semitism controversy engulfing Labour in a bid to boost his chances after trailing in the polls.

But shadow cabinet member Chris Bryant hit back at Mr Cameron's exploitation of the issue in the run-up to polling day, telling the House of Commons that there was " no gutter low enough for the Prime Minister to slop around in".

Responding to Mr Cameron's call on Wednesday for Mr Corbyn to withdraw his earlier description of Hamas and Hezbollah as "friends", Mr Bryant said: "That kind of despicable smearing of one's opponents I think degrades the whole of politics.

"I would just say gently to the Government that those who live by the gutter die in the gutter."

In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon is aiming to lead the SNP to a historic third term, while Ukip is hoping for a breakthrough in Welsh National Assembly elections.

In all, 2,700 seats are being contested in 124 English councils.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Labour was hoping to reduce the 6.3% margin by which the Conservatives led in the 2015 general election 12 months ago.

"If we can narrow that gap, we will demonstrate steady progress," Mr McDonnell told Sky News. "What we are looking to do is build over the next four years so that we steadily, steadily build our support and then we are ready for 2020. I think that's exactly what we will do, laying firm foundations over the next four years."

In a bid to damp down expectations of Labour's performance in the English council polls, Mr McDonnell said the party had hit an "all-time high" when the seats were last contested in 2012, in the second year of Ed Miliband's leadership.

Mr McDonnell admitted conditions remain "tough" for Labour in Scotland, but said the SNP's "honeymoon period" appeared to be "beginning to fragment". Labour "might show some percentage improvements", he predicted.

Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn arrives to cast his vote at a polling station in Islington

Prime Minister David Cameron and wife Samantha arrive to cast their votes at a polling station in Westminster

London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan arrives with his wife Saadiya to cast their votes at a polling station in Streatham, south west London

Conservative London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith leaves a polling station in Barnes with his wife, Alice

Tristan, a three-year-old Lhasa Apso, wears his Conservative rosette outside a polling station

Outgoing mayor of London Boris Johnson and wife Marina voted in Islington

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon casts her vote at Broomhouse Community Hall polling station in Glasgow

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, right, arrives with partner Louise Riddell at a polling station in Edinburgh to cast her vote

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson surrounded by photographers as she arrives to cast her vote at Cafe Camino, St Mary's Parish Centre in Edinburgh

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood with her parents Avril and Jeff after casting her vote in the Welsh Assembly election in Penygraig in Rhondda

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and daughter Rosa outside a polling station at Model Primary School in Londonderry

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness arrives at a polling station at Model Primary School in Londonderry

A voter arrives at a polling station in Brookeborough primary school in Enniskillen

Voters outside a polling station at Model Primary School in Londonderry

DUP leader Arlene Foster and council candidate Paul Robinson arrive at a polling station in Brookeborough primary school in Enniskillen
Women should direct 50% of publicly-funded films - group

Just 13.6% of working film directors in the UK are women, new research has revealed.

A report commissioned by Directors UK also showed that the percentage of UK films directed exclusively by women has barely changed in 10 years, rising from 11.3% in 2005 to 11.9% in 2014.

The professional association has called for the film industry to take action on gender inequality by ensuring that half of all publicly-funded films are directed by women by 2020.

A mock church is burnt down on the set of Irish movie Calvary

The group wants films to meet diversity criteria, which would include gender factors, before they receive government funding.

Beryl Richards, chairwoman of Directors UK said: "It cannot be acceptable that in 2016 any industry with this level of inequality continues to go unchecked - not least the film industry that plays such an influential role in our economy, our society and our culture.

"The first step to tackling this is by understanding why these disparities are happening in the industry.

"With such comprehensive evidence we can now pinpoint and address the areas that need the most attention and focus on rectifying it.

"Our suggestion of a 50:50 split in public funding is something that has been achieved in other countries, such as Sweden.

"Equality of opportunity in UK film-making is something we should all be working towards."

Despite 50.1% of film students and 49.4% of new entrants to the industry being women, just 21.7% of publicly funded films had a female director in 2014 - a figure that has dropped from 32.9% in 2008.

Directors UK blames in part a lack of a regulatory system to effectively monitor and enforce gender equality in the industry.

The report found that existing gender inequality creates a vicious cycle in which new female talent is discouraged by a lack of role models, leading to a smaller pool of female directors.

Sarah Gavron, the director of the 2015 film Suffragette about the fight for women's right to vote which starred Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep, said the figures were "shocking and startling".

She said: "Film of course influences our culture which is why it is vital to have diversity and more gender equality both in front of and behind the camera.
Jenson Button: Red Bull have "short memories" for dumping Daniil Kvyat

Jenson Button has accused Red Bull of having "short memories" after dumping Daniil Kvyat and replacing him with Max Verstappen for the remainder of the season.

Kvyat has been punished by the Red Bull hierarchy for his display at the Russian Grand Prix - which saw him crash into Sebastian Vettel on two occasions on the opening lap - and relegated to Toro Rosso, their junior team, with immediate effect.

Their decision sees Verstappen, the 18-year-old Dutchman who passed his driving test only last year, earn a sensational promotion to Red Bull where he will partner Daniel Ricciardo.

Daniil Kvyat has been punished by the Red Bull hierarchy for his display at the Russian Grand Prix

Red Bull have taken swift action following Kvyat's erratic first-lap display in Sochi, but Button, dropped by Williams after his debut season in the sport back in 2000, and then again by Renault two years later, has sympathy for the 22-year-old Russian.

Reflecting on the decision to demote Kvyat, who finished third at the Chinese Grand Prix last month, Button wrote: "Really? One bad race and Kyvat's dropped, what about the podium in the previous race? #Shortmemories

In response to one Twitter user who said they "could not wait to see Max up against an established star in Ricciardo", Button replied: "Agreed and I respect his talent but he's got time on his hands."

Button then re-tweeted a post from Martin Brundle in which the former McLaren driver-cum-pundit, said: "In true F1 soap opera style I hope Kvyat really flies now in TR [Toro Rosso]!"

Verstappen's impressive displays, since he made his debut last year as the sport's youngest-ever driver, have courted the attention of Mercedes and Ferrari. With Kimi Raikkonen out of contract at the end of the season, his promotion to the Red Bull team could be seen as a move to block any approach from the famous Italian constructor.

"Max has proven to be an outstanding young talent," said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. "His performance at Toro Rosso has been impressive so far and we are pleased to give him the opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing.

"We are in the unique position to have all four drivers across Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso under long-term contracts with Red Bull, so we have the flexibility to move them between the two teams.

"Dany will be able to continue his development at Toro Rosso, in a team that he is familiar with, giving him the chance to regain his form and show his potential."

Reacting on his promotion to the senior team, Verstappen, who was at Red Bull's Milton Keynes headquarters on Thursday, said: ''The next step in my relatively short career so far, is an amazing opportunity. I really want to thank Red Bull Racing and Dr. Helmut Marko for the confidence they have in me.
Emergency proxy votes offered amid Barnet Council poll blunder

Emergency proxy votes are being offered to residents in north London after council bungling meant many voters were turned away from the ballot box.

Names were missing from polling lists across Barnet and residents, including the Chief Rabbi, who attempted to cast their vote were stopped.

The council has apologised and said all the updated electoral registers are now in place and people can vote as normal.

Sophie Walker, the Women's Equality Party mayoral candidate, has registered a complaint with the council

A Barnet Council spokesman said: "Anyone who attended a polling station in Barnet this morning, and was turned away and therefore could not vote, and was unable to return due to work reasons, may be able to use an emergency proxy vote.

"They will need to complete an application form on our website (www.barnet.gov.uk) and return it by 5pm today."

Barnet Council confirmed that all of its 155 polling stations had been affected by the blunder.

It was unable to say how many of the 236,196 registered voters had been turned away.

Candidates and voters can challenge the result of the elections in London by lodging a petition with the Royal Courts of Justice.

Grounds for the appeal include claiming the successful candidate was not duly elected, or the election was invalidated by corrupt or illegal practices.

Sophie Walker, the Women's Equality Party mayoral candidate, has registered a complaint with the council, along with the London Assembly.

She told the Press Association: "I am very disappointed. I have spent my morning responding to messages from people upset that they could not vote.

"Women first got the vote 100 years ago and there are women today who have been unable to vote."

Ms Walker added: "These are vital votes, particularly for smaller parties.

"We will be pursuing a complaint."

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and his wife Valerie were among those to be turned away from their polling station.

He is said to be "disappointed" as he will be unable to vote later because he is flying to Amsterdam for a visit to the Jewish Community Centre.

Earlier this week he said Labour had a ''severe'' problem with anti-Semitism and warned that it would get worse if the party's inquiry into the issue was used as a ''sticking plaster'' to placate voters.

Guy Fryer, head of stage at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, was missing from the list but managed to vote after "standing his ground" at a polling station in Strawberry Vale.

He said: "How can we have a fair vote if not everyone has voted?

"An apology is really not good enough.

"It's not a bring-and-buy sale. It really, really matters."

Journalist Jennifer Lipman, who attempted to vote at Hoop Lane polling station, said the problem was "disastrous".

"We had our ballot papers and they checked their lists, but we were not on there," she said.

"They advised us to call the helpline but had no further information.

"It's incredibly frustrating because, even if they sort the problem, there will be plenty of people who are unable to vote later in the day, not to mention the likelihood of large queues building up.

"I firmly believe in the right to vote so I am upset to seemingly be denied it."

Black cab driver Adam Barnett described the problem as "a farce", saying he would have to go back a third time in one day to be able to cast his vote for Mayor.

The 46-year-old said he was first turned away at 7am from a polling station in Bells Hill, and told how he failed in his second attempt to vote more than three hours later.

He said: "I was one of a number of people who had turned up first thing and couldn't vote at 7am.

"They still hadn't got the updated list when I went back a second time after 10am. It's just a farce."

Zac Goldsmith's team said there had "clearly been a major problem" and appealed to voters turned away from polling stations to return later.

Returning officer Andrew Travers said they would fully investigate the cause of the problems with the electoral registration lists.

"Taking part in the democratic process is a fundamental right for our residents and the main focus this morning was to resolve the situation as soon as possible," he said in a statement.

"I would like to apologise to everyone who experienced problems with voting in Barnet today."
Mother of murdered soldier Lee Rigby in 'constant pain every day'

The mother of Fusilier Lee Rigby has said she feels a "constant pain every single day" following the brutal murder of her son three years ago.

The 25-year-old soldier was stabbed to death outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, south London, in July 2013 while off duty.

Lyn Rigby, 49, told the BBC that she still struggles with the loss of her son and called for more support for bereaved families.

Lyn Rigby, mother of murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby, arriving for his funeral service at Bury Parish church in Greater Manchester in 2013

She said: "The pain never goes away. It's constant pain in my chest every single day.

"Before, I was a bubbly person. I lived for my children and wanted everything for them. If they were happy, I was happy.

"But to have one ripped away, a part of you goes with them. It will never be the same again."

Fusilier Rigby's killers, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, were sentenced to life in prison in December 2013 after they were found guilty of his murder.

Mrs Rigby, of Middleton, Greater Manchester, has since set up the Lee Rigby Foundation as a way "to honour" her son and to help other bereaved families.

The mother-of-five said: "The idea is to help bereaved families of those who served in the armed forces. We never had much to help when Lee was murdered. It is a way to honour Lee and he would be very proud."

In the interview, to be aired on BBC Radio 5 live with Sarah Brett on Thursday afternoon, Mrs Rigby reads out the text which her son sent her on Mother's Day.

It reads: "Goodnight Mum. Hope you had a fantastic day today because you are the most fantastic one-in-a-million mum anyone could ever wish for. Thanks for supporting me all these years. You are not just my mum. You are my best friend. So goodnight Mum, I love you loads."
Newcastle release Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux early

Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux have left Newcastle by mutual consent after frustrating spells on Tyneside.

Both men were out of contract this summer, but with little prospect of being involved in the club's final two games against Aston Villa and Tottenham, settlements have been reached to allow them to pursue their respective careers elsewhere.

A club statement said: "Newcastle United can confirm that Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux have left St. James' Park by mutual consent.

Gabriel Obertan, pictured, and Sylvain Marveaux have left Newcastle

"The contracts of the French pair were due to expire this summer, but with them almost certainly not going to feature in the Magpies' remaining games of the 2015/16 season, a settlement was agreed earlier this week allowing them to find new clubs.

"Everyone at Newcastle United wishes Gabriel and Sylvain the very best for the future."

Obertan, 27, made 77 appearances for the club he joined from Manchester United in August 2011, but none of them have come since September last year.
Talks on new junior doctors' contract set to restart

Talks between the Government and the British Medical Association (BMA) over the new junior doctors' contract look set to go ahead.

After months of wrangling and a stand-off which led to strike action and thousands of cancelled operations, both sides have agreed to get back around the negotiating table.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the Department of Health was willing to hear what the doctors have to say and would pause the introduction of a new contract for five days of talks.

Junior doctors in scrubs and masks sit down in a silent protest outside Bristol Royal Infirmary

But he said that negotiations should not proceed unless the department has "written agreement" from the Junior Doctors' Committee (JDC) to negotiate "substantively and in good faith" on the biggest outstanding area in the disagreement - unsocial hours and Saturday pay.

He has also requested that they would "ratify and recommend any negotiated agreement to their members".

During an interview with Sky News, Mr Hunt said: "I hope the BMA will take up the offer to talk constructively and we're seeking assurances by close of the day on Saturday that the BMA will negotiate constructively on the outstanding issues."

The Department of Health confirmed they are still waiting for those assurances from the BMA.

Mr Hunt made his offer in a letter sent to Academy of Medical Royal Colleges chairwoman Professor Dame Sue Bailey, who called on both sides to end the dispute.

Within it he said he expected the discussions to be based on the contractual issues outstanding since February and was eager not to revisit the 90% of issues that were agreed.

Dr Johann Malawana, the BMA's JDC chairman, said they are keen to restart talks with an "open mind".

A BMA spokeswoman added: "Junior doctors have said since the outset that they want to reach a negotiated agreement, and have repeatedly urged the Government to re-enter talks.

"The BMA has agreed to temporarily suspend further industrial action so that talks can resume.

"It is critical to find a way forward on all the outstanding issues - which are more than just pay - and we hope that a new offer is made that can break the impasse."

Last week junior doctors went on an all-out strike for two working days. For the first time in the history of the NHS, junior doctors in England stopped providing emergency care during the walkouts.

More than 125,000 appointments and operations were cancelled and will need to be rearranged.

This figure is on top of almost 25,000 procedures cancelled during previous walkouts.

The Government is intent on introducing a new contract for doctors working up to consultant level to replace one it says is outdated.

Mr Hunt wants to cut the number of hours over a weekend for which junior doctors can claim extra pay, while offsetting this with a hike in basic pay.

This has proved a major sticking point in the row with the BMA - whether Saturdays should attract extra "unsocial" payments.

Currently, 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and the whole of Saturday and Sunday attract a premium rate of pay for junior doctors.

The imposed contract, due to come into force in August, has an increase in basic salary of 13.5% but 7am to 5pm on Saturdays will be regarded as a normal working day.
First trade mission to Argentina in decade aims to lift exports to Latin America

A minister is leading the Government's first trade mission to Argentina in 10 years.

Trade and Investment Minister Lord Price said he wants to strengthen trade relations with Latin America's third largest economy.

He will visit Argentina today where he will also call for progress on a free trade deal

Lord Price said it's vital to build on renewed relationships like that with Argentina if the UK is to improve exports to Latin America

Lord Price said: "If we are to improve our exports to Latin America, it's vital that we not only build stronger trade ties with traditional trading partners like Colombia, but build on renewed relationships like that with Argentina.
Donald Trump deserves respect for success during 'gruelling' primaries, says PM

Donald Trump deserves "respect" for emerging as the Republican presumptive nominee for the US presidency, Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted - even though he still condemns the reality TV star's views on Muslims.

Mr Cameron branded Mr Trump's call for foreign Muslims to be temporarily banned form entering the US as "stupid, divisive, and wrong" in the Commons last December, but has now struck a more conciliatory note towards the man expected to face Hillary Clinton in the November race for the White House.

Asked if he should apologise to Mr Trump for branding him "stupid", Mr Cameron said he stood by his opposition to the Republican's stance on Muslims.

The PM branded Donald Trump's call for foreign Muslims to be temporarily banned form entering the US as "stupid, divisive, and wrong" in the Commons last December

He said: "It is a matter for voters in the United States to decide who they choose as their next president.

"I have to say that knowing the gruelling nature of the primaries, and what you have to go through, anyone who makes it through that extraordinary contest to lead their party into a general election certainly deserves our respect.

"What I said about Muslims, I won't change that view, I don't change that view. I am very clear that the policy idea that was put forward was wrong, is wrong, and will remain wrong, so I am very clear about that," Mr Cameron said during a joint press conference in Downing Street with Japanese premier Shinzo Abe.

In response to Mr Trump's incendiary anti-Muslim comments in December, Mr Cameron said he was proud to be prime minister of such a diverse country as the UK.
UK sees hottest day of 2016 as temperatures hit 21C

The UK saw the hottest day of the year on Thursday as temperatures soared to 21C (70F) in London.

But the mercury looks set to keep on rising over the weekend, with parts of the country predicted to be hotter than Spain and Los Angeles.

And while some Britons will be bringing out their barbecues for the unseasonably warm weather, a cloud of air pollution from the continent will blight others.

People lie in the sun in St James Park, London

Across the country, Sunday is expected to be the hottest day, with the mercury due to top 26C (79F) in London and 21C in Edinburgh.

Parts of Europe will only see temperatures of 21C in Palermo, 15C (59F) in Madrid and just 19C (66) across the pond in Los Angeles.

Emma Sharples from the Met Office said in contrast to the snow and frost last weekend, there is a lot of "fine and warm weather expected for the weekend across much of the UK".

"This weekend we have the winds coming from the south and south east, which is where the warm continental air is coming from," she said.

"But it is not all going to be completely dry and settled.

"As we head through Friday night and into Saturday there is some showery rain that will spread up the western side of the UK - through Northern Ireland and into western Scotland.

"We may also see some potentially heavy and thundery downpours developing over parts of the West Midlands and into Wales."

Ms Sharples said there will still be a risk of a few showers across central England and Wales on Sunday - but there will be "lots of fine, dry and sunny weather around".

And while Sunday's temperatures will be higher than the UK average for May of 14C (57) - they are still off the record of 32C (90F) reached in 1922 and 1944.

The change in temperature is expected to bring with it an increase in dirty particulate matter, caused by exhaust fumes, dust and other pollutants.

A pollution forecast by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) shows Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland look set for high levels on Sunday - with moderate conditions expected across the rest of the UK.

A Defra spokeswoman said: "Pollutants are building up in some areas due to the fine weather combined with light winds and sunshine.

"Over the weekend south-easterly winds will mean a combination of continental air pollution and settled conditions across the UK is likely to result in widespread moderate levels of pollution."

Defra's advice for adults and children with heart and lung problems who experience symptoms is to consider reducing strenuous physical activity, particularly outdoors.

People enjoy the sun in Potters Field Park near Tower Bridge

A woman photographs flowers in St James Park

People eat lunch in the sun in Potters Field Park

Sun-seekers take a selfie in St James Park

Construction workers relax in Potters Field Park

The sun rises at Tynemouth Priory, North Shields
WIDER IMAGE-Rio's slum hostels offer alternative Olympic housing

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 3 (Reuters) - Stunning views of iconic Sugarloaf Mountain, a sun-drenched patio nestled in the hills of Atlantic rainforest and rooms costing a fraction of nearby hotels.

The Favelinha hostel, like others in several of Rio's more than 1,000 shantytowns, offers more than just cheap housing for the more adventurous among the estimated 500,000 foreign tourists expected to arrive for the Olympics in August.

The establishments also open the rich culture of the city's slums for travelers, giving them a glimpse into one-time "no-go" areas where about one-fifth of Rio's population lives.

French tourist Sabrina Noblanc took selfies with a friend on the deck of the Favelinha hostel in the Pereira da Silva slum, or "favela," located in central Rio on a steep hill, where the city's traffic din fades away to the squawks of jungle birds and squeals of kite-flying kids.

Noblanc arrived in Rio with the notion that all the city's shantytowns were centers of heavily armed gangs and drug trade violence.

"Now that I'm here, I am impressed," she said. "It's better than my imagination. For me, it was to be so dangerous, with the guns and everything. Actually, that's not the case."

Without question, the majority of Rio's slums suffer from intense violence. What critics call heavy-handed policing, coupled with drug factions fighting among themselves for territory, leads to daily shootings and deaths.

Brazil, according to United Nations' statistics, has more gun deaths than any other country.

Rio's state government implemented a program in 2008 to "pacify" slums by pushing the gangs out of areas mostly located near richer neighborhoods or Olympic venues.

But the effort has had mixed results and is losing steam because the security budget was slashed this year amid Brazil's economic crisis.

Solange dos Santos manages the Favelinha hostel, where the daily rate for a double bed room is about $30, compared with $250 at nearby three-star hotels.

"It is difficult to establish a hostel inside a favela, with everything that we know goes on in favelas," she said.
0-Trump, lone survivor in Republican White House race, now must unify party

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON, May 4, Reuters - Donald Trump on Wednesday became the last man standing in the race for the Republican U.S. presidential nomination and faced the challenge of repairing deep fissures in the party, as his sole remaining rival, John Kasich, ended his campaign.

Anointed the presumptive nominee after winning Indiana on Tuesday and driving his closest rival, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, from the race, the 69-year-old New York billionaire planned to set up a vice presidential selection committee and step up efforts to seek unity among a wider group of Republicans ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

Trump's win in Indiana cleared the way for him to prepare for a likely general election match-up against Democrat Hillary Clinton. The former secretary of state lost the Indiana primary to tenacious challenger U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, but remains on course to become her party's nominee.

Trump told NBC News he would probably work with the Republican National Committee to raise about $1 billion for the general election campaign.

Kasich, the Ohio governor, had stayed in the race in hopes of persuading Republicans to choose him as the nominee at a contested convention in July. He ended his campaign as a clear path emerged for Trump to amass the delegates needed to secure the nomination outright.

"As I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith that the Lord will show me the way forward and fulfill the purpose of my life," Kasich said in Columbus, the Ohio state capital.

Some Republican leaders said they would support Trump since he would be the nominee, stressing the importance of defeating Clinton in the general election. But there was no mad rush to support him as is typically the case when a presumptive nominee is crowned.

Former President George W. Bush, whose brother Jeb was defeated by Trump in the primary campaign, made clear he was staying out of the race. "President Bush does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign," said his spokesman, Freddy Ford.

A similar statement was issued by the spokesman for Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush. "At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics," spokesman Jim McGrath said.

John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee, said he would support Trump. McCain is a U.S. senator from Arizona who is seeking re-election this year and was insulted by Trump last year.

"As John McCain has said, he will support the nominee of the Republican Party, who is now presumptively Donald Trump," said McCain's Senate campaign spokeswoman, Lorna Romero.

CAMPAIGN WOUNDS

But the wounds from a brutal primary battle were still raw among many Republican loyalists who simply cannot bear to support Trump because they worry he could spell disaster for the party in November.

Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska reiterated statements that he would not back Trump and pointed to a February Facebook post in which he said he would look for an alternative candidate if Trump became the nominee.

Nebraska's other U.S. senator, Republican Deb Fischer, made clear in an interview with Nebraska Radio Network that she would support the party's nominee but was not comfortable with Trump.

"Mr. Trump is going to have to work hard to bring the party together," she said.

South Carolina's Republican governor, Nikki Haley, issued a statement saying she would support the Republican nominee but was "not interested" in being the party's vice presidential running mate.

But Oklahoma Republican Governor Mary Fallin endorsed Trump enthusiastically and welcomed talk of her as his possible No. 2.

Since launching his White House bid last summer as a long shot amid a crowded field that included governors, former governors and U.S. senators, Trump repeatedly defied predictions that his campaign would implode.

He prevailed over rivals he derided as "grown politicians," despite making provocative statements along the way that drew sometimes furious criticism from many in the party but fed his anti-establishment appeal.

In a series of television interviews on Wednesday, Trump made clear he would not be looking to placate everyone after a tumultuous primary campaign in which many establishment Republicans rallied around "Stop Trump" and "Never Trump" movements.

Party loyalists have been appalled by the bombastic, bullying style of the former reality-television star, his denigrating comments about women and his proposals to build a wall on the border with Mexico and deport 11 million illegal immigrants.

"I am confident that I can unite much of it, some of it I don't want," Trump said on NBC's "Today" show. "Honestly, there are some people I really don't want. People will be voting for me. They're not voting for the party."

The New York Times quoted Trump as saying he would soon form a team to help him in the search for a vice presidential nominee to be announced in July. He put retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson on the committee. Carson, who like Trump has never held elective office or served in government, endorsed Trump after pulling out of the Republican presidential race earlier this year.

Trump, who has honed an 'outsider' image, suggested he might make a more conventional choice as his running mate, telling the Times: "I'm more inclined to go with a political person."

He made a play for working-class Democrats and independents in a CNN interview, saying he would be "open to doing something" on raising the hourly minimum wage but that to increase it too much could hurt companies' competitiveness.

Support for Trump among Republicans jumped nationally in recent weeks to the highest level of the primary campaign, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. A recent poll found Trump with the support of 53 percent of Republican participants, well above Cruz at 25 percent.

In a potential general election contest, Clinton led Trump by about 10 percentage points among likely voters. The poll included 623 Democrats and 556 Republicans and had a credibility interval of 5 percentage points.

Clinton called Trump a "loose cannon" on Wednesday and said America should not take a risk on an unreliable candidate.
Brazil's Temer could allow foreign control of airlines -adviser

BRASILIA, May 4 (Reuters) - A Brazilian government led by Vice President Michel Temer would consider allowing foreign owners to acquire a controlling stake in local airlines, one of his closest aides told Reuters on Wednesday.

Wellington Moreira Franco, a chief economic adviser for Temer and a former aviation minister, said relaxing the current limits on foreign ownership would help bolster competition in an industry suffering its worst crisis in decades.

"Today you have legislation that limits the participation of investors," Franco said in a telephone interview.

When asked if Temer, who is poised to replace embattled leftist President Dilma Rousseff, would consider allowing foreign investors to have controlling stakes in Brazilian airlines, Franco said: "Yes, obviously."

Brazil's Senate is expected next week to vote to put Rousseff on trial for allegedly breaking budget laws. Temer, a constitutional lawyer, would automatically become acting president if that occurs.

Rousseff issued a decree in March lifting the limit on foreign ownership of local airlines to 49 percent from 20 percent, in an effort to help Brazil's highly indebted carriers.

But the move only allows for a controlling stake if the country of origin of the foreign investors extends reciprocity to Brazilian investors. Many countries limit foreign ownership in the aviation sector for strategic and security reasons.

Although Rousseff's decree is in effect, it must still be approved by Brazil's Congress to be made permanent.

Franco did not say if a Temer administration would seek to remove restrictions in the decree or introduce new legislation.

Temer's aides have said he would propose more market-friendly policies including privatization of some public services and infrastructure to pull the economy out of what could be its worst recession in a century.

Brazilian airlines, which benefited during an economic boom last decade that led many Brazilians to fly for the first time, are among the companies hardest hit by the recession, which has sapped demand and forced carriers to cut routes and jobs.

Foreign owners are already active in Brazil's airlines.

The market is dominated by TAM, the Brazilian carrier that merged with Santiago, Chile-based Latam Airlines Group SA and Brazil's Gol, which is partly owned by U.S. carrier Delta Airlines Inc.

Two other carriers, Avianca Brasil and Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras SA, also have significant foreign capital.
Peru's Fujimori would lift annual growth rate to 5-6 pct -adviser

LIMA, May 4 (Reuters) - Economic growth in global metals exporter Peru will quicken to 5 to 6 percent a year from 3.3 percent in 2015 if Keiko Fujimori wins the June 5 presidential election, her new economic adviser said on Wednesday.

Elmer Cuba, an economist with local consulting firm Macroconsult, who previously worked at the central bank, said he decided to join Fujimori's campaign after "long conversations" with the center-right candidate in recent weeks.

"We're going to accelerate economic growth with strongly countercyclical, well-thought-out and timely economic policies to bring the economy to a growth rate of between 5 and 6 percent" a year during a five-year presidential term, Cuba said in broadcast comments at an event with Fujimori.

Fujimori is a former congresswoman and the eldest daughter of imprisoned former President Alberto Fujimori. Opinion polls show she is neck and neck with her centrist run-off rival Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a former World Bank economist.

Cuba said a Fujimori government would need to be "imaginative" about how to finance her promised surge in infrastructure spending at the end of a decade-long mining boom.

Fujimori has proposed jump-starting economic growth by building roads, irrigation canals and other public works she would pay for by tapping the Finance Ministry's nearly $7 billion rainy-day fund and possibly issuing new bonds.

"Peru will not lose the fiscal prudence that it has taken us so long to win," Cuba said.

Economic growth in Peru slowed sharply in 2014 as prices for the country's mineral exports tumbled and investments slipped. But the government expects growth to rise to 3.8 percent this year on rising copper production from new mining projects, such as Freeport McMoRan Inc's expansion of its Cerro Verde deposit and MMG Ltd's Las Bambas project.

But Cuba called Peru's economic recovery a "mirage," saying it was being driven mainly by just a couple big mining projects.

"If we remove them from the scene, growth is still slowing" to an annualized rate of between 2 and 2.5 percent, Cuba said.

Cuba was previously a leader in the political party of centrist technocrat Julio Guzman, Fujimori's main rival before the country's electoral board barred him from the first-round vote on a technicality.

Markets rose on April 11 after Fujimori and Kuczynski, both free-market champions, defeated a leftist rival to move on to a run-off.

President Ollanta Humala cannot govern past July 28 because of term limits.
Tesla puts pedal to the metal, 500,000 cars planned in 2018

By Kshitiz Goliya and Alexandria Sage

May 4 (Reuters) - Tesla Motors Inc said it was stepping up production plans for its upcoming Model 3 mass-market sedan and would build a total of 500,000 all-electric vehicles in 2018, two years ahead of schedule, but warned that spending will ramp up in tandem.

The company, which three months ago aimed to make a net profit in the final quarter of this year, gave no profit target on Wednesday and said capital spending would rise about 50 percent more than previously forecast this year, to around $2.25 billion.

New shares and debt will likely be issued at some point, Chief Executive Elon Musk added.

Tesla, which produces the luxury Model S sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle, aims to become a high-volume automaker in a matter of years and already is valued on par with some of the biggest car companies in the world.

Shares of the company, run by tech entrepreneur Musk, rose more than 5 percent in after hours trade after it announced its first-quarter results and beefed-up production targets.

Musk's ambitions for clean cars, as well as rocket and solar businesses, have attracted a personal following often compared to that of the late Steve Jobs, but skeptics are also legion.

Tesla reported a wider first-quarter net loss, although results broadly beat Wall Street targets. It also said it was on track to deliver 80,000 to 90,000 electric vehicles this year, as it accelerated its target for Model 3 output.

Tigress Financial Partners analyst Ivan Feinseth, who rates Tesla shares "neutral," said growing pains were to be expected while Tesla ramps up, but the company's cars were "close to perfect."

"It's going to be challenging, making cars is hard and there are all sorts of moving parts and competition will come from known and unknown places," said Feinseth.

"I will suggest it's going to take a lot of capital. But car manufacturing is a capital intensive business. (Musk) has had no problem raising money in the past."

The Model 3 sedan, set to go into production in late 2017, has generated massive interest since its unveiling on March 31.

Some analysts have questioned Tesla's ability to smoothly and quickly transition to higher-volume production, given the rocky start for its Model X. The technology-heavy SUV faced problems including parts shortages and quality issues, such as non-fastening doors.

Early on Wednesday, before announcing its financial results, Tesla said two top manufacturing executives were leaving the company.

Musk said the company had excelled at design and technology, but a new premium was being placed on manufacturing: "The key thing we need to achieve in the future is to also be the leader in manufacturing," Musk said. "It's the thing we obviously have to solve if we are going to scale and scale profitably."

Standard and Poor's Global Market Intelligence analyst Efraim Levy said the 500,000 unit production target sets a very high bar for Tesla.

"I would be betting that they don't make it," he said.

Musk also said a 2020 volume target was close to 1 million vehicles.

Tesla's new 500,000 target is still a fraction of what traditional, full-line automakers produce annually. Ford Motor Co sold nearly 800,000 of its best-selling F-Series pickups on the U.S. market last year.

Tesla's net loss widened to $282.3 million, or $2.13 per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, from $154.2 million, or $1.22 per share, a year earlier.

Excluding items, the company lost 57 cents per share. Analysts had expected a loss of 58 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue rose to $1.15 billion from $939.9 million. (http://bit.ly/1rVkm03). Non-GAAP revenue of $1.60 billion just topped the analyst consensus, by about $5 million.
Alberta wildfire set to be Canada's costliest natural disaster

By Matt Scuffham

TORONTO, May 4 (Reuters) - A wildfire in the Alberta city of Fort McMurray is set to become the costliest ever Canadian natural disaster for insurers, with 1,600 buildings destroyed and another 19,000 under threat, analysts and industry sources say.

The bill for insurers is expected to be several times more than the C$700 million ($544 million) paid out for a wildfire in Slave Lake, Alberta, in 2011.

The fire in Slave Lake, a small town 250 km (155 miles)northwest of the city of Edmonton, led to the destruction of 374 homes, less than a quarter of the number of structures already destroyed at Fort McMurray, and damaged another 52.

"If you're looking at four times that of Slave Lake you're getting to well over C$2 billion ($1.6 billion) so there is a possibility that this may become the biggest catastrophic claim in Canada," said DBRS analyst Stewart McIlwraith.

The unchecked fire, now in its fourth day Wednesday, has prompted the full evacuation of Fort McMurray's 88,000 residents. It has not, however, endangered the major oil producers in the area, the heart of the oil sands industry.

The fire is also likely to exceed the C$1.9 billion in losses caused by the Alberta floods of 2013, which set the record for the costliest Canadian disaster. Those losses were limited by the fact that many policies did not cover the type of flooding experienced.

Shares in Intact, Canada's largest property and casualty insurer, closed nearly 4 percent lower. The company said it has the biggest exposure of any insurer to the region.

"It could be quite significant in terms of a loss for them," said Edward Jones analyst Jim Shanahan.

Intact declined to comment on the likely scale of its losses, but Chief Executive Charles Brindamour told analysts on the company's results call that "there are lots of similarities between Fort McMurray and Slave Lake."

Analysts said other insurance providers with exposure to the region include Toronto-Dominion Bank and international insurers Aviva and RSA.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada, which represents Canadian home, cars and business insurers, said it was too early to speculate on the cost of claims.

The average price of homes in Slave Lake is much lower than that of homes in Fort McMurray, where a decade long oil boom sent housing prices soaring.

Experts say in Fort McMurray insurance policies would likely cover all damage to property and belongings damaged by the wildfire.
Hong Kong cracks down on illegal money flows from China trade

By Saikat Chatterjee

HONG KONG, May 5 (Reuters) - Hong Kong is conducting a multi-pronged customs, shipping and financial sector crackdown against so-called fake trade invoicing that allows billions of dollars of capital to leave China illegally.

Hong Kong's central bank told Reuters it has beefed up its scrutiny of banks' trade financing operations, while customs officials are doing more random checks on shipments crossing border posts and conducting raids on warehouses to ensure the authenticity of goods, senior officials working in shipping, logistics and banking said. The head of a logistics company said surprise customs inspections at Hong Kong border posts had doubled.

The sources declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the issues.

They said the increased efforts began this year and reflected concerns about billions of dollars in illicit cash authorities suspect are being channelled through Hong Kong following a stock market crash in China last year.

"Examinations and investigations reflect one of the strongest trends we are seeing now in the financial sector," said Urszula McCormack, a partner at law firm King & Wood Mallesons, which helped co-author a report published by The Hong Kong Association of Banks in February that highlighted shipping as a sector where fake invoicing can thrive.

"(Hong Kong) regulators are now in enforcement mode."

China has become increasingly concerned about capital outflows since the middle of last year when Chinese rushed to get money offshore for safekeeping or to invest following the stock market slump and unexpected yuan devaluation.

Hong Kong is the most popular route, analysts say, because of its proximity to China.

Chinese authorities have tried to staunch the outflows by tightening cross-border investment quotas, stepping up enforcement action of existing rules and restricting residents from buying financial products, such as insurance policies, offered in Hong Kong. But the trade channel had largely been left untouched given the complexity and magnitude of transactions involved.

A record net $674 billion left China last year, the International Institute of Finance estimates. A further $175 billion left China in the first quarter. China had been a long-term net importer of dollars.

While capital flows reflect legitimate business, analysts say the gap between trade figures reported by China and by Hong Kong for the same goods shows how imports and exports are being used to spirit cash offshore.

In December, for example, the gap between Chinese imports from Hong Kong and Hong Kong's exports to China - a rough indicator of capital flowing through trade - surged to a record $1.9 billion, which many economists attributed to falsifying trade invoices.

The December figures show that one dollar in every 10 of exports from Hong Kong to China may have been falsified to skirt China's capital controls, Thomson Reuters calculations show.

By March, the gap was still a relatively large $1.4 billion.

The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department said it was looking into the disparity between the trade figures in coordination with local and Chinese authorities. It said it would "continue to maintain vigilance over the latest trends of money laundering".

China's General Administration for Customs didn't respond to faxed questions.

The most popular way to fake invoices involves overstating the value of imports into China or under-stating the value of exports. A Chinese company could export goods to its Hong Kong subsidiary worth $100 each, but invoice the export at $80 each. The Hong Kong subsidiary sells them for $100 each and parks the profit in an offshore bank account.

The goods involved often lack an obvious value, such as jewellery or electronic components, making it difficult for customs officials or banks to spot a fake transaction.

"DETER AND DETECT"

Hong Kong's de facto central bank, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), has increased the number of onsite inspections and asked banks to strengthen trade financing surveillance since the end of 2015, two bankers said.

"The HKMA has over the past years taken steps to require banks to implement better systems and controls to deter and detect suspicious transactions," Stewart McGlynn, the head of HKMA's anti-money laundering and financial crime risk said, referring to a doubling of suspicious transactions reported by banks to nearly 35,000 last year, compared with 2011.

China launched a nationwide operation called "Nation's Blade" in February to counter fake trade invoicing, tax evasion and smuggling. In the southwestern province of Yunnan, 459 cases are being investigated involving products worth around 30 million yuan, China media reported.

"Recently, there have been a lot of customs inspections with perhaps a 50 percent increase at times," said Alex Chen, a Shenzhen-based official at a customs brokerage firm, referring to Chinese customs actions. "Lots of people are being caught under the latest operation and many have been fined as well."

Trade sources said the crackdown is also being seen in other ways.

"Ever since the capital outflow problems, it has become very difficult to interact with the Chinese customs (officials)," said the head of logistics at a Hong Kong firm.

"Companies on both sides of the border would take them out for wining and dining (before) ... But now they don't want to be seen with us."
Britain's Labour set to take London after bitter mayoral campaign

By Elizabeth Piper and William James

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Sadiq Khan, a Muslim opposition lawmaker, is on course to be elected London's mayor on Thursday, loosening the ruling Conservatives' hold on Britain's financial centre after a campaign marred by charges of anti-Semitism and extremism.

The fight to run the British capital has pitted the Labour Party's Khan, 45, the son of a bus driver who grew up in public housing, against Conservative Zac Goldsmith, 41, the elite-educated son of a billionaire financier.

But rather than their social backgrounds, it has been accusations of smears over Khan's Muslim faith and anti-Semitism in the Labour Party that have dominated the campaign to replace Conservative Boris Johnson as mayor of the city of 8.6 million people which is usually known for its tolerance.

Mayors of London, which is home to the City financial district, are responsible for areas such as policing, transport, housing and the environment.

London is the top prize in local elections being held across Scotland, Wales and northern England, and there was little let-up in the accusations against Khan, who has a big lead in opinion polls, as campaigning ran into its final hours.

During a heated parliamentary debate on Wednesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron accused Khan of sharing "a platform with an extremist who called for Jews to drown in the ocean".

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in turn accused the Conservatives of "smearing" Khan. He said one of the men Cameron had accused Khan of sharing a platform with had also been close to Goldsmith.

Khan, who would be London's first Muslim mayor, says he has fought extremism all his life and that he regrets sharing a stage with speakers who held "abhorrent" views.

ANTI-SEMITISM ROW

The former human rights lawyer has also had to distance himself from Corbyn after a row over anti-Semitism.

The Labour leader ordered an inquiry into charges of anti-Semitism after suspending Ken Livingstone, a political ally and a former London mayor, for saying Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism.

Khan was quick to condemn the comments and on Tuesday told reporters in his final stump speech of the campaign at a venue overlooking the River Thames: "I've had lots of people contact me from the Jewish faith sending me their support".

The row has failed to dent Khan's lead in opinion polls, a situation the Labour Party would like to be replicated in Thursday's other local and regional elections.

But in Corbyn's first electoral test since taking over the party last September, analysts say Labour could lose dozens of seats in some of its traditional strongholds.
Oil up as fire curbs Canada output; higher dollar, stockpiles cap gains

By Barani Krishnan

NEW YORK, May 5 (Reuters) - Oil prices surged on Thursday after a raging wildfire near Canada's oil sands region curbed output that mainly flows to the United States, before settling off their highs as a rebounding dollar and a huge U.S. stockpile build cut into gains.

While the oil sands facilities are mostly to the north of the wildfire in city of Fort McMurray in Alberta that is spreading south, as much as a third of Canada's daily crude capacity has been cut and some major pipelines closed after more evacuations were ordered.

A stranded Glencore oil cargo in Libya, after a stand-off between eastern and western political factions, also fed the rally at first.

Some traders said the market had overreacted to both events.

"The Canadian blaze, horrific as it is, is far south of the real producing fields to cause real lasting damage to production there," said John Kilduff, partner at New York energy hedge fund Again Capital. "The Libyan barrels weren't really on the market anyway."

Crude oil futures jumped 5 percent before paring gains. Their retreat came as the dollar rose 0.6 percent, its most in three weeks, making greenback-denominated oil costlier for holders of the euro and other currencies.

Some traders also pinned oil's weakening to market intelligence firm Genscape's report of a 1.35 million-barrels stockpile build at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub for U.S. crude futures during the week to May 3. The Genscape report came on the heels of U.S. government data showing total crude stockpiles at record highs above 543 million barrels last week.

Brent futures settled up 39 cents, or 0.9 percent, at $45.01 a barrel.

U.S. crude's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures rose 54 cents, or 1.2 percent, to settle at $44.32.

Earlier this week, oil lost its almost unbroken upward momentum since April's gain of more 20 percent that gave Brent its best monthly gain in seven years. Over Monday and Tuesday, crude prices fell 6 percent as major producers in and outside OPEC pumped at or near record highs.

Even so, some analysts said the fallout from the Canadian inferno was being underestimated.

At least 640,000 barrels per day (bpd) of capacity was offline, according to Reuters' calculations.

"The situation is clearly very serious," said London-based PVM, which notes that of the 4.5 million bpd that Canada produces, 3.4 million goes to the United States.

On Friday, traders will be on the lookout for U.S. jobs data for April, to indicate the likelihood of a rate hike by June that will further bolster the dollar.
Poland - Factors to Watch May 5

Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Thursday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 2 hours):

DEBT TENDER

Poland to hold bond tender, at which it will offer to sell bonds worth 2.5-4.5 billion zlotys.

PGNIG

The state-run gas firm PGNiG mulls buying five cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in June and July as part of short-term spot contracts, the company said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

INSURANCE SECTOR

Insurance companies in Poland are planning to dismiss around 1500 people to save on costs, Gazeta Wyborcza daily said.

CONSTITUTION

Polish Monetary Policy Council member Jerzy Zyzynski told Superexpress tabloid that he sees a need to change constitution in order to remove "number of faulty neo-liberal rules" such as debt to gross domestic product ratio or limitation in financing the state deficit.

UKRAINIANS

Polish government is planning to introduce rules saying that foreign seasonal workers will have to earn as much as other workers in the same sector, Rzeczpospolita daily said. The new regulations may hit 550,000 Ukrainians, who come to work in Poland every year.

FOOD COMPANIES

Polish treasury is mulling merging state-run food companies to save hundreds of millions of zlotys, Rzeczpospolita daily said quoting treasury minister Dawid Jackiewicz as saying in public television.

****Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.****
Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on May 5

PRAGUE, May 5 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial markets on Thursday. ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA========================== Real-time economic data releases.................... Summary of economic data and forecasts........... Recently released economic data.................. Previous stories on Czech data............. **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/2E/events-overview ==========================NEWS================================== MIGRATION: Central European countries dismissed on Wednesday the EU executive's proposals to share out migrants among member states, saying any plans for forced relocation of people were unacceptable or, in Hungary's view, amounted to blackmail. Story: Related stories: CENTRAL BANK: The Czech central bank will keep the outlook for its weak crown policy unchanged when its board meets on Thursday but is likely to later extend it by several months into the second half of 2017, a Reuters poll showed. Story: Related stories: KOMERCNI: Czech lender Komercni Banka reported net profit fell 16.3 percent in the first quarter, lower than market expectations of a 22 percent drop, as it front-loaded expected contributions to banking resolution and deposit insurance funds. Story: Related stories: CEE MARKETS: The forint eased on Wednesday, bucking a mostly firming regional trend on a renewed bout of selling of Hungarian government bonds after the central bank tempered expectations of further rate cuts. Story: Related stories: ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------ Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change close on day in 2016 vs Euro 27.027 27.053 0.1 -0.11 vs Dollar 23.53 24.537 4.1 5.35 Czech Equities 886.94 886.94 -1.09 -7.26 U.S. Equities 17,651.26 17,750.91 -0.56 1.3 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT =======================PRESS DIGEST============================ NWR: Trading in New World Resources shares will be suspended as of the opening of the market on Thursday at the Prague Stock Exchange. E15, page 6 Reuters has not verified the stories, nor does it vouch for their accuracy. For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX For updates on CEE currencies TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets Prague Newsroom: +420 224 190 477 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (Reporting by Prague Newsroom)
Supermarket Morrisons makes progress with recovery plan

By James Davey

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - The boss of Morrisons said on Thursday he had achieved his first major objective since joining the British supermarket a year ago - stabilising the business.

"We are stabilising Morrisons and selling more things to more customers. It's the first important step on the journey to fix, re-build and grow this company," David Potts, a former Tesco executive, who joined Morrisons in March 2015, told reporters.

Potts has cut prices, improved store standards, tailored products to local tastes and sharpened up marketing to differentiate Morrisons from rivals.

Britain's fourth largest grocer is unique among its major competitors in making half of all the own brand and fresh food it sells.

Shares in Bradford, northern England, based Morrisons, already up 10 percent over the last three months, were up 2.1 percent by 0957 GMT.

"At a time when investors' attention is shifting to the long term implications of Amazon's market entry, Morrisons is more insulated than peers from this incremental attrition risk," analysts at Jefferies said in reference to the U.S. online giant's plans to attack Britain's grocery market.

Morrisons, which trails market leader Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda in annual sales, has been badly hurt by the rise of German discounters Aldi and Lidl and profits have fallen for four years in a row.

RETURN TO PROFIT

But having posted a second consecutive quarter of positive like-for-like sales it is on course for profit growth in its 2016-17 year. Analysts are on average forecasting an underlying pretax profit before one-off items of 318 million pounds ($461 million), up from 302 million pounds in 2015-16.

Morrisons said sales at stores open over a year, excluding fuel, rose 0.7 percent in the 13 weeks to May 1, its fiscal first quarter.

That was ahead of analysts' forecasts of flat sales and a rise of 0.1 percent in the previous quarter which was its first quarterly rise in four years.

The quarterly like-for-like sales outcome was helped by a 1 percent contribution from online.

Morrisons' like-for-like transactions grew 3.1 percent in the quarter, while volume growth was 3.3 percent. Deflation, including the supermarket's own price cuts was 2.6 percent.

Last week, Morrisons lowered the prices of 847 items, including sugar, rice and cereals.

Echoing recent comments from Tesco and Sainsbury's it expects deflation to persist through 2016.

Potts surprised the market in March by announcing a wholesale supply deal with Amazon and agreeing the outline of a new deal with online grocer Ocado to serve its own morrisons.com online offering.
Slovak Republic - Factors To Watch on May 5

BRATISLAVA, May 5 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial markets on Thursday. ALL TIMES GMT (Slovak Republic: GMT + 2 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA======================== Real-time economic data releases.................. Summary of economic data and forecasts......... Recently released economic data................ Previous stories on Slovak data.......... **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/1C/events-overview ========================EVENTS=============================== BRATISLAVA: EU Commissioner for Digital Economy Gunther Oettinger will meet with Slovakia's Deputy Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini. Related stories: =========================NEWS=============================== STEEL: The Slovak government may seek to buy a stake in United States Steel Corp's factory in the country to prevent its closure if the U.S. owner decides to sell out, Economy Minister Peter Ziga said on Wednesday. Story: Related stories: IMMIGRATION: Central European foreign ministers rejected the EU executive's proposals on migration policy on Wednesday, with Hungary calling plans for a quota system to distribute asylum seekers and fines to opt out "blackmail". Story: Related stories: For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX Main currency report TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (Reporting by Prague Newsroom)
Nauru urges calm among desperate asylum seekers after self-immolations

By Colin Packham

SYDNEY, May 5 (Reuters) - The tiny South Pacific island of Nauru urged calm among 500 asylum seekers held in detention on behalf of Australia after two set fire to themselves and others self-harmed.

Under Australia's hard-line immigration policy, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach the country by boat after paying people smugglers are sent for processing to a camp in Manus Island in Papua New Guinea or to Nauru.

The remote detention centre on Nauru has been widely criticised by the United Nations and human rights agencies for its harsh conditions and reports of child abuse. Many staying there have self-harmed.

A young Somali woman on Monday set herself on fire at the camp, the second such attack in a week. The first victim died.

Nauru said it was working on finding a permanent home for the detainees.

"I want to assure you that future long-term and permanent settlement options are actively being considered and planned for you," David Adeang, minister for multicultural affairs, said in a video posted on the government website.

"But while you are here, we urge you to use your time on Nauru constructively and peacefully."

But detainees, many of whom have been on Nauru for years, said tensions were high, with many devoid of hope.

"I don't want to be alive. I see my wife suffering and I can't do anything, I can't change anything." Iranian Amir Zaire, 30, told Reuters. "We have been at this camp for three years, like animals."

While tensions on Nauru are rising, Australia's second offshore detention centre on Manus Island, off Papua New Guinea, has been ordered closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled the facility unlawful, leaving the fate of the 850 people held there up in the air.

Australia and Papua New Guinea each claim each other is responsible for settling the hundreds held on Manus.

Legal action in PNG and Australia has begun, with lawyers acting for the majority of people held on Manus arguing that they should be immediately be resettled in Australia.
Malaysia's scandal-hit Najib seeks big win in Borneo state polls

By Joseph Sipalan

MIRI, Malaysia, May 5 (Reuters) - Malaysia's prime minister is going all out to secure a resounding victory in Sarawak when the country's largest state goes to the polls this Saturday, seeking to put a year of turmoil at government investment fund 1MDB behind him.

Politicians and pundits expect the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to comfortably win the state election, but analysts say Prime Minister Najib Razak wants a landslide victory to show he still has the confidence of the people after the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal rocked the country.

On the campaign trail in Borneo, Najib has made big money pledges and taken his entourage to remote villages as he canvasses support.

"This is a good example of our continued high commitment to Sarawak," he told a media conference in Kuching, after holding a cabinet meeting in the state's capital and approving 3.5 billion ringgit ($878 million) in projects and investment for the state.

Sarawakians have rallied behind Najib's ally, Chief Minister Adenan Satem. Adenan has brokered greater autonomy for the resource-rich state and dealt with long standing issues such as recognition of native land rights since taking over the reins in 2014.

Najib will likely project a convincing win for Adenan as a personal victory.

"It is an important election for Najib...a moral booster for BN and Najib if Adenan wins big, even though the election cannot be used as barometer for BN's popularity nationwide," said Arnold Puyok, a political analyst at University of Malaysia Sarawak.

Najib has been facing calls to step down over allegations of graft and billions of dollars in misappropriated funds at his pet project 1MDB.

Critics say Najib was a beneficiary of 1MDB's funds, after about $681 million was deposited in his bank account before a 2013 election.

Najib and 1MDB have dismissed those claims but some political heavyweights in United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) have publicly questioned whether Najib can lead the party to victory in the 2018 general elections.

Najib has dismissed the allegations and consolidated power by sacking dissenters within UMNO, which has ruled Malaysia since 1957, and using a controversial sedition law against other critics.

UNFAIR ADVANTAGE

The South China Sea divides Sarawak from the Malaysian peninsula and insulates it from goings-on there. The mostly rural population of 2.6 million struggles with lack of access to basic amenities and poor roads in the mountainous and densely forested interior.

The federal opposition have accused Najib of "hijacking" the Sarawak polls, which are largely fought on local issues.

Many of their leaders were barred entry to Sarawak, which maintains autonomy over immigration rights.

Nurul Izzah, the daughter of jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and a member of his People's Justice Party (PKR), said she was denied entry in Miri. She said the ban on many national opposition leaders has left them severely outmatched.

"They are forced to face the likes of the prime minister and the deputy prime minister dispensing cash like there's no tomorrow whilst their only 'semenanjung' (peninsula) counter force is held up by the immigration," said Nurul.

Federal Communications Minister Salleh Said Keruak said the national government's spending plans were only meeting their responsibilities to work with the state government.

In Miri, some 800 km from the state capital, opposition leaders are hopeful voters will see through Najib's spending pledges.

"It is to our disadvantage. Their huge machinery is very strong," said Alan Ling, state legislator of the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) from Piasau in Miri.

And while Sarawak's urban voters have become more critical of the government, the rural vote base - which will decide the outcome of more than two-thirds of the 82 seats being contested - remain largely oblivious to the political intrigues of the capital.
RSA may beat 2016 analyst profit forecasts-CEO

By Carolyn Cohn

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Insurer RSA is on course to meet or beat analysts' forecasts for profits this year, the firm's chief executive said on Thursday, showing its resilience after an abandoned takeover bid for the company in 2015.

Zurich Insurance ditched a 5.6 billion pound ($8.2 billion) takeover bid in Sept 2015 for the general insurer, which has since stepped up cost-cutting and is focusing on its core UK and Ireland, Canadian and Scandinavian businesses.

"We are at least on track for the analysts' consensus...or maybe even better than that," Chief Executive Stephen Hester told a media call, adding that the firm's first-quarter trading results were strong and ahead of expectations.

The company did not disclose its operating profits for the first quarter.

Analysts are forecasting operating profit for RSA of 548 million pounds this year, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, up five percent from 2015.

RSA, best known in Britain for its More Than brand, posted a 1 percent fall in net written premiums to 1.575 billion pounds ($2.29 billion), following the sale of businesses in Brazil, Colombia and Russia during the first quarter.

The firm also completed the sale of its Chile and Argentina businesses in April.

Only RSA's Middle East business remained to be sold, Hester said, adding there was no buyer currently.

"We are demonstrating we can make this company...more valuable for whoever owns it," Hester said.

RSA's shares were up 2.4 percent at 480 pence at 0750 GMT, with analysts at JP Morgan Cazenove calling the performance update reassuring. The FTSE 100 index gained 0.3 percent.
China protests at U.S. accusations of abuse of religious groups

BEIJING, May 5 (Reuters) - China has lodged a diplomatic protest with the United States after a U.S. government commission said Chinese violations of religious freedom last year remained "severe", the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan U.S. federal government body, said in a report this week that there were "systematic, egregious and ongoing abuses" in China against Christians, Buddhists, Muslims and others.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China fully respected religious freedom. But year in, year out, the United States attacked China on religion, ignoring the facts and distorting the situation.

"China is resolutely opposed to this and has already lodged stern representations with the U.S. side," he told a daily news briefing.

"We demand the U.S. side objectively and justly view China's religious policy and Chinese citizens' freedom of belief and stop using the religious issue to interfere in China's internal affairs," Hong added.

"The U.S. side should reflect more on its own problems and not always gesticulate about other countries."

The report urged the U.S. Department of State to re-designate China's government as a top-tier violator, along with eight other countries, including Myanmar, Iran, North Korea and Saudi Arabia.

China has long said that it guarantees religious freedom. However, critics note that the officially atheist ruling Community Party recognises only a handful of state-approved religions - Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism and Protestantism - followers of which must worship under the watch of patriotic religious associations.

Religious minorities, particularly Muslim Uighurs in China's western Xinjiang region and Buddhist Tibetans, chafe at strict government controls on their faith, which exiles and activists say have spurred social unrest and violence.
Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia to coordinate against militant pirates

By Budi Satriawan

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia, May 5 (Reuters) - Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines agreed on Thursday to conduct coordinated maritime patrols after a spate of ship hijackings by Islamist militants in the southern Philippines.

Most of the piracy in the area is the work of militants from the Abu Sayyaf group operating out of lawless Philippine islands. Indonesia has warned that the problem could reach levels seen off Somalia.

Indonesian port authorities in some areas have stopped issuing permits to ships taking coal through the southern Philippines because of the attacks.

"We will undertake coordinated patrols in the maritime areas of our common concern," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said after a meeting of the countries' military chiefs and foreign ministers in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta.

The southern Philippines shares maritime borders with Indonesia and Malaysia and they signed an agreement in 2002 to strengthen border security in response to increasing cross-border attacks by militants of the Abu Sayyaf group, but they have yet to mount coordinated naval patrols.

Coordinated patrols involve voyages by the different navies operating in their own territorial waters.

Indonesia last month called for joint maritime patrols, which would involve ships from the three navies patrolling together and crossing into each other's territorial waters. But the Philippines said it wanted separate but coordinated patrols to identify safe corridors where ships can travel.

Indonesia is the world's largest thermal coal exporter and supplies 70 percent of the Philippines' coal imports.

Abu Sayyaf militants have become notorious for kidnapping over the past 15 years or so and have earned millions of dollars in ransoms. They have acquired modern weapons, high-powered boats and communications equipment.

Marsudi said the neighbours would also set up a hotline to improve cooperation and share intelligence.

"We share the urgent need to take action to ensure our citizens feel protected in undertaking their activities in the area," she said.

Procedures for the patrols in the Sulu and Celebes seas would be worked out at a follow-up meeting, she said.

Analysts say $40 billion worth of cargo passes through those waters a year, including supertankers from the Indian Ocean that cannot use the crowded Malacca Strait.

The militants, who killed a Canadian hostage last month, and who hold more than a dozen foreigners, were in the past linked to al Qaeda and have more recently voiced support for Islamic State.
EDP sees sound medium-term profit rise, stocks jump

LISBON, May 5 (Reuters) - EDP-Energias de Portugal expects its net profit to grow by 4 percent a year through 2020 thanks to capacity additions at its wind energy division and a gentle market recovery, the company said on Thursday.

Shares in Portugal's main utility jumped 5.5 percent to six-month highs on the outlook, which also envisages growth in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of about 3 percent a year.

This year's net profit is expected to rise to about 900 million euros from 850 million last year and EBITDA should exceed 2015's 3.6 billion euros, EDP said.

"The market is reacting very well to the numbers, EDP is clearly outperforming its peers and leading the Portuguese market higher," said Luis Castro, head of trading at GoldenBroker in Porto.

EDP expects its average debt costs to fall 50 basis points to about 4.2 percent by 2020, with its net debt/EBITDA ratio dropping to 3 times from last year's 4 times.

The company will invest an average of 1.6 billion euros a year through 2020 with the focus on wind power, especially in the United States.

Its wind energy business EDP Renovaveis (EDPR) will account for more than half of the planned investment, taking 4.8 billion euros over the 2016-2020 period to add 700 megawatts of capacity a year.

As a result, EDPR's EBITDA growth is expected to far outpace that of the mother company, with the compound annual growth rate projected at 8 percent over the period. EDPR shares also rose, by 2.4 percent.

The strategy of "asset rotation" - in which EDPR develops projects, sells minority stakes to investors and uses the funds to build more - will continue with 1.1 billion euros planned for 2016-2020, including 600 million euros in new deals and 550 million already signed in 2016.
With prospective change of premier, Turkey's Erdogan aims at stronger presidency

By Ercan Gurses and Nick Tattersall

ANKARA/ISTANBUL, May 5 (Reuters) - Turkey could face an early general election this year after the prospective removal of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, unnerving investors and testing relations with Europe as President Tayyip Erdogan accelerates his drive for a stronger presidency.

The ruling AK Party is set to replace Davutoglu as its leader, and therefore as premier, at an extraordinary congress in the coming weeks, five senior party officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

Davutoglu had offered only lukewarm support for Erdogan's vision of a stronger presidency and the decision to remove him follows weeks of tensions. His successor is likely to be more willing to back Erdogan's aim of changing the constitution to create a presidential system, a move that opponents say will bring growing authoritarianism.

"Palace Coup!" said the headline in the secularist opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper.

"From now on, Turkey's sole agenda is the presidential system and an early election," said Mehmet Ali Kulat, head of the pollster Mak Danismanlik, which is seen as close to Erdogan. He forecast an election in October or November.

Erdogan wants Turkey to be ruled by the head of state, a system he sees as a guarantee against the fractious coalition politics that hampered the government in the 1990s. His opponents say this is merely a vehicle for his own ambition.

"These are critical developments in my mind in Turkey - likely setting the long-term direction of the country, both in terms of democracy, but (also) economic and social policy and geopolitical orientation," said Timothy Ash, strategist at Nomura and a veteran Turkey watcher.

ASIATIC MODEL

"Turkey changes as a result to an Asiatic model of development, with strong central control from the presidency, and most key decisions taken by the president and a small group of likely unelected advisers."

Investors were nervous about the shape of the new government and the prospect that badly-needed economic reforms could be delayed further. The lira weakened and bond yields surged. The BIST 100 index, the broadest measure of Istanbul stocks, was down 1.5 percent at 0935 GMT .

Presidential adviser Cemil Ertem said the economy would stabilise further when a prime minister more closely aligned with Erdogan took office. He said economic policy would not change, and that no election was likely before the government's mandate expires in 2019.

But a member of the AKP's executive board and a second source close to the party both told Reuters that an early parliamentary election in the autumn was now the most likely outcome. The aim would be to win two-thirds of the 550 seats - an increase of 50 on the AKP's current 317 - to allow the party to change the constitution without the need for a referendum, they said.

"Erdogan will move fast and try to reach enough of a majority for the executive presidency. A party structure and a leader who will design that will be put in place," the second source said. "He does not want to lose any more time."

Government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, both Erdogan loyalists, are seen as candidates to replace Davutoglu, three sources close to the presidency said. Transport Minister Binali Yildirim and Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan's son-in-law, had also been touted, they said.

ELECTION CALCULATION

The member of the AKP executive board, its main decision-making body, said Bozdag was the favourite and that the question of an early election would hinge on a leadership battle in the nationalist opposition MHP.

MHP leader Devlet Bahceli, a sombre 68-year-old, is facing a challenge from Meral Aksener, a 59-year-old woman who served as interior minister in the 1990s.

Some opinion polls suggest Aksener could double the MHP's support, while under Bahceli it could drop below the 10 percent threshold needed to enter parliament, which would give the AKP a significant boost.

"The most likely alternative is an early election in October," the AKP board member said. "But if Aksener takes the (MHP) leadership, there may be no election until 2019."

The AKP is also likely to benefit from a drop in support for the pro-Kurdish HDP, which has lost the backing of some liberal Turks over what the ruling party says are its links to militants fighting an insurgency in the mostly Kurdish southeast.

Early election or not, Davutoglu's departure is likely to test relations with Europe just as Ankara implements a deal on stemming the flow of illegal migrants in return for accelerated EU accession talks, visa liberalisation, and financial aid.

Davutoglu, who negotiated the deal and has largely delivered Turkey's side of the bargain, is seen in Brussels as the more liberal face of the Turkish government and more concerned about the rule of law.
Abortion provider Planned Parenthood sues Kansas over plan to cut funding

By Brendan O'Brien

May 5 (Reuters) - Planned Parenthood, a U.S. women's healthcare and abortion provider, has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Kansas over a plan to strip it of government healthcare funding, court records showed.

Planned Parenthood says at least 24 states have cut its clinics of funding since mid-2015, when anti-abortion activists released videos purporting to show group officials negotiating prices for aborted fetal tissue.

The footage gave rise to accusations that Planned Parenthood trafficked in body parts, which the group denies.

Abortion continues to be a highly contentious issue in the United States, where the procedure is legal but can be limited and regulated by individual states.

Abortion laws in Kansas are among the strictest in the United States. Last year, a Kansas judge blocked a law signed by Governor Sam Brownback, a Republican, that would have banned a common second trimester abortion procedure.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment plans to cut Planned Parenthood off from state Medicaid funds beginning next Tuesday, according to court documents.

Planned Parenthood filed its lawsuit against Kansas on Wednesday, arguing the state will break federal law and violate the U.S. Constitution when it follows Brownback's order to cut funding, the court records showed.

"This action challenges the unlawful, unwarranted and politically motivated decision," the suit said.

Brownback, a Republican, has said he would ensure that no taxpayer money would go to Planned Parenthood.

By cutting funds to the organization, he wanted "to protect the unborn and support a culture of life in Kansas," said Eileen Hawley, the governor's spokeswoman, in an email to the Wichita Eagle newspaper published on Wednesday.

In April, federal Medicaid Director Vikki Wachino sent the letter to Medicaid agencies in all 50 U.S. states, warning them against cutting off funds to Planned Parenthood.
Croatia interested in role in Hungary's disputed nuclear project

SARAJEVO, May 5 (Reuters) - Croatia is interested in taking part in a disputed project to expand the Paks nuclear power plant its neighbour Hungary has awarded to Russia's Rosatom, Croatia's Entrepreneurship and Crafts Minister Darko Horvat said on Thursday.

Hungary has said it will press ahead with its plans to add two new reactors despite legal action started by European Union regulators against the country in November over concerns about the compatibility of the project with EU procurement rules.

"Croatia is interested in the project and is exploring a most suitable business model to help meet local demand," Horvat told an economic conference in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

"We are exploring if this could be via financing or some other model but it has not been decided yet."

Croatia, the EU's newest member, meets 60 percent of its electricity demand from local sources and imports the rest.

The EU's executive Commission has been holding talks to try to resolve differences after Hungary chose Rosatom in 2014 to build the two new reactors, partly financed by a favourably priced Russian loan worth 10 billion euros ($11.4 billion).

Apart from the alleged breach of public procurement rules, the Commission also has concerns the Paks plant would be overly dependent on Russia.

The Hungarian government has said it respected all relevant laws when it awarded the contract for the construction of the two new reactors and the refurbishment of two others.

The new 1,200-megawatt (MW) blocks at the Paks plant are expected to start commercial operation in 2025 and 2026.
Burundi police say 450 people killed in political violence in past year

NAIROBI, May 5 (Reuters) - More than 450 people have been killed in Burundi in unrest that began a year ago, the police said in a report on the crisis that has raised fears of a return to the ethnically charged violence of civil war.

"The report at the disposal of police shows that 451 people have been killed since the start of the crisis, including 77 police officers and 374 civilians," the police said.

The crisis began when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced in April 2015 plans to run for a third term. Despite criticism that that violated the constitution and a peace deal that ended the civil war in 2005, he went on to win July's election.

Nkurunziza's camp says a court ruling had declared the former rebel-turned-president eligible to seek another term.

The police report said 59 of its officers had been jailed over the last year for "serious misconduct". It did not detail their actions but opponents of the government have accused the police of violently suppressing protests and dissent.

The government denies that but say the police have pursued opponents who have taken up arms. At least three rebel groups have emerged, one of them led by army officers who launched a failed coup last May.

The violence, which diplomats say includes tit-for-tat killings of pro-government supporters and political opponents, has so far largely been driven by political differences.

But diplomats and residents in Bujumbura, which has seen the worst of the violence, say there are worrying signs of ethnically motivated killings.
Al Qaeda militants begin to leave two Yemeni towns - residents

ADEN, May 5 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda militants began to pull out of two southern Yemeni town on Thursday, residents said, following weeks of mediation by tribesmen for them to exit peacefully rather than resist a Gulf-backed offensive.

Dozens of fighters in Zinjibar and Jaar, the two largest towns in southwestern Abyan province, were seen leaving with their weapons to the surrounding countryside.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, widely considered the most dangerous branch of the global militant group, took advantage of over a year of war in Yemen to seize towns along a 600-km (370-mile) stretch of Arabian Sea coastline.

But Yemeni troops backed by a Saudi-led military coalition pushed the group out of its main base in the port city of Mukalla late last month, depriving them of the estimated $2 million a day in revenue from port taxes and fuel smuggling.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies intervened in the civil war in Yemen on March 26 last year in support of Yemen's government after it was pushed into exile by the Iran-allied Houthi group.

The war has killed more than 6,200 people, displaced more than 2.5 million and caused a humanitarian catastrophe in one of the world's poorest countries.

Coalition bombing had mostly ignored the steady rise of AQAP until forces funded and trained by the United Arab Emirates launched a surprise attack to win Mukalla last month.
Chesapeake to sell some Oklahoma assets to Newfield for $470 mln

May 5 (Reuters) - Chesapeake Energy Corp, the second-largest U.S. natural gas producer, said it would sell some assets in Oklahoma to Newfield Exploration Co for $470 million as part of a plan to shore up its finances through divestitures.

Chesapeake's shares were up 12 percent at $6.31 in premarket trading after the company also reported a smaller quarterly loss and cut its production expense forecast for the year.

The company said it would sell about 42,000 net acres in Oklahoma's STACK field, with current production of 3,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Low natural gas and oil prices have hit the heavily leveraged company, which plans to sell assets worth an additional $500 million to $1 billion this year.

"We anticipate subsequent divestitures during the second and third quarters," Chief Executive Doug Lawler said in a statement.

The company on Thursday lowered its forecast for 2016 production costs to $3.40-$3.60 per barrel of oil equivalent (boe) from $3.60-$3.80 per boe.

Chesapeake said in February that it tapped legal counsel Kirkland & Ellis for advice as it seeks to strengthen its balance sheet with debt exchanges and other transactions, and that it had no plans for bankruptcy as some in the market have speculated.

The company's net loss attributable to shareholders narrowed to $964 million in the three months ended March 31, from $3.78 billion a year earlier. The year-earlier period included one-time items of $3.8 billion.

Excluding an $853 million impairment charge, loss in the latest quarter was 10 cents per share, in line with analysts' average estimate.
Canada's Manulife seeks new Asia deals to boost growth

By Matt Scuffham

May 5 (Reuters) - Manulife, Canada's biggest life insurer, said it would continue to look for new partners in Asia after strong sales in the region helped it increase its core earnings by 14 percent in the first quarter.

The activation of a bancassurance partnership with DBS in Singapore and Hong Kong helped Manulife's Asian unit push total insurance sales up by 14 percent to C$954 million, more than making up for another quarter of lackluster investment gains.

"We're experiencing very strong growth in many Asian markets. That was partly driven by our new bancassurance distribution agreement with DBS. We've done a number of smaller deals as well and we will continue to look for suitable partners in that way," said Chief Financial Officer Steve Roder.

Manulife agreed to pay $1.2 billion to Singapore's DBS Group Holdings last April for a 15-year partnership that will let the insurer sell products through the lender's Asian branch network in what is known as the "bancassurance" model.

Strong Asian growth helped Manulife's core earnings to rise nearly 14 percent to C$905 million, or 44 Canadian cents per share, beating analysts average estimate by 1 Canadian cent, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Like other insurance companies, Manulife has been attracted to Asia by the region's burgeoning middle class.

"What we're seeing in Asia is this rapid emergence of a middle class. That's a big, big driver," Roder said in an interview.

Roder said sales in Singapore were up over 500 percent on the year before while Japan saw very strong growth and emerging markets such as Vietnam and the Philippines saw growth of over 50 percent year-on-year.

Seventy percent of Manulife's insurance premiums are now from Asia and Roder said he expected that to keep increasing.

Manulife has a presence in every Asian country except South Korea and India and Roder said it had no need to enter those markets.

The insurer said in February it would be difficult to achieve its core earnings target of C$4 billion in 2016, with the weak oil price hitting the value of its investments in the energy sector.

However, Roder said the price of assets being sold indicated people don't believe the current price of oil is here to stay.

"We do believe that the worst of this is behind us and the rest of the industry," Roder said.
Italy PM Renzi's ally, Tiscali head, convicted of tax evasion

ROME, May 5 (Reuters) - Renato Soru, Italian leftist politician and chairman of multinational telecoms company Tiscali was handed a three year jail sentence for tax evasion on Thursday.

The verdict is a political embarrassment for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi because Soru is the head of Renzi's Democratic Party (PD) in Sardinia and a PD member of the European Parliament.

Soru, who founded Tiscali in 1998, said he was surprised by the "unjust" verdict issued by the court in the Sardinian capital Cagliari.

Prosecutors accused him of evading 2.6 million euros ($3 million) of taxes through a financial operation involving a loan to Tiscali made by another company owned by Soru.

Soru's lawyer told Reuters that his client would appeal. Under Italian law, he will not go to jail unless the sentence is confirmed at the end of the appeals process.

Renzi has been under growing pressure in recent months over scandals involving his government and members of the PD.

At the end of March his industry minister resigned in an influence peddling scandal and this week the PD mayor of the northern city of Lodi was arrested for allegedly rigging public tenders.

"The immorality of the PD continues, who will be next?," Beppe Grillo, founder of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), Italy's largest opposition party, wrote on his blog.
Poland considering giving up converting Swiss-franc loans to zlotys - sources

By Marcin Goclowski

WARSAW, May 5 (Reuters) - Poland's government is considering giving up plans to force banks to convert Swiss franc mortgages to zlotys, in favour of laws allowing borrowers to recoup some of the costs of the loans or to walk away from them completely, sources told Reuters.

A team of aides to President Andrzej Duda is now preparing new proposals, aiming to announce a plan by the end of May. Two sources from that team told Reuters some form of forced conversion was still being considered, but other options had been proposed as well.

"We don't need a conversion, as it would be unfair to zloty credit holders. The franc may fall in two or three years, as well, while zloty rates may go up, making the operation unprofitable," Slawomir Horbaczewski, a member of the presidential team, told Reuters.

The eurosceptic Law and Justice party (PiS) won power last year partly because it promised to help thousands of Poles who took out loans in Swiss francs when the franc was cheaper against the zloty. Those borrowers had seen the cost of their loans surge as the value of the franc skyrocketed.

President Duda had proposed in January converting the loans to zlotys and making banks pay for the conversion. But Poland's financial regulators, KNF, appear to have blocked that proposal by saying it would lead to exorbitant costs.

One solution might be to let people give up ownership of the mortgaged properties to the banks, along with the remaining loans, but pay rent to continue living in the homes, Horbaczewski said.

Banks may also be forced to return the cost of currency conversion they had charged borrowers, he said.

COSTLY IDEAS

The apparent change of tack within the government reflects public opinion polls, which show that more than half of Poles believe banks would transfer the cost of bailing out franc borrowers onto consumers.

Just over half of surveyed Poles said they were against a bailout for borrowers, a poll by CBOS showed in April, shortly after KNF published its estimates of how much a forced re-denomination into zlotys could cost.

KNF has estimated the conversion could cost local lenders more than four times their 2015 profits. Analysts and bankers say that converting the 148 billion zlotys ($38.12 billion) worth of franc mortgages could trigger bankruptcies among banks.

One of the challenges faced by PiS is to find a solution that would spread the cost of a re-denomination over time, instead of making banks pay for it up front.

"There is a need to find a way to re-denominate currency loans while ensuring the affect isn't accumulated in one year, but, say, over 30 years - 1.5 billion zlotys per year," said Jaroslaw Mielcarek, another member of the presidential team.

Most Polish banks are listed and must comply with international accounting standards. Those standards say that the cost of re-denominating mortgages has to be incurred immediately and cannot be spread over time.

To address this, PiS may try to lift franc mortgages from bank balance sheets and put them into a special-purpose vehicle that would issue bonds, one source said.
Bank of Portugal study: bad-bank fund must be ceded to finance ministry

LISBON, May 5 (Reuters) - Experts at the Bank of Portugal say the central bank must cede control of the fund set up to deal with failing commercial banks to the finance ministry in order to end any potential conflicts of interest between banking supervision and selling banks.

They have drafted a study that will contribute to planned changes by the government in banking supervision and might also eventually have an impact on the planned sale of Novo Banco which is now being handled by the central bank.

"The legal framework should be altered so that the bank resolution fund stops being dependent on the central bank and passes to the sphere of the finance ministry, with guarantees of independence," the study said in one of its recommendations.

Under Portugal's legal framework, the central bank carries out supervision, winding down and selling of failed banks.

Novo Banco was created in August 2014 after a 4.9-billion-euro ($5.6-billion) rescue of Banco Espirito Santo (BES).

Novo Banco needs to recover money - mostly lent to it by the state - from the rescue of BES when Novo Banco is sold. While the resolution fund is run by the central bank, Novo Banco is technically owned by Portugal's commercial banks.

An attempt to sell Novo Banco last year failed after bids came in too low and the central bank relaunched the sale process earlier this year.

The study said executives at the resolution fund should lead the process of selling banks themselves and control the management of banks after they have been rescued.
EU unsure what Davutoglu exit means for Turkey migrant deal

By Fatos Bytyci and Alastair Macdonald

PRISTINA/BRUSSELS, May 5 (Reuters) - The European Union is unsure how the departure of Turkey's prime minister will affect the deal he struck with the EU to curb migration, the EU's foreign affairs chief said on Thursday, as Brussels watched events in Ankara with unease.

"It's a bit too early to define if it will have implications and in that case of what kind," Federica Mogherini said during a visit to Kosovo after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced he was stepping down.

"We will obviously discuss this first of all with the Turkish authorities and define together how to move forward."

Other senior European officials were reluctant to be drawn on the departure of the man many found more engaged and flexible in negotiating on the migrant crisis than his boss, President Tayyip Erdogan - though one said bluntly it was "bad news".

"This is up to the Turks," an EU official said, echoing others who were anxious not to be seen to meddle in others' affairs - or to offend Erdogan, whose long tetchy relations with European leaders have become even more fraught as he has cracked down on critics in the media and the Kurdish minority.

"We lived up to our end of the deal," a third EU official said, noting the European Commission had delivered on Wednesday on a key part of its bargain struck with Davutoglu in March.

The EU executive has asked EU states to lift visa requirements for Turks by July, something Davutoglu portrayed to Turkish voters as a key achievement in return for Turkey taking back any migrant or refugee reaching the Greek islands. Other parts of the deal have yet to be implemented, however.

A fourth senior EU official stressed to Reuters that although Davutoglu, widely seen in Brussels as a more amenable, moderate negotiating partner than Erdogan, had clearly taken the lead role on the migration deal, the president also backed it.

"The agreement was with Turkey, not Davutoglu," the official said. "Erdogan was also involved."

MIGRATION DEAL

In recent weeks, arrivals in Greece have fallen to the dozens a day, from thousands last year. Nearly a million people, many of them refugees from the Syrian war on Turkey's border, made the short crossing in 2015 on their way to Germany - a movement that has set EU states against each other and the Union into a crisis that it is still far from resolving.

Turkey has warned that it could walk away from its agreement if Europeans do not make good on promises. Visa liberalisation is still subject to approval by governments and EU lawmakers who take a dim view of Erdogan's human rights record.

Promised EU funds to help Turkey care for 2.7 million Syrian refugees are not all in place yet. Europeans have yet to agree to take in significant numbers of refugees direct from Turkey.

And a pledge to open new elements of Ankara's long-stalled EU membership negotiations is also still to be fulfilled. As with the visa liberalisation, many European leaders fear nationalist opponents who do not want more open ties with a Muslim nation of 79 million.

Nonetheless, NATO member Ankara and its European neighbours have few options but to maintain close relations.

"The Europeans have no alternative but Turkey to try to deal with the refugee crisis," said Wolfango Piccoli, head of research at Teneo Intelligence.

European leaders have been divided lately in their approach to Turkey, with some critical of German Chancellor Angela Merkel for seeking Erdogan's help to stem the flow of migrants. Others argue that even without Turkish help, the EU can control migration by better organising affairs in Greece.
Protesters arrested in Uganda ahead of Museveni's swearing-in

By Mark Muhumuza

KAMPALA, May 5 (Reuters) - Ugandan police arrested at least 18 protesters on Thursday, with the opposition accusing them of using live rounds and detaining close to 100 people demonstrating against newly re-elected President Yoweri Museveni.

Witnesses said teargas was used to disperse protesters in Kampala, where the police said they detained 18 for "disobeying lawful orders" by holding unauthorised demonstrations.

Tensions have festered since Museveni won the February election with 60 percent of the vote, extending his 30-year rule by another five-year term. He will be sworn in on May 12.

Opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who got 35 percent, called the vote rigged. EU monitors said it was held in an intimidating atmosphere and the electoral body lacked independence and transparency. Ugandan officials said it was free and fair.

Ingrid Turinawe, of Besigye's Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) which called the protests, said the number detained was much higher than the police said.

"We're still compiling data but it's in dozens, close to a hundred people," she said.

"The response from the state was very brutal, all the people who tried to match across the country were arrested," she said, adding police fired live ammunition in some areas.

Police spokesman Patrick Onyango denied that, saying officers had used "minimum force".

The FDC says Besigye, who has lost four elections to Museveni, has been under virtual house arrest since the vote.

On Thursday, the government said it was banning any live television or radio coverage of protests.

Human Rights Watch said the Ugandan government was showing "contempt for free expression rights".

"Media should report fairly and accurately but it cannot be required to agree with the government at all times," said Maria Burnet, a researcher for the New York-based rights group.

Although credited for bringing stability to Uganda after years of chaotic rule by dictators such as Idi Amin, Museveni's critics accuse him of corruption and stifling dissent and say he acts increasingly like the men he overthrew.
Militants attack Chevron platform in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta

By Tife Owolabi

YENAGOA, Nigeria May 5 (Reuters) - Militants attacked a Chevron platform in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region late on Wednesday, the U.S. energy company said on Thursday, amid growing fears of a revived militant campaign in the region.

It is the latest in a series of attacks on oil facilities in Africa's top oil exporter. President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to crack down on "vandals and saboteurs" in the Delta region, which produces most of the country's oil.

In a statement, the energy company said Chevron Nigeria Limited, operator of a joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said an attack took place at about 11.15 pm (2215 GMT) on Wednesday.

"Its Okan offshore facility in the Western Niger Delta region was breached by unknown persons," said Chevron in the statement. "The facility is currently shut-in and we are assessing the situation, and have deployed resources to respond to a resulting spill."

There were no immediate details of any casualties. The company could not be reached for further comment.

A group known as the Niger Delta Avengers claimed responsibility for the attack, and in a statement it said it blew up the platform.

"This is what we promised the Nigeria government since they refuse to listen to us," the group said.

The same group has said it carried out an attack on a Shell oil pipeline in February which shut down the 250,000 barrel-a-day Forcados export terminal.

The militants say they want a greater share of oil revenues. Crude sales account for around 70 percent of national income in Africa's biggest economy.

Pipeline attacks and violence have risen in Nigeria's southern swampland since authorities issued an arrest warrant in January for a former militant leader on corruption charges.

Buhari has extended a multi-million dollar amnesty signed with militants in 2009 but upset them by ending generous pipeline protection contracts.
Vietnam asks Japan for vessels to strengthen coastguard

By Ho Binh Minh

HANOI, May 5 (Reuters) - Vietnam has asked Japan to provide vessels to strengthen its coastguard, a Japanese official said on Thursday, in the latest sign of growing ties among the states locked in maritime rows with China.

The request emerged during talks between visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, a Japanese spokesman said.

"Vietnam wants new vessels," Masato Otaka told reporters, adding that timing, methods of delivery, costs and quantity of vessels had not yet been decided.

Vietnam has been modernising its military, and recently bought six advanced Kilo-class submarines from Russia.

Russia and India are the main source of advanced weapons, training and intelligence cooperation. Hanoi is also building ties with the United States and its Japanese, Australian and Filipino allies, as well as Europe and Israel.

"Vietnam feels it needs to strengthen its coastguard generally, and that's why we've responded," Otaka told reporters, adding that the vessel delivery "was not directly linked to the South China Sea".

On Friday Kishida is scheduled to attend a joint government meeting that will mainly focus on economic cooperation, Otaka said.

Japan is the second-biggest investor in Vietnam after South Korea, with existing projects totalling $39 billion as of April 2016, based on Vietnam's government data.

Two Japanese warships visited Cam Ranh Bay in central Vietnam in April, the first port call of its kind.

Japan also has warming relations with the Philippines, with which it signed a deal last year on defence equipment and technology.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas, and is building islands on reefs to bolster its claims. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the waters, through which about $5 trillion in trade is shipped every year.
PRESS DIGEST-New Zealand newspapers - May 6

WELLINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - Following are some of the lead stories from New Zealand media.

Stories may be taken from papers or Internet editions.

Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

DOMINION POST(www.stuff.co.nz)

Why Australia's banks should care about New Zealand's cows:http://bit.ly/24A7lXi

Mark Weldon's resignation from MediaWorks will benefit brands:http://bit.ly/1rwFZ68

What does Drumpf's 'America First' rhetoric mean for New Zealand?:http://bit.ly/1TuOpBK

NEW ZEALAND HERALD (www.nzherald.co.nz)

Weldon's performance queried:http://bit.ly/1T3CCjo

Fonterra cuts Oz milk price:http://bit.ly/1Yb3g8k
U.S. slams Assad's call for Aleppo victory, insists truce is open-ended

WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - The United States condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's statement that his goal is a final victory over the city of Aleppo and urged Russia to exert its influence over Damascus to ensure a cessation of hostilities continues in the city.

Just a day after the start of the temporary truce, Assad sent a telegram to Russian President Vladimir Putin saying his army would not accept anything less than "attaining final victory" and "crushing the aggression" by rebels in Aleppo.

The telegram, reported by state media, brought into question whether Assad had signed on to a cessation of hostilities agreement brokered by Russia and the United States a day earlier.

"We call on Russia to urgently address this totally unacceptable statement," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Thursday. "It's clearly an effort by Assad to push his agenda, but it is incumbent on Russia to assert influence on that regime to maintain the cessation of hostilities."

There appeared to be confusion over the timeline for the cessation of hostilities, with the Syrian army saying it would abide by a "regime of calm" in the city for 48 hours and the State Department emphasizing the truce was open-ended.

"We stand by our statement that the (cessation of hostilities) went into effect May 4 at 00:01 Damascus time. As to why the regime said otherwise, you'll have to ask them. There may have been coordination issues on the ground. I don't have any other clear explanation than that," Toner said.

He added: "The most important issue is that they comply and it appears that, at least today, there is a decrease in the level of violence."

Toner noted that a cessation of hostilities in eastern Goutha near Damascus and Latakia had initially covered a 48-hour period but was later extended.
Congo opposition leader denies hiring foreign mercenaries

By Kenny Katombe

LUBUMBASHI, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 5 (Reuters) - D emocratic Republic of Congo opposition leader Moise Katumbi on Thursday denied an accusation by the government that he hired foreign mercenaries, and said he had nothing to fear from an investigation into his conduct or from reports that he might be arrested.

His comments come a day after he announced he would run for president of Congo in November, at an election to choose a successor to incumbent Joseph Kabila who is due to step down at the end of his two-term mandate.

Tensions are high ahead of the election in part because Kabila has not declared his intentions. Critics say he intends to remain in power after his mandate ends, leading a country that has not had a peaceful transition of power since independence.

Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba said authorities had proof Katumbi was involved in recruiting mercenaries including several retired American soldiers. A government spokesman said four of Katumbi's bodyguards were arrested because they were not authorized to work in the country.

"I have nothing to fear because I have no mercenaries with me at the house, nor have I recruited any. It's just rumours ... Investigators said they were going to come to my house to search and arrest me. Let them come," Katumbi said.

"I maintain my candidacy (for the presidency) and will stay true to my peaceful struggle for the state and the law," he told Reuters.

The U.S. Embassy in the capital Kinshasa said on its Facebook page it was deeply concerned about Mwamba's accusations and believed them to be false.

It said a U.S. citizen working in Katanga province as a security advisor for a private U.S. company that consults around the world was arrested on April 24, but was unarmed and that allegations he was involved in mercenary activity are false.

Katumbi governed Katanga, Congo's southeastern copper-mining heartland, from 2007 until last September when he quit Kabila's ruling party, accusing it of plotting to keep the president in power beyond the two-term limit.
Philippine fishermen favour strong president to end China's blockade

By Roli Ng and Manuel Mogato

MASINLOC/MANILA, Philippines, May 6 (Reuters) - A 30-foot trawler named "Marvin" lies beached on a grass bank overlooking the South China Sea, idle since China's coastguard began driving away Philippine fishermen after a fierce standoff four years ago.

Its 10-man crew once made their living off the abundant fish stocks of the disputed Scarborough Shoal some 124 nautical miles away. But since Beijing's patrol boats moved in, the fishermen of the west coast town of Masinloc said they had been forced to do odd jobs ashore, or become motorcycle taxi drivers.

The crews yearn to get back into their boats and hope that the Philippine election on May 9 will bring a new president bold enough to stand up to China's assertiveness in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

It is something they say incumbent Benigno Aquino was hesitant to do, while the frontrunner to succeed him, the hard-talking mayor of Davao city, Rodrigo Duterte, has indicated he may take a tougher line with Beijing.

"We want a tougher president who would make China leave the Philippine Sea," said the Marvin's shirtless captain, Biany Mula, referring to the waters by their Philippine name.

"That area is not their property."

The sentiment is shared by fishermen from Vietnam and Malaysia, as China's fishing fleet and accompanying coastguard armada have expanded within a nine-dash line that denotes Beijing's claims to nine-tenths of the world's most contested waterway.

With a relatively small and under-equipped military, the Philippines wants no confrontation with China, but it has been vocal in asserting its claims to the Spratly islands and its rights to exploit its coastal waters.

It has also angered China by indirectly challenging its claims at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. China has refused to recognise the court's authority or abide by the ruling, which is expected soon.

Some Filipino fishermen are optimistic a new leader can find a solution.

"I'll vote because somebody will resolve the issue in the Scarborough Shoal," said Alexander Manzano, fixing a boat moored on a makeshift dock.

"I believe someone will be able to do it. That's why I'll vote."

TOUGH TALK, MIXED MESSAGES

That someone could be Duterte, who is roaring ahead in opinion polls with talk of employing deadly methods to eradicate crime and corruption.

His position on the South China Sea is vague, however, in what has largely been a single-issue campaign.

When the topic came up in debates, Duterte promised not to put the Philippine navy in harm's way, but said he would personally challenge China by riding a jet-ski to the Spratlys to plant a Philippine flag.

For key ally the United States, a Duterte presidency brings much uncertainty. A Washington-based official closely following the election said Duterte's stance on the South China Sea appeared "contradictory", mixing both bellicose and conciliatory messages about dealing with Beijing.

Murray Hiebert, a Southeast Asia specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Duterte's comments did not seem well thought out, including pledging to negotiate with China but only after it agrees the Spratlys belong to the Philippines.

"That's not an opening position that will entice China to the negotiating table," Hiebert said.

Like Washington, Beijing has given no indication who it would prefer as Philippine president.

Its foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said ties between the two countries were "extremely difficult", but China hoped the next leadership "takes actual steps to improve relations."

The Philippine military is prohibited from discussing the election, but some senior officers privately say they are warming to the idea of Duterte as their commander-in-chief.

His talk of crushing Islamist insurgents behind a lucrative piracy and kidnap business has appeal, they say, as does his promise to take better care of troops and make national security a priority.

Others hope Duterte will pursue a more independent foreign policy through broader diplomatic alliances and new sources of defence hardware to avoid being over-dependent on Washington.

"We're no longer in the Cold War period. We could build our own capability with the help of many allies, not only the U.S." said one officer.

For Joy Topaz, a fish vendor in a Masinloc shanty town, the most pressing issue is to negotiate a deal to get Filipino fishermen back to the Scarborough Shoal.

"There has been talk here about war, but we are afraid of fighting," she said.

"Let us just fish. Let everyone be allowed to fish."
With Donald Trump poised to become their national standard-bearer, Virginia Republicans arent rushing to embrace the polarizing mogul who will soon stand alone in the GOP presidential field.

Some called for unity in the coming fight against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in November, while others worried that Trumps victory all but guarantees general-election defeat in an increasingly diverse battleground state.

Though he narrowly won Virginias GOP primary in March, few in the states Republican firmament have openly supported Trumps candidacy. The calculation changed quickly this week, as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas suspended his campaign Tuesday night after a crushing loss in Indiana and Ohio Gov. John Kasich ended his long-shot presidential bid Wednesday.

Days after an embarrassing delegate loss at the state GOP convention engineered by Cruz supporters, Trumps Virginia chairman, Corey Stewart, called for Republicans to rally around the presumptive nominee.

Now is the time for Virginians to come together and stand behind Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for president, Stewart, the chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, said in a statement Tuesday night.

John Whitbeck, the recently re-elected chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, took a similarly collaborative tone, tweeting the Trump catchphrase #MakeAmerica GreatAgain.

Several GOP office-holders offered cool statements of support, saying they will back the nominee, but not exactly heaping praise on Trump.

I am a Republican and I will support the Republican nominee, said House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford. Ive always thought that regardless of who our nominee is, the 2016 election will be a referendum on Hillary Clinton.

Politics at the national level, Howell said, wont change how Republicans in Virginia govern and lead.

Weve distinguished ourselves from Washington over the years, and I think voters recognize that, Howell said.

Rep. Dave Brat, R-7th, who appeared at rallies for Trump and Cruz but did not endorse in the presidential contest, said he is supporting the Republican candidate for president.

I hope that now that the Republicans appear to have a nominee, media attention can focus on other important issues this year, like the $534 billion federal budget deficit, securing our fiscal future, and getting the country back on its feet, Brat said .

Henrico Sheriff Mike Wade, a Republican who considered challenging Brat this year but is instead running for Congress in the redrawn 4th District, said he will support Trump. The billionaire businessman, he said, is bringing a different group of people into the party.

Hes a very smart man and hell reach out to the right people to put a team together that can win, Wade said. I think hell bring the country back to where it should be.

In March, freshman Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-10th, returned $3,000 in donations from Trump. On Wednesday, calls to her office seeking comment were not returned.

Republicans control the Virginia General Assembly and hold eight of the states 11 congressional districts, but the state has trended Democratic in recent years. President Barack Obama won the state twice  in 2008 and 2012. Both seats in the U.S. Senate are occupied by Democrats. Democrats swept statewide races in 2013, led by Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime friend of the Clintons.

Trump dominated the states rural areas in the primary this year, but he struggled against Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in the more populous Richmond suburbs and Northern Virginia. Recent Virginia polling showed Clinton beating Trump 44 percent to 35 percent.

Geoffrey Skelley, a political analyst at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said the numbers could shift if the economy worsens and Clinton is seen as the continuity candidate tied to Obama, but Trumps negative favorability ratings with women and Latinos could be tough to overcome. Latinos make up roughly 5 percent of the Virginia electorate.

I think if you look at demographics and whos aging into the adult population of Virginia, that number will probably go up, Skelley said. That probably isnt going to help Trump.

Tucker Martin, a Virginia Republican strategist who advised a super PAC supporting New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in the campaigns early stages, said that when Trump meets the states November electorate, it wont be pretty.

I dont expect Virginia to be a battleground state this time around, Martin said. Hillary will win, and I believe she will win handily. And that makes any chance of the Republican Party winning the White House that much more unlikely.

Former Gov. Linwood Holton, Virginias first modern Republican chief and a moderate who has frequently broken with his party, said Trumps nomination reflects the narrowing base of the GOP. Holton said he will support Clinton for the presidency.

Its the same 20 percent, 25 percent that are very conservative  thats a generous use of the word, said Holton, governor from 1970 until 1974 and father-in-law of Sen. Timothy M. Kaine, D-Va., a possible vice presidential running mate for Clinton.

Theyre right-wing and they stay with it, in that they show up at those damn little meetings  a reference to the caucuses and conventions that draw only the most committed Republicans.

With Virginians electing new statewide leaders in 2017, the Trump phenomenon could spill over into the race for governor thats already underway.

Ed Gillespie, a gubernatorial hopeful who rallied Republicans in a speech at last weekends convention in Harrisonburg but did not wade into the Trump-Cruz battle looming over the proceeding, said Wednesday that he will vote Trump.

Republican voters have nominated Donald Trump for president, and I will vote for him against Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, in an election that will not only affect control of the White House but the U.S. Supreme Court for a generation or more, Gillespie said in a written statement.

Another gubernatorial hopeful, Rep. Robert J. Wittman, R-1st, was more tepid, offering support for the nominee without mentioning Trump by name.

As a public servant, I think that its critically important for the people to have the final say in choosing our partys nominee, Wittman said. I have maintained throughout this primary season that I will support that choice.

What is most important to me, looking ahead to November, is principle, added Wittman, who is also seeking re-election to Congress this November. I want to see our commonwealth and our country support Republican candidates who will advance pro-growth, conservative ideas and rein in the Washington machine ushered in by the left.

Virginia Democrats wasted little time rousing supporters after Trump emerged victorious. The first anti-Trump fundraising appeal went out immediately after Cruz withdrew.

In a statement, Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker called Trump the most dangerous person who has ever been nominated by a national party.

His policies would drive our economy into ruin, subvert the status of women in the United States, and cause irreparable damage to the international world order, Swecker said. Donald Trump is dangerous, he is not fit to be president, and Democrats are united to defeat him.

Gary C. Byler, Hampton Roads coordinator for Trump and former 2nd District Republican chairman, said early polls showing Clinton defeating Trump in Virginia are absolutely meaningless. However, Byler said the state could be tough for Trump.

We will narrow the gap very, very substantially, said Byler, who is again seeking the district GOP post. Virginia is going to difficult for us to carry because of the changing demographics.

Of fellow Republicans who publicly opposed Trump or remain skeptical about his candidacy, Byler said, Take a deep breath. Weve nominated more bizarre candidates before.  Look at E.W. Jackson.
The automaker might consider the GLS400 for India, that features the same engine that one would find under the hood of the recently launched S400 saloon.

German luxury car giant, Mercedes-Benz will be launching its flagship SUV, the GLS on 18 May 2016. In case you are wondering, the GL-Class is now called the GLS, under Mercedes' new nomenclature.

Called the 'S-Class of SUVs'  the GLS combines the opulence of a luxury sedan with the go-anywhere ability of a big SUV. On the design front, not much has changed, barring the new face and the refreshed tail section. Updates include all-LED headlamps and tail lamps, a new grille and different alloy wheels.

The new iteration continues to be a seven-seater and comes packed with all the technology one will ever need. It will get Mercedes' COMAND infotainment system that consists of a large, iPad-like screen stationed on the centre console. It functions as the one-stop source for audio, navigation, the reverse camera display, and various menus that help set the car up. Other additions include a new three-spoke steering wheel and Nappa Leather upholstery for all seven seats.

We expect Mercedes-Benz to launch the GLS in its '350d' avatar. The 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine produces 255PS of power and 620Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox that channels power to all four wheels via Mercedes' '4MATIC' all-wheel-drive system. Considering the recent extension of the Delhi diesel ban, Mercedes might look into getting a petrol powered GLS as well. The automaker might consider the GLS400 for India, that features the same engine that one would find under the hood of the recently launched S400 saloon. A hot-blooded AMG variant, with 550PS of power on tap, is expected to reach our shores as well.

We expect the prices to be bumped up slightly from the current levels, to around the Rs. 80 lakh mark. While we wait for the launch, check out reviews of the GLS' chief rivals, the Audi Q7 and the Volvo XC90.

Source: CarDekho.com
Divya and two other women working at the hotel were rescued and the employers were arrested. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: Amritha, 38, (all names changed) from Karimnagar district, who was rescued from Oman on Saturday, went there nearly two months ago to work as a domestic help. But when she fell sick, due to working without rest, her employer forced her to work and instead of the promised Rs 20,000 salary per month, she was paid only Rs 9,000.

And Divya, 29, from Hyderabad, who travelled to Malaysia was offered a job as a waitress in Ipoh city. After a few days, her employer, a woman, forced her into the flesh trade. She resisted and was harassed. Divya and two other women working at the hotel were rescued and the employers were arrested.

Amritha got married nearly 10 years ago and has a nine-year-old daughter, who is now studying in Class IV. Due to family disputes, she divorced her husband six years ago and was staying with her parents. She started making bidis to support her family, but the income was not enough and an agent exploited her helplessness.

After landing in Dubai, she was sold to another agent, who transported her to Oman to work for another employer. Immediately after landing, they seized her passport. Despite falling sick due to restless work, they forced her to work and started harassing her physically and mentally. A copy of all her documents, came to her aid during the rescue.

Meanwhile, Divya opted for a job abroad to support her husband who is a truck driver. Her first trip on a visit visa went well. The second time, when she joined a hotel in Ipoh city to work as waitress, she hit trouble.

The job was good for a few days, but later they forced me to go with the customers. So I protested and was beaten. I was not given food, Divya said. After a complaint was filed on her behalf by the redressal forum with the Malaysian embassy, police raided the hotel and rescued her and colleagues and arrested her employer.
New Delhi: The government on Thursday said that it has asked China to cease its activities in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and has raised its concern at the "highest level".

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh (Retd) said that China is assisting Pakistan in the development of the so-called "China Pakistan Economic Corridor" (CPEC).

"Some of the proposed projects under CEPC are in PoK," he said, adding that Pakistan has been in illegal occupation of parts of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947.

"Government has conveyed to the Chinese side, including at the highest level, its concerns about their activities in PoK and asked them to cease their activities," Singh said.
Chennai: With the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi scheduled to visit the city on Thursday and Friday for their election campaigns, the security agencies, including the Special Protection Group, have beefed up security at the Old Airport in Meenambakkam as well as in places they are scheduled to address public meetings.

Motorists using Anna Salai and certain roads in south and east Chennai may experience traffic snarls on Thursday and Friday evenings as security agencies are expected to put traffic restrictions in place on both days due to the presence of VVIPs in the city.

On Thursday evening, Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to attend public meetings in Puducherry and Chennai. The Congress chief is expected to land at the Old Airport in a special flight at around 4 pm and from there travel to Puducherry in a helicopter where she would address an election rally. She is to land back in INS Adyar in Chennai and travel by road to Island Grounds where she is scheduled to participate in an election rally along with DMK leaders, including M. Karunanidhi.

She would travel by road back to the Old Airport for her special flight to Delhi by 8 pm. The SPG team lead by a DIG had already had meeting with officials from other agencies on Tuesday. SPG sleuths had also visited her public venues, police sources said.
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. (Photo: AFP)

Yogyakarta: Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are to launch a joint patrol in their waters after a recent surge of kidnappings by a radical Islamic group, according to an agreement struck on Thursday.

The decision to patrol the Sulu and Celebes seas, which together form a key waterway between the three countries, comes just over a week after the southern Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf beheaded a Canadian captive.

Abu Sayyaf gangs have earned many millions of dollars from kidnapping foreigners and locals in the region since the early 1990s.

Ten Indonesian sailors were abducted off the southern Philippines by Abu Sayyaf in March, but returned home last week after being freed.

"We will undertake coordinated patrol in the maritime areas of our common concern," Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said after a meeting initiated by Indonesia, and attended by foreign ministers and military commanders.

The Sulu and Celebes seas are used for the passage of 55 million metric tonnes of goods and over 18 million people per year.

The three countries also agreed to set up a hotline to communicate faster during emergency situations, improve coordination when giving assistance to people and ships in distress as well as intensifying information and intelligence sharing.

"We recognised that threats from armed robberies against ships, kidnapping and other trans-national crimes if not addressed appropriately can undermine the confidence in trade and commerce in our region," Marsudi added.

Authorities say the Abu Sayyaf 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.

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.

Although its leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group, analysts say they are more focused on lucrative kidnappings-for-ransom than on setting up a caliphate.
The woman was killed and burned in a van that was allegedly used to help her friend elope. (Photo: AP, Representational Image)

Peshawar : A Pakistani woman was drugged, strangled and then her body set ablaze because she helped her friend elope, police said Thursday, announcing the arrest of 14 people in a twist on the grim practice of "honour killings".

The victim, believed to be around 20 years old, was killed then burned in a Suzuki van on the orders of the village jirga (council) in Makol in northwest Pakistan on April 29, district police chief Khurram Rasheed told AFP.

"Police have arrested 13 members of the jirga who ordered the murder of the girl," Rasheed said.

Read: Pakistan arrests 13 for strangling, burning girl for 'honor'

The victim's mother was also arrested, he said, because she supported the jirga's decision.

The 14 are due to appear in a local anti-terrorism court Thursday on murder and terrorism charges, he said.

The owner of the van was also a member of the jirga. His van was burned because the eloping woman -- who is believed to be safely in hiding -- travelled in it when she ran away.

Hundreds of women are murdered by their relatives in Pakistan each year on the pretext of defending family "honour", but it is rare to hear of those who facilitate elopements being killed as well.

Pakistan amended its criminal code in 2005 to prevent men who kill female relatives escaping punishment by pardoning themselves as an "heir" of the victim.

But it is left to a judge's discretion to decide whether to impose a prison sentence when other relatives of the victim forgive the killer -- a loophole which critics say remains exploited.

"A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness" -- a film telling the story of a rare survivor of an attempted honour killing -- won the Academy Award for best documentary short in February.

Amid publicity for the film, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to eradicate the "evil" of honour killings but no fresh legislation has been tabled since then.
The bodies of the girls - identified as Zakia, Farzana, Parwana, Yasmeen - were shifted to Quetta Civil Hospital for autopsy, where the mother was also admitted in an unconscious state. (Representational Image)

Karachi: Four girls, aged between two and 10,were allegedly drowned by their mother who later attempted to commit suicide on Thursday in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan.

Police officials said they were investigating the matter after the bodies of the four minor girls were found in a water tank in the Samungli area of Quetta, the provincial capital.

"Initially, their father Muhammad Khan said that his wife was mentally ill and had poisoned the minor girls," a police official said.

"But doctors at the hospital where the bodies were taken said they have been killed by drowning," he said.

The bodies of the girls - identified as Zakia, Farzana, Parwana, Yasmeen - were shifted to Quetta Civil Hospital for autopsy, where the mother was also admitted in an unconscious state.
Three suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who were planning to strike in the city and the National Capital Region were arrested late Tuesday night.





Sources said 9 others have been detained in raids in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in which some IEDs were also recovered.



The Delhi Police on Wednesday confirmed only 3 arrests, but said some more have been detained.



Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed was suspected to have carried out the January attack at the Pathankot Air Force base.



The arrested suspects  Mohammad Sajid, Sameer Ahmad and Shakir Ansari  were allegedly assembling and storing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at their hideout in east Delhis New Mustafabad.



On Wednesday, they were produced in court which remanded them to police custody till May 14. The recovered IEDs were to be used for attacks at sensitive locations in Delhi and NCR, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah.



In several raids, police recovered a live IED, a damaged IED and raw material used for assembling more IEDs, along with other incriminating articles.



The recovered material was inspected and secured by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad of the Delhi Police and experts from the CBIs Central Forensic Science Laboratory.



Sources said Sajid, Ahmad and Ansari are among 12 suspects held in Delhi- NCR and Uttar Pradeshs Saharanpur district.
Over 84 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise in the sixth and final phase of assembly elections in West Bengal.



Out of the over 9000 voters from the enclaves India had exchanged with Bangladesh, 90 per cent exercised their franchise as Indian citizens, the Election Commission said today.



The poll panel said barring a few sporadic incidents, the elections in the 25 assembly constituencies went off peacefully.



Deputy Election Commissioner in-charge of West Bengal Sandeep Saxena told reporters that till 5 pm, 84.25 per cent of the voters had exercised their franchise.



He said the overall cumulative figure of the total voter percentage would be available by tomorrow when final figures are submitted to the Commission.



The elections in West Bengal were spread in six phases with the first phase having two election dates.



In Phase I A, the voter turnout was 84.22 per cent, while it was 83.73 per cent in Phase I B.



In Phase II, the turnout was recorded at 83.05 per cent. In the third phase it was 82.28 per cent and 81.25 per cent in phase four.



In the fifth phase, the turnout was 81.66 per cent, Saxena said.
Five years after Mumbai youths Keenan and Reuben were brutally murdered while trying to save their women companions from a group of hooligans harrassing them, a special court here today sentenced all the four accused in the case to life imprisonment.



Special Women's Court Judge Vrushali Joshi said the accused will be in jail for the remainder of their life.



She held the accused--Jitendra Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhaj and Dipak Tival--guilty of murder, outraging the modesty of women and other charges of the Indian Penal Code, in a case which sparked outrage and debate about the safety of women in public places.

Keenan Santos (24) and Reuben Fernandez (29) were stabbed by eve-teasers after a scuffle at Amboli in suburban Andheri on October 20, 2011.



The victims were attacked when they tried to shield their women companions from a group of men who harassed, abused and misbehaved with them outside an eatery at Amboli in suburban Andheri.



The group, after retreating, returned to the spot with over ten aides and brutally assaulted Keenan and Reuben in full public view.



Keenen's father Valerian Santos welocmed the verdict, saying it was a "victory for all" but regretted the delay in getting the justice.



"I am not saying that the culprits should be caught and sent to gallows immediately. I am only saying that judicial system should be speeded up", he said, reacalling the emotional breakdown of Chief Justice of India over such delay.



Ujjwal Nikam, Special public prosecutor, said all charges of the prosecution have been proved in the case.



"There is direct evidence to show that the accused were eve-teasing and molesting girls when the victims tried to stop it. This is a pre-determined murder and the accused had even threatened them with their life and had come back with weapons to attack them", Nikam said.



Nikam said the success in the case largely owed to the victims of harrassment. "The testimony of the two girls bolstered our case and their deposition was very detailed," he said.



He,however, did not press for capital punishment for the accused as the conspiracy charge against them was not proved and the case did not fall under the category of the 'rarest of the rare'.



Valerian, who looked calm and composed after hearing the verdict, said "Today all I can say is that the verdict is a victory to all. This victory is not mine, this is Keenan's and Reuben's victory which I have been hoping to give them as a present. Keenen's birthday has gone in March, I had hoped to gift him this," said Valerian.

"I am happy that the court has granted life imprisonment to them. I am also happy that the molestation section (charge) was also applied," he said.



While Keenan succumbed to his injuries the same day, Reuben died 10 days later.

Police arrested all the four accused a day after the incident.



In October, 2012, the court framed charges against the accused for murder, conspiracy and molestation. In the trial the prosecution examined 245 witnesses.



The incident had shocked the city after the youngsters were brutally assaulted in full public view as bystanders and hotel staffers rendered no help






Jedediah Smith, famous mountain man, trapper, explorer and map maker, may not have been the first white man to enter the Nevada area  some Spanish conquistadors most likely had crossed the same deserts and mountains before him  but Smith certainly was the first to spend any significant time exploring the region. He made two trips across Southern Nevada and one across sections of the central part of the state when all of it was just a blank area on any maps of the day.
Top leader of Bangladesh's fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami Motiur Rahman Nizami today faced a major setback after the Supreme Court rejected his final plea to review his death sentence it earlier handed down over war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War with Pakistan.





The four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha pronounced the single-word judgement at the tense courtroom.



"Dismissed," said top judge, who is the first Hindu to occupy the post in the Muslim-majority country, about the final appeal of 72-year-old Nizami, convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of top intellectuals.



Court officials said the details of the order would be issued later in writing.

Tight security was enforced in and around the Supreme Court complex ahead of the verdict, though unlike the trial court, the apex court procedures did not require Nizami's presence during the delivery of the judgement.



The Jamaat chief is now kept at a special cell for death row convicts at suburban Kashimpur Central Jail.



Today's final verdict comes two days after the bench wrapped up hearing Nizami's petition, seeking a review of the top court's own previous judgement that had confirmed his death sentence.



Immediately after the verdict, Jamaat issued a statement calling Nizami a "victim of state-sponsored conspiracy" and called a day-long nationwide strike on May 8.



"The government has taken a plan to kill Maulana Nizami in the name of trial of crimes against humanity as part of its political vengeance," the statement said.



The Supreme Court's decision clears the final legal hurdle for the government to hang the Jamaat-e-Islami chief, who is now left with the only option to seek presidential mercy.



President Abdul Hamid, however, has earlier rejected two such prayers by 1971 war crimes convicts, including Nizami's top aide then, who were subsequently executed late last year.



Jamaat was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan and sided with Pakistani troops in carrying out the atrocities during the Liberation War.



At the time, Nizami was the chief of the party's student wing as well as the notorious Al-Badr militia force, manned by Jamaat activists. He was a minister in the past BNP-led four- party alliance government with his party being its crucial ally.



Two ministers of the same cabinet Salauddin Quader Chowdhury of BNP and Jamaat's secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed were earlier executed as convicts of 1971 war crimes charges.



Nizami is one of the last remaining top perpetrators of crimes against humanity as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government initiated a process to try the 1971 war criminals.



Attorney general Mahbubey Alam told reporters after the judgement: "now there exists no bar in executing the verdict, once the court issues it in writing, which is expected soon."



Several hundred activists of Ganojagaran Mancha, which was waging a campaign for the maximum punishment for war criminals, rallied at Shahbagh area in the capital to rejoice the verdict while 1971 members of 1971 victim families appeared in private TV channels to express their satisfaction.



During the over three-hour review hearing on Tuesday, the court heard both Alam and Nizami's chief counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.



In the apex court, the chief defence counsel appealed to the court to reduce his client's punishment, saying Nizami was not "directly involved" in mass murders, arsons and rapes despite being the Al-Badr chief.



Alam opposed the argument, saying Jamaat had sided with Pakistani troops in carrying out the atrocities during the Liberation War and as the Al-Badr chief, Nizami could not avoid the responsibility.



Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) originally sentenced Nizami to death on October 29, 2014 and after an appeal hearing the apex court found the punishment appropriate for him as it pronounced its judgement on January 6 this year.



The prison authorities served Nizami the death warrant on March 16 as the apex court decision reached them in writing through the ICT-BD following the Jamaat chief sought review of the Supreme Court judgement, exhausting his last legal opportunity to overturn the verdict.



"It would be a failure of justice, unless he is handed down the death penalty," the ICT-BD commented as it handed down Nizami the capital punishment in October 2014, convicting him of "superior responsibility" as the chief of the infamous Al-Badr militia forces in 1971.



The so-called elite militia force is blamed for running a systematic campaign to massacre a large number of top Bengali intelligentsia just ahead of Bangladesh's December 16, 1971 victory.



But Nizami was particularly found guilty of systematic killings of more than 450 people alone in his own village home in northwestern Pabna, siding with the Pakistani troops.



Mujaheed, who was also Nizami's top aide then, was executed on November 22 last year along with Chowdhury of BNP, currently the key-opposition outside parliament. They were hanged immediately after President Hamid rejected their mercy petitions.



Bangladesh has so far executed four war crimes convicts since the belated process to expose to trial the top Bengali perpetrators of 1971 atrocities in line with the 2008 electoral commitment of the incumbent government.



Two others - former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam and ex-BNP minister Abdul Alim - earlier were handed down "imprisonment until death" penalty instead of capital punishment on grounds of their old age as they exceeded 80. They subsequently died in the prison cells of a specialised state-run hospital due to old age ailments.


The government has approved the proposal of Infosys to set up an IT/ITeS special economic zone in Bengaluru in an area spread over 4 hectares.





The decision was taken by an inter-ministerial Board of Approval (BoA), headed by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia, at its meeting on April 28.



"The Board noted that the developer is in possession of the land. It decided to grant formal approval to the proposal," the minutes of the BoA meeting said.



The Board also granted more time to as many as 20 developers to complete their projects.



Those that got additional time include Mayar Infrastructure Development for a biotechnology SEZ in Haryana, Wipro for IT SEZ in Karnataka and Vedanta for its sector-specific SEZ for manufacturing and exports of aluminium in Odisha.



Furthermore, it has approved application of Unitech Realty Project for change of name of the developer to Candor Gurgaon One Developers and Projects and also change in shareholding pattern of the company.



But the approval is subject to certain conditions such as seamless continuity of SEZ activity with unilateral responsibilities and obligations for the altered developer entity, and "full financial details relating to change in equity/merger, demerger, amalgamation or transfer in ownership etc shall be furnished immediately to Member (IT), CBDT, Department of Revenue and to the jurisdictional authority".



SEZs are export hubs that contribute about 23 per cent to the country's total exports.

Exports from such zones in 2014-15 stood at Rs 4,63,770 crore compared with Rs 4,94,077 crore in 2013-14.
The State Election Commission has modified the election symbol of an independent candidate for the municipal bypolls as it looked similar to that of the Aam Aadmi Party, triggering allegations by the candidate that the decision was taken at the behest of AAP.





Abbas Siddiqui, contesting from Ballimaran as an independent, was initially allotted the battery torch symbol which had beam coming out of it. But the symbol has now been modified by removing the rays of light, said Siddiqui.



Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussains brother-in-law is contesting the bypolls from Ballimaran on the AAP ticket. So AAP has pressurised the returning officer to modify my election symbol, alleged Siddiqui.



AAPs election symbol is the broom.

I had got around 10,000 pamphlets and as many cards printed for canvassing for the civic bypolls. But I cant use them now, Siddiqui told Deccan Herald.



But the Returning Officer said that he did not receive any complaint about the election symbol from AAP. No party has approached me about the issue, said Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Returning Officer, ward No.86, Ballimaran.



I asked the candidate to stop using the election symbol (on Monday) after I got a call from the printing press. We stopped the printing then and there, he added.

The free election symbol, battery torch, courted controversy after the 2013 Delhi Assembly election when AAP approached the Election Commission to change it as it caused confusion due its similarity to its own broom symbol.



The Election Commission had modified the battery torch symbol by removing the beam coming out of it for the 2015 Delhi Assembly polls as well.



The AAP had claimed that it lost the 2013 Assembly elections in two constituencies  Janakpuri and Kalkaji  as the electorate confused its broom symbol with the torch.



These municipal byelections are AAPs first poll outing since its thumping victory in the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections.



The posts of councillors in these wards had fallen vacant after the December 2013 and February 2015 Assembly elections. While nine councillors had resigned after being elected to the Assembly in 2013, four corporators vacated their posts after the 2015 Assembly elections.



The counting of votes is on May 17.


The Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) module was busted after the alleged kingpin of the group -- Mohammad Sajid -- sustained burns while making explosives. His left hand was burnt when an IED went off accidentally on Tuesday, prompting police to swing into action and make arrests.





According to police, some members had also started undertaking 'sudden and quiet journeys' beyond Delhi and NCR after March. Police teams had then started observing late night and odd hour meetings.



Some members were also observed travelling discreetly to local markets and spending considerable time there which raised suspicion, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah.



On April 18, the police operation took a definitive shape when it was learnt that it was Jaish-e-Mohammed, the banned Pakistani terrorist organisation, which was patronising the leaders of this group.



Thereafter, the police teams concentrated on every activity of the prominent leaders of the group.



Suspicious moves

Suspicious movement was reported from Sajids locality on Tuesday afternoon. Sajid had burns in his left hand. It was also informed that the burn injury was suffered while Sajid was assembling an IED along with his accomplices, Kushwah added.



Work place

The group had been working from a tailoring shop. This was followed by inputs which suggested that Sajid was planning an unspecified use of a product assembled by him.



With the evidence, police decided to conduct raids in the late evening hours of Tuesday which led to the apprehension of Sajid, a resident of Chand Bagh.

When confronted with evidence, Sajid disclosed about his Jaish-e-Mohammed membership and the incident which led to burns on his left hand.



IED used

Subsequently, one live IED, one damaged IED and raw material used for preparation of further IEDs were recovered at Sajids instance from the ground floor of his house, Kushwah said.



Close on the heels of Sajids arrest, his primary accomplices Sameer and Shakir were apprehended from Loni and Saharanpur respectively in Uttar Pradesh.



They are being examined by a special team at special cells headquarters in south Delhis Lodhi Colony, Kushwah added.




Australia's most wanted Islamic State terror recruiter Neil Prakash, who is of Indian-origin, has been killed in a US military airstrike in war-torn Iraq, that authorities today said could disrupt the group's ability to attract vulnerable people.





Melbourne-born Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi who was linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the US, was killed in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29, Attorney-General George Brandis said, citing American inputs.



"Neil Prakash was the highest value target from an Australian point of view in the Middle East. He was the individual more than any other who had been actively inspiring and inciting domestic terrorism attacks within Australia," the Senator said.



Brandis said Australian authorities were instrumental in providing US allies with the location of Prakash - the Australian of Fijian-Indian and Cambodian background - in Mosul.



"Australia did cooperate with United States in relation to the identification and location of Prakash," he said.



Brandis said Prakash was "the most prominent and dangerous Australian" and had networks in both Melbourne and Sydney. "He was very actively involved in terrorism recruitment."



Prakash's death is considered significant in disrupting the militant group's ability to lure fighters because of his highly prominent and influential role as a senior recruiter.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called Prakash's death as a "very, very positive development".



"Neil Prakash's death is a very, very positive development in the war against Daesh and the war against terror," Turnbull was quoted as saying, using another acronym for the dreaded Islamic State (ISIS).



"His death disrupts and degrades ISIL's ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts," Brandis said.



Earlier, in January, media reports quoting an ISIS member had said that Prakash was killed in Syria.



The terrorist, who allegedly had contact with some of those accused of plotting a terror attack on Anzac Day - that commemorates martyrs, flew to Syria in 2013.



Prakash has also appeared in ISIS propaganda videos, including one last year in which he called for attacks in Australia.



US officials also reportedly informed that an Australian woman Shadi Jabar, the sister of the 15-year-old western Sydney boy Farhad Jabar who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng in October last year, was also killed in a separate airstrike in Syria.



Prakash was killed in the ISIS stronghold in northern Iraq, while Jabar died seven days earlier in the Syrian city of al Bab along with her husband Abu Saad al-Sudani, AAP news agency said.
Commandant of the Aizawl-based 39th battalion of the Assam Rifles Col Jasjit Singh was today arrested by the police in Aizawl for allegedly being one of the major players in the highway robbery involving Rs 14.5 crore worth of gold bars smuggled from Myanmar.





The police alleged that Singh ordered his men, armed with sophisticated weapons, to waylay a consignment of smuggled gold biscuits in the southern outskirts of Aizawl city on the night of December 14 last year.



The incident came to light when driver of the vehicle Lalnunfela filed an FIR at the Aizawl police station on April 21 alleging his vehicle was waylaid by armed people from the 39 Assam Rifles who decamped with 52 gold biscuits worth Rs 14.5 crore.



Lalnunfela mentioned in the FIR that he was threatened at gun point by the assailants and was asked to keep his mouth shut, and it was only after being persuaded by his friends that he decided to inform the police.



The eight Assam Rifles jawans, accused of participating in the dacoity on December 14 last and now in custody, reportedly told their interrogators that they committed the crime after receiving orders from the battalion Commandant.



Singh, through his lawyer, today applied for an anticipatory bail, which was rejected by the Aizawl District and Sessions Judge Lucy Lalrinthari and he was arrested in the court premises.



He was suspended by Brigadier T C Malhotra, DIG (Range), Commander of the Aizawl-based 23 Sector of the Assam Rifles today.



When contacted, Brig Malhotra, refused to comment saying the matter was "sub-judice".

The police had constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 22 to investigate the matter and registered cases including dacoity, criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation and dishonestly receiving property stolen in the commission of a dacoity.



The SIT has already arrested four people, including a former well-known student leader and a businessman on April 23 and 24, who were remanded to judicial custody.


Unaided private medical colleges across the country cannot be permitted to go ahead with their pre-scheduled tests for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses in addition to the recently revived single-window entrance NEET, the Supreme Court today said.



"There is no question of allowing any exam by private institutions," a three-judge bench headed by Justice A R Dave said when some lawyers sought clarification on the fate of the entrance tests which have either been conducted or about to be held by the private colleges.



In another key development, the bench, also comprising justices Shiva Kirti Singh and Adarsh Kumar Goel, asked Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar to take instruction from the Centre on feasibility of allowing some states, which have already conducted their separate entrance tests, to continue with the admission process for the current academic session.



It also asked Kumar to apprise it as to whether all the students, who appeared in All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Test (AIPMT) which later became National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) on May 1, can be allowed to re-appear on NEET-II to be held on July 24.



The bench said the students, who focused on state tests believing that they had better chances of being selected and did not seriously prepare for AIPMT despite filling up the forms, should be allowed to re-appear in NEET-II.



"I cannot say it is impossible, but it would be very difficult," Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for CBSE, said and referred to the fact that over 6 lakh students appeared in NEET-I.



Senior advocate Vikas Singh, who represents MCI, suggested that the students cannot avail two opportunities in one examination and those, who take up tests twice, will have to forgo the ranking obtained in one of the two tests results.



The court sought views of the Centre and the CBSE when the counsel for various states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir made fervent appeals against the NEET.



States like Gujarat and Maharashtra said the students who prepare for the state entrance tests in vernacular languages like Gujarati and Marathi would be at "disadvantage" if they are suddenly asked to take up the NEET in view of the fact that the state tests are now invalid.



Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Gujarat, said, "Had this NEET come six months back, I would not have said all this. At least consider deferring the NEET by one year."



He also referred to the question papers, written in Gujarati, of the entrance tests to highlight the inconvenience which could be now faced by students in suddenly taking up the NEET.



Senior advocate Shyam Diwan, appearing for Maharashtra, echoed the same views and said that moreover, the entrance examination in the state is backed by the statute which is still in force and its validity is not under challenge before the apex court.



"35 questions out of 200 in NEET-I was outside the syllabus of the Maharashtra board and such things dis entitle many students who prepare for the state test," he said, adding that the state can file an affidavit to this effect.



"Is this not changing the goal post," he asked, adding that the state, at least, be allowed to continue with its test for this academic year.



Senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for Jammu and Kashmir, also opposed the NEET and referred to additional legal and constitutional points to highlight that the state has special status and cannot be compelled to go for the NEET.



Jammu and Kashmir government cited constitutional provision of Article 370 read with Article 35 A and section 6 of the J&K constitution to contend that it is the state which is entitled to conduct the test and the students cannot be admitted to these courses from outside the state through NEET.



Further, on the educational aspect, only the state government has the legislative competence and Centre cannot interfere in it, he said, adding that the students, hailing, from the state, do not take up AIPMT.



Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Rajeev Dhawan went a step ahead and questioned the legality of the subsequent orders passed by the court on NEET saying after recalling of the verdict, scraping the NEET, a larger bench should hear and pass further orders in the matter.



"The recall order nullifies the judgement. It is quite clear that your lordships are in great hurry... This is not the way a judgement is reviewed and recalled," Dhawan said.



At the outset, some lawyers sought clarification regarding pre-scheduled examinations, which have either been conducted or about to be held, of states and private medical colleges and referred to a report published in a leading news paper.



"Go and seek clarification from the ...paper. As of now, the (NEET) regulations are revived. The clarity would be required when there is confusion," the bench said.



The Solicitor General, during the hearing, read amended NEET notification and said they take care of the rights of minority and linguistic institutions.



The reservation policy of a particular state is not being tampered with by the NEET regulations, he said.



Earlier, the court had commenced the crucial hearing on the pleas of state governments, private medical colleges and minority institutions like CMC Vellore and Ludhiana seeking nod to hold pre-scheduled separate entrance exams for MBBS and BDS courses.



The states, opposing NEET, alleged that there are marked differences in syllabus for the state entrance tests and the NEET.



During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the CBSE, had said the first phase of NEET was conducted without any glitch and around 6.5 lakh students took up the test.



The apex court had on April 29, said the entrance test for admission to MBBS and BDS courses for the academic year 2016-17 will be held as per the schedule through the two- phased common entrance test NEET on May 1 and July 24.



On April 28, the court had rejected opposition for holding NEET by states, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Association of Karnataka Medical Colleges, besides minority institutions like CMC, Vellore.



The apex court order had implied that all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET and those examinations which have already taken place or slated to be conducted separately stand scrapped.



It had also revived the government's December 21, 2010 notification for holding a single common entrance test through NEET with a clarification that any challenge on the issue would directly come before it and no high court can interfere.


Gurgaon-based Doctor Insta, a video-medicine consultation platform, is planning to seek new investment funding of $1-2 million for its further growth by this quarter. The company has earlier received pre-Series A funding of $500,000.





Speaking to Deccan Herald, Amit Munjal, CEO, Doctor Insta said, We already have around one lakh registered users with 1.3 lakh downloads. We are growing at over 15% month-over-month. With this growth, we wish to bring on-board at least one million users for telemedicine service in the B2B2C spectrum by the end of 2016.



Sharing about its B2B2C offerings, Munjal noted that the company has tiedup with Indias prominent corporates including Mahindra, Punj Lloyd, InfoX, FinEdge and American Express to provide instant medical video consultations to their employees.



The aim of this collaboration is to reduce irregular medical leave of employees and thereby enhancing productivity of the firm and in turn, the nation.



GMV to increase



Currently, the companys specialists consult patients who are looking for help on conditions or symptoms related to  osteoporosis, thyroid, chronic muscle pain, chronic joint pains, back / body pain, inflammation, migraine, arthritis, sciatica, hair fall, genetic conditions, ear, infection, sprains and strains, among other ailments. For each consultation, patients will be charged Rs 400. Our gross merchandise value (GMV) in the last 4-5 months has been under Rs 1 crore, he added.



250 doctors on board



Started in November 2015, with an objective to improve the quality of healthcare services by providing it at ones fingertips, Munjal said that the company is looking at having over 250 doctors on board by the end of 2016, to consult five million consumers, who are expected to be the Doctor Insta app users on mobile.



Sharing future plans, Munjal said, Our aim is to save close to 10,000 man hours by providing 2,500 consultations every day, by the end of the year. Besides, we will be taking our services offline to create unique 500 emergency medical consultancy kiosks across eight metros to provide quality healthcare in public areas with high footfalls.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday ruled out withdrawal of 1% excise duty on non-silver jewellery, a demand that saw shutters of jewellery shops down across the country for weeks together.





Jaitley also warned of strict action against income from other sources being passed off as agriculture income, in order to escape taxes, but ruled out any tax from agriculture earnings.



It is not the Centres intention and neither is its intent. The Centre has no power to tax agriculture. It is a state subject. We will even advise states that they should not levy this tax, he said in his reply to the finance bill in the Lok Sabha.



During the debate on finance bill, Bhartruhari Mahtab of the Biju Janata Dal and Saugata Roy of the All India Trinamool Congress demanded tax on rich farmers and firms which claim exemption on agricultural income despite earning crores in profits.



Jaitley said that there were some instances where income earned through other sources were being passed off as agricultural income. The income tax officials were aware of this and were taking action.



But the current state of Indian agriculture does not warrant any such tax, Jaitley said. The bill was later passed by a voice vote with some amendments.



On the governments decision to stick to 1% tax on non-silver jewellery, Jaitley said it would be levied on jewellers with turnover of Rs 12 crore and more. Opposition Congress and NDA ally ShivSena had demanded a rollback of excise duty on jewellery.



I am unable to understand this politics, this economics where you hate suits but are in love with gold, he said, taking a jibe at Congress.



The Finance Minister also expressed concern over rising levels of non-performing assets of the banks hindering the economic growth. He said income tax notices have been sent to all names revealed in Panama paper leak case.
The Supreme Court has virtually neutralised the Medical Council of India by appointing a three-member committee to oversee the functioning of the regulatory body.





The committee will have powers to monitor all statutory functions of the MCI. All policy decisions of the MCI will have to be approved by the Oversight Committee, which can also issue appropriate remedial directions. This means that the MCI, which is a statutory body created by an Act of Parliament, will no longer be an independent entity. The MCI has brought this situation upon itself because it has persistently failed to discharge its functions well and brought disrepute to itself. The court has made scathing comments on the body by stating that it neither represented professional excellence nor the ethos under the MCI Act. The courts initiative may be taken as the beginning of a process of cleaning up the Augean stables of the countrys system of medical education and administration.



The Oversight Committee is headed by retired Justice R M Lodha who had, at the courts instance, made proposals to reform the BCCI. It also has two other eminent members. But the challenge is different in the case of the MCI. It is a statutory body with legal backing while the BCCI is a private entity. The task is more important because the functioning of the MCI affects the lives of millions of people and the future of the countrys medical education and health system. The Oversight Committee will function for one year and the government will have to create a new National Medical Commission by bringing in suitable legislation. The court would not have taken the drastic decision that it did if the government had taken steps to revamp and reform the MCI. The ills of the regulatory body have been known for a long time. It has always functioned as a corrupt and discredited body which did much damage to medical education.



Many committees have gone into the working of the MCI and made recommendations to overhaul it. The report of a parliamentary committee was submitted last month. The government says it is awaiting the report of another committee which is due to make its recommendations soon. Every one of the MCIs functions like the framing the medical curriculum, granting permission for colleges and maintaining professional standards has to be reviewed. The Supreme Court resorted to its special powers to set up the committee. This could have been avoided if the government had acted in time. It should act now, because a judge-led committee to oversee the medical regulatory system should only be a temporary arrangement.
Sir James Dyson, the British designer and engineer, sporting sneakers and a voluminous thatch of silvery hair, stood in his vast glass office in the depths of the English countryside. He was clutching a device that he contends could change the monotony of bathroom routines forever.





There has been zero innovation in this market for over 60 years, said Dyson, 68, a billionaire who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II 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 realised 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 on last month, 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 a runway presentation, wrote in an email, Because everyday life is too common, people rarely realise 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 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 1,010 miles of human tresses and 7,000 acoustic tests as teams tackled 3 core issues: noise, weight and speed.



Ground zero for the project was the Dyson research facility, a Willy Wonka-like world, deep in the rolling Wiltshire hills, with a Harrier fighter jet and spliced Mini car in the visitors parking lot.



Projects are kept shielded from outsiders  as well as many within the walls itself (which, like those owned by Roald Dahls flamboyant fictional chocolate factory owner, are often painted a lurid purple).



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. 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 aesthetic.



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 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. It also has magnetic heatproof nozzles and intelligent heat sensors to prevent hair burn.



Frankly, Im rather terrified, Dyson said. We had to learn a great deal with the Supersonic, and there have been a lot of firsts on all fronts, including the fact that I had to grow my hair especially for a launch. It hasnt been this long since my 60s student days, when I wore flowered shirts and flares, Dyson said.



As with any other Dyson device, research and development didnt come cheap: The investment, including a state-of-the-art hair laboratory, reached $72 million.



As a result, the Supersonic will retail at $399 when it arrives in the United States in September, 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 in the US retail for $12.99 to $219.98.



History of hot air



The first hair dryer was invented in 1890 by French stylist Alexander F Godefroy. The device was a large metal bonnet attached to the chimney pipe of a gas stove, which a user sat beneath.



In 1911, Armenian-American inventor Gabriel Kazanjian received the first patent for a hand-held hair dryer, and during the 1920s early metal portable models arrived on the market. Slow, heavy at around 2 pounds and prone to overheating, there were multiple cases of electrocution.



Seated devices continued to be popular in salons, with cubicle models emerging that offered magazine stands, ashtrays and even speakers so clients could listen to music as their hair was being set. Soft bonnet dryers were introduced into hairstyling salons. With short, tight curls being the rage, a small box-shaped dryer attached by a tube to a shower-cap like plastic bonnet with holes blasted air continuously and evenly all over the head.



The rigid-hood dryer  a large, hard plastic bonnet  arrived in 1951 and went on to become a mainstay of the salon market over the next 30 years. While working on the same premise as the bonnet, it was able to conduct a much higher wattage level, resulting in quicker, tidier styles.



Portable hand-held hair dryers continued to attract large interest thanks to the increased privacy and efficiency from using a device within the home. Over time, plastic housings were developed, motors were made lighter and more powerful, and safety circuit interrupters were incorporated to limit accident or injury. By the 1970s hair dryers had become a mass-market consumer product.



Many models have also become more compact. The portable hair dryers of the 21st century could produce over 2,000 watts of heat. The Dyson Supersonic is a first foray into the world of beauty for a company known for fans and vacuum cleaners.
Local leader K J Bharat has urged the state government to develop Bhagamandala and Talacauvery in the taluk.





Addressing mediapersons, he said the government has neglected Talacauvery, the origin place of River Cauvery. Development works have been initiated here, he charged.



He claimed that soil has been dumped into paddy fields near Chamundi Bane of Bhagandeshwara Temple in Bhagamandala.



The soil, dumped on a large proportion and on a 100 metre wide and 10 foot tall area, will result in storm water flowing towards the temple and Bhagamandala, creating artificial floods. People cannot use the boats as the mud is dumped in front of the building where the boats are placed. Though a memorandum has been submitted to the local gram panchayat, no measures have been taken yet, Bharat charged.



He said Bhagandeshwara temple was renovated ten years ago. The kitchen and the room of the priest leak in rainy season. The tender process to carry out repair of the temple roof has stopped abruptly. There is no proper door for the temple. Though there is a fund of Rs 2 crore in the temple account, the officials are taking up repair work, he charged.



No safety measures



Bharat said thousands of devotees and pilgrims visit Talacauvery and Bhagamandala every year. But their protection is not taken care of. The bridge at Chedukaru in Tavoor village has collapsed. The bridge is only 10 years old and the narrow bridge constructed during the British period is still strong and vehicles move on that bridge.

The contractor who has constructed the Tavoor bridge should be blacklisted, he urged and warned of staging a rasta roko protest, if the demand is not fulfilled.



Local residents K S Prabhakar, K C Parashuram, Manoj Kumar, Yoganand and Poonaccha among those who were present in the press conference.
The combined cover of central and state police personnel ensured that the final phase of polling in Bengal remained uneventful on Thursday at Cooch Behar and East Midnapore.





At Cooch Behar, home to erstwhile enclaves, thousands came out to exercise their right as Indian citizens for the first time. The voter turnout touched nearly 85% by the end of days polling at 6 pm.



One hundred-and-three-year-old Asgar Ali, arguably the oldest voter this polling season, cast his vote for the first time in 68 years, since India and Bangladesh broke the limbo of the enclaves and formally exchanged the land-islands in July-August 2015. It was Allahs wish that I see this day. Now that Ive been able to vote as a free Indian, I have no more regrets and I can die in peace, the centenarian from Mashaldanga in Cooch Behar said. Asgar, who came along with his grandson Jainul Abedin, youngest son Billal Hossain and other family members, cast his vote after a central policeman on duty at the polling booth helped to carry him inside so that he could cast his vote.



While family members of Akkel Ali, yet another first-time voter from Mashaldanga, claimed, he too had crossed 100, the matter could not be settled as his voter card stated his age to be 84. Young and old alike, voters from all over the former enclaves, spanning 5 Assembly seats, queued outside their respective polling booths since early in the morning, turning the day into one of festivities.



Saddam Ali, a 24-year-old voter, lamented the passing of his 86-year-old grandfather a few days ago. My grandfather was very excited after receiving his voter card. I wish he was here to witness this, he said.



Thursdays polling, which decided the fate of 170 candidates at 25 seats across the 2 districts, saw heavy polling from the beginning, with the poll percentage standing at slightly over 23 by 9 am, within the first 2 hours. The percentage steadily increased through the day, reaching 74 by 3 pm.



The poll percentage recorded at 5 pm stood at 84.24, with Cooch Behar showing nearly 83 and East Midnapore at around 85. More than 58 lakh voters sealed the fate of candidates across nearly 7,000 booths in the 2 districts, where ruling Trinamool Congress had been ahead in the last few elections.



The ruling party, however, ran into trouble at Cooch Behar after the election commission registered FIRs against Udayan Guha, Trinamool candidate from Dinhata and Rabindranath Ghosh, party district president and candidate from Natabari.



The EC had received complaints that both leaders were organising false votes, besides moving around in a vehicle bearing the party logo and misbehaving with polling officers. At Tamluk in East Midnapore, heavy-weight Trinamool candidate Nirbed Roy ran into controversy after allegedly distributing food packets bearing his photograph.



EC officials reported that the day remained without any incidents of violence, making the final round most peaceful of all the phases.


The CBI on Thursday summoned former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat in connection with its probe into the controversial sting operation on buying dissident MLAs.





The CD purportedly showed Rawat negotiating a money deal to buy the support of MLAs who had revolted against him.



CBI sources said the Congress leader has been summoned for questioning on Monday. The CBI registered a preliminary enquiry last week and quizzed Umesh Kumar, CEO of Samachar Plus channel who conducted the sting operation.



The investigators have also questioned a dissident MLA who claimed that Rawat had offered him Rs 2.5 crore and one of his ministers later approached him with an offer of Rs 10 crore.



The CBIs summons to Rawat comes a day ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on an appeal filed by the Centre against Uttarakhand High Courts order striking down Presidents Rule in the state.



The registration of a preliminary enquiry came after a recommendation from the state government that is under Presidents Rule.



The sting operation was aired 2 days before Rawat was to face the vote of confidence on March 28. Releasing the CD, rebel Congress MLAs led by former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna had claimed that Rawat offered them bribe for support during floor test in the Assembly.



Rawat had denied any wrongdoing, called the video fake, and said he was ready to face any probe. However, he virtually admitted meeting Kumar.



Sources said the CBI had earlier asked Kumar to submit raw footage of the sting.


India boosted global clamour for democracy in China by opening its door last week to activists seeking change in China, said Yang Jianli, a 1989 Tiananmen Square activist said.





Yang Jianli, a prominent Chinese dissident based in United States, told DH that it was disappointing to see India cancelling the visa issued to Uyghur leader Dolkun Isa in the wake of protests by China. But, at the same time, we cannot overlook the fact that Indian government actually allowed us to hold such a conference in India, that too in a sensitive place like Dharamsala, said Yang.



His organisation Citizen Power for China held the conference, which last week brought activists seeking a peaceful transition to democracy in the communist country together at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, the seat of Tibetan government-in-exile. The Tibetans, Uyghurs and representatives of minorities of China attended the conference. Dalai Lama, the icon of Tibetans resistance against Chinese rule in Tibet, addressed the delegates, who also had among them Katrina Lantos Swett, a prominent US human rights activist. By allowing so many people, who want to change China, to come to India, the India sent out a clear message to China and the world. The message being India  the largest democratic nation in the world  is willing to lead and act to uphold the principle of democracy, said Yang. Individuals came to meet Dalai Lama



The government on Thursday said that the Chinese dissidents did not hold any conference, but admitted that certain individuals had met the Dalai Lama at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, DHNS reports from New Delhi.



There was no conference in India last week. Certain individuals had come to India to meet the Dalai Lama. As you are aware, Dalai Lama is a respected spiritual leader and there is absolutely no bar on foreigners coming to India to have religious or spiritual audience with him, said Vikas Swarup, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.


Subramanian Swamy, who is leading the BJPs campaign in the AgustaWestland chopper scam, said on Thursday that he will prove the charges against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in court.



Stating that he has no personal vendetta against Sonia, Swamy also stopped short of questioning the Narendra Modi governments handling of the case so far but said, Somebody was trying to protect somebody. In the last two years, attempts (were) made not to take the case forward.



Swamy told Karan Thapar on India Today TV that former NSA and close aide of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Brajesh Mishra had rooted for the chopper, accusing him of working for the Congress and being its trojan horse.



Claiming that the verdict by an Italian court mentioned Sonias name at least four times, Swamy said the Congress president should be questioned over her role in the chopper deal. I can have an opinion that Sonia Gandhi is guilty. She is now a suspect, a crime has been committed and I have evidence of it. The legal process will take its course and she should be questioned.



He reiterated that middleman Christian Michels letter clearly points towards Sonia Gandhi. The letter stated that she is the driving force behind the deal. The fact of the matter is that it (is) the duty of the police to question all those whom they think have some knowledge about the matter.



The former law minister rejected Michels claims that he was under pressure from the Modi government to incriminate the Gandhi family in the chopper deal. He (Michel) didnt say it to the court of law. His statement has no locus. Michel is sweating now. He is being used by the Congress.



Cong hits back at Swamy on Agusta



The Congress on Thursday asked the government how BJP member Subramanian Swamy got access to sensitive and confidential files of the CBI and the ED in the AgustaWestland issue, DHNS reports from New Delhi.



Raising the issue through a point of order, Deputy Leader of Congress Anand Sharma said during the discussion on Wednesday, sensitive documents of CBI and ED were referred to by Swamy.



The House must know how an honourable member or rather less honourable member was given access to sensitive and secret files, which he has refused to authenticate and place on the table of the House, Sharma said.



Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the rule will take its own course if Swamy had not complied with his ruling that all documents he was quoting must be authenticated by him and placed on the table of the House.



Amid the Congress members protest, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Swamy had authenticated and placed on the table of the House, the documents he had quoted. Swamy has taken care of the issue, Naqvi said.



Swamy, during discussion on VVIP choppers issue in Rajya Sabha said, he quoted Italian courts documents to charge that a bribe of 30 million euros was paid in the Rs 3,600 crore deal for 12 VVIP choppers. Out of this, 6 million euros went to IAF personnel, 8.4 million euros to bureaucrats and Rs 125 crore to AP, Swamy had claimed.
The government has asked its diplomatic missions in 8 foreign capitals to seek early execution of the Letters Rogatory issued in connection with the AgustaWestland scam.



The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has written to Indias diplomatic missions to seek early execution of the LRs sent to 8 nations  Italy, Tunisia, Mauritius, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, Britain, United Arab Emirates and Switzerland. The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the scam, recently wrote to the MEA requesting to expedite execution of LRs  requests sent for legal assistance from foreign governments in criminal matters. Yes, I can confirm that we have received a communication in this regard from the CBI seeking an update on the execution reports of the Letters Rogatory that were sent earlier to 8 countries, said Vikas Swarup, official spokesperson of the MEA.



We have once again written to our missions in the concerned countries from where the execution reports are pending in order to impress upon them the need to expeditiously execute the LRs and to send the corresponding execution reports at the earliest, added Swarup. While Italy has only responded to the LR issued by India, most of the eight countries are yet to act on the requests for assistance made by New Delhi in 2014.



MoD seeks info on graft in Pilatus deal



With investigation into the AgustaWestland chopper scam picking up speed, the defence ministry is now seeking information from various quarters to check if a probe could be launched into the Rs 2,800 crore (6.09 million Swiss Franc) deal to purchase 75 Pilatus basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force, DHNS reports from New Delhi.



While the defence ministry was not digressing from the Agusta probe, sources said the ministry would go through old files and seek information from various agencies and individuals following reports of alleged corruption and involvement of middlemen in the Pilatus deal.



The procurement of Pilatus PC 7 MkII was approved by the government in May 2012 and the first batch of PC-7 Mk II arrived at the Indian Air Force Academy in February 2013. All the aircraft had been delivered and a follow-on contract to 38 more aircraft was under the defence ministrys consideration.



The Swiss company was selected through a tender process after meeting the air staff qualitative requirements.
An 8GB pen drive which was recovered from suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists contained their plans to attack shopping malls in south Delhi.





The terror strike plans were at an early stage as the suspects were learning to build improvised explosive devices, police said.



The suspects, arrested on Tuesday night, were at first attracted to the Islamic State and planned to carry out attacks to avenge the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. They then got in touch with JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhars brother Talha, who gave them instructions on conducting terror attacks in the national capital.



The suspected terrorists were also part of a WhatsApp group allegedly handled by Talha. According to police, their movements were monitored for about a year.



Mohammad Sajid, the kingpin of the group, had called meetings in December 2015 in which he showed a blueprint on making IEDs.



The group used to meet at Sajids house for at least two years and also watched jihadi videos and Azhars speeches on social media, said a police officer.



Sajid and another arrested suspect Shakir Ansari were also invited to attend a training programme in Pakistan. But they were told to prove their worth by carrying out a strike in the capital first.



Sources said all the arrangements had been made for Shakir to visit Pakistan for training. Sajid, however, failed to obtain a passport.



In an intercepted conversation, police also learnt that Sajid contacted his accomplice and told him that he had prepared a product. He was looking for an opportunity to test its capacity and range.



Sources said a police informer managed to enter Sajids module and was present at their meetings.
In order to ensure strict compliance of total prohibition in Bihar, those travelling to Patna or Gaya international airport by different airlines will now have to submit a self-disclosure form stating that they were not violating prohibition order in any way.





Besides, the airlines have been asked by the authorities concerned here to put up banners at airport to create awareness about liquor ban in Bihar.



Ignorance will be no excuse for any passenger. At the same time, airlines will also be held responsible for violation of prohibition rules, said Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Agarwal, while holding a meeting with airlines officials in which the latter were told about reports of flow of liquor through air route.



The DM told the airlines officials to regularly make in-flight announcements regarding liquor ban in Bihar with a warning that anyone found walking in inebriated condition or found concealing liquor in his/her baggage could face arrest.



At the meeting, which was also attended by CISF commandant Dharmveer Yadav and Senior SP (SSP) of Patna Manu Maharaj, it was decided that CISF and excise officials would be stationed at the airport entry and exit points with breath analysers to check passengers.



The DM, while asking for random frisking of passengers and checking of luggage, asked the security personnel to be polite while discharging their duties.

DH News Service
Politicians who eagerly claim credit for good rains, however, conveniently disassociate themselves from drought situations, said senior Congress leader S M Krishna on Thursday.





This stands testimony to the fact that politicians are two-faced, said Krishna, while addressing the gathering after releasing the book The Talking Shop, written by former Congress MP, A H Vishwanath. The Talking Shop is Vishwanaths sixth book. Written in Kannada, it gives a glimpse into the British parliamentary system.



Krishna said politicians often get drawn into playing dirty politics, which also intensified enmity among other political leaders.



Politicians nurse grudges and enmity, which is always fuelled by our supporters and followers. We are forced to listen to them. The differences unfortunately spill over in the legislature, where disrespect is exhibited.



However its important that we as politicians maintain mutual respect and dignity, he said.



Drawing a comparison between the British and the Indian parliamentarians, Krishna said policymakers in the United Kingdom rarely broke a parliamentarians code.



He narrated the instance of US President Barack Obama overlooking protocol to better his countrys relations with India.



As external affairs minister, I was scheduled to meet my US counterpart Hillary Clinton at the White House for furthering the strategic talks. However, both Clinton and I were surprised to learn that Obama himself was coming to the State department, which has never happened in the history of US politics. For the first time, Obama broke the record.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address his first election rally for the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls after the announcement of candidates, at Hosur on Friday.





Hosur has been strategically chosen by the BJP for the prime ministers maiden election address in Tamil Nadu. The town is just 40 km from Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, which had become the gateway for the BJP to instal its first government in South India.



Hosur is a cosmopolitan town, which is not averse to the BJP. Besides, unlike the rest of Tamil Nadu, Hosur has not been a base of the Dravidian movement and is not that fierce in its Tamil identity, which again comes to the advantage of the BJP.



Both the Dravidian movement and Tamil identity have been the poll card of AIADMK and DMK, BJP functionaries point out. Single-phase elections are scheduled to be held in Tamil Nadu on May 16.



Modi will make a brief stopover at Bengaluru on Friday. He will arrive at the HAL airport in the afternoon and fly to Hosur by helicopter. The prime minister is expected to address the Hosur rally at 3.45 pm. He will also address a rally in Chennai later in the day.
The international watch dog on human rights issues, Amnesty International, has urged Arunachal Pradesh government to conduct a prompt, impartial and independent criminal investigation into the killing of two protesters in police firing in the town of Tawang in the northeastern state earlier this week.





Firing live ammunition into a crowd when there is no apparent threat to life amounts to excessive use of force. This loss of life cannot be justified, said Abhirr VP, Senior Campaigner, Amnesty International India.



On the afternoon of May 2, a group of monks and people from the Save Mon Region Federation (SMRF), a group campaigning for ecologically sensitive development, gathered outside the Tawang police station to protest against the arrest of Buddhist monk Lobsang Gyatso, the secretary of the SMRF.



Two people were shot dead. 21-year old Nyima Wangdi, a monk from Tawang was shot twice and 31-year old Tsering Tempa, a resident of Jangda village was shot in the forehead. Seven others were injured.



Lobsang Gyatso was released on personal bond later on 2 May. He told Amnesty International India, This is an attempt to tarnish the protests. I was inside the lockup when I heard the police shout about taking the ammunition out.



The police must use lethal force intentionally only as a last resort, when it is strictly unavoidable and in order to protect life. They must always distinguish between peaceful protesters and those using violence. Any police personnel found to have used excessive force must be held accountable, Abhirr VP added.


After Vijay Mallya, the CBI has registered a case against a promoter of another defunct airline, Paramount Airways, for defrauding and diverting loans to off shore accounts.



Investigators conducted searches at seven locations in Chennai and Madurai belonging to Paramount Airways and its Managing Director M Thiagarajan immediately after registering a case under cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy.



The CBI claimed that Thiagarajan submitted false and fabricated documents to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to get Air Operators Permit (AOP). He also opened an off shore account in British Virgin Island in the name of a company with Singapore as its headquarters, CBI sources said. Thiagarajan could not be contacted for his comments.



The airline with five Embraer planes, which was based in Chennai and operated services in South India and eastern cities of Kolkata, Guwahati and Agartala, stopped flying in 2010 after DGCA deregistered its aircraft following a dispute with its aircraft lessors over non-payment of lease rentals.



In November 2012, the airline was awarded a compensation of around Rs 1,600 crore through international arbitration and the DGCA renewed its AOP. However, lenders State Bank of India, Andhra Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and Bank of India among others wrote to DGCA against the move saying the airline owed them around Rs 550 crore and it needs to settle the dues first before flying. According to a CBI statement, the promoter of the airline had sold moveable and fixed assets of the airline without knowledge or permission of banks, which had extended credit facilities to the airlines. These assets were hypothecated to them, the statement said.



No response from UK on Mallya



The UK has not yet responded to Indias request to deport business tycoon Vijay Mallya, who is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, reports DHNS from New Delhi.



Vikas Swarup, official spokesperson of the MEA, said that the High Commission of India in London had not yet received any response from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK government. He added that the British High Commission in New Delhi had also not responded to the request from the MEA.



The MEA earlier wrote to the British High Commission in New Delhi, conveying Indias request to the UK government for deportation of Mallya. The MEA pointed out in its communique that the liquor barons passport had been revoked and a non-bailable warrant had been issued against him by a special court in Mumbai. The High Commission of India in London also issued a note verbale to the UK government, asking for deportation of Mallya.


The state government is contemplating on issuing on-the-spot smart cards for construction workers after registering them with the Karnataka Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Minister of State for Labour, B T Parameshwara Naik, said on Thursday.





Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Naik said as many as 10.10 lakh construction workers had registered with the Board. The members could avail several benefits including financial assistance during hospitalisation, scholarships for children of construction workers, accident compensation to the nominee of the registered member in the event of death, marriage assistance and funds for purchase of tools and equipment, among others.



He said the government has recently increased the accident compensation from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Later in the day, Naik held a meeting with Bosch representatives and sought that 263 workers, who have been on a strike, be allowed to join duty immediately. Naik said a review meeting in this regard would be held on May 20.
Do you know how to control asthma and diabetes by using simple medicinal plants which can be grown in your backyard or in balcony? If not, get answers to this and many such issues related to medicinal plants by tuning into the All India Radio (AIR) from June 5, 2016.





Karnataka Medicinal Plants Authority, a wing of state forest department, will organise a radio programme for people of all walks of life to help them know all about medicinal plants. The programme is being implemented under the guidance of Medicinal Plants Board of the Union government at a cost of Rs 20 lakh, U V Singh, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Karnataka Medicinal Plants Authority, told Deccan Herald.



We have planned a 140-day-programme, twice a day on Akashavani. The broadcast timings are being finalised. The programme will be aired in Kannada and it will be a two way communication network. Listeners will be able to ask questions. The aim is to make people aware of medicinal plants which are found all around us and how they can be used, he said.



People will be made aware of the types of medicinal plants, their local names, how to identify them, how to grow them at home and farms and how various plants and their parts can be used as a remedy for different ailments. Those who grow medicinal plants will be provided information on companies who purchase the products. The programme will also deal with the economics of growing medicinal plants.



The programme will be aired across the state simultaneously from the AIR station, Bhadravathi. The department has prepared a list of 150 speakers, comprising noted environmentalists, faculty from ayurvedic and medical colleges, retired forest officers, educationalists, farmers and traditional medicine practitioners.

Folklores will be used to make the programme more attractive and informative, he said.



Trial shows were held in Bhadravathi for a month on a weekly basis, two years ago. Looking at the success rate, the department decided to take this to larger audience.



This is part of the first ever medicinal plant programme the department is preparing after a detailed survey of Karnataka, especially the Western Ghats.
A major fire broke out at 6.30 am on Thursday at Mehanaz Industries, a tyre factory in Kollar Industrial area located barely 200 metres from the boundary wall of the Air Force Station Bidar.





The fire had the potential to spread fast and wide and may have led to possible loss of lives and property of the nearby factories and residential buildings, a press release from the Ministry of Defence office in Bengaluru stated.



Air Commodore Kirti Khajuria, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Bidar, on receipt of information, immediately ordered Flying Officer Sumit Thakur, Air Force Station Fire Service Officer, to send fire tenders to the site of the incident with the Air Force firefighters.



Without wasting any time, about 30 Air Force Station fire service personnel with three foam-based fire tenders reached the spot and started dousing the fire. In the meantime, M M Patil, District Fire Officer, reached the spot with his firefighters and two fire tenders and assisted in dousing the fire, the release stated.



The fire covered a huge area due to the large quantity of used tyres and took more than four hours for it to be brought under control.



The operation to put out the fire was undertaken by the IAF authorities as the district fire tenders did not have foam-based extinguishing media to douse the burning tyres, the release said.
A senior officer of the Assam Rifles was arrested on Thursday by the Mizoram Police on charges of robbery.





According to Mizoram Police sources, Commandant of the Aizawl-based 39th battalion of the Assam Rifles Col Jasjit Singh was arrested in state capital Aizawl on charges of being the mastermind behind the highway robbery involving Rs 14.5 crore worth of gold bars, which were to be smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar.



On April 21, the driver of the looted vehicle Lalnunfela filed an FIR at the Aizawl police station claiming he was intercepted by troopers from the 39 Assam Rifles who went away with 52 gold biscuits.



The driver also said although the incident took place on the night of December 14 last year, he was afraid that if he revealed the truth he might be bumped off. He gathered courage and reported the incident, Mizoram Police sources added.



The Mizoram government had constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 22 to investigate the matter and registered cases including dacoity and criminal conspiracy.



In April, the SIT picked up eight Assam Rifles jawans, accused of participating in the dacoity. The men are now in custody and had revealed about the involvement of Col Singh.



Col Singh applied for an anticipatory bail, but was rejected by the Aizawl District and Sessions Judge Lucy Lalrinthari and he was arrested in the court premises.



Meanwhile, the Aizawl-based 23 Sector of the Assam Rifles has suspended Col Singh with immediate effect after his arrest, Assam Rifles sources added. Apart from the eight Assam Rifles troopers and the Col Singh, the SIT had arrested four other people, including a few influential students leaders. The students leaders have been sent to judicial custody.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday busted a major credit card fraud by arresting two persons who were part of a gang that created fake debit and credit cards by stealing data using skimming machines.



The arrested are identified Kiran D, 34, of Talaghattapura and Neeta, 33, of Kasavanahalli near Parappana Agrahara in the city. Neetas husband and the prime suspect, Manoj Kumar, 41, is at large, said the police.



We received a tip-off that Kumar had conspired a large scale online cheating. He was planning to move out of Bengaluru and a search is on for him, Inspector General of Police (CID) Hemanth Nimbalkar told reporters.



The police seized a debit/credit card printing machine, a machine reader, a writer machine, two card embossing machines, a SIM card imaging machine, a thermal printing role, VISA/ MasterCard holograms, electronic data capture machines and 2,762 debit/credit cards without names and numbers, three phones, two modems, six bank passbooks, 16 cheque books and two cars from the suspects, Nimbalkar said.



The suspects used skimming machines to retrieve confidential data from credit/debit/ATM cards. The skimming machines read and store the confidential data of cards once they are swiped. The gang prepared fake credit/debit/ATM cards using this data. They used the fake cards for online purchases and withdrawal of funds. Sometimes, they hacked accounts of not so reliable websites and stole the data, he added.



Kumar, a BBA graduate, was been involved online cheating for the last 14 years. He was first booked by the Chennai police in 2002. The Maharashtra police arrested him in 2003 and he spent about an year in jail. He did not commit any offence for five years after his marriage in 2005. He resumed online cheating a few years later and the Tamil Nady police booked two cases against him in 2011 and 2012, Nimbalkar said.



He fled to Malaysia in 2011 where he came in contact with hackers especially from Indonesia and Malaysia.



He would receive information of Indian credit cards used in those countries and share that information to hackers there.



This resulted in huge illegal operations and the police found it difficult to arrest the suspects, Nimbalkar said. The Bengaluru police booked a case against Kumar in 2014 when after was involved in a crime in Indiranagar.



The Cyber Crime police of CID arrested him and his wife in December 2015. He came out on bail and continued his operations, the IGP said.



Dos and Donts



The police have advised public to be cautious while using credit/debit cards. The card swiping should happen in the presence of card holders. Sometimes, cards are taken inside outlets/hotels/shops which may be swiped in skimming machines to retrieve data before swiping them for payment. * Use only secure sites for online transactions.



* Purchase merchandise from a reputable source.

* Reconcile credit card statements to avoid unauthorised charges

* Dont entertain unsolicited emails seeking card information

* Dont use cards at places having spy cameras

* Frequently change cards secret numbers

* Immediately contact banks in case of withdrawals or purchases without your notice
Greens are seeing red over the forest departments project to create nurseries by destroying the Shola forests at Sampigekatte near Mahal village in the Mutthodi range forest.



More than 10,000 pits have been dug using earthmovers in the Shola grasslands in these eco-sensitive hill, situated at a height of 6,000 feet above sea level.



The unscientific project is destroying the serene ecology of the place, say environmentalists.



Tourists throng the area, situated in the Western Ghats, all through the year to take in the beauty of the place.



Jeevan, a software engineer from Bengaluru who was on a trip to the place, said that the project would deal a deathly blow to the ecosystem here.



G Veeresh, a local environmentalist, said that the project had been going on for several years in the region. It would harm the complexity of the forest, he said.

Veeresh argues that the ecosystem of the place was suited for Shola forests and growing any other species would be disastrous.



The system to supply stored water to the forest would suffer a setback, Veeresh said. It would also destroy water sources, the environmentalist said.

Previous efforts a flop



Efforts to create nurseries in Kemmannugundi, Bababudangiri and Mullayyanagiri in the last 30 to 40 years were a flop. Yet, the department is spending money on the

project, he said.



Visitors are worried that the exotic kurinji flowers form a blue blanket on the forest once in 12 years and this could become a thing of the past, if the Shola forests are destroyed, say environmentalists.



The greens fear that rare medicinal herbs and plants may be lost due to the digging up of the forest using earthmovers.
Inspired by a crippled Indians attitude, a donor sent him money all the way from New Zealand.





Chris Harris was moved to help after his daughter told him about one of the characters she met while travelling India. She had met Salman Mujeeb as he was directing traffic close to her house. Salman safely sorts out the chaos of vehicles at a blind one-way corner in Fraser Town with no arms, one leg and a giant grin. Chris donated Rs 50,000 to go towards Salman and his family to pay for the lease on their apartment.



Chris says that Salman, 31, is a great example of human perseverance that everyone should be inspired by.



His story of surmounting such incredible odds, including the genius of finding a means of making a living and to still keep smiling, has to capture your interest. It is a very profound and moving story, he says.



He shows the miracle of life. Think about it, he has inspired me from 10,000 km away. Incredible!



Chris owns a supermarket in New Zealand that donates Rs 25,000 every month to a worthy organisation or cause. He gave Salman two months worth of donations.



Salman has been working at the corner for 18 years. He started doing so only a year after he was electrocuted. As an 11-year-old Salman got tangled in live wires on the construction site his parents were working at. He was in a coma for 23 days. The doctors tried to save his limbs but gangrene set in and his arms and leg had to be amputated.



Now, he works at the corner 6 days a week from 11 am to 8 pm, rain or shine.



As people drive safely through, they stuff a tip into his shirt pocket. Salman earns a small living, people can get around the corner safely, everyones happy. He says he earns about Rs 1,500 a week, which enables him to make ends meet. He doesnt have any other way of earning money.



Winning attitude



Salman conquers any obstacle life throws his way. He can use a touchscreen phone, get around the city independently, climbs stairs faster than an able-bodied person and has even won a dance competition. He taught himself how to ride a bike a year after the accident. He fell off over and over again but eventually learnt to make it work.



Mohammed Khan has known Salman for many years. He says he is a very deserving, honest man who is always in a good mood. Salman is always teasing those around him and making wisecracks.



It wasnt just the electrocution that Salman has had to weather. His father died 5 years ago from a heart attack and his wife died 1 year ago from an epileptic fit leaving him to care for his 5-year-old son.
At the same time, the CBI claimed that lawyer Gautam Khaitan admitted to taking payments from middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa in the AgustaWestland chopper deal. However, CBI sources said Khaitan denied that these were part of kickbacks related to Agusta deal.





Tyagi went to the ED office on Thursday morning after he was summoned for the first time by the agency probing money laundering cases.





The ED had registered a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (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 filed a chargesheet last year.





Taking forward its probe, the ED asked the Defence Ministry, Income Tax Department and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to share details about officials and other individuals figuring in the case.





It has sought details of properties of 10 serving and retired officials of the Defence Ministry and the Indian Air Force who handled the Agusta deal. The I-T Department and FIU have been asked to provide details of their investments.





The ED is also looking into details of people mentioned in initials in documents submitted in the Court of Appeals in Italy's Milan. Investigators said they want to put faces to these initials though they have some inkling of who these people are.





CBI officials said they have called Khaitan to appear before it on Friday also. The CBI also quizzed former Deputy Air Chief N V Tyagi for the second day.





Sources said Khaitan's questioning lasted 10 hours while N V Tyagi was questioned for 4 hours. The CBI is also calling S P Tyagi's cousins -- Sandeep, Sanjeev, Rajeev -- who are named in the CBI FIR.

After being quizzed by the CBI for three days, former Air Force chief S P Tyagi on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the money laundering case arising out of the AgustaWestland scam.
A committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary Mahendra Jain has been set up to find a permanent solution to the sewage problem in Bellandur lake and revive the water body.





Announcing the decision at a workshop on Bellandur lake on Thursday, Bengaluru Development Minister K J George said the committee comprised representatives from the government, non-governmental organisations and experts, which will submit its report to the government in three weeks.



The workshop was organised by the Bangalore Development Authority to initiate steps to rejuvenate the lake. It was a coincidence that the pre-planned event took place a day after the National Green Tribunal passed a stringent order on illegal constructions on Bellandur lakebed, which will have a bearing on all the lakes and their rajakaluves (feeder canals) across Bengaluru.



NGOs such as Namma Bengaluru Foundation and Citizens Action Forum and experts attended the event and gave a power-point presentations on possible ways to rejuvenate the lake.



Expressing concern over the poor condition of the lake, George said it was a victim of uncontrolled and rapid growth of Bengaluru.



It is 100% polluted and there is an urgent need to revive it. Experts have suggested that there is no oxygen left in the lake and hence it is important for us to work on a comprehensive plan to save it. I appreciate the interest shown by the citizens, experts and activists towards solving the Bellandur crisis, said George.



Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Mayor B N Manjunath Reddy, Mahendra Jain and environmentalist A N Yellappa Reddy attended the workshop.
A bill seeking fixes for Colorados embattled program that provides drivers licenses to people living in the country illegally was rejected Wednesday by a Senate committee.

House Bill 1274 would have expanded the existing immigrant licensing program from three offices to nine and hire 20 more employees to help resolve the backlog of applicants.

But the state Senates State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee moved to indefinitely postpone voting on the legislation. While they left open the option of revisiting the bill, the legislative session ends May 11.

Proponents said the bill would result in more insured drivers while reducing the chance that undocumented drivers would flee a collision.

But Republican lawmakers, who control the Senate, have strongly pushed back against efforts to expand and improve upon the program.

A partisan budget fight in 2015 cut the license programs original five locations to just one until lawmakers struck a deal to operate offices in Denver, Grand Junction and Colorado Springs.

An estimated 150,000 residents in Colorado live in the country illegally. Applicants can face years-long waits for an appointment to get a license.

Last week, the state Senate approved a bipartisan measure to crack down on fraud in the program. Reports of scams targeting those desperate for a appointment to get the licenses have been on the rise and drawing increased attention.

Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul
Robert Downey Jr. Is Up For Another Iron Man Film
Collaborative CAD,CAM tool Fusion 360 to be available for MSMEs for low prices or free as part of MOU with Govt. of Maharashtra

Autodesk, Inc., one of the leading 3D design technology companies in the world, has partnered with the Government of Maharashtra and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide advanced design technology to local Micro, Small and Medium scale Enterprises (MSMEs). May 5, 2016, onwards, Fusion 360, a Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software tool that is cloud based will be available at very approachable terms to MSMEs registered with the Department of Industries, Government of Maharashtra, and with annual turnover less than INR one crore. Also, for the MSMEs with an annual turnover of more than one crore, the software tool will be available via Maharashtra governments Mahaonline portal at a price of INR 1999 (plus taxes) with a two years validity.

Fusion 360 is a complete CAD, CAM and collaborative product development platform from Autodesk available on the cloud. It helps move easily between industrial design & mechanical engineering with direct, freeform and parametric modeling. It saves the extra cost for data management, simulation, and visualization. It enables you to work online, offline, Mac, PC or mobile. You just have to log in with your credentials and access your data anywhere on almost any device. Unlimited team members can be invited into a project and with full version control, you can also track any work done by a team member via the Live activity feed. There is also an option for public sharing via a link that will let anyone view the design with Autodesks free 3D viewer, even if they dont have an Autodesk account. Click here for a quick primer on getting started with Fusion 360.

There has been significant focus on the MSME sector from the government as it is one of the largest employment generating sectors in the industry. This very initiative regarding Fusion 360 was actually agreed upon during the Make in India week in February earlier this year by the Government of Maharashtra and Autodesk. With the potential of providing local MSMEs the opportunity to develop their product quality and services, the initiative is in line with the Chief Ministers Make in Maharashtra efforts to bring these local enterprises to international standards.

As the Chief guest at the launch event of Fusion 360, Apurva Chandra, Principal Secretary (Industries) of the Government of Maharashtra said, We are glad to see global technology leaders like Autodesk coming to the forefront in helping the growth of MSMEs in Maharashtra. Our government will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that we provide the most congenial growth environment to the businesses in the manufacturing sector. With the cutting-edge design technology from Autodesk, we are confident to witness many innovative products being churned out by the MSMEs of Maharashtra. The potential applications of Fusion 360 are not just limited to the traditional users of CAD applications, but also to niche clusters such as an MSME that manufactures musical instruments

Commenting on the initiative, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis said, Our Prime Ministers vision for Make in India, Skill India, Digital India, Start Up India gets a boost with our partnership with Autodesk to offer Fusion 360 to MSMEs. This partnership of Government of Maharashtra and Autodesk will create a potential for Maharashtra MSMEs to become globally competitive and locally productive.

A dedicated portal, www.bharatfusion360.com, has been launched by Autodesk to promote the achievements of MSMEs who have successfully used Fusion 360 to take their enterprises to new levels. This initiative to showcase their work also extends to several national and international platforms. Autodesk has also announced a training program for around 8000 MSME franchisees in the state to train them in the proper usage of the Fusion 360 platform.


If the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill is passed, companies who have acquired geospatial information of India will have to apply for a licence

Companies like Google may soon have to apply for a licence for its mapping services, if a bill called the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill is passed. According to the draft of the bill, a person or company who have acquired geospatial imagery or data of any part of India through space, aerial platforms or terrestrial vehicles will have to apply for a licence with the Security Vetting Authority. Failure to do so could lead to a fine ranging from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 100 crore.

In addition, no one will be allowed to acquire geospatial imagery or data without the permission of the Security Vetting Authority. The Security Vetting Authority shall consist of an officer of the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India or above as Chairman, and two members - a technical expert and a national security expert.

The bill also seeks to punish anyone who depicts, disseminates, publishes or distributes any wrong or false topographic information of India including international boundaries. The fine for this ranges from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 100 crore, and/or imprisonment of up to seven years. The aim of this law is to regulate the acquisition, dissemination, publication, and distribution of the geospatial information of India.
Short of owning his own media outlets, Facebooks CEO Mark Zuckerberg is quickly becoming as much of a media baron as Rupert Murdoch. Why? Because youre getting most of your news from Facebook, through the various pages that you follow, and through your friends. A report by the Pew Research Center from last year shows that more than 60 percent of Facebook and Twitter users said they use the services to access news. Given that Facebook has over a billion users, thats a pretty big number.

The recent introduction of Instant Articles is Facebooks attempt at keeping you on the social network, while you view content from various sources. Being the biggest social network in the world gives Facebook an unique opportunity at controlling the news. Enter, the Trending section.

Facebooks trending section sits at the top right corner of your homepage, telling you what everyones interested in. Its considerably slower than the trends you see on Twitter, but thats also because Facebook has real humans sitting and sorting through the trends, alongside an algorithm. The idea is to combine the efforts of a machine learning algorithm and the human brain to bring trends that you can actually depend on. At one level, its based on clicks, but at another, its not.

Heres where it gets scary..

But is that how it will continue? Not quite. In a recent report by Gizmodo.com, the website talked to five journalists who used to be part of Facebooks trends team. According to Gizmodo, the journalists described their time at Facebook as an exercise in training the social networks algorithm(s).

Is that wrong? Not really. After all, as a corporate, Facebook has every right to employ people according to its requirements. What draws more concern is something else that one of the Gizmodos source said. We choose whats trending. There was no real standard for measuring what qualified as news and what didnt. It was up to the news curator to decide, the source told the technology blog.

So, how does Facebook account for a news curators biases? In fact, how can Facebook guarantee that it's trending section isnt going to be biased towards certain outlets? Further, if these news curators are indeed training an algorithm, isnt that algorithm also inheriting their biases then?

This brings us to the worst possibility of all. What happens when Facebook takes a side? Sure, the company will keep telling us that it never does so, but what if, right? Its the same question that has been asked of Google, for its stranglehold on what youre searching for, so why not Facebook? Also, assuming Gizmodos sources are right, what happens when these biased algorithms are in the hands of a biased Facebook? Machine learning algorithms arent easy to tweak, but its still possible. A journalist who worked on the trending section, told Gizmodo, "This individual says that workers prevented stories about the right-wing CPAC gathering, Mitt Romney, Rand Paul, and other conservative topics from appearing in the highly-influential section, even though they were organically trending among the sites users."

Interestingly, Facebook ignored questions from Digit about these. Here are the questions that we asked.

How much of Facebook's trending section does the algorithm account for?

Does Facebook plan to make it a completely algorithm-based section in future?

How do you account for human biases, when they're curating the trending section?

Are the algorithms used for the trending section, machine learning algorithms?

Is the algorithm tweaked based on user behaviour?

Lastly, are Facebook Trends tailored to users as well? If yes, how do humans decide trends for other users?

Wait, theres more..

Consider Facebooks news-related products recently. You have Instant Articles, Live Video, 360 Video and Chatbots. Instant Articles are great, right? They load really fast, make things more attractive, and are easier to read. So is live video, you get to interact with us, get your questions answered on the spot instead of waiting for a review, and so on, and everyone knows 360-degree content and VR is the future.

All of this sounds very good, but heres the real, much graver picture. When Facebook introduced Instant Articles, media outlets (us included) rushed to integrate the platform. It gives us more readers, and more engaged readers at that, so why not, right? When Facebook said it will give preference to live video, we started doing a lot of lives on Facebook. It made sense to us, because we could interact with our readers and disseminate information faster, and better. The same will happen with 360 videos soon, at least from the publications that can afford it.

But all this was instigated by Facebook. Why didnt Digit and all the others not do this earlier? Because there werent any means to do it. Facebook provided the means, but in doing so, it also tightened its grip on content. The Digit Facebook page has a total reach of over one million, and were mighty glad that most of it is organic. But lately, we get massive reach when hosting live videos, while reach on other posts is lesser.

Look around your news feed. If you follow many publications that are part of the Instant Articles initiative, then thats what youll be seeing the most. Facebook prefers that content creators use its new products, and given that its such a huge source of traffic, we do.

Back to trends..

So, weve established that the readers/viewers are seeing what Facebook wants them to. Of course, we, the publishers, do have some control over the content still, but thats where other factors come into play. In a recent change to its algorithms, Facebook said it would give preference to in-depth content, over click-bait. Thats really good, but one cant ignore the companys control over the kind of content that publishers publish. In fact, that means less leaks and more longform content.

And all this will also affect the trending section. If were creating content that Facebook prefers, then thats what you get to see, and since more people see it, thats what starts trending. Amidst all this is a news curator, who perhaps prefers New York Times over others, and picks that over other publications. Theres a reason why NYT, New Yorker and others are known for their journalistic prowess, but that doesnt really mean that theyre always right.

While things like Instant Articles and Live Videos are good, innovative even, they allow Facebook to gain control over content in a way that you may not want. Essentially, Facebook is becoming the publisher of publishers, and its power over content grows by the day.
Deepak & Dhanraj, a duo from village Guda Bishnoi, located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, buy and sell antique jeeps and Marwari horses on the popular online marketplace OLX.

Pradeep, a 30 year old Paan shop owner by day and filmmaker by night, hails from Udaipur and is currently using his 88th smartphone. He uses OLX to sell his old phones online.

Sunny Sen from Mandu village in Madhya Pradesh runs a small shop, caved into a wall of a larger store. The man can give you 9 better alternatives to WhatsApp and makes a killing installing apps and songs on his customers smartphones.



A portrait of Pradeep, Paan shop owner, owner of 88 phones & OLX seller

These are a few tales from a collection of 40 inspiring stories, emerging from 15 different small towns and villages in India, collected by 5 people who took a 3800 Km long road trip across India, in a span of 18 days. Digital Desh 2.0 is the book that compiles all these stories into one simple, coffee table read, but, the impact of these stories, on a nation thats at the cusp of digital empowerment, is much larger than one can imagine.

Make in India, Startup India, Make for India, combined with the stupendous growth of smartphones and the rise in proliferation of mobile internet in the country, are making for a deadly digital concoction, one thats sweeping through hundreds of small towns and villages in the country. As per an IAMAI report titled Mobile Internet In India 2016, The number of mobile internet users in rural areas has more than doubled from 2014 to 2016. Mobile apps are also playing a huge role in engaging these users and providing them with an internet enabled platform to create trade and business opportunities.

According to some interesting insights lent by Digital Desh 2.0, Almost everyone they came across uses a dual-SIM smartphone, with SIM cards from competing service providers, just so they can choose the provider offering best rates and packages at a point in time.

The book also highlights the fact that people spend more on smartphone data than call minutes. This though, does not take away from the fact that a majority of these subjects felt that data prices are high, and are not in sync with smartphones becoming more affordable.

A few more thought provoking insights from the book state lesser known truths about e-commerce buying behaviour in small towns and villages. There still exists a huge trust factor in driving people from such places to shop online. There are also instances where one bad delivery from a website, has resulted in a total boycott of that portal by entire villages. Then theres also the issue of no last mile e-commerce deliveries to small towns, which forces people to order items to a friends address in the nearest city.

These, along with some extremely insightful stories, make for an inspiring read in Digital Desh 2.0, an initiative by Microsoft Ventures backed startup, NowFloats, Google India, IAMAI, iSPIRT, Paytm and AskMe. Such stories not only encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in all of us, but also leave us with a sense of pride and happiness for those who, at one time, were completely disconnected from the wonderful world of the internet.



Image Courtesy: Digital Desh 2.0

Photographer: Ishaan Gupta
Peruvian cocoa farming company United Cacao was forced to respond to accusations of illegal deforestation on Thursday, working to assure investors it operates in compliance with local and environmental laws.

The AIM-traded firm was in the firing line overnight, when a delegation of leaders from indigenous and forest communities in Peru joined with non-government organisations in calls for it to be suspended from trading.

They claimed links between financing raised on AIM, and the illegal deforestation of at least 11,100 hectares in the Peruvian Amazon by United Cacaos direct subsidiary Cacao del Peru Norte and two related companies - Plantaciones de Pucallpa and Plantaciones de Ucayali.

The illegalities, abuses, and forest destruction perpetrated by Dennis Melkas companies in the Peruvian Amazon have been public for years now, said Julia Urrunaga, Peru programme director for the Environmental Investigation Agency.

In spite of the Peruvian government having ordered the companies to stop operations and comply with the law, they continue to systematically violate Peruvian laws and ignore the Peruvian authorities.

Thursdays update from United Cacao pointed to a January ruling from the Federal Supreme Court of Peru, which reaffirmed the Loreto Superior Court of Appeals ruling of 26 March 2015.

That ruling originally confirmed the companys environmental permitting and agricultural zoning since 1997.

Further to this the company submitted its terms of reference for the environmental reporting documentation, known locally as a PAMA, United Cacaos board went on to say.

The authorities requested that the company submit a PAMA due to the ongoing nature of agricultural activities on its land. Since that time the authorities have not issued documentation changing this position nor requesting an alternative environmental certification, it added.

United Cacao said its terms of reference for the PAMA were approved by the authorities on 9 October 2013, and as part of those terms its community participation plan was submitted on 4 September 2014 and subsequently approved.

Final approval of the PAMA is expected during the course of 2016. Further announcements will be made in due course, as appropriate.
Centricas shares fell on Thursday as HSBC warned the owner of British Gas could face a credit rating downgrade.

HSBC retained its hold rating on the stock, citing a risk of a credit downgrade by Moodys from Baa1 to Baa2.

However, the bank raised Centricas target price to 250p from 200p as it believes the energy group will benefit from cost cutting measures and an improvement in commodity prices.

The recent trading statement confirmed that first quarter performance was in line with guidance and that cost cutting was on track but that British Gas Residential (BGR) had lost 1.5% of its residential customers, the lender said.

The next potential catalyst is the credit rating decision by Moodys (Centrica is rated Baa1 but is on review for downgrade). Its metrics look challenged for 2016, but cost cutting and commodity price improvements could improve metrics in 2017.

As part of its 750m cost-cutting programme, announced in July last year, Centrica has slashed 2,000 jobs and expects to achieve a reduction of around 3,000 roles by the end of the year. The company expects to achieve 200m in savings in 2016 and 500m by 2018.

We believe Centrica has scope to deliver further cost savings to offset competitive pressure, HSBC said.

We increase our 2016 earnings per share (EPS) estimate by 2.4% and 2017 EPS estimate by 14%. We assume an 8% cut in upstream costs in 2017 and that Centrica can maintain margins in British Gas Residential at 7%.These savings in our view increase our confidence that a 12p dividend is sustainable.

The broker note came as Centrica announced plans to raise around 750m in a placing to fund acquisitions and cut debt.

The company said it plans to issue around 350 million shares or 7% of its current issued share capital.

The company said the placing will enable it to secure two prioritised and attractive acquisitions to accelerate growth and develop capabilities in its customer-facing activities and reduce pressure on its credit metrics and its current strong investment grade credit ratings.

Shares fell 9.09% to 210.10p at 1002 BST.
European stocks wavered as a rebound in oil prices was offset by a reluctance to make bold moves ahead of Fridays non-farm payrolls report, amid thinner volumes due to holidays in Europe.

At midday, the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 index and Germanys DAX were both up 0.2%, while Frances CAC 40 was 0.1% lower. Although stock markets were open, workers in France and Germany enjoyed a bank holiday for Ascension Day.

At the same time, oil prices advanced as a wildfire near Canadas oil-sands district threatened production. Fighting in Libya also helped to lift prices. West Texas Intermediate was up 2.3% to $44.77 a barrel and Brent crude was 1.9% firmer at $45.46.

Nothing quite puts the buffers on market conviction like the hugely unpredictable US jobs report, due tomorrow. The shadow cast by tomorrows volatile payrolls figure was always going to cause hesitancy among traders who know only too well the impact a jobs report can have upon market sentiment and direction, said Joshua Mahony, market analyst at IG.

In corporate news, Spanish oil major Repsol rallied as its first-quarter adjusted net income beat analysts expectations.

BT Group was in the black after reporting a 9% rise in full-year adjusted pre-tax profit and unveiling a 6bn network upgrade programme for its newly-acquired EE business and Openreach infrastructure arm.

RSA Insurance was also higher after reporting a strong first quarter, with operating profit ahead of expectations.

Barclays nudged up after selling down its stake in its African subsidiary to 50.1% after a placing in South Africa.

Energy supplier Centrica was under the cosh after announcing a share placing to fund acquisitions and reduce debt.

Aerospace and defence group Rolls-Royce slid after saying it was on track to deliver expected cost savings, but that these would be significantly weighted towards the second half.

There are no major Eurozone data due, but investors will eye the release of US initial jobless claims at 1330 BST, particularly after Wednesday's ADP employment report missed expectations and ahead of Fridays all-important non-farm payrolls.
John Laing Infrastructure Fund has entered into an agreement with Acsa, a member of the Sorigue Group, to acquire an additional 13.5% interest in the Barcelona Metro Stations Line 9 Section II project.

The FTSE 250 infrastructure investment groups existing 40% stake in Section II was bought back in January from a subsidiary of Grupo ACS.

The aggregate consideration for the two investments, which are expected to complete over the coming weeks, is approximately 50m. This will be funded through John Laings currently undrawn 180m multi-currency revolving credit facility.

The company said the acquisitions further consolidate its entry into the Spanish public private partnership market and increase the total number of assets in its portfolio to 60.

Andrew Charlesworth from John Laing Capital Management, investment adviser to John Laing, said: "JLIF is pleased to have furthered its presence in the Spanish market and to have done so via an exclusive process based on a relationship with a co-shareholder.

We would like to thank Acsa for their efforts in reaching this agreement and for ensuring that the transaction completed in an efficient manner."

At 1220 BST, John Laing shares were up 0.8% to 213.70p.
Banking group Old Mutual reported an 80% rise in net client cash flows in its first quarter on Thursday, to 1.8bn, citing its vertically-integrated strategy of owning distribution, an investment platform, discretionary fund management and asset management.

The FTSE 100 group said gross sales increased by 17% during the period, to 5.4bn, primarily driven by strong sales into the investment division and the UK platform.

Funds under management increased by 3% since the start of the year to 107.1bn, which the company put down to the strong net client cash flow growth. UK Platinum funds under management was up to 35.4bn, from 34.5bn at the start of the period, with gross flows of 1.6bn and net flows of 0.7bn.

Old Mutual Global Investors funds under management increased by 5% to 26bn, and Quilter Cheviots funds under management increased to 18bn.

"We have achieved strong net client cash flows notwithstanding the volatile market conditions, said Old Mutual Wealth CEO Paul Feeney.

We have also seen strong pensions sales in Q1 2016 as we continue to benefit from the introduction of pension freedoms in the UK last year."

In a separate announcement, Old Mutuals South African banking subsidiary Nedbank made its last quarterly update, having previously indicated it would end the three-monthly reports in line with decisions made at Old Mutual.

"Nedbank Group's own operations in South Africa and in the Southern Africa Development Community produced a solid performance in line with management's expectations for the first three months of the year, said Nedbank Group CEO Mike Brown.

Brown said net interest income for the period grew at low double-digit levels, supported by continued growth in average interest-earning banking assets. The net interest margin for the period widened slightly from 2015s level of 3.3%, he added.

Nedbanks credit loss ratio increased as expected from the full year 2015 level, but remained within the firms through-the-cycle target range of 60-100 basis points.

Non-interest revenue in the period grew at mid-single digit levels, Brown said, with expenses growing in line with management expectations and continuing to be well-managed.
Heavyweight insurer RSA said first quarter underwriting results were good with operating profits up strongly as a consequence.

Net written premiums were down slightly quarter-on-quarter to 1.57bn from 1.59bn.

Group weather event costs 23m which represents 1.5% of net earned premiums against 2.3% last year and planning assumptions of 3%). The overall group weather ratio was 1.5%, down from 2.6%.

Large losses were 142m, representing 9.5% of net earned premiums against 8.5%. The overall group large loss ratio was 8.5%, up from 2015's 7.5%.

During the first quarter we saw positive prior year profit emergence ahead of planned levels, though likely to remain volatile on a quarterly basis, RSA said.

It added that headline figures benefited from benign weather but underlying results also continue the improving trends visible in 2015.

Insurance market conditions are broadly unchanged from 2015. Slow growth and strong competition drive sharp price/volume trade-offs, in line with our expectations overall, the company said.

Financial market volatility was elevated in Q1. Notable were significant intra-quarter movements in equities and in credit spreads which widened significantly during the first two months, before partially retracting in March (and narrowing further still in April). Government bond yields fell across our core markets.

Sterling depreciated around 7% against our major international currency blocks but has since strengthened somewhat and remains potentially volatile as the UKs EU referendum date comes closer.
Artificial knee and hip maker Smith & Nephew posted a 3% rise in first-quarter revenue, as a solid performance in the US was offset by weakness in China.

For the quarter ended 2 April, revenue nudged up to $1.14bn from $1.10bn in the same period last year, which was below the $1.16bn expected by analysts. On an underlying basis, growth was 4%.

Revenue in the US grew 8%, but emerging markets saw a 6% decline, with double-digit growth in most countries offset by continued weakness in China and a significant slowdown in tendering and sales in oil-dependent Gulf States.

Established Markets saw revenue growth of 6%, which the company said reflected its success in the US and the sustained improvement it has made in Europe.

Revenue in Knee Implants was up 9%, boosted by strong sales of the Journey II Knee System, while Hip Implants saw 4% growth.

Chief executive officer Olivier Bohuon said: Overall, we continue to expect good underlying revenue growth in 2016 as we benefit from our investments in existing businesses, acquisitions and pioneering technologies."
John Wood Group has won a three-year contract extension with Shell to support the oil giant's North Sea offshore operations, which it said would save 500 at-risk jobs in Scotland.

The FTSE 250 group said the contract, which would retain more than 500 jobs, had options for two one-year extensions.

This comes after Wood Group said on Wednesday that it would cut 300 onshore jobs as it opened a period of consultation with 1,000 onshore staff due to cost and efficiency challenges in the industry that saw it cut 8,000 jobs last year.

The company is facing potential strikes from union members who are predicted to reject tougher contract terms that include longer hours and lower pay, with strikes possibly hitting projects across the North Sea including decommissioning work on Shell's giant Brent oilfield.

As part of the new Shell contract Wood's PSN arm (WGPSN) will provide support for Shells eight UKCS offshore assets, with maintenance and construction services for the Shearwater, Gannet, Nelson, Curlew, Brent Delta, Brent Alpha, Brent Bravo and Brent Charlie installations, plus engineering modifications for the latter three platforms.

This contract safeguards long-term employment opportunities for our employees on these assets, and builds on Wood Groups 40 year history working in partnership with Shell in the North Sea," said James Crawford, WGPSNs managing director for the UK and Africa.

"Extending our long-term service provision across this broad portfolio of UKCS offshore assets reflects Shells assurance in our continued high standard of delivery and commitment to working collaboratively."

In March, WGPSN won a new three-year contract to deliver industrial services to the St Fergus gas processing plant and the Mossmorran gas processing plant and Braefoot Bay marine terminal.

In January, the company's Kenny arm began a three-year contract providing specialist consultancy services for flexible riser integrity management prior to and during operation of Shell Australias Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas project.

In February, the company revealed it as it battled to slash costs amid the global slump in commodity prices.

The 20% reduction in Wood's workforce in 2015 included around 2,000 jobs in the UK as well as losses in the US and the Middle East as part of 100m savings eked out of the business.
Liberty Global, the media company that owns Virgin Media in the UK, plans to donate up to 500,000 to the campaign to keep Britain in Europe in one of the largest donations from the corporate sector. The donation, which has to be approved by Liberty Global shareholders, will match the amount already pledged by Goldman Sachs, with a number of other banks also donating lower six-figure amounts.  Financial Times

Uber, the disruptive taxi-booking operator, has recruited a host of senior advisers including former European commissioner Neelie Kroes to help it navigate the myriad political and regulatory roadblocks it faces around the world. Ms Kroes, a former competition and telecoms regulator, was a vocal proponent for Uber while in office and a well-known critic of efforts to ban the company in countries including Germany.  Financial Times

BT is to unveil a multibillion-pound network upgrade programme, including laying ultrafast fibre-optic broadband lines to around two million homes and businesses, The Daily Telegraph can reveal. In the latest phase of its battle against losing control of its network division, Openreach, the telecoms giant's chief executive Gavin Patterson is expected to announce a major boost to its investment plans at a meeting with investors.  Telegraph

Wonga is considering branching out into credit cards as it seeks to move away from its payday lending roots. Credit cards are one product being considered by the companys management team as it seeks to diversify revenue streams away from the business in which it made its name. - Telegraph

Britains leading employers organisation will tell the government on Thursday that it needs to back a new industrial strategy to halt the decline of manufacturing and spread prosperity to the less well-off parts of the country. Carolyn Fairbairn, the director general of the CBI will strongly criticise the lack of preparedness for the crisis that has engulfed the steel industry as she urges ministers to do more to help in three key areas of weakness: skills, energy costs and spending on research and development.  Guardian

The European Commission is likely to block Telefonicas sale of the British telecom business O2 to Hutchison group in Hong Kong due to fears it would inflict higher prices on British consumers, a source told AFP on Wednesday. We expect European competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, to block the sale, said a source close to the matter, indicating that a decision was expected this month.  Guardian

Pension investigators could latch on to the support provided by Sir Philip Green to BHS in the four years before its controversial sale for 1 to force the billionaire businessman to pay millions of pounds to fill a hole in the retailers retirement fund. John Ralfe, an independent pensions expert, said that a move in 2012 by BHS to make an explicit reference in its accounts to the financial support it was receiving from Taveta, the Green familys Jersey-based investment vehicle, could prove vital to legal attempts to force Sir Philip to increase his contribution to the BHS pension fund.  The Times

Executives at Royal Bank of Scotland faced accusations of taking home obscene pay packets and being glorified civil servants at a stormy annual meeting. The session, held at the banks Gogarburn headquarters on the outskirts of Edinburgh, lasted more than two hours as shareholders took turns to grill the board on a variety of issues. There were several questions on pay packages and the closure of branches.  The Times
The FTSE 100 was as quiet as a mouse on Thursday as data showed a slowdown in UK and China services activity growth in April. At 1429 BST the blue chip index was down 0.07% at 6,108.

Centrica was under major pressure after the British Gas owner announced plans to raise around 750m in a placing to fund acquisitions and cut debt. the shares were down almost 12%.

Software company Sage was sitting lower after it reported a drop in first-half pre-tax profit despite a rise in revenue, as it announced an agreement to buy a 20.7% stake in Fairsail.

Smith & Nephew dropped after saying weakness in China offset a solid performance in the US in its first quarter revenue.

BT Group shares were up 3% after the company reported a 9% rise in full year adjusted profits before tax to 3.5bn and a 6% gain in revenue to 18.9bn, boosted by two months' contribution from newly acquired EE.



RSA Insurance jumped after saying first quarter underwriting results were good with operating profits up strongly as a consequence.

Morrisons advanced after reporting a 0.7% rise in first quarter like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, and a 1.2% rise including fuel. It was the second consecutive quarter of positive like-for-like sales growth for the chain, which had been flagging in recent years.

FTSE 100 - Risers

Anglo American (AAL) 663.20p 3.11%

BT Group (BT.A) 452.75p 3.01%

Next (NXT) 5,300.00p 2.91%

BHP Billiton (BLT) 843.40p 2.26%

RSA Insurance Group (RSA) 479.80p 2.19%

Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets (MRW) 190.70p 1.71%

Pearson (PSON) 796.50p 1.53%

Antofagasta (ANTO) 441.40p 1.38%

Glencore (GLEN) 146.85p 1.24%

Imperial Brands (IMB) 3,749.00p 1.05%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Centrica (CNA) 204.00p -11.73%

Inmarsat (ISAT) 876.50p -5.75%

Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 617.50p -4.26%

Sage Group (SGE) 582.50p -3.56%

Smith & Nephew (SN.) 1,128.00p -3.09%

Provident Financial (PFG) 2,867.00p -2.55%

Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 214.30p -2.24%

Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 263.00p -1.79%

ITV (ITV) 221.80p -1.47%

Shire Plc (SHP) 4,049.00p -1.39%
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Ohio students' test scores down in math, reading: 5 takeaways

Reading and math scores for children across Ohio and the country declined significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, new national data show.
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Travel and telecom firms are starting up there, but most exports and other businesses are still prohibited under an embargo Congress passed in 1960 that only Congress can lift.



By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG

AP Business Writer

NEW YORK  The thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations has many small and medium-sized companies thinking about doing business with the nation that has largely been off-limits for more than half a century. Most companies, however, will have to wait.

The Obama administration has taken steps that allow companies in the travel and telecommunications industries to work with Cuba, but most exports and other business contacts remain prohibited under an embargo Congress passed in 1960 in response to Communist rule in Cuba. Because of the embargo, the U.S. exported only $180 million in goods to Cuba last year, most of it agricultural products and medicine. By comparison, exports to nearby El Salvador totaled nearly $3.3 billion. Only Congress can lift the embargo, and it's not known when that might happen  some lawmakers are against ending it because of charges of human rights violations by the Castro government.





. . .
Australian antitrust regulator approves Anheuser Busch - SABMiller merger

The Australian antitrust regulator today approved Anheuser Busch Inbev SA's proposed $104-billion acquisition of smaller rival SABMiller Plc, saying the deal would not adversely affect the local market.

"The ACCC considers that the proposed acquisition is unlikely to result in higher beer prices for consumers," Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman, Rod Sims said in a statement.

But the deal is facing serious problems in the US and the European Union, where US regulators have started phase-two investigations, while the European Commission has said that it will make a decision on 24 May whether to approve the acquisition or take it forward to phase-two review.

AB InBev plans to obtain approval in the first phase itself as the second phase could be time-consuming. Last week, it offered to sell the Central and Eastern European brewing assets of SABMiller worth around $5 to $7 billion.

Last month, AB InBev also agreed to sell Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime European beer brands to Asahi Group Holdings Ltd for $2.9 billion (See: AB InBev accepts 2.55-bn Asahi offer for premium beer brands). The purchase by Asahi, which covers the premium brands and their related businesses in Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and internationally, is conditional on the proposed acquisition going through.

AB InBev, which owns Stella Artois, Budweiser and Corona, has already struck a deal to sell SABMiller's 58-per cent stake in MillerCoors to Molson Coors for $12 billion in order to allay competition concerns in the US.

In China, SABMiller is selling its 49-per cent stake in CR Snow to joint-venture partner China Resources Beer, and agreed to protect South African jobs and create a $69-million fund to support the local beer industry to help seal approval from the South African Competition Commission.
The UK's Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has found the present pricing of fixed broadband ads is likely to confuse and mislead consumers about the cost of broadband services. "[Our] research tested consumers' likely understanding of the presentation of pricing offers in current broadband ads including line rental," the ASA said. "Participants found it difficult to calculate the true cost of a contract when presented with these ads where the different elements  broadband, introductory offer, line rental, contract length and one-off costs  were presented separately and some elements given greater prominence than others." Only 23 per cent of participants were able to correctly work out the total cost per month after the first viewing of the advertisements and 22 per cent of participants failed to correctly identify the total cost per month even after a second viewing of the ad. Finally, 81 per cent of participants were not able to calculate correctly the total cost of a broadband contract when asked to do so. To ensure that broadband companies did not resort to their old ways again, the ASA had set out rules that future broadband ads need to include in their price claims. Broadband providers will need to ensure that: Up-front and monthly costs are stated clearly and without separating out line rental.

Contract length and any post-discount pricing is given greater prominence

Up-front costs should receive greater prominence The new advertising rules would take effect from 31 October. ASA chief executive Guy Parker said, ''We recognise the importance of broadband services to people's lives at work and at home. ''The findings of our research, and other factors we took into account, showed the way prices have been presented in broadband ads is likely to confuse and mislead customers. ''This new tougher approach has been developed to make sure consumers are not misled and get the information they need to make well-informed choices.''










Stating that larger pictorial warnings on tobacco products are ''necessary to educate people'', the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the tobacco companies to implement the rule mandating pictorial health warnings to cover 85 per cent of tobacco product packets and refused the manufacturers' plea to stay the implementation of new cigarette packaging rules introduced from 1 April. The apex court directed tobacco manufacturers to immediately comply with the central government's regulation on increasing the size of health warnings to 85 per cent of the principal display area on packets and follow the rules till the Karnataka High Court, where all the petitions from various high courts are being transferred, pronounced its final order ''Tobacco manufacturers have a duty towards the society bigger pictorial warnings on tobacco products are necessary to educate people. They should know about its effect on health,'' observed a bench of Justice P C Ghose and Amitava Roy. The health ministry's notification on increasing the size of the pictorial warnings from the current 20 per cent to 85 per cent came into force on 1 April. The bench today turned down the manufacturers' plea to stay the implementation of the new cigarette packaging rules. The bench also vacated all the stay orders issued against larger pictorial warnings by any other court in the country and said tobacco manufacturers must abide by the new norms. The bench directed that related petitions in three high courts should be transferred to the Karnataka High Court in two weeks and the matter should be decided in eight weeks. ''We request all the petitioners that till the disposal of matters by the Karnataka High Court, it will be the endeavour of all the parties to implement the rules whatever as amended. This order will not stand in the way of the Karnataka High Court deciding the matter on merit. Any stay granted by any court shall not be implemented until the final order is passed by the Karnataka High Court,'' it said. The court was hearing a plea filed by the Karnataka Beedi Association challenging the notification. Tobacco manufacturers said they cannot show the trademark on packets or advertise due to large pictorial warnings. They also argued that the stipulation was too harsh and was likely to affect their right to carry on trade and business. Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar opposed the grant of any stay, saying the decision has been taken in the larger public interest.








India is not alone in insisting on more prominent graphic warnings on tobacco products. Europe's highest court upheld tough new tobacco rules on Wednesday, finding that the European Union had the legal right to place restrictions on the sale of electronic cigarettes and to adopt rules requiring cigarette packs to carry graphic images of diseased human organs. The ruling by the European Court of Justice came on the same day that India's Supreme Court ordered implementation of a rule that health warnings must cover 85 per cent of tobacco product packages (SC says 85% warning on tobacco packages a must) The new EU rules take effect this month, although the union's 28 member countries have some leeway in how to adopt the measures, which also include a ban on menthol cigarettes. Although the court ruling cannot be appealed, the tobacco industry, which lobbied against the rules before the European Union voted them into law in 2014, indicated on Wednesday that it would continue to seek to overturn some of the specific elements, including rules meant to remove the marketing allure from cigarette packaging. Resistance could prove difficult, though, because the court ruled in favour of the tobacco law on all counts. The European Court of Justice, based in Luxembourg, had been asked by Poland, Romania and several English courts to determine whether the 2014 legislation, which updated rules for the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes, was lawful. ''The new EU directive on tobacco products is valid,'' the court found. ''The extensive standardization of packaging, the future EU-wide prohibition on menthol cigarettes and the special rules for electronic cigarettes are lawful.'' The Court of Justice interprets European Union law to ensure it is applied evenly across the bloc, and it settles disputes brought by claimants who believe the bloc's laws have violated their rights. Poland, which has one of the world's highest rates of menthol cigarette consumption, had argued that the rules were unfair to its smokers, and Romania supported its challenge. The tobacco industry, led by Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, had challenged plain-packaging rules in Britain, where the courts passed the matter to the Court of Justice. The court found that the 2014 tobacco law was meant to ''facilitate the smooth functioning of the internal market'' in Europe, while providing a high standard of protection for human health. The court also noted that such regulation was necessary under Europe's international treaty obligations as a party to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The court ruled that the European Union had not overstepped its bounds in limiting the nicotine content of e-cigarettes to 20 per cent of the liquid that is used in them and imposing bans on e-cigarette advertising similar to those affecting traditional tobacco products. The court noted that the new regulatory system for e-cigarettes is, in fact, less strict than that governing tobacco. Totally Wicked, a British maker of electronic cigarettes, had challenged the European regulations, arguing in part that vaping - as use of e-cigarettes is known - is safer than smoking. That argument recently received support in Britain from the Royal College of Physicians. Totally Wicked said in a statement after Wednesday's court ruling that the new regulations would ''adversely impact the availability of good quality electronic cigarettes and e-liquids, and jeopardize the life-changing potential of vaping, resulting in a major detrimental impact on the public health of millions of people across the EU.'' In the United States, e-cigarettes are now a multibillion-dollar market. They have gained popularity faster than the federal government has managed to regulate them. In 2014, the Food and Drug Administration proposed ways to bring them under federal oversight, including banning their sale to people under 18, but has not yet published final rules that would put the measures into practice.








Historian and historical author Liam O Duibhir from Letterkenny has written extensively on Irish republican history of the 20th century and the role of Donegal people in that story.

As part of the continuing commemoration of the centenary year of the 1916 Easter Rising, Liam has written for the Donegal Democrat/Donegal Peoples Press of the remarkable events of 1916 and the part that Donegal and Donegal people played in them.

Donegal and 1916 will be serialised in the Donegal Peoples Press over the next six weeks.

Donegal and 1916

Rising leaders call on Donegal

At the turn of the 20th century, Ireland witnessed the changing tide of political thinking, a thinking that had moved away from the bread crumb pledges of Home Rule from successive British governments to the aspirations of the separatist political and military movements.

The period saw the Dungannon Clubs, Sinn Fein, Inghinidhe na hEireann and later, the Irish Volunteers. Sinn Fein had the objective of advocating for dual monarchy whereas the Dungannon Clubs promoted an independent Irish Republic.

Strategically infiltrating and directing the separatist movements was the Irish Republican Brotherhood. whose sole objective was to end British rule in Ireland through physical force resistance. The dual monarchy notion as devised by Arthur Griffith and part of the original Sinn Fein policy was that an independent Irish parliament might make it possible for the unionists of the north eastern counties to give their allegiance to a parliament in Dublin.

The IRB members throughout the country, and particularly in County Donegal, endeavoured to instil, firstly in the separatist movements and in the communities, their primary objective of launching an uprising against the British establishment in Ireland.

The formation of the Irish Volunteers in 1913, in response to the earlier formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force as an armed unionist force to resist the introduction of Home Rule, would serve as the military force in the Irish Republican Brotherhoods (IRB) plan to strike against the British.

The IRBs connection with County Donegal and ultimately Donegals connection with the 1916 Rising can be traced to the organising tour of Padraig Pearse in early 1914. Pearse had been a regular visitor to the county for various reasons and he also had relatives living in the Fanad area. His last visit was part of the IRBs campaign to organise the Irish Volunteers. He was invited to the county by John E. Boyle and John Sweeney to address a meeting as part of his organising tour.

At Dungloe on 1st of February 1914, while referring to the British declaration issued against the importation of arms, he said: As far as I am concerned this was only waste paper. It was illegal, but whether legal or not it could not prevent the Volunteers getting arms when Volunteers were sufficiently drilled and ready to use them. The British government dare not stop them and if the Tories who had been backing up Carson were in power, did anyone mean to say that in face of Unionist actions now they would dare to prevent Irishmen securing arms? If they did, what would the answer be? It would be such an answer as would become Irishmens to give. A splendid opportunity was given to Irishmen now to realise themselves as men, and they could not call themselves men if they were not able, if need be, to fight in defence of their manhood, in defence of their homes, their women and children, in defence of their rights  it was their right as it was their duty, to arms in defence of their country.

True, there was only four million of a population, but no power on earth could prevent them arming . It would be for them to see that no section of Irishmen was oppressed in North East Ulster. They did not want to proscribe Protestants or Unionist in Ireland. We claim freedom and we will accord it to everyone. If the freedom of any one section was threatened by whomever, it would be for the rest of Ireland to rise in the defence of that section.

McDonagh in Ballyliffin

Thomas McDonagh, another member of the IRB Military Council and a member of the Irish Volunteer leaders, visited Donegal in April 1914 and addressed a meeting on Cruckaughrim Hill, Ballyliffin in Inishowen.

A large crowd travelled from Derry for the meeting and the people of Inishowen were there in their thousands. Speaking on the subject of the Volunteer Movement he said: .it meant that they could no longer go untrained in the use of arms and unable to defend their own territories in the case of necessity. It meant that they must have in Ireland a party trained, disciplined and efficient, necessary to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to all the people of Ireland  For the past hundred years the Irish people had not been trained to the use of arms.

For a long time they had been submitting their case to the Imperial Parliament, but they felt that for certain very grave reasons it was time that the Irish people should now be able to enforce their claims if necessary by the use of arms ..when certain things had passed  as they would  they would have a strong citizen army, which would be able to fight on all occasions, not for one party or another, not for one country or another but always for Ireland. It was likely that conscription might become necessary for the British Empire in a very short time. Thousands left Austria every year to avoid conscription.

How many young men would leave Ireland? If any did it would be the worst sort of emigration, but this organisation would prevent both these things happening. The Irish people would be able henceforth to hold their country for Irishmen. By becoming Volunteers they would not be joining the British army in any shape. The Irish Volunteers would be the army of Ireland and would receive commands only from Irishmen.

He was not talking politics, he was not saying what their ultimate national destiny would be  that would be for the people of Ireland to choose. He called on them to insist henceforth on the Irish question being: What is best for Ireland and what amount of interference we shall allow in our affairs? . the Volunteers believed that with this weapon in their hands they would be able to do their duty to their country in the best way. He concluded by giving details as to the formation of companies, drill practice, etc.

After Thomas McDonagh and Padraig Pearses visit to the county, the Volunteer organisation began to proceed with more enthusiasm.
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.
Ronald Moede was born on December 21, 1934, in Rio Creek, WI. The son of the late Fred and Emily (Hanamann) Moede, he married Bonnie Neinas in Brussels on June 4, 1960, and they were married for 62+ years. He was a life-long resident of Rio Creek and was an innovative dairy farmer. He owned and managed a large dairy operation, Meade Manor Farms, which had been homesteaded by his grandfather, August Moede, in 1895. The log cabin home, barn, and herd grew to become one of the larger dairy farms in Kewaunee County under his guidance. Upon his retirement, it evolved into Meade Manor Pet Clinic, a vet service for small animals, but the land continued to flourish and produce. Ron graduated from Casco High School, Class of 1952 and Graham School for Cattlemen, Kansas. He was a member of the Wisconsin Holstein Breeders, Kewaunee County Holstein Breeders, and the National Holstein

Association. He was a charter member of the Algoma FFA Alumni. His family exhibited champion dairy cattle at local, state, and national dairy cattle shows. In 1984, in Madison, the Wisconsin FFA named him Outstanding Farmer and in 1995, he was named and honored at the Wisconsin State Fair as a Century Farmer. He served as an elder in his church for many years as well as a trustee and various committee appointments. In his younger days, he was active in dartball and also high school sports. He received the Algoma Honorary Chapter Farmer Award, and the Unified Board Business Award. In his retirement, he drove school bus for 15 years for the Algoma School District and was a member of the Great Lakes Sports Fishermen. A hobby later enjoyed was his chicken farming. He raised a small flock of chicken, and he enjoyed passing out extra eggs to friends and relatives when the supply was greater than the family could handle. He was an avid sports fan and he and Bonnie attended both Packers Super Bowl games in 1996 and 1997, and also the Milwaukee World Series in 1983. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, both here and in upper Michigan and Minnesota. He even got Bonnie to go along with him to Lake of the Woods on the Canadian border to do some ice fishing. He held Packers season tickets since 1960 and at the time they bought their tickets they were allowed to pick out where they wanted to sit on the sidelines --there were no end zone seats yet-- and the tickets cost $5.00 a piece! He traveled through most of the U.S. including Alaska and Hawaii as well as traveling to the Caribbean and Europe. He enjoyed a summer place in Door County for 20 years. He told many stories of farming with his dad and the fact that at the age of 12, he had his own team of horses to work with on the farm. Responsibility came early as he was left in charge whenever it was necessary for his parents to be gone for a few days. He learned to drive a truck at an early age and often drove himself to school in 8th grade and parked the vehicle a few doors down at a relatives. This was because chores need to be done before and after school. The first tractor purchased was in 1937. In his retirement, he had it restored and displayed in local fairs and tractor shows. He would tell of shocking grain and threshing crews traveling from neighbor to neighbor and the wonderful table his mother would set full of food. A vivid memory was the day WWII ended. The whole neighborhood and working crew quit in the early afternoon (unheard of) and celebrated With beer and music! Even the clergy arrived and joined in. It was a day to remember! In his lifetime he went from horses and the depression, to the digital age and unimagined luxuries. There was no electricity and no running water in his youth and now he had wireless phones, computer screens in his vehicles, along with heated steering wheels and heated seats. Who would have thought that back then.

Ron is survived by his wife Bonnie; son Robert (Debbie Harms) Moede; grandson Michael and granddaughter Megan; siblings, Terry (Jane) Moede, Paul (Roxie) Moede; sisters-in-law, Diane Fontaine, Sheila (Don) Baudhuin; and brothers in-law, Dan (Mary) Neinas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Emily Moede; sister, Marilyn (Arno) Schneider; father- and mother-in-law, Herman and Madeline Neinas, and brother-in-law, Gary Fontaine.

Visitation will be held at Kinnard Funeral & Cremation Services  Algoma, on Friday, October 7, 2022, from 4-7:30 pm with a prayer service at 6:30. Visitation will continue on Saturday, October 8th at St. Johns Lutheran Church  Rankin, from 9-11:00 am. Funeral service will be held at 11:00 am with Dr. Rev. Christopher Jackson officiating. Burial to follow in Evergreen Cemetery. Online condolence message may be shared at KinnardFCS.com. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Kewaunee County 4-H Dairy Fund and the Projection Screen Fund at St. Johns- Rankin.
Local efforts to place gas tax increase proposals on the November ballot in three Wiregrass counties died with the end of the regular session in the Alabama Legislature Wednesday night, but Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver said the effort could be revived if a special session is called.

It all depends on the timing, Culver said Thursday after the commissions administrative meeting.

There is no guarantee a special session will be called. However, a $500 million-$800 million prison construction bill died Wednesday night as well, along with a bill that would allocate money from the BP oil spill settlement. Gov. Robert Bentley could call a special session to deal with the failed bills.

Culver said the commissions decision to push for a local constitutional amendment during a special session would depend on when the session takes place, if one takes place at all.

It would have to be done in time to get it on the November ballot, because we dont want to have a special election for it, Culver said.

Similar bills in Geneva and Dale counties failed as well.

Dale County Commission Chairman Mark Blankenship said it would be in the best interest of all counties to coordinate efforts on local initiatives during a special session. Tax increase proposals of differing amounts could cause residents to travel across county lines to shop for the cheapest price.

Houston Countys proposal called for a countywide referendum that, if approved, would impose an increase of four cents per gallon to the local gas tax. The Dale County proposal calls for a five-cent per gallon tax increase in Dale County, with the exception of Ozark where an additional 3-cent tax would be levied. Ozark passed its own four-cent gas tax increase recently, increasing the local gas tax there to six cents. The Geneva County increase would be up to five cents per gallon, and would be reduced to two cents per gallon if a state gas tax increase is passed within four years.

Culver said there could be interest in reviving a state gas tax increase in a possible special session. The bill failed to gain traction in the regular legislative session. Houston Countys initiative in the regular session called for three cents of the tax to sunset if a state tax increase was passed within four years.

Thats really where it needs to be done  at the state level -- because roads are in poor shape everywhere, Culver said.
Nearly a dozen women convicted of felony crimes in Houston County will now have an unrestricted facility to call home in an effort to help them transition back into society.

Houston County Circuit Judge Michael Conaway said the launching of the New Bridges program will provide a transitional living environment for women.

Conaway called the New Bridges program a partnership between the Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center Inc. (WRC), the Houston County Community Corrections program, several local foundations and multiple private donors who helped get the program started.

We have a number of offenders who are women who are not a threat to society and need rehabilitation, Conaway said.

Tony Weber, the director of the Houston County Community Corrections program, said seven women have already been accepted into the program, and officials hope to have them placed and living in the facility by the end of the month.

Weber said the New Bridges facility, which will house 11 women with the capacity of double that number, is located behind the WRC complex facility in east Dothan, just outside Ross Clark Circle. He said the program is supervised by officials with community corrections, but the women live in an unlocked building.

Weber said all the women accepted into the program will come from community corrections and will already have a job. He said the women will also pay rent for living at the facility.

In order for them to be in the program, theyre going to have to work, Weber said. Theyre going to have to contribute to their own well being.

Weber said there is a handbook put together through the National Institute of Corrections, along with a code of conduct for the women to follow in the program.

Dr. Jack Sasser, the New Bridges project manager, said one of the rules includes keep your hands to yourself.

The entire therapy program will help them see things differently, Sasser said. Maybe they wont see stealing as the answer.

Weber said they will have classes offered on site at the facility offered through Wallace Community College.

The program calls for a house mother, who he said has already been chosen. He said she is a state department of corrections inmate assigned to the Houston County Community Corrections program.

She has no family here so she is perfect for this program, Weber said. Weve got a room here for her, and space for one more (person) she can mentor too.

Each room comes furnished with a dresser and bed with a full bathroom shared by two rooms.

We provide the bedding, all they have to do is provide a pillow, Weber said.

The building also includes a classroom and living room area with a flat screen television. The women will also share and cook out of one kitchen in the center of the single-story building.

Were not allowing any food in the bedrooms, he said. It cuts down on bugs, and it teaches them to be responsible.

The target time period for the women in the program is 11 months and 29 days, Weber said. He said anything beyond a year leads to people becoming dependent on the program.

Theyre not going to just come in and have it be like a sorority house, Weber said. Theyre going to be guests in our house, and theyre going to treat it that way.

Recidivism

Conaway, the programs judicial advisor, said programs such as New Bridges coordinated through community corrections help reduce recidivism, or repeat offenders. He said 35 percent of all inmates who leave prison in Alabama become repeat offenders.

We dont want them going back out into the community and committing the same type of crimes, Conaway said. Were looking at a whole different way of trying to improve corrections.

Weber called the Houston County Community Corrections work release program the largest in Alabama, which he said means it has the largest bed capacity. As of Wednesday afternoon he said there were 111 men and women in the community corrections program. But he said it has a bed capacity for 190. He said of the 111 in community corrections, 33 are women.

Conaway said there needs to be constructive programs in place to assist the inmates in rehabilitation.

Weber said the National Institute of Corrections provided the model and guideline for the New Bridges program. He said the nearest one is in Jacksonville, Florida.

Conaway said New Bridges was selected as a pilot program, and is the first of its kind in Alabama.

It gives us an opportunity to be more closely involved in making sure these people are rehabilitated, Conaway said. We are trying to protect the general public. If offenders are released from prison without any structure, theyre going to reoffend.

Conaway said the program helps teach the women life skills such as planning meals or how to use money wisely, including budgeting.

This is not a program to mollycoddle them, Conaway said. Each one of these potential occupants will be assessed by community corrections to make sure they fit. Its designed to help them transition back into society.
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A strong performance from Corona in Mexico failed to counter macroeconomic challenges in Brazil, as ABInbevs volume sales dropped 1.4% in Q1.

Revenue however, grew for the group, by 3.1% during the quarter and its global brands Corona, Stella Artois and Budweiser collectively grew 5.9%.

Corona grew revenues 22% in Q1, driven by Mexico, Chile, China and the UK, while Budweiser inched 0.6%, held back by softness in the US and China, and Stella Artois declined 2% due to the timing of shipments in the US.

The groups reporting statement read: In the US, industry volumes grew by 0.7% in the quarter, with our own sales-to-retailers (STRs) down by 0.3%, after adjustment for one extra selling day in 1Q16. Michelob Ultra and our high end brands delivered strong growth, while Bud Light volume trends also improved during the quarter.

Mexico delivered strong volume growth of 13.0%, driven by good economic fundamentals, our own commercial initiatives, the benefit of an earlier Easter compared to 2015, and a favorable 1Q15 comparable.

Our beer volumes in Brazil declined by 10.0%, due to a tough comparable, driven mainly by a very challenging macroeconomic environment in comparison to the first quarter last year. This weak start to the year was anticipated, and we are retaining our guidance for net revenues in Brazil to grow by mid to high single digits in the full year. Our beer volume trends in April are particularly encouraging, trending significantly better compared to the first quarter of this year.

Industry volumes in China remain under pressure, declining by approximately 4% in the quarter. However, our own volumes continue to perform ahead of the industry, declining by 1.1% in the quarter, helped by our focus on the Core Plus, Premium and Super Premium segments.

The merger with SABMiller is expected to close in the second half of 2016.
Good news millionaire Ferrari owners: the Italian brand will build the LaFerrari Spider.

Fiat Chrysler CEO and Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne has confirmed an open-topped version of the hybrid V12 hypercar is on the way, saying "the only future product connected to LaFerrari is the Spider. Which is no secret since potential customers have already been approached."

Very little is expected to change technically with the car, with the missing roof the likely biggest difference based on a leaked image of an illustration that surfaced on the internet recently.

The confirmation of the car was Marchionne's first major act as Ferrari's new CEO, taking over this week following the retirement of previous CEO Amedeo Felisa after 26 years with the company.

In a wide-ranging interview with Automobile magazine, the busy 63-year-old also spoke openly about the proposed Dino V6 model. Already announced as the brand's future entry-level model, Marchionne admitted the company is still working out the details of the car.

"We normally don't talk about these things," he said. "But let me ask you: Where should that Dino be positioned? How much should it cost? How would it relate to the next 488? What is the right balance between too many and not enough units? We haven't found answers to these questions yet."

Marchionne first revealed in 2015 that the Dino name will return for the first time since 1973 with a version of the Ferrari-designed 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine already used by Maserati and the forthcoming Alfa Romeo Giulia QV.

The Dino would expand the current Ferrari range which includes the V8-powered California T and 488 GTB/Spider and the V12 engined F12 TdF and GTC4Lusso.

Click here for all the latest Ferrari news and reviews
Google has officially entered the automotive industry.

The technology giant has announced a new partnership with Fiat Chrysler Group (FCA) to build a fleet of self-driving people movers. The deal marks a dramatic expansion of Google's in-house autonomous driving technology program as it is the first time the company will work directly with a car maker to integrate its sensors and software into a mass produced vehicle.

Up until now Google has worked on its own, modifying commercially purchased vehicles and had a small fleet of purpose-built driverless cars created that featured no conventional controls, such as a steering wheel and pedals.

The new partnership with FCA will see a fleet of approximately 100 self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid people movers built and tested both on private tracks and the public road.

"FCA has a nimble and experienced engineering team and the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is well-suited for Google's self-driving technology," said John Krafcik, CEO of Google's Self-Driving Car Project.

"The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive."

The deal is boost for FCA too, with its CEO Sergio Marchionne making no secret of his interest in partnering with technology companies to make its cars more appealing to buyers without the expense of investing in its own autonomous vehicle project.

"Working with Google provides an opportunity for FCA to partner with one of the world's leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry," said Marchionne.

"The experience both companies gain will be fundamental to delivering automotive technology solutions that ultimately have far-reaching consumer benefits."

Speaking to Automobile magazine this week, Marchionne outlined his vision for working with companies like Google, Apple and Uber. The latter could be a key for the Google-FCA partnership with both tech giants openly discussing a future where autonomous people movers act as a public transport alternative.

"My approach is to be completely open to technology," Marchionne told Automobile.

"I think the next paradigm of this business is a paradigm that involves the cooperation for technology with the disruptors. Google is one. Apple is another, even Uber. It's all about access to the complete information on what people do in the car. That's when the consumer has time on hand and the business case blossoms.

"The key is to find a way in which we can coexist with the disruptors and bring our set of skills to the table. Speed is essential here. We must establish a link ASAP, must talk to the big players, the newcomers, and the underdogs, everybody.

"The goal is job sharing on a high level. We build the cars, they build the technology that goes into them. Ideally, I can take this technology and use it across my other brands."

Click here for all the latest Chrysler news and reviews

Click here for all the latest Fiat news and reviews
Nissan has unveiled the production version of its Kicks compact SUV.

The Japanese brand has slated the Kicks to be offered only in Latin American markets in 2016, with plans to expand to 80 international markets further down the line.

A Nissan Australia spokesman said that no decision has been made on the Kicks for local sales, but that it hasn't been ruled out for Australia yet.

The Kicks features Nissan's current design language with the V-motion grille, Boomerang head and taillights and a floating roof.

Its dimensions are also slightly larger than the sporty looking Juke but smaller than the Qashqai.

With Nissan stating that the new compact SUV will be a global car, it further muddles the waters of the brand's SUV line-up, adding a third model to ground already occupied by the Juke and Qashqai.

It may be possible that it will be used as an entry-level model to undercut the likes of the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V.
The Dundalk and District Old IRA Committee held their annual Mass in St Marys

Church, Knockbridge on Sunday 24 April. After Mass there was a parade to the Republican Plot with a large crowd in attendance for the official unveiling of a new plaque.

A wreath was then laid followed by a decade of the Rosary in Irish. There was then an oration followed by a reading of Francis Ledwidge lament for Thomas MacDonagh.

After the Proclamation was read the last post was played and the flags were lowered. The ceremony concluded with the National Anthem.

Mrs Mary McCann, daughter of Patrick Hughes, commander of the Louth Volunteers in 1916 and later Officer in Command with the IRA during the War of Independence, unveiled the new plaque.

This is an annual ceremony and Mass held in Knockbridge and this years event took place after the Easter Rising centenary commemorations in Dundalk.

We decided some time ago that we would erect a new plaque at the cemetery, said Fianna Fail councillor Conor Keelan.

We asked Mrs McCann if she would unveil the plaque and she kindly agreed. We thought it was fitting given that her father is buried there.

When the Rising broke out in April 1916 there were 200 hundred volunteers in Louth.

The execution of the rebels shocked people and by July 1916 Sinn Fein support had grown in Louth.

The volunteers were re-organised. In April 1917 three volunteer companies were formed in Dundalk.

The Rising was condemned in the local press, in the local churches, and by the local politicians. The hostile reaction must be placed in the context of the terrible losses being suffered in the war in Europe. By the end of May 1916 over 300 Louthmen had been killed, probably over 1,000 wounded.
A recent event at Airbound Trampoline Park, Dundalk, in aid of Irish Autism Action attracted tremendous local support as part of Autism Awareness month.

On the day, hundreds of guests attended the open day to support the charity and also to learn more about the facilities on offer at Airbound.

The CEO of Irish Autism Action, Kevin Whelan attended the event along with Niall Murphy, the information officer for the organisation. Niall spoke about the day saying, It was a great success and fun was had by all. We were delighted with the turnout, and the support from the Dundalk community was outstanding.

Local TD and member of the Oireachtas Health Committee, Peter Fitzpatrick also attended the event and said Autism is a serious issue worldwide, and I encourage everyone to give as much support as possible to Irish Autism Action. I applaud the great awareness created by the event today.

Autism Awareness Month took place this April with events have being held throughout Ireland in aid of Irish Autism Action, including Blue Nose Day.

These events have generated greater awareness and much needed funds in support of the cause.

The Airbound Trampoline Park staff want to continue to educate their community about all aspects of trampolining including the benefits it has for people with Autism, as well as a brand new way of exercising and getting fit.

Airbound is also the perfect venue for kids parties, and even Hen and Stag events. For more information, please visit the Airbound Facebook page

For further information on Irish Autism Action, please visit www.autismireland.ie
There is a very unsettling feeling in our national parliament. Its a feeling similar to six years ago when the country was on the precipice of a national disaster. You had a sense then of walking on a ledge, a tangible sense of history, that things could go either way. Its a similar feeling now, not because its so dangerous, but intangible, as if there is no sense of direction.

That was Eamon Ryan speaking in the Town Hall in Dundalk last week. He had just come from Dail Eireann to address a meeting on Brexit and the threat it can pose for us here in the Republic.

He had been delayed. Stuck in the Port Tunnel. The Dail has been stuck for 60 days. Is there light at the end?

Mr Ryan believed that all sides have been genuine in the talks on trying to establish and support a government that would work, but we have tripped ourselves up over water charges he said.

And speaking on the referendum across the water, he said he does not believe that Britains exit from the EU would work and his argument was not one of self interest.

He believes that if we all look at the bigger picture, we can see that isolationism is not possible in the world as it is today.

If Britain goes, Mr Ryan said, it will stoke the nationalism we see in Europe at the moment in countries like Hungary and Poland.

He believes that Britain has a choice between reverting to the old empire illusion or continuing with its international responsibility.

One example he gave was the manner in which the EU has handled or mishandled the refugee crisis.

He pointed out that we are consuming energy that isnt sustainable and the resulting climate change is collapsing economies in many parts of the world. The refugee crisis is not just about Syria. People are fleeing famine and drought in countries as far off as Pakistan and the only way to manage the problem in the long sustainable term is by collaborating economically.

And how did the EU respond to the refugee crisis, to the tens of thousand of migrants still coming or trying to come to Europe?

There were individual responses, such as that of Germany, but no united response.

The EU works when it works as a union, Mr Ryan said. I want a union and one threat to that union is Britain leaving.

If Brexit doesnt happen we have a responsibility to say we are in this union together. We can persuade them not to go, but that does not mean we just keep the status quo.

This is the bigger picture that he is looking towards and what he meant when he said that coming to Dundalk straight from the Dail he was concerned that people were not looking at the bigger picture and that we had tripped ourselves up over water charges.

And it was noticeable that he said we, for as Green Party councillor Mark Dearey, who organised the meeting said, this was a key civic meeting about the issues around our relationship with Europe and Britain. It got a good airing. People of all political hues were there, a sign that open debate is possible.

This meeting was a welcome reprieve from the childish slagging of opposing political views that often happens in debates, especially in the Dail. Its nobodys fault. It has just become the norm. But people confuse that type of engagement with good political debate.

More often than not it simply provides poor pantomime.

Cllr Dearey pointed out that this meeting on Brexit was the first political debate in the Town Hall since 1982.

It is primary a discussion and dialogue, he said at the beginning, and I hope the Town Hall will be filled with political debate in times ahead.

Cllr Dearey said he does not see the EU as by any means perfect and that Brexit has set off alarm bells throughout Europe.

He believes that the EU needs reform but, like party leader Eamon Ryan, he knows that reform comes from the inside.

When Eamon Ryan said that we should persuade Britain not to leave and stressed that this did not mean we keep the status quo, he too was talking about changing our views about ourselves, Europe, and all our international responsibilities.

About light at the end of the tunnel.
Sinn Fein Cllr Tomas Sharkey labeled Gerry Adams use of the N-word on Twitter as 'wrong' and said he hopes it doesn't distract from his party's work on behalf of its constituents.

Cllr Sharkey comments come following Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams use of the N-word in a tweet on Sunday night, which has caused a huge furore online and made headlines around the world.

Cllr Sharkey said: "The tweet was wrong. Gerry should not have made the remark in a tweet that cannot offer the context or irony that he intended.

There are many important matters in Ireland that need to be discussed in public. I hope this episode does not distract from our work on behalf of our constituents."

Adams has defended his use of the N-word, saying the comment was ironic and taken out of context.

Deputy Adams was watching the Quentin Tarantino movie about slavery - Django Unchained - when he tweeted:Watching Django Unchained- A Ballymurphy N-r!

The tweet was deleted and he released a statement later that evening, before releasing a second statement yesterday (Monday)

"Django Unchained is a powerful film which highlights the injustices suffered by African Americans through its main character Django.

"In my tweets I described him as a Ballymurphy n and an uppity Fenian.

"I have acknowledged that the use of the n-word was inappropriate. That is why I deleted the tweet.

"I apologise for any offence caused. I stand over the context and main point of my tweet about the Django which were the parallels between people in struggle.

"Like African Americans Irish nationalists were denied basic rights. The penal laws, Cromwells regime, and partition are evidence of that.

"In our own time, like African Americans nationalists in the north, including those from Ballymurphy and west Belfast, were denied the right to vote; the right to work; the right to a home; and were subject to draconian laws.
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Jane Corwin



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ALBANY -- With less than two dozen regularly-scheduled legislative session days remaining, Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, R-Clarence, reiterated her call that legislative leaders focus their priorities on enacting meaningful ethics and legislative reforms.Tuesday, former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for public corruption and two other former leaders of the state Senate have public corruption sentencing dates scheduled for later this month.As New Yorkers continue to learn from the media, the culture of corruption in New York politics runs deep. Our job as elected representatives is to serve our constituents  not ourselves and there are too many high-level key players in our state who have been turning the other cheek to the corruption and dysfunction for far too long, said Corwin. We are in the second half of this years session and with only 21 days remaining, we are rapidly running out of time to pass the meaningful reforms that the citizens of this state want to see and deserve. We need reform now.Corwin said the top reform initiative she wants enacted this year is pension forfeiture for corrupt public officials. It is unacceptable that over a year has gone by since a three-way leadership agreement was announced and yet no law exists. Without enacting the strongest deterrents, Albanys three men continue to send the message across New York that they accept the status quo. I do not accept it. Neither does Western New York or the majority of taxpayers across the state, she said. In fact, this week a Siena Research Institute poll showed that 97 percent of New Yorkers want the governor and state Legislature to enact reforms like pension forfeiture and term limits this year.Corwin would also like to see an effort to increase transparency in state spending, particularly as it relates to future budget negotiations. She said, Part of the reason New Yorkers are skeptical about how the state is spending their hard-earned tax dollars is that it is consistently done by three men in a room in secret, with no transparency or time for the media, public or even rank-and-file lawmakers to review the details and read the fine print. While proposals like the Buffalo Billion were certainly welcome to our local economy, the plan was concocted behind closed doors by Albanys three men  two of whom have now been found guilty on other public corruption charges. Whether or not the Buffalo Billion was doled out illegally, the program and reputation of our state are now further tarnished and bring very serious questions about how and why key players continue to turn the other cheek when it comes to reform. This must be changed in order to protect the public trust and their investment in making New York their home and place of business.
Tabitha Longfield



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TOWN OF LOCKPORT -- A 31-year-old Lockport woman was charged Tuesday with petit larceny, accused of stealing from Walmart.According to New York State Police, Tabitha Longfield was charged following a criminal investigation. She was processed and released on an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Lockport Court.


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Local churches in Lockport are inviting the public to join in a National Day of Prayer observance at 6:30 p.m. to be held in the Council Chambers at One Locks Plaza.The purpose is to encourage prayer on behalf of all elected and public officials who determine public policy and make decisions affecting everyone. The National Day of Prayer "represents a Judeo-Christian expression of the national observance, based on an under-standing that this country was birthed in prayer and reverence for the God of the Bible," according to organizers.The event will include an Honor Guard, the Pledge of Allegiance, singing of the National Anthem and several segments of prayer led by local pastors. Prayer will be focused on the upcoming National Elections, elected leaders and officials in the City, Town and County, First Responders, Military Personnel, Local Businesses and Families in our community. The event will close with the singing of America the Beautiful.The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting everyone to pray for the nation. It was adopted in its present form in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. More recently, members of the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a resolution in 2014, reaffirming the vital role prayer has played in strengthening the fabric of our Nation throughout its more than 200-year history.Many Lockport City and Town officials, as well as Niagara County officials, have indicated they will be in attendance.For more information, visit http://nationaldayofprayer.org
I read with great interest Eclectablog founder and editor Chris Savages interview with American Federation of Teachers national president Randy Weingarten yesterday and it set in motion the vast array of anger am feeling about how the Michigan State House of Representatives have devolved into hate-filled racists who no longer attempt to hide their disdain for the Detroit Public Schools, the children that attend them and the state-appointed Emergency Managers who created the debt and decay that has ensued, not to mention the teachers, and thats just for starters.

The Republican-controlled legislature have given in to the will of the lobbying group Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP). GLEP is financed by Michigan billionaire Dick DeVos who has been trying to buy public education for years in order to turn it into his own private funnel for taxpayer dollars to line his pockets (perhaps as a way of protecting his wealth just in case Amway is ever shut down for illegal practices  just a thought.)

The bipartisan legislation that was passed in the Michigan Senate a short while back was not perfect in any way, but it clearly addressed the needs of the district, the amassed debt of close to a billion dollars, and it provided for the children. You do remember the children, right?

Sadly, dishearteningly, the Senate version of this bill  a bill pounded out with a bigger picture in mind  created some democracy for Detroiters who do not want to have to and have not abandoned the city, and the Senate bill provided a path to a healthy and healing learning environment for the children. You do remember the children, right?

Oh, and it also protected the teachers and provided some level of comfort that they will be paid for the work they do and allowed them an opportunity to actually go to work to do what they were hired to do: teach!

The House version ignores the very basic tenets of education, ignores the debt the state created, insults the children, parents and community members who have been fighting for equality for so long now, and it goes one step further by elevating their legislation (or perhaps the better word is suffocating) to a point that it takes away union protections for teachers, forces them to reapply for the jobs they currently hold, rips democracy from the community to elect a school board, allows a de facto Emergency Manager to hire a Superintendent, severely UNDERFUNDS the money needed to eliminate the state-imposed debt of the DPS, and vastly ignores the lack of tools, textbooks, and technologies that will help make these deserving children competitive in a future world; something they have a constitutional right to. You do remember the children, right?

And speaking of the state constitution, which does NOT allow the state to allocate monies for private schools, they are once again ignoring the constitution and giving $5 million to private schools as well. Could the DPS make some improvements with $5 million?

When lawmakers do not take responsibility for what they create and when they ignore the reality of what they have a constitutional responsibility to address for ALL of the states schoolchildren, this isnt just about posturing or sending a message. What it really is is a direct and incontrovertible truth that if you send your children to school in Detroit and you support public education in Detroit the chance of your children having access to quality outcomes disappears with the bill they passed last night along party lines. With that passage, the hope many thought was coming was eliminated in a heartbeat and the House Republicans could care less.

I hate to be negative and I get tired, as many do, of having to deal with the ongoing onslaught of GOP lawmakers continuing on a path of destruction for our children. With organizations like the Mackinac Center for Public Policy continuing to publish lies and bend truth to suit their point of view, it seems clear that the children in Detroit, especially in the public educations system, are, in the eyes of the GOP, part of the problem. They appear to believe that if we privatized all of Detroit education opportunities, well, things would be so much better. They believe this even in the face of studies that show the abject failure of for-profit charter schools, the Education Achievement Authority, and virtual schools, none of which are transparent or held accountable and which put profit before the children. It is a sham and evil at its core.

What the House GOP did yesterday should be seen as a scandal. What they did yesterday should be a national outrage. What they did yesterday reinforces the reality that their dehumanizing tendencies are stronger and more brazen than ever. It is a reminder that they will continue on this path and expedite other hate-filled and inhumane legislation as the new election season is upon us.

Democrats who currently serve this state are ALL outraged by what the House GOP did yesterday to the Detroit Public Schools. But when you serve in the minority, as Michigan Democrats do, their words are just that. Truth be told, unless we, the people of Michigan, barnstorm the capital and demand real change from our legislators and elect more Democrats so that we can once and for all change the culture that has eroded the foundation of this once great state, what you see is what youll get.

And, lastly, for those of you who tend to think if it doesnt directly affect you then it doesnt exist, well, it does. Period. I will remind you that at any time and for obviously ANY reason, when a Republican gets an idea or his or her funders/donors get an idea that benefit the vast minority of people in this state, strap in because now its your turn. If you dont believe me, make sure you do not vote come November. Allow the Republicans to continue to hold the majority in the House and guess what? Itll be all on you. Yes, it will. And your children. You remember them, right?
Indias telecommunications ministry has rejected Apples proposal to sell refurbished iPhones in the country, Bloomberg reported this week.

Officials rejected the proposal based on rules that prohibit importing used electronics, according to Reuters.

The countrys environmental ministry nixed a similar request last year.

With smartphone sales starting to stall, India could become an important market for Apple, although it has only a 2 percent market share there.

India is slated to experience strong smartphone growth in the coming years, said Ross Rubin, senior director for industry analysis atApp Annie.

Much of that growth is slated to come from inexpensive Android handsets, he told the E-Commerce Times. Selling refurbished iPhones is one way for Apple to compete without having to produce a device that compromises on features or components.

Vital Market

The Indian market is vital to Apple, especially with sales in China slowing down, said Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst atMoor Insights & Strategy.

Apple has dominated the high end in North America and Western Europe, picked up a lot of share in China, and now is the time for Apple in India, he told the E-Commerce Times.

The decision by Indias telecommunications ministry is a speed bump for Apple, Moorhead said.

This decision could delay Apples market-share ascension in India, he said. Used phones are a start, but ultimately, Apple wants to sell new phones, and I see it as a minor setback.

Doomed to Single Digits

Its a setback, though, that could continue to depress Apples share of the Indian market.

With iPhone sales stalling in mature markets and economic uncertainty hindering Apples market efforts in China, marketing refurbished iPhones in India seemed like a solid strategy, said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

Allowing refurbished iPhones into the subcontinent could undermine the governments Make In India policy.

Unless the company finds a way to comply with the governments Make In India program, Apples share of the market there seems likely to remain in low single digits, King told the E-Commerce Times.

India isnt Apples highest priority yet, but that could change, noted James Moar, a research analyst withJuniper Research.

As the Chinese market slows, India becomes more attractive as a relatively affluent developing market, he told the E-Commerce Times.

It will likely become more important in the next few years, Moar continued, particularly as they are also one of the most receptive areas for iPad growth.

Tarnishing the Brand

Without the ability to sell refurbished iPhones, Apple faces an uphill struggle to get midrange Indian consumers to buy into the iOS ecosystem, he maintained.

This means that Apple either needs to produce phones specifically in India, for India, or accept that it cannot pursue the same ecosystem-centric strategy that it does elsewhere, Moar said.

The former strategy may result in good penetration of the Indian market, but without its ecosystem as a draw, Apple will have to compete on price to attract many consumers, he continued.

This may have the impact of tarnishing its brand elsewhere and may lead other developing markets where it doesnt have much of a presence  such as Africa  to demand similar treatment, which will be a very costly investment for Apple, Moar said.

If Indian regulators continue to be a barrier to Apple, the company could recalculate its developing world strategy.

They could look westward to Africa and the Middle East, which are very fertile markets for connecting first-time users, said Ramon T. Llamas, a mobile technology and trends analyst with IDC.

However, it will take awhile before those markets are ready for the iPhone, which is designed for faster networks. There are places in Africa that are still getting their 3G legs. Going back to 3G would be an additional expense for Apple, he told the E-Commerce Times.

More Pressure for a Home Run

With iPhone salessinking, the Indian setback adds to the pressure to make the next version of the iPhone a hit, noted Bob ODonnell, chief analyst for Technalysis Research.

Theres going to be huge pressure on the iPhone 7, and Im not sure its going to be a knock-it-out-of-the- park product thats going to make everybody upgrade, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Were in a difficult time, ODonnell added. I think the overall smartphone market has peaked, and Apple is suffering from that as much as anybody.

Release of the iPhone 7 could be a make-or-break point for Apple, noted Jeff Fieldhack, research director forCounterpoint Technology Market Research.

As important as India is, the need for Apple to persuade its users to upgrade to iPhone 7 is more important, he told E-Commerce Times.

Apple has such a strong ecosystem and such loyal followers, their business can be swayed tremendously by 1 or 2 percent of its installed base upgrading, Fieldhack said.

We have to wait until the 7 comes out to realize if were in a new norm and Apple has peaked or if it will continue to grow,  he added, They dont have to hit a home run to get a big upgrade cycle on the 7. They just need to be solid.
Apple has hired Chris Porritt, Tesla Motors former vice president of vehicle engineering, to work on special projects, according to news reports published Tuesday.

Porritt, who left Tesla last year, will take charge of Apples electric car initiative, Project Titan, according to Electrek, which first reported the hire.

He reportedly was given the purposefully vague title of special projects group PD administrator.

Apple is said to have a group of about 20 engineers, designers and other specialists working on Project Titan, its top-secret car program in Germany.

Engineering Prowess

Porritts hire wouldnt mark the first time Apple attracted someone from Tesla. The company last year recruited Jamie Carlson, a senior engineer on Teslas Autopilot self-driving program. The autopilot program, currently offered as an upgrade for Tesla drivers, allows the car to change lanes, manage speed and parallel park without human intervention.

Apple is a Tesla graveyard, where former employees wind up when they are no longer needed or wanted by Tesla, CEO Elon Musk famously quipped last year.

Before joining Tesla in 2013, Porritt worked as chief engineer at Aston Martin, which he joined in 1997. At Aston Martin, his group was responsible for the architecture of the VH Platform vehicles, including the DB9 and he V12 Vantage.

Porritt is credited with establishing Aston Martins vehicle engineering team. He was chief engineer of its One-77 supercar, which at one point was considered the fastest car in the world. In his first job, at Land Rover, Porritt rose from college intern to principal engineer in the vehicle dynamics unit.

Shifting Into High Gear

Hiring a senior person away from Tesla, which has been the center of the universe for new vehicle technology as of late, is a major achievement and demonstrates how serious Apple is about competing in this segment, said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

However, we are in the early days of the electric vehicle and likely two or more decades away from autonomous vehicles for consumers, he told the E-Commerce Times, even though many, like Elon Musk, have much more aggressive predictions for autonomous vehicles.

There are a couple of ways to understand Apple move, noted Praveen Chandrasekar, mobility service manager at Frost & Sullivan.

It could be a move to replace Steve Zadesky, who was apparently in a big role at the rumored Project Titan and left recently, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Zadesky, a 16-year Apple employee, reportedly left the company for personal reasons.

The second could be that Apple needs the expertise of someone like Chris, who comes from Aston Martin and worked on the Model S and X at Tesla, to finalize a body style and segment for its EV, Chandrasekar suggested.

Porritts Aston Martin background could mean Apple is taking a premium route with its rumored electric vehicle, speculated.

The hire, while significant, will not cause an immediate shakeup in the electric car space because the next big move in the industry will be the rollout of the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3 vehicles, he said.

These two products, we believe, will lay the groundwork for mass-market stylish and technology-heavy EVs, said Chandrasekar. Apple might join this group and make an affordable product  or take the usual Apple route and enter the market with a high-end product and then look at commodity.

Electric Isnt All That

Apple is not likely to confine its ambitions to the electric vehicle space, however, maintained Tirias McGregor.

Electric vehicles arent the ultimate vehicle technology, he explained. Electric vehicles still require the generation of electricity and require batteries that use rare materials and are not very recyclable. I think the Toyota CEO was correct when he said that hybrid vehicles will be the best solution for the near future, but Im still hoping for hydrogen or some other technology that is greener.

In any case, the end goal is not an electric vehicle, McGregor said. The end goal is an autonomous vehicle, which the entire auto industry and major tech companies like Google and Apple are striving to achieve.
Apples top legal official on Tuesday appeared before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and reiterated the companys willingness to help law enforcement on active cases and cooperate on long-term solutions, despite its contentious legal battle with the FBI over the encrypted iPhone used in the San Bernardino terrorist attack.

Apple works daily on an operational level with law enforcement on a number of cases, General Counsel Bruce Sewell told legislators. Among past collaborations were one that involved child abduction and a case in which lives were saved.

The company is willing to work with law enforcement when they cannot crack the code on encrypted data, he said in response to questioning.

Despite its cooperative stance, Apple would not be able to establish some sort of lockbox to provide law enforcement with a key to access encrypted data without risking the security of its data platform, Sewell said.

We havent figured out a way that we can create an access point and then create a set of locks to protect access through that access point, he said in response to questioning. The problem is the key to that lock will ultimately be available somewhere.

Sewell was one of several encryption and cybersecurity experts who testified at the hearing. His testimony followed remarks by a top FBI official and two local law enforcement experts.

His concerns about the vulnerabilities of a backdoor were echoed by Matthew Blaze, an associate professor of computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania, who testified that he discovered the same kind of vulnerabilities in the backdoor Clipper Chip encryption device, which the National Security Agency introduced in the 1990s.

Sewell pushed back hard against suggestions in the local law enforcement officials testimony that Apple had provided source code to the Chinese government and that Apple had a created a key to access encrypted data 19 months ago but threw it away.

He also balked at suggestions that Apple had decided to provide passcode encryption with its next generation of iCloud, saying nothing has been announced.

Prefer to Stay In-House

In earlier testimony, Amy Hess, executive assistant director for science and technology at the FBI, conceded that the bureau should not rely on gray hats to help it access encrypted data going forward.

However, the FBI is not equipped to handle encrypted data investigations on its own, she added.

These types of solutions that we do employ and we can employ require a lot of highly skilled, specialized resources that we may not have readily available to us, Hess said in response to questioning.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has expressed the hope that when the FBI calls on outside parties for help, it will then share with Apple or other technology firms any information gained about vulnerabilities exploited to access data, said Parker Higgins, a spokesperson for the organization.

However, that issue was not addressed at the hearing, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Police Stymied

The growing use of encryption in messaging apps and mobile phones has led to real consequences for police investigations on the local level.

During a six-month period ending in March of this year, the New York Police Department was locked out of 67 Apple devices connected with 23 felonies, 10 homicides, two rapes and one case in which two officers were shot in the line of duty, said NYPD Chief of Intelligence Thomas Galati in testimony before the committee.

In every case we have the file cabinet, as it were, and the legal authority to open it, but we lack the technical ability to do so because encryption protects the contents of those 67 Apple devices, he testified.

The Indiana State Police examined 1,000 mobile phones related to crimes, testified Captain Charles Cohen, commander, intelligence and investigative technologies.

An estimated 40 percent of the phones involved in Internet crimes against children contain encryption that prevents forensic examination.

Apple and other tech companies should censor the apps that are allowed in their libraries, rejecting those that contain encryption capabilities that might thwart future investigations, according to several officials. That suggestion raised the ire of a number of privacy and technology advocates.

The suggestion that app stores could be used to censor encryption apps is beyond the pale, said Ross Schulman, Co-Director of New Americas Cybersecurity Initiative.

The only way to truly keep encryption apps out of the United States would be to recreate the Great Firewall of China, he told the E-Commerce Times. The suggestion would be wholly destructive to commerce within the United States and anathema to the First Amendment.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation on Wednesday filed suit against the Department of Justice seeking to learn whether the federal government secretly ordered technology companies to decrypt the private communications of their customers.

Such orders could place millions of customers in harms way, the complaint says.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, seeks the release of records originally requested last fall under the Freedom of Information Act.

The EFF in October filed a FOIA request with the DoJ, seeking records on applications made to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, including requests for technical assistance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It also asked for any written opinions and orders, as well as correspondence with Apple and any other companies involved in such a technical request.

Encrypted iMessages

The letter was based in part on a New York Times report that the government wanted Apple to provide real-time access to its customers encrypted iMessages, according to this weeks complaint.

Apples response was that it could not accommodate the request because it could not decrypt the messages, says the complaint, citing the published report.

The DoJ in December indicated that two pieces of correspondence might fit the FOIA request, but it maintained they were exempt from disclosure under the Act.

The EFF filed an appeal in January, claiming that the department had not conducted an adequate search for the requested documents and that it improperly withheld documents found during the search.

The DoJ earlier this month denied the appeal on what it termed partly modified grounds.

There have been published reports that government sought orders to compel companies to hand over source code to investigators, so that it could find and exploit vulnerabilities for its own purposes, according to the EFF complaint.

The EFF views the governments response to its information request as purposefully narrow, said Aaron Mackey, the Frank Stanton Legal Fellow at the foundation.

Its intent was to limit disclosures to requests for information about iMessages, which was not an adequate response, he told the E-Commerce Times.

If you look at what our request said, it was broader than that, Mackey pointed out. We want to know whether youve used this with any communications provider.

The DoJ declined to comment for this story in light of the pending litigation, spokesperson Nicole Navas said.

Pending Requests

The EFF case concerns one of several requests made of the DoJ in connection with requests for information from technology companies.

The ACLU filed a request for information on requests made under the All Writs Act, seeking help with accessing the data on encrypted phones, according to spokesperson Josh Smith.

If filed that request in February, at the height of the battle over whether Apple should help the FBI create a backdoor access point to recover data from the encrypted iPhone used by one the San Bernardino terrorists.

The ACLU so far has not received any response from the government regarding its request, Smith told the E-Commerce Times.

Apple, Yahoo, Google and Facebook have enhanced their use of encryption, in part due to Edward Snowdens 2013 revelation on government surveillance of citizens, noted Ross Schulman, senior policy counsel at New Americas Open Technology Institute, in a post published last month.

Although the OTI has never filed a formal FOIA query regarding any government decryption requests, the EFF filing is an interesting case that deserves answers, Schulman told the E-Commerce Times.

Apple officials were not immediately available for comment.
Apples earnings disappointment thudded into view last week in the middle of an afternoon of briefings at Oracles Modern Marketing Experience conference in Las Vegas. In that context, it gave me a lot to think about  especially the difference between a one-time earnings disappointment andsomething more serious.

I have a feeling that Apple is only the most visible instance of the wheels beginning to wobble on the truck of tech.

The legacy software vendors, including Oracle, SAP and Microsoft, have fundamental challenges ahead as they continue to march to the cloud. Each needs to move its considerable customer base to cloud solutions that have very different economic models, and each will have to face the fact that success involves lower revenues as customers adjust to paying for subscriptions.

In that scenario, success will look a lot like failure.

The Way of the World

This is typical of end-of-paradigm situations, and there isnt much to help. Textile manufacturing was once the heart of our economy, but thats moved to lower-cost countries by and large. We backfilled with higher-value products and services, and the same is happening now with technology.

Ironically though, the issues and challenges facing Apple and the other companies moving to the cloud are different from a pure economic perspective.

Apples flagship consumer products are reaching barriers caused by market saturation and lower-cost competition. The move for Apple is to innovate more consumer goods if it can  but thats a big if. There is likely a limit to how much personal gadgetry we can extract from chips and screens. Google Glass and Apple Watch might be hints of a ceiling, though its still too early to call a trend.

Commoditization is another factor. Apple is experiencing headwinds in China, its second largest market after the U.S. Also, it sold fewer iPhones globally in the last quarter than expected, due in part to stiff competition from Android devices that are lower cost and functionally competitive.

Still, Apple garners most of the profits from the sale of smartphones, a market whose margins are tightening with competition. We can expect this trend to continue as vendors cut prices while attempting to maintain market share.

Other Shoes Drop

Apple isnt alone. Twitter isstill losing money, though less of it, according to the latest numbers. The same saturation dynamic is operating for Twitter but at a much lower revenue run rate than Apple.

Social media is a winner-take-all market. The value of a network is in the number of participants, which naturally limits the number of competitors. The dominant advertising model that social media networks rely on for revenues has been under pressure, with vendors such as Google and Facebook having to adjust.

The legacy providers face a different problem that manifests in similar ways. As they become more successful at moving customers to the cloud, their revenues shrink and come in over longer periods, so their year-over-year comparisons look worse  much like Apples predicament  even though they may be selling well.

Cloud computing was seen as a great leap forward because it gives customers much lower cost structures, and it has kept that promise. However, it is also a form of commoditization, and I wonder how legacy vendors will replace the revenues they give up as they turn to the cloud.

Its not as though there is a choice: Competition is forcing everyone to the cloud, so it will take years, I think, for legacy vendors to grow enough to replace revenues they are losing in the shift.

Then, too, demand growth is reverting from an exponential growth curve to one that resembles organic population growth, and that means that any vendor seeking to grow will need to do so by taking share from others in a zero-sum game.

What About CRM?

What happens next for CRM is speculative. The new technologies that Salesforce, Oracle and everybody else are bringing to market foretell a time when the front office employs fewer people as commoditization heats up, but that might not be a problem.

The Internet of Things is a hot idea right now with little to show of any real substance, but its possible that the IoT will be the next bit of infrastructure that will spark exponential growth. As a communications layer, it could spawn a lot of jobs as people relieved of more mundane occupations leverage the information boiling out of the IoT to perform services that only people can do.

In some respects, this is a scary time. Apples missing its number cant be fun and neither can watching a legacy companys earnings evaporate even as it does most things right.

Were in a transition period, and if we keep our wits about us and continue to innovate, in a few years we might find ourselves in an era that resembles the late 1980s.
(Photo:  Peter Kenny / Ecumenical News)Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem's Old Town on Feb. 10, 2016.

Israeli politicians have both condemned and praised the deputy chief of staff of the country's army who ignited controversy for comparing what happened in pre-Holocaust Germany to some current trends in Israel.

Israel marked Holocaust Remembrance Day on May 5 with ceremonies and events across the country, honoring the memory of six million Jews massacred by the Nazis.

'It's scary to see horrifying developments that took place in Europe begin to unfold here,' Major-General Yair Golan said during a Holocaust Remembrance speech at the Kibbutz Tel Yizhak on May 4.

His comments unleashed a deluge of criticism on social media, with The Jerusalem Post reporting Twitter users accused the general of "forgetting the lessons of the Holocaust."

"The Holocaust should bring us to ponder our public lives and, furthermore, it must lead anyone who is capable of taking public responsibility to do so," said Golan, who was wearing the red beret of Israel's elite paratroopers.

'REMNANTS OF HOLOCAUST'

"Because if there is one thing that is scary in remembering the Holocaust, it is noticing horrific processes which developed in Europe - particularly in Germany - 70, 80, and 90 years ago, and finding remnants of that here among us in the year 2016."

Education Minister Naftali Bennett called on Golan to correct his statement, so as not to be seen comparing Israeli soldiers to Nazis and giving credence to Holocaust deniers, The Associated Press reported.

Bennett, the leader of the Jewish Home Party said Golan must "rectify" his mistake before "God forbid, our troops are likened to Nazis, with a kosher stamp from on high".

Later, in a statement, which Bennett welcomed, the military tried to lay the controversy to rest, Reuters news agency reported.

Israel's Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said Golan was "a little confused" and his statement reflected "a lack of understanding, if not a disrespect of the Holocaust."

His remarks attest mainly to a lack of understanding, ignorance, and a cheapening of the Holocaust," Shaked, also from the Jewish Home party told Channel 10 TV. "On such a day, I wouldn't even want to quote what he said."

Golan said, "The Holocaust, in my view, must lead us to deep soul-searching about the nature of man.

"It must bring us to conduct some soul-searching as to the responsibility of leadership and the quality of our society. It must lead us to fundamentally rethink how we, here and now, behave towards the other."

"There is nothing easier and simpler than in changing the other," he said. "There is nothing easier and simpler than fear-mongering and threatening. There is nothing easier and simpler than in behaving like beasts, becoming morally corrupt, and sanctimoniousness."

"On Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is worthwhile to ponder our capacity to uproot the first signs of intolerance, violence, and self-destruction that arise on the path to moral degradation," Golan said.

"For all intents and purposes, Holocaust Remembrance Day is an opportunity for soul-searching," he said. "If Yom Kippur is the day of individual soul-searching, then it is imperative that Holocaust Remembrance Day be a day of national soul-searching, and this national soul-searching should include phenomena that are disruptive."

In his speech the general made reference to an incident in Hebron in which an Israeli infantryman was filmed shooting dead a Palestinian assailant who was on the ground and subdued.

That soldier, Sergeant Elor Azaria, is currently in a trial before a military tribunal on charges of manslaughter. The arrest and court martial have been met with fierce criticism from nationalist Jews who say that the soldier acted properly.

"Improper use of weapons and violating the sanctity of arms have taken place since the IDF's (Israel Defense Force's) founding," Golan said.

"The IDF should be proud that throughout its history it has had the ability to investigate severe incidents without hesitation. It should be proud that it has probed problematic behavior with courage and that it has taken responsibility not just for the good, but also for the bad and the inappropriate."

"We didn't try to justify ourselves, we didn't cover anything up, we didn't whitewash, we didn't make excuses, and we didn't equivocate," the officer said. "Our path was  and will be  one of truth and shouldering responsibility, even if the truth is difficult and the burden of responsibility is a heavy one."

"We very much believe in the justice of our cause, but not everything we do is just," Golan said.

"We are certain of the high level of morality in the IDF as an organization, and we do not ignore exceptions by individuals. We demand from our soldiers the same that we demand of ourselves, and we insist that upstanding behavior and setting an example for everyone become second nature for every commander."

"On Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we remember the six million of our people who were slaughtered in Europe, it is incumbent upon us to remember the 6.5 million, those living now, and to ask ourselves what is the purpose of our return to our land, what is appropriate to sanctify and what is not, what is proper to praise and what is not," the officer said.

'A WORTHY MONUMENT'

"Most of all, we should ask how it is that we are to realize our purpose as a light unto the nations and a model society," he said. "Only this kind of remembrance can serve as a living and breathing monument for our people  a worthy monument, a monument of truth."

Golan later backtracked on his comments, reported The Telegraph quoting him saying in a statement released by the IDF that he "did not intend to compare the IDF and Israel to what happened in Germany 70 years ago. Such a comparison would be absurd and baseless."

"There was no intention of creating any such parallel or to criticise the political echelons," the statement read.

"The deputy chief of staff is a brave commander," Isaac Herzog, the head of the opposition Labor party, said, The Telegraph reported.

"The crazies who started yelling about it need to know that that is how ethics and responsibility sounds like. We will not be scared of them or be scared of their screams and their profanities and we will continue to constantly support the IDF and its commanders."

Israel's former justice minister Tzipi Livni condemned the backlash against Golan.

"Instead of persecuting the deputy chief of staff whose conscience and values represent the IDF as a moral army that examines itself, it is more important for us to listen to his words," she said.

Israel's defence minister Moshe Yaalon also supported Golan, attributing the criticism to "intentional, distorted interpretations" which constitute "an additional attempt of a worrisome campaign to inflict political damage on the IDF and its officers."

Yaalon expressed his "complete faith" in Golan in a statement. "The role of every IDF commander ... does not end just with leading soldiers into battle, but also obligates him to set out a path and values for them, using both compass and conscience," he said.

Israeli society has seen a rise in extremism in recent years with the government depending on right-wing support and the State-sanctioned expansion of settlements that are illegal under international law.
(Photo: REUTERS / Yuri Gripas)People gather for a "National Day of Rage" protest against the police fatal in Ferguson, outside the White House in Washington August 21, 2014.

The World Council of Churches has called for prayer, calm, peaceful protest, and honest dialogue on racism and issues of class following a racially charged police shooting in the U.S. state of Missouri.

Churches, faith communities, ecumenical and interfaith partners and civil society organizations and coalitions have "called for prayer, calm, peaceful protest, and open and honest dialogue on racism and issues of class."

They have support from the WCC, the churches body said in a statement Thursday.

Writing to the Interfaith Partnership of Greater Saint Louis, the general secretary of the WCC, Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit praised area churches and religious communities that have sought an end to conflict.

This followed "the tragic killing by a police officer of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old African American man, and the dangerous escalation of violence in the several days following," said the WCC statement.

Tveit also praised their common efforts toward building peace, the promotion of healing within the community and a process of reconciliation at local and national levels.

On Monday, Jim Winkler, president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches in the U.S.A., deplored the killing of Michael Brown and others like it.

He called for a thorough investigation of the shooting, and drew attention to the larger issues raised by such deaths.

"These killings, as well as those of hundreds of other Americans each year at the hands of increasingly militarized police forces [are] of great and growing concern.

"A peaceful, healthy society requires trust and positive relationships between citizens and law enforcement. That can best occur in circumstances in which deep-seated social problems such as racism and inequality are being addressed," said Winkler.

Tveit assured the family of Brown and the wider community of "the prayers of this global fellowship of churches."

He said the WCC supports "honest examination and reform related to policing policies and practices."
Washington is sometimes referred to as the Beltway bubble, a phenomenon in which think tanks, lobbyists, and legislators talk only to each other before making policy decisions that have the potential to affect millions of children and families nationwide. Unfortunately, this policymaking-in-a-bubble method often fails to reflect practical, real-world knowledge. Policymakers frequent lack of understanding about how things work on the ground jeopardizes the health and well-being of the very people the government intends to serve.

To break into that bubble, Head Start, the federally funded early-learning program designed to prepare our nations most at-risk children for success in kindergarten and beyond, is taking a different approach to ensure that its practitioners are at the forefront of early-childhood policy recommendations. The policy and research team of the National Head Start Association (of which I am the executive director) partnered with three other organizationsthe Volcker Alliance, Results for America, and Bellwether Education Partnersto host a series of nationwide discussions last summer, both by phone and in person, about the future of Head Starts outcome measurements. Local program leaders from Minnesota, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah joined activists, lobbyists, and policymakers from organizations in Washington to work in collaboration. The recommendations made during those discussions, in addition to the contributions from Head Start leaders from across the country, formed the basis for a new report released in January, called Moneyball for Head Start: Using Data, Evidence, and Evaluation to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families.

This report reflects a collaboration that Head Start leaders hope might inject some new oxygen into the Beltway bubble by illustrating the possibilities for improvement that can result from collaboration between practitioners and those at the policy level. While Head Start performance standards currently include some data to inform program management, the new report proposes placing data at the center of understanding effective practices and testing innovative ideas, both at the individual-program level and at the national early-education-stakeholder level. The report further contends that a similar framework of improvement could also strengthen federal education policies. It is still too soon for us to have any regulatory or legislative impact at the federal level; however, these suggestions are already shaping the vision that local Head Start leaders have for improving outcomes on childrens early learning. Leaders are working with staff members to use attendance, social and emotional development, and learning data to make decisions that support the progress of individual children.

The report also identifies the infrastructure and technical assistance Head Start programs need to be effective and calls on the federal office of Head Start in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to make these resources a priority. But research is needed, and the report recommends federal funding to develop better outcome-measurement tools and conduct research on indicators of quality in the programs.

Good policy cannot be created in the absence of firsthand knowledge."

To make these suggestions effective, our report tried to answer the following question: How can policymakers and practitioners work together to maximize outcomes for children and their families? The first proposed intervention is simple: Ensure that practitioners (and not just one or two) are part of every policy conversation.

The engagement of innovative practitioners in policy is important for two reasons. First, good policy cannot be created in the absence of firsthand knowledge. As advocates and practitioners work together to incorporate the recommendations into federal laws, regulations, training, and technical assistance, it helps to know that these ideas are grounded in reality and stand a stronger chance of robust outcomes. Second, programs such as Head Start can feel a sense of ownership in the values and proposals that they champion. Rather than following a set of seemingly semi-informed recommendations proposed by what amounts to strangers, early-learning practitioners are able to recognize the insights of some of the brightest minds in their field.

The approach taken to create such a strategywhereby policymakers and practitioners work in tandemhas exciting implications for the evolution of policy in general across a wide range of federal programs. How many food banks could come to the table to inform new food-subsidy policies? How many homeless shelters could take part in conversations about supporting adults with mental-health or substance-abuse issues?

If policy discussions in Washington are truly intended to further the needs of people and programs across the country, policymakers must invite practitioners to bring their insights and wisdom into the process. They must include the people implementing federal programs on the ground. Our legislators must focus on improving our educational system togetherwith all the voices at the tableto create a better model for a process of policy development. This is absolutely critical to magnifying impact and maximizing outcomes for the many children these programs serve.
To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.
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.
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty ImagesSystem of a Down frontman Serj Tankian has released a new, acoustic song called "Artsakh" that expresses solidarity with the Armenians fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, a highly contested region located in the country of Azerbaijan. Though Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally considered part of Azerbaijan, its population is predominately Armenian and considers itself an independent republic.

In response to the violence that broke out in the region last month, Tankian wrote "Artsakh," which is the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh. You can watch the Tankian perform "Artsakh" at RollingStone.com.

"I do not believe in wars and ultimately borders but I deeply believe in self-determination and life without oppression," Tankian writes in a statement that precedes the performance. "Therefore it is time for the world to recognize them as the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)."

"It's a crazy provocation," he adds to Rolling Stone. "It's a land that these people have lived on from the beginning of time, from time immemorial, with children springing from the rivers and generations coming from their mountains. There is a national liberation struggle embedded within their character, their public mask, if you will. It goes on through trying to create peace. We will ultimately win with culture and all this beautiful stuff."

Last year, Tankian and System of a Down embarked on their Wake Up the Souls tour, which was held in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, the killing of Armenians by the Ottoman government in the region that's in present-day Turkey. The Turkish government has long maintained that no genocide took place, and Ottoman authorities did not systematically try to eliminate the Armenian people. All four SOAD members are of Armenian descent.

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Ely, Cambridgeshire is best known for its majestic cathedral dubbed the 'Ship of the Fens' because it dominates the flat landscape. The city, which is the second smallest in England, is about 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about 80 miles by road from London.

12:27, 24 OCT 2022
February 24, 2022, the day of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, will go down as a tragic date not only for the Ukrainian people, but also for the whole civilised world.
Its been awhile since we heard about the $10 million lawsuit that actor Sean Penn filed against Foxs Empire creator Lee Daniels. And now Daniels has made a move in the latest update.

Daniels decided to settle the lawsuit in court. Its not clear what the specifics are, but Daniels has also made a donation to Penns relief charity that is based in Haiti.

And he also offered up an apology to Penn.

I am so sorry that I have hurt you Sean, and I apologize and retract my reckless statements about you. How thoughtless of me. You are someone I consider a friend, a brilliant actor and true Hollywood legend and humanitarian. My most important role is as a father, and it is important to me that my children learn that it is wrong to reference gossip as a fact, as I did here.

Penn filed a lawsuit against Daniels after Daniels threw Penns name into a statement he was making to defend the domestic issues Terrence Howard was facing at the time with an ex-wife.

Daniels said, [Terrence] aint done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden hes some demon.

Penn seems pleased with Daniels latest statement and it looks like he is ready to move forward.

I accept Lees heartfelt apology and appreciate the sincerity with which it was delivered.

While this isnt the first lawsuit brought against the series (many viewers have sued for billions of dollars claiming their real-life story was stolen for the popular show), it is the first time Daniels has come forward and stated his wrongdoing.

Keep up with Enstars for more and tune in to Empire Wednesdays at 9/8c on Fox.
Redefine Properties (JSE: RDF) has reported a 6.9% increase to 41.7 cents a share in the distribution for the six months to end February 2016.

In rand terms distributable income rose 29.3% to R1.9bn and the company maintains its guidance of 6-7% distribution growth for the full 2016 year.

The bulk of Redefine's local strategy is centred on existing properties and on servicing its significant development pipeline. Leases covering 282 070 sqm were renewed at an average rental increase of 4.3%, with the retention rate at a pleasing 83%.

The average cost of funding in the period was recorded at 8.5% from 8.4% in 2015, while the interest cover ratio improved to 3.7 times from 3.4 times in the prior year.

During the review period, the company completed projects totalling R1.8 billion representing investment of R700m, outgunning acquisitions for the period of about R400m. Disposals amounted to R1.2 billion, while new development projects with an approved value of R2.3 billion are currently in progress.

"We have successfully recycled capital domestically to fund development as well as new acquisitions," says CEO Andrew Konig.

Net arrears improved to R34m from R42m at end 31 August 2015. "Cash management is critically important and we have also put a greater emphasis on the quality of tenants at inception of leases," says financial director Leon Kok.

High debt funding costs are expected to constrain future development in the property sector locally, but a rerating of Redefine's share price has offset the increase in its cost of funding.

The major disposal during the six months related to Redefine's government tenanted office portfolio, where it has been the company's stated intention to dispose of these assets. During the period it entered into an agreement with Delta Property Fund which acquired approximately 60% of this portfolio valued at R1.3 billion, in return for Delta shares.

Opportunities for select industrial development remains on the agenda - as an example, Redefine entered into a joint venture with Pivotal and Abland whereby Redefine acquired a 45% interest in S & J land earmarked for an industrial precinct to be serviced and developed in phases based on demand. S&J land comprises a 160 hectare (1.6 million sqm) prime industrial parcel of land located in Germiston, Johannesburg.

On the retail front, expansion and improvement initiatives totalling R1.1 billion are underway to improve and differentiate a number of our malls including Centurion Mall.

A core ongoing offshore strategy is to exploit attractive offshore yield spreads, where debt can be locked in for five years at exceptionally low rates. The company's offshore portfolio is set to grow from 20% currently to 25% once the company's ground-breaking Polish deal kicks in later this year.

Redefine has broadened its offshore footprint via an initial 75% investment into a 1.2 billion euro high-yielding commercial platform comprising 18 properties in the rapidly-expanding and exciting Polish market. The initial stake will reduce to 49.9% as a result of a placement of shares with co-investors.

Anti-trust clearance has been received for this deal and the company anticipates the acquisition to be fully implemented on June 1 and to add accretive income in the last quarter 2016 at an additional one cent of distribution per share.

"Local property fundamentals remain challenging, with issues like electricity price increases, illiquid capital markets and the impact of drought conditions still permeating the industry. But we continue to deliver on our strategy of diversifying, growing and improving the quality of our core property portfolio, while ensuring that we focus on our people, the fine-tuning of our management structures and delivery to all our stakeholders," concludes Konig.
The decision by the Karnataka state government to allow a private foundation to adopt the Venkatappa Art Gallery has come under severe criticism from artists and the general public. Can there be a workable model for participation from corporates in museums and art galleries that can ensure research and conservation of cultural assets and fostering art for all strata of society?

A little known and extremely run down government gallery in Bengaluruthe Venkatappa Art Gallery (VAG), is in the spotlight because of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Tourism, Karnataka state government, and the Tasveer Art Foundation, a private art gallery/foundation managed and operated by Abhishek Poddar, a Bengaluru based industrialist and philanthropist.

How the Plan Works

Negotiated in 2015, the MoU grants permission to the Tasveer Foundation to renovate the existing building and adopt the gallery. The MoU also allows all curatorial, exhibition and programming decisions to be taken by the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP), a division of the Tasveer Foundation, and its curators and advisory panel. All this has been negotiated under the aegis of the Karnataka state governments Adopt a Destination scheme involving the corporate sector in over 40 of the states 300 and more tourist destinations.

As part of this scheme, the government hopes to provide a better experience to tourists from before arrival to after departure and to this end a whole lot of facilities, infrastructure and services needed to be upgraded through PPP (Jaishankar 2016).

All of this sounds good, especially given the lack of both capacity and funds with the government. So, why are artists across the city up in arms against the MoU?

Some in the artist community of Bengaluru have formed a VAG forum to protest the move. They feel that the governments initiative to promote tourism, in the garb of adoption, is a move to grab the property located at a prime location. The Adopt a Destination recommendations were made by the Karnataka Tourism Vision Group (a government-corporate organisation of which Abhishek Poddar is on the committee) to improve the financial efficacy of the state by branding and marketing cultural material in the state. This, according to the protestors, smells of bias.

Questions Raised

So, why is this issue only coming up now in India? There have been instances of other museums across the world that have been privatised/adopted. In fact, the privatisation of galleries seems to be a trend across the world.

This raises several interconnected questions that need to be framed keeping in mind the declining support of the government towards arts and cultural practices. What are the antecedents of state-corporate actions such as the VAG decision? Is this only something happening in India or is this a common enough action across the world? Are the artists protesting the move valid in doing so? We have to also see if long term solutions can be drawn up that can benefit not just the artist community but also the people of Karnataka as a whole.

Privatising Museums

It is seen that across the world, since the 1990s, governments have been cutting funds to arts and cultural programmes. In the late 1990s, the Japanese government in an attempt to reform its administration, identified seven state-run museums including the Tokyo National Museum, the Kyoto National Museum, the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo and the National Museum of Art in Osaka to be recreated as independent administrative corporations and quasi private organisations independent from the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Ministry of Education which controlled the museums.

The steady devolution of funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for Heritage (NEH) in the 198090s in the United States is another example of the changing landscape of government, market and its citizens relationships. The NEA and NEH were established in 1965 under the Public Law 89-209, which states that

while no government can call a great artist or scholar into existence, it is necessary and appropriate for the Federal Government to help create and sustain not only a climate encouraging freedom of thought, imagination, and inquiry, but also the material conditions facilitating the release of this creative talent.

The NEA and the NEH were set up in the 1940s and early 1950s to legitimise the United States leadership role in the world, pitting the artistic and scholarly freedom (reflected in the burgeoning of arts and higher education) of the US against the totalitarianism of the Soviet bloc.

However, since the 1990s, with the fall of the Soviet bloc, this narrative is no longer valid.

Therefore the Congress reacted by cutting budgets for the arts, and reauthorising the NEA (it was almost killed in 1997). As part of this action, art galleries across the country have been shutting down in order to survive negotiating agreements with corporate houses and private sector philanthropic funds.

The Thatcherite action of privatising public sector agencies in England in the 1980s started the ball rolling in Europe.

Across much of Central and Eastern Europe, governments were simply unable to provide financial support to the cultural sector. Governments in Europe are slowly but steadily negotiating understandings with private and philanthropic funds to manage their national heritage. Those favouring privatisation cite freedom in budgetary affairs as well as improvement in service.

Understandably, there are significant issues with this move towards privatisation. Others believe that the government is using the excuse of financial restructuring to abandon cultural support and that once privatised, galleries will probably not be able to sustain funding for non-profit making activities like research and the conservation of cultural assets, as well as fostering art for all strata of society.

Instead, they might focus on more remunerative exhibitions and increase entrance fees. In London, the privatisation of the National Museum in 2015 had caused large scale strikes by museum staff.

Looking for Solutions

So, is there any real solution to the situation? On one hand, the government needs to be able to encourage and facilitate the artist community and on the other hand, its funds are limited and also managed badly; it barely has the capacity to manage programmes effectively or to scale up. When India gained Independence, the nation state acknowledged the importance of culture in building a new India and expressed the need for state support for arts and culture.

Unfortunately, the actual budget associated with arts and culture is miniscule and impossible to sustain the long term management of cultural resources across the country. Additionally, identifying areas to receive funding in the arts still remains extremely opaque and subjective.

Whether we like it or not, privatisation is becoming of the main engines for change in this century. It affects all levels of government including culture. In general, privatisation is being considered a guarantor of increased efficiency. While this is true for goods in generalan efficiency driven society will produce more goods at more affordable rates for more people it is not necessarily true for all types of goods, especially those produced by social, educational and cultural sectors. These areas require a more sophisticated trade-off between efficiency and equity, especially in the view of long term benefits for society.

There are various methods of privatising art galleries. These include private sponsorship, as opposed to financing/outright sales; the incorporation of museums into foundations, the agency method (where staff is hired by the government but the managing agency is private) or contracting out method (where prices, quality and expected outcomes are defined by the state in the contract).

Going Dutch for Bengaluru?

The Dutch model of privatisation or automisation appears to be slightly promising. In this method, a state entity operates as an independent entity; it can be transformed into a public/non-profit entity/trust/foundation (and managed financially and operationally independently); though the curatorship and management of the collection remains a joint decision between the state and the non-profit management.

The ownership, however, remains with the state.

The specifications of the state in the MoU are clearly and explicitly identifiedprices, quality and expected outcomes are defined upfront, and clauses for equity and fairness are incorporated.

Perhaps, the Venkatappa Gallery can look at the Dutch model and renegotiate their MoU with the current partners. They could also choose a partner based on a competitive and open framework. Issues such as maintaining a rent controlled space for new and upcoming artists to display their work and preserving lower ticket prices to allow lower income sections of the population to have access to art will need to be specified in the new contract. The reality is that issues like the privatisation/adoption of the Venkatappa gallery are going to crop up again and again.

The GoK has also signed MoUs in Belur and Halebidu with Cafe Coffee Day and for the Government Museum with Jindal Foundation; contracts that will almost certainly be questioned in light of the Venkatappa issue.

This is a trend that is not going to go away, especially, given the cuts in government funding to the arts. Artists and citizens are going to have to be more mindful and vigilant about how these contracts are negotiated in the coming years.

References

Jaishankar, Vedam (2016): Protests over Venkatappa Art Gallery may Sully Culture, and a Revered Institution, in Karnataka, Firstpost, 23 March, accessed on 3 May 2016, http://www.firstpost.com/india/protests-over-venkatappa-art-gallery-may-doom-culture-as-we-know-it-in-karnataka-2691870.html.
Will the inauguration of the Interim Government Complex in the new capital villages of Andhra Pradesh spur newer, better forms of urban growth? Our sixth photo essay from the transforming land of Amravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh.

The villages that will form part of the new Andhra Pradesh (AP) Capital Region are in the midst of major, albeit, slow changes. These changes are transforming the agrarian economy of the region. The importance of agriculture is quickly declining while there is a pronounced, concurrent discernible increase in trade and other services. The last few months has witnessed increased investments by the government on infrastructure. The work on the Interim Government Complex (IGC), popularly referred to as the temporary secretariat, has only added to the economic activity in the capital villages. Though the transformation is extensive, the pace of transformation is considered to be disappointingly slow by people in most parts of the state.

Increased Land Conversion

The move away from agriculture in the capital villages is easily visible. A large number of hitherto agricultural fields have already been converted or are in the process of conversion for non-agricultural uses. A large part of the land given to land pooling lies unused since construction activity has not started. The conversion of land to non-agricultural uses by private parties is taking place rapidly.

The structures coming up in the village are mostly small shops or residential houses but, at times the buildings are quite large and obviously have a commercial use. It would be interesting to see how these new structures and buildings coming up in a haphazard manner gel find place in a highly planned, landscaped, modern city with strict rules about land use and types of structures that the government is trying to build for the new capital.

The inflow of money has created new consumption dynamics in the villages. These changing economic dynamics go far beyond agriculture. A local cinema theatre in Thullur village now hosts a bar and restaurant.

The bar and restaurant seems to offer bight economic prospects for both the parties in the context of changed consumption dynamics. Sources pointed out that the rent payable to the owners of the theatre is Rs 60,000 per month.

Large Investments in Private Housing

The announcement of the capital in the region has triggered a wave of house construction in the region. Even small spaces, including cattle sheds, are giving way to houses or shops. The hectic pace of house construction and house repairs is visible in all the villages. Most houses have benefitted from a fresh coat of paint. Some of the houses under construction are large and it is the first time that the villages are witnessing the construction of such large, expensive houses. Rents in the villages closest to the IGC almost equal those in the cities of Vijayawada and Guntur.

Locals aver that this construction of houses is in anticipation of a large influx of employees who are expected to shift into the region after the completion of the IGC. With land speculation cooling, living off rents, especially on houses and shops is increasingly becoming an important source of incomes to those with property.

Changing Infrastructure

The former sleepy villages are witnessing large scale construction and investment in public infrastructure by the government. The buzz of infrastructure equipment is constant and can be heard in the villages close to the IGC. Almost all the roads have received a facelift with the major roads expanded to double or even triple their former size. The investment in drains, power cables and street lighting is visible in almost all the capital villages.

A clearly discernible change is the improvement in quality of roads and the increase in traffic.

The village of Mandadam is a major beneficiary and has witnessed unprecedented facelift in the past two years. The village is closest to the IGC. A paved footpath is under constructionprobably one of the few instances where a village has witnessed such an investment.

Government Construction Activity

The government started work on the IGC located between the villages Mandadam and Velgapudi (Guntur district, around 15 km from Vijayawada) in February 2016. It will be spread across 45 acres and when complete is expected to cost an estimated Rs 750 crores. The IGC will include administrative buildings and the AP legislature. The government has set a deadline of June end for the completion of construction.

Two large infrastructure companies, Larsen and Toubro and Shapoorji Pallonji, were awarded the contract. The increase in construction activity often leads to traffic jams on the village roads.

Erecting the Interim Government Complex

The rapid pace of construction in the IGC is marketed as one of its strong points by the government.

The chief minister inaugurated the half-completed structure on 25 April 2016 since it was considered an auspicious day.

Agricultural EconomyFor How Long?

The construction of IGC is probably the beginning of the end of the previously predominant agricultural economy in the villages. There are the occasional signs of agriculture coexisting with the present despite the rapid the changes in the capital villages, though the space for the agriculture and allied sectors is rapidly receding.
Anyone who has used a computer for any significant length of time has probably at least heard of malware. Short for malicious software, malware is any piece of computer software designed to disrupt ...
BOSTON - The Internet has become a powerful and important resource for daily life. When patients receive a medical diagnosis, particularly a difficult one like pancreatic cancer, the web can be an essential information tool, helping to enable patients to have meaningful discussions with health care providers. However, new research from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) published today in JAMA Surgery suggests that online information about pancreatic cancer is often written at a prohibitively high reading level and lacks accuracy concerning alternative therapies.

"We know from past research that people are strongly influenced by what they read online, and they believe that what they read on the internet will help them make better health care decisions," said senior author Tara Kent, MD, a pancreatic surgeon at BIDMC and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. "Dealing with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is difficult enough without asking patients to negotiate PhD-level terms. The concern here is that available web information may, in fact, be adding to existing barriers to care. If patients don't understand what they're reading, how can they make the best decisions about treatment options?"

The degree to which patients are empowered by written educational materials depends on the text's readability level and the accuracy of the information provided. A patient's health literacy or ability to comprehend written health information can impact clinical outcomes. Reading materials are rarely written at the sixth to seventh-grade reading level recommended by literacy specialists and multiple national institutions.

Kent and colleagues compared the accuracy and readability of patient-oriented online resources for pancreatic cancer by treatment method and website affiliation, such as privately owned, media, academic or government websites. The researchers conducted an online search of 50 websites discussing five pancreatic cancer treatment methods (alternative therapy, chemotherapy, clinical trials, radiation therapy and surgery). Readability was measured by nine standardized tests, and accuracy was assessed by an expert panel.

"We found that the median readability level was higher than recommended, requiring at least 13 years of education to be comprehended, but only 58 percent of the adult U.S. population has attained this level of education," said Kent. "These data indicate that online information about pancreatic cancer is geared to more educated groups. The general population and vulnerable groups -- particularly those with low health literacy -- will likely struggle to understand this information."

The authors also found appreciable differences among website affiliations and among websites discussing treatment methods. Those discussing surgery were easier to read than those discussing radiotherapy and clinical trials. Websites of nonprofit organizations were easier to read than media and academic websites. Nonprofit, academic, and government websites had the highest accuracy, particularly those relating to clinical trials and radiotherapy. Alternative therapy websites exhibited the lowest accuracy scores. Websites with higher accuracy were more difficult to read than websites with lower accuracy.

"This research illustrates one of the challenges incurred in the creation of accurate, yet understandable online information about a complex disease and its treatment options," the authors wrote. "In the absence of an Internet librarian, health care professionals should acknowledge that online information on aggressive diseases such as pancreatic cancer could be misleading and potentially harmful, and they should assume an active role in the evaluation and recommendation of online resources."

"Addressing the issue of equitable health literacy is especially critical as we work to close gaps in care among all the communities we serve, and as we continue to work toward empowering patients in the shared decision-making process," said Kent.

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In addition to Kent, researchers include BIDMC investigators Alessandra Storino, MD; Manuel Castillo-Angeles, MD; Ammara A. Watkins, MD; Christina Vargas, MD; Joseph D. Mancias, MD; Andrea Bullock, MD; A. James Moser, MD; and Aram Demirjian, MD, of University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange.

Kent's research is supported by funding from the Alliance of Families Fighting Pancreatic Cancer and the Griffith Family Foundation.

About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding.

BIDMC is in the community with Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth, Anna Jaques Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Lawrence General Hospital, Signature Healthcare, Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, Community Care Alliance and Atrius Health. BIDMC is also clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and The Jackson Laboratory. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit http://www.bidmc.org.
May 4, 2016 - Venus flytraps have fascinated biologists for centuries, however, the molecular underpinnings of their carnivorous lifestyle remain largely unknown. In a study published online today in Genome Research, researchers characterized gene expression, protein secretion, and ultrastructural changes during stimulation of Venus flytraps and discover that common plant defense systems, which typically protect plants from being eaten, are also used by Venus flytraps for insect feeding.

Venus flytraps recognize their prey using touch-sensitive trigger hairs located on the trap's inner surface. When stimulated, these hairs generate an electric signal that is transmitted to the plant. After the first stimulus, the trap remembers the signal but does not close; after the second stimulus, the trap snaps shut. Prey that is captured will repeatedly activate the trigger hairs leading to repetitive electrical signals "remembered" by the plant.

To date, no carnivory-specific genes have been identified in Venus flytraps. To understand the molecular pathways involved in insect feeding, researchers from Germany and Saudi Arabia generated genome-wide transcription profiles of traps before and during feeding and compared them to other plant tissues. Unstimulated traps have gene expression patterns that largely resemble that of a leaf base, supporting the common assumption that traps are modified leaves. However, the glands inside the trap, which promote insect digestion, more closely resemble the expression pattern of roots, a tissue heavily involved in nutrient uptake.

The researchers found that insect-stimulated traps upregulated enzymes involved in digesting prey and also transporters for nutrient uptake. Tracking the expression patterns of several hydrolases, the researchers determined that hydrolase expression was induced within 1-2 hours of touch stimulation, and a second stimulation event (mechanical or chemical) further amplified expression of chitinase, an enzyme that digests chitin in insect exoskeletons.

"Contact with chitin normally means danger for a plant - that insects will eat the plant," corresponding author Rainer Hedrich from the University of Wurzburg said. Comparing the global gene expression changes during insect capture and digestion to the stress response of the model organism, Arabidopsis, the researchers found several commonalities. Jasmonic acid (JA), which is produced by non-carnivorous plants when they are wounded by herbivores, is upregulated in insect-stimulated traps. "In the Venus flytrap, these defensive processes have been reprogrammed during evolution. The plant now uses them to eat insects," Hedrich said.

Unstimulated and stimulated traps both express receptor-like-kinases (RLKs), which are used in chemical sensing in non-carnivorous plants, suggesting Venus flytraps may be able to detect chemical changes related to prey capture, in addition to touch sensitivity.

Of the upregulated transcripts that were predicted to be secreted, the researchers were able to confirm all were actively secreted using proteomic screening of the flytrap's digestive fluid. The researchers also used electron microscopy to study the ultrastructure of the trap's glands, finding specialized cell layers involved in active secretion, nutrient transport, lipid energy stores, and protein biosynthesis necessary for trap function.

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Scientists from University of Wurzburg, University of Hohenheim, King Saud University, the Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, and Heinrich-Heine-University Dusseldorf contributed to this study. The study was funded by the European Research Council, King Saud University, and the German Excellence Initiative.

Media Contacts:

The authors are available for more information by contacting: Dr. Esther Knemeyer Pereira, Press und Public Information Officer, Julius-Maximilians-Universitat (JMU) Wurzburg, Bavaria, Germany, (presse@uni-wuerzburg.de,+49 931 31-86002)

Interested reporters may obtain copies of the manuscript via email from Peggy Calicchia, Administrative Assistant, Genome Research (calicchi@cshl.edu, +1-516-422-4012).

About the article:

The manuscript will be published online ahead of print on 4 May 2016. Its full citation is as follows: Bemm F, Becker D, Larisch C, Kreuzer I, Escalante-Perez M, Schulze WX, Ankenbrand M, Van der Weyer A-LK, Krol E, Al-Rasheid KA, Mithofer A, Weber AP, Schultz J, Hedrich R. 2016. Venus flytrap carnivorous lifestyle builds on herbivore defense strategies. Genome Res doi: 10.1101/gr.202200.115

About Genome Research:

Launched in 1995, Genome Research is an international, continuously published, peer-reviewed journal that focuses on research that provides novel insights into the genome biology of all organisms, including advances in genomic medicine. Among the topics considered by the journal are genome structure and function, comparative genomics, molecular evolution, genome-scale quantitative and population genetics, proteomics, epigenomics, and systems biology. The journal also features exciting gene discoveries and reports of cutting-edge computational biology and high-throughput methodologies.

About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press:

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press is an internationally renowned publisher of books, journals, and electronic media, located on Long Island, New York. Since 1933, it has furthered the advance and spread of scientific knowledge in all areas of genetics and molecular biology, including cancer biology, plant science, bioinformatics, and neurobiology. The Press is a division of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an innovator in life science research and the education of scientists, students, and the public. For more information, visit our website at http://cshlpress.org/

Genome Research issues press releases to highlight significant research studies that are published in the journal.
May 5, 2016 -- Exchange of immunization data between a centralized city immunization registry and provider electronic health records led to significant improvements in pediatric immunization coverage, a reduction in over-immunization for adolescents, and increased completeness of immunization records, according to a study conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian, and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Citywide Immunization Registry. Researchers compared the percent of children who were up-to-date for their age-appropriate immunizations and those who received extra, unnecessary immunizations before and after the implementation of two-way data exchange at point of care.

Up-to-date vaccination rates increased from 75 percent to 82 percent and were significant for all age groups. Findings are published online in the journal Pediatrics.

"Recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases underscores the importance that patients are fully immunized by receiving all recommended vaccines," said Melissa Stockwell, MD, MPH, associate professor of Population and Family Health at the Mailman School of Public Health and associate professor of Pediatrics at the Medical Center. "However, only 72 percent of young children in the U.S. have completed their primary immunization series, and evidence suggests that 10 percent to 20 percent of young children receive at least one unnecessary, extra immunization."

Immunization registries, also known as immunization information systems (IIS), collect and centralize immunization data for children and adolescents from immunization providers at the regional or state level. Over 86 percent of all U.S. children younger than 6 years have immunizations recorded in the registry--now implemented in nearly all 50 states, five cities, and the District of Columbia. However, until recently, clinicians wanting to access patient immunization information in the system generally had to manually look up the patient data on a state or local IIS website. The New York Citywide Immunization Registry was one of the first registries in the United States to allow clinicians to download immunization information into their local electronic health record, and NewYork-Presbyterian was the first user of this service.

The Columbia researchers examined data from five practices in the NewYork-Presbyterian Ambulatory Care Network which is integrated with the hospital's local immunization registry, called EzVac. Stockwell's analyses focused on children ages 19 to 35 months, 7 to10 years, and 13 to 17 years, reflecting the target assessment ages for the primary immunization series, school-age boosters, and adolescent immunizations.

With implementation of the IIS-to-EHR, or electronic health record, information exchange--immunizations for the series of vaccines increased significantly for all age groups. (Vaccines included those against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis; polio; measles, mumps and rubella [MMR]; Haemophilus influenzae type b; hepatitis B; chickenpox; pneumonia, human papilloma virus (HPV), and meningococcus.) Over-immunization decreased significantly for adolescents. HPV was the most common immunization with extra doses.

"One potential explanation as to why immunization data exchange increased coverage is that prior to taking action to address missing immunizations a clinician, who may be unsure if the immunization is really missing, may opt to wait for a family to return with a paper immunization record rather than vaccinate," noted Stockwell, who is also a pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian. "While parent-held immunization records are valuable, parents may not always remember to bring them to every care visit, underscoring the importance of having immunization information readily available in the online registry in a way that is easy to access at point of care."

"Our findings demonstrated that data exchange can improve child and adolescent immunization status, allowing scarce resources to be targeted to those who are truly under-immunized," added Stockwell, "It is important to promote further development of the technology to support bidirectional immunization exchange as well as continued focus on local, state, and federal policies to support such exchanges."

"This article demonstrates the powerful impact and importance of immunization registries. CIR and EHR bidirectional information exchange has grown to approximately 600 facilities citywide - ensuring that providers have patient immunization records when the patient is in the office so that children receive all their recommended vaccines at that visit," said Assistant New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Jane Zucker, Bureau of Immunization.

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The study was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (R18 HS 022667). The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Co-authors: Karthik Natarajan, PhD, Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian; Rajasekhar Ramakrishnan, ScD, Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center; Stephen Holleran, Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian; Kristen Forney, MPH, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; Angel Aponte, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; and David K. Vawdrey, PhD, Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian.

About Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

Founded in 1922, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Mailman School is the third largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its over 450 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change & health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with over 1,300 graduate students from more than 40 nations pursuing a variety of master's and doctoral degree programs. The Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers including ICAP (formerly the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs) and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit http://www.mailman.columbia.edu
Boulder, Colo., USA: In this new article for Geology, Gavin Kenny and colleagues reveal the likely origin of Earth's oldest crystals. New research into the origin of Earth's oldest crystals suggests that they probably formed in huge impact craters rather than during the collision of tectonic plates moving around on Earth's surface as had previously been thought.

With very few rocks preserved from Earth's early history, the only material geoscientists have from this time comes in the form of tiny, naturally occurring crystals known as zircons. Naturally then, the origin of these crystals, which are approximately the width of a human hair, are more than four billion years old, and have famously suggested the presence of water on the very early Earth, has become a matter of major debate.

In this latest breakthrough, scientists from Trinity College, Dublin, and the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, have shown that zircon crystals that formed in a much younger impact crater are indistinguishable from the very ancient zircons from early Earth. Given the fact that our planet suffered more asteroid impacts early on than it has in relatively recent times, this strongly suggests that many of the oldest crystals known to man could have formed in violent impact crater settings.

FEATURED ARTICLE

Differentiated impact melt sheets may be a potential source of Hadean detrital zircon

Gavin G. Kenny et al., Dept. of Geology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland. This article is online at http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2016/04/27/G37898.1.abstract.

GEOLOGY articles are online http://geology.gsapubs.org/. Representatives of the media may obtain complimentary articles by contacting Kea Giles at the e-mail address above. Please discuss articles of interest with the authors before publishing stories on their work, and please refer to GEOLOGY in your articles. Non-media requests for articles may be directed to GSA Sales and Service, gsaservice@geosociety.org.

Other recently posted GEOLOGY articles are highlighted below:

Magma reservoirs from the upper crust to the Moho inferred from high-resolution Vp and Vs models beneath Mount St. Helens, Washington State, USA

Eric Kiser et al., Dept. of Earth Science, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS-126, Houston, Texas 77005, USA. This article is online at http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2016/04/27/G37591.1.abstract.

This study uses seismic waves recorded during a temporary deployment of ~3500 seismographs to ~6000 locations to model seismic velocities beneath Mount St. Helens (MSH), currently the most active volcano along the Cascade Range. Anomalies in the velocities of P-waves (Vp) and S-waves (Vs), as well as the ratio of these velocities (Vp/Vs), allow us to infer the rock and fluid properties in the crust in the region surrounding this volcano. Based upon these anomalies and local seismicity, we infer the location of the primary magma reservoir (a region of small melt fraction) that feeds MSH, as well as a deeper zone southeast of MSH where magmatic fluids migrate through the lower and middle crust. Bounding this deep zone of magmatic fluids are two regions of high Vp in the lower crust inferred to be cumulates that have differentiated from magmas as they evolve after entering the crust. The spatial relationships between the inferred deep and shallow zones of magmatic fluids, seismicity, and cumulate bodies suggest that the boundaries of these cumulates may play an important role in both the vertical and lateral transport of magmas through the crust.

Iron-rich melts, magmatic magnetite, and superheated hydrothermal systems: The El Laco deposit, Chile

Fernando Tornos et al., Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC-INTA). Ctra. de Torrejon a Ajalvir, km 4.5, 28850 Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.

This article is online at http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2016/04/27/G37705.1.abstract.

The El Laco volcano located in the Central Andes of northern Chile hosts one of the most enigmatic ore deposits in the world. The andesite lava flows host interbedded large bodies of massive magnetite that have been interpreted as lava flows. The origin of this mineralization has been the subject of major discussion, and both magmatic and hydrothermal models have been proposed to explain this unique mineralization and the related hydrothermal alteration. The hydrothermal system at El Laco magmatic-hydrothermal system has a deep zone of alkali-calcic alteration that is capped by a large zone of steam-heated alteration. In this contribution we present an alternative explanation to earlier models in which the iron mineralization and the related barren hydrothermal alteration are coetaneous and part of a protracted high-temperature magmatic-hydrothermal system that formed during the eruption of a water-rich iron-rich melt. Separation of water from the crystallizing iron-rich silicate-poor melt formed a unique superheated hydrothermal system that is perhaps the hottest recorded on Earth. This is attributed as being due to its relationship with this iron-rich melt, which has a solidus temperature well above that of the host andesite.

Partial resetting of the U-Th-Pb systems in experimentally altered monazite: Nanoscale evidence of incomplete replacement

Alexis Grand'Homme et al., ISTerre (Institut des Sciences de la Terre), University Grenoble Alpes, 38058 Grenoble Cedex 9, France. This article is online at http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2016/04/27/G37770.1.abstract.

With the development of in situ dating techniques, it is now possible to distinguish several growth episodes within a crystal. For example, the existence of the oldest terrestrial material has been revealed thanks to in-situ dating in micro-domains of zircon crystals from Jack Hills (Australia). Yet we demonstrate that micrometer scale, currently reached for in-situ dating, may be insufficient regarding the spatial scale of the mineralogical processes involved during fluid-mineral interactions. The present experimental study focuses on alteration of monazite crystals (555 Ma) under alkali conditions in the range of 300-600 C/200 MPa. Above 400 C, experimental products show typical of natural replacement textures: the primary monazite (Mnz1) is partially altered forming a porous rim with different composition. In situ U-Th-Pb dating in the altered rim indicates that the U-Th-Pb ages have been only partially reset during experimental alteration (intermediate ages between 555 Ma and 0 Ma). Thanks to Transmission Electron Microscope images, mechanisms behind incomplete resetting is clarified: Mnz1 is incompletely replaced in the altered rim by a secondary monazite (Mnz2), free of Pb. The presence of nano-mixture of inherited and secondary monazite in replaced domains accounts for possible age disturbance in complexly zoned grains.

Multiple thermo-erosional episodes during the past six millennia: Implications for the response of Arctic permafrost to climate change

Melissa L. Chipman et al., Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA. This article is online at http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2016/04/27/G37693.1.abstract.

Anthropogenic climate warming is amplified in the Arctic. Projected warming in the 21st century may promote permafrost degradation, with far-reaching implications for the fate of the large carbon stocks in frozen soils. Thermo-erosion represents a key pathway for rapid carbon releases from ice-rich terrains, yet the long-term variability and drivers of thermo-erosional activity remain unclear. Chipman et al. use geochemical signals of lake sediments to reconstruct 6000 years of thaw slump activity on Alaska's North Slope. They find strong evidence for at least 10 episodes of permafrost thaw and associated erosion. These episodes generally coincided with periods of elevated summer temperature. Positive feedbacks appear to have facilitated the repeated activation of thermo-erosion. These results highlight the sensitivity of permafrost terrain to climate warming and the unstable nature of Arctic landscapes.

Seismic interpretation of crustal-scale extension in the Intermontane Belt of the northern Canadian Cordillera

Andrew J. Calvert, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S, Canada. This article is online at http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2016/04/27/G37767.1.abstract.

The North American Cordillera is one of Earth's great mountain belts, and was created by the subduction-driven collision of offshore island chains against the west coast, a process which also thickened the North American crust. At its maximum during the Cretaceous, the crustal thickness probably reached 50-65 km, but this has since fallen to 32-38 km as the mountain belt collapsed and the underlying crust extended. In southern British Columbia, geological and geophysical evidence of this extension is well accepted, but in the Yukon and northern British Columbia there is little evidence of extension despite the well determined lower crustal thickness. Using seismic reflection images acquired by the Canadian Lithoprobe program, extension is inferred from a major fault that extends from close to the surface to 20 km depth, the geometry of reflections in the overlying structural basin, and a lateral change in seismic velocity. The identified 10-km-deep structural basin appears to be a significant part of the northern Canadian Cordillera in Yukon and northern British Columbia.

Identifying ideal stratigraphic cycles using a quantitative optimization method

Peter M. Burgess, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Jane Herdman Building, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK. This article is online at http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2016/04/27/G37827.1.abstract.

The ideal cycle concept is poorly defined yet implicit and potentially useful in many stratigraphic analyses. A new method allows quantitative definition of ideal cycles and provides a simple but robust method to analyze stratal order and quantify stratigraphic interpretations. The method calculates transition probability (TP) matrices from a vertical succession of strata for all possible permutations of facies-class row numbering in the matrices. The ordering of facies classes that gives highest transition probabilities along diagonals of the TP matrix can be taken as a quantitative definition of an ideal cycle for the strata being analyzed. Application to a synthetic example shows how an ideal cycle can be identified, even in noisy strata, without any assumptions about or prior knowledge of cyclicity. Application to two outcrop examples shows how it can be useful to define the most optimal cycle and determine how much evidence is present for ordered and cyclical facies successions.

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http://www.geosociety.org/

Contact:

Kea Giles

1-303-357-1057

kgiles@geosociety.org
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- An international team led by Indiana University researchers has uncovered the regulation of a system that allows a globally abundant bacterium to efficiently capture sunlight and perform photosynthesis.

The study -- led by IU biologist David M. Kehoe and conducted by Joseph E. Sanfilippo, IU Ph.D. student, and Animesh Shukla, former IU Ph.D. student, in collaboration with researchers in the United States and France -- is the first to show how a process that improves light capture in marine cyanobacteria is regulated.

The research also provides insight into how genes can be easily transferred between cells in the marine environment by a process called horizontal gene transfer. This is a common form of DNA movement involving genomic regions called "genome islands" that is important for the evolution of many organisms.

The research is reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The cyanobacterium Synechococcus is the second most common photosynthetic bacterium in the Earth's oceans. The IU study focused on how Synechococcus controls its ability to efficiently capture both blue and green light for photosynthesis.

"It's important for us to understand more about marine cyanobacteria because they're a significant part of the base of the Earth's food chain," said Kehoe, professor in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Biology. "Our planet essentially runs on power from the sun, and these organisms are important for converting sunlight into the organic compounds that are food for other species. We could not exist without these and other 'primary producers' because we can't create food from sunlight."

In the marine environment, blue and green light penetrates the water column to different depths. In shallow coastal waters, many Synechococcus cells efficiently use green light for photosynthesis, while in deeper ocean waters, the bacteria maximize their capture and use of blue light. About one quarter of all marine Synechococcus examined so far can carry out this process, called "chromatic acclimation."

Kehoe led an earlier study that provided the first mechanistic insights into this "chameleon-like" ability of many Synechococcus to capture blue and green light.

The current study involved four groups of French and American scientists.

"Our colleagues in France, who are excellent biological oceanographers, were intrigued by the molecular aspects of chromatic acclimation, while the American groups were intrigued by its ecological implications," said Kehoe, a molecular biologist. "We recognized that by combining our efforts, we could examine this process at many scales, from the molecular to the ecological. It's a truly collaborative, multidisciplinary project."

The French group -- led by Frederic Partensky and Laurence Garczarek of the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris and CNRS Station Biologique in Roscoff, France -- uncovered a genome island with six genes that correlated with the ability to undergo chromatic acclimation. Professor Wendy Schluchter and Ph.D. student Adam A. Nguyen at the University of New Orleans provided biochemical analyses for the study. Jonathan A. Karty, associate scientist in the IU Bloomington Department of Chemistry, contributed mass spectrometry results that were critical for the group's discoveries.

Together, the group's results indicate that a small genome island confers the ability to undergo chromatic acclimation. If a particular strain of Synechococcus does not have the genome island, it cannot undergo chromatic acclimation. However, if a strain acquires the genome island, as one quarter of strains appear to have done, it will likely undergo chromatic acclimation.

The group discovered that two genes, named fciA and fciB, located on the genome island are required to turn on and off the expression of the other genes on the genome island. As a result, this genome island appears to be self-regulating and able to tune its own response to changes in surrounding light color environment.

The results of this study provide important insight into regulation of horizontally transferred genes. Although the regulation must be correct when such genes enter a new organism, regulatory genes are often not located near the genes they regulate in a genome.

"We found that this genome island includes both types of genes, making it self-contained by allowing the proper regulation of this process to be provided along with the capacity for chromatic acclimation. We predict that this facilitates its spread in the environment," Kehoe said.

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IU facilities used in the study were the Indiana Molecular Biology Institute, IU Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, and the METACyt Biochemical Analysis Center and Mass Spectrometry Facility in the IU Department of Chemistry.

This research was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the IU Bloomington Office of the Vice Provost for Research's Bridge Funding Program.
A new NASA analysis of 30-years of satellite data suggests that a previously observed trend of high altitude clouds in the mid-latitudes shifting toward the poles is caused primarily by the expansion of the tropics.

Clouds are among the most important mediators of heat reaching Earth's surface. Where clouds are absent, darker surfaces like the ocean or vegetated land absorb heat, but where clouds occur their white tops reflect incoming sunlight away, which can cause a cooling effect on Earth's surface. Where and how the distribution of cloud patterns change strongly affects Earth's climate. Understanding the underlying causes of cloud migration will allow researchers to better predict how they may affect Earth's climate in the future.

George Tselioudis, a climate scientist at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Columbia University in New York City, was interested in which air currents were shifting clouds at high altitude - between about three and a half and six miles high - toward the poles.

The previous suggested reason was that climate change was shifting storms and the powerful air currents known as the jet streams - including the one that traverses the United States - toward the poles, which in turn were driving the movement of the clouds.

To see if that was the case, Tselioudis and his colleagues analyzed the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project data set, which combines cloud data from operational weather satellites, including those run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to provide a 30-year record of detailed cloud observations. They combined the cloud data with a computer re-creation of Earth's air currents for the same period driven by multiple surface observations and satellite data sets.

What they discovered was that the poleward shift of the clouds, which occurs in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, connected more strongly with the expansion of the tropics, defined by the general circulation Hadley cell, than with the movement of the jets.

The Hadley cell is one of the major ways air is moved around the planet. Existing in both hemispheres, it starts when air in the tropics, which is heated at the surface by intense sunlight, warms and rises. At high altitudes it is pushed away from the equator towards the mid-latitudes to the north and south, then it begins to sink back to Earth's surface, closing the loop.

"What we find, and other people have found it as well, is that the sinking branch of the Hadley cell, as the climate warms, tends to be moving poleward," said Tselioudis. "It's like you're making the tropical region bigger." And that expansion causes the tropical air currents to blow into the high altitude clouds, pushing them toward the poles, he said. The results were published in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

Scientists are working to understand exactly why the tropics are expanding, which they believe is related to a warming climate.

The poleward shift of high altitude clouds affects how much sunlight reaches Earth's surface because when they move, they reveal what's below.

"It's like pulling a curtain," said Tselioudis. And what tends to be revealed depends on location - which in turn affects whether the surface below warms or not.

"Sometimes when that curtain is pulled, as in the case over the North Atlantic ocean in the winter months, this reduces the overall cloud cover" in the lower mid-latitudes, the temperate regions outside of the tropics, Tselioudis said. The high altitude clouds clear to reveal dark ocean below - which absorbs incoming sunlight and causes a warming effect.

However, in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica, the high altitude clouds usually clear out of the way to reveal lower altitude clouds below - which continue to reflect sunlight from their white tops, causing little effect on the solar radiation reaching the surface.

When the results are taken together, the bottom line is that the cloud interactions with atmospheric circulation and solar radiation are complicated, and the tropical circulation appears to play a dominant role, said Tselioudis.

That information is a new insight that will likely be used by the climate modeling community, including the scientists who contribute modeling expertise to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said Lazaros Oreopoulos, a cloud and radiation budget researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who was not involved in the study. Climate modelers aim for their computer simulations to correspond as closely to reality as possible in order to reliably predict Earth's future climate.

"If current behavior is not well simulated, then confidence in predicted future behavior will be lower," Oreopoulos said. "I anticipate this study to be looked at carefully and affect thinking on these matters."

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Read the paper at Geophysical Research Letters: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016GL068242/abstract
ARLINGTON, Va.--She's tough--capable of punching through 30-foot waves and riptides or smashing into rocks and reefs. But she's also tender, providing hope to those in peril.

Meet EMILY the robotic lifeguard--officially known as the Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard--a remote-controlled buoy that recently was used to rescue nearly 300 Syrian migrants from drowning in the waters off the Greek island of Lesbos.

Created with support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), several EMILY devices will be displayed in action for the public during the 2016 Naval STEM Expo and Sea-Air-Space Exposition--both to be held at the Gaylord Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. EMILY's demo schedule is as follows:

Sunday, May 15: Naval STEM Expo. 1:30 p.m.-4:40 p.m., South Dock of the Gaylord.

Monday, May 16-Wednesday, May 18: 9:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.-3 p.m., South Dock of the Gaylord. There also will be a display at ONR's booth at Sea-Air-Space.

EMILY is the successful culmination of a collaboration between inventor Tony Mulligan, ONR and the Navy's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. SBIR provides the Navy with innovative advances in technology created by small firms--while STTR transitions products developed by both small businesses and research institutions to the Navy and Marine Corps.

The technology in EMILY took a long road over 15 years--advancing from marine mammal research to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Iraq.

"EMILY's 15-year progression is inspiring," said SBIR Director Bob Smith. "From whale-monitoring efforts, to supporting warfighters in harm's way, to impacting global humanitarian efforts, EMILY is a classic overnight success story years in the making."

Outfitted in bright orange, red and yellow colors, each cylindrical EMILY buoy is four feet long and weighs 25 pounds. It's powered by a jet engine system similar to a mini jet ski, shoots a water jet stream for propulsion and travels up to 22 miles per hour. EMILY also has two-way communication radios, a video camera with a live feed to smart phones and lights for night rescues.

"EMILY is made of Kevlar and aircraft-grade composites and is virtually indestructible," said Mulligan, CEO of Hydronalix, a maritime robotics company. "The devices can be thrown off a helicopter or bridge and then driven via remote control to whoever needs to be rescued."

EMILY's roots stretch back to 2001, when Mulligan received ONR and SBIR-STTR funding to develop a computer- and sensor-operated UAV to monitor whale movements during Navy sonar testing. However, when the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq erupted, Mulligan improved and transformed his vehicles into Silver Fox UAVs in 2003, which helped U.S. troops conduct aerial surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

In 2011, Mulligan received funding to disassemble existing Silver Foxes and use their components, such as motor parts and navigation computers, to build unmanned surface vehicles for hurricane tracking, tsunami response and search-and-rescue missions. This technology was built upon to develop EMILY.

Mulligan also has worked with ONR's SwampWorks program--which specializes in innovative, high-risk technologies--to develop components that went into both EMILY and the Mobile Gateway Buoy, designed to support Navy mine counter-measure missions.

Mulligan has provided more than 260 EMILY devices to navies, coast guards and search-and-rescue units in South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, Mongolia, Brazil, Mexico and Greece. U.S. rescue teams in Oregon and Washington, D.C., also have expressed interest in the robotic lifeguard.

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When NASA began seeking new scientists to join its Curiosity Mars rover team, Penn State geoscientist Christopher House knew his experience could be a valuable asset to the project.

"My research has focused on the early Earth and what happened here billions of years ago," said House, professor of geosciences, director of Penn State's Astrobiology Research Center and director of the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. "I've studied methane seeps and marine sediments and have investigated ancient Earth rocks for signatures of life. I would like to take those lessons learned and apply them to other parts of the solar system, and joining the NASA Mars rover project seemed like a great way to do this."

House applied and was one of six new scientists selected from around the world who are completely new to the rover's science team. The goal of the Curiosity rover mission is to investigate whether environmental conditions on Mars were ever favorable for microbial life.

The mission has determined that there were habitable lake and groundwater environments life could have existed on Mars roughly 3.5 billion years ago with all the key chemical ingredients and energy needed for life. The team is also looking for evidence of water in Mars' past. House will be joined by geosciences graduate student Gregory Wong, and their contributions are being funded by NASA for a threefour-year, $379,000 grant contract through the Mars Science Laboratory Project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

As it negotiates Mars' hazardous terrain, Curiosity collects samples of rocks that it processes and analyzes with on-board instrumentation, such as a mass spectrometer that lets the team understand the composition of rock samples. The team is looking for microscopic evidence suggesting that the red planet was habitable, such as forms of sulfur naturally produced by microbes. House has conducted similar types of research on early Earth sediments. He has investigated whether microbial residue contained within rocks could be a sign of life, and he has investigated how life thrives in extreme environments on Earth such as hydrothermal vents at the ocean floor.

In addition to collaborating on ongoing Curiosity research, House is planning to compare analyses of Mars rocks with the same type of analyses performed on Earth rocks.

"We want to compare samples we have here on Earth, both from marine sediments and the rock record, to the signals that Curiosity is getting through mass spectrometry," he said. "What we're really trying to understand is whether the signatures we find are from sulfide and possibly organic matter, which could be signs that Mars was once habitable, but we need to consider all possibilities in our research."

For this expedition, the Curiosity rover is headed up a mountain on Mars called Mount Sharp, which has exposed layers of sediment deposited over a period of thousands or millions of years early in Mars' history. By sampling these rocks, the Curiosity team hopes to understand how their composition changed over time and whether early rocks contain information indicating that Mars was once suitable for life.

"I think my timing for joining the mission is fortuitous," said House. "The rover is in excellent health, and we're just about to get to some exciting rocks. My own experience from working on early Earth and looking at marine sediments puts me in a good position to help evaluate the origin of some of the sediments they're seeing -- and potentially to start to think about answering the complex question of whether or not there's evidence for life recorded in those sediments."

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Leaders at the University of Arizona Health Sciences predict that a preventive medicine will be a landmark achievement in the history of asthma research. The national study is funded by a $27 million National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant

TUCSON, Ariz. - Efforts to improve the health of children at increased risk for asthma will receive a major boost with the launch of a new University of Arizona Health Sciences-led, federally funded national clinical study. For Fernando D. Martinez, MD, and his colleagues at the UA Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, this study follows 30 years of research to prevent and cure this chronic disease.

Titled, "Oral Bacterial Extracts (ORBEX): Primary Prevention of Asthma and Wheezing in Children," the study is funded by a $27 million cooperative agreement grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (U01HL130045). Taking part in the study will be seven other prestigious research institutions across the United States: Columbia University Medical Center, Emory University School of Medicine, George Washington University/Children's National Health System, Harvard University/Boston Children's Hospital, Penn State University College of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

"Asthma is a disease that affects 10 percent of all children in the U.S., significantly impacting their ability to thrive," said Dr. Martinez, who will lead the nationwide research effort. "With this new study, we have the opportunity to identify children at the earliest stages of life who are at highest risk for disease and initiate early therapies to minimize respiratory tract illness. Following these children during the preschool years will further enhance our understanding of the disease, provide additional precision approaches to therapy and lead to optimal prevention strategies, and - hopefully - a cure."

Based at the UA Health Sciences' Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, the study will enroll more than 1,000 babies, 6 to 18 months old, who are considered at high risk for developing asthma. High-risk factors include having a parent with asthma or a diagnosis of eczema, or both.

Infants will be randomly assigned to a treatment group that receives the preventive medicine - a bacterial extract - or a control group that gets a non-active placebo treatment. The medicine will be administered over two years. In the third year, researchers will document whether the babies who received the medicine have fewer asthma symptoms than those who received the placebo.

Years of research by Dr. Martinez and colleagues have shown that exposure to environmental bacteria in children under the age of 6 actually can strengthen the child's immune system and reduce the child's risk of developing asthma. Other studies compared asthma rates in children who live in relatively microbe-depleted urban homes to those who live on farms, where they are exposed to livestock and dusty barns. Those children are much less likely to develop asthma than their urban counterparts.

Dr. Martinez became familiar with a naturopathic powder developed in the 1970s in Switzerland. A study had shown the powder, mixed with juice and given to preschool children, decreased wheezing illnesses, which often are the first manifestation of asthma in early life.

"If we could prevent those illnesses, we may be able to prevent the alterations in the lung that predispose children for a lifetime of chronic asthma. The product also has a very good safety profile after decades of use in children as young as 6 months of age," Dr. Martinez said. "This could be transformational. For the first time this could give us hope that we can prevent this disease."

Understanding the genetic and environmental factors that cause asthma, and finding a way to cure or prevent the disease, has been the primary focus of Dr. Martinez's internationally respected research career. Growing up in Santiago, Chile, Dr. Martinez remembers when he was 3 years old watching his mother struggle to breathe during a severe asthma attack. His mother's attacks continued, and so did his fear of losing her to the disease that made it so hard for her to breathe.

"I remember vividly, it's kind of ingrained in my brain, that I promised to myself that I would cure this disease one day, or better yet, find a way to keep it from happening in the first place," Dr. Martinez said.

Said pediatric pulmonologist Wayne Morgan, MD, principal investigator for the UA portion of the study: "Researchers across the world have tried to prevent the development of wheezing illness and asthma for decades. However, studies either reducing or increasing exposures to allergens early in life or using probiotics such as lactobacillus have had disappointing results and likely are not the way forward. Our current study seeks to stimulate the immune system in a safe manner in early life to prevent wheezing illness and, hopefully, the later development of asthma."

UA President Ann Weaver Hart, PhD, said, "the University of Arizona is laser focused on research that creates positive impact by bringing the best minds and the latest technology to bear on curing disease and improving health around the world. The work of Dr. Martinez and his colleagues is a wonderful example of how the creativity and insight of UA scientists spans across continents and disciplines, and I am so proud that they are working to better understand and - we hope - find a cure for a debilitating disease."

Joe G.N. "Skip" Garcia, MD, UA senior vice president for health sciences, said, "the Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center team is going to catapult our understanding of the disease, including the genetic and environmental factors that cause asthma. Dr. Martinez and his colleagues have the scientific expertise and the personal passion to end asthma in our lifetime. This study and the national scope of the clinical trial moves us toward a population health perspective in asthma research."

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About Dr. Fernando D. Martinez

Dr. Martinez is Regents' Professor, Swift-McNear Professor of Pediatrics, former director of the UA BIO5 Institute and the inaugural director of the UA Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, formerly the Arizona Respiratory Center. Dr. Martinez is an internationally recognized authority on the natural history of childhood asthma, and the role of genetic, physiological, immunological and environmental factors as determinants of the risk for asthma in early life.

About the UA Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center

The UA Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center - formerly the Arizona Respiratory Center - was established in 1971 as the University of Arizona's first Center of Excellence. For four decades, the center has been recognized worldwide for the outstanding contributions of scientists to the understanding of the natural history, pathogenesis, genetics, genomics and treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

About the University of Arizona Health Sciences

The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs almost 5,000 people, has nearly 1,000 faculty members and garners more than $126 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: http://uahs.arizona.edu
Irvine, Calif., May 5, 2016 - Astronomers from the University of California, Irvine and other universities have derived a highly precise measurement of the mass of a black hole at the center of a nearby giant elliptical galaxy. Working with high-resolution data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, the scientists were able to determine the speed of a disk of cold molecular gas and dust orbiting the supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy NGC 1332. From there, they calculated the black hole's mass to be 660 million times greater than that of the Sun.

"This is the first time that ALMA has probed the orbital motion of cold molecular gas well inside the gravitational sphere of influence of a supermassive black hole" said Aaron Barth, UCI professor of physics & astronomy and lead author on the study published today in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. "We're directly viewing the region where the cold gas is responding to the black hole's gravitational pull. This is an exciting milestone for ALMA and a great demonstration of its high-resolution capability."

To calculate the mass of a black hole in a galaxy's center, astronomers must be able to measure the speed of something orbiting around it, Barth said.

"For a precise measurement, we need to zoom in to the very center of a galaxy where the black hole's gravitational pull is the dominant force. ALMA is a fantastic new tool for carrying out these observations."

Located at 5,000 meters altitude in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, ALMA is a powerful array of 66 radio telescopes designed to conduct observations at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. Dense, cold clouds of interstellar gas and dust don't emit visible light, but glow brightly at wavelengths that ALMA can observe.

Barth and his group trained ALMA's observational powers on NGC 1332, a giant elliptical galaxy in the southern sky 73 million light-years from Earth. Elliptical galaxies are known to contain massive central black holes.

About one in 10 elliptical galaxies contain disks of cold molecular gas and dust that orbit their centers. In visible light, as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope, these disks appear as dark silhouettes against the bright background of starlight in a galaxy's core. But ALMA can observe radio-wavelength light emitted by molecules in these structures. The emission is shifted to shorter or longer wavelengths by the Doppler Effect depending on whether the disk's gas is rotating toward or away from observers, which enables astronomers to map the motion of the gas. In this case, Barth's team focused on radio-wave emissions from carbon monoxide (CO) molecules, since the CO signal is bright and readily detected with ALMA.

In September 2014, Barth's team obtained an initial ALMA observation of CO emissions from NGC 1332, which revealed that the galaxy indeed contained a flattened disk of cold molecular gas in rapid rotation about its center, making it an ideal target for a precision measurement of the black hole's mass. The disk extends to a radius of nearly 800 light-years from the galaxy's nucleus; only within the innermost 80 light-years is the black hole's gravitational pull the dominant force. Astronomers refer to this as the black hole's "sphere of influence."

In September 2015, they studied NGC 1332 again with ALMA, this time using its high-resolution mode to produce a far more sharply focused map of the disk's rotation. This new map resolves details as small as 16 light-years across. Crucially, this makes it possible to probe the disk's rotation within the black hole's 80 light-year sphere of influence region. The ALMA data show that near the disk's center, the rotation speed of the gas reaches 500 kilometers per second.

By mapping the disk's rotation with the high-resolution data, Barth's group determined that the black hole in NGC 1332 has a mass that is 660 million times greater than the Sun, with a measurement uncertainty of just 10 percent. This is among the most precise measurements for the mass of a galaxy's central black hole.

Past measurements of black hole masses from mapping the rotation of gas disks have mostly been based on hotter disks of ionized gas that glow at visible wavelengths and can be observed with the Hubble Space Telescope. However, ionized gas disks tend to exhibit more turbulent, chaotic motion, which lowers the precision of the mass measurement. A major advantage for ALMA is that dense disks of cold molecular gas, like the one in NGC 1332, appear to have a more orderly structure with less turbulent motion, which leads to a more definitive measurement.

Barth's group is analyzing ALMA investigations of several other elliptical galaxies from their study, and six more galaxies are in the queue to be studied during this year's ALMA operating cycle. UCI graduate student and study co-author Benjamin Boizelle said, "This observation demonstrates a technique that can be applied to many other galaxies to measure the masses of supermassive black holes to remarkable precision."

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In addition to Barth and Boizelle, the research team included David Buote of UCI, Jeremy Darling, University of Colorado; Andrew Baker, Rutgers University; Luis Ho, Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University; and Jonelle Walsh, Texas A&M University.

About ALMA: The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC) and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).

About the University of California, Irvine: Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UC Irvine faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UC Irvine news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.
Scientists are trying to find a new way to produce the nutritional fatty acids called Omega 3 that are currently sourced from fish oil from the world's declining natural fish stocks.

In a groundbreaking branch of new science - synthetic biology - the team at The University of Nottingham's Synthetic Biology Research Centre are working with biotechnology company CHAIN Biotech and industry partner Calysta, Inc. to develop microbial technology that uses microorganisms to ferment methane gas into valuable nutritional supplements.

The pioneering project is called PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids). It will run for a year and is being funded by industrial biotechnology catalyst grants from InnovateUK and the BBSRC with potential further significant scaling up investment from Calysta, a sustainable nutrition company based in the US.

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for the growth, development and healthy maintenance of the brain and are incorporated in many kinds of foods and infant nutrition products as well as animal feed and health products. Currently Omega 3 fatty acids are sourced from fish oils, but wild fish stocks are under pressure and there is an urgency to find alternative sources that are both sustainable and economical.

Leading the research at Nottingham's Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Professor Nigel Minton said: "We specialise in the use of fermentation of certain gases to produce sustainable industrial chemicals and biofuels, and now through this project to produce vital feedstock ingredients like Omega 3 fatty acids. We will be engineering the Methanococcus microbe to produce polyunsaturated fatty acids from a cheap and replenishable feedstock - methane gas. There are huge potential benefits in terms of reducing dependency on fishing and also creating a new use for a plentiful gas that has a harmful effect on the environment if unharnessed. Methane is a low cost and sustainable feedstock that can be produced from a variety of renewable sources, including anaerobic digestion which is now prevalent in the UK and EU."

Dr Basil Omar, Chief Commercial Officer at CHAIN Biotech Ltd said: "This is a great example of how publicly funded early stage research is being leveraged and commercially exploited with an industry partner to scale up successful discoveries made in the lab. This highly innovative project will draw upon CHAIN's world leading expertise in Synthetic Biology to improve production characteristics by targeting both cell growth and product yield simultaneously with a focus on Omega 3 fatty acids. We hope it will offer a cheaper route to a high demand product with positive environmental and social knock on effects."

Calysta, the project's commercial partner, specialise in the production of microbial proteins for the commercial fish feed and livestock markets. Microbial proteins are already used to make foods like the popular savoury spreads made from yeast extract. Fish farming is growing in response to increased global demand for seafood and Calysta has developed and is commercialising a new patented product called FeedKind protein to provide a sustainable fish food ingredient for the fish farming industry. The company will offer a fast track to scaling up of the PUFA manufacturing process. Calysta is based in California and will open a market introduction facility for FeedKind in Teesside, England, later this year. A commercial-scale plant in the US is expected to come online in 2018.

Alan Shaw, Ph.D., Calysta President and Chief Executive Officer, said: "Partnering The University of Nottingham and CHAIN Biotech in this project means we can develop the next generation of FeedKind protein.

"FeedKind protein is a natural, safe, high-quality, non-GMO protein source produced by a single cell organism, using a natural, proprietary fermentation process. By replacing fishmeal, fish oil and soy protein concentrate with a nutritious naturally occurring protein, the aquaculture industry can reduce its impact on the environment and on wild fisheries while continuing to grow to feed the world's population.

"Successful completion of this research will result in a step-change in sustainable human nutrition and will be welcomed by the food industry, retailers and consumers globally."

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Heralded a miracle by many infertile couples, in vitro fertilization (IVF) can pack a painful financial punch for those without insurance coverage for the treatment. This prohibitive cost leads many would-be parents who pursue in vitro fertilization to transfer multiple embryos at once to increase their chances of getting a baby - and reduce the need to pay for subsequent attempts.

A new study by University of Vermont (UVM) researchers now suggests that the financial savings from fewer IVF attempts is surpassed by the costs of medical complications from multiple-embryo pregnancies. The rates of cesarean-section deliveries, premature births and low birth weight of babies are greater with two or more embryos transferred into the mother at one time than with a single-embryo pregnancy.

Those are the findings of the team led by Christopher Jones, Ph.D., UVM assistant professor of surgery and director of the Global Health Economics Unit of the Vermont Center for Clinical and Translational Science, and first author Olivia Carpinello, M.D., a UVM College of Medicine 2013 alumna. Co-investigators on the study also included reproductive medicine specialist Peter Casson, M.D., a former UVM professor, and Renju Raj, M.D., UVM instructor in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences and Women's Reproductive Health Research Scholar.

Published recently in the journal Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, their study may be the first nationwide to calculate the differences in infant hospital costs based on the number of embryos transferred at one time. Jones and his team had access to UVM Medical Center records of 116 patients who conceived through IVF and delivered at least 20 weeks into their pregnancies between 2007 and 2011.

The study compared the incidence and costs of adverse perinatal outcomes - preterm delivery (at less than 37 weeks gestation), low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams) and C-sections - resulting from single-embryo transfers, double-embryo transfers and transfers of three or more embryos. They determined that the costs to care for babies born from double-embryo transfers were more than twice as much as costs for babies from single-embryo transfers, and costs for babies from three or more embryos were 1.7 times as high.

It wasn't only the greater chance of twins or more multiple births with multiple embryo transfers that caused those complications and higher healthcare spending, the authors found. Even when only one baby resulted from a larger number of embryos, the risk of problems increased.

The study provides data to inform public policy as it relates to the development of "personalized medicine" - treatment targeted to the unique characteristics and needs of each patient, Jones says.

"This is personalized medicine at its heart, at its core," he says, "because nothing is more personal than fertility choices."

Jones performed similar research for his dissertation at the University of Oxford in England, where he received his doctorate in health economics in 2006. His work there helped lead to current U.K. guidelines that direct the transfer of a single embryo during IVF treatment whenever possible, he says.

The new UVM study encourages similar policy in the United States.

"This work supports the position that IVF cycles involving appropriate embryo transfer policies should be covered by insurance companies," state the authors.

Among the 11 states that require insurance coverage for infertility treatment, five explicitly cover IVF. Without financial assistance, most patients who choose IVF pay for it out of pocket, increasing the incentive for them to reduce their costs by limiting the number of embryo-transfer attempts.

If states require coverage for IVF, they can also mandate that insurers pay for only single-embryo transfers. Jones' study concluded that additional IVF attempts wouldn't cost more than the incremental costs per baby that result from a multiple-embryo transfer.

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Overshadowed by Russias intervention in Syria and the EUs preoccupation with the migration crisis, the implementation of the second Minsk agreement has received little attention in the past few months. Following the meetings of the Normandy Four Group on 13th February and 3rd March, it seems little progress was made on the most contentious issues with all sides becoming more steadily disillusioned with the process. The principal political elements of the agreement remain unfulfilled and the lack of more satisfactory results produced by both sides is placing further strain on the already protracted negotiations. Against the backdrop of this political stalemate, the OSCEs Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) has been reporting an increase of ceasefire violations and frequently observed heavy weapons and armed formations.[1]

Considering the track record so far and the insufficient impetus for change, it is unlikely that the local elections in the separatist regions will take place in the latest proposed timeframe. Instead, parties to the agreement must focus on strengthening security in the region and agree on interim mutually-acceptable measures that would serve as building blocks for a permanent solution to the crisis.

Granted, some practical measures have been proposed for strengthening the ceasefire regime. Withdeadlines of 30th April 2016, the first measure was the creation of a mechanism to prevent and resolve incidents; and the second, the release/exchange of all prisoners and illegally detained persons. Information on the specifics of the incident prevention mechanism is yet to be publically shared. As for the prisoners exchange, on 20 April 2016 the parliamentary envoy for human rights in the Rada confirmed that a fifth transfer has taken place bringing the number of exchanged Ukrainian prisoners to 87, but the process is not yet complete. Lastly, with a deadline for the end of March, Ukrainian authorities and leaders in the separatist regions were set to complete a demining map for the Donbass. At the last meeting of the OSCEs Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), which took place in mid-April, it was reported that the SMM observed no systematic, organised action on that point.

With regard to the political process, and the holding of local elections in the Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) and Luhansk Peoples Republic (LPR) more specifically, the key outcome was the common wish that the elections be held by the middle of 2016. Given that the suggested timing of these elections was previously set for this spring (after being postponed from last autumn), this does not indicate any real progress. The mid-summer election date was also questioned by the Chairman of Ukraines Central Election Commission, Oleksiy Koshelia, who shared his doubts that elections can be held even in two years time. After her visit to Ukraine at the end of April, Victoria Nuland, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, rejected speculations about US insistence on a June/July date for the elections in the Donbass casting further doubts on the timing. Moreover, the request for the OSCE to provide concrete, practical options for adequately making the elections safe by 31st March 2016 seems to have not been fulfilled. In fact, at the end of April a spokesperson from the German Foreign Office mentioned that the OSCE Secretariats report is still not ready and that it is too early to say what the findings will be.

Decisive progress on the implementation of the Minsk II agreement seems contingent on three factors.

Firstly, the uncertainty over the current power arrangements in Ukraine is presenting a challenge. At the moment the parties in government, the Poroshenko Block and Peoples Front, hold 141 and 81 seats in the Rada. They can only master majority if supported by independent MPs, which was the case in the new Prime Ministers appointment. The government may not be able to evoke greater legislative reforms needed for organising the local elections in the Donbass. Further, while the two parties are trying to move beyond the recent corruption scandals, politicians would be even more reluctant to pass the unpopular reforms granting the DPR and the LPR autonomy. The appointment of Volodymyr Groysman as Prime Minister does bring some stability to the political landscape; however, the Minsk process would be further down the priority list.

Secondly, it is in Russias interest to delay the peace process and freeze the conflict in the Donbass as it is. By prolonging the process of implementing the flawed Minsk II agreement, Russia is benefiting from the scandals in Ukraines domestic politics and the inability of the current administration in Kyiv to consolidate power to counter Russian influence. Further, a frozen military conflict on the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions would prevent Ukraine from achieving closer integration with the EU. This would present Russia with an advantage in future relations with its neighbour.

The EUs increasingly difficult task of presenting unified positions vis-a-vis Ukraine or Russia is the third factor casting doubts over the future of the Minsk process. Representatives in the Normandy Four Group, Germany and Frances Foreign Ministers have indicated that they are more and more willing to compromise on the modalities of holding elections in the Donbass, meaning that elections might be held without being able to meet the OSCE/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) standards.[2] Not only would this alienate the majority of the Ukrainian population, but it could discredit the EUs commitment to democratic values. Further, a compromise on the modalities would likely disappoint EU member states that take a stronger view on the relationship with Russia. Such dissonance is even more disturbing in light of the last meeting of the EUs Foreign Ministers, after which it was reported that there is a growing opposition to the automatic renewal of sanctions against Russia. Despite doubts over the efficacy of the sanctions, they solidified European unity and efforts to prevent Russia from further destabilisation of the situation in Ukraine.

A practical step towards speeding up the political process would be to enhance security in the Donbass by supporting the work of the SMM. A key challenge to the mission at present is limited access to the Donbass region. Despite the fact that Russia is not party to the Minsk II agreement, as a guarantor of its implementation and a de facto supporter of the separatists, the Moscow administration can do more to facilitate the process. If Putins administration stands by its commitment to the successful conclusion of the crisis, it could also support the deployment of an international police mission.[3] Such a mission could increase security during local elections. However, the Russian representative and his counterparts from the separatist regions excluded this option.

With respect to the role of the partners in Europe, the EU should focus on establishing a common position regarding Ukraine and consider the broader message it is sending to the Ukrainian people. Encouraging a strong civil society and democratic values cannot be done by compromising on fundamental democratic principles such as the holding of free, fair and secure elections. Hence, partners in the West should not agree to the holding of elections which do not fulfil the ODIHRs criteria, nor should they insist that the political elements of the Minsk Protocol be fulfilled until security can be ensured.

For their part, Kyivs administration should accept that a political solution would involve Russia. The much speculated Medvedchuk plan is one example of striking a balance that could be acceptable to all. [3] Establishing interim administrations in the DPR and LPR headed by people that the separatists, Moscow and Kyiv can support, as suggested by Medvedchuk, could be a practical solution. They would oversee a mutually-agreed transition period leading up to local elections. Even though the plan was flawed due to speculations on the reputations of the proposed candidates, it remains one of the few constructive suggestions for overcoming the current impasse. Finding prospective leaders in the Donbass who can gain support from the administrations in both Kyiv and Moscow would be difficult, but not impossible. And it will be an important step to agreeing on and holding local elections.

[1] The daily updates on the activities of the Special Monitoring Mission are available here:http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/reports. Concerns over the intensified violence were also raised by the EU and US delegations at the plenary session of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation on 9 March 2016: http://www.osce.org/fsc/227661. Also reported by international media: see the New York Times article from 22 February. A full ceasefire was negotiated on the eve of the Orthodox Easter (more details can be found here:https://www.bundesregierung.de/Content/EN/Artikel/2016/04_en/2016-04-29-ukraine-waffenruhe_en.html); however, casualties were reported shortly after that ceasefire took effect:http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/04/ukraine-crisis-troops-killed-east-truce-160430123729171.html.

[2] See comments by Steinmeier in March 2016 elections cannot be delayed indefinitely http://www.kyivpost.com/article/content/ukraine-politics/local-elections-in-eastern-ukraine-cannot-be-delayed-endlessly-steinmeier-410515.html, and the comment on the ELN website from January 2016:http://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/should-ukraine-agree-to-imperfect-local-elections-in-the-donbass_3442.html.

[3] The possibility of an armed OSCE mission to eastern Ukraine was questioned by a spokesperson from the German Foreign Office given that no precedent exists: http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/160427_Ostukraine.html.

[4] The idea was raised at the end of February and discussed until mid-March when a Ukrainian representative denounced it: http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/330756.html. A short analysis can be found here: http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2016/03/16/a-last-chance-to-unify-ukraine/.

The opinions articulated above represent the views of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Leadership Network or any of its members. The ELNs aim is to encourage debates that will help develop Europes capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time.
UK PMI Outcome Provokes Unexpected Reaction from UK Investors, Seeing the GBP to ZAR Exchange Rate Reverse Recent Gains

Having seen a strong run over the last rolling month, the pound to rand exchange rate fell back as foreign exchange markets came to a close for the week.

The GBP/ZAR does still trade at the best exchange rate level since 30 March 2016.

One of South Africas most impactful ecostats due next week will be the unemployment rate result for the first quarter. This has been predicted to rise from 24.5% to 25.5%.

The latest measure of South African business confidence has shown that sentiment remains extremely low, despite having edged up in April, weakening the Rand and allowing the British pound to advance.

The Business Confidence Index, compiled by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI), continued to recover after hitting a 23-year low in December, although the index remains -7.4 down on the year.

The Pound to rand exchange rate reversed its gains on Thursday's forex markets, owing to South African political developments.

In a stark shift in exchange rate movements, the GBP/ZAR spot rate lost out where it was previously in a strong position.

The cause for this shift in opinion may have originated in the South African Parliament, where as part of ongoing opposition to the ostensible corruption of President Jacob Zuma, large numbers of opposition MPs have decided not to turn up to the unpopular politicians budgetary question time.

The pound sterling has been unusually stable against most of its economic rivals including the South African rand recently, with the most recent development in UK PMI printings having an unpredictable effect.

This has been the drop in both the composite and services PMIs for April, which have bizarrely failed to dent confidence in the Pound, despite the forecast crash that should have taken place.

A simple answer to this news could be that because neither outcome fell into a contraction range, this is still a better result that Tuesdays highly damaging manufacturing result sliding into the reduction zone.

Other Foreign Exchange News

Latest Pound/Rand Exchange Rates

On Monday the Pound to British Pound exchange rate (GBP/GBP) converts at 1

The live inter-bank GBP-GBP spot rate is quoted as 1 today.

The live inter-bank GBP-EUR spot rate is quoted as 1.143 today.

Today finds the pound to us dollar spot exchange rate priced at 1.128.

NB: the forex rates mentioned above, revised as of 24th Oct 2022, are inter-bank prices that will require a margin from your bank. Foreign exchange brokers can save up to 5% on international payments in comparison to the banks.

Pound Sterling (GBP) Exchange Rates Forecast: UK Election Results and Car Registration Stats due in Future

The next UK events likely to have a notable impact on the British pounds performance will be spread across tomorrow morning to potentially as far as Sunday.

Tomorrows solid announcement will be the UK new car registrations result on the year in April; previously, a 5.3% outcome was recorded.

Less easy to pin down will be the outcomes of the local elections that are taking place today; while some councils are expected to announce their results tomorrow, others are not expected to have tallied up all available votes until Sunday.

Falling Metal Prices and Parliamentary Drama Damage South African Rand (ZAR) Exchange Rates Appeal Today

The South African Rand has been in bad shape over the past few days, having been softened by falling precious metal prices, among other things.

In the halls of power, those in charge of the South African economy have been further discredited by a fight that erupted, culminating in a number of Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) members being expelled.

Although President Jacob Zuma remains under the cloud of corruption charges, he has nonetheless attempted to put across a plan to unite governmental and corporate interests to improve the state of the economy.

GBP/ZAR Exchange Rate Forecast: Metal Prices may Influence ZAR ahead of next weeks production figures

With no remaining South African economic announcements due before the coming week, the Rand may only be further influenced by the fickle prices of precious metals.

Looking further ahead, next weeks movement will open with Mondays April foreign exchange reserves.

Following on from this will be Tuesdays pessimistically-predicted Q1 unemployment rate outcome and Thursdays gold, mining and manufacturing productions outcomes for March.

South Africa on the Edge of Junk Status, according to Bloomberg Poll

The future may only get worse for the prospects of the South African Rand, given the recent expectations of Bloomberg economists.

Twelve out of thirteen surveyed analysts predicted that S&P Global Ratings would lower South Africas rating to junk status. In response to mounting pressures on the economy, Macquarie Group Ltd economist Elna Moolman stated:

The concern is that we continue to have disappointing growth that ultimately adds to fiscal pressures. As things stand now, I think they will downgrade us.
It can vary by departement (think, county) but the folks I've known who were assigned to the French classes have attended 4 or 5 "full" days (in the French sense) a week. The French standard for classes seems to be 6 hours per day, with a generous (by US standards) lunch break - often 1.5 to 2 hours.The level required to pass the class is something like A2, which is a beginner level. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_European_Framework_of_Reference_for_Languages for reference.You may want to consider adjusting your schedule for the first year you're in France to get the requirements under your belt. You will need to maintain a residential address where you can be reached (usually by mail) in any event. And fulfilling your OFII obligations (it can take up to 3 months to schedule that initial appointment) probably should take priority on arrival. If your husband doesn't fulfill the obligations of the contract of integration, it will be more difficult (or perhaps even impossible) to renew your titre de sejour at the end of the first year.Most folks here have reported that the OFII is pretty accommodating, within limits, so there is the possibility of negotiating with them at your appointment regarding the language classes and other obligations - but you're supposed to be establishing residence in France and in that sense, learning French is pretty important.Cheers,Bev


Turkish citizens should be able to travel to European Union countries, with the exception of the UK and Ireland, as early as June under a landmark new deal.The European Commission has backed visa free travel for Turkish citizens inside Europe's passport free Schengen area after the Turkish government threatened to pull out of the migration deal whereby it takes back refugees who have crossed into Europe.The deal, if approved by the European Parliament, would scrap the requirement for Turks to get a three month, short stay Schengen visa, for tourism or business trips. But it will not grant them the right to get a job in Europe.The European Commission has proposed that the agreement is accepted by both the European Parliament and Council of the European Union but added that Turkey must fulfil the outstanding benchmarks of its Visa Liberalisation Roadmap.Turkey has made impressive progress, particularly in recent weeks, on meeting the benchmarks of its visa liberalisation roadmap. There is still work to be done as a matter of urgency but if Turkey sustains the progress made, they can meet the remaining benchmarks, said EC First Vice President Frans Timmermans.This is why we are putting a proposal on the table which opens the way for the European Parliament and the Member States to decide to lift visa requirements, once the benchmarks have been met, he added.Visa liberalisation for Turkey is a key component of the EU-Turkey Statement of 18 March 2016 which stated that the fulfilment of the visa liberalisation roadmap will be accelerated with a view to lifting the visa requirements for Turkish citizens at the latest by the end of June 2016, provided that all benchmarks have been met.In order to meet a June deadline for adoption by the co-legislators, a Commission proposal to put Turkey on the visa free list had to be tabled at the beginning of May to allow an eight week period to elapse between a draft being made available to national Parliaments and its adoption.In a statement the EC said that if it goes ahead visa free travel will apply to all EU Member States except for Ireland and the UK, and to the four Schengen associated countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.The visa will be valid for only short stays of up to 90 days in any 180 day period for business, tourist or family purposes, among others. The visa exemption does not provide for the right to work in the EU. Other entry conditions for accessing the Schengen area will continue to apply, including the need to be able to prove their purpose of travel and sufficient subsidence means, the statement added.There are 72 requirements listed in the Roadmap which are organised in five thematic groups: document security; migration management; public order and security; fundamental rights and readmission of irregular migrants.At the EU-Turkey Summit of 18 March, Turkey committed to accelerating the fulfilment of the Roadmap even further. In the Joint Statement after this meeting, the 28 EU Heads of State or Government committed to lifting the visa requirements for Turkish citizens at the latest by the end of June 2016, provided that all 72 benchmarks of the Roadmap are fulfilled.
A newly unsealed court filing in New York reveals some of the inner workings of San Antonio businessman Sardar Biglaris highly unorthodox role and undue influence over Maxim magazine, the mens publication he bought in 2014.

Biglaris sway over the magazine was pronounced during production of the December/January issue that featured Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio on the cover, posing nude in the executives hotel suite in Monaco, says the filing from former Maxim employee Jason Feifer.

The document, which is Feifers response to a lawsuit brought against him by his former employer, was publicly released Wednesday after two media outlets challenged Biglaris attempt to keep it secret.

Biglari insisted the magazine devote 50 pages of the issue to Monaco, where he spends a considerable amount of time, a feature on his favorite cigar shop and a story about David Letterman, who is part-owner of an auto-racing team sponsored by Steak n Shake, the filing states.

Biglari has a corporate office in Monaco to support his international aspirations, the companys annual report indicates.

Biglari insisted that the issue focus primarily on subjects that were relevant to (his) own personal and professional interests, states the March 24 court filing in New York Supreme Court, which was shielded from public view under mysterious circumstances. In a wholly unorthodox and unexplained move, Biglari even added his signature to the cover of the December issue, it said.

A call to Biglari, who generally doesnt speak to the media, wasnt returned. Hes chairman and CEO of Biglari Holdings Inc., owner of Maxim as well as the Steak n Shake and Western Sizzlin restaurant chains.

An apparent decision by Biglari to include a photo of himself with Ambrosio in the issue generated much conversation and debate among the staff not only about the inappropriateness but because there was a widely shared understanding that model had been assured the photo of the pair would not appear in the publication, the document adds.

The photo shoot was a topic of a Dec. 2 New York Post column that said Ambrosio reluctantly agreed to pose in a photo with Biglari on a balcony of the Hotel de Paris and that she was creeped out by Biglari.

Biglari sued Feifer and another employee, accusing them of defamation for providing what he says were false statements to the Post.

A Wednesday order by Judge Joan Kenney stated that a request by the plaintiffs to restrict the filing was granted by the county clerk in accordance with (courthouse) Protocol. A court spokesman previously said the filing was sealed on the consent of all parties, but lawyers for the ex-employees said neither consented to the sealing.

An examination of the information they object to makes clear they seek to hide information that may be embarrassing to them, Beth Kaufman, Feifers lawyer, said in a court filing.

The publishers of San Antonio Express-News and the New York Daily News last month asked Kenney to lift restrictions on access to the filing.

The judge denied the media companies request to intervene in the case, but nonetheless directed the clerks office to unrestrict the document. A motion by the media companies to unseal the entire court file in a related case filed by Maxim has yet to be ruled on.

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Feifer further alleges in his filing that Biglari began insisting on increasingly distasteful content in the magazine. He encouraged a piece of erotica that so embarrassed the young female staffer assigned to the project that she used a pseudonym for the article.

Of greatest alarm, Feifer adds in his action, was Biglaris decision to dispense with the fundamental tenet of journalism: the truth.

At one meeting where Feifer said he explained the importance of a fact-checking department, Biglari Holdings Vice Chairman Philip Cooley pressed the issue, saying in words or substance, But you can make stuff up, right? Cooley was one of Biglaris professors at Trinity University.

When Feifer appealed to Biglari that a journalist needs to report the truth, Biglari responded that we need to take some creative license, the filing adds.

Biglari Holdings purchased Maxim in 2014. It has produced a pre-tax loss of $39 million from the transaction date through the end of last year, but is projected by Biglari to start making money this year, a February letter he wrote to shareholders states.

pdanner@express-news.net

Twitter: @AlamoPD
A San Antonio company accused by the Federal Trade Commission of billing phone customers for unauthorized services has agreed to pay $5.2 million to settle the charges.

Wednesdays settlement comes a little more than a year after a federal magistrate judge found Billing Services Group Ltd. in contempt of court for violating a 1999 court settlement with the FTC related to allegations that charges were added to consumers phone bills for services they did not authorize. The practice is known as cramming and is illegal.

The settlement still needs court approval.

The FTC originally sought almost $53 million in sanctions against BSG, which trades on the London Stock Exchange. BSG later filed a court document saying such a penalty could put it out of business. The company had argued that if it has to pay anything, it should be limited to $886,288.

The settlement resolves issues related to a business (partner) in which BSG has not been involved since 2012, the company said in a statement. The $5.2 million for consumer redress will be paid in 10 quarterly installments, the company added. If the company misses a payment, the FTC said the court will impose a $17 million judgment.

For years, the BSG (companies) operated as a phone billing aggregator, passing charges from third parties to telephone companies for placement on consumers telephone bills, the FTC said in news release. Under the settlement  the BSG (companies) admit they violated the 1999 order by permitting unauthorized billing. The BSG defendants further admit they failed to vet charges before processing them and that they did not investigate consumer complaints about unauthorized charges.

The services included voicemail, directory assistance, streaming movies, identity theft protection and jobs skills training, the FTCs complaint stated.

BSG and its companies are banned from placing charges on consumers phone bills under the proposed order awaiting court approval, the FTC said. The case was filed in U.S. District Court in San Antonio.

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The BSG companies will be required to monitor their servers traffic for possible fraud, the FTC added. BSGs business includes providing wireless intermediary services to telephone companies and Wi-Fi providers.

The company posted a profit of $8.7 million, or 3 cents a share, on $36.4 million in operating revenue last year. That compares with a profit of $2.1 million, or a penny a share, on $42.4 million in revenue for the same period in 2014.

In commenting on the results last month, Chairman Pat Heneghan said the repayment of all debt and the resolution of litigation allowed the company to focus more attention on operations and strategy. BSG is moving away from being a niche service provider for the U.S. landline sector to an international service provider for wireless market applications, he added in a statement
San Antonio-based radio, billboard and digital giant iHeartMedia Inc. lost $88.52 million in the first quarter as the company wages a legal fight against a group of bondholders threatening to force the debt-laden company into default on some of its debt.

The loss was less than half of what analysts expected and smaller than the company's first-quarter loss of $384.96 million during the first three months of last year. The company generated $1.36 billion in revenue during the quarter, up from $1.34 billion a year ago.

Wall Street analysts projected a loss of $187 million in the first quarter, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

First-quarter cash flow at iHeartMedia increased 8.6 percent during the first quarter over the same period last year.

Rich Bressler, iHeartMedia president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer, cited a boost in advertising revenue from election-year campaign advertising and tighter operational controls.

This solid performance of our operating businesses provides us with the flexibility to manage our capital structure in a prudent manner, and allows us to keep evaluating opportunities to strengthen our balance sheet and our businesses.

Presidential election year advertising is off to a good start this year, Bressler said. Politicals are a high-margin business.

The company booked $15.7 million in political advertising in the first quarter of 2016, compared with $3.8 million in the same quarter last year. The first-quarter result also was about 40 percent higher than the first quarter of the previous presidential election year in 2012, Bressler said.

Political advertising is highly profitable because it seeks you and requires less sales effort by media companies, said Jack Kranefuss, Fitch Ratings senior director for U.S. corporates. Political campaigns seek out the venues for both local and national races, Kranefuss added.

Expense reductions over the last year are taking hold, he added.

The company still faces a a mountain of leverage, or debt, said Philip Brendel, Bloomberg Intelligence senior credit analyst.

The company said it had $20.75 billion in debt as of March 31.

Brendel said iHeartMedia is concentrating on maintaining liquidity while being flexible and opportunistic in buying up near-term debts, especially when bonds are selling at a discount.

They didnt say muchduring a conference call with analysts Wednesday, Brendel added. It sounds like they havent made any decisions. This company is facing some major structural issues. Theyve been kicking the can down the road, but at some point they might address their capital structure directly.

Despite operating improvements, the company cannot grow into its capital structure, or debt obligations, Kranefuss said.

With almost $1 billion in cash, the company faces debt maturities of about $1.3 billion by 2018.

If the company can raise $400 million in cash over the next two-and-a-half years, it can meet those obligations, Kranefuss said. But in 2019, the company has $8 billion in maturities. All this (operating improvements) does is help fix the problem, but it does not eliminate the problem.

Ultimately, the company will have to seek access to more loans from the fixed-income markets in the form of bonds and bank loans, Kranefuss said.

The big question is, will the capital markets continue to be as accommodative as they have been in the past, Kranefuss said.

The majority owner of Fitch Ratings is New York-based Hearst Corp., the parent company of the San Antonio Express-News.

IHeartMedia filed a lawsuit on March 7 against bondholders who threatened to force the company into default on some of its $20.7 billion in debt.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Later that day, several bondholders issued default notices, but those were rescinded on March 9 when a temporary restraining order was issued by state District Court Judge Kathleen Stryker.

The bondholders say iHeartMedia improperly moved $516 million worth of company-owned stock in a subsidiary, Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc., to another subsidiary in order to issue more debt. The bondholders say the move violated their debt agreements by placing those assets out of their control.

IHeartMedia says the transfer of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings stock Dec. 3 was allowable.

In its lawsuit, iHeartMedia seeks temporary and permanent injunctions against possible future default notices. A trial that started April 4 in Strykers court is scheduled to resume May 16, but iHeartMedia said Monday that it entered into mediation with some of the noteholders.

IHeartMedias debt stems from the 2008 leveraged acquisition of Clear Channel Communications, later renamed iHeartMedia, in San Antonio by two Boston private-equity firms.

The company, which remains 30 percent publicly traded, in 2009 set up subsidiaries to begin issuing new debt to pay off expiring debt and control interest costs.

Billboard subsidiary Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, which is 89 percent owned by iHeartMedia and 11 percent publicly traded, on Wednesday reported first-quarter net earnings of $140.1 million, compared to a 2015 first-quarter loss of $33.52 million.

dhendricks@express-news.net
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Around the world, the cuisine of Mexico is experiencing a moment of transcendence, but its not for traditional moles or even Pre-Columbian dishes based heavily on corn and foraged fruits and vegetables.

Instead, theres a movement of forward-looking dishes that feature long-utilized indigenous ingredients such as toasted ant larvae and grasshoppers and that apply traditional techniques in new ways. The low-key leader of this movement is Enrique Olvera, owner of Pujol in Mexico City and Cosme in New York, who approaches cooking as a way to save the culture of his country though food, the way that Rene Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen and Sean Brock of Charleston, South Carolina approach their homelands food.

The worldwide success of Pujol and its ripple effects have transformed the way that diners view Mexican food, making it now a cuisine worthy of the highest levels of respect. Even Ferran Adria sings Olveras praises, calling him the turning point in the Mexicos food history and proclaiming, There was Mexican food before Enrique Olvera, and Mexican food after Enrique Olvera.

Olvera opened Pujol in 2000, a year after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and began receiving acclaim throughout the world. Pujol currently is ranked No. 16 on the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list, and Cosme received three stars from the New York Times last year.

Olvera also owns Eno, a casual eatery with three locations in Mexico City; Moxi, an upscale restaurant in San Miguel de Allende and Manta, a restaurant in Cabo de San Lucas in Baja California del Sur. He is also founder and organizer of Mesamerica, an annual international food symposium.

During a visit to San Antonio to promote his first book, Mexico from the Inside Out, ($59.95, Phaidon) and sign copies at H-E-B Central Market during its Pasaporte Mexico series, he took a few minutes to discuss his culinary philosophy and observations on Mexico, its cuisine and where its heading.

How is Mexican cuisine perceived around the world?

In the United States, because of the proximity to Mexico, theres a natural connection to Mexican food. There are things that arent even Mexican anymore, like guacamole. You guys probably eat more guacamole than in Mexico.

People are realizing that Mexican food can be performed at different levels, like an other cuisine. You can go to a Japanese restaurant and have $2 sushi or you can go to a beautiful sushi place and pay $300. People are starting to realize that Mexican food is not only a cheap taco, but that taco can also be performed at a high level.

Everywhere else in the world that connection is not as strong as in the U.S. You go to Europe, there is certain interest and chefs doing a beautiful Mexican cuisine in Spain.

Everywhere else in the world is still very stereotypical. I have gone to restaurants in Australia and in other places and its still very basic. When a cuisine travels, it gets condensed into easy-to-produce dishes.

People think Japanese food is only sushi. Obviously, its not only sushi. That happens in French food. you go to a French restaurant and its always the same recipes. Mexican food is not the exception.

Do you ever have difficulty explaining todays Mexican food to others, especially to Mexican-Americans who bring their own family experiences?

When you produce good food, it doesnt need an instruction manual. If its delicious and beautiful and well produced. You dont need to convince anyone that its great food.

With generations of Mexican-Americans, because food is so close to you and its part of who you are, I think theres also this thirst and hunger of discovering who you are, and food is a beautiful way of doing that.

Whats your comfort food?

I love quesadillas. Its so simple and so nice, a beautiful quesadilla, a beautiful corn tortilla that is hand pressed with quesillo (queso Oaxaca) that is fresh, a little epazote and some green salsa  its one of the most delicious things on on earth. I also indulge on chicken soup. Theres something about chicken soup that I love, and thats usually what i have for dinner. Or tacos de aguacate.

Are you thinking about opening other places?

I have a beautiful life. I dont want to screw it up. Im being very cautious, especially about opening up in other cities. I like being at my restaurants. I dont want to open a restaurant that Im never there.

Im not trying to open a lot more restaurants in other cities. In New York, were opening a second restaurant by the end of the year. Were opening another restaurant in Mexico City. San Miguel de Allende is a nice weekend spot I can drive to with my kids. Los Cabos is beautiful. I have a very balanced life and I want to make sure I keep it like that. Growth can also be having better restaurants, not having more restaurants.

Who were your culinary influences?

To me, Thomas Keller is the most influential chef. I never worked with him, but I like his perfectionism, his ability to turn common things like coffee and doughnuts into a fine dining restaurant. When I went back to Mexico (after graduating from the CIA), I saw this new American cuisine emerging in the United States. To me, it made sense that Mexico should do the same.

We have a beautiful food culture that nobody was touching, it was almost like a museum piece.

You have become the ambassador of Mexican cuisine around the world. What pressures does that put on you?

The pressure that we have is mostly self-inflicted. Im not thinking about the consequences of my work. I focus on my work.

Its not my intention to become an ambassador. Its just something that happens. We realize a lot of people travel long distances (to visit one of my restaurants) and we have a responsibility to make sure their travel was worth it. So we have that stress on the restaurant but we enjoy it. You dont think about it. Youre doing what you love.

Theres also this beautiful feeling of enjoyment and being able to feed people and give them a beautiful experience.

You bristled when somebody called you chef.

Its not my name. I try to make fun of it because I think chefs take themselves too seriously. They think theyre like rock stars and I dont perceive myself that way, so thats why I joke about it.

So what does your staff call you?

Unfortunately, at Pujol, they call me chef, but at Cosme they call me Enrique. Being a chef is part of who I am, it is not who I am.

etijerina@express-news.net

@etij
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Lawyers for the city and the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association are expected in court Thursday to argue over whether City Manager Sheryl Sculley and Mayor Ivy Taylor should be deposed.

Its the latest turn in ongoing litigation over a clause in the contracts between the city and the police and fire unions.

Unable to reach agreements on new collective-bargaining agreements, the city last year filed lawsuits against the two public-safety associations. The city alleges the evergreen clause, which appears in both contracts and extends the terms of the agreements for up to 10 years while new contracts are being negotiated, violates the Texas Constitution, but the district court judge disagreed in both cases.

The city has appealed their lawsuits to the 4th Court of Appeals.

On Wednesday, the fire union released a press advisory declaring big news and alleging that the city is up to no good.

The Firefighters sent the city of San Antonio a request for dates for the depositions of Sheryl Sculley, Ivy Taylor and others, the advisory said. The citys response was to was to fire court papers to stop the depositions. What is the city hiding?

Jeff Coyle, a spokesman for the city, said he believes the city will prevail at the hearing.

This is nothing but an attempt by the union to harass public officials, he said. The fire union needs to get to the bargaining table  which they've refused to do for two years  and negotiate a contract. Firefighters ought to be outraged that the union and its attorneys are wasting their money on this.

The city appealed its case, but the fire union has yet to complete its countersuit, city officials said. The union is seeking to depose city officials for a district-court level case. City lawyers are expected to argue Thursday that that countersuit should not advance while the citys suit is being appealed.

There are some hidden gems that Mayor Taylor and Sheryl Sculley dont want exposed, Chris Steel with the firefighters union said in the news release. The public has a right to see their spoken answers to the tough questions on video.

Its clear from their press advisory that union officials plan on publicly releasing the recorded depositions of city official.

Last week the 4th Court of Appeals ordered the city and San Antonio Police Officers Association to go to nonbinding mediation in attempt to find common ground on the evergreen clause.
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WASHINGTON - Ted Cruz woke up Wednesday morning a man on the edge.

On one side he faced Republican calls for unity. On the other was Donald Trump.

If the Texas senator plans to get behind the de facto GOP nominee for president, he was not talking about it the morning after a crushing Indiana primary that forced him from the race.

No gaggle today, Cruz spokeswoman Alice Stewart wrote in an email, using a common campaign term for a press availability. Nothing new to report.

Aides at Cruz campaign headquarters in Houston also remained silent Wednesday morning. A handful of staffers showed up for their shifts in the mostly empty office. They pecked computer keyboards quietly as morning light filtered through their floor-to-ceiling windows.

Cruzs silence is likely to linger as Republican Party leaders seek to consolidate support behind the partys presumptive nominee, a candidate Cruz branded a pathological liar in the waning hours of the campaign.

For Cruz, who once promised to support the eventual GOP nominee, a decision to back Trump could be personally and politically vexing. Having relentlessly painted Trump as a big government liberal, a decision to jump on the Trump train now could undermine his core brand as a consistent conservative.

He also has spent the past four months making the case that a Trump candidacy would go down in flames to Clinton.

Trumps winning the nomination loses the country, Cruz said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press.

Pressed on whether he still would support the Manhattan real estate mogul if he won the GOP nomination, Cruz pointedly demurred.

Im not willing to concede the country, Cruz said. If we lose this, we lose our country.

Either choice has potential downsides for Cruz. Some tea party backers could consider it a betrayal to back Trump. There also is the danger of seeming to abandon the GOP ticket, which could reinforce the impression of some Republican leaders that Cruz puts himself ahead of his party.

The ideological conservatives who flocked to Cruz on the campaign trail do not believe Trump shares their values.

Trump doesnt represent me, said Kate Swanson, a Republican activist in Zionsville Ind., who attended one of Cruzs last rallies. I dont feel hes a true Republican.

Exit polls in Indiana on Tuesday showed that almost a quarter of Republican voters felt the same way. Many others, though, said they were resigned to Trump, particularly in a general election matchup with Democrat Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.

I dont trust Trump, I dont believe him, but theres no way I couldnt vote for him, said Jackie Rhoton, an Indiana tea party activist who volunteered for Cruz.

Although Cruz suspended his campaign, several anti-Trump Super PACs promised to soldier on in their efforts to block the billionaire businessman from seizing the partys nomination.

We will continue to educate voters about Trump until he, or another candidate, wins the support of a majority of delegates to the convention, said Katie Packer, chairwoman of Our Principles PAC, which is funded by anti-Trump conservatives.

Rory Cooper, a senior advisor for the #NeverTrump Super PAC, said his group also will continue to oppose Trumps nomination.

Obviously, Trumps victory in Indiana makes the road ahead more challenging, he said in a statement. We will continue to seek opportunities to oppose his nomination and to draw a clear line between him and the values of the conservative cause.

Other conservatives said they simply would sit out the 2016 presidential election and devote their energies to other races.

There is no longer a genuine pro-growth conservative in the race for the White House, said Club for Growth president David McIntosh. So, the Club for Growth PAC will continue to expend a full effort to elect economic conservatives to the House and Senate.

Trump, for his part, dismissed his critics Wednesday, saying he does not need to coalesce all elements of the GOP.

I am confident that I can unite much of it, Trump said on the Today show. Some of it, I dont want. There were statements made about me that those people can go away and maybe come back in eight years after we serve two terms.

Honestly, Trump continued, there are some people I really dont want. I dont think its necessary. People would be voting for me, theyre not voting for the party.

Trump said Wednesday morning that he had not spoken to Cruz, whose exit from the race surprised him. I would certainly be expecting to be talking to Ted, he added.

Given the animosity of the Cruz campaigns final hours, it could be a difficult conversation.

Seeing his campaign in free-fall Tuesday morning, Cruz unburdened himself of his profound distaste for a man he calls a narcissist, who publicly insulted his wife on Twitter, and who tried to link his father to the John F. Kennedy assassination.

To Rick Tyler, Cruzs former national spokesman, the message was clear: If you juxtapose what he said about Donald Trump in the morning in a press conference, which was basically, I have to get it off my chest while I still have your attention, and what he said Tuesday night, where he didnt mention the Republican Party, not once, nor Donald Trump, not once, but instead mentioned America, the conservative movement, the idea of liberty and freedom, I think hes going to be the voice of the conservative movement. Hes inherited it.

Though Cruz is out of the race, some analysts expect him to arrive at the convention with some 600 delegates pledged to him on the first ballot. Even if Trump reaches the 1,237-delegate majority needed to secure the nomination - now all but certain with Cruz out of contention - further divisions between Trump and non-Trump factions ultimately could weaken the GOP ticket.

Some experts say the onus is now on Trump, not Cruz, to repair a winning coalition in the fall, particularly as many Republicans have signaled their willingness to sit out the election.

I expect him to try, because the truth is, he needs them more than they need him, said Duke University political scientist Peter Feaver, a White House advisor under President George W. Bush. The burden is now on Trump to unify the party.

Cruz, who emerged as Trumps chief rival, also retains some leverage in the equation. A campaign email from Cruz national political director Mark Campbell on Wednesday took note of 1.5 million contributions and 317,000 volunteers over the past year.

Because of your efforts, a movement grew, he wrote. And while Ted suspended his campaign for President last night - this is by no means an end to the movement.

Reporter Dylan Baddour contributed to this story.

kevin.diaz@chron.com

twitter.com/DiazChron
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 EDWARD A. ORNELAS /SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Show More Show Less 2 of 2 File photo /San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less



Three Texas residents who were kidnapped in northern Mexico in April were rescued this week, Mexican officials said.

In a news release, the Tamaulipas state government said police freed the trio  two women and a man from Dallas who are American citizens of Mexican descent  from their captors camp Monday near Ciudad Victoria. Police killed the leader, Edgar Ariel Gallegos Gallegos, 45, when the criminal group attacked officers, the release said.
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HOUSTON  A man who had recently been fired by a Katy-area trucking business walked into its offices armed with a shotgun and a pistol and fatally shot a supervisor, then turned the gun on himself, authorities said.

The gunfire broke out at about 8:45 a.m. at Knight Transportation, 20400 Franz Road, across the street from Morton Ranch High School, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. The school, along with several others, was placed on lockdown temporarily.

Sheriff Ron Hickman said the former employee drove to the West Harris County business, parked in front and walked inside with both weapons.

An employee watched the gunman enter and heard him say, You ruined my life, said Ralph Gonzales of the Harris County Sheriffs Office, based on what investigators had been told. It was not known if the gunman was addressing anyone in particular.

The former employee then opened fire, killing the supervisor before taking his own life.

Neither the gunman nor the victim had been identified as of Wednesday evening.

A piece of debris during the gunfire injured another employee. The trucking company, Phoenix-based Knight Transportation, said in a news release that the employee had been treated at the scene.

The sheriffs offices High Risk Operations Unit searched the building to make sure no other victims or shooters were inside.

Hickman confirmed that the gunman had recently been terminated from the company. He did not know how long the man had worked at the business or whether the slain supervisor was the one who had fired him.

Only the shotgun, not the pistol, appeared to have been used in the crime.

Morton Ranch High, Morton Ranch Junior High and Morton Ranch Elementary schools along with Franz Elementary School were placed on lockdown after the shooting as a precaution, officials with the Katy Independent School District said. The lockdown at each campus was later lifted

At least one local official expressed condolences on social media.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors at Knight Transportation in Katy, where a former employee killed a coworker and himself, state Rep. Mike Schofield wrote on Twitter.

The incident recalled a 2013 workplace shooting in neighboring Fort Bend County. Then, authorities said, a disgruntled employee of a Stafford carwash retrieved a handgun from his car and shot and killed three people. A jury trial in that case may occur as soon as August, court files show.

Knight Transportation is one of the largest trucking companies in the country, with more than $1 billion in annual revenue and roughly 5,000 employees in 20 states.

It is with deep sadness that we confirm a shooting at our Katy, Texas facility, and the death of a Knight Transportation employee, the company said in a news release. Our deepest sympathies are with the family during this difficult time.

Knight Transportation was doing everything possible to ensure its employees safety, the news release said, and had suspended all work at the Katy facility pending completion of the investigation.

Chronicle reporters Dug Begley and Emily Foxhall contributed to this report.
Willie Ng Jr., chief investigator for the Bexar County District Attorneys Office, lists successful entrepreneur among his qualifications on the countys website.

He omits, however, that his private enterprise, Blue Armor Security Services, is employed by Bexar County itself, providing security for more than a dozen of its public buildings  a violation of the countys own administrative policy as well as the contract itself.

In March 2013, commissioners court entered into an agreement with Ngs company that stated, in part, no officer or employee of COUNTY shall have financial interest, direct or indirect, in any Agreement with COUNTY  The countys own policy states that its employees will avoid any activity that would create a conflict between their personal interests and the interest of Bexar County and will avoid the appearance of unethical or compromising practices.

Both provisions were broken when Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood hired Ng, a former San Antonio police detective, in December 2014 as his chief investigator.

Now, LaHood is battling county commissioners over the contract, worth more than $720,000, insisting that Ngs dual status as employee and contractor is lawful  and that the county should consider renewing his contract this summer.

So whats the problem with that? Thats not a conflict of interest, LaHood told me. Its not a lawful (county) rule. Its a subjective rule.  Theres a difference between a mans subjective rule and an objective legal law. Im talking about Texas law. Texas law allows a county commissioner to have a contract with the county.

LaHood is pushing the county toward a treacherous precedent, according to Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff.

Just because you can doesnt mean you should, Wolff said.

Youre essentially trying to remove one of the powers of the (commissioners) court, Wolff continued, and thats to make administrative rules to protect the taxpayers and how we do our business. If we are forced to remove that particular rule, well, what stops any employee at any capacity from, at the very least, bidding for a county contract?

If we break this rule, well, hell, it could spread across the entire county, all the way up and including commissioners, he said.

Ngs company provides uniformed security officers to perform security guard services at 15 locations across the county, according to the contract. As chief investigator for LaHood, he coordinates criminal investigations and prepares cases for prosecution.

In February, LaHoods office wrote a memo to county commissioners arguing that the countys restriction against its employees holding county contracts is illegal and that in the case of Blue Armor, there is no conflict-of-interest or self-dealing as Mr. Ng is employed by the District Attorneys Office and he has no direct or indirect control over the Blue Armor security guards in the County facilities.

Wolff stressed that his objection to renewing Ngs contract has nothing to do with quality of services.

Everything I hear is that Willie Ng and Blue Armor have been doing a good job at this, the commissioner said. So, at least for me, its not a question of whether or not an individual contract is being performed adequately. Its a question of the perception or the reality of a conflict of interest.

LaHood, who advises the county on legal matters, scoffed at that concern.

Kevin worries too much about perception over doing whats right, the district attorney said. (Ng) had the contract for two years before he was the chief investigator. He earned it on his merit and he kept it on his merit.

Its not a conflict of interest, LaHood added, if its not a legal conflict of interest.

A provision in the city of San Antonios ethics code echoes the countys administrative policy: It prohibits city officials from contracting with San Antonio. That restriction was upheld in 2013, when the Ethics Review Board found that former City Council candidate Rolando Briones knowingly violated the code when he won a city contract while serving on the citys Planning Commission.

In that case, Briones professional services contract was voided.

The battle over Blue Armor is nearing a climax.

Others have bid on the contract, and the countys purchasing department will make a recommendation this month. If it recommends the renewal of Ngs contract, commissioners must vote on whether to break the countys own policy.

It puts us in a very, very difficult position, Wolff said. If we dont enforce our own rules, then all of a sudden it opens it up to everybody. If we do enforce our rules, the DA has already gone on record saying our rule is unenforceable. And now, if we turn somebody down because of that rule, they automatically have a case to sue the county.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
Update for May 12, 2016:

Hello from Hazard!

Last week, we shared Item No. 1054, submitted by Ralph Farnsworth, of New Haven, Vermont, but we havent received any explanation from as to its use.

So well tell you that Farnsworth always thought it was a continuous wax lantern, without a glass globe. Do you agree? Disagree? Have more information how this hazard-ous item was used?

Email responses to editorial@farmanddairy.com; or respond by mail to: Hazard a Guess, c/o Farm and Dairy, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460.

If you have an item in your basement, shed or barn that you think would be a great Hazard item, send us a photograph by mail or via email (no Polaroids or photocopies, please). Include a detailed description of the item and its measurements, as well as any distinguishing factors and how the item was used. You can use the email or mailing address listed above.

Original post from May 5, 2016:

Hello from Hazard!

We received another response on Item No. 1053 that confirms what Patricia OBrien said last week  that it looks like a butter dish. Reader Wendell Cole, of Lisbon, Ohio, says it looks like a butter dish his mother had. The bottom has a small reservoir to hold some ice under a small tray; the butter was put on the tray, and the domed top covered the butter.

(On the other hand, Pam Sherer, of Hudson, Ohio, says it also looks like a server for communion wafers.)

Our thanks to Jennie Cline, of Woodsfield, Ohio, who shared the beautiful silver-plated item.

For our next item, Item No. 1054, we reach into a stash of photos sent in by Ralph Farnsworth, of New Haven, Vermont. Do you how think this was used?

Email responses to editorial@farmanddairy.com; or respond by mail to: Hazard a Guess, c/o Farm and Dairy, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460.

If you have an item in your basement, shed or barn that you think would be a great Hazard item, send us a photograph by mail or via email (no Polaroids or photocopies, please). Include a detailed description of the item and its measurements, as well as any distinguishing factors and how the item was used. You can use the email or mailing address listed above.
The late Sen. Everett Dirkson is famous for supposedly saying, A billion dollars here, a billion there, and pretty soon you are talking about real money.

This is almost universally misquoted, since he originally said, if I remember right (which is a nice way of saying that I am too lazy to Google it), a million somewhere in the decades since our perspective has changed, and a million dollars doesnt sound like enough to really make a statement about our government.

Numbers change

Maybe it is because we are now close to $20 trillion in debt. Funny how numbers change.

For 20 years we dreamed of the couple of times corn futures got to $3.50. That was the benchmark of stupidity. We knew that if prices got that high, we were stupid to hang on. It was time to sell.

That was then, as they say, and this is now. Now we have had corn in the neighborhood of $3.50 to $3.75 for months, and the farmers have been reluctant to sell.

Well, that is a little bit of an understatement. We have not had prices that have allowed me to buy corn most of the time with a telephone and a shotgun. Input costs have changed, and history has changed. We sold corn for $8 one summer, and more, and now our perspective has changed.

We bid the value of corn into increasing acres and competing for inputs, and all of a sudden seed corn and fertilizer and spray costs were higher than we had ever nightmared.

They have moderated the last two years, but farmers will tell you that $3.50 corn is a losing proposition, and this is the farmers who did not bid land rent over $200 per acre.

As we say in this business, the market does not care what it costs you to produce grain. That is true in the short run, when it is in your bin, and the price is a matter of whether anyone is hungry to buy it away from you.

It is not necessarily true in the longer run, when economic reality may convince you to plant $10 soybeans instead of $3.50 corn.

Planting

We are now in that dangerous period when the crops are getting planted instead of talking about. I am beginning to wonder if USDA is really correct about the increase in corn acres.

Partly it is watching the Chicago Board of Trade. Partly it is from talking to local farmers who are done planting corn because they cut the acres.

Even planting between the showers, one local has 150 acres of corn in and is waiting to plant 400 of beans. Something in me is wondering if there is a trend.

For those of you planting corn and assuming the price gets better, you have been right for a few weeks. Conditions have conspired to help prices.

Swamp conditions in Argentina and Uruguay have stopped the harvest and cut the crop size. What is off cannot get to town down dirt, now mud, roads.

This happened at the same time when the Argentine ethanol mandate was increased to 12 percent from 10 (are you listening, Washington?), and at the same time that a new government has dropped the level of soybean export taxes.

Oh yeah, and the currency is bouncing around.

Add to this the dry weather in Brazil that is damaging Brazils second-crop corn. Brazil is opening the door to corn imports to make up the difference. Some of this will come from the U.S.

Then, there are increasing bean exports to China. Just when it seemed like they would keep lagging, March shipments were a third higher than those of February.

Three-quarters of Chinese bean imports come from us. Meanwhile, our futures markets have boomed, with soybeans leading us higher.

Last week the Chicago market had record volume, with nearly 3 million bushels traded each of two days. That gets us to planting progress.

USDA reported May 2 that progress is actually ahead of normal. This does not jibe with my feeling that we are barely getting progress between showers, but I am apparently wrong.

Ohio

Ohio is reported at 27 percent planted on corn, with 17 being the five-year average. That was a big uptick from the 8 percent reported last week, or the 11 percent of last year.

The U.S. is at 45 percent planted, versus an average of 30. Last week we had 30 percent planted in the country, but this time we were at 45 percent.

This means that my hope to get a bump out of late planting will not likely happen. The market is struggling to get back to highs, but the weather may not help.

A quick look at numbers shows that the beans have been in steady price gains since the November futures low of 8.68 March 2.

We paused at 9.17 3/4 in early April, then increased, sometimes in big moves, to the new contract high of 10.30 3/4 overnight into Tuesday.

Corn futures have been more erratic, with a low April 1 on the December of 3.64, then a high of 4.09 April 21. We broke to 3.77 3/4 April 25, then made a high of 3.97 3/4 April 28.

May 3 we are down nearly a nickel at 3.92 in early trading.
BURTON, Ohio  Before the meeting April 10, the officers of the Auburn Swine 4-H Club, went to officer training. In the training, the officers learned what to do in their new positions. Topics discussed at the meeting included fundraising. One fundraiser this year will be selling Malleys Chocolate Bars and Welchs Fruit Snacks, benefitting all Geauga County 4-H members.

The other big fundraiser is the upcoming pig roast that will benefit the Auburn Swine 4-H Club directly. The menu for the pig roast will include pulled pork, chicken, vegetables, pasta salad, potatoes, and desserts. It is scheduled for 4 p.m.- 8 p.m. May 21. The cost is $20 per ticket for an adult, $8 for children 6-12, and children under 5 are free. To purchase tickets, e-mail Jodi Durkee at daisyblue232@yahoo.com or Nikki Genske at ngenske91@gmail.com.

The 4-H Quality Assurance date for members is set for May 14 at the Geauga County Fairgrounds. The next meeting is scheduled for May 1 at the Patterson Center.
New funding must be made available to extend the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme that Department of Agriculture and Rural Development(DARD) has forecast will end next year, the Ulster Farmers' Union has said.

"Payments targeted towards those actively farming in severely disadvantaged areas (SDA) have been an important income support mechanism for many years whilst also delivering benefits to the environment and wider rural society," said President Barclay Bell.

He added that farming in these areas presents real difficulties with constraints on profitability from challenging weather, soil and maintaining landscape conditions.

"With the ANC scheme currently forecast to conclude in 2017 and with many agri-environment scheme agreements now completed this has hit upland farm incomes.

"To date, the reduction in income due to the conclusion of these agri-environment agreements is something DARD has failed to acknowledge and with uncertainty around the new agri-environment scheme, this has made decisions on the future of ANCs more complicated than they needed to be," said Mr Bell.

'Continued aid to severely disadvantaged areas important'

The UFU says that in its response to the DARD consultation on future ANC support it rejected suggestions that pillar one of the CAP could deliver the necessary support.

"Continued aid to severely disadvantaged areas is important, and we believe DARD must seek new funding to make this happen," said Mr Bell.

Without this new funding the UFU believes the viability of farm businesses in the SDA will be at risk.

"This would have knock on effects for biodiversity in upland areas that benefit greatly from livestock grazing.

"There is also a risk that some land will be abandoned. This does not fit with government objectives to grow the agri-food economy, the tourism industry and enhance the environment," said Mr Bell.

The UFU has also raised concerns about the direction DARD has taken with the designation of the new areas of natural constraint map that will replace existing SDA map in January 2018.

"The maps DARD has drafted leave out big areas of severely disadvantaged land.

"This would leave farmers in these areas ineligible for any future support.

"This is not acceptable and DARD must ensure the new maps closely resemble the current SDA maps that have served us well for many decades," concluded Mr Bell.
Agricultural co-operative Copa & Cogeca has urged the EU Commission this week to exercise caution in the free trade talks between the EU and US (TTIP) after a new study reveals that a potential trade deal could have a severe impact on the EU beef sector.

The issue was debated in Copa & Cogeca beef working party. Speaking after the meeting, Jean Pierre Fleury warned: "Prices are continuing to drop in the EU beef sector, and the Russian ban on EU agriculture exports is still in place.

"The dairy sector has been particularly badly affected which is having knock-on effects on the beef sector.

"Beef production was up 3.6% in 2015 due to the continued pressure on the dairy sector, as producers are switching from dairy to beef production, which is resulting in extra supplies on the market.

Beef as a sensitive product

"Prospects are not positive either, with beef producers fearing further downward pressure on prices in the short-term.

"In view of the difficulties, it is crucial to find new markets for our produce.

"We also need additional tools to give exporters some security and help protect them against risk when exporting to new markets.

"The only possible tool here is export credit guarantees and we urge the EU to step up action to use these tools.

"We also urge the EU Commission to be extremely prudent in the free trade talks between the EU and US (TTIP).

"A new study carried out by the French livestock Institute on the competitiveness of the EU suckler cow sector in the framework of the TTIP talks confirms that the classification of beef as a sensitive product in these negotiations is justified," Fleury stressed.

In the market access offers exchanged in October 97% of tariff lines were included in the other and 3% in other treatment category which includes beef, poultry and pork.

'US beef sector is more competitive'

He continued: "On high value cuts such as loin cuts, the US beef sector remains more competitive due to economies of scale (feed lots), different environmental practices & manure management, animal welfare and health standards, lack of a mandatory traceability system.

"The EU has very high standards in this respect which imports to the EU do not have to meet.

"Loin cuts nevertheless represent the main source of income for our beef producers.

"Without a cautious approach in TTIP, this type of production could be badly hit, with a negative impact on the economies of rural regions.

"In my native country France, for example, which has the highest number of suckler cows in the EU, the same study confirms a potential drop in incomes of specialized French beef producers of up to 40-50% which would be very damaging especially as they farm in areas where no alternative form of employment exists."

Wrapping up, he called on the Commission to take a prudent approach in these negotiations.

The talks are currently in their 13th round, which took place in New York last week.

What is TTIP?

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a proposed trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, with the aim of promoting trade and multilateral economic growth.

The agreement is under ongoing negotiations and its main three broad areas are: market access; specific regulation; and broader rules and principles and modes of co-operation.

The European Commission says that the TTIP would boost the EU's economy by 120 billion, the US economy by 90 billion and the rest of the world by 100 billion.

The controversial agreement has been criticized and opposed by unions, charities, NGOs and environmentalists, particularly in Europe.
Ulster Farmers Union, dairy chairman, William Irvine, says a plan to allow dairy cooperatives and farmers to agree to cut milk production on a temporary basis is losing support in Europe.

This was confirmed at a meeting in Brussels of COPA, the umbrella body of European farm lobby organisations.

The voluntary reduction initiative was first considered in March by COPA.

Then and now the issue is that the emergency scheme was introduced by the European Commission without any funding.

"At our meeting this week it was clear that support for this initiative has weakened even further, with only Finland, France and Spain expressing any interest," said Mr Irvine.

He added that it was also made clear again by the Commission this week that there is no funding available for the programme.

From the outset, the UFU opposed the supply reduction programme, on grounds that a voluntary scheme without funding could never deliver a meaningful outcome.

Mr Irvine said there was now widespread acceptance that the evidence failed to support the case.

"It was clear from the meeting this week that almost all member states have big doubts about the effectiveness of such a programme," said Mr Irvine.
Farmers are being urged to remain vigilant as fraudulent scams continue to target the farming community.

With basic payments on going and farmers amidst a busy time, the message remains clear  remain vigilant and do not give out your bank details over the phone or online.

Farmers have been in touch with Unions to report calls from fraudsters in recent days.

For example, in the Lothians and Borders area in Scotland, fraudsters have been claiming to be from Royal Bank of Scotland and stating the farmer had fraudulent activity on their account.

On one occasion the call even appeared to come from a genuine Royal Bank of Scotland number. When asked by the farmer to confirm their name and local branch, the caller became abusive and hung up. The farmer has since checked with his bank and they have confirmed this is indeed a scam.

Police Scotland has been made aware of the calls, as has the banking provider, and the advice is never to engage with this type of call.

NFU Scotlands Finance Director Colin Gordon said: "This is such a busy time of year for agricultural transactions that farmers could be easily caught out by alarming calls from people claiming to represent their banks fraud department. Do not fall for this.

"We know that if this is happening in one region it is only a matter of time before other areas are targeted and experience has shown that these tend not to be isolated incidents.

"Your bank will never phone or email you and ask for your online password information or any password using your online banking token or card and reader.

"They will never ask you to make a payment over the phone by using your online account.

"If you receive a call claiming to be from your bank and they suggest that you call them back, ensure you use a different phone as the caller may still be on the line without you knowing."
Enterprising Essex farmer George Dawson is celebrating after achieving organic status for his goat dairy herd. Mr Dawson believes his 400-strong herd at Pebmarsh, Halstead is the only organic milking herd in the country. It has taken more than two years to win organic status and he hopes it will open up new markets for his range of natural fruit yoghurts, bottled milk and hard and soft cheeses, sold under the brand name Rozbert. "I'm delighted the long wait is over. I'm sure this will generate lots of extra interest in goat's cheese and yoghurts and help the business to grow," he said. "I'm hoping to start supplying wholesalers in Scotland and the West Country now that I have organic status." Mr Dawson, 36, set up his goat dairying enterprise in 1998 after converting redundant pig buildings on the family farm into a dairy. He sells to health food shops and wholesalers, farm shops and at farmers' markets and the herd is currently producing around 2500 litres of milk a week. The farm's organic status was confirmed today (Monday) by the Organic Food Federation
Irish farmers marched outside the EU Commission offices in Dublin to protest a trade agreement with South American countries which could threaten the beef market.

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association said they opposed the trade deal with Mercosur which it said could result in tariff free beef flooding the EU market which would have 'devastating' impacts on Irish beef exports.

ICSA President Patrick Kent said the Mercosur proposal would be utterly disastrous for the beef sector.

"Irish beef cannot be expected to compete on European markets with South American beef which is produced to a very different standard, where environmental damage is ignored and where labour standards and pay conditions are totally different.

"Import tariffs provided some balance, so any proposal to undermine these will be disastrous and the impact on Irish exports would be serious.

"Its not just Irish farmers who will be affected; its all EU beef farmers. What is the EU for, if it is not for supporting a viable agriculture sector in Europe?"

The EU has reportedly offered Mercosur an annual beef import quota of 78,000 tons - a move the ICSA claims the Irish beef industry will not be able to withstand.

ICSA is focusing on the EU Commission in response to the excessively weak negotiating position taken by the Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom without any democratic mandate, they said.

Irish Farmers' Association President Joe Healy has called for the unconditional removal of sensitive products, in particular beef, from any offer on Mercosur being considered by EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom.

Joe Healy said any negotiating strategy based on concessions on sensitive products, including beef, and sacrificing European farmers in the process is totally flawed.

He said, any offer on beef to Mercosur would be reckless as it would undermine the EU negotiating position in other bilateral trade negotiations, particularly TTIP.

The IFA President said the new Government must move immediately on the Mercosur issue and tackle the EU Commission head-on over its flawed negotiating strategy.

"The Government must make it clear that there is no room for any concessions on beef in the negotiations."
NFU Cymru has chosen the Cystic Fibrosis Trust as its charity to raise funds for over the next 12 months.

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust works towards a brighter future for everyone with cystic fibrosis by funding cutting-edge research, driving up standards of care and supporting people with the condition and their loved ones every step of the way.

John Mercer, Director of NFU Cymru said: "All the staff, from across Wales, were unanimous that the Cystic Fibrosis Trust deserved recognition for the work they do.

"This condition directly affects one of our colleagues family and we hope that through our planned events and collections we can raise as much money as possible for this very worthwhile cause."

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-shortening genetic condition, which causes the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, to become clogged with thick sticky mucus, resulting in chronic infections and inflammation of the lungs.

Serena Wilson, Community Development & Fundraising Manager at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust said: "We are delighted to have been chosen as this years charity by NFU Cymru.

"On behalf of everyone at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust I send on great thanks. We need to raise awareness and try to beat cystic fibrosis for good!

"Every single fundraising activity is so greatly appreciated  together we can beat this."

NFU Cymru plans to organise and take part in various events around Wales to help raise funds for the charity, starting with the Velothon Wales in Cardiff on Sunday, 22 May 2016, which is a grueling 140km bike ride across south Wales.

If anyone wishes to sponsor the NFU Cymru team and would like to donate to this worthwhile cause, you can do so by visiting NFU Cymrus dedicated Just Giving page here.
NFU Scotland is to host a major debate on Britains future in the European Union ahead of the in/out referendum taking place on Thursday, 23 June.

The debate: "In or Out?  the implications for Scottish food and farming" will be held on Thursday 19 May  five weeks before Britain votes on EU membership.

Fittingly, the event is to be held in the MacRobert Pavilion within the Royal Highland Showground near Edinburgh.

The EU membership poll on 23 June will coincide with the opening day of the Royal Highland Show  Scotlands biggest agricultural event  and the Union has already encouraged people planning to attend the show to consider organising a postal vote.

The first speaker to confirm his attendance is European Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan. The Union expects a high profile speaker from the Vote Leave campaign to be confirmed in the next few days, at which point registration to attend the event will open.

The Union will also spend time on farm with Commissioner Hogan the following day (Friday, 20 May).

Commissioner Hogan attended the Royal Highland Show in June 2015, taking in a visit to the Hamilton familys arable, beef and sheep unit at Garvald Mains near Haddington.

This time round, the Commissioner will visit the Dandie family at Learielaw, Broxburn where they run a large arable farm with suckler cow and beef finishing enterprises.

'Issue of EU membership is of huge significance'

NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie said: "Given the importance of Europe as a market for our produce, and the Common Agricultural Policy as a major support structure for our iconic food and farming industries, debate on the issue of EU membership is of huge significance to every farmer and crofter in Scotland.

"We have said before that farmers would prefer to farm without the financial support they receive from the EU but the reality is that most dont make enough from selling their produce in the marketplace  either at home or in export markets - for this to be possible.

"This event will provide all those engaged in this fundamental debate on Scotland and the UKs future with a fantastic opportunity to hear first-hand what ongoing EU membership or Brexit might meant to them.

"To ensure that Scotlands farmers and crofters know where to put their cross come 23 June, we need an informed discussion from those at the centre of the debate and this is shaping up to being a hugely important event in the run up to the referendum.

"We are delighted that EU Commissioner Hogan will take the platform on 19 May and we look forward to the Vote Leave campaign confirming its speaker in due course."
An investigation into a collision between a train and a tractor at a Knaresborough crossing last May has urged a review into gate opening equipment.

On May 14, 2015, a tractor was involved in a collision when it was hit by a passenger train carrying 66 people at Oakwood Farm crossing.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch said it appeared the tractor driver had used one of the push buttons to open the gates shortly before the accident.

The organisation said it had tested the stop lights (MSLs) at the Oakwood Farm crossing and found them to be working correctly.

The investigation said different circumstances could have caused the situation to have much worse.

"Oakwood Farm user worked crossing is one of a small number in the country that had been fitted with remotely operated, powered gates," the report said.

"It is likely the tractor driver did not recheck the warning lights after first stopping on the approach to the crossing to press a button to open the gates.

"The underlying causes of the accident were that Network Rail did not ensure that the risks at the crossing were adequately mitigated, and that the process for the introduction of the gate operating equipment was adequately managed."

They also said that Network Rail did not properly manage the process for the introduction of the gate operating equipment.

Network Rail have now been requested to undertake a comprehensive review of the safety of the crossing at Oakwood Farm in light of the report's findings.
AHDB Potatoes is highlighting the dates for three key events set to take place in July, August and November.

Claire Hodge, Knowledge Transfer Manager for AHDB Potatoes in Scotland, explains more: "Once the majority of growers have finished planting, we are keen to draw their attention to these three key events, in July, August and November.

"Each event will have something to appeal to growers throughout Scotland and also those from further afield."

"We are extremely excited about the Strategic Potato (or SPot) Farm project which takes AHDB-funded research to the next level, applying proven beneficial results to a real, commercial farm.

"Even before work starts in earnest in 2017, its great that Bruce Farms, our SPot Scotland hosts, are all set to give the project an advance soft-launch this summer, with an Open Day on 12th July 2016.

"The July Open Day will focus on a 24ha crop of Maris Piper and explore the results of different bed tilling and stone separation techniques undertaken on trial areas across the field.

"Bruce Farms are one of the largest potato growers in Scotland and we hope that fellow farmers will be keen to attend on 12th July for an insight into this multi-faceted business alongside the SPot Farms demonstrations of new research and technologies in practice."

A month later, on 11th August AHDB Potatoes will once again partner with the James Hutton Institute (JHI) at Balruddery, Dundee for the largest field-based potato event in the UK, Potatoes in Practice.

The event brings together variety demonstrations, working machinery, research and trade exhibits and is regarded as an essential date in the potato industry calendar.

Later in the year, when harvest is completed and thoughts turn to all-things-seed, the biennial Seed Industry Event will take place on 3rd November.

"Our theme this year is linking seed and supply chain, advises Robert Burns, head of AHDB Potatoes seed campaigns.

"This event has evolved from a seed-specific focus into an industry-wide opportunity for seed and ware growers and supply chain colleagues to get together, discuss current issues and learn more about the challenges and opportunities that exist from seed production right along our supply chain."
The first year of the UKs largest ever metaldehyde-free farming trial has seen a 60% drop in levels of the chemical detected in reservoir tributaries.

Farmers within the natural catchments of six reservoirs in Northamptonshire, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire have been working with Anglian Waters team of advisors over the past year on the Slug It Out campaign.

The area covers more than 7,000 hectares and as part of the campaign all farmers have agreed to use alternatives to metaldehyde, a pesticide, to control slugs on their land.

The trial was launched to look at how levels of metaldehyde in rivers and reservoirs could be brought below the strict European standard of 0.1 micrograms per litre (or parts per billion) in treated water.

This is the same as one drop in an Olympic sized swimming pool. In the past, levels in reservoirs in our region regularly exceed this and removing metaldehyde through treatment is currently not possible. It is not harmful to humans at current levels.

The first year of the trial saw 89 farmers signing up to take part  a 100% uptake. The trial area covered 7,679 hectares and an estimated 1,613 kg of metaldehyde was removed from the farmed landscape.

Levels of metaldehyde detected in the Hollowell and Ravensthorpe Reservoirs in Northamptonshire were compliant with regulations and remained below the statutory limit during the trials first year.

In Alton Water in Suffolk, Ardleigh Reservoir near Colchester, Pitsford Water in Northamptonshire and Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire there were still exceedances but overall levels were reduced significantly.

The average levels of metaldehyde in reservoir tributaries across all the catchments fell by 60%, while the average peak levels detected within the reservoirs fell by 26% (see full table in editors notes).

Reservoirs are filled by water pumped from nearby rivers as well as being fed by tributaries.

'Working together to remove chemicals in raw water sources'

Lucinda Gilfoyle, Catchment Strategy Manager for Anglian Water, said: "This has been a first, not only for us but for both the water and farming industries as a whole, and the data we have gathered will prove invaluable for tackling this thorny problem.

"What the first year of our trial has revealed is that by working together we can reduce metaldehyde levels in raw water sources  but that removing metaldehyde from the fields is not the silver bullet solution some may have hoped for.

"We know that a more detailed and longer term strategy is needed if we are to comply with pesticide regulations, and we will be building on these results as we move forward to help identify the package of measures needed.

"I want to say a huge thank you to all those farmers who have taken part so far  they have helped us build a valuable picture of pesticide movement and on individual farms they have proven that the alternatives to metaldehyde really do work in tackling slug damage."

'Trial was clearly beneficial to the farm business'

Sam Paske, Farm Manager of Hail Weston Farms Ltd which manages land within the Grafham Water catchment took part in the trial.

He said: "We were approached by Anglian Water to take part in this trial and it was something we definitely wanted to be involved in.

"If we are going to preserve metaldehyde for use then we all need to work together to ensure it doesnt reach water sources.

"After speaking to the catchment advisor we made simple changes to our normal integrated approach to slug management.

"I have not noticed any difference between metaldehyde and the alternative ferric phosphate product  I know some people are unsure about it because you dont see the dead slugs on the ground with ferric, but as long as I can see the crop growing Im happy.

"The trial was clearly beneficial to the farm business and was well supported by Anglian Water."

Slugs are one of the most devastating pests faced by UK farmers - wheat and oilseed rape are particularly affected.

Metaldehyde is currently the most popular pesticide for dealing with slugs  but the alternatives are growing in use, in particular those using the active ingredient ferric phosphate. Ferric phosphate breaks down much more quickly than metaldehyde.
EU biggest customer of Scottish red meat as trade rebounds to 80m
Wheat: Net sales of 178,900 metric tons for delivery in marketing year 2015/2016 were down 49 percent from the previous week, but up 1 percent from the prior 4-week average. Increases reported for China (61,500 MT), Mexico (36,100 MT), Nigeria (32,200 MT), Ecuador (28,100 MT, including 25,500 MT switched from unknown destinations), Japan (28,000 MT, including 24,100 MT switched from unknown destinations), Colombia (23,700 MT), and Italy (10,300 MT), were partially offset by reductions for unknown destinations (59,000 MT), the Dominican Republic (4,100 MT), Taiwan (1,000 MT), and Jamaica (300 MT). For 2016/2017, net sales of 140,000 MT were reported primarily for China (61,500 MT), Mexico (25,700 MT), Japan (20,000 MT), and South Korea (19,700 MT). Reductions were reported for Italy (10,300 MT) and Trinidad (1,600 MT). Exports of 385,200 MT were down 12 percent from the previous week and 4 percent from the prior 4-week average. The primary destinations were Japan (64,000 MT), Nigeria (43,200 MT), Mexico (33,800 MT), China (31,500 MT), South Korea (29,500 MT), and Ecuador (28,100 MT).

Export Adjustments: Accumulated exports to Japan were adjusted down 1,535 MT for week ending April 7th. The correct destination is South Korea and is included in this weeks report.

Corn: Net sales of 769,300 MT for 2015/2016 were down 64 percent from the previous week and 44 percent from the prior 4-week average. Increases were reported for Japan (458,600 MT, including 111,900 MT switched from unknown destinations and decreases of 25,300 MT), Mexico (113,900 MT, including 57,000 MT switched from unknown destinations and decreases of 18,100 MT), Taiwan (88,700 MT, including 65,000 MT switched from unknown destinations and decreases of 700 MT), Peru (67,100 MT, including 57,000 MT switched from unknown destinations and decreases of 2,100 MT), China (65,100 MT, including 60,000 MT switched from unknown destinations), and Venezuela (60,000 MT). Reductions were reported for unknown destinations (246,200 MT), Nicaragua (18,800 MT), the French West Indies (8,600 MT) and Guatemala (2,000 MT). For 2016/2017, net sales of 60,500 MT were reported for Mexico (30,000 MT), Nicaragua (17,500 MT), and Peru (13,000 MT). Exports of 1,226,000 MT were up 13 percent from the previous week and 9 percent from the prior 4-week average. The primary destinations were Mexico (373,700 MT), Colombia (257,500 MT), Peru (140,900 MT), Japan (111,900 MT), Taiwan (101,000 MT), China (65,100 MT), and Venezuela (60,000 MT).

Optional Origin Sales: For 2015/2016, new optional origin sales totaling 50,000 MT were reported for unknown destinations. The current outstanding balance totals 392,000 MT, all unknown destinations.

Export Adjustments: Accumulated exports to Honduras were adjusted down 701 MT for week ending April 21st. This is an adjustment in the shipment tonnage.

Soybeans: Net sales of 815,800 MT for 2015/2016 were up noticeably from the previous week and from the prior 4-week average. Increases were reported for unknown destinations (483,600 MT), Japan (69,100 MT, including 29,200 MT switched from unknown destinations and decreases of 6,200 MT), Germany (63,300 MT, previously reported as Egypt), France (60,900 MT, previously reported as Egypt), China (60,000 MT), and Venezuela (30,000 MT, switched from unknown destinations). Reductions were reported for Bangladesh (3,000 MT), India (2,800 MT), Sri Lanka (1,700 MT), and Costa Rica (1,300 MT). For 2016/2017, net sales of 430,000 MT were reported for unknown destinations (296,000 MT), Mexico (103,200 MT), Japan (14,800 MT), Taiwan (6,000 MT), Malaysia (5,000 MT), and Indonesia (5,000 MT). Exports of 305,700 MT were up 10 percent from the previous week, but down 4 percent from the prior 4-week average. The primary destinations were Germany (63,300 MT, previously reported as Egypt), France (60,900 MT, previously reported as Egypt), Japan (34,900 MT), Venezuela (30,000 MT), Indonesia (27,100 MT), and Costa Rica (25,700 MT).

Optional Origin Sales: For 2015/2016, the current optional origin outstanding balance totals 480,000 MT, all China.

Exports for Own Account: The current exports for own account outstanding balance totals 500 MT, all Canada.

Export Adjustments: Accumulated exports to Egypt were adjusted down 63,345 MT for week ending February 4th, the correct destination is Germany and is included in this weeks report. Accumulated exports to Egypt were adjusted down 60,937 MT for week ending March 3rd , the correct destination is France and is included in this weeks report.

Barley: There were no sales reported for 2015/2016 during the week. For 2016/2017, net sales of 500 MT were reported for Japan. Exports of 100 MT were reported to South Korea.

Sorghum: Net sales of 180,100 MT for 2015/2016 were up noticeably from the previous week and from the prior 4-week average. Increases reported for China (222,700 MT, including 50,000 MT switched from unknown destinations) and Mexico (2,300 MT), were partially offset by reductions for unknown destinations (44,900 MT). Exports of 229,000 MT were up noticeably from the previous week and 62 percent from prior 4-week average. The destinations were China (227,700 MT) and Mexico (1,300 MT).

Rice: Net sales of 45,500 MT for 2015/2016 were up 43 percent from the previous week, but down 36 percent from the prior 4-week average. Increases reported for Mexico (37,400 MT), Honduras (15,900 MT, including 14,500 MT switched from unknown destinations), Haiti (8,000 MT), Saudi Arabia (1,100 MT), and the Dominican Republic (700 MT), were partially offset by reductions for unknown destinations (13,400 MT), Canada (3,800 MT), and Yemen (1,100 MT). Exports of 90,600 MT, up noticeably from the previous week and 34 percent from the prior 4-week average, were reported to Mexico (26,900 MT), Honduras (15,900 MT), Japan (13,200 MT), Haiti (10,000 MT), and Costa Rica (7,900 MT).

Exports for Own Account: The current exports for own account outstanding balance totals 500 MT, all Canada.

Soybean Cake and Meal: Net sales of 152,700 MT for 2015/2016 were down 27 percent from the previous week, but up 9 percent from the prior 4-week average. Increases were reported for the Philippines (88,500 MT), Venezuela (20,000 MT), Colombia (19,200 MT, including 10,000 MT switched from unknown destinations and decreases of 500 MT), Peru (12,300 MT, including 12,000 MT switched from unknown destinations), Honduras (11,500 MT, including 9,900 MT switched from unknown destinations), and Trinidad (10,600 MT, including 9,800 MT switched from unknown destinations. Reductions were reported for unknown destinations (42,800 MT), Taiwan (12,000 MT), the French West Indies (3,300 MT), and Nicaragua (700 MT). Exports of 202,800 MT were down 18 percent from the previous week and 1 percent from the prior 4-week average. The primary destinations were Mexico (84,200 MT), the Philippines (29,100 MT), Colombia (22,600 MT), Peru (17,900 MT), Trinidad (13,300 MT), Honduras (11,400 MT), and Canada (10,300 MT).

Optional Origin Sales: For 2015/2016, the current optional origin outstanding sales balance totals 99,000 MT, all unknown destinations.

Export Adjustments: Accumulated exports to Honduras were adjusted down 287 MT for week ending April 21st. This is an adjustment in the shipment tonnage.

Soybean Oil: Net sales of 10,000 MT for 2015/2016 were up 4 percent from the previous week and up noticeably from the prior 4-week average. Increases were reported for the Dominican Republic (7,900 MT), Haiti (800 MT), Mexico (700 MT), Panama (500 MT), Trinidad (100 MT), and Lebanon (100 MT). Exports of 4,200 MT were down 72 percent from the previous week and 67 percent from the prior 4-week average. The destinations were primarily to Mexico (2,500 MT), Haiti (1,300 MT), the Philippines (200 MT), and Lebanon (100 MT).

Cotton: Net upland sales totaling 61,300 RB for 2015/2016 were up 26 percent from the previous week, but down 45 percent from the prior 4-week average. Increases were reported for Brazil (23,600 RB), China (22,200 RB), Pakistan (17,200 RB), Indonesia (9,700 RB, including 1,200 RB switched from Japan, and decreases of 100 RB)Thailand (9,200 RB, including 800 RB switched from China and 100 RB switched from Japan), and Mexico (2,800 RB, including 800 RB switched from Ecuador and 400 RB switched from Honduras). Reductions were reported for Turkey (8,700 RB), South Korea (6,600 RB), Colombia (3,500 RB), and Vietnam (3,100 RB). For 2016/2017, net sales of 24,800 RB reported primarily for Mexico (9,200 RB), Peru (5,900 RB), South Korea (3,600 RB), and Colombia (3,500 RB), were partially offset by reductions for Guatemala (400 RB). Exports of 277,600 RB were up 14 percent from the previous week and 16 percent from the prior 4-week average. The primary destinations were Turkey (83,700 RB), Vietnam (33,400 RB), Mexico (25,700 RB), Indonesia (19,700 RB), South Korea (17,200 RB), Bangladesh (14,700 RB), and Taiwan (12,500 RB). Net sales of Pima totaling 11,400 RB for 2015/2016 were down 56 percent from the previous week and 32 percent from the prior 4-week average. Increases were reported for India (7,200 RB), China (1,400 RB), Pakistan (1,000 RB), and Thailand (900 RB). Reductions of 100 RB were reported for Japan. Exports of 12,900 RB were down 10 percent from the previous week, but up 4 percent from the prior 4-week average. The primary destinations were China (3,900 RB), India (3,200 RB), Pakistan (1,700 RB), Peru (1,300 RB), and Egypt (900 RB).

Exports for Own Account: The current exports for own account outstanding balance of 40,700 RB is for China (35,100 RB) and Vietnam (5,600 RB).

Hides and Skins: Net sales of 334,900 pieces, all whole cattle hides, reported for delivery in 2016, were down 17 percent from the previous, but unchanged from the prior 4-week average. The primary destinations were China (188,100 pieces), South Korea (45,100 pieces), Mexico (35,500 pieces), Thailand (15,100 pieces), and the Netherlands (14,200 MT). Exports of 372,900 pieces were down 4 percent from the previous week 1 percent from the prior 4-week average. Whole cattle hides exports of 371,600 pieces were primarily to China (182,200 pieces), South Korea (90,100 pieces), Mexico (37,000 pieces), Thailand (19,300 pieces), and Taiwan (19,300 pieces).

Net sales of 129,300 wet blues for 2016 were up noticeably from the previous week, but down 14 percent from the prior 4-week average. Increases were reported for Italy (58,800 unsplit and 18,700 grain splits), South Korea (12,200 grain splits and 3,100 unsplit), Brazil (11,200 grain splits), Thailand (10,400 unsplit), and China (8,100 grain splits and 1,200 unsplit). Reductions were reported for Japan (2,900 unsplit), the Dominican Republic (800 unsplit), Hong Kong (700 grain splits), Thailand (100 grain splits), and Taiwan (100 unsplit). Exports of 169,900 wet blues were up 85 percent from the previous week and 39 percent from the prior 4-week average. Exports were primarily to China (45,400 unsplit and 13,400 grain splits), Italy (30,000 unsplit), Vietnam (9,500 unsplit and 4,900 grain splits), Hong Kong (10,100 grain splits and 3,900 unsplit), Thailand (12,000 unsplit), and Mexico (8,300 grain splits and 3,000 unsplit). Net sales of splits totaling 1,235,800 pounds for 2016 were reported for Hong Kong (905,400 pounds), Taiwan (285,400 pounds), and Italy (229,200 pounds). Reductions were reported for South Korea (135,400 pounds) and China (48,900 pounds). Exports of 501,400 pounds were reported to South Korea (339,000 pounds) and Italy (162,300 pounds).

Beef: Net sales of 15,500 MT for 2016 were up 29 percent from the previous week and 16 percent from the prior 4-week average. Increases were reported for Japan (7,100 MT), South Korea (2,900 MT), Canada (2,200 MT), Mexico (1,800 MT), and Taiwan (700 MT). Exports of 12,500 MT--a marketing-year high--were up 13 percent from the previous week and 8 percent from the prior 4-week average. The primary destinations were Japan (5,500 MT), South Korea (2,200 MT), Mexico (1,700 MT), Canada (1,100 MT), and Hong Kong (1,000 MT).

Pork: Net sales of 30,300 MT for 2016 were down 50 percent from the previous week and 13 percent from the prior 4-week average. Increases were reported for Mexico (20,300 MT), Japan (3,600 MT), China (1,900 MT), South Korea (1,800 MT), and Canada (1,300 MT). Reductions were reported for Costa Rica (100 MT). Exports of 23,200 MT--a marketing-year high--were up 5 percent from the previous week and 16 percent from the prior 4-week average. The primary destinations were Mexico (6,600 MT), China (5,500 MT), Japan (3,900 MT), South Korea (1,700 MT), and Australia (1,500 MT).

Source : USDA
"There are some young people who have a great future in our dairy industry and who have the potential to go a long way, and not just on the farm but beyond the farm gate as well and becoming great contributors."
Bragg soldiers say barracks they're being relocated to also have mold

Some Smoke Bomb Hill soldiers say barracks they're being relocated to are just as bad as the ones that were deemed substandard.
A jury in the Bahamas Tuesday convicted a former board member of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation of bribery, finding he took hundreds of thousands of dollars to help Alstom win contracts, reduce penalties for late performance, and overturn a government award to a competitor.

Fred Ramsey, 79, was found guilty on two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and twelve counts of bribery, the Nassau Guardian reported.

He faces up to four years in prison.

In December 2014, Paris-based Alstom pleaded guilty in federal court in Connecticut to bribing officials in the Bahamas, and in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

The company paid $772 million in criminal penalties to settle the charges  the biggest criminal fine ever levied for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act offenses and the second biggest FCPA enforcement action overall.

Three Alstom executives have pleaded guilty in the United States to bribing officials in Indonesia to win a power project contract. Charges are pending against a fourth executive.

In the UK, the Serious Fraud Office has charged seven individuals and Alstom Network UK Ltd with bribery-related offenses.

Alstom manufactures rail, power, and energy equipment. In June 2014, Alstom agreed to sell its power business to General Electric for 12.4 billion ($15.6 billion).

In the Bahamas trial, the governments chief witness against Ramsey was Mark Smith, an American consultant. Smith was granted immunity in the case.

He testified that he deposited the bribes in Ramseys U.S. account for providing details of private [Bahamas Electricity Corporation] board meetings, getting a reduction in fines that Alstom had to pay in penalties for late installation of the generators, and approaching a Cabinet minister to intervene after the board unanimously voted to award the contract to the South Korean company Han Jung, the Nassau Guardian said.

At the trial, Smith produced records showing checks that he had made out to Ramsey and deposited to his Florida account.

Bahamas Electricity Corporation is a government-owned company.

The U.S. Justice Departments 2014 criminal information (pdf) against Alstom S.A. said:

[I]n connection with the bidding on the power projects, Alstom retained Consultant I who, as certain Alstom employees knew, was a close personal friend of Official 8 a board member of BEC [Bahamas Electricity Corporation]. Consultant ls primary purpose was not to provide legitimate consulting services to Alstom and its subsidiaries but was instead to pay bribes to Official 8 who had the ability to influence the award of the power contracts. Consultant I was a U.S. citizen, was based in the United States, and maintained a bank account in the United States.

Following his conviction, Ramsey is free on bail of $40,000. The judge ordered him to surrender his travel documents to the court prior to sentencing.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. Hell be the keynote speaker at the FCPA Blog NYC Conference 2016.
Here is the astounding opening passage from a decision by the Supreme Court of Canada issued on April 29 in World Bank v. Wallace:

Corruption is a significant obstacle to international development. It undermines confidence in public institutions, diverts funds from those who are in great need of financial support, and violates business integrity. Corruption often transcends borders. In order to tackle this global problem, worldwide cooperation is needed. When international financial organizations, such as the World Bank Group, share information gathered from informants across the world with the law enforcement agencies of member states, they help achieve what neither could do on their own.

The first lines of the decision sound like they could have come from someone from within the World Bank Group, underscoring the value of the Banks work in the fight against corruption. But this decision from the Supreme Court of Canada endorsed the integrity efforts of international organizations while upholding the privileges and immunities of the World Bank.

Wallace v. World Bank thus serves as a reminder that better results in the fight against corruption can be achieved when all the actors in the global fight come together in their respective roles.

The investigation and prosecution that led to this decision stand as a clear example of the power we can harness when we work together. They also illustrate the challenges of aggressively fighting corruption while simultaneously pursuing a development agenda focused on ending poverty.

In 2011, the World Banks Integrity Vice-Presidency (INT) learned that representatives of SNC-Lavalin were planning to bribe officials of the Government of Bangladesh to obtain a contract related to the construction of a bridge over the Padma River. The World Bank had already agreed to provide more than $1 billion in financing for this project that was projected to be among the most significant and impactful development projects in the region.

As the INTs investigation unfolded, it voluntarily shared information of its findings initially with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and subsequently with the Bangladeshi Anti-Corruption Commission.

To its credit, the RCMP zealously pursued the case and was able to use the information received from the Bank together with other information it gathered to obtain authorization for a wiretap. Canadian authorities were ultimately able to gather evidence sufficient to indict several individuals under their Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act. Bangladesh, however, concluded the evidence was not sufficient to continue its own investigation into the matter.

Based on its own investigation as well as evidence discovered in Canada, the World Bank debarred SNC-Lavalin for ten years. The Bank also cancelled the proposed financing for the Padma Bridge announcing that it will not turn a blind eye to corruption in a press release announcing the cancellation.

In last weeks decision, the Canadian Supreme Court soundly rejected an effort by the defendants in Canada to derail the corruption prosecution by claiming an entitlement to INTs records that had never formed part of Canadas case against them.

This decision is of great significance. In the context of INT operations, were cooperation with national authorities to be construed as an implied waiver of all of the Banks immunities, the institutions ability to report violations of national laws would be constrained. Further, the Bank would be forced to choose between protecting its immunities and reporting suspected violations of national laws.

The Supreme Court of Canada resolved these legal issues in the Banks favor, recognizing that a contrary holding would undermine the efforts of international organizations to fight fraud and corruption in development projects. The decision recognized that the World Bank and other multilateral development banks, through their investigations, serve at the front line of international anti-corruption efforts.

The Supreme Court made clear that the Banks privileges and immunities stand firm in preventing access by third parties to its archives and its staff, noting that any implied waiver of its immunities would have a chilling effect on collaboration with domestic law enforcement.

This decision by Canadas highest court is a landmark with respect to the immunities of international organizations, and also in ensuring that a critical corruption prosecution can proceed. This decision recognizes that it takes all the members of the global enforcement community to come together to successfully fight international corruption. Investigators, prosecutors, judges and international organizations each have a crucial role to play within their own legal framework, as well as in supporting each other to the extent they are able.

The challenges presented and overcome in this case are a call for us all to find new and innovative tools for cooperation, assistance and joined efforts across borders to achieve what is often impossible to achieve on our own.

____

Stephen Zimmermann is the Director of Operations at the World Bank Integrity Vice Presidency.

Giuliana Dunham Irving is Senior Counsel at the Wold Bank Legal Vice Presidency.
Duncan Jones thinks Alexander Skarsgard is a "terrific" choice to play the lead role in his new thriller 'Mute'.

Alexander Skarsgard

Jones - the son of the late music legend David Bowie - was thrilled to be able to cast the 'True Blood' star as a vigilante barman in his forthcoming movie.

In the story, which is set 40 years in the future, Skarsgard's character Leo Beiler is unable to speak due to a childhood trauma but goes in search of a missing girl in mid-21st century Berlin.

He explained: "I think he'll do a terrific job. Leo is a character who doesn't talk, so much of the communication is going to be about the nuances of the performance and where I put the camera to pick them up. The other two characters are a pair of buddies who are incredibly talkative, very loquacious and witty. You're bounced between their two stories. One guy who's silent, and the other two who are babbling all the time."

Jones - who has been busy working on 'Warcraft', based on the fantasy video game series of the same name - first developed the idea for 'Mute' a few years ago, and since its first inception the plot has got a lot darker.

Speaking of the development of the movie - who will also star Paul Rudd - and the villainous characters, Jones said: "Over the years I had some big, leaping ideas about what would make the film weirder and darker, So we future-fied it. It's a thriller with a very weird tone ... The two villains of the piece are what's kept me want to do it since day one. Those characters are unique. You have not seen a pair like this."

Jones was partly inspired by Sir Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi epic 'Blade Runner' and wants to emulate its style when they begin filming on location in Berlin, Germany.

The 'Source Code' director told Empire magazine: "We are going to be shooting in Berlin. During the 1970s, with so much of the city still to rebuild, a lot of futuristic architecture was put up.

"It goes very dark, and then it also goes very darkly funny. It's science-fiction urban, so it certainly owes some of its influence to 'Blade Runner'. But in a way, the references to 'Blade Runner' are more superficial."
We couldn't wait for you guys to hear a bit of our debut single #NewGirl! Let us know what you think & pre-order (link in bio)  http://smarturl.it/ReggieNBollieNewGirl A video posted by Reggie N Bollie (@reggienbollie) on May 4, 2016 at 9:30am PDT

Back on the music scene following their incredible stint on The X Factor, Reggie N Bollie will be releasing energetic new single 'New Girl' on May 13 through SYCO Music.

Launching as part of a new Littlewoods advertising campaign, the track was written by Teddy Geirger, Ammar Malik, TMS, Space Primates and The Six, with production from Space Primates, LDN Noise and AfterHours.

An upcoming music video was filmed in the duo's home country of Ghana, where an emotional homecoming for the two brought Accra airport to a standstill.

They explain: "We're the first Ghanaian artists, aside from Fuse ODG, to be signed to a UK label. When you move to London they think you've made it. But we really feel like we have."

Choreographing the dance routine to the party track themselves, Reggie N Bollie are hoping for an infectious number that will catch on and have fans across the country and the globe singing and dancing along.

Pre-order for 'New Girl' is available now.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Britain's Prince Harry has been praised for his commitment to his Sentebale charity.

Britain's Prince Harry

Polo star and Ralph Lauren model Nacho Figueras, who is an ambassador for the children's charity, has spoke of the Prince's commitment, leadership and energetic nature.

He said: "Harry is so committed to this charity that he never fails to inspire me. With Harry's leadership, we are changing a whole generation for the better ...

"Harry is the best as a guy friend. Not only is he competitive and energetic when he plays polo, but he is a fun person to be around in general. It is wonderful to see him."

Nacho took part in a charity polo match with the 31-year-old royal on Wednesday afternoon (04.05.16) at Valiente Polo Farm in Wellington, Florida despite the heavy rain in the hours prior to the match.

Anne Gerwig, Wellington's newly crowned mayor, added to PEOPLE magazine: "It feels so right to have Prince Harry play polo here because we are such an equestrian town. I feel like Cinderella hoping to meet the Prince! We are privileged to have him here."

Meanwhile, the charity previously picked up Life Ball's Swarovski Crystal Of Hope Award for building the Mamohato Children's Centre in Lesotho, which offers vulnerable children through healthcare and education.

Life Ball founder Gery Keszler said: "We always select programmes to receive this award that are relatively unsung heroes, doing interesting, innovative and important work but not yet well-known.

"This award not only donates substantial funds, but also brings an international spotlight to the work. I will be visiting the programme in April, which helps children living with HIV/AIDS educationally, emotionally and physically - it is really exceptional and we are proud to be working with them."
Cillian Murphy has vowed 'Peaky Blinders' will be "darker and weirder" in series three.

Cillian Murphy

The 39-year-old actor stars in BBC Two's gritty historic British gangster series as head mobster Tommy Shelby and has revealed the growing Birmingham gang is heading to Russia where they'll consort with tougher criminals and be met with twists and turns that will undoubtedly shock fans.

Murphy was thrilled when the show's creator Steve Knight told him what was in-store for him and his co-stars ahead of shooting.

Speaking to Digital Spy, he said: "The way we left the second series, the natural progression would've been to go to America - that's where you'd see bootlegging and Prohibition and all of that.

"But what did was just take the opposite tack and go east, to get involved with Russia. That gives it a much more interesting flavour - it's much f*****g darker and weirder and more interesting."

The drama has always offered viewers a lot of violence with baby-faced Tommy confidently leading the Shelby Clan since series one, which was set in 1919, but now in series three, which is set five years later, Cillian's alter ego is stretching his abilities as an actor.

He explained: "There's no point in just replicating what you've done before - you have to push it. But there were times where I was like... f***ingg hell ... What we're doing with Tommy now is a massive departure - certainly from series one, and from two - but that has to happen. Four or five years have passed in the characters' lives since we first met them, so you have to push it."

And with Paddy Considine signing on to the hit series as a rogue priest, Murphy promised more drama will ensue closer to home.

Speaking about the man of the church, he said: " You're not going to like this one!

"He's got power, he's got influence, and absolute power can create these people who just do whatever they want, and don't go back and think about it, because there's no world in which they wouldn't be able to do that.

"I think that's the definition of evil... and that's what he is!"

Series three of 'Peaky Blinders' returns to BBC Two on Thursday night (05.05.16) at 9pm.
Alia Bhatt

is moving into her new three-bedroom apartment, inside the posh gated community where her parents Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan live, in suburban Mumbai. Describing the space, she told Femina, The interiors are a mix of vintage and boho chic. The space is essentially white, with elements like crazy lamps, a red refrigerator, vintage switchboards, benches and even an old-school pot. The actor shopped at The Charcoal Project, The Design Cell, and on Mutton Street and Chor Bazaar in Mumbai for some of the quirky stuff.


Hacks, identity theft, data breachescyber calamities are waiting to happen to your finances, even as you read this. Every online activity you dowhether it is on your smartphone or your laptopis being watched. Even the pictures in your phone are accessible to people courtesy certain apps, says Saket Modi, CEO of Lucideus Tech, an online cyber security company.



Your password isnt enough

Your birth date or anniversary are not good enough as passwords. Choose a random combination of symbols, numbers and upper and lower case words and change them frequently. While doing net banking, two kinds of passwords are asked for: one is to log into your account and the other is the transaction password. Ensure that you never save the transaction password anywhere and instead use the one time password (OTP), says Ashish Modani, financial planner.



Software save

Lastpass: A password manager app, it locks your passwords and personal information in a secure vault. It autofills web browser and app logins for you, and generates new, secure passwords instantly. You just need one LastPass password.



Keep your wealth managers close

Do you know that even a private email that you are sending to your wealth manager has been copied on several unknown servers across the globe? Hackers are also known to steal from you by using your email ID and account details to send fund transfer requests to an outside account. Protect yourself from such frauds by ensuring your wealth manager and broker recognise your voice and call you before carrying out any transaction.



Software save

Encrypted emails: Use Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), a software that allows you to encrypt your mails. This means that only the two people who communicate know the original message. What is copied on other servers is garbled text. PGP gives you a public key (a bunch of letters and numbers) that can be used to create an encrypted email. A private key that only you have opens the message.



Set limits on your credit cards

You may have gotten calls from your bank managers, offering you a higher credit limit. Many people take that as a sign of financial strength. However, its better to have multiple credit cards with lower limits than increasing the limit of one. At best, each credit or debit card you have should allow usage of upto Rs 2 lakh, says Saket.



Software save

Virtual cards: Most banks offer net-safe banking where you can create one-time virtual credit card with a small limit. So, if you are doing an online transaction, you do not need to enter yourcard details. The virtual card usually expires in 24 hours and there is a small fee attached to it, says Saket.



Get digitally fit

1.Install firewalls and anti-virus software on your handheld devices.

2.When selling or disposing of old devices,erase all personal data.

3.You should be able to destroy or at least lock your phone device remotely. Try Googles Android Device Manager, a handy service that enables remote password locking and even allows you to see the location of a lost or stolen Android device. Enable Find My iPhone on your iOS device.

4.Update your operating systems on a regular basis with the latest security patches, updates and drivers.

5.Use apps like Unhack to see how many apps on your smartphone have access to your messages, pictures, etc.



Photograph: SHUTTERSTOCK

Next Story : These Edible Artworks By Prachi Dhabal Deb Have Our Heart
Moody's Investors Service has affirmed the B1 corporate family rating (CFR) of P.T. Sri Rejeki Isman Tbk (Sritex) and the B1 rating on the $270 million senior unsecured notes due 2019 issued by Golden Legacy Pte. Ltd. and guaranteed by Sritex.Moody's has also changed the ratings outlook to positive from stable.Sritex is a vertically-integrated textile and garment manufacturer in Indonesia. The company, Southeast Asia's largest textile manufacturer, has four production units: spinning, weaving, dyeing, and garment."The positive outlook reflects Sritex's strong operating performance coupled with Moody's expectation that the ongoing expansion of its production capacity will drive revenue and earnings growth in 2016 and 2017" said Brian Grieser, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Analyst."Sritex is in the final year of a three-year, debt-funded facility expansion program which has driven double-digit top-line growth in each of the past two years," added Grieser, who is also the lead analyst on Sritex. The company has also increased EBITDA by over a third since the start of its capex program, supporting the company's leverage profile despite its heavy reliance on debt to fund this spending.

Moody's expects earnings growth, coupled with stability in the company's debt balance, to support both absolute and relative de-leveraging to around 3.5x in 2016.



Leverage -- as measured by debt/EBITDA -- stood at around 3.7x as of March 31, 2016, down from 3.8x at December 31, 2015.



The positive outlook reflects Moody's expectation that Sritex will successfully complete its capex program in 2016 and that capex levels will decline materially by end-2016 and into 2017. Accordingly, Moody's expects EBITDA growth and improved cash generation to result in a significant improvement in Sritex's credit profile over the next 18 months.



Moody's also expects growth across each of Sritex's businesses, with the retail garment business demonstrating the highest growth rates.



The Indonesian textile manufacturer's expansion project is widening its presence in its four key businesses -- spinning, weaving, finishing and garments -- and will drive a shift in revenue to its higher margin garment business from the lower-margin spinning and weaving businesses.



This vertical integration, whereby Sritex produces roughly all of its fabric needs to manufacture its garments, is a key differentiating factor, allowing it generate better and more stable margins than its peers.



Sritex's B1 rating reflects its relatively small scale in the highly competitive global textile industry, the geographic concentration of its assets in Indonesia's central Java region, and its manageable level of leverage, as measured by debt/EBITDA.


The Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) in Gandhinagar has signed an MoU with Man Made Textile Research Association (Mantra) of Surat for introducing in-line plasma treatment facility in the existing textile manufacturing process, The Times of India has reported.The agreement is a major step towards improving quality of textile processing in Surat, one of country's largest textile hubs.

Mantra is a research organisation for fulfilling quality control needs of a growing textile industry in Surat and in South Gujarat.



The IPR, through its Facilitation Centre for Industrial Plasma Technologies (FCIPT) in Gandhinagar, will develop a plant that can treat synthetic textiles with plasma at the rate of 30 to 40 metres per minute. IPR officials say the facility will be developed by October 2017, or even earlier.



"IPR's Plasma treatment facility will be 6 to 10 times cheaper than what is available in Europe or US and improve our fibre strength and colour enhancements of textiles," Mantra Director V I Bachkaniwala told the newspaper.



IPR Director D Bora said, "Plasma improves the fibre quality, drastically reduces shrinking of fabric and is a clean technology with no chemicals involved. Plasma will surely provide a major boost for quality improvement in textile manufacturing. In case of wool, plasma treatment nearly eliminates the prickly feel and entanglements of the fibre." (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Hello peeps! Every week we keep introducing you to celeb kids, who are stars in the making. And today, our feature is dedicated to Govinda's handsome son, Yashvardhan Ahuja and do you know the young lad has already started prepping up for his Bollywood debut?

And we thought it would be the best time to bring to you all his hot pictures.So, let's not waste time anymore and get ready to see the new hottie of B-town.

Check Out All The 16 Pictures Here:

Apparently, many people think that Yashvardhan looks like the young Ranbir Kapoor as both are extremely fair and have a sharp chiseled jawline. Well, whether Yashvardhan really looks like Ranbir or not, we are leaving this upto you!

Yashvardhan is 20 years old and has recently returned to Mumbai after finishing a year-long film-making course in London's Met Film School. While talking to Mumbai Mirror, he shared his future Bollywood plans and what he is doing nowadays.

Pictures! Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Gets Teary-eyed At Sarabjit's Prayer Meet!

"I have been with Sajid uncle for a month now. He gave me the best advice - To go with the flow and acquire knowledge on all aspects of filmmaking, including editing and writing before getting into acting. I will also assist him on Kick 2," says the aspiring actor.

Talking about his passsion for acting, he revealed, "Everything I know about the craft came from dad. He has taught me how to improvise on screen. I remember him telling me how Kader Khan sir and he came up with impromptu dialogues on the sets of Harmesh (Malhotra) uncle's Dulhe Raja, which is one of my favourite films. These days our dinner table conversations only revolve around movies."

Don't forget to hit the comment box and do share with us what you think of him!
Shilpa Shetty is one of the hottest diva's of Bollywood, who became an international face after winning the celebrity game show Big Brother. Her husband Raj Kundra is a good looking London based businessman and together they make an adorable couple.

We always read stories about Shahrukh & Gauri and also Abhishek & Aishwarya but today we will talk about the other sweetest couple of B'Wood-Shilpa & Raj. Click on VIEW PHOTOS To see some really beautiful pictures of Shilpa Shetty with her darling hubby Raj Kundra.



Raj Kundra and Shipla Shetty's love story started when the two initially met at business meetings where Raj was helping her out for the promotion of her perfume brand S2. But at that time Raj was already married and his ex-wife Kavita, reportedly accused Shilpa of being a marriage breaker. However, Raj denied it and said that he was facing problem in his marriage, even before he met Shilpa.

Also Read: Amar Singh Praises Aishwarya Rai But Criticises Jaya Bachchan In A Shocking Statement

Shilpa Sheety and Raj Kundra decided to get married on November 22, 2009. It was a grand 'Big Fat Indian Wedding' in a true sense. The wedding and pre-wedding bash took place at Shilpa's close friend's farm house in Khandala. Their reception on November 24, at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai, was attended by the who's who of the B-town.

Talking about her soulmate Raj Kundra, Shilpa Shetty told a leading daily, "I have often wondered who the right person would be and I've come to realise that for me it is Raj. I'm completely sure he is my soulmate."
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will not attend Cannes amfar Gala this year, which is scheduled for May 19th. Aishwarya's film Sarbjit is releasing on May 20th and she does not want to miss the movie's promotions.

According to a leading news agency, '' Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be returning from Cannes immediately after her red carpet appearances to promote the movie and fulfill other professional commitments. Aishwarya would be attending the event on May 13th and 14th.



Click On VIEW PHOTOS To See Some Stunning Pictures Of Aish From Cannes



The actress had recently confessed that she wants Sarbjit to premiere at the Cannes Film festival. "I do not know if the team will be able to make the opportunity possible on that platform as well because Cannes will be happening in the last week.''

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan further added, "Given the timeline, if it is possible, the team will look for the opportunity. But, however if there are too many deadlines to match regretfully, that chance may have to be cut off. We have to wait for the last 10 days to announce but that would have been the perfect platform to share the film. Somehow it is coinciding with the final week with Cannes".

The movie is directed by Omung Kumar. Sarbjit is based on Sarabjit Singh, an Indian farmer who was convicted of terrorism and spying in Pakistan, and was sentenced to death. He was attacked by inmates at a prison in Lahore in April 2013 and died a few days later.
Yesterday night's IPL match between Shahrukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders and Preity Zinta's Kings XI Punjab was nail biting, and SRK's team KKR, won the match leaving Preity Zinta disappointed. Shahrukh Khan's son AbRam, stole the show post the match with his naughty antics.

However, her husband Gene Goodenough is all set to surprise Preity Zinta in the most memorable way and make her feel happy, excited and filled with joy all at the same time. Yes, Gene Goodenough has boarded the flight from the United States and would land in Mumbai soon.

As per a source from Bollywoodlife, it is reported that Gene Goodenough was spotted leaving the airport last night from the US (May 4, 2016), and is on his way to Mumbai. The journey is of 20 hours straight and we can expect Gene to land during the evening.

Red Hot Pictures! Shruti Haasan Braces The Cover Page Of GQ Magazine

After the loss of last nights IPL match, we're sure Preity Zinta will be back to life after seeing her husband in Mumbai, and the couple will spend a lot of quality time with each other.

Preity Zinta and Gene Goodenough, tied the knot in Los Angeles and the whole wedding ceremony was a private one. The duo, had planned to throw a wedding bash in Mumbai to celebrate the joy with friends from the Bollywood industry.

Hot & Glamorous Pictures Of Katrina Kaif With Siddharth Mallya!

Looks like the time is ripe, as Gene Goodenough and Preity Zinta will be in India for a couple of weeks until the IPL is over. Preity & Gene, must have surely planned the wedding bash before hand and will throw one helluva party to all her close ones in Bollywood. The event, will be star studded and the dates are yet to be confirmed.

30 Rare & Unseen Pictures Of Bipasha Basu From Her Teenage Days!
After a long time, post pregnancy, actress Rani Mukerji made a public appearance in Switzerland with mother-in-law Pamela Chopra. The duo was there to attend the inaugration of the legendary director Yash Chopra's statue.

Late director Yash Chopra, who captured the verdant Swiss valley in his films, has been honoured with a special statue by the Switzerland government. The statue was inaugurated today (May 5, 2016)

Check Out All The Pictures Here:

Rani Mukerji & Pamela Chopra were spotted without Adira. As usual, Rani can be seen sporting a cream coloured overcoat and we are totally loving the look of the new mommy!

Introducing Govinda's Son Yashvardhan Ahuja; People Think He Looks Like Ranbir!

A sculpture made of pure bronze, and weighing about 350 kilos, will present Yash Chopra in an iconic pose of him directing a film.

Chopra, who opened a legacy of South Asian tourists flocking to Switzerland, loved to spend time there. Natural beauty and warm hospitality mark the association that his banner Yash Raj Films shares with this country.

The statue will be installed at the heart of Interlaken, inside the KURSAAL area, near the Congress Centre. A prime, popular spot with tourists, the statue will remind many of the cinematic splendour that Yash Chopra had created for this picturesque nation.

Extremely Cute Pictures Of Shahrukh Khan & AbRam From IPL 2016

While many ministers and senior bureaucrats from the Swiss government attended this inauguration, Pamela Chopra and Rani Mukerji were also present for the occasion. The event was organised by Interlaken Tourism and Jungfrau Railways.

This is not the first time the filmmaker has been honoured in this way. The government of Interlaken awarded him the honorary title of "Ambassador of Interlaken" in 2011, and Jungfrau Railways named a train after him - an honour shared only with the railway's founder, Adolf Guyer. In addition, the five-star Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken named a suite after Yash Chopra.
Chinas economic slowdown is prompting private equity firms to change their tactics to maintain returns in the country, with one suggestion being to push banks to provide more leverage, finance recapitalisations and to take more control of portfolio companies themselves to push through changes.

With the slowdown in economic growth, being a passive minority investor in an unlevered company is a pretty hard way to make private equity level returns, said Stephen Peel, co-head in Asia for US private equity firm TPG, at the SuperReturn Asian 2013 conference in Hong Kong last week.

KKR announced its first majority-owned investment in China on Tuesday. The US firm said it will invest $140 million over the next 18 months to build two dairy farms in China alongside CDH Investments and milk producer Modern Dairy. KKR, CDH and Modern Dairy will hold 61.5%, 20.5% and 18.0% stakes respectively. KKR will be making the new investment through its China Growth Fund.

There have been very few cases where private equity have been able to secure control of a company in China nor conduct leveraged buyouts in China. Private equity firms have made most of their money taking small stakes and piggybacking off economic growth spurring revenue growth. That model is now looking increasingly flawed.

We need to find deals where we can get greater control than we have historically and where we can use more leverage to drive down the cost of capital and push up equity returns, said Peel.

The challenge private equity firms face is that, in China, onshore acquisition finance is not permitted. Instead, funds have to find financing offshore, which is tricky when most of the companies' assets that can be used as collateral are on the mainland.

Its a long way off the efficient buyouts you see in North America or Europe, said Peel.

Another method is to find a company that is already levered. TPG invested in Shenzhen Development Bank, which as a bank already has a highly geared balance sheet because it makes loans as a business. TPG still owns a leasing company called Unitrust, which is levered about 8:1 said Peel.

We are looking more and more for businesses that inherently have leverage, said Peel.

Carlyles co-head in Asia, X.D. Yang, who started in the private equity business in 1995, sees the Chinese buyout market evolving rapidly, spurred by the Chinese banks.

I see evolution happening quickly in the next three to five years, said Yang during the conference. Once one or two of model deals get done then the rest of the market will follow.

Yang was speaking after Carlyle recently completed Chinas largest ever leveraged buyout, the $3.7 billion privatisation of US-listed Focus Media Holding.

Carlyle Group and China-based FountainVest Partners helped the display advertising companys chairman Jason Jiang take the firm private and own 19.7% each.

Lining up financing for the deal took quite a while, said Carlyles Yang.

It was complicated by the fact that the financing vehicle was offshore and the cashflow from the business was onshore in China. That took some education.

In the end the Chinese banks provided the majority of the financing, said Carlyles Yang.

The banks providing the $1.5 billion loan included China Minsheng Bank, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China and China Development Bank, alongside Western banks. They then parceled out $1.08 billion of the loan to other banks.

The Chinese banks clearly viewed leverage finance as a business that they have been studying for years and this was a test case, he said.

The next step is to educate the Chinese banks how to do a dividend recap, said Carlyles Yang. Its a tried and true model in other markets, but Chinese banks need to be convinced that the shareholder can take capital out of the company while the banks stay put.

A dividend recap adds more debt onto the company in order to pay its shareholders a dividend.

Ming Lu, regional head for Southeast Asia, KKR agreed that private equitys minority investment model in China is looking increasingly flawed due to the economic slowdown. However, much as KKR would like to take control of top-tier businesses in China and lever them up, it is not always possible.

High-quality businesses are not for sale in China, particularly for control, said Lu.

Therefore he thinks: Minority growth equity investment will remain the mainstay for the forseeable future.
Charon Wardini Mokhzani, CIMBs group deputy CEO with responsibility for investment banking, is leaving the Malaysian bank in early November to take on a new career challenge with Khazanah Nasional, the two firms said in separate announcements on Monday.

Charon, who is also CEO of CIMB investment bank, will at Khazanah take on a role as executive director in the managing directors office. The state-owned investment company is the largest shareholder in CIMB with a 30% stake.

Charon is responsible for the day-to-day running of CIMBs investment banking business  a job he has had since he joined the bank in August 2004.

CIMB said group CEO Nazir Razak will take over as head of investment banking on a temporary basis when Charon leaves to ensure the business continues to operate smoothly while the bank looks for a permanent replacement.

We thank Charon for successfully leading and growing our investment banking business over the last 10 years. He has kept CIMB at the top of its game in Asean and guided the franchise to its enviable position as [the largest investment bank in Asia-Pacific ex-Japan], the CIMB announcement quoted Nazir as saying.

The investment banking business was given a major boost when CIMB bought part of Royal Bank of Scotlands equities and advisory business in Asia-Pacific in 2012 and the bank has been moving up this year in the equity capital market regional rankings. However, investment banking only accounts for about 5% of the group's total pre-tax profit.

Charons role as CEO of the investment bank, which includes the investment banking division as well as corporate client solutions, corporate banking, treasury & markets, asset management and private banking, will be left vacant for now. According to a bank spokesperson, there are enough heads and co-heads of the different businesses within the investment bank to nullify the short-term impact of Charon's departure on daily operations.

Aside from the heads of the different businesses, CIMB also has a deputy CEO of the investment bank in the form of Kong Sooi Lin. Kong, who has been with CIMB since 1994, is also co-head of the corporate client solutions and advisory division for Asia-Pacific together with former RBS banker Matthew Kirkby.

Charon joined CIMB in 2004 from Malaysian law firm Zaid Ibrahim and Co, where he was a managing partner. He has a total of 23 years of career experience in law, corporate finance and investment banking. In addition to his two major roles at CIMB, he is currently also chairman of CIMB Principal Asset Management, CIMB Wealth Advisors and CIMB Mapletree. The latter is a 60-40 joint venture between CIMB and Singapores Mapletree Investments that invests in real estate assets in Malaysia.

He will work his last day at CIMB on November 4 and will join Khazanah two days later.

Khazanah, which is sometimes referred to as Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund, has more than 50 major Malaysian and international companies in its portfolio. As of the end of March this year, it had $40.6 billion of assets under management, based on its own calculations. Aside from CIMB, its key listed companies include Telekom Malaysia, power producer Tenaga Nasional, telecom operator Axiata, hospital operator IHH Healthcare and Malaysia Airports.
CapitaLand has increased the size of the 10-year convertible bond that it issued earlier this month by a further S$50 million to a total of S$800 million ($636 million) after a strong initial response to its tender offer for three outstanding CBs.

The move suggests the Singapore-listed real estate developer expects to be able to buy back roughly that same amount of bonds.

CapitaLand earlier said the proceeds from the new issue would be used mostly to refinance existing debt, including outstanding CBs, and, according to a source, the intention is to match the size of the new CB with the amount of bonds it will buy back through the tender.

In an announcement issued on Friday evening, Hong Kong time, CapitaLand said it had received valid tenders from investors for S$510.75 million worth of CBs (in terms of face value) and firm commitments to tender a further S$93 million worth. That brings the total potential buy-back amount so far to S$603.75 million, before taking into account accrued interest and the fact that the company may pay up to 11.5% above the principal value for some of the bonds.

The company did not say at what prices the tenders had come in, but the source said all the submissions so far had been at or below the maximum price. And given how strong the response is already, other investors will likely have to tender at a more issuer-friendly price in order to get accepted. So, it would be surprising if CapitaLand ends up having to pay the maximum price.

When the company launched a similar tender in May, it received tenders for a total of S$302.5 million worth of CBs in the early part of the tender period but, by the time the offer closed, the amount tendered had increased to almost S$620 million. This suggests many investors wait until they know how successful the tender is likely to be until they decide whether to participate, and could mean that CapitaLand will receive more valid tenders in the next few days.

Because of the strong response, the company and Credit Suisse, which acts as the dealer manager for the offer, have decided to accelerate the offer and investors now have until this Thursday (October 3) to submit their tenders. The original deadline was October 10.

Investors are not as keen to sell back all three CBs, however. In fact, CapitaLand said in the announcement it had received no valid tenders at all for the 2.1% CB due 2016. This may be partly because the minimum tender price is set below par and because the company was only going to announce the maximum price on September 30.

However, CapitaLand has now decided that the maximum price will be the same as the minimum price, namely 97% of the principal value, which suggests that it probably will not receive many tenders for this particular bond in the next few days either.

This is obviously a deliberate strategy by the company as it would likely prefer to buy back the other two CBs since they have higher coupons  both compared to the 2.1% 2016 bond and compared to the new CB, which pays 1.95%.

As of last Friday, CapitaLand had received valid tenders for S$285.5 million and commitments to tender for S$93 million worth of the 2.875% CB that is due in 2016.

It had also received valid tenders for S$225.25 million worth of the 3.125% CB due in 2018.

As reported earlier, investors can tender the 2.875% CB at a price between 102% and 106%. This bond was issued in September 2009 at a size of S$1.2 billion and has S$971 million left outstanding.

The tender price for the 3.125% CB is set between 108% and 111.5%. The reason why the range is so much higher for this particular bond is because it is still accretive and has a redemption value of about 109%, the source said. In fact, the tender price ranges for all three CBs were set to straddle the current market prices, with a slight added incentive for the two higher-coupon bonds.

The 3.125% CB was issued in March 2008 and becomes puttable in 2015. It had an initial size of S$1.3 billion and has S$557.5 million left outstanding.

Meanwhile, the 2.1% CB was issued in November 2006 at a size of S$430 million, and will have S$184.75 million left outstanding after taking into account the amount of bonds that will be redeemed in November as a result of a put option.

The S$50 million worth of CBs that were issued as a result of the recent 2023 issue being upsized to S$800 million from S$750 million were allocated among the investors who participated in the bookbuilding on September 19. There would have been plenty of left-over demand even though the deal was already upsized to S$750 million from S$600 million at the time of pricing. However, based on earlier information, the base deal was about two times covered.

The CB has also traded well in the after-market, reaching a price of 102 at one point. As of last Friday it was trading between 101 and 102. CapitaLands share price has fallen 2.2% since the CB issue just over a week ago, while the benchmark Singapore Straight Times index has lost 1.3%.

The new CB has a 10-year maturity with a five-year put. It pays a coupon and yield of 1.95%, which was equal to best terms for investors, while the conversion premium was fixed above the bottom of the indicated range, at 30% over the latest market price of S$3.24. This resulted in an initial conversion price of S$4.212  a level that the stock has not traded at since January 2010.

CapitaLands share price has had a difficult time this year and Fridays close at S$3.17 puts it 21% below its 2013 high of S$4.03, which it hit in late January.

The terms on the CB were viewed as fairly aggressive, particularly with the implied volatility ending up at 18.9%, which is in line with a historic volatility of 19% to 21%. CapitaLand was able to get away with it, though, because of its credentials as the largest real estate developer in Singapore and its strong credit profile. The Asian market is also relatively starved of new CBs this year, and investors were happy to see new supply from a quality issuer.

At the enlarged size of S$800 million, the new issue will account for close to 4.5% of the existing share capital, if fully converted.

The tender is being done through a modified Dutch auction, which means CapitaLand will determine a single purchase price for each bond. The final amount of bonds that it will buy back will depend on the amount tendered and the price, but the total will not exceed the S$800 million raised from the new bond, the company said on Friday.

CapitaLand has several CBs maturing or becoming puttable in a relatively concentrated period between 2015 and 2018 and the combination of the new CB and the tender offer is designed to extend its maturity curve and reduce the amount of bonds it will need to buy back in those particular years. The fact the new CB comes with a lower coupon than the ones it is buying back will ease the pressure on its balance sheet even further.

In addition to being the dealer manager for the tender offer, Credit Suisse was also the sole bookrunner for the new CB issue.
HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Life and auto insurers in China will have to do a better job in some fundamental areas if they want to hold onto their share in the fast-changing Chinese insurance market, according to new research by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The research, described in "Listening to What Chinese Consumers Say About Insurers," an article that is being released today, uses consumers' recommendations and criticisms over a recent 12-month period to provide insights into the must-haves of insurance in China.

What determines whether Chinese consumers recommend an insurance brand is the trust they have in the provider and the simplicity of the provider's offerings, according to the BCG survey. The claims stage of insurance produces the most criticism, with half or more of those who have criticized an insurance brand saying they have done so because of a claims process that was too slow, not transparent enough, too time-consuming, or didn't leave them feeling adequately compensated. These are deficiencies that Chinese insurance companies should address.

The study, for which BCG's China Center for Customer Insight surveyed 3,200 Chinese consumers, captures the sentiment toward insurers at a time of rapid change. Chinese regulators are opening the market to competition and pushing for reforms that will benefit consumers. At the same time, new consumer technology, including mobile devices, is creating expectations for simpler, more transparent interactions with insurance providers.

"The power in the Chinese insurance market is shifting to consumers," said Tjun Tang, a senior partner at BCG and a coauthor of the article. "To hold onto or improve their market positions, providers need to focus on the customer experience in a way that hasn't been necessary before. They also need to figure out how they can enhance their reputation for being trustworthy and for the simplicity of their services."

Middle-aged and older Chinese are among the least enthusiastic when it comes to insurance brands, especially when they feel they've gotten poor customer service.

More than three in five Chinese customers aged 46 to 55 who said something negative about their life-insurance provider in the period covered by the survey did so after a poor customer-service experience. No other factor accounted for anything close to that level of expressed dissatisfaction.

Another group not inclined to say a lot of good things about insurance brands are people who live in big cities. With respect to both life insurance and auto insurance, tier 1 city dwellers (those who live in the biggest cities, including Beijing and Shanghai) have relatively low advocacy scores compared with people in smaller tier 3, tier 4 and tier 5 cities.

Married couples with young children make up the group in China that tends to speak most favorably of insurance brands, the survey shows. People in this group own a lot of insurance and may believe in its benefits more fervently than those in other groups.

The following are among the survey's other findings:

Auto insurance gets high marks. One surprise of the survey was that auto insurers scored comparatively high advocacy scores versus life insurers. Auto insurance gets higher satisfaction scores than life insurance at most interaction stages in China -- including purchase, post-sales services, and claims.

Attitudes toward different types of insurance diverge over time. Satisfaction with auto insurers tends to increase with customer tenure in China, possibly because of tie-ins that limit car buyers' insurance options for the first year or two of ownership but leave them free after that to find insurers more to their liking. Exactly the opposite is true of life insurance customers: they tend to become less satisfied over time, probably because the number of interactions with life insurers goes down as customer tenure goes up. Higher levels of customer engagement would likely increase satisfaction scores for both types of insurers.

"Big" equals "trusted." Chinese consumers rate big insurance companies high on trustworthiness and simplicity. In some cases, however, big insurers are seen as having less attractive product offerings than small insurers, especially in cases where the small insurers' products are more flexible and more affordable.

Advice on What to Do

With the market in flux, Chinese insurance companies may be unsure of what steps to take first. Any changes that lead to a company's being perceived as more trustworthy or that enhance the simplicity and transparency of its product offerings, including taking advantage of new technologies, are unlikely to lead to regrets later on; companies should begin initiatives in those areas immediately. The same is true with what happens at the claims stage -- doing things now to increase customer satisfaction with the claims process can only help later on.

"Insurers have legitimate questions about the 'how' -- as in, 'How do we recreate ourselves for the future that's coming?'" said Michelle Hu, a principal at BCG and another coauthor of the article. "There is more clarity around the 'what.' Insurers don't have to guess what matters or to whom. Consumers are starting to communicate this pretty clearly."

A copy of the report can be downloaded at www.bcgperspectives.com.

To arrange an interview with one of the authors, please contact BCG's Eric Gregoire at +1 617 850 3783 or gregoire.eric@bcg.com.

About The Boston Consulting Group

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world's leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in all regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their enterprises. Our customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with 85 offices in 48 countries. For more information, please visit bcg.com.

About BCG's Center for Customer Insight

The Boston Consulting Group's Center for Customer Insight (CCI) applies a unique, integrated approach that combines quantitative and qualitative consumer research with a deep understanding of business strategy and competitive dynamics. The center works closely with BCG's various practices to translate its insights into actionable strategies that lead to tangible economic impact for our clients. In the course of its work, the center has amassed a rich set of proprietary data on consumers from around the world, in both emerging and developed markets. The CCI is sponsored by BCG's Marketing & Sales and Global Advantage practices. For more information, please visit http://www.bcg.com/expertise/institutes/center-customer-insight.

About bcgperspectives.com

Bcgperspectives.com features the latest thinking from BCG experts as well as from CEOs, academics, and other leaders. It covers issues at the top of senior management's agenda. It also provides unprecedented access to BCG's extensive archive of thought leadership stretching back 50 years to the days of Bruce Henderson, the firm's founder and one of the architects of modern management consulting. All of our content -- including videos, podcasts, commentaries, and reports -- can be accessed by PC, mobile, iPad, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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Tel +1 617 850 3783

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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Sunoco LP (SUN) released a profit for its first quarter that rose compared to the same period last year. The company said its bottom line totaled $62.01 million, or $0.47 per share. This was up from $49.31 million, or $0.44 per share, in last year's first quarter. Analysts had expected the company to earn $0.58 per share, according figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. The company said revenue for the quarter fell 26.3% to $3.20 billion. This was down from $4.34 billion last year. Sunoco LP earnings at a glance: -Earnings (Q1): $62.01 Mln. vs. $49.31 Mln. last year. -Earnings Growth (Y-o-Y): 25.8% -EPS (Q1): $0.47 vs. $0.44 last year. -EPS Growth (Y-o-Y): 6.8% -Analysts Estimate: $0.58 -Revenue (Q1): $3.20 Bln vs. $4.34 Bln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): -26.3% Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Regulatory News:

Humana AB (STO:HUM), a leading Nordic care company, acquires the leading Finnish psychosocial care provider Arjessa. As a result of the acquisition Humana establishes a strong platform for continued growth in Finland.

Humana AB has entered into an agreement to acquire all shares in Arjessa Oy ("Arjessa" or the "Company") from funds managed by Sentica Partners Oy and a number of private individuals. The transaction is subject to approval by the Finnish competition authorities and is expected to be finalized by the end of the second quarter of 2016.

The enterprise value of the acquisition target is EUR 32 million. The transaction price will be financed through cash and existing credit facilities at closing. In 2015, Arjessa had net sales of EUR 32.1 million and EBITA of EUR 3.1 million. The Company has more than 800 full-year and part time employees. The change in ownership will not affect the operations or personnel of Arjessa.

Expanding into Finland is in line with Humana's growth strategy and the acquisition of Arjessa is an important step in Humana's ambition to become the leading care company in the Nordic region, says Rasmus Nerman, CEO of Humana. Arjessa and its management team offers an optimal platform for continued expansion in Finland and the acquisition further strengthens Humana's position as the leading Nordic player within individual and family care, Rasmus Nerman concludes.

Arjessa is a leading Finnish high-quality provider of full responsibility psychiatric and psychosocial treatments for children, adolescents and their families, with a significant market presence and national reach. With its position as Finland's largest private provider within child family open care and the second largest provider within child welfare institutional care, the Company complements Humana's business area Individual Family, especially given Humana's presence and expertise within psychosocial care. Arjessa and Humana will together form the by far leading Nordic provider within individual and family care.

Arjessa and Humana fit well together both from an operational and cultural perspective, comments Pasi Kohtala, CEO of Arjessa. We share the same core values and have a consensus view on how good care is carried out. The Arjessa management team look forward to becoming a part of Humana and taking advantage of their deep knowledge to further develop and expand our activities and customer offering within social care.

The acquisition is expected to have a positive contribution on revenues and earnings per share during 2016.

The information is such that Humana AB (publ) is required to disclose in accordance with the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act and/or the Swedish Securities Market Act. The information was submitted for publication at 09.00 CET on May 4, 2016.

Humana is a leading Nordic care company providing services within individual and family care, personal assistance, elderly care and special service housing in accordance with LSS. Humana has more than 14 000 employees in Sweden and Norway providing care for over 7 000 individuals, and working towards the vision "Everyone is entitled to a good life". In 2015, Humana's operating revenue was SEK 5 655 M. The company's headquarters are located in Stockholm, Sweden. Read more about Humana on www.humana.se (http://www.corporate.humana.se) or http://corporate.humana.se (http://www.corporate.humana.se) (http://www.corporate.humana.se)

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MADRID (dpa-AFX) - Spanish oil major Repsol S.A. (REPYY.PK) reported Thursday that its net income for the first quarter declined 43 percent from last year. The company's first-quarter net income was 434 million euros, down from 761 million euros in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted net income for the quarter was 572 million euros, compared to 928 million euros in the same period last year. The prior-year period's results included exceptional earnings of 500 million euros due, mostly, to the company's dollar position after receiving funds for the expropriation of YPF, subsequently used for the acquisition of Talisman. The company's EBITDA at CCS, or current cost of supplies, was 1.24 billion euros in the quarter, 6 percent higher than in the year-ago period. Average hydrocarbon production reached 714,200 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the quarter, double that produced in the prior-year period. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (RYCEF.PK, RR.L, RYCEY.PK) confirmed that overall trading in the first few months of the year has been in line with expectations. The Group's outlook for the year as a whole is unchanged. The Group said its profit before financing charges and tax will be significantly weighted towards the second half, with the first six months of the year expected to be close to breakeven. Free cash flow is also expected to be significantly more weighted towards the second half than in 2015. Rolls-Royce said the Group is well on track to delivering the expected cost savings in 2016 of between 30-50 million pounds. In addition, the legacy restructuring programmes within Civil Aerospace, Defence Aerospace and Marine are also on track. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto Plc. (RTNTF, RIO, RIO.L, RTPPF) reaffirmed its goal to raise annual iron ore output in Australia to 360 million metric tons amid forecast growth demand in Asia. At the Annual General meeting, the company chairman Jan du Plessis, said that the short term picture suggests significant industry challenges remain, with ongoing volatility and an uncertain outlook in commodity markets being a fact of life. And even if the short term is challenging, the long term outlook for sector remains positive. Despite the fall in headline growth rates from double digits earlier this decade, China and Southeast Asia more broadly remain powerful economic influencers, Plessis said. Beyond 2016, the company expects total cash returns to shareholders to be in a range of 40 to 60 per cent of underlying earnings. It intends that the full- year dividend for 2016 will be not less than 110 US cents per share. At the meeting, the chief executive Sam Walsh said that the company reduced capital expenditure for 2015 to $4.7 billion and is reducing capital expenditure to $4 billion in 2016 and $5 billion in 2017. Over the next two years, the company aims to cut operating costs by a further $2 billion,($1 billion in2016 and a goal for a further $1 billion in 2017). Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Overuse of antibiotics positions Turkey on top of list among European countries with high resistance to antibiotics; urinary tract infections a common cause

Health experts gathered on May 4, 2016 to discuss the alarming state of antibiotic resistance in Turkey due to the overconsumption of antibiotics (source) used to treat common infections like urinary tract infections (UTIs). According to the Turkish Ministry of Health, Turkey ranks number one among 40 European countries when it comes to antibiotic consumption (source).This proceeds the World Health Organization's 2014 report citing that Turkey's antibiotic resistant rates have reached up to 46 percent (source).

Dr. Recep Ozturk, Professor of Microbiology at Cerrahpasa University, Dr. Baris Nuhoglu, Professor of Urology at Yeni Yuzyil University and Chairman of the northern Marmara region branch for the Turkish Association of Urology and Dr. Geoffrey Woolford, Vice President of Science and Regulatory Affairs of the US-based cranberry cooperative Ocean Spray were among the panelists. Key topics included the growing rate of antibiotic resistance in Turkey stemming from common infections like UTIs, as well as alternative nutritional approaches that may help reduce their occurrence, such as eating cranberries.

"The usage of antibiotics in Turkey is tremendously high and causes a great risk to public health," stated Prof. Dr. Recep Ozturk during the panel. "We're seeing resistance rates between 20 and 50 percent, which means that physicians won't be able to effectively treat patients suffering from common infections like UTIs because their bodies won't respond to prescribed antibiotics."

High Risk, Low Engagement Infection Raise Financial and Public Health Concerns

According to a recent survey conducted by Ocean Spray, 50 percent of women in Turkey have had a urinary tract infection in the past year; 53 percent indicated that the infection has a big impact on everyday life.1 And while a majority of the respondents (70 percent) confirmed they would go to a physician to seek diagnosis or treatment for a UTI, the results indicated that urinary tract health was not a main health concern compared to other health related issues.2

Stressing that untreated urinary tract infections can cause chronic kidney infections (pyelonephritis) leading to kidney damage or even life-threatening blood infections (sepsis), Prof. Dr. Baris Nuhoglu expressed hope for alternative treatment methods: "There's a huge opportunity to slow the rates of antibiotic resistance in this country. By educating physicians and patients about alternative treatment methods for common infections like UTIs we can address the growing resistance problems."

Cranberries: A Nutritional Approach to Reducing UTIs and Antibiotic Use

Despite the reports, there is good news. According to Dr. Geoffrey Woolford, Ocean Spray Cranberries:

Consuming 240 mL of cranberry juice daily may be a nutritional alternative to reduce urinary tract infections and, thereby, reduce the amount of antibiotics used to treat them.

A 40 g serving of sweetened dried cranberries contains the same unique compounds found in cranberry juice, and also helps meet your daily recommended fruit needs.

"More than 50 years of research has been dedicated to understanding the cranberry," said Woolford. "Cranberry's anti-bacterial properties help cleanse and purify the body by preventing certain bacteria from sticking and causing urinary tract infections. As a result, researchers have seen a correlation between cranberry consumption and the reduction of urinary tract infections in women with recurring infections. A lower number of infections would mean less use of antibiotics and less risk of developing antibiotic resistance."

About the survey

The survey was conducted in Turkey and the responses were compiled through a web-based survey with a total of 1,000 female respondents. The study was based on a quantitative method and conducted by Ocean Spray in 2015 together with the business intelligence consulting firm United Minds and global public relations firm Weber Shandwick.

About Ocean Spray

Ocean Spray is a vibrant agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry and grapefruit growers in the United States, Canada and Chile who have helped preserve the family farming way of life for generations. Formed in 1930, Ocean Spray is now the world's leading producer of cranberry juices, juice drinks and dried cranberries and is the best-selling brand in the North American bottled juice category. The cooperative's cranberries are currently featured in more than a thousand great-tasting, good-for-you products in over 100 countries worldwide. With more than 2,000 employees and nearly 20 cranberry receiving and processing facilities, Ocean Spray is committed to managing our business in a way that respects our communities, employees and the environment. For more information visit: www.oceanspray.com or www.oceanspray.coop.

Note to the editor:

About cranberries

Often confused with the Turkish word 'yaban mersini', 'turna yemisi'- vaccinium Macrocarpon in Latin is the correct translation of 'cranberry' in Turkish. Dried cranberries are a nutritious fruit and can be consumed as a snack or added to a favorite meal or dessert.

Cranberries are unlike any other fruit in the world. Discovered hundreds of years ago by Native Americans, this exceptional fruit is admired for its vibrant red color, bold, tart taste and one-of-a-kind health benefits.

Cranberries grow in marshy wetland areas, commonly referred to as bogs, in specific regions of the US, Canada and Chile. Cranberries don't grow in water. They grow on low-lying vines, some of which will continue to grow and produce fruit for over a hundred years.

Every autumn (mid-September until mid-November in North America) and March through May in Chile, cranberries reach their peak of color and flavor and are ready for harvesting.

Once the berries leave the bog they go on to be transformed into great-tasting, wholesome products for families around the world to enjoy.

About Cranberry Health

For more than 85 years Ocean Spray has actively researched the cranberry's unique health benefits to deliver products that not only taste good, but are good. Cranberries are an exceptional fruit that provide one-of-a-kind health benefits. Besides helping consumers meet the recommended daily intake of fruit, consuming cranberries may be a nutritional approach in helping to reduce urinary tract infections.3, 4 This is increasingly important as the bacteria that cause these infections are becoming highly resistant to the strongest antibiotics used to treat them, fueling what the World Health Organization believes is one of the greatest challenges to public health today antibiotic resistance.

1 Ocean Spray Market Survey, 2015

2 ibid

3 Wang CH, Fang CC, Chen NC, Liu SS, Yu PH, Wu TY, Chen WT, Lee CC, Chen SC Cranberry-containing products for prevention of urinary tract infections in susceptible populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med, 2012; 172(13):988-96

4 Salo J, Uhari M, Helminen M, Korppi M, Nieminen T, Pokka T, Kontiokari T. Cranberry juice for the prevention of recurrences of urinary tract infections in children: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Clin Infect Dis, 2012; 54(3):340-6

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005406/en/

Contacts:

Ocean Spray

Setenay Orman, +90 537 346 61 65

sorman@webershandwick.com

or

Tamer Kucukceran, +90 533 440 47 95

tkucukceran@webershandwick.com
LONDON, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Firm Receives High Commendation for Global Agency of the Year,Wins Three Additional PRWeek Global Awards

Ketchum, a leading global public relations firm, and its work on behalf of MasterCard was awarded Campaign of the Year at last night's PRWeekGlobal Awards, held at the Hilton Bankside Hotel in London. The firm also received three awards on behalf of its client work in addition to a high commendation for Global Agency of the Year.

Rob Flaherty , senior partner, CEO and president, said, "My colleagues and I are very proud that the impact of our work has been recognised on this global stage. This year we partnered with our clients to deliver some tremendous campaigns, with work that takes bold creative risks and harnesses the latest technology. I'm grateful for the trust our clients place in us to deliver not just breakthrough communications, but also genuine change."

Ketchum's award-winning client programs include:

AWARD WINNERS

Campaign of the Year

"Selfie-Nomics"

MasterCard with Ketchum

Public Sector

"G7 WelcomeDahoam"

Bavarian State Chancellery with Ketchum Pleon

Consumer Launch

"Selfie-Nomics"

MasterCard with Ketchum

Global Partnership

"Selfie-Nomics"

MasterCard with Ketchum

HIGH COMMENDATIONS

Global Agency of the Year

"Tomorrow's PR Today"

Ketchum

Corporate Social Responsibility

"Age Shamelessly"

Pfizer with Ketchum Brazil

Global Event Activation

"4000 Voices, 1 Message"

World Hepatitis Alliance & World Health Organization with Ketchum

Global Impact Award

"Selfie-Nomics"

MasterCard with Ketchum

Healthcare

"High 5 for World Arthritis Day"

EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) with Ketchum

Non-Profit

"4000 Voices, 1 Message"

World Hepatitis Alliance & World Health Organization with Ketchum

The PRWeek Global Awards reward transformative work that crosses borders, builds brands and establishes trust, while enabling the growth of international enterprise. They specifically focus on the factors that make PR the most powerful tool in a marketer or company's arsenal.

These latest award wins follows a number of high honours bestowedon Ketchum in recent months. In March, Ketchum and its clients were honoured with three PRWeek U.S. Awards. In November, Ketchum was namedCorpComms Magazine'sAgency of the Decade. In June, Ketchum won three Cannes Lionsandfour Silver Anvil awards; and last May, Ketchum won a total of 10 SABRE Awards at theAmericasandEMEA SABRE Awardsevents.

About Ketchum

Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. The winner of 17 Cannes Lions and an unprecedented five PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a part of the DAS Group of Companies, visithttp://www.ketchum.com.

About the DAS Group of Companies

The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (http://www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.
NEW YORK, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The popularity of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has been boosted in the wake of renewed tension in the Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh and other territories occupied by Armenia. In an opinion survey conducted by respected American polling firm Arthur J. Finkelstein & Associates, more than 96% of respondents said they "trust in the President of Azerbaijan," rating the job done by him as either excellent or good.

An equal amount of respondents said "the country's leadership protects Azerbaijan against Armenian aggressors" and judged the effectiveness of the Azerbaijani military response as either excellent or good.

"Azerbaijanis strongly support their President in the fight for the return of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding provinces," said George Birnbaum, Executive Director of Arthur J. Finkelstein & Associates. "It remains a highly emotive issue that many observers and the media in the West fail to understand," he added. "Azerbaijanis want political and economic stability, they want to be kept safe from terror, but most importantly, they want their territory back."

Birnbaum noted that the level of patriotism among the Azerbaijani people has increased dramatically in the wake of renewed fighting in the region. "When asked what is the most important issue facing the country versus the most important issue facing their families, the number one response by an enormous margin for both was Nagorno-Karabakh," Birnbaum said.

However, interestingly, despite numerous resolutions calling for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops, including from the United Nations, EU Parliament, OSCE and most recently the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the majority of Azerbaijanis believe that the international community supports Armenia on this issue.

"Clearly, international law is on the side of Azerbaijan," Birnbaum said. "But given that no progress has been made by the mediators of the OSCE Minsk Group consisting of the U.S., Russia and France over more than two decades, Azerbaijanis seemingly have lost faith in the will of the international community to solve this crisis."

The long-simmering hostilities that escalated a month ago may have contributed to a pessimistic outlook by Azerbaijanis, with 70% saying that a full-scale war with Armenia will erupt within the next five years. A whopping 97% would be "willing to use all options, including using the military, in order to protect the country against Armenian occupation." Only a quarter of respondents believe there will be a genuine peace.

The survey was conducted among 1,200 voting-age citizens between April 23-29, 2016 in Azerbaijan and has a margin of error +/- 2.8%.

Arthur J. Finkelstein has previously conducted pre-election and exit polls for presidential and parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.
The International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (ISDA) today announced the launch of a Protocol that will enable market participants to comply with new regulations aimed at ensuring the cross-border enforceability of stays on contractual termination rights.

The ISDA Resolution Stay Jurisdictional Modular Protocol can be used by all market participants, and has been designed to provide flexibility to allow adhering parties to choose which jurisdictional 'modules' to opt in to.

The Protocol has been developed in response to regulatory changes. Under a framework established by the Financial Stability Board (FSB), various national regulators are introducing requirements for certain banks in their jurisdiction to obtain consent from their counterparties for statutory stays on early termination rights to apply to financial contracts between those parties, regardless of the governing law of the contract.

These stays are among the powers available to national resolution authorities to resolve failing banks as part of their jurisdiction's special resolution regime. While statutory stays would apply to all contracts with all counterparties governed under the law of that jurisdiction in the event a bank enters into resolution proceedings, there is some uncertainty over whether a stay would be enforceable on a cross-border basis if outstanding trades are governed by overseas law.

"Regulators want to ensure cross-border trades are subject to statutory resolution requirements, and have begun to issue regulations requiring firms to opt in to the resolution regimes of their bank counterparties. This Protocol enables market participants to efficiently and flexibly comply with those requirements," said Scott O'Malia, ISDA's Chief Executive.

The new Protocol follows the launch of the ISDA 2015 Universal Resolution Stay Protocol last November, which enabled adhering parties to opt in to multiple existing and forthcoming special resolution regimes. Twenty-one large global banks voluntarily signed the Protocol at launch.

The latest Protocol is intended to help the broader market meet the new regulations. The Protocol will have separate Jurisdictional Modules, each designed to closely reflect the requirements in a particular jurisdiction. Each Jurisdictional Module will contain the operative provisions necessary for adhering parties to comply with applicable requirements.

Together with the Protocol, ISDA is also launching the UK (PRA Rule) Jurisdictional Module, enabling firms to comply with Prudential Regulation Authority requirements that prohibit certain UK-regulated banks from trading with a counterparty under an agreement not governed by UK or other EU law, unless that counterparty has agreed to be bound by stays on termination rights under UK law. Additional Jurisdictional Modules will be launched in due course to meet other national regulations.

The Protocol was developed by a working group of buy-side and sell-side firms and other trade associations in close cooperation with the FSB and national regulators.

Please visit the Protocol Management section of the ISDA website to read the Protocol, updates to the list of adhering firms and frequently-asked-questions documents: http://www2.isda.org/functional-areas/protocol-management/open-protocols/

About ISDA

Since 1985, ISDA has worked to make the global derivatives markets safer and more efficient. Today, ISDA has over 850 member institutions from 67 countries. These members comprise a broad range of derivatives market participants, including corporations, investment managers, government and supranational entities, insurance companies, energy and commodities firms, and international and regional banks. In addition to market participants, members also include key components of the derivatives market infrastructure, such as exchanges, intermediaries, clearing houses and repositories, as well as law firms, accounting firms and other service providers. Information about ISDA and its activities is available on the Association's website: www.isda.org.

ISDA is a registered trademark of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005657/en/

Contacts:

ISDA London

Nick Sawyer, +44 203 088 3586

nsawyer@isda.org

or

ISDA New York

Lauren Dobbs, +1 212 901 6019

ldobbs@isda.org

or

ISDA London

Michael Watt, +44 203 844 3588

mwatt@isda.org
CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The euro weakened against the other major currencies in the early European session on Thursday. The euro fell to 6-day lows of 1.1438 against the U.S. dollar and 0.7883 against the pound, from early highs of 1.1494 and 0.7925, respectively. Against the Australian dollar, the euro dropped to a 2-day low of 1.5276 from an early high of 1.5409. The euro edged down to 122.69 against the yen, 1.6598 against the NZ dollar and 1.4662 against the Canadian dollar from early highs of 123.13, 1.6713 and 1.4785, respectively. Against the Swiss franc, the euro slipped to 1.0995 from an early 2-day high of 1.1009. If the euro extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 1.11 against the greenback, 0.77 against the pound, 1.49 against the aussie, 121.00 against the yen, 1.63 against the kiwi, 1.43 against the loonie and 1.08 against the franc. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar advanced against its major rivals in early European trading on Thursday, with sentiment underpinned by a rally in oil prices, and investors await weekly jobless claims and a slew of Fed speeches later in the day.



Oil prices rose as a huge wildfire reduced production in Canada's oil sands region and escalating fighting in Libya threatened the North African nation's output.



U.S. treasury yields rose, with the benchmark yield on 2-year note advancing 0.76 percent and that of 10-year equivalent were up by 1.80 percent. Yields move inversely to prices.



The Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims for the week ended April 30 at 8:30 am ET. Economists forecast claims to rise by 261,000, from 257,000 last week.



Investors shift their attention to speeches from FOMC member John Williams, St. Louis Fed Bank President James Bullard and Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart for more indications about monetary policy.



The Labor Department's all-important monthly jobs report on Friday could provide further clues on the state of the economy.



The economy is expected to create 200,000 jobs in April, while the unemployment index is expected to edge down to 4.9 percent.



Strong U.S. trade, services and factory orders reports released overnight overshadowed news from payroll processor ADP that showed private sector jobs growth expanded at a slower pace in April.



The greenback showed mixed performance in Asian deals. While the currency held steady against the euro and the franc, it declined against the pound and the yen.



The greenback advanced to a 6-day high of 0.9606 against the franc and a 3-day high of 1.1450 versus the euro, off its early lows of 0.9569 and 1.1494, respectively. On the upside, the greenback may find resistance around 0.98 against the franc and 1.12 against the euro.



The greenback edged up to 1.4477 against the pound and 107.29 against the yen, from its previous lows of 1.4529 and 106.88, respectively. If the greenback extends gain, it may find resistance around 1.42 against the pound and 1.32 against the yen.



Looking ahead, Canada building permits for March and U.S. weekly jobless claims for the week ended April 30 are slated for release in the New York session.



At 9:15 am ET, ECB Vice President Vitor Constancio speaks on 'Re-Inventing the Role of Central Banks in Financial Stability', in Ottawa.



The equity markets in Japan remains closed for Golden Week holiday and some parts of Europe is off for Ascension Day holiday.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
DUBLIN, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

A cyber security firm has uncovered hundreds of millions of hacked email usernames and passwords being shopped around Russia's criminal underground. Alex Holden, of Holden Security, told Reuters they had found over 250 million stolen accounts from some of the world's most popular email services, including Google, Yahoo and Microsoft.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160330/349511LOGO )



Holden's company monitors conversations and activities in underground forums and chat rooms. They have previously uncovered high profile data breaches affecting users at Adobe Systems, JPMorgan and Target. It has become a prevalent issue for enterprises, with the global big data market expected to reach a valuation of $212.4 billion over the next decade. This latest hack came to their attention after a young Russian hacker started bragging in a forum that he had collected a large number of stolen credentials.

The widespread adoption of cloud-based services and the emergence of IoT has led to IT systems becoming more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Vendors are spending more on integrated security solutions, with the market forecast to grow 12.13%. A recent survey by the Cloud Security Alliance found that stolen online credentials are to blame for 22% of data breaches. In the BFSI sector, cyber security solutions are being adopted rapidly for authentication processes, video management systems and for storing biometrics information.

The vast majority of accounts were from Mail.ru, Russia's leading email service. But the cache did contains tens of millions of credentials from the likes of Gmail and Microsoft, as well as thousands from German and Chinese email providers. Holden says the hacker asked for as little as $1, but eventually agreed to give up the data-set for some favorable comments in the hacker forums.

For further information on this topic, and a full list of all related documentation, please visit the IT Security section at http://www.researchandmarkets.com/rm/OJPN

About Research and Markets

Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cyber-passwords-idUSKCN0XV1I6

Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood,Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630



For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907


VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - U.K. shares traded modestly higher on Thursday, with firmer oil prices and better-than-expected results from BT Group helping underpin investor sentiment. With oil prices climbing about 2 percent on concerns about production cuts in Canada's oil sands region, investors shrugged off survey data from Markit showing the U.K. service sector activity expanded at the slowest pace in more than three years in April. The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply/Markit services Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 52.3 from 53.7 in March. Elsewhere, a private survey showed activity in China's services sector expanded in April, albeit at a slower pace than in the previous month. The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 19 points or 0.33 percent at 6,131 in late morning deals after closing down 1.2 percent on Wednesday. BT Group rallied 3 percent on reporting a better-than-expected 15 percent rise in annual profit on the back of growing demand for TV and broadband services. Wm Morrison Supermarkets rose over 2 percent on reporting a modest rise in first-quarter like-for-like sales. RSA Insurance Group advanced 2.5 percent after its operating and net profit for the first quarter beat expectations. Energy giant Centrica fell as much as 10 percent after announcing a capital raising. Tullow Oil jumped over 6 percent while BP Plc lost 1 percent. Standard Chartered rose 0.7 percent after its Chairman John Peace said the bank still hasn't found his successor. Barclays traded marginally higher on saying it would sell a 12.2 percent stake in its African unit to institutional investors. SABMiller gained half a percent as Australia's antitrust watchdog approved brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev's buyout of the smaller rival. Inmarsat shares tumbled 4.5 percent. The mobile satellite communications services provider has reported a 41 percent decline in first-quarter profit and also announced an amendment to its cooperation agreement with Ligado Networks. Aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce Holdings fell almost 5 percent on the eve of its annual general meeting in Nottingham today. Smith & Nephew shares dropped 2.5 percent as the healthcare group reported slightly worse-than-expected 3 percent rise in first-quarter revenue, citing weak demand in China and the oil-rich Gulf states. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Regulatory News:

The Management Board of Arctic Paper S.A. ("Company") (STO:ARP) submits the announcement regarding the convocation of the Ordinary Shareholders Meeting, which will be held on June 2, 2016, at 11 a.m. in Concordia Design, Zwierzyniecka Street 3, 60-813 Poznan, 3rd floor, room: Congresia 2.

This information is disclosed pursuant to Minister of Finance directive of February 19, 2009 on current and periodic information provided by issuers of securities, and on conditions of equivalence of information required to be provided under non-Member State law, 38, clause 1, item 1 and was submitted for publication on 5th May 2016 at 12:00 pm CET, in reference to Arctic Paper's current report no. 10/2016 filed with the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005685/en/

Contacts:

Arctic Paper S.A.

Per Skoglund

Acting President of the Management Board of Arctic Paper

tel. +46 733 21 70 09


DUBLIN, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Marketshas announced the addition of the"Poultry Processing Equipment Market by Type (Chicken, Turkey, Ducks), Equipment Type (Killing & Defeathering, Evisceration, Cut-ups, Deboning & Skinning, Marinating & Tumbling), Product Type, & by Region - Global Forecast to 2020"report to their offering.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160330/349511LOGO )



The global market for poultry processing equipment has grown exponentially in the last few years. In terms of value, the market is projected to reach USD 3.83 Billion by 2020, at a CAGR of around 4.7% from 2015 to 2020.

Factors such as increasing consumption of processed food, the governments support for the use of equipment in developing countries, and the demand for food safety drives the poultry processing equipment market.



The poultry processing equipment market, based on equipment type, is segmented into killing & defeathering, evisceration, cut-up, deboning & skinning, marinating & tumbling, and others (cooling & freezing equipment, grading and weighing machines). Killing & defeathering accounted for the largest market share and this segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period since it is a pre-requisite in every automated poultry processing plant.



The poultry processing equipment market, based on poultry type, is segmented into chicken, turkey, duck, and others (goose and guineafowl). The chicken segment is projected to grow at the highest rate from 2015 to 2020, followed by duck. Religion plays a vital role in driving the chicken meat market, as some religions restrict the consumption of beef and pork consumption, which is enforced in some regions around the world; however, there is no such restriction on chicken meat consumption.



The poultry processing equipment market, based on product type, is segmented fresh processed, raw-cooked, pre-cooked, raw fermented sausages, cured, dried, and others (sun-drying poultry meat and mincing and grinding the poultry meat manually). Fresh processed meat is the most preferred meat in the global market due to the change in life styles and globalization. It captured the largest market share in 2014 and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2015 to 2020.



The market is dominated by players such as Marel HF (Iceland), Key Technology, Inc. (U.S.), John Bean Technologies Corporation (U.S.), CTB, Inc. (U.S.), Baader Food Processing Machinery, Inc. (Germany), Brower Equipment (U.S.), Bayle S.A. (France), CG Manufacturing and Distribution Limited (Canada), and Prime Equipment Group, Inc. (U.S.). Marel HF is one the major players in poultry processing equipment manufacturers' market.



The company acquired MPS (The Netherlands) in January, 2016, which made it a giant in the poultry processing equipment industry. The company later acquired some huge leading brands to expand its global presence. The company focuses on innovations for its equipment with innovative software in order to make them more user-friendly.



Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights



5 Market Overview



6 Industry Trends



7 Regulatory Framework



8 Poultry Processing Equipment Market, By Equipment Type



9 Poultry Processing Equipment Market, By Poultry Type



10 Poultry Processing Equipment Market, By Product Type



11 Poultry Processing Equipment Market, By Region



12 Competitive Landscape



13 Company Profiles



- Baader Food Processing Machinery, Inc.

- Bayle S.A.

- Brower Equipment

- CG Manufacturing and Distribution Limited

- CTB, Inc.

- John Bean Technologies Corporation

- Key Technology, Inc.

- Marel HF

- Prime Equipment Group, Inc.



For more information visithttp://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/s8xf5x/poultry





Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716


Shell International Finance B.V. and Royal Dutch Shell plc

5 May 2016

Publication of Prospectus Supplement

The following documents (the "Documents") are available for viewing:

Prospectus Supplement dated 3 May 2016

Shell International Finance B.V. Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2015

Prospectus Supplement dated 4 May 2016

Royal Dutch Shell plc unaudited consolidated interim financial statements as at and for the three month period ended 31 March 2016

The Documents must be read in conjunction with the Information Memorandum dated 11 August 2015, as supplemented by the first supplement dated 24 August 2015 and the second supplement dated 29 October 2015, the third supplement dated 15 February 2016, the fourth supplement dated 10 March 2016, relating to the Programme. The Information Memorandum constitutes a base prospectus for the purposes of Article 5.4 of Directive 2003/71/EC as amended. Full information on Shell International Finance B.V. and Royal Dutch Shell plc is only available on the basis of the Information Memorandum.

The Documents are available for viewing at the 'Financial Reporting' section of Shell's website. To view the Documents, please paste the following URLs into the address bar of your browser.

Shell International Finance B.V. Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2015

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/shell-international-finance-bv-reports.html

Prospectus Supplement dated 3 May 2016

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/euro-medium-term-note-programme.html

Royal Dutch Shell plc unaudited consolidated interim financial statements as at and for the three month period ended 31 March 2016.

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/quarterly-results.html

Prospectus Supplement dated 4 May 2016

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/euro-medium-term-note-programme.html

Other content available on Shell's website and the content of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on Shell's website is not incorporated into, and does not form part of, this announcement.

The Documents have also been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at http://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm.

Enquiries:

Shell Media Relations

International, UK, European Press: +44 (0)207 934 5550

Shell Investor Relations

Europe: + 31 70 377 3996

DISCLAIMER - INTENDED ADDRESSEES

Please note that the information contained in the Information Memorandum may be addressed to and/or targeted at persons who are residents of particular countries (specified in the Information Memorandum) only and is not intended for use and should not be relied upon by any person outside these countries and/or to whom the offer contained in the Information Memorandum is not addressed. Prior to relying on the information contained in the Information Memorandum, you must ascertain from the Information Memorandum whether or not you are part of the intended addressees of the information contained therein.

This publication does not constitute an offering of the securities described in the Information Memorandum for sale in the United States. This is not for distribution in the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or under any relevant securities laws of any state of the United States and are subject to U.S. tax law requirements. Subject to certain exceptions, the securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons, as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act. There will be no public offering of the securities in the United States.

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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Quanta Services Inc. (PWR) Thursday reported a sharp decline in first quarter net income attributable to the shareholders to $20.496 million from $53.48 million in the prior year. On a per share basis, earnings were $0.13, compared to $0.25 last year. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share from continuing operations was $0.23. On average, 18 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to earn $0.26 per share. Analysts estimates usually excludes special items. Revenue for the quarter declined to $1.713 billion from $1.861 billion in the previous year. Wall Street was looking for $1.74 billion. The company said it is on track to achieve full year earnings from continuing operations of $0.13 per share and adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations of $0.23. Backlog for the quarter increased to $10.1 billion. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA and TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE: TDY) ("Teledyne") and Firan Technology Group Corporation (TSX: FTG) ("FTG") jointly announced today an agreement to sell assets of Teledyne's printed circuit technology business ("Teledyne PCT") to FTG Circuits Inc., a California corporation, and subsidiary of FTG, for US$9.3 million in cash. The completion of the transaction, which is subject to certain conditions and approvals, is anticipated to occur in the second quarter of 2016.

For approximately 50 years, Teledyne PCT, based in Hudson, New Hampshire, has designed and manufactured rigid-flex printed circuit boards and assemblies used in the defense, aerospace and oil and gas industries. For each of the last three years, Teledyne PCT has generated between US$15.0 to $20.0 million of annual revenue.

"The divesture of Teledyne PCT is consistent with Teledyne's ongoing evolution and focus on high-technology, proprietary engineered products," said Robert Mehrabian, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Teledyne. "We will work closely with FTG to facilitate a smooth transaction and transition of the operations to FTG's U.S. operations, supporting the customers of Teledyne PCT."

"We are very excited about the acquisition, which will add significant scale to FTG's U.S. operations," said Brad Bourne, President and Chief Executive Officer of FTG. "Specifically, Teledyne PCT will accelerate our participation in a number of U.S. programs, consistent with our stated strategy to consolidate other manufacturers and further increase our presence in aerospace and defense markets."

About Teledyne Technologies

Teledyne Technologies is a leading provider of sophisticated instrumentation, digital imaging products and software, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne Technologies' operations are primarily located in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Western and Northern Europe. For more information, visit Teledyne Technologies' website at www.teledyne.com.

About Firan Technology Group

FTG is an aerospace and defense electronics product and subsystem supplier to customers around the globe. FTG has two operating units: FTG Circuits is a manufacturer of high technology, high reliability printed circuit boards. Its customers are leaders in the aviation, defense, and high technology industries. FTG Circuits has operations in Toronto, Ontario, Chatsworth, California and a joint venture in Tianjin, China. FTG Aerospace manufactures illuminated cockpit panels, keyboards and sub-assemblies for original equipment manufacturers of aerospace and defense equipment. FTG Aerospace has operations in Toronto, Ontario, Chatsworth, California, Fort Worth, Texas and Tianjin, China.

Forward-Looking Statements Cautionary Notice

This press release contains forward-looking statements, related to, but not limited to, the completion of a potential acquisition of a business, its anticipated financial performance, business prospects and strategies and its impact on FTG, the expected integration of a business and the anticipated closing dates of the acquisition and the financing of the acquisition. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual events and results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Please refer to Teledyne's and FTG's securities filings at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com, respectively, for a list of risk factors. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully when making decisions with respect to Teledyne and FTG and not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Teledyne and FTG disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts:

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated

Jason VanWees

SVP, Strategy and M&A

(805) 373-4542

jvanwees@teledyne.com



Firan Technology Group Corporation

Bradley C. Bourne

President and CEO

(416) 299-4000, ext. 314

bradbourne@ftgcorp.com




VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - May 05, 2016) -Endeavour Silver Corp. (NYSE: EXK) (TSX: EDR) announces it has entered into a sales agreement dated May 5, 2016 (the "Sales Agreement") with Cowen and Company, LLC ("Cowen"), pursuant to which the Company may, at its discretion and from time-to-time during the term of the Sales Agreement, sell, through Cowen, as agent or principal, such number of common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") as would result in aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of up to US $40 million (the "Offering"). Sales of Common Shares will be made through "at the market distributions" as defined in National Instrument 44-102, including sales made directly on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE"), or any other recognized marketplace upon which the Common Shares are listed or quoted or where the Common Shares are traded in the United States. The Common Shares will be distributed at the market prices prevailing at the time of each sale, and, as a result, prices may vary as between purchasers and during the period of distribution. No offers or sales of Common Shares will be made in Canada on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") or other trading markets in Canada.

The Offering will be made by way of a prospectus supplement to the Company's existing U.S. registration statement on Form F-10 (the "Registration Statement") and Canadian short form base shelf prospectus (the "Base Shelf Prospectus"), each dated May 4, 2016. The prospectus supplement relating to the Offering will be filed with the securities commissions in each of the provinces of Canada (other than Quebec) and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The U.S. prospectus supplement (together with the related Registration Statement) will be available on the SEC's website (www.sec.gov) and the Canadian prospectus supplement (together with the related Base Shelf Prospectus) will be available on the SEDAR website maintained by the Canadian Securities Administrators at www.sedar.com. Alternatively, Cowen will provide copies of the U.S. prospectus supplement on request by contacting Cowen and Company, LLC (c/o Broadridge Financial Services, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY, 11717, Attn: Prospectus Department, Phone: 631-274-2806, Fax: 631-254-7140).

Net proceeds of the Offering, if any, together with the Company's current cash resources and free cash flow, will be used to advance the exploration and development of the Company's Terronera project with further drilling, engineering and related work, to expedite underground mine development of new mineralized zones at the Guanacevi mine, to undertake brownfields exploration drilling programs at existing operations in order to extend their mine lives, and to add to working capital, including debt reduction.

The Company will pay Cowen compensation, or allow a discount, of up to 3% of the gross sales price per Common Share sold under the Sales Agreement.

Sales under the Sales Agreement remain subject to necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX and the NYSE.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor will there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

About Endeavour -- Endeavour Silver is a mid-tier precious metals mining company that owns three high grade, underground, silver-gold mines in Mexico. Since start-up in 2004, the company has grown its mining operations to produce 11.4 million ounces of silver and equivalents in 2015. We find, build and operate quality silver mines in a sustainable way to create real value for all stakeholders. Endeavour Silver's shares trade on the TSX (symbol EDR) and on the NYSE (symbol EXK).

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws, such as statements that describe the anticipated offering of securities under the Company's Base Shelf Prospectus and Registration Statement, the anticipated use of proceeds from any offering made under the Company's Base Shelf Prospectus and Registration Statement, and other statements. Since forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and address future events, conditions and expectations, forward-looking statements by their nature inherently involve unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors well beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Actual events, results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Material factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those described in such forwarding-looking statements include risks related to the Company's condition requiring anticipated use of proceeds to change, timing of, and ability to obtain, required regulatory approvals, and general economic and regulatory changes.

These forward-looking statements represent the Company's views as of the date of this release. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual events and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.

For more information, please contact:

Meghan Brown

Director Investor Relations

Toll free: 1-877-685-9775

Tel: 604-640-4804

Fax: 604-685-9744

Email: mbrown@edrsilver.com
NICOSIA (dpa-AFX) - Cyprus' consumer prices continued to decline in April, though at a slower pace than in the previous month, figures from the Statistical Service showed Thursday. The consumer price index dropped 2.47 percent year-over-year in April, following a 2.53 percent decrease in March. In February, prices had fallen 2.57 percent. Prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages dipped 4.59 percent annually in April and utility costs plunged by 8.24 percent. At the same time, clothing and footwear prices registered an increase of 2.32 percent. On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.16 percent in April. This was mainly due to increases in the prices of petroleum products and of certain clothing and footwear. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
DALLAS, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Nimbix, a leader in cloud-based, High-Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure and applications, today announced it has been showcased in the list of "Cool Vendors" in the "Cool Vendors for Compute Platforms, 2016" [i] report by Gartner, Inc. Nimbix provides customers with an innovative HPC processing platform as a Pay-per-Use or Subscription-based computing service.

Tweet this: .@Nimbix HPC data transformation in cloud makes Gartner 2016 CoolVendor List

The rapid adoption of containers and "software defined" abstraction from hardware, have created renewed interest in server and virtualization technology. The Cool Vendors seek to guide I&O leaders on how to assess and expand server functionality beyond traditional OSS and hypervisors.

"A growing number of organizations need the processing power of high-performance computing but often lack the infrastructure or in-house expertise to implement their workflows. The Nimbix Cloud, powered by JARVICE, provides a valuable service for these companies to accomplish computer-aided engineering (CAE), fluid dynamics, structural analysis and many other compute-intensive workloads. We are humbled that Gartner has labeled Nimbix as a Cool Vendor," said Steve Hebert, Nimbix CEO.

Nimbix's industry-proven, High-Performance Computing (HPC) innovation (JARVICE) is ideal for companies seeking to run their data processing applications "as-a-Service" in domains such as engineering simulation, real-time photorealistic rendering, machine learning, and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) for bioinformatics.

In addition, JARVICE also includes a Vault service that enable users to choose their specific requirements for storage, capacity, performance and cost, without sacrificing compatibility with existing applications and workflows. Additional key capabilities include:

Expanded Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) capabilities for developers and ISVs to quickly and easily onboard new applications and workflows.

Improved controls for enterprise security and accounting, including user "teams" and richer itemized billing.

Private cloud - JARVICE can be licensed for use on premises or on any managed infrastructure.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

[i] Gartner "Cool Vendors for Compute Platforms, 2016" by Analyst(s): Andrew Butler, Philip Dawson, George Weiss - 26 April 2016

Follow/Engage/Share

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Google+

LinkedIn

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YouTube

Resources

https://www.nimbix.net/pr/coolvendor/nimbix

https://www.nimbix.net/pr/coolvendor/jarvice

https://www.nimbix.net/pr/coolvendor/big-data-analytics

https://www.nimbix.net/pr/coolvendor/manufacturing-engineering

About Nimbix

Nimbix provides a purpose built compute cloud for big data and computation. Nimbix offers high performance applications as a service through the Nimbix Accelerated Compute Cloud, dramatically speeding up data processing for Energy, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Media and Analytics applications. Nimbix delivers unique accelerated high-performance systems and applications from its world-class datacenters as a pay-per-use service. Additional information about Nimbix is included in the company overview, which is available on the Nimbix website at https://www.nimbix.net/.

For more information, contact:

Jackie Abramian

BridgeView Marketing (for Nimbix, Inc.)

603-570-7533

jackie@bridgeviewmarketing.com

https://twitter.com/Nimbix




New Weight Loss Device Now Available in the United Kingdom, Italy and France

Allurion Technologies announced today that its flagship product, Elipse, has received the prestigious Emerging Technology Innovation Award from the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). Elipse is the world's first procedureless intragastric balloon: it is placed and removed without surgery, endoscopy or anesthesia. It is the first intragastric balloon to receive this award. Elipse received European Union CE marking in late 2015 and is now available at leading weight loss centers in the United Kingdom, Italy and France. Plans for commercial expansion within Europe and in the Middle East are underway. Elipse is not yet approved by the FDA and is not available in the United States.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005647/en/

Allurion Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Shantanu Gaur accepts SAGES Award for Elipse (Photo: Business Wire)

Elipse was one of 13 technologies chosen to present to an expert panel of gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgeons. The panel voted Elipse the top emerging technology of SAGES 2016 following a presentation by Allurion Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Shantanu Gaur. "We are honored that our novel approach to weight loss has been recognized by the physicians of SAGES," said Dr. Gaur. "This award adds to our momentum as we expand awareness of Elipse among physicians and consumers."

"The medical community has been looking for innovative tools like Elipse to aid in the fight against overweight and obesity" said Jonathan Wecker, Chief Executive Officer of Allurion. "Without the cost and invasiveness of surgery, endoscopy and anesthesia, this new option vastly expands access to intragastric balloons."

Allurion Co-Founder and President Dr. Samuel Levy added that "physicians and consumers involved in our initial European launch have been extremely pleased, and we look forward to continued success as Elipse is rolled out to new weight loss centers and new geographies."

About Elipse

Elipse is a procedureless intragastric balloon: it is placed and removed without surgery, endoscopy or anesthesia. It is offered by physicians in conjunction with a medically supervised weight loss program. The Elipse balloon is made of a thin, flexible polymer film. The device is swallowed in a capsule and filled with liquid through a thin delivery catheter, which is then detached. Elipse remains in the stomach for approximately four months after which the balloon opens, allowing it to empty and pass naturally from the body. A clinical study of Elipse in individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 27 and 40 showed an average weight loss of 10 kilograms (22 pounds), with participants losing 39 percent of their excess weight and eight centimeters from their waist circumference. Participants also saw improvements in their triglycerides, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and quality of life. Learn more and see an animation of Elipse in action here.

About Allurion Technologies

Allurion Technologies is dedicated to developing less invasive treatments for overweight and obese individuals. The company's flagship product, Elipse, is an intragastric balloon that resides in the stomach, enabling weight reduction. Allurion is funded by private investors and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. Learn more about Elipse and Allurion online at www.allurion.com or on Twitter @alluriontech.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005647/en/

Contacts:

Allurion

Dr. Shantanu Gaur

Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer

+1 (781) 235-7050

press@allurion.com

or

Halsin Partners

Mike Sinclair

Partner

+44 (0)20 7318 2955

msinclair@halsin.com
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. ("Peregrine" or "the Company") (TSX: PGD) is pleased to announce a maiden Inferred Mineral Resource estimate for the CH-7 kimberlite pipe at the Company's 100 percent owned Chidliak Diamond Project, Nunavut, Canada. Key elements of the announcement are:

-- An Inferred Mineral Resource of 4.23 million carats of diamonds in 4.99 million tonnes of CH-7 kimberlite, to a depth of 240 metres -- Overall average grade of 0.85 carats per tonne -- A base model average diamond price of US$114 per carat with a modelled price range between US$94 and US$155 per carat as determined by WWW International Diamond Consultants ("WWW") in February 2016

Mr. Tom Peregoodoff, Peregrine's President and CEO said, "The resource we are announcing today is the culmination of the 2015 Diamond Resource Development Program at Chidliak. This program has successfully defined a significant Inferred Mineral Resource of over 15 million carats at Chidliak contained within the CH-6 and CH-7 kimberlites in the top 260 metres and 240 metres respectively and both which, importantly, remain open vertically at depth. This resource provides a firm foundation upon which the Preliminary Economic Assessment of a Phase 1 Diamond Mine will be developed. The Peregrine team have once again demonstrated the tremendous value of the Chidliak project and we all look forward to publishing the outcomes from this economic assessment when they become available next month."

CH-7 INFERRED MINERAL RESOURCE AND TFFE ESTIMATE

The CH-7 kimberlite was discovered in July 2009, has a surface area of approximately one hectare. CH-7 is located some 15 kilometres southeast of the CH-6 kimberlite for which the Company released an updated Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 11.39 million carats of diamond in 4.46 million tonnes, with an average grade of 2.45 carats per tonne, in the top 260 metres on April 7th, 2016. The 2014 and 2015 resource development program for the CH-7 kimberlite was comprised of 1,968 metres of core drilling in 11 holes, 585 metres of narrow-diameter reverse-circulation ("RC") drilling in 36 surficial delineation holes, 1,212 metres of large-diameter RC drilling in six holes that extracted 814 dry tonnes of kimberlite, and the collection of 3,585 kg of microdiamond samples, together with requisite geological logging and data collection. Key results for the CH-7 pipe include diamond grades for large diameter drill samples (stated at a commercial grade bottom cut-off of 1.18 mm) ranging from 0.76 to 1.31 carats per tonne for major geological units (see January 12, 2016 news release), and a base model average diamond price of US$114 per carat, ranging up to a high model average price of US$155 per carat for 735.75 carats valued by WWW (see March 8, 2016 news release).

Mineral Services Canada Inc. ("Mineral Services"), who provided guidance on the 2015 resource development work at CH-7, recently completed a comprehensive review of all geological, microdiamond and bulk sampling results and have estimated a maiden Inferred Mineral Resource for the CH-7 kimberlite as provided in the following table.

CH-7 KIMBERLITE INFERRED MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE(i) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Grade Tonnes Carats (carats per (millions) (millions) tonne) ---------------------------------------------------------------- CH-7 Total 4.99 4.23 0.85 ---------------------------------------------------------------- (i) stated at 1.18 mm square-mesh sieve bottom cut-off and diamond recoveries as experienced in the 2010 and 2015 CH-7 bulk sampling programs. The CH-7 Inferred Resource extends from surface to an elevation of 450 metres above sea level, or approximately 240 meters depth below surface. ----------------------------------------------------------------

NI 43-101 standards and Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy guidelines stipulate that a Mineral Resource needs to have a "reasonable prospect of economic extraction". JDS Energy and Mining Inc. ("JDS") have created first-order Whittle open pits to 240 metre depth based on the CH-7 Inferred Resource and have integrated appropriate revenue models for the CH-7 kimberlite. JDS concludes that the CH-7 Inferred Mineral Resource satisfies the "reasonable prospect of economic extraction" criterion.

The Company announced an initial Target For Further Exploration ("TFFE") of 2.75 to 3.97 million tonnes for the CH-7 kimberlite on May 7th, 2014 that was updated to a TFFE range of 3.72 to 6.01 million tonnes on January 26th, 2015. The resource at CH-7 has converted a substantial portion of this TFFE to Inferred Mineral Resource. The TFFE now estimated for the CH-7 pipe between 240 and 320 metres depth below surface is tabulated below. The potential quantity of the TFFE is conceptual in nature. Insufficient exploration has been completed to delineate any portion of the CH-7 TFFE as a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in conversion of the TFFE to a mineral resource.

CH-7 KIMBERLITE TARGET FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- Depth Low-case High-case (m below Tonnes Tonnes Domain surface) (millions) (millions) ---------------------------------------------------------------- CH-7 TFFE 240-320 0.90 2.36 ----------------------------------------------------------------

PRELIMINARY ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT

The Preliminary Economic Assessment of a Phase 1 Diamond Mine ("the PEA") based on the combined CH-6 and CH-7 Inferred Mineral Resource of 15.62 million carats contained in 9.63 million tonnes of kimberlite is being completed by JDS with input from SRK Consulting Canada on geotechnical, infrastructure and tailings management.

JDS is a specialized, private mineral engineering, consulting and construction company focused on adding value to mineral projects with fit-for-purpose designs and exceptional execution. The JDS team has a long history of northern Canadian and diamond experience including the current construction of the Gahcho Kue diamond mine and the Silvertip silver and base-metals mine.

The PEA is well advanced, and results are expected in late June, 2016 as previously announced.

QUALIFIED PERSONS

The CH-7 Inferred Mineral Resource estimate was prepared by Mineral Services Canada Inc. under the supervision of Dr Tom Nowicki. Dr. Nowicki is a Professional Geologist and an independent, external Qualified Person and a consultant to Peregrine. Mr. Dino Pilotto of JDS Energy and Mining Inc. is a Professional Engineer and an independent, external Qualified Person that consults to Peregrine.

Dr. Nowicki and Mr. Pilotto have reviewed this release and approve of its' contents.

ABOUT PEREGRINE DIAMONDS

Peregrine Diamonds is a TSX listed diamond exploration and development company with assets located in northern Canada and Botswana.

Peregrine Diamonds core asset is its' 100 percent-owned, 513,249 hectare Chidliak project, located 120 kilometres from Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut where 71 kimberlites have been discovered to date with eight being potentially economic. An Inferred Mineral Resource of 11.39 million carats in 4.64 million tonnes of kimberlite at an average grade of 2.45 carats per tonne has been defined for a portion of the CH-6 kimberlite. In addition, a Target for Further Exploration ("TFFE") of 2.34 to 3.75 million tonnes of kimberlite to a depth of 380 metres below surface has been identified at CH-6. An independent diamond valuation by WWW International Diamond Consultants, of a 1,013 carat parcel of diamonds from CH-6 returned an average market price of US$213 per carat and modeled prices that range from a minimum of US$162 per carat to a high of US$236 per carat, with a base model price of US$188 per carat (all using the February 24, 2014 price book). An Inferred Mineral Resource of 4.23 million carats in 4.99 million tonnes of kimberlite at an average grade of 0.85 carats per tonne has been defined for a portion of the CH-7 kimberlite. In addition, TFFE of 0.90 to 2.36 million tonnes for a depth range of 240-320 metres has been estimated for the CH-7 kimberlite. An independent diamond valuation by WWW International Diamond Consultants, of a 735.75 carat parcel of diamonds from CH-7 returned an average market price of US$100 per carat and modelled prices that ranged from a minimum of US$94 per carat to a high of US$155 per carat, with a base model price of US$114 per carat (all using the February 1, 2016 price book). A TFFE of 1.27 to 3.19 million tonnes to 250 metres depth has been estimated for the CH-44 kimberlite pipe. The TFFE's identified above are conceptual in nature and are not Mineral Resources. It is uncertain whether further exploration will result in any of these tonnages being delineated as Mineral Resources.

Peregrine Diamonds controls eleven diamond prospecting licenses in Botswana that cover 661,330 hectares.

Peregrine Diamonds also controls the 8,493 hectare Lac de Gras project in the Northwest Territories, located approximately 27 kilometres from the Diavik Diamond Mine. The nine hectare 72.1%-owned DO-27 kimberlite, located at Lac de Gras, hosts an Indicated Mineral Resource of 18.2 million carats of diamonds in 19.5 million tonnes of kimberlite at a grade of 0.94 carats per tonne and it is open at depth.

For information on data verification, exploration information and resource estimation procedures see the technical reports entitled, "2015 Technical Report for the Chidliak Project, 66 degrees 21' 43" W, 64 degrees 28' 26" N Baffin Region, Nunavut" dated February 23, 2015, and "Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. Lac de Gras Project Northwest Territories, Canada NI 43-101 Technical Report" dated July 15, 2014, both of which are available on SEDAR and the Company's website.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, without limitation, statements relating to proposed exploration and development programs, funding availability, anticipated exploration results, grade of diamonds and tonnage of material, resource estimates, anticipated diamond valuations and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company.

Forward-looking statements are made based upon certain assumptions by the Company and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of diamonds, anticipated costs and ability to achieve goals. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: receipt of regulatory approvals; anticipated timelines for community consultations and the impact of those consultations on the regulatory approval process; market prices for rough diamonds and the potential impact on the Chidliak Project; and future exploration plans and objectives.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, uncertainties relating to availability and cost of funds, timing and content of work programs, results of exploration activities, interpretation of drilling results and other geological data, risks relating to variations in the diamond grade and kimberlite lithologies; variations in rates of recovery and breakage; estimates of grade and quality of diamonds, variations in diamond valuations and future diamond prices; the state of world diamond markets, reliability of mineral property titles, changes to regulations affecting the Company's activities, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required project approvals, operational and infrastructure risk and other risks involved in the diamond exploration and development business. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to their inherent uncertainty.

Contacts:

Peregrine Diamonds Ltd.

Mr. Eric Friedland

Executive Chairman

604-408-8880



Peregrine Diamonds Ltd.

Mr. Tom Peregoodoff

President and CEO

604-408-8880



Peregrine Diamonds Ltd.

Dr. Herman Grutter

Vice President, Technical Services

604-408-8880



Peregrine Diamonds Ltd.

Investor Relations

604-408-8880

investorrelations@pdiam.com

www.pdiam.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has partnered with NAMARA represents (NAMARA), a creative visual storytelling agency, to capture the stories of those who deliver luxury service in iconic hotels around the globe. NAMARA's seven world-class photojournalists visited nine Fairmont hotels from San Francisco to Shanghai to shadow Fairmont colleagues and get a glimpse of what happens behind-the-scenes.

"We know that our colleagues around the world are exceptional people who are truly dedicated to delivering amazing guest experiences," said Jane Mackie, vice president, Fairmont Brand. "Working with NAMARA has given us an opportunity to capture some of their incredible stories and showcase them in a way that is authentic and meaningful. It is inspiring to see so much colleague passion come to life through a journalistic lens."

NAMARA photojournalists who worked on the project contribute to leading publications such as TIME, The New Yorker, The Telegraph, The Wall St Journal and National Geographic Magazine. They include Dominic Nahr, Aaron Vincent Elkaim, Kitra Cahana, Brett Gundlock, Ed Ou, Ian Willms and Kiana Hayeri.

"It was great to work on such a large-scale project with Fairmont. My subjects were very proud to be involved and very proud to be part of the Fairmont team," said Dominic Nahr, one of the award-winning photojournalists involved in the project. "This approach to creating content not only gives companies a unique viewpoint from which to tell their stories, but it also helps to fund the artistry that each of us does on a personal level."

Fairmont's recent Luxury Insights Report found that guests have a genuine connection to colleagues and often describe them as an important part of their overall travel experience. Furthermore, the long-lasting impressions made by Fairmont colleagues are cited as a significant reason why guests enjoyed their stay and a major incentive to return.

The photojournalism project represents the first time in Fairmont's over 100 year history where guests can gain a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives and experience of the colleagues who deliver Fairmont's iconic luxury service experience.

"We are so thrilled to be one of the first brands to explore the commercial application of documentary photography," said Alexandra Blum, vice president public relations and partnerships, FRHI Hotels & Resorts. "This is a leading edge approach to content creation that pushes the boundaries of storytelling in ways that we couldn't have imagined when we first partnered with NAMARA. We are so proud to showcase our colleagues is such an innovative way."

Guests and fans of the Fairmont brand can view a selection of the stories and photos during the CONTACT Photography Festival from May 5 to 20 at the Murray Building, 192 Spadina Ave, in Toronto. The exhibit was independently curated by NAMARA and the seven photojournalists who were part of the project. Following the exhibit Fairmont will share a digital ideation of the exhibit on fairmontmoments.com, where people can share and interact with the visual exhibition.

For more information visit: http://scotiabankcontactphoto.com/2016/featured-exhibition/murray-building-the-shift.

About Fairmont

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts connects guests to the very best of its destinations, providing travelers with memorable travel experiences, thoughtful and attentive service and luxury hotels that are truly unforgettable. Each Fairmont property reflects the locale's energy, culture and history through locally inspired cuisine, spirited bars and lounges and distinctive design and decor. With more than 70 hotels globally, and many more in development, the Fairmont collection boasts some of the most iconic hotels in the world, including The Plaza in New York, The Savoy in London, Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai and Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City. Fairmont is owned by FRHI Hotels & Resorts, a leading global hotel company that operates more than 130 hotels and branded residential properties under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissotel brands. For more information or reservations, please visit fairmont.com.

About NAMARA

NAMARA is not just another creative agency. We focus on the representation of exceptional Canadian photojournalists and documentary photographers working in a commercial capacity. Our photographers create awe-inspiring visual content that eloquently and simply communicate your brand's core message. Each photographer has his or her own impressive collection of tear-sheets, emblazoned with the mastheads of the world's most prestigious publications. They know how to make images that resonate and compel and exercise this unique skill in the composition of your story. We help organizations do it in the only universal language: Images.

To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160504-1053459e_800.jpg

Contacts:

FRHI Hotels & Resorts

Kaitlynn Furse

416/874-2787

kaitlynn.furse@frhi.com




5 May 2016

WALCOM GROUP LIMITED

("Walcom" or "the Company")

Final results for the year ended 31 December 2015 and notice of Annual General Meeting

CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT

On behalf of the board of directors (the "Board"), I am pleased to present the final results for the year ended 31 December 2015.

Results

Although the global economy remained subdued in 2015, with a modest recovery seen across advanced economies, the ongoing slowing of the PRC economy and the poor performance of the domestic pig farming industry continue to affect the Company's results. Despite the adverse impact of the poor animal feed market during the year, and the aggregate impact of increasing production costs and operating expenses, the Company managed to achieve a profit attributable to the Company's shareholders of HK$0.34 million (2014: loss of HK$0.30 million) for the year under review. Turnover (2015: HK$44.2 million; 2014: HK$43.7 million) and gross profit (2015: HK$26.8 million; 2014: HK$27.2 million) for the year was maintained at approximately the same levels as 2014. The Company reported a net profit of HK$0.5 million for the year under review as compared to a net loss of HK$0.03 million in 2014. EBITDA also increased by 65 per cent. from HK$1.47 million in 2014 to HK$2.42 million in 2015.

A summary of the results for the period is set out below:

Year ended Year ended Change 31 December 31 December 20 15 20 14 HK$'000 HK$'000 per cent. Turnover 44,237 43,648 1.35 Gross profit 26,745 27,164 (1.54) Operating profit 1,808 860 110.23 EBITDA 2,424 1,471 64.79 Net finance (expense) / income (21) 18 n/a Profit / (loss) for the year 479 (32) n/a Profit / (loss) per share attributable to the shareholders of the Company

- basic (HK cents)

- diluted (HK cents)



0.49

0.49



(0.44)

(0.44)



n/a

n/a Net asset value per share attributable to the shareholders of the Company (HK cents)

25.03

28.32

(11.62)

Operation and market review

Following a prolonged period of slumping farmgate pig prices being received by producers during the period between November 2013 and March 2015, China's pig population decreased significantly as numerous mid-sized pig farms ceased operations. Farmgate pig prices began to increase in April 2015 as the resulting reduction in market supply exposed shortages, however, since the pig population remained low, the demand for the feedstuff remained weak. This had affected the Company's sales in the PRC, which dropped by 4.5 per cent. to HK$25.7 million during the year ended December 2015 when compared with the HK$26.9 million in 2014.

Sales in Thailand increased by 18 per cent. to HK$16.2 million in 2015, representing 37 per cent. (2014: 31 per cent.) of the Company's total sales. The economy in Thailand improved following the change of government in May 2014, although it has still not recovered fully. The improvement in sales in Thailand has resulted from both increased consumption of the Company's products by existing customers and from new customers who placed orders after achieving satisfactory trial results on our products.

Sales in Korea decreased by 24 per cent. to HK$1.9 million in 2015 (2014: HK$2.5 million), representing approximately 4 per cent. (2014: 6 per cent.) of the Company's total sales. The drop in sales was due to the poor performance of the Korean market during the first six months of the year, however, sales started to pick up during the second half of 2015 which was encouraging. The Directors are pleased that the Company's product is gaining recognition in Korean, shown by the latter period improvement, and believe that there is high potential for further growth in the market.

The Group's financial statements were reported in Hong Kong Dollar. During the period under review, the Hong Kong currency appreciated approximately 6 per cent. and 10 per cent. against the Renminbi and Thai Baht, respectively. As most of the Group's sales were made in these two currencies, this had an adverse exchange impact on the Group's revenue. Similar adverse exchange effects happened in translating the Group's net assets, including cash and cash equivalents, in its overseas subsidiaries into the Hong Kong currency. This resulted in a decrease in the Group's cash balance and net asset value reported in Hong Kong Dollar as at the year end of 2015.

Recent Developments

For the past couple of years China has been undergoing a process of transforming its economic structure. A major part of this shift involves the PRC government's efforts to commercialise domestic high technology inventions. The Chinese government acknowledges that protection of intellectual properties will play a significant role in this regard. During the past few years, the Company has developed and obtained patents in the most advanced technology for the application of cysteamine, the core substance in our products, in animal feed products. Notwithstanding this, due to the historical inadequacies that China has exhibited in properly upholding patent rights, sales of the Company's products have been weakened by generic third-party products copying Walcom's technology appearing in the local market and seizing market share without the relevant licence or intellectual property. As Walcom has established itself as a provider of trusted products within its specialised segment of the industry and has built up its brand in the market, the Company's management believes that there will be high potential for growth in the Company's sales if our intellectual property and patent rights can be treated more seriously and better protected by the Chinese government.

Patents

At the end of 2015 the Group held 46 granted patents in respect of:

its core Cysteamine technology in China , North Korea , New Zealand , Ukraine , Russia , South Africa , Australia , India , South Korea and Vietnam ;

, , , , , , , , and ; poultry feed in the UK, North Korea , Taiwan , Russia , China , Australia and Philippines ;

, , , , and ; dairy cow feed in New Zealand , the UK, Europe , Mexico , India , China , Russia , Australia and Malaysia ;

, the UK, , , , , , and ; fish feed in the UK, Indonesia , Russia , China , Thailand , Philippines , Vietnam and Taiwan ; and

, , , , , and ; and shellfish feed in Europe , Vietnam , Indonesia , Malaysia , Taiwan , Philippines and China .

Most of the patents for which the Company has applied in recent years have been granted. The Directors believe that there is wide patent coverage in places where there are significant demands for the Company's products. Some patents, which the Directors believe have a reduced chance of commercialisation, were dropped during the year.

Debt

As at the year end, the Group had a short-term bank loan of HK$2.4 million, which was used to finance the Group's general working capital. The Directors do not foresee any need for further bank loans as the Group has adequate working capital for its daily operations.

Dividend

The Directors do not recommend any dividend payment for the year ended 31 December 2015.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting will be held at the offices of the Company's solicitors, Reeds Smith Richards Butler in Hong Kong at 2:30 pm on Tuesday 14 June 2016.

Outlook

As the PRC government has confirmed that the next few years will see slower economic growth across much of the market while the Chinese economy undergoes a structural transformation, the Directors believe that it will be another difficult year for the Company in 2016. The uncertain monetary policies of the United States and the major European economies collectively contribute towards a pessimistic prevailing global economic outlook. Escalating production costs and operating expenses remain an adverse factor affecting the Company. However, the Directors are optimistic that the improving results in the Thai market and the Korean market in the later part of 2015, together with the Company's continuing marketing efforts, should produce another year of broader strengthening of the Company's general financial performance in 2016.

I would like to express our sincere thanks to the management team and staff, professional advisers and shareholders for their continued support and contributions during the year.

Notice of Annual General Meeting

A notice of annual general meeting convening a meeting at 2.30pm on 14 June 2016 will be posted to shareholders with the Company's report and accounts. The notice will include a resolution to extend the Company's existing share award plan, which was adopted on 20 September 2006. The share award plan is currently effective until 20 September 2016 and would terminate on that date. The proposal is to extend the plan for a term of 20 years commencing on the date of the annual general meeting or until such time as the Board considers it appropriate to terminate the plan (subject to certain conditions). No further share awards are proposed at this time.

Further enquiries:

Walcom Group Limited

Francis Chi (Chief Executive Officer)

Albert Wong (Chief Financial Officer) +852 2494 0133 Allenby Capital Limited

Virginia Bull/David Hart +44 20 3328 5656

Consolidated statement of profit or loss

For the year ended 31 December 2015

(Expressed in Hong Kong dollars)

Note 2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Revenue 44,236,805 43,647,716 Cost of sales (17,491,561) (16,483,709) Gross profit 26,745,244 27,164,007 Other income 3 189,853 506,442 Research and development expenses (1,224,261) (1,227,825) Selling and distribution expenses (11,847,110) (11,643,034) General and administrative expenses (12,055,434) (13,940,044) Profit from operations 1,808,292 859,546 Net finance (expense) / income 4 (21,123) 17,546 Profit before income tax 5 1,787,169 877,092 Income tax expense 6 (1,308,485) (908,987) Profit / (loss) for the year 478,684

(31,895)

Profit / (loss) attributable to: Owners of the Company 335,472 (300,602) Non-controlling interests 143,212 268,707 Profit / (loss) for the year 478,684 (31,895) Profit / (loss) per share - basic, HK cents 8 0.49 (0.44) - diluted, HK cents 0.49 (0.44)

Consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income

For the year ended 31 December 2015

(Expressed in Hong Kong dollars)

2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Profit / (loss) for the year 478,684

(31,895)

Other comprehensive income Exchange difference on translation of financial statements of overseas subsidiaries (2,793,995) (108,677) Total comprehensive loss for the year (2,315,311) (140,572) Total comprehensive loss attributable to: Owners of the Company (2,262,139) (402,390) Non-controlling interests (53,172) 261,818 Total comprehensive loss for the year (2,315,311) (140,572)

Consolidated balance sheet as at 31 December 2015

(Expressed in Hong Kong dollars)

Note 2015 2014 HK$ HK$ ASSETS NON-CURRENT ASSETS Property, plant and equipment 1,520,698 1,869,520 Patents 2,079,634 2,385,921 Goodwill - - 3,600,332 4,255,441 CURRENT ASSETS Inventories 2,247,884 2,343,521 Trade and other receivables 9 7,695,707 7,797,139 Tax recoverable 108,584 157,591 Cash and cash equivalents 10 13,670,351 15,229,576 Restricted cash 10 103,813 113,350 23,826,339 25,641,177 TOTAL ASSETS 27,426,671 29,896,618 EQUITY Share capital 688,344 688,344 Reserves 16,540,153 18,802,292 Total equity attributable to OWNERs of the Company

17,228,497

19,490,636 Non-controlling interests 2,086,595 2,139,767 TOTAL EQUITY 19,315,092 21,630,403 CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade and other payables 4,954,919 5,208,398 Tax payables 769,455 522,641 Bank borrowings 11 2,387,205 2,535,176 8,111,579 8,266,215 TOTAL LIABILITIES 8,111,579 8,266,215 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 27,426,671 29,896,618 NET CURRENT ASSETS 15,714,760 17,374,962 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 19,315,092 21,630,403

Consolidated statement of changes in equity

For the year ended 31 December 2015

(Expressed in Hong Kong dollars)

Share-based Non- Share Share Merger compensation Exchange Surplus Accumulated controlling Total capital premium reserve reserve reserve reserve losses Total interests equity HK$ HK$ HK$ HK$ HK$ HK$ HK$ HK$ HK$ HK$ At 1 January 2014 688,344 95,298,644 23,852,469 1,591,595 2,924,924 2,525,302 (106,988,252) 19,893,026 1,877,949 21,770,975 Comprehensive income (Loss) / profit for the year - - - - - - (300,602) (300,602) 268,707 (31,895) Other comprehensive income Exchange difference on translation of financial statements of overseas subsidiaries - - - - (101,788) - - (101,788) (6,889) (108,677) Total comprehensive income for the year - - - - (101,788) - (300,602) (402,390) 261,818 (140,572) Appropriation to surplus reserve - - - - - 398,212 (398,212) - - - At 31 December 2014 688,344 95,298,644 23,852,469 1,591,595 2,823,136 2,923,514 (107,687,066) 19,490,636 2,139,767 21,630,403 At 1 January 2015 688,344 95,298,644 23,852,469 1,591,595 2,823,136 2,923,514 (107,687,066) 19,490,636 2,139,767 21,630,403 Comprehensive income Profit for the year - - - - - - 335,472 335,472 143,212 478,684 Other comprehensive income Exchange difference on translation of financial statements of overseas subsidiaries - - - - (2,597,611) - - (2,597,611) (196,384) (2,793,995) Total comprehensive income for the year - - - - (2,597,611) - 335,472 (2,262,139) (53,172) (2,315,311) Lapse of share options - - - (22,826) - - 22,826 - - - Appropriation to surplus reserve - - - - - 340,180 (340,180) - - - At 31 December 2015 688,344 95,298,644 23,852,469 1,568,769 225,525 3,263,694 (107,668,948) 17,228,497 2,086,595 19,315,092

Consolidated statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 December 2015

(Expressed in Hong Kong dollars)

Note 2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Cash flow from operating activities Profit before income tax 1,787,169 877,092 Amortisation of patents 5(b) 265,538 270,054 Interest received 4 (150,719) (183,538) Depreciation 308,255 341,826 Foreign exchange (gain) / loss, net 5(b) (1,547,782) 175 Interest paid 4 171,842 165,992 Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment 5(b) 1,517 - Patents written off 5(b) 40,749 - Operating profit before working capital changes 876,569 1,471,601 Decrease / (increase) in inventories 95,637 (690,644) Decrease / (increase) in trade and other receivables 101,432 (2,076,985) Decrease in trade and other payables (253,479) (432,817) Net cash generated from / (used in) operations 820,159 (1,728,845) Corporate income tax paid (1,012,664) (1,324,322) Interest paid (171,842) (165,992) Net cash used in operating activities (364,347) (3,219,159) Cash flow from investing activities Purchases of property, plant and equipment (91,237) (43,737) Interest received 150,719 183,538 Net cash generated from investing activities 59,482 139,801 Cash flow from financing activities Decrease / (increase) in restricted bank balances 9,537 (113,350) Repayment of bank borrowings (2,535,176) (2,543,882) Proceeds from new bank borrowings 2,387,205 2,535,176 Net cash used in financing activities (138,434) (122,056) Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (443,299) (3,201,414) Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 15,229,576 18,535,663 Exchange loss on cash and cash equivalents (1,115,926) (104,673) Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 10 13,670,351 15,229,576

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2015

(Expressed in Hong Kong dollars)

1 Publication of non-statutory accounts

The financial information set out in this preliminary announcement does not constitute statutory accounts.

The financial information for the period ended 31 December 2015 has been extracted from the Company's financial statements to that date which have received an unqualified auditors' report.

2 Basis of preparation

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRSs"). These consolidated financial statements also comply with the applicable disclosure provisions of the AIM Rules for Companies of the London Stock Exchange. They have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires management to exercise its judgement in the process of applying the Group's accounting policies. The areas involving a higher degree of judgement or complexity, or areas where assumptions and estimates are significant to the consolidated financial statements, are disclosed in note 27 of the full financial statements.

3 Other income

2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Government subsidy

Tax refund 162,172

- 469,233

6,298 Sundry income 27,681 30,911 189,853 506,442

Note: During the years ended 31 December 2015 and 2014, the Group received subsidies from local government bodies in the PRC, which aimed at the technology development of the Group.

4 Net finance (expense) / income

2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Bank interest income 150,719 183,538 Interest expense on bank loan (171,842) (165,992) (21,123) 17,546

5 Profit before income tax

Profit before income tax is stated after charging the following items: -

(a) Staff costs (including directors' emoluments)

2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Salaries, wages and commission 10,718,322 11,051,612 Contributions to defined contribution retirement plans 899,111 858,474 Other staff benefits 3,549,183 3,339,342 15,166,616 15,249,428

(b) Other items

2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Amortisation of patents 265,538 270,054 Auditor's remuneration 307,474 315,574 Cost of inventories sold 16,623,712 15,502,718 Depreciation 225,969 241,009 Exchange (gains) / losses, net (1,547,782) 175 Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment 1,517 - Patents written off 40,749 - Rental charges under operating leases in respect of land and buildings 920,080 856,824

6 Income tax expense

2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Current income tax - Thailand corporate income tax 128,638 195,757 - Shanghai foreign enterprise income tax 1,179,847 713,230 1,308,485 908,987

(a) Taxation for the Company

No provision for profits tax has been made for the Company as it is exempted from taxation in the British Virgin Islands.

No deferred taxation has been provided as the Company has no material unprovided deferred tax assets or liabilities which are expected to be crystallised in the foreseeable future (2014: HK$Nil).

(b) Taxation for the Group

(i) Taxation on overseas profits has been calculated on the estimated assessable profit for the year at the rate of taxation prevailing in the countries in which the Group companies operate. The income tax expense stated in consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income represented the corporate income tax and foreign enterprise income tax arisen from the business of subsidiaries operating in Thailand and Shanghai respectively.

Hong Kong Profits Tax is calculated at 16.5% (2014: 16.5%) of the estimated assessable profit for the year. However, no provision for Hong Kong profits tax has been made (2014: HK$Nil) as the Group's assessable profit subject to Hong Kong profits tax for the year is fully set-off by tax loss brought forward from last year.

Provision for foreign enterprise income tax ("FEIT") in the People's Republic of China ("PRC") has been made at 25% (2014: 15%) as Shanghai Walcom Bio-Chem Co., Ltd. ("Shanghai Walcom"), a wholly owned subsidiary operating in Shanghai, has assessable profits for the year.

Pursuant to the relevant income tax rules and regulations in the PRC, Shanghai Walcom is not granted tax relief since year 2015 whereby the applicable income tax rates were 15% and 25% respectively for the years 2014 and 2015.

Thailand Corporate Income Tax is calculated at 20% (2014: 20%) of the net profit for the year.

(ii) A reconciliation between the Group's income tax expense and the accounting profit, at the applicable tax rate, is set out below: -

2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Profit before income tax 1,787,169 877,092 Notional tax calculated on profit before income tax, calculated at the rates applicable to profits in the countries concerned 760,053 68,999 Tax effect of: Expenses not deductible for tax purpose 907,379 1,098,739 Non-taxable revenue (22) (1,214) Temporary differences not recognised 664 507 Utilisation of previously unrecognised tax losses (359,589) (258,044) Income tax charges 1,308,485 908,987

(iii) A deferred tax asset amounting to HK$8,211,086 (2014: HK$8,570,768) in respect of tax losses of a subsidiary incorporated in Hong Kong of approximately HK$49,764,000 (2014: HK$51,944,000) has not been recognised in the financial statements as it is not certain that future taxable profit will be available against which these losses can be utilised.

7 Dividends

The Company does not recommend the payment of any dividend for the year ended 31 December 2015 (2014: HK$Nil).

8 Profit / (loss) per share

There is no difference between basic and diluted loss per share. The basic and diluted profit per share for the year ended 31 December 2015 are calculated by dividing the Group's profit attributable to owners of the Group of HK$335,472 (2014: Loss of HK$300,602) by the weighted average number of 68,834,388 ordinary shares (2014: 68,834,388 ordinary shares). The computation of diluted profit per share does not assume the exercise of the Company's outstanding share options because the exercise price of the options is higher than the average market price for the years ended 31 December 2015 and 2014.

9 Trade and other receivables

Group 2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Trade receivables 6,859,583 7,079,319 Less: provision for impairment loss (508,758) (508,758) Trade receivables - net 6,350,825 6,570,561 Deposits and prepayments 976,591 1,037,401 Other receivables 368,291 189,177 7,695,707 7,797,139

All trade and other receivables are expected to be recovered within one year.

Impairment of trade receivables

The movement in the provision of impairment for doubtful debts during the year, including both specific and collective loss components, is as follows:

2015 2014 HK$ HK$ At 1 January 508,758 743,813 Written off - (235,055) At 31 December 508,758 508,758

At 31 December 2015, the Group's trade receivables of HK$508,758 (2014: HK$508,758) have been outstanding for a certain period of time. The management assessed that only a portion of the receivables is expected to be recoverable. No further individual provision of impairment for doubtful debts was provided in the year ended 31 December 2015 (2014: Nil).

The Group does not hold any collateral over these balances.

Trade receivables that are not impaired

Majority of the Group's turnover are with credit terms ranging from 30 to 60 days. Ageing analysis of trade receivables that are neither individually nor collectively considered to be impaired are as follows:

2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Neither past due nor impaired 5,526,045 5,581,041 Less than one month past due 586,059 986,427 1 to 4 months' past due 238,721 3,093 824,780 989,520 6,350,825 6,570,561

Receivables that were neither past due nor impaired relate to a wide range of customers for whom there was no recent history of default.

Receivables that were past due but not impaired relate to a number of independent customers that have a good track record with the Group. Based on past experience, management believes that no impairment allowance is necessary in respect of these balances as there has not been a significant change in credit quality and the balances are considered fully recoverable. The Group does not hold any collateral over these balances.

The carrying amounts of trade receivables are denominated in the following currencies:

Group 2015 2014 Thai Baht THB 9,052,000 THB 10,529,375 Renminbi RMB 3,692,220 RMB 3,229,200

10 Cash and bank balances

Group 2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Cash at bank and on hand 13,774,164 15,342,926 Less: Cash at bank - restricted (103,813) (113,350) Cash and cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows 13,670,351 15,229,576

The Company 2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Cash and cash equivalents in the balance sheet 25,512 25,493

Included in the cash and cash equivalents of the Group, HK$7,254,910 (2014: HK$9,842,160) were denominated in RMB and kept in PRC. The remittance of these funds out of the PRC is subject to the foreign exchange control restrictions imposed by the PRC government.

As at 31 December 2015, HK$103,813 (2014: HK$113,350) denominated in THB in a saving bank account in Thailand has been pledged to a bank as security under a forward exchange contract.

Included in cash and cash equivalents in the consolidated balance sheet are the following amounts denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of the entity to which they relate:

2015 2014 Renminbi

United States dollars RMB

US$ 6,078,683

294,508 RMB

US$ 7,764,997

458,733 British Pound GB 528 GB 484 Thai Baht THB 15,641,790 THB 8,115,079

11 Bank borrowings

At 31 December 2015, the bank borrowings were unsecured and repayable as follows:

Group 2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Current liabilities Bank borrowings - unsecured 2,387,205 2,535,176 Total borrowings 2,387,205 2,535,176

The maturity of borrowings is as follows:

Group 2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Within 1 year or on demand 2,387,205 2,535,176

The effective interest rate per annum for bank borrowings at balance sheet date is at 5.7% (2014: 7.8%) per annum.

During the 2015 reporting period, the Group fully repaid a bank borrowing of HK$2,535,176 denominated in RMB, which was unsecured.

On 18 November 2015, an indirectly held subsidiary of the Group situated in the PRC ("the subsidiary") has obtained a bank borrowing of HK$2,387,205 denominated in RMB with maturity of 1 year. The bank borrowing was unsecured.

12 Share option scheme

A share option scheme (the "scheme") was adopted pursuant to a resolution of an extraordinary general meeting of the Company held on 20 September 2006 for the purpose of providing incentives and rewards to any director of any member of the Group who is in service with any such Company or any employee of any member of the Group (the "eligible directors and employees").

The maximum number of shares in respect of which options or rights to subscribe for shares pursuant to the scheme when aggregated with number of shares in respect of which options or rights to subscribe for shares has been granted in previous years under the scheme and other share option or share incentive plan adopted by the Company shall not exceed 10% of the shares issued by the Company from time to time. An option share shall only be exercisable (a) after one year from date of grant, (b) before the expiry of the option period, (c) at a time permitted by the Model Code for Securities Transactions by Directors of Listed Issuers, and (d) if any performance conditions imposed pursuant to the scheme rules have been fulfilled or obtained.

As at 31 December 2015, 3,330,000 ordinary shares option has been granted to directors and employees of the Company under the Share Option Scheme. All share options granted under the Scheme were still outstanding. No options were exercised, cancelled or lapsed during the year.

(a) The terms and conditions of the grants that existed during the year are as follows, hereby all options are settled by physical delivery of shares:

Participant Date of grant No. of options outstanding as at 31 December 2015 Vesting

period Exercise

period Exercise

price Options granted to directors: Yong Chian Tan 9 June 2010 500,000 2 years commencing from 9 June 2010 From 9 June 2012 to 8 June 2020 (both days inclusive) GB 0.07 9 June 2010 500,000 3 years commencing from 9 June 2010 From 9 June 2013 to 8 June 2020 (both days inclusive) GB 0.07 Albert Siu Fai Wong 9 June 2010 250,000 2 years commencing from 9 June 2010 From 9 June 2012 to 8 June 2020 (both days inclusive) GB 0.07 9 June 2010 250,000 3 years commencing from 9 June 2010 From 9 June 2013 to 8 June 2020 (both days inclusive) GB 0.07 Prof. Hong Xun Yang 9 June 2010 750,000 2 years commencing from 9 June 2010 From 9 June 2012 to 8 June 2020 (both days inclusive) GB 0.07 9 June 2010 750,000 3 years commencing from 9 June 2010 From 9 June 2013 to 8 June 2020 (both days inclusive) GB 0.07 Options granted to employees: Employees of the Group 9 June 2010 165,000 2 years commencing from 9 June 2010 From 9 June 2012 to 8 June 2020 (both days inclusive) GB 0.07 9 June 2010 165,000 3 years commencing from 9 June 2010 From 9 June 2013 to 8 June 2020 (both days inclusive) GB 0.07

(b) Fair value of share options

The fair value of the share options granted during the year ended 31 December 2010 have been valued by an independent qualified valuer using Binomial Option Pricing Model.

13 Share award plan

The Company's share award plan (the "plan") was adopted pursuant to a resolution of an extraordinary general meeting of the Company held on 20 September 2006 for the purpose of providing incentives or rewards to selected PRC employees and officers of the Group but excluding officers of the Company (the "eligible PRC officers").

Prior to the Admission to AIM, 433,163 ordinary shares were transferred to Walcom China Staff Incentive Limited (the "trustee") by certain of the then existing shareholders of the Company, to hold pursuant to the terms of the trust deed applicable to the plan. These shares are held on trust for the eligible PRC officers.

The plan shall be valid and effective for a term of ten years from the date of adoption and it shall be subject to the administration of a committee delegated from time to time by the board and the trustee in accordance with the provisions of the trust deed and plan rules. There were 70,163 (2014: 70,163) ordinary shares held by the trustee at 31 December 2015.

14 Commitments

Operating lease commitments

The future aggregate minimum lease rental expenses in respect of the manufacturing plants and office premises under non-cancellable operating lease are payable in the following periods:

2015 2014 HK$ HK$ Within one year 2,792,642 2,933,806 In the second to fifth years inclusive 1,080,086 3,899,919 3,872,728 6,833,725

15 Copies of Report and Accounts

Copies of the Report and Accounts will be sent to shareholders shortly and will be available from the principal place of business of the Company, Part D, Mingtai Bldg, No 351 Guo Shai Jing Road, ZJ Hi-tech Park, Shanghai 201203, PRC, and on the Company's website www.walcomgroup.com.
Economic net income of $32.0 million ($0.27 per share) for the quarter, down (14.2)% from the comparative quarter in 2015

U.S. GAAP earnings of $30.8 million ($0.26 per share) for the quarter, down (9.9)% from the comparative quarter in 2015

AUM of $218.0 billion at March 31, 2016, an increase of 2.6% from December 31, 2015

Net client cash flows ("NCCF") for the quarter of $2.4 billion yielding a positive annualized revenue impact of $7.3 million

OM Asset Management plc (NYSE: OMAM) reports its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005825/en/

"Our results for the quarter demonstrate the strength and diversity of our multi-boutique franchise, as our Affiliates generated solid organic NCCF growth of $2.4 billion in a period marked by extreme volatility and challenging macroeconomic trends," said Peter L. Bain, President and Chief Executive Officer of OMAM. "Our financial results were impacted by a (5.3)% market driven decline in average assets, and higher expenses as we continued to invest in the business."

"Our business model is designed to generate growth opportunities across our existing Affiliates through collaborative initiatives and our Global Distribution platform, and we continue to make progress in both of these areas. Our Affiliate Management Team is working with a number of Affiliates on product expansion initiatives, and seed-related products were meaningful contributors to our gross inflows in the first quarter. Our Global Distribution platform had a strong quarter, and has reached profitability ahead of schedule. In addition, we remain focused on efficient capital management and increasing shareholder value through effective capital allocation strategies. On March 15, shareholders approved the open market component of our share repurchase program, and we commenced opportunistic repurchases of our shares during the remainder of the quarter."

Mr. Bain concluded, "We have been active in cultivating relationships with high quality asset management boutiques. Entrepreneurial asset managers understand and appreciate our unique approach and the value we bring to our Affiliate partnerships, and we are pleased with the quality and breadth of firms with which we have engaged."

Table 1: Key Performance Metrics (unaudited) ($ in millions, unless otherwise noted) Three Months Ended March 31, Increase (Decrease) Economic Net Income Basis 2016 2015 (Non-GAAP measure used by management) ENI revenue 152.9 163.3 (10.4 (6.4 Pre-tax economic net income 42.9 51.0 (8.1 (15.9 Economic net income 32.0 37.3 (5.3 (14.2 ENI diluted earnings per share, 0.27 0.31 (0.04 (12.9 Adjusted EBITDA 45.3 53.5 (8.2 (15.3 ENI operating margin 34 37 (331) bps U.S. GAAP Basis Revenue 149.6 160.6 (11.0 (6.8 Net income 30.8 34.2 (3.4 (9.9 U.S. GAAP operating margin 27 28 (24) bps Diluted shares outstanding (in millions) 120.0 120.4 Diluted earnings per share, 0.26 0.28 (0.02 (7.1 Other Operational Information Assets under management at period end ($ in billions) 218.0 224.0 (6.0 (2.7 Net client cash flows ($ in billions) 2.4 (0.2 2.6 n/m Annualized revenue impact of net flows ($ in millions) 7.3 11.3 (4.0 (35.4

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes." Please see Table 7 for a reconciliation of U.S. GAAP net income to economic net income.

Assets Under Management and Flows

At March 31, 2016, OMAM's total assets under management ("AUM") were $218.0 billion, up $5.6 billion or 2.6% compared to $212.4 billion at December 31, 2015, and down $(6.0) billion or (2.7)% compared to $224.0 billion at March 31, 2015. The increase in AUM during the three months ended March 31, 2016 reflects net market appreciation of $3.1 billion, net inflows of $2.4 billion and other movements of $0.1 billion.

For the three months ended March 31, 2016, OMAM's net flows were $2.4 billion compared to $(3.2) billion for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and $(0.2) billion for the three months ended March 31, 2015. Hard asset disposals of $(1.3) billion, $(1.0) billion, and $(0.3) billion are reflected in the net flows for the three months ended March 31, 2016, December 31, 2015 and March 31, 2015, respectively. Inflows in the three months ended March 31, 2016 of $9.4 billion significantly exceeded quarterly inflows in 2015 and include increases in U.S. sub-advisory and global/non-U.S. managed volatility assets. For the three months ended March 31, 2016, the annualized revenue impact of the net flows was positive $7.3 million, which compares to $(6.6) million for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and $11.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 (see "Definitions and Additional Notes"). Gross inflows of $9.4 billion yielded approximately 38 bps, while gross outflows and hard asset disposals of $(7.0) billion in the same period yielded approximately 40 bps. The higher fee rate on outflows compared to inflows represented a reversal of the trend the Company has seen in previous quarters. In general, the Company expects a reversion to the prior trend of higher fees on inflows from non-U.S. and alternative mandates, though perhaps not to the same degree.

Table 2: Assets Under Management Rollforward Summary ($ in billions, unless otherwise noted) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 December 31,

2015 September 30,

2015 June 30, 2015 March 31, 2015 Beginning AUM 212.4 208.7 226.6 224.0 220.8 Gross inflows 9.4 5.9 6.2 7.5 7.0 Gross outflows (5.7 (8.1 (7.8 (6.5 (6.9 Hard asset disposals (1.3 (1.0 (0.9 (0.2 (0.3 Net flows 2.4 (3.2 (2.5 0.8 (0.2 Market appreciation (depreciation) 3.1 7.2 (15.4 1.1 3.4 Other* 0.1 (0.3 0.7 Ending AUM 218.0 212.4 208.7 226.6 224.0 Basis points: inflows 37.7 45.4 45.6 46.1 46.6 Basis points: outflows 40.0 36.7 31.6 31.4 29.5 Annualized revenue impact of net flows ($ in millions) 7.3 (6.6 0.7 13.5 11.3 Derived average weighted NCCF ($ in billions) 2.1 (1.9 0.2 3.9 3.3

* "Other" in 2015 primarily relates to an Affiliate's purchase of a joint venture and other Fund disposals. In 2016, "Other" reflects the standardization of AUM definitions across Affiliates and mandates and the revaluation of certain hard assets. These changes align the definition of AUM with management fees charged to clients.

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Balance Sheet and Capital Management

Condensed and Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 are provided in Table 3 below. During the three months ended March 31, 2016 the Company made net payments of $5.0 million against third party borrowings. At March 31, 2016, the Company had third party borrowings of $85.0 million and shareholders' equity of $176.2 million. The Company's ratio of third party borrowings to trailing twelve months Adjusted EBITDA was 0.4x, well below the maximum 3.0x leverage covenant under OMAM's revolving credit facility. Of the Company's cash and cash equivalents of $70.4 million at March 31, 2016, $45.5 million was held at Affiliates and $24.9 million was available at the Company.

As of March 31, 2016, the Company had access to approximately $150 million of seed capital, provided by Old Mutual plc ("the Parent"), to invest in products managed by OMAM's Affiliates. This seed capital is not reflected on the balance sheet of OMAM, as it is directly owned by a subsidiary of the Parent. In addition, at March 31, 2016, the Company had $33.1 million of co-investments in funds managed by its Affiliates on its balance sheet, with an off-setting liability to reflect those investments where economic ownership is retained by the Parent.

On March 16, 2016, the Company launched its share repurchase program. As of March 31, 2016, the Company had purchased 300,983 shares in the open market at a weighted average price of $12.64/share.

Table 3: Condensed and Consolidated Balance Sheets ($ in millions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Assets Cash and cash equivalents 70.4 135.9 Investment advisory fees receivable 137.0 151.8 Investments 211.5 202.6 Other assets 520.9 523.8 Total assets 939.8 1,014.1 Liabilities and equity Accounts payable and accrued expenses 100.0 179.7 Due to related parties 214.5 222.9 Third party borrowings 85.0 90.0 Other liabilities 364.1 355.6 Total liabilities 763.6 848.2 Total equity 176.2 165.9 Total liabilities and equity 939.8 1,014.1 Third party borrowings trailing twelve months Adjusted EBITDA 0.4 x 0.4 x

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Investment Performance

Table 4 below presents a summary of the Company's investment performance as of March 31, 2016, December 31, 2015 and March 31, 2015. Performance is shown on a revenue-weighted basis, an equal-weighted basis and an asset-weighted basis. Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes" for further information on the calculation of performance.

Table 4: Investment Performance Revenue-Weighted March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 March 31, 2015 1-Year 46 60 55 3-Year 68 83 70 5-Year 77 92 77 Equal-Weighted March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 March 31, 2015 1-Year 63 72 57 3-Year 82 83 82 5-Year 84 88 88 Asset-Weighted March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 March 31, 2015 1-Year 53 72 43 3-Year 66 73 58 5-Year 65 91 64

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

As of March 31, 2016, assets representing 46%, 68% and 77% of revenue were outperforming benchmarks on a 1-, 3- and 5- year basis, respectively, compared to 60%, 83% and 92% at December 31, 2015 and 55%, 70% and 77% at March 31, 2015. The decline in one-year results compared to December 31, 2015 was primarily related to underperformance in large cap value products in the volatile markets of Q1 2016 and growth equity headwinds in non-U.S. markets during this period, combined with the rolling off of strong performance in Q1 2015. The three year decline was primarily related to the rolling off of exceptional Q1 2013 performance in certain global/non-U.S. products.

Financial Results: U.S. GAAP

Table 5 below presents the Company's U.S. GAAP Statement of Operations. For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, diluted earnings per share was $0.26 and $0.28, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, net income was $30.8 million and $34.2 million, respectively, a decrease of $(3.4) million, or (9.9)%. For the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2015, U.S. GAAP revenue decreased $(11.0) million, or (6.8)%, from $160.6 million to $149.6 million, primarily as a result of a decline in average assets and lower performance fees. Expenses decreased $(7.6) million, or (6.5)%, from $116.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015, to $108.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016, primarily as a result of decreases in both variable compensation and the revaluation of Affiliate equity and profit interests.

Table 5: U.S. GAAP Statement of Operations ($ in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, Increase (Decrease) 2016 2015 Management fees 149.6 156.9 (7.3 (4.7 Performance fees 3.6 (3.6 (100.0 Other revenue 0.1 (0.1 (100.0 Total revenue 149.6 160.6 (11.0 (6.8 Compensation and benefits (see Table 6) 84.6 94.8 (10.2 (10.8 General and administrative 21.8 19.8 2.0 10.1 Depreciation and amortization 2.2 1.6 0.6 37.5 Total expenses 108.6 116.2 (7.6 (6.5 Operating income 41.0 44.4 (3.4 (7.7 Investment income 3.5 2.7 0.8 29.6 Interest expense (0.5 (0.9 0.4 44.4 Income from continuing operations before taxes 44.0 46.2 (2.2 (4.8 Income tax expense 13.4 12.2 1.2 9.8 Income from continuing operations 30.6 34.0 (3.4 (10.0 Gain on disposal of discontinued operations, net of tax 0.2 0.2 Net income 30.8 34.2 (3.4 (9.9 Earnings per share, basic, 0.26 0.28 (0.02 (7.1 Earnings per share, diluted, 0.26 0.28 (0.02 (7.1 Basic shares outstanding (in millions) 120.0 120.0 Diluted shares outstanding (in millions) 120.0 120.4 U.S. GAAP operating margin 27 28 (24) bps Pre-tax income from continuing operations 44.0 46.2 (2.2 (4.8 Net income from continuing operations 30.6 34.0 (3.4 (10.0

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 6: Components of U.S. GAAP Compensation Expense ($ in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, Increase (Decrease) 2016 2015 Fixed compensation and benefits* 35.4 33.5 1.9 5.7 Sales-based compensation 4.8 4.6 0.2 4.3 Variable compensation** 37.4 43.4 (6.0 (13.8 Affiliate key employee distributions*** 8.3 8.5 (0.2 (2.4 Non-cash Affiliate key employee equity revaluations (1.3 4.8 (6.1 n/m Total U.S. GAAP compensation expense 84.6 94.8 (10.2 (10.8

* Agrees to ENI fixed compensation and benefits

** Agrees to ENI variable compensation

*** Agrees to ENI Affiliate key employee distributions

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Financial Results: Non-GAAP Economic Net Income

For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, diluted economic net income per share was $0.27 and $0.31, respectively, on economic net income of $32.0 million and $37.3 million, respectively, a decrease of $(5.3) million, or (14.2)%. See Table 7 for a reconciliation of U.S. GAAP net income to economic net income.

ENI revenue (see Table 8) decreased $(10.4) million or (6.4)%, from $163.3 million to $152.9 million, driven primarily by a (4.7)% decrease in management fees from $156.9 million to $149.6 million. Average assets under management in those respective periods, excluding equity-accounted Affiliates (see Table 12), decreased (7.4)% to $178.8 billion, while the bps yield on these assets rose from 33.0 bps to 33.7 bps primarily due to an increase in the mix of higher fee rate products. Net performance fees were $0.0 million for the current quarter, as a result of volatile markets and management fee adjustments in certain sub-advisory accounts. During a quarter of market uncertainty, OMAM made a conscious decision to continue investing in its business, despite the decline of revenue. Total ENI operating expenses (see Table 9) grew 7.6% to $64.0 million, from $59.5 million in the prior-year quarter. Total operating expenses as a percentage of management fee revenue increased to 42.8% for the three months ended March 31, 2016, from 37.9% in the prior year period, in part due to the decline of revenue during the period. Of the $4.5 million increase in operating expense between the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, $1.9 million was due to fixed compensation and benefits, primarily as a result of hires made in 2015 and annual cost of living increases, with the remainder mostly related to technology investments and new initiatives. The first quarter typically has higher costs as a result of seasonal expenses and the Company expects the ratio of expenses to management fees to fall during the remainder of 2016, primarily due to market driven increases in management fees. Total variable compensation fell (13.8)% quarter-over-quarter from $43.4 million to $37.4 million and the ENI variable compensation ratio remained flat at approximately 42%. While the sum of operating expense and variable compensation declined $(1.5) million, or (1.5)% quarter-over-quarter, the greater (6.4)% decrease in revenue over this period resulted in a decline in OMAM's ENI operating margin to 33.7% from 37.0%. Affiliate key employee distributions decreased (2.4)% quarter-over-quarter, from $8.5 million to $8.3 million, due to lower ENI operating earnings. The ratio of Affiliate key employee distributions over ENI operating earnings was 16.1%, compared to 14.1% in the year-ago quarter, primarily due to the allocation of performance fee revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2015. Net interest expense was $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to net interest expense of $0.9 million in the prior-year period.

For the three months ended March 31, 2016, Adjusted EBITDA was $45.3 million, down (15.3)% compared to $53.5 million for the same period of 2015. See Table 21 for a reconciliation of U.S. GAAP net income to EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and ENI.

Table 7: Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP Net Income to Economic Net Income ($ in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 U.S. GAAP net income 30.8 34.2 Adjustments to reflect the economic earnings of the Company: i. Non-cash key employee-owned equity and profit interest revaluations (1.3 4.8 ii. Amortization and impairment of goodwill and acquired intangible assets 0.1 iii. Capital transaction costs 0.1 iv. Discontinued operations and restructuring (0.2 (0.2 v. ENI tax normalization 2.0 0.4 Tax effect of above adjustments, as applicable* 0.5 (1.9 Economic net income 32.0 37.3

* Reflects the sum of lines i., ii. and iii, multiplied by the 40.2% U.S. statutory tax rate (including state tax).

See Table 18 for a per-share presentation of the above reconciliation

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

The following table identifies the components of ENI revenue:

Table 8: Components of ENI revenue ($ in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, Increase (Decrease) 2016 2015 Management fees 149.6 156.9 (7.3 (4.7 Performance fees 3.6 (3.6 (100.0 Other income, including equity-accounted Affiliates 3.3 2.8 0.5 17.9 ENI revenue 152.9 163.3 (10.4 (6.4

See Table 19 for a reconciliation from U.S. GAAP revenue to ENI revenue

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

The following table identifies the components of ENI operating expense:

Table 9: Components of ENI operating expense ($ in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, Increase (Decrease) 2016 2015 Fixed compensation benefits 35.4 33.5 1.9 5.7 General and administrative expenses 26.5 24.4 2.1 8.6 Depreciation and amortization 2.1 1.6 0.5 31.3 ENI operating expense 64.0 59.5 4.5 7.6

See Table 20 for a reconciliation from U.S. GAAP operating expense to ENI operating expense

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

The following tables show our key non-GAAP operating metrics for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015. We present these metrics because they are the measures our management uses to evaluate the profitability of our business and are useful to investors because they represent the key drivers and measures of economic performance within our business model. Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes" for an explanation of each ratio and its usefulness in measuring the economics and operating performance of our business.

Table 10: Key ENI operating metrics ($ in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Increase

(Decrease) Numerator: ENI operating earnings* 51.5 60.4 (14.7 Denominator: ENI revenue 152.9 163.3 (6.4 ENI operating margin 34 37 (331) bps Numerator: ENI operating expense 64.0 59.5 7.6 Denominator: ENI management fee revenue 149.6 156.9 (4.7 ENI operating expense ratio 43 38 486 bps Numerator: ENI variable compensation 37.4 43.4 (13.8 Denominator: ENI earnings before variable compensation** 88.9 103.8 (14.4 ENI variable compensation ratio 42 42 26 bps Numerator: Affiliate key employee distributions 8.3 8.5 (2.4 Denominator: ENI operating earnings* 51.5 60.4 (14.7 ENI Affiliate key employee distributions ratio 16 14 204 bps Numerator: Tax on economic net income 10.9 13.7 (20.4 Denominator: Pre-tax economic net income 42.9 51.0 (15.9 Economic net income effective tax rate 25.4 26.9 (145) bps

* ENI operating earnings represents ENI earnings before Affiliate key employee distributions and is calculated as ENI revenue, less ENI operating expense, less ENI variable compensation.

** ENI earnings before variable compensation is calculated as ENI revenue, less ENI operating expense.

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Recent Events

On April 29, 2016, at the Company's Annual General Meeting, shareholders (excluding Old Mutual plc) authorized a form of contract by which OMAM would be permitted to repurchase shares directly from Old Mutual plc.

Dividend Declaration

The Company's Board of Directors approved a quarterly interim dividend of $0.08 per share payable on June 30, 2016 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 17, 2016.

About OMAM

OMAM is a global, multi-boutique asset management company with $218.0 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2016. Its diverse Affiliates offer leading, alpha generating investment products to investors around the world. OMAM's partnership approach, which includes equity ownership at the Affiliate level and a profit sharing relationship between OMAM and its Affiliates, aligns the interests of the Company and its Affiliates to work collaboratively in accelerating their growth. OMAM's business model combines the investment talent, entrepreneurialism, focus and creativity of leading asset management boutiques with the resources and capabilities of a larger firm. For more information about OMAM, please visit the Company's website at www.omam.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements, as that term is used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including information relating to anticipated growth in revenues, margins or earnings, anticipated changes in the Company's business, anticipated future performance of the Company's business, anticipated future investment performance of the Company's Affiliates, expected future net cash flows, anticipated expense levels, changes in expense, the expected effects of acquisitions and expectations regarding market conditions. The words or phrases ''will likely result,'' ''are expected to,'' ''will continue,'' ''is anticipated,'' ''can be,'' ''may be,'' ''aim to,'' ''may affect,'' ''may depend,'' ''intends,'' ''expects,'' ''believes,'' ''estimate,'' ''project,'' and other similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties and readers should be cautioned that any forward-looking information provided by or on behalf of the Company is not a guarantee of future performance.

Actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control, including but not limited to those discussed above and elsewhere in this press release and in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2016. Due to such risks and uncertainties and other factors, the Company cautions each person receiving such forward-looking information not to place undue reliance on such statements. Further, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligations to update any forward looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Conference Call Dial-in

The Company will hold a conference call and simultaneous webcast to discuss the results at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on May 5, 2016. The Company has also released an earnings presentation that will be discussed during the conference call. Please go to http://ir.omam.com to download the presentation. To listen to the call or view the webcast, participants should:

Dial-in:

Toll Free Dial-in Number: (877) 201-0168

International Dial-in Number: (647) 788-4901

Conference ID: 60328973

Link to Webcast:

http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1143935&s=1&k=570614F5895521929822B87E4EDB93E7

Dial-in Replay:

A replay of the call will be available beginning approximately one hour after its conclusion either on OMAM's website, at http://ir.omam.com or at:

Toll Free Dial-in Number: (855) 859-2056

International Dial-in Number: (404) 537-3406

Conference ID: 60328973

Financial Tables

Table 11: Assets Under Management Rollforward by Asset Class ($ in billions, unless otherwise noted) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 June 30, 2015 March 31, 2015 U.S. equity Beginning balance 76.9 75.1 85.4 85.5 87.3 Gross inflows 3.1 1.1 1.3 2.3 0.9 Gross outflows (2.4 (3.0 (4.9 (3.2 (3.4 Net flows 0.7 (1.9 (3.6 (0.9 (2.5 Market appreciation (depreciation) 0.5 3.7 (6.7 0.8 0.7 Other 0.5 Ending balance 78.6 76.9 75.1 85.4 85.5 Average AUM 75.7 77.9 80.8 86.0 86.0 Global non-U.S. equity Beginning balance 84.8 82.4 90.7 88.1 84.0 Gross inflows 4.2 3.3 3.3 3.2 4.4 Gross outflows (2.4 (3.9 (2.0 (2.3 (2.6 Net flows 1.8 (0.6 1.3 0.9 1.8 Market appreciation (depreciation) 1.3 3.0 (9.6 1.1 2.3 Other 0.4 0.6 Ending balance 88.3 84.8 82.4 90.7 88.1 Average AUM 83.5 85.7 86.9 90.8 86.1 Fixed income Beginning balance 13.8 14.7 14.8 15.3 15.2 Gross inflows 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.4 Gross outflows (0.6 (0.7 (0.5 (0.4 (0.6 Net flows (0.4 (0.5 (0.2 0.1 (0.2 Market appreciation (depreciation) 0.7 (0.1 0.1 (0.6 0.3 Other (0.3 Ending balance 14.1 13.8 14.7 14.8 15.3 Average AUM 13.9 14.3 14.8 15.2 15.4 Alternative, real estate timber Beginning balance 36.9 36.5 35.7 35.1 34.3 Gross inflows 1.9 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.3 Gross outflows (0.3 (0.5 (0.4 (0.6 (0.3 Hard asset disposals (1.3 (1.0 (0.9 (0.2 (0.3 Net flows 0.3 (0.2 0.7 0.7 Market appreciation (depreciation) 0.6 0.6 0.8 (0.2 0.1 Other (0.8 0.1 Ending balance 37.0 36.9 36.5 35.7 35.1 Average AUM 37.4 36.7 36.1 35.2 34.8 Total Beginning balance 212.4 208.7 226.6 224.0 220.8 Gross inflows 9.4 5.9 6.2 7.5 7.0 Gross outflows (5.7 (8.1 (7.8 (6.5 (6.9 Hard asset disposals (1.3 (1.0 (0.9 (0.2 (0.3 Net flows 2.4 (3.2 (2.5 0.8 (0.2 Market appreciation (depreciation) 3.1 7.2 (15.4 1.1 3.4 Other 0.1 (0.3 0.7 Ending balance 218.0 212.4 208.7 226.6 224.0 Average AUM 210.5 214.6 218.6 227.2 222.3 Basis points: inflows 37.7 45.4 45.6 46.1 46.6 Basis points: outflows 40.0 36.7 31.6 31.4 29.5 Annualized revenue impact of net flows (in millions) 7.3 (6.6 0.7 13.5 11.3 Derived average weighted NCCF 2.1 (1.9 0.2 3.9 3.3

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 12: Management Fee Revenue and Average Fee Rates on Assets Under Management ($ in millions, except AUM data in billions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 September 30, 2015 June 30, 2015 March 31, 2015 Revenue Basis Pts Revenue Basis Pts Revenue Basis Pts Revenue Basis Pts Revenue Basis Pts U.S. equity 47.4 25 48.5 25 52.9 26 52.2 24 51.8 24 Global non-U.S. equity 87.6 42 91.3 42 89.5 41 96.1 42 89.3 42 Fixed income 7.2 21 7.1 20 7.7 21 8.3 22 8.2 22 Alternative, real estate timber 39.3 42 40.8 44 39.9 44 37.9 43 37.1 43 Weighted average fee rate on average AUM 181.5 34.7 187.7 34.7 190.0 34.5 194.5 34.3 186.4 34.0 Less: Revenue from equity-accounted Affiliates (31.9 (30.7 (31.6 (29.6 (29.5 Management fee revenue 149.6 33.7 157.0 33.8 158.4 33.3 164.9 33.5 156.9 33.0 Average AUM 210.5 214.6 218.6 227.2 222.3 Average AUM excluding equity-accounted Affiliates 178.8 184.1 188.5 197.5 193.0

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 13: Assets Under Management by Strategy ($ in billions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 March 31, 2015 U.S. equity, small/smid cap 7.0 6.9 8.1 U.S. equity, mid cap value 10.1 9.5 9.9 U.S. equity, large cap value 58.4 57.4 62.8 U.S. equity, core/blend 3.1 3.1 4.7 Total U.S. equity 78.6 76.9 85.5 Global equity 30.2 29.4 30.3 International equity 38.0 37.0 34.7 Emerging markets equity 20.1 18.4 23.1 Total global/non-U.S. equity 88.3 84.8 88.1 Fixed income 14.1 13.8 15.3 Alternative, real estate timber 37.0 36.9 35.1 Total assets under management 218.0 212.4 224.0

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 14: Assets Under Management by Affiliate ($ in billions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 March 31, 2015 Acadian Asset Management 69.6 66.8 73.0 Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney Strauss 90.3 89.2 97.6 Campbell Global 4.9 6.3 6.8 Copper Rock Capital Partners 4.9 4.7 3.7 Heitman* 30.6 29.1 27.4 Investment Counselors of Maryland* 1.8 1.8 2.2 Thompson, Siegel Walmsley 15.9 14.5 13.3 Total assets under management 218.0 212.4 224.0

*Equity-accounted Affiliates

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 15: Assets Under Management by Client Type ($ in billions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 March 31, 2015 AUM % of total AUM % of total AUM % of total Sub-advisory 71.6 32.8 69.0 32.5 73.7 32.9 Corporate Union 43.7 20.0 42.9 20.2 44.1 19.7 Public Government 69.7 32.0 68.9 32.4 74.0 33.0 Endowment Foundation 4.5 2.1 4.4 2.1 4.1 1.8 Old Mutual Group 3.6 1.7 3.6 1.7 4.1 1.8 Commingled Trust/UCITS 14.9 6.8 14.0 6.6 14.3 6.4 Mutual Fund 2.3 1.1 2.5 1.2 3.0 1.4 Other 7.7 3.5 7.1 3.3 6.7 3.0 Total Assets Under Management 218.0 212.4 224.0

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 16: AUM by Client Location ($ in billions) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 March 31, 2015 AUM % of total AUM % of total AUM % of total U.S. 175.1 80.3 171.8 80.9 179.1 80.0 Europe 14.1 6.5 14.1 6.6 15.9 7.1 Asia 12.1 5.6 11.8 5.6 11.9 5.3 Middle East 0.3 0.1 0.3 0.1 4.1 1.8 Australia 6.6 3.0 6.1 2.9 4.9 2.2 Other 9.8 4.5 8.3 3.9 8.1 3.6 Total Assets Under Management 218.0 212.4 224.0

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 17: AUM NCCF, Annualized Revenue Impact of NCCF, Fee Rates and Derived Average Weighted NCCF AUM NCCF ($ billions) Annualized Revenue Impact of NCCF ($ millions) Weighted Average

Fee Rate on Total

Average AUM (bps) Derived Average

Weighted NCCF ($ billions) 2013 Q1 3.0 11.6 34.6 3.4 Q2 3.2 8.6 33.4 2.6 Q3 1.0 5.8 33.4 1.7 Q4 3.3 16.5 33.5 4.9 2014 Q1 (1.0 (3.0 33.7 (0.9 Q2 3.6 18.4 33.5 5.5 Q3 3.1 19.1 33.1 5.8 Q4 3.8 20.0 32.9 6.1 2015 Q1 (0.2 11.3 34.0 3.3 Q2 0.8 13.5 34.3 3.9 Q3 (2.5 0.7 34.5 0.2 Q4 (3.2 (6.6 34.7 (1.9 2016 Q1 2.4 7.3 34.7 2.1

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 18: Reconciliation of per-share U.S. GAAP Net Income to Economic Net Income ($ in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 U.S. GAAP net income per share 0.26 0.28 Adjustments to reflect the economic earnings of the Company: i. Non-cash key employee-owned equity and profit interest revaluations (0.01 0.04 ii. Amortization and impairment of goodwill and acquired intangible assets iii. Capital transaction costs iv. Discontinued operations and restructuring v. ENI tax normalization 0.02 Tax effect of above adjustments, as applicable (0.01 Economic net income per share 0.27 0.31

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 19: Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP revenue to ENI revenue ($ in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 U.S. GAAP revenue 149.6 160.6 Include investment return on equity-accounted Affiliates 3.3 2.7 ENI revenue 152.9 163.3

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 20: Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP operating expense to ENI operating expense ($ in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 U.S. GAAP operating expense 108.6 116.2 Less: items excluded from economic net income Affiliate key employee equity revaluations 1.3 (4.8 Amortization of acquired intangible assets (0.1 Capital Transaction Costs (0.1 Less: items segregated out of U.S. GAAP operating expense Variable compensation (37.4 (43.4 Affiliate key employee distributions (8.3 (8.5 ENI operating expense 64.0 59.5

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 21: Reconciliation of Net Income to EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Economic Net Income ($ in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Net income 30.8 34.2 Net interest expense 0.5 0.9 Income tax expense (including tax expenses related to discontinued operations) 13.5 12.2 Depreciation and amortization (including discontinued operations) 2.1 1.6 EBITDA 46.9 48.9 Non-cash compensation costs associated with revaluation of Affiliate key employee-owned

equity and profit-sharing interests (1.3 4.8 EBITDA of discontinued operations (0.3 (0.2 Investment gains (0.1 Capital transaction costs 0.1 Adjusted EBITDA 45.3 53.5 Net interest expense to third parties (0.3 (0.9 Depreciation and amortization (2.1 (1.6 Tax on economic net income (10.9 (13.7 Economic net income 32.0 37.3

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Table 22: Calculation of ENI Effective Tax Rate ($ in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Pre-tax economic net income(1) 42.9 51.0 Intercompany interest expense deductible for U.S. tax purposes (17.7 (17.5 Taxable economic net income 25.2 33.5 Taxes at the U.S. federal and statutory rates(2) (10.1 (13.5 Other reconciling tax adjustments (0.8 (0.2 Tax on economic net income (10.9 (13.7 Add back intercompany interest expense previously excluded 17.7 17.5 Economic net income 32.0 37.3 Economic net income effective tax rate(3) 25.4 26.9

(1) Pre-tax economic net income is shown before intercompany interest and tax expenses

(2) Taxed at U.S. Federal and Statutory rate of 40.2%

(3) The economic net income effective tax rate is calculated by dividing the tax on economic net income by pre-tax economic net income.

Please see "Definitions and Additional Notes"

Definitions and Additional Notes

References to "OMAM" or the "Company" refer to OM Asset Management plc; references to the "Parent" or "Old Mutual" refer to Old Mutual plc. OMAM operates its business through seven boutique asset management firms (the "Affiliates"). OMAM's distribution activities are conducted in various jurisdictions through affiliated companies in accordance with local regulatory requirements.

Economic Net Income

The Company uses a non-GAAP performance measure referred to as economic net income ("ENI") to represent its view of the underlying economic earnings of the business. ENI is used to make resource allocation decisions, determine appropriate levels of investment or dividend payout, manage balance sheet leverage, determine Affiliate variable compensation and equity distributions, and incentivize management. The Company's ENI adjustments to U.S. GAAP include both reclassifications of U.S. GAAP revenue and expense items, as well as adjustments to U.S. GAAP results, primarily to exclude non-cash, non-economic expenses, or to reflect cash benefits not recognized under U.S. GAAP.

The Company re-categorizes certain line items on the income statement to:

include the Company's share of earnings from equity-accounted Affiliates within other income, rather than investment income;

treat sales-based compensation as a general and administrative expense, rather than part of fixed compensation and benefits;

identify separately from operating expenses, variable compensation and Affiliate key employee distributions, which represent Affiliate earnings shared with Affiliate key employees.

The Company also makes the following adjustments to U.S. GAAP results to more closely reflect its economic results by excluding:

i. non-cash expenses representing changes in the value of Affiliate equity and profit interests held by Affiliate key employees. These ownerships interests may in certain circumstances be repurchased by OMAM at a value based on a pre-determined fixed multiple of trailing earnings and as such this value is carried on the Company's balance sheet as a liability. Non-cash movements in the value of this liability are treated as compensation expense under U.S. GAAP. However, any equity or profit interests repurchased by OMAM can be used to fund a portion of future variable compensation awards, resulting in savings in cash variable compensation that offset the negative cash effect of repurchasing the equity.

ii. non-cash amortization or impairment expenses related to acquired goodwill and other intangibles as these are non-cash charges that do not result in an outflow of tangible economic benefits from the business.

iii. capital transaction costs, including the costs of raising debt or equity, gains or losses realized as a result of redeeming debt or equity and direct incremental costs associated with acquisitions of businesses or assets.

iv. the results of discontinued operations since they are not part of the Company's ongoing business, and restructuring costs incurred in continuing operations which represent an exit from a distinct product or line of business.

v. deferred tax resulting from changes in tax law and expiration of statutes, adjustments for uncertain tax positions, deferred tax attributable to intangible assets and other unusual items not related to current operating results to reflect ENI tax normalization.

The Company adjusts its income tax expense to reflect any tax impact of its ENI adjustments. Please see Table 7 for a reconciliation of U.S. GAAP net income to economic net income.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as economic net income before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. The Company notes that its calculation of Adjusted EBITDA may not be consistent with Adjusted EBITDA as calculated by other companies. The Company believes Adjusted EBITDA is a useful liquidity metric because it indicates the Company's ability to make further investments in its business, service debt and meet working capital requirements. Please see Table 21 for a reconciliation of U.S. GAAP net income to EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and ENI.

Methodologies for calculating investment performance(1)

Revenue-weighted investment performance measures the percentage of management fee revenue generated by Affiliate strategies which are beating benchmarks. It calculates each strategy's percentage weight by taking its estimated composite revenue over total composite revenues in each period, then sums the total percentage of revenue for strategies outperforming.

Equal-weighted investment performance measures the percentage of Affiliates' scale strategies (defined as strategies with greater than $100 million of AUM) beating benchmarks. Each outperforming strategy over $100 million has the same weight; the calculation sums the number of strategies outperforming relative to the total number of composites over $100 million.

Asset-weighted investment performance measures the percentage of AUM in strategies beating benchmarks. It calculates each strategy's percentage weight by taking its composite AUM over total composite AUM in each period, then sums the total percentage of AUM for strategies outperforming.

______________________

(1) Barrow Hanley's Windsor II Large Cap Value account AUM and return are separated from Barrow Hanley's Large Cap Value composite in revenue-weighted, equal-weighted and asset-weighted outperformance percentage calculations.

ENI Operating Earnings

ENI operating earnings represents ENI earnings before Affiliate key employee distributions and is calculated as ENI revenue, less ENI operating expense, less ENI variable compensation. It differs from economic net income because it does not include the effects of Affiliate key employee distributions, net interest expense or income tax expense.

ENI Operating Margin

The ENI operating margin, which is calculated before Affiliate key employee distributions, is used by management and is useful to investors to evaluate the overall operating margin of the business without regard to our various ownership levels at each of the Affiliates. ENI operating margin is a non-GAAP efficiency measure, calculated based on ENI operating earnings divided by ENI revenue. The ENI operating margin is most comparable to our U.S. GAAP operating margin.

ENI management fee revenue

ENI Management fee revenue corresponds to U.S. GAAP management fee revenue.

ENI operating expense ratio

The ENI operating expense ratio is used by management and is useful to investors to evaluate the level of operating expense as measured against our recurring management fee revenue. We have provided this ratio since many operating expenses, including fixed compensation benefits and general and administrative expense, are generally linked to the overall size of the business. We track this ratio as a key measure of scale economies at OMAM because in our profit sharing economic model, scale benefits both the Affiliate employees and OMAM shareholders.

ENI earnings before variable compensation

ENI earnings before variable compensation is calculated as ENI revenue, less ENI operating expense.

ENI variable compensation ratio

The ENI variable compensation ratio is calculated as variable compensation divided by ENI earnings before variable compensation. It is used by management and is useful to investors to evaluate consolidated variable compensation as measured against our ENI earnings before variable compensation. Variable compensation is usually awarded based on a contractual percentage of each Affiliate's ENI earnings before variable compensation and may be paid in the form of cash or non-cash Affiliate equity or profit interests. Center variable compensation includes cash and OMAM equity. Non-cash variable compensation awards typically vest over several years and are recognized as compensation expense over that service period. The variable compensation ratio at each Affiliate will typically be between 25% and 30%.

ENI Affiliate key employee distribution ratio

The Affiliate key employee distribution ratio is calculated as Affiliate key employee distributions divided by ENI operating earnings. The ENI Affiliate key employee distribution ratio is used by management and is useful to investors to evaluate Affiliate key employee distributions as measured against our ENI operating earnings. Affiliate key employee distributions represent the share of Affiliate profits after variable compensation that is attributable to Affiliate key employee equity and profit interests holders, according to their ownership interests. At certain Affiliates, OMUS is entitled to an initial preference over profits after variable compensation, structured such that before a preference threshold is reached, there would be no required key employee distributions, whereas for profits above the threshold the key employee distribution amount would be calculated based on the key employee ownership percentages, which range from approximately 15% to 35% at our consolidated Affiliates.

U.S. GAAP operating margin

U.S. GAAP operating margin equals operating income from continuing operations divided by total revenue.

Annualized Revenue Impact of Net Flows ("NCCF")

Annualized revenue impact of net flows represents the difference between annualized management fees expected to be earned on new accounts and net assets contributed to existing accounts, less the annualized management fees lost on terminated accounts or net assets withdrawn from existing accounts, including equity-accounted Affiliates. Annualized revenue is calculated by multiplying the annual gross fee rate for the relevant account by the net assets gained in the account in the event of a positive flow or the net assets lost in the account in the event of an outflow.

Hard asset disposals

Net flows in Table 1, Table 2 and Table 11 include hard asset disposals made by OMAM's Affiliates. This category is made up of investment-driven asset dispositions made by Heitman, a real estate manager, or Campbell, a timber manager.

Derived average weighted NCCF

Derived average weighted NCCF reflects the implied NCCF if annualized revenue impact of net flows represents asset flows at the weighted fee rate for OMAM overall (i.e. 34.7 bps in Q1 '16). For example, NCCF annualized revenue impact of $7.3 million divided by the average weighted fee rate of OMAM's overall AUM of 34.7 bps equals the derived average weighted NCCF of $2.1 billion.

n/m

"Not meaningful."

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005825/en/

Contacts:

OMAM

Brett Perryman, 617-369-7300

ir@omam.com
Wipro Ltd. (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today announced that it has been chosen by Thames Water, the United Kingdom's largest water and waste water services provider, to transform the utility company's customer service and retail billing capabilities.

Thames Water serves 15 million customers in London and the Thames Valley region. As part of this multi-year contract, Wipro will be developing new IT systems and processes to help Thames Water improve customer experience and drive operational efficiencies.

A significant objective of this transformation programme is to enable Thames Water to compete effectively in the new Open Water deregulated market. From April 2017, 1.2 million business non-household customers in the United Kingdom will have the right to choose their water supplier, making it the largest retail water market in the world.

To achieve this milestone, Wipro will help Thames Water implement a fast-paced SAP industry solution for utilities billing, along with a new market integration gateway and a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform using SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer. This deployment will leverage the SAP-qualified Wipro SaFeWater Rapid Deployment Solution, which has pre-built water industry-specific business processes to support the accelerated delivery of complex transformations.

This programme will replace a twenty-year old legacy billing platform and is designed to help simplify customer experience and introduce greater flexibility for Thames Water, which are much needed for an agile and digital retail business of the future.

Wipro is working in partnership with EY, to support the business change and readiness aspect of this transformation programme.

Speaking about this programme, Ian Cain, Managing Director, Customer Service and Retail, Thames Water, said, "We have embarked upon an energised journey to improve customer satisfaction and the efficacy of services that our customers derive from our business. As part of this journey, we are extremely pleased to partner with Wipro to transform our retail business processes and the underlying technology platform. The integrated solution that will be rolled out is intended to help Thames Water capture a single and unified view of each customer and will thereby, provide us with deeper insights about them, through analytics. This will enable us to have more meaningful interactions with our customers and help us serve them better."

Anand Padmanabhan, President, Energy, Natural Resources, Utilities Construction SBU, Wipro Limited, said, "This is an important partnership for us and we are excited about helping Thames Water transform its Retail business. This engagement will leverage our strategic alliance with SAP and will draw upon insights from our experience of working with 20+ water utility clients, across the globe. Wipro SaFeWater, an SAP-qualified rapid-deployment solution for water utilities, will help fast track delivery and reduce the risks and costs associated with a retail transformation of this scale."

Stephen Church, Energy Markets Leader, Advisory, EY said, "EY is proud to support Wipro and Thames Water in transforming the utility company's Retail business and positioning Thames Water strongly for the market opening in 2017."

Note: This deal was mentioned in Wipro Limited's financial results announcement press release, dated April 20, 2016, for the quarter ended March 31, 2015 (Q4 FY15-16), with a description of Thames Water, but without naming the company.

About Wipro Ltd.

Wipro Ltd. (NYSE:WIT) is a leading information technology, consulting and business process services company that delivers solutions to enable its clients to do business better. Wipro delivers winning business outcomes through its deep industry experience and a 360 degree view of "Business through Technology." By combining digital strategy, customer centric design, advanced analytics and product engineering approach, Wipro helps its clients create successful and adaptive businesses. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, Wipro has a dedicated workforce of over 160,000, serving clients in 175+ cities across 6 continents. For more information, please visit www.wipro.com.

About Thames Water:

Thames Water is Britain's biggest water and sewerage company, serving London and the Thames Valley. Thames Water recycles 15 million people's wastewater safely back to the environment. That's 4,300m litres of sewage a day 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Its tap water quality is among the best of the 10 major suppliers in the UK, according to the standards watchdog, the Drinking Water Inspectorate. The company supplies 9 million customers with 2,600m litres a day, on average, and carries out half a million quality tests every year.

Visit www.thameswater.co.uk.

Note:

SAP, Hybris, SAP HANA and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices.

All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Forward-looking and Cautionary Statements

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property, and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005851/en/

Contacts:

Wipro Limited

Subhashini Pattabhiraman

subhashini.pattabhiraman@wipro.com

or

Thames Water

Stuart White, +44 (0) 20 3577 4364

stuart.white@thameswater.co.uk
HKTDC Communication and Public Affairs Department Joe Kainz Tel: +852 2584 4216 Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org

HONG KONG, May 5, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - The seventh HKTDC Hong Kong International Medical Devices and Supplies Fair concluded its successful three-day run today. Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and co-organised by the Hong Kong Medical and Healthcare Device Industries Association (HKMHDIA), the fair welcomed more than 10,000 buyers, a slight increase of 1.2 per cent over the previous year.Watch our fair video here: https://youtu.be/kIDPeEj83sc"With the advancement in medical technologies and the global trend of an ageing population, there is immense growth potential in the medical supplies and products market," said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau. "The Medical Fair showcased a wide selection of medical supplies and attracted exhibitors and buyers from all over the world. This year, buyer attendance from such places as the United States, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore recorded satisfactory growth, an indication of the Asian market's flourishing demand for medical products and services."Strong demand in the silver marketThe United Nations estimates that, by 2050, there would be 2.1 billion people aged 60 or above, accounting for 25 per cent of the world's population. This trend has boosted demand for healthcare products tailored to elderly care and rehabilitation and buyers at the Medical Fair were keen to source such products.Eyeing the massive business opportunities related to the silver market, Delta Pyramax Engineering Ltd. from Hong Kong, which previously specialised in the building-related materials business, has extended its scope to include the distribution of medical devices over the past decade. At the fair this year, the company displayed an electric and ergonomic toilet aid from the Netherlands, designed for the elderly and patients with limited mobility. Webby Lau, the company's Marketing Manager said, "Our company has been participating in the Medical Fair for the past few years. Traffic is good at this year's fair. We have met many potential customers whose response to elderly products was better than last year. We will continue to explore business cooperation with these new contacts in the hope of establishing long-term relationships with them."There is a growing trend of people at an early age being diagnosed with dementia. Hong Kong's Janley Ltd. showcased its German Memoriana Dementia Room Concept at its debut exhibition this year. This room-setting service can simulate a patient's home environment in a hospital room with rehabilitation features added to the room's furnishings. The company's Managing Director, Jeffrey Tai, said, "There is a growing demand for elderly home care and rehabilitation products. Many local hospitals and elderly homes have come to us and expressed strong interest in our products. We are in talks with a number of new and existing customers to develop business opportunities and we are positive about growth in the elderly medical supplies market."Household medical products sought afterThis year's Medical Fair welcomed more than 260 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions. Fifteen product zones showcased a variety of healthcare equipment, products and services and provided an important business platform for the healthcare industry.Household medical products and services are becoming more common. Hong Kong exhibitor Illies East Asia Ltd. exhibited its mobile electrocardiograph (ECG) device. By simply placing the device on the user's finger or chest, it can take an ECG reading in just 30 seconds. The records can also be shared with medical professionals immediately via a mobile app. Sebastian Behler, Illies's Department Director, Healthcare Technologies, said, "We've received strong enquiries from a lot of buyers from different places about this product, including buyers from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, India, Malaysia and Ireland. Some of them have bought samples from us. The results are very encouraging and we are positive about the prospects for further business development."A first-time exhibitor APL Group Pty Ltd. from Australia sells and distributes healthcare and medical equipment in Australia and the Asia Pacific region, with a focus on automated external defibrillators (AEDs). General Manager Julian Cosgrave said the Medical Fair has helped his company explore the Hong Kong and Asia Pacific markets. "Many buyers have expressed keen interest in our products, including those from Hong Kong, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. The fair really opens up business opportunities and increases the industry's awareness about AEDs." Mr Cosgrave said the Medical Fair has successfully brought together a large number of buyers and he was very impressed with the results. He hopes to return to the fair annually to grow the brand's presence in the region.Also making its debut at the fair was Sweden's ENTpro AB, a manufacturer and supplier of medical devices sold in Europe, the US and Japan. The company spotlighted a series of devices for people suffering from nasal allergies. These included a nasal rinsing devise and an innovative solution to stop snoring. Peter Ahnblad, Founder of ENTpro AB, said he considered the Medical Fair helpful for companies entering the Asian markets and particularly Hong Kong. He said, "We have received overwhelming responses from retailers and distributors enquiring about our products, including buyers from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and the Chinese mainland. At least four Hong Kong companies have expressed interest in distributing our products. We will decide on the right partners going forward."Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a high-tech medical and pharmaceutical company based in Guangzhou, coming to source at the fair. The company specialises in manufacturing Chinese medicine and medical research. Engineer Shi Zhi Wei said the company was actively expanding in the fields of life science and precise medical treatment. They joined the fair to find new products and learn about the latest market trends. "We are interested in the advanced bone cement exhibited at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation booth," Mr Shi said. "We also hope to explore cooperation opportunities with The Chinese University of Hong Kong in the research and development of wound dressings. The fair has brought together a selection of advanced medical equipment and products and provided the industry with a great opportunity to exchange ideas."Immense business opportunities in Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia represents a massive market, and buyer attendance from the region was satisfactory. Concoll Inc. is a medical equipment distributor in the Philippines that provides advanced medical equipment to various government institutions and hospitals in the country. John Barry A. De Jesus, CEO, visited the Medical Fair for the first time this year. "We have found a number of exhibitors from Korea, Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland and talked to them about supplying medical devices such as ECG equipment and video laryngoscopes. I am very positive about placing orders with them."India's Biomed Healthtech (P.) Ltd. is an importer and distributor of overseas high quality medical equipment in India. Mukesh Daftary, the company's President, pointed out that India's ageing population had boosted the country's demand for elderly products. He said the company had come to the fair to look for different home care and rehabilitation products. "I have found more than 10 suppliers from the Chinese mainland and will be getting more product information and pricing details from them. We will then conduct market research to test the response of consumers. Initial orders may range from several thousand US dollars to US$10,000 for each product. If sales are positive, bigger orders will be made."To help industry professionals garner market intelligence and expand their business networks, the HKTDC organised a series of seminars, forums and workshops during the Medical Fair to examine topics ranging from the latest industry developments to international regulations for medical devices. The Hospital Authority Convention 2016 was also held alongside the Medical Fair, creating more opportunities for interaction between industry players. The conference was attended by more than 5,000 healthcare professionals. Also held in parallel with the Medical Fair was the Asia Biotech Invest Conference, which offered biotech companies in the Asia Pacific region a platform for cooperation and information exchange.Fair Website:Hong Kong International Medical Devices and Supplies Fair: http://www.hktdc.com/fair/hkmedicalfair-enPhoto download: http://bit.ly/24zu062To view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tcAbout HKTDCA statutory body established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and services providers. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in overseas markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdcTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdcLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-councilSource: HKTDCContact:Copyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
DENVER, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Ubiquitech Software Corp. (OTC PINK: UBQU), through its operating subsidiary HempLife Today (www.hemplife.com), has debuted its newest hemp CBD (Cannabidiol) product, Liquid Soluble CBD Powder. Online sales of this product exceeded $10,000 in the first 48 hours, indicating a great popularity for this new and exciting CannazALL hemp CBD product.

The initial results on this product are stunning because the company only offered it to a select few customers over the weekend of April 22nd, and the results continue to be overwhelming as orders are still coming in as of this release.

This new CannazALL CBD Powder mixes with any liquid and is recommended to be used with the following beverages; purified water, tea, coffee, drinks, and even smoothies, shakes, foods and soups. The company believes this is a great addition to the CannazALL CBD brand and offers customers another easy and very portable method to take its hemp CBD products.

"We've been working on this product for months," said Tim Zorn, CEO of HempLifeToday. "Now we have a perfected formula that blends beautifully with liquids. We expect great things from this product as we penetrate deeper into the marketplace."

CBD products derived from hemp are becoming more popular on a daily basis and HempLifeToday seeks to be the leader with its popular and growing brand of CannazALL CBD products. It is estimated that less than 5% of the general population is aware that CBD derived from hemp is available and legal in all 50 states. Many people have claimed that CBD therapy helps with...Antibiotic-resistant infections, Immuno-suppressive, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriasis, PTSD, Anxiety, Vascular and muscle relaxing, Diabetes, Alcoholism, Spasm, MS, Epilepsy, Chronic pain, and Schizophrenia & Psychosis. As the awareness of this product grows and HempLifeToday continues the aggressive marketing of the CannazALL brand, the company expects sales to climb exponentially in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

"Of all the products we've been involved with over the years, nothing compares to the potential of our CannazALL brand," said Jim Ballas, CEO of UBQU. "I personally have been involved in general merchandise offers, Infomercials and DRTV, even memorabilia for the most popular Rock bands ever... But, CannazALL continues to show it has a need and a popularity that can hit the stratosphere and we are only at the very beginning. The sky is the limit with this incredible product." CannazALL Liquid Soluble Powder is available on the Website @ www.HempLifeToday.com along with all of the popular CannazALL CBD products and starts at 1,000 mg for just $98.

About Ubiquitech Software Corp.

Ubiquitech Software Corp., through its subsidiaries is a dynamic multi-media, multi-faceted corporation utilizing state-of-the-art global internet marketing, Direct Response Television (DRTV), Radio, and traditional marketing, to drive traffic to the new and emerging multi-billion dollar industries like its subsidiary HempLifeToday.com

HempLifeToday focuses on the exciting and dynamic new thinking in the world today that recognizes the important health and life enriching enhancement that CBD Oil from the Hemp plant can bring. Through its network of quality USA growers HempLifeToday.com has developed four CannazALL CBD oil products that include its popular CBD Tinctures, Oils, Capsules, Powder, and e-liquid.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects", "intends', "believes', and similar expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timely development and market acceptance of products and technologies, the ability to secure additional sources of finance, the ability to reduce operating expenses, and other factors described in the Company's filings with the OTC Markets Group. The actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statement due to such risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.

Contact:

Investor Relations

E-mail: Info@UbiquitechSoftwareCorp.com




CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Earth Gen-BioFuel (OTC PINK: EGBB), "EarthGen" or "the Company," today announced that based on it is 2016 international planning tour, that it expects that world wide demand for Castor Beans to exceed demand for the next 10 years.

George Shen, Chairman, stated, "The ever-expanding end uses of castor oil and its derivatives make it imperative that world Castor Bean production be increased. During our operational planning for 2016 and 2017, I have toured our area of operations in Laos and received reports from our agricultural advisors in Singapore, China, and South America. We have confirmed reports that the demand for Castor Beans and Castor Bean derivative products exceeds current production by a wide margin. These facts and EarthGen's goal of becoming one of the largest US based growers of Castor Beans is the basis for the Company's expansion goals."

Our operating plans call for starting Castor Bean operations in South America and in the US. Plans also include adding 4,000 acres of Castor Bean farms in Laos over the next two years. It is estimated that 4,000 acres of new farms are capable of producing 8,500 tons of castor beans annually that could produce annual sales of approximately $4,500,000 based on today's world market prices. The planting schedules are subject to finalizing land use rights in these areas and obtaining additional working capital.

In the recent April 2016 report published by Castor Oil Reports, they noted that Castor oil is possibly the plant oil industry's most underappreciated asset. It was also reported that Castor Beans are one of the most versatile of plant oils. It is used in over ten diverse industries and is the starting material for producing of over 700 end products. New applications of castor oil are being explored in areas such as pharmaceuticals and biopolymers / bioplastics. The reported concludes that these end user markets for castor oil and its derivatives are expected to expand significantly over the next few years.

Castor Oil Report also points out that uses of castor oil have changed over the years. Many years ago, castor oil was primarily used for medicinal purposes and as a general industrial lubricant. Today, chemical engineers have come up with many uses of castor oil and its derivatives such as: Polyamide 11 (Nylon 11 fibers are use in the very large carpet manufacturing industry) engineering plastics for heat tolerant automotive and air plane parts, lubricating grease, coatings, inks, sealant, aircraft lubricants, surfactants, emulsifiers, encapsulants, plastic films, plasticizer for coatings, and components for shatterproof safety glass. Castor oil has even made its way into cosmetics and related products.

Even as more uses for castor oil emerge, EarthGen believes that demand for castor oil will be most affected by its use as "clean fuel" biodiesel. One example of this is cited in studies done by Evogene Ltd., an Israeli based agricultural hybrid seed-company. The report of tests in Brazil for biodiesel and biojet fuel production utilizing Castor Beans found castor beans to be an effective drought tolerant and high oil yielding crop.

Expanding use of Castor Bean Oil and the results of Evogene's tests, confirm that Castor Beans are an ideal "Clean Biodiesel" feedstock and are some of the reasons why Earth Gen is accelerating plans for Castor Bean farming in California by utilizing non-farm land to cultivate a high value drought tolerant Castor Bean crop.

US demand for castor bean oil is reported to exceed supply by approximately 100,000 tons or about $120 million. Castor Bean oil demand in the European Economic Community is reported to exceed demand by 500,000 tons or about $500 million. China demand is reported to exceed supply by 1,200,000 tons or about $1.3 billion. Brazil (a leader in bio-fuel utilization) reported castor bean oil demand of 300,000 tons more than supply or about $300 million. It is the same in other regions of the world such as Japan, Thailand, and India where Castor Bean oil demand is reported to exceed supply by over 1,000,000 tons.

These demand figures are for using Castor Bean oil for manufacturing and not the expected future demand for use as "clean biodiesel." EarthGen believes that based on import demands from the major industrial countries and the need of chemical manufacturing for Castor Bean oil as a feedstock, that the market demand for Castor Beans already greatly exceeds current production.

About EarthGen-BioFuel

Earth Gen-Biofuel Inc., a U.S. based international agribusiness company is cultivating Castor Bean farms in Southeast Asia. Castor Beans are a renewable resource as a non-food agricultural product used in manufacturing clean transportation fuel, and utilized in over 700 manufacturing processes. EarthGen's goal is to become one of the world's largest growers of Castor Beans. Our first operation includes 600-acres of Castor Bean farms in Laos, with a full-scale harvest scheduled for year-end 2016. The Company plans to expand Southeast Asia operations to 4,000 acres over the next two-years, which is expected to make Earth Gen one the largest operators in the area. Worldwide demand continues to grow, due to high demand for manufactured products using Castor Bean oil and the crops value as a renewable "energy crop."

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which include among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with smaller reporting companies, including without limitation, other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

www.earthgenbiofuel.com

info@earthgenbiofuel.com

Contact:

Robert Gartzman

Hayden Financial Corp.

haydenfc1@gmail.com

Phone 888-209-7183




SAN DIEGO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- ImageWare Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: IWSY) has signed an agreement with FEMSA, S.A.B. (NYSE: FMX) of Monterey, Mexico to provide the company its CloudID multi-modal biometric authentication system.

FEMSA will be evaluating the biometric technology to improve its overall security in identity, credential and access control management (ICAM) in its highly complex and competitive environment. The paid pilot will commence implementation in May 2016. The agreement allows FEMSA to define suppliers for the different components of its ICAM roadmap that can fully leverage the benefits of ImageWare's state-of-the-art cloud-based technology.

The GoCloudID Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering provides multi-modal biometric identity verification (i.e., 1:1 matching) and identification (i.e., 1:N searching) cloud services that are accessible from fixed workstations. Anchored by IWS' patented Biometric Engine, which provides highly scalable, real-time search and matching, CloudID also features front-end applications for the capture of biometrics and biographic information, search and query of that information, and the ability, when desired, to print biometric-enabled identification cards, documents, or driver's licenses.

CloudID is currently deployed in the State of Baja California Driver's License program where it has created over 262,000 biometric-based driver's licenses to date.

"We are honored to be selected by FEMSA to validate the technology," said Jim Miller, IWS Chairman and CEO. "CloudID is a modular software platform that supports rapid development and large scale deployment of highly secure yet flexible identity management solutions, allowing unlimited population sizes as well as adding additional biometric modalities and devices-quite simply solving the big data issue for biometric deployments."

About FEMSA

FEMSA is a leading company participating in the beverage industry with Coca-Cola FEMSA, the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola products in the world; and in the beer industry, through its ownership of the second largest equity stake in Heineken, one of the world's leading brewers with operations in over 70 countries. FEMSA participates in the retail sector with FEMSA Comercio, which operates various small-format chain stores, including OXXO. Through FEMSA Negocios Estrategicos, the company offers logistic services, point-of-sales cooling solutions, and plastic solutions for FEMSA's companies and external customers.

About ImageWare Systems, Inc.

ImageWare Systems is a leading developer of mobile and cloud-based identity management solutions, providing biometric secure credential and law enforcement technologies. Scalable for worldwide deployment, ImageWare's patented biometric product line includes a highly scalable, multi-modal biometric engine capable of working with a wide array of sensors, modalities, and algorithms. ImageWare's identity management products are used for secure credentials, national IDs, passports, driver's licenses, and smart cards as well as both application and physical access control systems. ImageWare products support a wide range of biometric modalities including face, voice, fingerprint, eye, DNA, and more.

ImageWare is headquartered in San Diego, CA, with offices in Portland, OR, Washington, D.C., Ottawa, Ontario, and Mexico. For more information about ImageWare Systems, Inc., please visit www.iwsinc.com.

Investor Relations

Liolios

Cody Slach

Tel 1-949-574-3860

Email Contact




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- News Release - TransCanada Corporation (TSX: TRP) (NYSE: TRP) (TransCanada) today announced that it has received the last two of 10 pipeline and facilities permits required from the BC Oil and Gas Commission for the Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project. The project now has approval for construction and operation of the proposed pipeline and related facilities.

"This is a significant regulatory milestone for our project, which is a key component of TransCanada's growth plan that includes more than $13 billion in proposed natural gas pipeline projects which support the emerging liquefied natural gas industry on the British Columbia Coast," said Russ Girling, TransCanada's president and chief executive officer.

"Acquiring these 10 permits demonstrates our commitment in developing this project to the highest standards of environmental protection while delivering benefits to British Columbians and Canadians for decades to come," added Girling.

Eight of the permits are related to pipeline construction, while two are for pipeline-related facilities: a natural gas compressor station and meter station in Groundbirch, and a natural gas metering station in Kitimat. Coastal GasLink received an Environmental Assessment Certificate from the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office in October 2014.

The pipeline will connect to the proposed LNG Canada natural gas liquefaction and export facility near Kitimat. A Final Investment Decision by our pipeline customers, the joint venture partners of LNG Canada, is expected in late 2016. If the LNG Canada partners elect to proceed with their project at that time, pipeline construction would begin in 2017.

Each of the OGC permits related to pipeline and facilities construction includes up to 70 conditions which will govern implementation of the project related to:

-- Ongoing reporting to the regulator -- Notification of affected parties during construction -- First Nations engagement -- Heritage conservation -- Stream crossings -- Land clearing -- Wildlife -- Terrain stability -- Engineering

To date, the Coastal GasLink team has had over 15,000 interactions and engagements with Aboriginal communities along the proposed pipeline route, and over a third of the 350,000+ hours of fieldwork on the project have been conducted by Aboriginal people. In addition, this modern energy infrastructure project will provide long-term economic benefits for B.C. and Canada. An estimated 32 per cent of this $4.8 billion plus capital project will be spent locally in B.C., with economic benefits including over 2,000 jobs during construction and over $20 million in annual property tax payments. The project has already spent almost $48 million in northern B.C. plus over $2 million in community and Aboriginal investments along the route.

Project details can be found at www.coastalgaslink.com. Follow Coastal GasLink on Twitter at @CoastalGasLink.

With more than 65 years' experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and liquids pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada operates a network of natural gas pipelines that extends more than 67,000 kilometres (42,000 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is one of the continent's largest providers of gas storage and related services with 368 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A growing independent power producer, TransCanada owns or has interests in over 11,400 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is developing one of North America's largest liquids delivery systems. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP. Visit TransCanada.com and our blog to learn more, or connect with us on social media and 3BL Media.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

This publication contains certain information that is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties (such statements are usually accompanied by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "intend" or other similar words). Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide TransCanada security holders and potential investors with information regarding TransCanada and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of TransCanada's and its subsidiaries' future plans and financial outlook. All forward-looking statements reflect TransCanada's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this news release, and not to use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. TransCanada undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by law. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the anticipated results, refer to TransCanada's First Quarter Report to Shareholders dated April 28, 2016 and 2015 Annual Report on our website at www.transcanada.com or filed under TransCanada's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Contacts:

Media Enquiries:

Mark Cooper / Terry Cunha

403.920.7859 or 800.608.7859



TransCanada Investor & Analyst Enquiries:

David Moneta / Stuart Kampel

403.920.7911 or 800.361.6522




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- May 5, 2016 marks the 46th anniversary of Sahaja Yoga, a spiritual movement founded by Her Holiness Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi (1923 - 2011). Shri Mataji traveled the globe tirelessly to reach as many as possible, and She shared the simple meditation techniques of Sahaja Yoga to millions over Her lifetime. She addressed audiences large and small; Her public programs sometimes drew crowds of tens of thousands, while She also frequently addressed small gatherings in remote villages. She never accepted money for Her teachings, and to this day, Sahaja Yoga is completely free of charge.

On May 5, 1970, after spending several hours in a state of deep meditation, Shri Mataji discovered the technique to open the Sahasrara chakra, the energy centre located at the crown of the head. As a result, it became possible for anyone to experience self-realization - the spontaneous awakening of the spiritual energy within (kundalini). When the kundalini is awakened, it rises from the sacrum bone to the crown of the head, passing through the chakras (energy centres) located along the spinal cord.

Through this process, one experiences a joyful, peaceful, and completely alert meditative state. The chakras, each of which controls various emotional, mental, and physical processes, are gently cleansed and nourished by the kundalini. The regular practice of Sahaja Yoga meditation therefore leads to greater health and well-being, and the potential to develop a deeper connection with one's spirit within.

Since May 5, 1970, countless people around the world have benefited from self-realization, through Shri Mataji's personal guidance in lectures and public programs, and from practitioners of Sahaja Yoga committed to carrying on Shri Mataji's legacy. Sahaja Yoga centres have been established in over 80 countries, where the techniques of Sahaja Yoga and the teachings of Shri Mataji are offered to people of all ages and all walks of life.

For Sahaja Yoga communities around the world, May 5 is a day to celebrate the founding of Sahaja Yoga, and to honour Shri Mataji's life work.

More information on Sahaja Yoga Meditation can be found on our website:www.freemeditation.com

Please visit www.shrimataji.org for information about the life of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.

Receive your self-realization today

http://www.freemeditation.com/online-meditation/self-realization-workshop-kundalini-awakening/

Online Meditation

http://www.freemeditation.com/online-meditation/

Manage your stress through Sahaja Yoga Meditation

http://www.freemeditation.com/benefits-of-meditation/meditation-helps-with-stress/

Sahaja Yoga - The ultimate spiritual experience

http://www.freemeditation.com/sahaja-yoga/

Locations of Sahaja Yoga classes around the world

http://www.freemeditation.com/meditation-classes/

FAQs about Sahaja Yoga

http://www.freemeditation.com/articles/2009/12/04/21-frequently-asked-questions-about-meditation/

Vishwa Nirmala Dharma Educational Society/Sahaja Yoga International is a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the knowledge of Sahaja Yoga around the world, and to provide education on our collective spiritual roots. The principles on which Sahaja Yoga International are based are morality, spirituality, compassion, the search for truth, and the use of our inner potential to better ourselves on an individual and collective level. Free classes are offered throughout Canada and the world.

Contacts:

Vishwa Nirmala Dharma Educational Society

www.freemeditation.com

US Website: www.sahajameditation.com



Arvind Ahuja

416-201-7649

arvindahuja1008@gmail.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- San Marco Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: SMN) ("San Marco") and GlobeTrotters Resource Group Inc. ("GlobeTrotters") have signed a formal Alliance Agreement respecting their initiative to generate and acquire new high potential mineral targets primarily in the state of Sonora, Mexico announced on March 7, 2016.

Pursuant to the Agreement, GlobeTrotters has acquired imagery and data files for the state of Sonora and carried out analysis, filtering and initial target selection and San Marco has been granted an exclusive three year licence to use the data so generated. San Marco's personnel will carry out ground-proofing and, where warranted, stake or otherwise acquire tenure to protect the highest priority areas with follow up input and further target focusing by GlobeTrotters.

San Marco CEO, Bob Willis, stated: "The first stage of target definition is now complete. The incorporation of additional geological information and target prioritization is expected to be completed within two to three weeks. The mere number and quality of targets generated at this point is mind boggling. We have a lot of work to do, such that over the next couple of weeks, the SMN field team is making field access, logistics and personnel preparations so we can 'hit the ground running.'"

GlobeTrotters President, Richard Osmond, stated, "We are excited to partner with San Marco in a world class mining district through this exploration alliance. Bob and his team have a proven track record of exploration success and provide the level of expertise necessary to make a significant new discovery with their 'boots on the ground' technical approach to exploration."

San Marco will hold all properties and interests in properties acquired as part of the collaborative effort and will grant GlobeTrotters a 2% net smelter returns royalty on all properties in which it acquires a 100% interest. For properties in which San Marco acquires less than a 100% interest, it will pay GlobeTrotters 20% of all future consideration received in respect of the property, reducing to 10% after the commencement of commercial production. In consideration of GlobeTrotters services, San Marco has agreed to issue, following receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval, 1,000,000 common shares to GlobeTrotters.

About San Marco

San Marco Resources Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a portfolio of three promising projects in mining-friendly Mexico, including the Cuatro de Mayo Project in Sonora State on which the Company is currently active (www.sanmarcocorp.com).

San Marco maintains a strategic project generation program focused on high-calibre, low-cost acquisition opportunities in the Northwestern Mexico. The Company has a committed management team with extensive experience in Mexico and a proven track record of building shareholder value.

About GlobeTrotters

GlobeTrotters Resource Group Inc. is a privately held company incorporated in 2009. The company is focused on acquiring low-cost, low-risk base and precious metal opportunities in emerging world class mineral belts throughout the Americas with a primary focus in key mineral belts in Peru.

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure

The technical information contained in this document has been verified, and this news release has been approved, by San Marco's CEO, Robert D. Willis, P. Eng. a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators.

Forward Looking Information

Information set forth in this document may include forward-looking statements. While these statements reflect management's current plans, projections and intents, by their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond the control of San Marco Resources Inc. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. San Marco's actual results, programs, activities and financial position could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

San Marco Resources Inc.

Robert Willis, P. Eng.

CEO

604-813-2606

rwillis@sanmarcocorp.com

www.sanmarcocorp.com



GlobeTrotters Resource Group Inc.

Richard Osmond, P. Geo.

CEO

604-466-0425 or Cell: 604-813-2606

rosmond@globetrottersresources.ca




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Finning International Inc. (TSX: FTT) reported first quarter 2016 results(1) today. All monetary amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.

HIGHLIGHTS

-- The Company generated $30 million in free cash flow(2) in Q1/16, compared to $(232) use of cash in Q1/15, and continues to expect 2016 annual free cash flow to be modestly above $300 million. -- The global workforce was reduced by 435 people year to date in response to difficult market conditions. -- Strong revenue performance in Canada, up 6% from Q1/15. -- Canada's SG&A costs(3) declined by 9% from Q1/15, excluding severance and restructuring costs, and Saskatchewan operations. -- Canada's EBIT margin(2)(3) of 4.0%, excluding severance and restructuring costs, was in line with management's expectations and reflected large equipment deliveries as well as workforce reductions which occurred at the end of Q1; (reported EBIT margin was 3.0%). -- South America's EBIT margin, excluding severance costs, would have been 8.9%; (reported EBIT margin was 7.3%). South American operations continued to proactively manage costs in response to weakening market conditions. -- Excluding global severance and restructuring costs, as well as higher than expected loss provisions on certain power system projects in the UK, basic EPS(3) would have been $0.19 per share; (reported basic EPS was $0.09 per share).

"First quarter results were in line with our expectations as we continued to realize permanent cost savings and implement sustainable operating improvements to transform the business for long-term success. Importantly, we began generating positive free cash flow early in the year, demonstrating the resiliency of our business model and our focus on effectively managing working capital," said Scott Thomson, president and CEO.

"Our Canadian operations delivered stronger revenues driven by equipment and parts sales. Margins were lower as expected due to large equipment deliveries and workforce reductions which occurred at the end of the quarter. The transformation initiatives and decisive measures taken throughout 2015 and the beginning of 2016, including workforce and facility optimization, will reduce SG&A by about 20% between 2014 and 2016 and support improved profitability in Canada going forward. Our South American team continued to successfully manage through challenging market conditions by focusing on cost control and maintaining profitability despite lower product support volumes. In the UK and Ireland, our new management team is executing with urgency to return our UK operations to historic profitability levels by the end of the year with a focus on lowering our cost to serve."

"Looking ahead, our resilient business model will support us in generating relatively strong EBITDA(2)(3) and free cash flow again this year. This will preserve the strength of our balance sheet and provide financial flexibility. The continued advancement of our operational excellence agenda is driving increased customer loyalty in each of our regions, and we look forward to building on this positive momentum," concluded Mr. Thomson.

Q1 2016 FINANCIAL SUMMARY

--------------------------------------- Q1 2015 % $ millions, except per share amounts Q1 2016 (restated)(4) change --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue 1,494 1,541 (3) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- EBITDA 96 126 (24) EBITDA margin 6.4% 8.2% --------------------------------------------------------------------------- EBIT(2)(3) 45 75 (41) EBIT margin 3.0% 4.9% --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net income 15 53 (72) Basic EPS 0.09 0.31 (71) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Free cash flow 30 (232) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Revenues were down 3%, with lower revenues in South America and the UK & Ireland being partly offset by higher revenues in Canada. New equipment sales decreased by 7%, driven by lower new equipment sales in South America and the UK & Ireland, which were partially mitigated by the deliveries of large equipment fleets in Canada. Order backlog(2) of about $500 million at the end of Q1/16 was unchanged from Q4/15, as the overall demand for new equipment remained weak. Product support revenues decreased by 3%, primarily due to lower service revenues. -- EBITDA of $96 million, EBIT of $45 million, and EPS of $0.09 per share included the following items that management does not consider indicative of operational and financial trends: -- Severance and restructuring costs of $17 million or $0.07 per share; -- Higher than expected provisions on certain power system projects in the UK of $5 million or $0.03 per share. -- Excluding these items, EBITDA margin would have been 7.9% and EBIT margin would have been 4.5%. The declines in these metrics from Q1/15 were primarily the result of: -- Lower margins on equipment sales, mostly due to deliveries of large fleets in Canada; -- Lower rental margins due to challenging market conditions; -- SG&A benefits from recently announced global workforce reduction not being fully realized. -- Excluding the items described above, basic EPS would have been $0.19, compared to Q1/15 EPS of $0.33 (excluding severance and restructuring costs of $19 million or $0.08 per share, and tax benefit of $0.06 per share). -- Free cash flow was $30 million compared to use of cash flow of $(232) million in Q1/15, driven by stronger cash generation in Canada due to higher equipment deliveries and lower inventory spend. -- The Company's balance sheet remains healthy. -- Net debt to EBITDA ratio(2) would have been 2.0, excluding significant items(1). -- Net debt to invested capital ratio(2) was 37.0% at the end of Q1/16. -- Annualized dividend is being maintained at $0.73 per share.

Q1 2016 INVESTED CAPITAL

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Invested capital(2) ($ millions) Consolidated 3,085 3,240 3,541 Canada 1,685 1,760 1,794 South America (U.S. dollars) 796 811 1,117 UK & Ireland (U.K. pound sterling) 182 157 175 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Invested capital turnover(2)(4) (times) 1.82 1.78 2.06 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return on invested capital (ROIC)(2) (%) Consolidated (4.0) (3.0) 14.1 Canada 5.4 5.5 15.3 South America (14.9) (12.8) 14.4 UK & Ireland (4.5) (1.4) 14.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Excluding the impact of foreign currency translation, invested capital decreased by $55 million from Q4/15, mostly due to lower inventories and a decrease in rental assets in Canada. The Company continues to focus on reducing surplus inventory and tightly managing working capital. -- Invested capital turnover increased to 1.82 times from 1.78 times in Q4/15 due to higher invested capital turns in Canada and South America. -- ROIC(3) decreased to negative (4.0)% from (3.0)% in Q4/15 reflecting lower EBIT over the last four quarters in all operations due to the market downturn and the significant items not indicative of operational and financial trends that impacted 2015 and Q1/16 results.

Q1 2016 HIGHLIGHTS BY OPERATION

Canada

-- Revenues rose by 6%, driven by stronger new and used equipment sales, which were up by 11% and 65%, respectively. Higher equipment sales reflected large mining deliveries, including in the oil sands, and core equipment deliveries to the Site C project in British Columbia. Product support revenues were similar to Q1/15. Higher parts sales in mining were offset by lower service revenues across all sectors, as customers continued to in-source some service work and postpone maintenance. Rental markets remained challenging, resulting in a 25% decline in rental revenues. -- Excluding severance and restructuring costs ($8 million in Q1/16 and $17 million in Q1/15), Q1/16 EBIT would have been $33 million and EBIT margin would have been 4.0%, both below Q1/15 EBIT of $46 million and EBIT margin of 5.7%. This was primarily due to lower gross profit from the sales of large equipment packages mentioned above, as well as lower gross profit from weaker rental revenues. -- SG&A costs declined from Q1/15 despite higher revenues, and included only partial savings from Q1/16 workforce reductions. Excluding severance and restructuring costs, as well as Saskatchewan operations, SG&A costs were down by 9% from Q1/15. In 2016 compared to 2014, the Canadian workforce will be reduced by approximately 1,300 people or 22%, and the facilities footprint will be reduced by about 600,000 square feet or 20%. Annual SG&A fixed costs savings from these reductions and business transformation initiatives are expected to meaningfully exceed $150 million, which will decrease Canada's SG&A costs by approximately 20% from 2014 levels. -- Invested capital declined by $75 million from Q4/15, driven by a reduction in equipment inventories, which also contributed to strong cash flow generation in the quarter.

South America

-- Revenues declined by 12% (down 21% in functional currency - U.S. dollars) as a result of continued market weakness across all sectors. New equipment sales decreased by 37% (down 43% in functional currency), reflecting slower mining and construction activity, mostly in Chile. Product support revenues were down 7% (down 15% in functional currency), reflecting reduced mining activity as producers continue to implement cost reductions and delay maintenance. -- Excluding severance costs ($7 million in Q1/16 and $1 million in Q1/15), Q1/16 EBIT would have been $39 million and EBIT margin would have been 8.9%, both below Q1/15 EBIT of $46 million and EBIT margin of 9.4%. Gross profit margin improved from Q1/15, driven by a higher proportion of product support in the revenue mix (79% vs. 74% in Q1/15) and operational improvement initiatives. However, SG&A cost savings from Q1/16 workforce reductions were not yet fully realized to offset the decline in gross profit from significantly lower volumes. South American operations remain focused on maintaining solid profitability levels during the economic downturn by proactively managing costs, improving operating efficiencies, and capturing product support business.

United Kingdom & Ireland

-- Revenues decreased by 15% (down 19% in functional currency - U.K. Pound Sterling) due to reduced market activity, particularly in coal, steel and oil & gas sectors. As a result, new equipment sales and product support revenues were down 25% and 10%, respectively, in functional currency. -- UK's EBIT results were negatively impacted by severance costs of $2 million and higher than expected provisions on certain power system projects of $5 million. Following a detailed review of power system contracts and projects in Q1, management recorded certain adjustments that reduced the profitability of those contracts by $5 million. Excluding these items, EBIT would have been $3 million and EBIT margin would have been 1.5%; (reported EBIT margin was (1.9)%). The decrease from Q1/15 EBIT margin of 3.4% (excluding severance) was mostly driven by higher SG&A levels on declining revenues in the Company's key markets. Management is focused on reducing the UK's cost structure to align with lower business volumes, improving project execution in power systems, and increasing asset velocity through facility and supply chain optimization. The Company is committed to returning the UK & Ireland operations to historic profitability levels.

CORPORATE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

Dividend

The Board of Directors has approved a quarterly dividend of $0.1825 per share, payable on June 2, 2016 to shareholders of record on May 19, 2016. This dividend will be considered an eligible dividend for Canadian income tax purposes.

SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

----------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- $ millions, except per share amounts Three months ended Mar 31 ----------------------------------------- 2015 % Revenue 2016 (restated)(4) change ----------------------------------------- New equipment 515 552 (7) Used equipment 98 67 45 Equipment rental 56 71 (21) Product support 821 847 (3) Other 4 4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total revenue 1,494 1,541 (3) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gross profit 381 414 (8) Gross profit margin 25.5% 26.9% SG&A (337) (340) 1 SG&A as a percentage of revenue (22.5)% (22.1)% Equity earnings of joint venture and associate 1 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EBIT 45 75 (41) EBIT margin 3.0% 4.9% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net income 15 53 (72) Basic EPS 0.09 0.31 (71) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EBITDA 96 126 (24) EBITDA margin 6.4% 8.2% Free cash flow 30 (232) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mar 31, Dec 31, 2016 2015 ----------------------------------------- Invested capital 3,085 3,240 Invested capital turnover (times) 1.82 1.78 Net debt to invested capital 37.0% 36.7% Return on invested capital (4.0)% (3.0)% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To download Finning's complete Q1 2016 results in PDF, please open the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/FinningQ116results.pdf

Q1 2016 RESULTS INVESTOR CALL

The Company will hold an investor call on May 5 at 11:00 am Eastern Time. Dial-in numbers: 1-800-319-4610 (within Canada and the US) or 1-416-915-3239 (Toronto area and overseas). The call will be webcast live and subsequently archived at www.finning.com. Playback recording will be available at 1-855-669-9658 until May 12, 2016. The pass code to access the playback recording is 00372.

ABOUT FINNING

Finning International Inc. (TSX: FTT) is the world's largest Caterpillar equipment dealer delivering unrivalled service to customers for over 80 years. Finning sells, rents, and provides parts and services for equipment and engines to help customers maximize productivity. Headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., the Company operates in Western Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

FOOTNOTES

(1) Certain Q1 2016 and annual 2015 financial metrics were impacted by significant items management does not consider indicative of operational and financial trends either by nature or amount; these significant items are described on page 19 of the Company's Q1 2016 Management's Discussion and Analysis.

(2) These financial metrics do not have a standardized meaning under International Financial Reporting Standards, and may not be comparable to similar measures used by other issuers. The Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) includes additional information regarding these financial metrics, including definitions, under the heading "Description of Non-GAAP Measures".

(3) Earnings Before Finance Costs and Income Taxes (EBIT); Earnings per Share (EPS); Earnings Before Finance Costs, Income Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA); Selling, General & Administrative Expenses (SG&A).

(4) Management determined that it would be appropriate to voluntarily change its presentation of certain expenses to provide reliable and more relevant information to users of the financial statements and better align with industry comparable companies. In addition, management concluded that certain cost recoveries are better reflected as revenues. Certain line items have been restated in the comparative 2015 periods but the impact of restatement is not significant. For more information on the impact to financial statements, please refer to note 1 of the Company's interim condensed consolidated financial statements.

FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER

This report contains statements about the Company's business outlook, objectives, plans, strategic priorities and other statements that are not historical facts. A statement Finning makes is forward-looking when it uses what the Company knows and expects today to make a statement about the future. Forward-looking statements may include words such as aim, anticipate, assumption, believe, could, expect, goal, guidance, intend, may, objective, outlook, plan, project, seek, should, strategy, strive, target, and will. Forward-looking statements in this report include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: expectations with respect to the economy and associated impact on the Company's financial results; workforce reductions; distribution network and goodwill impairment charges; facility closures; expected revenue; expected free cash flow; EBIT margin; expected profitability levels; expected range of the effective tax rate; ROIC; market share growth; expected results from service excellence action plans; anticipated asset utilization; inventory turns and parts service levels; the expected target range of the Company's net debt to invested capital ratio; and the expected financial impact from acquisitions. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the 'safe harbour' provisions of applicable Canadian securities laws.

Unless otherwise indicated by us, forward-looking statements in this report reflect Finning's expectations at May 4, 2016. Except as may be required by Canadian securities laws, Finning does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Forward-looking statements, by their very nature, are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions which give rise to the possibility that actual results could differ materially from the expectations expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements and that Finning's business outlook, objectives, plans, strategic priorities and other statements that are not historical facts may not be achieved. As a result, Finning cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements include: general economic and market conditions; foreign exchange rates; commodity prices; the level of customer confidence and spending, and the demand for, and prices of, Finning's products and services; Finning's dependence on the continued market acceptance of products and timely supply of parts and equipment; Finning's ability to continue to improve productivity and operational efficiencies while continuing to maintain customer service; Finning's ability to manage cost pressures as growth in revenue occurs; Finning's ability to reduce costs in response to slowing activity levels; Finning's ability to attract sufficient skilled labour resources as market conditions, business strategy or technologies change; Finning's ability to negotiate and renew collective bargaining agreements with satisfactory terms for Finning's employees and the Company; the intensity of competitive activity; Finning's ability to raise the capital needed to implement its business plan; regulatory initiatives or proceedings, litigation and changes in laws or regulations; stock market volatility; changes in political and economic environments for operations; the integrity, reliability, availability and benefits from information technology and the data processed by that technology. Forward-looking statements are provided in this report for the purpose of giving information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of Finning's operating environment. However, readers are cautioned that it may not be appropriate to use such forward-looking statements for any other purpose.

Forward-looking statements made in this report are based on a number of assumptions that Finning believed were reasonable on the day the Company made the forward-looking statements. Refer in particular to the Outlook section of this MD&A. Some of the assumptions, risks, and other factors which could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in this report are discussed in Section 4 of the Company's current AIF and in the annual MD&A for the financial risks.

Finning cautions readers that the risks described in the MD&A and the AIF are not the only ones that could impact the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to the Company or that are currently deemed to be immaterial may also have a material adverse effect on Finning's business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Except as otherwise indicated, forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other unusual items or of any dispositions, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or other transactions that may be announced or that may occur after the date hereof. The financial impact of these transactions and non-recurring and other unusual items can be complex and depends on the facts particular to each of them. Finning therefore cannot describe the expected impact in a meaningful way or in the same way Finning presents known risks affecting its business.

Contacts:

Finning International Inc.

Mauk Breukels

Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs

(604) 331-4934

mauk.breukels@finning.com

www.finning.com




OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Members of the media are invited to attend an event where the Honourable Judy M. Foote, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, will make an announcement regarding the Canada Post Review.

Date: May 5, 2016 Time: 11:00 a.m. (EST) Location: National Press Theatre 150 Wellington

Notes to editor / news director:

Media may also participate by teleconference by registering with the Public Services and Procurement Canada Media Relations Office at 819-420-5501. The phone numbers for joining the teleconference will be provided upon registration.

The announcement will be broadcast live on Periscope at https://www.periscope.tv/pspc_spac.

Follow us on Twitter.

Contacts:

Media Relations

Public Services and Procurement Canada

819-420-5501



Annie Trepanier

Office of the Honourable Judy M. Foote

819-997-5421




Alteryx Analytics 10.5 Brings Greater Sharing and the Scaling of Analytics

Alteryx, Inc., the leader in self-service data analytics, today announced Alteryx Analytics 10.5, which empowers line-of-business analysts to prepare and blend data from diverse datasets and scale self-service analytics across the organization. Alteryx Analytics 10.5 enables analysts to achieve deeper business insights in hours, not weeks, with support for incorporating data from Amazon Aurora, Google Sheets, Adobe Analytics, and Salesforce.com, as well as in-database data blending for Apache Hive and Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse. It also offers enhanced expanded scalability with Alteryx Server, and added international capabilities.

"The self-service data analytics market will continue to grow as more organizations realize how quickly data analysts can reach critical insights to drive better decisions across their business," said Bob Laurent, Vice President of Product Marketing, Alteryx, Inc. "Alteryx is the leader in this market, and our new release further empowers business users with the analytics tools they need to prep, blend, and analyze data more efficiently allowing their companies to remain competitive and achieve their business goals."

Alteryx Analytics 10.5 delivers even greater productivity with the ability to:

Access Cloud Data and Other Big Data Sources Data analysts can discover new insights by incorporating data from Amazon Aurora, Google Sheets, Adobe Analytics, and Salesforce.com. Analysts also have the option for preparing and blending massive amounts of data directly inside Apache Hive and Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse, without requiring HQL or SQL coding.

Data analysts can discover new insights by incorporating data from Amazon Aurora, Google Sheets, Adobe Analytics, and Salesforce.com. Analysts also have the option for preparing and blending massive amounts of data directly inside Apache Hive and Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse, without requiring HQL or SQL coding. Share and Scale Analytics Easily Data analysts can also securely share their workflows as customizable applications on Alteryx Server to enable their broader organization with self-service data analytics, without compromising data governance.

Data analysts can also securely share their workflows as customizable applications on Alteryx Server to enable their broader organization with self-service data analytics, without compromising data governance. Expand the Community of Business Analysts Analysts across geographies will experience faster time to insight and build complex analytics easier with workflow tool samples and pre-built analytic examples in English, French, and German, to help analysts increase their analytic knowledge. With the addition of new international, third-party geospatial data and geocoding capabilities for Canada, the United Kingdom/Ireland, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, and Brazil, these analysts can now perform sophisticated spatial analytics on a global scale.

Additional Information:

For further information on the Alteryx Analytics 10.5 release, including webcast information and product upgrade instructions, please go to http://www.alteryx.com/whats-new.

For analysts new to Alteryx who wish to experience self-service data analytics capabilities with their own data, a fully functional trial of Alteryx Analytics can be downloaded at http://www.alteryx.com/download.

About Alteryx, Inc.

Alteryx is the leader in self-service data analytics. Alteryx Analytics provides analysts with the unique ability to easily prep, blend and analyze all of their data using a repeatable workflow, then deploy and share analytics at scale for deeper insights in hours, not weeks. Analysts love the Alteryx Analytics platform because they can connect to and cleanse data from data warehouses, cloud applications, spreadsheets and other sources, easily join this data together, then perform analytics predictive, statistical and spatial using the same intuitive user interface, without writing any code. Thousands of companies and data analysts worldwide rely on Alteryx daily. Visit www.alteryx.com or call 1-888-836-4274.

Alteryx is a registered trademark of Alteryx, Inc. All other product and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005624/en/

Contacts:

Alteryx, Inc.

Brandy S. Valentine

Office: 650-375-2907

Email: bvalentine@alteryx.com

Twitter: @brandysbaxter
SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 --The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (OTCQB: WTER) (the "Company"), developers of an innovative state of the art proprietary electrolysis beverage process packaged and sold in 500ml, 700ml, 1-liter, 3-liter and 1-gallon sizes under the trade name Alkaline88, is pleased to announce continued penetration into the Pacific Northwest marketplace with news of product placement acceptance at all Safeway stores across Oregon.

Steven P. Nickolas, CEO and President of the company advises, "As soon as we turned our focus onto the Pacific Northwest the interest has been stupendous. There's a large and growing health conscious community in this region and the team at Safeway know their audience. We are delighted they are placing our product into all 99 stores in the region. We look forward to building on this opportunity as we continue to increase our presence across the entire territory."

Founded in 1915, Safeway has long been an innovator in the industry. In the 1930s Safeway introduced produce pricing by the pound, adding "sell by" dates on perishables to assure freshness, nutritional labeling, even some of the first parking lots. In January 2015, AB Acquisition LLC, and Safeway completed a merger that created one of the largest food and drug retailers in the country, with over 2,200 stores in 33 states and the District of Columbia, and employing approximately 265,000 people.

About The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (OTCQB: WTER):

The Alkaline Water Company Inc. has developed an innovative, state of the art, proprietary electrolysis process that produces healthy alkaline water for a balanced lifestyle. The company is focused on the business of distributing and marketing the retail sale of its cost-effective packaged Alkaline88 water beverage products. The Alkaline Water Company Inc. is currently in the midst of a national mass-market expansion program and is available for consumer sales at major retail locations across the United States. Learn more about The Alkaline Water Company Inc. by visiting: www.thealkalinewaterco.com.

About Alkaline88:

Alkaline88 is a premier bottled alkaline drinking water with an 8.8-pH balance. Enhanced with trace minerals and electrolytes, the product offers consumers the unique opportunity to purchase alkaline water in conveniently packaged 500ml, 700ml, and 1-liter, 3-liter and 1-gallon sizes. Learn more about the science of Alkaline88 at www.alkaline88.com.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, The Alkaline Water Company Inc.'s expectations for continued growth and expansion of the Alkaline88 brand over the next fiscal year. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with developing new products and operating as a development stage company, our ability to raise the additional funding will need to continue to pursue our business and product development plans, competition in the industry in which we operate and market conditions. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States of America. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions will prove to be accurate, investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in the reports and other documents we file with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov.

Contact:

The Alkaline Water Company Inc.

WTER Investor Relations

The Alkaline Water Company Inc.

(480) 656-2423

investors@thealkalinewaterco.com




NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 05, 2016) - PharmaCyte Biotech (OTCQB: PMCB) has now reached a point in its life cycle where it is ready to start working with the U.S. FDA to get the company's Phase 2b clinical trial in advanced pancreatic cancer underway. Let that sink in for a moment. PharmaCyte's Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth L. Waggoner, has taken up the mantle to move the company's signature technology, Cell-in-a-Box  , to the clinic. And now, three short years later, he has the small biotech on the doorstep of what could be an eye-opening clinical trial to treat pancreatic cancer patients.

According to the American Cancer Society's cancer statistics for 2016, pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and it's one of the few cancers for which survival has not improved substantially over nearly 40 years. But help could be on the way. After PharmaCyte announced last week that the live-cell encapsulation facility where its Cell-in-a-Box  capsules are produced is now current Good Manufacturing Practices or cGMP-compliant, the company cleared what was a major milestone on the way to a clinical trial and is now closer than ever to taking on the challenge of improving the lives of pancreatic cancer patients.

These are truly exciting times at PharmaCyte, and with the cell encapsulation facility now cGMP-compliant, the company can set its sights on first requesting a pre-IND (Investigational New Drug application) meeting with the FDA to discuss the design of its upcoming clinical trial.

This pre-IND meeting will be crucial to developing a relationship with the FDA and getting the necessary answers and guidance moving forward that will allow PharmaCyte to submit its formal IND to the FDA. The pre-IND meeting and the IND submission to the FDA are the next two major milestones for PharmaCyte and its investors.

With the encapsulation facility now ready for the production of clinical trial material, let's look at the trial design that PharmaCyte has announced for its Phase 2b clinical trial:

PharmaCyte's pancreatic cancer therapy consists of placing microcapsules containing genetically engineered live cells near the blood supply to the pancreas. The cancer prodrug ifosfamide is then given at one-third the normal dose. When the blood carries the chemotherapy drug to where the capsules have been placed, activation of the drug takes place right at the source of the cancer instead of in the patient's liver, which eliminates any side effects in these patients.

The trial will be a multi-site trial held in both the United States and Europe. It will also be an open-label trial in which the patients will be randomized between two study groups. The trial has been designed to meet a clear unmet medical need that exists for a particular group of pancreatic cancer patients.

The randomization ratio of patients between the two study groups will be 1:1 (an equal number of patients will be randomly assigned to the capecitabine + radiation group and the PharmaCyte pancreatic cancer therapy group).

Only patients who have locally advanced, non-metastatic, inoperable cancer and whose tumors no longer respond after 4-6 months of treatment with either the widely used Abraxane + gemcitabine combination therapy or FOLFIRINOX, will be eligible for the trial. These patients are usually treated with the combination of the chemotherapy drug capecitabine + radiation, but this treatment is only marginally effective and is quite toxic for the patients.

Study sites under consideration in the U.S. include the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center in Boston, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute also in Boston, the Baylor Cancer Center in Dallas, Texas, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, as well as sites in Germany and Spain.

It is believed that 84 patients will be required to complete the study, although fewer may be required based upon the data developed during the trial.

Unlike in earlier clinical trials using PharmaCyte's pancreatic cancer therapy where patients received only two cycles of therapy with ifosfamide, multiple cycles of ifosfamide will be given to those being treated with PharmaCyte's pancreatic cancer therapy. This will continue until the patients' tumors no longer respond to PharmaCyte's therapy or until treatment-related toxicity accumulates to unacceptable levels.

And the best news of all for investors heading into these exciting times is that PharmaCyte has been awarded the Orphan Drug designation by both the U.S. FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). This designation means that the company's pancreatic cancer therapy will have complete protection and market exclusivity for years to come. After PharmaCyte's therapy is approved for marketing by these two regulatory agencies, they will enjoy 7 years of market exclusivity in the United States and 10 years of protection in the European Union.

PharmaCyte's CEO also recently stated that the company's pancreatic cancer therapy qualifies for 12 years of data exclusivity because it is considered a "biologic" as outlined by the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA).

So, as the company marches headlong into a Phase 2b clinical trial in the U.S. and Europe with a built in "hard stop" about half way through the trial to review the data, there is no better time than the present to get excited about this small biotechnology company and what could very well be a significant contribution to the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

About Stock Market Media Group

Stock Market Media Group is a Content Development IR firm offering a platform for corporate stories to unfold in the media with research reports, corporate videos, CEO interviews and feature news articles. This article was written based upon publicly available information. PharmaCyte Biotech has not endorsed this article, and Stock Market Media Group was not compensated for its production.

Stock Market Media Group may from time to time include our own opinions about the companies, their business, markets and opportunities in our articles. Any opinions we may offer about any of the companies we write about are solely our own, and are made in reliance upon our rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and are provided solely for the general opinionated discussion of our readers. Our opinions should not be considered to be complete, precise, accurate, or current investment advice, or construed or interpreted as research. Any investment decisions you may make concerning any of the securities we write about are solely your responsibility based on your own due diligence. Our publications are provided only as an informational aid, and as a starting point for doing additional independent research. We encourage you to invest carefully and read the investor information available at the web site of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at: www.sec.gov, where you can also find all of PMCB's filings and disclosures. We also recommend, as a general rule, that before investing in any securities you consult with a professional financial planner or advisor, and you should conduct a complete and independent investigation before investing in any security after prudent consideration of all pertinent risks.

We are not a registered broker, dealer, analyst, or advisor. We hold no investment licenses and may not sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. Our publications about any of the companies we write about are not a recommendation to buy or sell a security.

For more information: www.stockmarketmediagroup.com.

Contact:

Stock Market Media Group

info@stockmarketmediagroup.com
San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - May 5, 2016) - Hybrid Coating Technologies Inc. (OTC Pink: HCTI) is pleased to announce that one of its Fortune 500 Partners has recently launched a coating product based on Hybrid's proprietary zero isocyanate Green Polyurethane Hardener through its corporate retail distribution network. As previously announced in Hybrid's December 17, 2015 Significant Milestone press release, Hybrid had been working with this Fortune 500 Partner on the development of several coating products and expected the launch of this first product to occur sometime this year. "We are very pleased to have executed on this significant milestone for our coatings division," said Joseph Kristul, President and CEO, "and we look forward to the launch of other coating products with our Fortune 500 Partner." Hybrid's Fortune 500 partner, which has thousands of retail locations, has been working on several other products based on Hybrid's Green Polyurethane Hardener and an additional product launch for a second coating product is expected later this year. This product launch demonstrates the strong desire and ability for companies to develop their own products using Hybrid's zero isocyanate Green Polyurethane Hardener as a raw material. It also demonstrates a strong market demand for Green Polyurethane by some of the largest coatings companies in the world. Hybrid's end goal is for numerous companies to develop multiple products based on Hybrid's zero isocyanate Green Polyurethane Hardener as legislation for isocyanates eventually becomes more restrictive, thereby allowing Hybrid to deeply and broadly penetrate the coatings market not only as a finished goods supplier, but also as a raw materials supplier. Hybrid is and continues to be the only supplier in the world of zero isocyanate polyurethane hardener and zero isocyanate polyurethane based finished goods. Hybrid is not at liberty to divulge the identity of its Fortune 500 Partner at this time due to confidentiality.

Hybrid's patented technology is the only formulation in the world today that produces polyurethane without the use of any isocyanates in the entire production process.

CAUTIONARY DISCLOSURE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this news release other than statements of historical fact are "forward-looking statements" that are based on current expectations and assumptions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements, including, but not limited to, the following: the ability of Hybrid Coating Technologies Inc. to provide for its obligations, to provide working capital needs from operating revenues, to obtain additional financing needed for any future acquisitions, to meet competitive challenges and technological changes, and other risks. Hybrid Coating Technologies Inc undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement(s) and/or to confirm the statement(s) to actual results or changes in Hybrid Coating Technologies Inc. expectations.

About Hybrid Coating Technologies

Hybrid Coating Technologies (HCT) is a San Francisco-based innovator focused on improving the quality and safety of foams, coatings, and adhesives for industrial and commercial customers around the world. We are the exclusive licensee of Green Polyurethane foam, coatings, and adhesives - the world's first-ever patent protected polyurethane-based foam, coatings, and adhesive products that eliminate toxic isocyanates from the entire production process (licensed by Nanotech Industries, Inc.) and the 2015 recipient of the Presidential Green Chemistry Award.

The Problem of Conventional Foams/Coatings/Paint and Isocyanates

Conventional polyurethane (PU) paint and coatings have many disadvantages: they are porous, permeable and maintain poor hydrolytic stability. This makes the material highly vulnerable to environmental degradation and ultimately leads to their chemical decomposition, especially when in contact with water. Conventional PU foams such as spray foam insulation are applied via a spraying mechanism that sends toxic isocyanates in the air - exposing workers to the dangers of toxic isocyanates. Strict and costly health & safety measures have to be implemented in the manufacture and application of conventional polyurethane due to the toxicity of isocyanates. This is why regulatory bodies around the world are now looking toward phasing out the use of isocyanates.

Since conventional polyurethanes contain isocyanates, very strict health and safety measures related to their use must be taken. In addition, special measures for the preparation of fillers for paints and coatings must be taken since isocyanates are very sensitive to moisture. Both of these issues lead to a highly regulated and costly working environment. On the other hand, it is not necessary to address any of these issues with Green PolyurethaneTM since no isocyanates are used at any stage of the production or application process - making it hundreds of times less toxic than conventional PU.

Current global trends toward more environmentally sound products and new legislative restrictions on the use of hazardous materials and their chemical by-products pose formidable obstacles to conventional polyurethane manufacturers. Governmental health agencies and workers unions are beginning to actively speak out and regulate against the dangers of isocyanates in the workplace.

The Green Polyurethane Solution

Green Polyurethane (also referred to as "HNIPU" - hybrid non-isocyanate polyurethane) is a "hybrid" material that combines the high chemical resistance properties of epoxy and advanced durability and wear resistance properties of polyurethane, making it the perfect coating application for sanitary, high traffic and corrosive surface areas. As a hybrid material with superior properties, Green Polyurethane  can be applied in one or two coatings, providing a welcome cost-saving substitute to currently used multi-layered coating applications. Its safety features allow it to be applied without the interruption of business due to public exposure, creating an additional 30-60% savings on application costs for customers. As a foam, Green Polyurethane provides high R values up to 6.0, energy savings up to 30% and improved tensile strength over conventional foam without using dangerous isocyanates.

Recent Anti-Isocyanate Regulatory Pressure

US EPA MDI Action Plan: The US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is taking progressive action to regulate and potentially ban isocyanates and has mentioned Hybrid's technology as an alternative to toxic polyurethane in its MDI Action Plan against isocyanates (see page 4 Figovsky and Shapovalov)

http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/tdi.pdf

OSHA National Emphasis Program: On June 25, 2013 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a division of the US Department of Labor, initiated a National Emphasis Program to protect workers from the serious health effects from occupational exposure to isocyanates. Isocyanates are found in polyurethane based products. According to OSHA, "Workers exposed to isocyanates can suffer debilitating health problems for months or even years after exposure which could result in death."

California's Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) on March 13, 2014 selected isocyanates and two others substances from a list of 1,100 toxic components that it will focus on with the goal of potentially banning them altogether within the next two years. The announcement is part of a bigger effort to educate consumers and manufacturers about product safety under the Green-Chemistry Law, which went into effect in California last year. Under the law, the agency has jurisdiction to ban these products altogether after following proper protocol. That process includes workshops, a public comment period and requiring manufacturers that want to sell these products in California to determine whether it would be feasible to use safer ingredients.

The US EPA on January 8, 2015 announced that it was taking action to protect consumers from new uses and imports of harmful isocyanates in polyurethane. The EPA's proposed action, a Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), would require manufacturers (including importers) to notify the EPA at least 90 days before starting or resuming new uses of isocyanates in polyurethane based consumer products. The EPA would then have the opportunity to evaluate the intended use of and if necessary, to take action to prohibit or limit all products containing over one tenth of one percent of the chemical including imported products that make their way into the United States

Public Relations and Media Contact:

LCGHeadquarter OfficeSteve Luna702.333.4886www.lcginfo.com
LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. (OTC PINK: PNOW), parent Company of the Central American-Caribbean online travel Agency (OTA) Oveedia (www.Oveedia.com), announced today, that in the upcoming days, the Company shall make its fourth and final payment in the Debt Repurchase Program, strengthening the Company's current capitalization structure and furthering its debt reduction initiative.

"Once we make this final payment, we will have successfully completed this phase of the Debt Reduction Initiative, repurchasing all of the toxic debt targeted in the Debt Repurchase Program," stated Melvin Pereira, President and CEO of Pure Hospitality Solutions. "I am proud to say, it is at this point, that shareholders should truly be able to begin seeing the light at the end of the tunnel."

Clearing the slate of toxic notes couldn't have come at a better time, as the Company prepares for the highly anticipated hospitality event, Expotur 2016. With the Company continually receiving growing interest from hoteliers, making room for more suitable, long-term capital infusions -- achieved by staving off dilution, equates to faster market penetration and stronger advertising budgets.

Pereira continued, "In fact, the interest is so high, that even while we're exploring the options of engaging a well-heeled, well known international marketing firm to handle our marketing outreach, its seems like Expotur 2016 will actually kick off our outreach strategy, one month earlier than planned. So, I'm confident that we will meet our 2016 benchmark of new property listings with Oveedia."

Management strongly believes that the Company is on track to quickly build an online travel database hosting Central America's premier and underserved properties. This would position Oveedia as a value-added opportunity to any major online travel operator (i.e. Priceline, Expedia, etc.). Even a systems company like Google, who has begun a push into this market, would likely find valuable interest in the Oveedia online travel brand. Therefore, management remains confident, that with this upcoming fourth and final payment of its securities buyback plan, shareholder confidence should rise significantly; reflecting greater opportunities for PNOW shareholders.

About Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc.

PURE provides proprietary technology, marketing solutions and branding services to hotel operators and condominium owners. The Company's vision is to build competitive operations in the areas of (i) online marketing and hotel internet booking engine services, (ii) hotel branding and, (iii) own, operate and in some instances develop, boutique hotels under the new, "by PURE" brand. PURE is the creator of Oveedia (www.Oveedia.com), the Central American-Caribbean online travel hub.

Related Links:

Pure Hospitality Solutions Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/purehss/

Pure Hospitality Solutions Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PUREnow

Pure Hospitality Solutions Twitter: https://twitter.com/purehss

Pure Hospitality Solutions Google: https://plus.google.com/+PurenowSolutionsplus/

Pure Hospitality Solutions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pure-hospitality-solution

Safe Harbor Statements in this news release that are not historical facts, including statements about plans and expectations regarding products and opportunities, demand and acceptance of new or existing products, capital resources and future financial results are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to differ materially from those expressed. These uncertainties and risks include changing consumer preferences, lack of success of new products, loss of the Company's customers, competition and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:

Team PURE

IR Div. (800) 889-9509




MOUNT LAUREL, NJ -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- inTEST Corporation (NYSE MKT: INTT), an independent designer, manufacturer and marketer of temperature management products and semiconductor automatic test equipment (ATE) interface solutions, today announced the company will participate in the Drexel Hamilton Microcap Investor Conference.

Drexel Hamilton Microcap Investor Conference - May 12, 2016 (New York, NY)

Robert Matthiessen, president and chief executive officer, and Hugh Regan, Jr., chief financial officer, will present at Drexel Hamilton's Microcap Investor Conference on May 12, 2016. The conference will be held at the Drexel Hamilton Headquarters in New York City.

inTEST Corporation's presentation is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EDT. Live and archived audio web casts of the presentation will be available by accessing the following URL: http://wsw.com/webcast/dham9/intt. The presentation materials utilized during the conference will be made accessible on the investor page of the inTEST Corporation website at www.intest.com.

inTEST management will be available to meet one-on-one with investors during the conference. Interested investors should contact your Drexel Hamilton sales representative to secure a meeting time.

About inTEST Corporation

inTEST Corporation is an independent designer, manufacturer and marketer of temperature management products and ATE interface solutions, which are used by semiconductor manufacturers to perform final testing of integrated circuits (ICs) and wafers. The Company's high-performance products are designed to enable semiconductor manufacturers to improve the speed, reliability, efficiency and profitability of IC test processes. The Company's products are also sold into the automotive, consumer electronics, defense/aerospace, energy and telecommunications industries. Specific products include temperature management systems, manipulator and docking hardware products and customized interface solutions. The Company has established strong relationships with its customers globally, which it supports through a network of local offices. For more information visit www.intest.com.

CONTACTS:

Hugh T. Regan, Jr.

Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

inTEST Corporation

Tel: 856-505-8999



Laura Guerrant-Oiye

Principal

Guerrant Associates

lguerrant@guerrantir.com

Tel: (808) 882-1467




PowerHouse Energy Group plc

("PowerHouse" or the "Company")

Issue of Equity

Further to the announcement on 28 April 2016, PowerHouse (AIM: PHE) announces that it will shortly issue 90,932,961 Ordinary Shares of 0.5 pence each ("Ordinary Shares") to Renewme Limited ("Renewme") in full and final settlement of amounts asserted by Renewme. This issue of Ordinary Shares will release the Company from any and all previously disputed issues with Renweme.

PowerHouse will apply for these 90,932,961 Ordinary Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM and it is anticipated that trading in such shares will commence on 12 May 2016.

The total number of Ordinary Shares in issue following the issue of these new Ordinary Shares will be 569,472,998.

PowerHouse has no shares in Treasury, therefore this figure may be used by Shareholders, from Admission, as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change in their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

For additional information please contact:
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd (the "Corporation" or "Osisko") (TSX: OR) announces that, at the annual meeting of shareholders held on May 4, 2016, each of the 9 nominees listed in the Management Information Circular filed on April 7, 2016 with regulatory authorities were elected as directors of the Corporation.

Based on the proxies received and the votes on a show of hands, the following individuals were elected as directors of the Corporation until the next annual shareholders' meeting. Accordingly, the results are set out below:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of % of RESOLUTION No.1 Votes cast votes cast Votes cast votes cast Name of Nominee FOR FOR WITHHELD WITHHELD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Francoise Bertrand 78,463,346 95.41% 3,770,827 4.59% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victor H. Bradley 81,630,293 99.27% 603,880 0.73% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Burzynski 80,246,232 97.58% 1,987,941 2.42% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Christopher C. Curfman 82,113,121 99.85% 121,052 0.15% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joanne Ferstman 78,537,697 95.50% 3,696,476 4.50% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andre Gaumond 64,873,671 78.89% 17,360,502 21.11% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pierre Labbe 81,594,998 99.22% 639,175 0.78% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Charles E. Page 63,276,121 76.95% 18,958,052 23.05% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sean Roosen 76,203,973 92.67% 6,030,200 7.33% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

All other resolutions provided for in the Management Information Circular were duly passed and as such a report on the voting results will be filed today with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com.

About Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd

Osisko is an intermediate mining royalty and exploration company with two world-class gold royalty assets. These two cornerstone assets are a 5% net smelter return ("NSR") royalty on the world-class Canadian Malartic gold mine, located in Malartic, Quebec, and a 2.0-3.5% NSR on the Eleonore gold mine, located in James Bay, Quebec. Osisko also holds a 1.7-2.55% NSR royalty on certain claims comprising the Island Gold Mine, a 1.7% NSR royalty on the Lamaque South Project, a 3% NSR royalty on the Malartic CHL property as well as a 2% NSR royalty on the Upper Beaver, Kirkland Lake and Hammond Reef gold exploration projects in Northern Ontario. The Corporation also owns a 9.8% equity interest in Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corporation.

Osisko's head office is located at 1100 Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montreal, Suite 300, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 2S2.

Contacts:

Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd.

John Burzynski

Senior Vice President, New Business Development

(416) 363-8653

jburzynski@osiskogr.com



Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd.

Joseph de la Plante

Vice President, Corporate Development

(514) 940-0670

jdelaplante@osiskogr.com




CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Crescent Point Energy Corp. ("Crescent Point" or the "Company") (TSX: CPG)(NYSE: CPG) plans to report its first quarter 2016 financial and operating results via news release prior to the opening of markets on Thursday, May 12, 2016. Crescent Point management will host a conference call at 10 a.m. MT (12 p.m. ET) on May 12, 2016, to discuss the results and outlook for the Company.

Participants can access the conference call by dialing 866-225-2055 or 416-340-2218. Alternatively, to listen to this event online, please enter http://www.gowebcasting.com/7485 in your web browser.

For those unable to participate in the conference call at the scheduled time, it will be archived for replay. You can access the replay by dialing 800-408-3053 or 905-694-9451 and entering the passcode 2521791. The replay will be available approximately one hour following completion of the call. The webcast will be archived on Crescent Point's website at www.crescentpointenergy.com.

The Company also announces that its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") will be held on Friday, May 13, 2016, at 10 a.m. MT (12 p.m. ET) in the Imperial Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Calgary (700 Centre Street S.E.). Shareholders are encouraged to attend.

For those unable to attend, a webcast presentation of the Company's AGM will begin at approximately 10:15 a.m. MT (12:15 p.m. ET), following the conclusion of the business portion of the meeting.

To listen to this event, please enter http://www.gowebcasting.com/7123 in your web browser.

For more information about Crescent Point's AGM and upcoming events, please visit www.crescentpointenergy.com.

Crescent Point is a leading North American light and medium oil producer that seeks to maximize shareholder return through its total return strategy of long-term growth plus dividend income.

CRESCENT POINT ENERGY CORP.

Scott Saxberg, President and Chief Executive Officer

Crescent Point shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange, both under the symbol CPG.

Contacts:

Crescent Point Energy Corp.

Ken Lamont

Chief Financial Officer

(403) 693-0020

(403) 693-0070 (FAX)

Toll-free (U.S. & Canada): 888-693-0020



Crescent Point Energy Corp.

Trent Stangl

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Communications

(403) 693-0020

(403) 693-0070 (FAX)

Toll-free (U.S. & Canada): 888-693-0020

www.crescentpointenergy.com




Registration is now open for the first annual Disney Institute CX Summit taking place Aug. 22-25, 2016 at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

CELEBRATION, Florida, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --For the first time, Disney Institute will be hosting a Customer Experience Summit at Walt Disney World Resort. For decades, Disney has been fine-tuning the art of customer service, ensuring the guest is at the heart of everything. This one-of-a kind event will give participants a peek behind the unique brand of Disney magic and help transform the way they think about their own customer experience.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363953LOGO

The Customer Experience Summit will take place at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa from Aug. 22-25, 2016. The multi-day summit is a fully immersive learning event that will offer attendees a first-hand look at Disney business insights and best practices in leadership, service and employee engagement. Guests will learn how these critical customer experience elements can be adapted and applied to their own customer interactions.

The Summit will also offer guests unique field experiences throughout the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks where they will observe the Disney customer experience concepts, in action. Disney senior executives will share real-world examples of how they bring the Disney approach to life every day. The Summit keynote speakers include:

George A. Kalogridis , president, Walt Disney World Resort.

, president, Walt Disney World Resort. Karl Holz , president, New Vacation Operations and Disney Cruise Line.

, president, New Vacation Operations and Disney Cruise Line. Paul Richardson , senior vice president, human resources, ESPN and chief diversity officer, The Walt Disney Company.

"This is a great chance for participants to learn from senior Disney executives how we create and deliver a customer experience that consistently exceeds expectations," said Jeff James, vice president and general manager, Disney Institute. "The summit will be unlike any other, actively engaging attendees in our parks and resorts operation."

For more details and to register visit: DisneyInstitute.com. Registration fees include conference materials, guided field experiences within the operation and select meals.

To find upcoming Disney Institute business training and professional development experiences, including those offered in Spanish, as well as our year-round courses offered at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the Disneyland Resort in California and Aulani - A Disney Resort and Spa in Hawaii, visit: DisneyInstituteCourses.com.

About Disney Institute

As the trusted, authoritative voice on the Disney approach to customer experience, Disney Institute uses business insights and time-tested examples from Disney parks and resorts worldwide to inspire individuals and organizations to enhance their own customer experience using Disney principles as their guide.

For nearly three decades, Disney Institute has helped professionals discover ways to positively impact their organizations and the customer they serve through immersion in leadership, service and employee engagement. Unique to Disney Institute is the opportunity to go behind the scenes in a "living laboratory" to observe firsthand how Disney methodologies are operationalized and how they can be adapted and applied to any work environment.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Kickfurther, a leading inventory and purchase order financing crowd-funding platform that connects companies and backers seeking qualified short-term deal financing, is proud to announce it has successfully completed $4,145.08 inventory financing in 2 weeks with Pandora's Pops, delicious organic candies, activated with herbs and essential oils to prepare the brain and body for something fresh. The funds will be used to finance growing purchase orders for Pandora's Pops inventory. Pandora's Pops is expected to payout a consignment profit of 13% over a projected offer term of 12 months.

In this Kickfurther campaign, Pandora's Pops funded their inventory financing goal to fill requests for special products of particular shapes, colors and flavors. To fill these orders, Pandora's Pops will scale production on custom-made candy molds and also do some R&D on adding natural colors. The inventory will be shipped to Pandora's Pops in the name of their Kickfurther backers and the brand intends to provide a total payout of $4,683.94.

Pandora's Pops are plant-powered organic lollipops that are hand-crafted, activated with herbs and essential oils, vegan, corn-syrup free. They are created with the freshest ingredients by a team of holistic health artisans in San Francisco. This is Pandora's Pops first campaign with Kickfurther.

Click here to see the Pandora's Pops' successful offering on Kickfurther.

About Kickfurther

Kickfurther is a leading inventory and purchase orders financing crowd-funding platform that connects companies with backers seeking qualified short-term deal financing. Our platform differs from traditional invoice factoring companies by enabling consumer product companies seeking capital to finance purchase order and inventory growth in production by sharing their sales opportunities with backers interested to put their money to work in short term profit opportunities in the retail supply chain.

Businesses post offers by choosing the amount of inventory capital they need, the profit percentage backers will earn, and a projected timeline based on sales history. Since its 2015 launch, Kickfurther has funded more than $6.34 Million in 252 offers by more than 170 companies. Their backers have earned an average greater than 2% consignment profit per month on completed offers.

For additional information, please visit www.kickfurther.com

About Pandora's Pops

Pandora's Pops are organic candies, activated with herbs and essential oils to prepare your brain and body for something fresh. They are free of artificial flavorings and corn syrup. Aphrodisiac Pops is the most adventurous and offer other mood-based lollipops such as Calming Pops for stress, Happy Genius pops for mental clarity and mood, Silicon Valley Startup Pops for stimulating innovation, and Smoke-Stop Pops to help quit tobacco. These breakthrough lollipops are handmade by holistic health artisans in San Francisco. Pandora's Pops began as a series of fun experiments, with a successful Kickstarter for $21,000 in 2013, consistently generate 5-star customer satisfaction reviews, and are now beginning to appear in select stores.

For additional information, please visit www.pandoraspops.com

** News, Media, PR and Content distribution provided by 1-800-PublicRelations, Inc.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3003006



Offering Contact

Jena Chambers

President

Pandora's Pops

jena@pandoraspops.com

9172262526



Company Contact

Erik Straub

CMO

Kickfurther, Inc.

Direct: 908-698-3130

Email: erik@kickfurther.com



Media / PR Contact

Matthew Bird

President

1-800-PublicRelations, Inc.

Direct: 646.401.4499

Main: 800.782.6185

Email: support@1800pr.com

www.1800pr.com




LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - May 05, 2016) -

Company has taken delivery of 100 aircraft since it was founded in 2004

VistaJet's regular service area now covers 90% of the globe with one way pricing

Company has sold almost 40 used aircraft in its history, ensuring its fleet of over 60 aircraft is one of the largest and youngest in the industry

9 out of 10 VistaJet customers renew their Flight Solutions Program contract

Since launch, VistaJet aircraft have flown to almost 1500 destinations, over 190 countries, travelling 140,555,285km

VistaJet, the global leader in business aviation, today reached an important milestone in its history when it welcomed its 100 th ever aircraft to its fleet. The company has invested billions in jets in the past decade, growing its fleet from just 5 jets in 2006 to over 60 today, with a market value of more than $1.8bn.

The company has come a long way in the past decade. In 2006, VistaJet travelled to 233 destinations, carrying less than 5,000 passengers. VistaJet has now landed at 1,489 airports worldwide, meeting the needs of over 37,000 passengers in 2015 alone, and has flown over 210,000 passengers in its history. It has also invested in its technology and operations. The company's first office was in Salzburg, Austria, and employed just 10 people. It now has a global office network across 4 continents, and employs over 750 people. Despite operating in a competitive market, in just ten years VistaJet has grown to become the global leader in business aviation.

On top of that, to help make the business as efficient as possible, VistaJet has also invested in its operations in Malta, and has moved its corporate headquarters to the country. Along with employing over 250 people on the island, VistaJet also has 52 aircraft on the Maltese registry.

The business aviation market more generally has also changed dramatically over the past 10 years. Where Europe was VistaJet's most popular destination in 2006, it has now been overtaken by the United States and Asia. Since introducing a B-registered aircraft to fly domestically in China last year, VistaJet has seen a 30% growth in Asia flight traffic. In 2015, VistaJet saw a 139% growth in US flight traffic. The demand for private aircraft has not only grown in volume, it has also grown geographically. In 2006, VistaJet typically served 30% of the globe. It now regularly serves over 90% of countries worldwide, with a VistaJet aircraft taking off every 36 minutes.

VistaJet's sustained period of growth demonstrates the compelling nature of its offer, and the continued popularity of its unique subscription model. Nine out of ten VistaJet customers currently renew or add extra flying hours to their contracts upon completion. With its asset light model, VistaJet pioneered the concept of the shared economy, now a fundamental way in which the world does business. Any corporation or individual flying 500 hours or less a year could benefit from choosing VistaJet. For clients flying more than 500 hours a year, VistaJet offers multiple simultaneous aircraft usage anywhere in the world, an important option for heavy users of business jets.

This increased reach and expertise comes at a time when individuals and businesses are moving away from private ownership due to the need for complete flexibility, and the risk of relying on a limited number of aircraft. The number of jets for sale has risen by as much as 217% year-on-year for some models. 1 2

To keep its fleet as modern and up-to-date as possible, VistaJet regularly replaces older aircraft with the latest models. It has replaced almost 40 aircraft in its history, ensuring customers have the very best experience when they fly with the company. This track record of consistently investing in its offer means that VistaJet has one of the largest and youngest wholly owned fleets in the market. It has over 60 operational aircraft, all of which are on average just two years old. The size of the fleet also means that VistaJet's regular service area now covers 90% of the globe.

To celebrate the milestone, VistaJet has produced a list of '100 things you never knew' about the company, which will be published on its website and social media channels. This includes the fact that VistaJet aircraft fly the equivalent of 3 return trips to the moon every single month, and flew around the world 679 times in 2015.

Chairman and Founder Thomas Flohr said:

"This is a huge milestone for VistaJet. We are very proud to be welcoming the 100 th aircraft to our fleet today.

Thanks to the investment we have made since 2004, we have over 60 of the latest, most efficient aircraft in the market, and a regular service area of more than 90% of the globe.

In the current market where private ownership is becoming less and less of a viable option, it makes sense for customers to leave the asset risk and up-front capital costs to VistaJet. Our clients simply pay for the time they spend in the air. No other operator can offer the same, guaranteed global reach at fixed rates, and as little as 24 hours' notice.

But we are not resting on our laurels. We have clear execution plans to increase our customer base and the number of destinations we serve still further, and we will continue to add to our fleet in the months and years ahead."

1 Business Jet Traveler, Preowned: Fractional Fallout, 15 March 2016

2 AIN online, Analyst raises Alarm over Rising Used G650 Inventory, 24 March 2016

About VistaJet

Founded in 2004 by Thomas Flohr, VistaJet has established itself as the global leader in premium long-range private jet travel by consistently providing excellent service and unrivalled quality to its fast growing clientele, connecting them to every corner of the world with point-to-point coverage. VistaJet operates a young fleet -- total fleet average age is under two years -- of over 60 Global * and Challenger * business aircraft and offers the industry's largest service area, covering all major markets. The Company's unique and successful business model provides all the benefits of owning a personal jet without the responsibilities or asset risk of personal ownership. News and information are available at www.vistajet.com.

100 things you never knew about VistaJet ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 To date, VistaJet has flown to over 1480 airports worldwide 2 VistaJet's current balance sheet of aircraft in operation currently sits at over $1.8bn 3 VistaJet flew around the world 679 times in 2015 4 That's over 13 times around the world each week 5 The highest airport VistaJet has landed at is Inca Manco Capac International airport in Peru, at 3,826m 6 In total, VistaJet aircraft fly the equivalent of 3 return trips to the moon every single month 7 Since introducing its domestic aircraft to China, VistaJet has seen a 30% rise in Asia flight traffic 8 VistaJet has flown to over 180 countries worldwide 9 That's 90% of the globe 10 VistaJet employs over 750 aviation professionals around the world 11 Since 2012, the VistaJet fleet has more than doubled in size, to over 60 aircraft 12 In 2012, VistaJet completed two Global Roadshows, visiting 27 cities in 24 days on a Global 6000 aircraft 13 VistaJet flight traffic in the Middle East grew 64% in flights and 75% in passengers in 2015, with Dubai and Riyadh as some of the top passenger destinations 14 VistaJet received the EBAA Platinum Award for 100,000 hours, or 50 years, of safe flying in 2014. There is no higher award, and VistaJet has now doubled that number 15 In 2015, VistaJet flew almost 1000 children under the age of 10 16 All VistaJet cabin crew receive WSET Level 2 training in wines and spirits 17 VistaJet cabin crew are exclusively trained by the world-renowned British Butler Institute in London 18 In 2015, a VistaJet Challenger 350 set a world speed record in its class, flying 4,463km in 5 hours 5 minutes from Napa to the Cayman Islands 19 VistaJet has flown to over 200 airports in the US 20 VistaJet's farthest flight to date has been from Hong Kong to Palm Springs, at 11,819kms 21 VistaJet's longest flight to date was from Singapore to Nice, at 13 hours 43 minutes 22 VistaJet chose to move to an all mid to long range fleet in 2014, with the last Learjet 60 leaving the fleet in February 2015 23 VistaJet is made up of over 40 teams worldwide, with its centralised 24/7 Operations and Customer Services departments at the core of the operation in Malta 24 It takes the combined teamwork of up to twenty teams to put a single VistaJet flight into the air 25 Our aircraft fragrance was designed by luxury perfumier Le Labo and was selected to compliment the VistaJet cabin interior 26 VistaJet's top 20 cities visited in 2015 included Nice, London, Geneva, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Riyadh, Moscow, Los Angeles and Lagos 27 VistaJet is proud to have its headquarters in Malta, with a growing team of over 250 aviation professionals located on the island 28 Over 50 VistaJet aircraft are registered to Malta, making VistaJet the largest operator on the island 29 The furthest north a VistaJet aircraft has flown to is Svalbard Airport in Norway 30 The furthest south a VistaJet aircraft has flown to is Ushuaia-Malvinas Argentinas airport in Argentina 31 VistaJet has its own branded caviar on board 32 VistaJet cabin crew go through a 5 step procedure to ensure that hot towels are perfect when each passenger boards 33 VistaJet has a specially curated library of dozens of books selected by London-based bookstore, Heywood Hill, on its Global aircraft 34 VistaJet announced double digit flight traffic growth in 2015 35 VistaJet's fastest growing market is the US, with 139% flight traffic growth in 2015 36 VistaJet Program customers can book and manage flights from their smartphone using the VistaJet App 37 The VistaJet Ultimate Sky Sleep includes a special Skysleeper mattress, feather duvets, Egyptian cotton linens and cashmere blankets 38 Customers receive special pajamas, cashmere eyemasks and relaxing herbal teas as part of their sleep preparation 39 VistaJet's amenity kits are filled with raw organic products from California's The Body Deli to nourish and rejuvenate inflight 40 Customers can compare the cost of aircraft ownership vs VistaJet Program membership via the VistaJet Cost Calculator 41 VistaJet saw a 54% increase in passengers in Asia in 2015 42 VistaJet Founder and Chairman Thomas Flohr flies over 700 hours a year on VistaJet aircraft 43 VistaJet operates a Fleet Renewal Program to guarantee that all aircraft are under warranty 44 VistaJet employs over 260 exceptional pilots to fly over 60 aircraft 45 VistaJet Founder & Chairman Thomas Flohr won the Aviation Entrepreneur of the Year award at this year's Living Legends of Aviation ceremony 46 In 2008, VistaJet acquired Bombardier SkyJet International, broadening its reach and developing an early presence in the Asian and the Middle Eastern markets 47 In 2015, VistaJet made history by taking delivery of 10 new aircraft in 31 days 48 In 2015, VistaJet flew to 878 different airports across 6 continents 49 VistaJet can fly to almost anywhere in the world, with only 1 stop required 50 In 2013, VistaJet celebrated Easter by offering customers limited edition fine egg pendants with master jeweller Faberge 51 VistaJet developed a special juice with London-based cold press Juice Tonic for its customers flying out of London 52 VistaJet has partnered with leading Japanese restaurant Nobu to create an exclusive in-flight menu for its customers in cities round the world 53 Formally Air Executive, the name VistaJet was chosen as symbolic of changing the skies of business aviation 54 VistaJet grew its revenue by almost 20% in 2009, despite being in the middle of a world economic crisis 55 VistaJet's service area means that customers can access one-way pricing in the US, India, Africa, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe 56 VistaJet customers can access WiFi on board the majority of VistaJet aircraft 57 Generally, VistaJet crew are used to knowing where they will be flying next, only 24 hours in advance 58 All VistaJet crew wear custom-designed Moncler spring and winter jackets 59 VistaJet aims to be fully established in the Indian business aviation market by the end of 2017 60 Every VistaJet flight has a dedicated cabin host trained in exceptional service styles 61 In 2014 VistaJet commissioned renowned artist Jean-Philippe Delhomme to illustrate its story, to celebrate its 10th Anniversary. 62 VistaJet partnered with esteemed luxury publisher Assouline to create 'The Art of Flying' in 2015 63 VistaJet aircraft do not have a home base 64 The aircraft's signature silver with a red stripe came about by accident - the manufacturer called Thomas whilst he was in a meeting and asked what colour he would like his second aircraft to be. He just said 'oh just have it the same as the other one', and the VistaJet signature aircraft was born. 65 VistaJet also owns a metallic silver and red striped Agusta 109 helicopter, based in the Swiss Alps 66 As long as the runway is long enough and the destination is deemed safe, VistaJet aircraft can fly anywhere in the world 67 A VistaJet aircraft takes off every 36 minutes 68 VistaJet's fastest growing destinations in Africa are South Africa, Ghana and Morocco 69 Founder and Chairman Thomas Flohr's first aircraft was a Learjet 60 70 VistaJet pilots are trained well above and beyond industry standards, with recurrent training every 6 months 71 VistaJet's Instagram and Twitter handles are @vistajet 72 VistaJet served over 26,000 beautifully crafted lattes and espressos in 2015 in the finest Christofle china 73 VistaJet serves its own branded M&Ms on-board every flight 74 VistaJet aircraft have an average age of under 2 years old 75 VistaJet flies hundreds of customer's beloved pets, from dogs to cats to iguanas 76 The VistaJet Customer Service team has a 100 page training manual to offer the best service to customers worldwide 77 VistaJet aircraft are maintained by over 40 approved suppliers worldwide, ensuring the highest safety standards 78 VistaJet developed its own industry-leading operations platform, GlobalView, to cater for the complex needs of its global fleet 79 VistaJet was the first business aviation provider to use Facebook At Work, Facebook's game-changing new internal communications platform 80 The signature red roses on VistaJet aircraft are actually white roses, dyed to ensure perfect colouring 81 The VistaJet team is represented by over 50 nationalities 82 In August 2015, VistaJet logged 72 flights in a single day to destinations worldwide 83 To date, VistaJet has flown over 210,000 passengers on its signature silver and red striped aircraft 84 It is not uncommon for VistaJet crew to circle the world in 72 hours 85 VistaJet partners with global healthcare provider MedAire to ensure that passengers and crew have 24/7 access to worldclass medical care 86 VistaJet aircraft usually fly between 40,000 - 49,000ft, ensuring passengers a smoother, quieter flight 87 VistaJet cabins are pressurised to the equivalent of flying at 4,500ft compared to 7,500ft on commercial jets, helping passengers feel more refreshed after flying. 88 All VistaJet aircraft are configured so that passengers can enjoy the flight in complete privacy if they wish, with separate quarters for the cabin crew 89 The average age of VistaJet employees is 36 years old 90 All VistaJet aircraft are maintained to the highest standards as set by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 91 VistaJet has introduced electronic tech logs for all pilots in a concerted effort to go paperless in the cockpit 92 In February 2016, a VistaJet aircraft enabled one customer to attend meetings in 4 different cities in 24 hours 93 Over half of VistaJet employees speak two or more languages 94 VistaJet to date has phased out 39 of its used aircraft to keep its fleet young and under warranty 95 As of 2015, nine out of ten VistaJet customers currently renew their contracts on completion. 96 VistaJet offers a specially curated list of fine wines and champagne handpicked by the chairman, including vintage Dom Perignon champagne 97 Each delicious meal is served on Christofle china and glassware 98 In 2015, VistaJet upgraded its entire fleet of Challenger 605 aircraft to keep to its promise of offering young aircraft 99 VistaJet partnered with UK artist Ian Davenport and Faberge to paint a custom Faberge egg on the tail of its Global 6000 aircraft 100 In 2015, VistaJet invested in over $700m of brand new aircraft ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/5/4/11G096753/Images/mw1ai0j3gplo9jv291jnn1gbo3b4d-a4b105e8afe6b6a48ef74ed35ee273c4.jpg

James Leviton

Finsbury

+44 207 251 3851

james.leviton@finsbury.com



Katie Read

VistaJet International

M: +44 (0) 7834 335505

katie.read@vistajet.com
SINGAPORE, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Fresh from its triumphant opening in Paris, France, Fragrance Du Bois is pleased to announce the latest development in its ongoing expansion plans. From the 4th of May 2016, the French, luxury perfume house will be available in one of Singapore's most established and renowned department stores-- TANGS, at VivoCity. Fragrance Du Bois will maintain a presence there until the 6th of June 2016.

Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160505/8521602892-a

The 'pop-up' has been designed to reach out to locals, expatriates, and tourists alike, providing a unique shopping experience in one of Singapore's largest, award-winning shopping malls. It also presents a wonderful opportunity for consumers and fragrance aficionados to gain first-hand experience of niche perfumery, and for Fragrance Du Bois to showcase its luxurious, 100% pure, natural Oud based fragrances.

The 379 ft space is situated by the store's main entrance, and replicates Fragrance Du Bois' luxurious concept boutiques around the world, expressing the brand's innovative approach and refined heritage. Resplendent with black and gold furnishings, the 'pop-up' is set against the elegant design of Fragrance Du Bois' Swarovski encrusted bottles, evoking a sensuous and luxurious ambience for the customers.

The 'pop-up' will not only feature the brand's exquisite range of Oud fragrances. Perfume connoisseurs can also expect to discover a selection of other eminent perfume brands, such as Xerjoff, Parfums de Marly, Jovoy, Sospiro, Alexandre. J, Illuminum, House of Sillage, Isabey and Sue Wong. These brands are exclusive to Fragrance Du Bois in Southeast Asia.

Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160505/8521602892-b

Early last year, Fragrance Du Bois was given the opportunity to showcase its exquisite creations in TANGS at Tangs Plaza-- the department store's flagship location in Singapore's premier shopping district, Orchard Road. The venture was reprised in the latter part of 2015, with great success.

Nicola Parker, Brand Director of Fragrance Du Bois said, "Being in TANGS once again-- one of the most recognised home-bred department stores in Singapore-- gives us another great opportunity to increase brand recognition and educate our customers on our philosophy. It's important to us to help people understand how we differ from mainstream fragrance brands. We also want everyone to understand and appreciate the properties of the mystical Oud oil that is such an important part of our products and brand profile."

"Most Singaporeans just need a little nudge when it comes to exploring niche brands," she continued. "We have observed a growing appetite for smaller, more individual perfume houses, as consumers' tastes grow in sophistication. They want more, and are looking to stand out from the crowd. We are both humbled and delighted by the positive responses we've received, and we look forward to another successful showcase."

Using only the finest, sustainably sourced and produced ingredients, Fragrance Du Bois is currently available in Paris, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Dubai. The brand is also in talks with prestigious department stores around the world to stock and showcase its range of products, and is expected to expand further, with openings in Doha, Geneva and London coming up in the months ahead.

Fragrance Du Bois will be operation at Tangs VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Walk, #01-187, Singapore 098585 from the 4th of May to the 6th of June 2016.

Notes for Editors:

For further information, please contact:-

Samantha Tham

PR & Marketing Executive

Email:samantha.tham@asiaplantationcapital.com

Mobile:+65 9144 0933

Zaahira Muhammad

Senior PR & Marketing Executive

Email:zaahira@asiaplantationcapital.com

Office:+60 122 035 344

About Fragrance Du Bois

Fragrance Du Bois is a niche luxury perfume house born from the richest essences of nature, crafted by fifth generation perfumers from the 17th century French traditions of Grasse. Its inspiration stems from the beauty and purity of nature itself.

At the heart of all Fragrance Du Bois' creations is our signature Oud that exudes the ultimate in luxury, being both distinctive and unique. All the Oud used by Fragrance Du Bois is produced on our own sustainably managed plantations, and is guaranteed to be ethically and sustainably sourced.

The niche perfume house is currently available in Paris, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Dubai, with plans to expand in Doha, Geneva and London in the months ahead.
HUDSON, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Taconic Biosciences, a leading provider of genetically modified solutions to researchers worldwide, announced its partnership with Life Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd. to provide Taconic mouse models and services to researchers in India and the Middle East.

"The partnership with Life Technologies strengthens our distribution network in India and parts of the Middle East and enables us to provide greater access to our complete portfolio of superior quality models and services to pre-clinical researchers in the region," said John DelliSanti, senior vice president, sales and customer service, Taconic Biosciences. "With nearly a decade of experience providing murine models to academic, commercial and government customers for The Jacksons Laboratory, Life Technologies is the trusted brand with scientists in the Region, making them an ideal partner for Taconic."

Under the agreement, Life Technologies will provide the full portfolio of Taconic rodent models, both traditional and genetically modified, in India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. "The market in India in particular is expected to grow significantly through 2018, and Taconic's expanded presence in the region will help to meet this growing demand for access to quality rodent models for biomedical research," DelliSanti noted.

"We are excited to partner with Taconic Biosciences, and believe together we will provide the highest quality murine models to biomedical scientists across the Indian subcontinent," said Rajan Sahni, Managing director, Life Technologies. "With experience of almost 15 years serving the Indian academia and commercial entities, Life Technologies is a reliable name for scientists engaged in life science research, drug screening, toxicology, pharmacology and allied disciplines. The partnership brings unique service traits to the customers, making the procurement processes efficient, ease of doing business, and making Taconic products and services available to Indian researchers with dedicated 24x7 local support."

About Taconic Biosciences, Inc.

Taconic Biosciences is a global provider of genetically engineered rodent models and services. Founded in 1952, Taconic helps the biotechnology and pharmaceutical communities acquire, custom design, breed, precondition, test, and distribute highly relevant research models worldwide. Specialists in genetically-engineered mouse and rat models, integrated model design and breeding services, and precision research mouse models, Taconic operates service laboratories and breeding facilities in the U.S. and Europe and maintains distributor relationships in Asia.

About Life Technologies

Life Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd. is an ISO 9001:2008 supplier of products and services to the life science research, industrial biotech and bio-pharmaceutical sectors in India and neighboring countries in the fields of Immunology, Stem cell, Human Cytogenetics, Vaccinology, Molecular Diagnostics, Tissue culture, Bio-safety, Bio-defense, Discovery biology including GMO & Phytopathology. Our group has served customers for nearly two decades in the Indian and global markets as a trusted molecular and cell technology partner.
American power company NRG has unveiled a significant reorganization of its renewable energy businesses in its first quarter 2016 results, which were announced this morning. The company describes this as a conclusion of its GreenCo process, wherein it spun off multiple renewable energy businesses into a single and financially constrained subsidiary seven months ago. Perhaps the largest change will be at Home Solar, which will move from a full-service solar installer to a model where Home Solar enters into contracts with customers which they will then sell to third-party solar providers Sunrun and Spruce Finance. The company will also prioritize three markets - New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey - which it notes will "significantly reduce operating costs". NRG notes that it does reserve the option to operate Home Solar in Texas in the future, but will not do so at present. The company will also be folded back into NRG's Retail business. Overall, this will result in US$20 million in restructuring costs, however ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Technavio has announced the top five leading vendors for the global frozen ready meals marketin their latest research report. This report also lists 20 other prominent vendors who are expected to contribute to this market's growth over the forecast period.

To identify the top vendors, Technavio's market research analysts have considered the top contributors to the overall revenue of this market. Technavio researchers have considered the revenue generated through the retail sales of frozen ready meals in different regions such as the Americas, Europe. Asia-Pacific (APAC), and the Middle East and Africa (MEA).

Request sample report: http://bit.ly/21gzYqu

"Consumers are increasingly choosing ready meals because of hectic lifestyles. In addition, the ease of use associated with certain packaging techniques and microwave cooking supports the growth of the frozen ready meals market. The growth of convenience retail in emerging markets is also opening up access to new products and services," said Vijay Sarathi, one of Technavio's lead analysts for food and beverage research.

"The boom in organized retail, especially in developing countries, is expected to increase the share of the hypermarkets and supermarkets segment in the global frozen ready meals market during the forecast period. In 2015, hypermarkets and supermarkets accounted for a 73.8% market share. With the prevalence of e-retailing, online sales of frozen ready meals are expected to increase in the future," added Vijay.

Top five leading vendors in the global frozen ready meals market:

ConAgra

ConAgra Foods was established in 1919 and is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, US. The company is a North America-based food company that manufactures and markets branded foods for various markets.

As of May 2015, the company generated revenue of USD 15.83 billion and invested close to USD 900 million in R&D. It has 32,900 employees.

Fleury Michon

Fleury Michon was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Pouzauges, France. They produce fresh and ready meal products for both France and international markets.

As of December 2014, the company had 3,783 employees, and its revenue were close to USD 939.45 million. The company has concentrated on R&D activities for developing new technologies and products. To this end, it has made large investments in R&D. In September 2015, Fleury Michon launched a range of non-genetically modified organism (non-GMO) and antibiotic-free delicatessen products under the brand name J'aime.

Kraft Heinz

Kraft Heinz is co-headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Chicago, Illinois, US. The company produces and sells food and beverages products. These food and beverages include cheese, meats, refreshment beverages, coffees, and packaged dinners.

On July 2, 2015, the company announced the merger of the H.J. Heinz Holding (a company that offers ketchup, meals, soups, snacks, sauces, and infant nutrition) and Kraft Foods Group (a packaged food and beverage company). This acquisition has made Kraft Heinz the third-largest player in the North American market in the food and beverage sector. The acquisition will lead to an increase in its investments for marketing and innovations.

Nestle

Nestle was established in 1866 and is headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. The company, along with its subsidiaries, produces and sells foods and beverages globally. The company operates in 197 countries worldwide.

As of December 2014, the company employed 339,000 people and reported net revenues of USD 100.18 billion in FY2013 and USD 100.2 billion in FY2014. The company focuses on product development and research activities to bring new products into the market. It continuously concentrates on internal and external R&D to launch new products and for the enhancement of its existing product portfolio. The company's investments in product and process engineering and development will enable it to deliver innovative and technologically advanced products to cater to the growing needs of its customers.

Unilever

Unilever was established in 1929 and is headquartered in London, UK. The company provides foods, beverages, cleaning agents, and personal care products.

In FY2015, the company had 172,471 employees, and the total revenue was USD 70.81 billion. In March 2015, the company launched Knorr instant noodles. This comes almost five years after HUL entered a bridge category with its soupy noodles. The company strategically aims to expand the Knorr brand, which is so far restricted for ready-to-cook and soups range in India. Knorr is Unilever's largest food brand, and HUL aims to replicate its global success in India.

Browse related reports:

Global Ready Meals Market 2016-2020

Global Frozen Food Market 2015-2019

Global Skin Packaging Market 2016-2020

Purchase these three reports from our library for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005034/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com

media@technavio.com
HARRISBURG, PA--(Marketwired - May 05, 2016) - The PA Treasury is holding a Small Business Initiative (SBI) event on May 19, 2016 at Lehigh University's College of Business and Economics. The event will include a series of workshops that focus on key issues that face small businesses including health and insurance, corporate structure and governance, finance and revenue and legal and intellectual property. An additional workshop session on the procurement process will be led by the Pennsylvania Departments of General Services and Community and Economic Development. Registration for that event is available at www.patreasury.gov/sbi. Use code Lehigh Comp before May 11 for a limited time offer of free registration to the first 40 small businesses who register.

"Small business is a key driver of job creation and economic growth not just in the Lehigh Valley but across the entire state, so by helping them we are helping all of Pennsylvania," said PA Treasurer Timothy A. Reese. "As an entrepreneur, I understand small businesses face many challenges as they try to grow, so we are offering area businesses the opportunity to learn from experts and arm them with the information and contacts they need to increase revenues and jobs."

The workshops are held at prestigious universities across the state and are conducted by leading businesses across the state including Ernst and Young, United Healthcare, DuPont, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and Buchannan Ingersoll and Rand PC, among others.

William Hindle, president of HindlePower, Inc. of Easton, PA will give the keynote address about his path to success, from his graduation from Lehigh University in 1978 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, to his stint at Exxon and working at family-owned HITRAN Corporation. In 2000, Hindle spun off the company's Power Systems Division, renamed it HindlePower and moved the company to Easton. In 2012, its employees selected HindlePower as the "Top Workplace" in the Lehigh Valley. The company also won the Excellence in Business Award from the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and was recognized with the state of Pennsylvania's Entrepreneurial Impact award. Hindle owns four patents.

David E. Welsh, Executive Director of Executive Education at Lehigh University's College of Business and Economics, will introduce Hindle.

"At Lehigh, we are an active part of the continuum in the life cycle of a small business, both for students and as a resource to small businesses in the region," said Georgette Chapman Phillips, dean of Lehigh University's College of Business and Economics. "That continuum extends from idea and innovation development to formation of mature companies, with Lehigh's role focusing primarily at the early stage in development of a business, developing talent, getting ideas to market, and helping companies in their infancy and middle stages as they strive to adapt and improve."

The university's Small Business Development Center, for example, assists more than 1,000 small businesses each year; the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) creates a knowledge neighborhood adjacent to the university and its partners in the City of Bethlehem, while Lehigh students and faculty launch about 60 startups a year. Additional resources can be found at Ben Franklin Partners TechVentures high-tech business incubator on the Lehigh campus, Lehigh's Office of Technology Transfer and the Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation. Lehigh's business college offers a highly ranked undergraduate business curriculum and renowned MBA and executive education programs, including a new one-year master's of management.

"We cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship, especially among our students, and provide a top-notch business education that includes training in the art and practice of creating new companies," said Phillips. "We know that small businesses are a cornerstone of the healthy economic development of any community and region, and Lehigh plays an integral role in that supportive ecosystem."

The SBI event includes breakfast, lunch and access to 12 workshops, networking with the SBI business partners, access to information and resource tables and networking opportunities with possible investors, business services providers and mentors. Seating for the event is limited, so pre-registration is required.

The SBI is aimed at small business owners who have been in business a minimum of three years with gross revenues exceeding $250,000 for the prior two years and who provide a product or service with expansion plans within the next six to 12 months. Two more events are planned in Pittsburgh and York, PA for later this year.

To learn more about Pennsylvania Treasury's Small Business Initiative or register for the Bethlehem event, visit http://www.patreasury.gov/sbi or call 800-222-2046.

EDITOR'S NOTE: To download/View audio and video Click here

The Pennsylvania Treasury is an independent department of state government led by the state treasurer, who is elected every four years. The department's primary duty is to safeguard and manage the state's public funds. It invests state money to generate income on behalf of the citizens of Pennsylvania, reviews and processes payments for state government agencies, and serves as custodian of more than $100 billion in state funds. Key Treasury programs include Unclaimed Property, PA 529 College Savings Program and the Board of Finance and Revenue. To learn more visit patreasury.gov.

Media contact:

Debra S. Tingley, APR

717-787-2991

news@patreasury.gov
5 May 2016

GB00BYQMWV21

DIVERSIFIED GAS & OIL PLC

('DGO' or 'the Company')

Further issue of 3,500,000 of 8.5 per cent. Unsecured Bonds

due 23 June 2020

Admission Announcement

The Directors of Diversified Gas & Oil Plc are pleased to announce that an application has been made for the further issue of up to 3,500,000 of 8.5% Unsecured Bonds due 2020, with a nominal value of 1 each, of the Company (the "Bonds") to be admitted to trading on the ISDX Growth Market. The Company's registered office is at 15 Appold Street, London EC2A 2HB. The Company is close to finalising the subscriptions for the new Bonds to be issued in connection with this Announcement.

The Company's 8.5 per cent. Unsecured Bonds were originally admitted to the ISDX Growth Market on 24 June 2015. To date DGO has raised approximately 6.89m in eight placings of the Bonds.

1. Company Information

Diversified Gas & Oil Plc was incorporated on 31 July 2014 in England and Wales as a public limited company by its founders, Robert Hutson Jr. and Robert Post. It intends to use the proceeds of the issue of the new Bonds described in this Announcement to acquire approximately 2,300 conventional oil and gas wells producing approximately 10,500 MCF per day of natural gas and 63 BOPD. These assets are considered non-core to the seller. The Company has entered into a Letter of Intent with a seller in Ohio, USA. The purchase price of the acquired assets is $5.2m, which represents a significant discount to current market price. The present value ("PV") discounted future cash flows at the $5.2m purchase price represents a 50% discount rate of future cash flows.

On completion of the acquisition, the DGO Group will operate over 7,300 conventional wells in the Appalachian Basin, producing approximately 510 BOPD and 23,500 MCF per pay of natural gas.

2. Directors

The Directors have extensive senior level experience in private and public held companies, both within and outside the oil and gas sector.

The Directors of the Company, their age and positions are as follows:

Robert "Rusty" Hutson Jr., (Age 46, Chief Executive Officer)

Before founding the DGO Group in 2001, Rusty held finance and accounting roles for 13 years at Bank One (Columbus, Ohio) and Compass Bank (Birmingham, Alabama). He finished his banking career as Chief Financial Officer of Compass Financial Services. Rusty is a 50% owner of the Company and has a B.S. degree in Accounting from Fairmont State College, West Virginia. He is a former CPA (Ohio).

Robert Marshall Post, (Age 58, Chairman)

Robert joined the DGO Group in 2005. He was previously a corporate controller for Whiting Corporation for 3 years. He then purchased TramBeam, an overhead crane company, from Whiting Corporation and owned and operated this business for 20 years. Robert sold TramBeam in 2002 to a London-based corporation, FKI Industries. He has a B.S. degree in Accounting (Finance minor) from Jacksonville State University, Alabama.

Martin Keith Thomas (Age 51, Non-Executive Director)

Martin is a lawyer based in the city of London. Martin has built a strong reputation for advising companies and investment banks on flotations and other transactions on the markets of the London Stock Exchange. For the past twenty years, Martin has been one of the most active lawyers advising on public offerings of shares in London.

3. The Issue

The Company has applied for the new Bonds to be issued in connection with this Announcement to be admitted to trading on the ISDX Growth Market.

Once an aggregate of 3.5m of the new Bonds have been placed another Information Memorandum will be issued for the next 3.5m.

The net proceeds of the issue of the new Bonds referred to in this Announcement will be used by the Company to fund the intended acquisition and other appropriate value driven investment opportunities of small gas and oil operators across West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

4. Information on the Bonds

The new Bonds bear interest from and including the applicable issue date at the rate of 8.5% interest per annum, payable quarterly in arrears in instalments on 31 March, 30 June, 30 September, and 31 December in each year. The new Bonds will be redeemed by the Company on the 23 June 2020.

5. Capital Structure

5.1 Issued Capital

The issued share and loan capital of the Company as at the 5 May 2016 is as follows:

Issued Issued  Number Ordinary Shares 412,000 41,200,000 Bonds 4,165,944 4,165,944

5.2 Bonds Significant Holdings

As at 5 May 2016, the following parties have an interest of more than 3% in the Bonds of the Company:

BOND SIGNIFICANT HOLDINGS Name Bondholder Number of Issued Bonds at Nominal Value 1 Percentage Bond Holders Robert R. Hutson Jr. 216,000 3% Robert M. Post 216,000 3% Optimus Socially Responsible Investment Ltd 817,300 12% Beaufort Securities Limited 2,790,000 41% Falcon Balanced Fund 570,000 8% Falcon Cautious Fund 570,000 8% Falcon Aggressive Fund 570,000 8% Swiss International Finance Group 840,000 12%

5.3 Shares in Public Hands

The Company has no share capital in public hands.

6. Sector Classification

DGO Group is classified as oil and gas producer on ISDX.

7. Clearing System

With effect from admission settlement of transactions in the new Bonds will take place within CREST. Bondholders who wish to receive and retain share certificates will be able to do so.

CREST is a computerised share transfer and settlement system enabling securities to be held in electronic uncertificated form and transferred otherwise than by written instrument. The Articles permit the Company to issue Bonds in uncertificated form in accordance with the CREST Regulations.

8. Document Available for Inspection

Copies of the Information Memorandum dated 5 May 2016 and each of the documents incorporated by reference into the Information Memorandum will be available free of charge during usual business hours on any weekday (Saturdays and public holidays excepted) at the offices of Alexander David Securities Limited at 49 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4N 4SA.

The directors of Diversified Gas and Oil Plc accept responsibility for this announcement.

COMPANY CONTACT DETAILS:

Diversified Gas & Oil

100 Corporate Ridge,

Suite 100,

Birmingham,

Alabama 35242

USA

Telephone: + 1 205 408 0909

http://www.diversifiedgasandoil.com/



CORPORATE ADVISER AND CONTACT DETAILS:

Alexander David Securities Limited

David Scott - Corporate Finance

James Dewhurst - Institutional Sales

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7448 9820

http://www.ad-securities.com

49 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4N 4SA
DANBURY, CT -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Integrated Freight Corporation (OTC PINK: IFCR) today announced that this week it has withdrawn its plan to acquire a $5,000,000 Newark, NJ motor carrier based upon the acquisition candidate's current safety record.

"The most important concern for any motor carrier should be its safe operating practices that protect the welfare of the carrier's employees, its customers, and the public," said Hank Hoffman, President of Integrated Freight Corporation. "During the course of our due diligence process, our acquisition team recognized practices and procedures at the target company that are inconsistent with our core beliefs regarding public safety within our industry. Making the necessary changes would be expensive, time-consuming, and would create an exposure that management believes is inconsistent with the best interests of Integrated Freight and shareholders."

David N. Fuselier, CEO of Integrated Freight, said, "We are not disappointed as this demonstrates that our acquisition and due diligence process works. IFCR is reviewing additional acquisition candidates and will continue to seek quality niche carrier candidates that recognize safety and are a good strategic fit within our organization."

About Integrated Freight Corporation

Integrated Freight Corporation (OTC PINK: IFCR) provides long-haul, regional and local motor freight service. For its customers, the Company provides dry van and hazardous waste truckload services in well-established traffic lanes in the Upper Midwest, Texas, California and along the Atlantic seaboard. For its shareholders, Integrated Freight acquires operating motor freight companies that build, maintain and deliver shareholder value. The Company's corporate mission is to be the best niche motor carrier in North America.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, made in reliance upon Section 21D of the Exchange Act of 1934, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties or other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results, performance, or expectations implied by these forward-looking statements. The Company's expectations, among other things, are dependent upon economic conditions, continued demand for its products, the availability of raw materials, retention of its key management and operating personnel, its ability to operate its subsidiary companies effectively, need for and availability of more capital as well as other uncontrollable or unknown factors which are more fully disclosed in the Company's 10-Ks and 10-Qs on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., has privately expressed concerns that Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee could hurt his chances to be re-elected. In a recording of a private fundraiser obtained by Politico, McCain noted that Hispanic voters' anger toward Trump could pose a challenge. 'If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life,' McCain said. 'If you listen or watch Hispanic media in the state and in the country, you will see that it is all anti-Trump,' he added. 'The Hispanic community is roused and angry in a way that I've never seen in 30 years.' Many Hispanics are expected to vote against Trump due to his inflammatory rhetoric about immigrants and his calls for the construction of a wall on the Southern border. The Hispanic vote could be a big factor in McCain's race against likely Democratic opponent Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz. A RealClearPolitics average of polls showed the race virtually tied. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Kerr Mines Inc. ("Kerr Mines") (TSX: KER) is pleased to announce that further to a joint press release with BonTerra Resources Inc. (TSXV: BTR, US: BONXF, FSE: 9BR1) ("BonTerra") dated March 17, 2016, the parties have completed the transaction pursuant to which BonTerra can acquire from Kerr Mines a 100% interest in the Larder Lake Property.

Pursuant to the terms of the acquisition agreement dated March 16, 2016, between BonTerra and Kerr Mines, as amended, BonTerra has paid CDN$200,000 and issued an aggregate of 10,000,000 common shares in the capital of BonTerra. In addition, BonTerra is obligated to make the following payments: (a) CDN$300,000 on or before December 26, 2016; (b) CDN$350,000 on or before April 26, 2017; and (c) CDN$300,000 on or before October 26, 2017. The shares issued are to be voted with management for the forthcoming two years' of annual general and special meetings of BonTerra. Kerr Mines is now deemed an Insider of BonTerra, as per TSX Venture Exchange policies.

Please visit www.bonterraresources.com for information on the Larder Lake Property, its location, and other general information. The Larder Lake Property 43-101 technical report, completed by P&E Mining Consultants, is currently available on Kerr Mines' website www.kerrmines.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including current expectations on the timing of the commencement of production and the rate of production, if commenced. These forward-looking statements entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations, are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in such statements. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, the strength of the Canadian economy; the price of gold; operational, funding, and liquidity risks; the degree to which mineral resource estimates are reflective of actual mineral resources; and the degree to which factors which would make a mineral deposit commercially viable are present; the risks and hazards associated with underground operations. Risks and uncertainties about Kerr Mines' business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials, including its annual information form and MD&A, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available at www.sedar.com and readers are urged to read these materials. Kerr Mines assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such statements unless required by law.

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Contacts:

Kerr Mines Inc.

Greg Gibson

President and CEO

ggibson@kerrmines.com




SAINTE-ANNE-DE-BELLEVUE, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, was in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue today to announce a $54-million contribution to MDA Systems Ltd. and its partners. The support will help MDA and its partners develop and test next-generation satellite technologies, which will lead to better radar and search and rescue capabilities, faster data transmission, and improved cloud-based data processing capabilities.

This is the first project to be funded under the government's Technology Demonstration Program. MDA will collaborate with other leading Canadian satellite companies and with university researchers on the project.

Federal investments through the Technology Demonstration Program encourage early-stage R&D and promote collaborative efforts among firms, universities and research institutions.

Quotes

"Our government is proud to support research projects like this that will encourage innovation for years to come. Companies are struggling to reduce the time it takes to bring great ideas to market, and testing innovations is essential to making that transition. Through programs like the Technology Demonstration Program, we are committed to ensuring that Canada's aerospace and defence industry remains a global leader."

- The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

"This contribution agreement will help MDA and the other recipients to develop innovative technologies in Canada. Space has been, and continues to be, a driver of innovation. From communications satellites that bring connectivity to remote parts of Canada; to radar imaging satellites that monitor Canada's North, help Canada assert its sovereignty and aid ships to safely navigate coastal waters; and to robotic arms that assist on the space station and in the exploration of Mars and the Moon, space has been at the forefront of innovation. This contribution shows the Canadian government's commitment to innovation and its recognition of the strategic importance of the space industry to Canada's future economic development."

- Don Osborne, Group Vice President of Information Systems, MDA

Quick facts

-- Five leading Canadian satellite, communications and geomatics technology companies will work with MDA on this project: Whipcord (Lethbridge, Alberta), COM DEV International (Cambridge, Ontario), exactEarth (Cambridge, Ontario), Magellan Aerospace (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and UrtheCast (Vancouver, British Columbia.). -- MDA Systems Ltd, a subsidiary of Macdonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., is a leading provider of space-based technology for surveillance and intelligence applications as well as for direct-to-home television, satellite radio, broadband Internet and mobile communications. -- MDA Systems expects to strengthen its long-standing research collaboration with Simon Fraser University over the course of this demonstration project, while several other universities will also be directly involved through their research relationships with the project's corporate partners. -- Besides the work being done at Richmond, British Columbia-based MDA Systems, MDA's Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Brampton divisions will also contribute to the project. -- This project aims to develop better radar and search and rescue capabilities, which will have an impact on Canada's coastal and remote areas; provide faster data transmission, which could have an enormous impact on rural and remote area communications; and improve cloud-based data processing capabilities.

Related products

- Backgrounder: Technology Demonstration Program - Next Generation of Radar, Optical and Communication Satellites

Associated links

- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Industrial Technologies Office

- Technology Demonstration Program

- MDA Canada website

- Whipcord website

- COM DEV International website

- exactEarth website

- Magellan Aerospace website

- UrtheCast website

Follow Minister Bains on social media.

Twitter: @MinisterISED

Contacts:

Philip Proulx

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Innovation,

Science and Economic Development

343-291-2500



Media Relations

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

343-291-1777

ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Q1 2016 Financial Highlights(1)

-- Revenue increases by 5.4% to $62.2 million -- Gross Profit increases by 33.7% to $11.0 million -- EBITDA(2) increases by 21.9% to $6.7 million -- Quarterly dividend increased from $0.01 per share to $0.02 per share

Tree Island Steel Ltd. ("Tree Island" or the "Company") (TSX: TSL) announced today its financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2016.

For the three-month period ended March 31, 2016, revenues increased by 5.4% to $62.2 million versus $59.0 million for the same period last year. Gross profit continued to be positively impacted by increased operational efficiencies, resulting in gross profit and gross margin amounting to $11.0 million and 17.7%, when compared to $8.2 million and 13.9% during the corresponding period in 2015. As a result, EBITDA for the three-month period increased by 21.9% to $6.7 million when compared to $5.5 million during the same period last year. The continued revenue and profitability growth during the first quarter of 2016 is primarily attributable to the Company's ongoing focus on sales and marketing strategies, operational efficiencies and cost management.

"We carried the momentum we achieved in 2015 into 2016," said Dale R. Maclean, President and CEO. "We will continue our efforts to further our success."

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are pleased with the continued growth of the business demonstrated in this first quarter of the year and with the consecutive year-over-year growth in EBITDA for the past sixteen quarters, with exception of the second quarter of 2014 where the Company made deliberate investments for growth which are now bearing the expected results," commented Amar S. Doman, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The Company is also pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has declared an increase to the quarterly dividend from $0.01 per share to $0.02 per share on the issued and outstanding Common Shares of the Company. The quarterly dividend of $0.02 per share will be payable on July 15, 2016, to holders of record at the close of business on June 30, 2016.

(1) Please refer to our 2016 MD&A for further information.

(2) References made above to "EBITDA" are to operating profit plus depreciation and foreign exchange gains and losses. EBITDA is a measure used by many investors to compare issuers on the basis of ability to generate cash flows from operations. EBITDA is not an earnings measure recognized by IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. We believe that EBITDA is an important supplemental measure in evaluating the Company's performance. You are cautioned that EBITDA should not be construed as an alternative to net income or loss determined in accordance with IFRS or as an indicator of performance. Our method of calculating EBITDA may differ from methods used by other issuers and, accordingly, our EBITDA may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

Summary of Results

($'000 unless otherwise stated)

Three Months Ended March 31, ------------------------ 2016 2015 ------------------------ Revenue 62,240 59,043 Cost of sales (50,404) (50,065) Depreciation (826) (744) ------------------------ Gross profit 11,010 8,234 Selling, general and administrative expenses (4,882) (4,362) ------------------------ Operating income 6,128 3,872 Foreign exchange gain (loss) (240) 892 Gain (loss) on sale of property, plant and equipment - (6) Changes in financial liabilities recognized at fair value 450 (123) Financing expenses (716) (849) ------------------------ Income before income taxes 5,622 3,786 Income tax (expense) recovery (393) (1,669) ------------------------ Net income 5,229 2,117 ------------------------ ------------------------ Operating Income 6,128 3,872 Add back depreciation 826 744 Foreign exchange gain (loss) (240) 892 ------------------------ EBITDA(3) 6,714 5,508 ------------------------ ------------------------ Net income per share ($/share) 0.17 0.07 Sales volume - Tons(4) 44,768 41,016 Gross profit per ton ($/ton) 246 201 EBITDA per ton ($/ton) 150 134 Financial Position as at: March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 ---------------------------------------- Total Assets 135,297 131,589 Total non-current financial 20,464 22,152 liabilities

(3) See definition of EBITDA in Section 2 NON-IFRS MEASURES of the 2016 Q1 MD&A.

(4) Sales volumes excludes tons which were processed as part of tolling arrangements

About Tree Island Steel

Tree Island Steel, headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, since 1964, through its five operating facilities in Canada and the United States, produces wire products for a diverse range of industrial, residential construction, commercial construction, agricultural, and specialty applications. Its products include galvanized wire, bright wire; a broad array of fasteners, including packaged, collated and bulk nails; stucco reinforcing products; concrete reinforcing mesh; fencing and other fabricated wire products. The Company markets these products under the Tree Island, Halsteel, K-Lath, Industrial Alloys, TI Wire, and Tough Strand brand names. The Company also owns and operates a China-based company that assists the international sourcing of products to Tree Island and its customers.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking information with respect to Tree Island including its business, operations and strategies, its dividend policy and the declaration and payment of dividends thereunder as well as financial performance and conditions. The use of forward-looking words such as, "may," "will," "expect" or similar variations generally identify such statements. Any statements that are contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Although management believes that expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties including risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Tree Island's most recent annual information form and management discussion and analysis.

The forward looking statements contained herein reflect management's current beliefs and are based upon certain assumptions that management believes to be reasonable based on the information currently available to management. By their very nature, forward looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and a number of factors could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward looking statements. In evaluating these statements, prospective investors should specifically consider various factors including the risks outlined in the Company's most recent annual information form and management discussion and analysis which may cause actual results to differ materially from any forward looking statement. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general economic, market and business conditions, the cyclical nature of our business and demand for our products, financial condition of our customers, competition, volume and price pressure from import competition, deterioration in the Company's liquidity, disruption in the supply of raw materials, volatility in the costs of raw materials, transportation costs, foreign exchange fluctuations, leverage and restrictive covenants, labour relations, trade actions, dependence on key personnel and skilled workers, intellectual property risks, energy costs, un-insured loss, credit risk, operating risk, management of growth, changes in tax, environmental and other legislation, and other risks and uncertainties set forth in our publicly filed materials.

This press release has been reviewed by the Company's Board of Directors and its Audit Committee, and contains information that is current as of the date of this press release, unless otherwise noted. Events occurring after that date could render the information contained herein inaccurate or misleading in a material respect. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information and management of the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Tree Island Steel Ltd.

Ali Mahdavi

Investor Relations

(416) 962-3300

amahdavi@treeisland.com

www.treeisland.com




Expensify, fastest growing expense reporting software announces a global strategic partnership with Xero, global leader of cloud accounting software at ExpensiCon Expensify's inaugural user conference

Today, Expensify, the fastest growing expense reporting software worldwide, announced that Xero, a worldwide leader in cloud accounting software, has teamed up with Expensify in a global strategic partnership. The pair have strengthened their partnership with an improved integration and will offer an exclusive bundled offering to top US accounting firms with plans to expand globally in the coming months. The announcement was made by the company's respective CEOs on stage during a keynote appearance at ExpensiCon, Expensify's invite-only user summit in Maui, Hawaii.

Expensify has an industry leading integration with Xero and was one of the first U.S. headquartered technology companies to integrate with Xero after Xero's U.S. launch. Earlier this year, Expensify announced the launch of their UK office during Xerocon London.

"Xero has been a fantastic partner to Expensify," says David Barrett, founder and CEO of Expensify. "We're excited to be recognized by Xero not only as a valuable add-on solution, but also as a global strategic partner. Our companies have already seen the benefits of working together when approaching top accounting firms, so cementing this strategic partnership will ensure that our mutual customers receive top-notch service coupled with best-in-breed automation."

The improved integration includes auto-matching Expensify transactions directly into Xero bank accounts, which removes the need for manual reconciliation by the administrator. Expensify has also added purchase tax support for any tax rate supported by Xero to make it a truly global integration. With these new features, Expensify boasts the most comprehensive integration by a receipt and expense management add-on in the Xero marketplace.

Rod Drury, Xero CEO says, "Small and medium business is the next big category. The Cloud allows this vast but fragmented market to finally be addressed. This market is seeing seamless collaboration from the next generation software companies like Expensify and Xero, working together to deliver integrated experiences that are rewiring the small business economy globally."

Expensify continues to gain massive traction with Xero users in the US as well as APAC, specifically Australia and New Zealand. Expensify will have a strong presence at the upcoming Xerocon conferences as a sponsor in both Brisbane and San Francisco to further solidify its partnership with Xero.

"Together, Expensify and Xero are an extremely compelling integrated solution for accounting firms looking to improve their efficiency whilst decreasing client frustration," said Rebecca McClure, Head of Operations for Business Services and Accounting, BDO LLP (UK). "We're excited to see where this partnership leads in the future."

For more information about Expensify visit: www.expensify.com.

For more information about Xero visit: www.xero.com.

View the new partnership video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYRhi9Qy1rE.

About Expensify:

Named one of the hottest startups of 2015 by Forbes and a Top 10 Most Innovative Company of 2015 by Fast Company, Expensify takes the time, headaches, and paper out of expense reports with an easy-to-use mobile and web app that streamlines the expense process from first receipt to reimbursement. The app features a patented, industry-leading SmartScan technology that eliminates manual entry of receipt information, integrations with all major accounting packages, company and personal credit card import, and more to simplify expense reports for both employees and accountants.

About Xero:

Xero is beautiful, easy to use online accounting software for small businesses and their advisors. The company has over 600,000 subscribers in more than 180 countries. Xero seamlessly integrates with over 500 third party tools, and was ranked No. 1 by Forbes as the World's Most Innovative Growth Company in 2014 and 2015.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005351/en/

Contacts:

Expensify

Joanie Wang

press@expensify.com
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Sagittarius Capital Corporation (NEX: SCX.H) ("Sagittarius" or the "Company"), a capital pool company, announces that the Letter of Intent ("LOI") with AMR Mineral Metal Inc. as its Qualifying Transaction ("QT"), as announced in Company's news release dated June 28, 2013, is not proceeding. The Corporation is currently seeking alternative QT targets.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information", as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this press release is made as of the date of this press release, and each of Sagittarius and Alpaca disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law.

Contacts:

Sagittarius Capital Corporation

Brian L. Presement

President

(416) 760 2888

brianp@unite.ca




Environmentally controlled spray booths, testing rooms added in $2 million expansion

PPG (NYSE:PPG) has expanded development and technical-service capabilities for aerospace and military coatings at its Shildon, England, facility with a $2 million investment supporting installation of advanced-technology equipment for evaluating paint characteristics. Environmentally controlled spray booths and a suite of complementary rooms now enable the PPG site to streamline new-product launches and produce more-exact color matches.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505006521/en/

Ian Toole, PPG process application development, Europe, Middle East and Africa, aims a paint spray gun for applying coating onto a test panel in one of two new paint spray booths at PPG's Shildon, England, facility. PPG expanded the facility to enhance capabilities with streamlined new-product launches and more-exact color matches. (Photo: Business Wire)

One paint spray booth, which can house an aircraft section or small military vehicle, provides variable temperature and humidity settings for product development and training. A second paint spray booth, which maintains constant temperature and relative humidity settings, is designed for applying coatings to panels for customer color-match requests. An expanded testing laboratory has a dedicated color-mixing area and constant temperature and humidity settings. New sanding, drying and oven rooms afford the full range of application processing from preparation to drying in controlled environments.

According to Peter Wind, PPG technical manager, the aerospace industry is seeing increased demand for custom color as well as an accelerating pace for commercializing new coatings technologies, and the new capabilities at the Shildon facility strengthen PPG's responsiveness to these trends.

"With color being used more in airline liveries and on business aircraft, PPG customers will be able to see more precisely how we can make their vision a reality," Wind said.

"PPG aerospace and military coatings are designed for global application and service," he added. "These new capabilities enable us to simulate different environmental conditions that could be encountered by our customers anywhere in the world from Dubai, where summers are hot and dry, to humid Singapore and even Russia, where a maintenance and repair operation might apply our products in damp, cold conditions. As we develop coatings that have new characteristics, we will be able to streamline their launch."

The two paint spray booths and a viewing gallery are located in a two-story, 3,400-square-foot addition, while the testing laboratory and related rooms occupy the former spray booth space.

The Shildon facility, which has been in operation since 1967, also produces aerospace sealants and operates an application support center. It has nearly 200 employees.

PPG's global aerospace business offers coatings, sealants, transparencies, packaging and application systems, and transparent armor, as well as chemical management and other services. For more information, visit www.ppgaerospace.com.

PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD

At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and materials that our customers have trusted for more than 130 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers' biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $15.3 billion in 2015. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.

We protect and beautify the world is a trademark and the PPG Logo is a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505006521/en/

Contacts:

PPG

Audrey Fujimoto, +1-818-741-1685

audrey.fujimoto@ppg.com

www.ppgaerospace.com

or

JV Communications

Jean Verlich, +1-724-916-4558

jverlich@jvcommunications.com
DETROIT, MI--(Marketwired - May 05, 2016) - Whether hoping to find a fresh spring start, a better job, or a new career direction, job seekers will find a wealth of exciting opportunities at this free job fair. A variety of employers from several cities in Michigan will be eager to hire for immediate openings in a wide range of fields. JobFairGiant.com and Sion Recruitment are hosting the Hired in Michigan Career Expo on May 25 th , from 9:00 to 3:00 at the Edward Village Hotel located at 600 Town Center Drive, Dearborn, Michigan.

"Events like the Hired in Michigan Career Expo, which connect Metro Detroit's talented workers with employers looking to hire, are a critical part of our efforts to strengthen the Michigan workforce economy," Outreach Director CJ Eason said. "By supporting and hosting this job fair, JobFairGiant.com is helping to build a stronger, more flourishing Michigan.

"The Hired in Michigan Career Expo will bring together national and local businesses and potential job applicants to help businesses grow and positively impact Michigan's economic vitality," said Sion Recruitment Recruiting Liaison David Rougewell. "Job Fairs help national and local business find qualified job seekers in the surrounding cities which creates opportunities for Michigan residents to work close to home. This not only supports our economy, it also reduces the need for residents to commute long distances and work outside of their community."

From financial services companies to information technology firms; radio stations; banking facilities, retail stores; restaurants; engineering firms, hotels; law enforcement; healthcare and nursing; security agencies; manufacturers; and other service related companies are expected to be on hand. The companies at the Hired in Michigan Career Expo are located in communities spanning, Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties. This event offers free parking and entry for job seekers planning to attend.

Employer registration is still available. Details available online, go to www.jobfairgiant.com. Employers may contact event contact Maria Westwood at 734-956-4550 or email westwood@jobfairgiant.com.

About the JobFairGiant.com

JobFairGiant.com is a direct connection for businesses ready to hire candidates in an array of career fields. Founded by a diverse management team our market niche and expertise is the recruitment of experienced candidates, college graduates, entry-level workers, skilled trades workers, CDL truck drivers and diversity professionals. JobFairGiant.com has aided statewide employers in their recruitment efforts for over twelve years; as the sponsor of monthly job expo events held throughout the Metro Detroit area. We offer an unparalleled recruiting opportunity for Michigan employers and candidates looking to bridge the job search gap.

JobFairGiant.com Social Media

Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michigan-Job-Fair-Giant/158400607550050

Linkedin Page https://www.linkedin.com/in/jobfairgiant

Twitter Page https://twitter.com/jobfairgiant

Blog Page http://blog.jobfairgiant.com/

Google Plus Page www.google.com/+JobfairgiantMichiganJobFairs

Jobs Board www.giantjobs.net

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/5/5/11G096920/Images/JobExpo-e468d558ffaf896f85073f60ba542bb4.jpg

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/5/5/11G096920/Images/MAY25-33fe85002343b60d95bd674ded141299.jpg

Embedded Video Available: https://youtu.be/SY2pyYFyPzc

Maria Westwood

734-956-4550

westwood@jobfairgiant.com
BOSTON, MA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Zoom Telephonics, Inc. ("Zoom") (OTCQB: ZMTP), a leading producer of cable modems and other communications products, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016 ("Q1 2016").

The Company reported net sales of $2.72 million for Q1 2016, up 53.7% from $1.77 million in Q4 2015 and down 11.1% from $3.06 million in Q1 2015. The sequential rise in sales from Q4 2015 to Q1 2016 was due to the introduction of Zoom's first Motorola brand products, with carefully limited distribution that will dramatically increase in Q2 2016.

Gross profit was 30.7% of net sales in Q1 2016, up from 27.8% of net sales in Q4 2015 as higher margin Motorola products started shipping. Year over year gross profit was down from 31.3% of net sales in Q1 2015. The year over year decreases in gross profit and gross margin for Q1 2016 were primarily due to the lower sales level, amortization of capitalized certification costs of Motorola brand products, and costs related to price reductions and short-term price rebates.

Operating expenses were $1.56 million or 57.4% of net sales in Q1 2016 compared to $1.2 million or 67.9% of net sales in Q4 2015 and $0.93 million or 30.4% of net sales in Q1 2015. Increased operating expenses compared to Q1 2015 were primarily due to Motorola brand royalty payments, increases in personnel expenses in connection with Zoom's new Motorola cable modem line, increased costs for stock options, and higher legal and audit costs.

Zoom reported a net loss of $728 thousand or $0.05 per share for Q1 2016, compared to a net loss of $724 thousand or $0.05 per share for Q4 2015 and net income of $5 thousand or $0.00 per share for Q1 2015. Zoom's cash balance on March 31, 2016 was $303 thousand. The company has no bank debt, an unused line of credit of $1.25 million, working capital of $3.8 million, and a current ratio of 2.8.

"In Q1 2016 we accomplished our goal of successfully launching three new Motorola brand cable modems," said Frank Manning, Zoom's President and CEO. "This started what we expect to be a significant sales ramp as Zoom dramatically expands the number of retail stores carrying our Motorola brand products in the second quarter of 2016. Our expenses have increased in connection with licensing, developing, advertising, and supporting Motorola brand products, but we believe these expenses are appropriate given the opportunity. We are far along toward introducing our next three Motorola brand cable modems and gateways in the coming months, and we remain excited about the opportunity."

Zoom has scheduled a conference call for Friday, May 6 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. You may access the conference call by dialing (866) 393-7958 if you are in the U.S. and international callers may dial (706) 643-5255. The conference ID is 6520482. Shortly after the conference call, a recording of the call will be available on Zoom's website at www.zoomtel.com/investor.

About Zoom Telephonics

Founded in 1977 in Boston, Zoom Telephonics, Inc. designs, produces, markets, and supports modems and other communication products under the Zoom, Hayes, and Global Village brands. For more information about Zoom and its products, please see www.zoomtel.com.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. and are used under license.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking information relating to Zoom Telephonics' plans, expectations, and intentions. Actual results may be materially different from expectations as a result of known and unknown risks, including: risks relating to introduction and sale of our Motorola brand products; the potential need for additional funding which Zoom may be unable to obtain; declining demand for certain of Zoom's products; delays, unanticipated costs, interruptions or other uncertainties associated with Zoom's production and shipping; Zoom's reliance on several key outsourcing partners; uncertainty of key customers' plans and orders; risks relating to product certifications; Zoom's dependence on key employees; uncertainty of new product development, including budget overruns, project delays, and the risk that newly introduced products may contain undetected errors or defects or otherwise not perform as anticipated; costs and senior management distractions due to patent-related matters; and other risks set forth in Zoom's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Zoom cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Zoom expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Zoom's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstance on which any such statement is based.

ZOOM TELEPHONICS, INC. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets In thousands (Unaudited) 3/31/16 12/31/15 ----------- ----------- ASSETS Current assets: Cash $ 303 $ 1,847 Accounts receivable, net 1,423 1,079 Inventories, net 3,316 2,785 Prepaid expenses and other 859 381 ----------- ----------- Total current assets 5,901 6,092 Property and equipment, net 192 205 Other assets 621 573 ----------- ----------- Total assets $ 6,714 $ 6,870 =========== =========== LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY ----------- ----------- Current liabilities: Bank debt $ -- $ -- Accounts payable 1,578 1,423 Accrued expenses 530 293 ----------- ----------- Total current liabilities 2,108 1,716 ----------- ----------- Total liabilities 2,108 1,716 ----------- ----------- Stockholders' equity: Common stock and additional paid-in capital 38,280 38,100 Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) (33,674) (32,946) ----------- ----------- Total stockholders' equity 4,606 5,154 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 6,714 $ 6,870 =========== =========== ZOOM TELEPHONICS, INC. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations In thousands, except for per share data (Unaudited) Three Months Ended 3/31/16 3/31/15 ----------- ----------- Net sales $ 2,721 $ 3,059 Cost of goods sold 1,887 2,102 ----------- ----------- Gross profit 834 957 Operating expenses: Selling 746 409 General and administrative 469 249 Research and development 347 271 ----------- ----------- Total operating expenses 1,562 929 Operating profit (loss) (728) 28 Other income (expense), net -- (23) ----------- ----------- Income (loss) before income taxes (728) 5 Income tax expense (benefit) -- -- ----------- ----------- Net income (loss) $ (728) $ 5 =========== =========== Earnings (loss) per share: Basic Earnings (loss) per share $ (0.05) $ (0.00) Diluted Earnings (loss) per share $ (0.05) $ (0.00) =========== =========== Weighted average number of shares outstanding: Basic 13,568 7,985 Diluted 13,568 7,999

For additional information, please contact

Investor Relations

Zoom Telephonics

207 South Street

Boston, MA 02111

(617) 753-0897

investor@zoomtel.com

www.zoomtel.com/investor




TORONTO, ONTARIO and NUCLA, COLORADO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Western Uranium Corporation (CSE: WUC)(OTC PINK: WSTRF) ("Western" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its news release dated April 29, 2016, pursuant to which the Company announced the initial Closing of a private placement raising Cdn$680,760, the Company has completed the Closing of a second tranche of Cdn$69,240 of 40,729 units (the "Units") under exercise of an overallotment option for this transaction. The total raised under the non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of 441,112 units (the "Units") is therefore Cdn$749,890, subject to final regulatory approval.

The Company issued a total of 441,112 Units at a price of $1.70 per Unit for gross proceeds of Cdn$749,890. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company ("Share") plus one (1) common share purchase warrant of the Company (each whole such warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder to purchase one Share at a price of Cdn$2.60 for a period of 5 years following the Closing Date of the Offering.

In connection with the private placement, the Company issued 22,056 compensation common shares plus 22,056 compensation warrants exercisable for five years, each warrant exercisable at Cdn$2.60 for one common share.

The securities issued pursuant to the Offering are subject to a four (4) month plus one (1) day statutory hold period.

The securities offered and sold have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

About Western Uranium Corporation

Western Uranium Corporation is a Colorado based uranium company focused on the near-term production of uranium and vanadium in the western United States.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made.

Contacts:

Western Uranium Corporation

George Glasier

President and CEO

Office: 970-864-2125

gglasier@western-uranium.com



Western Uranium Corporation

Michael Skutezky

Chairman of the Board

Office: 416-564-2870

mskutezky@western-uranium.com




NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Electrum Strategic Opportunities Fund L.P. ("Electrum") announces that Electrum and Victoria Gold Corp. (the "issuer") have entered into a unit purchase agreement (the "Purchase Agreement"), dated May 4, 2016, pursuant to which Electrum agreed, subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement, to acquire ownership of 60,000,000 units of the issuer (the "Units") for an aggregate subscription price of CAD$18,000,000 (the "Financing"). Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the issuer (a "Common Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. Each whole common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the issuer at a price of CAD$0.40 for a period of three years after the closing of the Financing.

Upon closing of the Financing, Electrum would own 60,000,000 common shares of the issuer and 30,000,000 Warrants representing 13.60% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the issuer or 19.10% upon exercise of the Warrants (assuming the exercise of all of the Warrants owned by Electrum and that no other securities, including those convertible into or exercisable for the issuer's securities, are issued, converted or exercised).

The Units, would be acquired for investment purposes and Electrum or one or more of its affiliates, or both may, depending on market and other conditions, increase or decrease their beneficial ownership of common shares of the issuer or other securities of the issuer whether in the open market, by privately negotiated agreement or otherwise.

Electrum is an "accredited investor" (as such term is defined in National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 45-106")) because Electrum is a "person" (as such term is defined in NI 45-106) in respect of which all of the owners of interests, direct, indirect or beneficial, except the voting securities required by law to be owned by directors, are persons that are "accredited investors".

Electrum is located at 700 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10065, USA. A copy of the early warning report to which this news release relates can be obtained from Michael Williams (646-365-1600) or on the SEDAR profile of the issuer at www.sedar.com.

Contacts:

Michael Williams

646-365-1600




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Quest Rare Minerals Ltd. (TSX: QRM) is pleased to announce that all of the nominees listed in its management proxy circular dated March 28, 2016, were re-elected as directors at Quest's annual and special meeting of shareholders held yesterday in Montreal.

According to proxies received and ballots cast at the meeting, the following individuals were re-elected as directors of Quest, with the following results:

Votes Name of Nominee Votes for % Withheld % ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yves Beauchamp 12,839,143 96.56 457,878 3.44 Ronny Kay 12,508,433 94.07 788,588 5.93 Pierre Lortie 12,385,143 93.14 911,878 6.86 Prashant Pathak 12,163,187 91.47 1,133,834 8.53 Michael Pesner 12,761,133 95.97 535,588 4.03 Neil Wiener 12,779,423 96.11 517,598 3.89

The biographies of the Directors are available in the Board of Directors section of Quest's website.

At the meeting, Quest's shareholders also adopted a special resolution authorizing an amendment to Quest's Articles so as to change Quest's name to "Quest Rare Metals Ltd. - Metaux Rare Quest Ltee", and re-appointed Ernst & Young LLP as Quest's auditors.

"Quest Rare Metals better aligns the Company's name with its strategy to become a world class supplier of rare earth metal oxides," stated Quest Executive Chairman Pierre Lortie. "Our leadership team believes the time has come to rebrand the Company to better reflect what we do, and to distinguish our purpose as a significant participant in the rare earth elements material supply chain."

Remarks and presentation of Pierre Lortie Executive Chairman at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders can be found on Quest's website.

About Quest

Quest Rare Minerals Ltd. ("Quest") is a Canadian-based company focused on becoming an integrated producer of rare earth metal oxides and a significant participant in the rare earth elements (REE) material supply chain. Quest is led by a management team with in-depth experience in chemical and metallurgical processing. Quest's objective is the establishment of major hydrometallurgical and refining facilities in Becancour, Quebec, to separate and produce strategically critical rare earth metal oxides. These industrial facilities will process mineral concentrates extracted from Quest's Strange Lake mining properties in northern Quebec and recycle lamp phosphors utilizing Quest's efficient, eco-friendly "Selective Thermal Sulphation (STS)"( 1 ) process.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information and statements may include, among others, statements regarding the future plans, objectives or performance of Quest, including the Strange Lake Rare Earth Project's technical and pre-economic feasibility, future financing by Quest, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In this news release, words such as "may," "would," "could," "will," "likely," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether-or the times at or by which-such future performance will be achieved. No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, including the development of the Strange Lake Rare Earth Project or any financing by Quest, or if any of them do so, what benefits Quest will derive from them.

Forward-looking statements and information are based on information available at the time, and/or management's good-faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond Quest's control. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, estimates relating to capital costs and operating costs based upon anticipated tonnage and grades of resources to be mined and processed, and the expected recovery rates, together with those described under "Risk Factors" under "Risk Factors" in Quest's annual information form dated January 25, 2016, and under "Risk Factors" in Quest's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2015, all of which are available on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Quest does not intend, nor does Quest undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements contained in this news release to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except if required by applicable law.

(1) Patent Pending

Contacts:

Julie Masse

Vice President, Communications

Quest Rare Minerals Ltd.

+ 514-878-3551

info@questrareminerals.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/05/16 -- Dundee Precious Metals Inc. (TSX: DPM) (the "Company" or "DPM") held its Annual General Meeting of shareholders in Toronto today and is pleased to announce the results of voting. A total of 100,317,264 shares (approximately 71% of the outstanding common shares) were represented, in person or by proxy, demonstrating strong support for the election of its nominees as directors and for the Company's say on pay advisory vote on its approach to executive compensation.

The shareholders appointed the 10 board members (eight of whom are independent), with shares represented at the meeting voting in favour of the individual directors as follows:

R. Peter Gillin 98.53% Jonathan Goodman 99.69% Richard Howes 99.99% Murray John 99.99% Jeremy Kinsman 98.53% Garth A.C. MacRae 91.75% Peter Nixon 98.52% Marie-Anne Tawil 99.98% Anthony P. Walsh 90.30% Donald Young 99.99%

Advisory Say on Pay Vote

The advisory resolution was passed by 95.18% of the votes cast at the meeting, demonstrating overwhelming shareholder support for the Company's approach to compensation. The primary objective of the Company's compensation program is to attract, motivate and retain qualified employees to achieve its corporate objectives, maintain shareholder value and promote greater alignment of interests between its executive officers and shareholders.

About Dundee Precious Metals

Dundee Precious Metals Inc. is a Canadian based, international gold mining company engaged in the acquisition of mineral properties, exploration, development, mining and processing of precious metals. The Company's continuing operating assets include the Chelopech operation, which produces a copper concentrate containing gold and silver and a pyrite concentrate containing gold, located east of Sofia, Bulgaria; and the Tsumeb smelter, a complex copper concentrate processing facility located in Namibia. DPM also holds interests in a number of developing gold and exploration properties located in Bulgaria, Serbia, and northern Canada, including the Krumovgrad project and its 11.8% interest in Sabina Gold & Silver Corp.

Contacts:

Dundee Precious Metals Inc.

Lori Beak

Senior Vice President, Governance, and Corporate Secretary

(416) 365-5165

lbeak@dundeeprecious.com




For eight years every day, a certain John Biswas visits the police station to enquire about any new information regarding the kidnapping of his granddaughter. Amitabh Bachchan as John Biswas, asked Vidya, who is playing a cop, "kuch mila (got anything)?". When she questions him on why he has made this an everyday practice, he says, "kuch aur hai nahi mere paas (I have nothing else)."

These are the first 20-odd seconds of the trailer of Te3n, and it's super impactful. You can see the frustration on Bachchan's face without even trying too hard, and the film has immediately caught our attention. Not only do we get to see Vidya Balan on screen after a very long time, she's playing (what seems like) a chill, approachable cop.

The last time Vidya Balan and Amitabh Bachchan came together was in R Balki's Paa. The last time Vidya Balan and Nawazuddin came together, however, was in Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani. For Ribhu Dasgupta's upcoming film Te3n, which is co-produced by Ghosh, all three will share screen space for the first time.

You know a film has immense potential when the last person who comes to your mind is Nawazuddin. The stellar actor plays Father Martin in the film, in some way intricately attached to the kidnapped girl. Like Amitabh, we can see the guilt on his face and demeanour instantly.

And just when you think this film is going to drown under the intensity of its own emotions and complexity (we're looking at you Wazir), the trailer picks up pace and informs you that a similar kind of kidnapping is occurring eight years later, and all three have a pivotal role to play.

The best kind of thrillers are ones which don't give you enough time to think, and yet allow your budding thoughts to simmer in the back of your head. Te3n does that, and much more. Every frame tells a story, and yet gives you enough fodder to know that there's a lot more to Te3n than meets the eye.

Perhaps the only thing that bothered us was the heavy deja vu feeling from Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani. The setting is Kolkata, two of the three lead cast members were in the film, and it's a thriller. However, that's the beauty of the genre. Curiousity spreads quite thick, and the trailer of Te3n has us definitely wanting more.

Watch the trailer of Te3n here:
BEIJING Even as Chinese car buyers feed a boom in crossovers and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), automakers are looking ahead to the likely 'next big thing' and reckon affordable people-carriers, or multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), could be it.

Shifts towards electric cars in many cities, potential breakthroughs in autonomous, self-driving technology and lifestyle changes with the relaxation of China's one-child policy pose challenges for product planners in the world's largest autos market.

In the near-term, some predict car buyers will want roomier, more comfortable interior space. Further ahead, others see self-driving cars and electric propulsion leading to radically new body styles with even more space and comfort in cars.

Chinese tend to live near their parents, and the changes to the one-child policy are expected to make family units larger, Hiroji Onishi, head of Toyota Motor's (7203.T) China operations, said on the sidelines of the Beijing auto show, which ended on Wednesday.

"We think MPVs have good prospects in China. Given those changing life-stage needs, we think what's going to be popular are smaller, more affordable MPVs like the (Toyota) Noah Voxy, a compact minivan which we market in Japan," he said.

Developers at the Japanese automaker say sales of the Alphard, a boxy, but premium-level, minivan brimming with gadgets and business-class-like airline seats, suggest an emerging appetite for a spacious, upscale people-mover. Imported from Japan, the model starts at around 759,000 yuan ($117,000).

Toyota officials and dealers say the van's interior comfort offers a more subtle way for China's rich to signal their wealth in a climate where overt excess is frowned upon. And in China, trends that catch on at the premium end traditionally spread quickly through the rest of the market.

Rising demand for MPVs contributed to an 8.8 percent increase in overall vehicle sales in March, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

MPVs account for about 5.5 percent of China's passenger vehicle market, with sales of 1.08 million vehicles last year, says consultancy IHS Automotive.

At the more affordable end of the market are the Wuling Hongguan microvan and the Baojun 730, a minivan from SAIC-GM-Wuling, a no-frills joint venture of General Motors (GM.N), SAIC Motor Corp (600104.SS) and Guangxi Automobile. Among global automakers' offerings are the Buick GL8 and Honda Motor Co's (7267.T) Odyssey.

The MPV segment has also expanded into a lucrative niche for spacious, luxury people-movers such as the Mercedes-Benz (DAIGn.DE) Viano and the Alphard.

James Chao, Asia-Pacific managing director at IHS, believes other global automakers will mimic GM's strategy of emphasizing a market for affordable, family-oriented minivans.

SUV TO MPV

Chao, meanwhile, sees China's SUV boom making up as much as 45 percent of the total market in around a decade - in line with industry trends in the United States - up from around 35 percent today and just 10 percent five years ago.

The boom has been driven by China's well-off thirtysomethings who want sleek looks and a roomy interior. Auto executives and industry experts predict SUV sales will continue to grow strongly for several years, even as the market becomes more crowded and profitability dips.

MPVs aren't likely to hit those heights, but demand is expected to grow at 5-6 percent a year, Shanghai-based Chao said. "We expect the popularity of MPVs will spread more and more to family purchases," he told Reuters.

The minivan is a popular format across emerging markets, and smaller, cheaper MPVs sell well in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. In the United States, MPV sales are likely to go in the opposite direction, IHS says, slipping to around 500,000 vehicles by 2020, or 3.5 percent of the total, from 4.5 percent last year.

Product planners at Audi (NSUG.DE) see autonomous driving and electric cars as potentially revolutionising car design, as new technologies allow for more space and comfort.

"Autonomous driving gives the car interior a totally different meaning," Joachim Wedler, head of Audi's China operations, told reporters at the firm's Beijing tech centre ahead of the auto show.

"Fun and relaxation are the new targets for those cars, while (electrification) offers us different vehicle packaging opportunities as there's no (bulky) engine or transmission. Batteries more or less lie flat on the floor. We have totally different opportunities for roominess and ergonomics."

"These will lead us to a new concept for the car," he said.

(Reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu, with additional reporting by Jake Spring Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O) said it was stepping up production plans for its upcoming Model 3 mass-market sedan and would build a total of 500,000 all-electric vehicles in 2018, two years ahead of schedule, but warned that spending will ramp up in tandem.

The company, which three months ago aimed to make a net profit in the final quarter of this year, gave no profit target on Wednesday and said capital spending would rise about 50 percent more than previously forecast this year, to around $2.25 billion.

New shares and debt will likely be issued at some point, Chief Executive Elon Musk added.

Tesla, which produces the luxury Model S sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle, aims to become a high-volume automaker in a matter of years and already is valued on par with some of the biggest car companies in the world.

Shares of the company, run by tech entrepreneur Musk, rose more than 5 percent in after hours trade after it announced its first-quarter results and beefed-up production targets.

Musk's ambitions for clean cars, as well as rocket and solar businesses, have attracted a personal following often compared to that of the late Steve Jobs, but skeptics are also legion.

Tesla reported a wider first-quarter net loss, although results broadly beat Wall Street targets. It also said it was on track to deliver 80,000 to 90,000 electric vehicles this year, as it accelerated its target for Model 3 output.

Tigress Financial Partners analyst Ivan Feinseth, who rates Tesla shares "neutral," said growing pains were to be expected while Tesla ramps up, but the company's cars were "close to perfect."

"It's going to be challenging, making cars is hard and there are all sorts of moving parts and competition will come from known and unknown places," said Feinseth.

"I will suggest it's going to take a lot of capital. But car manufacturing is a capital intensive business. (Musk) has had no problem raising money in the past."

The Model 3 sedan, set to go into production in late 2017, has generated massive interest since its unveiling on March 31.

Some analysts have questioned Tesla's ability to smoothly and quickly transition to higher-volume production, given the rocky start for its Model X. The technology-heavy SUV faced problems including parts shortages and quality issues, such as non-fastening doors.

Early on Wednesday, before announcing its financial results, Tesla said two top manufacturing executives were leaving the company.

Musk said the company had excelled at design and technology, but a new premium was being placed on manufacturing: "The key thing we need to achieve in the future is to also be the leader in manufacturing," Musk said. "It's the thing we obviously have to solve if we are going to scale and scale profitably."

Standard and Poor's Global Market Intelligence analyst Efraim Levy said the 500,000 unit production target sets a very high bar for Tesla.

"I would be betting that they don't make it," he said.

Musk also said a 2020 volume target was close to 1 million vehicles.

Tesla's new 500,000 target is still a fraction of what traditional, full-line automakers produce annually. Ford Motor Co (F.N) sold nearly 800,000 of its best-selling F-Series pickups on the U.S. market last year.

Tesla's net loss widened to $282.3 million, or $2.13 per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, from $154.2 million, or $1.22 per share, a year earlier.

Excluding items, the company lost 57 cents per share. Analysts had expected a loss of 58 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue rose to $1.15 billion from $939.9 million. (bit.ly/1rVkm03). Non-GAAP revenue of $1.60 billion just topped the analyst consensus, by about $5 million.

(Reporting by Alexandria Sage and Peter Henderson in San Francisco; additional reporting by Kshitiz Goliya in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr and Tom Brown)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Life for the Indian woman is difficult; as far as adjectives go, it's challenging, an uphill task, a never-ending test of physical and mental strength. This is not to say that women elsewhere have it easy or that they live a life devoid of adversities; but Google searches for 'women in India' and 'women in the world' yield completely different results.

Going by the news cycle, stories about molestation, rape and sexual assault are plenty. We've apparently not left the Middle Ages behind, because women who don't subscribe to the norm are still being burnt at the proverbial stake. Then, there is also the case where women are banned from entering places of worship.

These frayed ends are tied together by one knot  patriarchy. Like the lotus that sprouted upon the navel of Lord Vishnu, from whom emerged Lord Brahma, and thus the origin of creation, the oppression of women has sprung from rigid, wholly ridiculous beliefs that women should firmly toe the line (sometimes clearly visible as in the case of Sita in Ramayana) drawn by a few men. Socialisation informs women that norms are the truth.

On 23 April, a Manipuri woman, who was standing outside her PG residence, was abducted by an unidentified person, who allegedly tried to molest her. Even as no passerbys came to her rescue, this shocking incident was caught on CCTV. Naturally, the owners of the PG advised the girl against filing a complaint, fearing her safety. "I think they did that fearing bad name for their PG," she said instead.

Does this mean that public spaces are harmful to women? We constantly talk about how these spaces are inaccessible: how alleys in the night are seldom lit, how parks, playgrounds, bus stands and railway stations after 10 pm are cesspools of crime. Therefore, we're given unfair curfews, we're asked to constantly keep our loved ones informed on our whereabouts, we're asked to not step out of the house after 8 pm. We still have blatantly sexist rules when it comes to women in hostels: boys are not allowed, the curfew sometimes is as early as 5 pm and we're allowed out perhaps once a month. Our Ministers make it mandatory for all phones to come equipped with a 'panic button' to 'improve' our safety. As a result, reported the NDTV, we're thankful to the Prime Minister for letting the police trail us, even as it may violate our privacy. Because as a woman in India, we all know, there is no such thing as privacy. Or private space.

On 28 April, a 29-year-old Dalit student, Jisha, from Ernakulam in Kerala  a state known for its favourable sex ratio towards women  was brutally raped, stabbed and kicked in the stomach and murdered. Her mutilated body was found inside her home. The nature of horrific crime is unsettlingly similar to the one that happened in Delhi in 2012, where a woman was raped inside a moving bus. The News Minute reports that the mother of the woman cannot recall a day sans harassment by the neighbours: She says that they destroyed the water pipes in their home, forcing them to draw water from a canal next to the house.

This happened in the confines of Jisha's home, the private space that she shared with her mother.

Further north, in Handwara, in Kashmir, it has been alleged that a minor was molested by an Indian army jawan near a bunker. The army has denied the charge. This brings to mind the alleged rape-death of 32-year-old Thangjam Manorama by some members Assam Rifles personnel. Frontline, in January 2015, reported that Manipur was 'up in arms' supporting Irom Sharmila's demand for the removal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, from Manipur and rudely woken by a nude protest by dozen women asking the Indian Army to rape them.

Walls and pillars do not make for safety; they make for limitations, they make for prisons, outposts and hostility. Contrary to popular belief, staying at home does not empower us, or our safety. It's 2016, and marital rape  that often occurs in the four walls of home  in India isn't criminalised, because marriage is sacrosanct? We still have to fight for our right to sexual autonomy, which is and (has been) being controlled by men.

On 5 May, there was perhaps a glimmer of hope for the Indian woman: Four-and-a-half years after the murder of Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandes, a Mumbai court held all four accused in the case guilty, and sentenced them to life imprisonment until death. What had happened was this  Keenan and Reuben, in October 2011, had visited a restaurant in Amboli with their friends. Outside, a group of drunk men started harassing the girls with the duo. Keenan and Reuben jumped to their defence, to which they were stabbed repeatedly. Keenan died on the same day, while Reuben succumbed to his injuries 10 days later.

These four incidents are not stray ones. In fact, the rate of rape in India accounts for 6.1 percent (2014) and the total crimes against women stands at a startling 91 percent (2014), according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Globally, in terms of gender equality, India stands below Chad and Yemen, with states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh having the worst records on female empowerment, ranging from 0.42 to 0.46

Four years ago, on a bright summer evening in seemingly safe Chennai, a friend and I were driving from Anna Salai to Nungambakkam. Next to us, on a bike came two burly men making smutty comments. We ignored and rode ahead. Only to see the driver make a sharp U-turn and literally come for us with his arms stretched out. My friend  to borrow lyrics from a Christopher Cross song  rode like the wind and stopped next to the Egmore police station where we informed some cops about what happened to us. They agreed to be on the lookout for the men and the two of us had a 'safe' ride home afterwards. This shook us, because we believed we were fearless, come what may. But it only reminded us that the right to public space was a little less for us and a little more for men.

Where does patriarchy fit in the scheme of things? I suppose, to be a man in India is to be an expert on all things women. It's to tell us to dress appropriately, to walk with our heads bowed down or to close our legs firmly, to speak up when asked to speak up and to shut up when asked to. It's to catcall us when you feel like it, grope us when you're bored and torture us to assert your fleeting masculinity. It's to tell us to marry at the right time and to the right boy (read caste, religion, status), to have children, to not have abortions and to remain in the kitchen.

How does this change? By respecting us, giving us equal access to spaces  public and private, not victim shaming and blaming, reminding men and women that a woman's worth isn't tied to her virginity, hemlines or necklines; making sure roads, railway stations and bus stops are brightly lit and by replicating effective policies that are in place around the world. This is where we could start.
Alirajpur: Tension prevailed in Jobat town in the district on Wednesday after members of two communities hurled stones at each other over alleged damage to saffron flags put up near a church and subsequent breaking of lamps at its gate by a mob of right-wing outfits, police said.

Police have arrested six persons, including three suspected members of right-wing organisations for allegedly damaging the flags put up near the church during Ram Navmi festival.

District unit BJP president Rakesh Agrawal and others have been booked on charges of rioting, defiling place of worship and misbehaving with women under Jobat police station area near here in the early hours today, on the complaints of a pastor of Zion Church and a woman.

"The trouble started around 9 pm last night when some people came to us with a complaint that Nirmal Raymond and his brother Nigam Raymond have damaged saffron flags which were put up during Hindu festival of Ram Navmi near the church," Alirajpur district Additional Superintendent of Police Meena Chauhan told PTI.

The officer said the police immediately registered a case against the brothers and sent a Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) to arrest them.

"But they (people) kept on accusing us that we are not taking action," she said.

"While the SDOP was doing his duty in a colony opposite the church, a mob of 500-odd people of right-wing organisations reached the spot, following which the duo (Raymond brothers) hid themselves in fear after midnight. Their families locked them inside house," Chauhan said.

She said stones were pelted by members of the two communities at each other.

Police then arrested Nirmal, Nigam and one Jitendra under various sections of IPC for obscene act, rioting, defiling place of worship and criminal intimidation.

Meanwhile, the mob broke two or three electricity lamps at the gate of the church before dispersing at around 2.30 am, the ASP said.

According to the officer, Mantu Choubey, Mahendra Rathore and Om Rathore, suspected to be associated with right-wing activists, were arrested.

"We have identified 16 people, including Agrawal, and booked them for rioting and other charges. We have arrested three persons who are believed to be members of right-wing organisations. As we don't have enough evidence against Rakesh Agrawal, therefore we haven't arrested him," Chauhan said.

They are booked under sections 295 (injuring and defiling place of worship), 427 (mischief), 147 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of IPC, besides under section of 506 (criminal intimidation) on the complaint of a Christian woman, she added.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Ariel, the priest of the Church of India's (CNI) Zion Parish, told PTI, "Activists of the RSS, BJP and Bajarang Dal, led by Agrawal, district BJP president and former district Shiv Sena chief, pelted stones at community members, misbehaved with our women and broke Church's lamps."

"Most shocking is that all this happened in front of the SDOP and police who stood there as mute spectators," he claimed.

The pastor said members of his community did not damage the saffron flags. "Most probably they (flags) might have blown away due to wind," he said. He also denied reports that the mob stormed the compound of the church and vandalised it.

Chauhan said the town was tense over the turn of events. "But we are trying our best to bring the situation under control," she added.

Alirajpur is a tribal-dominated district bordering Gujarat.
Buzzing with life even at night, Amboli was like any other neighbourhood located on the maximum city's western suburbs until the blood of two innocents spilled on the streets on the fateful night of 20 October 2011. The brutal murder of two young men  Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez  for daring to protect their women friends from molesters stained this otherwise peaceful locality with an indelible nomenclature -- Amboli murders.

With the verdict probably a few hours away unless the court decides otherwise, the chronology of the gruesome incident stand as fresh as just like the other day with many questions on women's safety and those who stand up to such wrongdoings still remaining unanswered.

Five years down, I still remember the first time we met to discuss the murders. It was on the terrace at a friend's place where our group of young activists had decided to meet for the same. As the incident was narrated to the rest of us, I remember being shocked about two things -- one that two boys could be so brutally murdered for standing up to someone who was sexually harassing their female friend, and two, that it could happen at a place as close to my life as Amboli.

Understanding the incident

One of the main things that set the Amboli murders apart was how the accused allegedly felt so secure in its execution. The accused decided that it was fine to sexually harass a girl and further more any objection to this was viewed as an affront to them. So much of an affront that it had to be avenged by taking the lives of two brave and innocent individuals. And this was done in the most brutal manner on one of Mumbais busiest streets. What made it personal was the fact that the incident took place at spot many of us had stood on, maybe while walking to the neighboring cafe or fast food restaurant, going to Amboli church or holding public meeting in the nearby school. To us and many other Mumbaikars it was like it had happened at our very doorsteps.

A rallying point to end sexual harassment

When faced with such a horrific event we decided to look at what it was that could have prevented this. What is it that built such hubris in a person that instead being ashamed or afraid of being called out on sexually harassing a girl he decided to attack and murder those who defended her. While a lot of debate had focused on rape, very little had focused on the everyday harassment women faced in their daily life in public places. Most of it was dismissed and even categorised under the rather insulting misnomer of eve-teasing making a real criminal act of harassment sound innocuous. The sections of the IPC 354 and 509 which dealt with sexual harassment of this kind were weak defining such offences as compoundable, bailable and non-cognisable. In layman terms, a fine was all it took to let off offenders without any effect on their permanent record. It was obvious that even the law offered women very little protection, added to this was the culture of victim shaming and the general fear of the police that was felt by victims, not to mention unhelpful attitude of the police.

In the face of all these odds, we had an incident where two boys still decided that they would not stand by and let such harassment go on undeterred. Sadly this cost them their lives. It was imperative that the environment that caused this incident be not allowed to continue and that more people were not killed for standing up to harassment. It was with this thought that we formed the Zero Tolerance Campaign to stand for what Keenan and Reuben lost their lives for.

What changed

We drafted out a petition with the recommendation that asked for sexual harassment to be treated more seriously and very specifically be turned into non-bailable, non-compoundable and cognisable offences. This petition was circulated both on ground and online where it went viral and gathered one lakh signatures in total. Mumbais 36 MLAs were also reached out to asked to pledge their support for stronger laws, updates on their statements to the press built momentum. We also decided that we will never use the misnomer eve-teasing and use sexual harassment instead. While we received a lot of support from the public initially, the local residents of Amboli were cold but all of this changed when Valerian Uncle, father of Keenan Santos met with us and assured us of his support. This combined pressure along with the pressure from the victims got us a meeting with the then home minister the late RR Patil. He promised a fast track court to deal with case and to strengthen sexual harassment laws as per our recommendations. The police of the West Zone of Mumbai under the then Additional CP Vishwas Nangre Patil collaborated very closely with us to actively look for solutions. Apart from promising sensitivity to sexual harassment cases police teams were sent to what were considered areas where incidents like this were high like areas around railway stations.

However the change in laws had to sadly wait till the tragic Nirbhaya case took place. While Maharashtra did strengthen sexual harassment laws at least a month before the Verma Commission report, it is sad that recommendations were not implemented earlier. It also took a while for the local police to take such cases seriously. Initially it took a lot of insistence and forcing a police officer to read out the word of the now strengthened law to have a case filed against accused and take the victim seriously. However, a few years down the line, where earlier on women were met with resistance we noticed, at least in instances where we visited police stations with victims, the police were willing to file cases under the correct sections.

Are we there yet?

With the verdict on the Amboli murders not far away, it is important to ask ourselves whether these five years have changed anything in the world of sexual harassment. The answer is a mixed bag. Do we have stronger laws for dealing with sexual harassment? Yes, the strengthened IPC sections 354 and 509 provide on paper adequate protection. In the few cases we have been able to help victims, we have literally seen the accused shocked that they are being arrested for something they thought was completely acceptable. If taken to the logical end the cases would prosecute them officially as criminals and not errant nuisances to be explained away. This is a big step. The Justice Verma Commission recommendations were a larger step than anything we could have dreamed of too. Moving away from the legal aspect society as a whole is less accepting or dismissive of sexual harassment at least in Mumbai.

However there is a lot more to be done, many women still feel uncomfortable going to police stations. Court rulings that have asked the state to set up Vigilance committees of local residents known as Dakshata Samitis to monitor how a police station deals with complaints of sexual harassment have to be implemented in their true spirit and not just on paper. Moreover as I was writing this piece a shocking incident of a Manipuri resident in Kalina and her friend being put behind bars for standing up to her molesters has been reported. This proves police sensitivity is not where it should be. And this is without even mentioning caste based or other heinous rapes that take place. But I do take heart that when the good people of Mumbai decided to put their hearts into something a change was made.

The author is a founding member of the Zero Tolerance Campaign. He tweets at @Adityampaul.
Nothing illumines contemporaneity and the past like literature.

Padmashri Dr SL Bhyrappas 1980s Kannada novel Anveshane (Quest) has a scene set in the late 1940s (or early 50s) where an underage boy is imprisoned on a false charge by a corrupt police inspector. A compassionate lawyer while freeing the boy chides the police inspector on these lines: "Aha! So early on after Independence and youre already this corrupt!"

This scene is drawn directly from Dr Bhyrappas own life as a teenaged waiter in a hotel in Hubli whose owner bribes a cop and foists a false case against him.

And then theres hard, cold reality like this one:

An item of his policy which I believe testifies to Nehrus Marxist feeling is his tolerance of corruptionNehrus Communism is revealed in the extraordinary favour he shows to the Communist Party.He allows the Russian Government, and apparently the Chinese too, to subsidise them. It has been admitted in Parliament that the Home Department knows about some of these foreign funds. No other ruler in the world tolerates this kind of thing. Why does Nehru?

This is from Philip Spratts foreword to the 1963 classic Nehru myth-buster Genesis and Growth of Nehruism. Spratt should know for he was a former Communist, a spy, an accused in the infamous Meerut Conspiracy Case, and one of the founders of the Communist Party of India.

Heres yet another sample of the selfsame hard, cold reality:

Oleg Kalugin, who became head of FCD Directorate K (Counterintelligence) in 1973, remembers India as 'a model of KGB infiltration of a Third World Government': We had scores of sources throughout the Indian Government  in intelligence, counterintelligence, the Defence and Foreign Ministries, and the policeIt seemed like the entire country was for sale; the KGB  and the CIA  had deeply penetrated the Indian Government. After a while neither side entrusted sensitive information to the Indians, realising that their enemy would know all about it the next day.

This self-explanatory tidbit is from the Mitrokhin Archives.

Then we have the Wikileaks cables that mention Rajiv Gandhi as a negotiator lobbying for the Swedish Viggen fighter aircraft in the 1970s. The then Air Marshal OP Mehras son-in-law Navin Behl was alleged to be lobbying on behalf of Viggens competitor, Mirage.

And then, in the 1980s, the Bofors scam blew Rajiv Gandhis massive 404-seat mandate to a million shards, a taint that continues to haunt his legacy and whatever is left of his party.

The common factor in all of these: financial corruption apart, a reckless disregard for national security by three former prime ministers belonging to the same bloodline. Innumerable reports and books have repeatedly exposed how foreign agents of various hues had acquired powerful clout in the successive governments run by said bloodline. All for the family, of course.

The ongoing political brawl and national outrage over the AgustaWestland scandal though justified, should surprise no one. The AgustaWestland scam couldnt flower but for the six decade-long preparation of this soil of corruption made fertile with such toxic manure, whose genesis Spratt traces in these words:

[in 1953] the Congress Party was by no means socialisticthe resolution on the socialistic patter was passed at Avadioverlooked the attraction of socialism for a ruling party of hungry careeristsmany of the public are still unaware of what it is all about. It is really whether India shall continue to be ruled by a Government of usurpers

Government of usurpers is a devastatingly accurate definition, most recently, of the two-term UPA government. What else does one call a government whose prime minister reports to an ordinary Member of Parliament who in turn seeks inputs from an extra-Constitutional body styled as the National Advisory Council?

While the AgustaWestland scam is hot at the moment in the Parliament, two other crucial revelations surfaced around the same timeline: the role of former home (and later finance) minister P Chidambaram in the Ishrat Jahan case, and his son Karti Chidambarams global benaami empire (to quote S Gurumurthy) via Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited, which is valued at hundreds if not thousands of crores.

The intrepid Rajeev Srinivasan nails it in his Firstpost piece:

that a Home Minister would deliberately underplay the role of terrorism from Pakistan in laffaire Ishrat, with the sole purpose of damaging Narendra Modi. As much as I have a healthy respect for the Congress ethics, this was beyond belief. Corruption I understand, but outright treason?... If there is any truth in the allegations about Chidambaram, he may well be looking at the end of his political career, and his son may be looking at some serious jail time.

In the first instance, Chidambaram misused his ministerial position to target his political opponent and shore up his own political strength. In the second, he again misused his official position to enhance his familys fortunes.

Its the first instance thats significant because it concerns national security.

Right from its first innings in 2004, the Congress-led UPA government has demonstrated with sickening frequency that it cared zilch about national security and failed to carry out a basic duty: ensuring the safety of Indian citizens. Former home minister Shivraj Patils disgraceful era remains an ignominious monument to this fact: after brazenly disregarding repeated terror attacks on Indian soil, it finally took26/11 for the Congress to show him the door.

Neither did things improve after Chidambaram replaced Patil as the home minister, as the Ishrat Jahan revelations demonstrate. If anything, it shows the opposite. Equally, the recurring deaths of Indian scientists involved in national security projects, and the existence of a Pakistani mole (in our Intelligence apparatus) codenamed Honey Bee among others show the horrifying extent to which national security was compromised.

And now, to our eternal shame, we get to hear that the former Air Chief Tyagi was contemptuously referred to as gorgeous girl by sleazy defence dealers, which as this Firstpost piece rightly says, reduced him to the level of a gangster's moll, a Mona Darling to Lion. Also the fact that Tyagis relatives are now being investigated eerily harks back to the 1970s Air Chief Marshal OP Mehras son-in-law Navin Behl referred to earlier in this article.

Among the more damaging aspects of the AgustaWestland scam is the ease with which the media was managed, a euphemism for bought. Given our massively cynical times, Rs 45 crore is indeed a tidy sum to facilitate said management. As weve noticed over the past few days, the reactions of prominent journalists, media celebrities, etc on TV, print and digital outlets indicate their nervousness.

Again, none should be surprised. The Mitrokhin Archives also reveal how, in Arun Shouries words, our "free and fair" media" was easily infiltrated with really paltry sums of money, and [the Mitrokhin Archives] recounts the ease with which the KGB and the CIA were able to plant stories." From then to now, the only change has been in the realm of the scale of fortune these media worthies have amassed.

And so we see how little has equally changed from Nehrus time where he allowed (foreign) Communist-regime funding into India to his daughters daughter-in-laws time.

The AgustaWestland scam wont be the last of the skeletons to tumble out of the cupboard of the erstwhile UPA regime.

Theres just no other way of saying this: the two-term regime of the UPA was a decade of scambaggery, which left behind a sprawling trail of institutional destruction. In which other democracy would ajudge grant bail over the phone? From Haryana to Maharashtra to (undivided) Andhra Pradesh, every Congress-ruled state had been converted into a den of scams and pervasive corruption.

To gauge the extent of this comprehensive subversion, one can recall the instant, spontaneous uproar by Congress MPs in the Rajya Sabha last week,when Subramanian Swamy as much as uttered Sonias name. What is it about the Congress chief that her party members insist that she be beyond the law? And why is she being shielded in this manner when there is every real possibility that nothing good or bad went on in the UPA without her consent if not collusion?

Almost two years since it lost power, the Congress continues to impede Indias progress by vitiating national discourseand stalling Parliament among other ugly tactics. And it shows no sign of stopping.

Just what has the Congress reduced this nation to?
Thiruvananthapuram: The brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman at Perumbavoor is becoming campaign fodder for the 16 May Assembly polls with both ruling UDF and rival LDF trading charges over the issue of safety of women in Kerala.

Criticism against police for the way it handled the case and alleged failure of government machinery in nabbing the culprits even a week after the incident has apparently pushed the Congress-led UDF government to a corner.

The woman, a law student who hailed from a poor family, was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house at nearby Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on 28 April. The incident had triggered widespread protests across the state.

The CPM-led Opposition has tried to corner the government over the fact that the incident came to the

limelight only four days after the crime. They have also alleged that police tried to cover up the incident in view of the elections and that the heinous crime was indication of collapse of the law and order situation under Congress rule. However, government immediately announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the victim's family and a job to her sister.

Putting up a brave face, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had on Wednesday said government was committed to ensuring the safety of women and would bring the culprits to justice at the earliest. He cited the speedy probe and trial that took place in the case of the murder of Saumya, who was pushed out of a moving train and raped in Thrissur district a few years ago.

Chandy also said police in the state was very quick in solving some sensational murder cases and ensured maximum punishment to the culprits. Referring to Opposition criticism on police handling the Perumbavur rape case, he said it was a tragedy which should not have happened but no one should politicise the issue.

Both Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who came to visit the victim's ailing mother at a hospital, had to feel the heat of CPM activists, who raised slogans against the government. Chennithala had to return without meeting the woman due to the protests.

Marxist veteran and Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan has alleged that the Congress government had shown total negligence in the investigation and dereliction of duty from the side of police cannot be justified at any cost.

"The pain of a mother, who brought up her daughter by doing petty jobs, is unbearable," the 93-year-old leader said, adding, the brutality was much worse than what happened in the Nirbhaya case.

Achuthanandan also alleged that police was trying to take somebody into custody and portray them as accused and there should be protests against this move.

Echoing similar sentiments, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said the incident clearly showed that the government "is a total failure in ensuring safety of women in the state."

Chandy has countered the allegations, saying "this is an occasion for all the people to come together keeping aside political affiliations. It is a time to stand united and treat the incident as a social menace."

He also hit out at the Opposition for staging protests and preventing the Home Minister from visiting the victim's ailing mother. The Chief Minister also said senior political leaders like Achuthanandan and Balakrishnan should show some more maturity while reacting to incidents like this.

Congress minister and State Minister for Excise K Babu said CPM's attempt to "politicise the tragedy is shameful and using it as a campaign tool condemnable."

Accusing government of completely failing to protect Dalits and women, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan has alleged that law and order situation is deteriorating in Kerala. He claimed that both LDF and UDF have not been able to do anything to protect marginalised sections of society.
Are water wars imminent in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh? It could turn into a reality if what is unfolding on the ground snowballs into a major quarrel between the two states.

While AP is crying hoarse over three irrigation projects proposed by the Telangana government, the latter is asserting that it will righteously and completely utilise the water allocated to it. Andhra Pradesh is the tail-end state for the Godavari and the Krishna, Telangana forms part of the upper riparian state.

Telangana government has proposed to take up two lift irrigation projects on the Krishna: Palamuru-Ranga Reddy (90 TMC feet); and Dindi lift irrigation project (30 TMC feet). It also proposes to enhance the capacity of Kalvakurthy lift irrigation scheme (from 25 to 40 TMC feet). While all the three projects are in the upstream of Srisailam reservoir, the Telangana government is also proposing the construction of new barrages on the Godavari. The Andhra Pradesh government has objected to these projects.

Against this background, relations between the state governments have ebbed to a new low on Wednesday with Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh hurling invectives at each other, asserting their respective positions.

K Chandrasekhar Rao, in his usual style, said at a public meeting, I am not ready for a controversy. I am not taking up the issue with anyone. They are trying to sow seeds of discord between the Telugu people. It is not good for any one. Please stop Chandrababu Naidu's and Opposition leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy's imbecile attempts. Now, you are attempting to come in the way of the Telangana's projects. Please do not wake a sleeping tiger. If you do so, it will be perilous. Dont be under the false impression that you have the power to do so. If you hit us with a brick, we will respond with a stone. If you have political scores to settle, do it in some other form. Dont exploit the popular interests of Telangana for your political gains. I know your political dramas. I know the morals of Chandrababu and Jagan. When the time comes, I will talk about it. If your objective is to fetch water for the people of AP, there is water available in the Godavari. Though there is water and you have full rights to draw, dont you have the guts and intelligence to make use of it? I am ready to offer you my help and guide you on that front. Don't cry unnecessarily over the people of Telangana. 

In response, AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, said at a public meeting in Srikakulam: We are not against water for Telangana. But the water that is legally due to Andhra Pradesh must be shared proportionately. I won't keep quiet until we get our due share. It is incorrect to mete out injustice to AP. The projects proposed by Telangana are detrimental to the Delta area in AP. An apex body has been constituted in the AP Reorganisation Act 2014. This consists of both Chief Ministers and Union Minister. All three should meet and decide on the water share. The state Cabinet has adopted a resolution to this effect. Telangana CM KCR is making disparaging remarks. This is totally unacceptable. If APs interests are compromised, we will not keep quiet.

KCR pointed out that he had spent an hour talking about the utilisation of Godavari waters with his AP counterpart. "The injustice done to Telangana in united AP resulted in severe crisis. The leaders of AP still wanted to live our lives. They should let us live our lives. They should stop interfering, he asserted.

Meanwhile, the Central Water Commission (CWC) on Wednesday filed a counter affidavit in the Supreme Court in response to a petition filed by a few farmers of Andhra Pradesh on the Palamuru-Rangereddy; and Dindi and expansion of Kalvakurthy lift irrigation schemes.

Much to the discomfort of Telangana, the CWC, in its affidavit, stated that there was no proposal with regard to the estimation of water resources and utilisation with it or with the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) of the Union Government. The Palamuru-Ranga Reddy and Dindi schemes were not mentioned in the 11th schedule of AP Reorganisation Act 2014. Future of the projects would be decided based on 75 percent of dependability on water availability. Permission from KRMB is mandatory for any new project. The new projects of Telangana have not. It was not necessary for the Centre to notify all the projects on the Krishna in the two states. The affidavit submitted by the CWC went against Telangana on almost all counts.

Jagan triggers dispute

Alleging that more than 115 TMC feet of water could be drawn by Telangana through projects on the Krishna river in Mahabubnagar district, YS Jaganmohan Reddy announced that he would launch a three-day hunger strike on 16, 17 and 18 May at Kurnool against these projects. Jagan said that he sought to expose the faulty irrigation policy of AP Government.

Through the agitation, Jagan for sure is trying to derive political mileage. He blamed Chandrababu Naidu for remaining silent, though he was aware that these projects were detrimental to the interests of the state only to save himself from the #CashforVote case. A similar charge was levelled against Naidu by AP Congress Committee chief N Raghuveera Reddy.

Soon, the Andhra Pradesh government swung into action and discussed the issue in the Cabinet and adopted a resolution urging the Centre to intervene and that no project should be taken up without clearances from the apex bodies of Krishna and Godavari.

The Andhra Pradesh government had also written to the Prime Minister to intervene and prevail upon the Telangana government to wait for the apex bodys clearance.

Ever since, AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his ministers have launched a diatribe against the Telangana government, the loud assertions by KCR and Naidu amplified the controversy further.

A few days back, KCR at the foundation-laying of Kaleswaram project in Karimnagar district said that the state would utilise its due of 1,300 TMC feet of water under all circumstances. Naidu countered said that any new project should be taken up after due permission from the river management boards and the apex council under Section 84 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Telangana is arguing that the state was entitled to use 954 TMC feet of water from the Godavari, as part of the allocation of 1,480 TMC feet allocated to undivided AP by the Godavari Waters Disputes Tribunal.

The assured water allocated in the Krishna to Telangana was 299 TMC feet and surplus was 77 TMC feet.

Major Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao and AP Major Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao are also engaged in the rhetroic. When Harish Rao offered to discuss the water disputes with his AP counterpart, Umamaheswara Rao welcomed it saying the discussion has to happen in the presence of Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti.

Harish Rao in his acerbic tone asserted: Hundred Chandrababus and 1,000 Jagans cannot stop the projects in Telangana. We want our water. Farmers are committing suicide. Coolies are migrating, but TDP wants to prevent the projects. Ours is a case of burning stomachs, while theirs is a case of churning in the stomach.

Now, the fate of the projects hinges on the outcome of the Supreme Court verdict.
Islamabad: A Pakistani teenage girl was drugged, strangled and set on fire, for allegedly helping her friend to elope, police said on Thursday, while announcing the arrests of 13 local leaders who approved the gruesome act, in the latest incident of honour killing.

The incident took place last week in Makool village of Abbotabad district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Fifteen-year-old Ambreen was punished by a local group of elders, who held her responsible for facilitating the elopement of the couple on 23 April, which is considered a dishonour for the family of the girl who had eloped.

The local elders met on 28 April and decided to punish Ambreen and the man who transported the eloping couple in his van by burning the girl and the vehicle, said police official Shams Khan.

"They killed the girl on 29 April by strangulating her and then put her body in the vehicle which was set of fire," he said.

Police have arrested 13 out of the 15 men who had sanctioned the killing. They have been charged with murder, arson and terrorism. The incidents of violence against the women in the name of honour are rampant in Pakistan.

Women in Pakistan have fought for their rights for decades, in a country where honour killings and acid attacks remain commonplace.

More than 500 men and women died in honour killings last year, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Many of these crimes, carried out by relatives who say their mostly female victims have brought shame on the family, are never prosecuted, observers say.
Washington: An Army Captain is suing US President Barack Obama, arguing that the war against the Islamic State is illegal, because it has not been authorised by the Congress.

Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, when the President introduces US armed forces into hostilities... he must either get approval from Congress within sixty days to continue the operation, in the form of a declaration of war... (the) president did not get Congresss approval for his war against IS in Iraq or Syria... the war is therefore illegal, said Captain Nathan Michael Smith, a military intelligence officer, in court documents filed in the US District Court in Columbia on Tuesday.

The court documents say that the 1973 War Powers Resolution was enacted by Congress to prevent presidential overreach and protect the Congress right to vote on whether and when to go to war.

The resolution was created after Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon escalated the war in Vietnam and extended it into Laos and Thailand as a general war against communism.

Captain Smith, 28, according to RT, was commissioned in 2010 and deployed to Afghanistan for eight months in 2012. He is from a three-generation family of military officers and has been deployed in Kuwait with the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, which is the campaign against the Islamic State.

I joined the military in 2010 because I believe the US military is a force for good in the world... (like) everyone, I was taken aback when I saw IS sweep through Syria and Iraq, seizing city after city, town after town, with their beheadings and crucifixions, laying to waste all in their way."

"They are an army of butchers. Their savagery is sickening, wrote Captain Smith in the court papers.

When President Obama ordered airstrikes in Iraq in August 2014, and in Syria... I was ready for action.. we were all cheering every airstrike and every setback for IS... I was also noticing that people at home were torn about whether President Obama should be carrying out this war... I began to wonder, IS this the Administrations war, or is it Americas war?... My conscience bothered me, he added.

Obama administration officials, including Secretary of Defence Ash Carter, have repeatedly asserted that they have the legal authority to conduct the fight against the IS.

The Army Times reported that the Pentagon was operating under the broad permission in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the US, in its fight against IS.

Smith argued that by providing support for an illegal war, he was violating his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the US, noting that the president had failed to publish an opinion prepared by the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel or the White House Counsel to justify the war against IS... instead left it to Administration spokespersons to provide ad hoc and ever-shifting legal justifications for a military campaign that is constantly changing its strategic objectives and escalating its use of force.

The campaign against the IS has grown from airstrikes to deployed trainers to search-and-kill teams - and in late April to authorise 250 troops for ground operations in Syria.

Smith asked that the court declare that the war against ISIS in Syria and Iraq violated the War Powers Resolution.
Washington: Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump has reiterated his stand on banning Muslims from entering the US and deporting illegal immigrants out of the country.

The rival Hillary Clinton campaign immediately slammed Trump asserting that the former secretary of state would not tolerate this divisive and dangerous direction as the US President.

A day after he became a presumptive nominee, Trump refused to budge down from his primary election season's controversial rhetoric's in a series of interviews.

In an interview with CNN, Trump did not back away from his proposal to temporarily ban all foreign Muslims from entering the US. At the same time, he said he would work with Muslim countries in the fight against terrorism. But the onus for this is on those countries first, he argued.

Taking a rigid stand, Trump said he does not care if it hurts him. "I'm doing the right thing when I do this. And whether it's Muslim or whether it's something else, I mean, I have to do the right thing, and that's the way I've been guided," he told MSNBC in another interview.

"And I've been guided by common sense, by what's right. And you see what's happening. We have to be careful. I mean, we're allowing thousands of people to come into our country, thousands and thousands of people being placed all over the country that frankly nobody knows who they are. They don't have documentation in many cases  in most cases. And we don't know what we're doing," Trump said.

The Clinton campaign slammed the real estate mogul after he in his last interview of the day reiterated his position on Muslims and immigrants.

"In less than 24 hours after capturing the Republican nomination, Donald Trump has already made it abundantly clear the type of America that would emerge under him: one in which Latinos, Muslims and other communities of colour would not feel at home," said Lorella Praeli, national director of Latino Outreach.

"Trump doubled down on his quest to ban Muslims from entering the United States and deport millions of immigrant families who are part of America's social fabric and economic engine," Praeli said.

"And just today, we were once again reminded that Trump's hateful rhetoric and bigoted policy proposals threaten to obstruct our path towards a more open and fair country. We simply cannot afford that. Hillary Clinton will not tolerate this divisive and dangerous direction and, as President, will not stop fighting to break down the barriers and build ladders of opportunity for every American," the Clinton Campaign official said.
ANZAC, Alberta A massive wildfire that has forced the evacuation of all 88,000 residents of the western Canadian city of Fort McMurray and burned down 1,600 structures has the potential to destroy much of the town, authorities said on Wednesday.

Fort McMurray had been largely emptied of its residents by Wednesday afternoon, officials said, despite fuel shortages, snarled traffic and a highway closed by the flames in the northeastern part of the province of Alberta, the heart of Canada's oil sands region.

So far there are no reports of fatalities, but crews had been unable to stop the wildfire, which has charred 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares) since it erupted on Sunday. Hot, dry winds forecast for later on Wednesday threatened to complicate matters.

"It is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town," said Scott Long, an official with Alberta's emergency management agency.

Major oil sands facilities were not in the fire's path, but some companies' operations were disrupted by efforts to help employees and evacuees.

Images from the neighbourhood of Beacon Hill in the city's southeast showed rows of charred house foundations, their upper stories burned to the ground, and blankets of white ash within. Officials said 80 percent of houses in the neighbourhood, nearly 600 in total, were destroyed.

The regional government said two other neighbourhoods, Abasand and Waterways, had sustained "serious loss." Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said a total of about 1,600 structures have been destroyed in Fort McMurray."There are certainly areas within the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them and it will find them and it will want to take them. And our challenge today is to prevent," said Chief Darby Allen of the Fort McMurray fire department.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the military can deploy air force planes to the stricken city as needed. Fort McMurray International Airport said it was suspending all commercial flights in and out of the city on Wednesday.

Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state, said in a message that she and her husband Prince Philip were "shocked and saddened" by news of the fires. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected," she said.

'EXPLOSIVE CONDITIONS'

It was the second major fire in the oil sands region in a year. Last May, wildfires led to the evacuation of hundreds of workers from the region, and a 9 percent cut in Alberta's oil sands output.

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSa.L) said one of its oil sands mines was closed and another was in the process of being shut down. Suncor Energy Inc (SU.TO), whose oil sands operations are closest to the city, said it was reducing crude production.

Oil prices briefly rose on concerns about reduced output from the Canadian oil sands before paring gains on Wednesday.

Strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity will again create "explosive conditions" on Wednesday, said Bernie Schmitte, forestry manager in the nearby municipality of Wood Buffalo. Schmitte added that more resources are being assembled across Canada.

"The fire has resisted all suppression efforts," Schmitte said.

The Canadian Red Cross said evacuees were calling the organization for help getting food and water.

A highway closure on Tuesday forced most evacuees to drive north, away from major cities. By Wednesday morning, the highway had reopened, but fuel had run out, stranding evacuees seeking to drive out of Fort McMurray. Alberta's transportation department said it was escorting a fuel tanker north to help stranded drivers.

The fire drew immediate comparisons to one that hit Slave Lake, Alberta in 2011, forcing 7,000 to evacuate and destroying more than 300 buildings.

Insured damage was more than C$700 million, making Slave Lake one of the most expensive insured disasters in the country's history. But Fort McMurray is a much larger settlement than Slave Lake, with some 125,000 people in the region.

Wildfires were also raging in neighbouring British Columbia on Wednesday, including a massive 9,000 hectare blaze in the province's northeast that was threatening to spread across the border to Alberta, the B.C. Wildfire Service said.

Because of the local threat, British Columbia declined to send firefighters to Alberta, though the agency said it had sent equipment like pumps and hoses.

(Reporting by Nia Williams in Calgary, Julie Gordon in Vancouver, Leah Schnurr and David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Allison Martell, Ethan Lou, Andrea Hopkins and Fergal Smith in Toronto; Writing by Amran Abocar and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Will Dunham and Mary Milliken)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
AMMAN The Syrian army on Wednesday said it would implement a "regime of calm" in Aleppo city for 48 hours as of Thursday, state television reported.

The army general command said it would take effect at 1 a.m. on Thursday.

The army blames rebels whom it describes as "terrorists" for the death of dozens of civilians from rockets and mortar attacks launched from the rebel-held part of the divided city, state television said.

The army statement did not say what action it would take in response to any violations by rebel groups of the new agreement announced earlier on Wednesday to extend a cessation of hostilities in Syria.

Aleppo has been the scene of the worst surge in fighting in recent days, wrecking the first major ceasefire of the five-year-old civil war, sponsored by the United States and Russia, which had held since February.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Janet Lawrence; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
AMMAN Syrian mainstream rebel groups have set up a task force to defuse tensions that have led to widespread bloodletting among rival factions that killed dozens in recent weeks in rebel-held suburbs of Damascus, a prominent rebel figure said on Wednesday.

The signatories to the newly set up force include some of the so-called Free Syrian Army's biggest brigades such as Levant Front, Nour al Din al-Zenki, Failaq al Sham, Jaish al Mujahdeen and Jaish al Islam which have thousands of fighters within their ranks, many of whom are foreign financed and armed.

Mohammad Alloush, a prominent member of the powerful Jaish al Islam, the main group in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, told Reuters his group joined the new force to avoid the spread of inter-rebel warfare.

Heavy fighting between Jaish al Islam and their rivals Failaq al Rahman, the two strongest insurgent groups in the Damascus suburbs, killed scores this week, allowing the Syrian army to gain ground and raising fears of wider internecine warfare among rival groups elsewhere in Syria.

"This force will arbitrate disputes so that our blood is not spilled and to avoid side conflicts that benefit the regime and to focus on the regime and Daesh," Alloush said, using a derogatory Arabic word for Islamic State.

"This infighting would be catastrophic to our revolution. We don't want it to spread," he said, adding that the signatories have promised to contain disputes by judicial arbitration.

The groups joining the force are ideologically at odds with Syria's al Qaeda offshoot Nusra Front. They also are fighting in countryside outside northern Aleppo near the Turkish border to prevent Islamic State militants from overrunning their territory.

Fighting has intensified in recent months among rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al Assad, due to ideological differences or turf warfare.

Alongside the fighting between rival groups in the suburbs of Damascus, Nusra Front is fighting Islamic State for control of the Palestinian Yarmouk camp in Damascus.

Tensions have escalated between Nusra and Ahrar al Sham, a major Islamist group, with mutual accusations of assassinations and kidnappings.

In southern Syria, bloody fighting has gone on for weeks among hardline rebels suspected of harbouring ties to Islamic State and moderate Western-backed FSA groups. Dozens have been killed on either side with ferociousness in fighting not seen when they battle Syrian army troops, some rebels say.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Amman: A cessation of hostilities agreement brokered by Russia and the United States brought a measure of relief to the battered Syrian city of Aleppo on Thursday but President Bashar al-Assad said he still sought a total, crushing victory over rebel forces.

Syrian state media said the army would abide by a "regime of calm" in the city that came into effect at 1 am (6.00 pm ET on Wednesday) for 48 hours, and relative calm prevailed on Thursday morning after two weeks of death and destruction.

The army blamed Islamist insurgents for violating the agreement overnight by what it called indiscriminate shelling of some government-held residential areas of divided Aleppo. But residents said the violence had eased by morning and more shops had opened up.

Elsewhere in Syria, fighting persisted. Islamic State militants captured the Shaer gas field in eastern Syria on Thursday, the first gain for the hardline jihadists in the Palmyra desert area since they lost the ancient city in March, according to rebel sources and a monitor.

Assad said he would accept nothing less than an outright victory against rebels in Aleppo and across Syria, state media reported.

In a telegram sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin thanking Moscow for its military support, Assad said the army was set on "attaining final victory" and "crushing the aggression" in its fight against the rebels.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least one person was killed in rebel shelling overnight of the Midan neighborhood on the government side of Aleppo, which was Syria's commercial hub and largest city before the war.

Rockets also hit the New Aleppo district, state media said.

But a resident of the rebel-held eastern part of the city said that although warplanes flew overnight, there were none of the intense raids seen during the past 10 days of air strikes.

People in several districts ventured out onto the streets where more shops than normal had opened, the resident of al Shaar neighborhood said.

Another resident said civilians in several districts sensed a general trend toward calm.

"From last night it was positive and my wife went out to shop and shops opened and people breathed. We did not hear the shelling and bombing we had gotten accustomed to," Sameh Tutunji, a merchant said.

A rebel source also said that despite intermittent firing across the city's main front lines, fighting had subsided and no army shelling of residential areas had been heard.

The only intense fighting reported was in the southern Aleppo countryside near the town of Khan Touman, where Syria's al Qaeda offshoot Nusra Front is dug in close to where Iranian-backed militias maintain a stronghold, a rebel source said.

Rebels also said government helicopters dropped barrel bombs on rebel-held Dahyat al-Rashdeen al Junobi, northwest of Aleppo, and near the Jamiyat al Zahraa area, which saw a rebel ground assault pushed back on Wednesday.

Islamic State seize gas field

The recent surge in bloodshed in Aleppo had wrecked the first major cessation of hostilities agreement of the five-year-old war, sponsored by Washington and Moscow, backers of the rival sides, which had held since February.

A spokesman for the mainstream opposition said the Saudi-based High Negotiations Committee supported the deal but wanted the truce to cover all of Syria, not just Aleppo. It accused the government of violating it.

Nusra and the Islamic State fighters are not included in any UN- brokered deal for a cessation of hostilities.

In other areas of Syrian, at least six people were killed and scores wounded in a village in the eastern Homs countryside, where Islamic State militants operate, when a suicide bomber blew himself up, state media said.

Amaq, an IS-affiliated news agency, said Islamic State militants had taken over the Shaer gas field and its facility in Palmyra, killing at least 30 Syrian troops stationed there and seizing heavy weapons, tanks and missiles.

Russian war jets were also reported to have struck militant hideouts in the town of Sukhna in the same Palmyra desert area.
KABUL The United States embassy in Kabul issued an emergency security warning to U.S. citizens on Thursday after an attempted kidnapping of an American and a number of other foreigners in the Afghan capital earlier in the week.

The warning, posted on the U.S. embassy website, said that an attempt to kidnap several expatriates, including a U.S. citizen, was made on Monday and it said that the threat of kidnapping and hostage-taking was high.

The warning came days after an Australian aid worker was kidnapped in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad.

Kidnapping and abduction for ransom has been a regular occurrence in Afghanistan, with both Afghans and foreign nationals targeted.

Last month, there was widespread outrage and protests after reports of the discovery of the murdered body of a teenaged boy who had been kidnapped in Kabul earlier.

(Reporting by James Mackenzie)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
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Duncan

BMW has named David Duncan to head of corporate and special sales for the automaker in a role that oversees corporate fleet sales, executive allowance sales, and daily rental sales. The appointment is effective May 1.

Duncan, who moves from his role as vice president of MINI Region Americas, will also be responsible for European delivery. As an 18-year BMW employee, Duncan has held various roles, including starting as an area manager for BMW Motorcycles in 1998. He has been with MINI since 2001, where he established the initial dealer network ahead of the 2002 launch of that brand. He has led MINI since 2014.

In a related move, Thomas Felbermair steps into Duncan's former role. Felbermair will focus on driving sales, service, customer and dealer satisfaction, overseeing the business operations for the brand in the region. He most recently held a similar postion in Germany as vice president for MINI in the European region.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
Apple Music is set to receive a major design overhaul, according to two new reports. The music streaming service from Apple will add a number of new features and improvements in June.

A report from Bloomberg stated that Apple will make sweeping changes to Apple Music. The company will apparently focus on making the streaming services UI more intuitive, as well as improve integration and download services. Moreover, Apple is also said to expand its online radio service.

Following this report, 9to5Mac posted further insights on what kind of features the service will get in the upcoming revamp. As per the report, Apple Music will adorn a black and white UI instead of the vibrant colorful one which pops up to match the album art of the album you are viewing. The album art will also get bigger possibly similar to Google Play Music. As per the report, the overall look of the app will be bolder yet simpler. Moreover, the fonts on menus and tabs will also get bigger.

Next up, the service will soon get lyrics integration as Apple is currently working with music publishers to get the rights to automatically display lyrics in the music app. In addition, Apple is said chuck the New tab in the app and offer a simplified version of the For You recommendation tab.

Apple Music still trails Spotify in the streaming space, with 11 million paying customers compared to Spotifys 30 million. Apple is expected to announce these major changes at the upcoming WWDC in June.

source: 1, 2
UltraProlink, popular for its accessories has launched FlipIT micro USB cable that it reversible at both ends  the micro USB at android device and the USB at source. It is a first of its kind charge n sync USB cable with an intelligent design for Android devices, says the company. Even in USB Type-C cable and Apple lightning cable, the other USB end is not reversible. It has a 1.5m cord in black color.

The UltraProlink FlipIt is priced at Rs. 299 and is available through several e-commerce portals, including Amazon.in. It is backed by a manufacturer warranty of six months and is also available through large format outlets like Croma, Jumbo, Spencers in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Lucknow.

Commenting on the launch, Pankaj Mirchandani, Managing Partner, RCA (Owner of UltraProlink brand), said:

UltraProlink has always strived to innovate in every aspect of the gadgets ecosystem. With UltraProlink FlipIT we are addressing a seemingly minor but a regular mood/experience spoiler. No need to worry about ports not matching; UltraProlink FlipIT makes the connection seamless either way. And the data transfer speed (480MBPS) and 2.4 amp power rating is second to none. Why should iOS device owners have all the fun.
What: Shares of Continental Resources (CLR -0.10%) surged on Thursday, jumping 12% by 12:30 p.m. EST thanks to a trio of catalysts.

So what: Continental Resources started 2016 off on the right foot, delivering strong first-quarter operational results. Production for the quarter totaled 230,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day, or BOE/d, which was up 3% over last quarter and 12% higher than the first quarter of 2015, exceeding its own guidance. Fueling that stronger production was better-than-expected well results. Because of this the company is boosting its full year production guidance by 10,000 BOE/d without spending any additional capex.

Continental Resources is one of a handful of producers that have already raised their full-year production outlook without boosting capex. It joins Devon Energy (DVN 1.01%), which is raising its full-year production guidance by 6,000 BOE/d, or 3% at the midpoint, due to stronger well results. Meanwhile, Whiting Petroleum (WLL) is also boosting its full-year production guidance due in part to much stronger well results, with its enhanced completions boosting productivity by 100%, as well as due to a participation agreement with a financial sponsor.

Another fuel driving Continental Resources' stock today is the announcement of the sale of a non-core, non-producing asset in Wyoming for $110 million. The company intends to use the proceeds from that sale to reduce debt. Further, it noted it has other opportunities to pursue non-core asset sales to further bolster its balance sheet. Again, this is a similar path as its peers, with Devon Energy announcing a $200 million asset sale during the quarter, with plans to sell between $2 billion and $3 billion in assets this year. Meanwhile, Whiting Petroleum's participation agreement brought in $30.7 million of cash, which it will reinvest in other wells as part of that agreement.

Finally, Continental Resources was bolstered by an analyst upgrade, with Raymond James raising it from outperform to strong buy due to its leverage to higher oil prices. Analyst upgrades are also a growing trend in the sector, with Devon Energy recently getting a buy rating from Wunderlich.

Now what: Continental Resources delivered on the two things investors want to see right now by improving its operations and its balance sheet. That said, given the volatility of oil prices and its overall debt load, company needs to complete additional asset sales. That would put it in an even better position to weather the current downturn, especially if crude oil were to reverse course and start heading lower again.
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A 1.67%) (BRK.B 1.59%) has amassed an unparalleled portfolio of high-performing bank stocks under Warren Buffett's stewardship. But even a cursory glance at its holdings reveals a noticeable absence: JPMorgan Chase (JPM -0.43%).

It hasn't escaped Buffett's attention that JPMorgan Chase is one of the best run banks in the country. In fact, Buffett admits to owning shares of the $2.4 trillion bank in his personal portfolio.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," the 85-year-old billionaire told CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin four years ago. "I own some shares of JPMorgan. Personally."

Buffett has also praised JPMorgan Chase's CEO Jamie Dimon on multiple occasions over the years. In his 2011 shareholder letter, Buffett explicitly recommended that investors read Dimon's letter. The Berkshire CEO followed this up by telling CNBC's Becky Quick:

I think Jamie Dimon writes the best annual letter in corporate America. Every viewer will learn a lot by reading his annual report. He thinks well and he writes extremely well and he works a lot on his report.

This begs the question: If Dimon is so brilliant (which I've heard from other reputable sources, including well-known bank analyst Dick Bove, who once told me that Dimon is one of the smartest people he's ever met), then why hasn't Buffett added JPMorgan Chase to Berkshire's portfolio?

The only answer Buffett has given until recently is that a bank like Wells Fargo (WFC 0.74%), which happens to be Berkshire's second largest common stock holding, uses a simpler business model. "I know Wells better and it's easier to understand," he said at the 2012 shareholder meeting.

Flash forward to Berkshire Hathaway's most recent shareholder meeting, and we finally have a much better appreciation for what Buffett means by this. "I regard very large derivative positions as dangerous," he said last weekend in Omaha, Nebraska.

Some of these things get so complicated they're very hard to evaluate ... I know one that's so mismarked it would blow your mind, and the auditors I don't think are necessarily capable of holding that behavior in check.

This is why Buffett told Berkshire shareholders that, "if you take the 50 largest banks in the world, we wouldn't even think about probably 45 of them."

How does JPMorgan Chase measure up in this regard? It has a larger portfolio of derivatives than any other bank in the country. With $50.7 trillion in notional derivatives exposure, it comfortably outpaces the runner-up Citigroup's $48 trillion portfolio. Bank of America comes in third at $42.2 trillion. And Buffett's favorite Wells Fargo ranks fourth with only $5.7 trillion worth of notional derivatives exposure.

Thus, one way to explain JPMorgan Chase's absence from Berkshire's portfolio is because the bank's derivatives portfolio is simply too big for Buffett.
Jamiel Shaw Sr., whose son was murdered by an illegal immigrant, is rejoicing now that Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee.

I remember when we heard that Cruz had dropped out and Trump was going to be the presumptive nominee, I remember raising my hand in the air and telling my son, we did it man, you know, we are half way there. This is all for you, he told the FOX Business Networks Sandra Smith.

In February, former Mexican President Vicente Fox criticized the GOP frontrunner on the FOX Business Network over his plan to build a wall to keep illegal immigrants out of the U.S., but is now apologizing.

I think its very important to invite Donald Trump to come to Mexico and to learn about the real Mexico that is I would think probably different, he told Fox Newss Bill OReilly.

Shaw responded, they want him [Trump] to come to try to get him to do something, almost like deceptive. They want him to believe that this is how we really are, everything thats happening in America, thats not who we really are. But we know it is  it happened to my son.

Shaws sons killer was released from prison a day before the shooting without immigration authorities putting a hold on him.

Meanwhile, many critical opponents have called Donald Trump racist over his stance on immigration.

Trump doesnt want people to be shot dead in the street by anybody, especially by somebody from another country, it is unacceptable, and to call [this] racist  its just like putting a stop sign in front of you. But you know, we just go around the stop sign, Shaw said.

New reports of a Donald Trump presidency have immigrants across the nation rushing to apply for U.S. citizenship.

According to Donald Trump no matter what happens, they are going to be deported, they are going to build a wallthey are going to start going after these gangs, the criminals in the jails, so thats just one little step, but thats not going to stop [anything]. This is a big picture, its bigger than me, its bigger than my son. My son is dead. Im doing this for everybody else, he said.
Imagine buying your produce within hours of it being harvested  even in the dead of winter?

Well, its happening in cities like Chicago and New York through urban startups using hydroponics  a method of growing plants with a mineral nutrient solution, in water and without soil.

Gotham Greens  the pioneer behind the nations first commercial hydroponic greenhouse  is now producing over 20 million heads of lettuce and leafy greens to consumers locally. Produce like kale, arugula, bok choy and basil are grown in high tech greenhouses where they see yields up to 30 times greater than conventional field farming.

The company also recycles its irrigation water, resulting in 10 times less water usage than traditional field production, which eliminates agricultural runoff  one of the leading causes of global water pollution. All of the produce is pesticide free but not certified organic.

Since 2009, weve grown drastically. We now own and operate four greenhouse facilities totaling over 170,000 square feet, and weve hired over 140 full-time employees, CEO and co-founder Viraj Puri tells FOXBusiness.com.

The company has also raised over $30 million and has seen a 400% growth rate from 2015 to 2016. The produce are being distributed to big retailers like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), FreshDirect and Whole Foods (NASDAQ:WFM), who even partnered with the company by building a greenhouse on top of one their Brooklyn locations in 2014. Consumers are able see the how their greens are grown and then take an elevator down and purchase them hours after being picked.

From a green mission perspective, Gotham Greens is everything that were looking for as far as a partner in sustainability. Their hydroponic farming solution is really innovative. It allows us to bring the freshest produce to our consumers, says Kylie Sale, green mission specialist for Whole Foods.

Kathy Means, vice president of Industry Relations for the Produce Marketing Association, says hydroponics is what they like to call protected agriculture.

These types of production environments offer a great deal of control  food safety, targeted inputs, sustainability and more. It also allows production in urban areas, creating more local produce and putting production close to consumption, she says.

The problem with most conventional produce like leafy greens is the travel time it takes to get into supermarket aisles.

Urban consumers often get their produce a week or 10 days after it was harvested. Most of it that we get from the East Coast comes from California, Arizona, Mexico or places that are even further away, says Puri.

Vertical farming is another type of hydroponic farming that is growing rapidly throughout urban cities. AeroFarms, a startup that recently partnered with Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS)and Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU), is currently building the worlds largest vertical farm in Newark, New Jersey.

The company also grows leafy greens using a mineral solution and less water, but instead of natural sunlight it uses LED lighting and has crops stacked in layers, so as to produce more crops in confined spaces.

We want to go where the mouths are. Newark allows us to go to New York City and throughout New Jersey. Were focused on the places that have economic trouble too  so we can go in and help out, David Rosenberg, co-founder and CEO of AeroFarms told FOXBusiness.com last July.

The Association of Vertical Farming says that while the industry isnt regulated by the FDA just yet, they see it becoming an emerging trend in agriculture.

There are currently five medium-to-large vertical farms operating in the United States and over 10 smaller ones (mainly growing microgreens and herbs). All of them are planning on expanding. We are estimating that the numbers will double next year, Maximilian Loessl, co-founder and vice chair of the Association for Vertical Farming, told FOXBusiness.com.

Gotham Greens says its not stopping either and has plans to open several greenhouses across the United States later this year.

We believe in a lot of ways this is going to represent the future of fresh produce and were very proud to be the industry leaders in the space, says Puri.
Tribune Publishing (NYSE:TPUB) chairman Michael Ferro explains the publishers decision to reject Gannetts (NYSE:GCI) bid for the company.

Its a great deal for Gannett but Tribune has so many assets, just not the L.A. Times and the Chicago Tribune but they have great brands but most importantly we have almost 60 million monthly unique users and right now our issues are were only averaging a little over $1 for those users. The L.A. Times alone has 36 million people a month viewing their content, Ferro told the FOX Business Networks Neil Cavuto.

But even though Ferro felt it was a good deal for Gannett, he did not see it as benefiting Tribune shareholders.

If I was Gannett I would be trying to buy us too at the price they did because its a steal of a deal. Its great for Gannett shareholders, its not good for Tribune shareholders, said Ferro.

Ferro discussed the steps already being taken to improve the technology at the publisher in the three months since he arrived.

So the issue is the Tribune hasnt really invested in technology. Weve only been there, my team and I, the board brought me on 12 weeks ago. And weve already had huge improvements in places we put a little technology. But we dont even have a CRM system in place, were upgrading our CMS which is how you manage content, were using one from [Amazon CEO] Jeff Bezos at the Washington Post, were doing a deal with them to bring their CMS to us, Ferro said.

Despite improvements to the companys technology and the shifts in how consumers may access information, content is still at the core of the companys strategy according to Ferro.

We are a content-first culture because we truly believe it doesnt matter; All the technology in the world is great. If you dont have great content thats curated and verified, we have nothing. We won a Pulitzer last week, we have 92 of them, said Ferro.

On whether the company could still be acquired in the near future, Ferro said, I do think that we have the opportunity to acquire other assets if we execute the next few quarters. If we built the channels that we have and use the artificial intelligence to help content become more valuable I dont think were being acquired, I think we are the acquirer.

Ferro then responded to concerns that print media is dead.

I understand certain mediums come and go, we still need to move. There are cars, there used to be horses, we still need to move point to point, theres just different ways to get the content out there. But people need curated, verified content and we do that as best as anyone in the world as some of the best brands in the world, so no, I totally believe in this business, Said Ferro.
According to a security firm, a Russian man has allegedly hacked into 272 usernames and passwords on popular email sites Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail. They are allegedly being traded in Russias criminal underground. Human Rights Foundation Chairman Garry Kasparov told the FOX Business Networks Neil Cavuto the situation is out of control.

Its not just one hacker, its the entire institution, its called [the] Russian State under Putins control, he said.

Kasparov, who is also a former Russian world chess champion, explained why Russians are good at hacking.

The state resources have been used to hack those accounts. Putin strives in the lowest jungles. Thats why we have problems with Russian athletes you know -- theres doping problems, he said.

He added, the whole story it tells you, the idea, its an fake idea of the fortress America, that we can protect America, that we can build walls, firewalls and nobody will penetrate it.

He also explained why Putin would be delighted to see Donald Trump as the president.

Putin needs chaos. Every dictator can strive from chaos -- and Trump is a real agent of chaos, hes unpredictable, said Kasparov.
We live in a Yelp world where the proliferation of third party rating sites and social media has democratized the bully pulpit. The voice of the consumer has the power to make or break even the largest companies.

Guess what, those consumers are also employees and they have found their voice has power too. Sites like Glassdoor, Vault, and Memo along with the social media giants Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) have given a voice to employees similar to that of consumers.

The challenge for todays managers and executives is figuring out how to best listen to and leverage this voice for positive gain. I had the opportunity to speak to some experts from the world of industrial and organizational psychology about how to best harness the power of employee voice.

Listen with Purpose

When it comes to listening to employees, companies have traditionally relied on annual census style surveys to gage satisfaction and engagement. Unfortunately, these surveys often end-up as check-the-box activities as opposed genuine listening tools.

According to Dr. Jay Dorio, Director of the IBM Kenexa Employee Voice Program (NYSE:IBM), if you are going to listen you have to listen with purpose. Dorio goes on to explain that when developing a listening strategy always ask yourself why are we listening? as this will drive how you listen and the types of tools you use. Just as with any business strategy you have to start with a clear purpose.

Dr. Jonathan Levine, Lead Organizational Psychologist for Stop & Shop, agrees. Levine points out that regardless of the style or frequency of the survey you must agree on the purpose first and only include things in the survey the company can feasibly act upon. If you dont plan on giving out raises and bonuses why would you ask about these things.

Understand What Really Matters

According to Dr. Angela Pratt, HR Director, Kellogs Frozen Foods and North America Marketing (NYSE:K), we need to move away from talking at them vs. listening to them. Often times there is a divide between what matters to management and what matters to the employees on the ground. She explains that one of the mistakes we make in business is that we sit around the table nodding in agreement with what our executives believe instead of actually listening to what our people are saying.

Levine points out that one of the common challenges with the top down approach is that employees are rarely involved in the creation of the content, which means the questions being asked arent always the ones most relevant to them.

To combat this Dorio explains that we need to evolve the way companies engage their employees by focusing more on having continual conversations that tap the specific issues that matter to employees at every level. This starts with empowering employees to drive voice.

Empower Employees to Drive Voice

Dorio notes that one of the most important elements of any listening program is fostering employee driven voice. The act of listening can often be one-sided because far too many engagement surveys are comprised of a list of old questions that may or may not be relevant to the current audience. He believes we should look for unique ways to draw themes out of our employees by using a mix of open-ended questioning, pulse surveys, and discussion forums.

In order to tap employee driven voice Pratt believes you must create more intimate less formal environments. She notes that Kellogs uses settings like fireside chats and coffee talks to create more intimate environments where employees can drive the conversation. When it comes to facilitating these more intimate settings Pratt notes that softening the power cues can go a long way in creating a more comfortable environment where employees feel safe in openly sharing their concerns with leaders. To accomplish this, she advises dressing down and keeping the setting casual. Keep in mind its a conversation not an interrogation.

Act Quickly and Decisively:

Whenever you listen you must be prepared to act! Pratt explains that closing the loop on any listening activity is critical. When genuine concerns are raised be ready to respond and act. Even if it doesnt seem meaningful to you as a manager or executive, jeans day, uniform requirements, and parking lot challenges may matter to your folks out there on the front lines.

Both Dorio and Levine note that you have to be ready to filter out the inevitable noise that comes with open listening. Some folks will complain for the sake of it and do so in a loud and often selfish way. Make sure they dont hog the spotlight. Pratt advises getting to know the champions out there who genuinely speak for their peers as opposed to those just speaking for themselves.

Dorio points out the fact that we are now in a world where more and more employees are demanding the same level of real-time interaction they experience in their personal lives. Technology has fundamentally changed the way we interact, which means the expectations of employees have changed as well. He explains that employers need to move more towards tapping real-time employee driven concerns and be ready to act on those concerns quickly and decisively.
Image: Graham Holdings' Kaplan unit.

Transformative events can be hard for investors to get used to, and Graham Holdings looks nothing like it did for most of its history under its former Washington Post Company name. Coming into Wednesday's first-quarter financial report, Graham Holdings investors were closely watching the status of the conglomerate's various businesses, including television broadcasting and the key Kaplan educational unit. Graham's results looked a lot better than those for last year's first quarter, largely because of a big profit turnaround for Kaplan. Nevertheless, the company still has some questions to answer. Let's look more closely at how Graham Holdings did and whether it can generate positive momentum for its future.

Graham Holdings makes the most of tough conditionsGraham's first-quarter numbers weren't as depressing as some of its results from past quarters. Revenue once again fell, but it was only down 7% to $601.7 million, which was a less dramatic pace of decline than it has seen recently. Adjusted income from continuing operations rose nearly sixfold to $28.2 million, and that worked out to adjusted earnings of $4.92 per share, up from just $0.84 per share in the year-ago quarter.

A closer look at Graham's numbers shows plenty of extraordinary items. Gains of $18.9 million stemmed from a business sale, and $1.8 million in gains came from selling marketable securities. Foreign currency losses of $5.4 million offset some of those gains.

What was interesting about Graham's segment results was that while the revenue figures from the various businesses were consistently downbeat, operating income figures were widely disparate. The key Education division saw sales drop 20%, but operating results included income of $14.5 million, reversing a larger loss in the year-ago quarter. Within that segment, the Kaplan higher education business suffered a 30% revenue decline, but operating income soared to $21.3 million, compared to less than $600,000 in 2015's first quarter. Test preparation, Kaplan International, and Kaplan Corporate all saw sales fall, but losses narrowed at the test prep and corporate segments, offsetting declines in the international division.

Meanwhile, television broadcasting posted solid performance overall. Sales jumped 10% to $92 million, and operating income was up 7%. Higher retransmission revenues and stronger sales of political advertising helped push the top line higher, and the division was able to spend more on digital initiatives and higher network fees while still boosting segment profits.

Finally, the Other Businesses segment posted operating revenues of $56.7 million. The unit includes electrical workspace solutions manufacturer Dekko, as well as providers of home health and hospice services, a social-media marketing platform company, and companies focused on online website and print magazine publishing.

Can Graham Holdings stay focused?Most of the attention that Graham Holdings gets goes toward its Kaplan unit. Since 2012, the higher education unit has closed campuses, consolidated its remaining facilities, and cut back on its worker count. The result has been ongoing contraction for the business. In the first quarter, campus sales and closings combined with average enrollment declines at Kaplan University hit the segment's revenue. New student enrollments at Kaplan University fell by more than a third, and total student counts were down by nearly a fifth from a year ago. More than half of all students attending the university are working toward bachelor's degrees, which represents a shift away from associate's degrees for the school.

Meanwhile, test-preparation enrollment fell 14%, but the company was able to charge more for its services, thereby offsetting some of the revenue decline. For the international division, fewer students enrolled in English-language programs, although stronger demand in higher education in Singapore and Australia helped offset some of those declines. The acquisition of London-based education specialist Mander Portman Woodward and educational accounting-study publisher Osborne Books has the potential to boost long-term growth.

Graham Holdings' stock hasn't made big moves lately, and the company's latest results aren't likely to spur a major move. Until the state of the Kaplan segment becomes clearer, investors are likely to wait and see whether the company can clarify its strategic vision and start producing more predictable flows of income that shareholders can rely on in the future.

The article Graham Holdings Gets a Profit Boost From Kaplan Unit originally appeared on Fool.com.

Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Graham Holdings. 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: Rosetta Stone.

The language-skills programs that Rosetta Stone offers are well-known among those who've tried to learn a new language. Yet what many don't realize is that Rosetta Stone has a much broader scope now, working to offer literacy skills through technology-based platforms as well as business services for enterprise customers. Coming into Wednesday's first-quarter financial report, Rosetta Stone investors expected that ongoing challenges facing the company in its efforts to reinvent itself would force it to experience further revenue declines and net losses, and Rosetta Stone wasn't able to eliminate those completely. Yet the results were somewhat better than those following Rosetta Stone had expected to see. Let's look more closely at the latest from Rosetta Stone and whether it can keep making improvements in its quest to become profitable once again.

Understanding Rosetta Stone's financialsRosetta Stone's first-quarter results managed to top the low expectations that investors had for the company. Revenue fell 18% during the quarter to $48 million, but that wasn't quite as bad as the 19% decline that most investors had set as their benchmark. Similarly, net losses for the quarter were $7.5 million, which represented a big improvement over the $20 million loss that Rosetta Stone suffered in 2015's first quarter. The losses worked out to $0.34 per share, far less than the consensus forecast for a $0.52 per share loss.

A closer look at Rosetta Stone's results reveals sources of relative strength. Growth for the Lexia Literacy segment amounted to 82%, with the number of active monthly students using the Reading Core5 product jumping by 40%. Some of the growth rate came from purchase-accounting adjustments, but even when you take out the influence of those accounting moves, adjusted revenue growth amounted to 38%. Beyond Lexia, the Enterprise & Education Language unit suffered a modest 4% drop in sales, largely reflecting the decision it made in March to exit markets beyond the U.S. and Northern Europe. Higher revenues within North America offset the negative impact of shrinking Rosetta Stone's international presence.

As we've seen in past quarters, though, Rosetta Stone's consumer segment was the main source of weakness. Segment revenue plunged 37%, with the company explaining that its strategy of emphasizing higher-margin opportunities at the expense of top-line growth has reduced overall volume. Declines in promotional campaigns and media spending have cut costs, and longer-term, Rosetta Stone hopes that the immediate hit to revenue stemming from switching to subscription-based sales will pay off with greater sources of recurring revenue. Subscriptions now make up about a quarter of Rosetta Stone's consumer revenue.

Can Rosetta Stone move forward? CEO John Hass celebrated Rosetta Stone's slow but steady progress. "I am pleased to report our fourth consecutive quarter of improved financial results," Hass said, "reflecting the focus and commitment of everyone involved to transform Rosetta Stone and position the Company for future profitability." The CEO also noted that the company met cost-savings targets and thinks it can develop those strategies further.

Yet Rosetta Stone believes there's more to be gained from cost-cutting measures, working to achieve another $19 million to add to the $65 million in annual reductions that it has already realized. Yet Rosetta Stone isn't afraid to spend money, and Hass noted that "we are making substantial investments to enhance our core products across our businesses in order to improve learning outcomes and position the Company for future growth."

Rosetta Stone stock didn't respond dramatically in after-hours trading following the announcement, but whatever near-term share-price move the stock makes isn't nearly as important as its longer-term direction. If Rosetta Stone's strategy starts paying off with breakeven or profitable results within the next year, then investors could see dramatic gains in the hard-hit stock down the road.

The article Rosetta Stone Keeps Making Progress Despite Losses originally appeared on Fool.com.

Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Rosetta Stone. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
What: Shares of Continental Resources surged on Thursday, jumping 12% by 12:30 p.m. EST thanks to a trio of catalysts.

So what: Continental Resources started 2016 off on the right foot, delivering strong first-quarter operational results. Production for the quarter totaled 230,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day, or BOE/d, which was up 3% over last quarter and 12% higher than the first quarter of 2015, exceeding its own guidance. Fueling that stronger production was better-than-expected well results. Because of this the company is boosting its full year production guidance by 10,000 BOE/d without spending any additional capex.

Continental Resources is one of a handful of producers that have already raised their full-year production outlook without boosting capex. It joins Devon Energy , which is raising its full-year production guidance by 6,000 BOE/d, or 3% at the midpoint, due to stronger well results. Meanwhile, Whiting Petroleum is also boosting its full-year production guidance due in part to much stronger well results, with its enhanced completions boosting productivity by 100%, as well as due to a participation agreement with a financial sponsor.

Another fuel driving Continental Resources' stock today is the announcement of the sale of a non-core, non-producing asset in Wyoming for $110 million. The company intends to use the proceeds from that sale to reduce debt. Further, it noted it has other opportunities to pursue non-core asset sales to further bolster its balance sheet. Again, this is a similar path as its peers, with Devon Energy announcing a $200 million asset sale during the quarter, with plans to sell between $2 billion and $3 billion in assets this year. Meanwhile, Whiting Petroleum's participation agreement brought in $30.7 million of cash, which it will reinvest in other wells as part of that agreement.

Finally, Continental Resources was bolstered by an analyst upgrade, with Raymond James raising it from outperform to strong buy due to its leverage to higher oil prices. Analyst upgrades are also a growing trend in the sector, with Devon Energy recently getting a buy rating from Wunderlich.

Now what: Continental Resources delivered on the two things investors want to see right now by improving its operations and its balance sheet. That said, given the volatility of oil prices and its overall debt load, company needs to complete additional asset sales. That would put it in an even better position to weather the current downturn, especially if crude oil were to reverse course and start heading lower again.

The article 3 Reasons Continental Resources, Inc. Stock is Soaring Today originally appeared on Fool.com.

Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Devon Energy. 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.
iPad Pro. Image source: Apple.

Nearly two years ago, Apple announced a major deal with IBM in an effort to bolster its presence in the enterprise. In having IBM help create customized mobile applications that directly target specific markets and use cases, while also having Big Blue's global salesforce help sell the hardware, Apple found an incredibly important and influential partner in the enterprise.

Apple is now adding another enterprise partner to the mix.

Three's companyThe Mac maker has just announced a new partnership with enterprise software maker SAP . Much like the IBM partnership, the SAP collaboration is focusing on mobile productivity and apps.

The two companies will release a new iOS software development kit (SDK) that allows developers to create native apps specific to their business needs. The SDK will leverage SAP's HANA cloud platform-as-a-service. The SDK is expected to be released by the end of the year. Meanwhile, SAP will also help develop a handful of native iOS apps as well.

In a press release, CEO Tim Cook noted that 76% of business transactions have some contact with SAP's systems, positioning the German company at the center of many enterprise interactions. Apple wants to leverage that position for new inroads to enterprise customers.

Think differentThis partnership is the latest in Apple's relatively newfound strategy of targeting the enterprise. Historically, Apple disdained the enterprise market since purchase decisions were made by high-level IT executives. Apple would prefer to appeal directly to a consumer that makes the purchase decision. But Apple's popularity among consumers began to invade enterprise IT systems with the rise of BYOD policies.

At the same time, the consumer business has gotten so big that Apple is now struggling to find growth. As many consumer markets mature, Apple is turning to the enterprise as a possible alternative growth avenue. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is very much targeting professional users, particularly of the creative variety.

Investors can thank Cook for this recent appreciation of enterprise customers. Steve Jobs was largely why Apple never took the enterprise too seriously.But Cook is a more rational and traditional leader that recognizes the potential in the enterprise, even if the market strategy must be different.

Lacking deep experience catering to the enterprise market, the best move is to partner with those who have plenty of it.

The article Apple, Inc. Picks Up Another Enterprise Partner originally appeared on Fool.com.

Evan Niu, CFA owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. 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.
Online jeweler Blue Nile posted first-quarter earnings results on Thursday that didn't do much to change the narrative of a retailer struggling to find growth in a weak selling environment. Revenue, earnings, and profitability each took a step backward over the past few months.

Here's how the headline results stacked up against the prior-year period:

Metric Q1 2016 Actuals Q1 2015 Actuals Growth (YOY) Revenue $103 million $107 million -3% Net income $1.1 million $1.2 million -9% EPS $0.09 $0.10 -10%

Data source: Blue Nile's financial filings.

What happened this quarter?Sales came in within management's February guidance -- but just barely. The retailer's $103 million result constituted the low end of the range it projected after a surprisingly rough Q4 (between $103 million and $106 million).

Other key highlights of the quarter include:

U.S. engagement jewelry sales fell for the second straight quarter, down 7% after declining by 8% in Q4.

U.S. non-engagement sales rose 4%, which was an improvement over the holiday quarter's flat result.

International sales didn't budge, but rose 4% after accounting for currency swings.

Gross profit ticked up to 20% of sales from 19% in the prior-year period. However, rising expenses pushed bottom-line profitability down slightly to 1% of sales from 2%.

Cash outflow worsened slightly to $57 million from the prior year's $52 cash use, mainly thanks to an $8 million special dividend payment.

Blue Nile finished the quarter with $30 million of cash on the books, down from $40 million last year.

What management had to sayWhile the top- and bottom-line results weren't exciting, they met management's targets. "As expected, it was a challenging environment for us in the first quarter," CEO Harvey Kanter said in a press release.

Executives are "encouraged" by what they're seeing so far in Q2, though, according to Kanter. Improving sales trends plus success in strategies like testing out new marketing channels and expanding the "Webroom" concept that gives customers a chance to try on jewelry in select cities before buying the products. Blue Nile is "making good progress on key initiatives, which we expect to fundamentally improve performance long term," Kanter said.

Looking forwardThat improvement isn't likely to show in this year's results, though. Blue Nile affirmed a 2016 outlook that calls for sales of about $480 million and earnings of roughly $0.91 per share, both representing no growth over 2015's results.

Beyond those headline numbers, investors will want to watch profitability, which is likely to keep expanding thanks to a disciplined pricing strategy that's balancing sales growth against earnings gains even as diamond prices remain volatile.

Its Webroom concept is still in the early stages, meanwhile, with just a handful of locations open so far. Yet management is happy with what they're seeing early on and have accelerated plans for adding more spots around the country. The retailing footprint could eventually reach as many as 50 locations -- if the stores continue to help boost branding and sales, particularly of high-dollar jewelry products.

The article Blue Nile Inc. Earnings Fall on Engagement Jewelry Pullback originally appeared on Fool.com.

Demitrios Kalogeropoulos has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Blue Nile. 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.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners continues to deliver steady growth, with its funds from operations (FFO) jumping 15% to $234 million, or $1.02 per unit, for the first quarter. Fueling this increase was the company's energy segment, largely due to its joint acquisition with Kinder Morgan of the rest of the Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America (NGPL) that the partners didn't already own. That acquisition, as well as a number of strategic initiatives the company has in the pipeline, are expected to continue to power growth in 2016.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners results: The raw numbers

Funds From Operations by Segment 1Q16 Actuals 1Q15 Actuals Growth (YOY) Utilities $100 million $95 million 5.3% Transport $94 million $96 million -2.1% Energy $40 million $28 million 42.9% Communication $19 million N/A N/A

Data source: Brookfield Infrastructure Partners.

What happened with Brookfield Infrastructure Partners this quarter?Energy was the big story in the first quarter:

The utilities segment continues to be a steady performer, with growth driven by connection activity in its UK regulated distribution business, inflation indexation, and growth projects that came online over the past year.

The transportation segment was weaker on the surface due to foreign currency fluctuations. However, on a constant currency basis this segment's results would have actually improved by 10% year-over-year, driven by tariff growth across most of its operations, higher volumes on its Brazilian rail business, and lower costs at its Australian rail operations.

FFO growth in the energy segment was primarily fueled by the increased ownership interest in NGPL. However, that segment's FFO would have still grown 20% on a same store basis thanks to operating efficiency gains at NGPL as well as growth at the company's district energy business.

The communications segment once again delivered solid results, with the business continuing to perform above expectations.

What management had to sayCEO Sam Pollock,commenting on the company's results, said:

Image source: Kinder Morgan.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners has been focusing a lot of its attention on bolstering its balance sheet and liquidity so that it can capture opportunities it sees on the horizon. It currently has $3 billion of liquidity, which is poised to grow by $900 million due to asset dispositions it has in the pipeline. At the same time, its shoring up its balance sheet to remove future risk given the volatility in the credit markets. In particular, it refinanced the acquisition financing it had in place to acquire its communications segment last year. Further, Brookfield and Kinder Morgan each injected $310 million to retire 20% of the outstanding debt at NGPL. The partners are working toward the goal of boosting that entity's credit rating back to investment grade, which should take some of the pressure off of Kinder Morgan as it was its decision to boost its stake in NGPL late last year that caused concerns about its ability to retain its own investment grade rating.

Looking forwardBrookfield Infrastructure Partners has big plans for its liquidity, with it currently advancing three transactions valued at almost $500 million. The largest is its participation in a consortium to acquire Australia's Asciano. Brookfield estimates that it will invest at least $350 million in this transaction, which it expects will close in the third quarter. In addition to that it is working with a partner in Brazil on the privatization of its Brazilian toll roads business. Finally, it's progressing on the acquisition of a natural gas storage business, which it expects will close in July.

The company also continues to build out its organic growth pipeline, which has now grown to $1.7 billion. New to the backlog is an agreement to build a number of transmission lines in Brazil over the next five years. The company anticipates investing about $200 million on these projects. Further, it is evaluating additional brownfield and greenfield opportunities to invest in the sector, which could quickly enable Brookfield to build an industry leading position in Brazil.

Given everything the company has in the pipeline at the moment, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners believes that this year it will deliver FFO growth at the high end of its long-term target range of 6% to 9%.

The article Energy Powers Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P.'s Q1 Results originally appeared on Fool.com.

Matt DiLallo owns shares of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and Kinder Morgan andhas the following options: short Jan. 2018 $30 puts on Kinder Morgan and long Jan. 2018 $30 calls on Kinder Morgan. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Kinder Morgan. The Motley Fool has the following options: short June 2016 $12 puts on Kinder Morgan. The Motley Fool recommends Brookfield Infrastructure Partners. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
EnerNOC continues its strategic shift toward software, with the company scoring several big wins during the first quarter. That's enabling the company to narrow its loss, as well as improving its expectations for 2016.

EnerNOC results: The raw numbers

Metric Q1 2016 Actuals Q1 2015 Actuals Growth (YOY) Revenue $53.4 million $50.6 million 5.6% Net income ($40.5 million) ($50.3 million) N/M Net income per share ($1.41) ($1.80) N/M

Data source: EnerNOC. N/M = not meaningful.

What happened with EnerNOC this quarter?EnerNOC continues to move forward on its software strategy:

EnerNOC generated $17 million in software revenue during the quarter, which was down slightly from $17.4 million in the year-ago quarter. However, software revenue was well above its guidance range of $13 million to $15 million.

Overall, annual recurring revenue from subscription softwaregrew by $2 million to $35 million, which is up 59% year over year.

Demand response revenue was solid during the quarter at $36.3 million. Not only was that above the $33.1 million it brought in during the year-ago quarter, but it was close to the high end of the company's guidance range of $33 million to $37 million.

The company also exceeded its guidance for adjusted EBITDA and net income per share. While adjusted EBITDA was a negative $27.2 million, that was an improvement from its guidance range of a negative $31 million to $34 million. Meanwhile, its net loss of $1.41 per share was also better than its guidance for a net loss between $1.72 to $1.81 per share.

EnerNOC announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its non-strategic utility services business for $14 million, with that transaction closing in the second quarter.

What management had to sayCEO Tim Healy,commenting on the company's results, said, "We've had a terrific start to 2016 and are well on track to achieving our goals for the year. ... In the first quarter, we continued to increase our subscription software revenue and average deal size, and we enhanced the full-year outlook for our demand response business through solid execution."

Driving this growth was its partnership with Eaton , which is deploying its energy intelligent software to "help improve visibility into energy spending and to continue proactively managing energy costs." Eaton now subscribes to EnerNOC's enterprise-class software at nearly 100 sites. In addition to that, the company won a three-year $6 million contract with Massachusetts for the development of its software at more than 420 sites.

Looking forwardAs a result of its stronger showing in the first quarter, EnerNOC is boosting its full-year guidance. The company now sees revenue in the range of $365 million to $395 million. While that is consistent with its prior guidance, it reflects the divestiture of the utility services business, which will reduce software revenue by $8 million. Meanwhile, the company sees its net loss shrinking, with EnerNOC now expecting a net loss per share of $2.90 to $3.25 as opposed to its prior guidance for a loss in the range of $3.50 to $3.85 per share.

The article EnerNOC, Inc.'s Net Loss Narrows originally appeared on Fool.com.

Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends EnerNOC. 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:IAN D. KEATING VIA FLICKR.

Alaskan telecommunications company General Communication reported its first-quarter results after the market close on May 4. Revenue was flat, with strength in some areas canceled out by weakness elsewhere, and the company reiterated its guidance for the full year. Here's what investors need to know.

The raw numbers

Metric Q1 2016 Q1 2015 Growth (YOY) Sales $231.1 million $231.1 million flat Adjusted EBITDA $78.1 million $75.3 million 3.7% Net income $1.0 million ($18.7 million) 105.3%

Data source: General Communication Q1 earnings report.

What happened with General Communication this quarterGrowth in managed broadband and consumer data was counteracted by weakness in wireless handset revenue and roaming.

Wireless revenue fell 13% year over year to $51 million. The company blamed the decline on new long-term roaming arrangements. Wholesale wireless revenue slumped 14% to $18 million, roaming and backhaul revenue fell 17% to $20 million, and USF support revenue dropped 7% to $13 million.

Wireless adjusted EBITDA was $40 million, up 7% year over year.

Wireline revenue increased by 5% year over year to $180 million. Consumer wireline revenue was flat at $85 million, business services revenue fell 3% year over year to $52 million, and managed broadband revenue grew by 27% to $43 million.

Wireline adjusted EBITDA was $38 million, flat year over year.

SG&A expenses increased by 4% year over year to $88 million, driven by additional network support spending and costs related to a new billing system.

General Communication reiterated its guidance for 2016.

Revenue is expected in a range of $930 million to $980 million, down 2% at the midpoint.

Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $295 million and $325 million.

Capital expenditures will be roughly $210 million.

What management had to sayGeneral Communication is building out its gigabit service in Alaska, and the company gave an update on its progress:

General Communication CEO Ron Duncan commented on the company's progress during the quarter:

Looking aheadThe consumer wireline subscriber base shrank by 6% year over year during the first quarter, with 12,600 subscribers lost over the past year. The number of data subscribers grew, however, with the company adding 6,100 over the past year and 500 during the first quarter. The expansion of the company's gigabit network should continue to drive data subscriber growth going forward, partly offsetting subscriber losses.

The article General Communication Inc. Reports Flat Revenue originally appeared on Fool.com.

Timothy Green has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends General Communication. 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.
The compact Buick Envision SUV has been a smash hit for GM in China since its introduction last year. Its successful run continued to drive sales gains for GM in April. Image source:General Motors.

General Motors said on Thursday that its sales in China rose 7.5% in April, as GM was able to find solid sales growth with SUVs and premium cars while some rivals struggled.

Strong sales of SUVs and upscale modelsGM said that its SUV sales continued to shine. As a group, sales of the SUVs sold by GM and its joint ventures in China jumped 107% in April, led by two hit products -- the premium Buick Envision and the affordable Baojun 560. The entry-level Baojun brand also has had success with its 730 minivan. Baojun sales were up 56% year over year.

Sales at the premium Buick brand rose 56% over the year ago, led by the success of the Envision and the compact Excelle GT sedan, a close cousin of the U.S. market Buick Verano. One level up the luxury ladder, GM'sCadillac brand continued its slow-but-steady growth in China, with sales rising 13% as the first units of the new XT5 crossover SUV began to arrive at dealers.

The inexpensive-but-nice Baojun 560 SUV has been a big hit for GM in China. Image source: General Motors

"GM continues to grow in segments that are on top of customers' purchase lists," GM China chief Matt Tsien said in a statement. "We have more new vehicles on the way in the SUV, MPV and luxury segments to keep delivering to customers what they want and demand."

But not all of the news was good for GM in China in April, as Chevrolet sales slumped.

Pressure on the bowtie brandGM's mainstream Chevrolet brand came under significant pressure in April. Chevy sales were down 29% year over year, as mid-price brands appear to be coming under significant pressure in China's slowing market. The problem goes beyond Chevrolet: Ford's sales in China dropped 11% year over year in April. As in the U.S., Ford and Chevrolet are competing for many of the same customers in China.

GM's commercial-vehicle venture, Wuling, has also been under pressure as development in China has slowed significantly over the last year. Sales at Wuling, which makes small, inexpensive commercial vans widely used by tradespeople, were down 14% in April.

The upshot: Even as the market slows, GM's China business is doing wellGM and its joint ventures delivered a total of 277,979 vehicles in China last month, likely more than any other automaker doing business in the Middle Kingdom. Although giant archrival Volkswagen recently declared its intention to regain the China sales crown, the new SUVs and hybrids that will power VW's bid are still months or years away from market.

At least for now, that leaves GM in a position of leadership in China. As it showed in April, its product portfolio is broad enough to find good growth even when key segments of the new-vehicle market are under pressure. That should serve it well if and when the turbulence in China's market increases.

The article GM Gains Again in China as SUVs and Luxury Models Shine originally appeared on Fool.com.

John Rosevear owns shares of Ford and General Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Ford. The Motley Fool recommends General 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.
What:Shares ofHorizon Pharma dropped by 11.5% in April, according to data fromS&P Global Market Intelligence. The drugmaker's monthly decline primarily stemmed from its updated annual guidance that hit the Street last month, and subsequently fell below analysts' expectations in terms of net product sales for the first and second quarter of 2016. That said, Horizon did reaffirm its2016 annual sales guidance of $1.025 billion to $1.05 billion, implying that product sales should pick up in the second half of the year.

So what:Horizon's updated, and somewhat disappointing, annual guidance couldn't have come at a worse time. After all, market sentiment has been steadily turning against the specialty pharmacy model due toValeant Pharmaceuticals' spectacular implosion, combined with the heated political debate regarding branded drug pricing schemes in the United States right now.

Now what: Horizon is struggling to throw off the impression that it's basically Valeant Lite, especially after the company disclosed that it had received a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York requesting information related to its patient assistance programs. Some critics claim that Horizon's patient assistance programs are little more than a tactic to lower the barriers to reimbursement, allowing the company to charge exorbitant prices for certain medicines. As a reminder, Valeant was investigated by the same office for similar practices last year, leading the drugmaker tocut ties with the specialty pharmacy Philidor.

Horizon's management has thus been attempting to pivot the company more toward an orphan drug model -- a business model that rarely garners stinging criticism from payers or politicians. However, until the smoke clears, investors might be best served by remaining on the sidelines with this pharma stock, despite the drugmaker's recent upswing in net product sales across across its product portfolio.

Data source: Horizon Pharma.

The article Here's Why Horizon Pharma plc's Stock Slumped in April originally appeared on Fool.com.

George Budwell has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Valeant Pharmaceuticals. 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: MercadoLibre.

When Latin America has suffered, MercadoLibre has struggled, given the e-commerce giant's focus on key countries in the region. Even though investors have hoped for a turnaround in the ailing Latin American economy, it has been slow in coming.

Coming into Thursday's first-quarter financial report, MercadoLibre shareholders weren't expecting many obvious signs of recovery. Yet MercadoLibre actually shed a positive light on a challenging quarter, and better conditions in the future could start to bring back growth in the future. Let's look more closely at the latest from MercadoLibre. and whether it can ride positive momentum forward.

MercadoLibre launches upwardMercadoLibre's first-quarter numbers once again wowed investors, many of whom were looking for much less from the e-commerce specialist. Revenue was up 6%, to $157.6 million, which was much better than the slight decline that most of those following the stock were expecting to see.

The bottom line was even more impressive, with net income coming in at $30.2 million compared to just $1.7 million a year ago. That produced earnings of $0.68 per share, which was $0.12 better than the consensus forecast among investors.

As we've seen in recent quarters, MercadoLibre's operational results remained solid. Items sold rose by almost 40%, to 38.3 million, accelerating from the previous quarter, driven largely from top-notch growth results from the Brazilian market.

Gross merchandise volume was up 8% in dollar terms, to $1.78 billion. When you take out Venezuela and use currency-neutral comparisons, the growth soared to 58%. Advertising revenues jumped 136% in local-currency terms, with MercadoLibre pointing to its product-ad format as an improvement over traditional display formats.

The company's MercadoPago payment service continued to gain adoption. Growth in total payment transactions accelerated to 85%, with the company featuring 27.5 million transactions using MercadoPago. Total payment volume rose by a third in dollar terms, to $1.38 billion, and it more than doubled in local-currency terms.

Merchant services using the Mercado Pago platform also more than doubled for the fourth consecutive quarter. MercadoLibre pointed to open-platform integration, cross-border payment capability, and other enhancements in the user experience in driving the gains.

The MercadoEnvios shipping service also performed well. Total items shipped more than doubled, to 17.2 million units. In Brazil, 70% of sold items use the shipping solution, and the nation provides the largest part of MercadoEnvios' business. The service was launched in Chile at the end of the quarter, bringing in potential future success.

CFO Pedro Arnt celebrated the results. "The year has gotten off to a great start," Arnt said, and "we are very satisfied to see our business outperform market growth rates while continuing to improve the quality and quantity of value-added services we offer in Latin America." The CFO also thinks that the company is well-positioned for long-term success.

What's next for MercadoLibre? MercadoLibre gets a big boost from its network effect, and consistent growth has maintained a solid pace. The number of registered users rose by nearly 20% over the past year, to 151.5 million, and that reflects 6.9 million new confirmed users in just the past quarter alone.

In addition, some of MercadoLibre's growth numbers have accelerated. You'd expect that growth rates would likely fall as the company got larger, and that was the case for MercadoLibre in the Argentine, Venezuelan, and Other markets. However, in Brazil, growth rates accelerated by a dozen percentage points from its fourth-quarter 2015 pace, and Mexico's growth of 42% was its best in more than a year. It will be important for MercadoLibre to maximize its potential from its key markets in Latin America.

Investors were pleased with MercadoLibre's results, sending the stock up 6% in the first hour of after-market trading following the announcement. If Latin America's growth rebound is just getting started, then MercadoLibre could see even better performance looking down the road.

The article MercadoLibre Points Toward a Regional Recovery originally appeared on Fool.com.

Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends MercadoLibre. 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: Organovo Holdings.

What: Shares of Organovo Holdings , a company focused on the development of bioengineered human tissues for use by drug developers, universities, and hospitals, climbed higher by 25% in April, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

So what: The interesting thing about Organovo's move higher in April is that it involved no major news releases from the company or actions taken by Wall Street analysts. On the surface, its 25% move higher might appear to be a complete head-scratcher.

However, my contention is that the S&P 500's and SPDR S&P Biotech ETF's rise from the beginning of April through mid-month of 2% and more than 10%, respectively, may have buoyed sentiment in Organovo Holdings, a volatile small-cap stock (beta of 2.9) with high levels of short interest, causing a modest short squeeze.

Image source: Flickr user Hobvias Sudoneighm.

A short squeeze happens when traders who are betting a stock's valuation will fall essentially get trapped in their position by a rising stock price. The only way to end a short position is to "buy-to-cover," which in turn can push a rising stock even higher. Looking at the latest short data available from Organovo shows that 11.7 million of its 85.1 million shares in float are currently held by short-sellers, or close to 14%. This figure in itself isn't overwhelmingly high, but considering that Organovo trades an average of only 691,000 shares per day, we're looking at 17 total days needed for short-sellers to completely exit their positions (all 11.7 million shares) assuming the average is maintained. This would seem to support that a short squeeze was indeed a possibility in April.

Now what: Regardless of the reason for April's rogue move higher, what investors need to keep in mind is Organovo's long-term outlook.

On one hand, Organovo already has a commercial product, the exVive3D Human Liver Tissue assay, and it's aiming to introduce a human tissue kidney assay within the next few quarters. These assays can potentially save drug developers critical time and money by testing the toxicities of experimental drugs on human tissues before they reach human trials. Additionally, a partnership with Yale University School of Medicine could yield transplantable organs on a commercial scale at some point in the future.

On the other hand, Organovo is still losing money at a fairly precipitous pace, and it may continue to do so for many years to come. Organovo's Q3 results, reported in February, showed that research and development expenses rose 42% year over year, while selling, general, and administrative costs jumped 60%. All told, in fiscal 2016 Organovo is expected to burn through $32 million to $34 million in cash. Funding concerns could plague Organovo as we near the end of the decade.

My suggestion: Keep Organovo on your watchlist if its business model intrigues you, but hold off on dipping your toes into the water until these losses begin to notably shrink.

The article The Possible Reason Behind Organovo Holdings, Inc.'s Big Climb in April originally appeared on Fool.com.

Sean Williamshas no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen nameTMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen name TrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle@TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
What:After Catalent reportedfiscal third-quarter earnings results that were shy of industry watchers' forecasts, its shareswere trading down 13.6% at 3:45 p.m. ET today.

So what:Catalent is a global provider of solutions used to create and develop medicines and its technologies are widely used by drugmakers producing both small-molecule and biologic drugs.

In the fiscal third quarter, Catalent's revenue increased 2% in constant currency, to $438 million, but fell 2% when adjusted for currency exchange headwinds. The bottom line, however, is the cause of today's drop in share price. In the quarter, Catalent reports that an unfavorable shift in product mix and the temporary suspension of activities at itsBeinheim,France, facility resulted in adjusted net income of $0.20 per share. That was $0.11 below what investors were looking for and far lower than the $0.40 earned in the same quarter a year ago.

Management also reported that SG&A expenses increasedto 21.3% of revenue in the quarter, compared to 18.1% of revenue in the third quarter last year. Also, third-quarter gross margin dropped 5.3% to 28.8% versus a year ago.

Now what: It wasn't all bad for the company. Sales within its development and clinical services segment grew 9% to $112.6 million in the quarter, and revenue from the company's medication delivery solutions segment was $68.3 million, an increase of 12% from a year ago. The big drag was the oral technologies group, whose sales fell 8% to$260.8 million.

Assuming that the restart of activity at Beinheim goes smoothly, it's possible that this dip in profit will be temporary. But even so, I'm not interested in stepping up and buying shares on this decline. Shares aren't overly pricey in terms of P/E, but the company is sitting on $1.9 billion in debt and just $134 million in cash, so until I'm sure that its profit drop is a one-off event, I'm not willing be a buyer.

The article What's Causing Catalent's Stock to Crash 13.6% Today originally appeared on Fool.com.

Todd Campbell has no position in any stocks mentioned.Todd owns E.B. Capital Markets, LLC. E.B. Capital's clients may have positions in the companies mentioned. Like this article? Follow him onTwitter where he goes by the handle@ebcapitalto see more articles like this.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Windstream: Connecting businesses.

What: Shares of Windstream Holdings rose 13% in April 2016, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. There was no magic moment in this market-beating month that unlocked all this extra value, just another handful of business-as-usual execution that helped the stock climb back from yet another unreasonable pullback in March.

So what: Two fairly standard business moves pushed Windstream's shares higher in the middle of April.

First, the regional telecom rolled out Infinera Cloud Xpress interconnects between its data centers in the Chicago area, boosting the effective range and available bandwidth for business-class customers in the region. Windstream plans to install Infinera's connectors in other regions later this year, enabling high-speed software defined networking between far-flung data centers.

Then, Windstream opened up Internet-based cable TV services in Sugar Land, Texas, setting up a showdown with incumbent cable provider Comcast in that market. The fiber-powered service comes in a variety of bundles, and can be paired with a gigabit Internet plan.

The stock surged 13% in a matter of days, following these announcements. Windstream never looked back.

Now what: There is nothing incredibly unusual about either one of these announcements, but they do show where Windstream is headed. The company is laser-focused on business-class sales, and implementing those Infinera interconnects across its major markets will go a long way toward serving enterprise and small business clients better.

The TV service in Sugar Land is less of a strategic landmark, but it's good to see Windstream measuring up against larger rivals like Comcast every now and then. Now, Comcast already offers high-speed fiber connections in the Sugar Land area, topping out at 2 gigabits per second. The presence of another gigabit option will keep the cable giant on its toes, and may end up lowering costs for local consumers -- and Comcast's Texan profits.

Again, nothing dramatic about this April surge. Windstream shares keep plunging for no good reason, then slowly climbing back up again. Investors seem unsure how to handle this stock since it split off its hardware assets into a separately traded REIT structure, almost exactly one year ago.

The article Why Windstream Holdings, Inc. Shares Soared 13% in April originally appeared on Fool.com.

Anders Bylund has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Infinera. 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.
Murray Energy Founder and CEO Bob Murray weighed in Thursday on what the challenging political environment for the coal industry means for coal companies, workers and consumers across the country.

Its disastrous, and its disastrous for every American. Hillary Clinton has vowed to continue the destructive policies relative to energy of the Obama Administration, Murray told the FOX Business Networks Sandra Smith.

On Hillary Clintons claims that her comments on the coal industry were taken out of context, Murray said,Hillary Clinton is untruthful there, she said it, and this past weekend Bill Clinton said she will do what she says she wants to do. She has destroyed so many lives. Obamas policies will continue, it will drive electric rates in this country up by $300 billion.

Murray then discussed what he hopes would change under the next presidential administration.

Number one we must stop the regulatory rampage of the Obama Administration, Murray continued, the use of natural gas has affected the use of coal somewhat but it is primarily the Obama Administration regulations which Hillary said she will continue, said Murray.

Murray also talked about the impact of regulations on workers in the coal industry.

This entire matter is a human issue to me, I know the names of the coal miners and their families whose lives are being destroyed. And I can say Sandra, they dont want Hillary Clintons welfare, or Sanders welfare; They want jobs. And they have destroyed the lives of these people who I know by name, these are very evil people, Murray said.

On whether a potential Donald Trump administration would be a positive for the coal industry, Murray said, I really hope so, he has indicated that he will be. He must be if this country is going to remain strong and if were going to have stable supplies of electricity.
Adele declared on Monday she didnt give Donald Trump permission to use her songs for his campaign. The presidential hopeful used her song Rolling in the Deep at a rally in Oklahoma and also used the theme of Skyfall in Ohio.

A representative for Adele told FOX411, Adele has not given permission for her music to be used for any political campaigning.

Adele isn't the first artist to ask a politician not stop using her music. Neil Young memorably argued with Trump over use of the song "Rockin' in the Free World," Dropkick Murphys asked Scott Walker to stop playing one of their songs, and Frankie Sullivan said he didn't want Mike Huckabee playing "Eye of the Tiger."

Darren Oved, a New York litigator, explained the rights required when using a specific song.

Legally speaking, the artists rights in this regard are very limited, he explained in an email. According to the Copyright Act, as long as the user pays to the appropriate performance rights society (usually ASCAP, SESAC or BMI), the applicable licensing fee for the use of the song, or a portion of the song, they can use it without interference from the artist.

Still, Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5WPR, said musicians may not want to be affiliated with a political candidate.

Artists want everyone to love their music, those who vote conservative as well as those who vote liberal, and so it makes complete sense why an artist doesnt want to be affiliated with certain political candidates, he explained. Just because a politician is a fan of a certain artist doesnt mean said artist is a fan of that politician.

Steven Tyler, of Aerosmith, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump after the politician played the classic Dream On at a rally last year. Trump immediately stopped playing his music. Michael Stipe, of REM, also called out Trump after he used one of the bands songs.

Stipe tweeted: Go f--k yourselves, the lot of youyou sad, attention-grabbing, power hungry little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.

Oved said most of the time, a politician will stop using the artists music if the artist complains.

And sometimes artists are more than happy to hear their songs played at rallies.

On Monday, Kid Rock endorsed Trump in a Rolling Stone article, saying he is digging Donald Trump. In the past Trump has used Kid Rocks hit, Born Free on the campaign trail.

One entrepreneur, Elie Hirschfeld, said he doesnt like to see why politicians should be associated with music at all.

 I am not sure I want [Trump, Hillary Clinton] or any other candidate - playing my favorite music, he said. Music offers relaxation, enjoyment  can that really be reconciled with politicians?
Eric Stonestreet says the cyberbullying endured with by his female "Modern Family" co-stars is unconscionable, and that their social media harassers are "cowards."

Its the girls, Ariel, on our show, and Sarah and Sofia," he told FOX411. "Its rough, and people are really super mean, and theyre cowards on social media.

Stonestreet said Ariel Winter, Sarah Hyland, and Sofia Vergara get it way worse than he does.

"I dont understand it," he said. "If you wont say it to my face, why would you say it on Twitter and Instagram?

Known best for his character Cameron Tucker on the Emmy-award winning comedy, Stonestreet is using his celebrity to help raise cancer awareness for the Ready. Raise. Rise. Cancer Awareness Program.

Stonestreet was in Los Angeles in 2001 and his mother was in his home town of Kansas City when she got the news she had uterine cancer, and later found she had kidney cancer, too. With good doctors and good treatment she survived, and she's been doing great," Stonestreet said.

The experience led him to become an advocate for cancer research. For the second year he is teaming with Ready. Raise. Rise, which donates money to cancer research and provides information about immunology research.

As for Stonestreet's future post-"Modern Family," the 44-year-old has aspirations of living in New York City and leading a less Hollywood life.

Ive never lived in New York. Ive never done a play off or on Broadway so I think thats in my future," he said. "Have that experience  get a little apartment in the city and grow a beard and walk around with earbuds in my ears, and a stocking cap and a big giant scarf.

Click for more information about Ready. Raise. Rise and its #RaiseYourFlag social media initiative.
A lawsuit filed in Texas against music star Justin Bieber Tuesday is seeking $75,000 in damages, alleging that Bieber destroyed a mans cellphone as he videotaped Bieber unsuccessfully drinking from a beer bong at a club last month.

Robert Earl Morgan said in the lawsuit filed in Harris County that Bieber scolded him, grabbed the phone and smashed it into pieces in the club after an April 9 concert in Houston. Morgan, a sales director for an unidentified company, said he lost photos and important information.

According to Fox 4 News, Morgan lost business contacts, information, pictures from his grandmothers 100th birthday and more than 5,000 pictures and videos.

Bieber was clearly a novice using the funnel-like bong and spilled beer all over himself, the lawsuit said.

Bieber has yet to comment on the lawsuit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Social media has helped solve the mystery of a young girl's health problems when her doctors couldn't. Bo Bigelow says his 6-year-old daughter, Tess, is non-verbal, has the mental capacity of an 18-month-old, and suffers gastrointestinal issues, periodic seizures, vision problems, and hip dysplasiayet multiple tests failed to come up with a solid diagnosis.

Doctors told Bigelow and his wife to accept that they might never know what was wrong with their daughter, reports ABC News. Instead, in the hope of finding similar cases, they shared Tess' story.

"I put it out on Facebook on Sunday morning and my wife and (I) thought it would be (a) pretty long process of posting and re-posting," Bigelow says.

That same day, a lab associate at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston saw the story and noticed Tess' symptoms resembled a rare genetic condition a colleague was studying.

"By that same evening, I was on the phone with Dr. Mike Fountain," who had found just seven people suffering from the USP7 gene mutation, which means cells "can't recycle proteins right" and causes a neuro-developmental disorder known as Schaaf-Yang syndrome, says Bigelow.

"You have intellectual disability and probably autism and seizures." The family is working with researchers and is "hopeful about some sort of experimental treatment." But Bigelow is also focused on connecting with others through his podcast, which he created after his post helped a family realize the consequences of their child's USP7 mutation, per Medical Daily.

"You hear the term 'rare disease,'" he says. "If you look at all the so-called rare diseases, it appears that there may be as many as 39 million people afflicted with them. The idea that you are alone is fading away as we connect with people."

This article originally appeared on Newser: Her Doctors Couldn't Solve Her Health Mystery. Facebook Did

More From Newser
Instead of trying to squeeze in a workout while your newborn is napping and potentially skipping over any other responsibilities you have piling up some women are working out with their children.

If we incorporate our children into our fitness routine were killing two birds with one stone, Andrea Van Zile, mother of 3-year-old Kaia, told FoxNews.com. We are playing with our kids were engaging them in a physical way while exercising.

Plus, working out with your children will teach them the importance of being active and how to incorporate movement in their normal routines.

Van Zile, who is a Pilates instructor at Vida Fitness and studio manager of SweatBox in Washington, D.C., suggested getting your pre-pregnancy body back with a mother-child workout that allows the little ones to imitate your movements and, if theyre feeling playful and jumping on you, can give you an even tougher workout.

Try these three exercises Van Zile recommends:

Plank: There are two versions of this, depending on how strong you feel.

The first is to do a modified plank on your hands and knees. Start on your knees and come on to your hands on all fours. Make sure that your shoulders are directly over your wrists and that weight is evenly distributed between all your fingers. Push back into childs pose and then up to all fours. Shift your weight forward so your chest reaches beyond your wrists and your hips are forward of your knees. Your knees and lower legs remain on the floor. Hold it for 30 seconds, then 60 seconds and then 90 seconds progressing yourself as you build strength and resting in childs pose in between.

From there you can lead into the full plank, tucking yours under to straighten your legs, like the top of a push-up. Energetically push away from the mat and raise your back to the ceiling. Your tailbone should be tucked under so that your pubic bone is up toward your belly button. Pull your heels and crown of your head away from each other.

Your child can imitate you or hop on your back for some added weight.

Squats: Van Zile likes to do squats in front of a couch or chair so that she knows how low to go. Stand with your feet just wider than your hips with a tiny turnout of your toes. Pitch your body forward and sit back toward the couch, keeping your knees directly over your ankles. Push through your heels and stand all the way up, tightening your core and strengthening your posterior chain. Your child can hop on your back like a piggyback ride for some extra strengthening.

Scissors: Lie down on your back and curl your chest up so youre on the tips of your shoulder blades. Send your feet to the ceiling keeping your tailbone heavy. Lower your right leg 45 degrees and slowly scissor back and forth between each leg for ten repetitions. If your child hops on, you can take them for a ride on your legs which is fun for them and gives you an added workout.

Van Zile noted that, before you make any lifestyle changes, especially after giving birth, consult with your doctor.

For more workout tips from Van Zile follow her on Instagram by clicking here.
Hundreds of electronic cigarette brands will have to undergo federal review to stay on the market under new rules that have the potential to upend a multi-billion dollar industry attempting to position itself as an alternative to traditional cigarettes.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday released long-awaited rules that bring the burgeoning industry under federal oversight.

The changes will limit e-cigarette sales to minors and require new health warnings.

In a shift vigorously opposed by the industry, manufacturers must seek federal permission to continue marketing all e-cigarettes launched since 2007, making up the vast majority of the market.

Most companies will have to submit premarket applications that will undergo review to assess their impact on the "public health." Those that don't submit the required information or don't meet federal standards would have their products removed from the market.

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that turn nicotine into an inhalable liquid vapor. Though nicotine can be addictive, e-cigarettes lack the chemicals and tars of burning tobacco.

Yet the devices haven't been extensively studied and there's no scientific consensus on any potential benefits or harms from "vaping," including whether it leads young people to become regular smokers.

Sylvia Burwell, secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a press conference Thursday morning that between 2011 and 2015, the percentage of high school students using tobacco products skyrocketed to over 900 percent. While they are often warned about the risks of cigarettes, e-cigarettes as of yet haven't had any federal age restrictions despite their obscure health risks.

"We are working hard to learn more," Burwell said during the conference. "Regulations are common sense."

Nicotine does not belong in the hands of children, she added.

In the conference, Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA Center of Tobacco Products, said youth access provisions would go into effect wihin 90 days, and would be executed through contracts at the state and local level.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said during the conference the agency has a robust federal system planned that would require close work with states.

The FDA action comes five years after the agency first announced its intent to regulate e-cigarettes and more than two years after it floated its initial proposal.

While Burwell pointed out that health officials know there will be critics of the decision, public health advocates applauded the news.

"Ending the tobacco epidemic is more urgent than ever, and can only happen if the FDA acts aggressively and broadly to protect all Americans from all tobacco products," said Harold Wimmer, president of the American Lung Association.

The new requirements are likely to setup a legal showdown with manufacturers, many who have warned that the costs of complying with FDA regulation could wipe out their industry.

The agency has stumbled before in its efforts to regulate the space. In 2010, a federal appeals court threw out the agency's plan to treat e-cigarettes as drug-delivery devices, rather than tobacco products. The ruling was seen as a win for manufacturers who opposed the stringent and expensive requirements of conducting pharmaceutical-style studies.

House Republicans are pushing industry-backed legislation that would prohibit the FDA from requiring retroactive safety reviews of e-cigarettes that are already on the market and exempt some premium and large cigars from those same regulations. E-cigarette products introduced in the future would still undergo the safety reviews.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have long enjoyed a close relationship with the tobacco industry, which has already given more than $1.8 million to members of Congress this election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The FDA first gained authority to regulate some aspects of cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products under a 2009 law. But because e-cigarettes do not actually contain tobacco, they were not covered by the original law.

In April 2014, the FDA first proposed bringing e-cigarettes and other nontraditional tobacco products under its authority, including cigars, hookahs, nicotine gels and pipe tobacco. The agency was expected to finalize that proposal last June, but the deadline slipped for months due to industry resistance.

Burwell said during the conference Thursday that nearly half of boys in U.S. high schools use cigars and that 64 percent are using flavored products.

Zeller likened these unregulated products to the wild, wild West.

We are going to sort through the science, including determining whos using e-cigarettes and how many addicted smokers are opting for them, Zeller said during the conference.

Some smokers like e-cigarettes because the nicotine-infused vapor looks like smoke but doesn't contain the thousands of chemicals, tar or odor of regular cigarettes. Some smokers use e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking tobacco, or to cut down. However, there's not strong scientific evidence showing e-cigarettes help smokers quit or smoke less, and it's unclear how safe they are.

E-cigarettes sales grew to an estimated $3.5 billion in 2015, according to Wells Fargo. After ballooning in over several years, sales have recently begun to slow due to negative publicity and questions about safety. Retail sales are dominated by a handful of traditional tobacco companies, including Reynold's American's Vuse and Imperial Tobacco's blu brands. Those products are sold nationwide at convenience stores and gas stations.

Hundreds of smaller companies sell more specialized products - often with refillable "tanks" and customized flavors - at vape shops and over the Internet. That space alone may be worth $2 billion in sales, according to estimates, though precise figures are not available.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The family of a 12-year-old girl in Bangladesh said they likely wont be able to afford the procedure necessary to cure the ailment that causes thick black hair to cover nearly her entire body.

Bithi Akhtar suffers from hypertrichosis, which is also known as werewolf syndrome, Barcroft Media reported.

Shes currently receiving treatment at a university in Dhaka, Bangladesh, but her father, a motorocycle driver, told the news outlet that they cannot afford care for much longer.


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About 100 products are being recalled because their sunflower seed ingredient may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which causes the potentially deadly infection listeria.

Among the snacks affected are protein bars, trail mixes and trail mix bars sold at Walmart, Publix, Great Value, Roundy, Meijer, Hyvee and other retailers, Food Safety News reported. Affected brands include Kroger, Market District and Dakotas Best Biggys and Planters, according to the FDA. TreeHouse Foods, Kroger and SunOpta have all issued recall statements indicating the codes and dates of the affected items.

Trader Joes also announced Thursday that its recalling nearly 34 pounds of its packaged Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat, Sunflower Seeds, Cranberries, And A Sweet & Spicy Vinaigrette, as it also possibly contains contaminated sunflower seeds.

According to the FDA, listeria exposure usually causes mild symptoms in healthy individuals, but infection can lead to serious illness in people who are young, elderly or immunosuppressed.
Weve all been there  a newly formed friendship quickly crumbles at the mention of the 2016 election.

As a conservative living in New York City, when someone asks the innocent question, So who are you voting for? I give my humble, unwanted answer, but it inevitably ends in anger and frustration.

How could I be such a hater? So bigoted? Close-minded? (And on and on.)

This election year has been rough for all of us  and weve all failed miserably in some way.

We may disagree about the future of America and think it cant get any crazier, but our country has been through much worse.

In 1804 Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shot long-time political opponent Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

Or that the election in 1864 occurred right after 620,000 individuals were killed in the Civil War and an entire half of the country had to put together the pieces of their lives.

Ive compiled a few helpful tips on how to survive this election.

1. Keep relationships over politics.

Your family and friends are worth more than your opinions.

Dont unfriend someone on Facebook because of who theyre supporting  unless youre not actually friends, then please unfriend that stranger.

2. Be a good listener.

Sometimes wisdom is best shown with a closed mouth and open ears.

Everyone loves a good listener, and showing youre willing to listen builds relationships and you might learn a thing or two.

Even better is being an informed listener. Do your homework so you can be an active listener and give an answer when asked a question.

3. Call Mom and Dad every day.

Its a commandment in the Bible  hear me out. Obey your parents and, BONUS, it will go well with you and you will enjoy long life on the earth. #goals

Theres nothing more important than talking with your parents and getting their input  even on politics. I call my mom and dad at least once a day, ideally. Keep them on the recent calls list.

While I have disagreed with my parents at varying levels, its always helpful to hear their perspective. My dad and I have a code for when weve talked too much politics  we say NP meaning no politics and if either one of us says NP, its off the table for the rest of the call. (Feel free to take that one free of charge.)

4. Dont take attacks personally.

When someone posts a negative video about your candidate, its not an attack on you. Dont be ashamed of your beliefs.

And please dont attack people personally for who theyre voting for.

5. Admit when youre wrong.

There are no better words in the English language  better yet, election season  than, Im sorry  please forgive me. Seriously.

Also, its okay if you dont know the exact bill your candidate supported 12 years ago, and thats a great chance for further conversation  after the fact.

6. Dont lose your soul.

Take a step back. Breathe. And ultimately be yourself. Yes, you might get into some heated debates. You might lose friends. You might even do something you regret this election cycle. But thats okay. Learn from it and dont beat yourself up over it. Thats the beauty of a democratic republic  its messy and it requires our participation.

As of today, there arent any perfect candidates or political parties, so this one is pretty easy in theory, but can be hard in practice.

Be active, let your voice be heard, and do not be ashamed, but remember there is more to life than politics.

True hope and change are found in the Lion of Judah, not the Democratic donkey or the Republican elephant.

7. Rest up and have fun.

While youre at it, drink plenty of water. Nobody wants to talk politics with a boring or sickly tired person.

Get away from it all. Turn off the TV. Shut the laptop. Hang up the phone. Observe Sabbath like its one of the Ten Commandments.

Dont take yourself too seriously.

Share some smiles and laughter. For example, face swap the candidates like I did on Snapchat.

And eat some Chick-fil-A. That makes everything better.
Hillary Clinton, under legal and political siege over her private email server, may soon be forced to answer questions under oath. Not once, but twice.

A federal judge issued an order that it may be necessary for Hillary Clinton to be deposed in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit about whether she devised her once-secret email server to evade the law on public records. But first, the judge has ordered six of her current and former staffers be deposed.

All of this comes as the FBI reportedly moves closer to questioning Clinton in its own investigation.

Heres a detailed look at the situation.

Why did Clinton set up her server?

Almost no one in the federal government knew that Clinton had set up a private electronic server in the basement of her home to be used exclusively for all her official business as Secretary of State. Years later, when the story broke, she insisted she did it for her own convenience. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan seems skeptical.

The judge now wants to know if Clinton created the server for the purpose of circumventing federal open-records laws. Public officials work on behalf, and for the benefit, of the public. In turn, the public has a right to look at her work. A specific law, the Freedom of Information Act, permits journalists and others to gain access to, and examine, her emails. But journalists had to sue Clinton and the State Department to get them to adhere to the law. There have been three dozen such lawsuits which may indicate just how uncooperative both have been.

How Clinton thought she could keep her emails private is bewildering. Did she think she was above the law and could ignore it with impunity? Was the State Department complicit in protecting Clinton, choosing not to fully comply with the FOIA requests and, thereby, obstructing the process of law? The judge wants answers to these and other related questions. Hence the depositions.

The intersection of civil and criminal cases

The FBIs investigation of Clinton and her aides is a separate, but related case. Different than the civil FOIA lawsuit, the feds are looking into potential criminal conduct.

Why? Because knowingly storing classified information at an unauthorized location is a crime. (18 USC 1924) Clintons server was unauthorized. Some 2,200 classified documents were contained therein, plus another 22 which were marked top secret. That law exists to protect national security.

The FBI will be keenly interested in Clintons deposition testimony, as well as the sworn answers provided by her aides, Huma Abedin, Cheryl Mills, Patrick Kennedy, and the man who created and maintained Clintons server, Bryan Pagliano. Pagliano has already been given immunity in exchange for his cooperation. However, it is likely the FBI will still want to interview Clinton separately. Her deposition in advance will help them immensely.

Was Clintons email server hacked?

An infamous hacker known as Guccifer recently told Fox News National Security Correspondent Catherine Herridge that he easily and repeatedly broke into Clintons server. Is he telling the truth? We dont know.

He is currently residing in a Virginia jail facing other hacking charges. But one thing is for sure: if he could do it, then the Russians, Chinese, Iranians and other hostile or friendly governments could surely do it, as well. Simply put, they have greater hacking capabilities.

Guccifers claims, whether true or not, underscore how reckless it is for someone who is an instrumental keeper of national secrets to use a home-brewed server as the exclusive means of conducting official business. The email venue is unprotected and vulnerable to being hacked.

The FBI is in possession of Clintons server. It may have an electronic record that could prove or disprove Guccifers assertions. But since Clinton had it wiped clean, maybe not.

The hacker himself will also be of interest to the FBI. Theyll want to talk to him, if they havent already, to try to verify his claims.The FBI may also want to determine whether the action of cleansing the server constitutes obstruction of justice.

It is irrelevant whether or not Clinton was hacked

Legally, it is immaterial whether Clintons server actually was hacked successfully. The crime for which Clinton could be charged does not say it is illegal only if classified information falls into the wrong hands.

To the contrary, it is a crime to jeopardize national security by putting documents in an unauthorized and unsecure location where they could fall into the wrong hands. In other words, it is the risk which is strictly prohibited.

The case of former CIA Director David Petraeus, is illustrative. He gave classified materials to an unauthorized person. There was never any evidence that the documents were passed on to foreign powers. The recipient never revealed the information to anyone else. But it could have happened. And that is the crucial point.

Petraeus put national security at risk. In the end, he was charged and pled guilty to mishandling classified information. It ended his career in public service.

Hillary Clintons handling of classified materials seems far more reckless.
For over seven decades, on Yom Hashoah- Holocaust Remembrance Day, people pause to reflect on the mass murder of 6,000,000 Jews, a genocide conceived, organized and executed by Hitlers Third Reich.

Two words sum up the silent pleas from the ashes of the victims and those who survived the Shoah: Never Again.

But lets be honest. In 2016, the operative term is ever, not Never Again.

What lessons from the Nazi Holocaust has the U.S. or other nations applied to stop the ethnic cleansing of Iraqi Christians, the genocide of Yazidis, the gassing of civilians and targeting of hospitals in Syria, the Boko Haram outrages in Nigeria?

And what about ISIS? While we still might get around to destroying ISIS physical Caliphate and the tens of thousands of their terrorist troops, they have in a sense, already won. They have succeeded in changing humanitys terrainand not for the better.

Seventy years ago, in the 20th Century, the Nazis attempted to hide their genocidal agenda. Now, in the 21st Century ISIS shouts it from the rooftops.

In 2016, Islamist terrorists openly boast about the mass rapes and beheadings; they leverage social media and send out millions of tweets to broadcast the final moments of their doomed victims, simultaneously instilling fear around the world, while recruiting young Muslims around the world with their heroin-strength, theologically-driven hate.

Any world leader who actually believed in Never Again would never have allowed the global menace of Islamist jihadists to gain such traction.

For Jews, Never Again meant the hope that after the Shoah, our people would never have to stand alone; that we could rely on a coalition of democratic European nations, led by the children of those who suffered Nazi invasion and occupation along with the children of the perpetrators the crimes against humanity, who understood the historic responsibility of post-war Germany to stand as a bulwark against historys oldest hate.

The bitter reality on the streets of European capitals today is that Jews are no longer safe. They are leaving by the thousands, not only because of terrorists but also because too few of their fellow-citizens care.

Elsewhere where millions of Jews perished during the Shoah, xenophobic politicians from Poland to Lithuania to Hungary brazenly whitewash their history and erase Jewish martyrdom to suit their extremist agendas.

And then there are the Ken Livingstones of the world. They are all too happy to invoke Hitler, Swastikas and Nazis, so long as they can smear Zionists.

Perfectly timed for the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the former mayor of London asserted that Hitler was a supporter of Zionism! When and Jews and the political opposition raised a ruckus, Piers Corbyn, the brother of Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn remarked that there was 'too much sensitivity' surrounding anti-Semitism. All this as some 50 Labour politicians were suspended after their anti-Semitic sentiments were reported on social media. They need not be too worried, for Mr. Corbyn counts Hamas terrorists among his friends.

Never Again indeed!

It would be useful if that gaggle of Labour anti-Semites visited the Simon Wiesenthal Centers Museum of Tolerance. There they would read a four-page letter that Hitler typed and personally signed in 1919- twenty years before WWII! In it he describes his hatred of Jews and outlines his plans calling for, The uncompromising removal of the Jews altogether, which, he says, can only be accomplished, Under a government of National strength and never under a government of National Impotence. Hitler warns against an emotional anti-Semitism which will always find it expression in the form of pogroms and seeks rather a legalremoval of the rights of the Jew.

Hitler taught us to take every demagogue at their word. That is why we say Never Again to anti-Semitism/anti-Zionism. That is why a strong and safe Israel is so important to Jews the world over.

So what should Americans be doing this Yom HaShoah?

First, if you know an aging Holocaust survivorgive them a hug and if needed, a helping hand. Each is a national treasure, a beacon of hope in a world gone mad.

Second. We must never tire in protesting the mass murders, the mass rapes, the growing online culture of hate.

Americans are deeply divided and we have entered stormy and unchartered waters in our society and political landscape. Still we must find a bipartisan voice on human rights and wrongs. Everyone, from left-leaning progressives to arch social conservatives should demand that the next occupant of the White House make Never Again more than a meaningless slogan.

It must mean never again to genocide, never again to mass murder, never again to anti-Semitism, and never again to terror.
Last weekend, Hillary Clinton dispatched her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to offer a defense of her alleged espionage. The espionage allegations against her are that in order to escape public and Obama administration scrutiny, she had all of her emails as secretary of state diverted from a secure government server to a non-secure server in her home in Chappaqua, New York, and, in so doing, failed to protect state secrets in at least 2,200 instances during her four-year tenure.

The essence of her husbands defense is that the secrets were not secrets when she saw them and the investigation of her is all a game.

We know that the FBI is getting closer to Hillary Clinton, because Bill Clinton had not addressed her email issues publicly before last weekend. The defense he offered belies the facts and the law.

He argued that prosecuting his wife over her emails is akin to prosecuting someone for driving a car in a 50-mile-per-hour zone at 40 mph because the police have arbitrarily and without notice changed the speed limit to 35 mph.

The implication in his argument is that Mrs. Clintons emails were retroactively classified as confidential, secret or top-secret after she received or sent them and therefore she had no notice of their sensitivity.

His argument is unavailing for two reasons. The first is that it is untrue. Emails are confidential, secret or top-secret at the time they are created, whether marked or not.

The second reason is that Mrs. Clinton signed an oath on her first full day as secretary of state -- after she received a two-hour tutorial from two FBI agents on the proper care and lawful handling of state secrets. In that oath, she acknowledged that she had an obligation to recognize and protect state secrets on the basis of the sensitive nature of the information contained in them -- whether they bore classified warnings or markings or not.

State secrets are materials that, if revealed, could harm the national security of the United States.

Bill Clintons speed zone example, if true, would be a profound violation of due process, the foundation of which is notice. In a free society, for a prosecution to be successful, the government must show that the defendant had notice of the behavior expected of her. Hence, changing the speed limit without notice would be a profound violation of due process and fatal to a prosecution for speeding.

His example is not even remotely analogous to Mrs. Clintons behavior while secretary of state.

Why did he address this last Saturday?

He probably did so for two reasons. The first is that people in Hillary Clintons inner circle from her time as secretary of state have been offered interviews by the FBI. They all hired the same lawyer, and with that lawyer, they are in the process of answering FBI questions. Bill Clinton -- for whom the FBI once worked -- knows that the investigation will soon be at his wifes doorstep, and he wanted to get her version out to Democratic primary voters.

The second reason for Mr. Clintons broadside relates to an obscure but profound admission by the Department of Justice. Here is the back story.

One of the 39 Freedom of Information Act lawsuits brought in connection with Mrs. Clintons email scandal was filed recently by Jason Leopold, a reporter for Vice News. He seeks copies of the emails Clinton tried unsuccessfully to wipe clean from her server, as well as copies of communications between the DOJ and Mrs. Clinton.

The DOJ moved to dismiss his lawsuit, and in support of its motion, it filed a secret affidavit with the court, signed by an FBI agent familiar with the bureaus investigation of Mrs. Clinton. In its brief filed the day before Mr. Clinton made his silly speeding prosecution analogy, the DOJ -- which also once worked for him -- characterized the secret affidavit as a summary of the investigation of Mrs. Clinton. The DOJ argued that compliance with Leopold's FOIA request would jeopardize that investigation by exposing parts of it prematurely.

In the same brief, the DOJ referred to the investigation of Mrs. Clinton as a law enforcement proceeding.

That was the first public acknowledgment by the DOJ that it is investigating criminal behavior -- a law enforcement proceeding -- and it directly contradicts Mrs. Clinton's oft-repeated assertions that the FBI investigation is merely a routine review of the State Department's classification procedures.

Many in the legal and intelligence communities have discounted her assertions because reviewing classification procedures of the State Department is not a function of the FBI, but now we have the governments own words that its investigation of Mrs. Clintons email handling is one implicating law enforcement. Since that late Friday filing, Mrs. Clinton has ceased referring publicly to the FBI probe as an evaluation of the State Departments security procedures.

Perhaps she should tell her husband what was on that server before she tries to use him as a not-so-secret weapon.

Perhaps she now recognizes how hard-pressed she will be to claim to the FBI or to a jury that she did not know that satellite photos of a North Korean nuclear facility or transcripts from wiretaps of Yemeni intelligence agents cellphone calls or the itinerary of the late U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens in the days before his murder or true names of American undercover intelligence agents -- all of which were in her emails -- were state secrets.

Perhaps she knows now that this is not a game.
Now that the contours of the 2016 presidential race are clear, the leaders of the Middle East are pondering their choices. To paraphrase Obamas comic monologue at the Correspondents dinner, they have a pick of steak or fish, Hillary or Donald.

Hillary is a known dish, Washington liberal meat and potatoes. Regimes that liked the Obama policy are looking forward to a warmed-over portion of steak a la Hillary.

The Iranians, in particular, would savor such a dish. Clinton claims to be the mother of the diplomatic deal that has allowed Iran to emerge from its isolation and become a major regional force.

Hillary does have some residual blue-dog Democrat instincts on foreign policy (such as her support for limited military intervention in Syria) but she knows that her party isnt with her on projecting serious military force in the Middle East.

Americas traditional Arab friends, especially Egypt and Saudi Arabia, have found the Obama-Clinton fare to be unpalatable and they are not looking forward to a second helping.

The Iranians know this, too. They are counting on it. As the Supreme Ayatollah said just the other day, the United States is Irans number one enemy (Israel comes in number two). A disengaged America means that Iran will be free to protect and expand its interests in the Levant and the Persian Gulf, and to continue its ballistic missile program and military build-up.

What more could a Shiite fanatic ask for?

Irans junior partner, Bashar Assad of Syria, would probably prefer a large helping of Donald fish. Trump is a fan of one-man rule by hard-handed dictators such as Saddam Hussain and Muammar Qadaffi. Assad is a member of that club, but he isnt currently strong enough to bash his people into submission. He sups at the table of Iran (and Moscow), and he has a short spoon.

Americas traditional Arab friends, especially Egypt and Saudi Arabia, have found the Obama-Clinton fare to be unpalatable and they are not looking forward to a second helping. The Donald fish has some tricky bones---he wants the Arabs to pay for their own defense and actually join the fight against ISISbut it also has its temptations. Trump wont hector Cairo or Riyadh about human rights, coddle the Muslim Brotherhood in the name of democracy or foment civil unrest of the Arab Spring variety. He will (to mix the culinary metaphor) leave the rulers to stew in their own juices.

King Abdallah of Jordan has long borders with Iraq and Syria and a volatile Palestinian population. If Trump is serious about taking drastic military action against ISIS, Jordan could find itself in the center of the battlefield. On the other hand, if Trump actually can defeat the ISIS (which King Abdullah doubts) the Kingdom would be more secure. Given a choice, hed probably like to skip the meal.

For Bibi Netanyahu, the Hillary-Trump choice is a dilemma. Steak a la Hillary can be tough--especially when it is served with a side dish of the State Departments famous Palestinian flavored spinachbut it is familiar and kosher. It may be hard to swallow, but it wont kill you.

Trump is fugu, the Japanese pufferfish that is both delicious and potentially fatal.

This week, The Donald broke with fifty years of foreign policy doctrine and declared support for Israeli settlement of the West Bank. He evidently sees the area as a real estate developer, not a peace-process diplomat. Hey, Israel needs that land. The Arabs already have plenty. Whats the problem?

In principle this should make Bibi Netanyahu happy. In practice it is stomach ache. The future of the West Bank is deeply controversial among Israelis. Hillary would preserve the status quo. A sudden presidential permission to keep the West Bank would create chaos. And Bibi isnt a chaos kind of guy.

In November, Bibi and the other leaders of the Middle East will be served a new presidential dish. One thing is certain: Like it or not, they will be forced to swallow the choice of the American votersand it isnt going to be Paul Ryan.
Thursday, May 5 is Holocaust Remembrance Day or Yom Hashoah, an occasion to remember and mourn the unique horror that resulted in the murder of 6 million Jews including one million children  unfathomable numbers that still shock the conscience of humankind. Except at the United Nations. Though the UN was built on the ashes of the Jewish people, in our time this organization plays a disturbing role in advancing antisemitism.

Antisemitism works in many ways. Devotees deny or minimize its very existence. Instead, they appropriate the suffering of their targets and invert the genuine victim and the actual perpetrator. The U.N. of the 21st century does all of this.

On April 27, 2016, the Palestinians UN representative Riyadh Mansour, held a press conference at UN headquarters in New York.

He said: If you throw a stoneif you throw it at a moving car of the army or the terrorist settlers, they send you to jail for 20 years, and yet their representative in the Security Councilhe paints them as terrorists. Guess what. All colonizers, all occupiers including those who suppressed the Warsaw uprising labelled those who were resisting them as terrorists.

Jewish victims of Palestinian rock-throwers have been maimed for life with catastrophic brain injuries or have died as their cars careened out of control. According to the Palestinian spokesman, however, Israelis are like Nazis and Palestinians are their victims.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been asked to condemn Mansours comments and to remove them from the UN website where they are now broadcast around the world 24/7  because, for starters, these comments contradict the essence of the U.N. Charter. But the Secretary-General has refused to do so.

This is not an isolated incident. UN headquarters  visited by millions of American school children  hosts a Holocaust exhibit and also a Palestinian exhibit that is a model of historical revisionism. The Palestinians have succeeded in having the two exhibits placed side-by-side.

The UN has a webpage called UN response to acts of terrorism. It is continually updated and the current version covers acts from November 2015 to April 2016. The site lists terror attacks that took place in the following states: Afghanistan, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote dIvoire, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey. Israel doesnt make the cut.

At the U.N., modern antisemitism is apparently a victimless crime.

The Holocaust teaches that when evil people come first for the Jews, they do not stop with the Jews. And indeed, identifying the victims and perpetrators of terrorism at the UN is a deeper problem.

The UNs Counter-Terrorism Committee, the UNs lead counter-terrorism vehicle created in the wake of 9/11, has never named a single terrorist, terrorist organization or state sponsor of terrorism.

To this day, the UN has no definition of terrorism because Islamic states insist on a capacious exemption clause for armed struggle against foreign occupation, aggression, colonialism, and hegemony, aimed at liberation and self-determination. Targets legitimized on this rationale go far beyond Israelis.

Aversion to using the word terrorism has made countering violent extremism the hottest fad. And right on cue, the Secretary-Generals first-ever Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism  presented in January 2016  begins with the caveat that violent extremism is without clear definition and its meaning is the prerogative of Member states.

Jews are not the only losers when ones man violent extremist is another mans stone-throwing, suicide-bombing pacifist  or another mans frustrated, underappreciated youth with nothing better to do than stab, rape, pillage or cut off heads.

In full knowledge that hundreds of Israelis have been killed or injured during the Palestinians latest knife intifada, Ban Ki-moon deliberately poured fuel on the fire. He told the Security Council in January that: security measures alone will not stop the violencePalestinian frustration is growingit is human nature to react...

Then in April at a conference on violent extremism, Ban Ki-moon said while talking about ISIS and Boko Haram: we must put prevention first. Evidence shows that security and military responses alone cannot defeat this scourge...[V]iolent extremism flourishes when aspirations for inclusion are frustrated[and] young people lack prospects

All Western democratic states seeking to eradicate the scourge of terrorism driven by bigots are negatively affected by the UNs denigration of security priorities, the vilification of the necessities of self-defense, and the promulgation of false victimization narratives that undermine efforts to protect civilian lives.

The U.N. is also holding Holocaust remembrance day events  where talk of modern antisemitism will be assiduously avoided.

But those who are serious about never again will do the reverse. Civilized societies came perilously close to Nazi global domination after turning their back on the Jews. The forces of intolerance who seek global domination today cannot be defeated if we turn our back on the people of Israel.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Wednesday night he was considering a bunch of people to be his choice for a running mate, a day after he swept the Indiana primary and saw two of his rivals suspend their campaigns.

Trump told Fox News Bill OReilly on The OReilly Factor he would consider John Kasich, who suspended his campaign Wednesday afternoon, citing his good relationship with the Ohio governor.

I would consider him. Hes certainly someone I would get along with during the (Republican) debates, he said.

When asked if he would consider former rival Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, whom Trump targeted with personal attacks before the Florida primary, the real estate mogul said he has gotten along very well with the senator since he got out of the presidential race.

"I would certainly consider him but we do have a lot of candidates I think would be very good, he said.

While his VP selection committee will include former rival Ben Carson, Trump told OReilly he didnt think the renowned neurosurgeon was looking for that.

Trump added that before the Republican National Convention in July, he may announce whom he would nominate for cabinet positions in his administration to boost his appeal to the party.

I think the idea of doing some things before Cleveland would be well received, he said.

The chairman of the Republican National Committee said Wednesday night that now that Trump will be the presumptive nominee, the Republican Party will have "time to heal."

"Look, we had a contentious primary," Reince Priebus told Fox News Greta Van Susteren in an On the Record interview. "It was 17 candidates. Feelings are still very raw. So, I'm not pretending that this isn't going to take a while."

He said that he and Trump have spoken many times since the candidate made slamming a "rigged" Republican primary system a talking point of his campaign.

"A candidate can't win without the RNC," Priebus said. "The fact of the matter is, a functional, operational national Party that has its act together on the ground is absolutely necessary. So without us, he can't win."

"He's going to join the Republican Party and we're going to be prepared when that happens," he added.

When asked Wednesday night if he would take the low or high road when responding to attacks from the Clinton campaign, Trump said he could handle the low road if I had to do that.

If she wants to go the low road, Im fine with that, he told OReilly. If she wants to go the high road, which probably I would prefer, Im fine with that.

Ive handled the low road over the past few months. 
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Buzz Cut:

 Anti-Trumps have the why but lack the how

 Hillary hack attack

 Trump and the RNC start merger

 Ground down

 The number you have reached is in police custody

ANTI-TRUMPS HAVE THE WHY BUT LACK THE HOW

A Republican Nebraska senator caused rather a stir with his unambiguous refusal to back his partys presidential nominee.



Ben Sasse took the first steps Wednesday in the beginning of what could become a new political party.



He called for a candidate deserving of the trust of the electorate and vowed never to vote for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.



Leave aside for now the fact that this idea maintains the consistent problem with the anti-Trump effort on the right: a lack of a unifying figure to consolidate support. You cant beat somebody with nobody.



But even before you get to the question of whom you have to ask two other things: Why? and How?



Political journalism, political science and political professionals are always inordinately focused on the last question. We want always to know about staffing and data and infrastructure and of course, polls. Thats not to say that these things dont matter. But they ought to come second in our considerations.



As Trump has proven, reasons are more important than means. Trump has run, whether you like them or not, an ideas campaign. An immigration crackdown, protectionist trade policies, isolationist foreign policy and increased domestic spending may not all be on the agenda in Davos next year, but they are ideas with the support of tens of millions of Americans.



Analysts have often dismissed Trump as a no-substance clown -- and certainly his movement is more attitudinal than ideological -- but that misses the potency of the ideas that fueled his rise.



And on the other idea that propelled the GOP nominee in waiting, Trump and Sasse actually agree: The Republican Party is a bad joke.



Sasse and others who vow never to support Trump rest their argument on the fact that a party that would select Trump is badly broken. Perhaps beyond repair.



The polls and forecasts that show Trump going down in a devastating defeat provide a good rationale for the NeverTrump crew, but not a sustaining one. If the reason to oppose Trump is because he is a general election disaster, then what will his opponents say if he starts leading in the polls or becomes competitive?



Remember Trumps gift for turning dross into gold with polls. He flogs the results of unreliable surveys that show him ahead to create the sense of possibility and momentum. #Winning!



But at least for now, conservative opposition to Trump can be excused on the grounds that Trump is so far behind that their support for the GOP nominee is immaterial anyway. Hes losing with or without them. That may not always be so.



The actual reasons for a divorce on the right are based on ideology and character. Those can be sustained. Conservatives mostly, and in some cases, fundamentally, disagree with Trumps core platform. And across the broad right-of-center spectrum there are many who believe Trump is personally unfit for office.



And just as with Trumps platform, say what you will about the core tenets of anti-Trumpism, at least its an ethos.



Having explained why, we should consider the question of how.



And thats where new parties and movements fall apart. Politicos may focus too much on the importance of mechanics, money and process, but they are the leading causes of death for political campaigns. Without a suitable vessel, the best ideas and candidates just dont matter.



Whether or not Sasse himself ends up being the anti-Trump candidate despite his abjuration, he is at least now the leader of the movement to find one -- whether he likes it or not.



The money and organization required to gain access to enough state ballots to make a difference are staggering. Without a billionaire like Michael Bloomberg or Trump, that means finding funding fast. But as Trump is now finding out with Republican donors, political money comes at a high price.



Moreover, the right money from the wrong donors can taint a candidate or a movement. The NeverTrump movement could quickly be defined by its benefactors. A broad consortium would be the best.



But even if they could raise the money, finding the staff and volunteers would be made much harder since participation in the movement would mean immediate excommunication from the GOP. And since the odds of winning would be so long, youd be asking people to go on what amounts to a suicide mission.



Now, given how much benefit a non-Trump option for conservatives would provide to down-ballot candidates, some of the establishment backlash might be mitigated. If a fifth of the Republican electorate sits out this election the losses for the party on the local, state and congressional level would be titanic.



That mitigation aside, the effort looks so daunting as to seem impossible. But impossible or not, it is now certainly underway.



They have the why but Sasse and the Trump resistance had better figure out the how on the double.



WITH YOUR SECOND CUP OF COFFEE

One woman shares her reflection of how music kept her grandparents connected when her grandfather was imprisoned in a concentration camp in 1944. Despite his death in the camp, the concerts that were arbitrarily played on the radio by the Nazi guards were also listened to by his wife in their home and mentioned in their letters to one another. NYT: What music might have served as a bridge between a bunk in Block 59 and the bourgeois living room of his familys Hamburg villa, where my grandmother now did her best to raise two young boys on her own amid frequent air raids? I was moved by the notion of music as a kind of telepathic conduit between two lovers separated by fate. In some ways, it seemed so modern, similar to the late-night requests to radio stations for songs dedicated to faraway sweethearts. Today, in the age of streaming, on-demand listening, that sense of music as a public space, capable of sheltering secret trysts, seems to be vanishing.



Got a TIP from the RIGHT or the LEFT? Email FoxNewsFirst@FOXNEWS.COM



POLL CHECK

Real Clear Politics Averages

General Election: Clinton vs. Trump: Clinton +6.5 points

Generic Congressional Vote: Democrats +2.3



HILLARY HACK ATTACK

Fox News: The infamous Romanian hacker known as Guccifer, speaking exclusively with Fox News, claimed he easily  and repeatedly  breached former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons personal email server in early 2013. For me, it was easy ... easy for me, for everybody, Marcel Lehel Lazar, who goes by the moniker Guccifer, told Fox News from a Virginia jail where he is being held. Guccifers potential role in the Clinton email investigation was first reported by Fox News last month. The hacker subsequently claimed he was able to access the server  and provided extensive details about how he did it and what he found  over the course of a half-hour jailhouse interview and a series of recorded phone calls with Fox News. Fox News could not independently confirm Lazars claims.



In response to Lazars claims, the Clinton campaign issued a statement Wednesday night saying, There is absolutely no basis to believe the claims made by this criminal from his prison cell. In addition to the fact he offers no proof to support his claims, his descriptions of Secretary Clintons server are inaccurate. It is unfathomable that he would have gained access to her emails and not leaked them the way he did to his other victims.



The Judges Ruling: Hillarys secret weapon - Senior Judicial Analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano debunks the defense by Bill Clinton of Hillary Clintons exposure of secret government material on her private server because the secrets were not marked secret when she saw them: His argument is unavailing for two reasons. The first is that it is untrue. Emails are confidential, secret or top-secret at the time they are created, whether marked or not. The second reason is that Mrs. Clinton signed an oath on her first full day as secretary of stateIn that oath, she acknowledged that she had an obligation to recognize and protect state secrets on the basis of the sensitive nature of the information contained in them -- whether they bore classified warnings or markings or not. Read more here.



TRUMP AND THE RNC START MERGER

WSJ: Facing a prospective tab of more than $1 billion to finance a general-election run for the White House, Donald Trump reversed course Wednesday and said he would actively raise money to ensure his campaign has the resources to compete with Hillary Clintons fundraising juggernaut. His campaign also is beginning to work with the Republican National Committee to set up a joint fundraising committee after his last two rivalsTexas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasichdropped out in the wake of Mr. Trumps resounding Indiana win on Tuesday.



Ground down - Fox News James Rosen reports that compared to Hillary Clintons sizable ground game efforts, the presumed Republican nominee comes up short: Clintons reported $5 million technology and data mining operation, built upon the pioneering digital apparatus of the Obama campaigns, is allowing her to micro-target swing voters down to their purchasing, reading and media-consumption habits. From an original launch team of dozens in her Brooklyn headquarters, Clintons paid staff has expanded to nearly 800 people, operating out of offices in 28 statesThe real estate mogul, by contrast, reportedly has a campaign staff of about 100 people, a skeletal infrastructure with no sizable communications team, digital operation or research division.



RACE NOTES

Jim Rutenberg delivers a brutal postmortem on the coverage of the GOP primaries - NYT



Trump says hes open to a Cruz VP - The Hill



What do vulnerable Republicans in Congress say about Trump? - Roll Call



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., issues endorsement for Trump - Politico



Hillary releases attack ads on Trump without appearing in the ads - Quartz



THE NUMBER YOU HAVE REACHED IS IN POLICE CUSTODY

WCMH: Police in Alliance [Ohio] would like prospective drug purchasers to stop calling a suspected drug dealers phone so that they can search the device without being interrupted. Police arrested Steve Notman Tuesday night after they say he was seen on video selling methamphetamine. Police are trying to search through texts and contacts, but they say that the constant stream of calls and texts is really annoying. In a very tongue in cheek Facebook post, police said, First of all, he is all out of drugs for tonight. Secondly you dont need to call  we will come to you soon enough. Police also say Notmans ringtone is terrible.



AND NOW A WORD FROM CHARLES

If [Trump] can choose a cabinet with people of stature and reassurance, you get somebody who is respected in the party with a long history and hes going to be Secretary of Defense or shes going to be, then that not only reassures you about the policy, but also its a nod from that respected individual that Trump is going to be okay. That could be a very effective employ.  Charles Krauthammer on Special Report with Bret Baier. Watch here.



Chris Stirewalt is digital politics editor for Fox News. Sally Persons contributed to this report. Want FOX News First in your inbox every day? Sign up here.
From the insular political system to the naysaying media culture, Donald Trump essentially clinching the Republican nomination is a stunning development, especially the swiftness with which his two remaining rivals gave up.

But for the anti-Trump folks, it is sheer torture.

In the wake of an Indiana victory that drove Ted Cruz and John Kasich from the race, they are left with a series of unpalatable choices that will have an impact on fall campaignand on the GOPs future.

Some are already declaring themselves to be in the #NeverNeverEverTrump camp. They will oppose the billionaire up to and until he raises his hand over the Bible next January.

In doing so, of course, they will tilt the election toward Hillary Clinton. But the diehards are willing to accept another four years out of power as a reasonable price to pay for blocking Trump.

Trump, for his part, says he doesnt want or need the support of everyone in the party. The truth isand this is hard for his detractors to accepthe is remaking the party in his own image. Trump is not a doctrinaire conservative, and for the moment, he is the face of the GOP.

George Will, the syndicated columnist and Fox News contributor, casts the choice as a moral test:

Donald Trumps 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 partys history. These collaborationists will render themselves ineligible to participate in the partys reconstruction.

Trump fired back on Morning Joe: Well, George is a major loser. You know, hes a dour guy. Nobody watches him. Very few people listen to him. Its over for him, and I never want his support.

Steve Hayes, the Weekly Standard writer and Fox News contributor, quickly posted a piece titled No Trump:

Trump's claim to be a unifier is not just specious, it's absurd. This casual dishonesty is a feature of his campaign. And it's one of many reasons so many Republicans and conservatives oppose Trump and will never support his candidacy. I'm one of them.

Another Fox contributor, Townhalls Guy Benson, tweeted: Much to my deep chagrin (& astonishment ~8 months ago), for the 1st time in my life, I will not support the GOP nominee for president.

Influential blogger Erick Erickson tweeted: Reporters writing about the Stop Trump effort get it wrong. It's Never Trump as in come hell or high water we will never vote for Trump.

The Daily Callers Jamie Weinstein: There is just no question: Id take a Tums and cast my ballot for Hillary  and I suspect so would many other life-long conservatives, whether they are willing to admit it now or not.

There is a camp within this camp, led by the Standards Bill Kristol, that is actively encouraging a conservative third-party run. This would undoubtedly hand Hillary the keys to the White House. There is a fantasy that somehow it would throw the election into the House. But the Wall Street Journal editorial page, hardly a fan of Trump, calls this a truly bad idea.

An even smaller subset is finding Clinton, who is more hawkish than Trump, a better alternative. These include Mark Salter, once John McCains top strategist.

But there are other conservatives who are softening on Trump, saying that perhaps he wouldnt be that bad. Some are acting out of party loyalty. Some want to clamber onto the winner's bandwagon (even after saying incredibly harsh things about him, according to Trump). Some think Clinton would be far worse. And some may be looking for jobs or contracts. I suspect this group will grow in size.

Heres the bottom line for those on the right who still oppose Trump: How do they explain that he won one state after another, in some cases every county, before sweeping to seven straight victories? How do they explain that he beat 16 other senators and governors and assorted luminaries? How do they explain that his vision of conservatism proved more popular than theirs with Republican voters?

Maybe Trumps critics are right that he will lead the party to a major defeat. The question now is how many will work toward that outcome.
EXCLUSIVE: The State Department missed its own target date last year for the establishment of a special unit to review Benghazi documents, documents obtained by Fox News show.

The previously unpublished documents, generated by the House select committee that is investigating the 2012 terror attacks, detail how Rep. Trey Gowdy, the panels Republican chairman from South Carolina, began working behind the scenes early last year to help the department secure over $4 million in reprogrammed funds set aside by Congress for such a unit.

According to agreements worked out between Republican staff on the committee and top aides to Secretary of State John Kerry, including chief of staff Jonathan Finer, the document review unit was supposed to be operational in June 2015.

Yet the State Department, prompted by inquiries from Fox News, now acknowledges it missed that target date. The Congressional Document Production unit began staffing up in mid-2015, said State Department spokesman Mark Toner in an email late Thursday, and is now fully operational.

The records obtained by Fox News also show repeated refusals by Kerrys aides, including Finer, to account for what happened to the appropriated funds when Gowdys staff made repeated inquiries about the matter back in mid-2015.

The State Department disputed this reading of the documents, saying it was wholly inaccurate to suggest that top officials, including Finer, had withheld information from congressional staffers. The State Department has been more than forthcoming with the committee about the congressional document production unit, Toner said in an email on Friday.

Toner also said the unit was intended to respond to various congressional panels, not just the Benghazi committee, and that despite indications in the correspondence between State and the Benghazi committee that the department promised to stand up the unit by last June, no deadline was established for the unit to be operational.

Gowdy told Fox News he sought the additional funding so they could speed up document production to Congress and we could finish the investigation faster.

Top administration officials, including white House spokesman Josh Earnest, have accused the committee of prolonging the investigation for political reasons  specifically, to try to damage Clintons presidential candidacy.

In his email to Fox News, Toner acknowledged that Gowdy and his staff had indeed supported the request for additional funding.

This prompted Gowdy, in an emailed statement of his own, to say he appreciates the Obama administration finally confirming the Benghazi Committee went the extra mile to complete its investigation as soon as possible by helping the State Department get extra funding.

According to the internal committee files, the State Departments document review unit was supposed to encompass twelve full-time employees, including at least three lawyers, case managers to oversee responses to specific document requests, and an IT professional.

The State Department conveyed to the committee last year that it intended to use some of the U.S. personnel evacuated from Yemen last year to staff the unit, according to the documents.

On Thursday, Toner said the use of the personnel from Yemen was never necessary  but did not spell out why the evacuated personnel were considered superfluous when the department was having trouble meeting its own target date of mid-June for the unit to become operational.

Asked at Wednesdays press briefing if he could attest that the reprogrammed funds had actually been spent for the intended purpose, Toner said he was fairly certain that they would have been.

Co-chaired by Rep. Elijah Cummings, the Democrat from Maryland, the Benghazi committee has spent two years investigating the terrorist attacks on U.S. facilities on September 11, 2012 that killed Americas ambassador to Libya at the time, J. Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans.

The committee unearthed the fact that then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, now the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, used a private email server for all of her official email correspondence. Among the emails subsequently made public was one that showed Clinton giving her daughter an account of the attacks that differed sharply from the false narrative about them that the secretary of state, and other top administrations officials, were pressing publicly.

Toner noted that the department has already provided close to 100,000 pages of documents to the committee, which is expected to produce its final report next month.

Washington-based attorney Mark Paoletta, who spent a decade as the Republican chief counsel to a House investigating subcommittee, told Fox News the Obama administration is notorious for slow-rolling investigative panels like the Benghazi committee. He cited Clintons private email server as evidence of this pattern.

How can you seriously say that youre being transparent, Paoletta said in an interview with Fox News, when the secretary of state is running a private server and has deleted over 30,000 of those documents before anyone even knows that its in existence?
The last two Republicans to hold the White House do not plan to endorse the party's presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump, this year.

Spokesmen for George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush told The Texas Tribune Wednesday that the 41st and 43rd presidents will stay on the sideline this time.

George W. Bush's personal aide, Freddy Ford, said that his boss "does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign."

"At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics," Bush 41 spokesman Jim McGrath wrote in an email to the website. "He came out of retirement to do a few things for Jeb, but those were the exceptions that proved the rule."

According to the Tribune, the elder Bush has endorsed every GOP presidential nominee since losing his 1992 re-election bid to Bill Clinton. George W. Bush also campaigned on behalf of Sen. John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012.

Both Bushes campaigned heavily for Jeb Bush earlier this year, but he dropped out after disappointing results in the first three presidential contests. Neither former president made an endorsement during the rest of the primary season, though George W. Bush was recorded last year telling donors "I just don't like" Sen. Ted Cruz.

The younger Bush has also taken veiled jabs at Trump, telling a South Carolina audience in February that "we do not need someone in the Oval Office who mirrors and inflames our anger and frustration."

"Strength is not empty rhetoric," Bush also said at the time. "It is not bluster. It is not theatrics. Real strength, strength of purpose, comes from integrity and character. And, in my experience, the strongest person usually isn't the loudest one in the room."

Trump also attacked George W. Bush during the run-up to the South Carolina primary, blaming the former president for failing to prevent the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. The real estate mogul also said Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq in 2003 was "a big, fat mistake" and claimed his administration "lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction. There were none."

Click for more from The Texas Tribune.
The number of illegal immigrant families and unaccomanpied minors apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border has soared in recent months, according to statistics released Wednesday by the federal government.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 27,754 unaccompanied children were taken into custody by border officials during the six months ending March 31  the first six months of fiscal year 2016. That's a 78 percent increase from the 15,616 apprehended in the corresponding time frame last year.

Similarly, CBP reported that 32,117 family units  defined as at least one child traveling with at least one adult  were apprehended in the first six months of fiscal year 2016, a 131 percent increase over the 13,913 family units caught in fiscal year 2015.

The CBP statistics were first reported by The Hill.

The numbers have raised the specter of another border surge similar to the summer of 2014, when thousands of unaccompanied minors swarmed the border, overwhelming law enforcment and humanitarian workers alike.

However, Jens Manuel Krogstad of the Pew Research Center noted that most of the apprehensions occurred in December and January, before the Obama administration approved a series of raids targeting immigrant families.

"Since then," Krogstad writes, "monthly border apprehensions have dropped below 2014 levels."

Kevin Appleby of the Center for Immigration Studies told the Hill that several factors may be driving the increased migration, including ongoing violence in Central America and new techniques used by human traffickers to skirt a crackdown by Mexican authorities.

"Our policy of deterrence is clearly not working no matter how much we pay the Mexican government to do our dirty work," Appleby said.

Last year, Congress passed a $750 million package aimed at stabilzing El Salvador, Guatemala and Hondurs in an effort to slow the flood of illegal immigration.

Click for more from The Hill.
The State Department joined the Hillary Clinton campaign Thursday in pushing back on Romanian hacker Guccifers claims that he successfully breached the former secretary of states personal server.

Marcel Lehel Lazar, who goes by the moniker "Guccifer," told Fox News that he accessed Clintons server like twice, claiming that for him, it was easy.

Asked about the claims at Thursdays press briefing, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said hes not aware of such an incident.

We dont have any reason to believe that it might be true, he said.

At the same time, Toner repeatedly stressed he did not want to comment on the security of the server, citing ongoing investigations. Asked if hes in a position to even know whether Lazars claims are true, Toner again said he did not want to comment.

The Clinton campaign issued a more definitive denial.

In response to Lazars claims, the Clinton campaign issued a statement Wednesday night saying, "There is absolutely no basis to believe the claims made by this criminal from his prison cell. In addition to the fact he offers no proof to support his claims, his descriptions of Secretary Clinton's server are inaccurate. It is unfathomable that he would have gained access to her emails and not leaked them the way he did to his other victims.

However, Lazar provided extensive details about his hacking, in interviews from the Virginia jail where he is being held.

The 44-year-old Lazar said he first compromised Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal's AOL account, in March 2013, and used that as a stepping stone to the Clinton server. He said he accessed Clintons server like twice, though he described the contents as not interest[ing] to him at the time.

I was not paying attention. For me, it was not like the Hillary Clinton server, it was like an email server she and others were using with political voting stuff," Guccifer said.

The hacker spoke freely with Fox News from the detention center in Alexandria, Va., where hes been held since his extradition to the U.S. on federal charges relating to other alleged cyber-crimes.

While Lazar's claims cannot be independently verified, three computer security specialists, including two former senior intelligence officials, said the process described is plausible and the Clinton server, now in FBI custody, may have an electronic record that would confirm or disprove Guccifers claims.

As recently as this week, Clinton said neither she nor her aides had been contacted by the FBI about the criminal investigation. Asked whether the server had been compromised by foreign hackers, she told MSNBC on Tuesday, No, not at all.

Recently extradited, Lazar faces trial Sept. 12 in the Eastern District of Virginia. He has pleaded not guilty to a nine-count federal indictment for his alleged hacking crimes in the U.S. Victims are not named in the indictment but reportedly include Colin Powell, a member of the Bush family and others including Blumenthal.

Lazar also told Fox News that during his flight to the U.S. from Romania on or about March 31, he was accompanied by an FBI agent and a State Department official. He said he talked to the FBI and wrote up eight pages of notes during the flight, stressing that I have nothing to hide.

Lazar told Fox News that, while imprisoned in Romania where he was serving a seven-year sentence, he met several times with U.S. agents from the FBI, Secret Service and Treasury.

Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump reacted to the report Thursday, calling the claim by Guccifer "very serious."

"If it's true its very serious," Trump told Fox News' Bret Baier. "Its not a question of him. Its what she did and why did she do it?"

Fox News Catherine Herridge and Pamela Browne contributed to this report.
Donald Trump, after effectively locking up the Republican nomination, is shifting gears to launch a national search for a running mate while teasing the possibility he could roll out key Cabinet picks as well before the July convention.

I like the idea of doing some of this before we go into Cleveland, Trump told Fox News Bill O'Reilly Wednesday night, when asked about announcing Cabinet posts early. I could do that and I think it would be well received.

Considering how packed the GOP field was this cycle  at one point, containing 17 candidates  Trumps VP short-list is bound to be rather lengthy, especially as the campaign says they plan to consider most of his former presidential primary rivals.

Some analysts and observers put Ohio Gov. John Kasich in the top tier of that list, considering he leads the critical general election swing state. Trump said he hasnt spoken with Kasich since he dropped out of the race Wednesday, but would certainly consider him.

One open question is whether many of these potential running mates would, in turn, consider Trump. Personal and partisan tensions flared throughout the 2016 primary, as barbed insults flew between Trump and whichever candidate represented the biggest threat of the moment  and his opponents frequently challenged his conservative credentials.

Several of those vanquished foes have since reconciled with Trump, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, now involved in the running mate selection process.

Kasich, Christie and Carson, as well as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and others, are among the names being floated now for some role in a hypothetical Trump administration. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez are two other figures often mentioned as potential running mate picks.

However, Martinez spokesman Mike Lonergan told Fox News the governor has said repeatedly over the years that she isnt interested in serving as Vice President and is fully committed to serving the people of our state. Haley, too, reportedly is saying shes not interested. And Trump, speaking Thursday with Fox News Bret Baier, also said Haley is not under consideration.

Sources with knowledge of the nascent Trump VP list also disputed a CNN report that claimed Martinez, Haley and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman were early favorites.

Another recurring name in the veepstakes is former House speaker and 2012 presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

Gingrich told Fox News on Thursday that Trump has not talked to me about it, noting the presumptive nominee has a wide range of choices. As for whom he would suggest, Gingrich said individuals like Haley, Martinez, Kasich or Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, among others.

He said the criteria would have to be: Can the person actually be president, can the person work with Trump and does the person help him politically?

As for the timing of any announcements about a proposed Trump Cabinet, Gingrich said making some picks early would be an exciting decision, adding that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Christie would be fabulous picks.

The New York Daily News, quoting an anonymous source, reported that Trump already has arranged to name Giuliani as secretary of Homeland Security. But a Giuliani spokesman denied that they had any meeting to discuss the post.

Asked about that possibility on Fox News  as well as the possibility of naming Christie as attorney general and Carson as health secretary  Trump called them three very wise choices.

But he said he has not, at this point, made that decision.

On a separate track, Trump also announced Thursday that Steven Mnuchin  CEO of investment firm Dune Capital Management and a former partner at Goldman Sachs  will serve as his campaigns national finance chairman.

Fox News Faith Mangan and Serafin Gomez contributed to this report.
Late last month, a police officer in western Australia rescued an adopted baby kangaroo an adorable joey named Cuejoe he had been caring for after an eagle carried it away.

Cuejoe made its way to the police in March, after it was orphaned when a car killed its mother. The joey found a new parent in Scott Mason, a constable in Cue, Australia. Twitter posts from the Cue Police show Mason bottle-feeding Cuejoe, who is also seen hanging out in a cooler.

In a video posted on the Western Australia Polices Facebook page on March 10, Mason explained that Cuejoe was about four months old. The video shows the kangaroo climbing into the officers shirt and hopping along behind him.

But things took a turn for the worse in late April, when Mason and Cuejoe were at an Aboriginal community called Burringurrah.

On Wednesday the 27th April, Cuejoe was in the rear of the Burringurrah station yard, stretching his legs while Constable Mason was working, Susan Usher, a media liaison officer for the Western Australia police, explained in an email to FoxNews.com.

A sizable wedge-tailed eagle swooped down and picked up Cuejoe, carrying him out of the police yard, Usher wrote.

The eagle had landed nearby with Cuejoe, and another eagle had descended, too. Mason ran over, scaring the eagles away, saving the adopted joey.

But Cuejoe was not unscathed.

As a result of the incident, Cuejoe received talon wounds to his chest and face, Usher wrote. He received medical treatment at Burringurrah and is [recovering] well.

Usher reports that both Cuejoe and Mason are now back in the town of Cue. Heres hoping that Cuejoe continues to happily hop along and thrive.
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The rugged terrain on Mars is taking its toll on the six wheels of NASA's Curiosity rover, but the Red Planet robot should be able to complete its mountain-climbing science mission regardless, NASA officials said.

NASA's car-size Curiosity rover has been exploring the lower reaches of Mars' 3-mile-high (5 kilometers) Mount Sharp since September 2014, gathering data that mission scientists hope will shed light on the Red Planet's past potential to host microbial life.

Careful monitoring of the rover's aluminum wheels suggests that Curiosity should be able to get high enough up the mountain to complete this task, said Curiosity deputy project manager Steve Lee, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. [Amazing Mars Photos by NASA's Curiosity Rover (Latest Images)]

"Cracks and punctures have been gradually accumulating at the pace we anticipated, based on testing we performed at JPL," Lee said in a statement. "Given our longevity projections, I am confident these wheels will get us to the destinations on Mount Sharp that have been in our plans since before landing."

Curiosity touched down inside Mars' 96-mile-wide (154 km) Gale Crater in August 2012 and soon found evidence that the area could have supported microbial life in the ancient past. In July 2013, the rover set out for the base of Mount Sharp, initiating a 5-mile-long (8 km) journey that would take 14 months to complete.

The driving in Gale Crater has been rough. Holes and punctures in the robot's aluminum wheels, whose skin is just half as thick as a dime, became noticeable in 2013; Curiosity's handlers responded by routing the rover over gentler terrain to the extent possible and ramping up wheel testing at JPL.

This Earth-based work suggested that the 20-inch-tall (51 centimeters) wheels reach about 60 percent of their mileage limit at a specific point: when three of their 19 grousers  the zigzag treads that provide traction and bear most of Curiosity's weight  have broken, NASA officials said.

So far, the mission team has seen no evidence of any broken grousers, the officials added. (Curiosity takes photos of its wheels every 1,650 feet, or 500 meters.) The rover, NASA officials said, should therefore be able to make it to three key sites that Curiosity team members have been targeting for quite some time: an area rich in hematite, an iron-oxide mineral; a rock unit located farther on that hosts lots of clay minerals; and another rock site beyond that containing sulfates.

"At a current odometry of 7.9 miles (12.7 km) since its August 2012 landing, Curiosity's wheels are projected to have more than enough life remaining to investigate the hematite, clay and sulfate units ahead, even in the unlikely case that up to three grousers break soon," NASA officials wrote in the same statement. "The driving distance to the start of the sulfate-rich layers is roughly 4.7 miles (7.5 km) from the rover's current location."

Studying such rock layers can yield information about Mars' past habitability. For example, clay minerals generally form in the presence of liquid water with a near-neutral pH, and therefore could be good indicators of past environments that were conducive to life, mission scientists have said.

Curiosity is now nearly finished crossing a stretch of particularly rough and rocky terrain that mission scientists call the Naukluft Plateau. The rover climbed onto the plateau in early March, after spending a few weeks studying sand dunes lower down on Mount Sharp.
Last month, wildlife conservation organizations got into a spat about big cats.

The fight revolves around an announcement about the number of tigers in the world and the methods used to estimate them.

The controversy began on April 11, when the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Global Tiger Forum issued a press release, before a meeting in New Delhi about tiger conservation, that declared that the total number of tigers in the world had been bumped up to 3,890, a healthy increase from a 2010 estimate.

But that announcement didnt sit well with scientists at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), who issued a statement of concern on April 15 in response to the WWF.

We do not find this report and its implications scientifically convincing, the four scientists who signed the letter declared, referring to the WWF announcement.

Using flawed survey methodologies can lead to incorrect conclusions, an illusion of success, and slackening of conservation efforts, when in reality grave concern is called for, they added.

Ullas Karanth, a tiger expert and the director of WCSs India programs, as well as one of the letters signatories, explained that the issue at hand, or paw, is the methods used to arrive at that number.

The report is merely a compilation of putative tiger numbers for large areas put out by officials of various countries, he told FoxNews.com in an email. Most of these numbers rely heavily on extrapolations from encounter rates with tiger signs (scats) during extensive but poorly designed surveys.

The resulting numbers, he said, are totally unreliable.

Survey methods should be rigorous, be carried out annually in specific reserves, and identify tigers individually, he said.

At this point we do not have the data, and even a rigorous methodology to get at such a global number, Karanth said, referring to the 3,890 figure of total tigers.

His problem with the WWF report, he added, is that it endorses a poor methodology, something he called the North Korean model of wildlife monitoring.

Genette Hemley, the senior vice president of wildlife conservation at the WWF, said that the information they released came from the best available data.

It came from two sources, she said. One was from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which included input from tiger experts.

The second set of data, which was the more recent data, Hemley told FoxNews.com, came from surveys conducted by five countries.

Those nations are India, Bhutan, Nepal, Russia, and Bangladesh. That information led us to believe that the numbers are ticking upwards in four of those five countries, she added.

She said that survey methods have been improving but could be strengthened.

As for that number of 3,890 total tigers?

Tigers are notoriously difficult animals to study, Hemley said. Theyre nocturnal, theyre secretive, they live in dense forests. And so it is not an exact science, but it is getting better all the time. Since WCS published their statement of concern, WWF has responded, further defending their press release and the 3,890 number.

Eric Dinerstein, a tiger expert who has studied the creatures since 1975, and a former chief scientist with the WWF, shed light on the controversy.



One issue is that the 3,890 number of tigers should probably have been presented as a range, with a margin of error, he said.

Another is the way tigers are counted. The old technique is to look for their prints, which is highly fraught with error and is less accurate than modern techniques, even if it still provides evidence as to whether or not tigers are present in a given range in the first place. A much more accurate technique, he said, employs camera traps to identify tigers individually by their stripes or the patterns above their eyebrows.

Also, the scientists at WCS may have felt that the press release from the WWF had an element of grandstanding to it, Dinerstein said.

Whats more, he added: Theres a large controversy around the Indian numbers.

Some countries are known for counting their tigers carefully, he said. Bhutan, Nepal, Russia and parts of India have done this methodically, Dinerstein said. There are other countries that have done it less so.

The good news, he said, is that tigers are known for being able to rebound when given proper conditions, like when they have enough prey to eat; tiger experts have a goal of doubling the population of the big cats. Dinerstein is also co-author on a recent study that provided hopeful news about tiger habitats.

This debate its a bit vitriolic, and I dont think its that helpful, Dinerstein said. What we should be focusing on is the tremendous capacity for tigers to recover if given the right kind of circumstance and protection.
A foreign investor has filed a class action lawsuit against two developers accused of misusing $200 million in investors' funds for developments in northern Vermont.

Alexandre Daccache is suing developers Ariel Quiros and William Stenger, the financial firm Raymond James, and Joel Burstein, Quiros' then-son-in-law who worked at Raymond James. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Miami says Daccache's seeking to recover funds he says were misused, commingled and stolen.

Quiros, of Miami, and Stenger, of Newport, Vermont, are accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission and state of Vermont of misusing more than $200 million of nearly $400 million raised for the Jay Peak ski resort and other Vermont developments through a visa program that offered foreign investors a chance at U.S. residency.

Their lawyers didn't immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
The Florida Bar announced Friday it had disbarred a defense attorney accused of taking a slew of illegal drugs and engaging in phone sex with at least two jail inmates.

Linda Hadad admitted she used crystal meth, crack ecstasy, cocaine and marijuana, WFTV reports, adding that she also took Adderall, oxycodone, Xanax and Lortab without prescriptions.

The Volusia County Jail recorded her steamy phone conversations with inmates, according to court documents. In one chat, Hadad reportedly mentioned getting a sex toy.

Police had arrested the attorney last summer after she tried to escape officers who stopped her for an expired tag. Investigators used a helicopter to help find her, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports. A judge put her on five years' probation.

Hadad also admitted she used her credit card to rent a vehicle for man who repaid her with more drugs, WFTV adds. She had started her own practice after serving as a public defender, according to the news station.

There was no immediate response from Hadad.
An escaped inmate who once served time for manslaughter for killing a baby eluded authorities for a third day Thursday, leading to increased security at schools in the New Jersey town where he was last seen.

Barnegat Mayor John Novak said Thursday that a flood of leads failed to turn up 38-year-old Arthur Buckel and that state officials informed Barnegat that he is no longer there.

Surveillance video showed Buckel shopping at a CVS on Wednesday, a day after the minimum security inmate was found missing when guards did a count at Bayside State Prison in Hammonton. Hammonton is about 50 miles southwest of Barnegat.

Novak said that police officers had been stationed at all of the town's schools and that state police were escorting buses Thursday afternoon.

Matt Schuman, a spokesman for the state's department of corrections, declined to release additional information on the search for Buckel.

Buckel, whose last known address was in Clifton, had been serving a sentence for aggravated assault, drug possession and burglary. He was scheduled to be considered for paroled later this month.

Buckel previously served 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter of a 10-month-old child. He admitted to striking the child five or six times because she was crying after the girl's mother brought the child with her when visiting Buckel in 1995. He was released in 2010.
A couple in Michigan faced possible jail time for failing to return two library books over the past two years -- but managed to avoid the slammer by paying fees, according to a local report Wednesday.

The literature included a Dr. Seuss book checked out from the Tecumseh District Library in Michigan. Catherine and Melvin Duren said their son used her library card to check out the book for her granddaughter in 2014, before the family lost the book.

The couple also faced fines over the Sam Christer thriller "The Rome Prophecy," checked out last year and returned in January.

Police arrested the couple on criminal charges last month as prosecutors threatened up to three months of jail time. However, they agreed to drop the charges after the couple paid a series of fees, the Daily Telegram reported.

It's unclear how much the couple paid, but it reportedly included the cost to replace the lost Dr. Seuss book.

Prosecutors said such charges helped protect taxpayers who kept the library running. Still, Melvin Duren told the newspaper, "I didnt do anything wrong. I didnt commit no crime."

Tecumseh is roughly 60 miles southwest of Detroit.
A Justice Department division will no longer refer to people released from prison as felons or convicts because of the stigmatizing effects of the terms, an agency official announced in a Washington Post editorial Wednesday.

Instead, Assistant Attorney General Karol Mason said the disparaging labels will be replaced by person who committed a crime or individual who was incarcerated. The new lexicon is set to be utilized in speeches, solicitations, website content and social media posts emanating from the Office of Justice Programs.

I have come to believe that we have a responsibility to reduce not only the physical but also the psychological barriers to reintegration, Mason wrote. The labels we affix to those who have served time can drain their sense of self-worth and perpetuate a cycle of crime, the very thing re-entry programs are designed to prevent.

OJP is responsible for research and development efforts to fight crime, but takes no direct law enforcement actions. The agency also works with state and local authorities.

But not everyone is on board with the shift in vernacular.

J. Christian Adams, an attorney and ex-DOJ official, said the move is the latest attempt by the Obama administration to destigmatize the most abhorrent behavior. Referring to ex-cons as felons is a good thing, Adams told FoxNews.com.

It helps people make important decisions about hiring, about renting, about associating with people who have shown a proclivity to break the law, he said. Shame is not a bad thing. Its helped civilization rise. And people who cannot be trusted, who have committed violent crimes in the past, theres nothing wrong with calling them exactly what they are  and that is felons.

Mason, who has headed OJP since 2013, wrote the editorial on the heels of National Re-entry Week, last weeks attempt to bring attention to the plight of those recently released from prison. A set of measures to make it easier for ex-cons to obtain state IDs once released from jail was announced in April as part of the initiatives.

The American Bar Association documented nearly 50,000 collateral consequences of criminal convictions during a four-year period, Mason wrote, citing penalties such as employment and voting issues that plague ex-prisoners years after theyve been released. Experts believe that number may be low, given that local ordinances also often present barriers for ex-cons to gaining employment.

Our words have power, Mason wrote. They shape and color our estimations and judgments. They can build up or tear down.

The OJP move is certainly not the first time officials have tried to rebrand convicts in an attempt to make their return to civilian life easier. In October 2013, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter proposed amending the city code to replace ex-offender with returning citizen. He had already issued an executive order making the language swap mandatory for city employees.

Adams said it may be easy to shift the recent tide of softening language if a leader with courage is in place. But hes not necessarily optimistic about the prospects.

In the past this has been a one way ratchet, that every time these attempts to delegitimize American society are put in place, nobody has the courage to reverse them, he said. They dont want to be criticized.
Nearly 200 firefighters battled a large blaze Thursday at a warehouse complex in Houston that officials said released hazardous materials into the air and forced the evacuation of hundreds of students from a nearby elementary school.

BREAKING: 4-alarm fire in West Houston, #Texas. No reports of injuries. Stay tuned to Fox News Channel for latest.https://t.co/pAgNFoP3oG  Fox News (@FoxNews) May 5, 2016

The four-alarm fire, which generated towering plumes of black smoke, began about 10 a.m. at a custom packing and filling company in west Houston.

The Houston Fire Department didn't immediately say which hazardous materials may have been released during the fire and explosions that rattled the industrial area. City officials issued an alert ordering people in nearby homes and businesses to stay inside, close all windows and shut off air conditioning. No injuries have been reported.

A spokesman for the fire department didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

The name of the business and its owner has not been released.

Authorities have not said what they believe started the blaze, which TV station coverage showed was dying down by about 11:30 a.m. The plumes of heavy black smoke had dissipated and firefighters could be seen spraying white foam around the complex.

About 650 students and 80 staff members at a nearby elementary school were taken by bus to an indoor arena located about seven miles away.

"Right next to (the fire) was Spring Branch Elementary and we needed to get those kiddos out," said Chuck Brawner, police chief with the Spring Branch school district. Brawner said the elementary school was the only school in that area.

Click for more from Fox 26.
In The Business of Good, serial and social entrepreneur Jason Haber intertwines case studies and anecdotes that show how social entrepreneurship is creating jobs, growing the economy, and ultimately changing the world. In this edited excerpt, Haber profiles one social entrepreneur whos doing good and making money.

Every eight seconds, one person dies from illnesses borne out of inhaling open flame cook smoke. Thats the equivalent of losing the entire population of New Zealand every single year. The hazards of open flame cooking in the developing world have been well documented for many years. The inhalation of smoke and black carbon can lead to lung disease, eye disease, and death. Since women and children tend to be the primary food preparers, theyre the most at risk for such afflictions. Some 4.3 million people succumb annually to illnesses from open flame cooking, which is more than the amount of people who die from HIV and malaria -- combined.

The solution seems pretty straightforward: People should use an alternative stove that doesnt produce dangerous smoke. And that approach has been tried many times. In fact, charities have given them away. Typically theyve been stoves designed for the developed world or cheaply made products that could be adapted for use in the developing world. Generally speaking, these products reduce smoke; they dont eliminate it. As a result, these stoves havent been problem solving or game changing.

Enter African Clean Energy (ACE) and its enigmatic COO and director of operations, Judith Joan Walker. Theres a perception it will fail or crash and burn, Walker says. We are here to make this a sustainable business. It can be done in a different way.

How is the clean stovetop produced by ACE different from whats already out on the market? Walker explained that in the past, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and nonprofits have offered low-quality products. ACE started with the premise that the poor are customers, and like any smart company, it starts with creating the right product for your customers.

No one says, Give me a shitty, cheap product -- thats not what they want. We dont treat the less fortunate like they are a lower class, Walker says. Instead, ACE treats them like a market filled with potential customers.

Our customers -- I want to treat them as customers. Lets stop treating poor people like they dont know what they want, she says. With this in mind, ACE has engineered a product for the needs of the poor. First, it eliminates all smoke, rather than dampening it. Second, it works on multiple fuel sources, including biomass pellets and cow pies. Sensing my surprise at that last fuel source, Walker discussed the particulars of cow pies that make them an excellent fuel source. Finally, the stove gasifies the fuel source to create a smokeless burn, which eliminates the daily hazards faced by those who rely on open flame cooking.

The ACE-1, as the device is called, comes with a DC connector and a USB port that can turn the product into a power source. This is perfect for powering lanterns and other electronic devices. Its more than a convenience -- its a necessity for many who live in areas that dont have access to an electricity grid. Microlending through M-Pesa and Kiva makes the device affordable to a larger share of the market. Default rates remain remarkably low.

The ACE-1 is made in Lesotho, a tiny, poor country surrounded by South Africa and not known for its manufacturing prowess. African Clean Energy is helping the local economy by creating jobs, which allows it to have a greater impact outside of its customer base.

The for-profit model is clearly different. It channels Capitalism 2.0 by bringing profits to ACE and helping the world at the same time. By reducing the number of people using open flame for cooking purposes, it presents a tremendous upside for a healthier community. That increases productivity in a powerful way.

The way weve done things before is like were looking to alleviate our colonial guilt, says Walker. We go in and hand out stuff and [say] You arent doing what we think you should be doing, so try this. 

And because consumers -- all consumers -- like choices, the product comes in multiple colors. Walker gets asked the same question all the time: Why arent you a nonprofit?

When I posed that same question to her, she was ready with her reply. Because were doing something good for the world, we should also do it for free -- thats the strange perception of the world, Walker says. If youre doing something good for the world, you shouldnt make money on it. Just like directors of NGOs or charities; they shouldnt make money. But tomorrow if I designed an app that gave you funny eyebrows and it went crazy and everyone was sharing it and I made a billion dollars on an app that gave you a funny-looking face, everyone would pat me on the back and say congrats. But if youre doing something incredible, people are dubious.

African Clean Energy is scaling its model. Its raising investment capital, creating jobs, and building a strong sustainable business. Its also creating a win-win. We can do well financially and have no downside whatsoever, Walker says. Thats how the world should be.
Steve Case is a man of many accomplishments, but you likely know him best as the co-founder of America Online, or AOL. By building up an Internet community, investing in startups through Revolution LLC, and traveling the world for Rise of the Rest, Case has established himself as a Web pioneer. Now, hes helping the future of the Web prepare for the third wave with his book, "The Third Wave: An Entrepreneurs Vision of the Future."

Case defines the third wave as one in which entrepreneurs will vastly transform major real world sectors like health, education, transportation, energy and food -- and in the process change the way we live our daily lives. Through this digital revolution, businesses big and small will have to stay on their toes and build partnerships to continue to meet consumers needs.

Related: Steve Case: 'The Team You Build Will Define the Company You Build'

I was fortunate to catch up with Steve Case just after his book release. We talked how to break into unexplored industries, the Internets near and far-off future and advice for new entrepreneurs just getting off the ground.

What gave you the strength and inspiration to start AOL when the Internet was so new and unexplored?

In 1980, while I was a senior at Williams College, I read a book called "The Third Wave" by futurist Alvin Toffler. I was captivated and mesmerized. His third wave predicted a technology revolution where people would use computers to participate in an interactive world. Tofflers electronic village would be centered around community and shared interested, not place. In other words, I was reading a futuristic view of what would become the Internet.

I knew Toffler was right, and I knew I wanted to be part of building out the interactive world. But there was no such thing as an Internet company to join for a kid graduating from college in 1980. After a few stints at large corporations, I joined an interactive video game startup in Virginia. It failed, as many startups do, but in the process I met Marc Seriff and Jim Kimsey. We co-founded what would become AOL in 1985. Ultimately we helped create the electronic village Toffler had imagined.

When did you realize there was such a stark contrast between the three waves of the Internet?

Over the last few years Ive traveled 4,000 miles by bus on Revolutions Rise of the Rest road trips, where we meet with talented entrepreneurs, innovators, and public leaders nationwide. During one of the trips I had an ah-ha moment of inspiration, and it hit me that some big trends were gathering momentum. It became obvious that people didnt realize how dramatically and consequentially the tectonic plates of our economy were about to shift.

When we started AOL in 1985, only 3 percent of Americans were online. So we -- and many others, including Yahoo, Microsoft, Cisco -- set out to get America online. Then the second wave kicked in, and the last fifteen years have been about building apps and services on top of the Internet. Core capabilities such as search and social became prevalent, as have smartphones, which ushered in a mobile revolution and the app economy.

Related: SXSW: Steve Case Asks Entrepreneurs -- Are You Ready For the Third Wave?

In this coming Third Wave, as entrepreneurs can leverage the ubiquity of the Internet, theyll be able to finally transform the largest sectors of our economy: health, food, education, transportation. All of this will require a new mindset and a new playbook for executives, employees, and policymakers. So Ive written a book that explains the new playbook while taking readers back to my journey building AOL, merging with Time Warner, investing through Revolution, and working on public policy issues.

How will the third wave affect startups?

Innovation in the third wave will generally be more challenging. Getting started may be easier, because of things like cloud computing and crowdfunding, but achieving scale and success will be harder, because it will generally necessitate partnerships. In the second wave it was often about the app, and you could go it alone; in the third wave, it is about connecting technology to systems, and entrepreneurs will often need partnerships to achieve scale and differentiation. If you want to revolutionize learning, for example, its not enough to create an app; you also have to engage with teachers and schools to drive adoption. If you want to innovate in health care, you need to work with doctors and hospitals.

In terms of funding, I am a big believer in crowdfunding. While today 75 percent of venture capital goes to just three states (California, New York, and Massachusetts), and 90 percent goes to men, were beginning to see the benefits of crowdfunding as a means of leveling the playing field, so anybody with any idea, irrespective of where they are, have more of a shot. The seed capital to get started will increasingly come from these crowdfunding platforms, and then as entrepreneurs achieve some momentum, they can more readily connect with institutional investors to get expansion capital.

Will the third wave affect startups and big businesses equally?

As I think about the third wave, Im reminded of Kodak. They knew one day digital photography would threaten their core business -- indeed, they knew this because engineers at Kodak invented digital photography. But corporate executives were reticent when it came to planning for the digital future. Eventually they went bankrupt.

Related: Steve Case: Great Companies Will Thrive, Despite Where They're Based

In the third wave corporate leaders and their employees will have no choice but to develop a perpetual sense of paranoia and curiosity in order to survive and remain competitive. Indeed the largest publisher today produces no content (Facebook), the largest hospitality company owns no hotel rooms (Airbnb), and the largest taxi service owns no cars (Uber) -- and yet this is only the tip of the iceberg. Disruption has broadened in the third wave: competition will not just emerge from the low end of your specific sector. Rather, competition will also come out of other industries. Large corporations must embrace self-disruption and constantly think about reinvesting their business.

How will the third wave affect American education and policymaking?

Third wave industries are among the most regulated in the economy, from energy, to financial services, to education, to health. And government is not just a regulator in these sectors; it is often also a very large customer. New lending platforms will be regulated by the SEC, drone delivery services will be regulated by the FAA, genetic tests will need FDA approval. Simply put, government and policymaking will be a key component of the third wave.

That means [entrepreneurs will] need to learn policy and engage with government. Many startups wont be able to raise financing without showing a go-to-market strategy that includes a policy plan. In the first wave, investors were concerned about technology risk; can you build it. In the second wave, it was generally about market risk; can you drive adoption. In the third wave, policy risk and partner risk, will be front and center; can you navigate the regulatory process and establish partnerships with critical organizations.

Policymakers have an obligation to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the third wave -- they can be helpful enabling successful startup activity in cities across the country. They can help by passing immigration reform so we win the talent battle, reducing regulatory burdens on entrepreneurs, supporting rising startup ecosystems at the local level, build on the JOBS Act and improve access to capital. Finally we really need to modernize government so that its more responsive in the third wave.

Youre clearly involved in a variety of entrepreneurial support foundations. Do you think successful business owners are responsible for ensuring or supporting the success of newer entrepreneurs?

Absolutely. Successful startup activity is a virtuous cycle: as companies have exits and wealth is created, investors and early employees often put capital into new companies. We saw this with the success of AOL in the DC area, which has led to the creation of dozens of new startups creating new jobs and innovations. I do think there is an obligation to give back in some way -- whether through investing in the next wave of startups or philanthropy.

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs seeking to further develop other unexplored fields?

I recommend they follow the three Ps: passion, people, and perseverance. In terms of passion, you need to care deeply about the mission and what you are exploring. When you get up in the morning you need to be fired up to work on your startup. The biggest companies in the third wave will disrupt health, food, energy, transportation -- whatever it is youre doing, you need to feel passion. Passion will help you stick with it when times are tough.

Second, you need to be surrounded by the right people. Entrepreneurship is a team sport and you need the right players in the right seats, working together on the right priorities, in the right way. Whenever I talk to an entrepreneur pitching for an investment, one of the first questions I ask is about the team.

And third wave entrepreneurs will need to have perseverance. In the second wave there were some true overnight sensations, companies that came out of nowhere and achieved almost instant success. But the big winners in the third wave are going to need to persevere, as sometimes revolutions happen in evolutionary ways. And they will need strategic partners, and those often take time to build.

Steve Case now spends a majority of his time investing in unique ideas and people through Revolution LLC and The Case Foundation.
Call him the anti-Ferris Bueller.

A high school senior, also from the Chicago area, is just a few weeks away from graduating with perfect attendance, Fox 32 reports. In fact, it seems he hasn't missed a day of school in 12 years.

A number one priority is to get to school, because if you're not at school, how are you going to learn, and how are you going to excel in your classes? Steven Hanus said.

It runs in the family. His older brothers Tommy and Jimmy also made it from grades 1-12 without ever taking a sick day or letting vacations interrupt schoolwork.

Bloom Trail High School in Chicago Heights honored Steven for his effort. He's set to graduate on May 22.

His parents helped him along. His father told the news station he encouraged his sons to keep their streaks going. Their mother said she even squirted water on their faces to wake them up some mornings.

"I'd rather him be at school. And learning what he needs to learn, Patti Hanus said.

The hit 1986 movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" followed a high school student who did the opposite, concocting an elaborate plot to play hooky before his graduation.

Click for more from Fox 32.
A Philadelphia woman who was arrested after she refused to answer questions during a traffic stop in New Jersey has sued state police, claiming troopers violated basic rules by arresting her for remaining silent.

Rebecca Musarra, an attorney, filed the federal civil rights lawsuit after the Oct. 16 stop on Route 519 near the border with Pennsylvania in Warren County, NJ.com reported. At least three troopers insisted after she was pulled over that refusing to answer questions was a criminal act, according to the lawsuit.

Spokesmen for the state police and the attorney general's office, which is representing the troopers, declined to comment on the allegations. State police spokesman Capt. Stephen Jones said the department's internal affairs office conducts a review any time misconduct is alleged.

"In the event that problems are identified, training and/or disciplinary measures are implemented where appropriate," Jones said in an email.

Lawyers for the state have sought in court filings to have the case dismissed, claiming that the troopers "acted in good faith and without fraud or malice."

A trooper pulled Musarra over for suspected speeding, requested her license, registration and insurance, and asked if she knew why she was being pulled over, according to dash camera footage obtained by NJ.com through an open records request. Musarra said she provided the documents but didn't respond to the troopers.

"You're going to be placed under arrest if you don't answer my questions," one of the troopers told her before she was handcuffed and taken to a police station. Musarra asked the troopers if she was being detained, and one of the troopers said, "Yeah, obstruction."

Musarra said a supervisor watched dashboard camera footage and let her go without charges.
Authorities in Florida said Wednesday that there have been reported sightings of the missing Air Force veteran, but none have panned out.

Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said at a press conference that his office has received many tips about the disappearance of Tricia Todd. The 30-year-old Hobe Sound mother was reported missing last week after she failed to pick up her 2-year-old daughter.

Snyder said Todds family, friends and ex-husband have been cooperating in the investigation.

This is still an active search, Snyder said. We have no plans to stop searching for Tricia Todd.

Investigators said Friday they were looking into Todds suspicious disappearance. The Martin County Sheriffs Office said her car was found in her neighbors driveway last week.

Snyder said forensics experts have examined the car, her home and her ex-husbands car and there were no signs of a crime had been committed. He also said there were no signs of any credit card activity, despite her wallet being gone.

There is absolutely no evidence that a crime occurred, Snyder said. This is a strong circumstantial case for an abduction except that some of the elements that we would see in an abduction are missing.

Authorities continued to search for Todd Wednesday. Authorities used cadaver dogs to search an aera near the Hungryland Wildlife and Environmental Area, according to Fox 29 Palm Beach.

The Palm Beach Post reported that Todd is an Air Force veteran and registered hospice nurse.

Her ex-husband serves in the Air Force and was returning to North Carolina where he is stationed, the paper reported. Snyder said Wednesday hes not connected with her disappearance.

A relative of his is taking care of the child, Sheriff William Snyder told the Post.

Click for more from WPBF-TV.
A South Carolina parole board's decision to grant early release for a teenager who served just one year of a five-year sentence on a gun charge rattled local law enforcement because authorities said the teen was attracted to the Islamic State and plotted to kill U.S. troops in North Carolina.

The 17-year-old was not identified, but apparently benefited from the states lack of terrorism laws. The state could only charge him with the weapons crime and no federal charges were reportedly ever sought.

The city of Yorks police chief, Andy Robinson, said terror charges could have been leveled by the federal government, but that bureaucracy is very complicated.

Apparently someone in Washington decided this wasnt worth pursuing or it wasnt in their parameters, he said.

Consternation over the parole boards decision was felt widely by local law enforcement and elected officials. York County Sheriff Bruce Bryant said he was devastated that the teen will be released. The teen reportedly laid out plans to live in nearby Charleston with his mother and two sisters.

This is a person who has threatened law enforcement, threatened military personnel, he said, according to The State newspaper.

Another law enforcement official told the newspaper that he does not believe the teens ideals have changed and local law enforcement will request that the FBI keep tabs on him, because we dont have the manpoweror the capability. The towns mayor, Eddie Lee, echoed the concern and said he is outraged.

The teenager was identified as an American citizen whose family is from Syria.

The prosecutor charged that the boy was plotting with a Muslim militant from North Carolina to rob a gun store near Raleigh, N.C., with plans of killing soldiers as revenge for U.S. military action in the Middle East.

The teen was wholeheartedly sincere in his beliefs, and we are very concerned for the safety of the community and the country, Solicitor Kevin Brackett said at sentencing. He had a plan to randomly shoot American soldiers.

Defense lawyer B.J. Barrowclough said the parole board made the right decision. Traumatic life experiences like the death of his father and the mistreatment by a family member contributed to him being led down the wrong path, he reportedly said.

Barrowclough previously said his client didnt want to hurt anyone in the U.S. Instead, he wanted to fight the regime in Syria that had hurt and killed members of his own family, he said. One of the teens lawyers said his client had an exemplary disciplinary record and did all that was asked of him in custody.

Barrowclough asked the judge for probation, saying the teen had no criminal record and was in school and working to care for his mother.

The teens mother and uncle also spoke to the court, saying the boy was a good youngster who believed in the laws of the U.S. and didnt mean any harm.

FoxNews.com's Edmund DeMarche and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man dismissed last month from a Houston-area transportation company stormed into the facility and opened fire on Wednesday, fatally shooting a former co-worker and injuring two others before turning the gun on himself, saying his life had been ruined, sheriff's officials said.

The man was armed with a shotgun and a pistol when he arrived at the Knight Transportation office in Katy, about 20 miles west of Houston, according to Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman. The sheriff said the man "parked right outside the building and came straight in."

The man was heard by workers saying something to the effect of "you all ruined my life" as he walked through the building and may have been looking for someone, sheriff's spokesman Ralph Gonzales said.

The gunman fatally shot one man, who was found dead at the scene by responding officers. Two other workers were injured by shrapnel or other debris from the gunfire, and both were treated at the scene, Gonzales said.

The names of the gunman and the victims haven't been released. The sheriff said one deputy injured his knee during the incident.

Hickman had no information on how long the man had been employed by Knight Transportation, which provides truckload transportation services.

The Phoenix-based company released a statement Wednesday saying work at the facility was being suspended until the investigation was complete. It said counselors would be on site to support employees.

The company confirmed an employee was killed during the shooting, saying: "Our deepest sympathies are with the family during this difficult time."

"This was the action of a lone former employee," the company added. "Knight is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of all of its employees."

The sheriff said during a news conference shortly after the shooting that the gunman had been fired that morning, but Gonzales said investigators later determined the dismissal happened two weeks ago.

Numerous patrol vehicles surrounded the facility as deputies responded to reports of gunfire. A nearby high school went on lockdown for about an hour as a precaution, said Denisse Cantu, a spokeswoman with the Katy Independent School District. She said three other district campuses also were briefly closed during the incident.


A Utah school official said Wednesday that a white teacher violated district policy by using a racially-charged word in his junior high class.

Weber School District spokesman Nate Taggart said appropriate administrative action was taken against Douglas Barker. The history teacher at South Ogden Junior High School used the N-word before showing his class of 8th graders the Civil War film Glory, Taggart said.

"That is not appropriate language to use in any classroom context," Taggart said.

Barker told the Associated Press in an email that he was making sure his students understood why the world would be used in the film. He said he told his students that its not an appropriate term.

The film "Glory" follows an all-African American volunteer company fighting in the Civil War.

"My intent has never been to offend, only to teach for understanding with historical context," Barker said in the email.

Holly Frye, a parent of a 14-year-old student, said her son doesnt feel safe at school anymore after the teacher spent an entire period last month saying and defining the word at the school.

Frye said the curriculum doesnt include anything about talking about what the word means.

"If he were at a KKK rally, I guess that would be OK, but he's in a public school system," Frye said.

Frye said she was told the movie will no longer be allowed in junior or high school classes.

Taggart said the Barker also violated policy by showing the PG-rated version of the movie without permission. The original version of Glory is rated R.

Frye said she believes her son was shown the R-rated version. Movie theaters require that all children under the age of 17 who see an R-rated movie be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Taggart also said Barker had the confederate flag in his classroom last year and took it down voluntarily.

Frye wants to see the school district take further action in response to the incident, including providing all administrators with sensitivity training. She would also like to see Barker removed from his post as a history teacher.

She said she wants to "teach Mr. Barker that he cannot get away with using his classroom as a stance to preach his racist rhetoric."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Los Angeles man was found guilty of murdering ten people in the decades-old "Grim Sleeper" case Thursday afternoon.

A jury found Lonnie Franklin Jr., 63, a former garbage collector who also worked as a mechanic for the Los Angeles Police Department, guilty of all ten slayings in Los Angeles County Superior Court after a two-month trial.

He was also found guilty of one count of attempted murder.

Franklin could face the death penalty in the case. He showed no emotion as the verdicts were read.

The killings from 1985 to 2007 were dubbed the work of the "Grim Sleeper" because of an apparent 14-year gap after one woman survived a gunshot to the chest in 1988.



The crimes went unsolved for decades and community members complained that police ignored the cases because the victims were black, poor and some were prostitutes and drug users.

Victims' bodies were discovered in alleys in a rough part of Los Angeles, hidden in trash bins or covered by mattresses or debris.

After months of testimony, a prosecutor said that the evidence overwhelmingly pointed to Franklin and spoke for the vulnerable victims he silenced as he spent years hiding in plain sight.

"How do we figure out what happened here? How do we know who committed these crimes?" Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman asked as she closed her case in Los Angeles Superior Court.

"Ten of the victims can't tell you themselves. The defendant took their voices when he brutally murdered them... The evidence in this case is the voice of the victims."

Defense lawyer Seymour Amster claimed in the long-running trial that a "mystery man," an unnamed nephew of Franklin, was the real killer.

"Each and every murder in this case could have been done by a mystery man with a mystery gun with mystery DNA," Amster said.

Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman shot back during her rebuttal that Amster had concocted an imaginary scenario at the last minute in the face of overwhelming evidence of guilt.

"The theory of the defense is basically the equivalent of the skies opening up, a space ship descending and murdering all these women," Silverman said as members in the audience snickered.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Syrian pro-opposition activists say an airstrike hit a refugee camp in northern Syria on Thursday, killing at least 28 people displaced from the country's devastating civil war. It is unclear who carried out the strike in the countrys Idlib province, near the Turkish border.

The Local Coordination Committees network says first responders are at the site, extinguishing fires that have erupted in the impacted zone. A photo that was posted on the LCC's Facebook page shows at least a dozen tents burned to the ground.

Earlier Thursday, a car bomb exploded in the main square of a central Syrian village, and once people gathered to help the victims, a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle detonated his explosives belt nearby, killing at least 10 people and wounding scores, state media and the regional governor said.

The twin attack in the central province of Homs came hours after a truce brought relative calm to the northern city of Aleppo, which has been the center of violence in recent weeks.

The truce was announced by U.S. officials in agreement with Russia, in an effort to extend Syria's fragile cease-fire to the deeply contested city. The Syrian military said the truce would last only 48 hours.

Syrian President Bashar Assad, meanwhile, said in remarks that came in the form of a letter to the Russian president that Aleppo will eventually be victorious, comparing the Syrian government forces' resistance in the city to the protracted World War II battle of Stalingrad.

The 10 killed in Homs included four children and three women, state TV said. As many as 49 were wounded in the attack, which took place in the village of Mukharam al-Fawkani, located about 28 miles east of the central city of Homs, Syria's third-largest.

Homs Gov. Talal Barrazi told The Associated Press that the blasts were trigged by a car bomb and a suicide attacker. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed the attack and the death toll.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Islamic State group has in the past months claimed to be behind several similar deadly attacks in Homs province.

The area of the blasts is close to where Syrian troops and IS gunmen have been fighting for control of the vital Shaer gas field, which fell to the Islamic State on Wednesday after the extremists overran 13 government checkpoints and captured a Syrian soldier. The Observatory said 34 government troops and 16 militants have been killed in three days of fighting there.

In Aleppo, Syrian state media reported some violations of the truce, saying militants fired more than 20 shells into government-held parts of the city, where 280 civilians have been killed over the past two weeks, according to the Observatory. The activist group said Thursday's shelling killed one person and wounded others.

The opposition's Halab Today TV also reported relative calm in Aleppo province, adding that there was sporadic shelling of some villages in the province, which borders Turkey.

In his letter to Vladimir Putin that was carried on Syrian state media, Assad vowed that Aleppo and other Syrian cities and towns will defeat "the aggression" the way the Soviet Red Army defeated Nazi forces in Stalingrad.

"Aleppo today, as well as all Syrian cities embrace the heroic Stalingrad and pledge that despite the viciousness of the aggression ... our cities, villages, people and army will not accept anything less than defeating the aggression," Assad said.

It was unclear why Assad was making the comparison, but the rhetoric could be playing to Russian patriotic sentiment ahead of Victory Day next week  May 9 marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union at the end of World War II.

Also Thursday, Russian media reported that renowned conductor Valery Gergiev will be leading a concert in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra to support the restoration of the UNESCO heritage site and in honor of the victims of Syria's war.

Gergiev offered his support to Palmyra, badly damaged by IS extremists who held the town for 10 months before Syrian troops captured it under the cover of Russian airstrikes in March, Russia Today said. The St. Petersburg theater announced the concert, dubbed "With a Prayer for Palmyra," would start 1400 GMT on Thursday.

Elsewhere, a salvo of rockets struck southern Turkey from Syrian territory, wounding four people, Turkey's state-run agency said. The Anadolu Agency said three rockets hit the Turkish town of Kilis early Thursday.

The rockets were fired from ISIS-controlled territory in Syria, according to the private Dogan News agency. It said one policeman was among the wounded. The agency carried photographs of damaged buildings and vehicles.

Such incidents have become a regular occurrence in the border town, which is home to a significant Syrian refugee population. Cross-border fire has left 20 people dead and dozens of others wounded this year.

The Turkish military typically fires back in line with its rules of engagement and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned IS on Wednesday that no attack on Turkey would go unanswered.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
China on Tuesday aired the first television footage of ongoing construction at a disputed reef in the South China Sea as the country gears up for more military exercises in the region.

Video of buildings, roads and lighthouses being built on Fiery Cross Reef were seen in a China Central Television broadcast, TIME reported, citing the state-run Global Times newspaper.

The construction footage appeared in a segment about a dance troupe from Chinas army that happened to be performing on the reef. The territory is also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

A day after the reported broadcast, Chinas military announced it would carry out more military drills in the South China Sea involving warships, a new guided missile destroyer and submarines.

The state-run Xinhua news agency did not say when the drills will take place, Reuters reported.

More than $5 trillion in maritime trade passes through the South China Sea each year  where Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims to its islands and reefs.


Children as young as 9 are being tracked as the next potential jihadists, a Dutch intelligence official warned Monday.

Rob Bertholee, the head of intelligence for the Netherlands, said authorities identified 70 minors out of a group of around 250 Dutch citizens who left the country to wage jihad in the Middle East, NBC News reports.

When asked about his countrys decision to include children 9 and older on the terror list, Bertholee responded, "We cannot rule out any scenarios.

The Netherlands General Intelligence and Security Service said in January that a third of Dutch children in Syria and Iraq had been born there, suggesting that those who fled the Netherlands struck up relationships with militants after arriving, Newsweek reports.

The service said women in ISIS territory are expected to marry and have children as soon as possible.
The Israeli military said it uncovered a new tunnel Thursday stretching from southern Gaza Strip into Israel and built by Palestinian militants seeking to stage attacks in Israel, a discovery that comes amid an escalation in violence between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers.

Gaza's health ministry reported a woman was killed in Israeli shelling that came in response to mortar fire by militants on Israel Thursday night. The fighting in recent days has been among some of the most serious violence between Gaza and Israel since a 50-day summer war in 2014.

Earlier, the military announced that a joint operation last month with the Shin Bet security service led to the arrest of a "Hamas terror operative involved in the terror organizations tunnel network."

It said the man was nabbed after crossing the border to carry out an attack and later provided detailed information about the elaborate Hamas tunnel network, the military said.

Gaza militants fired several volleys of mortars at Israel on several occasions Thursday, prompting Israeli retaliatory fire and airstrikes on militant targets repeatedly used by the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups.

Mousa Abu Marzouk, an official with the Islamic militant Hamas group that rules Gaza, said Egypt and Qatar have intervened to try to restore calm.

Last month, Israel discovered and destroyed another tunnel dug from Gaza into Israel. The two tunnels are the first to be found since the 2014 Gaza war, sparking concerns in Israel that Hamas is rebuilding its underground tunnel network in preparation for another conflagration. Toward the end of the 2014 war, Israel destroyed more than 30 tunnels that Hamas had dug under the border. Hamas militants had used the tunnels to infiltrate Israel and carry out attacks.

The tunnel found Thursday is about 29 meters (95 feet) underground, the army said, and it was not immediately clear whether it is a newly dug tunnel or an older tunnel Israel had hit and which had been repaired. It was discovered by soldiers on the Gaza side of the border fence in a 100-meter zone that Israeli forces still operate in and patrol.

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an army spokesman, said Hamas militants may have fired toward soldiers because they realized Israel was closing in on its tunnel.

"Hamas is continuing to try to carry out and build this infrastructure into Israel and it's something we are not prepared to tolerate," Lerner said.

After Israel announced the discovery of the tunnel, more mortar rounds were fired at Israeli troops along the Gaza border fence, the military said.

Israel's military responded with tank fire. About an hour later, Gaza militants fired several more mortars at the area and Israeli tanks again retaliated, the military said. Shortly afterward, Gaza residents reported Israeli jets hit open areas and observation posts used by Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants.

The Hamas operative captured in April after crossing into Israel was identified as Mahmoud Atuna, 29. The military said he detailed "Hamas' construction methods, and how Hamas utilized private homes and public institutions to hide the tunnels."

The military also said he "pin-pointed several digging locations as well as tunnel shafts" for future attacks and disclosed details of the Hamas network within the Gaza Strip for the transportation of terror operatives and weaponry. The network, according to the information the captured operative provided, "includes resting areas, showers, and dining areas for the benefit of the operatives underground," it said.

Atuna also disclosed names and of other militants and information on weapons stored in Gaza homes, the military said.

Earlier in the day, the military said it had hit "terrorist infrastructure sites" belonging to Hamas. The Gaza Health Ministry said three children and a 65-year-old Palestinian suffered light-to-moderate injuries in an airstrike that hit a metal workshop in Gaza City.

The workshop's owner, Hassan Hassanin, said his well-digging truck -- which he described as the only one in Gaza that can reach a depth of 37 meters (121 feet) -- was hit.

"Why was it bombed," he asked. "I don't pose any threat to Israel's security. Israel itself knows this machine, what it does and what its capabilities are. It doesn't pose any danger to security."

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized power in Gaza in 2007. In the 2014 summer war, more than 2,200 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them civilians, were killed. On the Israeli side, 66 soldiers and seven civilians were killed.

Israel and Hamas have largely observed a cease-fire since that war, but other militant groups also operate in Gaza. Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for any attacks out of the territory.

The latest escalation comes amid a months-long wave of violence that has seen near-daily attacks by Palestinians, mostly stabbings, which have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans. Some 193 Palestinians have been killed, most said by Israel to have been attackers and the rest killed in clashes with Israeli forces.




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A top aide to Italian Premier Matteo Renzi says Rome supports a proposal by the European Union's executive to fine nations for refusing migrants they were supposed to accept.

Fewer than 600 of 40,000 asylum-seekers who were supposed to be relocated from Italy to other EU countries have been transferred since October.

On Thursday, the European Commission proposed that countries refusing to accept migrants should face fines of 250,000 euros ($287,000) per person rejected.

Undersecretary for European Affairs Sandro Gozi said Thursday that Italy backs the proposal.

He says it's "unacceptable" some didn't honor their obligation to accept asylum-seekers who were supposed to be relocated from Italy, Greece and Hungary.
Britons voted Thursday in local and regional elections that will choose a new mayor for London  and are expected to deal a blow to Britain's main opposition Labour Party.

Voters are electing a Scottish Parliament and legislatures in Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as choosing members of many English local authorities, including a new London mayor to replace flamboyant Conservative Boris Johnson.

The mayoral race pits the Labour Party's Sadiq Khan against Conservative Zac Goldsmith. Pollsters and bookies make Khan the favorite to win and become the city's first Muslim mayor, after a bitter campaign that saw Goldsmith accuse his rival of sharing platforms with Islamic extremists.

Khan, a former human rights lawyer and the son of a bus driver from Pakistan, accused wealthy environmentalist Goldsmith of trying to divide voters in one of the world's most multicultural cities, home to 8.6 million people  more than 1 million of them Muslims.

Tony Travers, a local government expert at the London School of Economics, said the introduction of a directly elected London mayor 16 years ago has "brought into politics an American form of government" that differs from traditional British Parliamentary and local government structures.

"Now intriguingly this time  and we've seen a bit of it before  it appears to have brought with it some of the harder American campaign tactics," he said.

A victory for Khan would be a bright spot in what looks set to be a grim day for Labour, which has been out of office nationally since 2010.

Opposition parties usually gain seats in mid-term elections as voters punish the sitting government. But Labour under left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn is divided and beset by a controversy over allegations of anti-Semitism within its ranks. The furor erupted when former London mayor Ken Livingstone  a Corbyn ally  claimed that Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism before he came to power.

Livingstone, Labour lawmaker Naz Shah and several local party officials have been suspended over comments or social media posts about Israel, and Corbyn has faced renewed pressure over his links to pro-Palestinian groups.

Corbyn predicted last week that Labour would not lose seats, but later said that "predictions are not that important."

A poor showing would bolster discontented Labour lawmakers who believe the party is heading for a third straight general election defeat in 2020 if Corbyn  a rumpled life-long socialist with strong support among the party's grass roots  is not replaced.

Some voters were turned away from polling stations in the north London borough of Barnet early Friday after being told their names did not appear on a list of electors. The council said the problem had been fixed by late morning, and urged voters who had been turned away to try again.

Sophie Walker, mayoral candidate for the Women's Equality Party, said some voters would be unable to return, and she would make a formal complaint about the glitch.

"These are vital votes, particularly for smaller parties," she said.

In Scotland, the pro-independence Scottish National Party is on course to win a majority of seats in the Edinburgh-based parliament and retain governmental power, with Labour at risk of sinking to third place behind the Conservatives.

The SNP oversaw an unsuccessful 2014 referendum on leaving the U.K., but has said it could make a fresh independence bid if British voters choose to leave the European Union in a June 23 poll.

In Northern Ireland, which has its own set of political parties reflecting the Catholic-Protestant divide, rivals are competing to see whether the Catholic side can overtake the territory's dwindling Protestant majority for the first time.

The outcome of the Northern Ireland Assembly election will determine who serves as first minister atop the surprisingly durable, nine-year-old coalition government, which has overseen relative calm following four decades of conflict that claimed 3,700 lives.

The party with the most assembly seats always receives the top post. The incumbent is Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland's first female leader. Polls suggest the Irish nationalists of Sinn Fein will narrow the gap with the Democratic Unionists, but fall short of overtaking the Protestant side of the house.

Polls are open until 10 p.m. (5 p.m. ET), and results of all the races are due Friday.
The Pentagon announced Thursday a U.S. strike in Syria killed a married jihadi couple who had recruited Islamic State fighters online while plotting attacks against countries including the United States.

The husband and wife were identified as Abu Issa Al-Amriki and Umm Issa Al-Amrikiah. Al-Amriki is Arabic for the Americans, but Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said he did not know if the couple had ever traveled or lived in the United States. He said the husband was originally from Sudan and the wife was from Australia.

This was a strike carried out against a target that we believe not only had plotted in the past against Western interests, including the United States, but had the potential to do the same again, Cook told reporters.

The couple had also planned attacks targeting the United Kingdom and Canada, according to the Pentagon. Cook refused to describe details of the operation, only that the couple was killed in a manned airstrike on April 22.

The husband focused on recruiting men while the wife recruited women, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor. One social media post attributed to the wife read, "My account is for sisters only, so unless you menstruate do not message me."

A separate social media account, apparently from another ISIS supporter, claimed the husband and wife were inside their home with the airstrike blew it to pieces.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
Russian officials said Wednesday that Moscow will create three new divisions of about 10,000 soldiers each to counter NATOs planned troop buildup in Eastern Europe.

The Defense Ministry is taking a series of measures to counter the expansion of NATO forces in direct proximity to the Russian border, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

Shoigu said the new Russian divisions would be formed by the end of the year. Reuters, citing Russian media, reported that the Russian divisions would include about 10,000 soldiers each.

Western officials told The Wall Street Journal last week that NATO is planning to send about 4,000 troops to Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliances planned buildup in the Baltics wouldnt have happened if Russia didnt insert itself into the Ukraine conflict in 2014. Stoltenberg said NATOs deployment was a reaction to Russian aggression.

The announcement of heightened military measures on both sides comes after a serious of incidents in the skies and the Baltic Sea involving U.S. jets, a U.S. destroyer and Russian warplanes.

Last week, a Russian Su-27 performed a barrel roll over a U.S. spy plane in the Baltic Sea. Russia said the U.S. plane was coming too close to a military base and had its transponder turned off.

Su-27s and a military helicopter also simulated attack passes near the USS Donald Cook, flying up to 75 feet within the Navy destroyer last month in the Baltic Sea.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.

Click for more from Reuters.
Officials say a hippopotamus that escaped from a visiting circus caused some traffic chaos and not a little diversion when he strolled easily along a street in the southwestern town of Palos de la Frontera.

A town spokesman said the animal escaped late Wednesday while being transferred from one pen to another, and then wandered out onto a town road.

@A3Noticias "Hipopotamo se escapa del circo". Esta ocurriendo en Palos de la Frontera (Huelva) pic.twitter.com/OodMsDYZnZ  Manu Garcia Rguez (@ManuG_08) May 4, 2016

Videos posted on Twitter show the hippopotamus in the middle of the street, blocking traffic as people tried to attract its attention.

The spokesman said Thursday that town residents enjoyed the incident as they saw the animal posed no danger.

He said the incident lasted some 15 minutes before circus workers coaxed it back to a pen.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with town hall regulations.
An American was targeted in an attempted kidnapping in the Afghan capital of Kabul this week, according to the U.S. embassy there.

The American and several expatriates were targeted Monday, the embassy said in a statement, reminding Americans who plan to travel to Kabul that the threat of kidnapping or hostage taking is still very high.

Officials didnt announce any other information about the attempted kidnapping, but Afghanistan's Interior Ministry Spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told NBC News that an incident took place in a residential neighborhood of Kabul.

Sediqqi, citing surveillance video and police reports, said foreigners were traveling in an SUV when their car was cut off and blocked in by another vehicle.

He added that two men emerged from the second vehicle, but the SUV carrying the foreigners was able to reverse onto a main road with a police checkpoint.

The men reportedly then ran back to their vehicle and sped off. Sediqqi said the nationalities of the foreigners could not be revealed due to an ongoing investigation.

The U.S. Embassy said it encourages anyone who plans on traveling to Kabul or any other parts of Afghanistan to stay vigilant and be aware of your surroundings.

The U.S. Embassy continues to take this threat seriously and advises U.S. citizens to take appropriate security precautions and to avoid predictable travel patterns within Afghanistan, the statement added.


A Frenchman is suing his bosses for $405,902 for giving him work that was too boring.

Frederic Desnard, 44, quit his job after four years of menial tasks that he called a descent into hell and which left him depressed, destroyed and ashamed.

French media say it is Frances first ever legal claim for a term they have called a bore-out.

Desnard said he was hired as a manager at the Paris-based perfume company but was gradually stripped of his responsibilities until he felt he didnt exist.

He told Frances BFM television: I left for work each day with a desperate, sinking feeling.

Then when I arrived I would often break down in tears.

But no-one noticed because no one really cared whether I was there or not.

I was left depressed and ashamed of being paid for doing nothing.

Jean-Phillipe Benissan, lawyer for the Interparfums perfume company, said: Mr Desnard never said anything about being bored during the four-year period.

And if he actually had nothing to do over all these years, why didnt he mention it?

Click for more from The Sun.
By Samuel Okiror



KAMPALA, 4 May 2016



The Democratic Republic of Congo accuses neighbouring Rwanda of recruiting former M23 rebels to help oust Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza, adding a worrying international dimension to an already incendiary crisis.



Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende Omalanga alleges that Rwanda has been paying ex-M23 fighters, exiled in Rwanda and Uganda, to join Burundian opposition forces and help topple the government in Bujumbura.



We want these people [the ex-M23 rebels] back home. There are some wrong elements from Rwanda who are recruiting them to go and fight in Burundi. We have arrested some of them in North Kivu (a province in eastern Congo), and we shall prosecute them, Mende told IRIN.



We cant accept any Congolese national participating in the destabilisation of peace and security in a neighbouring country, he said.



Nkurunziza and his officials have repeatedly accused Rwanda of recruiting and training refugees to overthrow his beleaguered government. A UN group of experts report to the Security Council in February also pointed a finger at Kigali, this time for conscripting refugees from the Mahama camp in eastern Rwanda to join Burundis armed opposition.



Rwanda vehemently rejects all the allegations.



That is rubbish, the Rwandan ambassador to Uganda, Major-General Frank Mugambage, told IRIN. Its the usual rhetoric and baseless allegations labelling Rwanda by Congo and others. There is no such a thing [happening].



Rene Abandi, M23s former foreign minister, also denied the allegations. All of that is political intoxication, he told IRIN. They are looking for a scapegoat. Time will talk better than me.



An unaddressed problem



The M23 (March 23 Movement) has its roots in a largely Tutsi rebel group operating in North Kivu that was integrated into the Congolese national army in 2009. In 2012, units mutinied, citing the government's unwillingness to fully implement the peace deal, and the rebellion rapidly gained ground in eastern Congo, worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis.



Rwanda is believed to have provided direct military support to the M23 as a way of maintaining its influence in Congo. A UN group of experts report in 2012 also accused Uganda of helping with troop reinforcements, weapons deliveries, technical assistance, joint planning, political advice and the facilitation of external relations.



But General Edward Katumba Wamala, chief of Ugandas defence forces, said Kampala would definitely be against any attempt to recruit ex-M23 combatants camped at the Bihanga military barracks in Ugandas western district of Ibanda.



We dont want these people to become a regional armed problem, Wamala told IRIN. We are appealing to the international community. Let them use their muscle to convince the Congolese government to implement the Nairobi Declarations and move these people off our territory.



Understanding armed group M23



The road ahead for the ICC in Burundi



Burundi power struggle outlasts diplomatic flurry



The Nairobi Declarations, signed in March 2013 between the Congolese government and the M23, ended hostilities in eastern Congo as the national army began to get the upper hand. It offered an amnesty and the demobilisation and reintegration of former rebels in exchange for the M23 renouncing violence.



But the amnesty has been extremely limited, and the repatriation of ex-M23 painfully slow. In January 2014, violence erupted in Bihanga when the former rebels protested against their return home, fearing their ill treatment in a country in which anti-Rwandan sentiment remains strong.



Is there any evidence?



While a pool of hardened former rebels remains in Rwanda and Uganda, concrete evidence of their remobilisation is difficult to pin down.



I have only seen claims by the DRC government  who have their own interests  and claims that haven't been corroborated by independent sources, such as [those made by] Refugee International, Alex Fielding, senior analyst at Max Security Solutions, a geopolitical risk consulting firm, told IRIN.



But M23 does not currently function as a coherent group that follows a hierarchical chain of command. So some lower-level ex-combatants may have been paid and recruited to join the Burundian insurgency, he said.



The failure of the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme, despite international support as a key provision of the Nairobi agreement, has increased regional insecurity. [The lack of progress] remains a destabilising force generally, and a potential recruiting ground for other conflicts, such as the one in Burundi, said Fielding.



Jason Stearns, director of the Congo Research Group at New York University, is also concerned. There is little sign that another large rebellion could be formed out of the remnants of the M23. But as elections approach in the Congo, and as the political crisis in Burundi deepens, there is always a danger that these officers could join new groups in the region, he told IRIN.



The most important part of the M23 is the core of highly experienced senior officers, he said. Their future is uncertain: their host countries refuse to arrest them on war crimes charges in the Congo, and authorities in Kinshasa are unlikely to [give them] amnesty.



Michael Boyce, a lawyer with Refugees International, said any reactivation of M23 would have a direct humanitarian cost.



The fate of the former M23 combatants must be resolved, but thats just one element of the larger 2013 Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework agreement for the Great Lakes  which, shamefully, has largely not been implemented, he told IRIN.



The PSCF, signed by 11 governments in 2013 in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, aims to put an end to recurring cycles of violence" in the region.



Especially now, with the region lurching back into crisis, the DRC and its neighbors must stop shirking their obligations under the PSCF. If they dont, innocent civilians will pay the price, said Boyce.



Rocky repatriation



The repatriation of former M23 fighters is an extremely sore point in regional relations. Only around 200 of the 1,377 ex-combatants in Uganda have returned home and are undergoing DDR.



We want them repatriated back home. We have got a programme for them. But we dont know why our brothers in Uganda are still keeping them, said the Congolese government spokesman, Mende.



We call upon our Ugandan counterparts to coordinate with our embassy in Kampala and our national commission [on DDR] to repatriate them back immediately.



Wamala, Ugandas defence chief, defends any delays. We have no use for M23. We wanted them back in Congo yesterday. But they [the Congolese authorities] dont seem interested to take them, and at the same time we cannot bundle them on trucks and drive them across the border because international law doesnt allow it.



He added: We have engaged everybody, MONUSCO [the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo], UN and Congolese themselves. We have tried to engage the UN [refugee agency UNHCR] to take them on as refugees, but they say these are not refugees but former combatants, so they cant take them.



Wamala said there was a financial as well as a political cost to sheltering the former rebels. Unfortunately, we still have them in under our care and [it] is very expensive running, feeding them and looking after them. They are constraining our limited resources. They were not in our budget. Our good gesture is now turning into a burden.



What now?



Fielding said a host of problems stood in the way of the implementation of the Nairobi agreement  not least the unwelcome facts that Congos DDR programme has yet to become fully operational and that UN-brokered repatriation efforts have failed because the M23 fear torture and ill-treatment at home.



Burundis political crisis continues to claim lives and force civilians to flee since protests began a year ago over Nkurunzizas decision to stand for a third term in office. The conflict has included a failed coup attempt aimed at halting the disputed elections he won in July, and well-documented human rights abuses.



Nkurunziza has refused to meet with a broad-based opposition coalition, labelling all as terrorists. Peace talks, due to have begun this week with former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mpaka at the helm, have been postponed. In the absence of a political settlement, fears of all-out civil war grow.

Source
Discovery Point Honors Top Owners at Owners Summit

May 05, 2016 // Franchising.com // DULUTH, Ga.  Discovery Point Child Development Center, a leader in educational childcare, honored its top franchisees and centers at the annual Owners' Summit recently in Atlanta. The franchisees were presented awards in recognition of their outstanding achievement throughout the year.

Franchisee Pauline Webster of Acworth, Georgia, was honored with the Presidents Award in recognition of outstanding and consistent achievement as a successful center owner.

Pauline has demonstrated superiority in developing and supporting the Discovery Point brand and values, said Discovery Point founder and CEO Cliff Clark. Her center reflects the values of a Center of Excellence, but has also implemented programs in order to better support parents, families, and the community. These programs best represent the values of Discovery Point.

Salim and Andrea Karnaby of Odessa, Florida, received the Center of Excellence Award. The award is based on criteria that includes exceeding Discovery Point's quality expectations as well as meeting state licensing standards, and demonstrating excellence in care and education. Points were awarded in each area with the Karnaby's center, Discovery Point Suncoast Crossing, accumulating the highest honors receiving the Center of Excellence Award.

All of our owners are winners, but these franchisees represent the core values that Discovery Point Child Development Centers represents, Clark said. Their passion and commitment is the reason we have continued to be so successful over the past two and a half decades.

About Discovery Point Child Development Centers

With almost 50 locations throughout the Southeast, Discovery Point Child Development Centers provides safe, educational and nurturing environments for growing children. Discovery Point's educational focus is learning through play, where learning activities are child-centered and build on each child's natural curiosity. Discovery Point has a 25 year partnership with nationally recognized early childhood education program, Creative Curriculum System, a research based curriculum that features exploration and discovery as a way of learning. Since opening its first location in an Atlanta suburb in 1988, Discovery Point has been a leader in childhood enrichment and care, expanding beyond its Georgia roots into Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee with plans under way to reach new markets nationwide. Discovery Point Child Development Centers was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine in its Franchise 500 and ranked #22 on its Red-Hot Franchise list for 2013. More information about Discovery Point and Discovery Point franchise opportunities is available by calling (888) 997-2182 or visiting discoverypointfranchise.com or discoverypoint.com.

SOURCE Discovery Point Child Development Centers

Media Contact:

Sara Zangani

BizCom Associates

(214) 306-7420

sara@bizcompr.com

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goeasy Ltd. Appoints New Director

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO - (Marketwired - May 5, 2016) - goeasy Ltd. (TSX:GSY) ("goeasy" or the "Company"), the leading full service provider of goods and alternative financial services that improve the lives of everyday Canadians, welcomes Susan Doniz to its Board of Directors.

Ms. Doniz is a talented technology executive with over 20 years of progressive business experience in blue-chip, industry-leading organizations. Susan has built a successful career as a technologist, digital strategist and general manager at Proctor & Gamble. She spent the majority of her career in roles of progressive responsibility in a number of international locations spanning Europe, Latin America and North America, culminating in her role leading a multi-functional effort to digitize P&G's "concept creation-to-purchase" process.

After 17 years with P&G, Ms. Doniz left the company to become Global Chief Information Officer for Aimia, a $2B loyalty analytics company. In this role, she led a team of 500 technologists globally and was responsible for the organization's digital strategy. The latter included building out the global processes and platform for the company's digital channel strategy spanning mobile, web and call centre, as well as new service innovations for its core loyalty and marketing analytics products.

Currently, she has transitioned into a number of Board Director roles where she shares her expertise in digital, technology, analytics, loyalty and customer experience. Susan has a truly international background having worked in multiple countries and, in 2011, she was named one of Canada's Most Powerful Women in the Trailblazers and Trendsetters category.

Ms. Doniz attended the University of Toronto where she completed a Bachelor of Applied Science and Engineering and received numerous scholarships and leadership awards. She continued her education with post-bachelor studies in Information Systems at the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven in the Netherlands as a Canadian Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Ms. Doniz also sits on numerous Boards of Directors including SNIPP Interactive Inc., Bayshore HealthCare, Women's College Hospital Foundation and the Ontario Science Center.

"We are delighted to have Susan join the goeasy board and look forward to her sharing the deep level of understanding she has in technology and digital strategy to help us drive innovation and growth forward at goeasy in support of the company's strategic plans and initiatives," commented Don Johnson, Chairman of goeasy Ltd.

"goeasy has shown through its past history how to innovate and grow products that both increase the top and bottom line but also have profoundly affected the lives of the people that it has served - I am thrilled to be able to extend my expertise to this," said Ms. Doniz.

About goeasy

goeasy Ltd. is the leading full service provider of goods and alternative financial services that improve the lives of everyday Canadians. Today,goeasy Ltd. serves its customers through two key operating divisions, easyhome and easyfinancial. easyhome is Canada's largest lease-to-own company, offering brand-name household furniture, appliances and electronics to consumers under weekly or monthly leasing agreements through both corporate and franchise stores. easyfinancial is the leading provider of alternative financial services, offering consumer loans between $500-$15,000, and is supported by a strong central credit adjudication process and industry leading risk analytics. easyfinancial also operates an indirect lending channel, offering loan products to consumers at the point-of-sale of third party merchants. Both operating divisions of goeasy Ltd. offer the highest level of customer service and enable customers to transact through a national store and branch network of over 180 easyhome Leasing and 200 easyfinancial locations across Canada and through its online and mobile eCommerce enabled platforms.

goeasy Ltd. is listed on the TSX under the symbol 'GSY'. For more information, visit www.goeasy.com.

SOURCE goeasy

Contacts:

David Ingram

goeasy Ltd.

President and Chief Executive Officer

(905) 272-2788

Steve Goertz

goeasy Ltd.

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(905) 272-2788

www.goeasy.com

###

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Attorney Roger Ghai Announces the Opening of a New Office in Marietta, Georgia

The new office assists clients with legal services involving car accidents, trucking accidents and bankruptcy, reports GhaiLawFirm.com

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The Law Offices of Roger Ghai proudly announces the opening of a new office located at 1000 Whitlock Ave NW, #340, Marietta, Georgia, 30064. The office serves the Marietta, Georgia community, helping those who have been involved in car accidents, trucking accidents or those filing for bankruptcy. Individuals should never try to take the legal system on alone and, thanks to the multiple office locations, obtaining help now becomes easier.

"Individuals involved in an accident face high medical bills. Often, they miss time from work, must call in special help during their recovery and find they need to deal with the insurance company for the other party. As they feel overwhelmed, they may accept a quick settlement in an effort to reduce the burden they are facing. Doing so can be a mistake, however, which is why legal advice should always be sought in this situation," Roger Ghai announces.

Injuries come in many forms. Some are clearly visible, yet some injuries are internal and not clearly discernible by others. For example, back and neck pain tends to be a common complaint following an accident, yet other people cannot see the actual issue, only the suffering of the person. The same holds true for psychological injuries that may arise from the accident.

"Determining fair compensation tends to be a complicated problem when injuries are not easily visible. Insurance companies often try to minimize these issues, if they don't dismiss them completely. They don't offer compensation for the injuries or try to offer a reduced amount, hoping the person will accept. Don't let this happen. Every injury, regardless of its visibility or extent, needs to be compensated and we fight to ensure it is," Ghai continues.

When a person does accept an early settlement, they could find they are saddled with medical bills they can't pay, as their injuries were more extensive than originally thought. Others accumulate medical bills completely unrelated to an accident. In either situation, bankruptcy may be the preferred option, and The Law Offices of Roger Ghai can be of help here also.

"We work to ensure the rights of our clients are protected at all times, and we have thorough knowledge of the legal system. Over the years, we have helped thousands move forward with life following an accident and those who need to reset their financial situation. Call us today so we can help you do the same," Ghai states.

About The Law Offices of Roger Ghai:

Roger Ghai represents clients in all types of injury cases, including automobile and trucking accidents, medical malpractice, slips and falls, wrongful death and defective drugs and has done so for twenty-five years. In many cases, lawsuits were filed and jury trials held. In addition, Mr. Ghai helped thousands of clients make their way through Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceedings and has served as a former guest speaker on 1380 WAOK radio station regarding this topic. In addition, he has litigated various bankruptcy issues in court.

For more information about us, please visit http://ghailawfirm.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Roger Ghai

Organization: Law Offices of Roger Ghai

Address: 1000 Whitlock Ave NW #340, Marietta, GA 30064

Phone: (770) 792-1001

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/attorney-roger-ghai-announces-the-opening-of-a-new-office-in-marietta-georgia/113705

Release ID: 113705

For more information visit r



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Key Vendors of 5-Sulfosalicylic Acid Industry Research Report in China by Radiant Insights

Radiant Insights, Inc has announced the addition of the "Global and Chinese 5-Sulfosalicylic Acid Industry, 2015 Market Research Report" report to their offering.

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5-Sulfosalicylic acid, an off-white to gray crystalline powder, is a strong acid. It is also known as 2-Hydroxybenzoic-5-sulfonic, 2-Hydroxy-5-sulfobenzoic acid, or 3-Carboxy-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic Acid. This clear and colorless acid is capable of protonating water. 5- Sulfosalicylic acid has a molecular formula C7H6O6S. It bears the molecular weight of 254.2. It is soluble in ether, ethanol, alcohol, and water. The acid's solutions need to be protected from heat, light as well as moisture. Therefore, it is often stored in well-closed containers. This product also requires protection from oxidizers.

Read more detailed Flooring Market Research Report @ http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-and-chinese-5-sulfosalicylic-acid-industry-2015-market-research-report

5-Sulfosalicylic acid acts as a reagent. It is adopted in urine tests to check for urine protein content. Its presence leads to precipitation of dissolved proteins in serum and tissue. This is gauged from the degree of turbidity. In gel electrophoresis, the charged molecules are bifurcated based on their physical properties like charge, mass, etc. This technique is often used to separate proteins. Using it, individual proteins in complex samples or multiple proteins within a single sample can be identified. It also assists in the detection of cobalt. It is often described as a tri-functional aromatic compound and is known to undergo reactions that are typical of carboxylic, phenols, and sulfonic acid groups.

To Request a Free Sample Report, Click here: http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-and-chinese-5-sulfosalicylic-acid-industry-2015-market-research-report#tabs-4

Industrial applications of 5- Sulfosalicylic acid encompass as a metal chelating agent, and in preparation of organic catalysts, surface-active agents, and grease additives. It can be used to detect metals in solutions and samples derived from the solid state. It is widely used in fixing solutions for IEF (Isoelectric Focusing), SDS-PAGE (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis), and PAGE.

For more details visit Radiant Insights @ http://www.radiantinsights.com/

5-Sulfosalicylic acid is harmful if swallowed by humans. It enters the system through skin, eyes, nose or mouth and irritates the lungs and the respiratory tract. Therefore, industries have to follow engineering controls like exhaust ventilation to maintain recommended exposure limits.

Key vendors of 5-Sulfosalicylic acid in China are Xilong Chemical Co. Ltd., Fine Chemicals Group Co. Ltd., Shengchuang Fine Chemicals Co. Ltd., and Zhejiang Paula Industry Co. Ltd. Other participants in the global space include Bhagwati Chemicals ChemFine International Co. Ltd., Chemical Point UG, etc.

About Radiant Insight

Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. It assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. The Organization has a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-and-chinese-5-sulfosalicylic-acid-industry-2015-market-research-report

Contact Info:

Name: Michelle Thoras

Email: sales@radiantinsights.com

Organization: Radiant Insights, Inc

Address: 28 2nd Street, Suite 3036

Phone: 4153490054

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/key-vendors-of-5-sulfosalicylic-acid-industry-research-report-in-china-by-radiant-insights/113571

Release ID: 113571

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Lance Hahn Announces the Release of a New Book Addressing Panic and Anxiety

Readers benefit from Mr. Hahn's own experience with diagnosed Panic Disorder, as he shares practical advice and tips allowing them to live a full life while coping with illness, LanceHahn.com states

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Lance Hahn (www.LanceHahn.com) announces the release of his new book How to Live in Fear: Mastering the Art of Freaking Out. This book serves as a how-to guide for individuals who struggle with fear and is written from both a personal and Biblical perspective to help people thrive through their fear. Lance Hahn's book addresses a topic most churches and Christian organizations don't speak about. Living with anxiety and panic disorder doesn't need to be crippling, as this book explains exactly how to prepare and press on to live a rich, fulfilling life.

"Although occasional anxiety is completely normal, men and women suffering from a panic or anxiety disorder find their anxiety doesn't go away, but actually gets worse as time passes. They may feel as if they are constantly on edge or cannot sit still, even feeling like they are having a heart attack or may die. Others experience extreme fatigue, light-headedness or nausea unable to do normal tasks. Sleep problems often accompany this type of disorder, and people may find they aren't able to concentrate. These are only a few of the signs and symptoms associated with a disorder of this type," Nicole Andrade, spokesperson for Lance Hahn, announces.

The ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) cites that 40 million adults in the US are affected by anxiety disorders (costing $42 billion annually). WebMD reports anxiety disorders now account for more mental illnesses than any other disorder known today. Approximately 18 percent of adults suffer from a disorder of this type, and the National Institute of Mental Health reports certain factors make a person more susceptible to an anxiety and panic disorder. Individuals who were shy as children, females, those who are divorced or widowed and those who have a family history of mental disorders may be more at risk of developing a disorder of this type.

"As Lance Hahn has been in the shoes of those who suffer from a panic or anxiety disorder, he shares personal experiences that make the reader feel more at ease and as if they are truly understood. Hahn talks about nearly collapsing before he was to preach in front of over a thousand people and losing it on an airplane. The transparency seen in this book allows the reader to recognize they aren't alone in their suffering," Andrade continues. (#YouAreNotAlone)

Due to lingering stigma and personal shame, People often hide their disorder from others, feeling as if it is something embarrassing they shouldn't share. The church-at-large also tends to avoid discussing this subject, yet now is the time for a change. The church needs to let sufferers know they are normal, and this book is the first step in starting an important conversation that must be had. Believers will no longer need to feel guilt about their illness when it becomes an open topic of conversation and increased understanding.

"The book is packed with practical advice and tips, along with a number of relevant scriptures. Readers learn to relax in the face of their fear, regardless of whether it is real or imagined. Although Hahn still experiences moments of panic, he continues to live a full life and shares how he does so in this amazing book. Anyone suffering from a panic and anxiety disorder or love someone struggling with this issue will benefit greatly from reading this book," Andrade declares.

About Lance Hahn:

A pastor at Bridgeway Christian Church in Rocklin, CA, Lance Hahn personally suffers from panic attacks and anxiety disorder. Drawing from his personal experiences, Mr. Hahn wrote a book to help individuals overcome their fear and to prevent anxieties from overtaking their lives.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.lancehahn.com/mastering-the-art-of-freaking-out/

Contact Info:

Name: Nicole Andrade

Organization: Lance Hahn

Phone: 916-599-0130

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/lance-hahn-announces-the-release-of-a-new-book-addressing-panic-and-anxiety/113714

Release ID: 113714

For more information visit r



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LBC Capital Income Fund Introduces New Model For Trust Deed Investments

LBC Capital Income Fund changes the way Private Mortgage Funds Invest Trust Deeds. Further information can be found at http://www.trustdeedinvesting.net/.

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Earlier today, LBC Capital Income Fund, LLC announced the launch of its new investment fund service, set to go live 5/5/2016. For anyone with any interest in private equities, private debt or direct trust deed investments, this new development will be worth paying attention to, as it's set to shake things up.

Over the past few years, with influx of vast amounts of new capital (domestic and foreign), it's easy to notice that the yields have gone lower. Most investment funds offer lower returns than they used to in the past few years. This is the result of the combination of two events: 1. Oversupply of investment capital (too much money) and 2. Lower yields on government bonds (especially yields on European Bonds; basically domestic and foreign phenomena)

Managing Partner of LBC Capital Income Fund, Boris Dorfman, makes a point of saying "things are going to change when investment fund service gains steam and new model of the fund launches.

Boris Dorfman continues... "Where you'll always see our competitors doing the same old thing, we will shift our focus on providing higher rate of return to our members and investors, we will diversify our portfolio to private highest return given our risk/reward ratio, the model of our mortgage investment fund is unprecedented. We do this because we believe private equity and debt funds can be more efficient and things can be done much better. Ultimately this is going to be a huge benefit to our customers because people can now take an advantage of higher dividends than any other mortgage pool in California can offer. And of course, for those that still keep the money in the bank, more than any bank can offer."

LBC Capital was established in 2013. Since inception, it has been aimed to provide the highest possible, risk adjusted income to accredited investors and family offices in the State of California and recently going nationwide.

What sets LBC Capital Income Fund apart from other private mortgage funds and fractionalized investments in Trust Deeds is proprietary investment model that allows blending individual Trust Deed Investments, Fractionalized Trust Deed Investments within the structure of one fund. LBC Capital Income Fund originates new Hard Money loans from the fund and then uses accredited Trust Deed investors' network to sell off individual mortgage notes, thus maximizing returns to individual accredited investors within the fund and outside of it. In addition, LBC Capital invests money only in the most profitable real estate projects and notes. This alone is predicted to make LBC Capital's investment fund service more popular with customers in the investment company space, quickly.

Once again, the investment fund service is set to launch 5/5/2016. To find out more, the place to visit is http://www.trustdeedinvesting.net/

For more information about us, please visit http://www.trustdeedinvesting.net/

Contact Info:

Name: Boris Dorfman

Organization: LBC Capital Income Fund

Address: 6350 Laurel Canyon Blvd Ste 340 North Hollywood, CA 91606

Phone: (844) 522-3863

Release ID: 113649

For more information visit r



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Authority Summit Break The Guinness World Record for 65 Hour Live Stream Event

From the 22nd to the 31st of March, a Guinness World Record breaking event took place across cyberspace. The Authority Super Summit, drew together 100 of the world's business leaders and aimed at providing business owners with the advice needed to become a marketplace authority.

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From the 22nd to the 31st of March, a Guinness World Record breaking event took place across cyberspace. The Authority Super Summit, which drew together 100 of the world's brightest business people, was a ground-breaking virtual event aimed at providing business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with the advice needed to become an industry authority.

Hosted by Josh Denning of Authority Factory and Tom Morkes of Insurgent Publishing, the event was free to access and provided those involved with invaluable information regarding how to become a leading authority in their specific field. Breaking the record for the world's longest uninterrupted live streaming audio cast, the summit provided listeners with information and advice from some of the world's leading authorities - including Craig Ballantyne, Chris Ducker, Gauher Chaudhry, Claire Diaz-Ortiz and Melinda Chen.

These authorities presented master classes on topics within their area of expertise, spanning five different subject areas. These areas, defined as the five pillars of becoming an industry authority, included Mindset, Content, Distribution, Platform and Positioning. Together, these pillars are designed to take business owners and entrepreneurs from their current position through to being an industry authority - which is exactly what the Authority Super Summit aimed to do.

As a business owner, the hardest task is proving worth. When someone don't have any authority, it can be hard to secure clients and charge them a rate that's in line with the true value of a businesses service. People can be the best in the world at what they do, but if potential clients don't recognise this fact then they may continue to struggle.

Industry authorities are 'movers and shakers'. They have greater visibility in comparison to their competitors and peers, because they are recognised as being the best in the world at what they do. They're recognised everywhere they go and their services are highly sought-after, meaning they also have a steady stream of work in the pipeline at all times. This allows them to charge clients what they're really worth - no questions asked.

The power of collaboration.

It's obvious why being an authority within an industry is so beneficial; ultimately, it equates to business success. The Authority Super Summit acknowledged this fact, and sought to provide underperforming business and entrepreneurs with the insight required to succeed in the fiercely competitive landscape that is the 21st century.

By pooling 100 of the world's best business people, it provided invaluable information to those listening; information that is usually only available at a substantial cost. Of course, the experts involved were rewarded - after all, they were able to tick setting a Guinness World Record off their bucket list.

The hosts were Josh Denning and Tom Morkes are two successful businessmen with a tendency to dream big. The Authority Super Summit was their brainchild; a ground-breaking idea that connected experts and provided business owners and entrepreneurs with highly useful information.

The idea for the summit emerged from Denning's own business, Authority Factory; as the name suggests, this full-service agency aims to help businesses become movers and shakers within their industry. Via services such as SEO, PPC, CRO, content marketing, social media marketing and email marketing, Authority Factory works to help people grow their business - doubling their traffic, leads and sales in the process.

It's not too late to tap into this wealth of information.

Missed the Authority Super Summit entirely or couldn't tune in for a specific speaker or simply want to listen again and go over any missed points.

It's possible to download five of the best summit master classes - free of charge.

Want instant access to these videos, simply sign up today.

About Authority Factory:

Authority Factory is a full service digital marketing agency dedicated to helping business owners with their digital presence. The company enacts a broad range of digital marketing strategies - such as SEO, pay per click traffic optimisation, content marketing and conversion rate optimisation.

For more information about us, please visit https://authoritysummit.net

Contact Info:

Name: Joshua Denning

Organization: Authority Factory

Phone: +61289607282

Release ID: 109945

For more information visit r



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Guinness Asset Management has hired former M&G analysts Sachin Oza and Stephen Williams as it expands it looks to launch an oil and gas exploration fund.

The pair will join the boutiques three-strong team of Tim Guinness, Will Riley and Jonathan Waghorn.

Mr Oza joins after 13 years with M&G, where he was an equity research analyst focused on oil firms. Mr Williams has worked alongside him for the past six years.

The new fund will be managed by Mr Oza and Mr Williams and will invest in quoted stocks in emerging market exploration basins, with a target return of 20-25 per cent per annum over five years.

Guinness is yet to decide on the funds structure, but said it is considering a Dublin-based alternative investment fund vehicle.

Mr Oza said he left M&G in order to develop a fund investing in smaller, regional stocks.

He said: I am really pleased that Guinness Asset Management are backing Stephen and me to make it happen. We would expect the portfolio to have limited short-term correlation to the oil price and the broader equities market due to the event-driven nature of the investments.
The record breaking 13bn sale of former Northern Rock mortgages was completed today (5 May) with the government receiving the final 520m from Cerberus.

The mortgages, which were originally owned by Northern Rock and acquired by the government during the financial crisis, were sold to Cerberus by the state-owned limited company UK Asset Resolution.

The sale, authorised by chancellor George Osborne on 13 November , is the largest ever financial asset sale by a government in Europe, with UKAR selling the portfolio for 280m more than their book value.

The government stated taxpayers will now definitely get back more money from Northern Rock than they were forced to put in during the financial crisis, with this sale meaning it has exited more than 85 per cent of the assets of the former bank.

There will be no changes to the terms and conditions of the mortgages sold and customers do not need to take any action.

Economic secretary to the Treasury Harriett Baldwin added: Todays receipt of the final funds from this sale mean that we now have even further confidence that taxpayers will get back more money from Northern Rock than they were forced to put in during the financial crisis.

Earlier this week, UKAR entered into a binding agreement for the transfer of Bradford & Bingley mortgage servicing operations to Computershare, with the seven-year contract covering 30bn of assets.

The sale of the states stake in Royal Bank of Scotland has been less successful, with the process beginning last August at a 5.4 per cent of the bank for a price of 3.30 per share.

This raised 2.1bn to be used to pay down the national debt, but also meant a taxpayer loss of around 1bn due to pricing compared to the price the government bought the bank for following the financial crisis.

At the end of November, the government committed to selling more than 25bn of shares in RBS over the next parliament, along with fully divesting from Lloyds Banking Group by this spring.

However, at the end of January the chancellor delayed the 2bn sale of the governments stake in the Lloyds until the markets have calmed down. The shares were expected to go on sale to members of the public in March.

peter.walker@ft.com
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A five-story, 102-room hotel could be up and running in northeast Corvallis by early 2018.

The Corvallis Planning Commission recommended approval of the project in a 150-minute public hearing Tuesday night at the downtown fire station.

Commissioners voted 5-1 on the key comprehensive plan amendment the proposal required. The hotel, a Hampton Inn & Suites, would be built on a 1.43-acre lot in the Corvallis Station development south of Northeast Circle Boulevard. The lot is vacant and sits just north of the Home Depot.

Commissioners Dan Brown, Susan Morre, Paul Woods, Ron Sessions and Carl Price voted in favor of the comp plan change, with Tom Jensen voting no. The City Council must review the comp plan change.

Four other applications were part of the package. Commissioners voted 6-0 to approve a zoning change, 6-0 on the major planned development modification, 5-1 on the detailed development plan and 5-1 on the conditional development permit. Jensen also cast the no vote in the other two 5-1 results.

Jensen expressed concerns about the three variances the hotel developers were seeking for the height of the building and the signs that would be attached. The code limit for building height in the zone is 45 feet, with developers seeking a jump of nearly 20 feet. Jensen said that was too much of a variance.

The developers and other commissioners disagreed, noting that the lot is tucked away behind other developments and the hotel would be difficult for potential customers to see without the variances.

Commissioners raised other issues with the project, including whether having motorists exit along an angled section of Northwest Four Acre Place would be safe given visibility challenges. The panel passed a condition of approval that requires the developers to either perform an engineering study, make the driveway off of Four Acre an entrance only or work with Home Depot on an entrance farther west that would impact its parking lot.

The panel also was divided about plans by the developers to borrow floor area ratio allowances from an adjacent 3.12-acre lot they own but are not planning to develop yet. Also, a parking trip cap aimed at preventing traffic issues in the corridor also would be linked to the second lot. Commissioners eventually approved another condition of approval requiring all subsequent owners to notified of the requirement.

The hotel is a joint project of Corvallis Station LLC of Portland and Kaylan Hospitality in the Richmond, Virginia, area. Ryan Schera of Corvallis Station said that depending on how quickly permits can be acquired, the hotel could be open for business as early as the first quarter of 2018.

In other issues:

 The Land Development Hearings Board, a three-person subset of the Planning Commission, approved a sign variance sought by the Oregon State Credit Union for its new building planned for Southwest Research Way. The credit union proposed a sign at a height of 40 feet, 15 feet above the code maximum. City staff recommended denial of the application but the board passed it. Woods and Sessions voted in favor of the variance and Morre, the third member of the panel, abstained.

 The Planning Commission also was scheduled to continue its deliberations on Oregon State University-related comp plan amendments but did not get to the item because of the length of the hotel hearing. Because of a series of upcoming public hearings that are subject to the states 120-day rule, commissioners likely will schedule special meetings to conclude the OSU work. No dates were established.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Eurowings : Stuck in Thailand

BONN That good old vacation feeling disappeared for Eurowings passengers stranded in Phuket.

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It takes about twelve and half hours to fly from Phuket back to Cologne/Bonn. For 303 passengers of Eurowings flight EW 121, they needed 30 hours just to get to the starting point - where they could actually fly. Their flight was supposed to land at Cologne/Bonn airport on Tuesday midday but Wednesday morning came and they were still waiting to leave Phuket.

It was a chain of unfortunate events that led to the situation, according to Eurowings. First, there was a problem with the speed indicator. This problem had to be resolved so the flight was re-scheduled for Wednesday morning. After that was fixed, the auxiliary power unit had a problem so once again the flight was delayed.

Passengers were then booked on other airlines and flights until one after the other, they began to make it back to Cologne/Bonn. Eurowings said they had been working feverishly to find a solution. Some passengers lost patience with the situation and took their complaints to Facebook. We want to go home! We cant stay here any longer!

Adding to the stressful situation was the hotel chosen to house the stranded passengers. It was apparently not up to standard and passengers were not happy about it. Eurowings admitted this was an issue. On Thursday morning, the last of the passengers are expected along with the aircraft back in Bonn.

In January of this year, Eurowings had 300 passengers stranded in Cuba. They made it back to Cologne/Bonn after a 60-hour delay.
Hopeful of touching 500 mn internet users mark in 2016 News oi -GizBot Bureau

The government is hopeful that India will touch 500 million internet users mark by the end of 2016, union Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Wednesday.

"India now has 400 million internet connections. We thought we will have 500 million users by 2017. But now I am hopeful that it will happen this year," he said.

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He was speaking at the book launch of 'Digital Desh 2.0' by NowFloats.

Corroborating the growing penetration of internet, Sharad Sharma, co-founder of iSPIRT, said more people at present read newspapers online than the readership top 10 Indian newspapers taken together.

Saying that the country is in the cusp of digital revolution the minister added, India first observe technology, then adopt it and finally enjoy it.

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Prasad said the people of the country are forcing change in the technology sector.

Talking about the present National Democratic Alliance government's pro-technology approach, he said: "We even take complaints from people in social media. Social media is empowering and enlightening people."

Source: IANS

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Forces converge for Emerald Warrior 2016

By Capt. Zach Anderson, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs / Published May 04, 2016

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) -- Several hundred U.S. and partner-nation military members gathered inside King Auditorium here May 2 for a mass in-briefing session that marked the official kick off of Emerald Warrior 2016.

Emerald Warrior is an annual Defense Department exercise that focuses on irregular warfare and hones special operations forces air and ground combat skills. The two-week exercise will allow participants to execute advanced tactical scenarios and strengthen joint warfighting relationships for future deployments. The exercise leverages lessons learned from past and current overseas contingency operations to provide trained and ready forces to combatant commanders.

Army Gen. Raymond A. Thomas, the U.S. Special Operations Command commander, addressed the crowd at the briefing and declared Emerald Warrior a "pivotally important exercise."

"We have to transform ourselves through these types of exercises to prepare for the future fight that will be out there," Thomas said.

The exercise is hosted by Air Force Special Operations Command, and it allows U.S. special operations forces and partner nation participants to train together to strengthen their relationships and develop interoperability for future deployments. Special operations personnel use the exercise as a way to further develop tactics, techniques and procedures for emerging concepts of special operations forces warfare.

"This is about interoperability, joint operations and working with partner nations to get better as a team," said Air Force Col. Michael Lee, the Air Force Special Operations Warfare Center deputy commander and Emerald Warrior 2016 exercise director.

This year's iteration of Emerald Warrior features more than 1,500 special operations and conventional personnel to include Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine special operations assets and several partner nation allies. The exercise will employ more than 40 aircraft and will take place in locations throughout the southeastern U.S. in Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico.

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Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit Terrorists in Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 4, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Iraq

Ground-attack, fighter, bomber, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 22 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Albu Hayat, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Bashir, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area and an ISIL vehicle bomb.

-- Near Beiji, a strike destroyed three ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Fallujah, five strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units, destroying an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL vehicle bomb, two ISIL beddown locations, six ISIL tunnel entrances, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL improvised artillery piece and degrading two ISIL trenches.

-- Near Hit, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Mosul, 10 strikes struck nine separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL headquarters and destroyed nine ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL heavy machine gun, three ISIL large machine guns, two ISIL weapons caches, four ISIL mortar systems, 17 ISIL vehicles, an ISIL bulldozer, two ISIL-used bridges, two ISIL vehicle bombs and an ISIL fuel truck.

-- Near Sinjar, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL heavy machine gun.

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. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Carter: Counter-ISIL Defense Ministers Recognize All Must Do More

By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2016  Defense ministers who represent core countries contributing to the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant all agreed that they will continue to do more to accelerate ISIL's lasting defeat, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today in Stuttgart, Germany, after the group's second meeting.

The ministers, who first met Jan. 20 in Paris, represented Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

"There was common recognition around the table that we all must be prepared to do more as we work with local, motivated and capable partners in Iraq and Syria," Carter said. "That's our strategic approach -- to implement the next plays of the coalition's military campaign."

Actions Now in Play

Carter said actions now in play include stabilizing Iraq's Anbar province; generating Iraqi security forces, including peshmerga forces in the north, by training, equipping and positioning them; enveloping the city of Mosul; identifying and developing more local forces in Syria that can isolate and pressure the nominal ISIL capital of Raqqa; and providing more firepower, sustainment and logistics support to partners so they can collapse ISIL control over both cities.

"The United States  is already taking a number of key actions in Iraq and Syria to enable these next plays," Carter said. Many of these I announced last week after [President Barack Obama's] approval of them."

In Iraq, the United States is placing advisors with Iraqi forces at brigade and battalion levels to enhance decision-making and responsiveness, leveraging Apache attack helicopters to support Iraqi efforts to envelop and retake Mosul, sending more rocket-artillery systems to support the Iraqi ground offensive, and providing $415 million to the peshmerga, one of the most effective fighting forces against ISIL, the secretary said.

"To do all this," he added, "we're going to adjust how to use U.S. forces in Iraq and immediately bring in about 215 more of them."

In Syria, the Defense Department increased U.S. forces from 50 to 300, using the extra 250 personnel, including special operations forces, to help expand ongoing efforts to identify, train and equip capable, motivated, local anti-ISIL forces there, especially among the Sunni Arab community, Carter said. And U.S. special operations forces will be able to incorporate partner special operations forces from other countries to augment coalition counter-ISIL efforts there, he added.

Ministers Meet

During the meeting in Stuttgart, the ministers began by discussing the situation on the ground in Iraq and confirmed the importance of an accelerated push to ultimately retake Mosul, the secretary said.

"We all recognized the need for economic and political, as well as military contributions, because much still hinges on nonmilitary aspects of countering ISIL," he said. "Support for stabilization, multisectarian governance and reconstruction all will be critical to ensuring that ISIL stays defeated after it is defeated in Iraq."

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian led a discussion of the state of the campaign in Syria. The ministers reviewed recent operational gains by local coalition-supported forces and discussed the importance of closing off the Manbij area to ISIL, given the flow of foreign fighters there and the potential for external plots against coalition members and nations, Carter said.

Supporting Partners

The ministers also discussed more resources needed to support coalition partners in the next steps of the campaign in logistics, trainers, ammunition, special operations forces, sustainment and medical supplies, spare parts for Iraqi equipment and support for stabilization efforts as the campaign frees territory from ISIL control.

"I'm confident," Carter said, "that today's meeting will accordingly produce additional military commitments."

The fight is far from over, and great risks remain, he added.

"We were reminded of this yesterday when an American service member, Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Keating, a Navy SEAL, was killed while providing advice and assistance for the peshmerga forces north of Mosul who were directly in the fight," the secretary said.

Continuing Risk

"We greatly regret his loss, Carter added, "but allowing ISIL safe haven would carry greater risk for us all."

Carter said the ministers agreed to meet again this summer in Washington, along with their counterparts from other partners in the counter-ISIL effort.

"That will allow these discussions to continue and widen," the secretary added, "with all the other partners -- for example the Gulf partners, with whom I had discussions two weeks ago in Riyadh in advance of the president's summit there. Together, we will -- we must -- deliver ISIL a lasting defeat."

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Spokesman Describes Battle That Left Navy SEAL Dead in Iraq

By Terri Moon Cronk DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2016  The Navy SEAL killed in a battle yesterday with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant fighters responded to an early attack on peshmerga units about 2 miles behind the forward line of troops, Army Col. Steven Warren, spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, said today.

Defense Department officials today identified the Navy SEAL as Petty Officer 1st Class Charles H. Keating IV, 31, of San Diego.

In a teleconference briefing with Pentagon reporters from Baghdad, Warren said Keating responded to the ISIL attack on the peshmerga forces as part of a U.S. quick-reaction force in the village of Tal Asquf at about 7:30 a.m.

"ISIL forces breached the peshmerga forward lines," he said. "At [7:50 a.m.], the Americans there became involved in the ensuing firefight and called in a quick-reaction force," he said.

"It is a group of very well-armed, very well-equipped, very well-trained American service members whose mission is to stand by, stand at the ready, when American forces are operating," he said.

Keating was struck by direct fire shortly after 9:30 a.m., and though he was evacuated within what Warren called the "all-important golden hour" between being wounded and receiving medical treatment, his wound was not survivable.

"Our deepest heartfelt condolences go out to that American service member and his family," Warren said. "He is an American hero. This is a reminder of the risk our men and women face every day supporting the fight against ISIL."

ISIL Attack Was Large-Scale

"We think there were at least 125 enemy fighters involved in this fairly complicated, complex attack. So it was a big fight -- one of the largest we've seen recently," the colonel said.

With several peshmerga outposts in the area, the force rapidly generated its series of counterattack forces, which numbered in the hundreds for the counterattack and regained control of Tal Asquf, Warren added.

No other coalition or American forces were injured, he said, but he added that both medical evacuation helicopters were damaged by small-arms fire. The peshmerga casualty numbers are not yet known, Warren said.

"Coalition air responded with 31 strikes taken by 11 manned aircraft and two drones," he said. "Air power destroyed 20 enemy vehicles, two truck bombs, three mortar systems [and] one bulldozer, [and] 58 ISIL terrorists were killed."

ISIL Enters Battle in 'Technicals'

Operation Inherent Resolve officials believe the attack is likely linked to a string of recent ISIL defeats and ongoing pressure, Warren said, adding that such a pattern has been observed.

"When they are back on their heels, they often will try a high-profile, high-visibility attack to gain some attention," he told reporters.

ISIL moves into battle with vehicles the coalition calls "technicals," Warren said, an all-encompassing term for homemade gun trucks. "They throw together these  'Jed Clampett' [vehicles], bolt a machine gun onto the hood of a pickup truck, Gremlin or whatever they can find with four wheels and an engine," he said.

ISIL troop-carrying vehicles have no standardization, he said. "This is a nonstandard military force that we're facing," he said, "so it's a little bit of everything,  [and] we've destroyed 20 of them."

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U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Release

No. NR-162-16 May 04, 2016

Readout of Secretary Carter's meeting with Danish Minister of Defense Peter Christensen

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter met with Danish Minister of Defense Peter Christensen today in Stuttgart, Germany, following a meeting of defense ministers from countries leading the coalition effort to defeat ISIL.

Secretary Carter thanked Minister Christensen for Denmark's recent decision to expand its role in the counter-ISIL military campaign, including the authority to participate in the full spectrum of combat operations in Iraq and Syria.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the European security environment, looking forward to the Warsaw Summit. Secretary Carter thanked Minister Christensen for Denmark's continued contributions to NATO regional security, including deploying F-16s to the Baltics, ballistic missile defense, and support for the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.

Secretary Carter reiterated the importance of Denmark creating a plan to fulfill the Wales Defense Investment pledge to spend two percent of GDP on defense.

Finally, Secretary Carter thanked Minister Christensen for Denmark's leadership in Arctic security, including the recent improvements to its patrol posture.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/751477/

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NATO Secretary General welcomes new Supreme Allied Commander Europe

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

04 May. 2016

United States Army General Curtis M. Scaparrotti took over command of NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) from General Philip M. Breedlove during a handover ceremony in Mons, Belgium on Wednesday (4 May 2016). Attending the ceremony, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked General Breedlove for his outstanding contribution to transatlantic security and welcomed General Scaparrotti to the Alliance. "Today we have come to honour two great men, General Breedlove and General Scaparrotti. Men who personify the enduring bond between Europe and the United States," said Mr. Stoltenberg.

Welcoming the new Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), the Secretary General stressed that those who have served as SACEUR have helped to keep the nations of Europe and North America safe from harm. He highlighted that General Scaparrotti will now lead NATO's militaries during the next phase of the Alliance's long-term adaptation. "Enhancing our forward presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, projecting stability beyond our borders, improving our resilience to hybrid warfare and strengthening Allies cyber defences. There is a great deal to do. I am delighted that we have a man like General Scaparrotti to help take us forward," said the Secretary General. General Scaparrotti will be responsible for the overall command of all NATO missions and operations, including in the Balkans, over the Baltic, in the Mediterranean and off the Horn of Africa.

Mr. Stoltenberg also paid tribute to General Breedlove for his distinguished career as Supreme Allied Commander. "Throughout these difficult times, your vision and your leadership have helped to make us more resilient, increased our level of readiness, strengthened our deterrence, and enhanced our partnerships," he said. During General Breedlove's command, NATO completed its combat mission in Afghanistan, handed full responsibility for Afghanistan's security to its own national forces, and launched a new NATO-led Resolute Support Mission to train, advise and assist those forces. The Secretary General stressed that NATO remains committed to supporting Afghanistan, building strong security forces and pushing back against violent extremists. He added that General Breedlove's leadership has played a key role in implementing Wales Summit decisions, including the Readiness Action Plan, and paving the way for the next Summit in Warsaw in July.

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NATO agrees Israel Mission to NATO

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

04 May. 2016

The North Atlantic Council has agreed to accept the request that an official Israeli Mission be established at NATO headquarters. The Ambassador of Israel to the EU will therefore be the Head of the Mission of Israel to NATO.

Israel is a very active partner of the Alliance as a member of NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue, established in December 1994. NATO has invited all partners to open diplomatic missions to the Headquarters of the Atlantic Alliance in Brussels.

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NATO agrees the Kingdom of Bahrain Mission to NATO

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

04 May. 2016

The North Atlantic Council has agreed to accept the request to designate the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to Belgium as the representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the North Atlantic Council.

The Kingdom of Bahrain is a very active partner of the Alliance as a member of NATO's Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, established in 2004. NATO has invited all partners to open diplomatic missions to the Headquarters of the Atlantic Alliance in Brussels.

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NATO agrees the State of Qatar Mission to NATO

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

04 May. 2016

The North Atlantic Council has agreed to accept the request of the State of Qatar to designate its Embassy to Belgium as Mission to NATO. The Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Belgium will therefore be the Head of the Mission of the State of Qatar to NATO.

Qatar is a very active partner of the Alliance as a member of NATO's Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, established in 2004. NATO has invited all partners to open diplomatic missions to the Headquarters of the Atlantic Alliance in Brussels.

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NATO agrees Kuwait Mission to NATO

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

04 May. 2016

The North Atlantic Council has agreed to accept the request of the State of Kuwait to designate the Embassy of the State of Kuwait to Belgium as Mission to NATO. The Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Belgium will therefore be the Head of the Mission of the State of Kuwait to NATO.

The State of Kuwait is a very active member of NATO's Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, established in 2004. NATO has invited all partners to open diplomatic missions to the Headquarters of the Atlantic Alliance in Brussels.

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NATO agrees Jordan Mission to NATO

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

04 May. 2016

The North Atlantic Council has agreed to accept the request to accredit the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to Belgium as Mission to NATO. The Ambassador of Jordan to Belgium will therefore be the Head of the Mission of Jordan to NATO.

Jordan is a very active partner of the Alliance as a member of NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue, established in December 1994. NATO has invited all partners to open diplomatic missions to the Headquarters of the Atlantic Alliance in Brussels.

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Stop meddling in South China Sea dispute, Chinese diplomat demands

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:19, May 05, 2016

London, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to Britain, has demanded stopping meddling in the South China Seadispute by some politicians and media outlets in the United Statesand Britain, in a signed article to the Times published Wednesday.

"The issue of the South China Sea is being ramped up by those in the US and the UK who accuse China of causing tension in the region. They proclaim the principle of free navigation and over-flight but in reality their prejudice and partiality will only increase tension," he said.

Their suggestion that China's "hard line" position about the sea increases friction is not based on fact, Liu said, pointing out that China was the first country to discover and name the Nansha islands and reefs and the first to govern them.

Although more than 40 of them are now illegally occupied by other countries, "our talks with neighbors to resolve our differences show how committed we are to regional peace and stability," Liu said.

China's construction on its own islands and reefs is a matter for itself. These actions are not targeted at any other country. Apart from minimum defense facilities, the building works are primarily civilian in purpose, Liu said.

The claim that there is a threat to the freedom of navigation and overflight in the sea is false, he said, adding that more than 100,000 vessels pass through the sea unimpeded every year.

"Is the freedom of navigation that every country is entitled to really the issue? Or is it the 'freedom' of certain countries to flex military muscle and moor warships on other nations' doorsteps and fly military jets over other countries' territorial airspace?" he asked.

"If it is the latter, such 'freedom' should be condemned as a flagrantly hostile act and stopped," he said.

To accusations that China is "not abiding by international law" and "undermining the rule-based international system," Liu said that China made a clear declaration in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2006 to exclude compulsory arbitration on sovereign disputes and maritime delimitation.

"More than 30 other countries, including the UK, have made similar declarations," he pointed out.

"The world will see clearly who is making trouble in the South China Sea. These nations should desist from meddling and muddling. Such actions pose a threat to regional stability and world peace," the ambassador said.

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People's Daily: Evidence proves that Diaoyu Island is Chinese territory

People's Daily Online

By Liu Jiangyong (People's Daily Online) 17:59, May 04, 2016

In recent years, the Japanese government has been denying the dispute over sovereignty of Diaoyu Island, all while strengthening its own propaganda on the issue. A few days ago, the office of the Cabinet of Japan posted some data and graphics on its official website, claiming that Diaoyu Island is Japan's "inherent territory."

However, the so-called proof offered by Japan is either self-deception that goes against history or a misinterpretation of China's stance. In order to eliminate its impact on China-Japan relations and enhance the friendship between the two peoples, it is necessary to refute Japan's evidence and clarify the facts.

I. The Japanese government acknowledged China's sovereignty over Diaoyu Island before the First Sino-Japanese War

The Japanese government has repeatedly claimed that Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands used to be uninhabited, and Japan did not claim sovereignty over the islands until it had confirmed that they were not under China's jurisdiction, in accordance with the "preemption doctrine." These claims are completely groundless.

First of all, although Diaoyu Island was uninhabited before Japan seized it in 1895, it was by no means unclaimed land. According to official historical records, starting from 1372, the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty, imperial title-conferring envoys used Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands as a navigation mark to sail to Ryukyu. The imperial courts of the Ming also sent troops, led by Zhang He and Wu Zhen, to protect the maritime route and incorporated these islands into their coastal defense.

From the Qing Dynasty, the islands were placed under the jurisdiction of Gamalan, Taiwan (known as Yilan County today). Huang Shujing, the first imperial supervision envoy sent by the Qing court to Taiwan, once inspected Diaoyu Island and wrote about it in his report, "A Tour of Duty in the Taiwan Strait (Tai Hai Shi Cha Lu)."

Later, between 1874 (when Japan first invaded Taiwan) and 1894 (when the Sino-Japanese War began), all kinds of maps and literature drafted by the Navy Ministry of Japan, including one that lays out all the coastal provinces of the Qing court, identified Diaoyu Island, Huangwei Island and Chiwei Island as northeastern islands of Taiwan. Japan's Foreign Ministry and Army Ministry also confirmed the accuracy of those maps.

In 1885, six years after Japan annexed Ryukyu as Okinawa Prefecture, then Home Minister Yamagata Aritomo secretly asked the Prefecture to set up sovereignty marks on "no-man islands" like Diaoyu Island. The governor of Okinawa Prefecture and the Foreign Minister rejected this maneuver since the occupation of these islands could trigger conflicts with China. Of course, if they had actually believed Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands were unclaimed, they would have had no such concerns.

Looking further back to 20 years before the First Sino-Japanese War, it is clear that the Japanese navy believed Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands were northeastern islands of Taiwan.

For one thing, the nautical journal of H.M.S. Samarang, which chronicled the years 1843-1846 and was published in 1848, as well as other literature and maps published by the British Navy, all marked Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands as northeastern islands of Taiwan while confirming Chiwei Island as the eastern end of the Chinese island chain.

In addition, the Qing Dynasty atlas, published in 1863, also designates Diaoyu Island as being under the jurisdiction of Taiwan. Kume-jima, an affiliated island of Ryukyu facing Chiwei Island, was marked in a different color. This ample historical evidence shows that, before the "critical period" when the dispute over sovereignty of Diaoyu Island escalated, Diaoyu Island always belonged to China.

II. Japan knew Diaoyu Island was uninhabited before its poachers landed

Originally, Japan made up a story about a man named Koga Tatsushiro who supposedly discovered and colonized Diaoyu Island in 1884. After being debunked as a myth, Japan fabricated additional evidence that a man named Izawa Yakita was once saved by Chinese people as he sailed to Kobajima Island (Diaoyu Island) in 1893. This was cited as evidence that China did not prohibit Japanese people from fishing near Diaoyu Island.

However, according to firsthand reports and documents from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Izawa Yakita, a fisherman from Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture, was found poaching albatrosses on Diaoyu Island in 1891.

In June 1893, when Izawa Yakita sailed to Diaoyu Island from the Yaeyama Islands, he and his fellow sailors washed ashore in Pingyang County in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Though they were rescued, they again encountered dangerous conditions on their way to Fuzhou, Fujian province. Local officials eventually transferred them to the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai.

However, Izawa Yakita and the other sailors hid the truth from Fujian officials, claiming that they had been transporting coal from the Kyushu Islands to the Yaeyama Islands, but had accidentally floated to Kobajima Island on their way. They told the real story to Hayashi Gonsuke, then Japanese Consul General in Shanghai.

Their motivation for lying to Chinese officials must be explored. The decision overwhelmingly points to one conclusion: they realized that the "uninhabited" island they were approaching belonged to China, and they knew they would be punished if they told the truth. Instead, the local Chinese officials  who were kept in the dark about the real situation  helped the sailors get back to Japan. In this way, a philanthropic deed performed by China is being used by Japan as evidence for its own sovereignty over the island.

The truth of the matter is, Izawa Yakita was not living on Diaoyu Island or Huangwei Island until 1895 when Taiwan and its affiliated islands were colonized by Japan. Izawa Masagi, Izawa Yakita's daughter, admitted that she was born in 1901 on Huangwei Island.

She confessed that, although the Japanese government knew China had claimed the island, they nevertheless grabbed it during the Sino-Japanese War and officially included it as part of Japanese territory on a map from 1896 (the 29th year of the Meiji period). In the testimony that she left behind, Izawa Masagi insisted that Japan should establish a sound relationship with China, criticizing Japan's unlawful occupation of the island. She also noted that Japan had once promised to return the islands, along with Taiwan, to China at the end of World War II.

In recent years, in a bid to prove that Diaoyu Island belongs to Japan, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has posted pictures of Japanese people from that era standing on the island. But these photos do not stand as evidence; all they prove is that Japan colonized the island after colonizing Taiwan in 1895.

On June 10, 1895, Koga Tatsushiro submitted an application to the Japanese government to rent and develop Diaoyu Island. His application was approved in September of the next year. Koga Tatsushiro admitted that he submitted the application after Japan grabbed the islands in the Sino-Japanese War. However, the Treaty of Shimonoseki, the foundation of Japan's occupation of Diaoyu Island and Taiwan, was abolished in 1945 when Japan surrendered in World War II.

Japan's attempt to prove its sovereignty of Diaoyu Island through a few photographs is simply unconvincing. If the claim were valid, Japan could use photos taken on Chinese mainland and Taiwan from those days as proof of the claim.

III. Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Proclamation define the territory of Japan after World War II

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds that its territorial scope is determined by the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1952, and that the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Proclamation cannot place legal restrictions on Japan's territory.

This is a public denial of international law, which negates the promises Japan made in its formal document of surrender in 1945. In the mean time, the People's Republic of China was not a part of and never recognized the San Francisco Peace Treaty signed in 1951. China's sovereignty cannot be determined by a treaty between Japan and the U.S. On Sept. 18, 1951, then Chinese Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai stated that China considers the treaty illegal and void, as it failed to involve China. For that reason, China will never acknowledge it.

In 1971, Japan and the U.S. signed the Okinawa Reversion Agreement, which provided that any and all powers of administration over the Ryukyu Islands and Diaoyu Island would be "returned" to Japan. On December 30, 1971, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement pointing out that the agreement was a flagrant violation of China's sovereignty and would never be tolerated by the Chinese people.

"It is completely illegal for the government of the U.S. and Japan to include China's Diaoyu Island as part of the territories to be returned to Japan in the Okinawa Reversion Agreement," read a statement from the Chinese government.

In addition, Diaoyu Island was never even mentioned in Article 3 of the San Francisco Peace Treaty.

After its defeat in World War II, Japan promised to obey the following political documents and regulations regarding territory: According to Article 3 of the China-Japan Joint Communique signed in September 1972, the government of the People's Republic of China reiterates that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China. The government of Japan fully understands and respects this stand of the government of the People's Republic of China, and it firmly maintains its stand under Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation.

Also, based on the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan in August 1978, the principles set out in the Joint Communique had to be strictly observed.

Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation stipulated that the terms of the Cairo Declaration be carried out and Japanese sovereignty limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and other such minor islands as later determined.

The Cairo Declaration, signed in 1943, required that all the territories Japan stole from China, such as Manchuria, Formosa and the Pescadores Islands, be restored to the Republic of China.

It should be noted that in the Japanese version of the Cairo Declaration, it is stipulated that Japan has to return all the territories stolen from the Qing court to the Republic of China, which means all the territories Japan stole from China before and after the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki.

The Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, which was announced by the emperor of Japan on Aug. 15, 1945, ordered the Japanese government to inform the U.S., Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union that it accepted their joint declaration.

On Sept. 2 of the same year, the Japanese surrender document was signed, in which Japan promised that "we, acting by command of and on behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese government and its successors will faithfully implement the terms of the Potsdam Proclamation."

However, the successors of the Japanese government did not faithfully implement the terms of Potsdam Proclamation, nor did they abide by the China-Japan Joint Communique and Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan. Instead, the successors tried to replace those agreements with the San Francisco Peace Treaty, signed only by the U.S. and Japan.

If that's not a violation of international law and order, what is?

(The author is a professor from the Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University.)

The article is edited and translated from 

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US not to sell F-35 fighter jets to Arab countries: Report

Iran Press TV

Wed May 4, 2016 9:4AM

The US has given Israel categorical assurances that it will not deliver F-35 stealth multirole fighter jets to Arab states to beef up their aerial power, a report says.

According to the Hebrew-language daily Maariv, Washington had confirmed to Tel Aviv that this type of aircraft "will be exclusively allocated for Israel in the Middle East."

The newspaper further said Israeli authorities are wary of the fact the sale of F-35 military aircraft to Arab countries would chip away at the "technological superiority of Israel in the region."

There are reports that Washington is mulling the sale of fifth-generation F-35 aircraft to Qatar and Kuwait. US military officials have already announced that they will maintain a quality gap in favor of Israel in such a case.

The Hebrew-language newspaper Yisrael Hume reported recently that the Israeli Air Force is due to receive the first the first batch of F-35 fighter jets at the end of the current year.

It will receive a further seven warplanes next year. An airbase is going to be constructed in Israel's southern desert region of Negev for the new aircraft.

US military aid to Israel stalled: Report

Officials, meanwhile, say negotiations meant to enshrine US military aid for Israel over the next decade have snagged on disputes about the size, scope and fine print of a new multibillion-dollar package.

Israel is trying to garner $10 billion more than the current 10-year package, and billions more than the US administration is currently offering through guaranteed funding for missile projects.

US President Barack Obama, however, wants the funds to be spent entirely on US-made weapons, and not spent even partly on Israeli arms, several US and Israeli officials told Reuters.

Under the current agreement signed in 2007 and due to expire in 2018, Israel has received a total sum of about $30 billion or an average of $3 billion per annum from the US.

The current deal allows Israel to spend 26.3 percent of US funds on its own military industries. Washington is seeking to phase out this provision, and ensure that all of the money is spent on US-built munitions.

Tel Aviv says such a measure would give a devastating blow to its arms firms, which make some $800 million a year.

The United States also wants to put an end to a provision which allows Israel to spend around $400 million in annual funds on military fuels.

Israel has long been a major recipient of US aid, most in the form of military assistance.

Tel Aviv also wants the US administration to support missile defense projects that have so far relied on ad hoc assistance by the U.S. Congress.

The Obama administration has reportedly balked at Israel's request to stipulate a separate funding track in the military deal for missile projects.

In recent years, US legislators have given up to $600 million to Israel in the form of annual discretionary funds for missile systems. The figure is four-fold the $150 million requested by the Obama administration.

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NATO's New Commander: 'Ready To Fight If Deterrence Fails'

May 04, 2016

by Charles Recknagel

NATO has a new supreme commander, whose job is to strengthen it as a defense force after years of reductions of U.S. troops in Europe.

"We face a resurgent Russia and its aggressive behavior that challenges international norms," U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti said earlier this week upon taking command of U.S. forces in Europe.

He added that the Atlantic alliance's forces must be "ready to fight should deterrence fail."

Scaparrotti became supreme allied commander Europe at a May 4 ceremony at NATO's military headquarters near Mons, in southern Belgium.

His appointment comes at a time when the alliance regards Moscow as a threat to stability over its actions in Ukraine and has largely given up on military or civilian cooperation with Russia.

Scaparrotti has said he will press Washington to station a third permanent brigade of U.S. troops in Europe to bolster the two brigades presently deployed in Germany and Italy. Any additional permanent deployment of troops would reverse reductions over the past four years, during which Washington deactivated two brigades in Europe due to budget pressures and new threats in the Middle East and Asia.

Today, there are fewer than 65,000 U.S. military personnel permanently stationed in Europe, down from roughly 300,000 during the Cold War.

Scaparrotti's desire for more troops in Europe echoes the position of NATO's outgoing military commander, U.S. General Philip Breedlove. To date, however, Washington has preferred to rotate additional troops in and out of Europe rather than permanently station more on the continent.

The rotations have sought to reassure nervous NATO allies in the wake of Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and amid Kyiv's ongoing conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Anxiety remains particularly high in the Baltics and Poland over a possible threat from Russia.

However, Scaparrotti's most immediate challenge could be to lay down a clear boundary beyond which NATO units will not tolerate mounting harassment by Russian forces.

Russian warplanes routinely buzz NATO warships in the Baltics and the Black Sea as both sides have stepped up military exercises in response to the Ukraine crisis. The close flybys have created growing concern that they could lead to a direct confrontation.

Scaparrotti has taken a tough line against the harassment, telling U.S. senators during hearings last month that the Russian flybys are deliberately provocative and dangerous.

"I think they're pushing our envelope in terms of our resolve," he said. He added that Russia needs to know the United States will take action if American lives were endangered.

He said one of his first actions as NATO's commander will be to review the rules of engagement for U.S. and allied forces regarding when to respond with force to safeguard their security.

Scaparrotti comes to the top NATO military post after serving as head of U.S. forces in South Korea.

Prior to that, he served in Iraq and Afghanistan.



Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/nato-new-commander- scaparrotti-russia-ukraine-deterrence/27715802.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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New NATO Commander Says Military Alliance Still Vital

May 04, 2016

by RFE/RL

NATO's new supreme commander in Europe says the military alliance remains essential more than 25 years after the end of the Cold War.

"In today's challenging security environment, transatlantic cooperation is needed more than ever," U.S. General Curtis Scaparrotti said after taking over command from U.S. General Philip Breedlove at NATO's military headquarters in the Belgian town of Mons on May 4.

"Even with the end of the Cold War, our NATO alliance...remains vital as we face a new set of challenges," he added, identifying one of them as "a resurgent Russia, striving to project itself as a world power."

Relations between Moscow and the West have soured since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 and shortly thereafter began backing separatists in eastern Ukraine.

"Russia has been very active in eastern Ukraine. I don't see any indication that that's going to change in the short term and I don't expect it will," Scaparrotti said.

But Moscow claims NATO is fueling tensions by bolstering its presence on the eastern fronts of the alliance.

Earlier on May 4, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russia will set up three new military divisions in the west and the south of the country by the end of 2016.

Shoigu said the move was a response to what he called "the buildup of NATO forces in proximity to Russia's borders," as well as "intensified exercises of NATO countries."

But NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Mons laid the blame at Russia's feet, saying NATO's decisions were driven by Moscow's military actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

"That is the reason why we have responded. It is a reaction to the behavior of a Russia which is more assertive and a Russia which has shown the will of using military force to change borders in Europe," he said.

Stoltenberg added that Scaparrotti will not only help enhance NATO's presence in the east, but also work on improving its resilience to hybrid warfare and strengthening its cyberdefenses.

With reporting by dpa and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/nato-new- commander-says-alliance-still-vital/27716164.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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U.S. Military Chief Urges Russia To End 'Saber-Rattling,' Move Forward

May 04, 2016

by RFE/RL

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter urged Russia to stop "going backwards" towards the Cold War era with "saber-rattling" and aggressive actions that have put NATO on high alert.

"We do not seek to make Russia an enemy," Carter said on May 3 at a ceremony in Stuttgart to install U.S. Army General Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti as NATO's new top commander in Europe.

"We do not seek a cold, let alone a hot war with Russia. But make no mistake: We will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us."

Carter cited Russia's intervention in eastern Ukraine, its annexation of Crimea in 2014, and what he called Moscow's efforts to intimidate its Baltic neighbors, which are NATO members that the United States is sworn to defend.

"Most disturbing" is Russian rhetoric about using nuclear weapons, he said.

"Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling raises troubling questions about Russia's leaders' commitment to strategic stability, their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons," he said.

His comments came as Estonian Defense Minister Hannes Hanso disclosed that Russian military jets have been operating in an "incredibly reckless" manner in Baltic airspace.

Not only do they regularly violate Estonian airspace, he said they often fly across the Baltic Sea with their transponders switched off so they cannot be detected by civilian radar.

"It is incredibly reckless and it is an accident waiting to happen," Hanso said. "Imagine a collision between a Russian plane and a civilian plane. Normal countries don't do this sort of thing. So it is just to provoke and to challenge us. It is unacceptable."

The United States and NATO's European members have responded to what they see as an increased threat from Russia by rotating more troops into eastern member states and imposing economic sanctions over Russia's actions in Ukraine.

But Carter seemed to concede that those measures haven't had the desired effect of making Russia back off. Rather they have led to steadily deteriorating relations between Russia and the West that he said he regrets.

"We haven't had to prioritize deterrence on NATO's eastern flank for the past 25 years. But while I wish it were otherwise, now we have to," he said.

Carter said he continues to hold out hope that Russia will eventually abandon its confrontational approach.

"The United States will continue to hold out the possibility that Russia will assume the role of a constructive partner moving forward, not isolated and going backward in time as it appears to be today," he said.

"Much of the progress we've made together since the end of the Cold War, we accomplished with Russia. Let me repeat that. Not in spite of Russia, not against Russia, not without Russia, but with it."

Carter made no mention of two NATO moves that many believe prompted, at least in part, Russia's turn away from the West: the expansion of NATO toward Russia's western border and U.S. placement of missile defenses in Europe.

"We'll keep the door open for Russia," he said. But it's up to the Kremlin to decide."

In contrast to Carter, outgoing NATO commander General Philip Breedlove appeared to have a more positive view of Russia's current leadership.

Breedlove described Russian President Vladimir Putin as "more reasonable" than other possible alternatives in Russian leadership circles, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on May 2.

"We have a very strong leader who is surrounded by a small group of people who make the decisions. Most of those decisions are focused on the preservation of the regime. We believe that that group will be with us for some time," Breedlove said.

"And we're not sure that we might be in a better place if we saw a change," he said. "We are unsure that we would be in a better place if Mr. Putin was not there. He may be a more reasonable voice in the middle of that group," he said.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, TASS, and Wall Street Journal

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/us-military- chief-carter-urges-russia-end-saber-rattling- moving-backwards-cold-war/27714591.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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Estonia Says Russian Jets 'Incredibly Reckless' In Baltics' Airspace

May 04, 2016

Russian military planes regularly violate Estonian airspace in what the country's defense minister described on May 3 as "incredibly reckless" behavior.

"They violate our airspace on a fairly regular basis. They fly across the Baltic Sea with the transponders switched off," Hannes Hanso said on a visit to Paris.

While military radar can detect a plane even when its transponders are switched off, radar designed for civilian aircraft cannot, he said.

"It is incredibly reckless and it is an accident waiting to happen," Hanso said. "Imagine a collision between a Russian plane and a civilian plane. Normal countries don't do this sort of thing. So it is just to provoke and to challenge us. It is unacceptable."

Baltic countries want a NATO summit in Warsaw in July to send a clear message to Russia, the minister said.

"We want to make sure that the regime in Moscow gets a very clear message that this sort of behavior is not acceptable and territories of alliance will be defended no matter what. So it is about deterrence."

U.S. military commanders also complained this week about Russian jets doing dangerous maneuvers in the Baltic region.

Based on reporting by AFP, Stirile Pro TV, and Agerpres

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/estonia-says-russian-jets- incredibly-reckless-in-baltics-airspace/27714588.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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Update: air strikes against Daesh

4 May 2016

British forces have continued to conduct air operations in the fight against Daesh

Latest update

- Monday 25 April  Typhoons struck a group of Daesh extremists gathering for a possible attack in northern Iraq.

- Tuesday 26 April  Typhoons and Tornados prosecuted terrorist targets in western and northern Iraq, including a bunker and a vehicle.

- Wednesday 27 April  Typhoons and Tornados attacked multiple Daesh positions in western and northern Iraq, hitting a command post, six mortar, machine-gun and rocket teams, and two truck-bombs.

- Thursday 28 April  Tornados bombed terrorists operating in western and northern Iraq, including machine-gun and rocket teams, and the entrance to a tunnel system.

- Friday 29 April  Tornados used Brimstone missiles to destroy a Daesh tank and an armed truck in western Iraq.

- Monday 2 May  Typhoons struck a bunker and an anti-aircraft gun in western Iraq, while Tornados provided close air support to Iraqi forces in the north of the country.

- Tuesday 3 May  A Reaper and Tornados conducted strikes north of Mosul, while Typhoons destroyed a terrorist vehicle near Fallujah.

Detail

Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s patrolled over northern Iraq on Monday 25 April, supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker. The aircraft were alerted to a group of Daesh terrorists gathering in two buildings south-west of Kirkuk and struck both buildings with Paveway IV guided bombs.

The following day Tornado GR4s operated over northern Iraq and used a Brimstone missile to destroy a vehicle south-west of Mosul. Paveway-armed Typhoons were active over western Iraq, striking a group of terrorists engaged in combat with Iraqi ground forces north-east of Fallujah before proceeding to destroy the entrance to a bunker on the bank of the Euphrates.

On Wednesday 27 April, a pair of Tornados used Paveway IVs to destroy a terrorist mortar team operating north of the town of Hit, as well as a truck-bomb concealed amidst trees nearby. Later in the day, Typhoons struck a machine-gun position in the same area and a Daesh tactical command post north of Fallujah. In northern Iraq, Typhoons conducted a series of strikes near Qayyarah, hitting one mortar and two rocket teams, plus another truck-bomb. Near Mosul, Tornados hit a mortar position with a Paveway IV.

Tornados continued their action over the north on Thursday 28 April some distance to the south of Sinjar, striking a further mortar team as well as entrenchments that included the entrance to a tunnel system near Qayyarah. A second Tornado mission silenced a machine-gun position on a former industrial site east of Fallujah.

Tornados on a reconnaissance mission on Friday 29 April used two Brimstone missiles to destroy a T-55 tank and an armed truck despite the efforts by Daesh to conceal both in a palm grove south of Fallujah.

Typhoons provided further support to the Iraqi forces near Fallujah on Monday 2 May, striking a machine-gun team in a bunker and a 23mm anti-aircraft gun. In northern Iraq, Tornados used two Paveways to destroy a Daesh-held building and a nearby weapons store north of Mosul, then flew south to the Qayyarah region where Iraqi forces were engaged in a firefight with a group of terrorists manning a fortified position. Despite the close proximity of the friendly forces, very precise strikes with two Paveways and two Brimstones helped destroy the Daesh group.

Tuesday 3 May saw an RAF Reaper remotely piloted aircraft conducting reconnaissance over the village of Batnay, north of Mosul. A truck-bomb was identified inside a compound and struck using a Hellfire missile, resulting in a very large explosion. The Reaper then provided targeting support to a successful strike by coalition fast jets against a group of Daesh fighters and their vehicle. Two Tornados were also tasked to operate over Batnay, and they successfully destroyed a further Daesh vehicle with a direct hit from a Brimstone. In western Iraq, Typhoons provided further close air support to Iraqi forces near Fallujah, striking a mortar team and their vehicle hidden under trees south of the city.

Previous air strikes

1 April: Typhoons were active over western Iraq. A Daesh truck armed with an anti-aircraft gun was successfully bombed north-east of Ramadi and Paveways were used to destroy a fuel tanker converted into a truck bomb near Hit and a bunker west of Fallujah where terrorists had been spotted. In northern Iraq, a Tornado patrol employed Paveway IVs to destroy three Daesh buildings in the Mosul and Sinjar areas.

2 April: Coalition surveillance operations had identified Daesh extremists using a former Iraqi military ammunition depot near Qayyarah in northern Iraq. This intelligence indicated that the terrorists were manufacturing improvised explosive devices and other weaponry on the site. As part of a large coalition air strike on terrorist facilities in the area, four RAF Tornado GR4s were tasked with attacking 16 of these storage bunkers. Each aircraft dropped a salvo of four Paveways, and initial indications are that the strike was highly accurate and effective. An RAF Reaper was also active in the Qayyarah area, hunting a Daesh mortar team. The aircraft's crew were able successfully to locate the team, operating a truck-mounted mortar, concealed under trees on the western bank of the Tigris, and secured a direct hit with a Hellfire missile.

4 April: Typhoon FGR4s patrolled over Anbar province in western Iraq. East of Fallujah, the Typhoons struck two buildings occupied by Daesh fighters that had been identified by Iraqi ground forces with Paveway IV guided bombs. The aircraft then flew to the city of Hit, on the Euphrates river, where a coalition surveillance aircraft had spotted a large group of terrorists positioned in a line of trees on the edge of the town. These extremists were also struck using a Paveway IV.

Other RAF aircraft were active over northern Iraq; Tornado GR4s assisted Kurdish peshmerga engaged in a firefight north-west of Mosul, hitting their Daesh opponents with a Paveway, whilst Typhoons conducted a successful bombing attack on extremists mustering near Qayyarah.

5 April: A Typhoon flight operated over northern Iraq, using Paveways to attack three Daesh-held buildings north-east of Mosul, including a weapons store. They then used a further three Paveways to destroy three Daesh positions some miles south of Kirkuk, including a headquarters building and a base used by a mortar team.

6 April: A Typhoon flight tasked to provide close air support to the Iraqi security forces attacking Daesh strongholds in Hit. The Typhoons used Paveways to strike a total of seven targets identified by the aircraft themselves, the Iraqi forces and supporting surveillance aircraft. A rocket-propelled grenade team firing from a building were silenced in a precise strike which avoided causing damage to a nearby mosque. They also destroyed two heavy-machine guns; a third heavy machine-gun on the northern bank of the river; and a series of simultaneous attacks eliminated a fourth machine-gun position and two more groups of Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG)-armed terrorists. In northern Iraq, Tornado GR4s bombed a network of trenches near Qayyarah.

7 April: The Tornados were in action again over northern Iraq, where they used a Paveway to destroy a truck-bomb positioned ahead of Kurdish troops south of Kirkuk. They then destroyed a machine-gun position on the Little Zab River using a Brimstone missile. Near Qayyarah, a Typhoon flight supported Kurdish troops who had come under fire from a number of Daesh positions. Two terrorist-held buildings were destroyed, and a group of extremists caught manoeuvring in the open were also struck with a Paveway.

8 April: RAF Typhoon FGR4s patrolled the area around Hit. Coalition surveillance aircraft located a concealed improvised artillery piece  known as a "hell cannon"  which had opened fire on the Iraqi troops and was hidden under trees. Working closely with surveillance aircraft, the Typhoon flight was able to score a direct hit using a Paveway IV guided bomb.

9 April: A RAF Reaper remotely piloted aircraft was tasked to hunt for a Daesh mortar team operating in the Hit area. Intensive surveillance allowed the Reaper's crew to identify and track motorcycle-mounted terrorists who stopped to set up a mortar. They were struck by a Hellfire missile from the Reaper.

10 April: Two flights of Tornado GR4s operated over northern Iraq to support Kurdish ground forces. One flight working east of Mosul demolished a Daesh-held building, suspected to be a local headquarters, using Paveway bombs. The Tornados then hit a building being used to stockpile rockets with another Paveway and used a Brimstone missle to account for a set of rocket launch rails nearby. The second Tornado flight provided support to Kurdish troops near Qayyarah who were coming under fire from a sniper team  they were successfully silenced by a further Paveway.

11 April: An RAF Typhoon mission destroyed a terrorist machine-gun team east of Mosul, then struck three Daesh positions east of Qayyarah.

12 April: A pair of Tornados bombed through thick cloud to hit two terrorist positions, including a rocket launching team, north of Mosul, and a Daesh mortar team near Qayyarah. In western Iraq, Typhoons supported the Iraqi counter-terrorist forces pushing into Hit, and used Paveways to strike two buildings held by Daesh rocket-propelled grenade and machine-gun teams.

13 April: RAF Typhoon FGR4s assisted in the destruction of one of the remaining terrorist strongpoints on the eastern outskirts of the town, striking, despite the very close proximity of the Iraqi forces, a Daesh machine-gun position with a Paveway IV guided bomb. When the Iraqi troops liberated the town's hospital, they found that it had been converted into a terrorist bomb-making factory, with a number of vehicles there, including an ambulance, converted into truck-bombs; fortunately, the speed of the Iraqi victory prevented these deadly booby-traps from being deployed. In northern Iraq, other Typhoons bombed terrorist rocket and mortar teams located some miles south-west of Sinjar, and in the Kisik area, which had opened fire on advancing Kurdish troops. West of Mosul, Tornado GR4s tracked an articulated lorry carrying a prepared car-bomb on its trailer; despite the lorry's speed, a direct hit was scored on the car-bomb using a Brimstone missile.

The Tornados then used Paveways to destroy two clusters of barges being used by the terrorists to move men and supplies across the Tigris.

14 April: Tornados patrolling over northern Iraq provided close air support to Kurdish forces in the areas south of Sinjar and Kisik. Successful Paveway attacks accounted for a Daesh mortar team and destroyed the entrance to a tunnel system where a number of terrorists were reported to be hiding. Near Qayyarah, Typhoons destroyed a Daesh-held building, again using a Paveway IV. In western Iraq, as the last Daesh fighters pulled out of Hit, a Tornado flight employed two Brimstone missiles to sink boats used by them to cross the Euphrates.

17 April: A Tornado armed reconnaissance patrol over northern Syria bombed a Daesh large calibre mortar position near Manbij. In northern Iraq, a Typhoon flight used a total of eight Paveways in a succession of successful strikes around Kisik, Mosul and south of Kirkuk, destroying a terrorist mortar team, four vehicles, and three Daesh-held buildings.

18 April: A Typhoon mission used Paveways to attack two mortar positions which had opened fire on Kurdish troops near Kisik, while a pair of Tornados conducted simultaneous attacks on three Daesh targets north-east of Mosul, hitting a bomb-making factory and two other terrorist-held buildings. In western Iraq, Typhoons dropped four Paveways to destroy ten rocket-launchers and a stockpile of ammunition positioned on the bank of the Euphrates.

19 April: In northern Iraq, Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s spotted a tractor pulling a large towed mortar near Barimah. A hit from a Brimstone missile brought the tractor to a halt, and a Paveway IV guided bomb then destroyed the mortar. Near Mosul, a pair of Typhoons accounted for two more mortars, hitting them with Paveways which also destroyed their stockpiled ammunition. In western Iraq, another Tornado mission assisted Iraqi forces, who had liberated the town of Hit the previous week, as they cleared terrorist positions across the Euphrates on the northern bank. The Tornados destroyed two machine-gun positions using Paveway IVs.

20 April: Typhoons, supported by an RAF Voyager refuelling tanker, provided close air support to Iraqi troops operating north and east of Fallujah. Two successful Paveway attacks hit a machine-gun team in a trench and a mortar in a covered firing position. In northern Iraq, Tornados used Paveway IVs again to attack two Daesh-held buildings near Qayyarah.

21 April: A Tornado mission saw the first use of the RAF's Enhanced Paveway III (EPWIII) against Daesh  a guided bomb with a 2000lb deep penetration warhead. Our aircraft normally carry the smaller Paveway IV guided bombs and Brimstone missiles, which can be carried in larger numbers and are more useful for close air support missions. The EPW III has been held in reserve for use if needed against particularly challenging underground or hardened targets. The Tornados flew as part of a coalition air strike on a large complex of tunnels and bunkers dug into terraced hillsides above the Euphrates in western Iraq, successfully scoring direct hits with a pair of EPW IIIs on two entrances to the bunker network.

22 April: Two RAF Reapers operating over Syria conducted strikes. Near Abu Kamal, one Reaper provided surveillance support to a successful coalition attack on an improvised weapons factory, then used two of its own Hellfire missiles to demolish a nearby workshop used for constructing car-bombs. The second Reaper tracked a terrorist vehicle near Tabuqah, south-west of Raqqa, and destroyed it with a Hellfire.

In western Iraq, Typhoons continued to support Iraqi ground forces north of Fallujah, where they conducted four Paveway attacks against snipers, a bunker and an entrenched fighting position. Tornados patrolled south-west of Kirkuk, where two Paveways destroyed a bridge built by Daesh across a canal, and a communications post nearby.

24 April: Typhoons were again in action near Fallujah; one pair silenced a sniper position that was firing on Iraqi troops, while a second pair dropped three Paveways on a Daesh compound.



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UK considering further support to fight against Daesh

4 May 2016

Defence Secretary has met with counter-Daesh Coalition counterparts to review progress and consider further steps to accelerate the campaign.

The Defence Secretary met with counterparts from ten countries in the Global Coalition against Daesh today to review recent progress and consider further steps to accelerate the campaign .

During the counter-Daesh Coalition meeting held in Stuttgart, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon will announce that the UK will consider a further training and advisory package to help Iraqi ground forces tackle the terrorist organisation. This builds on the most recent deployment, in March, of additional personnel to provide training in areas such as bridge building as well as specialist medical staff.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:

"Make no mistake - Iraqi forces have Daesh on the back foot and are retaking territory, hitting its finances and striking its leadership. Now is the time to build on recent success and we are looking hard at what more we can offer as Iraqi combat operations intensify."

Further support will enhance the UK's leading role in the fight against Daesh. The RAF has carried out the second highest number of strikes in Iraq and, since it obtained permission for air strikes, in Syria. In Besmaya, Erbil, Taji and the Al Asad Air Base in Anbar Province, UK personnel are training Iraqi and Kurdish Security Forces in infantry skills, Counter-IED and combat medical techniques.

The meeting, attended by US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian and German Minister of Defence Dr. Ursula Von der Leyen as well as representatives from Australia, Italy, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain, also provided an opportunity to review support to the Kurdish Regional Government. The Defence Secretary announced that Britain plans to provide Kurdish Peshmerga fighters with a further 1 million worth of ammunition.

The UK Government has already gifted over 50 tonnes of non-lethal equipment, nearly half a million rounds of ammunition, 1000 counter-Improvised Explosive Device (c-IED) Vallon detectors and has delivered over 300 tonnes of weapons and equipment on behalf of other nations. This latest package will consist of sniper rounds and will replenish stocks of ammunition for the heavy machine guns, also gifted by the UK. British military personnel have also trained over 3400 Peshmerga troops as they play a key role in this fight.

The Defence Ministers will also talk about the spread of Daesh and Mr Fallon will lead the discussion on improving governance and transregional co-ordination to combat violent extremism and its links to wider instability including illegal migration, crime networks and weapons smuggling. Highlighting the importance of political direction and military management of the global campaign against Daesh, he said:

"As Daesh is hit hard in Iraq and Syria, it is seeking to spread to North Africa, the Arabian peninsula, the Caucuses, South East Asia and beyond. To counter this threat and protect our streets means working more closely together to tackle its franchise, wherever it appears."

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Budget woes 'costly distraction,' Ban says, urging reliable funding for UN Palestine refugee agency

4 May 2016  A consequence of failing to fund the activities of the United Nations agency tasked with ensuring the wellbeing of Palestinian refugees across the Middle East would be an increased risk of extremism, more poverty, and a region even more riven by conflict, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today, urging donors to step up their financial support.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) faces a deficit of $81 million. UNRWA and its 30,000 staff provide vital human development and emergency relief services to 5.2 million Palestine refugees across the Middle East, and operate 700 schools, serving 500,000 children.

"The budget uncertainties are a costly distraction," the UN chief said at a special meeting on the sustainability of UNRWA, noting that those uncertainties play with the fate of people who are already living on the edge, and add a needless extra layer of suffering and anguish.

Stressing the need to put the agency on a sustainable footing, Mr. Ban said that sustainability means, in practical terms, that Palestine refugees never having to question whether UNRWA schools would be open, or never doubting whether crucial medical services would be available, or the food would be on the table for dinner.

"Let us never forget the human consequences if we let Palestine refugees down: more young people driven into despair; an increased risk of extremism; more poverty, loss of hope and dignity and a Middle East region even more riven by conflict," he said.

Recalling his visit to Gaza shortly after the end of the devastating conflict in the summer of 2014, Mr. Ban said he saw first-hand how UNRWA's 252 schools went from providing quality education to 240,000 children, to offering sanctuary to 300,000 displaced in Gaza.

Soon after hostilities ceased, UNRWA schools were remarkably up and running with barely a delay to the academic year, he said.

UNRWA has been a pioneer in providing education in emergencies, a key theme of the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit, and has developed innovative distance learning techniques for Palestine refugee girls and boys.

Pierre Krahenbuhl, head of UNRWA, told reporters yesterday that ensuring Palestinian youth receive an education is comparable to "a global public good."

Mr. Krahenbuhl said that the potential delay of the 2015 school year due to financial shortfalls was an emotional experience for Palestinian students and their parents.

"What has to be understood in terms of the value of education for young Palestinian boys and girls is simply that it is the very foundation on which rests their hope for improved circumstances; for an ability to contribute meaningfully in their lives as they move ahead," he said.

"So, this is why we see it almost, as was expressed by one of our donors, as a global public good, the need to preserve the education that is provided by UNRWA to this young generation of Palestinians."

In an earlier interview with UN Radio, he explained that the agency does not have resources of its own, and depends on voluntary contributions from donors and partners.

"There is no humanitarian organization that is perfectly funded," he said. "But in UNRWA's case, the problem is that we have certain services that are almost like a Government, in terms of education and health care. We cannot say next year to the Palestinian children that we're reducing the number of children in our schools from 500,000 to 400,000. That's just not an option."

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New Details, Questions Arise in Gunbattle That Killed US Navy SEAL

by Jeff Seldin May 04, 2016

A U.S. Navy SEAL killed Tuesday when Islamic State (IS) fighters punched through Kurdish lines in northern Iraq was part of a Quick Reaction Force, sent in to extract other U.S. troops trapped by the surprise offensive.

According to U.S. military officials, a small team of U.S. advisers had been meeting early Tuesday with a Kurdish Peshmerga unit in the town of Telskuf, about 30 kilometers north of Mosul.

"They were in contact [with the enemy], they couldn't get away," Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters during a video news conference from Baghdad.

The so-called Quick Reaction Team, on standby in case of an emergency, was sent in to retrieve them.

"When the QRF arrived, they fought out," Warren said.

U.S. officials said Quick Reaction Forces are routinely used to back up missions like the one in Telskuf, but it has been months since one of the teams was called into action.

The Navy identified the lone casualty as Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Charles Keating IV, a 31-year-old with previous experience in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He was shot during what Warren described as "a dynamic gunfight" pitting the U.S. and Peshmerga forces against more than 125 IS fighters.

Keating was evacuated by helicopter to a U.S. medical facility in Irbil, where he died from his injuries.

'Large fight'

Warren said a number of Peshmerga fighters were also killed and both of the U.S. Black Hawk helicopters used in the extraction operation were damaged by small arms fire.

"This was a large fight, no question about it," Warren said, "one of the largest we've seen recently."

U.S. forces also called in for help from the air, getting it from 11 manned aircraft, including fighter jets, B-52 bombers, A-10 ground attack aircraft and two drones, all of which continued to carry out strikes after U.S. forces had left the area.

In all, the U.S. says 58 IS fighters were killed in the strikes, which also destroyed three mortar systems, two truck bombs, a bulldozer and more than 20 other vehicles used in the assault.

Still, it was not until darkness had fallen that Peshmerga forces managed to clear the area of IS forces, claiming a total of 80 IS fighters had been killed.

U.S. military officials said the last time IS tried to carry out an attack on a similar scale was last December, when several hundred IS fighters targeted Tal Aswad.

Despite the magnitude and complex nature of the IS assault Tuesday on Telskuf, Warren insisted there was "no indication" IS knew about the presence of the U.S. military advisers.

"The enemy's intent, we believe, was to seize the town," he said.

"This enemy has suffered a string of defeats," he added. "When they are back on their heels, often they will try one of these more high-profile, high-visibility attacks in an effort to gain some attention."

How did IS do it?

Still, there are questions as to how IS was able to mass such a large force  including three truck bombs, a bulldozer and dozens of other vehicles  so close to the Peshmerga front lines without detection.

Peshmerga fighters speaking to VOA following the battle in Telskuf said the IS firepower was impressive and that the Peshmerga initially had to retreat because they were outgunned.

"Clearly they were able to, over time, infiltrate individuals or vehicles, one or two at a time and then dash out of there under the cover of darkness Tuesday morning," Warren said.

For months, some intelligence and military officials have cautioned that even though IS was being pushed back, it retained its ability to adapt.

"They're willing to trade space for time," one U.S. official told VOA last month, warning that the terror group seemed to be gearing up to defend its strongholds of Raqqa, Syria and Mosul. "You're going to see a really tough fight."

Flaws in coalition strategy?

There are also some concerns the surprise offensive in Telskuf may reveal some flaws in the U.S. and coalition's anti-IS strategy.

"With the force structure we have in place, we are vulnerable," said Christopher Harmer, senior naval analyst at the Institute for the Study of War.

"Because they blend in so well with the population and are, for all practical purposes, indistinguishable from the population when using long-distance surveillance technology, they can mass and attack at the time and place of its choosing," he added.

Following a meeting with coalition defense ministers Wednesday in Germany, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter warned that the danger was far from over.

"These risks will continue," he said. "All of our friends and allies across the counter-ISIL coalition can and must do more." ISIL is an acronym for Islamic State.

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US, Allies Discuss Next Steps in Islamic State Fight

by VOA News May 04, 2016

The United States along with allies from 11 other countries met in Germany to discuss the joint efforts in their campaign against Islamic State.

In a joint statement, released after the meeting, the group reaffirmed its support "to further accelerate and reinforce the success of our partners on the ground and for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term" in order to hasten the collapse of Islamic State's control of Mosul and Raqqa in Iraq.

"We called on all of Iraq's political leaders to commit themselves to the legal and peaceful reconciliation of political differences in order to confront the nation's challenges and to remain united against the common enemy," it added.

Defense ministers from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and the Britain participated in Wednesday's session at the U.S. military's European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

The meeting, which was a follow up to February's session in Brussels, comes a day after a U.S. Navy SEAL was killed while fighting Islamic State forces in northern Iraq.

"Now, this fight is far from over and there are great risks and we were reminded of this yesterday when an American service member - Petty Officer First Class Charles Keating, a Navy SEAL - was killed while providing advice and assistance to the Peshmerga forces north of Mosul, who are directly in the fight [against the Islamic State group]," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday. "These risks will continue and we greatly regret his loss."

Meanwhile Wednesday, coalition forces announced that they conducted 22 strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq on Tuesday. The strikes were conducted in coordination with Iraqi forces.

Some material for this report came from AP and Reuters.

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DR Congo launches probe into use of US mercenaries

Iran Press TV

Thu May 5, 2016 9:6AM

The Democratic Republic of Congo has ordered an investigation into the alleged use of foreign mercenaries by the country's opposition leader and potential presidential candidate Moise Katumbi.

"I just gave the instruction to the general prosecutor of the republic to open a judicial case against the former governor of the province of Katanga, Moise Katumbi," DR Congo's Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba said on Wednesday.

"We have documented proof that several former American soldiers are currently in Katanga in the service of Mr. Katumbi," he said, adding that the mercenaries were being recruited via a "network with a company based in Virginia in the United States."

The recruits were specialized in training and the use of weapons, as security guards or bodyguards, the minister noted.

The move came after four members of Katumbi's entourage including an American were arrested in Katanga on April 24, and transferred to the country's capital, Kinshasa.

The justice minister said seven other former American soldiers and at least two South Africans had been staying in residences belonging to Katumbi "for reasons that the inquiry will clarify."

Katumbi, 51, was formerly the governor of Katanga, a DR Congo's southern province, and joined the opposition in September last year after quitting as governor and leaving the party of incumbent President Joseph Kabila.

The opposition leader, who has also announced his run in the country's November presidential election, adamantly dismissed the allegations leveled against him over the use of mercenaries.

"It's a disgrace, a grotesque lie... they are simply looking to harm me.... Never will I, Moise Katumbi, take up arms for power," said Katumbi, adding that his "struggle is democratic and peaceful out of respect for the constitution."

DR Congo has been struggling since President Joseph Kabila's 2011 re-election, which is said to have been marked with voting irregularities. The country has been through two wars since Kabila came to power.

Political tensions are again high in the African country as new elections are due later this year.

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Australian-born Islamic State Recruiter Killed in US Airstrike

by VOA News May 05, 2016

An Australian citizen suspected of being a top recruiter for the Islamic State terrorist group has been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq.

Australian Attorney-General George Brandis told reporters Thursday that Melbourne native Neil Prakash died in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29.

Brandis says Prakash was actively involved in recruiting terrorists, appearing in IS propaganda videos, and was linked to a number of terrorist plots in Australia. Brandis says Prakash also encouraged so-called "lone-wolf" attacks against the United States.

"Although we should be gladdened by this news because Prakash was the most dangerous Australian we knew of, we shouldn't be complacent either that this is by no means the end of struggle against ISIL (Islamic State Group), it's by no means the case that Prakash was the only dangerous Australian in the Middle East who was trying to reach back to Australia," said Brandis.

"This is a good outcome for the safety and security of our country. He's an evil person. He was involved in the deaths of people. He was wanting to inspire hatred in our country. He wanted young people to be following in the footsteps of martyrs elsewhere, committing terrorist acts here, and our country's a safer place for him having left it," said Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.

Attorney-general Brandis also said he was informed by the United States that another Australian, Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad, was killed in an air strike in Syria last month along with her Sudanese husband, who were both recruiters for Islamic State.

Mohammad was the sister of Farhad Jabar, a 15-year-old who shot and killed a civilian police employee in Sydney last October. Jabar was killed in a gunfight with police shortly afterward.

Canberra has launched a wide-ranging anti-terrorism campaign since late 2014. Authorities have conducted a series of counter-terrorism raids across the country, arresting at least several people on suspicion of planning domestic terrorist attacks and involvement with Islamic militants fighting in Iraq and Syria.

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Daesh can stage Paris-style attacks in US: Clapper

Iran Press TV

Thu May 5, 2016 4:26AM

The Takfiri Daesh (ISIL) group has the capacity of targeting the United States with attacks similar to those of Paris and Brussels, says the US intelligence chief.

"They do have that capacity. That's something we worry about a lot in the United States, that they could conjure up a raid like they did in Paris or Brussels," US National Intelligence Director James Clapper said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.

On November 13, Daesh launched a series of coordinated attacks in Paris, killing some 130 people. Investigations into the incident revealed that the perpetrators were mostly Belgium-based.

In Brussels, two men blew themselves up in the city's international airport in coordinated blasts in March that also hit a metro station in the Belgian capital. A total of 32 people lost their lives in the attacks claimed by the Takfiri group.

The Brussels attacks came days after police arrested Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect of Paris attacks in the Belgian capital.

Clapper noted that Daesh "either infiltrate people or incite people who are already here," to carry out a Paris-style attack, but the militant group's leaders do not necessarily choose a specific target.

"That's apparently not exactly their modus operandi. It's more general, strategic guidance, and then let the local cell figure out how to achieve the objectives," he also said.

"We've already seen some cases of that," Clapper added, referring to San Bernardino shootings in December that claimed the lives of 14 people.

President Barack Obama and other national security officials, however, say the US is not in similar danger as Europe.

"We, here in the United States, face less of a threat than Europe" from Daesh, Obama said.

National Security Adviser Susan also said "whether or not" the US comes under a Daesh attack, Washington would do its "utmost to try to prevent it."

The Daesh terrorists, who were initially trained by the CIA in Jordan in 2012 to destabilize the Syrian government, now control large parts of Iraq and Syria.

They have been carrying out horrific acts of violence such as public decapitations and crucifixions against all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians.

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Intelligence Official: Islamic State Growing in Somalia

by Harun Maruf May 05, 2016

Pro-Islamic State Somali militants have grown in numbers and are receiving financial and military support from Yemen, a top intelligence official told the VOA Somali Service.

Abdi Hassan Hussein, the former Director of the U.S.-backed Puntland Intelligence Agency (PIA) said when the pro-IS Somali faction was founded in October last year it had about 20-30 men, but has since set up training camps and recruited more fighters. He said the group's fighters now number between 100-150 fighters. "They have graduated their first units and they have received their military supplies," he said.

Hussein led PIA until a year ago when he was replaced. His main job was to detect militant threats and plan counter-terrorism operations.

He said Islamic State has welcomed its Somalia branch and has started delivering supplies through their affiliate faction in Yemen.

"They received military supplies from Yemen  weapons, uniform, ISIS sent trainers who inspected their bases, and they have started sending financial support," he said. "The weapons' shipment was delivered by sea from Mukallah city in Hadramouth, it has arrived from the Red Sea coast of Somalia in February and March this year."

Hussein pointed to a recent video posted by the group that he said shows the group received new uniforms. He said there is also evidence that the group has received financial support from Islamic State. "Evidence of financial support can be seen in the area; they are buying supplies, they are buying vehicles, they bought livestock, they invested in the community by delivering water supplies to nearby community affected by the drought," he said.

Hussein said reports he has received indicate administrations in Somalia have underestimated the threat of the pro-IS group led by former al-Shabab cleric Abdulkadir Mumin. He criticized the Somali government and regional administrations for not taking the threat seriously. He said Islamic State will pose tougher challenge than al-Shabab. "Daesh is more dangerous than al-Shabab. They are known for committing large scale destruction. They have more finance. They have more impact. They declared to start attacks within Somalia, and they readied units to carry out attacks."

He said the faction now has a base in Al Bari Mountains in Puntland, where it gives training and has erected a flag used by Islamic State militants. He said the base also provides logistics, and has cemented connections with Yemen.

He said opportunity was missed to neutralize the group at early stage. "It would have been better to destroy them when they were 20 or 30 men, before they adapted to the environment; but now the terrorists got used to the climate, they secured access to water wells, routes, and hiding places, " he said. "Now to defeat them would require the same resources and effort that was placed against al-Shabab."

The Somali military this week said they destroyed a training camp by pro-IS Somali and foreign militants in Jannaale town area, about 120 kilometers south of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. It followed after Islamic State for the first time claimed credit for an attack against African Union forces just outside Mogadishu last month.

Hussein said the government and African Union troops can't win against al-Shabab or IS factions militarily, and urged them to confront the groups ideologically. "The youth they are sending are assets, but misguided; they need to be saved from harming the people and harming themselves," he said.

"They need to be confronted ideologically, they need to be shown different ideology, given an opportunity to leave the group, given protection against prosecution from the government and retaliatory attacks from Al-Shabab if they decide to leave group. We need to create opportunities for the youth," Hussein said.

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China's Communist Party Disciplines Outspoken Property Tycoon

by Joyce Huang May 04, 2016

The Chinese Communist Party has put an outspoken tycoon on one year of probation after he publicly criticized President Xi Jinping's media policies in February  a decision that, analysts say, aims to create a chilling effect on party members and the nation's opinion leaders.

Yet, they add, the move to silence the property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, known as China's Donald Trump, is also a slap in the president's face after Xi openly urged party leaders to heed online comments late last month.

The long-awaited punishment was announced on Monday after the party concluded that Ren's comments on his microblogging accounts were a "vile influence" and "have run counter to the party's basic principles on multiple occasions," according to state media.

Party's government?

Before his Weibo account was shut down by authorities, the sharp-tongued mogul posted comments to his nearly 38 million online followers, which read "When did the people's government change into the party's government?" in response to Xi's call for state media to adhere to the party line.

Calls to expel Ren have since been heard, although the tycoon, with an estimated net worth of 145 million yuan ($22 million) ended up being treated lightly this week, given his political standing, said Willy Lam, an expert on elite Chinese politics.

Lenient punishment

"His voice has been effectively silenced. Even though when you compare the treatment given to dissidents, you would say that he's got a relatively lenient treatment," Lam said.

Ren, nicknamed "Big Gun Ren," is a "red second-generation," whose father, Ren Quansheng, served as the country's vice minister of commerce.

As a successful businessman himself, the 65-year-old tycoon is well-connected both politically and in business circles, notably, his private friendship with Wang Qishan, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.

Even so, the party now seems determined to keep Ren out of the eyes of the public.

Use of ad to protest

On Tuesday, online comments about an air purifier ad, put up by Broad Group in Changsha, Hunan province, in front of the city's train station became the top-trending censored topic on Freeweibo.com.

The ad features Ren with a mask next to a sensitive punch line, which read "You can be silenced, but you can't stop breathing."

In response to the ad, one Weibo user said "the party can now expel Ren since he apparently has shown no remorse" while another user wrote "the power of capital has shown a contempt for everything," according to the Freeweibo.com.

China's control over social media

Many of those censored online comments disagreed with the message of Ren's ad  a sign that the authorities' control over social media has tightened but hardly follow any patterns, said Zhang Ming, a professor of political science at Renmin University of China.

"China's censorship and media control measures hardly make any sense," he said.

Overall, the disciplinary action has set a chilling example to quell public opinions critical of the party and Xi, said Zhang Lifan, a prominent scholar of modern Chinese history.

But, Zhang added, in the long run, such measures will eventually backfire and bring the party's ruling legitimacy into question because many disapprove of such disciplinary action, even if they say nothing.

Signs of tightening grip by President Xi Jinping

The timing for the punishment, in particular, is ironic the scholar added, given Xi recently tried to portray himself as an open-minded leader by ordering party officials to take the opinions of the country's 700 million netizens seriously during a cyber security workshop two weeks ago.

Lam said for now, the move will force Ren to stay low-key in the upcoming year, or risk his party membership, since Xi has ambitions to become Mao Zedong of the 21st century and shown less tolerance of critics.

"We have the party congress coming up in one-and-a-half year's time, in which, Xi Jinping hopes to further consolidate his position as the unchallenged tyrant leader," Lam said.

"So we expect more censorship and more intimidation against party members or intellectuals, who dare to speak out," he added.

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Despite Election Gains, Fragile Nuclear Deal a Test for Iran's Leaders

by Heather Murdock May 04, 2016

Foreign business leaders have descended on Iran this year, eager to jump-start deals worth billions of dollars as international sanctions against Tehran are lifted, under last year's agreement to set limits on Iran's nuclear program.

For Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who consolidated his support in the final round of parliamentary elections last week, it's a sign that the nuclear deal, his premier accomplishment to date, is working.

But the promise made to the Iranian people - economic growth on a scale that would change their lives - has yet to materialize, according to analysts. And as remaining U.S. sanctions continue to bar many financial dealings with Iran, Rouhani now faces a deadline.

Political developments in both the United States and Iran could alter the future of the deal, according to Sanam Vakil, an associate fellow at the London-based think-tank Chatham House. A new U.S. president will take office in January, and any of the current candidates is likely to be harder on Iran than President Barack Obama, she says.

Iran's presidential election is coming up next year, and Rouhani's ability to implement promised economic reforms will be in the spotlight.

"Rouhani's window for economic reform and political change has narrowed," Vakil explains, "He has nine months of Obama leniency before the next U.S. president steps up rhetoric and steps up pressure on the Iranian government."

Economic growth slow

Vakil adds the economic growth Iranians expected after the nuclear deal is still stymied by investors' uncertainty, continuing U.S. sanctions and fear of "snapback" policies written into the deal.

Iran has already scaled back its nuclear program in accordance with the deal, according to the International Atomic Energy Association, but if Tehran is found to have misled the world community, economic sanctions could, as they say, snap back into place quickly.

"A lot of international investors have not returned into the Iranian market in a way that was expected," says Vakil, "Because they are uncertain as to the ramifications and ... the legal implications of remaining U.S. sanctions."

Iranian officials do not blame their situation on the remaining sanctions. They blame U.S. officials, for not assuring the business community that it is now acceptable to negotiate with Iran, as diplomats from the United States, Russia and the European powers did, without fear of reprisals or punishment.

"The most important problem is that the United States is taking a back seat after eight years of scaring everybody off, imposing heavy penalties on people who wanted to do business with Iran," Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told the New Yorker magazine last week.

"Billions of dollars of penalties were imposed on various European financial institutions" while the sanctions were in effect, Zarif said, and after the agreement was signed, "The United States was supposed to go to various banks and tell them bygones are bygones" - that the problems of the past should remain in the past.

Parliamentary elections

The last round of elections in Iran for parliament and the leading religious body, the Assembly of Experts, concluded last week with a clear win for progressives who support Rouhani's reform programs.

The new 290-member parliament will have a record number of 17 women and a record low of 16 clerics. However, Alex Vatanka, an Iran expert at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, cautions that this does not indicate a grand shift in society, since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei still wields more power than anyone in the civilian government.

"Change in Iran will not come about in a large-scale fashion," Vatanka says, "because the Supreme Leader will only go along with piecemeal change, baby-step change - nothing too radical. But the fact that these women have been elected is a good sign."

Iranian elections are often criticized abroad because the nation's religious leaders can veto candidates. Thousands of potential candidates, many of whom supported reform, were disqualified from this year's parliamentary voting. Human Rights Watch says their removal was "based on discriminatory and arbitrary criteria."

Still, Vatanka says, the vote was significant and it will have an impact, because reformers won all seats in Tehran, the capital and "political soul" of the country.

"It would be a mistake to entirely dismiss these elections," he explains. "Because even within the pool of candidates that are allowed to run you will actually find plenty of nuances and sometimes distinct world-views about what Iran ought to look like at home, or what Iranian foreign policy ought to be."

Hardliners

Powerful figures in both Iran and the U.S. are still opposed to the Iran nuclear deal, and players on both sides would like to see it derailed, according to Theodore Karasik, senior adviser to the consulting firm Gulf-State Analytics, based in Washington.

The Iran deal, according to critics in both countries, is a pact with an enemy, bound to end in a betrayal.

Lawmakers in the U.S. capital blocked a major spending bill last week as a result of their unhappiness about the deal with Iran. And some American lobbyists are working to persuade investors to avoid Iran, even as the Obama administration seeks to encourage investment by clarifying current regulations.

Opposition on each side fuels negative sentiment in the other country, Karasik explains.

"Major U.S. companies are still hemmed in by core sanctions," says Karasik. "This has put Iranians who have said 'this is good for Iran' under pressure," leaving them instead with the message: "You see? You can't trust the United States."

Iran's American opponents accuse Tehran of funding terrorism through its extensive support for Hezbollah, which is both Lebanon's most powerful political party and a U.S.-designated terror group.

The United Nations last week offered to try to mediate a dispute between Tehran and Washington, after Iranian officials were enraged by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Iranian assets should be used to pay $2 billion to victims of terror attacks linked to Iran.

There also is bigotry on both sides, marked by openly anti-Islamic speeches by some American politicians, while an organization in Tehran hosts a "Holocaust cartoon contest," a venue for denying that the Holocaust ever took place.

However, Iranians and Americans also have vested interests in seeing the deal succeed, and hopes that it could improve relations, says Vatanka of the Middle East Institute.At the very least, all parties agree that a military confrontation between the U.S. and Iran would be a disaster.

"This is a fragile process," he adds."We are nowhere close to a place where we can say, 'The deal is safe.'"

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US, Allies Bracing for More IS Incursions in Iraq

by Jeff Seldin May 03, 2016

The United States and its allies are expecting more offensives like the one Islamic State fighters pulled off Tuesday in northern Iraq, briefly breaking Kurdish Peshmerga lines and resulting in the death of a U.S. Navy SEAL.

U.S. officials have been adamant that IS is as vulnerable and weak as it has been since its fighters first pushed into Iraq in June 2014. But such optimism has been tempered by caution; defense and intelligence officials have repeatedly warned of the terror group's resilience.

One U.S. intelligence official, speaking to VOA on condition of anonymity, described the faster tempo of IS operations as a "lashing out," unlikely to slow in the near future.

"As it faces mounting losses of territory, ISIL is unable to respond to strategic defeats with effective counterattacks," the official said, using an acronym for the terror group.

The official also said the increasing number of attacks specifically targeting civilians, like those on Shia pilgrims in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, "betray ISIL's desperation."

'Huge attack'

Tuesday's offensive, though, focused on Kurdish frontline positions, targeting forces that have been hailed as some of the most effective in the fight against IS.

"We were outgunned," Peshmerga fighter Osman Hussein said. "When their hammer vehicle entered, our shield wall collapsed. We couldn't do anything. We had to retreat."

IS launched the offensive at dawn Tuesday, hitting various Kurdish frontline positions north and south of Mosul with a combination of heavy weapons, and both vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers.

"It was a very huge attack," said Peshmerga Gen. Hamid Afandi of the Islamic State operation in Telskuf, some 30 kilometers north of Mosul. "IS had control for about two to three hours."

It was a costly operation for IS, which held the towns of Telskuf and Musqelat only briefly. Kurdish officials said 80 IS fighters were killed in the battle and 25 vehicles were destroyed.

Repeatable operation

But a Western diplomat, talking to VOA on condition of anonymity, said it was the type of operation IS could very well repeat. And the official noted that being able to claim the attack was able to penetrate Kurdish lines and kill an elite U.S. Navy SEAL would make an impression with the terror group's target audience.

Former intelligence officers also warn against seeing the IS attack on Kurdish positions, or even the uptick in suicide bombings, as a sign that time is running out for the self-declared caliphate.

"I've always hated the 'when a terrorist group acts like a terrorist group, it's a sign of desperation' line," said Patrick Skinner, a former intelligence officer now with The Soufan Group.

"It's a sign of how nasty the tactical fight is," he said. "Overall, ISIS is losing, but the day to day doesn't abide to that trend line."

VOA's Sharon Behn and Ali Javanmardi contributed to this report from Irbil; Kurdish Service Reporter Kawa Omar contributed from near Mosul.

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Britain planning to dispatch more troops to Iraq

Iran Press TV

Thu May 5, 2016 8:46AM

UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon says his country will send more British troops to Iraq to train Iraqi forces in the fight against Takfiri Daesh terrorists.

Fallon made the announcement ahead of a meeting of defense ministers and representatives from 12 countries from the so-called anti-Daesh coalition in the German city of Stuttgart on Wednesday.

"Make no mistake! Iraqi forces have Daesh on the back foot and are retaking territory, hitting its finances and striking its leadership. Now is the time to build on recent success and we are looking hard at what more we can offer as Iraqi combat operations intensify," Fallon said.

The exact number of the British forces has not been declared, but sources say the "trainers and engineers" could number in the "low hundreds."

Some 300 UK military personnel are currently in Iraq, training Iraqi security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

The British minister also said that London plans to provide Peshmerga fighters with more ammunition for their machine guns.

During the Wednesday meeting, officials from the US-led collation agreed to do more in their purported campaign against Daesh terrorists.

Following the meeting, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said, "We agreed that all of our friends and allies across the counter-ISIL (Daesh) coalition can and must do more."

The US and some of its allies have allegedly been conducting airstrikes against Daesh extremists in Iraq since August 2014.

The US-led coalition also started air raids against purported Daesh positions in Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate in September 2014. Many have criticized the ineffectiveness of the two campaigns.

The Daesh terror group, with members from several Western countries, has been committing heinous acts of terror and atrocities against people of different religious and ethnic communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians, in Syria, Iraq, and other countries.

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Russia to deploy 3 divisions to borders to counter NATO: minister

Iran Press TV

Wed May 4, 2016 10:16AM

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says Russia is set to deploy three new military divisions to its borders to counter the eastward expansion of the NATO military alliance, local media report.

"The Ministry of Defense has adopted a series of measures to counter the growing capacity of NATO forces in close proximity to the Russian borders," Shoigu was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying on Wednesday.

The divisions will be formed by the end of this year and will be sent to the country's western and southern borders, he added.

Last week Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that NATO was moving closer to Russian borders and said Russia would take necessary measures to protect its security.

"NATO military infrastructure is inching closer and closer to Russia's borders. But when Russia takes action to ensure its security, we are told that Russia is engaging in dangerous maneuvers near NATO borders," he said.

The top Russian diplomat rejected NATO claims that Moscow is conducting "dangerous activities" near the borders of its member states, saying this is an "unscrupulous attempt to distort the reality."

Russia and NATO have been locked in a deepening dispute. NATO has stepped up its military build-up near Russia's borders since it suspended all ties with Moscow in April 2014 after the Crimean Peninsula re-integrated into the Russian Federation following a referendum.

Moscow has on many occasions slammed NATO's expansion near its borders, saying such a move poses a threat to both regional and international peace.

Tensions surged earlier this month after the US guided-missile destroyer USS Cook sailed close to a Russian naval base in the Baltic Sea, an action which resulted in the scrambling of Russian jets that buzzed the ship.

American officials denounced the move and said the Russian bombers were flying so close that they caused "wakes in the water."

Lavrov, however, described the actions of the Russian warplanes as completely legitimate, emphasizing that they decided to take a look at the vessel "from a safe distance."

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Russia to Deploy Troops to Counter Growing NATO Presence

by Isabela Cocoli May 04, 2016

Russia says it will deploy three divisions of troops along its borders to counter NATO's increasing military presence in Eastern Europe.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday after a meeting in Moscow that the new divisions will be stationed along Russia's western and southern borders.

"The Defense Ministry is taking a series of measures aimed at countering the buildup of NATO forces in close proximity to Russian borders. By the end of the year, two new military divisions will be formed in the Western Military district and one in the Southern Military District. At the moment, facilities construction is being carried out at the sites where these units will be deployed," he said.

Shoigu gave no details about the size and timing of the new Russian deployment, or where the troops would be stationed. He first mentioned the plan to create three new divisions back in January, and Russian media reports at the time estimated up to 30,000 troops would be involved.

NATO looking at additional troop boost

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said this week that NATO is considering stationing a force of around 4,000 troops in Poland and the three Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - all of which are members of the western alliance. This would be in addition to another deployment already authorized - a U.S. armored brigade, about 4,200 troops, that will be sent to eastern Europe in February.

Carter said Monday that the additional eastern-Europe force NATO is considering would consist of four battalions of soldiers, contributed by NATO members on a "continuously rotating" basis.

Another senior Russian Defense Ministry official, Andrei Kelin, said Wednesday that dispatching four additional NATO battalions to the Baltic states and Poland would amount to "a very dangerous build-up of armed forces pretty close to our borders," Interfax news agency reported.

Worries over Russian posturing

The United States and other governments in both Western and Eastern Europe have been increasingly concerned by Russia's military moves since 2014, when it annexed Ukraine's Crimea region. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been particularly anxious about what they see as aggressive posturing by Russia, and all three have asked NATO to expand its presence in the Baltics as a deterrent to Russia.

Russian military moves in recent weeks have included flight maneuvers by Russian jets that simulated attacks on a U.S. warship in the Baltic Sea, and an interceptions by Russian warplanes of U.S. reconnaissance planes flying over international waters. Despite tensions created by the incidents, Moscow has rejected protests by American authorities, and denied U.S. claims its pilots' actions were reckless and dangerous.

The Kremlin has repeatedly disavowed any plan to intervene militarily in the Baltic states which, formerly part of the Soviet Union, were for decades under Moscow's rule.

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UN envoy 'cautiously hopeful' for re-launch of truce in Syria

3 May 2016  Following discussions in Moscow on the intra-Syria talks, the United Nations envoy facilitating the process has said that he is cautiously hopeful that the cessation of hostilities pact will be re-launched, "perhaps even later today."

"Silence or non-silence  what the Syrians want to hear is no bombs, no rockets, no shelling, no aerial bombing anymore and no canisters, so they can start believing in what we are trying to do with them," said Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy for Syria, at a joint press stakeout with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov.

Mr. de Mistura said that the main reason he travelled to Moscow was to be able to discuss with the Russian authorities the "urgent feeling that what has been so far achieved should not be wasted, and that we should be able, instead, to build on it and move forward."

For this reason, the Special Envoy said, he had, in a briefing to the UN Security Council, drawn the attention of the main sponsors of the intra-Syrian talks  Russia and the United States  about the fact that the cessation of hostilities was in danger.

The envoy recalled that the talks were "very proactive" in March, which he attributed to "a wind in the back of the intra-Syrian talks." He said that the discussions then were helped by a feeling that the cessation of hostilities and delivery of humanitarian aid were progressing, keeping in mind that the most important outcome was a political solution through a political transition.

"These recent talks were, in a way, not helped by the news that we were getting," Mr. de Mistura said. "The cessation of hostilities was becoming more and more [fragile]. That's why we were still able to come up with some conclusions which, if you read them, are quite interesting, in the sense that they have been showing that there has been progress particularly in the first steps in what can be considered common lines on a political transition, which is the key of the future in Syria. Syrian-led but sponsored and supported by the international community."

Since that time, however, the Special Envoy said that there was a sense that the cessation of hostilities was in danger. For this reason, the sense and hope that the parties "will be able, in a way, to re-implement and re-invigorate and re-launch the cessation of hostilities is crucial," the special envoy said.

"And we all hope  and we have to be cautious  but we all hope that this indication, perhaps in the next few hours, will be able to have also a re-launch of the cessation of hostilities under whatever name we want to call it," Mr. de Mistura said.

"If that takes place, then we are on the right track again, and we have been preparing for that," he added.

Mr. de Mistura highlighted that the UN has been "very proud" to be able to quickly organize an Operations Centre, which he said is much more technically and technologically effective than what was in place in the past, with more staff from both the Russian and the United States sides.

"Then the next steps are, of course, preparing for the [International Syria Support Group] ISSG, perhaps even a Security Council meeting reinforcing all this process and next the intra-Syrian talks, which obviously are the beginning of the end of the Syrian crisis, because the key word is political transition," the Special Envoy said.

Yesterday, Mr. de Mistura met in Geneva with United States Secretary of State John Kerry and the two discussed the current situation on the ground and the need to bolster support for the cessation of hostilities.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the warring Syrian sides to immediately recommit to the cessation of hostilities and uphold their responsibility to protect civilians.

"The Secretary-General is profoundly concerned about the dangerous escalation of fighting in and around Aleppo and the intolerable suffering, counted in mounting deaths and destruction, it is causing among civilians," UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Noting the temporary re-launch of a cessation of hostilities in Damascus and Lattakiya governorates, the UN chief stressed the need to expand these arrangements to other parts of Syria, with a special urgency for Aleppo.

Mr. Ban, according to the spokesman, also reiterated his call on all concerned regional and international actors, in particular, Russia and the United States, co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), which is supporting the current UN-mediated intra-Syrian talks, to redouble their efforts to help the warring parties put the truce back on track.

The ISSG, which along with Russia and the US, comprises the UN, the Arab League, the European Union and 16 countries, has been seeking a path forward to end the Syrian crisis for the past several months.

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Syrian military joins US, Russia-brokered Aleppo truce

Iran Press TV

Wed May 4, 2016 8:52PM

The Syrian army has announced that it will join a two-day truce in the northwestern province of Aleppo.

"The Syrian military says it will respect a 48-hour Aleppo truce after Russia and the US agreed to extend a cessation of hostilities in Syria to the province," said a statement issued by the Damascus's army command on Wednesday.

The statement added that it would take effect at 1 a.m. local time on Thursday.

Earlier, Washington and Moscow agreed on extending a shaky ceasefire they had brokered in February to Aleppo, which has been divided between government forces in the west and militants in the east since 2012.

US Department of State spokesman Mark Toner announced that since the ceasefire went into effect "on Wednesday at 00:01 Damascus time," there has been an "overall decrease in violence in these areas."

US officials say they were looking into the discrepancy between the announced starting dates of the temporary ceasefire.

"To ensure this continues in a sustainable way, we are coordinating closely with Russia to finalize enhanced monitoring efforts of this renewed cessation," he added.

The announcement has been hailed by Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier who has called on all concerned parties to observe the ceasefire in full and give Aleppo's people "a respite from war and violence."

He added that observing the truce would also be an "important basis" for resuming upcoming peace talks in Geneva.

The latest round of the UN-brokered indirect negotiations, which began in Geneva on April 13, were brought to a halt after the main foreign-backed opposition group, known as the High Negotiations Committee, (HNC) walked out of the discussions to protest what it called the Syrian government's violation of the ceasefire.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The United Nations special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has also displaced over half of the Arab country's pre-war population of about 23 million.

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US, Russia agree on extending Syria ceasefire to include Aleppo

Iran Press TV

Wed May 4, 2016 6:10PM

The United States and Russia have agreed on trying to cooperate with parties on the ground in Syria to extend a ceasefire to include Aleppo, which has been a flash point over the past few weeks, the US Department of State said.

Mark Toner, US Department of State spokesman said Wednesday, "Since this went into effect today at 00:01 in Damascus, we have seen an overall decrease in violence in these areas."

The US official said the decrease in violence occurred "even though there have been reports of continued fighting in some locations."

Toner also urged Russia to "redouble its efforts to influence" the Syrian government to "abide fully" by the truce, adding, "The United States will do its part with the opposition."

The deal on Aleppo was reportedly reached late on Tuesday.

The nationwide ceasefire in Syria was brokered by Washington and Moscow in late February. However, the truce has been shaky.

On Wednesday, various sources gave conflicting figures of the number of casualties from both sides of recent clashes in the city.

The latest round of fighting began early on Tuesday and was still going on in western Aleppo before the latest agreement was reached by US and Russia. A rocket fired by the militants killed three civilians and wounded another in a government-held area in Aleppo, state news agency SANA reported.

Aleppo has been divided between government forces in the west and militants in the east since 2012, a year after the conflict broke out in Syria.



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Turkey may dispatch troops to Syria if necessary: Davutoglu

Iran Press TV

Wed May 4, 2016 2:50PM

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Wednesday Ankara is ready to dispatch ground troops to Syria "if necessary" as rocket fire from the Daesh-held territories north of the Arab country keeps claiming lives in Turkey.

"We are ready to take all measures that we need, both inside Turkey and outside, to provide for our own security," Davutoglu said, adding, "If it becomes necessary, then we will send the ground forces."

Turkish officials recently claimed that rockets fired from across the border with Syria killed one person in the border town of Kilis. The total death from similar attacks, which the Turkish government blames on the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, has now risen to 20.

Turkey has responded to the attacks by firing its own rockets. Ankara also contributes to airstrikes by the so-called international coalition which uses the Incirlik base in the south of Turkey for strikes on Daesh. Officials have repeatedly threatened that Turkey could act on its own and send ground troops to Syria, but they have stopped short of doing that.

" We still prefer an international consensus. As IS (Daesh) is an issue that concerns the whole world," said Davutoglu in response to questions whether Turkey could act unilaterally against Daesh.

Allies of Turkey in NATO have repeatedly asked for more engagement by Turkey in their alleged anti-Daesh drive.

Syria, which accuses Turkey of having a major hand in the militancy in the Arab country, has warned in the past that any Turkish boots on the ground in Syria would be regarded as a clear aggression and violation of the Syrian sovereignty.

The Arab country has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. Over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict, according to De Mistura.

Damascus accuses Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar of funding and arming anti-Syria terrorist groups, including Daesh.





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Turkey urges immediate action in Syria

Iran Press TV

Wed May 4, 2016 9:23AM

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Daesh militants must immediately be pushed back from an area in Syria near the Turkish border.

"Daesh should be cleared from the Manbij region southwards at once and we are doing the necessary work for that," he said in comments broadcast on NTV Wednesday.

He was referring to a northern Syrian town that has been used as a logistical route by the Takfiri group.

It was not immediately clear whether Cavusoglu's remarks meant a possible Turkish military operation inside Syria.

Earlier, security sources said Turkey's military shelled an area of northern Syria after rockets allegedly hit the Turkish border town of Kilis.

Nobody was wounded in the morning attack on the town as the rockets hit empty land, the sources said.

Kilis, just across the border from an area controlled by the militants, has been regularly hit by rocket fire.

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced concerns over the conduct of Turkish military actions on the ground and its push for so-called safe zones inside Syria.

"What makes Russia and many others worried is that Turkey is still firing at Syrian territory; and there are still those who demand the establishment of some sort of safe zone in Syria, also the non-stop voices calling for ground action in Syria.

"We believe they are the ones who place their hopes for solving the Syrian crisis on force instead of through political solutions. We believe this will have disastrous outcomes; therefore, these pleas should shop," Lavrov said in Moscow.

Lavrov stressed that Russia insists the border between Syria and Turkey should be closed to cut off supplies for terrorists in Syria.

He expressed hope to see solutions from the UN regarding the matter in the new report on the situation soon to be released by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"We very much hope that the United Nations Secretariat's report will find solutions on those facts regarding how terrorist organizations use the Syrian-Turkish border as supply channel," he said.

"We stress that those channels that deliver weapons and personnel supplies to terrorists must be shut down," Lavrov said after meeting with the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

"Therefore, Russia believes the critical thing here is to close the Syrian-Turkish border since that is where these activities are rampant."

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New Plan for Calm Reached in Ravaged City of Aleppo

by Pamela Dockins May 04, 2016

The United States and Russia have brokered a localized cease-fire in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where fierce fighting between the government and rebels has resulted in over 280 civilian deaths since late April.

The State Department said the reaffirmation of a cessation of hostilities in Aleppo and surrounding areas took effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday local time.

The Syrian regime said that it would respect implementation of the cease-fire in Aleppo but that the truce was only for 48 hours.

In a statement, the Syrian opposition called for a cessation of hostilities in all areas, not just select locations.

"The cease-fire must, without exception, cover all of Syria, including Aleppo. Otherwise, it will not succeed," said spokesman Salem al-Meslet.

U.S. officials said that while there had been reports of fighting in Aleppo since the cease-fire took effect, overall violence was down.

The United States and Russia are co-chairs of a cease-fire task force that has been working to salvage a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria that took effect in February.

Fighting Islamic State

World powers are concerned that the recent escalation in fighting and the lack of significant progress in political talks between the government and opposition could hamper the multinational effort to fight Islamic State in Syria.

The new localized cessation for Aleppo is similar to cease-fire agreements announced by the United States and Russia last week for the coastal province of Latakia and the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that under the plan for Aleppo, Russia would use its influence with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and the United States would use its leverage with the opposition to try to keep the agreement in place.

"Russia can send a message to the regime that they are not in this for the long haul," Toner said. "We also need to convey that same sentiment to the opposition."

U.S. officials said the overall goal of establishing a nationwide cessation of hostilities remained.

"We will continue to work to de-escalate the violence all across Syria in hopes of being able to move back to the [political] talks as soon as people have confidence that this is really taking hold," Secretary of State John Kerry said.

Toner said that while efforts to quell violence nationwide were continuing, there was a chance that other localized cease-fires would be negotiated in Syria to address "pockets of instability."

However, he declined to say what other areas U.S. and Russian officials were considering.

Diplomatic activity

In New York, meanwhile, Britain and France requested an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the situation in Aleppo.

"At this very hour, the fragile agreement between the Russians and Americans that just entered into force is an encouraging sign, but it needs to be translated into facts on the ground," French Ambassador Francois Delattre told the council.

He said much more must be done to ensure the cessation of hostilities is respected. Otherwise, Syria will "return to the horror and the resumption of clashes," he said.

Delattre said France had called for a ministerial-level meeting on Monday in Paris with the Friends of Syria group, with the aim of ending the violence and restarting political negotiations. The Friends of Syria is an international collective of countries and bodies that has convened to discuss Syria outside the Security Council.

Several council members blamed the Assad regime for the deterioration of the truce in Aleppo.

"The regime launched more than 300 airstrikes, 110 artillery strikes and 18 missiles, and dropped more than 68 bombs on the city over just these last two weeks, according to credible actors on ground," U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said. "All of this, while still paying lip service to a cessation of hostilities."

Pressure on moderates urged

Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin said Damascus was waging a large-scale offensive against jihadists. He also questioned the political will of countries with influence over the moderate opposition, saying they did not appear to be pressing them to break links with groups like the al-Nusra Front and to participate in the Geneva talks.

U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman warned parties not to waste the opportunity of U.N.-led political talks in Geneva. "Allowing the parties to the conflict to play for time or territory on the ground to strengthen their position at the negotiating table would be a mistake," he said.

Feltman said the U.N. hoped to get another round of intra-Syrian talks underway this month.

VOA U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.

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Russian Artillery Engaged in Aleppo as Dozens Killed in Rebel Assault

by Jamie Dettmer May 04, 2016

Russian artillery units were involved Wednesday in fighting in Syria's divided northern city of Aleppo in the fiercest ground clashes in a year between rebel groups and Assad regime forces in the area, which has suffered two weeks of blistering government airstrikes. It is the first time Russian ground troops have assisted Syrian government forces outside the coastal province of Latakia or at Palmyra, say rebel commanders.

The development came as the State Department said the U.S. and Russia reached an agreement to extend a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria to Aleppo while acknowledging that "there have been reports of continued fighting in some locations."

Dozens were killed as rebels advanced into Syrian government-controlled western districts, according to political activists. The insurgents were forced to withdraw after several hours of intense fighting.

The assault was mounted to disrupt regime forces, say rebel commanders who have long warned of a major offensive in the coming weeks to wrest back the battered insurgent-held districts of a city that remains a key battlefield prize for the government. The clashes come amid diplomatic efforts in Berlin to stop the fighting.

The Western-favored Syrian National Coalition, the umbrella anti-Assad opposition group, accused Russia of deceiving the international community, arguing that Russian participation on the ground and in the air contradicts Moscow's claims that it is eager for a resumption of a partial cease-fire agreed to in late February.

Russian warplanes have been leading the government aerial bombardment of rebel-held areas of Aleppo since April 21, opposition politicians say, further highlighting the falsity of Moscow's involvement in talks about cease-fires or political solutions to the five-year-long civil war.

"Russia is deceiving the international community by falsely claiming it supports a political solution in Syria," says Nora al-Ameer, a member of the SNC's political committee. "Russians pretend to engage positively with the United Nations efforts to reach a political solution in Syria while supporting the Assad regime in its ongoing brutal onslaught on Aleppo."

"The Assad regime, backed by Russia, is exploiting negotiations to pursue a military solution on the pretext it is fighting terrorism," al-Ameer added.

Russian spokesmen say al-Qaida fighters, who were not included in the U.S.-Russian brokered cessation of hostilities deal finalized in February, allied to other rebel groups, are at fault for the violence in Aleppo, saying that the assault by insurgents disrupted negotiations for a temporary truce in Aleppo that had nearly been complete.

Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that a "regime of calm" in Aleppo that had been due to take effect was shelved following the deadly ground assault.

Rebels dismiss Moscow's claim, saying that the regime has remained focused on Aleppo and its two-week-long aerial bombardment of the city is a softening up ahead of an inevitable ground assault.

The regime bombing, says Hawass Khalil, an SNC politician, is "aimed at intimidating the civilian population and forcing them into submission and provides further proof that the Assad regime is not a serious partner in negotiations."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said American and Russian negotiators are working with United Nations officials to restore the cessation of hostilities deal brokered by Washington and Moscow in February.

"Our teams, on a military-to-military basis, are working through the details that need to be implemented so that this can be restored," Kerry said Tuesday. He made the comments a day after holding emergency talks in Geneva with U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based pro-opposition monitoring group, said rebel rockets killed 19 civilians in government-held portions of the city, including an unspecified number at the al-Dabit hospital, which was badly damaged Tuesday after an insurgent-fired shell struck the fuel tank of a military vehicle near the maternity hospital, the sixth medical facility to be impacted by the fighting and airstrikes.

The other five clinics were hit by government forces, including a hospital run by the French charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which was struck last week in an airstrike, killing 55 civilians.

The rebel ground assault in west Aleppo, which started late Tuesday, was mounted by fighters from al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, as well as Western-favored Free Syrian Army militias and the Islamist group Jaysh Al-Mujahideen. It began after rebels detonated a large bomb in a tunnel underneath an Air Force Intelligence building in the Al-Zahra district of west Aleppo.

Government spokesmen said 70 rebels were killed in the fighting, which was at its most intense around al-Rahman Mosque in the al-Zahra'a neighborhood of the city.

Although repelled by regime forces, rebels maintained Wednesday their rocket fire  much of it indiscriminate, according to the observatory. The monitoring group warned the civilian death toll would climb throughout the day, saying 20 civilians were killed Wednesday morning, including four children and five women, in the shelling by rebel factions on western Aleppo districts.

The intensity of rebel shelling is testimony to insurgent fears that the Russian military and other regime forces, including fighters from the Lebanese Shi'ite movement Hezbollah, are gearing up for a new offensive on the rebel-held portion of the city.

Last week, Col. Steve Warren, the spokesman for the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State, said regime forces were beginning "to mass and concentrate combat power around Aleppo."

He added, "It is primarily [the] al-Nusra [Front] who holds Aleppo, and, of course, al-Nusra is not part of the cessation of hostilities. So it's complicated. We're watching it."

His comment angered rebel leaders, who fear that Washington is ready to turn a blind eye on any regime assault on the city in an effort to salvage something from the collapse of the cessation of hostilities agreement. They insist al-Nusra fighters do not constitute most of the insurgent forces in Aleppo.

Warren's remarks drew criticism also from rights groups. Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth accused the U.S. of inviting "devastating attacks" on Aleppo by "fixating on Nusra presence."

U.S. State Department spokesmen insist Washington has not given up on Aleppo, arguing a restoration of the cessation of hostilities elsewhere in Syria would clear the way for one in Syria's one-time commercial capital.

In an effort to revive the cease-fire, temporary local truces have been put into place in two parts of Syria, the Damascus suburbs and in Latakia; however, political activists reported fresh clashes and airstrikes Wednesday in rebel-held eastern Ghouta near the Syrian capital.

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Bellingcat Report Says Russian Buk 332 Shot Down Flight MH17

May 04, 2016

by RFE/RL

A team of open-source researchers investigating the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 says it has positively identified a Russian Buk missile launcher that shot down the plane.

A report released late on May 3 by Bellingcat, an independent team of British investigators, says flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014, by Buk self-propelled missile launcher 332 from Russia's 53rd Antiaircraft Missile Brigade of Kursk.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said he could not assess the accuracy of the Bellingcat investigation because he did not "possess any detailed information about any identification numbers of Russian weapons."

Peskov said detailed information about the activities of Buk 332 was "an issue that concerns experts from the Defense Ministry."

Using photographs posted online since 2010 by members of Russia's 53rd Antiaircraft Missile Brigade, Bellingcat experts matched seven unique characteristics of the Russian Buk M1 self-propelled missile launcher that was photographed in separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014.

Those features included partially obscured identification numbers, the font and exact spacing of the digits, wheel types, a dent in the left side panel, the arrangement of cable connections to the missile launcher, white marks on both sides of the vehicle, and the shape and size of oil and soot deposits near the exhaust.

The Bellingcat report says Buk 332 had all seven features and was the only possible candidate for identification that had even one feature in common with the Russian Buk photographed in eastern Ukraine just before the plane was shot down.

A Bellingcat report in February linked higher-ups in Russia's military chain of command to the missile attack that killed all 298 people on board the civilian passenger plane.

Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine responded to the latest Bellingcat report by denying the presence of any Russian air-defense crews in territory under their control at any time, including the time the Malaysian jetliner was shot down.

The Kremlin also denies that it has sent any Russian military units into eastern Ukraine to support the separatists.

It says all Russian soldiers who have been killed or captured by Ukrainian government forces there have been volunteers.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says Kyiv has evidence of Russian troops and equipment crossing into eastern Ukraine despite a shaky cease-fire deal brokered in Minsk.

Kyiv also says Russian now has more than 30,000 soldiers deployed in eastern Ukraine to support Russia-backed separatists there

With reporting by BBC and Interfax

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine- bellingcat-mh17/27715129.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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UN sanctions: what they are, how they work, and who uses them

4 May 2016  Counter-terrorism and non-proliferation are on the agenda today at the Security Council, where at least seven sanctions committees will brief the main United Nations body responsible for maintaining international peace and security. We've prepared a quick snapshot covering the basics of UN sanctions and how Sanctions Committees work.

Using the 'threat' of sanctions

A sanction's life-cycle often starts with the Security Council taking up a situation of concern. The Council or the UN Secretary-General and his representatives will usually employ peaceful means to prevent the escalation, or outbreak of, conflict.

At this stage, even the hint of Security Council sanctions may be enough to encourage conflict parties to enter into dialogue. This is sometimes what the Council means when it signals that it will "consider all measures at the Council's disposal, including the use of enforcement measures."

Sanctions are meant to be a last resort when it comes to addressing massive human rights violations, curbing illegal smuggling or stopping extremism groups. Increasingly, sanctions are also being used to support peace efforts, to ensure that elections are held, or to demobilize armed groups.

This ability stems from the UN Charter. Under Article 41 of Chapter VII, the Council can use enforcement measures not including weapons, such as "complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations."

The first sanctions regime (or set of measures) was imposed in 1966 on Southern Rhodesia, today known as Zimbabwe.

Imposing sanctions  the what, who and how

Sometimes the threat of sanctions does not work, and it is up to the Security Council to decide to impose sanctions on individuals, entities or States who bear responsibility for conflict.

At this stage, the Security Council adopts a resolution establishing a new sanctions regime, where it determines the precise sanctions measure  such as arms embargoes, assets freezes or travel bans, for example  that it is imposing on the situation.

In some cases, the Council decides to also identify the individuals or entities that are subject to these 'targeted' sanctions measures. In other cases, the relevant Sanctions Committee, established as part of a sanctions resolution, will do so.

The individuals or entities sanctioned can change  with new names being added or removed from the list.

Implementing sanctions

Sanctions Committees are subsidiary organs of the Council and are composed of all 15 of the Council's members. Their role is to implement, monitor and provide recommendations to the Council on particular sanctions regimes. They meet regularly to consider reports from expert panels and to hold meetings with Member States, UN actors and international organizations.

In some cases, an expert panel is created to assist the sanctions committee. An expert panel monitors the implementation of the sanctions measures and reports its findings to the committee, or in some cases directly to the Council. Expert panels are usually comprised of between five to eight technical experts, all of whom are appointed by the Secretary-General. Expertise in these panels depends on the sanctions imposed, but may include arms, natural resources or human rights/humanitarian experts.

Of central concern to the Council is that sanctions are implemented with due regard for human rights.

De-listing requests from the other sanctions committee are managed by the Focal Point for De-Listing. The post of Focal Point, which was established by resolution 1730 (2006), is based in the UN Department of Political Affairs.

Ending a sanctions regime

The Security Council can remove UN sanctions once a conflict situation improves. UN sanctions have been lifted in different ways. In some cases, benchmarks contained in sanctions resolutions have been achieved; in others, peace processes have achieved the desired outcome.

Adapted from UN DPA's Politically Speaking

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ALBANY, N.Y., May 5, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Best Companies to Work for in New York gathered at an awards dinner in Albany this week to celebrate being named to the statewide list. CDPHP has earned the honor for eight consecutive years!



This year, there were 80 employers from around the state to make the list, which is compiled by Best Companies Group, in conjunction with the New York State Society of Human Resource Management. CDPHP made the Best Companies list based on the organization's workplace policies, systems, and practices, as well as a survey, which was open to all employees, that measures employee engagement.



CDPHP employees enjoy comprehensive and flexible benefits, including an on-site gym with a full-time fitness specialist, an on-site cafeteria, tuition reimbursement, leadership development, worksite wellness programs, an on-site farmers' market, and the ability to pursue community service activities.



"It's our employees who truly make CDPHP a 'best company' in the state," said John D. Bennett, MD, president and CEO, CDPHP. "We offer many opportunities for our employees to engage in personal and professional development in a productive environment that allows for work-life balance. I am thrilled that CDPHP has once again received this honor."



Best Companies Group is an independent firm that manages the Best Places to Work programs on state, regional, and national levels around the world. The awards program is designed to identify and honor employers whose practices benefit the state's businesses, economy, and workforce.



CDPHP has a variety of job opportunities available. Check out the CDPHP Career Center for more information.



About CDPHP

Established in 1984, CDPHP is a physician-founded, member-focused and community-based not-for-profit health plan that offers high-quality affordable health insurance plans to members in 24 counties throughout New York. CDPHP is also on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram.

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=40128
OAKVILLE, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 4, 2016) -

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Saint Jean Carbon Inc. ("Saint Jean" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:SJL) with reference to the previous press releases dated April 25 and April 26 of this year, wishes to announce that it placed an aggregate of 8,000,000 units ("Flow-Through Units") at a price of $0.05 per Flow-Through Unit for gross proceeds to the Company of $400,000 (the "Flow-Through Unit Offering"). Each Flow-Through Unit consists of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company issued on a "flow-through" basis pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each a "Flow-Through Share") at a price of $0.05 per Flow-Through Share and one-half (0.5) of a common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one (1) additional common share in the capital of the Company ("Common Share") at an exercise price of $0.06 per Common Share for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance.

In addition, Saint Jean placed an aggregate of 6,075,000 units ("Common Units") at a price of $0.05 per Common Unit for gross proceeds to the Company of $303,750 (the "Common Unit Offering" and together with the Flow-Through Unit Offering, the "Offering"). Each Common Unit consists of one (1) Common Share at a price of $0.05 per Common Share and one (1) common share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one (1) additional Common Share at an exercise price of $0.06 per Common Share for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance.

In connection with the closing of the Flow-Through Unit Offering, the Company paid a cash finder's fee in the amount of $36,000 to one arm's length finder. In addition, the Company issued options entitling two (2) arm's length finders to each purchase 360,000 Common Units at a price of $0.05 per Common Unit.

The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Flow-Through Unit Offering on the Company's exploration and development expenditures on its mineral properties located in Quebec and to incur eligible Canadian Exploration Expenses that qualify as Canadian exploration expenses and "flow-through mining expenditures" for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and which will be renounced in favour of the holders with an effective date of no later than December 31, 2016.

The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Common Unit Offering for general corporate and administrative purposes.

All securities issued as part of the Offering are subject to a four month and one (1) day hold period.

The Company wishes to advise that it has closed its books with respect to the Offering.

About Saint Jean

Saint Jean is a publicly traded carbon science company, with interest in graphite mining claims on the 100% Company-owned properties located in the province of Quebec in Canada. The properties include past producing mines. For information on Saint Jean's other properties and the latest news please go to the website: www.saintjeancarbon.com

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Saint Jean Carbon Inc.

Paul Ogilvie, CEO and Chairman

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, concerning Saint Jean's business and affairs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "intends" "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Such forward-looking statements include those with respect to the Company's intention to use the proceeds of the Offering as working capital to fund the continued development of the Company's business.

These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially. The forward-looking statements in this news release assume, inter alia, that the conditions for completion of the Offering, including regulatory approval will be met.

Although Saint Jean believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct. There are risks which could affect Saint Jean's ability to complete the Offering, including that required consents and approvals from regulatory authorities will not be obtained.

Statements of past performance should not be construed as an indication of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors, including those discussed above, could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this press release, and Saint Jean assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities legislation.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 4, 2016) -

NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRES

Callinex Mines Inc. (the "Company" or "Callinex") (TSX VENTURE:CNX)(OTCQX:CLLXF) is pleased announce that it has increased its previously announced non-brokered private placement financing (see news release dated April 25, 2016) to CAD $4.2 million (the "Offering").

The Offering will now consist of up to 7,000,000 flow-through shares at a price of $0.30 per share for gross proceeds of $2,100,000, and up to 7,000,000 non-flow through units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.30 per Unit for gross proceeds of $2,100,000. The Units will continue to be on the same terms as set out in the news release dated April 25, 2016.

The proceeds from the Offering will be used to facilitate exploration and for general corporate purposes. Callinex may pay a finder's fee equal to 7% of gross proceeds.

The securities offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any United States state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Callinex Mines Inc.

Callinex Mines Inc., a Canadian mineral exploration company, is focused on discovering the next copper-zinc rich VMS mine within Manitoba's prolific Flin Flon mining district. The Company's flagship project is the Pine Bay Project which hosts significant historic VMS deposits that are within close proximity to a processing facility. The Flin Flon district has yielded more than 145 million tonnes of production from 32 mines.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future expenditures. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, among others, the ability to complete contemplated work programs, the timing and amount of expenditures and completion of any or all of the proposed Offering. Callinex does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.
Vancouver, BC (FSCwire) - CKR Carbon Corp.. (CKR or the Company) (TSX-V: CKR) (CB8FRANKFURT) (CBULF  USA) is pleased to announce that the Ministry of Mines and Energy Namibia has renewed Exclusive Prospecting Licence No: 3895 that covers the Aukam Graphite Deposit in southern Namibia.

The initial renewal application was made by our Namibian partners on March 13, 2015 and the license has been renewed until March 13, 2017. CKR will make an application for a Mining license, on behalf of the joint venture, prior to expiry of the prospecting license.

The Company also announces that, as required under its Letter of Intent (see News Release dated, March 16, 2016), a 1.6 tonne sample has been delivered to the producer in order for it to test the material in its plant. Under the terms of the LOI, up to 5,000 metric tonnes of graphitic material grading between 40 and 50% Cg (carbon as graphite) will be delivered over the course of the next year, with a first shipment of between 2,000 and 3,000 tonnes of graphitic material made during July 2016.

The technical content of this news release was approved by Roger Moss, Ph.D., P.Geo a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About the Aukam Project

CKR has an option to acquire an initial 63% in the Aukam graphite project from Next Graphite. The project is located on 96,000 acres in southern Namibia close to the port city of Luderitz. The property hosts three underground adits which were mined periodically between 1940 and 1974. Five dumps from the historical mining occur on the property and 73 samples from the lower three dumps were assayed and averaged 42% Cg.

About CKR Carbon Corporation

CKR Carbon Corp. is focused on high quality natural graphite suitable for use in lithium-ion batteries and graphite foil. We only select projects requiring small capital and a short time to market. The company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CKR and has 23.7 million shares outstanding.

For more information: visit the website at www.ckrcarbon.com or contact:

Roger Moss, CEO, +1 416-704-8291 E-mail inquiries: info@ckrcarbon.com

For graphite product enquiries:

Arno Brand, Boswell Projects, +1 416-561-4095 abrand@boswellprojects.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com).

To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/CKR05052016.pdfSource: CKR Carbon Corp. (TSX Venture:CKR) http://www.ckr-carbon.com/

Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com

Copyright  2016 Filing Services Canada Inc.
Highlights Include 252 g/t Silver and 20% Lead

VANCOUVER, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - Kootenay Silver Inc. (TSXV: KTN) (the "Company" or "Kootenay") is pleased to announce positive sampling results at the La Soledad Zone ("La Soledad") on its La Cigarra silver project located in Chihuahua State, Mexico.

La Soledad, situated approximately 1,000 metres south of the main La Cigarra silver deposit (Las Carolinas Zone) and 500 metres south of the Las Venadas Zone, contains a number of mine dumps and historic mine workings that exploited a series of silver bearing quartz veins. Rock sampling here was conducted over a 500 metre long north-south striking area. Of the 70 rock samples taken during the recent program, one channel sample returned a high value of 252.0 g/t silver and 20% lead over 1.2 metres. In total, 35 samples reported grades exceeding 10 g/t silver with many samples returning high values of lead (see table below for further highlights of the most significant samples).

Kootenay believes that the mineralization along the Soledad Fault Zone represents leakage through impermeable quartzite caprock, potentially overlying undiscovered silver deposits. The Soledad Zone, lies in what is believed to be the extension of the La Cigarra hosting structure, where silver mineralization can be traced intermittently for at least 2 kilometers south of the main La Cigarra silver deposit.

The sampling and mapping program at the La Soledad Zone is part of a larger ongoing exploration program being conducted by the Company, which includes evaluating and prioritizing numerous anomalous areas for a future drill program; currently in the initial planning stages. To view a map of the La Cigarra silver project highlighting the La Soledad Zone as well as other areas to be targeted by the proposed work program click on the following link: La Cigarra Silver In Rock Map.

Highlights of Rock Sampling Recently Completed at La Soledad Zone

Sample East North Type Width

(metres) Ag

(g/t) Au

(g/t) Pb ppm Zn ppm 232413 410528 2989554 Channel 1.2 252.0 0.025 20.00% 0.04% 232430 410597 2989800 Channel 1.0 113.0 0.057 0.68% 0.01% 232415 410526 2989560 Channel 1.2 106.0 0.024 8.52% 0.08% 232414 410530 2989556 Grab N/A 87.3 0.018 4.90% 0.08% 232431 410608 2989835 Channel 1.5 65.8 0.047 1.22% 0.01% 232428 410581 2989723 Channel 1.5 55.5 0.019 0.14% 0.02% 232429 410588 2989793 Grab N/A 44.1 0.025 0.87% 0.03% 232396 410436 2989382 Channel 1.5 41.1 0.04 0.71% 0.10% 232420 410553 2989630 Grab N/A 37.8 0.02 7.41% 0.01% 232371 410418 2989350 Channel 1.5 30.4 0.008 0.46% 0.07% 232395 410437 2989381 Channel 0.6 29.0 0.021 0.22% 0.08% 232423 410568 2989636 Channel 1.2 28.7 0.025 0.32% 0.42% 232412 410530 2989554 Channel 1.2 28.1 0.025 2.29% 1.20% 232369 410427 2989344 Channel 1.5 27.7 0.009 0.20% 0.02% 232409 410525 2989550 Channel 1.5 27.2 0.005 1.03% 0.05% 232367 410425 2989348 Channel 1.2 26.9 0.007 0.10% 0.03% 232424 410562 2989652 Grab N/A 22.8 0.024 0.95% 2.07% 232365 410423 2989351 Channel 1.2 22.5 0.01 0.99% 0.60% 232422 410570 2989640 Channel 1.5 21.1 0.005 0.67% 1.36% 232432 410610 2989853 Channel 0.6 21.0 0.032 0.09% 0.02%

Sampling and QA/QC

All technical information for the La Cigarra exploration program is obtained and reported under a formal quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") program. Samples are taken under the direction of qualified geologists and stored in sealed bags. Samples are delivered by the Company via courier to ALS Minerals ("ALS") in Chihuahua. The samples are dried, crushed and pulverized with the pulps being sent airfreight for analysis by ALS in Vancouver B.C. Systematic assaying of standards is performed for precision and accuracy. Analysis for silver, zinc, lead and copper and related trace elements was done by ICP four acid digestion, with gold analysis by 30 gram fire assay with an AA finish.

Qualified Persons

The Kootenay technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) and reviewed on behalf Kootenay by James McDonald, P.Geo, President, CEO & Director for Kootenay, a Qualified Person.

About Kootenay Silver Inc.

Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico and in British Columbia, Canada. The Company's top priorities are the advancement of the La Cigarra silver project and the Promontorio Mineral Belt, in Chihuahua, Mexico and Sonora, Mexico, respectively. The La Cigarra property is 26 kilometres from the historic mining city of Parral and boasts nearby power, good road access, gentle topography, and established infrastructure. La Cigarra currently hosts a resource estimate of 18.54 million tonnes containing 51.47 million ounces of silver in the Measured & Indicated categories grading 86.3 g/t silver and 4.45 million tonnes containing 11.46 million ounces of silver in the Inferred category grading 80 g/t silver. The mineralized system at La Cigarra has been traced over 6.5 kilometres and is defined at surface as a silver soil anomaly and by numerous historic mine workings. The La Cigarra silver deposit is open along strike and at depth and is approximately 25 kilometres north, and along strike, of Grupo Mexico's Santa Barbara mine and Minera Frisco's San Francisco del Oro mine. The Promontorio Mineral Belt includes the Company's La Negra high-grade silver discovery and its Promontorio Silver Resource. The Promontorio Mineral Belt is under option to Pan American Silver whereby they can earn a 75% interest in the project with US$16 million of expenditures and payments with Kootenay retaining a 25% carried to production interest (see news release February 16 and March 4, 2016). The Promontorio Silver Resource currently hosts a resource estimate of 44.5 million tonnes containing 92 million ounces of silver equivalent in the Measured & Indicated categories grading 64.3 g/t silver equivalent and 14.6 million tonnes containing 24.3 million ounces of silver equivalent in the Inferred category grading 52 g/t silver equivalent. The Company's core objective is to create value by acquiring silver resources through discovery and acquisition and testing those resources with the ultimate goal of developing them into silver production if they are proven to be economically viable.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

The information in this news release has been prepared as at May 4, 2016. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Kootenay as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, Kootenay expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Kootenay's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Cautionary Note to US Investors: This news release may contain information about adjacent properties on which we have no right to explore or mine. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

This press release uses the terms "Measured", "Indicated", and "Inferred" resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a Mineral Resource is economically or legally mineable.

SOURCE Kootenay Silver Inc.
CALGARY, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - Connacher Oil and Gas Ltd. (CLC - TSX; "Connacher") announces that access to its Great Divide site has improved and it is proceeding to bring production back to normal levels over the day. Production at Great Divide will be increased to approximately 8,000 bbl/day of bitumen. Connacher's employees and facilities at Great Divide remain in safe condition and Connacher will continue to support the relief efforts.

About Connacher

Connacher is a Calgary-based in situ oil sands developer, producer, and marketer of bitumen. The Company holds a 100 per cent interest in approximately 440 million barrels of proved and probable bitumen reserves and operates two steam-assisted gravity drainage facilities located on the Company's Great Divide oil sands leases near Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Forward Looking Information

This press release contains forward looking information, including anticipated production rates. Forward looking information is based on management's expectations regarding the Company's future financial position, the Company's future growth, results of operations and production, future commodity prices and foreign exchange rates, future capital and other expenditures (including the amount, nature and sources of funding thereof), plans for and results of drilling activity, environmental matters, business prospects and opportunities and future economic conditions. Forward looking information involves significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to: the risks associated with the oil and gas industry (e.g., operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of reserve and resource estimates, the uncertainty of geological interpretations, the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, costs and expenses, and health, safety and environmental risks), risk of commodity price and foreign exchange rate fluctuations, risks associated with the impact of general economic conditions, risks and uncertainties associated with maintaining the necessary regulatory approvals and securing the financing to proceed with the operation and continued expansion of the Great Divide oil sands project. In addition, reported average production levels may not be reflective of sustainable production rates and future production rates may differ materially from the production rates reflected in this press release due to, among other factors, difficulties or interruptions encountered during the production of bitumen.

Additional risks and uncertainties affecting Connacher and its business and affairs are described in further detail in Connacher's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2015. Although Connacher believes that the expectations in such forward looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations shall prove to be correct. The forward looking information included in this press release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward looking information included herein is made as of the date of this press release and Connacher assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

SOURCE Connacher Oil and Gas Ltd.
/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

VANCOUVER, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - Freegold Ventures Ltd. ("Freegold" or the "Corporation") (TSX:FVL) is pleased to announce that it will file an amended and restated preliminary short form prospectus to provide additional details concerning its previously announced proposed marketed offering of units (the "Units"). The Corporation will offer a minimum of 16,666,667 (the "Minimum Offering") and a maximum of 55,555,555 Units (the "Maximum Offering") at a price of $0.18 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $3,000,000 if the Minimum Offering is completed and aggregate gross proceeds of $10,000,000 if the Maximum Offering is completed (collectively, the "Offering"). The Offering is being conducted on a best efforts basis through Paradigm Capital Inc. (the "Agent"), acting as agent.

Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of Freegold and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. Each whole common share purchase warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one common share at any time prior to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the date that is 3 years following the closing date of the Offering at a price of $0.25.

The Corporation has also agreed to grant the Agent an option to cover over-allotments and for market stabilization purposes (the "Over Allotment Option"), which will allow the Agent to arrange for purchasers to acquire up to an additional 15% of the number of Units initially sold under the Offering. The Over Allotment Option will be exercisable, in whole or in part, at any time until noon (Toronto time) on the 30th day following the closing of the Offering.

The Corporation intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for exploration and metallurgical work to be completed at the Corporation's Golden Summit and Shorty Creek projects in Alaska and for general working capital purposes.

A preliminary prospectus containing important information relating to these securities has been filed with securities commissions or similar authorities in each of the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. The preliminary prospectus is still subject to completion or amendment. Copies of the preliminary prospectus are, and copies of the amended and restated preliminary short form prospectus, which will contain important information relating to the Units, the Corporation and the Offering, including the pricing information set out above, will be, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or from the Agent by contacting the Agent at ecm@paradigmcap.com. There will not be any sale or any acceptance of an offer to buy the Units until a receipt for the final prospectus has been issued.

The Offering is expected to close on or about May 19, 2016, or on such later date as the Corporation and the Agent may agree upon, and is subject to certain customary conditions and regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX and the entering into by the Corporation and the Agent of an agency agreement.

This press release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States or to "U.S. persons" ("U.S. persons"), as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"). The securities being offered have not been, nor will be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.

About Freegold Ventures Limited

Freegold is a TSX listed company focused on exploration in Alaska and holds the Golden Summit Gold Project, near Fairbanks as well as a 100% lease interest on the Shorty Creek Copper  Gold  Molybdenum Project near Livengood.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Offering, including the ultimate number of Units to be sold pursuant to the Offering, its expected timing of completion, the receipt of required regulatory approvals, the use of net proceeds therefrom and the filing of the amended and restated preliminary prospectus and the timing thereof. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes", or variations (including negative variations of such words and phrases), or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Corporation has applied certain factors and assumptions that it believes are reasonable, including that there is no material deterioration in general business and economic conditions; that there are no adverse changes in relevant laws or regulations; that the supply and demand for, deliveries of, and the level and volatility of prices of metals and minerals develop as expected; that the Corporation receives any regulatory and governmental approvals for its projects on a timely basis; that the Corporation is able to obtain financing on reasonable terms; that the Corporation is able to procure equipment and supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; that engineering and exploration timetables and capital costs for the Corporation's exploration plans are not incorrectly estimated or affected by unforeseen circumstances and that any environmental and other proceedings or disputes are satisfactorily resolved.

However, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation and/or its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other geological data, fluctuating metal prices, the possibility of unanticipated costs and expenses, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future and uncertainties related to metal recoveries, those factors discussed or referred to under "Risk Factors" in the Corporation's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2015 dated March 30, 2016. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained or incorporated by reference herein are made as of the date of this news release, based on the opinions and estimates of management at that time. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Corporation does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Freegold Ventures Ltd.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 5, 2016) - Copper Lake Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:CPL)(FRANKFURT:W0I) ("Copper Lake" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement to acquire the 31.25% interest in the Marshall Lake property currently held by Marshall Lake Mining Limited ("MLMP"), a privately held UK based company. This acquisition will give Copper Lake a 68.75% interest in the property.

In consideration, the Company will issue a maximum of 34,268,738 common shares and a principal amount of $350,000 of 12% five year unsecured subordinated convertible debentures to MLMP, subject to customary closing adjustments. The debentures are convertible into units, comprised of one share and one warrant, at $0.055 per unit for the first year and $0.10 per unit thereafter. The warrants will have an exercise price equal to the conversion rate of the units when issued. The total consideration is valued at $2,063,000.

The common shares and convertible debentures issuable under the acquisition will ultimately be distributed directly to MLMP's shareholders. All MLMP shareholders will be subject to an initial six-month hold, and any MLMP shareholder that holds more than 5% of the outstanding Copper Lake shares will be subject to an additional phased hold over twenty-four months.

MLMP will also be entitled to nominate two individuals for election to the Company's board of directors, which will be expanded to five directors.

The transaction is subject to, among other things, the Company receiving shareholder approval and TSX Venture Exchange approval.

Terrence MacDonald, Interim CEO of the Company, said:

"The Board of Directors sees this acquisition as a significant milestone for the Company in that it now has a clear controlling position in our flagship Marshall Lake property, with the option to increase that to 75% over the next 14 months.

"A second benefit is that, following this 'merger of interests', Copper Lake will have a significant European shareholder base, and we believe an enhanced ability to access 'hard dollar' European financing for both the Marshall and Norton projects going forward.

"Lastly, it is worth noting that it was Marshall Lake Mining Limited who in 2005 funded the acquisition and early near surface drilling work on the Marshall project. This work led directly to the discoveries at South Billiton, Gazooma and Tech Hill, which are the three primary areas that we are planning to focus our short-term efforts on, targeting deeper areas beneath those initial discoveries."

About Copper Lake Resources

Copper Lake Resources Ltd. is a publicly traded Canadian company currently focused on advancing two significant properties located in Ontario, Canada:

The Marshall Lake VMS copper, zinc, silver and gold property is an advanced exploration stage property located 120 km north of Geraldton, Ontario via good all weather gravel road from the Trans-Canada Highway and just 22 km north of the main CNR rail line.



Upon completion of the transaction, Copper Lake will have the option to increase its interest to 75% by incurring additional expenditures of $920,000 by July 15, 2017, and can further increase its interest to 87.5% by taking the project to bankable feasibility stage.

The Norton Lake nickel, copper, PGM property (69.79%) is located approximately 100 km north of the Marshall Lake property.

On behalf of Copper Lake Resources Ltd.

Terrence MacDonald, Interim CEO

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed this news release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address such matters as future exploration, drilling, exploration activities, potential mineralization and resources and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements and, as such, are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors of which are beyond the reasonable control of the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include such matters as market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Any forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and subject to change after that date.
The Night Noodle Markets will return to South Bank this year. Photo: Daniela Sunde-Brown

Brisbane Times Good Food Month presented by Citi is gearing up for another year and there's more opportunities than ever for venues and the food-loving public to be involved.

Now in its third year, from July 1-31 Brisbane Good Food Month will feature the return of the popular Night Noodle Markets, Let's Do Lunch presented by Yalumba and signature dinner events featuring Australia's best chefs.

A roundtable took place earlier this year between Brisbane Good Food Month organisers and Brisbane chefs. Local chefs said they would like to do more collaborations with interstate chefs, giving local diners a one-off dining experience plus the chance to show visiting food tourists how fantastic Queensland's food scene is.

Thousands flocked to the Brisbane Night Noodle Markets for Good Food Month in 2015. Photo: Christopher Kingston

Food fans can expect more information to be released about the collaborations when the Brisbane Good Food Month program is launched in June.

The Young Chef of the Year Award is happening again, with the Young Chef's Challenge happening May 9 and the Young Chef's showcase dinner in July. Entries are open for Queensland's kitchen talent aged under-30 until May 4. Young guns in the kitchen are encouraged to email btgfg@fairfaxmedia.com.au for an application form.

Good Food can also announce the Brisbane Times Good Food Guide Awards presented by Vittoria and Citi will be held on July 18 as part of Good Food Month.

Callan Boys is the editor of the Brisbane Times 2017 Good Food Guide and will be deciding which restaurants are awarded hats on July 18. Photo: Louise Kennerley

This year's bible of the best places to eat and drink in Queensland also has a new editor at the helm. Callan Boys has been appointed as the Good Food writer and reviewer for Queensland and editor of the Brisbane Times 2017 Good Food Guide.

Boys joined Fairfax as the National Food and Drink Writer in 2014 after contributing reviews and features as a freelance writer for Good Food. He also holds a position on The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide senior review panel.

Boys will be the one calling the shots on which restaurants make the grade for the Brisbane Times Good Food Guide and receive the coveted chef's hats.

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"For years I've been listening to colleagues and mates return from trips in the north and jabber about how awesome the food and drink scene is in Queensland," Boys says. "When the opportunity came up to relocate and take on the new Good Food roles I jumped at the chance."

Boys says he is excited to be involved with Brisbane Good Food Month.

"Brisbane Good Food Month is a chance for chefs, restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, markets, food precincts to tell their stories. There's a platform that can be tailored to each venue to make sure customers have the opportunity to experience their favourite Queensland venues in a one-off, special way."

Chefs Ryan Squires (Esquire) and Mark Best (Marque, Sydney) joined forces for a special Brisbane Good Food Month dinner in 2015. Photo: Supplied

The Brisbane Good Food Month 2016 program will include:

The Night Noodle Markets. Returning to South Bank July 20-31 and featuring popular local Asian restaurants and interstate favourites Black Star Pastry, N2 Extreme Gelato and Filipino store Hoy Pinoy.

Returning to South Bank July 20-31 and featuring popular local Asian restaurants and interstate favourites Black Star Pastry, N2 Extreme Gelato and Filipino store Hoy Pinoy. Let's Do Lunch presented by Yalumba, Coopers and Thatchers . Long lunches, quick lunches and, best of all, fun lunches featuring restaurants from The Good Food Guide.

. Long lunches, quick lunches and, best of all, fun lunches featuring restaurants from The Good Food Guide. Hats Off presented by Tanqueray . The hatted restaurants of The Good Food Guide set aside their regular menus for one night only.

. The hatted restaurants of The Good Food Guide set aside their regular menus for one night only. Bar Hop presented by Tanqueray . Queensland's star mixologists are being asked to shake it up in style and create a Tanqueray Gin-inspired cocktail and perfectly matched bar snack for $20.

. Queensland's star mixologists are being asked to shake it up in style and create a Tanqueray Gin-inspired cocktail and perfectly matched bar snack for $20. Many other experiences including special breakfasts, pop-up street festivals and instant expert masterclasses.

Restaurants listed in the current Brisbane Times Good Food Guide are invited to take part in Brisbane Good Food Month for free, as well as select bars, cafes and other venues featured by Good Food. For more information, please visit goodfoodmonth.com.
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Descendants operate land in Crockett County

By Jerry Lackey

Founded: In 1894 by Joseph Warren Friend.

Current owners: William Clayton Friend, Benny Lee Friend Family Trust and other Friend descendants.

Location: 28 miles southeast of Ozona.

Livestock/crops: Angus and Brangus cattle, oats and hay grazier.

J.W. Friend married Martha Palona Coats in 1866 at Gatesville. They had seven children: S.W., W.E., Dixie, Frank, Harry, Maggie and Sheppard "Dock."

Sheppard "Dock" Friend married Katherine Goode on May 6, 1913, at Ozona. They had two children: Lee Batts Friend and Joe Warren Friend.

Lee Batts Friend married Wilma Louise Hutcherson in 1937. They had two sons: Benny Lee Friend and Clayton Friend.

Benny Lee Friend married Carol Crews in 1957. They had three children: Lee Friend, Joe Friend and Francine Friend.

Clayton Friend married Joanie Williams in January 1960. They have three sons: Clay, Zane and Todd; and three grandchildren.

Joseph Warren "J.W." Friend purchased approximately 65,000 acres of Crockett County land when he arrived in 1894 from Smith County in northeast Texas.

Friend established headquarters near Taylor Box Draw, southeast of Ozona. He eventually added land holdings to total nearly 90,000 acres by leasing, buying or homesteading.

"J.W. Friend was a Texas Ranger during the Civil War and the first tax assessor in Crockett County. He was in charge of all expenses for the first school between 1892-95," said William Clayton Friend, a great-grandson. "He operated a general store at Barnhart and had several other ventures besides raising cattle and horses on the ranch. I guess one would say he was an entrepreneur."

Clayton said his dad, Lee Batts Friend, first started leasing land near Fort Stockton and north of Sonora. Then when his grandfather, Sheppard Annis "Dock" Friend, died in 1951, Lee Friend acquired his part of the ranch that was established by J.W. Friend.

"When my dad died in 1993, my mother (Wilma Louise Hutcherson Friend) continued to oversee the daily operations until her death. My brother, Benny Lee Friend, and I took the reins after that. Benny had the west side, and I acquired 4,038 acres of the eastern half of the ranch," Clayton said.

When Benny died in 1998, Clayton started managing his ranch for his children under the Benny Lee Friend Family Trust.

"On top of a hill on the east side of the ranch, we can see a beautiful panoramic view of the ranch and the ranches of our cousins for several miles. We enjoy taking our granddaughters there at night for stargazing," he said.

At one time, there were several gas well locations there. As a result, there are good roads up there, which otherwise would be too rough for a pickup.

The ranch brand is the Spanish gourd and looks almost like an open "8" with a head. It was passed down from J.W. Friend.

Besides Clayton Friend, other descendants of J.W. Friend are actively operating land from the original Friend Ranch.
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It's the celebration marking the Mexican Army's upset victory against French forces in the Battle of Puebla, a deciding event in Mexican history that resulted in withdrawal of the French, who had attempted to install a puppet regime in Mexico City.

The battle happened 150 years ago about 1,000 miles south of San Angelo. To remember the event, San Angelo is holding a party:

What: Cinco de Mayo celebration

When: Noon to 11:45 p.m. today

Where: El Paseo de Santa Angela, Avenue D and Orient Street

Cost: $3 for adults, free for children 10 and younger

What else

Ballet Azteca dancers perform at 7:30 p.m.

Mariachi Alma Mexicana performs at 8 p.m.

Group Apoztador, D.J. Gocha play from 9:30-11:45 p.m.

Third annual Thunder in the Conchos Car, Truck and Bike Show takes place at the Farmers Market Pavilion, next to El Paseo at 609 S. Oakes St., beginning at noon.
This undated photo provided by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum shows pieces of a collection of bold and blindingly bright beaded creatures dubbed "Afreaks." The pieces, in which feelings of joy and possibility seem almost palpable, are by the Los Angeles based Haas Brothers, in collaboration with the Haas Sisters, a group of artists from South Africa. The collection is part of the exhibit "Beauty - Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial," an exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York and offers visitors the chance to take a good long look at the state of contemporary design, offering eye-popping works from around the globe and hinting at where things seem to be headed. The exhibit runs through Aug. 21. (Joe Kramm, R & Company/Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum via AP)

SHARE This undated photo provided by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum shows Maiko Takeda's surreal headgear which resembles giant, fuzzy caterpillars, with bristles of thinly shredded acetate tinted with color gradients so that they evoke a sort of delicate synthetic fur that undulates with the slightest breeze. The work is part of an exhibit titled "Beauty - Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial" at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York and offers visitors the chance to take a good long look at the state of contemporary design, offering eye-popping works from around the globe and hinting at where things seem to be headed. The exhibit runs through Aug. 21. (Bryan Huynh/Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum via AP) This undated photo provided by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum shows a general view of one of the rooms comprising the exhibit "Beauty - Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial" at the museum in New York. The exhibit offers visitors the chance to take a good long look at the state of contemporary design, offering eye-popping works from around the globe and hinting at where things seem to be headed and runs through Aug. 21. (Matt Flynn/Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum via AP) This undated photo provided by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum shows a jacket by the British design team TheUnseen with Luaren Bowker. The leather jacket printed in color-changing ink that responds to environmental conditions is layered to look almost like a strange sort of plumage, which slowly changes from black to peacock hues of blue, turquoise and purple depending on the movement and turbulence of the wind around it. The work is part of an exhibit titled "Beauty - Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial" at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York and offers visitors the chance to take a good long look at the state of contemporary design, offering eye-popping works from around the globe and hinting at where things seem to be headed. The exhibit runs through Aug. 21. (Jonny Lee Photography/Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum via AP)

By KATHERINE ROTH, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP)  Every three years, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum offers visitors the chance to take a good, long look at the state of contemporary design.

With the dizzyingly expansive theme "Beauty," the latest triennial, on view in New York through August 21 and then opening at the San Jose Museum of Art on Oct. 7, features hundreds of works from around the world, from experimental prototypes and interactive games to fashion ensembles and architectural inventions.

"The focus is on works from the past three years by both emerging and established practitioners who are pushing the boundaries and showing where things seem to be going," explained Andrea Lipps, who curated the show with Ellen Lupton.

Many of the works interact with viewers or the environment, and involve multiple senses. Here, beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder, but in the touch of a finger or the sniff of a nose.

The show makes the case that "aesthetic innovation can drive change... . Objects of beauty exalt the experience of living," Lipps said.

"So much of beauty is about sensual experience."

The show, which extends across two floors of the museum, is divided into seven "lenses" of beauty. "Extravagant," ''intricate" and "ethereal" are on the first floor and in the elevator, while "transgressive," ''emergent," ''elemental" and "transformative" take the third floor.

Starting with "extravagant" beauty, the show opens with a dramatic, polychromatic tulle skirt and a red 1950s pajama top by designer Giambattista Valli, known for his intense romanticism combining a sense of fantasy with simple clean lines. It is juxtaposed with stark black-and-white images of hairstyles designed by Guido Palau.

Nearby, in "ethereal," milliner Maiko Takeda's surreal headgear resembles giant fuzzy caterpillars, with bristles of thinly shredded acetate tinted with color gradients to evoke a sort of delicate synthetic fur that undulates with the slightest breeze.

In a long corridor around the corner, the museum commissioned Norwegian scent artist Sissel Tolaas to create "Smell, The Beauty of Decay: Smellscape Central Park 2015." An unassuming off-white expanse of wall, covered in paint imbued with scents gathered in the park, exudes the almost-tangible scents of flowers, hot dogs or even horse manure depending on where it's rubbed.

The "Beauty" catalog says that for Tolaas, "Smell is information. She composes provocative smells to stimulate memory, recreate place, capture seasonality, and arouse emotional and intellectual responses."

Upstairs, the "transgressive" section starts with a collection of bold and blindingly bright beaded creatures dubbed "Afreaks" that look like they just strolled in off the pages of some African Dr. Seuss book. The pieces, which evoke feelings of joy and possibility, are by the Los Angeles-based Haas Brothers (twins Nikolai and Simon Haas) in collaboration with a group of artists from South Africa who call themselves the "Haas Sisters."

A little further on, the exploration of beauty delves into the depths of conventional ugliness. Juxtaposed with the smile-inducing "Afreaks" are works created using jagged black iron filings by Dutch designer Jolan van der Wiel. Van der Wiel uses oppositional forces of gravity and magnetism to create organic, armored forms  including stools and, in collaboration with Iris van Herpen, shoes and dresses  made from a composite of iron filings and plastic or ceramic.

"These are very prickly and primordial forms. They are so ugly they really do cross over into beautiful," Lipps said.

In the "emergent" gallery are 3-D-printed pieces in glass by Neri Oxman and her team at MIT. Working at the intersection of computational design, robotic fabrication, materials engineering and synthetic biology, they have created a series of "wearable, synthetic organ systems that could help humans survive the harsh conditions found on distant planets." At first glance, the detailed works in glass resemble some type of space-age clothing, or enormous sculpted scarves; up close, they look like wearable human organs, complete with what appear to be capillaries or intestinal tracts.

In the "transformative" section, the British design team TheUnseen has created a leather jacket printed in color-changing ink that responds to environmental conditions. Layered to look like a strange sort of plumage, it slowly changes from black to peacock hues of blue, turquoise and purple depending on the movement of the wind around it.

"It's about using color and form to express these different worlds beyond the eye, the ear and the nose, beyond what we as humans see," says Lauren Bowker, founder of the design team, interviewed in the catalog.

Said Lipps: "Beauty is really a response in the viewer to the idea of sensual experience. And it is manifest in an incredibly rich diversity of forms and interpretations."
Ofelia de La Valette leads a dance class at the studio she started in Atlanta on June 12, 2014. de La Vette found her love for dance in her thirties then took a leap of faith to open her own business with the studio when she was 46. (Hyosub Shin/Atlantta Journal-Constitution/MCT)

SHARE Ofelia de La Valette leads a dance class at the studio she started in Atlanta on June 12, 2014. de La Vette found her love for dance in her thirties then took a leap of faith to open her own business with the studio when she was 46. (Hyosub Shin/Atlantta Journal-Constitution/MCT) Ofelia de La Valette leads a dance class at the studio she started in Atlanta on June 12, 2014. de La Vette found her love for dance in her thirties then took a leap of faith to open her own business with the studio when she was 46. (Hyosub Shin/Atlantta Journal-Constitution/MCT) Ofelia de La Valette leads a dance class at the studio she started in Atlanta on June 12, 2014. de La Vette found her love for dance in her thirties then took a leap of faith to open her own business with the studio when she was 46. (Hyosub Shin/Atlantta Journal-Constitution/MCT)

By Helena Oliviero The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Mct)

Ofelia de La Valette was slogging it out on a treadmill when she heard funky music in the distance.

She jumped off the treadmill and followed the music pulsating inside a cardio funk dance class. She stood in the back of the class and watched the dancers in awe. Sure, they were working up a sweat. But they were also swinging their hips, smiling and looking like they were having way too much fun for exercise.

It was in that moment, back in the early '90s, when de La Valette discovered a love for dance. She was 34, had recently given birth to her second child and was struggling to shed 25 pounds of pregnancy weight. She joined the next class. Timid at first, unsure whether she belonged in a dance class, she decided to go for it.

She was hooked. It was fun, helped her get fit, made her happy.

Within a couple of years, she found a dance studio and enrolled in as many as 12 classes a week _ modern dance, jazz, ballet and hip-hop. She was a beginner but determined. One of her instructors pulled her aside one day and told her: "You missed your calling. Had you started training younger, you would have become a successful dancer."

About dance, Ofelia de La Valette said: "It transformed me: It rejuvenated me."

De La Valette didn't miss her calling. It just came later in life. In 2004, de La Valette closed her insurance business and opened Dance 101, a dance studio for adults in Atlanta. She was 46, one month shy of turning 47.

De La Valette is one of 60 women (and the only one from Georgia) featured in Marlo Thomas' new book, "It Ain't Over ... Till It's Over!" (Simon & Schuster, $27). The book is a collection of stories about women who reinvented themselves, and in many cases, at over age 40, and in surprising ways.

It includes the story of a music teacher from California who, at the age of 56, decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a painter (even though she'd never picked up a paintbrush before); Natasha Coleman, a 35-year-old sales rep from Panama City, Fla., who lost well over 200 pounds after she was humiliated when she couldn't fit into her first-class seat on a flight.

And then there's 43-year-old Veronica Bosgraaf of Michigan, whose 6-year-old daughter, after visiting a petting zoo, announced she was now a vegetarian. Bosgraaf's desire to make healthy, tasty and vegetarian foods led her to inventing the nutritional snack the Pure Bar.

Dance 101, located in the Toco Hill neighborhood of Atlanta, caters to adults with little to no formal dance training (but also offers classes for students who are coming back to dance or are seeking more challenging classes). With the feel of a SoHo loft and featuring Moroccan pillows and cozy seating areas and fresh-cut sunflowers, the dance studio offers 110-plus classes _ they include the classical dances such as ballet, tap and jazz but also a diverse mix of styles including salsa, hip-hop and Bollywood, many classes mixing simple dance steps with a high-intensity aerobic workout.

On a recent afternoon with de La Valette, pretty, poised and relaxed in her lovely dance studio, it's hard to imagine how many challenges she faced getting her dream up and running. She is now 57.

She candidly talks about being gripped by fear the night before teaching her first dance class at the age of 44. It was a beginner's jazz class _ at Emory University.

"I had a meltdown, crying, panicking. What if people find out I am an impostor _ that I have only been dancing for nine years? I didn't see myself as a teacher. I saw myself as a student," she said.

But as soon as de La Valette turned on a No Doubt song on the CD player and started teaching the class, clad in her black yoga pants, jazz sneakers _ and her signature shirt around her waist and wavy hair down _ she felt confident.

"I discovered I was very qualified to teach that Emory class. It was because I learned to dance as an adult that I knew how to teach adults how to move in a way that adults could learn how ... I could break down the steps, like a pirouette, and I could teach them in a way that they could discover they can dance, too."

One night after class in late 2003, five of her students cornered her in the parking lot: There have to be more adults like us who are new to dance. They urged her to open a dance studio for adults, and the group of five _ including a lawyer, an IT guy and a marketing guru _ offered to help. Within months, she closed her insurance business and opened Dance 101.

"My family thought I was crazy, but I jumped in and worked 12 to 14 hours a day teaching 17 dance classes a week," she said. "I was thrown into the deep end, and it was like are you going to sink or swim?"

Today, Dance 101 has more than 20,000 registered students and 40 instructors. She recently opened a second location in suburban Alpharetta, north of Atlanta.

On a recent afternoon, a gaggle of dancers raved about de La Valette and her dance studio.

"I have a dance background 1,000 years ago," said Ann Coppage, who is 57 and takes ballet, hip-hop and dancer's stretch classes. "And for some reason, after I got married and had kids, I didn't think I should do it anymore ... I have been coming to dance classes here for six years. Here I am dripping in sweat, but it's also therapy for me."

SOME WORDS OF INSPIRATION

Reinvention requires a leap of faith. And in order to take a leap of faith, Ofelia de La Valette believes certain self-truths (or self-beliefs) must be present.

1. Your life doesn't happen to you. It happens because of you.

2. Reinvention typically requires support from friends and family. Others will believe in you to the extent that you believe in yourself.

3. Opportunity appears only when you are looking.

4. Fear is a necessary component of accomplishment. You will never achieve anything really great without it.

5. Success rewards us. Mistakes teach us.
SHARE Bode and Edith Coffman Owens were married April 24, 1927.

By Jerry Lackey

BARNHART ? The fourth generation to operate the Owens Ranch near here continues to raise fine Angus cattle by following the example established by the late Bode Owens 60 years ago.

Actually, Bode Owens followed the advice of another West Texas pioneer rancher back in the 1950s by breeding his Angus heifers at the age of 12 to 14 months. Fayette Tankersley told him that young heifers bred early turned out to be the best milkers later on.

"The reason for this (practice) is that the heifers' calves naturally will not be quite as heavy as those from older cows at a given age," Owens told Elmer Kelton in a July 1960 interview.

"Early breeding gives a return from the heifers a year earlier, and I'm not out that extra year of pasturage with no income."

"Daddy was also among the first ranchers to begin raising blackface lambs exclusively," Buck Owens said. "He bought top-quality Rambouillet ewes and crossed them with Texas-bred Suffolk rams to raise a premium-price blackface lamb."

"He bought his first Suffolk sheep in 1938 from A.O. Fields," Buck said. "He always sold all his blackface lambs and never kept any for replacement.

"I remember going with him to San Angelo when I was a youngster about the time the lambs were ready to be sold. There wasn't any auctions in those days. All the sheep and lambs were purchased by commission men. They had offices in the old Naylor Hotel or the St. Angelus."

Bode Owens ran 10,000 head of sheep in the 1940s. Between the drought of the 1950s and the predators in later years, Buck sold all the sheep by the time he purchased the entire ranch from his father in 1990.

How did your family get into ranching?

Buck Owens: My grandfather, Clint Owens, was a baby when his parents, J.M. and Permelia Owens, joined a wagon train heading west from their home in Illinois in 1853.

They reached Waxahachie, where they lived a short time before settling in Hamilton County. By the time he and my grandmother married, that area was getting crowded with settlers. My grandfather liked open spaces and was ready to search for a new home.

In the spring of 1889, Clint and Ansa Belle Owens loaded two covered wagons with their household goods and supplies and headed further west. His brother, Zeb Owens, had already found open country near where Barnhart is located today.

They settled on University of Texas land that totaled approximately 64,000 acres.

My father, Bode Owens, bought the whole ranch in 1938 from his father and his uncle, Bob Owens. My parents lived in the 10-room house, and we (Buck and his wife, Jan) moved into Uncle Bob's house in 1954, five miles away, where we still live.

What keeps you in the business?

We have been here 56 years because we love the land and like to work with livestock.

How have you diversified the operation?

We established a conservation plan in the 1950s where we spray prickly pear in the spring every year. We follow up with mesquite spraying.

We have deer, turkey and quail hunting leasing on the west side of the ranch.

What's the family brand?

My grandfather's brand was an "O." My father's was a connected "Y" and "L." He bought the brand with some cattle he purchased in New Mexico. He passed the "YL" brand to my son Rusty. My brand is an open "A."

Owens Ranch

Founded: In 1889 by Clint Owens Sr.

Current owners: Buck and Jan Pauley Owens

Location: Seven miles west of Barnhart, 52 miles southwest of San Angelo

Livestock: Black Angus cattle

FAMILY ANCESTRY

* Clint Owens Sr. was born July 14, 1853, in northern Illinois, the son of J.M. and Permelia Anderson Owens, both natives of Illinois.

* Clint Owens married Ansa Belle Carter on Feb. 10, 1877. They had 10 children: Wilse married Tina Miller, Ozona; Mamie married Bud McAulay, Brownwood; Ollie married T.E. Autery, Selma, Ala.; Mitch married Belle Moore, Sherwood; Maude married H.A. Porter, Fairfax, Va.; Lennie married Glenn Sprague, Hearn, N.Y.; Tom married Ella Bolt, Junction; Bode married Edith Coffman, Sherwood; Clint Jr. married Stella Pittman, Stiles; and Bob married Evelyn Dudley, Mertzon.

* Bode Owens and Edith Coffman were married April 24, 1927. They had three children: a daughter, June Scott; and two sons, Bode Jr. Buck and Tommy Clint.

* June married John Robert Scott Jr. of Miles. They had four children: John Robert Scott III, Mary Agnes Scott Brown, Vera Juanita Scott Craft and Jim Bode Scott.

* Tommy Clint Owens married Edra Ann Walls of Big Lake. They live on their ranch near Rankin. They have two children: Shanna Renee Kyle of Milsap and Cody Owens.

* Buck Owens married Jan Pauley of McCamey. They have three children: Bode Rusty Owens III, Mitzi Jan Drennan of Mason, and Mickey Tom Owens.

* Mitzi is married to Brent Drennan of Mason. They have two daughters: Kaylee and Kristy.

* Micky Tom Owens is married to Laure Soechting, and they live in Monahans. They have three children: Tanner, Trevor and Landry.

* Rusty Owens is married to Penny Dempsey of Big Lake. They have two children: Corey Owensand Darci Owens.

* Rusty is the fourth generation to operate the Barnhart ranch. He is associated with his father, Buck.
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Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican national holiday that commemorates an all-day battle in Puebla, Mexico, when the Mexican military defeated the numerically superior French forces that invaded Mexico in 1861.

The French, along with the Spanish and English, had occupied Veracruz, Mexico's major port, in response to Mexico President Benito Juarez's moratorium on Mexico's European debt. Spain and England withdrew while the French began collecting port revenues from incoming ships in lieu of payment on the debt and ordered their troops into the interior.

Although the 1862 defeat in Puebla slowed the advance, the French capitalized on political divisions in the country and a weak treasury in order for Napoleon III to establish a monarchy with Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph at its head.

The French takeover did not occur without either a military response or a popular reaction of significant nationalist proportions. The defense of the homeland acquired extra meaning from the earnest Juarez, who continued to exercise his authority as president and national symbol of mourning, in his elegant black suit, riding a black horse-drawn carriage that miraculously managed to keep him ahead of the French military.

Hostilities finally ended when Mexican forces defeated the French in 1867 and President Juarez ordered the execution of Ferdinand together with some Mexican monarchists who had opposed him.

The celebration of the battle of Puebla also acknowledges the heroic role of Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a 32-year officer from Goliad. Soon after the surrender of Veracruz, Juarez had appointed him minister of war and navy, and assigned him to lead the Army of the East and the defense of Puebla.

Soon after the battle of Puebla and before the French had advanced on Mexico City, Juarez hosted a celebration of Zaragoza as a national hero. The president also declared May 5, 1862, a national holiday and changed the name of Puebla de Los Angeles to Puebla de Zaragoza.

Zaragoza has a special place in Mexico and Texas history. He not only originated in Goliad and claimed relations with Tejanos from the colonial period, but he began his military career in the Monterrey-Saltillo area and married a young woman from Monterrey.

In preparation for the famous battle of Puebla, Zaragoza recruited around 500 Tejano cowboys from the Jim Wells County area of South Texas who served as cavalrymen in the fight against French intervention even in the months and years following that actual battle. Capt. Porfirio Zamora, from Palito Blanco, served as one of the commanders and received a promotion to the rank of major after the war, as well as the second highest military medal for bravery, "La Condecoracion de Segunda Clase."

Zaragoza's personal connections to Texas alone do not fully explain his exalted place in history. The active efforts to remember him and the battle of Puebla also contributed to the memory.

News of the battle and Zaragoza's role as "the General from the Border" and "the native son" of the region, according to the well-known scholar Americo Paredes, arrived in South Texas as early as 1867 when performers such as Onofre Cardenas from San Ignacio, sang ballads about both. Newspapers from Texas and California also acknowledged their histories and announced the celebrations by the 1870s.

Texas cemented his memory as an iconic transborder and transnational hero against foreign aggression by establishing the General Zaragoza State Historic Site near Goliad.

So why should we continue finding relevance in the memory of the Battle of Puebla, Juarez, Zaragoza and Zamora? Because it affirms enduring and shared values such as advancing the just defense of the homeland and the necessary cause for marginalized and maligned people. These tenets are still upheld today.

Recognizing and practicing this kind of valued behavior also grants a good measure of humanity to the descendants of the heroes of Puebla, including the Mexican immigrants among us who have historically labored long and hard for low pay and little positive recognition.

History, after all, is not just a record of things past, it also is the binding arc of humanity and the ennobling opportunity to recognize the equal worth of others and to act on their behalf.

Emilio Zamora is a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin.
Business / Companies

by Staff Reporter

BANKS have hiked transaction costs by up to 570 percent, leaving the bulk of depositors who are already living on the margins of poverty poorer.They are taking advantage of the crippling cash shortages.The situation has even led workers who are gainfully employed in the formal sector to start contemplating receiving their salaries through other electronic platforms such as EcoCash, One Wallet and TeleCash whose charges are much lower.Before the cash crisis, most banks were charging withdrawal fees of about US$3 for withdrawals made in the banking halls and US$2,50 for withdrawals done on Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) for cash of up to US$1 000.But now, a depositor is now parting with US$20 for a withdrawal of US$1 000 made over several days because of the cash limits, implying a hike of between US$17 and US$17,50 or nearly 570 percent.Some banks are charging slightly less, but overall, all have increased their withdrawal charges by huge margins.Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ) president, Charity Jinya, yesterday said the workload for the banks has increased, which also follows that the cost of processing transactions has gone up.She said this was not of the banks' making."It's a situation none of us want to be in. It's a sign of the times. (But) things can't be done for free. Since we are now repeating transactions, just look at the amount of work bankers are now getting to do. Labour wants to be paid for it," said Jinya.The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe has described the situation confronting depositors as "very distressing".The executive director for the consumer watchdog, Rosemary Siyachitema, was this week frantically trying to secure meetings with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and BAZ to highlight the plight of depositors."It's a difficult time for consumers.They (banks) have been putting too much pressure on consumers to use plastic money, but our capacity for the usage of plastic money is not good. We are ill prepared; schools don't have facilities for plastic money; the city councils don't have the capacity. If we are to go the plastic money way, retailers should be automated to welcome many people to use the plastic money."The facilities should be spread all over the country to enable ease of doing business," she said.
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The following editorial appeared in Sunday's Orange County Register:

Americans must never stop watching the people watching us. It's as vital as ever, as federal officials keep trying to exploit fear of terrorism to break down our civil liberties.

The fight between law enforcement officials and digital privacy advocates over smartphone encryption didn't end with the Apple vs. FBI legal flap over a San Bernardino, California, terrorist's iPhone. Developments in that and other cases kept coming in April. And they only underscored concerns about where all of this is heading.

Remember that in February a federal judge in Riverside, California, sided with the FBI and ordered California-based Apple to aid the San Bernardino investigation by finding a way to unlock the phone of the terrorist who died with his wife and fellow mass murderer in a shootout with police.

The FBI said the phone could contain valuable information about the attacks and the people involved, implying it could help to head off more attacks. Apple said that's a risky path because disabling the privacy protections on one phone would threaten everybody's if the method fell into criminal hands. Civil libertarians argued that the legal power law enforcement officials seek  the power to compel private companies to cooperate with them  is a power they don't really need.

Apple appealed, but before the case could go back to court the FBI announced a third party had succeeded in unlocking the phone.

What has the news since then shown? Little that supports the FBI's arguments.

n CBS News reported nothing of significance had been found on the terrorist's iPhone. As U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu, D-California, and others have pointed out, the FBI has never cited an instance where peeking inside someone's phone would have stopped a terrorist attack, and it doesn't look as if it will happen this time, either.

n FBI Director James Comey said that although the software used to unlock the terrorist's phone wouldn't work on all iPhones, it could be used on all 5C iPhones running IOS 9 software. That's millions of iPhones  maybe yours. This never was about one dead terrorist's phone.

n Making the risk worse, the FBI announced that it will not tell Apple what security vulnerability was exploited to unlock the phone. Although the FBI says this is because it doesn't know the details, it appears the bureau is dancing around a mandate for government agencies to flag encryption weaknesses so companies can fix them.

n In a second, similar case, the FBI dropped its appeal of a ruling favoring Apple after agents got the password to a Brooklyn drug dealer's phone days before going to court. Again, the FBI was shown not to need a broad softening of security to do its job.

One piece of good news is the defeat, in a California Assembly committee, of a bill to require all smartphones in the state to have built-in "back doors" for the government to look through.

But the fight goes on.

Unresolved appeals in the FBI vs. Apple cases leave rulings tied 1-1. Keep your eyes open.
Associated Press Now that Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign has ended, how can he return to the Senate? He could continue his role as the upper chamber's bomb thrower, or he could adjust his approach to work better with the leadership. It's a decision that may weigh on Cruz over the next few days: The Senate is currently on a home-state work period and won't get back to work until next week.

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Abby Livingston

With his concession speech behind him and his multimillion-dollar presidential campaign already winding down, Ted Cruz will soon return to the U.S. Capitol and the job he was working so hard to transcend: rank-and-file senator.

It will likely be a striking re-entry. At times in recent months, Cruz appeared on track to land the nomination. But soon his campaign apparatus will fade away, as will the buses and traveling press corps. And come next week, he will be back to being just one of one hundred.

And when he returns to the Senate with two and a half years left in his freshman term, he will enter hostile territory. There is no way around it: The actions he took over the course of his presidential campaign only further frayed Cruz's strained relationships with colleagues.

This is the chamber where Cruz made a national name for himself by orchestrating a campaign to shut down the government, a campaign that many of his colleagues pleaded with him to abort. This is the chamber where Cruz once called his party's highest-ranking member, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a liar on the Senate floor. And this is the chamber where Cruz has an unusually disconnected relationship with his home state's other senator, John Cornyn, who said just last week that Cruz "came here to run for president."

The moment most pregnant with drama will be when Cruz attends his first weekly lunch meeting with his fellow Republican senators. Since the outset of his Senate term, those closed-door gatherings have been the setting of the peak drama involving him.

Now the room will be filled with the very people he spent the past year tarring as "the Washington Cartel." And their leader will continue to be McConnell, a man who, by all appearances, utterly despises Cruz.

How will these senators react to his return?

"People will applaud because they're glad [the Cruz presidential campaign] is over," said a Republican operative with ties to leadership. He spoke in jest, to be sure. But the comment was all the more striking given the panic settling into GOP circles once it was clear Tuesday night that Donald Trump will be the party standard-bearer in the fall.

Upon his return, Texas' junior senator could continue his role as the upper chamber's bomb thrower, or he could adjust his approach to work better with the leadership. It's a decision that may weigh on Cruz over the next few days: The Senate is currently on a home-state work period and won't get back to work until next week.

So, how does he serve effectively?

Several GOP operatives suggested to the Tribune that Cruz ought to zero in on a few specific issues he has long supported  a flat tax, a balanced-budget amendment  and thereby make his legislative name in promoting conservative policies.

But it is practically impossible to pass anything in the Senate without the support of other senators. Only three senators  Cory Gardner of Colorado, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mike Lee of Utah  endorsed Cruz, even as Trump sent shudders through much of the Republican Party as all other viable contenders dropped off.

Many senators remain reluctant to work with Cruz, Senate sources say, because they flat-out do not trust him. Repeatedly, a point of anxiety mentioned is how he handled a Pacific Rim trade deal last year. First, he backed the proposal via a Wall Street Journal op-ed he wrote with future House Speaker Paul Ryan. Two months later, he pulled his support on the morning of the Senate vote.

One GOP consultant pointed to another former Republican second-place finisher as an example Cruz could emulate: U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Back in 2000, McCain was the anti-establishment firebrand in his presidential campaign against then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

On the outs after losing the party's nomination to Bush, McCain spent the following years repairing his relationship with the president. Those efforts paid off in 2008 when he won the party's nomination.

Falling in line with the GOP nominee, however, is not a calculation that will improve Cruz's relationships in the Senate.

Trump's temperament  and his record of incendiary comments  terrify Republicans across the country.

They are left with four options, none of which leave Republicans encouraged: supporting Trump, declining to vote in the presidential election, voting for a third-party candidate or supporting the likely Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, herself a reviled figure within the conservative world.

Furthermore, the McCain model is built on the notion that Cruz will run again in 2020  a notion that every Republican interviewed by the Tribune for this story predicted he will do. Cruz's political idol, Ronald Reagan, made a failed bid for the presidency in 1976, only to win in 1980.

But first, he is up for re-election in 2018. The conventional wisdom at this point is that Cruz will run for another six-year term.

It is hard to see how anyone ousts him in his home state. Texas shows few signs that it will be an opportunity for a Democratic pickup in a general election, and Cruz ran the table in nearly every corner of the state during his party's presidential primary on March 1.

"I'm not worried about him in a primary or the general," said Texas GOP consultant Brendan Steinhauser. "In terms of political skills and organization and his email and the fundraising lists he's built nationally, he's got a powerful machine in Texas going forward."

A second term could prove appealing to Cruz. Most obviously, it is hard to run for president as an out-of-office candidate. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry struggled to raise money for his second presidential bid without the leverage of the Governor's Mansion.

The Senate also gives Cruz a platform to play a foil to a potential Clinton or Trump presidency.

"Maybe he gets another shot," Steinhauser said. "He needs to focus on being a senator, and he comes back after four years of Hillary or four years of Trump."

Abby Livingston works for the Texas Tribune, where this was first published.
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Bruce Bishop, San Angelo

America's college campuses have recently become hotbeds of "social justice," which is a perversion of a Catholic term, circa 1840, that obliged post-agrarian communities to organize themselves to solve local problems.

Modern social justice warriors would demand that the federal government solve all problems by "taxing the rich."

Even more problematic is that SJWs demand that colleges provide "safe spaces" where they will never have to hear anything that challenges their worldview. Unfortunately, reality, in all its forms, challenges their worldview. Even the leftist professors, who created these monsters, are horrified.

Enter Milo Yiannopoulos, a Cambridge-educated, gay, Christian conservative journalist who "triggers" these "special snowflakes" into screaming protests, trying to shout him down and to keep regular people from hearing what he has to say.

Yiannopoulos is on a tour of colleges that is making him famous. He plans to visit 60 college campuses this year to deliver his conservative message and to challenge the social justice warriors and third wave feminists who come out to protest him.

Asked when this SJW phenomenon would run its course, Yiannopoulos replied, "2016." He intends to destroy the whole social justice warrior movement this year by applying the Saul Alinsky technique of ridicule.

Milo is brilliant, quick-witted and charming. His British accent and flamboyant persona make him appealing to us regular folks, while his anti-SJW message is devastating to the moonbats on college campuses.

In 1976, economist Friedrich Hayek published a book subtitled "The Myth of Social Justice." According to Hayek, social justice is a synonym for "progressive," which means socialist, or heading toward socialism. This explains how a socialist such as Bernie Sanders could be considered a viable candidate for president.

The SJWs are budding socialists who were never taught about the Soviet Union.

Go Milo!
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By Pamela Howell

My college-age daughter and I were headed home from an outing with our bicycles when we hit rush-hour traffic.

Katherine turned on her car's right blinker and waited for her shot to weave into the next lane. I looked over my shoulder and saw a man and woman in a minivan.

"Maybe the guy in the minivan will let us in."

"No, Mom, it's OK. I'll wait."

"Oh, hey look, he's from New York! I'll wave and see if he'll let us in."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Mom."

"Aww, it'll be fine."

Hours before, I'd said the same thing about a bike trail sign that warned "rough terrain" ahead. How did I know there would be rocks the size of Mount Rushmore? And it seemed right to pack a backpack with a tire pump, an umbrella, snacks, water bottles, bug spray, Chapstick, sunscreen, allergy medicine and toothpicks. Oh, and a floppy canvas hat, a bird guidebook and Nikon D-3300 camera with a 70-300 mm lens. After all, we might see some birds. In hindsight, our hollering as we hit the rocks and jarred ourselves almost senseless made that point moot.

But, back to The Guy in the Minivan from New York. I gave him a friendly wave, flashed him my best smile and politely pointed to the space in front of his vehicle. Everybody and their dog in Texas knows that means: "Pardon me, sir, may I please go in front of you when the light changes? I would surely appreciate it."

When you do this, the other driver usually smiles back and nods or waves you on. Then, when you've safely made the lane change, you look in the rearview mirror and give the other driver a wave. He nods or waves or even gives a good ol' boy salute: The raising of the index finger in acknowledgement.

The Guy in the Minivan from New York scowled and the hand motions he made looked like he was helping land a fighter jet on the deck of an aircraft carrier. In no uncertain nonverbal terms, he also let me know that he was going to drive straight ahead when the light changed.

"Mom, you're stressing him out."

"No, he just misunderstood what we want to do," I said, leaning over to roll down the window so I could holler: "Yoohoo! I wasn't trying to be rude, sir."

"Mother, do not roll down that window."

The light changed and The Guy in the Minivan from New York practically kissed the bumper of the car in front to put some distance between him and me. I have to admit that, because as I leaned back in my seat, my floppy canvas hat caught the visor and the mirror popped open. I took a look at myself.

The Guy in the Minivan from New York had seen an almost 50-year-old woman in a floppy hat with her hot, red cheeks dripping with sweat. She was wearing a very large camera with a very large lens around her neck. And there was the T-shirt with a Bible verse in extremely large letters on the front. I could almost hear the woman in the minivan say to her husband: "Quick, hon, lock the doors."

I wanted to shout after him: "Hey, mister, I'm really not crazy! I think you got the wrong idea."

What I said was, "Oh, boy, I think he's going to have a hard time here in Texas."

Katherine chided: "Now, Mom, remember the gloves."

Ah, the gloves. The story of the gloves is now part of our family's history. I was with friends from New York City one winter day in the Big Apple. As we sat in the parking lot of White Castle eating mighty tiny hamburgers, I turned in the back seat and came face-to-face with a strange woman peering in the window. I shrieked: What in the world does this woman want?

When I had stepped out of the minivan moments earlier to take off my coat, my gloves had dropped onto the asphalt, and this poor woman was simply being kind. She had picked them up for me, and was trying to get my attention to return them. I was mortified. My New York buddies laughed their heads off. I promptly got out of the vehicle and apologized profusely to her. My NYC buddy said to the woman in Spanish something along the lines of: "She's sorry. She didn't mean anything by it. She's from Texas."

My Spanish isn't muy bueno but I did understand his meaning: "That's right, ma'am. I'm from Texas, and I am so sorry." And, then I sheepishly added: "Thank you kindly."

I just wish I could tell that to The Guy in the Minivan from New York.

Miles native Pamela Howell is a writer with IBM for USAA in San Antonio. She is also the author of the novel, A Ride Home. Connect with Pamela via her Facebook page at Pamela Roberts Howell or on her website at www.pamelarobertshowell.com.
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Bobby D. Lacy

May Day! May Day! That is what I shouted when I awakened on the first day of the month.

It was not because it was any really special day, although the first day of May does have its significance to so many. Instead, in my case, I was just glad that it was no longer April, because it seemed that I had been April-fooled all month long.

For instance, former House Speaker John Boehner called Sen. Ted Cruz "Lucifer in the flesh." And they are on the same team.

Before that, Prince died. Most of us were saddened that a musical icon had left us. But then there were those who were immediately trying to publicly trash his being, his legacy, by suggesting that there was something else about his death, something troublesome, suspicious even, although there was no reported sign of foul play.

I wondered why it was that some could not accept the premise that "When God calls, we've got to move." It is part of life. It is in our faith. Death comes to us all, eventually, and in its own time. Somehow it was a little different with Prince, though.

Then there was the much hoped for revelation that "the telephone code" had been cracked in the San Bernardino, California, terror attack. That was great news, because we would all know for sure that the two who were blamed for the massacre and subsequently killed had ties to ISIS.

After all, just getting access to the private portion of that phone, and perhaps yours or mine in the future, had been a source of great legal contention. It had sparked outrage, as the two sides battled over privacy and the right to protect it. And then when the code was cracked, we did not hear anything.

Does that mean that there were no ties to any terror organization? Were these two the perpetrators of the vicious crime? After all, there were no "true" eyewitnesses, just a sighting of a dark SUV driving away from the scene. Something just wasn't right.

Or maybe it was just fooling me, similar to what has been happening in the race for president. It puzzles me when I try to remember back when we voted for the man that we thought would be the best choice for the highest office in the world. It was not necessarily about party. Kennedy, Reagan, Bush. It was about the man, the best man. Now it is about party, so much so that the Republicans are poised to vote for someone whom most of them believe would not be a good choice for their party.

However, it is too late for them to stop his quest for the position. And to think that Donald Trump is so in control of the situation that he doesn't feel that he has to act presidential while campaigning, even at his party's request.

And the oddest thing of all is that during his foreign policy speech recently, he told everyone listening that his plans for defeating ISIS would be secret. "We need more secrecy," he told us. And his supporters accepted that, without that same outcry for specificity as requested from President Obama.

Trump simply tells us that he has a plan to make America great again. That is all he needs to do. Or so he believes. It makes one feel as though one is being played for a fool for sure.

And then before the month was over, the president spoke for the final time at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. He must have been pretty good, because nothing bad is being said about him.

However, the same cannot be said about the comedian who followed. He used the N-word at the finale of what had been a controversial presentation. Controversial? That simply means that he ruffled some unsuspecting feathers.

But what really raised the ire of some was his audacity to address the president in such a demeaning way. The irony of it all is that many of those who seemed to be upset have addressed the president in such demeaning ways at times.

The fact is the comedian was paying tribute to the nation's leader in a way that is uncommon to most of those who insist that he has failed America for almost eight years. From my point of view, the way the comment was made and how it was directed, it was obvious that it was used as a term of endearment between two people who were not offended in any way. It was personal, well-intended and it was well accepted by the president who could relate. Being president has not elevated him above his brethren, his peers. He understands that and we appreciate that. Still the controversy, or maybe it was just more April-fooling.

Suddenly it was May Day and things began to change. I hope it lasts, at least until after Mother's Day.

Mothers, be blessed.

Bobby D. Lacy lives in San Angelo.
Business / Economy

by Staff Reporter

The low uptake of the other legal tenders within the basket of currencies in favour of the greenback has put a lot of pressure on the United States dollar.Apart from the shunning of other currencies, illicit financial outflows, overreliance on imports and subdued confidence in the banking sector have all combined to create the current cash challenges, according to economists.The lack of confidence in the banking sector has seen many shunning the financial sector with some opting to keep their hard earned money under the pillow, thereby fuelling cash shortages.Economist Nicky Moyo says the poor performance of regional currencies in particular the rand and lack of appetite for other legal tenders within the country's basket of currencies have worsened the country's cash situation.Economist Kipson Gundani says Zimbabwe cash shortages go beyond the issue of currency uptake, with lack of productivity, underperformance of the economy and the huge trade gap contributing to the liquidity challenges.With the apex bank not in a position to print money, the country has been relying on remittances from Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, foreign direct investment and exports to boost cash inflows.However, entrepreneur Israel Kembo says the low capacity utilisation and subdued exports have exacerbated the country liquidity position.According the market analysts, the failure to attract sufficient external funds and the huge debt overhang have not helped in improving the liquidity situation.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

A Zimbabwean woman has been sentenced to 17 years behind bars for fatally stabbing her husband after overhearing him telling his mother that he had a child out of wedlock, the state-owned Chronicle newspaper reported on Tuesday.Daily Sun reported that Elizabeth Mbulayi, 28, pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder. However, she pleaded guilty on a lesser charge of culpable homicide.Mbulayi fatally stabbed her husband, Simbarashe Denhere, on December 26, 2013.Passing down judgment, Judge Maxwell Takuva disputed the accused's statements, saying that her argument was full of inconsistencies.Takuva further added that no one deserved to die because they were being unfaithful to their partner."You actually used a lethal weapon and applied excessive force to push into your husband's chest and subsequently killing him in a senseless murder. No one deserves to die for having an extra-marital affair and we're saying its unlawfully to enforce sexual morality through violence," Takuva was quoted as saying.This came a week after News 24 reported that a Zimbabwean man had been jailed after beating his girlfriend with a cooking stick for refusing to have unprotected sex with him.Witness Chibuwe, 26, pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to two months behind bars, or a fine of $100.
diagnosed with autism. When her parents enrolled her in the public school in her town in Arizona, she had a hard time communicating, let alone learning. The Lockes, however, took advantage of an education savings account (ESA) program to sign their daughter up at a private school. ESAs work like vouchers, with one difference: The funds can be used not just for tuition but for other expenses, such as tutoring. For Kasey, the new school and continuing educational therapy did the trick. With the ESA, the parents were able to put her in a private school that specializes in autism, says Debbie Lesko, the majority whip in the Arizona Senate. The child is not only learning, but thriving.Lesko thinks a program that has worked so well for a family like the Lockes should be available to any Arizona resident who wants to use it. Five years ago, she sponsored legislation that made Arizona the first state to offer ESAs, which it calls empowerment scholarship accounts. Since then, Arizona has repeatedly expanded the pool of eligible residents to include groups such as foster children, Native Americans and the children of military veterans.No state has embraced school choice ideas with the fervor of Arizona. It has the nations highest percentage of students enrolled in charter schools -- 14 percent, which is roughly three times the national average. The state Department of Education itself runs an office of school choice.At the start of this year, the time seemed right in Arizona to expand the ESA program to take all comers. Neighboring Nevada enacted the nations first statewide ESA program last year, freeing up state money for students to use regardless of geographic location, or educational or family status. Thousands of families immediately signed up and the idea of copying Nevada became the ambition of state legislators across the country.Lesko got her version through the Arizona Senate in February. But that was as far as it has gotten. The bill was twice pulled from the House floor due to a lack of support. Even some Republicans, who hold the majority in both chambers, were nervous that universal ESAs would drain too much money from traditional public schools. Meanwhile, Nevadas universal ESA program has been put on hold due to a court challenge.School choice is having its glass-half-full moment. On the one hand, the various choice options -- vouchers, charter schools, home schooling, tuition scholarship programs, open enrollment within districts -- have grown enormously over the past decade. Once choice is available, theres no denying its popularity. Waiting lists for charter schools are common. Parents who want their kids to study Mandarin or engineering can find charter schools that cater to such ambitions.On the other hand, proponents of choice say that the better they do in terms of improved test scores, high enrollment and reducing long waiting lists, the more pushback they encounter. People who run and support charter schools contend that traditional school districts and teachers unions use every tactic at their disposal, from political and legal battles to simply hogging school buildings and buses, as part of the ongoing effort to beat them down. A lot of our friends feel like charters are getting their butts kicked, says Charles Barone, policy director of Democrats for Education Reform.As a generations worth of momentum toward school choice begins to slow a little, policymakers have the opportunity to explore whether school choice is doing what it was supposed to do in the first place: offer not just an alternative to public schools, but new methods that improve education and can be widely replicated elsewhere.While charter school operators feel embattled, the reality is that charters and other choice options have become a structural part of the education landscape. That wasnt a sure thing even a few years ago. Obituaries were being written about school choice at the beginning of the Obama administration, given Democratic opposition to vouchers and the lack of love for charter schools among teachers unions. As the current administration starts to wind down, though, school choice is more popular than ever, embraced not only by conservative Republicans eager to inject competition into any state-run system, but by many Democrats as well. Even traditional school administrators now must accept the language of choice. I dont think anybody is arguing that we should just have traditional public schools and we shouldnt have these options, says Thomas Gentzel, executive director of the National School Boards Association.The first charter school law passed 25 years ago. There was scarcely any enrollment even at the dawn of the century. Today, charters -- which receive public funding but are mostly run independently of school districts -- educate more than 2 million students. Its no longer niche programs just in cities, says Patrick Wolf, an education policy professor at the University of Arkansas. Its risen above a critical mass.Choice may continue to rise, but that doesnt mean its growth will continue at a rate that seriously erodes the dominance of the traditional public school model. Cities such as New Orleans and Washington, D.C., where majorities of kids are educated outside the traditional school district, will remain what they are now -- outliers. This year, Floridas budget provides equal amounts of money for construction of both charters and traditional public schools. But thats unusual. The vast majority of the nations schoolchildren still attend traditional public schools in their neighborhoods.School districts and unions are doing everything they can to maintain their market dominance. A superintendent who has graduated from a foundation-sponsored training programsuch as the Broad Academy is sure to be confronted with angry accusations that he or she is a corporate sellout. The rule is, its still a street fight, says Michael Petrilli, president of the Fordham Institute, a conservative think tank that supports school choice. They basically hassle and harass the charter schools at every opportunity.Most dramatically, teachers in both Chicago and Detroit recently staged walkouts and strikes, in part to protest encroachment from charters and other choice options. Both city systems have deficits reaching well into the hundreds of millions of dollars, leading many to worry that support for the traditional system will continue to erode in favor of charters and other newer models. You cant overstate what bad shape were in because of charters and choice decimating a public school district and running it into the ground, says Margaret Weertz of the Detroit Federation of Teachers.Its true that in terms of actually delivering education thats measurably better than traditional public schools, vouchers and charters continue to have a mixed record. School reformers have consistently overpromised the effects their bright new ideas would have. In the face of ongoing political opposition, it may no longer be enough to slap the name charter on a school and convince parents its going to be a better place for their children.As to measuring the record of accomplishment, its not a simple matter. Choice supporters and opponents continually accuse the other side of cherry-picking numbers that overstate the benefits or drawbacks of their own approach. Its easy to find a study showing that vouchers, for instance, have no effect on test scores, or that kids in voucher programs end up doing worse in reading or math. You can also find a study that demonstrates the exact opposite.In February, Don Coberly, the superintendent of schools in Boise, Idaho, put out a public memo accusing a foundation of presenting college admission tests in misleading ways to make his schools look bad. At a recent downtown Rotary Club meeting, the executive director of the Albertson Foundation stated that the goal of the foundation is to increase charter school seats by 20,000 in the next few years, Coberly wrote. That will only happen if Idahoans lose faith in their public schools.In response to complaints that people have already lost faith, public school supporters respond that charters and other choice options are being pushed by big-money foundations, as well as corporations out to make money by siphoning off per-pupil spending. Programs such as ESAs are seen as giveaways to parents who would be sending their kids to private schools anyway. Private schools and charters can cream off their choice of applicants, while old-fashioned neighborhood schools -- which have to keep their doors open to all comers -- are left to deal with a population of less-motivated parents and often struggling students. If a charter program fails to deliver, those kids come back into the traditional public schools, says Gentzel, the school boards association official. Often, they need remediation and end up costing the taxpayer more.where the Internet makes shopping for any conceivable item easy and your corner bar may stock 20 different kinds of craft beer, parents are clamoring for choice when it comes to something as essential as their kids education. Every parent who has the chance exercises school choice, if only by picking neighborhoods that boast strong schools, says Doug Lemov, managing director at Uncommon Schools, which runs urban charters. For most of the 20th century, if you were poor, you were forced by law to send your child to a dysfunctional school that was probably dangerous, he says. There was hidden choice for other families. Now, for the first time, there is a conversation about whether we can make choice available to others.Aside from that fairness argument, school choice has something else major going for it: true believers. Families such as the Lockes in Arizona become fierce partisans of their preferred flavor of choice and the institutions that support them. Active and avid supporters make a big difference. So-called reform programs such as Common Core and standardized testing have their adherents, but they wont inspire 20,000 people to march across the Brooklyn Bridge. That happened back in 2013, when Bill de Blasio was running for mayor of New York and threatened to make charter schools pay rent. He might have sounded pretty hostile to charters back then, but his administration has ended up approving most charter school applications. Thousands again rallied in Brooklyn last October in support of charter schools.De Blasio himself notes that more than 90 percent of kids in New York are still being taught in traditional public schools. The focus, he argues, should be on creating greater educational outcomes for them. All over the country, its clear that traditional public schools still do the bulk of the work of educating kids. The choice movement, for all its success, is a long way from scaling up and demonstrating that its approaches guarantee greater performance. Successful districts feel they have no trouble retaining students in their systems, says Sasha Pudelski, assistant policy director for the American Association of School Administrators. They dont see vouchers or charter schools as a threat.Traditional public schools should be able to retain market share, if only by borrowing ideas from the most successful charters, whether its individualized instruction or longer school days. Some states have made the mistake of assuming that charter schools, ESAs or tuition scholarship programs should be encouraged because they beat the stagnant alternative of the status quo. But thats not necessarily so. Its important to look at how particular options are working on the ground in particular places. Its not just about having choices, but good choices, says Barone, the Democrats for Education Reform policy director. The states that let a thousand flowers bloom tend not to do as well as states where theres an emphasis on both choice and quality.Finding out what works and weeding out the programs that dont is something that both choice advocates and supporters of traditional public schools should be able to get behind. Gentzel makes a fair point, noting that when tax dollars are paying for charters and other programs there needs to be accountability. Theres not adequate oversight and expenditure of the funds and performance of the schools, he says.The idea of having a harbormaster -- one entity with oversight over all schools that receive public funding within a city -- is gaining some currency. One good thing that can come out of the endless political and legal battles over the very existence of school choice is a growing insistence on accountability.Maybe much of the work of education can be contracted out, but that doesnt mean there shouldnt be oversight of finances, governance and results. Every school thats publicly funded should not only strive to do well, but use comparable data for measuring success, Barone suggests.One Florida family sought to use ESA money for an educational vacation in Europe. They were turned down, but making sure public education dollars are being spent as intended -- providing the best possible schooling for the nations kids -- could prove one of the most profitable of the many growing pains school choice is still experiencing.
Explanation of veto

Vaping reclassified

California will raise the smoking age to 21 and regulate popular vaping products the same as cigarettes under sweeping antitobacco legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday.Under the bills, the state will become the second in the nation to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21. The five bills signed by the governor Wednesday will go into effect June 9."This is a huge victory for public health in California and a big hit to Big Tobacco's ongoing efforts to addict a new generation to the neurotoxins of nicotine," said Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who authored the bill signed by Brown that regulates e-cigarettes the same as tobacco products.Facing a midnight deadline to act on six antitobacco bills, Brown signed all but one. He did not offer comments on the bills he signed, which include legislation to increase the licensing fee on tobacco products and expand smoke-free laws to workplaces and charter schools previously exempt.The lone veto was for a bill that would have allowed counties and cities to ask voters to approve local tobacco taxes."Although California has one of the lowest cigarette tax rates in the nation, I am reluctant to approve this measure in view of all the taxes being proposed for the 2016 ballot," Brown wrote in his veto message.Several tax initiatives are in circulation for the November ballot, including one to extend Proposition 30 and another to increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes from 87 cents to $2.Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood (Los Angeles County), said he thought it was a mistake for Brown to veto the bill that would have allowed for local taxes on tobacco."That veto robs local voters of the ability to address problems from health care to homelessness, and that's a major lost opportunity for local governments up and down the state," Rendon said in a statement.In January, Hawaii became the first state to raise the smoking age to 21. Dozens of cities have increased the age to buy tobacco products, including San Francisco, which raised its legal smoking age to 21 in March. Now, the restriction goes statewide in California.SB7X2 by Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-Azusa, would make it a crime to sell tobacco to anyone under 21, with an exemption for active military personnel who are 18 and older. There would be no penalty, however, for anyone caught smoking under the age of 21."What makes this significant is the size of California and what that means for the huge lobby against this because of the market size here," Hernandez said. "I think you will see other states follow."Republicans criticized many of the bills, saying the legislation, like the one to raise the smoking age to 21, only reinforces the perception of California as a "nanny state."Tobacco representatives and their lobbyists could not be reached for comment Wednesday. But when the Legislature passed the six tobacco-control bills in March, tobacco lobbyists threatened to overturn the measures through a referendum and potentially derail other ballot measures, such as a criminal justice reform initiative the governor is fighting for. To reduce the time tobacco lobbyists had to make good on the threats, the Legislature waited until two weeks ago to officially send the bills to Brown.Vaping groups criticized the reclassification of e-cigarettes and other vaping products as tobacco, saying the move will stigmatize a product that helps smokers quit.SB5X2 by Leno would make e-cigarettes, battery-operated devices that have become especially popular among young people, subject to smoke-free laws in and around public buildings and workplaces and civil penalties for those caught selling to minors, as well as other restrictions."That's what is going to fuel the most anger, because the industry and its consumers don't believe they are selling or using a tobacco product," said Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, an industry-funded vaping advocacy group. "In this country, thanks to a well-coordinated misinformation campaign, more and more smokers are inaccurately believing that vaping is just as hazardous as smoking."
President Barack Obama had a straightforward message Wednesday for Flint residents: "I've got your back."The president delivered that message to a crowd of about 1,000 people -- many of them high school students -- at Northwestern High School."A lot of you are scared; all of you feel let down," Obama said. "I am confident that Flint will come back," he said. And, "I will not rest ... until every drop of water that flows to your home is safe to drink, and safe to cook with, and safe to bathe in, because that's part of the basic responsibilities of a government in the United States of America."Wednesday's visit was the president's first to Flint since the water crisis began. Lead began leaching into the city's drinking water in April of 2014 because of mistakes made when the city switched its drinking water source to the Flint River from Lake Huron while Flint was under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager. The state acknowledged a lead poisoning problem around Oct. 1, after months of denials.Since then, the Legislature has appropriated tens of millions of dollars and Gov. Rick Snyder has requested more than $100 million more to address the infrastructure and the long- and short-term health problems.Snyder rode with Obama in the presidential limousine from the airport to a briefing at the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint and the two leaders had "a strong, constructive discussion about how all levels of government can work together," Snyder spokeswoman Anna Heaton said.During his speech, Obama ran through a brief history of the water crisis and said poor decisions were made after the state appointed a Flint emergency manager, whose mandate was cost-cutting."I do not believe that anyone consciously wanted to hurt the people of Flint," he said. But a "corrosive" attitude that less government and fewer regulations is better, contributed to it, he said."This attitude that government is always the enemy forgets that ... government is us," he said.Obama said it will take a concerted effort by all levels of government to solve Flint's problems."Everybody is going to have to work together to get this done," and "it's not going to happen overnight." The president said. "It's not enough just to fix the water; we've got to fix the culture of neglect."Earlier, Snyder was loudly booed and heckled as he apologized to the large crowd and vowed to fix the water problem in Flint. And Flint Mayor Karen Weaver told the crowd she believes Obama's visit will result in everyone recognizing "the priority of helping to fix Flint," which includes replacing every lead service line in the city."We all know that Flintstones are resilient," Weaver said. "We didn't deserve what happened here," but "we do deserve the resources to fix it."Obama, who drank a glass of filtered water in front of the high school students, earlier drank filtered Flint water in front of reporters and urged Flint residents -- except for pregnant women and children younger than age 6 -- to move away from bottled water and trust their certified filters. It's necessary to get water moving through Flint's pipes again in order to heal them, he said."We need everybody in Flint to start helping us flush out that system," he said, through a campaign dubbed "Flush for Flint.""The bottom line is, if you're not doing your part, then these outstanding folks around the table who want to help, can't do this," Obama said as he met with Snyder, Weaver, and a group of mostly federal officials.The president said the need to trust filtered water does not mean that lead pipes don't need to be replaced. They do. But that could take two years, or even longer to get them all, Obama said.He said every child in Flint who may have been exposed to lead-tainted water should be checked by a physician. But if a child gets attention, "your child will be fine."Obama said children are resilient and it wasn't until the 1980s that the U.S. started banning lead in paint and elsewhere. "I am sure that somewhere when I was two years old I was taking a chip of paint, tasting it, and I got some lead," he said.Lead can cause problems, the president said. But "as long as kids are getting good health care and folks are paying attention ... these kids will be fine and I don't want anybody to start thinking that all the kids in Flint are going to have problems for the rest of their life, because that's not true.""Don't lose hope," he said to a brief standing ovation. Obama said the need to fix Flint's problems go beyond politics."My job here today is not to sort through all the ins-and-outs of how we got here today," he said. "There are times for politics ... This is not one of those times. This is a time when everybody locks arms and focuses on getting the job done."For several Flint residents who sat in the audience, Obama's remarks were inspirational and well-timed.Bethel United Methodist Church Rev. Faith Green Timmons said she had the opportunity to shake Obama's hand and speak with him directly about the crisis."It was very encouraging and comforting," she said. "Especially when he talked about our children. We've lived here in Flint for four years, so it was especially encouraging when he said many of us grew up exposed to lead, and just to raise your children the best you can; because I remember when I felt it was my fault and that I wish I hadn't believed that the water was OK as long as I did."For Timmons' son, 8-year-old Gregory Timmons, meeting Obama is something he said he will never forget."It was amazing," he said. "I was waiting for a long time and finally he came up and I was so excited."Flint resident Claudia Perkins-Milton said Obama's remarks served as a "lift" for her, as she continues to struggle with the crisis."It was invigorating for me because i was a little let down when he was at the auto show, but he didn't come here and he was only 65 miles south of here," Perkins-Milton said. "I love our president and I have faith in him and supported him in every election, but I felt he should have came here then. But he's here now and I'm happy. I think he gave the crowd hope."Flint resident Arthur McGee said he enjoyed the president's speech, but he still feels the north end of Flint is being ignored by local, state and federal officials. McGee said the north end of the city is a food desert and lacks even more than clean water."No one is saying anything about restructuring on the north end of Flint," McGee said. "We have no grocery stores, no schools. I want to hear someone say that they're going to rebuild that part of the city."Brandi Roper,a 16-year-old sophomore at Northwestern High School, said she thought the president's speech was "very inspirational." Roper's friend, 15-year-old Chloressa Wren, said it was an "honor to be in his presence."Like many other Flint residents, Roper said she too has been affected by the crisis: Thinning hair and dry skin were just some of the physical symptoms she's experienced the past several months. But she said she's also experienced an emotional toll from the crisis and fears the water."It's really nice to know that the president, even with all his responsibilities, he really cares about this city," Roper said. "And that's great and it's just good to know that people care and that this crisis got national attention."Tyrone Wooten, a member of AFSCME Local 1603, was one of seven individuals who participated in a roundtable discussion with Obama prior to his remarks at the high school. Wooten said he left the discussion feeling hopeful."He really gave us some insight on how he sees this crisis and what he's trying to do to fix the problem," Wooten said. "He listened and I was appreciative of it. He gave each of us direct eye contact and he was directly engaging. ...It was really a historical moment for me."
A Flint city worker, one of three people criminally charged in connection with the Flint water crisis, has reached a plea agreement in the case.Michael Glasgow, the city's laboratory and water quality supervisor, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of willful neglect of duty at his arraignment Wednesday and the felony charge against him, tampering with evidence, will be dismissed.He agreed to continue to cooperate with the ongoing investigation as part of the deal.Attorneys in the case met throughout the morning before the plea agreement was announced in Flint's 67th District Court. As part of the agreement, the court didn't enter the plea on Wednesday, and a new date was set for Aug. 3 in the case.Todd Flood, special counsel for the state Attorney General's Office who is prosecuting the case, said Glasgow manipulated a report by saying the homes Flint used to test tap water all had lead service lines when he didn't know whether they did. Officials believe Flint got low lead readings because it didn't test the homes most at risk -- those with lead service lines or other features putting them at high risk for lead.But he also said Glasgow tried to get assistance and get questions answered."He was the one that was attempting to give notice to the world that 'we have the Titanic and people are telling us to have the violins keep on playing,' " Flood said after the hearing.Glasgow didn't comment to reporters after the hearing and stood next to his attorney, Robert Harrison, as the lawyer answered questions from the media.Harrison said Glasgow "wants to cooperate." He explained the court will keep the case under advisement and "at some point ... up to a year from now, the charges will be dismissed. All charges will be dismissed."Flood said that could happen if Glasgow fulfills all the conditions of the agreement, including cooperating and testifying later on.Glasgow, 40, and two state workers, all of whom were responsible for maintaining safe water in Flint, were charged criminally last month.Glasgow's plea agreement announcement came just hours before President Barack Obama addressed residents and the media at Northwestern High School in Flint. There, he took sips from a glass of water during his speech.Stephen Busch and Michael Prysby, both employees with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality suspended from their jobs without pay, are facing multiple felonies and misdemeanors. Not guilty pleas were entered in the cases when Busch and Prysby were arraigned last month.The defendants were charged in connection with the investigation into the Flint water crisis by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who said Wednesday more charges will come "Capital letters SOON."Busch, the Lansing district coordinator for the DEQ's Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance, and Prysby, an engineer with the DEQ, were scheduled to have a probable cause conference Wednesday, but it was adjourned.Busch, 40, faces three felonies, including misconduct in office and tampering with evidence, and two misdemeanors; Prysby, 53, faces four felonies, including misconduct in office and tampering with evidence, and two misdemeanors.According to a warrant request obtained by the Free Press, Glasgow talked on the phone with Busch and Prysby after tests showed Flint's drinking water had excessive lead during the summer of 2015 and the DEQ officials "insisted" that Glasgow alter a July 2015 report and exclude two test sites.Doing so lowered the average lead level below the threshold that would have required residents to be notified of the dangerous lead levels in the water supply, the document said.Harrison, Glasgow's attorney, said they were excluded because DEQ workers said one property had a pollution control device on it disqualifying it and the second was a commercial property, which also didn't qualify for the report.The cases against local and state officials came two years after Flint changed its water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River in April 2014, creating the public health crisis that residents are still living with today.Many of the people from Flint, a city of nearly 100,000 residents, still refuse to drink from their taps, even with filters, and instead rely on bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and sometimes bathing.Lead leached from pipes, joints and fixtures when officials failed to add corrosion-control chemicals and blood-lead levels spiked in many children in Flint. The city moved its source of water back to Lake Huron last year, but concerns about contamination remain because the Flint River water damaged pipes and other infrastructure.In an email from April 2014, Glasgow wrote to the DEQ saying the Flint Water Treatment Plant was not ready to start treating Flint River water later that month, as scheduled, and it would do so over his objections.Glasgow also previously said that it was Prysby who told him the Flint Water Treatment Plant did not need to use corrosion-control chemicals in treating the Flint River water, and that it could instead conduct six-month studies to determine whether lead levels in the water warranted adding the chemicals.Busch sent a February 2015 e-mail to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official saying the Flint Water Treatment plant was using "optimized corrosion control" when in fact it was not using corrosion controls.Busch and Prysby are also accused of impeding an investigation into Legionnaires' disease in the Flint area. No source of the outbreak has been determined but the uptick in cases started after Flint changed its drinking water supply source in 2014.There were 12 deaths linked to Legionnaires' disease during a 17-month time period in 2014 and 2015 and dozens others got sick, state health officials have said
On Wednesday, in the morning, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey hosted an Investiture Ceremony for residents of Queensland, recipients of Australian honours and awards announced on Australia Day 2016 and in the Bravery Honours List on 19 August 2015.

In the afternoon, at Government House, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey hosted an Investiture Ceremony for residents of Queensland, recipients of Australian honours and awards announced on Australia Day 2016.
Description

GIS - 05 May, 2016: The President of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), Mr Martin Broadhurst, lauded the initiative and the vision of the Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, in making of Mauritius an Aviation Hub in the region. The President of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), Mr Martin Broadhurst, lauded the initiative and the vision of the Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, in making of Mauritius an Aviation Hub in the region.

He gave a statement yesterday following a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis.

Mr Martin Broadhurst highlighted the immense scope as well as the various opportunities in the aviation sector. He further stated that Mauritius has envisaged the right strategy into transforming the country into an Aviation Hub especially with the launch of the Air Corridor as well as the opening of new routes to East Africa upon which Mauritius has embarked.

He also spoke about the possibilities of exchange programmes and networking between the RAeS and Mauritius especially with regards to the academic sphere. According to Mr Martin Broadhurst, various benefits are to be derived with the Aviation Hub resulting in an increase in investments while at the same encouraging young professionals in the engineering sector to establish their own business.

Other topics raised pertained to the various challenges in the education sector, attracting businesses, providing job opportunities and how best can the RAeS assist Mauritius in its endeavor of becoming an Aviation Hub through its networks that are present worldwide.

It will be recalled that the RAeS is already operating since 2013 in Mauritius through the Aeronautical Society of Mauritius. RAeS is the world's only professional body dedicated to the entire aerospace community established in 1866 to further the art, science and engineering of aeronautics across the world.
GSA Restructures to Shelter Tech Programs

Big Data: A Civil Rights Issue

On May 3, the General Services Administration (GSA) pulled back the curtains on a structural change that will house two of the presidents primary digital services under a new roof. The ex-Silicon Valley technologists at 18F and the Presidential Innovation Fellows are uniting under the Technology Transformation Service (TTS). U.S CIO Tony Scott said the new entity, which will also include the GSAs Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies (OCSIT), represents the GSAs third service line: It will function alongside the groups Public Buildings Service, which manages government real estate, and its Federal Acquisition Service.The purpose of TTS is geared toward IT development, procurement and the incubation of emerging technologies.By harnessing the collective power of 18F, the team at the Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies, and the Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIFs), the Technology Transformation Service will strengthen the way federal agencies develop, buy and share cutting-edge solutions ... Scott in a GSA press release Leading the new outfit as its commissioner is Phaedra Chrousos, the former associate administrator at the OCSIT and 18F. Aaron Snow, executive director at 18F, joins her as TTS deputy commissioner.The announcement may be as much about efficiency and innovation as it is about preserving President Obama's tech legacy. Follow 18F and its sister agency at the U.S. Digital Services (USDS), and a question often arises: What will happen after the president leaves office?Fears of a digital whitewash to rebrand under a new president are valid concerns considering that in some cases, 18F, the PIFs and USDS have been crucial to modernizing federal IT while saving agencies a significant amount of dollars in tech procurement. The Obama administration has already protected the USDS by housing individual teams within many federal agencies. However, the PIF program  tasked with solving national problems through year-long tech fellowships  did not previously enjoy this kind of institutionalized protection.Since it was founded in 2013, PIF was administered through a partnership between the White House and the GSA. The restructuring secures PIFs' work by inserting it into a separate federal agency. 18F, already part of the GSA, gains added traction as a core component of the new service.Other efforts to cement presence of 18F and USDS in the federal government have included an ongoing hiring campaign of technical talent in the groups with one- to two-year contracts  work agreements that extend beyond Obamas term in office.Can big data be biased? Thats the question a White House report released May 4 has investigated the answer to, analyzing the dangers big data might pose in the areas of employment, education, credit accessibility and criminal justice procedures. The White House published the report in conjunction with a blog post coauthored by U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith, U.S. Chief Data Scientist D.J. Patil, and Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Munoz.The three credited big data for its game-changing benefits while stressing the serious threats linked with misuse.The algorithmic systems that turn data into information are not infallible  they rely on the imperfect inputs, logic, probability, and people who design them ..., the three said. Without deliberate care, these innovations can easily hardwire discrimination, reinforce bias and mask opportunity.In the report, titled Big Data: A Report on Algorithmic Systems, Opportunity, and Civil Rights , analysts looked at case studies in each issue while underscoring the potential for errors in algorithms. In hiring, for example, a programmer could create a selection algorithm that favors data inputs  personal details and job skillsets submitted by applicants  that favor men instead of women, whites instead of minorities, or wealthier income earners over the poor. The actions may be intentional or unintentional, but once in an algorithm and processing thousands of resumes, they could serve as an invisible wall.Since many algorithms  like Googles search algorithm, for example  are not open to public scrutiny, it would likely be difficult, and perhaps impossible, to enforce regulatory laws for non-discriminatory code. In the report, however, the Obama administration recommended public-private collaboration, promotion of research, algorithm self-auditing within industries, and tech education as means to address the challenge.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

EIGHT suspects were arrested by the Hawks in Durban North for various crimes, including prostitution and running a brothel. The cops were responding to a tip-off when they arrested the suspects aged between 24 and 54 on Sunday.daily Sun reported that KZN Hawks spokesman, Lieutenant Simphiwe Mhlongo, said: "One of the suspects was found in possession of drugs, including ecstacy, cat, mandrax and dagga. Another suspect was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm with six live rounds of ammunition."Mhlongo said the suspects will be charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, dealing in drugs, possession of drugs, prostitution and keeping a brothel."They will appear in the Durban Magistrates Court soon," he said.Meanwhile, over the weekend the Hawks arrested two suspects in Montrose, Pietermaritzburg for attempted murder, attempted theft of a motor vehicle, possession of unlicensed firearms as well as car break-in charges."Members spotted a suspicious vehicle during the operation and on following it, one suspect was found. The other suspects, who were waiting in the getaway vehicle, fired shots at the police, who then returned fire in self-defence," said Mhlongo.Two of the suspects died and the other two were injured and taken to hospital."12 computer boxes from various cars, one jamming device, a police radio, a crowbar and three 9mm pistols with live rounds of ammunition were recovered." The suspects will appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrates Court once they are charged.
(TNS) -- Two coalitions of environmental groups filed lawsuits this week challenging the federal government's plans to allow oil and gas development in the Santa Fe National Forest, and to call for new rules over the disposal of water produced from hydraulic fracturing. A suit filed today calls for tighter rules by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prevent earthquakes and contamination of drinking water sources by the oil and gas industry.The suit was filed by the Durango, Colo.-based San Juan Citizens Alliance, and out-of-state or national environmental groups including the Environmental Integrity Project, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthworks and the Responsible Drilling Alliance. The suit names EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy as the defendant.The suit says the EPA's regulations in current form "are outdated, contain generic provisions that do not specifically address the modern oil and gas industry, and fail to adequately protect against potential harm to human health and the environment resulting from oil and gas wastes."Those wastes, the suit argues, "can contain harmful constituents ranging from heavy metals to hydrocarbons to naturally occurring radioactive materials."In a press release, Dan Olson, the San Juan Citizens Alliance's executive director, said the EPA was three decades late in issuing rules over waste disposal, and oil and gas operations.The San Juan Citizens Alliance was also a plaintiff in another suit filed Tuesday with other environmental groups, including the Dine Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment, Amigos Bravos, WildEarth Guardians and the Sierra Club, with attorneys from the Western Environmental Law Center. That suit challenged the Obama administration's plan to allow horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing operations in the Santa Fe National Forest."As an organization representing hundreds of families living in close proximity to oil and gas operations, we see not only the physical pollution, but also the psychological toll that oil and gas waste exacts on communities," Olson said. "That the EPA is 30 years overdue in creating common-sense rules for managing toxic waste from oil and gas operations is a cause of great concern for everyone living near these sources of improperly regulated industrial pollution."The legal action, which focuses on 13 oil and gas lease parcels on about 20,000 acres of forest land, named the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack as federal defendants.According to court documents, the challenged leases would expand oil and gas development into previously undeveloped areas of forest land on the west side of the Jemez Mountains north of Cuba and near the San Pedro Parks Wilderness, and cause "a great risk of significant environmental and public health impacts due to the intensity of development ... including the contamination of surface and groundwater supplies, the emission of hazardous air pollutants and potent greenhouse gasses as well as the potential to threaten the area's wilderness value."In 2014, the groups protested the planned lease sale by the BLM and the Forest Service of more than 20,000 acres of oil and gas leases in the forest and the Greater Chaco region in 2015, citing complaints that the leases should be deferred until the BLM completes its Mancos-Gallup Resource Management Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement for the region. The RMP was last issued in 2003, before current technologies of horizontal drilling and multistage hydraulic fracturing became commonplace, which WELC attorney Kyle Tisdel said in a press release amounts to the federal government rubber-stamping oil and gas development in the region without adequate consideration of the potential impacts."We're seeing the same intellectually dishonest techniques here from the administration as those used to green-light unstudied fracking in the Greater Chaco region," Tisdel said. "This is a clear attempt to circumvent meaningful environmental review for fossil fuel extraction on our public lands in northern New Mexico, consequences be damned. Our conscience demands we step in to stop this."But John Roe  engineering manager with Dugan Production Corp., a Farmington-based independent gas company that has operated in the San Juan Basin since 1959  said the claims in the lawsuits against the industry couldn't be further from the truth and lack scientific evidence to support their claims."It's mind boggling," Roe said. "(The environmental groups) put a whole lot of words in there that are catchy for somebody who doesn't know better."The federal regulations are not as antiquated as the groups would like people to believe, he said, since the industry has been hydraulically fracturing wells for about 60 years and drilling horizontal wells for about 20 years."There's been over 100,000 wells drilled in New Mexico, and almost every one of them have required a stimulation of some sort," Roe said. "There's not been one instance in New Mexico or anywhere of groundwater contamination (caused by oil and gas drilling). Maybe there's an instance of water spillage, not because of the frack job but on sloppy handling at the surface. These lawsuits are overblown."
(TNS) -- A new website and app designed to help in the state's fight against prescription drug abuse was announced Wednesday by Gloucester's Emergency Management office."Every community has the potential for drug abuse to be a problem," said Jane Wenner, Gloucester's emergency management outreach coordinator. "Our goal is for people to know there is a resource out there and that the state of Virginia really cares."The "Sink or Swim" campaign was presented to the Governor's Task Force on Prescription Drug and Heroin Abuse in Richmond."This is a great tool folks can use for education and a place folks can turn for help," said state Del. Keith Hodges, R-Urbanna, who serves on the task force and has been one of the main backers of the campaign. "There are a lot of resources available and this pulls them all together in a one-stop shop."There were over 1,000 drug overdose deaths in Virginia in 2015, and over half of those deaths involved prescription opioids, according to Virginia Department of Health data. About 344 drug overdose deaths last year in Virginia involved heroin.The Centers for Disease Control calls an addiction to prescription opioid painkillers  a class of morphine-like drugs that includes Percocet, Oxycontin and Vicodin  "the strongest risk factor for heroin addiction."According to the campaign, 2,500 teens try prescription drugs every day. Attorney General Mark Herring has made combating what he calls "the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic" a top priority of the state.Sink or Swim started nearly two years ago with the idea for a public service announcement on drug abuse in Gloucester, Wenner said."It's a concern all over," she said. "It crosses all economic barriers and age brackets."After contacting Dianne Davis with DL Media, a marketing and media company based in Missouri, and Hodges, the campaign evolved from a local Gloucester program to a statewide imitative, eventually reaching a collaboration with several state agencies and local government officials."Will you sink or swim became the theme  you have a choice," Wenner said.The goal is to build awareness of the problem across Virginia. Wenner compares it to the drug campaign from the '80s and '90s that used the cracked egg  "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs."The website  drugfreeva.org  offers testimonials from real people who have been affected by drug addiction, as well as drug facts and drug disposal options.An interactive map on the site under "grab a life ring" allows visitors to type in their ZIP code to find hospitals, treatment centers and support meetings."This is not a storm or a hurricane but the Gloucester Emergency Management office looks after our neighbors and this impacts our community," Wenner said. "It is a part of our outreach to protect our community and make them aware of this problem just like planning for a storm.""We didn't set out to scare anyone. We're saying here's a resource for you to get information," she said. "Once we started talking to people it just took on a life of its own and grew."The site is expected to continue to expand and grow, Wenner said, adding new resources and first hand accounts when possible. For more information visit drugfreeva.org or for help call 1-855-drugfree.
The MetroLab Network has a new face, and a pretty famous face at that: former Maryland governor, Baltimore Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Martin OMalley.The group announced the morning of May 5 that OMalley will become a senior fellow with the group, which will first involve building an advisory committee to help connect the knowledge gleaned from city-university partnerships all around the country . The partnerships are aimed at not only developing technology that can help government work better, but sharing that knowledge so other cities can quickly adopt successful ideas.OMalley is a pretty natural fit for the role, said Ben Levine, interim director of the network  after all, one of his crowning achievements as governor and mayor was the development of programs aimed at gathering data and using it to improve the performance of government workers . At the Baltimore level, it was called CitiStat , and its results led to a wave of cities across the country adopting similar ideas.We chose him because he has a track record in having really led kind of revolutions in terms of embracing data and output-driven government, Levine said. "He did it as mayor, he did it as governor, and to us, MetroLab Network is really a new frontier of possibilities in performance-based government and data-driven government.And yes  the fact that hes a national political figure also helps.I think whats really compelling about having the governor on the board is to inspire mayors and university provosts to [explore] the partnership model, he said.Thats a big part of the networks mission. Since its launch last year  buoyed by the support of the White House and a $1 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the MetroLab Network has become a sort of pulpit from which evangelists can preach the gospel of collaboration between government and academia . The network has grown from about 20 city-university partnerships in late 2015 to 35 today.And its not even just cities and universities anymore, but also counties and research institutions such as national laboratories. Theyre all working together on projects  some tech-focused, some operation-focused, some economy-focused  that draw on the concept that government and academia have a lot to offer each other.In fact, OMalley said, cities have largely replaced states as the laboratories for innovation these days. He pointed to trends of growth in cities, of urban renaissance, of high-profile challenges with even more high-profile solutions.If you were to draw a few circles in terms of the next horizons of human progress, call one of those circles prosperity, call another one security, call another one justice  whether criminal justice or economic justice  another one sustainability, all those things overlap and find their greatest opportunities for progress in the cities of this world, OMalley said.There are a lot of emerging ways to tackle those challenges, from a government perspective. The U.S. Department of Transportation has sparked a national race for cities to come up with ways to make mobility more efficient and equitable. Others are focused on how to plan better for sustainable development. Some want to improve citizen participation in government.What OMalley sees as most exciting is a concept that bridges all of that: data."You look at some of the things that our partner cities are doing, like South Bend [Indiana] with the smart [dials] in their sewer and stormwater systems, you look at what Pittsburgh and Mayor (Bill) Peduto are doing with the sensors in their traffic lights," he said. "Its about improving what were already doing, but its also about bringing forward new solutions."By gathering data, OMalley said, government gathers the tools to do its work better on a day-to-day basis. But there are a lot of challenges to building a system that collects, analyzes and acts on data efficiently  there are issues of old computer systems, a need for connectivity, a need for sensors. And if thats not enough, theres always the issue of funding, and the imperative to show a return on investment.Which is all to say that it can be nice for a government worker to see that something has been done before, and works.Its been my experience that every mayor wants to be the best at doing something second, OMalley said.The MetroLab Network is meant to help connect those second mayors to the first mayors, and to put mayors in contact with researchers who can help build out solutions to problems or new systems that can do work better.The advisory council will also likely introduce a component to the network that hasnt been prominent before now: private industry. Along with nonprofits, foundations, government representatives and academics, Levine said the advisory council will likely include some people who can help cities take certain technologies past the demonstration phase and into deployment.Take sensors , for example  universities might be able to build sensors for gathering data and work with cities to test them out, but if a municipal information technology department wants to deploy a wider fleet of those sensors, they might find it necessary to turn to a private company to build more.[The private sector piece is] more tilted toward areas where you have a physical product or a software product that can be scaled," Levine said. "Id say more that than a solution around how universities could deal with an education issue, or what qualifies more as social science."The first step to it all, OMalley said, will be listening to what individual players in the network are doing as it holds its Spring Summit in San Diego next week. The feedback he gets will help him determine what direction to go when looking for members of the committee, he said.Through it all, OMalley said, he wants to emphasize the idea that government is very much a part of solutions to todays problems.You can talk until youre blue in the face about prosperity or health or a sustainable future," he said, "but they all require good governance, and technology makes that possible on a global scale."
To best help California beef up its cybersecurity, lawmakers say they need critical information  exactly how much money state agencies spend every year to safeguard sensitive data from potential hackers.The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on Tuesday approved legislation that would require state agencies to report their annual cybersecurity spending.Lack of oversight makes it challenging to address vulnerabilities, and it makes it difficult to identify where departments might be overspending or where additional resources might be needed and how our investment as a state compares to other large companies or other states, bill co-author Assemblyman Rich Gordon, D-Menlo Park, told the committee.Lawmakers first expressed concern about the lack of detailed accounting at a February hearing held to examine Californias cybersecurity efforts. During questioning, the state chief information security officer couldnt say how much California spends to prevent potential cyberattacks and safeguard the personal data it holds on millions of Californians.The revelation came after a blistering state auditor report released last August that found Californias cybersecurity weaknesses leave some of the states sensitive data vulnerable to unauthorized use, disclosure, or disruption.The Department of Technology is among a number of agencies this year that have asked the Legislature to authorize more spending for cybersecurity in the aftermath of the auditors report. Other requests have come from the Department of Aging, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the California Student Aid Commission and others.Co-author Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, said the requests for increased funding and staff show the need for standardized budget reporting.Without knowing how much we are currently spending, there is no way for the Legislature to consider how effective the new spending is and how the security needs of one state department compare to another, Irwin told the panel.This bill would provide valuable data the state needs in order to allocate resources effectively and improve the cybersecurity posture of the state going forward, she added.AB 2623 would require state agencies to report a summary of their actual and projected spending on information security beginning Feb. 1, 2017. The information is intended to supplement the data agencies are currently required to provide to the Department of Technology about their information technology and telecommunications costs, according to the bill analysis.Under the bill, the Department of Technology would be tasked with developing instructions and a format for spending reports, as well as determining the accounting methodology used to collect the data.The bill now goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for consideration.
[1/4] Today we were the victim of ransomware that came in through a phishing virus and infected our corporate networks.  Lansing BWL (@BWLComm) April 25, 2016

[2/4] We immediately instated a self-imposed lockdown to all of our corporate networks to protect the system while developing a solution.  Lansing BWL (@BWLComm) April 25, 2016

[3/4] We are working with local, state and federal law enforcement authorities. No utility functionality has been lost during the attack.  Lansing BWL (@BWLComm) April 25, 2016

[4/4] No personal customer info has been compromised. Customers are still able to make payments online, in our cust serv center & at kiosks.  Lansing BWL (@BWLComm) April 25, 2016

If youve been anywhere near a social media newsfeed in the last couple of years, then youve likely seen the horror stories about ransomware attacks. What looks like an attachment sent by a friend infects your computer or network and sends you on a hellish misadventure to recover files taken hostage.For the most part, these stories have circulated through the networks of pedestrian Internet users, but have exploded into the national spotlight as hospitals and other organizations fall prey to them.On April 25, an attack launched against a Michigan utility provider proved just how vulnerable organizations can be to this ballooning threat vector.When an employee of the Lansing Board of Water and Light (LBWL) opened what seemed to be a legitimate email attachment, the business side of the house went into a self-imposed lockdown of their systems. Though there was no impact to the delivery of utility services, the malicious code forced a shutdown of network and vital business services, which included phone lines and billing services.In a statement published via the LBWL Twitter account, the service provider said it appeared that customer information was not compromised in the breach.Based on everything we know now, no credit card information was involved in this incident, LBWL officials said in a May 2 update. Customer credit card information is processed by a third party vendor independent of BWLs IT systems. BWL neither processes or possesses any customer information.According to a May 2 report from the Lansing State Journal , operations have slowly been returning to normal, though employees were still without email at the time.Detective Lt. Jay Poupard with the Michigan State Police Cyber Crime Unit toldthat instances of ransomware attacks are locked in step with the growing global investments made to digital infrastructure.As more data and vital information is logged into these systems, the ability to hold it hostage becomes more attractive and lucrative to would-be hijackers.A lot of this revolves around the investment citizens and companies are making in their cyberinfrastructure upfront, he said. Ransomware is becoming more prevalent in the United States and worldwide In the days following the malware attack and the self-imposed lockdown of BWL digital assets, Poupard said his unit has partnered with the BWL and federal partners to investigate the incident.This is something that affects the private and the public sectors, in my opinion, Poupard said. When we have moments like this, we use relationships with all cyberprofessionals to try to come to the most accurate conclusions possible. The FBI, the Detroit Cyber Task Force, is certainly a resource that is in service right now.While details of the ongoing investigation are understandably limited, he said all parties are working closely to verify the origin of the email attack and how to avoid a future breach.From the cybersecurity industry's perspective, Juan Guerrero, a senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, said ransomware is likely to increase as profitability of these schemes continue."A variety of measures are important in shielding an organization from these types of attack. Most important are the implementation of a robust anti-malware suite and the implementation of backups that are kept disconnected from the machines and network when not in use, referred to as 'cold storage,'" he said. "Beyond this, strict application whitelisting like default deny and endpoint user education can help to limit the effectiveness of the malware delivery methods."The municipal utility has not disclosed the amount of the ransom demands. Despite multiple attempts to contact the LBWL, there was no response as of press time.
News / Africa

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwean Prostitutes' clients in Gwanda and Beitbridge should exercise extreme caution when hiring thigh vendors for their X-rated services following sensational reports that prostitutes are on the prowl in the two towns collecting sperms from their clients after sex.According to reports, the sperms are being exported to South Africa where they are reportedly in demand by sangomas who are said to be using them in their traditional rituals to bring luck, enhance good fortune and boosting business or preventing detection of criminals.Some claimed that the sperms, which are allegedly going for US$25 to US$30 per 250ml bottle, were also being collected for sale in Dubai, where they fetch even higher prices.Sperm hunters first surfaced in Zimbabwe in October 2011 when police arrested three Gweru women after they were caught with a staggering plastic bag loaded with 31 (thirty one) used condoms full of sperms. The women after being hauled to court, revealed that they were well known prostitutes and that the used condoms had been used on them by their clients who they had sex with, the court heard.Following the bizarre incident, more than a dozen attacks on men by alleged female rapists, thought to be for ritual purposes, have been reported mainly in the Midlands, Harare and Masvingo provinces.According to a panic-stricken man, the reports of the alleged sperm collection sent shivers down the spines of men who recklessly disposed condoms after sex with prostitutes."A wave of panic gripped the town especially among men when news filtered through claiming that prostitutes were making brisk business by collecting and selling sperms they would have got from their clients after sex. This is so because the sperms' real use is not clear although some say it is intended for juju or traditional rituals by sangomas in South Africa," he said."In one case last week, a man reportedly went unconscious for hours after sex with a woman he had hired at a local night club, a move which many people suspected he was drugged by the hooker before being forced into repeated sex for the purpose of taking his sperms," said Mr Dumisani Mhlanga from Jaunda suburb.Mr Last Zulu said the sperm harvesting craze had also spread to married women who were also reportedly forcing their own husbands to use protection during sex so that they could collect their sperms and sell them."So alarming is the sperm harvesting craze that even some married women have also joined the trade by forcing their husbands to use protection during sex so that they can collect their sperms for sale," he said.
Red Bull Racing has ousted Daniil Kvyat and replaced him with Max Verstappen ahead of the Spanish grand prix next weekend.

F1today.net, a Dutch website, had cited 'various sources' in reporting that Russian Kvyat, under fire for his clashes with Sebastian Vettel at Sochi, would swap seats with Toro Rosso's Verstappen.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner hinted at the move recently, telling PA Sport: "We have a stable of four drivers and two are on loan to Toro Rosso.

"All the drivers are essentially on the same contract and we have the ability at any point in time to move things round should we so wish."

Dr Helmut Marko, in charge of the entire Red Bull driver programme, vowed to talk with Kvyat about the Sochi crash controversy this week, but instead it is believed Verstappen headed to Milton-Keynes for a seat fitting.

The news will surprise many in the racing world, despite the known harshness of Marko's regime.

"I doubt Daniil will be dropped because of only one grand prix," Russian racing driver Ivan Samarin told Izvestia news agency. "I am sure the incident with Vettel will not cost Kvyat his place.

"I think Daniil is not far away from Ricciardo and not much worse than Verstappen. I do hope everything will be alright for Kvyat to continue," he added.

Marko, however, told Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper that it is important Red Bull Racing continues to push ahead in F1 after a couple of poor seasons.

"Now the engine is more reliable, we can do all the sessions without problems and therefore prepare the chassis properly," said the Austrian.

"We definitely have one of the best drivers in the field (Ricciardo) and so we are confident that with the engine update in Canada we can even fight with Ferrari," he added.

As Thursday's shock news was announced, Horner said: "Dany will be able to continue his development at Toro Rosso, in a team that he is familiar with, giving him the chance to regain his form and show his potential."

(GMM)
Dr Helmut Marko has acknowledged that F1 is coming under threat by its two-wheeled equivalent when it comes to being the best form of top motor racing.

As he this week ruled out returning to formula one, Flavio Briatore insisted: "The 'show' of racing has gone to MotoGP."

Marko, the head of Red Bull's driver programme, does not disagree.

"With MotoGP we can see that the most important thing is the rider, who stands clearly in the foreground," he told the Austrian newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung.

"There is also a more balanced situation there with the top three manufacturers, with four riders always able to win," Marko added. "So it is never clearly recognisable who will win qualifying or the race.

"MotoGP is also closer to the fans, and the tickets are 50 per cent cheaper," he said. "All this contributes to the boost they have at the moment."

But F1 is making key changes for the future, even though the revised chassis and engine rules for 2017 and beyond were hotly contested.

Marko said: "As usual, what we have is a compromise, but at least there is a change on the chassis side.

"With the engines, a so-called (performance) convergence method is being introduced," he added, "so we will have to see if it really achieves a more balanced competition."

(GMM)
Frederic Vasseur says Renault is looking to re-create its glory of the past by building towards success with a promising new driver.

The French carmaker returned to full works team status for 2016 with Kevin Magnussen, a formerly McLaren-backed Dane, and the 2014 GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer.

And nipping at the race duo's heels are Esteban Ocon, the team's highly-rated reserve driver, and the new SMP Racing-backed tester Sergey Sirotkin.

"The best thing now is to find a driver who will be the world champion in, say, 2020 and 2021," Vasseur, Renault team boss, is quoted by Russia's Championat.

"So it is necessary to start work now. If you look at the past, something like what Red Bull did with Vettel, Renault with Alonso and Benetton with Schumacher.

"But we need a few years for such a cooperation to gain momentum," he added.

Indeed, the Frenchman said he doubts even the radical rule changes for 2017 will give Renault the opportunity to immediately leap up the grid.

"It's not just about the rules but the structure of the team," said Vasseur. "Yes, a rule change could give us an advantage, but I don't think we can immediately reduce the gap."

(GMM)
Ron Dennis has reportedly warned that he will not accept a new FIA regulation regarding the supply of engines to customer teams.

In reaction to the Red Bull saga of late 2015, a new rule has been published in the 2017 rules whereby the FIA has the power to enforce deals between the engine manufacturers and teams struggling to secure a customer contract.

As an example, the regulation says that according to a new equation, it is possible that "each manufacturer must, if called upon to do so by the FIA, supply at least 3 teams".

However, McLaren supremo Dennis reportedly disputes the legality of the clause, insisting it clashes with his contract with Honda that guarantees exclusivity for the British team.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport quoted Dennis as telling Red Bull's Christian Horner at the most recent strategy group meeting: "You will never get an engine from Honda.

"Rather, I would sue the FIA over the new rule."

Finally, the newly-published 2017 rules contain something that cheeky insiders are calling the 'Red Bull clause', following the dispute between the former champions and Renault last year.

It said customer teams will not be allowed to make "deceptive, misleading or disparaging or negative comments" about their engine suppliers.

(GMM)
Mercedes and Red Bull have joined Ferrari in reportedly moving against F1's long-time 'supremo' Bernie Ecclestone.

Reports recently suggested Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne had proposed that the 85-year-old Briton be replaced by a new, three-pronged leadership team.

When asked about the viability of Ecclestone's continuing reign, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff told the German news agency DPA: "Some may think they are immortal, and that performance remains the same.

"However, there is a great responsibility to the sport to do what is right for the future," he added.

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko has a similar view, backing Marchionne's vision of a three-person leadership team perhaps involving Niki Lauda.

"When I think about the sporting side, then for me Niki Lauda is one of the hottest candidates," he told Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper, referring to the F1 legend and Mercedes' team chairman and co-owner.

As for rumours Wolff might be another candidate, the 44-year-old himself answered: "I have a plan, but it's too early to talk about it. I enjoy the role I have at Mercedes.

"I have the support of the board, Daimler and the team, so in this respect I have very good conditions to pursue my objectives with Mercedes," Wolff added.

What is clear, however, is that the anti-Ecclestone rhetoric is heating up amid an intense political climate in F1 at present.

Referring to recent headlines attracted by controversial comments by Ecclestone, Wolff said: "Irrationality and excessive emotion has no place in the job.

"Times change, we live in a digital world and to cause headlines like that every few days without thinking about it is certainly not the right way," he added.

(GMM)
News / Health

by Staff Reporter

Health and Child Care Minister, David Parirenyatwa wants government to grant the health sector security status which will grant it "preferential treatment" in budgetary allocations.Parirenyatwa said the Health Services Board was created in order to treat the health ministry as a special sector."Once we declare it a security ministry, in other words like what happens in the army and the police, automatically we must look at (health practitioners) conditions of service so that they are made much better," said Parirenyatwa."There is no point making them a special ministry and then take them into the rest of the civil service. There must be that difference."Zimbabwe's health sector, once the envy of many on the African continent, has been run down over the years through underfunding, which has led to staff shortages and inadequate drugs at public hospitals.Recently, junior doctors embarked on industrial action in protest over their poor remuneration and service conditions.
News / Local

by Staff Reporter

Clover Leaf Motors, has been ordered to reinstate or pay damages in lieu of reinstatement to its 23 former employees who were unlawfully dismissed last year following the Supreme Court ruling which allowed employers to fire workers on three months' notice.The workers were fired in August last year, and in October they approached the Ministry of Labour challenging termination of their employment on three months' notice.They submitted that the employer committed an unfair labour practice as they should have been retrenched as opposed to getting fired because the company had already decided to reduce its staff citing low business volumes triggered by a poor economic environment.In his ruling, labour officer Max Sibilika said it was evident that the employer partly denied it had committed an unfair labour practice as alleged and, thus, viewed its conduct as trite at law.Sibilika said the fired employees also partly viewed the reasons given by their employer as one which required the retrenchment process to be followed in terms of section 12C of the Labour Act."After analysis of parties' submissions and in light of the Labour Act, it is clear from section 2, which defines retrenchment inrelation to employees, that it is done in some instances to downsize when there are performance problems," he said."In this case, this is the scenario at hand to which respondent (Clover Leaf) wanted to cut on staff and was, therefore, supposed to be guided by the provisions of section 12CI, therefore, concur with the claimant (workers) that the retrenchment process ought to have been initiated as opposed to termination on notice. The respondent is in breach of not following the retrenchment process."He ruled: "It is hereby ordered that the complainants, that is, Richard Mwanza and 22 others, be reinstated without loss of salaries and benefits. If reinstatement is no longer tenable, parties may agree on payment of damages in lieu of reinstatement, if no agreement parties may approach the labour officer for quantification of damages."
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Mthwakazi Republic Party has petitioned the Primary and Secondary education ministry over the deployment of Shona teachers in Matabeleland North."We Mthwakazi Republic Party leadership in partnership with our respective supporters, which reflect a large section of our indigenous community do present this petition to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to demand an end to the violation of Child related crucial rights which entails the right to freedom of Worship and Basic Education," reads the petition. "The United Nations conventions on the rights of a child on which Zimbabwe is a signatory, on article 2 convention notes that all rights apply to all children without exception and the state must protect children from any form of discrimination."The party said the state must not violet any right, and must take positive action to promote the rights of the child."Article 3 notes that all actions concerning children should take full account of their interests. The state is to provide adequate care when parents or others responsible individuals fail to do so. Articles 6 articulate that every child has the inherent right to life and the state has an obligation to ensure the child's survival and development," reads the petition. "Article 7 also indicates that, the child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and, as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents."The party said Article 18 further elucidates that parents have joint primary responsibility for raising the child and the state shall support them in this."Article 19 clearly notes that, children should be protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment. Maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse," reads the petition which will be submitted to Matabeleland North Provincial Education Director. "Zimbabwe which is the administrative body in a colonized Mthwakazi nation have violated the above mentioned rights predominately through the state instruments in this case being the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education."The party said with the community members of Mthwakazi it demands the unconditional putting aside of the so-called National Pledge, which is being officialised by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on the 3rd of May 2016 as directed by Ministry Lazarus Dokora."We demand this as it violates firstly the rights of Children and their parents as enshrined in the latest constitution of Zimbabwe, and the articles of the African Union and the Unites Nations of which Zimbabwe is a signatory. Secondly, this petition demands an end to the deployment of teachers who cannot communicate with indigenous languages in our Mthwakazi nation," reads the petition."This Zimbabwean government policy towards Mthwakazi is consistent with the contents of the 1979 grand plan, which clearly outlines that, the Zimbabwean government is after destroying the rich heritage and culture of Mthwakazi, which violates the rights of both parents and their children. To us Mthwakazi Republic Party and our supporters, education is serious basic human right which has the power to produce a meaningful future to our pursuit of self-determination and a favourable future."The party said in summation the above concerns necessitated this demonstration and the presentation of this petition, hoping that its demands as a party, community and parents would be heard by the oppressive government of Zimbabwe."Attached are our signatories which are a portrayal of unity towards putting aside the above mentioned concerns fueled by the government," reads the petition.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba seem to be wanting the government of Zimbabwe to push for the compensation of women who were treated as slaves in Kuwait following their rescue from that country.The government managed to fund the transportation of the women who got stuck in Kuwait where they were used as slaves.Speaking in parliament, Chinotimba said his point of order was to ask if Kuwait Government can be made to do something because these young ladies were treated like slaves there."Can Parliament not do something so that we can demand payment for the slavery activities that these young ladies were subjected to? Is there no need to claim compensation from the Kuwait Government?" he said. "I once read an article where Britain was ordered to pay compensation for some people in Kenya for slavery. Our children were used as slaves and they were involved in evil deeds. Can something not be done about it. I am sorry that people do not appreciate what I am talking about."Chinotimba said they do not appreciate the fact that people went through a lot of suffering, especially those that are on the other side.
Mitigation plan to be implemented Sept.

If a natural disaster was to strike Sweetwater County today, there would be no plan to cover its impact on the community.

Research and planning is currently underway to create a regional multi-hazard mitigation plan for natural hazards such as floods, wild fires, winter storms, dam failures and others.

The plan will pertain to Region 4 of Wyoming, which includes Sweetwater County, Lincoln County and Uinta County. The state hired the company Amec Foster Wheeler to help Green River Interim Fire Chief Mike Liberty and others on the county planning team.

Liberty said the issue was discussed...
0Dear Editor,

Each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the county collect non-perishable food donations from our customers.

These donations go directly to the local food pantries to provide assistance to people in need of services.

The need for food donations is great. Currently, 49 million Americans -- one out of six-- are unsure of 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. Over 5 million seniors over the age of 60 are food insecure, with many who live on f...
The Community Fine Arts Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Tickets are available for a dinner and auction fundraiser, which will take place May 14 at the Civic Center.

Starting at 6 p.m., the evening will include appetizers and dinner catered by the Sands, live music by local musicians, and an art auction.

Proceeds from the event will go toward purchasing a sculpture to commemorate the anniversary. The Sweetwater County Library Foundation with the CFAC Advisory Board are working together in this effort.

Donations of original art are also being requested for the auction....
News / National

by Thobekile Zhou

The Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Savior Kasukuwere has denied that the proposed new 20 000 housing stands would be distributed along party lines.Last month in Bulawayo, Kasukuwere told Zanu PF youth that they would soon have their own township and thousands of stands would be dished out to them.In parliament on Wednesday, MDC-T legislator Abednigo Bhebhe quizzed Kasukuwere on the matter.He said "Mr. Speaker Sir, my question is directed to the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. We are aware that the country has a housing backlog estimated at over 1.5 million."Recently, you were on the news canvassing for 20 000 stands that you are going to distribute on partisan lines. Is it not prudent for the Minister to encourage the Government to allocate proper land to fulfill the waiting list of 1.5 million?"In response, Kasukuwere said "First and foremost, we are not distributing or let alone having people access stands on the basis of their political cards. We want to ensure that all Zimbabweans where possible, have housing opportunities" he said."The housing waiting list by city authorities has been very disappointing, if I have to say it. For a very long time, Government has been making land available to the city authorities."However, if you see the records by city authorities, most of the land was distributed to land barons and cooperatives, to the extent that many of the people who accessed the land did not pay for the land even to the city authorities."We felt this process or system can no longer be acceptable. We have authority within Government; the Urban Development Cooperation which is charged with ensuring that we develop housing and house our people. We are going for a transparent process, a system that will ensure that the majority of our people has access to land".He added " Mr. Speaker Sir, it would have been my desired route to work with the city authorities and give them land but some of them have publicly said they do not want the land, with 100 000 people on the waiting list. I cannot force cities which have said that publicly and I can quote Bulawayo Mayor. He said the 100 000 people on the waiting list is not an issue. How can 100 000 people be not an issue to a city father? We are saying we will move into Bulawayo and ensure that we give land to the people; irrespective of their political persuasion, we are going to house them".
Do you ever bother to read your credit card statement, or do you just take the payment coupon off the bottom and pay the amount without looking at anything else? If so, you may be missing several important factors such as penalties, fee assessments, and changes to your annual percentage rate (APR). You may also be missing questionable charges that are being incorrectly assessed to your credit card account, which could indicate a criminal has your information and is testing to see whether you notice the mistakes.

Let's look at the basic components of a credit card statement. Each company differs slightly in the format and some offer extra information such as a free credit score or summaries of rewards programs, but they all must carry the same essential information.

Account Summary  This sums up all the cash flows for the time period (generally one month). The account summary begins with the starting balance, followed by the reductions to what you owe  payments made during the month and other credits that decrease your bill. Next come the additions to what you owe  purchase amounts, balance transfers from other accounts, cash advances, past due charges, fees, and interest charges. They are all added up to produce your ending balance/new starting balance for the next period.

This section also lists your credit limit and how much you have remaining, the end date for the monthly statement (which can vary by a few days) and the number of days in this billing cycle. Phone numbers for customer service and lost/stolen card issues are listed below this section.

Is the total more or less than you expected? Start by checking the closing date and days in the cycle to make sure a questionable charge is falling in the right time frame. Then look over the categories to find the incorrect number. Follow that up with a look in the Transactions section below.

Payment Information  This section restates your new balance, the minimum payment amount, and the due date of your payment. Late payment and minimum payment warnings are included, along with a section showing how long it will take you to pay off your existing charges if you pay only the minimum monthly amount. Review that at least once so that you can see why it's important to pay off as much of your bill as you can each month. A number for credit counseling services is also included.

Payment and billing addresses are confirmed here, as well as any links to online bill management.

Important Information/Changes  If changes are made to your interest rate and/or account terms, they will be summarized in this section. The notice could be a result of payment issues such as triggering higher annual percentage rates (APRs) through poor payment history or a simple change in your credit card issuer's policy. The card issuer must include change notifications 45 days before the change takes effect, so read this section very carefully. You may need to act to dispute a penalty-based change, or may even decide that the changes are worth considering a switch to a different credit card issuer entirely.

Transactions  This is a list of all the transactions made during the month, including purchases, payments, cash advances, and interest charges. The transaction list will include both a transaction date and posting date (since transactions are not always instantaneous), a reference number that is unique to each transaction, a description of the transaction, and a dollar amount. They may be lumped together or separated by category (purchases, fees, cash advances, etc.).

Look over all the transactions to make sure they are correct, and match purchases against receipts.

Interest Charge Calculation  This is a summary of all interest charges and how they are calculated by category. Not all transactions are charged at the same interest rate  for example, cash advances are usually charged at a higher APR than regular purchases, and balance transfers or special purchase programs may be low interest or even interest-free. Review these APR rates to make sure that they are being applied correctly.

Typically, the back of the statement will be loaded with information about terms and conditions, how to handle disputes, and other useful tidbits about your account. You should read this thoroughly at least once.

Take a few minutes to review your credit card statement to make sure that there are no surprises in the terms or mistakes in the charges. A periodic review could save you a lot of money. And thats why were here!

If you want more credit, check out MoneyTips list of credit card offers.


News / National

by Fidelis Munyoro

Suspended Prosecutor-General (PG) Johannes Tomana has thwarted the Judicial Service Commission's attempt to bring constitutional issues through a notice in the case in which the PG wants a judge outside the High Court to hear his interdict application. The JSC had brought before the High Court a notice of what it termed 15-point constitutional issues, which it wanted referred to the apex court for determination in a counter application to Tomana's application for referral to the same court.However, Justice Lavender Makoni ruled that the notice was invalid and threw out the request. She ruled that there were disputes of fact in the matter, which were highlighted by Tomana's lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu.One of the disputes is whether the JSC was exercising its function when it instituted the proceedings against Tomana. These disputes required JSC to place evidence before the court and also for Tomana to respond to evidence for the court to make a finding of the factual conspectus from which the commission's constitutional issues arise.The JSC approached the court wrongly and its application was dismissed. After the ruling, Justice Makoni asked Adv Mpofu to "motivate" the applicant's case as the hearing continued. Adv Mpofu argued that his client never requested for a foreign judge to hear his case. He argued that under Section 181 (3) of the Constitution, an acting judge can be appointed.He said acting judges could be appointed only from a pool of the country's former judges. To this end, he said, Tomana wanted a local judge, but who is presently not sitting in the High Court, because justice "must be seen to be done".Adv Mpofu submitted that the JSC has become the complainant, prosecutor and judge in the matter. Adv Mpofu argued that justice and fairness demanded that a person who is not affected by this process be asked to sit in the judgment over the case.When the hearing commenced early this month, the JSC conceded to have Tomana's case referred to the Constitutional Court. JSC lawyer Mr Addington Chinake of Kantor and Immerman was not opposed to the referral of the matter to Constitutional Court, but denied that a correct procedure had been followed.In his application, Tomana wants to stop JSC from continuing with the process leading to his possible removal from office. He wants that challenge to be heard by a retired High Court judge or any judge not sitting in the higher court.Tomana faces possible removal from office due to non-compliance with court orders. He is facing criminal charges at the Harare Magistrates' Courts involving the attempted Gushungo Dairy bombing.In October last year, he was slapped with a 30-day term of imprisonment for contempt of court after he defied court orders to issue certificates for the private prosecution of Bikita West legislator Munyaradzi Kereke and Telecel shareholder Jane Mutasa.Kereke is accused of raping an 11-year-old relative, while Mutasa was facing charges of swindling the company of airtime recharge cards worth millions of dollars. Mr Tomana was fined by a nine-member judge's panel of the Constitutional Court led by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku.The sentence was, however, wholly set-aside on condition that he complied with the court orders and issue private prosecution certificates to Mr Francis Maramwidze and Telecel, failure of which he would be barred from practising as a lawyer in Zimbabwe.
GREENWICH  Former Greenwich Superintendent of Schools Ernest Fleishmans plan for improving American K-12 education does not focus on rolling out new tests, giving students new computers or even reducing class sizes.

His prescription is simple, he told members of the Retired Mens Association during a speech Wednesday to the group at First Presbyterian Church: increase the number of effective teachers in classrooms. Bolstering the teaching corps, he said, would require internships and encouragement for high-schoolers and more support for current teachers.
News / National

by Tendai Mugabe

THE national school pledge introduced by the government on the opening day of schools this week is not a Zanu-PF scheme and the country stands ready to go to war defending such values, the Minister of State Security Kembo Mohadi has said. Mohadi said Zimbabwe's security system would do everything within its means and capacity to defend its motherland, economic prosperity and keep the peace. The national pledge seeks to instil patriotism and commitment to the national interest among children of school-going age.Addressing senior police officers who are attending Course 5 of 2016 at the National Defence College yesterday on "Zimbabwe's national security concept: a proposed model", Mohadi said the pledge fell within a category of vital interests at the heart of Zimbabwe's statehood, which was the preservation of values and cultural heritage.He said the pledge was being resisted by agents of regime change operating locally. Mohadi cited the MDC parties and civic society as part of the local regime change agents."In relation to Zimbabwe, vital interests are those which the country will not hesitate to go to war over The Republic of Zimbabwe has an interest in the preservation of its cultural heritage and the national fundamental values including Zimbabwe's national aspirations, ethos of the liberation struggle, Zimbabwe's cultural diversity, belief systems and indigenous languages," the minister said."We've a national pledge, which all of you are aware is resisted by the local regime change agents, the MDC formations being one of those agents, the civil society and their allies. This is a right from our Constitution. The preamble of our constitution, which we all agree on, has that pledge. It's not (Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Lazarus) Dokora's imagination."It's derived from the preamble of this Constitution, the Zimbabwean Constitution. So anybody who says that this is Zanu-PF's imagination, say no, it's the Constitution that we crafted together."Mohadi said Zimbabwe had an interest in ensuring and sustaining its economic progress and prosperity. The country's national security was under threat from a number of drivers, which included a regime change agenda, economic sanctions, hostile ideologies, poverty and inequality.Commenting on the role of the intelligence services in maintaining security in the country, Mohadi said: "Intelligence is the foundation of our ability to take effective measures to provide for the security of Zimbabwe and its citizens."To manage risk effectively, we need the best possible information about threats we face and about the intentions, capabilities and activities of those who would do us harm. The best decisions regarding the scope and design of security programmes, the allocation of resources and the deployment of the assets can't be made unless the executive is accurately informed."
Taking heat. Photo: Courtesy of Michelin

Estee Lauder heir and political activist Ronald Lauder has a bone to pick with Michelin. The World Jewish Congress president says its concerning that there isnt an Israel guidebook, and is suggesting Michelin rethink that omission. Israel today is a venerable amalgam of cultures and traditions, which come together to produce a distinctive and exceptional culinary scene. Why, therefore, has your company refused to produce a guide to Israels restaurants? he wrote in a letter the AP obtained, adding, Though I am sure that it is not your intention, some have speculated that reasons other than merit color Michelins decision not to visit Israel.

Michelin has recognized individual Israeli chefs before (Moshik Roth runs the Netherlands two-star &Samhoud; Places), while Philadelphia chef Michael Solomonov has collected a James Beard Award for his Israeli cuisine at Zahav, and Saveur has named Tel Aviv one of the worlds best culinary destinations. Lauder suggests Michelins snubbing doesnt square with all these accolades, and chances are hes probably even less enthused by the travel portion of the website  it also omits Israel from its list of 79 countries.

A spokesperson explained to the AP that Michelin hasnt had the opportunity to do a guide in Israel yet, but that doesnt mean we will never have one  the decision is complicated and based on subjective things like gastronomic interest and potential readers. There are currently guidebooks for 27 countries, and a number more tailored to specific cities. As the AP points out, one of the newest is a guide for Brazil, a choice critics may find curious because Michelin reviewers didnt give three stars to a single restaurant there. The company defended the move by saying it sees potential: We sensed that something was happening in these cities.

[AP]
Robertas will have a DJ and mariachi music, as well as beer and tequila specials. Photo: Courtesy of Robertas

If youre just realizing that its Cinco de Mayo today and you have no plans to speak of, dont give up and settle for drinking wan, watery margaritas all night. Plenty of quality restaurants and bars are hosting parties or serving special drinks and dishes, guaranteeing that with just a little last-minute planning you can have a great time. Here, eight spots around town to eat, drink, and party.

Robertas

As expected, theyre going all out at the Bushwick pizzeria. From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., there will be a DJ and mariachi music, plus beer and tequila specials.

Grand Army

To celebrate the bars first anniversary today, the owners have borrowed a frozen-margarita machine and will be serving a special Tex-Mex menu. At sister spot Mile End there will be the usual chicken mole poblano poutine.

Jeffreys Grocery

From 6 p.m. on, there will be special dishes like a classic cocktail de mariscos and hanger-steak fajitas, as well as cocktails like a twist on the Michelada and originals like the Atlixco (tequila blanco, agave, lime, Tajin chili rim, and ampolleta).

Leyenda

From 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., the Latin-American bar will have $10 drink specials made with Del Maguey single-village mezcal and Partida tequila, plus deals on Del Maguey and Partida spirit tastings.

Streetbird Rotisserie

Marcus Samuelssons roast-chicken restaurant will celebrate the holiday by opening up its new patio and offering half-off Tequila Me Softly pitchers ($24,) pomegranate-mint margaritas for $7, and $5 chicken, pork, or fish tacos.

Gran Electrica

Its an all-day party here, where theyre slow-cooking meats in the beautiful backyard, hosting a DJ, and offering drink specials to get you going.

Holiday Cocktail Lounge

At the East Village bar, theyre hosting a nachology festival, an evening of nachos and special drinks. What else could you need?

The Bennett

Its a DIY margarita happy hour at the Tribeca cocktail bar, where from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. you can tweak the drink with different salt combinations, agave, fruit, and jalapeno.
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News / National

by Freeman Razemba

THE government will today disburse $2 million to schools countrywide for 8,300 applications that it processed for war veterans' children and other beneficiaries. The money will be paid through banks. War veterans are entitled to pensions, education fees, medical support, funeral cover, loans and subsistence benefits.Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Ex-Political Detainees and Restrictees Minister, Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube, said there had been delays in the processing of the fees due to a slow money transfer systems at the banks."We've so far approved 22,500 applications that are ready for payment. This, however, doesn't mean it's the total number of fees that must be paid. Forms have been processed and we're working 24 hours a day to make sure that this is pushed as fast as possible," he said."As you're aware that we're facing some problems with the banks, nevertheless, we've so far sent through payments for the first batch of 8,300 applications for $2,5 million. Those can get the money immediately. The money is already being paid and now it depends on the banks," he said adding that 7,000 more payments would be effected soon."We were given an amount of $6 million to cover the school fees but you know during the course of time we had the great Indaba which we convened. Due to the problems that we faced, Treasury allowed us to use part of that $6 million. They were going to reimburse us. We are waiting for the Treasury to reimburse part of the money ($2 million) that we used but this is not going to disturb our processing of the fees at all. The fees will all be paid accordingly," he said.Minister Dube said they wanted to fulfil all the promises President Mugabe made during the meeting with war veterans. Minister Dube said there was nothing wrong in war veterans using government money because the Constitution stated that they must be looked after."The truth is that we all must read the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which was not written by war veterans but by everybody, both the ruling party, the opposition parties and everybody agreed that the war veterans should be looked after, that's what we are working on. Today we have some people who're complaining and they forget that they put their signatures on this Constitution so it's not the war veterans, it's the Constitution which says so," he said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A MAN who told court that he was an MDC-T supporter has been acquitted on charges of killing a Zanu-PF activist after a High Court judge ruled that he was of an unstable mind.Jealous Tomasi of Chagadama Village in Magunje, Karoi was arrested in August 2008 facing charges of intentionally killing Wellington Beremauro from the same village.He appeared before Justice Samuel Kudya.Tomasi stabbed Beremauro with a spear in the stomach and struck him on the head on August 9.However, Tomasi pleaded not guilty. In his defence, he admitted to throwing the spear but said he did so in self-defence as he was an MDC-T member who was being attacked by 10 Zanu-PF members led by Beremauro.Tomasi told the court that when the Zanu-PF militia got to his homestead, he hid in his bedroom but in an effort to smoke him out, the militia set his thatched hut alight.He then gave conflicting statements including that when the militia saw him armed they dispersed. He also said when one of the militia tripped him to the ground he picked himself up and ran away to seek refuge at his father's homestead.He also claimed that when he realised that his father was part of the militia, he decided to change direction and ran along the main road which passes through his father's homestead.Tomasi also told the court that on realising that his attackers were gaining ground on him, he threw a spear at them in order to scare them off and it stabbed Beremauro.However, Justice Kudya dismissed these claims and said he was a poor witness adding that even his lawyer had conceded as much."Accordingly, we ordered that the accused be mentally examined by a government psychiatrist," Justice Kudya said, adding that the examination was carried out by one Dr. Mhaka on 4 March 2016."My examination revealed the following; Jealous Tomasi has a history of mental illness. In my opinion, at the time of the alleged crime the accused was mentally disordered," wrote Dr. Mhaka in his report.This report, by the doctor, led to the acquittal of Tomasi by Justice Kudya."Accordingly, it is ordered that the accused is not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. The accused shall be returned to prison for transfer to Chikurubi Hospital Extension as to his mental state or treatment as prescribed in the Mental Health Act," ruled Justice Kudya.Beremauro was killed at the height of political violence in 2008 after President Robert Mugabe of Zanu-PF had been defeated by MDC-T's Morgan Tsvangirai in that year's presidential election.
Published on 2016/05/04 | Source

Lee Je-hoon revealed his aspiration for the movie "Phantom Detective".

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Lee Je-hoon had an interview with Herald POP and talked about the movie.

The actor said, "There are many 'hero' movies from Hollywood these days like Batman or Superman. Christopher Nolan or Jack Snyder's Batman shows the anguish and wounds of a man who overcomes that and gains the power to save humans. I think everyone has that. It's only when a person overcomes a problem, can a person head towards their dream. "Phantom Detective" is Korean but it is influenced by the classic Hollywood movies and stimulates the imagination".

"Everyone knows Hong Gil-dong but no one has actually met anyone with that name. Everyone knows about him but he doesn't really exist. Hong Gil-dong learns to communicate with the world as he sets out for revenge and that's where I felt attracted to. I didn't think the story would come off as awkward".

"Phantom Detective" is about a detective named Hong Gil-dong who has a 99% case record and is more notorious than the evil villains. He sets off to find an enemy from 20 years ago and faces a scheme he's never thought of before. Lee Je-hoon is Hong Gil-dong from an illegal private agency, Kim Sung-kyun is Kang Seong-il, the mastermind behind Gwangeunhwe, Go Ara is Chairwoman Hwang who owns Hwalbin Foundation and other casts include, Park Geun-hyung, Jung Sung-hwa and more.

Hong Gil-dong doesn't feel. He even threatens young children and this might come off as disturbing at first but Lee Je-hoon re-created him.

Lee Je-hoon said, "It was all violent at first. The movie was edited so that the audience didn't feel uncomfortable watching it. There were many brutal scenes at first. Like the opening scene, three villains were lured into a trap and shot to death. There were other violent scenes but they have been taken off. Hong Gil-dong was at first very strong and psychotic and I was surprised but later it settled in me that this bad guy was going to catch other bad guys".

Hong Gil-dong appears in a fedora and trench coat. Lee Je-hoon said, "It's not really an example, but I was worried that Hong Gil-dong might seem like he was imitating Kim Doo-han from the movie "Age of Wanderer". But director Jo Seong-hee was clear about the visual in his head. He wanted to create the mise en scene from the 50s to 60s with the dark alleys and fog and that's why the fedora and the trench coat worked so well".

"The director showed me a lot of black and white movies. I wondered if I could do it. When actors watch classic movies, they think 'if I was an actor in that generation I would have done this and that' but "Phantom Detective" is more like a cartoon than a real movie. There is a movie called "Gangster Squad" where the lead characters appear in fedoras and trench coats but their lines and actions are very cartoon-ish. It reminded me a lot of Hong Gil-dong. Movies like that aren't just thought of".

Is it because the movie is so good? Lee Je-hoon is already hoping for a sequel. This time with Byun Yo-han who made a special appearance in the last bit of "Phantom Detective".

Lee Je-hoon said, "We didn't talk about a sequel at first. In the epilogue, all the cases are cleared and Hong Gil-dong goes from not being able to sleep and losing his memory because of watching his mother die to not needing stimulants anymore. He then goes after Gwangeunhwe and another character (Byun Yo-han) goes after him. I wondered about the after story".

"If the movie turns out good and the public loves it, I think the public could want to see a second story first. I personally think one story is not enough and I hope for a second story. If the second story could include Byun Yo-han from the ending of the first movie, that would be great".
Published on 2016/05/04 | Source

Actor Song Joong-ki has done it to Thailand.

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He departed for Thailand on May 4th and was welcomed graciously by local Thai fans at the Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Thai national broadcast PBS reported Song Joong-ki's arrival live and the airport was filled with fans from early morning. They were holding posters and flashcards with 'Song Joong-ki' or 'Song+Song (Hye-kyo)' on them. When Song Joong-ki arrived, they cheered for joy and welcomed him. The number of safety guards dispatched out there on this day is said to be the most so far.

On the PBS news, Song Joong-ki walked out of the airport and waved his hands for a short while just before he got into his transfer vehicle. He also bowed the Thai way by putting his two hands together and bowing down.

Song Joong-ki became a Hallyu star for his performance in the KBS 2TV drama "Descendants of the Sun". Starting with the fan meeting in Bangkok on the 7th, Song Joong-ki will be going around 9 other Asian countries to meet his fans.
Opinion / Columnist

The formation of the National Disciplinary Appeals Committee (NDAC) recently by the ZANU PF leadership has come at a time when those people who found themselves chucked out of the revolutionary party ZANU PF were crying foul over the findings and ruling of the National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) against them. Some alleged that they were chucked out of the party without due diligence and them given any opportunity to defend themselves.Now that ZANU PF has seen it fit to accord anyone with his/her grievance against the NDC to come forward and appeal, people should grab this opportunity so that they clear their names as to get readmitted in the revolutionary party. Actually by coming up with this NDAC, ZANU PF has shown its members and some critics that it is a party which is open to compromises as a way of bringing sanity in the ruling party. The NDAC has also come at the right time since it would clear the air on all those members who thought the NDC was not fair in its delivery of justice against the alleged rogue members of ZANU PF.Reports coming from the ZANU PF circles are that quite a number of some individuals who were dismissed from the ruling party and some suspended depending on the seriousness of their cases have appealed to the NDAC for their cases to be reviewed. It has been reported that even those who were dismissed on allegations that they were some associates of the former Vice President Joyce Mujuru's cabal now the leader of ZimPF have also appealed against their dismissals and suspensions from the ruling party.They want to clear their names against being alleged to have been behind Mujuru's manoeuvres to remove the sitting President Robert Gabriel Mugabe from power. Their intentions are to get their cases be reviewed and then get readmitted into the ruling party. They want to disassociate themselves completely from the Mujuru cabal as well as her political outfit going by the name ZimPF. These people believe that they were not treated fairly when they were dismissed from ZANU PF hence the move to appeal against the decision and ruling of the NDC.So the formation of the NDAC has come as a relief to those who have been languishing outside the comfort zone of the revolutionary party ZANU PF hence, the euphoria by those members in rushing to appeal. For some of them it was clear from their activities that life outside ZANU PF was becoming cold as they began attending rallies addressed by the First Lady Dr Amai Grace Mugabe throughout the country in recent months. So the formation of the NDAC came as a relief to them as they did not waste time in putting forward their appeals papers to the NDAC so that their cases are looked upon and reviewed as soon as possible.The NDAC which is headed by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko has a bigger task at hand in which it is supposed to make sure that those who have appealed are clear candidates prepared to serve the ruling party with wholeheartedly without malice again. The formation of the ZimPF could be a challenge to Vice President Mphoko and his NDAC crew in dealing with all those members who have appealed against their dismissals from the ruling party. A case by case scenario needs to be analysed so that there is no danger of bringing back those who would destroy the party from within While the NDAC has been formed to bring normalcy and sanity to the ruling party but the alleged members of the Mujuru cabal who appealed their cases needed to be closely scrutinized as to make sure that they have totally reformed. Some of those people who have appealed against their dismissal from ZANU PF when they were alleged to have been the Mujuru cabal associates could have been inspired to been in ZANUPF again as a means to lure those in ZANU PF to join the ZimPF.This writer has no intention of going by the names of such alleged members of the Mujuru cabal who have appealed their cases to the NDAC but the NDAC itself should carry out its own investigation against those members as a way of finding real facts about their personalities. The NDAC has a bigger task at hand to make sure that it would not get attacks from ZANU PF supporters in the event those to be readmitted do not find themselves active in destroying the party from within. Close scrutiny of such members would clear the dust and make them be truly reformed members of the revolutionary party ZANU PF.Of late ZANU PF has been grappling with political wars to eradicate factionalisms within its file and ranks. Factionalisms in ZANU PF has caused divisions within the party with some developmental programs of the party being affected as people spend their time fighting fort political positions. Most of those people who were dismissed from the party were alleged architect members of factionalism and such members need to be scrutinized as to find out whether they would not come to destroy the party from within. While factionalism has been as old as history in some political parties but it would not be fair for individuals to create it for the benefit of their political aggrandisement.For that reason the NDAC should not be fooled by those who have appealed for their cases to be reviewed into believing that all of them are genuine members of the ruling party. The truth of the matter is that some of them have found it difficult to destroy ZANU PF from outside and doing it from inside is their main objective. An eagle's eye is what is needed by the NDAC so that everyone is scrutinized and his/her allegiance to the ruling party is assessed before being admitted again.
Opinion / Columnist

ZANU (PF) has totally failed us and only a national democratic revolution driven by the collective can be able extricate us from the current socio economic disaster.According to Ibbo Mandaza, at the centre of a "national democratic revolution" in Zimbabwe, must be a constitution as the supreme law of the land, with a strong emphasis on the separation of powers - between the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary - as the guarantee for the rule of law, the basic freedoms for all citizens and genuine democratic discourse including the establishment and maintenance of national institutions that are simultaneously non-partisan and conducive to nation building. At the top must be an enlightened leadership which is accountable and legitimate.This is surely the vision of many Zimbabweans who want change but more important, no country can be able to develop to its full potential without particularly the guarantee for the rule of law and an accountable enlightened political leadership. That is the Zimbabwe we seek to create.As we try to transform our country into a new democracy, I think that it is important that we utilise our collective force and intelligence to get rid of President Robert Gabriel Mugabe's dictatorship in 2018. This will certainly require some compromise amongst our opposition political parties. I was therefore quite disturbed by the claim by some in the MDC-T that they think that they alone can deliver the Zimbabwe we want without partnering with other opposition forces. That has since been refuted and I sincerely hope those unwilling to partner with others now appreciate that the idea behind joining forces is really not about political power or numbers, but more about national unity not to split the vote and give ZANU (PF) a chance and also about the potential application of all our collective skills post elections to create the Zimbabwe we all want.There is no doubt that change must come now. Walking in town one can only see long queues as people look to withdraw the little cash which they might have to meet daily pressing needs. I understand that OK Supermarkets are unashamedly exploiting the situation by extorting customers to purchase goods of a minimum amount if they want any cash out. That is preposterous and distasteful. To me this reflects warped values and the naked greed of some of our corporates as they pursue profits at all costs. Its unacceptable.Added to the biting cash shortages, is the on-going furore over the national pledge that is being forced down the throats of our children at government schools. If the rumours that Muslims have insisted on it because they intend to build schools in Zimbabwe are true, then we really are in trouble because 80% of Zimbabweans are Christians. We must reject this move with all the contempt it deserves. Instead of focusing on reviving the economy it seems that this government and its ministers are more interested in imposing their moribund ideas. It's time for them to go.Then there is the issue case of quail birds. From nowhere someone has come up with the bright idea that these are wild animals and may not be domesticated or freely traded without a special permit.I don't know about you but I have had enough of ZANU (PF) and their continued deflection of our attention from the real issues. Many Zimbabweans have invested heavily in quail birds and it takes some minister to intervene and effectively write off what could be a serious investment for many citizens. This prescriptive approach to policy is why we must get rid of ZANU (PF) and the sooner the better.From my sources, Zimbabwe can forget any substantive help from the IMF or anyone else in the short to medium term unless we begin to address the fundamental issues of serious economic and political reforms.Interestingly ZANU (PF) have just recently announced on workers' day that no civil servant will be retrenched. This, despite making promises to international development partners. This, of course, does not surprise any of us as we have continually pointed out that there is no sincerity at all within ZANU (PF) to deal with reforms. ZANU (PF) is merely buying time hoping the problem will go away.Zimbabwe's economy is on auto pilot to nowhere and the Presidents silence on these matters is rather deafening. If there is any time for collective civil defiance it is now. Zimbabweans are being abused from all angles simply because we always complain and do nothing about it.I must however congratulate the MDC-T and Morgan Tsvangirai for showing some force in their recent marches. These must continue and can certainly achieve much more in the future if they include all democratic forces in the country. In addition the desired end must be the resignation of President Mugabe and his government so that we can all begin to rebuild our beautiful country.Our struggle must continue until the total emancipation of Zimbabweans. As winter approaches surely it cannot be another winter of discontent without action but let us all do what we can to make it a winter mass discontent with collective action for change.Another Zimbabwe is possible!
Opinion / Columnist

Listening to Acie Lumumba, the former Chairman of a Steering Committee on the Zimbabwe Youth Empowerment Strategy for Investment's video, which he posted on his Facebook account recently makes one believe him as someone who is genuine in his assessment of the situations in the country. People may take him as someone talking sense and trying to make things happen but close assessments of his rantings reveal otherwise.For those who might not have come across that video, Lumumba made quite a number of some issues directed to President Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his ruling party ZANU PF in which he wanted to know when the electoral promises of the 2013 harmonised elections would be fulfilled. Lumumba asks President Mugabe why it has taken long for the two million jobs to be created which he promised the electorate that they would be availed to the unemployed youths. He further asks the President why he is not acting against those people who are destroying the country through corrupt tendencies.Lumumba further asks the President when the economic hardships which the Zimbabweans are facing would come to an end. In his an uninterrupted video he goes on to claim that he is a full member of ZANU PF and he is not going anywhere but needs ZANU PF to reform itself before it is forced to reform.For those who managed to listen to what Lumumba said, they could be tempted to welcome him as their hero because to them he has managed to say out what has been viewed as taboo in ZANU PF. Lumumba could now be viewed by his audiences as someone who is not afraid to say out what he wants without fear of reprisals from the ZANU PF leadership in which he is a member and former 2013 harmonized elections ZANU PF candidate for Hatfield constituency in Harare.Since the time in which Lumumba lost his bid to be ZANU PF Member of Parliament for Hatfield Constituency to Tapiwa Mashakada of the opposition MDC-T, he did not see anything wrong from President Robert Gabriel Mugabe and ZANU PF. He kept on serving the revolutionary party in various portfolios without problems. Lumumba devoted his time in making sure that ZANU PF is protected in whatever it did. To him ZANU PF was the party of his choice and he did not see anything amiss coming from it.Himself being appointed a Chairman of a Steering Committee on the Zimbabwe Youth Empowerment Strategy for Investment by Minister of Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Cde Patrick Zhuwao. He was given instructions by the Minister to steer that committee with problem and that committee worked well under the Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC).Instead of Lumumba running professionally that steering committee, he got himself fired by Minister Zhuwao on allegations of misappropriations of the funds meant for ZYC operations and then all hell broke loose. He started attacking Minister Zhuwao as someone who is corrupt and not fit to be a cabinet minister. Lumumba claimed that he did nothing wrong that deserved him to be fired but was only fired by Minister Zhuwao from being Chairman of that Steering Committee because he refused orders from Minister Zhuwao who wanted to get three percent of money from Old Mutual meant for ZYC. Whether those allegations against Minister Zhuwao by Lumumba were true or not but the question that wants to be answered by him is why did he kept quiet all along about such alleged illicit dealings by the Minister only to say that after being fired.While those who care to take Lumumba seriously about what he said in the video that he posted on his Facebook account as well as what he said against Minister Zhuwao, but those with a deep understanding of politics in the country would still ask the same Lumumba why he has taken long to see what he said in both incidences. Lumumba now asks the President about how elections promises would be fulfilled as if he is talking sense, what led him to take so long to say that.It is clear that Lumumba is talking such with sour grapes as he failed to say that when he was enjoying himself as Chairman of that steering committee and money from the ZYC. If he is serious with what he said in that video and the attack on Minister Zhuwao, he could have said that before he was chucked out from being the Chairman of that Steering Committee on Zimbabwe Youth Empowerment Strategy for Investment. The fact that he saw nothing wrong on President Mugabe and his ZANU PF's 2013 electoral promises when he was still working closely with Minister Zhuwao only to raise dust now that he was fired from that position shows that he has nothing of substance to convince the nation. Actually Zimbabweans should dismiss him as an empty vessel which always makes noise disturbing the peace of those who would be resting.In fact Lumumba can be equated with those who sold out during the armed struggle. Those people who when others were busy fighting the colonial injustices that were meted against Zimbabweans, they were busy selling out the struggle. Today ZANU PF is busy trying to make sure that Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZimAsset) is fully implemented, people like Lumumba is derailing the process through his unfounded allegations against the same ZANU PF and its leadership which brought peace in which Lumumba and his associates are enjoying.Lumumba should not buy friends and associates by attacking the only political party which gave him political limelight but he should appreciate that Zimbabwe is under such economic problems because of some sanctions which he knows quite well. He knows quite well that Zimbabwe has been under attack right, left and centre from the western countries because the government came up with empowerment programs for the indigenous people that the western countries were not prepared to see them being implemented.The Land reform program which was initiated and implemented by the ZANU PF government in the turn of the twenty-first century was a thorn on the flesh of our former colonisers hence they responded by imposing sanctions on the country. The indigenisation law which seeks to make Zimbabweans own 51% of shares in foreign owned companies against 41% by investors is meant to make the indigenous people become employers instead of being employees. It is surprising that someone educated like Lumumba fails to see that and only blindly attacks ZANU PF and its leadership just because he was fired from being a chairperson of that steering committee.Lumumba has shown his lack of gratitude to the party which exalted him politically but only interested in self-aggrandisements. His attacks on President Mugabe and ZANU PF are just null and void as he failed to do the same when things were going according to his satisfaction during his time as Chairperson of a Steering Committee on the Zimbabwe Youth Empowerment Strategy for Investment.
A NSW 7-Eleven operator has been fined more than $200,000 for underpaying employees and falsifying records.



A Federal Court fined the western Sydney 7-Eleven operator for his intentionally underpaying two migrant employees a total of $49,426.



Judge Justin Smith fined Harmandeep Singh Sarkaria, who operated a 7-Eleven outlet on Flushcombe Road, Blacktown, $35,700 and his company Amritaria Four Pty Ltd copped a further $178,500, Fairfax Media reported on Monday.



The fine is the largest penalty decision to be made against a 7-Eleven store owner, the latest in a string of underpayment cases to have come before the courts.



In his ruling, Judge Smith said Sarkaria had "deliberately flouted his legal obligations".



The store owner had also engaged in "a sustained and deliberate process of deception", to maximise his own financial return.



Last year the ABC's Four Corners program and Fairfax uncovered that 7-Eleven convenience store workers were systematically underpaid, with many of those affected being foreign workers.



Judge Smith said the hefty penalty should serve as a warning for other employers that employee underpayment will not be taken lightly by the courts.



"One of the aims of imposing a penalty is to mark a warning for others who might be tempted to engage in similar conduct," Judge Smith was quoted saying in Fairfax Media.



"There was evidence of substantial non-compliance by other 7-Eleven franchisees, he said.



The court heard that a migrant employee from Pakistan, aged in his late 30s, was underpaid a total sum of $43,633 between March 2012 and March 2014.



Another employee, also from Pakistan and aged in his mid-20s, was underpaid $5,793 between August 2013 and March 2014, Fairfax Media reported.



The court found Sarkaria had falsified his entries to the 7-Eleven head office payroll system about the number of hours the employees had worked, giving the appearance that the employees were paid around $25 per hour, when in reality they were paid much less.



The court also heard that Sarkaria had provided Fair Work inspectors with false time sheets.



Judge Smith said Sarkaria had botched his record keeping to "hide the fact that he was not paying two employees properly", despite being "perfectly aware" of his legal obligations.



"This was part of the respondents' business model. In my view, this approaches the worst type of each contravention, Judge Smith said.



Sarkaria admitted his wrongdoing and apologised in court, however Judge Smith said he did not accept he was contrite.



A spokesman from the Fair Work Ombudsman, Craig Bildstein, said such conduct had no place in Australian workplaces.



"Anyone tempted to try to implement a business model ... which revolves around the deliberate exploitation of workers, and workers from non-English speaking backgrounds, vulnerable workers, international students should clearly think again, Bildstein told Fairfax Media.



"Since July 2009, we've put eight matters involving 7-Eleven franchisees before the courts, part of a number of enforcement actions we've taken into these stores.



"And this is by far the largest penalty decision to come down thus far and in the words of the judge in the court it's to mark a warning for others, who might be tempted to engage in similar conduct."






ciplinary meetings can be a challenging experience for HR professionals, particularly when your employee brings a support person who isnt shy about voicing their opinion during the meeting.While employees have the right to have a support person present during a disciplinary meeting, there are limitations to what role that support person can play during the meeting.The support person cannot advocate on behalf of the employee, answer questions on behalf of the employee or provide explanations or make submissions for the employee, says employment law specialists Workplace Law.If the support person is overtly interventionist, employers may consider suspending the meeting.A support person can only do as the name indicates  support the employee, Workplace Law wrote in a recent blog post.They can take notes at the meeting and generally assist in discussions (this would be particularly applicable for employees who are from non-English speaking backgrounds).One of the key criteria that the Fair Work Commission (FWC) will consider when deciding whether the termination of an employees employment was harsh, unjust or unreasonable is if there was any unreasonable refusal by the employer to allow the person to have a support person present (as per section 387 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act)).Therefore, employers are under no obligation to provide a support person for their employees, nor is it obligatory for a support person to be present at disciplinary meetings.However, employers must not unreasonably refuse an employee wishing to have a support person present.Best practice would recommend employers to advise their employee prior to the meeting that they have the option of bringing a support person.And if the employee decides to bring someone, employers can ask them to identify who that person is prior to the meeting, and state if they are a union representative or a lawyer.An employee can choose whoever they want as their support person and common support persons are usually a union representative / delegate, family member or friend, or another employee.Frequently, employees will require a lawyer to be present as their support person, however the legal representative can only perform a limited role and is not permitted to advocate on behalf of the employee.Workplace Laws tips for employersWhere an employees employment is at risk of termination, best practice is to encourage the employee to bring a support person to the disciplinary meeting. Where possible, accommodate an employees request to reschedule the meeting to allow their support person to be present.At commencement of the meeting, employers may wish to clarify to all in attendance of what the support person can and cannot do. Where a support person is overtly interventionist, employers should consider suspending the meeting.Ensuring that an employee is afforded procedural fairness, including not refusing a support person in the disciplinary process will assist employers to mitigate claims that any termination of employment was harsh, unjust or unreasonable".
The following information is provided by local law enforcement agencies.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Compiled by Jessica Isaacs

The following were provided by the Watauga County Sheriffs Office.

April 26

INCIDENT: Larceny was reported at 996 Fallview Lane Unit 1 in Boone.

INCIDENT: Drug violations were reported at 897 Wilsons Ridge int. in Boone.

ARREST: A female suspect, 41, of 2571 Longhope Road in Todd, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance on prison/jail premises. She was held under a $10,000 secured bond and will appear in court on May 18.

ARREST: A male suspect, 21, of 4725 Elk Creek Road in Deep Gap, was charged with felony PWIMSD methamphetamine, maintain veh/dwell/place for controlled substance and larceny. He was held under a $25,000 secured bond and will appear in court on May 18.

ARREST: A male suspect, 27, of 1110 Pedro Shoun in Mountain City, Tennessee, was charged with felony true bill of indictment. He was held under a $50,000 secured bond and will appear in court on June 14.

April 27

INCIDENT: Vandalism and communicating threats were reported at 115 Long St. Unit 3 in Boone.

INCIDENT: Obtaining property by false pretense was reported at 546 H Stanley Miller Road in Deep Gap.

ARREST: A female suspect, 75, of 711 Possum hollow Road in Blowing Rock, was charged with trespassing and will appear in court on May 16.

ARREST: A male suspect, 38, of 553 Troy Norris Road in Boone, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

ARREST: A male suspect, 35, of 295 Rush Branch Road in Sugar Grove, was charged with OFA. He was held under a $5,500 secured bond and will appear in court on may 13.

April 28

INCIDENT: Larceny was reported at 149 Hensels Lane in Boone.

INCIDENT: Fraud was reported at 1527 Bairds Creek Road in Vilas.

INCIDENT: Fraud was reported at 3505 Alpine Blvd. in Alpine, California.

INCIDENT: Assault on a female was reported at Laurel Branch Road and Old U.S. Highway 421 in Zionville.

ARREST: A female suspect, 41, of 1125 N.C. Highway 194 N in Boone, was charged with three counts of school attendance violation law and will appear was scheduled to appear in court on April 28.

ARREST: A female suspect, 49, of 9189 N.C. Highway 105 S in Banner Elk, was charged with failure to appear. She was held under a $500 secured bond and will appear in court on May 13.

ARREST: A female suspect, 30, of 269 Farthing Hayes Road in Boone, was charged with school attendance law violation and will appear in court on May 18.

ARREST: A female suspect, 41, of 691 Sherwood Road in Vilas, was charged with RDO and injury to real property. She was held under a $500 secured bond and will appear in court on June 14.

ARREST: A male suspect, 40, of 3852 Pine Swamp Road in Fleetwood, was charged with cyberstalking and will appear in court on June 14.

April 29

INCIDENT: Fraud was reported at 177 Wildwood Crossing in Boone.

INCIDENT: Resist, delay and obstruct was reported at 3661 Silverstone Road in Zionville.

INCIDENT: Larceny from buildings was reported at 2876 Howards Creek Road in Boone.

ARREST: A male suspect, 53, of 1458 W. King St. Apt. 201 in Boone, was charged with injury to personal property and harassing phone call and will appear in court on June 17.

ARREST: A female suspect, 40, of 3661 Silverstone Road in Zionville, was charged with resist/delay/obstruct and will appear in court on June 17.

April 30

INCIDENT: Breaking and entering, larceny and vandalism were reported at 230 Clark Swift Road in Vilas.

INCIDENT: Breaking and entering and larceny were reported at 1865 and 1989 N.C. Highway 194 N in Boone.

INCIDENT: Vandalism was reported at 336 Old Johns River Road in Boone.

May 1

INCIDENT: Flee to elude was reported at Skateworld, 100 U.S. Highway 321 N in Vilas.

INCIDENT: A missing person was reported at 184 Hodges Gap Road in Boone.

ARREST: A male suspect, 23, of 2381 Kellersville Road in Banner Elk, was charged with felony flee to elude arrest and resisting public officer. He was held under a $10,000 secured bond and will appear in court on June 17.

ARREST: A female suspect, 30, of 293 Red Maple Lane in Boone, was charged with FTA child support. She was held under a $561 bond and will appear in court on May 17.

May 2

INCIDENT: Larceny was reported at 668 Mabel School Road in Zionville.

INCIDENT: Purse snatching and trespassing were reported at the original Mast Store in Sugar Grove.

INCIDENT: Aggravated assault was reported at 223 Randolph Drive in Boone.

INCIDENT: Larceny was reported at 290 Hidden Creek Road in Boone.

INCIDENT: Breaking and entering a motor vehicle and larceny from a motor vehicle were reported at 943 New River Hills in Boone.

INCIDENT: Domestic dispute involving a firearm was reported at 304 McGuire Road in Sugar Grove.

INCIDENT: Larceny and obtaining property by false pretense were reported at 301 Ray Brown Road in Boone.

INCIDENT: Breaking and entering a building and felony larceny were reported at 12472 U.S. Highway 421 S in Deep Gap.

INCIDENT: Breaking and entering a motor vehicle and larceny from a motor vehicle were reported at 854 New River Hills in Boone.

ARREST: A male suspect, 22, of 713 21st Ave. NE in Hickory, was charged with contempt of court/perjury/court violations. He was held under a $10,000 secured bond and will appear in court on May 31.

ARREST: A female suspect, 38, of 1386 Sampson Road in Boone, was charged with second degree trespassing and will appear in court on May 24.

ARREST: A male suspect, 28, of 574 Fallview Lane in Boone, was charged with felony identity theft and financial card fraud. He was held under a $25,000 secured bond and will appear in court on May 16.

ARREST: A male suspect, 26, of 7615 Old U.S. Highway 421 in Zionville, was charged with child support. He was held under a $600 secured bond and will appear in court on June 16.

ARREST: A male suspect, 65, of 244 Devils Den Road in Banner Elk, was charged with OFA/FTA. He was held under a $3,000 secured bond and will appear in court on June 8.

ARREST: A male suspect, 42, of 887 Slabtown Road in Zionville, was charged with OFA/FTA. He was held under a $10,000 secured bond and will appear in court on June 7.

May 3

INCIDENT: Burglary, larceny and vandalism were reported at 10575 N.C. Highway 105 S Unit 1 in Banner Elk.
The Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority will be moving to the historic Robbins House on Park Avenue June 7. In association with the move, the Visitor Center, currently housed in BRAHM, will close June 1. TDA Executive Director Tracy Brown said that the reopening of a new visitor center on the completed 321 Bypass may be an option in a couple of years.

Brown said that the move and closure were a result of several factors, including the establishment of a North Carolina High Country Host visitor center at the Appalachian Ski Mountain Welcome Center, diminishing use of the Blowing Rock Visitor Center in recent years and the opportunity to colocate TDA offices with the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce. The TDA will move into office space with the Chamber at 132 Park Avenue on Tuesday, June 7.

Numbers for visitor centers in general have been dropping slightly each year and we have seen a corresponding and dramatic increase in web site visits, along with the use of mobile devices, which have become hand-held, virtual visitor centers.

We work so closely with the Chamber that its much easier to work across the hall rather than down the street, so its always been our intention to move back in with the Chamber at some point. The way our current leases were expiring, it made sense to align both TDA and Chamber leases and get into the same building now, Brown said.

Chamber Executive Director Charles Hardin was equally enthusiastic about the impending move of the TDA to its Park Avenue location. The Chamber is excited to have the Blowing Rock TDA with us again. It has been the intention of both organizations since the DOT purchased the old Visitor Center building on Valley Boulevard to eventually be back under one roof. There are many activities which the Chamber and the TDA work together on that will be more streamlined and efficient under one roof. The cost savings from this colocation will enable precious funds to be more effectively utilized to promote and advertise Blowing Rock as a destination, Hardin said.

Brown said because the TDA is a member of High Country Host, and because of the proximity of their new visitor center to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Blowing Rock, hes certain theyll do a great job of providing the information on Blowing Rock that future visitors may be seeking.

The current site of High Country Host in Boone is owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, who recently sold it to a developer, prompting the move to the new Appalachian Ski Welcome Center. Brown said that discussions with the DOT regarding a future move of the TDA and Chamber to a Bypass site are ongoing.

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Opinion / Columnist

The statement published by one of the weekly tabloid that the government failed to raise $12 000 to bring home the stranded women who had been holed up in Kuwait cannot be true. It is true that for something to be understood there must be some exaggeration. An attentive examination of the story suggests that the government had already secured the air tickets but a Good Samaritan jumped in before they were delivered.In fact the Good Samaritan, Wicknell Chivhayo, who paid for the trafficking victims, should be praised for the work done as a philanthropic citizen who worked well with the concerned government officials. Hats off to this man. Having the audacity and guts to say that the government refused or ignored the plight of the trafficking victims is misleading or comes from uninformed individuals. After all trafficking is not unique to Zimbabwe only.It seems that some people are of the notion that any misfortune is being caused by the ruling government, which is missing the point. The government has been helping many people in misfortunes like floods, droughts, rape and of late it reacted in repatriating xenophobia victims in South Africa. At the moment the police are investigating the traffickers and the facilitators here in Zimbabwe.We are informed through the press that so far 15 women have been successfully brought home with the assistance of the Zimbabwe embassy in Kuwait. It is being said that the government was busy doing everything in its powers to assist the victims. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs refers to Zimbabwe's law against Human Trafficking in Persons Chapter 9 sub 25 of June 2014 on prohibition, prevention and prosecution of people involved in human tracking.This piece of legislation would be executed to its potential so that people who commit this heinous crime face the full wrath of the law. It has been established that all embassies are ready to assist Zimbabweans who might require assistance abroad. In pursuance of eradicating human trafficking ,so far seven people believed to be part of the syndicate have appeared in court in connection with the human trafficking scam.It is prudent for the enactment of legislation to deal with bogus employment agencies luring women with job offers only to introduce them into sex slavery. It is reported that a former Kuwait Ambassador and another Zimbabwean official have been implicated in the scam in which hundreds of Zimbabwean women were being trafficked to the Middle East country after being promised lucrative jobs.In this endeavour the Kuwait government should be held accountable for the part its officials played in facilitating the crimes and for failing to prevent the trafficking of the women. On the other end our government should introduce strict legislation in order to protect our women and every Zimbabwean.
Health

The field of health is rapidly changing and increasingly complex. Our content helps you keep up with the latest trends in health care in ways you can understand.
Opinion / Columnist

"If yesterday I fought as an enemy, today you have become a friend and ally with the same national interest, loyalty, rights and duties as myself," bemeamed eloquently the charismatic Prime Minister Mugabe in 1980. I am quite convinced that everyone stood in awe as the Prime Minister appealed to the lord for divine guidance."Our party must continue to strike fear in the heart of the white man, our real enemy!" thundered President Mugabe at the height of political tension in 2002.The relations between the ruling Zanu pf and the white community had become evidently and irredeemably acrimonious.The formmidable opposition party had unsettled the Emperor and ZANUPF political fotunes were on a slippery slope.To unearth exactly what went wrong requires a vigorous retrospective analysis.I have often heard people saying if you want to see the behaviour of anyone give him or her Power.Such is true.The people of Zimbabwe celebrated Independence day with heads bowed. Instead of celebrating one is bound to mourn the death of the once envied jewel of Africa, the former bread basket of the region which is now a shadow of its former self, owing to high sounding nothing "podium," populist policies.Whilst the new born Zimbabwe was engulfed by the post Independence euphoria and much to the chagrin of all and sundry Prime Minister Robert Mugabe extended a hand to his former nemesis. In a stroke of a genius he disarmed the white community and not surprisingly the international community gave him the benefit of doubt as he adminstered the state of affairs in the new Zimbabwe. It is against this background that the international community adopted the hear no evil,see no evil, speak no evil approach when the Revolution started devouring its own children in the name of Gukurahundi. It was typical conscipiracy of silence.The Rhodesian army was conglomerated with Zanla and Zipra forces as part of Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration policy. Kenny Flower the former boss of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation was invited by Mugabe to his Office and according to Martin Meredith the former CIO boss was bewildered by the sense of camaraderie of the Prime Minister. As per the dictates of the Lancaster Constitution the white minority party retained 20 seats in parliament.It was a soft landing strategy akin to softening the blow.Zimbabwe had the best Cabinet in Africa with the likes of well read Bernard Chidzero and the legal luminary Eddison Zvobgo. As the masses waited for the promised milk and hun, all the promises vanished like dew.The promises turned into a melodramatic nighmare as leaders morphed into dealers if the Willowgate scandal is to go by. By pardoning those implicated in the Willowgate Scandal through Presidential Amnesty, the President set a very dangerous precedent.It is because of this precedent that we are in this mess where corruption has been institutionalised. Its now like weather changes that people can complain of and proceed with life, business as usual.The is a deficit of political will to deal with corruption and as a result it has become the number one problem confronting the post-Colonial African States.The is absolutely no single reason for Zimbabweans to celebrate politics of Oligarchy and plutocracy. Its foolhardy for Zimbabweans to celebrate Independence that did not usher in an egalitarian society if the Salarygate is to go by. We now have unrepentent and profligate Cows of Bashan in Zimbabwe hell bent on entrenching their octopus grip on power when the masses are in a Lazarus predicament. Honestly the gallant sons and daughters who fought the armed struggle must be turning in their graves. We are now confronted with an Orwellian nightmare where some animals are now more equal than others.The people if Zimbabwe never fought for one centre of power.The people of Zimbabwe never fought for cader deployment, cronyism, patronage system and nepotisim.These are now the hallmarks of ZANU PF led government.We are now a nation that has lost its moral compass.Our values of Unhu and Ubuntu have been eroded by the lust of power.Moral decadance has gripped our leaders.How can a Zimbabwean with conscience celebrate Independence day when the rights we assidiously fought for are now being trampled upon in broad daylight with impunity. When abductions are now part and parcel of the job description of our beloved leaders if the Itai Dzamara and Jestina Mukoko ordeals are to go by. We have lost our dignity,decency and integrity. We have a leadership that can only be awaken from the slumber by violent means and the eventuality of a demographic time bomb is inevitable.How can one celebrate the ramshackle political-administrative apparatus of the State and worse still incestous relations between ruling Zanu pf and State institutions. When the judiciary and the Army have been emasucalted and reduced to ZANU PF appendages.When national elections are done in a cosmetic and window-dressing way just to give a veneer of democracy if the 27 June ordeal is to go by.Our leaders have been applauded for maintaining peace which in fact happen to be "peace of the graveyard," unsustainable negative peace which only imply absence of violence or conflict.Positive peace is filled with positive content such as restoration of relationships, the creation of social systems that serve the needs of the whole population and the constructive resolution of conflict.I love Africa, i love Zimbabwe, i am a patriot par excellence and as such i will not be economical with the truth so as be seen as super Zimbabweam or super African. As elusive as it is the truth shall set us free. Its high time Mugabe is told that thousands died to destroy what he is reestablishing, repression and oppression.Its high time the youths gird their loins and dismantle the predatory regime.Such is a generational mandate!
Opinion / Columnist

Zapu's Bulawayo province applauds the joint statement of Democratic political Parties on Labour Day. It is an inspiration indeed to see this big effort to bring together the people of this country especially the workers whose so called representatives in the past have abandoned them. We are also enthused by their very accurate identification of the root cause of the current predicament of Zimbabwean workers.Responding to calls for a united approach by all those who are genuinely affected by the economic meltdown in our country is a noble act of bravery, political maturity and a very deep level of patriotism. We know that while the majority of Zimbabweans are suffering beyond description, there are a few who live in the maximum of their luxury. While the parties talk of the near total absence of medical services nationwide those with the political power get all the medical attention they need or want outside the country. It is clear that many politicians in our country shed crocodile tears over the plight of the impoverished majority. Many are just fattening their pockets with whatever money from wherever. They seem to enjoy seeing the masses suffer. Some have the guts to force the peasants to walk tens of kilometres to their meetings to which they themselves are driven in huge luxurious cars. They employ people and never pay them for years but shamelessly call them "comrades" in public rallies.It is time for workers now to hasten to the voice of reason and respond to the call for a national and united struggle to emancipate ourselves from this repression. Words of concern no longer mean anything. It has to be action. Seeking for individual political glories at the expense of the people must now be rejected. It is only the unity of purpose that will see Zimbabweans getting a genuine change.We observe with amazement though the little space offered by the press to this collective effort by the Democratic Parties. We understand however, given the polarization of the press in our country. We urge Zimbabweans to be weary of unproductive political dogma that is being preached by certain rapacious politicians and individuals. Some arguments against a collective stance against Zanupf by opposition parties are fast becoming irrelevant. It is only when we as a people mobilize our collective efforts that we can confront the regime.
Hate speech and racism are absolutely deplorable phenomena. No one should have to live in a climate where some openly challenge the position of others as equal members of the community. The climate in Finland has changed, and that calls for action, Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (NCP), the Minister of Education and Culture, states in a press release .

The Ministry of Education and Culture has unveiled a ten-point action plan to combat hate speech and racism and encourage social participation in Finland.

The public administration is responsible for ensuring democracy, human rights and the rule of law are realised, she adds.

The objective of the action plan is to utilise education, inter-faith dialogue, physical exercise and youth work as means to enhance the capacity of children and young people to understand and make sensible contributions to discussions on complex social issues.

The Ministry of Justice found in a recent study that in order to combat harassment and hate speech [our efforts] must be visible in the daily lives of citizens. It requires that we promote the activity and awareness of citizens and encourage them to intervene. The Ministry of Education and Culture cannot solve such a major problem alone, but together we can achieve a lot, says Grahn-Laasonen.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
I can't be satisfied with the current state of the National Coalition, nor with the amount of support the National Coalition currently enjoys, Orpo said after announcing his candidacy in a press conference at the Parliament House on Wednesday.

Petteri Orpo (NCP), the Minister of the Interior, has confirmed that he will challenge Alexander Stubb (NCP) in the race to take over the reins of the National Coalition Party.

The leadership race, he added, is a great way to address the tensions within the party and relieve some pressure.

The National Coalition must be a movement that enjoys the confidence of Finns. Its support rating must be higher, its direction more clearly-defined, he tweeted earlier on Wednesday.

Orpo revealed that he discussed his possible candidacy with the incumbent chairperson over the past couple of weeks. They were private discussions, but as is apparent from the media reports he has taken a very business-like and encouraging approach, he responded to an enquiry from Uusi Suomi.

Stubb, in turn, refrained from commenting on the rumoured tensions within the National Coalition but echoed the sentiments of his rival candidate by admitting that a discussion to clarify the platform of the party is warranted.

Harry Harkimo (NCP), a first-term Member of the Parliament, said in an interview with YLE on Wednesday he will not, contrary to rumours circulating in the media, throw his hat into the leadership ring. I won't be in the chairmanship race, because Orpo is the best option, he said.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Markku Ulander  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
If Sweden decided to join Nato without Finland, we would end up in a difficult position. If, on the other hand, Finland joined and Sweden did not, the situation would be difficult for us. We would then become some sort of a strategic outpost, Niinisto writes on his blog on Puheenvuoro .

The interrelation between the defence solutions of Finland and Sweden is the main conclusion to be drawn from a recent assessment of the effects of the possible Nato membership of Finland, gauges Jussi Niinisto (PS), the Minister of Defence.

The conclusion drawn by the authors of the assessment is that whatever we do, we must co-ordinate our decisions with Sweden. If either one of the countries decided to join Nato, it would have a massive impact on the other country, he says.

The authors of the assessment also consider isolation a major threat for Finland, according to Niinisto.

The effects of the membership would be considerably more positive for Finland, if Finland and Sweden made the decision in question together, in co-ordination with one another, the authors write.

Niinisto reminds that while it is important to monitor the intentions of Sweden, Finland should do its utmost to ensure its options and discretionary authority are not limited by any foreign power.

The Minister of Defence also reminds that the continuing development of the defence co-operation between Finland and Sweden is in no way related to the possible Nato membership of either country despite the fact that it has consequences for the stability of the entire Baltic Sea Region.

Finland, he adds, has no reason to bury its head in the sand due to the critical approach of Russia.

Russia regards the enlargement of Nato as a threat. Finns should not be rattled by the harsh rhetoric used by Russian politicians. Future accessions to Nato will probably take place under a more strained climate than the previous enlargement rounds, estimates Niinisto.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Markku Ulander  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Opinion / Columnist

"Almighty God, in whose hands our future lies, I salute the national flag. United in our diversity and our common desire for freedom, justice and equality, Respecting the brave fathers and mothers who lost lives in the Chimurenga/Umvukela and National liberation struggles. We are proud inheritors of the richness of our natural resources. We are proud creators and participants in our vibrant traditions and cultures. So I commit to honesty and the dignity of hard work."

Lloyd Msipa is a Lawyer based in the United Kingdom and writes in his personal capacity

The government of Zimbabwe recently unveiled what it calls "A National Pledge" which according to press reports is meant to be cited by school children as instructed by the education ministry. It apparently is meant to instil a sense of nationalism amongst the youth in priding themselves as Zimbabweans. The pledge reads as follow:The purpose and timing of the introduction of this pledge seems too many rather suspicious and at best a cynical advanced notion to pre-rig the elections next year. Firstly by making reference to the "Almighty God to whom our future lies" the authors of the pledge assume that all Zimbabweans are religious in one form or another. Granted we are largely a Christian God fearing nation, but how then can we be "united in our diversity" if one assumes all Zimbabweans are religious. A pledge that does not celebrates our religious diversity and at same time upholding the supremacy of God or any other supreme being as in other faiths cannot be uniting Zimbabweans in their diversity.Secondly, the National pledge talks of Zimbabweans saluting "the national flag...in our common desire for freedom, justice and equality". The National flag as an institution is protected by the Zimbabwe Constitution. It is a symbolic political institution that is a powerful tool if used correctly and respectfully by all other political institutions that complement it. For the authors of the national pledge to think that merely saluting the symbolic aspect of a national flag brings with it unity in "our diversity and a common desire for equality and justice" without the government of the day nurturing those virtues is at best foolish and stupid. Anyone familiar with Zimbabwe and the prevailing politics should be aware that were are a much polarised citizenry with deep historical injustices that need to be addressed at a national level before we talk of "unity in our diversity".The Gremlins of the Gukurahundi massacres in the Midlands and Matabeleland continue to haunt us remain a divisive issue and no national pledge however worded can ever sweep that under the carpet. The injustices and violations metered out to the people in that region on tribal and political grounds can never be addressed by the mere indoctrination of our children in schools through a national pledge recited each morning at school assemblies. The history of what transpired at this time continues to be passed on orally by the same parents that are up in arms over this "pledge" from generation to generation. The injustices of the Gukurahundi era will unless addressed remain an albatross around any real unity in our diversity across the political and tribal divide. Truth and reconciliation and some form of restorative justice are a pre-requisite for this to happen.The pledge further goes on to talk of "respecting the brave fathers and mothers who lost their lives in the Chimurenga/Umvukelo and liberation struggles, we are proud inheritors of our national resources". Zimbabweans across the political divide have a general respect and appreciation for all those that sacrificed leg and limb for the liberation of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's surviving war veterans are an integral part of the legacy of the liberation struggle. However recent toxic politicisation of this institution has divided and its legacy remains in doubt as to its respectability. Genuine war veteran bemoan the hijacking of this institution by unauthentic war veterans for political expidiency. Having spoken to many authentic war veterans, I am convinced that genuine war veterans remain unappreciated and unrewarded. What we have are a lot of "wannabe war vets" who are in their forties claiming to be genuine war veterans who fought in the war of liberation. No parent having the best interest of their child at hand will take this kind of indoctrination lightly.The pledge concludes by making reference to the fact that "we are proud inheritors of our natural resources" and that we commit to the "dignity of hard work and honesty". Surely if we were the proud owners of our natural resources, Zimbabweans will not be wallowing in the poverty they do today. The truth is our natural resources, our diamond mines have been mortgaged to State entities and the Chinese. It is these entities that have remained the primary beneficiaries of the resources and today the government of the day cannot account for over fifteen billion of the proceeds of these "inherited resources". No individual citizen under Zimbabwean law is allowed to mine diamonds unless authorised from the very top. How then can we talk of us being "proud inheritors of our resources?"The pledge speaks of "dignity of hard work and honesty" .In Zimbabwe we have a system in place that glorifies riches without work, millionaires that do not build anything or make anything. We have a system that allows "millionaires" to pour millions into concrete thirty to forty bed roomed houses whilst people are dying in poorly resourced hospitals. A system that glorifies criminals whilst well educated citizens wallow in poverty. How then can we pledge to teach our children the values and dignity of hard work when those that hold authority do not uphold the same values? We need to lead by example. That is the greatest pledge we can ever teach our children. We cannot pledge to teach our children the value and dignity and hard work when all the leaders walk around with dirty hands.The national pledge should start in Parliament. The national pledge should start with the leadership that claims to have the people at heart. The national pledge should start with the leaders declaring what they own today and what they owned five years ago. The national pledge should be symbolic face of all who purport to be true Zimbabweans. The national pledge can never be premised on empty rhetoric. Zimbabwe needs to heal first and foremost. We need to first nurture accountability, respect of political institutions and not worshipping individuals. We need to nurture servant leadership and in terms of that we have a long way to go. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
A jury in the trial of a 45-year-old man accused of murdering his stepson was expected to resume its deliberations today.

David Mahon (45) has denied murdering father-of-one Dean Fitzpatrick 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 his mother Audrey shared with Mr Mahon at Burnell Square, Northern Cross on the Malahide Road in north Dublin.

It is the prosecution case that Mr Mahon was drunk, angry and agitated and he intentionally stabbed Mr Fitzpatrick, before fleeing the scene.

Mr Mahon has claimed that it was an accident, or what his barrister described as "accidental self-impalement".

Mr Mahon told gardai: "I didn't stab him, he walked into the knife."

The defence had also raised the possibility that Mr Fitzpatrick could have died by suicide, and Mr Mahon told gardai "part of me thinks he [Mr Fitzpatrick] wanted it".

The defence claimed his account of what happened was not contradicted by the scientific evidence.

Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan completed her direction to the jury yesterday morning before sending them out to consider their verdict at 12.43pm.

Cease

The jury broke for lunch just after 1pm, and they retired again at 2pm yesterday to continue their deliberations.

At 4pm, Ms Justice Heneghan brought the jury back to court and formally informed them that they were to cease their deliberations for the day.

The court heard that the jury had deliberated at that stage for two hours and 21 minutes.

Ms Justice Heneghan ordered the jury not to speak to anyone about the trial, and she reminded them that they were not to look at newspapers or social media.

The judge told the jury to return today at 11am.

Ms Justice Heneghan began charging the jury on Tuesday and she finished by giving them her summary of the evidence.

She told the jury they must look at the evidence in a "cold, clear and dispassionate way".

She said the question was not whether the jury thinks Mr Mahon was guilty or not guilty, but whether the prosecution had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he was guilty.

Ms Justice Heneghan told the jury they must remember that the prosecution must always prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

She said Mr Mahon told gardai, during interview, that it was "his fault" Mr Fitzpatrick was dead.

The judge said the jury was not to confuse fault with causation, and that they would have to consider if there was the "intent to cause death or serious injury" by Mr Mahon.

Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan told the jury that they had three possible verdicts open to them.

She said they could find Mr Mahon guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty of murder.

The judge said that the jury must find Mr Mahon guilty of murder if they found that Mr Fitzpatrick was unlawfully killed by Mr Mahon, and that he intended to kill or cause him serious harm.

She also said the jury must find Mr Mahon guilty of murder if the prosecution had proved that the stabbing wasn't an accident.

Doubt

Ms Justice Heneghan said the jury must find Mr Mahon guilty of manslaughter if the prosecution had proved Mr Fitzpatrick was unlawfully killed by Mr Mahon, but that they had failed to satisfy the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to kill or cause him serious harm.

Ms Justice Heneghan said that if the prosecution had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that what happened was not an accident, then the jury must find Mr Mahon not guilty.

Ms Justice Heneghan has told the jury she required a unanimous verdict.
Four prison officers were injured after a confrontation with a violent rapist in the Midlands Prison.

One of the officers sustained a serious arm injury after he was bitten during the assault

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) and gardai are now investigating the incident at the Midlands Prison on Tuesday evening when staff were injured while dealing with sex attacker Lovemore Dube (28).

Dube, a Zimbabwean national who had addresses in Limerick and Cork, received a nine-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, for the brutal 2012 rape of a middle-aged woman.

The late Mr Justice Paul Carney told the Central Criminal Court that Dube's attack was "disturbing, violent and insulting". His victim described him as "evil" and told how he insulted and laughed at her during the Cork rape.

The trial heard the woman had to be tested for HIV and hepatitis, with both tests proving negative.

It is understood the confrontation erupted when Dube presented himself near the prison medical centre on Tuesday and demanded prescribed medications.

However, the medications were not due to be given at that time and Dube was informed he would receive them later as scheduled.

A number of prison staff attempted to persuade him to return to his cell area before he had to be physically restrained when he became agitated.

During the subsequent confrontation, four prison staff were injured.

Three suffered bite marks.

One prison officer was very badly bitten with the gash exposing part of his arm bone.

A fourth prison officer sustained a broken finger.

All four had to be taken for hospital treatment in Portlaoise.

Investigations

The IPS confirmed that an incident occurred at the Midlands Prison and that internal and garda investigations are underway.

Irish Prison Officers Association (IPOA) official, Jim Mitchell, said it was a very serious incident.

"This highlights again the issue we raised at our conference last week regarding the dangerous and difficult job that we do every day," he said.

"Our thoughts are with the officers and their families that now have a worrying and painful wait ahead of them."
Areas on the green line in south Dublin were particularly badly hit by increased traffic due to the strike action (INM)

Businesses across Dublin have been hit by a loss of more than 15m since the Luas strikes began, it has been claimed.

Tram drivers went on strike for the 10th time yesterday, leaving passengers stuck in gridlock for long periods during morning and evening rush hour.

Areas on the green line in south Dublin were particularly badly hit by increased traffic due to the strike action, according to AA Ireland's Conor Faughnan.

Among the areas that experienced a huge increase in traffic were Dundrum and the Merrion Road.

Worst

"However, it wasn't the worst day for a Luas strike in terms of traffic because it was a Wednesday in May with the schools off," he said.

One disgruntled Luas user said it took 20 minutes to get from a bus stop at Busaras to the quays, while the journey from Heuston Station to the city centre was taking over 25 minutes in gridlocked traffic.

Meanwhile, traders across the city have lost more than 15m in sales since Luas strikes started, it has been claimed.

Traders are now bracing themselves for further losses with more strikes planned and no end in sight to the dispute.

Business groups have estimated that traders lost more than 1.5m every day Luas workers went on strike - a loss of 15m in sales since the dispute first started.

Footfall throughout the city was up around 10pc last week, but shoppers decided to stay out of the city last Thursday when Luas workers held a strike - with the footfall figure dropping by 10pc.

Dublin Town CEO Richard Guiney estimated that more than 25,000 customers were not coming into the city on each day strike action was held.

He also warned that lost sales will not be recouped.

"It's not like that if people don't shop today, they will then spend that money and shop next week  that's not the psychology.

"If people don't shop, they don't shop. Those sales are not made up next week," he told the Herald.

"The last couple of months we have found that the spend has actually been a bit down. There seems to be a consistent caution amongst consumers who are slightly nervous."

Mr Guiney, who heads the Business Improvement District in the capital, called for an end to the pay dispute between Luas workers and operators Transdev.

"It is costing us on an ongoing basis and we really do want to see a resolution to this," he said.

"We would have preferred if there wasn't 10 days of strikes, and we certainly don't want to see another 10 days."

Meanwhile, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce has warned the strike action may have a devastating long-term impact.

Chamber spokesman Graeme McQueen told the Herald that businesses are growing increasingly "frustrated".

"Businesses just want a resolution at this stage," said Mr McQueen.

"I think there is very little sympathy for the drivers at this stage. I think the demands from the start were viewed by the public in a certain way.

"I don't think they have done themselves any favours the way they have gone about things.

"It would put people off coming into the city centre because traffic is heavier and buses are busier."

He added the chamber fears workers may now decide to use their cars to travel into the city and that tourists are being affected.

"The long-term worry for us would be that if you're taking somebody off the Luas, they might be more inclined to jump into the car and they might make that switch long-term."
Next on the To-Do List: Ikigai Many moons ago, I worked as a career counselor, first for a college and then for a nonprofit in a...

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VALENCIA, Calif.In the latest incarnation of B. Skow's gonzo series spotlighting fresh adult performers, the director finds religionor at least his own form of worship. In Beautiful New Faces 7: Body Worship, the award-winning director showcases four aspiring starlets he predicts could be porn's next it girls. The new DVD is now available online and will be in stores nationwide beginning May 6.

In Beautiful New Faces 7: Body Worship, Skow picks four performers whom he believes show great potentialBlair Williams, Jojo Kiss, Veronica Vain and Rachele Richeyand showers each one with a worshipful mix of interview, tease and sex.

B. Skow recently posted a teaser video on social media featuring each of the leading ladies in shots that seduce the viewer with close-up shots of their mouths and bodies. The video is a quick prelude to Skow's sessions with the performers, during which he explores every little inch of them.

Also included on the disc is a bonus scene from Beautiful New Faces 4 featuring Tony Ribas and Scarlet Red, who was subsequently nominated for Best New Starlet at the AVN Awards in 2015.

Like its predecessors, the newest installment to the Beautiful New Faces catalog highlights each young actress in solo performances before joining each of their on-screen partners.

Beautiful New Faces 7: Body Worship is now available on DVD and will be in stores beginning May 6. For box art, visit the Beautiful New Faces 7 detail page at the Girlfriends Films distribution website. For additional images, video, and information, see Beautiful New Faces 7: Body Worship at SkowVisual.com.

For DVD sales, contact Moose at [email protected], (661) 775-5600 (phone) and (661) 775-5656 (fax).

To learn more, visit SkowVisual.com and follow B.Skow on Twitter @DirectorSkow.
PHOENIXOnce again, FeMani Vibrating Massage Wands are available to retailers nationwide, thanks to Entrenue.

Entrenue is known for catering to the wellness community and stocking not only pleasure products but also high-quality and dependable supplies for sexual wellness, Entrenue President Joe Casella said. FeMani was a top-seller in the past and were excited to welcome the brand back with these new wand kits and matching lubricant. Theyre user-friendly and cater to a wide range of intimate needs that are currently underserved, which will help retailers appeal to even more health-conscious and sexually aware shoppers.

The popular brand has introduced two new FDA-registered dilator kits designed to help treat sexual dysfunction and provide a safe and comfortable method of promoting intimate health in and around the vagina. And with matching Smooth lubricant, FeMani is officially back on the market and available to retailers nationwide courtesy of Entrenue.

Each dilator kits comes with a universal motor and two different sized dilators, which can be easily interchanged according to the users preference. By choosing the sizes that work best for them, users can experience relief from a variety of intimate health concerns, including post-cancer recovery, vaginal dryness and atrophy, or expanding the vaginal walls following gender reassignment surgery. With few quality dilators currently on the market, FeMani offers reliable and effective options from a brand that consumers can trust.

Designed with comfort in mind, each kit comes with a base motor and two long, slim insertable attachments made from medical-grade ABS plastic. Customers can choose a kit with larger or smaller attachments depending on their unique needs. And for added dependability, FeMani works closely with OB-GYNs and sex therapists to create unique vibration patterns best suited for pleasure and sexual health.

FeMani Smooth lubricant is a high quality, light silicone lubricant that doubles as an excellent massage oil. Extra slick and long-lasting, this silicone lubricant pairs well with hard plastic insertable products for a more comfortable experience. Plus, its locking pump top makes it great for travel.

To place an order, call (800) 368-7268, email [email protected] or visit Entrenue.com.
Halloween is coming! Here's when to trick or treat in your town
OTTAWA, CanadaNova by We-Vibe earned the Most Innovative Female Product honor at the recent 2016 Adultex Awards in Australia.

The new dual stimulator from We-Vibe has a unique design that flexes with movement to provide gentle, even pressure on the clitoris during use. Nova offers women, true, simultaneous G-spot and clitoral stimulation. A short video describing how the Nova works can be viewed at We-Vibe.com.

After only four months in store, its wonderful to see Nova recognized for its innovative design, said Stephanie Keating, We-Vibe marketing manager. When we set out to create Nova, our goal was to deliver on the dual-stimulation promise that most rabbit vibrators fall short of delivering. Thank you Australia and thank you Calvista for being the first to recognize this achievement.

Adultex is the Southern Hemispheres largest gathering of adult industry manufacturers and retailers. Australias premiere adult product distributor, Calvista, organizes the annual event. With more than 20 years of experience, Calvista supplies the world's leading adult brands to the strong Australian, New Zealand and South East Asian markets.
Hundreds of free Halloween costumes available, thanks to one couple

On Halloween weekend, 500 costumes and accessories  spanning ages from newborn to 14  will be available for families to borrow for free.
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Is this the beginning of the end for IS, the brutal extremist group? Islamic State is both a proper noun and a territorial ambition. For a couple of years, IS seemed to be living the name and the dream. But in April, some of the most important people in America started to say that IS was on a downward spiral. In Baghdad, US vice-president Joe Biden said there had been serious progress in wresting back territory from the group and weakening its leadership. And US secretary of state John Kerry said ISs days were numbered.

READ: Australian IS leader Neil Prakash killed in air strike in Iraq

India, like much of the world, would want to know if rumours of ISs impending end are true. There are reports that the group has released a video of one of its Indian fighters, a van-driver from Karnataka named Anwar Hussain, who died in Afghanistan in 2014. Some say its meant to serve as a recruitment tool, which prompts the question: Why would the two-year-old footage of a man who perished in an impossible battle against a legitimate government inspire young Indians to sign up for IS? As a strategy it sounds more like a death rattle from the sound archives than a full-throated cry of the empowered.

Lets consider the facts, not the florid rhetoric of politicians and the flaccid evidence offered by a dated film. The flow of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria is drying up, according to the US military, or more particularly, Air Force Major General Peter Gersten, deputy commander of operations for the US-led campaign against IS. He quotes newly-obtained internal IS documents that show the group drawing just one-tenth of the 2,000 fighters per month it recruited earlier. On Sunday, the Pentagon revised the estimate of recruits to about 500 a month, but thats still a big drop.

READ: In Iraq, an all-female combat unit seeks to take on Islamic State

IS has halved its fighters monthly salaries, which the US Congressional Research Service has previously estimated at anywhere between $400 and $600.

Clearly, more than 11,000 US air strikes against IS over the past 20 months have hit home. They have crippled the groups oil operations. This happened while IS was losing territory to the Kurds and the Iraqi Army, and the price of oil was falling worldwide. In any country, such a fiscal crisis would require an emergency international lenders bailout. For an extremist group with no more than pretensions to being a state, there is no fallback other than pay cuts and, according to the documents General Gersten quoted, IS exhortations to fighters about limiting the use of electricity and official cars.

READ: IS may be making chemical arms and using them in Iraq, Syria: Watchdog

There was the campaign against ISs oil assets and its men and materials. The second zoomed in on ISs financial infrastructure. And there is the newly assertive effort by US Cybercom to target ISs communication centres and its internet connections, thereby leaving the group in virtual isolation or the technological equivalent of the sands of 7th century Arabia.

Fewer men and less money are powerful indicators of the state of a battlefield adversary and in almost any other circumstance it might be seen as decisive. And yet, it may still be premature to write off IS (and certainly not its ideology). The political crisis in Iraq may slow the momentum of the fight to retake territory. Libyas profusion of governments and slide into ungovernability makes it harder to enable western plans for a coordinated squeeze them strategy to fight IS by hitting it in Syria, Iraq and Libya all at the same time.

Its not the end of IS. It may not even be the beginning of the end, just the opening of a window into an imagined reality  a world without the brand called Islamic State.

Rashmee Roshan Lall is a senior journalist.

The views expressed are personal
We often relate the deplorable state of education in universities and colleges with faculty shortage, more so competent faculty. It is estimated that more than 35% faculty positions in our higher education system are lying vacant. Consequently with a 1:23 teacher-student ratio, we are half way to the ratio of 1:12 recommended by the UGC. In terms of student-faculty ratio, it is the IIMs that are doing best with one faculty member for every 6 students. In the case of IITs, it is one to 16 students.

The IITs top the list with 39% vacancies and central universities follow with 38% vacancies. One would assume that since a large number of new institutions were set up in the last few years, their faculty would add to the numbers. But this assumption is wrong. Even in the central universities, it is the old universities that are worst hit. Delhi University has a shortage of more than 50% closely followed by the University of Allahabad.

Read | Whats missing in the Indian ranking for varsities?

The situation, though somewhat alarming, is certainly not unmanageable. Regular full-time faculty positions in the US are even worse than ours, if we go by the numbers. Some of US public universities have only one-third regular faculty. Harvard University has less than 54% full time regular faculty on its rolls while in Yale there is less than 49% regular faculty. The question is how do they account for the faculty crunch and where have we failed.

The US higher education system employs about 50% non-regular faculty such as the adjunct professors, part-time professors and visiting professors. The national average of adjunct professors on the rolls of US universities is about 48%. Apart from this, graduate assistants are utilised to help senior faculty in teaching. Why could we not adopt such a system of utilising the services of retired faculty as adjunct professors or that of students pursuing higher studies in our universities? This is a question that vice-chancellors of public universities need to examine.

Read | On diversity and inclusion in the Harvard of the east

Private education providers have been under criticism for various reasons. Public universities in the country, however, need to learn from them as regards the judicious utilisation of expertise in education. Private universities are employing, to a considerable extent, faculty retired from the public universities to teach their students whereas public universities themselves have failed to utilise their potential and experience in education. We could opt for uniformity in the retirement age; while it is 65 years in 44 central universities, it is 60 or 62 years in other nearly 700 universities. This is one part of the solution, there are many others which the vice-chancellors and education experts need to discuss within a fixed timeline.

Gursharan Singh is former dean of postgraduate studies, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana

The views expressed are personal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not mince his words when it comes to Indias interests, irrespective of the clout and weight of the challenger. During the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January 2015, visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry insisted on carrying a message from him to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad, his next stop from Gandhinagar, in order to improve ties between what Americans call nuclear neighbours. An irritated Modi cut down the honest broker by saying: Aap hamme apne nasib par chhod dijiye, hum ek doosre ko sambhal lenge (Please leave India and Pakistan to their fate. We can handle each other).

Cut to the launch of a Make in India event in Mumbai this February. Modi gave an earful to the US-India Business Council chairman about President Barack Obama plans to supply F-16 fighters to Pakistan under the garb of counter-terrorism aid. When Modi addresses the joint session of US Congress on June 8, the lawmakers will see a PM who does not need the crutches of non-alignment, one who is all for a broad spectrum engagement with the American people but is equally upfront on irritants facing the bilateral relationship. For the PM has a notion of India and the US as partners rather than allies, working independently to serve the same global objectives. Even on Afghanistan-Pakistan, there is no difference between India and the US over the diagnosis of the problem and long-term interests, only the prescription is different with the gap hinging on tactical play.

Read | PM Modis foreign policy: Making India a leading power

While the India-US relationship is not at the cost of time-tested ties with Russia, Modi understands the significance of US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryans invite in the last year of President Obamas reign and recognises the global pre-eminence of US companies in the techno-economic, digital and innovative spheres for next two decades. It is interesting to note that PM Atal Behari Vajpayee got to address the US Congress in September 2000, the last year of the Clinton presidency, and managed to end Indias nuclear isolation post-Pokhran II tests. PM Manmohan Singh addressed the US Senators and Congressmen in July 2005 and signed the India-US civilian nuclear agreement, paving the way for clean energy for his people.

While many a think-tank will say Modi is going to the US to get entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and other multilateral regimes, Indian ambitions now stretch far beyond in its relationship with Washington. With China getting aggressive in the Indo-Pacific region, geopolitics dictates Indias close engagement with the US as New Delhi, unlike Beijing, has historically not questioned the presence of Western powers in either the Indian Ocean or Pacific. India knows that it is important to check Chinas expanding maritime power in the Pacific for the balance of power in one would affect the balance of power in the Indian Ocean as both are linked. And to maintain this strategic equilibrium, India needs the might, long reach and capability of the US Navy.

Read | US and India should collaborate to counter China in the Indian Ocean

The role of the US in overall security and stability in Asia-Pacific, particularly in the Af-Pak region and the South China Sea, cannot be ignored. In a changing strategic environment, India needs US technological help in building its own defence precision capability to ward off any China-Pak joint adventure on the land borders. With no less than 3.2 million Indian expats shaping the bilateral engagement on shared democratic values and innovation, PM Modi will get an opportunity to underscore the importance of the information technology industry in bringing the two countries, separated by time zones, together notwithstanding the mimicry of the Indian accent by Republican presidential candidates.

Moving beyond the White House and State Department, PM Modi will sell the Indian story in times of global economic gloom before the US lawmakers and people at large and convince both on the win-win partnership between the two countries. The joint address comes at a critical time when the US has started to look inwards with both Obama and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump talking about sharing the global burden and the polity showing radical signs and an unpredictable November result. In the US system, a joint address or public speaking in the last year gives an opportunity for a visiting leader to reach out to the masses including industry, think-tanks, lobbyists and the presidential campaigns.

Read | US think tank calls Indo-US ties a joint-venture

This people to people contact is unique to democratic countries as PM Modi only needs to engage President Vladimir Putin in Russia and President Xi Jinping in China to boost bilateral ties. While pushing for bilateral engagement, PM Modi would like to articulate Indias security concerns in the neighbourhood by insisting that US forces remain in Afghanistan for the stability of South and Central Asia as well as the need to globally contain the rise of the Islamic State and India-specific terrorist groups based in Pakistan. He needs to convey that the China-Pakistan economic corridor through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is unacceptable as it violates Indian sovereignty and the strategic challenge posed by all-weather friends to New Delhi. While India-US trade issues are highlighted by American law makers and industrial lobbies, these concerns are often amplified and largely resolvable. PM Modi should not only use the joint address to say good-bye to his new-found friend Obama but also to reach out to the key players in the next regime from both parties so that the relationship does not go into auto-mode during the transition period of nearly eight months.

This is important as a close relationship is linked to more jobs on both sides in the innovation and IT industry as well as the role of American companies in PM Modis Make in India campaign. Through his speech, he needs to make Congressmen believe that the India-US global engagement for the future and that they were wrong in denying him an American visa for a decade.

Email: shishir.gupta@hindustantimes.com

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After a year of renovation, the Himalayan Art Gallery at the CSMVS is set to host visitors again. Expect restored Tibetan paintings and age-old sculptures.

on the two occasions the Dalai Lama visited the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), he bowed down before a 16th century bronze sculpture of Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, says Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the museum director.

A Thanka (a Tibetan Buddhist painting which usually depicts a scene from the life of Buddha or his teachings) of Vaishravana, from Tibet

Gampo is known to have introduced Buddhism to Tibet around 6th Century AD and is worshipped as an incarnation of Chenresik or Avalokiteshvara, the great protector of Tibet. Influenced by his Nepali and Chinese queens, the king adopted and introduced Buddhas teachings in Tibet and so, he is an extremely important figure the regions history, says Vandana Prapanna, a curator at the museum. Moreover, the sculpture at CSMVSs Himalayan Art Gallery is similar to the life-sized 8th Century clay figure of the king at Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet. The gallery has been under renovation for the past year, and is set to re-open to the public on May 8. It will exhibit 144 works, mainly from Nepal and Tibet. Many objects, like the king Gampo sculpture, have been restored at the museums conservation lab. Case in point, an 18th Century elaborately embroidered Thanka (a Tibetan Buddhist painting which usually depicts a scene from the life of Buddha or his teachings) of goddess Tara. Some of its threads had come off and the colours were fading, says Prapanna.

A king Gampo sculpture which was restored at the museums conservation lab

Among its new additions is a 17th Century painting of a demon deity, Yamantaka, and also a structure of a gompa  a Buddhist temple. Inside the gompa sits a six-foot-tall clay sculpture of Maitreya, the future Buddha. The artefact, created by Ladakhi sculptor Chhemet Rigzin and his team last year, displays paintings and traditional musical instruments that belong inside a gompa. According to Buddhist scriptures, the Maitreya Buddha will take birth on earth soon and will most likely be a woman. The Buddhists believe she will solve the worlds problems, says Prapanna. There is a lot of hope attached to this deity.

Also read: The iconic Bombay Art Society unveils an arts complex in Bandra

Among the works featured, the tracings of Indian artist Li Gotami (born Rati Petit) also find a place. From 1947 to 1949, she extensively travelled around Tibet and created detailed tracings of the many monasteries. They give an insight into a country thats in a state of conflict. As access to modern-day Tibet continues to be difficult, these are valuable documents that record the history of Buddhism, and its followers, there, says Prapanna.

A Dipankar Buddha from Nepal

5 things to look out for

 A 17th Century sculpture of a female deity from Nepal, Snish Vijay, the goddess of long life. The bronze idol borrows from the Mongolian style of sculpting.

 An 11th Century Shakyamuni Buddhas sculpture from Tibet shows influences of the Kashmiri style of sculpting. The eyes are created using the silver-inlay technique and the body is sculpted slender and sleek, says Prapanna.

Also read: We check out Colabas latest art gallery: Akara

 A 17th Century bone apron worn by the Lamas.

 18th Century folios of Ashtamatrikas (eight Buddhist goddesses), created in Nepal.

 A video on how the Lamas hand-make traditional music instruments which are used while offering prayers.

Now open

The Himalayan Art Gallery re-opens on May 8.

Where: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, MG Road, Fort

When: 10.30am to 6pm, every day.

Call: 2284 4484

Entry: Rs 70
Can we shoot elsewhere? I hate being watched by so many people, says Karishma Mehta. Were at Gateway of India, and about 20 people have surrounded us. The anxiety is surprising. One would assume Mehta, the woman behind Humans of Bombay  a Facebook page that chronicles the stories of Mumbaikars  would be comfortable around strangers.

Its not that I dont like people. But this place makes me nervous. I almost got arrested here.

In 2015, Mehta was shooting a video at Gateway, with a subject she intended to feature. While talking, he kept looking over my shoulder. I turned back to see what the distraction was. About 150 people had gathered, holding up traffic, recalls the 25-year-old. The police threatened to put Mehta behind bars. A smile, and the ability to speak Marathi, got her out. People listen when you smile and talk to them. Being friendly takes you a long way, she says. In her line of work, you should probably put that on a CV.

Mehta has been walking the streets of Mumbai documenting stories of random strangers since January, 2014. Her Facebook page now boasts of 5.8 lakh followers, and features nearly 1,000 stories that provide a glimpse into the struggles of common people. Mehtas subjects have battled abusive marriages, drug habits, social exclusion. Through her efforts, she has given them a voice.

Now, she has collated the stories in a book. Eponymous with the Facebook page, it even features 70 to 80 additional stories that are not yet online.

An idea is born

The former Bombay Scottish (Mahim, not Powai, she clarifies) student describes her childhood as driven by storytelling. I believe in the magic of the written word. I can read non-stop for hours, she says.

Does she have favourites? Thats a difficult one. I cant choose, she says. She does, however, talk about three books that changed her life. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, The Immortals of Meluha by Amish Tripathi, and Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. I have never felt more joy than while reading them, she says.

Mehtas archival photos. (Photos: facebook.com/humansofbombay; Aalok Soni/HT )

Its not surprising then that Mehta found herself inexplicably drawn to Humans of New York (HONY)  the Facebook page that started it all (now with over 17 million likes). It chronicles the lives of the residents of the Big Apple.

She discovered the page in 2013, while studying economics and business in Nottingham, UK. I was enamoured by Brandon [Stanton, the founder of HONY]. His pictures were spectacular, and the stories, awe-inspiring.

Intrigued, Mehta Googled Humans of Mumbai, hoping to find a similar campaign. She found none. And that is when an idea began to take shape.

The journey

Yet, there was no moment of epiphany. She simply woke up one Sunday in January, 2014, created a Facebook page, and designed a logo on Microsoft Word. She walked out onto the street armed with that all-persuasive smile and a Canon semi-professional camera.

The first person she approached said no. I saw a young girl in a frilly pink dress in Dadar. I wanted to photograph her, but her parents refused, point blank, Mehta says.

Two-and-a-half years and a thousand stories later, Mehta is still nervous before initiating a conversation with a stranger. Rejection isnt easy. But one needs to understand the point after which insistence becomes intrusion into somebodys personal space, she explains. So, a large part of her process involves waiting in the background, observing people.

A shot of Milind Soman from Mehtas HoB collection. (Photo: facebook.com/humansofbombay)

We stand on a street adjacent to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Mehta trails off alone and spends a while just looking at people. Then, she walks up to a security guard and requests to speak with him. What is your happiest memory? she asks. It takes a few minutes, but soon, hes talking about how he encourages his daughter to study. The tone is that of an easygoing conversation, like two friends catching up.

I always start by asking about peoples happiest memories. They lower their guard. Besides, when they think of happier times, they smile. It makes for a good picture, she says.

Yet, all of Mehtas stories have an underlying theme of fighting adversities. Be it celebrity hairdresser Sapna Bhavnanis story about her gang rape in Chicago, USA, that went viral with over 9,000 shares, or the simple story of this security guard. At the end of the day, they are also stories of hope.

Sapna Bhavnanis story about her gang rape in Chicago, USA, went viral with over 9,000 shares. (Photo: facebook.com/humansofbombay)

In that she is different from HONY, where Stanton, at times, shares only a quirky one-liner from his subject. But since the basic concept was the same, she was criticised early on. People commented on how we Indians steal ideas from the West, recalls Mehta. How does she deal with the flak? I ignore it. Im only here to share stories, she says.

Shes also more of a documentarian of personal stories than a photographer. In a stark contrast to Stantons professional photography skills, Mehta is self-trained. She says she learnt how to handle a camera by watching YouTube tutorial videos. She still struggles, though, from time to time, preferring to work on the cameras auto mode.

Whats remarkable, however, is Mehtas knack for picking out anecdotes that are often lost in conversation. For her, the most powerful message from her interaction with the security guard was his comment on his wife. He said he lost his wife five years ago, and he still misses her every day. Thats true love, she says.

Mehtas archival photos. (Photo: facebook.com/humansofbombay)

Great power, great responsibility

Mehtas intention behind starting the page was never commercial; she only wanted share the stories of common Mumbaikars. I wanted the people in the city to know more about the lives of their co-city dwellers (sic), says Mehta.

But Mehtas storytelling skills have actually changed peoples lives. She did a series of stories on the ambitions and hopes of the children of sex workers, and asked followers on Facebook to raise `5 lakh for Kranti, an NGO that works in this space. Mehta claims to have raised Rs 6.5 lakh in under 12 hours.

What about her own earnings? I make nothing from the page. Its a sentimental project, where I get to write powerful stories. The funds to manage logistics come from my freelance writing. For instance, I did a series of stories from Mumbais local trains for National Geographics magazine, and a few other publications, she says.

The book will be her first source of income from the project. This is also a major milestone for Humans of Bombay. This is the first step towards expanding the reach of the stories. I hope to release the book in multiple languages, so a larger audience can read it. Then, maybe I will start a video series, a podcast even, she says.

By then, maybe even the cops will know who she is.

Out now

Humans of Bombay can be purchased on humansofbombay.in

Price: Rs 1,650

The Spin-offs: The satirical pages that chronicle the comedy of human life

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Pushkar Vaidya could possibly have the coolest job on earth: he gets to spend a major part of his day pondering over the existence of intelligent alien life. Think Sam Worthington from Avatar (2009), or Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day (1996).

Though my day starts with research based on the principles of evolutionary biology, by the end of it, I find myself debating the possibility of UFOs flying down to earth, says Vaidya, who is the founder of Indian Astrobiology Research Centre, a research-based organisation on space matter, in Bandra.

This weekend, Vaidya is set to conduct a workshop at the Hive Community Festival powered by HT48Hours, in Bandra. He will simplify the basics of simulation hypothesis  a theory that states that reality is only a reaction to a stimulus that human beings are unaware of.

Outer space to TV screens

Vaidyas fascination with the universe began as a child, when he somehow met British author Arthur C Clarke in Sri Lanka. Clarkes writings, combined with multiple re-runs of TV series the X-Files, created a strong curiosity about outer space in Vaidya. I am a direct product of The X-Files. Stories that dealt with life in outer space were brilliant, he recalls.

Be it Georges Meliess Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902), often considered the first outer-space-related film, to Steven Spielbergs ET the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and its Bollywood version Koi Mila Gaya (2003),popular culture has long been obsessed with alien life. Vaidya credits this fascination to the fear of the unknown.

The concept of aliens gives filmmakers a lot of creative freedom to be absolutely bizarre. Besides, aliens in films are always shown as the stimulus for mankind to unite and take a stand for our planet, says Vaidya. Not surprisingly then films such as Independence Day and Tom Cruise-starrer The Edge of Tomorrow (2014) saw global revolutions taking place to take back control over Earth.

And as far as an aliens physical attributes are concerned, Vaidya believes the level of absurdity in films cannot be contained. Though I personally prefer the little green ones, with the squatted torso, lanky arms and bulging eyeballs [like ET], there is nothing that stops film makers from depicting a mouth hidden inside the head of a creature like they did in Aliens (1986), he says.

Join in

The HIVE Community Festival 18 will be on from May 7 to May 8

Register for all events on bookmyshow.com/events

Pushkar Ganesh Vaidyas talk on space travel will take place on May 8, 10am onward

The HIVE, Chium Village Road, Bandra (W)

Entry: Rs 1,499

FACT CHECK  Some interesting arstro-biology trivia

1. Over 2,000 extrasolar planets have been discovered till date (beginning from 1988)

2. Wow Signal is an alleged signal from aliens, detected in 1977

3. Drake Equation predicts existence of several alien civilizations in our Milky Way galaxy

4. NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell believed in the existence of UFOs and aliens

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Voting began for the sixth and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, with 25 constituencies going to polls on Thursday.

Dwellers of the erstwhile enclaves in Cooch Behar will vote for the first time on Thursday, marking a giant leap in their absorption into India after nearly seven decades of stateless existence.

Nine constituencies that go to polls on Thursday are in Cooch Behar district and 16 in East Midnapore.

Over 58 lakh (58,04,019) voters across 6,774 polling stations -- including 9 auxiliary booths -- are eligible to decide the fate of 170 candidates that includes 18 women in this phase. The Election Commission (EC) will use 7,790 Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and 621 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).

It will be a memorable day for enclave dwellers -- 9,776 of whom are registered as voters. These include 567, residents of the erstwhile Indian enclaves that are now part of Bangladesh but who have opted for Indian citizenship.

Following the implementation of the historic Land Boundary Agreement, Bangladesh and India exchanged 162 adversely-held enclaves on August 1, 2015 as 14,864 residents of 51 Bangladeshi enclaves became Indians citizens.

Over 37,000 dwellers in the 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh became citizens of the neighbouring country, 922 of them opted for Indian citizenship and have been living in Enclave Settlement camps in Dinhata and Haldibari, Cooch Behar.

The electorate from the former enclaves are spread across five constituencies -- Dinhata (5,486 voters), Mekhliganj (988), Sitai (1,396), Sitalkuchi (1,898) and Tufanganj (8).

Read | West Bengal polls: Advantage Trinamool, but Mamata cautious

The Election Commission rolled out the red carpet for the 9,776 first-time voters, besides setting up five model polling stations.

In East Midnapore, regarded as a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress, all eyes will be on Nandigram, where a peasants agitation in 2006-07 against the erstwhile Left Front governments bid to acquire farmland for a chemical hub and special economic zone (SEZ) had triggered police firing that resulted in 14 deaths.

The peasants protest played a pivotal role in the ouster of the Left Front after 34 years in office.

In 2011, the Trinamool Congress, then in alliance with the Congress, won 20 seats that go to the hustings in this phase.

Nandigram:People line up outside a polling booth to cast their vote in final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections pic.twitter.com/3KJZjwgStF  ANI (@ANI_news) May 5, 2016

The Congress got one, while Left Front partner All India Forward Bloc triumphed in four.

The Left Front and the Congress have teamed up to challenge the Trinamool. While the Left Front is in the fray for 18 seats, the Congress is contesting from four constituencies.

In the three seats of East Midnapore -- Nandakumar, Mahisadal and Khejuri -- the alliance has extended support to independent candidates.

The Trinamool and the BJP are contesting from all seats.

Among the Left Front partners, the CPI(M) is in the race in eight constituencies, the Communist Party of India in five, Forward Bloc in four and Democratic Socialist Party (Prabodh Chandra) in one seat.

The star candidates include Trinamools heavyweight leader and MP Suvendu Adhikari (Nandigram), who was purportedly seen in the Narada News sting operation video taking wads of currency notes in return for favours to a fictitious company.

Among other major candidates are state minister Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar (Mahisadal), Udayan Guha (Dinhata) -- both from Trinamool, Paresh Chandra Adhikary (Mekhliganj) of the AIFB, BJPs Dadhiram Ray and the Congresss Hemangshu Sekhar Mahapatra.

Read | With 114 candidates, TMC tops list of crorepatis in West Bengal polls
Elections and blood letting always go hand in hand in Bengal. For years toughs political parties have backed toughs who have beat up adults till bones cracked, blood flowed and organs maimed. In the 2016 assembly elections a new soft target has emerged -- children.

At least four children, aged between three and a half to nine years were thrashed and tortured by toughs allegedly backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress in the five of the six-phase Bengal elections that have taken place so far.

The first incidence took place in Halisahar in North 24 Parganas district. On April 24, a day before the district went to polls a girl of three years and a half was beaten by local toughs who stormed her house to prevent her parents from going out to cast their vote.

The parents were known as CPI-M supporters and the toughs turned to the kid after beating up her parents.

Another incidence took place at Darirchak of Haridebpur in South 24 Parganas district. On the night of April 30, after polling was over in the district, a group of hoodlums allegedly backed by the ruling party raided their house and beat up a eight-year old girl apart from thrashing her parents. The girl was injured in the head.

To tackle the outcry that followed, Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee visited their residence to placate the family. But the parents of the girl did not let him step inside the house.

Poll officials carry electronic voting machines as they leave for their respective polling booths at Bolpur in Birbhum district of West Bengal. (PTI file photo)

Condemnation came thick and fast from the opposition.

A child forms the weakest spot of its parents, and in order to intimidate the adults, the criminals are stooping so low that they are attacking children. It will continue until the administration takes the stern action against the culprits, said Shyamal Chakraborty, CPI(M) central committee member.

On Tuesday, leader of the opposition Suryakanta Mishra expressed his concern at the growing attacks on children. Nothing can be more brutal, remarked Mishra.

All sections of society need to protest strongly to stop it immediately, said Dilip Ghosh, the president of state BJP.

The brutality reached its nadir on April 26 (a day after the polls in the district) in Hariharpur of North 24 Parganas, where a nineyear old boy was beaten up allegedly by the ruling party supporters after he made a kite out of ruling party poster. According to the police complaint the boy was gagged, thrashed and left in a bush with his limbs tied up.

In front of TV cameras the boy alleged that before beating him up, the toughs labelled him as the son of a CPI(M) supporter.

The latest attack was recorded at Ramchandrapur of Bishnupur in South 24 Parganas on May 2 morning when a four-year-old girl was beaten up along with his grandfather at their residence.

I always condemn attacks on children but at the same time let me tell you that the incident in Bishnupur was entirely a family feud and it was not related to politics, Sovan Chatterjee told HT.

It is a dangerous trend. Out of sheer frustration the Trinamool-backed hooligans are now indulging in it. Until the people and all political parties protest against it together, it will be continue, said Rahul Sinha, the BJPs national secretary.

Left and Congress parties are jointly fighting against TMC in West Bengal Assembly election. (HT file photo)

THE NEW TARGETS

April 24, Halisahar, North 24 Parganas

A three and a half-year-old girl was targetted.

Her crime: Parents were CPI-M supporters

April 26, Hariharpur, South 24 Parganas

A nine-year-old boy made a kite from a poster of Trinamool Congress and was a political victim

April 30, Haridebpur, South 24 Parganas

An right-year-old girl was the next victim, her family is known as CPI-M supporter.

May 2, Ramchandrapur, South 24 Parganas

Again, a four-year-old girl was targetted. Her only crime: Her family is known as CPI-M supporter
Gold ornaments for brides from families below the poverty line. Fifty per cent subsidy for working women to purchase mopeds. Free mobile phones and Rs 500 gift coupons on Pongal.

Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa announced the mother of all promises on Thursday as she showered pledges of sops and freebies on key demographics such as the poor and women that are key to winning the ongoing assembly elections.

The AIADMKs manifesto also promised free set top box for Arasu cable TV subscribers, free laptops with internet connection to all class X and Class XII students and 100 units of free power every month, a move that will benefit around eight million consumers. Prohibition on alcohol will be introduced in phases if she comes back to power, the manifesto announced.

Only a mother knows what her children need. Which is why, I gave much more than what I had promised in the last elections, she said.

In the future too, I will come out schemes and projects that you cannot even dream of or expect.

Then there is a huge relief for the farmers, as she promised a loan waiver for farmers and announced the Amma banking card for the poor and government subsidy to entrepreneurs. For this purpose, she announced the starting of Amma Collateral Gurantee Fund with a seed capital of Rs 100 crore for small and marginal institutions.

20% land on SME industrial parks will be reserved for SC/ST entrepreneurs.

The manifesto said the government will take over the sale of beach minerals as there was huge corruption in the sector. A new granite policy is also on the cards. On the corruption front, the AIADMK government would constitute a Lokayukta.

Releasing the much-awaited manifesto, Jayalalithaa said that she was 24X7 working for the welfare of the people of the state. Her AIADMK is locked in a triangular fight with the DMK-Congress combine and a third front led by Captain Vijaykanth.

Read: TN rallies: Jaya uses chopper, AIADMK-affiliated movie stars hop vans

Expectations were running high as Jayalalithaa kept waiting for the right time to come out with the manifesto as the Opposition spread all kind of rumours to raise the expectations of the people. WhatsApp messages and newspapers reports suggested Amma contemplating free fridges, motorcyles and washing machines.

But a senior AIADMK leader said in Chennai, the manifesto would be practical as also populist.

He was bang on target as Jayalalithaa read out the salient features of the manifesto that confirmed the continuation of all current Amma schemes and new ones in the offing.

I did more than I promised, Jayalalithaa said adding that in future too she would consistently and constantly think of new ways and means to reach benefit to the masses.

Jayalalithaa also took the opportunity to lash out at DMK-Congress combine and reminded them of the gigantic corruption the two parties were involved in  from 2G to Commonwealth games and she took the DMK family rule to task. Karunanidhi is only interested in his family, she said adding, for me, you are the family.

AIADMK MANIFESTO HIGHLIGHTS

All cooperative farm loans to be waived



Farm sector to get Rs 40,000 crore loans in the 2016-21 period



Fisher-folk assistance to be hiked to Rs 5,000 and separate housing to be allotted to them



No FDI to be introduced in retail



Women to get maternity assistance of Rs 18,000



100 units of electricity to be free every two months and uninterrupted power supply assured



Master health check-up and special check-ups for women to be expanded to all districts



Amma Banking Cards to be launched in association with banks, which can be used for all banking transactions and receive government services



20% land on SME industrial parks to be reserved for SC/ST entrepreneurs



All ration card holders to get co-optex coupons worth Rs 500 for Pongal festival



10 lakh houses to be allotted through various housing schemes



Read: More stories on the battle for Tamil Nadu

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Dont get so worked up about bombs being used in Bengal elections. Its part of our heritage and culture, like rosogolla, Rabindranath, Netaji and ilish maachh. That was Anubrata Mondal, aka Keshto-da, the most talked about fighter-bomber and Birbhum district chief of Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress.

Mondal, in a way, is right. While other elements of Bengals history  both recent and not-so-recent  have been discussed, bragged about and showcased to the point of boredom, the bomb has always been a loosely guarded secret. It protects and nurtures Bengals darkest secret  violent, mean and shallow politics.

Bomb has been rhyming with Bengal for quite some time. In fact, since the first awakening of nationalism and terrorist movements against the Raj in the latter half of the 19th century, bombs were the revolutionarys main weapon. But the scene has changed. It has lost the lofty cause and become simply a tool to capture and retain power.

Now, both pro and anti-establishment forces rely on bombs. With splinters, they are lethal. Without them, they are scary. They serve as a cheap and convenient weapon for political parties to fight each other and, most important, scare away the interfering public.

Plus, its ingredients are cheap and available in open markets and its easy to mass-produce and carry and use, while guns and bullets are expensive. Charles Cocksam, a British police officer  who was posted in Calcutta during the early years of the 20th century  said, A bullet is meant for one person  friend or foe, so to speak. But a bomb can hit as many as you want. And at no greater cost. Thats the logic.

One of the bomb-makers told Hindustan Times that their business booms during the poll season. (Ashok Nath Dey/HT Photo)

Bombs, even during the early years of terrorist movements, used to be manufactured in college labs  obviously, with blessings from nationalist professors. It was an expression of nationalism  although not of the drawing room variety.

The Naxalite movement of the 1970s  essentially a guerrilla uprising in Bengal  also relied on the power of bombs. One of the party members, a Chemistry professor in a Calcutta college, even taught his students to make the Molotov cocktail, a petrol bomb named after Russian communist leader Vycheslav Molotov and favoured by the Bolsheviks.

During each regime in Bengal -- ruled either by the Congress, or the Left Front, or the Trinamool Congress -- the strength to grab and stay in power came not from the barrel of the gun, but from the splinters of the bomb. Even recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at an election rally: There is no industry in Bengal. The only one worth talking about is the industry of making bombs.





Why have political activists  right from the pre-independence revolutionaries to Anubrata Mondal -- always favoured the innocent-looking bomb? Simple. Besides being cheap and easy to handle, one can get master bomb-makers in almost every district in Bengal. The driving forces: Tradition and obscene poverty.

Mondal said the most daring bomb makers came from the bordering district of Murshidabad. Give them 10,000 and they will do anything you want. Theyre so poor that that much money is almost like a dream for them. Even children are employed in bomb making, since they have nimbler fingers and nagging hunger to take care of.

Also Read | I get calls from all big and small leaders: Bengals master bomb-maker

Mondals own district, Birbhum, however, emerged as the main flash-point in the 2016 assembly elections. An HT team scoured the districts just before and during the elections to find out and meet the master bomb-makers, who make democracy tick in Bengal.

The bomb-makers observe strict discipline. Match boxes, bidis and cigarettes are not allowed within a 40-feet radius of their workplace. (Ashok Nath Dey/HT Photo)

The team first went to a swanky office of a land developer, Ramesh (name changed), in Behala in the southern suburbs of Kolkata. Sitting in his uncomfortably cold office, 47-year-old Ramesh looked like any other self-educated small businessman. But a closer look revealed that the computer terminal in front of him is actually a CCTV screen, showing six picture windows, which he monitors through the day.

An alleged extortionist who now claims to be an angry young man -- Amitabh Bachchan style -- Ramesh is back after spending almost 11 years behind bars. He, however, doesnt want to talk about the charges against him, only mumbles: They were only some half murders.

Although he doesnt admit to his involvement in the bomb-making industry doing a brisk business during the poll season, Ramesh briefed us on the world of the master bomb-maker. There are areas where it functions like cottage industries, providing employment to both men and women. But they all have an ustad (master), who trains and engages them.

Bhola (again name changed), Rameshs crony-cum-bodyguard, explained the most traditional bombs were the lal-shada. The name comes from the chemical ingredients,potassium nitrate and sulphur.

Bhola doesnt know the names of the chemicals, but can guarantee the havoc they can wreak when combined with ball-bearings, nails and shards of glass and wrapped in simple jute strings.

He said, The tighter the binding, the better the bomb. The splinters act like bullets when the bomb bursts. There are stingless varieties, too, to scare away people. During polls, bombs are better because they can hit a large number of people at one go. One bullet can get you only one body at a time and draw unnecessary attention.

Whats more, in the narrow lanes and by-lanes of Kolkata, bombs can create the necessary impact on peoples minds. Not only political parties, but gang lords, too, use them for area domination.

Mohammad Islam, a Birbhum-based master, said, In rural areas, if you want to storm an opposition village, you need bombs. If you want to defend your village, you need bombs. Since life in rural Bengal is centred on bombs, we have made it our profession.

For instance, in Nanur area of Birbhum, where the ruling party factions are fighting a bloody battle every day since 2011, every village has stockpiles of bombs. They need them to survive and protect their land. Or else, both will be snatched away.

The prices, although seem a little prohibitive, are always paid in hard cash. While it costs 500 a piece in urban areas, the rural customers can get them at 200 a piece. The lethal ones, however, may cost around 1,000 a piece.

The bomb-makers said the most daring of them come from the bordering district of Murshidabad in West Bengal. (Ashok Nath Dey/HT Photo)

Ramesh said, There is a system at work. Both makers and buyers are part of the system. And thats the reason why no one is ever arrested for making bombs. Sometimes, police arrest the masters on minor charges. Thats absolute hogwash. For, the ruling party is always the biggest buyer said Ramesh.

But how does the industry work? Sometimes, political bosses bring in experts from different areas and a deal is struck. The masters fees could be 20,000 to 50,000, depending on the number of bombs to be made.

He said, The client supplies raw materials and a safe place to work, where the maker and his men live and work. In urban areas, it can also be the terrace of a dilapidated building. This model is preferred by political bosses since carrying large consignments of bombs is risky.

From Rameshs cool office, the HT team went to Mondals Birbhum district, somewhere in Nanur, about 170 km from Kolkata. Sitting in a field in a remote village, Rafique, a famous master and his gang looked quite proud of what they do. They know the role they play in Bengals power play.

Rafique calmly shows his products  crude bombs of the topmost quality. Its risky. Ideally, we should have a secluded place beside a pond so that if anything goes wrong, we can throw everything in the water. But we are generally given secluded houses to make bombs.

He said the makers need to observe strict discipline. Match boxes, bidis and cigarettes are not allowed within a 40-feet radius of the workplace.

But in all this market dynamics, work ethics and standard operating procedures, whats missing is the political romanticism and adventurism that bombs were once associated with. A state-level CPI(M) leader said on condition of anonymity: During our student days, I have seen a student leader making bombs with a cigarette dangling from his lips.

He said, It was obviously bravado, but it was also a message that revolutionaries dont care about their personal safety. Its the bourgeois bhadrolok who is a coward and always careful. But now, I find Bengals political tool, however lethal it may be, has changed its character. Its become a business  a petty bourgeois enterprise.

Till the end of the Naxalite movement, the makers and users were the same  mostly college educated rebels. But now, a different breed of people has come up to make a living out of bombs. And those who use them are in the business of grabbing and retaining power  a more paying proposition.

Hired guns for polls: Meet the bomb-makers of West Bengal

Bombs kill, very often their own makers. Most cases of blasts where the tolls are high are accidents at make-shift factories. And nobody is bothered as the makers come cheap from Bengals impoverished rural areas May 8, 2015: Twelve people -- many of them teens, killed in West Midnapore while making crude bombs for a political boss. The blast was so powerful that the house was in shreds and body parts were found hanging on trees nearly 100 metres away

Twelve people -- many of them teens, killed in West Midnapore while making crude bombs for a political boss. The blast was so powerful that the house was in shreds and body parts were found hanging on trees nearly 100 metres away October 13, 2015: Two people killed and one injured in a village in Murshidabad during panchayat by-elections. Police chief C Sudhakar said they were making crude bombs in their home

Two people killed and one injured in a village in Murshidabad during panchayat by-elections. Police chief C Sudhakar said they were making crude bombs in their home January 22, 2016 : Two people killed in a blast at a Trinamool leaders house in Birbhum. They were brothers of a local Trinamool leader. The blast brought down parts of the brick and mortar building.

Two people killed in a blast at a Trinamool leaders house in Birbhum. They were brothers of a local Trinamool leader. The blast brought down parts of the brick and mortar building. March 8, 2016: Three people killed and two injured while making crude bombs in Murshidabad.

Three people killed and two injured while making crude bombs in Murshidabad. April 21, 2016: A CPI(M) polling agent was killed in Murshidabad during the third phase of elections. The splinter-ridden body of the 35-year-old polling agent, Tahidur Islam, was found lying outside a booth

A CPI(M) polling agent was killed in Murshidabad during the third phase of elections. The splinter-ridden body of the 35-year-old polling agent, Tahidur Islam, was found lying outside a booth May 2, 2016: At least four people died and six got injured in a blast while making bombs in Malda district.

Hired guns for polls: Meet the bomb-makers of West Bengal

THE VARIETIES Peto or basic lal shada, or potassium nitrate and sulphur, bound with only jute strings

Dibba, where the material is put in a small steel container

Hajmola, where the material is put in small glass bottle

Pin, where a glycerin-filled glass bottle is put inside the bomb

THE GLOSSARY Bombs: peto, naru, ball, rosogolla

peto, naru, ball, rosogolla Ingredients: lankar gurho (chilly powder), masala, pan masala

THE PRICES Urban areas Bombs: from  500 to  1,000

from 500 to 1,000 Chemicals (lal shada):  3,000 per kg Rural areas Bombs: from  200 to  500

from 200 to 500 Chemicals:  1,600 to 1,800 per kg

Full Coverage: Assembly elections 2016
Vidya Balan says she has the greatest admiration for Kangana Ranaut for standing up for herself in her ongoing feud with Hrithik Roshan. The two actors have been at loggerheads since the Queen star called Hrithik her silly ex. I really think it is none of my business to be judging anyone but I have the greatest admiration for Kangana because she is standing up for herself, said Vidya.

I think that is very creditable because as women we find it very easy to stand up for other people, our family members, children, husbands, parents but we rarely stand up for ourselves. She (Kangana) is standing up for herself, so kudos to her and more power to her for that, Balan added.

Read: Kangana Ranaut should get National Award for her interview: Shekhar Suman

Read: Proud of Kangana Ranaut, Hrithik Roshan controversy nonsense: Mother

Vidya was speaking at the trailer launch of her upcoming film Te3n. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was also present at the event.

When asked what he feels about the Tanu Weds Manu actor, who sat beside him during the national award ceremony recently, the 73-year-old Piku star was more cautious in his reply. Cant decide the behaviour of a person, or what he or she is going through, by sitting beside them... But I appreciate that women are empowered, they stand on their feet. Weve always believed that women should have their own strength. Fifty per cent of the nations population, so there should be as many women and that much strength should be there. They should have importance in society and we have always believed that.

Read: My contemporaries planted stories against me: Kangana Ranaut

Read: 10 times Kangana Ranaut proved she is a real hero

From her ex Adhyan Suman calling her psychopath to people on social media trending Characterless Kangana, the Queen star has been mocked, derided by various sections as she has been fighting the case with the superstar.

The 29-year-old actor, however, has hit back at her critics saying no amount of slamming will bog her down and she doesnt care about being called psychopath or a witch.

The feud between Hrithik and his Krrish 3 co-star turned nasty after they slapped legal notices on each other.

Watch: Vidya, Amitabh in Te3N trailer

Hrithik, who was the first to send the legal notice, has demanded that she apologise in a press conference and clear the air about their alleged affair which he firmly refutes.

A defiant Kangana 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.

Follow @htshowbiz for more.
Randeep Hoodas drastic weight loss  the actor lost 18 kgs in 28 days  was not the only sacrifice he made for Sarbjit, biopic on an Indian national who was jailed in Pakistan on spying charges.

It has now emerged that the actor confined himself to a 6x4 self-designed jail and put handcuffs weighing 2.5 kg to understand the pain Sarabjit might have gone through.

Read: Randeep lost 18 kg in 28 days for Sarbjit

A source close to Randeep Hooda has informed that weeks before he started shooting for the movie, the method actor confined himself to the cell and wore heavy handcuffs weighing approximately 2.5 kg each.

Watch Randeep and Aishwarya in Sarbjit trailer

Talking about Randeeps efforts, director Oomung Kumar said, Randeep Hooda has given immense dedication and hard work to his character. While he is well known for his method acting and I believe Randeep has given his entire heart and soul for Sarbjit. The level of dedication needs immense acknowledgment and it would be visible to others too once the movie releases.

Read: Randeep, Aishwarya make us visit a painful life with Sarbjit trailer

Sarbjit traces the story of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian national who was jailed in Pakistani on charges of spying. The biopic traces the struggles of his sister, Dalbir Kaur (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), who ran a campaign for his release. Richa Chaddha plays Randeeps wife in the film. Sarbjit will release on May 20.

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Sarabjit Singh died in a Pakistan jail after a fellow inmate assaulted him, but Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda, who plays Sarabjit in his next, Sarbjit, claims the film does not show Pakistan in a bad light.

I dont think there is any Pakistan bashing per say in the film. But yes, there are a lot of prisoners over there and some are subjected to atrocities. I am not sure if that happens here as well...If you treat somebody for such things just because of their nationality and not their crime, then, if it happens in India or Pakistan, it is always wrong, the actor said.

Read: Aishwarya, Randeep make us visit a painful life with Sarbjit trailer

Randeep added that the film merely chronicles the life of a common man, who was stuck between the political climate of India and Pakistan. The film is based in a Pakistan prison. But there is nothing that we are bashing a country like Pakistan. Its just a situation where a normal person is stuck between the political ups and downs between the two countries.

Randeep Hooda lost 18 kg in 28 days for his role in Sarbjit. (Twitter)

The actor was speaking at a special prayer meet organised to commemorate the third death anniversary of Sarbajit who died on May 2, 2013. The films entire cast, including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Richa Chaddha, Darshan Kumar and producer Jacky Bhagnani were also present along with Sarbajits sister Dalbir Kaur, his wife and a daughter.

Watch: Randeep, Aishwarya, Richa in a haunting new song from Sarbjit

Dalbir, complimented Aishwarya Rai and said she was proud of her. Aishwarya is like my younger sister. I saw a lot of me in her. It mustve been difficult for her to adapt to Punjabi culture, language. It mustve have been emotional for her too. I feel extremely proud of her and Randeep, Dalbir said.

Watch Sarbjit trailer

The Jazbaa star, who was visibly emotional along with the entire cast and crew after Dalbirs speech, said she was honoured to play the part. It is their (familys) story, their film, they have a birth right to be privy and yet they extended liberty, faith and grace, which is truly commendable. You story does need to reach far and wide, Aishwarya said.

Read | We had tears in our eyes: Dalbir Kaur on Sarbjit trailer

Sarbjit is scheduled to release on May 20.

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Vidya Balan says because of her films and the amount of time she spends in Kolkata, people often think she is a Bengali. Vidya made her debut in films in a leading role with the Bengali movie Bhalo Theko in 2003 before debuting in Bollywood with Parineeta.

The 38-year-old Ishqiya star will be next seen in Te3n which is set in Kolkata. I dont think there is a question of returning to Kolkata because I spend half my days there invariably. But it was wonderful. People are so warm and welcoming, my debut film was a Bengali film, even before Parineeta, so they actually think I am Bengali, said Vidya.

Read: Women are breaking stereotypes, says Vidya Balan

Read: Vidya Balans Kahaani 2 set to be released on November 25

The actor garnered acclaim for her portrayal of Vidya Bagchi, a pregnant woman searching for her missing husband in Kolkata in Kahaani and will be back to the city for the sequel. Everyone speaks to me in Bengali and I show off my Bengali wherever I can, I know songs, rhymes and slangs... When I am in Kolkata, I dont miss home that much. I am back there for Kahaani 2 now and it feels we went there for Te3n and just stayed back.

Directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, Te3n also features megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and is about a crime that affects its three lead characters.

Read: Why is Vidya Balan travelling in local trains in Kolkata?

Read: When Vidya Balan thought her marriage worked against her career

Bachchan, 73, stars in the film as John Biswas, a grandfather on the pursuit of justice since eight years while Siddiqui plays Father Martin Das, whose life was changed forever by the same crime that claimed the life of Johns granddaughter.

Vidya will be seen in a special appearance as the cop who swings into action when an identical crime is repeated eight years later.

Vidya says it was nice to work with Nawazuddin after their hit film Kahaani. Nawaz and I were meeting in Kolkata after six years, after we shot Kahaani. In these six years post Kaahani we hadnt met at all. Both of us had lots of films in between but it was nice catching up with him and working. Most of my scenes are with Nawaz.

Watch: Vidya Balan, Nawazuddin in Te3N trailer

The actor learnt how to drive for her role and says filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, who is the creative producer in Te3n, was her driving instructor. I know how to drive but Ive never been a confident driver but for this I wanted to do it myself so I actually drove around Kolkata. Sujoy was my driving instructor. Thats the only real preparation I did.

The film is scheduled to release on June 10.

Follow @htshowbiz for more.
Most of the blue-chip public sector companies (PSUs) lined up for disinvestment this year are reluctant to allow the government to reduce its stake.

Stake dilutions in the past have shown that there is no retail appetite and in the run up to the disinvestment there is a significant depreciation of the share prices.

So the government is now exploring the option of stake sale in selected PSUs by offering shares only to institutional investors  foreign as well as domestic  through the Institutional Placement Programme (IPP).

The department of disinvestment had, last year, also sought tax incentives for retail buyers in order to increase participation. Nothing has materialised on that front so far.

At present, the government reserves 20% of the issue size for retail investors, who are allowed to invest up to `2 lakh in the offer for sale (OFS). Also a 5% discount is offered to them over the bid price

The government has always used the OFS or follow-on public offer (FPO) route for disinvestments.

In the past we have seen that correct market timing for both OFS or FPO is very difficult. The portions reserved for retail investment have remained unsubscribed and then LIC (LIfe Insurance Corporation) has been called in to buy that, said a top official in the finance ministry, who did not wish to be named.

The finance ministry has drawn up a list of 16 candidates eligible for disinvestment such as ONGC, Oil India and Coal India. Most of these PSUs refused to comment saying that they will follow government policy on disinvestment.

An official in one of the 16 PSUs for disinvestment said that OFS and FPOs do little justice to their real worth. We have stellar balance sheets, huge cash reserves but because of bad market timing our stake sale sees little interest, said the official.

In 2012, market regulator Sebi allowed companies to take the IPP route to meet the minimum public shareholding norm. According to the rules, listed PSUs will have to raise their public shareholding to 25% by August 21, 2017.

Under IPP, the government can dilute up to 10% stake to qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) only. Also 25% of the shares have to be reserved for mutual funds and domestic institutions.

Sebis norms aimed to raise retail investment in PSUs and the IPP route would defeat that purpose. The institutions buying PSU stake will off-load them in the market at a correct time and then they can be bought by retail investors, said the government official quoted earlier.

The official further clarified that this proposal to follow the IPP route has already been cleared by a cabinet sub-committee, which includes the finance minister among others.

The government has set a disinvestment target of `56,500 crore for this 2016-17. It has raised `2,700 crore by divesting 11.36% stake in NHPC so far this fiscal.

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Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday reiterated that the government will not roll back the 1% excise on non-silver jewellery and said the levy was not applicable on small traders and artisans and only jewellers with more than Rs 12 crore turnover will attract the duty.

I have not been able to understand the politics of hatred for suit but the love for gold, Jaitley said while replying to a debate on the Finance Bill 2016 as he took potshots at Congress, which is opposing the levy of excise duty.

The Finance Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha.

The finance minister proposed excise duty of 1% on jewellery without input credit or 12.5% with input tax credit on articles of jewellery, excluding silver jewellery other than those studded with diamonds and some other precious stones. The government move is aimed at bringing the gems and jewellery industry that is still largely an unorganised sector into the tax net.

The jewellers and bullion traders in the country responded by launching a nationwide strike for more than 40 days.

The government has set up a committee under former chief economic advisor Ashok Lahiri to look into the demand of agitating jewellers and also into their grievances with regard to compliance and operating procedures for payment of excise duty.

The government refused to budge from its stance as Jaitley clarified in Parliament late last month that gold cannot remain out of the tax net when goods used by common people were being taxed.

Political parties including ally Shiv Sena, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the Trinamool Congress have also opposed the governments move saying small artisans are facing harassment because of the levy.

The Shiv Sena had said in Parliament that the levy was imposed even earlier in 2005, 2012 and was withdrawn following protests.

I do not understand the logic behind imposing excise duty on jewellery. Once GST comes in, central excise will get abolished then what is the necessity of imposing it now ... The government should introspect it, it should be rolled back, Senas Arvind Sawant said during the discussion on the Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

We were the people who opposed it, including the present Prime Minister ... It should be rolled back ... There is no ego issue, he said.

During the discussion, Jaitley also said the tax notices have been sent to all those who were named in the Panama Paper that revealed offshore companies were set up by politicians, actors, businessmen and others across the world to stash illegal money abroad.

Over 500 Indians were named in the expose by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and over 100 global media organisations in their investigation.

Addressing the bad loans situation, Jaitley said the non-performing assets (NPAs) of banks is an issue of concern.

Hiding NPAs will not resolve the problem and they should be reflected in balance sheets and addressed through capitalisation, the minister said.

The government shall bring the banks out of the NPA mess, he said.

Bad debts have hampered banks ability to lend and are becoming a road block in the revival of the economy. Indias $121 billion troubled debt pile, over $100 billion of which is on the books of state-owned banks, has come under close scrutiny from prosecutors, the media and politicians.

Jaitley also said it is difficult to say how long global headwinds would persist, but Indian economy is doing much better than others. India continues to maintain a high growth rate at 7.65% in 2015-16 compared to 7.2% in 2014-15, he added.

He further expressed confidence in the growth projections for the country, saying good monsoon will aid in accelerating economic growth.

After two years of drought, if the forecast of better monsoon rains this year holds good, it will improve agriculture and raise rural income, he said.

The economy, which had been expanding on the strength of public investment, highest foreign direct investment (FDI) and urban demand, can grow faster if rural demand is added, he said.

Indian economy is projected to grow by 7.5% in the current year. Latest forecasts predict above-average rainfall in India after two years of drought.

(With inputs from PTI)
The government will not roll back 1% excise duty on gold jewellery, finance minister Arun Jaitley has said of the decision that prompted jewellers to go strike for more than a month.

Rejecting opposition parties demand, the minister said on Thursday the levy, proposed in the budget, was only applicable on jewellers with an annual turnover of more than Rs 12 crore and not on small traders and artisans.

Tax will have to be paid but we will ensure that there is no harassment of jewellers, Jaitley said replying to a discussion on the finance bill that was passed in the Lok Sabha. Parties including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress had opposed the move, citing harassment of artisans because of the levy.

Jewellery, which could be classified as a luxury item, couldnt be kept out of the ambit of excise duty as the country was moving towards the goods and services tax, the minister said.

Indias most ambitious tax reform, the GST will subsume all indirect taxes and create one national market.

Taking on the Congress, Jaitley said if the party was upset about the duty, it should bring down the value-added tax on jewellery in Kerala, where it was in power, from 5% to 1% as was in other states.

It is quite disappointing however we are trying to convince the industry to resolve the matter, but the government on its part needs to co-operate with the industry, Ashok Minawala of All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation said.

The jewellers called off the strike last month following the governments assurance that excise officials wont bother them.

Every year, India imports around 1,000 tonnes of gold, which impacts the countrys foreign exchange reserves.

The minister also told the House that 33 tax officers were compulsorily retired and 72 dismissed in keeping with the Modi governments perform or perish mantra.
The Uttarakhand Congress accused the BJP and the Centre of using the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to carry out a sting operation against former chief minister Harish Rawat in order to prepare the ground to impose Presidents rule in the state.

State Congress president Kishor Upadhyay on Wednesday said using AAI at Dehradun airport for the sting operation was a breach of security of the strategically important institution. He said the Congress will register an objection with AAI and question how electronic gadgets were allowed inside the airport.

Airport Authority of India should have taken notice of the facts and lodged its complaint against the Centre. How did they allow a sting operation inside the core area of airport? It is a serious breach of security at the airport.

Read: Centre considering Uttarakhand floor test, to reply in SC tomorrow

Dehradun Airport is nearest airport to the Indo-China border. If that can happen at the airport it can also take place at other defence and intelligence installations, Upadhyay said.

Upadhyay said the party is expecting to get the sting CD from the governor soon and it will shown to the public. The first public show of the CD will be done by the Congress in front of Mahatmas Gandhis statue at Gandhi Park. After that,0 it will be shown in 200 other places across the state to let people of Uttarakhand judge the real culprits themselves. The Congress will go by the peoples verdict on the CD, not by the Centre or BJPs, he said.

The Congress chief also asked the governor how the nine Congress rebel legislators were allowed to profess their status as sitting MLAs despite their disqualification from the House. Even the governors formal communications and releases mention the rebels as MLAs. It should be stopped immediately. We will take up the matter with the governor he said.

Read: Ukhand HC chief justice, who nixed Prez rule, transferred to Andhra
JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was admitted to the AIIMS on Thursday after his health deteriorated on the eighth day of indefinite hunger strike.

Kanhaiya, along with a group of other students, have been protesting against punishments meted out to them by the university in connection with a controversial event on Parliament attack death convict Afzal Guru.

Some students were rusticated while some were handed fines after a high-level committee probed the event, in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

During the day, Kanhaiya Kumar  who had earlier been arrested in a sedition case over the February event and is out on bail  was first taken to JNUs health centre in a semi-conscious state. Later on, he was referred to emergency ward of AIIMS from there.

Five other students, who were also on hunger strike, withdrew from the protest due to their deteriorating health conditions.

Kanhaiyas BP dropped to 56 and his glucose levels also dipped drastically. He has been vomiting since last night. He was taken to the JNU health centre in a semi-conscious state and the doctor warned him of chances of internal bleeding if he continued with the fast, a statement by the JNU students union said.

He is now in AIIMS in the emergency ward. We are very concerned about his health, a friend said.

The health condition of others is also deteriorating. They have each lost around 4-5 kgs but they will continue till they defeat the administration, the union had earlier said.

A total of 25 students were on hunger strike since last Thursday. While 5 members of ABVP called off their fast on Wednesday claiming they have an assurance from JNU administration about consideration of their demands, five members from Left-affiliated groups withdrew their protests on Thursday.

In a note to students, JNU vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar had said, Hunger strike is an unlawful activity and a harmful method of protest that adversely affects the health and career of students. The administration urges the students to use constitutional means to put forth demands, if any.
The Delhi cabinet on Wednesday approved setting up of a memorial for former president APJ Abdul Kalam at Dilli Haat in south Delhi.

The Department of Art and Culture will be the nodal department for the project. It has been decided that the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) will be assigned the work of setting-up this memorial.

The Aam Aadmi Party government decided to set up the memorial after APJ Mohamed Muthu Meeran Lebbal Maraikayar, the elder brother of Dr Kalam -- in his letter addressed to the Delhi chief minister -- had requested the Delhi government to set up a Kalam National Centre for Knowledge Discovery in New Delhi.

This issue had also stoked political slugfests between the AAP government and the Centre after the latter decided to transport Dr Kalams belongings to his hometown from 10, Rajaji Marg -- the official residence of Kalam after his term got over -- in Lutyens Delhi. The bungalow was later allotted to Union culture minister, Mahesh Sharma.

Earlier this month, the AAP government brought back a truckload of possessions, belongings and personal artefacts belonging to Kalam from his hometown Rameshwaram. The belongings are currently kept in the Delhi Assembly complex.

Sources said the Finance Department will also provide R 6.5 crore to the Art and Culture department for the purpose.

It has also been decided that a committee of researchers, architects of DTTDC and an ex-curator of the national museum will be formed for preparing a DPR. A sum of Rs 5.29 crore has been sanctioned for the purpose, an official said.
The sister of Sajid, the alleged Jaish-e-Mohammad operative who was apprehended on Tuesday night, has junked all allegations against her brother.

Can a 250 gram bottle of paint, batteries, iron bolts and machine oil make a bomb? If he was making bombs in the basement, why would he allow kids of the house to play there while he worked? Would he take the risk to prepare bombs inside the house where he grew up, knowing it may blow up and burn down the house? Mehsabi asked.

Sajid was arrested from Northeast Delhis Chand Bagh on Wednesday along with two others on charges of being an alleged JeM operative and making improvised explosive devices.

Police claimed Sajid along with his associates made and assembled IEDs in his basement of his house.

Mehsabi said Sajid, who ran a tailoring business from his basement for the past four years, was being framed by the police and that the raw material to make IEDs seized by the special cell team from the house was used in the upkeep of the sewing machines.

Read: They learnt bomb-making online, say police

They took whatever they could find. They took a steel pipe lying in the basement after we recently got the renovation done. They took shaving razors, batteries, lubrication oil, paint and carbon powder used in the sewing machines. They even took an I-pod battery, a screwdriver and a small clock hanging on the wall. These are items you would find in any household or a small time factory. Contrary to the polices claim, no bomb was found in our basement, she said.

At 10.30 on Tuesday night, the special cell team knocked at Sajids door. Sajid was in the mosque to offer namaz. The moment he returned, he was apprehended, the sister said.

They came in civil clothes, broke the door and barged in. When we asked who they were, they pushed me. They started searching the house and started throwing things around. They told us they will shoot us in the head if we tried to interfere, Sajids mother Aamna said. Everyone had access to that basement and he never locked it. If he was making bombs, he would have done it secretly, she added.

Families of the nine people apprehended on Tuesday night had similar stories to share. My nephew had just returned from the mosque when five men, including two in uniform came, and asked for him, Shaheen, Shequawats aunt, said.

They did not even let him wear his shirt and dragged him out. I ran behind them and fell on their feet requesting to at least tell me where they are taking him, but they threatened to shoot us, she said.

Also read: Delhi cops arrest 3 JeM terrorists after six-month covert operation
Delhi Traffic Police may use helicopters in the future to monitor traffic and even provide assistance in medical emergencies, the Centre told the Delhi High Court on Thursday.

In a report submitted to the court on reducing traffic congestion -- a major source of air pollution -- the Centre said the traffic police were working on such a plan.

During the meeting of joint secretary (UT) held on April 22, 2016, Delhi Police informed thata tentative requirement for use of helicopters for monitoring traffic situation in Delhi on annual basis is being worked out, the report said.

It said the traffic police were in deliberation with the state-owned Pawan Han for the project.

The Delhi traffic police was given permission to hire helicopters from Pawan Hans in 2015 to monitor the traffic situation during major diversions for festivals.

A bench of Justice BD Ahmed and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, which was hearing a public interest litigation on air pollution, pointed out that funds given to traffic police four years ago had remained unused.

The traffic police said it had utilised only R 100.67 crore of the R275.08 crore given to it under the 12th plan in 2012 to modernise the traffic and communication network.

The bench told the traffic police to come up with a plan and a timeline to utilise the remaining funds by the next date of hearing on May 19.

The HC expressed concern over the growth in fuel loss due to idling traffic at intersections and jams. It asked the authorities to implement the integrated traffic management system to reduce congestion.

The bench directed the government to submit a report indicating the total forest and ridge area in the capital.

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The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has issued a notice to the principal of Hindu College for not providing accommodation to girls in the newly constructed hostel.

The college has been seeing protests by students who are opposing the high fees and alleged discriminatory rules for the new girls hostel.

The college had recently issued a circular saying that it will not admit students to its new girls hostel this year.

DCW officials said that the commission had received a representation from students of the college regarding the high fee structure and discriminatory rules for the 200-seat hostel.

The representation states that the college is not yet providing accommodation to girls in the hostel despite the hostel having been constructed. The same has been highlighted in a newspaper report in a leading daily, DCW said in its notice on Wednesday.

The notice, issued to Hindu College principal Anju Srivastava, said that it has been reported that the decision of not providing hostel has been taken in the wake of protests by students against discriminatory practices and rules of the college against girl students.

Prima facie, such an act by the college appears to be discriminatory and a violation of the Constitutional rights of women. The fact that a prestigious college such as Hindu College has allegedly taken such a step is even more disturbing, the notice said.

A DCW official said that the college has been asked to respond to all allegations raised in the complaint received from the students of Hindu College. The principal has been asked to send her reply within 48 hours of the notice. Failing which appropriate action, under law will be taken, officials said.

Recently, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has also issued a notice to the college on same issue.
The odd-even plan, though brought relief to Delhis air, is only an emergency plan and no one should be exempted from it, said Centre for Science and Environment.

The research organisations chairperson Sunita Narain stressed the need for permanent measures to stop pollution.

Today the air in Delhi is so polluted, action needs to be taken now. Odd-even is an emergency measure. It cannot be brought often or everyday. But when it is brought, it will have an impact on pollution, she said.

She said that clear gains in air quality were seen during odd-even and had it not been for the crop-burning in Punjab and Haryana, the second week of the restriction would have seen better air. No one, including women, should be exempted from the scheme, she said.

Narain hailed the Centres decision to skip Bharat Stage 5 fuel standard for vehicles and instead move to stricter Stage 6 by 2020.

Also read: Cab ban may deal a billion- dollar blow to industry, fears Nasscom

We condemn the misleading number game and motivated campaign of the auto industry to claim that vehicles in Delhi are an insignificant source of pollution and should be left alone. The actions taken, such as environment compensation charge (on trucks) and ban on waste burning have started to show results and this cannot be derailed, she said.

She said the increased registration of diesel cars was a problem as they dont meet emission norms even in western countries.

The Volkswagen scandal clearly showed that diesel cars are not meeting the norms. We should look at Beijing where sale of diesel vehicles is banned. They also have the Euro 5 emission standards while in Delhi we have the Euro 4 emission norms, she said.

Narain also said that the imposition of the environment compensation charge on trucks had helped bring down the number of trucks entering the city by 50% and that night-time pollution levels have fallen significantly since implementation in November. Trucks are allowed inside city limits between 11 pm and 6 am.


Over hundred parents staged a silent protest outside the Delhi Public School in Mathura Road against its move to not roll-back the fee hike despite Delhi governments order.

However, the school authorities said that only private schools need government permission for hiking fees as they are built on land alloted by DDA/other government agencies on concessional rates, and the Mathura road branch of DPS has a different land deed.

Delhi government had last month ordered DPS Mathura Road and DPS Rohini to rollback fee hike and refund the increased fee collected by the schools in the academic session 2016-17.

The move came after over 400 parents from both the schools approached Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia with a complaint alleging that the schools have arbitrarily hiked the fee.

Sisodia had also directed the Directorate of Education (DoE) to take necessary action against the errant schools that have not only hiked fees but also compelled students to buy books from private publishers.

DPS Rohini had announced rollback of the increased fee.

However, agitated parents on Thursday claimed that the Mathura Road branch has refused to do so claiming they have communicated their response to DoE and are waiting to hear from them.

Despite government order, the school has not rolled back the hiked fee. They claim that they have replied to the DOE order on fee roll back and are waiting for a response, said one of the parents.

The parents also claimed that the fee has been hiked by 17 to 20% this year amounting to annual fees of Rs 1,25,000 to Rs 1,40,000 per annum per student.

There has been a systematic fee hike which comes to over 200% during last 6 years. Many parents are struggling to pay the increased fee while no additional facilities are being provided in the school, another parent said.

School Principal Manohar Lal said that the land deed of the school does not have the clause to take permission from government before fee hike.

The allotment letter given to us based on the land deed in 70s does not require us to take prior permission. We have replied to the notice from DOE and are awaiting their response, he said.

The government has asked private schools to seek prior sanction from DoE before increasing student fee and submit detailed proposals in this regard latest by May 31.

Key documents including details of receipts and payment account, income and expenditure account, balance sheet for the years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 along with budget estimates for the ensuing year, statement of salary disbursed to staff, and detail of all funds-- reserve, general and gratuity, also need to be submitted by the schools.
The mysterious death of journalist Pooja Tiwari took a twist on Thursday when the Faridabad police arrested a Haryana Police inspector in connection with the case.

The inspector, Amit Kumar, was present at the fifth-floor flat in Sector 46 from where Pooja allegedly fell to her death.

The police also claimed to have found a suicide note left by Pooja. The alleged suicide note, police said, was found by Amit.

Amit claimed he found the note in his bag. The police will send it for forensic analysis to examine its authenticity.

We arrested Amit Kumar in an abetment to suicide case after family members of the deceased gave a supplementary statement, said Hanif Qureshi, commissioner of police, Faridabad.

The alleged suicide note blames the doctor couple, Anil Goyal and Archana Goyal, and media persons who allegedly ran stories after an FIR of extortion was registered against her.

Tiwari, who till recently worked with a national media portal, was facing charges of extortion leveled by the couple. She had claimed in an article that the couple provided access to medical termination of pregnancy kits

Amit gave us a suicide note which he said he found in his bag, deputy commissioner of police (NIT) PC Panwar said, adding, The note points fingers at the doctor couple. We are in the process of sending it for forensic examination.

Poojas family members had earlier also accused the couple of abetting her suicide.

Panwar said: During questioning, Amit repeatedly said Pooja was disturbed with the FIR registered against her.

Questions were being raised about Amits presence in the flat and the police allegedly avoiding his medical examination to check if he too was drunk at the time of the incident.

Also read: She wouldnt take own life, says Indore-based scribe Poojas father

The social media is also abuzz with netizens accusing police of not taking the investigation seriously as a cop was found inside the flat when the incident took place.

Amit was attached with the DGP headquarters in Panchkula after his presence was established in the flat.

Anil Goyal rejected the charges against him and his wife. Why did it take the police four days to recover suicide note? he asked.

An FIR of abetment to suicide has already been registered against him and his wife.

We had lodged a complaint against the journalist and never followed it up and in the meantime if any incident takes place, how is the complainant responsible for that? asked Goyal.

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Public memory is fickle. So is their reaction to different episodes of similar nature. Take for example, the rape and murder of a 30-year-old Dalit woman at Perumbavoor in Kerala on April 28. The brutality of the incident is a chilling reminder of the 2012 gang rape case in Delhi but the public reaction to it has been nothing like what we saw in Delhi.

This unnervingly indifferent reaction to the case, however, should not worry us excessively; instead, what should worry us much, much more is the time-lapse in the reaction of the local police to the repeated demands of the victims family for security cover.

According to news reports, the victims mother, a daily wage labourer, had given written complaints to the police that her daughter, a law graduate, was being stalked and harassed by a relative of a panchayat member and that both had got death threats from the man. At the time of going to press, the police have not been able to arrest the culprits but the government has removed a police officer from the team investigating the case.

Read | Kerala woman raped and killed, intestines ripped out in attack

The initial lackadaisical approach of the police raises a critical question: Did the police look the other way because the victim was a Dalit? And a rhetorical one: Why are political parties playing politics over the rape and murder when what they should be doing is push the police to bring the culprit to book?

Read | Kerala Dalit rape case: Rs 10 lakh compensation for victims kin

The BJP on Tuesday attacked the Congress, saying its vice-president Rahul Gandhi was quick in rushing to different states over Dalit issues but has refrained from making a comment on the incident. While we know such cases are live ammunition for the Opposition during an election season, parties should desist from petty politics; instead, they should pressure the police to nab the culprits. Its just another case of the pot calling the kettle black: If it was the BJP on the backfoot in the Rohith Vemula case, in Kerala, its the Congress.

Read | RS members raise issue of Kerala rapes, demand exemplary punishment

Caught in the storm, the Kerala chief minister went into damage-control overdrive: He tweeted that the government will give Rs 10 lakh compensation for the Perumbavoor mishap victims family and a government job to the victims sister. Instead of making promises that will take years to bear fruit, it would have been better had the CM not softened the nomenclature of the crime (mishap), explained to us why the police failed to stick to the rule book in the first place and ensured a through and quick probe. For a victims family, a closure is always more important than a cash handout from the very State that has failed to do its primary duty of ensuring their security.
Students applying online for first-year junior college (FYJC) seats this year will have to take more care while filling the application forms.

Reason: They will not be allowed to shift to another college once they are allotted a place. The admission process to junior college has been streamlined this year after direction from the Bombay high court.

This was after a Pune resident filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the court last year, claiming that the online entrance admission conducted for the past four years for Class XI in Mumbai and Pune regions was faulty and there are deficiencies in conducting the same.

The court had directed the government to streamline the process. The deputy directorate of education has decided not to allow students who have been allotted a seat online to change their college later.

For this reason, education officials from the deputy directorate of education, Mumbai region, have warned students to choose colleges carefully while filling the application f or m. Students have been asked to select those colleges whose cut-offs are at least 5% less than their expected scores.

One of the most common mistakes that students make while applying online is not selecting the colleges realistically, said BB Chavan, deputy director of education. As a result, they end up in a college that was not their top preference.

In the past, students always had the option of cancelling their provisional admission taken to a seat allotted to them online and then choosing a college of their choice offline. This year, colleges will not be allowed to admit students who have been allotted seat anywhere else in the online process. The students will be tracked by their unique identification (UID) number, which colleges will have to enter into the system before admitting any student.

If the UID number of the applicant shows that he or she has already been allotted an online seat, then colleges will not be able to give admission to that child offline, said Chavan. We were forced to introduce this rule as it was defeating the purpose of online admissions.

Chavan added, Although the offline admissions would be opened once the online process ended, they were technically meant for those students who were not allotted a single seat in the online admissions but we found that as many as 70% students would give up their online seats for better colleges offline.

Earlier, too, the directorate had tried to curb this practice by asking colleges to stamp t he original documents of the students at the time of confirming online admission but the move was opposed by the Maharashtra Navanirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) and was later withdrawn.

Even the new rule has drawn flak from students and school principals, saying that it is against an individuals freedom of choice. Students should be free to choose where they want to study, said Rohan B hat, the chairperson of Childrens Academy Group of Schools in Kandivli and Malad.

If an aspirant is not happy with the seat allotted to him online, he should be able to change to any other college of his choice if there are vacancies.

Students also called t he new rule unfair, as they will be forced to study in whichever college that they get allotted online. We have to fill up as many as 50 preferences in the online form even if we dont really have that many preferences, said Shruti Das, an FYJC aspirant from Malad. As a result, sometimes we end up listing a college just to complete the required number of preferences. If the government is not allowing us to switch colleges offline, then they should at least change the rules of application.

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Around four lakh medical aspirants across Maharashtra appeared for the states Common Entrance Test (MH-CET) on Thursday amid an uncertainty over the validity of the examination.

Maharashtra has filed a review petition against the court order that all states will have to follow National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) and has asked either for an exemption from the national level entrance test altogether or implementation of the same only in 2018.

The Supreme Court (SC) is likely to deliver its verdict later in the day on Maharashtra governments plea to allow the states common entrance test for admission to medical and dental courses.

On April 29, the SC had cleared the decks for holding NEET for admission to medical and dental colleges. The ruling came two days before the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) was scheduled to conduct the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) on May 1. The AIPMT was rechristened as NEET Phase 1.

Read more: NEET or MH-CET? Students worried as Maha schedules test on May 5

The second phase of NEET will be on July 24. It will give an opportunity to over 2.5 lakh students who could not take the first phase of the exam. The combined results will be declared on August 17.

The SC recalled its 2013 judgement that had declared NEET illegal and unconstitutional on April 11 , saying the verdict was delivered without a proper discussion between the bench members.

Students and parents, however, are praying that the apex court decides in favour of the state.

My daughter did go for the exam today, but she wasnt sure if it will be of any use. Had the judgement been delivered earlier, it would have led to more chaos, a parent said.

She added that although her daughter had appeared for NEET Phase I, she had exclusively prepared for the state entrance test.

Another parent, whose daughter had not registered for AIPMT, has pinned all her hopes on the CET.

My daughter was nervous before appearing for the exam today, as this is her second attempt at cracking CET. She doesnt have any plans to appear for NEET phase II on July 24, as there is a slim chance of her performing in it. We have decided to place her fate in the hands of God now, she said.

The CET holds the key for several professional undergraduate programmes such as engineering, pharmacy, hospitality, para-medical courses, besides medical and dental courses.

Around 1.4 lakh candidates had registered for physics-chemistry-biology (PCB) combination and a similar number who opted for physics-chemistry-mathematics-biology (PCMB) combine are eligible for admission in MBBS and BDS.

However, many of these candidates opt for pharmacy and para-medical courses.
Dissatisfied with the inordinate delay in appointing a regulator for distance education, a parliamentary standing committee has asked human resource development ministry to expedite it .

The promotion of a Punjab government employee has been held up by his department because his graduation degree, through open and distance learning (ODL) mode is invalid. The programme he had taken up had not been authorised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). There is now virtually no scope of growth in his career. Alarmed by the increasing number of colleges and universities offering unauthorised courses, jeopardising the careers of lakhs of students studying through ODL mode, a parliamentary standing committee on human resource development (HRD) has asked the HRD ministry to implement the Distance Education Council of India (DECI) Bill which advocates jail terms for authorities in such institutes.

Every year approximately 35 lakh to 40 lakh students take up ODL degree and post degree courses in India. Many educational institutions are bypassing rules framed by the University Grants Commission, the present regulator of such programmes. Instead of taking action against the institutes, UGC is not validating degrees of students from the universities, says the state government staffer. UGC too has refused to honour my degree. In Punjab, hundreds of institutes have affiliations from universities of other states and all of them are openly offering degrees. In April 2015, the parliamentary standing committee had asked MHRD to speed up the enactment of the DECI Bill. After almost a year, on March 16, in a report presented to the Rajya Sabha, the committee said the ODL education system, catering to a large section of the country, needed a regulatory body to oversee ODL education system. It asked for the DECI Bill to be brought before Parliament without losing further time.

The committee, chaired by Satyanarayan Jatiya, a senior leader from the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party, also reiterated its earlier recommendation to give the Distance Education Council (DEC) a statutory status to regulate distance learning. The present arrangement, replacing DEC with UGC was neither practicable nor legally tenable, it said.

The HRD ministry had abolished DEC, the regulator of open and distance learning under the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Act 1985, through an administrative order on December 29, 2012 and its mandate was given to UGC. This ad hoc arrangement, experts say, is not legally viable because an administrative order cant undo anything created by a law passed by Parliament.

Amidst the debate, the two issues which are hampering ODL students careers are  territorial jurisdiction and illegal and unspecified degrees. UGC issued a circular in June 2013 to restrict a state/private university from offering courses beyond its state boundaries. Private universities, however, continue to bend the rules. Most of them offer courses not approved by DEC. Many universities have been given subject-wise approval but they claim to have the approvals for all courses. Students pursuing invalid degrees suffer setbacks when these are not honoured by UGC, says senior UGC official.

Unspecified degrees are those courses whose nomenclatures are not approved by the UGC.

In Capital Delhi, too, hundreds of institutes affiliated to state/private universities of other states, are offering degree courses which are illegal, as defined by UGCs circular. Since the UGC is a mute spectator in this case, lakhs of students will miss out on good career opportunities, the UGC official adds.

Experts say that the DECI Bill, which is under consideration in the HRD ministry for the past three years should address these issues and be enacted as soon as possible.

The UGC, as a regulator, has been oblivious to the lack of quality and efficiency in functioning of ODL institutions. I think the government should expedite enactment of draft DECI bill to protect the interests of the students, says MM Ansari, former member, UGC.
Experts say students who are waiting for the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) to declare the results of its Class 10 or ICSE and Class 12 or ISC examination on Thursday, should hold their nerves.

The results, to be declared at 3pm, are being announced two weeks ahead of the schedule as the Council introduced a new technique Live Ink Character Recognition (LICR).

LICR captures and digitalises marks entered on the top sheets of answer scripts and instantly encrypts and transfers the captured data to the Councils cloud-based servers directly from the evaluation centres.

Gerry Arathoon, chief executive and secretary of the council, said the Council is the first examination board in the world to introduce the LICR system.

I wish the students of both the ICSE and ISC all the best for their forthcoming board examination results to be declared on May 6, 2016, Arathoon said.

The hard work and the unflinching commitment of the staff of the Council along with the new LICR technology have helped to publish the results two weeks earlier than previous years. This will help our students to seek admission to institutions for higher studies, he added.

Not the end of life

This year 42,880 students took the ISC exam, which began on February 8 and got over on April 8, from all over the country. The ICSE exam that started on February 29 and concluded on March 31 saw 1,69,381 students writing the papers.

Unlike CBSE, ICSE is yet to adopt the grading system and gives out marks and percentage so the sense of competition is higher among Class 10 students from this board.

Academicians and ICSE authorities have urged the students to hold their nerves during results and not get carried away. Psychiatrists also warn that the sense of competition may lead to depression if results do not come out well and urged parents to be extra cautious while reacting to the results.

It is not the end of life, it is just the beginning. Dont get disappointed if you fail to meet expectations of your family and teachers. Your hard work will eventually pay off, Father Ajit Xess, principal of Ranchis St Xaviers School, said.

Xess, who is the coordinator for ICSE in the state, asked the parents to support their children.

Dr Amool Ranjan, head of the clinical psychiatry department of Ranchi Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Allied Sciences (RINPAS), also asked parents to be careful while reacting to the results.

Parents need to be calm and realise that their reactions leave a strong impact on their childs psychology. Never use demotivating words for your child or punish him for not faring well in the exams, Ranjan said.

Read more: Girls outshine boys in ICSE, ISC 2015 exam results

Nervous students in Kolkata

Students in Kolkata were a nervous lot a day before the results are to be announced.

I know my hands will become cold when I will type my unique ID on the website to view the result. It happened to me even when my ICSE exam result got published, Ritabhash Bagchi, who took the ISC exam from Methodist School in West Bengals Dankuni, said.

The principal of South City International School in Kolkata John Bagul is also waiting for the results eagerly.

This year, I am awaiting the results both as a principal as well as a father. My daughter has taken the ISC exam he said with a smile.

Bagul said the news that the results will be published ahead of scheduled time has earned cheers from teachers but students are unhappy with the decision.

My students are unhappy with the early publication of the result as their freedom would be cut short. Once the result is out, it would be study time again. But, the teachers feel an early result would help the students in the long run as they can start their Class 11 early, he said.

In West Bengal, 21,451 students took the Class 12 exams and 31,486 appeared for the Class 10 exams.





Mood in Lucknow

In Lucknow, Class 12 students were more relaxed than their juniors who were anxiously waiting for the results.

St Agnes Loretos Saher Khan, who took the ICSE examination, said she is a little concerned as this is her first board exams.

But, thankfully my parents have made my life easy and comfortable as they are repeatedly saying not to worry too much about marks. This has really taken the pressure away, Khan said.

Gaurav of City Montessori School told Hindustan Times he has done his bit in his ISC exams and hopes that results will be satisfactory.

Read more: 2 UP boys clinch 2nd position in ICSE 2015 exams

Im expecting good marks in mathematics. I had prepared well. Alongside competitive exams, I prepared for the boards too. Marks and numbers are equally important. I left nothing for the last moment, he said.

Tanmay Subhash is also hoping for high marks. I really worked hard for the exam and results should be satisfactory, he said.

Some took to prayers and others decided to spend time with family and friends before the announcement of the results.

Niladri, a Class 12 student of La Martiniere College, even went to watch a movie with his friends.

I have done well in competitive examinations. And Im expecting to score high in boards too, he said.

Relaxed students in Ranchi

A majority of students in Jharkhand sounded relaxed a day before the result. Most of the Class 12 students have been busy with preparations for competitive exams, while many Class 10 students are spending their vacation in other cities.

There are 120 ICSE affiliated schools in Jharkhand and 4,000 students from having appeared in the ISC exams while 10,000 have taken the ICSE exams.

Bhola Kumar, a Class 10 student of Bishop Westcott Boys School in the state capital, said he was spending his vacation in his hometown of Giridih since the exams got over.

I am excited, a bit nervous, though. I just hope the results come out on time and the wait gets over, he said.

Neeraj Naval, from St Xaviers Ranchi, has been busy with cricket coaching since his exams got over.

I am expecting good marks. There is obviously a bit of nervousness, but I want to take it positively, he said.
The Supreme Court is likely to decide on Thursday whether state governments can continue with their entrance examinations to medical and dental colleges after the top court made Medical Council of Indias (MCI) National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) mandatory from this year.

MCI -- the statutory body that regulates medical profession and education in India  will respond to the applications by the states after which a bench headed by justice AR Dave is likely to give a verdict. The hearing is scheduled for 2pm.

The decision will, however, not affect the states petitions under which they have challenged the common entrance tests validity.

Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat are some of the states that have opposed holding NEET this year on the ground that their exams are pre-scheduled and students have already enroled themselves.

An MCI counsel told Hindustan Times that the apex body does not favour state exams.

We have already argued before the court against it and our stand remains the same. Once the court has ruled on having NEET, the states have no say, the lawyer said.

During a hearing on May 3, the bench voiced its concern over the multiple entrance exams, saying it must be tough for the children and their parents. So many states conduct separate tests. They must be demanding separate fees. What about the parents and students? They have to move from one place to another, the bench noted.

With states and private colleges advocating the need to have their own entrance exam, the bench also asked them whether they have a uniform fee structure.

On April 29, the SC had cleared the decks for holding NEET for admission to medical and dental colleges. The ruling came two days before the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) was scheduled to conduct the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), which was rechristened as NEET.

As per CBSE, the second phase of NEET will be on July 24. It will give an opportunity to over 2.5 lakh students who could not take the first phase of the exam on May 1. The combined results will be declared on August 17.

The SC recalled its 2013 judgement that had declared NEET illegal and unconstitutional on 11 April, saying the verdict was delivered without a proper discussion between the bench members.
Ideas, ideas and more ideas. For students of technical institutes across the country, it was a race to come up with the most innovative ways to simplify day-to-day life.

Students had to come up with innovations in cloud computing, human-machine interface, and the Internet of Things as a part of the recently held Ericsson Innovation Awards India 2016 at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Three winning teams will get financial support of Rs. 13 lakh each to incubate their projects.The three winners will be provided financial support of `13 lakh each towards incubation of the winning projects.The students need to incubate their projects at IIT approved technology business incubators. They will be mentored by Ericsson during the incubation phase. The patents for their innovation remain with the students, says Paolo Colella, head of region India, Ericsson.

Lets take a look at what the winners did.

Making security surveillance safe and cheap

Students from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani designed a device for secure, private, cheap and efficient security checks at various places including banks, defence areas and other high security areas.

Chandradeo Arya, one of the team members said, Currently applied systems based on face, fingerprints, iris recognition have certain limitations. In fingerprint systems, for instance, you have less privacy of data and your fingerprint can be re-developed and used to gain access to your system. Similarly, face recognition requires good lighting condition, and iris based systems are too costly. Arya had seen how a Microsoft Kinect sensor tracked a persons movements and realised its potential to track and recognise movement, body features like the height and length of different body joints. So he, with friends Anuj Bansal and Honney Goyal created a prototype using the Microsoft Kinect sensor that can enable security surveillance by recognising a person based on their way of walking, length of body joints, enabling a better and robust system with full privacy and security.

The only cost involved in creating this prototype was the price of the Microsoft Kinect sensor, which was `10,000. The final product will be cheaper and more accurate. We need to improve its correctness by improving the algorithm currently being used. We also need to make a customised infrared sensor for better tracking, says Arya.

Read more: IIT Madras students have a solution for easier air relief missions

Communicating at speed of light

Now, if you are unable to view the status of your train on the railway information display LCD board, dont panic. The light from LED bulbs around you at the railway station will help you transmit all the data on the display board to your smartphone or laptop. All you need to do is plug a USB dongle to your electronic device, if you are within a range of four metres from the nearest ceiling light bulb.

Four third year students of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay have designed an information broadcasting device (termed beacon) that allows you to transmit information on the nearest digital display boards to your smartphones and laptop using visible light.

Not just a railway station, the students aim to set up this technology at public spaces such as shopping complexes, museums, auto-expos where there is a need for indoor navigation and localised information broadcast.

This is how it works  Every LED bulb will have an electronic module, containing the information, attached to it. Users can access all the information on their laptop or smartphones, by plugging in a USB dongle in their handheld devices. Information is basically encoded in the subtle changes of light intensity which the human eye cannot perceive. So what one gets is an illumination device (LED bulb) which doubles up as information broadcaster.

Dheeraj Kotagiri, Rishabh Gupta, Sambhav Jain and Nithin Murali designed a prototype of both the transmitter to be connected to the LED bulbs and the USB dongle that can receive the information being broadcast with the help of light around it.

The aim of our project is to help solve the problem of Indoor Navigation and localised information broadcasting using a disruptive communication technology known as visual light communication. We found many benefits of this over conventional RF based technologies such as bluetooth and wifi. Due to larger available bandwidth in the visible spectrum, higher data rates and user capacity can be achieved. Also its more secure and cost effective, says Kotagiri.

The most important aspect of this project is that any LED bulb can be converted into a beacon by connecting transmitter module to it which opens us to nearly limitless opportunities.

According to the estimates, the cost of the final product will be `500 for the transmitter LED bulbs. We intend to form a start-up in the field of indoor navigation and location based localised information broadcasting in the near future as we see a huge business opportunity in this field.

Read more: IIIT students make an app to measure sleep

IIT BHU student innovation to help reduce road accident deaths

A smart helmet designed by four Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University students can help keep drunk drivers off the road. Its integrated with the two-wheeler and once worn by the rider, it analyses whether he/she has an allowable alcohol breath level for riding the vehicle. In case of an accident, the helmet will help send the victims location to the ambulance, inform family members and also connect to a cloud server that will offer him/her the necessary medical help immediately.

This helmet will not only keep the riders safe but also pedestrians who might otherwise become victims of drunk driver. The features of our product will help reassure parents that their children are being monitored when they take two-wheelers out on roads, says Naman Singhal, one of the team members.

The helmet is unique to the two-wheeler as the vehicle cannot be started without it, making it theft-proof says the team, comprising Shubham Jaiswal, Rishabh Babeley, Devendra Gupta and Jagjeet Shyamkunwar.

This helmet, named saviour by the team will be sold through the channel of showrooms in Delhi, to start with.

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As many as 272 Indian fishermen are currently lodged in foreign jails, including 220 in Pakistan and 34 in Sri Lanka, the government said on Thursday.

Minister of state for external affairs, V K Singh told the Rajya Sabha that the main reason for frequent arrest of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan authorities was due to the allegation that they indulge in bottom trawling and there being no physical demarcation of international maritime boundaries.

As on date there are only 34 fishermen and 19 boats which are in custody of Sri Lanka. From time to time, government secures the release of Indian fishermen. The last release that took place was of 99 Indian fishermen on April 9 in exchange for 9 Sri Lankan fishermen, he said.

Sri Lankan fishermen accuse Indian fishermen are involved in bottom trawling. Until this practice is stopped, we cannot have an agreement on fishing in each others waters. That is the main reason that is stopping a proper agreement to come into place between two countries, he added, explaining that bottom trawling was considered very deleterious in fishing circles as it wipes out and extensively damages marine life.

Singh, however, assured that the government had accorded the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian fishermen and provides regular consular access to those detained in foreign countries to secure their early release.

Commenting on Pakistan, Singh said that according to the bilateral agreement reached in May 2008, the India-Pakistan Joint Judicial Committee  which consists of retired judges of superior judiciary from the two countries  is meeting every six months and visiting jails to ensure the humane treatment and expeditious release of prisoners.

In pics: Of life along the coast in Pondicherry
Five JNU students withdrew from the ongoing indefinite hunger strike against punishments by the university in connection with the February 9 event, while JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumars condition was stated to be critical and was rushed to the varsitys health centre.

On day 8 of the strike in protest against the punishment in connection with the event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, five students withdrew from the protest citing deteriorating health conditions.

Read: As hunger strike enters day 8, Kanhaiya taken to health centre, BP drops

Read:JNU teachers go on fast, demand revocation of students punishment

Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested in a sedition case over the event and is out on bail now, was taken to the JNU health centre in a semi-conscious state. The keytone levels and BP of other protesting students were also reported to be low, according to the test reports from the health centre.

Kanhaiyas BP dropped to 56 and his glucose levels also dipped drastically. He has been vomitting since last night. He was taken to the health centre in a semi-conscious state and the doctor warned him of chances of internal bleeding if he continues with the fast, a statement by JNU students union said.

Since he has refused to call off the fast he is being administered saline drip. The health condition of the others is also deteriorating. The keytone levels are low and there has been weight loss of 4-5 kgs in each of them but the spirit to fight is still on till we defeat the administration, it added.

A total of 25 students were on hunger strike since last Thursday. While 5 members of ABVP called off their fast yesterday claiming they have an assurance from JNU administration about consideration of their demands, five members of the Left-affiliated groups withdrew from the hunger strike due to health condition.

Terming the hunger strike as an unlawful activity by two groups of students, JNU VC Jagadesh Kumar had appealed students to put forward their demands using constitutional means and called them for a dialogue to resolve the matter.

Read: Forget iPhone, my bank balance is Rs 200: JNUs Kanhaiya Kumar
Former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi was questioned by the ED on Thursday, in connection with the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal.

Tyagi arrived at the zonal office of the agency in New Delhi shortly before 11am. Sources said he will be questioned and his statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ex-IAF chief was questioned in the same case by the CBI for the last three days.This is the first time that a former chief of staff of the Indian Air Force has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate.

Agency sources had earlier indicated that it was necessary to question Tyagi after the Milan (Italy) courts judgement. The Italian court had sentenced Italian defence and aerospace major Finmeccanicas 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.

Tyagis name cropped at various points in the judgement.

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 FIR on the money laundering case. It had also arrested Delhi-based businessman, Gautam Khaitan, and filed a charge sheet last year.

ED had earlier submitted that Khaitan was on the board of Chandigarh-based company Aeromatrix, which was allegedly a front firm for financial dealings in the chopper deal.

Tyagi, however, has denied any wrongdoing.

On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanicas British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW101 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force over an alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal.

The central agency has also issued Letters Rogatory (judicial requests) to ten countries in this case.
Parliament saw a heated debate on Wednesday between the government and the Opposition on alleged corruption in the purchase of AgustaWestland VVIP helicopters, with both sides mounting an attack against each other.

The Congress party accused the government of taking recourse to insinuation and innuendo  to vilify the head of a political party and attributed it to the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) visceral hatred.

Read more: Agusta middleman Guidos note referring to AP seems real: Italian judge

The ruling party hit back with defence minister Manohar Parrikar saying an invisible hand guided the action or inaction of the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate probing the case of alleged kickbacks in the Rs 3,727-crore deal in favour of the UK-based AgustaWestland.

Read more: Tables turn on BJP in AgustaWestland chopper scam: What went wrong in RS

Here are top five points that Parrikar and members of Congress made during the course of the debate:

Defence ministers arguments:

1) Parrikar rejected the Oppositions demand for a Supreme Court-monitored probe as an inquiry is already underway. The ongoing probe into the allegations of bribery and corruption in the chopper deal will focus on those named in the Italian court judgement. He said the government will leave no stone unturned in bringing to justice those involved in the scam. The CBI has already covered a lot of ground in the investigations and is on a money trail to track down where the bribe money went.

2) It took nearly two years for the UPA to cancel the contract despite reports of unethical conduct by Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland, surfacing in 2012. It did that as a response to an arbitration request by the supplier. The delivery of the first three aircraft could have been avoided. The then defence minister AK Antony approved the decision to put on hold all procurement cases with the accused group of companies only on May 12, 2014, towards the fag end of UPA governments tenure. The NDA government finally issued the order on July 3, 2014, less than a month after it came to power.

3) The choppers were bought at inflated prices and no realistic basis for price negotiations was provided. At various stages from March 2005, despite specific directions to the contrary, service quality requirements were changed and processes influenced to make AgustaWestland the only alternative.

4) Field trials of the AgustaWestland helicopter were conducted in Italy. It was necessary for it to be held in Indian conditions. Also, since the helicopters offered by the company were in the development stage, the trials were conducted on a different chopper.

5) A litany of omissions and commissions at various stages of the decision-making process indicate malafide and corrupt actions are driven by a goal to favour a particular vendor.

Congress counter-arguments:

1) The main Opposition party demanded a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe in the chopper deal. It said strong action should be taken against the company which gave money and it should be immediately blacklisted for 10 years.

2) If the government has all evidence, it should take strong action against the company which gave money and against those who got the money instead of threatening and blackmailing the Congress. AgustaWestland should not be involved in any Make in India projects.

3) It was the then principal secretary in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee PMO which in 2003 took a decision to change the flying altitude of the helicopters from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres.

4) The government should act now since all legal hurdles in the AgustaWestland case is now over. Since the corruption charges in the chopper deal are now proved, the government should expedite the arbitration proceedings, contest the case successfully and get thousands of crore as compensation.

5) The BJP should not try to link certain initials like CP, VP and AP to the chopper deal and spread innuendos as in the Hawala case where LKA initial featured, the high court held that presence of initials constituted no evidence.

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The death toll in the bus accident in Chhattisgarhs Balrampur district has gone up to 16, with three more persons, including a woman, succumbing to their injuries at a hospital, police said on Thursday.

Thirteen people were killed and 53 others injured last night when the crowded private bus fell off a small bridge into the dry bed of a rivulet at Daldhowa ghat under Balrampur police station limits, about 400 km from Raipur.

Three persons died in Ambikapur district hospital in the night hours. Thirteen others who were in a critical condition were shifted to Raipur, Balrampur Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar said.

The other injured passengers were admitted to a local hospital in Balrampur, he said.

The bus was on its way to Chhattisgarhs capital Raipur from Gadhwa in neighbouring Jharkhand when the accident took place at Daldhowa ghat at around 10.30 PM on Wednesday.

As per preliminary information, the driver of the luxury bus, belonging to a private travel agency, suddenly spotted a motorcycle at a sharp curve in Daldhowa. In a bid to save the person on the two-wheeler, the bus driver lost control over the wheels following which the vehicle skidded into the dry rivulet bed and overturned, the SP said.

The identity of the victims was being ascertained, he said, adding that the bus driver was also killed in the mishap.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raman on Thursday visited the injured passengers referred to Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Raipur, and directed the health officials to provide best medical care to them. Singh also prayed for their speedy recovery, an official spokesperson said.
The Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that it was seriously considering the suggestion to hold a floor test in Uttarakhand under the courts supervision and took time till May 6 to revert with a final response.

I have conveyed the courts suggestion (to the Centre) in the right earnest, attorney general Mukul Rohatgi told a bench of justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh who agreed to hear the Centres petition challenging the Uttarakhand high court order quashing Presidents rule in the state on Friday.

If the government accepts the suggestion, it will subserve the cause of democracy, the judges said, noting Rohatgis submission. The court extended its interim order that lets the presidential proclamation continue until further orders.

The bench, however, made it clear that unlike the high court it would not restore the status quo ante. This means former chief minister Harish Rawat will have to first prove his majority and then form a government.

Rawat resumed the CMs post immediately after the high court judgment on April 21, held a cabinet meeting and cleared 11 resolutions. The Centre in its appeal before the top court strongly objected to the hasty decisions.

The courts clarification came after Rohatgi and Rawats lawyers entered into an argument over whether the former CM would face a floor test or a vote of confidence.

Rawats counsel -- senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi -- disagreed with the benchs view that the matter should be referred to a larger bench. The lawyers said the issues before the bench were pre-decided and the question was not that of a floor test but of a vote of confidence. It cannot be in any way called vote of no confidence, the counsel argued.

Rohatgi contested the claim. He said Rawat could not project himself as chief minister as Presidents rule was in operation by virtue of the top courts order. Its a situation where both the parties will face the floor test to prove their majority, Rohatgi told the court.

Singhvi rebutted, saying a floor test could not be for a party that was not in power and the person who had to be called to prove majority was the one who was chief minister. At this, Rohatgi asked the court to decide the modalities for the floor test on Friday.

The bench told the attorney general it would proceed with the arguments on the next date even if he did not obtain instructions from the central government. Rawats advocates did not resist the adjournment but accused the Centre of delaying the matter.

Union of India is seriously considering the suggestion given by this court to have a floor test in assembly to put an end to the controversy that has emerged in this case, the court said in its order.

Rohatgi told the court he had received instructions from the government in the morning. The bench had on Tuesday asked him to come back with a response on the feasibility of holding a floor test in Uttarakhand.
A police sub inspector posted in Chief Ministers security cell, who shot dead his wife on Wednesday, allegedly committed suicide by jumping before a train in Alwar district of Rajasthan this morning.

ASI Phool Chand Yadav shot dead his wife Geeta Devo (40) with his service revolver at Rajasthan Police Academy in Shastri Nagar as he was annoyed with her that she did not allow him consume liquor.

After the murder, he fled to Alwar.

He was sitting at Khairthal Railway Station in the morning. Some locals found his behaviour suspicious and asked to move from there but he committed suicide by jumping before a train near the station, a GRP official in Alwar said.

The body has been taken to a mortuary and his family members and police officers in Jaipur informed about the matter, the official said.

The couple is survived by two sons and a daughters.
Backed with data and numbers, ministers gave Parliament a look into the countrys state of affairs. Here is the takeaway from Thursdays Q&A session from both the Houses.

22 fake universities are functioning in the country

22 fake universities are functioning in the country, with a maximum of nine in Uttar Pradesh and five in Delhi, HRD Minister Smriti Irani told the Rajya Sabha, adding that states have been asked to initiate action against these.

Besides UP and Delhi, there are two in West Bengal and one each in Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha, she said.

India currently has 34 operational satellites

There are 34 operational Indian satellites at present, of which 13 are for communication, 12 for the purpose of earth observation and seven for navigation purpose, minister of state of the department of space, Jitendra Singh told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

Of the 13 communication satellites, five are of INSAT series-3A, 3C, 4A, 4B, 4CR and eight of GSAT series GSAT-6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15 and 16. There are 12 earth observation satellites namely Resourcesat-2, RISAT 1 and 2, Cartosat 1, 2, 2A, 2B, Oceansat-2, SARAL, Kalpana-1, Megha-Tropiques and INSAT-3D. Seven navigational satellites which are operational are Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (INRSS)-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F and 1G. Apart from these, there are two space science satellites namely the Mars Orbiter Mission and Astrosat, he added.

272 Indian fishermen currently lodged in foreign jails

272 Indian fishermen are currently lodged in foreign jails, including 220 in Pakistan and 34 in Sri Lanka, minister of state for external affairs VK Singh told the Rajya Sabha.

As on date there are only 34 fishermen and 19 boats which are in custody of Sri Lanka. From time to time, government secures the release of Indian fishermen. The last release that took place was of 99 Indian fishermen on April 9 in exchange for 9 Sri Lankan fishermen, he said.

23.6 per cent of sanctioned posts in KVs lying vacant

In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, HRD minister Smriti Irani said that as of March 1, 2016, 10,644 teaching positions  or 23.6 per cent of total sanctioned posts -- are lying vacant in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs).

252 posts of principal and 133 posts of vice-principal were among the vacancies, she said.

Dropout levels in NE states far above national average

Nagaland has the highest dropout rate at primary level of 19.4 per cent in the country while most other north eastern states have a dropout rate far above the national average. In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said, Overall the annual average dropout rate at primary level has reduced from 5.6 per cent during 2012-13 to 4.3 per cent during 2014-15.

In a written reply to a separate question, Irani said lack of toilet facilities in schools for girl child has been one of the reasons for girls to dropout from schools.

According to details of the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) shared by the minister, in 2014-15 Nagaland had the highest annual average dropout rate of 19.4 per cent closely followed by Manipur at 18 per cent.

Corporate houses owe Rs 5 lakh crore to PSU banks

Corporate houses owe about Rs 5 lakh crore to PSU banks, a JD(U) member said in Rajya Sabha.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Pawan Verma contended that PSU banks are influenced to give loan to the people who are not able to repay them. PSU banks are owed about Rs 5 lakh crore by corporate houses and of this roughly Rs 1.4 lakh crore are owed by just five companies, which include Lanco, GVK, Suzlon Energy, Hindustan Construction Company and a certain company called the Adani Group and Adani Power, he said.

Govt to build 1,000 km of expressways for Rs 16,680 crore

To ensure quicker connectivity, the government plans to build 1,000 km of expressways at an investment of Rs 16,680 crore under its National Highways Development Project programme, which include the Vadodara-Mumbai project, minister of state for road transport and highways, Pon Radhakrishnan told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

The high density corridors approved under NHDP phase VI are Vadodara-Mumbai stretch (400 km) in Gujarat and Maharashtra, Delhi-Meerut (66 km) on NH 58 in Delhi/UP and Bengaluru-Chennai (334 km) on NH 4 in Karnataka-Tamil Nadu, the minister said.

The remaining projects include Delhi-Jaipur (261 km) on NH 8 in Delhi-Rajasthan, Delhi-Chandigarh (249 km) on NH 1 and NH 22 (now changed to Delhi-Ludhiana-Amritsar-Katra expressway) in Delhi/Punjab/J&K, Kolkata-Dhanbad (277 km) on NH 2 in West Bengal/Jharkhand and Delhi-Agra (200 km) on NH 2 in Delhi/UP, he added.

541 board-level posts lying vacant in central public sector enterprises

541 posts -- including those of full-time and part-time directors -- are lying vacant in various central public sector enterprises, G M Siddeshwara, minister of state for heavy industries and public enterprises, said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

As per available information, 101 posts of functional directors and around 440 positions of non-official directors are presently vacant in various CPSEs, he said. Several vacant posts are those of CMDs of companies such as MTNL, Hindustan Cables, ITI Ltd, Oil India, Eastern Coalfields, Scooters India, Hindustan Paper Corporation, Jute Corporation of India, among others.

182 PhDs awarded by IITs in humanities, social sciences

IITs awarded 182 PhDs for research in subjects like literature, art, culture, history, economics, psychology, sociology, which are taught under humanities and social sciences, in the last three years, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.

According to details provided by the minister, the maximum 43 PhDs were awarded by IIT Bombay followed by 23 by IIT Delhi.

Number of RTI applications have declined

The number of RTI applications has come down to around 7.55 lakh in 2014-15 from over 8.34 lakh a year before as departments and ministries are putting more information in public domain on their own, minister of state in PMO, Jitendra Singh said in Rajya Sabha during the Question Hour.

To this, Congress member Rajni Patil asked the Minister whether incidents like murder of RTI activists were responsible for the decline in the number of applications.

Over 3.26L passengers got upgraded on AI flights in the last three years

Air India has upgraded a total of 3,26,195 passengers to higher class on its flights in the last three fiscals and in April this year, minister of state for civil aviation, Mahesh Sharma told the Lok Sabha.

During this period, the national carrier has flown 5,08,62,223 passengers across its domestic and international network and the number of upgrades do not constitute even 1 per cent of the total number of passengers flown during this period, he said.

These upgrades are done subject to availability of higher class seats and payment of the prescribed amount by the passenger, wherever applicable, he said. Such upgrades are done by the authorised executives of Air India at different levels depending upon the nature of upgrade, he added.

1,700 Indian workers arrested or deported from Kuwait

About 1700 Indian workers who were arrested and deported by Kuwaiti authorities were found violating visa or residency laws of that country, minister of state for external affairs VK Singh said during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha.

There is no problem in the case of people who have valid work visa as their problems are solved under the agreements (with foreign countries), he said. However, the task becomes difficult when workers reach foreign countries on tourist visas and then get them converted to work visas through dubious means, he said.

(With inputs from PTI and Reuters)
Former defence minister and Congress MP AK Antony on Wednesday sought to turn the tables on the Centre in the VVIP chopper scam, stressing that it was the NDA government that tweaked key requirements that eventually helped AgustaWestland bag the contract.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar, however, blamed the UPA regime for changing requirements to restrict competition and facilitate the emergence of the UK-based firm as a single vendor. Parrikar said the UPA relentlessly pushed the deal, accusing the regime of a litany of omissions and commissions that indicated mala fide to favour a particular vendor.

Taking part in a short discussion on allegations of bribery and corruption in the chopper deal in Rajya Sabha, Antony said the decision to reduce the altitude ceiling of the choppers from 6,000m to 4,500m and having a cabin height of at least 1.8m was taken at the behest of the PMO in November 2003.

Read | AgustaWestland deal: Sparks fly in Rajya Sabha as Congress, govt take on each other

Major decisions were taken by your government in 2003. Dont accuse us Dont politicise the issue, you will repent, a combative Antony said. He asked the Centre to blacklist the firm for 10 years, conduct arbitration proceedings successfully to obtain compensation running into thousands of crores and take the strictest action against bribe takers as corruption stood proven.

However, in his reply, Parrikar said the UPA regime began amending operational requirements March 2005 onwards to make sure that AgustaWestland was the only alternative. He said several deviations were approved by the UPA and the standard of trials was diluted to help the firm win the over-priced contract. He said the probes by the CBI and ED into the controversial deal were hampered by some invisible hand, adding that investigations would now focus on roles of those named in the judgment of the Italian court.

Parrikar said the CBI had registered a case in March 2013, but it did not bother to forward a copy of the FIR to ED for nine months and the latter failed to act on the FIR till July 2014. He said the defence ministry is initiating the process of blacklisting the firm.

Read | Moment by moment: AgustaWestland debate in Rajya Sabha

Parrikar lashed out at the then government for allowing the chopper trials to be conducted abroad in 2008, arguing that the platform should have been tested in Indian conditions. He also said trials were conducted on a representative chopper and not on AW-101 for which the 2010 deal was signed.

The minister said the three choppers received by the IAF had their own problems. He said the IAF found that the choppers were unable to operate out of places like Gulmarg and Pahalgam due to effective payload being nil at that altitude. He said he obtained the information from an IAF file that was somehow saved after several documents were destroyed in a fire.

Also read | Who said what in Rajya Sabha


The Gujarat government on Thursday opposed the bail plea of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader Hardik Patel, saying that the conduct and behaviour of the accused showed it was seditious in nature.

Public Prosecutor Mitesh Amin, who began his argument against Hardiks bail plea in the court of Justice A J Desai, told the court that conduct and behaviour of accused Hardik since the beginning of the agitation was against the government and seditious in nature.

The court kept the matter for further hearing post summer vacation, on June 9 as the government lawyer said that he cannot finish his arguments in a day. The high court will go for vacation from coming Saturday.

Questioning the statement made in a voluntary undertaking given before the court by Hardiks lawyer on Wednesday, Amin said the clause that he will continue agitation with a rider that it will be peaceful, was not acceptable as given the history of Patidar agitation, it was not likely to remain peaceful.

Amin highlighted Hardiks behaviour as stubborn for insisting that chief minister Anandiben Patel herself should come to collect memorandum at GMDC ground where a huge rally turned violent on August 25 last year.

Hardiks insistence led to his detention, he told the court. The violence that broke out following his detention could have incurred loss to the tune of around Rs 100 crore, Amin told the court.

Read | Hardiks outfit rejects Gujarats 10% quota for economically backward

He also questioned Hardiks visit to Vipul Desais home in Surat where he made a statement saying Vipul (who had threatened suicide) should kill policemen rather than end his life.

He further said that Hardik made several statements to incite public during the India-South Africa match in Rajkot on October 18, where he himself went. Amin also told the court that the HC had set aside quashing a petition filed by the accused in two FIRs lodged in Surat and Ahmedabad.

He said that the state government has issued an ordinance for 10 per cent reservation for economically weak among upper castes.

Read | Why Patels, including Anandiben, are unhappy over Gujarats 10% quota
Leopards, one of the worlds most iconic big cats, have lost 75% of their historic range - with habitats across Asia plummeting by nearly 98%, the first global analysis of the elusive animal has found.

The research found that leopards (Panthera pardus) historically occupied a vast range of approximately 35 million square kilometres throughout Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

However, today they are restricted to approximately 8.5 million square kilometres, researchers said.

Scientists, including those from National Geographic Societys Big Cats Initiative, reviewed more than 1,300 sources on the leopards historic and current range.

A Sri Lankan leopard is pictured at a zoo in Dehiwala near Colombo. (AFP)

The results show that, while the entire species is not yet as threatened as some other big cats, leopards are facing a multitude of growing threats in the wild, and three subspecies have already been almost completely eradicated.

The leopard is a famously elusive animal, which is likely why it has taken so long to recognise its global decline, said lead author Andrew Jacobson, of Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

This study represents the first of its kind to assess the status of the leopard across the globe and all nine subspecies, said Jacobson.

The research also found that while African leopards face considerable threats, particularly in North and West Africa, leopards have also almost completely disappeared from several regions across Asia, including much of the Arabian Peninsula and vast areas of former range in China and Southeast Asia.

An Amur leopard is pictured, at the zoo, in Mulhouse, eastern France. (AFP)

The amount of habitat in each of these regions is plummeting, having declined by nearly 98%, researchers said.

Leopards secretive nature, coupled with the occasional, brazen appearance of individual animals within megacities like Mumbai and Johannesburg, perpetuates the misconception that these big cats continue to thrive in the wild - when actually our study underlies the fact that they are increasingly threatened, said Luke Dollar, programme director of the National Geographic Societys Big Cats Initiative.

We have discovered the status of the leopard in Southeast Asia is as perilous as the highly endangered tiger, said Philipp Henschel, from Panthera, an international conservation charity.

Read | Why big cats are entering cities

A man sells leopard skins near Mogadishu airport. (AFP)

Leopards are capable of surviving in human-dominated landscapes provided they have sufficient cover, access to wild prey and tolerance from local people.

In many areas, however, habitat is converted to farmland and native herbivores are replaced with livestock for growing human populations.

This habitat loss, prey decline, conflict with livestock owners, illegal trade in leopard skins and parts and legal trophy hunting are all factors contributing to leopard decline, the researchers said.

The study was published in the journal PeerJ
The Bombay High Court will pronounce judgement on a bunch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the beef ban in Maharashtra, on Friday.

A division bench comprising Justices A S Oka and S C Gupte reserved the ruling in January after hearing the arguments.

In February 2015, the President granted assent to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act. While the original 1976 Act banned slaughter of cows, the amendment prohibited, in addition, slaughter of bulls and bullocks and possession and consumption of their meat.

As per the Act, slaughter attracts a five-year jail-term and Rs 10,000 fine while possession of meat of bull or bullock attracts one-year in jail and Rs 2,000 fine.

During the hearing, the HC had refused to grant interim stay to the provisions penalising the possession of beef. Arif Kapadia, a city resident, and noted lawyer Harish Jagtiani have challenged the provision which says mere possession of beef anywhere in the state is a crime.

This is arbitrary and undermines the cosmopolitan nature of the city which houses people from all religions and communities, they contend.

Other petitions have been filed by Vishal Sheth, a lawyer, and Shaina Sen, a student, contending that the ban on beef violates fundamental rights of citizens.
Targeting the previous UPA regime over the controversial AgustaWestland deal, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said the ongoing probe will focus on those named in the Italian Court judgement even as he suggested the role of an invisible hand in preventing a proper investigation earlier.

He, along with Parliamentary Affairs Venkaiah Naidu, rejected the opposition demand for Supreme Court-monitored probe, protesting which Congress staged a walkout.

Replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on the controversy surrounding the Rs 3,600 crore deal for 12 VVIP helicopters, Parrikar said there was relentless push by the UPA to go in for the AgustaWestland choppers.

Narrating amid repeated disruptions the sequence of events related to the deal, he said CBI had registered a case on March 12, 2013 but it did not bother to forward a copy of the FIR to ED for nine months.

Later, ED did not act on the FIR till July 2014, he said. It appears an invisible hand was guiding action or inaction of CBI and ED, the Minister said. Noting that a probe was already underway, he said, the inquiry will focus on roles of those named in the judgement of Italian court.. Government will leave no stone unturned in bringing to justice those involved in the scam.

He said CBI has already done a lot of investigation and is currently on the money trail to track down where the bribe money went.
Sajid, the alleged kingpin of the group picked up for alleged Jaish links, learned to make bombs on YouTube, the police said.

The police had picked up 12 youth, who are believed to be heavily influenced by the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, in raids at UP and Delhi. Three of them who were arrested from Delhi -- Sajid, Sameer and Shakir -- were indoctrinated by Jaish videos and wanted to fight for the terror group, the police claimed on Wednesday.

Police sources said the activities of the group were being monitored for the past six months after Sajid and Shakir made a phone call to Pakistan.

Sources said Sajid started with liking Facebook posts related to Jaish and posting comments on similar websites. It is not clear whether Jaish-e-Mohammad has a Facebook account or not.

After allegedly following the members of communities related to terrorism and websites that have such content, Sajid got a contact number and was told to contact JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhars brother Talha.

Talha could be anyone...he might be an ISI agent. Talha guided Sajid. One of Masood Azhars brothers operates by the name of Talha. The man told him to gather youths and prepare improvised explosive devices (IEDs), said an official.

Read more: Delhi cops arrest 3 JeM terrorists after six-month covert operation

Sajid, who lives in northeast Delhis Bhajanpura area, also allegedly got instructions on WhatsApp. He downloaded videos related to Jaish-e-Mohammad and searched YouTube for tips to make IEDs, police sources said.

Over the past few months, Sajid and Shakir mastered making explosives and prepared one complete IED, they said. Another device that police recovered was damaged. It was claimed that Sajid had burnt his hand while making it.

One of our informers knew about their movements and was privy to meetings held at Sajids house. I cannot say if he or she had infiltrated Sajids group. They had not targeted any specific shopping mall or received any order to blow up a certain place but were getting violent and gearing up to use the IEDs they had prepared. They had to be arrested, said a senior officer.

Sources said police have Facebook and WhatsApp chats as evidence. The explosives recovered have been sent to the CBIs forensic laboratory. They were self radicalised. They did not use sophisticated devices or code names to contact Talha.They used forwarded videos and those uploaded on YouTube to get motivated for jihad, the officer said.

Sources said the other nine accused had pledged allegiance to JeM but the police do not have evidence against them. Their financial records are also being checked. Prima facie, it looks like they were collecting money and funding their own expenses but it is too early to say anything conclusive, the officer said.
The father of Keenan Santos, one of the two men who was killed while trying to save their women friends from harassment, said on Thursday that justice was delivered after a Mumbai court sentenced to life the four people charged in the case.

Valerian Santos (57) expressed satisfaction over the verdict and said the two victims had been finally meted out justice.

However, this is just the beginning... The battle is not over, they might appeal in the higher courts and we have to wait, Santos said shortly after the verdict.

A special womens court in Mumbai, on Thursday, sentenced to life imprisonment the four people charged with killing two men who had tried to prevent the molestation of their women friends five years ago, a legal official said.

The convicts - Jitendra Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulgaj and Dipak Tival - had attacked Keenan Santos, 24, and his friend Rueben Fernandes, 29, on the night of October 20, 2011 after they tried to harass their woman friends outside a restaurant in Andheri.

Special judge Vrushali Joshi pronounced the sentence in the presence of family members of the accused, kin of the victims and mediapersons covering the trial for the past five years.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said he had not sought death penalty for the accused since it was not the rarest of rare cases and neither a conspiracy or pre-planned murders.

Former Maharashtra chief minister, Prithviraj Chavan, expressed happiness that justice has been done in the case and sought more stringent action in such cases involving crimes against women.

The incident took place happened outside the Amboli Bar and Kitchen after Keenan, Rueben and their two women friends had stepped out after dinner.

As they chatted outside the restaurant, one of the accused, Jitendra Rana, started misbehaving and sexually harassing one of the two women. The two friends then chased Rana away.

Enraged by this, Rana went away after threatening them and returned a short while later with three people armed with sticks and choppers.

They brutally attacked Keenan and Reuben while the women screamed for help.

A grievously injured Keenan succumbed to his injuries a few hours later while Reuben died after nearly a fortnight while under treatment at a hospital.

Read | Keenan-Reuben murder: All 4 accused found guilty, sentenced to life
A special womens court in Mumbai held four men guilty of killing Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez and sentenced them to life in jail four years after two men were killed while trying to save their women friends from harassment.

Santos and Fernandez were attacked outside a popular eatery in Amboli area in Andheri while trying to protect their female friends from a group of harassers on October 20, 2011. They were stabbed brutally by four men.

Santos died on the same day and Fernandez died on October 30.

Police arrested the four accused - Jitendra Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhaj and Dipak Tival - the next day and a fast-track court framed charges against them for murder, conspiracy and molestation in October.

Judge Vrushali Joshi pronounced the verdict soon after the accused were produced in the court packed with family members of the deceased and relatives of the accused.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam demanded that all the four accused be given life imprisonment till death. Nikam said the judgement should send a strong message to people at large that one cannot get away with eve-teasing, and not at all with murder.

While the judge did not make any observation, she said the prosecution has proved murder and common intention of murder against all the accused men.

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Even as the rape and murder of a Dalit law student continued to rock the poll-bound state of Kerala, police on Thursday said they were zeroing-in on the culprits and that the investigation was in its last stage.

Police believe 27-year-old Jisha, whose mutilated body was found by her mother on April 28, was sexually assaulted, as there were injury marks on her private parts.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday evening, Aluva (rural) Superintendent of Police Yatish Chandra said: The probe has entered the final stage as the questioning of people in custody is going on and the case will be cracked.

Read: Kerala Dalit woman murder: suspects sketch released

While the opposition parties in Kerala have been alleging that police have failed to make any headway in the brutal case, senior police officials seem to be certain that the investigation is on the right track.

Director General of Police T.P. Senkumar, who will be reaching here, on Thursday evening said the probe is being conducted by efficient officers, and is progressing well and in the right direction.

So far, six people have been taken into custody, including two migrant labourers.

A group of 30 police officials have been split into four teams to probe the case from different angles, including for collecting and analysing scientific evidences.

Meanwhile, several high-profile individuals visited Jishas mother Rajeshwari at a hospital where she has been admitted following the trauma caused by her daughters murder.

Read:Kerala Dalit rape case: CPI(M) slams Cong, demands probe

Among those who visited Rajeshwari were union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawaarchand Gehlot and National Womens Commission chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam.

After meeting Rajeshwari, the union minister said he would inform the Rajya Sabha about what he saw. But he refused to elaborate as the Model Code of Conduct is in force now in Kerala.

Kumaramangalam said she would meet top police and government officials to discuss the case.

But these visits have sparked off a massive row, with the ruling party and the opposition parties trading barbs. The hospital authorities have also aired their displeasure, saying the visits have been disturbing Rajeshwari.

In his Facebook post on Thursday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy alleged that Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader V.S. Achuthanandan was not honest while expressing his opinion after visiting Rajeshwari a few days back.

A video clip of the mother complaining to him (Achuthanandan) about the local legislator and the local ward councillor has gone viral, but he came out and blamed the state government. For a few votes, he has done this, Chandy alleged.

The hospital authorities also complained that the unending stream of visitors has caused more emotional disturbance to Jishas mother.

She has been with us since last Thursday. With lots of people visiting her from Tuesday, she is getting restless as she is yet to come to terms with what has happened, said a doctor who is treating Rajeshwari.

Ernakulam district collector M.G. Rajamanickam, who has opened a joint bank account in the name of Rajeshwari and himself for those wanting to help Jishas family, also slammed the visitors.

In his Facebook post the district collector said the visitors came for publicity and photo-ops.

Meanwhile, the CPI-M on Thursday began a day-and-night sit-in protest near the local police station, demanding the murder mystery be solved without further delay.

CPI-M politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan would meet Jishas mother on Friday and address the protestors.

With the political pot boiling over the murder, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala accused the opposition of politicising the case.

To politicise this as an election issue is unfair and deplorable. Yesterday, I was waylaid by the CPI-M activists when I came out of the Kollam Press Club, Chennithala told reporters on Thursday in Kochi.

You just look into the manner in which numerous cases that have been solved here by our police force. So, we are certain that this case too will be cracked, the minister added.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah asked Chief Minister Chandy to tell the people as to whats happening in the case as no action seems to have been taken by police even after a week. Shah was addressing an election rally in Pathanamthitta.

On Wednesday Jishas autopsy report was submitted to police which revealed that there were 38 wounds on her body.

Even that has led to a controversy, with complaints that the autopsy was conducted by junior doctors at the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital. It was alleged that no senior police surgeon was present then. The states health secretary has now ordered a probe into the allegation.
Union minister of social justice and empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot on Thursday met the mother of the 29-year-old law student, who was brutally raped and murdered on April 28, and assured her of all possible assistance from the Centre.

Talking to reporters after meeting the victims mother, Gehlot pointed out that he wouldnt elaborate on what action would be taken by the Centre since the Model Code of Conduct is imposed in the state.

Several members of the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday associated themselves with the Kerala students barbaric rape and murder issue and demanded strict action against the culprits. BJPs Tarun Vijay had demanded in the Rajya Sabha that a central team should visit the state.

Meanwhile, Perumbavoor deputy superintendent of police Anil Kumar has been removed from the team investigating the case.

The move came after no progress was made in the investigation. The investigation team currently has 28 people in it, but no arrests have been made yet in this case.

Read: Kerala: Two migrant labourers detained in law students rape case

Read: Kerala Dalit rape case: Rs 10 lakh compensation announced for victims kin
Kerala Police on Thursday detained two migrant labourers in connection with the rape and murder case of a Dalit law student in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam District.

Read more: Kerala woman raped and killed, intestines ripped out in attack

Meanwhile, Perumbavoor Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar has been removed from the investigating team due to lapses.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday announced that the state government has decided to give Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the family of the Dalit law student.

Chandy, who met the family members of the victim said that his government would do the necessary towards the demands of the victims family, who has asked for a job for the victims sister.

Chandy, who described the crime as shocking, asserted that swift action would be taken against the perpetrators of the rape and murder of the law student.

Read more: Rape and murder of Dalit law student in Kerala is spine-chilling: NHRC

The police had taken two persons into custody who were questioned by a police team headed by Ernakulam Range Inspector General Mahipal Yadav.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday took suo motu cognizance of yet another Nirbhaya like rape and murder of a Dalit law student, whose body was found by her mother on April 29 evening.

According to reports, the 29-year-old woman was murdered after rape inside her home, near an isolated stretch, at Vattolippidi Canal Bund near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district.

Her body had at least 30 injuries, including on the private parts. Reportedly, the assault on her stomach was such that the small intestine had spilled out.
Maharashtra has been the second-largest recipient of grants provided by the Centre for educational upliftment of minorities, revealed a Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) report.

Between 2008-09 and 2013-14, Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF)  an organisation established under the minority affairs ministry to promote education among the backward communities  distributed Rs 9.38 crore to 68 NGOs in the state. The state also ranked fourth, in terms of availing scholarship for girls from minority communities.

According to the report, Uttar Pradesh (UP) received the biggest share, with 255 NGOs in the state being allotted Rs 30.79 crore  35.8% of the total allocation of Rs 85.94 crore. The data also shows that about three-fourths of the Rs 85.94 crore has gone to six states  UP, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, AP and Haryana.

A few districts have received disproportionately high share of grants. During 2008-09 to 2013-14, Malappuram in Kerala, Moradabad in UP and Gurgaon in Haryana has each received around 25 grants aggregating between Rs 3.65 crore and Rs 4.04 crore.

The report also revealed that 12,095 girls from minority communities in Maharashtra have availed the Maulana Azad Scholarship between 2003-04 and 2013-14. UP, Kerala and West Bengal lead the list, having received 21%, 14% and 9% of the total scholarships.

Last year, the minority affairs ministry had asked TISS to suggest ways to make MAEFs funds disbursal mechanism more efficient. The institute has submitted its recommendations in the report, Revisioning Maulana Azad Foundation. The report, through several statistics, has highlighted the need to support minorities in higher education. We have suggested several ways to MAEF can function more efficiently with its current resources, said Bino Paul, a professor from TISS who co-authored the report.

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Former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday in connection with the AgustaWestland chopper deal, a day after he was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the same case.

Tyagi has been questioned several times by the CBI in its separate corruption probe since March 2013 but has been summoned by the ED for the first time after it registered a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act in July 2014.

AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian defence giant Finmeccanica, allegedly approached Tyagi through three of his cousins during his stint as air chief in 2005-2007. They are accused of taking bribe from the companys European middlemen, including Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, to help change key technical requirements enabling the firm to bag the Indian deal in 2010.

Read more: Agusta scam: After CBI, Enforcement Directorate questions SP Tyagi

The deal, which was cancelled in January 2014 by the UPA-2 government, involved the supply of 12 VVIP AW-101 helicopters for a price of Rs 3,727 crore.

The Tyagis, who were named by the CBI and ED in their complaints in the case, deny the allegations.

Tyagis questioning comes after a recent judgement of a Milan court which had sentenced Finmeccanicas former chief Giuseppe Orsi and the former CEO of the firm Bruno Spagnolini on corruption charges in the sale of the choppers. Tyagis name was mentioned several times in the judgement.

Read more: Key accused admits to setting up shell firm to route bribes

Here are five issues that Tyagi needs to explain to ED interrogators:

1. ED has alleged a key mandatory operational requirement, a service ceiling of 6,000 metres, which is the optimum height at which a chopper can fly, was reduced to 4,500 metres. This was allegedly done to help AgustaWestland escape disqualification as its AW-101s capacity was a mere 4,572 m. It was earlier disqualified in 2002 by the air force on this ground.

The air force agreed to reduce the required service ceiling at a meeting of several stakeholders on March 7, 2005. The air forces decision was in contrast to its earlier consistent stand. Tyagi approved the service ceilings reduction on March 14, 2005. He also approved the choppers mandatory cabin height at 1.8 m and the consideration of a third engine that the accused firm solely had. He will have to explain what was the alleged quid pro quo for his favours to the company.

2) Tyagi will have to tell the ED about his meeting with AgustaWestlands then chief operating officer Giorgio Zappa on February 15, 2005, in Delhi as shown in the records of an official visitors register. The meeting occurred a month before he approved the service ceilings reduction. The agency suspects Zappa had allegedly made the offer to pay him for favours in that meeting.

It will ask Tyagi if he allegedly discussed aspects related to the technical specifications for the deals tender in his meeting with Zappa, which was attended by a few of his staff officers. Zappa told Italian investigators that Tyagi allegedly told him that the service ceiling needed to be relaxed to make the selection process more inclusive.

3) ED suspects AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica officials Saponaro and Maggioli hosted and paid for Tyagis trip to Milan after his retirement in March 2007. Tyagi and his wife were taken to Milans globally-acclaimed Teatro Alla Scala Opera and the Grand Hotel de Milan for dinner, which was attended by a then top AW official Bruno Spagnolini. The trip happened when India was still evaluating the bids of the Anglo-Italian firm and the American Sikorsky.

4) Tyagi will have to explain if there was any alleged link to his acceptance of the service ceilings reduction in March 2005 to payments worth 3.26 lakh to his cousins as consultancy charges by a Tunisian firm, Gordian Services, Sarl. The payments were made between May 2004 and February 2005 by the Tunisian firm controlled by Haschke and Gerosa.

The payments, in fact, began barely a month after the air force had decided in April 2004 that the chopper was not suited for ferrying VVIPs including the President and the Prime Minister. The Tyagi brothers have denied all charges saying they received money from Haschke as consultancy charges.

5) Tyagi will be asked if he allegedly met AgustaWestlands three alleged European middlemen, especially Haschke, along with his cousins several times in Delhi when the tender process was on and revealed privileged information. He allegedly met Haschke six-seven times.
A European middleman allegedly tipped off AgustaWestland on October 20, 2003 about a crucial specification change a month before the then NDA government officially recommended the alterations that benefitted the controversial defence firm.

Italian court documents being examined by the CBI allegedly show middleman Guido Haschke allegedly alerted AgustaWestland officials about the possibility of the government reducing the mandatory flying altitude  known as the service ceiling  of VVIP choppers from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres.

The alleged communication took place a month before a meeting chaired by then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayees principal secretary Brajesh Mishra on November 19, 2003.

The revelation might add more fuel to an ongoing battle between the government and Congress over the controversial 2010 deal as the documents indicate middlemen had access to the corridors of power before the Congress-led UPA administration took over.

Haschke allegedly got the information from cousins of former air force chief SP Tyagi, who was then a senior officer.

The Central Bureau of Investigation and the enforcement directorate are probing Tyagi for allegedly accepting bribes via his cousins to approve the tweaking of the service ceiling, which he did on March 14, 2005. All the accused have denied allegations.

I did say the Tyagi family gave me the preliminary information that the operational requirement would be loweredin the tender document, it would be lowered, Haschke allegedly told Italian prosecutors.

Asked if he transmitted the information to AgustaWestland, Haschke reportedly said, Well, yes, of course.

A subsidiary of Italian defence major Finmeccanica, the British firm AgustaWestland allegedly paid around `375 crores as bribe to bag a deal for supplying 12 VVIP helicopters to the Indian Air Force.

The charges compelled the then UPA government to scrap the Rs 3727 crore agreement in 2014.

All relevant information will be examined and verified. Tyagi and his three cousins will be asked about them, said the source. Haschke is wanted by the CBI an ED.

The revelation comes amid the BJPs offensive against top Congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi with allegations that they were paid off to benefit AgustaWestland.

One of the charges leveled by the BJP is that the helicopter service ceiling was changed to benefit the British firm.

This is significant as AgustaWestland was disqualified in 2002 when India conducted the first round of tendering to select an ideal VVIP chopper. The firms chopper could not met the 6, 000 m service ceiling benchmark as its EH -101 could fly up to only 4,572 m.

This version of events is according to Haschkes alleged admissions contained in an April 7 order of the Italys Milan appeals court  an equivalent of a high court in India.

The court convicted two former senior AgustaWestland -Finmeccanica officials  Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini for corruption in the deal. According to

Haschkes alleged admissions, he met Orsi and Giorgio Zappa, who is also alleged to have met Tyagi.

In the November 2003 meeting, Mishra observed that his main concern was that the framing of the mandatory requirements led to effectively a single vendor situation, said a 2013 defence ministry statement.

It was also noted that the PM and President rarely made visits to places involving flying at an altitude beyond 4,500 meters, according to the ministry document.

The court order said that Haschke showed he was aware of these aspects, referring to the 2003 developments.

Three years after Haschkes alleged leak, the then UPA government issued in September 2006 a global Request For Proposal (RFP) inviting global tenders for supply of VVIP choppers with a mandatory service ceiling of 4,500m.
Goa police on Thursday arrested former state Education minister and expelled Congress MLA Atanasio Monserratte for allegedly raping a minor girl after buying her from her mother for Rs 50 lakh.

Monserratte has been placed under arrest. We will be soon moving the court to seek his remand as we need his custodial interrogation, Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Karthik Kashyap told PTI.

The girls mother too was arrested on the charge of human trafficking, he said, adding that another woman, wanted in the case, was absconding.

Read:Goa legislator Babush Monserrate booked for raping minor girl

Monserratte appeared before the crime branch officials at 3.10 pm on Thursday, and was placed under arrest at 8.30 pm. He has been booked under IPC section 376 (rape), 328 (poisoning), 342 (wrongful confinement, 370 (A) (trafficking) and the provisions of Goa Children Act and the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act.

A senior police official said that police had examined ten witnesses and also recorded the girls statement before a magistrate. She admitted to the police that her stepmother and another man sold her to the MLA for a sum Rs 50 lakh.

The complaint, filed with Panaji police station and later transferred to the Women Police Station, said the accused hatched a conspiracy and allegedly sold the girl to Monserratte in March this year for sexual exploitation.

Monserratte kept her in confinement, administered some stupefying substance and had sexual intercourse with her several times without her consent, it said.

Monserratte appeared before the crime branch accompanied by his wife Jeniffer, who is the MLA from Taleigao constituency.

Read:Goa minor rape case involving MLA Babush transferred to crime branch unit

Monserratte claimed it was a political conspiracy. I have not done anything wrong. The complaint is totally false and bogus. This is just to frame me, he told the reporters.

According to the MLA, he had hired the girl to work at the Hallmark showroom owned by him after meeting her parents, who are the registered voters from his constituency, but later sacked her for stealing.

Police also searched various places, including an apartment owned by Monserratte.
Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju said in Lok Sabha on Saturday that members of Parliament are not super citizens, when a BJP member demanded a little priority at airports.

Responding to a series of supplementaries during Question Hour, the minister said MPs are treated with respect and his ministry will do everything practically possible to make their air travel more comfortable.

But MPs are not super citizens, he said responding to a demand by a BJP member that they be given a little priority at airports.

The member said ground staff of private airlines do not recognise the MPs and even when they display their identity cards, they are offered little assistance at airports.

Countering him, Raju said MPs are recognised at the airports as most of them are members of airport committees.

When A P Jithendra Reddy (TRS) suggested that upon showing their identity cards, MPs should get upgrades based on availability of seats in the higher class, the minister said he would see how it can fit in the commercial pattern.

Reddy claimed that bureaucrats got upgrades easily but the MPs were denied.

Responding to a question on whether upgrades can be granted to sick people, senior citizens and people with special needs, the minister said while there is a humanitarian angle, there is also a commercial angle to it.

He said Air India, as well as other airlines provide upgrades based on commercial considerations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised defence minister Manohar Parrikar for his reply to the debate on AgustaWestland chopper deal in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, saying he had presented all relevant facts rising above politics.

He also put on his Twitter account the speech of Parrikar, urging his followers to listen to it.

Yesterdays speech by RM @manoharparrikar in the Rajya Sabha was one of the best speeches, displaying best parliamentary traditions, Modi tweeted.

RM @manoharparrikar rose above politics & placed all relevant facts on the table. Urging you all to hear his speech, the Prime Minister said in another tweet.

Parrikar had targeted the previous UPA regime over the controversial deal and suggested the role of an invisible hand in preventing a proper investigation earlier.

He had said that ongoing probe will focus on those named in the Italian Court judgement on the controversy surrounding the Rs 3600 crore deal for 12 VVIP helicopters.
Last months ban on importing foreign dog breeds has given much cheer to animal lovers, activists and veterinarians who are looking forward to Indian strays getting a new lease on life.

Animal rights organisations and activists had been pushing for the ban so Indian breeds find better homes while foreign breeds are not subjected to inhospitable climates, curbing cruelty in both cases.

There are so many abandoned dogs at shelters looking for homes. (At the same time) Breeds like St. Bernards and huskies find it difficult during the tropical summers in India. They are already delicate creatures because of inbreeding and deficiencies from birth, said Rukmini Sekhar, writer and activist.

In recent years, the preference for a foreign breed has increased over adopting a local one. Pugs, rottweilers, German shepherds, labradors and dobermanns are among the most imported breeds.

I support this ban  its purpose is to discourage import of fancy, foreign breeds for commercial breeding. My only worry is that this should not lead to an increase in illegal imports, says veterinarian Dr SK Choudhary of Dr Choudharys Pet Clinic.

The clinic has been helping Indian strays and abandoned pets find homes, including foster ones. Dr Choudhary was also concerned over pet owners being harassed when they travel or shift to India. Maybe they could get their pet neutered before bringing it. Then monitoring and enforcement wont be required, he said.

The market for foreign breeds has grown exponentially in the past years that it has spilled into the e-commerce space, on sites such as OLX.

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) estimate that this market is valued around $100 million. However, as it is unorganised trade, there is no official data.

The animals are largely sourced from China, Korea and parts of Europe. For many of them, adapting to the Indian ecosystem  weather, food and all  is a challenge.

Pure-bred foreign breeds have lower immunity and resistance than local cross-bred dogs. The more purity, the less immunity, said Dr Choudhary.

Long-haired breeds like Labs and Golden Retrievers tend to get tick-infestations and blood parasites quickly and suffer stress due to the hotter climate. Most imported breeds are more vulnerable to skin infections due to the humid weather. Pugs and Rottweliers have trouble with breathing and heart disease in addition to skin problems.

Also, large breeds like huskies need a lot of exercise, and sometimes owners arent aware or dont care about this aspect, the doctor added.

Activists said that while this measure to ban imports is appreciated, further steps still need to be taken to ensure the animals are protected. The main focus will have to be on breeding industries that exploit dogs. Breeding is a cruel practice. Breeders dont care about the dogs and often dont have the knowledge of how to maintain them, said Sekhar.

Apart from illegal imports, vets remain concerned that the ban could lead to a spurt in congenital diseases due to inbreeding, especially among pugs and dachshunds. One generation of deficient dogs will have to pay the price. But the ban will be beneficial in the long run. Cities like Los Angeles now understand the implications of dog breeding and are imposing bans, Sekhar added.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday quoted the Italian court judgment while speaking on the AgustaWestland issue, and said that there were cases of omissions and commissions at various stages of decision making process in the deal.

Replying to the debate on the AgustaWestland chopper deal in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Parrikar said that the single vendor situation was created by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government so that Agusta could become the final vendor and it would benefit them.

Parrikar took a jibe at Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi and said: Abhishek Manu Singhvi almost convinced me by his argument, now I understand how convincing he is. But the brief is very weak, and even the best advocate cant win the case.

The Italian court has said there are omissions and commissions at various stages of decision making process indicate malafide and corrupt action given by the goal to favour a particular vendor. The deal was cancelled by the government under advise of CAG, he added.

Parrikar said: The country wants to know as to who instigated, supported and benefited from corruption, We cant let this pass. Fact that there was corruption in the matter is brought out in extensive details in recent judgments.

Request for Proposal (RFP) stated that field evaluation trials (FET) would be carried out in India, however, this was given a go-by, he added.

He later tweeted, At various stages, despite specific directions to the contrary, acquisition process was influenced to make Agusta the only eligible bidder.

The people need to know who instigated, who supported & who benefitted from the Augusta deal.  Manohar Parrikar (@manoharparrikar) May 4, 2016
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday urged Delhi University to make public Prime Minister Narendra Modis BA degree.

In a letter to Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi, Kejriwal referred to Modis successive election affidavits in which he claimed that he had a Bachelor of Arts degree from Delhi University.

It will be better if you put on the university website all the documents related to the prime ministers degree, he said.

The people of this country have a right to know how educated their prime minister is.

The letter comes a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader alleged that Modi didnt have a BA degree from Delhi University.

He said there were no records in the university and the purported degree of Modi published by some newspapers was forged.

Modis election affidavit in 2014 claimed he had both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. According to the affidavit, he completed a distance education course from Delhi University in 1978 in Political Science.

Kejriwal said in his letter to Tyagi that if Modi didnt have a BA degree, then he could not be having an MA degree too.

Gujarat University says he (Modi) has done MA from there. But if he hasnt even done his BA, how did he get admission in MA? It raises doubts that his MA degree is also forged. It is a very serious matter.

On Wednesday, three AAP leaders alleged that Delhi University refused to share with them details regarding Modis BA degree and told them to approach the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) instead.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) had on April 29 directed the universities of Delhi and Gujarat to respond to the RTI application regarding Modis educational qualifications.

Earlier, the Delhi University declined to give information related to Modis BA degree despite RTI requests.

The university cited its inability to get the information without a roll number as the reason for the denial.
A group of sadhus (saints) was in for a rude shock on Thursday when they were denied entry to the Visitors Gallery of the Lok Sabha despite having valid passes.

As it turns out, the sadhus became victims of tightened security norms that have been put in place at the Parliament house after the Pathankot terror incident in January this year.

Security personnel manning entry gates blocked the entry of the saffron-clad delegation unless their members agreed to take off the metal amulets and rudraksha necklaces around their necks.

Taking the demand as an insult to their religious beliefs, the sadhus left the Parliament house in a huff.

The security personnel have insulted the sadhu samaj (society of saints), said Basavaraju, coordinator of the delegation of the Rashtriya Shivacharya Parishad, an association of Lingayat caste saints of Karnataka.

Basavaraju even asked whether such shabby treatment had been meted out to the delegation because their visit had been facilitated by Congress leader M Mallikarjuna Kharge.

Kharge himself arrived at the spot but expressed his helplessness. Asked if he would take up the matter with the Lok Sabha Speaker, he said, The Speaker does not listen to us.

We will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi to inform her about todays unfortunate incident, Parishad president Renuka Shivacharya Swamiji said.

The saints could have been permitted entry as an exceptional case but officials were only following the rules. No item that can be thrown is permitted to be carried inside the Visitors Gallery, said Yogesh Deshmukh, joint secretary (security), at Parliament house.
Social media will continue to drive the governments PR efforts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday gave another pep talk to his ministers to get active on social media platforms to sell success stories, asking them to get at least one lakh followers each on Twitter. Two ministers  Kalraj Mishra and Narendra Singh Tomar  were praised at a meeting of the council of ministers on Tuesday. It was a routine meeting to review the implementation of cabinet decisions related to infrastructure ministries. But the focus eventually shifted to social media activities of ministers, a source told HT.

Hiren Joshi, officer on special duty (information technology) to PM, also made a presentation on dos and donts of social media. He advised them on some steps to get more followers, increase frequency of posts, and maximise their impact, a minister said.

Modi, the second most followed Indian on Twitter, has been a strong advocate of communication through social media.

Recently, the Prime Ministers Office shared with the Lok Sabha MPs of BJP a detailed analysis of their social media activities, such as number of follower, number of posts, and others.

The PM wants BJP lawmakers and ministers to share testimonials, real stories, and news about people benefitting from flagship schemes of central government. All departments have also been asked to prepare videos and short stories of such success stories and flood the MyGov portal that will act as a nodal point for dissemination of such information.
Cigarette packets will carry bigger health warnings in keeping with new rules, the Supreme Court told manufacturers on Wednesday in what is being seen as a setback to the Rs 70,000-crore tobacco industry.

The firms will have to adhere to the regulations, which require health warnings to cover 85% of the packet from 20% earlier, till the Karnataka high court decides on their validity.

Pictorial warning is there to educate people and tobacco industry has a duty to inform society about the harms of tobacco, the court said.

Along with written warnings, packets will carry images of diseased lungs and mouth tumours, aimed at deterring smokers in a country where one million people die from tobacco-related disease every year.

Health experts warn that tobacco will account for 13% of all deaths in India by 2020.

A bench of justice PC Ghose and justice Amitava Roy also ordered that all such cases be transferred to Karnataka high court, which was given eight weeks to decide the matter.

To avoid conflicting judgments, the top court barred other high courts from hearing a challenge to the rules, which were to come into force from April 1, 2015 but were delayed.

It is expected that all petitioners will comply with the 2014 amendment rule. They should not violate any rule prevailing as of today, the court said, setting aside the Karnataka high courts Dharwad bench order putting on hold bigger warnings.

The petitioners, which include bidi-makers, have challenged the regulations as too harsh and impossible to implement.

Factories were shut in protest when the new regime kicked in. Following Wednesdays ruling, shares of Indias biggest cigarette maker ITC Ltd ended down 1.29%. Godfrey Phillips shares were down marginally.

The tobacco industry has fallen back on a parliamentary panel report, saying the warnings should be increased to 50%. Companies also claim ambiguity over the new requirements.

The regulations were aimed at reducing tobacco consumption, the governments senior law officer said. There should be no stay on their implementation, solicitor general Ranjit Kumar said.

Despite bans on advertising, sale to minors and smoking in public places, more than one in three adults use smoking and smokeless tobacco in India, where 75, 000 to 80, 000 new cases of oral cancer are reported a year.

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Struggling to clear a backlog of 60,000 cases, the Supreme Court is likely to get four more judges, taking its current strength from 25 to 29 against a sanctioned strength of 31.

The top courts collegium headed by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur is understood to have recommended the names of senior advocate L Nageswara Rao, Allahabad high court chief justice DY Chandrachud, Madhya Pradesh HC chief justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar, and Kerala HC chief justice Ashok Bhushan for elevation as SC judges.

Rao, who represented Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa in a corruption case in the SC, has also served as an additional solicitor general for the UPA-II government and the present NDA government. If appointed, he would be the third senior advocate in recent years to be made an SC judge, after UU Lalit and R Nariman.

Read | Chief Justice of India breaks down before PM Modi over burden on judiciary

Sources said the law ministry was processing the files without waiting for the finalisation of the memorandum of procedure for appointment of judges. These would be the first appointments after a constitution bench of the SC in October 2015 revived the 22-year-old collegium system of judges appointing others by striking down the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act (NJAC) that gave the government some say in judicial appointments. The last appointment to SC happened in February 2015 when Justice Amitava Roy was elevated.

The appointments assume significance as five more vacancies are due to be filled later this year. The judges due to retire include Justice FMI Kalifulla (July), Justice V Gopala Gowda and Justice C Nagappan (both in October), and Justice Anil R Dave and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh (both in November).

Bound for the apex court?

1. L Nageswara Rao

he only lawyer of the four recommendations, Lavu Nageswara Rao is a former additional solicitor general. He studied law in his hometown Guntur and practised as an advocate in the Andhra Pradesh HC before moving to the SC in Delhi. The collegium had picked him in 2014 as well but he had then turned it down. At present, he is a senior advocate.

2. Ashok Bhushan

The 59-year-old was sworn in as the 31st Chief Justice of the Kerala HC in March 2015. Born in Jaunpur (Uttar Pradesh) in 1956, he graduated with a bachelors degree in arts before obtaining a law degree in 1979. He worked as an advocate in the Allahabad HC before being elevated as a permanent judge of the same HC in 2001.

3. DY Chandradud

Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud was born in Nov 1959 to the 16th Chief Justice of India, YV Chandradud. He obtained an LLM degree and completed his doctorate of judicial sciences from Harvard University. He has had a successful career and was appointed judge of Bombay HC before being sworn in as chief justice of Allahabad HC in 2013.

4. AM Khanwilkar

Born in Pune, 58-year-old Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar is chief justice of MP HC. Before being appointed to this position on November 23, 2013, Khanwilkar was the chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh HC. Prior to this, he was appointed as an additional judge of the Bombay HC in 2000 and confirmed as permanent judge in 2002.

Also read | With fewer judges, nearly 13 lakh cases pending in Punjab, Haryana

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If you are not a political junkie but watched Rajya Sabha proceedings on Wednesday to try and figure out the bribe-takers in the VVIP chopper deal, you may not be faulted for thinking that the Narendra Modi government was on the mat over the scam. Ruling party speakers were at their wits end in the face of a concerted counter-offensive by Congress veterans such as AK Antony, Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma and Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Consider this: BJP MP Bhupendra Yadav and his party colleague Subramanian Swamy attacked the Congress holding the UPA government responsible for changing specifications of flying altitude and cabin height of the helicopters. A sarcastic Swamy said it was probably done for the Leader of the Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad, the six-footer Kashmiri leader. The ruling party even argued that these changes made the erstwhile UPA leaders liable to prosecution.

Read | AgustaWestland deal: Top 5 points made by govt and Congress

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi  a prominent lawyer who lost lakhs of rupees by arguing free of cost for the party, as defence minister Manohar Parrikar jocularly quipped  countered Yadav saying that it was prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayees principal secretary Brajesh Mishra who had taken the lead to change the specifications.

Swamy remained silent when AK Antony asserted that the cabin height of 1.8 metres was approved by Vajpayees principal secretary. The former defence minister, fondly called Saint Antony by his friends and rivals for his integrity, put up a valiant defence of the previous UPA government.

Silence in the Treasury benches said it all. The Congress managed to take the sting out of the BJPs attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met senior ministers later in the evening to take stock of what happened in the Rajya Sabha and he might not be very pleased.

Read | People need to know who instigated, benefitted from Agusta: Parrikar

So, what went wrong? How did the Congress turn the tables on the ruling party on an issue that kept it on the back foot all these months?

The BJP was far from convincing in their arguments that Saint Antony allowed kickbacks under his nose. When he was Kerala chief minister, his wife would travel by public transport. Old Congressmen from Kerala remember how Antony would rile many of his colleagues by coming to the party office at 10 am everyday. There are apocryphal tales about how they managed to send his old Ambassador, given by the party, for weeks to the repair garage. Much to their chagrin, he took the bus instead and continued his daily visit to the party headquarters.

As Indias defence minister, he sat on acquisition proposals, drawing flak for compromising on the countrys defence preparedness but didnt expose himself to questions about any deal. Swamy and the BJP sought to absolve him  and former prime minister Manmohan Singh who is equally revered for his integrity  by insinuating that his hands might have been forced by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. These insinuations and innuendoes  which Singhvi said were meant to vilify Congress leaders  obviously didnt carry conviction.

Read | Invisible hand prevented probe in chopper deal: Manohar Parrikar

The debate on the chopper scam was taking place at a time when the ruling party faced many uncomfortable questions in parliament, be it the imposition of Presidents rule in Uttarakhand, considerable dip in employment generation, and last but not the least, the alleged foreign policy flip-flops. That might be one of the reasons for the isolation of the BJP on this issue as regional parties chose to back the Congress or maintain an equidistance during the debate.

The BJPs below par performance in the Rajya Sabha also underscored the absence of a talent pool in the ruling party. Parrikar read from a written document and gave extensive technical details as he reiterated the partys charge in the chopper deal. But the IIT alumnus only drew yawns from those who were already weary after a four-and-a-half hours long debate. The Treasury benches sorely missed Arun Jaitley, the Leader of the House, who was on an official trip to Frankfurt. BJP strategists had better check the finance ministers schedule before deciding on dates for tricky debates that require more of substance than often-misplaced exuberance and, what the opposition parties call hubris.

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Opposition parties on Thursday voiced concern at the developments in central universities like JNU and Hyderabad University. They expressed regret that educational institutions have turned it to be political arenas, and said this needs to be stopped.

As the House took up discussion on functioning of HRD Ministry, members also voiced concern over the quality of education, saying it is deteriorating.

Samajwadi Party member Naresh Agrawal alleged that students are being targeted in central universities and Vice-Chancellors are being used for it. This has never happened before that vice chancellors of central universities are being used to target students. This has happened in JNU, Hyderabad and now in Allahabad, he said.

This is a wrong precedent and needs to be checked, he said, asking Why are such incidents happening in central universities?

Agrawal claimed that an RSS leader is said to be running the organisations such as AICTE, which drew strong reaction from the BJP members.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said allegations could not be levelled against a person who is not present in the House. At this, Agrawal asked, Then why were names and allegations levelled in the House yesterday on AgustaWestland?

He also raised the issue of rampant corruption in the mid-day meal scheme.

I want to urge you to check the rampant corruption in the mid-day meal schemes. This is concerning. If we are able to check this, it will help in enhancing the status of primary education in the country, he added.

Agrawal said there is a need to look into the issue that several states have not lifted the share of foodgrains allocated to them for running the scheme.

He suggested that government should set up a recruitment board to fill the vacancies in the universities.

He said that only 3 % of GDP is being spent on education. We need to spend 6 % of the GDP on education, as is recommended, so that more and more children can be educated. This will also help is educating them about the population explosion, he added.

Agrawal said the quality of education in the country is deteriorating, which is a worrying trend. Taking a dig at HRD Minister Smriti Irani, he said: There is a debate over the degree of HRD Minister, but this issue of fake degrees is dangerous. It has to be checked at the earliest.

He also said the government should bring in a legislation to check cheating by students during exams. The SP leader said Governors in the states have a control over higher education as it is a Central subject. Earlier states were consulted while appointing Vice-Chancellors, but now they are not being concluded.

He said that no decision has been taken on the Centre-State contribution on Sarva Siksha Abhiyan.
A Bhubaneswar-bound aircraft of Vistara with 50 passengers and seven crew on board was hit by a bird on Thursday shortly before landing at the Biju Patnaik International Airport.

The Airbus A320 aircraft, however, landed safely and no passengers are hurt.

Vistara flight UK 709 Delhi to Bhubaneswar this morning experienced a bird hit on approach and continued to a safe landing at Biju Patnaik International Airport. All 50 passengers and seven crew on board our Airbus 320 aircraft are safe, Vistara said in a statement.

Pictures of Delhi to Bhubaneswar Vistara flight UK 709 which was grounded in Bhubaneswar after a bird hit. pic.twitter.com/uOW5ZpfjqW  ANI (@ANI_news) May 5, 2016

The aircraft is grounded at the Bhubaneswar airport where engineers are assessing the damage to the plane, they said, adding that the incident took place some 70km from the Bhubaneswar airport.

The airline, a Tata-SIA joint venture, said the bird-hit aircraft is expected to be released for operations later on Thursday. There are, however, no cancellations as of now though the return Bhubaneswar-Delhi leg is delayed until the engineering work is complete.
The water situation in the state is worse than ever, with around 500 villages going completely dry in the past 15 days. They have no source of water and the state government is providing them potable water from tankers.

With this, the number of villages relying on tankers for water supply has gone up to 3,798. This is the first time such large number of tankers are supplying water across the state.

And this is not where the woes end. Officials from the relief and rehabilitation department fear a more disturbing picture in days to come as the water stock in the state is depleting rapidly owing to the rise in temperatures.

The situation in Marathwada (central Maharashtra) is worst, with 2,503 villages getting water from tankers.

According to the data compiled by the relief and rehabilitation department, the number of tankers supplying drinking water has now reached up to 4,883 as against 4,356 on April 18.

The water stock in dams in the Marathwada region has also gone down to 2%, which adds to the concerns, a senior official said. Of 11 major dams in the region, eight including Jayakwadi, have zero live water storage at present, the official added.

A closer look at the figures shows the highest number of tankers  866  has been pressed in the Beed, followed by Aurangabad [758] and Ahmednagar, with and 703 tankers respectively, are the second and third highest number of tankers respectively.

The government has to supply drinking water through tankers at several places in 27 out of 34 districts. The total number of tankers deployed this time last year was 1,814, which is one third of the current number.

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The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) has said that it has decided to replicate the financial model of Kochi Metro. It will also adopt operational management strategies from the Chennai Metro.

A four-member NMRC team will go to Kochi and Chennai for a study tour to learn their methods and implement them on the under-construction 30-km Noida-Greater Noida Metro project, which is expected to be opened to public in March 2017.

Also read: New chief of metro rail body to speed up Noida-G Noida link

The team will study how Kochi Metro managed funds to build the project. We have learnt that Kochi Metro is self reliant and manages its financial requirements smoothly. We want the Noida Metro to become financially self-dependent too, said Saumya Srivastava, deputy chief executive officer (DCEO) of the Noida authority.

We want to learn from Kochi how we can raise funds and what their revenue generation model is. To sustain any project, we need to make profit. Therefore, we will have to work on those lines, he added.

Also read: Green clearance not required for Metro projects, says DMRC to NCT

At present, the Noida authority is funding the Noida-Greater Noida project, which has a budget of Rs 5,400 crore. The Union urban development ministry has also assured financial help.

The NMRC decided to send a team of officials to Kochi after its Metro director (systems) Praveen Goyal sent an invite in response to NMRCs letter inquiring about their financial model.

Also read: Noida metro asks Centre to take 50% stake, fund its projects

The Kochi Metro rail project started on June 7, 2013, with a deadline of June 2016, said NMRC officials.

Chennai Metro rail, which started operations on June 29, 2015, has 42 stations on a 45-km route. They are using advanced technology that enables just one person to manage operations for a whole metro station. We want to replicate the same technology so that we can cut costs without compromising on passenger service, said Srivastava.

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Two persons, including a woman IT employee, died in an accident at Sector 44 area on Thursday. The incident occurred at about 8 am when the deceased, Pragya Singh, 22, was travelling in an autorickshaw with her colleague Navita Verma, 24. The deceased was an employee of HCL. Police said she had boarded the autorickshaw from her rented accommodation at Sector 51 to reach the HCLs office at Sector 126. The deceased hailed from Patna where his father, Shailendra Pratap Singh is an advocate at the Patna High Court.

The accident occurred near Sector 44 police post when the school bus suddenly applied brakes, causing the auto-rickshaw to also break abruptly. However, a speeding private school bus, coming from behind, was unable to stop in time and rammed in to the auto ahead. The three-wheeler was crushed between the two buses, said Zahir Khan, station house officer (SHO), Sector 39 police station.

Autorickshaw driver Vinod Kumar, 40, and Pragya died on the spot. Navita was critically injured. She was rushed to the Kailash hospital and is undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit (ICU). The bus that caused the accident was ferrying students of Amity International School. Driver of the bus fled from the spot after the incident. The school administration, however, maintained that the bus was hired by the parents and not by the school.

The collision between two school buses and an auto that happened outside Amity International School, Sector-44, Noida today morning is very unfortunate and tragic. We share the concern and anxiety of the parents. However, we wish to clarify that none of the buses involved in the accident is owned by Amity. One of the private buses involved, was chosen by parents to transport their children to Amity and all our students are safe. It was totally a private bus arrangement done by the parents, read the statement issued by Amity International School.

A number of HCL employees visited the hospital. However, they refused to comment on the issue.

Navita hails from Allahabad and was staying with Pragya at a rented accommodation

Three children of the Marigold Public School, who were sitting on the rear seat of the bus, were also injured in the accident. However, they were discharged after the primary treatment.

I received a call about the accident when I was getting ready for the office. My son, who is a student of class 2 at the school was sitting in the bus. I rushed to the spot and took him to the hospital. The school bus had the basic first aid kit and they had done the primary treatment on the spot, said Arvind Kumar, parent of a student who was injured in the accident.

Driver of the private school bus, Manoj Kumar, 35, which caused the accident, is absconding. We have called the owner of the bus for investigation. A FIR was registered at Sector 39 police station against Manoj. The accused will be arrested soon, said Khan.

Body of the deceased was sent for postmortem, reports of which are awaited. Her family was informed about the incident, police said.

The body will be handed over to the family of the deceased once they reach, said Khan.

Deceased Vinod was a resident of Bhangel area of Noida. He is survived with two children - Pankaj (5) and Pushpendra (4). His wife had died two years back due to some ailment. His body was sent for postmortem, police said.

.

A private bus crashed in to an auto, ramming into a school bus ahead that had braked suddenly and caused a small pile-up. Two people died, and third was critically injured. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The auto was travelling behind a school bus that braked suddenly. The auto managed to come to a stop before crashing into the vehicle, but a private bus behind couldnt, crushing the three-wheeler between the two. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Three children travelling in the school bus were injured in the accident. They were sitting in the last rows of the vehicle. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

(Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

(Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The accident took place in sector 44 in Noida on Thursday morning. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

One person was critically injured in the accident. She was admitted to Kailash Hospital where she has been put in intensive care. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

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High drama was witnessed at CRPF Colony in Dugri on Wednesday, when a 40-year-old woman climbed atop the roof of flats following a dispute with her husband, and threatened to commit suicide by jumping off the third floor.

She alleged that her husband was not allowing her to enter the house.

ASI Sukhdev Raj at Dugri police station, said, Indu Bala climbed atop the roof of CRPF flats around 12 noon, and started shouting that she will end her life.

As locals failed to pacify her, they called police. The woman came down after two hours only when police asked her husband to open the door of the house.

The woman got married to Vijay Pandey of Dugri 10 years ago, after separation from first husband. She has two children from her first marriage. Her relations with Pandey turned strained, as she had started meeting her ex-husband.

On Wednesday, Pandey locked the door of flat from inside and did not allow her to enter the house following a dispute on the issue. No legal action has been taken by the police, ASI Sukhdev said.
Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishor Yadav on Wednesday met parents who have been protesting against the private school managements against the exorbitant fee, annual hike and other sundry charges. Yadav said he understood the concerns of the parents and agreed that the schools were having a free run as there were no clear regulations for fee structure.

Parents from various private schools in the district and education department officials were present at the meeting.

The DC said he was with the parents in their fight, but the final decision will be taken by the fee committee formed by the high court.

After the meeting, parents said they were hopeful that their fight will bring about the desired results. Parents also cited various orders passed by the high court and Central Board of Secondary Education and in reaction, the DC sought the copies of the orders so that he can act accordingly.

Issues orders to schools after parents complain

The DC, taking cognizance of CBSE letter dated April 12, has asked the schools not to force the students to buy books other than NCERT.

The letter states that coercing students and their parents to buy books other than those prescribed by the NCERT is an unhealthy practice.

After parents complained that the schools were pressing the students to deposit the admission fee and their wards were wary of going to school, the DC instructed the deputy DEO to send communications to all schools against doing so as the matter was sub-judice and a decision is awaited on May 31.

The DC, in the letter, has also ordered them not to take fine from students if they fail to come to the school because of a genuine reason.

I cannot do anything against schools: DC

When the parents sought action against the school managements, Yadav said he was not authorised to issue instructions as a fee committee is in place whose decision will prevail.

If the parents face any problem in getting their wards admitted to a school, they can come to me for help as we have formed a admission monitoring committee. Issues related to fee, books and uniforms will be look after by the fee committee, he said.

He, however, said in case the fee committee asks him to take action, he will do so instantly.

Unregistered schools to be taken to task

Yadav said unregistered schools that dont adhere to the RTE norms will be taken to task. We will deal sternly with schools that do not adhere to RTE norms and will ask from the higher authorities to give them permission to cancel their affiliations.
Attack by a rival gang left the Haria gang kingpin dead and two of his aides injured opposite the Division-B police station here on Wednesday evening.

The accused Bobby Malhotra, who presently heads the Sonu Kangla gang, is also the prime accused in the murder of Karanbir Singh, whose bullet-riddled body was found from a drain near Dugri village of Tarn Taran district on Tuesday. Karanbir, too, is reported to have been associated with the Haria gang.

Sources said the Sonu Kangla gang targeted Haria at a marriage palace situated on the 100-foot road, but he managed to escape.

Shopkeepers at the Sultanwind gate chowk, where the police station is situated, said they saw Haria along with half a dozen aides speeding towards the area on bikes around 6.15pm.

Haria reportedly had injuries on his head and face and was being followed by members of the rival gang on bikes.

After catching up with Haria gang, the rival gang members fired six to seven shots at him and his aides. While Haria died in the attack, two of his aides, Deepu and Sunny, were seriously injured.

Cops rushed out of the police station on hearing the gunshots, but the attackers managed to flee. The injured gang members were rushed to a private hospital.

Heavy police force was deployed at the spot and the road was blocked after the incident. Forensic experts, too, reached there to gather clues.

Amritsar police commissioner Amar Singh Chahal and deputy commissioner of police J Elanchezhian, who were overseeing the investigations at the spot, said they will be able to comment on the incident only after the probe.

Old rivalry

Earlier in the day, police had booked Bobby Malhotra and his aides Darshan Singh and Mitha for Karanbirs murder. Police had already arrested Raghu and Ashu, who were accompanying Karanbir when he was kidnapped, on murder charges on the complaint of victims father, Jarnail Singh.

Karanbir was allegedly kidnapped by the trio and murdered on April 29.

The tussle between the two gangs has been on for a long time. Bhupinder Singh, alias Sonu Kangla, the head of Bobbys gang, is in jail after being arrested by the Tarn Taran police in December last year.
Material worth lakhs was reportedly gutted after a major fire broke out in a three-storeyed showroom of hosiery and cosmetic items at the main market here on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. In all, 17 fire tenders pressed into service took 15 hours to bring the fire under control.

Sources said winds caused sparks in the electricity wires, leading to the fire around midnight. Gradually, it gripped the entire building. Neighbouring residents informed the showroom owner, who called the fire brigade.

The fire brigade from the military base and a team of municipal council reached the spot with fire tenders and water tanks. Patti sub-divisional magistrate Amandeep Singh Bhatti and municipal council president Surinder Singh also rushed to the spot besides the local police.

Hoses of the military fire tenders, however, failed to work, and the fire brigade had to be called in from Amritsar and Tarn Taran to douse the flames, which had started spreading to other buildings in the congested market area. With the help of a JCB machine, shutters of the shops were broken and the firemen managed to bring the fire under control, but only after it had also damaged some neighbouring shops.

Showroom owner Sanjeev Jain accused Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) of negligence, which led to the fire. He also alleged the fire brigade did not reach on time, which led to huge damage. The first fire tender reached from Amritsar at 2am and the next came in at 3am, he said, claiming that the fire had caused a loss of more than Rs 2.5 crore.

The fire brigade, meanwhile, attributed the delay in bringing the fire under control to the congested area. Patti station house officer (SHO) Rajwinder Kaur said police are investigating the matter to know the reason behind the fire.
Finally, the UT administration has drafted a policy and mechanism to regulate fees at private, unaided schools. Education secretary Sarvjit Singh confirmed that the proposal has been forwarded to the UT administrator, Kaptan Singh Solanki; and that inputs would also be sought from schools and other stakeholders before a final policy.

Extortionist Punjab schools: 120 meetings, 0 result, fee panel fails

This comes a week after HT highlighted the authorities failure to devise a permanent mechanism despite directions by the Punjab and Haryana high court three years ago to take a decision on the matter within six months. It must be noted that the Solankis office had forwarded the issue to the UT adviser - asking him to take appropriate action - after a local RTI activist, RK Garg, sent him a representation following HTs latest report of April 26.

Under HC direction

The HC had in April 2013 directed the administration to examine the feasibility of establishing a mechanism and take decision within a period of six months. It had further stated that till that was done a committee under chairmanship of justice RS Mongia (retired) was constituted to check whether the hike in fees by schools was proper or not, following the Delhi high courts path. In its compliance report in April 2014, the UT had stated that it would follow the Punjab government on the matter. Director, school education (DSE), Rubinderjit Singh Brar had earlier told HT, Since Punjab has not come up with a mechanism, we will not wait any longer; and will come up with our own.

On Wednesday, Sarvjit referred to the public outcry on the issue recently, and said that feedback from public and other stakeholders was welcome before the policy was finalised.

The proposal mentions that geographical monopoly is inherent in the plan of things and understandably under ethos behind the directions of the HC, and adds that the policy was intended to, as per the courts directions, put in place a mechanism to keep check on monopolistic tendencies of schools, that are natural to germinate if any eye is not kept on it.

Therefore, the need to have a common formula to work out fee to be charged per student by a school (using duly audited figures) is highlighted in the draft proposal. Sarvjit added, As expenditure for junior and senior classes may vary, broadly we are looking at bifurcating the exercise in two categories, one up to Class 5 and another Class 6 onwards.

We will also study this and see if there is any legality under which the education department is doing this and if there is, then so be it, said HS Mamik, president, Independent Schools Association, Chandigarh.

Initiating a regulatory mechanism is a welcome step, we are happy about it. We expect the department to issue a statement inviting parents to give feedback fearlessly, provide harsh punishment to students and ensure transparency, said Nitin Goel, president, Chandigarh Parents Association.

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The UT administration has decided to make the Sukhna Lake second major venue for performing yoga on International Yoga Day on June 21. The ministry of Ayush has already recommended the Capitol Complex, Sector 1, for organising the main mega event, which is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi; the official confirmation about his visit is awaited as of now.

Sources claim the administration is planning to celebrate the event like a yoga festival.

Taking along every section of the society, the administration  apart from residents, youngsters, and professionals  will also train some Burail jail inmates, who will perform yoga at the jail premises.

Meanwhile, the co-ordination committee for International Yoga Day event on Wednesday met under the chairmanship of UT adviser Parimal Rai. Other officials of the UT administration, Punjab and Haryana, representatives from the UT Police, Army and Air Force also attended the meeting at UT Secretariat in Sector 9. Ayush ministry joint secretary Anil Ganeriwal, who also attended the meeting, handed over booklets and yoga DVDs containing yoga postures to be performed at the event.

The booklet contains about 17 asanas will be performed at the event, which will last around 45 minutes in the morning.

Parimal Rai said, We should celebrate yoga like any other festival. Rather than a date-specific event, it should be adopted in our lifestyle. We plan to engage most city residents to become part of the event, as yoga promotes healthy lifestyle.During the meeting, the officials were assigned different tasks to make the event successful. The Art of Living, a spiritual foundation, has been given the responsibility to teach yoga to corporate, jail inmates, labour class and college students; the Isha Foundation will train students in schools; and the Patanjali Yogpeeth will assist the overall yoga training.

All the trainers will attend a three-day orientation programme after May 15, following which they will hold sessions in different sectors of the city. Deputy commissioner Ajit Balaji Joshi has called the heads of different banks, IT companies and other bodies to seek their contribution.

6,000 Army, Air Force personnel to do yoga

Sources say different departments have been given targets to mark maximum attendance during the event. Besides residents, over 5,000 Army personnel and over 1,000 Air Force personnel will also perform yoga.

The ministry of Ayush will provide T-shirts promoting yoga for the participants at the main venue. The administration will soon float tenders for arranging mats, LED screens, water supply, barricades, carpets, etc.

Those taking part in the main event will also be issued photo-identity cards. The PM is expected to perform yoga asanas along with over 35,000 students and residents at the main venue, while over 70,000 people are expected to perform yoga at other venues.

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The Punjab governments high-powered committee has finally given the go-ahead to a proposal for setting up Khalsa University on the iconic Khalsa College campus at Amritsar, sources have told HT.

The committee, headed by chief secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, on Wednesday mulled over the 350-page case mooted by the Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC), and found that it met every essential criteria for establishing a private university, it is learnt.

Present in the meeting were vice-chancellors of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar; besides representatives of Panjab University, Chandigarh, and University Grants Commission (UGC), Delhi.

Now, the panels report will be put up for chief minister Parkash Singh Badals formal nod. Thereafter, the government will issue a letter of intent to the KCGC which is headed by Satyajit Singh Majithia, father of Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Punjab revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia.

Five years ago, the KCGC move had run into the roadblock of protests from some Sikh groups who apprehended that the university would dilute the heritage status of the 123-year-old Khalsa College. At that time, the Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) government had shelved the move. Lately, however, KCGC revived the proposal and pushed it again barely nine months before the second term of the Badal government expires and polls get due.

But, the governments green signal is likely to trigger a political row in the wake of strident opposition by Amritsar MP and Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh who has threatened to stage a dharna on the college campus to block the university.

Last week when HT first reported on the governments fresh move to clear the file on Khalsa University, Amarinder had been quick to renew his threat. He had even gone a step further, saying, We will rescind this decision if the Congress comes to power in Punjab next year.

Amarinder, whose royal ancestors had contributed generously to the creation of Khalsa College, accuses the Majithias of having vested business interests in setting up the university  an allegation trashed by Satyajit Majithia. The university will come up on the 330-acre premises that house the college building.

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Back to back incidents of firing and kidnapping have put a question mark on the working of the police in the district where the crime rate is steeply rising. The business community is particularly terror-stricken as both the incidents involved two among them.

Read more: Father paid Rs 50 lakh to free girl, police just watched

Patiala was considered a relatively safer city compared to other parts of Punjab. Of late, however, there has been a surge in crime  incidents of loot, snatchings, car thefts, firing and kidnapping have gripped residents by shock and fear.

On April 30, gunmen attacked Om Jewellers, a leading jewellery shop situated around 50m from the Kotwali police station, firing with the intention of loot. Shop owner Rajesh Kumar was hit in the stomach. But he fired back and killed one of the assailants, identified as a Delhi resident.

The police have yet to solve the case, as it gropes in the dark about the dead attackers colleagues.

A fresh incident of kidnapping on Wednesday further dented the city polices image. Shanvi Gupta, the 7-year-old daughter of a leading businessman Amit Gupta, was kidnapped at Bahera Road from an auto while going to school. Sources said Gupta paid the kidnappers `50 lakh as ransom to free his daughter.

Sources said although policemen in civvies were deployed at places in the district, the kidnappers remained elusive by changing their location and also managed to flee with the ransom. The police, however, deny the ransom was paid.

We dont feel safe anymore, Rajesh Bansal, a businessman of Gur Mandi, said. The firing at Om Jewellers and then the kidnapping both were daring acts. There is a need to increase security to instill a sense of security among the business community.

Both the incidents took place in the inner city, congested and safe. Apart from these, there were several cases of loot, one at an ATM in Patiala and another at the Shutrana Grain market. Nobody was arrested.

Congress MLA Brahm Mohindra said: People are in a shock. The incidents has again reminded us of militancy days, when people were feeling unsafe and insecure. It will badly affect the citys economy as the businessman is feeling insecure.

Patiala was considered a safe city. If it is witnessing such crimes, you can imagine the situation in other parts of the state. Several gunmen were given to small-time Akali leaders, but the common man was left at the mercy of criminals.
Gone are the days when advisories were issued to save power. Its a reverse scenario now. Consumers are being persuaded to consume as much power as they can and policies are being drafted to this end.

With the changing scenario in Punjab from acute shortage to being surplus, Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) is working out tariff order for the current fiscal (2016-17) to motivate consumers in the state to consume more power.

PSERC is also planning to relax peak load exemption charges (PLEC), according to which, as per current norms any industry seeking power during peak load restrictions imposed by PSPCL is required to pay extra to get power.

The norms of unauthorised use of electricity (UUE) are also being reworked. Currently, a consumer using power for the purpose other than the connection has been allotted invites a penalty. We have formed a committee to study the matter and plan to relax norms, PSERC chairman DS Bains told HT.

Also, PSERC has decided to advise Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in the tariff order expected by the end of this month to start aggressive marketing of 50,000 million units of power available during the year of which 18,000 million units are surplus.

With installed capacity touching 11,000 megawatts, and peak load demand in the forthcoming peak season expected to touch 10,500 megawatts, PSPCL still has 500 megawatts surplus.

PSERC has also instituted a study to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, to suggest the strategy for sale of projected power available in Punjab to other states and even neighbouring countries, optimum pricing of power in the state to increase demand, to reduce cost of power and improving services to make a consumer-friendly scenario. The report is expected in a fortnight.

G Raghu Ram, dean, IIM, Ahmedabad, who is leading the study team, is also expected to involve an exchange programme with PSPCL to train officials and engineers to start active marketing for sale of more power.

The challenge now is to manage more sale of power, and we are working out a tariff accordingly, said Bains, adding that the state is power surplus during eight months in the year, except four months of paddy season. To motivate people to consume more power, in the tariff order this year, he plans to add a chapter on ease of doing business giving directions to the power corporation to cut delays in giving power connections and involving a system of computerised meter-reading.

Changing times

There was a time when PSPCL used to launch different schemes for saving power, which is no longer on its agenda. In 2008, a campaign was launched by PSPCL to distribute energy-saving fluorescent lamps to consumers, which is not being run with the same enthusiasm now.

Incentive scheme rejected

A scheme was proposed by PSERC in 2014-15 to offer incentive for consuming more power, by cutting cost of power by Re 1 per unit for the amount of power consumed more than the previous year.

The scheme was discontinued the next year after PSPCL objected, saying it would hit their revenue generation. We will introduce a policy so that the power corporation doesnt suffer loss of revenue and the consumers also benefit, Bains told HT.

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Dalbir Kaur wants actor Randeep Hooda, who portrays her brother Sarabjit Singh in the film Sarbjit, to offer his shoulder to carry her body when she dies.

I would like to tell Randeep that I have truly seen Sarabjit in him. I have a wish and I would like to take a promise from him that when I die, he should definitely give me kandha (shoulder). My soul will receive peace that Sarabjit gave me kandha, Dalbir Kaur said at an event to remember Sarabjit on his third death anniversary.

The films director Omung Kumar and the cast of the film -- Randeep, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Richa Chadha and Darshan Kumar -- were also present at the event.

Read: We had tears in our eyes: Dalbir Kaur on Sarbjit trailer

It was a matter of great joy that I found my brother Randeep. In the film, he is not just a hero, but also my brother. When I had come on the first day, he was given a shot in a small room. I actually felt that my sher is sitting in that room. I sent him a message wishing that he lives for thousands of years and stays away from the evil eye of anyone, Dalbir said.

Sarbjit is a biopic on Sarabjit Singh, an Indian farmer, who was convicted of terrorism and spying in Pakistan and was sentenced to death. He was attacked by inmates at a prison in Lahore in April 2013 and died a few days later.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sarabjit Singh`s sister Dalbir Kaur in Mumbai on Thursday. (Photo: IANS)

In the film, Aishwarya essays a character based on Dalbir.

About Aishwarya, Dalbir said: I received the love of my younger sister Aishwarya. When Vanita (Omungs wife) showed me the photos, I thought, Is it me or Aishwarya? I saw all my aspects in her.

Read: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan didnt meet the real Dalbir Kaur

I could feel how difficult it would have been for her to adapt herself into a Punjabi atmosphere, to speak Punjabi, get into Punjabi culture, to go to the gurdwara covering her head and serving there... Somewhere she might have got emotional. She is also a daughter, sister, wife, mother and understands the pain well, she added.

Sarbjit is slated to be released on May 20.
After the activist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) prevented Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singhs scheduled visit to Canada late last month, it has now served a notice on him claiming he had defamed the group by linking it to Pakistans spy agency, the ISI.

Captains media adviser Vimal Sumbly, however, said: No such notice has been received by him (Amarinder Singh).

Capt retracts ISI-link remark, but SFJ says damage done

In a statement, SFJ claimed to have served notice for an intended lawsuit before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice while Amarinder Singh was addressing a gathering of NRIs in Milpitas, a town in Californias Bay Area late on Wednesday evening. Goldblatt Partners, the Toronto-based law firm representing SFJ, said the litigation would proceed if a retraction and apology was not issued within seven days.

A letter accompanying the notice said, The defamatory statements were and are false, and their publication has caused grave damage and injury to Sikhs for Justice. It also said that the unfounded accusations of association with the ISI was tantamount to accusations of treason.

Amarinders statement had come after he had to cancel scheduled week-long events in Canada late last month after SFJ, acting through Goldblatt Partners, had first sent a memorandum to the Canadian Government complaining against Amarinders foreign political campaign in the country, and on the day of his expected arrival in Toronto, had filed a case in a Toronto court accusing the former chief minister in a case of torture during his tenure.

While Amarinder had later retracted the original statement, the letter said that failed to meet the requirements of a full and fair retraction under the relevant Canadian Libel and Slander Act.

The SFJ had earlier threatened to file a similar defamation case in California but due to jurisdictional issues in the United States, did not proceed with that.

Read: SFJ says shoes hurled at Amarinder in US, he dubs it absolute lies
Customs officials on Thursday seized four pistols and seven magazines being smuggled into India from Pakistan at the Attari border.

Officials said Uttar Pradesh resident, Mohammad Ismail was arrested at the Integrated Check Post along with the pistols that were hidden inside two steel containers.

Ismail was returning to India after meeting his relatives in Pakistan along with two women family members, said officials.

Additional commissioner Customs Nitin Saini said, Around 2 pm, three persons, including two women, reached the customs counter for clearance. Our officials noticed that the man was carrying two cylindrical-shaped steel containers. As these appeared to be fishy, we decided to closely examine the containers.

When these containers were opened, it was found that they had small containers where four 9 mm pistols and seven empty cartridges were hidden, he added. While three pistols are Turkish-made, one is Italian-made, said Saini.

SSP Amritsar (rural) Jasdeep Singh said: In the preliminary questioning, the accused had claimed that a person in Pakistan had handed over these containers to them. We are verifying all facts.

Read: Centre to spend Rs 3K cr for increasing vigil on Indo-Pak border

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In the wake of losses due to whitefly attack last season, the Punjab agriculture department is facing the possibility of covering less acreage under cotton crop this year.

This may result in the department falling short of its target to cover five-lakh hectares under the cotton crop in Malwa region this kharif season. The agriculture department has put everything on stake to revive cotton economy but the lack of enthusiasm among farmers can be seen as sowing has already begun.

Staff of agriculture department has been finding it difficult to convince farmers to give another shot to cotton. The government has set a target to cover five-lakh hectares under the crop this year against 4.5-lakh hectares last year.

Whitefly attack had severely damaged almost two-thirds of the crop last year. The spurious supply of seeds and pesticides added to the woes of cotton-growers.

Deputy director (cotton) Sukhdev Singh Sidhu said though it was obvious for farmers to be hesitant after last years losses, the department had gone all out to rebuild trust of farmers. How successfully we managed to convince farmers can be assessed only once the sowing is over, Sidhu said.

Meanwhile, demanding anonymity, a chief agriculture officer of the cotton belt said going by the sale of cotton seeds and slow sowing this season so far, it appeared hard to meet the targets for respective districts.

Bathinda chief agriculture officer Nachhatar Singh Aulakh said though 40% of cotton-sowing had been completed, the process is much slower than that of last year. We are given a target of 1.65 lakh hectares against 1.45 lakh hectares last year. The field staff is visiting every village in the cotton belt, but farmers seem more interested in pulses, maize and paddy, Aulakh said.

Govt perks fail to impress farmers

To popularise cotton-farming, the government had reduced the prices of BT cotton seeds from Rs 1,000 per packet (450g) to Rs 800. The government had even come up with a seven-month plan to address the concerns of cotton farmers to revive their economic condition. The plan is being looked after by additional chief secretary (development) Suresh Kumar and was enforced in March-end.

It envisages removal of whitefly-infested weeds across the cotton belt, holding technical training and awareness camps at the time of purchase of seeds and sowing, and interactive sessions with farmers so as to get details regarding the health of the crop. To boost the farmers, the government will grow 400 demonstration plants of cotton for every 25 acres across the belt.

Shingara Singh Mann, district president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan), said that after last years losses, paddy is a viable and safe option for farmers. Besides getting tubewell connections, the farmers are ready to spend money on diesel for sowing paddy instead of taking the risk of sowing cotton, Mann said.

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A 30-year-old student of Maharshi Paramhansh College of Education in Jharkhands Ramgarh district was attacked and her arms were chopped off by two bike-borne assailants on Wednesday. She succumbed to her injuries.

Sonali Murmu, a resident of Kander village, was attacked with a weapon from behind when she was out of college premises. After she fell unconscious, the attackers chopped off her forearms before fleeing towards Rajrappa on NH 23, eyewitness accounts suggest.

The BEd college is adjacent to the Ramgarh collectorate on NH 23 (Ramgarh-Bokaro Road).

The woman was admitted in the college in June 2015 and was about to complete the first year of the two-year course. Her husband used to drop her to college, said Manoj Agrawal, the college secretary. (On Wednesday) at 11:30 am, she was out to get her testimonial photocopied for registration [when] two assailants attacked and killed her just out of the college campus.

Her body has been sent for autopsy and the weapon used in the attack was seized by police.

My wife had come to attend classes and fill up a form. However, the assailants killed her brutally. They threw the weapon on the spot after the crime, said Chitranjan Tuddu, the victims husband.

The reason for the murder is yet to be ascertained, said sub-divisional police officer Deepak Kumar. All local police stations, including in Bokaro district, have been alerted.

Ramgah inspector GP Tiwari said the murder was being investigated on the basis of information provided by the victims husband.
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The next time you visit Dharamsala to see the Dalai Lama or leave the maddening crowd of your city behind, you might get to see something quite similar to the iconic Hollywood sign in Los Angeles.

The Buddhist retreat in Himachal Pradesh will soon be getting a sign on the lines of the famous Hollywood sign, on a hillock of Indru Nag.

Read: Of hills and serenity, an escape to Dharamsala and McLeodganj

Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma has said that a 100-feet high national flag mast shall also be erected near the sign and the budget for the project is Rs 25 lakh.

Whats more, Dharamsala town will also have underground dustbins a deal for which was signed on Wednesday. It was signed between the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, Vikas Labroo and a private firm.

A view of stadium in Dharamshala where the IPL match being played.

Sharma said, The company shall also create such dustbins in Sundernagar and Ponta Sahib after Dharamsala.

These dustbins will be monitored through GPS system, he said, adding that the cleaning will be done using hydraulic cranes.

Do not believe people who tell you that Dharamsala is as commercial as Shimla or Dalhousie. It is not. It is a small town that you can probably explore by foot in a day. And eat momos that are sold at every nook and corner.

A multi-crore rupee scheme is being developed with the help of Asian Development Bank to give the tourist places of Dharamsala a face-lift, he said.

Under the scheme, all the temples within the corporation limits will be developed in accordance with Himachal style of art and culture, Sharma added.

Tsuglagkhang Complex, close to McLeod Square, is reportedly the biggest Tibetan monastery outside Tibet.
Do you remember that beautiful ad by British Airways where an air hostess meets an old Indian granny on a flight? The advert went viral in February and has now won an award in US.

The ad was made by Masaan director Neeraj Ghaywan who shared the news on Twitter.

#FuelledByLove A campaign for @British_Airways that I had directed won a Bronze at the A List Awards, Hollywood. https://t.co/Kdq5jzRJ4k  Neeraj Ghaywan (@ghaywan) May 5, 2016

Ghawan had said in February that the reaction to the ad was simply baffling. We were not expecting this at all. The agency, SapientNitro, came up with this idea and we developed it. But the response has simply been amazing, he had said, adding, The CEOs and VPs of many agencies have been congratulating me. I dont think many people from the industry have seen in as yet, however I did get a call from Anurag Kashyap.

Read: My family said I was perfect for it, says the granny from British Airways ad

Watch the ad here:

The A-List Hollywood Moving Image Advertising Awards is a creative advertising competition, dedicated to moving image advertising across all platforms. The competition accepts entries from around the world in Film/TV, Interactive, Integrated Campaign, and Craft Technique.

The video showcases the story how a British Airways crew member named Helena falls in love with India during her first visit to the country and also her emotional connect with one of the passengers, an old woman named Anandi.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Hillary Clinton is looking confidently ahead to the general election, but taking nothing for granted as Californias mega-primary approaches, reaching out to Hispanic and black voters in the hope of waging a final knockout against rival Bernie Sanders.

Clintons visit to the Golden State Thursday coincides with Cinco de Mayo, the annual celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. She plans to rally supporters in the gymnasium of a community college that serves Hispanic cities on the edge of Los Angeles.

The event will carry symbolic value. The venue, East Los Angeles College, isnt far from another local school where Clinton kicked off her successful 2008 presidential primary run in California, when she delivered a setback to then-senator Barack Obama on his way to claiming the White House.

In that race, the former first lady notched nearly 55% of the vote in largely Democratic Los Angeles County, home to 10 million people and an important battleground in any statewide campaign.

As in past primaries, Clinton is expected to do well in the June 7 primary with older Democrats, Hispanics and black voters, while Sanders could perform better with younger voters and independents, who have the option of voting since California holds an open primary.

The Sanders folks feel that they have to do better with minority communities, especially Latinos, said Mitchell Schwartz, who ran Obamas 2008 campaign in the state and supports the Vermont senator.

For Clintons campaign, they dont want to go into the (national) convention having lost the biggest state in the country, Schwartz added. They are going to pull out all the stops here to win.

Relying on many of the same advisers who laid the groundwork for her 2008 win, Clinton is looking to build on that strategy, targeting key demographics in the diverse region. Hispanics alone make up about half the population in Los Angeles County.

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and senator Bernie Sanders debate during the CNN Democratic Presidential Primary Debate at the Duggal Greenhouse in New York City. (AFP File Photo)

Clinton will begin her day on Thursday meeting privately with politically influential black pastors in Los Angeles, then attend a fund raiser hosted by Los Angeles City councilman Jose Huizar, a Mexican immigrant, before the college rally.

Until recently, the California primary had looked like the make-or-break contest for candidates on both sides of the aisle. But billionaire businessman Donald Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee, while Sanders looks to California as his last glimmer of hope in stopping Clinton, who has thus far won 92% of the delegates needed to claim the nomination.

But Clinton cant be too confident going in to the countrys final primary, with statewide voter surveys pointing to a tight race between the two Democrats.

An independent Field Poll released last month found Clinton with a 6-point lead over Sanders, with 12% of voters still undecided.

Highlighting the stakes, Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, will each be making appearances in the Los Angeles area this week. The former first lady heads to Oakland on Friday.

Clintons appearance at the college also represents a bid to lift her appeal with younger voters, who have strongly rallied behind Sanders insurgent campaign. The Vermont senators rallies in California have been filled to capacity with 20- and 30-somethings; a Clinton rally last month at another college in Los Angeles was noticeably thin on student-attendees, though it was held on a Saturday.

Driving up turnout will be a key issue for both candidates; likely voters in California tend to be older, white, college-educated and homeowners, surveys show. Hispanics, by comparison, tend to vote in proportions well below their share of the population, in part because many are too young to vote, not registered or not citizens.

Michael Ceraso, Sanders state director, said campaign volunteers will make 1 million door knocks by primary day, as part of the campaigns effort to scout up supporters and to register new voters.

The California election is actually about a month long.

Vote-by-mail ballots go out next week and could account for more than half of the total number of votes cast. That means that many voters will be making decisions weeks before June 7.

In California, 475 Democratic delegates will be divvied up in the election, some based on the outcome in each congressional district, others in proportion to the statewide tally. That will make it difficult for either candidate to win a commanding victory.

California has long been favourable terrain for the Clintons. Along with her 2008 win, Bill Clinton locked in the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination in the state, which he carried in his two presidential contests. The familiarity of the Clinton name could be an asset.

Lia Evans, 19, a student from Torrance and registered Democrat, was among the crowd at a Clinton rally at Los Angeles Southwest College last month.

While she liked what she heard from both candidates, she was more comfortable with Clinton.

As for Sanders, I still dont know that much about him, she said.
South Carolinas Indian American governor Nikki Haley signaled on Wednesday that she will support Donald Trump if he becomes the Republican nominee  a prospect that seems very likely now.

Haley, however, said she wont join his ticket as running mate because there was enough on her plate already. Moreover, there was no indication that Trump would even ask.

Now that Trump is on the verge of bagging the nomination, matchmakers have begun scouting for a suitable running mate for him. The candidate himself has been understandably coy about it.

Asked to comment on the matter in a CNN interview on Wednesday, Trump said he may name Ben Carson and/or Chris Christie to a committee appointed to look for one. To a direct question from the interviewer if he would like to vet Kasich for the VP slot, Trump answered in the affirmative  as could only be expected in his newly assumed avatar of unifier.

The process of selecting running mates, which is wrapped in layers of secrecy, involves intensive vetting of multiple candidates by a team of lawyers led by one of the candidates most loyal aides.

Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee on Tuesday after delivering a crushing defeat to Ted Cruz, the only rival who posed him a real challenge, in the Indiana primary. Cruz quit the race on Tuesday, swiftly followed by Kasich  who never had much of a shot at the nomination, given how he fared worse than many others who dropped out earlier.

Read: As Trump wins Indiana, Clinton aims to woo thoughtful Republicans

The Republicans started out with 17 candidates, pegged by experts as one of the strongest line-ups ever fielded by the party. As Trump first shot to the top in polls and then picked off the nominating contests one by one, others  including one-time frontrunner Jeb Bush  dropped out.

The real-estate moguls gravity-defying rise continued unabated, surviving gaffes, scares and missteps that would have grounded other campaigns. But then, this is 2016, the year of insurgent campaigns, with Trump in the Republican party and Bernie Sanders, a lifelong independent-turned Democrat, across the aisle.

With the Indiana win on Tuesday, Trumps tally of delegates climbed to 1,047  only 190 short of the 1,247 required to win the ticket. Cruz was at 565 and Kasich at 153.

The need to get the math right, however, is moot for Trump. As the only candidate in the field, he will be the only one on the ballot at the Republican convention in Cleveland, Ohio, in July. By that time, he would have settled on a running mate, as is the practice, and announced him/her with the fanfare associated with it.

Occasionally, those entrusted with the hunt have emerged as the pick themselves. A case in point is Dick Cheney, who became George W Bushs running mate after spearheading the hunt for one.
British auteur Andrea Arnold, whose latest movie, American Honey, is part of the Cannes Film Festival Competition, has said that much of the feature is most me. She averred during the recent Tribeca Film Festival: It felt like a nice thing. There are times youre trying to trust yourself but youre second guessing as well. This time I was really trying to trust myself, and its the most Ive ever done.

Arnolds 2006 Cannes competitor, Read Road, was a fascinating psychological study of a CCTV security officer and her dilemma as she watches on her monitor a man from her past, a man who brings back distasteful memories.

Arnolds 2009 Fish Tank -- which also vied for the Palm dOr -- traces the miserable plight of a rebellious teenage girl, who is about to kicked out of school and her selfish mother. The movie had some incredible things to say about such delinquency in British society, and one remembers, the former Guardian film critic Derick Malcolm, saying that much of what was in Fish Tank was very true... British society is like this.

Arnolds latest Cannes Competition title, American Honey, is also a story of intractability and defiance, and it follows some teenagers who sell magazines across Americas Midwest, and it stars newcomer Sasha Lane, along with Shia Labeouf (seen in Lars Von Triers Nymphomaniac) and Riley Keough.

Read: Asghar Farhadis The Salesman added to Cannes Competition

Read: Chandigarh directors short film Asmad makes it to Cannes

Read: Raging Bull Robert De Niro to be at Cannes with Hands of Stone

For American Honey, filmmaker Andrea Arnold travelled across American Midwest and was shocked by its poverty and problem of drugs.

rnold, who for the first time went to the US to shoot, said, I was inspired to make the movie after reading a New York Times article on the subject... I went on six or seven road trips by myself, to make an emotional connection with America. Some of the poverty shocked me. It seemed more intense than in Britain. I did a lot of driving in the South, I was quite upset by what I saw, closed factories and shops and loads of drugs.

(Gautaman Bhaskaran will cover the Cannes Film Festival from May 11 to May 22.)

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday held firm on his refusal to act on President Barack Obamas nominee to the US Supreme Court even as some conservative activists called on senators to confirm Merrick Garland now that Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

The leaders position has not changed on Garland, McConnell spokesperson David Popp told Reuters.

Since Obama nominated Garland in March, McConnell has refused to allow a confirmation vote, saying it should be up to the next president to fill the courts vacancy left by the February death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia.

Some conservatives on Wednesday urged the Senate to confirm Garland, a centrist federal appeals court judge, now that Trump appears in line to win the Republican nomination for the November 8 election. They are concerned that Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton will defeat Trump in the election and pick a far more liberal nominee than Garland for a lifetime court appointment.

Other conservative voices urged McConnell to hold firm, saying that doing otherwise would alienate core Republican voters, hurting the partys election chances in the fall.

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, who backs McConnells hard-line stance, has refused to hold hearings on Garlands nomination.

With his victory in Tuesdays Indiana Republican primary, Trump solidified his position to land the partys presidential nomination at its July convention in Cleveland. His closest challenger, Texas senator Ted Cruz, quit the race after being drubbed in Indiana.

McConnell has repeatedly refused to say which Republican he supports for president. In an interview with Newsmax on Monday, before the Indiana vote, McConnell would say only that he intends to support the partys nominee, whomever that may be.

Trump has said he would consult with the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank on possible Supreme Court nominees if he is elected president.

Leon Wolf of the conservative RedState website predicted that Republicans will lose the White House race in November with Trump as their nominee, and likely lose control of the Senate as well.

Wolf wrote in a blog post, The choices, essentially, are to confirm Garland ... or watch as president Clinton nominates someone who is radically more leftist and 10-15 years younger than the 63-year-old Garland.

But Erick Erickson, writing for the conservative website The Resurgent, said Republicans should resist the temptation because rushing to confirm Garland might further depress Republican (voter) turnout that is important to keeping the Senate under Republican control.
Australias most wanted Islamic State terror suspect Neil Prakash, linked to several failed attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, has been killed in a US air strike in Iraq, Canberra said on Thursday.

The death of Prakash, the child of Cambodian and Fijian migrants, is considered significant by Australian and US authorities because of his highly prominent and influential role as a senior recruiter for the group.

Attorney general George Brandis called him the most dangerous Australian involved with ISIL in the Middle East, using an acronym for the Islamic State. If you wanted to describe him as Australias number one terrorist you wouldnt be off the mark, Brandis told Sky News.

He said Washington told Canberra that Prakash died in Mosul, Iraq, on April 29 after Australia provided intelligence on his identity and location.

Neil Prakash was a prominent ISIL member and a senior terrorist recruiter and attack facilitator, he said in a joint statement with defence minister Marise Payne.

Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the US. He is considered to be Australias most prominent ISIL recruiter.

Prakash, the senior-most Australian fighting with the IS, was killed with about a dozen fighters. He was a member of a series of Melbourne gangs as a teenager.

He converted to Islam in 2012 in the company of Harun Mehicevic, a radical preacher linked to Melbournes al-Furqan Islamic Centre. Prakash sneaked into Syria in 2013 and appeared in several IS propaganda videos.

The US military and its coalition partners have launched more than 12,000 air strikes against the IS and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said more Australians were in their sights.

Australians who think they can go to Syria and Iraq and fight with Daesh have to recognise that they will be targeted, he told Sky News.

They are waging war against Australia and they are enemies of Australia once they choose to wage that war in those theatres.

Home-grown extremists

US authorities also told the government that Australian woman Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad was killed in an air strike near the Syrian city of Al-Bab on April 22, along with her Sudanese husband.

Mohammad and her husband, Abu Saad al-Sudani, were both active recruiters of foreign fighters on behalf of ISIL, and had been inspiring attacks against Western interests, said Brandis.

She was the sister of Farhad Jabar, a 15-year-old who shot dead police employee Curtis Cheng in Sydney last October. The teenager was killed in gunfire shortly afterwards.

Prakash, who left Australia in 2013 and was known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was linked to an alleged terror plot on Anzac Day last year, when Australia honours its war dead.

He has also appeared in IS propaganda videos, including one last year calling for attacks on Australia.

His death disrupts and degrades ISILs ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts, added Brandis, who said that between 50 and 59 Australians had so far been killed fighting for jihadists in Iraq or Syria.

At least 110 more are still battling with Islamic State.

Australia has long been concerned about home-grown extremism and raised the terror threat alert level to high in September 2014.

At least six attacks have been foiled on Australian soil over the past 18 months, according to the government. But several have taken place, including the terror-linked murder of Cheng.
iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- The 6,083 reports of sexual assault in the U.S. military last year remained almost level with the previous year, but Pentagon officials who released the latest statistics remain concerned that service members continue to report sexual assault at a high rate.



The 6,083 reported incidents in fiscal year 2015 are 48 fewer than the number of incidents reported in 2014. But, when the numbers are adjusted to account for the reduced sizes of the four military services since the previous report, the rate of reporting remains at four reports per 1,000.



The military defines sexual assault to mean incidents including sexual harassment, unwanted sexual contact and rape.



Major General Camille Nichols, director of the Department of Defenses Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, said it was unclear if two years of roughly equal numbers indicates a plateau has been reached in the number of incident reports.



"We're not sure if we've plateaued," said Nichols. "Its too early to tell that, we do know we havent often had everyone reporting and we are still on a campaign to do that."



Service members can report sexual assault incidents in unrestricted or restricted reports. Restricted reporting allows sexual assault victims to get medical treatment and mental health counseling without notifying their chain of command. At any time, they can change their case to unrestricted reporting, which notifies their chain of command and triggers an investigation.



This years statistics showed that 21 percent of restricted reports were eventually converted to unrestricted reports.



This is encouraging as we believe it to be an indicator of growing confidence in a justice system that is now better configured to hear the voice of the victim, Nichols said.



Nearly 3,000 reports were considered for possible prosecution or action under the military judicial system. Seventy-two percent of those cases were dealt with through court-martials, non-judicial punishment, administrative action or discharges. Twenty-five percent of those cases were not acted upon because there may not have been enough evidence, the statute of limitations had passed or the victim declined to press charges.



Four hundred and thirty-seven cases were sent to prosecution, which resulted in 254 convictions for unwanted sexual contact. There were also another 158 convictions for issues like fraternization, adultery or giving false statements.



Nichols said she was also encouraged by a command climate survey of active duty service members that found that 16,000 took action in situations where they believed people were at risk for sexual assault.



We need to capitalize on this 'move to act' and continue to ensure our people understand the risk factors that lead to sexual assault and feel confident to do their part in these situations, said Nichols.



Though the numbers of reported sexual assaults have increased in recent years, Pentagon officials have acknowledged that reported sexual assaults likely only make up a quarter of the estimated 26,000 assaults that occur in the military. That estimate is extrapolated from a survey conducted every two years.



For the second year in a row, the number of males reporting remained near 20 percent, a significant increase from the early days of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office.



Still, men remain less likely to report the crime than women, said Nichols. Encouraging greater involvement by men in prevention and reporting remains a major area of focus for us.



Some of the male victims stepping forward initially considered that they may have been physically manhandled as part of a hazing or a right of passage ritual said Nichols. Only later on after hearing and seeing definitions they say 'Oh, I was sexually assaulted.'



She said her office is working to fill in gaps for medical and non-medical ways to care for male victims.



Nichols said that 504 of the sexual assaults reported by service members had occurred prior to their having entered the military. She said that the goal is to help military victims regardless of when the sexual assault occurred.



Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Eastern National, in partnership with Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Park, invites the public to participate in a free 1.5 hour walk of the Chickamauga Battlefield led by author and historian Robert Carter on Saturday, May 14 at 11 am.

This 1.8 mile walk will explore the ground where General James Longstreet's troops broke through the Federal line on September 20, 1863.

Meet at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center. Participants are asked to wear comfortable shoes and bring water. Mr. Carter will also be available to sign his books, Longstreet's Breakthrough at Chickamauga: Accidental Victory and The Fight for Snodgrass Hill and the Rock of Chickamauga at the Eastern National Bookstore from 9-11 a.m., and from 1-3 p.m.



About Longstreet's Breakthrough at Chickamauga: Accidental Victory: Probably no ground on Chickamauga Battlefield is more important, or less understood, than the one square mile area around the Brotherton House. Recently arrived from Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, Longstreet, the Bull of the Woods, led one of the largest attacks of the Civil War--some 23,000 men in total. But, the Breakthrough was not the easy attack portrayed in legend and lore. In fact, by noon, five of Longstreets eight brigades were in retreat. The attack was in danger of failing.



About the author: Robert Carter received his bachelor of science and masters degrees from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Al.. He is an educator of 40 years, teaching in Georgia, Virginia, and Alabama. A Georgia resident, Mr. Carter is a park volunteer where he shares his knowledge and love of history at Chickamauga Battlefield.



"Come join us. Meet Robert Carter and support your National Parks. Funds generated by your purchases, including Longstreet's Breakthrough at Chickamauga: Accidental Victory, support the interpretive programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park," officials said.
A Canadian national whose work visa was revoked by the Nepal government over his social media posts will leave the country on Thursday night after the Supreme Court failed to hear his petition challenging the move.

The government revoked Robert Penners visa on Tuesday and asked him to leave within two days after a complaint was filed with the department of immigration regarding his posts on social media related to issues in Nepal.

Penner filed a petition challenging the move in Supreme Court, which was unable to take up the case on Thursday.

The Supreme Court had other urgent cases today and was unable to hear mine. I must leave Nepal tonight, the software solutions provider tweeted.

Though Nepals new Constitution assures freedom of speech and expression, the authorities decided to revoke Penners visa as they felt his social media posts could affect national unity.

Penner posted comments that were critical of the new Constitution and the governments handling of protests against it in Madhes that resulted in more than 50 deaths. He also questioned the recent arrest of journalist Kanak Mani Dixit on corruption charges.

The Canadians lawyer Dipendra Jha tweeted the Supreme Court would hear the petition on Friday and hoped it would rule in Penners favour, allowing him to return to Nepal.

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China kicked off military exercises in the disputed South China Sea, east Indian Ocean and West Pacific involving advanced warships, helicopters and special warfare soldiers in an apparent bid to flex its muscles.

Three naval ships of Chinas Nanhai Fleet left a naval port in Sanya, Hainan Province on Wednesday, kicking off an annual combat drill, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The three ships include missile destroyer Hefei, missile frigate Sanya and supply ship Honghu.

They will later be joined by missile destroyers Lanzhou and Guangzhou, as well as missile frigate Yulin, which are now carrying out other duties.

With three helicopters and dozens of special warfare soldiers, the fleet will be separated into three groups that will sail to areas of the South China Sea, the east Indian Ocean and the west Pacific, to conduct varied drills.

The fleet will mobilise naval air force, garrison forces in the Xisha and Nansha islands, and forces of the Beihai Fleet along the way to take part in the drill.

The drill aims to enhance combat readiness and practise coordination between ships and aircraft, and other forces, the navy said.

China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea - a major shipping lane rich in natural resources, resulting in overlapping claims with several other Asian nations like Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

They accuse China of illegally reclaiming land in contested areas to create artificial islands with facilities for military use.

Over half of the worlds commercial shipping passes through the Indo-Pacific waterways  including one-third of the worlds liquefied natural gas.
An adult education centre in a Copenhagen suburb has told Muslim students that they can no longer attend classes unless they remove the niqab face veil.

The controversial move was an effort to promote free and unhindered communication which would be compromised by the face veils, RT online reported citing VUC Lyngby school which put it up on its Facebook page.

Teaching takes place by means of communication. And this cannot be done if theyre wearing a niqab, deputy headteacher Inge Voller told Metroxpress.

According to the school, the rules were changed last autumn to no longer allow students to cover their faces during classes. However, it came into the spotlight this week, after the school posted it on its Facebook page.

Denmarks ruling Venstre party has also expressed its support, along with the Conservatives and Danish Peoples Party (DF).

It is essential in our society that we can see each other and interpret each other when we talk together, DF spokesman Martin Henriksen told Ritzau news agency.

DF has long been a strong advocate for a nationwide ban on the niqab.

We want a total ban except for within ones private home. One can do whatever they want there, Henriksen said.

France and Belgium are so far the only two countries to place a nationwide ban on the niqab. The burqa and niqab have been banned in parts of Switzerland and Italy. They were also banned in parts of Spain, but that decision was later dropped.
A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the bombing of a gurdwara by Islamist militants in the German city of Essen, police said on Thursday amid reports that two teenagers had rehearsed for the terror attack by detonating a prototype of their self-made bomb.

A special police unit took the unidentified man into custody at Essens central railway station on Wednesday evening on an arrest warrant issued against him by a district court in the city, police said.

A person accompanying him was also detained and kept in custody, said a statement.

Police gave no further details, but media reports identified the third man arrested as jihadist Tolga I, a 17-year-old jihadist and sympathiser of Islamic State (IS) terror group, from Wesel in the state of North Rhine Westphalia.

Tolga I gave the orders to the two main suspects to carry out the terror attack. 16-year-old secondary school students Mohammed B and Yussuf T were arrested four days after they allegedly detonated a fire extinguisher filled with explosives at the entrance of the Nanaksar Satsangh Sabha Gurudwara on April 16.

Read: IS-linked teenagers accept hand in German gurdwara bombing: Report

Meanwhile, media reports said the two teenagers had rehearsed for the attack by detonating a prototype of their self-made bomb.

Police found a video of the trial explosion on a USB drive in the apartment of Mohammed B in Essen, TV channel WDR reported on Wednesday. Different material for making bombs, including detonator also were recovered.

The video showed the explosion of a bomb in an open area similar to the fire extinguisher filled with explosives they detonated at the entrance of the Nanaksar Satsangh Sabha Gurdwara.

Investigators now believe that the blast which ripped through the entrance hall of the gurdwara on the evening of April 16, injuring three persons, one of them seriously, was a meticulously planned operation.

Read: German gurdwara terror suspects wanted maximum casualities: Police

During their interrogation, Mohammed B and his accomplice Yussuf T told the investigators that they carried out the bomb attack for the fun of making fireworks.

But, the interior ministry of the state of North Rhine Westphalia confirmed last week that the two 16-year-old secondary school students wanted to detonate the bomb inside the gurdwara, which hosted a wedding ceremony, but they failed to break in through the entrance door. The two teenagers are currently in preventive custody.

Read: German cops say gurdwara terror suspect a repeat offender
A third suspect in an explosion at a Sikh temple in Germanys Essen city last month was arrested.

Police said the male suspect was arrested in Essen on Wednesday evening but gave no further details. They said in a statement that investigators are still working to clear up the events and structures behind the bombing.

Three people were wounded in the blast April 16, one of them seriously. Regional officials have said that the two 16-year-old suspects already arrested sympathized with the Islamic State group and one of them had been in a violence prevention program aimed at Islamic extremists.

Essen police chief Frank Richter has called the attack an act of terror.
Polling? Who needs to do that? Parse your words? Fuhgetabout it.Fund-raising? Cant be bothered.

Republican front-runner Donald Trump took the rules of modern politics, trashed them and became the last man standing for his partys nomination anyway.

Here are 12 ways Trump did it his way:

Say anything

Its what Trumps supporters love about him: He blurts out whatever pops into his head. He rejects political correctness. He insults rivals and critics. He has fun. After one particularly salty salvo, Trump explained, Thats what I mean about being politically correct, every once in a while you can have a little fun, dont you think? Plenty of candidates may think it, but Trump said it: Id like to punch him in the face, he said of one protester. To listen to a Trump speech from start to finish is to enter an alternate grammatical universe. Sentences veer off in unexpected directions as Trump has a new thought. When he interjects his trademark by the way, theres no telling where hes headed next.

Read: US polls: As Donald trumps all, matchmakers hunt for running mate

Cheapskate

The billionaire is proud to campaign on the cheap, milking free media in a way that other candidates could only envy. He functioned through most of the primaries with a bare-bones staff. He has no national finance chairman. He never set up a traditional fund-raising operation. Sure, he has donate buttons on his website, and raises millions hawking hats and other gear. But forget the chicken dinner circuit. Or charging donors $1,000 for a grip-and-grin photo. Or asking supporters to bundle contributions from friends and neighbours. Early on, Trump tweeted: So, I have spent almost nothing on my run for president and am in 1st place. Jeb Bush has spent $59 million & done. Run country my way!

No polling

The poll-obsessed candidate doesnt have a pollster. Other candidates spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on surveys to poll-test their words and messages, and track their standings in primary states. Trump goes with his gut and mines public polls for intel. He often tells crowds that he relies on his wife, Melania, to help him take the temperature of voters. Shes my pollster, he said, adding, Shes really smart.

In this file photo, supporters of US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump hold their hands to their chest as the national anthem is played at a campaign rally in Concord, New Hampshire. (REUTERS)

Consistency

Most candidates recoil from the dreaded flip-flopper label. Trump unabashedly changes his mind  not just week to week or day to day, but sometimes even within the same speech. He frames it as an asset. Ive never seen a successful person who wasnt flexible, Trump said at one GOP debate. You have to be flexible, because you learn.

Policy gaps

Candidates love to trot out five-point plans and lofty position papers  some more detailed than others. Trump, not so much. His outline for replacing Obamacare is more aspirational than detailed. His recent America First foreign policy speech was a broad-brush endeavor. Trump makes a virtue of leaving enemies guessing about US intentions. We have to be unpredictable, starting now, he says.

Potty mouth

Trump salts his speeches with vulgarities  although hes dialed it back a bit after a scolding from Melania. Lots of politicians use profanities, of course, but typically not in public. Trump has publicly lip-synced the F-bomb, blurted out the S-word and hurled an offensive term at rival Ted Cruz. He fires a steady string of put-downs at other candidates whom he labels pathetic, liar, loser, nasty, evil and more. Oh, and not many candidates use the debate stage to refer to the size of their genitals.

Dissing super PACs

Its become routine for candidates to rely on independent super PACs stocked with former aides and allies to play a strong supporting role for their campaigns, spending millions on political ads. Trump didnt go that route in the primary, and was proud to proclaim he didnt have a super PAC, although a few have sprung up to back him anyway. He said in his speech entering the race: I dont need anybodys money. Its nice. ... Im not using the lobbyists. Im not using donors. I dont care. Im really rich. Now that the general election race is under way, though, hes warming to the idea.

In file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts to a song during a campaign rally at the Indiana Theater in Terre Haute. (AP)

Read: Kasich pulling out, Trump is presumptive Republican presidential nominee

Greed is good

Remember how 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney was tarred by critics as a ruthless corporate fat cat? Trump has turned greed into a campaign asset. My whole life Ive been greedy, greedy, greedy, he said at a rally in Iowa. I grabbed all the money I can get. Im so greedy. But now I want to be greedy for the United States. I want to grab all that money. Im going to be greedy for the United States.

Insults

Women. Hispanics. Muslims. Trump kept winning even as he rolled out a stream of remarks that could be a turn-off to huge swaths of the electorate. It started with his campaign-announcement speech, when he said illegal immigration from Mexico is bringing rapists, drugs and crime to the US. Then came his pledge to bar foreign Muslims from entering the country. Throughout his campaign, hes had harsh words for women and their appearances, mocking the looks of Carly Fiorina, retweeting an unflattering photo of Heidi Cruz and accusing Hillary Clinton of playing the womans card. Trump voters love that he tells it like it is.

Pouting, picking fights

Trump isnt afraid to pick a fight, even with a conservative powerhouse like Fox News Channel. He refused to participate in a Fox-sponsored debate in January after Fox refused to remove Megyn Kelly as a moderator. He was irked that Kelly had asked him in a previous debate about statements that he had made about women. Trump isnt afraid to make up, though. Hes agreed to an interview with Kelly later this month.

Television news features Donald Trump over a prisoner's bunk at the Veterans Unit of the Cybulski Rehabilitation Center in Connecticut. Connecticut is one of only four states where voting rights are restored to convicted criminals immediately upon completion of their prison and parole time. (AFP)

Read: US polls: Why Stop Trump failed to halt the Republican front-runner

Presidential? Maybe later

Trump keeps promising hell act more presidential when the time is right. But, for now, hes having fun  and so are his supporters. I can be presidential, he said at rally last month. But if I was presidential, only about 20 percent of you would be here because it would be boring as hell.

The hair

Trumps distinctive hairstyle may be in for a makeover if hes elected president. I would probably comb my hair back. Why? Because this thing is too hard to comb, he said at an appearance in Iowa last summer. I wouldnt have time, because if I were in the White House, Id be working my ass off.
India and China have a history of conflict and tension but should resolve their problems and move towards cooperation and partnership, Rajmohan Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhis grandson, has said in Beijing.

Gandhi told the Chinese state media that India and China should keep the greater good of the world in mind and resolve their conflicts.

Although China and India have a border (dispute) and a recent history of conflict and tension, both countries should look at each other in the context of the planet, thinking about what we can do together for the world, Gandhi told state-run portal China.org.cn.

We should realise that our differences should be resolved, instead of letting them get in the way of cooperation and partnership, he said, echoing the Mahatmas view that fighting doesnt resolve disputes.

Besides having written on the Mahatma, Gandhi is a research professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US and a South Asia expert. He is on his maiden visit to China.

In 2009, his book The Good Boatman: A Portrait of Gandhi was translated into Chinese and released in Beijing. It was one of the first books on Gandhi in recent years to be translated into Chinese.

It was not until 2013, however, that the first book on Mahatma Gandhi  former ambassador Pascal Alan Nazareths Gandhi: The Non Violent Revolutionary  was officially translated by a state-run press, indicating a gradual if not grudging recognition of his philosophy in Chinas official circles.

Till then, a solitary statue of the Mahatma erected in Beijing in 2005 was the closest the Chinese government had come to showing respect to the Indian leader.

The translation of the Mahatmas grandsons 1995 book was the beginning. The translation was done by Deng Junbing, the wife of Chinas former envoy to India, Zhou Gang.

Talking about current Sino-Indian ties, Gandhi told state media the Mahatmas unity-minded holistic principles should apply to Indias peripheral diplomacy, particularly in its ties with China, another populous country as well as a major power and growing economy.

Talking about his grandfathers legacy, he said had guns been employed to resolve differences in the early 20th century, then weapons would have had to rule India, which would be a military dictatorship.

Most people around the world have come to know Mahatma Gandhi through their history books as a man who led a nonviolent and non-cooperation movement against British rule in early 20th century colonial India, although some have alleged that nonviolence itself was a reflection of Gandhis weakness and was a reason for the mans partial failure in the end, the report said.
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have agreed to conduct coordinated patrols in piracy-prone areas in the South China Sea and to set up crisis centres to respond to maritime emergencies, Indonesias foreign minister Retno Marsudi said on Thursday.

The decision was made at a meeting of civil and military officials of the three countries hosted by Indonesia in Yogyakarta. The nations are all locked in disputes with China in the South China Sea and the move could anger Beijing.

President Joko Widodo told the media after a courtesy call by the Malaysian and Philippine foreign ministers and armed forces representatives that he had asked the delegates to discuss how patrols will be carried out, according to The Straits Times.

Widodo also asked the delegates to discuss the course of action to be taken when responding to incidents at sea and a common operating procedure between the militaries of the three countries.

I have encouraged the military commanders to make clear standard operating procedures, so we can carry out our course of action together, he said.

Marsudi said a dedicated hotline will be set up to facilitate faster exchange of information in times of crises at sea.

We have agreed to set up a national focal point among the three countries to facilitate sharing of information and intelligence in a prompt way, and to coordinate in any emergency situation. This way, we can respond faster, she said.

These initiatives will be adapted from the best practices of the Malacca Straits Patrol, which was established in 2006 by the navies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, she said.

The trilateral meeting was held after recent kidnappings in waters off southern Philippines and north of Borneo, where Indonesia shares a border with Malaysia.

The meeting is an Indonesian initiative against the background of the increasing security challenges alarming in the waters between the three countries, said an Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman.

These challenges include the rise of armed piracy, transnational crime and terrorism in the region...These challenges are seen as threatening the safety of the citizens and affecting trade and economic activities that cause harm to the welfare of the region.

The ministry said more than 100,000 vessels had sailed through territorial waters off the Sulu Archipelago in southern Philippines in 2015, carrying 55 million tonnes of cargo and more than 18 million passengers.

In the past five weeks, 14 Indonesian and four Malaysian seamen were abducted by gunmen believed to have ties with the Abu Sayyaf terror group. Ten Indonesians held at the end of March were released on May 1.
Less than a day after plotting to remove Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, the Maoists made a U-turn on Thursday and decided to continue backing the government.

On Wednesday, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M), the main partner in the coalition headed by Olis Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, decided to remove the seven-month-old regime.

In a statement seeking support from all parties, the UCPN-M blamed the government for failing to address the Madhes issue through talks, implement the new Constitution and speed up earthquake-related reconstruction.

The UPCN-Ms plan was to set up a national unity government headed by its chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, with support from the Nepali Congress, the biggest party in parliament and the main opposition.

But the move fizzled out after Oli assured Prachanda of giving him a chance to head the government once the budget and policies for the next fiscal are presented in parliament.

Oli said the reasons specified by the UCPN-M for planning to remove him would be addressed in a time-bound manner.

Following these developments, Prachanda apprised Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba of his partys inability to bring a no-confidence motion against Oli.

I have been elected by parliament and would remain in office as long as I enjoy the support of a majority of members, Oli said in an address to parliament on Thursday afternoon after the threat to his government subsided.

He said he is not against a national unity government, but would not support a conspiracy to topple governments as a ruse to implement the new Constitution and address other issues.

Oli said more amendments could be made to the Constitution to address the demands of the Madhesi people and rejected allegations that nothing has been done to provide succour to millions affected by last years earthquakes.

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Australias most dangerous operative of the Islamic State movement was killed in a US airstrike in Iraq, the government said on Thursday.

The United States had confirmed that Neil Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was killed in Mosul on Friday, attorney-general George Brandis said.

The 24-year-old Australian citizen of Cambodian and Fijian heritage converted from Buddhism in 2012 and travelled to Syria a year later.

The former rapper from Melbourne city featured in Islamic State recruitment videos, was linked to several attack plans in Australia and had urged lone wolf attacks against the United States.

Prakash was a very important, high-value target, Brandis told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

He was the most dangerous Australian involved with ISIL in the Middle East, Brandis added, referring to the militants as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The United States also confirmed the death in Syria of the sister of a 15-year-old Australian schoolboy who was shot dead by police after he gunned down a police accountant outside a Sydney police station in October last year, Brandis said.

The sister, Shadi Jabhar Khalil Mohammad, left Australia the day before her brother Farhad Jabhar died.

She and her Sudanese husband, Abu Saad al-Sudani, were killed in a US airstrike near the Syrian town of al-Bab on April 22. Both had been Islamic State recruiters of foreign fighters and had inspired attacks against Western interests, Brandis said.

Authorities estimate 110 Australians are fighting for the Islamic State group in the Middle East, Brandis said.
Lakeview Ft Oglethorpe High Schools Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club and other students are rallying around one of their own. Their cafeteria manager, Debbie Walthour, is in need of a liver transplant and the students are committed to her fundraising goals. Even though she was a Ringgold Tiger alumni, Ms. Walthour has been at LFO for the past 25 years and is a warrior through and through.



Ms. Walthour was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in January 2015 and needs a new liver. Her friends and family have been fundraising for over a year to cover the out-of-pocket medical expenses incurred by her current medical needs, transplant surgery and the future anti-rejection drug costs.

Their first year goal was to raise $10,000, which will be matched by the Georgia Transplant Foundation to cover drug costs. That goal was met in April 2016 just in time for Ms. Walthour's 60th birthday. Her goals dont stop there. Now, the effort to raise the second year goal of $10,000 is in full swing.



Students and staff at LFO have helped Ms. Walthour raise money by hosting fundraisers such as bake sales and raffles. The woodworking class at the school has been hard at work selling birdhouses they have made during class also.



The FCA at the school is hosting a $6 all-you-can-eat pancake sale on Saturday May 7 from 9-11 a.m. at LFO's cafeteria to support their beloved cafeteria manager. Students will be serving pancakes to their guests and collecting funds for Ms. Walthour.



The community is invited to join the Warriors in support of this worthy cause.



If you are unable to attend, you can follow Ms. Walthour's story on Facebook. Her group is called Fight Liver Disease, Debbie.



You can also sign up to be an organ donor at www.donatelife.net. Contrary to some beliefs, no one is too sick or old to be a donor so please sign up today.
North Korea readied on Thursday to kick off its most important ruling party gathering for nearly 40 years, amid persistent concerns of a nuclear test, despite no clear signs of an imminent detonation.

Leader Kim Jong-Un is expected to deliver a keynote address at the opening of Fridays party congress which will be minutely scrutinised for suggestions of a significant policy shift or personnel changes in the nuclear-armed nations governing elite.

The 33-year-old Kim was not even born when the last congress was held in 1980 to crown his father, Kim Jong-Il, as the heir apparent to his grandfather and the Norths founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

While the agenda -- and even the duration -- of the event is still unknown, its main objective is widely seen as cementing Kim Jong-Uns status as supreme leader and legitimate inheritor of the Kim familys dynastic rule.

The congress is also expected to confirm, as party doctrine, Kims byungjin policy of pursuing nuclear weapons in tandem with economic development.

Nuclear drive

Since Kim took power after the death of his father in late 2011, North Korea has carried out two nuclear tests and two successful space rocket launches that were widely seen as disguised ballistic missile tests.

Even as the international community responded with condemnation and sanctions, Kim kept the throttle opened up on the Norths single-minded drive towards a credible nuclear deterrent with additional missile and technical tests.

There has been widespread speculation that the congress would be preceded by another nuclear test in a gesture of strength and defiance that would allow Kim to claim genuine nuclear power status in his speech.

In an analysis of the most recent satellite pictures of the Norths main nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University on Thursday said there was no clear evidence, one way or the other, of whether an underground detonation was imminent.

The images dated May 2 showed only a very low level of activity, the institute said on its closely followed 38North website.

Test unclear

Whether the level of activity indicates that Pyongyang has made all necessary preparations to conduct a nuclear test on short notice at this site or is associated with normal maintenance work remains unclear, it added.

South Korean government officials believe the North is ready to conduct a test as soon as the order is given, and say a decision might have been taken to test during the congress, which the worlds media have been invited to Pyongyang to cover.

Officials in Seoul say they expect the congress to last four days, with the opening day devoted to Kims speech and a lengthy report on the partys achievements.

The congress will also elect a new central committee, which in turn selects the party politburo.

Some analysts are predicting significant personnel changes, as Kim brings in a new, younger generation of leaders, picked for their loyalty to him.

Preparing for the congress involved mobilising the entire country in a 70-day campaign that New York-based Human Rights Watch denounced as a mass exercise in coerced labour.

This ruling party congress is a rare event, but its made possible by the forced labour that untold thousands of North Koreans are subject to as part of everyday life under Kim Jong-Uns abusive rule, said Phil Robertson, the groups deputy Asia director.

People across the country, including women and children, were ordered to demonstrate their loyalty through increased forced labor to produce more goods and crops in order to cover the costs of the congress, Robertson said.
Nepali Congress, the main opposition party, has joined hands with the second-largest ruling coalition partner -- Unified CPN-Maoist (UCPN-M) -- and agitating Madhes-based parties to topple Prime Minister KP Sharma Olis government in the country.

The Nepali Congress leaders held informal talks with UCPN-M leaders and a formal meeting with the leaders of the United Democratic Madhesi Front at the Legislature-Parliament building in New Baneshwor, The Himalayan Times has reported.

Oli-led government has failed on every front, including the implementation of the new Constitution, and has not shown flexibility in resolving the national problems.

Read: Maoists seek to form national unity govt in Nepal

The UCPN-M has accepted our proposal, said a senior Nepali Congress leader on condition of anonymity.

The UDMF leaders have agreed to support the new government to be formed under the Nepali Congress initiative, but said that they would remain out of the government until their concerns are addressed.

The UDMF leaders expressed their readiness to find an alternative to PM Oli, said Nepali Congress chief whip Chin Kaji Shrestha.

Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal chairman Upendra Yadav said the government had no right to remain in power as it was mired in corruption and was involved in killing Madhesi protestors.

Sadbhawana Party chair Rajendra Mahato said the UDMF asked the Nepali Congress to make its stance clear regarding the fronts 11-point demands.

The UDMF leaders have expressed readiness to support the Nepali Congress to topple the government and form a new one to address the concerns of Madhes-based people, including boundaries of federal units, said Nepali Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi.
A teenage girl was drugged, strangled and her body set alight on the orders of a tribal council in northwest Pakistan because she helped her friend elope, police said on Thursday as they announced the arrest of 14 men for the killing.

A case was registered in an anti-terrorism court against the men for allegedly ordering the killing of 15-year-old Ambreen at Makol village near Abbottabad, officials said.

The tribal jirga or council acted against Ambreen on April 29 after she girl helped her friend, Saima, elope and get married to a man named Musa. The jirga was convened on the insistence of the relatives of the couple. It ruled that Saima, Musa and Ambreen should all be killed for violating local traditions.

After the decision, Ambreen was dragged from her home by members of the jirga. They then drugged and strangled her. Ambreens body was then placed in a van, which was set on fire.

The van was earlier used by Saima and Musa and the vehicles driver was also punished, police said. Saima and Musa are safe, police added.

Police started an investigation after it emerged there was a body in the burnt van. More details came to light after the vans owner was arrested.

Local police chief Khurram Rasheed told a news conference the whole village had not disclosed what had happened to Ambreen for a week. It was only after the vans driver provided details of the murder that the police were able to make arrests.

The parents of Ambreen have also been arrested as they did not come forward to register the crime, said Rasheed.

In a related development, Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said people should protest against such jirgas. We need to stand up and protest against such jirgas and their decisions, he told the media.

Hundreds of women are murdered by their relatives in Pakistan each year on the pretext of defending family honour but it is rare to hear of those who facilitate elopements being killed. Pakistan amended its criminal code in 2005 to prevent men who kill female relatives escape punishment by pardoning themselves as an heir of the victim.

A Girl In The River: The Price Of Forgiveness  a film telling the story of a rare survivor of an attempted honour killing  won the Academy Award for best documentary short in February. Amid publicity for the film, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to eradicate the evil of honour killings but no fresh legislation has been tabled since then.
US President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto will meet in Ottawa for a North American leaders Summit on June 29, the White House said on Wednesday.

The Three Amigos summit, with two key US trading partners, comes as Obama grapples with a wave of anti-free-trade sentiment that has stalled ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a sweeping 12-nation pact that includes Canada and Mexico.

Obama hopes the US Congress will ratify the deal before he leaves office on January 20. But trade has become a lightning rod issue in the presidential election campaign to replace him.

Republican Donald Trump, now his partys presumptive nominee for 2016, has attacked the TPP and describes the tripartite North American Free Trade agreement as a disaster that needs to be renegotiated or broken.

In the Democratic campaign, senator Bernie Sanders has opposed the trade deal and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has also expressed concerns.

Canada sends 75% of its exports to the United States and would suffer greatly if a future president moved to clamp down on free trade.

Trudeau, asked how he would deal with a president Trump, said the leaders of both countries would always agree on the need for growth and prosperity. One important way to achieve this was through trade, he added.

The level of integration between the Canadian and American economies is unlike anything else ... in the world, he told a news conference in Ottawa.

The last Three Amigos summit was in Toluca, Mexico in 2014. Canada was supposed to host the meeting early last year but cancelled it amid tension between then prime minister Stephen Harper and Obama over the Keystone XL pipeline.

Obama will address Canadas Parliament during the visit, the White House said. He last came to Canada for a bilateral visit in February 2009, the first foreign trip of his presidency.

Ottawas relations with Mexico are strained over Canadian rules, introduced under Harper, that impose visas for visiting Mexicans. Trudeau said he hoped to be able to announce within weeks that the requirement would be scrapped.
The London mayoral poll was the lone bright spot for the Labour party as voters across Britain cast their crunch ballots that will decide the political fortunes of many and may well provide the impulse for another independence referendum in Scotland.

During most of the day, voters trickled in to polling booths on what was termed in the media as Super Thursday. Results will be announced from late Thursday onwards, after voting ends at 10pm GMT.

The local elections are the first major test for Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn, whose leadership has come under increasing question in recent months. Besides being called unelectable, there have been murmurs of a coup against him in the near future.

Besides the next London mayor, voting was held for the assemblies of London, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Scottish parliament, local councils, and police and crime commissioners.

Voting percentage during the last round of local elections in 2012 was 31%, conforming to the trend that local elections turnout is usually half of that recorded for general elections. Opposition parties tend to do well soon after general elections.

However, Labour is projected by pollsters to lose nearly 150 seats in local councils, an estimate disputed by Corbyn. Losing majority in any Labour-held council will raise the decibel level of criticism against him.

A victory for Labours Sadiq Khan in London is likely to be sold as a reaffirmation of Corbyns leadership. The mayoral election is also important because it could lead to the metropolis having its first Muslim mayor with a budget of nearly 17 billion pounds.

A victory for the Scottish National Party in Scotland may be seen as a reconfirmation of its main plank of independence, and lead to demands for another referendum. Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has said another referendum was likely if the June 23 European Union referendum goes in favour of Britain leaving the EU.

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Billionaire Donald Trump has capitalized on his media savvy and the anti-establishment anger of Republican voters to become the first political neophyte to capture the partys White House nomination since World War II hero Dwight Eisenhower in 1952.

In 2010, the Grand Old Party had been overtaken by the insurgent Tea Party, whose mission was to upend politics as usual, ousting Republican and Democratic stalwarts in favor of fresh faces.

The party as a whole eventually embraced that message, but Trump took it to the next level -- and made that voter rage the center of his unlikely presidential run.

The overarching environment here is anger on the far right, James Thurber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University in Washington, told AFP.

Thurber said voters were mad that those in the establishment have not done what they said they would do -- that is, shrink government, get rid of the Affordable Care Act and stop the liberal drive with respect to gay marriage and rights and social issues.

Trump is unique, its hard to explain, but certainly his voters come from that far angry right. They feel that theyve been left behind.

The Republican party machine even -- perhaps inadvertently -- directly contributed to Trumps rise.

During Barack Obamas first term, Trump championed the cause of the so-called birther movement, questioning whether Obama was born in the US to challenge his presidency.

The Republican Party looked at that and thought, Hey, this is a way to energize our base. In the short term they did very little to stop him, said John Hudak, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

That gave Donald Trump prominence in the Republican Party, and now that prominence that it gave him is something that many people in the party are coming to regret, he told AFP.

What he is is a reflection of a Republican Party that is addicted to short-term benefits and ignorant of long-term considerations.

Anger is driving them

When Trump declared he was running for president on June 16, 2015, it drew little attention and two-thirds of Republicans said they would never vote for him.

But three weeks later, he labeled Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists, sparking a firestorm that proved to be the lift-off of a mold-shattering campaign to Make America Great Again! -- fueled by obsessive media coverage.

A former reality TV star who flaunted his billions, Trump paradoxically tapped into white working class anger with attacks on immigration, free trade, and a sold-out political class, which he freely admitted to having paid to do his bidding in the past.

Treated as a joke initially and then as a passing phenomenon, Trump leaped from three percent support in the polls to the head of a 17-candidate field.

Winning primary after primary, he forced out early favorites like Jeb Bush, the brother and son of former Republican presidents.

Many traditional conservatives remain wildly opposed to his candidacy -- notably those with advanced degrees -- but Trump nevertheless has rallied the support of more than half of Republican voters.

His popularity now transcends typical ideological barriers. He is both conservative and moderate, a devout capitalist who slams free trade, a supporter of gun rights who promises not to touch Americans Social Security benefits.

I dont think its a coherent conservative philosophy thats driving them -- I think its anger thats driving them, Thurber said.

The dormant xenophobia lurking on the American right also plays a role in his success, Hudak notes.

Some of Trumps rallies have erupted in violence between his white supporters and black or Latino protesters, with the candidate tacitly approving the scuffles.

Media star

Trumps other trump card, as it were, has been his total domination of the airwaves. Seemingly every day, he gives a televised interview. Thanks to him, the Republican primary debates attracted the biggest non-sports cable TV audiences in US history.

Through a mix of spectacle and controversy, Trump fine-tuned his campaign to hit media buttons -- whether by criticizing Republican senator and war hero John McCain or proposing that the US border be closed to Muslims.

His promise to build a wall on the border with Mexico was a tailor-made TV soundbite, played and replayed for maximum effect.

He is the only candidate whose rallies have been shown from start to finish. All that free coverage has allowed him to save tens of millions of dollars he would have spent on campaign ads.

His celebrity status was the greatest asset he brought to this, and that celebrity status was enhanced enormously by 15 seasons of The Apprentice, long-time Trump confidant Roger Stone told Politico.

To voters, theres no line between the news and reality TV. Its all TV. Its all television, Stone said.

If you see Trump in The Apprentice, hes in the high-backed chair. Hes perfectly lit. Hes perfectly made up. Hes perfectly coiffed. Hes perfectly dressed. And hes decisive. Hes tough. Hes making decisions.

He looks and acts like what you think a president should be.
A new study by researchers from the University of Illinois and University of Puerto Rico has compiled the mitochondrial genome of the venomous species Hispaniolan solenodon, completing the last major branch of placental mammals on the tree of life and suggesting that they might have lived with dinosaurs.

The study reveals that H. solenodon diverged from other living mammals approximately 78 million years ago, which is long before the dinosaurs met their demise from an asteroid collision.

"It's just impressive it's survived this long," said Adam Brandt, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois and co-first author of the study. "It survived the asteroid; it survived human colonization and the rats and mice humans brought with them that wiped out the solenodon's closest relatives."

The results also suggest that the Dominican Republic contains northern and southern populations that are genetically distinct, with the southern population possessing little diversity and the northern population possessing a high level of diversity.

The team examined the mitochondrial DNA to trace the lineage of the solenodon, determining that it diverged from mammals during the Cretaceous period approximately 78 million years ago.

Not only is this number very close to the estimate of a previous study - 76 million years - it also supports the hypothesis regarding how the solenodon made its way to the island of Hispaniola using its connection with a volcanic arc connected to Mexico 75 million years ago.

"Whether they got on the island when the West Indies ran into Mexico 75 million years ago, or whether they floated over on driftwood or whatever else much later is not very clear," said Alfred Roca, professor of animal sciences, member of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at University of Illinois and senior author of the study.

Today, all close ancestors of the solenodons are gone, making the modern species the last of an ancient group of mammals that might have lived alongside dinosaurs. Although the unique mammals are venomous and possess a somewhat scary appearance, they evolved in the absence of carnivores and are currently threatened by cats, dogs and habitat loss.

The findings were published in the April 20 issue of the journal Mitochondrial DNA.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Authorities in Virginia have issued an Amber Alert for a child who they say is in "extreme danger" after his father beat his mother and then kidnapped the boy.

The child, 3-year-old Zion Clinton Amir Williams, was last seen Wednesday evening in a car with his mother and father, 28-year-old Joshua Christopher Williams, at Clevland Court in Spotsylvania.

However, at some point while they were hanging out, the elder Williams began attacking the mother, who was his ex-girlfriend, until she was able to escape from the vehicle, according to Capt. Jeff Pearce of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office.

The mother managed to make it to the hospital where she was treated for injuries that she suffered during the attack, and while that was going on, the elder Williams drove off with Zion still inside at around 7 p.m.

Following the abduction, police launched a manhunt for the elder Williams and Zion. They report that they managed to find the vehicle that they were in - a tan, 2015 Altima Nissan with Virginia tags VHN4346 - but no one was inside.

This incident is fairly similar to one that happened in Ontario just last month. At the time, an Amber Alert had been issued by local authorities when a man, Mario Rodrigues, 35, reportedly broke into his ex-wife's house early one morning and abducted his daughter, 4-year-old Julia Dela-Cruz. Authorities managed to find the two in a vehicle several hours and the Amber Alert was officially cancelled when it crashed following a brief police chase. Cruz was hospitalized for non-life threatening injuries, while Rodrigues was arrested.

In the meantime, police fear that Zion is in extreme danger since Joshua has reportedly threatened to harm or kill him in the past, prompting them to turn to the public for help.

Joshua Cristopher Williams is described as a black male, 5-foot-11 and weighing 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a navy blue and gray sweatshirt with blue jean pants.

Zion, on the other hand, is described as a black male, 3-foot-5 and weighing 35 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing a blue and white "Cars" diaper.

Anyone who has information about their whereabouts are encouraged to call Virginia State Police at 1-800-VA-CHILD.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Descendants of one of Marion Countys earliest pioneers and members of the Daughters of the American Revolution from across the state of Tennessee will gather at Pine Grove Cemetery in Jasper on Saturday afternoon, May 21, for a grave marking ceremony to honor Alexander Kelly, a captain in the Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

Mr. Kelly, whose family became residents of the Sequatchie Valley in the earliest days of its settlement as part of the state of Tennessee, was one of the commissioners who acquired property from Betsy Pack that became the town of Jasper, and determined that it would be the county seat town of the newly formed Marion County. Prior to his arrival in the newly opened settlement area of present-day Marion County, Mr. Kelly had been an active participant in the establishment of settlements in several areas of east Tennessee.

Born about 1755 in County Armagh, Ireland, Mr. Kelly was brought to the American colonies as a young child. By the time of the Declaration of Independence, he was living in the Greenbrier area of Virginia, which is now a part of West Virginia, in the Allegheny Mountains, a scenic area of the United States whose natural setting might be called to mind when one views the Sequatchie Valley. Mr. Kelly enlisted in the Revolutionary forces on July 9, 1776, only five days after the Declaration of Independence.

An article in the University of Tennessees UT Alumnus (Winter, 1975), entitled Alexander Kelly: Frontier Lawmaker, Indian Fighter, recounts that Mr. Kellys son, John Kelly was born in Greenbrier County, Va. on June 2, 1779, but that some time between 1779 and 1783, Mr. Kelly took his family southward into Tennessee country. Old records reveal that Mr. Kelly was appointed as assessor in Greene County, N.C. (Tennessee) in April, 1783; and two years later he was named a major of Greene County militia in the short-lived State of Franklin.

Mr. Kelly was married to Nancy Robinson, by whom he had at least six children, all of whom became pioneer settlers of the Sequatchie Valley. John Kelly, the eldest son, married Nancy Mayo, and became the first clerk of Marion County when the new county was formed in 1817. He also later owned and operated Kellys Ferry on the Tennessee River near the county line between Hamilton and Marion Counties. Captain Kellys son, Alexander Kelly, Jr., married Sally Prigmore on Feb. 17, 1817, in Roane County, Tenn., and they were also early Marion County settlers and farmers. William Kelly married Ruth Prigmore (daughter of Joseph and Kizziah Prigmore) in Nov., 1809, in Roane County, Tenn., and they also became early residents of Marion County, with many of their descendants also settling in Bledsoe County and Sequatchie County. Viny Kelly married Adam Lamb in 1815, and they became residents of the part of Bledsoe County which intersects with present-day Sequatchie County. Margaret Kelly, known as Peggy, married Ephraim Prigmore (son of Joseph and Kizziah Moore Prigmore) on Nov. 9, 1809, in Roane County, Tenn., and they became pioneer residents of the part of Marion County near the present-day Prentice Cooper State Forest, where they farmed and began a grist mill operation later owned by their Ketner descendants and still known today as Ketners Mill. Annie Kelly married Richard Stone, and they lived in Marion County.

The following accounts are taken from the article about Alexander Kelly in the UT Alumnus: By 1792, Kelly had moved his family to Knox County, where he became a farmer and miller. He was appointed a colonel of Knox County militia, and in 1793, he took part in the expedition against the Indians who had attacked outlying stations and threatened the territorial capitol of Knoxville.

Under John Sevier, the military pursued the Indians into Georgia and defeated them at the forks of the Coosa and Hightower Rivers, near the present site of Rome, Georgia.

In that battle, Colonel Kelly led a maneuver that settled the issue in the militias favor. Finding the river ford obstructed by Indians entrenched on the opposite shore, Sevier sent Kellys party downstream to make a crossing. Kelly and some of his men swam the river, thus getting the attention of the Indians who left their entrenchments and ran down the river to oppose their passage. The main force of militia quickly forded the river and routed the Indians.

When the territorial legislators were elected in 1793, Alexander Kelly was chosen a representative from Knox County.

In 1795 Knox County was divided and Blount County was formed. Kelly was one of seven Commissioners named to find a site for the county seat and to erect county buildings. The site of Maryville was chosen, and the town was named in honor of Governor William Blounts wife, Mary Grainger Blount.

Kelly moved his residence to Blount County about that time, settling in the vicinity of present-day Louisville and building a mill on Lackeys Creek.

Appointed commandant of the county militia, Kelly lost no time in fulfilling his responsibility to protect the settlers of Blount County.

Early in 1795 Indians came out of their mountain towns and raided isolated homes in the new county. Kelly raised about fifty men and marched across Chilhowee Mountain to Tallassee Old Town. Upon reaching the river and seeing smoke rising from the opposite shore, he sent a detachment across the stream to attack from the rear  a maneuver employed so effectively at Hightower. The surprised Indians were routed from the river bluffs, with eight being killed. Kellys company suffered no injuries.

The swift action brought peace to the new county.

When the first Legislature of Tennessee met on March 28, 1796, 11 counties were represented. Mr. Kelly was the senator from Blount County, serving in that role in the first and second General Assemblies. He was one of the two members appointed to wait on his Excellency John Sevier at his inauguration as governor of Tennessee. According to the Congressional ordinance, for the United States South of the Ohio River the Territorial Legislature was to consist of the governor, Legislative Council, and the House of Representatives.

The General Assembly met at Knoxville Aug. 25, 1794. William Blount was the governor. The Legislative Council was composed of Griffith Rutherford, John Sevier, James Winchester, Stokley Donelson, and Parmenas Taylor. The Honorable Griffith Rutherford was unanimously elected president; George Roulstone, clerk; and Christopher Shoat, doorkeeper. The House of Representatives was composed of David Wilson, James White, James Ford, William Cocke, Joseph Harden, George Doherty, Samuel Wear, John Baird, and Alexander Kelly.

According to the UT Alumnus article: Sometimes a conflict of interest arose, and Alexander Kelly had to choose between sitting in the legislative chamber and riding against marauding Indians. In those rare instances, military duty took precedence.

For example, while the territorial legislature of which he was a member was meeting at Knoxville on Aug. 28, 1794, on motion of Mr. Kelly, seconded by Mr. Hardin, ordered that Mr. Kelly and Mr. Beard have leave of absence to go on a scout against the Indians.

A threatened incursion of hostile Cherokees made it necessary for the two militia officers to put aside their legislative duties for days of hard riding through the neighboring hills and valleys.

A week later, Mr. Kelly returned and took his seat in the legislative hall  just in time to vote on the resolution to create Blount College.

Mr. Kelly was a charter trustee of Blount College, which was the forerunner to the University of Tennessee, thus making Mr. Kelly, in the words of the UT Alumnus article, a champion of education in the infant State of Tennessee.

Mr. Kellys experience in the settlement of counties in east Tennessee made him well-suited to assist other pioneer settlers in the establishment of Marion County when it was formed. After his participation in locating and naming Jasper as the county seat town, and determining where the courthouse would be located, he was apparently satisfied to have his son, John Kelly, and other descendants take on the duties of civic office. Others of his children and grandchildren became prominent farmers, mill operators, merchants, landowners, and political figures in the parts of the Sequatchie Valley where they lived. Most of them also became active participants and leaders in their churches, particularly the Cumberland Presbyterian churches in the Sequatchie Valley. Although Mr. Kellys descendants have spread throughout the United States and other parts of the world, many of them still live in the Sequatchie Valley.

Some time after settling in Marion County, Mr. Kelly drowned in the Sequatchie River, and his remains were apparently lost. Although Mr. Kelly's descendants are buried in family burial grounds and other cemeteries throughout the Sequatchie Valley, Mr. Kelly, Revolutionary War captain and leader of early Tennessee, has had no monument to mark his life until the present day.

Recently, one of Mr. Kelly descendant, Edwin Zachariah Kelly, Jr., a retired attorney and lifelong resident of Jasper, instituted a project for Kelly descendants to place a monument at Pine Grove Cemetery, where many Kelly descendants are buried, to honor the life of Mr. Kelly. The monument will be inscribed with information about Mr. Kellys life in the history of Tennessee. The National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, have authorized the Judge David Campbell Chapter of that organization to place a DAR marker at Pine Grove to honor Mr. Kellys service as a captain in Americas Revolutionary War.

The ceremony to dedicate the markers and to honor the life of Mr. Kelly will take place on Saturday, May 21, at 3 p.m., Central time, at Pine Grove Cemetery in Jasper, at the intersection of Valley View Highway and Mel Dixon Lane. The Sequatchie River, where Mr. Kelly died, runs through Marion County near that place. All interested people are cordially invited to attend.






The Walker County Chamber of Commerce invites the public to join in the ribbon cutting celebration for Shrey Food and Petroleum LLC (DBA: Lil' Pig Market) located at 1932 GA-341 in Rossville on Friday from 4-6 p.m.

"The owners are proud of their new renovations and excited to have you share in the excitement of opening their new business," officials said.



The event is free. There will be hot dogs and door prizes.
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Joseph P. Kennedy, President of Crystal Investment Property, LLC, has negotiated the sale of the Balch Hotel in Dufur, Oregon. The 19th Century Historic Hotel is located just 90 minutes from the Portland Metro area.

Crystal Investment Property, LLC, a member of Hotel Brokers International, announced the successful sale of the Historic Balch Hotel in Dufur, OR. Crystal Investment Property, LLC, a licensed Oregon broker, represented both parties in the sale. Joseph P. Kennedy, President of CIP, worked closely with the Seller and Buyer as well as the attorneys, lenders and other professionals, to negotiate a mutually acceptable sale. The final sale price was confidential.

The 18-key property is a magnificent 19th Century hotel which the former owner lovingly restored to its prior glory. Located at 40 S. Heimrich, Dufur, Oregon, the hotel is situated in the heart of this quaint town and offers an excellent base from which to explore the Columbia River Gorge and the beauty of the Hood River Valley. The location, on the sunny side of the Cascades, offers 300+ days of sunshine a year just 90 minutes from the Portland Metro area.

Joseph Kennedy, President of Crystal Investment Property said, This was a complex transaction which required creativity and flexibility on the part of the Buyer and Seller due to a variety of outside circumstances however everyone worked together cooperatively to reach this successful conclusion. We are extremely happy to have found a new owner who has vision, experience and will take this beautiful historic hotel to the next level.

Crystal Investment Property, a premiere hospitality investment advisory and brokerage company located in the Pacific Northwest, maintains the most cutting-edge technological, online and social media presence as well as a full range of traditional and web-based marketing reaching local, regional, national and international clientele. The firms core services of hospitality asset acquisition/disposition are supported by innovative and creative solutions to maintain position as the most active and successful hotel broker in the region. Crystal Investment Property represents the full spectrum of hospitality real estate owners and their experience covers all hospitality assets types, including: full service hotels, boutique hotels, select service hotels, limited service hotels, as well as development projects, and leasehold transactions. Crystal Investment Property may be accessed online at www.crystalip.com.

Founded in 1959, Hotel Brokers International members lead the industry in hotel real estate sales. HBI hotel brokerage specialists have successfully negotiated more than 10,000 hotel real estate transactions and consistently account for the largest share of all select-service and economy hotel sales in the United States. The organizations database currently comprises more than 100 property listings and the HBI website attracts more than 55,000 monthly site visitors. Founder and host of the popular Hotel Investors Marketplace Webcast, HBI also developed the Certified Hotel Broker professional designation program. In addition to hospitality real estate advisory services, HBI offers affiliate membership to professionals in allied fields, including franchising, lending, appraisals and investment services. For more information about HBIs hotel listings or to become a broker or affiliate member, visit www.hbihotels.com.

For more information contact:

Joseph P. Kennedy, President

Crystal Investment Property, LLC

Portland, Oregon

503.530.1316

joe@crystalip.com

Glenda J. Webb, Managing Director

Hotel Brokers International

Kansas City, Missouri

816.505.4315

gwebb@hbihotels.com
CBRE Limited continues to strengthen its CBRE Hotels platform and announced the addition of Michael Beckley, FIH, CHA, to the role of Director, CBRE Hotels. Beckley joins the expanding platform after serving as Senior Vice President of Development for Marriott International in Canada.

Michael is truly an iconic figure within Canadas Hotel industry and his experience and network are second to none. Were incredibly excited to be able to tap into his wealth of industry knowledge that has been amassed over the course of a highly distinguished career. In a very real sense, Michael is a part of the fabric of the Canadian hotel industry and he will be a fantastic resource for our clients and team to call on, commented Bill Stone, Executive Vice President of CBRE Hotels in Canada.



Over Beckleys extensive career, he has held various senior positions within the industry in Europe, Bermuda, The West Indies and Canada where he was the President of Commonwealth Hospitality; formerly Commonwealth Holiday Inns of Canada and previously the largest hotel company in the country. Mr. Beckleys involvement in the industry in Canada has been wide-ranging over the past 34 years and includes serving as Chairman of Experience Canada. His time as Chairman led to the foundation of the Canadian Tourism Commission and he also served as Chairman of Ontarios Tourism Strategy under the Premiership of Bob Rae
MGM China's net revenue of $469 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $114 million, a decrease of 26% and 23%, respectively, compared to the prior year quarter

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2016.

Key achievements include:

Wholly owned domestic resorts Adjusted Property EBITDA increased by 24%;

Highest margins since 2007 for Adjusted Property EBITDA at wholly owned domestic resorts;

Las Vegas Strip REVPAR increased by 8%;

Profit Growth Plan contributed approximately $54 million of Adjusted Property EBITDA growth at wholly owned domestic resorts;

MGM Growth Properties ("MGP") completed its $1.2 billion initial public offering, successfully highlighting the significant value in the Company's premier real estate assets;

CityCenter sold The Shops at Crystals for $1.1 billion, resulting in a $540 million distribution to MGM Resorts; and

Completed the opening of The Park, an outdoor pedestrian area with dining and entertainment, and the T-Mobile Arena, a 20,000-seat theater venue, both on the Las Vegas Strip.

"MGM Resorts delivered an exceptional quarter, generating strong financial results while completing significant strategic achievements," said Jim Murren, Chairman & CEO of MGM Resorts. "Our wholly owned domestic resorts reported the strongest Adjusted Property EBITDA since 2007, as well as an impressive 524 basis point increase in Adjusted Property EBITDA margins, demonstrating the strength of our operations and success of our Profit Growth Plan. Our recent landmark accomplishments, including the completion of MGP's initial public offering and its concurrent debt financings, as well as the sale of CityCenter's The Shops at Crystals, underscore our ability to deliver significant shareholder value and drive sustainable, long-term growth for our company."

Key results for the first quarter of 2016 include:

Net revenue at the Company's wholly owned domestic resorts increased 3% compared to the prior year quarter, or 4% excluding Circus Circus Reno, Railroad Pass, and the Company's properties in Jean Nevada, which were sold during 2015;

Rooms revenue at wholly owned domestic resorts increased 7%, with an 8% increase in REVPAR(1) at the Company's Las Vegas Strip resorts, compared to the prior year quarter;

The Company's wholly owned domestic resorts earned Adjusted Property EBITDA(2) of $485 million, a 24% increase compared to the prior year quarter;

Wholly owned domestic resorts Adjusted Property EBITDA margin was 30%, a 524 basis point increase compared to the prior year quarter;

MGM China's net revenue of $469 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $114 million, a decrease of 26% and 23%, respectively, compared to the prior year quarter; and

CityCenter Adjusted EBITDA related to resort operations of $92 million, a 30% increase compared to the prior year quarter.

First Quarter Consolidated Results

Diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2016 was $0.12, compared to diluted earnings per share of $0.33 in the prior year quarter. Current quarter net income was impacted by an increase in the effective tax rate from a benefit of 36% in the prior year quarter to a provision of 19% in the current year quarter primarily as a result of a decrease in the amount of foreign tax credits that we expect to benefit in 2016. The prior year quarter benefited from a $0.09 per share gain related to CityCenter's final resolution of its construction litigation and remaining settlements.

The following table lists certain other items that affect the comparability of the current and prior year quarterly results (approximate EPS impact shown, net of tax, per share; negative amounts represent charges to income):

Three months ended March 31, 2016 2015 Preopening and start-up expenses $ (0.02) $ (0.02) Property transactions, net (0.01)  Income (loss) from unconsolidated affiliates: Harmon-related property transactions, net  0.09 Crystals-related property transactions, net (0.01) 

Wholly Owned Domestic Resorts

Casino revenue related to wholly owned domestic resorts increased 4%, excluding the operations sold during 2015, compared to the prior year quarter, due primarily to an increase in table games revenue. Table games hold percentage in the first quarter of 2016 was 22.4% compared to 20.1% in the prior year quarter, while table games volume decreased 6% compared to the prior year quarter. Slots revenue increased 2%, excluding the operations sold during 2015, compared to the prior year quarter.

Rooms revenue increased 7%, with an increase in Las Vegas Strip REVPAR of 8%. The following table shows key hotel statistics for the Company's Las Vegas Strip resorts:

Three months ended March 31, 2016 2015 Occupancy % 91% 90% Average Daily Rate (ADR) $ 162 $ 152 Revenue per Available Room (REVPAR) $ 147 $ 136

Wholly owned domestic resorts Adjusted Property EBITDA was $485 million in the first quarter of 2016, a 24% increase compared to the prior year quarter, and was positively affected by approximately $54 million of incremental Adjusted Property EBITDA as a result of the Company's Profit Growth Plan initiatives. Operating income for the Company's wholly owned domestic resorts increased 33% for the first quarter of 2016 compared to the prior year quarter.

Corporate Expense

Corporate expense was $71 million, an increase of $21 million compared to the prior year quarter. The current year quarter included $7 million of costs incurred to implement initiatives related to the Profit Growth Plan and $7 million of costs incurred in connection with the MGM Growth Properties transactions.

MGM China

Key first quarter results for MGM China include:

Net revenue of $469 million, a 26% decrease compared to the prior year quarter;

Main floor table games revenue decreased 8% compared to the prior year quarter;

VIP table games revenue decreased 41% due to a decrease in turnover of 34% compared to the prior year quarter, and hold percentage decreased to 3.0% in the current year quarter, compared to 3.3% in the prior year quarter;

Adjusted EBITDA of $114 million, a 23% decrease compared to the prior year quarter, including $8 million of license fee expense in the current year quarter and $11 million in the prior year quarter;

Adjusted EBITDA margin increased by 77 basis points compared to the prior year quarter to 24% as a result of an increase in main floor table games mix and continuous efforts to reduce costs; and

Operating income of $47 million, compared to operating income of $72 million in the prior year quarter.

Unconsolidated Affiliates

The following table summarizes information related to the Company's share of income (loss) from unconsolidated affiliates:

Three months ended March 31, 2016 2015 (In thousands) CityCenter $ (9,149) $ 101,601 Borgata 19,550 11,983 Other 4,301 3,797 $ 14,702 $ 117,381

On April 14, 2016, CityCenter Holdings, LLC ("CityCenter") closed the sale of The Shops at Crystals ("Crystals") for approximately $1.1 billion. CityCenter previously announced a $1.08 billion distribution consisting of a $990 million special distribution in connection with the sale and a $90 million distribution as part of its annual distribution policy. On May 4, 2016, the Company received $540 million, its 50% share of the distributions.

CityCenter's results for the first quarter of 2016 included $61 million of accelerated depreciation associated with the April 2016closure of the Zarkana theatre, and an $18 million charge related to obligations in connection with the sale of Crystals. Results for the first quarter of 2015 included a $160 million gain related to the final resolution of its construction litigation and remaining settlements. Excluding the impact of these items, the Company's income from unconsolidated affiliates related to CityCenter was $31 million for the first quarter of 2016, compared to $22 million in the prior year quarter.

Results for CityCenter for the first quarter of 2016 include the following (see schedules accompanying this release for further detail on CityCenter's first quarter results):

Net revenue from resort operations of $302 million, a 6% increase compared to the prior year quarter;

Adjusted EBITDA from resort operations of $92 million, an increase of 30% compared to the prior year quarter; this was positively affected by approximately $10 million of incremental Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Profit Growth Plan initiatives;

Adjusted EBITDA at Aria of $81 million increased by 33% compared to the prior year quarter;

Aria's table games volume increased 5% and table games hold percentage was 23.8%, compared to 24.3% in the prior year quarter;

Record REVPAR at Aria of $230, a 5% increase compared to the prior year quarter; and

Record REVPAR at Vdara of $190, a 10% increase compared to the prior year quarter, and a 16% increase in Adjusted EBITDA compared to the prior year quarter.

CityCenter reported an operating loss of $27 million, including $61 million of accelerated depreciation as discussed above, for the first quarter of 2016, compared to operating income of $176 million in the prior year quarter, as a result of the factors described above.

The Company's income from unconsolidated affiliates related to Borgata for the first quarter of 2016 increased 63%, compared to the prior year quarter, due to higher casino revenue as well as lower property tax expense due to the application of credits from a prior tax court judgment to Borgata's first quarter property tax payment.

MGM Growth Properties

"This was an exciting quarter for MGM Resorts, in part because of the successful initial public offering of MGM Growth Properties," said Mr. Murren. "Not only did the offering price at the top of the price range, it was the largest IPO in 2016 to-date. Importantly, this transaction provided MGM Resorts' shareholders with numerous strategic and financial benefits, including enhancements to our balance sheet."

On April 25, 2016, MGP, a subsidiary of the Company, completed its initial public offering of 57,500,000 Class A shares (inclusive of the full exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase 7,500,000 Class A shares) at a price to the public of $21.00per share (the "IPO") for proceeds of approximately $1.1 billion, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. The proceeds of the IPO were used by MGP to purchase operating partnership units in the operating partnership that holds the real estate associated with Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, New York-New York, Luxor, Monte Carlo, Excalibur, The Park, MGM Grand Detroit, Beau Rivage and Gold Strike Tunica. A subsidiary of MGP is the general partner of the operating partnership.

The Company will continue to hold a controlling interest in MGP through its ownership of MGP's Class B share. In addition, certain of the Company's subsidiaries will directly hold a majority economic interest in, and will participate in distributions made by, the operating partnership, through their ownership of approximately 73% of the partnership units of the operating partnership.

In connection with the transactions described above, the operating partnership assumed approximately $4 billion of bridge facility indebtedness from the Company, which was repaid by the operating partnership with the proceeds of the IPO and concurrent bank and bond debt financing transactions.

Financial Position

The Company's cash balance at March 31, 2016 was $1.7 billion, which included $595 million at MGM China. At March 31, 2016, the Company had $2.7 billion of borrowings outstanding under its $3.9 billion senior secured credit facility, $1.6 billionoutstanding under the MGM China credit facility and $250 million outstanding under the MGM National Harbor credit facility.

In connection with the MGP IPO and related transactions, the Company entered into an amended and restated senior secured facility comprised of a $1.25 billion revolving facility and a $250 million term loan A facility. After giving effect to the repayment of its 6.875% senior notes at maturity in April 2016, the pending redemption of the Company's 10% senior notes due 2016 and its 7.5% senior notes due 2016, and the amendment and restatement of the senior secured credit facility, the Company had approximately $12.3 billion principal amount of indebtedness outstanding, including $250 million outstanding under its senior secured credit facility, $250 million outstanding under the MGM National Harbor facility, $3.2 billion of indebtedness at MGP, and $1.6 billion at MGM China.

"We continue to make significant progress in improving our balance sheet through our strong performance in the first quarter and the continued execution of our strategic plan," said Dan D'Arrigo, Executive Vice President, CFO and Treasurer of MGM Resorts International. "We remain committed to strengthening our financial flexibility, as highlighted by Moody's in its recent two-notch upgrade of MGM Resorts International's corporate family rating, bringing us closer to our goal of returning to investment grade."

MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, March 31, 2016 2015 Revenues: Casino $ 1,134,356 $ 1,278,502 Rooms 489,486 459,425 Food and beverage 377,105 384,101 Entertainment 118,326 125,968 Retail 45,473 45,037 Other 117,525 126,550 Reimbursed costs 101,049 101,060 2,383,320 2,520,643 Less: Promotional allowances (173,634) (188,399) 2,209,686 2,332,244 Expenses: Casino 640,569 782,808 Rooms 144,742 141,313 Food and beverage 221,296 221,521 Entertainment 92,288 96,999 Retail 22,001 24,096 Other 79,768 84,323 Reimbursed costs 101,049 101,060 General and administrative 308,543 328,173 Corporate expense 71,248 50,356 Preopening and start-up expenses 21,960 15,871 Property transactions, net 5,131 1,589 Depreciation and amortization 199,839 206,412 1,908,434 2,054,521 Income from unconsolidated affiliates 14,702 117,381 Operating income 315,954 395,104 Non-operating income (expense): Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized (184,669) (216,262) Non-operating items from unconsolidated affiliates (18,212) (19,011) Other, net (565) (3,490) (203,446) (238,763) Income before income taxes 112,508 156,341 Benefit (provision) for income taxes (21,310) 56,305 Net income 91,198 212,646 Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (24,399) (42,796) Net income attributable to MGM Resorts International $ 66,799 $ 169,850 Per share of common stock: Basic: Net income attributable to MGM Resorts International $ 0.12 $ 0.35 Weighted average shares outstanding 565,056 491,422 Diluted: Net income attributable to MGM Resorts International $ 0.12 $ 0.33 Weighted average shares outstanding 569,455 575,312

MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except share data) (Unaudited) March 31, December 31, 2016 2015 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,664,905 $ 1,670,312 Accounts receivable, net 452,751 480,559 Inventories 97,584 104,200 Income tax receivable 9,148 15,993 Prepaid expenses and other 177,256 137,685 Total current assets 2,401,644 2,408,749 Property and equipment, net 15,692,731 15,371,795 Other assets: Investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates 1,478,501 1,491,497 Goodwill 1,429,547 1,430,767 Other intangible assets, net 4,116,904 4,164,781 Other long-term assets, net 377,963 347,589 Total other assets 7,402,915 7,434,634 $ 25,497,290 $ 25,215,178 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 183,777 $ 182,031 Construction payable 285,479 250,120 Current portion of long-term debt 242,900 328,442 Accrued interest on long-term debt 143,110 165,914 Other accrued liabilities 1,233,045 1,311,444 Total current liabilities 2,088,311 2,237,951 Deferred income taxes, net 2,687,946 2,680,576 Long-term debt 12,686,381 12,368,311 Other long-term obligations 163,392 157,663 Redeemable noncontrolling interest 6,250 6,250 Stockholders' equity: Common stock, $.01 par value: authorized 1,000,000,000 shares, issued and outstanding 565,144,008 and 564,838,893 shares 5,651 5,648 Capital in excess of par value 5,671,456 5,655,886 Accumulated deficit (488,830) (555,629) Accumulated other comprehensive income 11,622 14,022 Total MGM Resorts International stockholders' equity 5,199,899 5,119,927 Noncontrolling interests 2,665,111 2,644,500 Total stockholders' equity 7,865,010 7,764,427 $ 25,497,290 $ 25,215,178

MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES SUPPLEMENTAL DATA - NET REVENUES (In thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, March 31, 2016 2015 Bellagio $ 329,739 $ 301,936 MGM Grand Las Vegas 268,454 264,826 Mandalay Bay 230,181 226,935 The Mirage 144,595 142,505 Luxor 92,872 86,955 New York-New York 81,371 75,884 Excalibur 74,288 67,261 Monte Carlo 69,720 71,867 Circus Circus Las Vegas 56,957 51,384 MGM Grand Detroit 140,865 133,315 Beau Rivage 89,437 86,940 Gold Strike Tunica 40,744 39,835 Other resort operations(1) - 28,252 Wholly owned domestic resorts 1,619,223 1,577,895 MGM China 469,029 630,087 Management and other operations 121,434 124,262 $ 2,209,686 $ 2,332,244 MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES SUPPLEMENTAL DATA - ADJUSTED PROPERTY EBITDA (In thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, March 31, 2016 2015 Bellagio $ 116,651 $ 89,167 MGM Grand Las Vegas 80,894 65,206 Mandalay Bay 58,122 53,988 The Mirage 38,330 30,520 Luxor 25,391 17,299 New York-New York 30,903 24,593 Excalibur 23,877 16,542 Monte Carlo 21,300 20,056 Circus Circus Las Vegas 13,293 7,833 MGM Grand Detroit 40,042 33,612 Beau Rivage 22,799 18,390 Gold Strike Tunica 13,329 11,550 Other resort operations(1) - 1,123 Wholly owned domestic resorts 484,931 389,879 MGM China 114,123 148,456 Unconsolidated resorts(2) 14,702 117,381 Management and other operations 4,115 16,317 $ 617,871 $ 672,033

(1) Sold in 2015 (2) Represents the Company's share of operating income (loss), adjusted for the effect of certain basis differences.

MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) TO ADJUSTED PROPERTY EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA (In thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 Operating income (loss) Preopening and start-up expenses Property transactions, net Depreciation and amortization Adjusted EBITDA Bellagio $ 94,168 $ - $ 1 $ 22,482 $ 116,651 MGM Grand Las Vegas 62,262 - 763 17,869 80,894 Mandalay Bay 34,855 14 874 22,379 58,122 The Mirage 27,994 - - 10,336 38,330 Luxor 15,885 - 287 9,219 25,391 New York-New York 25,487 - 3 5,413 30,903 Excalibur 16,969 - 2,766 4,142 23,877 Monte Carlo 16,777 - 91 4,432 21,300 Circus Circus Las Vegas 9,089 - 134 4,070 13,293 MGM Grand Detroit 34,031 - - 6,011 40,042 Beau Rivage 16,190 - 10 6,599 22,799 Gold Strike Tunica 10,831 - 97 2,401 13,329 Other resort operations(1) - - - - - Wholly owned domestic resorts 364,538 14 5,026 115,353 484,931 MGM China 47,452 5,908 (10) 60,773 114,123 Unconsolidated resorts 12,420 2,282 - - 14,702 Management and other operations 1,064 1,150 - 1,901 4,115 425,474 9,354 5,016 178,027 617,871 Stock compensation (9,869) - - - (9,869) Corporate (99,651) 12,606 115 21,812 (65,118) $ 315,954 $ 21,960 $ 5,131 $ 199,839 $ 542,884 Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 Operating income (loss) Preopening and start-up expenses Property transactions, net Depreciation and amortization Adjusted EBITDA Bellagio $ 66,337 $ - $ 197 $ 22,633 $ 89,167 MGM Grand Las Vegas 46,726 - (10) 18,490 65,206 Mandalay Bay 35,321 - 259 18,408 53,988 The Mirage 17,874 54 (1) 12,593 30,520 Luxor 7,762 (1) 50 9,488 17,299 New York-New York 19,672 (307) 264 4,964 24,593 Excalibur 12,909 - (19) 3,652 16,542 Monte Carlo 14,314 - 517 5,225 20,056 Circus Circus Las Vegas 3,802 231 - 3,800 7,833 MGM Grand Detroit 27,739 - - 5,873 33,612 Beau Rivage 11,859 - - 6,531 18,390 Gold Strike Tunica 8,622 - - 2,928 11,550 Other resort operations 893 - - 230 1,123 Wholly owned domestic resorts 273,830 (23) 1,257 114,815 389,879 MGM China 72,366 3,071 332 72,687 148,456 Unconsolidated resorts 116,708 673 - - 117,381 Management and other operations 14,114 267 - 1,936 16,317 477,018 3,988 1,589 189,438 672,033 Stock compensation (7,579) - - - (7,579) Corporate (74,335) 11,883 - 16,974 (45,478) $ 395,104 $ 15,871 $ 1,589 $ 206,412 $ 618,976

(1) Sold in 2015

MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED EBITDA TO NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL (In thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, March 31, 2016 2015 Adjusted EBITDA $ 542,884 $ 618,976 Preopening and start-up expenses (21,960) (15,871) Property transactions, net (5,131) (1,589) Depreciation and amortization (199,839) (206,412) Operating income 315,954 395,104 Non-operating income (expense): Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized (184,669) (216,262) Other, net (18,777) (22,501) (203,446) (238,763) Income before income taxes 112,508 156,341 Benefit (provision) for income taxes (21,310) 56,305 Net income 91,198 212,646 Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (24,399) (42,796) Net income attributable to MGM Resorts International $ 66,799 $ 169,850

MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL AND SUBSIDIARIES SUPPLEMENTAL DATA - HOTEL STATISTICS - LAS VEGAS STRIP (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, March 31, 2016 2015 Bellagio Occupancy % 91.5% 88.2% Average daily rate (ADR) $281 $268 Revenue per available room (REVPAR) $257 $236 MGM Grand Las Vegas Occupancy % 91.2% 91.9% ADR $181 $171 REVPAR $165 $157 Mandalay Bay Occupancy % 90.4% 90.2% ADR $223 $210 REVPAR $201 $189 The Mirage Occupancy % 92.8% 90.0% ADR $180 $173 REVPAR $167 $155 Luxor Occupancy % 94.1% 92.2% ADR $110 $105 REVPAR $104 $97 New York-New York Occupancy % 96.8% 97.6% ADR $144 $134 REVPAR $140 $131 Excalibur Occupancy % 91.6% 89.9% ADR $96 $85 REVPAR $88 $77 Monte Carlo Occupancy % 96.0% 95.1% ADR $126 $122 REVPAR $121 $116 Circus Circus Las Vegas Occupancy % 78.9% 76.8% ADR $79 $69 REVPAR $62 $53

CITYCENTER HOLDINGS, LLC SUPPLEMENTAL DATA - NET REVENUES (In thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, March 31, 2016 2015 Aria $ 254,725 $ 240,150 Vdara 29,788 27,842 Mandarin Oriental 17,028 16,011 Resort operations 301,541 284,003 Residential and other operations - 18,174 $ 301,541 $ 302,177

CITYCENTER HOLDINGS, LLC RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED EBITDA TO NET INCOME (LOSS) (In thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, March 31, 2016 2015 Adjusted EBITDA $ 91,015 $ 74,052 Property transactions, net 1,438 159,693 Depreciation and amortization (119,596) (57,938) Operating income (27,143) 175,807 Non-operating income (expense): Interest expense - other (17,192) (18,034) Other, net (3,834) (33) (21,026) (18,067) Net income (loss) from continuing operations (48,169) 157,740 Discontinued operations Income from operations of discontinued component (11,557) 5,861 Net income (loss) $ (59,726) $ 163,601

CITYCENTER HOLDINGS, LLC SUPPLEMENTAL DATA - HOTEL STATISTICS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, March 31, 2016 2015 Aria Occupancy % 90.4% 89.8% ADR $255 $244 REVPAR $230 $219 Vdara Occupancy % 91.0% 91.1% ADR $209 $190 REVPAR $190 $174
The 7.0% year-on-year decline in profit per room recorded at hotels in the East Midlands this month was further to an almost uninterrupted period of growth in this measure since January 2014, according to the latest data from HotStats.

The 7.0% year-on-year decline in profit per room recorded at hotels in the East Midlands this month was further to an almost uninterrupted period of growth in this measure since January 2014, according to the latest data from HotStats.

March also represented the first month in which RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) at hotels in the East Midlands has dropped since mid-2014, as it fell by 5.6% year-on-year to 42.90, as a result of a decrease in both room occupancy (-3.4 percentage points) and achieved average room rate (-0.6%).

Whilst a drop in RevPAR was somewhat expected as top line growth has stalled since Q4 2015, astute cost management had helped to maintain profit growth for East Midlands hotels in the last six months.

However, such a significant year-on-year drop in profit per room may suggest that this market has reached its peak after a very strong period of sustained growth. Prior to this month, on a rolling 12-month basis, GOPPAR (Gross Operating Profit per Available Room) at hotels in the East Midlands grew by 22.4% from January 2014 (19.51) to February 2016 (23.88).

Increase in Visitor Numbers Fuels Continued Profit Growth for Edinburgh Hotels

Hotels in Edinburgh recorded a 7.9% increase in profit per room in March, which contributed to a 5.4% year-on-year increase in GOPPAR for Q1 2016, to 20.02 from 19.00.

Whilst declines were recorded in Food & Beverage (-2.7%) and Conference & Banqueting (-8.3%) revenue on a per available room basis this month, this was more than offset by the 9.2% increase in RevPAR to 70.73 from 64.79, which helped drive a 5.6% increase in TrevPAR (Total Revenue per Available Room).

For Q1 2016, the 5.1% RevPAR increase has primarily been driven by a 4.9% uplift in achieved average room rate, which has been led by rate increases in the individual leisure (+7.3%) and group leisure (+21.0%) segments, indicative of growth in tourists to the Scottish capital.

The growth in this segment is further supported by the 37.6% increase in international passengers handled by Edinburgh Airport in the month of March, to 493,200 from 358,450.

The growth in profit per room for the month was also in spite of an increase in both payroll (+4.5%) and overheads (+3.0%) on a per available room basis, with profit conversion at hotels in Edinburgh recorded at 30% of total revenue, a year-on-year uplift of 0.6 percentage points.

Manchester Hotels Bucking Q1 2016 Trend of Profit Decline Across the UK

Hotels in Manchester recorded a 3.3% increase in profit per room for the month of March, which contributed to a 2.4% increase for Q1 2016, to 35.78 from 34.94 during the same period in 2015.

This was in contrast to hotels in the Provinces, which suffered a 4.6% decline in GOPPAR in March, which contributed to a 2.6% year-on-year drop in profit per room for the first quarter of 2016.

Whilst room occupancy declines were suffered in both Manchester and Provincial UK hotels this month, the 7.4% uplift in achieved average room rate in the Capital of the North, far exceeded the 1.6% increase in the Provinces, and fuelled a 3.5% increase in RevPAR.

Hotel performance in Manchester has gone from strength to strength in recent years. Despite additions to stock in 2015 including the 208-bedroom INNSIDE by Melia and 330- bedroom Motel One Piccadilly, on a rolling 12-month basis, profit per room has increased by 9.3% over the last year, to 43.51 in the 12 months to March 2016, from 39.82 in the 12 months to March 2015.

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The Hamilton County Sheriffs Office, in conjunction with the Chattanooga Police Department, will host the 2016 Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony to honor the deputies and police officers from the community who have fallen in the line of service and their survivors.This years program will take place on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Law Enforcement Memorial, 600 Market St. The key note speaker will be U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Tim White.Officer James Marvin Wallen, Jr., will be added to the wall.He was a Hamilton County Park Ranger.Ranger Wallen was involved in a traffic accident many years ago while on duty and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He spent the rest of his life in a specialized care facility due to his injuries. He succumbed to his injuries on October 25, 2015."On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 61 hours. Since the first known line-of-duty death in 1791, more than 20,000 U.S. law enforcement officers have made the ultimate sacrifice."During this time, local law enforcement agencies, elected officials, members of the community, and business leaders will take time to honor the sacrifice of our communitys law enforcement personnel, particularly those who have given the ultimate sacrifice," officials said.
Mvenpick Hotel Apartments Al Burj Business Bay to Open 2017 in Dubai

Movenpick Hotels & Resorts (MHR) has signed a management agreement with Richreit Real Estate Development LLC for the Movenpick Hotel Apartments Al Burj Business Bay, located in Dubai's sought-after Business Bay district.

Movenpick Hotels & Resorts (MHR) has signed a management agreement with Richreit Real Estate Development LLC for the Movenpick Hotel Apartments Al Burj Business Bay, located in Dubai's sought-after Business Bay district.

This striking 40-floor property with a modern yet elegant facade, will command a prime position on Burj Khalifa Boulevard overlooking the world's tallest building, and is expected to open in 2017.

Major infrastructure projects and attractions are within a stone's throw of the 299-room hotel apartment including Old Town Island, the Opera District in Downtown, Dubai Mall and the Dubai Canal Project, while the city's financial and commercial hubs are on its doorstep too.

"With Movenpick Hotel Apartments Al Burj Business Bay we are introducing a new upscale concept that delivers sophisticated living in a district that is rapidly emerging as Dubai's new business and leisure hub," said Mr. Andreas Mattmuller, Chief Operating Officer, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts Middle East and South Asia.

The hotel will feature well-appointed and spacious studios as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Stand-out amenities include a three-tiered podium area with six meeting spaces; a destination spa, gym, beauty clinic and swimming pool; a children's area with pool; an all-day-dining outlet, cafe and lobby lounge; and a business centre. The building has been designed keeping the acoustics in mind by using triple glazed glass to ensure maximum comfort level for guests.

Richreit Real Estate Development LLC Chairman Ahmed Butti Ahmed Al Muhairi said: "This property, which is already 55% complete, will not only add a new dimension to Dubai's impressive skyline, but provide guests with a true immersive destination experience given its prime location at the crossroads of multiple districts and attractions."

MHR already operates six hotels in Dubai and has two more properties planned for the city - the 244-key Movenpick Hotel Apartments Downtown Dubai opening in 2017 and the Movenpick Hotel Dubai Media City in 2018.
Having closed out 2015 on a strong note with the release of his two EPs Goon Loops & King, Araabmuzik was about to carry over the success into 2016, before he was senselessly shot in a Harlem parking garage back in February, leaving him fighting for his life in the hospital for days. Now fully recovered and back on his feet, the Rhode Island DJ is getting back to the music and releasing a new album this Summer called Dreamworld, which he announced today along with the release of his new video for Chasing Pirates featuring Raiche.

Dropping July 5, Dreamworld will reportedly feature guest collaborations from Baauer, !LLMIND, Raiche, and more. In addition to this announcement, Araabmuzik also unveiled the albums cover art as well, which you can see in the gallery above.

Look for more from the insanely talented DJ/producer to surface in the coming weeks. Whos looking forward to Araabmuziks next album?

[Via]

araabmuzik
The Belfast reggae society are to host tribute night for the legend's 35th anniversary

This year we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the legendary artist Bob Marley. In honour of the momentous milestone, the Belfast reggae society are hosting a tribute night for the late icon.

"Thirty-four years ago we had the first tribute to Bob in the Europa Hotel and the place was packed," said organiser Terri Hooley in a statement.

The event will take place at the Oh Yeah Music Centre on Saturday, May 14, with video's and music to keep the party going all week. DJ's for this years event are Stuart Bailie, Keith McCormick, Terri Hooley and special guest Brixton Nick from London.

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The Jamaican musician is a global ambassador for not only reggae music, but peace and reconciliation. He sold more than 70 million records throughout his career - making him the first international superstar to emerge from the so-called Third World.

Advance tickets are on sale at Oh Yeah and cost 5.00.
Ms Jackson had to cut short her Unbreakable World Tour as family planning comes first.

She's not yet showing any signs of a baby bump in the video for 'Damn Baby' but she's certainly strutting her stuff.

In true Beyonce 'Single Ladies' vibe, Jackson is surround by a dancing entourage in through an atmospheric black-and-white lens. The starlet shows absolutely no signs of her 49 years.

The video has been released amid intense rumors that she is now carrying. Announced through her YouTube channel, Jackson explained to fans that she's on doctor's orders to rest up in the hopes of becoming pregnant.

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She has yet to confirm the suggested reports but is 'Dammn Baby' the cryptic message that should suffice?
The first thing you notice about David Beattie is his height. At 62, he towers over lesser mortals. The next is his stylish dress sense. What is less obvious is that David is an articulate and sensitive 18-year-old, who has recently self-published an autobiography about growing up trans in Ireland.

David is in the process of transitioning but currently still using his birth name and male pronouns. Although many trans people prefer to excise all references to their past identity, David does not feel the need to do that.

I really enjoyed growing up as David, he explains, which is probably strange for some people, so I am happy to be referred to as David. After I have transitioned, I want people to call me by my new name, but it would be a shame to pretend I never was this person.
At its worst, the oil market collapse over the past two years squeezed drillers harder than any previous downturn, creating an unprecedented financial crisis for drillers. Scores of U.S. oil companies have gone bankrupt.

But even after the industry cut hundreds of billions in spending, the average oil company only collects $26 for each barrel it sells at today's oil prices, and that money disappears after cash costs, an oil specialist said Wednesday at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.

In February, when U.S. oil prices fell to a 13-year low of $26 a barrel, drillers couldn't generate any cash selling oil - and they still had to service their debts. The difference between the price of a barrel of oil and the cost to get it out of the ground had never been slimmer.

"This is, in historical context, extraordinary," said Lars Eirik Nicolaisen, a partner at consultancy Rystad Energy in Oslo, Norway. "When you compare this to history, it makes some of the setbacks that we've put behind us in 2009 and the early 2000s look like a walk in the park."

The oil industry has pulled back on spending more than in any previous downturn, with outlays down $220 billion last year and expected to fall another 21 percent, or $139 billion, this year. Around the world, oil fields naturally decline around 10 to 12 percent. The question, Nicolaisen said, is why global oil production hasn't fallen sharply enough to correct the world's oil glut by now.

It's because the industry is still spending money to pump oil from deep-water installations and other projects that were approved years ago. Those previously approved projects added 1.7 million barrels a day to the world's oil production last year and would add another 1.7 million this year. Between 2017 and the end of the decade, they would bring 5.8 million more barrels onto the market.

"Oil prices have never been as low as they were in February this year when you see it from the context of costs," he said. "So something has to give. We are convinced oil prices have to give quite a lot."

"Eventually, the increase in global oil demand will catch up to worldwide production, which is expected to drop over the next few years as companies pull back on making new investments.

Global spending on deep-water oil and gas projects is down more than 50 percent in less than three years with little hope for a rebound any time soon, other experts said during the third day of OTC. Nicolaisen said crude prices need to reach at least $80 a barrel for oil companies to boost investments in major projects.

Deep-water spending of about $45 billion in 2013 is projected to fall $20 billion this year and remain at those levels over the next couple years, and most new projects are being deferred indefinitely, according to Wood Mackenzie, a research and consulting firm.

The number of deep-water wells the industry drills in places like the Gulf of Mexico, Nigeria and Australia is set to drop from 190 last year to about 100 in 2016. Spending will fall $150 billion because of those deferments.

'Nail in the coffin'

"Lower oil prices just really put the nail in the coffin of some of these discoveries  and they're just not moving forward," said Julie Wilson, research director for global exploration at Wood Mackenzie.

Break-even cost

The break-even cost for most deep-water projects is about $60 per barrel of crude oil, she said, while some onshore shale developments may make money with oil as low as $40 a barrel, including some parts of Texas' Permian Basin.

Companies are redesigning projects, collaborating with equipment manufacturers, and seeking discounts from oil field service firms to bring down the price tags on major offshore projects. Royal Dutch Shell, for instance, is moving forward with its Appomattox field in the Gulf of Mexico after bringing costs down 20 percent, for a break-even level of just over $50 a barrel.

BP, likewise, is progressing with its Thunder Horse South project in the Gulf and could soon authorize its Mad Dog Phase 2 project in the Gulf after cutting the costs in half, from $20 billion to $10 billion.

After this extended period of low prices, many analysts expect global crude production to decline this year. They also expect demand to grow, eventually leading to higher prices.

Assuming the price of oil ultimately rises, Wilson said she expects a surge in project approvals from 2019 through 2022, if not sooner.

"We should come out stronger from this period. We'll be leaner," Wilson said. "We should see greater exploration performance."
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The offshore worker is handling a piece of equipment on an oil platform. He looks left and sees a three-dimensional manual of instructions. Looking right, he can see a deconstructed version of the equipment to better view its individual parts.

The 3-D smart glasses on display at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston will soon be more broadly deployed to the oil fields to help energy workers operate more efficiently.

The glasses present an augmented reality, projecting images into one's actual field of vision, rather than virtual reality images, which are more like putting the user into a movie. The industry has chitchatted about virtual and augmented reality for years, but only now is the technology advancing enough to potentially become practical.

The technology now represents an industry-specific version of the widely touted Google Glass product that was indefinitely delayed.

"Our end goal is to have these replace safety goggles," said Vincent Higgins, the CEO of Houston-based Optech4D, which was formed in 2012.

Several energy companies used new virtual reality headsets to tout products at this week's OTC. The oil and gas industry has a low tolerance threshold for new technologies that aren't quickly applicable, Higgins said, and presentations are an obvious application.

"The technology is very new. But it's all about being useful. Not just shiny new toys," Higgins said. "Two years ago, virtual reality wasn't a reality."

While it's difficult to imagine many older roughnecks embracing electronic eyewear, Higgins points to the so-called "great crew change" of many energy workers now retiring - by their own choosing or not - and a bevy of younger workers replacing them, even during the ongoing downturn.

"I think the next generation ... is embracing this very quickly," he said.

Optech4D has its roots as a training simulation company, but it's branching out to the oil field and offshore. The company offers virtual reality training compatible with new Oculus Rift headsets and other competing technologies.

Putting on an Oculus Rift headset at OTC, you are virtually transported to the helideck on an oil platform. You feel compelled to duck down while moving past the helicopter's tail rotor. Quickly trekking down a flight of virtual steps on the rig provides a dizzying sensation.

But it's the augmented reality "Smartglasses" by San Francisco-based ODG - Optech 4D provides the software and implementation, not the hardware - that has more widespread potential, Higgins said.

The Smartglasses already are being deployed with companies like Royal Dutch Shell and Siemens' subsidiary Dresser-Rand for some maintenance and inspection work, Higgins added. They need to be lighter with a wider range of view, he said, but those issues are expected to be largely resolved through a new model expected to come out in January.

The plan is to soon begin a large-scale launch into the oil fields once final industry safety certifications are approved.

He's optimistic the glasses will start becoming more common on rigs in about two years.

Each set costs about $2,700, but that's not a lot more than a computer tablet certified for oil field work, and the costs will keep coming down as they're mass produced, Higgins said.

As for other companies, BP used virtual reality headsets at OTC to showcase its technological capabilities in enhanced oil recovery and seismic research.

Likewise, Milwaukee-based Gardner Denver used Google Cardboard-based 3-D headsets to show off its new Thunder Series of hydraulic fracturing pump, complete with lightning-crackling graphics.

"Part of it is the ability to connect with customers," Gardner Denver CEO Saeid Rahimian said.
The technology was certainly innovative, using the sun to power environmental monitoring systems. But it wasn't gadgetry that drew one of the biggest crowds on the exhibition floor of the Offshore Technology Conference. It was the look.

In this case, it looked like a surfboard.

The Wave Glider, a joint venture of Schlumberger by Houston-based Liquid Robotics, is a surfboard-shaped solar panel that stays at the water's surface, connected by a cord to another piece of equipment that monitors environmental factors below sea level. It can stay in the water, unmanned, for about a year, as long as it has sunlight to charge, waves to propel it forward and at least 8 meters of water depth.

"One of the very well-established technologies out there is a surfboard," said Liquid Robotics Managing Director Sudhir Pai, who developed the technology. "There have been a bunch of times a surfboard has gone out, gotten beaten up or chipped, and in spite of that, it never loses its integrity. You've never heard of a surfer falling off because his surfboard broke."

Oil and gas companies can use the Wave Glider to detect hydrocarbons, check how a rig would fare in a deep-water environment before it is deployed offshore, or monitor the migration patterns of humpback whales.

The company has 29 Wave Gliders in the water now, with two off Ghana and 27 in the Gulf of Mexico. Another, of course, was attracting notice at OTC.

The bright blue 300-pound surfboard has been a hit at the OTC for the past three years. (An earlier model was yellow, but the color attracted sharks in the water.)

"I've seen the excitement go from, 'Wow, is this really oil field equipment?' '' Pai said, "to discussing seriously the applications where it does work."

The technology is one of several offering cost-effective alternatives to manned vessels traditionally used for environmental monitoring. Pai said the Wave Glider's advantage is it stays at surface level at all times, so companies know where it is.

Wave Gliders have been used in 32 operations by 14 clients, Pai said. One stayed in the water for 15 months, and another traveled 9,200 miles from California to Australia, at an average speed of 1 knot. Since the product was launched, Wave Gliders have spent a total of 3,486 days at sea.

As for the model at the NRG Center, it only has a few more days on land left to go.
The Hamilton Place Rotary Club helped deliver literature to area elementary schools.

Donna Horn, who lead the club's literacy program and is director of youth services, has worked with area school librarians to purchase books from their "wish lists".

This effort is make possible through the donations of the club's members.
Most people expect engineers to uphold high ethical standards when it comes to approving new construction or designing a home appliance, but do they also have an obligation to protect the planet from climate warning?

Apparently they do, according to the president-elect of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Keith Roe told those attending an ethics breakfast at the Offshore Technology Conference on Wednesday that engineers need to join the fight to reduce greenhouse gas. He cited the goals set by 180 countries in the Paris Agreement reached in December.

"These targets are ambitious, but they are achievable, and we have a lot to do so support them," Roe said. "It involves using all that we have in our arsenal to be more sustainable and more environmentally responsible."

Before anyone assumes Roe is an environmental activist who slipped past the OTC guards, his resume includes time as a nuclear power officer in the U.S. Navy and a career working with civilian nuclear power plants. Much of his talk was in defense of nuclear energy and in support of engineers looking for the best solutions to climate change.

"We bring a critical tradition of technology neutrality ... we look at all potential solutions and we let them stand on their merit," Roe said. "And despite the move to decarbonization, fossil fuels will be needed."

Roe's speech was radical only because he was speaking to an oil and gas audience in Texas, where far too many people and political leaders still reject the reality of climate change. Usually only Europeans openly discuss global warming in Houston. Many attendees received continuing education credits to hear him out.

Engineers tend to be stubborn, but they can be swayed once they grasp the science. Roe is promoting the zero-carbon nuclear industry he loves, but he's also convinced by the climate science.

Roe follows in a tradition of ASME leaders dating to the group's founding in 1880. The first standards ASME adopted were for steam boilers and pressure vessels, which were exploding with alarming frequency and lethality.

Inventors inspired by the Industrial Revolution debated the necessity of those standards, and surely some engineers complained that ASME was suppressing innovation. But those standards saved lives, and now more than 100 countries use ASME research as the basis for their design codes.

Roe reminded his audience that "engineers have a duty to the safety, health and welfare of the public" in all of their work. Addressing climate change in their work definitely falls within that rubric.
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There are two things that it's good to get straight if you want to talk to pianist Charlie Albright about his meteoric rise.

The first thing is that he wants to be called "Charlie," not "Charles" - and in the formal world of classical music, that's strikingly unusual.

The other thing is that he won't say exactly how old he is. It's the sort of policy you might expect from an aging operatic soprano rather than a 20-something pianist. But Albright has a well-thought-out reason for this.

"I feel that people sometimes compare your musical career with how old you are, and then categorize you," he says. "I want my music to stand on its own."

Albright made his Houston debut last June, playing George Gershwin's "Piano Concerto in F" with the Houston Symphony at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

He returns for a solo piano recital Saturday evening at the Wortham Center, presented by the Society for the Performing Arts of Houston. His program will include works by Franz Schubert, Frederic Chopin and Johann Strauss.

Albright lives in New York, but he grew up in the town of Centralia, Wash. As a child, he was a prodigy - self-taught and playing by ear, at first. (There's a video on YouTube of him playing Beethoven at the age of 4, before he could read music.)

More Information Charlie Albright When: 8 p.m. Saturday Where: Cullen Theater in the Wortham Center, 501 Texas Tickets: $28-$63; 713-227-4772, spahouston.org See More Collapse

But he didn't always follow the straight and narrow path that the classical-music world has devised for prodigies.

At first, Albright studied jazz and displayed a natural penchant for improvising. Then, a few years later, he switched to classical.

"My jazz teacher told me I should do classical music for one year and then go back to jazz," he says. "But I stuck with it."

At the age of 11, Albright made his orchestral debut. A clutch of piano competitions followed, culminating in a double first prize, for both solo and ensemble performance, at the New York International Piano Competition in 2006.

It was all very promising, but there are no guarantees for musical prodigies, as most don't become successful artists as adults. And Albright has some ideas as to why this is so.

"A lot of prodigies go to a conservatory in middle school and to another conservatory for undergraduate studies and maybe another for post-graduate work. It's a narrow path to a career. But it's dangerous, in a way, because to me music is about all of life. It's about humanity, art, culture and everything else. It's not just sitting in a practice room, practicing all day."

Rather than entering the intense, hothouse environment cultivated by some music schools, Albright enrolled in a program jointly offered by Harvard University and Boston's New England Conservatory. When he wasn't working at music, he was studying economics. He also took some pre-med courses.

Albright wasn't sure if music would become his career - and he hedged his bets with an internship on Wall Street. In the end, music won out.

"As I started to perform more and more, I realized that economics and medicine were interests, but music was something I was passionate about," he says. "And there's a world of difference between an interest and a passion. I knew I had to go the music route."

His decision has been well-endorsed. The New York Times has praised his playing for its "virtuosity meshed with distinctive musicality throughout." And the Washington Post declared, "Albright is among the most gifted musicians of his generation."

However, Albright is wary of instant fame. "It usually doesn't work out in classical music," he says. And he acknowledges that he has a distance to go before he's "arrived" as a top-tier concert pianist. But he is trying to make his concerts unique.

Not too many classical pianists are willing (or even able) to spontaneously create a composition before an audience. But Albright loves to do it - and the audience at the Wortham Center on Saturday night can expect to hear something that's never been heard before.

"A few years ago, I started improvising in my concerts," he says. "And then one of my mentors said, 'Charlie, what you should do is take random notes from the audience and create a piece of music on the spot. That way, people won't think you're cheating, by playing something that you actually practiced ahead of time.' So I started doing that, and it's tremendous fun."
Dee Ledger can remember exactly when she found solace, if not salvation, after the death of her 10-week-old son, Obed. It is where she found it, and how, that surprised her: in a coloring book.

Ledger, a former English teacher and hospice chaplain, had always been able to use words and prayer to find peace in difficult times and to help others do the same. But after her son died in April 2011, she needed something more, something different, to calm her nerves and help soothe her grief. "I was looking for something quiet that could get rid of this restlessness," she says, to help quell the churning thoughts that made it hard for her to focus or sleep.

Back then, coloring books weren't the phenomenon they are today. Ledger found hers in a spiritual catalogue.

Now, of course, adult coloring books are ubiquitous, crowding bookstores and bestseller lists. Coloring-book groups have sprouted up everywhere - in cafes and libraries, on Facebook and Instagram.

In 2015, an estimated 12 million adult coloring books were sold in the United States, according to Nielsen Bookscan. There are adult coloring books for hipsters, "Dr. Who" fans, cat lovers, Taylor Swift devotees, and admirers of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg - pretty much anyone with a niche interest and a need to relax. In other words, everyone.

"It's easy to pooh-pooh coloring books as just another fad," Ledger says. But maybe, she says, we shouldn't be so dismissive: "Anything can be a fad, even prayer."

For Ledger and others, coloring books offer a real elixir, a way of getting past hurdles - mental, physical or both - that can't be replicated by more-traditional approaches.

Joanne Schwandes, a 67-year-old Silver Spring, Md., resident, says that coloring books have boosted her confidence in fine motor skills weakened by a tremor in her arm. A Virginia mother says that coloring has helped her stay calm in the face of her son's violent behavior. On one Facebook coloring group, members share their creations along with their stories of healing - using coloring as a tool against self-harming or as a way to manage the effects of physical illness or fend off depression and other difficulties.

Coloring books work like other mindfulness techniques such as yoga and meditation, says Craig Sawchuk, a clinical psychologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Such approaches work "almost like a volume knob to turn down the sympathetic nervous system, the stress response." Coloring can help slow down heart rate and respiration, loosen muscles and stimulate the brain, he says. Coloring has a "grounding effect" he says, a benefit that can be amplified with deliberate focus on the process - "the gentle pressing of the crayon or pencil on the page, the texture of the paper across your hand, and the soft sounds of the coloring instrument moving back and forth in a rhythmic fashion," he says.

Although there have been no large clinical studies of coloring books, the benefits of coloring are comparable to those of mindfulness practices, he says, which have been studied. And coloring can help with more-severe problems beyond stress; Sawchuk spoke about one patient who used coloring books to stop an obsessive habit of picking at her skin.

Indeed, art therapists have been using coloring books for years. "There's a self-soothing meditative benefit because you are doing the same motion over and over, especially with symmetrical drawings," says Lina Assad Cates, a psychotherapist and board-certified art therapist in Washington who uses coloring books as part of her practice. "The books help create boundaries - the literal boundaries of the lines and the metaphorical boundaries for drawing healthy boundaries in relationships. There's also the potential benefit of just mastering something you've created."

This reflects Ledger's experience. "As a pastor, I am fascinated by how easily coloring becomes meditative," she says. "By selecting colors and working with the design, I find that I can lose myself in ways that are healing and creative."

Ledger, who lost her husband to cancer in 2013, less than a year after giving birth to twins, spends about three hours a week coloring, mostly at night, when her children are asleep and she can sit quietly in the kitchen of her Rockville, Md., home and gather her thoughts. (Her sons, Griffin and Eli, have their own coloring books.)

Now pastor at Bethesda United Church of Christ in Maryland, Ledger approaches her hobby with a mix of pride and self-deprecating humor. "I'm not an artist," she says as she spreads out her works on her bed. Some she keeps in a hardback binder, others in a small journal that fits in her purse. In a small office carved out of a second bedroom, her pencils and markers are neatly organized in plastic containers that once held Cascade detergent.

Ledger, 46, has colored her way not only through grief but also through physical pain. When she had back surgery a few years ago, she asked the doctors to make sure that the intravenous lines were in her right arm so that she could use her left, her coloring arm, as soon as she was awake. "I literally colored in the recovery room at the hospital," she says.

Still, she understands that coloring is neither a panacea nor for everyone. "If someone was grieving, I wouldn't just pay a visit on them and say, 'You should color, and that would take your grief away,' " she explains. "I don't believe that." But coloring has given her a sense of power in a life that has spun wildly off plan.

"Being able to sit there and actually control that little world" inside a coloring book has been "really instrumental in my starting a new chapter of my life," she says. "I don't know if you ever fully heal from loss and trauma. But coloring has definitely helped me start a new life again."
The next time you send a tweet about electronic cigarettes, you might unwittingly be taking part in a clinical study examining what Americans are saying online about vaping.

Researchers at New York University's School of Medicine recently analyzed 28 million tweets containing hashtags like #vape, #ecigs and #ejuice to build a monitoring tool that tracks who is commenting about e-cigarettes and what they're saying. By identifying the language associated with e-cigs on Twitter, the researchers hope to better understand who is using them to quit smoking, who is using them for other reasons, and how and to whom they're being marketed.

This kind of social media surveillance could have implications for drafting new health policies and interventions associated with e-cigarettes.

"We wanted to see what age group is using them and how," said Paul Krebs, a clinical psychologist in the school's Department of Population Health who has studied tobacco for 15 years. More than 10 percent of Americans have now tried e-cigarettes, according to estimates that reflect the products' dramatic increase in popularity. But national surveys don't explain why, Krebs said. "Are they really attracted to the flavors? Are they thinking it's safer than smoking?"

Krebs and a team from NYU and the Simons Center for Data Analysis in New York built a database of words sent from Twitter accounts that followed some of the largest e-cigarette brands. After filtering by their target hashtags, they classified the resulting 13,146 tweets by hand and then programmed a computer to separate them out.

Their study established a system that automatically distinguishes the tweeted messages indicating e-cig use - because they're about liking a certain brand, for example - from those with marketing themes or product headlines.

"This could have direct clinical applications if we find out kids are really loving these flavors or thinking it's perfectly safe," Krebs said. "But we do need to validate that what [people are] actually saying is what they're actually doing."

The team presented its study recently at the Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing, a conference that brings together researchers applying computational methods to biology and peer reviews their studies. This was the first year the meeting has included studies on social-media monitoring for public health surveillance. Previous studies have tracked the explosive popularity of e-cigarettes on Twitter and have looked at manufacturers' pervasive marketing tactics there.

Extrapolating public health data on e-cigarette use from a collection of tweets can be precarious, of course. "But that's not necessarily a bad thing," says Michael Paul, an assistant professor of information science at the University of Colorado, Boulder who has tracked topics like air quality, influenza and bath salts on social media. "Because these products are so new and government-run surveys take a few years to catch up, researchers are still trying to figure out the landscape," he said. "There's this time lag with national surveys that the social media can fill in."

Chris Danforth, an applied mathematician at the University of Vermont who has built similar tools to scrutinize social media for public health data purposes, agrees that Twitter has a role with topics for which it's hard to get traditional survey data. But there's a lot of noise to filter out, he cautions.

Judging from his own work tracking vaping - in which an e-cigarette's vapor is inhaled and then exhaled - Danforth says e-cigarette tweets are heavily dominated by robotic spam and marketing bots. Up to 80 percent of tweets have one or the other or both, he said, and Krebs and his team didn't filter out enough of them.

"They weren't as careful as they could be," he said. "We found that testimonials like 'I quit smoking using this brand' were all promotional in nature."

If researchers want to use social media to complement traditional public health surveillance, the computational tools must be improved to eliminate false positives, Danforth said. "We don't want to be basing health policy off promotional material."
Steve Gonzales / Houston Chronicle

The University of Houston has joined a group of colleges across the country looking for ways to help minority students graduate at the same rate as their white peers.

That gap has shrunk by just 1 percent over the last decade. Six-year graduation rates for white students are still more than 20 percentage points greater than for African American students and 11 points greater than for Latino students, according to a news release about the new initiative.
In a 40-word statement this week, the White House announced that Malia Obama will take a gap year before starting college (at Harvard, to no ones surprise). We dont yet know what Malia will do, but I think she made a smart choice. She can recharge, mature and explore her interests before returning to an intense academic environment. I know that choice was right for me.

When people hear about my gap year, they have one of two reactions. One group groans and says they should have taken one; maybe they wouldnt have wasted as much time searching for purpose or passions in college. Another group raises an eyebrow and asks, "Didnt you forget everything you learned in high school?"

No, not really. After twelve months outside the classroom  no homework, no papers, no tests  I easily slipped back into academics. The main thing I forgot was that school requires school supplies. I showed up to orientation without any binders or notebooks, so I scrambled to get ready for my first college class.

Notwithstanding that memory lapse, I gained more than I lost during my year away from school. I wouldnt give up the experience, even for a year of free college tuition. A gap year offers a chance to learn things you cant find in a textbook or a classroom: self-reliance, real-world skills, and a better understanding of your passions and yourself. You might enter college with a better idea of what you want to get out of your degree. Over the long run, the exploration might end up saving you a lot of time and money.

By the winter of my junior year in high school, I knew I wanted a year off before starting college. Like many students, I was burned out by a heavy load of hard classes. (Memories of calculus still make me nauseous.) I wanted to travel, serve, learn, and yes, take a break before taking more tough classes.

MY UNIVERSITY encouraged my gap year, as do many others. Its something that colleges are welcoming when its something thats a thoughtful part of the process and the goals are clear, said Julie Browning, director of undergraduate admissions at Rice University.

Once a British phenomenon, gap years have become more common in the United States, according to the American Gap Association. Attendance at gap-year fairs quadrupled between 2010 and 2014. Enrollment in select programs has grown by more than 20 percent almost every year since 2006. Google Trends data shows that U.S. searches including the term have increased steadily over the last decade.

Most colleges accept or even encourage gap years with a few reservations: do something worthwhile, dont apply anywhere else, and dont get a degree from anyone else. (Think of it as demanding academic fidelity. Browning said thats important because colleges accept about three fewer students for every student who defers.) Harvard even suggests the idea in its admission letter. Normally a total of about 80 to 110 students defer college until the next year, their dean of admissions writes. The results have been uniformly positive.

Why? Browning said students arrive to college more mature, and really hungry and ready to dig in. While she said Rice only has a handful of deferrals each year  about four on average  she counseled that not all straight-A students are still excited about school after high school. After time outside the classroom, students often come back refreshed and more focused.

During my time off, I pursued my interests in Christianity and inner-city poverty by working three months at a church and youth center in New Orleans, where I learned that effective service is usually grounded in relationships. I lived five months in Costa Rica, interning at a bilingual school in the middle of a cloud forest. To pay for the travel, I bused tables for a few months at a restaurant near home  which turned out to be a major learning experience in itself, as I got to know my Honduran colleagues and their culture.

One of the most important experiences wasnt planned, or even wanted. My grandfather checked into the hospital the same day I returned home from New Orleans; he never left his hospital room, dying a few weeks later. Since I didnt have classes to tie me down, I got to spend much of those final weeks with him.

Browning, the Rice admissions director, said gap-year plans vary as much as the people who take gap years. Some students are wanting to just take a break and work a job or do an internship. Many are interested in community service. She gave a few examples: working at an orphanage overseas, hiking the Appalachian Trail or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

You can do anything during a gap year  or bridge year, as some prefer to call it. I know a guy who worked with the National Park Service and explored his interest in environmental science. One young woman moved to Buenos Aires to take classes, improve her Spanish and immerse herself in the culture. Others do organized service programs like City Year or AmeriCorps; some go on fun but pricey wilderness adventures like NOLS, which can cost nearly $20,000 per semester.

A gap year doesnt have to cost much, though. I covered my expenses and travel with restaurant work, so my adventures were revenue-neutral for my family. The delay may have even helped, giving our college savings a chance to recover after the 2008 downturn.

A GAP year isnt right for every student, though. Lyle McKinney, a University of Houston professor who studies college completion, distinguishes between deferring college entry and delaying it. It is one thing to get accepted to a school and get its blessing to defer enrollment for one year to do something worthwhile. It is quite another to delay by waiting to apply to colleges until after high school graduation.

In most cases," said McKinney, "the evidence suggests that enrolling at the conclusion of high school and not delaying enrollment is in the students best interest and increases the likelihood theyll graduate from college. And after a few years, he added, college costs will likely increase, since remedial classes might be needed to sharpen skills that have faded.

A gap year is somewhat of a luxury, McKinney added. Students like that arent typically coming from a background in which they  need to work and support their families. There are obvious opportunity costs to a gap year: Delaying graduation by a year delays the increased income likely to come after college, so it may be an unattractive choice for students with pressing financial needs in their families.

So while gap years can be affordable, they likely will remain a middle- and upper-class phenomenon. That owes partly to limited awareness of the option. As Browning said, I would guess St. Johns has a lot more experience with that than, say, some of the larger public schools in the area. Hopefully, Malias decision will encourage more students to think about it.

When I requested a deferral from Duke University in 2010, I got an encouraging response from Christoph Guttentag, dean of admissions both then and now. Frankly," he wrote, "I wish everyone considered the possibility of a break in their schooling."

So do I.

Andrew Kragie (@AndrewKragie) is a Houston Chronicle reporter and copy editor.

Read more Gray Matters. It sharpens skills that may have faded.
Treatment to boost low testosterone in older men may prevent return trips to the hospital, according to a new Texas study, the latest evidence the controversial therapy is beneficial in properly prescribed patients.

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston are reporting that the therapy reduced the risk that post-discharge complications could require readmission to the hospital, both for emergency and non-emergency visits.

"Our findings suggest that one of the benefits of testosterone therapy may be quicker recovery from a hospital stay and lower readmission rates," Jacques Baillargeon, a UTMB epidemiologist and the study's principal investigator, said Wednesday in a statement. "Given the importance of potentially avoidable hospital readmissions among older adults, further exploration of this intervention holds broad clinical and public health relevance."

Reducing potentially avoidable hospital readmissions is a major focus of health care reform in the U.S. The phenomenon is estimated to account for more than $17 billion in Medicare expenditures annually.

Complications occur because many older patients are less independent and have poor daily health after discharge. The time in the hospital hastens age-related loss of muscle mass and strength and leads to higher rates of readmissions, placement at long-term care facilities and death, studies have shown.

Baillargeon's team assessed the medical records of 6,372 low-testosterone men, 67 and older, who'd been hospitalized at least once between 2007 and 2012. They found less than 10 percent of those who got testosterone therapy required readmission within 30 days of discharge, compared with 13 percent of those not on the treatment. Six percent of those who got testosterone needed emergency readmission, compared to 10 percent not on the treatment.

A lack of definitive evidence about the potential risks of testosterone caused Baillargeon to express concerns about the surge in testosterone use in men, often without diagnostic tests, after his 2013 study found a tripling in the numbers over the previous decade. Since then, in studies with men treated with testosterone after a diagnostic test, he has found the therapy doesn't raise the risk of heart attack and that it provides modest benefits in libido and some physical function and mental health.

You can read the new study in the May issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings here.
A man who had recently been fired by a Katy-area trucking business walked into its offices armed with a shotgun and a pistol and fatally shot a supervisor, then turned the gun on himself, authorities said.

The gunfire broke out about 8:45 a.m. at Knight Transportation, 20400 Franz Road, across the street from Morton Ranch High School, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. The school, along with several others, was temporarily placed on lockdown.

Sheriff Ron Hickman said the former employee drove to the west Harris County business, parked in front and walked inside with both weapons.

An employee watched the gunman enter and heard him say, "You ruined my life," said Ralph Gonzales of the Harris County Sheriff's Office, based on what investigators had been told. It was not known if the gunman was addressing anyone in particular.

In what the sheriff called a "retaliatory act," the former employee then opened fire, killing the supervisor before taking his own life.

Neither the gunman nor the victim had been identified as of Wednesday evening.

A piece of debris during the gunfire injured another employee. The trucking company, Phoenix-based Knight Transportation, said in a news release that the employee had been treated at the scene.

A deputy injured his knee as he went into the building, authorities said. He was transported to an area hospital.

Community impact

The sheriff's office's High Risk Operations Unit searched the building to make sure no other victims or shooters were inside.

Hickman confirmed that the gunman recently had been terminated from the company. He did not know how long the man had worked at the business, or whether the slain supervisor was the one who had fired him.

Only the shotgun, not the pistol, appeared to have been used in the crime.

Morton Ranch High, Morton Ranch Junior High and Morton Ranch Elementary schools, along with Franz Elementary School, were placed on lockdown after the shooting as a precaution, officials with the Katy Independent School District said. The lockdown at each campus was later lifted

At least one local official expressed condolences on social media.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors at Knight Transportation in Katy, where a former employee killed a coworker and himself," state Rep. Mike Schofield wrote on Twitter.

Pending investigation

The incident recalled a 2013 workplace shooting in neighboring Fort Bend County. Then, authorities said, a disgruntled employee of a Stafford car wash retrieved a handgun from his car and shot and killed three people.

A jury trial in that case may occur as soon as August, court files show.

Knight Transportation is one of the largest trucking companies in the country, with more than $1 billion in annual revenue and roughly 5,000 employees in 20 states.

"It is with deep sadness that we confirm a shooting at our Katy, Texas facility, and the death of a Knight Transportation employee," the company said in a news release. "Our deepest sympathies are with the family during this difficult time."

Knight Transportation was doing everything possible to ensure its employees' safety, the news release said, and had suspended all work at the Katy facility "pending completion of the investigation."

Dug Begley and Emily Foxhall contributed to this article.
Stressing Houston's financial challenges, Mayor Sylvester Turner outlined his two-year fiscal goals during his first State of the City address Wednesday, calling for a pension reform deal by the end of 2016 and asking voters to remove the city's cap on property tax collections in 2017.

Turner also appointed former City Councilman Steve Costello as the city's flood czar, a newly minted position designed to lead Houston's flood mitigation efforts,noted the police department's plan to transition 175 officers into patrol positions and reviewed his proposed budget for next fiscal year.

"There are certain realities that cannot be ignored; the increasing costs to the city simply cannot be sustained. We cannot, we cannot afford not to reach this deal," Turner told a lunch audience of about 1,700, referring to Houston's soaring pension obligations. "If we do not reach an agreement this year, come fiscal year 2018, city services will be adversely affected. Hundreds of employees will be laid off, and our credit rating will likely suffer, costing us a bit more. But this is a course we need not travel."

The mayor's hopeful, 27-minute address to the Greater Houston Partnership - the second scripted speech of his political career, he said - originally was scheduled for April 18 but was delayed by a deadly storm that flooded nearly 2,000 city homes and killed at least eight in the Houston area.

Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle introduced Turner by reciting an excerpt from Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham," in an attempt to illustrate the value of continuing to boost city-county cooperation.

"The new dish of collaboration between county and city and other entities is a wonderful dish that I like and that I believe this mayor likes as well," Cagle said before Turner took the stage to Pharrell Williams' "Happy."

Mitigating flood risk

That upbeat tone soon turned more solemn as Turner recalled the devastation wreaked by last month's flooding. He tasked Costello with updating city policies and coordinating with regional agencies to curb future flooding.

"We can never claim that we will eliminate flooding completely. Quite frankly that remains in God's hands," Turner said. "But we can as governmental leaders do everything we can to mitigate the risk."

Costello, a civil engineer and unsuccessful 2015 mayoral candidate, said he expects to assume the full-time role in the next two weeks. At that point, he intends to sit down with Turner to determine existing regional funding for flood and drainage control, as well as identify potential short- and long-term mitigation strategies.

"Obviously there needs to be more of a regional and sub-regional approach to detention. That's where ReBuild can play an important role in terms of funding," Costello said, referring to the city's pay-as-you-go street and drainage repair program. "There's always been this division of labor between the governmental entities where the city was responsible for drainage, and then the county was responsible for flood control. I think the two of them can blend together to where, with multiple funding sources, we can achieve both goals at the same time."

Curbing homelessness

Recalling the devastation April's storm wreaked on the Greenspoint area, 15 miles north of downtown, Turner discussed the city's progress on storm debris removal, as well as his decision to temporarily move more than 400 flood victims from shelters into hotels.

"For many people within our Houston region, this will be a long recovery. Many were already on the margins, and this storm exacerbated their problems," Turner said. "And however much they choose to do it by themselves, they are going to require at least some continuous assistance for the short term."

The mayor also reviewed his recent policy actions, namely the launch of a pothole repair program in January and, later, employment initiatives. He did not unveil any major new proposals, though he committed to working with the private sector and faith-based organizations to continue curbing homelessness, one of former Mayor Annise Parker's top policy priorities.

After recapping his plan to close Houston's $160 million budget gap by July, which awaits City Council's approval, Turner delved into his objectives for fire, police and municipal pension reform: reduce Houston's $5.6 billion unfunded liability, cut the city's annual payments and have a deal ready for the state Legislature to consider during its 2017 session.

'Sets realistic goals'

If pension reform passes, Turner said he would seek to repeal Houston's voter-approved revenue cap, which limits property tax collection, by placing the measure on the November 2017 ballot.

"The revenue cap works against creating one Houston, with opportunity for all and an ability to address pressing needs like flooding, transportation  and mobility, parks and added green space, affordable workforce housing and homelessness," Turner said.

Councilwoman Ellen Cohen lauded Turner's presentation as frank.

"Even with the challenges we have, according to what he said today, he feels that we're going to be able to overcome those challenges, and I agree with him," Cohen said. "As evidenced by what his goals were, particularly in terms of when he started out with potholes, he's seems to be the kind of individual who sets realistic goals for himself and the people that work for him."

Councilman Dave Martin also noted Turner's can-do spirit but added that he wants to see the city implement additional operational efficiencies before looking to lift the revenue cap.

"They're looking at us and saying, 'Fix your own shop before you come to us and ask us for more tax dollars,' " Martin said, relaying what he views as the perspective of his constituents. " 'If you can fix it and we still have an issue, then we'll be glad to give you our tax dollars. But not until you fix the broken structure that we see within the city.' "
CHANHASSEN, Minn. - A doctor who specializes in helping people addicted to pain medication was preparing to attempt to treat Prince when the music star was found dead in an elevator on the first floor of his sprawling estate here last month, according to a lawyer representing the doctor.

The doctor, Howard Kornfeld, who runs a treatment center in California, rushed his son on a red-eye flight to meet with Prince here to discuss a treatment plan after the musician's representatives said that he needed urgent medical attention, William J. Mauzy, a lawyer for theKornfeld family, said during a news conference outside his Minneapolis office on Wednesday afternoon.

When the son, Andrew Kornfeld, who works with his father but is not a doctor, arrived in this Minneapolis suburb the next morning, he was among those who found Prince lifeless in the elevator and called 911, Mauzy said.

The news that Prince's representatives sought to get him treatment - first reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune - comes amid a police investigation that is examining the role that prescription opioids might have played in the death. It is also the clearest indication yet of the extent to which Prince struggled to control the chronic pain in his hips and other parts of his body caused by years of taxing performances.

Jason Kamerud, chief deputy at the Carver County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the death, said in a recent interview that investigators were looking into, among other things, whether Prince may have overdosed on painkillers at his residence.

For as public a figure as he was, Prince carefully tended to every detail of his image. By most accounts, he led a particularly clean and healthy lifestyle. He ate vegan, not allowing meat to even be present in his home. He eschewed parts of the rock star lifestyle - prohibiting anyone from consuming marijuana or alcohol when on tour with him.

But several people close to him say he quietly struggled with physical and emotional distress, especially in the final months of his life. He canceled several shows because of illness during his final weeks alive.

Mauzy said it was Andrew Kornfeld who actually called authorities to report that Prince had been found in the elevator. The account matches the disorientation of the caller, as captured in a recording of the 911 call; the individual did not seem to know where Prince's house was and suggested it was in Minneapolis.
Pioneer Day will be held Saturday, May 14, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Poe's Tavern, adjacent to Soddy-Daisy City Hall.

Activities include a milking cow demonstration and a display of milking items from a cedar churn to the plastic jug used in 2016, young men from the Chattanooga Woodworking Academy hewing logs, splitting rails, caning chair bottoms, and demonstrating how a shaving horse was used as a vise, and a blacksmith or possibly two demonstrating their trade.

Someone will be inside Poe's Tavern demonstrating how to cook over an open fire using cast iron cookware and there will be a display of coal mining relics from the Soddy, Daisy and Montlake areas.

Someone will be quilting the old fashion way by hand and there will be basket making and whittling of walking sticks which can be used along the Cumberland Trail or walking Big Soddy Gulch.

Other activities include children's games and live music.
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FLINT, Mich. - Showing support for the beleaguered residents of Flint, Mich., President Barack Obama drank filtered city water on Wednesday to show that it is again safe following a lead-contamination crisis.

After officials briefed Obama on the federal government's response to the contamination and he addressed the news media, a reporter asked if he would drink the water in a glass on the table. The president said he usually avoids publicity stunts. But he took a drink, saying he wanted to show the water must be safe if he's drinking it.

"This used a filter," Obama said of the water. "The water around this table was Flint water and it just confirms what we know scientifically, which is, if you're using a filter, if you're installing it, then Flint water at this point is drinkable."

Action came slowly

Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint in mid-January and ordered federal aid to supplement the state and local response. At that point, however, the crisis was in full bloom.

It took several months for the nation to focus on the beaten-down city's plight, raising questions about how race and poverty influenced decisions that led to the tainted water supply and the beleaguered response once problems surfaced. More than 40 percent of Flint residents live in poverty and more than half are black.

Obama, making his first visit to the city since the crisis began, said the discussion during the briefing underscored that local, state and federal officials must ensure that residents are healthy and have safe water to drink. He said he didn't go to Flint to discuss issues of accountability.

"There are times for politics and there are times for turf battles. This is not one of those times," Obama said. "All of us are going to have to really keep our eye on the ball, even when the cameras go away."

He said the water crisis stemmed from a broader issues, the hard times and neglect that had gripped Flint long ago. He said the focus now must be on rebuilding and moving the city "in a better direction."

Obama also urged residents to use the water filters that are being provided free of charge, and for parents to have their children examined for lead in their bloodstreams. He also pressed people to let the taps run for five minutes every day to flush out any contaminants.

Lead remains

In an effort to save money, the city, while under state management, began drawing its water from the Flint River in April 2014. Despite complaints from residents about the smell and taste and health problems, city leaders insisted the water was safe. However, doctors reported last September that the blood of children contained high levels of lead.

The source of the city's water was subsequently switched back to Detroit, but the lead problem still is not fully solved, and people are drinking filtered or bottled water.

The political and legal fallout is ongoing. An independent commission appointed by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder determined the state was primarily responsible for the water contamination in Flint, and he issued an apology. The Obama administration's response, through the Environmental Protection Agency, has also come under criticism from Snyder and some in Congress who say the EPA didn't move with necessary urgency upon hearing of problems.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy told Congress that, while staff repeatedly urged the state to address the lack of corrosion controls, "we missed the opportunity late last summer to quickly get EPA's concerns on the public's radar screen." An inspector general is investigating the EPA's response.

After visiting with federal health officials, Obama met with nine Flint residents at Northwestern High School. A water faucet outside the room warned students not to drink the water until further notice.

'You failed'

Snyder spoke and was booed loudly as he was introduced in the gymnasium where Obama was delivering remarks after his meeting. Snyder said he understood why they were angry and frustrated and said he wanted to say he was sorry.

"You didn't create this problem," Snyder said. "Government failed you."

Many in the audience yelled back, "You failed."

Outside the school, Reneta Richard, a teacher and Flint resident, said she hopes Obama's trip has some impact on her hometown. She recently bought a house and said she's there for the long haul.

"I want him to leave a check - right here, right now - for pipe removal and medical bills and the life we're going to suffer," said Richard, 37, a single mom. "This isn't going to be over in 10 years."

She spoke a block from where dozens of protesters had gathered and were chanting "Flint lives matter" and "They think it's a game, they think it's a joke," a reference to their disgust for Snyder and other state officials over the scandal.

Congress is also grappling with how to help Flint, but progress has been slow. A Senate committee last week approved a $220 million aid package as part of a broader bill that would authorize nearly $4.8 billion for water-related projects around the country. The bill could come up for a Senate vote later in May.
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department warned the state of North Carolina on Wednesday that its new law limiting bathroom access violated the civil rights of transgender people, a finding that could mean millions of dollars in lost federal funds.

In a letter to Gov. Pat McCrory, Vanita Gupta, the top civil rights lawyer for the Justice Department, said that "both you and the State of North Carolina" were in violation of civil rights law and gave him until Monday to decide "whether you will remedy these violations."

A Justice Department official said that federal officials hoped that the state would agree to comply voluntarily with federal civil rights law by abandoning compliance or implementation of the measure. But the department has a number of tools it can use to try to force compliance, including denying federal funds or asking a court to do so, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The ultimatum escalated what has already become a contentious national debate over North Carolina's new legal stance on transgender and gay people, and set up what could be a lengthy showdown between the state and the Obama administration.

In a statement, McCrory, a Republican, said, "The right and expectation of privacy in one of the most private areas of our personal lives is now in jeopardy. We will be reviewing to determine the next steps."

Senate leader Phil Berger accused the Justice Department of "a gross overreach" that he said "deserves to be struck down in federal court." Tim Moore, the speaker of the House, called the letter an attempt to "circumvent the will of the electorate and instead unilaterally exert its extreme agenda."

The state measure, House Bill 2, known as HB2, was signed into law in March and says the bathroom a person uses is determined by his or her original gender. That requirement "is facially discriminatory against transgender employees" because it treats them differently from other employees, Gupta wrote.

As a result, "we have concluded that in violation of Title VII, the state is engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of Title VII right by employees of public agencies," she said.

The law has become an issue in the presidential campaign and has prompted boycotts of North Carolina from celebrities like Bruce Springsteen, as well as calls for repeal by a number of businesses, some of which have canceled plans to create jobs in the state.

Opponents cheered the Justice Department's move.

"I think it makes clear what we've known all along, which is that HB2 is deeply discriminatory and violates civil rights law in all kinds of manners," said state Rep. Chris Sgro of Greensboro.

Matt McTighe, executive director of Freedom for All Americans, an LGBT rights group, said in a statement Wednesday that "actions have consequences, and Gov. McCrory and his legislative allies are now paying the price for this anti-transgender law that they so hurriedly enacted.

"HB2 is a solution in a search of a problem that simply doesn't exist, and lawmakers must take immediate action to fully repeal it," he said.

"The state's economy and reputation have suffered enough, and now students all across the state stand to lose out on nearly $1 billion in critical funding because of HB2. The livelihoods of North Carolina's families are at stake, and there is no excuse for inaction."

In December 2014, the attorney general at the time, Eric Holder, directed the Justice Department to begin including gender identity - including transgender status - as a basis for discrimination claims under federal civil rights law.

That decision reversed a policy at the Justice Department that specifically excluded transgender people from federal protection. Holder called the decision "an important shift," meant to affirm the Justice Department's commitment "to protecting the civil rights of all Americans."
CAIRO - Add this to the list of reasons for violence and extremism in the Middle East.

"Tom and Jerry" cartoons.

That's what the head of Egypt's State Information Service declared in a speech this week at Cairo University. And, oh yes, in case the audience didn't take him seriously about his theories on the dim-witted cat and the pesky mouse, he offered two more reasons: video games and violent movies.

"Tom and Jerry" portrays "the violence in a funny manner and sends the message that, yes, I can hit him  and I can blow him up with explosives. It becomes set in (the viewer's) mind that this is natural," SIS head Salah Abdel Sadek told the audience, according to a translation by the website EgyptianStreets.com.

And the video games?

"It has become very normal for a young man to spend long hours playing video games, killing and spilling blood, and he's happy and content," Abdel Sadek continued. He added, according to the website, that youths are "faced with social pressures that push them to resort to violence, which they consider normal and understandable."

As expected, the Arab world exploded on social media in response to the speech.

But some took Abdel Sadek's comments seriously. On the privately owned media website Youm7, an article popped out after his speech.

The title: "Five accusations Tom and Jerry Faces in Egypt."

The article is about how children learn bad habits from the American cartoon, such as smoking, stealing and drinking booze, according to a translation by EgyptianStreets.com. The article also opines that the cartoon "warps the idea of justice, helps children come up with sinister plans, and encourages violence and the use of sharp instruments such as knives, guns, and chainsaws."
Call it the Muscovite version of "manifest destiny."

President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill that offers every Russian citizen a tract of land in their country's remote Far East.

"All citizens will be entitled to apply for up to hectare of land in the Kamchatka, Primorye, Khabarovsk, Amur, Magadan and Sakhalin regions, the republic of Sakha, or the Jewish and Chukotka autonomous districts," the Moscow Times reports. This is a vast stretch of territory spanning the upper Arctic reaches near Alaska, down to islands off the coast of Japan and deep into the Siberian hinterland.

Those interested in the venture can hold about 2.5 acres free of payment or tax for five years. After that, they would receive titles to their plot provided they have put it to use in the prior years.

The move is part of Moscow's desire to leverage the unexploited potential of a region that remains a kind of "Wild West" - a realm rich in natural resources but whose residents hail from scattered indigenous tribes, the descendants of political exiles and other forgotten schemes of the Soviet Union.

There are also more immediate concerns. About 7.4 million Russians populate the entire Russian Far East. Just across the frigid border with China, there's a booming population of more than 100 million people in the northeast of that country.

In recent years, Moscow has grown alarmed at the prospect of a Sinification of its Far East, with the entrance of Chinese businesses into the region and the emergence of Chinese communities compensating for the labor shortfalls. There's an inexorable demographic argument: Birthrates on the Russian side of the border are in decline; on the Chinese side, they are on the rise.

Last summer, a Russian government official suggested that the population of the Far East could be increased six-fold to about 36 million people through the land scheme.

"We view this project as a possibility for Russian citizens to achieve self-realization in our Far East and for attracting people to the region," said Alexander Galushka, minister in charge of development in the Far East.

In September, at a summit in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok, Putin encouraged investment in the region, including from companies in China. "
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned Target this week that the company's restroom policy could lead to criminal activity and demanded the retailer supply his office with its safety policies, stepping up his fight against transgender access to public accommodations of their choice.

In a letter laced with criticism of Target's new policy allowing transgender people to use the bathroom best corresponding to his or her gender identity, the state's top attorney asked the retail giant for a full text of safety procedures it will use to protect women and children from people who would use the company's policy as a ruse for "nefarious purposes."

"Regardless of whether Texas legislates on this topic, it is possible that allowing men in women's restrooms could lead to criminal and otherwise unwanted activity," read the one-page letter sent Tuesday to Target CEO Brian Cornell.

"Target, of course, is currently free to choose such a policy for its Texas stores," Paxton wrote. "The voters in Houston recently repealed by a wide margin an ordinance that advanced many of the same goals as Target's current policy."

He was referring to last November, when Houston voters repealed the city's anti-discrimination ordinance known as HERO, which would have allowed transgender residents the same access as Target's announced policy.

Paxton sent the letter to the big-box retailer on Tuesday, one day before the U.S. Justice Department warned North Carolina Gov. Pat McGrory that the state's new law restricting bathroom use based on a person's biological sex violates Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act prohibiting discrimination based on sex.

The letter to Target comes weeks after the retailer announced it would ease bathrooms restrictions for transgender people in response to the North Carolina law.

"We welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity," read a statement released by the retail giant April 19. "Everyone deserves to feel like they belong. And you'll always be accepted, respected and welcomed at Target."

Calls and messages seeking comment from Target on Wednesday were not returned.

The attorney general's office also did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesman for Equality Texas, an advocacy group seeking fair treatment for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Texans, said Paxton is "looking for a solution to a problem that does not exist."

"People fear the unknown and people don't know or understand transgender folks, so they use the transgender population, a marginalized population, as a scapegoat so that they can incite fear in other people," said Lou Weaver, transgender coordinator for the group.

Weaver, identified as a female on his birth certificate, said he began using the men's room when he was 17 because he looked too masculine.

"I don't belong in a women's restroom, " he said. "I don't look like I belong there; I don't act like I belong there. I just don't. They are not thinking about people like me."

More than 1.7 million people have pledged online to boycott Target for embracing the transgender-friendly policy, a protest pushed by the American Family Association, a national organization promoting religious freedom and Christian values.

"This is the first time in Texas Values' history that we have called for a boycott, which tells you how serious this issue is to Texans," said Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values, a conservative advocacy group that trumpeted Paxton's letter to Target.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who stepped into the fray last week by announcing he would support a statewide law to restrict public restroom use to a person's birth gender, said he supports any attempt by the state to "keep men out of women's restrooms."

"Everybody needs to step up to the plate on this issue," he said Wednesday. "The 150 million women in this country deserve privacy, safety and comfort  and not having to worry about a 35-year-old man walking in on them. "M on the door doesn't mean 'Make Up Your Mind.' W on the door doesn't mean 'Whatever I Think I Am Today.' "

Mike Ward contributed to this report.
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The presidential campaign trail behind him, Ted Cruz soon will return to Washington as just another freshman senator. His baggage is already there.

Cruz kicked off his campaign widely disliked by his Senate colleagues. Not much has changed; He only cemented his bad relationships and brought them more prominently to public attention.

During his campaign, however, one thing became clear, at least to his Texas colleague, Sen. John Cornyn: Cruz joined the Senate to run for president.

Now that his next shot at the White House is years away, Cruz will need to find a place to work among many of the colleagues he spent months condemning as part of the "Washington cartel."

"He's got a lot of work to do to reintegrate himself back into the Senate," said Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University. "He won't be able to do it with the Ted Cruz persona we've seen to date. He won't be able to be quite so crass and obvious about his future ambitions."

Cruz's campaign and confidants kept mum Wednesday, divulging nothing of the senator's plans for his political career. Experts and fans agreed that he still has a future in national politics.

"He's going to return; he's going to fight like hell," said Jordan Berry, an Austin-based GOP strategist and Cruz supporter. "And they (other senators) are going to continue to fight him."

The campaign hinted as much in an email to supporters Wednesday morning: "While Ted suspended his campaign for president last night - this is by no means an end to the movement."

He still commands an active, faithful following of conservative stalwarts, especially in Texas, who will not quickly get behind Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee.

Texas-based GOP consultant Luke Macias said Cruz "built the largest and strongest conservative political operation in our nation."

Other party affiliates agreed that Cruz holds sway over a large demographic, but none could predict how he would wield it.

"He may be the one person other than Trump who comes out of this campaign a larger figure than he was going in," said Austin-based GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak. "The question is, what does he do with it?"

For now, Mackowiak added, his focus will be on rejoining the Senate and "repairing those relationships."

Elevating his game

Cruz's campaign platform was one of rancor for the Republican Party "establishment," including long-serving senators whom he often charged with corruption and with working against the interests of voters.

It was nothing new for Cruz, who made the same condemnation of his colleagues when he debuted in the national spotlight with his 2013 Senate filibuster and government shutdown.

The presidential race and Cruz's outsider campaign put a spotlight on his bad working relationships, highlighting his refusal to apologize for the time he called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a liar on the chamber's floor, and encouraging news media to produce articles on how much GOP leaders hate Cruz.

That has become the overwhelming record of Cruz's Senate tenure, and it could his hinder efforts to move on to the next chapter.

"The list is long of senators who've come back (from presidential campaigns) and elevated their game," said Steve Jarding, a veteran Democratic campaign manager and lecturer at Harvard University, naming John Kerry and John McCain. "I just don't see it with Cruz."

Even supporters who think the senator will increase his role acknowledged Cruz would have to adapt. Crucially, he will not be a fresh-faced outsider come the next presidential campaign in 2020.

It will not be as easy to push the anti-establishment platform as a second-term senator, should Cruz decide to seek re-election in two years.

"He'll have to make a conscious adjustment to both re-create a place for himself in the Senate and to open up a future run for president where he presents himself differently than he did this time around," Jillson said.

At the same time, Cruz will have to figure out how to wield the high profile he attained through months of regular TV appearances during the campaign. Experts wondered if he would maintain his national name recognition through public activism and appearances, or if he would sink quietly away to hammer out policy achievements.

"Ted and his family are going to take a little while to rest and to prayerfully consider where he goes in the future," said JoAnn Fleming, tea party chair for the Cruz campaign.

'Chose evil over good'

Regardless of what he chooses, Cruz's Tuesday night departure from the presidential race was preceded by a scathing condemnation of Trump that morning that makes it difficult for his fans and activists to throw their weight behind the presumptive Republican nominee.

Fleming said she does not intend to "be a cheerleader for the national GOP" with Trump at its helm, and others shared the sentiment.

"America yesterday chose evil over good, and I worry for our country," said Maggie Wright, a diehard Cruz fan who hoped to support him at the GOP's national convention. "I may just have to write in Ted's name in November."

Other party operatives in Texas said the party needs to rally to defeat the Democrats in November, but stopped short of saying they should support Trump.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a onetime state senator from Houston who rode the tea party wave into statewide office in 2015, said that after "a healthy time of healing" for the disappointed followers of Cruz, "I believe they will come around to support the Republican ticket.

"This is not a time to stay home (in November)," he said. "If Republicans stay home, we could lose the country."
Some wag once described Ted Cruz as the kid in junior high who would raise his hand and remind the teacher that she had scheduled a test for that day. That was one of the kinder things that people said about the erstwhile presidential candidate and, lest we forget, still junior U.S. senator from Texas. Now that our fellow Houstonian has ended his White House quest - this time around, at least - it's astounding to realize how one man's personality, in Cruz's case his all-around unlikability, sowed the seeds of his demise.

Smug, sanctimonious and vain, Cruz failed to persuade even the most rigid ideologues or the most zealous evangelicals - voters he considered his base - that he was the man to recapture the White House for a fractured GOP. Despite running a disciplined, methodical and strategic campaign, his demeanor was his undoing. Obviously, Will Rogers ("I never met a man I didn't like") never met "Lucifer in the Flesh."

Now that his 13-month odyssey has come to an ignominious end, we presume to offer a couple of suggestions to the man Texans dispatched to Washington a little over three years ago. One, he should buy a copy of Jon Meacham's magisterial biography of a man who lives a few miles west of the Cruz's high-rise condominium on Allen Parkway and take the time to read this story of a great American. It's the life story of a man who through decades of service to this nation in combat, in Congress, as head of the CIA, as vice-president and as president has been the unfailing exemplar of kindness, decency and selflessness. A chastened Ted Cruz - if that's possible - could learn a thing or two from the 41st president of the United States.

Two, Cruz has a job to do, as we suggested last week when we broke it to him gently that he wasn't going to be elected president in 2016. Texans in 2012 elected a U.S. senator, not a presidential aspirant. Since he won't be occupying the White House, why not do more than just occupy a Senate seat? Why not serve, in the literal sense of the word? Why not plunge in and apply his youthful energy and his much-vaunted intellect to issues that might benefit his fellow Texans? One example: he promised and promised and promised to eviscerate the Affordable Care Act and replace it with something better. Maybe now he has the time to craft an alternative. Those millions who at last have health insurance as a result of Obamacare will be waiting.

A rapidly growing Texas has infrastructure issues, environmental issues, education issues. the list could go on. While he waits a year or so for a 2020 White House run - shades of Ronald Reagan in 1980 - perhaps Cruz could do the job we elected him to do.

If our junior senator has no interest in being a Kay Bailey Hutchison or a Lloyd Bentsen - and that's altogether possible, given his sneering disdain for governance - then we would suggest that he follow the lead of former South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint. A hard-edged lawmaker who may be even further to the right than Cruz, DeMint decided he and his ideas were going nowhere in "the world's greatest deliberative body," so he resigned his seat to head up a D.C. think tank. Cruz, who's only 45, could run for president from such a perch for the next two decades, thus allowing Texans to replace him with someone who has an affinity for the job.

Meanwhile, the Republican Party is about to nominate a man for president who on Tuesday made the bizarre claim that Cruz's father, now a fundamentalist preacher, had assisted JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, a claim arising from an article that had appeared in that bastion of truth and reliability, the National Enquirer. Donald Trump's most recent outrageous remark (as of this writing) prompted Cruz to label Trump as a "serial philanderer," a "pathological liar" and a "narcissist." Never mind that he and Trump were comrades of convenience just a few weeks ago, Cruz is right about the GOP's likely standard bearer.

Cruz didn't mention Trump in his valedictory remarks Tuesday night. We'll see whether the Texas senator endorses the man, or whether he, former White House hopeful John Kasich (who also suspended his campaign after Indiana) and other principled conservatives, for the good of the nation, call out Trump for what he is: a demagogue who, if elected president, would likely do great harm to this nation. There should come a time when even pandering politicians have to tell the truth.
Steve Gonzales

Look at our other editorial published today to read about politics in a moment of crisis. Look at this one to read about politics as usual. Frankly, we prefer the latter.

Mayor Sylvester Turner delivered his first State of the City address Wednesday before the Greater Houston Partnership, and in his four short months there are no sweeping changes, radical shifts in rhetoric or surprises in policy. Turner started the speech where he should have: reflection on the horrific devastation of the Tax Day flood. He then veered into a general repetition of his usual calls to action on potholes, pensions and public safety. The mayor did drop two pieces of new information.
RICHMOND, Va. - With the departure of Ted Cruz from the presidential race Tuesday night, many national Republican loyalists lamented the future of a party that could field a nominee as polarizing as Donald Trump.

But the news was particularly jarring for Virginia Republicans fresh off two days of party warfare at a state convention where Cruz came out on top.

"All the divisiveness last weekend for nothing," said Brian W. Schoeneman, a former member of the Fairfax County Electoral Board and a supporter of Ohio Gov. John Kasich's, the establishment favorite who ended his long-shot campaign Wednesday. "We are the kings of self-inflicted wounds that get us nothing."

At the other end of the spectrum, a Republican who identifies with the conservative wing of the state GOP said of Cruz's decision: "I feel like I got smacked by a two-by-four."

In the final hours of last weekend's convention in Harrisonburg, Cruz and Trump supporters traded insults over the selection of 13 of 49 total delegates to the national convention in Cleveland.

Not that it matters now. Officially, the state party apparatus must quickly pivot to Trump, no matter how unenthusiastic some leaders may feel about the brash billionaire.

"The RPV will support the nominee 100 percent," John Whitbeck, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said Tuesday night - without mentioning Trump.

House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, released a lukewarm statement that said, in part: "I am a Republican, and I will support the Republican nominee."

Trump's Virginia campaign chairman, Corey Stewart, publicly derided the party as "rotten and corrupt" after being left off the delegates slate at the state convention.

But late Tuesday, after Cruz quit, Stewart's message was all about unity.

"Now is the time for Virginians to come together and stand behind Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for President," said Stewart, chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and a candidate for governor in 2017. "Virginia is an essential state this November, and all of us need to band together to defeat Hillary Clinton."

Although it wasn't a surprise, given Trump's string of primary wins, the reality hit some hard.

"If you're a conservative, it's been a very long time since you could be happy with a presidential nominee," said Steve Albertson, who is on the party's governing board and runs the conservative Bull Elephant blog. "We've had two Bushes, John McCain, Mitt Romney - now this." Albertson said he will nonetheless support Trump.

The reaction shows the schism between longtime state party activists and primary voters at large, who delivered Trump a decisive win on March 1.

David Ramadan, a former House of Delegates member from Loudoun County, has been a vocal member of the "NeverTrump" movement. "Trump as the GOP nominee means a series of defeats for our Republicans in Virginia and the nation for a decade," Ramadan said.

Minutes after Cruz suspended his campaign, Democrats sent out an "emergency" fundraising plea.

The email said, "We must win Virginia, or Donald Trump will be President."
peed Deluxe Vintage & Bespoke Motorcycles and Silent Cycles are opening a retail shop in collaboration with Velo Coffee Roasters in North Chattanooga on June 11.

The space on Cherokee Boulevard will house Velos second Chattanooga coffee bar operating alongside the motorcycle and bicycle businesses. The shop, called Speed Deluxe, will open for service the morning of June 11 with a grand opening party that evening.

With a shared love for two-wheeled adventures, Speed Deluxe, Silent Cycles and Velo desire to facilitate a comfortable, educational environment and will host community events.

Our first priority was to get the space rightone that is welcoming, inclusive and reflects the level of quality that we feel we apply to all of our projects, Mrs. Sheard said.

In addition to restoring and customizing vintage motorcycles, Speed Deluxe will carry a range of

American-made products. Biltwell, Lowbrow Customs, Wolfman Luggage, Godspeed Co and Speed Deluxe are a few brands that will be available. The shop will stock publications such as Sideburn, Greasy Kulture Magazine, DiCE, and Longberry as well.

Justin Shipp of Silent Cycles will continue to build custom, steel bicycle frames and develop his stock line. The new space will allow for Silent Cycles to offer in-house powder coating as well.

"When the shop opens, our goal is to have distinctive bicycles and accessories that help facilitate

everything from travel and adventure to a daily commute, Mr. Shipp said.

Velos coffee bar in Speed Deluxe will emphasize simplicity and efficiency. The menu will feature classic espresso drinks and a variety of cold coffee options on tap as well as kombucha and beer. The bar will feature reclaimed materials, showcasing earth tones and natural light. Spencer Perez, an owner and director of quality and research at Velo, spoke about the excitement of the project.

Im most excited to just hang out here. I think this is the coolest project Ive ever been involved with, Mr. Perez said.

Speed Deluxe is at 515 Cherokee Blvd., and hours will be 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Velos coffee bar hours will be 8 a.m.-6 p.m Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.
An Austin-area U.S. House member maintains that President Barack Obama has dangerous desires for military installations. U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, opened his commentary in the March 10, 2016, Round Rock Leader: "This is not a joke: the president wants to house illegal aliens on our nations military installations."

Carter, saying that such a move would hinder troops effectiveness, wrote: "With the growing global threats of terrorism, how could any president think that housing illegal immigrants on military installations is the right thing to do?" His column also touted his 2016 proposal to bar such installations from sheltering anyone lacking "lawful immigration status."

We wondered what Carter was talking about.

By phone, Carter spokeswoman Corry Schiermeyer said he was referring to an administration move that could have led to children lacking legal residency staying at Fort Hood, which is partially in Carters district.

Schiermeyer said Carter learned in late 2015 that the Department of Defense had received a request for assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services to provide temporary housing for "unaccompanied alien children." Schiermeyer said Carter also was told a survey team would be investigating various U.S. locations, including Fort Hood in Killeen.

We asked Schiermeyer if Obama had signaled his own desires to house immigrants on bases. She said: "If the president did not want this to happen, that request would never have been sent."

We also sought documentation of the described plans; by phone, Schiermeyer urged us to obtain a November 2015 Pentagon memo to military officials that she said described the HHS request.

We failed to come up with the memo but a White House spokesman, Peter Boogaard, emailed us a Dec. 7, 2015, letter from Sylvia M. Burwell, the secretary of Health and Human Services, to Defense Secretary Ash Carter, stating that "we anticipate needing to establish shelter facilities on DOD installations very soon." Burwells letter requested assistance in "exploring a staged response in activating up to 5,000 temporary beds as quickly as" possible.

Burwells letter advised that her request came about because an "unprecedented" over 10,000 "unaccompanied children" apprehended along the countrys southwest border had been referred by Homeland Security in October and November 2015 to HHS for temporary housing. "Although HHS has 8,400 current bed capacity," Burwell wrote, "the highest in the history of the" unaccompanied children "program, we anticipate reaching 95% capacity within 10 days if recent trends continue."

According to the Administration for Children and Families, part of HHS, an unaccompanied "alien" child is "a child who has no lawful immigration status in the United States; has not attained 18 years of age; and, with respect to whom, there is no parent or legal guardian in the United States, or no parent or legal guardian in the United States available to provide care and physical custody."

A Dec. 8, 2015, New York Times news story on Burwells request said youths had crossed into the U.S. mostly from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras with several factors possibly explaining the late-in-the-year uptick, especially a surge in violence in El Salvador.

Fort Hood facilities assessed

And what of Fort Hood? By email, an HHS spokesman, Mark Weber, confirmed that after the Pentagon heard from HHS, an assessment of Fort Hood took place in advance of children possibly living at the base though, Weber said, that "was determined not to be a viable option at this time." A Dec. 20, 2015, Killeen Daily Herald news story said buildings chosen for the assessment were in North Fort Hood, near Gatesville, in an area the "National Guard wants to use for soldiers who train at North Fort Hood throughout the year."

On Dec. 17, 2015, Carter announced hed sent a letter to the president and other administration officials expressing his opposition to the government providing temporary housing for "unaccompanied alien children at any U.S. military installation, including Fort Hood."

On Jan. 6, 2016, Carter posted a statement saying that "after many discussions" with Homeland Security, Fort Hood was no longer on the list of possible temporary shelter locations. And in February Carter introduced the Resist Executive Amnesty on Defense Installations Act, which would prohibit "the use of military installations to house" any "aliens who do not have a lawful immigration status or are undergoing removal proceedings in the United States," which was referred to the House Armed Services Committee.

Elsewhere, Weber told us, the Defense Department made space available to temporarily house 250 children at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, making possible housing for about 700 children. Children stayed on the base in January and February 2016, Weber said. Then the space went into "suspended" status after children were resettled with relatives, HHS spokeswoman Andrea Helling said by phone.

Weber further advised that the Homestead Job Corps facility in Florida--lately vacant and not in operation as a Job Corps center--had been lined up to provide approximately 800 temporary shelter beds for unaccompanied children, if needed.

In May 2016, Boogaard told us by email that "no DoD facilities are being used as temporary shelters, but such facilities could be used in the future if it becomes necessary and provided that such use would not impact DoD operations."

Administration: Bases have sheltered children before

As we looked into Carters claim, administration officials pointed out theres precedent for children staying on bases--in accord with federal law.

The first time vacant space was used to house children at a military base was in 2012, Weber said, at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and HHS in 2014 opened three temporary shelters on bases to help the government handle a spurt in unaccompanied children apprehended near the border, Weber said. Temporary shelters at Lackland AFB, Fort Sill Army Base and Naval Base Ventura County-Port Hueneme "played a critical role in the humanitarian response, providing care to more than 7,700 children," Weber said, before HHS "suspended" the shelters in August 2014.

Thousands of children annually enter the U.S. without legal permission -- sometimes without parents or guardians along. Next, the government detains many in advance of releases to family members and immigration hearings.

In the 12 months through September 2015, the U.S. Border Patrol reported detaining nearly 40,000 unaccompanied children hailing from Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras. That count was down from 68,451 children detained in the region the previous 12 months -- with many crossers coming in expectation of an immigration hearing and amid fears of violence, especially gang violence, in home countries, we noted in a June 2014 fact check.

Two laws guide how the government manages unaccompanied minors. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 transferred the care and custody of "unaccompanied alien children" to HHS to "move towards a child welfare-based-model of care for children and away from the adult detention model," according to a "fact sheet" last updated in January 2016 by the Administration for Children and Families.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement, under ACF, places children in shelter facilities, foster care or group homes, residential treatment centers or secure care facilities, the agency says. In fiscal 2015, children stayed in an agency-supervised facility for an average of 34 days, according to the sheet.

According to the "fact sheet," the Trafficking Victims Reauthorization Act of 2008 requires HHS to promptly place each child in the "least restrictive setting that is in the best interest to the child, taking into account potential flight risk and danger to self and others." That act (which cleared the House without objection) has no proscription on placing children in federal facilities.

Our ruling

Carter said, "This is not a joke: the president wants to house illegal aliens on our nations military installations."

Its correct that on Obamas watch, the U.S. agency responsible for temporarily caring for unaccompanied immigrant children has enlisted the Pentagon in occasionally sheltering children (a "minors" detail that didnt appear in Carters commentary). Carter didnt show nor did we spot an administration push to house adults on such installations. Also unsaid: The temporary housing of children in vacant military facilities is permitted under existing law.

We rate Carters claim Mostly True.

MOSTLY TRUE  The statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information. Click here for more on the six PolitiFact ratings and how we select facts to check.

https://www.sharethefacts.co/share/83c1451c-cc21-43d6-8837-54174d424e30
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The River City Sessions is Friday, May 13, with performances by Rye Baby and Bird in Hand. They have been on a tour covering Missouri, Colorado and Texas ending at RCS with a sound described as Appalachian Thunder Rock. Author JD Harper rounds out the slate for the evening.

RCS is held at the Camp House. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the event begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5.

This month kicks off the NoonTunes program RCS is a part of. The free concert series will be on Wednesday at noon for 12 weeks in Miller Plaza. Blues Guitarist Rick Rushing kicks it off.

There are several RCS performers who will be at The Little Owl Festival on Saturday, May 14, including Jim Kennedy, Organized Kaos, Peggy and the Girls, The Tin Cup Rattlers, story teller Jeff Paulson and the debut of Doc and Cordel (Michael Gray and Robert Cyphers).
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anisations should be actively supporting the communities in which they operate, not just because its the right thing to do but because its a savvy business decision  thats the word from one Kiwi HR leader who says your employees will ultimately benefit.We do lots of giving back and we like to be able to support the communities in which we live, work and operate, says Andrea Brunner , general manager of HR rural insurer FMG.In line with its customer base, the company has a deliberate initiative of giving back to rural New Zealand  from sponsoring local events to offering scholarships to up and coming talent in the field of agriculture.Last year, the New Zealand-owned insurer even launched Farmstrong, a joint initiative with the Mental Health Foundation to promote the mental wellbeing of farmers.Its a first-of-its-kind well-being program for farmers and people in the rural community, explains Brunner. We know that farmers spend a lot of time looking after the plants, looking after their stock, their machinery and their farm buildings  but they wouldnt necessarily have a plan around looking after themselves and understanding what they need to do to look after their own wellbeing.Partnering up with Doctor Tom Mulholland, FMG took a Farmstrong-branded ambulance and held talks across numerous remote locations  offering locals blood pressure checks, heart checks and information about healthy thinking and support networks.While the CSR initiative was undoubtedly the right thing to do, Brunner admitted there was a positive upshot for employees too.If you bring it back to an employee perspective, there were a lot of tough times for a lot of our clients last year with the dairy pay out being so low, she explained.This was a real tangible initiative that we were doing to support our clients that employees could be really proud of, could get behind and could feel like we were doing something to demonstrate that we knew it was tough times and we wanted to help, she added.Instilling a sense of pride in employees wasnt the only way it benefit them though  Brunner says that, indirectly, employees were happy because their loved ones were likely on the receiving end of the support.Our employees live and know those communities, she said. Often theyre married to farmers or theyve got relations there  theres a reason they live in these small provincial towns.
Fort McMurray businesses could have a tough time emerging from a fire that has resulted in all of its people being evacuated.

It's too early to tell what the extent of their pain will be. But experts say that the economic fallout from natural disasters doesn't always last very long.

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In 1998, the "Great Ice Storm" knocked out power to over 1.6 million people as ice and freezing rain came pouring down on Quebec and Ontario.

CIBC says the event initially reduced Canada's economy by as much as 0.3 percentage points, The Financial Post reported.

But rebuilding efforts eventually boosted the economy by 0.1 percentage points that year.

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And that's not the only time that a disaster has, in a roundabout way, actually spurred economic growth.

The 2011 Slave Lake fire caused damage estimated at $700 million, and it yanked down the gross domestic product (GDP) in the oil and gas industry by five per cent, BMO economist Robert Kavcic told the newspaper.

The Canadian economy felt it in the second quarter of that year  but it bounced back in the third, despite the fire's costs.

In 2008, the Sichuan earthquake in China reduced cities to rubble. But the reconstruction effort supplied the Chinese economy with billions of dollars, The New York Times reported.

In fact, it helped boost the country's economy by 0.3 per cent.

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Of course, the Slave Lake fire happened in an entirely different economic context, when oil prices were in the range of $100 per barrel.

But Herb Emery, research director at the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, told Business News Network (BNN) that natural disasters don't necessarily have long-lasting effects on an economy.

"Most of the costs are going to be borne locally by businesses that won't reopen in that location, investment that doesn't come back the same way it was before," he said.

As for the Fort Mac residents who've been hit by the fire directly, Emery said there could be a fight over who receives what government assistance.

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He noted that during the Canmore flood of 2013, the government decided not to compensate people for second homes, only for primary residences.

"You're going to run into situations where some support will be coming or none," Emery said.

"We're going to have to come up with decisions on what we're going to do, and that's going to be up to the Notley government."

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As an out-of-control wildfire continues grow in Fort McMurray, a few voices have already taken the opportunity to use the situation for personal or political gain.

As 88,000 evacuees scrambled to gather their belongings and flee the northern Alberta city, some took to Twitter to blame province's oil industry and its role in climate change.

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Tom Moffatt , a former provincial NDP candidate, took to Twitter Wednesday to apologize for a tweet calling the natural disaster "karmic."

He hashtagged the tweet "#FeelTheBern"  a reference to progressive U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, an outspoken detractor of the oilsands.

Screengrab of Moffat's tweet.

Moffatt was suspended from his job at the town of Taber, Alta., pending an investigation in response to the tweet, CBC News reported.

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The tweet, which has since been deleted, triggered hundreds of angry responses.

"Shame on you. Your thoughts and prayers should be with the people. Dont make this about politics," tweeted one woman.

Some, who have either deleted or made their posts private since, called the situation ironic.

Click image to enlarge.

@AlliSayles As they flee, I hope they remember the dangers of climate change. They IGNORED it and others have paid for it until now.  James Beam (@PuttingItMildly) May 4, 2016

One Twitter user said he was "glad" the fire was happening in Alberta before apologizing for his remark later. His employer later confirmed on Facebook that he has been suspended without pay, and his salary will be donated to the Red Cross instead.

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Others, while not directly laying blame, were quick to point to climate change as the fire's cause  a controversial statement given the province's economic reliance on its oil industry.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and Walking Dead television producer Gale Anne Hurd were among those to comment on a link between the raging fire and increased frequency of extreme weather events.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was more cautious and warned against laying blame for the disaster.

"Pointing at any one incident and saying, 'Well this is because of that,' is neither helpful nor entirely accurate," he said, according to CBC News.

"What we are focused on right now on is giving the people of Fort McMurray, and across Alberta, the kind of support that they need."

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A helicopter flies over a massive plume of smoke above Fort McMurray, Alta. (Photo: EPA/Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta)

"Karmic" suggestions aside, researchers still don't know what caused the Fort McMurray blaze.

One expert told The Canadian Press that Alberta's recent warm weather was due to a regular weather phenomenon known as El Nino.

Another researcher noted that wildfires are complex, and pointed to a number of conditions  including a dry winter and lack of green vegetation may been contributing factors.

Regardless of what caused the disaster, Fort McMurray residents are suffering, having lost homes, pets and belongings to the blaze. Many Canadians have been quick to step up instead of choosing to lay accusations.

The Canadian Red Cross announced Thursday that $11 million had already been raised for Alberta fire relief.

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Instead of wasting energy laying blame/political rant re: #ymmfire Dotate $ to @RedCrossAB and/or Text redcross to 30333  Cailin (@knotsalot) May 4, 2016

Here are some resources for Fort McMurray evacuees: Alberta Red Cross 1 888 350 6070

Fort McMurray evacuee help on Facebook and Twitter

Let your friends and family know you're safe with Facebook Safety Check

Wood Buffalo RCMP 780 788 4000

@511Alberta on Twitter for road closures and Travel advisories

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Lee University presented the 2016 Charles W. Conn Awards to Michael Allen, Shawna Wood and Dr. Arlie Tagayuna during a Lee chapel service.

Rising seniors Mr. Allen and Ms. Wood were awarded the CWC Servant Leadership Award for demonstrating leadership in service and ministry in the Lee community. Dr. Tagayuna was the recipient of the CWC Service Learning Faculty Award presented to a faculty member recognized for commitment to service-learning on campus and in personal service to the community.

The annual awards are in honor of Dr. Charles W. Conn, president of Lee from 1970-1982. Dr. Conn was known for his spirit of servant leadership during his presidency at Lee and is the only President Emeritus in Lees history.

Mr. Allen has served in a variety of roles on Lees campus, including resident chaplain for Medlin Hall, LEAP (Learn, Engage, and Achieve Project) peer mentor, regular volunteer in Crossover Ministries, teaching assistant for the Thai Language and Culture class, club president for Missions Alive, peer advisor, and a member of Convergence, Mu Kappa and Voices of Lee.

He is the most brilliant and humble young man I have ever met, said Dr. Jo Ann Higginbotham, professor of education. He has a healing effect on people who have broken spirits and emotional hurts. He seeks to be Christs hands and feet in this world.

Ms. Wood has operated in a number of key roles for Lee, including student worker for the nursing program, Gateway peer leader, resident assistant for Lees Summer Honors program and community service secretary for the Student Leadership Council. According to Jill Welborn, director of student development, Ms. Wood serves consistently and helps to create opportunities for others to serve. She is dedicated to serving the disenfranchised in the local community as a lifestyle.

Humility, compassion, and excellence are evident in her work, said Ms. Welborn.

Dr. Tagayuna is an assistant professor of sociology at Lee. He has developed outreach to the College Hill community in Cleveland, helps his students write grants for local nonprofit organizations, and works with his students to conduct community-based action research for these organizations. Recently, he and his students raised over $11,000 to help provide sustainable lighting in an East Cleveland Park by hosting a 5K evening glow fun run called Light Up the City Project.

He stays up late every single night, sacrificing sleep in order to finish his work because he dedicates valuable time out of his day to serve others, said a student. He does not stay up late because he is a procrastinator. He stays up late because he fills his free time with serving others. This is very convicting to me, in the best way, because it makes me examine my own life and question whether or not Im truly living like Christ.

Mr. Allen and Ms. Wood are the twelfth group of students to receive this award, while Dr. Tagayuna is the eighth faculty member to be honored.
After being welcomed to Canada with open arms, Syrian refugees in Calgary are now giving back to their neighbours up north.

A group of newcomers part of the Syrian Refugee Support Group Calgary are offering up what little they have  Walid Ajram is collecting hampers of necessary supplies, while Rita Khallas is collecting $5 donations  for evacuees fleeing Fort McMurray's wildfire.

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On Wednesday, refugee Naser Nader spurred hundreds to action when he wrote on Facebook about his wish to repay Canadians by helping those affected by the blaze.

"Canadians have provided a lot to us," read a post translated by Rita Khallas from Arabic to English.

"Now it is our turn."

Sam Nammoura, co-founder of the support group, said he was amazed when the newcomers first came to him with the idea.

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"Syria has a long history of being very generous," Nammoura told The Huffington Post Alberta. "Those newcomers who just came two, three months ago ... five dollars to them is just a huge amount of dollars. I was so proud. It brought tears to my eyes, it brought joy to my heart.

"I'm so proud of them, I'm so happy."

Members of the Syrian Refugee Support Group Calgary fill hampers to send to Fort McMurray evacuees. (Photo: Saima Jamal/Syrian Refugee Support Group Calgary)

Saima Jamal, another co-founder of the group, told The Calgary Herald she was amazed by their generosity.

"You have to understand how little these guys haveBut they understand the idea of an entire city losing their home. Thats something they can easily relate to. They went through that.

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"Now it is our turn."

Jamal says Nader's post changed the minds of those previously against welcoming refugees to Canada.

They are now seeing firsthand that they are people with humanity just like the rest of us, and they want to help in anyway they can, too, she told Metro News.

"The newcomers, because they feel so grateful for the generosity of Canadians, Calgarians ... they want to help," Nammoura added. "They want to say thank you. They want to do something.

"It's just amazing."

A helicopter flies in front of a plume of smoke above Fort McMurray (Photo: Jason Franson/CP)

Some Syrian refugees are also among those fleeing the out-of-control blaze in Fort McMurray.

Fahed Labek escaped the city two days ago, along with his mother, sister, brother-in-law and their two children.

His family only just arrived from Syria in February.

Labek told The Canadian Press he's concerned the refugees are enduring further trauma after leaving the Middle East.

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Amany Darwish, president of The Canadian True Power organization in Fort McMurray, says she believes six families of Syrian refugees safely fled the destruction in Fort McMurray.

With files from The Canadian Press

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It's about that time of year again when we start getting bombarded with articles like, "How To Get Your Body Ready For Beach Season" or "How To Get A Bikini Bod," adding to the message that there is only one way a body should look.

However, women like Gabi Gregg (a.k.a. GabiFresh)  who started the "fatkini" revolution  are proving that you can rock any swimsuit (yes, even a bikini), regardless of your shape or size. Gabi has been so influential in the movement, in fact, that she even became a swimsuit designer for sizes 12 through 24.

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A photo posted by @gabifresh on Apr 18, 2016 at 6:01pm PDT

I have been so inspired by Gabi and all of the other women who are not afraid to show off their bikini bods. So for the first time, I decided to go bikini shopping and was blown away by the experience. All my years of wearing swimsuits have been a delicate balance of finding one that I liked and that had enough coverage. Skirted bottoms, tankinis, shorts and T-shirt covers have all been part of my previous beachwear collections. The thought of wearing a bikini never once crossed my mind.

A photo posted by Amanda at {LATEST WRINKLE} (@amandamonty) on Mar 28, 2016 at 5:19pm PDT

If someone would have told me that I would not only be wearing a bikini, but also sharing a photo of myself wearing it on social media, I never would have believed it! However, when I did, something incredible happened. I felt beautiful, powerful and encouraged by an amazing body positive community. The photo has gotten more likes and comments than any of my other posts to date, and all of the comments were positive messages from people of all sizes who were inspired and moved to hopefully reclaim their bodies and feel confident wearing whatever they chose to.

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Here are some of the most inspiring women sharing their beautiful bikini bods:

A photo posted by Crystal Coons (@sometimesglam) on Apr 19, 2016 at 8:11pm PDT

Crystal celebrated a whole "Swim Week" dedicated to incredible bathing suits.

A photo posted by Simone Mariposa  (@simonemariposa) on Mar 19, 2016 at 6:02pm PDT

Simone writes: "My body will never stop me from wearing a swimsuit AND looking good in it too."

A photo posted by Alysse Dalessandro (@readytostare) on Apr 13, 2016 at 6:25pm PDT

Alyssa shares her favourite bikini from her vacation.

A photo posted by Priscilla BOH (@priscillaboh) on Apr 11, 2016 at 1:24pm PDT

Priscilla, who is a self-proclaimed "accidental" model, hit a milestone when she shared her bikini pic.

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A photo posted by Stacey  (@hantisedeloubli) on Apr 8, 2016 at 8:57am PDT

Stacey channelling all of our #mermaidgoals in this bikini from Chubby Cartwheels.

A photo posted by Sarah Chiwaya aka Curvily (@curvily) on Mar 13, 2016 at 5:11pm PDT

Sarah wore this adorable watermelon bikini and shared her thoughts: "I stopped being so critical of my body, and I started loving it, and thus taking better care of it."

A photo posted by Liz Black (@psitsfashion) on Apr 1, 2016 at 10:50am PDT

Liz spoke up to let a retailer know that she was, "tired of oversized floral, unsupportive, sad swimdresses," and Swimsuitsforall, a swimwear company, clearly listened!

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A photo posted by N I C O L E S I M O N E (@curvesonabudget13) on Feb 18, 2016 at 10:56am PST

Nicole shared her beautiful green two-piece.

A photo posted by Essie Golden (@essiegolden) on Apr 10, 2016 at 4:19pm PDT

Essie is killing it in this fringed bikini.

A photo posted by Flight of the Fat Girl (@flightofthefatgirl) on Nov 5, 2015 at 12:22pm PST

Cynthia shares her beautiful bikini and "didn't let the body shaming win!"

A photo posted by Fat Girl Flow (@fatgirlflow) on Apr 16, 2016 at 6:55pm PDT

Corissa asks: "Do you know how many years I spent thinking I wasn't allowed to wear cute bikinis?! I'm never going back there."

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A photo posted by Amina Mucciolo (@studiomucci) on Apr 4, 2016 at 3:19pm PDT

Amina and her love for all things pastel is looking pretty in this pink bikini.

A photo posted by Autumn (@auaulynn) on Mar 27, 2016 at 2:14pm PDT

Autumn says: "I know [people] mean well when they tell me, 'I wish I could be that confident,' but really it's just reaffirming the societal notion that fat bodied are not supposed to [be] visible or shown off."

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Your worst nightmare has come true: KFC is launching an edible nail polish that taste like fried chicken.

"But April Fools' was a month ago!" you're probably thinking. And sadly, we hear you and we're so sorry to tell you this is not a joke.

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According to AdWeek, the "finger lickin' good" nail polish is heading to shelves at KFC in Hong Kong thanks to Ogilvy & Mather and their business endeavour with food technologists at McCormick, the legendary spice company that has mastered KFC's secret mix of 11 secret herbs and spices.

Coming in two shades, Original and Hot & Spicy (odes to the fast food joint's two favourite recipes, of course), the polish supposedly tastes like chicken, proving KFC is in it to win it.

And hey, if you're wondering how this stuff works, KFC was kind enough to provide you with instructions:

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"To use, consumers simply apply and dry like regular nail polish, and then lickagain and again and again," KFC said in a statement.

That's...interesting.

"The recipe for our edible nail polish is unique and was specifically designed to hold the flavour, but to also dry with a glossy coat similar to normal nail polish," Ogilvy creative director, John Koay, says in a statement. "This campaign is designed to be intriguing and fun to increase excitement around the KFC brand in Hong Kong."

To get people pumped up for KFC's journey into the beauty world, the brand has been teasing the polishes on social media and released an online music video for the project, too. Now, it's in the hands of Hong Kongers to chose the best flavour to go into mass production, according to AdWeek.

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BRB, vomiting.

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A top Conservative accused Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould of "spewing lies" in the House of Commons Wednesday.

While there's nothing particularly remarkable about members of Parliament clashing during debate, it is considered unparliamentary to accuse a colleague of lying. It rarely occurs.

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Tory finance critic Lisa Raitt apologized moments later but made clear she stood by her criticism of Wilson-Raybould.

Sean Kilpatrick/CP Conservative MP Lisa Raitt speaks during question period in the House of Commons on May 4, 2016.

The moment happened just before a vote on a time allocation motion from the government on Bill C-14, the physician-assisted dying legislation.

The Liberal majority effectively shut down debate on the bill after approximately two-and-a-half days of discussion. The controversial move is intended to help the legislation become law quicker, in time for the Supreme Court of Canadas June 6 deadline.

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The Liberal strategy angered Conservatives, New Democrats, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and Bloc Quebecois members who wanted to express their views on the very sensitive topic. Many suggested by limiting debate on a matter of life and death and of deep moral consequence was unprecedented.

Wilson-Raybould, however, noted in the House that Liberals had previously offered to extend the sitting hours to accommodate those who wanted to speak, but opposition parties took a pass.

We have heard from every member in the House who wanted to speak

The justice minister said 84 MPs spoke about the bill during 21 hours of debate. She also noted the legislation will face further scrutiny at the committee stage and during third reading.

Mr. Speaker, we have heard from every member in the House who wanted to speak, she said.

That remark did not sit well with Raitt.

I do believe that the honourable minister should actually check herself when she said that everyone who wanted to have a chance to speak to this issue has had a chance to speak because that is absolutely incorrect, Raitt said, adding that the minister should apologize.

And if shes going to base her arguments by spewing lies in this House of Commons then she should absolutely be very careful in ensuring she has the facts before she makes assertions which are untrue.

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If shes going to base her arguments by spewing lies in this House of Commons then she should absolutely be very careful.  Lisa Raitt

The use of the L-word  lies  sparked a point of order from Government House Leader Dominic LeBlanc, who condemned Raitts attack on an honourable member.

I think if somebody should apologize it is her, for such an untrue statement, he said.

Assistant deputy Speaker Anthony Rota agreed it was inappropriate language to accuse a member of lying.

Raitt, who is rumoured to be mulling a run for the Conservative Party leadership, immediately apologized for her choice of words.

But as you can see, it is an emotional topic, she said. And thats exactly why they should not be shutting down this debate whatsoever.

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Rookie Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette later joined those across the aisle in voting against the time allocation motion, sparking applause. A number of MPs took to Twitter to laud Ouellette as courageous.

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Lupita Nyong'o was the belle of the ball Monday night when she arrived at the 2016 Met Gala, which took place at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Wearing a breathtaking jade-coloured, shimmery, low-cut gown by Calvin Klein and rocking a natural hairstyle that literally defied gravity, Nyong'o's entire ensemble was not only mesmerizing, but also a tribute to black women.

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"Well, the sculptural hairdo's from around the continent," the Star Wars actress told Vogue's contributing editor Andre Leon Talley, when asked what inspired her look for the night. She later added that legendary musician and civil rights activist Nina Simone also influenced her sky-high hairstyle.

However, it seems as though Vogue's archive editor Laird Borrelli-Persson may have missed the memo on the meaning behind Lupita's look, at least judging by her post entitled, "Is Lupita Nyongo the New Audrey Hepburn? Celebrating the Stars Met Gala Hair" on Vogue.com. While Borelli-Persson did acknowledge that Nyongo mentioned Simone on the red carpet, the journalist ultimately compared the actress' look to Audrey Hepburn's 1963 Vogue shoot.

Vogue compared Lupita Nyongo's OBVIOUSLY African inspired #MetGala hairstyle to Audrey Hepburn.  pic.twitter.com/dFwjM0zxFs  CHARITY. (@charitydaartist) May 4, 2016

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The article, of course, caught some serious heat online from Twitter users:

Vogue said Lupita copied Audrey Hepburn   Marie (@soafricane) May 5, 2016

Of course vogue thinks Lupita drew inspiration from Audrey Hepburn bc nothing looks good on black ppl until a white person does it am I rite  E$AP (@halfmoonelham) May 4, 2016

ugh no there's no new Audrey Hepburn, Lupita is Lupita queen of the world, first of her name. DELETE. https://t.co/9rgbbqhSb1  vic (@puppymaIek) May 3, 2016

And it seems as though Nyong'o wasn't impressed either. On Wednesday, the 33-year-old Mexican-Kenyan film star took to Instagram to set the record straight and put Vogue in "check" for making the comparison, making sure to tag the fashion publication in her caption.

"Hair Inspiration. Check. @vernonfrancois @voguemagazine #metball2016," she simply captioned the pic.

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Hair Inspiration. Check. @vernonfrancois @voguemagazine #metball2016 A video posted by Lupita Nyong'o (@lupitanyongo) on May 4, 2016 at 6:50am PDT

Welp!

Followers applauded Nyong'o for the clarification in the comments, with statements like " wear your crown queen!," "Teach them, Lupita. Yes!," and "Thanks for the clarification. It is our role to raise our voice and be proud of our African heritage and legacy."

In response, Vogue U.K. published an article Thursday acknowledging Lupita had corrected their American counterpart's mistake, stating:

Lupita Nyong'o's dress may have been less headline-grabbing than Madonna's, but the Oscar-winner did attract some comments about her unusual choice of hairstyle. When American Vogue compared the style to an up-do worn by Audrey Hepburn, Nyong'o posted a video to clarify the actual inspiration, which she said on the red carpet owed much to "sculptural hairdos from around the continent".

Nyong'o wasn't the only star that night who had to clap back about her fashion choices at the Met Gala.

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"Got the memo," Parker commented on the photo. "Always welcome thoughts but I'm a stickler for the theme and pay close attention to what it means. Every year with great consideration, research and conviction. The understanding of man and machine, how they intersect, when and why is what we considered. Perhaps you weren't aware of the technology used in the details and embellishments of the design. Or perhaps you simply didn't like what I wore which is completely fine but you can't accuse me of not paying close attention and adhering to the theme. With respect and warmest regards, sj"

The takeaway? Don't come for SJP's fashion choices if she didn't send for you first.

Madonna, on the other hand, caught a different type of flack Monday night for exposing her backside along with her breasts on the red carpet in a cut out Givenchy dress.

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And while the pop star's outfit choice may have gotten some a bit flustered, Madge is sticking by her ensemble, calling it a "political statement" on a recent Instagram post.

"We have fought and continue to fight for civil rights and gay rights around the world. When it comes to Women's rights we are still in the dark ages. My dress at the Met Ball was a political statement as well as a fashion statement," she wrote in her caption. "The fact that people actually believe a woman is not allowed to express her sexuality and be adventurous past a certain age is proof that we still live in an age-ist and sexist society."

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Moral of the story? Make sure to do your research before making any type of fashion critique.

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Any girl would be delighted to be crowned prom queen, but for one Muslim teen, the honour was particularly meaningful.

Zarifeh Shalabi, who wears a hijab, also lives close to the site of December's deadly shootings in San Bernardino, Calif.

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At the time, the FBI said the incident was being investigated as an "act of terrorism."

The 17-year-old Fontana high school senior told The New York Times she and her family were on edge after the tragedy, worried someone would try to hurt them.

But her peers gave her a big thumbs-up recently when she was nominated to Summit High School's prom court  and later when she was announced queen.

She told the Times her win proved that not all Muslims are something to worry about."

Her friends led her successful campaign, wearing headscarves and touting the slogan, "Don't be a baddie. Vote for the hijabi," according to CBS Los Angeles.

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Rosamaria Lopez told ABC 7 the friends wanted to send a message that they don't discriminate against anyone, including Muslims.

But Shalabi said it took some hard work to convince her mom to let her attend the dance after she was nominated.

It was so exciting because she is so covered up and she doesnt show what every girl at prom shows, and she still won."

"Me and my friends are all going single, we're just going as a group of girls, like a group date together and eventually she said 'yes,'" she told ABC 7.

"It was my first dance, my first party."

And the night of April 9, she won, resplendent in her traditional dress and beaded hijab.

When they announced my name, I was just in total shock," she told CBS, saying she thought the five other nominees were more popular.

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Her friends were thrilled too.

It was so exciting because she is so covered up and she doesnt show what every girl at prom shows, and she still won," Savanna Smith told the Times.

"It was like she can still go out there and represent a fine, elegant woman.

You can see more on the story in the video above.

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A Conservative critic took Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to task Thursday for blaming opposition parties for delays in the creation of an all-party committee on electoral reform.

In perhaps an unexpected twist, Trudeau responded by apologizing to veteran Tory MP Scott Reid.

Reid, the Conservative critic for democratic institutions, rose in question period to criticize remarks Trudeau made the day before while discussing his government's first six months in power. Trudeau was asked if he was ragging the puck by not moving on the promised committee to study the future of Canada's electoral system.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau answers during question period in the House of Commons on May 5, 2016. (Photo: Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

"(Trudeau) explained that the reason why it has not yet been struck is entirely the fault of the Conservatives and the NDP since both parties won't give consent without unreasonable preconditions," Reid said. "This whole process, Mr. Speaker, is imaginary."

Reid said he's only met with Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef twice  once in December at his request, and again at a breakfast for less than 10 minutes. The Tory critic said it has been the same for his NDP counterpart.

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"Why did the prime minister just invent this patently false story about opposition delay?" he asked.

Trudeau responded by offering a mea culpa to Reid, and said electoral reform is something about which all members feel passionately.

"I look forward to ensuring that we get moving on this committee in short order," the prime minister said.

Conservative MP Scott Reid speaks during question period in the House of Commons on May 5, 2016. (Photo: Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Reid then suggested opposition parties were entitled to three apologies from the PM for three separate false statements. The Tory MP said Trudeau claimed at a press conference Wednesday that there were ongoing discussions with parties, talks about the "mandate and engagement" of the committee, and deliberations about how best to set up the group.

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"This is where I tell the MP that even in the world of quantum computing the non-binary repetition of an untrue statement does not make it true," he said, drawing from Trudeau's much-publicized remarks a few weeks ago.

The quip sparked applause and laughter from Tories  and from the prime minister.

Monsef then rose to say her door is "always open" to colleagues. Liberals, she said, will deliver on modernizing Canada's electoral system, just as they have on bringing back the long-form census and changing the way senators are named to the upper chamber.

"This is where I tell the MP that even in the world of quantum computing the non-binary repetition of an untrue statement does not make it true."  Scott Reid

But the clock is ticking.

Trudeau promised that the fall election will be the last under the first-past-the-post-system that resulted in a majority government despite Liberals winning less than 40 per cent of the popular vote.

Experts have come forward to say that there just might not be enough time to ensure a new system is in place in time for the 2019 vote.

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Meanwhile, Tories maintain that whatever system the Liberals propose should be put before Canadians in a referendum. The fact that Trudeau has ruled out such a step has led Reid to charge that he's trying to change the rules in a way that will only benefit his party.

"A government which says that first-past-the-post produces artificial mandates can hardly argue that 39 per cent in an election is a mandate for electoral reform," Reid told The Huffington Post Canada last month.

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Lee Universitys nationally-recognized Leonard Center was awarded a NobleCause grant to bolster its service leadership program among students.

On average, Lee staff and students contribute over 74,000 hours of service each year through a variety of partnerships, said Dr. William Lamb, director of the Leonard Center. One of the best practices of these service partnerships occurs when Lee students are provided with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills while serving. The goal of developing servant leaders will be helped greatly by the generosity of the NobleCause grant.

The Leonard Center plans on using the $6,500 grant to initiate their Service Leadership Development Project. The project will train student leaders through the establishment of a competitive mini-grant program that will fund student-led, alternative spring break service projects. This grant will provide financial resources for student clubs and organizations to partner with other nonprofit organizations that have minimal resources to help them address unmet needs within the community.

Lee student Elizabeth Sanders, a sophomore business administration major and Leonard Center intern, was recently named fellow for the project. Her role will include acting as a student liaison between the Leonard Center and organizations on campus and implementing grant objectives.

I am so excited for the opportunity to further Lee Universitys service program in this new way, said Ms. Sanders. I have been passionate about this program since I began at Lee, and I think this grant takes it to a level of entirely new possibilities.

Service-learning at Lee is guided by the Leonard Center and is designed to prepare students for Christian citizenship through reflective community interactions that encourage a commitment to the ideals of service, benevolence, civic virtue, and social justice.

The NobleCause grant exists to aid organizations and colleges in their goals to promote social responsibility and volunteerism. According to NobleCause, all grant recipients demonstrate the ability to raise community awareness, foster partnerships, and cultivate leaders who take action.



This grant was awarded on behalf of Noblehour through the generosity of an anonymous donor within the GiveWell Community Foundation.

The NobleCause grant competition invites high schools, school districts, colleges and universities, and nonprofits to identify and address a local challenge and to recruit and enrich the social responsibility of volunteers. Noblehour.com is dedicated to using NobleCause to increase volunteerism that raises awareness at the local level and develops community members who can take action.

For more information about Lees Leonard Center, visit service@leeuniversity.edu.






Tetra Images via Getty Images USA, New Jersey, Jersey City, Senior woman embracing senior man

By: Megan Jones

Boomers won't take old-style seniors' homes lying down -- they want to do things their way.

Janet Torge's original scheme was this: assemble a group of middle-aged men and women, storm into a long-term care home and take it over. Stream through the doors. Kick out the staff. Occupy the rooms. Maybe she even imagined the elderly residents flipping over their trays of meatloaf, cheering.

Torge, then in her 40s, was fed up with the way she saw facilities for seniors organized. To her they were dreary, patronizing, dull. While she wasn't nearly old enough to live in one herself, she wanted change before she got there. For her, the only solution was to get radical.

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In the end, the documentary filmmaker chose something less extreme. Today, at 67, Torge is a head organizer of Radical Resthomes, a group she works at with Lorraine O'Donnell, a coordinator-researcher of the Quebec English-Speaking Communities Research Network. The two live in Montreal.

Radical Resthomes is a group dedicated to helping seniors find and develop their own alternative living arrangements. It's a question many will have to consider as the large boomer cohort ages: within the next two decades, it's expected that nearly 23 per cent of Canadians will be 65 or older.

For the past year or so, groups of eight to 10 people have met across the city to brainstorm about their ideal living situation."It's a home in the country for some. Others want to buy a six-plex and each have an apartment. Others still want a big duplex that they'd turn into one apartment," Torge says.

Either way, the idea is for seniors to design their own Radical Resthome -- a living arrangement suited to their changing needs, where they can remain independent, comfortable and engaged, and where they take care of themselves and each other.

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Torge's idea was sparked nearly 20 years ago, when her friends' parents began living in long-term care facilities.

"We would go into these residences and it was like, 'Oh my God, '" she explains. "Everybody was just sitting around in wheelchairs. Then they would wheel them into a room and they would clap their hands to music and we just thought, 'Really? This is how we're going to end up?'"

At the time, many of those old enough for senior's residences weren't interested in talking to Torge. They were part of an older generation. They wanted to live in their own homes, and they accepted the conditions in long-term facilities if they ended up in one.

But as Torge and her fellow boomers aged, she found a larger group who were excited about her ideas, and started meeting to discuss and how they might afford to live independently after they stopped working. Boomers, Torge says, ARE used to the idea of communal living, and accustomed to speaking out when they AREN'T satisfied.

Torge recently received a grant from the Therese Casgrain Foundation, which she will put towards developing a model for shared housing for women on fixed incomes. She has chosen a group of six or seven women and is arranging a meeting. If the women feel they'd like to live together, Torge will use the grant money to help them develop a new communal residence, which could serve as an example of what future Radical Resthomes might look like.

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The program has its detractors. Torge says the concern she hears most commonly is that the Resthomes won't function if residents get sick and can no longer take care of themselves. In that case, Torge counters, people living in a communal setting can take care of each other, or organize to bring homecare workers in.

What we want to do is provide a service that forestalls entry into nursing care. And what about in more difficult situations where the person may need 24/7 care -- someone in the middle or later stages of dementia, for example? Torge admits the program needs to be developed further. But she's confident that she and her colleagues will figure something out. "We're sort of experimenting," she says.

This kind of experimentation is starting to build slowly across the country. In Ontario, Baba Yaga Place Toronto has been in development for about a year. It was inspired by the Baba Yaga Home in Paris -- a community organized and inhabited by a group of elderly feminists.

In Toronto, Iris Kairow and her fellow board of directors have heard from about 200 people who expressed curiosity in the Baba Yaga project.

Like Torge, Kairow says her work is also in its early stages. She and her team, led by Wanda Davies, are putting in grant proposals in hopes of developing a business plan soon.

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"What we want to do is provide a service that forestalls entry into nursing care," she says. "There are nursing home facilities, there are palliative care facilities. We're not trying to replace those. Baba Yaga comes before that."

But Canadians like Torge and Kairow who are looking to set up their own co-op or alternative housing arrangement may find they're facing an uphill battle, financially. The federal government stopped funding social housing almost two decades ago, and while they continued to subsidize existing projects, the offer was time-limited. Between now and 2017, thousands of co-ops across are slated to lose subsidies as they're agreements expire.

Still, Torge remains hopeful governments will begin funneling money away from institutions and into home care. "If we're living together and trying to help each other out, I hope that the government also throws a few dollars at us. The idea is that we're saving them money by living this way."

To find out more about Radical Resthomes, visit Janet Torge's blog here.
Members of 1 PPCLI, A Company, 1 Platoon, led by Captain Kevin Schamuhn (left, seated taking notes) debrief the incident of earlier today where Lt. Trevor Green, Civilian and Military Cooperation unit, attached to 1 PPCLI, A Company, 1 Platoon was struck in the head with an axe during a leader's engagement in the village of north of Kandahar.

Exactly 10 years and two months ago, I was sitting in the dust of the Afghan village of Shinkay along with my platoon commander, Kevin Schamuhn, and an interpreter at a meeting with village elders, or shura.

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Kevin and I sat cross-legged on the ground on either side of our interpreter, facing the elders. I'd placed my helmet on the ground next to me and laid my rifle on top of it. One of the elders waved at a young boy, who then disappeared for about 10 minutes and brought back tea. The chai was freshly made and surprisingly refreshing.

A small group of young men and kids milled about curiously behind us. The rest of the platoon were fanned out behind them in defensive positions facing outward. I felt safe as usual with the superb soldiers of One Platoon watching my back.

The elders waited for us to initiate the conversation. Kevin opened the shura as usual, speaking directly to the leader about our presence and their security situation. ''We are here to support your country and help the people of Afghanistan," he began. The men leaned forward, as they usually did, squinting and trying to make sense of his words.

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Once the interpreter had translated, only one man spoke back to the translator. The others watched intently in silence. Kevin began the shura probing subtly for tactical information then handed off to me to ask about their infrastructure needs.

I took a sip of my tea and had started to ask a question when a young Taliban insurgent crept up behind me and swung an axe into my head like he was chopping a log. The attack was the signal for a carefully laid Taliban ambush.

Villagers scattered in all directions as the platoon came under withering fire from across the river, but amazingly there were no other casualties. Kevin called in for a dustoff chopper and ordered that smoke grenades be popped to mark our position but they landed too far away, so Kevin helped hustle my 200-pound carcass over a hundred metres to the chopper, where my Canadian stretcher had to be shoehorned into the American Black Hawk.

By harming a guest at a shura, my attacker, who journalists identified as Abdul Karim, broke a centuries-old pact known as Pashtunwali, which demands that guests, even enemies, be fed, given water and, most important, protected.

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The Taliban must have put him under intense pressure to commit such an abomination, akin to shooting a gun in church. They could have kidnapped his family and threatened to kill them. Or convinced the illiterate Abdul that it is written in the Koran that he would reach paradise if he killed an infidel.

Afghanistan has a fighting season that begins when the snow melts in the mountain passes, allowing movement into the vulnerable valleys. Kevin led One Platoon unerringly through the 2006 Afghanistan fighting season; seven months of combat patrols, IEDs, a major battle and ambushes like the one in Shinkay when I fell under the axe. When an American F-15 mistakenly dropped two laser-guided bombs on the platoon, Kevin was sure his command had been destroyed but the troops were again unscathed.

My wife, Debbie, and I have become friends with Kevin's parents. Marie and Ken live outside Vancouver and paid us a visit a few years ago. Marie crafted a beautiful wooden train set for my baby boy, Noah. We found out that every day without fail, Marie would pray for each member of the platoon, by name. I was only attached to the platoon for workup training in 2005 so I didn't make the prayer list. One Platoon was perhaps the only Canadian infantry platoon in the Afghan War to avoid casualties, and I was the only member of the platoon to be carried off the battlefield.

Kevin and his lovely wife, Annalise, were the guests of honour at my wedding in 2010. When the time came for toasts after dinner, my voice had become weak and was barely audible to anyone beyond our table, so Debbie stood and took over.

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She did a fabulous job of recognizing and thanking everyone who helped make the day a reality. When it came time to toast Kevin, I needed him to hear it directly from me. I wanted everyone to know how much it meant to me to have them at our wedding.

I asked Debbie for the microphone, sucked oxygen deep into my lungs and spoke: "The man standing at the back is Kevin Schamuhn, my good friend and platoon commander in Afghanistan. Next to him is his incredible wife, Annalise. I am honoured to know a man who carried out our mission with courage and integrity. No words can ever express how grateful I am to him for saving my life on the battlefield. Please join me in raising a glass to Kevin."

One hundred and thirty glasses clinked to a chorus of "To Kevin." Marie Schamuhn said her son always dreamed of becoming a soldier. I'll forever be grateful my brother followed his dream.

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John Rensten via Getty Images hands holding wooden letters spelling words

Every day presents us with so many choices, we often take them for granted.

Hit the gym for hot yoga, or a spin class? Have a nutritious and responsible kale smoothie, or indulge in a whip cream frappuccino? The choices we make -- even the little ones -- shape our identities and empower us in our own lives.

Now try to picture your life without all those choices. You eat what you can find, sleep wherever there's shelter. You must take what you're given.

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Studies show that feelings of powerlessness can lead to depression and anxiety. In 2011, researchers at the UK's London Business School found a fascinating link between choice and empowerment. Study participants were presented scenarios where they had various amounts of power, such as the being a boss versus an employee. They were then asked to make decisions with varying options. The researchers proved what has long been suspected: that having more choice counterbalances feelings of powerlessness and also improves psychological well-being by giving people a greater sense of control over their lives.

Whether it's an impoverished family a world away in rural India, or a person you see living on the streets, people in need often feel like their lack of choice means they have no say in their lives.

Recognizing the importance of having options, some charitable and community groups across North America are giving the most vulnerable a say in the aid -- and little comforts -- they receive, and discovering it can have almost as much impact as the hand up itself.

Roncesvalles United Church in Toronto is putting choice into its community outreach programs. For example, the church hosts an annual Christmas gala with a dinner and gifts for the homeless and others in need. A few years ago, gala volunteers stopped wrapping the gifts, allowing participants to choose what they want from items laid out on tables. Roncesvalles' Reverend Anne Hines recalls one elderly homeless man who shyly asked if there was a red hat, saying he'd always wanted one. Hines found two for him to choose from.

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"He looked like a kid on Christmas morning who finds a bicycle under the tree. You can't underestimate how much being able to state your own preference means to someone," Hines says.

We've heard about another initiative called the Furniture Bank, which collects donations of gently used furniture, appliances, and other household items in Toronto and the surrounding suburbs. Those in need, like women fleeing abuse and refugees who arrive here with nothing, can browse the Bank's warehouse, picking the items that suit them. Through choice, they have a measure of control over one of the most important aspects of their lives -- home.

As we go about our daily lives, it's worth appreciating our freedom of choice.

Some charities now ask for donations of gift cards rather than used items, so people have the dignity of choosing new things they like, not just accepting someone else's castoffs.

South of the border in Missouri, the Kansas City Community Kitchen made headlines by breaking the traditional mould of soup kitchens. Like a family restaurant, a greeter welcomes every guest like a VIP customer, seats them at their own table and hands them a menu with multiple nutritious choices. It's "dining with dignity," explains Beau Heyen, CEO of Episcopal Community Services, which runs the Kitchen.

The reaction has been incredibly positive. Heyen recalls receiving a note from a struggling single father who had brought his children for a meal. It read: "I never get to take my kids to a restaurant, but today I did. Thank you for that."

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As we go about our daily lives, it's worth appreciating our freedom of choice.

And as we look for ways to help the most vulnerable in our communities, let's keep in mind that it's one of the best gifts we can give.

Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity, Free The Children, the social enterprise, Me to We, and the youth empowerment movement, We Day. Visit we.org for more information.
Betsie Van Der Meer via Getty Images Close up of hand painting with brush.

I live in Victoria, BC but I'm about to get on a Toronto-bound plane to celebrate the 20th anniversary of DAREarts, a national program that introduces at-risk kids from ages 9 to 19 to music, dance, architecture, literature and fine art. I was one of the first people to benefit from the initiative when it started in 1996.

To be honest, I don't remember the specifics of what I learned about Mozart, Baryshnikov and Rembrandt. What I remember, though, is how it gave me the coping mechanisms to get through the worst parts of my childhood: poverty, severe bullying, an absent father, an abusive boyfriend with an addiction problem. Now that I'm a mother myself, I continue to pull from the lessons I learned through the arts, which gave me the strength to escape, to strive and to create a better life for myself and my daughter.

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I started the program during the most challenging year of my life. I was in grade 4, but had already been called names like slut and weak. My mother was at her limit and my biological father was absent (in fact I didn't know who he was until I was 17). The school principal was aware that our family was having a hard time -- my brother was frequently in her office, frequently facing suspension -- and did me the greatest favour of my life and recommended that I enrol in DAREarts.

The program taught me that while I could not control my surroundings, I could control how I responded to them. Crucially, it also challenged me to be invested in something, to take responsibility, and to focus on the positives. I remember sitting with the program's founder, Marilyn Field, stuffing envelopes with fundraising letters, talking with her about how we could make lives better for so many others. I felt like I was a part of something. I had purpose. It'a happy memory from a time that was filled with chaos.

That's not to say that the rest of my childhood was a fairy tale. When I was sixteen, my boyfriend told me that he loved me and wanted to be with me forever. I wanted love so badly, and he promised it to me. I got pregnant. After I had my daughter, I realized that he would never deliver on the love and life he promised me and my daughter. He was an crystal meth addict, and once again, I had to pull myself out from an abusive, negative situation.

This is where the lessons I learned from the arts really came in. I learned the creativity needed to problem solve throughout life and I had an outlet to pour out my feelings of helplessness when I needed it. The benefits weren't just in art classes. I became a leader in almost every school project, and finished high school with honours and an award. I went to college.

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Today, I have a full-time job with a pension and benefits. I own my own home and have been in a committed partnership for eight years with a man who has been a true father to my daughter. Making life better for her is a true team effort. We both work very hard.

My biggest accomplishment is my thirteen-year-old daughter, who is capable of anything. She has never known the poverty that I lived through, or endured bullying. Today, she attends Montessori school and volunteers at a local seniors' home. She is a leader in her class, loves debating, and is a graphic designer for an Instagram Taylor Swift fan page. Her dream is to earn a doctorate in Psychology at Stanford University. We have even toured the campus as she really wanted to see it when we were in California on the way to Disneyland.

Kids who have been given a rough hand in life need and deserve the lessons taught by the arts to reach their full potential and to give back to society. When vulnerable youth are in a program such as DAREarts, they bloom like flowers. They go from being these isolated kids who are vulnerable or timid and don't want to do anything to being kids who are eager to take on just about any new task.

By the end, they are painting, acting, performing, problem solving -- and they are part of the team. I sometimes wonder if my daughter's father had a program like this when he was a kid, if he would be able to know his little girl today: the ocean colour of her eyes and her beautiful compassion for others. His life was no easier than mine; I just had DAREARTS, where he had nothing.

DAREarts turns 20 this year with a celebration and fundraiser at the Carlu in Toronto. For more information, please visit DAREarts.

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Danita Delimont via Getty Images The British Columbia Parliament Buildings are located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The main block of the Parliament Buildings combines Baroque details with Romanesque Revival rustication.

Call it the elephant in the room quote.

Last July, whistleblower Alana James made a startling claim in an interview with the Vancouver Sun about allegations of corruption leveled at the B.C. Ministry of Health: "This was not about one ministry and less than a dozen individuals."

"This was systemic throughout government and public agencies and involved many people, some of them high up and in charge of making the decisions."

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James rejected speculation that the health ministry firings in 2012 were in any way related to research about specific drugs or the influence of big pharmaceutical companies on the B.C. Liberal party, calling it "a red herring."

Despite rampant speculation at the time over the reasons for the eight firings, the B.C. government has steadfastly refused to say what was behind the dismissals.

The government has since settled out-of-court with those fired, issuing apologies in all but two of the settlements.

One of the eight, Roderick MacIssac, was three days away from completing his PhD when he was let go. He committed suicide months later. The government has since apologized to his family.

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What if James was on to something, though? That this wasn't just about the health ministry?

According to the report of the investigation by the Office of B.C.'s Comptroller General -- an uncensored copy of which was obtained by the Vancouver Sun -- "the results of the investigation also confirm that the informant's allegations, with certain minor exceptions, have substantial merit and warrant further investigation by appropriate parties."

If James was right on those points, it stands to reason she might be right on others.

James first raised concerns with officials in 2010. They included "how current and former government employees worked as contractors while helping to draft contracts that gave their colleagues or family special treatment in terms of funding, access to research and intellectual property rights."

Some news stories add weight to her claims, and they were not the kind that came with ministerial photo-ops.

In 2010, informal discussions had begun between then-Deputy Health Minister John Dyble and Life Sciences BC over the possible sale of patient health information to private companies, according to documents released in 2015 through freedom of information.

Formal meetings started in April 2011. By the time James had become persona non grata in the ministry in 2012, the proposal was still very much alive.

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Government policies back then required a competitive process for any contract over $25,000, though direct awards could be given if there was "only one possible vendor who was qualified or available."

The comptroller general's investigation uncovered a $25,000 research contract on an Alzheimer's drug therapy initiative that was later increased to $2.4 million despite not going back out for public tender.

On Christmas Eve in 2010, the attorney general's office posted a direct award of a $48,000 three-month contract to a Victoria-based consultancy firm.

In 2012, the government awarded a one-year, $198,000 contract to Louise Turner, the new president of the Premier's Technology Council, without holding a competitive process.

In 2011, Clark hired Athana Mentzelopoulos as deputy minister for corporate priorities.

Three months later, the Vancouver Island Health Authority hired Mentzelopoulos's husband, Stewart Muir, as vice president of communications and external relations, a post which paid $160,000 a year.

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When news of the backroom appointment broke, Health Minister Mike de Jong stated that "a contract was signed but that the procedures in place to ensure there's a fair competition weren't entirely followed." The contract was cancelled.

Over at BC Hydro, the first contract was awarded under the smart meter program. The $73-million contract to install 1.9 million meters went to Corix Utilities.

On the board of BC Hydro at the time was CAI Capital Management financial analyst Tracey McVicar.

A major shareholder of Corix was CAI Capital Management.

BC Hydro's smart meter program cost an estimated $430 per meter. Quebec's program cost $263 per meter.

Dyble had also been deputy minister of transportation until January 2009.

One of the ministry's employees under his watch has found retirement to be golden. When he retired in 2006, his salary was $110,000.

Since then -- through a private corporation -- he's billed the government an average of $261,200 annually, for a total of $1.3 million.

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The multicultural outreach strategy was also in full swing by 2012.

Barinder Bhullar -- implicated in the scandal -- was a ministerial assistant to de Jong when he was appointed health minister in 2011.

The government never meant for most of these stories to be public, but they hint at something systemic.

It's why James's concerns may have been viewed as threatening to open a proverbial Pandora's box.

Remember that red herring thing? Maybe that's what was intended. Everyone focused on the health ministry side of the story and skipped the most important part: "systemic throughout government."

The issues James raised demand more than a cursory review and a now-proven whistleblower deserves better.

In a former office of a long past independent investigative arm of the B.C. attorney general, a sign read: "Corruption breeds best in the dark."

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Stringer . / Reuters Haitian children stand on a ridge alongside the road known as La Internacional that divides Hispaniola island into the Dominican Republic to the east, and Haiti to the west, in Guayajayuco, May 13, 2012. The border of the two countries that share an island but have historically tense relations that have included wars and massacres, is 388 km (241 miles) long and bisects a region of deep poverty where the trade imbalance favors the Dominican Republic by more than 100 to 1, according to official estimates. Despite their cultural differences many Haitians have migrated across the border seeking jobs, swelling the Haitian population in the Dominican Republic to over 800,000, almost ten percent of the Dominican total. Picture taken May 13, 2012. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Tags: POLITICS ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY)

As we sat huddled in a small thatch and wood structure waiting for a mix of rice and beans to boil over charcoal embers in Oriani Haiti, it was hard to imagine that this rudimentary cooking fuel, made from slowly charred trees, could be the cause of so much turmoil.

We were there on production for our feature documentary Death by a Thousand Cuts, which investigates the alleged murder of a Dominican park ranger by a Haitian charcoal producer caught illegally producing wood charcoal within a Dominican national park. The murder becomes a manifestation of violent conflict over limited forest resources and a symbol of the larger conflict between two nations occupying one island. It is an exploration of the far-reaching -- often overlooked -- human and ecological ramifications of the struggle over natural resources.

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The island of Hispaniola, shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti, is a unique case study that explains how the exploitation of natural resources can directly affect the fate of a nation. That the two countries have starkly different trajectories is largely related to how they have historically managed their natural environment.

There is no doubt that the extreme pressure on the land is an important factor exacerbating poverty in Haiti.

In the 1960s, the Dominican Republic, concerned with the effects of rapid deforestation and eager to modernize its economy, implemented severe laws to protect its forest: it subsidized propane as a cooking fuel and widely distributed cook stoves in rural areas, outlawed the production and use of wood charcoal, shuttered a large part of its timber industry and put the management of its national parks and forests under the control of the military.

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During the same period, Haiti made little headway protecting its forests and providing viable alternatives to charcoal and wood fuel, which today remain the primary source for cooking fuel throughout the country. As the forests of Haiti rapidly disappeared, many Haitian rivers were reduced to small streams or dried up completely, and a large part of productive soil for agriculture was eroded. Over the years, charcoal production spread to all corners of the country. There is no doubt that the extreme pressure on the land is an important factor exacerbating poverty in Haiti.

Over the past few years, we have seen firsthand how the severe lack of trees in Haiti translates into charcoal produced from ever-smaller pieces of wood, branches, and even tree roots. With inadequate forests of its own, Haiti has become increasingly dependent on the nearby Dominican forests to meet its substantial charcoal demand.

Since charcoal is considered contraband in the Dominican Republic, it is challenging to get reliable figures on the amount of charcoal illegally crossing the border, but by all indications it is a profitable and growing industry. From our own investigation, we saw firsthand as thousands of bags of charcoal were stockpiled and loaded on to trucks bound for Puerto Principe on a weekly basis. As a Dominican government official told us, charcoal trafficking is comparable to the drug trade; as long as there is high demand for the product, there will be producers willing to meet that demand.

The profitability of charcoal has also meant that its commercialization is no longer limited to poor Haitian farmers working the Dominican high mountains. While Haitians are responsible for part of the illegal charcoal trade, well-connected Dominicans with their own transport and distribution networks have developed a nearly industrial-scale production in the low-lying dry forests of the Dominican Republic.

The risks of continued deforestation for both countries of Hispaniola are significant.

Most alarming, what was once an entirely illegal activity in the Dominican Republic has in recent years acquired a convoluted legality. We obtained a copy of a permit from the Dominican Ministry of Environment authorizing the large-scale production of charcoal for export,100 acres of forest or 124,649 trees to one landowner alone, under the pretense of sustainably managed production. In documents we obtained from the Dominican Customs authority, over 2,800 tons of charcoal was exported from the Dominican Republic to the United States, Puerto Rico, Europe, Haiti and other countries in 2015.

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The chronically underfunded Ministry of Environment is now responsible not only for controlling illegal charcoal production, but also for overseeing forest management plans by newly permitted charcoal operations. Despite a dearth of vehicles, gas, personnel, equipment, now these officials are responsible for deciphering a new and confusing matrix of "legal" versus illegal charcoal operations. It clearly isn't working. "Legal" charcoal commerce, fueled by lack of supervision and corruption, has greatly increased the deforestation of lowland forests.

The risks of continued deforestation for both countries of Hispaniola are significant. Haiti, ranked as one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change, is increasingly more susceptible to a range of environmental impacts, including flooding, droughts, hurricanes, earthquakes, and landslides. More and more of this vulnerability threatens to extend to its closest neighbour.

While it is still not too late to save important habitats across the island, it will require a long-term, comprehensive approach be put in place. Stricter enforcement of forestry laws and ecological "charcoal" substitutes alone are not enough to address the escalating deforestation of the island, as long as the demand for charcoal is so great and the poverty of rural populations on both sides of the island remains so pervasive. A comprehensive solution requires a collaborative Dominican-Haitian approach that recognizes that continued deforestation will have dire consequences for the entire island.

DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS will have its World Premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival.
Tim Robberts via Getty Images A double exposure of two business men shaking hands with a view of the City of London and of a green fields landscape.

The ideal of a democracy such as ours is that we elect governments to enact laws in the general public interest. We may not each like every single law that is passed, but overall the laws passed should be in our general good interest.

There may even be laws that cause us inconvenience from time to time, but we accept them for the greater good. Take the laws that allow us to be pulled over, with no evidence to suggest we are guilty of anything, to see if we have been drinking while driving. Ride Checks are a minor inconvenience we all accept to help keep our roads safe.

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As citizens, we accept that some laws might cost us something or inconvenience us in some way, but we agree to them because that's the price of living in a civilized society.

This is why I have a real problem with people or corporations who think there should be no laws passed that impinge on them and their selfish needs -- but that's exactly what the corporate world is trying to push onto the rest of us with the latest generation of so-called free trade deals, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Where once trade deals dealt with bringing down tariffs to allow for the freer flow of goods between countries, today's trade deals put much more emphasis on "non-tariff barriers" such as laws and regulations within the countries involved in a trade deal -- and grant extraordinary powers to corporations to sue governments that pass laws that hurt their profits.

The idea is to ensure consistent regulations among countries in a trade deal so that one country can't use its laws and regulations to restrict trade. The reality is that corporations use the trade deals to restrict duly elected governments from passing laws that are in the interest of their own citizens.

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The TPP -- a proposed new deal between Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States of America and Vietnam -- is the latest in this new generation of trade deals.

Its Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) system would give corporations the right to sue governments if they pass laws that restrict their ability to generate a profit, even if those laws are in the public interest. There are no reciprocal rights in the deal, however, that would allow for corporations to be sued under the TPP's toothless labour rights chapter.

In certain cases, the deal would prevent governments from enacting new regulations on an industry, once regulations have been relaxed. This ratcheting effect means our laws can only move in one direction toward greater deregulation, without regard to any future societal needs or demands.

Canada is already the most sued nation under this system of extra-judicial tribunals. So why would we want to sign a new deal that could see us sued even more, just for passing laws that our citizens want? It makes no sense.

Governments are elected to pass laws that are in the public interest, on issues such as labour rights, protecting the environment, establishing minimum health and safety standards, to safeguard our cultural industries, and more. No trade deal should ever be ratified that limits this very basic responsibility of government. And yet that's what the TPP and other recent trade deals with an ISDS system would do.

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As if that weren't enough, the TPP would hurt many of our key industries, from dairy to auto, raise drug prices due to its patent law requirements, provide multinational firms an unlimited flow of temporary workers into Canada through inter-corporate arrangements, and more.

All this despite recent studies that predict the TPP will have a negative effect on Canada's economy -- or, at best, have little to no impact at all.

No wonder Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz called the Trans-Pacific Partnership "the worst trade deal ever." And, no wonder the deal was negotiated in secret by the Harper government.

Unifor is urging Members of Parliament to not ratify the TPP in its current form. Canada's approach to global trade and investment must serve to enhance our collective economic and social development, and must be guided by progressive, fair trade principles.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The Canadian Army Reserve is in terrible shape according to the auditor general report. According to Michael Ferguson's latest audit, the Army Reserve is lacking "clear guidance on preparing for international missions, had lower levels of training as cohesive teams, and had not fully integrated this training with that of the Regular Army."

Adding to that, the number of reservists is lower than needed and are not fully prepared to deploy when required. Constantly declining in numbers, Canada's Army Reserve is having issues recruiting and retaining its soldiers.

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In this blog post, I will only address the budget and training issues because I could probably write a 10-page essay on the Army Reserve transformation.

Although the Army Reserve budget has been based on a 21,000-strong force, whereas approximately 13,900 reservists are actively taking part in training, the units have insufficient funding. Due to budget restraints, army reservists have less training and have access to a strict amount of ammunition and equipment to develop their soldiering skills.

It is inconceivable that our reservists have very limited amount of ammunition and equipment to fulfill their tasks. Due to that, they can't properly train nor keep their skills to a reasonable level.

As a matter of fact, while the soldiers are clearly in need of more support to train them up to standards, the bureaucracy and the astonishing number of officers are draining up the budget. More than 27 per cent of the current Army Reserve budget is allocated to reservists that work on a full-time contract -- 1,704 soldiers had contracts longer than 180 days in the 2014-15 fiscal year.

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Canadian Army reservists are great soldiers, but they need better training to be able to fully function with the Regular Force in a short amount of time.

The Army Reserve has 123 units and 10 brigades. For example, a Regular Force brigade has more than 5,000 soldiers under its command. A Reserve brigade might have less staff than a regular one, but we're talking about 10 Army brigades for 13,900 soldiers. Within those brigades, a substantial number of officers and non-commissioned officers are working full time. It is a big waste of money, and the Canadian Forces could easily reduce the numbers of brigades and use the saved money for their soldiers; the same soldiers that will be on the frontline during deployments.

Another option would be to fill all the full-time positions with Regular Force soldiers. This would encourage full-time reservists to transfer to the Regular Force -- meaning they would need to deploy and not on a volunteer basis anymore -- and a substantial amount of money could be transferred into proper training for the troops. As of today, a full-time reservist receives 85 per cent of the salary of a Regular Force soldier and all the same benefits. However, a full-time reservist cannot be deployed abroad unless he/she volunteers to do so. This is why many of the full-time reservists end up serving years without deploying, something I can't agree with. If you want the benefits of a Regular Force soldier, you should meet the same deployment availability.

Canadian Army reservists are great soldiers, but they need better training to be able to fully function with the Regular Force in a short amount of time. I believe it is time for Canada to completely review its structure and how they use their allocated budget effectively. Let's not forget the incredible contribution the part-time soldiers made during the Afghan campaign. Many of them deployed more than once to serve their country while some Regular Force soldiers found many reasons not to get deployed. However, to allow them to deploy, a considerable amount of time and resources were used.

Take a Reserve infantry regiment for another example. Many of them in Canada have fewer than 200 soldiers but have the same structure a regular infantry battalion has. So for each of the 123 Army Reserve units in Canada -- that's about 113 active soldiers per unit considering 13,944 soldiers are active -- there is a commanding officer, a regimental sergeant-major, and an insane number of officers to lead less than 100 soldiers. Twelve of the 123 units have fewer than half the soldiers needed for their ideal unit size.

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A regular infantry battalion has the same structure and has more than 500 soldiers under its command. I believe the Canadian Forces should consider merging different units together. This would lessen the number of officers and staff and enhance the training capabilities. Having bigger units would also enable the reservists to train up to regular force standards due to bigger budgets and a great amount of soldiers present during weekend training. Having less "brass" would also mean a better management; a definite impact of the troops in the field. And by "in the field," I also mean clerks, logistics and intelligence personnel.

By merging units together, I believe the Canadian Army would have a better control on training, spending and could offer its soldiers more ammunition, resources and much-needed equipment.

This brings me to the lack of training the Army Reserve soldiers receive. First, their basic and trade training are clearly not long enough. For example, an infantryman in the Army Reserve will not have access to all the weapons a Regular Force infantryman has during its training. Due to that, when a reservist integrates a Regular Force unit, he needs to undergo numerous training to get up to speed. I don't understand why a Reserve soldier is not trained on the same weapons since they are often called upon -- on a volunteer basis -- to fill in the gaps during Regular Force training and deployments.

Interoperability between Regular and Reserve units is also primordial. I believe the Canadian Army should involve Regular Force soldiers in the Reserve training. Cells should be created to enable the reservists to learn valuable lessons through combat veterans that made the Army their careers. The cells could also train the reservists on different weapons during the training period, enabling them to quickly integrate a Regular Force unit if needed.

The auditor general's report should be read by anyone interested in defence spending in Canada. In the report, it is clear that the Army Reserve severely lacks critical equipment and resources to train their soldiers. And let's be honest, it is already in a terrible shape and I haven't talked about domestic operation capabilities and equipment, preparedness, physical fitness and the amount of money wasted in infrastructure support for more than 123 units and 10 brigades.

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PeopleImages via Getty Images Shot of a grief-stricken man sitting on a sofa with his head in his hands

It must be a huge relief for the members of a jury when an eight-week trial ends, but even so, it's not often that half-a-dozen jurors dissolve into tears and sobs in the courtroom immediately after announcing their verdict.

That's what happened on April 26 after the Lethbridge, Alberta jury found David and Collet Stephan guilty of failing to provide the necessaries of life for their son Ezekiel. The 19-month-old boy died in 2012 after contracting meningitis and spending eight minutes without air in an inadequately equipped ambulance taking him to hospital.

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One courtroom observer (a friend of the Stephans) told me six of the twelve jurors cried, some quite loudly. Global News reported that "several jurors" cried. The Canadian Press said two. The CBC -- the news source that had consistently painted a negative portrait of the Stephans throughout the trial -- didn't bother mentioning jurors crying, saying in its online coverage only that Collet Stephan and "people in the courtroom's gallery" cried.

My observer told me other details that went largely unreported: the jury foreman had announced the verdict in a choked, hoarse voice. The judge, too, appeared emotionally affected. He looked shocked, appeared to wipe a tear from his cheek, and was similarly hoarse with emotion when he spoke. He refused the crown's request that the Stephans be forced to immediately surrender their passports. "I have come to know the Stephans," he explained.

This was clearly a sad case, but it seems unlikely that the jurors were crying over Ezekiel's death at this late stage. That had happened earlier on, during the replaying of the Stephans' urgent calls to 911.

It's illegal for jurors to disclose what happened during their deliberations, so we'll never know for sure what distressed them so. However, my suspicion is that they cried for two reasons.

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First, like the judge, they had gotten to know the Stephans during the trial and felt enormous sympathy towards them for what will now happen to them and their three other children. They realized that the Stephans are not the callous ignoramuses who tried to cure their child's meningitis with maple syrup, as some news reports keep repeating. They are caring, loving parents who had already paid mightily for any apparent failings.

Second, jurors probably disliked the horrible feeling that they had been forced to convict this couple when they would have preferred not to.

Rare, controversial cases like this demonstrate a little-known void in Canada's criminal law. We lack two features that some other jurisdictions have: the right for juries to judge not only the facts but also the law, and the right for juries to know about this power.

These concepts date back to Bushell's Case, an English case decided in 1670. A jury acquitted two men of offences related to the public preaching of Quakerism. However, the judge wanted a conviction. He locked the jurors in overnight without food, water or heat. Still they acquitted. He then fined them for contempt and imprisoned them until they paid their fines. One stalwart juror, Edward Bushell, refused to pay. A higher court eventually freed him, establishing the principle that jurors cannot be punished for their conscientiously held verdict.

Some U.S. states have even incorporated this principle into their state constitutions. For instance, Maryland's constitution says this: "In the trial of all criminal cases, the Jury shall be the Judges of Law, as well as of fact..."

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Often called "jury nullification", this process of judging the law and acquitting was widely used during Prohibition to invalidate alcohol control laws that jurors felt were unjust.

Canadian juries actually do have a similar power to exercise their consciences and rebel against what they see as an unjust application of the law. Mandatory jury secrecy ensures this--provided a juror is sufficiently independent-minded and logical to figure it out. The problem is, jurors can't be told about it. Lawyers who tried to encourage such juror mutiny would be in contempt of court.

It's an interesting contradiction. Citizens are ultimately the source of our laws. We trust them to make new laws and change old ones by voting for representatives in parliament, or becoming representatives themselves. But when it comes to making law in the courtroom, we deny them the knowledge of their power.
These moms risked everything to keep their children safe, healthy and happy.

Wherever in the world UNICEF works, we see the same thing from moms time and time again -- they'd do anything for their children.

Meet some of the mothers who overcame obstacles, battled distressing situations and made phenomenal sacrifices for their children.

Binta, Chad

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Binta Mahamadou cradles her twin son and daughter inside her family's tent shelter at the Dar es Salam refugee camp.  UNICEF/UNI185044/Cherkaoui

Binta and her family fled their home in north-eastern Nigeria when her village was targeted by Boko Haram.

"On the morning of the attack, we fled to the boats and went to Chad. I was close to giving birth but I had no idea that they were twins. I had to go to the hospital to give birth. I was very afraid of losing them."

"Today I'm fine, and when I look at my little twins, healthy, I feel blessed. We are all survivors here."

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Martha, Malawi

Martha Jere holds her eight-month-old son Rahim at their home in Bilemoni village, Malawi.  UNICEF/UNI201826/Schermbrucker

Martha was born with HIV at a time when a diagnosis often meant death, especially for children in low income countries. Now a mother herself, Martha has defied the odds and her son Rahim is part of Malawi's AIDs-free generation.

A decade ago, less than 1% of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV were receiving the best treatment available. Now, three in five are on antiretroviral treatment. To prevent transmission from mother to child, Martha took daily treatment and tested Rahim six weeks after he was born.

Martha raises him independently, and is clearly proud of her young son: "I was so excited, so happy he was not carrying the virus. [He's] growing healthy and strong. He is happy, friendly and feels comfortable with anybody."

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After receiving assistance through a teen support group as an adolescent mother living with HIV, Martha now speaks publicly about her experiences to help other young mothers. "I encourage other mothers I meet that even if they're HIV-positive, it's not the end of the world, they can still live a long life."

Neveen, Gaza

Neveen Barakat comforts her 6 year-old daughter Rosol in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.  UNICEF/UNI179600/El Baba

Neveen's husband passed away in a blast that hit a UN run school in Gaza. The blast wounded three of her children, including six-year-old Rosol, and left Neveen with a permanent disability.

Now responsible for raising her four children alone, Neveen's main concern is their health.

"[Rosol] saw a lot of things -- people injured with missing hands or legs, with wounded faces and eyes. She also saw her father killed. This was shocking for her. It had serious psychological effects on her." She brings three of them to receive psychosocial support from a counsellor working for UNICEF partner The Palestinian Centre for Democracy and Conflict Resolution.

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Maryamu, Nigeria

Maryamu holds her daughter Hyladan in a camp for internally displaced people in Adamawa, Nigeria.  UNICEF/UNI181413/Esiebo

When members of the Boko Haram rebel group attacked the church in Maryamu's hometown, she was home sick. When she heard gunshots, she grabbed her daughter and ran.

Maryamu has not seen her husband since and fears the worst.

In a camp for internally displaced people in Yola, Maryamu and her daughter are receiving medical and school supplies and access to clean water from UNICEF. Maryamu wants to return home when it's safe -- even though she knows there is little left of her former life. "There is nothing in our house. They took it all. We had a motorcycle and many cows. It's all gone."

Amira, Germany

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Amira Rasland comforts her crying son Karam in an emergency shelter on the southern edge of Berlin. Beside her are her two other children, Amr and Jannat.  UNICEF/UN05635/Gilbertson VII Photo

Amira and her family are refugees from Homs, Syria. In 2015, they made the weeks-long journey from Turkey by land and sea to Germany where they filed for asylum.

Despite the hardship and violence they've faced, Amira and her husband, Khalid, are careful to stay strong and positive for their children.

"The scariest part was the water crossing. We managed to put all three kids to sleep before the boat left, and used our bodies as shields between them and the sea so they couldn't see the water... We had to master our emotions so we didn't transmit our fear to the kids."

Amira has big dreams for the future of her family -- and plans to work hard to make them come true. "We're very determined -- all of us -- to go to school and master German. Twenty years from now, I hope that people around the world will talk about our family and the challenges that we faced and the successes we achieved."

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Bimala, Nepal

Bimila Dhakune and her son Kris at a hospital in Charikot in Nepal.  UNICEF/UNI186055/Sokol

Bimila was outside her house when the earthquake struck. Her husband and four year-old daughter fled their house before it collapsed, but her youngest child -- 18-month-old Kris -- got trapped under the rubble.

Bimala and her husband rushed into the rubble and dug out Kris with their hands. He was unconscious and covered in dust. "It was terrible. I can't remember anything [but] the dust and his blue face."

When Kris regained consciousness, Bimila began to breastfeed him. "I thought 'Oh my God, we are all alive. If another earthquake happens, we will be OK, because we are safe now. The world can fall apart, but we are together.'"

Salome, Fiji

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This is the suitcase that saved Salome's baby.  UNICEF/UN011244/Hing

When Cyclone Winston started to tear apart Salome's home in Fiji, she huddled her two sons in the corner and, as the roof and walls were blown away, she reached for the only thing that could protect her one-year-old boy: a suitcase.

Salome placed her baby in the suitcase and used her body to shield it from flying tree branches and debris. The eye of the cyclone gave her just enough time to grab her boys and run to the relative safety of the village hall, where all three survived this terrifying night together.

UNICEF helped bring Salome, her children and thousands more like them access to water, health care and safe spaces to recover.

This Mother's Day, you can help moms everywhere.

No matter where they are in the world, there's one thing all mothers want: the health and safety of their families. Honour your mom's courage and determination this Mother's Day with a UNICEF Survival Gift.

Your gift will provide essential vaccines, vitamins, prenatal healthcare, blankets, birth registration and more to help moms around the world protect their children. We'll send a card to your mom telling her about the live-saving work she's supporting.

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Rashini Suriyaarachchi, UNICEF Australia

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The Tennessee Valley Authoritys stewardship mission was the main theme of todays TVA Board of Directors meeting in Paris Landing State Park, Tenn.

TVAs mission is to help improve the quality of life for the people of the Tennessee Valley, said TVA President and CEO Bill Johnson. We do that by being fiscally responsible and providing low cost electricity, environmental stewardship and economic development.

Chief Financial Officer John Thomas reported that TVA has maintained healthy financials despite lower revenues. So far this year, consumers are benefiting from mild weather and much lower costs for fuel and purchased power, he said. We are maintaining good discipline in managing our costs, even with lower sales, and focusing on the bottom line to keep our rates low. For more complete financial information go to: www.tva.com/investors .

TVA is cutting its monthly fuel cost adjustment in May to the lowest level in six years. The overall system average fuel rate is approximately 34 percent lower than the thee-year average. The lower cost is driven by recent mild weather and lower natural gas prices.

Strong financial management also includes evaluating asset needs today and in the future and making the decisions necessary to adjust for continued flat demand in electricity. At the meeting, the board voted to surplus the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant property in northern Alabama so it can be offered for sale and potentially put to better use. TVA has been preserving the property as an option for future nuclear generation. TVAs Integrated Resource Plan shows that large-scale power generation sources will not be needed for at least 20 years.

We sought public comments on whether to sell or keep the property and for what uses, Mr. Johnson said. Our analysis of the property and its potential uses, and input from public officials, customers and Valley residents, indicate that offering the property for sale could better serve the public. With the boards vote, TVA will now begin the process of getting the property ready for auction.

TVA serves as steward of the regions natural resources and manages 293,000 acres of land and 11,000 miles of shoreline. The work of TVA employees in resource management makes a difference, and its rewarding for employees and for the public, Johnson said. Since 2015, TVA employees have partnered with more than 460 groups to conduct activities on 41 reservoirs upgrading public recreation sites, enhancing habitat areas, protecting archaeological and historical sites, and conducting educational outreach efforts on the importance of protecting our natural resources.

Our work as stewards of the regions natural resources requires us to deal with the challenging issue of how to manage the Tennessee River system and other resources to provide the greatest good for the public and for all the people we serve, Mr. Johnson said. That question was at the heart of the study we conducted for more than two years, gathering input from owners, the public, other lake users, environmentalists, community leaders and public officials, among others, on how to address privately owned, non-navigable floating houses on TVA reservoirs.

There are approximately 1,800 of the non-navigable structures on TVA reservoirs. More than 50 percent of these do not have permits and do not meet the minimum safety and environmental standards.

The board approved a new policy on floating houses that does not allow any new floating houses on TVA reservoirs and all floating houses must be removed within 30 years. In addition, the existing floating houses must be permitted and meet safety and environmental standards.

These structures amount to a commercial development of private communities on public waters, Mr. Johnson said. Like national and state parks, which prohibit private residential use of public resources, the land and water we manage are owned by the public. We have taken care to consider all perspectives on this issue, as well as the environmental and safety impacts, and believe this is the correct course of action for everyone.

During the boards External Relations Committee report, members received an update on TVAs economic development activities. So far this year, TVA has helped attract or retain 50,000 jobs and $6.1 billion in business investments in the Valley. Mr. Johnson told the board that TVA works with customers, public officials and economic development agencies to attract good jobs to the region and retain them, help existing businesses and industries thrive, and to help Valley communities prepare for growth.

In other business, the board approved:
The five things you need to know on Thursday May 5, 2016

1) BLINKING HECK

One of the best Dr Who episodes ever written was called Blink, and it featured advice on how to deal with aliens: Dont blink. Blink and youre dead. Today is all about blinking, or not blinking, in a political sense.

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David Cameron blinked over child refugees, but refuses to do so over his Trump remarks. Jeremy Hunt is certainly not blinking over junior doctors, but the BMA has today shown a bit of rapid eye movement. And the battle between Jeremy Corbyn and his internal critics is a world staring contest to played out over the weekend - and right up to July.

For most politicos, if not the voters (low turnout is expected) today is a Big Day. In fact its so big that some have lamely tried to call it Super Thursday. There are certainly lots of elections, from the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, PCCs, mayors, 124 councils, two Parliamentary by-elections (dead certs for Labour, though eyes will be on their rivals share). We have a handy LSE tool to tell you whats happening in your postcode.

With polls having opened at 7am, the broadcasters will be legally required to be silent until 10pm. But the online world is different, and well aim to keep you posted throughout the day. (We have final pitch blogs from Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith). Unlike the BBC et al, we will even be allowed to report on the final skirmishes of Business Questions.

In normal times, such a set of elections would be seen as a referendum on the progress of a sitting Prime Minister. But with a new leader of the Opposition, they are inevitably also seen as Jeremy Corbyns first major collision with the reality of the ballot box. One Shadow Cabinet source tells me that Jon Trickett has owned this local election campaign and the Corbynistas have no one to blame but themselves for the expected losses. Up in Scotland, Kezia Dugdale warned that the anti-semitism row (or rather the mess of it) was being brought up on the doorstep.

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Managing expectations is what local elections are usually about but Corbyns line this week that we are not going to lose seats sounded like the New Politics. Unfortunately the old politics means some PR rules still apply and yesterday we saw the surreal sight of his spin doctor saying Jezza had been slightly misinterpreted.

Several Labour MPs were muttering dark thoughts after the PM turned PMQs into LeaderOfTheOppositionQs with his Hamas attack. The critics are as split as ever, but watch for a coordinated parade of discontent when those English council losses roll in overnight and early tomorrow. One things for sure however on the plot front: Im told its complete fantasy to think Tom Watson will give even tacit backing for any attempt to oust Jezza.

2) CHILD IN TIME

The impending refugee U-turn seemed like such a good issue for Corbyn at PMQs, its genuinely baffling as to why he didnt make it the subject of at least some of his questions yesterday. He had a story to tell about having visited the Calais and Dunkirk camps, and even with a Cameron concession (which the PM clearly was uneasy about making, as he drip-fed it over several questions) he could have claimed a moral and political victory. With Labours Alf Dubs - and to be fair Tim Farron - making the weather, even some close to Corbyn wondered just why he let the SNP claim the PMQs limelight on a Labour issue.

Theres still a lack of detail about just how many refugees will be allowed in, but No10 made clear an hour after PMQs (always a sign that a policy has been hastily drafted) that only those already registered in France, Greece and Italy would be eligible. Councils are expecting to get some financial help to make this work - and work quickly.

Many MPs believe the PM would have acted earlier to find a compromise but for his worries about the message it would send about European migration controls and Brexit more widely. And speaking of Brexit, the Sun has a fun mock-up of Cameron looking like Wurzel Gummidge as it reveals he will appear on Countryfile in a bid to persuade rural voters to stay in the EU. Oh, and he was so worried about the hordes of Turks line that he told the Liaison Committee Turkeys membership of the EU would take decades.

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3) WIZARD OF SOZ

As Ken Livingstone proved last week, sorry really seems to be the hardest word for some politicians. Elton John was prescient about Labours anti-semitism row - Its a sad, sad situation. And it's getting more and more absurd - and yesterday yet another Labour councillor was suspended.

But David Cameron too is in non-apology mode when it comes to The Donald. Some in Whitehall and the Foreign Office were taken aback earlier this year when the PM broke with convention to attack Trump so vociferously over his Muslim plan ban.

As ever in diplomacy, its about being able to mend fences at some point in the future, making your displeasure clear while keeping open your options. Yet Camerons stupid divisive and wrong line came from his gut and No.10 sources made clear he has no intention of withdrawing the remarks. Trumps team have insisted on a retraction before he makes any visit to the UK this summer, but one gets the feeling that Downing Street is calculating that Trump needs that photocall a lot more than they do.

BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch Hillary Clintons new attack ad (warning: lots of Republicans were harmed in the making of this movie)

4) PAUSE FOR EFFECT

Has the BMA blinked first in its row with the Department of Health? The doctors union has announced it is looking at the Royal Colleges plan for a five-day truce - but only if Jeremy Hunt suspends his contract imposition and starts talks again.

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The Department of Health last night appeared to insist that it was happy to resume talks suspended three months ago, but would not drop its contract timetable. And you many Tories now scent the BMA is on the back foot. The DH said: The BMA directly caused the introduction of new contracts after we agreed to suspend imposition last November, because they went back on their word to talk about Saturday pay. It is now too late to change the process of bringing in contracts which is well underway throughout the country. Hardball indeed.

The BMA itself is under pressure from some junior doctors to actually step up the industrial action and start an indefinite series of strikes. said a Department of Health spokesman. The Guardian has an interesting snippet about the most recent cross-party compromise plan to pilot the contracts It says Hunt rejected it after discussing it with Downing Street.

5) LESS STRESS MESS

Away from the cacophony of PMQs, one of the least noticed stories yesterday was the decision by the DfE to axe the role of mental health champion for schools. Suspicions were instantly raised that Natasha Devon was being silenced because she had been so outspoken about the impact on children of the Governments primary school testing regime.

The DfE strenuously denies theres any attempt to shut her up and says she will remain on a mental health steering group. Devon last week told a headteachers conference that for youngsters a culture of testing and academic pressure is detrimental to their mental health.

Charities and unions smell a rat. Devon tells the Guardian she is no longer authorised to comment as mental health champion. Not a good look for Sam Gyimah, who appointed her last August.

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Croatia and I go way back. It's over thirty years since I first visited Cavtat, a small tourist resort in what was then Yugoslavia, and over the years I've watched as the country fell apart, only for Croatia to re-emerge as a vibrant, independent country. What keeps drawing me back is not just the stunning coastline or the dry, charming people, but the unique traditions and culture, which survive however many tourists visit.

A trip to Croatia is about more than just the beaches and the clear blues skies. Here are my eight top tips for really getting to know the country, and make your holiday really memorable.

Visit a National Park

Croatia may be famous for its island-dotted coastline, but inland there are some spectacularly beautiful natural parks to visit. Most famous is the Plitvice National Park - the largest in Croatia and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. Around two hours drive inland from Split, 73,000 acres of unspoilt countryside are dotted with sixteen, jewel coloured lakes that step down through the hills, linked by tumbling waterfalls. A network of paths and boardwalks link the lakes; come prepared to walk! Closer to the coast, the Krka National Park (around one hour's drive from Split) has seven spectacular waterfalls linked by the sparkling Krka River.

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Learn the Lingo

Well, not the entire language, obviously; not least because Croatian might be the most impenetrable language on the planet. But a cheery dobar dan (good morning) and regular use of hvala (thank you) will go a long way to endear you to your hosts. The odd molim (please) isn't a bad idea either.

Eat Crni Rizoto

If you're holidaying anywhere in Dalmatia - from the island of Rab all the way down the coast to the Bay of Kotor - you're bound to find Crni Rizoto on every restaurant menu - black risotto. It's basically squid risotto; the kicker is that the sauce is made from squid ink - thus the colour. Sounds revolting? It's actually delicious, thick and sticky and surprisingly tasty. For more squeamish diners, the other classic (and less scary) dish to try is Mussels Bouzzara - shell-on mussels in a spicy tomato sauce.

Go on a Wine Tour

Croatian wines may not be a frequent sight in your local branch of Waitrose, but this is because most vineyards are small and produce only enough wine to sell locally, or within Croatia. But there are some wonderful wines to try, particularly in Istria, which has its own Wine Road, bringing together over 80 different winemakers, with many vineyards offering tastings to visitors. In Konavle, the southernmost region of Croatia, close to Dubrovnik, a small train takes visitors to several of the wine producers that dot the region.

Learn a little history

Here comes the shameless plug; if you want to know more about the recent history of Croatia without ploughing through a dull guidebook, pick up a copy of The People We Were Before. The novel is set entirely in Croatia, and tells the story of a young boy growing up in pre-war Yugoslavia, and the tragic events that befall him and his family during the Croatian War of Independence in the early 1990's. Set in and around Dubrovnik, it gives an insight into what Croatians went through, just twenty-five years ago.

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Island-hop

With a coastline flecked with over 1,000 islands, wherever you holiday in Croatia, one of the best ways to spend a day is to hop on a boat and indulge in a spot of island-hopping. From Dubrovnik, it's just twenty minutes to the beautiful, unpopulated island of Lokrum, or pretty Kolocep, while from Split it's easy to hop across to Hvar - Croatia's glitziest island - for a day trip. If you're staying in Istria, on the northern coast, the Birjuni Islands National Park is an easy trip from Pula.

Guzzle Gelato

Istria was part of Italy until the end of the Second World War, and that heritage is everywhere to be seen - particularly in the food. But the Croatian love of gelati extends throughout the country, so wherever you are you can indulge in lipsmacking, home-made ice-cream. In Dubrovnik, locals swear by Dolce Vita (Naljeskoviceva 1a), while in Rovinj, Gelateria Italia (Piazza Campitelli 60) is the top spot. If you're in Zagreb and happy to queue, drop by Vincek (Ilica 18), where the black chocolate is the answer to chocoholic's dreams.

Drink Slivovicz

Just don't take it home. One of those drinks that tastes fabulous on holiday (but will moulder away at the back of your drinks cupboard in the UK), Slivovicz belongs firmly in Croatia, where it slips down very nicely as an after-dinner tincture. Made from damson plums, it's available everywhere, but if you are offered the chance to try home-made Slivovicz, say yes - it tastes totally different. Just approach with caution; it's super-strong.
London's bar scene is the most epic in the world. From the late night dives to Martini trolley pushing hotel bars and cocktails from the best bartenders in the world, these 50 bars are a MUST for London's boozers. Message BarChick Concierge aka. your boozing PA for the best bar recommendations and bookings!

Best to do list, like, ever...

1. 68 and Boston - Downstairs is a wine bar where every bottle is 20. Even Champagne if you play nice. Upstairs is one of Soho's best cocktail bars and Chorizo Old Fashioneds. Epic.

2. 69 Colebrooke Row - This bar does classic in style. Their legendary edible Bloody Mary that you shoot from an oyster shell... don't ask, just try it. It only seats 35, but they've been known to seat even Keira Knightly on the stairs so you're in with a shot.

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3. Bar Story- Under the arches of Peckham Rye station this car park/bar/cool hangout has a ridiculous cocktail list scribbled on the board and you can get two for 7 in happy hour. Boom.

4. Bar Termini - The real Italian deal. Swing through aperitif style and stand at the bar for a 1 espresso or a pre-batched Negroni to perk you up before dinner.

5. Beaufort Bar at The Savoy- Possibly the sexiest hotel bar in London which is dripping gold (40Ks worth if you're wondering). It's glamorous - as should you be if you come in here. Do the Savoy double and pop into the American Bar for a booze history lesson whilst you're at it.

6. Black Rock - There's a river of whiskey inside a giant oak tree. SERIOUSLY. This is one of the most epic bars BarChick's ever been to.

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7. The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch -If you love live music and wanna party in a private caravan inside a bar, this is your place. The ribs are some of the best in London, the bourbon selection is banging and you're pretty much guaranteed to pull.

8. Cahoots - It doesn't get more London than drinking in a tube carriage. Book into this once air raid shelter and you'll be transported, literally, to war-torn 1940's London for some drinking on the ration.

9. Callooh Callay- A bar inside a wardrobe never gets old. Get your Narnia freak on, drink colour changing cocktails and beg for an invite to the Jub Jub.

10. Camden Town Brewery- Piss up in a brewery? Exactly.

11. Cecil's- Chilled cocktails in the week and cabarets, stripping nuns and rumours of sex parties at the weekend. Come with an open mind and your most fun crew.

12. Cellar Door - Drag Queens, snuff and a load of absinthe in an underground toilet by Somerset House... right.

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13. The Connaught -'Cos sometimes you wanna go somewhere insanely beautiful, drink some of the best Martinis in town and play 'spot the hooker'.

14. Cork & Bottle- An old school underground wine haven underneath the mayhem of Leicester Square, it's a sanctuary in these parts.

15. The Dolphin - No one has lived until they've woken up with the legendary dolphin stamp on their wrist. Anything goes, they play R Kelly's Ignition every hour and the drinks are worryingly cheap. Just say yes.

16. Duck & Waffle - 'Cos where else do you go at 4am for Champagne, crispy pigs ears and that epic waffle dish? The view is the best in London and it looks even better when you're four Nutella Negronis in and the sun's coming up.

17. Duke's - Home to Bond's Vesper Martini, home to the coolest Martini trolley in town and home to Alessandro. Behave nicely and they'll let you have more than one. Can you handle it?

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18. East London Liquor Company - Distillery, bar and bottle shop all in one, could this Mile End join get better? Plus grilled cheese toasties. Turns out it could.

19. ECC - Dress up and get over the tw*tty French attitude on the door because London's original Experimental Cocktail Club is sexy and slick throughout. Find the unmarked door in Chinatown and discover a little piece of Paris. Mais oui.

20. Evans & Peel - Who doesn't love a bit or role-play and a good detective agency-cum-cocktail bar? Get past the (hot) detective to enjoy prohibition vibes and boozing out of paper bags. Original and surprisingly not gimmicky.

21. Found - Shoreditch failsafe. Hidden behind velvet curtain underneath Casita is this perfect little bar. Oskar's mixing up awesome cocktails while you fondle your date in the tucked away corner. Nice.

22. Frank's - This bar atop a grotty carpark put Peckham on the map. Go soak up awesome London views with a 5 cocktail in hand.

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23. Gerry's Club- This place is in fact run by a guy called Michael, not Gerry. The guy's an *rsehole to everyone, you'll probably get into a fight, the drinks taste like sh*t - but everyone should have been (if you can get in). Just never go before 2am.

24. The Gibson- It's kind of like an Edwardian time-warp and legendary bartenders Marian (ex-Nightjar) and Rusty (ex-Connaught) know a thing or 10 about making perfect cocktails. Killer Martinis, fun smokin' cocktails served up in crazy vessels, pickle snacks and the best service you can get, it's legendary.

25. Gordon's Wine Bar - London's oldest wine bar (cave). Worth the hype. Just go. You'll see.

26. Happiness Forgets- No pretence, just amazing cocktails in a basement in Hoxton Square. Its rep has spread far and wide so book it baby.

27. Hawksmoor Spitalfields Bar - The legendary Shakey Pete's Ginger Brew is reason enough... but the insane meaty snacks, popcorn infused rum Old Fashioneds and eye candy GB World Class winner Ali Reynolds will keep ya coming back for more.

28. La Cabina- Open 'til 5am, London's latest happy hour from 11 'til midnight.. this Barcelona style dive bar rocks. Look out for the neon phonebox/tardis and you're there, then message for the secret code to get down there!

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29. Ladies & Gentlemen - Responsible for putting Kentish Town on the cocktail map, plus no one ever gets bored of booze in an old victorian toilet in this city.

30. Milk and Honey -Considered a Grandfather of the modern cocktail movement this speakeasy is kind of an institution. It's probably the only 'secret' prohibition bar undiscovered tribes in the Amazon have heard of.

31. Nightjar- World famous for its cocktails and with a waiting list to prove it. The garnishes turn their drinks into works of art worthy of a museum. Enjoy the live music and try to enjoy the drinks instead of Instagramming your night away.

32. NOLA - A little slice of New Orleans hidden above a bar in Shoreditch. Live jazz 'n blues, killer bourbon stiff ones and smoking' like the fat cats of the east on an awesome cigar terrace.

33. Oblix at The Shard - Because you're up The Shard & you don't have to pay big dollar for that killer view. Plus the drinks are damn delicious.

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34. Original Sin- Free pool, cocktail legends behind Happiness Forgets, a 10 meter long bar made outta whisky vats and bangin' burgers upstairs. Nuff said.

35. Piano Works- Where else can you rock up to a gang of jazz musicians and ask them to play a rendition of Bieber at 3am? Exactly.

36. The Pink Chihuahua at El Camion - This basement was run by the late ledge Dick Bradsell, cocktail rebel extraordinaire who invented the Espresso Martini, but it's the tequila and late night debauchery you're here for: the end game for any Soho night out.

37. Portobello Star - An awesome little gin joint run by bar wizard Jake Burger with a Ginstitute upstairs. Yup, you can get up there and make your own gin.

38. Ridley Road Market Bar - All good vibes and awesome for a little dance and some market fresh fruit cocktails.You even might find some kind of leftover goat head on the street from the market that day. Win win.

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39. Sager & Wilde - It's East, it's cool, it's always busy and they do wine like no other. Wine fans go get in line.

40. Satan's Whiskers - Old school hip hop, some of the world's best bartenders and plenty of unusual taxidermy; never seen a dildo on a badger? Now's your chance.

41. Sexy Fish - Damien Hirst Mermaids, cocktails in treasure chests and an enormous indoor aquarium hiding in the private dining rooms. Nice one.

43. Shoreditch House Rooftop- Even if you think it's full of tw*ts there's no arguing with pitchers by that pool. Now you just have to blag your way in.

44. Shrub and Shutter - Anywhere that puts on Disney nights with cocktails outta genie lamps and glass slippers is a must for us. The cocktails are weird and wonderful and it's impossible to not have fun.

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45. Sketch - You're here for the egg pod loos. Best loos in London, hands down.

46. Slim Jim's Liquor Store - Flash the bartender at this American dive bar and you get free booze. Or just whip off your underwear. Bras hang from the ceiling and the shots of bourbon flow.

47. Sovereign Loss- Badass bartenders, a 24 hour license, the best cocktails in Brixton and rumours of 2am posh junk food pop ups. Good luck finding that buzzer.

48. The Spaniards Inn - If you want a history lesson with your pint this boozer by Hampstead Heath is the place- it's one of London's oldest pubs and there's even an old toll gate outside.

49. The Vault - Secret bar hidden behind a bookcase in London's best whisky shop? Hell yeah. Date night nailed with killer whisky cocktails, Simo rockin' the show and comfy leather couches to kick back on with Chester the resident dog. Woof.

50. White Lyan- There's no ice, no citrus fruit and no sugar, just Ryan Cheti's mastermind of a menu. It's unlike any other bar and is kinda world renowned. Think black walls, bright lights and a strip pole downstairs if you get frisky.

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You may need for a moment or two to readjust your head-sets. This is one of the few speeches this Spring that will not offer you a Sellar and Yeatman history of sovereignty, or denounce the latest Brussels hammer blow to our liberties which seeks to outlaw the brushing of your teeth from left to right. Or maybe, come to think of it, it is the other way round. Nor will you hear a speech which galumphs along from one conceivably relevant classical tag to another. So, as Horace suggested, "Carpe Diem". Let's take time out to discuss a subject that itself provokes little controversy among members of the public while exciting orgasms of fury in some media organisations (for reasons which it might be impolite to subject to forensic examination), ideological frenzy in parts of a dogmatically juvenile political fringe, and occasional anger among other politicians who do not always comprehend that the BBC does not regard its primary role as being on their side of every story.

A reasonable point of departure is the wise cliche about the hole. When in one, it is often said, the first response should be to stop digging. This advice becomes ever more sound if, scratch your head as you may, you cannot quite understand why or whether there is a hole in the first place. As a country, we face our fair share of apparently intractable problems - but it's by no means obvious that the BBC is one of them. Britain has a crippling lack of affordable housing; a strikingly sub-optimal secondary education system; a health service into which government after government pours more cash without ever it seems satisfying either medical staff or patients; a low productivity, low wage workforce: all these problems and more warrant urgent political attention. But why obsess about something Britain already does strikingly well, something other countries envy us for, something the public appreciates, enjoys, and trusts us to do well? The thing I have in mind today is, of course, public service broadcasting, which stands at the heart of a broadcasting culture, embracing commercial operators and creative industries, that is as good as or better than any other in the world.

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No-one would invent the BBC today. But thank God our predecessors did. The BBC is one of this country's greatest institutions: it developed organically, almost accidentally, but it's become a central part of the public realm without being part of the state. Edmund Burke, presumably still read by a few Conservatives, would have celebrated the point. The BBC is not a way of making up for market failure. It is a core part of our civic humanism and of our shared, multi-ethnic and multi-racial, citizenship. Its role is underpinned by a common British set of values and a shared sense of mutual responsibility. It is a key part of the dialogue in our common British conversation.

Since I stood down as BBC Chairman almost two years ago, I have said very little in public about the Corporation's future. But it seems appropriate that I now make one - and perhaps only one - intervention as we approach the final few days before the government will outline its plans for the next Royal Charter. Now, and in the run-up to the time when Parliament debates the White Paper is the time when everyone who cares - cares about the role the BBC has played, and may or may not be able to go on playing, both in our national life and in the way the world sees Britain - everyone who cares needs to stand up, speak up, and make our voices count.

We need to say the things about the BBC that its many commercial enemies would prefer you not to know. Things they won't report tomorrow if they cover this speech at all. Like the fact that the BBC's real income has fallen over the past decade by more than 15%. Like the fact that in the past five years alone BSkyB's revenues went up by more than 16%, and ITV's increased by 21%.

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Like the fact that the BBC, once a giant in the communications market, is as the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications recently argued, "a comparatively small player", now dwarfed by multinational platforms who drive up the cost of content - of acquisition, of talent, of production, and of ideas - but have no interest in the UK except as a market. Like the fact that this supposedly fat-cat BBC keeps losing key executives because rivals offer twice the salaries. And this supposedly bloated, top-heavy, bureaucratic BBC now has its overheads down to just 7.6% - way, way below the public sector average of 11.2

No wonder the BBC sometimes feels besieged. By Government. By the Press. By Sky. By Google. By Apple. To survive it needs to negotiate and strike bargains with all its giant competitors. And yet here is a minor miracle: in the minds of British audiences, the BBC somehow remains bigger than all of them. It retains the overwhelming confidence of the British people, and the admiration of millions around the world: a unique cultural force with a weight of talent and ideas behind it. The UK's leading commissioner of new writing, and of new music too. A principal pillar of the UK's creative economy.

But the world of electronic media is changing faster than ever, driven not, as it once was, by BBC investments in brave new technologies like colour TV or Ceefax, but by the extraordinary evolution of connectivity and data transmission, of mobile devices, set-top boxes and internet TVs - a jungle of new platforms inhabited by the big beasts of the tech world. They want to get their hands on as much of the BBC's content as possible, to slice and dice it for their own convenience. But if the BBC is to retain a direct connection with the audiences that pay for its creativity, it will need both investment and perhaps added legal protection if its publicly-funded, UK-produced content, is to maintain due prominence as we stride into a new connected world.

These changes have begun, but still the BBC remains pre-eminent in British broadcasting. It remains faithful to the three part mantra spelled out in its Royal Charter - "To enrich people's lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain."

It is perhaps unpalatable to some critics, but when ICM asked people across the UK to put the BBC's purposes in order of importance they said clearly that first they wanted a BBC that entertains, as well as informing and educating us all. At its best the BBC manages to do all three at once.

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During the next Charter period the BBC will mark its centenary, having enriched the lives of successive generations in ways John Reith could barely have dreamed of a hundred years ago. A hundred years. If it were any other cultural landmark we wouldn't talk about cutting it down to size: we'd want to have it listed.

The BBC tells us things we didn't know about the world, including things we probably didn't want to know but should. It makes us think, even when thinking is uncomfortable. I am not one of those who denies that the media have an effect on the way society sees itself. How could they not? But I look at modern British society, more comfortable with diversity of opinion, of gender, of race, of religion and lack of it, of sex and sexuality, more comfortable perhaps than any other major nation in the world. I don't know whether that has been merely reflected by the media or influenced by the media - I think probably both - but Britain is a better place for it, and I'm proud that a Conservative Prime Minister is unflinching in his support for the diversity of modern Britain, even though it stands in such contrast to the England of my youth. We are all enriched by a BBC that reflects this new face of Britain back to itself - as it is, not as some of us may choose to remember it, and not as politicians might wish it to be. A BBC that brings the world into our living rooms and onto our mobile phones, and a BBC that shows the world both the truth about Britain but also the values that Britain stands for. To do these things requires a BBC not just free of political control but free of political threat; a BBC with stability, free to take decisions only in the public interest; a BBC with confidence in its future; a BBC that can stop looking over its shoulder and waiting for the next White Paper.

But what should happen when the BBC makes mistakes, which it sometimes does? What should happen when it is smug, as it sometimes is? What should happen when it occasionally gets too big for its boots? In those circumstances, it does need to be called to account. We cannot and should not expect politicians to sign up to a vow of omerta about the BBC's failings. But they need to exercise their oversight with almost monastic self-denial. Politicians may represent the people who own the BBC, but they do not own it themselves. We all own it, because we all pay for it - not through our taxes, but through our Licence Fee. This is not just another tax. It is payment for a service. We don't pay the Treasury: we pay the BBC.

So I am clear that although the BBC must report to Parliament about its performance, it must answer to the public when things go wrong. But MPs as well as Ministers must take care. In my last year as Chairman of the Trust, the BBC was summoned 22 times to appear before Parliamentary Committees.

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Lord Reith must have been spinning in his mausoleum. The DG and the Chairman appear more often before Parliamentary Committees than most Secretaries of State! The BBC needs to be regulated - a point to which I will return - but it doesn't need to be intimidated. The crucial regulator of the BBC is the trust that its viewers and listeners have in it. Maintaining public trust, not Parliamentary favour, should be the BBC's constant concern. When she wrote about the war-time BBC in her work "Human Voices", Penelope Fitzgerald noted that it was "dedicated to the strangest project of the war, or of any war, that of telling the truth". If the public were to come to believe that the BBC was falling short of that gold standard, we would have the beginning of the unravelling of its greatest asset.

But forty-eight million adults monitor the BBC each week, and by an overwhelming majority they want it to go on doing precisely the things it already does - plus a bit. When asked to choose just ONE source of News they trust, the British people overwhelmingly choose the BBC - five times ahead of its nearest rival and out of sight of any of its newspaper critics. When asked to choose at ten pm between the BBC and the newly-reinstated ITV News, audiences nightly plump for the BBC. What an irony then that some politicians, there to represent the public interest, question whether the audience should even be allowed that choice, claiming the BBC should vacate the space to ITV. What twisted definition of public service is that?

Of course, enriching our lives goes far beyond journalism. The BBC is at the cultural heart of this Nation. In fact, it is the cultural heart, and I welcome the measures taken by Tony Hall to forge closer partnerships with the nation's other great cultural institutions. And cultural enrichment is not just about the Arts. It's about Science, and Philosophy, and History too. It's about Ideas and Enquiry: it's about thinking the unthinkable. Here I fear the BBC has lost some of its ambition and needs to find it again. We need more programmes that are, frankly, slightly above our heads. Not inaccessible, but programmes that make us stretch to reach them. The BBC should remember the great auto-didactic tradition in British culture, not least in working class communities. BBC2 once offered that degree of challenge, but the tough stuff has largely gone to BBC4 and there, because of budget cuts, it's sometimes made with glue and string. The long-term security that licence fee funding is supposed to bestow on the BBC should give it the confidence to challenge us all. But every time politicians grab an easy headline at the BBC's expense; every time they question its scope, chip away at its funding and occasionally swipe great chunks of it; every time they seem to doubt its very future - they erode the BBC's confidence to make bold decisions about content. A former colleague noted the other day the tiny handful of elected representatives whose rent-a-quote swipes at the BBC guarantee them a mention day after day in a sympathetic press, and he posed the question: where are these constituencies where the voters worry more about the BBC than they do about having a job, or getting a home, or putting food on the plate? I can tell you the answer: they don't exist. No-one actually lives there. Like Old Sarum, they are rotten boroughs with grandiloquent names. Old Murdoch; Great Dacre-upon-Thames; Lesser Desmond.

The big buzzword around the next Charter debate is said to be Distinctiveness. The Secretary of State, Mr. Whittingdale, is said to want a BBC that's more distinctive. Now, you might well think that the BBC is pretty distinctive already: in its commitment to News, to services for Children; to natural history; distinctive in its commitment to each Nation and region and locality of the UK; distinctive in its provision of serious speech radio and its commissioning of new music; distinctive in its dedication to UK-productions; and distinctive in bringing Britain's values to almost 80 nations in 29 languages across 6 continents - all of them, in fact, bar Antarctica. Poor penguins.

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The World Service has been a bulwark for free expression and democratic ideals over eighty years, now sharing its own experience and expertise daily with UK audiences too and - with new and very welcome additional funding from the Government - now able to expand its services in Africa and Russia and launch anew for North Korea, Ethiopia and Eritrea too. The World Service is the very best form of soft powers setting, as a recent citation noted, "the gold standard" in broadcast news. Its benefits to Britain are literally immeasurable. And it's reach continues to grow impressively.

But distinctiveness means different things to different people. Some use it as barely-disguised code for market failure. And there is absolutely no evidence that BBC licence fee payers want a BBC restricted to doing only those things the commercial broadcasters won't. Let's take the most competitive of all television genres: drama. Once mainly the preserve of ITV and the BBC, now every major broadcaster pours money into expensive drama - Channel 4, Sky, Netflix, Amazon. But in the past two or three years - partly, I should say, at the insistence of the Trust - BBC drama has risen to that challenge with a wonderful series of productions that are distinctively BBC. It isn't simply the absence of ad breaks that tells you where they come from. That's true of the extraordinary Peaky Blinders; true of the world-beating Sherlock; true of award-winning Wolf Hall; true this year already of War and Peace, The Night Manager, Happy Valley and Line of Duty. True also of Downton - ah no, that's a mistake. But the exception proves the rule.

Ask people in almost any country around the world whether they think the BBC is distinctive and they'll look at you as though you're mad. They recognise it as the No 1 universal quality broadcaster. So much so that when one of the BBC's competitors at home scores an international hit like Downton, it's generally assumed abroad to have come from the BBC.

Drama has the power to stir the heart perhaps more powerfully even than music or poetry. Audiences clearly want the BBC to bring them great drama - the classics certainly, but drama too that's challenging and contemporary and reflects their own lives.

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So when you hear politicians call for a more distinctive BBC, remind them of outstanding British drama made in every corner of the U.K. Remind them of The Fall from Northern Ireland. Remind them of Shetland and of Hinterland. Ask them where else they'd find network drama made and set in Scotland. Ask them where else they'd go for network drama made and set in Wales. Only the BBC.

Some politicians take an excessively ascetic view of what the BBC is here to do. Yes it really would be "distinctive" to strike Strictly or Bake-Off from the schedules because they're too good and too popular. It would also be ridiculous. A BBC1 that's not popular wouldn't be the BBC that licence payers demand. The BBC needs to stretch and challenge us but it also needs to bring people together to watch shows that are BOTH popular AND distinctive. If the Government doesn't trust the public to judge the BBC for themselves and it aims for the new Charter to include some quantity surveyor's measure of BBC distinctiveness, please God let it not be devised in Whitehall. Believe me, I have a lifelong respect for the skills and ingenuity of Britain's top civil servants, but when it comes to scheduling BBC-1 I'd rather have Charlotte Moore.

I have always been proud to describe myself as a One-Nation Tory, though I have sometimes been surprised by the identity of some who claim to be part of the same tribe. My principles haven't changed. My politics haven't changed. But my time at the BBC convinced me that in the modern UK I need to be a Four-Nation Tory. The process of Devolution has grown by what it fed on. The people of Scotland spoke a year and a half ago about their wish to remain within the UK, but no-one should doubt that they also want a greater recognition of Scotland's own national identity. In broadcasting there is a clear demand - and it comes from Wales and Northern Ireland too - for their own nations and histories and cultures and politics to be better reflected to audiences across the UK. I agree with them. Whether you live in Orkney or Osterley, Portsmouth or Portrush, Stockton or Swansea, everyone pays the same licence fee and they deserve equally to see their own communities and interests and concerns and achievements on their BBC. Frankly, they will see them on no other broadcaster, because the market will NOT provide. The strength of One United Kingdom comes from the strength of its four Nations, and the strength of One BBC must come from utilising and reflecting and celebrating the talents and ideas and heritage of each of those Nations. I would no more split up the BBC than I would split up the Kingdom, but any UK institution that claims to serve these islands must embrace that duty fully.

In my time as Chairman of the BBC I didn't feel overburdened with good luck. No complaints: in public life luck comes and goes. But looking back I can see that at least I arrived after the Government's first smash-and-grab raid on the licence fee and I left before they tunnelled back in one weekend to grab a few hundred millions more. The effect of last summer's heist is now becoming obvious on our screens - or rather, in the case of BBC3, no longer on our screens - and there's much more still to come. At least the turmoil of the recent Budget means we won't again be hearing that "we're all in this together". Whatever the truth about fiscal policy, in the broadcasting world we are NOT all in it together. Sky isn't in it. ITV isn't in it. The Murdoch press isn't in it. Just the BBC. Last July the government decided that, instead of tax-payers paying for tv licences for the elderly, licence-fee payers would foot the bill instead. They are of course one and the same, and the result is that they will lose BBC content amounting to hundreds of millions of pounds a year by 2021.

The Government like to call this a deal. But it was a fait accompli. "Agree, or things could get even worse: Charter is just around the corner. So watch your step!" What a way to treat a Corporation whose independence from government is supposed to underpin everything it does. I agree with the 2010 John Whittingdale who warned that these night-time raids must never happen again. I don't agree with the 2015 John Whittingdale who drove the getaway vehicle.

The forthcoming Charter is the one chance we have to stop the BBC becoming more and more the plaything of the government of the day. First priority: we must break the link between Charter renewal and the new fixed term Parliaments. How ridiculous it is that, because the Charter expires eighteen months after a general election, the BBC is bound to become a priority for any incoming government. A one-off eleven- or twelve-year Charter will break that link. Second priority: the public pay for the BBC, and the very least they deserve is a proper chance to influence the debate about what it will cost and what they'll get for their money. So we should let an independent body advise government - in public - on the appropriate level of the licence fee; let those who will pay it be told where the money goes and asked what they're prepared to pay for. Give Parliament a proper chance to debate the audience response. And let's enshrine that whole process in the new Charter. The House of Lords Select Committee was absolutely right to say that the licence fee should be set in a transparent way.

Last July the DCMS launched a public consultation on the BBC's future. More than 190,000 people answered, making it the second biggest response ever to a consultation exercise, beaten only by that for same sex marriage. In that case, the Government backed the tiny majority - 53% - who were in favour of change.

In the case of the BBC, the Government's decisions should be so much easier than that! Public support for NOT changing the BBC has been overwhelming. 81% said it serves its national and international audiences well. Three quarters said BBC content is high quality and distinctive. Any commercial business getting scores like that from consumers would be cock-a-hoop. More than two thirds think the BBC should expand to offer more choice and keep pace with new technologies. Two thirds said the BBC had a positive effect on the rest of the market - only 3% disagreed with them. And more than three quarters say the BBC has done enough to deliver value for money. It's clear there are absolutely no grounds, other than uninformed ideology, on which the Government could conclude that the BBC needs to be cut further down to size.

Even the argument that the BBC's breadth of news coverage - for example the terrific local radio stations which MPs defended so strongly when cuts were proposed - has driven local and regional papers to the wall - even that does not stand up to serious scrutiny. Local and regional papers have died in the United States and Western Europe too, and no one presumably blames the BBC for that.

The consultation exercise plainly failed to provide the answer Mr. Whittingdale wanted. The non-existence of that hole in which he is still digging was revealed. So the DCMS first of all sat on the consultation responses, and then they claimed the consultation had been swamped by "Lefties", already fed on the success of Mr. Corbyn's election. Then, presumably in an effort to prevent the publication of even more unwelcome news from the public, the Department took no account of a large survey of opinion by the Radio Times - a publication long since independent of the BBC. All these tests of opinion have one thing in common: the audience wants to keep the BBC pretty much just as it is. That must stick in Mr. Whittingdale's craw, because - if you want to make your mark as Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, and there's not a cat's chance in hell of another Olympics in your lifetime - your best chance of being remembered is to mess about with the BBC. What would take real statesmanship is to leave it alone.

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Perhaps the most striking thing about the huge response to the Government's consultation, or non-consultation, is the extent to which people demand an independent BBC. No fewer than 73 percent of the public told the DCMS they want the BBC to be independent of Government, independent of Parliament, and independent of Ofcom too.

So let me finally talk about governance.

A couple of months ago, Sir David Clementi presented his report to government on the way the future BBC should be run and, to no-one's surprise, he said that regulation should pass wholly to Ofcom. In doing so, he brushed aside concerns at the prospect of an ever-more powerful communications regulator - at only arms-length from Ministers - and which has already swallowed up postal services and on-demand video, now about to swallow up the whole of the BBC too, taking it firmly into online territory. Interestingly, though most of the respondents to the Government's consultation had no view about regulation, those who did preferred a standalone regulator rather than Ofcom.

Mention of the word governance brings to mind the old saw "for people who are interested in that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing in which they are interested". I am afraid, however, that there are dark and dirty ponds in which we must for a while submerge ourselves without fishing up any old rows and personality problems; I will leave the dredging up of those old tin cans and sodden boots to others.

For years the BBC operated under a Chairman and Board of Governors. They were admittedly sometimes a bit rum; a list of BBC Chairmen and Governors was a roll call of British establishment history in all its exotic tribalism. But by and large, they protected generations of broadcasters from external interference, with only occasional blood baths and calamities. With just the odd blip, the BBC maintained a fine record - it was viewed, listened to and trusted. BBC independence was unquestioned.

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What was thought to go wrong with this model of governance?

First, it was feared the executives had captured the Board, and the main evidence was the support the governors had given the then Director General over the infamous Gilligan broadcast. Second, the governors were thought to have failed to contain the BBC's expansion into the broadcasting market. Third, it was argued that the BBC's interests and the public interest were not always the same: the interests of the public as owners of the BBC were poorly represented.

To try to correct these alleged failings, in the 2007 Charter the governing body and the executive were formally separated; a new public value test mechanism in association with Ofcom was put in place to balance public service and market considerations, and a new focus in public representation was established with extensive consultation on output issues (as reflected in the public value tests) and a new service license regime.

The Trust, largely thanks to a way of working established before my arrival, did some things conspicuously well. The Executive did not much care for it. But the clear focus on audiences and the push for quality and distinctiveness in the service licences and ad hoc reviews were definitely advances, so too the public value test rejection of executive proposals on local radio, the Asian network, and 6 Music, and BBC1+1, among others.

The problems, I think, stem from a confusion of roles. Was the Trust a regulator or cheer leader? This was partly a matter of rhetoric. The Trust was supposed to be both. But this exemplified a bigger problem. The Chairman of the Trust could call her-or him-self Chairman of the BBC, but was he or she really in the chair? The Director-General was left to chair a BBC board, containing both executives and non-executives. So who was the real Chairman? Who decided on editorial issues? The DG - absolutely correctly. Who decided on money and broad strategy? Good question. The DG's board had a remuneration committee, chaired when I became Trust Chairman by the senior independent director, a distinguished banker who also chaired Barclay's, a bank whose views on remuneration were well-known. The Trust had for some time been fighting to contain pay awards and to cut costs, but while it could say "yes" or "no" to the aggregate budgets, its say over how they were built up was more confused. Eventually the Trust got a reasonable grip on pay and budgetary matters, partly because we appointed a Director-General, Tony Hall, who battled for the same objectives. In retrospect, for the present governance model to have worked better would have depended crucially on the Executive not running for cover and hiding behind the Trust when stormy weather arrived, and for the Trust to have avoided drilling down into too much detail about what the executives were doing.

So what should happen next? There is plainly no perfect answer to the three question test. Who will represent the public in future in setting strategy for the BBC? Who will hold the BBC to account? Who will protect the BBC's independence?

I am sufficiently Burkean to think the most sensible way forward would be to make incremental changes within the existing model, to respond to specific problems. Yet I doubt whether this will be politically acceptable given the amount of hoohah surrounding these questions, and there's every sign that Government will go for a new Unitary Board - along the lines of a Plc. It's hoped this will lead to a BBC more responsive, agile, adaptable and better held to account, because in the Clementi plan there will be no fewer than eleven non-executive Board members from the outside world, alongside the DG and just two of his lieutenants. But the presence of so many outsiders raises very serious questions about how to protect the BBC's independence. So I would go for another big bang too.

I would establish a new, small Commission to guarantee the independence not just of the BBC but of all broadcasting. It would have three main roles. First, it would appoint the Chairman and non-executive directors of the BBC. Second, it would recommend and publish proposals for future levels of BBC funding. Third, it would appoint the Chair and deputy chair of Ofcom, which it seems will end up regulating all UK broadcasting.

Such a Commission would make it much more difficult for future governments to raid the licence fee. It would put at least a little more distance between an ever more powerful Ofcom and the government of the day. And it would avoid a BBC Board overpopulated with Government appointees. Because, however honourable their intentions, (and I put this argument very delicately) Ministers of all colours have a genetic predisposition to put in place their ideological fellow travellers, and no supposedly independent process has ever prevented that from happening. I wouldn't lose much sleep about that - if we were talking about the White Fish Authority. But this is the BBC, damn it!

So let me be clear. A team of non-executives, all put in place by the government of the day, would be simply unacceptable. I am confident that Parliament would take this view too.

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There has been no golden age of governance at the BBC, and to be frank I have long believed that personal relationships and qualities are often more important than any precise institutional structure. But if gold has been often

absent, it is only too easy to see how it could be replaced by a far baser metal. That matters hugely to the future of a great organisation which still has a central role to play in nurturing the creativity, enhancing the solidarity and protecting the informed democratic integrity of Great Britain.

I realise - how could I not? - that there are even greater issues

commanding attention this summer than the future of the BBC. We will decide in June a question that will have as big an impact on our own present and future as a country (including the nature and identity of the Conservative Party) and on our relations with our closest friends abroad, as any we have taken since 1945. But it would be a calamity if the future of the BBC were to be put in peril because political and public attention was understandably distracted and focused elsewhere.

This all brings me back to where I began. Now is the time to speak up for the BBC and its independence before it's too late.
Bianca Von Stempel is a fashion designer motivated towards changing perceptions of visual impairment through her love for fashion design. Raising awareness of sight loss through her creative and dynamic deisgns. Out to prove that sight loss isn't a barrier to achieving your aspirations in life.

Stempel, aged 20, is a London based student studying a degree in fashion design. She's currently in the stages of completing her final collection for her degree and her designs have been featured at London Fashion Week.

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Stempel was born with a condition that affects her sight, leaving her with no central vision in one eye and only light perception in the other. She also has Nystagmus-an eye condition that causes the eye to move involuntarily, making focusing difficult. Yet, Stempel is determined to pursue a career as a fashion designer, by showing how her visual impairment provides her with a unique perspective into art and the world of fashion design.

'I've always had an interest in fashion and the visual arts,' Stempel says. 'When I was a teenager I started to take more creative pathways in my education, I started with Jewelry making, textiles, embroidery and gradually worked my way towards fashion. I look through magazines, Instagram and online just like any other fashion enthusiast to see what's going on in the fashion scene. I absolutely love embroidery, drapery and the use of different materials.'

Stempel began to adopt an interest in fashion and design when she took a course in basic Jewellery making, from there she began to take courses in design, art and textile. She then applied to study fashion at university and was accepted to study a Degree in Fashion at Kingston University where she is due to showcase her collection on the university catwalk this summer. Best known for her quirky edge and her flare for Raw Couture, Stempel's designs are all about femininity, indiviudality and expressing her perceptions of the visual world as someone with sight loss.

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'For me my designs are based on personal experiences,' she says. 'I base my designs on the way I see the world, my designs use a method of hand embroidery in a zig-zag irregular pattern to mimic the way my eyes move from having Nystagmus. It looks like a frustration and it very much is and it is something very personal to me. I wanted my designs not just to reflect what I love most as an individual such as art, nature and beautiful drapery that hangs off the female form in a sculpted way. But, I also wanted to use fashion to bring the topic of visual impairment to the forum, so that's why I decided to embroider my designs using this unique method to show how I perceive my surroundings.'

Stemepl's collection is emphasised on the difficulties of her not being able to access a Pre-Raphaelite exhibition due to visual impairment. She has created a collection using embroidery, drape, silk, lace and paper silk to make her designs a tangible world that appeals to the sense of touch as well as sight. Stempel also draws a lot of inspiration from shapes, nature, architecture and texture for her designs. Her designs are made by pinning fabric onto a clothes manequin and hand sewing them around the shape of the mannequin. Her designs are focused around accentuating the human form and celebrating the beauty of women with a desire to be unique.

'Unique is our greatest power,' she says. 'That's what I want my designs to show, they are about expressing yourself and showing the visual world from a different vantage point.'

Throughout her studies Stempel has discovered tricks and methods of being able to create her designs that are accessible to her. She uses her remaining vision to hand stitch her designs. She uses two different colour threads along with a large needle which is clearly visible to the eye. One thread is in a colour which corresponds to the colour scheme of the garment and the other is in a brighter colour which is easily visible to see. After she has completed the sewing and gathering of the garment, she pulls out the brighter colour thread leaving the other intact. She also works closely with two support workers who were both fashion students previously under education at Kingston University during the photographing and digital stages of her course. She uses a large computer screen with magnification and a magnifying glass when looking at smaller details like patterns or embroidery.

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During her time at Kingston University, Stempel has received a hugely positive response from her fellow students and the staff of the university.

'The response has been amazing! I can't believe how great its been, so many people have liked the message I am trying to spread through my designs of how my visual impairment enables me to see the world through a unique perspective. Although, I always hear people saying, "oh wow you don't look blind!" which baffles me because why shouldn't I want to look nice as a human being? But, overall the response has been great and I'm looking forward to showing my friends and family my collection in June. It's been lots of hard work and I'm so relieved I'm almost at the finish line.'

With her degree drawing to a close, Stempel has high hopes for her future in fashion design. She is currently looking into pursuing a masters degree and has aspirations to have her own clothing label. Determined to make her mark on the fashion scene with her own unique viewpoint. She is also geared towards making the fashion industry more inclusive for people with sight loss by being an active presence in fashion scene, representing the sight loss community. Stempel believes that the fashion industry should be doing more to make fashion accessible both online and at catwalk shows; by having accessible online portals for people to find out about upcoming trends and for there to be more awareness of visual impairment and disability at catwalk events.

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'Being visually impaired doesn't mean you can't be fashionable, creative or individual and I really want people to see that. My sight loss gives me my own unique little twist on my creativity, but that's just it. It hasn't stopped me because I wanted to pursue my love for fashion and I will continue to do so.'

To hear a full interview with Bianca check out the Fashionability podcast channel.
Full Fact is an independent, non-partisan factchecking organisation. We provide free information so that anyone can check the claims we hear from politicians and the media. This blog first appeared here

Who said what about Hezbollah:

"[Jeremy Corbyn] said: 'It will be my pleasure and my honour to host an event in Parliament where our friends from Hezbollah will be speaking... I've also invited friends from Hamas to come and speak as well.'"--David Cameron Watch

"The point he was making earlier relates to a discussion I was hosting in order to try to promote a peace process. It was not an approval of those organisations. I absolutely do not approve of those organisations."--Jeremy Corbyn Watch

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Here is the full speech, said to be recorded at a Stop the War Coalition event in 2009.

Mr Cameron's quote is accurate.

Mr Corbyn did say shortly after that line: "As far as I am concerned, that is absolutely the right function of using parliamentary facilities to invite people from other parts of the world so that we can promote that peace, that understanding and that dialogue."

He went on: "the idea that an organisation that is dedicated toward the good of the Palestinian people and bringing about long-term peace and social justice and political justice in the whole region should be labelled as a terrorist organisation by the British government is really a big, big historical mistake and I would invite the government to reconsider its position on this matter and start talking directly to Hamas and Hezbollah. That is the only way forward to bring about peace."

Homelessness

"Why can't the PM follow the example set by the Welsh Labour government in placing a legal duty--a legal responsibility--on councils to help people during a housing crisis"--Jeremy Corbyn Watch

There's a legal duty in all parts of the UK for the state to help people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. Councils are responsible for this in England, Wales and Scotland, while Northern Ireland has a single organisation responsible for housing.

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In 2014, the Welsh government passed a law placing what it described as a "stronger duty" on councils than under the 1996 Housing Act, which previously applied to Wales as well as England.

It means that Welsh councils now have to provide everyone, whether homeless or not, with housing advice and assistance. And there are now fewer exceptions in Wales on when the council has to find accommodation for a homeless person or family.

Everyone in Wales who becomes homeless (and isn't disqualified because of their immigration status) is now entitled to accommodation for up to 56 days. After that, it's about whether they have a "priority need" for accommodation and in some cases whether they have become homeless "intentionally".

In England, by contrast, homeless people don't generally get housed by the council for any period unless they pass the "priority need" and intention tests.

Research by the House of Commons Library has more details.

"Homelessness [in England is] up by a third since he became Prime Minister and rising again this year"--Jeremy Corbyn Watch

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"Homelessness has been reduced by 67% in Wales since the new regulations came in"--Jeremy Corbyn Watch

We can't say that homelessness has been reduced by 67% or any specific other amount because the Welsh government has changed what they do about homelessness and how they count it.

This isn't to say that the changes haven't made a difference; just that we can't put a number on that difference at the moment.

Homelessness charity Crisis used this figure in March, referring to the number of households accepted as homeless and entitled to housing between October and December last year because they were unintentionally homeless and in priority need. They compared those 405 households to the number meeting those same criteria under the old system 12 months previously (1,210), giving the apparent 67% drop.

But official statisticians say that "the data cannot be compared. This is because, under the new legislation, homelessness may have been resolved through earlier intervention in some cases and the returned number [is] therefore lower than would have been recorded under the previous legislation."

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Statistics Wales is going to say more on this shortly. Crisis told us that the numbers are evidence of a "dramatic fall in the number of households who get all the way through to being accepted as homeless".

It's correct that in England the number of households accepted as homeless and entitled to housing is up by a third since 2010.

These figures don't include those who were assessed as homeless but not in priority need, or homeless but intentionally so. There are around 30,000 such cases each year.

Housing

"Here in England we've built twice as much council housing in the last six years as Labour did in the previous thirteen"--David Cameron Watch

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This comes up a lot at Prime Minister's Questions. It's technically correct but not helpful, because councils don't build many houses nowadays.

Council cuts

"9 of the 10 most deprived councils are set to see cuts higher than the national average, with eight facing cuts more than three times the national average."--Jeremy Corbyn Watch

This is based on Labour's own analysis of local government spending figures in England between 2012 and 2020. The research behind it doesn't appear to be published, and Labour hasn't yet got back to us explaining where the numbers are from.

In the past, more deprived areas have tended to see larger cuts to their funding from central government than less deprived ones, although they still have larger overall spending power.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies says this is because more deprived areas are more dependent on revenue from central government, compared to things like council tax which they raise themselves.

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So when grants are reduced, the areas that already got more of them lose out more.

Over the course of this parliament, the government plans to remove its central government payment--the revenue support grant--and have councils raise more of their income from local business rates. Meanwhile their overall spending power will be smaller at the end of the parliament. We haven't analysed what this might mean for more and less deprived areas.

Inequality

"Inequality of course is getting worse"--Jeremy Corbyn Watch

"Inequality has gone down under this government."--David Cameron Watch

There's no single definitive measure of inequality in the UK, which explains why we often hear these competing claims. There are figures which show a fall on the Prime Minister's watch but these aren't very significant trends.

Syrian aid

"No country has done more than Britain to help when it comes to Syrian refugees... no country has raised more money, and only the United States has spent more money"--David Cameron Watch

We've previously seen the claim that only the USA has spent more money on aid for the Syrian crisis than the UK. It's correct.

Abortion

"The Department of Health are looking to introduce a cell-free DNA test for pregnant women in order to reduce the number of miscarriages but this will have the unintended consequence of increasing the number of abortions for those with Down's syndrome"--Nigel Evans MP Watch

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In 2013 there were 1,232 diagnoses of Down's syndrome before birth, and at least 925 of those pregnancies ended in termination. That's 90% of the cases where we know the outcome.

At least 82 children were born with Down's syndrome that had been diagnosed before birth. Another 634 children were diagnosed after birth.

These figures are considered more complete when it comes to Down's syndrome than the abortion statistics. They cover England and Wales.

Professor Joan Morris, who was responsible for them, told Full Fact that 90% of women who get the diagnosis choose to have a termination, and that this has remained very consistent over the twenty years of the register.

So what difference can a test make?

Pregnant women are offered two stages of testing for Down's syndrome.

The first stage involves a blood test, which gives a rough idea of how likely it is that the foetus has Down's syndrome. The second is amniocentesis, which gives a definite diagnosis.

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The difficulty with amniocentesis is that it carries risks of miscarriage and other complications.

Cell free foetal DNA testing is a more accurate replacement for the initial screening test.

It may mean that more women can avoid amniocentesis and thus the risk of miscarriage.

But if it also means that more cases of Down's syndrome are diagnosed before birth, Mr Evans may be right to say that it will also mean that a greater number of pregnancies are terminated in response to that diagnosis.

Poverty

"The Prime Minister and we on these benches can be very proud of the fact that in recent years we have reduced relative poverty"--John Baron MP Watch
The 2011 referendum proposing to replace the first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting system with the alternative vote (AV) was the culmination of a long process led by political parties and organised pressure groups pushing for change. While the replacement of the FPTP system had been considered since as early as the turn of the twentieth century, it never garnered enough support in Westminster, until the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition took office in 2010. Only then did electoral reform activists seize the opportunity of a lifetime and push for the referendum. Their prospects were short-lived, however, since 68% of voters finally voted for status-quo.

Different reasons have been put forward to explain the defeat. The most common one has focused on the lack of information available to voters. Political scientists have argued that the major reason driving the public to vote against the proposal was their unfamiliarity with the new system. Indeed, the plurality FPTP election had been used for over a century at the time of the referendum, and the large bulk of voters were not aware that other electoral systems were even feasible. At any rate, it is safe to say that a large proportion of those who did know about alternatives, preferred to stick to what they knew rather than venture into the unknown.

While some have suggested that the proposal's defeat in the polls was the last nail in the coffin of electoral reform, others have interpreted it as the first step in a longer journey. Indeed, even though the referendum is long gone, and government has shelved it along with its other victories, a small but bright light shines at the end of the dim tunnel. This new hope hinges on lessons learned from the past, especially one that stems from the referendum defeat: voters tend to be more inclined to vote in favour of something they are already familiar with. This naturally implies that any pushes for electoral reform in the future should consider alternatives that account for this issue.

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We do not need to travel far to find these alternatives. Today, in the UK, there are a series of elections that use both FPTP and proportional representation (PR) methods. As such, these elections should be closely monitored by those that favour electoral reform. These voting systems used in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, use FPTP as the main way of electing candidates, but correct the outcome with PR if it is unfair in any way. This is not the space to dwell on what is fair and what is not, since there is a lot of literature on that elsewhere. It is however, a good place to point out the fact that there are alternative electoral systems that are both fairer, and familiar to voters.

If we briefly suppose that Britons are in fact against unfair electoral systems, but are not willing to experiment with new electoral methods, it is a dead give-away that the best manner of reforming the current electoral system is to offer voters something considerably fairer then what they already have, as well as something they are familiar and can somewhat identify with. The electoral systems mentioned above comply thoroughly with these characteristics. Indeed, the second-tier PR component enhances them with more proportionality than pure FPTP systems, and their uninterrupted run since the late 1990s offers voters increasing familiarity with their inner-workings.

If voters become accustomed to this system--which is likely--it will be easier for electoral reform supporters to bid for a new referendum in the future. Indeed, they will have better arguments to support their cause, considering that they will replace an old tradition with a new one. At any rate, support for this particular type of system is bound to be higher than support for the AV. Electoral data from the 2011 referendum suggests that regions exposed to other electoral systems are more favourable to change. Indeed, the highest support in favour of the electoral reform came from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and London (which uses a form of PR in its Assembly elections).
Today I will wear my favourite boots, that most sturdy, well-worn and comfortable pair. Though their once crimson leather is now faded to a dusty brick-red, today only they will do the trick. I'll slap on the sun-cream if there is a hint of sun in the sky; I'll toss my mac into a rucksack just in case, this is England, after all. I'll dress in something comfortable but I'll try and be smart. I'll need a splash of colour too, something red of course. Maybe I'll wear a pin? Or simply smother myself with stickers, isn't that the standard thing to do?

Leaflets in hand, I'll spend my day pounding the streets of South London and knocking on doors. I'll be canvassing for the Labour Party today. I will be urging people to get out, walk down the road, and back Sadiq Khan to become our Mayor of London. Normally polling day is a great day of pride for any Party activist, it's the day we really give our all for the Party closest to our ideals and hearts. It's a day where we really feel we can make a difference.

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Sadiq Khan to me sums up everything that is great about the Labour Party. The son of Pakistani immigrants, raised on a council estate in South London. His life chances belong in part to the Labour Party, from the social housing where he was raised, to his comprehensive education that led him to the University of North London. He found inspiration from the BME politicians such as Diane Abbott, Bernie Grant, Paul Boateng and Keith Vaz -- who were then changing the face of Labour.

Sadiq Khan to me represents the very best of Labour values. A Muslim man who has stared down death-threats to vote in favour of gay-marriage. A progressive who has backed women's right to abortion, has stood up for transgender rights and been proactive in banning discrimination against gay people by corporate bodies. When Muslim's are stereotyped by both the Left and Right as being inherently conservative and reactionary, Sadiq Khan has been a life-long champion of progressive values.

The term 'smear' gets thrown around far too much nowadays. Often legitimate criticism and questioning is dismissed in such a way. Throw someone's quote back in their face and it will be called a smear and a lie and the shutters will come down. Yet, the campaign run by Zac 'nice guy' Goldsmith has been of a kind pulled up from the gutter. He has employed the type of dog-whistle campaigning that I naively thought was resigned to the history books of mainstream politics. In a newspaper article at the weekend, Goldsmith asked: "Are we really going to hand the world's greatest city to a Labour Party that thinks terrorists are its friends?". Time and time again he has used Sadiq Khan's faith to attack him, and has played games of divide and rule with London's other South Asian minorities.

The charge of extremism stems from Sadiq Khan sharing a platform with the imam of his local mosque Suliman Gani. This is common practice, MPs will often meet with the imam of a local mosque in the course of their constituency duties. Local Conservative MP Jane Ellison and the Tory candidate for Khan's seat also shared platforms with Suliman Gani. Here's a nice photo of Zac Goldsmith with the guy.

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To attack Sadiq Khan as an extremist is a smear in the purest sense of the word. Here is a man who has been declared an 'apostate' and had a fatwa put on his head, for standing up for liberal principles. Khan has been brave enough to speak some uncomfortable truths to those who deny that political extremism is a problem. His election would be two-fingers up to those on the far-right and Islamist-right who want us to think that western civilisation and Islam are inherently in opposition to each other. As Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argued in the Guardian: "This victory could do more to combat radicalisation than any number of government strategies".
The pre-bedtime talk once again turns to burglars and my son Zevi's chocolate brown eyes fill with fear. For a second, I forget and get ready to roll out my well-worn response. 'Don't be silly. There are no burglars. You're safe here. Now go to sleep and don't worry.' And then I remember. Taking a deep, calm breath, I tenderly stroke his forehead and ask my scared 5 year-old what he would do if a burglar broke in. 'I'd punch him in the tummy hard,' he says. 'Then I'd shout at him and tell him to go away.' 'And then what would happen?'

'Then the police would come and take him away.'

I see the fear in his eyes melt away as he thinks the scenario through and is bolstered by his ability to do something about it. It is a remarkable development. As he settles happily into sleep, I feel grateful for the invaluable advice that had led us to this less angst-ridden place; advice not passed down from my own mum or any of my friends but given to me by a parenting expert.

It isn't the first time I've asked for outside help and it certainly won't be the last. As a mother of three spirited, curious children - Rafael, 8; Zevi, 5; and Zeabella, 3; - hiring an expert has helped with many of our parenting issues over the years, and given my husband and I new tools and ideas to sort them out. It is why I am so supportive of David Cameron's recent push for parents to have lessons to help them with discipline and behaviour around their children. We've always had this mindset and even went to a weekend parenting workshop when I was six months pregnant with our first, so we could discuss our ideas about parenting and iron out any difficulties before we dived in.

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Luckily, we discovered we were on the same page; we wanted to be caring, nurturing, hands-on parents sharing a loving home built on routine and no shouting. It all sounded wonderful in principle, but then Rafael was born. I don't agree with people who say parenting is something that is necessarily instinctive and natural. For some, maybe it's true. But when I had Rafael, I didn't have a clue how to care for a newborn baby. My husband returned to work straight after the birth,and with my mum and his parents back in Manchester, a three-hour drive away from our home in North London, I found myself with an unsettled, crying newborn in a fog of sleep-deprivation and floundering. I needed help!

I made enquiries about a night nurse and almost fell on her with relief when she arrived two weeks later, my eyes now black holes due to sleep deprivation. With over 15 years of experience Eden was my very own Mother Theresa, a much-needed voice of calm cutting through the chaos of new motherhood. She taught me how to breastfeed properly, how to swaddle the baby so he felt secure, how to wind him effectively and bring up those elusive burps. Even more importantly, she helped me to understand Rafael, giving me the confidence to interpret his cries so I could work out what he needed. When she left two weeks later, Rafael was in a routine and I was feeling almost human again and confident to parent him alone.

Calling in an expert when you're desperate for help is nothing to be ashamed of. We are taught at school how to work a computer; a driving instructor teaches us how to operate a car. And is it really better to spend hours attempting to fix a blocked sink and risk flooding the house instead of calling in a plumber?

Exactly. I didn't hesitate to seek expert advice when my boys grew into feisty, warring siblings, often snatching toys out of each other's hands and coming to blows with flying fists and elbows. Pregnant with my third child, I was at my wit's end, exhausted from constantly having to play referee. A friend mentioned a weekly parenting course 'Everyday Parenting for Everyday Parents' at a nearby community hall and Phillip and I jumped at the opportunity to find out where we were going wrong.

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Every Tuesday night for eight weeks we learnt about the benefits of positive reinforcement and praise for boosting children's self-esteem, the importance of showing empathy and not always trying to fix their problems and, crucially for us, gained a unique perspective on sibling rivalry.

'Just imagine if your husband came home with a new wife one day and asked you to share your bedroom and lovely home with her as it was someone else he loved,' said the parenting teacher. 'How would that make you feel?' Suddenly my frustration with Rafael's occasional thump of his younger brother began to make sense. It helped me to feel more empathetic towards him and not always view him as the aggressor.

Aside from picking up great tips, the course was also vital in making us feel less alone. Hearing other couples talk about their issues with their children reassured us that we weren't the worst parents in the world, nor were our children's issues particularly abnormal.

Living in a world saturated with squeaky-clean images of perfect parents with perfect children on social media, it was refreshing to see parenting for what it really was: a constant uphill struggle.

You'd think Phillip and I would have had all our parenting issues nailed by the time our daughter came along, but when she was one and still insisting on being cuddled to sleep with a dummy, we knew it was time, once again, to call in a professional.

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With three small children and both of us working, our evenings together were precious and we didn't want to spend hours holed up in our daughter's room rocking her to sleep.

We called up a recommended child sleep expert, receiving much-needed counselling in three sessions over the phone.

We explained what she did every day - eating, naps and activities - before she sent us a week-long programme detailing a new bedtime routine that would, if we followed it, break her dependence on us and the dummy. We I read it and trembled. It involved controlled crying - leaving the room and letting her cry for gradually increasing amounts of time - as well as removing the dummy from her mouth just before she fell asleep. It felt so cruel. And yet, we were out of ideas.

We agreed to take each night in turn, neither of us having the strength or the heart to take on the challenge single-handedly. We tried it for a week, hands clamped over our ears, our faces contorted in pain as our wilful daughter screamed her dismay at this change in her bedtime routine - until she fell ill with a cold and we gave up.

But then, that's the thing with expert advice. It's not a cure-all and it doesn't always work.

What it does is make you more mindful as a parent and gives you helpful tools that you can use as and when you need them.

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Some people feel seeking outside help is over the top and perhaps even an admission of poor parenting. I couldn't disagree more. Recently, a mum of Rafael's friend confessed her eight year-old son was still waking up every night and coming into their room. I was gob smacked. Why are we all just prepared to put up with this? I don't think people realize that help is out there and there's not many of us who don't need it. Being a parent is, without doubt, the single hardest and most important job we will ever do. And yet so few of us are willing to admit we need advice or support.

We are made to feel that parenting should be instinctive and if it doesn't all come naturally then we have failed. But if we're honest- apart from the primal need to feed, clothe and keep our children safe - little about parenting really is all that instinctive. It is something that can and should be learnt, without any shame!

I have a pile of parenting books by my bed on subjects ranging from sibling behaviour to making children listen and I leaf through them regularly. And recently Phill and I have called in an expert again, this time, a parenting practitioner who- in three session- helped us deal with Zevi's growing fears about burglars and questions about death.

His anxieties seemed to come out of nowhere and yet they were making him deeply upset and stressed. While my instinct may have been to quickly soothe and dismiss his fears, Rosalie has taught us to let him express them by asking him questions so he can think them through and decide how to tackle them himself.
Now many people will be undecided on how to vote in their elections today, I was once a swing voter myself before I found UKIP, so I know how it feels. I'm writing this today though to tell you why you should lend us in UKIP your vote. It doesn't matter if you're voting in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or England, UKIP it a truly national party that represents the whole of Britain and here's why:

-UKIP are the only party that wants to leave the European Union. We have been committed to leaving this failed political union since day one of this party. Only by voting UKIP can you send a real message to the political establishment about the EU before the referendum.

-If you're voting in a council election it's important to remember that a UKIP councillor is not under a party whip like the old parties' councillors are. UKIP councillors are encouraged to represent the people who voted for them not the party they belong to. Noticeable differences that residents have commented on are that UKIP councillors seem to be more practical and work harder than old party politicians. Whether it is cleaning up dog mess and litter from the streets, removing graffiti, patrolling the streets when the police are not available, cleaning public toilets or gritting pavements, UKIP councillors roll up their sleeves and get on with the job. In council chambers, UKIP councillors are fighting for older people's services and accommodation, fighting to save our post offices, protecting green spaces, opposing parking charges and road tolls and fighting against wind farms and overbearing large housing estates

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-Most people in England and Wales will be voting on Police and Crime Commissioners. Our candidates promise to record ALL crime and improve ease of reporting. They will be visible, approachable and alert to the communities they serve. They will invest in locally appropriate initiatives in accordance with community issues including Zero Tolerance. They will incorporate cost-effective adoption of new technology. They will ensure more representation of the community on key policing issues and communication between the police and people. They will guarantee transparency and scrutiny through accountability and performance reporting of the police in compliance with an agreed Local Police & Crime Plan.

-In London we have a crucial election for Mayor and for the GLA. If you vote for Peter Whittle and our wonderful slate of candidates then they will immediately get to work on fixing London's major housing problem. By ensuring homes built using grants under the Affordable Homes Programme benefit local people who have lived in London for at least five years. Campaign to prevent foreign nationals from obtaining access to social housing until they have lived here and paid UK Tax and National Insurance for a minimum of five years. Lobby government to prevent non-British nationals from accessing Right to Buy or Help to Buy schemes. UKIP will build affordable housing for Londoners. UKIP's plan is quite simple: let's make London work for Londoners.

-In Northern Ireland UKIP are the true unionist choice. We believe in keeping our union together at all costs. Our brilliant local candidates will stand up for every man and women in Stormont, not stand up for themselves. They will stand up for a strong NHS, while making sure carers get a better deal, as they really are the unsung heroes. They will move to scrap car parking charges, never again should it cost you to visit relatives in hospital. They aren't just fighting for a strong NHS though, they need a programme for government. UKIP demand that a costed itemised programme for government is published as the basis on which a Mandatory Coalition Government will be formed by those parties failing to stand-up for a voluntary coalition. There can be no more crisis moments, no more failures, no more hoodwinking the public.

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-In Wales, UKIP are led by my fellow MEP Nathan Gill and he has some brilliant innovative plans to make Wales great again. We pledge to involve Welsh Westminster MPs in pre-legislative scrutiny of legislation prior to its formal passage through the Welsh Assembly, at least until their numbers are reduced. Invite all Welsh councils to appoint one or two councillors to a panel whose members would be available to assist Assembly Committees in oversight of Welsh ministers and government, thus avoiding any costly increase in the number of AMs. End the constitutional navel-gazing which both threatens the integrity of the UK and distracts AMs and Welsh ministers from delivering key public services such as health and education. We also pledge to promote devolution to local councils and communities, devolve power from Cardiff Bay to local councils, such as over economic development, devolve some powers currently exercised in Brussels, like fishing to Wales after a 'Leave' vote and make St David's Day a bank holiday. UKIP will be a strong voice for Wales.

-Scotland's political landscape has seismically shifted away from Labour over the last 4 years. In 2014 we got our first Scottish MEP, the irrepressible David Coburn, elected and now we have the chance to elect MSP's that truly care about our union and care even more about Scotland. UKIP wants to deliver the best social and health services we can for the money we're spending. This can only be achieved through making the Scottish economy competitive. Scottish taxes must be no higher than the rest of the UK if not lower. We must keep Scottish business rates at a level that will not strangle enterprise. The UK must leave the European Union whose one size fits all trans-continental bureaucratic solutions damage our entrepreneurial society. All the other parties in Scotland make extravagant promises on welfare which they cannot possibly fulfil while running a 15 billion black hole. They are just trying to buy your vote. UKIP wants to cut outrageous town hall fat-cat salaries and other extravagancies before plucking the poor tax payer or cutting front line service. Some people in the town halls are on more money than the Prime Minister. UKIP will shake up Holyrood's tired old establishment parties which spout the same old lines.
A new kayak and canoe launch has been added on North Chickamauga Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The area, located off of Longview Drive in Chattanooga, allows much easier access to the waters edge. With increased use, WMA manager Greg Atchley reminds paddlers to preserve the area and leave no trace.

Our goal is to protect and enhance wildlife and to maintain quality habitat in this area. Removal or cutting of any trees along the left side of the bank, heading downstream is strictly prohibited, he said. Downed trees slow water movement, therefore slowing erosion along the streambank. These trees also provide habitat for fish and waterfowl. Fast moving water erodes banks and destroys quality habitat.

Three structures were built to traverse terrain and wet areas. Construction was completed this March. Well over a ton of concrete was used to secure the launch and ensure high waters dont detach or carry the launch downstream. No land was altered along the bank of the North Chickamauga Creek and WMA technician Fred Majors asks visitors to leave the area better than they found it. Trash is always an issue, stated Mr. Majors. Visitors should take trash with them when they leave and work to preserve such a beautiful location.

Mr. Atchley said, Were glad to be part of this community and were happy to improve access to such a beautiful area. We just ask visitors to preserve it.

For information on North Chickamauga Creek WMA visit: tnwildlife.org and search for maps.
Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

London has boomed under Boris. With a Conservative Mayor our city has seen 400,000 more jobs; 100,000 more affordable homes and a fifth less crime.

So I'm standing to be Mayor to take that huge success we've seen under Boris, and make it work for all Londoners.

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My Action Plan for Greater London will deliver more homes, better transport, safer streets, and a cleaner, greener living environment - all paid for whilst freezing the mayor's share of council tax, and by securing the best possible deal from Government.

My Action Plan will protect transport investment, so we keep this city moving, building and growing.Taking 1.9billion out of the transport network, as my Labour rival proposes, would mean scrapping four years' worth of vital upgrades. It would be a recipe for delays and overcrowding and would grind our city to a halt.

I will double house-building to 50,000 homes a year and I'll do that by pressing the government to release publicly owned brownfield land, and by growing the transport network to unlock that land. On my watch, London won't become a city of empty skyscrapers dumped on reluctant communities. I will build a city rooted in streets and parks and beautiful neighbourhoods, with more homes available for Londoners on average salaries.

My opponent's housing plan is to ask developers to build at a loss. It will mean fewer homes get built. And because he won't protect transport investment, he won't be able to get at the land we need for development.

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Third, as a lifelong environmentalist, I will protect and enhance our precious living environment. My Action Plan will protect our green belt, deliver a a solar and electric car revolution and create hundreds of new Pocket Parks across our capital.

Fourth, I will keep our city safe, not only protecting officer numbers for my entire four-year term but putting an extra 500 police on the tube, paid for by clamping down on union perks. I will also tackle the root causes of crime in our communities, with a new free school for gang members and a zero tolerance approach to hate crime and crimes against women and girls.

Finally, as Mayor I will back London's wealth creators. So I'll make the best possible use of the newly devolved skills budget. I'll support start-ups with more affordable office space. I'll appoint a new Chief Digital Officer, to turn London into a data-driven city. And, to guide my approach throughout, I'll set up a new Business Advisory Group. Altogether my Plan will create half a million more jobs for London.

The contrast with my Labour rival could not be more profound.

If you vote for Sadiq Khan you'll be voting with Livingstone, the unions and the Socialist Workers Party, who see victory on 5 May as solidifying the Corbyn project.

You'll be voting for higher council tax, unfunded spending pledges, a transport network starved of investment, and four years of running battles with the Government.

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This election will go right down to the wire. Just a few thousand votes will make all the difference.

So between now and the close of polls I'll be campaigning with everything I have. With your help, I will make Greater London, greater still.
Donald Trump tried to show his "love" for Hispanics by eating a taco bowl, not unlike eating a Domino's Oreo Pizza to prove one's love of Italians. Republicans are having such a difficult time coming to grips with Donald Trump's ascendency youd think the presumptive nominee was their gay child. And John McCain stumbled onto a brilliant fundraising tactic: conveying the urgency of your reelection by pointing to how dangerous your own party is. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Thursday, May 5th, 2016:





El Silent Majority

PAUL RYAN AND BEN SASSE UNOFFICIALLY KICK OFF 2020 BECAUSE LOL THIS CYCLE IS TOTALLY HOPELESS - Plus they'll get to run off of Speaker Becerra's tax-and-spend agenda, so they're happy to bide their time. Scott Wong: "Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Thursday he's 'just not ready' to support Donald Trump as the GOP nominee. Ryan made his stunning comments in an interview on CNN. He clarified that he cannot support or endorse the New York billionaire businessman right now. 'To be perfectly candid with you  Im just not ready to that at this point. Im not there right now,' Ryan said on CNNs 'The Lead.' 'I hope to though and I want to. But what is required is to unify this party. And the bulk of the burden on unifying the party will have to come from our presumptive nominee.  'At this point Im not ready to jump in, but I hope we can get there.'" [The Hill]

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Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) is also not ready for Trump.

MITCH MCCONNELL THO: "I have committed to supporting the nominee chosen by Republican voters, and Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee is now on the verge of clinching that nomination." [HuffPost]

A pity, as W's endorsement might have helped Trump win Utah: "For the first time since his own presidency, George H.W. Bush is planning to stay silent in the race for the Oval Office  and the younger former president Bush plans to stay silent as well. Bush 41, who enthusiastically endorsed every Republican nominee for the last five election cycles, will stay out of the campaign process this time. He does not have plans to endorse presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump, spokesman Jim McGrath told The Texas Tribune. 'At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics,' McGrath wrote in an email Wednesday. He came out of retirement to do a few things for Jeb, but those were the exceptions that proved the rule. His son Jeb Bush dropped out of the GOP presidential race in February. Bush 43, meanwhile, "does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign," according to his personal aide, Freddy Ford." [Texas Tribune's Jordan Rudner]

CHUCK GRASSLEY IS CRAZY - Brianne Pfannenstiel: "U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday he thinks Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican nominee for president, would nominate the 'right type of people' to the U.S. Supreme Court. Grassley noted that Trump has referenced Judge William Pryor on the U.S. Court of Appeals in the 11th Circuit as the type of person he would nominate. Pryor was appointed by President George W. Bush. 'Based upon the type of people hed be looking for, I think I would expect the right type of people to be nominated by him to the Supreme Court,' Grassley said." C'mon, man. [Des Moines Register]

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OBAMA LETTING MORE PEOPLE OUT OF PRISON -Timothy Gardner: "U.S. President Barack Obama has commuted the prison terms of 58 people, nearly a third of whom were serving life sentences, the White House said on Thursday. Most of the convicts who will be freed early were non-violent drug offenders. Obama said in a blog post that 'it just doesnt make sense to require a non-violent drug offender to serve 20 years, or in some cases, life, in prison.'" Guess it made sense in the stupid-ass '90s. [Reuters]

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CLINTON MAY HAVE TO TESTIFY IN EMAIL INVESTIGATION - Cristian Farias: "A federal judge on Wednesday signaled that he may be willing to order Hillary Clinton to testify about the decision to conduct official business on a private email server while she served as secretary of state. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said in an order made public Wednesday that it may be necessary for Clinton to be deposed in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking unrelated employment records for one of her closest advisers while she was at the Department of State. The judge said questions surrounding the creation, purpose and use of the clintonemail.com server must be explored so that he may assess whether it was put in place to circumvent federal open-records laws. Prior to the revelations that the email server existed, Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, sued the Department of State to seek disclosure of the employment records of Huma Abedin, Clintons deputy chief of staff, with an eye toward unearthing potential conflicts with private sector work Abedin engaged in while at the department." [HuffPost]

Enjoy vintage political coverage of Barry Goldwater's Republican primary victory.

STRAIGHT LEAKED EXPRESS - And, believe him, this guy had to spend six months with Sarah Palin -- he knows crazy. Burgess Everett and Seung Min Kim: "Publicly, John McCain insists Donald Trump will have a negligible effect on his campaign for reelection. But behind closed doors at a fundraiser in Arizona last month, the Republican senator and two-time presidential hopeful offered a far more dire assessment to his supporters. 'If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life,' McCain said, according to a recording of the event obtained by POLITICO. 'If you listen or watch Hispanic media in the state and in the country, you will see that it is all anti-Trump. The Hispanic community is roused and angry in a way that I've never seen in 30 years.'" [Politico]

Enjoy the latest fawning profile of a White House speechwriter.

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR REID - Mike McAuliff: "Having Donald Trump lead the Republican ticket next fall is a boon to Democratic chances to retake the Senate, Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday, vowing to do everything he could to make sure his party takes advantage. Democrats need to net four Senate seats to regain control of the Senate if they win the White House in November, and Reid pointed to a string of contests that he called 'competitive and more,' in part because of the real estate developer. Among them were contests for GOP-held seats in Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida and New Hampshire that already were expected to be hard-fought, but Reid also added Arizona, Missouri and Iowa to the mix. Those last three feature three of the bigger names on the Republican side of the aisle, with Arizonas John McCain, Missouris Roy Blunt and Iowas Chuck Grassley." [HuffPost]

OH, GOD, THIS WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL -- TERRIFYING, BUT BEAUTIFUL - There's definitely a spot for LePage on the 2017 season of "The Apprentice." WMTW "Gov. Paul LePage hopes Donald Trump picks him to be part of his administration if he is elected to office. If not, he'll run against Angus King for U.S. Senate in 2018. That's what the governor said at his town hall meeting in Lewiston on Wednesday night. It would seem that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and the governor's wife, First Lady Ann LePage, are the only people who can stop LePage from running for Senate. 'I said earlier that if I'm not into the Trump Administration, I will be running against Angus King,' said LePage. 'Now, don't tell my wife. She hasn't said yes yet.'" [WMTW]

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THRILL UP HIS  SOMETHING - Claudia Koener: "A hot mic caught MSNBC host Chris Matthews commenting Tuesday on Melania Trumps appearance during live coverage of the Indiana primary. As Melania and Donald Trump took the stage Tuesday night following the Republican candidates victory, Matthews could be heard checking her out as other MSNBC contributors continue to discuss the primary. 'Did you see her walk?' the Hardball host said. 'That runway walk. My god, is that good. I could watch that runway show.'  A spokesperson for Melania Trump told Variety that she was successful as an entrepreneur, wife, and mother, in addition to her modeling career, and it was unfortunate the media portrayed her as anything less." [BuzzFeed]

BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here's a polite allegator.

ENDORSE - Blair Guild: "Youve heard of Cards Against Humanity, the party game for horrible people. But now theres Trump Against Humanity, a party game about a horrible person. The card game, created by Sid Lee Collective, is an unofficial expansion pack to Cards Against Humanity that adds actual Donald Trump quotes into the already raunchy deck. The back of the box reads: The unofficial expansion pack with all the best words and casual racial slurs from the man himself. Players can fill in the blanks of real-life Trump quotes such as 'Make _____ great again' or 'Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre _____' with some of The Donalds favorite words like 'Mexicans' or 'Yuuuge.'" [HuffPost]

COMFORT FOOD

- What a $50 sandwich, without very fancy ingredients, looks like.

- The running man meme is getting weird.

- You're doing Cinco de Mayo wrong.

TWITTERAMA

@crulge: "look at Twitter and write articles about the same 20 tweets as everyone else" is a real job held by about 2,000 people

@chrislhayes: Just watched a video of Alex Jones debating Hitler with David Duke and now need some brain bleach.

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@JuddLegum: How to pretend you aren't enabling Trump:

1. Not ready to support Trump "yet"

2. Supporting, but not endorsing

3. Not going to convention


Mom holding smiling son

Mother's Day is coming up this week and it's a celebration of all the strength, courage and love that moms give every day. But what happens when mom's NOT okay?

Lately my 2-year-old, Emily has developed a paralyzing fear of monsters. We've prayed about it, we've talked about it but one thing has helped her the most. Every night before Emily goes to bed, she looks up at me and says, "Mom, in OUR house there are NO monsters." Stating the truth out loud helps her to believe it.

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Sometimes as a mom and as a Christian, I feel this weird pressure to "be okay;" to thank God in every moment and to somehow prove that I am walking in the Spirit and drawing from His strength. I'm not making fun of these statements. Every morning, I cast myself, my kids and my cares on Jesus. I live in the truth that my relationship with Him is the well from which I draw meaning in motherhood and in life.

In the Bible, Paul (whose words encourage me in motherhood despite the fact that he wasn't that gung ho about the whole marriage deal) knew that people instinctively want to appear fine. He made this bold statement: But speaking the truth in love [in all things -- both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head -- Christ.

In Emily's words, "In our house, there are no monsters." Speaking truth is an essential step for growth and it's exactly what I want to model for my kids.

So here's mine. I am a person who is deeply affected by everything outside of myself. This can be annoying. I have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which means that when winter is too long (oh hi, Canada), I find it hard to do normal things like getting out of bed or completing tasks. Then spring arrives and suddenly I am a fully functioning human again. I combat the heavy oppressive blanket of BLAH by getting enough sleep, talking about it, getting outside, choosing my winter, eating as healthily as I can and exercising but it doesn't make it go away.

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Every year in spring, something unclenches inside me and all of the energy I've been expending to exist normally just eases and I can channel it into life again. I can just BE me without having to work at it. If you've struggled with depression or anxiety, you know exactly what I'm talking about and if you haven't, then none of this makes any sense. Because I have these tendencies, when I got pregnant I read everything I could on postpartum depression. My hormones or chemicals already fail me on a yearly basis so I felt like this was something I would be highly susceptible to experiencing. I was prepared. And it didn't happen.

Fast-forward a year through the hormonal whirlwind that is being pregnant, becoming a mom, weaning, and getting pregnant again. After having my first daughter, I relaxed and thought, "Hey, my body's got this!" I miscarried in the fall of 2014 and along with the grief of loss came fear. I had just gone back to work after maternity leave and I had a timeline of when we would have another child firmly in my mind. I was full-steam-ahead controlling my life... in my mind. After our miscarriage, we got pregnant again almost immediately so in October of 2014, I was expecting and afraid.

This pregnancy was so different than my first experience. I was sick, I was tired and my husband was away a lot for work while I was exhausted and miserable at home, working and looking after a non-stop exuberant toddler. I was anxious all the time and after Gabrielle was born in July, I felt a flood of relief. She was okay. She was more than okay, she was healthy and loud and perfect. I was okay. The physical recovery after delivery was so much better than the first round, it was summer outside and I could finally stop holding my breath and exhale.

But the fear and anxiety that crept up during pregnancy never really let go. I didn't feel sad but everything started to seem overwhelming. I became angry and anxious and if you asked the people closest to me, there might be another "a" word that isn't so flattering. I prayed about it. I claimed every truth I know and believe about it. I exercised about it. I ate better and tried to sleep more about it but the anxiety is still here.

I have everything I need BUT...

I feel like I am constantly in coping mode and everything is an overwhelming crisis. Laundry. Those dishes on the table that need to be moved to the sink. Appointments. Missed toddler naptimes.

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Rage.

Anxiety.

All the great things I've been doing aren't fixing it and I've struggled to come to terms with the fact that something is going on in me that I can't control. Naming and facing my own postpartum anxiety feels terrifying. In fact, I don't even want you to know about it because in three months when sun is back to stay and I'm done breastfeeding and I'm loving life, why would I share this season with you in a permanent and "non-takesy-backsies" internet-flashing way? Especially when next week I'm going to be writing about hilarity and the ridiculousness of mom life and it will also and simultaneously be TRUE?

Because in our house, there are no monsters.

Because speaking truth out loud is the first step to being okay.

Because maybe because you're there too.

Because we can refuse to buy into the lie of pretending to be okay and step forward in freedom into His love which is big and perfect and enough for us to not be.

This post originally appeared on Her View From Home.



Bio: Even after teaching high school French and English for the last six years, Abbie still decided to have her own kids. A self-professed mombie of two littles under two, she locks herself in the bathroom to therapeutically journal about family, fails and faith from Saskatoon, Canada. Follow along or offer professional help at her blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
This is appearing in newspapers in my conservative congressional district in Virginia.

Having spent a decade now trying to understand the sickness degrading America's politics, I watch for developments that can help illuminate what's gone wrong. Here's one specific situation that crystallizes the larger problem.

It concerns the refusal of the Republicans in the Senate to consider any Supreme Court nominee that the President could put forward. Such unprecedented senatorial conduct would be reason enough for concern for our political system. But there's another troubling piece of the picture.

According to a Washington Post report, the support from Republican activists for the Republican senators' unprecedented stand is more intense than the support from Democrats for insisting that the confirmation process be conducted in accordance with America's traditional norms.

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This shows the two-sided nature of our political sickness.

Its takes both sides to create what the Post calls this "intensity gap"-- a gap that, regrettably, can be found, regrettably, on a variety of other issues besides this judicial stonewalling matter. (Which is why this instance crystallizes much of America's larger problem.)

This intensity gap is the product of both the passionate support of the right for tactics ripping apart the structures of good American governance and of the lethargy of the left in defending those structures.

In this way, the defects of both sides combine to allow the quest for raw power to displace the rule of law, and of established American norms, in our nation.

Part of the problem, of course, is on the conservative side.

Many who call themselves conservatives, for example, regard sabotaging the proper workings of our constitutional system as a form of patriotism.

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Many in the Republican base also do not seem to care that each justification the Republican senators have offered for obstructing the normal process for filling a vacancy on the high Court has been exposed as hollow. It doesn't seem to both them that the reasons the Republicans give turn out to be mere pretense to cover a naked grasping for power.

Either they don't know, or don't care, about the damage such a pure power play inflicts upon the system our founders gave us for navigating our way forward together, peacefully, despite our differences.

But since nothing in our recent history suggests that this "conservative" segment of our body politic is open to correction by evidence or argument, I will focus instead on the defects of the liberal side-- its blindness and weakness.

Liberal America fails to see that the sacrifice of political norms in the pursuit of power -- for example, distorting "advise and consent" into an across-the-board "block any nominee" -- is a serious assault on the Constitution that our elected officials have sworn to protect and defend.

Liberals also seem unable to see how vital it is to protect that system -- for the well-being of the nation, and of those who come after us. For the lives of our children and grandchildren will be impacted by whether that system has been preserved in good order or shredded by a sequence of such assaults as the current tactics of the Senate Republicans.

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If Liberal America cannot be spurred to match the fighting intensity of the right in order both to defend of our constitutional system and to gain their rightful power on our highest Court, what would be enough to rouse them?

Which raises the question: What is it that keeps in check the intensity that liberals bring to the battle?

Perhaps there is fear of confrontation--fear growing out of years of experience in which Democrats have been consistently outfought and outmaneuvered by the likes of Karl Rove.

Some liberals may be restrained by the belief that "fighting is bad," not acknowledging that sometimes waging combat is the best of the available options.

Both kinds of weakness appear to have hampered President Obama. Under continuing assault throughout his presidency, he has rarely fought back, and never with the intensity directed against him. And now, as his judicial nominee languishes like no other nominee has in U.S. history, the president has not spoken to the nation powerfully, in the stringent terms of moral condemnation called for by this unprecedented obstructionism.

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He, and other liberals, seem to suffer from an insufficient capacity for moral outrage in response to outrageous conduct.

The distinction between right and wrong is of utmost importance for a healthy political system. Regarding this distinction, both conservative and liberal sides in America now show serious defects. The conservative side of our body politic routinely mistakes the wrong for the right. And meanwhile the liberal side responds without passion when the wrong is prevailing over the right.

That is a recipe for the degradation of the nation that we are witnessing in our times.
This article was co-authored by Mark Moran, my co-founder at Choose2Matter.

At the recent What Great Educators Do Differently Conference in Houston, we participated in a breakout on Genius Hour. All of the participants had a keen interest in helping students discover, develop and explore their passion, and the conversation proceeded in a lively manner.

That is, until someone acknowledged the 800 pound gorilla in the room: "How can we make time for genius hour if we are so relentlessly focused on improving student test scores?"

The initial answers were disheartening.

Three different leaders -- superintendents and principals -- had a pat answer to this question: we simply wait until after testing is over, near the end of the school year, to make time for students to discover and explore their passion.

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Encouragingly, the rest of the speakers emphatically made the case that if you want to raise test scores, you have to see genius hour as our promise to students that their passions matter.

Research has consistently shown that effective social and emotional programs raise student test scores.

A 2008 report by CASEL, the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning, discussed three effective SEL programs that increased student test score by 11 to 17 percent.

A 2009 PBS New Hour program similarly reported that a focus on SEL raises test scores.

Most recently, a report endorsed by a large group of college admissions officers strongly encouraged schools to help students "develop their analytical strength, their empathic and generative selves, and their inner lives of reflection, values and aspirations."

Most schools intuitively know the impact of a student's state of mind on their test performance. However, their efforts at preparing students socially and emotionally for testing is too often limited to a "pep rally" the day before testing begins.

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Conversely, Liberating Genius offers 20 foundational lessons because the process of fostering confident, creative, self-aware citizens requires a "building block" process and ample periods of sharing and reflection. It cannot be rushed, and certainly not compressed into a two-hour rally.

We hear almost every day from teachers who used in the lessons in our free e-book, Liberating Genius, or who have embraced our Choose2Matter movement, or a combination of both, to help students become more empathetic, self-aware, creative and courageous.

Initially, these reports focused on the improved social and emotional well-being of students, with anecdotal reports of a surge in hugs, smiles and declarations of genius. But lately we've begun to see a new dimension. We're beginning to see compelling evidence that when students become more self-aware, more confident, passionate and creative, their test scores rise significantly.

Tammy Dunbar, lead learner of "The Room Nine Kids" a fifth grade classroom in Manteca Unified School District in California, was an early adopter of Genius Hour and thus was immediately drawn to Liberating Genius. The impact it had greatly exceeded her expectations.

Tammy wrote a three-part blog series on her work with Liberating Genius. In a section titled "Focusing on character and genius nets unexpected results," she discussed the results of the first standardized district proficiency tests in Math that her students took after experiencing the lessons in Liberating Genius:

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I was shocked to see the growth of the average class score. In Math, the class average increased from 12.7 out of 20 to 16.6 out of 20. I'm not ready to entirely attribute these changes to our Liberating Genius lessons, because we have no scientific study to back it up. However, our students now approach standardized district testing with more confidence and more creativity. And that, I feel certain, can be directly traced to liberating their genius.

Next, Jillian Burkhart, a second grade teacher in Texas, sent this tweet:

1st time student believed #youmatter words as truth & the walls crumbled. Sunlight & smiles poured in. @AngelaMaiers pic.twitter.com/Clo5129kyK  Jillian Burkhart (@jillianburkhart) April 27, 2016

The photo is of the student's end-of-the-day reflection; he writes,

"I read today. I improved 4 reading levels! I improved because my classmates encouraged me and told me 'I Matter.'"

Grace Miner is a student at East Greenwich High School in Rhode Island. When we hosted a Choose2Matter LIVE event there in February 2014, Grace and a group of friends began to develop a plan to encourage girls to adopt a positive body image. Within weeks, they had merged with other groups of classmates who were working on sympathetic projects. Thus was born Real Girls Matter -- an umbrella organization shaping a cultural change to foster equality and respect. The group mentors and creates opportunities for young women around Rhode Island and around the world. It sponsored the education of a young women in Senegal and purchased bicycles for girls to ride to school in Malawi.

Grace is now a senior. She recently wrote to us:

"My AP Biology teacher says that for the first time he can remember, all the students at the top of his AP classes are girls. Because of Choose2Matter, we were able to accept ourselves as we are, find our true voices, support one another, and create an equitable and safe learning environment in our community. We plan to do that for every girl, everywhere in the world."

In summary:

If you want to raise student math scores precipitously, help them approach testing with more confidence and creativity.

If you want to raise a struggling student's reading levels, have his classmates encourage him and tell him that he matters.

If you want female students to rank at the top of high school science classes, encourage them to accept themselves as they are, find their true voices, and create an equitable and safe learning environment.
Grim images from the small world of children are multiplying. Little bodies adrift in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. Uncomprehending faces pressed against wire fences and barricades in Europe from the Balkans to the French port of Calais. At least 17 Syrian children and their pediatrician slaughtered by a bomb apparently targeting a hospital in Aleppo. Little boys in South Sudan picking up guns to defend their communities because no one else will. Militants and soldiers turning schools into battle stations.

In the background, at least 1.5 million children dying annually from vaccine-preventable diseases and scores perishing in epidemics that overwhelm unprepared and underfinanced public health services.

Less often seen, or mostly unseen in the news are the organizations and individuals not only grappling with daily horrors but also seeking formulas for better, more sustainable ways to protect children and young people, who form the largest sector of the population in many developing countries. Seasoned advocates see the need for more collaboration internationally among diverse supporters of children, and sometimes more interaction with violators of child rights. Backed by rigorous data collection and analysis in the field, they are testing what works.

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But while this cooperative approach can be a key to firming up successes, advocates are always aware that there can be reversals and new shocks.

"We of course focus on the bad things that are happening to children," said Zama Coursen-Neff, the executive director of the children's rights division of Human Rights Watch. "Our organization as a whole has done so much on the targeting of civilians in conflict, like in the war in Syria. So much of the damage that has been done there has been done to children."

She added that in schooling alone human development has been rolled back, "particularly for a country where most people get an education -- and now are not.

"But if you look at global statistics -- on access to education, involvement in the worst forms of child labor -- the overall trend is good," Coursen-Neff said in a phone interview. "Overall, there are more children who have access at least to primary education and far fewer children, even millions fewer children, who are involved in the most dangerous forms of child labor.

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"There is a long trend toward reduced use of child soldiers," added Coursen-Neff, who worked in Sri Lanka during its civil war and in other disturbed areas. "Back in 2000, there were probably at least twice as many child soldiers as there are now." Concerted stigmatizing of the practice internationally is having an effect, she said.

Still, the number of child soldiers is going up again in conflicts in the Middle East and in West Africa, where Boko Haram has not only kidnapped hundreds of children -- some say more than 2,000 -- but has also turned some of them into suicide bombers.

"A child can be manipulated, drugged," Coursen-Neff said. "You think about the Taliban training of young boys. What does it mean if children are taken away from their parents and don't have normal human interaction with girls and women? What that does to a person?"

The Global Justice Center in New York recently renewed its call for the United States to repeal restrictions against international abortion aid to help save girls impregnated by Boko Haram and others in conflicts that can take on ethnic, cultural or sectarian dimensions. The center has submitted a brief to the International Criminal Court on the issue, demanding that any future prosecution "must include rape and enslavement as war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide."

The group describes this American stricture against medical abortions for abducted girls, which is contrary to United Nations policy, as "a denial of their rights under the Geneva Conventions as war rape victims." If and when girls who have endured sexual abuse are freed, they need a full range of reproductive health care. Survival is just the beginning of recovery.

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At Human Rights Watch, Coursen-Neff has also led research into the danger being posed to children when militants and military forces fight in and around schools, in which both children and teachers have been killed. In southern Thailand, a largely Buddhist country where Muslim separatists have been active, schools were caught in the middle.

"For example, in southern Thailand, where government schools have been a symbol of the imposition of the Thai language, Thai culture, the schools have been in the crosshairs of Islamist insurgents," she said. "There were teachers who were executed in front of the children." When militants carry out these attacks, she said, "then schools can actually become military targets under the laws of war."

Armed attacks, the commandeering of schools and the abduction of children done in the name of cultural or religious impulses have also occurred in Afghanistan, where militants proclaimed they were acting to stop Western education; and in Sri Lanka, where the separatist Tamil Tigers abducted both boys and girls to turn them into fighters against the country's majority ethnic Sinhalese and other Tamils who did not support the rebels' political cause.

In Somalia, girls have been kidnapped from schools and forced to become brides of militants. In the relatively new nation of South Sudan, more than eight months after a peace agreement was brokered, children are being dragooned by warring factions in a politically motivated war or killed in what John Fisher, the Geneva director at Human Rights Watch, characterizes as "gruesome massacres" of civilians.

In Ukraine, Human Rights Watch found, both sides fighting in the eastern part of the country, where Russian-backed rebels operate, are using schools as armed posts or are deliberately damaging or destroying them.

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In India, the invasion or use of educational institutions by military or police forces has been common, human-rights organizations and Indian media report. This is particularly true in places where leftist guerrillas have seized schools in rural areas or remote regions populated by tribal people, making these schools targets for security forces.

In Kashmir, a disputed territory under international law, Indian troops and members of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force have clashed in recent weeks with protesting students and pro-independence militants on university-level institute campuses in and near the city of Srinagar.

Neither India nor Thailand has signed the 2015 Safe Schools Declaration, with its accompanying guidelines on the protection and continuation of education in armed conflict, written in international consultations led by Norway and Argentina. There are now 53 signatories to the informal consultative agreement. The United States is not one of them, nor are Britain, China, France and Germany, among other major countries.

Advocates for children say they are convinced that building coalitions and collecting more reliable data and extensive research on threats to children are imperative. A broad effort may bring in representatives of the military, or people who can talk with defense or police officials more easily and effectively than child advocates often can. In the case of military use of schools, Coursen-Neff said: "I had aid workers, for example, say, Yes, of course there were schools that were attacked or being used. But there wasn't a sense that this was something they could respond to or do something about."

She added: "There has always been collaboration with folks who are very comfortable talking with ministries of education, but not the military. So total collaboration has been very important." And it seems to be working, in her judgment.

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Jessica Lenz is the senior program manager for protection at InterAction, a Washington-based alliance of more than 180 nongovernment organizations working in poor communities around the world. Lenz is currently in Colombia assessing the results of protection projects introduced before a recent cease-fire to prevent or reduce the recruitment of children by various armed groups, "particularly the element of contributions by multiple actors at multiple levels to solve a problem," she wrote in an email.

On this trip, Lenz is focusing on the Narino region in the Andean highlands of southwestern Colombia on the Pacific coast, bordering Ecuador. Her plan is to identify and document examples that illustrate effective protection strategies. Her mission in Colombia is part of an initiative to document the important elements of results-based protection efforts worldwide that produce measurable results.


by Drburtoni via Flickr

Those of us living in western countries from time to time long for decent street food. We tend to picture in our minds how much satisfaction we would be getting from going from one market to the other and enjoying every bite of delicious foods in Thailand, for example, or Vietnam. Not only does that picture make our mouths water but it also makes us almost give in to the temptation of packing our bags and heading straight to Asia.

And since the weather (finally!) is becoming warmer and warmer in most European countries, the desire of having proper street food while sitting on the bench and enjoying the sun becomes much stronger.

But you probably shouldn't get stressed out about the amount of good food you are missing out on the other side of the world thinking that street food is only an Asian concept. Actually the trend of street food is spreading all over Europe at high speed!

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Below you can find the European cities (not in any order) where the taste of street food will wipe off even the very last remained thought of leaving for another country. I hope to pleasantly surprise you with tips by Spotted by Locals' locals to show how diverse the European street food scene can be.

1. Athens



by Danai Isari

Feyrouz in Athens serves one of the best local Greek street food in the city. The taste of the delicious lechmatzoun and hummus served here will stay in your mouth long after you had finished eating them. What makes this place even more special is that there is a unique story behind every dish which will be generously shared with you by the owners of this family - business. This is a place where you will still return many times after your first visit.



by Marilena Salamanou

But if you would like to buy fresh vegetables and fruits and taste hundreds of flavors of olives and get knowledgable about traditional Greek cheese while talking to the staff there, then you should give the Varvakeios Market a visit in Athens, which is the most prominent market in the city selling any kind of product you can think of alongside food.

2. Madrid



by Samu (via Flickr)

Given the weather conditions of Spain, it does not come surprising that there is no shortage of street food culture in Madrid.

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MadrEat is a food market in a park that equally offers both traditional Spanish as well as delicacies of international cuisines. Alongside with burgers made from the best meat found in Madrid, you can also taste German sausages and have a sip of the local drink of Madrid - vermut. You can give in to your cravings in this market every third weekend of every month. So mark your calendars, put on your sunglasses and get to enjoy different bites of street food of the world every month here in Madrid.



by Cat Bethune

Another place that you can buy local fresh products is Mercado Camara Agrarian, which is open every first Saturday of all months. Alongside with buying meat, cheese or baked products you can also do testing of various kinds of local wines and beers in this market. A place just can't get any more local than this in Madrid.

3. Hamburg



by Curry It Up

Having started as a street food festival in 2014, Hamburg turned it into a tradition to have a street food market every month called Streetfood Thursday. In addition to representing a huge variety of foods from different continents this market also has a lot in the store when it comes to offering vegan and organic food. Streetfood Thursday aims to prove that street food is not always the equal of fast food and that healthy alternatives are available. Similar to there street food market, here as well you can find tunes of live music, which only covers the market with more relaxing atmosphere.



by Elisabeth Grosser

Moreover, if you would like to buy some local product of organic farms of Hamburg then the Volksdorfer Wochenmark would be the most perfect choice for you. The sellers of this market probably make up the most prominent part of the market because they are super friendly. So be prepared to find yourself in the middle of political discussions or just talking about everyday matters while buying bakery delights or some local honey.

4. Copenhagen



by Sigrid Charlotte Sturlason

Ask anyone in Copenhagen for good food and they will definitely mention CPH Street Food. This food market in Copenhagen blends cuisines from all over the world. Papiren gives you the opportunity to hop from Turkey straight to Korea by visiting the next food stall.

The food here has high quality and the staff is always more than happy to give detailed description on their products, which will only put you in a tougher decision as which country's cuisine to taste first. What even makes visiting this market more delightful is the laid - back atmosphere filled with chit chatting and music.

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5. Amsterdam



by Stephen van den Hoek

Happyhappyjoyjoy is a perfect name for this place in Amsterdam as eating here will undoubtedly give you a lot of happiness and joy. Happyhappyjoyjoy not situated outside, however it would probably be fair to say that it serves the tastiest street food that had been absent from the city for so long. The place is particularly specialized in Asian streetfood and each piece of them is so flavorsome that those Chinese dumplings will definitely make you feel as if you're right in the centre of Asia for a moment.

And only the fancy and kind of a posh environment of this place will make you realize that you are still not on the street and this is still not Asia.



by Stephen van den Hoek

But since Amsterdam is a city that has it all, you can also enjoy flavorsome street food from many food truck if you head to Waterlooplein. Here, the variety of cuisines goes from Vietnamese to Dutch and from Japanese to Greek. So, go there with an empty stomach because you probably want to taste all countries of the world offered there.

6. Tel Aviv



by Igor Lenivtsev

One might wonder why Tel Aviv is included in the list since it cannot be classified as a typical European city. But neither can it fully fall under the category of "Asian" or "Eastern". And taking the - beyond - awesome street food culture that Tel Aviv possesses it just could not be left out from this list.

Even though Filipino street is actually located indoors it still can be called a street because it does not differ from any other street except with the rooftop it has. This area in Tel Aviv in general is very famous for its migrant workers and might not be a place where a lot of foreign travelers visit. However, on weekends it turns into street food market, which offers the most diverse flavors of their country from cheese to sweet delights and more. What better place to try the local snacks of Philippines?

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by Reuven Abramovich

While further exploring the street food scene of Tel Aviv, in the Caermel Market you can find fresh and delicious food among the many food stalls standing there. If you, nevertheless, are feeling like having something heavenly that you cannot forget that taste of then you should directly head to the Venezuelan food stall that sells arepas. The latter is made of dough, beef and cheese. And the final spicy sauce will turn it into a dish you won't be able to help licking your fingers no matter how hard you try.
This Mother's Day, as millions of children, from babies to adults, share brunches and dinners and breakfasts in bed with their moms, Sandy White Hawk will be remembering the mother she was taken away from when she was 18 months old and never saw again. Through her annual Welcome Home event, she hopes to give other Native American mothers and children an opportunity to reunite after a lifetime of separation.

By the mid 1970s, between 25% and 35% of all Native children were living away from their homes and tribes: in non-Native (white) foster and adoptive homes, and mandatory boarding schools. This shockingly high percentage reflects deliberate government policies to assimilate Native children into white culture, including the Indian Adoption project.

"For my family and all of the families impacted, the pain and the sadness surrounding what happened is every day. But especially on special days and times we gather, like Mother's Day and other holidays, we carry that pain of separation," says Sandy.

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The Welcome Home event begins today at the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minnesota. "We will use ceremony and song--everything about who we are--to acknowledge the pain that happened and begin to heal the collective wound."

"It is possible families will be reunited during Welcome Home," she adds.

For Sandy, the reunion with her mother never came. When she finally went home to Rosebud, South Dakota, in 1988, her mother had died two years earlier. "I had to get to know her through her siblings," she says. Sandy was one of nine children in her Sicangu Lakota family, and all but one were removed from their home and fostered or "adopted out."

"You can't imagine the significance of having children taken from families--how that impacted families in the past, and how it is still impacting families," she says.

Sandy was adopted by white missionaries who believed they were doing her a favor removing her from--as they told her repeatedly as a child--her pagan, poor, "good for nothing Indian" family.

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"My self-concept was so negative. I felt so ugly and unwanted and lonely. I did not have an Indian face to reflect my image," she recalls.

Lessons about early American history teach children about how our pioneer ancestors were driven by a sense of Manifest Destiny. How these colonizers displaced and nearly wiped out Native American people is often disavowed or obscured, and there is no mention that this history is present in our own lifetime. Sandy is a middle aged woman, and a victim of a more subtle and pervasive form of racism that persists. Nationwide, even today, Native American children are 2.4 times more likely to enter foster care than other children.

How did this happen? Why does it keep happening?

These were the questions the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) sought to answer. This historic commission is the first of its kind in America: It is the only time Native and non-Native people have come together to investigate systemic abuses in the child welfare system and the factors that contributed to them.



TRC Commissioners at Indian Island, Maine in September 2014. Sandy White Hawk is 2nd from right.

In 2013 the TRC seated five commissioners charged with hearing, recording and processing what happened from 1978 to 2012 between the Maine child welfare system and the state's indigenous peoples (the Wabanaki Confederacy: Passmaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet, and Micmac). For two and half years, they listened to and recorded painful stories, of children raised in ways that made them ashamed of who they were, of mothers who lost children, of fathers who had to stand by, emasculated, as their children were driven away, and of child welfare workers who look back now with a complicated tangle of guilt and regret.

The 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is called an "atonement" requiring child welfare workers to place Native children (removed from unfit homes) with family or fellow tribal members, if at all possible. But ICWA was a failure. There was no enforcement mechanism - or funding - to make sure it was followed, and no penalty for not following it.

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The goal of the commission was two-fold: To understand why this happened so that child welfare practices can be changed; and to give people a chance to tell their stories and begin healing. Sandy was one of the commissioners.

"I was nominated to be a commissioner because they wanted one commissioner to be from out of state--someone who could come to Maine and look at it with fresh eyes that wouldn't know any background." But of course, Sandy does know the background. She lived it.

"When it's collective trauma, we need to experience a collective healing," she says. "The community has to be ready to open the wound," she says. "And having opened that wound, there have to be some assurance that good will come from it--that decisions will be made as a result of opening the wound."

In June 2015, the TRC made its final recommendations about the best ways to protect children and families. "They are what we as Indian people have known all along," Sandy says.

"The beautiful part for me was that Maine tribes came forward to relive very painful truths, knowing--trusting, really--that their testimony would be used to educate those who work with and for Native families. And would be used to demonstrate to the state of Maine, yes, this is what happened in your state."

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This story of truth-telling is documented in the upcoming feature film "Dawnland," a documentary produced by the Upstander Project that goes behind the closed doors of the TRC process. It follows Sandy and her fellow commissioners as they criss-cross Maine, listening to testimony from anyone who interacted with the child welfare system, from adoptees and parents to attorneys and non-Native social workers.

"We think it's important to spotlight a very, very pernicious practice engineered by the State which is the removal of Indian children, placing them largely in non-native homes of mostly white families and essentially cutting them off from their culture," says "Dawnland" producer and Dartmouth College professor N. Bruce Duthu, a member of the Houma Nation.

"We're making Dawnland to reinforce that the problem of indigenous child removal is a contemporary crisis facing Native people right now," says co-director and producer Adam Mazo whose previous film, "Coexist," examined the forced reconciliation process following the Rwandan genocide. "This is an opportunity to examine our own troubled history," he says.



Wabanaki means people of the dawn land and the land they live in (now called Maine) is known as the dawn land.

In the commission's final report, Sandy and her fellow commissioners found that institutional racism in state systems, inadequate training, and resistance to tribal sovereignty contribute to a child welfare system that still needs improvement. This state-sanctioned body went even further to say, "It is hard to fathom for many in Maine that genocide occurred here, much less that it continues to occur in a cultural form."

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In the year since the TRC commission's report, the cross-cultural collaborative Maine-Wabanaki REACH has been carrying out its recommendations. Hundreds of people--non-Native allies, child welfare workers and teachers--have been trained to understand what's happened and to help keep it from happening again. "First Light," a short film prequel to "Dawnland," is part of the training. "This gives people an opportunity to see and hear the stories directly from the people who have been silenced for so long," says filmmaker Ben Pender-Cudlip.

"What took place in Maine was the truth telling," Sandy says. "Now people are going to be listening to it. There are many allies now who are part of the process and making a commitment to be part of the solution... People are changed."

For Sandy, motherhood is expansive, and there is a strength she finds in nurturing not only her own children, but also her community. As she begins to welcome home Native adoptees today, she can imagine her ancestors - her mother - smiling.
The federal District Court for New Jersey in an April 4, 2016, decision declined to automatically enforce an arbitration provision in an employment agreement (Ranieri v. Banco Santander). Instead, the Court ordered additional factual evidence be obtained (discovery) concerning the asserted agreement to arbitrate.

The employees signed a document containing the following language immediately above their signature:



"I certify, by my signature below, that I have received a copy of the Mortgage Sales Commission Plan, which has been provided to me."

The employees brought a class action lawsuit asserting minimum wage and overtime claims. The employer sought dismissal of the lawsuit and enforcement of an arbitration provision.

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The District Court stated that there was a factual question concerning the enforceability of the agreement to arbitrate:

"The ambiguity stems from the sentence located directly above the signature line, which states that the signature below serves as confirmation that Plaintiffs received the Mortgage Sales Confirmation Plan. On one hand, Plaintiffs' signatures could memorialize only that they received the Plan; on the other hand, the signatures could represent their assent to agree to the terms of the MDO [Mortgage Development Officer] Agreement, as well as confirmation that they received the Plan. Defendants do not cite to, nor is the Court aware of, any cases where a signature served to bind a party under such ambiguous circumstances. As such, the Court cannot reach a conclusion one way or the other from the face of the complaint and the MDO Agreement alone."

Since the agreement in question was prepared by the employer, the Court cited the standard rule in contract law that any ambiguity is interpreted against the drafter (the party preparing the document).

The Court's decision might be appealed. Additional facts may or may not support enforcement of the arbitration provision. The stakes are high for the parties since either each employee claimant must engage in individualized arbitration or potentially a single lawsuit will determine all claims.

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This is a cautionary decision highlighting the limitations of "acknowledge receipt" language standing alone. Either be certain that the full agreement containing all provisions is signed or include "agree to the terms" language along with the receipt language. One cannot be too careful.
Welcome to our first CalmCircleCollege Blog Team post. Our student bloggers are using CalmCircleCollege to help them develop a meditative practice to assist in managing stress, improving sleep and creating mental rest.

By Gigi Falk, Duke student

Inundated with all the stress of being a high school junior, I found myself at age seventeen feeling deeply unfulfilled in my daily life. I was constantly in a state of urgency and anxiety, and never felt like there was enough time in the day to appreciate or enjoy life. With all of my attention and energy devoted to schoolwork and ultimately college acceptance, it seemed like I was forced to sacrifice my daily happiness for distant goals. While I spent day after day going through the motions of a hardworking high school student, there seemed to be something more profound and meaningful in my life that was missing. I was constantly haunted by a fear that if I died one of those nights, I would know that I never really lived.

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My perceived necessity to constantly prioritize my goals and prospective happiness at the expense of my present happiness confused and saddened me. However, towards the end of my junior year I discovered Ralph Waldo Emerson, a nineteenth century American philosopher whose beliefs uniquely diverged from his contemporaries. I was inspired by how he saw the world, and the feelings of helplessness that had troubled me for so long began to dissipate. After reading one of his most famous essays, "Nature," I opened up to the idea that happiness was attainable by appreciating the ordinary pleasures that surrounded me, like the sound of my mom's voice waking me up in the morning, or the thin streak of light that illuminates my favorite study spot at 5 p.m. every afternoon.



"I was constantly haunted by a fear that if I died one of those nights, I would know that I never really lived."



In "Nature," Emerson writes, "I am not solitary whilst I read and write, though nobody is with me. But if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars." Because our minds are always filled with cultural and societal impressions, we are never truly alone with our thoughts. But if we are dedicated and determined enough to attempt to free ourselves from such a mental burden, we can experience a profound stillness and appreciation for just existing in the world we live in.

I was amazed by the sense of wonder and joy possible through just paying attention to and deeply appreciating the unexceptional everyday events in our lives. And, while not much changed in terms of school and commitments, I became increasingly aware of the small pleasures that always surrounded me, and the joy that I gained from this discovery allowed me to go to sleep every night feeling like I had lived.

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What I wasn't aware of at seventeen was that this way of thinking, or way of life rather, has a name. It's called mindfulness, and there is an entire movement around it. Mindfulness is defined as a non-judgmental state of heightened awareness of thoughts, emotions, and experiences on a moment-by-moment basis. From experience, I can tell you that this definition becomes more and more meaningful as you develop a meditative practice and study the philosophy that led to such a definition.



"And, while not much changed in terms of school and commitments, I became increasingly aware of the small pleasures that always surrounded me, and the joy that I gained from this discovery allowed me to go to sleep every night feeling like I had lived."



During my time at Duke, I have learned about mindfulness and meditation, as well as contemplative neuroscience, an area of study that integrates western knowledge of the brain with Buddhist practices such as meditation, and in the past month, I have created my own major, titled Cognitive Neuroscience. My intention in creating this major, which centers around neuroplasticity, brain activation, and the relationship between behavior and the brain, is to combine this knowledge with my personal exploration of Buddhism and meditation in order to develop a deeper appreciation for contemplative science and the neurological and psychological underpinnings of mindfulness and happiness.

While I have integrated the practice and philosophy of meditation into my academics and my daily life at Duke, I have only begun to scratch the surface of the teachings in this field. This summer will be a chance for me to explore this area in a much more profound way. In June, I will attend the Mind and Life Summer Research Conference, which brings together top researchers in neuroscience, psychology, meditation, and Buddhism to foster an interdisciplinary exploration of the mind. I'll fly directly from this conference to Amaravati, the first Theravada Buddhist monastery in England, where I will spend one month living as a monastic and studying Buddhist meditation and texts. I know that my experiences this summer will be transformative, and I look forward to documenting them here for myself and for you.
Stacey Dash Will Play The Mayor Of Chicago In New Sharknado Movie

By Austin Brown in Arts & Entertainment on May 4, 2016 8:56PM



LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 25: Actress Stacey Dash attends the FOX, 20th Century FOX Television, FX Networks and National Geographic Channel's 2014 Emmy Award Nominee Celebration at Vibiana on August 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for FOX)

Remember Sharknado? That weird movie that your friend who always makes jokes about The Room and Troll 2 told you you had to watch because, "no really, dude, there's sharks but they're in a tornado and then they start swimming in people's houses and everything"? That one?

So somehow there's a fourth one of those now, titled Sharnado: The 4th Awakens (I am not kidding). Beloved characters like "Fin Shepard" (still not kidding) will be returning, along with cameos from one of the guys from Shark Tank and a Real Housewife of Atlanta. But for most of us Chicagoans, the real coup is that Stacey "low-key the best character in Clueless" Dash will be playing none other than Chicago's mayor in the film, for reasons unclear but totally welcome.

Dash has had an odd and strangely compelling career since gaining the spotlight in Clueless, appearing in music videos for Kanye West, CSI, short-lived VH1 series Single Ladies, and most recently on Fox News talk show Outnumbered (because sure, why not).

Most recently, Dash could be seen telling Fox's Fox and Friends hosts that she doesn't think there should be a Black History Month, since "we're Americans. Period. That's it." We can only hope that Ms. Dash will bring that same incisive analysis and political nuance to her role as Chicago's mayor.

"Sharknado: The 4th Awakens" is scheduled for release on the Syfy Channel, 7pm July 31.


(photos courtesy of Trickle Up)

Virtual reality is a newer medium that has the potential to revolutionize the way many global development and human rights organizations communicate their work. It also presents an opportunity to virtually bring supporters, donors, and all others curious about the work being done on the ground, right to the communities and people they would otherwise not have access to.

The award-winning, "Clouds Over Sidra" a virtual reality film that was released in January of 2105, was one such film. It follows a twelve year-old girl named Sidra in the Za'atari camp in Jordan -- currently home to an estimated 84,000 refugees from the Syrian civil war. The groundbreaking film shot for the United Nations using the Samsung Gear VR 360-degree platform, is the first ever film shot in virtual reality for the UN and is designed to support the UN's campaign to highlight the plight of vulnerable communities, particularly refugees.

Since the success of "Clouds Over Sidra" there has been some buzz on how nonprofits and global development organizations might be able to leverage virtual reality to build awareness of their causes.

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One such organization taking on virtual reality is Trickle Up. Trickle Up is a global poverty alleviation organization that works with the world's poorest and most vulnerable people to help them achieve financial independence and social connection. I spoke with Tyler McClelland, Trickle Up's Communications Officer, to learn more about what the learnings, challenges, and best practices were for them as a smaller organization, taking on VR for the first time.

What made Trickle Up decide to try VR?

Trickle Up works in some of the poorest and most remote places on earth and for most of our supporters, making the journey to visit our participants and get a feel for their lives just isn't possible. But when it is possible, the experience is overwhelmingly powerful. This past April, I had the opportunity to travel to Guatemala and visit a group of women living in small communities on the mountains outside of Tamahu. Being steps away while they engaged with customers in shops they'd built--some of which were the first markets in their communities, really imparts a great appreciation for what they've accomplished. Being in their space and experiencing their lives, even briefly, made me understand their circumstances in such a visceral way. I was able to form a human connection, and that's difficult to translate when you're stuck behind a screen.



When I returned from Guatemala, I was so inspired by the women I'd met and was thinking of ways I could bring what I'd experienced to our wider audience. At the same time, VR was starting to be embraced by humanitarian organizations and the media, like the UN and New York Times. I watched one now-famous example, Clouds Over Sidra, and was surprised by the amount of empathy I felt for Sidra just by being transported into her world through my smartphone and some cardboard. It was eerily similar to the feelings I had when visiting Olivia Chiquin in her shop outside Tamahu. If there was ever a 'light bulb moment,' that was it. I knew we had to find a way to transport people into Olivia's world.

Walk me through Trickle Up's VR planning process.

Trickle Up holds an annual fundraising gala where we feature videos from the field to showcase our work to some of our biggest supporters. For me, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to try doing something like VR, since we're always trying to think of new ways to bring our work to life for our guests. The first step, and it's an important one, was to ensure internal buy-in from management and my team. It was critical to have everyone on the same page from the outset and have a clear idea of our objectives and a general outline for the content.



After that, it was a matter of identifying a creative and production team. We have the great privilege of being blown away every year by the talent and generosity of our friends at Bodega Studios, a production company here in New York, who donate their time and energy to create stunning videos for the event. The planning process for the project really started in a creative brainstorm with them. It was critical to have the support of creative and engaged thought partners at that early stage, to both rein us in and encourage us to let our minds wander a bit in terms of the possibilities. Since VR was a bit of an experiment for both of us, we decided to focus on the immersive qualities it offers and create a series of brief experiences where viewers could be dropped into the lives of Victoria and Selvin Tiul, a family in northern Guatemala, and join a savings group meeting with Las Azucenas, one of our longest-standing groups. In February, the crew from Bodega met up with our field team in Guatemala and literally climbed a mountain to capture these experiences on film.



The final piece of the puzzle was deployment: How were we going to distribute the VR pieces? We needed a couple of components to get our VR content out there: a hosting platform and a printer who could print Google Cardboard glasses. There are several companies who host VR content, including YouTube 360, and several companies who print cardboard glasses, which can be found on the Google Cardboard website. We found a company who could actually do both the printing and the hosting, which was ideal. Once we had the glasses printed and the content online, we were ready to deploy. At our gala, we set up a booth with trained staff and volunteers to demonstrate and help guests experience the videos. Having VR at the event generated a lot of curiosity and excitement.

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How did you determine your logistical requirements and what vendors to use?

The best advice is to do your research, and be clear about your objectives, needs, and resources. We knew we wanted to deploy our VR at an event, offer it as an incentive for donors, and to promote an upcoming Americas campaign. Like most small nonprofits we don't have a large communications or marketing staff or budget, and knew we would need to find vendors to tackle various parts of the project including the production of the VR videos, hardware, web hosting, and a distribution platform. And, there were additional considerations because we were launching at an event. We needed staff and volunteers to be trained on the technology so they could show guests how to use it, drum up enthusiasm, and troubleshoot during the night. We decided to rent a number of iPads and iPhones for staff to use to demonstrate during the cocktail hour, and we needed to work with the venue to ensure we could access enough bandwidth to stream the content.



Logistically, our pro bono team at Bodega Studios handled all the creative, shooting, editing and sound, and the VR content can be viewed on a phone, tablet or computer. One of our main objectives was to create an immersive experience, so we decided to print cardboard VR headsets so that viewers would have the feeling of being in Guatemala with Trickle Up participants. The headsets were also a fun take-away and allowed viewers to use their smartphones to view the content anytime, anywhere after the event. Google hosts a website for Google Cardboard which features a number of certified vendors who can print branded headsets. We chose a company to print our cardboard glasses who also offered to host the VR content and provided a direct link to a Trickle Up branded page on their website, which eliminated the need to download an app for viewing. For me, this was the perfect solution because it eliminated a barrier to participation--having to download another app to your smartphone--and solved all of our distribution needs. But there are companies that offer all these services separately, so it's easy to build a solution that suits your objectives. And one final thing: When you're on a tight budget, don't be afraid to negotiate.

In an emerging medium like VR, how did you approach storytelling?

VR is still such a nascent medium, I think most storytellers are still figuring out how to put its unique evocative qualities to use.

Our objective from the beginning was to create immersive experiences as companion pieces to the videos we usually feature at our annual gala

Through the traditional videos, we're introduced to Victoria and Selvin Tiul, and women from the Las Azucenas savings group, and hear them tell their stories. Then we offered the VR pieces as a way to immerse you in their world. You can visit Victoria in her home, watch Selvin doing chores in their yard, and sit in the middle of a savings group meeting with Las Azucenas. The VR pieces are like little time capsules where you can drop in and experience that moment in time with the women in our program. But as the technology becomes more ubiquitous, storytelling will necessarily become much more central to VR. The possibilities of telling a story to someone in a 360-degree environment is fascinating and challenging. I love it because unlike traditional storytelling, which often relies on a passive audience, it empowers the audience to be actively engaged. That's something that's very much in line with Trickle Up's values.

You launched your VR experience live at an event. What challenges did you face?

Deploying the technology was a big challenge because many people are still unfamiliar with VR. We had to ask ourselves plenty of questions: How can we make the videos as easy to view and accessible as possible? How do we account for the varying levels of comfort with technology of our guests? How can we ensure the experience is safe? How do we build enthusiasm for the content without jeopardizing the other objectives of the evening?



Ultimately, we had to make a few choices: Since the VR content was a companion to the video pieces and because we wanted to give our guests the chance to "opt-out", we decided not to have a shared moment during the program, which was something we had considered. Instead, we set up a booth at the cocktail hour to generate excitement for the rest of the evening. The cardboard glasses were available to take from the booth, and a few pairs were distributed at each table for guests to use during dinner. We also decided to rent iPhones and iPads for staff and volunteers to demonstrate with, and for guests to use at the booth instead of their own devices. In addition to staff and volunteers being trained to assist guests, a portion of the printed program at every table setting was devoted to instructions for use. We also decided to purchase extra wifi at the venue to support streaming the content. And the greatest challenge was the display and streaming. VR videos are extremely heavy and require advanced graphics cards (think iPad 3s and above--iPad 2s just won't work, trust me), and a colossal amount of wireless bandwidth to stream simultaneously. So, of course there were a few questions I wish we'd asked ourselves: What technical specifications are necessary to run the content on an iPad or iPhone? How much bandwidth will be necessary to stream VR content? But we didn't, and had to make a few last minute decisions and call in a few favors to get iPads that could handle the VR and add a little extra to our budget line for wifi. It was certainly a learning moment.



Producing VR can be a significant commitment, how did you ensure it was worth the investment?

From the beginning we knew the content would need to be evergreen, serving multiple purposes for our external communications and fundraising. We deployed the VR experience at our annual gala, which injected the night with energy and enthusiasm that was well worth the investment--we were able to bring key supporters on one of our most important nights closer to our work than we've ever been able to before. Introducing them to Victoria and Selvin Tiul and the women of Las Azucenas in this way was a first for us, and such a memorable experience. In coming months, we will also be offering the Trickle Up Google Cardboard headsets, along with the video and VR content, as a special reward for donors who sign up to make automatic monthly gifts, and to promote a new campaign to grow our impact across the Americas to reach hundreds of thousands of more families like Victoria and Selvin's.





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Last words of advice on what a nonprofit should know before venturing out into the brave new world of VR?

The most important thing you need to start venturing into the world of VR is to do your research. There's an ever-growing amount of VR content in the world--watch it, get a grasp of the possibilities, and think about how it can best serve your organization's objectives. And be clear about your objectives. Spend some time researching vendors so you can make an informed decision about who and what combination is right for your objectives and your budget. (And as I mentioned, don't be afraid to negotiate.) Get internal buy-in from management and your team because having clear expectations from the start is essential to a smooth production process and especially important when taking on a new media form like VR. There will be lots of questions, and thanks to your research, you'll have (most of) the answers.
By Cheryl Hatch/Copyright 2016

"Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly."

 Mahatma Gandhi

When student journalists put the final fall issue of the college newspaper to bed last December, I breathed a sigh of relief. Incredibly, we'd made it through the semester without any threats. Challenges, yes. Threats, no.

They published their last issue for this academic year on Friday, April 29, 2016. We celebrated another award-winning year--and a full year unmarred by threats.

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I'm the adviser for the student newspaper. I am also a career journalist who's covered conflict in the Middle East and Africa. I came to the college in 2012 after completing assignments in Afghanistan.

In a decade of covering conflict, I've dealt with threats. I never expected to encounter threats on a small college campus.

In my first year as adviser, a student journalist wrote an article about a sex education workshop that generated some controversy--and threats, many from fellow students. Some of the threats were anonymous, through social media; others through the grapevine. Some threats implied bodily harm. The student's mother said she was coming to remove her daughter from campus out of fear for her safety.

I spoke with the student's mother, the counseling center and campus security. The dean of students joined the conversation. The student did not return to her dorm room that weekend. She stayed in a secure location with friends.

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Another story reported the arrests of two students on multiple drug charges. After this story published, a group of students stormed the newsroom, shouting and throwing things. One of the frightened student journalists had 9-1-1 keyed on her cell phone. When another student journalist was walking across campus with a stack of newspapers for delivery, a passing student asked if she worked for the paper. She said yes, and the student spit on her.

After a story last year, a student was singled out in her class, bullied and intimidated solely for her participation on the newspaper. Despite the stress she felt in class, she didn't file a complaint. She feared reprisal and further harassment. She feared her grade might suffer. I checked in with her in person or by text after nearly every class.

In the spring of 2015, a student objected to an opinion piece about snow removal. He wrote a lengthy, angry, threatening email to the student writer then later to the editors. He demanded the opinion piece be removed and he wanted an apology, though he was not the subject of the piece.

The student journalists offered the appropriate recourse for the aggrieved student. They told him that he could write a letter to the editor or his own guest column. He didn't. He continued to intimidate the staff, primarily through email until one night he came into the newsroom uninvited and hovered over an editor.

I spoke with the counseling center multiple times and campus security. I discussed the situation with the student editors and they decided they would try to work through it before they asked the counseling center and administrators to intervene.

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Next, I was called into a meeting and learned the angry student had filed a complaint against me. He was threatening legal action.

I explained the emails, the escalating, out-of-proportion behavior and the course of action I'd taken. I expressed my genuine concern for the safety and wellbeing of the student journalists and myself. The administrators blamed me for not meeting with the student. I said that I would not meet with a student who had threatened other students.

The student journalists handed over all the emails and explained their concerns. We were sure that would be the end of it.

I was called into another meeting and asked to sign a no-contact order, indicating that I would have no contact with the student. I didn't understand. What is it? And why would I sign a no-contact order for a student with whom I've had no contact? Will he sign an order to have no contact with the student journalists and me? I declined to sign a no-contact order.

In the last meeting, the administrators told me the student had said I was harassing and following him, making him uncomfortable. I said that's simply impossible since I didn't know him. Noting details revealed in the conversation, I realized that the student knew my schedule and routine and he was following and observing me.

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The administrators said they found him credible. I found a lawyer.

I followed my attorney's advice. I wrote an "in-case-anything-should-happen-to-me" letter, tucked it in a drawer and informed a trusted friend of its content and my situation. She encouraged me to trust my intuition.

I stopped returning to my office at night. I changed my schedule and routine. We changed the open-door policy at the newsroom. The door now remains shut and locked when students are working.

On the advice of my attorney, I did not attend our college's bicentennial graduation last May. I didn't see students I'd come to respect and cherish, including several members of the newspaper staff, celebrate their accomplishments. I didn't get to meet their families and pose for photographs. I left town.

After the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon last fall, my friend texted me: I couldn't help but think of you spring semester.

Our college has a statement of community that offers students and employees "an inclusive, respectful and safe residential learning community that will actively confront and challenge racism, sexism, heterosexism, religious bigotry, and other forms of harassment and discrimination."

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I have not experienced this community.



It's said that if students are going to be journalists, they should get used to criticism and learn to weather the tough spots. That's true. A career in journalism will require a thick skin. As the late, iconic White House reporter Helen Thomas said: "We don't go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek the truth and put constant pressure on our leaders until we get answers."

It's one thing for someone to object to a story in the college newspaper; it's another to cross the line into bullying and threats. I want people to remember that the student journalists are first and foremost students. They are entitled to the rights and protections in their learning environment as outlined in the statement of community.

I understand this abusive intolerance is not unique to our campus. It's become part of our political polemics. It's voiced nationally and globally. We need to address the problem.

College is a place to learn to think critically and speak freely. Our college offers an annual prize of Civility in Public Life. Practicing civility on our campus would be a good start.

Let's create a class that teaches students how to read the news and respond respectfully. Let's learn to offer criticism without condemnation. Let's teach students how to disagree without hurling toxic language, accusations and threats.

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I've been warned that speaking up about these incidents could have repercussions. I also know I am a journalist and an educator. I teach in a newsroom and a classroom. I teach by example.

I will no longer be silent.
The day before Obama visited Hannover to make a renewed push for the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) thousands of people took to the streets of the German city to take part in a pre-emptive protest against the deal. Obama, and some other European leaders, ignored the protest and proceeded to spend the next two days singing the praises of free trade and how this agreement would be beneficial to peoples on both sides of the Atlantic. That was a mistake. Pushing forward risks alienating voters and leaving more communities, particularly in the industrial heartlands, behind.

The renewed effort by Obama and his European counterparts to finalize the TTIP before his term in office ends is at odds with the strengthening anti-trade sentiment in Europe and the US. Most of the candidates slated to replace Obama come next January have spoken out against TTIP and for the first time in my living memory an anti-trade message drew multiple standing ovations in the historically pro-trade Republican party. Bernie Sanders' anti-trade message has wrong-footed Hillary Clinton forcing her to decry Obama's other major free trade agreement, the TPP, of which she was one of the chief architects. The TPP is currently awaiting Congress' approval.

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Mainstream European parties are also being assailed by an anti-trade, and more broadly anti-establishment, sentiment stemming from frustration at Brussels' slavish fixation with austerity, a never ending Euro crisis and the refugee crisis. These extremist parties draw their support from communities dispossessed by free trade who traditionally voted for social democratic or socialist parties.

With such an anti-trade backdrop it is quite shocking to see European and American politicians forging ahead with the deal anyway. This stubbornness to push forward with TTIP only adds fuel to European extremists who complain of a "democratic deficit" within the EU while fueling voter angst among Americans who feel that Washington is too concerned with doing the bidding of the elite.

That being said, there are many benefits to the deal. Politically, it strengthens the Trans-Atlantic alliance when its other bedrock, NATO, is under fire from leading presidential candidates in the US. Economically, it will create one of the largest free markets in history, and given the proximity in terms of living standards and wages between the US and EU, would likely not create the same sort of job loss that other FTA's like NAFTA have created.

But there are also serious drawbacks. The poison such a deal will introduce into the political discourse stokes the ranks of extremist parties and with dysfunction in Washington and an adherence to austerity in Europe it is unlikely that social programs meant to buttress the effects of free trade will be enacted.

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For both those reasons it's prudent for Obama, Merkel and other Europeans to table the TTIP discussion for the time being. Instead of focusing on passing the comprehensive TTIP both blocs can advance important but less grandiose agendas like harmonizing pharmaceutical regulation, lowering tariffs, liberalizing air travel across the Atlantic and making it easier for each side to get work visas to the other.

It's about time politicians started engaging with voters before they look for someone who will... like Donald Trump.

-Tewfik Cassis

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Based upon the above, we have concluded that, in violation of Title VII, the State is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against its employees and both you and the State are engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of Title VII rights by employees of public agencies. When the Attorney General of the United States has a reasonable basis to believe that a state or person has engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination in violation of Title VII, she may apply to the appropriate court for an order that will ensure compliance with Title VII. See 42 U.S.C.  2000e-6(a). This responsibility has been delegated to the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division.

Please advise the Department, therefore, no later than close of business on May 9, 2016 whether you will remedy these violations of Title VII, including by confirming that the State will not comply with or implement H.B. 2, and that it has notified employees of the State and public agencies that, consistent with federal law, they are permitted to access bathrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity.
Within American defense policy circles there has been considerable discussion about the B61-12 tactical nuclear weapon. This reconfigured version of several existing variants of aging nuclear gravity bombs possess two key attributes has created some significant controversy. First, the bomb is equipped with a new tail-kit system which provides much greater accuracy over previous models. Second, it would have a variable explosive yield which provides significant flexibility to military leaders to achieve a range of desired military effects. These attributes have sparked claims that the B61-12 actually constitutes a new weapon system and not simply a "life extension" or upgrade program, which violates U.S. commitments to the Nonproliferation Regime. More importantly, its perceived military effectiveness increases the likelihood that the bomb would be used in the first place. While the first criticism can be debated on technical and legal grounds, the second may indeed be valid. However, it also illuminates a pressing and growing security challenge to the United States, and underscores that this weapon may provide the best means to address that challenge.

A conflict between Russian and NATO forces provides the most likely scenario for the consideration of tactical nuclear weapons. While they may have been a Cold War relic, Vladimir Putin's recent adventurism is Russia's "near abroad' is grounds for serious concern. For example, in the event that Russian forces intervened in an internal conflict in one of the Baltic States, NATO would attempt a conventional military response. But the conventional balance on the ground favors Moscow, and the capability of the United States and allies to execute air and naval operations may be severely limited due to deployments of Russian integrated air defenses (IADs) and anti-ship missile systems in the immediate region. While the imbalance in conventional forces may provide a rationale for the continued deployment of tactical nuclear weapons (following the logic of the Cold War deployments), NATO would be highly unlikely to threaten escalation in the event of strictly conventional attack even in the absence of an explicit "No First-Use" policy. However, Russian nuclear weapons policy significantly complicates matters.

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From at least 2010, Russia's formal military doctrine has articulated the concept of using nuclear weapons to "de-escalate" a crisis in which it was suffering conventional military loss. The high-technology conventional adversary described in the documents is typically assumed to be NATO. As experts have pointed out, this does not constitute a clear nuclear "First Use" doctrine by Moscow. There is no explicit language indicating that Russian military or political leaders would consider the use of nuclear weapons preventively to establish battlefield outcomes or achieve a decisive first-strike against future adversaries. Nor would Russia utilize nuclear weapons preemptively, convinced that it was facing a potentially damaging conventional first strike that would severely degrade its military forces and its capacity to execute a long-term defensive campaign. Rather, the doctrine seems to indicate a willingness on the part of senior Russian officials to contemplate the use of nuclear weapons to prevent a major military disaster in which Russian conventional forces are perceived to be danger of suffering a catastrophic reversal at the hands of an adversary and the use of a nuclear weapon would effectively stop of "freeze" the conflict in place. This pause would allow for a regrouping and consolidation of Russian forces and thus prevent a costly defeat.



For many, the violation of crossing the "nuclear threshold" would seem impossible and would completely bankrupt Russia's diplomatic standing, precipitating worldwide opprobrium and Moscow's isolation. However, an important and potentially complicating factor is that Russia's nuclear use may be limited. Depending on the scenario, it may be possible for Russia to either avoid effects that would be widely perceived as violating the so-called nuclear taboo or to downplay its use in the fog of a high-tech conventional military conflict.

This is where the B61-12 would seemingly come in. Deployed to several NATO airbases in different member states, it is secure and unlikely to be targeted in a first-strike. In the event of a Russian threat or actual limited use of nuclear weapons as described above, the signal of a scrambling U.S. and allied strike aircraft carrying the highly targetable new tactical nuclear weapon would be a clear, credible, and compelling signal to Moscow that NATO is willing to and respond and to escalate--as necessary--and that Moscow's actions will not have the desired political effects that it seeks.



Central components of the U.S. strategic deterrent force like bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), and ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) will simply not deliver a credible signal to Moscow under such circumstances. Placing forces on high alert may reinforce the well-established commitment of the United State to retaliate against large-scale attacks on the homeland or its allies, but they are effectively too devastating and thus disproportionate to Moscow's actions, undermining the credibility of their threatened utilization.



This leaves the B61-12, a highly-effective, relatively expensive, and threatening tactical nuclear weapon system, coupled with advanced fifth-generation stealthy strike aircraft, as the most useful deterrent against a potentially risk acceptant actor like Vladimir Putin. This formidable NATO capability threatens to deny him from achieving his military objectives and providing real, costly, and punishing retaliation in the event that he escalates the conflict and chooses the cross the nuclear threshold. Opponents of these weapons argue that they are more "usable." They may be correct. But it is the signal created by their deployment and the assumption that the United States possesses a willingness to use them to defend its allies that underscores their credibility as a deterrent, ultimately decreasing the probability that they would ever be used at all.

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George Clooney recently held two fundraising events for Hillary Clinton, one at a friend's San Francisco home and another at Clooney's Los Angeles home. Total haul: roughly $15 million. Donors paid between $33,000 and $353,000 for a shot at sharing a brief moment in time with one career actor and, well, another career actor. Clinton spoke about her middle class devotion to a clique of 100 devotees worth billions while pounds of spot prawns and beef tenderloin were blissfully devoured. The middle class wanted to make its own statement, but it was forcibly barricaded blocks away and incapable of affording a ticket on a salary less than the price of admission.



Clinton, the Clooneys and contest winners.

The San Francisco event was held at the $4 million dollar 4,000 square foot San Francisco stunner of Silicon Valley entrepreneur, venture capitalist, Obama advisor and now Clinton uber-fundraiser, Shervin Pishevar. Protestors scaled Nob Hill until they reached the police stronghold which clearly drew the line between the illustrious and the obscure. Nonetheless, activists banged pots, chanted anti-Clinton catchphrases, annoyed cops and eventually disappeared, much like the middle class.



Shervin Pishevar, Recode.net

The Los Angeles event was held at Clooney's sprawling 7,500 square foot Hollywood Hills estate in the historic Whitley Heights neighborhood. Gorgeous George's $20 million dollar showstopper is an apt companion to his $16 million dollar Oxfordshire mansion, his $50 million dollar Italian mansion and his $50 million dollar Cabo San Lucas mansion, recently sold to a Mexican billionaire who simultaneously bought the neighbors' mansion (owned by besties Cindy Crawford and Randy Gerber) for another $50 million. Incidentally, the nifty $100 million dollar deal equals salaries for 2,200 Americans. Viva la raza!

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Protestors flanked Hollywood's Whitley Terrace in order to throw a thousand one dollar bills over secret service and LAPD toward limousines occupied by Clinton and her cohorts as the motorcade approached the Clooney compound. Ironically, one thousand dollars couldn't buy even a few bottles of bubbly served on silver platters carried by servers whose evening wage was likely less than the cost of one bottle, let alone a Clooney sock.

Two contest winners (seen above) from Pennsylvania got the chance to see what it's like to live in La-La Land and cross over to the other side of the class paradigm. Interesting how they were "randomly" selected two weeks before the critical Pennsylvania primary; just enough time to garner additional feel-good press as Americana parents of an aspiring actress who got to meet one of the nation's political legends.

Howard Gold lives down the hill from Clooney. It was he who withdrew the thousand bucks and spread it among protestors. In fact, in a colossally ironic twist, Howard is actually son of the now-deceased founder of the 99 Cents Only retail chain, Dave Gold, a well-known, humble philanthropist who was deeply invested in his employee's well-being. Besides dishing out the cash, Howard also created the protest spectacle in the first place with an e-invite to Sanders supporters that read,

"Swimming pools, movie stars, and merriment for all! This is happening right next door to Clooney's party for Hillary! No-one turned away for a lack of funds."

Gold's outreach turned into a pool party protest and $27-per-head fundraiser at his pad. $27 donations have become a battle cry for Sanders and his supporters as they rail against big money interests - including Hollywood heavyweights - who have supported Clinton and her predecessors through Super PACs and grandiose galas at country clubs and mansions coast-to-coast.



Clooney's Los Angeles Mansion



Clooney's Mexican Mansion



Clooney's Italian Mansion



Clooney's English Mansion

Aside from the gated mansions, the $200 million dollars of net worth, the security detail and the movie star madness, George Clooney is know for his activism, for being a big star with a big heart and a big mind. He's also known for using his big heart and his big mind and his big bucks to stake his good-guy reputation on Hillary Clinton, as seen in his endorsement email which declared, "In all of this clutter, there's been one consistent voice. A voice of tolerance and experience."

If the American people have learned one thing about Hillary and Bill Clinton over four decades, it's that "consistent" and "tolerance" are antonyms, not synonyms.

One would certainly love to have mingled among the gilded that starry night in the Hollywood Hills, not to behold the glitz and glam, but to eavesdrop on the gab among the mega-moneyed and perhaps glean precisely why some were there to support Hillary. Did they actually know her policies, her voting record, her vision?

Hillary's Senatorial record is neither widely discussed nor known. In fact, she has often cited Bill's Presidential policies - in debates, interviews, stump speeches and ad campaigns - as if they were her own, as if this would be her third term as POTUS should November's ballots fall her way. She has also shapeshifted so frequently - based on which way the political wind blows at the moment - that one can hardly know how to identify the real Hillary let alone follow her footsteps forward.

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In the end, however, one question remains. Are Bill's and Hill's past, present and proposed policies worthy of a six figure check for 120 minutes in Clooney's backyard?

In 1994, Bill Clinton instituted the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" (DADT) policy which barred openly gay, lesbian or bisexual persons from military service. In 1996, Bill Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which defined federal marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Hillary Clinton fully supported these policies.

Obama led the Congressional charge to repeal DADT in 2010, just two years into his Presidency. Ellen DeGeneres tweeted, "Thank you Senators for pushing us one step closer towards full equality." Obama publicly announced his support of same-sex marriage in 2012. DeGeneres stated, "It takes a brave man to take a stand like this especially in an election year. Mr. President, to you, I say, thank you, very, very much."

In March of 2013, one year after Obama made his historic marriage-for-all plea, the Supreme Court was on the verge of overturning DOMA and the American people favored a definitive reversal of the age old civil rights disaster. The time was therefore ripe for Hillary Clinton's own coming out party. Following decades of actively denying wedding bells for woman and woman and man and man, she suddenly announced her support.

On the other hand, Bernie Sanders was one of the vast minority to oppose DADT in 1994. Bernie Sanders was one of the vast minority to vote against DOMA in 1996. In fact, in 1983, as mayor of Burlington, Vermont, Sanders signed a Gay Pride Day Proclamation which, he said, defined his belief that gay rights were civil rights. In 2009, Sanders helped helped pass the nation's first same-sex marriage law in Vermont.

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In a baffling clarion call for Clinton, Ellen DeGeneres attended Clooney's money ball last week. Do you think she thanked Hillary for supporting the LGBT community only after it became politically convenient? Do you think she thought it a better investment than $27 to the Sanders campaign which serves all citizens, everywhere, all the time, not just those who have special access to people who pretend for a living? Gay actor Jim Parsons and gay talent agency exec Bryan Lourd were also at Clooney's shindig. Wonder if they congratulated Clinton for doing nothing to secure their rightful place in the straight person's world.



Anders Krusberg, Warner Brothers

1994. Bill Clinton passes the largest crime bill in the history of the United States. While some measures of the bill were admirable - Violence Against Women Act, Federal Assault Weapons Ban - others led to today's outrageous mass incarceration catastrophe and the cultural crippling of Blacks and Latinos.

In a heartbeat, low-level drug use and non-violent crimes led to myriad disappearing acts thanks to Clinton's "truth in sentencing" clause which not only extended prison sentences so that "violators" drifted into infinite darkness but also mandated that such sentences be served without early parole. Crack and cocaine had near twin-like compositions, but because crack was associated with Black communities and cocaine was the fuel for the well-heeled Whites - the kind you might find at Hollywood hangouts - a massive "crackdown" on Blacks convened while Whites partied on. Today, America is the proud owner of the largest prison industrial complex on the planet and a population in which 1 in 3 Black men will not only go to jail for being Black and male, but mostly for being impoverished, contrary to what most Whites think.

The crime bill removed prevention and education programs from prisons thereby worsening recidivism rates. And let's not forget what may be the most mighty repercussion of this grave imbalance. The vast, vast, vast majority of felons cannot vote while in prison or on probation. Only Maine and Vermont - Bernie Sanders' state - allow incarcerated citizens to vote. Since the Clinton crime bill extended sentences for even first-time, non-violent and low-level offenders, it continues to erase more and more Blacks and Latinos from voting lines. And if you think that was happenstance, think again.

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"These are not just gangs of kids anymore. They are often the kinds of kids that are called super-predators with no conscience, no empathy. We can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel."

Hillary made these comments during a speech to garner support for Bill's crime bill which she fervently supported and which clearly targeted Blacks. And, yes, she willfully deployed the word "heel," as in what dogs are demanded to do. The term "super-predators" was rarely if ever used to reference anyone other than a Black person. It was a term first and widely used by Republicans to create the Black boogeyman complex and thereafter picked up and perpetuated by the Clintons. Clinton recently said, "I shouldn't have used those words." So, why did she? Is that an apology or a mistake?

Incidentally, the crime bill not only awarded grants to cities coast-to-coast in order to put armies of additional cops on streets, but it became a gateway to what is now a highly militarized police presence that sweeps through largely urban communities, armed to the teeth and hellbent on suppressing the most vulnerable voices and those advocating on their behalf. One only has to attend today's anti-police violence protests or political protests or wage protests to see its effects.

Because of his commitment to protect women and ban assault weapons, Bernie Sanders voted in favor of the crime bill, as is widely known, but he despised the sentencing mandates and disproportionate effects he believed the bill would have on minorities. He, of course, was right. In '94, Sanders addressed the House as a final, emotional plea to alter such legislation.

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Mr. Speaker, how do we talk about the very serious crime problem in America without mentioning that we have the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world, by far, with 22 percent of our children in poverty and 5 million who are hungry today? Do the Members think maybe that might have some relationship to crime? How do we talk about crime when this Congress is prepared, this year, to spend 11 times more for the military than for education; when 21 percent of our kids drop out of high school; when a recent study told us that twice as many young workers now earn poverty wages as 10 years ago; when the gap between the rich and the poor is wider, and when the rate of poverty continues to grow? Do the members think that might have some relationship to crime? Mr. Speaker, it is my firm belief that clearly, there are some people in our society who are horribly violent, who are deeply sick and sociopathic, and clearly these people must be put behind bars in order to protect society from them. But it is also my view that through the neglect of our Government and through a grossly irrational set of priorities, we are dooming tens of millions of young people to a future of bitterness, misery, hopelessness, drugs, crime, and violence. And Mr. Speaker, all the jails in the world, and we already imprison more people per capita than any other country, and all of the executions in the world, will not make that situation right. We can either educate or electrocute. We can create meaningful jobs, rebuilding our society, or we can build more jails.

In order to deflect from this horrific Clinton legacy, Hillary relishes every opportunity to excoriate Bernie over his stance on guns, especially his recent comments about the Sandy Hook Elementary School parents who are suing Remington. She positions herself as the anti-gun crime crusader who finds it appalling that Sanders does not support the lawsuit and did not support the Brady Bill. However, during an October 2015 CNN debate, Sanders reminded her that, at the time of the Brady Bill vote, he favored most provisions but believed there was too much room for abuse of authority, stating, "For example, do I think that a gun shop in the state of Vermont that sells legally a gun to somebody, and that somebody goes out and does something crazy, that that gun shop owner should be held responsible? I don't."

Hillary Clinton fails truth when she says, over and again, that gun makers "are the only business in America that is wholly protected from any kind of liability." In fact, gun makers can be sued, especially, as Sanders stipulates, when they know their wares will be used for criminal purposes or when they knowingly break state or federal laws.

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Sanders has always preferred a provision that punishes makers and sellers that purposefully or negligently sell arms to criminals or in opposition of laws. Just like car manufacturers that purposefully or negligently install software to cheat emissions tests. Or municipal officials who purposefully or negligently tap into corrosive water sources to meet budget shortfalls. Or energy companies that purposefully or negligently destroy our environment. Or investment bankers who purposefully or negligently destroy our economy. Or Congresspeople who purposefully or negligently accept money from special interests (or Wall Street speaking engagements) to ensure that all of the above remains the status quo. In fact, one might argue that lawsuits must first be waged against politicians who, without a shadow of doubt, perennially, purposefully and negligently cripple the public good ad nauseam.

Is Sanders' stance on gun makers debatable, perhaps somewhat dubious? Yes. Is his record on helping to keep his state safe debatable, regardless of its lax gun laws? No. Vermont is the safest state in the country and has maintained such a safety level for all of Sanders' 26 years in the House and Senate. Despite this, he still has a D- rating from the NRA.

And, is Sanders accepting fundraising events hosted by NRA lobbyists? No. But guess who is? Her name starts with a Hillary and ends with a Clinton. Yes, Hillary had no problem letting longtime NRA lobbyist, Jeff Forbes, host a fundraiser for her in D.C. in March. And by the way, Forbes worked in Bill Clinton's administration and has been a "veteran strategist for the Democratic National Committee." Oh, the ties that bind.

Sanders is and has been opposed to virtually everything Clinton opposes concerning gun control, including an assault weapons ban, ending gun show loopholes and instituting universal background checks. Sanders could simply clobber Clinton on her support of a perverse criminal justice system sprung from the Clinton crime bill, but he has remained tame, to say the least. The difference is, he does not have an establishment army at his back. She does.

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Two more notes about those guns that Clinton claims to loathe. In 2008, Obama made what was then seen as a gaffe when he said that certain people "cling to their guns." Within milliseconds, Clinton rallied around the 2nd Amendment faithful by stating,

"You know, my dad took me out behind the cottage that my grandfather built on a little lake called Lake Winola outside of Scranton and taught me how to shoot when I was a little girl. You know, some people now continue to teach their children and their grandchildren. It's part of culture. It's part of a way of life. People enjoy hunting and shooting because it's an important part of who they are. Not because they are bitter... there is not a contradiction between protecting Second Amendment rights [and efforts to reduce crime]."

Obama soon after remarked, "Hillary Clinton is out there like she's on the duck blind every Sunday. She's packing a six-shooter. She's talking like she's Annie Oakley. Come on, she knows better." Throughout the balance of that campaign, she was far more conservative on guns than Obama and even refrained from a proposal for a national gun registry. During the campaign, Clinton also stipulated, "What might work in NYC is certainly not going to work in Montana. So, for the federal government to be having any kind of blanket rules that they're going to try to impose, I think doesn't make sense." Gun control groups came down hard on Hillary over these knee-jerk, politically convenient policy shifts for which she has become notorious. And now, like an ever-faithful pendulum, she has swung back leftward of Sanders on gun control since she sees a political opportunity waiting on the other side.

So, did all the Black and Latino guests at Clooney's shindigs ask Clinton why she stumped for legislation that ravaged their brethren? Did they ask why she waited 20 years to reverse the "school-to-prison pipeline" (her words) that she helped to forge? Surely billionaire attendee, Haim Saban, the world's 143rd richest man, might want to challenge Clinton on this record, considering he owns Univision - the largest Spanish speaking media conglomerate in the nation. Or is it because, in his words, "I'm a one-issue guy, and my issue is Israel," that he is obsessive about Hillary, and she about he? Hillary is widely known to be the most right-wing Democrat on Israel relations as Noted by the Washington Post article which related, "she appeared to blame the collapse of direct Israel-Palestinian talks on the wave of Mideast revolutions and unrest during the 2011 Arab Spring, although talks had broken off the previous year."

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On second thought, how many Black and Latino guests were even in attendance?

In 1996, Hillary championed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), known as the welfare reform bill which overhauled the entire system. Bill Clinton famously said it was a "hand-up rather than a handout... designed to end welfare as we know it." Hillary touted how she "worked hard to round up votes for its passage" and years later infamously said that those who left the system were "no longer deadbeats--they're actually out there being productive."

According to The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, though the poverty rate declined for a few years, by the time Clinton left office, it was on the rise again and is currently worse than when the legislation was etched in stone. Clinton's willfully shortsighted legislation changed a flexible funding model in which the government's contributions increased, as need increased, into a fixed funding model which dramatically devalued support over time, especially in light of the Recession. A vivid loophole also enabled States to misappropriate such funding, and they have. Many have rerouted contributions to plug other budget shortfalls.

In '96, 28 percent of poor families failed to receive benefits. 20 years later, that number reached 74 percent. Bill and Hillary Clinton helped systematically further disadvantage the already disadvantaged, and the country is reeling from it to this very day. The most striking indictment of their actions came from one of their very own appointees to the Department of Health and Human Services 20 years ago, who resigned in disgust after the Clintons pushed the welfare act to law. He said,

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"The best that can be said about this terrible legislation is that perhaps we will learn from it and eventually arrive at a better approach. I am afraid, though, that along the way we will do some serious injury to American children, who should not have had to suffer from our national backlash." Read the rest here.

And by the way, Bernie Sanders opposed the 1996 welfare reform bill.

Stanford Law grad, activist and writer, Michelle Alexander brilliantly dissembled the Clintons' smoke and mirrors as such,

"On the campaign trail, Bill Clinton made the economy his top priority and argued persuasively that conservatives were using race to divide the nation and divert attention from the failed economy. In practice, however, he capitulated entirely to the right-wing backlash against the civil-rights movement and embraced former president Ronald Reagan's agenda on race, crime, welfare, and taxes--ultimately doing more harm to black communities than Reagan ever did... Clinton mastered the art of sending mixed cultural messages, appealing to African Americans by belting out "Lift Every Voice and Sing" in black churches, while at the same time signaling to poor and working-class whites that he was willing to be tougher on black communities than Republicans had been. In short, there is such a thing as a lesser evil, and Hillary is not it. "

So again, one must wonder why Blacks and Latinos are so enamored of Hillary and of Bill, whom many have dubbed "the first black President." If one had a nickel for every time Hillary self-praises over her support of women and children in need, one might be able to afford a ticket to the Clooney gig. Yet, she has clearly and systematically dismantled such support for ages, especially where it concerns minorities.

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Hillary was crystal clear a year ago that she favored a $12 minimum wage, not a $15 minimum as has been adopted in Seattle and now New York City and the state of California. (See video below.) Yet, in vintage Clinton fashion, that did not stop her from rushing to Governor Andrew Cuomo's side for a premium photo op once Cuomo announced The Big Apple's adoption of a $15 minimum... conveniently just two weeks before New York primary.

Activists from Fight for $15 have done bruising work for years in their effort to raise the minimum to a satisfactory living wage, no thanks to Clinton who has only recently glommed on to the movement as if she were a spokesperson. Sanders, on the other hand, has been an avid supporter of this fight for minimum wage workers as detailed in this piece from notable activist and Seattle Councilwoman, Kshama Sawant.

In one of the most memorable moments in debate history, Sanders pinned Clinton on the ropes and forced her to make a $15 minimum public pledge. Perhaps the catering folks at Clooney's soiree should have asked Clinton why the sudden change of heart. Either way, Bernie continues to get rope-a-doped by Clinton because, again, she has too many political establishment heavyweights in the ring with her.

Hillary Clinton shows no signs of being an environment-friendly President. She does, however, show plenty of signs of being a fossil-fuel friendly President. In fact, she shows millions and millions of signs that this is the case, as attested to by her countless compatriots in the gas and oil business who fund her POTUS campaign like a kid with an unquenchable thirst.

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Hillary Clinton made $1 million dollars in speeches from Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce which is a major investor in the Keystone XL pipeline project. Hillary Clinton made $650,000 from speeches to TD Bank another major financial backer of Keystone. She was "inclined" to sign off on Keystone, then she "can't really comment" on Keystone then suddenly "I oppose it" only once Obama said enough's enough.

Hillary Clinton registered 40 lobbyists last year as major financial "bundlers" whose contributions totaled $2.1 million dollars. Almost every one of those lobbyists pushed fossil fuel. Hillary Clinton has received another $500,000 in direct contributions from fossil fuel lobbyists. Hillary Clinton has received $310,000 in direct contributions from fossil fuel employees. And Greenpeace has claimed that Hillary Clinton has received $4,000,000 in Super PAC contributions and ancillary fossil fuel interests. Hillary Clinton has also clearly leveraged her position as Secretary of State to shill for oil and gas interests (Exxon, Chevron) from Bulgaria to Mexico.

Click here to see who Clinton's lobbyists are:



It is, therefore, no small wonder why Clooney and company do what they do, pander the way they pander. While their public intentions may seem just, their private lives don't sync with an anti-establishment titan like Sanders. By no means is Sanders infallible. He admits he has been on the wrong side of things enough times to shorten sleep, i.e. votes on crime bill and the misleading deregulation bill known as the Commodity Futures Modernization Act. But rarely has he, over four decades of public service, failed the public for long. And if he senses he has, he voices his disgust and expeditiously pushes to right the wrongs, with fervor and with very little establishment accord. In other words, his experience has taught him not to be bound by political zetigeist or dirty pool.

Hillary Clinton has been widely acclaimed for her experience. Her experience as a legal eagle. Her experience in her husband's administration. Her experience as a U.S. Senator. And especially her experience as Secretary of State. One of her recent campaign ads props her up as an incomparable Commander in Chief proclaiming, "She's prepared for it like no other. A tireless Secretary of State, standing up against the abuse of women and girls, negotiating a cease-fire in Gaza, leading the diplomacy that keeps us out of war. The Presidency is the toughest job in the world, and she's the one leader who has what it takes to get every part of the job done."

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But experience does not equate prudence. And why does a nation remain so smitten with someone who makes one globally disastrous decision after another?

In 2002, Hillary Clinton voted in favor of the war in Iraq. Bernie Sanders voted against it. Over 4,500 Americans died. Upwards of a half million Americans were injured (physical, emotional). Nearly 200,000 Iraqis died, the vast majority being civilians. Taxpayers have spent over $4 trillion with many more trillions to come. And yet, the region is less stable than it ever was. We now know what a vote for this war constituted... the worst foreign policy decision in our nation's history.

In 2009, a vicious military coup ousted a democratically elected President in Honduras. Secretary Clinton fiercely advocated for the coup and supported new elections of pro-U.S. puppets, regardless of an international community that saw her decision as disdainful and dangerous. Latin American officials eventually rejected U.S. policy judgments and relations have been strained ever since. Honduras was already the most dangerous place on the planet but has since become far worse, with the world's highest murder rate, the constant slaughter of activists, journalists, dissenters, LGBT citizens, wholesale police and government corruption and a mass exodus of mothers and children who have desperately sought U.S. asylum. Hillary Clinton has steadfastly denied such asylum. Sanders supports it.

In 2011, Secretary Clinton flew to Haiti, 9 months after the quake, to all but commandeer the presidential election and eventuate success for Michel ("Sweet Mickey") Martelly, a former carnival performer cum pop star, son of a Shell oil executive (hmm) and on-again-off-again resident of the U.S. who returned to Haiti for good after defaulting on over $1 million in bank loans. It's no surprise that Martelly cherished support from his "friends in the U.S." who coddled him with everything he needed to assume his nation's top seat, including a U.S. government pledge of millions in campaign support.



Martelly and Clinton 2011, Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Regardless of massive outrage from human rights organizations and an entire populist party consisting of tens of thousands of working class Haitians being denied the right to vote, Martelly was "elected." Simultaneously, Obama, in concert with Martelly, put Bill Clinton in charge of Haitian quake reconstruction. Needless to say, the Clinton Global Initiative received some healthy donations from Clinton cronies awarded no-bid contracts to clean up the disaster. Martelly had been mired in corruption, strong-arming scandals and surrounded himself with reported drug traffickers, rapists and murderers. Sadly, the country remains in shreds while cholera continues to ravage citizens. Where did billions in relief go?

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Incidentally, also in 2011, as Egypt erupted in anti-government protests (Tahrir Square), Tunisia erupted in anti-government protests, Yemen and Syria erupted in anti-government protests and the Sudanese were demanding freedom, Secretary Clinton didn't rush into the fray. She went to Haiti to protect her husband's interests, to protect her interests, and to protect relations with international businesses invested in Haitian resources, not to mention her brother being awarded a rare gold mining contract.

In 2009. Secretary Clinton stated, "We deeply value the relationship between the United States and Libya." In 2011, at her behest, the U.S. and allied nations launched a massive bomb strike upon Libya in order to force the ouster of leader Muammar Gaddafi and his loyalists and suppress what Clinton promised as Gaddafi's imminent massacre of Libyan protestors. Gaddafi was soon killed by opposition forces. Clinton took a victory tour of the ravaged country proclaiming, "We came, we saw, he died!"

But her decision to push Libya into a U.S./Western-backed government, yet again, was ignorant, at best, as the sudden dissolution of leadership led to chaotic civil war, bolstered terrorists, incited mass migration, and eventually led to the disaster in Benghazi, which, no matter what one's political affiliation, was an avoidable fiasco cum mystery of epic proportion.

Since 2011 until now, Secretary Clinton has pushed - perhaps "bullied" is more apt - Obama into building an aggressive operation in Syria that forces President Assad out. By now Clinton's model of regime change must sound not only like a broken record but a broken record collection. Clinton was entirely unaccommodating to anyone who considered a ceasefire, anyone who considered diplomacy, including the U.N. She wanted Assad out, and she would and will stop at nothing until it happens.

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Is Assad a butcher? Yes. But Clinton's America makes us a nonstop butcher of butchers and anyone in our way of butchering. Her international defiance has contributed to an escalation in which 10 million Syrians are displaced and a quarter million are dead. Time and time again, Clinton's mania and gracelessness have left the international community exasperated and even exacerbated suffering. Perhaps Salon said it best with, "There hasn't been a major foreign policy decision in the Middle East she pushed for that didn't end up being a disaster both at home and the countries she advocated meddling in."

Hillary Clinton is a brilliant person. A masterful politician. And a send-up of her husband times a gazillion. Clooneys and Fondas and Katzenbergs and DeNiros and DeGenereses and Kardashians worship her because they can, not because they should, or perhaps not because they know better. But they should listen to what she says in contrast to what she does, how she does it and who suffers because of it. And while being a woman matters, it does not matter as much if you are a woman who makes decisions equal to or more dire than those made by men. Truth matters. Fairness matters. And words do matter.



One reality TV star and another

Remember...

Hillary Clinton once said, "I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the [Bosnian] airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base." In fact, she and her 16-year-old daughter Chelsea actually calmly exited the plane and were greeted by a child who read them a poem on the tarmac. When challenged with video evidence, Clinton said, "So I made a mistake. That happens." Mistake?

Hillary Clinton once said, "We came out of the White House not only dead broke, but in debt." Within one year, let alone a few months of leaving the White House, the Clintons were worth upwards of $30 million dollars. When challenged with documented evidence, Clinton said, "I regret it. It was inartful. It was accurate. But, we are so successful and we are so blessed by the success we've had." Inartful?

Hillary Clinton once said of the Iraq war, "I believe the facts that have brought us to this fateful vote are not in doubt. Any vote that might lead to war should be hard, but I cast it with conviction. " Years later, she said, "I actually started criticizing the war in Iraq before Obama did." Obama criticized the war in Iraq as a State Senator in 2002, and he criticized the war as a U.S. Senator in 2005, both before Clinton. When challenged about her disastrous foreign policy decision, Clinton said, "I made it very clear that I made a mistake, plain and simple." Mistake?

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Hillary Clinton once said, "I think everybody is in favor of free and fair trade. I think NAFTA is proving its worth." The North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement was signed into law by Bill Clinton. Since such time, 700,000 jobs have been lost to Mexico alone, collective bargaining was crushed, wages deteriorated and executive compensation skyrocketed because profiteering made labor - American workers - disposable. Before running against Obama, Clinton said, "NAFTA was a mistake to the extent that it did not deliver on what we had hoped it would." Mistake?

Hillary Clinton once said, "This TPP [Trans Pacific Partnership] sets the gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, fair trade, the kind of environment that has the rule of law and a level playing field." Like NAFTA, the TPP will offshore countless jobs, crush wages here at home, further empower Wall Street and corporate profiteering at the cost of labor, endanger health and environmental standards and deny human rights. Only after immense pressure from labor groups and Sanders' anti-TPP devotees did Clinton suddenly declare, "I oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership because when I saw what was in it, it was clear to me there were too many loopholes, too many opportunities for folks to be taken advantage of." What about the first through the 20th time Clinton saw it and praised it?

Hillary Clinton once said, "It may be hard for your viewers to remember how difficult it was for people to talk about HIV/Aids in the 1980s, and because of both President and Mrs. Reagan - in particular Mrs. Reagan - we started a national conversation." In fact, the Reagans famously sat quietly by as the 80s devoured tens of thousands during the AIDS epidemic. After being roundly criticized by advocates and even supporters nationwide, once again, Clinton conveniently and less than admirably backtracked by saying, "While the Reagans were strong advocates of stem cell research and finding a cure for Alzheimer's Disease, I misspoke about their record on HIV and AIDS. For that, I'm sorry." Misspoke?

Hillary Clinton once said during her first run at POTUS, "I am going to leave that to others to conclude" after Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, said homosexuality was immoral. Suffering a massive public backlash, Clinton reversed course and stated, "I disagree with what he said and do not share his view, plain and simple." So, did she originally misspeak? Or make a mistake?

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Hillary Clinton once said, "As president, I will not support driver's licenses for undocumented people." She also maintained, "We have to send a clear message: Just because your child gets across the border doesn't mean your child gets to stay." And as a finale, "I am, you know, adamantly against illegal immigrants." The Latino community, including the Dream Action Coalition, made its angry voice heard by roaring, "Rather than be an advocate for the right causes, this news reveals that Mrs. Clinton is prone to changing her stance in unfavorable political climates. Is this what we expect from a President?" Now in her 2nd run for POTUS, the Clinton campaign reverses course with, "Hillary supports state policies to provide driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants." And about those children of undocumented workers, she now claims, "I will stand up against any effort to deport dreamers. Immigrants are vital to our economy." So, again, did she originally misspeak? Or make a mistake? Or was she just plain inartful?

Hillary Clinton once said, "I think when we look back on the 1990s, we will see that the charter school movement led by experienced, committed, expert educators will be one of the ways we will have turned around the entire public school system." In actuality, she championed charters through the 90s and well beyond that speech in 1998. By 2011, Bill Clinton received a lifetime achievement award from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, thanks in large part to Hillary. Clearly, she has reversed course since running for POTUS this year, as she recently said, "And here's a couple of problems. Most charter schools, I don't want to say everyone, but most charter schools, they don't take the hardest-to-teach kids. And if they do, they don't keep them. The public schools are often in a no-win situation, because they do thankfully take everybody, and they don't get the resources and help and support they need to take care of every child's education. I am still a firm believer that the public school system is one of the real pillars of our democracy, and it is a path for opportunity." So, was it her need for teachers union endorsements that has led to a sudden change of heart?

And Hillary Clinton once said, "Our banking system is still too complex and too risky ... While institutions have paid large fines and in some cases admitted guilt, too often it has seemed that the human beings responsible get off with limited consequences - or none at all, even when they've already pocketed the gains. This is wrong, and on my watch, it will change." Much has been made of Clinton's ties to the financial sector. After all she and Bill have made over $150 million dollars in speaking fees since his Presidency and a healthy share is tied to high finance.

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Hillary Clinton and Goldman Sachs CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, Reuters

During the New York debate, Sanders was asked to name any example of how Wall Street contributions influenced Clinton's policy agenda. He admittedly stumbled, and Clinton pounced, "He cannot come up with any example because there is no example."

The Associated Press however, didn't stumble. They recently did some deep digging on this topic, and here's a slice of what they unearthed,

"The AP's review of federal records, regulatory filings and correspondence showed that almost all the 82 corporations, trade associations and other groups that paid for or sponsored Clinton's speeches have actively sought to sway the government -- lobbying, bidding for contracts, commenting on federal policy and in some cases contacting State Department officials or Clinton herself during her tenure as Secretary of State." For more, go here.

Add that to the $15 million dollars poured into her Super PAC from Wall Street sources. And the tens of millions from Wall Street dumped into the Clinton Global Initiative / family foundation. And a clearly empty record when it comes to punishment or, at the very least, investigation of the polluters that took down the world's financial hub in her own state as Senator of New York from 2001 up to and through the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression. And her ardent support of her deregulating husband. And yet the American people are supposed to believe that Hillary Rodham Clinton would never, ever be influenced by any of it after she swears on the Holy Bible?

It's not rocket science. We all know Hillary won't disclose transcripts of her $225,000 speeches to Wall Street simply because Wall Street has fueled the Clinton dynasty for decades. If you have nothing to hide, you simply don't hide it. Period, end of story. Ask Sanders. She thinks that disclosing her tax returns is proof of fair play. An honest tax return from a multi-millionaire, let alone a Clinton, is like a polar bear roaming the Sunset Strip.

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America is ready for a woman President. In light of the job that men have been doing, America needs to clear the deck and install far more women navigators to finally tip the scales firmly in their favor. But is Hillary Clinton the right woman to chart this journey for the next 4 to 8 years? Do we truly expect change?

One would assume the answer, during that particular night, at that particular Hollywood gala with that particular group of untouchables led by Mr. Clooney depends on whether you ask someone holding the $250 crystal champagne flute or someone serving it.

Takeaway? In this country, at this time, with Citizens United doing anything but uniting citizens, change will sadly not come $27 dollars at a time, no matter how much Mr. Sanders and his faithful would like it to. Unless movie stars or corporate stars who host private affairs on gated grounds in order to buy elections, suddenly succumb to outrageous epiphanies that lead to future fundraisers at local libraries and municipal parks, the White House will return to its whitest shade of white, Hillary will further conquer and further divide, and the world will continue to spin further from its proper axis.
About 8 years ago, I kept getting emails saying that people from my past were asking me to join Facebook. I thought to myself, "Facebook? That's for college students!" As a professor, I knew how popular MySpace.com and Facebook were with my students. So it never occurred to me that it would eventually get popular with people my age, and the general public.

I finally got enough of these emails from people in I knew as a kid that I thought, "Hey! So-and-so who I dated in high school wants to connect with me?! How cool is that?!" I wasn't even sure I understood Facebook, but I knew I was curious about what these people had done with their lives. Curiosity pulled me in. And it probably pulled you in too.

But honestly, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into.

That first year or so was so much fun! As you have probably experienced yourself, it was great catching up with the people you knew so long ago. It was amazing seeing pictures of their kids, who they married, and what kind of career they chose. It was almost better than going to a class reunion. You could actually catch up with almost everyone and anyone you wanted to. For someone like me, it was a dream come true because I am kind of a naturally curious person (aka "nosy").

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After a while, however, I began to see Facebook and other social media in a different way. For example, I once had a student in my class who worked for some company associated with Facebook. And he was telling our class how he will never, ever get a Facebook account. When we all asked why, he explained how any information you put out there on the internet is there permanently. Even if you delete photos, posts, lock down your social media security, or even completely delete your whole profile, your information never really gets "deleted." It's always available. The average person might not be able to find it, but if someone knows what they're doing, they can find anything.

So, it's important to think about the potential dangers of putting your personal information online. And not just the danger of having someone steal your identity (which happened to a good friend of mine), but how it can also threaten your home. Many of my friends on Facebook give daily updates of where they are at any given moment. And on top of that, people almost always post their vacation pictures in real time. Imagine if a criminal sees that your whole family is gone for two weeks on vacation to Europe, and they can easily find out where you live. And if this happens, you have just made yourself a target for a robbery. It's easy to forget how vulnerable we are online when we just want to share our joy with our friends and family on social media.

And other concerns you should think about go even beyond safety issues. In many of my classes, I teach the students about how people create an "online identity." For example, many college students will post photos from their spring break. And that's just one of the things you shouldn't do. While there's not anything inherently wrong with that, if you post a picture of yourself doing a beer bong or smoking a bit of pot, guess who is going to see that someday? Your potential employers, that's who. And let me tell you, most companies do troll around everyone's social media profiles before they ever extend a job offer. In this day and age, it's amazing how much you can tell about someone based on what kinds of things they put out on social media. Try it sometime. Go to someone's profile (someone you don't know very well) and see if you can tell what kind of person they are. You can probably get a very good idea. I do this in my classes. I pull up some of my friends' profiles and show my students. I ask them to describe the person to me, and it's always remarkable how accurate they are. Just through the pictures and the postings, you can really tell who someone is. So make sure that your online identity is not only positive, but is respectable.

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Furthermore, online identity doesn't even stop at social media. These days, so many people go online to find love. You are supposed to be putting your best self out there, because you want to find a date. But it's amazing how many people's profiles are less than desirable. The act of creating your identity online should be taken as seriously as you would take a job interview.
On the eve of this day,a poll of huge significance was published in Israel, according to which half of the Israelis fear another Holocaust. This is a near unbelievable fear, as Israel is powerful economically , very powerful militarily and not so weak politically and diplomatically. Are they fearful that Hamas and Hizballah will make good about their threat to wipe Israel off the map?. Not really. Many of them serve in the IDF and they know for sure how powerful it is. Are they SO afraid of the Iranian threat to wipe Israel off the map?. Again, maybe to some extent, but not too much. Are they afraid of the BDS movement, and the worldwide antisemitic campaign which it ignites ?. Maybe some, and I , for one, believe that many of them just started hearing very recently about these boycotters, and haven't internalized this movement to the point of listing them as a mortal threat, which they are not. Are they afraid about the Neo-Nazi propaganda from both Left and Right Wing in Europe, the likes of Red Ken Livingstone , the former mayor of London, and Labor Naz Shah MP, whose Nazi -oriented propaganda is enthusiastically endorsed by the extreme Right?. Again, not too much. How many of the Israelis really care to know more about these people?. So, why is this fear?. It is because of all the above which represents the present, the fact that such hatred already led to the Holocausts of the past, and the sense, that even if it cannot exactly repeat itself in the future, it is still the fact, that many of them will have to deal with issues which no other nation in the world has to deal with. What do they want from us , for God's sake? .Can't they just leave us to live normal private and collective life, or is it the inevitability of Jewish history, that the very issue of mere existence and the right to exist will never cease to be such a focal point of attention? . For many Israelis, the idea that they have to prove time and again their

right to belong to the family of nations, is an unacceptable and unjustified burden. It is not just a philosophical and moral issue to be pondered by people on occasions such as the Holocaust memorial day. It is an issue which has political implications, and they are clearly on display.
New research on the 24-hour life of insomnia

Most of us have had at least some first-hand experience with insomnia symptoms. Some nights, maybe it's been tough to fall asleep, or you've awakened repeatedly throughout the night. Perhaps there are mornings where you've awakened very early, unable to return to sleep -- or you've risen from be feeling exhausted before you even get going with your day.

Most people think of insomnia as a night disorder, albeit one that can significantly affect our daytime lives. For a long time, scientists thought of insomnia in a similar way -- as a nighttime disorder with consequences for waking quality of life, health, productivity, and safety. That's changing, as emerging research indicates that insomnia isn't just something that happens at night, but rather is a condition that plays out over the entirety of night and day.

On alert, day and night

Recent studies show that some physiological characteristics of insomnia, characteristics already known to exist at night and during sleep, are also present throughout the daytime, waking hours. This research is contributing to a shift in the way scientists and sleep specialists think about insomnia, toward an understanding of the sleep disorder as a 24-hour condition, rather than a disorder confined to nighttime, with only run-off effects during the day. Increasingly, science is paying attention to the waking physiology of insomnia.

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An international team of researchers from The Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland investigated the brain activity of people with insomnia disorder during wakeful, resting states. This study included 94 participants, most of them female, between the ages 21-70. All had insomnia disorder, and candidates were screened to rule out other conditions, including other sleep disorders, as well as neurological or psychological conditions.

Using EEG, scientists measured brain activity during waking, but restful states, both with eyes open and eyes closed. Compared to a control group without insomnia, people with the sleep disorder displayed greater levels of arousal, as measured by brain wave activity. People with insomnia showed less powerful alpha-wave activity and more powerful beta-wave activity.

 With eyes open, people with insomnia displayed less power in alpha waves in at least two different areas of the brain, within the frontal and temporal lobes.

 With eyes closed, people with insomnia showed more powerful beta waves globally throughout the brain.

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An alert brain

Beta-wave activity in the brain is a sign of neurological activity and arousal. These brain waves are connected to mental and cognitive engagement, to alertness and wakefulness. Greater beta wave activity indicates a brain that is attentive and alert, and a mind that is engaged. Alpha waves are indicators of the absence of arousal, of a brain -- and mind -- significantly more at rest.

Increased power in beta waves, as well as other altered brain-wave activity, has been documented in people with insomnia during sleep. This hyperarousal of the brain scientists believe contributes to the difficult nighttime sleep patterns of insomnia -- the trouble falling asleep, the restless sleep throughout the night, the early waking and the unrefreshed quality of sleep.

Identifying this increased beta-wave power during wakefulness, as researchers have in this recent study, suggests the hyperarousal associated with insomnia at night is also present throughout the day. Other recent research has returned similar findings, which show effects of insomnia-related hyperarousal in the way people seek treatment for the disorder.

More anxiety means more sleep medication?

Scientists at the University of Michigan, in a recent study investigating prescription sleep aid use among people with insomnia, found evidence of increased waking anxiety and alertness among people with the sleep disorder. The study included 649 adults, a majority of them women, all diagnosed with insomnia disorder. Researchers collected data about sleep disturbances, daytime alertness, depression and anxiety, as well as use of prescription sleep aids. The scientists followed up with participants after one year to collect data on the same subjects.

Nearly 20 percent of insomnia patients were using prescription sleep aids at the start of the study -- and a majority of those people, 69.4 percent, continued to use sleep medication a year later. Scientists found that daytime alertness and anxiety both predicted the use of prescription sleep medication. In fact, daytime alertness and anxiety were the only predictors of prescription sleep aid use that scientists identified. Their analysis also found that as levels of daytime alertness and anxiety increased, so did the likelihood of chronic use of prescription medication for sleep.

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Significantly, these medications weren't particularly effective in reducing insomnia. Insomnia patients who used prescription sleep aids showed no significant improvement to their sleep at the one-year follow up compared to people with insomnia who didn't take sleep medication.

Hyperarousal linked to insomnia begins early

There's also new evidence that the 24-hour presence of hyperarousal associated with insomnia exists in the brain as early as teenage years. Researchers at Penn State University studied beta-wave activity among a group of 44 adolescents, some with insomnia and some without. They found greater power in beta waves among adolescents with insomnia -- when the teenagers were asleep, and also when they were awake.

One interesting detail from this study: Those adolescents with insomnia who experienced the shortest sleep duration -- who slept less than normal amounts -- showed the greatest degree of hyperarousal during sleep and wakefulness, more so than adolescents with insomnia who had normal sleep duration. Researchers posit that this difference in arousal may help to explain the sleep complaints of people who experience insomnia, but sleep for durations that are considered normal.

A round-the-clock model of insomnia

This group of recent studies creates an evolving portrait of the most commonly diagnosed sleep disorder of our time. They demonstrate insomnia as a condition with altered neurological activity that transpires not only at night but also around the clock. In particular, these studies suggest that hyperarousal, which has for some time been associated with the sleep and nighttime physiology of insomnia, occurs throughout the waking day as well. The relationship of arousal levels in the brain and insomnia appears to start at a young age. And the elevated, round-the-clock arousal -- as well as the anxiety that may frequently accompany it -- appears to be a significant factor leading people to prescription drug treatment for their sleep problems.

We should expect to see a lot more research investigating the neurological and other physiological characteristics of insomnia that exist during states of wakefulness. With that research, and a more thorough understanding of insomnia's mechanisms and broad reach, we may also discover significantly more effective ways to treat the condition.

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Sweet Dreams,
Where did you get your coffee today? Where did pick up your dry cleaning? Where did you drop your children off for childcare? Where did you get the new app you downloaded? The answer--probably a small business in America. I could even ask--where are you employed?--and 71 percent of you would probably answer that you are employed by a small business.

Entrepreneurs are the engine driving innovation and the world's economy through small business. Throughout National Small Business Week (NSBW)--Dell, Microsoft, Northside Media Group, and WeWork are dreaming big to celebrate the irreplaceable ways that entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses are getting you through your day and even changing the world.

More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the United States each year. Helping small and medium businesses scale and prosper has always been a passion for me, but also a priority for Dell where I am the entrepreneur-in-residence.

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Last year during NSBW, Dell announced a partnership with Northside Media Group to celebrate and support emerging innovation for small businesses. Northside Media, a startup born in Brooklyn and founded by brothers Scott and Daniel Stedman, publishes the L Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, and organizes events like the Northside Festival, an annual eight-day summer showcase celebrating emerging music, film, food, ideas and entrepreneurship in Brooklyn. The festival is also home to Northside Innovation Meetups.

This year, we're thrilled to announce the continuation of our partnership with WeWork and the launch of the Dell Technology Labs, which will be debuting at three WeWork locations across the country. These Tech Labs will be housed in WeWork Penn Station, WeWork Grant Park and WeWork Lincoln Road, raising awareness and driving consideration for Dell products and solutions developed for small businesses.

Each Technology Lab will be open for the month of May and WeWork members will have the opportunity to check out the latest and greatest Dell technology, test their apps on Windows devices, borrow equipment for extended periods of time and purchase systems directly. Sales associates manning the Technology Labs will also be educating members on new tech, such as Windows 10 for business, VR applications and Cloud transitioning.

The launches this week coincide with a series of Northside Innovation Small Business Meetups in New York, Chicago and Miami, held at the WeWork locations housing the Dell Tech Labs. These meetups are part of a series that covers a wide range of tech topics, spanning from VC funding to the psychology of marketing to the next wave of branded content.

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Dell believes technology and entrepreneurs create a powerful combination that will lift the next billion people out of poverty, educate the next billion students, heal the next billion patients and create the next billion jobs.

Since our founding more than 30 years ago, Dell has continuously embraced the principles of innovation and entrepreneurship. Back then we changed the way people bought PCs, and we're still changing the industry today by helping people become more efficient, more connected, more informed and more secure. We continue to promote entrepreneurship by providing technology, funding, forums, and expertise to foster innovation and bring new ideas to market more quickly.
Tourist-Hungry Chicago Moguls Want To Put Gondolas Above The River

By Austin Brown in News on May 4, 2016 8:18PM



via "A New Vision for Tourism in Chicago"

Is the only thing standing between Chicago and its overdue status as the world's most worthy travel destination a bunch of aerial gondolas? We're a little skeptical, but some local businessmen are determined put the theory to the test.

"Chicago is a world-class city that the rest of the world simply does not know about," Laurence Geller, chairman of Geller Investment and former hotel industry and tourism mogul, told a crowd Tuesday in a presentation to the City Club of Chicago. Called "A New Vision for Tourism in Chicago," the presentation served as a place for Geller and colleague Lou Raizin to unveil a multitude of policy recommendations to the city to increase its tourism and attractiveness to visitors. Their most exciting one? Gondolas.

To be clear, it's not the only recommendation given by Geller and Raizinthey also suggested using light strategically to bring more people to the network of parks around Chicago, as well as many other, smaller attractions. But let's talk about the gondolas more, because gondolas are cool.

Geller and Raizin hope to increase tourism by using an aerial "sky line" of these gondolas to bring tourists all around the city, acting as an attraction on the scale of the London Eye. They hope for it to stretch along the Chicago River all the way to Navy Pier, acting as a high-profile icon for international and cross-country tourists alike.

"We all know the Red Line, the Blue Line, the Green Line. The Sky Line is an aerial gondolabut not your typical aerial gondola," Geller said with staggering enthusiasm. In the tourism off-season, he envisions CPS students riding in the gondolas as part of their school trips.



via "A New Vision for Tourism in Chicago"

Geller also claimed that this venture could bring 76 million tourists and 135 thousand new jobs to Chicagofar beyond Mayor Rahm Emanuel's recently met goal of bringing 50 million tourists to Chicago in a year.

"We're not the smartest guys in the room," he said, "but a light bulb went off."

While emphasizing the possibility of the idea as being "smashing and profitable," Geller, who once had a net worth of around $24 million dollars, did his best to remind the room almost entirely full of high-class policymakers of his credentials as a completely in-touch man of the people. "We're rogue," said the man with thousands of consulting dollars going into his policy recommendations, later mentioning "this is not about enriching the lives and wallets of the 1 percenters."

At press time, the hundreds of thousands of Chicago residents who would likely not be reached by such a gondola system had no official comment. The presentation is a gem you can watch in full here.

[H/T Tribune]
Part 1 of a 2 part blog series

"The best and fastest way to innovate, is to collaborate" - Dr. Anthony Chang

Pediatric healthcare systems in both the United States and Canada are facing unique challenges in serving children and maintaining centres of excellence. These challenges stem from, but are not limited to, inadequate government-issued health research funding; the demand to provide excellent care with, at times, limited resources; and patients' access to care. They are also due to the discrepancy between the technology that is being developed in the biomedical field and the lack of translation that is seen from this innovation to pediatric medicine. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend Pediatrics 2040: Trends and Innovations for the Next 25 Years (pediatrics2040.org). The mission of the conference is to engender and support an ecosystem of pediatric innovators to improve health care for all children.

The conference was held by the newly forming International Society for Pediatric Innovation (iSPI) and hosted by the Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC Children's). It was developed under the direction of Anthony Chang, M.D., Chief Intelligence and Innovation Officer, CHOC Children's, Chair of Pediatrics 2040 and Founder of iSPI. Dr. Chang is an internationally-renowned expert in the field of pediatric cardiology who leads pediatric heart teams all over the world. Pediatrics 2040 was started because Dr. Chang wanted to address the issue of innovation in biomedicine not being applied as much as it could be to pediatrics. It was important to Dr. Chang to gather all of the great minds in paediatric medicine together and think about the future of the field. He believes that everyone together is a lot smarter than the smartest person in the room.

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The four-day conference provided an innovative and collaborative space for over 500 entrepreneurs, researchers, clinicians, pediatric trainees, students administrators, innovators, patients and parents - from 18 different countries - to come together and discuss innovation in pediatric healthcare. The event started with several workshops that focused on areas including genomic medicine, medical intelligence, 3D printing and innovation in healthcare. The innovative conference format featured sessions that were conducted in five-on-five (five speakers with five minutes and one slide each) and TED Talk models of presentation. Presentations were interactive and collaborative in essence. A number of dynamic invited speakers participated in the conference, including Dr. Daniel Kraft, Physician / Scientist at Stanford Medical School and Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, Pediatrician & Executive Director Digital Health, Seattle Children's Hospital. She also writes Seattle Mama Doc (seattlemamadoc.seattlechildrens.org) for Seattle Children's Hospital. For the complete list of speakers, please visit here: peds2040.org/speakers-2/

One of the featured keynote presentations of the conference was Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder and CEO of NantWorks, LLC, and leader of the Cancer MoonShot 2020 program. He spoke at the event four days prior to MoonShot being announced by President Barack Obama at his 2016 State of the Union Address. The Cancer MoonShot 2020 Program is the United States' most comprehensive cancer collaborative initiative that has set a goal to accelerate the potential of combination immunotherapy as the next-generation standard of cancer care for cancer patients. Recently, the Cancer Moonshot 2020 program launched a National Pediatrics Consortium (www.cancermoonshot2020.org/press-releases/2016/2/18/cancer-moonshot-2020-announces-the-formation-of-a-national-pediatrics-consortium-a-major-milestone-in-the-war-on-cancer-in-children). Dr. Soon-Shiong stated at the conference that he supports the development of iSPI as he believes that it is important to put resources into the pediatric world. One of the biggest resource obstacles that pediatric (and all) researchers face is getting grant funding. When asking Dr. Soon-Shiong about this at the conference he stated that he believes that scientists need to be persistent, "I think the passion for being persistent is really not for the work its self but the impact you are going to have on the patient. Paediatricians get that because the impact you are going to have is on a young life and there's a long life ahead of them."

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A number of innovative start-up companies, which demonstrated the passion that Dr. Soon-Shiong was speaking about, were included at the conference. They came from around the world to participate in the showcase called Innovation Beach. It was an opportunity for conference attendees to see first hand what innovators are creating. Among the inventions featured was the Infusionarium, which I have previously blogged about (www.huffingtonpost.com/emily-drake/new-innovation-in-the-aya_b_4590639.html). Innovators, like Jussi Maatta, CEO, Co-Founder at Buddy Healthcare, came from around the world to attend the conference. For Jussi, who is from Helsinki, Finland, the conference was important, as he mentioned to me "the healthcare model in Finland is too small for innovative companies, so our primary market is in the US at the moment. I know that here we can meet the most innovative people within pediatrics". The conference was a patients-included event, and among the featured start-up companies were several kid inventors (see blog 2 of this series for more on this).

Additionally, 115 leaders from over 70 hospitals took part in an invite-only forum to discuss the future of innovation in pediatric healthcare. The iSPI group has decided that in order to push this agenda, they will meet at one major meeting a year and have a leadership forum once every six months. This is to continue progress and get attention from philanthropy, industry and regulatory bodies. By speaking as one voice, they have a better chance at achieving this.

Invited speaker, Lyle Berkowitz, Director, Szollosi Healthcare Innovation Program, said that conferences like Peds 2040 are important "because you need to learn about innovation, you need to share information about innovation, you need to share stories and you need to network with others because... coming together as a group allows you to be much more creative, come up with many more ideas and be much more effective than trying to do things individually".

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In the future, Dr. Chang would like to see more hospital administrators get involved with the conference. The C-Suite executives and families need to be involved, along with innovators from outside the medical industry. Dr. Chang believes that a highly diverse group of people is needed to come together to solve a lot of the problems in paediatrics. As Dr. Chang said, "we need to start a revolution in pediatric medicine". Innovation is not an option, "we need to push innovation to the maximum for the sake of children and the well-being in the future".



www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYCSH_zAHxQ

Part two of this two-part blog series will highlight the role of pediatric patients in the conference.
3 May 2016 To: African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR)ACHPR Commissioner on the Human Rights Situation in Sudan, Mr Lawrence MuteGovernment of SudanUN Human Rights CouncilUN Independent Expert on the situation of Human Rights in Sudan, Mr Aristide NononsiUN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Mr. Maina Kiai cc: African Union Peace and Security CouncilUN Security Council Re. Open Letter concerning excessive use of force by Sudanese authorities Dear all, We, the undersigned thirty nine organizations and individuals, are writing to inform you of the use of excessive force by Sudanese authorities to disperse peaceful demonstrators across Sudan. At least nine people, including one child, have been killed in three separate incidents in 2016 alone. Most recently, two students were killed in separate incidents in April, in which government security forces and armed students used live ammunition to break up protests at two university campuses. We are concerned that government forces will continue to use excessive force against protesters and to arbitrarily detain those who participate in them as they have done repeatedly since 2011. The April incidents are the latest examples of an ongoing pattern of abuse. In September 2013 government forces used live ammunition to break up peaceful protests, killing more than 170 protesters. They also detained at least 800 protesters without charge during the crackdown in late September and early October, and subjected many to ill-treatment in detention. There has been little or no accountability for the deaths, injuries and various other abuses perpetrated by Sudanese authorities against protesters.A patchwork of legal immunities effectively shields government forces from criminal prosecution and accountability. We, the undersigned Sudanese and international civil society organizations, condemn these unlawful killings and other abuses by government and allied forces. We urge you to reiterate to the Government of Sudan that all Sudanese have the right to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. Killing of two students, and injury to dozens more, in demonstrations in North Kordofan and Omdurman in April 2016 On 19 and 27 April, two students were killed in two separate incidents in which government forces used live ammunition to disperse demonstrations on two university campuses.  On 19 April 2016, Abubakar Hassan, (m), 18 years of age and a first year engineering student at the University of Kordofan in El Obeid, North Kordofan state, was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. Twenty-seven other students were injured, five of them seriously. The attack began when the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), intercepted a group of students marching peacefully towards the Student Union to submit a list of pro-opposition candidates for student union elections that day. The NISS agents, using AK47 rifles and pistols, fired into the crowd. In the following days students demonstrated at universities across the country protesting Mr. Hassan's death.  On 27 April 2016, at around 1pm, Mohamed al-Sadiq Wayo, (m), 20 years of age and a second year student at the Faculty of Arts at Omdurman Ahlia University in Khartoum State, was killed by a gunshot wound to the chest. Witnesses reported that the victim was shot by NISS agents after a political forum took place, which had been organized by the Nuba Mountain Students' Association and at which members criticized the killing of Mr. Hassan as well as the forcible dispersal of demonstrations at Khartoum University on 13 April 2016. Three other students were injured when alleged security forces in plainclothes attacked the students at the forum with iron batons and forced them out the main gate of the University. After some students had crossed the street, NISS officers fired at them, shooting Mr. Wayo in the chest. Mr. Wayo's death certificate is attached. The two killings took place amidst a wave of student demonstrations, beginning with protests at the University of Khartoum on 13 April 2016 over rumours that the main campus would be moved following the sale of campus land to investors. Amnesty International reported that five student activists from the University of Khartoum were detained without charge after being arrested by the NISS on 13 and 14 April 2016. Two students were released without charge on 23 April, with a third student released and charged under article 182, 'Criminal Damage' of the 1991 Sudanese Penal Code. A fourth detainee was released on 2 May 2016. The fifth detainee, Ahmed Zuhair, (m), remains detained by the NISS. Killing of protestors, including a child, at demonstrations in West Darfur in January 2016 The recent killings form part of a larger pattern of the use of violence to suppress freedom of expression, association, and assembly across the country. Earlier this year, on 10 January 2016, at least seven people, including one child, were killed when security forces opened live ammunition at a crowd of protestors outside the West Darfur state governor's office. The crowd had gathered to demand protection after the nearby village of Mouli was looted and burned to the ground. The following day, three people were killed and seven others sustained gunshot wounds when security forces again fired live ammunition at the funeral for the deceased. Arbitrary Arrest and Detention An unknown number of detainees remain in NISS custody following arrest during student demonstrations in April 2016. We are concerned for the safety and well-being of all detainees held by NISS, particularly youth activists. In the past, our organisations have documented a number of incidents of arbitrary arrest and detention in conjunction with protests on Sudan's University campuses. More than 800 people were detained during the crackdowns on protests in September and October 2013. In another example, three youth activists from the University of Khartoum were detained without charge or access to a lawyer for three months, from 12 May - 11 July 2014. They were detained after a Darfuri student Ali Abaker Musa Idris, (m), was killed on 11 March 2014 asSudanese forces opened fire during a demonstration organized by the Darfur Students' Association condemning escalating violence in Darfur. Two of the detainees reported being subjected to ill-treatment during their detention. The group was only released when they signed a document pledging to no longer partake in political activities. Lack of accountability for deaths of students We are concerned that the recent killings of Mr. Hassan, Mr. Wayo, and the civilians in January in Darfur, will go unpunished. A culture of impunity exists in Sudan due to legal immunities that effectively shield NISS, the police, and the army from prosecution. During the September 2013 anti-austerity protests, Sudanese security forces fired live ammunition to disperse protestors. Although human rights groups documented that more than 170 were killed, many because of gun-shot wounds to the chest or head, Sudanese authorities have acknowledged just 85 deaths. Out of at least 85 criminal complaints pursued by victims' families, only one progressed to court. The murder conviction of the accused, a Sudan Armed Forces officer, was overturned on appeal. Human rights defenders and victims' rights groups calling for justice and accountability for the 2013 protest killings have been subjected to arbitrary arrests and harassment. Sudan should immediately put an end to persistent the human rights violations committed by its police and security services, remove provisions that provide them with broad powers of arrests and detention, and repeal immunities protecting them from prosecution. We urge all concerned actors to exert strong and effective pressure on the Sudanese government to halt its ongoing campaign of arbitrary arrest and detention and excessive use of force to silence dissenting voices.
Time to face the hard reality: Donald Trump is the Republican Presidential candidate and - what is worst - he has a shot at winning on November 8th.

The good news is that Cruz would have been way worst, as he would have turned the clock back of decades in terms of social and civil rights. Yet, digesting the fact the "The Donald" - dismissed with a laugh by mainstream media and intelligentsia alike less than a year ago - will be the GOP candidate, is going to take a while. Do not let wishful thinking cloud your judgment: Republicans are going to fall in line and fight for the Presidency.

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Hillary is their ideal opponent: Republicans detest her and she will thus be a unifying factor for the GOP; she shares with Trump non-flattering below-30% ratings in terms of top leadership qualities such as being inspiring, consistent and visionary; she has a FBI investigation pending on her neck; last bit not least polls show Bernie would more easily beat The Donald.

So what now?

The Dem establishment is already increasing pressure on Bernie Sanders to exit the race early. Just like Clinton in 2008, he is not going to do so until the magic 2383 number is reached, possibly not including super-delegates, which means he may go all the way up to the Convention in July. The party will also keep pushing on Super Delegates, especially those up for re-elections in constituencies won by Bernie that are starting to #FeeltheBern, or at least the heat, from his supporters. Bernie devotees are already up in arms with the #DropOutHillary going viral.

The final result is likely to be that although Hillary would have probably won anyway, with the Dem establishment biased towards her, Bernie supporters will feel cheated, adding frustration to already angry feelings. Comes November, they are unlikely to buy her incremental changes, especially if they think she won because of an unfair race. When in 2012, the Italian Democratic Party's establishment maneuvered to prevent Matteo Renzi from winning the primaries - with tactics that strongly resemble those of the US Democrats today - they were severely punished in the subsequent general elections. The Italian Democratic Party leadership of the time is now history and Matteo is Prime Minister; as he once said: wind cannot be stopped with bare hands. The lesson is: beware messing up with an angry electorate.

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Outside the Beltway, Americans are in fact very upset; even Democrats cannot properly see all the amazing good and recovery the Obama Presidency brought to the country. All they see is the American Dream dead and not much hope for the future. Where there are no good public schools, giving children a private education costs, at the primary level, more than attending a private university in Europe; as for College, well, that can go over $100,000 a year. Health is so expensive that preventive medicine is dramatically declining and death rates for middle class white Americans are increasing. Got a sever disease? If one is lucky enough to survive - according to Johns Hopkins University, medical errors are No. 3 cause of U.S. death - chances are that paying the medical bills will cost one's home.

In Europe, people are protesting against labor reforms, in the US a bare two-weeks holiday is the praxis, is, so is very limited sick and maternity leave - mostly unpaid of course. Being dismissed from a job "good bye and good riddance" is a common experience, even for those who are at the top of their game. Listening to Bernie Sanders talking about what he wants to do, one may think he is talking about an underdeveloped country, rather than the world's superpower.

The Democratic Party leadership is confident that voters will have no doubt in choosing between Hillary and The Donald: one of the Clinton's supporters main arguments is in fact that she has better chances to win in November. Yet, the European mess is a reminder that angered electorates hardly choose incremental changes over revolutionary change. The European experience also tells us that there is a share of the electorate who vote people like Trump, but do not say it laud, making polls and predictions far less accurate. Indiana is a case in point of how wishful-thinking-polls are misleading: mainstream media had Hillary prevailing by 5 points and she ended up losing by more than 5 percent; a 10% error altogether.

Indiana also showed that Hillary, contrary to Bernie, seems little able to catch the crucial vote of independents.

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Is the #BustingBernie vs #BernieorBust the best strategy for the Democrats? What price will be payed if a part of the Dem electorate will feel cheated on? Wouldn't it be better for the Democratic Party to just play the honest broker, let the primaries naturally end and then push for a Clinton-Sanders ticket?
The US state of California has slashed greenhouse-gas emissions while powering one of North America's strongest economies, largely by embracing a system of "cap-and-trade" that promotes fair and efficient emission reductions across the energy sector.

As the state expands its programs, policymakers are considering a provision that will make it possible for cap-and-trade to slow climate change by saving endangered forests well beyond the state's borders. It's a provision that could help indigenous people across the Amazon and around the world, as the Earth Innovation Institute explains in this fact sheet.

What is California's Cap-and-Trade Program?

In 2006, California passed The Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) - a groundbreaking law, requiring statewide emissions in California to be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020. California's Cap-and-Trade System is one of the primary policies implemented to achieve this target. The Cap-and-Trade program sets a firm statewide emissions limit that declines at roughly 3% annually from now until 2020. Cap-andtrade currently regulates a broad range of Green House Gas (GHG) sources (approximately 350 businesses) including cement production factories, oil and gas production facilities, glass manufacturing factories, electricity generation sources and much more - any source that emits more than 25 thousand metric tonnes of CO2 annually must comply with the program. Regulated companies must purchase a permit, or an "allowance" from the government for each metric ton of CO2 they release in order to comply with the program. The number of permits, or allowances, are restricted (or capped, hence the name "cap") and decline each year with the statewide emissions limit. Regulated companies are allowed to trade carbon allowances (hence the name "trade"), providing incentives for regulated companies to come in under their allowance and sell their remaining allowances, as well as permitting companies to purchase allowances as needed. The underlying logic of cap-and-trade is the less companies emit, the less they pay.

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Alternatively, companies may substitute a very small portion of their allowances with "offsets". Offsets are reductions in emissions outside of the regulated sector to meet the companies' legal obligation to reduce their emissions. For example, by managing forests on their tribal lands in Northern California, the Yurok tribe was issued over 800,000 carbon offset credits, each representing one metric ton of carbon sequestered by their forests. These credits were then bought by regulated companies in California to meet their compliance obligation. Currently, California only permits the use of offset credits generated from domestic sources and these credits are subject to rigorous third-party verification. However,

The proposed International Sector-based Offset Program (described below) would allow regulated companies to purchase a limited amount of offsets from outside of the United States, potentially broadening the impact of the Global Warming Solutions Act by spurring emission reductions outside of California. Public discussions have now officially been opened by California's Air Resource Board (CARB) to examine the specific rules and requirements to allow sector-based offsets in California's carbon market (i.e. determining reference levels and crediting baselines, defining robust social safeguards, and ensuring rigorous monitoring reporting and verification systems are in place).

What is the International Sector-based Offsets Program?

California's proposed International Sector-based Offsets Program allows regulated companies to purchase "sector-based" offsets from tropical regions that are reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. This provision compensates tropical jurisdictions for reducing emissions across entire agriculture and forestry sectors, rather than at smaller project based levels.

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Currently, the state of California has signed a MOU with the states of Acre, Brazil and Chiapas, Mexico to explore opportunities to link tropical forest regions with California's Cap and Trade Program.

If successful, this linkage will not only inject a much needed source of finance for large-scale programs that are reducing deforestation, but also send a powerful signal to tropical forest regions around the world that their programs to reduce deforestation are valued internationally.

Does California's International Sector-Based Offset Program let California polluters off the hook?

No, Cap-and-Trade programs are designed to provide incentives for regulated companies to improve the production systems and reduce emissions. Each year hard limits are set on pollution, and each year stricter limits are enforced.

California's Cap-and-Trade Program is just one of AB 32's many policies that work towards reducing emissions and improving air quality. Cap-and-trade is only estimated to achieve 29% of the emission reductions needed to reach AB 32's 2020 target; most of the emissions reductions will be coming from additional regulations and innovations in the energy and transportation sectors. In addition, to ensure the majority of GHG reductions are made directly by regulated companies, only a fraction of total credits used are allowed to come from offsets (8%), and if enacted, an even smaller fraction can be met with international sector-based offsets (2-4%). While this may be a small part of the changes happening to reduce pollution in CA, international forestry offsets could bring much needed finance to tropical forest regions.

Some projects have been developed using the name "REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation)" that have not been good for indigenous and campesino communities. How is California's International Sector-based Offset program different?

First of all, California's International Sector-based Offsets program will only support comprehensive jurisdiction-wide programs to reduce deforestation and will not consider individual tropical forest offset projects that may be developed without clear safeguards or sound intentions.

Secondly, California's International Sector-based Offset program has developed robust social and environmental safeguards. These safeguards are informed by years of consultations with local decision-makers, including leaders of indigenous and traditional communities, governments and civil society led by the REDD Offsets Working Group (ROW), a scientific advisory panel created to advise California's Capand-Trade program. As a result of these consultations, the ROW recommended that California's Air Resource Board only link with jurisdictions that follow best practice global standards for social and environmental safeguards in accordance with the UNFCCC Cancun Agreement - ensuring that emission reductions are only achieved while protecting and enhancing the rights and interests of local forest dependent communities and indigenous groups; and that adequate mechanisms are developed to diligently report and resolve any grievances that may arise.

We live far away from California, and we aren't part of the states that have signed a MOU with California. Why should we care?

If California succeeds in leading the way to compensate tropical forest regions and traditional forest stewards for climate change mitigation, other states and nations may soon follow.

California is often on the cutting-edge; it's the birthplace of Silicon Valley and the iPhone and the nation's most progressive environmental and social policies, including the strictest regulations on air pollution in the US and one of few states that offers parental leave. What happens in this pioneering state often influences policies in other states and at the national level. So while only two tropical forest jurisdictions are poised to receive offsets from CA in the near term, the trickle-up effect of California's policies could have much more widespread influence, catalyzing other states and nations to follow California's lead.

The dialogue to implement international forestry offsets in California's cap-and-trade program has now officially been opened by California's Air Resource Board - marking a pivotal moment in the regulatory process. A critical workshop to hear commentary about the program and contribute to design is April 28th, when safeguards will be discussed. This is a strategic opportunity for groups to demonstrate broad support for California's international forestry offsets program and increase the visibility of this moment, not just for California and potential partners in Acre and Chiapas, but for those states, provinces and territories who are conserving forests but seeing very few benefits to date.

The state of California needs to hear your voice of support for its International Sector-based Offsets Program.

California's International Sector-based Offsets Program will support reductions in emissions across entire jurisdictions. What does the jurisdictional approach to reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation mean exactly?

The jurisdictional approach to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation is characterized by:

Compensation for the successful defense of forests at municipal, state provincial or other politically relevant units (also known as "political jurisdictions").

Integrated policies, programs, finance and markets that foster equitable, sustainable, low-emission rural development across large tropical forest jurisdictions.

Aims to improve the livelihoods of indigenous peoples, traditional communities and smallholder farmers while increasing environmental health and integrity and while lowering emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

How does the jurisdictional approach to reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation differ from a project approach?

Simply put, the jurisdictional approach aims to scale-up emissions reductions and distribute the benefits from jurisdiction-wide emissions reductions across multiple land users within that landscape. Under this approach, indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent communities may be recognized for historical and current forest conservation efforts without being penalized as "low performers" from the conventional perspective of earning "avoided deforestation/emissions" credits used by many REDD+ and Payments for Environmental Services schemes. We compare the two approaches in the diagrams below, in which the green polygon represents an entire jurisdiction with different sectors with the potential to contribute to jurisdiction-wide reductions in emissions represented, including communities (inclusive of indigenous, traditional and smallholder communities) and farms.

How does the jurisdictional approach to reducing emissions work in practice?

Acre, Brazil is the world's reference for jurisdictional REDD+ and can help us understand how Jurisdictional REDD works in practice. There, 70% of International REDD funds received are destined to communities as incentives for forest conservation to support their livelihoods and life plans, either through support for statewide programs, such as subsidies for rubber tappers or the Indigenous Agroforestry Agent program described below, or as direct incentives to communities.

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For example, approximately 1.5 million USD have been allocated to Indigenous programs within the state system of incentives for environmental services (SISA). Almost 1 million USD has gone to a program for Indigenous Agroforestry Agents who work within their communities to develop and renew indigenous land-use practices that have been taken over by cattle ranching. Another 500,000 USD have been channeled to directly communities to support their life plans-ranging from improving territorial management and planning to supporting community associations. In addition, more than two million USD has been used to support traditional communities who depend on rubber tapping.

Acre's SISA program demonstrates that jurisdictional approach goes above and beyond ecosystem services and generating carbon credits, to improve livelihoods and support a statewide transition to low-emission development.
It is an honor to be in your nation's capital preparing to meet with many of you on both sides of the aisle as well as members of this administration and friends of Albania both inside and outside your government.

I arrive as the leader of a parliamentary body in a rapidly maturing democracy, one that is a good and loyal friend to the United States. That would have been unthinkable before the fall of the Soviet Union and dissolution of Yugoslavia roughly a quarter century ago. This spring we celebrated the 25-th anniversary of reestablishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. Thanks to your great nation's support we have gone a long way, and since 2008 Albania has been a member of NATO. Our servicemen stand side by side with yours in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.

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We should all be proud of that; it reflects real progress in the acceptance of a basic American tenet: belief in democracy, the rule of law and an increasing embrace of those words from your Declaration of Independence -- "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" as "inalienable rights."

But while proud, we must also soberly and seriously confront and discuss our common challenges. My country and our region are staring both a humanitarian crisis and a potential security disaster in the face. And I don't mean that figuratively. The tide of desperate and needy immigrants is on our horizon.

Yes, we have high mountains to serve as partial barriers to their entry. But even mountains cannot stop this tide. Nor do we have any intention of building a wall to do so.

We Europeans know something about walls. We know that walls can't keep people out but also that they surely can set countries back. Walls can't distinguish between good and dangerous people, but smart governments can. And walls, ironically enough, actually enable escapism. They allow us to retreat from our collective responsibilities for mankind and for each other.

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The chorus calling for retreat and retrenchment is growing louder and spans continents including yours and mine. What should our response be? My plea to you, my fellow parliamentarians, is, to coin a well-known American phrase, "let's face the music" together. Albania commits to working closely with our neighbors in the region and our partners in Europe and United States, and other nations, doing our best to address this migration crisis. But let's do so with compassion and generosity while, at the same time, facing security threats in a sober and wise way. Otherwise, we'll plummet together, make the same fatal mistakes together, and regress together to the folly of relying on muscle and might and nativism and, yes, more walls.

We will overcome these crises. And even before we do, there are many things we can do together to benefit both our peoples. Albania has a story to tell, a very good story. It's a story about a country that has a Muslim majority along with strong Catholic and Orthodox communities. But look as closely as you can at us. You will not find religion playing a role in running our government or directing our country or dictating the behavior of the Albanian people.

We, as Albanians, are proud of our unrivaled religious harmony. How many countries with our makeup can say that?

We have incredible untapped resources. Start with our people themselves. They are ready to be inspired. They are ready to move ahead. They are ready to be trained and deployed to produce cures for diseases, crops for the masses and machines for technological progress.

That's where our partnership with you comes in; it can benefit both our countries for Albania to grow and progress as rapidly as possible. There are some 535 of you, between House and Senate members. All of you have businesses, small and large in your constituencies. Tell your companies, whether agriculture or infrastructure or telecommunications or banking focused; tell them about Albania.

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Come visit and you'll see a country on the move but one that can move even faster -- towards more transparency, more rule of law, more contributions from civil society and more economic development -- with the US as a partner.

My plea to you is loud and clear. The United States must not only stay engaged in our region; it must be the leader we all expect it to be.

Some of us spent a good portion of our lives in systems that shamelessly -- even boastfully -- denied individual freedom and liberty. In those days, we always looked up to your country with admiration and, yes, even with more than a bit of envy.

We pray that the United States remains the country that continues to be that beacon for people all across the world. This is the worst possible moment for your great country to retreat from global responsibility.

Our ancient and proud nation needs you more than ever.
Voter Registration Application for presidential election 2016

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, ETERNITY -- At his daily press briefing, Larry "God" Schumway addressed the fact that Senator Ted Cruz has dropped out of the 2016 presidential race. Reporters were curious how someone who was told directly by God himself to run could wind-up not only without the nomination, but dropping out well before the convention in Cleveland this summer.

The heavenly press asked God if he really did tell Senator Cruz to run, as the Texas Republican claimed early on in the primary process. Mr. Schumway explained that he did in fact tell Heidi Cruz, wife of Ted, that he should run, but that it was "at the end of a very late night filled with a lot of heavenly sacramental wine," and that he was "fighting back the giggles the whole time."

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"I was crank calling the silly fuck," God told reporters of his directive to Cruz to run, "And this crazy demagogue thinks I was serious? It was just a practical joke."

God said that initially his prank was only supposed to last a couple weeks. He said that in his mind no one would really take a guy like Cruz -- who Schumway described as "a loose bag of farts with mean talking points" -- seriously and vote for him for a powerful office such as the presidency. But when Donald Trump entered the race, God says he couldn't resist watching the two "titans of inanity duke it out."

"Why would I want someone who claims to be a Christian, but is the most judgmental man in the race, to be president?" God told reporters when asked if he was worried that a man who proclaims his Christian faith so strongly has been rejected by voters so badly. He insisted that his "son literally died for everyone's sins" only so that "everyone would stop being so judgmental of each other," and Cruz clearly does not understand what "that whole 'we've all sinned and fall short of the glory of me' thing" is about.

Before turning the press conference away from American politics to more important affairs, God made sure to reiterate his position on Cruz.

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"Anyway, no, I never wanted Cruz to be president," God said, "I was fucking with him."

Only John Kasich remains as Trump's sole challenge to the Republican nomination. When asked for comment on the GOP in general, God laughed a hearty, heavenly laugh.

"What you're seeing there right now," God explained, "is what happens when you pretend that you don't have to play in the same reality others do, create your very own special news network, and hide, skew and obfuscate the truth from your audience for almost 20 years, and all the while you pump them full of distrust for everyone. They turn on you. The party of Lincoln is now the party of stinkin'. And it couldn't have happened to a more deserving bunch of pricks."
Keyser: "It was an interesting week. It wasn't too dramatic for us. We had double and triple-checked our signature process and everything.... We had a secretary of state that said we had a problem. We were a few signatures short in one of the congressional districts. But we knew we were okay. We were very confident about that. It took a couple days, but I'm on the ballot now and ready to beat Michael Bennet.

Connell: What was the confusion...

Keyser: We had a guy who was working for us for months, collecting signatures. He did a great job, doing that. Now the secretary of state, not actually the secretary of state, but a bureaucrat that works in that office decided that he couldn't quite tell who that person was, whether in fact he was a registered voter. He was of course. He had been registered as a Republican for years and everything. We know we didn't have any issue there. Unfortunately, we had to go to court to take care of it, but were' moving on.
Young woman crying with tear drop.

Ashaunti Butler and Laniya Miller, both 15, and Dominique Battle, 16, died on Thursday, March 31 when the car they were in dove into a retention pond near a cemetery in Pinellas County, Fla. News reports allege the girls stole the car and were fleeing police shortly before their death. While they may have made a mistake, they deserved a second chance; one which providence simply didn't allow.

To complicate matters, sheriff's deputies who responded to the scene have been accused of watching the girls die by failing to immediately come to their aid. Whether or not the sheriff's deputies were complicit in their death, my heart breaks for these girls and their families. If it's true they were in a stolen car, what or who were they running from? I don't just mean on the night they died. Every action is a reaction to something, and I don't buy the "bad kid" narrative. These girls were no different than other teenagers who make their share of mistakes.

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In a world filled with racism, classism and privilege, it can be hard for some to see the girls' vulnerability. Shortly after mentioning their deaths, many news stories mention the girls' prior mistakes, including run-ins with law enforcement. Even in death, there appears to be an unrelenting desire on the part of the media to scrutinize the lives of Black people; and hold up for public display our indiscretions and shortcomings. The truth of the matter is all kids stumble. It's part of growing up. For children of color however, the media attempts to make our mistakes signs of deeper, pathological issues rather than a cry for help, or a rite of passage into adulthood. "Rest in Peace," applies to some, but not all of us.

In news reports, there appears no hint of the role of redemption and second chances. Regardless of the machinations of mainstream media, I'm left with one question; who will cry for the girls? Who, beyond their family and close friends, will allow their soul to be pricked with grief over the loss of Ashaunti, Laniya and Dominique?

In the movie Antwone Fisher, staring Derek Luke and Joy Bryant, we learn the harrowing true story of a navy sailor who as a child suffered years of horrendous verbal, physical and sexual abuse at the hands of his foster family. The abuse contributed to his violent outbursts as an adult. In the film, a naval psychiatrist, played by the Oscar-winning Denzel Washington, took on the herculean but essential task of helping Antwone grieve his childhood.

Thanks in no small part to a poem written by Antwone himself, a central theme emerged throughout the movie; "who will cry for the little boy?" This simple refrain resonates deeply. The presumed bubble and innocence of Antwone's childhood was violently and irrevocably broken. The trauma he endured deserved, if not demanded, a communal grieving process.

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After watching Antwone Fisher, I vowed to never judge; that I would seek first to understand before passing judgment. Sadly, I've discarded this vow more often than I'll readily admit. I'm reminded of it today, however, when I consider Ashaunti, Laniya and Dominique. How did they end up in the pond? Did sheriff's deputies really stand idly by as the car they were in careened into the pond? What trauma did they endure before their death? Were they loved and supported by the community they called home?

By all accounts, Pinellas County appears to be rife with discrimination, especially for Black school-age children. In December 2015, the Tampa Bay Times found that due to school closures and policy changes in predominantly African-American and poor neighborhoods, Black children in Pinellas County were often locked out of educational opportunities. More recently, in April of this year, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights opened a civil rights investigation into the Pinellas County School District over whether the district systematically discriminates against Black children. Of course this speaks to possibly only one aspect of the girls' lives. We have no window into other areas of their existence.

Yet, I mourn for them because they lost their lives at such young ages. I cry for them because they didn't have a chance to explain their decisions. I cry for them because the media may never see young Black girls as victims deserving of mercy, but rather as spectacles deserving of scrutiny. I cry for them because their parents will never know what it's like to watch them graduate, watch them turn the corner from teens to young women or witness them exchange sacred marriage vows.
"Their [the international community's] focus was only on terrorism and other sector development, but counter-narcotics was an isolated and marginalized agenda in their programs." -Haroon Sherzad, Afghanistan's acting minister of counter narcotics

The U.S. opioid problem has been named the worst drug crisis in America's history. Overdoses from heroin, an opium derivative, and other opioids kill more than 27,000 people each year. The Center for Disease Control recently announced that the rates of heroin abuse quadrupled in the U.S. in the last decade. Where are these drugs coming from? How are the war on terror and the war on opium connected? The opium problem is not just America's problem. The war continues in Afghanistan, and the two struggles are intimately connected.

Opium in Kabul

Since the U.S.-led invasion, Afghan opium production has increased 35-fold. Drug users in Afghanistan doubled from 1.6 million in 2012 to 3 million in 2015. Other estimates indicate that 11 percent of the population uses drugs. The increase in drug use coincides with the increase in poppy production.

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In an economic crisis due to years of war, farmers have turned to a lucrative livelihood-- cultivating opium. The Taliban buy opium crops from farmers and sell to drug dealers in Pakistan and Iran. Farmers who choose to grow opium make as much as four times their former income. Additionally, facing unemployment, many Afghans turned to drug use. This produces a vicious circle of dependence on the Taliban and on the drugs.

Money earned from the crop is used to buy weapons and support the Taliban's terrorist acts. The United Nations estimates that the Taliban earns between $100 million to $700 million annually from opium sales -- enough to support their entire operation in Afghanistan.

The opium and heroin problem persists for three reasons -- easy access to drugs, lack of legal action against dealers, and unemployment. Throughout Kabul alone, heroin and other illicit drugs are easily accessible. Drug users comment that obtaining heroin is child's play because it is so accessible.

Afghanistan's national government must be held accountable for the lack of counter-narcotic policies. When former President Hamid Karzai took office in 2004, he failed to mention the opium problem in his inaugural address. Current President Ashraf Ghani did not discuss the opium problem in his inaugural address, either . So far, the Ghani administration has issued no firm policies regarding drug trafficking in Afghanistan. The Afghan government remains unstable and incapable of managing the drug crisis by itself. Government corruption remains widespread because the Taliban bribe officials. Administrative corruption also exists in the counter-narcotics court established by international forces. The international community could come together to promote sustainable development in Afghanistan by teaching them counter-narcotic techniques, but so far, has spent millions of dollars on a flawed poppy field eradication strategy.

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Since the U.S. invasion in 2001, unemployment in Afghanistan has increased dramatically, from 25 percent in 2014 to 40 percent in 2015, due to increased security concerns of international and national companies. Companies and investors have pulled out of the country, creating even more economic instability.

Afghanistan's poppies supply American habits

According to the United Nations, Afghanistan supplied the world with 90 percent of the heroin in 2015. Despite the $7 billion effort by the U.S. to stop poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, the problem persists. Illegal poppy field cultivation is at an all-time high. The international community has attempted to solve the problem through a focus on law enforcement and alternative livelihood projects for farmers in affected regions. Still, the rise in opium production in Afghanistan demonstrates the failure of the international community's attempt to solve this crisis.

For the past ten years, the U.S. has seen a dramatic increase in patient admissions to opioid abuse programs. Approximately 900,000 pounds of heroin from Afghanistan end up in the U.S. every year. Afghanistan is the only country on earth that can supply enough opium to feed America's opioid appetite.

Is the U.S. responsible? 2014 withdrawal of NATO troops

NATO has provided military support for the counter-narcotics efforts since 2005. In December 2014, NATO withdrew from Afghanistan after a 13-year operation. NATO left too soon, making international NGOs to solve the opium crisis vulnerable to the Taliban. To address its opium problem, Afghanistan build its educational and counter-narcotics programs. But the Afghan government doesn't have the resources to work alone to defeat the multi-billion dollar opium industry.

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Finding a solution

In addition to international support, the Afghan government must take a stronger stance on the opium drug trade. If Afghanistan truly wants to diminish Taliban control, the Ghani administration must initiate policies to eliminate opium production. The first step is to encourage and subsidize farmers to grow non-opium crops in the Taliban-controlled southern provinces of Afghanistan. The second is to develop an educational curriculum for the Afghan people on the harms of opioid addiction.
The U.S. news media has portrayed events in a certain country the past two years very strangely. What would it be like for the United States if the shoe were on the other foot? This fictional account will show how. Read the links to learn the real story.

The United States has "invaded" Canada to support the breakaway Maritime provinces that are resisting a Moscow-engineered violent coup d'etat against the democratically elected government in Ottawa.

The U.S. move is to protect separatists in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia after Washington annexed Prince Edwards Island in a quickly arranged referendum.

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The Islanders voted over 90% in favor of joining the United States following the Russian-backed coup. Moscow has condemned the referendum as illegal.

Hard-liners in the U.S. want Washington to annex all three Maritime provinces, whose fighters are defying the coup in Ottawa after Moscow installed an unelected prime minister.

Russian-backed Canadian federal troops have launched so-called "anti-terrorist" operations in the breakaway region to crush the rebellion, shelling residential areas and killing hundreds of civilians.

The Canadian army are joined by Russian-supported neofascist battalions that played a crucial role in the overthrow of the Canadian government. In Halifax, the extremists have burned alive at least 40 pro-U.S. civilians who had taken refugee in a trade union building.

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Proof that Russia was behind the overthrow of the elected Canadian prime minister is contained in a leaked conversation between Georgiy Yevgenevich Borisenko, foreign ministry chief of Moscow's North America department, and Alexander Darchiev, the Russian ambassador to Canada.

According to a transcript of the leaked conversation, Borisenko discussed who the new Canadian leaders should be six weeks before the coup took place.

Russia moved to launch the coup when Canada decided to take a loan package from the IMF that had fewer strings attached than a loan from Russia.

Russia's Beijing ally was reluctant to back the coup. But this seemed of little concern to Borisenko who is heard on the tape saying, "Fuck China."

Weeks before the coup Borisenko was filmed visiting protestors who had camped out in Parliament Square in Ottawa demanding the ouster of the prime minister. Borisenko is seen giving out cakes to the demonstrators.

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The foreign ministers of Russian-allied Belarus and Cuba also marched with the protestors through the streets of Ottawa against the government. Russian media has portrayed the unconstitutional change of government an act of "democracy."

Borisenko said in a speech last year that Russia had spent $5 billion over the past decade to "bring democracy" to Canada.

The money was spent on training "civil society." The use of non-governmental organizations to overthrow foreign governments that stand in the way of Russia's economic and geo-strategic interests is well documented, especially in a 1991 Washington Post column, "Innocence Abroad: The New World of Spyless Coups."

The United States has thus moved to ban Russian NGOs from operating in the country.

The coup took place as protestors violently clashed with police, breaking through barricades and killing a number of officers. Snipers fired on the police and the crowd from a nearby building in Parliament Square in which the Russian embassy had set up offices just a few floors above, according to Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

Russian lawmakers have compared President Barack Obama to Adolph Hitler for allegedly sending U.S. troops into the breakaway provinces and for annexing Prince Edward Island in an act of "American aggression." The Maritimes have had long ties to the U.S. dating back to the American Revolution.

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Russia says it has intelligence proving that U.S. tanks have crossed the Maine border into New Brunswick, but have failed to make the evidence public. They have revealed no satellite imagery. Russian news media only reports American-backed rebels fighting in the Maritimes, not American troops.

Washington denies it has invaded but says some American volunteers have entered the Canadian province to join the fight.

Russia's puppet prime minister now in charge in Ottawa has only offered as proof six American passports of U.S. soldiers found in New Brunswick.

The Maritime Canadian rebels have secured anti-aircraft weapons enabling them to shoot down a number of Royal Canadian Air Force transport planes.

A Malaysian airlines passenger jet was also shot down over Nova Scotia killing all on board. Russia has accused President Obama of being behind the incident, charging that the U.S. provided the anti-aircraft weapon.

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Moscow has refused to release any intelligence to support its claim, other than statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Canada's economy is near collapse and is dependent on infusions of Russian aid. This comes despite a former Russian foreign ministry official being installed as Canada's finance minister, only receiving Canadian citizenship on her first day on the job.

Despite installing a Russian to run Canada's economy, President Putin told the U.N. General Assembly that Russia had "few economic interests" in the country. But Russian agribusiness companies have already taken stakes in Albertan wheat fields. And Ilya Medvedev, son of Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, as well as a Lavrov family friend joined the board of Canada's largest oil company just weeks after the coup.

Russia's ultimate aim, beginning with the imposition of sanctions on the U.S., appears to be a color revolution in Washington to overthrow Obama and install a Russian-friendly American president.

This is clear from numerous statements by Russian officials and academics. A former Russian national security advisor who President Vladimir Putin consults on foreign policy has said the United States should be broken into three countries.

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He has also written that Canada is the stepping stone to the United States and that if the U.S. loses Canada it will fail to control North America.
UChicago Will Sell Medici Bakery And Z&H Market Cafe Retail Spaces

By Mae Rice in News on May 4, 2016 8:16PM



Inside Z&H Market Cafe (photo via Google Streetview)

The University of Chicago plans to put 13 of its off-campus Hyde Park properties on the market this month, the university recently announced. Sales of the properties, including the buildings currently home to Z&H Market Cafe and the Medici Bakery, are expected to close by fall.

The Med Bakery, for one, plans to stay put through the change in ownership.

"While the Bakery building is owned by the University, the Medici restaurant building is owned by Katherine Morsbach, the Medici owner," Kirsten Esterly, Medici on 57th's General Manager, told Chicagoist via email. "As of now, we [the bakery] totally plan on staying put."

Existing lease terms and rates for residential and business tenants will stay in effect until current leases expire. We've reached out to Z&H about whether they plan to stay at their location once their lease expires, and will update if we hear back.

University of Chicago bought these properties "many years ago" to ensure that there was stable, quality housing close to campus, James Hennessy, the university's associate vice president for commercial real estate, explained in a statement.

As demonstrated by the Universitys sale of residential properties last summer, the real estate market in the areas surrounding campus is now strong enough to attract a number of potential investors and support a range of residential options, he said. That "strong" real estate market has already attracted a small Hyde Park Target (opening by early 2017) and a Jeanne Gang-designed luxury apartment tower (open now, with rents starting at $1,800 a month).

The full list of Hyde Park properties the University is selling includes:

1401 E. Hyde Park Blvd. (Carlson) 5107 S. Blackstone Ave. (Piccadilly) 5110 S. Kenwood Ave. (Shelbyrne) 5345 S. Harper Ave. (Harper Crest) 5330 S. Blackstone Ave. 5455 S. Blackstone Ave. 5706-10 S. Blackstone Ave. 1321 E. 57th St. 1323 E. 57th St. 1327-33 E. 57th St. (retail) 1413-15 E. 57th St. 1027-29 E. 48th St. (vacant) 5117 S. Kenwood Ave. (vacant)

The university will host a series of town hall meetings where tenants can voice concerns, and learn more about transition timelines for individual buildings, according to the announcement.

After this particular batch of university property sales closes, University of Chicago will own 13 residential buildings available to students, faculty, postdocs and staff.

[h/t DNAinfo Chicago]


We can thank Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign for putting single-payer national health insurance (NHI) on the front burner of today's national political discussion. This is long overdue and especially timely as the two parties debate alternatives for future U. S. health care. It appears that political feasibility for NHI may finally be approaching a time of acceptance, if our democracy can prevail over oligarchy and plutocracy.

The 20,000 physician-strong Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) has released today a Physicians' Proposal for Single-Payer Health Care Reform, updated from its 2003 proposal (1), with an accompanying editorial. (2) It describes how traditional Medicare can be expanded to cover our entire population for necessary health care, provide comprehensive benefits to all Americans, give us free choice of physician and hospital, reduce waste and bureaucracy, and save money at the same time. This proposal by a non-partisan, not-for-profit national organization has been endorsed by more than 2,200 physician colleagues in all specialties. (3) More recently, it has been endorsed by an additional 560 physicians and medical students. (4) In its 2004 report, the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) called for universal health care by 2010, listing single-payer NHI as one of the alternatives; none of the other alternatives could ever be expected to achieve universal coverage, as they remain part of the problem. (5)

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This 2016 election season brings us three very different alternatives concerning future health care in this country: (1) continuation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with changes as necessary; (2) a Republican "plan" for health care; and (3) single-payer NHI. Despite some expansions of coverage, especially through Medicaid, the ACA has failed to make health care more affordable, has accelerated waste, bureaucracy and profiteering, and is unsustainable. Yet Hillary Clinton calls for expansion of the ACA to 100 percent coverage with no possible way of doing it by retaining some 1,300 private insurers. She also claims disingenuously that NHI will raise our taxes--without acknowledging that Gerald Friedman's classic 2013 study found that 95 percent of Americans will pay less for insurance premiums, deductibles, co-payments, actual care and out-of-pocket payments, and that only the wealthiest five percent would pay more. (6)

Although no concrete plan has yet been advanced by the GOP, we can expect that it will repeal the ACA, then "replace" it with long discredited reliance on free markets in health care, consumer directed health care, health savings accounts, selling insurance across state lines, and high-risk pools.

Neither the ACA nor GOP options will make health care more affordable or accessible. Single-payer NHI is the only alternative that will achieve universal coverage in an affordable and sustainable way. A strong case for it has been made elsewhere on economic, sociopolitical, and moral grounds. (7) It will meet conservatives' principles regardless of party affiliation, including efficiency, maximal choice, minimal waste, value, and everyone contributes in proportion to his or her income. (8) Long an iconic guru of free-market economics, Kenneth J Arrow, has recently acknowledged that "a single-payer system is better than any other system", as long as private practice is preserved (as it would be with NHI). (9)

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We know that powerful forces are aligned against passage of NHI,

including private insurers, Big PhRMA, medical device makers, and other members of the medical-industrial complex. They are empowered further by their hundreds of lobbyists and corporate money in our post-Citizens United world. As Bernie Sanders has observed: "the Koch brothers, as the second-wealthiest family in America with $82 billion in wealth, advocate destruction of federal programs that are critical to the financial and personal health of middle-class Americans." (10)

Sorting through the three major financing alternatives for our health care will test whether or not we have a real democracy. Much of the corporate-owned media under-report the single-payer alternative, misinform the public, and perpetuate myths, such as we can't afford NHI, net spending would go up because of increased taxes, or the government would ration care. These myths and memes have been discussed in detail elsewhere (11). Solid, reliable updated information on NHI can be found on PNHP's website (www.pnhp.org).

Democracy can win, but we will need progressive leadership. It is encouraging that Bernie is leading in recent polls in a matchup against Donald Trump or any other Republican presidential nominee. With a large and growing grassroots support from across the country, Bernie should have considerable leverage on the Democratic platform, which hopefully can move Hillary to a progressive position on health care. Recall Hillary's words in 1994, speaking to a group at Lehman Brothers Health Corporation:

. . . if there is no health care reform this year, and if, for whatever reason, the Congress doesn't pass health care reform . . . I believe that by the year 2000 we will have a single-payer system . . . I don't even think it's a close call politically. I think that the momentum for a single-payer system will sweep the country . . . it will be such a huge popular issue . . . that even if it's not successful the first time, it will eventually be. (12)

Health care is too important to be gridlocked in polarized partisan camps. All Americans will win with NHI, including the business community, which will be relieved of its burden of paying growing costs of employer-sponsored health insurance. Time will tell whether or not the oligarchy wins again.

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References:

1. The Working Group on Single-Payer Program Design. Beyond the Affordable Care Act: A Physicians' Proposal for Single-Payer Health Care Reform. Available a supplement online version of ref. 1 at http://www.ajph.org

2. Gaffney, A, Woolhandler, S, Angell, M, Himmelstein, DU. Editorial. Moving forward from the Affordable Care Act to a Single-Payer system. Am J Public Health, 106 (6): e1-e2, June 2016.



3. Carroll, AE, Ackermann, RT. Support for national health insurance among U. S. physicians: five years later. Ann Intern Med 1481: 566-567, 2008.

4. Woolhandler, S, Himmelstein, DU. Setting the record straight on Medicare for All: An open letter from 560 physicians and medical students. The Huffington Post, February 28, 2016.

5. Committee on the Consequences of Uninsurance. Institute of Medicine. Insuring America's Health: Principles and Recommendations. National Academies Press, Washington, D.C., 150-151, 2004.

6. Friedman, G. Funding H. R. 676: The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act. How We Can Afford a National Single-Payer Health Plan. Physicians for a National Health Program. Chicago, Il. July 31, 2013. Available at: htpp://www.pnhp.org/sites/default/files/Funding%20HR%20676_Friedman_final_7.31.13.pdf

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7. Geyman, JP. The Human Face of ObamaCare: Promises vs. Reality and What Comes Next. Friday Harbor, WA. Copernicus Healthcare, 199-202, 2016.

8. Light, DW. A conservative call for universal access to health care. Penn J Bioethics 9 (4): 4-6, 2002.

9. Arrow, KE. As quoted by Pro-Market. The blog of the Stigler Center at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, March 15, 2016.

10. Sanders, B. This is what oligarchy looks like. Bernie 2016, January 4, 2016.

11. Geyman, JP. Myths and memes as barriers to health care reform. In Geyman, JP. How Obamacare Is Unsustainable: Why We Need a Single-Payer Solution for All Americans. Friday Harbor, WA. Copernicus Healthcare, 2015, pp. 223-241.

12. Clinton, H. Speaking to a group at Lehman Brothers Health Corporation, June 15, 1994, as reported by Health Care for All-WA Newsletter, Winter 2015, p 9.


Last month, George Clooney and I traveled to Armenia to mark the inaugural presentation of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, a new humanitarian award born of 100 LIVES. Representing our organization, Not on Our Watch, George and I have partnered with 100 LIVES for the past year, working jointly to raise awareness of mass atrocities around the world and recognize those who stand up against them.

During the Aurora Prize weekend, four extraordinary individuals were honored as finalists for the inaugural award. Their work demonstrates courage, tenacity, compassion and altruism, reminding us all that individuals are capable of making a profound impact on humanity.

We invite you to take a closer look at their unique stories.



Syeda Ghulam Fatima, General Secretary of the Bonded Labor Liberation Front (Finalist)

Syeda has worked tirelessly to liberate thousands of Pakistani workers from bonded labor, one of the last remaining forms of modern slavery. Thanks to her efforts, thousands of workers have been liberated, including 21,000 children.

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Father Bernard Kinvi, Bossemptele, Central African Republic (Finalist)

Father Kinvi is a Catholic Priest who has provided refuge and health services to those on both sides of the civil war in the Central African Republic. Through his mission in Bossemptele, he has saved hundreds from persecution and death.

Dr. Tom Catena, Mother of Mercy Hospital (Finalist)

Dr. Catena is an American physician and the sole doctor of the Mother of Mercy Hospital in rebel-held territory in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. Despite several bombings by the Sudanese government, Dr. Catena resides on the hospital grounds, so that he may be on call at all times.

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Marguerite "Maggy" Barankitse, Maison Shalom and REMA Hospital, Burundi (Laureate)

Maggy has saved and cared for an estimated 30,000 children during years of civil war in Burundi; in 2008, she opened a hospital that has treated more than 80,000 patients to date. On Sunday, April 24, 2016, Maggy was named the Laureate of the inaugural Aurora Prize.

As the 2016 Aurora Prize Laureate, Maggy received a $100,000 grant and continued the cycle of giving by donating the accompanying $1,000,000 award to organizations that have inspired her work: the Fondation du Grand-Duc et de La Grande-Duchesse du Luxembourg, Fondation Jean-Francois Peterbroeck (JFP Foundation), and the Fondation Bridderlech Deelen Luxembourg.

These four humanitarians have dedicated their lives to helping those in need, inspiring others to do the same. It is an honor to recognize each of them for their bravery on behalf of the world's most vulnerable.

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You can read more about the Aurora Prize finalists here.
You just opened up a vintage clothing store in Detroit. You're on a shoestring budget and can only afford to advertise in one market.

Which one are you going to choose?

The answer is pretty obvious: Detroit. After all, when's the last time you saw a small store from another state advertise in your market?

You can't build a national brand without first focusing on the people in your own backyard. Local customers are the ramp that help your business steadily reach new heights.

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The exercise of marketing to nearby communities, as opposed to the general population, is referred to as "local marketing." While local marketing limits your reach (the number of people exposed to your advertising), it's a more efficient way of generating awareness about your business.

From a traditional marketing standpoint, local marketing is pretty easy to understand. Every local pizzeria menu you receive in the mail is an example of local marketing. But how does local marketing work in the context of the Internet?

To understand the answer, it's best to consider your behaviors as a consumer -- particularly, one behavior you've probably exhibited countless times.

Let's say you're looking for Thai Food in Fenton and you're not sure where to go. What do you do? If you're like most people in 2016, you pull up Google and search for "Thai Food in Fenton." The results that appear generally reflect the companies that are winning the local marketing battle in their city for their respective category.

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Here are some steps you can take to better compete for customers in your market.

Onsite SEO: Optimize the content on your website to reflect popular search queries. The first step is to identify the keywords that customers use to find you. For example, if you're a doctor in Farmington, phrases you may want to incorporate in your website include "Farmington doctor," "doctor in Farmington," "Pediatrician in Farmington," etc. The more relevant phrases you can incorporate in a natural-sounding way, the better.



Create Content: One of the most important steps a business can take to improve its SEO, and thus its local marketing, is to produce new content. Lots and lots of new content. From blogs and infographics, to memes and videos, content should be enriched with relevant keywords when possible.

Google+: Google is the king of search, so naturally having a presence on its social media platform would bode well for your business. Unlike other social media platforms, Google+ has tangible SEO value. This article does an exceptional job at highlighting the many benefits of Google+.

Yelp: Whether consumers are looking for crepes or a chiropractor, they often turn to Yelp for advice. Yelp is so influential that individual Yelp pages show up during local searches. Take ownership of your Yelp page to ensure all of the information is correct, and consider purchasing ads on the site to raise your recognition and reputation.
Southern Baptist pastor Wiley Drake, of the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park in California, spoke with me over the phone about his run for the Presidency.

Drake is running as a write-in candidate in most states, but he expects to be listed on the ballot in California. He has filed his letter of intent with "about thirty" states so far.

I asked him, "Why are you running for President?"

D: We need to get back to our original birth certificate in America. [It has] three parts to it. Number one, they said they came to this country for the glory of God. Now that's a Judeo-Christian God, not Allah or Buddha or something else. We need to get back to God.

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Number two, they said we came here for the advancement of the Christian faith...we must get back to the Judeo-Christian faith that our founding fathers had. We're coming up here, in a couple of days, with one of the last laws that was passed in this country that was Christian, and is the national day of prayer.

And then, the third reason they said, and these three are in our birth certificate, that is the Mayflower Compact, the third one was for the establishment of a righteous body politic. Which ...means we want politicians that want to live righteously based on the holy scriptures. And I don't think anybody would think a politician is righteous. They're all crooks. We've got to get back to our roots; that is our Judeo-Christian principles.

J: How do you intend to spread the word about your campaign?

D: I'm doing it through word of mouth, I'm doing it through all kinds of things, doing it through my own television program. I have a campaign manager on the east coast, I also have a campaign manager on the west coast. We're doing everything we can. I'm going on the 11th to Las Vegas to be interviewed [by Veterans in Politics along with] other candidates for President. I've asked to be involved in other debates, but they haven't invited me.

J: What do you think about getting money out of politics?

D: When I ran for VP with Alan Keyes, who was President candidate in 2008, I said one of the first things I would do, would be to establish all politicians as voluntary, no salary.

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J: What about all the bribery that happens with the lobbyists?

D: Well, that's the problem. If these politicians want paid, and they were just being bribed, they could turn those kind of things down, and we wouldn't have to worry about them getting bribed.

J: How do we get them to turn it down?

D: Well, we just make 'em do what is righteous. That's why I said, 'the establishment of a righteous body politic.' It has to be righteous based on the scripture; based on the bible.

J: How many Southern Baptists are in the United States?

D: There's about fifteen million Southern Baptists.

J: Is there a way for you to reach out to all of them?

D: Absolutely. We have what is called a Southern Baptist Convention and of course, with Facebook and all those sort of things. I was also the second Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2007. I'm also the guy who recommended to the convention that we boycott Disneyland and we did, and the boycott was successful.

J: What did you boycott them for?

D: We boycotted them because they were promoting the sin of sodomy.

J: How? (long silence). How were they promoting that?

D: Well, they were promoting it by saying if you were a sodomite, you got special treatment as an employee and you could have any lifestyle you wanted, and especially the sodomite lifestyle.

J: Special privileges? Like what kind of privileges?

D: Well, special privileges like they would be able to do whatever they wanted to do and uh... the uh... thing that was sorted, I think the uh... turning point was when a lady got up at the Convention and said that her sons came to her and said, 'Mommy, why is that boy, why is that man, putting his tongue into the other man's mouth?' and she said 'Well, it's because they believe that's the way men should love, and it's wrong'. So that's when she said, that's why we should stand against Disney because they're promoting that. They're promoting the sodomite lifestyle. They want to call it all kinds of other words and other terminologies, but the bible calls it...

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He asked me to hang on. I wasn't going anywhere.

When he came back, he explained that while he was in Las Vegas, he's going to meet with the attorney for the Cliven Bundy case.

D: The reason that's important for my candidacy is because I have said from day one that on the first day of my presidency, I will issue a pardon, a full pardon, for all people involved in the Cliven Bundy or Burns Oregon case.

J: You don't think he should pay to graze his cattle on federal property?

D: Absolutely not. Because that property doesn't belong to the government. That property belongs to him and the government is not even to own property. The Constitution says they're only able to own ten square miles in Washington D.C. and ports and authorities. Nothing to do with property and land and they be illegally taking over that land.

J: So are you saying the National Parks are illegally made into parks?

D: Absolutely.

J: So who does that land belong to? The American Indians?

D: Well, some of it belongs to American Indians, some of it belongs to people in general, but that's who it belongs to, and they've taken it away from the Indians, they've taken it away from everybody, and the last ranch left is Cliven Bundy's there in Nevada. And so the first thing I would do as President is issue a full pardon for anyone involved in the Cliven Bundy or the Burns Oregon case.

I asked Wiley Drake for his email, which he gave me. I sent him a request to sign the Pledge for Honest Candidates, saying "You were correct in saying that we need righteous civil servants to be elected to Congress. Take a look at the specifics of the Pledge and you will see that it demands integrity in both the system of governance (no corruption by money) and in the ballot box (no rigging of the voting system). Without these things, we cannot have confidence in our government or our representatives."
If you've ever been the passenger in a car with a newly licensed 16 year old driver at the wheel you know how critical focus can be. Look at the road sweetheart...

Focus in your business should feel about the same way as driving with a new driver(without the fear of injury), constantly checking to make sure you are going where you need to go without distraction.

Sounds easy enough right? I know how challenging it can be to focus on your business when there are a million other things begging for your attention:

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Family

Work

Community

Household responsibilities

The rabbit hole that is social media

To gain focus in your business it is critical to know your destination. Ask yourself, where do you want your business to be next year?

Write out the steps you need to take to get your business there and break those steps down into manageable tasks.

Those manageable tasks are going to get you to where you want to be. I tell my clients to write out three tasks for the day and rank them 1,2,3 by importance. If you only get #1 done that's great, the next day your #2 becomes #1 and you add another priority. By focusing on one small task at a time I guarantee you will feel less overwhelmed at the work that needs to be done to move your business forward.

Tip- When I find myself losing focus I will actually say out loud "Focus!", it gets weird when I'm working at a cafe or the beach but you know what, it works for me.

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Last week, I talked about a high-poverty high school that has improved tremendously in the last 12 years. Today, I report on one aspect of that improvement: school climate and culture.

Almost 12 years ago, Sergio Garcia became principal of Artesia High School, a school smack in the middle of a neighborhood in Southern California that has seen its share of gang violence. In fact, Rosie Gomez, who is today dean of students at Artesia, had herself been caught in the middle of a drive-by shooting when she was a student at the school in the 1990s. "It was terrifying," she said.

Fights were common at the school, and teachers were fed up with the continual disruption by students who flowed in and out of their classes, seemingly at will. "It was nothing like what it is now," Gomez told me.

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At Garcia's first meeting with the staff, he asked the teachers what kinds of changes they most wanted him to make. The teachers' unanimous response was that they wanted him to "stop the 'tardies.'"

"Students would come in 30 minutes into class," one teacher said, adding that real instruction was impossible under those conditions.

When Garcia counted 230 late students in the first 20 minutes of school one day, he saw the magnitude of the problem in the 1,500-student school. Each tardy student represented two interruptions to instruction: when students showed up in class and were told to go get a pass from the office and when they reentered with the pass. "Do that five times, and how much teaching can really go on in a 50-minute period?" Garcia asked.

Garcia agreed to solve the problem of students being late to class. "But in exchange -- because nothing comes for free -- the teachers had to promise me they would teach bell-to-bell and show no videos unless related to the curriculum."

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This demonstrates Garcia's approach to improvement -- both instruction and student behavior needed to improve simultaneously in ways that reinforced each other. It also illustrates his desire to ensure that teachers feel they have a voice in how the school operates. "I hate when I'm told to do something," Garcia said. "But if you give me a voice, I will follow."

For the short term, Garcia set up an in-school suspension room for anyone who was late. "Within three days, we were able to get it under control," Garcia said. Now, on an average day there are just 15 students coming in late, rather than 230.

"We have changed the culture."

Garcia acknowledges that he and his fellow administrators still exercise a bit of a heavy hand in terms of discipline, in part because they have seen how far the school could fall without structures, systems, and enforcement. "We'll suspend students," he said. But even during a student's suspension, the school might bring him or her back for counseling, for a session of restorative justice conducted by an outside organization, or even for a special lesson that's important for a class.

In this way, the school reinforces the idea that discipline is not just about punishment but about ensuring that students get an education.

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Ultimately, Garcia said, "It's about relationships. But it takes time to create those relationships."

Another part of changing the culture was to make it cool to be successful. To do that, however, the school first needed to make it safe to be successful.

Garcia realized that fact the first time he handed out T-shirts to students who either had a high grade point average or had improved their grade point average. "The first time, kids put the shirts in their backpacks. They didn't want to be seen as scholars," Garcia said. "A kid told me that he had to get out of here. 'If I get good grades here I'll get beat up.'"

"We decided," Garcia said, "that you have to do mass recognition to make it ok."

This was part of a strategy developed with Dennis Parker, a consultant brought in by Garcia at the very beginning of his tenure and who continues to be involved in the school. Parker drew on the work of Claude Steele to say that students find safety in numbers, and if enough students are recognized as high-performing, they will embrace that identity. That is one reason the school always recognizes not just absolute performance, but improvement. "Even if they are moving from a low F to an F+," Garcia said. "Sooner or later they move into the achievement category."

In addition, every classroom has a data wall, which tracks how students are doing on quizzes, tests, and assignments. "Now," Garcia said, "it's not cool to not do well. The big turnaround for us is that kids want the shirts and are proud to wear them."
How effective would a panel of racists be at investigating racism? What of EDL activists commissioned to investigate Islamophobia in the UK? Utterly preposterous, right? Well, The Muslim Council of Britain recently formed an investigative panel to look into the role of one of its affiliates in inciting violence against Ahmadi Muslims in the UK. And guess who is on the panel? Members with known ties to the affiliate under scrutiny.

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The Khatme Nabuwat group was born in Pakistan and has frequently been implicated in violence against Ahmadi Muslims. The group routinely carries out protests, calling on authorities to further tighten the noose around the Ahmadis living in Muslim countries. That this bigotry is being imported to the UK has caused alarm among social rights activists and the civil society at large. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has come under increasing pressure to clarify their ties with the hate group. To respond to the growing criticism, the MCB was forced to announce an investigative panel tasked to look into the Khatme Nabuwat group. The fact that they feel the need to appoint a panel even after such brazen calls for murder across the UK is incomprehensible.

And to make MCB's intent more suspect, at least two members on the panel have now been found to have strong ties to the hate group.

Mr. Allama Shahid Raza Naeemi, a prominent cleric on the panel investigating anti-Ahmadi hate, has attended Khatme Nabuwat conferences in the past and spewed the same hate. In one such speech, he forbade Muslims to have any social interaction with the Ahmadi Muslims, referring to them repeatedly by the pejorative 'qadiani.' He said:

"This is a very alarming situation that we do not realize the gravity... We are not realizing how dangerous it is to meet, sit with and intermix with the qadianis. Some of you might say: "What happens with meeting someone for five minutes... Mr. Naeemi, you seem to be an extremist. Are they not human beings? What is wrong with sitting with them?"... I can assure you I am no extremist... and that my views are very moderate. But you must remember that having any sort of ties with them (Ahmadis) is far worse than being addicted to drugs and alcohol... I am humbly requesting you, do not meet them or your faith would suffer from an incurable cancer... Leave this place with the promise that not only will you sever all ties with the 'qadianis,' but also with anyone who sympathizes with them."

And more recently, when Mr. Naeemi was asked about his views on those who chose to leave Islam, he said:

"Sharia law says that if a Muslim changes their religion it is treason and the punishment for treason is death."

It is worth noting that the 'kill Ahmadis' pamphlets found at the Stockwell Mosque said the exact same thing - that Ahmadis were apostates and therefore were worthy of death. How then is Mr. Naeemi investigating the Khatme Nabuwat group any different from asking the Khatme Nabuwat group to investigate itself? They are absolutely on the same page on their views on Ahmadi Muslims. It is also utterly inconceivable that a person like Mr. Naeemi is honored with an OBE for 'interfaith work.' Is there any research that goes into awarding these honorary titles?

Mr. Maulana Yunus Dhudwala - another panelist on the MCB's investigative team -is also staunchly anti-Ahmadi. In a recent post on Facebook, Mr. Dhudwala used the same pejoratives for the Ahmadi Muslims while describing the "deceptions" of the Ahmadis. Imagine assigning someone who refers to Blacks with the "N" word - and considers them a deceptive people based on their group identity - to investigate charges of racism. It would be utterly farcical.
London needs a Chief Digital Officer. When the next Mayor appoints one, the capital will assure its continued reputation as the leading European tech hub, and the potential for technology to benefit all Londoners.

Over the last two years I've had a unique opportunity to work with London's City Hall as well as the business, academic, creative and tech leaders imagining the city's future. I'm thrilled the leading Mayoral candidates have recognized the need for an innovation post within their administration; speaking from my own experience, it will be an indispensable strategy for making the city nimble, responsive and economically sound.

When Mayor Mike Bloomberg first asked me to oversee New York City's media and digital portfolio in 2002, the media landscape was on the brink of massive change. Within a few years the convergence of traditional and digital media and explosive growth of the tech community in New York was undeniable. It was clear we needed someone within City Hall whose remit it was to oversee this sector and bring its spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship to the realm of government. We needed a Chief Digital Officer.

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After seeing how the right expert could improve and streamline outdated, clunky processes in the private sector, I was sure such successes could be replicated in a city bureaucracy. When Mayor Bloomberg and I appointed the first Chief Digital Officer, Rachel Haot, in 2011 her mission was to realize New York City's potential as a leading digital city. The role has now expanded and evolved in New York and other cities--and with good reason: it brought results.

London and New York are two distinct cities, there's no question about that. London is many things at the same time: finance, culture and tech capital and Britain's economic and social hub. But it's also a diverse city, with diverse constituents and neighbourhoods. A strong technology representative at the helm would be a unifying figure who could highlight the economic potential a growing tech sector represents and be an advocate for viable solutions, whether broadband access or maintaining a robust tech talent pipeline through digital education. Hiring a Chief Digital Officer is an essential step in realizing this potential.

With an annual Digital Roadmap serving as New York City's published report card, the profound and long lasting impact of a coordinated strategy led by the Chief Digital Officer became clear. By Mayor Bloomberg's final year in office, we were proud to announce that all of the objectives listed in the original Roadmap had been completed, ensuring a strong digital legacy for New York City that included investment in world-leading graduate level STEM programs like Cornell Tech, the first-billion-dollar exit from a homegrown tech company, and the establishment of a flagship Google office.

Before the Chief Digital Officer was hired, city agencies were independently operating hundreds of social media channels making it almost impossible to relay up-to-date, accurate information to constituents. There was a lot of noise, but not a lot of strategy. The Chief Digital Officer corralled this cacophony by creating policy and streamlining the City's digital communications approach, and it paid off. In a short time we tripled the City's social media audience- growth that represented something far more meaningful than followers and fans in times of an emergency.

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This was the case in 2012, when Hurricane Sandy made landfall. The 300+ social media channels were one, unified voice. We issued an open-dialogue with the public, responding to questions and clarifying statements. Residents without electricity or phone lines were able to stay informed by following the City's social media on their mobile devices. They knew when to evacuate from their homes and where to find safe shelter, food and water all thanks to digital messaging which would have been impossible to disseminate just one year prior.

Emergency management is but one example of how a Chief Digital Officer plays a crucial role in a city's public communications and economic development strategy. As an advocate and a champion for business and individuals, a single point of contact to coordinate complex efforts across multiple channels, a Chief Digital Officer will be paramount to the next Mayor's vision for London.
If you're a parent, you probably remember very distinctly the first time you heard your child saying something completely inappropriate. Just as you start to respond, you stop yourself - startled by what you've just realized... Oh my goodness, she heard me say that. That's where she learned it.

It is in that moment you see, with new eyes, the gravity of your role as a parent. They are watching everything. Everything -- for better or for worse. The realization that you are their most important role model hits you, and hard.

My oldest daughter, Victoria, who is heading off to college on the opposite coast in the fall, recently allowed me a look in the mirror at what she has learned from me, giving a beautiful speech at a school event last week.

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There's no one I can thank more than my mom. Between trips around the world for work, my mom is an incredibly selfless, loving, and strong woman and mother. She works so hard each and every day to provide for my three siblings and she does this while also playing an active role in each of our lives. She involves herself in our sports, schools and extracurricular activities - supporting us in everything we do and pushing us to be the best we can be. She has been the most incredible role model as I've continued to grow, develop, and find myself. She has pushed me when I didn't think I could go any farther, believed in me when I didn't believe in myself and loved me unconditionally when I couldn't find something in me worth loving. And I don't say it enough, but thank you mom, I love you. Thank you for everything you do for our family, but most importantly thank you for being you.

Life-giving words for a mother to hear. After catching my breath, I began to reflect on what motherhood has taught me about being a business leader:

1) Different people need you to lead them differently. My kids are not all the same, and they need different things from me to help them be the best that they can be. The workplace is no different. Be aware of your team and creating the right environment for each person to succeed in order to benefit the organization as a whole.

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2) People are watching what you do and not just what you say. This is true of kids, but also is a reality at work. It is important to recognize that, as a leader, you are also a role model. People see everything that you do and they will take a message from those actions. If you are on your iPhone in the middle of a presentation, how can you expect other people to be engaged in the discussion if they do not think it is critical enough to demand your attention? People are always watching your verbal and nonverbal cues. Make sure you are setting the right example.

3) Be present and show your support. Everyone is busy, but be present when you are there with your team. Showing up matters. Your team needs your vision, your energy, your enthusiasm -- not just your dictates. If you want to get the best out of your team, then show them that you care and that they matter.

As parents I think we all have moments where we question whether or not we are making the right decisions in raising our children. To second guess is a tendency of mothers everywhere. Yet, sometimes the lessons you hope to be teaching your kids pale in comparison to the lessons they are teaching you. My daughter wrote a few words but the lessons that she gave me through it were clear -- even through my tear-filled eyes.

Happy Mother's Day!
Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) has no sympathy for Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for President of the United States in 2016. Sanders makes no secret of despising Trump's message and style. Campaigning for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination on a platform of progressive liberalism inspiring throngs of young people and disillusioned working-class Democrats, Sanders consistently blasts Trump for his braggadocio, his insults against immigrants, women, and minorities, and his rowdy, often-violent campaign rallies.

Personally, the two could not be more different: Trump the arch-capitalist billionaire with his opulent lifestyle, TV reality show, and fashion model wife, versus Sanders the democratic-socialist with his long career of public service, Brooklyn accent, and modest net worth. Sanders insists that, should he lose the Democratic presidential nomination to his rival, former Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he will back her to the hilt against Trump and urge supporters to do the same. And no one doubts his sincerity on this.

But the equation may not be so simple. Sanders has won over 9.2 million votes in primary elections so far this year. But will these voters follow him in backing Clinton as the nominee? Or, in the pinch, will a critical mass defect to Donald Trump, perhaps giving Trump the winning margin to capture the White House in 2016?

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The very question is steeped in irony. But scratch the surface, even slightly, and the picture starts to blur. Strip away Trump's coarseness, his apparent racism, xenophobia and sexism, the insults and shallowness -- the things Sanders and most progressives find infuriating -- and parallels appear:

 Sanders and Trump both have based their appeal on tell-it-like-it-is integrity, portraying themselves as outsiders, "change" candidates ready to shake up Washington;

 They both attack Hillary Clinton, their common adversary, as the embodiment of corrupt, old-school establishment politics, accusing her of winning her party's nomination through a rigged system of super-delegates and favoritism;

 Both complain about how big-money elites dominate politics, using massive campaign contributions to buy influence and promote greedy interests. Trump brags how, before becoming a candidate, he used the system himself as a businessman to buy politicians, but now is self-funding his campaign to avoid owing favors. Sanders, for his part, rails against the Citizens United Supreme Court case and accuses "the billionaire class" of wrecking the country;

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 Sanders and Trump both oppose trade deals like NAFTA and TPP which they blame for destroying American jobs;

 Both criticize Wall Street and big corporations. Sanders accuses big banks of causing the 2008 financial crisis and decries Hillary Clinton for taking large speaking fees from Goldman Sachs. Trump, for his part, attacks companies like Carrier Air Conditioning for exporting American jobs and threatens "consequences" unless they stop, while also arguing that Wall Street hedge fund managers should pay more taxes;

 Both take credit for opposing the Iraq War, and claim they want to limit American military engagements overseas, though for Trump only after quickly bombing the **** out of ISIS.

Even their weaknesses are similar. Style aside, Sanders and Trump both are routinely criticized for proposing vague, pie-in-the-sky solutions whose cost numbers never quite add up: Trump in the form of unrealistically large tax cuts, Sanders in the form of free college education, universal health care, and the rest.

Many Sanders voters, particularly unemployed young people and blue-collar workers still suffering the loss of manufacturing jobs and lingering effects of the 2008 fiscal crisis and housing collapse, still bitter at Washington for letting them down, flocked to Sanders originally precisely because of his willingness break the mold. For them, having backed one protest candidate in Sanders, is it no big leap to think they won't back another in Trump -- especially against their common adversary Hillary Clinton.

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Trump is counting on this possibility. "I think a lot of the young people that are with Bernie Sanders will come over to my side because they want jobs," he told Fox News anchor Sean Hannity within hours of securing the Republican nomination by decisively winning the Indiana primary this past Tuesday, May 3. "I would rather run against Crooked Hillary Clinton than Bernie Sanders," he tweeted that same night, "and that will happen because the books are cooked against Bernie!"

Trump may insult Sanders personally as a "socialist," but he now routinely quotes Sanders in his anti-Hillary attacks, sympathizes within him for being hustled out of a rigged nomination, and shows every intention of courting his supporters. And Sanders's current plans play right into this scenario. By continuing to fight and win primaries -- as he has every right to do -- he exposes Clinton for her sheer weakness, her inability either to make a deal to win him over or beat him definitively with votes.
We Ordered Mocktails At 6 Of Chicago's Best Cocktail Bars

By Chicagoist_Guest in Food on May 5, 2016 3:00PM



One of our favorite spots is Three Dots, because their Mocktails look just as fabulous as their boozy drinks. Photo courtesy of Lettuce Entertain You.

By Leigh Kunkel

If were judging solely by our Facebook feeds, every single girl we went to middle school with is pregnant right now. But just because someone is pregnant (or chooses not to drink for any other reason) doesnt mean they should be stuck at home while all their friends are out on the town. And it doesnt mean that theyre stuck drinking mineral water all night either. We visited six of Chicagos favorite cocktail bars to see what theyd shake up for us sans alcohol.

At each bar, we sat at the bar and asked the bartender to make us a non-alcoholic drink. We also pointed out a drink on the menu that we thought looked good, so that they had an idea of what kinds of flavors we liked. We also paid attention to how the staff handled the response to our request. The results, not surprisingly, were pretty tasty.



The exterior of Queen Mary. Photo by Christina Noel.

Queen Mary Tavern



The Drink: Sugar snap pea syrup, ginger, lime, soda, served over crushed ice.



Taste: The snap pea syrup was fantastic, and most noticeable on the finish. The cocktail was light and fresh, and the crushed ice created a beautiful ombre effect, with the bottom being bright green and the top white.

Staff: While our initial interaction was a bit awkward (the bartender asked our reason for not drinking), it quickly became clear that this was because Id pointed out a drink that had a jalapeno tincture, which has traces of alcohol in it, and he wanted to figure out if I was avoiding it entirely or in moderation so that he could make a drink to my liking.

Creativity: Sugar snap pea syrup. Come on. Big points for the presentation as well.

Attention To Suggestion: We suggested something spicy, which this was not. However, once we declined the jalapeno tincture, we said to run with whatever they wanted to make, so we cant complain. (Especially since it was delicious.)

The Whistler



The Drink: Grapefruit, lime, ginger beer, simple syrup, served over ice.

Taste: The drink was light and refreshing, with a nice hit of spice from the ginger beer and balanced out by the simple syrup.

Staff: They seemed slightly thrown off by the request, but were very polite and accommodating.

Creativity: At the start of this endeavor, we were worried we were going to get a lot of ginger beers with lime. This one is partly on us, since those were two of the ingredients in the drink wed pointed out, which they made basically as it is on the menu, just non-alcoholic.

Attention To Suggestion: Like we said, exactly what wed pointed out on the menu. Cant fault them for that.

Broken Shaker

The Drink: Honey, lemon, coconut La Croix, served over ice.

Taste: This drink tasted exactly like lemon candy. Very tart and clean, but balanced out by the sweetness of the honey and coconut. Perfect for if it ever gets warm in Chicago again.

Staff: Yes, the bar was super busy, but the bartender seemed a bit annoyed by the request, and also by us wanting to know what was in the drink. Also, please dont call your female customers darling. Just dont.

Creativity: This was another one where they just removed the alcohol without adding anything else to keep the drink interesting. But good job jumping on the La Croix cocktail trend.

Attention To Suggestion: We gave the bars listed cocktail of the day as inspiration, which was the same as our drink, plus gin and St. Germain. They definitely took us at our word.



The interior of the Berkshire Room. Photo by Anthony Todd.

The Berkshire Room



The Drink: Blackberry, lime, ginger, tamarind soda, served over ice.

Taste: Fruity and spicy and fizzy all at once, this went down very easy.

Staff: Our bartender came over and introduced himself, checked on our choice of glassware, and then explained everything that had gone into each of our drinks, both alcoholic and virgin.

Creativity: The tamarind soda was a nice touch; it was fun to have an ingredient that was so different from anything else wed had in our drinks thus far.

Attention To Suggestion: We went with a non-alcoholic Dealers Choice, which means we gave suggestions for the flavor profile and presentation that we wanted. Since thats their specialty at the Berkshire Room, its no surprise that they delivered.



(Photo Courtesy of Lettuce Entertain You)

Three Dots And A Dash

The Drink: Pineapple, grapefruit, simple syrup, probably some other things, served over crushed ice and garnished with pineapple leaves.

Taste: Nice and fruity. Way too easy to drink, judging by the fact that we finished it in about half the time that our regular-cocktail-drinking companions did.

Staff: Our bartender was nothing but kind and helpful, even as she had to deal with the extremely drunk (at 5 oclock! On a weekday!) guests next to us, who were eventually asked to leave. (Seriously, guys, never grab the garnishes from a bar.)

Creativity: The drink was lovely, and attention was even given to the ice and garnish.

Attention To Suggestion: We suggested a drink that had jalapeno and coconut milk in it, which this definitely wasnt. But it was delicious anyway!

The Violet Hour

The Drink: Grapefruit, pineapple, lime, turmeric, green Tabasco, bitters, served over crushed ice and garnished with a cucumber wheel.

Taste: This drink was awesome. No two ways about it. There was so much complexity from the different spices, and so many different layers of flavor, that its hard to imagine it would be better with alcohol in it. (Though yeah, it probably would.)

Staff: Our bartender didnt even blink when we asked for a non-alcoholic drink, and said it would be his pleasure to make one. He was equally gracious when the girl next to us sent her drink back because she just didnt like it.

Creativity: The drink on the menu already sounded great, but what we really appreciated was the fact that, rather than just omitting the alcohol, the bartender added two ingredients (grapefruit and pineapple) to ensure that the non-alcoholic version was still complex and balanced. Bonus points for treating it like a real cocktail and using bitters.

Attention To Suggestion: Our drink took the flavor profile we were excited about from the cocktail version and made it into an incredible virgin variation. We cant wait to go back and try the mezcal version.


Photo courtesy National Trust for Historic Preservation

Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), writer and activist, published her critique of post-World War II urban planning policy in her book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Jacobs begins her book with a pointed challenge: "This book is an attack on current city planning and rebuilding." For New Yorkers, these urban policies were personified by Robert Moses.



Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Jacobs held Moses responsible for the decline of many neighborhoods in New York City. They fought a David vs. Goliath battle with Jacobs in the role of the stone-hurling shepherd. Jacobs was determined to save city neighborhoods from Moses' grandiose urban renewal plans. But enough about him....



Photo by pdxcityscape via Flickr

Next week, the Municipal Arts Society (MAS),and other organizations in cities across the globe, are sponsoring Jane's Walk, a series of citizen-led walks throughout the five boroughs. The initiative is designed to get folks to tell stories about their own neighborhood, explore their community and connect with neighbors. It's a community-based effort in urban literacy. Let's just call it a celebration of the local; in plain sight, but often overlooked and unappreciated.

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Jane Jacobs' work was inspired by her years living in Greenwich Village, a mix of townhouses and tenements on twisting and narrow streets that did not conform to the city's grid. She contrasted life in the Village, a cohesive community, with the grandiose plans of Robert Moses. His "towers in the park" concept, anathema to Jacobs, was then changing the face of New York City. But really, enough about him....



Photo courtesy of Municipal Arts Society

The Jane's Walks tours are listed by location and topic on the MAS web site. The theme of each walk is up to the volunteer organizer, and all walks are free and open to the public.

In Brooklyn, the Go Dutch in Flatlands! Jane's Walk led by volunteer Ellen Halliday, is actually a bicycle tour meeting at the Flatlands Dutch Reformed Church on Kings Highway. The church was built in 1848 for a congregation founded in 1654. The tour description reads: "Let's dish some history and gossip while we bike around with a side of vinyl replacement windows!"

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Photo by Wally Gobetz via Flickr

Volunteer Anna Araiza will lead the Old Croton Aqueduct Walk. Beginning in the Bronx, the tour will cross the Hudson River via the High Bridge, New York City's oldest bridge and end up in Manhattan at the Highbridge Water Tower and reservoir (now the Highbridge pool).



Picture via Wikimedia Commons

Says Araiza: "The summer of 2015 brought the inaugural re-opening of the Highbridge, the only pedestrian bridge connecting the Bronx and Manhattan. With the restoration project now complete, I invite you to explore the Old Croton Aqueduct..."

This year, which would have been Jane Jacobs' 100th birthday, the MAS lists more than 200 Jane's Walk offerings. There is no advance registration. Just turn up at the designated meeting site, explore a new neighborhood and meet fellow New Yorkers. Let's Get Walking!
I have got some news for Hillary Clinton's supporters: Donald Trump is no punk and he should not be taken lightly at all. Sure, Obama's coalition is pretty much unbeatable. But, Hillary is no Obama and Trump is no John McCain or Mitt Romney. Many of you are bursting with pride for your candidate and seem to be salivating at the idea of a landslide victory in her favor in November. I am here to throw cold water on that idea and suggest that we take this election far more seriously.

First, consider the environment we are in currently. There is a strong attraction from voters to candidates who are considered anti-establishment. This is a huge reason why your candidate is having trouble disposing of an independent socialist in the primary. In the Indiana Primary among voters who think we should generally change to more liberal policies than the current White House, Sanders won 77 percent. Similarly, in Indiana Trump won 55 percent of voters who are dissatisfied or angry with the way the federal government is operating and 55 percent of voters who say they feel betrayed by the Republican Party. Furthermore, overall Pew found that 50% of Trump voters feel anger toward the federal government while only 6% of Clinton voters feel the same way. A huge number of people are very upset with "the government" and have very little tolerance for status quo politics.

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I am currently living in a Red State and have talked to many Trump voters. They also constantly call in to the conservative radio show to which I listen. And, I hear the same thing from all of them: Trump is not an establishment politician. His policies, lack of decorum and liberal past do not matter to them. They just want someone who is not an establishment politician. And, while your candidate would be the first woman to ever be president, she is viewed by many people to be the definition of establishment politicians. Seriously, if you can not see how any person who has been a major part of a presidential administration, a Senator, Secretary of State, sat on the board of Walmart, gave six-figure speeches to Wall Street and has the backing of nearly all of the party's Superdelegates is viewed as representing the establishment, I do not know what to tell you.

You also have to consider that Hillary Clinton is very unpopular with voters outside of her base. I'm sure many of you believe that Trump is far too unpopular and volatile to ever win the presidency and that the country is better than that. For sure, his Real Clear Politics average unfavorable rating is a whopping 65 percent. But, Clinton's Real Clear Politics average unfavorable rating is 55 percent - not far behind Trump in a who is more unpopular contest. Clinton is wildly unpopular with Bernie Sanders' voters. In Indiana CBS News found that only 55 of Democratic voters found Hillary Clinton trustworthy/honest while 84 percent found Sanders to be trustworthy/honest. To say the least, your candidate is very flawed and it is possible for Trump to expose her weaknesses.

Before the New York Primary Clinton suggested that Sanders tone down his campaign attacks or she wouldn't debate him again. Do any of you think that a tactic like that will work on Trump for even a second? Trump is going to drag your candidate all the way to hell and back. He will be relentless. He will be as negative as possible and he will bring up just about any issue, rumor, scandal or policy blunder involving either Hillary or Bill Clinton. I just have this feeling that the general election is going to be really nasty. And, it will be like throwing red meat to Trump's supporters and anyone else who dislikes your candidate.

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Today, on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), we pledge to never forget the genocide of 12 million people, based on their religion, ethnicity, sexuality, and other factors. We do this so that we always remember that it is the duty of each and every one of us to fight genocide, anti-Semitism, and bigotry in every form that we see it.

This week, Donald Trump cemented his place as Republican presidential nominee. More than any other year, I'm cognizant today of my responsibility to speak up against the hatred that Donald Trump espouses day after day.

On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, 'Never Forget' necessitates 'Never Trump.'

The unhinged bigotry of Trump requires Jewish Americans -- and all Americans -- to speak up. Trump has been perfectly clear with his pledge that as president -- in fact, within the first 100 days of his presidency -- he'll ban Muslims from entering the country. He kicked off his campaign describing Mexican immigrants as "rapists." When a Trump supporter punched an African American protester at one of Trump's rallies, saying, "next time we see him, we might have to kill him," Trump said that the protester "obviously loves the country" and that Trump would pay the protester's legal fees.

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Trump legitimizes and raises up the profile of the white nationalist movement in the United States. He at first refused to disavow support from former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke. Yesterday, Duke celebrated Donald Trump's place as leader of the Republican Party, stating, "Even though Trump is not explicitly talking about European-Americans, he is implicitly talking about the interests of European-Americans," and "Jewish supremacists who control our country are the real problem and the reason why America is not great." And Trump says he "doesn't have a message to [his] fans" who have been sending death threats to Jewish reporter Julia Ioffe, who wrote a profile for GQ on Melania Trump.

When we see this, how can we do anything but speak out? It's this type of rhetoric that has escalated to genocide in the past. I hope we can put partisan politics aside, and agree that no person hoping to be the next president of the United States should promote racist policies or use xenophobic rhetoric.
When many people think of a Georgia vacation, they think of old plantations, magnolia trees lining cobblestone roads, and sweet tea. Just 13 miles east of Savannah, GA you can immerse yourself in a whole different kind of Georgia. A short 30 minute drive and you can find yourself cruising along streets lined by painted sea turtle signs, dotted with little whole-in-the-wall restaurants with the best food you never knew about, and miles of sandy beaches along the Atlantic coastline. This is Tybee Island, Georgia, well-known to locals, but virtually unknown to many out-of-state visitors.

I've visited Tybee Island twice in the last few years so I think that makes me like some kind of honorary resident now, right? No , not really but I know where to go, what to eat, and what to do. I've compiled my list of the top 10 reasons to visit Tybee Island, Georgia, one of the best island destinations in the United States.

1. Sunrise - Tybee South Beach is a great vantage point to witness some of the most breathtaking sunrises you will ever see.



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2. Explore the marshlands, inlets, and rivers of Tybee - Going on a half-day or full-day tour with Sea Kayak Georgia was one of the best ways to get a unique vantage point of the island from the water.We saw an abundance of shorebirds, paddle through oyster beds, and maybe even spot a dolphin. I highly recommend taking advantage of one of the great tours they offer year-round. Read all about our kayaking adventure in detail on Outdoor Families Magazine.



3.Visit Tybee Island Lighthouse - We climbed the 178 stairs to the top of the Tybee Lighthouse for amazing views. We learned about the interesting history of how the lighthouse came to be and saw relics from the past in the keeper's house, preserved to look like the way of life in the early part of the 20th century. With our ticket for entry to the lighthouse we also explored the Tybee Lighthouse Museum across the street in what used be Fort Screven.



4. Pizza at Huc-A-Poos Bites and Booze - This is a funky a little pizza joint/bar/live music/cornhole tournament hang out spot popular with locals and tourists. It's bar far some of the best pizza I've ever had anywhere. The ingredients are fresh and the pizza is really amazing. Huc-A-Poos is an island right of passage that you just have to experience for yourself.

5. Amazing Breakfast at The Breakfast Club - This family owned legendary morning hot spot is one of the best breakfast meals you will ever eat. From the simplest breakfast dish to the house specialties, everything is divine. They make their own sausage in-house and it is amazing. I highly recommend the Helen's Solidarity, "a healthy portion of diced potatoes, Polish Sausage, green peppers and onions tossed on a hot griddle, scrambled with 2 eggs, topped with melted Monterey Jack and American cheese. Grits and toast too".

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6. Explore Fort Pulaski National Monument- Fort Pulaski is a designated U.S. National Monument and a great place to #FindYourPark to celebrate the centennial celebration of our National Parks this year! We enjoyed exploring the fort, surrounded by a moat, and it's very interesting architecture while learning about the pivotal role this landmark site played in the Civil War.



7. Stay at Hotel Tybee - If you want a room with a view of the ocean, Hotel Tybee is your best option. They have recently undergone renovations to give the hotel a much more modern look. We were very comfortable with all of the amenities you need, including a microwave and refrigerator!

8. Eat at the North Beach Bar and Grill - This is a small, unassuming restaurant directly across the street from the lighthouse and a stone's throw away from the beach. They describe themselves as Caribbean fusion with a gourmet flair. Our food was spectacular! I highly recommend the lobster roll and the crawfish tails but expect a wait for your table if you go at peak lunch or dinner hours.



9. The Beach - Many will flock to the shores of Tybee Island to enjoy the beautiful stretches of beach. In fact, the beach is so beautiful it was selected to play as the backdrop for scenes from the new Baywatch movie that is being filmed with Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) and Zac Efron. Sand that The Rock walked on? Count me in!

10. Close to Savannah - If it's still the classic old world southern Georgia charm you crave, you're only 30 minutes away from Savannah's historic riverfront, beautiful parks, and abundant well manicured squares. We drove into town and enjoyed dinner and a ghost tour and returned to our peaceful beachfront room in no time at all. The Visit Savannah website is a great resource to plan a tour or find things to do in the city.



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With so much beauty and just enough activities to avoid boredom but still be able to relax, Tybee Island has become one of my favorite destinations for a quick getaway. Give Tybee a try! Special thanks to Visit Tybee for arranging complimentary accommodations with Hotel Tybee and our kayaking excursion with Sea Kayak Georgia.

This post was originally published on Lauren's blog Misadventures of an Outdoorsy Diva.
Trump has now won the Republican party primary fight and will be the party's candidate for President. Who voted for him in the primaries and why did they do so? Can he expand his supporters in the general election?

Studies of the voters show that Trump is popular among (white, male) persons with only a high school diploma or less. One study notes: "an analysis of voters by education in states where exit or entrance polling is available, nearly half of those with high school diplomas or less schooling said they supported the billionaire [over the other candidates]." http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/trump-overwhelmingly-leads-rivals-in-support-from-less-educated-americans/ Middle aged white men who never went to college are his prime followers.

Trump supporters include workers hit hardest by the loss in manufacturing jobs in this country. They are also the persons who have not adjusted to the cultural changes in the country - the acceptance of gay marriage, broader support for abortion, and the civil rights revolution of the past decades. In addition, there is a sharp ideological split in the nation. Various studies show that Americans who attend church frequently are significantly more likely to be Republican and less likely to be Democratic. Only 25% of white Protestants who attend church once a week vote Democratic. And 61% of the religiously unaffiliated vote Democratic.

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Rather than focus on the corporations and the top 5% who have done so well by sending jobs overseas and by refusing to raise wages for the working class, the losers in the economic competition look for someone else to blame for their unhappy state.

There is a darker element to this development. Richard Hofstadter has referred to the "paranoid style in American politics." He refers to the "animosities and passions of a small minority" who believe that mysterious conspiracies are threatening their lives. These ideas go back to the earliest days of the nation when the Masons were believed to have established a separate system of loyalty to their own group that interfered with loyalty to the nation. Then the Jesuits were thought to be center of an evil plot against American values. The Know-Nothing party was formed in the 1850's precisely to counter the influx of Catholics from Ireland and Italy whom the party accused of undermining the nativist values of the nation. One of the party's newspapers complained: "America has become the sewer into which the pollutants of European jails are emptied," a statement that could have been asserted by Trump if one substituted "Mexican" for "European."

This paranoid style in American politics is still alive today. We have a questioner of Donald Trump telling him that we have to get rid of all the Muslims in the United States. Even after his primary victory, Trump still insisted that Muslims not be admitted into the country without greater scrutiny. Trump supports the idea - similar to the platform of the Know-Nothing party -- that immigrants are the true source of evil in our society. They do not speak our language, take away our jobs, pollute our neighborhoods with their dirty ways, spread diseases, murder our children and rape our wives and daughters. White evangelicals are particularly susceptible to this attack. "Two-thirds of white evangelicals say that immigrants are a burden on the country because they take jobs, housing and health care . Six in 10 say it bothers them when they come in contact with immigrants who speak little English." About three quarter of the evangelicals "say that the values of Islam are at odds with American values and way of life." http://billmoyers.com/story/so-who- are-donald-trumps-voters/

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The Tea Party is the true successor of the Know Nothing Party. The origins of the name came when a correspondent on CNBC, Rick Santelli, complained about a government program to make payments to homeowners who could no longer make mortgage payments. He condemned the idea that the government would "subsidize the losers" and asked for a tea party to be formed to object to government social programs. So the "losers" the poor, the racial minorities, the immigrants, the 47% are the problem, rather than the corporate owners and bosses who demand and receive the biggest cut of the pie and refuse to share their wealth with the middle class.

But all of this plays into Trump's hands. Rather than accurately explain the true economic issues facing the middle class, Trump and the other Republicans invent bogus tax plans that have no basis in reality -- repealing the tax code and reducing taxes to everyone (mostly those on top) which will somehow trim down the national debt and bring untold benefits to everyone. When these benefits do not emerge, Republican leaders barrage the lower middle class with attacks on the bad people (immigrants, Muslims) who do not look or talk like them and threaten their lives and jobs. They play on the lower middle class' impulse to believe themselves better than some other group which becomes the basis for their own self-esteem. About 60% of the persons voting for Trump believe that immigration was the most important issue dictating how they voted.

As Freud told us in "Future of an Illusion," the "right to despise those that are outside it compensates them for the wrongs they suffer in their own group." This was why poor whites in the South were the chief advocates and supporters of slavery before the Civil War and segregation thereafter. As Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote in "Between the World and Me":

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"The two great divisions of society are not the rich and the poor, but white and black," said the great South Carolina Senators John C. Calhoun. And all the former, the poor as well as the rich, "belong to the upper class, and are respected and treated as equals." And there it is - the right to break the black body as the meaning of their sacred equality. And that right has always given them meaning has always meant that there was someone down in the valley, because a mountain is not a mountain if there is nothing below.

Barbara Ehrenreich has recently written:

the maintenance of white privilege, especially among the least privileged whites, has become more difficult and so, for some, more urgent than ever. Poor whites always had the comfort of knowing that someone was worse off and more despised than they were; racial subjugation was the round under their feet, the rock they stood upon, even when their own situation was deteriorating.

http://portside.org/2015-12-10/what-happened-white-working-class-great-die-americas-blue-collar-whites

Trump insists that the presence of Latino immigrants and Muslims are the reasons for the lower class' dissatisfaction with their life. Such arguments divert the middle class from insisting on higher wages and better programs that will adversely affect the rich supporters of the Republican Party.

What does this mean for the general election? If older, white, less educated male voters choose Trump, those with some college training do not. But over 60% of the population have some college training. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_attainment_in_the_United_States.

Trump also fares badly among women, minorities and the young. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/the-trumpian-coalition/481272/

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Trump's expected move to the middle may draw a few more voters, but his past indiscreet rants will not be forgotten. The odds are still long against him.
The latest news about Prince is that he was getting help from experts in dealing with addiction to pain killers.

But as soon as he died, I read lots of on-line speculation about him being a drug abuser. Today I read that his death was the kind of thing you would expect, given his "lifestyle."

Well the facts aren't in and maybe we'll never know all of them.

But everybody who's lived with chronic pain knows enough. And if they're Prince fans, their hearts are likely broken all over again imagining how Prince apparently suffered and how help came too late.

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They know what it's like to have to be at your very best when you can't count on getting enough sleep and you're perpetually exhausted.

When the pain is so terrible you feel like a wolf caught in a trap.

You're frantic, maybe even feeling crazed inside--and if you could chew that leg off somehow, you would.

The medication doesn't always work, or when it does, it can have debilitating side effects.

And some people around you only make things worse when they offer up advice like "You have to take the good with the bad in life" or they just tell you to "Tough it out."

You may be so wild with pain you can imagine that killing yourself is the only solution.

That's not a lifestyle. That's not drug abuse.

That's hell. And one in seven of us gets trapped there at some point in our lives.

Too bad more people don't understand what that's like. Then they might have some empathy instead of being harsh, judgmental, or even casually cruel and dismissive.

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UPDATE 5/9: Here's an NPR station interview about the blog.
Dear Moderate Republicans:

I'm sorry. This can't be what you had in mind. Clearly with the 800 -- I mean, 17 -- people you had up there at one point, there was no real sense that the story would end here, with this guy; that one of the other, more sensible, candidates wouldn't have risen up, taken the lead, rallied the troops, and won the nomination.

As it turns out, you have been as side-swiped, as sucker punched, as drop-kicked as the rest of us. We feel for you.

And there can be no overstatement about it: your party has done the unthinkable. It's made Donald Trump's ascendency to the GOP nomination for THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (had to cap it; it has that much gravitas) a fact. It is no longer a bad joke, a comedian's punchline; a redundant, regurgitated topic of every talk show across the land. It is an inarguable, horrifying, "make it go away, Mommy!!" fact. And you're not the only ones reeling... I hear this has triggered an international day of mourning.

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You must be asking yourselves: "How did this insane thing happen? How did we let this get away from us?" It's certainly a big topic of conversation out here. Countless analysts have pointed fingers at your party leaders with accusations of, "This is your mess! You created this monster!" Others snipe at the media (in its every medium), rightfully faulting them for the panting, slavish, click-baiting, "all Donald, all the time" coverage that's been so ubiquitous, I swear, the man could sneeze and they'd preempt their click-baiting coverage of whatever click-bait was trending at the time to cover that sneeze. Still others bemoan the dumbing down of American culture due to crappy reality TV (of which your guy is a star), and internet access to every kind of idiocy man or machine has to offer.

Personally? I think it's Obama's fault.

You're a moderate so this likely doesn't apply to you, but I've come to believe that two terms of a brilliant, compassionate, thoughtful, elegant, BLACK president have proven to be too much for the millions of small-minded minions tucked under the Republican banner. They've been stewing and steaming, trolling their hate and bigotry whenever and wherever possible, but largely waiting in the wings for a gas-bagging, hate-spewing, sexist, xenophobic, narcissistic demagogue to have the money to advance without need of your more restrictive party system, and he has risen: the guy who gives permission to the worst of your party -- the white supremacists, generalized bigots, xenophobes, sexists, and haters of every kind -- to "make America great again!" Which appears to loosely translate to, "make America better for white people and others who hate other people who aren't like them." They came out in droves, this crowd, to "revenge vote," to stick it to all the "non-purists" (there's an uglier term for that, but I'm trying to keep this clean) and their liberal, progressive agenda that's ruining the country (i.e. embracing diversity), so it's high time that real Americans take it back, dammit!!

Thanks, Obama!!

You may say that's not true; you may say it's unfair to paint the entire Republican party as a cabal of hood-wearing, cross-burning, spittle-flying, "get off my lawn, you (fill in the blank)" spewing hater, and you'd be right. Some of my best friends are Republicans; some of my family members are Republicans, so I know there are sane, compassionate, open-minded people in your party who are there because they believe in small government, fiscal conservatism, and personal responsibility. They're not the ones screaming for anti-LGBT laws, or trying to get all up in women's private parts. They're not the ones who refuse to discuss sensible solutions to immigration, gun control, poverty, and the crumbling middle class. They will listen to climate change scientists, people of other religions, and those who believe the Constitution is a living document that can evolve with the times. You know... moderate Republicans. And as one of those, you've just seen your party hijacked by the dark side.

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But there's positive spin to be found: maybe this unthinkable event is a harbinger of needed change. The moment to expand your political horizons. To... you know, step a little left.

Now, don't give me that look. These are wildly changing times and everyone has to get creative. The old formulas, the previously held paradigms, have been battered to dust. All bets are off, new roads are being forged, a stitch in time saves nine -- no wait, that one doesn't work. But whatever the cliches, the times they are a'changin' and you need to make your own adjustments.

If you are a moderate Republican, you can make a different choice than the one being handed to you by your official party. You do NOT have to support Donald Trump. In fact, if you are a moderate Republican, how can you support Donald Trump??

The alternative? The "step left"? I know... it's a tough sell. You've been trained since you were old enough to hear her name that Hillary Clinton is evil incarnate. She's Satan in Drag, Shillary, a "corporate whore," "crooked Hillary" (as your nominee is fond of chortling). To that I say: yawn. Don't you want to come to your own conclusions? Isn't it time to shake off the propaganda, look away from the indoctrination, and consider that -- unlike the choice that's just been made for you --she might actually be the better choice?

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I know, heresy, but just think about it for a moment: a moderate Democrat. A centrist. An experienced negotiator, a conciliatory team player; a woman who's been willing to work within her party and with Republicans to get things done. Someone respected around the world. Someone who's endured the worst that haters have thrown. Someone who doesn't need to talk about the size of her hands to wield her virtual, and considerable, cojones.

And think about this too...it might be a tipping point: the hard-left of our party (inclusive of the Independent/temporarily Democratic contingent) -- the Bernie Bots, Bernie Bros, #FeelTheBerners, Hillary Haters, Bernie or Busters -- well, they hate her specifically because they believe she's not left enough, not extreme enough, not poor enough or marginalized enough to win their love. Doesn't that make her all the more palatable to centrists looking to accomplish real goals within the government system we're obligated to work with? isn't it possible that you, moderate Republican, might find her a solid "bridge candidate" until your party -- if, indeed, it ever does -- finds its soul again?

I'm suggesting that though she's not a perfect candidate (as no candidate is), she's the perfect candidate for you during this anomalous, soul-killing, party-annihilating time. A moderate Democrat that moderate Republicans can appreciate and support. One that gives you a way out, an opportunity to not participate in electing the most heinous, hateful, unqualified, and dangerous demagogue that either party has ever offered the voting public.

I'm sure we all agree that the "President of the United States" is too essential a role to potentially demean and denigrate by handing it off to a narcissistic blowhard for the sake of party loyalty. So, since no other choices are being offered to you by your own party, come join us for this one. We will authentically and graciously welcome you. We'll work together to elect the most qualified candidate on the dais... and how satisfying would it be to break the glass ceiling for women on all sides of the political terrain while we're at it? You know you want in on that cultural evolution!

So you're invited. Stop by, give us a call; we're here anytime. The door is open, the coffee's on; I hear there are muffins on a good day. Spend some time, do some good, and help us change the world. You can always go back to your side of the aisle the next go-around... I'm sure they'll have found a few better candidates for you by then!

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The Syrian war is clearly un-winnable. With the Aleppo ceasefire, it is possible the US and Russia are waking up to this fact.

Not for the first time, Syria finds itself at a crossroads facing more years of war and devastation, or, if all goes well, the gradual beginnings of a peaceful political process.

This time the stakes are at their highest, after more than half the population have been displaced. It is hard to imagine things getting worse, but the prospect of escalation is real. History has shown us many instances in the past of countries that suffered worse infernos of violence, so there is no room for complacency.

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Meanwhile the Salafi jihadists of Jabhat al Nusra (al Qaeda's affiliate, or JN) and ISIS, both hell-bent on committing genocide and killing en mass, are showing greater regional and international strength, bolstered by the jihadist university par excellence that much of Syria has become. These groups now threaten Turkey and EU countries, as well as Russia.

While the world's attention is focused on ISIS, JN is thriving. Embedded among an array of opposition groups, it has been hard for the US to target. Meanwhile, as Russia bombs America's enfeebled Sunni allies in Syria, JN have positioned themselves as the big brother of the opposition. Even if the West's bright hope, the Kurdish YPG, make more gains against ISIS, they could find themselves in battle with an array of Sunni groups, which could benefit JN.

Ironically, Turkey's moves to support various rebel groups against both Assad and ISIS, have only poured more fuel on the war with Kurdish separatists.

If Turkey suffers destabilization from the growing strength of Syrian Kurds, as well as further ISIS attacks, trade with Russia and the West will suffer. To the south, close regional ally of both Russia and the US (Jordan) also faces risk of major destabilization. The terrible irony of all of this is that every bad development in Syria has come about through a foreign power thinking it can win.

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So, the US and the Gulf States supplied sophisticated anti-tank weapons to "vetted" rebel groups. But the Gulf States poured more funds to radicals, including JN. As a result, they became stronger than the little-supported US allies, who later lost control of their new anti-tank missiles to the radicals. Concomitantly, Assad lost a vast number of tanks and the rebels seemed to be gaining the upper hand last year. Of course, ISIS took advantage of this, seizing Palmyra. So, the West's strategy unintentionally helped ISIS. Enter Russia.

Russia's intervention has achieved some impressive military gains, in part through plastering huge areas with high explosive. But such actions risks creating a more fanatical brand among the opposition, and can only achieve so much without more Russian commitment. Meanwhile it has strengthened Assad's ambition, and he now wants the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) to retake all of Syria. But this is very unlikely unless Russia and Iran keep writing blank cheques for Assad's regime, as well as sending in more Special Forces. That could simply provoke another escalation from Turkey.

At first, Russian intervention focused on non-ISIS groups, which was another factor in ISIS gains last year. So, Russia also unintentionally helped ISIS. Now Russia and the Coalition are largely focused on ISIS, who are taking a massive hit, but Jabhat al Nusra seem resilient. At every turn, Salafi jihadists seem to win.

Worryingly, without large numbers of new Syrian army recruits, another insurgency will likely take hold. Which takes us back to that "escalation" problem: Saudi Arabia have already discussed sending anti-aircraft missiles to rebel groups close to Al Qaeda. If these are smuggled out of Syria into Turkey (hardly a far fetched given how porous the border is) the threat to airliners is disturbing.



From the perspective of NATO countries, support for rebel groups is an unpredictable game because of how fragmented the insurgency is and the crossover between an array of different groups such as Ahrar al Sham, Jaish al Islam and Jabhat al Nusra.

Problematically, when Russia and Assad pile bombs on all opposition groups, the appeal of Salafi jihadists becomes stronger because they can field hundreds of suicide bombers, something "moderate" groups cannot do.

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But the opposition has dissolved into chaos. This year has seen violence between Jaish al Islam, the Rahman Brigade and Jabhat al Nusra in Ghouta, as well as much infighting in Idlib.

Despite so much factional fighting, the CIA hopes that a handful of small groups can form a lethal army to support Western interests. But since the US train and equip program has struggled to attract enough vetted recruits, this seems highly unlikely.

The US now focuses support on Kurdish groups, who have made impressive gains against ISIS. But this has alarmed Turkey, who are worried about the extent these groups can advance, and appears to have seriously re-ignited Turkish-Kurdish violence. That has the potential to turn into a major PKK (Kurdish separatist) insurgency, undermining Kurdish progress against ISIS. Thus, ISIS still have some cards to play as chaos mounts.

Finally, there is the position of the Syrian government. Assad has recently declared a desire to take over Aleppo in a crushing defeat for the rebels. It seems Russia is not too keen on this, so has backed the ceasefire in the area, possibly fearing yet another escalation, this time from Turkey. There are well over 20,000 rebels defending Aleppo and Russia may be realising that there are limits to what it can do for Assad's armed forces.

Political Reality

Perhaps with the new announcement of the "regime of calm" areas, John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov have finally woken up to the un-winnable nature of this war. But local ceasefires are only a beginning. If Assad feels let down by Russia, he will call on more Iranian support, while if US backed rebels feel let down by the West, they will go knocking on the doors of Turkish or Gulf State backers. This is where Russia and America must use their massive leverage to influence their allies.

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Step one would be a display of Russia-US unity, bringing allies together for a major humanitarian operation in the ceasefire areas. This could undermine groups such as Jabhat al Nusra and Ahrar al Sham, who promise their own "regimes of calm" by presenting themselves as an alternative government. From these safe havens, Syrian government forces can hold lines of defence in place and shift resources to the destruction of ISIS.

Outside of Syria, Jordan could become the venue for US- Russia coordination. From Amman, the two superpowers could coordinate aid and the war on ISIS and Jabhat al Nusra.

The first step for such an effort, beyond local ceasefires, is for Russia and the US to publicly get tough with their allies. This means the US should refrain from warning Assad and instead pressure allied opposition groups. Russians should publicly pressure Assad, instead of warning the opposition.

"Carrots and sticks" could be used by both great powers. For example, the US can continue to support groups with non-military aid such as the Jaysh al Mujahideen, who have been engaged in indirect talks with representatives of the Syrian government. With the promise of Russian non-military aid, these groups could be gradually peeled away from the bullies of Jabhat al Nusra. Of course, some of the Western backed groups are Islamist, but these don't come close to the ideological fanaticism of Al Qaeda or ISIS, and are potential candidates for the peace process. In fact, recent events suggest many of these groups would be happy to see the end of JN as much as the fall of ISIS.

Meanwhile, Syrian Arab Army and their allies should be permitted to continue fighting Salafi jihadists groups. But even as Salafi jihadists are isolated from the opposition and attacked, political change has to be underway.

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Syria's 1973 constitution needs to be dramatically changed to allow for free and fair, elections, as well as referendums on the governance status of Syrian provinces. Devolution may be the key word here, as recent reports suggest both government negotiators and opposition groups are not happy about the word "federalism."
Entitled "Shaping the New Normal" the 10th Lennart Meri Conference will focus on the future of Europe and the West from 13th to 15th May when outstanding analysts and policy makers gather in the Estonian capital Tallinn.

The world is a different place from the one we envisioned ten years ago when LMC was first launched: international treaties are being blatantly violated; national borders are being changed by force; masses of people are on the move seeking refuge; national identities are being challenged, and extremist tendencies are flourishing. The United States as the key guarantor of transatlantic security is overstretched. Europe's role as the source and home of universal values is eroding. The West has lost initiative.

On this bleak background of the current affairs key policy makers and analysts from around the world will among other topics address the current refugee crisis that is not only tearing apart the EU but also the national governments of the EU member states. Universal, liberal values, which have made up the cornerstone of Western democracies have suddenly got a price tag, which not all governments are willing to pay. How to fight the root causes of mass migration and secure the European borders? How to help border states to manage the migrants' inflow and share the burden between the receiving countries? These are the questions that require both sense and sensibility and will be discussed by Frans Timmermans, First Vice President of the EU Commission, Marina Kaljurand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia and Ruprecht Polenz, President of the German Association for East European Studies.

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While the Wales summit shifted NATO's focus back to territorial defense, now Warsaw must decide the practicalities. Frontline states want a substantial forward presence, providing reassurance, deterrence and military capability in the event of a Russian attack. Yet others believe this contravenes the spirit of NATO-Russia Founding Act. Peter Hultqvist, Minister of Defense of Sweden, Alexander Vershbow, NATO Deputy Secretary General, Philipp Errera, Defense Policy Director at French Ministry of Defense and Witold Waszczykowski, Foreign Minister of Poland will head the discussion on what trade-offs will face NATO decision-makers as they try to reconcile these conflicting views.

The discussion on the future of Europe will be joined by Radosaw Sikorski, Senior Fellow at Harvard University and former Foreign Minister of Poland, Andrey Kortunov, Director General of Russian International Affairs Council, Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and Riina Kionka, Chief Foreign Policy Advisor of European Council President Donald Tusk.

The McCain Institute will bring a whole panel from the US to discuss the US Presidential elections with Ian Brzezinski and Daniel Vajdich, both Senior Fellows at Atlantic Council, Sally Painter, Co-Founder and COO of Blue Star Strategies and Leigh O'Neill, Policy Director at the Truman National Security Project to be moderated by Kurt Volker, Executive Director of the McCain Institute.

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On 12th of May the LMC will hold a pre conference panel in the EU border city of Narva in cooperation with the Narva College of Tartu University. Since the Russian aggression in Crimea the question has been on the minds of researchers, journalists and policy makers alike: how would the Russian diaspora in the bordering EU countries respond to a possible aggression. The session in Narva seeks to find some answers to this question in a face-to-face with locals.

The public panels of Lennart Meri Conference be live streamed on the website.
Welcome to North Carolina sign at the Virginia state line along U.S. route 301.



I'm bummed. I've been waiting for years to return to one of my favorite bookstores, Malaprop's, in Asheville, North Carolina. My publisher and I even have a date: June 22. Thanks to HB2, or the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, that's not going to happen.

An audible laugh at this point is understandable. After all, a novelist cancelling a book-tour date doesn't exactly rank up there with cancellations by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam; or corporate disavowals by PayPal and Reddit.

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Of course, it's not about ranking, it's about voting. And in this country, voting isn't limited to our polling place. We, the citizenry, vote constantly through the products we buy, the apps we use, the shows we watch, the books we read, and, yes, the places we visit. How we spend our money, our attention, and most of all our time counts. It shapes this nation we live in, and, if we are voting well, protects it for those who will come after us.

Arguments for this so-called bathroom law suggest that denying a transgender individual access to a peaceful place of relief protects women -- especially -- and family values -- in general. However, the evidence showing how even mirthful micturition is at risk in the presence of someone who is transgender is no more compelling than old invectives that declared integrated bathrooms would prove the ruin of white women. Even more problematic, the law is unenforceable. Bathrooms will not be equipped with chromosomal analyzers or be safeguarded by officers hired to civilly consult with your genitalia.

Sorta funny, really, until the realization sinks in that this law was actually conceived, written and passed. The Nastiness Part I is that its primary use will likely be after a criminal act has occurred. That should be troubling in itself. If the protections in place are insufficient to guard a woman anywhere from any kind of assault (no matter the gender of said perpetrator), then the state's legislature needs to be carefully re-examined for evidence of misogyny on an institutional level.

Then there's Nastiness Part II, wherein a woman or man complains that someone in their restroom is a little too manly, or not enough womanly, or too loud in their mannerisms, or even too perfect, or worst of all just a bit too strange.

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How could someone like that be allowed in a place like this? goes the old refrain. It's an affront to our family values! goes another refrain. And everyone knows that song.

Do a quick experiment. It won't take more than a couple of minutes. Google "U.S. Constitution and Amendments," and while you're at it grab the Declaration of Independence too, then search the text for "family values." You won't find it. You won't even find "family."

And that's a good thing. "Family values" is really a way to access a set of primal feelings humanity is wired to have in order to conscript those laudable impulses into the service of a particular social group. In short, it's a handy code for "aristocracy," "class," "caste," "us not them."

And it's around this that our present national uproar has begun to congeal: a law has been passed that is not merely about the bathroom or even transgender equality. A law has been passed that is in the service of something that undercuts everything this country was designed to withstand.

I went to public high school in Utah and there I witnessed firsthand how the language of "family values" was leveled against me simply because I was not Mormon. To this day, my friends from that time (and I believe them) have no memory of how their belief consistently selected and denigrated those who were not like them. More troubling was how the grammar of that bias -- grammar is dull until it's lethal -- provided a lattice suitably supportive of a large array of dangerous words targeting difference. How quickly that same speech, with just a few changes, demonstrated even greater discontent and violence toward those whose sexual preferences were condemned by their church.

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Over the years, and throughout my work, I have given much thought to why strangeness evokes such fear. Only recently have I begun to begrudgingly accept that it is part of our primitive genetics, this privilege we instinctively grant to species, to tribes, to the stupid-seeing that gives stupid-thinking the right to declare and act upon no more evidence than a color.

Moreover, I believe this is something the founders of this country understood: individual rights need to be protected at all costs because we are not made for freedom. Our instincts consistently bend us to growl at the unusual. We feel safest in the cage of the familiar.

Yet it's when we come to the defense of strangers and stranger values that we show ourselves in concert with the calling and challenge that is freedom.

How shocking to many can be the fluidity of sexual preference. Even more terrifying is the lability of gender. Yet there is nothing more American -- not to mention nothing more beneficial to this country -- than those who stand up for their differences, who become the better future their limiting past tried to prohibit, who provoke a vision of new possibilities in the face of inane and often brutal opposition.

It may amount to no more than one vote, but despite my longing to return to the place where my great-great-grandfather lived most of his life, I must join the growing numbers -- which no doubt will include many of those who would have shown up at my reading at Malaprop's -- in support of North Carolina repealing a law that is ill-intentioned, ill-wrought and a disservice to the greater causes of tolerance and kindness.
Anita Alvarez Is Recusing Herself From Prosecuting The Laquan McDonald Case

By Rachel Cromidas in News on May 5, 2016 6:16PM



Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez discusses the shooting of Ronald Johnson by Chicago police officer George Hernandez on December 7, 2015. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Anita Alvarez, the embattled Cook County State Attorney who lost her bid for re-election earlier this year, is recusing herself from prosecuting the city's latest high-profile case of police misconduct: the brutal shooting of Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in October 2014.

Alvarez has caught serious criticism for how she handled McDonald's shooting case, which took her office over a year to investigate before murder charges were brought against Van Dyke. The charges came last November, just as the city was ordered to release a damning video that showed Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times as the teen attempted to run away and fell to the ground, fatally wounded.

Alvarez has long defended her ability to prosecute the case, saying she did not have a conflict of interest. Nonetheless, at a routine court hearing for Van Dyke Thursday morning, Alvarez reversed her position, according to the Sun-Times, refusing herself from the case and asking for the judge to appoint a special prosecutor from another county.

Alvarez said in a statement released by her office that there is no legal conflict of interest," preventing her from prosecuting the case, but she is stepping aside anyway because she lost the democratic primary election this winter to challenger Kim Foxx (who will go on to run for the office in the general election this fall):





"I believe that the results of the recent election and the impending transition of this office make this the best and most responsible decision. More than anything else, our role as prosecutors is to seek justice and do all that we can to promote confidence in our criminal justice system. It is my greatest hope that the citizens of Chicago who have been shocked and polarized by this crime and this tragedy will understand and welcome this decision and respectfully support the efforts of all elements of the criminal justice system as the prosecution of Jason Van Dyke moves forward."

Van Dyke's court hearing was held so that his attorney's could ask that he be excused from appearing at routine status hearings for the case, due to the threats and jeers he sad he receives from onlookers whenever he visits the Cook County Criminal Courthouse, including racial slurs and gang signs. Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan, who is presiding over the case, said a security plan was in place for Van Dyke, and that he would address Alvarez's motion on June 2.
The parents of 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa teachers school hold their portraits and torches during a march 18 months after their disappearance in Mexico City on April 26, 2016. / AFP / YURI CORTEZ (Photo credit should read YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

Even in a country hardened by nearly a decade of deadly criminal conflict, the Ayotzinapa case stands out: 43 students forcibly disappeared during the night of Sept. 26, 2014, allegedly at the hands of municipal police in league with a local drug gang. President Enrique Pena Nieto promised that this horrific crime, above all, would not go unpunished. "After Iguala," he declared, naming the city where the youths went missing, "Mexico must change."

Nineteen months later, the case has generated much controversy but little change. A group of international experts backed by the Organization of American States, invited by the government to assist federal investigators on behalf of the victims' families, has departed after issuing a scathing 600-page report citing evidence that suspects were tortured, promising leads left unexplored, contradictory forensic reports ignored and key evidence mishandled -- perhaps planted -- in an apparent effort to close the probe as quickly as possible.

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Meanwhile, the president's proposed security reforms -- most notably a plan to fold more than 1,800 municipal police forces into 31 statewide corporations -- remain largely unfulfilled. A national violence prevention program -- touted by candidate Pena Nieto as the answer to his predecessor's discredited war on drugs -- has seen its already meager funding slashed by about 20 percent since 2013.

Despite the deployment of federal troops and police to the state, fragmented gangs continue to wage brutal turf wars.

The bloodshed, tragically, has not stalled. Last year's homicides rose slightly (8 percent) in the country as a whole and dramatically in certain states, such as Guerrero, where murders surged by 30 percent. Despite the deployment of federal troops and police to the state, fragmented gangs continue to wage brutal turf wars to control drug trafficking and illegal rackets like extortion and kidnapping. The disappearance of the 43 student teachers is far from the only unsolved case. Authorities -- under pressure from the relatives of other missing persons -- have discovered dozens of clandestine graves near the city of Iguala containing at least 140 bodies.

No wonder citizens show little faith in the country's law enforcement institutions. Not only do few Mexicans trust their municipal police (36 percent), according to official surveys, less than half express confidence in state prosecutors or investigators (42 percent), state police (43 percent) or judges (46 percent). Federal prosecutors (trusted by 49 percent) and police (56 percent) fare only a bit better.

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Protesters take part in a demonstration against alleged corruption and violations of human rights by Enrique Pena Nieto, the President of Mexico, on March 3, 2015.(Carl Court/Getty)

President Pena Nieto could still put his country on track to end the self-perpetuating cycles of violence, corruption and impunity that have turned certain regions into virtual war zones. But to do so, the president must address the "incredulity and distrust," which, as he himself has stated, are undermining the law and order essential to assure that his economic reforms generate the promised prosperity.

The government should start by recognizing that the experts' report not only raises serious questions about the Ayotzinapa case but also about the justice system in general: the overreliance on confessions to determine guilt, the lack of independent forensic services, the burden of unnecessary bureaucratic procedures, the inability to weigh the validity of evidence or to analyze context, the tendency to measure success based on the number of arrests (often on flimsy evidence that is later dismissed) and the failure to investigate the intellectual and material authors of crime.

President Pena Nieto can still turn tragedy into a catalyst for change, but he cannot do so alone.

The Mexican government did the right thing by inviting international experts to assist in a case that has come to symbolize the horrific brutality of criminals that operate in complicity with some state agents. Their job is not over. President Pena Nieto can still turn tragedy into a catalyst for change, but he cannot do so alone. To salvage the Ayotzinapa case -- and overcome the crisis of confidence that threatens the government's own reform agenda, Mexico should extend and expand the experts' mandate to address the systemic flaws that have made incompetence, complicity and corruption sadly synonymous with the country's own institutions of law enforcement.

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Teacher with papers

Today marks exactly one year since I left teaching, a decision dictated by my family's cross-country move. To acknowledge the occasion, let me share with you the top search -- BY FAR -- that brings people to my site:

I don't want to teach anymore.

In the twelve years I was a high school English teacher, I watched people leave the profession in droves. The climate is different. The culture is different. The system is breaking, and educators are scattering to avoid the inevitable crushing debris when it all comes crumbling down.

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I won't go into detail about the budget cuts or the massive class sizes or the average salary, as that's all been discussed ad nauseam. I'm not going to talk about the bone-deep exhaustion that comes from being onstage all day, or the drowning sensation that follows you home on nights and weekends when you have hundreds of papers to grade.

These are the other things -- the stuff you might only understand if you have a key to the teachers' lounge.

1. You are an "authority figure" with no real authority.

A friend once told me, "You have no idea what it's like to have a real job -- something with deadlines and adults breathing down your neck. You get to be your own boss." The sheer ignorance of her declaration has stuck with me for years, and still needles me, mostly because that line of thinking is an extremely common misconception.

When we close our door each day and stride to the front of the classroom, it's easy to fall prey to the illusion that we are in charge. It's your name on that door, after all, so you must be the boss.

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Reality check: you are not the boss.

Parents are the boss of you. The administration is the boss of you. Common Core is the boss of you. The students can sense it, which occasionally leads to comments like, "My parents pay your salary, you know." Truth. And because of that truth, there is often immense pressure to compromise your integrity: to pass a child who has not demonstrated mastery, to allow an extension on a paper you assigned two months ago, to give less homework or different projects or more lenient grades, because sometimes you are expected to avoid rocking the boat.

2. Your day does not resemble that of a typical white-collar professional.

Despite my aforementioned friend's ignorance, I'll give her this: sometimes you are painfully aware that your "real job" does seem suspiciously different from other "real jobs" which require a college degree.

Here are the things your friends can do at work:

1. Pee

2. Get coffee

3. Spend fifteen minutes chatting leisurely with a colleague

4. Go out to lunch

5. Complete paperwork and other job-related tasks during the actual work day

6. Sit down occasionally

I'm pretty sure the real reason summer break exists is because the School Gods counted up all the seconds you don't get to use the bathroom and handed them back to you in one big chunk. Twenty-five-minute lunches are not conducive to nice, relaxing meals beyond the building's walls, and you can only relieve yourself during passing time -- which, unfortunately, is the only opportunity all the OTHER teachers have to take care of business.

Because you know what else is the boss of you? The bell schedule.

3. Everyone thinks they know how to do your job. EVERYONE.

Adding to the sting of your not-in-charge-ness, many people who ARE in charge have literally never taught a day in their lives -- and a lot of them are pretty sure they know how to do it better than you.

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Most people have lights in their home, but that doesn't make them electricians. My husband doesn't know how to manage a restaurant just because we've gone out to eat. Can I profess to be an expert on successful lawyering because I watch Law & Order: SVU once a week?

Surely, teaching is different, though, right? At some point, just about everyone has sat in a classroom. We were all students, after all. Six, seven, eight hours a day, ever since preschool, everyone has seen this job, so everyone is allowed to have an opinion.

But even brand new teachers can tell: the view looks a whole lot different from behind the podium. So when your high, high, highest-ups are committees of people who only know what it's like to be a student, it feels akin to a team of accountants trying to wire a building.

You know what's probably going to happen? That sucker's going up in flames.

4. You wanted to foster imagination, not slaughter it.

For a while now, teachers have been battling an increasing pressure to "teach to the test." Despite our banshee-esque warning cries, this situation is not improving. Courses with "real-world" value (home economics, for example, or shop class) are dying a not-so-gradual death, as there is no "Foods & Nutrition" section on the SAT. Art and music programs are still in grave danger -- and, in some districts, have already been slashed to ribbons.

An elementary school teacher I know -- who is a part of one of the wealthiest, most reputable districts in her state -- attended a recent meeting where staff members were instructed to "drastically limit or entirely eliminate" story time. "It's not differentiated enough," they were told, "and therefore is a waste of valuable class time."

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The kids are in THIRD GRADE. They deserve to gather around a rocking chair and feed their imaginations. They deserve the magic of a captivating story. They deserve to learn that you can read for pleasure instead of strictly for information.

"Core" high school classes aren't immune to the damage, either. English teachers look on helplessly as more and more works of fiction are plucked from the curriculum and replaced by fact-driven nonfiction. Even though we're sometimes invited to join curriculum committees (as I did) under the guise that we might have a say, it's ultimately just a ruse: we have only as much freedom as our national and state standards allow. At the moment, there is a relentless push toward FACTS. DATA. STATISTICS.

That doesn't leave very much room for make-believe.

But here's the thing: discussions about fiction lead to rich discussions about life, which drives something much more important than the growth of a student -- it guides the growth of a human being.

5. The technology obsession is making you CRAZY.

Our beloved works of fiction aren't just getting elbowed aside by facts and figures. They're also being trounced by the frenetic crush of technology. "The children must learn ALL THE TECH!" everyone shouts, flailing their arms and stampeding toward the nearest Apple store. "It is the way of the future!"

Then why are some big-shot technology CEOs sending their kids to computer-free Waldorf Schools? There's an app -- er, a reason -- for that.

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This one is tricky. OF COURSE, as teachers, our job is to adapt to the changing times. But I might argue that our job is also to challenge our students with something new -- and, to this generation, technology is not new. In fact, it is all they know. Our kids don't need more of it -- most of them have been swiping and zooming and smartphone-ing since they were toddlers -- and they continue to do it right in the middle of your (probably fact-driven) lecture about some (probably nonfiction) book, by the way. It's incredibly frustrating when all that glorious innovation serves as more of a distraction than a learning tool.

Though we teachers tend to stick together, I also have a group of friends and family with a wide range of careers -- they run the gamut from successful marketers to mechanical engineers to human resource managers. All of them have interviewed prospective employees for over a decade, and all of them now have a similar complaint: it's becoming close to impossible to find candidates they actually want to hire.

The three C's people suddenly seem to be missing? Curiosity, creativity, and communication skills.

Technology is wonderful -- nay, necessary -- for a plethora of things, but it's killing those beautiful C's. And as a teacher, you don't just witness the death, you are expected to assist in the murder. Because of standardized expectations, you must incorporate more and more tech, even when all you want to do is take a hammer to anything with a screen.

6. All the entitlement and the trophies and the apathy and whatever.

The air inside your classroom walls is probably thick with the stench of "It's not my fault, it's your fault," and it sure seems like the smell is coming from the students.

Ironically, this is not their fault.

Like cigarette smoke, it gets carried in from home, rising from their backpacks, woven through the threads of their clothes and the fibers of their upbringing. Their whole lives, generations of special snowflakes have received copious awards and accolades just for playing -- NOT for excelling -- so it's no wonder kids have come to expect an A "because I tried." But sometimes a D paper is just a D, which doesn't necessarily mean that Johnny has an evil teacher. It means that Johnny might have actually earned a D this time. It means he might not have written a perfect paper. It means he needs to stop waiting until THE VERY LAST SECOND to start an essay he's known about for three weeks.

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But Johnny doesn't know it means all that, because what he hears at the dinner table is that his parents are UNBELIEVABLY ANGRY that his teacher had the nerve -- the nerve! -- to give their baby a D. (Brace yourself for the irate phone call in the morning.)

Of course, for every helicopter parent, there is a devastatingly absentee parent, as well as an equal number who are so remarkably supportive that you wonder if they're even real. They are warm and generous and responsible. You tell them at conferences, You are REALLY doing something right, and you mean it.

I hope I will be that kind of parent.

I became a mother a few years ago, and I must shamefully admit I get it now. My children ARE special. My children DO try. I do not EVER want them to feel like they are anything less than the most important people in the world. When my daughter's preschool note tells me she was not a good listener that day, I feel frustrated and helpless and a little bit sure the teacher is just being too demanding. When she ran her first Toddler Turkey Trot last November, the people in charge asked if I wanted to buy her a medal. "Um, obviously," I said. "She will obviously, absolutely get a medal." Without hesitation, I forked over my money and contributed to the Trophy Generation Fund.

As a parent, I understand.

But as a teacher, this is what you wish you could say: Stop making excuses for your kids. STOP IT. Teach them to earn things, not demand things. Hold them to a higher standard. Challenge them. That way, when I try to challenge them, they'll know we both expect it.

They'll know we are on the same team.

Left to their own devices, the kids will be the first to tell you: Yeah, I totally forgot about that assignment. I didn't really try my best. I just didn't feel like finishing the reading. Whoops -- sorry, Ms. B! They'll cringe at you with raised eyebrows and endearing self-awareness. They'll laugh uproariously when you pull a pretend trophy from your desk and give it a quick shine as soon as they catch themselves in the act of whining.

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They know. Deep down, despite that wafting air of entitlement, they know exactly what's going on. They are smarter than that, and they are capable of more failures -- and consequently, more successes -- than the world is allowing them to experience.

7. There is no reliable way to assess who is ACTUALLY good at this.

If you're a teacher worth your salt, this might be the most troubling of the bunch.

In order for people to really know how well you're doing your job, they have to watch you do it. But when there is only one administrator for every thirty-plus teachers, adequate observation time is often a physical impossibility. Even if an administrator's ONLY JOB was to sit in classroom after classroom, there would still be too few hours in the day, so lawmakers and district higher-ups are scrambling to figure out a way to fill in the blanks.

A popular bright idea is to examine students' test scores. In theory, this should work -- but in practice, you've got to be kidding. Students are not products tumbling off a cookie-cutter assembly line. They are human beings, and there are thirty-five of them per class period, and they are influenced by FAR more than yesterday's vocabulary lesson. You are not in charge of how well they slept, or the breakup that happened last week, or if their family has enough money for breakfast -- but all of those things affect test scores. So do IEPs, 504 plans, and whether or not you are teaching an AP or Honors class filled with students who might perform well with or without your help.

As more and more districts begin to adopt this nonsensical practice, who will teach the kids who are struggling? Which educators will potentially sacrifice their own careers to guide the students who work hard for a D+? Some of the very best teachers do that now, with only intrinsic motivation working to retain them.

Another method is to place the burden of proof upon the teacher. Instead of spending your prep hour -- or your Sunday night -- creating a brilliant lesson plan or grading the ten dozen essays you just collected, you must spend that time figuring out how to meet arbitrary goals and initiatives that will become irrelevant and obsolete by the following school year. After that, you must utilize class time implementing said goals and initiatives, and then you must spend more prep time and Sunday nights writing reports to prove how well you implemented them. That, combined with your students' test scores, shall determine whether or not you are an effective educator.

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Can I please just talk about Of Mice and Men instead? Can we spend that time learning why some words on a page just made us cry a little bit? That's the important stuff. That's what matters. Those are the things that teach us who we are.

Here are the other things that matter: Helping a group of students work through a disagreement civilly. Keeping everyone calm when someone vomits on the floor. Watching the shyest student in your class, the one who never ever spoke back in September, volunteer to read a part in The Crucible -- and he's hilarious, and he does it with an accent, and he makes two new friends because he finally let himself be vulnerable.

Your job is so much more than test scores, meaningless goals, and cyclical initiatives. It is tying shoelaces and distributing Band-Aids. It is listening to a parent cry about her crumbling marriage. It is showing teenagers how to debate thoughtfully, how to think critically, how to disagree respectfully. It is hearing from students ten years after graduation, because they just thought you should know it was your Spanish class that made them want to study abroad, your passion for science that led to a major in biochemistry, your quiet encouragement during their dark days that convinced them to keep coming to school in the first place.

Where does that fall on the "highly effective" checklist? How can you document that kind of delayed impact? It certainly can't be measured by A's and E's, or even by weekly walk-throughs. It's no wonder you're getting frustrated.

It's no wonder you don't want to do this anymore.

But if these are the reasons you might leave, here is the reason you might stay: the kids, man. The kids. After a year without them, you might miss their unbridled school spirit during Homecoming Week, their contagious sense of humor, the way they draw pictures for you and wave joyous hellos in the hallways. You might miss their ability to make you forget about the rough start to your morning, or the looks of awe on their captivated faces when they finally learn something that matters.

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If it weren't for them, instead of Googling "I don't want to teach anymore," you might already be gone.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 03: Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump stands near his wife Melania Trump as he speaks to supporters and the media at Trump Tower in Manhattan following his victory in the Indiana primary on May 03, 2016 in New York City. Trump beat rival Ted Cruz decisively in a contest that many analysts believe was the last chance for any other Republican candidate to catch Trump in the delegate count. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Ben Carson should have been sidelined from GOP politics forever after his presidential campaign tanked. In addition to his major foreign policy gaffes and his bizzaro tax plan, he'd defined himself as a complete troglodyte on social issues, particularly his horrific comments about homosexuality. He'd compared homosexuality to pedophilia and bestiality, and said prison turned men toward homosexuality, proving being gay is a "choice." He claimed that gay marriage would lead to polygamy and bring something akin to "the fall of the Roman Empire."

But no, Donald Trump has announced that Ben Carson will play a role on his vice presidential selection committee -- and Carson is reported to actually be on the VP running mate shortlist himself. Also reported to be on the shortlist is another enemy of LGBT equality, who's been advising Trump as part of his inner circle for months now and who endorsed Trump early: Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama.

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The GOP senator is among the most anti-LGBT senators in history, scoring a zero continually from the Human Rights Campaign, voting for everything anti-gay that ever came before the Senate, like a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, and against everything remotely pro-gay, from a hate crimes bill to protect gays to the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." He's said it would be "a big concern" to have a gay Supreme Court nominee and attacked the "activist judiciary" that ruled for marriage equality. He opposed Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court in part based on her support for LGBT equality as dean of Harvard Law School.

Also reported on Trump's short list, and another man who's been privately advising Trump and publicly praising him, is Newt Gingrich, the perennial homophobe who called gay marriage a "temporary aberration" and compared it to paganism. In 2014 he implied the LGBT rights movement was inspiring the left's "new fascism."

Others on the shortlist, all of whom have been talking with or advising Trump to varying degrees are: Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin, who said gay marriage violates "religious freedom," successfully fought hard against LGBT rights measures in her state, dropped benefits for all couples in the Oklahoma National Guard rather than give benefits to same-sex couples and whom Trump said would be a "great" VP pick; Chris Christie, who's opposed gay marriage for years as a bully to equality in New Jersey; and Florida governor Rick Scott, who fought marriage equality, supports allowing religious-based adoption agencies to turn away gay couples (and is opposed to adoption by gays altogether, though didn't fight a court ruling) and who signed an anti-gay law as recently as this past March.

Trump also will soon release his picks for Supreme Court justices, saying he would choose them in the "mold" of the late virulently anti-gay Antonin Scalia, and even floated in recent days the idea of putting that homophobe from hell, Ted Cruz, on the high court.

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A few days ago I wrote a piece about The New York Times' bizarre attempt to portray Trump as "far better on gay issues" than much of the GOP since he had gay friends and business associates in his past and had congratulated Elton John on his civil union in 2005. I also pointed to all the anti-gay statements and positions Trump has recently articulated, which reporter Maggie Haberman left out of her piece. Looking at who he's surrounding himself with now, and the fact that he's received huge support from evangelical voters as well their leaders, like Jerry Falwell Jr., it's even more clear that, like Ronald Reagan, no gay friends from the past will likely get in the way of Trump dutifully bowing to moralists who helped put him in office.
University student falling asleep on text books

As a college student, I am told that I can only have two of the following three: enough sleep, good grades, and a social life. From my perspective, these three components of college life are difficult to balance. When I need to cram for an exam, I stay up all night and get less sleep. When I want to stay out with friends but have to get up early to study, I compromise my sleep. As a student at Boston College, do I get enough sleep? Probably not. I have some friends who get at least eight hours of sleep a night and I have some who consistently get four hours per night.



"When priorities clash, sleep always takes the hit."



My experience with sleeplessness inspired my work with The Huffington Post to put on a #SleepRevolution College Tour event. For our event, I invited over the moderators and Executive Board members of our Lean In club. We are a close-knit group, so I knew we would be able to communicate openly about our sleep habits. Over the course of the event, I heard many similar stories to my own. When priorities clash, sleep always takes the hit. We all sleep with our phones by our beds, fueling the late-night social media binges. As one member noted, "It's difficult because so many of us have our alarms on our phones." We talked about solving this problem by purchasing alarm clocks, enabling us to truly unplug before bed. Most importantly, we agreed to bring this discussion to our individual groups. After the conversation on sleep, we skimmed parts of the book and chatted.

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In my Lean In circle, we all discussed our sleep habits. Some of my peers admitted that sleep was something they needed to prioritize more. However, I was happily surprised to find that most of the people in my group practiced healthy sleep habits. Many went to sleep between midnight and 1am and woke up between 9 and 10 am. Also, many took naps on a regular basis.



"As college students, we are in a constant state of exhaustion. We push ourselves very hard academically and we do not help ourselves by getting so little sleep."



Although the majority of my circle members have healthy sleep habits, I think my circle members are an exception. It is not a normal day if I don't hear at least one person say to me, "I'm so tired." As college students, we are in a constant state of exhaustion. We push ourselves very hard academically and we do not help ourselves by getting so little sleep. It is crucial that we prioritize our sleep and health now - after all, it will ultimately help us in the long run.

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Co-Authored with:

Alark Saxena, MBA, PhD

Associate Research Scientist and Lecturer, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies

Director, Yale Himalaya Initiative

One of the most devastating effects of climate change is something you can't see. Though hidden from the eye, it deeply impacts those affected, sometimes for years, even for generations. I am talking about resentment, particularly the kind that stems from a basic sense of unfairness.

As is now increasingly well known, the communities most affected by climate change are those that have been historically marginalized and those who are least responsible for it. Count among these the poor, the powerless, and the disadvantaged.

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When unfairness arises in this epic of a scale, and vulnerable communities witness the lack of a proportional response on the part of the global community, resentment may be soon to follow. This is the kind of resentment that is often unbearable and paralyzing. So what to do? In addition to stopping the onslaught in the first place, psychology teaches us that repair on the part of the responsible party, while not "undoing" what has happened, can help to mend these relational assaults. Here we are not talking about mere platitudes, but genuine contrition and real repair of the damage inflicted on the poor: in other words, taking real responsibility, while, collectively and in cooperation with these communities, securing the safety and well-being of all citizens of the world (including, to be sure, our non-human residents).

Why this focus on responsibility? Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, in a recent piece on environmental issues, references Buddha in suggesting that responsibility arises from the "power to make a difference." Bringing all of this together, we can say that there is a need to repair on the part of the better off, who, partly as a result of their accumulation, also have the power to do so. But it is debatable as to whether this taking of responsibility has occurred at a sufficient level in the realm of global climate change policy, even after the Paris agreement.

But the trauma and devastation will continue. For instance, imagine if you're facing a situation, like many island nations, where your entire country may soon be under water--literally--taking with it your childhood homes, your cultural landmarks, and your spiritual centers. Your country would exist only in the imaginations of the survivors. What would repair possibly look like in that situation? Who would be responsible for it? Could there ever even be a "repair"?

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Millions of Refugees Seek A Normal Life Away From War

With the ongoing war on ISIS in the Middle East forcing its citizens to leave the area in droves, the western world has been charged with the responsibility of playing humanitarians, different from the usual role of international police force. Leaving Americans unsure...

Who are these people forced to leave their homes and give up everything they have in the face of certain death? The media has labeled them refugees. Politicians have called them terrorists, dissidents whose values trump the possibility of assimilation. But before those labels had been placed upon their hanging heads they were, and still are, human beings.

One such person is Hisen Al-Kurdi, a Kurd from the northern Syrian city of Raqaa. He left his home in 2015 in the early hours of the morning to escape his certain death. He didn't want to leave what he called, "A good city, we were having good relations and good connections with other people there. Syrian, Armenian, Ashora, Kurdish and Arabs...you know good connections with other nationalities." That changed the minute bombs started dropping from the sky, killing the citizens of Raqaa and other cities indiscriminately.

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Imagine walking out your front door and peering across the street to see your neighbor's house demolished, body parts strewn across the now bloody streets. Now imagine this as your everyday reality, for years. That is but a brief glimpse into the horror that has become the average Syrian's life with no end in sight.

"Everyone wants to save his place (home) but the explosions happened all the time. That made us very, very scared...sometimes when the explosions happened, we think that could be happening at our house. Believe me, we ran from the house to see houses gone and we asked...why?" -Hisen Al-Kurdi

Shortly after the initial outbreak of violence had swept across the land did local militias begin to emerge from the rubble. The Peshmerga, a militant group of Kurds mostly from northeastern Syria and northwestern Iraq, had taken up arms to protect their own. Soon followed the Arabs who could not stand to see the Kurds take a position of power in the region. Sections of cities were carved out by men willing to fight and die for their cause, each with their own agenda and set of morals.

Hisen was a journalist before the region erupted into a state of fear and lawlessness. As any journalist worth reading makes sure to practice, Hisen was a seeker of truth and in his search he became a target of those who seek to repress it. Threats were made against him and his family, he could no longer do his job without the fear of losing his own life or even worse, the lives of the people he held most dear. It was time for him to leave Syria, for his safety and that of his families.

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The trip had been planned for a few weeks before the fateful morning when his father woke him up and said, "The way is ready now". Hisen couldn't believe it, the time had come to leave everything he had ever known behind in search of what westerners would call a normal life. "I think it was 5 o'clock in the morning. The other people I was traveling with had already left to meet up with the escort so my father and I gathered my things and weaved in and out of neighborhoods, avoiding the main roads so we would not be seen" said Hisen when describing the morning he left home.

The 160 km journey from his home in Raqaa to the Iraqi border was a long and dangerous road. They used the cover of darkness and their knowledge of the local side streets to navigate the dangerous roadways to a small home just short of the border with Iraq. Their host offered the travelers a bowl of plain macaroni as dinner, it would be the last bit of food they would receive until they breached the shores of Greece a few days later. Hisen stressed the difficulty of the first border crossing he would encounter on his journey to safety, "You know, it was so difficult to cross it (border). Going up and down mountains...the whole time we were thinking we lost everything."

Hisen was not out of the woods yet in terms of his safety as northern Iraq had not seen a day of peace since the U.S. led invasion of the country in 2003 and now that the American forces had essentially retreated, he was at the mercy of ISIS if caught trying to escape. There was hope on the other side though and it came in the form of the Peshmerga who single-handedly beat back the monster that is ISIS in fierce battles, at least they beat them back enough for a relatively safe passage for others like Hisen.

He stayed in Iraq for 5 days while awaiting papers that would help him travel to Europe without the troubles most encountered when fleeing before securing such documents. On the 5th day, papers in hand, he bordered a bus for a 22 hr. ride to nearby Turkey. Another bus took him to the western port city of Izmir where he patiently awaited a dangerously overcrowded boat to Greece. Hisen and many of the other men put their safety aside to ensure that no woman or child be lost to the turbulent seas, "Everyone wanted to help someone if something happened there. It was dangerous, believe me when I say we forget our safety."

Photo: via Businessinsider.com

Hisen would travel to 5 other countries before finding safety in the German industrial town of Schweinfurt, where old American Army bases have been converted to makeshift camps for the refugees.

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Talking about the emotional impact of finally reaching their destination Hisen said, "We said, now we are safe, we are in safety now. All the people were happy and some cried. "What they didn't know is that although they are safe, they were not free.

Confined to camps enclosed by barbed wire fences and manned security checkpoints, the sense of freedom eluded them and still does to this day. The German government has stepped up to the plate taking in on average 100,000 new refuges a month but they may have dropped the ball in terms of preparedness. While food, shelter and a little bit of money are provided, little else in terms of creature comforts are available.

There are problems that are even harder to solve then the basic necessities and they appear in the form of two cultures with little understanding of each other's way of life forced to interact with each other. "The Germans don't know about the traditions of #Syrians and the Syrians don't know the traditions of the Germans. There needs to be more talk about this" said Hisen.

The problem facing the west is how can we provide for these people but ask from them in exchange to give up, or at least scale down some of the cultural differences that many find objectionable to western civilization. One such issue is the differences in age that are deemed acceptable in the west versus some parts of the east. In the Middle East, it is normal for a man to have multiple wives, something not practiced in western society for some time. Even more troubling for westerners is the fact that the legal age for marriage in Syria is 14.

Hisen stated, "Back home it's 14 but if you marry before 18 here, it's illegal." Families that have made the long journey are being torn apart by laws they didn't know existed before their arrival, sometimes to the extent they maybe separated by hundreds of miles.

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Other cultural problems like the woman's right to work or better yet, the necessity of females in the workplace are a common source of misunderstanding amongst the refugees and their host nation. "In this country women must work but in my country, they should not work, they stay in the home" says Hisen. He fears the traditional Syrian family dynamic is being forced to adapt in the wake of their exile and fears a loss of their identity in this new world they find themselves in.

Photo: via Indianexpress.com

A need for purpose in life is a driving desire for many people and the refugees are no different. Hisen stressed that all of the refugees he's encountered in Schweinfurt are searching for just that, a purpose. Now that the violence is thousands of miles behind them, time has become their enemy.

"One day soon I would like to finish my studies at university and find a good job, then maybe I can help my family come here so they can live out their last days in peace." Said Hisen when asked about his plans for the future. With the ever-changing evolution in #refugee politics and state sanctioned regulations Hisen is unsure when he may get the chance to pursue his dreams.

The western world is under the gun when it comes to whether or not to let these refugees, better yet, these people into their lands. Giving in to the fear of the unknown more often then not leads to rash decisions with echoes of xenophobia, this is not a position the west should find itself in. People are in need, good people and to turn our backs on them now will stand out in history as one of the greatest instances of hypocritical policy making the modern world has ever seen. These people were given a choice to stay and die, or do as people have done throughout the ages when faced with the horrors of war, run. There is no shame iInterview With Hisen,n running. We get one life to live, let's give them a chance to live theirs.


Image Source: en.dhammakaya.net

In a previous article, I wrote about my personal experiences at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a massive but mysterious 1,000 acre temple in Thailand best known for its massive ceremonies and its iconic stupa. Many critics however, say that Dhammakaya owes its success to its "commercialization" of Buddhism.

So why is the world's largest Buddhist temple being called commercial? And just how accurate are these accusations?

References to Wealth

A major criticism of Dhammakaya regarding its "commercialization" is in its references to wealth. This is a pretty valid accusation, since Dhammakaya does indeed make references to attaining wealth in its ceremonies and blessings.

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However this criticism stems more from a misunderstanding than anything. Contrary to the popular stereotypes of Buddhism teaching detachment and giving up your possessions, Buddhism is about much more than abandoning your stuff.



Image Source: dmc.tv

While the Buddha did teach that letting go of all desire was the key to attaining enlightenment, keep in mind that many of these teachings were directed at monastics, who usually had the explicit goal of spiritual liberation. The Buddha was known for crafting unique sermons to fit whomever he was teaching and more often than not, when directing laypeople, his teachings were more about improving their lives than material abandonment.

Not to mention, wealth (as well as good health, long life, mental acuity, and a host of other things the Buddha himself discusses) is indeed a very useful thing to have while still trapped in the cycle of existence. And it's much easier to take up the holy life if you don't have to worry about having to support your family.



Image Source: dhammakayapost.net

In fact, the Buddha himself, born a wealthy prince, made numerous points about the usefulness of wealth, and it'd be hard to believe Prince Siddhartha himself would've abandoned his wife and son for the holy life unless he knew they would've been taken care of. The Buddha has however said on many occasions that the holy life is far more beneficial than any amount of wealth or charity, something Dhammakaya has openly agreed with.

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These details shouldn't be taken lightly; I have seen many misguided accusations against Dhammakaya in a variety of news outlets over the temple's references to wealth.

I remember one Western news outlet slam the temple for its "commercialism", unwittingly citing the fact that Dhammakaya includes references to wealth in its blessings. While it is true that the temple includes such references, that is something that is not unique to Dhammakaya, and can even be seen in Pali blessings in the Buddhist scriptures used by virtually every single temple in Thailand and in numerous Theravada temples abroad.

Extravagance

Another common accusation critics make against Dhammakaya is that the temple is extravagant, and unlike the previous allegation this accusation doesn't really have a strong basis in fact.

Dhammakaya's reputation as not just Thailand's largest temple, but also its richest temple is very well known among the public, and it's easy to perceive a wealthy organization as having luxurious accommodations. So it's not surprising people accuse the temple of being the Buddhist equivalent of a mega-church that preaches the prosperity gospel.



Image Source: dmc.tv

Although the temple uses most of its money for very specific purposes according to donors wishes: such as the construction of specific buildings, or to support other temples in crisis zones, Dhammakaya is a massive target by the media over its alleged "wealth". Despite the fact that the temple is actually quite frugal for a temple its size.

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Considering the size and scope of many of the projects the temple pursues, it makes sense the Buddhist juggernaut would actually try to make the most of every baht it receives.



Image Source: meditation.dmc.tv

Dhammakaya is known for its simplistic, low maintenance cost buildings, and monks are trained thoroughly to use its supplies as conservatively as possible. The temple's biggest splurge is probably the fact that it provides free meals twice day to anybody who comes.



Image source: tripadvisor.com

Having toured the temple myself on many occasions and having even lived there as a temporary monk a few times, I can say with full confidence that Dhammakaya is far from lavish.

The most lavish thing you would see at Dhammakaya is the temple having technology. Many critics point to the fact that some monks have laptops and smartphones proves the temple misuses its donations. Of course, these things are generally offered to the monks directly by faithful lay people.



Image Source: dhammakaya.net

While Dhammakaya does have many monks with laptops and smartphones keep in mind these things are generally pretty useful in the modern world anyways, especially for monks that have to teach people regularly. Using modern technology is a pretty necessary way to communicate in such a gigantic temple, especially one with affiliates all over the world. And Internet connection serves as a great way to benefit the public with easy access to the Dhamma.

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Not to mention, Dhammakaya is definitely not the only temple in Thailand to have monks with iPhones. In fact, monks having smartphones isn't even something limited to Thailand, something American comedian Conan O'Brien would attest to.

Contrary to the claims of random commenters on the Internet, all monks and staff at Dhammakaya live quite humble lifestyles, and anybody who visits their living quarters themselves won't see an inkling of extravagance. Even if you visit the dwelling of the temple's highly respected abbot, Venerable Dhammajayo, you would see a place of humility, thoroughly devoid of luxury.



Image Source: dmc.tv

I myself lived in one of the temple's more luxurious living quarters as a temporary international monk, the picture above depicts something similar to the palace I lived in. Thai monks usually have a more austere accommodation.

Any salaried staffs are paid quite modestly, and no monk of any rank or background receives a single cent in income, although they are sometimes given petty cash or offered cash directly by laypeople to use for their convenience, a practice that is done throughout temples in all of Thailand by the way.

This is a pretty stark contrast to the mansions and multi-million dollar salaries you would see John Oliver assailing regarding America's mega-churches that critics say Dhammakaya is trying to mimic.

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Fundraising

The most common and widespread criticism of Dhammakaya, is directed toward the temple's fundraising. The biggest argument for Dhammakaya's "commercializing" has to do with its emphasis on giving, a criticism that does actually have a strong basis in truth.

It's an interesting accusation considering that if you take a look at a lot of Dhammakaya teachings, it focuses heavily on meditation. In fact, they make regular references to meditation all throughout the temple, and staff would be much more excited over a newcomer coming to learn meditation than offering a donation.



Image Source: dhammakaya.net

The temple even recommends that you spend one minute of each hour every day to step back and meditate, something they remind their members of regularly on their 24-hour Buddhist TV program. Dhammakaya also has its own (free just so you know) online program to encourage people to meditate consistently.

So are all of these fundraising accusations just hot air?

Not necessarily.

While Dhammakaya is highly meditation based, these claims of the temple emphasizing giving is far from unfounded. Dhammakaya is known for its unique approach to Buddhism, and critics and supporters alike recognize the temple for its efforts to align Buddhism to modern civilization.



Image Source: dmc.tv

Dhammakaya denies having any doctrinal differences with Thai Buddhism, but they are known for a few differences in customs and for putting more emphasis on certain aspects of the Buddha's teachings.

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One teaching of the Buddha that is emphasized by Dhammakaya especially is the making of merit through Dana, Sila, and Bhavana; or the practice of generosity, morality, and meditation. Although these teachings are directly from the Buddha himself, many critics say that Dhammakaya uses it as a guise for raising money.



Image Source: meditation.dmc.tv

Contrary to the accusations of many critics, the temple has never claimed that giving to Dhammakaya is better than giving to any other temple; and claims about Dhammakaya "selling" Nirvana is only used as click bait or as a hook to sell books.

Dhammakaya even encourages its members to support and attend their local temple's events also, not just their own. And the temple routinely reminds its supporters that mindset and intention are just as important as the activity.

While Dhammakaya goers do naturally give more to Dhammakaya than to other temples, that is pretty much what one would expect anyways for an organization with such a devoted following, and Dhammakaya makes it very clear that the key to Nirvana is through meditation and only meditation.



Image Source: dmc.tv

Generosity and morality is even described by the temple as a tool to eliminate one's greed and ill-will to make progressing in meditation easier, however like I said before, Dhammakaya does mention other benefits to generosity and morality, as did the Buddha.

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If you explore the temple yourself, you will find that all three of these things are indeed encouraged and practiced by attendees actively, especially meditation above all. At Dhammakaya sermons, they routinely say that in respect to those three concepts of Dana (giving), Sila (morality), and Bhavana (meditation); giving is important, morality is even more important, and meditation is the most important.



Image Source: Friend's photo

Despite the frequent reminders to center the mind and the lengthy mass meditations that make up the cornerstone of Dhammakaya events, you will hardly ever hear about such things outside of the temple's own network. And no matter what kind of scriptural justification or photographic proof from within the temple they can provide, Dhammakaya just can't seem to shake this "commercial temple" image it has lingering around it.

The fact of the matter is no matter what Dhammakaya does, critics and journalists alike will cherry pick details of the temple's activities to fit their own interests. Heck, how many of you would've clicked on this article if the title wasn't so scandalous?
In an earlier post, I argued that the historicity of Jesus was doubtful. Some religion scholars questioned one of my sources. Now, recent scholarship comes as close as possible to settling the issue.

Personally, I have no ax to grind so far as the historical existence of Jesus is concerned. If anything, I would prefer to believe that the life of Jesus, painstakingly learned in childhood, was connected to history rather than a fiction.

Unfortunately, much of what one reads on this question is biased whether by religion scholars, and religious believers, who promote the historical Jesus, or atheist writers intent on debunking him.

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Richard Carrier's 600-page, note-filled tome, On the Historicity of Jesus belongs in the second camp but it poses a challenge that academic proponents of the historical Jesus seem unlikely to overcome.

Jesus as a No-Show in History

There are many technical issues that historians must grapple with in determining whether some personage is historical, or fictitious. One is whether the Biblical gospels can be regarded as historical sources.



In general, historians discount written sources that were committed to paper more than a century after the events they describe. Moreover, they prefer the authorship to be clearly established and for the writer to have a direct connection to what is recorded.

The Biblical gospels do not cut it as history in these terms. Only St. Paul is thought to qualify in chronological terms. Yet, Paul had almost nothing to say about Jesus as a man and seems to have conceptualized him as a rarefied celestial being.

For these reasons, most of the weight falls on Roman scholars and historians. Of these, Josephus, and Tacitus are most often cited as providing good documentary evidence for a historical Jesus. Carrier dismisses the two relevant Josephus passages as interpolations, or pieces added in to the manuscript by Christian scribes.

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One passage refers to the execution of Jesus by Pilate (called the Testimonium Flavianum). Carrier (p. 332) comments, "This passage is self-evidently a fawning and gullible Christian fabrication, in fact demonstrably derived from the Emmaus narrative in the Gospel of Luke, inserted into the text at a point where it does not make any narrative sense ..."

Carrier (pp. 337-8) argues that the second Josephus passage referring to James the brother of Jesus actually referred to James the brother of Jesus ben Damneus who was falsely executed by the high priest Ananus who was removed from office as a punishment and replaced by the same Jesus ben Damneus, He concludes that the phrase "(who was called Christ)" is probably a copyist error.

The Tacitus reference to "Chrestians" evidently refers to a Jewish rebel (Chrestus) who was executed but had nothing to do with Christianity. Carrier (pp. 343-4) concludes that a line referring to Pontius Pilate as the official who executed Christ, "is probably an interpolation, and that Tacitus in fact originally described not the Christians being scapegoated for the fire, [in Rome] but followers of the Jewish instigator Chrestus first suppressed under Claudius..." If Tacitus attributed the fire in Rome to Christians, he was the only Roman historian to do so.



If Jesus cannot be convincingly documented as a historical figure, then where do the New Testament narratives come from? Carrier offers a very detailed working out of the theory that instead of being a historical person, Jesus was a mythical hero analogous to Jason, Hercules, or Oedipus.

Mythical Jesus

The hero-type of a divine king was described by scholars Otto Rank and Lord Raglan who established 22 distinctive features that range from virgin birth to death atop a hill and disappearance of the body.

Jesus has 20 of the 22 features (according to the Gospel of Matthew, 14 according to the Gospel of Mark), compared to 22 for Oedipus, 19 for Dionysus, 17 for Hercules, and 14 for Jason.

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No historical person provides a close match with the hero-type so the close match of Jesus with the hero-type means that he could not have been a real historical person. Despite this, each of the heroes was considered to be historical and placed in history in stories written about them.

So the theory of Jesus as a myth neatly explains how Jesus did not exist as a historical person yet was inserted into historical narratives by New Testament authors.

Implications for the Origin of Religions

In my earlier post, I described how Mormonism sprang from the fertile imagination of convicted confidence trickster Joseph Smith. In the course of time, Mormons lost many of their objectionable doctrines, including polygamy, racism, and "celestial marriage" (or church-sanctioned adultery) and grew into a respectable world religion.
The world is approaching a tipping point, with renewable energy taking over from the fossil fuel industry. We now need to come together to give it a last push to help deliver the zero-carbon economy that world leaders agreed to at the recent UN climate talks in Paris (COP21). This is what We Mean Business will be discussing at the Climate Action 2016 Summit in Washington, D.C. this week, with 700 global leaders from businesses, national and sub-national governments, academia and civil society.

The evidence that the high-carbon energy industry is struggling is mounting. In the last few months, we have seen two of the world's largest energy companies, Peabody Energy and Exxon, facing financial troubles. Peabody, a privately-owned coal producer, filed for bankruptcy and Exxon's credit rating was downgraded by Standard & Poor's.

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The picture is rather different on the other end of the energy sector. For the first time in the history of the industrialized world, global investment in solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources, including through the business-led RE100 pledge, has overtaken that of coal and gas-fired electricity generation. This record has largely been due to emerging economies investing in renewables, proving that the entire world is now seeing the benefits of switching to renewable power.

These stories sound a clear warning sign to the fossil fuel industry - that if they are to save millions of jobs, they must adapt to the inevitable energy transition and be innovative in changing their business models. This can be both profitable as well as good for the planet. Royal DSM, for instance, is a company in a high-emitting sector that is actively aligning its business with climate science and recently reported a strong first quarter.

In fact, forward-thinking businesses like Royal DSM and other so-called non-state actors are moving at speed in implementing their pledges, at times leaving policymakers running to catch up. This was demonstrated in the lead up to the Paris Agreement, for example at the Business and Climate Summit (BCS) in Paris last year. Businesses and investors will come together again at the second BCS in London in June to discuss their next steps. Meanwhile, 150 companies have committed to setting their own science-based emission reduction targets (SBTs) to reduce their emissions in line with the Agreement.



That means that the time is right for more companies to follow these examples and grab the opportunities available. The International Energy Agency calculates that, together, the national climate plans under the Paris Agreement alone represent a $13.5 trillion market in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies through to 2030 - and this market is growing faster than the global economy as a whole, particularly given expanding opportunities in developing countries.

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Last week, Indian Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal and French Environment Minister Segolene Royal co-hosted an event on the International Solar Alliance, announcing an investment flow of up to $1 trillion into solar. Meanwhile, the World Bank has unveiled its ambitious plan to aid developing countries in fulfilling their COP21 pledges. The Bank will help countries add 30GW of renewable energy and mobilize $25 billion in private financing to clean energy over the next four years.

This goes a long way to overcoming the financial challenges facing the transition to renewable energy but more will need to be done. The next few years will be crucial to tackle some of these and other important challenges. The Climate Action Summit will discuss how we can work together to achieve this. For example, despite the huge growth in this area, investment in clean energy in the developing world is still challenged by the structural barriers of the financial services market. This results in limited instruments and capital available.

One area where this is most apparent is in small island states, where imported diesel is the most commonly-used fuel to generate power. Clearly, this is an economic as well as a climate absurdity, given the abundance of solar and wind resources at their disposal. We expect to see some big initiatives bundling solutions for these countries in the next 18 months.
I am a survivor of child abuse. Starting at age four, I was repeatedly beaten and called names that no child or adult should ever be called. Then from eight through thirteen years of age, the abuse escalated to sexual victimization by a close male figure and my mother, who suffered from mental health issues. At nineteen and through my early twenties, I was re-victimized as an amateur model and again as a professional model. Now at thirty-one, I have been in strong recovery for a few years, am an author (my memoir, Washed Away: From Darkness to Light hits stores Summer 2016), speaker and mental health advocate. I understand the long-lasting effects of abuse and how it can trigger other serious mental health conditions, yet I am also a believer that full recovery is possible. On the other side of the coin, I grasp the concept that hurting people hurt people and that forgiveness is a powerful force in this world - for ourselves and others.

But when I read an article in the New York Times about John Mackey, the co-CEO of Whole Foods, and his relationship with Marc Gafni, an admitted child-sexual-abuser-turned-spiritual-leader, I couldn't turn a blind eye and continue to shop at my once-favorite store. I'll admit it, I used to love Whole Foods, and most people do. It carries an enormous variety of overly priced organic foods that are appealing to the senses; basically it's like the Saks Fifth Avenue of grocery stores. However, I refuse to support any company that openly backs a pedophile and doesn't use their platform to take a stand against something as important as child sexual abuse - an issue that affects more than 42,000,000 Americans.

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So on May 25th I will be at the Whole Foods 365 launch in Los Angeles to protest co-CEO John Mackey's link to Marc Gafni; if you live in NYC, there is a planned coordinated protest underway. Mackey's ignorance as a leader to publicly evade the issues at hand enables the perpetrator, allows the stigma to continue, and brings up another question: what percentage of child sexual abuse survivors shop at Whole Foods? Bill Murray, founder and CEO of NAASCA, the National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, believes that the government-reported 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys who are sexually victimized before they turn eighteen equates to roughly 20 to 25 percent of adults who will shop at the newly launched Whole Foods 365. "365 is comparable to Trader Joes, so (Whole Foods) is most likely banking on the fact that the prices will appeal to the classes represented by child sexual abuse survivors," Murray says. However, statistically victims of child sexual abuse have a harder time in life holding down jobs, are more likely to run away from home, attempt suicide, develop fatal eating disorders, get involved in the sex industry, work as dancers, or act in pornographic films.

Matthew Sandusky, CEO and Executive Director of Peaceful Hearts Foundation, agrees about John Mackey's lack of proper handling, "(Mackey) and the Whole Foods Market Board of Directors have an opportunity to reach millions with an important message. Instead of maintaining the societal norm of silence around these issues, I would like to see them take a stand against child sexual abuse publicly...getting the message across that we can no longer remain silent."

It's no secret that survivors live in silence, and society has a responsibility to help end that. When Nancy Levine, a teenage sexual abuse survivor, survivors' advocate and activist, tried to contact a slew of journalists about the protest, she was repeatedly turned down. "I...consistently heard, 'Yes, but Gafni was never charged with a crime.' The two largest PR publishers refused to publish a press release...for much the same reason. The statutes of limitations surrounding sexual abuse create cascading obstacles to exposing predatory behavior."

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Regardless of whether or not Gafni was ever charged with a crime, or in spite of the statutes of limitations, we are obligated as a society to support victims of child sexual abuse and give them a voice. If you were violated, wouldn't you want someone to help you, in any capacity? Now imagine you were a child and assaulted - it would change your life, maybe even save it, if people within the community stood up and gave you back the voice that was stolen from you.

Perhaps the biggest personal kicker about this whole ordeal goes back to a statement that Marc Gafni made concerning one of the most publicized cases about a girl he repeatedly sexually abused starting in 1980 when she was only thirteen years old, claiming that they were in love. "She was 14 going on 35, and I never forced her." His statement triggers memories of how the perpetrators of my past used and abused my body and then dismissed the situation. There were always excuses, and I felt as though I couldn't use my voice. For the victims of child abuse there is nothing to be left with but pain and silence. And the perpetrators get the justice? I don't think so.
Twitter Fight Over Racy Indiana Beer Label Highlights Industry Sexism Concerns

By Anthony Todd in Food on May 5, 2016 7:20PM



The label for Sex and Candy. Photo via 18th Street Brewing Website.

There's a minor firestorm brewing on Twitter in the craft beer community, and it's about an old favorite topic of ours: Sexism in the beer world. We've seen plenty of potentially sex-laden beer labels, and you can add this one to the list: 18th Street Brewery's Sex and Candy. The brewer is also responsible for such beer names as "Bitches' Bank," "Bitter Bitch Pale Ale" and "Bitch Hands," so.

The label for Sex and Candy features a women's panties, emblazoned with the beer's name, and a pair of crossed thighs. Some might object, some might say it's all in good fun. At least one beer lover, however, registered her disappointment with it on Twitter.





@18thStreetBrew Would you consider changing the label for "Sex and Candy" to something less objectifying?  Carla Jean Lauter (@beerbabe) May 4, 2016

OK. Social Media 101 says that if your brand gets attacked on Twitter, you have two choices: Ignore it or use it as an engagement opportunity. Unfortunately, 18th Street took the less-recommended third choice: attack the complainer.





@beerbabe Would you consider changing your Twitter handle to something less offensive? BeerBabe!  18th Street Brewery (@18thStreetBrew) May 4, 2016



You can check out the whole convo if you want, but it got worse, and many people piled on saying that they were unlikely to buy the beer in the future.There are more. Lots more. Maybe it's all in fun, and maybe you think people are too sensitive about women's body parts on beer labels. However, when your brand has beers called "Bitches Bank," and "Bitter Bitch," maybe you should rethink your messaging?

Former Time Out Chicago Dining Editor Amy Cavanaugh has written about this topic in the past, arguing that breweries need to "grow up."

But for some reason, these breweries are choosing to alienate a whole group of drinkers who would potentially buy their beer. Do they assume that women arent drinking their products and just want to appeal to male drinkers? Are they not even considering the possibility that women might drink beer? Or, are they not even thinking and just think these labels and names are funny? I dont care if these are the greatest beers evergiving the breweries money for them is an acknowledgement that this immature, sexist mindset is okay. Its time breweries started realizing there are women paying attention to the beers theyre making and its high time these breweries grew up.

We agree with her. There's no need to alienate half or your audience, or worse, assume women just don't drink beer. Further, when someone calls you on it, making a sexist comment about her twitter handle is a low blow. Even if you want to defend your beer labels as fun, works of art, inoffensive or just plain sexy, insulting your customers just isn't good business.


Disappearing Money and Opportunistic Candidates

Cross-posted with TomDispatch.com

By Nomi Prins with Craig Wilson

Theres a pile of money hiding offshore. Its true that jobs are also leaving the United States because American companies find it convenient to cut labor costs by moving manufacturing abroad, the economic issue youre hearing most about in this election season. But the stunning amount of money that continues to flow across American borders (and those of other countries), and eventually disappears into the pockets of the corporate and political elite, ultimately causes even more damage to our finances and our lives.

While the two leading candidates for the presidency, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, have indeed suggested cosmetic fixes for a situation that only grows more extreme with the passage of time, they have themselves taken advantage of numerous tax efficiency strategies that make money evaporate. Of course, you shouldnt doubt for a second that theyll change their ways once in the Oval Office.

As with so much in our American heritage, theres a history to the offshore world, too. Finding places to shield money from tax collection first became commonplace among upper-crust industrialists, bankers, and even public servants back in the 1920s. Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon, a millionaire mogul who served presidents Calvin Coolidge, Warren Harding, and Herbert Hoover (and had a knack for cutting taxes on the wealthy), left office under mounting congressional probes into his tax evasion strategies.

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Fast-forward about a century and tax dodging has been woven into the fabric of the lives of the affluent and corporate worldwide in an extraordinary way. According to an April 2016 Oxfam report, the top 50 U.S. companies are hoarding more than $1.4 trillion in cash offshore.

Whats more, for every dollar that these firms spent lobbying Congress for favorable tax treatment (a collective total of $2.6 billion between 2008 and 2014), they received $130 dollars in tax breaks and $4,000 in subsidies from the U.S. government. These companies, including Pfizer, Goldman Sachs, Dow Chemical, Chevron, Walmart, IBM, and Procter & Gamble, created an opaque and secretive network of more than 1,600 company subsidiaries located in tax havens that they decided to disclose. (Because of the weak reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, there could be thousands more.) According to a March 3rd report from the Citizens for Tax Justice, the Fortune 500 companies are now saving $695 billion in federal income taxes on a total of $2.4 trillion in offshore holdings.

Americans cant afford to ignore such tax games, since were the ones who, in effect, wind up paying the taxes these firms dont. For government policymakers, such tax evasion is a grim matter of attrition, since the U.S. (and other countries) plunge ever deeper into debt thanks to such antics and then find themselves cutting services or raising taxes on us to cover the gap between the money theyre losing and the taxes theyre collecting.

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Not only are such firms unpatriotic, they are parasitic and while theyre at it, they use similar techniques -- lets not call it theft (though it is) -- to avoid tax payments in the poorest places on Earth. As Oxfam reports, the biggest burden of tax havens falls on the poorest people. In the process, they only increase already oppressive levels of inequality globally.

Tax secrecy specialists -- people working in the money-hiding field -- help rich individuals, multinational corporations, political leaders, terrorists, and organized crime groups divert cash and capital, sometimes in staggering amounts, from local economies into an obscure, complex, multi-layered global financial network that operates outside any national or international regulatory or tax system. Given this, isnt it a little surprising that the top candidates for the presidency barely pay lip service to the impact of such hidden money? What toothless policies they have proposed to deal with the phenomenon will do little or nothing to change it.

The Panama Papers

U.S. trade agreements generally include rosy promises about partnering with regional economies around the world to encourage the flow of goods and services across borders. At the same time, they generally are focused on the obliteration of barriers that in any way restrict money from flowing out of the United States or into the embrace of other nations. The free movement of capital, or financial globalization as its called, has been a bedrock Washington policy for a century and, since the 1980s, places like Panama -- a renowned tax haven -- have abetted this process.

A month ago, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists released a trove of documents, 2.6 terabytes of them, including more than 4.8 million emails, 3 million database files, and 2.1 million PDFs. These were turned over by an undisclosed source (John Doe), communicating through encrypted channels to avoid repercussions. Now known as the Panama Papers, they reveal how elite multinational companies, the super rich, and government figures have engaged in tax-dodging practices engineered by a single Panama City-based law firm, Mossack Fonseca (MF).

In addition to public officials and billionaires, more than 500 global banks, their subsidiaries and branches, have registered at least 15,600 shell companies there using MFs services. That word shell is descriptively accurate since such companies rarely have employees and are commonly no more than a post office box providing a facade through which books can be doctored, taxes dodged, losses concealed, and money-laundering and other criminal actions carried out. And keep in mind that MF, which acts for approximately 300,000 companies, is only the fourth largest provider of such offshore services globally.

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One mega-bank that used its services extensively was HSBC, which created an astonishing 2,300 shell companies with that law firms help. Well return to HSBC.

Mossack Fonsecas official mission, it claims, is to deliver quality, reliable and comprehensive services to our worldwide clients in the legal, trust, investment consultancy, and digital solution fields. Thats code for helping select establishment outfits and dubious enterprises to avoid paying taxes on profits, investments, or money made from buying and selling real estate, luxury yachts or planes, oil wells, weapons, or drugs, among other things.

Secrecy is its calling card. Tax havens, or locales amenable to tax dodging, whether in the Caribbean, Central America, Switzerland (still the worlds top location for financial secrecy), or for that matter the state of Delaware, exist to circumvent tax laws. Period. And these operations are so shady that even the functionaries working in the shadows to establish such secret accounts are barely aware of exactly who owns them, where the money came from, or where its going. For regulators, prosecutors, and tax collectors, the opacity is far worse.

You dont necessarily have to be rich or powerful to access the services of such offshore firms and banks, but it helps. Some havens take anyone ready to put up a minimum of $25,000, while others demand staggering sums. Western Samoa, for instance, requires a cool $10 million to get started.

The most alarming aspect of the Panama Papers revelations was not MFs clientele or even its secretive practices, but that what it does is completely legal. Nor was this the first such disclosure. In November 2014, for instance, the Luxleaks scandal involving a whole menagerie of Luxembourg-based tax schemes, as the Guardian put it, was disclosed by two whistleblowers from the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. (Luxembourg is a major European tax haven.) Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Facebook, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, and Microsoft were on the list of its more than 350 multinational tax avoiders.

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Avoiding vs. Evading Taxes and Corporate Inversions

Avoiding and evading taxes are technically considered different kinds of acts, the former being legal in the U.S., the latter not. According to the Internal Revenue Service, Taxpayers have the right to reduce, avoid, or minimize their taxes by legitimate means. Tax evasion, on the other hand, involves an act to evade or defeat a tax, or payment of tax by deceit, subterfuge, camouflage, concealment, attempts to color or obscure events, or make things seem other than they are.

The line between the two is obviously thin and vague, but both practices result in the same thing: paying fewer taxes or hiding money.

The subject of tax avoidance and evasion has generally gotten little traction on the campaign trail in election 2016, the exception being corporate inversions. These happen when, for example, an American company merges with a foreign one in a tax haven, and so gets a lower tax rate by re-incorporating (filling out some paperwork) there. This, too, is legal, although it represents the purest form of corporate tax evasion. Perhaps you wont be surprised to learn that the practice began in Panama about 30 years ago.

In 2014, companies with household names like Apple, Microsoft, Pfizer, and General Electric avoided paying a collective $90 billion in taxes through inversion strategies. Apple led that list, holding $181.1 billion offshore. Thats a lot of iPhone sales.

The Leading Candidates and Hidden Money

Tax havens are, in essence, perfectly legal criminal facilities designed to steal money from the rest of us. The two leading candidates in this election season, however, arent talking about closing down tax havens for good (which would piss off lots of rich people, banks, drug cartels, and terrorists). They are instead focused on getting companies to voluntarily repatriate, or return, profits made abroad for taxation purposes or on closing tax loopholes that allow money to disappear. Neither, however, offers much detail as to what that means.

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Both do share one thing, however, when it comes to tax havens: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have companies registered at the same address (also shared by 285,000 other companies) in Wilmington, Delaware. In other words, they make use of the Delaware loophole, which allows for the legal shifting of earnings from elsewhere in the country to the ultimate tax haven state in the U.S. Neither, as Rupert Neate of the Guardian has written, has been willing to offer any explanation for this. Thats the political beauty of loopholes: closing one is different from eradicating an entire practice but suffices as a promise.

Hillary

Hillary has gone after tax havens before. In 2004, as a New York senator, she vowed to close tax loopholes for people who create a mailbox, or a drop, or send one person to sit on the beach in some island paradise and claim that it is their offshore headquarters. She introduced no bills to do so, however.

She has spoken out against corporate tax inversions, too. She wants Congress to prevent them by imposing what she calls a commonsense 50% threshold on them; in other words, as long as a company keeps at least half of its operations in this country, it would be considered a U.S. company for tax purposes, no matter the inversions. She also has favored an exit tax to ensure that multinationals pay a fair share of U.S. taxes owed on earnings stored overseas. Both of these suggestions would put some modest limits on offshore tax dodging (after the fact), but not come within a country mile of banning it.

On such subjects, she can sound strong indeed at appropriate moments. In February 2016, for instance, she said, We need to go after a company like Johnson Controls that is trying to avoid paying taxes after all of us bailed it out by pretending to sell itself in a so-called inversion in Europe. It evidently didnt matter to her that the same automotive parts company set to merge with Tyco International (based in Ireland to dodge taxes) had donated money to the Clinton Foundation charity as recently as December 2015. (Johnson Controls denied Hillarys claims that it had received a bailout during the financial crisis.)

Hillary, lest we forget, joined the board of directors of the the Clinton Foundation, the family charity, in 2013. She resigned in April 2015 to run for president. Now, keeping it in the family, her husband, Bill, and her daughter, Chelsea, remain standing members of the board. Spawned from the William J. Clinton Foundation, founded in 1997, the charity has raised $2 billion, has about 2,000 employees (including at times members of Hillary's political team), and boasts an annual budget of $223 million.

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Like many gilt-edged couples, Hillary and Bill Clinton have themselves utilized onshore and offshore tax loopholes. In 2010, they used a common tax-dodging technique by placing their multi-million dollar home in Chappaqua, New York, in a residence trust. After he left office, Bill spent five years as an adviser to billionaire (now-ex-pal) Ron Burkles investment fund, Yucaipa Global, which had funds registered in the Cayman Islands and Dubai. That alliance netted Bill at least $15 million.

Hillarys bedrock thinking on money flowing out of the U.S. and into the offshore world can best be seen in her support for the 2012 U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement when she was secretary of state. The agreement removed barriers to U.S. services, including financial services, which actually simplified the process of squirreling money away in or through Panama by allowing it to flow freely into that country.

The Clinton Foundation inhales donations from people using tax havens (including Panama). Although Hillary denounced Mossack Fonsecas dealings on cue after the Panama Papers story broke, a number of individuals and multinationals that have contributed to the foundation used MF to establish offshore accounts, according to McClatchy. These include Canadian mining billionaire Frank Giustra who features in the foundations $25 million top-tier donor bracket, and two firms tied to Ng Lap Seng, the Chinese billionaire implicated in a major donor scandal involving the Clintons and the Democratic National Committee.

Similarly, in a speech she gave at the New School in July 2015, Hillary highlighted the criminal behavior of global bank HSBC. In 2012, the behemoth financial institution agreed to a record $1.92 billion settlement with the Department of Justice and the Treasury Department for enabling drug cartel money laundering and violating U.S. sanctions by conducting transactions for customers in Iran, Libya, Sudan, and Burma. She vowed, On my watch, it will change.

Yet, in 2014, the Clinton Foundation accepted between $500,000 and $1 million from that bank.

The Panama Papers are but one conflicted instance in which Hillarys stated beliefs, her actions, and the generosity of her friends and acquaintances came together in a contradictory fashion. The evidence suggests that tax-dodgers will, in fact, be able to breathe a sigh of relief if she becomes president. Her actions are likely to -- if youll excuse the expression -- trump her words when it comes to curtailing the behavior of offshore scofflaws in significant ways. And speaking of Trump...

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The Donald

Consider the fact that The Donald wont even disclose his tax returns. His indignantly delivered explanation is that they are under audit. Under the circumstances, dont hold your breath. Perhaps he doesnt make nearly as much money as he claims -- or maybe he has an embarrassing tax haven habit. Who knows?

Ironically, Mossack Fonsecas Panama City headquarters is located a mere seven-minute drive from the Trump International Hotel and Towers in Panama City. (If youre interested, its website is pitching a bargain on rooms at 15% off our currently available Best Unrestricted Rate.) That decadent complex is one of many sketchy enterprises to which Trump lent his name for licensing purposes. According to his (unaudited) personal financial disclosure report filed with the Federal Election Commission, the deal earned him $5 million. In true Trumpian style, lawsuits and battles surround the endeavor.

Under the tax plan hes touting in his presidential campaign, U.S. businesses would see a reduction in their maximum tax rate from 35% to 15%. This lower rate (one of the best in the world) would, he claims, render corporate inversions unnecessary. The Donald apparently hopes that corporate America will be so eternally grateful to him that theyll move their money back onshore and pay taxes on it voluntarily (though most of them already dont pay the top tax rate here anyway).

Trumps views on a repatriation tax holiday that would let companies bring home their overseas stashes on a one-time basis for little or nothing have shifted over the course of his candidacy. Last year, he proposed the repatriation of hidden funds without penalty or taxation of any kind. Now hes advocating a more populist one-time 10% tax on them.

Although a key promise of his tax reform plan is to end the practice of stockpiling money in offshore accounts by American companies, he has personally invested in many of the companies that do so. As CBS News noted, in October 2015, Trump owned stock in 22 of the top 30 Fortune 500 companies ranked by their number of offshore subsidiaries. Its a group that has engineered 1,225 tax-haven subsidiaries holding $1.4 trillion. Of course, Trump has a keen understanding of the practices that disguise or shelter money from taxes. As he explained to supporters in Iowa this January, when it comes to his own business enterprises, "I pay as little as possible. I use every single thing in the book."

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Bernie

As far as we know, Bernie has no personal experience with tax havens and has a far more structured plan than either of the leading candidates to combat their money-sucking, tax-dodging prowess. His policies would prevent American companies from avoiding U.S. taxes through inversions, block them from escaping taxes by establishing a post office box in a tax haven site, and end the practice of letting corporations defer paying taxes on profits from offshore subsidiaries.

In the real world, financial speculation, crime, and tax evasion -- sorry for this word again -- trump the highly touted goal of free trade when it comes to tax havens. Bernie understood this well when he voted against the Panama free trade agreement of 2011. In a Senate speech on the subject, he presciently noted that Panama is a world leader when it comes to allowing large corporations and wealthy Americans to evade U.S. taxes by stashing their cash in offshore tax havens. And the Panama free trade agreement would make this bad situation much worse.

He was right then and he remains right today. Unfortunately, no one was listening or interested in acting on his warning -- certainly not Hillary, who, as secretary of state, characterized the agreement as an example of the Obama Administrations commitment to economic statecraft and deepening our economic engagement throughout the world.

In practical terms, Sanders went significantly further than Hillary by formulating actual legislation on the subject. Last April, he introduced the Corporate Tax Dodging Prevention Act of 2015 in the Senate. Among other things, it aspires to prevent corporations from sheltering profits in tax havens like Bermuda and the Cayman Islands and would stop rewarding companies that ship jobs and factories overseas with tax breaks.

Regarding inversions, he would treat companies as American for tax purposes if they were majority-owned by U.S. interests and operating in this country. Even his plan, however, would fall short unless it made inversions illegal -- and too many companies are invested in not letting that happen.

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Ted

Ted would abolish the Internal Revenue Service and enable people and companies to file taxes on a postcard, so theres no real point in further analysis of his positions on tax havens.

Missing Money Costs

As of 2014, according to Gabriel Zucman, University of California economist and author of The Hidden Wealth of Nations, at least $7.6 trillion, or approximately 8% of global financial wealth, was missing somewhere offshore. His analysis demonstrates that the sorts of tax-dodging practices weve been discussing put governments across the planet in the red by approximately $200 billion annually. Tax avoidance by major U.S. companies costs governments an additional $130 billion per year since nearly a third of their profits are hidden offshore.

The U.N. estimates that tax dodging by multinational companies costs developing countries $100 billion a year, an amount equivalent to what it would cost to provide basic life-saving health services or safe water and sanitation to more than 2.2 billion people.

There are, in other words, harrowing costs to tax dodging. When the wealthy and powerful hide money from governments or speculate with it in sneaky ways, it destabilizes economies and enables the commission of crimes that place a further burden on ordinary people. When money flows from the economic necessities needed by the less privileged to the top fraction of a percent of the worlds population and is then hidden offshore, essentially disappeared, its a net drain on and a blow to the world economy. This impacts jobs and the quality of our future. Unfortunately, the leading candidates in this election year arent championing a major change for the better.

Nomi Prins, a TomDispatch regular, is the author of six books, a speaker, and a distinguished senior fellow at the non-partisan public policy institute Demos. Her most recent book is All the Presidents' Bankers: The Hidden Alliances That Drive American Power (Nation Books). She is a former Wall Street executive. Special thanks go to researcher Craig Wilson for his superb work on this piece.


Nurse with patient at Johns Hopkins Hospital, in Baltimore, Md. (Photo: Karen Kasmauski)

Registered nurses (RNs) are on the frontlines delivering quality health care 24/7 across the country. In hospitals and clinics, physician offices and nursing homes, patients' homes, community health centers and schools, the public depend on and trust nurses. According to an annual Gallup survey, the public has rated nursing as the most honest and ethical profession in America, for 14 years straight.

This year, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has made it a priority to raise awareness about the need for safe work environments for nurses through its Culture of Safety campaign. During National Nurses Week (May 6-12), the annual observance recognizing the valuable contributions nurses make in health care, the theme also focuses on safety. A culture of safety is defined as, "core values and behaviors resulting from a collective and sustained commitment by organizational leadership, managers, and health care workers to emphasize safety over competing goals." As the population ages and more people have increased access to health care under the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. may need up to one million new nurses by the year 2022 -- in less than 10 years. To help the public learn more about nurses, here are a few common myths that persist about the largest group of health care workers in the nation:

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1.Nurses report to doctors.

Nurses are licensed, highly qualified professionals who work closely with physicians and other health care professions. Each nurse must obtain a professional license, which differs by state, and adhere to a code of ethics similar to doctors.

In addition to working with physicians, nurses lead and participate in health care teams and often have the most direct contact with patients and caregivers. Their work includes assessment, critical thinking, enhanced care coordination, care plan development, clinical interventions and medication administration, as well as preventive care and chronic disease management. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) hold advanced degrees and provide a range of primary care and other health services, and states are increasingly removing regulatory barriers that prevent patients from fully benefiting from their expertise.

2.All nurses are the same.

As health care has become more specialized and diverse, so has nursing. Today, nurses practice in over 200 different specialties, such as anesthesia, mental health, school nursing, cardiac care, pediatrics, surgery, oncology, obstetrics and geriatrics. To become certified in a specialty, nurses must gain additional education and clinical hours, pass an exam, and periodically renew their credentials. The field of nursing has also seen more entrants with diverse backgrounds. Over the last 20 years, the number of minority RNs has tripled. Minority backgrounds represent more than 19 percent of the registered nurse workforce in the U.S., according to a 2015 National Nursing Workforce Study conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), and approximately 10 percent of nurses are male. Still, more needs to be done to boost the number of future minority nurses such as providing mentoring, academic and financial support, and encouragement from their peers and communities.

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3.The country has enough nurses.

With the population aging and living longer, more than one million nurses will be needed in less than a decade to fill new job openings and a wave of retirements to meet the demand for health care services. By the year 2030, Americans age 55+ will make up 31 percent of the population, or 107 million people, according to the National Council on Aging. Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow more than 19 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Half of all nurses are over the age of 50. This presents a challenge of adequately replenishing the pipeline of students, meeting the market demand for nurses and replacing those who are retiring. This presents an opportunity for colleges and universities to create new academic nursing programs and expand existing ones, from pre-licensure programs to master's and doctoral programs.

4.Nursing is an easy job.

Nursing is hard both physically and emotionally. Each year, tens of thousands of nurses suffer debilitating pain and often career-ending musculoskeletal injuries from manually lifting patients-- an estimated 3,600 pounds per shift. Nurses rank fifth among all occupations for the highest rates of musculoskeletal injuries resulting in missed work days. Nurses also sustain approximately half of all accidental needle stick injuries. Other "on-the-job" hazards include exposure to disease and chemicals, workplace violence, bullying and fatigue.

Research has shown that when you cultivate a healthy work environment for nurses, you also improve the quality of overall health care for patients.
"We need a trade association for industries that don't exist yet." This is what Thomas Lingard, VP of global policy and advocacy at Unilever, said to me at an event recently. We were discussing Senator Whitehouse's article on the dearth of pro-climate lobbyists in Washington, which has sparked a global conversation about corporate engagement on climate policy.

This conversation has been a long time coming. Trade associations exist to protect and promote the interest of their corporate members. They play a powerful role in amplifying the voice of business, and this in turn serves an important function in creating policy.

With the emerging understanding of the business case for climate action however, we need to ask - does the current status quo meet the needs of business?

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Corporations have become very vocal in expressing their support and willingness to tackle climate change. The run up to COP21 was testament to this. Business stepped forward to show that it wanted clear, long-term climate policy. This included the boards of over 800 companies telling CDP that they would support an ambitious international agreement to tackle climate change. It helped do the trick. The world - and business - got the climate deal it needed. Momentum behind the deal is so strong that what was once thought to be a miracle has now entered the realms of the possible: the Paris Agreement entering into force well before 2020.

There is no better chance for the world to limit temperature rises to below 2C than securing early implementation of the Paris climate accord.

Yet, without trade associations that represent the voice of climate-savvy businesses and the companies and industries that will emerge as we undergo this low-carbon transition, will we be able to achieve our below 2C goal?

The shifting economics

To understand why progress on corporate engagement on climate policy has been slow, we need to understand how the economic understanding of climate change has evolved. For many years mainstream economics suggested that taking climate action would be costly, and this would be an undue burden on business. That paradigm has firmly shifted. Beginning with the influential Stern review, published nearly ten years ago in the UK, report after report has warned of one simple fact: left unchecked, climate change will devastate our economy.

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According to the White House this cost would amount to US$150 billion a year - or 0.9% of global economic output - annually if we allowed temperatures to rise to 3C above pre-industrial levels. A temperature rise of above that would incur even greater losses.

This understanding has become so mainstream that the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked inaction on climate change as by far the greatest global economic risk of 2016. WEF also note however that the historic Paris Agreement offers business "a license not only to implement climate-friendly practices but also to innovate and develop the next generation of solutions."

Arguably the truly catalytic shifts we are seeing in global action on climate change have come about not because of the understanding of these risks, but because of the understanding of the opportunities from acting.

This is especially true for the private sector - business and investors will innovate because they have spotted new market opportunities from driving low-carbon growth.

Companies disclosing through CDP have clearly understood this business opportunity. That is why since 2010 the number of companies delivering emissions reduction activities has increased from 47% to 89%.

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Similarly that is also why 400 companies (and counting) have made more than 700 separate commitments to action on climate change through the We Mean Business coalition, which CDP is a founding member of.

By signing these commitments, companies are making a statement of intent about the impact they want to have on limiting global warming. This includes procuring 100% renewable electricity, to setting emissions reduction targets based on climate science. As attention turns to how nations implement the Paris Agreement, one commitment in particular stands out: the business pledge on responsible engagement on climate policy.

The new direction for business

If we are to achieve the ambitious goals set within the Paris Agreement, companies must push governments to act, but they must also be transparent about what they are saying to governments. For the fourth year running now CDP is asking companies to publicly report this information - including on what measures they are taking when their climate policies differ from those of trade associations of which they are board members.

Our analysis of this data shows that the climate policy positions of individual companies are often not reflected in the policies of the trade associations that represent them. This is why we and WMB have invited companies to commit to responsible policy engagement.

Specifically, companies are being asked to follow three actions that would put responsible policy engagement into practice - identify the ways in which the business currently influences climate policy, align their words with actions and report on policy positions and influence. These steps follow the recommendations set out in the UN Global Compact's 'Guide for positive corporate influence.'

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Nearly 120 companies have signed up to this commitment so far, including BT group, Coca-Cola HBC AG, NRG Energy Inc and Unilever. As the language of the commitment indicates, responsible corporate engagement can only be achieved through a process that will establish what best practice looks like. These companies are signing up to take business in a whole new direction on climate advocacy - and the understanding of the economic benefits of climate action will be the wind in their sails.
Hillary Rodham Clinton is now the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party now that both Ted Cruz and John Kasich ended their campaigns. The general election campaign has begun.

While Bernie Sanders continues to say he will run until the end of the primary season, and that is his right, he has no chance of being the nominee. It is something Hillary Clinton understands as she was in a similar position in 2008. Yet Democrats can't allow Donald Trump to begin his general election campaign attacking Hillary without a strong rebuttal and a unified Party. Hillary is in a difficult situation not wanting to offend Senator Sanders or his supporters by focusing totally on the general election.

So Senator Warren, it was great to hear your most recent comments about Trump. Your ability to hit the mark with your words is why you have a legion of supporters, including me, and we enjoy it when you speak passionately about what you believe. This week you captured what so many of us think about Trump when you said "He built his campaign on racism, sexism and xenophobia. He incites supporters to violence, praises Putin, and is 'Cool with being called an authoritarian' and then you added in a tweet There's more enthusiasm for @realDonaldTrump among leaders of the KKK than leaders of the political party he now controls."

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Senator Warren, many of us believe we understand why you haven't endorsed Hillary yet. But the time is fast approaching when it will be crucial for you to do so. You know Senator Sanders no longer has a pathway to the nomination and his delusions that superdelegates will suddenly switch from Hillary to him are just that, delusional. Since you talk to so many of them every day you know how committed they are to Hillary. A few weeks ago on Stephen Colbert's show you said "if Hillary is the nominee Sanders supporters should vote for her". I am pleading with you to recognize the time to make the endorsement is here and to begin urging Sanders's supporters to do just that.

Senator, many of your supporters are young and passionate, many are the same people who are now supporting Bernie Sanders; some only because you decided not to enter the primary. You have the ability to excite them and talk to them about how important it will be to unite behind Hillary if we are to stop Donald Trump and have any chance to move a progressive agenda forward.

I don't have to tell you what it would mean to have Hillary be able to nominate a Supreme Court Justice with a Democratic Senate whose leadership includes you. You have the ability to convince your supporters that as a Senator with your incredible megaphone you will hold Hillary accountable for her progressive promises. And you know you can do that because Hillary worked a lifetime committed to a progressive agenda. Together you and she will be able to make history with your legislation signed into law by President Clinton.

We have the chance to elect possibly the most brilliant and accomplished person to run for President and add to that she will be our first woman President. The 'woman's card' Donald Trump tries to denigrate Hillary with is simply a call by her and others for fairness which both you and Hillary have fought for all of your careers.

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This campaign will be nasty, to say the least. Donald Trump is a sexist bully who thinks he can intimidate anyone in his path. Having followed Hillary's career since first meeting her in 1990, I know she can't be intimidated. Clearly you can't be either. Traveling the country speaking to voters from college campuses to senior citizen centers, speaking your truth with passion, will make a difference for Democrats up and down the ticket.

Your endorsement of Hillary will mean so much to those of us who have been supporting her all along but it will mean just as much and maybe more to those who have supported Senator Sanders. They know you share his passion for holding accountable the big banks and bankers; your fight for the middle class; and your successful fight for effective consumer protection. Above all they trust you.

So Senator, please take a look at the reality of the delegate count; the fact that Hillary has nearly 3.2 million more votes; that she won your home state of Massachusetts; and endorse her sooner than later. Your endorsement will make a real difference in bringing our Party together and giving us the chance to defeat Donald Trump.
Tyeem grew up in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, at a time when it was known as a hotbed for drugs and violence, with rates of robbery and assault far above the city average. His school, characterized by discipline problems and under-credited students, offered no relief from the chaos of the street. The metal detectors the students passed through to get into school did nothing to ensure attendance, and test scores and graduation rates were so low that all three schools on the campus were due to be closed.

While many children who are forced to survive neighborhoods and schools stained by violence find refuge at home, for Tyeem there was no safe haven. His father, volatile and abusive, was a constant threat and source of anxiety. Tyeem lay awake at night wrestling with how to take charge of his life and make life better for his mother and brother. His only source of peace was found withdrawing into himself and expressing his emotions in the form of lyrics written on notebook pages.

By the time Tyeem was introduced to Publicolor he was in 10th grade, and was living in a shelter. His father had been arrested for attempting to kill his mother, who survived after being put on life support. For Tyeem, opportunities to better his life were few and far between, but he found a ray of hope in the presentation given to his school by Secile, a Publicolor staffer. Encouraged by the opportunities for learning job skills, leadership training, and college scholarships, he immediately signed up for Publicolor's Paint Club program. It was with Publicolor that Tyeem found refuge in the same hallways that he once found oppressive and intimidating.

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Soon after, when Publicolor staffers Secile and Nadia recognized his drive and potential, Tyeem was inducted into Publicolor's Next Steps program where he finally realized that despite his past and current circumstances, it was possible for him to have a bright future. Over the next two years, Publicolor engaged with Tyeem and gave him the opportunities he needed to increase his self-confidence and work towards his goals. Inspired by a Publicolor led tour of nearby colleges, Tyeem graduated high school on time and with the help of the Publicolor Gap Scholarship he enrolled at LaGuardia Community College.

Tyeem decided to pursue a degree in audio engineering. Having been failed by the school system, Tyeem was not best suited to attend college, and a certificate degree in audio engineering from an accredited institution would have been a good option for him. He had, however, decided that his goal of attending college would be his stepping-stone to success, and he took a risk and accepted the challenge.

College was not easy for Tyeem. His father had been released from prison and once again attempted to murder his mother, and transitioning into full-time education turned out to be a challenge. His waking hours were spent worrying about his family, and he and his family were back in a shelter. Tyeem felt demeaned and devalued on a daily basis. But Tyeem learned at Publicolor that quitting is not an option. At Publicolor, you learn to overcome challenges through hard work, tenacity, and by seeking support.

Today, Tyeem is almost ready to graduate from LaGuardia Community College and plans to enroll at the Institute of Audio Research as part of their joint Associates degree program in audio engineering. His journey has been arduous due to entering college with severely remedial reading, writing, and math acumen. He comes to the Publicolor offices often for assistance with writing assignments and to seek guidance on his college journey. Publicolor was there to support and encourage him even when his GPA plunged below 1.0. He is also part of the Publicolor's Fresh Coat semi-professional painting crew that transforms under resourced community facilities on a weekly basis. Tyeem believes that it is because he was surrounded by caring Publicolor staff that he now sees himself as a survivor and a competitor. He will not allow himself to be just another statistic. He knows he has a long road ahead, but refuses to be counted among the thousands of economically challenged students who drop out of college every year. He is only the second person in his entire extended family to attend college, and with Publicolor's support, he plans to persevere, graduate and pursue his dreams.

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Elisheva had five reasons to rejoice above the other daughters of Israel: her brother-in-law was king; her husband, High Priest; her sons, deputy [priests], her grandson, a priest-ordained-for-war; and her brother, chieftain of a tribe -- and [yet] she had to mourn two sons. (Talmud, Zevachim 102a)

When Nadav and Avihu died on the great day of the inauguration of the mishkan, the tabernacle in the wilderness, we read that Aaron was silent. When God described the Yom Kippur service and ordered Aaron into the Holy of Holies, he went--though, I imagine, not without some trepidation. The wife of this High Priest and mother of his dead boys, Elisheva, is named in the Torah (Exodus 6:23)--an uncommon honor for a woman--and yet, on her reaction, the Torah is silent.

Who was Elisheva? The Talmud (Sotah 11b) suggests that she was one of the two midwives who stood up to Pharaoh's genocidal decree. The Zohar (3:38b) teaches that she was an incarnation of pure love, destined to marry Aaron, the man of peace, since the creation of the world. Suzanne Weingarten, in Dirshuni: Israeli Women Writing Midrash (p. 89), portrays her challenging the established order of women doing household chores for their husbands, quoting rabbinic texts back and forth to Miriam, who stands with the patriarchy. (Unsurprisingly, Elisheva gets the last word.)

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We can see in all these roles an echo of a clergy-like role. As midwife, Elisheva would have been ever-present in intimate moments of a family's life, providing a kind of pastoral care at an important lifecycle event and playing a crucial yet largely unlauded role in forming the next generation of Israelites. As subversive educator, she had access both to every household and to the highest circles of influence. As wife and partner to Aaron, she kept an eye on the good of the entire community.

In one contemporary context, "[t]he clergy were really like the moms," says activist and organizer Rasheen Aldridge. The youngest member of the Ferguson Commission and a leader of the Ferguson protests, Aldridge was speaking about the role that clergy--black and white, mostly women--played in the streets of Ferguson in those difficult months in the summer and fall of 2014. "They really made sure that we were safe, and that we were guarded. And they had their clergy vests on, so...The police knew who they were, and it made it a little easier, because who wants to arrest Rabbi [Susan] Talve?"

I imagine Elisheva, wearing the biblical equivalent of her bright orange clergy vest, moving through the Israelite camp on a night of unrest, protecting the vulnerable, offering courage to the weary, sharing their struggle--all largely without getting credit.

The contrast between Elisheva and her more-famous husband (as well as her brother-in-law, Moses) brings to mind Jelani Cobb's recent New Yorker article about the future of the Black Lives Matter movement. First looking back several decades, Cobb writes:

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...[T]he traditional narrative of the battle for the rights of African-Americans has tended to read like a great-black-man theory of history. But, starting a generation ago, civil-rights historians concluded that their field had focused too heavily on the movement's leaders. New scholarship began charting the contributions of women, local activists, and small organizations--the lesser-known elements that enabled the grand moments we associate with the civil-rights era. In particular, the career of Ella Baker, who was a director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and who oversaw the founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, came to be seen as a counter-model to the careers of leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. Baker was emphatically averse to the spotlight...

[Black Lives Matter activists Alicia] Garza, [Patrice] Cullors, and [Opal] Tometi advocate a horizontal ethic of organizing, which favors democratic inclusion at the grassroots level. Black Lives Matter emerged as a modern extension of Ella Baker's thinking--a preference for ten thousand candles rather than a single spotlight.

While the biblical spotlight this week is on Aaron and his sons performing the Yom Kippur ritual in the mishkan, I imagine how Elisheva and her proteges circulated invisibly through the camp, distributing candles so the people could make their own light.

And they are not totally invisible to rabbinic tradition. Regarding the cities of refugee, where those who committed manslaughter were exiled (until the death of the High Priest hit "reset" and allowed them to return home), the rabbis write, "The mothers of the priests would provide [the exiled manslayers] food and clothing, so that [those individuals] would not pray for the deaths of [the women's] sons" (Mishnah Makkot 2:6). This one line sketches a ghostly outline of the first women's auxiliary--a group of mothers, worried about their sons, banding together to serve a marginalized population with an eye towards protecting their own interests. These mothers understood on a deep level that even though they were the elite of Israelite society, their well-being was bound up with the well-being of these exiled manslayers.

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Parshat Acharei Mot closes with a long list of the sexual partners forbidden to men, continuing the apparent male-centric nature of the text. On its most obvious level, the women in this parashah are there mainly as passive objects, or are simply absent. But the rabbinic tradition reads their active leadership into the story, in ways that are echoed in contemporary women's leadership--and with imagery that couldn't be more relevant. Keeping society "safe and guarded," in Aldridge's words, takes a lot more than guns and prison bars. It takes a collective eye on everyone's ability to live and to thrive.
Khmer Ceramics and Fine Arts Center is a leafy, open air space in Siem Reap. Located just meters from the well-manicured lawns of the National Museum, the Center was established in 2006, and has since built a solid reputation on the tourism circuit. Now in the year of its tenth anniversary, it serves as a workshop, a showroom, and most importantly, a school teaching Cambodia's ancient ceramic arts.

"We preserve art by making it," Sam Navarro said. A native of Montpellier, France, and ceramics expert, Navarro has served as the chief marketing officer at Khmer Ceramics Center since 2013. "When I first met Serge, our CEO, I was in Cambodia to learn about traditional handicrafts. I had no intention of going into this field. But I fell in love with the ceramics, and decided to take a post here. I was surprised by how complex the tradition is, and how our modern world is built on ceramics."

Today, seventy-seven local people work at Khmer Ceramics and Fine Arts Center now, many of whom are deaf or hearing impaired. Through the social enterprise, they aim to share the artistic legacy of Siem Reap with the world, and increase an appreciation for the Khmer aesthetic.

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Each day, tourists visit the Center to cure Siem Reap's infamous "temple fatigue." Families are often seen at the wheel, spinning tan clay and following the directions of local instructors. Beginners use sharpened sticks to carve traditional kbach, or ornamentation, on their pottery. These ancient symbols are famous for being carved into Angkor Wat, The Bayon Temple, and Bateay Srei.

But locals and expats have started attending the Center to learn the craft, too. Early this year, the Center also features a membership program for artists looking to study long-term. When asked why the membership program was created, Mr. Navarro simply said: "Because we think it's cool for people to learn pottery! Plus, for expats, there's not much to do except visit the temples and go swimming at the local pools. But this offers something artistic." Membership plans stretch from three to six months. Local artists can use the wheel for an unlimited amount of time each day, use a select gray glaze for their work, and can fire one piece free per day. Local Khmer instructors are available on site.

One of them is Pom Pim, who has taught at the Center for two years. Because he communicates with sign language, his pottery teaching method involves students closely examining his hand motions, and then mirroring them. He has become a popular instructor. "I really enjoy my job," he said through an interpreter. "I've developed a deeper appreciation for arts while working here."

Today, Pom Pim teaches, creates dinnerware on the pottery wheel, and paints large Buddhas made of tamarind wood. The lacquered figures are later shipped overseas, where they decorate the interiors of restaurants, hotels, and cultural centers. Soon, the Center hopes he can begin working on a dinnerware line that will be marketed in the United States. "I hope to keep working on the project," he added.

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During the Khmer Empire, most ceramics were designed only for ceremonial use, which is why not much dinnerware exists. More emphasis was put on tiles, teapots, totemic animal figures, and other items of religious significance. Monks and kings preferred intricately-carved pieces, which gave Cambodian art the style it is known for today. As tourism in the country expands, more people around the world are coming to appreciate the intricate carving style they find on temple walls.

In 2007, the Center capitalized on this growing global interest by organizing the first International Khmer Ceramics Festival. The theme of the conference was "Ancient Khmer and Southeast Asian Ceramics: New Archaeological Findings, Production and the Revival of Techniques." After its success, a second conference was held in 2008. One attendee, Dawn Rooney, later wrote a book entitled Khmer Ceramics: Beauty and Meaning. The text has now become a go-to guide for those interested in Southeast Asia's art history.
Great leadership does not mean running away from reality. Sometimes the hard truths might just demoralize the company, but at other times sharing difficulties can inspire people to take action that will make the situation better. - John Kotter

It's a sad story for Nepal that its citizens are more interested in hollow-name and fame than anything else in their life. Their jobs, family, business, dreams and goals come secondary when it comes to their fame in the society. It's amazing how this system continues to exist in Nepalese community even in America. There's people who have been to America but have not achieved anything worthwhile for over a decade. Neither do they have a decent house, a car nor a bank balance but they do have one thing-their name on this cheap Sunday paper which nobody would buy.

I think sometimes, if all these people who wear nice suits and shoes were people of character and integrity, why would Nepal be in the situation it is? If these people were really social workers and virtuous politicians like these cheap papers present them to be, why is the small Nepali community in America so divided? Where are the ethics in Nepali society if these well-respected people were men and women of moral character? These are few questions an average men and women knows within himself and smiles at the ridiculous nature of Nepali politics, social workers and so-called journalists who are funded by certain political party or group to promote their selfish agenda in the name of people.

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It's very surprising in finding out that these people will do anything even in their most productive hours if they can get their name and photo on these cheap papers and television. What a damned culture! On the other hand, these so called media houses funded by certain political groups in Nepal and America do not care to promote anybody that will assist to spread their propaganda using men or women making $6 bucks per hour doing odd jobs and have no life, culture or education to be considered a leader. How can we expect such media to create a positive influence in our society? Where do you think readers of such papers and viewers of such television programs will end up in next 2-5 years?

The fact is that we are making hero out of people with no morals, ethics and achievements to show for. We are encouraging the general public to imitate people who have no values or standards thus corrupting the society from its roots. The value driven societies like America advance when people edify exemplary leaders like George Washington, business leaders like Andrew Carnegie and man of character like Norman Vincent Peale. As Warren Buffet always says, tell me who your heroes are and I will tell you what you will become. Every time we encourage people to follow or imitate certain person, we are changing the society for better or worse. By following a wrong leader, Nepal has today reached the brink of total destruction and is being sandwiched from all sides by Indian Empire. The divided Nepal has actually welcomed the foreign powers to interfere and thus enslave Nepalese people for centuries to come. In my opinion, it is better to be conquered than be enslaved. I would welcome any powerful nation to conquer Nepal at this moment and make it part of their own state than enslave Nepalese people. Otherwise, Indian diplomats and army chiefs would not be in Kathmandu every week doing press meets.
For the last seven years the Atlanta based trumpeter& vocalist Joe Gransden has brought his style of big band music to the crowded stage of owner John Scatena's jazz club, Cafe 290 in Sandy Springs, Georgia. It has become one of those venerated rituals that those in the know can't get enough of; a full seventeen-piece big band hearkening back to the days of Artie Shaw, Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie and Duke Ellington playing great music.

There is nothing quite like the sound of a well-tuned big band, a sound created by multiple musicians that play with a beautiful precision through musical passages, like a school of fish moving instinctively in unison through the ocean. A big band offers a unified sound that comes from the deft arrangement of so many instruments all playing in precision concert. The band that Joe has assembled is a testament to his vision and fortitude; a commitment he and his musicians have made to persevere with this project over the last seven years. One is reminded of the revered Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, which eventually morphed into the Village Vanguard Orchestra. That band has played that famous jazz haunt weekly since it first started back in 1972! Through Joe and his fellow musicians, these bi-monthly performances at Cafe 290 have become a source of pride for the Atlanta jazz community, offering an exciting and reliably entertaining evening of music for all who love the big band genre.

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Joe Gransden leading his big band at Cafe 290 in Sandy Springs, GA

The musicians are some of the best from the southeastern United States and many have nationwide credentials. They are led by Joe Gransden on trumpet and vocals, with most of the arrangements by lead trombonist Wes Funderburk. The other musicians include Mace Hibbard on lead alto saxophone, Brian Hogans on alto sax, John Sandfort on tenor sax, Mike Walton on tenor sax, Don Erdman on baritone saxophone and clarinet, Chip Crotts lead trumpet, Rob Opitz trumpet, Clark Hunt trumpet, Melvin Jones trumpet, Tom Gibson trombone, Kevin Hyde trombone, Sam LoBue Bass trombone, Geoff Haydon on electric piano, Neal Starkey on bass and Justin Chaserek on drums. Together these guys make swinging, beautiful music.

This past Monday evening was my maiden voyage to Cafe 290 to catch this Atlanta phenomenon first hand. We arrived early and got to see the band warm-up. The amazing thing about big bands these days is that they do not get a chance to practice together on a regular basis. With the economics of the music business being what it is, there is little money for the rental of a practice space let alone being able to compensate the musicians fairly for their time. So the warm-up session before the set was the perfect time to do a sound check, work out possible song selections for the evening and tweak sectional requirements and solo spots based on their pre-worked out book. Despite these handicaps, these guys are all professional, can sight read quickly and are accomplished session players, so when the band hit the stage for the opening song, Oliver Nelson's "Miss Fine," they were up to speed in no time, running as smoothly as a Swiss movement, and featuring an especially combustible trumpet solo by Melvin Jones.

The affable Gransden made his entrance after the first tune and introduced the sultry "Speak Low," playing the melody on his trumpet in front of the big band. The band purred behind on the spirited Eugene Throne arrangement, with Gransden taking the high register lead solo on trumpet and John Sandfort taking a spirited tenor solo on this old Sinatra standby.

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The audience was transfixed with the powerful swing of this well-oiled machine as they dialed it down a bit into the slower tempo Sinatra/Count Basie arrangement of" More." Joe's voice has a silky smoothness to it and his stage manner is loose and confident. In many ways he takes his vocal style from the great crooners that fronted the big bands of yesteryear like Sinatra and Torme.

With the crowd primed for music that could be sung to, Gransden took to another Sinatra tune singing "Get Me to The Church on Time" as the band roared behind him. A quick scan of the crowd and you could see several patrons mimicking the words.

The next song, newly arranged by alto saxophonist Brain Hogans, was the Jimmy Van Heusen standard "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," and was Frank Sinatra's first hit he recorded with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The lush arrangement swelled languorously as it featured Gransden's trumpet at the lead. Joe's playing was reminiscent of trumpeter Chet Baker's 1959 version in both style and lyrical beauty.

Gransden is always the consummate showman and after miscalling his next chart he related how nice it would be to lose the bulky book of arrangements that he carries around. He told of how the band would soon be able to read their charts on individual I-pads with foot actuated page turning capabilities, a vast improvement. After a short technical disruption due to microphone difficulties, the band roared into Wes Funderburk's arrangement of "Chicago Blues", the perfect vehicle for soloist to blow on. And blow they did with Joe singing the opening lyrics and a soon to follow rousing tenor solo by Mike Walton, a bellowing trombone solo by Kevin Hyde and a solo spot featuring the unified saxophone section before Joe returned to the refrain.

Gransden introduced a song from trumpeter Maynard Ferguson titled "Fox Hunt," which featured a two trumpet duel between he and Melvin Jones. The two trumpets stating the line as the big band pulsed behind them. True to the Ferguson style, the trumpet licks from Jones were stratospheric. When Gransden took his solo his playing was equally as fiery. The two alternated on the high register of their horns running off lines of notes at break neck speed, eventually ending this jazz duel in flurry of high energy with piercing punctuation.

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The band lowered the intensity of the proceedings by introducing a slow ballad "The Nearness of You," on an arrangement by Atlanta's own Jim Basile. Gransden's voice rendering the song with great tenderness, before he picked up his trumpet and showed what a great balladeer he can be. His tone is warm and honeyed and he often phrases with Baker-like sensitivity. Another moving tenor solo by John Sandfort capped off this beauty.



Joe Gransden receiving JJA Jazz Heroes Award from JJA members Scott Fugate and Ralph A. Miriello

At this point in the show, members of the Jazz Journalist Association, Scott Fugate, aka the Jazz Evangelist, and myself had the honor to present Joe with one of this year's JJA Jazz Heroes award. The award is given to individuals who, in the opinion of the board and members of the JJA, best represent advocacy for the proliferation and appreciation of jazz music in their respective local areas. Joe Gransden was chosen to receive this award for his tireless efforts to promote, educate and foster jazz throughout the Atlanta area. The self-deprecating Gransden accepted the award and the audience warmly applauded him for this well-deserved honor.

The band continued the performance with an impromptu saxophone duel by alto saxophonists Brian Hogans and Mace Hibbard; each man taking the other to new heights of improvisational adventures, as the rhythm section of Haydon, Starkey and Chesarek kept the groove.

After the band did a second-line birthday tribute, New Orleans's style, to a member in the audience whose birthday some people were celebrating at the club that night, Gransden and company went into a tribute to Glenn Campbell, the Jimmy Webb song "Wichita Lineman" featuring a bass trombone solo by Sam LoBue and some nice interplay between Gransden's trumpet and Hibbard's alto. This was followed by a rousing version of the shout-out Glenn Miller Band 's "Pennsylvania 6 Five Thousand" complete with Joe's hand-muted trumpet solo. The set ended with a Dizzy Gillespie burner, the furious "Things to Come" where Joe's fluttering trumpet solo took flight in true Gillespie-like fashion, pianist Haydon gave a remarkable solo on his electric piano and Mike Walton screamed on his tenor.

Coming from the New York area only a little over a year ago, I was mistakenly concerned that the jazz scene in the South might be somewhat lacking. While New York is still the epicenter of jazz, musicians like Joe Gransden and the artists in his big band, as well as jazz club owner's like cafe 290's John Scatena, make it clear that jazz is alive and well in the Atlanta area.

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A group of 120 legislators are calling on President Obama to use his final months in office to "exercise leadership" on human rights abuses in Sudan. They want the president to use targeted financial measures against Sudanese leaders to force them to stop killing their citizens. Members of Congress have signed a letter reminding the president that Khartoum continues to bomb and starve its unarmed civilians in violation of international law, Sudan's own promises and multiple UN resolutions.

Before he was elected, Senator Obama condemned the Sudanese regime for deliberately attacking its own people in what he called a "rolling genocide." The congressional letter notes that although media attention has lapsed, the killing continues, causing massive displacement - another 1.7 million people according to USAID- and a humanitarian crisis in which the UN says 5.4 million are in need of aid. Conflict has spread from Darfur to other marginalized regions of Sudan, with an estimated 4,000 bombs dropped on South Kordofan and Blue Nile since 2012.

Sudan experts have warned that while Khartoum systematically bombs farms, making it impossible to plant and harvest, the Sudanese people face starvation. USAID's Famine Early Warning System reports almost 4 million people at crisis levels of food insecurity. The congressional signatories warn, "While we welcome the fact that the United States remains the largest supplier of humanitarian aid to Sudan, those efforts are hollow if that aid cannot get to the people who need it most, or if the conflict continues to rage on indefinitely."

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The legislators continue, "We urge you to enhance the U.S. approach to this conflict, and re-prioritize peace, accountability, and protection of civilians in Sudan in your last year in office."In particular, the members of Congress are urging the Obama Administration to "enhance the current sanctions regime so that it is focused to impact the calculations of the Sudanese regime's top-level officials, by targeting top level officials, financial institutions and other facilitators of the conflict."They call for US leadership in persuading the Arab world to use its influence with the Khartoum regime, and to press the gold industry to designate Sudan's gold exports as conflict-affected. Gold is a top revenue earner for the Sudanese government after the secession of South Sudan deprived the regime of oil proceeds. The bulk of gold is mined in the conflict region of Darfur and its extraction bears the hallmarks of grave human rights abuses.
Cai's new book offers an insightful look at the country's contemporary art scene. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"What about Cai Guo-qiang?" a woman in the audience at a recent Beijing interaction with the Chinese artist asked him.

Cai, 58, answered:"Cai Guo-qiang is a little boy who never grows up, who tries to scare others with firecrackers, but ends up scaring himself."

The dialogue was in reference to Cai's often "What about it?" barbs at contemporary Chinese art, for what he calls the lack of innovation.

Cai is well-known for his fireworks, quite literally. He used gunpowder to paint in his Projects for Extraterrestrials series (1989-2002) and to make social and political statements.

In 2008, his "fireworks of giant feet" at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics thrilled many. A few years later, after his fireworks' performance in Paris, some 50 couples volunteered to engage in intimate scenes on the banks of the Seine. In 2014, his work The Ninth Wave captured the Shanghai sky.

Cai's gunpowder drawing Homeland sold for 15 million yuan (US$2.38 million) at a Christie's auction in Shanghai in 2013.

While the Chinese art market has boomed since 2006, there is still a lot that artists can do in terms of their contributions to the art world, he says. Cai has similar expectations from the country's film and fashion industries.

"When Westerners talk about Chinese contemporary art, they automatically lower their standards," he says.

Cai was in Beijing in April to talk about the exhibition he has organized for the Qatar Museums Gallery Al Riwaq in DohaWhat About the Art?: Contemporary Art from China. The exhibition, running through July 16, examines ideas in Chinese modern art and whether they influence the global scene.

Cai Guo-qiang says a "China angle" is not enough to elevate the nation's contemporary art. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In recent years, many artistic works from China have set records at auctions and the art market in China is doing well, he says.

"But take away the 'China angle' from such works and what do you get about the art itself? What about the innovation?"

To find the answers, Cai and his team chose 14 Chinese artists and one artist-collaborative duo from more than 200 through a three-year process.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
A Donald Trump nomination will be an "unforced error for the GOP," according to our friends at Vox. The reason is logical enough:

Hillary Clinton is intensely disliked by a larger share of Americans than anyone who's ever received a major party presidential nomination in the past. But Trump is even more widely disliked, and since elections are zero sum, this means a huge advantage for a candidate who seems kind of weak by historical standards.

Which begs the question: If Clinton is the second-most disliked presidential candidate in recent American history, why doesn't the media portray her "inevitable" nomination as an "unforced error for the DNC"? When you're neck-and-neck with (allegedly) America's most disliked presidential candidate, shouldn't that be a major indicator that maybe the Democratic Party is betting on the wrong horse?

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It should be, but the media has been too busy licking Clinton's blood-stained Ugg boots to point out that the same arguments used to dismiss Trump's viability are equally applicable to Hillary Clinton.

Yes, long before a single voter registration was deleted - or entire precinct caucus results were "lost" - Hillary Clinton was declared the inevitable, presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

The fine folks at Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) wrote back in March that the media has created an "artificial consensus" in which Clinton's nomination was presented from the very beginning as a forgone conclusion:



Whoever the news media say is important early on typically becomes the most important. This leads to a feedback loop that anoints the "frontrunner" in the "invisible primary," where success is measured by name recognition, money raised, party insider support and a host of "serious" accomplishments, all before the most essential of feedback has been provided: actual voting.

Essentially, Sanders hasn't just been fighting the Democratic political establishment - which would love nothing more than to see him drop out and grovel at the feet of Hillary Clinton - but also a media which has worked around the clock to embed Hillary's inevitability in the mind of each and every American voter.



Thanks in part to the bittersweet "Internet Age", the media is having a hard time hiding its open disdain for Bernie Sanders. As we've seen throughout the Democratic primaries, "all the news that's fit to print" is a soothing euphemism for "we can't say anything nice about Bernie Sanders."

And with Trump now as the uncontested GOP nominee, the media can now do what it does best: Ignore the fact that Hillary Clinton is the second-most disliked presidential hopeful in recent American history, and focus on why the other guy is unelectable.
Burma is modernizing at a ceaseless pace. An enigma to foreigners for most of the latter half of the 20th century, Burma's rapidly expanding economy is quickly opening its doors to multinational investors. Like their counterparts around the globe, Burmese youth may now quench their thirst with a bottle of Coca Cola, or pose for a selfie with their I-phones next to a Colonel Sanders wax statue at Yangon's KFC. Workers and consumers alike express continued enthusiasm about the influx of foreign investment. But foreign investment also raises the omnipresent specter of exploitation and complicity in ongoing human rights violations. The U.S government has taken, and should continue to take steps to minimize this risk.

The political changes that predated the influx of foreign investment have been stunning. Freedom of association was made legal in 2012 and severe limitations on freedom of speech have been greatly eased. 2015 also marked the first free uncontested elections in the country in over 50 years, resulting in the sweeping victory of Aung-San Su Kyi's NLD opposition party. These changes have led the U.S government significantly scale back its economic sanctions regime against Burma in 2012. This move has made Burma's rapidly growing economy even more appealing to American companies.

But Burma's political transformation is far from complete and in some areas has faltered. Child labor and even compulsive labor continue to be rampant throughout the country -- accounting for around 10% of the work force. Non-Burmese ethnic minorities and union members continue to face pernicious workplace discrimination. Land grabbing by the government without a veneer of due process or compensation has affected Burmese and non-Burmese alike. The country's weak rule of law and ineffective dispute mechanisms ensure that many of these issues are resolved through non-legal means, sometimes involving violence, thus further undermining the reform process.

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Foreign investors can be either part of the solution or part of the problem. On the one hand, it is easy to imagine a scenario in which multinational companies keep costs down by becoming complicit in land grabbing or in compulsive labor schemes. This kind of behavior has been documented as one of the chief reasons why earlier reform efforts in Burma and elsewhere in the developing world have faltered. On the other hand, multinational investors can import robust internal grievance and rule of law mechanisms that would reverberate across the Burmese economy, serving as a model and setting a standard for transparent and accountable business practices in the country.

The U.S. government has thus opted to ensure that American investors take the latter route. To this end, the State Department issued disclosure requirements called the "Reporting Requirements" as a precondition to investing in Burma. The Requirements mandate that new investors disclose the policies they have in place to minimize human rights violations, as well as the extent to which these policies apply to local partners and suppliers. Investors must also report on procedures put in place to verify land ownership of their locations in the country. The Requirements are currently under internal review, and there is a real danger that the State Department may do away with them.

The Reporting Requirements are far from perfect. For one, many investors submit excessively short or incomplete answers that are not particularly helpful to monitoring NGOs. Some investors contend that they are not required to report at all. Most Reports are only in English, making it nearly impossible for the country's fledgling labor unions to hold investors accountable to the reported standards. Perhaps most unfortunately, the Requirements do not require investors to reveal the identity of their local partners and suppliers. Absent these disclosures it is impossible for NGOs to verify whether the investor's policies on human rights have any impact beyond its own operations. These disclosures are particularly necessary to ensure that investors are not circumventing the Requirements by contracting with local firms engaged in human rights violative behavior. The State Department thus misses a golden opportunity to broaden its impact on strengthening human rights standards and the rule of law at the domestic workplace level.

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But these shortcomings, while palpable, do little to detract from the immense utility of the Requirements. Civil society has on several occasions used the disclosures to independently hold investors accountable to their disclosed standards. In a similar vein, NGOs have also been able to identify investor misrepresentations. The Requirements have thus contributed some measure of transparency to American investment in the country. But perhaps mostly importantly, NGO's are now beginning to build upon the presence of the Reporting Requirements to draft and distribute their own disclosure forms among non-American investors. That dozens of non-American multinationals have cooperated despite not having to do so illuminates the Requirements' unmistakable moral force. Indeed, the Requirement's most laudable contribution thus far lies is their very existence.

With the Requirements currently under internal review, the State Department should not only maintain the Requirements, but also take steps to remedy their shortcomings. In doing so, the U.S government can help ensure that Burma imports our most lucrative commodities - respect for human rights and the rule of law.
Sunset

Paul Goodnight's painting Links and Lineage, in which he depicts a mother doing her daughter's hair and the daughter doing her grandmother's hair, whilst surrounded by a beautiful quilt, is a thought-provoking image of women's multi-generational lives. In his painting I see my mother, grandmother, and me surrounded by the events that have shaped our lives and our relationships with each other. I see what my mother and grandmother believed about themselves and the traditions they honored. How my emotionally silent yet incredibly courageous grandmother passed on her beliefs to my mother, and how my mother had the task of passing the beliefs she had inherited on to me. And how my mother and grandmother both lost their identity as people the moment they became mothers.

This Sunday is Mother's Day in America, and Paul Goodnight's painting is making me reflect on this tradition. I like the idea of preserving one day a year where we give thanks and gratitude to our mothers for all the care, love, and support they give. Recognizing and thanking our mothers is important! Yet, I also feel that something is missing from this tradition. As I think of the many sacrifices my mother and grandmother had to make as mothers, and how they lost their identity as women and people the moment their first child was born, my warm feelings about Mother's Day start to dwindle. I wonder if beneath the saccharine Mother's Day cards lies a troubling reality that collaborates with the disconnection between a woman's motherhood and her identity as a person, and how this disconnection is the cause of today's epidemic of mothers feeling exhausted and all-given-out.

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Even though I never heard my mother and grandmother question their loss of identity as people whilst they were alive, or how their value and worth was entirely wrapped up in their role as mothers, on this Mother's Day I do not want to remember my mother and grandmother as mothers. I want to broaden my understanding of them by telling stories about who they were as women, outside of their role as mothers. And I want to honor these two powerful women by giving them flesh and bones that honors them as whole people.

I will remember the stories I heard my mother tell of how she traveled with girlfriends before she married and that she loved exploring different countries and cultures. How she once stood up against her teacher's-college professor because she felt that he had unfairly mistreated a fellow student and how that led to her being suspended until she apologized to him. My mother refused to apologize because she didn't feel that she had anything to apologize for, which meant that my grandfather stepped in to smooth things over and get my mother reinstated in teacher's college. And I will remember how creative my mother was. How she once made a float for a local parade entirely out of paper flowers and got first prize!

I will remember how my grandmother loved to sing, how she played the piano, and was a superb dressmaker. I will tell the story of how this short, quiet lady tricked the invading Japanese soldiers in Indonesia during the Second World War by hiding medicines I suspect she had stolen in her washing basket whilst Japanese soldiers marched through her house looking for them. And I will honor how my grandmother was a more knowledgeable chemist than my chemist grandfather was. How she would quietly give my grandfather the necessary information he needed so that he could dispense it as if it was his own.

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Malia Obama

The White House

Washington DC 20050

Dear Malia,

I wanted to extend a congratulations and my sheer enthusiasm for your decision to take a gap year! As someone who has made a career out of travel - borne from my own sabbatical abroad - I can attest this is about to change your life in ways you can't imagine.

With an open mind and few bucks in your pocket, you'll find endless opportunities to discover an assortment of places, people and cultures breathtaking in their variety, ultimately finding your best day ever. As a role model for young adults everywhere, you have the priceless opportunity to be living proof that travel can be affordable and attainable for everyone.

The spark that inspired Hostelling International USA (HI USA) to reach out to the White House and cohost the first White House Travel Bloggers Summit on Study Abroad and Global Citizenship was because of something your mother said: she stayed in a hostel on her first trip overseas.

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I hope you too experience the benefits of trading luxury for the sense of belonging you can only feel when surrounded by a diverse community of travelers immersed in the transformational power of travel. For $5-50 per night - depending on where in the world you are - you will have travel mates for the day or longer, locally inspired activities to choose from, and a sense of anonymity you might enjoy.

If you're looking to make a lasting impact at any point during your journey, there are many affordable programs to choose from, ranging from 10 days to 1 year. Here are a few possibilities:

Merit 360

This program brings together 360 young adults from almost every single country in the world for 2 weeks to take on the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This year's program will be held in New York from August 27-September 11, and it ends with a presentation to the UN on the collective recommendations about how to improve the world. Selected applicants must fundraise $1,000 to assist with program costs, but everything else is covered throughout the 2 weeks. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

IOU Respect

Hosted by Hostelling International, this is a 2-week facilitated cultural exchange with young adults, ages 18-23, from Egypt, France, Germany, Lebanon, Tunisia, and the US to learn more about one another's cultures. From politics to religion to gender inequality, no topic is off limits! This year it is taking place July 24-August 6, in Cairo and Ismailia, Egypt, and 4 Americans will be selected to attend. All costs are covered throughout the 2 weeks, and American participants receive a $500 stipend to assist with travel costs. Application deadline is May 15.

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Volunteers for Peace

This site allows you to choose a volunteer project in any of 90 different countries based on your interests. Varying from 10 days to several months, your project will include volunteers from around the world. Sharing meals and accommodations, working as a team, and touring around together, you'll also build friendships that break down cultural barriers. With an average cost of $500 per project, which includes food and lodging, this is one of the most reasonably priced international volunteer opportunities you'll find, and it's open to all ages.

Whatever path you choose, I have a few predictions. I predict the people you meet will be the most memorable part of each place you visit. I predict where you see yourself in 5 years will change in new and profound ways. And I predict that you will inspire a new generation of young adults to step out of their comfort zone and explore all the gifts the world as to offer. And for the latter, I thank you!

As a gift for your journey, I'd like to offer you a 1-year membership to Hostelling International, providing discounts at 3,500 hostels worldwide. Is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue the place to send it?
When I logged in to my Southwest account last week, I was surprised to find my 30,000 accumulated miles were missing. Apparently, they disappeared after not purchasing a Southwest flight in the last two years. (When unemployed, one tends not to waste money on recreational travel.)

I had, however, flown Southwest in November for a wedding, in which I redeemed my Rapid Rewards, but my $10 airline tax did not qualify as account activity.

In a way, redeeming miles for this flight cost me my remaining miles. If I had paid for the trip, I'd still have them.

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Instead, I've found one more example of how the poor are increasingly penalized in modern America. Examples of such are endless nowadays, from our punitive welfare system, to municipalities taxing the working class to pay for corporate tax breaks, to police forces targeting cash-strapped immigrants and minorities. (Can't afford to fix your taillight? Wait until you have to pay for the violation too.)

It's no wonder more Americans go bankrupt each year than are diagnosed with cancer, or graduate from college.

You may call it spending beyond our means, but I recognize it for what it is: the disappearance of the Middle Class. Between dwindling wages and increasing costs, the pay of a typical American is lower today than in the 1960s and 70s, and not a single county in the U.S. has a minimum wage that matches the local cost of living.

Our money goes a lot less farther than it did a generation ago, hence the bankruptcies. Elizabeth Warren shouldn't be the only one concerned about this disturbing trend.

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Spending beyond our means is not only a necessity in modern America, partly to maintain a standard of living no longer attainable, but it's actually encouraged by greedy creditors, corporations, and now airlines.

When I began flying Southwest in 2003, their reward points did not expire. Sadly, this changed around 2009, when they ditched consumer loyalty in favor of clearing outstanding liability from their balance sheet.

My loyalty to Southwest, which consisted of flying 4-6 times a year for an entire decade, clearly has a shelf life - and it's 24 months.

This loyalty was discarded overnight, along with my miles, and I now register no differently than someone who's never flown at all.

Today, most airlines have squeezed much of the reward out of their reward programs, demanding more miles to qualify for flights, large swaths of blackout dates, and a smaller and smaller window in which to use them.

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A quick comparison among the major carriers reveals how quickly miles can expire, after:

3 months of inactivity on Spirit Airlines

6 months of inactivity on Frontier Airlines

18 months of inactivity on United Airlines

18 months of inactivity on Virgin

18 months of inactivity on American Airlines

24 months of inactivity on Southwest

24 months of inactivity on Alaska Airlines, but unlike Southwest, redeeming miles for a free trip counts toward your activity

36 months of inactivity on British Airwaves

36 months of inactivity on Lufthansa

Fortunately, two airlines still prioritize the customer: Delta and JetBlue, whose points never expire.

In another time, the best way to demonstrate your disapproval with a company or service was to take your business elsewhere. But today, with each mega-merger and acquisition, the consumer is left with far fewer choices, and significantly less competition in a so-called capitalist economy.

Consider in less than a generation, 9 major airlines have become only 4:

Delta/Northwest

Southwest/AirTran

United/Continental

American/US Airways/America West

In other words, an airline oligopoly.

This is not unlike internet, phone, and cable providers, whose telecommunication cartels engage in such a non-competitive market, they basically collude to keep cable prices steadily rising (2.6 times higher than the cost of living).

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When it comes to access, the majority of homes in the U.S. are limited to either a duopoly or monopoly - Cox, Time Warner and Comcast stick to their controlled territories and raise prices instead of competing through expanding service. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston explains this gentleman's agreement in The Fine Print: How Big Companies Use Plain English to Rob You Blind: As long as the monopolies don't poach customers by cutting prices, everything's copacetic.

For big business, that is.

Unfortunately, the consumer was neglected long before, particularly by Congress, who has been instrumental in eroding the public sector in favor of Wall Street approval.

And companies like Southwest have just taken their cue.

I guess I should simply have charged my flight back in November in lieu of mileage redemption. Sure, it may have damaged my credit rating, but at least I'd still have 30,000 miles to use for my next wedding or funeral, right?

I will honestly miss Southwest, mainly because I liked their flexibility. However, in recent years, this too started coming with a price, and the ability to catch an earlier flight remained easy only for those who could afford it.

So I guess what I'm really missing is the Southwest of 10 years ago. The modern Southwest experience is now much the same as in every other failing sector of the economy: as long as you're wealthy, you have lots of options. But if you're poor, or temporarily have tight purse strings, prepare to be penalized.

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This is both distressing and de rigueur.

The Middle Class is indeed shrinking. Inequality is quickly rising. Our former land of opportunity is being stratified into Have's and Have Not's, increasingly similar to the U.K. And our once proud, consumer-friendly corporations, like Southwest, now simply expedite the inevitable.

As Southwest says, "You are now free to move around the country." As long as you're still in the Middle Class, I would add. And even those days are numbered.


A "lifejacket graveyard" on Lesvos, Greece. Photo credit: Josh Webb.

For the last five months Josh Webb has been volunteering at Moria refugee camp in Greece. New Zealand-born, Josh relocated to New York City in 2007, landing a job as Director of Digital Products at MTV. In November 2015 he left MTV, packed a bag and hit the road. While travelling in India he received a message from a friend, saying she had started volunteering at a refugee camp on the island of Lesvos - a main landing ground for those attempting to claim asylum in Europe by journeying from Turkey with so-called people smugglers. Josh was soon also Lesvos-bound, and would end up at Moria.

Since the signing of the March 18 EU-Turkey agreement things have complicated further for refugees: those who make the often treacherous crossing from Turkey to Greece now risk being returned directly to Turkey, rather than being held for processing. Reaction to this change has been mixed, with the EU saying the agreement "targets the people smugglers' business model and removes the incentive to seek irregular routes to the EU, in full accordance with EU and international law", while critics argue it breaks international law, potentially endangers asylum seekers further, and is an affront to their human rights. I asked Josh for a firsthand take.

What is the current situation in Lesvos?

Lesvos is now pretty quiet in terms of smuggling refugees. It got very quiet last month, when Frontex - the EU border police - and the Hellenic coastguard dramatically stepped up their patrols, which also coincided with the closing of the Macedonian border. Smugglers were worried about operating with increased scrutiny and I think refugees decided to 'wait and see' what would happen, by and large. Many of the refugees that were still coming were from non war-torn countries, so the voices echoing around Moria camp was suddenly speaking Urdu and Punjabi rather than Arabic and Farsi. It was very different in March than it was in December and January, when I previously visited. Totally different mood and less sense of urgency, and the volunteer crews had become well-oiled machines rather than the mad rush of earlier in the year.

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Who have you been you working with in Lesvos?

I moved to the mainland - Idomeni area, north of Thessaloniki, near the Macedonian border - because that's where the approximately 45,000 refugees are living as they wait for something to happen. What are they waiting for? Borders to open? Greece to suddenly become a place of opportunity? Allah to deliver a miracle? They are the group that is sandwiched in the centre of two other refugee groups - the first was the large mass that were offered passage and asylum in western Europe, and the other is everyone who arrives from now on and will be deported to Turkey or their home countries. But the ones in Idomeni are in limbo, maybe for the foreseeable future. The vast majority are Syrian and Kurdish.

Are you able to comment on the March 18 agreement that essentially facilitates the return of refugees from Greece to Turkey?

All I know is that it's happening, and affecting those who arrive now, but not those who were already in Greece before March 20. The ones who made it before the deal was done are the people I've been working with. They are now being slowly moved to Greek military-controlled camps - that's being kept pretty quiet - but also have access to a system of application for relocation in the EU. It can take months and they don't get to choose where they are taken, so it rules out any family reunions. The application process involves them making a Skype call to an account that never seems to be available. I tried calling it and a number of Syrians showed me their call logs, being unanswered repeatedly. It's very mickey mouse. Many of them have refused to do it because it means they might be sent to some place like Bulgaria or Serbia where, in their opinions, they would probably be worse off than they already are in Greece. So they sit and wait. And protest.

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Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Ufa, Russia, July 10, 2015. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

Did the Cold War even end?

Moscow and Beijing, deeply resentful of American power, are again finding ideological common cause, jointly aiming at two pillars of the post-Cold War dispensation: a borderless Internet and international civil society. They are doing so on the declared basis of national sovereignty.

Modern nationalism has proved much sturdier than Communist internationalism; besides, the jaded, if not cynical, Sino-Russian approach to globalization has more than an echo of resurgent nationalism in the West itself, not least with regard to the Internet. If this is not quite a Cold War, it is hard to see how such trends can lead, in any way, to peace or to prosperity.

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The primary effort is keeping Chinese and Russian citizens away from foreign funding, foreign ideas and foreign journalism.

Last Wednesday, the first China-Russia forum on Internet sovereignty took place in Moscow under the auspices of Russia's government-endorsed Safe Internet League. The next day, China's legislature passed a law mandating tight management by security organs of international non-governmental organizations. The timing of the events was coincidental but the ideological ties between them were not.

Nationalizing civil society

Russia has long advocated national control of international NGOs. For post-Soviet Russians, the notion that international NGOs could be, in effect, agents of destabilization should probably be dated to the late 1990s and the opposition to Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic. NGOs played an especially prominent role in the overthrow of Milosevic, a Russian ally.

There was even a theory loosely adopted by some of them: "nonviolent action," as pioneered by Mahatma Gandhi, refracted through the mind of an American, Gene Sharp, and advocated by, among others, Sharp's student Peter Ackerman. (Sharp had been to Tiananmen Square in 1989 and co-wrote an account of the last days of the protest there.)

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But with or without a theory, the U.S. did indeed see international and many domestic NGOs as advancing its own goals of democratization of authoritarian regimes, free speech and market economics. NGOs might also help the U.S. in the not-so-soft power politics of nation building. In late October 2001, as the U.S. and its allies were ousting Al Qaeda and the Taliban from Afghanistan, Secretary of State Colin Powell said to a conference of NGO leaders, "I have made it clear to my staff here and to all of our ambassadors around the world that I am serious about making sure we have the best relationship with the NGOs who are such a force multiplier for us, such an important part of our combat team."

Powell with the interim Afghan minister of foreign affairs, Abdullah Abdullah, in Washington on Jan. 25, 2002. (STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images)

It now seems remote in time, but in the late 1990s and early 2000s, at a moment of nearly uncontested American power, a U.S.-led international community of sorts did exist, building its legitimacy on several perceived successes -- notably the ouster of Saddam Hussein from Kuwait in the first Persian Gulf war and the diplomatic and military humbling of Serbia. International civil society, in the shape of NGOs, was considered part of this community.

From the official Russian point of view this was mostly a disaster: an endless reliving of the loss of its Soviet-era satellites. The color revolutions that began in 2003 ("rose," in Georgia, followed by "orange" in Ukraine and "tulip" in Kyrgyzstan) brought the nonviolent-NGO revolutionary model to Russia's borders and inspired government opponents inside Russia as well. President Vladimir Putin set himself firmly against NGOs, pushing through a 2006 law regulating them. When he returned for his second presidency in 2012, he signed a far more restrictive law, using the Cold War language of preventing the machinations of "foreign agents."

'The Color Revolutions were a reminder not to let saboteurs into the house.'

Russian initiatives against NGOs inspired smaller countries. Russia's fear of color revolutions was also shared in China, which began to extend official regulation of NGOs in 2005. Similarly, China increased its control of the foreign and independent press that same year, something Putin had mostly achieved by 2004. By the end of 2005, China had decided not to allow foreign newspapers to print their editions in China, a decision the head of the General Administration of Press and Publication explained thus: "When I think of the 'Color Revolutions,' I feel afraid ... The Color Revolutions were a reminder not to let saboteurs into the house."

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The Internet was but a small part of this geopolitical concatenation. In 2004, only about 8 percent of Russians had Internet access. Even those who could reach the Internet might not see much. Social media was in its infancy. Google didn't establish its search engine service in China until 2005.

Nonetheless, by August 2005, as Jeanne Wilson, a professor of Russian studies at Wheaton College, has written, China had "tighten[ed] restrictions on Internet services, including online news stories, bulletin board systems and message systems sending news to individual cell phones."

China's flag in front of the former headquarters of Google in Beijing on July 1, 2010. (REUTERS/Jason Lee)

Google search finally left China in 2010. In terms of Internet censorship, Russia lagged behind China; it was only in the spring of 2012 as Putin began his second presidency that the first official blacklist of forbidden websites was drawn up. By that year 53 percent of Russians had Internet access.

The key point is that Internet restrictions in Russia and China were secondary to the primary effort of keeping Chinese and Russian citizens away from foreign funding, foreign ideas and foreign journalism -- these were seen as inspiring serious threats to the social order. This was all before Edward Snowden's revelations about American and British uses of the Internet for espionage. In Russia and China, the Internet story is very much subordinate to the political story.

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Exporting the Great Firewall

At the Moscow meeting last week, Lu Wei, the head of the Chinese delegation and the Communist Party's Internet security chief, said, "Now our countries are faced with an aggressive media propaganda. Therefore, we should pay serious attention to verification and filtering incoming information."

Fang Binxing, generally credited as the architect of the Great Firewall (sometimes more warmly called the Golden Shield), argued in his own remarks -- judging from the live tweets by Andrei Soldatov, a Russian Internet dissident and coauthor of The Red Web -- that American hosting companies currently control the Internet and those companies are in turn controlled by the U.S. government. The argument was that the U.S. is sovereign over today's Internet and the only real question is whether sovereignty will be shared.

Putin in Moscow on Dec. 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Russian participants echoed these concerns and the conference concluded with a resolution to pursue further research and coordination between the two countries to advance toward the goal, articulated many times now by Chinese President Xi Jinping, of establishing the separate sovereignty of each nation in cyberspace.

Two weeks prior to the Moscow conference, Alexander Bastrykin, a longtime Putin associate and head of the Investigative Committee, a special bureau in the federal prosecutorial office, published a lengthy article in which he gave his view of the history of U.S.-led information war, from its role in fueling ethnic conflicts that brought about the end of the Soviet Union to its spurring of ethnic conflicts among former Soviet satellites from Ukraine to Georgia to Armenia, up to the present day. He urged Russia to follow the Chinese example, which he described as one of complete national control of electronic media and the elimination of foreign influence from the national information space.

Sino-Russian cooperation will result in a shared isolation of both countries' citizens from international civil society.

Online, Russian Internet dissidents are, as ever, defiant. Soldatov mocked Bastrykin on Twitter for his uneven awareness of existing policies. (Bastrykin advocated Internet filtering by public institutions like libraries, which is already well-established.) Dissidents held out hope for continued passive resistance by major Internet companies to the Kremlin's insistence on "data localization" -- locating Russians' Internet lives on servers on Russian territory. The big companies have, so far, honored only a small proportion of Russia's rapidly expanding requests for takedowns of controversial material. More and more Russians have been using anonymous Internet services like Tor (originally a U.S. Navy project).

But how strong are these saviors? Tor is hard to use and if the number of Russians using it has grown tenfold, they are still a tiny fraction of Internet users. The major Silicon Valley companies are holding out against data localization in Russia as elsewhere, but Mark Zuckerberg was still jogging in Beijing the other day to display his enthusiasm for the Chinese market, which remains closed to Facebook despite its strenuous efforts at ingratiation. When Google left China in 2010 it had over 30 percent of the national search market. Now it has something like 1 percent, while local companies like Baidu, which have Communist Party representatives posted in their offices to ensure compliance with central directives, have captured market share. Even idealistic publicly owned companies can only be counted on for so much.

The Facebook website is seen through fire in this photo arranged in Beijing, China, on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011. (Nelson Ching/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Besides, the U.S is not exactly militant about keeping the Internet free from all national agendas. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pentagon continue to insist that Silicon Valley's global companies have a first loyalty to American interests, whether in opening their systems to law enforcement or devoting their talents to developing new weapons -- and not sharing technology with competing states. Willy-nilly, bewitched by security interests in the absence of a broader agenda for Internet freedom, Washington distractedly confirms what its rivals charge, that the Internet is a tool of American power.

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What primarily brings China and Russia together is opposition to that power. Russia and China have been making common cause against American hegemony since the 1990s. Their proclamation of a strategic partnership in 1996 was followed by the landmark Treaty for Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of 2001, an action plan for its implementation in 2008, and the declaration of a "comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership" in 2011. Xi Jinping made his first foreign trip as president to Russia in 2013 and he and Putin have met more than a dozen times since.

Sino-Russian cooperation will result in a shared isolation of both countries' citizens from international civil society.

Yet if the relationship is strong it still lacks substance. Opposition to American power is not a rich agenda. The term both countries have used for decades is "multipolarity." But again, this is in opposition to U.S. unipolarity and when it has suited Russia or China to challenge the "polarity" of, say, Ukraine or Vietnam, they have done so. Some poles are more equal than others.

If the past 20 years are a guide, Sino-Russian cooperation will result in a shared isolation of both countries' citizens from international civil society, international media and the Internet. The Safe Internet League, like its Chinese guests, presented the Sino-Russian initiative as motivated by a desire to protect against extremism, pornography, drug sales and the like. But the essence of it was two major nations getting together to compare notes on how to build walls.

Also on WorldPost:
Last week, the Jehovah's Witnesses released a video on their website to indoctrinate children with an intolerance of homosexuality. It's a very well produced cartoon that has received some unwanted attention and criticism, given that it is aimed at children. Its point is to insist that LGBT people can change, and must change, in order to be accepted by God. The animated video begins with a young girl's drawing of her family, but in her drawing, the face of her younger brother is unfinished. Blank. He has no identity.

There's an unintended message from the Jehovah's Witnesses in this video. That little boy in the drawing, the one which his sister didn't complete, is invisible and could represent so many other gay kids who grew up under an enormous boulder of religious intolerance, like me. He represents so many children today who are told they cannot exist.

I grew up as a Jehovah's Witness. As a child, homosexuality was depicted by my father and my religion as solely being about the sexual activities of effeminate men who wore women's clothes and referred to each other as "Sweets." Strangely, those conversations never included mention of women. Lesbians didn't exist in the construct of the Jehovah's Witness religion at that time. As a child, I didn't understand any of it. I had known from the age of seven who I was, and I knew it wasn't allowed. I was not to exist, as I knew I should. I could not embrace the identity I believed I was.

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The Jehovah's Witnesses have never been tolerant of people like me, and aren't afraid of going out on a limb by publishing their myopic but ever-changing views on homosexuality. In 1976, just before I became a teenager, the Jehovah's Witnesses produced a book for children that explained homosexuality from the JW perspective.

"Should you experiment with your sex organs? Is there anything wrong with rubbing them in some way until the excitement is climaxed?

This practice is called masturbation. It is very common. Lying and stealing are also common today. Yet you wouldn't say this makes them natural and proper, would you? The "common" cold is quite universal, but this certainly doesn't mean that you want it, does it?

Weakly giving in to sexual desires by masturbation will certainly not give you strength when faced with a situation tempting you to commit fornication -- or even homosexuality. Just the opposite, it cultivates wrong thinking and wrong desire. In fact, masturbation can lead into homosexuality. In such instances the person, not satisfied with his lonely sexual activity, seeks a partner for mutual sex play.

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This happens much more frequently than you may realize. Contrary to what many persons think, homosexuals are not born that way, but their homosexual behavior is learned. And often a person gets started when very young by playing with another's sexual parts, and then engaging in homosexual acts." (Your Youth -- Getting the Best out of It, 1976 p.35,36,39)

At my age of twelve, I believed what the Witnesses told me. My impure and sexual thoughts of other boys had only been created by masturbation, apparently -- making me a homosexual. I had certainly discovered the activity of self-pleasure by then, but I resolved to stop such behavior and believed it would result in my ceasing to exist in the way I thought I was. I only needed to be a non-masturbatory boy in order to evolve into a girl-chasing heterosexual, it seemed. So I prayed a lot, hoping it would help.

A few years later, in 1978, two Hollywood homosexuals got married. The Jehovah's Witnesses reported on the event in their Awake! magazine. I read the story and tried to imagine what a homosexual-marrying-church would look like... envisioning a wedding procession with a man wearing a floor-length wedding dress... intrigued to learn about others who might be like me... feeling horrible pangs of guilt for being titillated by a few trivial words describing them. Before then, it had never occurred to me that homosexuals would marry each other. God hated homosexuals, I was told, and that fact came up in religious conversation frequently. People like me should not exist, my religion told me. I didn't understand how effeminate mannerisms connected to homosexuals, or how they related to me, or how I could possibly be a homosexual if I wasn't that way. My prayers frequently included the heartfelt request for help, but the discovery that one homosexual wanted to marry another completely challenged my perception of what it really meant to be one, and to question all the things my father and my religion had said about them. For anyone who hasn't yet embraced the significance that is afforded by marriage equality today, I can tell you that the right to marry is empowering. The recognition that gay marriages could even exist affected me at a time when I was fighting to be someone I wasn't.

So today, the Jehovah's Witnesses have come out with a new video, targeting children and parents and instructing them on the subject of homosexuality and intolerance. I wonder how many children will see it and suffocate their identities, embracing the intolerance of their religion? How many children will embrace self-loathing and shame after watching this video? How many gay children will see this video and believe they are worthy of nothing other than being blank faces in a drawing?
A boomtown pops up out of nowhere to become one of the largest, dirtiest oil projects in the world, much less its Canadian home. It quickly rips open the Earth, devastates its once-pristine natural environment, in an epoch of exponential global warming, and, in search of fast money, balloons from a city of thousands to one of hundreds of thousands in a cosmological eyeblink.

Within that eyeblink, Fort McMurray is also predictably swallowed by a sprawling inferno that threatens to become, employing insurer-speak, one of the largest, costliest "natural disasters" in human history.

It is not for nothing that Fort McMurray was aptly, tragicomically renamed Fort McMoney in creator David Dufresne's foundational cli-fi game, which offered players the opportunity to seize the fate of the doomed boomtown in a collective attempt to shut it down to save themselves -- and the Earth's atmosphere, into which it dumps shameless amounts of greenhouses gases. It is precisely because of this embrace of Fort McMurray's global warming metrics -- which is to say, Reality -- that Dufresne's Fort McMoney won a Canadian Screen Award for best original interactive production for digital media. It didn't shy away from environmental horror; it tackled it head-on.

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Because, as you can see from this video of residents fleeing Fort McMurray as the flames came down, climate change is no game.

The same cannot be said of Alberta, or Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, who shortly after Fort McMurray erupted into flames, deflected its connection to climate change. "There have always been fires, there have always been floods," Trudeau rationalized. "Pointing at any one incident and saying, 'This is because of that,' is neither helpful nor entirely accurate."

Trudeau's discomfort with linking Fort McMoney to runaway global warming is understandable, but ridiculous. There is no earthly way, pardon the pun, to separate an oil boomtown's creation and destruction from climate change in general, or in specifics. The desire to seem impartial on this issue is not only ludicrous, but hypocritical. It does not remotely square with comments Trudeau made only a scant few months ago, while meeting with President Obama.

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"The president and I agree on many things, including, of paramount importance, the direction we want to take our countries in to ensure a clean and prosperous future," Trudeau said. "Canada and the U.S. will stand side by side to confront the pressing needs that face not only our two countries, but the entire planet."

Of course, this is impossible to do by running away from the first major environmental test of your leadership. The same goes for anyone trying to distance the very reason for Fort McMurray's existence -- dirty oil -- from the obvious results of its extractivist charade. We don't get to pick our poison; in an exponentially warming world, there is no running away from climate change when it comes to extreme weather and natural disasters, especially in a tar sands town built on little other than short-term profit and crossed fingers.

So far, economic losses from Fort McMoney's firestorm are in the billions, with no signs of slowing, erasing profits with every parcel of Earth it scorches. When the fires are finally brought under control, there will be many, many more behind them, terrifying reminders that stranded assets like Fort McMurray are better left to stand empty rather than be rebooted in foolishness. Especially when the solar and geothermal industries stand ready to replace them with much cleaner, less lethal opportunities. After all, how many billions did Fort McMurray actually make before it caught fire? If it ends up a wash, with the only winner our catastrophic Anthropocene, will we finally face up to its sheer insanity?

So no, now is not the time for the public or their elected officials or anyone else to ask for a moratorium on mentioning global warming, as Fort McMurray burns to the ground. There has never been a better time to point at this preventable misery and use it as a prime example of what not to do when faced with an existential nightmare. Everyone knows that Fort McMurray should never have been built in the first place.
Thirteen months to be exact, that's how long I went without seeing my boyfriend. I saw him on a screen every day, but not once did I get to hold his hand or wedge my face into that cozy space between his jaw and shoulder.

Leaving Josh wasn't easy. We had met in high school, fallen in love and have been together ever since. Josh and I were the sickly cute couple, building ginger bread houses at Christmas and carving pumpkins on Halloween.

We took road trips around America, tie-dyed t-shirts on weekends and left love notes on each other's cars. We got our first apartment together, adopted two kittens and backpacked around Europe as a duo.

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Our lives were deeply intertwined and after 9 years together, I left him to follow my dreams.

Teaching English abroad was one of those ideas I'd read about in a book and couldn't get off my mind. As I spent my nights waitressing, being yelled at for not bringing ketchup fast enough, the idea was seeming more appealing.

Traveling the world was my dream and actually living abroad felt like a sure way to make it happen. I did some research, worked on a teaching certification online and started to apply for jobs.

Aside from anxiously waiting for replies, I spent my days staring at maps, fantasizing about weekends spent on the Great Wall and vacations to South Korea and Japan.

The day I received the email was one I'm unlikely to forget. "Congratulations, we would like to offer you a teaching position..." I didn't even finish reading it. I nearly threw my laptop on the floor, screaming and running around the house; doing one of those ass-shaking-heavy victory dances.

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"I got it!" I squealed. I looked to Josh to celebrate my victory and was met with a face sporting a supportive grin, but eyes showing disappointment and pain. It was happening, I was leaving him behind to pursue a career and my travel dreams.

During the six months leading up to my move, we thought about what was coming and were happy about the change. Some days however, we wrapped ourselves under the blanket in bed and swore we would never leave.

Plans started to be made and we never questioned the fact that we would stay together, doing long distance until Josh came out to China when my contract finished. He decided to uproot his life too, take our cats and some of his friends to Colorado to live, work and snowboard for the year.

I arranged my visa, and Josh searched online for apartments.

We disassembled our apartment and eventually took a road trip across the country to Colorado. I helped him move into his new apartment. I had to see what it looked like so I could picture him there when we spoke on the phone. Those last few days in Colorado were the worst. Everything we did, I couldn't help but wonder if it would be the last time.

I lost it during our last breakfast that morning in Denver. The waiter must of thought that something was up. The crying never stopped. Not during the ride to the airport, not during our final hug by the terminal and not during the five times I turned around just to look at his face one last time.

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OK, enough with the sap. Leaving each other was hard, but emotions started to level out as we got more comfortable with our new lives. There was plenty to talk about at the end of every day and we loved hearing about each other's adventures. Some days were plagued by loneliness and crying but most weren't.

Life was just how I imagined it would be. I loved my job and everything I encountered seemed interesting. I made friends with people from all over the world, learned to speak some Chinese and transformed myself from waitress/bartender to teacher and freelance tutor.

I visited every single city that I said I would and figured out how to socialize alone. Josh eventually bought a one way ticket to Fuzhou, and we started a countdown until his arrival. The months flew by, and suddenly I found myself digging through my closet, trying to find the perfect outfit to wear for our reunion. I fiddled with my hair, re-did my makeup a few times and couldn't believe how nervous I felt to see someone I had been dating for a huge majority of my life.

This upcoming moment was a scene I had imagined every day for over a year. I pictured a romantic reunion, meeting each other's eyes as he walked into view-crying, hugging and (tactfully) making out.

While it was in fact a grand reunion, it was exactly none of the other things I thought it would be. I got on the bus far too late, left Josh slightly stranded at the gate and approached him as a sweaty mess, too out of breath from running to give him a proper kiss.

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Life got back to normal pretty quickly. Josh met my friends, joined us for day trips to the countryside and drinking binges at our favorite bars. He worked from his computer in my apartment while I taught during the day and we met up for dinner and drinks when we finished.

Our relationship was recovering quite nicely, kind of like we never were apart.

Looking back on my decision to leave, I wouldn't change a thing. It made us better partners, fostering trust and appreciation. To be honest, our relationship has flourished because of the time spent apart and continues to reflect that to this day, nearly a year since we reunited.
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Veteran directors Tsui Hark (second left) and Huang Jianxin (center), alongside Song of Phoenix's lead actor Tao Zeru (second right), promote the late filmmaker Wu Tianming's final feature in Beijing. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

Two years after prominent filmmaker Wu Tianming's death, his last directorial work will debut in the country's cinemas on Friday.

Wu, 74, died of a heart attack in Beijing on March 4, 2014, just a month after he finished Song of Phoenix.

The film revolves around an elderly suona (double-reed horn) performer's aim to pass on the art form amid its falling popularity in modern China.

"Wu was a remarkable and courageous man. He deserves to be not only remembered, but celebrated," says American director Martin Scorsese, in a video promoting the movie.

He was a man who stood up for his belief in freedom, freedom of expression and great human freedom, says the Hollywood icon.

"And, I share that belief."

Wu's name may not be well known to younger Chinese viewers, but he is widely hailed as one of the most influential and significant figures in Chinese cinema.

The former head of Xi'an Film Studio was instrumental in encouraging directors like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige after he took the position in 1983.

His studio reforms, which cut red tape, helped young filmmakers of that time to flourish and thrive.

There were many such instances, some of which were reported by the media.

In 1987, Zhang ran out of money while shooting his directorial debut Red Sorghumwhich became the first Asian film to win a Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1988.

Wu then raised 40,000 yuan (US$6,100) for Zhang, a big sum at the time.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
An Easter excursion out to the Czech borderlands from my hometown of Munich left me contemplating the sadness of artificial borders and the greatness of having somewhere so cheap, so close at hand!

One of the many great things about living in Munich is that you can drive to at least 4 other European countries very easily. It's less than 250km from Munich to the Czech border. Two and a bit hours in a car. Strange then, that I've only been two times previously. The prices are cheap, the food and beer is great, the landscape is appealing and there are some beautiful well preserved small cities to visit.

This third trip was up to Karlovy Vary and on to the Northern borders and the so called Swiss Bohemia national park near Dresden; sort of tracing the arch of the North East border of the country by car.

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The immediate borderland on the Czech side is littered with casinos, brothels and grim little shopping centres selling bulk-pack cigarettes. Things cheer up further in, but the overwhelming atmosphere remains one of emptiness and, to some extent, desolation. The people and the place look so depressed compared to their German equivalents just a few kilometres away. The towns are dilapidated and under-populated.

The spa town of Karlovy Vary is a riot of glamour and wealth in this context. Such a beauty of a town. Running up a little wooded valley, grand 19th century hotels stacked one atop the other on either side. At the valley bottom winds the main promenade, curving its way past a series of colonnades and drinking fountains, serving up the warm curative waters straight from the source. After a few mug-fulls my blood was up and I was ready for a big night out.

Here though the emptiness and poverty of the Czech Republic struck again. A town of over 50 thousand inhabitants, you'd expect to find some cluster of bars and clubs. But no. Once the elderly tourists have hit the sack, or gone for their late night liposuction, the town is left empty. A rock bar and an empty club, both inhabited by very drunk teenagers, was all there was on offer. One passerby told us that if you want any action you have to go out nearer to pay day: Everyone's broke by the end of the month.

The Czech Republic is famous for its low cost of living. A recent survey by the expat community InterNations placed the country as third best in the world for affordable cost of living. But it has not always been so. You only have to look at the architecture of Karlovy Vary and many of the other towns we stopped in, to know that the area has seen much greater wealth than this. Once one of the richest parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it is now a land where wages can be as little as a quarter of what Germans get for the same job. These towns are the sorts of places where, if you're young and talented, you leave. I was struck by the number of residents who knew neither any English nor German.

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The journey Northwards from Karlovy Vary took us through some very industrialised landscapes. Big power stations and open cast mines. Also, some very beautiful territory. Our hiking around the towns of Hrensko and Jetrichovice was spectacular. We climbed up to the famous Pravcicka brana rock right on the dividing line to Germany and saw the gorges and rock formations for which the area is known.

The territory is covered with Pillboxes built to keep Hitler at bay, but never defended as the Czech army surrendered the Sudetenland in 1938. Not the rejuvenation of a centuries old Teutonic dominance, but shortly thereafter, the end of it, as all Germans were expelled from the country at 24 hours notice (just after the war). They weren't allowed to take their wealth with them, but in the long run it looks like they did anyway.
Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards speaks at an event to publicly endorse U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Hooksett, New Hampshire, January 10, 2016. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Two weeks ago, Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards spoke at Georgetown University, an event that drew criticism from some students, alumni and outside organizations, such as the Washington Diocese. There are three reasons why we, alumnae of the school who work on social justice issues, including reproductive justice and ending violence against women, applauded the school's decision to allow Richards to speak on campus.

Conservatives who oppose Richards do so in support of policies and beliefs that cause grave suffering. While millions of members of the Catholic community are dedicated to eradicating poverty and violence, the official hierarchy continues to demonstrate a profound unwillingness to acknowledge that women's agency and reproductive autonomy are absolute prerequisites to the most basic achievement of economic and social justice. A focus on "ending abortion," is only part of a movement that directly and materially contravenes sound and safe medical practice and international human rights. People are denied access to contraception, sexual health information, and life-saving emergency-related care. These policies not only endanger girls and women, but also LTGBQ children and adults. People are poorer, sicker, and more physically vulnerable as a result.

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Last week, California's largest medical association, the 41,000-member California Medical Association (CMA), filed a motion in the state's Superior Court, joining an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawsuit against Dignity Health, which is the fifth largest health-care system in the US. They did this because the directives result in women at Catholic hospitals, all women, being denied basic reproductive health care. Today, the ACLU and MergerWatch released new report, Health Care Denied, showing that in some states, more than 40 percent of all hospital beds are in a Catholic institution. The report is filled with case after case of dangerously degraded care for women. While a typical response to this concern is that people who don't want to go to Catholic hospitals don't have to, the reality is that many and, due to a growing number of mergers, increasing numbers, have no options. As Nicole Knight Shine explained earlier this week it is illegal to withhold medical care from a patient for non-medical reasons. Additionally, despite the fact that these health care systems are religiously affiliated and do not operate according to sound established medical guidelines, they continue to be federally subsidized. We are all implicated in supporting a system that undermines public health and women's safety.

Opposition to Richards' speaking and to her work is opposition to women's safety, health and equality. While anti-abortion advocates stress concern for fetuses and, paternalistically, the emotional-well being of mothers, they are loath to pursue policies that reduce the incidence of abortion or recognize women's self-possession, which includes, if need be, the right to regret, a feeling that fewer than 5 percent of women who have abortions report. If fetal concerns were truly priorities, then medically accurate and comprehensive sex ed and effective contraception would be priorities. They are not. That the US, despite positive change, continues to have the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world and today provides less comprehensive sex ed to students than five years ago, is largely the result of "anti-abortion" related social policies.

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The anti-choice movement is possibly the most organized and significant backlash against women's rights and the changes in gender roles that they engender in the last century. Current religious and political positions on fetal life developed in direct response to women's liberation movements. Robust religious ideas about fetal rights did not develop into public policy until the late twentieth century when feminism illuminated both the exploitation of women, including as mothers, and the role that traditional, highly gendered and hierarchical family structures play in our subjugation. The political, social and economic nexus of this backlash resides in how society thinks about motherhood.

Abortion and birth control, by freeing women from compulsory reproduction at their will, challenge sweeping stereotypes about women's intrinsic natures and roles, threatening the highly deterministic gender frame of conservative worldviews. This is why the anti-choice movement so frequently portrays women who seek abortions and use birth control as "bad"-- licentious, immoral, shallow, irreligious, possible evil-- in other words, incapable of ethical decision-making and in need of guidance. This reasoning feeds legislation justified by arguments that women, incapable of proper self-governing, need protecting, from themselves.

A woman not only has moral, ethical and legal rights to self-determination, birth control and abortion, but by the dictates of the Church, the ability to follow her conscience. As a Catholic, morally she must. However, the practical premise and effective result of anti-choice positions is the portrayal of women as heartless murderers or incompetent children, either way incapable of sound reasoning and necessarily subject to the moral intervention of men. Anti-abortion and contraception arguments built on this denigration of women's moral personhood and humanity are unethical and unjust. They are an insidious and corrosive assault on women's dignity.

One third of all women seek out abortion at some point in their reproductive lives. Catholic women, 98 percent of whom report using contraception, are as likely to have abortions as women of other faiths or non-religious women. Seventy-three percent of women who have abortions identify as religious. In the US, 60 percent of women who decide to end a pregnancy are mothers, capable of reasoning, who are worried about their families and futures. It's insulting to suggest that women, as a class of people, are not fit to know what is best for themselves or are incapable of managing the consequences of their decisions.

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Georgetown commitment, explained in a public statement, to protecting freedom of expression and intellectual rigor while understanding that the opinions of some campus speakers run counter to "the Catholic and Jesuit values that animate our university," is laudable and serves the best interest of students. Richards' appearance meant that they are talking and thinking about complicated, nuanced and challenging issues that will affect their lives profoundly. Those that disagree with Richards had the right to protest, which they exercised. The largely uncommented upon irony here is that, in demanding that Richards not be allowed to appear, conservatives were demanding the kind of safe space that they typically mock.

This week, the school newspaper, The Hoya, is reporting that there has been a "backlash" on campus in response to Richards' appearance. A proposal to change the format of the event, and turn it into a debate, was declined by the student lecture fund, which had worked for four years to get Richards on campus. Those seeking to "balance" the discourse assert that the Lecture Fund's refusal to alter the format shows a lack of commitment to real discourse.

In addition to the fact that "balance" is a difficult word to accept in good faith coming from supporters of an institution that ritually silences women, this argument ignores the appearance of anti-abortion speakers on campus during the same period. On the same day that Richards spoke, anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson appeared on campus and, on the night before, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn appeared on a school panel. Her appearance is particularly reprehensible considering that Blackburn chairs the select committee established to harass Planned Parenthood. While Richards was grilled by Congress for more than four hours, this committee has failed to call under oath David Daleiden, the man now charged with misleadingly editing videos that have been implicated in clinic violence.

It was in part as students at Georgetown, in part as women raised Catholic, and especially as feminists, that we learned how important it is to fight for social equality. It was in part as students at Georgetown, in part as women raised Catholic, and especially as feminists, that we were imbued with the belief in our own humanity and capacity for moral reasoning. We believe that women are ethically competent adult humans, a status denied us by the official Catholic hierarchy's persistent anti-feminism and paternalism. Some ask if Georgetown should be allowed to remain affiliated to the Church; we ask instead why this Church claims to be a legitimate moral arbiter of these issues while treating women in these ways.
Maligning the character of a rising generation seems to be an ingrained proposition for the one that preceded it. Perhaps this is no more the case than with the incessant labeling and lamenting about the parade of young people passing by, from Boomers and Gen Xers to Millennials and beyond.

A case in point can be found in the words of a high school senior from Waterman, Illinois, published 26 years ago by Newsweek. In his essay "Against All Odds, I'm Just Fine," then 18-year-old Brad Wackerlin wrote, "What troubled times the American teenager lives in! Ads for Nike shoes urge us to 'Just do it!' while the White House tells us to 'Just say no.' The baby boomers have watched their babies grow into teens and history has repeated itself ... Once again the generation gap has widened and the adults have finally remembered to remember that teenagers are just no good ..."

With tongue planted firmly in check, Wackerlin went on to specifics, offering up, "If what is being printed in the newspapers, viewed on television and repeated by adults is correct, it is against all odds that I am able to write this article. Adults say the average teenager can't write complete sentences and has trouble spelling big words. Their surveys report that I can't find Canada on a map. According to their statistics, my favorite hobbies are sexual intercourse and recreational drug use. It's amazing that I've found time to write this; from what they say, my time is spent committing violent crimes or just hanging out with a gang. In fact, it is even more amazing that I'm here at all, when you consider that the music I listen to is supposedly 'warping' my mind and influencing me to commit suicide."

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Sarcasm as disclaimer notwithstanding, today's American adolescents and emerging adults face almost unprecedented challenges related to academic achievement, illicit drug use, sexually transmitted diseases, violence and, yes, even suicide. On some issues, the word "epidemic" springs to mind.

Yet what also may be epidemic is a cultural cruelty of cognitive misdirection, emphasizing the negative at the expense of the positive, virtually scrubbing away any vestiges of good work being done well. Or could it be that modern-day youth themselves are simply masquerading as what we tell them they are, brilliantly disguising the softer side of "bad"?

In a 2015 Twitter chat, Paul Greenberg, CEO of Nylon Media, commented on the social awareness of teens and young adults, stating that almost 40 percent of Generation Y/Millennials (between ages 18 to 34 last year) and 60 percent of Generation Z want to have an impact on the world.

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Where's the proof?

Youth Service America reports that, depending on how you do the math, as many as 55 percent of young people ages 12-18 participate in volunteer activities. Recognizing the collective desire of young people to help, the national organization DoSomething.org advocates for "any cause, anytime, anywhere," noting 5,246,763 members worldwide and engaging them in volunteer campaigns focused on issues including the environment, discrimination, poverty, "And everything else ..."

Of course corporate America plays a role as well by incentivizing employees into civic-minded service - including the Millennials now flooding the workforce. Last year, Fortune magazine noted "a spirit of philanthropy" among many of its 100 Best Companies to Work For, "including quite a few that make sure workers who take initiative are treated well." Specifically, the magazine called out Deloitte, Novo Nordisk, NuStar Energy, PCL Construction, Autodesk, Salesforce, NetApp, Stryker, Cadence and VMWare.

Other companies, such as Allstate Insurance Company, empower both employees and youth. For example, through its Bring Out the Good Month and Helping Hands in the Community programs, Allstate says it encourages "an environment that creates community advocates: employees, agency owners and other champions who become inspired by compelling opportunities to give back."

On the youth side of the ledger, Allstate and The Allstate Foundation partner with WE Day to empower young people to create change in their communities and the world. Together, through WE Day's yearlong educational program, WE Schools, they provide young people with "the tools to build character, achieve more at school and become better citizens through volunteer activities." That important work is recognized annually through WE Day events across the globe.

Perhaps more to the point, the company's They Say Project points out the disparity between commonly held perceptions of young people as a drag on society and the reality of the same young people sustaining and advancing that same society. It encourages youth to take to social media to show how they're so much more than what #theysay.

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When attached to a national or global business or organization, the civic engagement of Millennials and Gen Zers is easy to see and track. What may be more difficult to quantify is the work of individuals who strike out on their own to volunteer or to even create new activities and organizations that promote meaningful social change. For them, philanthropist Lauren Bush Lauren offered in TIME magazine some insights on how make a maximum impact. They included marrying one's skill set and expertise with something of personal significance.

Makes sense. And, here, stories are more powerful than statistics.

First up is the story of Jared Aaronson. A native of southern Connecticut, Jared was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma during his sophomore year at the College of Charleston. Eschewing calls to return home for treatment, Aaronson instead continued his studies while undergoing chemotherapy at the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. Looking back, Aaronson recently told the Charleston City Paper, "My experience was a walk in the park compared to so many other people." He continued, "Chemotherapy sucked, but I knew my chances were good. I realized it wasn't just me suffering, it was all of us - my family and friends suffered with me."

Indeed, with his support structure intact, Aaronson survived six months of treatment and found, along the way, that his innate sense of positivity and passion for all things music could unite in a new initiative to benefit others. In December 2015, he began to lay the groundwork for a national "audio-therapy tour" to bring music, smiles and hope to cancer patients - and those who work to heal them - across the country. Through his GoFundMe campaign, Aaronson has raised $13,500 toward his $16,000 goal. He'll hit the road with friend Paul Schmidt - a fellow disc jockey and videographer - in September 2016.

Of his upcoming mission, Aaronson told me, "If I can make one person's day a little easier at each stop, it will be worth everything. The support I've seen already has been incredible and it is developing more every day. I'm beyond excited."

Halfway across the country, Chicagoan Genevieve Liu will soon commemorate the fourth anniversary of her father's horrible - if heroic - death. Dr. Donald C. Liu, a prominent pediatric surgeon, drowned while saving two boys in Lake Michigan. Though surrounded by family and friends in the close-knit community of Hyde Park, Liu told me, she felt immensely lonely until she was introduced to a classmate who had lost her mom. It was then, she said, that she saw the first sign of light that would eventually (and quickly) inspire her to found an online nonprofit resource for other young people suffering under similar circumstances.

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In an interview for the Chicago Tribune, Liu explained, "After losing my dad, I questioned whether I was still going to be able to live the life I felt like I was supposed to live, whether I could accomplish the same things. I felt all of these new responsibilities." Yet amid so many questions, Liu knew one thing for sure: she wanted to help others. That desire culminated in her founding the Donald C. Liu SLAP'D (Surviving Life After a Parent Dies) Foundation, a charity that "provides support and resources to young people who are coping with the death of a parent."

Of SLAP'D, she told the Tribune, "The mission is to let a lot of people who've lost a parent know they're not alone and to gain strength from each other."

Now a high school junior, Liu, a student member of the national advisory board at the Center for Adolescent Research and Education (CARE), spoke to me about the value of giving something back - or perhaps paying something forward. She stated "Through SLAP'D I hope to empower individuals, especially those who are grieving, to find one another and to achieve a sense of hope through connection."
In his post last month, Tom Lounibos wrote that "it is increasingly clear that we are at the beginning of a massive, disruptive digital transformation that is fundamentally changing the way we live, work and consume."

Last September in a piece for Forbes Steve Andriole wrote that "everyone wants to transform their businesses, and everyone who's alive knows that transformation now depends on digital technology." He also cited an Altimeter report, which essentially revealed that while many marketers say they are digitally transforming, as it were, very few of them even know what the term means.

I liken it to all the marketers out there who claim to be doing mobile marketing yet in reality their idea of mobile is having an optimized site. You know those marketers I refer to. They're the same ones who said they "in social media" when that came into vogue when it reality all it meant was they had created a Twitter account.

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It is quite clear, however, that many marketers are finally waking up the fact that digital and the impact it has on pretty much everything is here to stay. Quite frankly I am surprised it has taken so many so long to awaken to what's been going on around them for the past 10+ years.

Daniel Newman, in a piece this past March, referenced Forrester research that showed that only 27% of brands actually have a real life, functional digital strategy. However, Newman also pointed out that according to Gartner and the IDC, there will be a large growth in digital initiatives and revenue over the next four years.

So What Is Digital Transformation?



In his piece Andriole said "digital transformation refers to the changes associated with the application of digital technology in all aspects of human society."

Lluis Altes believes digital transformation is the path that any company and public institution wishing to survive in today's world must follow. "Every day thousands of technological solutions appear as a response to the needs of SMEs and large corporations," he says. "Sectors like agriculture, health, banking, industry, retail and tourism are exploring challenges and opportunities that have come with the digital revolution. As a result of this and thanks to innovation, new business models have appeared while IT departments have become the focus of digital transformation in the business world."

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Altes is the Strategy Director of the Digital Enterprise Show, which will be held later this month in Madrid. The show will be open to all organizations and leaders that are facing the challenges of digitally transforming their businesses and becoming part of the new digital economy.

Not to beat a dead horse here, but again, I have to say how surprised I am to learn that a digital transformation is still something even being discussed let alone the need to have an entire event on it.

But perhaps I am in the minority.

Perhaps, as Lounibos says, there is a "narrow-minded view that digital transformation and automation kill jobs." And as such many have been fearful of admitting the truth, which is digital marketing is no longer a type of marketing. It is the type of marketing.

All marketing is digital.
If you care about protecting the environment, if you care about raising revenue for the state, if you care about protecting young people, if you care about communities harmed by our past drug policies, if you care about racial justice, then you should care about the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). This was the theme repeated again and again at the kick-off event for the campaign to legalize marijuana in California yesterday as they celebrated the submission of over 600,000 signatures to county officials around California, more than enough to ensure that AUMA will be on the ballot this November.

Speakers and supporters at the event demonstrated the broad-based coalition who support the smart and responsible regulation of marijuana put forth by AUMA. They included people who influenced and participated in drafting of AUMA to ensure that it encompasses and reflects the best, most responsible policy, including members of the state's Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy, and leading experts in environmental protection, public health, racial justice, and drug policy.

Supporters of AUMA who spoke at the press conference included a motley crew of respected Californians--Lieutenant Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa); Dr. Donald I. Abrams, Chief, Hematology-Oncology Division at San Francisco General Hospital and Professor of Clinical Medicine, UCSF; Stephen Downing, former Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Deputy Chief, 21-year law enforcement veteran; Michael Sutton, former President of the California Fish and Game Commission, former Vice President of National Audubon Society and measure co-proponent; Alice Huffman, President, California NAACP; Marsha Rosenbaum, Director Emerita, Drug Policy Alliance & Co-Chair, Youth Education and Prevention Working Group, Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy; and representatives of social-justice advocacy organizations including the Drug Policy Alliance, Marijuana Policy Project and the national office of NORML.

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Following in the footsteps of Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, the California initiative is designed to allow the responsible use of marijuana by adults. It establishes a strict regulatory system that will allow for taxed and regulated businesses to be licensed to produce and distribute marijuana in a legal market.

But these speakers did not show up and stand on the stage simply because AUMA legalizes marijuana. Instead, these speakers came from throughout the state, and even from Congress in D.C., to throw their support behind AUMA because of how AUMA legalizes marijuana. Learning from states that have already legalized marijuana, this ballot measure focuses on undoing the most egregious harms of marijuana prohibition--including reducing the criminalization of people, the costs of which have been largely borne by some individuals and communities of color; restoring and protecting public lands and waterway that have been damaged and destroyed though the lack of regulation and control of marijuana that exists under current law; and protecting youth to ensure that they no longer have easy access to marijuana as they do under an unregulated uncontrolled system.

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Many of the speakers stepped outside of their respective fields of expertise and spoke simply as parents and grandparents. They all felt AUMA improved upon the status quo for protecting the state's youth. Because under AUMA, youth are denied access to marijuana and protected from advertising and marketing and that if they do get in trouble with marijuana it does not become a gateway for their entry into the criminal justice system and a way that leads them with lifelong collateral consequences.

The AUMA will make the Golden state the gold standard for marijuana policy and ending prohibition.

Tamar Todd directs the Drug Policy Alliance's Office of Legal Affairs.
Donald Trump, narcissist in chief, will be the Republican Party nominee for president. Some people will actually be voting for Trump in November. Hillary Clinton has to be feeling pretty good about her chances, although even Clinton's strongest supporters should be worried about Trump's unpredictable rise. Frankly, it's painful to reflect upon the current state of American politics. How have things gotten this bad? What might happen next?

A few days ago, Eliot Cohen -- a prominent conservative -- penned a Washington Post op-ed in which he argued that the time for a third-party candidate has arrived.

Here's part of Cohen's piece:

Even if a third candidacy still yielded a Clinton victory, it would be worthwhile. It would, first, deny the Clinton campaign the illusion of a mandate from American voters who would have, en masse, turned out to reject Trump. If nothing else, a strong third-candidate vote would send her a message to govern from the center, rather than in deference to her party's increasingly powerful left wing.

"A new, center-right party may be necessary -- we cannot yet tell," says Cohen. He goes on to assert that a "vote for Clinton is to sacrifice standards and endorse policies and conduct no conservative should; not to vote at all is an escape, not a civic deed."

Back in March, conservative commentator Reihan Salam argued that Mitt Romney should run for president as a third-party candidate. Salam makes a number of good points.

Here's a paragraph from that Slate piece:

In his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, Romney often seemed to be fighting his own instincts to fit the demands of Republican primary voters. As a third-party candidate, he would have a much freer hand. He could try taking a page from his father, George Romney, who ran for governor of Michigan as a centrist reformer, a race he won by a comfortable margin. The elder Romney devoted his time in office to bettering the lives of Michigan's poorest citizens, including the children and grandchildren of black migrants from the Deep South. During his short-lived 1968 presidential campaign, he promised to spark an economic revival in the inner cities, rural communities, and American Indian reservations that had been left behind by the postwar boom. If Mitt channeled George's inclusive spirit in 2016, he could offer a way forward for the post-Trump right. Just as the death of the Whig Party led to the rise of Abraham Lincoln's Republicans, an independent Romney campaign could pave the way for a new center-right party free of the GOP's baggage.

Salam concludes the article by saying that Romney "would be a formidable candidate if he chose to join the campaign, and he would give anti-Trump conservatives a reason to fight this fall."

Remember the Republican Party post-mortem that followed the 2012 presidential election? There was talk about reforming the party and building a more inclusive platform. There seemed to be an acknowledgement that, across the country, irreversible demographic trends could no longer be ignored. Immigration and more open-mindedness on social issues were supposed to be a big part of that. Unfortunately, instead of a more thoughtful and inclusive message, the GOP seems to be going with a racist, misogynistic strongman who has virtually no knowledge about policy.

Trump's candidacy shouldn't embarrass people just because they are Republicans, though of course his rise is deeply embarrassing for the Republican Party. In a way, Trump's candidacy should embarrass us all -- as Americans.
Christ Healing the Lepers



A MEDIEVAL CHURCH in England first introduced me to the "leper's squint." It was a V-shaped chink, no larger than a hand, chiseled into the exterior wall. Through it, lepers could look into the sanctuary, but from a distance -- enough that parishioners would not fear their contagion or glimpse their disfigurements. At most, these "squints" were a mere slit of window offering a narrow view of the altar and the services that were denied them. It was an architectural feature that, some might say, reflected both a baseless fear and a less than Christian attitude.



Reading today's headlines I am reminded of those squints and of the mindset that created them. Of course, these days no one builds a squint for those they loathe or fear. Instead, they pass laws in the name of "religious freedom" (theirs, not others') that will grant them a safe distance from the contagion of those they dread or condemn. It is no longer lepers who send shudders (that contagion was far less communicable than imagined) but rather gay and transgender neighbors. Like their Medieval forbearers, proponents of these laws choose to distance themselves from "the other." These good Christians believe that being trans is a pathology and being gay, a moral affliction and "abomination." Some cite Leviticus: 20:13 even suggesting they should be put to death, an idea embraced by a pastor in Kansas, another in Arizona, another in Colorado, another in Nebraska. (Perhaps they were inspired by executions of gays in Iran and Saudi Arabia, nations not always celebrated for their judicial enlightenment.)

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Finally, and most portentously, the faithful see gays as a threat to their own heterosexual marriages. Among those who claim to have suffered directly is the beleaguered governor of Alabama, Robert J. Bentley. He blames the collapse of his fifty-year marriage not on his alleged affair with a staffer, but on the nation's acceptance of same-sex unions and its corrupting influence. (And Bentley knows a thing or two about corruption.) Like many who say God is with them, the governor often cites the Good Book, though the passages he chooses tend to place him on the moral high ground at the expense of others. In 2011, after his inauguration, he declared "Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother." (Just not gays.)

Bentley is one of those who believes no one of faith should be made to come in contact with those whose sexual orientation offends them. Often they invoke the name of Jesus. (No apparent relation to the Jesus in Matthew 8 who lays a healing hand on a leper and spread a Gospel of inclusive love.)

Of course, Bentley and his ilk -- Indiana's Governor Mike Pence and Phil Bryant of Mississippi, among them -- are far too sophisticated and politically savvy to spew hate speech. They have learned from history to be more subtle and to couch their bigotry in the loftiest of texts, most notably the Constitution and the Bible. Modern-day pariahs, they say, are loved, just not served, tended to or treated as fellow Christians. Is it not, they argue, the right of every God-fearing Christian to be fearful of those who are not like themselves? (Some of Trump's best friends, he reminds us, are Muslims.) They are right to a point: democracies must tolerate the intolerant, but only so far as words and thoughts -- not deeds. Otherwise, we may soon be seeing "straight-only" drinking fountains and emergency room physicians turning away patients for being gay.

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Where prejudice is concerned, it's a slippery slope from wedding cake to hospital gurney. "We are described as a Christian Nation," wrote one of America's first black anthropologists, W. Montague Cobb, "but the parable of the Samaritan has no meaning in regions where the critically injured may be turned away to die, because hospitals in those areas do not admit patients of their skin color." That was 1948. Already, in some states, housing, employment, and adoption services may be withheld from gays -- all in the name of conscience.

Indeed, as it turns out, God, the almighty and beneficent, is neither, at least as indicated by the religious freedom acts. He must be bigoted and prone to error, otherwise, why would his parishioners have to sort out His mistakes? The vast array of creatures He created, still the most resplendent testament to diversity, we are asked to believe, was never intended to suggest that there is virtue in variety. No, they find grace only in sameness, recognizing as they do, their own perfection. Such a faith comes perilously close to self-love, or vanity as it is known, a deadly sin, but one that can be ignored in pursuit of God's ultimate purpose. And that purpose is made manifest by the florists, wedding photographers, bakers, caterers, counselors and others of Montgomery and Jackson who would turn their backs on those seeking help or celebrating their love for another human being.

History is replete with instances of believers convinced they can identify God's blunders, separating the human wheat from the chaff. It is a rare gift indeed to understand who God prefers, and who better than a legislature to be tasked with protecting their right to deprive others of theirs. Humble Moses was reluctant to allow God to use him as his messenger, but there is no such reluctance on the part of the lawmakers of Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and North Carolina -- America's answer to the Mullahs. These same legislators or their progenitors, unbowed by a somewhat checkered history of speaking for Him, have shown themselves eager to defend the Word. Alabama's Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Roy Stewart Moore, despiser-in-chief of gay marriage, insisted the Ten Commandments be displayed prominently. (I imagine he regards Mathew 19:19 - you know, the one about loving "thy neighbor as thyself" -- as more of a suggestion, than an actual commandment.)



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But these states are practiced in determining who is worthy of God's love and human kindness. We need not mention slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, poll taxes, or bans on intermarriage. Nor their support of involuntary sterilization of the mentally infirmed and epileptics -- the lepers of their day. Nor that they were among the last to ratify a woman's right to vote. (See Corinthians 11:3 say "The head of the woman is man?") No, these lawmakers know their Bible and their business equally well when identifying who are among the elected (they are, literally.)

Bashing Alabama and its brethren states gives me no pleasure. After all, my father's family, Jewish refugees from Lithuania and the Ottoman Empire, arrived in Mobile, Alabama with no more than the Talmud and a samovar more than a century ago. And there, they were welcomed. My grandfather served as the rabbi in Mobile. Never did he have cause to complain about his treatment in that community. When my father spoke of Mobile, he did so with unflagging affection. I choose to believe that that is the true face and heart of the South, not that which promotes these so-called "religious freedom" bills; they are but a vocal minority that has been allowed to dredge up all the old stereotypes of prejudice and backwardness. The disservice they do is not only to LGBTs, but to themselves, their states, their nation, and their faith.

The greatest Republican of all was not a man who wore his religion on his sleeve, far from it, but Abraham Lincoln saw fit in his 1861 inaugural, as the nation teetered on the brink of civil war, to appeal to "the better angels of our nature." His challenge was not resolved by war or time. It continues to this day.

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Ecclesiastes offers us the long view: "nothing new under the sun." Scripture in defense of bigotry is familiar cant. As ignorance once drove even the devout to shun the leper, so today it drives the fearful to distance themselves from those whose sexual identity or love does not mirror their own. But, at the risk of quibbling with the Bible, there is much that is new, including a pope who famously asks "Who am I to judge?" And recently, the Vatican issued an apostolic report, two years in the making, fittingly entitled "Amoris Laetitia" -- The Joy of Love. Pope Francis does not embrace same-sex marriage, but he does ask the Church to minister to all who come unto it -- including gays. Indeed, today, the place of the bigot and the long-shunned have changed places. It is the bigot who now stands decidedly outside the mainstream, peering in through the narrowness of his or her own intolerance.
For Teen Vogue, by Andrea Navarro.



Photo: FilmMagic

Tattoos can be everlasting memories, or they can eventually become huge regrets. People get inked for a ton of different reasons -- from an impulse decision to something very personal. Either way, there may come a time when you just don't want that tattoo anymore, but the removal options are limited.

Those who choose to go through a laser tattoo removal process will not only have to spend a ton of money, but there's also a huge time commitment. The only other options are getting more ink to cover them up, or using a ton of makeup to hide them. A team of New York University students and graduates are looking to change that with their latest project.

Seung Shin and Seung Anthony Lam started their company, Ephemeral, to develop a tattoo ink that won't last forever. Seung Shin told Washington Square News that the dye molecules in Ephemeral tattoo ink are small and confined in a special capsule. With Ephemeral tattoos, all an artist has to do is retrace the ink with a tattoo gun filled with their special removal solution.

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Shin hopes to influence the tattoo industry sooner, rather than later. "Five years down the road, I hope we've substantially dented the tattoo industry, its culture and its future," he said. "I hope to see a lot more people with ink," he added. If in five years we're able to erase our tattoos and lose that fear of commitment, there's no doubt tattoo shops will see a growth in customers.
Going into Tuesday's Democratic primary in Indiana, polls showed Bernie Sanders trailing Hillary Clinton by around 7 percent. The final tally had Sanders up by 6 percent, a 13 point difference that seems to follow a pattern of polling discrepancies in this primary process that are quite troubling. A couple of weeks ago I shared a post containing statistics compiled from CNN and the New York Times figures comparing Democratic Party primary exit polls and final election results. The numbers show a significant discrepancy between the two, favoring Hillary Clinton in all but one of the primaries by an average of 9.02 percent and in the New York primary by 16 percent. The post carried an incendiary headline, suggesting election fraud, which caused quite a ruckus. I'm glad it did. We need to have this discussion.



This posting led to the predictable onslaught of internet trolls calling me crazy, conspiracy theorist, etc., all the talking points that are being masterminded by the sleaze-meisters over at David Brock's Correct the Record, a Hillary Clinton Super PAC. The post also brought criticism from the mainstream media, but that is no surprise to me. I've been there before. In the 2002-3 campaign to stop the Iraq war, others and I were characterized as crazy, conspiracy theorists, etc., as mainstream media shamefully abdicated its role in a functioning democracy by becoming a propaganda arm for Bush and Co. Yes. The New York Times did that, and the Washington Post and ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, PBS, NPR etc. We, the millions who across the world were saying no, who were aware of the lies that Bush and Co. were telling, were ignored by the mainstream media, marginalized as radicals and told by pundits to shut our unpatriotic mouths.

So when that happened to me again two weeks ago, often by the same organizations that had marginalized me for my opposition to the war in 2002-3, I recognized the familiarity of it all. Could my post have touched a nerve? It certainly did with Joshua Holland, who wrote in Raw Story that I was involved with a "rabbit hole of misinformation and conspiracism." He then goes on to refute the claims of election fraud with seemingly empirical statistical evidence. Now, I am not a mathematician. But Richard Charnin is. He has two master's degrees in applied mathematics and has followed presidential elections since 1952. He took issue with Mr. Holland's article. I defer to his expertise: "Election Fraud: Response to Joshua Holland."

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Mr. Charnin and others who study this issue contend that there are strong indications of election fraud in the Democratic primaries. We might not like it, it might make us uncomfortable, but the numbers and the statistics suggest that something untoward is happening. I understand the immensity of the message being sent. I am being told to shut up about this. I get it. But forgive me for not trusting the Washington Post or any of the mainstream media to put their resources into real investigative journalism that could get to the bottom of this. In the past, mainstream media has shown itself to be a willful participant in propagating political narratives sympathetic to establishment interests, narratives that are untrue and ultimately detrimental to the citizens the press purports to serve. So, I could be wrong about this, but is it possible that the emperor once again is out there buck-naked?

Most of the mainstream media have, for the past seven years, spoken of Hillary Clinton as the presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee. Any narrative outside of this was ignored or attacked until this pesky, independent and un-owned candidate named Bernie Sanders reminded us that the American people might have something to say about who the next president is. And the people started turning out in great numbers to tell the Democratic Party that they want more out of them, that they want a strong alternative to business as usual. And this movement was met with condescension. The anointers of Hillary told us that Bernie Sanders's ideas were unrealistic, pie in the sky fantasies and continued to ignore the massive grassroots movement that was happening. Establishment figures lambasted Bernie supporters as sexist and racist and uninformed, or just college girls wanting to meet boys. Soon, after Bernie started winning primaries and caucuses, our friends in the media told us that it was mathematically impossible for Bernie to secure the nomination even though the same was true of his opponent and only 300 delegates separated the two candidates. Then after the disparities between New York exit polls and the final vote count we were told that exit polls are unreliable even as the media continues to use exit polls daily to mold public opinion.

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I remain deeply concerned with the disparity in the statistics and with the dysfunctions in our electoral system, as do many in the Democratic Party. Telling us we are crazy and conspiracy theorists may undermine our message but it doesn't make the problem go away, and as Americans it is all of our problem.

There is a massive effort underway in our country to disenfranchise voters. The Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act was a shot across the bow, empowering every bigot in a position of power to begin restricting, with legal authority, the right of individuals to vote. New restrictions in Arizona and North Carolina are apparent Republican strategies to try and deny the vote to African American and Latino voters. I understand that lawyers within our party are working to change that by the general election. I hope they do.

But doesn't it undermine our argument if we tolerate irregularities in our own primaries? 125,000 voters purged in Brooklyn? Broken machines? Polling sites not opening until noon? 60,000 new voters sent a mailing telling them the primary was in September? Votes for Sanders allegedly being erased in Chicago? And what the hell happened up in Massachusetts? If we, as Democrats, are committed to protecting the disenfranchised then why are we allowing Democratic voters to be disenfranchised? There is something seriously wrong with a registered voter showing up to their polling place to find that their name is not on the rolls or that their party affiliation has been changed, making them ineligible.



After the debacle in Florida in 2000 we came to understand that electronic voting machines manufactured by Diebold were tampered with in certain key districts in Florida, including Volusia County where Al Gore's vote tally was somehow in negative margins (-16,022). It turns out that unlike those old rickety hand-lever machines, these new electronic machines were much more susceptible to massive vote tampering. Yet we still used these electronic machines. And in 2004 it happened again in Ohio where 94,442 votes cast primarily on opi-scan machines remain uncounted because of incorrect calibration. In Ohio's Mahoning County, the Board of Elections admitted that on 31 electronic voting machines, votes hopped from Kerry to Bush.

It is my understanding that the data that both parties have on the voting tendencies of certain districts is very specific. If polling data suggested that two or three districts could swing an election, is it really unimaginable that supporters of that candidate might try to tamper with the machines in that district?

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In the 2008 New York primary Barack Obama tallied no votes in Harlem, a predominantly African American district. In fact 80 election districts, many heavily African American in demographics, initially reported ZERO votes for Obama (New York Times). In this case, embarrassed city officials reviewed the tallied votes and found several inaccuracies. The votes were recounted, still favoring Sen. Clinton, often by an extremely narrow margin. The Board of Elections blamed these inaccuracies on "human error." Was anyone called to task for it? Was the person responsible for that fired? No. Nothing was done.

So forgive me for having doubts about the recent numbers in the New York primary. I noticed a huge discrepancy between the CNN exit polls, which had Hillary up by 4 percent, and the end results that had her up 16 percent. There was a 7.8 percent discrepancy in Massachusetts and in the Ohio primary a 10 percent discrepancy. The margin of error on exit polls is 4 percent.

If this was one of the elections we monitor overseas wouldn't we call foul? A 16-point difference? In Florida 2000 we called foul. In Ohio 2004 we called foul. But Bernie Sanders's supporters notice a discrepancy and we are told we are crazy and that exit polls are unreliable. Really? I'm not sure that is true. But if it is, why on earth use them? Why do we hear endless data from exit polling on every election night? And as I write I am watching CNN tell me that exit polls suggest that 60 percent of Bernie supporters will support Hillary in the general election. Should I believe this? Is it just my inability to apply doublethink effectively that leaves me so confused?

Most importantly, if we cannot rely on exit polls, then what is to prevent people from hacking into electronic voting machines to change people's votes? Princeton Professor Ed Felten showed us how easy that is to do. All it takes is knowledge of the software and one voter card with a virus to flip the votes on that machine. Our votes are counted by for-profit, potentially partisan companies using secret proprietary software. Diebold, indicted for bribery, falsifying documents, and "a worldwide pattern of criminal conduct" after the 2004 election, renamed itself Premier and then was acquired by ES&S. So who currently holds the patent on the software used with ES&S voting machines, estimated to count and tabulate 80 percent of the U.S. vote in the next election? That would be a useful thing to know, wouldn't it?
In May 2015, UC Irvine was offered a donation of $6 million from the nonprofit the Dharma Civilization Foundation. Such an endowment, in these hard financial times, seemed like a gift too good to be true. Yet, sustained campaign from faculty and graduate students forced the University to reject the gift. The move created (mostly negative) headlines everywhere.

Along with several of my colleagues who study South Asia, I was a signatory to the open letter that urged UC Irvine to reject the donation.

We argued that the Dharma Civilization Foundation (DCF) was

part of a right-wing Hindu group of organisations that has been known to undermine Indian pluralism through an agenda that seeks to redefine true "Indianness" in terms of a historically-fabricated continuity in "Indic" religions (a list of religions that excludes the sub-continent's traditions of Islam, Christianity and Zoroastrianism), and a privileging of upper-caste, "Vedic" Hindu identity. The DCF, although registered as a US non-profit organisation, is directly tied, through its office holders and its ideological roots, to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (hereafter RSS), an organization that is the main proponent of the political ideology of Hindu nationalism, or "Hindutva."

Once the letter was in the public domain our inboxes began to fill with hate mail. The various kinds of threats, many physical, were expected. After all you do not challenge the RSS, with its extensive history of violence, with the expectation that they are going to go gently into the California night.

But perhaps more nefarious than threats of direct violence was the claim that we were lining up with racist "westerners" and assisting in their age old plot to undermine India and Indians. Some of these emails tried to explain to us how we were undermining multiculturalism in the US.

It is always somewhat energizing to be taught antiracism by adherents of the RSS, one of whose founding ideologues, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was a great admirer of Hitler and one of whose members, Nathuram Godse, assassinated Mahatma Gandhi for being too 'generous' to Muslims.

But now another 'controversy' looms before us as a struggle unfolds over how 'Hinduism', or Indian history, is taught at the K-12 level in California public schools.

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Leading South Asianists have recommended that school textbooks use the phrase "the religion of Ancient India" rather than "Hinduism or "the religion of India." They argue that students ought to be taught about the caste system, especially the "the phenomenon of untouchability." The committee of scholars whose members had "been raised in Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish faiths" further explained that the idea of Hinduism as a uniform, single religion with definite structures and texts is a relatively modern one:

When we consider how Hinduism (indeed, any religion) is practiced today, there are so many strands and such a variety of beliefs and practices that someone belonging to one form of Hinduism may be unaware of other forms of Hindu practice. The input from one particular strand of Hinduism today is important for understanding that unique interpretation of Hinduism, but that is only one view within a very large mosaic of Hindu beliefs and practices.

Of course these colleagues faced a renewed bout of attacks from the Hindu right following these recommendations. There is even a petition urging parents with children in the California school system to act against these scholarly recommendations because apparently there is now a danger of erasing "India and Hinduism from California's schools".

I started writing this column to raise questions about whether certain religions were monolithic. With a Trump nomination assured and some Hindus, in the name of all Hindus, deciding to campaign for him, it seems the right moment to talk about the ahistorical claims of a unitary Hinduism.

Salma's Laxmi

My grandparents bought a house in Calcutta in the early 1960s, while still living in Dhaka, then in East Pakistan. Dhaka was the city where they had brought up four children, built their work-lives, had loved and shared the city together. I suppose by today's definition my grandparents would be called "Hindu." But both of them, born in the first decade of the twentieth century, were avowed atheists with lifelong involvement in social justice politics.

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In the Calcutta of the 1960s my grandmother met a young woman. Let's call her Salma. She lived in the slums that bordered the houses of the rich of South Calcutta and she was Muslim. She worked as a domestic help in homes, mostly owned by Hindus.

Salma's family was from Dhaka; they had moved to India before Salma was born right before the riots of 1946.

"Wouldn't you like to visit Dhaka sometimes, Salma?" My grandmother asked her one day."I have been" replied Salma crossly, "but am never going back.""Why not?" asked my grandmother with some surprise."Well, the Mussalmans [muslims] there [i.e. in East Pakistan] laughed at me because I worshipped goddess Laxmi. I might be a Muslim Mrs Nandy, but it doesn't mean I am going to give up my right to worship Laxmi!"

My grandmother, an atheist 'Hindu,' put her arms around Salma, the 'Muslim,' who was outraged at being mocked for worshipping Laxmi--by all accounts (textual, popular, and theological) a Hindu goddess.

It made sense to both of them that their deeply embedded lifehistories in multiethnic cities, on multiple registers, could never be captured by the inadequate labels of "hindu" and "muslim." The labels were too small to fit life.

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It is now hard for me to recall this story, told to me as a child, veiled as it now is by an archive of grief and a sense of panic. In sharp contrast to this story, my own youth in India, from the late 1980s, was spent in the shadow of a very precise Hinduism--Hindutva--that claims a uniform and linear history going back thousands of years.

This Hinduism has a clear sense of who are Hindus and who are not. There is no room for Salma in this Hinduism. There is hardly any room for my grandmother.

I hardly remember the school leaving finals I took in 1987, instead what I remember of that year are the riots that swept through Meerut, Moradnagar and Maliana. What marks 1992 for me is not my college graduation but the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the anti-Muslim pogroms that followed. Perhaps we should have known then that this was prologue for Gujarat in 2002.

Throbbing alongside the gruesome numerals of Muslim deaths is the everyday, constant violence against Dalits by caste Hindus. Today in Mr. Modi's shining India 13 Dalits are murdered, 21 Dalit women are raped and 5 Dalit homes are burnt, each week. According to some estimates there is a crime committed against a Dalit person in India every 18 minutes.

The only public Hinduism I have experienced in my lifetime is one drenched in riots, pogroms and anti-Dalit violence.

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So we look back, to a time before this Hinduism. For sometimes, in order to look ahead, we have to look back.

Origins of "Hindu"

The word 'Hindu' began life as a geographic and then an ethnic term, not a religious one.

Hindu, is a Persian variant of the Sanskrit word Sindhu, originally used by the Achamaenid Persians to describe both the land and the people beyond the Indus or Sindhu River. The word can be found in inscriptions from as early as 517 BCE. It refers to the Indus people, or Indians. For over a thousand years, Hindu as a geographic and ethnic category referred to all Indians.

Indeed "Hindu" as a specific religion is utterly absent in early Indian history. This is because people did not belong to specific religions, but rather to specific religious tendencies/sects (eg. Shaivite) or castes (eg. Brahman). To refer to the group of people inclusive of all of those sects and caste groupings as 'Hindu' would have made little sense to contemporaries.

It is important to note that there was also no corporate identity for "Muslims" as a homogenous religious grouping. Arabs, Afghans Turks and other invaders and travellers from the West were referred to variously as Tajika, Yavana, Saka, Turuska or mleccha: none of these terms carried religious connotations.

The umbrella term: Hinduism--so common today in popular and even some academic writing--is actually of very recent vintage. It strenuously groups together beliefs, rites and practices that have little in common, have different beginnings and often hostile histories to each other.

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HinduISM or Hindu Religions?

The differences between the various kinds of Hindu orders/sects are so great that it is more accurate to talk about Hindu ReligionS rather than HinduISM.

Let us consider just three (many more exist) such expressions of being 'Hindu'.

1. Vedic Hinduism is taken by many on the Hindu far Right, to be the sole representative of HinduISM.

Mid-to-late second millennium B.C.E. is generally accepted to be the timeline for the composition of the Rig Veda.

This 'Hinduism' accords a central role to the ritual sacrifice (yajna), has a wide pantheon of deities and sees the Brahman priest as the chief intermediary between the gods and humanity. Indeed, the role of the Brahman, and hence caste hierarchy, is so central to this form of 'Hinduism' that it has rightly been called Brahmanical Hinduism in clear distinction from other kinds.

The changing social conditions of the first millennium BCE proved to be significant for the fate of this kind of 'Hinduism'.

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New agricultural techniques increased social wealth, in turn giving rise to trade, new urban centers and new social classes. Buddhism and Jainism were the two main religious tendencies that arose at this time as a direct challenge to Vedic Hinduism. Buddha and Mahavira were steadfastly opposed to the ritual of the sacrifice, to caste hierarchy and to the Brahman priest as the sole arbitrator for faith.

These new religions can be grouped under the term Sramanism (Sramana-mendicant) referring to the various ascetic and renunciatory religious traditions and sects of this period.

Accounts of foreign travellers give us a sense of how important these anti-Brahmanical religions were. Both the Greek traveler, Megasthenes, who visited India in late fourth century BCE, and the Chinese traveler Xuanzang, who visited India in seventh century CE, thought these traditions to be so important that they said that only two religious categories existed in India: Brahmanas and Sramanas!

2. The Bhakti tradition of the first millennium CE can be said to be heirs of the Sramanic traditions. A leading historian of Ancient South Asia, Romila Thapar writes about the multiple mosaic of the Bhakti sects:

The Pasupatas, the Alvars and Nayannars, the Saiva-Siddhanta and the Lingayats, Jnanesvara and Tukaram, Vallabhacarya, Mira, Caitanya, Sankaradeva, Basava, Lalla, Tulasidasa, and so on are often bunched together as part of the Bhakti stream. In fact there are variations among them which are significant... Some among these...accepted the earlier style of worship [i.e. Vedic Hinduism]...others were hostile to the Vedic tradition: some objected to caste distinctions and untouchability, whereas for others such distinctions posed no problem. Some of the sects opposed to caste discouraged their members from worshipping in temples or going on pilgrimages...A few felt that asceticism and renunciation were not a path to salvation whereas others were committed to these. Kabir and Nanak for instance, infused Sufi ideas into their teaching." (Romila Thapar, "Syndicated Hinduism", 59-60).

But the dissimilarities among the Bhakti sects, according to Thapar, ought not to be seen as their weakness, but rather as their strength.

3. 'Folk' Hinduism: Yet another stream of Hindu religious practice can be grouped under what has been called "folk" Hinduism. This is the Hinduism of the tiger god, the snake goddess, of ghosts and demons, of generous libations of alcohol and meat, of non-Brahman priests--in other words: of the Brahmanic world turned upside down.

In sharp contrast with Vedic Hinduism --which is a cosmic playground for virile male gods--female goddesses play a pivotal role in folk Hinduism. It can be Sitala, the powerful goddess of smallpox and measles, who can smite you with the deadly disease. Or it can be Manasa the snake goddess who can offer you safe passage through a troublesome patch of the forest. Sometimes it is Chandi, who in some parts of the country can grant you good hunting while in other parts is worshipped for her ability to cure diseases.

The priests of folk Hinduism are often from the lower castes and all the forbidden comestibles of Vedic Hinduism--meat, alcohol--are celebrated and consumed with gusto. Some of the gods, such as Satya Pir, are constructed out of a syncretic melding of Islam and Hindu currents. There are no clear sets of rituals that cohere this tendency nor is it unitary in its spatial spread. Different parts of the country have different gods and rituals. In a sense, to label the adherent of Satya Pir or Manasa simply as a Hindu or a Muslim is to let the label tyrannize the vast, joyous, complicated histories of their worship.

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The New Hinduism

Despite these histories of the various traditions one can still make a claim about a unitary HinduISM. This argument goes that the strength of Hinduism lies in its extreme tolerance and diversity, where all these different currents can co-exist under the same umbrella.

But this 'umbrella' itself was invented in the crucible of European colonialism. To mix our metaphors: Europeans were equipped with the lens of semitic religions like Christianity and Islam. Seen with such a lens, currents that were understood and practiced as religions in their own right, began to be understood as united and coherent despite evidence to the contrary.

The trajectory of the term 'Hindu' is one marker of the manufactured nature of Hinduism.

The meaning of the term 'Hindu' began to shift from 712 CE when Muslims began to settle in the Indus valley as rulers and citizens. Muslim rulers began to use the term 'Hindu' as an administrative category. Persian scholars such as Abu-l Qasim and Shahrastani, however, spoke of various kinds of Hindu religions in their writings and there was never a sense of a uniform HinduISM as a contrastive category against which Islam was measured. Simply put, to the new settlers 'Hindus' corresponded exactly to 'Indians.'

But when Europeans began to use the term 'Hindoo' they used it precisely to differentiate them from the Muslim, the Christian, the Jewish and the Parsee people and thus, for the first time, 'Hindoo' was a term used not to mark a people, but to mark a religion. This was a crucial shift as for the first time Hindu received not just the distinction of a religion but all Hindus were thought to belong to this same religion.

From this, nineteenth century European scholarship took the small step to arrive at 'Hinduism', which, as one scholar put it, was the invented name given to the religion of the 'Hindus'.

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Unlike Semitic religions like Christianity and Islam the various Hindu religions, prior to the invention of HinduISM, lacked common origins, any single founder or key foundational texts. But once there was something called 'Hinduism', there was a search for coherence and structure where previously none existed.

The historian Peter Marshall put it best when he commented: "As Europeans have always tended to do, they created Hinduism in their own image. Their study of Hinduism confirmed their beliefs and Hindus emerged from their work as adhering to something akin to undogmatic Protestantism". (Peter Marshall, The British Discovery of Hinduism in the Eighteenth Century).

But some traces of the past meaning of Hindu as Indian survived. Even in the early nineteenth century, European writers still referred to "Hindoo Christians" and "Hindoo Muslims" to distinguish between those who were native born and those who were not.

If there is no HinduISM what can we say of the various currents? Most serious scholarship on this question agrees that while we can safely reject Hinduism as an ahistorical invention, we can still talk about Hindu religions-- religions that are distinct and multifarious.

Although they do not share any common features we may call them related, but only in a qualified way.

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The different Hindu religions are only related, as Heinrich Von Stietencron has pointed out, in the way Islam, Christianity and Judaism are 'related,' as "cognate but distinct religions united by origin in the same region (Near East) and common ancestry (all stand in the Abrahamic tradition)". But they are not different sects of the same religion. (Heinrich Von Stietencron, "Hinduism: On the Proper Use of a Deceptive Term").....I am writing about Hindu religious traditions, being extremely mindful of all the attacks my colleagues have faced, in India and abroad, for reminding us all of the real historical legacy of South Asia. I am mindful of all the banned books, the public witch hunts against people who have loved and studied this subcontinent and trained generations of students to do the same. I remember everyday a young graduate student who could not finish his research.

But mostly I am writing about Hinduism, again, because, here in the US where I now live, the California public school debate re-asserts for me to whom we owe the most responsibility for recounting history.

Walter Benjamin once remarked that children were "particularly fond of haunting any site where things were being visibly worked on". Benjamin thought that children loved all "detritus", all things-still-in-the-making. They played with and built upon such material, not to imitate adults, but to create "their own small world of things."
The alleged murder of a young woman by a Didi taxi driver on Monday evening triggered public concern over the safety and supervision of online car-hailing services.

A private car is seized by transport authorities in February because its driver offered rides for payment and failed to provide the required licenses in Beijing.[Guo Qian/For China Daily]

The Transport Commission of Shenzhen on Wednesday told China Daily it will release detailed supervision measures after the Ministry of Transportation launches the regulation for online car-hailing services later this month.

Local police said that the 24-year-old woman was murdered by a Didi driver in Shenzhen on May 2.

The woman, surnamed Zhong, was an English teacher at a primary school in Shajing, Baoan district. She hailed a Didi taxi from her home near the Shenzhen Hi-tech Industrial Park to go back to school on Monday evening.

Shenzhen police on Tuesday evening announced that the driver, surnamed Pan, was arrested and Zhong's body had been found.

Pan, 24, admitted picking up Zhong at about 9 pm and taking her to a remote road, where he forced Zhong to hand over valuables with a knife and then murdered her.

Didi also disclosed the suspect did not have a criminal record and was reviewed by his previous 18 passengers as "a qualified driver with no record of complaints".

The killing made a splash on local media and triggered calls for more attention to be paid to the safety of online car-hailing services.

Tang Yi, a Didi driver in Shenzhen, said the company told drivers to ensure that their information is complete.

To register at Didi, the driver needs to fill in his/her name, ID, mobile phone number, city, license plate number and car brand online.

But Tang said drivers can start to take passengers without the information being double checked.

He added that some drivers even use photo editing software to change the car license and suggested Didi set up an offline verification system. Some drivers use one car to register with two different, even fictitious, license plate numbers, so that they can receive more orders.

Last July, a driver who registered on Didi with car information he found online raped a female passenger in Beijing. The driver had a criminal record of patronizing prostitutes.

In March, the Shenzhen transportation bureau had a meeting with major service providers in the city and asked them to provide driver information, but Zhai Yuhui from the bureau said only partial information was handed in.

"After checking this information with the police database, we can ensure the personal and car information registered on these platforms is authentic, but whether they are hired is not our decision," Zhai said. He added that these companies also need to make sure drivers use the registered car and license plate to take passengers.

Didi states it checks driver registration information with the criminal record database approved by law enforcement agencies and driving record data from the Department of Vehicle Administration.

The company said it will launch an in-app 110 police number to further enhance safety protection.

What they say

I take online-hailed rides between home and the office on a daily basis with little worry because the drivers are usually the same folks. We've gotten to know each other. But I become more cautious when I take a ride out of town or when it's late at night. I'll go with someone else. So far, I haven't encountered any trouble taking these rides, but I believe the company should require all drivers offering such rides to install real-time surveillance cameras.

Wang Xiaoqing, 27, sales assistant at Lenovo in Beijing

I've taken several online-hailed rides, usually when it was difficult to hire a taxi. Most of the trips were not so pleasant. Some drivers cancel rides at the last minute, other drivers take unusual routes. Then can be rude, too. I alert my friends of my location immediately or get off halfway for safety.

Sun Zeyu, 18, freshman at the College of Journalism and Communication, Jilin University

I took a online-hailed ride to Beijing to attend the annual Strawberry Music Festival last week. I kept my friends updated about my ride from time to time on WeChat or over the phone. There has been bad news about taking these rides, which really made me worried.

Chai Li, 24, English teacher from Tianjin

I have been using the online-hailing app and find it very convenient, even when I'm on a business trip in a strange city. As a female passenger, I normally don't take the front seat and would take notes of the car's plate and the driver's telephone number in case I have any complaints. So far, I haven't had any. The Shenzhen incident, sad as it is, doesn't have to cancel all the convenience such an app-enabled service has brought. Of course, we hope Didi puts forward stricter enforcement of supervision.

Shi Ruili, media worker in her 30s from Haikou, Hainan province
Here's a riddle for you: What do Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have in common? And no, it's not that if Donald Trump were a woman he'd garner less than 5% of the vote. And it's not that Hillary rolls her eyes just like Mary Pat Christie when she hears The Donald going after women. And it's not that Hillary attended The Donald's wedding to Melania (though she did). And while The Donald is the first American presidential candidate to openly campaign on a platform of American decline, Hillary is still stuck in a world of too-many-superlatives for the waning American century. ("Despite what other candidates say, we believe in the goodness of our people and the greatness of our nation.")

So none of the above. And yet they do have something in common, an address they share. And no, it's not Trump Tower in New York City or even the Trump International Hotel and Towers in Panama City that Nomi Prins, author of All the Presidents' Bankers: The Hidden Alliances That Drive American Power, discusses in her new post, "Gimme Shelter (From the Tax Man)." It's 1209 North Orange Street, a "squat, yellow brick office building" in Wilmington, Delaware, one of three states -- the other two being Nevada and Wyoming -- that operate right in this country like onshore Panama Cities.

It's there at the blandly named Corporation Trust Center, according to Rupert Neate of the Guardian, that Trump and Clinton (along with Apple, Walmart, Coca-Cola, a pile of other Fortune 500 firms, and several hundred thousand more outfits) have registered companies capable of taking full advantage of "strict corporate secrecy rules, business-friendly courts, and the 'Delaware loophole,' which can allow companies to legally shift earnings from other states to Delaware, where they are not taxed on non-physical incomes generated outside of the state."

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Last night, on space adjacent to the Beverly Hiilton in Los Angeles, Bombadier, the Canadian transport company, known for their LearJets unveiled a simulacrum of their forthcoming top of the line private business superjet, the Global 7000. The Jets will be ready for delivery in late 2018.



An exterior view of the Bombardier Global 7000 Jet Showcase (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Bombardier Global)

Its stats are impressive it can fly 7400 nautical miles at a speed of 0.84 mach, enough to take you from Washington to Beijing or Dubai to New York (which is about 1400 miles further than its previous iterations or competitors) with 9-10 passengers and 2-3 crew. The Global 7000 does so using minimally more fuel and far more efficiently, while still being able to land at steep approach airports such as London City.

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As Frank Vento of Bombadier explained, this is due to the Global 7000 innovative wing design which allows for both exceptional high speed flying as well as being able to land slowly. Technology designed for their commercial airliners has now found its way into the business jet, including a fly-b-wire system and four large active matrix liquid crystal displays and a heads-up display for augmented "situational awareness."



(Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Bombardier Global)

The Global 7000 features Ka-band high speed internet, a 30% larger galley and four configurable and customizable spaces which can be outfitted with a bedroom, a bathroom and shower, a den of sorts to watch movies and TV, etc. The windows are larger and evenly spaced throughout each section.

What interests me in the Global 7000 are what constitutes the elements of luxury. As Frank Vento explained, in designing the Global 7000 they conducted focus groups with owners, flight attendants, pilots and mechanics, and took all their input to design the jet from the inside out. Accordingly a lot of the small details (prep boards in the galley that slide out from under the counters) a convection oven and possible induction stove top, larger more comfortable bathrooms, a crew rest/sleeping area) contribute to a feeling of luxury arising out of smart design thinking and the most current cutting edge avionics and technology.
The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a bold initiative between governments and civil society organizations that seeks to make governments more open, accountable and responsive to citizens. In less than five years, 69 governments have joined. The OGP is where new global norms for government transparency are now being set.

This year the OGP is co-chaired by the Government of South Africa and emboldened by the African Union's declaration of 2016 as the African Year of Human Rights. It is time for the OGP to develop a truly African agenda, one that is led by African citizens and African countries and one that opens the space for the poorest and most vulnerable people to claim their rights.

This week African leaders can seize the opportunity to do this at the OGP Regional Meeting in Cape Town. More than 500 people from across the continent - governments and civil society - will gather to discuss how open government, and a more transparent and accountable approach to governance, can support sustainable development in Africa.

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This important meeting could not be more timely. The huge ambition that realized the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) needs to be bolstered and channelled quickly into implementing them. Good open governance, ultimately, is the launch-pad that will transform the 2030 Agenda from aspiration to achievement. Rule of law, access to justice, and financial transparency happen by design, not accident.

At the heart of the issue is access to power: people who are denied it are denied the chance to make decisions about their lives. With power, they can gain more control over their own lives and can more surely begin to escape from poverty. Because of this Oxfam was proud to form an alliance with the OGP and endorse the OGP's declaration on the SDG's with other civil society organizations and fifty governments.

OGP's mission has never been more important. Today, the space for citizens to speak out is increasingly under threat. In 2015, CIVICUS reported that freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly were violated to a significant degree in 96 countries - 37 of them on the African continent.

Protecting space for civil society and citizenry is particularly critical in a world marked by rising political and economic inequality. In sub-Saharan Africa, fewer than a dozen people now have the same wealth as the poorest 50 percent. Ordinary people must be able to meaningfully hold their governments and the private sector to account.

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Already there are examples of how African nations are committing to open up their governments as part of their OGP National Commitments. The Liberian government is seeking creatively to ensure that vital information reaches every part of the country no matter the infrastructure challenges - transmitting information about budgets, open government, and other issues through text messages, town criers, radio, interactive murals, and citizen journalism.

Tanzania is enhancing transparency on the use of land: making data on land ownership, use and demarcations for large-scale agricultural investment accessible online for public use. This could help strengthen local communities' rightful involvement in decisions that could affect them, and lessen the chances of land-grabbing and eviction. Last year it published all its budget expenditures and tax exemptions in its health, education and water sectors. This allowed people to scrutinize decisions around public finances and hold their government accountable.

These kinds of developments are positive, but only a start in meeting the scale of challenge before us. The recent release of the Panama Papers shone a light into the murkiness of global money flows. Tax havens are hurting Africa: almost a third (30%) of rich Africans' wealth - $500bn - is held offshore, costing African countries an estimated $14bn a year in lost tax revenues. The ODI points out that relative to national income, sub-Saharan Africa pays the highest price in the world for the governance failures and lack of transparency associated with offshore finance.

This situation has spiralled out of control, enabled by a system mired in secrecy. The OGP is well positioned to help civil society push for new global standards in the fight for transparency, and the fight against corruption.

Next week (May 12) the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, is hosting an Anti-Corruption Summit in London. For Oxfam, a crackdown on tax-dodging must be central to the summit's agenda. Together with my fellow OGP Ambassador Mo Ibrahim, and others, I have called for delegates at the Summit to agree to eight critical steps. They are all reflected in OGP National Action Plans, and I encourage African OGP countries to commit to addressing and building on them all, and to be as ambitious as they can. The OGP Regional Meeting can help us to ensure we turn these commitments into actionable plans with time-bound benchmarks, with civil society engagement and oversight.

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The Regional Meeting must also signal a turning point where governments across the continent recognize fully the contribution that civil society makes to Africa's future development - and collectively set out to protect it. The Regional Meeting can galvanize far more African countries to make the leap from informal dialogue with the OGP to formal participation - currently only nine African countries are signed up.

And finally, getting the design right for civil society engagement is crucial. The OGP can help steer governments to avoid a "one size fits all" approach. Rather than just providing a seat at the table for under-represented groups, governments need to consciously include groups that are unable to turn up to public meetings, or that lack the technology to consult or the skills to interpret government data. Governments and civil society must step up to ensure inclusivity in the commissioning, design, delivery, and assessment of vital public services.

Getting governments to open up in fundamentally new ways is not easy; but North and South, through the OGP it is happening and it is needed. Let us now - with government and civil society at the fore - build and shape an African agenda on open government reform.

--
I was honored to be chosen along with my friend and colleague, photojournalist, Sadaf Syed, and journalists from around the world, to attend the DS Centre For Policy Studies' Spring Journalism Academy. DS Centre is a think tank extension of the Daily Sabah newspaper, an english language publication that is an off shoot of the turkish publication, Sabah.

The academy was a week-long whirlwind of city tours and learning sessions with academics, politicians, media and activists. We visited Istanbul where we delved into the politics and economics of Turkey, the looming refugee crisis, international law and the Turkish response. We also took the time to visit the old city including a Sufi, whirling dervish show; the Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmet Camii; and, Topkapi Palace where I absolutely indulged in Ottoman history and relics from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself. (I made the tour group late as they couldn't pull me away from staring through the glass at the staff of Prophet Moses (pbuh) that sits humbly on display there.)

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Sufi whirling dervishes of Istanbul, Photo Credit: Sadaf Syed

Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Photo Credit: Sadaf Syed

Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Photo Credit: Sadaf Syed

Ottoman architecture, Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

We travelled to Ankara, Turkey's capital city, where we listened to counter-terrorism experts talk about the various factions in and around Turkey threatening law and order. It's not just ISIS (or Daesh) but PKK, the Kurdistan Workers' Party that the country is contending with. We toured the Parliament and the newish, multi-million dollar Presidential Palace. It was here that we met with President Erdogan's top advisors while enjoying tea and baklava followed by one of the most amazing dinners of my life.

Photo Credit: DS Centre for Policy Studies

We flew to the southern border city of Gazientep, just 60 kilometers from Aleppo. It was here we were fortunate enough to experience the region's well known hospitality and renowned cuisine from the Mayor herself, Fatma Sahin. Never in my life have I been treated with such impeccable cordiality as in Gazientep.

pistachio baklava by Gaziantep chefs, Photo Credit: Sadaf Syed

I enjoyed shopping at merchant stalls where I bought tea, pistachios, handmade wooden items, Zam Zam water and turkish delight. I frequently looked over my shoulder in the bustling crowd- being fully aware of my american-ness, including my loud and distinctive Chicago accent. A journalist was killed in the city the day before- and it's no secret ISIS terrorist cells exist there. Concerned friends were messaging me terror alerts from the State Department which I was trying to take into consideration but at the same time- forget about. I actually donned hijab while out and about- which I don't normally wear, to feel safer. (Who would think a thin piece of cloth I bought at Old Navy back home - would make me feel like I was wearing a bullet proof vest. But it did.)

selfie of me and Sadaf shopping in Gazientep

It was here that we visited the Nizip refugee container camp.

Visiting the refugee camp was something Sadaf and I looked forward to most on this trip. My own Croatian mother was born in an Austrian refugee camp in 1945- where she was raised for the first 8 years of her life. And as I held a baby at the camp in Nizip- I felt my life come full circle. God gave me this brief opportunity to stare my own antiquity in the face and maybe--- just maybe--- have the opportunity to offer a smidgen of empathy, compassion - a smile - to a Syrian refugee mom or child.

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Photo Credit: Sadaf Syed

It was the Syrian refugees, however, that gave us much more than we gave to them- on that visit.

The Children of Nizip Refugee Camp - Photo Documentary by Sadaf Syed See Gallery

Children of Nizip Refugee Camp - Photo Documentary by Sadaf Syed

According to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, women and children make up three-quarters of the refugee population. There are nearly 3 million Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey, nearly a quarter million of them living in government owned and run camps. Though the United States has provided 4 billion dollars in aid for the refugee crisis, we take in only a fraction of refugees - the prospect only worsened by the right wing rhetoric that has filled the U.S. presidential election campaign.

Selfie in Nizip. I'm holding flowers the children gave me.

The care of refugees in Turkey comes under the Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority or AFAD whose standards are over and beyond international standards. Refugees are in the camps at will - and there is a waiting list to get in. Families are provided shelter in either a tent or a container- a small 3 room unit (kitchen, bathroom, living area.) I sat in a container shelter with a Syrian refugee mom who was quick to offer me tea and a smile. It reminded me of the pop-up camper I use with my family in summer campouts- only slightly larger. They are also provided with a monthly; per person food allowance on a debit card they can utilize at one of three camp grocery stores as well as healthcare, laundry room and salon services. There is a school and a mosque in the camp. College age refugees are given an allowance for college tuition that is actually higher than that given to Turkish citizens.

"It was important for me to show them that even though we are journalists, we are here first as humans-because we genuinely care and pray the best for them. That our hearts also cry with them." ~Sadaf Syed, Photojournalist

A simple greeting of "assalamu alaikum" (peace be with you) broke barriers instantly. In the faces and eyes of people there, we saw trauma, relief, hope, resilience. Sadaf, tears in her eyes, embraced a mother. They both pointed to the sky saying, "Allah will take care of things. Allah will take care of things."

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They all wish for the same thing: to go home. Peace must come. The world must find a way to end the war as that is the only way displaced Syrian people will ever feel whole again.

Children surrounded us from all sides and followed us around during our entire visit. They handed us small, red flowers. A mother gave us homemade cookies to eat. An aunty gave prayer beads for Sadaf's mom who had sent her salams (well wishes) apologizing that she did not have 2 more for Sadaf and me. We prayed in the woman's prayer building where an aunty literally took off her own long skirt so that I could wear it to be properly covered when I prayed. Then she asked all of the women there to pray Ayat al Kursi (a significant Quranic verse) for us.

At every moment- they were trying so hard to give to us. Anything they could. Their generosity in words, hugs, salams, gifts and prayers will always be treasured and is a reminder of who Syrian people are- and what they are made of.

I will cherish my amazing tour of Turkey that we called a week of "islamophobia detox" that was filled with incredible food, culture, history, architecture and hospitality. It is like no other country on earth, a crossroads; half in Europe; half in Asia. The Turkish people are missing the tourists and want them to come. On their behalf, I urge you to go! And visit! May God bless and protect Turkey. An ancient gem all its own.

with Rumeysa Kadak and Merve Baran of DS Centre for Policy Studies
Angola needs an educated workforce to diversify from oil dependence and compete in the global knowledge-based economy. The intellectual capital of its people will form the basis of the country's future prosperity.

The Angolan education system is still recovering from the total disruption caused by the civil war. During the war years, schooling ceased completely in some cities. Many Angolans fled abroad. Certainly things have improved over the last 14 years since the war ended.

For example, at the end of the war in 2002, there were 58,000 teachers in the country. Today, there are around 280,000 teachers, the World Folio reports. Until 2008, Angola had only one state university. Today, there are 26 state institutions for higher education and 41 private universities.

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But the fact remains that Angola does experience a brain drain, in that many of Angola's best and brightest young people leave the country for schools abroad. While many come back, the lack of a top-notch education system hampers Angola's ability to develop its economy. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), education and infrastructure pose the two major constraints to business creation in the country.

The government has recognized the need to improve Angola's education system, from primary school to higher education. The World Folio quotes Minister of Education Pinda Simao: "For educational opportunities to be created, new schools must be built, and educational resources must be put into action. This way schools will work properly and in alignment with one another at the national level."

There are two important factors that will help bring Angola's education system up to the standards required in today's fast-changing world. These are:

Teacher training. Skilled teachers will create a skilled workforce. Teacher training is a key priority of the government, especially for secondary education. The Angola press agency reports that the Ministry of Higher Education has adopted and is implementing a teacher training program to increase the number of qualified staff in the country's higher education institutions, which remain chronically understaffed.

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A modern curriculum. Another government emphasis is to align the education curriculum with Angola's development objectives. Angola's education system must equip students with the competencies they need for the job market. As Angola continues to diversify, highly qualified workers are needed in a variety of sectors - in science and technology, and in agribusiness, tourism, logistics, transportation and the chemical industry.

"Countries grow because of universities," according to Professor Orlando da Mata, former Rector of Agostinho Neto Unversity (UAN), the largest university in Angola, as quoted in the World Folio article. And he's right. A solid education system, both primary and secondary, leads to economic opportunity. For Angola to grow beyond the oil economy, it needs to make strides in school - and earn more than passing grades.
angusforbes via Getty Images AgustaWestland A 109

The alleged middleman in the VVIP chopper scam, Christian Michel, has claimed that the Modi government had put pressure on him to implicate "any member of the Gandhi family" in exchange of all charges being dropped against him.

"At this time it was made very clear to me through a number of obtuse channels, if I was willing to denounce and member of the Gandhi family relating to the so called VVIP helicopter scandal all charges and investigations against me would be dropped," Michel wrote to the Registrar of the International Tribunal on 23 December 2015, reported India Today.

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In the letter, he claimed to have refused to cut such a deal, which resulted in an arrest warrant that was issued against him within a week "without so much as summons", he alleged.

A few weeks later, the Indian investigating agencies contacted Interpol, "and used this mechanism to put further pressure on me to agree to their political agenda," he wrote. The letter was written four months before an Italian court delivered its verdict in the Agusta case, overturning a lower court verdict.

There is currently an international arrest warrant against him. He told India Today that he had sued Swiss-Italian businessman Guido Haschke, who is believed to be the key middleman in the scam, alleging that Haschke had forged some documents given to Italian courts. These documents he was referring to include the names of 'Signora Gandhi' (Sonia Gandhi), and 'AP' (possibly Ahmed Patel, Indian Member of Parliament and political secretary to the Congress President).

"I am ready to submit documents and proof related to the case through the Indian embassy," he told India Today, speaking from Dubai. He added that he had no intention of turning approver in the case, and that he would appoint an Indian lawyer to fight the case here.

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Bloomberg via Getty Images A woman takes a photograph with a digital slr camera whilst standing against an illuminated wall bearing Instagram Inc.s logo in this arranged photograph in London, U.K., on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016. Instagram Inc. provides mobile phone-based photography sharing services. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

NEW YORK -- Social networking giant Facebook has paid USD 10,000 to a ten-year-old boy for spotting a bug in the Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram.

The boy named Jani, who hails from Helsinki, received USD 10,000 from Facebook for identifying a security bug, the Verge quoted the Forbes as saying.

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Jani uncovered a flaw, which allowed him to delete any written content on the social media platform by altering the code.

"I would have been able to eliminate anyone, even Justin Bieber," the boy told the Finnish media.

Earlier in March, a Bengaluru-based hacker Anand Prakash was also awarded USD 15,000 (approximately Rs. 10 lakh) for finding a bug in the Facebook's login system.

Jani ousted a 13-year-old to become the youngest ever recipient of Facebook's bug bounty program, which offers rewards to the people who identify and report legitimate security risks.

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Dimitri Otis via Getty Images Hand appearing from laptop screen touches keyboard

Indian Railways' IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation )website has been hacked and the personal data of lakhs of users is at risk. Later officials have clarified that the website hasn't been hacked but they are still investigating the alleged data leak.

According to a Times of India report, data of several passengers has been stolen from the server of the portal. This incident raises a larger concern of the security of the websites of Railways as recently one of the websites was hacked by Al Qaeda.

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Maharashtra Police has also informed IRCTC about the suspected hack. "IG Maharashtra police cyber cell has informed us about the alleged Data theft from its website but the details of the said data are still to be shared with IRCTC. IRCTC will be issuing a detailed press note later today," IRCTC PRO told HuffPost India.

"There has been no malicious activity on the website in last month, we will check the data if it belongs to IRCTC or not once we have it," he added.

A statement from IRCTC says that As soon as the matter came to the notice of the Railways on 2 May they had begun the investigations.

"No such incident has been detected by the technical teams of Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). No "Denial of Service" (Dos) attack has been successful and the ticketing website is running normally," said the statement.

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"The data is a valuable asset and can be sold to corporations who may use it for targeting potential consumers. We have alerted the Maharashtra government," said an IRCTC source to TOI. The state's additional chief secretary (home), KP Bakshi, confirmed that the state police had alerted the railways.

Maharashtra Govt confirms @IRCTC_Ltd website hacked. Up to 1 crore account details potentially compromised. Being sold in a CD for Rs 15k.  Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) May 5, 2016

Cyber cell of the Delhi police has also been alerted to probe if the data has been leaked. A meeting of the top officials was held on Tuesday night in Delhi.

"There has been no official complaint but I have written to the Delhi police cyber cell. We got some information from our internal sources. So we decided to crosscheck," said A.K. Manocha, managing director of IRCTC, to Mumbai Mirror.

IRCTC caters to more than 1 crore customers. And all the personal data such as Name, contact number, email IDs, PAN card number and so on is stored on the server. Hackers can get access to all the personal data and use it maliciously. Railways have spent a lot of money on upgrading the website but the majority of the money was spent on improving the speed and performance.

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Last month there was a cyber audit of all the Railways facilities as well. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had ordered an inspection as the department feared that it is vulnerable to the attacks of the hackers.

IRCTC said that a joint committee of IRCTC and CRIS personnel has been made to further investigate the matter. The committee hasn't found anything suspicious in the preliminary reports but further checks will be carried out once the supposed leaked data is made available to them.

This year attacks on the government websites have risen significantly. In March, Google had to remove a Pakistani app from the play store which was snooping on the army personnel. Several other websites including TRAI and JNU website have already been attacked this year. According to Symantec 2015 saw a 156% rise in attacks on Indian websites from 2014.

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MUMBAI -- Five years after Mumbai youths Keenan and Reuben were brutally murdered while trying to save their women companions from a group of hooligans harassing them, a special court today sentenced all the four accused in the case to life imprisonment.

Special Women's Court Judge Vrushali Joshi said the accused will be in jail for the remainder of their life.

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She held the accused--Jitendra Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhaj and Dipak Tival--guilty of murder, outraging the modesty of women and other charges of the Indian Penal Code, in a case which sparked outrage and debate about the safety of women in public places.

Keenan Santos (24) and Reuben Fernandez (29) were stabbed by eve-teasers after a scuffle at Amboli in suburban Andheri on 20 October, 2011.

The victims were attacked when they tried to shield their women companions from a group of men who harassed, abused and misbehaved with them outside an eatery at Amboli in suburban Andheri.

The group, after retreating, returned to the spot with over ten aides and brutally assaulted Keenan and Reuben in full public view.

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Keenen's father Valerian Santos welocmed the verdict, saying it was a "victory for all" but regretted the delay in getting the justice.

"I am not saying that the culprits should be caught and sent to gallows immediately. I am only saying that judicial system should be speeded up", he said, reacalling the emotional breakdown of Chief Justice of India over such delay.

Ujjwal Nikam, Special public prosecutor, said all charges of the prosecution have been proved in the case.

"There is direct evidence to show that the accused were eve-teasing and molesting girls when the victims tried to stop it. This is a pre-determined murder and the accused had even threatened them with their life and had come back with weapons to attack them", Nikam said.

Nikam said the success in the case largely owed to the victims of harassment. "The testimony of the two girls bolstered our case and their deposition was very detailed," he said.

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He,however, did not press for capital punishment for the accused as the conspiracy charge against them was not proved and the case did not fall under the category of the 'rarest of the rare'.

Valerian, who looked calm and composed after hearing the verdict, said "Today all I can say is that the verdict is a victory to all. This victory is not mine, this is Keenan's and Reuben's victory which I have been hoping to give them as a present. Keenen's birthday has gone in March, I had hoped to gift him this," said Valerian.

"I am happy that the court has granted life imprisonment to them. I am also happy that the molestation section (charge) was also applied," he said.

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On 20 October, 2011, 24-year-old Keenan Santos and 29-year-old Reuben Fernandes had stopped at a paan shop in Amboli in the western suburbs of Mumbai. It was around 10.30 pm, and the duo were accompanied by five others, including three girls. A while ago, they had stepped out of the Amboli Kitchen and Bar, a popular, crowded haunt a stone's throw away from where they lived. Soon after, Keenan and Reuben had gotten into a scuffle with a group of men who had tried to molest the girls in the group. In the process, the duo also slapped some of the harassers.

They lived nearby, they were frequent visitors to the area, the place was crowded - a cafe nearby was bustling with customers and the office of a political party was still open - and this was in Mumbai, considered one of the safest cities for women in India. What could have gone wrong for the group? Turns out, everything. The night ended with Keenan dead and Reuben sustaining grave injuries. Their bones broken, their stomachs stabbed repeatedly as their friends tried to save them in vain. Reuben succumbed to his injuries a week later in the hospital.

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The molesters, who were rebuffed by the girls and then reprimanded by Keenan and Reuben, were local thugs. They returned with a group of 17 men brandishing knives, poles, bamboo sticks. They rained blows on the two boys, they kept on stabbing them and kicking them.

In her chilling account of the night, Priyanka Fernandes, Keenan's girlfriend remembered with shock that at least 50 people stood and watched. No one tried to intervene and help.

Keenan's father Valerian Santos by his grave.

Reuben's brother Benjamin recollected the sheer brutality of the man who murdered Keenan. "They stabbed Keenan first. Then Reuben came forward. They hit me with a bamboo stick on my head and I fell to the ground. I saw Keenan fall on his back. One attacker pressed him down with his knee, looked him in the eye, and stabbed him squarely in the chest. That's the stab that took Keenan's life," he told The Hindu.

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Nearly a year after the murder, the case was transferred to a special fast track court and Ujjwal Nikam, who played a crucial role in the conviction of Ajmal Kasab, was appointed the state prosecutor. In 2013, the case was shifted to a Special Women's Court, which sentenced four perpetrators to life imprisonment today.

However, the road to justice was far from easy. The double murder shocked the daylights out of Mumbai, yes, but outrage comes with a shelf life in public memory. After the initial wave of media coverage ebbed and public interest died down, the battle was a difficult, lonely one for the families of the victims.

Valerian Santos, Keenan's father had told DNA in an interview, "Court hearings have been postponed more than 25 times. There are times when not even a single one out of the four defense lawyers is present in court. Even if one of them is absent, the hearing cannot take place effectively and needs to be postponed to a later date. He added that on several occasions, the accused were not brought to court which delayed court proceedings.

Keenan and Reuben with their friends in a group photo.

Santos, who works as a chief engineer at India Finance and Construction, was also relentlessly intimidated by the families of the accused. "Uncle chup rehange nahi toh baad mein deke lenge (Uncle, if you dont keep quite now, we will show you what we can do to you)," the kin of the accused threatened Santos.

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In fact, the accused are such hardened, ruthless criminals that they laughed when they were identified. Avinash Solanki, Keenan and Reuben's friend, who was also injured in the attack, said, "After identifying him, he told me: 'Phir milenge. We shall meet again.' I told him I would."

Keenan's girlfriend remembers screaming for help from the crowd of 50 odd people, and no one came forward. The violence, mixed with shocking apathy, was a reminder of how flimsy women's security was, even in a bustling metropolitan city.

Keenan and Reuben's story chilled us to the bones because the boys did exactly what we urge everyone around us to do in order to make public spaces safer for women - intervene and protest against harassment and violence. They had to pay with their lives. Just because 50 odd people, who could have very well overpowered 17, stood back and watched as they were being butchered.

Not just that, the incident also showed how the emergency response infrastructure in the city was in a shambles. Priyanka recollected that she kept dialling 100 (the emergency police number) when the goons attacked. When Keenan passed out, stabbed and bleeding, her call was still on hold - no one responded. Medical attention, therefore, came after a delay too.

It was not just a bunch of goons who killed Keenan and Reuben. Their home, too, failed to protect them.

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Three naval ships of China's Nanhai Fleet left a naval port in Sanya, a city in Hainan Province, on Wednesday, kicking off an annual combat drill in the South China Sea and neighboring waters.

File photo of the missile destroyer Hefei.[Photo/navy.81.cn]

The three ships include missile destroyer Hefei, missile frigate Sanya and supply ship Honghu. They will later be joined by missile destroyers Lanzhou and Guangzhou, as well as missile frigate Yulin, which are now carrying out other duties.

With three helicopters and dozens of "special warfare" soldiers, the fleet will be separated into three groups that will sail to areas of the South China Sea, the east Indian Ocean and the west Pacific, to conduct varied drills.

The fleet will mobilize naval air force, garrison forces in the Xisha and Nansha islands, and forces of the Beihai Fleet along the way to take part in the drill.

The drill aims to enhance combat readiness and practise coordination between ships and aircraft, and other forces, the navy said.
Facebook/Indrani Mukerjea

Peter Mukerjea's lawyer has claimed that the former media baron is keen to divorce his wife, Indrani, accused of murdering her daughter Sheena Bora.

"Since the beginning of this year conveyed to me the marriage had ended and he was keen to get a divorce, but initiation of the process has been deferred since his bail plea is pending," Mihir Gheewala told The Times of India.

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Peter, who is co-accused in the murder case, is in the Arthur Road jail and his second bail plea hearing is underway.

Meanwhile, at his bail hearing, his other counsel Aabad Ponda reportedly told court that Peter had received over 40 handwritten letters from Indrani in jail, and though Peter had initially replied to her, he had ceased to do so after his arrest. He reportedly only replied to her in January this year on her birthday after she wrote to him that she was dying of a life-threatening illness.

She reportedly claimed in that letter that her ischaemic condition (restriction of blood supply to tissue, causing shortage of oxygen and glucose) had worsened, and that she has been told by doctors that she would slip into coma and die a painless death.

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Hindustan Times via Getty Images MUMBAI, INDIA - APRIL 21: (EDITORaS NOTE: This is an exclusive shoot of Hindustan Times) Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff, during an exclusive interview with HT Cafe for an upcoming movie Bhaggi at HT Office, Parel, on April 21, 2016 in Mumbai, India. Baaghi (English: Rebel) is an upcoming Hindi film directed by Sabbir Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala under his banner Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment. The film is scheduled for a worldwide release on April 29, 2016. (Photo by Aalok Soni/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

In a bizarre incident, two girls from Khammi village of Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, stole cash from their homes and ran away in a failed bid to meet Tiger Shroff in Mumbai.

According to a report in DNA, the girls took the impulsive decision after watching a show of Shroff's recently released Baaghi, with the aim to meet the 26-year-old actor in person.

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An SP said that they left home under the pretext of using the washroom and proceeded to make their way to the railway station to catch a train to Mumbai. What they had in mind after reaching Mumbai is anybody's guess.

Fortunately, before they could board a train, a local tempo driver spotted them lurking around the station during the wee hours of Tuesday and alerted villagers, who in turn got the cops involved. The duo later confessed to stealing 1000 each and said they did so to meet Tiger Shroff.

When HuffPost India contacted Shroff for his reaction, he seemed quite flabbergasted, but also genuinely concerned. "At the end of the day, what these girls did was out of love," he said, in a phone conversation. "I feel blessed that people admire me in such a manner. But at the same time, I'd request them to behave more responsibly. Anything could go wrong. I feel especially sad for the parents, who must have been worried till the time the girls were found."

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Hindustan Times via Getty Images DEHRADUN, INDIA - MAY 7: Uttrakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat showing ink stained finger after casting his vote at polling centre during 8th phase of Lok Sabha election on May 7, 2014 in Dehradun, India. 1,737 candidates are contesting on 64 seats in seven states in eighth phase of Lok Sabha election. (Photo by Rishi Ballabh/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- The CBI today summoned former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat for questioning in connection with a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the controversial sting CD in which he was purportedly seen talking to middlemen in a bid to strike a deal with dissident Congress MLAs.

Rawat has been called by the CBI to join the probe on Monday, sources said.

The inquiry was registered on the recommendation of the state government and the notification was issued by the Centre. The state is under President's rule.

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Two days before Rawat was to face vote of confidence on 28 March, nine rebel Congress MLAs, led by former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, had alleged that they were offered bribe by Rawat for support during the floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly and released a video of the "sting" operation.

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 BJP in the Assembly, purportedly shows Rawat negotiating a money deal with the journalist to buy the support of MLAs who had revolted against him.

Rawat, who had been insisting that the sting was fake, last week 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 BJP chief Amit Shah to put him in jail if he is found in the wrong.

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Claiming innocence, Rawat had 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.

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"I was told that the grave that had to be dug for me had to be pretty deep", "Moti..gaindi", "How will you get married?" "Because of you African kids are starving."

These were things told to kids by their friends and family.

Zainab Chughtai, a Lahore-based criminal lawyer, has made a video where Pakistani women revealed the ways they have been body-shamed and the effect it has had on them since then.

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For some, 'looking into the mirror became a nightmare'. And many of these kids started hating their body. They wanted to become someone 'desirable'.

In 2014, Chughtai launched BullyProof, a social awareness campaign that addressed the issue of bullying in schools.

BullyProof was aimed at starting a conversation about experiences that had shaped the way people looked at themselves and enabling people to share memories associated with body shaming.

As a part of BullyProof, Chughtai holds sessions with young students and has addressed over 4000 students so far.

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In the video, the women narrate their experiences as kids and how that affected their growing up years. However, they pledge that those harsh words won't affect them anymore.

"There's no perfect...I am perfect," said one of the woman in the video, confidently. "I won't let anyone go through what I through," pledges another woman. "I am enough in my own skin...I am beautiful."

Chugtai posted the video on her Facebook page, and said, "This is us taking back our own bodies, and owning our own skins. We are enough. I am enough. This is the beginning of something beautiful, and the first of many more such confessionals to come."

Watch the video above.

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DA plans new diversion program for first-time felony drug possession

Change in law that allows Community Correction officers to oversee cases of those placed on diversion makes program possible.
Hinds gives a short stump speech at his new headquarters on Tuesday.

Senate Candidate Hinds Opens Pittsfield Headquarters



More than two dozen supporters stopped by to check out the new office space. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Senate Candidate Adam Hinds opened a downtown office on Tuesday.

Hinds is running against Andrea Harrington for the Democratic nomination for the Berkshire state Senate seat being left vacant by Benjamin Downing, who opted not to run for re-election.

Rindaldo Del Gallo has said he plans to run but has not yet jumped into the race.

The Northern Berkshire Community Coalition Executive Director Hinds held an open house at his new office on South Street  in the plaza at the Crowne Plaza  which had previously been used as the headquarters for the coordinated Democratic campaign for governor.

"To us this feels like an important pivot. We're getting to the point now where we are going to be pushing our powerful, positive message out to all of the voters in the district," Hinds said.

Hinds addressed more than two dozen supporters, touching on many of the talking points of his platform. He said it's time to start the groundwork to ramp up the campaign the next level.

"It's a progressive message that says we are going to make sure any obstacles to opportunities felt by kids, or by working families trying to get a good quality job, or small businesses looking to grow in the district, this is what we are going to be focusing on," Hinds said.

Heading volunteer efforts out of the Pittsfield office is Donna Todd Rivers, who is the Ward 5 councilor in Pittsfield. Jason Ostrander is heading South County efforts; Brian Miksic, North County operations; and Jenny Gitlitz will be in the hilltowns. Beyond that, Hinds says he has a team of volunteers to work the campaign.

Hinds has released a campaign platform focused on economics, education, energy, stopping the heroin epidemic, and reversing the population loss. On Tuesday, he touched briefly on those topics again in a short stump speech.

He said his focus will be to bring groups of people to gather to "work shoulder to shoulder" to solve complicated problems. He boasted of such efforts in Pittsfield when he headed the Pittsfield Community Connection program and now in North County at the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition.

Hinds cited as an example a new program through the NBCC eyed to bring employers and job seekers together to solve the disconnect between those unemployed and companies that can't find qualified workers. He also voiced support of the Berkshire Innovation Center, broadband expansion, improved transportation. Those efforts, he says, will help attract businesses and create jobs which will help combat population lose.

Hinds also said he'd focus on funding for the public school system in order to help provide the best education possible, which in turn will attract families here.

"It is hard for schools to meet their fixed cost in the face of dwindling population. We know that Chapter 70 doesn't work for us out here. Schools are spending 140 percent more on health than the foundation formula allocates for, they are spending 59 percent more on special ed than the foundation budget formula allocates," Hinds said.

He also mentioned fighting crime and protecting the environment. He added that there is an "urgency" to the campaign and getting to work on combating those challenges the Berkshires face, he said.

Beyond the challenges he also voiced support for the arts and culture scene, the natural resources, and things that make the Berkshires "a great place."

"I actually like campaigning," Hinds said. "When else can you spend your days talking to folks about the concerns they have and the vision they have for the future and then actually do something about it, to make a platform and priorities you want to take to Boston and make a difference."
Protesters demonstrate against Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) free trade agreement ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit in Hanover, Germany April 23, 2016. [Photo: China Daily]

TTIP talks in Europe are almost grinding to a halt as the French threatened on Tuesday to pull out if things continue in their present form. The French President Francois Hollande said that he is considering rejecting the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership "at this stage" because France is opposed to any trade that is unregulated. France's lead trade negotiator Matthias Fekl, the minister responsible for representing France in the TTIP talks, blamed Washington for this fresh crisis stating that while Europe had compromised a lot on this deal, it is still on the receiving end from Washington.

Ideally, all 28 EU member states and the European parliament will have to ratify the TTIP before it is operational, but it doesn't seem very likely now, after three years of failed talks, despite American insistence to seal the deal within the course of the Obama presidency.

That brings an important question, why is the TTIP so controversial and what is it essentially about? The TTIP is a controversial trade talk between the EU and the U.S., which is apparently supposed to give gains to the EU at up to 119 billion a year and 95 billion for the U.S., according to the Centre for Economic Policy Research as reported by the BBC. However, the pact is arguably controversial, firstly because it has been negotiated completely in secret behind closed doors since 2013. The stated aim of the pact is to curb regulatory tariffs between the EU and U.S.; however, no one knows the details of the mechanisms that will help curb the tariffs. Secondly, the critics of the TTIP say that it will lead to massive job loss, and arbitrary employment rules leading to big concessions for big corporations. Even in Germany, there has been a massive protest against the TTIP which says that the pact might lead to a lowering of product standards and consumer protection.

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama, while touring Germany, strongly defended the TTIP alongside Chancellor Merkel, as thousands of Germans in a coalition of environmentalists and trade unions opposed and rallied outside the venue. Obama said it is "indisputable" that the TTIP will make the EU and the U.S. more competitive as opposed to other growing economies in the world, a clear dig at China and India. "The United States and the European Union need to keep moving forward with the TTIP," he said. Even though the European Commission dismissed the difference between the EU and the U.S. as negligible and not irreconcilable, the French, who had the strongest opposition to the TTIP, don't seem convinced. Environmentalists are also extremely opposed with the recent Greenpeace leaks against the TTIP, although one needs to take anything that comes out of Greenpeace with a grain of salt.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
Steven Mack of Foresight Engineering outlined the plan on Tuesday. The project in Pittsfield is on land which abuts routes 41 and 20. The Hancock project will need an access road from Route 20 in Pittsfield. PreviousNext

Second of Three Approvals Granted For Solar Project at Hancock Shaker

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The Community Development Board on Tuesday gave the OK for a new solar array at Hancock Shaker Village.

Syncarpha Hancock III, a partnership between Renewable Energy Massachusetts LLC and Syncarpha Capital, is developing the project in Pittsfield and in Hancock. The Conservation Commission had already approved the project and, with the Community Development Board's approval of the site plan, only the Zoning Board of Appeals is left to issue a special permit.

The group is looking to construct three photovoltaic arrays  two in Hancock and one in Pittsfield  for a total of 5 megawatts of electricity. The Pittsfield project is on about 5.5 acres of land at Hancock Shaker Village and will be a 1 megawatt system.

"We are proposing a significant amount of screening for this property," said Steven Mack, of Foresight Engineering, adding that some 100 trees are eyed to be planted to limit visibility of each project. "The project is also located over 300 feet from the road so it is adequately screened the way we designed it."

The project in Pittsfield is on land that abuts both Route 20 (West Housatonic Street) and Route 41 (Central Berkshire Boulevard). The access road would be on Central Berkshire Boulevard.

The 10-foot-high panels will be mounted with posts so the ground will mostly be unaffected, Mack said. There are no structures beyond the solar panels.

Robert Knowles, of Renewable Energy Massachusetts LLC, said ongoing maintenance is minimal with mowing being done only about once a year. He said he is currently seeking quotes for the ongoing maintenance of the Evergreen trees being used for screening.

"We've gotten several quotes for that, for all of the evergreen trees and there are about 100 for this particular site," Knowles said.

Community Development Board Chairwoman Sheila Irvin is asking the company to provide a maintenance plan for those trees.

The trees will also be used to screen an access road to the facilities in Hancock. An access road to the Hancock project is on Route 20 in Pittsfield. Knowles said a line of trees will be planted screening any visibility of the Hancock project.

"We are also concerned with the entrance to the Hancock Facility is on Route 20 and that is the entrance to our city," Irvin said.

Knowles added that the company has created a "very elaborate and quite costly" landscaping plan for the entire project to ease concerns of city residents; received a determination allowing the project to go 100 additional feet into the wetland and further from neighbors, and the project is quasi-public and residents have a chance to reap some of the benefits.

"We are offering as a community shared solar project, which means you can sell the energy to hundreds of homes in the area. We are offering a discount to literally buy into the project," he said.

Pittsfield's aspect of the project now only needs approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Christine Canning describes herself as a "pit bull with lipstick" who will go to Boston and fight for Berkshire County.

The Lanesborough resident and educational consultant announced her candidacy for state Senate at the American Legion in Pittsfield Wednesday evening.

Canning is running as a Republican and will take on the winner of the Democratic primary, which features Adam Hinds, Andrea Harrington and Rinaldo Del Gallo. The Berkshire's seat is open because Sen. Benjamin Downing has opted not to run for re-election.

"I've been described as a pitbull and I am a pitbull. But a pitbull with lipstick. I plan to let Boston know that the state doesn't stop at Worcester and they are not doing us a favor by driving out to Springfield. We exist," Canning said.

Canning is running on a Republican platform focusing her attention on being a "constitutionalists," a supporter of gun rights, and bringing jobs back to Berkshire County.

"I really believe the government shouldn't be in your private lives. I support guns. If those things are not in your conscience, then don't vote for me," Canning said.

She credited Republicans for "pushing the 14th Amendment," for putting the first woman in Congress (Jeanette Rankin), for abolishing slavery, and for passing civil rights bills under President Dwight Eisenhower.

(But her other Republican firsts were a little shaky: the first woman in the U.S. Senate was not a Republican but a Democrat, Rebecca Felton , as was the first Asian-American in Congress , Dalip Singh Saund , elected in 1957.)

"The word Republican, I am a Republican, has sounded like a dirty little word but the R stands for respect," Canning said.

"What has amazed me is how people have lost touch about what history has taught us about Republicans. The Republicans actually started up around 1854 because they were anti-slavery and they had it with the Democrats and their slavery. I have met women and African Americans and Asians who have said to me, 'oh Chris, I'm with the Democrats' and I say 'do you know your history?' "

But in Berkshire County, Democrats have been in office for decades. She cited the common quote, "if you continue to do the same thing time and time again, that is the definition of insanity" as reason for change. She said that under Democratic representation, Berkshire County has become the 20th poorest county in the country (which is not accurate . It is, however, the poorest in the state .).

"It's got to stop and I hope it stops with me," Canning said. "I have a lot of integrity and if I say I am going to go in and do it, I'm going to do it."

She said she already eyes being appointed to the influential Ways and Means, Education, and Public Safety and Homeland Security committees if elected. She opposes a proposed bill that will allow for illegal immigrants to receive driver's licenses, saying she fears that will lead to providing other benefits while veterans go without proper medical and mental health care.

"We need the money coming in. We need sewers. There are basic things that I am seeing in developing countries that we do not have in Berkshire County, Franklin County, Hampshire and Hampden," Canning said. "If I can be the voice and get in there, I will say it and I won't back down."

Canning is CEO of New England Global Network LLC, a consulting firm for developing educational materials. She used to work at Taconic High School and was chairman of the English Department. She filed suit against the district claiming she was improperly fired for raising concerns about discrimination, drug use and violence amount students. That case was ultimately settled. She has a master's degree from West Virginia University in foreign languages and linguistics

"I'm highly educated. I have four graduate degrees, four teaching licenses, a superintendency license. But, I also have a heart of gold. I've been the whistleblower on three cases. I have gone to fight for the voiceless because I was blessed to get an education and be the voice of others. I have been the one to speak up and I will speak up again," Canning said.

Canning is the only Republican seeking the seat so she will not have a primary election.
The Planning Board is recommending the adoption of two bylaws. The board and the ZBA are reviewing and updating the town's bylaws through a state technical grant.

Clarksburg Planners Recommend Wind, Telecommunication Bylaws



Only a handful of residents attended the public hearing.

CLARKSBURG, Mass.  The Planning Board voted Wednesday to recommend some updates to the town's zoning bylaws to cover wind energy generation facilities and wireless telecommunications.



Town meeting will take up the amendments on May 25.



The board held a brief public hearing on Wednesday at the Senior Center attended by a handful of people. The several amendments were considered priorities as the board reviews the town's zoning, which has changed little since 1993. The board also voted to recommend a few changes in the zoning use table.



The first amendment would cover the installation of wireless telecommunications facilities, essentially cell towers, requiring a special permit from the Planning Board for installation, modification of transmission equipment, or substantial changes. It would exempt, however, local radio such as municipal, emergency or citizens band, and AM/FM radio and broadcast television.



Board Chairman David Sherman said the bylaw is meant to both delineate local standards and to comply with Federal Communications Commission regulations.



"There are a lot of federal laws, they overlap with Mass General Laws. It's confusing," he said. "The more clear we can make it to the town the more direction we have to make sure where ever it does go, it's done right. They need to bring in professionals to guide us along."



One of the conditions in the bylaw is that the applicant pay for an independent consultant to work on behalf of the town in reviewing application materials and monitoring the work.



"We have no clue, as a Planning Board, what the requirements are for telecommunications, but with the bylaw, we can hire an independent consultant," Sherman said. "Also in this bylaw, every five years we can have a independent consultant come in at their cost to do a survey to make sure nothing's changed."



The bylaw also covers height, setbacks, impacts, and abandonment.



The wind energy generation bylaw would ban large systems, similar to those on Florida Mountain, outright but allow for smaller wind turbines by special permit in all zones.



"There's a distinction between what you see on the mountain and what somebody might want in their back yard," said Sherman.



Small systems would be allowed by special permit through the ZBA. Sherman said the ZBA has more knowledge of setbacks and other requirements than the Planning Board.



There are a couple spots that meet the wind-speed criteria where a large turbine  defined as exceeding 100 feet in height at the tip of the blade  could be located: on West Road and a small tract on East Road. Both have residences near them and below them.



The board agreed, saying the prohibition would protect residents.



The senior housing update is following through on a change made some 10 years ago, when the town applied for funding for senior housing on industrial-zoned land it owns behind the Senior Center. The project could not go forward without the zoning tables being changed to allow it. But the project fell through when the economic global collapse hit and the change was never formalized through the attorney general's office.



"Our forefathers, back in '93, didn't feel elderly housing should be in industrial zone areas," Sherman said. "We wanted, as we were going through this process, we wanted to capture it."



By allowing senior housing to be permitted by right in industrial zones, it's thought the town would be ready should the plans be resurrected.



"I'm sure you'd want to stay here instead of moving out of town," Sherman said.



The changes to the table also include allowing private, nonprofit clubs or lounges to locate in the agricultural-residential, residential and commercial districts by special permit from the Planning Board. They are currently allowed by right.



"The problem with making them allowed, the Planning Board does not have any oversight regards to parking, their bathrooms or accessibility," Sherman said. "With this use table change, we can take a lot of that burden from the building inspector ... before anybody buys a piece of property they can see it requires a special permit by the Planning Board. It gives them a heads up ... before they purchase that property."



In response to questions, Sherman said the language for the mostly "cookie cutter" amendments came through the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. The town received a technical grant that is helping the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals review and update the bylaws.



These two bylaws being adopted came by way of Cheshire, which recently updated its zoning through the BRPC.



"We had two areas that we didn't have a bylaw so we're using their language and orders of condition," Sherman said. "We changed some of it, but the bulk of it came from Berkshire Regional Planning Commission."



The boards have been working with BRPC Senior Planner Brian Domina on the updates. Planner Thomas Jammalo said Domina has been working with them about a twice a month in reviewing the drafts.



"He was a huge help to us and as a board we can't thank him enough," Sherman said.



The amendments are available below or in hard copy at Town Hall. Town meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 25.

Clarksburg Bylaw Amendment on Wind, Housing by iBerkshires.com

Clarksburg Bylaw Wireless Telecommunications by iBerkshires.com
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit in Beijing, capital of China, May 3, 2016. [Xinhua]

China and Laos on Wednesday pledged to further enhance bilateral cooperation and parliamentary exchanges.

The pledge was made during separate meetings between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang with visiting Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachit at the Great Hall of the People.

Hailing the current development of China-Laos relations, Li said China was ready to enhance political mutual trust, promote the implementation of bilateral cooperation programs, and strengthen exchanges and experience sharing on development.

He also called on the two sides to strengthen communication and coordination on regional and international affairs.

Bounnhang said bilateral technological and trade cooperation with China made important contribution for Laos' social and economic development.

Laos is willing to expand the bilateral cooperation, and implement the cooperation projects such as the Laos-China railway construction, Bounnhang said.

He said Laos will also actively participate in the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism that was started earlier this year.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the dialogue relationship between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Bounnhang said Laos welcomed Li to visit Laos and attend this year's leaders' meetings on East Asian cooperation scheduled in Vientiane. Laos will also prepare well for the commemorating summit for the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relationship to advance regional cooperation.

Li said he was looking forward to this year's leaders' meeting and the commemorating summit.

Li spoke highly of the contribution made by Laos for regional cooperation and development, saying China will support Laos' rotating chairmanship of the ASEAN, and work with Laos and other ASEAN members to jointly push forward the China-ASEAN relations and East Asian cooperation to benefit people in the region.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislative body, said in his meeting with Bounnhang that the NPC attached high importance to the cooperation with the Lao National Assembly and was willing to keep the bilateral exchanges of all levels.

Zhang urged the legislative bodies of the two countries to increase exchanges on national governance, legislature and supervision to help promote the development of the China-Laos relations.

Bounnhang said the Lao government and National Assembly will work with the Chinese side to push forward the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation.

Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, also met with Bounnhang on Wednesday and jointly attended the reception marking the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Laos.

Speaking highly of the friendship between the two countries in the past 55 years, Liu said it is of great political importance to bilateral ties to maintaining high-level party-to-party exchanges.

The CPC is willing to work with the the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) to implement the consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Lao counterpart Bounnhang to further exchange experience on party-building and governance so as to promote the healthy and steady development of bilateral ties, Liu said.

Bounnhang said Laos appreciates the assistance China has provided to it in the past 55 years.

Lao would like to make joint efforts with China to lift the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation to a new level, said Bounnhang.

Bounnhang is visiting China from Tuesday to Thursday. This is his first visit to China since he became general secretary of the LPRP Central Committee in January and was elected president of Laos in April.
U.S. Republican Party (GOP) front-runner Donald Trump. [Xinhua]

With Donald Trump now being the likely Republican Party (GOP) nominee, he will start to focus his attacks on likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, slinging mud in her direction in what is sure to be a knock-down, drag out fight for the White House.

After Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich dropped out of the race after Trump's big win in Indiana Tuesday, Trump is the last Republican candidate standing in a primary season that started with a dozen candidates.

The New York real estate mogul, who just last summer was dismissed by pundits and political prognosticators as a flash in the pan, has steamrolled through several states and galvanized Republican rank-and-file voters like no other GOP candidate in years.

After virtually securing his nomination, Trump is now ready to focus on a single target -- Hillary Clinton, who is his likely Democratic rival in the November general elections.

"Trump will begin in earnest attacking Hillary Clinton," Brookings Institution's senior fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. "He will call her 'corrupt Hillary' and knit together Benghazi, email server, Whitewater, and her husband's infidelities into a narrative that seeks to make her unacceptable to American voters."

Indeed, Clinton has had her share of scandals over the years. More than two decades ago she was implicated in a failed land deal that became known as the "whitewater scandal."

While in the office of Secretary of State, she was blasted for alleged incompetence -- critics called it negligence -- for not providing better security for the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, resulting in the 2012 terrorist attack that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Clinton has also taken heat for allegedly using a personal email server while she was secretary of state, instead of a government server. Critics said she could have jeopardized U.S. national security, and a U.S. Justice Department investigation over the issue is ongoing.

Finally, Trump is sure to dredge up her husband's numerous marital infidelities, as former President Bill Clinton was known in the 1990s for his affair with then White House intern Monica Lewinsky, plus numerous other affairs.

In speeches and public appearances, Trump has already taken to referring to Clinton as "crooked Hillary" -- a label intended to paint her as corrupt and dishonest.

"(Trump) will throw 100 pieces of mud against the wall, in hopes that something will stick and torpedo her candidacy," West said. "He will use the National Enquirer to leak unfounded stories against her," he said, speaking of a U.S. tabloid newspaper.

Clinton already has high negatives, but they are likely to increase due to the bruising campaign, he said.

While Trump will not soften his rhetoric on Clinton, he will make an effort to appear more presidential, such as in the realm of foreign policy.

Indeed, the brash businessman recently made a foreign policy speech in which he steered clear of his usual bombast, but instead outlined several serious points in a cogent argument.

Trump hired a speech writer, and analysts argued that he appeared more presidential than usual, in a bid to start looking and playing the part of the commander in chief.

"He will do several serious policy speeches to buttress his substantive credentials. He already has done one on foreign policy and will do others as well. He needs to cross a threshold of seriousness so that people see him as a legitimate possibility for the presidency," West said.

While Clinton lost Tuesday's Indiana primary, she will more than likely still win the Democratic nomination and is looking ahead and focusing her sights on Trump.

"Hillary will not get distracted by Sanders. She is very close to winning the delegates she needs for the nomination and will devote all of her attention to Trump," West said.
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Ahmed Jaafir

Qatar Central Bank (QCB) recently issued a Board Resolution (the Resolution) restricting the ownership of shares in listed financial institutions.

The Resolution provides that one person's ownership of shares may not exceed five percent of the shares of any Qatar Stock Exchange-listed financial institution, whether direct or indirect. However, this percentage may be increased up to 10% subject to the prior approval of the QCB.

Shares owned or held by the state, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, the funds of the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority, Qatar Investment Authority and Qatar Holding Company are exempt.

The Resolution further provides that, without prejudice to the QCB's authority to apply penalties to the financial institutions pursuant to Law No. 13 of 2012 on the QCB and Regulation of Financial Institutions, no person may benefit from the voting rights in the shareholders' general meeting or in the management of a financial institution in excess of the permitted percentage limit.

In application of the provisions of the Resolution, indirect ownership means: the ownership by economically or legally interrelated persons of an organisation's shares, whether they are natural or legal persons, and whether such relationship is by means of ownership, common management or interrelated interests.

'Common ownership or management' means any economic or legal relationship by means of ownership or management.

'Interrelated interests' means each and every interest or relationship giving a person the right to control another person or exercise influence over them in respect of making financial or operational decisions or an alliance of a group of persons.

The Resolution stipulates that all financial institutions subject to its terms adjust their statutes and amend their articles of association to conform no later than one year from the effective date, being March 21 2016. Failing this, they may be subject to the penalties set out above, including the limit on voting rights.

Although the application of the Resolution might create both practical and legal challenges for the affected financial institutions in terms of compliance, the initiative reflects Qatar's strategic plan to improve governance rules, protect consumers and investors against monopolies and also to strengthen the financial sector's infrastructure.

Ahmed Jaafir
 Flash

The United Nations on Wednesday urged Syrian parties to abide by cessation of hostilities in Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria which has witnessed an escalation of violent fighting.

At a Security Council meeting on the situation of Aleppo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman noted that the United States and Russia have agreed to extend a nationwide truce to Aleppo.

Feltman said "we urge parties to abide by this immediately and comprehensively."

Earlier on Wednesday, the Syrian army confirmed that a 48 hour regime of silence will start in Aleppo from Thursday.

The truce came after the city has witnessed more than ten days of violence which killed over 120 people and injured hundreds of others.

"The current levels of violence in Aleppo in particular negatively impact the ability of the Syrian parties to engage in negotiations," said Feltman, noting that the only way for peace in Syria is through a political solution.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O' Brien briefed the 15-nation council that roughly 300,000 people in eastern Aleppo live in constant fear of air-strikes.

"The estimated 1.3 million people living in western Aleppo city are crowding into basements, seeking refuge from volleys of shells and mortar rounds, which continue to slam into what's left of their homes," he said.

Intense fighting between the Syrian government forces and the opposition erupted over the past days in Aleppo, despite continued diplomatic efforts to restore the ceasefire agreement reached in February.

The Syrian government has blamed the rebels in Aleppo for violating the truce, while oppositions accused Syrian warplanes of striking rebel-held areas in the eastern part of the city.
ePLDT, the digital enterprise enabler of PLDT Inc., the country's leading telecoms and digital services provider, has reinforced its security capability for cloud computing as it attained Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Security, Trust and Assurance Registry (STAR) certification.

The industrys most powerful security provider certification program, CSA STAR is a three-tiered provider assurance program encompassing rigorous auditing, transparency principles, standards harmonization, and continuous monitoring. It was established and is operated by CSA, the worlds leading organization dedicated to defining and raising awareness of best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. With this new status as a CSA STAR registered service provider, ePLDT assures enterprise clients that the PLDT Groups cloud services adhere the global industrys security best practices.

We understand our customers need for transparency and visibility in terms of the security controls provided by our cloud computing solutions, as these services handle sensitive, mission-critical data that must be safely guarded and protected said Nico Alcoseba, Head of PLDT Groups Disruptive Business Group. As a CSA STAR registered service provider, we ensure our customers that the cloud solutions we offer are not only secure but consistently comply with globally recognized standards.

This certification solidifies our position as a trusted provider of cloud services for the enterprise, as well as demonstrates our increased cloud computing maturity, added Dave Simon, ePLDT Group CTO and Service Delivery & Operations Group Head. Through continuous applications of the different security controls set by CSA on our own cloud operations, we as a provider can in turn educate our customers on the best practices in the cloud.

To know more about ePLDTs Cloud Services, visit www.epldt.com.

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Riverside man receives decade-long prison term following 3rd child pornography conviction

Los Angeles, California - A Riverside man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing about 100 images depicting child pornography, including sexually explicit pictures of pre-pubescent girls under the age of 12.

James Gregory ONeill, 58, was sentenced Monday afternoon by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner. ONeill pleaded guilty in January to possessing child pornography on his mobile phone in the spring of 2015. When authorities discovered the pictures on ONeills phone, he was on parole after being convicted in Riverside Superior Court of possessing matter depicting a minor in a sexual act, a crime that led to a two-year sentence. ONeill had also been convicted in federal court in 2003 of distributing child pornography, a conviction that brought a 40-month prison term.

The case against ONeill was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Riverside Police Department.

"Child pornography offenses must be punished, said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. These crimes create further demand in child pornography market, which by its nature is based on the exploitation and abuse of children. By deterring demand, we are protecting against future abuse.

"Every time a sexually explicit image or video of a minor is downloaded and viewed, the child whos shown is victimized again, said Joseph Macias, special agent in charge of HSI Los Angeles. Thats why HSI, in close collaboration with its law enforcement partners and prosecutors, is using every resource and tool at its disposal not only to target those involved in online child sexual exploitation, but also to identify and rescue the children whove fallen prey to these predators.

ONeill is one of a half-dozen men from the Inland Empire who currently face federal charges related to child pornography.

Jeremy Matthew Meyerett, 41, of San Bernardino, has agreed to plead guilty to production of child pornography in a case that carries a 15-year mandatory minimum prison term. During an undercover investigation by the Queensland (Australia) Police Service, Meyerett discussed sexually molesting a 5-year-old girl, and a subsequent search of an online account by federal law enforcement yielded child pornography depicting the young victim. Meyerett is scheduled to enter his guilty plea June 13 before United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips. This investigation was conducted by HSI and the Riverside County Sheriffs Department.

Andrew Harrison Fowler, 26, of Perris, who was previously convicted of having sex with minors in San Diego Superior Court, pleaded guilty April 18 to possession of child pornography, with some of the images depicting victims younger than 10. Fowler came to the attention of law enforcement after his employer discovered he was distributing and possessing child pornography while using a computer at his job in Corona. Fowler is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Phillips June 27, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and maximum possible sentence of 20 years. Fowler was on parole in the San Diego case when he committed the offense in the federal case. This case was investigated by the Riverside County District Attorneys Office Sexual Assault and Felony Enforcement/Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, which includes HSI special agents.

Anthony Michael Scotti, 22, of Murrieta, pleaded guilty April 4 to possession of child pornography. Scotti, who was previously convicted in Riverside Superior court of distributing lewd material to a minor, admitted he had images on an iPod that was seized by law enforcement last August. He also admitted using the KIK messaging app to distribute images of children engaged in sex acts with adults. In a plea agreement, Scotti also admitted he used text messages to convince a 15-year-old girl in another state to take sexually explicit pictures and send them to him. U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez is scheduled to sentence Scotti Sept. 12, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by HSI.

Angelo Harper Jr., 21, of Moreno Valley, is scheduled to go on trial July 19 on charges of advertising, distributing, and possessing child pornography. A grand jury indictment accuses Harper of distributing child pornography that includes a six-minute video depicting a man with a pre-pubescent boy. If he is convicted, Harper would face a statutory maximum sentence of 70 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by HSI and the Riverside Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Task Force.

Nathan Charles Longino Barba, 21, of Rancho Cucamonga, was indicted April 13 on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. Barba has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go on trial June 14. The indictment alleges Barba received video files depicting child pornography over the Internet and that he possessed sexually explicit images of a child under 12. If he is convicted, Barba would face a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by FBI.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

The HSI investigations were conducted under the agencys Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 14,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.
1 in 3 antibiotic prescriptions unnecessary

Washington, DC - At least 30 percent of antibiotics prescribed in the United States are unnecessary, according to new data published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with Pew Charitable Trusts and other public health and medical experts.

The study analyzed antibiotic use in doctors offices and emergency departments throughout the United States. CDC researchers found that most of these unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed for respiratory conditions caused by viruses  including common colds, viral sore throats, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections  which do not respond to antibiotics. These 47 million excess prescriptions each year put patients at needless risk for allergic reactions or the sometimes deadly diarrhea, Clostridium difficile.

The researchers also estimated the rate of inappropriate antibiotic use in adults and children by age and diagnosis. These data will help inform efforts to improve antibiotic prescribing over the next five years.

Antibiotics are lifesaving drugs, and if we continue down the road of inappropriate use well lose the most powerful tool we have to fight life-threatening infections, said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. Losing these antibiotics would undermine our ability to treat patients with deadly infections, cancer, provide organ transplants, and save victims of burns and trauma.

The fight to stop antibiotic resistance

In 2015, the White House released The National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (CARB), which set a goal of reducing inappropriate outpatient antibiotic use by at least half by 2020. This means that 15 percent of antibiotic prescriptions (or half of the 30 percent that are unnecessary) must be eliminated by 2020 to meet the CARB goal.

As part of the effort to achieve the national goal, CDC researchers analyzed the 20102011 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) to determine the number of outpatient visits resulting in antibiotic prescriptions by age, region, and diagnosis in the United States from 2010-2011. They found that:

Of the estimated 154 million prescriptions for antibiotics written in doctors offices and emergency departments each year, 30 percent are unnecessary. This finding creates a benchmark for improving outpatient antibiotic prescribing and use.

About 44 percent of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions are written to treat patients with acute respiratory conditions, such as sinus infections, middle ear infections, pharyngitis, viral upper respiratory infections (i.e., the common cold), bronchitis, bronchiolitis, asthma, allergies, influenza, and pneumonia. An estimated half of these outpatient prescriptions are unnecessary.

Setting a national target to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in outpatient settings is a critical first step to improve antibiotic use and protect patients, said Lauri Hicks, D.O., director of the Office of Antibiotic Stewardship in the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, and commander in the U.S. Public Health Service. We must continue to work together across the entire health care continuum to make sure that antibiotics are prescribed only when needed, and when an antibiotic is needed that the right antibiotic, dose, and duration are selected.

Health care professionals, health systems, and patients must take these actions to improve antibiotic use:

Outpatient health care providers can evaluate their prescribing habits and implement antibiotic stewardship activities, such as watchful waiting or delayed prescribing, when appropriate, into their practices.

Health systems can improve antibiotic prescribing in offices and outpatient facilities within their networks by providing communications training, clinical decision support, patient and health care provider education, and feedback to providers on their performance.

Patients can talk to their health care providers about when antibiotics are needed and when they are not. These conversations should include information on patients risk for infections by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Congress has recognized the urgent need to combat antibiotic resistance. In fiscal 2016, Congress appropriated $160 million in new funding for CDC to implement its activities listed in the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.

With this funding, CDC is fighting the spread of antibiotic resistance by:

Accelerating outbreak detection and prevention in every state.

Enhancing tracking of antibiotic use and resistance mechanisms and resistant infections.

Supporting innovative research to address gaps in knowledge.

Informing providers and the general public about antibiotic resistance and appropriate antibiotic use.

Improving antibiotic use by supporting expansion and development of new programs and activities at the local level.

Information on antibiotic stewardship and appropriate antibiotic use for health care providers and patients can be found at www.cdc.gov/getsmart.
160 Students From Across the Country Named 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars

Washington, DC - U.S. Secretary of Education John King announced the 52nd class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, recognizing 160 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts and career and technical education fields.

"This year's class of Presidential Scholars continues a more than 50 year trend of honoring students who've shown excellence in their educational, artistic and civic pursuits," King said. "Thirty years ago, the program was expanded to include students in the arts, which is critical to providing students with a well-rounded education. Now, we've added 20 more slots to honor our highest achieving students in career and technical education, reflecting the Department's belief that a quality education must be a well-rounded education that prepares students for college, careers and any other civic service."

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, appointed by President Obama, selects honored scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. Of the three million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,600 candidates qualified for the 2016 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, through nominations made by Chief State School Officers, other partner recognition organizations or the National YoungArts Foundation's nationwide YoungArts competition.

The 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts and for the first time 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education.

Created in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored almost 7,000 of the nation's top-performing students with the prestigious award given to honorees during the annual ceremony in D.C. The program was expanded in 1979 to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, literary and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.

The 2016 ceremony will be held June 19th, when each honoree will receive a Presidential Scholar Medallion.
Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken Travel to Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, and France

Washington, DC - Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Warsaw, Sofia, Bucharest, and Paris, May 510.

In Warsaw, May 56, the Deputy Secretary will meet with senior officials to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including this summers NATO summit in Warsaw and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. On May 5, the Deputy Secretary will give remarks on the United States, Europe, and the NATO Alliance at the German Marshall Fund.

On May 67, Deputy Secretary Blinken will travel to Sofia for meetings with senior Bulgarian officials to discuss bilateral and NATO cooperation, including follow-up on five U.S.-Bulgaria working groups launched in 2015 by Foreign Minister Mitov and Secretary Kerry on defense cooperation, counterterrorism, energy diversification, the rule of law, and education and people-to-people ties.

May 78, the Deputy Secretary will visit Bucharest for meetings with senior government officials to discuss security issues ahead of the NATO summit in Warsaw, bilateral security cooperation, the bilateral economic partnership, and rule of law and government reform efforts. The Deputy Secretary will also meet with business leaders and members of civil society.

The Deputy Secretarys final stop is in Paris, May 910, where he will meet with French officials.

For more information on the Deputy Secretarys remarks at the German Marshall Fund, please contact the Ewa Blawdziewicz at +48 22 845 6317 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . The event will be livestreamed on the GMF website here.




This Isnt Our Last Love Letter



Dear Don Don,

Way back in 92



I walked into the room and knew



Never felt this way before



I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes



And the feeling grew



As I took a seat I knew



A love that would have my heart



Forever



I knew



Way back in 92





They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true



We were the exception to that rule



Our love had no where to hide



A spark set fire



As if this is how the universe started





I never doubted our love or what we could do



Together we grew



Forming a bond everlasting



That became our glue



My euphoria was YOU



Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared



For how fortunate we were :



to have and to hold

through sickness and in health

Til death do us part



Until we are together again



This isnt our last love letter



I love you with all my heart and soul



Yours forever,



Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow)





Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus.









A True American Hero

I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus.



I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years.



I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years.

But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us.

In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about.



Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle.

I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life.

I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life.

No one will ever do what he did.

I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO





David Jurist

IMUS IN THE MORNING

FIRST DAY BACK!
 Flash

Australia's "most dangerous" terrorist Neil Prakash has been confirmed dead on Thursday, after a coalition-led airstrike struck the Islamic State (IS) stronghold of Mosul, Iraq last week.

Australia's Attorney-General George Brandis confirmed Prakash's death to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and said it was a "significant" step in curbing the spread of IS to western nations such as Australia.

"We were advised by the American government that they have confirmation of the death of Neil Prakash last Friday night in Mosul," Brandis told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday.

"Prakash was a very important, high-valued target. He was the most dangerous Australian involved with IS in the Middle East."

Since leaving Australia in 2013, Prakash has been one of the terrorist group's most active recruiters, and was considered by many, including Brandis, to be one of the greatest threats to the Australian public.

"Prakash was actively involved in both recruitment and in encouraging domestic terror attacks in Australia," Brandis said.

"He was the principal Australian reaching back from the Middle East into Australia and, in particular, to terrorist networks in both Melbourne and Sydney, encouraging lone wolf attacks and more sophisticated attacks."

Despite the news of Prakash's death, the government has stressed that he was not the only person - and not the only Australian - that has attempted to recruit vulnerable young Australians to join the IS cause. Brandis said it was not a time to be "complacent".

"When you take out the principal inspirer of domestic terrorism, that is a good thing, but he isn't the only one," Brandis said.

"Although we should be gladdened by this news as he was the most dangerous Australian in the (terror organization), we shouldn't be complacent either, as this is by no means the end of the struggle against ISIL and he was by no means the only dangerous Australian in the Middle East trying to reach back to Australia.

"The latest advice I have from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) this morning is that there are still about 110 Australians engaged with ISIL in the Middle East."

American authorities have also advised the federal government that Australian woman Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad was also killed in a similar, U.S-led air strike near the Syrian city of Al Bab last month.

Mohammad was the sister of teenager Farhad Mohammad, who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng in Sydney last year.
Notice Asking Women Advocates Not to 'Arrange' Hair in Open Court in Pune Sparks Outrage
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Lost inside the profound musings of one of Shakespeare's most iconic characters, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, the world's never quite given Ophelia the attention she deserves.

She is an utterly magnetic, tragic character; almost celestially intertwined with Hamlet in the magnitude of their madness and grief, yet her character also has a history of being subject to the impositions of male perceptions of female insanity. She is inflicted not with the deep-rooted intellectual madness suffered by Hamlet, but by a madness affixed by her rejected body and unrequited passions, an erotomania.

However, the awakening feminist movement has brought fresh perspectives on Ophelia, and a chance to reclaim her from the tropes she's been burdened with; now, Daisy Ridley and Naomi Watts both hope to bring a new focus to the character, and to the women of Hamlet at large.

They'll both star in Ophelia, a re-imagining of the Hamlet story from an altered point of view (via Variety); Ridley will play the titular heroine, with Naomi Watts playing Hamlet's mother Queen Gertrude. Claire McCarthy is set to direct, which will be an adaptation of the novel by Lisa Klein.

It's certainly a fantastic addition to Ridley's burgeoning slate; though she may have lost the iconic role of Lara Croft to Alicia Vikander, she's already joined the J.J. Abrams-produced Kolma and historical romance The Lost Wife.



BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Show all 22 1 /22 BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Richard III (1911) A record of F.R. Benson's production at Shakespeare's Memorial Theatre in Stratford BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Hamlet (1913) Directed by Hay Plumb BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection The Winter's Tale (1913) Directed by Baldassare Negroni BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Around the Town No.110 (1922) A four-minute short following an unconvincing Shakespeare who mopes his way around Stratford BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection You Made Me Love You (1933) Directed by Monty Banks BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Men Are Not Gods (1936) BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Henry V (1944) Directed by Laurence Olivier BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Time Flies (1944) Directed by Walter Forde BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Romeo and Juliet (1954) Directed by Renato Castellani BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Next (1955) Directed by Barry Purves BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Throne of Blood (1957) Directed by Akira Kurosawa BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection The Bad Sleep Well (1960) Directed by Akira Kurosawa BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection All Night Long (1962) Directed by Basil Dearden BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection The Tempest (1979) Directed by Derek Jarman BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection The Angelic Conversation (1985) Directed by Derek Jarman BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Richard III (1995) Directed by Richard Loncraine BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Shakespeare In Love (1998) Directed by John Madden BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection The Banquet (2006) Directed by Feng Xiaogang BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Macbeth (2009) Directed by Georgina Lamb and Rupert Goold BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Julius Caesar (2012) Directed by Gregory Doran BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Bill (2015) Directed by Richard Bracewell BFI's Shakespeare On Film collection Macbeth (2015) Directed by Justin Kurzel



And, of course, she'll be returning to the role of Rey when Star Wars: Episode VIII hits UK cinemas 15 December 2017.
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Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson has said he is listening and learning to a fierce whitewashing backlash over Tilda Swintons casting as The Ancient One.

He posted a tweet on 4 May acknowledging the raw anger/hurt from Asian-Americans over Hollywood whitewashing, stereotyping and erasure of Asians in cinema after white actress Swinton was announced to play the Marvel movies Tibetan, and originally male, character.

Oscar-winning Anglo-Scottish actress Swinton is yet to comment on the criticism but high-profile Asian stars including George Takei and Margaret Cho have expressed their distaste on both her casting and that of Scarlett Johansson as Japanese cyborg Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell.



C Robert Cargill, Doctor Stranges screenwriter, said recently that Swinton was cast on her talent and not her race. He insisted that it was also a political move as had a Tibetan character been cast, the film could have been banned by the Chinese government.

Star Treks Takei, however, did not believe him, writing on his Facebook page: You cast a white actress so you wouldnt hurt salesin Asia? This backpedaling is nearly as cringeworthy as the casting. Marvel must think were all idiots. They cast Tilda because they believe white audiences want to see white faces.

Further down in the comments he added that the long-standing practice of rewriting originally Asian roles for white actors to play leaves Asian invisible on screen and underemployed as actors.

Hollywood whitewashing controversies Show all 11 1 /11 Hollywood whitewashing controversies Hollywood whitewashing controversies Scarlett Johansson cast as Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell Blonde, white US actress Scarlett Johansson was announced to be playing the clearly Japanese character Motoko Kusanagi in Hollywood's Ghost in the Shell remake, much to the dismay of Asian film fans Hollywood whitewashing controversies Tilda Swinton cast as The Ancient One in Doctor Strange Marvel sparked outrage when Anglo-Scottish actress Tilda Swinton was cast as Tibetan mystic The Ancient One alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange Hollywood whitewashing controversies Zoe Saldana was criticised for 'blacking up' to play the considerably darker-skinned soul singer Nina Simone in Nina AP Hollywood whitewashing controversies Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Prince of Persia The half Jewish, quarter Swedish actor was cast to play a Middle Eastern Prince in Disney's 2010 film Hollywood whitewashing controversies Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily in forthcoming film Pan Mara was been cast in the role of American Indian Tiger Lily, sparking an online protest from angry film fans Warner Bros Hollywood whitewashing controversies Christian Bale plays Moses in Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings Ridley Scott claimed he would never cast 'Mohammed so-and-so from such-and-such a country' in a lead role in his Biblical epic, and went on to cast an entirely white cast instead Hollywood whitewashing controversies Jim Caveziel plays Jesus in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ Catholic star Mel Gibson chose to cast a Caucasian American actor in the role of Jesus for his controversial film AP Hollywood whitewashing controversies Micky Rooney plays a Japanese neighbour in Breakfast at Tiffany's Who better to play Holly Golightly's Japanese neighbour IY Yunoishi than American actor Mick Rooney. At least Hollywood has come some way since 1961 YouTube Hollywood whitewashing controversies Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in Argo Ben Affleck became the subject of a few editorials in Latin American newspapers for casting himself (an American with English, Irish, Scottish and Swiss ancestry) as a Mexican CIA operative Hollywood whitewashing controversies Jennifer Connelly plays Alicia Nash in A Beautiful Mind Alicia Lopez-Harrison de Larde was a naturalised US citizen from El Salvador, but was played by an actress of Jewish, Irish and Norwegian descent YouTube Hollywood whitewashing controversies Chinese actresses cast in Memoirs of a Geisha What better way to alienate Japanese cinemagoers than to cast three Chinese actresses in the lead roles in a film about Japanese culture REUTERS



Marvel has already issued a statement on the controversy, highlighting a very strong record of diversity that sees the studio regularly depart from stereotypes and source material.

The Ancient One is a title that is not exclusively held by any one character, but rather a moniker passed down through time, and in this particular film the embodiment is Celtic, the message read. We are very proud to have the enormously talented Tilda Swinton portray this unique and complex character alongside our richly diverse cast.

Benedict Wong, a British actor born to Chinese parents, will play the role of the Sorcerer Supremes sidekick but how much screen time he will be given remains in doubt. Wong was not seen in the films first trailer when it premiered last month.



It remains to be seen whether Swinton will eventually address the whitewashing scandal surrounding her major part. Rooney Mara, who sparked outrage after playing native American princess Tigerlily in Pan, said earlier this year that she hate, hate, hated being on the wrong side of the whitewashing conversation. I dont ever want to be on that side of it again, she told The Telegraph. I can understand why people were upset and frustrated. Do I think all of the four main people in the film should have been white with blonde hair and blue eyes? No.

A recent Hollywood diversity report found that women of colour were less likely to be featured as a significant character in a film: just 27 per cent had major roles as opposed to 38 per cent of white females.

Doctor Strange reaches UK cinemas on 28 October.
 Flash

An email from a Chinese student in Britain, intended for police in Verona, Italy, was wrongly sent to a sheriff in Verona Town, New Jersey, on April 14.

Mitchell Stern, the Sheriff of Verona, a New Jersey township which features the same name of the Italian town [Photo/Weibo]

The sender said a Chinese student in Verona, Italy had an intention to commit suicide and hoped the local police could prevent the tragedy.

After reading the email, Mitchell Stern, the Sheriff of Verona, a New Jersey township which features the same name of the Italian town, immediately contacted Italian police for assistance.

Stern said that he could immediately tell from the email that the sender was in need of help.

Stern spent hours vainly trying to reach the police in Verona before deciding to call the Italian Consulate in New York; unfortunately, the consulate was already closed.

The sheriff then called the Regional Operations and Intelligence Center of New Jersey State Police and was told to contact the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in Washington D.C.

At 5:46pm, local time, Stern reached the Interpol police and told them about the young woman's situation in Italy, forwarding the email before the police called their Italian counterparts.

At 7:35pm, Stern received an email from Italian Interpol saying that the woman had been sent to hospital and was in stable condition. At 9:30pm, a more detailed email from Italian Interpol  saying that the girl had taken an overdose of counter-depression pills and cut her wrist before she was hospitalized  reached Stern. However, the email assured the New Jersey sheriff that her life was not in danger and that she was being treated at the hospital.

Later, Stern received an email from the Chinese woman, who was grateful for his help. She said she felt fortunate to still have the opportunity to write to him to show her immense gratitude and that she now found life beautiful again.

Stern's good deed has been acknowledged by various politicians in New Jersey.
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We've had sexy vampires, sexy werewolves; is it now time for the sexy merman?

Guillermo del Toro's fantasy project set to shoot in August in Toronto has finally revealed its central premise: crafting a yearning romance between woman and merman, set against the backdrop of 1963 Cold War America. The already announced Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, and Michael Stuhlbarg now look to be joined by Cabin in the Woods' Richard Jenkins in what's been titled, The Shape of Water (via The Tracking Board).

Look, without del Toro's involvement this would have been a deeply idiotic idea; but this is del Toro we're talking about. If any man on earth could get a cinematic audience to cheer on a hook-up between a woman and a part-fish, part-man creature; it would be the wildly passionate and imaginative director of Crimson Peak and Pan's Labyrinth.

In fact, del Toro's already dabbled in creating empathetic fish-men with the likes of Hellboy's Abe Sapien, played by regular monster-performer Doug Jones and voiced by David Hyde Pierce.

Speaking of Hellboy, Ron Perlman recently rolled out some disappointing news for fans: looks like Hellboy 3 probably won't ever be happening, though there may be some comfort to be taken in the recent announcement that del Toro's personal collection of monster memorabilia will be touring the world in a new exhibition.
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Jacob Tremblay has made no secret of his passionate love for the Star Wars franchise, so it should come as little surprise that the 9-year-old is making an early bid for a role in the ninth movie.

The Canadian child actor, best known for Room with Brie Larson, tweeted a photo of himself and Shut In co-star Naomi Watts to Star Wars: Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow on May the 4th.

For your consideration he wrote under the picture, calling Watts Obi-Wan Naomi and himself Jake Skywalker. Tremblay wished Trevorrow a Happy Star Wars Day as fans around the world were celebrating with the hashtag #Maythe4thBeWithYou.



The director, who enjoyed huge success with Jurassic World last year, replied with a simple And also with you, which was, frankly, rather disappointing. Surely theres room for Hollywoods greatest fan in the film?

Tremblays Star Wars addiction was met by a collective aww from the world during this years Oscars. He wore Star Wars -themed socks with his suit and full-on got out of his seat for a proper look when C-3PO, r2-d2 and BB-8 made appearances on stage.





The actor keeps his Critics Choice Award next to the Millennium Falcon model in his bedroom and has an adorable puppy called Rey after Daisy Ridleys lead character.



Trevorrow, you know what to do.
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In a new interview Woody Allen gave to The Hollywood Reporter, the director revealed a bizarre anecdote about an attempted meet with French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.

It came off the back of another about a brief rendezvous with playwright Samuel Beckett.

I chatted with him for five minutes at I think it was Les Deux Magots [a cafe in Paris], Allen recalled. I was there having coffee, and someone said: "Samuel Beckett is over there. Would you like to meet him?" And I said, "Sure," and I went over and we chatted for a little while. He was very nice.

I was never a great Beckett fan, he added. But I wanted to meet Jean-Paul Sartre. I wanted to do that, and someone connected with him said, "It can be arranged for a price."

Clearly stunned that the Marxist philosopher and activist would charge for his social time, THR replied: Youre joking!

No, no, Allen replied. I didn't follow up on that because the whole thing was too sinister for my psyche.

Allen's passion for literature, art and criticism of the past was clear in his 2011 film Midnight in Paris, which saw the protagonist accidentally go back in time and meet Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Stein, Dali, Toulouse-Lautrec and more.

Elsewhere in the interview, Allen discussed his Luddite tendencies, confirming that he still doesnt have a computer.

No. I have none of that stuff, he said. And I'm not good at that. I'm not good technically. I have a cellphone, but it's very limited.

I know this: I can make calls, and my assistant put all my jazz records on it. It used to be when I would go out of town and I'd practice the clarinet, I was always schlepping a lot of vinyl recordings from city to city[Ive] never emailed anybody.
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When one of the people who helped give your festival its name is annoyed with you, does that mean its time to call it quits? The latest in a line of troubles for the beleaguered holiday camp weekender All Tomorrows Parties came in the lead-up to mid-Aprils Stewart Lee-curated festival at Pontins in Prestatyn and the following weekends subsequently cancelled Drive Like Jehu event, which had already been downsized from North Wales to the heart of Manchester.

We did our best to believe in the organizers, in the end, they let us all down, tweeted John Cale, who had been scheduled to take part in both, and who felt he had to cancel his appearances at the eleventh hour. That and the Drive Like Jehu cancellation announcement at the climax of Stewart Lees event, along with some stern words from the reformed American hardcore band from the 1990s, made for one of the worst weeks in the festivals history.

Its stating the obvious that there were a few hiccups, says Barry Hogan, the promoter who runs All Tomorrows Parties (or ATP, as everyone knows it), of the Lee weekender, but there was some great music; people like Sleaford Mods, (the) Sun Ra (Arkestra), Richard Dawson. It was well-received by a lot of artists and fans. He points to an untrue but widely-spread rumour back in March that the festival had been cancelled as the beginning of this springs troubles. It killed the sales, it really went against us. And the numbers just werent there for Jehu. I know people will ask why we waited until that week to cancel, but we really tried to salvage it and we just werent able to.

This isnt the first time ATP has found itself in a similar position; but before repeating the issues its had in recent years, its important to remember just why its fans feel so proprietorial, and why their trust has willed it on through the bad times. Created by Hogan in 2001, in the wake of the Belle & Sebastian-organised Bowlie Weekender in 1999, ATP followed the same format as Bowlie: block book a traditional British holiday resort near the sea; fill it with fans of alternative and marginal music looking for the home comforts of a chalet rather than a tent in a muddy field; book a variety of under-the-radar artists of different genres; and leave their selection up to the headliners - usually a reformed or still-active alternative titan of the 1980s or 90s, for example Slint, Sonic Youth or My Bloody Valentine  in turn pioneering the use of the term curation when referring to festival programming.

It was a simple but very popular idea, leading to as many as three events throughout the year in its heyday. We had the best weekend, great music was happening everywhere and when we felt a little tired we would go back to our chalet to make a cup of tea, says Laetitia Sadier, whose band Stereolab attended the first Bowlie event. It felt very civilised, not having to confront the discomfort of a tent and being able to go for walks nearby. The people who were there made it special; during the first edition I remember there being mostly Scottish people and Scandinavians, for some reason. It wasn't yet the hip festival to go to and be seen at, which it became later. It was strictly a music lovers festival and it still is. Thats what I love most about it.

For more than a decade ATP was a DIY success story, earning a move from Camber Sands in Sussex to the larger Minehead in Somerset. Events were held in London, upstate New York, an Australian ski resort and at Primavera Sound in Barcelona. In 2009 Warp released a film about ATP. Yet in 2012 the company went into administration bearing unsustainable debts, and the formation of a new company to carry on the ATP brand didnt stop the cancellation of 2014s Jabberwocky event in London three days before it was due to go ahead.

Now, in light of its recent problems, theres a sense that the world may have moved on around All Tomorrows Parties; that in contrast to its name, its time is in the past. When it began, there was no similar national meeting place for an audience whose natural home may have been through shared listenership of John Peels radio show. Now, the options for listeners of marginal music are many, from city festivals like Newcastles Tusk and Glasgows Counterflows, to a venue like Londons Cafe Oto, whose programming is challenging and inspired. When London post-punks This Heat reformed earlier this year, they played Cafe Oto before ATP.

And of course, when a flight to the continent is on a financial par with a trip to Prestatyn from London or Glasgow, its competition has become the likes of Primavera itself, sometime collaborators with ATP. Contacted for this article, the rapidly-growing Primavera confirmed that numbers travelling from the UK to its festival have increased by 315% since 2012, with 61.3% of that increase happening between 2015s edition and this years. The markets changed dramatically in the last few years, says Hogan. There are so many festivals out there, and people have more pressures than ever on where to spend their money.

I wasn't always a fan of their programming, says Lee Etheridge, creative director at Tusk, of ATP, and as a festival organiser myself, I wouldn't want to hand over programming to a guest curator, but it seemed to work for a lot of people. The three Ive been to  curated by Tortoise, Thurston Moore and Stewart Lee - were all great. I'm also not personally a fan of getting bands who stopped functioning in the mid-80s to reform and play again, but then its fair to say they will have brought a new, younger audience to bands like Slint.

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Amongst anyone who knows and loves ATP, and still hotly debates its future online, there are two clear camps; those who think its had its day and deserves to be left behind, and those who believe its something special which should be nurtured and cherished for as long as possible. Etheridge is in the former camp, and his view isnt uncommon.

ATP gives a master class in how not to treat your audiences and artists sometimes, he says. Seeing how they communicate leaves a great deal to be desired, to put it politely. Its amazing, after all they've done in this regard, that they clearly still have a reservoir of good will to draw on, I guess that's because people really do enjoy their festivals. But personally, and speaking as the manager of someone who played Prestatyn, I think its time to draw the curtain on the whole thing. But I'm a hypocrite too, of course  Im sceptical about bands reforming for a nostalgia trip but I loved seeing the Stooges at ATP.

Sadier, however, thinks the opposite. Criticism is easy, she says, echoing a post she made on Facebook the week after Prestatyn. Organising and running a festival isn't. People are always so quick to slag off the ones that stick their necks out. Maybe Barry isn't the best businessman but he is one of the most inspired promotors in London, hes taking a risk for all of us. I see (ATP) as being made and organised with love, unlike a lot of other festivals I've been to, where people are treated like cattle in a field. It isnt cool to not be paid in full, and have festivals cancelled and not be reimbursed, but if we drag the thing down then theres an even greater chance of there being no ATP at all. No-one would benefit from this.

ATP isnt over yet; its website still lists a bunch of London shows throughout the year and the return of its popular event in Iceland in June, headlined by the film composer John Carpenter, and Hogan says theres no threat to these. April was far from ideal, but were carrying on as normal, he says, pointing out that new investors are being consulted about how to move ATP forward. Band fees from April and customer refunds from Drive Like Jehu, he says, are being processed  the money wont be magicked overnight, but they will go through.

Otherwise he refuses to rule out more festivals under the holiday camp banner, although he says theyre in no rush to book any more imminently. I dont know if its the right format any more, he says. Maybe we should leave it alone or try something new? But all we want to do is put music on that we believe in, to bring together a nice, like-minded crowd who are all into the same thing. I mean, if we wanted to become super-rich we could have been putting massive, shite bands on all this time.
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One of Peaky Blinders biggest fans was David Bowie: show creator Steven Knight previously revealed the music icon was such a huge fan he once cosplayed as a Shelby and sent the photo to Cillian Murphy.

Bowie wasnt wearing just any old flat cap though; that was the one Murphy wore in the show: We were friends and I sent him the cap from the first series as a Christmas present, the actor told the Birmingham Mail.

He was a very sweet man and a genuine fan of Peaky Blinders, and I was a huge, huge David Bowie fan. He was very private and probably wouldnt like all this fuss. Its sad, isnt it?

Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Show all 30 1 /30 Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy as Peaky Blinders mob boss Tommy Shelby BBC Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Peaky Blinders is acclaimed for its stunning cinematography Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Annabelle Wallis as Tommy's new wife Grace Shelby Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Helen McCrory as the fearsome yet complicated Aunt Polly Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures The Peaky Blinders, always meaning business Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby dances with his new wife Grace in the series three premiere Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby and his young son Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy looking dapper as Tommy Shelby at his wedding to Grace Burgess Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy's bride was finally revealed in episode one of series three Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Helen McCrory returns as Aunt Polly Gray Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Alexander Siddig plays Polly's potential new suitor Ruben Oliver Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Oh to own one of these beautiful 1920s cars Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Harry Kirton as Finn Shelby Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby meeting Gaite Jansen as Duchess Tatania Petrovna Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby has moved into the higher echelons of society but the corruption continues Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Harry Kirton as Finn Shelby Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Gaite Jansen as Duchess Tatania Petrovna Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby with Cillian Murphy as his younger mob boss brother Tommy Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Paul Anderson and Cillian Murphy as Arthur and Tommy Shelby Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy struggles to keep Arthur under control in the first episode of Peaky Blinders series three Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Ian Peck as Curley and Ned Dennehy as Charlie Strong Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Benjamin Zephaniah as Jeremiah Jesus and Jordan Bolger as Isiah Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby at Tommy's wedding Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Helen McCrory battles with self-loathing as Polly Gray Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Richard Brake as intimidating new character Anton Kaledin Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Alexander Siddig as the charming Ruben Oliver Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby orders the Peaky Blinders to behave themselves on his wedding day Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby's mind is elsewhere at his wedding breakfast Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Jordan Bolger as Isiah at Tommy's wedding Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Sophie Rundle as the strong-willed Ada Shelby

In the same interview, Steven Knight added: We all grew up with David Bowie and hes a hero. Its a major thing that someone like that was a fan of the show. He said he wanted his music to be part of it, but at the time I didnt know it was his dying wish.

Knight had previously revealed how Bowie sent him a copy of Blackstar a week early so the songs could be considered for season three of the show.

Peaky Blinders returns tonight on BBC Two.
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When you use Google, you are making a deal. You get to use services like Gmail, Drive, search, YouTube, and Google Maps for free.

In exchange, you agree to share information about yourself that Google can share with advertisers so their ads are more effective. For instance, airlines want to target people who love to travel. Children's clothing makers want to target parents.

Google uses a lot of methods to learn about you. There's the stuff you tell Google outright when you sign up for its Gmail or to use your Android phone. This includes your name, phone number, location, and so on.

But Google also watches you as you scamper around the internet, deducing your interests from your internet searches  what do you search for? click on?  from your use of Google's other services and from other websites you visit.

 Google defends its success

By visiting a hard-to-find page called "Web & App Activity," you can see what Google is watching.

Then by visiting a site called "Ads Settings," you can see what Google thinks it knows about you, and you can change what it's telling advertisers about you.

It's not easy to find your "Web & App Activity" page. You must be logged in to Google to see it. Once logged in, go to "https://history.google.com/history/" and click on "all time."

This brings up a long list of all the web pages you searched. You can delete them, but it isn't easy. Google lets you delete only one day at a time. That will take forever to cover years' worth of data, but you can try it anyway. Click on today, then click the delete button at the top.

You'll have to deal with a warning from Google telling you that you don't really want to delete this information. The truth is, Google doesn't want you to delete this information. You may or may not want to, but don't worry if you do. You won't break the internet or your Google account if you hit the delete button.

Now, click on the little menu button on the top left of the screen

Here's where you'll find links to the voice, device, location, and YouTube records Google keeps on you. You can go to those pages and delete stuff, too. But you'll have to delete everything one day at a time and deal with Google's warnings on why you don't want to do that.

If you click on "location history" in the menu, it takes you to a page with a map, which represents your "timeline" of where and when you traveled, with Google Maps or other location services. Now click on the settings button on the lower-right corner.

From here you can delete all of your location data, if you choose. But if you really want to see all the data Google has collected on you, click on "download a copy of all your data." You can also get to this download page from your "account settings" page. Click on "select all." Scroll down and select "next."

Inside Google London Show all 26 1 /26 Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London Inside Google London

Select your file type. We recommend the default, .zip, since Windows and Macs can typically open those files without problems, and select your delivery method. You might want to save it to Drive if you have the space. Google warns that archives that are emailed may take hours or days to compile. You'll have to be patient. It still took two hours when using Drive. Google will email you when it's done.

 Self-driving Google car crashes into public bus

Google sent me two ENORMOUS 2G files on what it is tracking on me. Inside were folders of stuff, including computer scripts on me and my data. But most of it was photos. Every photo I ever uploaded since 2013, full size. Here's a photo of my puppy that it sent, and an example of the JSON scripts and the list of files it sent.

While you are waiting, you can explore what advertisers are told about you. While you are logged in, go to any Google service and click on your account icon. Then click on "my account."

This takes you to your account-settings page. On the left, the "activity controls" lets you explore all the daily information Google keeps on you. "Control your content" lets you download all of your data. But this time, click on "ads settings," then scroll down and click on "manage ad settings."

This is what Google thinks I'm into. Some stuff is accurate: bikes, fitness, books, food & drink, mobile phones. Some is not: East Asian Music? Banking? Cleaning Agents? Rap & Hip-Hop? I think that's Google's way of guessing my gender (cleaning/hair), my ethnic background (Asian) and my age (Hip-Hop) because I deleted my gender and age information two years ago, the last time I checked on what Google was monitoring.

Scroll down and click on "control signed-out ads" and you can turn off "interest-based ads" at least for this browser, meaning Google won't share stuff about you to advertisers. Google will warn you against it. Or you can switch to the DuckDuckGo search engine, which promises not to track you at all.
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A huge US navy ship is piloting itself around the sea  but hackers might be able to take control of it, experts have warned.

The Pentagon has shown off the new ship, called Sea Hunter, which is the biggest unmanned surface vessel ever made. The 132-foot ship can guide itself up to 10,000 nautical miles, and will be used to find submarines and mines.

But experts have warned that without humans to drive it, the ship could be hacked and forced to go rogue.

Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

The Navy will be testing out those and other concerns during a trial period of two years, where officials will also watch to see whether it can make its way around the sea without crashing.

The militarys research arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, will be testing the ship alongside the Navy. It will sail around the San Diego coast, operating itself on its own.

That marks it out from previous, smaller ships that have been operated from outside but not actually by themselves.

"It's not a joy-stick ship," said DARPA spokesman Jared B. Adams, standing in front of the sleek, futuristic-looking steel-gray vessel docked at a maritime terminal in the heart of San Diego's shipbuilding district, where TV crews filmed the robotic craft.

"Sea Hunter" relies on radar, sonar, cameras and a global positioning system. Unmanned ships will supplement missions to help keep service members out of harm's way, Adams said.

Besides military leaders, the commercial shipping industry will be watching the ship's performance during the trial period. Maritime companies from Europe to Asia have been looking into developing fleets of unmanned ships to cut down on operating costs and get through areas plagued by pirates.

 New Titanic? France Launches World's Largest Passenger Ship

During the testing phase, the ship will have human operators as a safety net. But once it proves to be reliable, it will maneuver itself  able to go out at sea for months at a time. With its twin diesel engines, it could go as far as Guam from San Diego on a mission, developers say. There are no plans at this point to arm it.

"There are a lot of advantages that we're still trying to learn about," program manager Scott Littlefield said.

The idea in the commercial sector has sparked debate over whether it's possible to make robotic boats safe enough. The International Transport Workers' Federation, the union representing more than half of the world's more than 1 million seafarers, has said it does not believe technology will ever be able to replace the ability of humans to foresee and react to the various dangers at sea.

Others have expressed concern about hackers taking control. Military officials have been working on hacker-proof protections and say it's possible to make ships cyber-secure.

The "Sea Hunter" was built off the Oregon coast, and it moved on a barge to San Diego's coastline. The prototype can travel at a speed of up to about 30 mph and is equipped with a variety of sensors and an advanced optical system to detect other ships.

The program to develop the ship cost $120 million, though DARPA officials say the vessels can now be produced for about $20 million.

Additional reporting by agencies
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YouTube is reportedly planning on branching out into the world of TV with 'Unplugged', a rumoured subscription service which offers customers a bundle of channels to stream over the internet.

According to Bloomberg, who cite people familiar with the project, Unplugged could make its debut in 2017.

The Google-owned company is reportedly already in talks with major American media companies like NBC, Viacom and 21st Century Fox for the rights to stream their channels, although Bloomberg's sources said no deals have yet been made.

YouTube, which makes most of its money from advertising, first adopted a subscription model when it introduced YouTube Red last year, which offers users ad-free viewing and a range of exclusive content.

Unplugged would be an extension of this, letting viewers watch major cable channels live via YouTube.

The whole package would reportedly cost no more than $35 (24) a month, but since the licensing deal will likely only apply to the US at first, British users might have to wait.

Similar services already exist - Sling, which is currently only available in the US, offers users a range of streaming cable TV channels for $20 a month for the basic package.

However, since YouTube is already such a huge platform, it might be less of a leap for users to sign up to Unplugged over another service.

The plan has reportedly been in the works since 2012, but Bloomberg says things are finally coming to a head.

The Independent has contacted YouTube for more information.
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A craving for alcohol could be tempered by the power of prayer.

Researchers from New York University worked with longstanding members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to assess their cravings after reading various texts.

They found that prayer can minimise alcohol cravings by stimulating the parts of the brain which are responsible for attention and emotion.

The participants, who were first shown a series of images considered to induce alcohol cravings, reported less desire to drink after then reciting a prayer.

Marc Galanter, senior author of the study and Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse at the university, said the experience of going to AA had left some people with an "innate ability" to use prayer to minimise the effect of alcohol triggers.

Craving is diminished in long-term AA members compared to patients who have stopped drinking for some period of time but are more vulnerable to relapse, he added.

Of the 20 AA members who took part in the study, none reported a craving for alcohol in the week prior to the testing, but all reported some degree of craving after viewing the images.

Yet all of the participants said these cravings had reduced after reciting an AA prayer.

The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 10. Poland Results from an OECD report The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 9. Germany The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 8. Luxembourg Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 7. France The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 6. Hungary Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 5. Russia AFP/Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 4. Czech Republic The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 3. Estonia Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 2. Austria Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 1. Lithuania AFP/Getty Images

Dr Galanter said they wanted to find out what was happening in the brain when an AA member experienced a 'trigger', such as a bar, or going through something upsetting.

MRI scans showed those who prayed had increased activity in the regions of the brain which control attention and emotion.

This finding suggests that there appears to be an emotional response to alcohol triggers, but that its experienced and understood differently when someone has the protection of the AA experience.

Our current findings open up a new field of inquiry into physiologic changes that may accompany spiritual awakening and perspective changes in AA members and others, said Dr Galanter.
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KFC is taking its finger lickin good slogan to new extremes by creating edible fingernail polish.

The nail polish, sourced from natural ingredients, is being tested in two classic KFC flavours: hot and spicy and original.

(Ogilvy & Mather)

The nail polish was created by advertising firm Ogilvy & Mather and food technicians at McCormick, the company behind KFCs spice and herb mix. It is available in bright orange and nude colours.

The new item comes with instructions: To use, consumers simply apply and dry like regular nail polish, and then lick  again and again and again, KFC said in a statement.

For now, British fast food fans will have to travel to KFC Hong Kong if they want to have a taste of the Finger Lickin Good edible nail polish, which comes in a designer bottle and box.

The polishes are part of a Hong Kong campaign to build excitement around the KFC brand.

(Ogilvy & Mather)

KFC has teased the nail polish for the past two weeks but fans have only been invited to try it this week. They are then asked to vote for the best flavour to go into mass production in the new few months.

John Koay, creative director at Ogilvy & Mather, said: The recipe for our edible nail polish is unique and was specifically designed to hold the flavour, but to also dry with a glossy coat similar to normal nail polish.
 Flash

Video clip captures a conflict between airport staff and Chinese passengers at the Cam Ranh International Airport.

The authorities at the Cam Ranh International Airport have denied that its staff members beat Chinese passengers during a flight delay and declined to comment on whether or not the conflict was caused by the airline demanding tips from the passengers.

Earlier reports claimed that on Monday several Chinese passengers were purposefully given difficult treatment by customs officers at the Cam Ranh International Airport, at the Nha Trang tourist resort in southern Vietnam, because they refused to tip the staff members. The situation later escalated into physical conflict.

An anonymous Vietnamese guide told the press that the so-called "tip" actually amounted to the demanding of bribes and was an illegal act of corruption.

The airport's director Phan Le Hoan told Vietnamese media Thanh Nien (Youth) that a Vietnam Airlines flight to Shanghai was delayed by three hours, causing several passengers to lose their temper. Phan said that a Chinese passenger flung himself at a security officer and tried to grab a "work tool" from the officer, forcing the latter to pull it back.

Phan added that the security officers asked the Chinese passengers to calm down by using hand gestures due to language barrier. He insisted that "there was no beating of any passenger," but said that it was "unclear" whether any bribe money was taken.

Although online reports generally claimed the incident did not involve much violence, one photo does show law enforcement officers with stun guns rush over, and one woman said her husband, who was filming the confrontation, was struck in the back.

The Chinese embassy in Vietnam said all passengers involved in the incident have returned home, and no one was detained by the Vietnamese authorities.
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Rent has continued to rise in almost every part of the UK, according to a rental monitor by referencing firm Homelet that comes weeks after the Government increased stamp duty charges by 3 per cent.

The average cost of London rent rose 7.7 per cent in the year to April, marking the third consecutive month of this level of growth. Renters outside London faced costs up 5.1. per cent in the three months to April on the same period in the previous year, up from 4.9 per cent in the three months to March.

Average monthly rent in Greater London was 1543 in April, while average monthly rent outside London hit 764.

Homelet numbers, which are based on the prices agreed by landlords and tenants that use the site, showed that Scotland has the fastest rising rent in the UK.

In Scotland, April rent was up an average of 11.4 per cent year-on-year to 704 a month.

The Midlands were close behind with costs rising 7.9 per cent more than in April 2015, putting the average rent at 646 a month.

The North West of England was the only region of the UK to see rent fall on new tenancies, but the speed at which rent is falling there has slowed to 1 per cent.

Outrageous property deals in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Outrageous property deals in pictures Outrageous property deals in pictures The Park Lane townhouse set to become one of the UK's most expensive student flats at 4,000 a week A town house situated in Park Lane, one of the most affluent places in London, is about to become the capitals most expensive student residence. Most of London students usually live in halls of residence before moving on to house-share. For this reason it is fair to say few will able to afford the 3,540 square foot three-bedroom flat, which is available for 4,000 a week, 16,000 per month or 192,000 per year. Wetherell Outrageous property deals in pictures London's most expensive flat goes on sale at Buckingham Palace near Buckingham Palace priced at 150m A luxury flat in Londons historic Admiralty Arch, which overlooks Buckingham Palace, could sell for up to 150 million. If sold for that price, the 15,000 sq ft apartment will become London's most expensive flat, topping One Hyde Park, a flat which sold for 140 million in 2014.The Grade I listed property boasts 12 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms Outrageous property deals in pictures Little White House inside the US embassy complex in London goes on sale for 2.5m A luxury home inside the US embassy complex has gone on sale for 2.5m. The property is said to be the most protected home in Britain and any visitor is asked to carry an identity card at all times. The complex has patrolling US marines, a 24-hour British police presence, checkpoints, anti-tanks blocks and CCTV.But potential buyers looking for a fortress should not get their hopes up as all the security will disappear once the US embassy moves to a new site in Nine Elms in 2017. The home, located at 4 Blackburnes Mews near Grosvenor Square, dates back to 1732 and owes its nickname to its white facade, grand entrance and sweeping staircase as well as its proximity to the US embassy. It provides nearly 3,000 sq ft of living space and benefits from access to communal gardens. Wetherell Outrageous property deals in pictures First London luxury flats to contain their own private art gallery with prices going from 3.8m up to 7.7m The first private luxury apartment building in London with its own private art gallery has been unveiled in March. The Chilterns at 24 Paddington Street contains 44 luxury residences, the majority of which were sold in 2013. It contains a signature restaurant, a 24 hour-hotel style concierge service, a gymnasium and sauna and a private cinema. The new art gallery, with original pictures of the area by David Bailey, is part of the lobby of the building and is one of the most exciting and unique features of the Chilterns, according to Stephen Conway, CEO of Galliard Homes. With prices going from 3.8 million up to 7.7 million for a three bedroom flat, the residence is located between the local shops of Marylebone High Street and Baker Street. Outrageous property deals in pictures Margaret Thatcher's Belgravia home is up for sale for 30m Margaret Thatchers six-floor townhouse in Belgravia is on the market for a cool 30 million. The Grade II listed building on No. 73 Chester Square, one of Londons most prestigious addresses, now boasts a lift, a newly constructed mews house with a roof terrace and a private garage after a three-year refurbishment by Leconfield, a development and construction company. Some features from Thatchers time at the property remain. The layout and design of the formal dining room and interlinking study on the ground floor has been reinstated exactly as the Iron Lady had it during her 22 years at the property, from 1991 until her death in 2013. Outrageous property deals in pictures Tiny London house that is just 10ft wide goes on market for 800,000 A tiny terraced house that measures no more than 10ft wide has gone on the market in south London for a staggering 800,000. The house, generally labelled "unique" by estate agent Foxtons, looks all the more unusual because it is sandwiched between two regular-sized homes. It doesn't even have a proper back door - images of the interior suggested renovators had sought to maximise the property's space by including a folding aperture to the similarly narrow back garden. Outrageous property deals in pictures The Mayfair penthouse that sold for 30 million A Mayfair penthouse on Albemarle Street, one of Mayfair's oldest roads, sold to a mystery buyer for 30 million in December. The 5,845 sq ft, three-bedroom family home is thought to be one of the most expensive properties sold in the capital this year, and comes with an annual service charge of 61,000. supplied by Estate agent Peter Wetherell Outrageous property deals in pictures The dilapidated pre-fab 'shed' sold for nearly 1 million A pre-fabricated bungalow in south-east London has sold at auction for just under 1 million. The 1950s property in Peckham comes with 0.6 acres of land, is in need of renovation and has no fitted bathroom, but still sold for 950,000. A guide price of 590,000 was initially set, but increased rapidly during the bidding. Google Maps Outrageous property deals in pictures The starter home flats that went for a combined 60 million Some 215 affordable starter homes, specifically designed for first time buyers, sold out in just three hours in November, after dozens of aspiring homeowners camped overnight and queued in bad weather to get their hands on the flats. The starter home flats at Trinity Square by Galliard Homes went for a combined 60 million, or an average of 700 per sq ft. Londoners looking for affordable housing did not hesitate to camp out for up to two days to snag a flat, despite the fact that the project will not be complete for another two years. Galliard Outrageous property deals in pictures The longest lateral flat where H.G wells hosted a book club: yours for 3.65m The 2,200 square foot apartment in Chiltern Court in Marylebone was also home to author Arnold Bennett and political cartoonist David Low. Now on the market for 3.65 million through Rokstone agency, the four-bedroom flat has been refurbished into a luxury apartment, providing an exceptional 40 meter window frontage and depth. It claims to be the longest and most outstanding lateral flat - ones that stretch the full width of a building, or sometimes across two buildings - currently for sale in Londons West End. Rokstone Outrageous property deals in pictures Gatti House: the flats with celebrity links and private "pizza" lift that sold for a collective 16.5 million Celebrity links, a famous history and a private pizza lift has helped set a new record for price per square foot for a block of flats in central London. The four flats have sold for a collective 16.5 million at Gatti House on Londons Strand. Gatti House, a magnificent grade II building built in 1867, was sold as four separate apartments priced from 2.95 million to 5.95 million by CBRE Residential and Beauchamp, which has completed the last remaining sale. CBRE Residential and Beauchamp Outrageous property deals in pictures Londons most expensive office A newly refurbished office in the heart of Mayfair measuring 6,000 sq ft was unveiled by Enstar Capital in October. At 500 per sq ft, it is set to be the most expensive commercial fit out ever undertaken in the West End, according to the developer. The workspace on 54 Brooks Mews features gold-plated executive washrooms inspired by Armani-hotel in Italy, timber flooring imported from a 16th century monastery in Tuscany and an Art Deco entrance restored with a new 54 entrance logo replicating Steve Rubells famous studio 54 nightclub logo from the seventies. While the directors floor include a rooftop terrace dressed with loungers and an outside meeting and dining table. Enstar Capital Outrageous property deals in pictures Former garage in Mayfair become worlds most expensive mews house at 24m in Mayfair In September, the worlds most expensive mews house, in Reevews Mews, sold to a Qatari buyer for an eye-watering 24 million. Outrageous property deals in pictures A penthouse where you canoe from your front door, yours for 16.95 million London luxury dockside complex located on Chelsea creek is due for completion by the end of 2016. But its luxury flats are already on sale including this penthouse yours for 16.95 million. Its future residents will be able to slip down the river for a work out on the water at anytime of the day. Outrageous property deals in pictures The only property in London too expensive for the citys super-rich property buyers A 45 bed-room mansion near Hyde Park, previously owned by a Saudi Prince, received a private bid for 280 million. If accepted this would have made the property he most expensive single home ever to be sold in Britain. It was originally listed with an asking price of 300 million more than double the price of the UKs second most expensive home.

The 3 per cent stamp duty rise was expected to bring down the cost of rent down due to a sudden increase in new property to rent on the market, after landlords rushed to secure their buy-to-let properties before stamp duty increased.

Martin Totty, CEO of Barbon Insurance Group, which owns Homelet, said that the stamp duty increase had had little impact and that for now it was "business as usual".

"Landlords will no doubt be feeling the squeeze too given the various taxation changes they now need to budget for. We will have to see whether landlords try to pass their higher costs on, whether buy-to-let property investment diminishes in popularity and whether tenants are able to afford further increases in rents," he said.
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Leaked documents relating to a sweeping free trade agreement under negotiation by the EU and the US have shown how much the pressure the Americans would be able to put on Europe over regulatory issues, experts say.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership leak, announced by Greenpeace on Monday, showed for the first time the EU and US negotiating positions side by side.

The European Commission rubbished the notion that TTIP could lower standards in the EU by forcing it to accept looser regulations on GM foods or harmful pesticides.

It begs to be said, again and again: No EU trade agreement will ever lower our level of protection of consumers, or food safety, or of the environment, Cecilia Malmstrom, EU trade commissioner, said.

But experts have said that the leaked documents show that this might not be the case.

That pressure is already manifesting itself in changes in the document. All the assurances the European Commission give about not lowering standards do not stand up to scrutiny, said Gabriel Siles-Brugge a politics lecturer at the University of Manchester who has written a book on TTIP.

The documents show that TTIP could lower standards in areas such as the environment and public health by giving US companies the right to lobby the EU to make sure regulations do not stand in the way of US business interests.

US President Obama has been transparent on this issue, claiming in a recent visit to the UK that TTIP would remove regulatory and bureaucratic irritants and blockages to trade.

Monique Goyens is director general of the European Consumer Organisation, which represents 40 independent national consumer organisations in 31 European countries. She said that the TTIP leak has revealed three ways that US pressure on the EU could lower standards.

The US is pressuring the EU for a more transparent rule-making process. Goyens said that while transparency sounds nice, this system gives US companies free rein to lobby the EU when it is making new laws. Clearly, this system could delay or even water down future EU regulations, she said. The US wants to give any person the power to challenge a regulation. This means any individual can challenge regulations like REACH, which protects people and the environment against the misuse of chemicals, passenger rights, or food safety rules, Moyens said. The US wants to  improve EU rule making  . Again this sounds nice, Moyens said. But the proposed rules would make it extremely difficult for the EU to issue regulations in future. Even if those regulations bring benefits to companies, create jobs and protect consumers.

Siles-Brugge gave two examples where US pressure is already suspected to have resulted in the softening of EU regulations.

In the first case, environmentalists suspect that TTIP and an EU-Canada free trade deal called Ceta may have influenced the EUs decision not to class oil from Canadas massive tar sands as dirty fuels.

Secondly, there are suspicions that the EU dropped pesticide laws relating to endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to cancer and male infertility because of pressure from US politicians over TTIP.

UK: John McDonnell blasts TTIP as "modern day slavery"

The Greenpeace leak comes as senior politicians around Europe seek to distance themselves from the controversial trade deal.

President Francois Hollande announced this weekend that France will veto any TTIP agreement that could endanger the countrys agricultural sector.

Meanwhile, Germanys economy minister Sigmar Gabriel has also said that if TTIP collapses, US intransigence is the cause.

In the UK, debate has raged over whether TTIP could lead to an irreversible sell-off of the NHS.

In the House of Commons on Wednesday, David Cameron accused opponents of TTIP of using the NHS as a red herring to stand against a trade deal that could add tens of billions to our economy and generate jobs.

There are plenty of reasons that people dont want to see trade expanded, I think they should be honest about it and say they dont like trade deals, David Cameron said.

Cameron has publicly stated his support for the deal.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Those claiming that the Greenpeace leaks will put a stop to the deal will be disappointed, Siles-Brugge said, noting that statements from Paris officials should be read as a way of extracting leverage from the leaks rather than as opposition to the principle of TTIP.

Delays in the negotiations were already likely before these leaks due to the US election timetable and the changeover of administration, Siles-Brugge said.

This is certainly not the end of TTIP.
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A former child Disney star has been charged with allegedly holding up and robbing a bank.

Joey Cramer, from Canada, starred as the lead David in Flight of the Navigator in 1986.

Cramer, now 42, is facing charges including robbery, disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence, failing to stop for a peace officer and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. The latter two charges stem from an incident the day after the robbery, when Cramer allegedly fled in a vehicle.

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.

Constable Harrison Mohr from the Sunshine Coast Royal Canadian Mounted Police said: Despite the fact that a disguise was used during the robbery, the suspect was quickly identified by some of our officers, who had recently dealt with him on an unrelated matter. We hope that the community feels safer now that the suspect has been apprehended.

A man held up the bank last Thursday wearing a wig of shoulder length hair, a bandana and sunglasses and demanded money before fleeing on foot, CBC News reports.

Cramer has not acted in a mainstream production since the 1990s when he also starred in two episodes of Murder She Wrote.
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Being the front-runner in any election is never easy. The opinion polls have long put Sadiq Khan on course to become mayor of London in Thursdays contest, a result that would make him the most powerful Muslim politician in Europe.

But in recent weeks, the jitters in his camp have been growing. The polls got it wrong a year ago at the general election. Like Ed Miliband, Khan has been subjected to a ruthless and sustained barrage by the Conservatives that he is not up to the job in question, out of the Lynton Crosby playbook. Arguably, Khan's treatment has been worse than that suffered by Miliband, as it has focused on his faith and alleged links with Islamic extremists.

The row over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party exploded at the worst possible time for Khan, allowing the Tories to claim that he, Jeremy Corbyn and Ken Livingstone are all part of the same left-wing family. Some Khan allies worry privately that the personal attacks could swing votes in the outer London boroughs, which were crucial in Boris Johnsons two mayoral election victories in 2008 and 2012. If it didnt work, the Tories wouldnt do it, one said. At the weekend, Khan made a last-minute appeal to get out the Labour vote by conceding that the anti-Semitism controversy had harmed his chances.

Khan admits that as a solicitor, he defended some unsavoury individuals, but insists he is a moderate Muslim who has fought extremism all his life. But critics claim not all his contacts with extremists are explained by his work as a human rights lawyer, chair of the pressure group Liberty and work in his Tooting constituency.

Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Show all 7 1 /7 Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sadiq Khan - Labour The MP for Tooting, Sadiq Khan says the mayoral election will be a 'referendum on the Tory housing crisis'. He has also pledged to freeze fares until 2020. Son of a bus driver, and doesn't let anyone forget it. His Conservative opponent has made claims about people who he has previously associated with - but attacks so far have failed to stick Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Zac Goldsmith - Conservative The MP for Richmond, Zac Goldsmith is a longstanding campaigner against the expansion of Heathrow airport. Despite his environment credentials - he once edited The Ecologist magazine - the Tory candidate has said he would 'rip out' Boris Johnson's cycle lanes if they don't work. A very wealthy man, his campaign has been dogged by accusations of racism against Sadiq Khan Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sian Berry - Green Party A councillor in the London Borough of Camden, Sian Berry is campaigning on improving homes for renters, cleaning up London's air pollution, and flattening fare zones to help Londoners. She previously ran as the party's mayoral candidate in 2008. In 2012, the Green Party came in third place Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Caroline Pidgeon - Liberal Democrat A Liberal Democrat London Assembly member for eight years, Caroline Pidgeon has a strong record on the Assembly's transport committee standing up for commuters and cyclists alike. She wants to set up a 2 billion housing investment fund and make all the capital's buses zero emission Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Peter Whittle - UKIP UKIP hasn't fared so well in London in previous elections, but is hoping for a breakthrough this time. Peter Whittle has been UKIP's culture spokesperson for two years. He tends to focus on the impact of immigration on London's housing crisis Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance George Galloway - RESPECT George Galloway has made a habit of defying the odds and pulling off stunning victories when standing for Parliament. His campaign - based on the slogan 'a London for all' has so far failed to make headway in the polls - has his luck run out? Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sophie Walker - Women's Equality Party A journalist, Sophie Walker is campaigning for the little-known Women's Equality Party. She is pledging to make 'equality and diversity the fuel that drives our nation's capital' with measures to increase women's representation in enterprise, more affordable homes and flexible childcare

The Khan campaign accuses the Tories of fighting dirty because they do not want to talk about issues like housing and transport that matter most to Londoners. Khan has promised to freeze Tube and bus fares for the mayors four-year term, a populist throwback to Ken Livingstones reign at the Greater London Council in the 1980s. The Tories claim that would create a 1.9bn black hole, but Khan insists his plan can be funded by efficiency savings at Transport for London. He would ensure that 50,000 homes are built each year by using publicly owned land, and insist that half were genuinely affordable.

Khan speaks to supporters at Canary Wharf (Reuters)

To answer David Camerons accusation that Khan would use Londoners as lab rats in an experiment for Jeremy Corbyn, Khan promises to be the most pro-business mayor the capital has seen.

While Tory claims of extremism are wide of the mark, their charge of opportunism against Khan has more credence. He nominated Corbyn as Labour leader last year to help get him on the ballot paper at a time when Khan was courting Labour members in the left-leaning London party, and the favourite to become their mayoral candidate was the Blairite Tessa Jowell. After winning the nomination, Khan was quick to distance himself from Corbyn and declare he would be his own man at City Hall. Khan was also quick to call for Livingstone (who endorsed him in Labour's mayoral race) to be suspended last week when he suggested that Hitler had been a Zionist.

Khan voted for Andy Burnham rather than Corbyn last year and backed the Blairite Ben Bradshaw in Labours deputy leadership contest  a sign, say friends, that he spans the whole Labour spectrum. He ran Milibands leadership campaign in 2010 but had a less successful experience during Alan Johnsons bid for the deputys post in 2007. Johnson, the front-runner, was overtaken by Harriet Harman.

The opportunism charge against Khan extends to policy. Khan used to back a third runway at Heathrow but about-turned after deciding to run for mayor, calling instead for a second runway at Gatwick. He explains this was because the facts about Londons poor air quality changed, so he changed his mind.

While both Khan and Goldsmith may lack the X Factor appeal of Boris and Ken, it would suit Khan if Londoners see this contest as one between the son of a billionaire and the son of a bus driver who became the first Muslim to attend the Cabinet in 2008  fittingly, as transport minister. One of eight children, he grew up on a council estate in the Tooting constituency he has represented since 2005.

 Cameron attacks Khan in PMQs

Populus, the pollsters, found that Khan is better known among Londoners than Goldsmith, particularly among non-whites  an advantage in such a racially mixed city. But some voters described him as untrustworthy, dodgy and shifty  a view more likely to be held among whites, according to Populus.

If he wins, 45 year-old Khan would take over what he regards as his dream job. He would have the chance to show the public that Labour can be competent and effective in power, at a time when many voters doubt it. If he loses, he will continue as MP for Tooting and, no doubt, at some point return to Labour's frontbench. Alhough after recent tensions, perhaps not while Corbyn is leader.
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The chairman of Britain's biggest arms producers, BAE Systems, has told peace activists that selling weapons encourages peace, following questions about their deals with Saudi Arabia.

Sir Roger Carr spoke at the company's AGM where a number of shareholders questioned the morality of working so closely with the Middle Eastern country.

According to an United Nations report, Saudi Arabia is responsible for "widespread and systematic" air strikes on Yemeni civilians.

Responding to the peace activists at the meeting, Sir Roger said the Saudis were crucial allies and an appropriate customer for their products, Guardian reported.

"We are not here to judge the way that other governments work, we are here to do a job under the rules and regulations we are given," he said.

"We will stop doing it when they tell us to stop doing it."

When one attendee asserted that lasting peace could only be achieved through negotiation, Sir Roger replied: "There is, however, in the world in which we all live, the principle of speaking softly but carrying a big stick  and that very often encourages people to negotiate.

"We try and provide our people, our government, our allies with the very best weapons, the very best sticks they can have, to encourage peace."

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

He added that it was "our belief that what we are doing is in the interests of peace for the world, rather than simply as aggressors".

"We maintain peace by having the ability to make war and that has stood the test of time," he said.

"We are a defence company and I have tried to give you clearly and openly the rules under which we operate  not hide behind  and the belief that we have as individuals which allows us to do this work in a proud and positive way, rather than with a sense of shame."

Around 30 activists linked to the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) had bought shares in BAE so they could attend the AGM.

Two activists were carried out at the beginning of the meeting for holding up posters.

Sir Roger reportedly lost his temper when one person said: "Your defence reminds me of the IG Farben defence at the Nuremberg tribunals."

The BAE chairman replied: "Can I just say to you, sir, how grossly offensive I find that and to every member sitting on this board."

Sir Roger Carr, BAE Systems Chairman since 2014 and BBC Trust Vice Chairman since 2015 (Getty Images)

Amnesty International UKs head of policy and government affairs, Allan Hogarth, told The Independent that BAE Systems was in denial of the actions of Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

The deeply unpleasant reality is that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition could be using Sir Rogers big stick to inflict terrible suffering on thousands of Yemeni civilians," he said.

Sir Roger is hiding behind governmental rules and regulations when the wisdom and lawfulness of the governments policy over exporting arms to Saudi Arabia has been brought into question time and time again.

The boss of BAE Systems may be in denial about the carnage that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition is causing in Yemen, but BAEs shareholders ought to be under no illusions whatsoever.

BAE Systems should show some long overdue corporate responsibility by immediately suspending arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
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The Government will pause the imposition of the disputed junior doctor contract for five days to allow talks to resume, a health minister has said.

In a potentially significant breakthrough in the long-running dispute, all work to implement the new contracts, which will require more weekend working, will be suspended.

In exchange the British Medical Association (BMA) has been asked to delay any decision about further industrial action.

The proposal was initially made by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. The BMA accepted it, and while the Government had initially said it was too late to stop the implementation of the contracts, health minister Lord Prior told the House of Lords that Mr Hunt would now be writing to the Academy expressing the Governments willingness to cooperate, if the BMA agreed to focus the discussion on the issues of unsocial hours and Saturday pay.

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 BMA is yet to respond to the detail of the Governments terms.

Lord Prior told the House of Lords: We are willing to pause introduction of the new contract for five days from Monday should the junior doctors committee agree to focus the discussion on the outstanding contractual issues, namely unsocial hours and Saturday pay.

 Jeremy Hunt says junior doctors' contract is likely to be his 'last big job in politics'

Striking a conciliatory tone, Lord Prior said there was now a recognition in Government that the dispute had become about more than just the terms of the junior doctor contract.

It is about how junior doctors are trained, how they are valued, how they are integrated into hospitals and into the workforce, he said.

These are much broader issues than those addressed in the contract. The Government is fully aware of that and once this dispute has been settled we can start to resolve those bigger, deeper, more fundamental issues.

The new working conditions were due to be imposed from August, without the approval of the workforce, after the Government unilaterally decided to end negotiations with the BMA, claiming that the unions unwillingness to engage on key points  in particular Saturday pay  had made a negotiated settlement impossible.

More industrial action from junior doctors followed, including the first all-out junior doctors strike in the history of the NHS, which, despite Government warnings, concluded without any reports of major patient safety incidents.
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British sun seekers can rejoice this weekend as parts of country are set to bask in temperatures hotter than Madrid, Lisbon and Rome.

Warm air pushed into northern Europe from the continent, coupled with settled conditions in the UK, will cause temperatures to soar into the mid-twenties from Friday, meaning a taste of the Mediterranean is in store for British shores.

From tomorrow the bulk of the UK will see a good deal of fine weather and temperatures are going to climb, said Alex Burkill from the Met Office.

On Friday, most parts of the country can expect temperatures of 22C to 23C, with highs on Saturday reaching 24C and 26C on Sunday.

In comparison, highs in Madrid and Lisbon will languish between 17C and 18C over the weekend and Rome will see highs of 23C.

Warm weather will be widespread on Sunday with temperatures in the far north and Scotland also expecting to exceed 20C, said Mr Burkill.

Temperatures will climb to highs well above those expected for May, which has an average temperature of 15C.

The weekend will not break records however, with the record for the hottest day in May at 32.8C in 1922 and 1944.

The South East and central parts of the UK can expect to experience the bulk of the warm weather.

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, however, a slow-moving frontal system will mean temperatures will be slightly suppressed on Saturday and spells of heavy rain will bring close and humid conditions.

The combined heat and humidity could lead to thunderstorms in some areas, especially Wales and western England, however, the stormy episodes will be broken up with bright spells.

The sun is set to last well through in to next week, said Mr Burkill, but will be more unsettled in the South West where warm spells will be coupled with a greater chance of rain.
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A 200,000 neon green Lamborghini has been granted a taxi licence to drive people around Wolverhampton in style.

The city council claims it is the first Lamborghini to be issued with a private hire cab licence in the UK.

With a 202mph top speed and an ability to go from 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, the supercar will make for a very different travelling experience compared to the average Toyota taxi cab.

City firm Special Wedding Cars has registered the car with the council and it can be booked for any journey, starting with a minimum charge of 349 for 90 minutes.

The Lamborghini Huracan boasts a top speed in excess of 200mph and a five-litre engine.

On its website, Special Wedding Cars said: Taking its name from the Spanish for hurricane, the Lamborghini Huracan is a whirlwind of a super-car.

Replacing the 11-year-old Lamborghini Gallardo, the Huracan had much to live up to, and it does, with all the passion you would expect from the Italian manufacturer.

Hiring a Lamborghini Huracan with its lean angular looks and crisp sharp lines will enhance any special occasion.

Special Wedding Cars offers a host of unusual vehicles, including London buses, Del Boys Reliant Regal,and a VW Camper Van.
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Barely weeks had passed after last years general election before George Osborne was putting the minimum wage up by 20 per cent and Michael Gove was making big noises about transforming the life chances of prisoners. Neither thing was in the election manifesto in any meaningful way. Both are overwhelming evidence that David Cameron, the self styled heir to Blair, is acutely aware of British politics' one great rule. You decimate the opposition by evicting them from the centre ground.

Which only makes the ferociously ugly spectacle of Londons mayoral election campaign, which is mercifully almost over, all the more curious.

The stampede to the fringes has been profound. One minute Sadiq Khan stands accused of calling moderate muslims 'Uncle Toms.' Indeed he did, but it happened six years ago. Then the Sikh and Hindu doormats of South London have a question land upon them. Is Muslim Sadiq on your side?

You hardly need to see the face of Zac Goldsmith smiling out at you from its vantage point on a byline in the Daily Mail beneath that exploded bus in Tavistock Square to work out that this is an election in which the battle lines have been very clearly drawn.

That all this has coincided with Labours mad self-immolation on the subject of anti-semitism, sparked by a handful of stupid Facebook comments and then turned into a mighty conflagration via the petrol-vomiting gob of Ken Livingstone, is unfortunate coincidence.

But these factors combined are sufficient to wonder whether, or indeed why, todays election heralds a strange return, or indeed arrival, for the question of race in mainstream politics.

For one reason it was inevitable. Londons White British are a minority population. A massive minority admittedly - 45 per cent. By comparison, the UK at large is 87 per cent white. Londons next mayor, barring a minor psephological miracle, will not be white.

So what? Naturally, people look at the broad brush stroke that is an election result and see within it whatever texture they wish to. When Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim to attend cabinet, becomes Londons mayor, it will be proof that cosmopolitan London doesnt care about race. It doesnt. But it will also have borne witness to an at times gruesome campaign. And its likely that kind of behaviour, at least in London, might be here to stay.

With more than 24 hours to go before the results are known, the consensus of opinion among those who observe politics with their noses pressed too close against the glass is that Zac Goldsmiths deliberately divisive campaign has done nothing but damage him. The polls certainly indicate as much. But the polls, you may know, have been known to be wrong. Lynton Crosby, the strategist who masterminded the Tories' campaign in 2015, has had his role in this one too.

And last time round, he who knew best. There has been speculation that Number 10 has compelled Goldsmith to fight this dirty because Khan in City Hall would be a particularly useful device for them when it comes to fighting for the bigger prizes. Theres only one fact you need to know about Sadiq Khan. He nominated Jeremy Corbyn and he doesnt regret it, David Cameron said on Tuesday, a point he will repeat with Groundhog Day like frequency over the coming years.

But such speculation is still far fetched. Measuring out in the correct quantities all the reasons Goldsmiths campaign has backfired is impossible to do with any certainty. Being pictured drinking a pint of beer with two hands doesnt help. Nor does claiming to be a big fan of Bollywood then being unable to name a single Bollywood actor or film.

To the same degree, Khans ethnicity comes with its advantages. Moreso arguably, in 2016, in London, than bearing the old Etonian tag, as Goldsmith does and uncompensated by any of the oozing Johnson charm, or even Camerons acutely honed everyman act.

Since the moment he won the nomination, Khan was always going to win - at least that what the bookies have consistently thought. Turnout is expected to be low, and this will play in Goldsmiths favour. But dont be surprised if the dividends reaped by a campaign of division, while not decisive, might nonetheless be real. And dont be surprised if, at least for a little while, they find themselves here to stay.
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Donald Trump deserves our respect for winning through to become the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, David Cameron has said.

However, the Prime Minister again declined to withdraw his previous condemnation of Mr Trumps call for a ban on Muslims entering the US.

Mr Cameron blasted the proposal last year as divisive, stupid and wrong amid an international outcry.

On Thursday, however, the Prime Minister struck a more conciliatory tone during a Downing Street press conference with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

Knowing the gruelling nature of the primaries, what you have to go through to go on and represent your party in a general election  anyone who makes it through that deserves our respect, he said.

The Prime Ministers spokesperson said on Wednesday that Mr Cameron stood by his previous criticisms of Mr Trump.

Addressing the issue again, Mr Cameron added: What I said about Muslims, I wouldnt change that view. Im very clear that the policy idea that was put forward was wrong. It is wrong, and it will remain wrong.

Recommended Read more Mutiny simmers as Donald Trump takes Republican crown

His spokesperson later said that he respected Mr Trump politician to politician.

An adviser to the Republican presumptive candidate, whose path to the nomination has been left clear after rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich both withdrew from the race, said earlier this week that Mr Cameron should apologise or retract his earlier criticisms.

George Papadopoulos said that an apology or retraction could be necessary if the Prime Minister was serious about reaching out to Mr Trump.
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday said the central task in China-Russia ties is to translate the high-level political relationship into more pragmatic cooperation and coordination in international affairs.

Xi told Sergei Naryshkin, head of the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin fully agreed on this need.

The high-level development of the China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination not only meets the needs of the two countries but also is in line with the global trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation, according to Xi.

He called on the two sides to lay a more solid social and public opinion foundation for the long-term healthy and stable growth of China-Russia relations.

The president urged the legislative bodies of the two countries to enhance exchanges and mutual learning so as to enrich China-Russia ties.

The Russia-China relationship is an important factor in maintaining world peace and stability, Naryshkin said, stressing the State Duma is willing to deepen cooperation with China's National People's Congress to contribute more to Russia-China ties.

At the invitation of top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang, Naryshkin is visiting China from Wednesday to Friday.
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The London mayoral election started with an absolute shambles in one borough as voters were turned away from polling stations given incomplete electoral lists.

Hundreds of residents in Barnet said they were told they could not vote without their polling card, while some carrying the document said they were also refused.

Arjun Mittra, a Labour councillor for East Finchley ward, said the logistical nightmare affected every one of the boroughs 155 polling stations.

Out of the seven people who came to my polling station in the first 10 minutes, only one was able to vote, he told The Independent.

 London Mayoral Election: Who's who

They were very angry  I had one lady who was crying because she was so upset.

She had come at 7am to vote because she was going away for the day, she said she was disenfranchised. It's a disgrace.

For the first half an hour after voting started the majority of voters were turned away, Mr Mittra said, but the rules were later relaxed to allow people carrying polling cards, passports or driving licences as council staff scrambled to print the correct registers.

An estimated 250,000 people were going to the polls in Barnet to vote for the London Mayor, London Assembly members and council by-election in one ward.

Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Show all 7 1 /7 Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sadiq Khan - Labour The MP for Tooting, Sadiq Khan says the mayoral election will be a 'referendum on the Tory housing crisis'. He has also pledged to freeze fares until 2020. Son of a bus driver, and doesn't let anyone forget it. His Conservative opponent has made claims about people who he has previously associated with - but attacks so far have failed to stick Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Zac Goldsmith - Conservative The MP for Richmond, Zac Goldsmith is a longstanding campaigner against the expansion of Heathrow airport. Despite his environment credentials - he once edited The Ecologist magazine - the Tory candidate has said he would 'rip out' Boris Johnson's cycle lanes if they don't work. A very wealthy man, his campaign has been dogged by accusations of racism against Sadiq Khan Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sian Berry - Green Party A councillor in the London Borough of Camden, Sian Berry is campaigning on improving homes for renters, cleaning up London's air pollution, and flattening fare zones to help Londoners. She previously ran as the party's mayoral candidate in 2008. In 2012, the Green Party came in third place Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Caroline Pidgeon - Liberal Democrat A Liberal Democrat London Assembly member for eight years, Caroline Pidgeon has a strong record on the Assembly's transport committee standing up for commuters and cyclists alike. She wants to set up a 2 billion housing investment fund and make all the capital's buses zero emission Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Peter Whittle - UKIP UKIP hasn't fared so well in London in previous elections, but is hoping for a breakthrough this time. Peter Whittle has been UKIP's culture spokesperson for two years. He tends to focus on the impact of immigration on London's housing crisis Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance George Galloway - RESPECT George Galloway has made a habit of defying the odds and pulling off stunning victories when standing for Parliament. His campaign - based on the slogan 'a London for all' has so far failed to make headway in the polls - has his luck run out? Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sophie Walker - Women's Equality Party A journalist, Sophie Walker is campaigning for the little-known Women's Equality Party. She is pledging to make 'equality and diversity the fuel that drives our nation's capital' with measures to increase women's representation in enterprise, more affordable homes and flexible childcare

Residents were voicing their anger about the absolute shambles on Twitter, with many saying they had registered but were unable to vote.

Some said they were directed to different stations, where voters reported long queues and confusion among staff.

If you live in Barnet you now have an excuse to be even later for work because of broken democracy, one critic wrote.

Christine Ozolins, said she and other residents refused to leave their polling station until they were allowed to vote after being initially turned away because they were not listed.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, head of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, was unable to vote after he and his wife were found not to be on the list.

His office said the "disappointed" couple had attended the polling station on their way to the airport, before flying to Amsterdam to spend the weekend with Holland's Jewish community.

Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith visits Sidcup High Steet during his campaign tour on March 3, 2016 in Sidcup, England. (Ben Pruchnie / Staff)

The fiasco could have an impact on Conservative hopes in the election, with Barnet electing a Tory London Assembly member at the 2012 election and expected to turn out largely in support of Zac Goldsmith.

Mike Freer, the Conservative MP for Finchley and Golders Green, advised people to take their polling cards to vote.

They appear to have a problem identifying voters, he wrote on Twitter.

The documents, which contain directions to polling stations and other information, are not officially required to vote.

ID is also unnecessary under normal circumstances as staff are meant to cross-check voters names and addresses on their electoral lists.

An example of a London polling card, which states that the document is not needed to vote

A spokesperson for Barnet Council told The Independent the issues had been resolved by 10.40am.

All the updated electoral registers are now in place and people can vote as normal," he said.

"We are advising people who were unable to vote this morning to return again before the polling stations close if at all possible. We apologise for the problems we have experienced."

Anyone unable to return to polling stations was able to apply for an emergency proxy vote by completing an online application by 5pm today.

Some residents blamed the outsourcing firm Capita for the issues, but a spokesperson for the company said it was not responsible for voter lists, although it sends out postal and proxy vote forms and runs a telephone helpline.

Barnet Council said it was responsible for the "electoral process" including voter registration, electoral registration lists and polling stations.

A spokesperson confirmed that all of its 155 polling stations had been affected by the blunder but was unable to say how many of the borough's 236,196 registered voters had been turned away.

Green Party mayoral candidate Sian Berry launching her manifesto last month (Getty)

Its Liberal Democrat group was calling for a public inquiry into the voting problems, calling them an affront to democracy.

Sian Berry, the Green Party mayoral candidate, said emergency proxy votes alone "would not solve the problem" and called on the council to keep polling stations open for as long as possible.

The Electoral Commission said it received reports of the issue shortly after 7am and believed there was a borough-wide problem causing some names to be missed off electoral lists.

A spokesperson said: "Some polling stations did not have complete registered for people who are eligible to vote. The complete registers were reprinted, checked, and delivered to each polling station."

Around 16 million people are eligible to vote in council elections across England today, which also sees voting for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh National Assembly, Northern Ireland Assembly, police and crime commissioners and city mayors.
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The Governments mental health champion, who has criticised how extensive testing of young people could impact on their stress levels, has been dropped by the Department for Education, but the department has strongly denied that the decision to drop Natasha Devon, was appointed as the mental health tsar for schools last August, was a political move designed to silence criticism.

Last week, Ms Devon addressed a headteachers conference saying: Time and time again over recent years, young people  and the people who teach them  have spoken out about how a rigorous culture of testing and academic pressure is detrimental to their mental health.

At one end of the scale weve got four-year-olds being tested, at the other end of the scale weve got teenagers leaving school and facing the prospect of leaving university with record amounts of debt. Anxiety is the fastest growing illness in under-21s. These things are not a coincidence, she warned.

A DfE spokesperson said that Ms Devons role had been axed to avoid confusion. They said: Natasha has done a great job helping us raise the profile of young peoples mental health since her appointment last year. Since that time, the independent NHS task force report has been published which recommended that a cross-government mental health champion be created  for this reason we have had to consider the departments own role.

We have asked Natasha and others who have been involved in our work to empower schools and young people to promote good mental health, to continue to work with us as we prepare to launch our activity later this year.

Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Show all 10 1 /10 Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report 30 per cent of people deal with anxiety by talking to a friend or relative, or by going for a walk. Getty Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report Almost one in five people feel anxious all or a lot of the time. PA Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report 22 per cent of women feel anxious a lot or all of the time, compared to 15 per cent of men. Roman Levin/Flickr Creative Commons Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report 45 per cent of people who feel anxious in everyday life cite financial issues as their biggest cause of worry. Getty Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report And 26 per cent of people who feel anxious say fearing for the welfare of their children and loved ones leaves them burdened with worry. And 26 per cent of people say fearing for the welfare of their children and loved ones leaves them burdened with anxiety. Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report 27 per cent of people who suffer from anxiety say work issues, such as long hours, are the source of the problem. Getty Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report But 16 per cent use alcohol to cope, while 10 per cent turn to cigarettes in the face of anxiety. Unemployed people are more likely to resort to these harmful strategies: 27 per cent use alcohol and 23 per cent use cigarettes. AFP/Getty Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report Only seven per cent of people who say they suffer from anxiety seek help from their GP. Getty Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report People are thought to be more anxious than they were five years ago. Alessandra/Flickr Creative Commons Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report The stresses of modern life are thought to have created "The Age of Anxiety". Getty

Ms Devon said: "I can confirm that I am no longer authorised to comment as the Government's mental health champion for schools. The DfE have extended an opportunity for me to continue working on the peer-to-peer project they were seeking my advice on."

Sarah Brennan, the chief executive of YoungMinds, said: We are very surprised and sad that Natashas role as mental health champion has ended. Shes done a superb job of drawing attention to the crucial importance of mental health and wellbeing in schools.

More than 40,000 people have signed a petition protesting against primary school tests aimed at seven-year-olds as part of more rigorous assessment processes. Critics have claimed that children are being tested too early and their education is limited by being focused towards examinations rather than broader learning, resulting in exam factories.

With additional reporting by PA
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A group of Labour MPs have written to Jeremy Corbyn to ask him to back changing Britains voting system to a form of proportional representation (PR).

Mr Corbyn has previously said he is open to electoral reform  but has stopped short of fully endorsing a change to PR, suggesting the subject needs more investigation.

The seven MPs, from across the Labour party, put their name to a letter seen by The Independent, which is also signed by around 10,000 voters.

We would like to congratulate you on winning the Labour leadership race with a huge mandate, the letter reads.

We recognise your commitment to democracy and write to seek your support for the principle of a truly democratic electoral system by which seats in Parliament match vote share and to ask you to meet to discuss how we can support the Labour Party as it develops its position on the matter.

Ben Bradshaw, Paul Blomfield, Stephen Kinnock, Clive Lewis, Jonathan Reynolds, Chuka Umunna, and Daniel Zeichner, are among signatories of the letter.

The call comes ahead of a midday rally in London on Saturday in support of changing the voting system to one where the results better reflect the proportion of votes cast.

Demonstrators will gather in Westminster to call for a cross-party alliance to bring in PR by 2021, with speakers from parties across the political parties. The protest is organised by the Make Votes Matter coalition.

Former leadership contender and shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna is among the MPs calling for the change (Getty)

The Liberal Democrats, Greens, Ukip, and SNP all support proportional representation  with the Conservatives traditionally being opposed. Labour has camps both against and in support of change.

Under the UK Parliaments existing First Past The Post (FPTP) electoral system, parties win seats in numbers that do not reflect the proportion of votes cast for them at the general election.

In 2015, Ukip won 12.7 per cent of the vote but only one of 650 seats in the House of Commons  while the SNP won 50 per cent of the vote in Scotland but 56 of its 59 seats.

Clive Lewis, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, is backing proportional representation (Rex)

Defenders of the status quo say the current system creates a link between MPs and their constituents, but other voting systems  such as Single Transferrable Vote (used in Ireland) or the Additional Member System (used in London, Scotland, and Wales) maintain this link while producing proportional results.

Daniel Zeichner, Labour MP for Cambridge, said: In swathes of Eastern England, Labour voters currently go unrepresented on local councils.

In Cambridge, Conservative voters similarly go almost totally unrepresented on the City Council. The last Labour government introduced proportional systems as we devolved power and it will need another Labour government to extend that to our existing systems.

In January this year The Independent on Sunday reported that Mr Corbyn was in secret talks with the Liberal Democrats over the possibility of joining an electoral alliance in favour of proportional representation.

During the Labour leadership election last year Mr Corbyn said he would consider adopting the Additional Member System but made no pledge to do so.

English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Show all 12 1 /12 English councils to watch in the 2016 elections English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Southampton Includes symbolic parliamentary seat (Southampton Itchen). Bad sign for Labour if it loses majority, probably to No Overall Control (NOC). Result expected 3am Friday Bob Balestri English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Cannock Chase Labour could lose majority to NOC. Not counting until Friday morning (results will come from late morning onwards) English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Crawley Con target (from Lab). Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Redditch Con target (from Lab). Expected 3.30am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Dudley Con target (from Lab). Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Rossendale Con target (from Lab). Counting Friday morning English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Kirklees Lab target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Calderdale Lab target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Three Rivers Con target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Trafford Con could lose majority to NOC. Expected 3.30am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Plymouth Close fight between Lab and Con; Ukip could hold balance. Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Thurrock Ukips best shot. Expected 3am Fri

The UK held a referendum on changing the voting system to the Alternative Vote system in 2011; AV is not proportional, however, and the proposal was rejected by a large margin.

More recent polling from December 2015 shows the public now broadly back a proportional voting system, however. The BMG survey shows 57 per cent of the public agree with the principle that the number of seats a party gets should broadly reflect its proportion of the total votes cast  compared to only 9 per cent who disagree.
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A burly man in a tartan kilt was playing the bagpipes outside Edinburghs central Waverley station. With the SNP again set to form the next Scottish government, the issue of independence has made its way back to the fore. Nicola Sturgeon herself has said another vote on the issue is more likely than not in the coming parliament.

A walking symbol of Scottish identity, the piper seemed slightly uncomfortable when asked what he thought about another vote. He considered for a moment before declining to give a view, and going back to his pipes.

Recommended Read more Tight race for second place in Scottish Parliament elections

In one sense, the man spoke for much of Scotland. A year and a half after a referendum that was marked by ill feeling and stories of families split down the middle, the country seems to be taking its time to reflect. Despite huge and growing support for the pro-independence Scottish National Party and its allies, support for a second referendum hasnt seen a similar surge. While discussion of independence on social media can be dominated by loud zealotry on both sides, all of the people The Independent approached for comment in central Edinburgh on polling day took a more measured approach.

Peter Mountford-Smith was leafleting on Princes Street. Now a Green Party activist, Mr Mountford-Smith was for eight years a Labour councillor, a party he campaigned with for two decades.

Though the Greens support independence, hes also cautious about the country hosting a second referendum: Personally, not straight away  I think something major would have to change and wed also have to have some clear ideas about things like currency. To be honest, what the SNP were putting forward last time around was absolute nonsense  they were totally confused about currency issues. At the last referendum the SNP cautiously advocated the retention of the pound, rejecting proposals for an independent currency or eurozone membership.

But Mr Mountford-Smith was relaxed about an SNP victory, and doesnt think the nationalists would rush into a second vote, arguing that their trademark at the moment seems to be caution.

The Greens themselves would back a referendum if a petition of a million signatures demanded one. The Tories have put blocking another referendum at the forefront of their campaign, while Labour also says Scots have moved on.

The picture on the ground is more complicated: support for another vote isnt just confined to die-hard nationalists. The Scottish political landscape has changed dramatically in the past couple of years  with polls suggesting the once-spurned Conservatives are vying for second place in yesterdays elections, and formerly dominant Labour bouncing along the bottom.

Martin Mcafferey, a student at St Andrews, voted to remain in the UK at the last referendum, but thinks the SNPs surge in popularity since then raises further questions.

Id be massively intrigued [about another referendum]. I think its probably something that should happen because the last one was so unclear  the result, but then what the SNP surge at the general election afterwards meant, he said. It would be interesting to just resolve the question  Im not quite sure which way Id vote but I might change towards independence, when I wasnt before.

He, too, wasnt concerned about the SNP taking liberties with another plebiscite  he suggests politicians at Westminster with no desire to give Scots another say would probably block one, anyway. For a party founded with the intention of creating an independent Scotland, the SNP have done a marvellous job of convincing the Scottish public theyre not obsessive single-issuers.

In pictures: Local elections 2016 Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Local elections 2016 In pictures: Local elections 2016 Mayor of London Boris Johnson and wife Marina leave after casting their votes at a polling station in Islington, north London PA In pictures: Local elections 2016 Northern Ireland First Minister, Arlene Foster (C), Rhonna McMahon (R) and Paul Robinson leave after casting their vote for the Assembly Election, at Brookeborough Primary School in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland Reuters In pictures: Local elections 2016 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn arrives to cast his vote at a polling station in Islington, north London PA In pictures: Local elections 2016 David Cameron and Samantha Cameron cast their votes in the London Mayoral Election in London Getty Images In pictures: Local elections 2016 Labour Party Mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan and his wife Saadiya pose outside The Richardson Hall St Alban's Church Centre in Streatham after casting their votes in London's Mayoral and Assembly elections Getty Images In pictures: Local elections 2016 Britain's Conservative party candidate for Mayor of London Zac Goldsmith and his wife Alice leave after voting at a polling station in the Barnes suburb of south west London AP In pictures: Local elections 2016 George Osborne casts his vote in the London Mayoral Election in London Getty Images In pictures: Local elections 2016 SNP supporter Trish Traynor outside a polling station at St Ninian & Triduana RC Church in Glasgow as the polls open in the Scottish Parliament election PA In pictures: Local elections 2016 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale (right) with partner Louise Riddell outside a polling station in Edinburgh after casting her vote in the Scottish Parliament election PA In pictures: Local elections 2016 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon with her husband Peter Murrell after casting her vote at Broomhouse Community Hall polling station in Glasgow as Scotland goes to the polls in the Scottish Parliament election PA

In the Scottish capital, the European Union referendum result is also being watched closely. During the campaign Sturgeon said Brexit would almost certainly trigger another independence vote to prevent staunchly Europhile Scotland from being dragged out of the bloc against its will. Polls suggest Scottish voters are on the same page  an Ipsos MORI poll from February found voters backing independence by 55 per cent to 36 if EU exit occurred  the biggest margin for the Yes camp in recent memory.

A second referendum hasnt been the top issue at this campaign, and most of the voters The Independent spoke to didnt seem preoccupied by it. Rather, the various parties have been comparing ideas on how to use the new tax-raising powers given to Scotland by Westminster, and getting to grips with their place under the SNPs newfound dominance. But just below the surface, the question of independence is still there, and not going away.
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What are the May 5 elections?

The devolved governments  the Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly, Welsh Assembly, and London Assembly are all being elected.

The Mayor of London is also elected, as are some local councils in England, and police and crime commissioners.

English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Show all 12 1 /12 English councils to watch in the 2016 elections English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Southampton Includes symbolic parliamentary seat (Southampton Itchen). Bad sign for Labour if it loses majority, probably to No Overall Control (NOC). Result expected 3am Friday Bob Balestri English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Cannock Chase Labour could lose majority to NOC. Not counting until Friday morning (results will come from late morning onwards) English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Crawley Con target (from Lab). Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Redditch Con target (from Lab). Expected 3.30am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Dudley Con target (from Lab). Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Rossendale Con target (from Lab). Counting Friday morning English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Kirklees Lab target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Calderdale Lab target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Three Rivers Con target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Trafford Con could lose majority to NOC. Expected 3.30am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Plymouth Close fight between Lab and Con; Ukip could hold balance. Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Thurrock Ukips best shot. Expected 3am Fri

Why are these elections important?

The Mayor of London election is arguably the highest directly elected office in the UK with a personal mandate. Whichever party wins it not only gets to run the capital but also gains a high-profile figure.

The devolved elections are important to the places they take place in because a lot of important services like health and education are devolved the Scottish, Northern Irish, and Welsh governments  theyre not run from Westminster.

The local elections are of course important to peoples local communities  they decide who runs local councils. But more importantly for national politics, theyre often seen as a barometer of opinion mid-election cycle.

Why is everyone talking about Jeremy Corbyn?

Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn (Rob Stothard/Getty Images)

The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is under attack by internal opponents within his own party  and a bad showing in these elections could give them an opening to try and get rid of him.

Will a bad showing by the Conservatives hurt David Cameron the same way?

Probably not  hes stepping down anyway soon, and has less organised resistance against him in his own party who would look to exploit a defeat.

He has however personally associated himself with his partys campaign in London which has had to deny accusations of racism against Labours Sadiq Khan.

What are the big things to watch out for?

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale (left) and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (Getty Images)

In Scotland, the SNP are going to come first  but the battle for second place and third place between Labour and the Tories is looking very close. A third place finish for Labour in its former heartland would be humiliating and symbolic.

In Wales, the question is whether Labour can hang on as a majority government  or whether it will have to do a deal with another party to stay in power. They will likely come first there, however.

In London, taking back the mayoralty would be a big win for Labour  theyve been out since Ken Livingstone lost in 2008.

How many seats Labour loses or gains in the local council elections will also be important  but this is harder to interpret objectively and everyone is going to be spinning the result to try and further their interests.

The Northern Ireland political system operates in a bit of a bubble so its result wont affect the UK-wide parties in any big way.

If the SNP win will Scotland go independent?

No, but theres a good chance the might hold another independence referendum, which they might win in future.
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Londoners will head to polling stations across the capital on Thursday to choose the next Mayor of London, who will occupy arguably the highest directly elected office in the UK with a personal mandate.

Read our guides to the 2016 UK elections

How can I vote?

The deadline for postal voting has ended; meaning the only way to vote is in person at your local polling station. If you have filled in your ballot paper but were too late to post it, you can hand this in to your local polling station.

When will the polls close?

Polling stations open on Thursday 5 May at 7am and will close at 10pm. There is no way to vote after polling stations have closed, however people waiting in line by 10pm will still be allowed to vote.

 Nastiest moments in the London mayoral election

Where is my polling station?

The location of your polling station will be printed on your poll card. If you dont have your poll card to hand you can find your nearest polling station by entering your post code here.

Who are the candidates?

Voters have a choice of 12 candidates for London Mayor, however the main fight will be between the Conservatives Zac Goldsmith and Labours Sadiq Khan  the bookies favourite.

The full list of candidates: Sian Berry (Green Party); David Furness (British National Party); George Galloway (Respect); Paul Golding (Britain First); Zac Goldsmith (Conservative); Lee Harris (Cannabis is Safer Than Alcohol); Sadiq Khan (Labour); Ankit Love (One Love Party); Caroline Pidgeon (Liberal Democrats); Sophie Walker (Women's Equality Party); Peter Whittle (UKIP); and Prince Zylinksi (Independent).

Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Show all 7 1 /7 Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sadiq Khan - Labour The MP for Tooting, Sadiq Khan says the mayoral election will be a 'referendum on the Tory housing crisis'. He has also pledged to freeze fares until 2020. Son of a bus driver, and doesn't let anyone forget it. His Conservative opponent has made claims about people who he has previously associated with - but attacks so far have failed to stick Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Zac Goldsmith - Conservative The MP for Richmond, Zac Goldsmith is a longstanding campaigner against the expansion of Heathrow airport. Despite his environment credentials - he once edited The Ecologist magazine - the Tory candidate has said he would 'rip out' Boris Johnson's cycle lanes if they don't work. A very wealthy man, his campaign has been dogged by accusations of racism against Sadiq Khan Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sian Berry - Green Party A councillor in the London Borough of Camden, Sian Berry is campaigning on improving homes for renters, cleaning up London's air pollution, and flattening fare zones to help Londoners. She previously ran as the party's mayoral candidate in 2008. In 2012, the Green Party came in third place Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Caroline Pidgeon - Liberal Democrat A Liberal Democrat London Assembly member for eight years, Caroline Pidgeon has a strong record on the Assembly's transport committee standing up for commuters and cyclists alike. She wants to set up a 2 billion housing investment fund and make all the capital's buses zero emission Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Peter Whittle - UKIP UKIP hasn't fared so well in London in previous elections, but is hoping for a breakthrough this time. Peter Whittle has been UKIP's culture spokesperson for two years. He tends to focus on the impact of immigration on London's housing crisis Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance George Galloway - RESPECT George Galloway has made a habit of defying the odds and pulling off stunning victories when standing for Parliament. His campaign - based on the slogan 'a London for all' has so far failed to make headway in the polls - has his luck run out? Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sophie Walker - Women's Equality Party A journalist, Sophie Walker is campaigning for the little-known Women's Equality Party. She is pledging to make 'equality and diversity the fuel that drives our nation's capital' with measures to increase women's representation in enterprise, more affordable homes and flexible childcare

How does the voting system work?

Voters will be able to choose a first and second choice candidate for the next London mayor. If a voters second preference isnt in the top two placed candidates, their second vote is activated. Your first and second preference votes must be different in order for your vote to be counted.

This system allows people to vote for a smaller party candidate without worrying that their vote might be wasted.

A count of votes will start on Friday morning. Depending on how many recounts there are and how close it is, we might not know until early evening or it could be in by a late lunch.
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A police force has launched an investigation into an allegation of electoral fraud relating to the 2015 general election amid claims the Conservative Party may have breached spending rules.

Gloucestershire Police would not be drawn on which constituency or consistencies the allegation may refer to or even which party but confirmed on Thursday it is probing an allegation it has received.

The investigation comes after the Electoral Commission met with police and prosecutors yesterday in a bid to ensure they do not run out of time to launch possible criminal investigations into Conservative funding of the 2015 general election campaign.

The Commission believes its ongoing probe into alleged breaches of reporting obligations will take at least another month - taking it past the one-year time limit for launching criminal proceedings.

"We have received an allegation of electoral fraud and an investigation has been launched, a Gloucestershire Police spokeswoman said.

She added: "We are considering an application for extension on time to investigateThis is in relation to the 2015 general election."

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats added: Throughout all of this we have said local campaigns should look at their returns and our central team is available to offer case by case support.

"In some areas the public have already made complaints to the police.

Our view is that money should not be able to buy elections. It should be a battle of ideas, and not who has the biggest chequebook.

Earlier on Thursday ministers were urged to address the allegations relating to the party's election spending. SNP frontbench spokesman Pete Wishart raised the issue during the business statement in the House of Commons.

He said: "We need an urgent statement on what's going on with the investigation of the Conservative Party for breaking campaign spending rules in last year's general election.

"The claims are absolutely extraordinary and centre around Conservative candidates, 28 Conservative candidates, failing to register the use of a battle bus for local campaigning and something like 38,000 of accommodation for local campaigns.

"If anybody's found guilty of such a charge it could result in one year imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

"Surely we must now hear what the Government's view on this is and there must be no whiff or suggestion that this Government cheated its way to power."

Commons Leader Chris Grayling said "it is for proper authorities to address issues whenever they arise".

Additional reporting by Press Association
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Human rights and freedoms in Egypt should not be viewed from a Western perspective, the countrys president has said in what campaigners have described as "deeply troubling" remarks.

Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi told a US delegation that differences in domestic and regional conditions in the north African nation made it difficult to apply the same rules regarding civil liberties.

Britain and France have recently criticised Egypts government for alleged human rights abuses and attacking the freedom of the press.

According to local media reports, President Sisi was keen to stress that Egypt was committed to upholding the values of democracy while in conversation with Michael McCaul, chairman of the US House Committee on Homeland Security.

The meeting involved talks on approaches to volatile nations in the Middle East before the discussion turned to the pressing issue of civil rights, according to Sisis spokesman.

Meanwhile, McCaul expressed his belief in the importance of Americas strategic relationship with Egypt and the future stability of the troubled nation.

Protests flared up yesterday in the capital Cairo (Getty Images)

Nicholas Piachaud, an Egypt specialist at Amnesty International, told The Independent: President Sisis reported remarks are deeply troubling, and he should stop making excuses for the authorities disturbing human rights crackdown.

Theres nothing remotely Western about basic human rights like the right not to suffer torture or to be able to speak freely without fear of arrest and imprisonment.

The very real security threats facing Egypt shouldnt become an excuse for the crushing of rights and freedoms in the country.

President Sisi's remarks are deeply troubling, and he should stop making excuses <p>Nicholas Piachaud, Amnesty International</p>

Last week, 237 human rights protesters were arrested during a peaceful demonstration against the el-Sisi regime in Cairo.

Officers also detained two journalists, Mahmoud al-Sakka and Amr Badr, who work for the opposition website Bawabet Yanayer, for spreading false news and endangering national security.

The controversial arrests sparked further uprisings, during which Cairo police cordoned off the headquarters of the journalists union in the city centre.

Human rights attacks around the world Show all 10 1 /10 Human rights attacks around the world Human rights attacks around the world China Escalating crackdown against human rights activists including mass arrests of lawyers and a series of sweeping laws in the name of national security. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Egypt The arrest of thousands, including peaceful critics, in a ruthless crackdown in the name of national security, the prolonged detention of hundreds without charge or trial and the sentencing of hundreds of others to death. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Gambia Torture, enforced disappearances and the criminalisation of LGBTI people; and utter refusal to co-operate with the UN and regional human rights mechanisms on issues including freedom of expression, enforced disappearance and the death penalty. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Hungary Sealing off its borders to thousands of refugees in dire need; and obstructing collective regional attempts to help them. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Israel Maintaining its military blockade of Gaza and therefore collective punishment of the 1.8 million inhabitants there, as well as failing, like Palestine, to comply with a UN call to conduct credible investigations into war crimes committed during the 2014 Gaza conflict. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Kenya Extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and discrimination against refugees in its counter-terrorism operations; and attempts to undermine the International Criminal Court and its ability to pursue justice. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Pakistan The severe human rights failings of its response to the horrific Peshawar school massacre including its relentless use of the death penalty; and its policy on international NGOs giving authorities the power to monitor them and close them down if they are considered to be against the interests of the country. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Russia Repressive use of vague national security and anti-extremism legislation and its concerted attempts to silence civil society in the country; its shameful refusal to acknowledge civilian killings in Syria and its callous moves to block Security Council action on Syria. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Saudi Arabia Brutally cracking down on those who dared to advocate reform or criticise the authorities; and committing war crimes in the bombing campaign it has led in Yemen (pictured) while obstructing the establishment of a UN-led inquiry into violations by all sides in the conflict. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Syria Killing thousands of civilians in direct and indiscriminate attacks with barrel bombs and other weaponry and through acts of torture in detention; and enforcing lengthy sieges of civilian areas, blocking international aid from reaching starving civilians. Getty Images

In their annual report published in April, the UKs Foreign and Commonwealth Office said human rights in Egypt had deteriorated in 2015 with more cases of torture, police brutality and forced disappearance.

The report continued: Restrictions on civil society further limited the ability of NGOs to register, work and obtain funding, and a number of prominent human rights defenders were banned from travelling. Restrictions on freedom of expression also increased.
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A landmark court case against forced anal examinations on homosexual men is being fought in the Kenyan courts.

In what is believed to be the first legal petition brought against the practice - widely condemned by rights groups as torture - two men are fighting the Kenyan government on enforcement of the exams.

Anal examinations are believed to be relatively rare in Kenya, but are commonly used against homosexual men in, among other places, Egypt, Tunisia, Uganda and Turkmenistan.

They are purportedly used to check if a man has had anal sex. However, the practice has been dismissed as medically worthless.

Arguments were lodged by lawyer Sande Ligunya on Wednesday on behalf of two men who were arrested in a bar near Ukunda along Kenya's Indian Ocean coast in February 2015. Police suspected them of having gay sex, a criminal offence in Kenya.

Ms Ligunya said the men were forced to undergo anal examinations after a magistrate ordered a medical examination in a Mombasa hospital.

The plaintiffs accounts of their examinations differ from the doctors who carried them out, according to Neela Ghoshal, a Nairobi-based senior researcher on the Human Rights Watch LGBT Rights programme. She has spoken with the men and is closely following the case. The men told her they had a tube-like object inserted into their anus, a practice which constitutes torture under international law but is commonly used against people arrested for homosexuality in other countries.

However, the doctors said they had the men lie in a bed with their feet in stirrups (in a similar fashion to a gynaecology exam) and then visually observed their private parts. This would still constitute cruel treatment, Ms Ghoshal stated.

Kenya would certainly be advocating state-sanctioned torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment [if the government upheld the decision to examine the men], Ms Ghoshal told The Independent. That would be very disturbing.

LGBT+ rights around the globe Show all 9 1 /9 LGBT+ rights around the globe LGBT+ rights around the globe Russia Russias antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT propaganda allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Brunei Brunei recently introduced a law to make sodomy punishable by stoning to death. It was already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has reportedly not executed anyone for this crime since 1987 Alamy LGBT+ rights around the globe Sudan Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Sudanese law. Men can be executed on their third offence, women on their fourth Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and gender realignment is illegal and punishable by death, imprisonment, whipping and chemical castration Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure. Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97% of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is punishable by 14 years in prison Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. A person can be put to death for being a homosexual Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning Getty

Both violations are a crime under the ruling of UNs Convention against Torture, to which Kenya adheres, as well as a number of local laws. The UN Committee on Torture and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has also said the practice contravenes the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment.

The attorney general is expected to respond to the case on May 12, leaving the government with a tight deadline, which could bode well for the plaintiffs. If the judge rules in the favour of the men  who have remained anonymous - it would present a landmark victory for the rights of LGBT people in Kenya and beyond.

The government may attempt to argue the men were examined as part of an investigative procedure into a crime (same-sex relations), Ms Ghoshal said. But she added: Even if penetration is not used, forcing people to strip and having their sexual organs examined as part of a criminal procedure constitutes a form of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty International's regional director, told The Independent: Its completely unacceptable. Such examinations should never take place without informed consent and a medical reason -- not helping the state prove criminality under an outdated penal code, which is ridiculous.

Im really glad these men have taken it to court and I think a really strong message needs to be sent to medical practitioners about assisting state homophobia.

Support has also emerged internationally for the men. Prominent human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, said to The Independent: "Forced anal exams are unethical, degrading and humiliating. They are an invasion of privacy and a violation of individual rights. A core principle of any intrusive bodily procedure is the informed consent of the person being examined. Moreover, such exams are discredited, as they do not provide proof of homosexuality. They are not admissible evidence in any science-based, civilised country.

"It is particularly shocking that such exams are happening in Kenya, given that anal abuse was perpetrated on Kenyan nationalists by the British colonisers during the independence struggle in the 1950s. Kenyan freedom fighters rightly condemned such abuse six decades ago and their successors should condemn it again today."

Anal examinations have been widely condemned by scientists and have been dismissed as medically worthless in UN documentation. Both the Independent Forensic Expert Group (IFEG) and the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims have condemned the practice.

IFEG member Dr Vincent Iacopino, Medical Director at Physicians for Human Rights said: Sexual identity and orientation is not a disease or a crime and health professionals have no business diagnosing it or aiding state officials in policing and punishing people on the basis of their sexuality.
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The governor of California has approved raising the legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21.

Democratic governor Jerry Brown signed a series of measures on Wednesday which also place new restrictions on where people can smoke and the sale of electronic cigarettes.

Republican lawmakers and Veteran organisations in California objected to the bill, arguing people old enough to die for their country are old enough to use tobacco.

A stipulation was later added to exempt active duty military personnel who are 18 and over.

Senator Ed Hernandez, who authored the bill, said: These [laws] will save countless lives, reduce astronomical costs to the health care system, and cost very little because it uses existing enforcement mechanisms.

"Today was an enormous victory for not only this generation, but also for many generations to come who will not suffer the deadly impacts of tobacco."

Supporters of the law aimed to deter adolescents from the harmful effects of nicotine addiction.

The American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the president of the California Medical Association all expressed support for the new law.

The Institute of Medicine reports that 90 per cent of daily smokers began using tobacco before turning 19.

A study from the Institute of Medicine in March 2015 estimated increasing the smoking age to 21 would result in 250,000 fewer premature deaths and 50,000 fewer deaths from lunc cancer among people born between 2000 and 2019.

In April, Hawaii became the first state in the nation to raise the legal smoking age to 21. More than 100 local jurisdictions around the country have made the change, including New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
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One Colorado man will receive $11,000 for being wrongly jailed after he was unable to pay court fines, and he won't be the only one to get reparations.

The city of Colorado Springs, Colorado has reached an agreement with that state's branch of the American Civil Liberties Union saying it will stop jailing people too poor to pay fines and it will repay those it illegally imprisoned for failure to pay, according to a report from NPR.

The ACLU found nearly 800 cases in Colorado Springs of people being jailed for being unable to pay minor court fines. Many of the people jailed were homeless, according to the civil rights group.

"The law is supposed to treat us equally," ACLU attorney Mark Silverstein told NPR.. "So when people with means can simply pay a fine and move on and then the poor people get sentenced to jail, because they're poor, that's a two-tiered system of justice that violates the principle of equal protection of the laws."

Colorado Springs agreed to reform its court system and pay people wrongly jailed $125 per night they spent behind bars. Shawn Hardman will get around $11,000 from the city after he spent 90 days in jail because he couldn't afford to pay fines. Another 65 people are set to be repaid.

Follow @PaytonGuion on Twitter.
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The only two surviving former Republican presidents have made it clear they will not help Donald Trump in his bid for the White House.

The exit of Ted Cruz and John Kasich from the race to be the partys nominee cemented Mr Trump's remarkable triumph launching him toward a likely battle with Hillary Clinton.

And while some Republican leaders began reluctantly rallying around Mr Trump, others have been openly critical of the billionaire businessman.

Recommended Read more Mutiny simmers as Donald Trump takes Republican crown

And in a significant move, the last two Republicans to occupy the Oval Office  President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush  made clear they would not be helping Trump win the White House.

President George W Bush does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign, a spokesman for the former president told the Guardian. A statement released on behalf of George HW Bush said: At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics. He naturally did a few things to help Jeb, but those were the exceptions that proved the rule.

Mr Trump's challenge in uniting Republicans is abundantly clear. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a frosty statement saying he had committed to backing the GOP nominee and noting Trump's "obligation" to bring the party together.

In pictures: US Elections 2016 Show all 15 1 /15 In pictures: US Elections 2016 In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to supporters after rival candidate Hillary Clinton was projected as the winner in the Nevada Democratic caucuses Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes photos with workers at her campaign office in Des Moines, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, second from left, prays before lunch with supporters at Drake Diner in Des Moines, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Governor. Martin O'Malley, speaks during a campaign stop in Waterloo, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks, as his wife Jane OMeara Sanders looks on, at a campaign event at Iowa State University Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio speaks at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks at a campaign event at Fireside Pub and Steak House in Manchester, Iowa. Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum visiting supporters at a house party in West Des Moines, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican candidate Ted Cruz campaigns at Greene County Community Centre in Jefferson, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Senator Rand Paul speaks during a Caucus rally at his Des Moines headquarters in Iowa Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican candidate Jeb Bush speaks at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa AFP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin introducing the arrival of Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 A portrait of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders at his campaign headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Campaign badges on sale ahead of a Trump rally at the Ramada Waterloo Hotel and Convention Centre in Waterloo, Iowa Getty

A first-time candidate, Mr Trump has eschewed traditional fundraising and relied more on his own star power than television advertising to draw attention. He flouted political decorum with controversial statements about women and minorities, leaving some Republicans convinced he won't be able to cobble together the diverse coalition needed to win the general election.

"It's his party between now and November, but I don't think it's going to be his party after November," said Peter Wehner, a former adviser to President George W. Bush. Wehner is among the Republicans vowing to never vote for Trump, even if that means essentially handing Clinton the presidency.

Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical leader who backed Cruz, withheld his support on Wednesday, saying the real estate mogul needs to prove his conservative credentials with his vice presidential pick and more information about what kind of judges he would appoint. "It's kind of a wait-and-see moment with Mr Trump," he said.

Vander Plaats and a handful of other Republicans are clinging to the hope that an alternative option might yet emerge. Operatives have floated former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse and former Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn as possible candidates for a third-party or independent bid. But that is a long shot at best, with filing deadlines for getting on state ballots fast approaching.

There was notable silence from House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has spoken critically of Trump. Aides to both Ryan and McConnell said the Republican leaders had not spoken with Trump since his Indiana victory.

A spokesman for George W. Bush said the former president "does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign." And a spokesman for Bush's father said simply, "At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics."

Still, several GOP governors and senators said they would support Trump, according to a survey by The Associated Press.

"Our first and foremost goal is to elect a conservative, pro-business, strong on national defence, a man who will stand behind our freedoms and our rights, and that person is Donald Trump," Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said. "It is not Hillary Clinton."

Clinton has yet to shake Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist who has energized young people and liberals with his calls for sweeping government-run health care and education programs. Still, Clinton has 93 per cent of the delegates she needs to clinch the Democratic nomination and now is focusing her attention on Trump.

"He is a loose cannon and loose cannons tend to misfire," Clinton said.

Both Clinton and Trump head into the general election with historically high unfavourable ratings. But Clinton is generally popular within her own party, particularly with women and minority voters who are crucial to winning general election battleground states like Florida, Colorado and Nevada.

Some Republicans fear Trump's poor standing with those voters will not only cost the party the White House for a third straight term but the GOP's Senate majority as well. Some Republican senators in tough races struggled Wednesday to position themselves in a party with Trump at the helm. One, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, said that while she would support him in the election, she would not endorse his candidacy.

Trump turned quickly to the general election, saying he's planning to work with the Republican National Committee to fundraise, a departure from his largely self-funded primary campaign. "We're going to try over $1 billion, which is what's going to be necessary," he told NBC. He also said he was starting to vet potential running mates.

He later said he could consider Kasich, predicting the Ohio governor would be helpful this fall in any role given his state's significance in the general election.

Associated Press
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Former Mexican President Vicente Fox has apologized to Donald Trump for swearing at him earlier this year and has invited the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to visit Mexico.

Mr Fox said in a February interview, "I'm not going to pay for that f---ing wall," in response to Mr Trump's common campaign claim that he is going make Mexico pay for a wall on the southern border of the United States to keep out Central American immigrants.

Now, the former Mexican president has apologized to Mr Trump and even invited him to visit the country.

"If I offended you, Im sorry, Mr Fox said to Breitbart News. But what about the other way around?

In another interview, this time on Fox News, Mr Fox said, "I think its very important to invite Donald Trump to come to Mexico and to learn about the real Mexico.

Mr Trump has given no indication that he's changed his plan to build a wall separating the U.S. and Mexico, and throughout his campaign he's continued to alienate Hispanics. But, now that Mr Trump is the only Republican remaining in the race, it remains to be seen if he will soften his rhetoric on immigration.

Follow @PaytonGuion on Twitter.
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Uber is at the center lawsuit filed in a federal court in Austin, Texas, that alleges the company sent unsolicited automatic text messages to customers to drum up support for a ballot measure that would ease background checks for rideshare drivers.

The lawsuit filed in the US Court of the Western District claims that Uber violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by robo-texting thousands of unwanted text messages to the cellphones of thousands of Austin customers, without their express consent.

Under the TCPA, the lawsuit explains, it is unlawful for companies or individuals to call or send text messages using an artificial or prerecorded voice to cellular phones - with the exception of emergencies or the caller received the recipients consent.

Both major transportation network companies - Uber and Lyft - have been vocal in their support for Proposition 1, a referendum that would eliminate the requirement for rideshare drivers to include fingerprinting in their background checks. But Uber has overstepped, according to recipients of the alleged text messages.

Lawyers for Melissa Cubria, an Austin-area activist who filed the class-action suit, argue that Uber violated their customers privacy by using their phone numbers to send messages for political purposes.

[I]t is absurd to imagine that Uber paid individual, living persons to manually type and then manually send thousands (and perhaps tens of thousands) of individual text messages in support of a political campaign underway, the lawsuit says.

The court filing includes numerous screen captures of text messages allegedly sent to Uber customers in Austin that, it is claimed, show duplicate messages sent to various users, where the only difference is the senders name. When recipients respond with STOP or criticism of the tactics, that generated an apparent auto-response that did not acknowledge the previous message, it is alleged.

The text messages have strong indicia of being generated not as part what would be an incredibly complex and tedious live, manually-dialed/manually texted political outreach effort, the suit reads, but rather as part of a robo-texting effort using auto-dial technology by Uber or third parties working at Ubers direction to boost the prospects for passage of Prop 1.

Images of text messages allegedly sent by Uber included in the lawsuit filing

Residents of the Texas capital will decide on whether or not to ride alongside ridesharing companies, or side with the city in a 7 May special election on Prop 1. In the push to win Austins favour, Uber and Lyft reportedly spent $8.1m (5.6m) campaigning for the measure through the PAC Ridesharing Works for Austin, according to campaign finance reports released 29 April - although some estimate that figure to be higher.

Uber and Lyfts $8.8m (6.1) and growing in corporate spending as of Tuesday is a testament to how far these corporations are willing to go to rule Austin and overturn Austins public safety rules, former Austin City Council member Laura Morrison said, adding that the amount of money spent on this campaign is unprecedented.

Ms Morrison is the spokesperson for the PAC that opposes Prop 1, Our City Our Safety Our Choice (OCOSOC), and called on the county district attorney to look into the practises of the companies, saying, "[W]e are calling for a broad investigation of Uber and Lyfts actions to determine if they have stepped over the line from grossly inappropriate to illegality.

The OCOSOC site claims that should Prop 1 pass, it would set an ill precedent for corporations to do as they please.

If Uber succeeds with [Prop 1], the website reads, then other corporations may seek to overturn city rules on safe housing construction, worker safety, building limits in floodplains, clean water standards, neighborhood zoning, and a host of other public safety protections.

Uber maintained that the company has acted lawfully, and accuses Prop 1 opponents of trying to influence the outcome of Saturdays vote.

We have taken great precaution to comply with applicable laws and believe the claims in this lawsuit are meritless, the company said in a statement to KVUE.

The announcement of this action at an anti-Prop 1 press conference also reveals how it was designed to unduly influence the election.

The Austin City Council put into place regulations that required rideshare drivers undergo fingerprint based background checks, identical to those required of taxi and limo drivers in the state.

Ridesharing Works for Austin launched a petition drive and gathered more than 20,000 signatures, successfully calling for the special election to repeal the ordinance.



Both Uber and Lyft have threatened to leave the city if the measure fails.

Representatives from Uber did not immediately respond to request for comment.
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The Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump is set to receive regular briefings on some of the countrys most sensitive intelligence issues.

Though not yet officially the partys candidate for the White House, Mr Trump told US media he was keen to begin receiving the briefings that are traditionally made available to presidential nominees.

Mr Trump also told the Washington Post that he planned to work with Republican leaders in Congress to coordinate a policy agency for the autumn campaigns.

(EPA)

Im very much a team player, and I look forward to working with Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy and everybody, he said.

One of the traditions afforded to nominees is a regular intelligence briefing, something that is overseen by the Director of National Intelligence, a position currently held by James Clapper.

The briefings have two purposes; they are provided to keep the candidates informed of matters, but also to prevent them commenting on, or inadvertently disclosing something about a contentious or sensitive matter.

On Thursday, the CIA directed The Independent's inquiries on the matter to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The DNI, the White House and Mr Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to questions.

Four years ago, Mitt Romney and his senior campaign officials were eligible to receive the briefings when he was the Republican candidate. We are finalising preparations for the candidate briefings, but will not actually deliver a brief until after the GOP convention concludes. With regard to who will receive briefs, that's up to the Romney campaign, Shawn Turner, a spokesman for the director of national intelligence, said in 2012.

CNN reported earlier this year, that intelligence officials were preparing the groundwork to brief the 2016 presidential candidates, even while the field of candidates was still extensive.

Some candidates, such as Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and Republicans Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, had been used to receiving intelligence briefings as US senators, and in Ms Clintons case as secretary of state.

Mr Trump is not in that category and so the procedure will be new to him. On Thursday, many people were expressing alarm on social that such briefings were to be given to a man who was described by Hillary Clinton as a loose cannon.

Many people pointed out that Mr Trump has employed senior advisers with close links to governments not necessarily friendly to the US.

It will be up to Barack Obama how detailed the briefings are (Wikipedia)

Paul Manafort, a strategist with three decades of experience under his belt, also worked for the pro-Russian former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, who was deposed in a popular revolution in 2013.

Mr Trumps foreign policy advisors also include Carter Page, a former advisor and current shareholder in the state-controlled Russian natural gas giant, Gazprom, who has advocated for a less adversarial US stance toward Moscow.

Ultimately, President Barack Obama will have the final say on what information the candidates receive.

As in the past, if a nominee asks for an intelligence briefing on a particular subject, the other nominee will automatically be offered the same information, CNN said.

But the candidates will not be briefed on the most highly classified intelligence, because the government does not want a losing candidate to have that level of information.

According to an account in journalist Bob Woodwards book Obamas Wars, when Mr Obama received his first briefings after being elected, he reportedly told an adviser: Im inheriting a world that could blow up any minute in half a dozen ways.
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As Hillary Clinton landed in California to carry on her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, she was pursued by the words of her likely general election rival. On Wednesday, Donald Trump admitted to CNN that he had expected to fight a longer, tougher primary campaign than Ms Clinton, who began the race a prohibitive favourite.

Theres been a little flip, said the race-baiting billionaire, shortly after being told that the last of his Republican rivals had withdrawn from the contest. I thought that Id be going longer and shed be going shorter. She cant put it away I thought that Id be out there and she'd be campaigning against me.

In spite of her overwhelming lead in both votes and party delegates, Ms Clinton has yet to dispatch her challenger, the progressive Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who has vowed to continue campaigning at least as far as the California primary on 7 June. California holds 546 Democratic delegates, far more than any other state in the race.

Mr Sanderss fundraising prowess has faded along with his nomination prospects in the past month, but his campaign has said it will devote the vast majority of its remaining resources to what it hopes will become a competitive primary in the Golden State, where Ms Clinton currently leads the polls by around 10 points on average.

For Mr Sanders to cause an upset here would be a major blow to her campaigns confidence as she seeks to unify Democrats ahead of their convention in Philadelphia in July. The former Secretary of State is pulling out all the stops to prevent it, telling an audience in Washington DC on Wednesday: Were going to be campaigning up and down the Golden State.

When Mr Trump appeared in California last week, he was met with large protests led by Latino activists opposed to his harsh anti-immigration rhetoric. While she enjoys widespread support in this deep blue state, Ms Clinton is not immune to popular anger. Latino groups planned to picket her first public campaign event in the state, a Thursday rally in East Los Angeles, calling her an enemy of the working class and criticising her Central American policies as Secretary of State.

Speaking in Los Angeles on Wednesday, her husband Bill Clinton insisted that, as President, Ms Clinton would strive on behalf of working-class Americans as well as protecting and promoting American interests overseas. Without naming her prospective opponent, the former President drew a sharp contrast between his wife and Mr Trump, whose policy platform includes building a wall the length of the US-Mexican border and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the US.

I know there are some people who say we need to build a fence across the Rio Grande, Mr Clinton said. You could build a wall across the border with Canada. We could erect vast seawalls along the Pacific and the Atlantic Coast. The next president could send the Navy to the Gulf Coast area to block all entry. [But] we cannot kill our way out of the current international crisis. We have to make more friends.

Ms Clintons campaign also faces other threats, such as the claims of a Romanian hacker who said this week that he had managed to access her completely unsecured private email server during her tenure at the State Department. Marcel Lazar, known online as Guccifer, told NBC News that the server had been like an open orchid on the internet.

Mr Lazar, who was recently extradited from Romania to the US to face hacking charges, presented no evidence to support the claims, which the Clinton campaign said were groundless. There is absolutely no basis to believe the claims made by this criminal from his prison cell, said campaign spokesman Brian Fallon.

A federal judge has also ruled that Ms Clinton may have to give a deposition in a lawsuit regarding her private emails, brought by the conservative group Judicial Watch. Judge Emmet Sullivan said this week that it may be necessary for Judicial Watch lawyers to question the candidate on her past email arrangements.

Yet while Ms Clinton could face outside distractions from the coming general election, there are plenty of other people lining up to attack Mr Trump on her behalf, as her campaign demonstrated with an ad, released yesterday, which consists solely of top Republican figures criticising their own presumptive nominee.
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A baby boy in China has been born with 16 fingers and 15 toes.

Hong Hong, who is four months old, suffers from a condition called Polydactylism, a birth defect passed down from his mother.

Polydactyly is a family trait and if one parent has the condition there is a 50 per cent chance the child will also be born with the condition.

Hong Hong's mother has six fingers on each hand and six fingers on each foot.

According to local media reports, the boys parents were concerned about the child inheriting the condition and had a number of pre-natal scans in an attempt to identify it. However, a four-dimensional ultra-sound did not highlight any problems.

Hong Hong, from Pingjiang County in Hunan province, was born with 15 fingers, two palms and no thumbs on each hand, and fifteen toes.

Polydactyly is believed to affect as many as two in every 1,000 people in China, according to the American journal of Orthopedics, with most instances being dealt with at birth. However, Hong Hongs condition is unusually severe and so this was not possible.

Although it is thought the extra digits can potentially be treated, the surgery is expensive and could prove difficult since he also requires thumbs to be constructed. According to CNN, surgery for the boy could cost 200,000 Chinese Yuan  more than 20,000.

Hong Hongs parents initially turned to the internet for help, raising over 40,000 Yuan  or 4200  through donations alone.

But they reportedly stopped the crowdfunding due to the mixed comments they were received.

Hong Hong is still too young for the surgery, and it is not known what will happen to him or whether he will be able to have the treatment he needs.

For now, the family are heading to the city of Shenzhen so Hong Hongs father can return to work.
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An Australian man, understood to be a top recruiter for Isis and linked to a string of failed terror attacks in Australia, has been killed in an air strike in Iraq, Australian officials have said.

Neil Prakash, who appeared in Isis videos and magazines and had been linked to calls for lone-wolf attacks against the United States, was killed in a targeted air strike in Mosul on 29 April, said Attorney-General George Brandis, citing US intelligence advice.

Prakash was considered the most-senior Australian militant fighting with the group and actively recruited Australian men, women and children, encouraging acts of terrorism, Mr Brandis said.

The 24-year-old, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was an Australian citizen of Cambodian and Fijian heritage. A former rapper from Melbourne city, he converted from Buddhism in 2012 and is believed to have relocated to Syria in 2014.

He joined two other Australian fighters, Mohamed Elomar and Khaled Sharrouf, on a UN sanctions list. Both Elomar and Sharrouf appeared in images last year holding the severed heads of Syrian soldiers.

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

Last year, Australia announced final sanctions against Prakash, including a warning that anyone found to be aiding him financially could face jail time of up to 10 years.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told Sky News: "Neil Prakash's death is a very, very positive development in the war [] against terror.

He has been a leading recruiter for Daesh by encouraging people to go and fight with them in Syria and Iraq and of course he has promoted terrorist attacks.

Mr Brandis said the US government also advised that a second Australian citizen, Shadi Jabar, was killed on 22 April in a US air strike near Al Bab, Syria.

The woman was the cousin of Farhad Jabr  the 15-year-old boy who shot dead police accountant, Curtis Cheng, in Sydney last year.

Australia has formally declared Isis a terrorist organisation, meaning dual citizens could have their Australian citizenship revoked if found to be a member of the terror group.

Isis is the first organisation to be formally labelled a terror group under Australias new Allegiance to Australia Act. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said Isis was, both engaging in acts of terrorism and is opposed to Australia and its interests.

Additional reporting by agencies
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An adult education centre in northern Copenhagen has told six female students they can no longer attend classes unless they remove their niqabs.

VUC Lyngby school said the rules were changed in the autumn to no longer allow students to cover their faces during class.

But the case came to the attention of the national media following a post on the schools Facebook page that sparked a debate about the policy.

VUC Lyngby posted a response to the crticism explaining that everyone is welcome at the institution and that no one had been asked to leave class for wearing a niqab. But they said the new policy will apply to all future students at the school.

Free and unhindered communication requires that we can see each others faces. Therefore it is not allowed to cover the eyes, nose or month while participating in lessons, the post read.

The school said it had offered the six women who were told they could not attend future classes wearing a niqab the opportunity to follow classes via e-learning..

School official Inge Voller told Metroxpress the policy was not religiously motivated.

This isnt a question of religion or ethnicity but of learning, as we are an educational institution. Its about how to create the best learning and we believe you can do that best when you can communicate openly with one another, she said, according the Copenhagen Post.

Opinion polls on local news sites showed that an overwhelming majority of readers backed the schools decision.

Venestre, Denmarks ruling party, the Conservatives and the Danish Peoples Party (DPP) have also expressed support for VUC Lyngby.

 Face veils become an election issue in Canada

DPP spokesman Martin Henriksen told news agency Ritzau: We want a total ban except for within ones private home. One can do whatever they want there.

France and Belgium are the only two countries to have banned Muslim veils nationwide.
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France has been shocked by a video which appears to show three policemen harassing and humiliating a man with no legs and one arm.

More than 100,000 have watched the short film posted on Facebook, which shows the man being abandoned by the police officers after being made to remove his artificial legs and strip to his underpants.

As the policemen walk away, a passer-by who filmed the scene on his smartphone is heard shouting: Officer, officer, we need you. Officer, turn back please. This is humiliation, It is not normal.

The man who made the video, Jean-Didier Bakekolo, told French media: I found myself witnessing a police search of exceptional brutality. The officers forced this man to undress and left him struggling to put back his artificial legsHe was ill-treated to the point of being forced to sit on the ground partially undressed.

Mr Bagya appeared to be left to fend for himself on the platform after police searched him (Jean-didier Bakekolo/Facebook)

The incident, which happened on the underground platforms at the Gare de Lyon in Paris on Monday night, comes at a time when relations between police and public in France are already strained.

Police have been accused of acting with unnecessary violence to control a fringe of aggressive demonstrators during left-wing protests against plans to reform French employment law. Police unions have retorted that the violence comes mostly from the protesters and that several officers have been seriously hurt.

One police union, Alliance, has called for a demonstration by police on 18 May to protests against what they see as a campaign of anti-police hatred on the left of French politics.

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

The Paris police headquarters said that nothing in the video suggested that the amputee had been subject to harassment or violence. If he makes a complaint, it will be investigated thoroughly, a spokesman said.

The website of the French international news channel France 24 traced the victim of the alleged harassment at the Gare de LEst. He was identified as Francois Bayga, an African migrant who has made a formal request for the right to live in France.

Mr Bayga said that three policemen had approached him and pushed him up against a wall while he was travelling from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord.

Francois Bagya at his sports club. He allegedly showed his membership card to French police when they searched him. (Facebook ) (Facebook)

They demanded my papers and I took off my back pack and showed them, he said. I gave them my telephone, my medical card and my membership card at my wheelchair rugby club

They accused me of stealing my phone. I started to get angry. I didnt know what they wanted. I was pushed up against wall and one of the policemen pulled at my leg. I explained it was artificialThey insisted on searching me. I felt completely humiliated.

Mr Bayga was finally helped to replaced his artificial legs and his trousers by a passer-by and a woman ticket inspector.
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One person has died and seven people have been injured following a high-speed chase between police and a British-registered car in France and Belgium that ended in mass crash.

The incident began when a lorry driver found immigrants inside his parked vehicle.

After police arrived, four suspected Iraqi people smugglers sped off in a British-registered Audi. They were chased down by Belgian police, who then shot at their speeding car on the other side of the French border near Dunkirk.

French police said the car skidded on burst tyres into several vehicles involved in an earlier minor road accident on the A16 motorway.

The four occupants were taken to hospital in Lille by helicopter. Local media reports said that two of them had been struck by bullets.

Police inspect the site of an accident on the A16 motorway in Coudekerque (Getty Images)

Later, a Dutch mototcyclist was killed when he ran into a truck which was part of a tail-back caused by the first incident.

Rescue workers evacuate an injured person (Getty Images)

French police, talking to the website of the regional newspaper, la Voix du Nord, said Belgian police had been pursuing the Audi at 120mph towards the French border.

They suspected its occupants of being people smugglers involved in the trafficking of migrants seeking to reach Britain.

The police sources said that an unquantifed amount of illegal drugs had been found in the crashed Audi.
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A student has defended her decision to pose topless for her school photo.

Hanna Bolander, 19, from Vaxjo in southern Sweden, says she bared her breasts to encourage a debate over public sexuality.

Ms Bolander told The Local: I just thought: Why shouldnt I be able to do that if guys can take their tops off?

Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Show all 22 1 /22 Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Katharine Hepburn I have not lived as a woman. I have lived as a man. I've just done what I damn well wanted to, and I've made enough money to support myself, and ain't afraid of being alone Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Betty Friedan No woman gets an orgasm from shining the kitchen floor Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Maya Angelou I want to be representative of my race - the human race. I have a chance to show how kind we can be, how intelligent and generous we can be Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Emmeline Pankhurst I want to say to you who think women cannot succeed, we have brought the government of England to this position, that it has to face this alternative: either women are to be killed or women are to have the vote Creative Commons Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Patricia Arquette "To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody elses equal rights, its our time to have wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America." AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECKROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Nawal El Saadawi They said, You are a savage and dangerous woman. I am speaking the truth. And the truth is savage and dangerous Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Margaret Fuller "It is a vulgar error that love, a love, to woman is her whole existence; she is born for Truth and Love in their universal energy" Creative Commons Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Germaine Greer All societies on the verge of death are masculine. A society can survive with only one man; no society will survive a shortage of women Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Naomi Wolf A cultural fixation on female thinness is not an obsession about female beauty but an obsession about female obedience Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Rebecca West "I myself have never able to find out precisely what a feminist is. I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat" Creative Commons Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Margaret Atwood Does feminist mean large unpleasant person who'll shout at you or someone who believes women are human beings. To me it's the latter, so I sign up Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Susan B. Anthony "I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand" Creative Commons Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Sylvia Plath "Apparently, the most difficult feat for a Cambridge male is to accept a woman not merely as feeling, not merely as thinking, but as managing a complex, vital interweaving of both" Creative Commons Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Hillary Clinton "I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession, which I entered before my husband was in public life" Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Lena Dunham "The idea of being a feministso many women have come to this idea of it being anti-male and not able to connect with the opposite sexbut what feminism is about is equality and human rights. For me that is just an essential part of my identity. I hope [Girls] contributes to a continuance of feminist dialogue" Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Bette Davis When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch Creative Commons Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Jane Austen I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives Creative Commons Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Gloria Steinem A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Anais Nin I hate men who are afraid of women's strength Creative Commons Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Elizabeth Warren I have a daughter and I have granddaughters and I will never vote to let a group of backward-looking ideologues cut womens access to birth control. We have lived in that world, and we are not going back, not ever Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Malala Yousafzai In Pakistan, when we were stopped from going to school, at that time I realized that education  Is the power for women, and thats why the terrorists are afraid of education Getty Images Feminist quotes from the icons to inspire you Virginia Woolf "As a woman I have no country. As a woman my country is the whole world" Getty Images

"It was kind of spontaneous but I do really care about these questions.

When her class suggested one of the girls bare their breasts in a photo for the school yearbook, Ms Bolander vounteered.

She argued that, as a feminist, she should be free to reveal as much flesh as the opposite sex.

The student also pointed out that she had seen men with bigger breasts than hers, and they had never been asked to cover them. She said reactions to the photo had been mostly positive.

Writing on her blog, Ms Bolander said: "In my opinion, women should have the right to show their breasts as publicly as boys.

"I think that everyone should have the right to decide for themselves."

She added: "Blaming biology is a poor argument because there is no biological difference! Women are not objects, women are people.

"And by playing down the female body so that it is seen as just as natural as a man, so we have come a step closer to equality."

 Woman strips naked in Paris museum and films it

Earlier this year, Kim Kardashian-West and Emily Ratajkowski posed topless to highlight women's right to celebrate their sexuality without shame.
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The Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has is to resign after tensions with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the refugee crisis, European Union deal and terror attacks by Isis and Kurdish groups created a rift between the political pair.

Mr Davutoglu has confirmed he will formally step down at his party's congress on 22 May following local media reports of his imminent resignation.

Who is Ahmet Davutoglu?

A former professor of political science and international relations, Mr Davutoglu has overseen Turkey's foreign policy since 2003 as the countrys foreign minister and as Mr Erdogan's chief adviser.

He is a veteran Islamist politician and a long-term ally to Mr Erdogan. He had long been expected to take over as Prime Minister and was installed in the role in 2014 by Mr Erdogan himself.

Turkey's Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel greet people at a refugee camp on April 23, 2016 in Gaziantep, Turkey (Getty Images)

Why has he resigned?

An ongoing power struggle between the President and the Prime Minister reached a climax on Friday when the ruling AK Party - co-founded by Mr Erdogan  absolved him of powers to appoint local leaders; a move which has left Mr Davutoglu without party insiders to support him.



Some have argued Mr Davutoglu has been victim to a palace coop, with the country's main opposition party leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, saying Mr Davutoglu, who was elected with the will of 23 million AKP voters, "was forced to leave his seat through the will of one person."

Isnt Davutoglu an Erdogan loyalist?

After being elected president in 2014, Mr Erdogan handpicked Mr Davutoglu to succeed him as Prime Minister and leader of the AKP party. Mr Davutoglu was expected to play a backseat role as Mr Erdogan pushed to make the largely ceremonial presidency into an all-powerful position.

Speaking on Thursday, Davutoglu said he never intended to be a caretaker prime minister, recalling a phrase from a speech by Mr Erdogan when he took over the party: "This is the era of a strong president and a strong prime minister."

Mr Davutoglu often attempted to act autonomously on many political issues proving to be a more moderating force to Mr Erdogan. The attempts include his discussion with German Chancellor Angela Merkel over a migrant deal that would allow Turks to travel visa-free into Europe.

Turkey's Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu (L) shakes hands with President of the European Council, Donald Tusk (C) and President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, after a press conference to discuss the migrant deal reached between Turkey and EU states (Getty Images ) (Getty Images)

What is his relationship with Angela Merkel?

Mr Davutoglu continually made his ambitions for Turkey to become member of the EU clear. In 2009 he said: "We want to be a member of the EU. I am an academic. Statistics say something. All the countries that start accession negotiations with the EU, they became members of the EU," the BBC reports.

Visiting a refugee camp in April, Mr Davutoglu took pains to highlight his connections with European leaders, wishing Donald Tusk, European Council president, happy birthday and saying he often texted Ms Merkel.

His resignation will be an upset to Ms Merkel who made efforts to quash tensions with Turkey in a bid to stem the flow of migrants to Europe. Many Western officials preferred Mr Davutoglu as an interlocutor to Mr Erdogan, who has over the past few years sharpened his anti-Western rhetoric.

The EU and Turkey reached a deal in which refugees attempting to enter Europe via the Aegean Sea will be relocated back to Turkey. As part of the deal 80 million Turks were granted visa-free travel into Europe, which was approved on Tuesday.

The conclusion of the deal now remains unclear as the venture was run solely by Mr Davutoglu and his team.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes Show all 8 1 /8 Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Just a week before he was elected President, he called Erdogan Amberin Zaman, the Turkey correspondent for 'The Economist', a "shameless militant woman disguised under the name of a journalist" after she had asked an opposition leader whether "Muslim society is able to question" the authorities. "Know your place," Erdogan said. "They gave you a pen and you are writing a column in a newspaper. "And then they invite you to a TV channel owned by Dogan media group and you insult at a society of 99 per cent Muslims," he said he said according to Today's Zaman newspaper. Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Turkish people are pictured chanting slogans during an anti-government protest on Taksim square in Istanbul, on 29 June, 2013. The protests were sparked by brutal police action against a local conservation battle to save Istanbul's Gezi Park, and soon turned into nationwide demonstrations against the government. Amid the protests - the worst in Turkey for years - Erdogan accused demonstrators of being "arm-in-arm with terrorism," according to Reuters. "This is a protest organized by extremist elements. We will not give away anything to those who live arm-in-arm with terrorism," he said. GURCAN OZTURK/AFP/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes During last years protests, activists used social media to organise and disseminate information. Several dozen tweeters were arrested following the protests, according to local media reports. Erdogan responded by calling the technology a "menace". "There is now a menace which is called Twitter," Erdogan said. "The best examples of lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to society," BBC New reported. Vladimir Astapkovich/RIA Novosti via Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Not helping to allay accusations of authoritarianism, after Turkish police detained 49 people, including well-known business people and those close to the ruling party, Erdeogan ominously told reporter that Turkey "is not a banana republic" that can be affected by unnamed "operations", according to Today's Zaman newspaper. People who are backed by the media and certain funders cannot change this country," he said. "People backed by certain dark gangs both inside and outside Turkey cannot mess with the country's path. They cannot change conditions in Turkey. Turkey is not a country that anyone can launch an operation into. The [Turkish] nation will not allow that. The AK Party, which is governing this nation, will not allow this." Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Friends and relatives of the miners who died in an explosion at the Soma mine are pictured praying following the burial in Soma cemetery of the last body to be recovered from the mine in May 2014. At the time, the then-Prime Minister badly misjudged the Soma mining disaster, in which 301 workers died. He told the relatives of dead and dying miners that "these types of incidents are ordinary things", following allegations that the government had ignored safety concerns about the privately owned mine, the Guardian reported. In his defence, Erdogan recounted in a separate speech a list of mining disasters which occurred abroad, including a British disaster in 1862, and one in America "which has every kind of technology". Oli Scarff/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Palestinians pictured attending Friday noon prayers in a destroyed mosque that was hit by Israeli strikes, in Gaza City. As Prime Minister, Erdogan has condemned Israel, accusing it of deliberately killing Palestinian mothers and warned that the it would "drown in the blood it sheds." Speaking to thousands of supporters during a rally in Istanbul ahead of the 10 August election, Reuters reported him as saying: "Just like Hitler, who sought to establish a race free of all faults, Israel is chasing after the same target." "They kill women so that they will not give birth to Palestinians; they kill babies so that they won't grow up; they kill men so they can't defend their country ... They will drown in the blood they shed," he said. AP Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Amid the worst protests in Turkey for years which had spread across dozens of cities last June, Erdogan accused demonstrators of being "arm-in-arm with terrorism," according to Reuters. A demonstration to halt construction in a park in an Istanbul square grew into mass protests against a heavy-handed police crackdown and what opponents called Erdogan's authoritarian policies. "This is a protest organized by extremist elements," Erdogan said before departing on a trip to North Africa. "We will not give away anything to those who live arm-in-arm with terrorism," he said. Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes In March 2014, Erdogan accused a 15-year-old boy who died from injuries sustained in last year's anti-government protests of being linked to terrorism. Berkin Elvan, who became a symbol of anti-government protests, had gone to pick up bread when he was hit with a teargas canister - sending him into a nine-month coma before he passed away. In a speech broadcast on state TV, Erdogan said of Berkin: "This kid with steel marbles in his pockets, with a slingshot in his hand, his face covered with a scarf, who had been taken up into terror organisations, was unfortunately subjected to pepper gas. How could the police determine how old that person was who had a scarf on his face and was hurling steel marbles with a slingshot in his hand? ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images

Have Davutoglu's policies faced criticism?

As foreign minister, Mr Davutoglu initially won praise for his zero problems with neighbors policy, which aimed to strengthen ties with the Middle East. However, critics have since said errors and miscalculations in the policy have left Turkey with few allies in the region.

His interest in territories formerly ruled by the Ottoman Empire has drawn accusations he has an imperialistic streak and his foreign policy ideals have been described as Neo-Ottoman or Pan-Islamist. Mr Davutoglu has denied accusations of imperialism.

In the past, he has also been criticised for failing to tackle political corruption and for growing government authoritarianism. In 2015, the implementation of a new national security bill sparked members of the opposition to accuse his government of turning Turkey into a police state.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Al-Qaeda could be preparing to declare its own sovereign state in Syria after quietly gathering strength in the shadow of the international campaign against Isis, an analyst has warned.

Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said that after five years building its power base in the midst of the civil war leaders are moving to create a new Islamic emirate.

Writing in Foreign Policy magazine he said Jabhat al-Nusra - the al-Qaeda affiliate that was linked with Isis until a bitter split in 2013 - had been building local support and influence in its territories.

An image posted on the Twitter page of Syria's al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front on 1 April 2016 (AP)

He warned that as part of a long-game strategy like that that seen in the terrorist groups Yemen and Mali insurgencies, leading jihadists had been dispatched to drive the creation of an emirate and quash internal opposition.

With the cessation of hostilities effectively over and the political process in Geneva falling apart, Jabhat al-Nusras leverage on the ground is increasing once again, Mr Lister wrote.

Whether we like it or not, the United States and its allies are now in an urgent battle for influence with al-Qaedas most effective and successful affiliate yet.

The consequences of ignoring, or losing, that battle are potentially catastrophic.

It was unclear when the reported plans for an emirate in the north-western Idlib province could come to fruition as attempts to restore a cessation of hostilities agreed in February continues.

Jabhat al-Nusra was excluded from the agreement as an internationally designated terrorist group and has recently been launching an offensive in parts of Aleppo governorate.

Mr Lister quoted a Syrian Islamist saying that local jihadists did not support the creation of an emirate, with difficult discussion among extremists continuing, while a commander in the Free Syrian Army said moderate rebels felt pressured into co-operating with Jabhat al-Nusra against regime forces.

The only way to effectively and durably counter Jabhat al-Nusras emirate ambitions lies in efforts to significantly embolden and re-empower Syrias moderate civil, political, judicial and military opposition, he wrote in an email to The Independent.

Western policy must now urgently empower the totality of Syrias moderate opposition utilising an ink spot strategy, aimed at establishing steadily expanding zones of representative Syrian moderate control that are confident and powerful enough to repel al-Qaeda.

A report by the London-based International Alert charity found that young Syrian men were being attracted to join Jabhat al-Nusra by lucrative salaries around four times those offered by the moderate Free Syrian Army.

British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Show all 10 1 /10 British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet takes off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Pilots and ground crew prepare combat aircraft Panavia Tornados at RAF Marham at RAF Marham, UK Getty British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Eurofighter Typhoon jet takes off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A RAF Tornado arrives at RAF Akrotiri to begin operations in Akrotiri British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet ahead of taking off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, as RAF Tornado jets carried out the first British bombing runs over Syria, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The air strikes were carried out within hours of a vote by MPs in the Commons to back extending operations against Isis from neighbouring Iraq British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Personnel work on a British Tornado after it returned from a mission at RAF Akrotiri in southern Cyprus British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria Two RAF Tornado GR4's, both with remaining weapons ordnance, approach RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, as they return to the base after carrying out some of the first British bombing runs over Syria British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A RAF Tornado takes off from RAF Akrotiri, on the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria A Tornado jet leaving RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland British jets prepare for air strikes in Syria AKA RAF Tornado arrives at RAF Akrotiri to begin operations in Akrotiri, Cyprus. The RAF has sent two further Tornado aircraft and six Typhoons to bolster aircraft now flying sorties to both Iraq and Syria

Researchers concluded that it had also been more successful than Isis in attracting impoverished and unemployed youths with the promise of security, education, structure and, most importantly, victory.

Many Syrians want to get revenge against the regime for destroying their families, houses, lives and everything else, a Syrian refugee in Turkey was quoted as saying. Jabhat al-Nusra actually fights the regime and now offers the best chance to get that revenge.

Analysts say an al-Qaeda emirate could have significant consequences within Syria, forcing Jabhat al-Nusra to harden its stance towards civilians and the other rebel groups it occasionally allies itself with, as well as enforcing a strict interpretation of Sharia law in its territories.

It could follow the bloody example set by Isis declaration its Islamic State, which was followed by a continuing wave of executions, crucifixions, amputations and floggings, among other atrocities against perceived enemies and religious minorities.

A rival al-Qaeda emirate could also revitalise the organisations international support, potentially inspiring declarations of allegiance and terror attacks by followers, last seen in Europe in the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

Jabhat al-Nusra could be strengthened further by attacks on Isis by the US-led coalition, allowing it to feed off wavering support and defections, experts have said.

Fighters from Jabhat al-Nusra in Aleppo (AFP/Getty)

Earlier this year, the US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank warned that the al-Qaeda affiliate was operating a sophisticated strategy to let Isis attract the attention - and attacks - of the West while it builds the human infrastructure to support and sustain major gains in the future and for the long term.

Analysts said the rivalry between the two groups, which has split the global Salafist movement into two camps, has raised the bar for success in international terrorism and ensured that destroying one will allow the other to move into the ensuing power vacuum.

Jennifer Cafarella, a fellow at the Institute for the Study of War, said Jabhat al-Nusra had a fighting force of 3,000 to 5,000 militants, including elite units, at least 19 training camps, governance structures and operations in at least eight of Syrias nine western provinces.

In a February report she warned the group had become more dangerous than Isis as it tactically supports the Syrian opposition to build local allegicances that it will manipulate at a later stage.

The group already governs parts of Syria with a form of religious law akin to that used by Isis, Ms Cafarella said.

Meanwhile, through military and religious training camps for children, it is indoctrinating a new generation of fighters to wage a future war against the Westwe must abandon our fixation on Isis and recognise Jabhat al-Nusra as the bigger threat.
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Inmates in Syrias besieged Hama prison have shared pictures which appear to show armed soldiers surrounding the jail.

On Monday, a monitoring group reported that government troops had fired tear gas into the prison in the west of the country after inmates revolted and seized several guards.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said inmates were protesting against a transfer of prisoners to a military facility in Sednaya. Those held in the Hama jail include political and Islamist prisoners, it said.

Speaking via a translator, an anonymous source within the prison, who provided the images, told The Independent: Prisoners fear for their lives. Unless the negotiations are made highly public, our concern is that after the negotiation period has ended, the regime will separate out the prisoners and retaliate, probably with torture and executions."

A makeshift barricade erected by rioting prisoners in Syria's Hama prison (Adam Steed)

The prisoners are being held in the central Syrian town of Hama for opposing the regime of Bashar Al-Assad.

Located just outside Damascus, Sednaya holds 4,000 political prisoners, and is said to be a hotbed of torture and political killings. It has been described as a gulag, while Human Rights Watch has called for an investigation into illegal shootings at the prison.

A Syrian lawyer working with prisoners in Hama said: "Seventy-five per cent of people who go into Sednaya do not come out alive. It is a field court, where most 'judges' are from the secret police."

Following the riot, around 800 inmates in Hama have allegedly taken the prisons governor and several guards captive. Regime forces have since surrounded Hama, with sources inside the prison saying that snipers have been stationed around the jail and tear gas fired over the walls.

Photographs provided by the same source appear to show regime forces in formation outside the prison, as well as people-carriers mounted with light artillery. The photos are shot from behind a makeshift barricade of pot-plants, benches and furnishings in a public area of the prison.

In a statement, the prisoners demand the release of those inmates set to be transferred to Sednaya, an end to extrajudicial killings within Hama and fair trials for all detainees.

They also ask that the International Red Cross be allowed into the prison, call for an end to the bombing of Aleppo, and demand an implementation of UN resolution 2254, which calls for a peaceful political resolution to the Syrian crisis.

Regime forces besiege Hama prison, where inmates are rioting (Adam Steed)

Around 30 prisoners have been allowed to leave the prison under the supervision of the International Red Crescent, but the inmates hope that at least 200 more of their number will be able to leave without bloodshed.

The detainees describe these 200 men as prisoners of conscience, though Al-Jazeera report that the insurrection in Hama jail is also backed by Islamist rebel group Ajnad Al-Sham.
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At least 10 people were killed and scores more critically injured after a car bomb exploded in a village near Homs, Syria, and then a suicide bomber detonated his device among the crowd of people who gathered to help the injured.

The twin explosions took place in the main square in Mukharam al Fawkani, east of Homs, near the scene of fierce fighting between Syrian Government troops and Isis gunmen over the Shaer gas field.

After the car bomb went off, people went to help those hurt in the blast and a suicide bomber then rode his motorbike into the middle of the crowd and set off the second explosion.

Four of the dead were children and three were women, according to local media. Up to 49 people were left in need of urgent medical attention.

No group had claimed responsibility but Isis, also known as Islamic State or Daesh, have carried out similar attacks in the area recently.

An attack by Isis on Monday claimed six lives and injured 48 near an army checkpoint in Damascus.

News of the latest deaths came as US officials announced a 48-hour ceasefire in the contested northern city of Aleppo, where nearly 300 civilians have reportedly been killed over the past two weeks.

The truce did not appeared to have lasted long however with Syrian TV claiming that militants fired 20 shells into government-held positions.

In pictures: Aleppo bombing Show all 14 1 /14 In pictures: Aleppo bombing In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Smoke rises after airstrikes on the rebel-held al-Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family runs for cover amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Al-Qatarji in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man reacts as he stands on blood stains at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel held area of Aleppo's al-Fardous district, Syria, April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damage of the airstrikes in the rebel-held area of Aleppo on April 28 Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damaged the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians evacuate an injured man amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following an air strike on a rebel-held of Aleppo on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes, in the rebel-held area of Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man leads a woman in tears and child out of the scene after airstrikes hit Aleppo AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Civil defence members search for survivors after an airstrike at a field hospital in the rebel held area of al-Sukari district of Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian boy is comforted as he cries next to the body of a relative who died in a reported air strike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Soukour in the northern city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family walks amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike in the Bustan al-Qasr rebel-held district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers and rescuers remove a baby from under the rubble of a destroyed building following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians help a wounded youth following an air strike on the Fardous rebel held neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate people from a damaged building following a reported airstrike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Tareeq al-Bab in the northern city of Aleppo

The UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura has estimated that over 400,000 people have been killed in a war that has forced millions of civilians abroad in search of refuge.
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The American government has warned North Carolina that its controversial law limiting transgender peoples use of lavatories breaches the US Civil Rights Act.

In March, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed a sweeping law that ended anti-discrimination protections for lesbians, gays and bisexuals. It also stopped transgender people from using lavatories that did not match the gender they were born with.

The legislation was introduced after the city of Charlotte earlier passed its own bill to permit transgender people to use public toilets that correspond with their gender identity, rather than their gender at birth.

The Justice Department said it wanted a response from North Carolina in a matter of days

Yet, the Obama administration has told North Carolina official that the bill -House Bill 2, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act - breaches the US Civil Rights Act. The act was passed in 1964 and seeks to prevent discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin.

The US Justice Department sent letters to Mr McCrory and university leaders notifying them that the bill violates this seminal piece of US legislation.

Access to sex-segregated restrooms and other workplace facilities consistent with gender identity is a term, condition or privilege of employment, said the letter.

Denying such access to transgender individuals, whose gender identity is different from their gender assigned at birth, while affording it to similarly situated non-transgender employees, violates Title VII.

The Justice Department letters asked for a response by May 9 on whether you will remedy these violations of Title VII.

The North Carolina bill has sparked protest from activists, business and musicians. Bruce Springsteen was among many performers who cancelled concerts in protest over the bill.

Bruce Springsteen cancelled a concert in North Carolina (Getty)

On Wednesday evening, Mr McCrory, a Republican, issued a statement but did not specifically say what the state will do, the Associated Press said.

A claim by the Obama administration charges that one part of House Bill 2, which requires state employees in public government buildings and students in our universities to use a restroom, locker room and shower facility that match their biological sex, is now in violation of federal law. The Obama administration has not only staked out its position for North Carolina, but for all states, universities and most employers in the US.

The right and expectation of privacy in one of the most private areas of our personal lives is now in jeopardy. We will be reviewing to determine the next steps.

North Carolina Attorney General and Democratic candidate for governor Roy Cooper said: Enough is enough. Its time for the Governor to put our schools and economy first and work to repeal this devastating law.

The state could lose federal money as a result of its action. The letter from the Justice Department reminded university system leaders they accepted funding from groups like the Office on Violence Against Women by agreeing not to discriminate on the basis of gender identity.

Recommended Transgender woman subjected to horrifying verbal abuse on New York subway

A few days after passage of the bill, two transgender men, a lesbian, the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and Equality North Carolina filed a federal lawsuit asking a judge to declare the law unconstitutional and a violation of federal laws banning sex discrimination.

It is now clearer than ever that this discriminatory law violates civil rights protections and jeopardizes billions of dollars in federal funds for North Carolina, the lawsuit said. The only way to reverse the ongoing damage HB 2 is causing to North Carolina's people, economy and reputation is a full repeal.
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The good news for airline passengers: a new runway has at last been built on British soil, south of London.

The bad news: its really quite a long way south  nearly 5,000 miles  on the only vaguely flat swathe of terrain on the remote UK possession of St Helena.

The worse news: no-one knows when commercial flights from Johannesburg to the 250m airport will begin. Safety concerns mean a frustrating wait for the Saints (as the islanders are known), UK taxpayers and prospective tourists.

Last month a Boeing 737 touched down at St Helena airport. The first large passenger plane to do so, it was operated by a South African airline, Comair, in the colours of British Airways.

Initially the landing was claimed to be a success, despite some go-arounds before the aircraft touched down. Martin Louw, operations director for Comair, said: We did a few practice approaches just to make sure we understood the approach.

But within a few days the royal opening  planned for 21 May - had been cancelled. The proving flight had revealed concern about windshear, the phenomenon in which the speed and direction of the air changes quickly.

Brian Heywood, a former British Airways pilot, says he warned the UK Government years ago about the risks. He told the islands newspaper: The airport authority can discuss it for ever more, but nothing will change the local topography. If an airport is built on the edge of a near-vertical 1,000-foot cliff, the prevailing wind is bound to cause problems.

Other high-rise, exposed islands also experience weather problems such as windshear. Hundreds of British travellers found their stays on Madeira this week unexpectedly extended, at the airlines expense, when easyJet and Thomson Airways postponed flights for 24 hours until the weather improved. The airport is carved out of the side of a volcano, with a runway extension on stilts.

There is a big difference, though, between Madeira and St Helena. The Portuguese island has plenty of diversion options nearby.

Flight crews must carry enough fuel to divert to an alternate airport, and still have half-an-hour's fuel left over. Over Europe, the Americas and Asia, finding an alternate is straightforward. Even for Madeira, the diversion options are nothing to get stressed about. Porto Santo, the sister isle, is only 40 miles away. If that airport is also closed, then Tenerife is 300 miles south. And if this whole patch of the Atlantic is kicking up a storm, then Marrakech is safely inland about 500 miles  a little over an hours flight  to the east.

Life gets trickier on the flight deck when you are a long way from land. For travellers to and from St Helena, adrift in the South Atlantic west of Namibia, isolation is not so splendid. The nearest alternate airports are Ascension Island, two hours away, or the Angolan city of Lubango, three hours distant. Were there any uncertainty about the weather in Ascension, the captain would aim for Africa, where the Angolan capital, Luanda, is another choice. But after a four-hour flight from Johannesburg, the reserves start to get depleted.

What can be done to get a safe, swift resolution to the problem, so that the huge investment in the airport can start to pay dividends? A question for Richard Brown, principal of Atlantic Star Airlines. He aims to fly a rival service from Luton via Banjul in the Gambia to St Helena  a faster, cheaper alternative for UK travellers.

Once sufficient meteorological data has been gathered it will be relatively straightforward to predict the occurrence of windshear, he says. Operators can then plan accordingly.

For travellers interested in visiting this remote and wonderful island, that might mean an occasional flight delay or reschedule to a different day with a better weather factor. The team at Atlantic Star Airlines is confident that safe flight operations will be achieved and that St Helena will be worth the wait.
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Q We are going to Turkey in May and again in October on holiday. Do we need a visa for each visit?

Tracey Williams

A As if Turkey were not having enough problems attracting tourists, its new e-Visa regime continues to cause confusion among travellers who conclude, wisely, that the risks of visiting the country remain minimal.

All prospective British holidaymakers must apply online at evisa.gov.tr. Last year I reported on how some travellers had been denied boarding flights to Turkey because of official opaqueness about how long a UK passport must be valid. The authorities have finally clarified that, saying: You need to have a travel document valid for at least six months from the date you intend to enter Turkey.

Assuming your passport crosses this hurdle, then its all a matter of timing. Unfortunately for people who like to get everything lined up well in advance, you should not apply too early.

British visitors are granted visas for 180 days - just under six months. If you apply today, your e-visa will be valid from 5 May to 31 October. All travel needs to be completed within that time. If your October visit is planned to extend into November, and your May trip doesnt depart just yet, you should delay a little longer.

The visa costs US$20, which right now is about 14.

Every day, our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles readers questions. Just email yours to: s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder
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A transgender woman was subjected to a torrent of verbal abuse after a fellow passenger confronted her.

Pearl Love, an outreach social worker for Trans Latina network, was accosted by a woman sitting across from her as she travelled on the New York subway.

You garbage motherf***er, you a transvestite videotaping me motherf***er, the woman can be heard shouting.

Suck my d*** she continues before calling the transgender woman a f***king homo and a gay mother***er.

She also asks Love, who is originally from Taiwan, Who are you really under all that make up? Where'd you come from? Are you the Emperor of China? before saying she is inappropriate for her child.

The social worker posted a video of the incident to Facebook, where she wrote that the woman had been abusing her for a period of time before the video starts.

I ignored her and kept reading my book. When the train got to 86 st she start getting so loud and crazy yelling at me so I started to record her on my phone can- she start getting even louder and start assault me and hit me.

She also expressed her dismay at the lack of support from fellow passengers.

It was a crowded train and everyone heard it but no one helped me. Guys acting like nothing happened. For 5 min.

Transgender supermodel Lea T in pictures Show all 4 1 /4 Transgender supermodel Lea T in pictures Transgender supermodel Lea T in pictures Transgender supermodel Lea T in pictures Lea T. locking lips with Kate Moss on the cover of Love magazine's Spring/Summer 2011 issue Kate Moss and Lea T styled by Katie Grand and shot by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott Transgender supermodel Lea T in pictures Transgender supermodel Lea T in pictures Transgender model Lea T on the cover of Love magazine's Spring/Summer 2011 issue Lea T styled by Katie Grand and shot by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott Transgender supermodel Lea T in pictures Transgender supermodel Lea T in pictures Lea T. on Givenchy's autumn/winter 2010 campaign Givenchy Transgender supermodel Lea T in pictures Transgender supermodel Lea T in pictures Brazilian model Lea Tisci (Lea T) poses as she arrives for the amfAR 21st Annual Cinema Against Aids during the 67th Cannes Film Festival Getty Images

Love hopes that the video might promote awareness for the abuse that transgender people are subjected to.

So now you can understand what's happening in my everyday life. That happens all the time. But it's my first time recording it.

A New York Police spokesperson said that a formal complaint was yet to be filed, though they are aware of the video and it is currently being reviewed.

A separate attack on a transgender woman occurred in February, also on the New York subway. 38-year-old Jennifer Louise Lopez required emergency eye surgery after being punched in the face.
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My friend David Mills emails from America, where he has been reading a "very good book" called Zeppelin Nights  London in the First World War, by Jerry White. In which he has discovered another "thing named after a politician" to add to my list. My list was in fact Verbs From a Politician's Name, but as all nouns can be used as verbs these days, I shall admit this entry.

This is from a section about rationing in 1917:

In April compulsion was applied to restaurants, hotels and clubs by a Public Meals Order. The manufacture of "light pastries, muffins, crumpets and tea-cakes" was prohibited  the muffin man disappearing from Londons streets, where he had been a fixture for generations. Cakes and buns to the value of 1s 9d per person could be had after 6 pm  those who indulged to the last penny were known as "Bun hogs" and Lyons and other tea shops were known as "Rhondda-vous" after the new Food Controller, Lord Rhondda, appointed in June.

Lord Rhondda, a businessman and Liberal MP known for most of his life as DA Thomas (above), was quite a character. This bit from his Wikipedia entry is good:

In May 1915 he was on the RMS Lusitania when she was torpedoed. He and his daughter, Margaret, were among the survivors. A humorous story, remembered by his daughter, was that the local (Cardiff) Evening Express newspaper displayed a poster about the sinking that read, "Great National Disaster. DA Saved." The somewhat equivocal compliment amused DA Thomas immensely.

Allen Clement Edwards MP related the story of an aged collier who, on being informed that Thomas had been in the ship when it had gone down, declared, "I will wait till tomorrow. He always comes out on top, and I promise you this: he will come to the top of the water again with a big fish in each of his hands."

My Listellany: A Miscellany of Very British Top Tens from Politics to Pop, is available in all good bookshops, and just 3.79 on Kindle.

 Meanwhile, the Catch-Up Service has fallen behind in its updates from what Gordon Brown called the websphere. (If you don't want to miss them, sign up for email reminders.) So here are several at once:

Thanks to Glenny Rodge for this:

"Is it a bird?"

"Is it a plane?"

Clark Kent. Terrible at charades.

To Avery Edison for this:

On the pedestal these words appear:

My name is Ozymandias  King of Kings;

Look on my Works, and let me know what you think in the comments.

To Keet Potato for this:

[Paddling along the Amazon silently in a kayak.]

Wife: "It's so beautiful."

Me: "Can you believe they named this after a website?"

To Moose Allain for this:

"Go on Mr Cumberbatch! Go on!"

Eggs Benedict.

And for this:

Hello, is that the Bank of Childrens Stories?

Yes.

Id like to open an account.

Go ahead.

"Once upon a time"

And finally for this:

My therapist says he's cured my kleptomania. Ill have to take his word for it.
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The pause in imposing the junior doctors contract announced by Lord Prior, the health minister, yesterday is a welcome small sign of flexibility on the part of the Government. We hope that the doctors representatives respond in kind.

Anything that can pull either side back from more deeply entrenching their positions must be a good thing. One of the problems of this dispute, apart from the difficult questions of hours and conditions themselves, is that it has gained a momentum of its own. The doctors have become energised politically and many of them now see the dispute as a heroic struggle to save the NHS from a Health Secretary hell-bent on its destruction. The Government, on the other hand, has begun to see it as a test of wills. Mr Hunt refused to accept last weekend that he sees it as analogous to the miners strike, but there is a whiff of Who governs Britain? about him.

With such bad blood on both sides, it is hard to see how the compromise proposed by a range of opposition parties, led by Heidi Alexander, Labours shadow Health Secretary, could succeed. She wants to see the new contract tried out in a few places before being agreed nationally, but without good will on the part of junior doctors it would be difficult to make the new system work.

It is significant that this latest breakthrough has been brokered by the Royal Colleges, the traditional bastions of the medical profession, who appear to be uncomfortable with some of the militant trade unionism of the British Medical Association. As The Independent reported exclusively when the doctors went on their all-out strikes last week, the Royal Colleges remained silent.

So far, the junior doctors have retained the backing of public opinion  even when withdrawing emergency cover  but the Royal Colleges are right to recognise that the mood could turn if the strikes start to cost lives and the medical profession is seen as intransigent.

That said, the Governments handling of the dispute has been so inept that it has allowed doctors and the general public to believe the worst of its motives. That may have been Mr Hunts reason for saying last week that he expected the Health department to be his last big job. It seemed a curious thing for a 49-year-old Cabinet minister to say, but was presumably said in the hope that he would not be seen as a careerist: that he was interested only in what was best for the NHS.

We do not blame Mr Hunt alone for the dispute. It has been running for years, but what turned it into a crisis was the Prime Ministers unfunded and ill-thought-through slogan in the election campaign, promising a seven-day NHS.

However, the priority now is not to allocate blame for how we got here, but to see a way through to a solution. It may be that David Cameron will decide that this is indeed Mr Hunts last big job, and that it needs a new Secretary of State to rebuild a working relationship with doctors. Mr Cameron was ruthless enough to dispose of Michael Gove, after all, when he had antagonised teachers so much that he had become an electoral liability.

Usually, we prefer ministers to stay in post for a decent length of time. One of the failings of the last Labour government was the high and frequent turnover of ministers, which meant they rarely had time to gain a deep understanding of their brief. Mr Cameron must judge whether Mr Hunt has so lost the confidence of the medical profession that he needs a clean slate.

But The Independent believes that the underlying problem is one of resources. Most roads lead back to the Treasury, and this one certainly does. Junior doctors are demoralised not because the Government wants to pay them less on Saturdays and more at other unsocial hours, but because they are trying to hold together an NHS that is at breaking point.

One of the signal achievements of the Labour government was to raise spending on health care as a share of national income to the level of the west European average. Since then, although spending has continued to rise a little in real terms, it has slipped back against that benchmark.

Let us hope that yesterdays progress in the pay dispute will prompt a bigger debate about whether we need an earmarked NHS tax to restore the ambition of matching the west European average.
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First to Israel, which  unlike the sea-to-shining-sea hinterland of the American media  really can be a land of the free for its journalists. Gideon Levy, the deeply inspiring, admired and much hated columnist on Haaretz newspaper, has written an outraged attack on the 83 US senators who urged Obama in this glorious election year to increase yet again Washingtons military aid to Israel  by more than the present $3bn a year. Ignoramuses, Levy calls them and adds that their letter to the American president is a disgrace.

And when you realise that Gideon Levy is verbally assaulted by the pro-Israel lobby in the US almost as much as he is threatened by Israelis themselves, you know youre talking about a man whose words will be treated with as much scorn by the present Obama administration as they will be by the next Clinton administration. Your money, senators, is largely being spent on maintaining a brutal, illegal occupation that your country claims to oppose  but finances, Levy has told the most powerful forum on the globe. What do you have over there in the worlds most important legislature? An automatic signing machine for letters supporting Israel? An ATM for the Jewish lobbys every whim?

You can almost hear Clintons cry of horror because, in just over a weeks time, her Jewish Outreach Director, Sarah Bard, who worked for Clinton during her unsuccessful attempt at the presidency in 2008, is going to hold a fundraiser in Tel Aviv (tickets start at $45 and run up to more than $2,000). Bard is going to hold a discussion which is in support of Hillary for America. Clinton, it will be remembered, opposes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign against Israel. No surprise there. But shortly after she asked the Israeli-American media mogul Haim Saban to advise her on how we can work together against the boycott, Saban and his wife Cheryl contributed $3m to the Hillary Clinton Super Political Action Committee. The Sabans have already given more than $10m to the Clinton Foundation  purely a philanthropic institution, you understand, nothing to do with La Clintons presidential ambitions. Cheryl Saban is on the foundations board.

 Sanders rallies in Louisville ahead of Kentucky primary

The Sabans contribution to the foundation did not go unnoticed at the State Department. Only weeks after Hillary Clinton became secretary of state under Obama, the departments ethics adviser  maybe the UK government could do with one of those  objected to a proposed consultancy arrangement offered to Bill Clinton by Haim Saban on the grounds of conflict of interest, stating in a memo that his objection was based on the fact that Haim Saban, a founder of this entity, is actively involved in foreign affairs issues, particularly as regards to the Middle East [sic]...

What is worth noting is that almost all the above information about the financial relationship between the Clintons and Israels supporters was dug up and published by Jewish American journalists. Jillian Kay Melchior in the National Review and JJ Goldberg, editor-at-large of Forward, are essential reading during this US election year; for Americas Jewish voters are not as united as Israel might wish, and you can see how Bernie Sanders criticism of Israels occupation of the West Bank and disproportionate attacks on Gaza were not necessarily going to doom him in the elections. Sanders paid a price among Jews, but not a huge one, according to one analyst, for saying that US policy in the Middle East should be even-handed.

Again, it was a Jewish academic  Norman Finkelstein, another noble soul like Gideon Levy  who has been pointing out that Sanders, the first Jewish presidential candidate in US history, has been sweeping the Arab vote in all the primaries and forged a principled alliance with Arabs and Muslims. Sanders  our Corbyn, as Finkelstein sharply notes  is now going to be the victim of Donald Trumps Republican candidacy, on the grounds that Clinton is the only Democrat sure to be a presidential winner.

But this means shes going to show even more subservience to Israel. When Jake Sullivan, her gofer and advisor, was asked last month for Clintons views on the Jewish colonisation of Arab land, he responded as follows: What she said about settlements is that she believes that everybody has to do their part to avoid damaging actions [sic], and that includes with respect to settlements. Secretary Clinton comes out on the partisan tradition on this issue...with respect to her view on the settlement issue. All that was missing in this verbal falafel was the word Israel. Sullivan didnt even want to associate Clintons policy with the people actually building these settlements.

But Trump must now surely put in his bid as Israels best friend, outdoing even Clintons love-in with the Sabans, her unconditional support for Israel and hatred of the boycott campaign. As for Gideon Levy, he wrote that only 17 of the 100 senators were courageous enough or bothered to think for a moment before they signed another scandalous venture by [the largest Israeli lobby group] AIPAC and the Israeli embassy. The senators' action meant that Israels destructive, murderous force will fall again on devastated houses in Gaza, and America will finance it all again. One of the courageous 17 senators, of course, was Bernie Sanders. Now Trumps going to burn him  and well have Clinton to support the ignoramuses.
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Why Im voting Khan; well actually Pidgeon. That is to say Caroline Pidgeon. I know its not an ideal name for a politician, especially in London. Just imagine the headlines if she actually made it to City Hall:

Pidgeon Flies In to Face Fresh Crisis

Pidgeon Acts in Trafalgar Square Planning Row

I Will Not be Shot Down  Pidgeon

But the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London does have some sensible policies, not least the idea of lower Tube and bus fares of an early morning  and I have a certain vestigial tribal loyalty to the Lib Dems. I cant help it.

 Mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan

As with many other London voters, though, the real question is where your second choice goes in that circumstance, given that Caroline has a relatively modest chance of winning the contest. That means choosing between Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith. I may be the only person in the capital, apart from his own family, who does not hold Goldsmiths family background against him. I dont think he has ever pretended to be anything other than a happy rich boy, and so he is. It wasnt his fault that the late Sir James Goldsmith, nicknamed Goldenballs by Private Eye, which the old boy had sued on a number of occasions, was such a successful businessman, and Zac isn't responsible for how Sir James made his money (partly from Marmite, for trivia lovers), and what he did with it.

I think Zac has some good polices too, and not so very different from Pidgeon's or Khans if truth be told. No one, for example, wants to expand Heathrow, easily the most effective option for the UK as a whole. Its not the Mayors decision, though, which is just as well. More to the point, Goldsmith and his team did, however, go over the top with the wheeze of digging out every appearance Khan had ever been involved in to find some loony tunes extremists to smear him with. The implication was just absurd  that Khan somehow approved of people who would want to blow up the very buses and Tube trains Khan is shortly to find himself in charge of, and the murder of anyone who gets in the way. Absurd and offensive. We should take it as read that all the mainstream candidates for Mayor of London are against terror and extremism, and leave it at that  a non-issue.

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On the other hand, I also thought that right now might be an ideal moment to elect a Mayor of London with a Jewish background. Goldsmith hasnt made anything of this, which is right, but it is a fact and it would be a standing rebuke to the current fashion for blaming and punishing the (non-existent) Jewish lobby for things that happen in the Middle East. Or worse. Then again, voting for someone just because of their background is really as bad as voting against someone because of their background, so maybe we should just forget about all that, eh?

Which brings me to antisemitism and the Labour Party. A vote for Khan will be regarded by Jeremy Corbyns media spinners as a vote of confidence in Corbyn's leadership. It will be seen as an endorsement of his belated response to the scandal of anti- Jewish sentiments expressed in crass terms by a few Labour activists. That is bad, too. But the real test of Corbyn's leadership, if he makes it that far, will be at the 2020 general election. It is at that point that Labour will receive a drubbing at the polls and its once-every-40-years inoculation against lurching to the left. It is at that point, sadly and not before, that Labour can be rebuilt again, a full quarter-century after Tony Blair last made them a readily electable party of government.

As in 1983, Labours leftists must be given no excuses, and an electoral disaster would deflect from the emotional spasm that they had last year. So, in a way, voting for Khan to keep Corbyn in office is, long term, the best way to save the Labour Party from its own follies. A vote for Khan is a vote for sanity.
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Jon Stone poses and answers several questions (Local elections 2016: What are they, are they important - and why is everyone talking about Jeremy Corbyn?, 5 April).

He reminds us that The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is under attack by internal opponents within his own party  and a bad showing in these elections could give them an opening to try and get rid of him, an aim which has fuelled the antisemitism furore within Labour.

These internal opponents have never recovered from the shock of their Blair heir, David, losing to his brother in the previous leadership election, and have ever since refused to accept anyone else left of David-o'er-the-water as legitimate.

In their attempts to oust Corbyn they treacherously relish inflicting damage to Labour's prospects at any and all elections: for them it has been the only game in town since 2010.

Eddie Dougall

Bury St. Edmunds

The government is at fault, not the BMA

The Academy of Royal Colleges has called on the BMA and the government to return to negotiations for five days in a desperate bid to bring resolution to the junior doctors' contract dispute. The BMA have agreed. The government have refused. This highlights clearly which side is the more reasonable and which side will be responsible should further industrial action and patient disruption ensue. The government simply do not want to engage and do not seem to care about the consequences.

Dr Jonathan Barnes

London

I welcome renewed talks on the junior doctors' contract (Junior doctors' contracts: Government 'pauses' imposition of new terms for strike negotiations, 5 May 2016). Lord Prior wants talks to focus on unsocial hours and Saturday pay. Following the BMA's last cost-neutral proposals on Saturdays and unsocial hours, it was reported Hunt personally vetoed deal that would have ended junior doctors strike. Negotiation means both sides discussing - not just doctors accepting the government's demands. I hope there will be true negotiation this time.

Matthew Gee

Kenya

The forgotten boroughs

For the last eight years those living on the margins of the GLA region, have put up with the antics and absurdities of the Naked Emperor of London hogging every local TV news bulletin. That includes the tedium of Mayoral elections which have no relevance for us beyond the increasingly empty TfL-run buses since Boris Johnson made them cashless.

We have looked on at Boris basking in the reflected glory of Labour-won London 2012, yet not even the Olympic flame passed through our streets. Investment and regeneration schemes have been poured into almost every London borough, yet we remain as onlookers with no inward investment for decades. Crossrail - no station here. Boris Bike - no bike stations here. Millions spent on follies such as the Orbit, Cycle Superhighway and the zip-wire, all of no benefit to us. Of course, Johnson had great plans for the forgotten suburbs of West London - to shut down Heathrow and reduce the area to economic destitution.

All the GLA has done for the less newsworthy outer London suburbs is make them even more invisible and run-down than ever due to the doughnut effect of the attention-seeking Mayor. It is perhaps time to abolish the GLA and the Mayoralty and split the London region into four super-councils, taking in the outer London boroughs which are neither fully Metropolitan nor fully part of the Home Counties. Here, we have no arts facilities, no theatre and very little for the young to do beyond cause mayhem at weekends. Such Cinderella boroughs cry out for investment, yet have nobody to beat a drum for them in City Hall.

The GLA is an utter irrelevance to 90 per cent of the country. Can we either have a camera-shy London Mayor or a share of the jam concentrated in the centre of the Greater London doughnut?

Anthony Rodriguez

Staines Upon Thames

Return of women in sport

It was a welcome interlude that finally women in sport featured yesterday. A first since I began subscribing to your newspaper online.

Ms J McClean

Sturgeon is pushing for a second referendum

Nicola Sturgeon was laudably modest throughout the election campaign.

She repeatedly maintained that six months' plus of opinion polls in her favour didn't mean she'd win the election. What really mattered, she told us, wasn't pollsters' numbers but our ballot box votes yesterday.

But hang on a minute. Isn't this the same Nicola Sturgeon who chooses to gloss over our democratic will, as expressed in the 2014 referendum? The very same Nicola Sturgeon who plans to demand a second separation referendum should a yet to be specified number of opinion polls suggest a yet to be specified number over 50% support her UK break-up dreams? Apparently this is democracy, SNP style.

Sorry, Nicola, I'm a tad confused. Just run this nonsense past us again one more time, could you?

Martin Redfern

Edinburgh

We should examine the Finnish education model more closely

Finland is generally accepted as having the most successful school system in Europe. I wonder if this is anything to do with the facts that teachers there are universally respected, all political parties trust in their professionalism and that Finnish children undergo one public examination during their school careers at age 16/17 designed to determine the best next step for them as individuals.

Successive education ministers have talked about the UK having a lot to learn from Finland and then promulgating policies which are the antithesis of their education culture. Why is that?

Paul Clein

Liverpool

Trump poses no threat

I cannot fathom what all the fuss is about Donald Trump's potential ascendancy to the White House. This is democracy, pure and simple. Democracy has always been hard to swallow with the electoral triumph of Hitler and Mussolini, and in recent times the landslide triumph of all Arab dictators from Al Assad of Syria, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Mubarak of Egypt to Hamas and Hezbollah in the occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon respectively. Arabs and Muslims in general should not fear President Trump. We should all respect the will of the American people and refrain from lecturing them on what best suits them.

King Abdullah of Jordan was wise when asked on CNN to opine on Trump: I do not think it is fair to ask a foreign leader to express his opinion on candidates running for an election in your country.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London

TTIP will be rejected

I do so enjoy it when avowed Brexit supporters like Dr. Hill (Letters, 4th May) latch on to an issue to make a case for Brexit and get the wrong answer.

The recent leaks exposed the terms that the USA is demanding in TTIP negotiations with the EU. If the EU negotiators are forced to bring forward proposals in these terms then they will undoubtedly be rejected by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.

What is revealed by all this is what the terms would be of any trade deal the USA would offer Britain should we leave the EU. We would be obliged to accept the full TTIP terms demanded by the USA.

Surely then a reason to vote to remain in the EU.

Bill Collett

Buckinghamshire
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With an organisation as important as the Labour Party accused of something as serious as antisemitism, its a relief that everyone has managed to stay calm and measured, and not exaggerate things in any way.

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Rivals gently suggest Labour is rife with antisemitism and riddled with hatred from top to bottom and Jewish people cant feel safe in Labour, and soon a columnist will declare: Labour is now more terrifying for Jews than Russia in the 1880s. Jews are regularly forced to flee from district council meetings about rubbish collection, abandoning their homes as the Dorchester branch treasurer chases them across the border on horseback. One man, who didnt wish to be named, told me I had to hide from the Spanish Inquisition, but that was easy compared to the way I was treated at a Labour Party jumble sale in Exeter.

Clearly there is a problem, as exposed by the Labour MP John Mann, who revealed he knew of many cases where antisemitism had happened over the years, and was now ready to publish the crap I have  lots.

This is indeed shocking, as it means a Labour MP who has encountered antisemitism many times, never said anything about it. Surely if Labour is to demonstrate it takes this issue seriously, it must suspend John Mann immediately, until he learns that antisemitism should be confronted when it happens, rather than years later.

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

Some people suggested hes only promised to publish the crap now to cause maximum trouble for Corbyn. But there is another possible explanation, which is his investigations are being run by Sir John Chilcot, and these things take time.

Other critics of Corbyn insisted its typical of his rotten leadership, that a Labour MP such as Naz Shah could make an appalling comment that The Jews are rallying. You can see their point, because she made that remark only one year before Corbyn became leader, and leaders must start taking responsibility for the year before they took over.

This is why Claudio Ranieri should be sacked immediately, for doing nothing when Leicester were at the bottom of the league only one year before he arrived in Leicester.

Where it gets complicated is that  whatever the motives of those condemning Ken Livingstone  his comments about Hitler and Zionism were a perfect combination of ridiculous, baffling and dreadful.

He insists its historical fact that Hitler agreed with Zionism because they both agreed all Jews should move to Israel. This could be true, in the same way a bank robber supported the same ideas as the bank clerk, if they came to a gentlemans agreement that if she filled his sack with money he wouldnt blast her through the head with a shotgun.

 David Cameron talks about Antisemitism in PMQs

So he was suspended, but some say this isnt enough, and if he was expelled, theyd say Expelled? Is that it? Corbyn needs to take control by forcing him to eat his own newts in a live party political broadcast and tasering him every time he coughs on a tail.

The Conservative Party have been amongst those shocked at the leniency shown towards Livingstone. You can understand this, because when their MP Aidan Burley was found to have organised the costume hire for a party at which guests dressed as Nazis and chanted Nazi slogans, he was suspended within six days, and announced he was stepping down as MP a mere three years later.

Thats the sort of decisive action, in which an MP stands down in only half the time it took to defeat the real Hitler, that shows how committed they are to opposing anti-Semitism.

Because the Tories are vigilant about anyone who judges people according to their racial group. Thats why they were careful to be extremely sensitive in the campaign for London mayor, claiming a vote for Sadiq Khan was Handing London to a friend of terrorists.

David Cameron even pointed out in parliament that Khan had spoken on a platform with Suliman Gani, who he described as a supporter of Islamic State, which he isnt in any way. This is a liberating development in democracy, if politicians are no longer restricted to saying their opponents are supporters of an organisation unless they actually support that organisation.

Instead of these dull local election campaigns weve just endured, it will be so much livelier when we can say Dont vote for Mrs Whittaker to be a member of the Crewkerne parish council. She supports the Somerset Devil Worship Collective, and wants Yeovil to be the capital of Almighty Lucifers Satanic Caliphate.

But Camerons claim was more spectacular than that, because it turned out Suliman Gani was a political activist, but as a supporter of the Conservative Party whos met David Cameron. So now Cameron must insist No one should ever vote Conservative, as youll be handing the country to friends of terrorists.

 Watch the moment Corbyn corrects Cameron about Suliman Gani

Sadiq Khan is so much under the control of Jihadists, that he received death threats from them when he supported gay marriage. So at the next election the Tories will issue leaflets that say See, he even gets letters from them. How can we trust someone who corresponds with these madmen?

Zac Goldsmith wrote an article in the Mail on Sunday calling Sadiq Khan a friend of terrorism, and the Mail helped anyone who didnt follow this line of thought, by placing it under a picture of the London bus blown up on 7/7. The subtle point was that with him as mayor, transport policy would be for all drivers to blow themselves up, and you cant see the unions agreeing to that.

You cant help wondering, if youre a bit cynical, whether people who scream and yell about antisemitism only when it suits them as a stick to beat their opponents, might be the most insulting towards Jews of all.
Caretaker Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been trying to form a government

Ireland's caretaker Taoiseach Enda Kenny will go before parliament again on Friday for his fourth and likely final attempt to be re-elected premier after a months-long political stand-off.

Mr Kenny believes he has enough support from a raft of Independents to help him prop up a minority government led by his Fine Gael party, which suffered humiliating losses in February's general election.

His re-election - which would be the first time a Fine Gael leader has won a second term - is dependent on arch-rivals and the country's second largest party Fianna Fail abstaining from a vote of 157 TDs (MPs).

Fianna Fail agreed to do just that in a deal struck at the weekend which handed concessions to the main Opposition party and which is to be reviewed at the end of 2018.

Since then, Mr Kenny's party has been locked in talks with two factions of 11 Independents - known as the Independent Alliance and the rural alliance - to agree a programme for government.

A number of Cabinet positions and junior ministerial roles are being offered to woo the potential coalition bedfellows.

The Fine Gael leader needs the backing of just six more TDs outside his own rank and file to help make it over the line.

The vote in the Dail (parliament) is expected to take place at noon.

The leaking of a draft deal between Fine Gael and the Independents threatened to upset last minute negotiations being wrapped up on Thursday evening.

John Halligan, Waterford TD, said his Independence Alliance was "deeply disappointed" that the document was "leaked before we saw it".

"I think it is absolutely outrageous and unprofessional," he told reporters outside the government formation talks.

"It's no way to do business."

Nonetheless, Government chief whip Paul Keogh told TDs the Dail would meet again for a special Friday sitting to vote for a Taoiseach.

The move is being seen as a deadline for Independents to either join the coalition or rule themselves out of power.

Ireland has been locked in a political stalemate since the February 26 general election split the vote like never before.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, the traditionally dominant parties who swapped power for generations and whose bitter enmity stems back to the Irish civil war, balked at pressure to form a "grand coalition".

Attention is already being focused on how long a new minority government will last.

Under the arrangement, Fine Gael will have to rule and Fianna Fail oppose without either of them undermining the other too much.
Amazon is reported to be launching its fresh food delivery service across the UK within the month as the online retail giant continues to challenge 'the big four' of supermarkets.

Supplier Bol told The Grocer magazine that Amazon Fresh would begin selling its chilled meals from May 18 in the UK. Amazon is reported to have been trialing deliveries across the capital from its depot in east London.

Amazon Fresh has been delivering perishable goods across the US since 2007, and the company extended its Amazon Pantry service for longer-life groceries and household products last November.

An Amazon spokesperson said the company did not comment on rumour and speculation.

The new service comes in the wake of Amazon signing a deal with Morrisons, allowing British shoppers to buy fresh food through its website for the first time.

Morrisons was slow to launch its online shopping platform, only partnering with Ocado to do so in 2013.

Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons continue to butt heads in an intense price war as cheaper rivals Aldi and Lidl continue to entice shoppers with their low prices.

Sainsbury's has reported a fall in underlying pre-tax profits to 587m from 681m for the year to March 12, which it blamed on falling food prices. Like-for-like sales dipped by 0.9pc during the year.

Sainsbury's, which has 601 supermarkets and 773 convenience shops in the UK, said that while it expects consumers to shop more often in convenience stores and online, it still anticipates "the supermarket will remain the most popular destination for customers".

Amazon Fresh is the latest in a series Amazon has made to expand into convenient household delivery, following the launch of its Dash Button ordering service in the US. A small electronic device, the Dash Button is designed to automatically re-order supplies of a specific product, like Tide washing powder or Huggies nappies, from the site when pressed for next day delivery.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
The PwC building at One Spencer Dock had been expected to sell for 242m.

The collapse of the sale of the PwC Building on Dublin's north docks has resulted in anger and recrimination, with Nama said to have overreached for the sale.

The office block at One Spencer Dock - the biggest stand alone block in the city - went on the market last year for close to 240m. The sale was being carried out on the instructions of Nama.

At the time, the property was expected to comfortably match its asking price, however that may not now be the case after US investment firm Hines pulled the plug on a deal for the property.

Hines had been expected to buy the block for about 242m with the backing of two European pension funds but has now withdrawn from the sale.

This is the first major Nama sale to fall through, and that has led to accusations that the sale had been mishandled.

One industry source believes that Nama "overreached" on the deal.

"There were bids with secure equity on the table and while it makes sense to go after the highest price, there has to be consideration as to which bidder is in the best position to close the deal," said one industry player.

It now seems two of the three bidders which made it to the final round of bidding last year have now withdrawn from the process since it began in October 2015.

Given that the property has a long lease remaining on it and generates rental income of about 11m per annum, primarily from a bluechip tenant like PwC as well as other sub-leases, the property is still expected to sell for a strong price.

The sale process however is now likely to take close to a year - far longer that most deals of its type have taken in the current market cycle.

At least one Far East-based fund which did not bid for it first time around is now expected to make an offer, while a string of European players are expected to show renewed interest in the property.

This is not the first high profile property deal to fall through in recent weeks.

Blackstone appeared to have a deal to offload its Central Quay office block on the south quays last September but that deal fell apart after the buyer - understood to be a German pension fund - withdrew.

A spokesman for Hines could not be reached for comment. A Nama spokesman declined to comment on the specific deal citing the fact that EY was handling the sale as receiver over the property.

"Any claim that Nama should prioritise any under-bidder ahead of the highest bidder is misplaced," he added.
An online only marketing campaign is not doing what it is supposed to do - sell your house.

Recently I was asked for advice by family and friends who were selling some commercial and residential properties.

They had done the right thing by inviting a selection of agents to inspect the properties and make written submissions setting out their opinion on the value, the suggested method of sale, their marketing plan and fees. All of the submissions were of a good standard. Fee quotations were very similar, there were some interesting variations on value, but what surprised me most was that none of the submissions recommended spending money on newspaper advertising. So what's going on?

A combination of factors have led to this situation. Firstly, there is the assertion that "everything's online- there's no need to be spending money on newspaper advertising." This is completely flawed-especially in the commercial sector, where there aren't the dominant two or three portals carrying much of the market. Many viewers, myself included, far prefer to turn the pages of a newspaper, rather than squinting at photos on a phone. Indeed, agents themselves, who are at the heart of putting buyers and sellers together, are not trawling through all of their competitors sites every day, to see what properties are new to the market. They are, however, reading the property supplements.

So an online only marketing campaign is not doing what it is supposed to do, which is to expose the property to as many potential purchasers as possible. More enquirers means more viewers. More viewers means more bids. More bids means getting the highest possible price.

Not only that, but the cost of including newspaper advertising in a sales campaign is relatively small. Just think about it: you're selling an office unit, or warehouse, or your home, and it's worth about 500,000.

For a tiny percentage of that, you could have a decent advertisement, with a photograph, in three national newspapers. The advertising cost is tax deductible or if you're a residential investor taking a profit, the costs can be offset against capital gains tax. You wouldn't restrict yourself to a half-hearted marketing campaign in your business, so why do it with one of your most valuable assets?

I have no doubt that the recession has played a big part in this drift into an over-reliance on the web. Agents were operating in "survival mode" for several years and the vendors of many of the properties being sold were also under financial pressure. The last thing that vendor needed to hear was that the agent was looking for advertising funds in advance, and the agents were (rightly) avoiding carrying the cost, with the risk of not being repaid. Therefore, it was easy to slip into a mode of relying on online marketing only.

I suspect that some agents are still afraid that recommending expenditure on newspaper advertising will reduce their chances of winning the pitch for the instructions.

However, the market has changed, and in my view, and recent experience, agents who limit marketing to online, are doing their clients a disservice. They are also missing out on promoting their own brand.

At the risk of ruffling feathers, an online only campaign also reduces the amount of work to be done by the agent. There's a layer of extra work to be done in designing an advertisement, dealing with the newspapers and handling the money. If lots of competitors are doing the same thing, then an industry will quickly settle at a new level.

It's interesting to look at how the internet has affected other sectors. Online retailing was predicted to herald the end for many retailers, and it has had a big effect. Now, however, online retailers are beginning to open physical shops and traditional retailers are building their online activity. Just as electronic readers spelled the end for printed books, the growth of e-readers has peaked and printed book sales are increasing again. Travel agents, who were to be wiped out, are having a boom year in Ireland, as customers return for the personal service that the internet can't provide.

The answer, of course, is that all markets will find their balance and the property market is finding its level. The very best marketing campaign for your property will be a blend of online and newspaper advertising, a good signboard, press releases and an agent prepared to work through their enquiry list. Anyone telling you that marketing is "all online" has their head in the sand.
CORK Airport has claimed that any US attempt to introduce legislation to block a budget carrier from launching a new transatlantic service would be a breach of the 'Open Skies' EU deal.

The claim came as the Irish airport said it remains hopeful that Norwegian Airlines can get a Cork-Boston service launched this summer despite the move by four US senators to try to scuttle the project.

The American politicians tabled the emergency legislation which, if passed, would prevent the US Department of Transport from allowing Norwegian Airlines to launch a Cork-Boston service this summer.

The move came just 48 hours after Norwegian Airlines boss Bjorn Kjos said he hoped to launch the Cork route on August 1.

Services from Cork and Shannon to New York are also in the pipeline.

Cork Airport managing director Niall McCarthy said the move by the US senators was in flagrant breach of EU/US 'Open Skies' agreements.

"Their motivation is on protectionist grounds for, as they would say, US jobs and US airlines," he said.

"But it is illegal under the EU/US 'Open Skies' agreements. It is not to be welcomed and it is blatantly anti-consumer," he added.

"Ourselves, our supporters and obviously the EU, which has been very engaged on this, will be ensuring that the US applies due process and that the licence is awarded as originally planned." Mr McCarthy said he was "hopeful" Norwegian will get the service operational this summer and he welcomed the overwhelming endorsement of the route by south-western firms.

He said Cork will achieve 8pc growth in passenger numbers this year - and he also welcomed comments by IAG boss, Willie Walsh, the owners of Aer Lingus and British Airways, that he would like to launch a Cork-US service.

"It is very positive news but, while not wanting to temper expectations, he was talking about a 2020 timeframe," Mr McCarthy added.

US authorities indicated last month they had no major legal objection to the new Irish services which have been dogged by delays over the past 18 months.

However, the 11th hour move by the four US senators to introduce emergency legislation is understood to be linked to long-standing concerns from US carriers and trade unions over the impact Norwegian will have on the transatlantic trade.
Proof that asset-based finance is now a truly mainstream funding product and a vital source of funding for Irish companies can be seen in the latest research from the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA), the body representing the invoice finance industry in the UK and Ireland.

The figures show that during 2015 an average of 1.3bn in asset-based finance was in use at any one time by Irish businesses, up 3pc on the same figure for 2014, with many using the facility to fund expansion as the economy recovers.

Sales turnover generated by Irish companies utilising invoice finance in 2015 reached 25.9bn - the highest annual figure registered for Irish companies using invoice finance since statistics for Ireland were first collated by the ABFA in 2002. And figures for the end of Q4 2015 show that turnover by Irish companies using invoice finance was up 2pc on 2014.

These statistics will be discussed in more detail today at the ABFA Annual Conference which is taking place in Dublin and will be attended by 250 delegates from the UK and Ireland.

Attendees will hear how the rise in the use of asset-based finance as a working capital solution, especially invoice finance, has been driven by the recent credit crunch in Ireland when companies faced difficulty accessing finance. What many business owners don't realise is that their debtors' ledger is often the most valuable asset they own. This, however, means that valuable cash is tied up in the business and often comes in at a very slow rate, with companies often receiving payments far beyond the generally agreed credit terms of between 30 and 90 days.

This can place significant pressure on cash flow and, with less access to other more 'traditional' finance options, businesses have faced continued financial challenges. ABFA member companies, including banks and independents, will advance funding against a company's debtor balances, providing a pipeline of vital working capital to that business.

There are two main types of funding within invoice finance - invoice discounting and full service invoice finance, which is often known as factoring. Both allow businesses to release the working capital tied up in their debtor books.

In both scenarios, the finance provider will normally purchase the client's outstanding invoices, providing an immediate initial payment of the majority of the invoice value, with the remainder (less the financier's fees) paid to the client on payment by the debtor. Full service invoice finance incorporates an added service element, with the financier normally managing the credit control and collections process. This makes it particularly suitable for smaller businesses. In an Invoice Discounting facility, the client continues to manage its own credit control and collections and the facility is normally on an undisclosed basis, so the Debtor is unaware of the financing arrangement. The majority of the funding currently provided by the industry in Ireland and the UK is through Invoice Discounting facilities.

Businesses of all sizes and types in Ireland are now taking advantage of invoice finance to fuel their growth, with companies citing a turnover of up to 5m now accounting for 40pc of all funding advanced.

Funds advanced to companies registering a turnover of up to half a million for the last quarter of 2015 was 159m, while a further 72m was advanced to companies with turnover between half a million and 1m. Companies with a turnover of between 1m and 5m received 299m. Larger companies also see the benefits of using invoice finance to maximise their working capital, with 148m advanced to companies with a turnover of between 5m and 10m while 262m was advanced to those with a turnover of between 10m and 50m. In terms of bigger businesses, companies with a turnover of 50m-plus were advanced 333m in invoice finance.

In addition to an immediate cash injection, invoice finance also offers businesses an ongoing source of funding linked directly to their current sales. As the business grows and their sales increase, so too does the amount of working capital that their financier can make available to them. As the economic recovery hits its stride, having funding that automatically expands with your business is a significant advantage.

For a business looking to capitalise on a growth opportunity or avail of discounts by paying early, being able to rapidly raise and deploy funds can give you a vital edge over your competitor.

The ABFA statistics also note that a variety of sectors in Ireland utilise invoice finance, including manufacturing, distribution, services, transport, retail and construction, indicating the diversity in the types of businesses being supported by invoice finance.

Invoice finance has evolved considerably over the last 30 years and now has a deserved reputation of delivering for businesses not only during challenging times, but also through periods of growth.

Despite this growth in invoice finance, there is still an amount of unused availability which can be accessed. Of the 2.3bn in funding available from ABFA members, 1.3bn is currently in use, meaning there is a significant amount of funding still available.

As the economic recovery continues to take hold, increasing numbers of businesses are realising that invoice finance is an ideal option for getting investment plans off the ground quickly, as providers offer expertise across a wide range of sectors, ensuring the process can be smoother and quicker than seeking traditional funding products.

The time to seek finance will depend on your individual circumstances, but the time to learn more about your financing options is now. Businesses looking to learn more about asset-based finance can contact one of the ABFA's Irish members for assistance or checkout www.abfa.ie for an in-depth guide on how invoice finance works.

Deirdre Moore is chairperson of ABFA Ireland and head of AIB Commercial Finance Ltd
A welcome move, the introduction of a rainy day fund by the New Government - especially after the National Pension Reserve Fund was raided to the tune of 17bn to contribute to the bailout and shore up the banks.

But will we have learned lessons from the past and what will the fund be used for in the future?

There are no details on it yet, other than it's a Fine Gael plan and it will be introduced if, and when, we have a new government.

Here are some things it should not be spent on:

1. Plugging the hole in the HSE budget. The hole in this budget is growing every day and is projected to stand at 500m at the end of the year. Or overruns in any other department, for that matter.

2. The banks. If there was one thing that could anger the Irish electorate more than the Irish Water debacle, it would be pumping more state-funds into the banks. Any such move should be avoided at all costs.

3. Which brings us to number three. Irish Water. If at the end of the nine month or so period that a special commission believes Irish Water should be continued, then let's hope the new Government has the cop not to use any of the special fund to plug holes in this. And there will be holes - direct debiters are cancelling their contributions by the thousands. And we still don't know how a clear, sustainable water system will be funded into the future.

4. Decentralisation: A lighbulb moment for Charlie McCreevy, decentralisation will surely go down in the annals as one of the worst decisions ever taken by a Finance Minister.

Some sites around the country were still being bought up to house Government departments as late as 2006 - three years after McCreevy landed the idea on an unsuspecting cabinet and public.

The plans were finally shelved in 2011.

The PDs have since gone the same way as decentralisation.

5. e-voting machines: 55m and ten years later, these machines were finally disposed of in early 2012. They had been trialled in the early 2000s and stored, at a cost to the taxpayer, up to 2012.

Incidentally, they were knocked on the head by the-then environment minister Phil Hogan. Yes, the man who introduced Irish Water.
Ryanair is on course to overtake EasyJet as the biggest airline in the UK this year, Michael O'Leary has said.

"We're neck and neck at the moment," the Ryanair chief executive said yesterday.

"As we open up the new base in Belfast, we're adding more aircraft this winter in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Stansted continues to grow strongly, we should overtake them by the end of this year," the Ryanair boss told journalists on the margins of the Creative Minds conference in Dublin.

"I don't get too hung up on whether we overtake them or not. It's only a question of time, when we'll overtake them. It doesn't really make a lot of difference," he said of the airline headed by CEO Carolyn McCall.

Ryanair yesterday posted increased traffic of 9.9 million customers for April.

The airline's load factor increased by two percentage points to 93pc while its rolling annual traffic increased by 17pc to 107.4 million customers.

Mr O'Leary talked up the airline's planned use of Boeing's new "game changer" aircraft, the 737 MAX 200, which he said "would transform" the airline's cost base.

The carrier has ordered 200 of the aircraft and they will enter service in 2019.

"They come with 4pc more seats, therefore eight more seats per flight, and the new engine technology will reduce fuel consumption per passenger by about 18 or 19pc," he said.

"Last year, fuel accounted for about 45pc of our total cost, and if we can reduce that by a double-digit number, it means we're again getting closer and closer to my idea where we can lower our averages fares from 45 to 25, and double our traffic from 100 to 180, 200 million passengers."

Mr O'Leary said the attacks on Brussels in March continue to dampen demand for flying in Europe, though traffic was strong during the Easter holidays.

"The Brussels effect has dampened demand into April-May though funnily enough it did not create as much disruption over the Easter period, but I think that's because a lot of families had holidays booked," he said.

He said he hoped Brussels Zaventem airport, which was the subject of a terrorist attack in March, would be back to full capacity by June.

Meanwhile, Merrion Stockbrokers said Ryanair is to mount further pressure on Europe's biggest airline, Lufthansa, in the German market.

Lufthansa's yield suffered its biggest drop in four years in the first quarter of the year and now the Irish airline is set to pile on more pressure in its home market.

Merrion senior equity analyst Darren McKinley said despite Ryanair's business being hit by recent terrorist attacks, it does not face the same pricing concerns as Lufthansa.

"In fact, we would expect Ryanair's increasing presence in Germany to negatively impact pricing at Lufthansa anyway regardless of any terrorist related events.

"The recent rally in crude oil has also weighed on sentiment toward airlines but we remain comfortable that Ryanair is continuing to see huge cost savings with crude below $55 per barrel," Mr McKinley said.
Chief executives earning over 200 times the average pay of employees in the company they run have to ask some serious questions

I have yet to meet an executive of an Irish stock market company who does not blame very high executive pay on the fact that companies have to publicly disclose how much they earn. Every time I have had a conversation about this issue with an Irish plc executive they try to argue that things really started to go wrong when companies were obliged to publish a breakdown of the pay of every director of the company.

Their argument is that for example, a finance director of a certain sized company can see what finance directors of similar firms are earning. If he/she earns more, they say nothing but if they earn less, they point it out.

They place the blame for exponential growth in executive remuneration in the last 20 years, firmly at the door of publishing salaries.

Having heard the argument made many times, I am still not at all convinced.

What are they saying, stop publishing how much we all earn and it will fall? Yeah right!

The simple truth is that many senior executives in large quoted companies are grossly overpaid and the reason is a system failure at board level. Reforming that system would be very difficult and would require a major change of attitude which could only come from a major international backlash against executive pay.

But there are signs it is coming.

Last week CRH became the latest company to receive a shareholder revolt over executive remuneration.

Around 40pc of shareholders voted against a new plan that could earn CRH chief executive Albert Manifold an annual bonus of more than 8m.

The motion to grant Mr Manifold a maximum annual bonus payment of up to 225pc of his salary, as well as a share plan of up to 365pc of pay over the coming years, was passed.

Mr Manifold defended the pay scheme afterwards, acknowledging that he is "well paid" and the bonus was based on achieving very onerous performance targets, which if achieved would ensure shareholders did very well too.

The sizeable vote against CRH came after a proposed pay structure at British engineering group Weir, was rejected by 72pc of shareholders. Similarly, 49pc of shareholders at Shire, a Dublin-registered listed company voted against a 25pc pay increase for the chief executive granted last year, which took his fixed salary to $1.69m and his overall pay to $21.6m in 2015, a fivefold increase.

A few weeks ago almost 60pc of shareholders at petroleum giant BP voted against a 14m pay package for the chief executive in a year in which it reported record losses, cut thousands of jobs and froze its employees' pay.

So what is going wrong? Firstly, the transparency argument doesn't stack up. The scale of these massive remuneration packages actually reinforces the need for full disclosure of who earns what at the top.

Chief executives are part of the problem but ultimately their pay structure and targets are decided by a remuneration committee, which is a sub-committee of the board. The chair of the remuneration committee plays a vital role. Inevitably a huge amount of its work is around making comparisons with peer companies.

Vast improvements in corporate governance and disclosure were made following the recommendations of the Cadbury Report in 1992. One of the members of the committee behind that report, Synergy Holdings chairman Peter Brown, said recently that outsiders need to be put on remuneration committees.

He backed the shareholders who opposed the recent BP chief executive remuneration and said "the make-up of remuneration committees, was and still is, badly flawed by the exclusion of any outside members."

To some extent this may call into question the independence of "independent directors" who sit on boards because they are supposed to be outsiders. But Browne elaborated the pressures around pay awards that can happen.

"The tensions generated if executive directors are not, in their view, properly rewarded by non-executive members of the remuneration committee can lead to very difficult relationships."

A working group set up by the industry body, Investment Association in the UK, recently concluded that executive pay was "not fit for purpose."

The mechanisms put in place to ensure the creation of long term value in a company is suitably rewarded don't seem to be working.

Share options were a one-way ticket to riches for many executives and they have been somewhat discredited. Their replacement, the LTIP or Long Term Incentive Plan, is now also being seriously questioned.

To go back to engineering group Weir, it planned to pay out 55pc of a long term incentive plan to its chief executive in restricted stock. It turns out he would have got paid this amount over five years without needing to hit targets. The company said however, that the "total opportunity", as it is sometimes called, would have been reduced to 1.6 times salary.

Small shareholders in these huge corporations have very little say, because they have few votes. Big institutional shareholders are the ones who have to carry their influence.

Yet, they often don't question executive pay very much at all.

They only voice concerns when things aren't going well for them. The truth is that the corporate world runs on a pack mentality. Everybody likes to run with the herd. Executives who run the investment companies, who in turn own shares in these large plcs, don't want their pay structures called into question.

Some of them are inordinately rewarded executives of investment funds themselves. Glass houses and stones come to mind.

But in recent days, one big beast of the global investment community has got involved. The Norwegian sovereign investment fund has warned that it is targeting excessive executive pay at companies in which it invests.

This is the largest single investment fund in the world and has around $830bn. This is all the money the Norwegian state made from its oil industry over several decades. The Norwegians haven't spent any of it and the fund keeps getting bigger.

It owns the equivalent of 1.3pc of all of the world's major listed companies.

Yngve Slyngstad, chief executive of the fund, told the 'Financial Times' that the absolute level of pay - not just the way deals were structured - was becoming an issue.

"We have so far looked at this in a way that has focused on pay structures rather than pay levels. 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," he said.

Really tackling exorbitant executive pay requires something of a culture change. Chief executives earning over 200 times the average pay of employees in the company they run have to ask some serious questions.

Let's say a remuneration committee shuts down a proposal to award a chief executive the potential to earn 25m over the next three years. Instead he can only earn 15m. Is that a disincentive for him to do his job? Will he not try harder, despite earning 5m per year?

Equally, will the chief executive walk away and go find a 25m job. It is highly unlikely.

The revolt against international tax avoidance is now turning to executive pay.
I left at 10 but still felt very Irish, says Neville Isdell of his experience as an expat

There is a temptation to over analyse the fact that the 12m Epic exhibition which opens this week in Dublin's CHQ is pitched as a celebration of the success of the Irish abroad. It's true Neville Isdell, the former head of Coca-Cola worldwide certainly fits into the category of an Irish success abroad himself.

He left Downpatrick aged just 10, when the family moved to Africa. In his final years as chief executive of the Atlanta-based giant, Isdell earned a reported $27m. But any notion that Epic is designed as a barely disguised monument to his own globe-spanning achievements doesn't survive two minutes in Isdell's company.

The tall, trim, former rugby player is self effacing and personable. His accent retains a trace of Co Armagh, as well as a bit of South Africa in the mid-Atlantic mix. Isdell is quick to praise, upbeat and cheerful. If Epic is inclined to focus on the more positive elements of Ireland's history of emigration, it might be that it reflects Isdell's own positivity - rather than his ego, but it's also where the US-based executive spotted the gap in the market.

The Epic exhibition will use state-of-the-art digital technology to tell the stories of hundreds of outstanding Irish people down the ages. It is designed to be a permanent fixture in Ireland's tourism offering, and is the final building block in Isdell's three-year project to turn CHQ - a massive 200-year-old former warehouse in Dublin's ISFC - into a successful business.

Those chances of financial success have always been helped by the fact that he bought the property at the pit of the crash. Isdell paid 10m in 2013 for the historic property that previous owners the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) had lavished 50m refurbishing as a slick modern mall.

At the time, US-based Isdell was just other cash-rich American investor, looking to take advantage of the crash to buy bargain property. Prior to taking the top job at Coke in Atlanta in 2004 Isdell had sold and bottled Coke every where from Zambia and Australia to Russia during the collapse of communism. When it came to property investing, it was a case of, "the more boring the better", until he came across CHQ.

Despite its lavish revamp the CHQ property was clearly struggling. Its empty shop units made it a favourite with press photographers keen to illustrate the Irish crash, but Isdell was smitten. "I was ignorant enough not to have seen the failure of the shopping centre. I saw it through different eyes."

Using his own cash, and with no debt, the Coca-Cola boss was able to take a long view.

There was no great strategy to start with.

Gradually, and having drafted in his Kinsale-based half-brother Mervyn Greene to work alongside him, a master plan began to come together.

A tech company was interested in taking the entire property, but it didn't work out. Instead, the idea for CHQ as a mixed use development emerged.

Retail units that had all but emptied during the crash started to fill - with a focus on food outlets catering to the huge market of office workers in the surrounding IFSC. "The strategy had to be building traffic. People have to come in," Isdell explains.

An events business was developed to take advantage of the property during quieter periods. More importantly, CHQ is now home to Dogpatch, a branded suite of serviced office space aimed at tech startups.

The Dogpatch aesthetic is achingly hip, right down to the pool table. That hipster status may have taken a temporary knock when Fine Gael set up its campaign headquarters there during the last general election.

If Fine Gael is not quite a trendy startup, its stint fits with the idea. Startups that occupy the space are transient - each on its own path to growth or oblivion - but Dogpatch is a permanent fixture, providing high end facilities to the succession of developing businesses. Mervyn Greene, whose own career background is in technology, reckons Dogpatch is ripe for further expansion, and the brothers are confident that the tech-incubator has broadened CHQ's income base beyond retail.

The brothers reckon Dogpatch is a world beater and are building Epic with the same standards in mind.

Epic, which opens this week, is the real game changer though. It ticks every strategic box for Isdell. The visitor attraction will mean weekend footfall for he still often largely empty building.

No expense, or effort, has been spared in preparing the exhibition. Many of the highly skilled technical teams who worked on Belfast's successful Titanic Experience are working on it.

A committee of advisors includes former Labour Party leader Ruairi Quinn, Paul Carty of the Guinness Storehouse, the former director of the National Library Fiona Ross, Catriona Crowe, head of special projects at the National Archives of Ireland, and Niall O'Dowd, the publisher of the Irish American 'Irish Voice'.

"It has to be world class," Mervyn Greene explains.

Epic has been developed in the atmospheric vaults under CHQ, space that was unsuitable for offices or retail but ideal for an immersive, self contained, experience.

As that idea became more focused on adapting the vaults as a major exhibition space, Mervyn Greene reckoned science was the way to go - not least because the property itself is an engineering wonder.

He reckoned a more history-focused exhibition risked being seasonal, and would be too familiar to the home audience.

But Isdell's focus was on the story of Ireland though, Irish-America and wider diaspora. "I had experienced that myself as an expat. I left at 10 but still felt very Irish," he says. One potential spanner in the works were State plans for a national diaspora centre, which could potentially have crowded out the CHQ project.

The CHQ team got involved the process, albeit reluctantly. "If there was to be one (diaspora centre) - we didn't want it not to be us," explains Isdell,

In the end the State scheme never got off the ground, which the CHQ team think will work out better all around. "It has to be sustainable and the only way it will be is to run it on a commercial basis," he says. "With anything reliant on the political purse or on generosity, longevity is not guaranteed."

Making money is "fundamental from day one", he reckons.

Rather than a single diaspora centre, he would rather develop connections between a mix of sites across the country from the Famine Museum in Strokestown to the Queenstown Visitor Centre in Cobh and others.

"We can send tourists on to Cobh or to Limerick - it's far better than having five or six cities bidding against each other," Isdell says.

The same philosophy prevails when it comes to other Dublin visitor attractions.

Epic has established strong relationships with the Guinness Storehouse, Trinity Library's Book of Kells Exhibit and Glasnevin Cemetery.

"We're not a competitor to other Dublin attractions, we're adding to the attractiveness of Dublin," Isdell reckons. "It's not about your share of the pie, it's about baking a bigger pie."

If things go to plan, it's going to be a pretty big slice.

Epic is targeting 400,000 visitors a year initially. That could prove conservative. The Guinness Storehouse drew 1.4 million visitors last year.

Isdell is keeping retail units in CHQ concourse free ahead of the Epic launch, waiting to see who comes, and get a sense of the audience, before letting shops.

Unlike in the crash, those vacant units are an investment, he reckons,

"If we don't get the numbers we need it will cost me a lot of money, but we have the opportunity to be commercially successful."
When I started filming for the new money makeover series My Money and Me, I had one rule: I didn't want to meet any of the families. Well, not until I had 'met' them through their bank accounts, that is.

You learn an enormous amount about people just by looking at the comings and goings of their finances. Visa card statements tell you whether they like to eat out, buy the latest fashions, travel on business, or pleasure. They also tell you if this is someone who prefers to spend the bank's money rather than their own, making them a 'favoured' customers - that is, someone who never pays off their balance on time, racking up interest and forever paying fees and charges. Banks love them!

The current account shows their income on payday and how quickly it disappears. I can see whether they have children (of child benefit age), and if they're what I call 'unconscious' spenders - dipping in and out without regard to a budget; someone who uses the ATM machine more than three times a week, or buys petrol, but can't leave the garage without chocolate, coffee and top up groceries

By the time the lovely families came along, it was then a matter of showing where the excess spending is, and finding out their goals, dreams and financial aspirations, and better aligning them. Henry and Rose (see panel, opposite page) wanted a college fund for their girls. Ed and Muiris were trying to get a house deposit together, while Keith and Lorna were worried about their negative equity.

Sometimes, getting in control of your money can seem like an uphill battle; so often it controls us. There's a fear, as there was with many of our families, that their lifestyle would have to change dramatically, their spending cut so that they were practically living on bread and water, and that treats were out the window. Yet, in every single case, it was small tweaks in their spending habits that made all the difference, saving thousands every year with hardly anybody noticing!

My top tips for reducing household spending were often the same small things:

1 Make a budget

This sounds like the boring bit, but because most of our over-spending is unconscious, we actually don't realise where it's going. Pull out last month's bank statement. Can you identify every single direct debit? If not, find out what it's for, and question if you still need it.

2 Pay Yourself a wage

Dipping in and out of the ATM makes it hard to keep an eye on spending. Estimate what you'll need for a week, after all your 'automatic' money goes from the account. Lunches, bus fares, newspapers, coffee etc, and pay yourself cash on Monday. If you're running out by Wednesday, you have a budgeting problem.

3 Review your utilities

If you haven't reviewed your heating bills in the last 12 months, the chances are you're over-paying. Falling oil prices have resulted in lower prices. Use comparison sites like www.bonkers.ie to see if you can get a better plan. It may be worth bundling heat and electricity and you can definitely save money with paperless billing and a 12-month contract.

4 Insurance

There is a high probability you are paying too much for house insurance; pointless since you'll only ever recover the re-build costs of the house, rather than the sum insured. To get it right, go to www.scsi.ie which is the site of the Chartered Surveyors who have a handy re-build guide. Car insurance premiums are on the rise. Most insurers run a 'book' of different customer and car profiles which you may not fit this year. The only solution is to shop around or get a broker.

Cross insure with your partner; two (fully licenced) drivers on a policy is cheaper than one. If you're at home all day, or are over 50, there may be a discount. Consider bundling your home and car insurance with the same insurer - you may get a discount.

Health Insurance is a huge bill for most families. There are over 450 plans on the market, among just four insurers (soon to be three). Use the www.hia.ie site to compare, but be aware that the costs really rise when you insist on a private bed in a private hospital. Drop to 'multi-occupancy' and you'll see costs come down. You can insure kids on a cheaper policy, as there are no private hospitals in any event for them.

'My Money & Me' starts on Wednesday, 11th May at 8.30pm on RTE 1

Personal finance expert and Irish Independent journalist Sinead Ryan presents 'My Money And Me' with Kathriona Devereux.
Subscribe to The Ready Business show, in association with Vodafone via iTunes or SoundCloud.

I dont have a lot of fear, says TVs Kathryn Thomas. I like feeling slightly afraid. As a kid, if I was told, dont swim out too far, or dont go up that hill, that would be me doing it. I like going out of my comfort zone.

And now she is going even further by setting up her own business, Pure Results, a fitness and wellness bootcamp, that is proving extremely popular with people who want to get fit and stay healthy.

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Last year we had 110 people through the door with Pure Results; this year our target is 400 and were also looking to international markets especially in the UK. The wellness industry is three times larger than the pharmaceutical industry so theres huge opportunities there, especially as people are more aware of the need to eat well and exercise more.

After ten years travelling the world with a small crew for No Frontiers, to presenting big productions such as the The Voice, she has learned much along the way.

TV is a fickle industry, and to stay at the top of your game theres always something to learn. My career in TV has given me the tools and confidence to set up my own business. But also key is surrounding myself with experts in branding, marketing, fitness - knowing what you can and cant do.

Most important though, is that everything has to be done with passion.

Passion is key, agrees Elaine Carroll, the Programme Director with the All Ireland Business Summit which was recently held in Croke Park at which Kathryn Thomas was a keynote speaker. Set up only last year, it is now hosting over 500 Irish businesses bringing them inspirational peer stories, advice and tips as well as networking opportunities.

And yet, she has gone from zero in a short space of time to make it happen.

I started from being in debt, which is even worse than zero! she explains. I was head-hunted to come back to Ireland and then lost my shirt in the downturn. I was pregnant, out of work, and had qualifications that were no good at the time  it couldnt have been any tougher.

But, those hard knocks allowed me to ask myself, what is it I love doing? I decided to stop complaining about it and just do it so I put down a non-refundable deposit for Croke Park and decided to take it from there.

As for advice and tips for anyone contemplating setting up their own business?

Failure is not an option, define what success is for you and just go for it.

Well be running our Twitter poll every Friday on @independent_ie using the hashtag #readybusinessadvice so dont forget to let us know the key business issues that you would like us to address.

The Ready Business show, in association with Vodafone , is available via iTunes , SoundCloud and Stitcher or subscribe to the RSS feed of the Ready Business Podcast using your favourite podcatcher.

You can check out the full Ready Business Podcast series here .

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More than 270 million email accounts with major providers around the world have been compromised, a security expert has warned, with passwords being exchanged by criminals in Russia.

Alex Holden, the expert, says most users of Mail.ru, Russia's most popular email service, have had their account details stolen.

Millions of users of the Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft email platforms have also had their data stored in one of the largest databases of stolen credentials ever discovered, Mr Holden told Reuters.

Hold Security, his firm, found the trove of stolen data after a teenage Russian hacker boasted in an online forum that he had access to millions of stolen credentials.

The news comes as a Russian opposition leader is seeking to launch a class action law suit against a mobile network provider accused of helping secret services hack the phones of activists.

Alexey Navalny, a prominent anti-corruption campaigner and critic of Vladimir Putin, said on Wednesday he wanted to sue the MTS mobile provider in New York over the apparent hacking of two associates messages.

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MTS is one of three service providers that dominate the Russian mobile market and is majority owned by Russian conglomerate AFK Sistema. Mr Navalny hopes to use American courts because a proportion of its shares trade on the New York stock exchange.

MTS has denied deliberate tampering with the activists' accounts, suggesting external hackers may have been responsible.
Netflix uses psychological experiments to draw viewers into its shows, the TV streaming company has confirmed.

When viewers sit down to choose what show to watch on the service they are being used as test subjects to help Netflix understand which images make viewers pick a show and actually watch it.

Netflix uses this data to get more people to watch its shows, and to strategise for future launches.

"There are people in Hollywood and Bollywood who are experts and brilliant at picking the perfect image. They've had a century to perfect it," Todd Yellin, head of product innovation at Netflix told the Telegraph. "But at Netflix we're skeptical."

For every title on Netflix, be it an original series or licensed film, the company has tested six different lead images.

The A/B test involves showing sets of 100,000 viewers six different images and seeing which one attracts the most people. In its testing, Netflix pits the official image released by the film and TV makers against five other varied ones to answer the question, "Can we get more people to connect with this TV series with a more compelling image?"

Netflix has found that if users don't start watching something within 90 seconds they're likely to leave the app. So its imperative that the images entice viewers to hit play.

Which pictures work?

With Fuller House, the Netflix original sequel to the late 1980s show Full House, the company tested images with the three heroines, a shot of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, the house they lived in, and a picture of the children. They also tried different colours for the title text and background.

"People don't know they're in a test," said Yellin. "A few 100,000 get one image, and another 100,000 get a different on the day it launches."

A surprise to Yellin, the Golden Gate Bridge test had five per cent more viewers than the image of the family. And on some shows that difference has climbed as high as 30 per cent.

"It may sound small, but when you have millions of people watching a TV series that means hundreds of thousands more hours are watched," he said.

The company is now looking at whether it should personalise the images based on country.

Technology companies are known for carrying out beta tests on users to find what engages them most.

Facebook, for example, has conducted tests designed to emotionally manipulate users by highlighting positive and negative emotions.

OK Cupid meanwhile has admitted that it deliberately matched incompatible people to see the results.
Those who used a simple emoji to embellish their text messages on St Patrick's Day may have been a touch uninspired by the options. There are a couple of shamrocks, a green heart and an Irish flag on the keyboard app, but precious little else.

What's more, the Irish flag is a relatively recent addition to the popular emoji suite. Previously, there were only 10 country flags to choose from.

The tricolour was only rolled out in an iOS update in early March last year. There are now hundreds of flags available on the emoji keyboard app, but flags for England, Scotland and Wales are still conspicuous by their absence. The three countries are represented by the Union Jack instead.

This is where Fanmoji comes in. Founder Tim Webber (pictured below) spotted a gap in the market for stickers that resonated with Scottish and Welsh people. Patriots at last got their own emoji flags, and many more besides.

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"We're going into communities and saying, 'Okay, these are things that you encounter in your everyday life and this is part of your heritage'," explains Tim, who has recently turned his attention to all things Irish.

"Ireland has such a deep cultural history in its buildings, landmarks and people," he says, "along with great symbols and phrases that lend themselves to emoji stickers and illustrations."

Fanmoji works with local illustrators who understand the country's unique colloquialisms and customs. The Irishmojis, which include a crisp sandwich, a button reading 'Scarlet' and five different icons to illustrate rain, have been created by Dubliner Diarmuid O Cathain.

"It was a joint project between our knowledge of what works and what people like and his knowledge of Ireland itself," explains Tim, who lives in London.

Diarmuid says he tried to stay away from anything twee. His focus was on creating a suite of icons that remains relevant to Irish people's conversations. Hence a leprechaun sticker was vetoed early on, while the cultural connotations of 'The Fear' had to be explained to Tim.

"I went for a melting, trembling motif which is sort of the feeling you get on a Sunday when you know the impending work week is coming," laughs Diarmuid.

Elsewhere, there's a very satisfying 'Shurup' sticker, complete with flattened palm, and another reading 'Story?'.

"I knew there were quite a lot of good phrases to be used," adds Tim, "but the depth of it slightly surprised me."

An initial shortlist of 350 Ireland-specific icons has since been whittled down to 125, and there are still quite a few to be added.

This is the twist in the tale. The keyboard app for Irishmoji is only 95pc ready. They're relying on the Irish public to vote for the final few locations, phrases and people to appear in the first release of the app.

The poll, which opened today and runs until May 15, will give Irish people the chance to decide whether a) Eejit; b) State of ye or c) Bad dose, will make the final cut. (Worry not: 'Deadly buzz' is already over the line.)

The keyboard app, which will cost 99c to download, will sit on a virtual shelf alongside thousands of other paid emoticon apps.

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande have their own emoticon keyboard apps and hundreds of brands, including IKEA, Burger King and Coca-Cola, have joined the party too.

"It's an area that brands are becoming interested in," says Tim. "They see it as a way of creating interesting content.

"However, we're only interested in working in communities that have a shared language," he adds. "Inevitably we'll be talking to a few brands but we're trying to stay within the passion side of things."

It should be noted that these keyboard apps - paid-for and otherwise - are additional to the emoji suite that most of us are familiar with.

"Emojis are Unicode characters which is, in essence, a universal coding language," explains Tim. "The process of releasing new emojis is really slow and convoluted because it is governed by a body called the Unicode Consortium."

Unicode is responsible for emojis like Cat Crying Tears of Joy, but don't be fooled by the seemingly trivial concepts. They take these matters very seriously indeed.

Proposals are "scrutinised carefully" by the Unicode Technical Committee and successful recommendations are released as part of standard software updates.

The whole process can take years, and even longer if an organisation wishes to sponsor an emoji. The new Eye in Speech Bubble is one such example. It was released in conjunction with the I Am A Witness campaign to raise awareness around cyberbullying.

Other recent additions include a burrito and a wedge of cheese (both by popular demand) and there are 38 more emojis being released in June, including a fingers-crossed icon, a pregnant woman and a dancing partner for the senorita in red. It begs the question: is emoji an ever-evolving trend or a whole new language? Tim reckons it's the latter.

"The way [emojis] are developing and increasing in the West is quite similar to how it was in Japan," he says.

"In Japan they have LINE - which is their equivalent of WhatsApp - and they basically have a huge marketplace of additional stickers which allows you to send icons that are more relevant to what you're interested in."

Elsewhere, many linguistics experts agree that emoji is more than a mere trend. Professor Vyv Evans of Bangor University described it as the "fastest growing language in the UK", just last year.

"As a visual language, emoji has already far eclipsed hieroglyphics, its ancient Egyptian precursor which took centuries to develop," he observed.

But is it a new language for a certain age group? Emojis are synonymous with Millennials, after all.

Tim doesn't think so. "There's a slight misconception that emojis are only used by Millennials. We found, particularly with geographical emojis, that it's not an age group that's driving it. It's an interest in that topic."

Studies bear this out. According to emotional marketing platform Emogi, 92pc of the online population use emoji, with women using them more often than men.

Tim is also quick to dismiss the idea that emojis are a form of regression rather than profession.

"I think it pushes you towards a creative evolution, actually.

"It's about using visual props to illuminate your conversation," he concludes. "The whole idea is that it breaks down language barriers."

The Irishmoji poll page can be found at fanmoji.co.uk
When it comes to porn we Irish are a predictable bunch, according to Pornhub, unless you're from Leitrim, or Westmeath.

The Pornhub Insights report for Ireland reveals some interesting facts, not least that the most searched term by Irish people on the porn site is 'lesbian' followed by 'milf', 'Irish', 'step mom' and 'celebrity sex tape'.

While our population of 4.7m ranks us 124th worldwide, we rank 28th for traffic to Pornhub. In fact, in a review of 2015 we had 161 visits per capita, making us 4th worldwide for consuming porn on the site, just behind the UK, Canada and US.

The site has also compiled a handy map of the counties so we can see which types of porn tickles the fancy of say Cork v Dublin.

While most of the country enjoys 'milf', 'lesbian', and 'Irish' porn, however, Westmeath and Leitrim differ in their tastes.

In Westmeath they're fans of JOI, which stands for 'Jerk Off Instructions'. Meanwhile, in Leitrim they like 'twerking'.

Overall, Irish people enjoy 'big tit' porn more than 'big dick' porn.

We're also big fans of Kim Kardashian. She's the most searched for 'porn star' in the country. Her sex tape with Ray Jay is Pornhub's most viewed video of all time (150m views to date).

In terms of time spent on site, we spend an average of 9 mins and 15 seconds per visit although Dublin visitors are 8 seconds faster while Wexford, Offaly, and Mayo linger on average 30 seconds longer.

The worldwide average for female visitors is 24% but in Ireland we're slightly higher at 25%. Meath ladies visit less, however, at 21%.

Find the full rundown of results including top categories at Pornhub
After a stellar first episode and a slightly disappointing second one, telly lovers waited with baited breath for last nights episode of First Dates Ireland but they should have renamed the show THE FRIEND ZONE because for the most part, there was no bloody romance! Lets recap

First in to the restaurant of lurve was Stacey from Cabra in Dublin, single after a six-year relationship and raging shed had his name tattooed on her wrist. She said she was looking for the love of me life, but had one rule right off the bat  no funny business with her extensions, right?

Her match was Neil, a carpenter turned personal trainer from Tallaght. Twitter didnt like his soul patch, but thankfully it disappeared between his interview and the actual date. Neil said his biological clock was ticking, and he was going to propose to his ex but never quite got around to it.

Stacy is a woman that knows what she wants right off the bat, ordering the wine and telling him what to have for his dinner. Was that fear in his eyes or appreciation?

They seemed to have a good time, and Stacey was quite the smitten kitten by the end, loving Neils teeth and eyes. However, despite her being a birra craic, Neil wasnt in to it in a romantic way and just wanted to be friends.

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It turns out that he didnt like her taking over the date, but sure didnt he flirt with her anyway. Stacey blamed Dublin men and their game playing  perhaps shell be back to meet a nice country lad?

Next up was Jordan the hairdresser and Barry from Ratoath, where hes one of only four other gays in the village. However poor oul Jordan didnt cop that Barry was his date right off the bat, presuming he was straight.

Barry revealed it was his first date ever at 22, and that he googled what to talk about with men in such a scenario.

The lads soon bonded and were high-fiving over Adeles sex anthem.

However, again it was another case of friend zoning, because Barry didnt think Jordan was the type of man to bring home to his mammy. Eh Barry, you missed out on a good one there, dude.

South African Kirk entered the restaurant with an announcement about loving pens -

but not the clicky ones, mind. His date Carolyn is easily bored in love, and looking for a guy with manners that can make her laugh.

Straight away Carolyn as unimpressed with Kirks date etiquette because he had the audacity to need a wee during the starter. And she would not. Let. It. Go.

Kirk let it known that he isnt in to ladies who give it up too early oooookay.

Despite seeming to hate either other, Carolyn actually fancied Kirk despite her opinion of his manners.

But she was also friend zoned despite Kirk having an all right time. What is with these guys?!

The next dater Sunita said she loves an element of mystery and intrigue in a man. She also carries crystals in her bra for happiness and sexiness.

Her date Tony is not in to sex on the first date. After losing his mum to suicide, he now campaigns for mental health awareness, which the two soon bond over. Things seem to be going well

But while Sunita thought Tony was totally husband material, she didnt feel the raw animal attraction she was looking for, and the friend zone was entered once again.

However, she did have eyes for the hunky bearded Canadian bar man something tells us to watch this space.

And last but thankfully not least was birthday boy Sean and student teacher Lucy. Sean falls in love too easily, but hes not been put off dating. God loves a trier, Sean.

Lucy normally goes for fit lads with super high standards, and thinks shes unlucky in love. I feel like Cupid sees me coming and shoots his arrows in the opposite direction. Ah, pet.

Lucy says shes not your typical flirty Bertie, but she was delira that Sean was ginger and she must have done a good job because in the end, cupids arrow struck!

All is not lost! THANK GOD FOR SEAN AND LUCY!

First Dates Ireland is back next week at 9.55pm
I'm worried about Peaky Blinders. Seriously worried. The belting period gangster saga, which some have dubbed Birminghams Boardwalk Empire, returns to BBC2 tonight for a third run.

But how long can we count on charismatic empire-builder Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his violent, tight-knit clan being around on Thursday nights in the future?

The audience for Peaky Blinders in the UK has rarely risen much above two million, which is modest even for BBC2 and begs the question: Why isnt such a fantastic series on BBC1, where it could maximise its audience?

While on-the-night figures arent quite as important as they used to be because of catch-up viewing, even series boasting much bigger audiences are no longer immune to abrupt cancellation.

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Ripper Street was pulling in a healthy four million a week on BBC1 when, out of nowhere, it felt the swish of the axe  and all because ITVs idiotic Im a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! was beating it in the ratings.

Mind you, the Beeb was left wiping egg off its face when Amazon picked the series up, significantly increased the budget and gave creator/writer Richard Warlow a free hand to write longer, more hard-hitting scripts.

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You can still see the new episodes of Ripper Street on BBC1, but only months after theyve been screened on Amazon, and in a version edited for content and running time.

Theres no indication yet that the BBC has any plans to pull the plug on Peaky Blinders. Its worth noting, though, that the new season becomes available on Netflix in the US, where the series has gone down a storm, on May 31, when it will still be midway through its run on BBC2.

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An omen of things to come, perhaps? A vision of a future where the streaming giants, their pockets stuffed with jangling gold coins, rampage across the broadcasting landscape stripping the traditional terrestrial broadcasters of the few genuine treasures they have left?

But lets not dwell on that depressing scenario for too long. The important thing is that Peaky Blinders is back and tonights first instalment is, well, blindingly great.

There are plenty of very fine British drama series around right now, but in terms of style, scale and sheer confidence Peaky Blinders is one of the few that can hold a candle to the best of American cable television.

Picking up in 1922, two years on from the events of the previous season and in what could easily be a nod to The Godfather, it opens at a wedding and remains there for the duration of the episode. The groom is none other than Tommy himself.

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Alas, Im not at liberty to reveal the identity of his bride. The BBC has promised that if anyone lets the secret slip in advance, theyll have their face rearranged by a big Brummie with a flat cap and a terrible haircut.

But lets just say that, based on all thats happened up to now, shes a bit of a gobsmacker and liable to open up a whole new world of trouble for Tommy.

I know what you are, Tommys formidable Aunt Polly (the wonderful Helen McCrory) hisses at her, with good reason.

Not that trouble isnt already brewing. Tommy has moved up in the world, at least in terms of the kind of people hes now dealing with  namely, one Winston Churchill, whos called in Tommys debt to him (the debt being Tommys life).

The grimy, rundown streets of Birmingham are still the base for the Shelbys, but Tommy has taken the family business into dangerous international waters. While the bigger picture isnt entirely crystal clear in this opening episode, its obvious hes embroiled in a lucrative operation to provide, with Churchills blessing, arms to Russia.

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Hes not best pleased, however, when business intrudes on his wedding day, especially since hes been trying to ensure the Blinders are on their best behaviour. No fookin guns, no fookin snow (cocaine), no fookin fighting, no fookin sporting! he bellows at them.

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This being a Peaky Blinders family occasion, theres blood on the floor, snow on the table, sporting in the bedroom and a mutilated body in the ground before the final credits roll.

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In all, fookin brilliant  and Tom Hardy hasnt even shown up yet.
A television assistant director lost her dream job as a result of life-long injuries she suffered when she was struck by a hit and run driver last year.

Eric Ryan (19) was yesterday given a suspended sentence for hitting the woman causing her to nearly be crushed by a bus. He will be sentenced in July for leaving the scene of the incident.

Ryan from Cliona Park, Moyross in Co. Limerick, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm at Clanbrassil Street Upper, Dublin on February 6, 2015.

Evelyn Nealon, who was aged 32 at the time of the incident, needed four operations on her pelvis and her leg as a result of her injuries.

Ms Nealon was hit by Ryans car as she crossed the road on a green pedestrian light at the junction of Clanbrassil Street and South Circular Road.

The court heard she had almost gotten to the middle of the road when she felt a force which threw her under a bus that was parked at traffic lights, close to a front wheel. Ms Nealon said she thought the bus would kill her if it took off.

Witness accounts described seeing Ryans blue car approach the junction and crash into a white car, before his vehicle spun off and hit Ms Nealon.

His father was heard by a witnesses saying f*** it well leave it the court heard. Ryan then fled the scene without speaking to anyone. Another motorist called an ambulance.

At a sentencing hearing yesterday, Garda Brian Hawkins said Ms Nealons spent around four weeks in hospital.

Her victim impact statement detailed the medical problems she continued to face as a result of the incident. She suffered from early onset arthritis and may encounter difficulties having children. She also had a limp, a dropped right foot and would have to wear a leg brace for the rest of her life.

Ms Nealon had been working as an assistant director on a TV programme at the time of the incident, but had not been able to work since. She described this as her dream job, which she had now lost because she was physically not up to it.

On the day in question Ryan had been at a party in Clondalkin with his father where they were drinking heavily and were subsequently asked to leave. Ryan, who was not insured and on a provisional licence, drove his fathers car in order to get them out of the situation.

Defence for Ryan said he was trying to find a parking spot so that his father could sleep off the alcohol when the incident happened.

Gda Hawkins said the car was travelling at about 50 or 60 kph and that CCTV footage from the area showed that Ryan drove through a red light at the junction causing the crash.

Judge Patricia Ryan said she accepted the defence case that Ryan was under the influence of his father at the time of the incident, who was overheard by a witness at the scene saying fuck it well leave it.

Gda Hawkins told the court that Ryans mother has been his primary carer since his parents split up when he was a young boy. Ryan had not come to garda attention since the incident and had no previous convictions.

Judge Ryan said the court must mark the seriousness of the offence and take the lasting impact of the victims injuries on her life into consideration.

She also took into account the Ryan's young age, his early plea and his show of remorse in court before handing down a three year sentence fully suspended. She also disqualified him from driving for four years.
A body lay undiscovered for several weeks in a city centre apartment, an inquest heard.

The body of Daniel Curtain of OBrien Hall, Gardiner Street, Dublin 1 was found in a badly decomposed state in an apartment next door on September 18 2014.

The deceased was a hoarder, whose apartment was so full of rubbish that he often slept outside, according to a neighbour.

Dublin Coroners Court heard that 53 O'Brien Hall became vacant in July 2014. The front door could be pushed open as it had been broken in by Dublin Fire Brigade responding to an emergency call.

Neighbour Edward Lynch who lives directly below Number 53 raised the alarm when maggots began infesting his apartment.

On September 17 Mr Lynch found maggots falling from the ceiling. He went upstairs and noticed maggots coming from under the door of Number 53. A day later Mr Lynchs apartment was completely infested with maggots and he called Dublin City Council (DCC).

Staff entered the apartment directly above and found a badly decomposed body.

When we went in I saw a badly decomposed body lying face down on the floor in the bathroom, Garda Patrick Dunne said.

Garda Dunne contacted the US embassy, followed by Interpol, in a bid to identify the body and notify relatives.

He found that Mr Curtain was originally from New Jersey and had an ex-wife and son from whom he was estranged. He spoke to the mans sister, Maura McGreevy, resident in Iowa. She said she wanted nothing to do with the identification process.

DNA analysis matched the body with a profile specimen from a toothbrush taken from Mr Curtain's apartment. At autopsy, a Visa and social services card belonging to Daniel Curtain were found in the pockets of clothing on the body.

Medical records found that Mr Curtain had collapsed at Starbucks on College Green and was treated in hospital on August 18.

He was last seen alive on August 22 by DCC caretaker Derek Kelehan.

A post mortem report found the cause of death was undetermined due to decomposition. Coroner Dr Brian Farrell returned an open verdict. Clearly the deceased had been dead for some time and may have died on or about August 22, the coroner said.
Fr Patrick McDonagh was convicted in 2007 by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on eight counts of sexual and indecent assault Stock photo: Getty Images/Ingram Publishing

A priest who abused up to 100 children was allowed to act "with impunity" and without any restrictions on his access to children by his religious order, which concealed his behaviour from the Archbishop of Dublin and the State authorities.

Salvatorian priest Fr Patrick McDonagh was convicted in 2007 by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on eight counts of sexual and indecent assault on four girls in Dublin, Limerick and Roscommon between 1965 and 1990, and was sentenced to four years in jail. He died in 2009.

The serious mismanagement and concealment of his crimes by his order was one of the findings published by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI), the Church's own safeguarding watchdog.

The audit of 30 religious orders revealed that the Salvatorians failed to monitor Fr A, as Fr Patrick McDonagh is referred to, from 2002 - when one of his own relatives accused him of having abused her as a child - to 2004, when he underwent treatment for his behaviour and admitted the extent of his abuse.

During those two years, the prolific abuser was allowed to travel to Rome and serve as a hospital chaplain before he went on to Australia, the watchdog's review reveals.

"We believe he possibly continued to abuse for those two years," NBSCCCI CEO Teresa Devlin said. Speaking to the Irish Independent, Ms Devlin stressed there were at least 90 more victims of Fr A - who the Irish Independent understands to be Fr Patrick McDonagh - who have yet to receive any support from the Salvatorian order, in addition to the nine of whom the order is aware.

She was critical of the order's "lack of shock or shame at the abuse perpetrated by this man" who targeted little girls between the ages of six and nine.

The Salvatorians did not tell Cardinal Desmond Connell, who was Archbishop of Dublin in 2002, the real reason they were withdrawing Fr Patrick McDonagh from parish ministry in Dublin. Instead they hinted that he was overstressed by his pastoral work.

Ms Devlin said: "I believe the reason they didn't tell Cardinal Connell is they didn't want him to know; the provincial was covering up the abuse by sending him away."

She said the Salvatorians needed to do more to find out if there are any other victims of Fr Patrick McDonagh and reach out to them.

"They have a responsibility to try and find people," she said, adding that religious superiors who fail to report and implement safeguarding procedures should face consequences under civil and canonical law.

She warned against complacency. "This is not over, unfortunately. In every organisation and in the Catholic Church there will be people who harm children and so there will still be children who are potentially at risk from priests."

The last audits show the most recent allegation of sexual abuse against a priest related to 2013.

Audits deal with 288 allegations that resulted in 'just' 10 convictions

The latest round of audits reviewed safeguarding practices of 30 orders. They deal with 288 allegations against 90 priests, brothers or sisters which resulted in "just" 10 criminal convictions.

The allegations relate to the period 1950-2002, although one incident was as recent as 2013. The more in-depth reviews assessed the Blessed Sacrament Fathers, the Brothers of Charity, the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, the Marist Brothers and Opus Dei.

Among the findings are:

- Child safeguarding has not been given sufficient priority by some orders.

- Poor record-keeping in a number of orders, while poor monitoring of those accused of child abuse was also documented.

- Inconsistent or poor support for complainants.

- A small number of new orders who are developing ministries in Ireland need to increase their awareness of child safeguarding.
A retired US surgeon with dementia who fell victim to a phishing scam which culminated in him bringing 100,000 of cocaine into Dublin Airport has gone home after avoiding a jail term.

Dr Carlos Cruz Soriano (76) began responding to phishing emails after becoming isolated and depressed following his retirement from a glittering career, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told. The scammers told him a long lost relative had died and he was due to inherit US$2.3 million (2million).

They gained Soriano's trust over a number of years, including sending him on a dry run to Hong Kong, before flying him to Columbia where he was given the paperwork for his inheritance as well as a gift in a red bag for Irish banking officials who would facilitate the transfer of funds.

Soriano, of Cove Circle, Riverview, Florida, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine valued at 107,000 inside the red bag in the arrivals hall at Dublin Airport on September 1, 2015. He had no previous convictions and had been in custody here since his arrest.

Judge Melanie Greally said Soriano's isolation and the deterioration in his mental health had contributed to him being susceptible to manipulation by sinister forces. She said she accepted he did not appreciate the serious nature of his conduct.

She noted that rather than availing of other options he had chosen to plead guilty at an early stage.

Judge Greally had adjourned sentencing after hearing evidence in the case last week when Soriano's lawyers asked for some time to make arrangements for his return to the United States.

Today Judge Greally imposed a fully suspended five year sentence on condition Soriano leave the country within 24 hours after hearing that flights had been booked to Florida.

Sergeant Fergal Finnegan told Pieter Le Vert BL, prosecuting, that immigration officials had concerns about Soriano on his arrival in Dublin as he had no return ticket to the US and only $300 (262)

Soriano, who had travelled to Ireland from Bogota via Panama and Paris, told customs officials that a red bag he was carrying contained a gift for banking officials which would facilitate the transfer of a US$2.3 million inheritance from a long lost relative he had never heard of until recently.

He was very co-operative with the officials and agreed to allow them x-ray and examine the bag. It was found to contain 1.86 kilograms of cocaine in three packets.

Sgt Finnegan said gardai were initially skeptical that Soriano could have fallen for the scam but as the interviews went on they became aware that there were underlying issues.

Gardai found documentation that Soriano had printed out about other phishing scams. He said that he knew they were scams but he was lonely and would respond to them for a little bit of fun.

Sgt Finnegan said despite this he remained adamant that the inheritance was still due to be claimed.

Soriano told gardai he had become isolated and very lonely at home after marital and family problems arose when he lost money on a previous occasion to a Nigerian phishing scam.

Sgt Finnegan agreed with Caroline Biggs SC, defending, that Soriano had a glittering surgical career over 40 years but had become very lonely after his retirement. The communication with the email scammers had become his only contact with the outside world.

He agreed with Ms Biggs that Soriano had become excited when it was explained to him he was going to prison as he thought he would be around people and have a chance to make friends.

Ms Biggs told the court Soriano had an eminent career as a surgeon, had written a book about his life, published papers and had been honoured with the keys to the city of St Petersburg, Florida.

Psychologist Dr Ian Gargan told Ms Biggs that Soriano had bipolar and depressive disorder as well as early onset dementia. He agreed with Ms Biggs that following his retirement Soriano's life had fallen apart causing him to become isolated and lonely as well as intellectually frustrated.

He agreed with Ms Biggs that Soriano was highly suggestible. He said Soriano was afraid that he might die before he was released from prison.

Dr Gargan said it was a very extreme and very sad case.
A Swedish House Mafia fan, who was one of a number of people stabbed and beaten up at the groups infamous concerts in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, four years ago, has settled his 60,000 damages claim against the organisers.

Barrister Suzanne Walsh told Judge Jacqueline Linnane in the Circuit Civil Court today that Niall Daveys personal injuries case had been settled and could be struck out with an order for his legal costs.

Davey, of Castleknock Drive, Castleknock, Dublin, had sued MCD Productions, Dunlaoghaire, Co Dublin; Swords Risk Services Limited, Tuam Road, Galway; Eventsec Limited, Queens Way, Belfast; Michael N. Slattery & Associates Limited, Lower Pembroke Street, Dublin, and PBM Productions Limited, trading as Diffusion Events, Dunlaoghaire.

Pat Purcell, who appeared with Ms Walsh for Davey, told Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, at the call-over of cases that he wished to present a Garda Investigation Report on incidents at the concerts which ran over three days in July 2012.

Paul ONeill, counsel for all of the defendants, told the court he would have to take his clients instructions on this new development and the case was put back to be heard by Judge Linnane.

Ms Walsh, instructed by solicitors Hennessy and Perrozzi, later told Judge Linnane that as a result of inter-party talks the case had been settled. She did not disclose the amount of the settlement which was made jointly and severally against all defendants.

Mr Davey claimed anti-social behaviour by a group of males, who kicked mud in peoples faces, went on for two hours at the July 7 concert before two security men tackled them but had been forced to retreat.

A short time later he had been attacked by a member of this group and viciously assaulted, beaten and stabbed in the back. Several others had kicked and punched him about the head.

He had been treated at the A&E department of Blanchardstown Hospital where he had been x-rayed and his wounds explored, cleaned and stitched. His consultant A&E specialist believed he had suffered concussion.

In a Circuit Criminal Court case involving an attack and stabbing of another fan at one of the concerts the judge heard that as a result of how the concert was managed and poorly marshalled event organisers met afterwards with the Garda Commissioner and protocols were put in place for the running of any future events in the park.
Gardai attended the protest which saw the minister blocked from leaving a community centre in Jobstown, Tallaght. (Photo: Tallaght Says No To Water-Metering/Facebook)

A 16-YEAR-OLD boy has been given a six-month sentence for taking part in violence at a protest in Jobstown.

Joan Burton TD and her entourage were allegedly trapped in a carjust after midday on November 15, 2014 at An Cosan education facility in Jobstown, in Tallaght.

An anti-Irish Water demonstration was held which delayed her for about two hours.

The boy, now aged 16, but who was 15 at the time of the incident, appeared at the Dublin Childrens Court with his mother and a grandparent. He had pleaded guilty to criminal damage to the rear window of unmarked garda car which he jumped on, and violent disorder charges.

The court heard he has prior convictions for theft and has already served a sentence which expired in January for his other offences.

Finalising his case yesterday, Judge John OConnor imposed a six-month detention sentence on the boy - who cannot be named because he is a minor.

Judge John OConnor had told the teen earlier that the purpose of violence towards women is to humiliate them and erode their dignity.

He said violence directed at women in politics is to limit their effectiveness in the political process, to alienate them and to state they are not welcome in politics.

It should also be pointed out that this particular attack on the elected Tanaiste of Ireland is an attack on the Irish State, he had said, adding that it was also an attack on gardai who were protecting Ms Burton.

Initially the boy, who was not politically motivated when he joined in the violence, expressed regret - and in November he had shown a willingness to engage with the Probation Service.

The judge had then told the boy, who has significant behavioural problems that if he continued to co-operate, he would be sentenced to a period of probation supervision. Failure to do so would result in a custodial sentence, he had been warned.

However, since then the boy repeatedly refused to work with the Probation Service calling it a load of *****ks and he wanted to be sentenced. He also picked up a new charge unlawfully interfering with car in a Tallaght on February 11. He pleaded guilty to that, as well as connected breach of the peace and possessing gloves for use in a theft.

Defence solicitor Michelle Finan had said psychological and welfare assessments described him as most vulnerable.

The solicitor had said the boy got caught up in the excitement of what was going and lost the run of himself.

A report welfare stated he had significant emotional and behavioural difficulties prompting mental health concerns. Judge OConnor had said the teens other issues included: negative peers, anti-social incidents, involvement with pro-criminal gangs and drug issues.

Five other juvenile males have been before the Childrens Court in connection with the protest.
A man described as having a propensity for "extreme violence", who was brought to the High Court by five officers in full riot gear, must wait to hear whether he will be extradited.

Simeon Cosmo Langford (33), of Brigstock Road, Bristol, is wanted in England to face charges of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and theft.

Langford is also wanted for allegedly breaching the conditions of his release from a sentence for grievous bodily harm.

According to a European Arrest Warrant issued in August 2015, Langford was released on parole in the UK on May 6, 2015, and is alleged to have committed the offences for which he is sought on dates between June 2 and June 11, 2015.

The warrant alleges that he absconded, and UK police believe he travelled to Ireland on June 13, 2015, using a passport in the name of Luke Gillespie.

He was arrested by gardai in Cork in August 2015 and brought before the High Court.

Opposing an application for his surrender to the UK on grounds he would suffer inhumane and degrading treatment on his return, his barrister Ronan Munro BL said his client was in a "special category".

Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly said it was exceptional for someone to be handcuffed in court and asked the State to make a formal application for the procedure, which was made "based on the profile of Mr Langford". The hearing resumed.

In documents read out to court, Mr Langford was described as having a "propensity toward extreme violence" and "had chronic feelings of persecution by authority figures".

Mr Munro said he accepted that suboptimal prison conditions did not preclude surrender "but he [Mr Langford] was in a special category".

He said his client had a fraught relationship with prison authorities and "you can see that in action here today". It was a "flavour of the type of approach that was taken in the UK", he said.

Mr Langford has had "appalling experiences" in UK prisons, which, Mr Munro said, were borne out by Inspector of Prison reports submitted to the court.

Counsel for the Minister for Justice, Vincent Heneghan BL, said Mr Langford was making assertions about ills he had suffered in British prisons but they were "mere allegations".

Ms Justice Donnelly said she hoped to be in a position to deliver judgment next Tuesday.
A woman has been awarded 85,000 for injuries she received after she was covered "from head to toe" by a tin of varnish when the lid fell off as she was scanning it at a self-service checkout in a DIY store.

It would have been better if the barcode on the tin of Ronseal had not been on the lid which meant Wendy Delaney (68) had to turn it upside down to scan it, Mr Justice Michael Hanna remarked when he made the award.

Ms Delaney, a community worker from Newlands Road, Clondalkin, Dublin, sued B&Q Ireland in the High Court over the accident in its Tallaght store on May 30, 2009.

She said she was covered from "head to toe" by varnish which she cleaned off afterwards in the store's staff bathroom.

She later had to be treated for injuries to both eyes but also suffered a depressive reaction, the court heard.

Mr Justice Hanna said Ms Delaney was a qualified nurse who left nursing to work in full-time community care in the area of women's rights and education.

She and her daughter went to the B&Q Belgard Road store to buy some varnish and chose a 2.5litre tin of Ronseal.

She decided to use the self-service checkout and had to invert the tin when the lid fell off and she dropped it causing significant personal injuries, the judge said.

Ms Delaney and her daughter, as well as a manager from B&Q, gave their evidence impeccably and fairly and it was a pleasure to listen to them, he said.

While there was no CCTV evidence, through no fault of B&Q, and no other witnesses, there was evidence from engineers on both sides as to what may happen if a tin of varnish slipped in this way, he said.

What was known about what happened and "as one who does not frequent the darkest corners of DIY stores", the judge said it was clear varnish is less viscous than paint and if it was going to fall out it was going to splash like a liquid and spill in every direction.

The barcode was on the lid and it seemed to the judge the "safe place" to have it would be on the base or on the side "but life does not work like that".

He found there was no issue of contributory negligence by Ms Delaney.

She received treatment in the Eye and Ear Hospital and after a couple of weeks she was on the mend although she now needs to lubricate her eyes if she intends to read or look at a screen for a long time, he said.

The more serious aspect of her injuries was that she suffered a depressive reaction and while her doctor said she was pre-disposed to this reaction, the incident had increased the risk, he said. She had also been unable to complete a Masters degree as a result though she hoped to do so in the future, he said.

In the circumstances, she was entitled to recover "significant though not enormous damages" which he assessed at 85,000, including 20,000 special damages.

He granted a three-week stay to Finbarr Fox SC, for the defendant, in the event of an appeal.
A guard of honour flanks the coffin of Michael Barr at his funeral in Strabane Co Tyrone this morning. Barr was shot dead at the end of April in a pub in Dublin. PACEMAKER BELFAST

Fourteen men have been arrested at the funeral of a senior dissident republican who was shot dead in Dublin.

Michael Barr (35) was gunned down at the Sunset House bar in Summerhill, North Dublin on Monday, April 25.

His death was linked to the ongoing feud between the Kinahan and Hutch Dublin crime gangs.

Barr was suspected of playing a part in the Regency Shooting where key Kinahan lieutenant David Byrne was gunned down by raiders dressed as gardai and carrying AK47s last February.

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The funeral cortege was flanked by dozens in paramilitary uniform with berets and sunglasses as it made its way to the mass which was held at St Mary's Church, Melmount in Strabane.

None of those taking part had their faces covered.

The men were arrested away from the funeral following the service and they have been taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite.

The PSNI said the 15 men were arrested under the Terrorism Act.

Speaking at press conference Superintendent Mark McEwan, District Commander said: "We have had some public commentary that the deceased was allegedly a member of the violent dissident republican grouping known as the New IRA and that the funeral would take place in line with that.

"What we saw on the streets of Strabane was to all intents and purposes a paramilitary style display and as a result of that the policing operation we have arrested 15 men in connection with suspected terrorist related offensives.

"Every police operation has to be developed and policed in the context of the wider community impact.

"Where we suspect a criminal offence has taken place we will move to act, the public would expect us to act.

"The scenes we have seen are not unique but the public do expect us to act.

"Sometimes it is more appropriate that we take an evidence gathering approach and seek to follow that up with arrests and potential prosecutions at a later date but the situation that presented itself this morning, it was appropriate, necessary and proportionate that we would take those steps so subsequently 15 men were arrested."
UP to six rural garda stations are to be re-opened as part of the new Programme for Government, Independent.ie can reveal.

A specialist court and agency to deal with mortgage arrears and strict new rules surrounding judicial appointments are also included in the document, which is called A Partnership for a Fairer Ireland.

And a Citizens Convention to examine the potential repeal of the Eighth Amendment has also been agreed, according to sources involved in the process.

Talks between Fine Gael and Independents are nearing completion with the expectation now that Enda Kenny will be re-elected Taoiseach tomorrow morning.

The vote for Taoiseach will be held at 12pm on Friday.

Chief Whip Paul Kehoe told the Dail that the slot has been scheduled for TDs to elect Enda Kenny.

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Talks are continuing with the Independents in Government Buildings about the formation on a new administration.

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Sources today said they expect in excess of 10 Independents to support Mr Kenny in the vote in the Dail.

The Programme for Government will be presented in the Fine Gael parliamentary party this evening for approval.

Significantly, its emerged six garda stations will be reopened on a pilot basis. The locations of these will be decided following a review by the Garda Inspectorate, its understood.

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Proposals made by campaigner David Hall for a new body to deal with the mortgage crisis is also included.

There will be a medical review of cardiac facilities in Waterford Hospital - in a move which will appease Independent TD John Halligan.

The document, which is still being discussed at Government Buildings, has a heavy agricultural influence.

It is understood that the following Independents are on the verge of signing the deal: Denis Naughten, Michael Harty, Noel Grealish, Mattie McGrath and the six members of the Independent Alliance.

There are also significant measures aimed at protecting the post office network.

A feasibility study will be carried out into providing motor tax services in post offices and the establishment of so-called e-payment accounts later this year.

And An Post and the Credit Union league will be asked to provide a "suite" of new banking services through post offices.

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Addressing the Dail's Committee on Housing and Homelessness today, acting finance minister Michael Noonan confirmed there are measures in the draft programme for government in relation to mortgage arrears.

He said that while there has been a big decline in the numbers in arrears, there is a hard core of just over 30,000 householders still finding it "difficult to cope".

"In the programme for Government, we are designing a new set of initiatives to deal with that particular cohort and we will see that in the next 24 or 48 hours."

He didn't provide details saying: "I do not wish to breach confidence"

But he said: "This is a major departure to deal specifically with that cohort of people which is not being reached by the existing measures."

Independent.ie understands that Mr Kenny has offered three senior ministries to Independents and three junior ministries.

Sources say that Katherine Zappone, Shane Ross and Denis Naughten are favourites for the Cabinet positions, with Finian McGrath in the running for a super junior ministry which would allow him to sit at Cabinet.

Once re-elected Taoiseach, Mr Kenny will also reshuffle many of his existing Fine Gael ministers and introduce a small number of new faces to his frontbench team.

A source said this afternoon that Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney, Richard Burton and Paschal Donohoe could all be moving portfolio, while junior minister Simon Harris is in line for promotion.

Among the commitments in the Programme for Government are a series of concessions for rural TDs.

These include a 50pc increase in the budget for local and regional roads over five years, county specific targets for job creation and a 500m fund for regional jobs.

An Oireachtas committee will be assigned the task of developing a single vision for health in Ireland.
TAOISEACH Enda Kenny has indicated that he hopes to Independents will sign-off on a programme for government before the Dail adjourns at 4.30pm today.

The Fine Gael leader said it was not yet possible to know for definite when the final breakthrough will come.

To be straight up about it I cant say that the matter will be concluded, he told Fianna Fails Micheal Martin this morning.

Mr Martin had asked whether the Dail might have to sit tomorrow to allow for a fourth and final attempt at election a Taoiseach.

Mr Kenny said a great deal of drafting was done overnight on a document which is now being discussed with TDs from the Independent Alliance, Rural Five and a small number of others.

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He indicated the new programme for government will have the title: Partnership for a Fairer Ireland.

The entire Dail day has been set aside for a debate on gangland crime and garda resources  but Mr Kenny said he would return to the House with an update if progress is made.

Earlier, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said he believes a vote for Taoiseach can take place today.

He added that a Government could be in place by the weekend.

Minister Frances Fitzgerald agreed a that a deal could be done today if Independents sign up to it.

"It is however up to Enda Kenny when a Cabinet is formed," she added.
A golden eagle chick has been bred in captivity for the first time in Ireland - sparking hope for efforts to reintroduce the birds of prey here.

The chick, whose sex is not yet known, is just over two weeks old and was bred using artificial insemination by Brian McCann, who owns Newgrange Falconry, a mobile falconry school based in Co Louth. Mr McCann said he has been trying to breed from the parent golden eagles for years.

"This has been a fantastic thing to do as it has never been done in Ireland before," he said. "It is a first and we are making history here."

He owns the parent birds - Olga is Russian while Odin is German. Olga, inset with chick, is now successfully caring for her eaglet, which is her first offspring. "The parents are two very fabulous and beautiful birds," he said.

Lorcan O'Toole, general manager of the Golden Eagle Trust, said it was a great achievement.
The heartbroken mother of a young man murdered in an unprovoked attack in 1990 has described the temporary release of his killer as a slap in the face.

Mary Fitzpatrick, from Southill, Co Limerick, was devastated to learn Christopher OCallaghan, who was handed a life sentence for killing her son in 2002, would be allowed to attend a college course in Sligo.

I feel Ive gone back to 17 years and Ive been plunged back into the terrible darkness that came the moment my son was brutally murdered, Ms Fitzpatrick told RTE Radio Ones Liveline.

Michael (19) was stabbed eight times in an unprovoked attack outside the Olympic Arms pub on Roxborough Road on June 25, 1999.

OCallaghan, who was 18 at the time, was convicted three years later and was serving his sentence at Castlerea Jail, Roscommon, until this week.

Now 35, he was moved to Harristown House open prison, and has been granted permission to begin a 16-week course at Sligo IT during the day, before returning to the prison each night.

Ms Fitzpatrick said she had been informed in January of an impending release later that year, and had written a letter to the justice minister Frances Fitzgerald to object.

She said she had not heard any response, until last Friday, when she received a call from the Irish Prison Services to inform her that OCallaghan would be beginning the course the following week.

Hes basically a free man. In my mind, hes actually free now, she said.

Were absolutely devastated, the pain of losing my son the way I did for nothing.

Ms Fitzpatrick has three children, Rachel, David and Laura, who were aged three, seven and 10 respectively at the time of the murder.

Michael had been studying for his Leaving Cert, and working in garages cleaning buses before school each day.

She described her eldest son as a lovely, quiet, unassuming young boy who acted as a mentor to his younger siblings.

Ms Fitzpatrick recalled the night of her sons brutal murder with precise detail.

Michael had been watching Braveheart in his room when a friend invited him to the pub across the road from their home for a drink.

I said, will you mind yourself? And he said, Sure relax woman, what do I ever do to anybody? But its not you I worry about, its who youre going to meet, she said, describing their last conversation.

At the Olympic Arms, Michael ran into OCallaghan, whom his mother said he knew from school but was not friends with.

At 12.30am, Ms Fitzpatrick was told something had happened to her son, and ran immediately to be by his side.

It was horrific, Ill never forget it. His eyes were open, and were moving. I wanted to run away, because I said, this couldnt be my son.

I took hold of his hand and kept talking to him, saying Mikey, its me, dont leave me, and his eyes would move.

As sad as it was, I get comfort now when Im alone that he saw me last, it wasnt the person who plunged the knife into him, she said.

Although her son was unable to speak, she added: Our eyes met, and it was goodbye.

Now that his killer has been temporarily released, Ms Fitzpatrick said: I feel my son has been murdered again this week.

She continued: My son will be 17 years dead this June. I should have a 38 year old son now, I should have grandchildren, he should be living a life. We lost all that.

And its not only me, my children who loved him and idolised him. I carry around that pain and Ive watched my children grow up carrying that pain.

I feel Ive gotten a slap in the face, she said.

Since their sons death, Ms Fitzpatrick and her husband have separated, and she has suffered with the effects of post-traumatic stress.

I put on a very brave face, but Im only half-alive. I do my duties as a mother and in my professional career, but I go home every day after work and Im alone.

Then your mind becomes your enemy, because that image of Mikey lying on the ground is back there again, she said.

At her lowest point, six months after Michael was killed, Ms Fitzpatrick contemplated suicide.

I took out sleeping tablets and I went to kiss my three children goodbye.

I bent down to kiss the youngest one goodbye, and when I saw her little face I remembered watching her for six months standing at the window waiting for her brother to come back.

It was heartbreaking. I thought, I cant leave them to deal with this, so I carried on.

She is now taking anti-anxiety medication, but struggles with high blood pressure and severe panic attacks.

On the show, host Damien OReilly read a statement from the Department of Justice regarding Ms Fitzpatricks objection.

The department is not in a position to comment on individual cases. However, we can confirm the correspondence has been received and a reply will issue on the matter in due course.
Mayo has been classified as one of the western worlds top star-gazing spots by the International Dark-Sky Association.

Ballycroy National Park and the adjacent Nephin Mountain range have been granted a rare Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park status by the international body. The area will now become known internationally as Mayo International Dark Sky Park.

It is one of two regions, alongside Kerry, to be awarded the top star-gazing distinction for its relatively low light pollution and opportunity to see far-off galaxies in space without interference.

A gold tier classification is an honour reserved for the most exceptional of dark skies and stunning nightscapes, said a spokesman for the International Dark-Sky Association. This recognition completes the 360 degree experience that this stunning region has to offer.

Mayo is one of the least densely populated areas in Ireland, with the remote Ballycroy and Nephin regions miles from any sizeable town.

The spokesman said that the award is a wonderful recognition for the regions pristine skies, enhancing its existing protected landscapes and wilderness regions.

And there now looks set to be a Mayo Dark-Sky Festival between 28-30 October with a schedule of dark sky events and educational programs from Ballycroy National Park.

Ballycroy National Park and the adjoining Wild Nephin Wilderness expand over 110 square kilometers of mountainous Atlantic blanket bog and forest. Viewing sites for visiting astronomers have been designated and graded by ease of access and facilities available. Signature viewing sites include the Claggan Mountain Boardwalk, Letterkeen Bothy and Ballycroy National Park Visitor Centre, which have excellent interpretive and parking facilities.

Ballycroy National Park and Wild Nephin are honored to have received Gold-tier International Dark Sky Park status, said National Parks and Wildlife Service Regional Manager, William Cormacan. We are fully committed to preserving our pristine dark skies and are excited by the many opportunities that this accreditation will present for local tourism, businesses and the park.

The Mayo Dark-Sky designation follows a lengthy period of night sky surveying and quality monitoring by students of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. Assisted by Professor Brian Espey of Trinity College Dublins astrophysics department, the research resulted in collaboration among communities in Newport, Ballycroy and Mulrannny together with Ballycroy National Park, Coillte Forestry, Mayo County Council, Mayo South West Development and the Galway Astronomy Club. The group formed the Friends of Mayo Dark-Skies steering committee and submitted the application for dark sky status earlier this year.
Anti-Austerity Alliance Paul Murphy has come under attack in the Dail for applying for free legal aid for his forthcoming court case.

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael TDs criticised Mr Murphys decision to seek State support in his defence of criminal charges relating to a protest which saw Labour Party leader Joan Burton trapped in her car for two hours.

Fine Gael Limerick TD Patrick ODonovan said it was an absolute outrage that Mr Murphy would apply for legal aid given that he is paid a 87,258 salary.

Mr ODonovan said people were absolutely livid that a TD would qualify for legal aid.

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Fianna Fails Roscommon South Leitrim TD Eugene Murphy said the Anti-Austerity Alliance TDs decision had gone down very badly with the public.

I ask Deputy Paul Murphy, in his absence, to look at this again and maybe not take the free legal aid for this case, although a judge has granted it. He should reconsider the issue and address it as it is wrong, Mr Murphy said.

Fine Gaels Dublin Fingal TD Alan Farrell said Mr Murphys decision to apply for legal aid was a crime against the taxpayer.

Mr Murphy reacted angrily to the accusations and called on the deputies to withdraw their claims, which he said were outrageous.

He said the deputies used a Dail debate on gangland crime to make cheap and unfounded allegations against him.

Mr Murphy said the deputies attacked him because their parities are in favour of water charges and were feeling sore because anti-water charge protesters had beaten them.

The Dublin South West TD said he applied for free legal aid after his court case was moved from the District Court to the Circuit Court by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

He said this meant he faced being sentenced to life in prison if convicted.

He said his legal fees for a six day case could total more 100,000.

Mr Murphy said all criminal charges against water protestors should be dropped following the suspension of water charges

We should stop this persecution of protesters and a massive waste of taxpayers money, he said.
Prof Stephen Cusack: son was attacked with bottle or glass

The son of a well-known medical professor was "catastrophically disfigured" in an assault in Dublin city centre.

Professor Stephen Cusack, a well-respected expert on emergency medicine at UCC, hit out on social media about the attack, which happened on Dame Lane at around 1.30am on Monday.

He told the Irish Independent that his son Andrew had asked him not to say any more about the vicious assault publicly, but that he was appealing for any witnesses to contact investigating gardai.

However, he explained his son was set upon by a thug and attacked with a glass or a glass bottle.

"Our son was catastrophically disfigured by an evil thug in Dublin Sunday/Monday night on Dame Street Any info to Pearse St Garda," he wrote on Twitter.

Prof Cusack asked his followers to re-tweet the news in the hope of alerting witnesses to come forward.

He received a flurry of support from his followers, who reacted in disgust to what happened.

"Horrified to hear about Andrew. Hope he's doing ok - long road ahead of him," follower Brian Mulcahy wrote.

"[I] am so so sorry to hear this terrible news," Ciara Kelly said.

"All best wishes to your family & the front line staff who care for us all day, every day," said another.

Following the messages of support online, Prof Cusack thanked his followers along with Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB), who treated his son.

He also thanked the staff of St James's Hospital and his plastic surgeon colleagues for their care.

"My tweet was to urge anyone with info to go to the guards. My son has asked that I don't speak further, I have to respect that," Prof Cusack told the Irish Independent.

Gardai have confirmed they are investigating an assault which took place on a man in his early 20s after 1am on May 2.

The attack was at Dame Lane and the man suffered serious injuries to his face.

Anyone with information can contact the garda confidential line at 1800 666111, or any garda station.
'Holding a referendum on water at an estimated cost of 15m would put the issue to bed once and for all' (stock photo)

Anyone who believed that clarity would finally be brought to bear on the water question following weeks of negotiations between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael will be bitterly disappointed.

Among the worst aspects of this sorry mess is that the parties didn't even have the gumption to commit to the one measure which would have put one of the most contentious aspects of the water controversy to bed.

There is no reference to holding a referendum to retain the water network in public ownership.

If this were held, and presumably passed, the concern about Irish Water and the network being prepared for sale would end, and a proper debate on funding services could begin.

It's curious that the tracks and infrastructure for Luas is publicly owned but operated by a private company - but this doesn't foster a debate over privatisation. Holding a referendum on water at an estimated cost of 15m would put the issue to bed once and for all.

On water, the so-called 'Confidence and Supply Arrangement' is lacking detail and includes no less than three committees or advisory bodies which will help shape future policy.

The first is a statutory external advisory body charged with building public confidence in Irish Water. It will advise on the measures needed to improve transparency, to include the utility's performance, staffing numbers and remuneration, efficiency and network improvements.

But there is no question of using the advisory bodies already in place.

There is no mention of asking the water regulator, the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), or Irish Water to publish or provide data on cost savings, efficiencies achieved and procurement. Given that the CER and Irish Water also has information on staffing numbers and salaries, it could also provide information in this regard, which could be independently verified.

The advisory body could, of course, report that Irish Water is hopelessly overstaffed and completely inefficient, and that could present the Government with an even bigger headache.

Why? Because the CER is tasked with ensuring Irish Water operates efficiently and effectively. If the advisory group says it is not, what does that mean for the regulator, which also looks after the gas and electricity markets?

A second group is the expert commission tasked with making recommendations on the long-term funding model for water services.

It will report to a third group, an Oireachtas committee, within five months. The Oireachtas committee will lay out a series of recommendations to the Dail. TDs will ultimately decide if bills are back on the agenda. But it's curious that the Public Water Forum isn't referenced in the agreement.

No contact has been made by the parties, which seems to be a missed opportunity given the forum is made up of both paying and non-paying domestic customers - and other stakeholders - and could certainly have advised as to the issues of most concern.

Finally, the agreement says nothing about paying, or not paying, bills. This is an appalling situation for households. The parties simply aren't brave enough to state in print that the law of the land is that bills are due and must be paid. And so they instead provide this asinine line: "We affirm that those who have paid their water bills to date will be treated no less favourably than those who have not." Like the rest of this mess, it's a cop-out.
Enda Kenny said that a range of options would be considered to investigate transactions by the former Anglo Irish Bank Photo: Tom Burke

A "full-blown public inquiry" into the transactions by the former Anglo Irish Bank may be required, acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.

The Commission of Investigation set up to probe 38m worth of deals by IBRC has met a series of roadblocks that Mr Justice Brian Cregan believes will require legislation.

He is studying a series of deals to see if they were commercially sound, including the sale of contracting firm Siteserv to Denis O'Brien's Millington, with a write-down of 119m.

Confidentiality

A second interim report issued last week indicated there were issues around confidentiality that are preventing the judge from making progress.

In the Dail yesterday, Mr Kenny said there was "nothing sinister" about the fact the interim report was published last Friday evening, ahead of the bank holiday weekend.

"I know that this is always the story - that one is trying to not have it seen by people. Let me put it that way," he said.

And he went on to outline a number of challenges facing the commission.

"Some of them are legal and some of them are constitutional, but there are a number of options to be considered," Mr Kenny said, before adding a range of options are being looked at, including "the possibility of a full-blown public inquiry".

"When we consider that the Moriarty Tribunal ran for 13 years at a very costly sum to the taxpayer, these are options that need to be considered," he said.

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy, who has actively campaigned for more transparency around the IBRC deals, told the Irish Independent last night that she does not believe a "full-scale tribunal of inquiry" is necessary.

"Justice Cregan is clearly saying there are specific amendments to existing legislation and some new legislation that he requires in order to proceed," she said.

"When I met the Taoiseach last November with his senior advisers in this field, they didn't see any issue with that legislation being provided and undertook to draft the necessary changes.

"I question why, rather than proceeding with these changes as a matter of urgency, the Taoiseach is now suggesting the nuclear option of a full-sale inquiry," she said.

"While that is most definitely not the route I think this should take, I will not be put off from seeking the answers by his intimation that pursuing the answers may lead to a full-scale tribunal of inquiry," she said.
Four prison officers were injured - one of whom suffered a bite through to the bone - after a confrontation with a violent rapist in the Midlands Prison on Tuesday.

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) and gardai are now investigating an incident at the Midlands Prison on Tuesday evening when four staff were injured while dealing with Lovemore Dube (28).

Dube, a Zimbabwean national with addresses in Limerick and Cork, received a seven-year prison sentence for the brutal 2012 rape of a middle-aged woman.

The late Mr Justice Paul Carney told the Central Criminal Court that Dube's attack on the woman in Cork was "disturbing, violent and insulting."

His victim described him as "evil".

The trial also heard that the woman had to be tested for HIV and hepatitis, with both tests returning negative results.

It is understood that the prison confrontation broke out when Dube presented himself at the medical centre and then demanded prescribed medications.

However, the medications were not due to be given at that time and Dube was informed he would receive them later as scheduled.

He then refused to leave the area.

A number of prison officers attempted to persuade him to return to his cell area before he had to be physically restrained when he became agitated.

During the subsequent confrontation, four prison staff were injured.

Three suffered bite marks.

One officer was very badly bitten with the gash exposing part of his arm bone. A fourth officer sustained a broken finger.

All four were taken for hospital treatment in Portlaoise and underwent precautionary blood tests because they were bitten.

The IPS confirmed that an incident occurred at the Midlands Prison and that internal and Garda investigations are now under way.

Irish Prison Officers Association (IPOA) official Jim Mitchell said it was a very serious incident. "This highlights again the dangerous and difficult job that we do every day," he said.

Dube is a Zimbabwean who travelled on a South African passport to Ireland in 2005.

He is scheduled to be released from prison in 2017.

He tricked his way into the victim's home on July 23, 2012, after pretending he was her partner. Dube only stopped sexually assaulting the woman when she asked how he would feel about such brutal treatment of his own mother or sister.
For many Irish people, pets are an integral part of the family unit; for some, "fur babies" are comparable to children in their minds. But they're expensive to own, no question. As of last month, any dog found not registered and chipped could cost their owner up to 5,000 in fines. Between the cost of chipping, food, grooming, vaccinations and other doggy paraphernalia, taking one on will certainly cost you a pretty penny over the years.

But what if your pet became so sick that it would cost thousands to return them to health - would you pay it without batting an eyelid, or is there an amount that's just too much to spend on saving a beloved pet's life?

With no legislation on veterinary fees, costs vary due to location, species, size and more, so pet health can in some cases cost thousands of euro, leaving owners having to make some very difficult decisions.

Vet and TV star Pete Wedderburn says that it's not so black and white. "Do people often pay thousands without a second thought? Absolutely not!" he says.

"It depends on people's resources, and that's one of the big challenges of being a vet. My job is to explain what's possible technically, the ideal. But we have to tailor that ideal to what people can afford.

"I'm used to telling people that there are gold, silver and bronze options, with gold being what's best for the animal. Most of the people that go for this option have their pets insured, which is the beauty of it - you don't need to stop and think 'how much can I afford here?'"

These days dogs and cats seem to be more beloved than ever, with pet-centric businesses booming as we treat them to day care, spa visits and specialist baked treats. So it's no surprise we might be more loath to euthanise our sick furry friends than we might have been a decade or two ago.

"Euthanasia is referred to in veterinary circles as the ultimate palliative treatment - if an animal is in pain and suffering, we can end that," says Pete.

"Sometimes that's the right decision, regardless of money. But thankfully economic euthanasia, where it's the only option that can be afforded, is very unusual now thanks to the different levels of treatment we can offer."

Pete says that it's difficult to collate data about insurance and costs because a lot of it is private, but overall the financial capacity to care for pets can be tracked to the economic cycle.

"Leading up to the boom, we saw a lot more clients with insurance because they had extra cash - you could almost see them looking around for things to buy. That all stopped during the recession. People would look at their budgets and cut it out because their pet had been well."

Sarah Geoghegan from Dublin has had her Staffordshire Bull Terrier Tucker for two years. A difficult breed to get insured, when he took ill last month, she brought him to a couple of vets to try and solve the problem, but he kept getting worse. When he collapsed vomiting and couldn't get up, she sped to the nearest emergency clinic.

"The vet found that he had a blockage in his intestine which could have ultimately killed him. He was immediately sedated to be X-rayed, and I was advised that he needed surgery right away. Depending on the internal damage caused by the blockage it could cost anywhere from between 750 to 1,500."

Sarah says that while she was surprised at the cost, it didn't matter. "I'd pay it 10 times over to make sure he got the treatment he needed. You wouldn't leave a human family member untreated because of the cost, so why not for your pet?"

Tucker is now bouncing around as if nothing ever happened, while Sarah is relieved she was in a position to afford his care.

Jesse Curtis from Dublin found herself in a difficult situation when her rescue cat Ray became sick in 2011. He came to her ill, so she could never get him insured. He was then diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy, a collapsed larynx and cat asthma aged just one, but showed no signs of pain.

"He was so active, so that was the reason we decided to give him a chance. He had heart scans, scopes, X-rays and the vets were sure that once his larynx was repaired it would take pressure off his heart and he could live with medication. He got surgery in 2012. The first few weeks were hard work but then we had a year with no problems."

Sadly though, the following summer was too hot for Ray and he passed away from heart failure. "Our vet bill in UCD came close to 4,000, but I couldn't fault them and I'd pay it again because the care he was given was amazing."

Since then, Jesse's dog Finnegan suffered a tear in his chest cavity and needed an operation that cost nearly 2,000. However, Finnegan was insured.

"The amount has to be paid in full for emergency care, but could be claimed back. Then the after care in our own vet was close to 1,000 but we didn't pay a cent and they claimed straight from our insurer. It was such a relief to not have to pay that straight out. We put in our claim for both bills and we got everything bar our 100 excess back.

"I work in the pet industry and I know many people like me who would pay anything for their pets. You can grow extremely attached to an animal and it can be like having a child. I know I was lucky to have the money available to me for Ray's bill and I'm glad I spent it on him rather than anything else.

"The last 1,000 was paid off monthly and UCD were happy to do that, so there are always options. But for people who prefer to put money away instead of insuring just in case something happens, I say don't, unless you're putting hundreds away. The bill can rack up so quickly."

"People seem to assume that vets are delighted when a pet is insured because we can charge lots of money, but that's absolutely not the reason," says Pete.

"They're relieved, because it means they can do the right thing. If the pet is not insured, you present the options. Some fortunate people who can afford the fees don't care about the cost, other people might have to ask 'well, what difference would this procedure make?'"

Pete says you have to take in to account whether having an MRI or a diagnosis will make the animal any better, or if having the surgery will give them a better quality of life.

However it's not just emergency services that cost a lot, as Irina Milanovic found when her dog Medo was diagnosed with diabetes, arthritis and colitis aged three.

"Medo gets insulin twice a day, six tablets in the morning and two at night. His medication costs about 275 every month.

"Having insurance does help, but the dog is only covered up to a certain amount per year. As a result of that, I am trying not to claim for everything in case he needs to get a big procedure done."

Medo's premium has grown from 219 to 770 a year because of all his previous claims, so Irina pays for all the medication herself. A flare up of colitis also set her back another 850 last year.

"He'll be on medication for the rest of his life. At the moment, his diabetes is under control but his arthritis is getting worse, his eyesight is completely gone in one eye and it's just a matter of time before he is completely blind.

"His treatments aren't going to get any cheaper or less complicated but even so, I would never stop providing the care that he needs, no matter the cost.

"When he got sick, people were telling me to get rid of him, to see if there's a doggy nursing home, but how anyone could do that is beyond me.

"He didn't ask to get sick. He's part of my family and I'll do my best to give him everything that he needs to live a long and happy life."

Noelle O'Reilly, 30, from Glenageary in Dublin, spent over 4,000 when her Puggle required an amputation

'My son Nathan and I have had Charlie for eight months, since he was eight-weeks-old. I am a massive animal lover but this is my first dog.

"Charlie fell backwards when jumping on a bed when he was three-months-old. He broke his elbow in two places and underwent a four-hour operation in UCD Veterinary Hospital. After eight weeks of recovery and me working from home to mind him, the break had failed to heal. I was heartbroken. My choice at this point was to lose the leg or lose my pup.

"I would pay any money for Charlie to be healthy and happy. The total was over 4,000, but the leg is gone, and with it, the pain. He's in great form and has adapted well to being a tripawd.

"As humans, we have people to help and defend us in times of need. If I broke a bone and it failed to heal, I wouldn't be simply written off. Animals need us to be their carers and mostly, their voices.

"I should have had him insured but the accident happened shortly after I got him and I just hadn't the chance. In a world with so much animal cruelty, I genuinely hope that there are no pet owners with an opinion that any price is too high to prevent an animal's pain and suffering. They need us like we need them.

"Charlie is fully insured now on the maximum cover possible. So is my cat - I learned my lesson!"
Emergency services at the scene of the fatal collision on the N11, near Cabinteely, Dublin Photo: Brian Dowling

Two elderly women have been killed within minutes of each other while crossing the road in separate accidents.

Gardai are investigating the two fatal collisions which took place in Dublin and Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, at around 1pm yesterday.

One of the victims, aged in her early 80s, was hit by a car as she tried to cross the southbound carriageway of the N11 in Dublin.

The incident occurred close to Cabinteely Village shortly before 1pm.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and her body was taken to St Columcille's Hospital in Loughlinstown for a post-mortem examination.

The busy route was closed for a time and diversions put in place. Around the same time, a woman in her 70s was killed after being struck by a lorry in Carrick-on-Suir. She was trying to cross the N24 Limerick to Waterford road in the Townspark area at the time.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The road was closed for several hours to allow Garda technical experts carry out a forensic examination.

Investigating gardai have appealed for witnesses to come forward in both cases.

Tributes have poured in for the Tipperary woman who has been named locally as Nellie O'Shea. It is understood she lived in a retirement village in the town.

"She was a very active member of Family Carers Ireland and as the manager I'd like to offer my sympathies to her family. We were all shocked to hear about the accident," local councillor Richie Molloy said.

In south Dublin, Cllr Barry Ward said that the accident was "very shocking for the whole community".
Brendan Keenan: 'Better laws and foreign money needed to overcome worrying homes shortage'

There is a district in Belfast known as the Holy Land. Not because of its religiosity, but because the streets - Jerusalem Street, Damascus Street and so on - are called after places in that region. Once, there were others; Little Crimea, India, and so on. Seemingly, houses were built so quickly for the city's huge expansion in the 19th century that it was too much trouble to think up original names. They eventually gave up altogether, so far as names were concerned. The Shankill area got First Street, Second Street etc, all the way up to Tenth.
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Dan O'Brien Opinion While we catastrophise about Covid, we ignore risk of running out of cash

We Irish view the world in an increasingly strange and unhealthy way. We catastrophise about Covid in a way other European countries do not. We focus on how bad the effects of the virus could get, on how many more restrictions might be imposed by Government and how helpless we are in the face of the virus.
From the beginning of a presidential campaign that opponents and pundits alike once derided as a joke, Donald Trump decided that his greatest strength was his total lack of a quality all his opponents had to a greater or lesser extent - shame.

Brazen shamelessness and a disrespect for the boundaries - often of decency and propriety - that are normally the defining characteristics of all mainstream politicians have propelled Mr Trump to the threshold of the Republican presidential nomination.

A refusal to respect sacred cows has enabled the all-conquering property mogul and television reality star to leave a succession of once-mighty, high-profile casualties in his wake.

They include: Senator John McCain, former Republican presidential candidate and war hero, ridiculed for being shot down over North Vietnam and becoming a prisoner of war; Megyn Kelly, Fox News host, on the receiving end of relentless personal and misogynistic attacks after confronting the candidate about his attitude to women; Jeb Bush, scion of one of America's most successful political dynasties and once thought the likely nominee, mocked as "low energy"; Mitt Romney, the failed 2012 Republican nominee, vilified after attacking Mr Trump's credentials; Marco Rubio, the Florida senator, swatted away contemptuously as "little Marco"; and, last but not least, Ted Cruz, the right-wing Texas senator who became the party establishment's last hope of stopping the Trump juggernaut only to be flattened by a fusillade of abuse that included attacks on his wife's looks, the fanciful smear that his father associated with JFK's assassin, and he himself being denigrated as "lyin' Ted".

In none of this has Trump behaved like a traditional politician - and the result has been an almost unbroken run of success that has confounded Republican party grandees who have despaired of stopping him.

As for the vaunted "brokered convention", where a compromise nominee could be parachuted in to avert the nightmare of a Trump candidacy, that notion - as Trump himself would say - is now surely for losers.

He is within easy touching distance of the 1,237 delegates he needs to make his nomination inevitable and will almost certainly reach that figure before July's convention in Cleveland.

It all seems too fantastical to comprehend.

Yet hindsight shows that Trump deployed his absence of shame to offer simplistic, populist solutions on issues that have shaped a fearful and resentful public mood - and reaped electoral dividends.

Immigration: A key concern to conservative working-class voters, Trump played to base instincts.

Mexico was sending "drug dealers and rapists" to America, he said in language that drew widespread condemnation but clearly resonated.

In response, he would build a "beautiful" wall on the border and force Mexico to pay for it.

Some 11 million illegal immigrants would be rounded up and forcibly deported.

Terrorism: After November's deadly jihadist assaults on Paris, Trump first repeated the discredited trope that "thousands" of American Muslims celebrated the 9/11 attacks - a shameless lie.

When that brought the inevitable denunciations, he went further than any other candidate would ever have dared - by proposing a blanket ban on all Muslims entering the United States, a blatantly discriminatory policy that nonetheless played on the fears of a significant segment of Republican voters.

Trade: Trump has depicted the loss of American jobs as a result of flawed trade deals with China, Mexico and others, and vowed to stop what he has represented as the sell-out of the country by a clueless, weak leadership.

Trade agreements would be torn up, he has said. This has chimed with a portion of the electorate left bewildered by the pace of change wrought by the digital economy - and unpersuaded by arguments that similarly disruptive processes are wreaking just as much havoc elsewhere.

Protesters: Trump's unconcealed incitement of violence at his rallies and calls for demonstrators to be "punched in the face" and "carried out in stretchers" may be ugly, but they carry a raw emotionalism that has greater popular appeal than cerebral argument and conveys an image of strength.

History shows repeatedly that demagoguery has its uses - even in the electoral arena.

In all the above categories, Trump's approach has been extreme - and in policy terms, impractical. But they invariably dominated headlines, which enabled him to lay waste to his opponents.

The presumptive Republican nominee now promises to turn "presidential" and says America is a divided nation which needs to be brought together - an endeavour which his prior conduct appears ill-designed to achieve.

With a wider and much more sceptical electorate now about to face him than the one he was dealing with in the Republican primaries, his best path to success would appear to be changing it - and quickly.

To position himself as a healer, rather than an agent of division; to get the alienated Republican establishment on his side, however belatedly.

The signs that he can do so are unpromising.

With Hillary Clinton now in his sights as the probable Democratic nominee, Trump is already indicating he will stick to his tried and trusted preference for confrontation and abuse.

"I haven't devoted any time, effort, energy to Hillary yet," he told the 'Washington Post'.

When he does, it is unlikely to be in the service of dryly debating policy.

"Her past is really the thing, rather than what she plans to do in the future," Mr Trump added of an opponent he has already tagged "crooked Hillary" and "incompetent Hillary".

Ms Clinton's past - and that of her husband - does indeed offer a rich seam. But signalling an intention to mine it is not the mark of a candidate about to be shamed into turning over a new leaf.
Ray Galton (left) and Alan Simpson will be presented with a Bafta Fellowship award

The comedy writing duo behind Steptoe And Son and Hancock's Half Hour will be honoured with a Bafta Fellowship at the awards on Sunday.

Ray Galton OBE and Alan Simpson OBE will follow in the footsteps of Michael Palin, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, David Attenborough and Julie Walters.

They are to receive the highest accolade offered by Bafta in recognition of their "outstanding and exceptional" contribution to television in a career spanning 60 years.

Galton said: "We are happy and honoured to accept this award on behalf of all the Blood Donors, Test Pilots, Radio Hams and Rag and Bone Men of the 20th Century without whom we would probably be out of a job. Thank you all."

Simpson added: "We always wanted a Fellowship, even though we did not know what a Fellowship was. Not the sort of thing one associates with a couple of Cockney lads, apart from Alfred Hitchcock, of course."

Bafta chairwoman Anne Morrison praised the pair as "trailblazers of the situation comedy format".

They met in 1948 while both recuperating from tuberculosis and got their break in comedy writing with the popular series Hancock's Half-Hour, which aired on the BBC from 1954 to 1960.

The year after, they created the BBC's Comedy Playhouse, out of which emerged Steptoe And Son, about father and son rag-and-bone men living together in a grimy house in Shepherd's Bush.

The enormously popular sitcom, starring Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett as "dirty old man" Albert and his socially aspirational son Harold respectively, ran for 12 years on BBC from 1962-1974.

It earned Galton and Simpson the Writer's Guild Award in 1962 and 1963.

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The duo went on to work on several projects with comedian Frankie Howerd. In 1997, a six-part BBC series called Get Well Soon, written by Ray Galton and John Antrobus, was based Galton and Simpson's experiences in Milford sanatorium.

Proving the continued popularity of their characters, the pair successfully revived Steptoe And Son for a play in 2005 called Murder At Oil Drum Lane.

Both were both awarded OBEs in the 2000 Honours list for their contribution to British television.

The House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards will be broadcast on BBC One on May 8 from 8pm.
A mock church is burnt down on the set of Irish movie Calvary

Just 13.6% of working film directors in the UK are women, new research has revealed.

A report commissioned by Directors UK also showed that the percentage of UK films directed exclusively by women has barely changed in 10 years, rising from 11.3% in 2005 to 11.9% in 2014.

The professional association has called for the film industry to take action on gender inequality by ensuring that half of all publicly-funded films are directed by women by 2020.

The group wants films to meet diversity criteria, which would include gender factors, before they receive government funding.

Beryl Richards, chairwoman of Directors UK said: "It cannot be acceptable that in 2016 any industry with this level of inequality continues to go unchecked - not least the film industry that plays such an influential role in our economy, our society and our culture.

"The first step to tackling this is by understanding why these disparities are happening in the industry.

"With such comprehensive evidence we can now pinpoint and address the areas that need the most attention and focus on rectifying it.

"Our suggestion of a 50:50 split in public funding is something that has been achieved in other countries, such as Sweden.

"Equality of opportunity in UK film-making is something we should all be working towards."

Despite 50.1% of film students and 49.4% of new entrants to the industry being women, just 21.7% of publicly funded films had a female director in 2014 - a figure that has dropped from 32.9% in 2008.

Directors UK blames in part a lack of a regulatory system to effectively monitor and enforce gender equality in the industry.

The report found that existing gender inequality creates a vicious cycle in which new female talent is discouraged by a lack of role models, leading to a smaller pool of female directors.

Video of the Day

Sarah Gavron, the director of the 2015 film Suffragette about the fight for women's right to vote which starred Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep, said the figures were "shocking and startling".

She said: "Film of course influences our culture which is why it is vital to have diversity and more gender equality both in front of and behind the camera.

"We need to work to shift this imbalance, and it seems the only way to do this is to be radical, rather than waiting for something to change."
We need to talk about Federica. You know which one  the one who sashayed into the First Dates restaurant and made the Irish series must-see viewing.

If the shows producers wanted talking points, they hit the jackpot with this sultry South African beauty. Naturally, it didnt take long for the Twittersphere to have their say on Federica: Shes maaaad! was the general gist. My phone vibrated with similar sentiments: What a nutcase! offered one friend. Once her date got her age wrong, a dozen internet memes were born.

Personally, I adored Federica. She is fun, strong and outspoken. She survived the death of her parents within three years of each other and is still smiling. My hunch is that she would make formidable drinking company. I felt a protective pang towards her when Twitter denounced her as simply mad.

Yet, in the trenches of dating, you would be forgiven for thinking that every Irish woman is a bulb short of a tanning bed. Ive lost count of the number of dates I have been on where talk turned to an ex, or a former fling. My God, she was maaaaad, the menfolk seem to sigh as one.

Expand Close Looking for love: 'First Dates Ireland' participant Federica featured in the first episode of the new RTE show. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Looking for love: 'First Dates Ireland' participant Federica featured in the first episode of the new RTE show.

One man I know forlornly pointed out how his ex couldnt get over the death of her grandmother, five weeks after the fact. She was always going on about it, he sighed, exasperated. Headcase.

Another guy Id dated spoke of his previous girlfriend with the traumatised tone of a man back from a particularly punishing tour of duty.

Why, what did she do? I asked, imagining all sorts of colourful, distressing scenarios.

Ah, ye know, he replied. Ringing me to see where I was. Being jealous all the time. Just giving out yards about nothing. When we broke up, she told me I had treated her like crap.

And had you? I asked.

His slightly guilty twitch told me all I needed to know. Essentially, his ex was an emotionally sound human being, and he simply couldnt handle it.

Video of the Day

Now I have a golden rule: any man who refers to another woman as a nutjob or a crazy person gets shown the door.

And then it hit me. Men invoke the bitches be crazy defence in dating when things dont go their way. The womans apparent addiction to drama makes them feel important. When their date becomes not an eager-to-please wimp, but a real-life human being with feelings and insecurities of her own, when things go sour, its easier to sling, Well, youre mad anyway than own up to your own shortcomings.

Culture often describes women as oversensitive, hysterical and crazy, and this is the latest term that effortlessly dismisses and insults women at the same time.

Bitches be crazy has even been added to Urbandictionary.com, such is its prevalence. Pop culture has long perpetuated a trope of women as shrieking harpies; their men as stoic, long-suffering sidekicks. Theres even a site where men can rant about the ridiculous antics of the women in your lives (bitchesbecrazy.net).

But the thing is, none of these women were mad, not one bit. Its the easiest way to denigrate a strong, outspoken woman  calling her actual sanity into question. Turning their emotionality as something to kick her down with. In Ireland, its part of the conversational tapestry, and Ive even had to catch myself on occasion uttering, Sure shes mad.

But every time you call someone  and that someone is often a woman  a madser or a mental bitch, you are perpetuating the idea that a simpering, eyelash-batting milksop is a womans default setting. That were all meant to be pretty, wholesome types, like the Corrs or the Seoiges. A whisper above that? A wild streak to the left? Dare to talk about your chequered past, or your unorthodox views on anything from Beyonce to Nandos? Are you sexually bold and not backwards in coming forwards? Congratulations, youre officially mental.

Of course, the problems with this language are painfully obvious. Using the word mental as a weapon to put someone down undoes the work of several mental health awareness campaigns. It reminds us that mental or mad is something to be wary of. Something thats not welcome in our lives. Despite the best efforts of mental health charities, it will always be misunderstood. It will always be the other. And theres absolutely no point in crowing about government money being siphoned away from mental health services in this country if you dont at least play your own small part first in breaking down the stigma.

Forget actual cold hard cash our collective mindset is still the problem when it comes to tackling mental health challenges in this country. For all the lip service paid to talk about it, there is still so much shame around it. Our readiness to denounce someone as mad is only half the problem. One friend of mine in her 40s  educated, intelligent, self-aware  has only recently owned up to the possibility that she might be experiencing a depressive disorder.

What held her back from investigating it all these years? She didnt want to be labelled as mad, or mental.

As women get older, and more assured of themselves, they start to realise that kowtowing to convention, or to expectations, is a bit of a waste of time. Its no coincidence that the older they get, the more you see them described as having gone mad.

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Its not likely that we will be able to prise talk of headcases, nutters or certifiable out of everyday talk. Theyre there, at several conversational turns, whether we like it or not. Maybe we need to look at it as a badge of honour. Because once I see a woman described as a mad yoke, I know for sure that not only is the person saying it emotionally stunted what she has actually become is knowledgeable and powerful enough to really speak her mind.
Migrants and refugees in a rubber dinghy arriving on the beach at Psalidi near Kos Town, Kos (AP)

Greek officials confirmed 78 refugees have been rescued from crippled smugglers' boats in two separate incidents in the eastern Aegean Sea.

A patrol vessel from the European Union's Frontex border agency picked up 56 people off the island of Chios, while a Greek coast guard crew rescued another 22 off the nearby islet of Panagia.

More than a million refugees and other migrants have reached the Greek islands from nearby Turkey since the beginning of 2015, on their way to Europe's prosperous heartland.

But arrivals have decreased sharply after March 20, when an agreement between the EU and Turkey on addressing the influx came into effect.

A total of 87 people reached the Greek islands on Wednesday.

Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Europe risks succumbing to nationalism by closing borders as a solution to the migrant crisis.

Austria has said it will close the key Brenner crossing with Italy if necessary to stop the flow of migrants northward after they are rescued from smugglers' boats off Italy's coast.

Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, after holding talks in Rome with Ms Merkel, described Austria's strategy as "mistaken," ''anachronistic" and "unjustified".

Ms Merkel told reporters the crisis must be resolved "in a way different from closing borders".

She added: "We can't close borders... We must be loyal to each other."

Ms Merkel said EU nations must defend the Schengen border-free travel agreement or "else we risk falling back into nationalism".
In the end, Ted Cruz was just too unlikeable to be the Republican presidential nominee.

The party establishment had looked desperately for a standard bearer to take on Donald Trump and Mr Cruz was it, but only by default.

He was deeply unloved, even hated, by his colleagues in the US Senate and any of the other 16 candidates who started the race might have been a better alternative.

However, in recent weeks Mr Cruz had emerged as the only one with a chance to stop the billionaire property mogul. Senior figures in the party attempted to support Mr Cruz and "Never Trump" groups poured millions of dollars into TV advertisements to help him.

There were also numerous high profile endorsements, but some of those stepping up to back Mr Cruz looked like they were having their teeth pulled.

The failure of the party to effectively rally around Mr Cruz stemmed from 2013 when he led a group that shut down the federal government in an attempt to defund Obamacare, leading to a bitter public reaction against the Republican Party.

It infuriated the leadership and in the presidential race Mr Cruz was initially viewed as an iconoclastic outsider candidate. He delivered a blistering populist message, railing against the corrupt "Washington cartel," threatening carpet bombing in Syria, and vowing to defend to the death the right to carry guns. He wore his Christianity on his sleeve, delivering speeches that were more like sermons and championing the right to life.

In the beginning the Republican establishment had assumed that Jeb Bush would be the nominee and represent their interests, but he was knocked out early after a lacklustre campaign.

They then rallied behind Senator Marco Rubio but he was felled after losing his home state of Florida to Mr Trump.

Next up was John Kasich, the Ohio governor, but he failed to gain traction with voters. Only Mr Cruz was left.

But many of the party elite still couldn't stomach supporting him, describing him as deeply arrogant and untrustworthy.

John Boehner, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, called him "Lucifer in the flesh" and a "miserable son of a bitch".

And people who had known Mr Cruz throughout his life queued up to offer character assassinations.

His former room-mate at Princeton said: "I would rather have anybody else be the president. Anyone. I would rather pick somebody from the phone book."
A young student opened a bank account shortly before her 18th birthday - and was rewarded with an immediate 3m overdraft.

Christine Jiaxin Lee reportedly received the whopping AUS$4.6m (3m) credit on her Westpac account due to a system glitch.

Rather than return to her bank to inform them of the extraordinary error, the now 21-year-old allegedly spent $1m of the funds 'on luxury handbags' over the last four years.

Between July 2014 and April 2015, the student - originally from Malaysia - allegedly overdrew on numerous occasions, totalling AUS$4,653,333.02.

Authorities have now caught up with the engineering student from Sydney claiming that she has broken the law by spending the bank's money.

Sydney City Local Area Command's CBD fraud unit issued a warrant for Ms Lee's arrest in March of this year, four years after their investigation began.

She was arrested at Sydney Airport on Wednesday en route to fly to Malaysia 'to visit her family'.

However, counsel for the Ms Lee argue that no crime has been committed as she simply used the overdraft facility that was given to her.

Her 21-year-old boyfriend, who she is living with as part of her bail conditions, has claimed to have no knowledge of the funds.
It was an accident she ended up in an oceanography class at UW-Eau Claire her freshman year, for Kristie Franz had always considered herself more of an arts and social sciences student in high school.

But the class she wanted was full, and perhaps for good reason. Franz fell in love with geology, and the 1991 McDonell Central High School graduate is now an associate professor of geological and atmospheric sciences at Iowa State University.

Sometimes it just takes one thing to put you in a certain direction, and you can end up somewhere you never thought you would be, said Franz, who received her Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of California, Irvine in 2006.

Thats the message she hoped to get across to the 19 McDonell and Chippewa Falls Senior High School seniors who were recognized at the 31st annual Excellence in Education banquet Wednesday night. Franz was guest speaker at the event, held at the Avalon Hotel & Conference Center in Chippewa Falls.

The banquet recognizes Chi-Hi and MACS seniors in the top 5 percent of their graduating class, as well as each students most influential educator. Michelle Farrow, membership coordinator for the Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, said that more than 40 businesses, organizations and individuals sponsored the event.

While Franz realizes students are more aware of their opportunities now than when she was in high school, she said its still important for them to know they dont have to have it all figured out by the time they accept their diploma this spring.

Franz, who was the first in her generation to go to college, certainly couldnt have guessed shed be a professor of science when she was in high school  she never even considered it. But she was open to trying new things, and thinks thats a huge part of how she ended up where she did.

If it doesnt work out, thats okay because almost everything you try can lead you to something else, she said. Its important to make smart decisions, but every decision you make isnt going to make or break your future.

It does help to have support, and she said growing up in a small community gave her that strength.

As a student at McDonell, she said her teachers always supported her and encouraged her to go on to university.

The nice thing about McDonell is its a very close-knit community, and you really learn how to forge strong relationships, she said. Theres a lot of stability in having that extended family. It gives you a strong base from which you can go out and try different things, but know theres always people who have your back.

She congratulated the 19 students on their hard work over the last four years and encouraged them to take advantage of whatever opportunities they are presented.

The speakers are chosen by McDonell Central Catholic High School and Chippewa Falls Senior High School staff, with each school alternating years on deciding, and the other school chooses the years unsung hero.

This year was McDonells turn and Cathy Greenseth, MACS director of communications and marketing, said Franz was an ideal candidate because of the variety of different endeavors shes faced since graduating.

Chi-Hi presented the unsung hero award to Dawn Siddons, the human resources and public relations assistant at Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District.
At least 28 people are said to have died in an air strike in Syria

At least 28 people have been killed in an air strike on a refugee camp in north-western Syria, near the Turkish border, activists said.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the casualties include women and children.

The strike hit a camp for the internally displaced in the rebel-held territory near Sarmada, in Syria's Idlib province.

The Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, said more than 30 are dead.

The camp is home to hundreds of people who have fled from the surrounding Aleppo and Hama provinces.

Videos circulating on social media said to be from the camp show at least a dozen tents burned to the ground, charred bodies and injured women and children being loaded onto a pick-up truck.

The latest attack came just hours after a twin bombing in the central province of Homs killed at least 10 people and wounded scores, state media and regional governor Talal Barrazi said.

A car bomb first exploded in the main square of the village of Mukharam al-Fawkani, 28 miles east of the city of Homs, Syria's third largest.

As people gathered to help the victims, a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle detonated his explosives nearby. Four children and three women were among those killed, state TV said, and as many as 49 were wounded in the attack.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Islamic State (IS) group has claimed to be behind several similar deadly attacks in Homs province.

The area of the blasts is close to where Syrian troops and IS gunmen have been fighting for control of the vital Shaer gas field, which fell to IS on Wednesday after the extremists overran 13 government checkpoints and captured a Syrian soldier.

The Observatory said 34 government troops and 16 militants have been killed in three days of fighting there.

Meanwhile, relative calm prevailed in the northern city of Aleppo amid a ceasefire announced on Wednesday by US officials in agreement with Russia. The Syrian military said the truce would only last 48 hours.

Syrian President Bashar Assad said in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Aleppo will eventually be victorious, comparing the Syrian government forces' resistance in the city to the protracted Second World War battle of Stalingrad.

In Aleppo, Syrian state media reported some violations of the truce, saying militants had fired more than 20 shells into government-held parts of the city, where 280 civilians have been killed over the past two weeks, according to the Observatory. The activist group said Thursday's shelling killed one person.

In his letter to Mr Putin, which was carried on Syrian state media, Mr Assad vowed that Aleppo and other Syrian cities and towns will defeat "the aggression" the way the Soviet Red Army defeated Nazi forces in Stalingrad.

"Aleppo today, as well as all Syrian cities embrace the heroic Stalingrad and pledge that despite the viciousness of the aggression... our cities, villages, people and army will not accept anything less than defeating the aggression," Mr Assad said.

It was unclear why Mr Assad was making the comparison, but the rhetoric could be playing to Russian patriotic sentiment ahead of Victory Day next week - May 9 marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union at the end of the Second World War.

Also on Thursday, renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev led the Mariinsky orchestra from St Petersburg in a concert at the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, which was badly damaged by IS extremists who held the town for 10 months before Syrian troops captured it under the cover of Russian air strikes in March.

The concert, dubbed With A Prayer for Palmyra, was to support the restoration of the Unesco heritage site and in honour of the victims of Syria's war. It was held in the town's amphitheatre.

In opening remarks, Gergiev said that with the concert, "we protest against the barbarians who destroyed monuments of world culture".

There was also a video linkup in which Mr Putin addressed the audience, saying he regards the concert "as a sign of gratitude, remembrance and hope".

The White House said the air strike in north-western Syria was "indefensible".

Spokesman Josh Earnest said there is "no justifiable excuse" for an air strike targeting innocent civilians who have already left their homes to flee violence.

Mr Earnest said it was too early to say whether Mr Assad's forces had conducted the attack. But he said he believes no US or coalition aircraft were operating in the area.

Mr Earnest said if it turns out Mr Assad's government was responsible for using force against civilians, "it would not at all be the first time".
Neil Prakash was Australia's most dangerous IS operative

Australia's most dangerous known Islamic State operative had been killed in a US air strike in Iraq.

The United States confirmed that Neil Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was killed in Mosul on Friday, Australian attorney general George Brandis said.

Prakash, 24, an Australian citizen of Cambodian and Fijian heritage, converted from Buddhism in 2012 and travelled to Syria a year later.

The former rapper from Melbourne featured in IS recruitment videos, was linked to several terror attack plans in Australia and urged lone wolf attacks against the United States.

"Prakash was a very important, high-value target," Mr Brandis said.

"He was the most dangerous Australian involved with Isil (another name for IS) in the Middle East."

The United States also confirmed the death in Syria of the sister of a 15-year-old Australian boy who was shot dead by police after he gunned down a police accountant outside a Sydney police station in October last year, Mr Brandis said.

Shadi Jabhar Khalil Mohammad left Australia the day before her brother Farhad Jabhar died.

She and her Sudanese husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, were killed in a US air strike near the Syrian town of al-Bab on April 22. Both had been IS recruiters of foreign fighters and had inspired attacks against Western interests, Mr Brandis said.

Authorities estimate 110 Australians are fighting for IS in the Middle East.
Russia will raise three new military divisions to counter an increased Nato presence in eastern and central Europe, the country's defence minister has said.

Two new divisions will be deployed to Russia's western border and one to the south by the end of the year, Sergei Shoigu said in Moscow yesterday.

"The ministry of defence has adopted a series of measures to counter the growing capacity of Nato forces in close proximity to the Russian borders," Mr Shoigu said, according to Interfax.

He did not give any details about the number or kind of troops that will be deployed.

Mr Shoigu's comments came after the United States revealed plans to maintain a beefed-up Nato military presence in the region in response to concerns about Russia's appetite for military adventurism since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Ash Carter, the US defence secretary, said on Monday that the alliance was considering maintaining a permanent rotation of 4,000 troops in the Baltic States and possibly Poland.

Armoured

The proposed force would be separate from a US armoured brigade of about 4,200 troops that is to be deployed to the region next year.

Russia initially announced the creation of new divisions in response to the Nato build up and exercises in January.

Col Gen Slyukov, the commander of Russian ground forces, said at the time that three new divisions would be formed this year in Russia's western military district, which stretches from the Urals to the borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Belarus and the Ukraine, and one more in the central military district, which covers most of western Siberia.

In February, Russia ruled out strengthening arms control commitments after the US said that it would quadruple spending on its military in Europe.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
A Palestinian man inspects a damaged artesian well-drilling truck following an early morning Israeli air strike at a workshop in Gaza City (AP)

The Israeli military said it has uncovered a new tunnel stretching from the southern Gaza Strip into Israel and built by Palestinian militants seeking to stage attacks in Israel.

The discovery comes amid an escalation in violence between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers.

Also on Thursday, Gaza militants fired several volleys of mortars at Israel, prompting Israeli retaliatory fire and air strikes on militant targets repeatedly used by the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups.

The fighting in recent days has been among some of the most serious violence between Gaza and Israel since a 50-day summer war in 2014.

Mousa Abu Marzouk, an official with the Islamic militant Hamas group that rules Gaza, said Egypt and Qatar have intervened to try to restore calm.

Last month, Israel discovered and destroyed another tunnel dug from Gaza into Israel.

The two tunnels are the first to be found since the 2014 Gaza war, sparking concerns in Israel that Hamas is rebuilding its underground tunnel network in preparation for another conflagration.

Towards the end of the 2014 war, Israel destroyed more than 30 tunnels that Hamas had dug under the border. Hamas militants had used the tunnels to infiltrate Israel and carry out attacks.

The tunnel found on Thursday is about 95ft underground, the army said, and it was not immediately clear whether it is a newly dug tunnel or an older tunnel Israel had hit and which had been repaired.

It was discovered by soldiers on the Gaza side of the border fence in a 100-metre zone that Israeli forces still operate in and patrol.

Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, an army spokesman, said Hamas militants may have fired toward soldiers because they realised Israel was closing in on its tunnel.

"It is our job to locate them and destroy them," Lt Col Lerner said, speaking about border tunnels. "Hamas is continuing to try to carry out and build this infrastructure into Israel and it's something we are not prepared to tolerate."

After Israel announced the discovery of the tunnel, more mortar rounds were fired at Israeli troops along the Gaza border fence, the military said.

Israel's military responded with tank fire. About an hour later, Gaza militants fired several more mortars at the area and Israeli tanks again retaliated, the military said.

Shortly afterwards, Gaza residents reported Israeli jets hit open areas and observation posts used by Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants. No casualties were reported in the day's exchanges.

Also on Thursday, the military said that in a joint operation with the Shin Bet security service, Israeli forces arrested a "Hamas terror operative involved in the terror organisations tunnel network".

Earlier, the military said it had hit "terrorist infrastructure sites" belonging to Hamas. The Gaza Health Ministry said three children and a 65-year-old Palestinian suffered light-to-moderate injuries in an air strike that hit a metal workshop in Gaza City.

The workshop's owner, Hassan Hassanin, said his well-digging truck - which he described as the only one in Gaza that can reach a depth of 121ft - was hit.

"Why was it bombed," he asked. "I don't pose any threat to Israel's security. Israel itself knows this machine, what it does and what its capabilities are. It doesn't pose any danger to security."

Palestinian media said an Islamic Jihad militant group outpost was also targeted.

On Wednesday, Israel struck five other Hamas targets, responding to a mortar shell launched toward Israeli forces near the Gaza Strip. The army said no soldiers were harmed.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized power in Gaza in 2007. In the 2014 summer war, more than 2,200 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them civilians, were killed. On the Israeli side, 66 soldiers and seven civilians were killed.

Israel and Hamas have largely observed a ceasefire since that war, but other militant groups also operate in Gaza. Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for any attacks out of the territory.

The latest escalation comes amid a months-long wave of violence that has seen near-daily attacks by Palestinians, mostly stabbings, which have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans.

Some 193 Palestinians have been killed, most said by Israel to have been attackers and the rest killed in clashes with Israeli forces.
Syria's government is refusing UN appeals to deliver aid to 905,000 people including in Aleppo, the city at the centre of an eruption of violence in the past two weeks, UN humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said yesterday.

"We seem to be having new possible besieged areas on our watch, we are having hundreds of relief workers unable to move in Aleppo," he told reporters after a weekly humanitarian meeting of nations backing the Syria peace process.

"It is a disgrace to see while the population of Aleppo is bleeding their options to flee have never been more difficult than now."

The violence in the city - Syria's largest and once its key commercial centre - has been going on for the past 13 days, despite intense diplomatic efforts to restore a limited ceasefire that began in late February.

Nearly 300 people have been killed during this latest spate of violence in Aleppo, which has put the city at the centre of the Syrian conflict and shattered the partial ceasefire.

Over the last two weeks, hospitals and civilian areas in the divided city have come under attack from government warplanes, as well as from shelling by rebel forces.

And three more people have been killed in the renewed shelling by Syrian rebels of areas in Aleppo held by the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

State TV said government troops repelled an overnight rebel attack on an Aleppo suburb controlled by the government.

Pro-opposition activists confirmed that report, adding that government forces regained control of a former shopping centre that had become a new front line with rebel fighters in the western part of the city.

The head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdurrahman described those clashes as some of the worst between the government and rebel fighters over the last year in Aleppo.

Areas under the control of Isil and its main rival, the Syrian al-Qa'ida affiliate known as the Nusra Front, have not been included in the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Isil said it has advanced in the strategic Shaer gas fields in Syria's central Homs province.
US Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV who was killed during an Isil attack Photo: AFP PHOTO / NAVY MEDIA CONTENT OPERATIONS (NMCO)

Isil is making its own chemical weapons, a global watchdog has revealed, warning the West should be vigilant for any attack.

A team of investigators at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said they had found evidence of the use of homemade sulphur mustard in attacks in Syria and Iraq.

"The suspicions are that (Isil) may have produced it themselves, which is extremely worrying," Ahmet Uzumcu, the head of OPCW, said yesterday. "It proves that they have the technology, know-how and also access to the materials which might be used for the production of chemical weapons."

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) is believed to have set up a special unit for chemical weapons research made up of Iraqi scientists who worked on weapons programmes under Saddam Hussein, as well as foreign experts.

Leaked Isil files seen by this reporter showed a number of senior foreign fighters with chemical engineering degrees and some with lengthy experience in the field back home.

Earlier this year, American special forces captured the head of the unit trying to develop chemical weapons in a raid last month in northern Iraq. The detainee handed over intelligence on locations the US was then able to strike.

The US-led coalition said the chemicals Isil has used so far include chlorine and a low-grade sulphur mustard.

Isil has captured a large number of empty chemical weapons shells over the course of the war in Iraq and Syria, remnants of those nations' since-dismantled programmes.

While chemical agents allegedly used by the group so far have been among its least effective weapons, the psychological impact on civilians is considerable.

In March, a suspected Isil gas attack on the Iraqi town of Taza, south of Kirkuk, killed three children and wounded some 1,500 people, with injuries ranging from burns to rashes and respiratory problems.

A further 25,000 fled their homes in and around Taza, fearing another attack.

Extremist

Russia last month pushed for measures at the United Nations to monitor extremist groups fighting in Syria, warning of a "clear and present threat" that they could stage chemical attacks, possibly in Europe.

The news came as the US gathered defence ministers from 11 other countries, including Britain, for talks on about ways to strengthen the campaign against Isil, a day after a US Navy SEAL was killed in Iraq during an attack by the militant group.

A US defence official told the AFP news agency that the soldier, Charlie Keating IV, was killed by "direct fire" and in "an orchestrated attack" after Isil fighters used suicide bombers and heavy weaponry to break through Kurdish peshmerga defences north of its Mosul stronghold.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
MADISON  The leader of Wisconsin's short-staffed prison system said Thursday that he plans to hand out millions of dollars in raises each year in the hopes of boosting recruiting and retention.

Department of Corrections Secretary Jon Litscher issued a news release saying that starting June 26, all correctional officers, sergeants and youth counselors will receive 80 cents more an hour.

Correctional officers and sergeants at maximum security prisons in Waupun, Green Bay and Portage will get an additional 50 cents per hour from May 29 through Jan. 7. Counselors at Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake, the state's youth prison in Irma, also will get the additional 50 cents per hour during that span. Corrections employees who won't get a raise will be eligible for merit bonuses.

The news release said the raises are expected to cost about $10 million annually and will be covered by existing funds. The release didn't say where that money would come from and agency spokesman Tristan Cook had no immediate details when reached by phone, saying he was driving. The department has budgeted about $1.1 million for bonuses for the fiscal year, which ends June 30.

Wisconsin prisons have long grappled with severe staffing shortages, resulting in employees working longer shifts that have sapped morale. One of every 10 security positions was open as of Oct. 31, according to the agency. The problems were the worst at Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, where roughly 20 percent of jobs were unfilled as of August, according to a Legislative Audit Bureau review.

Almost one in five jobs at Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake were open as of last month, according to DOC figures. Of 87 youth counselor positions, 14 were vacant. Of 59 advanced counselor positions, 14 also were open. That facility is under a sweeping federal investigation into allegations staffers abused inmates.

What's more, 20 percent of the agency's correctional officers and sergeants are currently eligible for retirement, with 35 percent eligible within five years and 54 percent eligible within 10, Thursday's news release said.

Gov. Scott Walker appointed Litscher as DOC secretary in February, replacing Ed Wall, who resigned in the wake of the youth prison investigation. Litscher told state senators during his confirmation hearing in March that the public has lost confidence in the DOC and he wants to reduce forced overtime.
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.
The scene of a fatal one-vehicle wreck Thursday morning near Starr.

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By Mike Ellis of the Independent Mail

A man died when he crashed early Thursday morning while fleeing an Anderson County Sheriff's Office deputy at high speed.

Kyle Michael Presjak, 25, of Warren, Ohio, was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Impala that belonged to his girlfriend, who lives in Georgia, according to Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Charlie Boseman said.

Anderson County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Lt. Sheila Cole said Presjak was being chased by a sheriff's deputy who responded to a burglary alarm around 1:40 a.m. at a Shell convenience store, which is in the 4400 block of S.C. 81 in Homeland Park.

She said he had used his car to break through the windows of the store and the chase began when a deputy arrived on the scene.

The chase was short-lived and fast, Cole said.

The Impala wrecked at 1:45 a.m. on S.C. 81 near Cumming Springs Road in Starr, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Presjak hit a curb, overturned several times and was thrown from the vehicle, said Lance Cpl. David Jones of the state patrol. Presjak was not wearing a seat belt.

No other cars were involved in the wreck.

Cole said other deputies may have been headed toward the chase, but there may not have been enough time for them to join the pursuit. She was not sure how close the deputy was to the wreck when it happened.

Boseman said that based on his experience he believes Presjak was driving at least 100 mph at the time of the crash, but official speed figures will come from accident reconstruction experts from the state patrol.

Cole said that speed estimate matches reports from a supervisor.

Presjak incurred multiple trauma injuries and was declared dead at the scene, Boseman said.

The state patrol accident reconstruction unit is investigating the wreck along with the coroner's office.

Follow Mike Ellis on Twitter @MikeEllis_AIM
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By Jamie Self, jself@thestate.com

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley ruled out the notion of becoming Donald Trumps running mate Wednesday as the New York billionaires path to the GOP presidential nomination cleared.

In a statement, Haley said: I have great respect for the will of the people, and as I have always said, I will support the Republican nominee for president.

To the members of the press who are asking, while I am flattered to be mentioned and proud of what that says about the great things going on in South Carolina, my plate is full and I am not interested in serving as vice president.

Meanwhile, South Carolina Republican Party leaders called Wednesday for their party to unify behind Trump after his last two major opponents quit the race. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas left the race on Tuesday, following his landslide loss in the Indiana GOP primary, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich dropped out Wednesday.

We have to respect the fact that Donald Trump has won dozens of states, said South Carolina GOP chairman Matt Moore. Republican voters clearly want an outsider who will shake things up.

Moore said Trump, who won South Carolinas GOP primary in February, will have access to the state partys data and field operations immediately. Our job, at the end of the day, is to help candidates win elections.

In a campaign previously abuzz with the possibility of Trump facing a contested convention, Cruzs exit Tuesday came as a surprise to some South Carolina Republicans, said Glenn McCall, a Republican National Committee member from Rock Hill.

I thought Sen. Cruz was going to go the distance, said McCall, who, as a party official, had remained neutral in the race. But we have a presumptive nominee now, and were all going to unify.

Speculation about Haleys prospects as a potential vice-presidential candidate intensified last year after she led an effort to remove the Confederate flag from the state House grounds. Calls for the flags removal came in response to a racially motivated mass slaying at a Charleston church.

The daughter of Indian immigrants and South Carolinas first female and minority governor, Haleys national profile has grown over her two terms. However, Haley would have been an unlikely choice for Trump, having used her higher profile to criticize the bombastic New Yorker.

Delivering the GOP response to President Barack Obamas final State of the Union address this year, Haley warned the nation to ignore the siren call of the angriest voices  a slap at Trump  and criticized his immigration proposals.

Later, Haley endorsed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in the South Carolina GOP primary. When Rubio dropped out of the race, Haley said she would support Cruz.
When her doctor told her the cancer was leaving her about eight months to live in January, Joy Pecha was understandably devastated. There were so many things she still wanted to do.

Pecha, a resident of Aggies Country Living in Eagleton, and Aggies director Sheena Fransway discussed how to make the most of her time.

The two things closest to Pechas heart were simple: Spend time with her daughter, Anna Seyller, and go fishing.

On Friday, Pecha heads to Key West, Fla., for a four-day weekend with her daughter and their friend Emilee Beaudette thanks to the Dream Foundation. It is a nationwide organization based in Santa Barbara, California, that delivers dreams to terminally ill adults.

Its so special, Pecha said. My daughter and I can spend maybe some last quality time together because when she visits its usually just for a day. I hope we can laugh and make memories.

On April 27, a Dream Foundation volunteer from their corporate partnership, Genetech, delivered a package and cake to Pecha at Aggies. They had a small celebration with the eight other residents and staff.

While Pecha knew Fransway applied for the dream  there was a lot of paperwork involved and they needed Pechas consent  Fransway kept it a secret she had been accepted until the foundation arrived at their doorstep.

It was such a surprise, Pecha said. I mean, the dream was, but for them to take the time to send someone here with a cake and all these goodies for the trip, it was amazing.

The dream basket included sunscreen, chocolate, a shell necklace, beach blanket and other goodies to use while in Key West as well as an ocean-themed cake that read Have a great trip, Joy! The Dream Foundation paid for the hotel, a non-stop flight for her and Seyller and even gave Pecha spending money to use while shes there.

Though she doesnt have the strength she used to, and shell be traveling in her wheelchair, she still hopes to get in some fishing time off the pier. Its been at least five years since shes reeled one in, and she looks forward to having the opportunity again.

Beaudette, a close family friend and currently in the medical field, and Seyller will serve as her caregivers if anything should happen.

Fransway said she really wanted to give Pecha everything she could in these last few months, and the look on her face when she saw the dream package made it completely worth it.

Even the residents had tears in their eyes, we were all just so happy for her, Fransway said. I just knew I had to do something special for her, and this was the big thing she wanted to do.

She knows having those quality moments with friends and family are extra important right now, and shes thrilled to lift Pechas spirits in a sometimes difficult time.

Fransway opened the assisted living home in honor of her grandmother, who was also a cancer patient and passed away in February. Its her goal to give all her residents the extra-special care she would have wanted her grandmother to have.

Its kind of like we have a little family here because we are smaller and we all connect so well, Fransway said. Joys brought a lot of positive energy. Shes very optimistic, especially given her situation.

The Dream Foundation has provided dreams to nearly 25,000 dreamers, Dani Cordaro, Dream Foundations PR coordinator, said the organization hasnt turned away a single qualified dream request in the 22 years of its existence.

Dreamers have to be at least 18 years old and been given a life expectancy of 12 months or less to qualify. Like Pecha, the foundation always puts together a small package to deliver.

Its just a celebration to really get our dreamers excited about it and to involve community and volunteers, Cordaro said. It provides inspiration, comfort and closure for these adults and their families at the end of their life, and we feel thats really important.
By Dezan Shira & Associates

Editor: Tracie Frost

The Indian rules for foreign portfolio investments (FPIs) have undergone several regulatory changes designed to ease investment in the last few years. FPIs primarily consist of securities and other financial assets passively held by foreign investors, generally for short-term speculation. Foreign portfolio investment differs from foreign direct investment in that it does not give the investor direct ownership of financial assets.

Prior to January 2014, FPIs were divided into foreign institutional investors, qualified foreign investors, and sub-accounts. Responding to market pressure, in January 2014, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) notified new rules which were designed to bring India in line with international norms and establish a simplified regulatory framework for foreign investors who fit the FPI framework. The new rules merged foreign institutional investors, qualified foreign investors, and sub-accounts together to form the new foreign portfolio investor class. The rules took effect on June 1, 2014.

The SEBI divided FPI into three categories based on risk:

Category I (low risk) includes government and government-related investors such as central banks, governmental agencies, sovereign wealth funds, and international or multilateral organizations or agencies.

Category II (moderate risk) includes regulated entities such as mutual funds, investment trusts, insurance companies, banks, asset management companies, portfolio managers, and university endowments.

Category III (high risk) includes all investors not eligible under Category I and II such as charitable societies, charitable trusts, foundations, corporate bodies, individuals, and family offices.

Under the regulations, total investment by each FPI is restricted to 10 percent of the issued equity capital of the company. However, aggregate FPI investment in an Indian company is capped at 24 percent, unless specifically authorized by that companys board of directors. FPIs are not generally allowed to invest in unlisted shares.

In July 2015, the Indian government instituted composite caps to increase the aggregate limit of 24 percent up to the sectoral cap/statutory ceiling provided in the consolidated foreign direct investment policy. These rules abolished sub-limits on different categories of investment and instead created overall caps for foreign direct and foreign portfolio investment. FPIs may now invest up to the sectoral cap in any company as long as the investment has been authorized by the companys board of directors, and, if necessary, approved by the Indian Government.

Again, in September 2015, the Government of India responded to investor concerns by affirming that FPIs are not liable for minimum alternative tax (MAT) in India if they have no permanent establishment or place of business in India. The clarification was a welcome announcement to FPIs who had been issued notices seeking payment of MAT.

RELATED: Accounting & Reporting Services from Dezan Shira & Associates

Observations

While these changes in foreign investment policy have improved the investor landscape for foreign entities, investors say that more changes are necessary to increase Indias ease of business and bring more foreign portfolio investment to India. Recently, SEBI has signaled the possibility of creating most favored nation status for investors from the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Europe. Investors from these countries could be accorded automatic approval, much like the process for foreign direct investment.

SEBI could also consider ways of accommodating investors who are not members of international securities bodies or regulated by a central bank, including Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and state-regulated U.S. banks. Currently these investors can only trade in India as Category III funds, which are not allowed to issue derivative instruments. SEBI requires that funds be regulated by the securities market or banking regulators of their country in order to be Category I or II funds.

As India continues to improve the ease of foreign portfolio investors to enter the Indian market, greater investments should follow.

About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email india@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight.

Managing Your Accounting and Bookkeeping in India

In this issue of India Briefing Magazine, we spotlight three issues that financial management teams for India should monitor. Firstly, we examine the new Indian Accounting Standards (Ind-AS) system, which is expected to be a boon for foreign companies in India. We then highlight common filing dates for most companies with operations in India, and lastly examine procedures and regulations for remitting profits from India.

Tax, Accounting, and Audit in India 2014-2015

Tax, Accounting, and Audit in India 2014-2015 offers a comprehensive overview of the major taxes foreign investors are likely to encounter when establishing or operating a business in India. This concise, detailed, yet pragmatic guide is ideal for CFOs, compliance officers and heads of accounting who need to be able to navigate the complex tax and accounting landscape in India in order to effectively manage and strategically plan their India-based operations.

An Introduction to Indias Audit Process

In this issue of India Briefing Magazine, we provide readers with an overview of Indias annual audit process and offer important tips for the smooth navigation of the countrys audit regulations and accounting standards. We begin by first explaining the two most common types of audit in India, statutory and internal audits, and then outline the standard steps and procedures an Indian auditor will follow in each.
Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. Receive information of your transactions directly from Exchanges on your mobile / email at the end of day and alerts on your registered mobile for all debits and other important transactions in your demat account directly from NSDL/ CDSL on the same day." - Issued in the interest of investors.

KYC is one time exercise while dealing in securities markets - once KYC is done through a SEBI registered intermediary (broker, DP, Mutual Fund etc.), you need not undergo the same process again when you approach another intermediary.

No need to issue cheques by investors while subscribing to IPO. Just write the bank account number and sign in the application form to authorise your bank to make payment in case of allotment. No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account."

www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others.
Emami, home-grown FMCG firm, reported consolidated net profit of Rs.75.85 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, registering decline of 45.17% yoy and 43.45% qoq. The companys revenue stood at Rs. 670.77 crore, up 21.15% yoy but down 14.93% qoq.Its consolidated core operating profit of Rs. 182.28 crore for the quarter, clocked growth of 29.89% yoy but decline of 26.94% qoq. Operating profit margin for the current quarter at 27.17% expanded by 182 bps yoy but contracted by 447 bps qoq.For the year ended March 31, 2016, the company reported consolidated net profit of Rs. 359.06 crore, declining by 26.06% yoy. Its consolidated revenue for the period stood at Rs. 2,623.79 crore, registering growth of 18.34% yoy.Emami's core operating profit stood at Rs. 683.77 crore, recording growth of 26.61% yoy. Operating margin for the current period at 26.29% expanded by 222 bps yoy.On standalone basis,Emami reported standalone net profit of Rs.63.80 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, registering decline of 51.79% yoy and 51.06% qoq. The companys revenue stood at Rs. 597.64 crore, up 20.56% yoy but down 18.39% qoq.Its standalone core operating profit of Rs. 168.85 crore for the quarter, clocked growth of 32.8% yoy but decline of 30.46% qoq. Operating profit margin for the current quarter at 28.25% expanded by 260 bps yoy but contracted by 491 bps qoq.For the year ended March 31, 2016, the company reported standalone net profit of Rs. 327.67 crore, declining by 30.52% yoy. Its standalone revenue for the period stood at Rs. 2,391.51 crore, registering growth of 17.77% yoy.Emami Ltd's core operating profit stood at Rs. 650.62 crore, recording growth of 27.52% yoy. Operating margin for the current period at 27.41% expanded by 228 bps yoy.Emamis net sales grew by 21.2% to Rs. 671 crore, 3.7% lower than IIFL estimate of Rs. 697 crore. The other expenses declined by 249bps. However, employee/advertisement cost increased by 72bps/410bps, respectively in Q4FY16. This suppressed EBITDA margin growth to 184bps to 27.2% which was 126bps54bps/ lower than IIFL estimate of 28.4%. EBITDA grew 29.9% to Rs 182 crore, which was 8% lower than IIFL estimate but 0.8% higher than BBG estimate.Depreciation cost which increased from Rs. 11 crore in Q4FY15 to Rs. 90 crore in Q4FY16, interest cost also shot up from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 14 crore in Q4FY16, and 74.3% decline in other income during the quarter. During the quarter, the company had amortized the Kesh King intangibles worth Rs210cr, which resulted into decline in PBT by 43.9% to Rs. 85 crore. The effective tax rate was up from 8.9% in Q4FY15 to 10.3% in Q4FY16. Hence, PAT declined 45.1% to Rs. 76cr, which was 48.2%/41.8% lower than our/BBG estimate of Rs146cr/Rs130cr, respectively.
Anne Graham Lotz Succeeds Shirley Dobson as Next Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force New Chapter Begins after Quarter Century as Mantle of Leadership Passes to Billy Graham's Daughter



Contact: Dion Elmore, Chief Communications Officer,



WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /



"After much prayer and careful consideration, I am pleased to announce that Mrs. Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Dr. Billy Graham, has graciously accepted this new role, and will succeed me as the new chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force," said Dobson.



The New York Times named Anne Graham Lotz whom her father, Billy Graham, refers to as "the best preacher in the family," one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. She is also a prayer warrior, powerful speaker, best-selling author and the founder and president of her own organization, AnGeL Ministries. Anne's latest book, The Daniel Prayer: Prayer That Moves Heaven and Changes Nations, releases May 10, and will encourage, equip and engage readers in effective, passionate prayer.



"For the past three years I have felt a compelling urgency to pray," said Lotz. "As a result my organization, AnGeL Ministries, has offered five worldwide prayer initiatives that have drawn tens of thousands into prayer. So when Shirley Dobson asked me to succeed her as the Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, I was highly honored."



"I believe I'm called by God to those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:1-2)," Lotz added. "I will continue to lead AnGeL Ministries as I accept this new assignment to not only get people into God's Word, but also onto their knees in serious prayer for our nation."



To schedule a media interview, contact Dion Elmore at



About the National Day of Prayer

The National Day of Prayer tradition predates the founding of the United States of America, evidenced by the Continental Congress' proclamation in 1775 setting aside a day of prayer. In 1952, Congress established an annual day of prayer and, in 1988, that law was amended, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.



Share Tweet Contact: Dion Elmore, Chief Communications Officer, The National Day of Prayer Task Force , 719-559-9574, media@nationaldayofprayer.org WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- In a span of only 25 years, under the direction of Shirley Dobson, the National Day of Prayer has been observed at over 630,000 events with more than 33 million people praying for America. Today, a new chapter begins as Mrs. Dobson steps into the role of Chairman Emeritus and passes the mantle of leadership to Mrs. Anne Graham Lotz."After much prayer and careful consideration, I am pleased to announce that Mrs. Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Dr. Billy Graham, has graciously accepted this new role, and will succeed me as the new chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force," said Dobson.The New York Times named Anne Graham Lotz whom her father, Billy Graham, refers to as "the best preacher in the family," one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. She is also a prayer warrior, powerful speaker, best-selling author and the founder and president of her own organization, AnGeL Ministries. Anne's latest book, The Daniel Prayer: Prayer That Moves Heaven and Changes Nations, releases May 10, and will encourage, equip and engage readers in effective, passionate prayer."For the past three years I have felt a compelling urgency to pray," said Lotz. "As a result my organization, AnGeL Ministries, has offered five worldwide prayer initiatives that have drawn tens of thousands into prayer. So when Shirley Dobson asked me to succeed her as the Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, I was highly honored.""I believe I'm called by God to those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:1-2)," Lotz added. "I will continue to lead AnGeL Ministries as I accept this new assignment to not only get people into God's Word, but also onto their knees in serious prayer for our nation."To schedule a media interview, contact Dion Elmore at media@nationaldayofprayer.org or 719-559-9574.About the National Day of PrayerThe National Day of Prayer tradition predates the founding of the United States of America, evidenced by the Continental Congress' proclamation in 1775 setting aside a day of prayer. In 1952, Congress established an annual day of prayer and, in 1988, that law was amended, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.




Its consolidated core operating profit of Rs. 49.86 crore for the quarter, declined by 45.92% yoy and 37.79% qoq. Operating profit margin for the current quarter at 9.67% contracted by 354 bps yoy and 931 bps qoq.



For the year ended March 31, 2016, the company reported consolidated net profit of Rs. 231.10 crore, growing by 21.06% yoy. Its consolidated revenue for the period stood at Rs. 2,633.96 crore, registering growth of 42.91% yoy.



Godrej Properties' core operating profit stood at Rs. 350.40 crore, recording growth of 36.22% yoy. Operating margin for the current period at 12.71% contracted by 125 bps yoy.



On standalone basis,Godrej Properties, reported standalone net profit of Rs.3.10 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, registering decline of 76.07% yoy and 87.25% qoq. The companys standalone revenue stood at Rs. 62.58 crore, down 46.07% yoy and 38.06% qoq.



Its standalone core operating loss stood at Rs. 5.61 crore for the quarter. However, the company had reported core operating profit of Rs.8.91 crore in the same quarter of the previous year and Rs. 17.39 crore in the preceding quarter.



For the year ended March 31, 2016, the company reported standalone net profit of Rs. 30.37 crore, declining by 76.26% yoy. Its standalone revenue for the period stood at Rs. 340.25 crore, registering decline of 34.15% yoy.



Godrej Properties Ltd's core operating profit stood at Rs. 11.03 crore, recording decline of 89.78% yoy. Operating margin for the current period at 1.35% contracted by 1954 bps yoy.

Godrej Properties , India's premier real estate company, reported consolidated net profit of Rs.17.92 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, registering decline of 65.16% yoy and 65.53% qoq. The companys consolidated revenue stood at Rs. 515.59 crore, down 26.13% yoy but up 22.1% qoq.Its consolidated core operating profit of Rs. 49.86 crore for the quarter, declined by 45.92% yoy and 37.79% qoq. Operating profit margin for the current quarter at 9.67% contracted by 354 bps yoy and 931 bps qoq.For the year ended March 31, 2016, the company reported consolidated net profit of Rs. 231.10 crore, growing by 21.06% yoy. Its consolidated revenue for the period stood at Rs. 2,633.96 crore, registering growth of 42.91% yoy.Godrej Properties' core operating profit stood at Rs. 350.40 crore, recording growth of 36.22% yoy. Operating margin for the current period at 12.71% contracted by 125 bps yoy.On standalone basis,Godrej Properties, reported standalone net profit of Rs.3.10 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, registering decline of 76.07% yoy and 87.25% qoq. The companys standalone revenue stood at Rs. 62.58 crore, down 46.07% yoy and 38.06% qoq.Its standalone core operating loss stood at Rs. 5.61 crore for the quarter. However, the company had reported core operating profit of Rs.8.91 crore in the same quarter of the previous year and Rs. 17.39 crore in the preceding quarter.For the year ended March 31, 2016, the company reported standalone net profit of Rs. 30.37 crore, declining by 76.26% yoy. Its standalone revenue for the period stood at Rs. 340.25 crore, registering decline of 34.15% yoy.Godrej Properties Ltd's core operating profit stood at Rs. 11.03 crore, recording decline of 89.78% yoy. Operating margin for the current period at 1.35% contracted by 1954 bps yoy.

Result Highlights: (Rs. in crore)

Reported Results IIFL Estimates Variance (%) Consolidated Revenue 515.59 461.97 11.61 Consolidated Net Profit 17.92 59.75 [70.01]



Bloomberg estimated the companys consolidated net profit at Rs. 63 crore.



Stock Commentary:



Godrej Properties Ltd is currently trading at Rs. 315.95, down by 20.25 points or 6.02% from its previous closing of Rs. 336.2 on the BSE.



The scrip opened at Rs. 336.1 and has touched a high and low of Rs. 340.4 and Rs. 310.1 respectively. So far 818652(NSE+BSE) shares were traded on the counter. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 7270.67 crore.



The BSE group 'A' stock of face value Rs. 5 has touched a 52 week high of Rs. 374.5 on 20-Oct-2015 and a 52 week low of Rs. 237.65 on 14-May-2015. Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 345 and Rs. 331.4 respectively.



The promoters holding in the company stood at 74.95 % while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 8.17 % and 16.43 % respectively.



The stock is currently trading below its 200 DMA.






U.S.-based Allinial Global and U.K.-based IAPA International (IAPA) announced today that the management teams for both associations have signed a Letter of Intent to join forces. A combination would create an entity with 300 members in 79 countries with annual fee revenue of over $2.6 billion -- making it the third largest association of independent accounting and consulting firms in the world.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006166/en/

Stephen Hamlet, IAPA CEO (Photo: Business Wire)

Allinial Globals President and CEO Terry Snyder and IAPAs CEO Stephen Hamlet will lead a team of representatives from both associations into further discussions and work through the necessary details. The proposed combination is subject to the execution of a definitive agreement with board and membership approval. If approved, the combination is expected to occur by the end of 2016.

It is clear that both associations share a committed focus to delivering an agile and exceptional level of service to their respective members and their clients, said Terry Snyder, Allinial Global President and CEO. We share the same vision for continuing to provide members with flexible, strategic, and groundbreaking tools to better serve clients with international accounting needs. I am excited at the prospect of a combined global powerhouse that truly values innovation and independence.

I see this combination as a win-win for both of our outstanding memberships and, in particular, for the clients of our members who rely on valuable and trusted resources around the world, said Stephen Hamlet, IAPA CEO. Our associations complement each other so wellfrom our strong global representation and diverse cultures, to our combined geographic footprint which will provide an extended global reach to resources from 300 firms worldwide. Opportunities to unite two highly respected and complementary organisations do not come along too often; and I look forward to working with my new and current colleagues from both associations to achieve this combination.

About Allinial Global

Allinial Global is a member-based association dedicated to the success of independent accounting and consulting firms. Founded in 1969, this strategic affiliation of legally independent accounting firms has a mission to foster the independence, profitability, and continuous improvement of its members. Allinial Global is based in North America but offers international support by connecting its member firms to providers and global networks of accounting firms worldwide. For more information, please visit www.allinialglobal.com.

About IAPA

IAPA is a global association of independent accounting and business advisory firms that aims to support its members in providing their clients with a diverse range of professional and comprehensive business solutions, regardless of sector or location. The international reach of IAPA member firms offers instant access to first-hand knowledge of local regulations, culture and customs - removing potential cross-border uncertainties and increasing the opportunities for real business development. Established in 1979, IAPA comprises over 200 member firms with offices in some 70 countries. Based on the total fee income of its membership IAPA ranks in the Top 10 of associations of independent accountancy firms and has an annual revenue of over $1 billion. For more information, please visit www.iapa.net.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006166/en/

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE :http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006166/en/
BSE Asia first stock exchange and now worlds fastest exchange with the speed of 6 microseconds today has entered into Memorandum of Understanding with the Korea Exchange (KRX) in Seoul to extend their cooperation by listing S&P BSE Sensex based derivatives contracts. The agreement will further the development of derivatives markets in India and South Korea. It will encourage the sharing of information, and foster new opportunities for the exchanges and their respective issuers.On the occasion, Mr. Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD&CEO, BSE, said, The MoU between BSE and KRX represents a significant step in integrating two of the fastest growing economies of the world, India and South Korea. We are very pleased to sign this memorandum of understanding with one of the worlds largest stock exchange by market capitalization. We are sure that this integration will go a long way in building both our expertise- financially and technologically.Mr. Kyungsoo Choi, Chairman and CEO of Korea Exchange, said, India is growing to be one of the largest markets in the world thanks to stable Indian economic growth. KRX is very pleased to list a futures product based on S&P BSE Sensex index, which is the representative index of Indian equities market. I expect that the listing will facilitate better price discovery and create arbitrage opportunities because the two markets have overlapping time zones."The MoU also includes information sharing by both parties to promote each others understanding of the products listing process and the markets functioning. BSE & KRX will also support eachother for investor relations activities of cross-listed products and assist with cross-border supervision & enforcement.The two have also agreed to conduct joint research in the area of derivatives markets and to support the development of new products, experience sharing and cooperation on IT system.
Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has given its approval for allowing flexibility in utilisation of domestic coal for reducing the cost of power generation. Thechaired by thehas given its approval for allowing flexibility in utilisation of domestic coal for reducing the cost of power generation.

The objective of the proposal is to allow flexibility in optimal use of domestic coal in efficient Generating Stations resulting in reduction in the cost of electricity generation and reduce the power purchase cost of State Distribution companies. Such flexibility will be able to leverage coal to electricity conversion, efficiency of equipments as well as transportation cost optimization.

This would create new thrust in promoting efficiency, optimum utilization of natural resources as well as overall economic benefit in the power sector in the country. This will result in coal transportation cost reduction as well as savings in energy used for transportation and may also result in removal of congestion of Railways network. This will also be a more environment friendly arrangement as less coal will be used to produce more power and also the distance for transportation of coal would be optimized.

This proposal is also in line with the UDAY scheme of Government of India which also envisages liberally allowing of coal swaps from inefficient plants to efficient plants and from plants situated away from coal mines to pit head to minimize cost of coal transportation thus leading to reduction in cost of power.

The proposal envisages that all the long term coal linkages of individual State Generating Stations shall be clubbed and assigned to respective states / state nominated agency. Similarly coal linkages of individual Central Generating Stations (CGS) shall be clubbed and assigned to the company owning the CGS, to enable the efficient coal utilization amongst end use generating stations.

There shall be flexibility in use of such coal amongst the generating stations of state owned utilities, plants of other state power utilities, company owning the Central Generating stations and IPPs, amongst each other.

In case of use of coal in State/ Central Generating Plants, the deciding criteria shall be plant efficiency, coal transportation cost, transmission charges and overall cost of power.

In case of use of coal assigned to the State in Private Generating Stations, power through substituted coal shall be procured on bidding basis from amongst the competing private sector plants, where the source of coal, quantity of coal, quantum of power, and delivery point for the receipt of power shall be indicated upfront.

The Central Electricity Authority shall in consultation with all the Stakeholders, issue the methodology for implementation of use of coal assigned to the State(s) in their own Generating stations, other State Generating Stations, CGS and IPPs. Similarly methodologies for use of coal by company owning CGS for use of coal in their own plants or any other efficient plants shall also be issued by Central Electricity Authority.

Background: The Coal is the main source of power generation in the country. There are broadly two categories of coal based Thermal power plants: (i) Pit Head based plants, which are situated near coal Mines and (ii) Load centre based plants situated near load centres. Power Plants are having different efficiency levels for conversion of coal to electricity depending upon their technology, unit capacity etc. At present, there are situations where efficient power plants have shortage of coal while some other Power Stations have adequate coal available with them because of less capacity utilization.
Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in March, 2015. The MoU was ratified by both India and Qatar on 1st January, 2016 and 12th January, 2016 respectively for promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT). Thechaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in March, 2015. The MoU was ratified by both India and Qatar on 1st January, 2016 and 12th January, 2016 respectively for promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT).

The MoU will result in active cooperation and exchanges between the private entities, capacity building institutions, Governments and other public organisations of the two countries in the field of ICT.
The Lok Sabha passed the finance bill, retaining the excise duty on jewellers despite opposition from some political parties. The government had announced many safeguard measures to protect jewellers from harassment but that did not assuage jewellers.The Finance Bill will be placed before the Rajya Sabha either this Friday or during next week. The Finance Bill 2016 contained an amendment to the Reserve Bank of India Act of 1934 giving the central bank a mandate to target inflation. Last year, the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had agreed to adopt a monetary policy framework, which will make taming inflation the primary priority of the central banks policy decisions.
Parag Milk Foods Limited (the Company) proposes to set up a research and development centre at Manchar facility (near Pune) to develop new products and processes and a technology centre at subsidiary for training and development activities and focus on animal husbandry. Out of the total fresh issue of Rs. 300 crore to be raised through the IPO, the Company is planning to utilise Rs. 147.7 crore for expansion and modernisation plan.

The Company recently launched flavoured milk with higher protein content under its Topp Up brand and buttermilk under Go brand with a few variants each. It has also introduced milk variants on the basis of specific end-use and introduced T-Star milk to be used to make tea and coffee and introduced Go Kidz milk with high protein content for growing children. It now intends to increase dairy based beverages portfolio under Go brand and introduce milk based high protein drinks.

Mr. Devendra Shah, Chairman, Parag Milk Foods Ltd. said, We constantly focus on research and development to distinguish ourselves from our competitors to enable us to introduce new products based on consumer preferences and demand. We intend to increase the share of our value-added product portfolio by focusing on health and nutrition to cater to evolving consumer trends. We believe that we can increase our margins by focussing on increasing sales of our value-added products and that such initiatives will assist us in further diversifying our business.

Parag Milk Foods Ltd. is the second largest cheese player in India with 32% market share. It also has the largest cheese plant in India where the addressable market is Rs. 1,200 crore. It is a pioneer and the biggest player in Cow ghee segment where the addressable market size is Rs. 61,800 crore. It is the largest private player in UHT milk market where the addressable market is Rs. 2,600 crore. In fresh milk, it is the largest private brand in Mumbai, 2nd Largest in Pune and 3rd largest in Nagpur; amongst top 5 in Bangalore & Chennai. It is a pioneer in frozen & flavored yoghurt segment and an important player in curd market in West & South India.

The Company proposes to open on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, a Public Issue of its equity shares of face value of Rs. 10 each (the Equity Shares) for cash at a Price Band from Rs. 220 to Rs. 227 per Equity Share. The Company in consultation with the Investor Selling Shareholders and the BRLMs will offer a discount of up to Rs. 12 per Equity Share on the Issue Price to Eligible Employees and a discount of up to Rs. 12 per Equity Share on the Issue Price to the Retail Individual Bidders. The Bid/Issue Period will close on Friday, May 6, 2016.

While the current product portfolio includes plain curd, it proposes to introduce a new variant of curd with a higher protein and lower fat content and cream cheese with a lower fat content for health conscious consumers. It also intends to introduce colostrum products, which can be consumed as a daily supplement to improve community and general health, introduce several cheese products with low fat, high protein and mineral content. It seeks to add value to and convert milk powder into food supplements and nutritional products for different age groups. Further, it intends to sell premium quality butter and ghee through the farm-to-home concept under Pride of Cows brand.The Companys current range of whey products include whey protein concentrates, whey permeate and demineralised whey powders. It sells whey proteins to institutional customers including Nestle India Limited and UTH Beverage Factory Private Limited and whey powders to bakeries and confectionaries. As of December 31, 2015, it had incurred Rs. 31.85 crore in setting up whey products processing infrastructure and is in the process of commissioning additional technological infrastructure to increase the concentration and grading of whey proteins that it manufactures, and sell them directly to retail consumers in the form of branded health supplement foods and beverages.

The BRLMs to the Issue are Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited, JM Financial Institutional Securities Limited, IDFC Securities Limited and Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Private Limited.
The Reserve Bank of India today released on its website, Draft Guidelines for on tap Licensing of Universal Banks in the Private Sector. It has sought views/comments on the draft guidelines from banks, non-banking financial institutions, industrial houses, other institutions and the public at large. Suggestions and comments on the draft guidelines may be sent by June 30, 2016 to the Chief General Manager, Reserve Bank of India, Department of Banking Regulation, Central Office, 13h floor, Central Office Building, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Mumbai-400001.Final guidelines will be issued and the process of inviting applications for setting up of new universal banks in the private sector will be initiated after receiving feedback, comments and suggestions on draft guidelines.In a departure from the earlier guidelines on universal banks dated February 22, 2013, the present guidelines include (i) resident individuals and professionals having 10 years of experience in banking and finance as eligible persons to promote universal banks; (ii) large industrial/business houses are excluded as eligible entities but permitted to invest in the banks to the extent of less than 10 per cent; (iii) Non-Operative Financial Holding Company (NOFHC) has now been made non-mandatory in case of promoters being individuals or standalone promoting/converting entities who/which do not have other group entities; (iv) The NOFHC is now required to be owned by the promoter/promoter group to the extent of at least 51 per cent of the total paid-up equity capital of the NOFHC, instead being wholly owned by the promoter group; and (v) Existing specialised activities have been permitted to be continued from a separate entity proposed to be held under the NOFHC subject to prior approval from the Reserve Bank and subject to it being ensured that similar activities are not conducted through the bank as well.Key features of the guidelines:(I) Eligible PromotersExisting non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) that are controlled by residents and have a successful track record for at least 10 years.Individuals / professionals who are residents and have 10 years of experience in banking and finance.Entities / groups in the private sector that are owned and controlled by residents [as defined in FEMA Regulations, as amended from time to time] and have a successful track record for at least 10 years, provided that if such entity / group has total assets of 50 billion or more, the non-financial business of the group does not account for 40 per cent or more in terms of total assets / in terms of gross income.(II) Fit and Proper criteriaPromoter/promoting entity/promoter group should have a past record of sound financials, credentials, integrity and have a minimum 10 years of successful track record.(III) Corporate structureThe requirement of Non-Operative Financial Holding Company (NOFHC) is not mandatory for individual promoters or standalone promoting/converting entities who/which do not have other group entities. Individual promoters/promoting entities/converting entities that have other group entities, shall set up the bank only through an NOFHC. The NOFHC shall be owned by the promoter/promoter group to the extent of not less than 51 per cent of the total paid-up equity capital of the NOFHC. Specialised activities would be permitted to be conducted from a separate entity proposed to be held under the NOFHC subject to prior approval from the Reserve Bank and subject to being ensured that similar activities are not conducted through the bank.(IV) Minimum capital requirementThe initial minimum paid-up voting equity capital for a bank shall be 5 billion. Thereafter, the bank shall have a minimum net worth of 5 billion at all times.The promoter/s and the promoter group/NOFHC, as the case may be, shall hold a minimum of 40 per cent of the paid-up voting equity capital of the bank which shall be locked-in for a period of five years from the date of commencement of business of the bank. The promoter group shareholding shall be brought down to 15 per cent within a period of 12 years from the date of commencement of business of the bank.(V) Foreign shareholding in the bankThe foreign shareholding in the bank would be as per the existing foreign direct investment (FDI) policy subject to the minimum promoter shareholding requirement indicated in paragraph (IV) above. At present, the aggregate foreign investment limit is 74 per cent.(VI) Corporate governance prudential and exposure normsThe bank shall comply with the provisions of Banking Regulations Act, 1949 and the existing guidelines on prudential norms as applicable to scheduled commercial banks. The bank is precluded from having any exposure to its promoters, major shareholders who have shareholding to the extent of 10 per cent or more of paid-up equity shares in the bank, the relatives of the promoters as also the entities in which they have significant influence or control.(VII) Business plan for the bankThe business plan submitted by the applicant should be realistic and viable and address how the bank proposes to achieve financial inclusion.(VIII) Other conditionsThe bank shall get its shares listed on the stock exchanges within six years of the commencement of business by the bank.The bank shall open at least 25 per cent of its branches in unbanked rural centres (population up to 9,999 as per the latest census). The bank shall comply with the priority sector lending targets and sub-targets as applicable to the existing domestic scheduled commercial banks. The board of the bank should have a majority of independent directors.Procedure for applicationThe licensing window will be open on-tap, and the applications in the prescribed form along with requisite information could be submitted to the Reserve Bank at any point of time.The applications will be referred to a Standing External Advisory Committee (SEAC) to be set up by the Reserve Bank.The Committee will submit its recommendations to the Reserve Bank for consideration.The decision to issue an in-principle approval for setting up of a bank will be taken by the Reserve Bank.The validity of the in-principle approval issued by the Reserve Bank will be 18 months from the date of granting in-principle approval and would thereafter lapse automatically.The Reserve Banks decision in this regard will be final.In order to ensure transparency, the names of the applicants for bank licences and the names of applicants that are found suitable for grant of in-principle approval will be placed on the Reserve Banks website periodically.
President Barack Obama visited Flint, Michigan, on Wednesday and drank a glass of water to assure residents their taps are safe as long as they use filters.

Flints drinking water has been contaminated with lead, a deadly neurotoxin, for two years thanks to the governments failure to treat the water correctly. Obama said he realized Flint residents were still suspicious, but emphasized that the Environmental Protection Agency has said filters can remove the lead.

Filtered water is safe, and it works, Obama said, according to a pool report from reporters on the scene at a food bank. Working with the state and the city, filters are now available for everyone in the city.

Reporters asked if a glass of water in front of Obama was from Flint, and he said it was before taking a sip.

Generally, I havent been doing stunts, but here you go, he said, adding that he trusted the science saying the filters work and that the EPA deemed filtered water safe for everyone except pregnant women and children younger than 6.

(Obama actually pulled a similar stunt at the height of the 2014 Ebola panic, when the president hugged and kissed nurses returning from Ebola-ravaged West Africa, which public health officials said was a safe thing to do even as Republican governors were quarantining health workers.)

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) started drinking Flints water last month in an effort to reassure residents and to encourage them to use their taps as long as filters are in place. Snyders office said Tuesday it hoped Obama would also have a drink.

On Wednesday, Obama praised the EPA, as well as Snyder and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, for their response to the water crisis.

The citys water soured in 2014 after state regulators mistakenly said it didnt need the kind of chemical treatment public water systems typically use to prevent lead from leaching from water pipes that connect street mains to peoples homes.

Snyders government denied there was a problem with the citys water until research showed in October that Flint children had higher amounts of lead in their blood, likely as a result of the water issues. Lead can cause brain damage in children and a variety of health problems in adults, including high blood pressure.

Obama said kids are resilient and that a lot of people in previous generations, including himself, were exposed to lead before scientists understood how dangerous it could be. He also urged parents to get their children tested for lead.
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Ministry Brands Promotes Brad Hill to COO Lifelong Christian Leader Finds Fulfillment in Blend of Career, Faith



Contact: Ed Van Herik,

404-431-1798



KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 5, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Brad Hill has been named chief operating officer at Ministry Brands, a growing Christian software company, where he will oversee all efforts to provide faith-based clients with technology that enables them to carry out their mission with greater impact and efficiency. It is a role he relishes.



Photo: Brad Hill



"I work at the intersection of ministry and technology, where God has set me on a path," said Hill. "It doesn't feel like a job; it is a joy to serve."



The path began when Hill volunteered to help with technology issues at his church. He found that his solutions would work for other houses of faith, and he started Site Organic, a church web services company that was later acquired by his current firm, Ministry Brands.



Hill believes his career path has been steered through prayer and a constant asking of "What is God's purpose for me?" He believes he has found the answer in his current role at Ministry Brands.



Hill previously was executive vice president of church platform services at Ministry Brands. In his new role, he oversees all operations for all Ministry Brands companies, including those that supply church management software, financial accounting software, online giving, websites and mobile apps, education/training and messaging.



At Ministry Brands, Hill strives to develop software solutions that allow church officials to devote less time to administrative tasks and more to ministry. "We work to put a much bigger hammer in the hands of pastors, so they can make a much bigger impact in their communities," Hill said.



Hill has found that his work as a deacon and as a former chair of the board at his children's faith-based school has enabled him to experience firsthand how a customer works with church technology. It has also provided him with an opportunity to field-test new solutions. "I've used the school as a guinea pig for testing new software," Hill said.



Hill says that it is a relief to be at a Christian company like Ministry Brands. "I know other executives who struggle to connect their work and their faith," he said. His work and life are both enriched by working beside others on Ministry Brands who are on similar spiritual paths, he said.



In his new position, Hill also wants to help others connect the dots between their careers and their beliefs. Recently, he led a company mission trip to El Salvador to assist with a children's ministry there. "It was part of a broader effort to give back, in big ways and small ways," he said.



Hill wants to encourage Bible study groups within the company to grow, and he wants to encourage employees to use a company fund set up to provide stipends to employees to take mission trips with their local church.



"As Colossians 3:23 reminds us, We work for the Lord," Hill said.



About Ministry Brands

Ministry Brands is the country's leading SaaS provider for churches, parachurch ministries and other faith-based organizations in the United States, serving more than 55,000 customers. Under the leadership of a Christian management team, the Knoxville-based company seeks to equip the 21st century churches and faith-based organizations with cutting-edge software solutions that allow pastors and church executives, technology professionals and administrators to carry out their Biblical mission with excellence, relevance and efficiency. Ministry Brands' suite of solutions includes church management, giving and payment processing, financial accounting, background screening, and website services software. For more information, visit www.ministrybrands.com.

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The Air Forces and Navies of the world have always wanted a jet fighter that can take off vertically. This gives them the ability to take off and land from a small clearing or the deck of a mid-size aircraft carrier. And the only fighter jet that is capable of that is the Harrier jump jet. Indian Navy is one of the handful of operators in the world that flew the magnificent jets. Sadly, they will be retired soon, following the retiring of the INS Viraat aircraft carrier.

The Indian Navy will de-induct its ageing Sea Harriers, replacing them with MiG 29K fighter aircraft, on May 11 at INS Hansa base in Vasco at Goa.

"With the scheduled decommissioning of INS Viraat and great difficulty in maintenance of the ageing Sea Harrier fighters, they are scheduled to be de-inducted on May 11, 2016. The squadron will be operating the advanced MiG 29K fighters," the Navy said in a statement here today.

Admiral R K Dhowan, Chief of the Naval Staff will be the Chief Guest for the ceremony.

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The Sea Harriers were inducted in the Indian Navy following phasing out of then obsolete Seahawks.

"In November 1979, post government approval, Naval HQ placed an order for 06 Sea Harrier FRS Mk 51 fighters and 02 T Mk 60 Trainers, for delivery in 1983," a naval spokesman said.

"In September 1980, Sea Harrier Project (SHARP) was formed with select naval aviators and technical personnel for coordination of trials, testing, acceptance and training. The first newly-built Sea Harrier for the Indian Navy (IN 601) was ready on December 21, 1982.

The first three Sea Harriers flying via Malta, Luxor and Dubai, led by Lt Cdr Arun Prakash VrC, landed at Dabolim on December 16, 1983. This was followed by first deck landing on the carrier, INS Vikrant, on December 20, 1983 and the arrival of the first Sea Harrier T Mk 60 trainer, on March 29, 1984," the spokesman said.

He said the reborn white tigers of the Indian Navy were now a totally professional outfit and came out with flying colours during frequent embarkations, joint exercises, Dissimilar Aircraft Combat Training and Air to Air gunnery exercises.

"The squadron was embarked on the carrier during Operations Vijay and Parakram providing the essential offensive posture to the country and ensuring readiness to react to any escalation by the enemy," he said.

"In last few years the Harriers have added a new dimension to their operations with the increased multi national exercises in which the Indian Navy participates," the spokesman stated.

"These exercises have seen the Harriers facing eye-to-eye with the best in the business. The magnificent carriers and the flying machines of the American, French and British Navies have come, exercised and gone back suitably impressed.

BCCL

"Always operating with modest equipment and resources, yet coming out with extraordinary results, the white tigers have built an enviable reputation for themselves and continue to remain at the forefront of Indian Naval Aviation," he said.

"The Sea Harriers had undergone a weapon and avionics upgrade since 2007 to match up with any opposition. The upgraded Sea Harrier christened LUSH (Limited Upgrade Sea Harrier) was a shot in the arm for the Indian Naval aviation," the naval spokesman stated.

"The Sea Harriers, in their 'new avatar', were a formidable force to reckon with. LUSH aircraft, with their new inventory of armament were ever ready for the present day Beyond Visual Range environment in which modern aircraft operate," he claimed.

"Post limited upgrade in which the aircraft was fitted with a new Multimode Radar, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile and a Datalink, the Sea Harrier fleet had redeemed itself as the best carrier borne 'air defence fighter/interceptor' in the Indian Ocean Region.

BCCL

"The flexibility offered by the aircraft's capability to undertake short/vertical takeoffs and landings had enabled it to operate from any fixed wing carrier and had regularly conducted cross deck landings on ships of foreign navies," the Navy said.

"These exercises have seen the Harriers facing eye-to-eye with the best in the business. The magnificent carriers and the flying machines of the American, French and British Navies have come, exercised and gone back suitably impressed.
A Meerut hospital has successfully substituted ayurvedic drugs for antibiotics during a prostatic surgery of an 83-year-old man.

The patient was allergic to antibiotics, so a different solution had to be found.

doctorsurgerycenter.com. Image for representation purposes only.

Usually, antibiotics are used before, during and after the surgery to prevent urinary tract infection and sepsis following endoscopic urologic procedures.

"The patient was allergic to antibiotics and therefore, a panel of doctors decided to go in for ayurvedic drugs as an alternative," Dr. Subhash Yadav, Urologist with Anand Hospital told Indian Science Journal over telephone from Meerut.

"During the surgery, we have used only anaesthesia and no antibiotics."

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He said a team of expert Ayurvedic practitioners across the country were contacted, who suggested special medicines from extracts of Indian Tinospora (Giloy in Hindi), Moringa Oleifera (Shigru in Hindi, Muringa in Malayalam), Gooseberry (Amla), Turmeric and Indian bdellium-tree (Gulgul). Shigru is used for mild infections and is a natural pain reliever. Amla increases immunity while Giloy has known detoxifying characteristics.

83-year-old Ojaswi Sharma is on his way to recovery after a successful surgery.

Dr. Yadav said, they were surprised by the outcome of integrated treatment and the patient, Ojaswi Sharma is well on the path of recovery after removing 240 grams of prostate on March 1.

"This is a very interesting development," said Dr. Ram Manohar, Research Director at Amrita School of Ayureda in Kerala. "It is an eye opener in this period when resistance is being developed for antibiotics. This case points to the need for more studies to explore the potential contributions of Ayurveda in many areas of challenge."

Co-operation between Ayurveda and Allopathy?

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Dr. Ram Manohar said, this development comes close to a study at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, which showed supportive Ayurvedic treatment improved outcomes in chemotherapy for cancer. All these show the great potential for integrative approach to healthcare. "India can lead the world if there is better cooperation between Ayurveda and Allopathic professionals."

But practitioners of modern medicine are not euphoric about the development. Many doctors with whom Indian Science Journal talked to, were guarded in their response. "This does not show any benefit yet as it is preventive," opined Dr. Puneet Dhar, Head of Gastro Surgery Department of Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre in Kochi. "It could be a chance that the patient did not get any infection. In short, it was possible not to get an infection, even if no antibiotics or ayurvedic cocktails were given. There is no efficacy to show."

Dr. Dhar, however, favoured scientifically integrating alternative system of healthcare with modern medicine. He said, ayurvedic drugs' potential use as antibiotics is immense. "But we need to prove it in proper infections. The best way to do this can be in two ways - one, is in the test-tube settings in a laboratory by seeing various bacterial cultures and validating if these extracts are effective against it. Second is to do it during infections, where we already know the antibiotics are ineffective. So there is a mult-drug resistance infection and see if these are beneficial."

Dr. Girish Pillai, a cardiac surgeon with Sri Raghavendra Medical College and Research Centre in Chennai was sceptical about the efficacy of integrating ayurvedic medicines with modern medicine. He said, he would not hazard a risk, since the mechanism of action of ayurvedic formulations are not known, its absorption, metabolism or excretion."

However, buoyed by the results, Dr. Yadav said he now plans to expand the application of ayurvedic formulations during similar surgical interventions. This is epoch making as ayurveda has the least side-effects, said Dr. Yadav.
A Mumbai woman donated a part of her liver to save the life of her five-year-old daughter and cure her of liver and associated lung failure, doctors said on Wednesday.

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Doctors at Medanta - The Medicity in the National Capital Region (NCR) called the rare liver transplant the first in the country. The transplant was performed on Paridhi Sethi, after her mother Mamta Sethi, 40, consented to donate 20 per cent of her own liver.

Neelam Mohan, Medanta's director of Children's Liver Diseases and Transplantation, said Paridhi suffered from jaundice and its complications since birth. She was operated upon when she was barely 10 months old, but the operation was not successful.

The condition of the Borivali resident studying in Class 1 deteriorated with life-threatening liver infections and lung complications, leading to eight prolonged bouts of hospitalisation.

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"My husband Nitin and I had given up all hopes of getting Paridhi well after doctors in Mumbai rejected her case as 'far too advanced' for a liver transplant. Around three months ago, Medanta offered to try and save her though it would be an extremely high-risk procedure due to her low oxygen state," said Mamta.

Though the hospital has taken up similar milder cases of hepatopulmonary syndrome in which liver failure affects circulation in lungs and in extreme cases leads to lung failure, Paridhi was the first of 50 per cent advanced case, said Medanta's chief liver transplant surgeon Dr. A.S. Soin.

"She now breathes normally without extra oxygen, and will grow like a normal child and live a healthy life. She was easier to handle at Medanta owing to its strong multidisciplinary expertise," said Medanta CMD Naresh Trehan.

Represenatational image/uthtime

Liver transplant is complex and requires perfect function of all other organs, necessitating the medical team to do a bloodless, zero-error, quick surgery, not allowing blood pressure fluctuations, and with 100 percent oxygen support, he added.

After correcting her low oxygen level state and remaining on nitric oxide, high external oxygen, ventilator support and a temporary breathing route for nearly a month, Paridhi finally returned home 33 days after the surgery to join her nine-year-old elder sister.
Goa police on Wednesday registered an FIR against expelled Congress legislator of St Cruz Atanasio Monserrate for allegedly raping a minor girl in March, which he said was a "conspiracy" against him. Meanwhile, cops are arguing that he should be tried for human trafficking.

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According to#mce_temp_url# a NDTV report, the victim has , a 16-year-old from Nepal, told the police that she was sold to him by her step mother and another woman she referred to as "aunty".

Mr Monserrate then spiked her drink and raped her in his bungalow, she added.

"The next morning I woke up without my clothes, covered in blood, he was sitting without his clothes on," the teen has told a committee that deals with protecting children.

Speaking to TOI, crime branch SP Karthik Kashyap, who is also a holding a charge of north Goa SP said that women police station have registered the case against St Cruz MLA Eight years ago, Monserrate's son was booked allegedly for raping a German minor girl.

Monserrate who was expelled from the Congress a year ago, is an unattached member in the Goa assembly. He had recently announced of taking control of United goans democratic party (UGDP) with eyes on the next assembly polls scheduled in early 2017.

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"The incident happened in March and after that the girl went missing. She was found by police recently and lodged in protective home where she disclosed about the incident," a senior police officer said on the condition of anonymity.

The FIR was lodged by the girl in Panaji police station.

When contacted, Monserrate said, "I will not run away from the investigations. Currently, I am out of station and will be arriving tomorrow morning. After that I will depose before investigating agencies. The girl was working in my showroom and I had removed her for misappropriation of funds. This is a conspiracy against me".
The Ministry of Railways has proposed a tariff for the upcoming bullet train service between Mumbai and Ahmedabad that will be 1.5 times more than the first class AC fare prevailing now, parliament was informed on Wednesday.

indiarailonline

In Duronto Express, for example, the current AC 1st Class fare between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, is Rs. 2,200. This means, for the 508-km run between the two cities -- via a dedicated, high-speed corridor -- the fare will be around Rs. 3,300.

In Japan, a similar, 550-km run between Tokyo and Osaka on the Shinkansen, as the bullet train network there is called -- and on which the Indian service is being modelled -- costs around Rs. 8,500.

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In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said the first phase of the Indian network will have a maximum design speed of 350 km per hour and an operating speed of 320 km per hour. The ministry expects around 36,000 daily users per day both ways by 2023, going up to 186,000 by 2053. "The total journey time of the fast train will be 2.07 hours and of trains stopping at each station will be 2.58 hrs," Sinha said.

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The ministry has planned a total of 12 stations for the train -- Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati. "The total completion cost will be approximately Rs. 97,636 crore," the minister said.

"Further, it has been decided to undertake a feasibility study between Delhi-Nagpur as part of the New Delhi-Chennai corridor through government-to-government cooperation with China," he said in his answer to the question posed by G. Hari of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

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In a debate in the Lok Sabha last week, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had brushed aside criticism of bullet trains being an expensive proposition for the country, saying the government had managed to secure a soft loan of Rs.1 lakh crore from Japan at a mere 0.1 percent interest.

"The technology to be used for bullet trains will help improve the services of normal trains and the integration of signalling system," said Prabhu, wondering if a "deliberate misinformation" campaign was going on against the introduction of such trains.
Nearly five years after two Mumbai youths, Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez were killed for standing up against men who were harassing their female friends, justice has been served. A special court in Mumbai which found all the four accused guilty, sentenced them to life in jail.

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Welcoming the judgement, Keenan's family said they were happy with the verdict.

Happy with life imprisonment to guilty.They should live every moment thinking about Keenan-Reuben: Keenans father pic.twitter.com/Bq2hrL45WJ  ANI (@ANI_news) May 5, 2016

Keenan and Reuben both residents of Amboli in Mumbai were stabbed to death in October 2011 by four men after the duo tried to protect their female friends from a group who were harassing them.

BCCL

An altercation broke out between the two sides and Keenan and Reuben were attacked by around ten men who stabbed them multiple times, all these in the full view of around 50 bystanders who did nothing.

While Keenan died on the same day, Reuben succumbed to his injuries 10 days later.

The accused, Jitesha Rana, Sunil Bodh, Satish Dulhaj and Dipak Tival, have been in jail since their arrest.

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The brutal murder had sent shock waves across the country and was followed by several campaigns seeking a safer environment for women.

All 4 accused pronounced guilty in court,extremely emotional at this moment #justiceforkeenanandreuben #KeenanReuben  Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) May 5, 2016

While r sisters r bein raped & killed everyday... Ther wer 2 guys who wer murdered cuz they protected their female friends... #KeenanReuben  Chandini Sreedharan (@IamChandini) May 5, 2016

Dear brothers #KeenanReuben now u got justice I know u both must be smiling in heaven :')  Shreya Jaishankar (@mostly_insane) May 5, 2016

Rest in Peace, Keenan and Reuben. Finally, justice. More power to their families.  BookOfGenesia (@genesiaalves) May 5, 2016
Five smart Indian teenagers won a web contest conducted by Google India on browsing websites safely, the global search engine provider said on Wednesday.

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"The competition witnessed several entries from across schools in the form of sketches, videos and apps and were judged on creativity, reach and impact," the Indian subsidiary of the Silicon Valley-based firm said in a statement here.

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Mavika Boyini from NASR School, Hyderabad; Vaidehi Reddy, Army Public School, Pune; Kanish Chugh, DLF Public School, Ghaziabad; Raviteja Anumukonda, Chirec Public School, Hyderabad; and Neya Saravanarajan, the Hindu Senior Secondary School, Chennai, are the winners of the contest first launched in 2014.

The young minds were challenged to create their own online safety campaigns aimed at curbing cyber bullying and leaving a safe digital footprint.

1. Mavika Boyini, NASR School, Hyderabad

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Boyini sketched a set of cartoons and admonished peers to never post anything their grandmother would not like, said the statement.

"Don't be rude, don't post inappropriate stuff and follow the grandma rule" are some of her dos and don'ts.

2. Vaidehi Reddy, Army Public School, Pune

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Reddy cautioned internet users never to reveal their home address, personal details and refrain from illegal downloads through a video, the statement said.

3. Kanish Chugh, DLF Public School, Ghaziabad





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Chug developed an anti-phishing game to enlighten peers on how to spot fake logos, while Anumukonda talked about the need to avoid easy and predictable passwords to preferring complex unhackable ones.

4. Raviteja Anumukonda, CHIREC Public School, Hyderabad

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Raviteja Anumukonda says, 'Did you think 123456 was a good password? Think again. Vlogger Raviteja Anumukonda teaches us that this is in fact one of the most common passwords used on the Internet and can be hacked instantly. He shares four tips on how to create strong passwords  estimates show that one of them could take up to 49 quindecillion years to hack!

5. Neya Saravanarajan, The Hindu Senior Secondary School, Chennai

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Saravanarajan composed a catchy tune, Mr. Two Faces, to remind everyone to turn on privacy settings.

thehindu

Google will gift all the winning students with Chromebooks and tablets, the statement added.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited, (IRCTC) has officially denied news reports that its website was hacked.

IRCTC

There has been no hacking attempt on the site. A high-level committee has been formed to probe the matter, IRCTC PRO Sandip Dutta said.

The clarification was issued after various media reports claimed that the IRCTC website was hacked and personal data of millions of users could have been stolen.

India Today reported that IRCTC officials also fear that details including phone numbers, date of birth and other such information "have been sold in a CD for Rs 15,000 for whosoever was interested."

IRCTC

IRCTC has a total user-base of 39 million, and sells 500,000 tickets every month, with 50 million daily visitors, according to its stats listed on its website.

If the alleged hack turns out to be legitimate, it could potentially be the biggest data breach in India's Internet history.

IRCTC website is maintained by Centre for Railway Information Systems, which is part of the railway ministry.
Girish Sharma, an 11-year-old boy from Haryana's Sirsa, succumbed to his life threatening kidney disease almost exactly a year after his wish to become the city's police commissioner was fulfilled.

hindustantimes

Social activists said that Girish was undergoing treatment at Delhi's AIIMS where he breathed his last on Monday. The news saddened the cops of the commissionerate who had taken orders from the boy as their senior for a day and still remembered his innocence and enthusiasm.

Girish was made the commissioner of Jaipur city on April 30. He was 10-year-old at that time and despite being aware of his ill health, he was growing up with a dream that he would someday become a cop and take on criminals. He suffered from a kidney ailment and had been under treatment at JK Lon Hospital in Jaipur for nearly a month.

Sweta Bekiwala, an assistant coordinator at Make a Wish Foundation, said that their team had visited him in the hospital and asked him about his wish. He told them that he wanted to be a cop. The Jaipur police commissionerate agreed to make his dream come true, at least for a day.

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"Every child is special, but Girish was different when we met him. He was so full of confidence. He knew his life was slipping away, but he wanted to become a cop when he grew up. We are lucky we managed to fulfil his wish," said Bekiwala.

His father, Jagdish Sharma, a food vender, rushed him to AIIMS in Delhi on Monday when his situation deteriorated.

"A kidney transplant from his mother was keeping the child alive, but he was not well lately. When doctors gave up on Monday night, Gagdish, a food vender, decided to bring his son, so that he could breath his last at his home. However he died before he could reach home," said Sweta.

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It was quite a sight when he received the guard of honour and salutes inside the corridors of Jaipur commissionerate headquarters. From IPS officers to constables, everyone treated him like a commissioner. He then inspected the commissionerate headquarters receiving salutes from Deputy Commissioners of police and assistant commissioners of police-rank officials.

When he took the chair of the police commissioner for some moments, the eyes of some policemen present in the chamber got moistened. They wished him a long life.
Depiction of a wrong map of India or showing Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) or Arunachal Pradesh as not a part of India on any online platform or physical documents could mean a stiff jail term of seven years along with an heavy fine of up to Rs 1 Crore, says a new law being proposed by the Narendra Modi government.

The Centre is planning to soon bring the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill by which such tough provisions will be brought and any person or institution acquiring and disseminating any geospatial imagery or data of any part of India through space or aerial platforms will have to first seek permission and license from a government authority.

This could mean that online platforms like Google will have to apply for a license to run Google Maps or Google Earth in India. The government authority will run "sensitivity checks" on the imagery to protect India's security and sovereignty.

The law is meant to regulate the acquisition, dissemination, publication and distribution of geospatial information of India which is likely to affect the security, sovereignty and integrity of India, as per a draft. Geospatial Information has been defined as any imagery or data acquired through space or aerial platforms such as satellite, aircrafts, airships, balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles or graphical or digital data depicting natural or man-made physical features, phenomenon or boundaries of the earth or any information including surveys, charts, maps and terrestrial photos, the law says.

aljazeera

Without permission of a Security Vetting Authority which will be duly set up by the government, it has been specified that no person shall, in any manner, make use of, disseminate, publish or distribute any geospatial information of India - either inside India or abroad, without a license. It has been specified that no person shall depict, disseminate, publish or distribute any wrong or false topographic information of India including international boundaries through internet platforms or online services or in any electronic or physical form. The penalties would be seven-year jail and One crore fine.

The Act will however not apply to Indian government bodies. When the offender is a company, every person responsible for the conduct of business shall be liable to be proceeded against unless he proves that the contravention took place without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent such contravention.
You know your company is concerned with the amount of food you're wasting every day if you come across a scathing message on that always-overlooked canteen board.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) decided to spice things up so that it hurt exactly where it should have. In a marvelous idea to curb food wastage at the workplace, TCS posted the following notice in its Bengaluru office's food court.

Facebook

The photo was shared by Sahiba Singh on Facebook, captioned: Saw this at the TCS food court! Made my day! #tata

Million of people, including children, go about living their lives without able to afford even a single meal in a day. Small efforts such as these can go a long way to curb the deadliest curse of humanity - hunger.

CBS News

Leading by example, TCS not only asked its employees to do their bit but also subtly sought the support of other workplaces. Let's hope their endeavour pays off.
After 3 Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suspects were taken in interrogation, some interesting revelations have tumbled out in first 24 hours of Delhi police custody.

For example, Sajid, a northeast Delhi resident learned bomb-making on YouTube. He downloaded videos related to Jaish-e-Mohammad and searched YouTube for tips to make IEDs, police sources said, Hindustan Times reported.

He got indoctrinated by liking Facebook posts related to Jaish, and commenting on terror related sites. The three - Mohammed Sajid, Shakir Ansari and Sameer - will be questioned for the till May 14, for reportedly targeting "sensitive and crowded" areas in the national capital region.

YouTube radicals?

They were self radicalised. They did not use sophisticated devices or code names to contact Talha. They used forwarded videos and those uploaded on YouTube to get motivated for jihad, the officer said. Police had sought 15 days custody stating that some explosives had been seized from Sajid and it wanted custodial interrogation of the accused to unearth the entire conspiracy. Defence counsel M.S. Khan opposed the plea, saying police had already recovered the materials and there was no need for custodial interrogation.

Nine suspects, with alleged links to the Pakistan-based group, were being questioned, police said. Police said the module, which was being closely watched by security and intelligence officials for some time, was busted after separate raids in parts of Delhi and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. An IED was also recovered from them.

Sajid, in his early 20s, is said to be one of the most wanted terrorists whose one hand got burnt while preparing a bomb sometime ago. He was arrested from Gokulpuri in east Delhi. The other two arrested are Shakir and Sameer. They too were said to be directly linked to JeM, which was blamed for the January 2 attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot. Police said search operations were on at different places in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
A National Compensatory Afforestation Fund and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund is being set up to launch an unprecedented aforestation campaign across India. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar called it a historical legislation, and it has earned support from politicians across party lines.

The bill opens up Rs.41,000 crore earmarked for forest land which is lying unspent, Javadekar said.

www.wildtrails.in

The salient features of the afforestation programme will be people's participation, social audit and there will not be any displacement, the minister said while replying to specific queries from Asaduddin Owaisi of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). "Besides the exotic plants, emphasis will be on native species," Javadekar said.

www.planetgreenearth.blogspot.com

The bill also ensures that the funds encourage compensatory afforestation. The national fund will receive 10 per cent of it, and the states will receive the remaining 90 per cent of the fund. "These funds will be primarily spent on afforestation to compensate for loss of forest cover, regeneration of forest ecosystem, wildlife protection and infrastructure development," he said. However, Javadekar said the funds under the new law under the provisions of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund bill should not be the only forest budget for the states.

"The states must give their regular budget to forest (department). But this will be only an additional funding," he said.

Stressing the importance of people's participation in the afforestation programme, he said: "Wherever people's participation is there, and wherever people's livelihood is connected to the forest, they just don't allow illegal destruction of forest."
Amur Falcon is a small raptor of the falcon family. It breeds in South Eastern Siberia and Northern China Sea before migrating to India, and over the Arabian Sea to winter in Southern Africa. Thus, it crosses long distances travelling all the way from Eastern Asia to Southern Africa.

'Naga', one of the three Amur falcons fitted with a satellite tracking chip in Nagaland's Doyang area, will return to India for the third consecutive year, clocking more than 60,000 km. Two of the other birds, Pangti and Wokha (also fitted with satellite tracking chips) have now been rendered inactive. Though the birds undertake the longest migration path and journey for more than 22,000 km, migrating only once or twice, what has amazed ornithologists is that it is Naga's third consecutive round.

Pangti had flown 40,000 km.

falcoproject.eu

The wide breeding range and large population size of the Amur Falcons resulted in the species being neglected. Their flocking behaviour during migration and the density at which they occur, threatened the life of these birds and exposed them to hunting. The birds are hunted for food in many parts of the world.

In 2012, mass trapping and capture of migrating Amur Falcons in Nagaland was reported in the media. It was then that Nagaland took a lead and started an innovative campaign wherein they banned hunting of the birds.

These birds are now preserved under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

Wildventures

On November 7, 2013, three Amur Falcon birds  Naga, Pangti and Wokha  were fitted with 5 gm satellite transmitters and released. The birds were released from Doyang in Wokha to go to South Africa after crossing a difficult journey over the Arabian Sea. The satellite transmitters allowed their migration journey to be tracked and a successful campaign was begun to protect the birds.

The tagging was a joint mission undertaken at Pangti village in Wokha district by two leading scientists from MME/BirdLife Hungary, Peter Fehervani and Szabolcs Soil; Nick Williams, Programme Officer  Birds of Prey (Raptors), Convention on Migratory Species Office, Abu Dhabi, United Nations Environment Programme; R. Suresh, a scientist from the Wildlife Institute of India; and the Nagaland Forest Department.

The objective, apart from tracking the amazing migration journey, was also to better understand the behaviour and ecology of the Amur Falcon during its presence in Nagaland and in wintering areas in Africa. The project is also trying to raise awareness of the international importance of the Amur Falcon and to promote falcon conservation activities, particularly among local communities in Nagaland.

Wikimedia

With Nagaland scripting the success story of Amur Falcon conservation, the trapping, killing and selling of these birds is now a criminal offence and punishable with three years of rigorous imprisonment or with Rs 25,000 fine or both under section 51 of the Protection Act 1972.

The world has recognised Doyang Pangti village as the world's Amur Falcon capital.

Every year from October, millions of Amur Falcons from Mongolia, Northern China and Southeastern Siberia flock at Doyang to roost before they start their journey to South Africa to spend their winter. More than one million birds can be seen in just 30 minutes. It is a very rare and exciting sight indeed", the Union Minister of State for environment, forest and climate change, Prakash Javadekar said.

conservation.org

Flying non-stop over the Arabian Sea from Oman, 'Naga' has reached Bhavnagar in Gujarat and is likely to be flying over Rajasthan on Wednesday.
A new amusement park is coming up in Brazil and it's got everyone quite excited. Called Erotikaland, it will be the world's first sexual playground equipped with vibrating cinemas, nudist pools, train of pleasure, bumper cars, and much more.

But by no means can you take the land of pleasure as one where you'll be allowed to actually have sex. It's all about soft love.

soft love

The adult-only park will be up and running by 2018 and will be a two-hour drive from Sao Paulo. If the plan goes through, people should be able to enjoy 7D cinema with vibrating chairs and get to go-go on a 'train of pleasure' with gogo girls and gogo boys!

soft love

The entry fee will be $100 but getting intimate inside the premises will be a strict no-no. However, should couples feel the need, they can head to nearby motels to book a room, reports The New York Times. How nice!

Of course, the idea has been met with severe criticism with a state official saying "we cannot be known as the capital of sex."

Supplied

However, the project leader Mr Matheus Erler remains unabashed. "If attendees want to take things to another level, they can go to a nearby motel - which we will operate," he said. Okay then.

According to him, the park will actually create employment opportunities and promote safe sex. A land of love and work!

So who's signing up?
British voyager Captain Cook's famous travelling vessel has been found off the Rhode Island after thousands of years. The famous HMS endeavour that coursed the seas had disappeared mysteriously in the depths of the ocean. But now marine archaeologists claim that what they have found is most likely wreckage from the lost ship.

Herb Kawainul Kane

The HMS took Captain Cook on a journey so adventurous that the man observed the transit of Venus in front of the Sun, travelled the world on the historic voyage of 1768, ran around on the Great Barrier Reef, and even won Australia for the British crown.

GSinclair Archive/UIG via Getty Images

His death was no less exciting - the man died while trying to kidnap a king of Hawaii (portrayed in the above picture).

Dea Picture Library/De Agostini/Getty Images

The HMS was renamed to Lord Sandwich a few years later and was used to transport British troops during the Revolutionary War. The whereabouts of the ship became unknown for a long period after that.

But now, researchers from the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) believe that the HMS/Sandwich is resting at the bottom of Newport Harbour - where it sank with 12 other ships during the Revolution.

The researchers believe that it was sunk in 1778 by the British Navy along with 12 other ships before the Battle of Rhode Island began. RIMAP was able to collect documents that traced historic information on all the ships that were sunk. One of these included the HMS/Sandwich.
home World Council of Churches opposes proposal to make Liberia a Christian nation

The Constitution Review Committee of Liberia made a proposal to make the African country a Christian nation, but the Liberia Council of Churches announced on Monday that it does not support the idea.

"Consequently, we, the Liberia Council of Churches, wish to announce to the government and people of Liberia, ecumenical partners, the international Community and friends, that we do not support in any form or manner proposition #24 of the Constitution Review Committee to make Liberia a Christian Nation," said Episcopal bishop and LCC president Jonathan B. B. Hart at a press conference held at a local church in Monrovia, as quoted by Front Page Africa.

Last year, the CRC had agreed to take Proposition No. 24 to the National Legislature, and in November, according to the Daily Observer, the Joint Legislative Committee on Good Governance, the Judiciary, and Election & Inauguration has approved it for referendum.

Hart said that the council decided to get involved in the discussion because, given the sensitivity of the matter along with probable issues on national security, the people should be informed of the church's stance.

"To legitimize religion is to make it legal and compelling for all to accept," Hart said, according to Star Africa. However, the LCC believes that the church's mission is to help in educating and healing, and in "creating a free space to share our diversity of gifts."

Hart, who encouraged believers to "to respect freedom of conscience with those who claim no religious identification," acknowledged that religious sentiments that have been misused as well as religious intolerance have caused conflict, disagreements, and clashes among those of different faiths, particularly between Muslims and Christians.

"Instead, we strongly believe that furthering our collaboration and interfaith dialogue with all those united with us by faith and humanity will strengthen our harmonious relationship and create a peaceful society for mutual coexistence irrespective of race, creed, ethnicity or religion," he said.

He expressed that there has been progress in the country when it comes to acknowledging the importance of religious co-existence as well as diversity, and said that "peace is, and must be a precondition for our existence as a nation."

Following the statement, the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia has said that the LCC and the National Muslim Council of Liberia will continue to take the lead in terms of strengthening cooperation and collaboration to achieve peace in the country.
The zinc market is a state of flux, and getting a clear picture of where it is headed requires in-depth debate and analysis. Metal Bulletins Zinc & its Market Seminar has been providing just that for several decades now. Sign up now for the 2016 conference in Madrid to hear the latest on zinc market drivers and network with over 160 key industry executives from around the globe.

With demand expected to have risen only slightly in 2015 and LME prices at a seven-year low, the much talked-of bull market in zinc seems like a distant memory. There are many positive supply pointers for zinc with mine closures and producer cutbacks reining in concentrate availability, but as with other commodities today, the focus is very much on demand. Will economic transition in China dampen or boost the outlook? Will galvanizing and other end-uses be able to soak up supply and some of the stock overhang? And what will all this mean for prices and premiums?
Can The World Wake Up?

Somnolent Europe, Russia, and China

By Paul Craig Roberts Russia and China will soon be confronted with an unwelcome decision: accept American hegemony or go to war.. - Continue

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Obamas Last Gasp Imperialism

By Margaret Kimberley If Obama and company continue down this path, we shall all find out what those words mean. - Continue

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If Russia Had Freed Canada

By Joe Lauria The U.S. government defined events in Ukraine as a pro-democracy revolution battling Russian aggression  But what if the script were flipped. - Continue

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Counter-propaganda, Russian Style

By The Saker The Empires propaganda is simply counter-factual and totally illogical. - Continue

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The Next US Coup in Latin America

Obama Takes Aim at Venezuelas Maduro

By Sputnik Washington now seeks to break the back of Venezuela by fracturing the powerful Petrocaribe energy alliance. - Continue

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Aleppo Doctor Attacks Western Media for Bias, Censorship and Lies

By Silvia Cattori With regards to recent events in Aleppo, I state very clearly that the mainstream media are lying by omission. ". - Continue

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Now is Not The Time to Surrender to Israel's Bullying on 'Anti-Semitism'

By Ilan Pappe We in the comfort zone of the West should not cower and not give in to false accusations of anti-Semitism by Anglo-Zionists - Continue

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Voting for Empire is the Sole Option for Democrats and Republicans

By Peter Phillips The war on terror is a fraud designed to keep us quiet. - Continue

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Whistleblower Needed

A Need to Clear Up Clinton Questions

By Ray McGovern As the Democrats glumly line up for Hillary Clintons belated coronation, the risk remains of potential criminal charges over her Libyan testimony. - Continue

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What John Kerry Really Did in Vietnam

By Jeffrey St. Clair It may prove a useful exercise to inspect the curriculum vitae of this putative peace-maker. - Continue

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Syria: 73 killed as rebels capture village near Aleppo : An alliance of Islamist militants, Jaish al-Fatah, launched the attack to seize Khan Touman village, located 15 km north of the city.

Russia says truce extended for 72 hours in Aleppo, Latakia : - Russia's defense ministry said a "regime of calm" truce in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo and parts of Latakia province had been extended "for 72 hours beginning at 1 a.m. on Saturday" (1700 ET on Friday), Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

20 alledged ISIS members killed in coalition air strike south of Mosul: The international coalition aviation conducted an aerial strike on a gathering for ISIS elements in the the village of al-Juwana in the district of Makhmour (80 km south of Mosul), resulting in the death of 20 ISIS elements,

Turkish warplanes destroy sites for PKK militants north of Iraq -: Earlier today, Turkish warplanes attacked and destroyed targets for the PKK [militants] north of Iraq, adding that, The air raids destructed shelters and defensive positions belonging to the PKK militants.

Turkey's Erdogan takes tough EU line after PM quits : Turkey's president has told the EU it will not change its anti-terror laws in return for visa-free travel. "We'll go our way, you go yours," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Bomb attack kills seven in Yemeni city Marib: police ; It was not clear who planted the device which went off around midday in the heart of a crowded market where the narcotic leaf qat is sold, they said.

U.S. Troops Return to Yemen in Battle Against Al Qaeda, Pentagon Says : The Pentagon said Friday that it sent a small number of U.S. special operations forces back to Yemen to provide training and assistance to an Arab coalition to fight al Qaeda militants in the fractured country.

Former U.S. Diplomats Decry the U.S.-Backed Saudi War in Yemen : The United States has forcefully backed the Saudi-led war. In addition to sharing intelligence, the U.S. has sold tens of billions of dollars in munitions to the Saudis since the war began.

Islamic Jihad: 'If Israel harms the residents of Gaza, we'll respond in kind. ': Islamic Jihad has commented on the woman who was killed from a shelling in Khan Yunis: "The harm of innocent residents is a serious escalation that Israel is responsible for. We warn Israel not to damage the residents, or this will cause us to respond in kind."

Israel enlists US Homeland Security to gag its own citizens online : Op-Ed: In this modern world, we are all accustomed to a certain amount of our data being used by official agencies to know more about us. But for bloggers and activists in Israel, it gets a bit more dangerous than that.

Libya: Five killed in attacks : ISLAMIC State militants staged attacks on Thursday between their Libyan stronghold of Sirte and the city of Misrata, killing five people, officials said.

Shelling kills four at rally in Libya's Benghazi: source: At least four people were killed and more than 20 wounded in the Libyan city of Benghazi Friday when shells were fired at a rally in support of forces allied with the country's eastern government, a medical source said.

ISIL advances in Libya's Misrata: Key crossroads and villages seized by ISIL along southern coast, prompting deployment of militiamen to counter assaults.

Most UK forces in Libya 'would be there for protection' : British military staff drawing up plans for deployment in Libya are working on the basis that only a third of the UK troops would be engaged in training and the rest would be needed for force protection, according to a defence source.

Islamic State expanding its activities into Libya, Afghanistan, Europe - Russian UN envoy: According to the Russian diplomat, increased activities of Islamic State militants give grounds to doubt the efficiency of the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition.

2 militants killed in Afghanistan's Helmand province: At least militants were killed and three others wounded after Special Operation Forces of the Afghan National Army (ANA) conducted a raid in southern Helmand province targeting a prison run by the Taliban insurgents.

Singapore, Australia expand military cooperation in $1.7 billion deal : Singapore will have enhanced and expanded military training access in Australia over a period of 25 years. The two will strengthen intelligence and information sharing, such as in counter-terrorism, the city-state's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday.

NATO Ratchets Up Missile Defense Despite Russian Criticism : NATOs European missile defense system will go live on Thursday when a base in Romania becomes operational. The next day, Poland is scheduled to break ground on its NATO missile-defense base.

U.S. Ships Tanks To Georgia For Military Drills : Ahead of the tanks' arrival, a delegation of U.S. officers including the top army officer in Europe General Ben Hodges, visited Batumi to prepare. "We are here to look at port in Batumi to understand what is required to move equipment, how fast we can move equipment.

Russia strengthens permanent naval presence in Mediterranean Sea : A patrol ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet set off for a journey to the Mediterranean Sea to enlarge the group of the Russian Navy in the region, representative of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Trukhachev said.

Worlds 1st para-drop air defense complex to protect Russian forces : An air-droppable missile defense complex is being developed for Russias airborne forces to ensure that after landing, troops have the means to secure the skies and prevent inbound airstrikes. The system will be the first operating version of its kind in the world.

Cameron DELAYED Iraq probe to avoid embarrassing pro-EU Tony Blair, Tory MP claims : Former minister of State for Europe David Davis accused David Cameron of delaying the publication of Sir John Chilcot's Iraq inquiry to save Blair's reputation before the vote on June 23.

EU official Tusk: Idea of one European nation is 'illusion': "Today we have to admit that this dream of one European state with one common interest, with one vision...one European nation, this was an illusion," Tusk said. The former Polish prime minister said the EU is facing a "really risky and tricky" moment.

Greece hit by 3-day strike over pension, tax increase : Workers kick off the 48-hour strike to protest new austerity measures in Athens and as a result, garbage collection to public transport services were closed on Friday.

London has its first Muslim mayor: Sadiq Khan was declared the first Muslim Mayor of London tonight after comfortably defeating Tory rival Zac Goldsmith. In a glimmer of light for Jeremy Corbyn from an otherwise dire set of election results, emerging results at City Hall made it clear there was no route to victory for Mr Goldsmith.

Labour suspends Jewish activist over African holocaust post : A picture emerges of a leading pro-Israeli government organization trawling through the social media posts of Labour Party activists to brand ideas anti-Semitic when they are clearly not,

Guatemala's Imprisoned Ex-President Allegedly Received Millions in Bribes : The new corruption case relates to a $255 million contract awarded to a Barcelona-based company for the construction and operation of a container terminal at the country's biggest port  Puerto Quetzal  on the Pacific coast.

Venezuela state opposition leader killed : German Mavares, the state head of the New Time party (UNT), is the latest in a string of state and local politicians killed in Venezuela  though it is often difficult to establish whether the killings are politically motivated or simply random violence

Many Americans Renounce Citizenship, Even Before President Trump : It seems crazy to call it the New Normal, but once again, record numbers of Americans are renouncing citizenship. Every three months, the Treasury Department publicly names individuals who renounced.
John Kerry Draws New Red Line For Assad In Syria By Natasha Bertrand May 05, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Business Insider " - The new deadline for Syrian President Bashar Assad's transition out of power: August 1, US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a news conference at the State Department on Tuesday. "The target date for the transition is the first of August," Kerry told reporters. "So we're now coming up to May. So either something happens in these next few months, or they are asking for a very different track." The ultimatum was reminiscent of Kerry's warning in 2011 that Assad's days were "numbered," as well as President Barack Obama's "red line" speech in 2012 outlining the conditions  namely, the use of chemical weapons  that would prompt the US to take action against the embattled president. But then, as now, Kerry did not specify which "track" Washington would take to force Assad's ouster. "That is for the future," Kerry said. Kerry responded to questions about Assad's departure after announcing a new plan to end the latest wave of violence in Syria's largest city, Aleppo, where more than 250 civilians have been killed in less than a week by government airstrikes and rebel shelling. Under a new cease-fire arrangement, US and Russian military officials "will be sitting at the same table" at a coordination center in Geneva to monitor and document any violations of the truce, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday in a news conference from Moscow with the UN's envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura. The truce will include Aleppo moving forward. Russia  a staunch ally of Assad  had initially refused to include Aleppo in the cessation of hostilities agreement because of Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra's presence in parts of the city. It used the group to justify the continued airstrikes. As a result, joint US-Russian efforts to end regime bombardments there have largely been made on Moscow's terms, and Kerry acknowledged that negotiators were still trying to figure out how to target Nusra  which is not party to the cessation of hostilities agreement  without hitting rebel groups who have agreed to abide by the cease-fire. "Are they somehow commingled? Are they fair game? These are the kinds of things that have to be worked out so that there's no misunderstanding" about "who is doing what, where, when, and how," Kerry said. "We don't control the terrorists." In any case, Kerry insisted the US would not allow Aleppo to fall to the government. He said there would be "repercussions" if forces loyal to Assad did not abide by the new terms. "If Assad does not adhere to this [cease-fire], there will clearly be repercussions, and one of them may be the total destruction of the cease-fire and then go back to war," Kerry said. "I don't think Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that. There may be even other repercussions being discussed." Again, however, Kerry did not specify the consequences the Assad regime or Russia would face if it violated the cease-fire agreement. "If Assad's strategy is to somehow think he's going to just carve out Aleppo and carve out a section of the country, I got news for you and for him: This war doesn't end," Kerry said. "As long as Assad is there, the opposition is not going to stop fighting." Copyright  2016 Business Insider Inc
US Air Strikes Kill Hundreds of Civilians in Mosul

By Nicolas J. S. Davies

May 05, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - USA Today revealed on April 19th that U.S. air forces have been operating under looser rules of engagement in Iraq and Syria since last fall. The war commander, Lt Gen McFarland, now orders air strikes that are expected to kill up to 10 civilians without prior approval from U.S. Central Command, and U.S. officials acknowledge that air strikes are killing more civilians under the new rules.

U.S. officials previously claimed that air strikes in Iraq and Syria had killed as few as 26 civilians. A senior Pentagon official who is briefed daily on the air war told USA Today that was unrealistic, since air strikes that have destroyed 6,000 buildings with over 40,000 bombs and missiles have inevitably killed much higher numbers of civilians.

As the U.S. escalates its air strikes on Mosul, the largest city occupied by Islamic State, reports of hundreds of civilians killed by air strikes reveal some of the human costs of the U.S. air war and the new rules of engagement.

Award-winning Iraqi environmental scientist and Mosul native Souad Al-Azzawi (Ph.D. Colorado School of Mines) has compiled a partial list of air strikes that have killed civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure from reports by Mosul Eye, Nineveh Reporters Network, Al Maalomah News Network, other Iraqi media and contacts in Mosul:

 Many government buildings have been destroyed. As U.S. officials told USA Today, attacks are often conducted at night to minimize civilian casualties, but they have killed security guards and civilians in neighboring buildings.  Telephone exchanges have been systematically bombed and destroyed.  Two large dairies were bombed, killing about 100 civilians and wounding 200 more.  Multiple daytime air strikes on Mosul University on March 19th and 20th killed 92 civilians and wounded 135, mostly faculty, staff, families and students. Targets included the main administration building, classroom buildings, a womens dormitory and a faculty apartment building.  50 civilians were killed and 100 wounded by air strikes on 2 apartment buildings, Al Hadbaa and Al Khadraa.  A mother and 4 children were killed in an air strike on a house in the Hay al Dhubat district of East Mosul on April 20th, next door to a house used by Islamic State that was undamaged.  22 civilians were killed in air strikes on houses in front of Mosul Medical College.  20 civilians were killed and 70 wounded by air strikes on the Sunni Waqif building and nearby houses and shops.  U.S. air strikes on April 24th damaged the Rashidiya water treatment plant in West Mosul and the Yarmouk power station in East Mosul.  The Central Bank of Mosul in Ghazi Street and several branches of Rafidain and Rasheed banks were bombed, with heavy civilian casualties, despite all cash reportedly being removed after the first bank was struck.  Three workers were killed and 12 wounded in an air strike on the former Pepsi bottling plant.  An air strike on a fuel depot in an industrial area ignited an inferno with 150 casualties on April 18th.  Bombs have damaged a food warehouse, power stations and sub-stations in West Mosul, and flour mills, a pharmaceutical factory, auto repair shops and other workshops across Mosul.  The Al Hurairah Bridge was destroyed by air strikes.

At the very least, U.S. air strikes have killed hundreds of civilians in Mosul and destroyed much of the civilian infrastructure that people depend on for their lives in already dire conditions. And yet by all accounts, this is only the beginning of the U.S.-Iraqi campaign to retake Mosul. One and one-half million civilians are trapped in the city, 30 times the UNs estimate of the number of civilians in Fallujah before the November 2004 assault that killed 4,000 to 6,000 people, mostly civilians. Meanwhile ISIL prevents civilians from evacuating the city, believing that their presence protects its forces from even heavier bombardment.

International humanitarian law strictly prohibits military attacks on civilians, civilian areas and civilian infrastructure. The presence of several thousand ISIL militants in a city of 1.5 million people does not justify indiscriminate bombing or attacks on civilian targets. As the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq warned U.S. officials in aHuman Rights Report in 2007, The presence of individual combatants among a great number of civilians does not alter the civilian nature of an area. UNICEF protestedthe bombing of a water treatment plant in Syria last December as a particularly alarming example of how the rules of war, including those meant to protect vital civilian infrastructure, continue to be broken on a daily basis.

The fundamental contradiction of the militarized war on terror has always been that U.S. aggression and other war crimes only reinforce the narratives of jihadis who see themselves as a bulwark against foreign aggression and neocolonialism in the Muslim world. Meanwhile U.S. wars and covert operations against secular enemies like Hussein, Gaddafi and Assad create new zones of chaos where jihadis can thrive.

President Obama has acknowledged publicly that there is therefore no military solution to jihadism. But successive U.S. administrations have proven unable to resist the lure of military escalation at each new stage of this crisis, unleashing wars that have killed about two million people, plunged a dozen countries into chaos and exploded Wahhabi jihadism from its original safe havens in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan to countries across the world.

If the U.S. and its Iraqi allies follow through with their threatened assault on Mosul, the resulting massacre will join Fallujah, Guantanamo and U.S. drone wars as a powerful catalyst for the next mutation of Wahhabi jihadism, which is likely to be more globalized and unified.

But although Al Qaeda and Islamic State have proven adept at manipulating U.S. leaders into ever-escalating cycles of violence, the jihadis cannot directly order American pilots to bomb civilians. Only our leaders can do that, making them morally and legally responsible for these crimes, just as Islamic States leaders are responsible for theirs.
A Tale Of Two Hospitals

Potentially Fabricated Bombing Incident VS Open Terrorist Targeting Of Facilities In Aleppo



By Brandon Turbeville

May 05, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Activist Post " - Over the past few days, the Western corporate press has kicked into overdrive with reports of hospital bombings, dead civilians, and war crimes all blamed predictably on the secular government of Bashar al-Assad. According to Western governments and their media mouthpieces, Assads forces have targeted civilian hospitals in order to . . . well . . . no one knows why Assads forces would logically target civilian hospitals. Still, the Western harpies  both media and human rights NGOs  continue to hammer the unsubstantiated claims and misinformation at the tops of their lungs that the SAA is dropping bombs on civilian medical facilities.

The First Hospital : al-Quds

The bombing being attributed to the Syrian military is the destruction of the al-Quds hospital, an alleged Medicines Sans Frontieres hospital located in Aleppo. Even officially, however, it is important to note that the alleged hospital was not an MSF facility but one which was supported by MSF. This might seem like a small technicality but it is actually an important difference since MSF (aka Doctors Without Borders) is well known to be anything but an impartial observer in the Syrian crisis. As Tony Cartalucci wrote in his article, Doctors Behind Syrian Chemical Weapons Claim Are Aiding Terrorists, in 2013,

While it is often described by the Western media as independent, nothing could be further from the truth. To begin with, Doctors Without Borders is fully funded by the very same corporate financier interests behind Wall Street and Londons collective foreign policy, including regime change in Syria and neighboring Iran. Doctors Without Borders own annual report (2010 report can be accessed here), includes as financial donors, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Google, Microsoft, Bloomberg, Mitt Romneys Bain Capital, and a myriad of other corporate-financier interests. Doctors Without Borders also features bankers upon its Board of Advisers including Elizabeth Beshel Robinson of Goldman Sachs. Complicating further Doctors Without Borders so-called independent and aid claims is the fact that their medical facilities are set up in terrorist held regions of Syria, especially along Syrias northern border with NATO-member Turkey. In an interview with NPR, Doctors Without Borders Stephen Cornish revealed the nature of his organizations involvement in the Syrian conflict, where he explains that aid is being sent to regions outside of the Syrian governments control, and that his organization is in fact setting up facilities in these areas. Cornish admits [emphasis added]: Over the past months, weve had a surgery that was opened inside a cave. Weve had another that was opened in a chicken farm, a third one in a house. And these structures, weve tried to outfit them as best as we can with enough modern technology and with full medical teams. They originally were dealing mainly with combatant injuries and people who were  civilians who were directly affected by the conflict. In other words, the Wall Street-funded organization is providing support for militants armed and funded by the West and its regional allies, most of whom are revealed to be foreign fighters, affiliated with or directly belonging to Al Qaeda and its defacto political wing, the Muslim Brotherhood. This so-called international aid organization is in actuality yet another cog in the covert military machine being turned against Syria and serves the role as a medical battalion.

In a telling interview with NPR, which Cartalucci partially quotes in his own article, the Executive Director of DWB, Stephen Cornish, admitted the fact that the organization largely has provided medical aid to the death squads not just as a matter of unbiased Hippocratic Oath-based treatment, but what appears to be a rebel-based program.

Again, Cornish revealed,

Over the past months, weve had a surgery that was opened inside a cave. Weve had another that was opened in a chicken farm, a third one in a house. And these structures, weve tried to outfit them as best as we can with enough modern technology and with full medical teams. They originally were dealing mainly with combatant injuries and people who were  civilians who were directly affected by the conflict. [emphasis added]

Even assuming that the civilians Cornish mentions are truly civilians, Cornishs team has also been focused largely on combatant injuries which is an interesting focus considering that the teams are mainly located within death squad controlled territory.

Indeed, Cornish removes all doubt about whether or not the death squads are receiving priority care as the interview continues. Cornish states,

So it is very difficult for civilians to find care. And one of the difficulties also is that a number of smaller surgeries that have been set up are either overwhelmed with combatants or primarily taking care of combatants. And what we would certainly urge is that all surgeries and all health posts also are accommodating the civilian population. BLOCK: You mean, in other words, that the fighters are getting priority for medical care and the civilians are suffering for that. CORNISH: Unfortunately, that is sometimes the reality on the ground. Some of the surgeries we visited, you could tell that because not only there were no civilians on the wards, but there were also no beds or toilet facilities for women. So its kind of a dead giveaway. [emphasis added]

Returning to the question of the al-Quds hospital, however, it should be noted that the facility has been reported to be nothing more than a field hospital for terrorists trapped in Aleppo in the past, the bombing of which allegedly killed over 50 death squad fighters, at least according to reports by Ziad Fadel of Syrian Perspective. After all, the hospital was being run in the rebel-held area of Sukkari.

Some, however, dispute whether or not the hospital was ever actually bombed. Both the Syrian and Russian governments denied bombing the hospital to begin with. The Russians suggested that the anti-ISIL coalition was operating fighter jets in the area around the time of the bombing, implying that the bombing may have been conducted by the American forces, but the U.S. denies the Russian claim.

In addition to the question of whether or not the bombed hospital was a civilian operation or a combatant one, there is even question as to whether or not the field hospital that was bombed was actually al-Quds and, strangely enough, whether or not al-Quds ever actually existed.

For instance, Dr. Nabil Antaki, a doctor based in western Aleppo called into question the existence of al-Quds. After viewing the Channel 4 video showing the hospital moment before the attack, he responded that This hospital [Al Quds] did not exist before the war started. It must have been installed in a building after the war began. I dont know anyone in the East of Aleppo who could confirm this hospital is Al Quds.

The Second Hospital: al-Dhabeet

Yet if the pinnacle of war crimes and brutality is the bombing of hospitals, the United States was forced to eat its own words when, after only a few days of propagandizing the Western public with reports of SAA hospital bombing, its very own terrorist pets would begin openly firing missiles at another hospital in Aleppo.

Obviously, the United States made no mention of its own bombing of a MSF hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan earlier this year.

Still, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was forced to condemn the rocket attacks aimed at the Syrian hospital by Western-backed terrorists, albeit in a manner which would not directly attribute blame to the U.S. proxy forces.

Indeed, on May 3, SANA news agency reported that,

terrorists fired 65 rocket shells on the neighborhoods of al-Neel Street, al-Siryian, al-Khalidyia, al-Mocambo, al-Sabeel and the surroundings of al-Rahman mosque leaving 11 civilians killed and 37 injured. A source at Aleppo Health Directorate said that most of the wounded civilians are children and women and their injuries are severe as the number of the killed civilians might increase.

Eva Bartlett chronicles the report in her own article Hospitals Bombed: Aleppo Burning Under Moderate Terrorist Bombs, by writing,

Later, SANAs correspondent in Aleppo reported that three women were killed, 17 other women and children were wounded and extensive material damage was caused by terrorist organizations attack with a rocket shell on al-Dhabeet Hospital in al-Mouhafaza neighborhood. SANA listed the attacked districts as: al-Midan, al-Furqan, Nile Street, al-Mukambo, al-Khalidiye, Jamiet al-Zahraa, al-Ameriye, al-Ramousa, al-Masharqa, al-Muhafaza, al-Meridian, al-Serian, al-Sabeel, and al-Jamiliye in Aleppo city. SANAs Facebook update included numerous photos of the bombed al-Dhabeet Hospital, noting the number of dead had risen to at least 14, a number which will no doubt rise in the coming hours. According to SAMA tv, the number of murdered has risen to 28. Ruptly TV raw footage shows the disastrous impacts of the bombings, anduncensoredsome of the mutilated victims.

A tale of two hospitals indeed, at least from the point of the view of the West and the Anglo-Americans. In the Western media, one hospital bombing (if it actually took place) equals a war crime that warrants the condemnation of the world while the other warrants merely a forced, hesitant, and tepid complaint. Even the painful admission that bombing civilians and civilian hospitals is wrong was barely uttered out of Kerrys mouth before it was accompanied by the requisite condemnation of the Syrian government and the elected President Bashar al-Assad.Yet the recent bombing of al-Dhabeet is nothing new in Syria. Western-backed terrorists have been launching assaults on hospitals since the beginning of the crisis. As Prof. Tim Anderson pointed out,

Over the past five years the al Qaeda groups have attacked 2/3 of all Syrias hospitals and clinics, plus pharmaceutical factories, many of which were in Aleppo. [Most recent one should read al Dabit] Al Razi General Hospital (state) was also hit by the al Nusra coalition, just days ago.

Anderson also pointed out a number of other attacks on hospitals such as those listed below.

al Watani hospital in Qusayr bombed by Farouq FSA, back in 2012. (Video) -al Nusra-FSA suicide bomb al Kindi hospital Aleppo, December 2013. (Video) -al Qaeda groups bombed Ibn Rushd hospital also in Aleppo, on 26 April. (Video) -al Razi general hospital was also hit, just days ago. (Link)

Unsurprisingly, Eva Bartlett writes, instead of reporting on these documented instances of terrorists (filming themselves) attacking Syrian hospitals, corporate media and propagandizing human rights groups are instead filling front pages and tv screens with screaming accusations of the Syrian army and/or Russia having bombed a so-called MSF hospital in Aleppo.

Conclusion

Obviously, the Western indignation over the alleged bombing of the al-Quds non-hospital was never anything more than propaganda aimed at drumming up support for greater U.S. military involvement in Syria and the increased attempt at destroying the secular Syrian government. At best, the information repeated to Western audiences was misconstrued. At worst, it was entirely made up.
Saudi Arabia and Israel's Growing Alliance, a Match Made in Hell



The Iran nuclear deal is redrawing political lines in the Middle East.



By Alli McCracken, Raed Jarrar May 05, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Alternet " - For decades, Saudi Arabia has been a stalwart advocate of Palestinian statehood rights and a voracious critic of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Saudi Arabias commitment to Palestine has defined the geopolitical contours of the Middle East for decades. But now that the Iran nuclear deal has been struck and as the war in Syria ravages on, those political lines are being redrawn, bringing together unexpected bedfellows: Saudi Arabia and Israel. Marketed as a pathbreaking public dialogue between senior national security leaders from two old adversaries, May 5, 2016 will feature a high-profile meeting in Washington DC between officials from Saudi Arabia and Israel. Prince Turki bin Faisal, Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief and one-time ambassador to Washington, and retired Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Major General Yaakov Amidror, former national security advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will be speaking together at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a pro-Israel organization funded by AIPAC donors, staffed by AIPAC employees, and located down the hall from AIPAC Headquarters. Saudi Arabia has never engaged in diplomatic relations with Israel since the Nakba in 1948, and at one point even led efforts to boycott of the state of Israel. And although this is not the first meeting of its kind (Saudi Arabia and Israel had a former official speak at a Council on Foreign Relations panel last year), it is definitely the highest profile meeting and it is taking place. While having like-minded human rights abusers such as Saudi Arabia and Israel mingle and meet publicly might come as no surprise to most of us, this event is still bad news: it signals a new era of normalization by the official sponsor of the Arab Peace Initiative. The Arab Peace initiative, also known as the "Saudi Initiative", is a 10-sentence proposal for an end to the ArabIsraeli conflict. It was endorsed by the Arab League in 2002 and re-endorsed at the 2007, and it is supported by all Palestinian factions, including Hamas. The initiative calls for normalizing relations between the Arab world and Israel in exchange for a complete withdrawal by Israel from the occupied territories (including East Jerusalem). Until now, it has been the most viable blueprint for a two-state solution. The deal also addressed the issue of Palestinian refugees and called for a "just settlement" based on UN Resolution 194. So, at this political moment when Netanyahu is not showing any willingness to withdraw from the Occupied Palestinian Territory and some of his ministers are calling for the official annexation of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia seems to be giving up on its historic commitments. By normalizing relations with Israel without demanding a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Saudi Arabia is diminishing its leverage in negotiating a two-state solution. In a way, this meeting marks the official demise of the Arab Peace Initiative, but more importantly, as the last standing mechanism for a regionally negotiated resolution, it is yet another indicator that a two-state solution is officially dead. Alli McCracken is co-director of the peace group CODEPINK based in Washington DC. Raed Jarrar is an Arab-American political advocate based in Washington DC.
A 15-year-old boy who suffered from the rare genetic disorder called progeria, died at a hospital in Karimnagar in Telangana, India, on Tuesday, May 3.

Nihal Shrinivas Bitla was instrumental in creating awareness about the disorder in India, and was the face of the Progeria Research Foundations campaign to detect undiagnosed children living in India.
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday cautioned state governments and the private sector against engaging foreign partners without conducting proper background checks.

Buhari gave the advice in a message to the opening of the maiden Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit, organised by the Kaduna State Government, in Kaduna.

The President, whose speech was delivered by Governor Nasir El-Rufai, noted that various state governments had been making efforts to shore up their revenue base in view of the current economic problems, which is a good thing, but they need to be careful in etering into partnerships.

In the face of dwindling oil revenue, I am very pleased to note the efforts being made by state governments to diversify their internally generated revenue sources by opening up their economy for investors and providing a conducive enabling environment.

More recently, these efforts have been demonstrated not with mere rhetoric or political statements, but with practical policies and well thought out legislation.

The Kaduna Investment and Economic Summit is a pointer to one of these efforts. State governments and, indeed, the private sector should take care and make background checks before engaging with foreign partners.

The President also stressed the importance of the private sector in driving the economy for greater efficiency and growth.

Private sector led investments remain the most sustainable way of creating much needed jobs and engendering purposeful growth, the President said.

He said all stakeholders must make concerted efforts towards sustaining functioning industries, establishing new ones as well as revival of moribund industries.
The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) on Thursday commended the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for implementing the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in the aviation sector.

NATCAs president, Mr Victor Eyaru, gave the commendation while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Eyaru said the introduction of the TSA had helped to reduce fraudulent activities and restored sanity to the sector.

He said: I will give the government kudos for introducing TSA into the aviation sector.

Without the TSA, the kind of fraud exposed in the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) would not have been possible.

According to him, the arrest of some former directors of the agency by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged fraud, is a step in the right direction.

The government should fast track their prosecution so that those that are guilty are punished, while those found not guilty by the law can be allowed to return to work, Eyaru said.

The NATCA president, therefore, appealed to the government to appoint a substantive managing director for NAMA, following the ongoing prosecution of the former MD, Mr Ibrahim Abdusalam.

He said NATCA would continue to support the government in its quest to eliminate corruption in the sector and to make Nigeria an aviation hub.

Eyaru also called for the restructuring of NAMA, to enable the agency live up to its statutory function of improving the safety of Nigerias airspace.

We believe that NAMA should be repositioned. If you look at NAMA, for example, the Act establishing the agency provides for three directorates, but what they are operating now is more than seven directorates.

So that means funds are being wasted and the agency is operating an illegality because the act establishing it does not support the creation of those directorates.

If the government wants to make any reform, they should first of all revert NAMA to the three statutory directorates.

By doing this, a lot of money will be saved for the agency to undertake other critical projects and manpower training, he added.
A former Aviation Minister and erstwhile Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization, PDPPCO, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has denied media speculation that he is hiding from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, saying that was not true as he was not a coward.

Describing the report as totally absurd, Fani-Kayode, who has consistently maintained that he has no skeletons in his closet, said that he was not hiding as he has been in his Abuja residence in the last few weeks.

The EFCC is reportedly probing the former minister and other chieftains of the PDP in connection with campaign funds for the 2015 presidential election, which is believed to have come from funds for purchase of military hardware by the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

In a statement titled, My reaction to the allegation that I have gone underground and that I am hiding from the EFCC on Thursday, Fani-Kayode said: I have just read some absurd media reports in which have quoted their sources in the EFCC, as saying that I had gone underground and that I was hiding from them. This is false. I have not been invited by the EFCC by letter and neither have they phoned me or attempted to reach me in any other way. I have been in my Abuja home for the last few weeks and I am not hiding from anyone.

I am not a coward and this attempt to further demonise and humiliate me by the EFCC will fail. If they have any questions for me why dont they just write to me or call me, give me a date and I will be in their office. I have made my position clear on the issue of the Presidential campaign funds, I have written an essay about it in my various columns about two weeks ago and I have been waiting for the EFCC to reach me ever since then. They have invited others but they have not invited me. I do not believe that I have done anything wrong and this latest attempt to criminalise me and make me look like a fugitive from justice will fail.

Others that were invited to the EFCC over this same campaign funds issue were sent letters of invitation and were reached. I appear to be the exception and now these hideous lies are being fed to the newspapers to make it look as if I am in hiding or that I am running from them just to sensationalise the whole issue.

This is also to justify what the EFCC wish to do which is to arrest me in public, humiliate me or to storm my home and lock me up indefinitely. There is no need for all that drama and if it happens that way the Nigerian people will know why. I have no fear of the EFCC, I will respond to their invitation any day and anytime they send it to me and I will help them to clarify whatever issues they wish to raise in any way that I can.

Others were invited in a civilised way and were treated in a humane and decent manner. I really do wonder why I should be treated differently, criminalised in the newspapers in this way and not even afforded the common courtesy of a formal invitation by them. I await their letter or their call and I leave those that wish to give the impression that I am running from them to God.
Immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Wednesday, denied nursing a presidential ambition in 2019, blaming those he called mischief makers, for the rumor.

Mr. Akpabio, who spoke through a statement from his media aide, Anietie Ekong, distanced himself from a campaign poster being circulated on the social media, which requested Nigerians to support him for president.

The Senate minority leader, who represents Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district, is one of the most influential leaders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the country.

The statement reads in part: We wish to state categorically that Senator Akpabio has no ambition of contesting for the Presidency in 2019 and is not behind such campaigns. It is the handiwork of mischief makers.

It is instructive that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he belongs to has zoned the Presidency to the North by 2019. The South-South has had its shot at the Presidency through Dr Goodluck Jonathan who handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari barely one year ago.

It is politically impracticable in the present Nigeria to expect another South-South man to aspire to succeed President Buhari.

Mr. Akpabio said, for now, he was concerned with working with other senators to make laws that will improve the living condition of Nigerians.
The Democratic Republic of the Congos government has announced a crackdown on the alleged use of foreign mercenaries by the countrys main opposition leader Moise Katumbi. Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba told a news conference on Wednesday that there was documented proof that former US soldiers and South Africans were among the foreigners working for Katumbi in Katanga, the province in which he is based.

I gave the orders to the PGR [general prosecutor of the republic] to open a judicial case in Katanga, he said. Katumbi, the former governor of Katanga, has yet to formally respond to the allegations. Steve Wenbi, a journalist from a local news agency who attended the conference in the capital Kinshasa, told Al Jazeera that the government launched the probe after authorities arrested a number of suspects in connection with the reported influx of mercenaries, including an ex-US troop and three Congolese.

One of the Congolese arrested is the owner of security company, called Pomba 1. The company, which is based in Katangas provincial capital of Lubumbashi, is accused of inviting the foreign mercenaries and is linked to Katumbi, Wenbi said.

He also quoted Mwamba as saying that the government was investigating why more than 600 US citizens, mostly men, had entered the country since October last year. Lambert Mende, a government spokesman, told Al Jazeera that Pomba 1 was not officially registered as a security company and was therefore operating illegally. The interior ministry did not know that it existed as a security company  It may have been created to bring mercenaries, he added.
Egyptian riot police have cordoned off the headquarters of the journalists union and limited access to the building in an escalating standoff following a raid on the premises and the arrest of two journalists. Hundreds of journalists rallied on the steps outside the union headquarters on Wednesday, chanting Journalism is not a crime! and demanding the dismissal of the countrys Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar.

The protests are the latest in a series of demonstrations against the government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, which has banned virtually all protests and carried out a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent. Police severely restricted access, banning non-union members from entry, as well as some residents and people who came on work errands to the surrounding area. Foreign journalists were allowed entry only after approval by several levels of officers, up to the rank of general.

At one point, several dozen journalists pushed through a barrier and entered the area, causing a brief moment of chaos. Several held up their union cards, saying that the police would not let them enter despite the membership. The union is now holding a general assembly. There are thugs here threatening us, and the police dont want us to enter for the meeting because they know well condemn the Interior Ministry, said journalist Ahmed Bakr, who was allowed into the buildings street eventually.

Aljazeera.
A former Minister of State for Education, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, who was abducted last Wednesday, has described her seven days ordeal in the kidnappers den as terrible and dehumanising.

Anisulowo, who was abducted on the Sawonjo-Iganokoto road in Yewa-South Council Area of the state, arrived at Government House at Isale-Igbehin at about 10.p.m. Tuesday in company of the state Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali.

Narrating her ordeal, Anisulowo, who represented Ogun West Senatorial District between 2003 and 2007, expressed her appreciation to God, the governor and security agencies for her freedom.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain said said the courage and the fighting spirit of Governor Ibikunle Amosun in securing her freedom, was what kept her alive and hopeful that she would eventually regain freedom from her abductors, who demanded N200 million ransom.

The former minister, who wore a peach lace, recalled that she refused to eat food offered by her abductors and survived only on water throughout her captivity.

Ive been on water, I did not eat anything throughout, she said.

Anisulowo continued: Im short of words, but I want to thank the Governor and also thank God. I want to thank His Excellency, for all the effort you have put in with the security agents.

I know the courage you have and the spirit to fight to the end and that was what kept me in the bush, there.

I have an assurance that with the security agents that you have, you will work it through. I thank God.

Governor Amosun disclosed that the kidnappers told him during a telephone conversation that they had wanted to ask for N100million as ransom but had to raise it to N200million because of his efforts to secure freedom for the former minister.

Amosun added that the kidnappers even threatened to deal with him and teach him a lesson.

They even threatened me and every other persons. They said they will teach me, the IG, the Brigade Commander and all others lesson. They were abusing everybody on phone, but we thank God the way it is resolved. All glory to God.

I think it is a big shame that we find ourselves in a situation where we should not be. Young people that are supposed to be working are demanding ransom of N200 million.

They even said because I got involved they increased it from N100 million to N200 million. They insisted from the second day that their ransom is N200 million. They said they had wanted to collect N100 million and I told them that they will face the law, and that it is in their interest to release her.

I can say it authoritatively that no kobo was paid to them. Of course, we did all that we are supposed to do. They reduced the ransom to N150 million, we asked them to come and take, but they did not come. We didnt pay a kobo to anybody. We thank God that she is here live and direct, the governor said.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has said that the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency has a clear idea on how to execute its agricultural policy to achieve self-sufficiency in food production, and diversify the economy in the process.

Speaking today at a meeting in his office with a delegation of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, and the Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, alongside Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, the Vice President praised rice and wheat farmers, saying farmers are among the most important people in Nigeria today.

According to Prof. Osinbajo, by launching the CBN Anchor Borrowers financing initiative in Kebbi State, while also flagging-off the dry season rice and wheat farming late last year, what the President did was setting-off an agricultural revolution without saying so. He added that Presidents action also showed he had a clear idea of how to execute a formidable agricultural policy.

The President said it throughout the campaigns that pursuing an active agriculture policy in rice and wheat would be important, said Osinbajo, because Nigerians consume them, and importing more of both, even though these are crops that the country has the capacity to grow locally.

In their remarks, the presidents of both associations expressed satisfaction with the support rice and wheat farmers are now receiving from the federal government.

According to Mallam Aminu Goronyo, the President of the Rice Farmers Association, before the coming of the Buhari presidency, farmers in Nigeria were considered useless people on the streets, but now farmers are kings.

As a proof, he disclosed that banks are now soliciting farmers to open accounts, even offering banking services on the farms. He added that people have also been offering farmers credit lines for purchases. We have not been having this kind of respect before, we have become kings today, Goronyo stated.

The President of the Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria Salim Saleh Mohammed said most rice farmers were also wheat farmers, adding that the productivity level of both sets of farmers have already gone up.
Governors Ayodele Fayose and Olusegun Mimiko of Ekiti and Ondo States yesterday put up a united front against backdrop of their rumored political feud for the soul of the Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

This is just as Governor Fayose blamed the media for creating a false impression that PDP chieftains in the Southwest were at loggerheads in a bid to sell their newspapers.

Rumors were rife that all was not well in the camp of the PDP in the Southwest following the recent zoning of the position of national chairman of the party to the Northeast.

While the Ekiti governor had supported the zoning, Chief George a former national vice chairman of the PDP, kicked, saying it negates the partys constitution.

Fayose went further to claim that George expressed interest in the national chairmanship position of the party to him, but that he refused to support him (George) because he was part of the old brigade of politicians in the country who have refused to vacate the stage for the youth to take centre-stage.

However, all their political differences seemed to vanish yesterday at The Dome in Akure, the Ondo State capital at a stakeholders meeting of PDP leaders in the Southwest summoned by Governor Mimiko.

Fayose, who surprisingly showed up at the Akure meeting after a section of the media had reported that his faction of PDP leaders in the region was holding a parallel meeting in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, sat beside George.

Denying any cracks in the Southwest PDP, the governor said: For me and Governor Mimiko, we are one and the same on party issues. Do not mind what the newspapers are saying. As for our leaders, Chief Bode George, you can see me sitting next to him on the high table; all what you read in newspapers are just sensationalism to sell them (papers).

We are bound to agree whether its convenient for us or not when it is in the collective interest of the Yoruba race and the party. Chief Bode George will forever remain our leader in the PDP. We are ready to speak as one indivisible members of the same PDP, he added.

At the Akure meeting, Fayose reiterated his commitment to the unity of the party in the zone and Nigeria, with a pledge not to do anything that would jeopardise the chance of the party in future election.

I want this great party to regain its leadership position and to remain solid, he said.

Fayose, who openly embraced Chief George before the commencement of the meeting, also vowed an unrelenting criticism of the present administration in the country until the dividend of democracy was delivered as promised by President Muhammadu Buhari and his party  All Progressives Congress.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Mimiko stressed the need to put the PDP house in order and unite all the leaders ahead 2019 general election in the country.

He added that the Akure meeting became important when it seems the party in the South-West was drifting and there were cacophony of voices. This is the time for the South-West to speak as one in the interest of the region, our people and our heritage.

The governor stated further that this is the time to get our acts together and take our rightful position in the politics of the country. There is no alternative to our unity in the South-West.

There is no doubt about it that Nigerians are waiting. If we mess it up, a new party will emerge and become the darling of this country. We need to realise our position today. If the purpose of politics is to serve the greatest interest of the people, this is the time to come together in the South-West.

I want to thank my brother, Governor Ayo Fayose. Both of us have resolved that in the interest of Yoruba nation, we are coming together, he said.
Senators from the North, under the aegis of Northern Senators, yesterday warned governors, leaders and community heads in the country to desist from making inflammatory statements that could further overheat the polity.

Rising from a meeting in Abuja, the northern senators promised that, as part of moves to nip in the bud the continued clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers, the lawmakers would soon come up with new laws as well as amend existing ones to help promote the interest of Northern Nigeria in particular and the country at large.

Reading a communique issued at the end of the meeting to journalists, Chairman, Northern Senators Forum, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West), who noted that the forum resolved to continue its support for President Muhammadu Buhari in order to bring about even development to all sections of the country, said members of the Forum shall work assiduously to enact laws and amend existing ones.

We appreciate the steps the Federal Government had taken so far to contain the problems of herdsmen/farmers clashes and call on community leaders to be careful when making statements on these ugly incidences.

If you dont mind, in recent times, it started with the West when elder statesman, Chief Olu Falae, had some very nasty experience. It was attributed at the time to Fulani herdsmen. At the end, those people were apprehended and they were not Fulanis.

This thing has been going on in virtually all parts of the country today. If we now say that everybody should rise and say herdsmen should leave, we will not have a country.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigerian, MACBAN, has said Fulani herdsmen, who have recently been accused of being behind mass killings in various communities in the country, kill their victims in self-defence.

The leader of a delegation of MACBAN to the Defence Headquarters on Wednesday, Senator Dagiri Alkali, said the Fulani moved into new territories in the country because they had been forced out of their territories in the North.

Alkali claimed that the Boko Haram insurgents attacked herdsmen in the North-East and other parts of the country and stole millions of cows from the breeders.

He added that the Fulani were also victims of the activities of cattle rustlers in Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue and parts of Kogi states with millions of cows taken away from them.

The association wondered why people had not taken a look at the factors that had driven the Fulani to different parts of the country, asking where Nigerians expected the herdsmen to keep the over 20 million cows in the country.

He added, When the reserves and forest were gazetted and reserved for cattle breeders, this incident was not there; but the increase in population has now wiped out the entire grazing reserves in this country; 400 and something of them all wiped out. And you have a population of about 20 million cows. Where do you keep them? And every one of us likes to eat meat.

This is a venture that over 20 million people are engaged in. And nobody cares to know what the causes of this problem are. Presently, you know the case of Boko Haram. They attacked and decapitated the population of Fulani in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe and some parts of Taraba.

The cattle rustlers have displaced the Fulani in Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau and Benue and in some parts of Kogi. Millions of cattle have been taken from these herdsmen. So when somebody says a Fulani man killed somebody, I wonder why? How? Its only a poor man that fights.

But you, as the military people, you know self-defence is an art. In the military, if you are attacked you have to defend yourself. You have been squeezed; you have to find a way to survive.

The leader of the MACBAN delegation said when the Fulani were killed in the bush, it was not reported in the media, admitting that it was however, not enough for anybody to kill innocent persons.
Superstar reality TV personality, Khloe Kardashian has shared a brutally honest tale of her unsavory high school experiences and her struggle with education in general.

Suprisingly, Khloe had not been a popular kid like her sisters, Kourtney and Kim Kardashian, a fact she revealed in a post she shared via her website, KhloewithAK.com, titled, XOXO: All About My Education.

Khloe also shared a bunch of old photos showing her looking fat as a kid and nothing like the sexy siren she has grown to become.

Writing on the issues she had faced, Khloe said:

My education didnt follow a traditional trajectory, but Im thankful for my parents who listened and supported me when I was having trouble. I know youve been curious about this (its one of the top questions Googled about me, apparently), so here are the ABCs of my education!

I went to Marymount in ninth grade, while Kourt and Kim were there, but after they left, I felt like I had no one to be with.

I struggled really hard in school, so I took myself out of Marymount and forged my parents names to enroll in Alexandria Academy. My dad was livid when he found out, and I was so scared, I was shaking.

He told me, Im so pissed, but the fact that you put so much effort into all of this  Im going to let you do this. But you have to keep a certain GPA.

Alexandria Academy is not at-home, you go to a school, and there are tutors that give you individual attention. I needed that. I really did not know one person there. I knew college wasnt for me, and I graduated from Alexandria with honorswhich I never wouldve done in a traditional school.

Khloe also admits that, after the initial struggle had been made easier, it still had been difficult living in the shadows of her big sisters.

While I loved having my built-in group with Kim and Kourtney, it was hard for me at times. They may have already graduated when I got to school, but I remember that teachers would always exclaim, Youre THEIR sister? I didnt have my own identity and was compared to them. Kim and Kourtney were so popular.

I didnt care about being popular in school, and was nice to everyone. If you were a loner I was like, Come and sit with me!

With this educationally tell all, we definitely understand Khloes obsession with working out and keeping fit, and she sure is making headlines of her own this days.
This lady Joy Sandra Unuigbokhai, posted a series of chat messages she had with a certain helper who promised to assist her in getting a job after her NYSC. Unfortunately, his conditions will leave you wondering if women in Nigeria still have hope at a decent life. Read below.

Source: Trezzy blog
A brawl between two Nigerians living at the Beach Drive Road at Nungua in Accra over a stolen tooth brush has led to the death of one.

Marvelous Okere, 26, and a trader living together in the same room with other occupants engaged the deceased  Sunday Orga  in an open fight over his stolen tooth brush on Saturday.

Speaking to Starr News, the Greater Accra Regional Police spokesperson Afia Tenge, said in the course of the confrontation Okere took a bottle, broke it and stabbed the left rib of the deceased. He bled profusely and when he was rushed to the LEKMA Hospital he passed on, Tenge stated.

Upon interrogation, the suspect said he stabbed his colleague because he slapped him. Okere is currently in police custody for investigations to also continue. The remains of Orga, 27, has been deposited at the Police Hospital morgue awaiting autopsy.
Punch

Ohakim gave me $2.29m cash to buy house Witness

A witness. Abu Sule, told a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday that he collected $2.29m cash in Ghana-Must-Go bag from a former Governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, to help the former governor to buy a property in Asokoro, Abuja.

Vanguard

Senate okays death penalty for kidnappers

THE Senate, yesterday, agreed to begin a process for the enactment of a law that would prescribe capital punishment for kidnappers across the country.

Thisday

Anisulowo Recounts Ordeal, Says She Lived on Water for Seven Days

Former Minister of State for Education, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, has narrated her experience during her seven-day ordeal in the hands of her abductors.

Daily Times

Fire outbreak claims two lives, destroys five vehicles in Kano

A fire outbreak, on Wednesday, claimed two lives in Kano with about five cars burnt completely.

Guardian

Odigie-Oyegun wants states to fix own minimum wage

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, says states should be allowed to fix minimum wage according to their financial capabilities.

Daily Trust

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/politics/you-can-t-expel-me-gabam-tells-sheriff/145197.html

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, has faulted the alleged plans by the chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and other leaders, to expel him from the party.

Leadership

You Are Too Slow, Residents Tell Minister

Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called on the minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello to raise his bar in the way the FCT administration is being run since he took over the mantle of leadership in November last year in the nations capital.

Tribune

Obasanjo donates chimpanzee named Patience to animal centre

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has donated a chimpanzee named Patience in his Wildlife Park, to a conservation organisation, Pandrillus Foundation, a non-profit organisation.

The Nation

PDP cancels ward congresses in three states

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) has cancelled Saturdays ward congresses in three states.
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State yesterday said there was no tangible excuse for people of the state to demand the immediate relocation of Fulani herdsmen from communities in the state in view of the existing cordial relationship between Ebonyi People and the herdsmen.

Umahi, who spoke at an enlarged Security Council meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abakaliki, said that grazing routes would be created in communities to enable the Fulani herdsmen carry out their grazing activities without rancour and disaffection.

The governor, however, condemned in strong terms, the attack on a community in Enugu State allegedly by herdsmen, describing it as unfortunate.

He called on security agencies to be on the alert and curb all manner of criminalities across the state, even as he directed them to mount surveillance and checkmate the excesses of herdsmen in the state, especially at night.

Subsequently, Gov. Umahi directed the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Commissioner for Border, Peace and Conflict Resolution and Special Adviser, SA on Internal Security to come up with a modality on how to set up a community-based committee in liaison with the Police to curb incidences of crimes across the state.

Mr. Umahi warned that any student found to belong to a secret cult will not only be arrested, such a person would be handed over to the security agencies for prosecution.

He also directed that nobody in the state should extort herdsmen under any guise, warning that anybody caught in such act will be prosecuted.

Meanwhile, the governor suspended two Development Centre Coordinators, Ohaozara West and Ohaozara, Hon. Christian Ngene, and Hon. Eni Odii respectively, indefinitely for failing to attend the meeting.
One Pastor Osazee Igbinigie has been arrested alongside two other notorious robbers for their roles in burglary and molestation. According to the Edo state police command, Igbinigie is an assistant pastor in one of the new generation churches and was arrested alongside one 28 -year-old Samson Ogbesosa, an indigene of Edo state who robbed a girl of her handset and was arrested after sleeping with her.

The pastor, a graduate of Abjuratory Technology at the University of Benin, explained thus: On Thursday last week, I went to the bank because my brother told me he sent me N5,000. So, when I slot my card into the machine, the ATM told me that my card had expired.

Photo: Vanguard

So, I went into the bank premises to complain, then they told me that they had the report that my account was used to perpetrate fraud, that I should wait. I sat down waiting before I saw the policemen who came to arrest me and took me to Evbotubu Police station.

I was shocked because that account was opened since 2004 when I was teaching in a private school. I feel embarrassed now because I dont know who did that to me. They said a prominent woman of God used it and I have never received any fraudulent money from it. I work with my brother at Ekenwa road. I know that sometimes, people call me to send money into my account for one issue or the other, that is why I am just confused now but I leave everything to God.

The police image maker in the state, DSP Abiodun Osifo Stanley, while parading the suspects on behalf of the state commissioner of police, Chris Ezike, stated that they would be charged to court on conclusion of investigations. One Osaze Igbinigie was arrested in a popular bank in Benin in an attempt to withdraw money with his ATM.

Unknown to him, the police has put a red alert on that account because the account was opened with the intention to defraud unsuspecting victims and that is his stock in trade and he has done this over a year now. We monitored him and he was arrested eventually. He confessed to the crime, that he was lured into it by a friend who is now abroad. he added.

The operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) have also busted syndicates of in-traffic robbery suspects with the arrest of three one chance robbery gang and seven pickpockets using Ajegunle as the base of their operations. The operatives also recovered two danfo buses used by the gang in operations along Oshodi-Mile 2 Expressway. The 14-seater buses are presently in RRS Headquarters in Alausa.

Source:Naij
The Senate today considered for Second Reading of A Bill for an Act to establish the National Agricultural Credit Fund to Promote Commercial Agriculture in Nigeria.

This bill, if passed and signed into law, will address the current lack of legal frameworks that limit funds meant for farming going to actual farmers, a statement by the Senate President Bukola Saraki said.

The Credit Fund will also help ensure that local farmers are provided with implementable business plans and are linked to larger companies that will purchase their products. It will also help in the transition of seeing agriculture as a business, not just a social development program, as there will be clearly spelt out criteria for benefits, and fund administrators to guide the disbursement of the loans.

The lawmakers also considered the Report of the Joint Committees on Police Affairs, National Security, and Intelligence, in respect of the unfortunate recurrence of kidnapping and hostage-taking in the country.

The Senate Report recommends a reappraisal of the countrys intelligence gathering methods, a focus on community policing and information sharing between security agencies to curb the rate of kidnappings across the country.
The Senate, yesterday, agreed to begin a process for the enactment of a law that would prescribe capital punishment for kidnappers across the country.

This came following the consideration of a report of the Joint Committee on Police Affairs, National Security and Intelligence in respect of a motion on the unfortunate recurrence of kidnapping and hostage-taking in Nigeria, entitled, A National Wake-Up Call.

The recommendation for death penalty, as adopted by the Senate, was recommended by Senator Adamu Aliero (APC-Kebbi Central) as an additional recommendation after the six resolutions were already adopted by the lawmakers.

In his contribution, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, noted that family members of kidnapped persons go through psychological trauma, having experienced it himself.

Just recently, one of my relations also was kidnapped. So, I believe I am talking as an expert or an experienced person in kidnapping. I know the psychology of kidnappers because I stayed for two days with them.

These are normal human beings who are sometimes looking for money and also afraid of security agencies. I think there are three types of kidnappers. There are some who kidnapped either to make a statement or to intimidate the government, like the Boko Haram people and the Niger Delta militants.

Then there is another type of kidnappers, these are just normal armed robbers. Sometimes, they just kidnapped you, put you in the boot and they can even use the vehicle as an escape or they use it to rob.

Such kidnappers, once they succeed, its either they take away the vehicle, use it or they dump their victim. But the third type, which is very dangerous, is the professional kidnappers, who kidnapped for money and that is the one we are focusing on this afternoon.

We have encouraged this type of kidnapping because we panic and pay money most times. This kind of kidnappers, when they take you, they put you somewhere else and they can refer you to negotiate so that they can set you free and go for another business.

Most times, our people are reluctant to delay or endure the inconvenience or the hardship and then they quickly negotiate and if we can discourage this kind of kidnappings, the only way forward is to insist that you will not pay, Ekweremadu said.

Also in his contribution, Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West), recommended firing squad for kidnappers. While contributing to the report, the Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio (PDP, Akwa Ibom), regretted that kidnapping escalated in Nigeria when ex-governor and now Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, was kidnapped around 2002.

The Senate also asked state governments to enact laws that would prosecute kidnappers and other crime-related offences in their jurisdiction and recommended that the Inspector General of Police and Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, in particular as well as other security agencies be encouraged to do more.
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, yesterday, advised state governors to in their interest, disregard the call by Dr. Doyin Okupe, former spokesman to ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan that they should downsize their workforce.

Okupe, a medical doctor, on Tuesday advised governors in the country to sack 20 to 30 per cent of the workers in their respective states civil service in view of the prevailing economic realities.

Condemning the call by Okupe, TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, in a statement Wednesday, argued that instead of proffering solutions on how to revive the ailing economy, the former presidential aide elected to declare war against workers.

It is this type of negative advice by Okupe and his likes that led to the destruction of the economy. The governors should, therefore, not listen to him because if they proceed to sack their workers, when their states start to boil, Okupe and his fellow jesters will be rejoicing privately or worse, and still jet out of the country, Kaigama said.

The TUC boss also debunked claims by Okupe that civil servants alone consumed 90% of the budgets and asked him to provide the statistics that led him to that conclusion.

How can the meagre salaries of civil servants take the lion share of the state budget? If the truth must be told, it is the outrageous salaries and allowances of political office holders that deplete the budget.

Indeed, the former Central Bank governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, once told the nation that 25 per cent of the budget is spent on legislative emoluments. If you add that to the whopping salaries and allowances of the executive arm, it will become clear that it is politicians like Okupe that are milking the economy dry, he asserted.

We know Okupe fully well and we equally know his antecedents. We are more than prepared to expose all his dirty deals if he does not maintain the peace, the TUC warned.
A state of emergency has been declared in the Canadian city of Fort McMurray as a massive blaze prompted the biggest evacuation in the history of Alberta state. Officials warned on Wednesday that the fire had the potential to destroy much of the town with a few neighborhoods already destroyed.

Wind-whipped wildfires, which broke out on Sunday, have destroyed at least 1,600 homes and other buildings and forced more than 80,000 residents to flee. Danielle Larivee, Albertas minister of municipal affairs, said the fire was actively burning in residential areas, with more than 250 firefighters battling the blaze.

An update from the Municipality of Wood Buffalo later in the evening indicated the fire was continuing to claim homes and had destroyed a new school. Authorities said there had been no known casualties from the blaze itself, but fatalities were reported in at least one car crash when people were evacuating. Chelsie Klassen, a spokeswoman for The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said all large oil sands facilities would be properly shut to minimise the damage.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley flew up to survey the situation, while officials in the evacuation center had to bolt to the south of the city as flames edged closer. Notley tweeted pictures of the fire from above. The view from the air is heartbreaking, she wrote. Notley said about 10,000 evacuees moved north where oil sands work camps were being pressed into service to house evacuees. The bulk of the evacuees fled south to Edmonton and elsewhere, and officials said they eventually would like to move everyone south.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, while the full extent of the damage wasnt yet known, he called it absolutely devastating and said there was loss on a scale that was hard to imagine. Trudeau said he had offered the province his governments full support.

Aljazeera.
On this day in 1999: General Abdusalami Abubakar signed a new constitution designed to smoothen the transition to civilian rule.

With the sudden death of General Abacha in June 1998 General Abdulsalami Abubakar headed the new military administration, and was immediately confronted with the Herculean task of drawing Nigeria back from the brink of collapse and restoring her image. Admirably, this administration rose up to the occasion. In August 1998, the Abubakar government appointed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections for local government councils, state legislatures and governors, the National Assembly, and president. INEC held a series of four successive elections between December 1998 and February 1999. Former military head of state Olusegun Obasanjo, freed from prison by Abubakar, ran as a civilian candidate and won the presidential election. Irregularities marred the vote, and the defeated candidate, Chief Olu Falae, challenged the electoral results and Obasanjos victory in court.

Also on this day 2005: Armed men kidnapped a Briton from an oil rig in southern region .

Equally on this day in 2007: In Port Harcourt, unknown gunmen kidnapped a Russian woman who worked for a catering company.Also on this day in

Also on this day in 2012: Three (3) people were shot dead while four (4) others including two (2) soldiers, were wounded when suspected Islamists opened fire at a wedding in Maiduguri. Two (2) of the suspected Islamists were arrested
The National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, has hailed Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai for paying N29.1 million as compensation to the families of workers killed in a bomb blast in Zaria nine months ago.

Twenty workers died in the incident on July 7, 2015 at the premises of Sabongari Local Government Secretariat when suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers struck.

Those affected in the attack were mostly local council workers from Lere and Kauru councils, who travelled to Zaria for the mandatory verification of their employment status ordered by the governor.

In a statement by its General Secretary, Comrade Issa Aremu, the NUTGTWN acknowledged what it described as sensitivity of Governor El-Rufai to the demands of trade unions in the state that families of the 20 dead workers be adequately compensated.
An agreement has been reached with Russia to extend a ceasefire in Syria to Aleppo province, including the besieged city of Aleppo, the US State Department said. The expansion went into effect on Wednesday just after midnight in Damascus (02:00 GMT), the State Department said, noting an overall decrease in violence since then despite some continued fighting. Since this went into effect today at 00:01 in Damascus, we have seen an overall decrease in violence in these areas, spokesman Mark Toner said.

The Syrian army confirmed the ceasefire, saying there would be a regime of calm in Aleppo for 48 hours, Russian ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin told the UN Security Council. Al Jazeeras Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington DC, said that the announcement was delayed because officials wanted to see how long it would take for the ceasefire to come into effect. They decided to announce it now because they believe that the ceasefire is holding, Jordan said.

The US is coordinating with Russia to finalise monitoring efforts for the ceasefire and calls on all parties to abide by the agreement. We look to Russia as a co-chair of the International Syria Support Group to press for the Assad regimes compliance with this effort, and the United States will do its part with the opposition, the State Department statement said.

The United Nations Humanitarian Affairs chief Stephen OBrien told the UN Security Council that the killing of civilians in Aleppo cannot and will not be forgotten, warning that perpetrators will be held accountable. OBrien gave a rundown of deadly incidents in which residential areas, medical facilities and ambulances were targeted by government war planes and non-state shelling. Some of these acts amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, OBrien said in New York.
Exactly six years after President Umaru Musa YarAdua passed away at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has paid glowing tribute to him.

YarAdua, who was Nigerias 13th President, died May 5, 2010 at the age of 59.

Describing the late president as a servant leader and stickler for the rule of law on Thursday, Jonathan, who was YarAduas deputy, said he had lost a dear friend and partner in democracy, peace and progress.

Mr. Jonathan took to his Facebook page on the sixth anniversary of his former boss passing, to pay tribute to his memory.

He said: Six years ago, I lost a dear friend and partner in democracy, peace and progress. President Umaru Musa Yaradua was a servant leader and a stickler for the rule of law.

He may be gone but he is never to be forgotten. I pray for his soul and for him to rest in al Jannah firdaus.
League of Young Edo Professionals, LEYEP, has slammed the deputy governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu, for going ahead with his campaigns when the whole of Edo State is mourning the death of the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Erediauwa.

Secretary-General of the group, Dr Osatohamwen Nosakhare, in a statement, noted that while all other aspirants in the All Progressives Congress, APC, including Engr Chris Ogiemwonyi, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, Mr. Kenneth Imansuagbon, Chief Victor Atamah and Lady Tina Agbarha, have all suspended their campaigns as a mark of respect for the late royal father, only Dr. Odubu, a Bini son, has continued with his.

However, in a swift reaction, Mr Josef Omorotionwan, described the allegation as laughable, saying that Odubu is a respecter of tradition, adding that nobody has the template as to how to mourn or honour the late Oba.
One of the high-severity vulnerabilities referenced in Google's most recent Android Security Bulletin could potentially let attackers access the SMS database and call history on targeted devices.

Researchers from FireEye's Mandiant Red Team discovered the flaw and worked with Qualcomm on the fix. A large number of Android devices are potentially affected, but most devices will likely remain unpatched.

[ InfoWorld's Mobile Security Deep Dive. Download it today in your choice of PDF or ePub editions! | Keep up on key mobile developments and insights with the Mobile Tech Report newsletter. ]

CVE-2016-2060 is a local privilege escalation flaw in the software package maintained by Qualcomm. It was brought into Android in 2011 when Qualcomm contributed an API for the network_manager system service to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The flaw has to do with the lack of input sanitization of the "interface" parameter of Android's netd daemon.

A company modifying netd to offer additional tethering capabilities isn't unusual as device manufacturers and other non-AOSP vendors regularly add and modify system services. However, from an attacker's perspective, "new or changed APIs in system services are a prime target," FireEye researchers wrote in its analysis of the vulnerability.

FireEye and Qualcomm sent the software update to OEM partners last month to test and include in their device updates. Google referenced the vulnerability in the Android Security Bulletin as an information disclosure vulnerability in the Qualcomm Tethering Controller (CVE-2016-2060). The fact that Google didn't push out the the patch as part of its Nexus update suggests that none of its Nexus devices are affected by this vulnerability. The patch is also not included in the AOSP repository.

"The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update should be contained in the latest drivers of affected devices," Google said in the advisory.

However, Qualcomm's code and chip are widely used by manufacturers, so hundreds of models released over the last five years may be impacted. Open source software projects, such as popular Android fork CyanogenMod, have also used Qualcomm's vulnerable APIs.

Handset makers have to include the patch in their updates, then work with the cellular carriers to actually deliver the software to individual devices. Affected developers must get the latest drivers from device manufacturers to rebuild their projects to include the latest security updates for each supported model.

"This will make it particularly difficult to patch all affected devices, if not impossible," FireEye said.

FireEye researchers have not yet seen this vulnerability being actively exploited. Attackers simply have to trick victims into installing a malicious app on the device in order to trigger the flaw, and the bad news is that this kind of a malicious app likely wouldn't trigger any alerts. The app needs the ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE permission, which is a widely requested privilege, so users won't be able to tell the app is fishy merely by looking at the permissions list.

"Google Play will likely not flag it as malicious, and FireEye Mobile Threat Prevention did not initially detect it. It's hard to believe that any antivirus would flag this threat," FireEye said.

The malicious app would be able to gain elevated capabilities, such as Signature or SignatureOrSystem privileges, which are typically not accessible to third-party apps, Google said in the Android Security Bulletin. In this case, the app would be able to execute commands as the "radio" user, which means it has access to other system resources, such as Phone and Telephony Providers, and to system settings such as WRITE_SETTINGS_SECURE (change key system settings), BLUETOOTH_ADMIN (discover and pair Bluetooth devices), WRITE_APN_SETTINGS (change APN settings), DISABLE_KEYGUARD (disable lock screen).

The vulnerability was confirmed on Android versions Ice Cream Sandwich MR1 (4.0.3), Jellybean MR2 (4.3), KitKat (4.4), and Lollipop (5.0).

What an attacker would be able to do after successfully exploiting the vulnerability depends on the age of the Android device and how the device maker is using the system property subsystem. On older devices, the malicious app would be able to extract the SMS database and phone call database, access the Internet, and perform any other actions the radio user typically have access to, FireEye said. Newer devices, especially those running Android KitKat and later that utilize Security Enhancements for Android, are not impacted as significantly, since the netd daemon would not have the ability to interact with other radio application data, and has limited filesystem write capabilities, FireEye said. The app would still be able to modify some system properties maintained by the operating system.

While FireEye praised Qualcomm for its speed in fixing the vulnerability, the bottom line is the vast majority of affected Android devices will remain vulnerable so long as handset makers such as HTC, Samsung, and LG (to name a few), continue the current policy of not updating devices that are more than a year or two old. The burden remains on users to either stick with only official app sources or be very careful about the apps they install.

Relying on users is never good strategy, but that's the current state of Android security.
BIST (XU100) May Drop at Any Time To Test Wave ((4)) Again Elliott Wave Forecast - 12 minutes ago The Borsa Istanbul (BIST or XU100) is the sole exchange entity of Turkey combining the former Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE), the Istanbul Gold Exchange and the Derivatives Exchange of Turkey under one...

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If youve thought the ed wars would never end, you arent alone. The grinding battle that has pitted advocates of choice and accountability against teachers unions and progressive educators has, at times, felt as intractable as the partisan deadlock in Washington, D.C.

Now, though, signs abound that this era of polarization is giving way to a different and more constructive phase in U.S. efforts to boost student achievement.

In the philanthropy world, few funders are doing more to turn the page than Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg. Yesterday, the couple announced a new leader to head the education work of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Jim Shelton, and elaborated on their plans to make personalized learning the centerpiece of that work.

Zuck, of course, famously started out as an ed donor squarely aligned with the pro-reform cabal, making a $100 million gift in 2010 to improve Newarks schools. That effort has yielded better results than many critics acknowledge, but was otherwise a case study in why the efforts of top-down ed philanthropists have often been so polarizing and unconstructive.

True to his tech roots, Zuckerberg learned from the missteps of his ed philanthropy 1.0, and with Priscilla Chan has been rolling out a new 2.0 version. Taking a look at the couples plans offers insights into not just their education giving, but that of like-minded ed funders now emerging, like Laurene Powell Jobs. Here are a few points that seem to be guiding the Chan and Zuckerberg vision of K-12 philanthropy.

Demolition Work Is Not the Answer

To many hardcore ed reformers, the only way to dramatically improve public schools is to basically blow up the existing systemwith its bureaucracies, teachers unions, regulatory undergrowth, etc.and start over from scratch. New Orleans is the fantasy scenarioa city where the old system actually was destroyed and has now been replaced, with 95 percent of students in charter schools. Many reformers hoped that Newark could also be the scene of disruption on a large scale.

You can see why Zuckerberg might have been originally attracted to a reform model hinging on a dramatic upending of existing systems. Many of the people in the tech world have made their fortunes by destroying yesterdays industries and creating new products that sweep quickly to market dominance. Business funders have flocked to a charter movement promising the same thing: The creation of a better product that would, over time, put traditional public schools out of business. Theyve also backed attacks on teachers unions, hoping to knock off defenders of the status quo much as Uber is now working to bust the cartel power of taxi drivers worldwide.

But Newark showed the limits of these strategies, as have failures in other cities, such as Milwaukee. And Zuckerberg and Chan's takeaway, apparently, was that wielding dynamite is not the proper way to achieve change in systems where, in fact, everyone mostly shares the same goal: helping children succeed. In announcing the Shelton appointment yesterday, and the work on personalized learning, Zuck wrote, [W]e believe in listening to and working closely with parents, teachers and students to understand the specific needs of the communities we're working in. Zuckerberg has said this often in the past year or two, making it a mantra of the couple's 2.0 philanthropy.

The Focus Is More on Learning Than Systems

The most notable thing about the Chan Zuckerberg initiative is that the focus is mainly on how students learn, as opposed to the institutional context in which they learn. While the choice and accountability push has been all about systemic reform, aiming to sweep away dysfunctional bureaucracies and perverse incentives, Chan and Zuckerberg, along with some other new funders, are preoccupied with something else: engaging students so they learn better and faster. As Zuckerberg wrote yesterday:

For the last century, our education system has been based around lectures, where every student learns the same thing at the same pace in the same way. But in reality, some kids grasp subjects quickly and could be learning much more, and others need more practice in certain areas and get left behind. Personalized learning is different... Every student can learn in their own way at their own speed in a way that maximizes their potential.

Zuckerberg said efforts by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to promote personalized learning might take different forms, including building new technology, engaging in advocacy, and addressing challenges that students face outside the classroom. Its certainly possible, if not likely, that this outfit will engage in some contentious battles with defenders of the status quo. But the overall thrust right now is overthrowing yesterdays pedagogy, not the existing institutions of public education.

Charters Are Still Part of the Solution, But Not THE Solution

Just to be clear, Zuckerberg and Chan are staunch believers in charter schools, and are strongly supporting charters in a variety of ways. If you look through the partners of Startup:Education, the grantmaking education organization that has led the couples ed work, youll find a number of charter outfits. But youll also see that money is going to public school districts, too, and that overall, Startup is backing a wide and diversified array of ed efforts. Grantees include groups focused on improving teaching, new approaches to blended learning, and efforts to inspire young people to reach their potential.

One of the bigger grants by Startup:Education that weve seen in the past year was $20 million for EducationSuperHighway, a group that aims to upgrade internet access in every public school classroom in America so that every student has the opportunity to take advantage of the promise of digital learning. In turn, that advance is key to the broader vision of personalized learning.

One way to understand the breadth of the Chan Zuckerberg education vision is to look at the school that Priscilla founded in East Palo Alto, The Primary School. On its bilingual website, it describes its mission as fostering each childs well-being as a foundation for academic and life success by drawing on the strengths of the childs entire community including family, educators, medical and mental health providers.

Clearly, the funders behind this effort grasp the importance of poverty and other challenges outide of school that hold children back.

Teachers Arent the Enemy

A final point worth noting about the ed vision of Chan and Zuckerberg is their belief that teachers have to be part of any solutions. In a video yesterday, discussing their plans and introducing Shelton, the couple started off by noting that it was teacher appreciation week and talking about the teachers that had inspired them over the years.

This may seem minor, but its not. Anti-teacher rhetoric from reform quarters has been a powerful and toxic factor in polarizing the education debate over the past decade. But Zuckerberg has said often lately that it is important to listen to people in communities and also teachers. Evidently, Mark and Priscilla grasp an obvious point that still eludes many ed reformers: Bashing teachers and warring with one of the most powerful unions in America isnt very constructive.

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The emergence of the Chan and Zuckerberg Initiative isnt the only big thing happening in K-12 philanthropy right now. Were also seeing the emergence of other major new funders, like Laurene Powell Jobs, who is also focused on changing how students learn. And there are significant changes happening at the Gates Foundation, another funder moving into personalized learning and, significantly, one that is now examining how factors outside of schools impact student achievement. And as weve reported, a number of older foundations have become excited about school-to-career learning approaches that also seek to overthrow yesterdays factory model pedagogy.

Put it all together, and it does feel like were seeing the dawn of a new era of K-12 philanthropy.

To be sure, the choice and accountability forces are still going strong, with Walton doubling down on charters and the Broad Foundation leading an ambitious effort to move half of all L.A.s students into charters. But its fair to say that funders of this ilk are no longer the dominant drivers of K-12 philanthropy.

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The Koch Brothers have an image problem. They know it, and they're working on it.

And so it isn't a huge coincidence to hear proponents and detractors alike point to their recent support of anti-cancer and criminal justice reform causes and say, "See? They're not that bad."

Earlier this year, a piece published in the New Yorkernot a sympathetic publication to the Kochs by any stretchlooked at how their recent philanthropic efforts, particularly in the area of criminal justice reform, are part of an "extraordinary exercise in rebranding," according to David Axelrod, the former political adviser to President Barack Obama.

Which brings us to the Charles Koch Foundation's recent $3.5 million gift to Southern Methodist University, which will launch the new Deason Family Criminal Justice Reform Center in its Dedman School of Law. The gift seems to suggest that the brothers' rebranding effort shows no signs of abating.

Now, you may sense a whiff of cynicism, but let's promptly end that line of interpretation. The Koch Brothers, regardless of their two-headed Sauron-like image, are deeply committed to criminal justice reform.

For example, as we noted late last year, an unlikely group of fundersFord, MacArthur, Arnold, and, yes, Koch Industriesput up $5 million in funding to back a newly formed group, the Coalition for Public Safety, which supports new legislative and community initiatives to reform criminal justice and end what ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero called our "40-year addiction to incarceration."

And so the Charles Koch Foundation's gift to SMU fits a predictable and promising pattern of giving. SMU's new center will let scholars "undertake independent research and develop educational opportunities on topics such as the causes of wrongful convictions and over-incarceration, and ensuring the fair and ethical treatment of individuals at all stages of the criminal justice process."

What's more, unlike some of the Kochs other, more controversial spending habits, folks from all political stripes can agree on the need for criminal justice reform, a sentiment best articulated by Jennifer Collins, the Judge James Noel Dean and Professor of Law at Dedman School of Law:

Policy makers across the ideological spectrum are talking about the need for criminal justice reform. From the adequacy of defense counsel, to police uses of force, to wrongful convictions and the racial disparities in the criminal justice systemthese are the huge issues of our time. This new center will work well with our existing criminal clinic and innocence clinic, and build on our existing faculty strength in criminal law.

The gift was complimented by an additional $3.5 million from the Deason Foundation, a Dallas-based grantmaker that supports Christian agencies and churches, education, and medical research. Its namesake is Darwin Deasonand therein lies some irony, as Charles Darwin effectively disproved certain tenets of Christianity, like original sin. He is the founder of Affiliated Computer Systems, launched in 1988 to handle business processes for clients such as E-ZPass, 7-Eleven, and UPS.

What's next for the Koch Brothers' ongoing rebranding efforts?

Well, in addition to recent news that Charles said it was "possible" he'd support Hillary Clinton for president, inside sources also tell us to expect an exclusive photo spread in People magazine of the brothers nuzzling kittens and making balloon animals for kids.
LoveSpace, a U.K.-based business specializing in valet self-storage services, has launched its second equity crowdfunding campaign through the Crowdcube platform, with a goal of reaching 500,000 before the round closes on June 3. Proceeds will be used for technology investment and marketing, according to the Crowdcube campaign page. LoveSpace raised more than 1.5 million from 257 investors during its first round in May 2014.

We are disrupting the 0.4 billion U.K. self-storage industry, doing to it what Uber did to taxis, Ocado did to supermarket shopping and Streetcar did to car rental, LoveSpace officials told the source. The company intends to expand its market base and develop a mobile app.

LoveSpace has served more than 13,000 customers and grown revenue to more than 1 million since its first Crowdcube campaign, according to the company website. Terms for the current round will be the same as those offered to existing shareholders during an oversubscribed private pre-emptive round in December, the source reported.

The campaign has raised 170,260 from 51 investors as of May 4.

LoveSpace launched in November 2013 in partnership with property-management company Mainstay Group, which manages more than 35,000 buildings across the United Kingdom. The business targets consumers who do not have enough items to fill a small storage unit but want to temporarily store some belongings. It enables customers to store by the bin, maintain a visual catalog of stored items, and offers pickup and delivery services.
Consumers have overtaken investment as the biggest driver of the economy, and urbanization should sustain growth for years to come.

When Wang Yuchuns 12-year-old daughter, Baobao, was younger, he and his wife used to take her to Beijing shopping malls on weekends. Together they would spend entire days shopping and eating. Now that Baobao is too busy preparing for her junior high school exams, Wang goes online and shops on Alibaba Group Holdings Taobao.com and other e-commerce web sites.

Online shopping is not as fun as going to the malls, says Wang, a 38-year-old executive who runs a trading company in Beijing. But thats all we have the time for these days. Wang also travels abroad with his family every year, taking short holidays in Taiwan or Hong Kong. As a family, holidays are important for bonding emotionally, he says. We go on packaged tours and spend up to 30,000 yuan [$4,600] for every trip.

The Wangs are members of Chinas rising middle class, consumers who are becoming increasingly important for driving not only Chinas economy but also growth around the world. At the recent Group of 20 summit in Shanghai, the G-20 Finance ministers urged China to focus its policies on keeping its consumption  and their growth  going. If recent data are any indication, Chinas consumers seem to be doing their part to keep the nations economy humming at a time when the nations export engine is slowing down.

Chinese households continue to express willingness to spend both domestically as well as globally, says Shang-Jin Wei, chief economist at Manila-based Asian Development Bank. You saw a record in outbound tourists last year, with many going overseas. Nations across Asia, even the small ones like Palau and the Maldives, are benefiting.

Chinas economic growth has slowed, from a peak of more than 10 percent in 2001 to 6.9 percent last year. Although data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China indicate that households still save a lot  about 30 percent of their disposable income  their willingness to spend has grown steadily, with consumption rising from slightly over 30 percent of gross domestic product a decade ago to more than 50 percent last year  the first time it exceeded business investments share of the economy.

The Nielsen Co., which surveys consumer attitudes to compile its Chinese Consumer Confidence Index, says consumers willingness to spend stood at 48 (on a scale of zero to 100) in 2015, up from 38 in 2012, whereas their willingness to save or invest fell from 70 to 64 over the same period.

Personal income is still rising in China, says Yan Xuan, Nielsens president for greater China. Not double-digit, of 10 percent to 12 percent, annual growth that we saw a few years ago, but its still at a healthy level of 8 percent to 9 percent. We still are optimistic about private consumption in China. Most of the increased spending is coming from people who live in Chinas so-called tier-1 cities, the largely eastern metropolises such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, where most of the nations wealth is concentrated, as well as from the countrys rural population.

Chinas retail sector has grown at a rate of about 10 percent in each of the past two years, driven by e-commerce, which now makes up 10 percent of the nations $387 billion retail market. Alibaba and its rivals are pushing an increasingly wide range of consumer products, once available only in the cities, to Chinas hinterlands, where nearly half of the nations 1.37 billion people still live. As smartphone ownership rises and wireless technology becomes widely available, even in villages, and as logistics companies expand into rural areas, consumption as a percentage of GDP will continue to rise, says Nielsens Yan.

Investors who follow China closely continue to be optimistic about the nations transition from export-led to consumption-driven growth. In 2016 services and consumption will be bigger than manufacturing and construction, says Andy Rothman, investment strategist at San Franciscobased Matthews International Capital Management, which has more than $26 billion in assets under management.

The rebalancing that many pessimists say they dont know is happening can happen, Rothman says. It already is happening. This is the best situation in China. Retail sales were up 11 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, Rothman notes, adding that household income has risen by roughly 130 percent in real terms in the past decade, versus just 8 percent in the U.S.

On a per capita basis, individuals in China still lag far behind their U.S. counterparts. The average Chinese consumer earns about $8,000 a year, just a fraction of the $55,000 earned by the U.S. counterpart. But more than half of the population now lives in urban areas, and with more people due to move to the cities in the coming two decades, private consumption will continue to rise in the years ahead, says Yan.

Chinas rising consumer confidence stands out in a report issued last month of a survey of emerging markets by the Credit Suisse Research Institute. The Swiss bank partnered with Nielsen to conduct nearly 16,000 face-to-face interviews across nine emerging economies: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey.

Our analysis suggests that over the last two years, approaching 100 million new households across our survey countries have found their way into the middle class, Stefano Natella, head of global markets research at Credit Suisse, said in announcing the results.

Consumers in China trailed behind only their peers in India in terms of confidence in making a major purchase, according to the survey. The relative optimism of consumers in those two countries and Saudi Arabia contrasted with pessimistic sentiment in Russia, South Africa and Brazil, said Giles Keating, deputy global chief investment officer at Credit Suisse. The survey defines the middle class in China as households earning between $1,000 and $2,000 a month. It did not give an estimate of how many households had this level of income but said the group was far larger in number than its middle-class peers in the U.S.

Nielsens Yan estimates that 250 million people will move to Chinas cities in the next 20 years, sustaining the growth of consumption. The key driver is urbanization, he explains. China is reforming its residential registration, or, as it is known in Chinese, the hukou system, to allow peasants to move to urban areas  except for the tier-1 cities  to enjoy social welfare and health care benefits widely available only in urban areas. By doing so, the government is encouraging people to save less for retirement, which frees up disposable income for consumption, Yan says.

Another factor driving consumption, Yan says, is the growing penetration of wireless technology. About 80 percent of Chinas 800 million consumers now own smartphones, which gives them access to e-commerce, he notes. Many small-town producers are beginning to use e-commerce to sell not only locally but also into major urban areas. This increases productivity in rural areas and thereby also increases rural consumption, Yan says. These factors will help drive consumption growth for at least the coming 20 years.

Global investors and Chinas G-20 partners certainly hope Yan is right.
Chinese companies have been snapping up trophy properties in the U.S., pushing prices higher. But what will happen if these new buyers ever have to head for the exits?

In January 2015 during an event at Harvard Business School, Wu Xiaohui, CEO of Anbang Insurance Group, explained his firms expansion plans with an unusual analogy: Why can a substance like water cover 70 percent of the surface of the earth and exist in perpetuity? he asked. A company is a living organization. Could it exist as water does? The answer to the second question, Wu hopes, is yes. He was in Cambridge, Massachusetts, alongside business partner, friend and HBS alum Stephen Schwarzman, chairman and CEO of alternative-investment giant Blackstone Group, to recruit new employees for Anbangs growing empire. Wus business, which began operations in Beijing in 2004 as a small automobile insurer, has expanded in the past decade to become a $123 billion holding company with assets on four continents. But before Anbang poured nearly $2 billion into the New York City real estate market with its October 2014 purchase of the iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel from Blackstone-controlled Hilton Hotels & Resorts, most U.S. real estate investors had never heard of the company. Now many see Anbang as a harbinger of a tougher competitive environment and shrinking opportunities.

In the months since the Waldorf deal, Wu has embraced the rushing and spreading qualities of water  a core value of Anbangs internal culture, he says  and jumped into two other major real estate transactions. In March the Chinese insurer agreed to buy Strategic Hotels & Resorts and its 16 luxury hotels from Blackstone for $6.5 billion. At about the same time, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced that Anbang was the leader of a mysterious consortium that had bid $12.8 billion in cash for its portfolio, attempting to squeeze hospitality company Marriott International out of the deal. Marriott ultimately prevailed in the battle for Starwood, but with a bid that included $3 billion more in cash than its original offer. The outcome has some U.S. real estate investors nervous, because Anbang isnt alone. The recent rush of cash-flush Chinese investors is affecting the tenor of negotiations for deals around the country.

They may be pushing up prices more aggressively than fundamentals dictate in some cases, says Kenneth McCarthy, New Yorkbased chief economist at global commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield. If you dont bid aggressively, you dont get the asset.

Many of the most recent trophy property deals in the U.S. have involved a Chinese buyer or partner. In 2013, Shanghai investment firm Fosun International bought One Chase Manhattan Plaza; SOHO China, one of Chinas largest developers, purchased a more than $700 million stake in Manhattans General Motors Building; and state-owned Greenland Holding Group Co. invested $1 billion in a residential and entertainment project in downtown Los Angeles. Last year Chinas Sunshine Insurance Group Co. paid a record $2 million per room for New Yorks Baccarat Hotel, and Bank of China bought a nearby office tower at 7 Bryant Park for $600 million.

The loudest voice warning about the influx of Chinese investment in U.S. real estate and other parts of the economy may belong to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. He has argued that Chinese companies get an unfair advantage in the U.S. and that their country is a currency manipulator. America fully opened its markets to China, but China has not reciprocated, Trump contends on his campaign website. As with much of what the Republican front-runner says, this rhetoric has an air of hyperbole. But when it comes to concerns about U.S. investors competing with China in their home market, Trump may have a point. Chinese individuals push into the residential real estate market  spending $28.6 billion in the past year alone  has garnered headlines, but less attention has been paid to the influx of Chinese investment in U.S. commercial real estate. The wave of new money, which is coming from a variety of sources, including sovereign funds and private development groups, has provided opportunities for some domestic developers, but many U.S. investors have been forced out, especially in major metropolitan areas.

Some analysts have suggested that Anbangs decision to walk away from the Starwood deal is a sign of a slowdown in Chinese money coming into the U.S. But if recent statistics are any guide, the momentum will be hard to reverse. Chinese companies spent $21.4 billion on commercial real estate outside their home country last year, 41 percent more than in 2014, according to Cushman & Wakefield. These investments were spread between development sites and existing properties around the world, with the U.S. receiving the biggest piece of the pie: $4.4 billion. China is now the second-largest foreign investor in the U.S., after Canada. Although its share of the market is still tiny  a total of $530 billion changed hands for commercial real estate in the U.S. in 2015  China is drawing attention for purchasing iconic properties at eye-popping prices.

After buying the Waldorf, Anbang acquired the office tower at Manhattans 717 Fifth Avenue from Blackstone in 2015, paying $415 million. Sunshine Insurance made its own headlines last year when it bought the Baccarat from Greenwich, Connecticutbased Starwood Capital Group (which founded Starwood Hotels) for more than $230 million.

These deals have happened against a backdrop of slowing growth and increasing volatility in the Chinese economy. After averaging double-digit annual GDP growth from 2001 to 2011, China is expected to see only a 6 to 7 percent increase in 2016. This slowdown, and the governments opaqueness when it comes to explaining whats behind the economic numbers, have made some market observers nervous. Many predict further currency devaluation. Meanwhile, Chinas equity markets are still feeling the effects of last Augusts devaluation and the subsequent stock slump. This has led to capital flight by wealthy individuals, state-owned enterprises and large private companies alike. For its part, the Chinese government has encouraged some state-connected investors to put money in outside markets. Insurance companies are allowed to invest as much as 15 percent of total assets under management overseas. Currently, they invest only about 1.4 percent. According to Chicago-based property consulting firm JLL, if every Chinese insurer reached that 15 percent maximum, the total investment would be $240 billion.

Historically low U.S. interest rates have sent Chinese investors that previously flocked to Treasuries looking for better yields. The jump to real estate is not a big one. Investors of all stripes have long seen owning U.S. real estate as a great way to diversify and ensure long-term returns. In December, President Barack Obama signed a law that made it easier for certain foreign parties to invest in publicly traded real estate investment trusts  one indirect way that many Chinese investors are entering the market.

Properties and portfolios in gateway markets such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco typically offer solid capitalization rates (expected rates of return based on property value and net operating income from leases), especially in the office, multifamily and hospitality sectors. Owning a property in one of these locations also provides access to high-caliber tenants, good infrastructure and often a bit of a buffer from economic downturns. It takes a city like New York a few years to bounce back from a financial crisis, but it can take years longer in less developed markets.

Ying Geneve DuBois, a partner at law firm Holland & Knight who represented Sunshine Insurance in the Baccarat deal, says pent-up demand and the desire of many Chinese investors to set down roots in gateway markets will likely outlast any potential slowdown caused by economic uncertainty at home or yield compression in the U.S. I think this is only the beginning, DuBois says.

For high-net-worth individuals buying U.S. homes, a major impetus is access to an American education for their children. Large companies have a different educational goal as they prepare to face a growing consumer economy back home. They invest here and want to help certain brands or businesses to expand here, but its a global world and the long-term plan is not to isolate development in China and development in the U.S., says DuBois. Its only natural that if a brand and business is doing well in the U.S., its something they can bring to China as well.

Some experts worry that the current market presents a muddled set of motivations on the part of Chinese investors and raises questions about their intentions for the buildings and companies they purchase. Others are concerned about the potential for catastrophe in the U.S. should Chinas economy falter. For U.S. investors, though, the primary problem is the shrinking pool of opportunities as cash-rich Chinese buyers push prices ever higher.

The phenomenon is worrisome for another reason: The last time a major Asian nation focused this many resources on U.S. real estate, it didnt end well. In the 1980s, Japanese investors snapped up trophy properties at sky-high prices only to run for the exits a few years later as their home economy slumped and the U.S. real estate market began to crash.

There are no perfect correlations in economics, of course. The China of 2016 is different in many ways from 1980s Japan, and the U.S. real estate market is thought to have a few years of upside left. But cycles can provide a historical guide, and some experts point to the fact that asset bubbles tend to correlate with credit expansion; China is experiencing rapid expansion at this time.

For foreigners part of the point of investing in the U.S. is to hedge risks incurred elsewhere by planting one foot firmly in a so-called safe haven. But if the Chinese economy turns sour or if political pressure changes the U.S. regulatory environment, a sell-off may not be out of the question. Kyle Bass, founder of Dallas-based hedge fund firm Hayman Capital Management, predicts a credit crisis in China within the next two years. As for the situation in the U.S., he says, This is eerily reminiscent of the 1980s.

Though Chinese investors have made periodic plays in U.S. real estate for years, the roots of the current influx can be traced to the 200809 financial crisis. For those who had been looking for a way to get into the U.S. commercial property market, the crisis provided a prime opening to buy cheap and ride the returns up as prices recovered.

The 2008 meltdown in the real estate market was a good opportunity for companies like Xinyuan to enter the States, says George Huaiyu Liu, chief financial officer at Beijing-based developer and property manager Xinyuan Real Estate Co. Xinyuan was the first Chinese real estate company to list on the New York Stock Exchange, in 2007, just in time to take advantage of the coming collapse. We saw the opportunities and seized them, and so far we are happy with what we have done, Liu says. Xinyuans investments include a $270 million stake in a 216-unit luxury condominium building in Brooklyn.

Over the following several years, as the market recovered in the gateway cities and China relaxed some rules on outbound investment, the wave accelerated. Nearly $6 billion of the $8.5 billion that Chinese investors put in U.S. real estate in the decade ended March 2014 was invested between January 2013 and March 2014, according to professional services firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. In 2015 the strategy broke records, and though there was a slight retrenchment in January and February of this year as investors watched the currency and equity roller coaster back in China, the pause appears to have been temporary. What looked like a pullback in February does not seem to be the case today, says Darcy Stacom, vice chairman of investment properties at Manhattan-based brokerage CBRE Group. I dont think were off the peak.

In 2014, Xinyuans Brooklyn condo project, which has already sold more than half of its units and is expected to open later this year, received a $165 million construction loan from New Yorkbased Fortress Investment Group. Today, Chinese firms commonly work with domestic players like Fortress on new developments. The arrangement can have important benefits for Chinese investors, which typically are new to some U.S. cultural customs related to deal making. At the same time, Chinese investors have helped keep many U.S. developers in the game despite postcrisis banking regulations that have made financing harder to come by.

In Brooklyns Fort Greene neighborhood, New York developer Forest City Ratner Cos. had been working since before the recession to create a large commercial and residential development on the site of a former Metropolitan Transportation Authority rail yard. Finding financing for the development, now known as Pacific Park, became difficult after the crisis, as the company searched far and wide for an investment partner, says Christopher Clayton, executive vice president of Capital Markets at Forest City Ratner. With few domestic options, the firms sights landed on Chinese state-owned developer Greenland, which had recently invested $1 billion in a mixed-use development on land purchased from the California State Teachers Retirement System in Los Angeles. In 2013, Forest City Ratner entered into a deal to hand over a 70 percent stake in the $4.9 billion Brooklyn development to Greenland.

Greenland wasnt the only Chinese investor in Pacific Park. Forest City Ratner has also made liberal use of the EB-5 immigrant investor program to help fund the development. Administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the EB-5 program provides green cards to foreign investors in U.S. projects in qualified economic centers that create or preserve at least ten permanent jobs. After the economy collapsed in 2008, it became very challenging to raise large amounts of capital, Clayton says. Ultimately, the EB-5 program provided a viable solution for us to borrow capital for Pacific Parks infrastructure and predevelopment work.

Now, several years into a slow but steady recovery, U.S. firms are still choosing Chinese development partners and Chinese buyers over domestic players for commercial real estate. In early April, New York real estate publication theReal Deal reported that a luxury condominium development at 100 Varick Street in Manhattan looked to be on track to become the first New York City development funded almost entirely by Chinese entities. The development group for the project, which includes Aronov Development, Bizzi & Partners Development and Halpern Real Estate Ventures, reportedly has received $320 million in construction financing from Bank of China and $130 million from the U.S. subsidiary of investment firm China Cinda Asset Management, and is raising EB-5 funds as well.

What some of these properties are selling for is making it difficult for some domestic investors to rationalize, says Roger Power, an audit partner and Chinese investment expert at KPMG. Institutional investors in particular are having a harder time finding deals that fit their parameters, in part because many have funds that require a seven-or ten-year return. A Chinese life insurance company may have a much longer time horizon, Power says.

Sellers in many markets have begun to capitalize more aggressively on this situation. Joel Shackelford, a partner at law firm Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck in Los Angeles  after New York the most popular target city for Chinese investors  says he has seen an uptick in litigation and arbitration as opportunistic sellers of properties in the $10 million to $50 million range break deals at the first sign of a Chinese investor with a thick wallet.

Its harder and harder to find deals, and harder and harder to close, Shackelford says. Now with prices going up, up, up, sellers are looking for any reason whatsoever to break a deal.

Three years ago Ying Geneve DuBois was working on real estate and hospitality deals for Holland & Knight in the law firms Fort Lauderdale, Florida, office. DuBois was born in China, grew up in Hong Kong, studied in the U.S. and speaks both Mandarin and Cantonese  all of which has put her in a unique position to facilitate many Chinese investors forays into the U.S. real estate market. So when Sunshine Insurance chairman Zhang Weigong came to Florida looking for potential investment targets, it was natural that the two would meet. Zhang was hoping to deploy some of the millions that Sunshine had amassed in recent years and was being encouraged by China to spend outside its borders. He soon also met Barry Sternlicht, founder, chairman and CEO of private equity firm Starwood Capital. Starwood, which has more than $45 billion in assets under management and owns thousands of hotels around the world, was in the process of creating a new flagship hotel brand, Baccarat.

Zhang was really impressed with [Sternlicht] and where he wants to go with his company and the new brand he was establishing, so they decided to make a very bold move, DuBois says.

Sunshine agreed in early 2015 to purchase the worlds first Baccarat hotel, at 28 West 53rd Street. The $2 million price per room and the fact that Sunshine had scooped up the property before it even opened raised some eyebrows. DuBois admits the transaction was somewhat risky given the newness of the brand. But Sunshine didnt just want a piece of a new high-end hotel on Manhattans West Side  it wanted a piece of Baccarat, of Starwood and of the U.S. hospitality ethos. They were looking at it not just as buying a property but really buying the fact that the property has a brand, Baccarat Hotels, and it was a long-term partnership between the two companies, says DuBois.

Sunshine is hoping to capitalize on the China tourism boom both within the country and abroad. In 2015, 2.5 million Chinese travelers visited the U.S., and nearly 3 million are expected this year. Only 6 percent of mainland Chinese citizens currently have a passport, but that number is expected to rise as the economy shifts. This is one reason so much of the Chinese capital chasing U.S. real estate deals in the past several years has focused on hotels.

Chinese investors are concentrated on the coasts, but they are also finding opportunities in the American heartland. Dalian, Chinabased property developer Wanda Group  known for its 2012 purchase of AMC Entertainment Holdings for $2.6 billion, at the time the largest acquisition of a U.S. company by a Chinese one  has put down roots in Chicago. Working with the citys Magellan Development Group, Wanda is building a $1 billion hotel and condominium tower known as the Wanda Vista Tower. The building, which will be the third tallest in the Windy City, is the crown jewel of a bigger, mixed-use development currently under construction, and its 240-room luxury hotel will be under the Wanda brand, according to Sean Linnane, senior vice president of development at Magellan. Wanda already owns about 70 hotels in China; the timing of the latest project is aligned with its global expansion plans.

Theres been tremendous growth in China, but [Wanda] cant sustain that sort of growth by only building in China, says Linnane, who evaluates development opportunities for Magellan in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.

Anbangs recent deals also are part of a broader expansion effort. In addition to its U.S. property acquisitions, the company is actively buying up insurance assets around the world. After walking away from its eventual $14 billion bid for Starwood, Anbang wasted no time in reaching a deal to purchase the South Korea operations of German financial services firm Allianz for about $3 million. At last years Harvard recruitment event, CEO Wu said that Anbang plans to expand into peer-to-peer lending and health care, and that an IPO is in the cards. But the real estate deals have captured the markets attention.

At last summers Institutional Investor and CNBC Delivering Alpha conference, Blackstones global head of real estate, Jonathan Gray, said the Waldorf sale was not just another wildly overpriced foreign transaction. When you look five, ten, 15 years from now, itll look like a smart investment, Gray told CNBCs David Faber. I think its easy sometimes to dismiss when the headlines [say], The foreign buyers bought something, therefore it doesnt make a lot of sense. I dont think thats really the case.

Gray noted that two things signal trouble in the real estate world: capital and cranes. The former, he clarified, is really an issue of leverage. When a great deal of money floods a market and much of it is leveraged, as is currently the case in Chinas real estate sector, the odds of a correction are strong. There is a lot of capital chasing deals in the U.S., but lenders are being cautious about esoteric financing. The question of cranes, or excessive construction and development, however, may depend on the observers view. At the beginning of the year, New York City had 13,000-plus hotel rooms under construction  more than any city in the U.S.  and occupancy was already nearly 85 percent, according to hotel research firm STR. Some wonder what might be next.

Weve seen this before, says Scott Crowe, chief investment strategist at Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvaniabased CenterSquare Investment Management, which oversees $6.8 billion of real estate and infrastructure securities. There was a lot of money in hotels just before the financial crisis. Everyone is brand-aware about them, so people tend to be attracted to them. The problem is that over a cycle its often challenging to make money on them, particularly if youre buying later in the cycle.

There is some disagreement among economists about just how late we are in the current cycle, but Crowe points to the recent underperformance of hotel-focused REIT stocks as a potential red flag. The shares of lodging REITs were down about 20 percent in 2015, according to the Urban Land Institute. But many real estate experts and investors brush aside worries about any impending downturn, confident that the U.S. commercial real estate cycle still has a significant amount of upside.

Sitting in a white armchair in his office on the 44th floor of 28 Liberty Street, in Manhattans financial district, one afternoon in March, Fosun Internationals U.S. representative, Bo Wei, spoke animatedly through a translator about Cirque du Soleil. The theater company was set to launch its first-ever Broadway show in April, and thanks to what Bo called one of the companys globalization deals, in which it had acquired a stake in Cirque du Soleil, he had access to pretty good seats. The space Bo occupies at 28 Liberty  formerly known as One Chase Manhattan Plaza  also came through a deal he credits to globalization.

In 2013, JPMorgan Chase & Co. chairman Jamie Dimon decided that his bank, which had about 4,000 employees occupying only half of the landmark building, was ready to downsize. JPMorgan Chase would keep a strong presence downtown and throughout the city, the bank said in a statement at the time, but it would no longer occupy the 2.2 million-square-foot building. In stepped Fosun, which had become known in the previous two decades for its global investing prowess, putting more than $10 billion to work overseas since 2010 alone, about half of that in the U.S. Although Fosun invests in everything from retail brands like Folli Follie to luxury resorts like Club Med, when the company decided it was time to move into New York, it seemed clear that its target should be a piece of trophy real estate.

New York City is not only the U.S.s city, its also a global city, Bo says. Fosun was certain that the health of the local and national real estate markets would guarantee that the price it paid would accurately reflect the propertys value. That price  $725 million, agreed upon in October 2013  became the most expensive purchase of a New York building by a Chinese buyer at that time. Chase customers can still visit an ATM on the buildings sidewalk level, and the bank still operates vaults on several floors, but a Google search of the name One Chase Manhattan Plaza brings up 28 Liberty Street. Inside, Fosun occupies one and a half floors, prepared for its arrival by a feng shui master and sparsely decorated apart from an ornate marble wall near reception.

Deals like this one  which saw an icon of New York Citys status as the U.S.s financial engine change hands to a foreign firm with big expansion plans  remind some investors of Mitsubishi Estate Co.s nearly $2 billion investment in Rockefeller Center. That deal became the cautionary tale of the late 1980s Japanese frenzy for U.S. real estate and other assets. The spree was fueled in part by a 1985 currency agreement that devalued the dollar, encouraging Japanese trade with the U.S. Shortly after Mitsubishi acquired its 80 percent stake in the 14 buildings that make up Rockefeller Center, Japanese inflation led to an interest rate spike, Tokyos equity markets plunged, and a harsh correction followed, pulling much of the recent Japanese investment in the U.S. down with it. Mitsubishi ultimately sold its stake through a bankruptcy proceeding.

At the time, Japanese investors, like Chinese investors today, contended that the high prices they paid, and the subsequently even higher prices the market demanded, were justified. Their theme was that theyre long-term holders, so they can afford to pay a little more up front, but that didnt turn out so well because the fundamentals of the markets changed, says Ray Cirz, head of valuations at New Yorkbased property valuation and consulting firm Integra Realty Resources.

Chinas current economic status is different from the story of Japan in the 80s, but quickly changing fundamentals could play a role in some investors decision making. Hayman Capitals Bass has been publicly warning about an impending credit crisis in China since 2014, and he sees the current U.S. spending spree as part of a broader set of troubling signs. Its so obvious to see whats going to happen in the next year or two, and yet investors look at China with reverence and believe it can do no wrong, Bass says.

Even some Chinese investors who have participated in deals that helped push up prices now believe the market is getting overheated. In 2013, Zhang Xin, CEO of SOHO China, purchased a stake in the General Motors Building, valuing the property at $3.4 billion. She recently said current prices are far too expensive for her to consider another such deal. I wouldnt be making that investment today, full stop, she said at the September opening of a SOHO China office building in Shanghai.

When Anbang bought the Waldorf, few analysts could resist making the comparison to Japan. It was an ambitious deal for a high-profile New York property with a price tag that screamed overpayment. But at Harvard in January 2015, Wu told the room of potential recruits that he had done the math and the hotel had actually been a steal  especially considering that his company planned to keep it for more than 100 years, with Hilton handling the management. The total investment of $1.95 billion worked out to about $11,700 per square meter (about $1,086 per square foot) of space at the time, Wu said. Such a lifetime ownership of this trophy hotel is very cheap in my eyes compared to properties auctioned at 100,000 RMB [then about $16,000] per square meter on Chinas Beijing Financial Street with 40-year land use rights, he said.

As an icon of America, the Waldorf Astoria represents the glorious history and spirit of the United States, Wu said at Harvard. The China dream shares many of the similarities with the American dream, but great dreams need to be realized through actual strength. We must succeed in each investment, and Anbangs strategy is to treat every victory as a new starting point.

Anbangs corporate focus on embodying the qualities of water includes embracing change. Like water, real estate markets tend to ebb and flow. The shifts of the 1980s caught many Japanese investors in U.S. assets off guard. If people like hedge fund manager Bass, who saw early-warning signs of the 2008 financial crisis, turn out to be right about a credit crunch or currency devaluation in China, the often-hypothetical comparison to Japan will be something to take more seriously. 

Follow Kaitlin Ugolik on Twitter at @kaitlinugolik.
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With several of its existing funds solidly in the black this year, the quant giant has raised money for a new macro fund.
Last week marked a year since Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance received its licence to sell general insurance products in Australia.The arrival of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance in Australia was anticipated for some time, given the Berkshire Hathaway name is inextricably linked to billionaire investor, Warren Buffett.To mark Berkshire Hathaways first year of business in Australia, Insurance Business caught up with Susan Donaldson, BHSIs head of Claims and Frank Costigan, CFO, COO to find out how the company is faring.According to Donaldson, so far, BHSI has had an overwhelmingly positive response from customers, brokers and (now) new team members their entry to the Australia market.People have been genuinely interested in the business were building, our differentiators, our products and service offering, she said.Weve had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of customers and brokers and work on their insurance solutions.She said theyve also had the ability to create meaningful long-term agreements and bespoke policy wordings which have met their clients needs.Donaldson also said that building the team had been a highlight, with BHSI having assembled a diverse team of experts  a total of 56 across Australia and New Zealand.Each are committed to building a forever business from the ground up, she said.When it comes to challenges faced by BHSIs arrival in the Australian market, Costigan said the company had expected it to be hard work and it was, but he said thanks to their deliberate and focussed approach, they were able to quickly engage with local regulators to ensure everything was in place to meet their local reporting and licence requirements.The Berkshire Hathaway business has been involved with the Australian market for a long time and we were able to leverage that knowledge and local presence when building our plans, he said.He said the broker response had been intrigued, excited and curious but the company had been put through its paces testing their wordings, underwriting ability and claims service.Weve been impressed by the level of detail brokers have gone to with us and very pleased by the level of support, helping us to build a meaningful portfolio in a short space of time.And you can expect more of the same from BHSI in the future, Costigan said.Were all about building a forever business and our approach from one year to the next will be the same. Were about being wanted, not needed, by customers and delivering consistency: in pricing, in claims, in overall service standard, in responding to quotes and in everything we do.There are unlikely to be any surprises from BHSI in year two  except perhaps in terms of the size of the team, he said.
ASX-listed tech firm makes 103m UK acquisition with help from Gadens

Gadens was the legal counsel of The Citadel Group on its acquisition of Wellbeing Software Group.

Citadel purchased the radiology and maternity software products maker for 103m, or about $198m. The acquisition positions the ASX-listed Citadel  which specialises in secure enterprise information management  as a global healthcare software company, Gadens said.

The acquisition will be funded via a fully underwritten equity placement that will raise about $127m; underwritten senior syndicated secured debt facilities of $90m, and a $10m revolving working capital facility.

Gadens is a longstanding adviser to Citadel, counselling the company since before it went public in 2014. In this transaction, the firm advised on the overall transaction, which includes the M&A and debt and equity capital raising aspects.

Gadens corporate partner Jeremy Smith and senior associate Steven Wambeek led the transaction. Expert advice was also provided by banking and finance special counsel, Matt Trinca, who was supported by corporate lawyers Yoni Baker and Brittany Kluske.

Gadens worked alongside UK law firm Taylor Wessing to advise Citadel. The vendors were advised by Herbert Smith Freehills in Australia and Stephenson Harwood in the UK.

Gilbert + Tobin advised the lead manager in the capital raising, while Ashurst advised the lenders.
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
A wildfire in the Alberta city of Fort McMurray is set to become the costliest ever Canadian natural disaster for insurers, with 1,600 buildings destroyed and another 19,000 under threat, analysts and industry sources say.

The bill for insurers is expected to be several times more than the C$700 million ($544 million) paid out for a wildfire in Slave Lake, Alberta, in 2011.

The fire in Slave Lake, a small town 250 km (155 miles)northwest of the city of Edmonton, led to the destruction of 374 homes, less than a quarter of the number of structures already destroyed at Fort McMurray, and damaged another 52.

If youre looking at four times that of Slave Lake youre getting to well over C$2 billion ($1.6 billion) so there is a possibility that this may become the biggest catastrophic claim in Canada, said DBRS analyst Stewart McIlwraith.

The unchecked fire, now in its fourth day Wednesday, has prompted the full evacuation of Fort McMurrays 88,000 residents. It has not, however, endangered the major oil producers in the area, the heart of the oil sands industry.

The fire is also likely to exceed the C$1.9 billion in losses caused by the Alberta floods of 2013, which set the record for the costliest Canadian disaster. Those losses were limited by the fact that many policies did not cover the type of flooding experienced.

Shares in Intact Financial, Canadas largest property and casualty insurer, closed nearly 4 percent lower. The company said it has the biggest exposure of any insurer to the region.

It could be quite significant in terms of a loss for them, said Edward Jones analyst Jim Shanahan.

Intact declined to comment on the likely scale of its losses, but Chief Executive Charles Brindamour told analysts on the companys results call that there are lots of similarities between Fort McMurray and Slave Lake.

Analysts said other insurance providers with exposure to the region include Toronto-Dominion Bank and international insurers Aviva and RSA.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada, which represents Canadian home, cars and business insurers, said it was too early to speculate on the cost of claims.

The average price of homes in Slave Lake is much lower than that of homes in Fort McMurray, where a decade long oil boom sent housing prices soaring.

Experts say in Fort McMurray insurance policies would likely cover all damage to property and belongings damaged by the wildfire.

($1 = 1.2856 Canadian dollars) (With additional reporting by Euan Rocha and John Tilak in Toronto; editing by Mary Milliken)

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Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Canada
The global economy suffered the worst April natural disaster losses for five years, according to Impact Forecasting, Aon Benfields catastrophe model development team.

Earthquakes, convective storms and flooding contributed to the worldwide devastation, said Impact Forecasting, noting that a significant proportion of these catastrophe losses was uninsured.

The report, titled Global Catastrophe Recap  April 2016, said that two major earthquakes struck southern Japan during the month, causing massive devastation and killing at least 66 people, with more than 4,000 others injured.

Total economic losses, including physical damage to residential and commercial structures, vehicles and infrastructure, and business interruption, are expected to exceed 1.12 trillion Japanese yen (USD10 billion), said the report.

The General Insurance Association of Japan reported that nearly 70,000 non-life claims had been filed, as total insured losses were expected to breach 225 billion Japanese yen ($2.0 billion), the report said.

Meanwhile, a major magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Ecuadors northwest coast on April 16, killing at least 660 people and injuring more than 17,638 others. According to government figures, the total economic cost for the damage and reconstruction was expected to be above $3.0 billion.

Given low insurance penetration levels, the insured loss was set to be a fraction of the overall financial cost, the report said.

The global footprint of natural disaster losses in April was significant. Between major events such as the Kumamoto earthquake, the severe convective storms and flooding in the United States, and flooded agriculture in Argentina, economic and insured losses are poised to make this the costliest April since 2011, said Steve Bowen, Director at Impact Forecasting.

The large differential between the economic and insured losses is yet another reminder of how much opportunity exists for the insurance industry to help engage with governments, communities and businesses around the world to provide the risk expertise that can help mitigate the effects of natural disasters, he said.

Natural hazard events occurring elsewhere during April include:

Five outbreaks of severe convective storms affected the United States, causing total aggregated economic losses estimated to exceed $4.0 billion, and insurance losses beyond $3.0 billion.

Excessive rains led to considerable flooding across Argentina, with the provinces of Entre Rios, Corrientes, Santa Fe, Chaco, Formosa, and Santiago del Estero and Uruguay sustaining the worst damage. Total economic losses to agriculture alone were estimated at 18.6 billion Argentine pesos ($1.3 billion).

A prodigious U.S. rainfall event caused major flash flooding in the greater Houston metro region, resulting in total economic losses expected to exceed $1.0 billion.

Major flood events were recorded in Chile, China, Ecuador, Uruguay, Haiti, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Uganda, Angola, Somalia, Ethiopia, India, and Afghanistan.

The combination of heavy rainfall from two tropical disturbances and Tropical Cyclone Zena led to flooding across several islands of the Fiji archipelago, killing two people.

An unseasonably intense heatwave killed at least 300 people in India, with the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh noting temperatures above 44C (111F).

Source: Impact Forecasting

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters USA Trends Profit Loss Flood Agribusiness Aon Earthquake
Johnson & Johnson must pay $55 million to a 62-year-old South Dakota woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on the companys talcum powder in the second such trial loss this year.

J&J is accused in more than 1,000 lawsuits in state and federal courts of ignoring studies linking its Shower-to-Shower product and Johnsons Baby Powder to ovarian cancer. Women contend the company knew the risk and failed to warn customers. In February, J&J lost a $72 million verdict in the same St. Louis courthouse to the family of a woman who died of the disease.

The more talc verdicts that come down against them adds to the publics growing distrust of their baby powder, which is one of their iconic products, said Carl Tobias, who teaches product-liability law at the University of Richmond in Virginia. There are both economic and reputational issues that may motivate them to start thinking about a global settlement of these cases.

J&J should consider setting up a settlement program to dispose of the talc cases, said Tobias, who isnt involved in the case.

State court jurors Monday awarded $5 million in compensation and $50 million in punitive damages to Gloria Ristesund, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 after using J&Js talc-based feminine hygiene products for almost 40 years. Ristesunds cancer, after she underwent a hysterectomy, is in remission.

Science has been simple and consistent over the last 40 years: Theres an increased risk of ovarian cancer from genital use of talc, Allen Smith, Ristesunds lawyer, told jurors Friday. Ristesund used talc for four decades unaware there were any health concerns, he said.

J&J, the worlds largest maker of health-care products, denied any link between talc and ovarian cancer or any need to warn women. The company will appeal the verdict, Carol Goodrich, a J&J spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement.

Unfortunately, the jurys decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the word that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc, Goodrich said. Johnson & Johnson has always taken questions about the safety of our products extremely seriously.

The jury cleared J&Js supplier and co-defendant, Imerys Talc America Inc., of any liability.

The outcome was a narrow victory for the plaintiff, with jurors voting 9-3 for Ristesund, the minimum required. The panel initially voted 7-5 for Ristesund, said juror Devon Small, 26, of St. Louis.

Jurors struggled to agree on whether talc was a contributing factor in ovarian cancer, said jury forewoman Teri Brickey, 45, of St. Louis. After we agreed on that, everything was easy, she said. We felt like they knew for decades that they should have put a warning on this product.

Ristesunds lawsuit is the third to go to before a jury, preceded by the trial in the suit brought by the family of Jackie Fox, who died at 62. An earlier trial in federal court in South Dakota in 2013 ended with a jury finding that J&J was negligent while deciding not to award damages. The company faces another talc trial in the St. Louis court in September.

Thousands of women or their family members contacted plaintiffs lawyers after the Fox verdict, attorney Jere Beasley said in March. His firm, one of several representing the Fox family and Ristesund, is reviewing more than 5,000 potential claims, he said in an interview.

Ristesunds case was a defense pick after the plaintiffs selected the first case to go to trial, Beasley said in an interview Monday. If they cant win that one, they cant win one. Theyre going to have to come to the table and start settling cases.

J&J documents showed the company was aware of health concerns since the mid-1970s, Smith told jurors Friday in closing arguments. A 1992 document suggested targeting women who were high users of talcum powder to boost sales, he said.

Ristesund incurred $174,000 in medical bills, plus pain and suffering, Smith told jurors. Talc was found in her ovarian tissue after the hysterectomy, he said.

Christy Jones, a J&J attorney, told jurors that Ristesund had several risk factors for ovarian cancer, That included a family history of cancer, having endometriosis and the fact she had no children, Jones said. Nobody knows what causes ovarian cancer, she said.

Three jurors sided with J&J. I just thought there was a lack of evidence, juror Kayla McGuire, 32, said in an interview after the verdict. Other jurors had latched onto a few emotional statements, she said.

The case is Hogans v. Johnson & Johnson, 1422-CC09012-01, Circuit Court, St. Louis City, Mo.

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Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits
Saline County in Kansas and a former interim director of the Saline County Health Department have reached a $75,000 settlement over a sexual discrimination claim.

The Salina Journal reported the county said that it denied liability associated with the claim, and that it would allow its insurance company to resolve the matter to avoid further litigation costs.

Suzette Brotton filed a claim against the Salina Human Relations Commission after it chose Bronson Farmer to direct the health department in 2014. Brotton claimed that she was not chosen because she is a woman.

Farmer was chosen despite having previously been fired from the health department after being accused of falsifying mileage reports. He has denied that charge.

The Kansas Human Rights Commission had ruled there was probable cause to believe Brottons allegations of sexual discrimination in hiring and pre-employment testing.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Kansas
Bill Baer was the ultimate Washington antitrust insider when he came to the Justice Department in 2013: At law firm Arnold & Porter LLP, hed counseled the biggest U.S. companies, including deal machine General Electric Co., on getting mergers over the finish line.

So when Baer took over as head of the Justice Departments antitrust division with a mandate to protect competition in the American economy, observers could have been forgiven for thinking another industry fox was taking his watch over the hen house.

But Baer is making good on a promise to protect American consumers, showing little hesitation to haul companies to court to stop mergers. This week, facing just such a legal challenge, oil-services firms Halliburton Co. and Baker Hughes Inc. dropped their $28 billion planned tie-up. Baer portrayed the deal uniting the No. 2 and No. 3 firms in the field as one of the worst hes ever seen. It would have eliminated competition for so many products and services, he argued, that it was unfixable.

Health-care Deals

Now, as Baers career advances  hes just been named to the No. 3 position at the Justice Department  hell still be overseeing the antitrust watchdogs at his former division as they turn to a pair of proposed mergers that have the potential to radically reshape U.S. health care.

The department is considering the tie-ups of four of the biggest U.S. health insurers  Aetna Inc. with Humana Inc., and Anthem Inc. with Cigna Corp.  two mergers that would leave the country with only three major insurers, down from five. Judging by the departments record under Baers leadership, the combinations may face hurdles in trying to convince the government to clear the transactions.

With Baers promotion, the antitrust division has been taken over by Renata Hesse, one of Baers acolytes. Hesse has helped lead the unit in its opposition to Comcast Corp.s bid for Time Warner Cable Inc., which was abandoned by the companies, and lawsuits seeking to block the sale of GEs appliance business to Electrolux AB, and the merger of American Airlines and US Airways. GE dropped its plans to sell the appliance unit to Electrolux during the U.S. antitrust trial. American Airlines ultimately worked out a settlement agreement allowing it to merge with US Airways.

The Justice Department is increasingly adopting the Nancy Reagan slogan: Just say no,' said Deborah Garza, an antitrust lawyer at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington who previously worked at the division.

Declining Competition

Critics say enforcers arent going far enough. In a report last month, the White House Council of Economic Advisers noted several signs of declining competition in the U.S., including data that the biggest firms are taking home a greater share of revenue in numerous industries. Returns on invested capital are also becoming increasingly concentrated within a small slice of the market, according to the report.

In March, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, pointed to consolidation among U.S. airlines  a market dominated by four major airlines  lamenting that Americas merger policy simply has failed.

Chris Sagers, a professor of antitrust law at Cleveland State University, argues the Obama administrations antitrust record is only average. Yes, there have been big challenges, but thats because companies are proposing aggressive deals that pose risks to competition, he said. Enforcers should be bringing more cases and lowering the threshold for going to court to stop problematic deals, he said.

There is a lack of political will and it comes from the White House down, Sagers said. It runs throughout the federal government that we just dont care about competition like we used to, and were just not as worried about the threat of concentrated markets and big companies as we used to be.

Common Sense Approach

When investigating mergers, Baer and Hesse have emphasized a common sense approach to understanding how consumers may be harmed by the combination of two competitors. Baer has warned that he has seen some deals that are so bad for consumers they never should have made it out of the boardroom.

During his tenure, he has also raised the bar for approving asset sales that allow deals to go through, said Mark Ryan, a former Justice Department antitrust lawyer now at Mayer Brown LLP. Divestitures have to be substantial and restore competition from the beginning to win Baers support, he said.

The Obama administration said at the outset the pendulum had swung too far and enforcers had become too willing to accept fixes from parties that didnt resolve the competitive problems, Ryan said. I dont think theres any question they have done what they said they would do with respect to reinvigorating antitrust enforcement.

Merger Challenges

In Halliburtons case, with competitive problems in 23 products and services, the companies ultimately couldnt offer anything to satisfy the Justice Department.

Ive been around a while in this area of law enforcement and Ive seen a lot of problematic mergers in my time, but I have never seen one that poses so many antitrust problems in so many markets, Baer said at the time of the lawsuit.

With eight months to go in the administration, the antitrust division has time to add to its record of merger challenges. At the top of the list are the health-insurer deals. Humana said Wednesday that it completed a submission to the Justice Department, moving closer to a decision by the government.

The two tie-ups have been assailed by the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association. According to an analysis by the hospital association, the Cigna takeover threatens competition in the sale of commercial insurance in more than 800 local markets. In about half of those areas, theres no viable buyer who can step up and restore competition, the group says. Anthem counters that the associations analysis is misleading and that concentration levels wont increase by an appreciable amount from the merger, which it says will benefit consumers.

Still, in Congressional testimony in March, Baer said the insurer deals amounted to a game changer for the health care industry. Thats not the kind of language that signals a smooth road for the companies.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Carriers USA Aviation
The Oklahoma Supreme Court dealt another blow to the states 2013 workers comp overhaul by finding unconstitutional a provision of the Oklahoma Administrative Workers Compensation Act pertaining to the deferral of permanent partial disability benefits.

Several recent rulings have represented setbacks for the AWCA, which has had the support of the business community, as well as Gov. Mary Fallon and Insurance Commissioner John Doak. A significant drop in loss costs in the states workers comp system has been attributed to the 2013 law.

In Maxwell v. Sprint PCS, (Case Number: 113898), which is representative of a class of several companion cases, the Court ruled that scheduled members are exempt from the AMA Guides under the Administrative Workers Compensation Act, and that the permanent partial disability deferral provision of statute is an unconstitutional violation of due process.

In state statute, the term scheduled member includes body parts such as arms, legs, toes, fingers, etc.

The case involved a Sprint employee, Theresa Maxwell, who injured her knee in a work-related incident, properly notified her employer and filed the appropriate forms in relation to her workers comp claim, the Court explained. She had surgery on her knee and received temporary total disability benefits for just under three weeks.

After reaching maximum medical improvement on July 2, 2014, she returned to her pre-injury position with her employer earning her pre-injury wages, the Court said in its unpublished opinion dated April 12. In late September, the injured employee filed a request for a contested hearing on the issue of permanent partial disability.

Relying on the AMA Guide 6th Edition, the administrative law judge determined that the injury to Maxwells knee resulted in 2 percent permanent partial disability to the body as a whole. The compensation rate was set at $323.00 for a total award of $2,261.00. However, because the employee had returned to her job at her pre-injury compensation rate, the ALJ ordered the benefit award to be deferred at a rate of $323.00 beginning July 2, 2014, for every week Petitioner worked in her pre-injury or equivalent job.

The ALJs decision was upheld by the Oklahoma Workers Compensation Commission and Maxwell appealed.

Upon review, the Court found that the ALJ wrongly assigned Maxwells disability award to the body as a whole. Maxwells injury was to a scheduled member, which are exempt from AMA Guide.

This Court, for nearly forty years, has interpreted such language to mean exactly what it says  scheduled members are exempt from the AMA Guides, the opinion states.

The permanent partial disability award should have been in compensation for the injury to the knee, the Court said.

Also at issue for the Court is that the new permanent partial disability benefits deferral provision advances a legislative policy that disability payments be directly connected to a reduction in earnings capacity.

However, since 1941, permanent partial disability compensation has been awarded solely on the basis of loss of function as established by medical evidence, and not tied to an employees loss of earning capacity.

The Court noted that a permanent physical impairment caused by a work-related injury frequently results in a reduced earning capacity in the future rather than an immediate reduction in present earning capacity.

It pointed out that workers comp benefits are not rewards, they replace something that is lost by the employee, for which the employer is liable.

The Court also maintained the deferral of permanent partial disability benefits provision under the AWCA violates the due process clause of the Oklahoma Constitution, which protects citizens from arbitrary and unreasonable action by the state.'

Under the statutory deferral scheme, an injured employee who returns to work loses the ability to collect any subsequent permanent partial disability award issued by the ALJ because by the time the case is heard, enough time will have passed so that the injured employee, in most cases, will have forfeited his right to receive any portion of the permanent partial disability award, the Court wrote.

In Maxwells case, the hearing was held more than six months after she returned to work. The Court stated that Maxwells permanent partial disability award was exhausted well before the hearing on permanent partial disability actually took place.

Effect of the Ruling

Subsequent to the Courts ruling, Commissioner Doak warned the decision could cause a jump in workers compensation rates.

In a statement released by the Oklahoma Insurance Department, Doak said the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has filed a supplemental advisory loss cost filing that shows shows an overall increase in loss costs of 3.4 percent. The departments release indicated the increase was attributed to the ruling in Maxwell v. Sprint PCS.

The loss cost filing is scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2016. However, NCCI has acknowledged that the filing may be withdrawn depending on legislation passed during the current legislative session, the department stated.

Related:

Topics Workers' Compensation Profit Loss Oklahoma
Kentucky State Police say they are investigating three house fires that occurred after the homes were burglarized.

Police said in a statement that they think the cases are related and believe the blazes are the result of arson.

The statement says the first fire was reported April 29 at a home near Lancaster in Garrard County. As police were finishing the investigation there, they were called to another house blaze near Wilmore in Jessamine County. A third house fire was reported May 2 near Nicholasville. Police say all the homes had been burglarized before catching fire.

Police urge anyone who saw anything suspicious that could be related to the blazes to call 859-623-2404 or 800-27ARSON. There is a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Law Enforcement Kentucky
A bill allowing staff and faculty at Tennessees public colleges and universities to be armed on campus became law Monday without the Republican governors signature.

Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement that he disagreed with the bill for not allowing institutions to make their own decisions regarding security issues on campus.

But the governor acknowledged that the final version of the measure had addressed concerns raised by college administrators during the legislative process by including provisions protecting schools from liability and a requirement to notify law enforcement about who is armed on campus.

Ultimately, this legislation was tailored to apply to certain employees in specific situations, Haslam said.

The law, which allows faculty and staff with state-issued handgun carry permits to carry, is more limited than a bill passed in Georgia. That measure allowa anyone age 21 and up to carry a concealed handgun on campus with the proper permit.

The Tennessee law, which takes effect on July 1, will keep gun bans in place for stadiums or gymnasiums while school-sponsored events are in progress; meetings where disciplinary or tenure issues are being discussed; hospitals or offices where medical or mental health services are provided; and any location prohibited by another law, such as at day care centers or elementary schools located on campus.

University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro said in a statement that he opposes more guns on campus, but that the states two public college systems entered into negotiations with sponsors because they recognized early in the process that the bill had a great likelihood of passing.

DiPietro said he agrees with the governors position of allowing schools to decide for themselves. But the National Rifle Association had argued against any opt-out provisions for the guns-on-campus bill.

College campuses as gun-free zones present an environment where murderers, rapists and other criminals may commit crimes without fear of being harmed by their victims, The Tennessean newspaper quoted NRA lobbyists Erin Luper as saying during a committee hearing on the bill.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairwoman Mary Mancini criticized the governor for declining to veto the legislation, which she said puts the interests of the gun lobby and their wealthy donors above campus security.

Governor Haslam is defying all common sense, ignoring the opposition of faculty and staff, and jeopardizing the safety and well-being of students, Mancini said.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Andy Holt of Dresden and fellow Republican Sen. Mike Bell of Riceville.

During the Senate debate on the bill, opponents circulated comments from a survey of faculty at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville that raised security concerns about more guns on campus. Bell scoffed at many of those comments, declaring that he hopes some professors will follow through on vows to quit their positions at the states flagship university if the bill became law.

Maybe this will give UT a chance to hire some conservative teachers if we have a mass exodus of some of these liberals who responded to this, he said.

Associated Press Writer Kathleen Foody in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Education Gun Liability Tennessee Universities
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
Abuse of assignment of benefits (AOB) from water loss claims has become a full-blown Florida insurance crisis that will mean higher insurance rates next year and for the foreseeable future for every Florida policyholder, according to Citizens Property Insurance Corp. CEO Barry Gilway and Chief Risk Officer John Rollins.

We are going to have a round of rate increases from private carriers, said Rollins. South Florida will definitely have a rate increase. The question is more open in the rest of the state, but the trends are very disturbing.

Private insurer executives have echoed the warning and say hikes of as much as $1 billion will be needed.

The issue now most commonly referred to as just AOB took center stage at the Florida Association for Insurance Reforms conference on April 28. Several industry experts said AOB is no longer just a problem for Citizens, the state-backed property insurer, and maintained the impact will go far beyond rates if the crisis isnt addressed. The overall Florida market will also suffer, especially if the state is hit by a serious catastrophe.

What you've seen is a situation where a flu in South Florida is turning into a pandemic for the rest of the state.

[AOB] is also trickling into the reinsurance pricing, Bruce Lucas, chairman & CEO of Heritage Insurance said at the FAIR event. The number one question asked of us by reinsurers is, What are you doing about AOB? because after a storm, it could be a big issue.

Citizens, which has seen AOB claims skyrocket, was the first to highlight the issue in its rate filing last summer. Now the insurer is re-tooling its efforts to combat the AOB abuse in light of Florida lawmakers failure to enact a legislative solution.

By law, Citizens can only raise rates by up to 10 percent per year. But in parts of the state where AOB abuse has been rampant  namely the tri-county area of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties  Citizens said actuarially sound rate increases should be as high as 189 percent. In other parts of the state Citizens had expected to decrease rates by about 10 percent, but that is no longer the case.

Gilway said private carriers that are also experiencing a significant rise in AOB claims have more options than Citizens has. Private insurers options include raising rates by as much as 15 percent without Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) approval, or withdrawing from or eliminating zip codes where the abuse is rampant  such as in the tri-county region.

If that happens, Gilway and Rollins said the result would be a market availability crisis, and the depopulation efforts that have brought down Citizens policy count in the last several years will be completely reversed.

The implications of that for us are huge. We are statutorily required to write business in tri-county, so if no one else is writing it, those policies come to us, Gilway said.

Carrier executives on a panel at FAIRs recent conference echoed the sentiments that this is no longer just a Citizens problem.

We will be raising rates by about 5 percent this year because of AOB, said Locke Burt, chairman and president of Security First Insurance.

This is a $1 billion issue  a billion dollars in rate increases this year to the consumer. We can write against it, we can shut down zip codes, we can take action. Citizens cant do that, said Lucas of Heritage Insurance.

Education efforts by Citizens, as well as industry and consumer groups, are helping to raise awareness of the issue but may be having a negative impact in the short term. Severity of claims and AOB lawsuits are still increasing, Gilway said. In fact, Citizens had 1,000 suits in March alone  the highest monthly number over the last two years.

It appears to be a run on the bank scenario with the attorneys saying, I need to get my suit in now, Gilway said. We were seeing about 620 suits a month in the last two years. During that same period our policy count dropped by two-thirds, so you would expect to see a decrease in the number of suits.

Gilway said private insurers are having similar results  with some reporting 12 to 14 new suits a day. As of right now the problem is getting worse and not better, he said.

Results of a data call performed by OIR earlier this year found that frequency of water loss claims has increased by 46 percent and severity has increased by 28 percent since 2010. OIRs report concluded that water loss claims, exacerbated by assignment of benefits, are driving higher rates in South Florida and increasingly across the state.

Outgoing Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty emphasized the effects the AOB issue is having on the Florida insurance market, and ultimately on consumers.

This is a true victimization of homeowners  now everyone else is going to have increased costs. Thats exactly where we dont want to be, McCarty said. We have to have a broad public policy conversation on what can be done.

Legislative Response

Rollins and Gilway agree a legislative solution is the only way to really stop the abuse. However, the effort put forth in the just-ended Florida session fell apart for the fourth year in a row.

Gilway said the reason for that was twofold: lobbying efforts by water remediation companies and contractors, as well as law firms currently benefitting from the AOB provision; and the insurance industrys inability to reach a consensus on what needs to be done to combat the problem.

We got out-lobbied, there is no question. But the other issue is the industry itself  we are not on the same page, Gilway said. There is a lot of work to be done to pull the industry together.

Specifically, Gilway said, State Farm walked away because the insurer said Floridas one-way attorney fee shifting statute blamed for the AOB abuse was not being corrected. Floridas statute allows policyholders, or in the case of an AOB by a policyholder, to recover their attorney fees upon the successful completion of coverage litigation.

Because its a one-way fee shift, if an insurer wins a claim suit it cannot collect its legal fees from policyholders. In other words, claimants have nothing to lose by filing suit. Gilway says State Farm didnt want the Legislature to pass a bill unless it was a comprehensive reform measure that addressed the statute.

As long as you have a statute in place that basically says any contractor on behalf of the insured can sue the insurance company, and when that happens if we pay $1 dollar more than the original estimate the insurance company is responsible for all of the attorney fees, its a no-lose proposition for the trial bar, Gilway said.

There may be hope for next year. State Senator Jeff Brandes said his colleagues are finally recognizing AOB abuse as a crisis. What started as water claims in one part of the state is now spreading to roofing claims in other areas, and what is meant to be a consumer protection is now having the opposite effect.

What youve seen is a situation where a flu in South Florida is turning into a pandemic for the rest of the state, Brandes said. Its risen to the level now where lawmakers are starting to hear that policies are going back into Citizens and that companies are simply not writing in the tri-county area. You are going to see a substantial shift now in policymakers thinking.

Brandes said ideas that have generated some support involve moving towards a managed repair model, that would be similar to the health insurance market where consumers can choose between an HMO or PPO. In this case, policyholders would have a contractor list to choose from for a water loss claim to get a lower rate on their policy.

It might be a solution that drives down costs and allows consumers to have a choice, Brandes said. At the end of the day, this is really a contract between insurance companies and the consumer, so to have a lower rate you would have a defined list of contractors to choose from, and thats a choice the consumer is making. As long as it is well-disclosed and people are upfront about it, its a fair way to do it.

The AOB issue really highlights the need for a discussion of what the future of Florida insurance looks like and I think the HMO/PPO model really creates an interesting discussion, he added.

Brandes said he doesnt know yet if he will sponsor legislation around the issue in the next session, but before anything can happen the industry needs to come together on a solution.

They need to sing it as a chorus, but [so far] theres been a lot of solo acts, Brandes said. At the end of the day, we are hearing the coalescing around a number of ideas that we can begin to support.

Whether that will translate into action next session, however, remains to be seen.

In the Meantime

Citizens launched a policyholder education campaign earlier this year called Call Citizens First to encourage policyholders to reach out to the insurer or their agent when water loss first occurs. Gilway said that today, the average claim comes in 33 days after the event, making it very difficult for the insurer to adequately assess the claim and leading to increased costs. He said by the time Citizens is made aware of a water loss claim in those cases, 90 percent of them already have representation.

Rollins said the severity of the cost of the claim at least doubles when it is litigated.

If you are on the other side of this process as a plumber, water remediator or attorney, you are potentially generating four times the marketplace for yourself by taking a natural claim that is maybe $8,000 and making it a $35,000 claim, Rollins said.

CITIZEN FORM CHANGES To ensure that Citizens has the opportunity to confirm coverage and inspect damage, additional permanent repairs can only begin after the earliest of: 72 hours after Citizens is notified, after Citizens inspects the damage, or after Citizens approves (either verbally or in writing) the repairs. Note that these policy contract changes DO NOT require that a loss be reported within 72 hours.

Permanent repairs performed earlier than 72-hours after Citizens is notified of the loss, earlier than the time of loss inspection by Citizens, or earlier than the time of other approval by Citizens will not be covered, except in the case for reasonable emergency measures.

Reasonable emergency measures are defined as measures policyholders must take to prevent further damage to their property.

Reasonable emergency measures may not exceed the greater of $3,000 or 1 percent of the Coverage A limit, unless the policyholder receives approval from Citizens first

Under Coverage C  personal property of water or steam is not covered

Replacement of water in a swimming pool is covered when there is a covered loss or damage to the swimming pool

Collapse coverage more explicitly states that coverage for collapse of a building does not include coverage for collapse of plumbing that results from age, deterioration or maintenance

Language clarifying what perils are insured against, including additional details to better describe collapse when addressing collapse coverage

Clarifies that coverage is provided for necessary access to repair only the portion or part of the plumbing system that caused a covered loss in the event of accidental discharge of water or steam

Citizens has no duty to provide coverage if failure to comply with duties after loss is prejudicial to Citizens. *The form changes have been updated from an earlier version of this story.

The insurer recently implemented other changes in an attempt to curb the problem. OIR has approved form filings by Citizens that includes new policy language as related to water loss reporting (see box).

In his last interview with Insurance Journal as the Florida Insurance Commissioner, McCarty said OIR worked with Citizens to refine the language in its policies so what has always been intended is spelled out in the contract. It is important to note that this is not a cutting of benefits, he said.

McCarty said OIR has been encouraging other insurers in the state to look at the Citizens filings and submit their own changes. As of the end of April, 13 other companies had done me too filings.

McCarty said OIR is not requiring insurers to make a rate filing to accomplish this form change. We dont see this as a rate change, he said at the recent FAIR conference. We are making sure the insurance company has the ability to do what its responsibility is to do under the contract, which is to inspect the claim.

Communication between the policyholder, insurer and agent is key, Gilway and Rollins said, and they say Citizens has to do a better job ensuring that happens.

Its focus now is making policyholders aware of the form changes and the importance of contacting the insurer when a claim occurs, but Gilway said the company needs help from the more than 8,000 agents it has in the state. He said right now most agents are not involved when a policyholder has a water loss and AOB, and are as surprised as Citizens when a suit is filed.

Agents, he said, have to play a much more significant role in getting the word out.

Rollins said the involvement of the agent community will be the difference between success and failure with Citizens current efforts.

They are the ones policyholders turn to, he said. We need a ground game to succeed and thats where the agents come in. We all have to get on the same page.

Related:

Topics Lawsuits Carriers Florida Legislation Agencies Claims Profit Loss Contractors Property Market
After fighting for more than two years to avoid paying almost $1 billion in oil spill damages to Gulf Coast shrimpers, oystermen and seafood processors it claimed didnt exist, BP Plc has thrown in the towel.

We have withdrawn our claims seeking an injunction against payments by the Seafood Program so the program can be concluded, Geoff Morrell, a BP spokesman, said in an e-mail Tuesday.

The company will keep pursuing fraud claims against lawyer Mikal Watts and his firm, Morrell said. Watts was indicted for allegedly making false claims in connection with the BP spill.

A federal judge in New Orleans Monday allowed BP to drop its bid to avoid paying the second half of $2.3 billion in compensation promised to seafood interests harmed by the blown-out well. The subsea gusher pumped more than 4 million barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, closing fisheries and blackening the shores of five states.

BP claimed lawyers negotiating on behalf of the seafood industry fraudulently inflated the number of Southeast Asian immigrant fishermen and boat hands claiming damages from the spill. The overstatement jacked up BPs settlement by hundreds of millions of dollars, the company said.

BP had paid out about $1 billion of the seafood fund when it balked at paying the remainder after discovering irregularities in a law firms client list. The seafood payout is a separate earmark within BPs larger settlement of all spill-related economic and property damage claims, which the company said in an April 26 earnings statement will now cost significantly more than $12.9 billion.

Watts Indicted

Watts, a Texas attorney, was indicted last year for allegedly lying about representing more than 40,000 mostly Vietnamese American boat captains and crew members in spill claims against BP. He was appointed to a lucrative seat on the lawyers steering committee largely on the strength of his client roster, which BP and federal prosecutors claim was riddled with fake names and Social Security numbers, dead people and even a dog.

Watts is set to face trial in Mississippi in July.

BP held onto its civil fraud claims against Watts and his San Antonio law firm, while dropping the rest of the fight against the seafood industry payout, according to court records. Tammy Tran, a spokeswoman and attorney for many in the Gulf Coast Vietnamese community, has submitted in a separate fraud lawsuit against Watts what she said is proof that most of the Vietnamese fishermen and women on the disputed client roster are real people with real claims against BP.

The court order doesnt specify how quickly BP would pay the balance of the seafood fund.

The case is In re Oil Spill by the Oil Rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, 10-md-02179, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana (New Orleans).

Related:

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Claims Fraud Energy Oil Gas
Learn how much you need to retire comfortably, and how to prepare for the "unexpected." Plan for everything from living expenses, to healthcare, to planning that trip you've always wanted to take.

Letter from The Editor

Our relationship with money has changed.



The pandemic accelerated a lot of those changes, but many of the forces were already set in motion over a decade ago. Investing apps and platforms, zero-commission trading, a historic bull market for stocks coming out of the Great Financial Crisis followed by record-breaking inflation, the emergence of cryptocurrencies, and the evolution of financial planning are just some of the forces that have reshaped the way we think, use, plan, save, and invest our money.

Our notions about retirement have changed, as well.

Younger generations are less likely to work at the same company their entire careers, collect a pension, and ease their way out of the workforce at the age of 65. We are living longer, and we need to be able to afford the lives we want to live when we stop working. For most people, retirement is not their end of work, but the end of being able to depend on a regular paycheck with benefits and a 401(k) match, if we were lucky enough to get one.

While over half of working adults in the U.S. are invested in the stock market, the average 401(k) balance for baby boomers and Generation X is only around $161,000 according to Fidelity. With the cost of living rising higher every year, and questions about the staying power of Social Security, the numbers just don't add up for most people nearing retirement.

There is no magic bullet solution to these problems. There are, however, some fundamental practices and approaches that younger adults and those approaching retirement, can focus on:

Financial awareness: Do you really know what it costs to be you?

Investing appropriately for your age: Are you too risky, or not risky enough, or well-balanced?

Balanced portfolio: Is the 60/40 portfolio still the answer, given the shake-out in the stock market?

Saving and budgeting in a world of rising prices: Inflation is not a bug in the systemit's a feature that we need to accept and incorporate into our personal budgets.

Planning and caring for yourself or family members: The cost of care keeps rising, but few are prepared for those bills when they come due.

Estate planning: If you can and want to pass along your savings to charity or the next generation, are your affairs in order?

Investopedia's special issue on retirement is our first foray into magazine publishing. We are honored to have been a go-to resource for millions of readers for the past 23 years, but we, like you, realize that the game has changed in retirement planning and investing. Therefore, we have dedicated those pages to laying out those changes and offering solutions that can help you change with the times.

Pick up your copy at your nearest retailer or buy now online. We hope you enjoy the issue and learn from it. The first step in financial awareness is to educate yourself, so let those pages help you get on the right path.


Dr. John Lahey, chairman of the Board of Directors of the New York City St. Patricks Day parade, will step down from the position after the 2018 march, or possibly sooner if board directors wish to elect a new chairman.

As reported in last weeks Irish Voice, Lahey sent a letter to the parades affiliated organizations on April 25, offering solutions to the impasse between the board and the affiliate groups that are angered at what they see as their diminished role in the direction and organizing of the parade.

In the letter, Lahey said that board, in its post-parade meeting last month, briefly discussed a succession plan, a topic we will return to at our next meeting, he wrote.

With the completion of the 2016 parade, I indicated I am happy to step down as chairman at any time a majority of the Board of Directors wants to elect a new chairman. Also, I informed the board that under no circumstances would I be willing to continue serving as chairman beyond the 2018 parade.

The board was asked to give consideration prior to our next meeting to possible candidates we might consider for the vacant position of vice chairman of the board and along with it, possible candidates for our next chairman.

Read more: NYC St. Patricks Day Parade chair seeks compromise and cooperation

With regard to the affiliates, who will hold their own meeting on parade matters this Thursday evening, May 5, Lahey said the board discussed how best to strengthen the role of the affiliated organizations in the governance structure of the parade.

No vote or action was taken with respect to this topic, although I can report that the board expressed overwhelming support for allowing the affiliated organizations to decide for themselves their preferred structure between the current one or an alternative.

Lahey offered two choices for the affiliates: to keep the parade committee they elected last November headed by John Tully which could work with the board on next years march, or approve four new members of the board of directors who would be the presidents of the AOH, the Ladies AOH, the United Irish Counties and the Grand Council of Emerald Societies.

The four new board members would be full voting members just like all the other board members, Lahey wrote.

When these groups periodically elect new officers the newly elected president would replace the former president on the board, and in the case of the AOH and Ladies AOH, it would be their call as to whether they prefer their representative to be the president of their national, state or local entity.

Lahey said that in his last meeting with Tully he discussed the possibility of naming the four new board members, and asked Tully to reach out to the current presidents for their thoughts.

At the board of directors meeting last month, Lahey and the board praised the affiliates and parade volunteers, he wrote.

Several board members commented that thanks to this collective effort we all enjoyed one of our best parades ever.
Abhaile: literally, the Gaelic word for home; figuratively, much more.

Sitting in my Grandmas cozy living room, I absorbed everything around me. It had been a long time since I was here last. A faint memory began to resurface, reminding me of a childhood I wish I had more of.

I am a first generation Irish-American. Born in the United States, my family quickly moved back to Ireland before I was even one year old. When living in Ireland did not work out as planned, I found myself living in the United States for the next eighteen years of my life. Since moving back to Maryland, a small state right outside Washington D.C., I have visited Ireland several times; every trip is a new experience and a time I will remember for the rest of my life.

Outside my grannys home rain started to fall from the sky and oddly enough, with everyone in the room, it seemed as though I was the only one who noticed the clothes outside beginning to soak. Georgina, tell Gillian about when you used to play camogie, my Aunt hollered from the kitchen as she prepared her third cup of tea that morning.

The rain fell harder, rinsing the roof and ever so softly tumbling onto the patio. The vibrant colors of the clothes captivated my eyes once more, as my mind began to shift slightly from the conversation. Were our neighbors going to take down their clothes? The rain fell harder.

I returned to Ireland a few months ago with nothing but a few bags on my back. Traveling alone with only two friends, I was apprehensive about my trip. My family was more than welcoming, even though I am only able to see them once every few years. My time was short, but well stayed.

The few weeks I was in Ireland involved informative trips to the Kilmainham Gaol, the General Post Office, the Pearse Museum, and many more seminal sites. With the 1916 centenary this year, I wanted to learn more about Irish history and understand my own familys involvement.

As an Irish-American in Ireland, I felt out of place. I was neither, technically speaking, fully Irish nor American. One night, while out and about around Temple Bar, a tourist pulled me aside and asked me where she could find The Button Factory. I knew where the club was; Ireland is my home too.

Read more: Getting off the American treadmill to live the Irish dream

Confident in my response, I gave her directions to the venue. She must have been surprised when she heard my accent. This moment stuck with me. With my red hair and freckles, I must have looked like what she considered your average Irish woman. But for some, I am not Irish enough to claim my rightful heritage. For others, I am too passionate about my Irish culture; Youre not really American, some say.

Oftentimes I even find myself judging other Irish-Americans who continuously say Pattys Day. Oh, the Irish? they say, What a load of drinkers. Whenever I hear statements like that, I am disappointed. Do people really think of me like that? I left Temple Bar that night satisfied. For once, I felt like I was Irish enough.

After spending a few weeks with loved ones, I came back to America with the word saoirse tattooed on my back. It means freedom; it is what Ireland gives me.

Positioning myself to get comfortable on the couch, I gazed again at the vivid clothes hanging outside. The sight gave me a sense of familiarity that put me at ease. This was my family and this was my home. The clothes were not just clean laundry; they represented a part of who I am and where I come from.

A custom that is one I am not used to. Hanging laundry to dry was not a part of my routine cycle in suburban America, or even something I was used to seeing, but at the time it never occurred to me to question why my Grandma did not use a dryer. There was more to it than that. The clothes, hanging on the line, represented a beautiful simplicity that I have never before appreciated.

Since my last visit to Ireland, I have been working on a research paper that discusses various communication tactics that Irish Revolutionaries have historically used to further their freedom movement. Through this research paper, I hope my examination of the different means of communication in the context of Irelands repressive history could reflect how different social groups advance their ideals and values during times of oppression.

How odd was the notion that I, an American-raised young adult, could even begin to tackle such a huge Irish issue. Except I am not really American; I am Irish-American. Sure, I do not say Happy Christmas, or tell my friends I will ring em back, encourage them by telling them ah, yer grand, or even begin stories by saying well I says to her, I says, says I. I do not even talk with an Irish accent.

The sun bled through the clouds ever so softly, shining light on the clothes. I did not have to choose whether I was Irish or American, it was decided for me. I am a Casey, an OCathasaigh. Failte Abhaile. Welcome home.
An additional 1,722 nurses must be recruited to fill existing vacancies within the health system, according to figures from the country's largest nursing organisation.

The Irish Nursing and Midwives Organisation's Director of Industrial Relations this morning told its Annual Delegate Conference in the INEC, Killarney that the INMO disputes the last government's claims that it has recruited 1,000 new nurses.

Phil Ni Sheaghda said that two thirds of nursing appointments are existing staff moving within the public service and are not new recruits.

"The acute hospitals division tells us that of the entire number that they manage to recruit, 66% of them are already public servants. They are either working in a voluntary hospital or somewhere else within the system," Ms Ni Sheaghda said.

She said that the problems with staffing levels are exacerbated by the system's inability to retain nurses. Figures from the acute hospital division show that were 74 fewer staff nurses working in February 2016 compared to December 2014.

Ms Ni Sheaghda said that a 'snapshot' taken last September showed that while there were 1,624 nurses due to start a new job, 1,287 were leaving their existing role.

She said that with agency figures taken into account, there are 1,272 nursing vacancies that should be filled. That figure rises to 1,722 when a new maternity agreement, which aims to have one midwife for every 29.5 births, is considered.

INMO General Secretary Liam Doran described the figures as 'shocking'.

"The total and utter misleading by government and senior public servants about recruitment in nursing has been blown out of the water today," Mr Doran said.

Meanwhile the INMO has called on the government to adopt a 'zero tolerance' approach to anyone who verbally or physically abuses a nurse.

Delegates heard of one Cork nurse who has not worked for two years having been assaulted by a patient.

Margaret Frahill of the INMO Executive Council told delegates this morning that the nurse suffered head and neck injuries after she was pushed over by a female patient.

"This nurse has suffered greatly, is in constant pain, and is having weekly reviews with a physiotherapist and pain specialist. The nurse has not worked since and is not likely to work again for a very long time.

"She is married with children and her life has changed totally, and so has her family's. The only support available to this nurse now is to fight for her rights and entitlement through the civil courts," Ms Frahill said.

Delegate Martin O'Cealleagh highlighted legislation in Australia that sentences anyone found guilty of assaulting a nurse to up to 14 years in prison.

There was a unanimous show of hands from the floor when Mr O'Cealleagh asked how many delegates had experienced verbal or physical assault in the workplace, but less than half kept their arms raised when asked if they either reported the incident know how to go about doing so.

"We don't have the knowledge base to appropriately address the violence being directed at us. We need that support and those structures in place," Mr O'Cealleagh said
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation is to review its cooperation with the Lanesdowne Road Agreement and seek an immediate restoration of its members' pre-recession levels of pay writes Joe Leogue.

Around 350 delegates attended the second day of the INMO Annual Conference in the INEC, Killarney today and heard motions on pay, working hours and staffing levels.

"The reality is that nursing and midwifery faces absolutely unique challenges which management cannot address via a collective agreement running right across the public service," INMO General Secretary Liam Doran told delegates.

"The Lanesdowne Road Agreement needs review. In its current form it is not tenable, it is not sustainable, it is not feasible, it is not reasonable and it is never going to deliver the nursing and midwifery quantum that is required to deliver safe care. It has to be revisited," he said.

He said the INMO would face challenges in its attempts to having working time reduced to a 37 hour week. Mr Doran also said the INMO will want the changing role of nurses recognised, along with the unique challenges facing the sector.

"The nurse of today and the brilliant graduates who come out in the next year or two, they are very different professionals. We need that measured, recognised and valued," he said.

"Management cannot expect of us to grow and expand and fill every crack in the system they have created and stood over without at some stage saying 'yes, you're worth more now than how we valued you in the past'," he said.

"That campaign has got to start now. We may have friends along the way, we may not get friends along the way, but one way or the other we're right, they're all wrong and we want our money, Mr Doran said.

Addressing delegates for the last time as INMO President, Claire Mahon told members that nurses had suffered austerity cutbacks and "a very negative media portrayal" in recent years.

"The enormous role we have played in rescuing our nation must be acknowledged. We deserve to have all of our rights, working conditions and salaries reinstated," Ms Mahon said.

"That is why the coming months will see the INMO demand accelerated restoration of the savage pay cuts, and reduction in the pension levies imposed in recent years. We want, and we will not rest until we have, a 37 hour week, for nurses and midwives across this country.

"We will drive these campaigns, not just because it is our right, as our economy grows, but also because it is the only way that our health service will have a supply of nurses and midwives to meet its needs. Let everyone understand, and I mean everyone, that there is a crisis with regard to recruiting and retaining nurses and midwives in this country," Ms Mahon said.

"This will not be solved by tinkering at the edges of the issues of pay, workload and working hours. It will only be solved by government first realising there is a crisis, second government and health employers sitting down with the INMO, and agreeing initiatives to address this crisis and, finally, definitive actions, which involve pay increases and staffing improvements, that will arrest this crisis," she said.

Ms Mahon also accused some hospital management of being "less than engaged and lethargic" about tackling the overcrowding issues in emergency departments, adding that the INMO would never support the practice of alleviating the problem with extra beds and trolleys in inpatient wards.

"In that regard the ED Agreement is not a substitute for the additional 1,500 acute beds, required across the country, and the 2,000 long term/traditional care beds required to deal with demand and our aging population," she said.
A gathering will take place today to look at how the Irish Government and society can play its role in achieving sustainable development goals.

The summit will be attended by International and domestic NGOs, government representatives and environmental groups.
The Israeli military said it has uncovered a new tunnel stretching from the southern Gaza Strip into Israel and built by Palestinian militants seeking to stage attacks in Israel.

The discovery comes amid an escalation in violence between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers.

Also on Thursday, Gaza militants fired several volleys of mortars at Israel, prompting Israeli retaliatory fire and air strikes on militant targets repeatedly used by the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups.

The fighting in recent days has been among some of the most serious violence between Gaza and Israel since a 50-day summer war in 2014.

Mousa Abu Marzouk, an official with the Islamic militant Hamas group that rules Gaza, said Egypt and Qatar have intervened to try to restore calm.

Last month, Israel discovered and destroyed another tunnel dug from Gaza into Israel.

The two tunnels are the first to be found since the 2014 Gaza war, sparking concerns in Israel that Hamas is rebuilding its underground tunnel network in preparation for another conflagration.

Towards the end of the 2014 war, Israel destroyed more than 30 tunnels that Hamas had dug under the border. Hamas militants had used the tunnels to infiltrate Israel and carry out attacks.

The tunnel found on Thursday is about 95ft underground, the army said, and it was not immediately clear whether it is a newly dug tunnel or an older tunnel Israel had hit and which had been repaired.

It was discovered by soldiers on the Gaza side of the border fence in a 100-metre zone that Israeli forces still operate in and patrol.

Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, an army spokesman, said Hamas militants may have fired toward soldiers because they realised Israel was closing in on its tunnel.

"It is our job to locate them and destroy them," Lt Col Lerner said, speaking about border tunnels. "Hamas is continuing to try to carry out and build this infrastructure into Israel and it's something we are not prepared to tolerate."

After Israel announced the discovery of the tunnel, more mortar rounds were fired at Israeli troops along the Gaza border fence, the military said.

Israel's military responded with tank fire. About an hour later, Gaza militants fired several more mortars at the area and Israeli tanks again retaliated, the military said.

Shortly afterwards, Gaza residents reported Israeli jets hit open areas and observation posts used by Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants. No casualties were reported in the day's exchanges.

Also on Thursday, the military said that in a joint operation with the Shin Bet security service, Israeli forces arrested a "Hamas terror operative involved in the terror organisations tunnel network".

Earlier, the military said it had hit "terrorist infrastructure sites" belonging to Hamas.

The Gaza Health Ministry said three children and a 65-year-old Palestinian suffered light-to-moderate injuries in an air strike that hit a metal workshop in Gaza City.

The workshop's owner, Hassan Hassanin, said his well-digging truck - which he described as the only one in Gaza that can reach a depth of 121ft - was hit.

"Why was it bombed," he asked. "I don't pose any threat to Israel's security. Israel itself knows this machine, what it does and what its capabilities are. It doesn't pose any danger to security."

Palestinian media said an Islamic Jihad militant group outpost was also targeted.

On Wednesday, Israel struck five other Hamas targets, responding to a mortar shell launched toward Israeli forces near the Gaza Strip. The army said no soldiers were harmed.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized power in Gaza in 2007. In the 2014 summer war, more than 2,200 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them civilians, were killed. On the Israeli side, 66 soldiers and seven civilians were killed.

Israel and Hamas have largely observed a ceasefire since that war, but other militant groups also operate in Gaza. Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for any attacks out of the territory.

The latest escalation comes amid a months-long wave of violence that has seen near-daily attacks by Palestinians, mostly stabbings, which have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans.

Some 193 Palestinians have been killed, most said by Israel to have been attackers and the rest killed in clashes with Israeli forces.
A court in Beijing said Apple failed to prove iPhone was a famous brand in China before the local company applied for a trademark in 2007, an official legal newspaper reported.

Such status under Chinese law might limit its use on other products.

The ruling in late April allows Xintong Tiandi Technology to keep using the iPhone name, according to the Legal Daily, which is published by the ruling Communist Partys legal affairs committee.

The company registered the name for use on handbags, mobile phone cases, and other leather goods.

No comment was available from the Beijing Higher Level Peoples Court.

China is Apples second-biggest market after the United States, though first-quarter sales in the Greater China region fell 26% from a year earlier.

Apples iTunes and iBooks services have also been suspended in China, though the company said last month that it hopes to resume operations soon.

Apple applied to trademark iPhone for computer- and software-related goods in 2002, according to the Legal Daily.

Xintong Tiandi applied to use the name on wallets and leather goods two years before Apples smartphones went on sale in China in 2009, it said.

Apple filed a lawsuit in 2012 challenging the Chinese companys use of the iPhone name.
TTIP is a wide-ranging free trade agreement being negotiated between the EU and the US.

It is claimed it will bring more than 87bn of economic gains to both sides of the Atlantic.

Lord knows, we need a major stimulus but the question is whether this is the right way to go.

Greenpeace has claimed the agreement would lower food safety and environmental standards.

The EU Commission said Greenpeace is flatly wrong.

The US Trade Representative office suggested the interpretation of the confidential documents seen by Greenpeace is misleading.

Greenpeaces argument is that the proposed TTIP would hand too much power to big business.

Consumers and national governments would suffer. According to Greenpeace, the documents showed the US wanted to replace the EUs precautionary principle that governs the entry of products in the EU.

The EU has long prevented products that could potentially be harmful from entering the market where there is no certainty on the potential health effects.

It is claimed, however, the US wanted to introduce less stringent controls. Others have suggested that any US company could take the EU to court if its products were blocked on certain grounds.

The EUs trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the EU would not waiver on its principles. Unfortunately, weve heard this before.

In our collective experience, it would appear politicians would sell their proverbial grandmother to get out of a tight spot.

The deal with Turkey on free access to Europe for that countrys 75m citizens, in an effort to stymie the flow of refugees and migrants, is a case in point.

The debt experts at the DDCI look at the impact of another American creation, namely so-called vulture funds.

Weve all seen vultures in movies, hanging around until the victim cannot move anymore. When it does move in the victim may be living but all ability to fight is gone from it.

The vulture fund picks up the asset for a song and then seeks to pick the bones bare and squeeze the last ounce of marrow from whats left.

It does so without any regard for anyone or anything.

In its urgency to sell off Irish peoples assets, the Coalition effectively mandated Nama to welcome in the vulture funds.

In the middle of a housing shortage, we have the probability of people being thrown out of their homes so a vulture fund can reward its executives with bonuses that look like telephone numbers.

The people of Ireland have not been well served by previous governments or by Nama.

Foreclosure and eviction are common features of the housing markets in the US, a regime of non-recourse loans is pre-eminent in many American states.

That means if you cannot pay, you can hand back the keys and walk away.

In Ireland, we make it easy for the vulture funds and the banks which helped put us into debt. We make people liable for their home loan debt even to the grave.

The US may be a fantastic place to vacation. It may be a fantastic place for the young, ambitious and the upwardly mobile. Its a wonderland for the wealthy. It is not so good for those who do not fit.

Its mores are not ours. Yet, the EU appears to want to make Europe a subsidiary of US Corporate America.

Yes, the problems with the euro need to be resolved. The European economy needs a fillip. But it also needs stability.

Bouncing into an ill- thought out trade deal is not in the interests of the citizens of Europe.

The Commission is already way too friendly with the major business corporations. No deal should be done on TTIP without the specific approval of the people of Europe.

Any deal that is done should be done in the interests of the people of Europe and on its terms and not on those of another nation.
The Ftse 100 index fell 73.6 points to 6,112.02, as the falling copper price and a slip in Brent crude took its toll on the mining sector.

Glencore was 4.8p lower at 145.1p, while Anglo American tumbled 22.5p to 643.2p, as the price of oil dropped 0.3% to $44.83 a barrel.

Commodity stocks also bore the brunt of Tuesdays manufacturing update from China, which showed activity shrank for the 14th month in a row in April, sparking investor concern that its consumption of commodities will begin to fall.

Sainsburys was more than 6% down after it reported a hit to annual profits triggered by the long-running supermarket price war.

The retailer  which last month won a four-month takeover tussle to snap up Argos owner Home Retail for 1.4bn  booked a 13.8% drop in underlying annual profits and a 0.9% fall in like-for-like sales.

Rival Tesco also saw it share price tumble after the latest industry report from Kantar Worldpanel showed its market share had fallen to 28%, down 0.4% in the 12 weeks to April 26, while sales fell 1.3% to 7.12bn.

Shares were down more than 5% or 9.2p to 160.1p.

Across Europe, the Cac 40 in France was 1.1% lower, while Germanys Dax fell just under 1%.

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) also fell heavily  down 113p to 2576p  after the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), said it would not pursue a takeover.

The move paves the way for a 20bn merger between LSE and Germanys Deutsche Borse, which ICE had threatened to gatecrash.
Newly filed accounts for Ms Davisons Zanadoo Productions show the company generated accumulated profits of 65,785 in the 12 months to the end of last May. This is down from 75,464 in 2014.

It marks consecutive years of profit decline at the firm, the business having generated accumulated profits of just over 76,000 in fiscal year 2012/2013.

The most recent year also saw Zanadoos cash pile marginally dip from 51,088 to 50,794. Ms Davison  a former Miss World  serves on the firms board along with her mother Diane.

The latest accounts show that directors pay last year decreased from 32,801 to 25,000.

Last year, Ms Davisons coffers were boosted by the release of her first food book, Eat Yourself Beautiful, which featured a host of recipes and tips on living a healthy lifestyle.

Ms. Davison topped the bestsellers lists with the book.

However, sales from the book had no impact on her companys bottom line last year, as the release of the book was in June, a month after the conclusion of Zanadoos financial year.

Ms Davison is to follow up the success of her cook book with a new book of recipes and fitness tips. The Dubliner will also be busy hosting upcoming beauty, food, and fitness workshops.

Last years drop in profits followed a stronger performance by the business back in 2013, when profits jumped by 20%.

The boost in fortunes for that year coincided with Ms Davison appearing topless for an undisclosed sum on the October 2012 cover of the German edition of Playboy magazine.

Ms Davison is currently concentrating on a career in nutrition after she graduated as a nutritional therapist, having studied the course at Griffith College in Dublin and in the UK.

She is an advocate of healthy eating and has been a vegan for a number of years.

Along with modelling and nutrition work, she has a number of commercial deals that boost her earnings.

Zanadoo Productions was established in 2004 to manage Ms Davisons business affairs in the aftermath of her winning the Miss World competition in 2003.
This video from Gerald Horgan of dinglephoto.com shows that when the sun shines, there is nowhere better to be.

Video via Gerald Horgan of dinglephoto.com

The video was taken at Coumeenoole Beach and the Slea Head Drive and as Gerald said, it was a heavenly evening in Dingle.

Thanks to Gerald for the video. Got something to send us? Get in touch via Facebook or Twitter or else send an email to steve.neville@examiner.ie.

READ MORE: This Kerry artist's take on the Healy-Raes might just explain everything
Far from trying to curtail milk production, member states led by France are doing exactly the opposite, said CAP expert Alan Matthews.

While milk producers in the EU struggle with low milk prices, the EU and its member states struggle to come up with a coherent policy to address the issue. Milk prices will not recover until there is a better balance between supply and demand.

In the 2013 CAP reform, 19 EU states took up the option to grant coupled support to milk producers, which means farmers only receive these payments if they continue to maintain these cows, and thus continue to produce milk.

Mr Matthews has revealed 18 member states will pay almost 830m in coupled support to their milk producers in 2016 (double the amount of crisis aid the European Commission gave for dairy farmers in its September 2015 package).

In the www.capreform.eu blog, Mr Matthews has revealed that coupled support is paid for half of the dairy cows in the EU-28, ranging from 27-728 per head.

He urged member states calling to reduce the level of milk supply in the EU to revise their subsidy coupling decisions by August 1, with applicability from 2017.

Some countries want to use coupled aid to support milk production in disadvantaged regions, but France is one of the countries electing to support all of their dairy farmers.

At the same time, France has been the main country calling for EU measures to reduce milk supply, which led to the European Commission recently allowing milk producer organisations and co-ops to voluntarily limit supply, with a view to raising the price of milk.

The commission has also indicated that it is prepared to approve higher levels of state aid to individual farmers who voluntarily freeze or reduce production, said Mr Matthews.
Liam Woulfe, MD, Grassland Agro Ireland, expressed his concern at difficulties being experienced by farmers in all mainstream enterprises in 2016, when he was guest speaker at the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI)/BDO Corporate Finance breakfast briefing seminar on Funding Strategies for the Food & Agri Sector breakfast briefing in Limerick last Friday.

He told the agri-business gathering that all mainstream sectors within farming are going through a unique period at the moment. We are in a perfect storm, but that is only a passing phase, and there is no doubt that brighter days are ahead.

He added: I meet a lot of people who are finding the going tough. It is going to be a tough year for every business, but the most important thing is to see it as a passing phase.

"We as business people and supporters of everybody, we need to support each other and make sure that 2016 is remembered for how well we all pulled together rather than anything else.

Turning to the business of servicing farming, he said: Whether you are in the service industry or providing finance, go out of your way in 2016 to understand the challenges of the sector, rather than concentrate on the special problems of individuals, because we need to see a way through.

The farmers son from Ardagh, Co Limerick (his brother Jim is the Dairygold Co-op CEO) had a career with NCF, Golden Vale plc, and Kerry Group, before embarking on a successful entrepreneurship in agri-business.

At the breakfast briefing seminar, he also expressed his concern about the potential of land purchase to deliver a return and a lifestyle for farmers.

One of the things that I am very concerned about long term is that farming is a devotion to a lifestyle.

There is no doubt about it, it is hard to sustain the intensive nature of the seven-day week all of the time.

"It needs to get more attention, because in all walks of life, there are all kinds of regulations about how many hours of work in a week, and regulations have been brought into place in order to improve the ability of people to think better.

It is hard to think better if you are absolutely stuck to the grindstone for every minute of every day doing work that maybe could be done at a different rate per hour, but most important of all, you need to think about a lifestyle for succession down the road.

My theory is that you dont buy the field down the road or the business totally on your capacity to finance it.

"It has to be driven primarily by what that extra unit can do for you, and not for the sake of having it. Why get bigger if it is not going to be better? Add the extra piece totally on its ability to perform for itself.

On the immediate outlook in food and farming, I see no difference between dairy, beef or grain.

"The same issues are there, and 2016 is being really tough, with the importance of cashflow planning imperative, but the most important thing is that nobody should be left to feel that they are alone.

"Everyone has a part to play in the chain and a short-term remedy is not the solution.

Mr Woulfe added: Within farming, there needs to be a plan for more efficiency, for more sustainability, because the EU and its environmental policies are going to come down heavy, and the most important thing is to be ready for it and have scale at farm level.

I see some land being traded which has zero hope of paying for itself. On a stand-alone basis, I cant imagine any acre of land for normal agricultural output has the capability of any return on investment.

Therefore, the biggest challenge is trying to see what you can do with the asset you have, which is worth a lot more than its return on capital, and how can you make it better.

New technology needs to be examined, and the need to be a lot more prosperous and lucrative rather than saying that every cost has to be avoided. You should be growing your business to make more money, you are investing to make more.

He concluded: Avoiding costs because you are not making money is not savings at all, because you must study between what is an investment and a cost on a farm or in a business, and see can it make a return for you.

It is very important that you can see a return for what you invest. Thats what it should be all about in farming or business.

His final word of advice was: If your bank is the problem, you should look at the business you are in.

Strategic Banking Corporation providing loans

Borrowings by Irish farmers in the past year accounted for one third of the loan funding provided by the SBCI through on-lenders, principally the three mainstream banks, AIB, Bank of Ireland, and Ulster Bank.

Nick Ashmore, CEO, Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) said 675m in support funding had been taken up by the three main banks in 2014, with a 24% increase in loan approvals.

He told a breakfast briefing at Limerick on Friday that 85% of the loans were approved to applicants from outside of the greater Dublin area.

Farmers were significant borrowers, with one third in volume going to farmers within the past 12 months.

He said that the vast majority of the loans had been approved for investment purposes rather than working capital.

The additional funding of 50m being provided for purchase and lease of machinery in the agri sector through First Citizen Financing would be of further benefit to the farming sector.

But there are issues around the price of land, and we dont want to be supporting and should not be supporting land acquisition, but farmers are actively investing in their own business and we are seeing that coming through, said Mr Ashmore.

Up to the end of 2015, some 56m in loan support from SBCI has been deployed in Munster, and 22.7m of that has gone to farmers, with a good spread across the counties in the province, with Cork the leader.

He said the newly announced First Citizen Finance loan facility was another step in delivering low-cost, more flexible funding for Irelands agri-business and SMEs, which already account for 26% of all SBCI loans.

Chris Hanlon, managing director, First Citizen Finance, said they looked forward to delivering a high-quality nationwide service, and the partnership with SBCI will provide low-cost loans repayable over periods of up to seven years.

Its 50m fund is on offer to agri-businesses seeking to buy or lease machinery, including tractors, combine harvesters and balers.

Formed after Irelands exit from the EU/IMF programme in late 2013, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland received initial funding offer from Germanys Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau, the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, a new fund to which the assets of the National Pensions Reserve Fund were transferred.
If Ireland fails to respond, the commission may take the matter to the Court of Justice of the EU.

Farmers have had long-standing problems surrounding land designation, resulting in IFA recently instructing National Parks and Wildlife and Birdwatch Ireland personnel to keep off farmers land, but the warning to Ireland from the commission points to even more special areas of conservation problems ahead.

In line with the EUs Habitats Directive, member states have had six years to designate protected areas under their national law.

This requires converting sites of community interest to special areas of conservation  an environmental designation which results in significant restrictions on farming activities and other developments, according to IFA.

Ireland has formally designated only a minor proportion of its sites of community interest as special areas of conservation.

The commission is giving Ireland two months to reply to its warning to establish required conservation goals and conservation measures for all sites of community interest sites.

IFA national chairman Jer Bergin said that when designations were first imposed, commitments were given that compensation would be paid where farmers suffered losses.

However, in recent years these commitments have not been honoured.

He called on the new government to honour the agreement, with proper consultation; a workable, independent appeals system; and full compensation to take account of devaluation of land, where restrictions are imposed.

IFA special areas of conservation project team chairman Tom Turley said the National Parks and Wildlife Service farm plan scheme will have to be available for all designated farmland.

He said farmers who wish to plant forestry in areas designated for the hen harrier must be allowed to maximise the potential of their land.
The revelation emerged in the latest and last batch of reports published by the NBSCCCI (National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland) as part of its audit of child protection in dioceses and religious orders.

The NBSCCCI report noted that the seniority of Fr A seemed to impede clear thinking by the congregational leadership and, as a result, the allegations were not believed. Clear church guidelines on how to deal with sexual abuse allegations had been put in place in 1996.

The report revealed that Father A, a Salvatorian or member of the Society of the Divine Saviour, would befriend the family of girls aged 6 to 9 and abuse the children in their home. He served as a priest in Dublin, the UK, Rome and Australia from the time of his ordination in the 1950s until his death seven years ago.

Fr. A is still esteemed by some members of his congregation for his work and personal piety, and they seem to be able to separate this out from his admitted behaviour as an abuser of small children. This ability to dissociate  or split off  is a source of genuine concern to the NBSCCCI, its report said.

Father A worked as a teacher and a seminary lecturer in the UK, a member of the General Council of the Order in Rome, a parish priest in Australian and Dublin parishes, and as a congregational archivist and hospital chaplain in Rome.

The first allegation against him was made at an unknown date in 2002 when a female relative reported he abused her as a child. As a result, he was taken from his parish in Dublin by the order and it was recommended by an expert he not have access to children. However his provincial or boss did not tell the Archbishop of Dublin, the health board or gardai about the abuse allegation. He sent the priest to Rome in early 2003 but no information is available to reveal where Father A was in the period between the allegation and going to Rome.

Neither is there a record of restrictions on him saying mass or having access to children. Nobody in Rome was told of the allegations so, again, there was no supervision of him when he worked as a hospital chaplain. He returned to Dublin in 2004 on holiday and, again, was allowed to travel without restriction by the order.

Father A was referred to a residential assessment unit in the UK in August 2004 and it was there when he admitted to having sexually abused over 100 children.

He was convicted of child sexual abuse in December 2007. The case related to his abuse of several girls over a 25-year period.

The NBSCCCI audits shows that out of 30 orders reviewed, 288 allegations of sexual abuse were made against 90 priests, brothers or sisters. Just 10 criminal convictions resulted from these complaints. The allegations related to 1950-2002 with one incident in 2013.

The vast majority of these reports are positive and reflect orders that have taken on the goals of child safeguarding and made it integral to what they do, said Teresa Devlin, CEO, NBSCCCI. Unfortunately, in two cases, the Salvatorians and the Blessed Sacrament Fathers, we have seen little evidence that the standards have been properly implemented. The Salvatorians were particularly poor in relation to the monitoring of an accused priest. And in a number of cases poor record-keeping took place.
We caught up with third-year Cork city students Claudia Sheehan, 14, from Fairhill, and Nicole Alcock, 15, from Gurranabraher who were - as you will see - still buzzing from their performance of a lifetime.

Claudia and Nicole were among a choir of seven Irish students who performed with The Edge during his historic acoustic set in Vatican City.

Attending Terence McSwiney Community College, the pair who are now preparing for their Junior Cert exams said they will remember the gig forever.

It was just unbelievable  the whole experience was surreal. I still cant quite comprehend it and it took a while to realise just how unbelievable it was, Nicole said.

Claudia, who described it as an amazing experience, said: Its still sinking in. But Edge told us to be yourself and, that if you work hard, you can do what you want to do in life.

Edge became the first artist to stage a contemporary music concert inside the Sistine Chapel on Saturday as part of a conference on regenerative medicine.

The U2 guitarist, who described the Popes chapel as the most beautiful parish hall in the world, performed a short acoustic set, including U2s Walk On, Yahweh, and Ordinary Love, and was backed by the choir for a cover of Leonard Cohens If It Be Your Will.

The choir was specially formed for the gig with students Abbie Kelly, Cillian Dooley, Katie Brennan and Joe Jennings from Carlow, Naoise Hughes from Mayo, and Claudia and Nicole from Cork, selected from certain U2 co-funded Music Generation music education programmes around the country.

They spent nine weeks rehearsing with musical director and arranger Dawn Kenny and performed with The Edge before an audience of some 200 doctors, scientists, researchers, and philanthropists, who were attending the conference.

Nicole and Claudias principal Phil OFlynn said The Edge was extremely generous with his time, and chatted to all the students for ages.

These girls have extraordinary vocal talents and they were a credit to themselves, to the school, to the Music Generation programme, and to the country, she said.

Music Generation has uncovered so much amazing talent that had never been tapped into. It has helped build confidence and encouraged students to express themselves, she said.

Music Generation national director, Rosaleen Molloy congratulated the choir members on their stunning performance.

Truly they have done both Music Generation and their country proud. We look forward to following their bright musical journeys over the coming years, she said.
Speaking last night, Mr Healy-Rae said: I do not agree with all the talk of climate change adding that he believes God above is in charge of the weather and we cannot do anything about it.

His comments came during a discussion on climate change and sparked anger among a number of TDs. Newly elected Independent Catherine Connolly commented that unfortunately Kerrys Deputy Palin Healy-Rae has left the chamber as he made his way out as the debate continued.
Ciaran Lawlor, counsel for cattle exporter Hubert Maxwell, told the Circuit Civil Court yesterday his client was abandoning any claim of financial loss and should therefore not have to disclose financial documents.

Mr Maxwell, aged 77, of Ballinagare, Castlerea, Co Roscommon, is a well-known exporter of pedigree Holstein and Friesian cattle internationally and is suing The Agricultural Trust which trades as the Irish Farmers Journal.

Mr Maxwell alleges in an article on prices for dairy stock it was implied he had underpaid farmers for livestock and while not specifically naming him he had been identified as the exporter concerned.

Gareth Compton, counsel for the trust, told the court, in the civil bill served on his client, there had been an allegation of financial loss and, in order to defend the case, he was entitled to the financial statements included in his demand for discovery.

Mr Lawlor said Mr Maxwell was seeking to set aside an order of the county registrar of March 2016 relating to discovery of financial documents from 2012 up to July 2015 arising from an alleged defamation.

He said there was no specific claim for any special damages for financial loss and the claim related only to loss of personal and financial reputation.

Mr Lawlor said it was the contention of the defendants that they were entitled to all management accounts but the endorsement of claim had not stated Mr Maxwells business had been financially diminished as a result of the article.

Judge Linnane struck out Mr Maxwells appeal against the county registrars order and directed the discovery order be complied with within four weeks from today.
In a ruling, the European Court of Justice said extensive standardisation of packaging, the future EU-wide prohibition on menthol cigarettes, and special rules for electronic cigarettes are lawful.

The ruling follows challenges to the EU Tobacco Products Directive, which was adopted in 2014 but has been held up by a series of court cases.

The court rejected a legal challenge brought by Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, with Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Brands acting as interested parties.

The court said: The court finds that, in providing that each unit packet and the outside packaging must carry health warnings... the EU legislature did not go beyond the limits of what is appropriate and necessary.

The court also upheld a prohibition on menthol cigarettes, following a challenge by Poland, and tighter regul-ation of electronic cigarettes.

The legal challenge can now be taken no further and the directive will take effect on May 20, although there is a one-year sell-through period to allow wholesalers and retailers sell existing stocks.

Europes highest court was asked to rule in the judicial review applications whether the EU had misused its powers to legislate for tobacco, and whether its actions were proportionate.

The court had to decide whether the new directive complied with European guarantees on fundamental rights and the principle of subsidiarity  whether decisions should be taken on a national or regional level rather than by the EU.

The decision means picture health warnings will have to dominate the front and back of all packaging.

The directive requires that picture warnings must cover 65% of the front and back of every packet of cigarettes, with additional warnings on the top of the pack.

It includes a ban on menthol cigarettes and lipstick-style packs aimed at women  all packs must have at least 20 cigarettes to leave room for health warnings.

There is also a ban on promotional statements such as this product is free of additives or is less harmful than other brands.

The rules are an attempt to cut the number of smokers across the EU by 2.4m.

The European Commission said the rules will deter young people from experimenting with, and becoming addicted to, tobacco.

The Irish Cancer Society welcomed the judgment, saying it protects consumers against the risks associated with tobacco use.

Donal Buggy, head of services and advocacy said: Plain packaging of tobacco will save lives. The rejection of the tobacco industrys case against the tobacco products directive highlights the fatuous nature of their arguments and their fear that plain packaging will eat into profits.

Big tobacco knows that plain packaging, as a health measure, works, and are doing everything to prevent its introduction because they need to recruit 50 new smokers every day in Ireland to replace those dying and quitting.

The Irish Cancer Society warned that this will not be the last legal challenge to plain packaging either in Ireland or at EU level. Mr Buggy said: The tobacco industry has deep pockets and will continue to fight these life-saving measures.
The tax figures, which cover the first four months of the year, show the exchequer continues to take in more in taxes than it anticipated just six months ago.

Tax revenues surged by more than 1.1bn, up over 9% from a year earlier, to reach over 14bn at the end of April. Despite the health budget again going into the red, spending by all other government departments was under control.

The 14bn in tax revenues was 3.5% higher than the amount the exchequer had anticipated it would have at this stage of the year.

The underlying figures were healthy, said a Department of Finance spokesman, though timing issues had led to stronger than expected outcomes for income and corporation receipts, which were unlikely to be repeated in the coming months.

Philip OSullivan, chief economist at Investec Ireland, said the tax receipts had all the hallmarks of strong economic growth. The department is having another year of under promising and over-delivering, he said. That means the country will easily exceed its fiscal targets  as long as there is no outside shock to the economy later in the year, he said.

Last week, the Government increased its GDP growth forecast but stuck to its October budget projection that it would raise 47.2bn in tax revenues for 2016.

Conall Mac Coille, chief economist at Davy Stockbrokers, said the exchequer will hit its fiscal forecasts this year.

A note of caution, however, was struck by latest CSO figures that showed a marked slowdown in manufacturing output, suggesting the era of strong Irish export growth is on the wane.

Industrial production in March posted a 12.4% annual drop, as pharmaceutical and technology output fell.

The CSO said pricing and production patterns had affected the figures.

Analysts said the recent strengthening of the euro against sterling and the overall weakness in global manufacturing could now be in play.

Alan McQuaid, chief economist at Merrion Capital, said manufacturing will continue to grow but at a much slower pace than in 2015.

The stellar growth seen in previous years now appears to be slowing, said Mr Mac Coille at Davy.

John Whelan  a leading expert on Irish and International trade  said fears about the UK voting to leave the EU next month, as well as tepid economic growth across the eurozone, may be weighing on Irish factories.

While technology and pharmaceutical exporters can look to the US for export sales, the agri-food sector could face a tough year, Mr Whelan said.
Simeon Cosmo Langford, aged 33, with an address in Bristol, is wanted in England to face charges on attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and theft. Mr Langford is also wanted for allegedly breaching the conditions of his release from a sentence for grievous bodily harm.

According to a European arrest warrant issued in August 2015, he was released on licence (parole) in the UK on May 6, 2015, and is alleged to have committed the offences for which he is sought on dates between June 2 and June 11, 2015.

The warrant alleges he absconded and UK police believe he travelled to Ireland on June 13, 2015, using a passport in the name of Luke Gillespie. He was arrested by gardai in Cork in August 2015 and brought before the High Court.

Opposing an application for his surrender to the UK yesterday on grounds that he would be subject to inhumane and degrading treatment on his return, his counsel, Ronan Munro, said his client was in a special category.

Mr Langford was brought into court accompanied by five officers in full riot gear. He was handcuffed to one officer while one stood next to him holding a riot shield.

Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly said it was exceptional for someone to be in handcuffs in court and she asked the State to make a formal application for the procedure which was made and acceded to.

Mr Munro said he accepted suboptimal prison conditions did not preclude surrender but Mr Langford was in a special category.

He said his client had a fraught relationship with prison authorities and you can see that in action here today, he said referring to the riot gear. It was a flavour of the type of approach that was taken in the UK.

Counsel for the justice minister, Vincent Heneghan, said Mr Langford was making assertions about ills he suffered in UK prisons but they were subjective in nature and mere allegations.

There were no adverse reports on the British prison system from Amnesty International or other such bodies and no reports to say British prisons were in breach of Article 3, Mr Heneghan said.

The case will be heard again on Tuesday next.
The UC42, which sank at the entrance to Cork harbour on September 10, 1917, is laden with mines. It was laying them from special underwater tubes when an explosion occurred in its stern, resulting in the loss of all 27 crew onboard.

In 2012, the Naval Service covered the mine chutes and erected signs around the wreck advising divers not to approach the submarine for safety reasons.

Subsequently, an unknown group of divers removed the warning notices and the covers that had been placed on the chutes.

The Department of Defence says the threat to safety from the unexploded ordnance onboard the submarine remains and while there is no evidence of any further interference with the wreck site, the situation will be monitored and whatever action is appropriate will be taken.

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Naval Service, have re-examined the submarine and concluded the current condition of the wreck is such that the cost of creating a physical barrier to make the vessel safe is prohibitive.

An option now being considered by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is placing a heritage order on the wreck.

This will have the effect of making any dive activities on it subject to licensing under the National Monuments Act.

A spokesman for the department stressed the artefacts contained within the wreck are archaeological objects under the terms of the National Monuments Act and as such cannot be removed or interfered with without a licence from the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Anything removed from the wreck must also be declared to the receiver of wrecks who is tasked under the Merchant Shipping Salvage and Wreck Act (1993) with establishing ownership.

The wreck is also a war grave, possibly containing the remains of 27 submariners and as such should be treated with appropriate respect, the department spokesman said.

The submarine is lying in 27 metres of water at Cork harbour and is still relatively well preserved.

A Department of Defence spokesman said any unauthorised access by a diver to the submarine could inadvertently destabilise the munitions, endangering themselves and destroying the wider site.

As were coming into the summer and the dive season re-commences, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will issue further warnings and information so that the risk is brought home to all concerned, he said.
Mark Savage told a judge he had been branded a homophobe on the web after a stance he adopted in a local election. He has challenged the Data Protection Commissioners decision that his privacy had not been breached.

Mr Savage, of Lios Cian, Swords, Co Dublin, is asking the Circuit Civil Court to quash the commissioners decision. He claims when he entered his name on Google, the first result stated Mark Savage, North County Dublins homophobic candidate.

Being branded a homophobic means Im in the same category as ISIS who throw gay people to their death from the top of buildings, Mr Savage said.

I feel Im being victimised and pathologised as a homophobic for having an imposing opinion, he said.

Mr Savage told Judge Elma Sheahan that when he stood as a candidate in a local election two years ago, he had highlighted as one of his election issues the use of Donabate beach by perverted gay men for alleged inappropriate sexual behaviour in broad daylight and in front of children.

He said a number of defamatory remarks had afterwards been maliciously published by a number of people on a website to deliberately mark me out as a homophobic which I am not.

The court heard Mr Savage had been refused a Google take-down request in relation to the postings. He appealed Googles refusal to commissioner Helen Dixon.

Paul Anthony McDermott, for the commissioner, said Ms Dixon had decided that the comments expressed an opinion and not a fact in a context of a political election. She stated that in this case the public interest and freedom of expression vastly outweighed the right to privacy.

Mr McDermott said the website was a bulletin board, and people had been engaged with loose talk, some making abusive comments or using coarse language.

Cian Ferriter, for Google Ireland Ltd, said Mr Savage was seeking to have the link to the website page removed from the Google search results page.

Mr Ferriter said Google was not concerned with matters of opinion and could not be expected to investigate them. It would be a very dangerous precedent if the likes of Google were put in a position of resolving disputes between people.

The court heard Mr Savage had thrown himself into a public debate. Mr Ferriter said his decision to run for election and the contents of his manifesto had been an invitation for public comment.

Mr Savage, who represented himself, said Google had been outspokenly in favour of gay issues and the link to the webpage in question, reddit.com, had remained at the top of the searches despite more recent publicity and news reports about him.

The judge reserved her decision.
Sgt Clodagh OSullivan arrested and charged Jennifer ODriscoll, of St Johns Terrace, Worlds End, Kinsale, Co Cork, at Cork District Court yesterday.

Sgt OSullivan said 38 of the charges were for theft and 42 were for deception. The charges refer to thefts of various sums of cash at North Lee social work department, Blackpool, Cork, on dates from May 29, 2008, and January 1, 2013.

The deception charges refer to deceiving or inducing a staff member at the finance section to accept as genuine a discharge from care form with the intention of making a gain for herself.

Judge Leo Malone sent the case forward for sentencing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on May 10.

The accused surrendered her passport as a condition of bail.
Clair McSweeney, the manager at Blackrock Castle, said figures for 2014 showed a 25% increase in overseas visitor numbers to Cork, a trend she said could be threatened by the waste- to-energy facility.

She also referred to the launch last January of the Cork Tourism Strategy Taskforce, Growing Tourism in Cork  A Collective Strategy, which she said was a targeted five-year plan for increasing domestic and international visitor numbers to 2.8m, with an associated increase in spend in the local economy of 865m.

I challenge Indaver and the planning process to see how incineration fits into sustainable tourism development under the VICE [Visitor, Industry, Community, Environment] model, Ms McSweeney said.

I challenge you, Mr Inspector, to see how incineration, a polluting waste management method of last resort, can be part of a Maritime Paradise proposition or play any part on the landscape along a soft, green, peaceful coastline.

"Is the authentic experience we want for our visitors, on first arriving to Cork, to be met by plumes of the most toxic chemicals on earth? Dioxin air emissions and ash pollution are a serious consequence of all incinerators.

Incineration is an outdated, regressive response to waste management that plays no role in development plans and contradicts a strategic tourism policy that places a proposition for a Maritime Paradise as the key tourism driver for the region.

Dr Brendan Richardson, a lecturer in management and marketing at University College Cork, but speaking in a personal capacity, said an incinerator could counter efforts to promote sustainable consumption among individuals.

However, afterwards, Indaver claimed that had not occurred in parts of Belgium which had similar facilities.

Another speaker at yesterdays oral hearing, UCC geologist Dr Bettie Higgs, said the building of an incinerator could cause more erosion in the area and add to existing subsidence. She also claimed experts speaking on behalf of Indaver had been selective in their reports.

Linda Fitzpatrick, spokesperson for CHASE, said Indaver had carried out public relations, and not public consultation regarding the proposal, although the company countered by stating a number of information events had been held in the locality.
The company, which wants to build the 160m facility, was responding to claims made last month by the Irish Air Corps and the Department of Defence, which included fears of an effective no-fly zone due to the proximity of a stack to the naval base at Haulbowline and concerns over how the area would be evacuated in the case of a serious incident at the incinerator.

Fiona Patterson, of consultant engineers Arup, said there were already a number of existing industrial facilities in the Cork Lower Harbour, as well as wind turbines and church spires, and that it was assumed that all of these had an effective 500ft flight buffer.

Commandant David Brown of the Air Corps had argued that any helicopter pilot would have to assume there was a 1,000ft danger area above a chimney stack.

Ms Patterson said the proposed Indaver stack would be located 1km from the southern side of Haulbowline Island and a similar distance from the western side of Spike Island.

Allowing for the 1,000ft avoidance area, as a worst case scenario based on the Department of Defence submission, from the stack buffer, there is still a distance of approximately 2,280ft between the 1,000ft avoidance area and Haulbowline and Spike islands, said Ms Patterson.

The conclusions of this assessment are that the exhaust plume from the Indaver stack will be in compliance with the recommended levels for turbulence, temperature, and oxygen content within 100m of the stack top and thus is within the 500ft radius which is required in order to comply with the physical structure exclusion zone. Thus it is considered that a 1,000ft avoidance zone is unnecessary.

Ms Patterson said obstruction lighting would be installed as per department requirements and that risk assessment showed there were no scenarios for which the evacuation of Haulbowline would be required.

Dr Edward Porter, of AWN Consulting, used analysis of plume emissions and severe turbulence risk and modelling of plume dilution to argue that risk to helicopters was not as high as had been argued by the department.

He said the maximum risk height, based on a worst-case scenario, was 100m above the stack in cases of elevated temperature, 70m in cases of depleted oxygen, and 50m in cases of severe turbulence.

The Indaver delegation put forward a report by a group called Wind Farm Aviation Consultants Ltd, which states the Irish Aviation Authority had not raised any objection to the proposal and that it did not infringe the IAAs safeguarding policy.

It argued that the basis for the objections by the departments and Air Corps around flight paths and dangers from exhaust plumes  an Air Accident Investigation Unit report  had since been superceded by another report which did not specify a 1,000ft avoidance zone.

The Wind Farm Aviation Consultants report instead focuses on a Federal Aviation Authority report, which states that unless a pilot were to directly overfly the chimney, at what could be considered a low level and in contravention of mandated regulation, there would likely be no effect on an aircraft.

In response to Air Corps concerns that the effects of southerly winds on plumes would rule out flight in the area, the report said any flight into a southerly wind would be from the north and remain well clear of any plume at all times and any effects would have well dissipated before the landing site.

There is nothing within the mandated IAA rules of the air or the Federal Aviation Authority guidance/modelling which would appear to support the Irish Air Corps assertion that any helicopter approaches to the island would be made unsafe as a result of the operation of the chimney, states the report.

Airmanship would dictate that, in any event and in common with any other vertical structure around the landing site, helicopters should not overfly the chimney.

Solicitor Joe Noonan, representing Chase (Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment), said the Indaver response documents should have been circulated earlier, not almost two weeks after the initial submissions by the Department of Defence.

He claimed it was a discourtesy to the department to issue the reports on the morning of the hearing, given that the issues in question involved the security of the State and were of the highest possible significance in planning terms.

Fred Bradley, principal officer in the department, said it was unfortunate, to say the least that the documents had not been made available earlier.

Rory Mulcahy, SC for Indaver, said no discourtesy was intended and any delay was due to the applicant wanting to make the most comprehensive response possible and was due to the bank-holiday weekend.

Chief Inspector Derek Daly said it would have been preferable, if not desirable had the information been made available earlier. He said he would allow the department time to form a response, likely to be next week.
Around 350 delegates are attending the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisations annual conference at the INEC in Killarney, Co Kerry.

The agenda for the three-day conference is dominated by calls for pay restoration to pre-recession levels, a reduction in working hours, and an increase in staffing levels.

General secretary Liam Doran said the INMO was disappointed in what had emerged to date on the political parties discussion on health.

He said: We gather today searching for evidence, based upon the last eight weeks, that our political parties in their discussions about forming a new government get it, in terms of the challenges facing the health system.

It seems to have been very light in terms of the discussions on health and what needs to be done.

What needs to be done costs resources. We need 1,500 additional acute beds, we need 2,000 continuing long-term care beds, we need more public health nurses in the community, we need more consultants across the extended day, we need more allied health professionals to allow diagnostics to be available across the extended day, said Mr Doran.

Those are the realities. You cant build a health service to meet capacity without building the workforce to meet that capacity, and we dont get a sense, from what the would-be government parties have said to date, that health is really being understood by them.

Mr Doran said a study on access to healthcare, released by the Irish Cancer Society last week, showed that money can buy you life because the public health system was not large enough to meet the demand.

He described the document outlining the agreement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail as completely minimalist on healthcare. It is completely inadequate in relation to what is required for health. If anyone needed to gather together for 84 days or whatever it was to decide we need multi-year funding for the health system, then you havent been living on planet Earth, he said.

The document I have seen to date is health light. It is light on reform, light on change, and it is light on what actually has to be done to tackle the problems that our members experience every day and, more importantly, what patients encounter everyday.

What we need is a single-tiered system where money does not buy you speed of access, where you have a system wide enough and deep enough to deal with people as they present. Not where, if youre elderly or frail youre sharing a cubicle, every day for the last 12 years in many hospitals.

If TDs had to share their offices, three or four of them, thered be uproar and I guarantee there would be a Dail committee building a four-storey building on Kildare St before the week is out.

We had days and weeks of talks about water charges, and all those things are important, but while were having those discussions there were between 300 and 400 people on trolleys. It didnt seem to register on their Richter scale.

Mr Doran suggested political parties drop their hostilities and preconditions with a view to working together to develop a long-term heath strategy.

Weve been talking about this problem for years and we will be talking about it again until someone takes this giant leap and that giant leap, in this new political dynamic, is there to be grasped if we have people willing to grasp it, he said.

INMO vice-president Geraldine Talty said while water is an important resource, little attention was given in the government talks to health.

Personally I think the public would be better served if the 80-plus days that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael sat putting a government together if instead they went and spent some time in the ED department with patients who spent days on end on trolleys, she said.
The comments were made by Claire McGettrick of Justice for Magdalenes Research, accepting a Dublin Lord Mayor Award on behalf of the Magdalene women.

She said survivors felt vindicated by an apology from Taoiseach Enda Kenny, but repeated the groups claim the McAleese report did not disclose the full story with regard to the Magdalene laundries.

On the surface, the women have been vindicated since Enda Kennys emotional apology in 2013.

Beneath, however, there is the inescapable reality that the official State record on the experiences of Magdalene women is neither accurate nor respectful of what they endured.

The States official position is that a very small level of physical abuse took place in the laundries and we absolutely refute this assertion, said Ms McGettrick.

The report which informs that position completely ignored 795 pages of survivor testimony submitted by Justice for Magdalenes which clearly outlined individual instances of physical assault and similar offences, as well as a prevailing culture of abuse in these institutions.

She also repeated the organisations view the States position on how long women spent in laundries was not accurate.

The States official position on duration of stay is that most women and girls admitted to the laundries spent less than a year there, and we also refute this claim.

Research conducted by our organisation on two Dublin laundries indicates that approximately half of the women registered between 1954-64 in High Park and Donnybrook died in those laundries.

The group pointed out Magdalene survivors present at the ceremony, and the deceased women who were represented by family members, spent a combined total of 127 years and 10 months behind laundry walls.

Ms McGettrick also accused the Government of cutting corner after corner on the implementation of the ex-gratia scheme as recommended by Mr Justice Quirke, saying many issues remain outstanding.

She also called for justice for the women who died in Magdalene Laundries and who lie in unmarked graves around the country.

The Department of Justice has refuted the organisations claims on numerous occasions, stating that it is committed to fully implementing all of Mr Justice Quirkes recommendations.

During a Seanad debate last year, equality minister Aodhan O Riordain accused JFMR of misinformation and issuing factually incorrect press releases on the issue.

The Department of Justice has also claimed many of the allegations made by JFMR around duration of stay were not supported by the facts uncovered by the McAleese Committee, and that an analysis of its oral testimony was not, in fact, testimony of persons who had been in the institutions or of persons who had direct knowledge of the facts.
Irmantas Paulauskas, aged 38, has pleaded not guilty at Galway Circuit Criminal Court to the robbery from Richard Hartmann, 29 William St, Galway, on February 11, 2015.

He also denies a second charge of having a imitation pistol with a silencer fitted, in his possession with intent to commit robbery on the same date.

Det Sgt John McElroy told the jury he and Det Gerry Carroll were on Shop St when they were alerted that an armed robbery involving four suspects had taken place at Hartmanns jewellers just up the street.

He noticed a member of the public walking briskly down Abbeygate St and he and his colleague ran after him. He then noticed three men ahead, turning right onto Middle St and he chased one of the men, pulling him to the ground.

He said he could see Det Carroll struggling with a man and while they swapped prisoners because he was stronger, three members of the public came to their aid and helped to hold them until more gardai arrived.

Two of the suspects were arrested and were taken to Galway Garda Station, while the other two got away.

Det McElroy said the two men were searched and a valid Lithuanian identity card with the name Irmantas Paulauskas, was found on the accused. The second man dropped a imitation gun as he was being led into Galway station, the trial heard.

Three civilians, Christopher OBrien, James Lohan, Ken Jackson, all gave evidence of helping the gardai apprehend the suspects.

Mr Jackson told the trial he used his former army and navy training to grab one of the suspects and restrain him on the ground. He said it took all his strength to do so as the man was violently struggling to get away.

Mr Hartmann gave evidence earlier that he was scanning the security cameras in his shop upstairs in his office, when he saw four suspicious-looking men enter the premises.

He said he heard a loud bang and pressed the panic button and dialled 999.

He could see the men smash the glass doors to the window displays, while two of them had guns pointed at two female staff.

Both women told the jury the men all spoke with Eastern European accents.

He said they stole 16 trays, each containing 13 diamond rings worth in excess of 840,000, along with 32 Rolex watches worth 299,400.

The trial continues.
Judge Gerard OBrien imposed the total sentence of one year on Robert Cambridge at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Detective Garda Liam Finn said on December 10, 2014, gardai went to the car park of the Silver Springs Hotel in Tivoli, Cork, to carry out surveillance.

Some time later, gardai observed a silver Ford Mondeo being parked. After 30 minutes, a taxi arrived and a man and a woman got out and went to the Mondeo.

A brown paper Dunnes Stores bag was handed to Cambridge. He and a woman, Ciara Murphy, walked away together with the package.

Gardai then emerged from their concealed positions and arrested the duo and the man with whom they had the drugs transaction.

On analysis, the drugs were confirmed as heroin.

Robert Cambridge, aged 25, of 112 Comeragh Park, The Glen, Cork, and Ciara Murphy, aged 22, of 37 Arderrin Way, The Glen, both pleaded guilty to charges of having heroin with a street value greater than 13,000 for the purpose of selling or supplying.

Murphy was remanded in custody for another month to allow time for a probation report, as Cambridge was jailed.

Judge OBrien said: All the parties will be aware of the immense scourge of drugs on the people of Ireland, in particular on people like Mr Cambridge.

Donal OSullivan, defending, said the accused had several drugs convictions but for having drugs for his own use rather than for supply. He said the accused went with Murphy with a view to protecting her.

Mr OSullivan said: He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity albeit the gardai caught him red-handed.

He acted as a courier. He was in a hole and had to do this as a way out of it.

Judge OBrien said: To use a colloquialism, he was a mule.
Limerick Circuit Court was told the assault had a major impact on the victims life, resulting in nightmares, fear of being alone, and necessitating counselling.

Shane Byrnes, aged 26, of 34 Hyde Road, Ballinacurra Weston, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the woman at the leisure centre in the Castletroy Park Hotel on April 18, 2014.

Garda Colum OShea said the woman, after leaving the gym at the leisure centre, proceeded to the changing room where she began to put on a swimsuit.

She had been wearing the bottom part of the swimsuit when she heard water being flushed in a toilet cubicle.

A man then came out of the cubicle carrying a duffle bag. The top of her swimsuit was not fully in place and she covered herself with her hand, Garda OShea told the court.

The man said: Sorry, I thought I was in the lads changing room.

The victim said: Grand, just get out.

She then realised Byrnes had moved over beside her and his bag brushed off her leg. He then put his hand over her shoulder and grabbed the hand covering the front of her body, said Garda OShea.

Referring to her breasts, Byrnes said: Very nice, let me see see them and let me touch them.

The woman still had not managed to get the top of her swimsuit on and he grabbed her breast. As he did so, the victim managed to elbow Byrnes and shouted at him to get away. Byrnes stood and stared at her before leaving.

Management was alerted and gardai were called.

When questioned, Byrnes said he went to the mens changing room to steal money for drink. When he got nothing, he went to the womens changing room.

When he saw the woman either naked or topless he got turned on and asked her to show him her breasts. He denied touching the womans breast.

It was a sexual opportunity done on the spur of the moment, Byrnes told gardai.

He said the victim seemed a bit scared and in fear.

Byrnes said he crossed the boundary and that it wasnt him but drink.

In a victim impact statement read out by John OSullivan, prosecuting, the woman said what happened had a large, negative impact on her life.

Simple things like walking to work and shopping had become difficult as she felt unsafe on her own. She had nightmares and needed counselling, the court was told.

The accused had previous convictions, with one in 2009 for a similar assault on a woman in another leisure centres changing room.

Lawrence Gauchier, defending, said Byrnes wanted to get treatment and a course he was willing to undertake had been identified.

A probation report was handed into court and the defence asked for an adjournment to enable Byrnes avail of the course.

Judge Tom ODonnell adjourned sentencing until next Wednesday to give himself time to consider the probation report.

He said: The victim impact statement is profound, to say the least.
At precisely 2pm yesterday, two loggerhead turtles were released from LE Roisin in Atlantic waters.

The turtles had been been washed up on the Irish coast during last winters storms and were nursed back to health at Ocean World in Dingle.

One of them was rescued by Una Mullin at Moloneys Beach, Barryroe, west Cork on December 28 last. She said the little turtle was limp and only weighed 15kg. Now shes 23kg and in the peak of health.

LE Roisin is expected to arrive in Sicily on Friday. A Naval Service spokesman said the ship will refuel there and take on fresh supplies.

The crew will also be briefed by the Italian authorities and allocated an area to patrol off the Libyan coast.

There has been an increase in migrant activity during April and it is expected to pick up. The EU naval force (based in the area) has recently reported picking up a lot of migrants, the spokesman said.

Last year, the Naval Service helped rescue more than 8,000 migrants and it could well be busier this year.

Since the closure of the Turkish route into Europe, many Syrian refugees are making their way to Libya instead with the hope of entering Europe via Italy and Malta.

Many Libyan ports have large congregations of Middle Eastern and African migrants trying to make the crossing. People-smugglers will often pack them, sardine-like, on totally unseaworthy wooden barges and flimsy inflatables.

More photos of LE Roisin yesterday, passing the fort on her way to help with SAR in the Med, all by Tom Swanton pic.twitter.com/vgirOEJNbm  Camden Fort Meagher (@CamdenFtMeagher) May 2, 2016

LE Roisin, meanwhile, is carrying a consignment of 200 comfort Teddies.

They were knitted by members and friends of Church of Ireland Cork, Cloyne and Ross diocese Mothers Union.

They will be given to rescued migrant children.

LE Roisin will be deployed in the Mediterranean Sea for three months.
Speaking to delegates at the INMOs annual conference last night, Edward Mathews, its director of regulation and social policy, said the group has provided 500,000 worth of assistance to members who have defended fitness-to-practise cases in the past two years.

Mr Mathews said a minority of cases brought by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland are of concern to the INMO.

There is real concern that in some cases the CEO of the NMBI embarks on cases where there is insufficient evidence, or refuses to withdraw allegations where evidence is not available, said Mr Mathews.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Mathews said the INMO supports a thorough, fair, and transparent regulatory process.

In a minority of cases we have seen a troubling occurrence where matters have proceeded past the preliminary stage, and perhaps that is unobjectionable, he said.

However between the preliminary stage and the full hearing it becomes apparent that either all the allegations, or more frequently some of the allegations, will not or cannot be supported by evidence, or there isnt evidence available.

We have seen the NMBI in certain cases, not all, proceeding to hearing and you are then in a situation where you have then to spend thousands of euro preparing a defence and then you have to make extensive legal argument to have allegations withdrawn that should never have appeared.

We have no objection to having to mount a robust defence to evidence which is available, but it is entirely objectionable, entirely unfair, and a disproportionate interference with a person to require them to answer allegations which are not supported by evidence and they should never get to the hearing on that basis.

Mr Mathews said the issue is not widespread but is one that shouldnt arise at all.

The public have the right to expect that they can make a complaint against a nurse or midwife, they have the right to expect that if it reaches the threshold, and if there is evidence to support it, that the nurse or midwife will have to answer that allegation, he said.

We have no objection to that, it is important to the profession of nursing and midwifery and it is important for the public, but only where you have evidence to support an allegation because the expenditure of public money and the burden on individual registrants where allegations are proceeded with without evidence to support them isnt supported by any rational basis whatsoever.

Mr Mathews told delegates the cost of such cases average around 6,765 a day for one defence solicitor or 9,711 a day if counsel is also required.

Mr Mathews said the costs of such cases fall on the individual nurse if they are not members of the INMO.
INMO general secretary Liam Doran said the figures confirm a record level of overcrowding in the first four months of 2016 compared to previous years, and was a problem that required resources, even if it meant not reducing taxes.

The 8,145 patients on trolleys in April brings the running count to 35,756 since the start of the year, the highest since the INMOs records began and a 2% increase on the same period in 2015.

Mr Doran said the overcrowding comes despite the work of nurses across the country.

But theres not enough of them. The bed numbers arent enough, and until that is addressed and acknowledged  which means you cant cut taxes maybe, because you have to fund the public health service  we will be always counting trolleys, instead of one day arriving at the point where we no longer need to count trolleys because they are rare or never seen. But we are a long long away from that at the moment, he said.

There has to be honesty. We cannot solve 10 years of neglect in one year. Thats why we are seeking a political health summit that will set the journey for 10 to 25 years. That starts with certain parameters  a guaranteed amount of funding every year. A minimum level of bed capacity being produced.

"Recruitment and retention of staff to allow that to happen and then it requires honesty with the electorate as to what that will cost. Efficiency and effectiveness is an absolute requirement, but then you have to have an honesty that says perhaps you cant reduce taxation, or we cant give higher earners relief on the USC because we need that money to properly fund our health services.

INMO president Claire Mahon said the system is facing a crisis in recruiting and retaining nurses. Thats not just our young graduates, that is also now our experienced nurses who are leaving the system, many of them are leaving the country for employment.
Both parties have confirmed they have no plans for new legislation to tackle non-payers, despite repeatedly warning the public in recent days that non-payers will be pursued.

Last night, as talks to form a Government edged closer, Fine Gael were pushing to conclude a tri-party document between themselves, the Independent Alliance and the Rural Alliance with a hope of having the vote for Taoiseach on Friday.

Fine Gael remains hopeful that a deal could be agreed by today.

But in relation to water charges, under existing Civil Debt Procedures Bill rules, households can only be legally forced to repay debts once the money involved is more than 500.

This is to ensure the cost of any court hearings to agree attachment orders on an individuals income is not higher than the debt itself.

Both Enda Kenny and Micheal Martin have insisted debtors must continue paying their bills until charges are suspended in six weeks time. However, in separate statements to the Irish Examiner last night, the parties ruled out any legislation lowering the 500 debt threshold.

At this stage, people who have not paid water bills will owe at most 160 in charges plus a 60 fine which begins one year after the first bill is not paid.

Given the deal between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail that all charges will be suspended until a Dail vote on Irish Waters future, non-payers will not face punishments unless the law is changed.

As a result, non-payers will face no threat of court action until at least autumn 2018, when the parties minority government deal is due to be reviewed.

This refusal to reduce the threshold calls into question the partys claims people must continue to pay their existing bills, and will increase pressure for some form of refund for those who have paid.

In terms of the government formation talks, it emerged that Independent TD Shane Ross had threatened to walk away from it all over a row about appointments to the judiciary and to State boards.

Mr Ross was locked in meetings with Ministers Frances Fitzgerald and Michael Noonan for more than four hours, but progress was described as painfully slow.

At one stage, such was Mr Ross frustrations, he signalled his desire to withdraw from the talks. Shane could walk on this. He is going to the wall on this one, an Independent Alliance member said. A second source confirmed meetings had gone poorly.

But Mr Ross remained in the talks late last night, and it was seen as positive that Waterford TD John Halligan was still at the table, despite his major issues with cardiac services at Waterford General Hospital.

Despite the setbacks, the Independent Alliance have won major concessions on agriculture, health, as well as rail and road links as a government deal neared conclusion. The Rural Alliance were discussing a 122-page document with Fine Gael, with progress described as very slow.

Pizzas were ordered shortly after 9pm to feed the hungry delegations.

Maureen OSullivan also met with Fine Gael on her own yesterday.

Last night, a Fine Gael source said: I think mid-morning [today] will be when we see some sort of clarity.

Dublin Bay North TD Finian McGrath secured more funds to keep elderly in their own homes while the rural TDs received promises on a full review on home help services.

Meanwhile, the Irish Examiner has learned Labour is drafting legislation to force a referendum on the future public ownership of water this summer.
The Irish Examiner has learned that a number of ministers may also be dropped from their positions at the cabinet table, while several young TDs are being linked with promotions to junior ministerial posts.

Mr Kenny has a total of 14 senior roles to fill.

Separately, Mr Kenny will appoint an attorney general, a super junior minister, and government chief whip, all of whom will sit at cabinet.

Fine Gael sources say Frances Fitzgerald may be appointed tanaiste while remaining as justice minister. However, Paschal Donohoe is also viewed as a potential tanaiste.

Ministers Michael Noonan and Leo Varadkar look set to remain on in finance and health, respectively.

Outgoing junior finance minister Simon Harris is being tipped for the role of public expenditure or social protection.

Simon Harris

Simon Coveney is tipped for an overhauled Department of the Environment, to include climate change, energy, and communica-tions.

Housing may come out of this and be linked up with communities for a new portfolio.

This could be given to an Independent TD but is more likely to go to a Fine Gael TD, possibly Regina Doherty or Marcella Corcoran Kennedy.

There is speculation that Jobs Minister Richard Bruton may move to education. He may be replaced by Mr Donohoe.

Independent TD Katherine Zappone looks set to be appointed childrens minister while Independent Denis Naughten is being tipped as rural affairs minister.

Independent TD Katherine Zappone

Fine Gael TDs linked with junior ministerial roles include Josepha Madigan, Michael Creed, Helen McEntee, Mary Mitchell-OConnor, Andrew Doyle, and Patrick ODonovan. Eoghan Murphy or Damien English are being linked with the role of chief whip.

In a surprise move, Charlie Flanagan and Paul Kehoe may be dropped from the cabinet table

Charlie Flanagan

Independent Kevin Boxer Moran is tipped as minister with responsibility for the OPW, to oversee flooding, while Independent Finian McGrath is linked with a junior post for disability.

Party sources suggest Shane Ross, leader of the Independent Alliance, may be made chairman of a new budgetary committee.
The various groups made the claim 24 hours after the deal was finally passed by Enda Kenny and Micheal Martins parties, paving the way for a government to potentially be formed between Fine Gael and Independents over the coming days.

Under the document signed off on by the party leaders on Tuesday night the next government is due to sit until at least the end of 2018 when both parties will review whether the minority government is working.

The plan says the existing health budget system will be replaced with a five-year model to ensure long-term issues are adequately addressed, while 15m will also be ringfenced for the return of the waiting list-focussed National Treatment Purchase Fund.

A total of 15,000 new gardai will be appointed alongside a review of Garda stations across the country in a bid to close chronic gaps due to highly controversial recent cutbacks, while school class sizes will be reduced.

Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have insisted the deal will ensure a stable government is formed. However, despite the claim the seven page deal  which will act as a framework document before exact details are worked out between Fine Gael and Independents in a programme for government  was heavily criticised yesterday.

The Irish Medical Organisation said the document shows the two largest parties have neither the will nor the ideas to fix the health service. The doctors group said the deal is a major disappointment to patients and medics, as any discussion on health involved scattered piecemeal plans, the fact mental health funding was addressed under crime and community services and that despite a lot of rhetoric during the election about GP cover there is no mention of expanding the service.

The Garda Representatives Association was equally critical, saying that while promises to appoint 15,000 more officers are welcome this should only take place after recessionary pay caps which mean new gardai earn just 24,171 are addressed.

University union IFUT similarly said the Fine Gael-Fianna Fail deal has virtually ignored funding for the sector, despite it being key to Irelands long-stated smart economy and was a snub to the service.

In the Dail yesterday Sinn Fein, Labour, and the Greens also questioned the value of the framework deal, with Labour deputy leader Alan Kelly said he could not believe it took three weeks to draw up.
A man described as a humble Louth taximan was asked to do a run to Limerick and collect two parcels.

On his arrival in Limerick, he discovered that an envelope and a sock he picked up from men at two filling stations contained almost 28,000 in cash.

Derek Gallagher, aged 51, of 20 Church St, Drogheda, pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to handling or transferring money contrary to the money laundering legislation.

Det Garda David Boland said he and Det Garda Martin McCarthy stopped a VW van on the M7 near Limerick on November 7, 2013.

The accused was driving the vehicle and on searching a glove compartment they found a brown envelope with 14,000 in cash and a black sock with 13,950 in cash.

Gallagher said he had been asked by a man in Drogheda to do a run to Limerick to pick up two packages for a fee of 200.

He was directed by phone on his way down the M7 to go to two different filling stations on the Tipperary Road.

Det Garda Boland said Gallagher was very frightened when he discovered what was in the envelope and sock before he was intercepted by the gardai.

He said a man he thought to be a gentleman he had known in Drogheda asked him to collect the two parcels and this was the first and last time he was asked to do something of this nature.

Anthony Sammon, counsel for the defence, said Gallagher was a humble taximan who had never been in trouble in his life and was ashamed and embarrassed over what he got involved in.

Gallagher, he said, was used by cunning criminals.

Judge Tom ODonnell

adjourned sentence to July 21.
Dr Peter Boylan said there is now a concern that the move by the NMH from its overcrowded and outdated building on Holles St to new facilities on the St Vincents campus in south Dublin would not go ahead.

Dr Boylan is a consultant at the NMH, a former master of the hospital, and current chair of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ireland.

He has not been involved in talks between the sides but said: One would hope that mediation and common sense would prevail. There is no reason why some compromise couldnt be reached by reasonable people.

Dr Boylan also made it clear that St Vincents would need to make the biggest concession by allowing the NMH retain its own board, separate from that of St Vincents, which is answerable to the Religious Sisters of Charity.

I dont understand why the Sisters of Charity want to retain control [of the NMH]. That would pose an awful lot of problems from an ethical point of view in terms of maternity care, Dr Boylan told RTE radio.

There are serious challenges when it comes to tubal ligation (sterilisation), IVF services, abortion, gender reassignment, etc. None of these are allowed in Catholic controlled hospitals.

Dr Boylan dismissed claims by St Vincents that the NMH would have clinical independence even under a St Vincents board.

That doesnt stack up with the proposed governance structure. At the moment, despite whats being said, you cant do a tubal ligation in St Vincents.

A spokesperson for St Vincents said its position remains the same as detailed in a letter sent to the Department of Health last Friday in which the board said it was dismayed and extremely offended by the comments of NMH representatives.

The letter states that the offer of space on the St Vincents campus remains open for the time being.

It states: It seems pointless and futile in present circumstances to engage in meetings on detailed project planning in a situation where we are making no progress whatsoever on campus governance.

The letter, signed by board chairman James Menton, states the belief that a substantial number of NMH consultants back St Vincents stance  although Dr Boylans intervention on behalf of the Institute appears to challenge that claim.

Mr Menton said in his letter that the board is open to talks with the Department of Health on suggested solutions to the impasse.

However, the Department of Health said yesterday that it had already made strenuous efforts to mediate a resolution.

The project is ready to go for planning permission but an application will not be lodged before governance structures are agreed.

The NMH said last night it was committed to resolving the row.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Olivia OLeary reigned supreme in Irish journalism.

A formidable broadcaster, the undoubted queen of current affairs, she was a woman in a world of men who commanded enormous respect for her analytical and interviewing skills.

She was fearless.

So when such a figure admits to having been floored by depression, to having been unable to get off the sofa, to even get up in the morning, when she speaks candidly on radio of sitting on a train, and missing my stop as I couldnt motivate myself to stand up and get up, there is a generation of men and women aged 40-90 who sit up and listen.

When somebody in the public domain talks about depression and anxiety, particularly when they are honest and discuss how they developed techniques to manage it, that they learnt to lead a full life with it, that is huge, it is everything that we in mental health services are trying to do, says Paul Gilligan, chief executive of St Patricks University Hospital.

OLeary is just the latest in a line of Irish public figures who have broken the omerta around mental health difficulties. She said she was inspired by the courage of Longford/Westmeath TD, Robert Troy who stood up in the Dail last week and outlined his recent struggles with depression and anxiety.

READ NEXT: 120,000 to walk for suicide awareness. Will you be one of them?

In recent years, Niall Breslin, aka Bressie, has become the uncrowned patron saint of mental health, while Majella ODonnells disclosure helped a whole generation of older women admit that its OK to divulge that they cant cope.

Niall Breslin aka Bressie has recently become the uncrowned patron saint of mental health in Ireland

GAA stars Conor Cusack, Aisling Thompson, and Martin Shanahan spoke to another cohort of the population, as have Mary McEvoy, Marian Keyes, and Brent Pope.

John Saunders of Shine Ireland, which supports people with mental ill health, says that by speaking out, such celebrities unknowingly provide a model for everybody to talk to family and friends, to their GP.

They become a conduit to the conversations that need to be had around the country, says Saunders.

Saunders and Gilligan believe that as a country, we are only in the nascent stages of understanding mental health and how important it is to manage it.

But by having more conversations like Olivia OLeary and Robert Troy have started, we will also begin as a nation to learn what is normal stress and what requires help, says Saunders.

As this conversation continues we will begin to differentiate between the stress that is like having a cold and the stress that needs expert help; we will learn how to recognise and manage changes in our mental health.

Robert Troy: Stood up in the Dail last week and outlined his recent struggles with depression and anxiety

The refusal to admit that you or a family member is experiencing depression or anxiety is one of the last taboos in this country, say both experts. This taboo may have lost some of its shame in recent years but a stigma is still engrained, says Gilligan.

We are a country that up to about 10 years ago, chose to lock up our most distressed, to often write them off at a young age, he says.

Research undertaken last year by St Patricks Mental Health Services shows that our shift in attitudes of late might not be as seismic as wed like to think. Only 53% of survey respondents agreed that people with a mental health difficulty are trustworthy. Another 67% agreed that Irish people view being treated for a mental health difficulty as a sign of personal failure.

Gilligan says a deep contradiction exists. One in four people suffer mental health difficulties in their life, which means everyone knows a family member or friend that has experienced such distress, yet such above mentioned opinions around trustworthiness, reliability, and failure endure.

Saunders says the silence around mental health has bred this ignorance and made life harder for those suffering. That is why, he says, the likes of OLeary and Troy are doing a true public service by squashing stigma and by opening up about what they are doing in their lives to help prevent relapse.
The Independent Alliance were being housed on the top floor of Government Buildings by their Fine Gael hosts, while their Rural Alliance counterparts had to slum it downstairs.

Im sure Lord Shane Ross of Enniskerry approved of such order.

He approved of little else throughout the day.

Yesterday, it was like living in parallel universes.

If you talk to Fine Gaelers, progress is going well and a deal is possible this week.

If you talk to the Independents, progress is slow, many issues remain outstanding and there is little chance of a deal this week.

The more Fine Gael say a deal will happen before the weekend, the more the Independents insist that simply wont happen.

Yesterday, talks continued with the Shane Ross Alliance, sorry, I mean the Independent Alliance, but alas progress was slow.

Ross himself was locked in meetings with Michael Noonan and Frances Fitzgerald for several hours over his demand for a new way to appoint judges.

Michael Noonan

He wants to remove it out of the political sphere whereby the government appoints their cronies, I mean friends, sorry I mean well capable lawyers who just happen to be sympathetic to their cause. Instead he wants to kick it to some independent quango.

But things were not going his way, with one of his Independent Alliance colleague saying Shane could walk on this. He is going to the wall on this one.

Even among his own, there was much bemusement at Ross stance on an issue like judicial appointments, with many TDs questioning how many votes such a stance will win.

After four hours of talks, little progress was made, even after legal representatives from both sides met to try and breach the impasse.

Last night, a meeting between the Independent Alliance and Fine Gael was pencilled in on the agenda to run from 8pm to finish, a sign that Fine Gael wanted to wrap up this process as quickly as possible.

Earlier in the day, members of the alliance held individual bilateral meetings with the relevant Fine Gael minister in order to get their niche issues dealt with.

The hope from Fine Gaels side was to produce a tri-party document between themselves, the Rural Alliance and the Independent Alliance.

One alliance source, speaking to me last night, said those Fine Gael hopes of a quick finish were optimistic.

Meanwhile, it also emerged that Barry Cowen took to his feet at his parliamentary party meeting and had a right aul lash at the Fine Gael negotiating team.

Barry Cowen

Unsurprisingly, he said Leo Varadkar was more interested in cocktails at the Marker Hotel than the talks.

Paschal Donohoe, he said, only did what he was told and obeyed the orders of civil servants.

To Simon Coveneys claim that Fine Gael look after farmers, Cowen replied by saying: Yeah, you do if they have 200 acres or more.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald did not live in the real world, he said to much applause and laughter from his colleagues.

Ahead of a warm ovation, Cowen pointed out what he saw as the differences between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They want cocktails, but Id rather a few pints with the people, he told me he said.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald

After attracting some flack, Cowen took to the airwaves to say his comments at the meeting were reported out of context, by the excellent reporter Sarah Bardon of the Irish Times.

However, several of Cowens colleagues said the context as reported was perfectly fine and he said all of those things.

Meanwhile, Labours conversion to opposition continued as Angry Alan Kelly took to his feet to bemoan the lack of commitment to climate change in Ireland.

In what is quickly becoming his weekly rant at the nation, Kelly let rip as he did last week over Irish Water.

No chance of Labour voting for Enda now. Ah well, break-ups are never easy.
CAN WE blame absolutely everything that is wrong with our society on the Catholic Church? Im not denying its handy. It puts RTE into a sticky sweat. It gets nearly everyone who has any power on our side.

But it doesnt change very much because the problem almost never lies in the Catholic Church itself. It lies in the power structures within our society.

Never has this more been the case than in the row over the co-location of the National Maternity Hospital on the campus of St Vincents hospital in Dublin. The Vincents board, which meets today, is refusing to apply for planning permission for the co-location until the NMH agrees to be answerable to it.

Dr Peter Boylan, chairman of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, wrote to The Irish Times last week saying that the NMH should remain under the clinical direction of its own master and cited the example of Cork University Maternity Hospitals co-location with the University Hospital as having limited its resouces. He added that Vincents was owned by the Religious Sisters of Charity this could inhibit its provision of services such as IVF, contraception, female sterilisation, or abortion. The chairman of Vincents, Jimmy Menton, described these claims as groundless and sensational and said the NMH would have full clinical independence under the Vincents plan.

Control is what is at issue here. The master model employed in the three Dublin maternity hospitals makes one senior clinician the controller of the universe of that particular hospital. KPMGs independent review of maternity services for the HSE in 2008 argued that the role should be split into CEO and clinical director and work within the over-arching structure of the general hospital but this years national maternity strategy re-proposed the master model.

It is a model which is virtually unique to Dublin. But then Dublin hospitals are great founders of traditions within maternity care and none of them have anything to do with the Catholic Church. UCC academic Jo Murphy-Lawless has shown, through painstaking research, how the independent Rotunda Hospital pioneered the absolute control of women in labour as far back as the 1740s.

Fast forward to the 1960s and the National Maternity Hospital was developing and exporting world-wide its Active Management of Labour by which a pregnant woman is reduced to a large, insensate object which has to be got through the bottleneck of the labour ward. The third edition of their labour manual is a masterpiece of institutional sexism. Authored by two former masters, Kieran ODriscoll and Declan Meagher, on the first page it assigns to them the glory of having been directly responsible for 100,000 births. It shows how they developed the policy of injecting first-time mothers with artificial birth hormone to make them give birth according to their timetable: The partogram.

It explains away this process, which helped manage a high birth rate on scant resources, because pregnant woman were saved the massive emotional disturbance caused by prolonged labour which may endure a lifetime. Only later is it admitted that the shared sense of impotence which doctors and midwives can feel in the face of long labour means control of duration of labour is almost as important for staff as it is for mothers and babies. Who was the younger co-author of this third edition? None other than Dr Peter Boylan, master of the NMH between 1991 and 1998.

There is no need to personalise the issue because on the NMH Boylan is here no more than the very able spokesperson for his profession (and the son of two of my parents dearest friends, indeed!) But there is an irony in Boylans words as he discussed abortion in the context of the tragedy of Savita Halappanavars death on the Marian Finucane radio show on RTE in 2013 when he asked: Where else are women denied an input into their care, in what other clinical situation? I cant identify any. Women are very much involved in their care in obstetrics, in decisions to induce labour, decisions about caesarean sections, decisions about all sorts of things.

Are they now? Many women would beg to differ. I was bullied into an epidural and an oxytocin drip at the NMH. Another friend fought, successfully, against a caesarean and still another fought, successfully, against induction of labour at the time of her mothers funeral. The handbook to labour co-authored by Boylan explicitly denies the pregnant woman the right to diagnose labour, saying: This method of procedure, which leaves the initiative in the hands of patients, has no parallel in other branches of medicine.

Oh would that the Catholic Church were our problem as a society! We gaily ignore its teachings whenever we feel like it but we cant ignore doctors orders. Institutional sexism is far harder to root out than religion and in my view it is still wholly dominant in our maternity services.

But we cant expect the institution to root out the power imbalance within it. Boylan is no different than any other spokesperson of his profession in defending his peers and externalising blame. He blamed the death of Savita Halappanavar on the Eighth Amendment, saying on the Marian Finucane show that abortion would only have been legal in her case on the Wednesday she died, when it was too late.

By contrast the Hiqa review found 13 points at which she could have been saved, starting when she was admitted with symptoms caused by sepsis in 77% of cases. It is the hospital which has settled its case with her widower, not the Catholic Church.

Boylan has given evidence on symphysiotomy at the NMH, saying the procedure by which womens pelvises were permanently widened to let the baby out is an extremely safe procedure with minimum side effects and arguing that the survivors mobility and incontinence issues may just be due to having given birth.

Marian Finucane

Most commentators assign blame for symphysiotomy to the influence of the Catholic Church, which might have been against caesarean sections as they limit the number of births a woman can have. This is highly unlikely. It is far more consistent with the culture of the hospital that the practice was championed by Boylans professional mentor Master Kieran ODriscoll because it was cheap and effective and the long-term consequences for the women in question were not seriously entertained. Those consequences have so far led the State to pay out thousands in compensation to almost a third of the nearly 600 women who originally applied.

I hope Vincents and the NMH resolve their issues quickly because the current NMH building presents a health risk to women and their babies. But maternity care wont change in this country until it is labouring women themselves who dictate the terms. Faced with two old nuns and an all-controlling master in full cry Id be hard put to choose.
The big cats historically occupied vast areas amounting to roughly 13.5m sq miles (35m sq km) including large parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Today, they are restricted to just 3.3m sq miles, according to the new findings.

Scientists made the discovery after spending three years reviewing more than 1,300 sources of data on the animals historical and current range.

The research  published in the journal PeerJ  represents the first attempt to produce a comprehensive analysis of the leopards range status.

While the leopard as an entire species is not said to be threatened, two sub-species  the Javan and Sri Lankan leopard  are classified as critically endangered, and endangered.

Conservationists fear that the animal faces a multitude of growing dangers in the wild.

Leopards have almost completely disappeared from several regions across Asia, including much of the Arabian peninsula and large areas of China and South-East Asia.

African leopards also face considerable threats, especially in the north and west of the continent.

Worldwide, around 17% of existing leopard habitat is under some kind of formal protection.

Lead author Andrew Jacobson, from the Zoological Society of Londons Institute of Zoology, said: The leopard is a famously elusive animal, which is likely why it has taken so long to recognise its global decline.

This study represents the first of its kind to assess the status of the leopard across the globe and all nine subspecies.

Our results challenge the previous assumption that in many areas, leopards remain relatively abundant and not seriously threatened.

This underscores the pressing need to focus more research on the less-studied subspecies, three of which have been the subject of fewer than five published papers during the last 15 years.

Leopards can survive in human-dominated landscapes, provided they have sufficient cover, access to wild prey and are tolerated by local people, said the scientists.

But in many areas their habitat has been converted to farmland and native herbivores replaced with livestock.

Conflict with livestock owners, the illegal trade in leopard skin and body parts, and trophy hunters are also said to have contributed to the cats decline.
Ohio governor John Kasich is leaving the Republican US presidential contest, sources said, giving Donald Trump a clear path to his partys nomination.

Mr Kasich was set to announce the end of his underdog White House bid last night, according to three campaign officials.

The decision comes a day after Mr Trumps only other rival, Ted Cruz, dropped out.

With no opponents left in the race, Mr Trump becomes the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee to take on the Democratic nominee in November  presumably Hillary Clinton.

Though armed with an extensive resume in politics, the second-term Ohio governor struggled to connect with Republican primary voters in a year dominated by anti-establishment frustration.

Mr Kasich was a more moderate candidate who embraced elements of President Barack Obamas healthcare overhaul and called for an optimistic and proactive Republican agenda.

Even before news of Mr Kasichs decision surfaced, Mr Trump signalled a new phase of his outsider campaign that includes a search for a running mate with experience governing and outreach to one-time competitors in an effort to heal the fractured GOP.

I am confident I can unite much of the party, Mr Trump said on NBCs Today Show, as several prominent Republicans said they would prefer Democrat Clinton over the New York billionaire.

In a shot at his critics, Mr Trump added: Those people can go away and maybe come back in eight years after we served two terms. Honestly, there are some people I really dont want.

His comments on several networks came a few hours after Mr Trump, once dismissed as a fringe contender, became all but certainly the leader of the Republican Party into the autumn campaign against Mr Clinton.

"Everything I say, I'm going to do, folks." Trump



Here's what the presumptive @GOP nominee would do as president.https://t.co/SG6qjpzJ8E  Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 4, 2016

The former secretary of state suffered a defeat in Indiana to her rival, Bernie Sanders, but holds a definitive lead in Democratic delegates who will decide the Democratic nomination.

The Republican competition changed dramatically with Mr Trumps Indiana victory and Mr Cruzs abrupt decision to quit the race.

Mr Trump won the Indiana contest with 53.3% of the vote, to Mr Cruzs 36.6% and Mr Kasichs 7.6%, according to unofficial results.

Some Republican leaders remain wary of Mr Trump and have insisted they could never support him, even in a face-off against Mrs Clinton.

The answer is simple: No, tweeted Nebraska senator Ben Sasse, who has consistently said he could not support Mr Trump.

What is their plan moving forward?

Prayer, responded Republican strategist Tim Miller, a leader of one of the partys anti-Trump groups. Donald Trump is just going to have an impossible time bringing together the Republican coalition.

Some conservative leaders were planning a meeting to assess the viability of launching a third party candidacy to compete with him.

Such Republicans worry about Mr Trumps views on immigration and foreign policy, as well as his over-the-top persona.

Hours before clinching victory in Indiana, Mr Trump was floating an unsubstantiated claim that Mr Cruzs father appeared in a 1963 photograph with John F Kennedys assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald  citing a report first published by the National Enquirer.

Mr Trump defended his reference to the Enquirer article as not such a bad thing, but the line of attack was the final straw for some Republican critics.

(T)he GOP is going to nominate for president a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks its on the level, Mark Salter, a top campaign aide to 2008 Republican nominee John McCain, wrote on Twitter. He added Mrs Clintons slogan: Im with her.

On finding a running mate, Mr Trump told MSNBCs Morning Joe that he will probably go the political route.
The United States and Russia have persuaded Syrias government and moderate rebels to extend the countrys fragile truce to the northern city of Aleppo, although sporadic clashes continue, US officials said yesterday.

The agreement was reached late on Tuesday and took effect yesterday.

How important the partial truce proves will depend on its durability. The US and Russia finalised a nationwide ceasefire in late February, but have struggled to make it stick.

Secretary of State John Kerry expressed hope on Tuesday for a more sustainable arrangement.

Since yesterdays truce in Aleppo started, we have seen an overall decrease in violence in these areas, even though there have been reports of continued fighting in some locations, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

It is critical that Russia redouble its efforts to influence the regime to abide fully, he said, while the United States will do its part with the opposition.

Three people were killed yesterday in renewed shelling by Syrian rebels of government-held areas in Aleppo, state media and opposition activists said.

The violence in Syrias largest city and once its key commercial center has continued for almost two weeks despite intense diplomatic efforts to restore the ceasefire. The UN Security Council also was due to meet last night to discuss the escalation.

Toner said Washington and Moscow would monitor the truce closely. Attacks directed against Syrias civilian population can never be justified, and these must stop immediately, he said in a statement.

The deal on Aleppo follows reaffirmations earlier this week of truces in the Damascus suburbs and coastal Latakia province.

The cessation of hostilities, as diplomats call it, doesnt apply to the Islamic State group or the Nusra Front, al Qaedas Syria affiliate, which has caused problems in in places such as Aleppo.

In some battles there and elsewhere, Western and Arab-backed militants have fought alongside those swearing allegiance to al Qaeda, making it hard to determine which Syrian government offensives or Russian airstrikes constitute violations.

Nearly 300 people have been killed during this latest spate of violence in Aleppo. Over the past two weeks, hospitals and civilian areas have come under attack from government warplanes, as well as rebel shelling.

In the eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, Toner said a truce will be extended for 48 hours following overnight airstrikes by President Bashar Assads government.

Our objective remains a single nationwide cessation of hostilities  not a series of local truces, he said.
Burma Facebook Firebrand Arrested Over Alleged Defamation of Burmas Leaders

Nay Myo Wai, ultra-nationalist provocateur and leader of a fringe political party, is arrested for allegedly defaming the president, army chief and Aung San Suu Kyi.

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Division  Nay Myo Wai, ultra-nationalist provocateur and leader of a fringe political party, was arrested on Wednesday night outside Burmas commercial capital Rangoon, after being sued for allegedly defaming the president, army chief and state counselor on social media.

Wai Yan Aung, an executive member of the Burma Teachers Federation, filed the lawsuit against him at a police station in Irrawaddy Divisions Kangyidaunt Township on Wednesday under Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law. The litigant accused him of defaming President Htin Kyaw, Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and of spreading Facebook posts and photos instigating unrest.

One of the posts featuring doctored images depicts Suu Kyi as a beggar and another portrays her in a sexually suggestive position with an accompanying speech bubble that leaves little doubt about the digital manipulators intended meaning, but which will not be relayed by this news outlet. A photo of Min Aung Hlaing is accompanied by a caption asserting that the commander-in-chief dare not stage a coup because he is secretly hoping to have an extramarital affair with the widow Suu Kyi.

Htin Kyaw is targeted in one post as the president of a government formed by the prostitute and kalar party, referring to Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) and using a pejorative Burmese term used in modern times for Muslims of South Asian blood and also applied to British occupiers during the colonial era.

Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law stipulates punishment of up to three years imprisonment for using a telecommunications network to defame. As well as being used by the previous, military-back government against dissidents who satirized the military on social media, a Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) township secretary received a six-month prison sentence for sharing doctored images on Facebook of the head of Suu Kyi transposed onto the body of a naked woman.

A police official from Irrawaddy Division told The Irrawaddy that local police in Rangoon and Irrawaddy Division searched his residence in Rangoon before arresting him on the Rangoon-Mandalay highway.

We are detaining him now in Pathein Prison and are investigating the case, he said. Pathein is the administrative capital of Irrawaddy Division.

Nay Myo Wai is chairman of the Peace and Diversity Party, which contested the 2015 general election on a strong anti-Muslim platform but failed to win any seats. He is a supporter of the prominent Buddhist nationalist group the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, popularly known by its Burmese-language acronym Ma Ba Tha.

Nay Myo Wais anti-Muslim invectives, including on social media, have gained him some notoriety. In May of last year, he issued Facebook posts threatening to physically attack and feed pork curry to participants of a nationwide Muslim conference in Rangoon, although the government ultimately refused permission for the conference.

Two Facebook accounts and three Facebook pages bearing his profile have been identified, and include his name, political party affiliation and phone number. Two of the three pages appear to be inactive. However, the others see regular uploads, including photos supporting anti-Muslim campaigns.

The litigant Wai Yan Aung said that, if he does not operate the accounts spreading defamatory posts and photos, Nay Myo Wai could have reported this to Facebooks administratorsbut he did not.

For the case, I presented three pieces of evidence together with screenshots of posts from his account, Wai Yan Aung said.

Additional reporting by San Yamin Aung and Zue Zue in Rangoon.
Burma Farmers Protest Resumption of Letpadaung Copper Mining

Locals near the Letpadaung copper mining area in Sagaing Divisions Salingyi Township staged a series of protests as mining resumed on Thursday.

MANDALAY  Locals near the Letpadaung copper mining project in Sagaing Divisions Salingyi Township staged a second day of protests as mining resumed on Thursday.

Despite the presence of police stationed near the area, some 300 farmers, many of whom had land confiscated for the controversial mining venture, showed up to urge that mining be stopped and that villagers be compensated for losses incurred because of the project.

We crossed police lines to reach the liaison office of Wanbao company, said Sandar, a farmer from Tone village who joined the protest, referring to the Chinese firm in a joint venture with military-owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) for the mining project.

According to protesters, a letter was sent on Tuesday to National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi, who led a parliamentary committee overseeing implementation of the project under the previous government, asking that Letpadaung copper mining be stopped.

We showed our disapproval that mining resumed without following the instructions of [Suu Kyis] committee, Sandar said. The company was supposed to compensate farmers for crops and land that had been confiscated because of the project. But it didnt do anything about compensation or about environmental safeguards.

Protesters said the letter was also sent to Sagaings divisional government and to Burmas national government.

We dont want the project. Were jobless once our land is confiscated, and many of us have to go to cities to work as construction laborers, said Mar Cho, also from Tone village. Weve suffered enough. We just want our land back.

According to the farmers, Wanbao and UMEHL have unofficially been mining in the area since 2013, despite official notice to stop after a brutal government crackdown on a protest near the site in 2012. However, Wanbao officials said mining in previous years was a trial period.

Were going to begin mining on a business level, starting from today, said Hla Sein, project manager of Wanbao, on Thursday.

And regarding compensation, we offered it [to farmers], but they wouldnt take any. Its all up to them. We dont know what to do about it. Were following every rule laid out in the report in terms of environmental matters and the development of the region, Hla Sein said, referring to a report compiled by Suu Kyis parliamentary committee following its probe into the project.
Burma Mandalay Maps New Zoning Plan

The Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) is finishing a new zoning plan, in an effort to preserve the citys cultural heritage while allowing for growth.

MANDALAY  The Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) is working on a new zoning plan for the city, in an effort to preserve its cultural heritage while allowing for development and modernization.

The plan will designate eight zonescultural conservation zones around the ancient moat and surrounding Mandalay Hill, development restriction and stimulation zones, green zones, high-rise permissible and restricted areas, and a mid-rise housing zone.

Details including zoning locations for the proposed plan have not been finalized.

The major difficulty with finishing the plan is that we dont have a digitized map of Mandalay. So, we are making one with the help of 15 engineers and a software program, said Zaw Win, an official with the municipality.

The proposal will be submitted to the divisional parliament soon, according to the official, who added that new construction would have to abide by the zoning plan once it is approved.

Once the zoning map comes out, Mandalay residents will know which zone they are living in and what types of buildings they are allowed to build, he said.

Students of Mandalay Technological University have teamed up with the staff of MCDC to conduct a survey on population, vehicle use, water supply, municipal garbage disposal systems and building use, to acquire relevant social and economic data to be included in the digitized map.

Architect and managing director of Mandalay-based C.A.D. Construction Co. Zin Min Swe said city authorities should follow the lead of other big cities and consider which aspects of urban planning would best suit Mandalay, Burmas second largest city.

High-rise restricted areas, mixed development zones, residential zones and cultural zones should be established without impacting the growth of the town, he said.

Although there is not a designated historical zone in Mandalay, the Religious Affairs and Culture Ministry divides the cultural heritage zones into three different designationsAncient Site Zone (AZ), Ancient Monumental Zone (MZ) and Protected and Preserved Zone (PZ), with only PZ areas allowing commercial buildings following ministry approval.

The Department of Archaeology at Mandalays National Museum and Library has also taken steps to preserve some areas.

For example, only certain types of buildings are permitted within 120 yards of the city wall and the moat, said Nyo Myint Tun, director of the department.

We impose restrictions on three areas: height, color and design, he added.

Zaw Win confirmed that although the zoning plan is still being drafted, measures are currently being taken to preserve religious buildings and heritage sites.

Mandalay was the last royal capital of the Konbaung Dynasty, before the British annexed Burma in 1885. Among Mandalay Divisions cultural zones are the old city sites of Bagan, Pinle, Myinsaing, Pinya and more.

According to the National Museum and Library, there are 218 ancient buildings in and around Mandalay, with 63 of them within Mandalays municipal area.
Burma NCA Signatories Meet Tin Myo Win, Tipped as NLDs Lead Peace Envoy

Representatives of eight non-state armed groups that signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement meet Dr. Tin Myo Win to discuss reforming a body key to peace negotiations.

RANGOON  Representatives of eight non-state armed groups that signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in October met on Wednesday with Dr. Tin Myo Win, personal physician of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, to discuss reforming a body key to peace negotiations, the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC).

The ethnic representatives met Tin Myo Win at Green Hill Hotel in Rangoon, according to Saw Mya Yazar Lin, a central executive member of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), an NCA signatory. The doctor has been tipped as the NLD governments lead peace negotiator with ethnic armed groups, assuming the role taken by Presidents Office Minister Aung Min in the previous military-backed government.

We invited Dr. Tin Myo Win to talk and explained to him our current political stance. We talked about how to move forward peacefully, avoiding political deadlock in the future, said the ALPs Saw Mya Yazar Lin.

She said the eight NCA signatories discussed reforming the UPDJC, a 48-member body with equal representation of Burma Army officials, members of NCA signatory non-state armed groups and political parties. The UPDJC was previously chaired by Aung Min, and tasked with conducting the political dialogue between the government and ethnic armed organizations under the terms of the ceasefire signed on Oct. 15.

Saw Mya Yazar Lin stressed the necessity and importance of the UPDJC. Since the new government has come into power, the JMC [Joint Monitoring Committee] has assumed control of political decision-making. The participants proposed to Tin Myo Win that the UPDJC be given equal space, and emphasized the need to reform the UPDJC for future negotiations.

It is believed that the NCA signatories wish to keep the UPDJC so as to balance the influence of the JMC, in light of the prospect of a diminishing UPDJC role under the new government.

Like the UPDJC, the JMC includes NCA signatories in its membership. Both were formed under the previous government. The UPDJC is currently led by former Vice President Sai Mauk Kham, who is a member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), and Saw Kwe Htoo Win, general secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU). The JMC, however, is led by Burma Army Lt-Gen Yar Pyaye and Saw Isaac Poe of the KNU.

Suu Kyi met with the JMC in Naypyidaw on April 27, and declared that she [did] not want much time to pass before a 21st century Panglong-style conference is held.

The ALPs Saw Mya Yazar Lin said she considered a 21st century Panglong-style style conference to be in line with our goal.

She said Tin Myo Win responded positively to the ethnic armed groups suggestions but could only report them to the state counselor, Suu Kyi, because he had not yet been given an official mandate.

We also urged him to bring non-NCA signatory groups into the peace dialogue process. We have always strived to get the non-NCA signatories involved in political talks.

The Irrawaddy reporter Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint contributed reporting.
Burma New State Counselor Ministry Proposed for Suu Kyi

A proposal from President Htin Kyaw to form a new ministry for State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi is brought to the Union Parliament floor.

RANGOON  A proposal from Burmas President Htin Kyaw to form a new ministry for State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi was formally brought to the Union Parliament floor on Thursday.

A document outlining the Ministry of the State Counselors Office proposal was read out in the chamber by Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than, in which the president was quoted as saying it is necessary to have a ministry to successfully implement the missions of national reconciliation, domestic peace, national development and the rule of law.

The Speaker did not offer any indication as to who might head the new ministry and oversee its vague portfolio, but speculation has tipped Suu Kyis personal physician, Dr. Tin Myo Win, for the post.

Tin Myo Win, long a close Suu Kyi ally, has also been given a leading role in coming peace negotiations between the new government and ethnic armed groups. He is widely expected to head a new iteration of the Myanmar Peace Centre (MPC), which Suu Kyi last week suggested would be renamed the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC).

According to a report in state-run media, the doctors new prominent place in Burmas peace process was announced at Suu Kyis meeting with the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, made up of government and military representatives, as well as non-state armed group signatories to the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement.

Aung Moe Zaw, chairman of the Democratic Party for a New Society, told The Irrawaddy that the new ministry was a necessity given the daunting challenges facing Suu Kyi, who has indicated that she intends to lead reforms on several fronts.

I think that this new ministry is a necessity for those who are actually working for the countrys sake, he said.

She wont have time to take care of every little thing as she has many [critical] works to do.

Aung Moe Zaw said given that the proposed ministry would likely be closely involved in the delicate peace process, which Suu Kyi intends to lead, Tin Myo Win as trusted confidante to the state counselor would make for a logical choice.

If Tin Myo Win is confirmed to take the new ministerial post and peace negotiator position, his involvement would likely be similar to that of the previous governments chief peace negotiator Aung Min, a Union-level Presidents Office minister under the government of former President Thein Sein who also led the MPC.

If the proposal wins parliamentary approval, it would be the 22nd leadership position in the cabinet of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), which is currently made up of 21 ministries. Creation of the new ministry would appear all but certain, given the NLDs commanding majorities in both houses of the Union legislature.

The speaker on Thursday welcomed input from lawmakers during upcoming deliberation of the proposal, which is scheduled for a parliamentary session next week.
Burma New Tourism Plan Highlights Local Communities

Burmas Hotels and Tourism Ministry focuses on local, community-based tourism in its new 100-day policy, hoping to provide sustainability for the fast-growing industry.

RANGOON  Burmas Hotels and Tourism Ministry will emphasize development of community-based tourism as one of the first priorities in its 100-day policy, according to an official statement issued by the ministry earlier this week.

The policy includes a three-pronged strategy for the countrys fast-growing tourism industryto expand community-based tourism (CBT), build the capacity of the tourism human resources pool and develop existing popular destinations, as well as promoting less frequented locales. The ministry has pledged to begin implementing the plan within the first 100 days of the new National League for Democracy (NLD) administration.

The CBT development plan includes six main pilot projects to be carried out at different destinations around the country: Kachin States Indawgyi Lake area; the townships of Loikaw and Thandaunggyi in Karenni and Karen states, respectively; the Pa-O self-administered zone in Shan State; Magwe Divisions Myaing Township; and in Mandalay Division, the Mingun area and Kyauk Myaung village, according to the statement.

The projects aim to empower local communities by helping to establish village-level guesthouses and package tours, enhancing visitor management mechanisms, and highlighting foreign language skills so that guides can attract tourists to local activities such as trekking, bird watching and environmental conservation, the statement says.

According to Myint Htwe, director of the ministrys public relations and information department, Burmas tourism industry has put too much focus on cultural tourism and CBT should be used instead, as a new approach for the country to build sustainable tourism.

Local communities can truly benefit from CBT as it directly engages the lowest levels of the community, Myint Htwe told The Irrawaddy.

The policy was made in part based on recommendations from the private sector and does not contradict the Ministry of Tourisms Master Plan 2013-2020, he added.

The Tourism Master Plan was developed with international donors under Burmas previous government, and envisions spending of nearly US$500 million on training tourism workers, developing destinations and improving connectivity, in an effort to increase annual foreign visitors to 7.5 million by 2020.

Last year, Burma took in nearly 4.7 million foreign visitors, up from just 800,000 in 2011.

When asked about local homestays not being highlighted in the 100-day policy, Myint Htwe said that the ministry would try to set up a homestay system at the appropriate time, and would begin drafting guidelines after hearing recommendations from the private tourism industry. Homestays are currently not allowed in Burma.

Homestays can only be implemented if local communities accept the idea. Both tourists and locals should have awareness of each others cultures and traditions so there is no culture shock, he added.

Most importantly, there needs to be peace and stability in the areas where we allow homestays.

Kyi Thein Ko, the general secretary of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, expressed his support for the ministrys 100-day plan and said that he would try to help facilitate the strategies.

Unlike the previous administration, which only focused on [the number of visitors], I believe that the current administration will prioritize the sustainability of the industry, he said.

Union Tourism Minister Ohn Maung said in a speech in early April that tourism was one of the largest and fastest growing sectors of the global economy, making vital contributions toward generating employment, reducing poverty, empowering women, preserving the environment and building peace.

He added that he believed all of the challenges facing Burmas tourism industry would be overcome by collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Ohn Maung assumed leadership of the Tourism Ministry when Aung San Suu Kyis NLD government formed a new cabinet in early April.

Under Burmas former junta, Suu Kyi discouraged foreigners from traveling to the country, supporting a boycott on the grounds that tourism dollars would flow into the pockets of the military leadership and its crony allies. Since re-engaging in the political process in 2012, however, she has clearly seen the industrys potential to uplift living standards, and in 2014 founded a hospitality training academy outside of Rangoon to better prepare young people for employment in the sector.
Burma Military Defends Conduct in Arakan as Lawmakers Debate Conflict

Arakan State fighting becomes focus of heated discussions in Parliament, but a legislative path to resolution of the conflict remains unclear.

RANGOON  Fighting in Arakan State was the focus of heated discussions in Parliament on Wednesday, but a legislative path to resolution of the conflict appears unlikely.

A proposal was submitted by Arakan National Party (ANP) lawmaker Wai Sein Aung to the Upper House of Parliament on Monday, urging the Union government to include the Arakan Army (AA) in the peace process and requesting that the military agree to a cessation of hostilities.

Legislators early this week agreed to discuss the motion, but on Wednesday the chambers speaker, Mahn Win Khaing Than of the National League for Democracy (NLD), opted to put a debate that began a day earlier on record rather than pushing for a more forceful endorsement of the ANP lawmakers proposal.

Following a defense of the Burma Armys operations in the western state by militarily appointed parliamentarians, the upper chamber voted to document the proposal by a vote of 195-6.

Several elected MPs on Tuesday spoke in support of bringing the Arakan Army into Burmas peace process. In explaining the decision to merely document the proposal on Wednesday, Mahn Win Khaing Than noted State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyis pledge to lead peace negotiations in an inclusive manner.

The latest round of hostilities in Arakan State kicked off last month.

According to Khin Maung Latt, a lawmaker for the ANP, 1,500 civilians have been displaced and the number of homeless is increasing due to the rising violence.

Union Defense Minister Lt-Gen Sein Win took the floor of Parliament on Wednesday and stated that the Burma Army was working for all the people of Burma in accordance with the rule of law, adding that it protected all nationalities in the country.

The military was defending against the attacks of the Arakan Army, which is responsible for the current conflict, Sein Win said. They have a right to express their desires in a democratic way, but taking up arms and fighting against the army is worrisome for the future of our countrys democracy.

Echoing an assertion put forward by the institution a few days earlier, the minister said the Burma Army should be called the Union Army or Tatmadaw, while the Arakan Army should be referred to as an armed group.

He added that the proposal was an attempt to cause trouble for President Htin Kyaws new government, and put the new president in a difficult position.

Conflicts have been ongoing since we achieved independence from the British empire, said Sai Wan Hlaing Kham, an Upper House parliamentarian from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy. And since then, the government has failed to guarantee equal rights for all ethnicities.

This has led people to take up arms and fight for their rights, he added.

Naw Hla Hla Soe, an Upper House lawmaker, said that Burmas democratic transformation should allow for conflicts to be addressed through political dialogue.

We can resolve this case through the political process, she said in the chamber.

Fighting creates many problems for our country, erecting obstacles for economic development and sowing discord among the people.

A total of 10 lawmakers, including three representatives from the military, gave speeches regarding the proposal.

Suu Kyi will hold a meeting next week to address formation of the National Reconciliation and Peace Center, a reincarnation of the Myanmar Peace Center, which was an initiative of the previous government.

According to the state counselor, the armed groups that were not a part of last years ceasefire agreement will also be brought into discussions and there will be a peace conference, Mahn Win Khaing Than told the session.
Thursday, May 5th, 2016 (8:47 am) - Score 2,565

BT has released its latest Q1 2016 results (calendar), which reveals that their retail division has a total of 9,041,000 broadband subscribers (up by +1.045 million in Q1 vs +130K in Q4 2015) and 4.076m of those are taking their FTTC/P based BTInfinity superfast broadband service (up by +214k vs +250K at the end of 2015).

The main events for BT Group during the first quarter were the completion of their 12.5bn merger with EE and the outcome of Ofcoms Strategic Review, which has tentatively proposed NOT to split BT from control of their Openreach network access division (provided they reach a voluntary agreement). But Ofcom has still proposed significantly more separation between the two, plus theyre also working to make BTs national UK network of fibre optic lines and cable ducts more accessible for rivals (here and here); all of this is the subject of an on-going and heated discussion.

Otherwise well begin with a brief explanation of BTs primary divisions for the uninitiated. Firstly, BT Consumer is their retail facing division that sells broadband, mobile, phone and TV packages directly to consumers, while BT Business and Public Sector does the non-domestic market.

After that Openreach (BTOpenreach) sells connectivity services to ISPs on a functionally separate basis from BT, while BT Wholesale and Ventures separately sells BTs own internal twist on their connectivity and MVNO mobile (EE) products to other providers.

BT Consumer / Retail



Unsurprisingly the operators consumer division remains the largest broadband ISP in the UK (Sky Broadband comes second with 5.94 million subscribers) and they also tend to grab the lions share of new fibre broadband customers (we split this out below), which are predominantly FTTC subscribers and a few FTTP. Check below for a summary of subscriber changes over the past two quarters.

Broadband Subs TV Subs Mobile Subs Fibre Subs Q1 2016 9,041,000 1,463,000 30,445,000 4,076,000 Subs Change (Q1 2016) +1,045,000 +66,000 -147,000 +214,000 Q4 2015 7,996,000 1,397,000 300,000 3,689,000 Subs Change (Q4 2015) +130,000 +97,000 no data +250,000

The huge quarterly growth in broadband subscribers has of course come from EEs Home Broadband base of just under 1 million subscribers, which is being absorbed into the fold. Indeed its notable that without EE the BT Consumer division alone would have only added +105,000 net broadband adds, which is down on the +130,000 added in the previous quarter.

On the flip side BT reported total Mobile subscribers of 30.445 million, which is of course including EEs massive customer base into the equation. If we were to exclude EE then BTMobile alone would account for just over 400,000 subscribers.

Openreach & Wholesale



The results for Openreach are arguably more useful as they allow us to see wider trends in the market, at least in reflect of BTs national UK telecoms network and those independent ISPs that buy services over it (note: the total broadband lines and fibre lines listed below include those from BT Consumer, as well as many other ISPs that buy their lines from Openreach, all combined).

Total UK Broadband Lines

Fully Unbundled MPF Lines

Shared Unbundled SMPF Lines

Fibre Lines (FTTC/P)

Q1 2016 19,927,000 8,921,000 1,059,000 5,907,000 Subs Change (Q1 2016) +130,000 +47,000 -14,000 +415,000 Q4 2015 19,797,000 8,874,000 1,073,000 5,492,000 Subs Change (Q4 2015) +182,000 no data no data +494,000

Its worth pointing out that unbundled lines are mostly used by ISPs like Sky Broadband and TalkTalk, which have built some of their own kit inside of BTs network. As such MPF lines are usually more popular because they give ISPs the most control and independence over their services, which is why SMPF has been in a slow decline for some time.

Otherwise its clear to see that BTInfinity is still taking the main share of new fibre additions, which is reflected in the fact that BT Consumer alone accounted for +214k of the +415k total added in Q1 2016, although rival ISPs are grabbing an increasingly big chunk. On the other hand theres been a clear drop in fibre growth, which is odd since Q1 is usually a more positive quarter. We should add that Openreachs FTTC/P network can now reach 86% of UK homes and businesses (25 million+ premises passed).

Separately, BTWholesale continues to operate a total of 906,000 external broadband lines for other ISPs, which has fallen by -8,000 in Q1 2016 after showing a drop of -6,000 in the final quarter of 2015.

Gavin Patterson, CEO of BT Group, said: This has been a landmark year for BT. Weve completed our acquisition of EE, the UKs best 4G mobile network provider, weve passed more than 25m premises with fibre and weve also delivered a strong financial performance. Weve met our outlook with our main revenue4 measure up 2.0%, the best performance for more than seven years. Our profit before tax was up a healthy 9%. Customers want to be online wherever they are and we will be there for them. Our multi-billion pound investment plans will see both fibre and 4G reach 95% of the UK and we wont stop there. The UK is a digital leader and our investment in ultrafast broadband will help it stay ahead. Customers are benefiting from our investments but we plan to do more when it comes to service, to meet customers rising expectations. Thats why Openreach is tackling missed appointments, why BT Consumer will be upgrading service levels to next day repair and why weve hired 900 engineers. Weve also recruited more than 900 extra contact centre staff. This will enable us to return EE and BT Consumer contact centre work to the UK. Our strong overall performance for the year is reflected in our full year dividend, which is up 13%. Our results and the investments were making position us well to continue to grow in the coming years. In light of our confidence we are setting out financial and dividend guidance for the next two years.

Going forwards BT will have an awful lot on its mind, not least with their fight to get the best agreement out of Ofcoms Strategic Review and the tediously long process of merging EEs business into the wider group. Furthermore theyre about to launch a major summer pilot of the new 330-500Mbps capable G.fast technology, which will cover 25,000 premises in Cambridgeshire and Kent (here); not to mention their various 1Gbps FTTP trials and todays big commitment to deploy 2 million FTTP lines by 2020.

The G.fast pilot is currently intended to be followed by a full commercial roll-out, which will begin next summer 2017 (here). As part of that BT has pledged to make the new service available to 10 million homes and businesses by 2020, with most of the UK being covered by 2025. At first G.fast will only offer speeds of up to 330Mbps (50Mbps upload), but this will eventually rise to 500Mbps.

The other deployment that BT are actively examining is one that would involve catering for the Governments plan to introduce a new 10Mbps Universal Service Obligation (USO) and they appear to be tapping technologies like Long Reach VDSL (FTTC) to help cater for that (here). But the USO plan is still very much subject to the Governments on-going future strategy debate.

Elsewhere BT Group reported that it has deferred 229m of grant income due to strong levels of take-up in Broadband Delivery UK areas, which is money (clawback / gain share) that can be sent back to local authorities for reinvestment into the further expansion of fibre broadband (FTTC/P) coverage. BT has also increased its base-case assumption for take-up in BDUK areas a second time, pushing it from 30% to 33%.

Finally, on the financial front, BT Groups quarterly revenue reached 5,656m (up from 4,594m last quarter) and their reported profits before tax over the same period jumped to 893m (up from 862m). Meanwhile their total net debt leapt from 5,021m to 9,845m and thats largely due to the impact of their merger with EE.

We also note that BTWholesale saw its quarterly operating profit rise from 85m in Q4 2015 to 91m in Q1 2016 and BTOpenreach delivered a figure of 382m for the same thing, which is up from 359m in the previous quarter. We also note that Openreach reported a quarterly capital expenditure of 376m, which is up from 321m in Q4 2015 (calendar).
Best Practices to Improve IT and DevOps Collaboration

If youre a CIO, and your top priority is managing your IT infrastructure, two things are going on. First, youre almost certainly not having a whole lot of fun. Second, youre working for an organization that is probably undervaluing you.

That was my key takeaway from a recent conversation with Dave Link, founder and CEO of ScienceLogic, a provider of monitoring software for hybrid IT environments in Reston, Va. Link is obviously eager to relieve you of your infrastructure management headaches, so that takeaway certainly didnt come from an impartial observer. But its hard to take issue with the views he shared.

Link did a good job of encapsulating the transformational shift that underlies the need for a lot of CIOs to reset their priorities:

Over the last 10 years, CIOs have done a nice job virtualizing their infrastructures, which traditionally sat on dedicated servers. They embedded five or 10 dedicated servers within one virtualized server. That didnt necessarily make things less complex to manage, but it did shrink data center size, and allowed people to have more flexibility in using computing power across applications, in a more efficient way.

Weve now shifted from that environment, Link said, to one in which organizations are achieving the goal of utility computing, where they can essentially pay for what theyre using:

So consolidation of the data center was Step 1. Step 2 is to really transform the traditional legacy, on-premises data center by moving more of those resources to locations that are outside of the data center and into public cloud services. Companies now routinely have systems with applications running in their primary data centers, and applications running in public cloud services, creating a hybrid cloud.

We saw this coming about four or five years ago, and pivoted our business, which had traditionally been managing virtualized infrastructures in legacy data centers. We started working on a cloud infrastructure, such that if a CIO wanted to have one way to manage infrastructure, no matter where he chose to put it, he really needed to understand operationally how things were behaving at a glance, no matter where it was. Thats a pretty foundational shift.

Whats driving the shift, Link said, is the effort to achieve cost-effective service delivery:

They really want to align compute capacity to the need in a real-time utility environmentpay for it when theyre using it, and not pay for it when theyre not using it. Driving toward a more efficient compute utilization, and a more efficient economic model around it, is something were seeing a massive shift to.

But the thing thats really tough for them is how to manage it when it starts sprawling. Theyve been dealing with internal sprawl by means of virtualization. Now they have cloud sprawl, and theyve orchestrated a set of computing headaches that theyve never seen before from a management perspective. Most companies that provide management solutions are really good at managing the cloud, or really good at managing legacy. But very few are good at managing both.

The idea is that CIOs priorities have to shift, as well. But as I mentioned to Link, you can ask 10 different people what the CIOs No. 1 priority should be, and youre likely to get at least five or six different answers. So whats his answer?

I think if you talk to most CEOs, what they think a CIO should do is align the business with technology advancements, as rapidly as possible. Often, the CEO is trying to give some direction to the CIO. I had meetings last week with three different CIOs, and its interesting that what they commonly really want to focus on is the security layer, from a compliance perspectiveprotection of corporate assets and detection of vulnerabilities is what theyre worried about.

And No. 2, they want to work on the application layerthey want to build applications that make a difference, that will improve productivity, or the top line, or back-office workflow. Those are the things they want to spend time onthey do not want to spend time on the infrastructure. They want to capture the benefits of public cloud sooner, faster.

But at the same time, and weve been saying this for a while, as much as 80 percent of the IT budget is used to keep the lights on. They dont want to do that anymore. They are so tired of just keeping things runningthey want somebody else to take care of the infrastructure layer. Thats why you see this significant shift to public cloud.

What all of this means, Link said, is that within the next 20 years, director of internal IT, or director of IT services, may not be a role anymore:

Director of application innovation, director of security innovationthose are the titles that are starting to transcend what weve traditionally seen as somebody who keeps the internal infrastructure running. I might be more dramatic than others in taking that view, in terms of how long its going to take. We still have mainframes today, which is the infrastructure that I grew up on when I started my career, so these transitions do take time. But it seems as though were headed in that direction.

A contributing writer on IT management and career topics with IT Business Edge since 2009, Don Tennant began his technology journalism career in 1990 in Hong Kong, where he served as editor of the Hong Kong edition of Computerworld. After returning to the U.S. in 2000, he became Editor in Chief of the U.S. edition of Computerworld, and later assumed the editorial directorship of Computerworld and InfoWorld. Don was presented with the 2007 Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity by American Business Media, and he is a recipient of the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for editorial excellence in news coverage. Follow him on Twitter @dontennant.
A Russian hacker who stole more than 270 million email accounts is selling those credentials in Russia's criminal underworld, according to Reuters.

Hold Security, the agency that discovered the breach, found out that the Russian hacker, calling himself "the Collector," boasted giving all those credentials away, which amassed a total of 1.17 billion records. After the company sorted out and removed duplicates, it discovered a massive 272.3 million compromised accounts.

"I am just getting rid of it but I won't do it for free," the hacker reportedly wrote to the analysts, according to Tech Insider.

Majority of the stolen accounts (57 million) were from Mail.ru, the largest email service provider in Russia. And some of the other portions were divided among Gmail with 24 million, Yahoo Mail with 40 million and Microsoft Hotmail, with 33 million, Alex Holden, founder and chief information security of Hold Security, said. Other providers affected were from Germany and China, but Yahoo! Tech reported that it is unclear whether these accounts have actually been breached.

"This information is potent. It is floating around in the underground and this person has shown he's willing to give the data away to people who are nice to him," Holden said. "These credentials can be abused multiple times."

The young Russian hacker is purportedly asking just 50 roubles (less than a dollar) for the data. The company obtained a copy after posting a positive comment in the forum but did not pay for the data, as it was against the company's protocol.

Affected companies, on the other hand, assured they will respectively investigate the matter.

"We are now checking whether any combinations of usernames/passwords match users' emails and are still active," a Mail.ru representative told Reuters. "As soon as we have enough information, we will warn the users who might have been affected."

"We've seen the reports and our team is reaching out Hold Security to obtain the list of accounts now. We'll update going forward," Yahoo told Tech Insider.

Tech Insider suggests users to upgrade their respective accounts to stronger passwords and also activate two-factor authentication to avoid hackers from breaching with merely a piece of users' login information.
Verizon workers strike update revealed the demand of union workers for an abrupt investigation regarding forced fiber upgrades. The mere demand is not accepted by Verizon, and it calls the grievance as irrelevant and ridiculous.

According to Ars Technica, "A union representing Verizon workers has asked the Federal Communications Commission to investigate the company's copper-to-fiber upgrades, saying Verizon is pressuring customers to switch even when they don't want to."

It appears that the complaint stems from Verizon's "Fiber Is The Only Fix" program, in which Verizon automatically sets up copper-to-fiber upgrades when customers with copper-based landline phones call for repairs twice in 18 months. And though many customers welcome the shift to fiber because it brings more reliable and faster Internet access, some prefer to keep copper-based landline phones because they can remain in service during long power outages, reports the same post.

However, "The whole complaint is completely ridiculous. There is no deception whatsoever and we take great exception to this accusation," the Verizon spokesperson told Ars. "The fact that we've never heard a peep from the unions about it until now - in the middle of a work stoppage - tells you everything you need to know about what their real motivation is with this complaint. It's nothing more than yet another publicity stunt aimed to distract from the real issues that need to be settled at the bargaining table."

As Verizon rendered its statement, the union rebutted with legal measures. According to the legal complaint forwarded, "Verizon has institutionalized the deception of consumers under an established internal policy - the 'Fiber is the Only Fix' ('FITOF') policy... under which technicians and other Verizon employees are required actively and purposefully to mislead their customers," the complaint said.

On a different note, as Verizon workers demand retribution for their present strike ordeal, the worst is yet to come. To prove the latter, it has been mentioned by 6abc that the Verizon workers will lose their benefits giving more difficulties in the coming days.

It stands to reason that the strike brought forth much scrutiny for Verizon and at the same time difficulties for the Verizon workers who participated in the strike. The forced fiber upgrades have reached a dead end as workers bluntly voiced out their indifference. Even though Verizon sees the grievance as ridiculous and irrelevant, the reality of the tech giant facing demise rises in the horizon.
Apple confirmed Tuesday, May 3, that it hired Yoky Matsuoka, former Nest head of technology and the cofounder of Google X lab. The move comes to support Apple's plan to expand its health technology team.

According to Apple Insider, Matsuoka, originally from Japan, has become interested in robotics while attending the University of California, Berkeley. After receiving a PhD in electrical engineering from MIT, now she is considered one of the best robotics experts.

Matsuoka developed software for the BarrettHand prosthetic at Barrett Technology. Her research in robotics and neuroscience achieved multiple awards. Among them is also included a grant from the prestigious MacArthur Foundation, received in 2007.

Matsuoka spent time teaching robotics at the University of Washington in Seattle and at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2009, she moved to Google to help build the X research and development lab.

In 2010, Matsuoka has become head of technology at Nest, where she created the learning algorithms and user interface for the Learning Thermostat. After Google acquired Nest in 2014, Matsuoka left the company.

She planned to work for Twitter following her departure from Nest. According to the website phys.org, her plan to take a job at San Francisco-based messaging service Twitter was changed last year by a "life-threatening illness."

Matsuoka declared at the time that she envisions a new future again. The medical treatment was working. Getting another chance at life, the scientist found the opportunity to work out new plans for her future.

According to Fortune, Matsuoka is now working on health initiatives at Apple. It is yet unclear on what projects the robotics expert will be working. The high-tech company currently has a number of health-related projects under development.

Reportedly, Matsuoka will work under Apple COO Jeff Williams. Among other projects, he leads a variety of groups handling ResearchKit, HealthKit, and the new CareKit app building framework.
It seems Apple is really passing though a bad phase. After its services like iTunes Movies and iBooks being banned in China and a 11 percent drop in earnings during the first quarter of 2016, the Cupertino tech titan has now lost a trademark suit against a little known Chinese firm Xintong Tiandi Technology, which deals in leather products such as cell phone cases, handbags and much more under the brand name "IPHONE."

The trademark dispute between the U.S. multinational and the local Chinese firm dates back to 2012, as Apple contested to gain special rights over the iPhone brand. However, both the Chinese trademark authority and a lower court in Beijing rejected Apple's claims. Although Apple appealed against these orders on March 31, even the Beijing Municipal High People's Court dismissed the plea, granting Xintong Tiandi the rights to sell its products under the "IPHONE" brand name, Quartz reported.

Although Apple filed an application to trademark "IPHONE" way back in 2002, the authorities did not approve the trademark until 2013 under Class 9: Electrical and Scientific Apparatus. In 2007, about 5 years since Apple's application, when the Cupertino tech giant was gearing up for the launch of its first iPhone in the United States, Xintong Tiandi also applied for the same trademark in China. The authorities approved the Chinese company's trademark application in 2010 under Class 18: Leather goods, Legal Daily, a local media, reported.

It is worth noting here that the Legal Daily (in Chinese language) is generally recognized as the official ambassador for China's Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission. Although the media outlet published this report toward the end of April, it has been circulated widely only recently.

Interestingly enough, the Chinese authorities declined Apple's plea to revoke Xintong Tiandi's trademark on the ground that Apple's iPhone was not a well-known product in the area when Xintong Tiandi filed its application. Since Apple's iPhone arrived in the Chinese mainland market only in 2009, the Cupertino tech titan failed to prove that the "IPHONE" brand had high visibility before Xintong Tiandi entered the market space.
On Tuesday, May 3, Microsoft has acquired Solair, the Italian startup company that built its Internet of Things (IoT) cloud applications on Microsoft's Azure platform.

Sam George, Microsoft's partner director for Azure IoT, has announced the acquisition on a blog post. He said that Microsoft is excited about the talent and technology that come with the acquisition. For the moment, Solair and Microsoft did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction.

With the integration of Solair that operates a cloud-based IoT platform, Microsoft involved deeper into Internet of Things technology. Solair's technology will be used by Microsoft to upgrade its Azure IoT Suite that consists a collection of cloud services provided to companies that want to use the Internet of Things.

Solair's technology offers IoT services focused on a variety of markets, including inventory management, remote maintenance, smart metering and home automation. Microsoft did not specify what it will use of Solair's technology but more details on the integration of the two companies are expected to be released later.

According to PC World, MachNation analyst Dima Tokar wrote in a commentary that Microsoft acquired Solair for its technology rather than for its customer base. Azure represents an important part of Microsoft's corporate strategy.

The high-tech company is aiming to convince more customers to use its cloud offerings. Acquisitions like this one could get more companies to buy into the Azure ecosystem, especially for new applications driven by IoT.

According to CIO Today, Solair was founded in 2011 with the mission to develop IoT solutions for the enterprise business market. Since its launch, the company has created applications for predictive maintenance for Bosch Rexroth, remote monitoring of AEG Power Solutions' uninterruptible power supplies and electricity optimization for Japan-based manufacturer Aiwa.

Microsoft's Azure Internet of Things suite is designed to help enterprise customers apply data analytics to improve efficiency, monitor a wide variety of systems and create new revenue-producing services. In order to enhance its enterprise IoT offerings, Microsoft will now integrate Solair's technology into its own.
Unmanned aircraft systems may become regulars in aiding people's lives. Drones, as they are famously called, would be the one of the highlights in this year's Xponential 2016 convention.

Robotics experts and drone creators would be gathering in one of the biggest conventions of the year in the city of New Orleans, reports NBC News. An estimated 55 countries would be participating in the said event, from farming to oil and gas, even national security.

The Xponential 2016 would be attended by almost 8,000 people, who would need to prepare themselves for talks on emerging advances in adaptive technology for all. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta would be one of the event speakers, together with Gur Kimchi, who is the vice-president and co-founder of Amazon Prime Air. There is also a $15,000 prize plus a 1-1 mentorship available for tech startups that would be pitching their companies to a group of industry experts, according to the publication.

In related news, IHS Jane's 360 reported on the U.S. military's take to turn its efforts toward looking for solutions with unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) that are being used for on and off road challenges.

Major Michael Dvorak said that the U.S. armed forces have been concentrating mostly on upgrading explosive ordinances as well as creation of device systems, which are set to counter explosives. He says that the military must be on the lookout for other capabilities, which would prove helpful in autonomous driving tactics.

These systems have long been in hibernation from getting further developed as goals for 2016 to 2021 and 2022 to 2031, according to Major Dvorak. He hopes that with the new tech being introduced in the Xponential 2016 convention, it would give the boost the military needed. The military's next work would constitute largely on working further with autonomous and tactical vehicle operations, as per the news agency.
Australias largest plastic/steel packaging maker needs the cloud to enable on boarding of new acquisitions, to harness IoT, and to support its international expansion.

Pact Group is the largest Australian and New Zealand manufacturer of packaging and other products. It primarily converts plastic resin and steel into packaging and related products for a broad range of food, personal care, industrial and materials handling. It has also expanded into Asia and is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

The company has made almost 50 acquisitions since 2002 and its traditional on-premise model computing presented challenges for the standardisation of infrastructure platforms and applications when integrating these businesses into the parent company.

Pact has aggressive growth plans coupled with a drive for efficiency and integrated automated manufacturing that requires significant scale and capability from our technology, said Michael Ross, CIO, Pact Group. We needed to have elasticity in the compute space and in the platform to support that growth.

These demands have seen Pact make a deliberate and strategic shift to Microsoft cloud technology over the past several years. Most recently, Pact Group upgraded to the latest release of SAP with SQL 2014 and optimised the server architecture for hybrid cloud deployment. The move to SQL Server 2014 means that Pact Group now needs only 25% of the storage capacity required to run the SAP system, which significantly reduces the cost of storage for the new Azure-based SAP environments. Savings in storage also cascades down to create savings in the cost of backup.

Also, Pact Group migrated its development and quality assurance SAP environments from an existing on-premises data centre to Microsoft Azure and built a new, highly available production disaster recovery (DR) environment in Azure using SQL AlwaysOn technology.

As the core enterprise platform for the business across sales, manufacturing, and finance, SAP is used around the clock, said Ross. Azure enables us to offset cost by scheduling shut-down of workloads that are not required on a 24x7 basis. If we need infrastructure for tactical deployments, we can respond quickly with nearly unlimited capacity while we are managing an acquisition; then, when completed, we can switch it off. We pay just for what we use.

The hyper-scale of the Azure platform gives the company greater elasticity in the resource, and easily allows for increased capacity for specific periods of time, to scale up or down to meet the demands of a growing and agile business.

One of the companys cloud projects also included a transition to Office 365, and this investment has already paid significant dividends, according to Ross. Office 365 is part our overall vision to create a flexible and collaborative working environment as we onboard new businesses, and this has significant benefits for our workforce. We have rolled out the platform to more than 1,700 employees, who are now collaborating on Office 365 in ways we couldnt have previously imagined.

The next step in Pacts cloud journey is to gather more data via machine learning and the Internet of Things sensors. Soon, the company plans to be capturing data from sensors which will need to be analysed to deliver insights, drive intelligence and improve products.

Increasingly were focused on integrated automated manufacturing. This sees us integrating multiple data sources across our core platforms as well an ever increasing number of sensors and robots across our manufacturing lines. So we need to create an open network to consolidate these, and when this occurs, analytics tools available in the cloud like Power BI will be extremely important.

With this growth into the cloud and a focus on machine learning and the Internet of Things, Pact Group will continue to leverage its existing investment in Microsofts Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) to provide more granular control of information assets. This will be complemented by a Windows 10 deployment, which is expected to be completed by October 2016.
Australia is leading in IT budget growth, execution of digital transformation initiatives, and API strategy adoption.

MuleSoft, a provider of the leading platform for building application networks, has released its 2016 Connectivity Benchmark Report (registration required for a free report).

Based on a survey of 802 IT decision makers (ITDMs) globally, it explores IT challenges and the role of APIs in meeting digital transformation. The report revealed that Australia is leading in IT budget growth, execution of digital transformation initiatives and API strategy adoption, among the countries surveyed.

The survey found 73% of Australian organisations are executing on digital transformation strategies  more than any other country surveyed  with 43% reporting significant progress. However, just 4% have completed their digital transformation goals. The results also showed roadblocks to progress with Australia reporting the highest level of misalignment between business priorities and IT investments, as well as the lack of executive support.

Following are highlights from the report.

Despite Expanded Budget and IT Teams, Australia Sees Low Confidence in Meeting Digital Transformation Goals

The study revealed that 42% of Australian organisations significantly increased their IT budget in 2016  almost double the next highest respondents, the United States (21%) and the United Kingdom (23%). Australia also has more human resources to put that budget to use. 74% of Australian organisations expanded IT teams significantly or somewhat in 2016, compared to 62% globally.

However, despite the investment in financial and human resources, only 15% of Australian ITDMs were very confident they will meet 2016 digital transformation goals and only 10% were very confident they have all the resources they need to achieve those goals.

Hurdles to Transformation

While most organisations are pursuing digital transformation, IT teams are focusing on tactical, incremental activities rather than transformational initiatives, such as creating new sources of revenue. Globally, 44% of ITDMs named improving existing business processes as their top digital initiative, with just 8% mentioning new revenue channels for existing services and/or new products.

The top initiatives that Australian ITDMs associated with digital transformation were:

Developing web-based applications and services (80%)

Going paperless and integrating digital technologies, such as social, mobile, cloud and analytics (77%)

Adopting a new, disruptive technology, e.g. Internet of Things (72%)

The greatest challenges to executing transformation initiatives in Australia were:

Business and IT misalignment (60%, compared to a global average of 45%)

Legacy infrastructure and systems (44%)

Time constraint (42%)

Additionally, 38% of Australian organisations said a lack of the right skills and experience within the IT team and integrating siloed apps and data were challenges to achieving digital transformation initiatives. In fact, 52% of Australian organisations are integrating more than 50 applications, well ahead of the United States and Hong Kong (both 32%). 30% of Australian ITDMs said lack of executive support was an obstacle (one of the highest rates of all surveyed countries).

Ticking clock puts pressure on IT

The survey revealed time pressure on IT to deliver on line of business (LOB) initiatives quickly. While in 2015 only 5% of Australian organisations had to deliver LOB projects within three months, by 2016 that figure jumped to 12%.

Almost half of Australian ITDMs (45%) are expected to deliver a LOB initiative within six to 12 months in 2016. 38% believed digital transformation challenges, if not addressed quickly, would immediately impact business revenue.

The top three technologies Australian IT professionals usually choose to fulfil LOB requests and projects are business intelligence and analytics (73%), cloud applications (71%) and APIs (53%). Despite legacy systems being the least popular technology for LOB requests and projects, 60% of Australian respondents said they were a very important IT priority over the next year.

More than half of all Australian ITDMs (56%) said easier reuse (leveraging technology, data or business processes deployed elsewhere in the organisation could also be part of the solution you are building, instead of building something entirely new) of existing applications, data and digital resources would significantly increase the pace of digital transformation.

Modernising Legacy Systems

The burden of legacy technology is hampering ITs ability to deliver on transformative initiatives. Among the countries surveyed, Australia ranked highest for modernising legacy systems (61%, followed by Singapore at 50%) and integrating third party applications and services (56%, with the United States second at 44%) to complete digital transformation projects faster.

Australia Leads in APIs

Australia leads the countries surveyed in API strategy implementation to drive transformation: 62% of organisations already have an API strategy in place, compared to a global average of 56%, with Singapore lagging at 38%. A further 31% of Australian respondents planned to implement a strategy by the end of 2016.

Countries other than the United States also dominated use of other technologies that ITDMs choose to fulfil LOB requests and projects. The United Kingdom led in the use of cloud applications (74%, with Australia at 71%) while Sweden topped the survey for highest use of mobile (40% of organisations) and Internet of Things (50%, compared to just 17% in Australia).

APIs Are Speeding Delivery and Driving Revenue

APIs are overwhelmingly used to integrate new software with existing systems and applications and enable business teams to self-serve IT. 35% of Australian ITDMs surveyed are building and managing APIs to complete digital transformation projects faster.

Australian organisations gained more revenue through API implementations than any other country, with 44% generating more than US $5 million, compared to the United States (35%), Singapore (32%), Hong Kong (27%), the United Kingdom (23%), Sweden (14%) and the Netherlands (5%).

Australia Will Continue to Invest Heavily in APIs in 2016

45% of all Australian ITDMs said APIs were an important priority for the next year, with more dollars to be invested in APIs than Internet of Things, mobility and legacy systems.

Their top three budget items for 2016 were:

 Cloud apps (15% of IT budget)

 Business intelligence & analytics (13%)

 APIs (12%)

The survey shows Australian businesses have recognised the value of reusable assets and an API-led approach to enabling business transformation, as they outpace other countries in both implementation and resulting revenue generation, said Jonathan Stern, regional vice president of Australia and New Zealand, MuleSoft.

However, digital transformation is not just about the technology; its about transforming how a business works. To truly realise their business goals, organisations must bridge the IT-business disconnect by shifting ITs role from a centralised support function to a strategic business enabler responsible for supporting innovation, he added.

Methodology

Between March 25th and March 28th, 2016, MuleSoft surveyed 802 ITDMs globally across Australia, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. The survey assessed how organisations of all sizes are executing on digital transformation, IT challenges and technologies used to meet business goals. The surveys margin of error is +/-2.85%age points at a 90% confidence interval.
They know where you live and work. They know who you are. They know where you bank. And they are out to exploit that with a new range of designer, socially engineered, threats designed to fool you into clicking on that malware ridden link.

Sophos, a global leader in network and endpoint security has released new SophosLabs research that indicates a growing trend among cybercriminals to target and even filter out specific countries when designing ransomware and other malicious cyber attacks.

The research gathers information from millions of endpoints worldwide and is analysed by SophosLabs, a global team of internet security experts who track threats 24/7.

To lure more victims with their attacks, cyber criminals are now crafting customised spam to carry threats using regional vernacular, brands and payment methods for better cultural compatibility.

Ransomware cleverly disguised as authentic email notifications, complete with counterfeit local logos, is more believable, highly clickable and therefore more financially rewarding to the criminal.

To be as effective as possible, these scam emails now impersonate local postal companies, tax and law enforcement agencies and utility firms, including phony shipping notices, refunds, speeding tickets and electricity bills. SophosLabs has seen a rise in spam where the grammar is more often properly written and perfectly punctuated.

You have to look harder to spot fake emails from real ones, said Chester Wisniewski, senior security advisor at Sophos. Being aware of the tactics used in your region is becoming an important aspect of security.

Researchers also saw historic trends of different ransomware strains that targeted specific locations. Versions of CryptoWall predominantly hit victims in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, Germany and France, TorrentLocker attacked primarily the U.K., Italy, Australia and Spain and TeslaCrypt honed in on the U.K., U.S., Canada, Singapore, and Thailand.

The analysis also shows Threat Exposure Rates (TER) for countries during the first three months of 2016. Although Western economies are more highly targeted, they typically have a lower TER.

Nations ranked with the lowest TER include France at 5.2%, Canada at 4.6%, Australia at 4.1%, the U.S. at 3%, and the U.K. at 2.8%.

Nations with the highest percentage of endpoints exposed to a malware attack include Algeria (30.7%), Bolivia (20.3%), Pakistan (19.9%), China (18.5%) and India (16.9%).

Even money laundering is localised to be more lucrative. Credit card processing can be risky for criminals, so they started using anonymous Internet payment methods to extort money from ransomware victims, said Wisniewski. We have seen cybercriminals using local online cash-equivalent cards and purchasing locations, such as prepaid Green Dot MoneyPak cards from Walgreens in the U.S. and Ukash, which is now Paysafecard, from various retail outlets in the U.K.

The concept of filtering out specific countries has also emerged as a trend.

Cybercriminals are programming attacks to avoid certain countries or keyboards with a particular language, said Wisniewski. This could be happening for many reasons. Maybe the crooks dont want attacks anywhere near their launch point to better avoid detection. It could be national pride or perhaps theres a conspiratorial undertone to create suspicion about a country by omitting it from an attack.

Banking is an example of how cybercriminals are using location-based malware to be more prosperous. Sophos research reveals historically how Trojans and malware used to infiltrate banks, and financial institutions converge on specific regions:

Brazilian banker Trojans and variants pinpoint Brazil

Dridex is predominant in the U.S. and Germany

Trustezeb is most prevalent in German speaking counties

Yebot is popular in Hong Kong and Japan

Zbot is wider spread, but mostly in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, Australia, Italy, Spain and Japan

There is an entire cottage industry of uniquely-crafted Trojans just targeting banks in Brazil, said Wisniewski.

With cybercriminals having a deliberate hand in creating threats that look authentic and are specifically targeted, it is more difficult to recognise malicious spam. Home computer users are often a target of these attacks and should protect their systems from sophisticated malware threats.
EMC used the final general session at the EMC World 2016 conference to preview a forthcoming member of its Isilon storage family.

Isilon Nitro is the name given to a forthcoming all-flash, high-performance version of Isilon, EMC's scale-out NAS product.

"This is a groundbreaking product," EMC emerging technology division president CJ Desai told the audience.

Isilon Nitro will scale up to a full rack, and then scale out to multiple racks with over 400 nodes in total.

A maximum-size system will provide 100PB of storage with 1.5TBps of bandwidth, he said.

Isilon Nitro is said to be of particular interest to the electronic design and film and television markets, where file sizes are growing rapidly.

Desai noted that an unspecified competitor had announced a rival product, but said Isilon Nitro will provide fifty times the bandwidth and capacity at half the cost.

Isilon Nitro will go into production in 2017 following a beta release in the second half of this year.

Disclosure: The writer attended EMC World 2016 as a guest of EMC
Flash is fundamentally changing the requirements for the network in the modern data centre and Brocades Gen 6 fibre channel and IP storage networking technologies are part of EMCs all-flash offerings.

Brocade has announced that its Gen 6 Fibre Channel and IP storage networking technologies are providing a network foundation enabling customers of the to optimise the performance, availability, and reliability of their storage deployments.

EMC Unity is a modern midrange storage solution, engineered from the ground up to meet customer requirements for all-flash, affordability, flexibility and simplicity. To achieve maximum value from the EMC Unity Family of solutions, organisations require a modern storage network that is easy to deploy and manage without sacrificing performance or reliability. Brocade Gen 6 Fibre Channel and IP storage technologies provide an agile and easy-to-deploy network foundation between servers and EMC Unity all-flash and hybrid storage that eliminates bottlenecks for high-transaction, mixed workloads in flash-based arrays.

Flash is fundamentally changing the requirements for the network in the modern data centre, said Jack Rondoni, vice president of storage networking, Brocade. Brocades purpose-built networking for storage and the EMC Unity solution form the perfect union of simplicity, performance and affordability that will support any storage deployment. Brocade Gen 6 Fibre Channel and IP storage networking will unleash the full power and efficiencies of EMC flash storage.

Complementing the EMC Unity solutions simplicity and ease of use, Brocade Fabric Vision technology simplifies network management through innovative monitoring and diagnostics to anticipate and preempt problems before they impact operations. This technology leverages Brocades 20 years of best practices in automating complex tasks, resulting in a dramatic reduction in operational costs.

Brocade is a trusted name in the world of demanding data centre networks, Jeff Boudreau, senior vice president and general manager, Core Technologies Division, EMC Corporation. Brocade Fibre Channel and IP storage networking solutions are ideally suited to extend the simplicity, flexibility and performance features that the EMC Unity solution provides.

Availability

Brocade storage switches and related storage management software are branded and sold by EMC as part of the EMC Connectrix product family through EMC channel partners.
Malaysia Airlines will be using Amadeus technology to expand its services throughout Australia and to increase passenger service and satisfaction levels.

Amadeus will supply a new Passenger Service System (PSS) - the Amadeus Altea Suite. Its a huge step forward for Malaysia Airlines and will enable it to expand services in Australia and from its Kuala Lumpur hub as well as manage reservations, inventory, departure control, ticketing, passenger selfservice check-in, departure control and e-commerce.

It will be able to offer travellers enhanced speed and convenience, a sophisticated web booking experience, state of the art mobile applications and bundled offers to suit individual needs. Passengers can expect a leaner, more agile experience, from booking tickets to pre-purchasing excess baggage, meals and managing loyalty points, all at the click of a button. The suite also includes comprehensive analytics for continuous improvement.

Malaysia Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer, Christoph Mueller said, "We are determined to give Malaysia Airlines the technology platform it needs to provide the worlds best services to our customers. The move to Amadeus, underpinned by a ground breaking continuous release approach to development, will truly put Malaysia Airlines at the leading edge of airline technology globally."

Hazem Hussein, Executive Vice President, Airline Commercial, Amadeus Asia Pacific added, We are pleased to be selected by Malaysia Airlines to help the airline optimise its operations and revolutionise the customer experience. By choosing Altea, Malaysia Airlines will join a strong group of more than 120 forward-thinking airlines that understand the necessity of flexibility and customer centricity that our technology is able to bring to its operations.



The agreement will also ensure Malaysia Airlines have even greater co-operation with its codeshare partners and within the oneworld alliance, enabling a streamlined customer experience between member airlines.

With this advanced technology, Malaysia Airlines will reinvent itself and be well-equipped to embrace the complex and dynamic conditions in this ever-changing global airline market.
Ever hired a car at the airport? Ever experienced the pain of paying about 30% more than you need to just for an airport pick-up?

According to Chris Noone, CEO of DriveMyCar, Australias largest peer-to-peer car rental platform, travellers can easily avoid the surcharges  being slugged hidden rental costs for airport rentals.

Noone said DriveMyCar has waged war on exorbitant airport car rental prices and has now expanded its popular services to one of Australias busiest airports - Melbourne (Tullamarine) - offering rates significantly lower than traditional rental companies. It already offers an airport service in Brisbane and Sydney.

iTWire first reported on Noone's Collaborate Corporation - a sharing economy start-up last June  at its launch of DriveMyCaravan. Its take was The sharing economy has legs! It is all about Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) transactions and the most efficient use of owned assets. Most analysts get the idea, but a few say it is unfair creating competition between established businesses (taxi companies in the case of Uber and hotel rooms in the case of Airbnb). Regardless of your point of view, sharing will not go away, and it is good to see that all of the above facilitation services include insurance and bonds to give owners some peace of mind.

Noone is on a mission  expose the rip-off and has provided a comparison of car costs (iTWire cannot vouch for the accuracy, but it seems fair)

Company Car Daily Rate Days Total DriveMyCar Intermediate (Nissan Pulsar) $27.57 4 $110.28 Thrifty Compact (Toyota Corolla) $46.25 4 $185.00 Redspot Intermediate (Nissan Pulsar) $47.26 4 $189.04 Avis Intermediate (Toyota Corolla) $52.03 4 $208.10 Budget Standard (Nissan Pulsar) $52.75 4 $210.99 Hertz Intermediate (Toyota Corolla) $56.27 4 $225.06 Europcar Standard (Toyota Corolla) $66.36 4 $265.42

[Prices accurate at 3 May 2016. Click here for 7 and 10-day price comparisons]

Together with Easy Airport Parking, DriveMyCar provides a number of benefits for those picking up or dropping off at Melbourne Airport, including:

Pick up and return services available from 7 am - 10 pm, seven days a week

A free shuttle service operating between Easy Airport Parking and Tullamarine Airport

Rent vehicles from 4 to 365 days

Since 2010, DriveMyCar has paid out $5 million to Aussie car owners who use the platform to rent out their private vehicles, helping them make extra money from their underutilised vehicles. The proliferation of DriveMyCar, which is used by more than 26,000 members around Australia, is a sign that people are ditching traditional car rental companies and turning to the sharing economy to find a more affordable and superior experience.
Partner recognition programs not only raise the level of service but set benchmarks for others to ascribe to.

WatchGuard Technologies, a leader in multi-function firewalls, has announced its best performing Australian and New Zealand business partners at the companys annual partner conference staged this year in Queenstown, New Zealand.

More than 40 WatchGuard partners attended the annual event which included seminar sessions aimed at both technical and business audiences as well as networking dinners and activities. The event was co-sponsored by WatchGuards ANZ Distributors Dicker Data and Exclusive Networks (Australia) and exeed Pty Ltd (New Zealand).

The forum provided attendees with an overview of the latest developments in global cyber security issues as well as in-depth opportunities for discussion and feedback on the companys recent product innovations.

The partner awards were announced as part of the events gala dinner evening which featured dinner at one of New Zealands top restaurants, Rata Dining.

David Higgins, ANZ Regional Director, WatchGuard Technologies, said, The awards are a testament to our partners success in servicing the requirements of corporate and public sector demand for the feature rich WatchGuard security solutions. At the same time, it gives us great pleasure to recognise and reward the commitment and support of all our partners who played a major role in the companys sales growth and performance across the region in 2015.

The 2016 partner awards recognise channel partners that have met specific certification and partner program requirements in addition to their revenue performance. The Founding Partner award was newly introduced this year to recognise WatchGuard ANZs longest standing partner that is still achieving strong results in 2016.

And the winners are!

Distributor of the Year - Dicker Data won based on its performance.

Partner of the Year and Top Gold Partner of the Year - Systemnet based on the companys net financial contribution through sales of WatchGuard solutions in the last financial year and participation in the WatchGuardONE channel program.

Top Deal of 2015 - Sydney-based AKCS won based on its work with the New South Wales Cancer Council.

Founding Partner - Melbourne-based Solutions Plus Australia.

New Partner of the Year - Brisbane-headquartered specialist IT supplier, Shiloh Marketing Services.

Partner of the Year for Most Innovative Growth - Elmtree, a complete IT hardware, software, telecommunication, and service supplier.

Top Silver Partner 2015 - Melbourne-based Think Technology.

Also, WatchGuard Technologies announced that out of the attending partners, AKCS, ASI Solutions, Elmtree Consulting, iT360, ITRO, Login Systems, Netier, Qtec, Silverfern, Systemnet, Territory Technology Solutions, Think Technology and Viatek have all received WatchGuard Gold Plaques to recognise their commitment to the WatchGuardONE channel program.

David Cohen (Systemnet), Sean Price (WatchGuard VP of Worldwide Sales), Bruno Ianni (Systemnet), David Higgins (WatchGuard Regional Director for ANZ).
This is the fastest mobile data speed in New Zealand and three times faster than the highest recorded speed on the Spark network.

The new technology enabled at Spark's Hereford Street exchange in Christchurch, has been deployed on a combination of 2300MHz spectrum - only acquired by Spark a few weeks ago - and the existing 2600MHz and 700MHz range.

There are no phones or modems in New Zealand that currently support the full range of 4.5G features, which means the Spark network is now ahead of devices.

However, a number of devices including the Huawei P9, Samsung Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6s support some of the features that make up 4.5G, so customers with these devices will be able to enjoy download speeds at least twice as fast, when they are connected to the Hereford Street mobile site.

4.5G is an evolution of the 4G technology that is already available to 90% of where New Zealanders work, live and play on the Spark network, and until now has not been trialled or commercially available in New Zealand.

Central Christchurch has been chosen as the first location for deployment, but Spark customers can expect more areas to be enabled with 4.5G as compatible devices become available.

Huawei South Pacific President David Wei said "The 4G network we have built with Spark is already one of the world's best. This next generation 4.5G technology allows us to take full advantage of Spark's spectrum investment to achieve incredible speeds and bandwidth."
Managing projects of all sizes and levels of complexities is part of business, regardless of what vertical industry youre talking about. Software development is no different. New in-house software development and implementations, infrastructure related projects, enhancements or upgrades, and the increasing development of web-based solutions and mobile apps are a constant within the software industry.

The software industry is in an endless and rapid state of flux, influenced greatly by the globalization of a plethora of product and service offerings. There are various types of projects undertaken by the software industry and equally as many challenges, including the following:

Globalization causing high competition.

Older legacy systems and infrastructure issues.

Adoption rates and time to market pressures.

SaaS offerings taking over.

Internal sourcing or outsourcing.

Sufficient software requiring specific expertise.

Integration and interface issues.

Multiple software bug testing & resolution iterations.

Multiple and complex user level requirements.

Difficulty attracting and retaining applicable talent.

ROI (return on investment).

Evolving revenue recognition requirements/reporting for software companies

The software industry is highly complex, requiring workers with both industry-specific skills as well as the requisite software development expertise. Identifying the relevant people with the appropriate level of proficiency and knowledge for dev projects is no easy task.

The software industry is also one of the fastest moving and evolving industries, creating an environment where companies can go under as fast as they started, due to domestic and international competition. Business owners, executives, middle management and all other employees working in this field are continually pressured to keep up, and project management professionals are under even more pressure to ensure the successful execution of projects.

Its not enough to only know about project management. Project managers must also keep pace with this fast-moving industry in order to anticipate possible risk, quality, integration, financial and other factors that may hinder the chances of a successful project. These factors may apply to many industries but due to the speed at which technology changes, and competition increases the pressure to deliver projects on time, on budget, and with the quality standards expected, managing projects in the software industry can feel like being in a pressure cooker.

Here are some of the challenges that have a large impact specifically on project management within the software industry.

1. Globalization causing extremely high competition

If your business is in the software industry and has a great idea, odds are another software company may have ready thought of it; if not, there may be no away to determine how close another company is to developing it. Time to market pressures is a stressful reality in the software industry. Competition can be local or international and impact software companies in terms of pricing structures, customer reach, customer retention, service level agreements and a host of other factors.

Project managers will need to work closely with business owners, executives and other stakeholders to flush out all factors that may impact the successfulness of software related projects. There have been many software companies that have developed and implemented terrific software only to find the return on their investment was simply not there due to high competition.

2. Legacy systems and infrastructure issues

Often businesses have invested significant financial and human resources implementing, enhancing, maintaining and patching older legacy systems and infrastructures. As a result, there may be great reluctance to replace them, even if these systems no longer meet their needs, creating a scenario where it is an uphill battle for innovative software companies to get their foot in the door, even though they have a top-notch solution that businesses can greatly benefit from.

If and when they do manage to convey the benefits to a company and are successful, project managers typically still have an uphill battle working with various stakeholders who are personally vested in older legacy systems and infrastructure, making them change resistant. In order to gain buy-in, it is critical for project managers to be able to clearly convey all benefits to stakeholders and find ways to alleviate their fears.

3. Sufficient software specific expertise

The software selection process can be time-consuming and tedious for business owners and executives, and when it comes to implementations, finding project management professionals with the relevant experience can be just as difficult, whether in-house or outsourced. While there are general systems project implementation skill sets, it may be necessary in most cases, especially when it comes to large ERP implementations, to seek project managers who are highly experienced implementing those specific systems. As a general rule, the more complex the system, project implementation, and the larger the organization, the more likely direct system related project implementation experience will be required.

4. SaaS offerings taking over

With increasing frequency, older legacy systems and large ERP systems are being replaced with Saas offerings, enabling small, mid-siz and large businesses to access the same or better features and capabilities without outlaying large amounts of valuable capital. Companies are subscribing to this model because they are able to redirect larger amounts of capital towards other projects that may be more value added to the overall business strategy. They are able to instead allocate operating funds towards outsourced monthly SaaS offerings that provide what they need and are more scalable and flexible.

Additionally, they no longer need to account for and deal with depreciation issues. It also may be more cost-effective and more efficient to have an outside vendor take care of maintenance and service-related requests that companies otherwise would have to hire additional staff for. Often times project managers work for these outsourced SaaS vendors and are highly experienced in implementations with that exact type of software, taking a lot of pressure off of the companys leadership. That said, the business strategy, project alignment, and other due diligence still remains a responsibility of the leadership.

5. Multiple complicated user level requirements

Businesses require system users at multiple levels, some may be basic users, some may be power users, administrators and some may be strictly IT users. When it comes to systems implementations project managers in the software industry need to be versed in all the different types of users with specific systems, and the types of user access rights and permissions for each. This can range from complex to extremely complicated depending on the system.

Some businesses utilize user-specific models or role-based models. There is a fair amount of technical knowledge that is required to ensure systems implementation projects go smoothly and user level requirements are properly and fully addressed to ensure internal controls are followed correctly. This is particularly critical with financial systems implementations, where there is a need to accurately adhere to GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles), adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

6. Third-party integration and interface issues

Software vendors can no longer develop standalone solutions. There is an increasing need for third-party integration, making it more complex for project managers as they are under pressure to increase their knowledge and experience with other software that may interface with the one they are implementing. To some degree, it can be as if they are implementing multiple systems within one project. For example, if a project manager is implementing a financial management system, including G/L, A/P and A/R and financial reporting modules, these may interface with applications from external payment vendors, financial institutions, contract management, CRM or other vendor software. In this case, the project manager may be required to work with third-party vendors and have sufficient knowledge of these other systems to ensure data is accessed and passed correctly between these systems.

7. Quality testing and bug fixes requiring numerous software iterations

In this industry systems implementation projects are plenty and constant. Within these projects, various iterations of testing occur throughout the project cycle to ensure the actual outcome meets the intended outcome. It is common to discover issues/bugs throughout the testing phases that require fixing and retesting until the issues are resolved. It can be extremely difficult for project teams to isolate issues, requiring escalation to more senior IT staff/developers. Project managers need to practice sound judgment to ensure all issues are resolved prior to systems going live. The testing phase is critical in ensuring no additional rework is required after going live, and to avoid customer dissatisfaction.

8. Revenue recognition reporting requirements for the software industry

In addition to the factors mentioned above, there are specific revenue recognition requirements that are specific to the software industry that will need to be factored in throughout projects. These requirements can affect the companys day-to-day accounting as well as customer contracts and how they are executed. Project managers need to ensure reporting requirements are sufficiently addressed with a CPA/accounting professional involvement throughout the project lifecycle. Not addressing this key factor can result in consequences for a software company. The AICPA is a great resource to find out more on revenue recognition.

The software industry is extremely complicated and requires project management expertise in areas of software development, software testing and quality assurance, implementation, user security, internal controls, customer relationship management, change management, business processes and many other areas.

More on project management:
Watford come close to upsetting champions in spirited display

THE pace of the dribbling Ryan Giggs, the wiles of the canny Teddy Sheringham, the deadly finishing of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer or the powerfully applied talent of Dwight Yorke - any of these were likely to prove Watford's undoing at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

But Watford, apart from their seemingly compulsive toying with the self-destruct button, were in fact unhinged by a midfielder having a bad game.

Nicky Butt, whose self-appointment as the unofficial fourth official meant he felt compelled to debate every decision with the referee, had an otherwise undistinguished afternoon.

Charged with replacing the absent Roy Keane, Butt missed one first-half chance, but his major contribution to United's victory came in the 65th minute. It was then he got himself dismissed, having assaulted Micah Hyde who retaliated and also headed for the dressing room.

As Sir Alex Ferguson was to admit after the game, Hyde's departure proved decisive. Hyde may not have been enjoying an outstanding game, but he was the distinguished midfielder. While there is a tendency to notice him only when his over-dallying on the ball leads to problems, his continuity work alongside Steve Palmer gave Watford a platform from which they gave as good as they received for over an hour.

But, when Hyde left and Yorke started to probe from deeper, Watford's challenge in midfield dissipated.

Even then, Watford provided the circumstances for their own downfall. Chamberlain's poor misclearance, straight to Sheringham, was bad enough, but the keeper will be disappointed at being beaten by a relatively tame, if well-placed drive, by Yorke - the ball going across the face of goal.

The most cardinal of defensive errors is to leave the most forward-placed opponent unmarked, but that is precisely what happened when Giggs was allowed to lob Chamberlain for the second.

Two unforced errors were followed by a mistake under pressure - Page's hapless back-pass under challenge from Cruyff enabled the United player to go through and beat the stranded keeper.

It was disappointing for the afternoon had promised much. The game had started with less of an atmosphere than had been engendered by Arsenal's visit, probably because of the disappointment felt at not being able to see the likes of Cole, Stam, Beckham, Keane and Scholes.

Of course, United were without five of their recognised first team, but then Watford were also short. Smart was injured and such has been the length of time Wright and Noel-Williams have been unavailable, we tend to forget they were key members of the first team before falling foul of injuries.

Further, neither Wooter, who surprisingly remained anchored to the bench, nor Mooney, could be talked about in terms of match-fitness.

The talismanic Mooney came on for the second half, producing one memorable and fulminating shot, which was matched by a superb save, and one bad miss, which would probably have been dispatched but for the timing lost by months of inaction since he sustained his injury in September.

Foley, who seemed to be brought down from the attic to be propelled into this quality fixture, did well in the first half, forcing the United keeper to a couple of saves.

Towards the end, as United's talent found more room to develop and exploit weaknesses following the dismissals, Watford thought in terms of a disciplined approach, bringing on Gibbs to police Giggs in place of the flagging Cox.

That was understandable but while Johnson was being prepared to come on in place of the tiring Helguson, United scored, so leaving Watford with six minutes in which to try and retrieve something from an enjoyable afternoon. Wooter would have seemed a better option in those circumstances.

Much earlier, it was the quality of Watford's display which raised the expectations and the enthusiasm of the crowd, and this was further fuelled by the Hornets taking the lead.

United were unimpressive and, although Yorke's introduction at the interval did provide extra impetus, they did not create a clear-cut chance in the second half, until after Hyde and Butt had exchanged calling cards.

Despite the defensive failings, there were positive points. Darren Ward did well, as did David Perpetuini, who would appear to be settling in, but the undoubted success among the youthful triumvirate was Tommy Smith. He gave experienced defenders plenty of problems, looked confident in possession and not overawed. In addition, he took his goal superbly, capitalising on the 'dog-legging' Neville to beat the offside trap.

As for the action, United should have been ahead after six minutes when Butt went through and shot straight at Chamberlain after good work by Sheringham and Solskjaer. Van Der Gouw was more extended when he had to tip wide from an enterprising Foley shot, but, after Smith cut in past Berg, his shot failed to trouble the keeper.

Watford enjoyed a territorial edge to the first half, but the only further significant opening came when Giggs by-passed Robinson, but his low shot was stopped by Chamberlain.

Three minutes into the second half, Mooney came in on the blind side of Berg and, as he challenged, the ball fell loose. Mooney swung a leg at it but missed his connection and United survived a critical moment.

Greening and Giggs had shots but failed to find a way through and it was not until both sides were reduced to 10 men that the visitors broke through.

They duly equalised and then took the lead, but Watford went close to pulling back on terms when Mooney conjured a superb shot matched by Van Der Gouw's save.

Chamberlain saved to Giggs just a few minutes before United grabbed the winner.
Library bond unanimously approved Voters waited in line for 45 minutes Tuesday to participate in an eight-minute meeting that resulted in the unanimous approval of a $600,000 bond to help renovate the North Road...

Ferryboat business told to halt operations The ferryboat company operating from the municipally owned docks at East Ferry is illegally using that space, according to correspondence mailed to business owner Bill Munger. Town Administrator Jamie Hainsworth...

A DOGGONE NEW BUSINESS A former business that used to clean peoples clothes is reopening as a groomer to tidy up the fur of those peoples four-legged companions. The defunct laundromat at the McQuades...
President Barack Obama fulfilled his promise to visit Flint, Michigan. And to dispel the fears resulting from its recent Flint water crisis, he sipped a glass of filtered water sourced from one of its faucets.

The POTUS visited Flint to review the progress being made to solve the city's lead contamination of its water supply. After he was induced by a reporter to taste the water, the president said he does not normally engage in such "stunts" but he nevertheless did it to prove that the water is safe even for children older than 6.

"Filtered water is safe and it works," said Obama. He added that "filters are now available for everyone in the city."

A previous report indicated that the president's party arrived on Tuesday ahead of their planned arrival at Bishop International Airport. There are a number of planned events on the north and south sides of the city with government officials as well as some residents.

This report also said that the arrival of Barack Obama and his party is closed to the public. In addition, the White House did not say whether or not the general public will be permitted to attend his speech at the Northwestern High School.

The president said the Flint water crisis offered the chance to rebuild the economically strapped city and make it better. But he admitted that it will take two years to change the pipes that caused the lead poisoning of the city's water supply.

Lead contaminated water from old underground mains has leached into the city's water supply. The presence of too much lead in drinking water leads to behavioral problems and permanent brain damage, particularly in young children.

As many as 100,000 residents in Flint, composed mostly of African-American descent did not enjoy safe drinking water since 2014. With the visit of Obama and his promise of a permanent fix, the Flint water crisis will hopefully be solved permanently.
Apple has just lost its exclusive right to use the iPhone trademark in China after a ruling against the company was recently issued by the Beijing Municipal High People's Court.

The tech giant, however, keeps the right to the trademark for electronic goods, while a local company which uses the name for its leather goods is still allowed to do so.

This ruling was reported by the Legal Daily, which is widely recognized as the China's official mouthpiece for its Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, according to BBC.

The dispute over the iPhone trademark has been going on for many years in this country.

Apple Inc originally applied for the trademark in 2002, specifically for electronics goods category only, approximately five years prior to the debut of the iPhone. The request was not granted at that time.

Five years later, in 2007, a Chinese company, Xinton Tiandi Technology applied for the trademark for leather goods and was granted its request in 2010. The Cupertino, CA-based company appealed twice in 2012 with China's trademark authority and a lower Beijing court. But both appeals were denied since it cannot show it is a well-known brand in China.

Apple then appealed to the Beijing Municipal High People's Court. But this court rejected the company's appeal on March 31.

"Apple could appeal this case to the Supreme People's Court in Beijing and they probably will," said Ted Chwu, a partner and lawyer who specializes in intellectual property at the Bird & Bird, a law firm in Hong Kong, according to Bloomberg.

"If you've got the budget to make a huge commercial splash then you should expect that splash to attract attention in the wrong way," he added.

This is not the first time Apple Inc suffered this fate. In Mexico, it lost its right for local traders to use the iPhone brand in 2014 because a local firm had already trademarked iFone in 2003.
Recent U.S. election 2016 news revealed that small business owners are concerned over this year's presidential race. The results of this election would definitely bring about changes in the industry and market.

U.S. News reported that the U.S. election 2016 is making small business owners anxious. In turn, this could cause problems for job creation and domestic hiring in the future.

On Tuesday, the Bank of America posted its Small Business Owner Report and the results of its survey. It was revealed that more than two-thirds of about 1,000 business owners were "somewhat concerned" about how the U.S. election 2016 results would impact their respective businesses.

About 68 percent of the survey participants admitted that taxes are part of their primary concerns. 67 percent said that they are anxious over the broader economy and job growth. 55 percent confessed that they were worried about how the U.S. election 2016 results would have an impact on the health care policy.

"Anxiety is high regarding the impact of the fall elections, the effectiveness of U.S. government leaders and health care costs, possibly explaining why small businesses are taking a wait-and-see approach before making plans for hiring and growth," Robb Hilson, small business executive at Bank of America, said in the report. "Nearly 4 out of 5 (79 percent) small business owners express concern over the effectiveness of U.S. government leaders."

In another survey conducted by Capital One on Monday, it was revealed that 1 in 4 small business owners is more concerned about the U.S. election 2016 than "competition, hiring and retaining talent and the regulatory environment." The respective survey's participants also had worries over tax policies, the economy and health care.

Capital One's head of small business banking Keri Gohman noted that the U.S. election 2016 is a "critical time for small businesses" since the whole country is expecting a change in leadership. Of course, the change would bring about new opportunities as well as new challenges.
One of the biggest and most significant hacks was revealed today. Apparently, Google, Yahoo and Hotmail accounts are among the stolen credentials currently being traded in Russia. A very large number of Mail.ru accounts have also been compromised.

Reuters broke the story and they spoke with Alex Holden, founder and chief information officer of Hold Security. He said, This information is potent. It is floating around in the underground and this person has shown he's willing to give the data away to people who are nice to him." He added, "These credentials can be abused multiple times."

Holden said that Hold Security researchers were alerted to the breach when a Russian hacker bragged online about a cache of stolen credentials which tops up at 1.17 billion records. After sifting through the files, Hold found out that included in the breach are 57 million Mail.ru accounts. Public statements from last year show that active monthly users of the mail provider are at 64 million-so a great majority of its users are in danger of fraud and other cyber attacks.

In addition to this, "tens of millions" of Gmail, Microsoft and Yahoo accounts were also part of the data dump. But it does not end there. Even unspecified German and Chinese email providers are included and combined they account for hundreds of thousands of entries. However, since it is apparently Hold Security's policy not to pay for stolen data, the hacker agreed to give the data dump in exchange for positive comments in hacker forums.

The risk of theft, phishing, break-ins and identity theft in multiple accounts multiplies the danger considerably since many people use the same password for their major accounts. Since email accounts are primary accounts, it is more than possible that banking and social media accounts can be hacked as well.

Mail.ru has also come out with a statement saying, "As soon as we have enough information we will warn the users who might have been affected." The email added that their initial checks have yielded no results for live combinations of usernames and passwords contained in the data dump.
Andrew Sullivan has written an admirably informedthough crucially flawedessay on Donald Trump for the May 2 issue of New York, in which he draws attention to the perhaps ironic underside of the liberal triumph in the culture wars:

This is an age in which a woman might succeed a black man as president, but also one in which a member of the white working class has declining options to make a decent living. . . . A struggling white man in the heartland is now told to check his privilege by students at Ivy League colleges.

Rather than respond to their victory in the culture wars with magnanimity, as Sullivan suggests, the so-called social-justice warriors stepped up their attack on the losers in the culture wars, rubbing their noses against the grates of political correctness.

But Trump, aided and abetted by his media-savvy, Twitter, and Internet forays, arose from the rubble like an angry genie. The web, notes Sullivan, fuels precisely what the Founders feared about democratic culture. It encourages feeling, emotion, and narcissism, rather than reason, empiricism, and public-spiritedness. Trump, notes Sullivan, pledged above all to take on the increasingly despised elites. And as the people thrill to him as a kind of solution, a democracy willingly, even impetuously, repeals itself.

Sullivan warns that those who assume Trumps ugly, thuggish populism has no chance of making it to the White House are mistaken. Neo-fascist movements like Trumps, he writes, first transform the terms of the debate, create a new movement based on untrammeled emotion, take over existing institutions, and then ruthlessly exploit events. Sullivan concludes by warning that, for Americas liberal democracy and constitutional order, Trump is an extinction-level event. He makes his case with artful references to Platos fears of democracy (shared by the Founding Fathers), Eric Hoffers writing about true believers, and the model for a fascist takeover of America laid out by Sinclair Lewis in his 1935 novel It Cant Happen Here.

Whats striking is whats not in the essay. Barack Obama, the most divisive president since Richard Nixon, barely makes a cameo appearance. And Hillary Clinton is mentioned only insofar as shes offered Sullivans advice.

Sullivan effusively endorsed Obama in 2008. Obama, insisted Sullivan, would restore the rule of law and Constitutional balance while bringing America back to fiscal reason. Since then, the presidents performance has not changed Sullivans mind. The national debt has doubled under Obama, but Sullivan, like the president himself, blames Republicans. As late as October 2013, Sullivan wrote on his blog: Many of us found in Barack Obama a very post-ideological president, a pragmatist, a Christian, and a traditional family man, and naively believed that he could both repair the enormous damage done by the Bush-Cheney administration and simultaneously reach out to the red states as well. I refuse to say the failure is his. Because he tried. Sullivan seems to be the last true believer in the wisdom of Obamas stimulus, most of which went to pork barrel projects. But, as Sullivan sees it, Obama was not to blame, because he got zero votes from House Republicans for a desperately needed stimulus in his first weeks in office.

Obamas ties with Bill Ayers, Rod Blagojevich, and the ranting Reverend Wright held little or no interest for Sullivan. He hadnt the slightest concern with the intersection of Chicago-style patronage politics and left-wing ideology as it coalesced in the Obama presidency. Al Sharpton became a White House regular under Obamas moderate administration. Sullivans admonitions about Trump, accurate as they are, would have more credence if he had been willing to criticize Obama for fanning the flames of racial hostility in the aftermath of Ferguson.

What Sullivan misses is that Trump wasnt possible without Obama. You didnt have to be a white, male, working-class voter to be stunned by Obamas unprecedented assertion of executive power. Obamas argument time and again was that he had to bypass Congress because he was in a hurry. When he claimed that things needed to be done quickly, he promised to govern with his telephone and a pen. He not only refused to enforce Americas border laws; he also claimed the right to legalize undocumented workers by executive action. He forged an international agreement with the Iranian mullahs by winning approval for the deal with the U.N.bypassing constitutionally required support from the Senate. Obama unilaterally revised Obamacares rules without any pretense of seeking legislative approval.

It was Obama who showed that ignorance was no obstacle, and sheer demagoguery worked. When Obama spoke of the Austrians speaking Austrian, talked of 57 states, and referred to a naval translator as a corpsemen, it produced barely a murmur. When he met at the White House with the activists who incited those who laid waste to a section of Ferguson, Missouri, he instructed them to stay the course. That produced but a faint rustling.

Our postmodern president, a good friend of mine points out, has proved that facts dont matter. The weakest economic recovery in post-World War II history has been sold as a rousing success. We increased our troop levels in Iraq, but miraculously we still dont have any boots on the ground. The man who told his supporters, If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun, was sold to America by the New York Times, the New Yorker, and the networks as a post-partisanone who somehow found a way to blame Republicans for all the countrys ills. Obama also showed that bullying the Supreme Courtcalling them out for their Citizens United decision in a State of the Union addresscould pay dividends down the road. An intimidated Chief Justice John Roberts used pretzel-like logic to redefine the Obamacare mandate as a tax, though the administration had insisted that it was nothing of the kind.

Most of the maladies Sullivan attributes to Trump were incorporated into American politics by the man he deeply admires, the man whose face alone, Sullivan suggested, proved his worthBarack Obama. Sullivan rightly sees the danger of democracy willingly, even impetuously, repealing itself. That repeal began under the man sitting in the Oval Office today.

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Two State Reps  One from Cincinnati  Want to Raise 'Subminimum Wage' for Ohio Disabled

Ohio's disabled can currently earn the states subminimum wage of $4.25 an hour, and sometimes less.
RALEIGH  Primary ballots in 20 North Carolina counties, including Forsyth County, still are being examined nearly two months after the March 15 election vote to ensure a photo identification law enforced for the first time and other voting laws were implemented correctly.

State election officials said such audits are designed to promote statewide uniformity by county election officials and local precinct workers on how provisional ballots will be counted or handled in advance of the fall election. A smaller review occurred after the May 2014 primary.

This is about making sure the results are correct but it is also about making sure the counties are educated about issues, state board Executive Director Kim Strach said Wednesday. In November, we wont have this ability.

The scrutiny means primary election results for president, governor and many other races still arent official. State law requires the state board make general election results official in a few weeks. There is no such requirement for primary results. Congressional primary races were delayed until June 7 because of redistricting litigation.

More than 40,000 provisional ballots were cast for the March 15 election, nearly double the amount in the last presidential year primary in May 2012, according to State Board of Elections data.

A potential voter casts a provisional ballot in several circumstances, such as when there is no record of the persons voter registration, the person showed up at the wrong precinct or provided no identification. Just after the election, local election officials determine whether the person was qualified to vote. If so, their votes count.

All or some of the choices in 57 percent of the March primary provisional ballots have been counted so far.

But examinations of results in some counties completed after the elections indicate more ballots ultimately will be counted. The extra inspections arent expected to alter unofficial winners, Strach said. About 2.3 million ballots were cast in the primary.

Election officials in 18 counties were told to re-canvass results  essentially recalculating the vote totals  in light of what the state audits uncovered. Recanvassing started Monday and should be completed within a week, Strach said.

In Forsyth County, about 160 provisional ballots that werent signed by the voter still are being examined, county elections director Tim Tsujii said Wednesday.

In Durham County, the state board is closely scrutinizing provisional totals there, board general counsel Josh Lawson said, declining further comment.

Some poll workers in Forsyth County forgot to ask people to sign the provisional ballot paperwork, which printed out without a signature line.

Tsujii said precinct officials had been trained to get voters to sign the bottom of the paper.

Tsujii said Forsyth County has not been asked to re-canvass at this point, but it is still gathering information to send to the state, then it will wait for guidance.

The audits also examined how the new voter ID law was carried out.

Statewide, nearly 2,300 people who didnt present one of six forms of qualifying IDs required under the new voter ID mandate also cast provisional ballots.

The ballots usually counted when the voter also filled out a form saying they faced obstacles to obtaining an ID.

But some didnt. Strach said some counties are being asked to review those forms again to make sure their ballots werent wrongly denied.

Statewide provisional ballot data also showed more than 7,200 people who cast provisional ballots were registered in one party but wanted to vote in another partys primary  six times the number in the 2012 primary. Hall and Strach said increased interest in the presidential primary races could be the reason.
OnRamp OnRamp offers conversation and connections among the entrepreneurs who are shaping Wisconsin's economy, and brings corporations and start-ups together at statewide events. To contribute to this blog, contact Joe Kirgues at joe@gener8tor.com or Matt Cordio at matt@skillspipeline.com or Scott Resnick at resnick@hardindd.com. SHARE

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Over the years, Ive developed a deck of slides and some related spreadsheets walking through how venture investors think about valuing startups.

Ive given the talk to dozens of audiences mostly consisting of entrepreneurs and angel investors. It usually takes about an hour. Recently, I was asked to cover the subject in about ten minutes. Honestly, my first thought was that it couldnt be done.

But then, as most entrepreneurs discover early on, necessity proved the mother of invention. So, if you are looking for the basics  just the bottom line, actually  on startup valuation here it is.

Assume you are going to sell shares of your startup, Newco, to Jane VC. Like most startup venture investors, Jane wants to see a minimum 10x return on her investment; for every $1.00 she invests, she wants to get $10 back if the deal works. Now, start with the simplest case: one round of investment  Janes  takes Newco all the way to the exit.

Ok, are you with me? Now plug in the amount of money you are asking Jane VC to invest. Call it $X. Now, we know that Jane VC needs to get $10X back. That means that the total value of the exit has to be $Y where $Y = (10 * $X) * (1/Z) where Z is equal to the percentage of the company Jane VC is buying and, in our example, owns at the exit. The Z variable is the key to the entire exercise; the value that lets you back into the pre-money valuation of Janes round.

Heres how it works. Consider a Z value of 0.5: that is Jane buys one-half of Newco. Now say you want Jane to invest $2.0 million: $X is $2 million. Solve for $Y and you get $40 million. To get Jane to invest $2 million for a 50% stake in Newco (a $2 million pre-money valuation), you have to convince her that the exit transaction will generate at least $40 million of proceeds.

Lets suppose you dont want to give Jane 50% for her $2 million. You only want to give her 25% ($6 million pre-money valuation) $X is still $2 million. But Z is now 0.25. Solve for $Y and you get  $80 million. So, to get Jane to accept a 25% interest in Newco for $2 million  in effect a pre-money valuation of $6 million - you have to convince her that the exit will generate $80 million in proceeds.

Of course, in both of the above examples we assumed that Janes startup investment would not suffer further dilution; which is to say that there would be no post-Jane dilutive financings or other dilutive events. The trick here is to get Jane to agree how much future dilution her initial investment will experience after that initial investment is in the books. Call that variable FD and you have a new equation: $Y = (10 * $X) * ((1/Z)*(1/(1-FD))).

So, say you expect Janes initial $2 million investment will buy her a 50% stake that will be diluted an additional 50% before the exit. $Y = (10 * $2 million) * ((1/.50)*(1/(1-.50))). Which (trust me, or do the calculation yourself) equals $80 million. So, to get Jane to agree to exchange $2 million for a 50% interest in Newco, with the expectation that her initial investment position will be diluted another 50% before the exit, you have to convince her that the exit proceeds will be at least $80 million. If you want Jane to pay $6 million pre-money for her $2 million, with the same expected future dilution of 50%, you will need to convince her the exit proceeds will be at least $160 million. (That, by the way, is a lot of money.)

The above formula is a great way to reduce the valuation problem to its very essence. All you need to know is the amount of the startup investment; the amount of initial dilution; and the amount of future dilution. What could be shorter and sweeter than that?

Post-Script I. You can use this formula for later round financings by adjusting the cash-on-cash return multiple the later round investors require. As the company matures  meaning as the risk of getting to the exit goes down  the required return multiple will go down. Of course, the expected exit value can shift over time, too. And the expectations about future dilution. Hey  you only gave me ten minutes and the back of an envelope.

Post-Script II. The post startup round gets more interesting, valuation-wise, to the extent Jane VC participates in that round. But that would take at least twenty minutes and one whole sheet of paper to flesh out. Maybe next time.
Rich Meeusen, CEO of Badger Meter. Credit: Badger Meter Inc.

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Rich Meeusen, the president, chief executive officer and chairman of Badger Meter Inc., would receive about $8.4 million if the company were to change hands and he departed, according to filings with federal securities regulators.

Badger Meter is "exploring on a preliminary basis various options to enhance shareholder value," the company said Wednesday in a news release.

Meeusen's so-called change-in-control package is laid out in his employment and severance agreement. It says that Meeusen, 61, would receive three years' worth of salary and annual incentive compensation, along with the estimated retirement and other benefits he would have earned if he had been employed for those three years. Among the benefits included in the estimate are outplacement and financial planning services.

If he had departed on Dec. 31, 2015, following a sale, the benefit would have been worth $8.4 million, the company said in a March 8 SEC filing.

Badger Meter did not respond Thursday afternoon to a reporter's questions about Meeusen's possible compensation.

The compensation committee of Badger Meter's board  all of whom have strong Milwaukee ties  approved the agreement. That committee is headed by Steven J. Smith, who was the top executive at Journal Media Group, which was the parent company of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel before JMG was sold to Gannett Co. Inc.

Other members of the compensation committee are Gale E. Klappa, recently retired CEO of WEC Energy Group Inc.; Gail A. Lione, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University who was general counsel at Harley-Davidson Inc.; and Todd Teske, CEO at Briggs & Stratton Corp.

Meeusen has been one of the region's most high-profile executives, a lifelong Milwaukeean known for his clever quips and big ideas. He founded the Water Council in 2008 and became one of the most ardent boosters of its potential to improve the region's economy.

He also was one of the strongest supporters of the controversial right-to-work bill, promising to add jobs if it was passed and inviting Gov. Scott Walker to sign it into law on Badger Meter's factory floor in March 2015.

Reacting to news of the possibility of a sale of Badger Meter, liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now said in a news release that research in other states has shown that when right-to-work is enacted, the result is lower wages, less health care, fewer resources for schools and less workplace safety.
A former executive of MillerCoors, David Colletti of Oconomowoc, pleaded guilty Wednesday in an embezzlement that cost the company $8.6 million. Credit: Mike De Sisti

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Former MillerCoors executive David Colletti pleaded guilty Wednesday to scamming his ex-employer out of more than $8.6 million, according to a plea deal that calls for prosecutors to recommend he serve 65 months in prison.

In exchange for the reduced sentence, Colletti, 59, who oversaw MillerCoors' marketing and promotions, will cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of his seven co-defendants, including Andrew Vallozzi, a Florida man who was Colletti's partner in a failed downtown Waukesha hotel project.

The filing in U.S. District Court in Chicago states Colletti will plead guilty to wire fraud, a crime that carries a recommended sentence of 97 to 121 months in prison, according to non-binding federal sentencing guidelines. Federal prosecutors agreed to recommend that he serve 66% of the minimum guideline recommendation provided that the "government determines that (Colletti) has continued to provide full and truthful cooperation," the 20-page plea agreement states.

Colletti, of Oconomowoc, will not be sentenced until the "conclusion of his cooperation," which could include testimony against some or all of his co-defendants, the plea deal states, noting that if he fails to fully cooperate the deal will be voided.

In addition, Colletti agreed to a judgment of $8.6 million against him. He also agreed to forfeit his 2014 Acura MDX and 2009 Acura TL to the government.

Gene Murphy, Colletti's attorney, noted that if other defendants are convicted they will also likely will be held liable for the judgment.

According to the plea deal, Colletti acknowledged that he "devised a scheme" to create bogus invoices that were submitted to MillerCoors "for specific events or promotions that did not occur as billed or at inflated costs."

As is common in federal prosecutions, the plea agreement does not identify MillerCoors by name and instead refers to it as the "Victim Company."

"In total, Colletti submitted and caused to be submitted at least 200 false estimates and invoices to the Victim Company," the plea deal states. "As a result, the Victim Company paid at least $8,658,302 to at least 15 different third party venders" that were controlled by Vallozzi and the other six co-defendants.

The suit does not impact a $10 million lawsuit filed by MillerCoors against Colletti and about a dozen others in 2014, Murphy said. That lawsuit is pending in Milwaukee County. It also does not impact the settlement of a claim filed by Colletti against MillerCoors in which the ex-executive charged the brewer was withholding pension funds he was entitled to receive. Murphy declined to disclose details, except to say, "I'm not frowning."

Jonathan Stern, spokesman for MillerCoors, called Colletti's guilty plea "a step closer to justice being served in this embezzlement case."
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Break out the blue and yellow.

It's official: Wisconsin's first IKEA, a retail store known for assemble-it-yourself furniture and all things Swedish, is planned for a site along I-94 in Oak Creek.

Company representatives and Oak Creek city officials said Thursday a 295,000-square-foot IKEA store will be constructed on about 29 acres near the northwestern corner of the freeway and W. Drexel Ave. The store, expected to open in summer of 2018, will employ about 250 people.

The IKEA store is expected to draw consumers from many areas of Wisconsin as well as northern Illinois.

"It's a big thrill to have a company as large as IKEA come to Oak Creek," Mayor Steve Scaffidi said in an interview.

In a news conference at Oak Creek City Hall Thursday, Liz Gabor, IKEA's U.S. real estate manager, said the company was filing applications for the project with city officials this week.

"We hope to have government approvals in the fall and start construction in the spring of 2017," Gabor said.

The blue-and-yellow store  the colors of Sweden's national flag  will have about 1,200 parking spaces and will include a 300-seat cafeteria-style restaurant featuring Swedish and American food. Its famous Swedish meatballs will be sold at an in-store Swedish market.

Privately held IKEA said it doesn't disclose the costs of its new stores. It currently has 41 in the U.S. Altogether, there are more than 380 IKEAs in 48 countries.

The Oak Creek project is expected to generate about 500 construction jobs, according to IKEA spokesman Joseph Roth.

"IKEA does not open stores just anywhere, and not very often," Roth said. "But when we do, we make a commitment for the long term."

Scaffidi said having an IKEA  a "destination" store that would attract visitors from outside the local area  is expected to lead to further development, such as hotels and complementary businesses, in Oak Creek.

"They are going to be a very strong regional draw," said Anne Brouwer, a retail analyst with the Chicago firm McMillanDoolittle. "They are going to draw from a much larger radius than most retailers."

The company has been considering a Milwaukee area location for almost a decade.

While many details of the project have yet to be approved, including possible tax incentives, the stage was set for Oak Creek to move onto IKEA's radar when city officials began planning several years ago to build a traffic system that could accommodate such a high-profile business.

When I-94 was being rebuilt, Oak Creek provided about $5 million to help construct a new interchange at Drexel Ave.  a rare new connection to the Milwaukee County freeway system. Improvements have been or are being made to other major thoroughfares to ensure local traffic can move effectively even as the new interchange spurs development, Scaffidi said.

"We've upgraded our roadways in anticipation of what we're going to do," Scaffidi said.

The W. Drexel Ave. interchange already has encouraged the development of Drexel Town Square, a $162 million project that includes apartments, stores, restaurants, a hotel, a health care facility and a new City Hall and Oak Creek Public Library. Drexel Town Square is being built on 85 acres south of W. Drexel Ave. and west of S. Howell Ave.

IKEA's Roth said there's no question the infrastructure put in place by the city  not only the Drexel interchange but the improvements to other main roads to minimize the local traffic impact  was essential to his company picking the site.

"We've been evaluating opportunities in the Milwaukee area for quite some time now," Roth said. "And with some of the older, more-established markets, sometimes it's difficult to find available land with good access and visibility. In fact, the exit at Drexel did not exist several years ago."

The future IKEA store is part of a larger site long owned by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. Inc. The Milwaukee-based insurer owns about 30 acres adjacent to the IKEA site.

In a statement Thursday, Northwestern Mutual said it has no specific plans for the remaining acreage.

"But the IKEA brand name is attractive to businesses, such as restaurants or other retailers, that want to be located nearby," said Tom Zale, vice president of real estate for Northwestern Mutual. "We are excited by this development and look forward to discussions with interested parties that see the location's potential."

Said Scaffidi: "I think Oak Creek could be the gateway to Milwaukee County  to metro Milwaukee  that it's never really been before."

Although the announcement was made Thursday, Oak Creek officials have known about IKEA's interest in their city for at least months. A team of Oak Creek officials in January visited the Kansas City suburb of Merriam, Kan., where an IKEA store opened in 2014, to talk with Merriam leaders to help gauge the impact of having the retailer in town, according to Phil Lammers, Merriam city administrator.

"Everyone wants to know what to expect and what's going on," Lammers said.

Lammers said the city worked out an incentive in which IKEA gets back a portion of the sales tax generated at the Merriam store over 20 years, capped at $19.9 million. He said that deal was made without community controversy.

A bigger concern was traffic the IKEA  on a high visibility site just off an interstate  would generate and how it might affect local roads. But that hasn't proven to be an issue, in part because roads already had been built to handle retail traffic and the fact that IKEA's busiest times don't conflict with rush hours, he said.

Roth said 50% of IKEA's business takes place on weekends, with the other five days of the week accounting for about 10% each.

Lammers said it became evident early on, after IKEA hired a local law firm to let Merriam officials know it was interested in opening a store there, that IKEA had done its homework. The company wanted a site that included 63,000 feet of largely unused retail space, and would raze it to clear the way for a 360,000-square-foot IKEA and 1,500-stall parking lot.

"They just knew that that was what they were going to do, and that's what they did," Lammers said.

The Merriam IKEA store hasn't lured hotels yet, Lammers said, but property tax values have increased. He said it hasn't led to an expansion of the police force.

"It's been a good relationship," Lammers said.

Oak Creek appears to have a site that can give IKEA what it needs, too. Brouwer said IKEA stores need big parking lots and a good interchange because of the furniture they sell.

"They're flat-packed. You buy it, you take it with you. So there are people coming in vans and trucks and trailers, so they want easy access on and off the expressways and freeways," she said.

Scaffidi said he thinks an IKEA store would lead to more hotels in Oak Creek.

"I would expect that to increase over the next few years," he said. "I know we've already had some interest on a few different sites. I would expect that to continue."

Oak Creek officials want their community to stand out among Milwaukee suburbs.

"You'll continue to see development and big stories, because I just think that's how we're wired," Scaffidi said. "We're looking for things that are unique, things that are interesting and groundbreaking. Things that 10 years ago we couldn't do, we now go after."

Some observers wondered why a site in Oak Creek was chosen over a location farther west in metro Milwaukee. An IKEA in Schaumburg, Ill., isn't necessarily a tedious journey for consumers in Milwaukee. But Brouwer said annoyances like tolls and traffic congestion in suburban Chicago can keep some people from making that trip.

IKEA said it already has more than 206,000 customers in the metro Milwaukee area.

"Any retailer would rather cannibalize themselves than have someone else cannibalize them," Brouwer said. "So if they move into this area, they move a little bit of traffic coming from Wisconsin. But they are going to pick up a whole marketplace that really doesn't shop them with any regularity."
The impending Milwaukee Bucks arena will be the focus of discussion at the inaugural JS Talks event at Turner Hall Ballroom tonight. Credit: Populous

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Every Thursday at 8 a.m. on WYMS-FM (88.9), 88Nine Radio Milwaukee program director Jordan Lee and I talk about shows to see, local music you'll love and more on "TAP'd In." But in case you missed it on air, you can hear the latest episode below.

It feels like everybody in town is talking about the Milwaukee Bucks impending arena  including tonight at Turner Hall Ballroom, when the Bucks president, the project's architects and Journal Sentinel reporters will participate in the first installment of our JS Talks series.

Journal Sentinel arts and architecture critic Mary Louise Schumacher and business reporter Tom Daykin are leading a discussion about the forthcoming arena's design and downtown economic potential, featuring Bucks president Peter Feigin, project architects Brad Clark and Greg Uhen, and Steven Chung, host of PBS' "Cool Spaces." The free discussion starts at 6 p.m. There'll be a cash bar on site and music from True Skool.

Before tonight's event, Jordan and I talked about what impact the arena might have in terms of attracting major touring artists who tend to skip over Milwaukee.

And we also talked about how the Cactus Club is crushing it with wall-to-wall concerts, including a homecoming for Merge Records artist Mike Krol tonight, four shows for the Milwaukee Psych Fest over the weekend and Black Mountain on Tuesday.
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For ripping off Medicare, a Cedarburg podiatrist was sentenced Wednesday to five years of probation and agreed to repay $1 million in restitution and to settle claims in a related False Claims Act civil case.

Alan Balkansky avoided 18 months in prison that federal prosecutors had recommended, if not a moral lecture from U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper.

She acknowledged his career of hard work, caring for family and patients and activities in his former profession and at his synagogue, saying: "In the vast majority of respects, you've lived an exemplary life."

But Pepper noted concern that Balkansky still seemed to regard his crime as simple bookkeeping negligence and even during his statement in court, didn't really acknowledge his deliberate actions in the scheme.

"I don't mean to be blunt, but you lied. You lied and got money," she said.

Balkansky, 63, pleaded guilty in February to a single count of health care fraud. It was part of a 30-count indictment returned last year. It charged that from 2005 to 2012, he billed Medicare for services like foot massages that weren't covered and that weren't performed by licensed physical therapists. It also charged that he helped his staff create records that made it harder for the government to spot the fraud.

He billed about $309,000 to Medicare but argued that for sentencing guidelines purposes, the amount should be only the $181,000 he actually got, and which he must repay as restitution in the criminal case. Pepper said the law considers the billed amount to represent the loss.

Balkansky operated two offices, one in Milwaukee and one in Grafton, that his attorney, Daniel Flaherty, said he had to close after losing his medical license last year.

In arguing against prison time, Flaherty also cited the "public castigation" that Balkansky endured and entered two newspaper articles about his case into the record.

Pepper ordered Balkansky to serve the first year of his probation on a form of house arrest but said he may leave to work, or look for work, to attend medical appointments and to attend his synagogue. She also ordered that he perform 180 hours of community service.

Under the mediated settlement to the False Claims action by the government, Balkansky was to pay $20,000 within 30 days, $380,000 by Nov. 4, and then $120,000 each November for the next five years. The criminal restitution is included in these amounts.

His attorney said Balkansky will try to sell his home in the Town of Cedarburg, worth about $400,000, to help cover the costs. He also owns rental properties.
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Milwaukee County taxpayers and employees would contribute a total of $10 million more to employees' pensions in 2017, under a recent change to a pension fund financing plan, County Executive Chris Abele says in a letter distributed Wednesday to employees.

Employees would pick up an estimated $2.5 million to $3 million of the increase, officials said.

Abele is asking the county pension board to postpone the change beyond 2017 to give the administration time to implement a plan that would lessen the impact on employees' take-home pay.

In March, the pension board reduced its projected rate of return on investments for the pension fund from 8% to 7.5%, Abele says in the letter to employees.

Such an approach cuts anticipated investment earnings for the fund in 2017.

That decision, "while well-intended, may have an unintended and adverse consequence for county employees," the letter says.

Abele says the letter is meant to respond to misinformation circulating among employees regarding the pension board's decision.

"The cost of making this change in 2017 is a $10 million increase" in total county contributions, to bolster fund investments, according to Abele. A significant portion of that amount will have to be picked up by employees.

Attempting to reduce the projected rate of return by the full amount in one budget year "would increase employees' contributions by an unaffordable amount," the letter says. For general employees, their contributions could increase 1.1%. Public safety employees could see contribution increases of 1.6%.

Total county contributions to the pension fund must increase from $60 million in 2016 to $70 million in 2017 under the change, according to minutes of the March pension board meeting.

In a separate memo to pension board members, Abele asks the panel to defer the change or phase it in over a period of three to five years to alleviate the impact. The board will review the change at a May 18 meeting.

"These increases on top of those implemented in 2016 may be greater than what county policy-makers are able to absorb," Abele's memo says.

The county increased contributions to the pension fund by $20 million for 2016 "to correct for previous actuarial errors" and a pension board decision to shorten the period for fully funding the county's pension liability from 30 years to 20 years.

As of Feb. 29, the fund's total market value was a little more than $1.6 billion, according to minutes of the March meeting.
This September 2014 photo shows Virginia Castaneda (right), who attended Head Start programs nearly 30 years ago. Her son, Jorge Sanchez, was enrolled in Centro Hispano's Head Start dual language program. A study released Thursday shows the number of Latinos in metropolitan Milwaukee increased 213% between 1990 and 2014. Credit: Gary Porter

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The population of Latinos in metropolitan Milwaukee increased 213% between 1990 and 2014, the overwhelming majority of whom were born in the United States, according to a new study released Thursday.

And a dramatic 174.4% increase in Latinos in Milwaukee during that period has reversed the city's overall population decline, according to the study commissioned by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.

The study, "Latino Milwaukee: A Statistical Portrait," provides a comprehensive statistical look at metropolitan Milwaukee's Latino community, from population growth and language use, to employment, income, education and business ownership. The study was conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development.

"The rapid growth of Milwaukee's Latino community over the past 25 years has profoundly reshaped the region's neighborhoods, schools and economy," said UWM professor Marc V. Levine, the lead author of the study and director of the center.

The study "offers the first in-depth analysis of social and economic conditions in Latino Milwaukee," Levine said.

Although the growth of Latinos in Milwaukee has not been as explosive as that in other U.S. metro areas, it still has led to significant impacts on the area's schools, labor markets and demographic composition, the study says.

According to the study:

 The Latino population in metro Milwaukee has more than tripled since 1990 to about 160,000, or 10.2% of the region's total population, up from 3.6%.

 The city of Milwaukee's total population dropped 4.5% between 1990 and 2014  from 628,088 to 599,653. But the population of Latinos rose 174.4%, from 39,409 to 108,158  or, from 6.3% of the city's population to 18.0%.

 Between 2000 and 2014, Milwaukee's total population rose from 596,974 to 599,653, a gain of 0.4%, while during the same period the number of Latinos in Milwaukee rose from 71,646 to 108,158, a gain of 51%.

 Without the surge in Milwaukee's Latino population since 1990, the city's population would have declined by over 16% between then and 2014.

 Almost 73% of Latinos in metro Milwaukee were born in the U.S.

 From 1987 to 2016, the Latino share of total city of Milwaukee school enrollments grew from 8.0% to 25.3%; in the Milwaukee County suburbs from 1.8% to 13.6%; and in Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties from 1.4% to 7.3%.

"While non-Hispanic school enrollments in metro Milwaukee declined by 32,000 between 1997-2014, Latino enrollments jumped by 22,000, representing the most significant source of enrollment growth among the region's main ethnic and racial communities," Levine said.

William Velez, a UWM professor who co-authored the study, said the increase in the population among Latinos in metro Milwaukee carries huge implications for Wisconsin's congressional delegation, which lost a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2000 census.

"If we don't gain population, we might not have adequate representation in Congress," Velez said.

The study points to lagging household incomes and high levels of poverty among Milwaukee Latinos, and income indicators that show these conditions deteriorating over the past quarter-century. It also notes that Latinos' household incomes in metro Milwaukee lag behind Latino income in most of the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas.

And while the study points to other troublesome trends, such as the 13.1% birthrate among Hispanic teenage girls in metro Milwaukee, it also spotlights a growing Latino share of the local labor market, Velez said.

"The findings in this report underscore the significant role the Latino community will play in the future of our region," said Marcus White, vice president of civic engagement for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. "The data reveals disparities but also opportunities. Though it doesn't explain why certain trends are occurring, the information provides us with important questions to explore together with our community partners."
A sample of the type of children's furniture IKEA offers was set up during the press conference Thursday in Oak Creek. Credit: Mike De Sisti

Hello IKEA in Wisconsin, goodbye domestic tranquillity.

OK, it's part myth, but the furniture store has a reputation of causing couples to quarrel as they navigate the acres of sofas, tables, beds, dressers, cabinets, kitchen stuff and home furnishings.

When I went online to search "Does IKEA cause...," Google instantly finished my sentence with the word divorce. And then up popped numerous sites answering that question with a yeah, maybe.

Wisconsin already has 15,000 to 16,000 divorces a year, so we find plenty to fight about here even without IKEA.

But this week we learned that an IKEA store is coming to Oak Creek, the popular Swedish chain's first store in our state. It will be near I-94 at Drexel Ave. The formal announcement was Thursday, but word leaked out early to the delight of marriage counselors throughout the area.

As Tina Fey's character on "30 Rock," Liz Lemon, says to her boyfriend in a panic as they approach an IKEA store together: "Do you know what we're walking into!?"

She knows, and we're about to find out. The Wall Street Journal, not exactly a purveyor of clickbait, ran an article last year under the headline: Can your relationship handle a trip to IKEA?

They talked to one therapist who claimed to have so many couples bickering over their IKEA experiences that she began having the combatants work together to build furniture as homework and report back to her.

So what's the problem? It's two things really. Couples grazing in the showroom can find plenty to disagree about as they decide which items will fill their homes and the holes in their souls.

It's shocking to learn your partner has no taste, or only wants to make fun of the odd names given to each item in the store. An Edeboviken bathroom sink, for instance, or Jatteviktig candle holders. My spell check just broke.

And, secondly, the frustration intensifies when you get home with a stack of flat cardboard boxes and then struggle to assemble the stuff you bought. It can drive you totally crazy, or at least one screw short of a full bag of fasteners.

IKEA didn't return my call to ask if they planned to put up "Couples beware" signs at the new store. Spokeswoman Janice Simonsen told The Wall Street Journal they have no set policy on people in relationships shopping together.

I talked to Polly Drew, marriage and family therapist, and she said it's a bit of a cliche to scapegoat IKEA for your marital issues.

"Putting all of that furniture together, it takes work. Marriage takes work. Sometimes it feels like your relationship is indeed in a million little pieces that just don't fit together at all," Drew said.

My wife was crazy enough to take me along to the IKEA store near Chicago in Schaumburg. That was in 2003, and it was my one and only visit to the store. I'm a person who thinks that whatever furniture I already own is the right amount.

So while Denice shopped with another couple there with us, I sat on a white sofa near the escalators at the front entrance and read a book. I also listened to what strangers said as they looked at the dozen other identical white sofas for just $199 each. I heard lots of opinions, but didn't witness anyone who appeared to be heading off to family court.

I would have ventured farther into the store if I knew they served plates of meatballs in there. With lingonberry sauce, whatever that is.

My other memory of the trip is that we came home with matching nightstands, one for each side of our bed. My wife and I each assembled one and raced to see who could do it faster. I'm special, but she was spatial, so I think she won.

Our marriage survived the trip, and the nightstands remain standing.

Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or email at jstingl@jrn.com. Connect with my public page at Facebook.com/Journalist.Jim.Stingl
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Disturbed by Family Care proposal

I was disturbed by Gov. Scott Walker's sudden proposal to once again revamp the Family Care and IRIS program ("State weighs elder care change," April 29).

It seems to me that nonprofit organizations are better placed to provide the daily needs of our disabled and elderly population. Many of the services provided now are done by family members in a very cost-efficient home setting. If there is a profit motive, it implies that higher costs or reduced care will be inevitable.

If these companies provided plans for the disabled and elderly already, why aren't they marketing them? Health insurance companies are there to provide profits to their shareholders. Wouldn't this be an innovative program?

This proposal has the unfortunate appearance of selling our most vulnerable citizens to the highest bidder. While I understand the need to reduce costs for our state and federal budgets, I fail to see why it needs to be done with the care of our disabled children and elderly citizens.

Juli Bauer

Shorewood



Kovac's example

Ald. Nik Kovac's response to being ousted from any committee leadership in the Common Council is a model of civility ("Is Kovac paying price for politics?" May 2).

Instead of tooting his own horn and blaming others and promising revenge, he instead simply states what he values and why. He promises cooperation with colleagues in a gracious manner. He has set the bar very high for conduct among political officials.

If others would choose, as he is doing, to be forthright and honest, Milwaukee could have public leadership that not only brings us together but moves us forward. Kovak's principled stand regarding matters of race and income disparity is the kind of civic leadership some of us hope for. By calling out those who ignore real issues for their own personal gain, he reminds us of an alternative way to lead, so badly needed in our city and our times.

Thank you, Alderman Kovac.

Rick Deines

Milwaukee



What is true Islam?

I must disagree with Samantha Issam concerning her article, "True Islam teaches gender equity and empowerment" (Opinions, April 27).

Actually, true Islam teaches what is written in the Qur'an, and the most noted Islamic religious authorities (Ibn Khaldum, Sheikh Wajdi and Abul Maududi) agree with the following Qur'an passages: "Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other...Good women are obedient. And for those from you fear disobedience, admonish them, and forsake them in beds apart, and beat them" (4:34) and "Women are your fields: go, then, onto your fields when and how you please" (2:223). This is true Islam and is what allegedly happened in Cologne, Germany, New Year's Eve.

Issam's attitudes come from an incorrect understanding of the Qur'an. The above referenced scholars explain the concept of abrogation, which argues that when there is a disagreement between two Qur'an passages, the later one takes precedence over the former. Issam and her cohorts study the earlier (Mecca) parts of the Qur'an that are quite peaceful and loving and forget the later (Medina) parts as noted above.

This interpretation of the Qur'an is against the noted Islamic scholars referenced. The Bible has similar inconsistencies. The Old Testament talks about "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" while the New Testament talks about "turn the other cheek." Christians learn that Jesus' teachings replace conflicting Old Testament teachings.

Stoning raped women in the name of Islam is true Islam. Issam and friends are deviating from it. I respect Issam for her beliefs, but they are not Islam. She should rename her beliefs and practices. But do not use the word Islam.

George H. Schaefer

Brookfield



Bar landlords from buying?

Shouldn't landlords who are delinquent on their fines and taxes be legally barred from buying new properties until they have paid their debts in full ("Getting tough with landlords," Editorial, May 1)?

Jim Brundage

Menomonee Falls

Please email your letters to jsedit@jrn.com, or mail them to Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, P.O. Box 371, Milwaukee, Wis. 53201-0371. Letters are generally limited to 200 words and are subject to editing.
The troubled Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake juvenile detention facilities are among those in the Wisconsin prison system suffering from chronic staffing shortages. Credit: Journal Sentinel files

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By of the

Madison Seeking to beat back a chronic staffing shortage, the head of the state prison system announced a $10 million-a-year plan Thursday to raise wages by 80 cents an hour for thousands of workers, with some of them temporarily receiving more than that.

Department of Corrections officials say they are using existing funds to pay their workers more and don't need approval from lawmakers. They have not spelled out where they would find the savings allowing them to grant the raises.

The wage increase comes at a time when prison workers are routinely being forced to work double shifts because of staff shortages.

Among the facilities facing staff shortages are Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls, juvenile facilities that share a campus 30 miles north of Wausau. Those sites are the subject of a yearlong investigation into allegations of prisoner abuse, child neglect, excessive use of pepper spray and other potential crimes.

The pay increase applies to officers, sergeants and the front-line workers at the juvenile prisons, known as youth counselors and advanced youth counselors.

"These changes will increase DOC's ability to recruit and retain qualified employees to fill critically important positions at the Department of Corrections," Corrections Secretary Jon Litscher said in a statement.

The move is one of Litscher's first major acts since taking the reins of the department in February. Litscher previously served as corrections secretary under Republican Govs. Tommy Thompson and Scott McCallum.

Union officials welcomed the raise but said it should be considered only a first step toward fixing the staffing shortage after state workers saw their take-home pay cut in 2011 when they were required to pay more for their benefits.

"It's long overdue. It starts the climb back for the last five years of takebacks," said Troy Bauch, a representative with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 32.

Starting June 26, the employees will receive an increase of 80 cents an hour.

In addition, those working at facilities with particularly significant staff shortages will receive an additional 50 cents an hour from May 29 until early January. With the two raises, they'll be getting an extra $1.30 an hour for seven months.

The bonus raise applies to employees at Lincoln Hills, Copper Lake, Waupun Correctional Institution, Green Bay Correctional Institution and Columbia Correctional Institution.

Additionally, some employees will receive merit bonuses between now and the end of June, Litscher said.

The across-the-board increase will bring the starting wage for correctional officers and youth counselors to $16 an hour. Sergeants and advanced youth counselors will receive $16.76 when they start the job.

State worker exodus

The state's difficulty in recruiting and retaining prison workers is part of a larger workforce problem for GOP Gov. Scott Walker's administration, which lost nearly one in eight employees across state government last year to factors such as retirement and competing employers.

In all, 3,600 workers outside the University of Wisconsin System moved on from their state jobs in 2015, which was 23% more than in 2014 and nearly twice as many as in 2010.

About 680 public safety workers left in 2015 for other jobs or retirement, or about 12.3% of the nearly 5,500 workers in that area.

In 2011, Walker signed the law known as Act 10, repealing most union bargaining for most public workers and increasing state workers' benefit contributions by an amount equal to about 8.5% of their take-home pay. That year, retirements jumped as employees sought to avoid fundamental changes to their retirement benefits, which didn't end up materializing.

But with the recession still deep, relatively few employees resigned to take other jobs. That has changed as the economy has improved in subsequent years and private-sector hiring has picked up.

The state offered across-the-board raises of 1% in 2014 and 2015, along with some merit increases for select employees, but no increases in the current two-year budget.

One consequence of higher employee turnover is more vacant jobs, which are challenging in prisons that have to be staffed at all times.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported last month that almost one in five jobs stand open at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake. That adds up to nearly 30 openings there.

Twenty-eight youth counselor and advanced youth counselor jobs remain unfilled out of the 146 front-line positions at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake.

While more workers are hired, the state has had to pay for hotel, meal and travel costs for officers who are temporarily shifted from other Wisconsin prisons.
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Madison  Some people will have to pass drug tests or get treatment to secure unemployment benefits starting this week under rules GOP Gov. Scott Walker approved Wednesday.

Republican lawmakers approved a law allowing such tests last year, but it couldn't take effect until Walker approved administrative rules on the issue. Despite Walker's approval of the rules, a major portion of the program remains stalled.

Under the plan that is going into effect, employers can voluntarily submit information about drug tests they have conducted for their workers.

If workers seeking unemployment benefits failed the tests given by their past employer or declined to take them, they can be denied benefits. Those who agree to get taxpayer-funded treatment would receive unemployment benefits as long as they stick with it.

The Walker administration wants to put in place a broader drug testing program for those seeking unemployment benefits, but that needs federal approval. A separate program requiring many food stamp recipients to take drug tests also has not yet been implemented and is being considered in federal court.
Wisconsin has widest score gap between Black and white students

The 2022 NAEP test scores are the first nationwide results since the pandemic.
These Samoyed dogs were rescued Wednesday from a home in Burnett County and brought to the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee. Credit: Wisconsin Humane Society

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The Wisconsin Humane Society on Wednesday rescued 12 Samoyed dogs from a home in Burnett County after the owner surrendered them.

The agency, working with Burnett County Health and Human Services and the Burnett County Sheriff's Office, responded to take the dogs and brought them to Milwaukee.

The family gave up the dogs because it became overwhelmed by caring for them, the Humane Society said Thursday.

The dogs are receiving medical exams to assess their conditions, the agency said in news release.

"Many of the dogs are quite timid because they've been deprived of regular human contact, but we're confident they will warm up with patience and love," spokeswoman Angela Speed said. "Some may need foster care and others may be available for adoption as soon as this weekend."
05/05/2016





Seats are still available for Friday's inventors workshop. Do you have a million-dollar idea for a new invention but dont know how to get it off the ground? Come out to the 14th biennial Alabama Conference for Inventors presented by JSU on May 6, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Oxford Civic Center. Registrations will be taken at the door.

Open to inventors and would-be inventors alike, this conference will provide attendees the tools to take an idea from concept to fruition. Topics will include patenting, prototyping, financing, creating a business plan and more. Hear from patent attorneys, the director of Alabama Launchpad, representatives from the JSU Small Business Development Center and engineers from the JSU Applied Technology program. Other Alabama inventors will also be in attendance to share their success stories.

Now in its 14th installment, the conference has been held every other year for more than 30 years. Organizers think this years event couldnt come at a better time.

The popularity of ABCs Shark Tank, rising interest in innovation and a lack of readily available information in this niche market has created an unmet need, said Jennifer Green, director of the JSU Center for Economic Development and Business Research. JSU is dedicated to the economic development of Northeast Alabama and this conference is just one way the university is reaching out to assist entrepreneurs.

Admission is free to JSU students and $25 for the general public, which covers conference materials and light refreshments. Download a conference agenda and register

. Call 256-782-5324 or e-mail ced@jsu.edu for more information.
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David Faris | (Informed Comment) |

Over the last few weeks, pundits have written a series of Trump can actually win think pieces. Especially in light of Trumps improving performance in the GOP primaries, no one wants to be the person who declares a Clinton loss unthinkable and then gets linked back to by schadenfreude-seeking Trump voters after an election day upset.

Nevertheless, a Trump victory is indeed unthinkable. While nothing is impossible in human political affairs, Clinton over Trump is the easiest slam dunk in national politics since Reagan-Mondale. There is a reason GOP elites are running scared from their presumptive nominee, and planning to skip the convention in Cleveland: Trump will be the most radioactive major party nominee in modern American history.

You dont need elaborate theories about turnout to see this. Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has led Trump in 65 of 72 national polls conducted since January 1st as of this writing. In a deeply and almost evenly divided country, this is quite remarkable. The only pollster to show Trump with a lead since February is Rasmussen, an outfit with a consistent GOP bias that doesnt release public crosstabs and is widely regarded as one of the worst national polling organizations. And those numbers are unlikely to fluctuate wildly, since Trump and Clinton are two of the best known human beings in the country.

To put this in perspective, by this date in the 2008 cycle, John McCain  who would go on to lose the election to Barack Obama by a 7-point blowout  had led in 15 of 59 public polls taken that year. And at this point four years ago, Mitt Romney had a lead in 11 public polls taken in 2012 and would eventually lose the election by 5 million votes. While there will no doubt be a handful of outlier polls showing a Trump lead between now and November, Trump is in worse shape than either McCain or Romney on their worst days. Thats the baseline.

But the national numbers dont tell the whole story, since the winner is decided by the Electoral College. Trumps polling in purple states is even more abysmal, as he trails badly in swing states like Florida and Ohio. And the few surveys taken of Republican leaning states like Arizona suggest that Trump will be fortunate just to hold on to the McCain 2008 map. And lets not forget that Trump is profoundly unpopular in the Mormon West, which will sink him in purple Colorado and perhaps even in Utah, a state McCain carried 62-34.

The national polls only confirm what common sense tells us: Trump is a deeply unqualified and divisive presidential candidate who is unlikely to appeal to anyone beyond his noisy, hardcore base. Not only that, he inadvertently blunders into the GOPs two biggest demographic problems at once. First, he is toxically unpopular with Latinos, who continue to grow as a slice of the American electorate as whites decline. Mitt Romney was crushed among Latino voters 71-27, a shatteringly needless and self-inflicted loss brought on by capitulation to his partys nativists and his insistence that undocumented immigrants self-deport themselves.

Trumpss incendiary rapists and murderers rhetoric about Latinos is directed mostly at Mexicans, but this distinction is likely to be lost on most voters. Gallups most recent data shows that Trump is viewed unfavorably by 77% of Latinos. He would probably be lucky to pull 15%. The presence of a brash and dangerous know-nothing racist at the top of the Republican ticket will bring out these voters in record numbers.

Trump will also worsen the GOPs longstanding, double-digit deficits with women. Trumps smoldering misogyny is so incandescent it can be seen from space. Whatever else you want to say about him, Mitt Romney is an anodyne family man with a completely unobjectionable history with women (aside from his boilerplate Republican anti-choice positions). He lost women decisively 56-44, and the election by 5 million votes.

To have a prayer of beating Hillary Clinton, Trump  a man with a Tolstoy-length history of hateful recorded statements about women  would have to substantially narrow that gap. Is there anyone who realistically thinks this is possible? It would be hard to pull off even if Trump started sounding like the president of Planned Parenthood tomorrow morning, but as evidenced by his incoherent victory speech after the Acela Primaries, he seems to have no intention of toning down his loathsome anti-women rhetoric.

But Trumps problems go beyond women. Given how much worse he is likely to lose women and Latinos than McCain or Romney, he must expand the Republican candidates appeal to men. Romney won men 54-46. But this isnt 1952, and many men, thankfully, find Trumps rampant misogyny as repellant as women do. Trump is under water even with white men, a group any Republican candidate needs to win by double digits to even sniff victory. McCain won them 57-43.

And the worst for Trump is yet to come. His incompetent and impulsive business dealings are well known, such as his venture into real estate at the height of the housing bubble. While his Republican rivals eventually hit him for things like the fraudulent Trump University, there are much more rotten skeletons in his closet, like his extensive ties to organized crime, or the barely-walked-back allegation of marital rape leveled at him by his ex-wife Ivana Trump. Clinton, no stranger to bare-knuckle politics, will hammer Trump on these transgressions, even as the big GOP donors contemplate sitting the contest out.

Even most members in good standing of the GOP intelligentsia recognize Trumps unique and unparalleled threat to American democracy and to their partys reputation. From David Brooks to Robert Kagan, Republican thought leaders have publicly declared their intention either to vote for Clinton, to leave the top of the ticket blank, or perhaps like Bill Kristol, to push for a kamikaze run by an establishment figure. In most cycles, this could be considered nothing more than loose talk from sore losers, but Trump is a uniquely polarizing candidate within the GOP, and many movement conservatives are just never going to come around.

Prediction markets currently give Trump a 30% chance. This seems generous. In reality, Trump will be playing defense in states like Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia. A significant slice of the core Republican electorate is likely to skip the election or vote for a spoiler. Women will come out in record numbers, not only to elect the first woman president in history, but also to snub the appallingly misogynist Trump. Latinos will set turnout records, and deliver unprecedented, African-American-like margins to Clinton. Voters may be furious, but they arent angry enough to send a man like this to the White House.

This will all disappoint pundits and media elites hoping for a close race. So go ahead and bookmark this page if you think Im wrong.

But Donald Trump is a goner.

David M. Faris is a professor of Political Science and Public Administration at Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago. He is also the director of Roosevelts interdisciplinary International Studies Program. His book Dissent and Revolution in a Digital Age: Social Media, Blogging and Activism in Egypt (2013) focuses on the use of digital media by Egyptian opposition movements.

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Related video added by Juan Cole:

The Young Turks: Republicans Will Nominate National Embarrassment Donald Trump
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 4, 2016) -

(All monetary figures are expressed in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)

Dundee Precious Metals Inc. (TSX:DPM) -

Q1 2016 Financial and Operating Highlights:

Metals production from continuing and discontinued (Kapan) operations - Achieved gold and copper production of 52,024 ounces and 11.2 million pounds, respectively, including pyrite concentrate, in line with 2016 guidance;

Achieved gold and copper production of 52,024 ounces and 11.2 million pounds, respectively, including pyrite concentrate, in line with 2016 guidance; All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold from continuing operations - Achieved cost of $695, up over 2015 due to lower realized copper prices;

Achieved cost of $695, up over 2015 due to lower realized copper prices; Kapan operations - Completed the previously announced sale of Kapan on April 28 and received consideration of $25 million of cash and shares, subject to a working capital adjustment, and a 2% net smelter royalty;

Completed the previously announced sale of Kapan on April 28 and received consideration of $25 million of cash and shares, subject to a working capital adjustment, and a 2% net smelter royalty; Smelter - Processed 57,422 tonnes of complex concentrate, 33% higher than the corresponding period in 2015. Completed commissioning of the new copper converters;

Processed 57,422 tonnes of complex concentrate, 33% higher than the corresponding period in 2015. Completed commissioning of the new copper converters; Near term growth opportunities - Continued to advance the Krumovgrad permitting process, including final re-designation of the project land from forestry to industrial use, and initiation of the land purchase process. Targeted receipt of the construction permit remains mid 2016; and

Continued to advance the Krumovgrad permitting process, including final re-designation of the project land from forestry to industrial use, and initiation of the land purchase process. Targeted receipt of the construction permit remains mid 2016; and Financial position - Exited the quarter with approximately $174 million of cash resources, including the undrawn portion of the Company's long-term revolving credit facility.

Dundee Precious Metals Inc. ("DPM" or the "Company") today reported a first quarter net loss attributable to common shareholders from continuing operations of $3.8 million ($0.03 per share) compared to $1.6 million ($0.01 per share) for the same period in 2015. Net loss attributable to common shareholders from discontinued operations was $2.3 million ($0.01 per share) in the first quarter of 2016 compared to $1.5 million ($0.01 per share) for the same period in 2015.

Net loss attributable to common shareholders from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2016 was impacted by several items not reflective of the Company's underlying operating performance, including unrealized losses and gains attributable to hedging future copper and gold production and foreign denominated operating costs, and net gains or losses on Sabina special warrants. Excluding these items, the adjusted net loss(1) during the first quarter of 2016 was $1.3 million ($0.01 per share) compared to $0.1 million ($0.00 per share) for the corresponding period in 2015. The higher loss was due primarily to lower realized copper prices, lower volumes of payable metals in concentrate sold as a result of the timing of shipments and higher depreciation following the commissioning of the acid plant in the third quarter of 2015. These unfavourable variances were partially offset by higher smelter volumes and toll rates at Tsumeb, lower transportation costs and treatment charges at Chelopech and a stronger U.S. dollar.

"Chelopech and Tsumeb operations performed well in the quarter, both increasing their production as planned, however, weaker copper prices negatively impacted the Company's financial results," said Rick Howes, President and CEO. "Our focus in 2016 is to increase throughput at Tsumeb, further optimize Chelopech and advance our Krumovgrad project to the construction phase. The sale of Kapan in the second quarter is expected to strengthen our balance sheet and support the advancement of the Krumovgrad project."

Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations

Adjusted EBITDA(1) from continuing operations during the first quarter of 2016 was $21.5 million compared to $19.7 million in the corresponding period in 2015, driven primarily by the same factors affecting adjusted net loss from continuing operations, except for depreciation, which is excluded from adjusted EBITDA.

The average market price for gold during the first quarter of 2016 decreased by 3% to $1,180 per ounce, compared to $1,220 per ounce in the corresponding period in 2015. The average market price for copper during the first quarter of 2016 decreased by 20% to $2.12 per pound, compared to $2.64 per pound in the corresponding period in 2015. The average realized gold price, including realized hedging gains, for the first quarter of 2016 was $1,209 per ounce, compared to $1,212 per ounce in the corresponding period in 2015. The average realized copper price, including realized hedging gains, for the first quarter of 2016 was $2.27 per pound, compared to $3.20 per pound in the corresponding period in 2015.

Production from continuing operations

Copper concentrate produced from continuing operations during the first quarter of 2016 of 29,311 tonnes was 26% higher than the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to higher planned copper grades and higher volumes of ore mined and processed. Pyrite concentrate produced during the first quarter of 2016 of 59,052 tonnes was 24% higher than the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to the successful pyrite circuit development in the second quarter of 2015.

In the first quarter of 2016, gold contained in copper and pyrite concentrates produced increased by 17% to 46,818 ounces, copper production increased by 31% to 10.6 million pounds and silver production increased by 34% to 69,210 ounces, in each case, relative to the corresponding period in 2015. These increases were due primarily to higher planned grades for all metals and higher volumes of ore mined and processed.

Overall, gold, copper and silver production levels in the first quarter of 2016 were in line with the guidance provided on February 9, 2016.

Complex concentrate smelted during the first quarter of 2016 of 57,422 tonnes was 33% higher than the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to increased availability of the Ausmelt furnace and a maintenance shutdown in the first quarter of 2015.

Production from discontinued operations

Copper concentrate produced from the discontinued Kapan operation in the first quarter of 2016 of 1,299 tonnes was comparable to the corresponding period in 2015. Zinc concentrate produced in the first quarter of 2016 of 1,701 tonnes was 24% lower than the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to lower zinc grades and recoveries.

In the first quarter of 2016, gold contained in concentrate produced decreased by 6% to 5,206 ounces, copper production decreased by 7% to 0.6 million pounds, silver production decreased by 16% to 90,101 ounces and zinc production decreased by 25% to 2.2 million pounds, in each case, relative to the corresponding period in 2015. These decreases were due primarily to lower grades for all metals.

Deliveries from continuing operations

Deliveries of copper concentrate from continuing operations during the first quarter of 2016 of 25,241 tonnes were 15% lower than the corresponding period in 2015 reflecting the timing of shipments. In the first quarter of 2016, there was a build-up of copper concentrate inventory, whereas, in the first quarter of 2015, there was a drawdown. Deliveries of pyrite concentrate in the first quarter of 2016 of 65,709 tonnes were 48% higher than the corresponding period in 2015 consistent with increased production and the timing of shipments.

In the first quarter of 2016, payable gold in copper and pyrite concentrates sold from continuing operations decreased by 18% to 31,747 ounces, payable copper in copper concentrate sold decreased by 11% to 8.5 million pounds and payable silver in copper concentrate sold decreased by 33% to 32,104 ounces, in each case, relative to the corresponding period in 2015. The decrease in payable gold was due primarily to the timing of copper concentrate shipments, partially offset by increased pyrite concentrate deliveries. The decrease in payable copper was consistent with the decrease in copper concentrate deliveries.

Deliveries from discontinued operations

Deliveries of concentrate from the discontinued Kapan operation in the first quarter of 2016 of 2,350 tonnes were comparable to the corresponding period in 2015.

Relative to the first quarter of 2015, payable gold in concentrate sold in the first quarter of 2016 decreased by 8% to 2,404 ounces, payable copper decreased by 7% to 0.2 million pounds, payable silver decreased by 20% to 38,441 ounces and payable zinc decreased by 3% to 1.9 million pounds. These decreases were due primarily to lower grades for all metals.

Cash cost per ounce of gold sold from continuing operations

Cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits(1), from continuing operations during the first quarter of 2016 was $472 compared to $344 during the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to lower realized prices for by-products, partially offset by lower transportation costs and treatment charges.

All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold from continuing operations

All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold(1) from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2016 was $695 compared to $497 in the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to the same factors affecting cash cost per ounce of gold sold from continuing operations and higher cash outlays for sustaining capital expenditures as a result of the timing of supplier payments.

Cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted, net of by-product credits

Cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted, net of by-product credits(1) during the first quarter of 2016 of $337 was 32% lower than the cash cost of $494 in the corresponding period in 2015. This decrease was due primarily to higher volumes of complex concentrate smelted, the revenue generated from the sale of sulphuric acid, a by-product of the smelting operation, and the favourable impact of a weaker ZAR relative to the U.S. dollar, partially offset by higher electricity rates and additional operating expenses related to the acid plant, which was commissioned in the third quarter of 2015.

Cash provided from (used in) operating activities of continuing operations

Cash provided from operating activities of continuing operations in the first quarter of 2016 was $5.5 million compared to cash used in operating activities of $2.7 million in the corresponding period in 2015. This increase was due primarily to higher smelter volumes and toll rates, partially offset by lower copper prices, lower volumes of payable metals in concentrate sold and unfavourable changes in non-cash working capital.

Cash provided from operating activities of continuing operations, before changes in non-cash working capital(1), during the first quarter of 2016 was $30.7 million compared to $18.1 million in the corresponding period in 2015.

Capital expenditures from continuing operations

Capital expenditures from continuing operations during the first quarter of 2016 totaled $11.4 million compared to $16.5 million in the corresponding period in 2015. This decrease was due primarily to lower spending on the acid plant and the new copper converters at Tsumeb compared to the corresponding period in 2015.

Financial position

As at March 31, 2016, DPM maintained a cash position from continuing operations of $24.3 million, an investment portfolio valued at $18.2 million and $150 million of undrawn lines under its committed long-term revolving credit facility. These cash resources, together with the cash flow currently being generated, support the Company's ongoing operating and capital requirements.

Kapan Disposition

On March 1, 2016, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with Polymetal International Plc ("Polymetal") for the sale of its interest in Kapan (the "Kapan Disposition"). Under the Kapan Disposition, the Company received on April 28, 2016 consideration consisting of (i) $10 million in cash from the buyer (subject to a working capital adjustment), (ii) $15 million in ordinary shares of Polymetal, which were subsequently sold for net proceeds of $14.8 million and (iii) a 2% net smelter royalty on future production from the Kapan property.

2016 Guidance

As a result of the Kapan Disposition occurring on April 28, 2016, the Company has revised its guidance for Kapan to reflect only four months of operation and has revised its consolidated production guidance accordingly. Guidance for Chelopech and Tsumeb remains unchanged from the guidance provided on February 9, 2016.

The Company's updated production and cash cost guidance for 2016 is set out in the following table:

2016 Production & Cash Cost Guidance Chelopech Tsumeb Kapan(5) Consolidated(6) Ore mined/milled ('000s tonnes) 2,030 - 2,250 - 135 - 145 2,165 - 2,395 Complex concentrate smelted ('000s tonnes) - 215 - 250 - 215 - 250 Metals contained in copper and zinc concentrates produced(1),(2) Gold ('000s ounces) 95 - 108 - 6 - 7 101 - 115 Copper (million pounds) 33.2 - 37.8 - 0.6 - 0.8 33.8 - 38.6 Zinc (million pounds) - - 2.8 - 3.2 2.8 - 3.2 Silver ('000s ounces) 204 - 234 - 115 - 120 319 - 354 Payable gold in pyrite concentrate sold ('000s ounces) 26 - 40 - - 26 - 40 Cash cost per tonne of ore processed ($)(3),(4) 32 - 36 - 80 - 90 32 - 36 Cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits ($)(1),(3),(4) 560 - 760 - 1,200 - 1,500 560 - 760 All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold ($)(1),(3),(4) - - - 800 - 950 Cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted, net of by-product credits ($)(3),(4) - 305 - 400 - 305 - 400 Cash cost per ounce of gold sold in pyrite concentrate ($)(4) 790 - 890 - - 790 - 890

(1) Excludes metals in pyrite concentrate and, where applicable, the treatment charges, transportation and other selling costs related to the sale of pyrite concentrate, which is reported separately. Cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits, including payable gold in pyrite concentrate sold and related costs, is expected to range between $625 and $790 in 2016. All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold, including payable gold in pyrite concentrate sold and related costs, is expected to range between $795 and $935 in 2016. (2) Metals contained in concentrate produced are prior to deductions associated with smelter terms. (3) Based on foreign exchange rates and, where applicable, metal prices that approximate current rates and prices. The assumed copper price reflects the impact of 67% of 2016 copper production being hedged at $2.32 per pound. (4) Cash cost per tonne of ore processed, cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits, all-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold, cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted, net of by-product credits, and cash cost per ounce of gold sold in pyrite concentrate have no standardized meaning under GAAP. Refer to the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section of the management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2016 (the "MD&A") for further discussion of these items, including reconciliations to IFRS measures. (5) As a result of the Kapan Disposition, Kapan's operating results are being treated as discontinued operations. (6) Consolidated guidance for ore mined/milled and metals production includes results from the discontinued Kapan operation. Consolidated guidance for cash cost per tonne of ore processed, cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits, and all-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold pertains to continuing operations.

For 2016, the majority of the Company's growth capital expenditures(1) from continuing operations are focused on the completion of the new copper converters at Tsumeb and securing the remaining permits required to support the construction of the Krumovgrad Gold Project. In aggregate, these expenditures are expected to be between $27 million and $31 million. Sustaining capital expenditures(1) from continuing operations are expected to range between $22 million and $28 million.

The 2016 guidance for Chelopech and Tsumeb provided above is not expected to occur evenly throughout the year. The estimated metals contained in concentrate produced and volumes of complex concentrate smelted are expected to vary from quarter to quarter depending on the areas being mined, the timing of concentrate deliveries and planned outages. Based on the current mine plan, metals production at Chelopech in the first half of 2016 is expected to be higher than the second half. Chelopech 2016 ore production is expected to continue at a 10% higher rate through the balance of 2016 over 2015, while copper and gold grades are expected to be 14% and 13% lower than 2015, respectively, consistent with the current mine plan. Production at Tsumeb in the second half of 2016 is expected to be higher than the first half based on the commissioning of the new copper converters, which occurred in the first quarter of 2016, and the annual maintenance shutdown at Tsumeb expected to occur in the second quarter of 2016. Tsumeb 2016 throughput is expected to increase by approximately 10% to 28% over 2015 as a result of reduced construction activity, and the availability of the new copper converters and the associated increase in capacity. The rate of capital expenditures is also expected to vary from quarter to quarter based on the schedule for, and execution of, each capital project and, where applicable, the receipt of necessary permits and approvals. Further details can be found in the Company's MD&A under the section "2016 Guidance".

(1) Adjusted net loss, adjusted basic loss per share, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), cash provided from operating activities, before changes in non-cash working capital, cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits, all-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold, cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted net of by-product credits, and growth and sustaining capital expenditures have no standardized meaning under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). Presenting these measures from period to period helps management and investors evaluate earnings and cash flow trends more readily in comparison with results from prior periods. Refer to the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section of the MD&A for further discussion of these items, including reconciliations to IFRS measures.

Key Financial and Operational Highlights

$ millions, except where noted

Ended March 31, Three Months 2016 2015(7) Revenue (3) 70.1 60.0 Gross profit (1),(3) 13.1 1.7 (Loss) earnings before income taxes from continuing operations (3.7) 0.5 Net loss attributable to common shareholders from continuing operations (3.8) (1.6) Basic loss per share from continuing operations ($/share) (0.03) (0.01) Net loss attributable to common shareholders (6.1) (3.1) Basic loss per share attributable to common shareholders ($/share) (0.04) (0.02) Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations (2) 21.5 19.7 Adjusted net loss from continuing operations (2) (1.3) (0.1) Adjusted basic loss per share from continuing operations ($/share)(2) (0.01) (0.00) Cash provided from (used in) operating activities of continuing operations 5.5 (2.7) Cash provided from operating activities of continuing operations, before changes in non-cash working capital (2) 30.7 18.1 Metals contained in concentrate produced from continuing and discontinued operations: Gold (ounces) (4),(5) 52,024 45,499 Copper ('000s pounds) (4) 11,154 8,699 Zinc ('000s pounds) (4) 2,192 2,929 Silver (ounces) (4) 159,311 158,541 Tsumeb - complex concentrate smelted (mt) 57,422 43,101 Payable metals in concentrate sold from continuing operations: Gold (ounces)(6) 31,747 38,650 Copper ('000s pounds) 8,523 9,627 Silver (ounces) 32,104 47,935 Payable metals in concentrate sold from continuing and discontinued operations: Gold (ounces) (4),(6) 34,151 41,277 Copper ('000s pounds) (4) 8,754 9,876 Zinc ('000s pounds) (4) 1,942 2,008 Silver (ounces) (4) 70,545 95,747 Cash cost per tonne of ore processed from continuing operations ($/t)(2) 34.04 36.44 Cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits, from continuing operations ($/oz)(2) 472 344 Cash cost per ounce of gold sold in pyrite concentrate ($/oz) (2) 798 990 All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold from continuing operations ($/oz) (2) 695 497 Cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted at Tsumeb, net of by-product credits ($/t)(2) 337 494

(1) Gross profit from continuing operations is regarded as an additional GAAP measure and is presented in the Company's consolidated statements of loss. Gross profit represents revenue less cost of sales and is one of several measures used by management and investors to assess the underlying operating profitability of a business. (2) Adjusted EBITDA; adjusted net loss; adjusted basic loss per share; cash flow provided from operating activities of continuing operations, before changes in non-cash working capital; cash cost per tonne of ore processed; cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits; cash cost per ounce of gold sold in pyrite concentrate; all-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold; and cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted, net of by-product credits are not defined measures under IFRS. Refer to the MD&A for reconciliations to IFRS measures. (3) Excludes results from Kapan, which are reported separately as a discontinued operation under IFRS. (4) Includes metals production and payable metals from Kapan. (5) Includes gold contained in pyrite concentrate produced in the first quarter of 2016 of 13,431 ounces (Q1 2015 - 10,756 ounces). (6) Includes payable gold in pyrite concentrate sold in the first quarter of 2016 of 9,713 ounces (Q1 2015 - 7,336 ounces). (7) Certain comparative figures have been reclassified as a consequence of several expenses previously classified as general and administrative expenses being classified as operating costs and included in cost of sales to better reflect the operating results of each segment.

DPM's unaudited condensed interim financial statements, and MD&A for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016, are posted on the Company's website at www.dundeeprecious.com and have been filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The Company will be holding a call and a webcast to discuss its 2016 first quarter results on Thursday, May 5, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. (E.S.T.). Participants are invited to join the live webcast (listen/view only) at: http://www.gowebcasting.com/7445. Alternatively, participants can access a listen only telephone option at 416-340-2218 or North America Toll Free at 1-866-225-0198. A replay of the call will be available at 905-694-9451 or North America Toll Free at 1-800-408-3053, passcode 2008720. The audio webcast for this conference call will also be archived and available on the Company's website at www.dundeeprecious.com.

The Company will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) at the TMX Gallery located at 130 King Street West, Toronto. This event will be webcast live and will be available on the Company website home page at www.dundeeprecious.com.

About Dundee Precious Metals

Dundee Precious Metals Inc. is a Canadian based, international gold mining company engaged in the acquisition of mineral properties, exploration, development, mining and processing of precious metals. The Company's continuing operating assets include the Chelopech operation, which produces a copper concentrate containing gold and silver and a pyrite concentrate containing gold, located east of Sofia, Bulgaria; and the Tsumeb smelter, a complex copper concentrate processing facility located in Namibia. DPM also holds interests in a number of developing gold and exploration properties located in Bulgaria, Serbia, and northern Canada, including the Krumovgrad project and its 11.8% interest in Sabina Gold & Silver Corp.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward looking statements" that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future price of gold, copper, zinc and silver, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, the realization of such mineral estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production and output, life of mine, costs of production, cash costs and other cash measures, capital expenditures, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, success of permitting activities, permitting time lines, currency fluctuations, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, reclamation expenses, the potential or anticipated outcome of title disputes or claims and timing and possible outcome of pending litigation. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "outlook", "intends", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or that state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any other future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the actual results of current exploration activities; actual results of current reclamation activities; conclusions of economic evaluations and economic studies; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of gold, copper, zinc and silver; possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, uncertainties inherent with conducting business in foreign jurisdictions where corruption, civil unrest, political instability and uncertainties with the rule of law may impact the Company's activities; fluctuations in metal prices; unanticipated title disputes; claims or litigation; limitation on insurance coverage; cyber attacks; as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's MD&A under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" and under the heading "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements" which include further details on material assumptions used to develop such forward looking statements and material risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward looking statements, and other documents (including without limitation the Company's 2015 AIF) filed from time to time with the securities regulatory authorities in all provinces and territories of Canada and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that forward looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Unless required by securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 4, 2016) - Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (TSX:DML)(NYSE MKT:DNN) today filed its Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A") for the period ended March 31, 2016. Both documents can be found on the Company's website at www.denisonmines.com or on SEDAR (at www.sedar.com) and EDGAR (at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). The highlights provided below are derived from these documents and should be read in conjunction with them. All amounts in this release are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated.

David Cates, President and CEO of Denison commented, "The first quarter of 2016 was in many ways a preview of what the market can expect from Denison in future years: A clear focus on advancing our leading asset base in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin. During the quarter we announced an agreement to sell our African assets, positive results from a PEA for the Wheeler River project, the expansion of a new area of high-grade mineralization near Wheeler's Gryphon deposit, and the discovery of new uranium mineralization at one of the Company's exploration pipeline projects. The Company believes in the strong long term fundamentals of the nuclear energy industry, which is backed by global growth in nuclear power generation capacities and a shortage of low cost future sources of uranium production in the development pipeline. With the Wheeler River PEA illustrating the project's potential to generate an attractive IRR, based on the current long-term contract price of uranium, Denison is well positioned to build on a solid foundation and continue to invest in the people and the Province of Saskatchewan."

Q1-2016 OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Positive results from the Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Wheeler River Property

The Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on Denison's 60% owned Wheeler River project evaluated the merit of co-developing the high-grade Gryphon and Phoenix deposits. The PEA produced a base case pre-tax Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") of 20.4%, and an indicative post-tax IRR to Denison of 17.8%, based on the current long term contract price for uranium of $44 per pound U 3 O 8 . Illustrating the project's exposure to rising uranium prices, the PEA also included a production scenario based on a uranium price of $62.60 per pound U 3 O 8 , resulting in a pre-tax IRR of 34.1% and pre-tax NPV of CAD$1,420 million (Denison's share - CAD$852 million).

Experienced continued exploration success at the Wheeler River property

Expansion of Mineralized Zone North of the Gryphon Deposit

The winter exploration program was highlighted by the discovery and the expansion of high-grade basement hosted mineralization in the area immediately north and northwest of the Gryphon deposit. Despite limited time for follow up this winter, Denison successfully identified additional mineralization and added several new lenses of mineralization to the Company's geological model for the area north of Gryphon, suggesting potential for meaningful resource growth at the Gryphon deposit.

Exploration Southwest of Gryphon along the K-North Trend

The winter program also included exploration designed to discover new uranium mineralization to the southwest of the Gryphon deposit along the K-North trend. Step-out drill testing in this area was successful in extending the mineralized K-North trend an additional 1.4 kilometres southwest of Gryphon. Mineralization was encountered at or near the sub-Athabasca unconformity and continues to suggest that there is potential for a significant discovery to occur at the unconformity or within the basement rock along the trend.

Generated encouraging exploration results at other high priority exploration pipeline properties

Over 9,300 metres of diamond drilling were completed in 23 holes on Denison operated exploration pipeline properties during the winter exploration program. An additional 8,107 metres in 31 drill holes were completed on two non-operated properties.

Murphy Lake - At Denison's 68.85% owned Murphy Lake property, a drill program consisting of 10 holes totaling 3,695 metres was completed, intersecting additional unconformity mineralization at depths ranging from 260 to 280 metres below surface. Further targets along strike were identified within the DC-IP resistivity survey and ground gravity survey that were also completed as part of the winter program.

Crawford and Moon Lake South - Drill results from the Company's 100% owned Crawford Lake property and the adjacent Moon Lake South property returned extensive basement alteration and structure, as well as the first discovery of uranium mineralization along the CR-3 conductive trend, which warrants further follow up drilling to evaluate this trend for unconformity and basement hosted uranium mineralization

Executed Agreement to combine African-based uranium interests with GoviEx Uranium Inc.

On March 30, 2016, Denison announced the execution of a Definitive Share Purchase Agreement ("Share Purchase Agreement") with GoviEx Uranium Inc. ("GoviEx"), pursuant to which GoviEx will acquire Denison's African-based uranium interests in exchange for approximately 56.1 million common shares of GoviEx and approximately 22.4 million share purchase warrants. Upon completion of the transaction, which is expected to close in mid-May 2016, Denison will hold 25% of GoviEx's outstanding common shares and 28% of GoviEx's shares on a fully diluted basis. GoviEx's principal asset is the 100% owned advanced development stage Madaouela project in Niger. GoviEx is a publicly traded company, listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "GXU".

Earned $1.2 +million in toll milling revenue from McClean Lake

The McClean Lake mill, in which Denison holds a 22.5% interest, packaged approximately 4.5 million pounds U 3 O 8 during the first quarter for the Cigar Lake Joint Venture ("CLJV"), generating toll milling revenues for Denison of $1.2 million. The MLJV plans to package 16 million pounds U 3 O 8 for the CLJV during 2016.

Entered into a three year management services agreement with Uranium Participation Corporation

On March 4, 2016, Denison announced that it entered into a new three year agreement to provide management services to Uranium Participation Corporation. The new agreement took effect on April 1, 2016, upon the conclusion of the three year term of the prior management services agreement.

CAD$10 Million offering of flow-through common shares to finance 2017 Canadian exploration

The Company announced a "bought deal" private placement on May 3, 2016. The Company has granted the Underwriters an option to offer for sale up to an additional 20% of flow-through shares, at the same price.

SELECTED ANNUAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION





(in thousands) As at

March 31,

2016 As at

December 31,

2015 Financial Position of Continuing Operations: Cash and cash equivalents $ 5,994 $ 5,367 Short term investments 7,785 7,282 Long term investments 386 496 Cash, cash equivalents and investments $ 14,165 $ 13,145 Working capital $ 14,015 $ 12,772 Property, plant and equipment $ 196,250 $ 188.250 Total assets $ 224,147 $ 212,758 Total long-term liabilities $ 39,913 $ 38,125

2016 2015 (in thousands, except for per share amounts) Q1 Q1 Continuing Operations: Total revenues $ 3,330 $ 2,328 Net loss $ (4,445) $ (3,853) Basic and diluted loss per share $ (0.01) $ (0.01) Discontinued Operations: Net loss $ (5,162) $ (5,941) Basic and diluted loss per share $ (0.01) $ (0.01)

EXPLORATION AND EVALUATION

Denison's share of exploration and evaluation expenditures were $4,603,000 during the first quarter of 2016, compared to $5,522,000 during the same period in 2015.

Exploration at the Gryphon deposit

During the winter 2016 program, drill testing within 200 metres north and northwest of the Gryphon deposit returned numerous high-grade intersections within the Basal Pegmatite unit, which has undergone little previous drill testing. The initial high-grade intersection in this area was reported in drill hole WR-633D1 on Section 5200GP, which intersected 1.7% eU 3 O 8 over 7.6 metres (including 6.3% eU 3 O 8 over 1.7 metres). Follow-up drilling along section to the northwest intersected high-grade mineralization in drill hole WR-641, with 3.9% eU 3 O 8 reported over 9.2 metres (including 6.7% eU 3 O 8 over 5.3 metres). A further four holes were completed on Section 5200GP, all of which intersected mineralization in excess of 0.1% eU 3 O 8 over 1 meter. As warranted by these results, additional follow-up drilling commenced on adjacent sections, roughly 50 metres along strike to the southwest (Section 5150GP, two holes) and to the northeast (Section 5250GP, two holes). The results from Section 5150GP are highlighted by drill holes WR-651 and WR-646, which intersected 4.2% eU 3 O 8 over 2.8 metres (including 8.2% eU 3 O 8 over 1.4 metres) and 7.1% eU 3 O 8 over 2.0 metres (including 9.3% eU 3 O 8 over 1.5 metres), respectively. Further details are provided in Denison's press release dated April 18, 2016.

Exploration southwest of Gryphon along the K-North trend

A total of 13 drill holes were completed, commencing on Section 3200GP and continuing along strike to the southwest on sections at 200 metres, 600 metres, 1,000 metres and 1,400 metres respectively. Weak mineralization and/or anomalous radioactivity was intersected in almost every hole, including 0.10 % eU 3 O 8 over 10.4 meters in drill hole WR-634 and 0.11% eU 3 O 8 over 6.1 meters in drill hole WR-655, immediately below the unconformity.

Exploration pipeline properties

During the 2016 winter exploration programs, the Company managed or participated in 12 other exploration programs (10 operated by Denison), including 8 drilling programs (6 operated by Denison). Further details are provided in Denison's press release dated April 21, 2016.

At Murphy Lake, drilling confirmed the continuity of the intense hydrothermal sandstone alteration system, identified in 2015, over a strike length of 850 metres. Weak uranium mineralization was intersected in the sandstone associated with intense hematite and clay alteration in several holes.

At Crawford Lake and Moon Lake South, drilling was focused on the CR-3 conductive trend and results included extensive basement alteration and structure on Crawford Lake and the discovery of uranium mineralization at the unconformity on Moon Lake South.

Evaluation program

Denison completed a PEA on the 60% owned Wheeler River project. The PEA considers the potential economic merit of co-developing the high-grade Gryphon and Phoenix deposits as a single underground mining operation, and assumes processing at Denison's 22.5% owned McClean Lake mill, located in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin. The Wheeler River project has the potential to generate robust economics based on today's long term uranium price and with its current resource base. The PEA provides the Company with a solid foundation to work from and allows the project to advance immediately towards a Pre-Feasibility Study.

Further details are provided in Denison's press release dated April 4, 2016. The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

RESULTS OF OTHER OPERATIONS

Revenues

The McClean Lake mill continued to process ore received from the Cigar Lake mine. During the first quarter of 2016, the McClean Lake mill packaged approximately 4.5 million pounds U 3 O 8 for the CLJV and the Company's share of toll milling revenue during the period totaled $1,204,000.

Revenue from Denison Environmental Services ("DES") and the Company's management services agreement with UPC, during the three months ended March 31, 2016, were $1,753,000 and $373,000, respectively.

Operating expenses

Operating expenses in the Canadian mining segment include depreciation, mining and other development costs, and standby costs. Operating expenses during the first quarter of 2016 were $755,000, including $609,000 in depreciation from the McClean Lake mill, associated with the processing of 4.5 million pounds U 3 O 8 from the CLJV.

Operating expenses for DES, during the three months ended March 31, 2016, totaled $1,508,000. The expenses relate primarily to care and maintenance and consulting services provided to clients and include labour and other costs.

General and administrative expenses

Total general and administrative expenses were $1,040,000 during the first quarter of 2016. These costs are mainly comprised of head office salaries and benefits, office costs in multiple regions, audit and regulatory costs, legal fees, investor relations expenses, project costs and all other costs related to operating a public company with listings in Canada and the United States.

Foreign exchange income and expense

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, a foreign exchange loss of $1,987,000 was recognized due primarily to unfavourable fluctuations in foreign exchange rates applicable on the translation of US dollar intercompany debt.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Cash and cash equivalents were $6,179,000 at March 31, 2016 and the company also held investments in GICs of $7,785,000, which are categorized as short term investments. The Company holds the large majority of its cash, cash equivalents and investments in Canadian Dollars. As at March 31, 2016, the Company's cash, cash equivalents and current investments amount to CAD$18.1 million. The Company's CAD$24 million credit facility available for non-financial letters of credit was extended in January 2016. The facility contains a covenant that requires the Company to maintain a minimum cash balance of CAD$5 million on deposit with the Bank of Nova Scotia.

SUBSEQUENT EVENT: FLOW-THROUGH COMMON SHARES OFFERING

On May 3, 2016 the Company announced that it has entered into an agreement for a private placement of 12,200,000 flow-through common shares at a price of CAD$0.82 per share, for gross proceeds of CAD$10,004,000. The Company has granted the underwriters an option to offer for sale up to an additional 20% of flow-through shares, at the same price. The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about May 20, 2016 and is subject to the completion of formal documentation and receipt of regulatory approvals. The income tax benefits related to this issue are to be renounced to subscribers no later than December 31, 2016.

OUTLOOK FOR 2016

The Company has completed a successful winter exploration program in Canada and plans to follow up with a summer exploration program on certain high priority projects. Following the results of the PEA on the Wheeler River project, the Company also plans on initiating a Pre-Feasibility Study during the remainder of the year. At the end of the first quarter of 2016, the Company's exploration, development and operation plans for the year remain unchanged.

(in thousands) 2016

BUDGET Actual to

March 31,

2016 Canada (1) Toll Milling Revenue & Mineral Sales $ 5,440 $ 1,190 Development & Operations (2,400) (310) Mineral Property Exploration & Evaluation (13,000) (4,710) (9,960) (3,830) Africa Zambia, Mali and Namibia (1,290) (310) (1,290) (310) Other (1) UPC Management Services 1,530 250 DES Environmental Services 920 330 Corporate Administration & Other (4,250) (1,040) (1,800) (460) Total $ (13,050) $ (4,600)

(1) Budget figures have been converted using a US$ to CAD$ exchange rate of 1.30. (2) The Company budgets on a cash basis. As a result, actual amounts represent a non-GAAP measure and exclude non-cash depreciation and amortization amounts of $856,000.

Qualified Person

The disclosure regarding the PEA was reviewed and approved by Peter Longo, P. Eng, MBA, PMP, Denison's Vice-President, Project Development, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. The balance of the disclosure of scientific and technical information regarding Denison's properties in this press release and the MD&A was prepared by or reviewed and approved by Dale Verran, MSc, Pr.Sci.Nat., the Company's Vice President, Exploration, a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. For a description of the data verification, assay procedures and the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied by Denison, please see Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 24, 2016 available under Denison's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and its Form 40-F available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

About Denison

Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan. Including its 60% owned Wheeler River project, which hosts the high grade Phoenix and Gryphon uranium deposits, Denison's exploration portfolio consists of numerous projects covering over 350,000 hectares in the eastern Athabasca Basin. Denison's interests in Saskatchewan also include a 22.5% ownership interest in the McClean Lake joint venture, which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill, which is currently processing ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest deposit and a 61.55% interest in the J Zone deposit on the Waterbury Lake property. Both the Midwest and J Zone deposits are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill. Internationally, Denison owns 100% of the Mutanga project in Zambia, 100% of the uranium/copper/silver Falea project in Mali, and a 90% interest in the Dome project in Namibia. Denison has recently entered into an agreement with GoviEx Uranium Inc. (GXU: CSE) to sell its African interests, with an expected closing date in May, 2016.

Denison is also engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental services through its Denison Environmental Services division and is the manager of Uranium Participation Corp., a publicly traded company which invests in uranium oxide and uranium hexafluoride.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison.

Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes", or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: the likelihood of completing and benefits to be derived from corporate transactions; the results of the PEA and expectations regarding further studies; expectations regarding the toll milling of Cigar Lake ores; expectations regarding revenues and expenditure from operations at DES; capital expenditure programs, estimated exploration and development expenditures and reclamation costs and Denison's share of same; expectations of market prices and costs; supply and demand for uranium; exploration, development and expansion plans and objectives and statements regarding anticipated budgets; receipt of regulatory approvals, permits and licences under governmental regulatory regimes; and Denison's preparation for and ability to complete a spin-out or disposal transaction of its African interests. Statements relating to "mineral reserves" or "mineral resources" are deemed to be forward-looking information, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions that the mineral reserves and mineral resources described can be profitably produced in the future.

Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the factors discussed in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 24, 2016 under the heading "Risk Factors". These factors are not, and should not be construed as being exhaustive. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of this press release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this press release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources: This press release may use the terms "measured", "indicated" and "inferred" mineral resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable.
TORONTO, May 05, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE:MUX) (TSX:MUX) is pleased to announce consolidated quarterly production of 37,958 gold equivalent ounces(1) and earnings from mining operations of $19.5 million(2)(3) for the three months ended March 31, 2016 (Q1). The El Gallo Mine in Mexico had an outstanding quarter, producing at total cash costs and all-in sustaining costs (AISC) per gold equivalent ounce of $432 and $532, respectively. The San Jose Mine in Argentina also performed well, and as a result we received a dividend of $2.6 million from MSC(4) in the quarter, compared to a $0.5 million dividend received during all of 2015.

We generated $14.7 million in free cash flow in the quarter, and ended the quarter with liquid assets(3) of $43.5 million and no debt. On May 2, 2016 we had liquid assets of $46 million and no debt.

The tables below provide operating and financial results for Q1, comparative results for Q1 2015, and our production and cost guidance for full year 2016. For our SEC Form 10-Q Financial Statements and MD&A refer to: http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0000314203

Q1 2016 Q1 2015 Guidance FY2016 Corporate Total Gold ounces produced 28,975 24,696 99,500 Silver ounces produced 673,767 655,339 3,337,000 Gold equivalent ounces produced(1) 37,958 33,434 144,000 Gold equivalent total cash cost ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 615 $ 674 $ 780 Gold equivalent co-product AISC ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 814 $ 948 $ 935 Gold equivalent all-in cost ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 903 $ 1,044 - El Gallo Mine  Mexico Gold ounces produced 20,015 15,243 54,500 Silver ounces produced 6,448 11,084 37,500 Gold equivalent ounces produced(1) 20,101 15,391 55,000 Gold equivalent total cash cost ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 432 $ 460 $ 780 Gold equivalent co-product AISC ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 532 $ 611 $ 840 San Jose Mine(4) - Argentina Gold ounces produced 8,960 9,453 45,000 Silver ounces produced 667,319 644,255 3,300,000 Gold equivalent ounces produced(1) 17,857 18,043 89,000 Gold equivalent total cash cost ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 762 $ 888 $ 780 Gold equivalent co-product AISC ($/oz)(1)(3) $ 936 $ 1,127 $ 990

Q1 2016 Q1 2015 Gold equivalent ounces sold 40,578 37,682 San Jose Mine 22,477 18,865 El Gallo Mine 18,101 18,817 Average realized prices(3) Gold ($/oz) $ 1,205 $ 1,213 Silver ($/oz) $ 15.29 $ 17.02 (Millions of U.S. dollars except per share amounts) Earnings from Mining Operations(3) 19.5 17.2 Earnings from mine operations per share 0.07 0.06 Cash Flow from Operations(3) 14.7 5.6 Cash flow from operations per share 0.05 0.02 Net Income(3) 13.0 6.0 Net Income per share 0.04 0.02

Operating & Financial Highlights

Production Costs

Consolidated total cash costs, all-in sustaining costs (AISC) and all-in costs per gold equivalent ounce sold in Q1 were $615, $814 and $903, respectively. At the El Gallo Mine total cash costs and AISC were $432 and $532 per gold equivalent ounce, respectively; and at the San Jose Mine total cash costs and AISC were $762 and $936 per gold equivalent ounce, respectively. The year-over-year decrease in total cash costs per gold equivalent ounce sold is mainly due to a higher average gold grade processed at the El Gallo Mine, and devaluation in both the Argentinean and Mexican Pesos in the quarter.

Production

Quarterly gold equivalent production has increased year-over-year by 14%. Production in Q1 totaled 37,958 gold equivalent ounces, which includes 17,857 gold equivalent ounces attributable to us from our 49%(4) interest in the San Jose Mine, and 20,101 gold equivalent ounces from the El Gallo Mine.

Ounces Sold

Sales totaled 40,578 gold equivalent ounces in Q1, which includes 22,477 gold equivalent ounces attributable to us from the San Jose Mine, and 18,101 gold equivalent ounces from the El Gallo Mine.

Earnings from Mining Operations

Earnings from mining operations was $19.5 million or $0.07 per share for Q1, compared to earnings of $17.2 million or $0.06 per share for Q1 2015.

Cash Flow

Net cash provided by operations was $14.7 million or $0.05 per share for Q1, compared to net cash flow generated of $5.6 million or $0.02 per share in Q1 2015.

Net Income

Consolidated net income was $13.0 million or $0.04 per share for Q1, compared to a net income of $6.0 million or $0.02 per share for Q1 2015.

Average Realized Prices

The average realized prices of gold and silver sold during Q1 were $1,205 and $15.29 per ounce, respectively. Average realized prices are presented net of adjustments of provisionally priced sales of concentrates from the San Jose Mine.

Production and Cost Guidance

We increased our 2016 production guidance during the quarter to 99,500 gold ounces and 3.3 million silver ounces, or 144,000 gold equivalent ounces, at total cash costs and AISC of $780 and $935 per gold equivalent ounce, respectively.

Treasury

We ended Q1 with $43.5 million in liquid assets and no debt. As of May 2, 2016 we had liquid assets of $46 million.

Return of Capital & Eligible Dividend

We paid the second semi-annual return of capital installment of $0.005 per share on February 12, 2016, for an aggregate total of $1.5 million. For shareowners in the US & Canada, return of capital is generally not taxed, however we advise you to obtain advice from a tax professional familiar with your specific situation. Owners of the exchangeable shares of our publicly traded Canadian subsidiary McEwen Mining - Minera Andes Acquisition Corp. (MAQ) received an eligible dividend of $0.005 per share with the same payment date. The eligible dividend does not qualify for the same beneficial tax treatment discussed above and we recommend that holders of MAQ shares vote for the proposed amendment to the article of incorporation at the MAQ Annual Meeting, as discussed below.

Exchangeable Shares

At our upcoming Annual Meeting on May 31, 2016, owners of MAQ exchangeable shares are being asked to vote for an amendment to the articles of incorporation allowing for the immediate redemption of all exchangeable shares. If approved, MAQ shares will be redeemed for MUX common shares. This will save administrative costs and simplify our capital structure. For more information on the proposed amendment refer to pages 10-19 of the proxy circular dated April 20, 2016 available at:

http://sedar.com/DisplayCompanyDocuments.do?lang=EN&issuerNo=00032768

El Gallo Mine, Mexico (100%)

In Q1 the mine produced 20,101 gold equivalent ounces, compared to 15,391 gold equivalent ounces during same period in 2015. Production in Q1 set a new quarterly record as a result of processing higher grade ore stockpiled in the previous quarter. Production in subsequent quarters is expected to be lower as the influence of higher grade ore diminishes and production transitions to lower grade resources. Full year production guidance for El Gallo in 2016 is now increased to 55,000 gold equivalent ounces.

For 2016, we have budgeted $3.3 million for sustaining costs and capital expenditures, and $2.6 million for exploration activities. During Q1 we spent $1.1 million, primarily on the heap leach pad expansion expected to be completed early in Q2, and $0.8 million in exploration activities.

On April 19, 2016, we acquired the existing tiered NSR royalty (the Royalty) on the El Gallo Mine, which was paying 3.5% of gross revenue less allowable deductions. The purchase price consisted of a $5.25 million payment on closing and a conditional deferred payment of $1.0 million to be made on June 30, 2018. The Royalty ceased being payable at the end of March 2016. In 2015 the Royalty added approximately $44 per gold equivalent ounce sold to our cash cost. The transaction enhances the future profitability of the El Gallo Mine and removes a royalty burden on existing and potentially new deposits inside the Royaltys area of influence, including the El Gallo Silver deposit.

On May 2, 2016, we announced the purchase of mineral properties located approximately 6 miles (10 km) from the El Gallo Mine for $250,000, plus a 2% NSR royalty retained by the seller. We believe there are attractive exploration targets on these properties, and we will be commencing exploration here immediately.

San Jose Mine, Argentina (49%)

Our attributable production from San Jose in Q1 was 8,960 gold ounces and 667,319 silver ounces, for a total of 17,857 gold equivalent ounces. Compared to Q1 2015, gold production was down 5% and silver production was up 4%. Q1 production is typically lower than other quarters due to mill shutdown and maintenance over the holidays.

Tax reforms and other macroeconomic developments in Argentina have significantly improved the cash flows at San Jose. As a consequence we received $2.6 million in dividends from MSC(4) in Q1, and expect to receive additional dividends throughout the year.

The 2016 exploration budget for drilling on targets near the mine is $4.5 million. This is the first time in several years that a significant budget has been allocated to exploration with the goal of defining new economic deposits on the San Jose property.

Gold Bar Advanced-stage Project(5), Nevada, U.S. (100%)

For 2016, we have budget approximately $8.3 million for our Nevada properties. The budget for Gold Bar development is $3.5 million, of which $0.6 million was spent in Q1. The exploration budget is $1.6 million for a total of 16,000 ft. (4,900 m) of drilling. Exploration drilling on two Nevada projects begins this month, including on the new Afgan project acquired in January.

We continue to advance the permitting process for construction and production at Gold Bar. Formal notice from the Bureau of Land Management states our Record of Decision (ROD) for the Gold Bar Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is expected in January, 2017. The Company expects that all other applicable State and local permits will also be acquired within this timeframe. Once the ROD and permits are received, the Company can begin mine construction, which is expected to take approximately 10-12 months to complete.

El Gallo Silver Advanced-stage Project(5), Mexico (100%)

Work with our engineering consultants on revised development plans and trade-off studies for El Gallo Silver is ongoing. We intend to present our results this summer and produce a new feasibility study when prevailing silver prices justify development.

Los Azules Exploration Project, Argentina (100%)

For 2016, we have budgeted $1.0 million for Los Azules to advance the project with baseline environmental studies, optimization studies, and geological work. Planning for the next field season in Q1 2017 is also in progress.







Q1 2016 Conference Call Details McEwen Mining will be hosting a conference call to discuss the Q1 2016 results

and project developments on: Thursday, May 5th, 2016 11:00 am ET WEBCAST: http://www.gowebcasting.com/lobby/7548 TELEPHONE: Participant Dial-in numbers: (877) 291-4570 (North America) / (647) 788-4922 (International)

Conference ID: 6262391 REPLAY: Dial-in numbers: (800) 585-8367 (North America) / (416) 621-4642 (International) Conference ID: 6262391

05/05/2016 14:00 ET - 12/05/2016 23:59 ET

About McEwen Mining (www.mcewenmining.com)

McEwen Minings goal is to qualify for inclusion in the S&P 500 Index by creating a high growth, profitable gold and silver producer focused in the Americas and Europe. McEwen Mining's principal assets consist of the San Jose Mine in Santa Cruz, Argentina (49% interest), the El Gallo Mine and El Gallo Silver project in Sinaloa, Mexico, the Gold Bar project in Nevada, USA, and the Los Azules copper project in San Juan, Argentina.

McEwen Mining has a total of 298 million shares outstanding. Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner, owns 25% of the Company

Footnotes:

1) Silver production is presented as a gold equivalent. Gold equivalent calculations are based on prevailing spot prices at the beginning of the year. The silver to gold ratio used for 2015-2016 is 75:1.

2) All amounts are reported in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

3) Earnings from mining operations, total cash costs, all-in sustaining costs (AISC), all-in costs, average realized prices, and liquid assets, are non-GAAP financial performance measures with no standardized definition under U.S. GAAP. See Cautionary Note Regarding Non-GAAP Measures for additional information, including definitions of these terms.

4) The San Jose Mine is owned by Minera Santa Cruz S.A. (MSC), which is a joint venture 49% owned by McEwen Mining Inc. and 51% owned and operated by Hochschild Mining plc. Figures include only the portion attributable to us from our 49% interest in MSC.

5) See Cautionary Note Regarding Non-GAAP Measures for additional information about Advanced-stage Projects.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

The technical contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Nathan M. Stubina , Ph.D., P.Eng., FCIM, Managing Director and a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects".

RELIABILITY OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE SAN JOSE MINE

Minera Santa Cruz S.A., the owner of the San Jose Mine, is responsible for and has supplied to the Company all reported results from the San Jose Mine. McEwen Minings joint venture partner, a subsidiary of Hochschild Mining plc, and its affiliates other than MSC do not accept responsibility for the use of project data or the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING NON-GAAP MEASURES

In this report, we have provided information prepared or calculated according to U.S. GAAP, as well as provided some non-U.S. GAAP ("non-GAAP") performance measures. Because the non-GAAP performance measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by U.S. GAAP, they may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.

Total Cash Costs and All-in Sustaining Costs

Total cash costs consist of mining, processing, on-site general and administrative costs, community and permitting costs related to current explorations, royalty costs, refining and treatment charges (for both dore and concentrate products), sales costs, export taxes and operational stripping costs. All-in sustaining cash costs consist of total cash costs (as described above), plus environmental rehabilitation costs, amortization of the asset retirement costs related to operating sites, sustaining exploration and development costs, and sustaining capital expenditures. In order to arrive at our consolidated all-in sustaining costs, we also include corporate general and administrative expenses. Depreciation is excluded from both total cash costs and all-in sustaining cash costs. For both total cash costs and all-in sustaining costs we include our attributable share of total cash costs from operations where we hold less than a 100% economic share in the production, such as MSC, where we hold a 49% interest. Total cash cost and all-in sustaining cash cost per ounce sold are calculated on a co-product basis by dividing the respective proportionate share of the total cash costs and all-in sustaining cash costs for the period attributable to each metal by the ounces of each respective metal sold. We use and report these measures to provide additional information regarding operational efficiencies both on a consolidated and an individual mine basis, and believe that these measures provide investors and analysts with useful information about our underlying costs of operations. A reconciliation to the nearest U.S. GAAP measure is provided in McEwen Mining's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016.

Earnings from mining operations

The term Earnings from Mining Operations used in this report is a non-GAAP financial measure. We use and report this measure because we believe it provides investors and analysts with a useful measure of the underlying earnings from our mining operations. We define Earnings from Mining Operations as Gold and Silver Revenues from our El Gallo 1 Mine and our 49% attributable share of the San Jose Mine's Net Sales, less their respective Production Costs Applicable to Sales. To the extent that Production Costs Applicable to Sales may include depreciation and amortization expense related to the fair value increments on historical business acquisitions (fair value paid in excess of the carrying value of the underlying assets and liabilities assumed on the date of acquisition), we deduct this expense in order to arrive at Production Costs Applicable to Sales that only include depreciation and amortization expense incurred at the mine-site level. The San Jose Mine Net Sales and Production Costs Applicable to Sales are presented, on a 100% basis, in Note 5 of McEwen Mining's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016.

Average realized prices

The term average realized price per ounce used in this report is also a non-GAAP financial measure. We report this measure to better understand the price realized in each reporting period for gold and silver. Average realized price is calculated as sales of gold and silver (excluding commercial deductions) over the number of ounces sold in the period.

Liquid assets

Liquid assets corresponds to cash, investments and precious metals, which is also a nonGAAP financial measure. We report this measure to better understand our liquidity in each reporting period. Cash, investments and precious metals is calculated as the sum of cash, investments and ounces of dore held in inventories with precious metals, valued at the London PM Fix spot price at the corresponding period. A reconciliation between precious metals valued at cost and precious metals valued at market value is provided in McEwen Mining's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016.

Advanced stage projects

Advanced-stage properties consist of properties for which a feasibility study has been completed indicating the presence of mineralized material, and that have obtained or are in the process of obtaining the required permitting for construction and operation. Our designation of certain properties as Advanced-stage Properties should not suggest that we have proven or probable reserves at those properties as defined by the SEC Industry Guide 7. In addition, as described under Critical Accounting Policies section contained in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, we define Mine Development Costs as the costs incurred to design and construct mining and processing facilities, including engineering and metallurgical studies, drilling, and other related costs to delineate an ore body, and the removal of overburden to initially expose an ore body at open pit surface or underground mines. Since no proven and probable reserves have been established on any of our properties except for our 49% interest in the San Jose mine, mine development costs are not capitalized at any of the our properties, but rather are expensed as incurred, and allocated within Mine Development Costs in the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, including "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements and information expressed, as at the date of this news release, McEwen Mining Inc.'s (the "Company") estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to future events and results. Forward-looking statements and information are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies, and there can be no assurance that such statements and information will prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and information. Risks and uncertainties that could cause results or future events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, factors associated with fluctuations in the market price of precious metals, mining industry risks, political, economic, social and security risks associated with foreign operations, the ability of the corporation to receive or receive in a timely manner permits or other approvals required in connection with operations, risks associated with the construction of mining operations and commencement of production and the projected costs thereof, risks related to litigation, the state of the capital markets, environmental risks and hazards, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral resources and reserves, and other risks. The Companys dividend policy will be reviewed periodically by the Board of Directors and is subject to change based on certain factors such as the capital needs of the Company and its future operating results. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information included herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. See McEwen Mining's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the caption "Risk Factors", for additional information on risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the forward-looking statements and information regarding the Company. All forward-looking statements and information made in this news release are qualified by this cautionary statement.

The NYSE and TSX have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release, which has been prepared by management of McEwen Mining Inc.
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Despite Hain Celestial lowering the top end of its forecasts for annual net sales and earnings yesterday (4 May), the US group earned praise from Wall Street for the steps it is taking to cut costs and zero-in on health and wellness trends in the US. On an investor call, Hain Celestials management team talked at length about what it is taking to position itself for future growth. Hannah Abdulla reports.

There were two topics that dominated the Hain Celestial investor call yesterday (4 May) in the wake of the groups third quarter results; the US groups renewed focus on responding to consumer demand for healthier products and the Greek Gods owners moves to future-proof its business with a cost-cutting programme to allow reinvestment of savings into five newly-outlined core-platforms.

The company behind brands from Tilda rice to Ellas Kitchen baby food revealed in February it had hired management consultants Boston Consulting Group to analyse, among other things, how the business could reduce complexity and save around US$100m in cost savings between 2017 and 2019, enabling the company to reinvest in its brands.

Questions earlier in the year on where the savings would come from were left unanswered. But Hain Celestial looked to address those yesterday, confirming initiatives including optimising plants, co-packers and procurement, as well as rationalising the companys product portfolio.

Among a series of announcements yesterday was news Hain Celestial had earmarked a group of brands worth US$30m in sales for disposal, under the belief the unnamed products no longer fit the companys core strategy. Irwin Simon, Hain Celestials founder, president and CEO, said more detail on this initiative would be provided when the group reports its annual results in the autumn.

Hain Celestial did reveal the so-called Project Terra review had identified five strategic platforms under which its brands would be categorised, based on consumer habits and needs, which Simon said would allow the company to sharpen its platform for growth.

The units are fresh living, which will focus on poultry, yoghurt, plant-based proteins and other refrigerated products. A second arm will be better-for-you baby, which will include infant foods, infant formula, diapers and wipe products. A third  better-for-you snacking  will focus on what Hain Celestial called. wholesome products for in-between meals. The company said a better-for-you pantry unit would look at core consumer staples. The fifth division would be pure personal care, products with cleaner and gentler ingredients.

The grouping of brands was determined by common consumer needs, route-to-market or internal advantage to provide a strategic roadmap to continue our natural and organic leadership position, which I began in 1993, explained Simon. The new platforms will also let us look more closely at distinct channel strategies for our brands ensuring that we continue to extend our advantage in the natural and to grow in the multioutlet market. These platforms will apply globally and represent distinct opportunities for incremental growth and margin improvement aligned with consumer demand.

Under the platforms, Hain Celestial plans to invest in the marketing behind its top 15 brands, which it believes will drive growth and improve margins. Hain Celestial will look to adjust and align its prices, re-think its price pack architecture and reallocate investment in promotions based on the return on investment. The company, meanwhile, announced the appointment of Jim Meiers  its US chief supply chain officer  to the position of chief operations officer of the whole group to manage supply chain, procurement, productivity and manufacturing.

Meiers said Hain Celestial is already looking at saving US$50m in costs through productivity by the end of its 2016 financial year. Project Terra, he added, is incremental to our current productivity process. Hain will use these savings to reinvest in our growth brands to drive consumption.

There were two aspects to Hain Celestials plans for investment. One, solidifying its focus on becoming a leader in health and wellness and, two, setting up a venture unit. The unit, Cultivate Ventures, will have three tasks  invest in smaller brands that are in high-potential categories, incubate smaller acquisitions Hain Celestial may make in order to grow the assets to a scale for when they can join one of the five platforms and to invest in products, concepts and technologies that focus on health and wellness.

Health and wellness has been central to the development of Hain Celestial but the company has been facing intensifying competition from more conventional but larger packaged food companies, especially in its home market.

The company has sought to continue to expand its business in the area, not just in the US but also overseas. However, one of the main pressures on Hain Celestials growth in recent quarters, particularly in the US, has been the inroads companies like Campbell Soup Co. have made in certain categories.

However, Simon said Hain Celestial was confident about the continued growth of healthier categories and about the companys position. Our retailers want more and more health and wellness. And Ive never seen it like this from around the world. We got a pretty good feel thats a category that consumers want today, he asserted. This is an exciting category, absolutely attracting a lot of competition as they see conventional categories decline. I think whats important is we recognise how millennials want these brands, how millennials are very, very, very responsible in the food they eat. There are very few companies out there that can boast and say 99% of their products are GMO-free. Over 71% of our products from a transparency [point] have 13 ingredients or less. Over 40% of our products today are organic. A lot of retailers, a lot of consumers want more and more health, Hain is there, and Hain will continue to be there, he added.

Alexia Howard, an analyst covering Hain Celestial at Sanford Bernstein, said the company is well-positioned to meet one growing trend in the US  increased demand for products without GMO ingredients. We believe Hain is best positioned with regards to GMO labeling, as almost all of its products are GMO-free, she said.

The results of Project Terra show health and wellness categories will continue to be a focus within Hain Celestials M&A strategy, part of which will now take the form of smaller investments through the new Cultivate Ventures division. The unit will also invest in some of Hain Celestials existing smaller brands the company says are in high potential categories, such as SunSpire chocolates and DeBoles pasta.

Simon said the group of brands under the Cultivate Ventures umbrella generated sales of somewhere around US$20m to $30m. Theres some great businesses that are going to be part of this that are going to get focus, love and attention, where before they kind of got lost in the first 15 brands. And its interesting as you look at valuations today and you look what businesses are being bought for and what these are worth and get them on a growth trajectory, theres some great businesses that we can really turn into something. And theyre all on trend categories, whether meat-free, chocolate or high-fibre crackers, he said.

However, when it comes to smaller, on-trend acquisitions, Hain Celestial will face competition from the likes of Campbell and General Mills, which have both recently set up similar units. In particular, General Mills, with its 301 Inc. division, recently invested in organic plant based soup maker Tio Gazpacho and cottage cheese firm Good Culture.

Nevertheless, Hain Celestials announcements yesterday did win some praise from analysts covering the business. The company acknowledged that the level of competition is intense, especially as the company continues to migrate into the mainstream channels, so freeing up resources for reinvestment therefore makes sense, Sanford Bernsteins Howard said.

That said, the group is facing a fast-evolving landscape, particularly in the US but increasingly in markets like the UK. To be fair to Hain Celestial, the company realises trading conditions are different to those it had seen for over much of the last two decades when Simon and his team were building a health-and-wellness focused business. For much of that time, Hain Celestial was the challenger and the major CPG players were slow to react. Now, Hain Celestials larger rivals are becoming more attuned to changing consumer trends and are adapting, while, at the same time, the company is facing increased pressure from below, as smaller players make inroads into some categories. A note Howard issued today, for example, citing Nielsen data, showed upstart nut butter business Justins LLC had grabbed 9.3% of that category in the US, not far behind Maranathas 11.5%.

The Project Terra programme was a necessary exercise. Hain Celestial has had to reassess and refocus in order to try to remain one of the leaders in the healthier parts of the sector.
LINCOLN  A jury sent an emphatic message Wednesday when it returned a $2.64 billion verdict against the man questioned in the 2010 disappearance of a 19-year-old Peru State College student.

The family of Tyler Thomas wont be able to collect, considering the defendant in their wrongful-death lawsuit lacks financial assets and is serving a prison sentence for an unrelated rape conviction. But the verdict still provides the family with a degree of solace, said their attorney, Vince Powers of Lincoln.

Its important that the family knows that Tylers not forgotten and her life had value, Powers said.

The six-woman jury in Nemaha County District Court entered the judgment against Joshua Keadle, the former Peru State student who investigators considered a person of interest in Thomas disappearance. Although authorities questioned Keadle, he was never charged in the Thomas case.

Thomas parents  La Tanya Thomas and Kevin Semans, both of Omaha  and other relatives gave emotional testimony about the loss they suffered when their loved one disappeared on Dec. 3, 2010, Powers said. She has not been heard from since, and a court declared her deceased in 2013.

It was a hard day for the family, and it was a hard day for the jury, Powers said.

Trial testimony lasted about three hours, and jurors deliberated about two hours.

Jurors awarded $240 million to Thomas estate and her parents for wrongful death, pain, suffering, mental anguish and emotional distress. They multiplied that figure by 10 to arrive at punitive damages of $2.4 billion.

Under Nebraska law, punitive damages must be distributed to the public schools, Powers said.

Keadle, 34, did not appear and was not represented during Wednesdays trial at the courthouse in Auburn. During a pretrial deposition, Keadle asserted his Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions.

The family has been unsuccessful in its attempts to collect damages against the State Colleges Board of Trustees, which oversees Peru State and two other state colleges. Federal and state judges have said college officials could not have foreseen that Keadle would possibly commit violence against a fellow student.

The family has appealed the dismissal of their federal lawsuit against the college.

But both courts have entered judgments against Keadle, essentially holding him responsible for Thomas death. The judgments are not the same, however, as a criminal conviction.

A security camera recorded Thomas walking across the campus about 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 3, 2010. She was headed toward her dorm after drinking alcohol at an off-campus party.

Keadle, then 29, told investigators he picked up Thomas and drove her to a secluded boat ramp along the Missouri River, where they had consensual sex. He said he then left Thomas alive at the boat ramp after she threatened to accuse him of rape.

He is serving a prison sentence of 15 to 20 years for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Fremont in 2008. The victim came forward after seeing news coverage of Thomas disappearance.

Keadle will be eligible for parole in late 2018 and is scheduled for mandatory release in 2021, according to prison records.
WASHINGTON  The national GOP party chairman has urged all Republicans to unite behind Donald Trump now that he is the last man standing in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

But that call failed to produce a stampede of enthusiastic support Wednesday from top Republican leaders in Iowa and Nebraska.

There is a process in place for choosing our nominee and it is still going on, said Tom Doheny, a spokesman for Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. When it concludes, the senator will support whoever prevails.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have both dropped out. Only Trump remains, although he still needs to amass a few more delegates to clinch it.

But while the outcome seems inevitable, many Republicans are clearly wary of embracing the bombastic billionaire as the smoke clears after the scorched-earth primary contest. Some Republicans say they wont support Trump in the general election, and even those planning to back him hardly seem thrilled.

He and I have very different approaches to governing and dealing with others, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said Wednesday, although she said she plans to vote for the Republican nominee.

Said Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts: I will support the nominee of our party, and it looks like the nominee is going to be Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., released a statement saying he would support the GOP nominee in order to prevent a Hillary Clinton presidency. But he never mentioned Trumps name.

Thats something that Democrats are sure to do. They promise to tie Trump  and all of his controversial statements  to any Republicans facing tough re-election battles this year.

For example, Iowa Democrats were quick Wednesday morning to continue their efforts against Rep. David Young, R-Iowa. They pointed to comments Young made last year about Trump tapping into voters general frustration as evidence that the first-term congressman is on the same page as Trump.

In response to a World-Herald request, Young said in a statement that he will support the GOP nominee. Like Smith, he didnt utter Trumps name.

I will also continue my independent-minded approach to serving the people of Iowa, which means my support of the nominee is not a blanket endorsement of every word, idea and position of the nominee, Young added. This is my position regarding any candidate I run on the ballot with both now and in the future.

Even those not facing competitive races this fall arent racing to don a Make America Great Again cap.

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., who cast an early ballot for Cruz in the Nebraska primary, issued a statement that did not directly address whether hes ready to support Trump.

He was not my first choice, but I will not do anything to empower Hillary Clinton and the same failed political establishment, Fortenberry said in that statement.

But the Lincoln congressman added: I reserve the right to survey the national political landscape for candidates at all levels who reflect a proper understanding of our national security, economic security, and family security  the ideals of social conservation, the heart and strength of our country.

A Fortenberry spokeswomen declined a request to clarify what he meant.

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, was a fervent Cruz supporter and campaigned for him in the Iowa caucuses, which Cruz won. So Cruz withdrawal Tuesday after losing the Indiana primary hit hard.

It takes some of the wind out of you, King said.

King said he will stick to his plan to support the Republican nominee, but he isnt ready to endorse Trump yet.

We dont have a formal nominee at this point, King said. I would call upon Donald Trump to begin the healing process. Im all ears to be part of that healing process, but I think he needs to bring the party together.

Given all that Trump has said and done, King said the GOP nominee has his work cut out for him.

Hes going to need to prove it to a lot of people, King said.

A spokeswoman for Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, would only reiterate that Ernst plans to support the Republican nominee. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, did not respond to a request for comment.

At least some Republicans are refusing to accept Trump as the nominee, suggesting there might still be a way to deny him the nomination. But with no opponents left in the field, that seems unlikely.

Other Republicans have talked of leaving the party, voting for likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton or turning to a third-party candidate.

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., has been an outspoken Trump critic and has said he would not support the businessman even if he is the Republican nominee.

Sasse wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night that reporters keep asking if Indiana changes anything for me. The answer is simple: No.

Sasse, who declined comment for this story, has said he would look for a third-party candidate to support, but has not specified any particular options.

The Weekly Standards Bill Kristol said Wednesday on CNN that he could never vote for Trump or Clinton and would be following Sasses lead.

In fact, he suggested Sasse could run for president with South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, with either one of them at the top of the ticket. Sasse has said previously hes not interested in a presidential bid.

Others, including Fischer, have argued that Republicans who back a third-party candidate would simply ensure Clintons victory.

World-Herald staff writers Martha Stoddard and Roseann Moring contributed to this report.
LINCOLN  Proponents of medical marijuana in Nebraska say they will launch a petition drive with the goal of letting voters decide whether to legalize the drug for medicinal purposes in 2018.

Three groups that support medical cannabis recently closed the door on putting the question on the November general election ballot, said Maggie Graham, an officer of Omaha NORML, which stands for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. They would have needed to gather tens of thousands of voter signatures by a July 7 deadline.

Instead, the groups will focus on drafting new ballot language to amend medical cannabis into the Nebraska Constitution. They hope to start the petition drive in 2017. It will rely heavily on volunteer circulators to gather the roughly 120,000 signatures theyll need from registered voters, Graham said.

People are angry, people are upset, she said. Polls show a majority of Nebraskans want medical cannabis, and unfortunately they werent being heard by the Unicameral, or they were being ignored.

Other groups in the coalition are Nebraska Families 4 Medical Cannabis  an organization led by mothers of children with severe epilepsy  and Legal Marijuana Now, which hopes to become a political party in the state.

The groups had pinned their hopes on a medical cannabis bill in the Nebraska Legislature, but the measure failed to advance in April. A solid majority of 30 state lawmakers supported the bill, but they came up three votes short of breaking a filibuster by opponents.

State Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue, who sponsored Legislative Bill 643, said he would probably introduce another medical cannabis bill next year, if he wins re-election. He supports the petition effort but said another two years is too long for some patients.

Were going to keep fighting, he said. At the end of the day, its about those sick and suffering people.

Medical marijuana is legal in 24 states and the District of Columbia. Supporters say the plant provides relief from a variety of ailments, including chronic pain, nausea, debilitating seizures, glaucoma and severe muscle spasms.

Opponents say the drug hasnt been proven effective in scientific studies and doesnt meet the dosing and purity standards of federally approved pharmaceutical medications. Other opponents, including Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, argue that many activists see medical marijuana as the first step toward broader legalization.

Even though medical cannabis proponents will have more time to collect signatures, they still face a daunting challenge if they plan to rely solely on volunteers, said Kent Bernbeck of Omaha, who has organized several petition drives and sued to make the process easier for citizens.

Over the last 22 years, only one petition drive  the ban on gay marriage in 2000  succeeded using only volunteers, Bernbeck said.

I guarantee you it will have to be a combination of volunteers and paid circulators, he said of the medical marijuana effort. Petition drives can cost $600,000 and up when using paid circulators, he added.

Graham declined to say how much the groups have raised so far, but its enough to move forward with drafting the ballot language. It will be different from the medical marijuana petition filed with the Secretary of States Office in 2014.

While the legislative bill would have limited medical cannabis to tightly regulated extracts or vaporizers, the ballot proposal will probably seek to allow patients to grow a limited number of marijuana plants and smoke the drug, Graham said. It is also likely to expand the list of qualifying medical conditions to include pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.

People may also encounter a separate marijuana-related petition drive. Signatures are being collected to get Legal Marijuana Now recognized as a political party in Nebraska, said Mark Elworth Jr., the sponsor of that drive.
LONDON (AP)  Its a royal bonanza  but for Britains souvenir makers, also a royal headache.

The upcoming birth of Prince William and his wife Kates first child is a golden opportunity that comes with a mystery: the name and gender of the baby.

It all means that, while merchants have known for months that the future heir to the throne is due in mid-July, theyll be sent into a mad dash to create, or at least put finishing touches on, royal baby memorabilia.

Sophie Allport, a designer of fine bone china, is one manufacturer waiting for the future monarchs name to send her commercial plans into motion. She has thousands of pre-orders for hand-crafted commemorative mugs but cant fill them until the babys name can be etched on the rims.

Shes as ready as she can possibly be  having prepared both blue and pink designs depending on whether its a prince or princess.

Weve never done something like this so I hope it works, said Allport, whose designs, once written, will be scanned, mailed or even driven by courier to the city of Stoke-on-Trent, the center of Britains ceramic industry.

Be it Alexandra, George or Elizabeth, or any of the other names touted as possibilities, Stoke-on-Trents workers will then apply Allports designs to 10,000 mugs, which then will be fired in huge kilns and finished with a ceramic glaze.

Francis Morrall, deputy chief executive of the British Ceramic Confederation, said many designers have just left a small gap on their designs for the babys name, gender and date of birth.

All of the designs will have been prepared months ago, he said.

Other manufacturers have taken a different approach, opting for gender-neutral baby-themed merchandise, from I Love Uncle Harry baby bibs to Born to Rule baby clothes.

Stoke-on-Trents numerous ceramics factories will become a hive of activity following the babys arrival, churning out commemorative plates, cups, and mugs in British red-white-and-blue to satisfy royal fans at home and abroad.

Unlike Queen Elizabeth IIs recent Diamond Jubilee celebrations, which lasted for many months, Morrall said a royal babys birth gave manufacturers a limited window of opportunity to capitalize on royal fever.

The potential market for memorabilia will also include the throngs of international visitors who come to England each summer, including many who visit Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and other royal haunts.

Kimberly Sheridan, an Israeli student visiting Britain with a friend, said she does not plan to go home empty-handed.

Something associated with the royal baby would be the perfect souvenir from our time here, the 21-year-old said. We were really excited when we found out wed be here when the royal baby arrives, so a royal baby souvenir would be really cool.

Britains ceramic industry has experience responding to instant demands for commemorative memorabilia. Just this week it mobilized to create souvenirs celebrating Andy Murrays triumph at Wimbledon, which ended a 77-year drought in British mens singles winners at the tournament.

Dave Lockett, owner of Edwardian China, said that Wimbledon was a piece of cake compared to a royal birth. In sports, at least you know when the big day is and who might be celebrated. The questions surrounding the royal baby, he said, will push factories to the limit.

Theyll type in the name and press go, said Lockett, whose factory runs with up to 100 staff when working on orders with tight deadlines.

Britains Centre of Retail Research says royal baby fever is expected to contribute 56 million pounds ($84 million) to the U.K.s souvenir and memorabilia industry.

Entrepreneurs from other countries are also eager to get in on the act. In fact, as little as a quarter of royal baby products  from T-shirts to teddy bears  will be made in the U.K., with the rest shipped from overseas factories working overtime to meet global demand, said the retail research centers Joshua Bamfield.

In China, factories are standing by.

Tangshan Hengrui Ceramics, which produced 50,000 commemorative plates to mark William and Kates marriage, is prepared to give special treatment to the royal birth.

It usually takes a couple of months to get our products to the U.K., said Tangshan spokeswoman Joanna Cui. But if its something like a royal birth we can get it done in a much shorter time.
COLUMBUS  John Lohr doesnt see himself as finally making it or even successful," but simply a product of his upbringing and surroundings.

(Columbus) focuses on its strengths and it hasnt pretended to be something its not, the 2001 Columbus High graduate said, conveying that the city capitalizes on its manufacturing niche. Its about embracing (what it already has to offer).

Just as the city he was born in capitalizes on its strengths, Lohr has learned to do the same in his own life, something that's not left unrecognized.

The 2006 University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate will be honored tonight with UNLs Early Achiever Award, offered to accomplished alumni.

I was not expecting that at all, the 33-year-old humbly admitted.

Lohr, who started as a biochemistry major, found out numbers and research weren't his thing after studying abroad in Germany.

However, how well he worked with others and how those around him reacted to his warm, friendly personality was noticed. Someone offhandedly mentioned he would work great in hospitality services.

That suggestion changed Lohr's life.

Having traveled the world, living in Germany, Switzerland, Thailand, India and now Poland, theres really nothing Lohr wont do to make it in life, including providing for his Polish wife Angelika and sons Aleksander, 5, and Stefan, 3.

But there was actually a time when Lohr, the director of development at Hosco, an online recruitment channel for the global hospitality industry, did not find his career so fruitful.

After earning his bachelors degree in international studies and German at UNL, he attended one of the top hospitality schools in Switzerland. After graduating in 2007, it was unclear where his life would take him next.

Traditionally, you would go into running a hotel, being a general manager, office manager, up the ladder etc. etc., Lohr explained. I was going through the motions, through the management pathway.

While working toward his career in India, he and his wife discovered they were expecting their first child. From there, his whole perspective on life shifted. They then made the decision to move closer to her parents in Poland.

Oh, lets move to Europe with no plan. Ill figure it out, he joked. When we got there, I was in this terrible limbo zone. It was a very tough time.

Lohr, who was only able to speak German and English at the time, felt like an outsider while struggling to find a job that fit his career path.

The German market couldnt hire me because I didnt have the paperwork, and though I had Polish paperwork, I didnt speak Polish, he said. I was in a rut.

Then it hit him.

Pure luck is how he explains it.

At the age of 27, right when his future was seeming pretty bleak, he was discovered at a trade show.

The American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute created a position for him to promote the company's educational and training programs, with top hospitality schools and five-star luxury properties across Europe.

If I were to just sit at home crying in a corner, nothing was ever going to happen, Lohr said. Youre never going to get out of that stage unless you suck it up and look at your options.

From there, his determination made his career in hospitality skyrocket as he began working more on the corporate and educational sides rather than actually in a hotel.

Its about finding your niche, he said.

That landed him his next job  the biggest break yet. In September he took on the role of director of development at Hosco, a company based in Barcelona, Spain, that was established in 2011.

He compares the networking site to LinkedIn, but it's more of a gated community targeting careers in hospitality as those who want to participate must be accepted.

Students basically join to get hired, make connections and keep learning, Lohr said while describing how the site works. We put up learning material we make ourselves. There are thousands of employers there and then there are 40,000 other like-minded students and alumni.

Lohr describes his role as that of a recruiter who invites employers and potential employees to use the exclusive platform.

Were the filter, he explained, adding that the site helps make qualified workers more visible.

Lohr said he likes to look back at where he came from to remember how he got to his current position, recalling a specific lesson from high school.

We had a guest speaker come in and he said, Theres a good chance that the position you will have in 20 years hasnt even been invented yet. The industry youll be in wont even be invented yet, Lohr said. And here I am, a living example of that.
A Nemaha County jury on Wednesday returned a $2.64 billion wrongful death judgment against the man suspected of killing Peru State College student Ty Thomas in 2010.

It's unlikely Thomas' family will receive $240 million, its portion of the damages the jury awarded them from Joshua Keadle, who's in prison for an unrelated crime.

But for the family of a woman whose body hasn't been found, the jury's verdict shows her life was valued and holds Keadle accountable, their attorney Vince Powers said.

"It was important that Joshua Keadle, for all time, has been found to be responsible for the kidnapping, rape and murder of (Thomas)," Powers said.

Initially Thomas' family had also sued the city of Peru, Nemaha County and the state college system, among others. Ultimately all the defendants but Keadle were dismissed.

A judge declared the missing 19-year-old dead in 2013.

Keadle, the last known person to see her alive, has never been charged in Thomas' death but is considered by investigators to be a person of interest.

The 34-year-old is serving a prison sentence in Lincoln for an unrelated sexual assault in Fremont reported to authorities after Keadle was questioned in connection with Thomas' disappearance.

In court records, investigators said he admitted he gave Thomas a ride after a party in the early hours of Dec. 3, 2010, and that they argued after having sex in his car, and she threatened to say he raped her.

Afterward, the fellow Peru State student said he left Thomas and returned to his dorm room and took a shower.

He was sent to prison in 2012 for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old while he attended Midland College in 2008.

Federal and state lawsuits Thomas' family brought against Peru State College were dismissed after judges ruled college officials couldn't have known he would kill another student.

But Keadle has been found responsible for her death in both cases. He's eligible for parole in December 2018.

After Thomas' family's award, the jury designated the remaining $2.4 billion of the verdict to benefit school children in Nebraska and Nemaha County.

The jury's verdict is likely the largest ever awarded in Nebraska.
Loreto Secondary School, Kilkenny, last week became the first school in Ireland - and the second in Europe - to take part in a unique event spreading a little joy into people's lives.

'The Happiness Sprinkling Project' began in the USA in May 2012 and quickly spread across the States, and eventually into Canada. Now, it has reached this side of the pond, and a group of Transition Year students in the Loreto took it upon themselves to get involved.

They were out early last Tuesday morning in high-vis jackets, holding large, bright yellow happy faces they had made themselves,as well as signs which bore messages such as 'It's Going to be All Right' and 'Breathe' and 'You are Loved'.

The students were outside the school on the Granges Road before school  from around 8.30am onwards  'sprinkling happiness', before they then headed down to the Parade around to continue in a busier spot.

The reaction was positive; people waved, smiled, and motorists honked their horns. Several people even came over for a hug and a chat as the morning went on.

Created by Laura Lavigne, founder of the Anacortes Center for Happiness, The Happiness Sprinkling Project has been building momentum over the past three years. 'Happiness Ambassadors' have started popping up in a number of American cities.

Together they are aiming to eventually build a 'Happiness Sprinkling Tribe', whose vision is to expand into inner cities and eventually all over the world.
Very few people have ever had the opportunity to sit in "Margaret's chair" in Ballyragget, Sean Keane reports.

I am referring to the stone seat, still intact, on top of Ballyragget Castle which affords the best views of the town named after the family who owned the land around it for generations, the Raggets.

It is understandable that this fantastic castle is not open to members of the pubic for safety reasons.

However if it was to be opened to the public or placed in public trust it could form a focal point for the town which grew around it.

It is hard to beleive that this forgotten gem was absolutely central to the defence of Kilkenny in the 16th and 17th centuries and has been the backdrop for incredible events and the scene of much bloodshed and bitterness.

During the late 16th century and all through the 17th and 18th century it played a huge role in the military and political life of the county and the region, being the main defensive structure and fortified keep to the north of Kilkenny Castle. It also became a prized possession for the English, the Irish and the various squabbling branches of the Ormonde dynasty.

We know this and much more from the seminal work on the castle by Enda Houlihan through his thesis for his Bachelor of Education degree. It should be compulsive reading for anyone with a smidgeon of interest in their local place.

Back to the chair on the top right hand corner of this page.

It is also known as the Wishing Chair and the older people in Ballyragget believed that if you sat in the chair your wish would be granted.

It is also said but not recorded anywhere in print, that Lady Margaret Butler who was one of the Fitzgeralds, Earls of Kildare, would sit here and look out at the lands and that on occasion, servants, or others who did her a disservice would be hung from the castle.

The same story is told about another of her favourite haunts, Grannagh Castle while there is also a Margaret's chair at Clomantagh Castle, outside Freshford.

And just to demonstrate how important Ballyragget Castle was, a number of castles which were built later in the 16th century were modeled on it, including Tybroughney Castle, Piltown.

A very unsavoury character who held the castle was one of Cromwell's most deprived officers, Col Daniel Axtell who had one of the Butlers of the castle tortured and killed for not disclosing where the Mountgarret treasure was buried. He hung Catholic and Protestant royalists on the Fair Green, Ballyragget while laughing on from the castle.

The same treatment is supposed to have pertained to another of Lady Margaret's castles at Grannagh, Kilmacow

Curse

Lady Margaret and her fondness for Ballyragget gives the place an extra special significance and along with the curse on the Mountgarrets (that eventually came through in the late 18th century when they finally left the castle), the murderous goings on, the secret tunnel and the greatest collection of Whiteboys ever seen in Kilkenny, Ballyragget Castle with its four intact towers, one now used as a Marian shrine, should be celebrated and enjoyed by locals and visitors to marvel at its size and beauty.

In some ways it's similar to the French chateaus. Many of these have walled fortifications around which an urban centre grew much as it did in Ballyragget and didn't around others like Balleen Castle which was preferred by one of the Mountgarrets over Ballyragget.

While the castle features on the crest of the Ballyragget GAA club jerseys and the local girls primary school, none of the players or the students have, to my knowledge been inside the castle.

This is to be expected and the owners have done a great job in keeping it in good condition and for that and for much more they should be congratulated.

In other areas, these type of medieval castles have disappeared and many archaeologists and others would argue that we have too many castles and that it is difficult to know what to do with them all.

It is an excellent point and one which Kilkenny with over 200 medieval installations in varying degrees of upkeep will have to address sooner rather then later.

Yet Ballyragget Castle dominated the town and was responsible for its foundation.

And even though some would argue that the modern town turned its back on the castle, literally; it remains a sleeping giant, an untapped resource full of potential that should really be explored.

The castle itself is still imposing and Pat Moore's photo captures that very well.

And at dusk, the crows fly to and from it, like something straight out of a Disney film.

The castle which still has a roof and is intact if probably dangerous to explore and is also good reason to keep it closed. Wouldn't it make a great place to film Game Of Thrones.

Castle features

Ballyragget Castle is basically 44 feet by 31 feet in size, according to the bible of Kilkenny archaeology and history, Canon Carrigan's opus on the Diocese of Ossory.

The walls are around seven and a half feet thick and all the doors, are of cut stone, probably limestone.

The main entrance-door on the east side is Gothic, in appearance and is close to the girls primary school.

It would be quite easy to make an entrance from the school side, making it accessible without too much hassle.

However, there is potentially, an even better entrance available if it was opened up.

This is where the owners have set beautiful alder trees along the avenue up to the Castle which is just about visible if you peek in through the corrugated iron gates, down from Super Valu.

Bishop Carrigan noted that two sets of corbels (a stone jutting out from a wall to carry a beam, a type of heavy duty bracket) in the same wall as the east entrance and other marks on the wall indicate a very large house or mansion now demolished that was built against it.

And this is in keeping with folklore which claimed a huge thatch house was situated next to it with one of its gables part of the Castle wall.

And it would seem that the lost house probably replaced the thatch house.

Down from the east side entrance is a cattle shed, still intact after hundreds of years and still being used and I for one think that is terrific.

What good are old buildings dotted around the countryside unless they are used. Otherwise they will fall down.

State room

A few years before the end of the 16th century, the state room, where banquets were held, was remodeled and fitted up with a massive cut stone chimney piece, inscribed with the initials of Edmund, second viscount Mountgarrett and the date of the inscription;

E. M. 1591

According to the 2014 County Development Plan the Tower House at the castle is a listed building.

It is not a national monument according to the Office of Public Works (OPW) and that seems to be because it is in private ownership.

The four round towers that defend it are looped so as to command what is outside of the walls. The Keep is five stories high with the look-out turret that rises above the parapet in the north east corner of the keep.

Abandoned

During the half century that followed, Ballyragget Castle seems to have been abandoned, at least temporarily by the Mountgarrett family. And we know this because, Richard, the third Viscount was described in a contemporary document from that time, as residing in Balleen Castle in 1610.

Manor with annual fairs

In the year 1619, King James I constituted the place a manor, with a grant of two annual fairs, in favour of Richard third Viscount Mountgarrett, the proprietor of the estate.

History project

The Ballyragget Convent School did a folklore project some years ago and came up with the following:

"There is a big stone chair in it and it is said if anyone wished while sitting in it they would get their wish.

It has a dungeon which stretches from it to the river," Maisie Baird told the project.

The castle itself is fairly well preserved and seems to be withstanding the ravages of time well. As a matter of fact it provides no mean living accommodation for a workman, his wife and family. The upper storeys are not so safe but he first and second storeys are very stable and the present resident considers it a very safe abode. (J. Kelly, Ballyragget as part of the folklore project.

Battle of Ballyragget

The Battle of Ballyragget took place in the shadow of the castle in 1775.

It was the largest assembly of Whiteboys ever in Kilkenny, 300 horsemen and 200 on foot.

Whiteboys were a secret agrarian organisation in the 18th-century which used violent tactics to defend tenant farmer land rights for subsistence farming.

They were led by a Moore man from Higginstown, Clara and the family are still there.

Walls

The castle and the surrounding stone walls support a wide variety of plants. Aubrietia, (an ornamental nonnative plant) is abundant, with ivy, maidenhair spleenwort, common polypody, white stonecrop, pellitory, germander speedwell and various mosses and lichens all frequent, according to a LAP Habitat Assessment by Mary Tubridy & Associates.

Elder and sycamore are also present, with dead lime trees along the southwestern wall. Alder have been planted on the avenue to the castle.

The castle provides suitable habitat for bat species, but no bat survey of the castle has been undertaken.

The castle also provides habitat for common birds, with jackdaw, blackbird, song thrush, robin, blue tit, house sparrow, chaffinch and swallow recorded in and around the castle grounds in 2010.

The stone wall surrounding the castle supports rich flora, including ivy and aubrieta. Dry meadow and grassy verge habitat is present around the grounds of the castle. Cocksfoot, nettle, cleaver, ribwort plantain, creeping buttercup and docks are abundant. Adjacent to the south wall of the castle grounds, there is a small area of scattered trees and parkland, with mature oak, beech and cherry. Shrubs include lilac, elder and ivy.

Ground flora features dandelion, lesser celandine, lesser periwinkle, violet, creeping cinquefoil, daisy and lordsandladies.

Borders with nonnative species of shrub have been planted nearer to the road.

Sources

Canon Carrigan's History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory; The Old Kilkenny Review article; Ballyragget and District by T Lyng; PM Egan's History of Kilkenny; Kilkenny county Council's Local Area Plans (LAP) for Ballyragget; Scoil Chiarain Naofa Primary School folklore school project; Lewis Topographical Dictionary (1837)

Enda Houlihan's work; Enda Houlihan B.A.: Ballyragget Castle, Co. Kilkenny.A history and comparative analysis.

The aim of the dissertation was to analyse Ballyragget castle, Co. Kilkenny and compare it on three levels to its baronial, and in turn its shire contemporaries in Co. Kilkenny.

The thrust of the dissertation came in three ways. The first was to attain an understanding of the castle's history throughout its perceived lifetime and assess its implicationsfor the castle's level of prestige within its barony and in turn the implications it had for the castle's importance to the Earldom of Ormond.

The second aim was to assess the geographical location of the castle, and in turn its strategic positioning, in terms of it being a castle structure but also in terms of it being a Butler fortress and military structure.

The third was to assess the castle's military and defensive strengths archaeologically and in turn compare this to the other premier castles in the castle's relevant barony, and in turn against others along the Kilkenny northern borderlands. In turn these three investigated areas, and their relevant conclusions, allowed Houlihan to draw a conclusion on the castle's standing as a formidable military structure and a acutely strategically sited building within the barony. of Fassadinin.

Enda Houlihan

We are indebted to Enda Houlihan for his work on Ballyragget Castle entitled, A History and Comparative analysis, which formed the basis for his Bachelor of Education thesis.

He argued that the Tower House of Ballyragget was not an addition but an original construction from the late 15th century when it became an important strategically because of the prevailing, fragile political situation between the Earls of Kildare and Pierse Ruadh Butler whose feisty wife was daughter of the Earl of Kildare. It created a prosperous town and more importantly from the Butlers point of view, gave them a military presence in a previously unmarshaled area and it also meant that the castle and the people who lived in and around it were firmly tied to the shire of Kilkenny.

It became the premier crossing point of the River Nore for the upper Nore valley.

The castle continued to be of military importance up until the 18th century, when the British army placed a garrison there during the 1798 rebellion in Wexford.

From the 16th century on, Ballyragget Castle gained in prestige, becoming the seat of residence of the Mountgarrets (a branch of the Ormonde family).

It became of huge military importance and Mountgarrets used it as a defence and to raid the adjoining MacGiollapadraig territory.

However, it became the base for revolt in the late 16th century when Edmund, the 2nd viscount Mountgarret decided to revolt against the crown and support the Ulster rebels. Ballyragget became a prized possession during the war that followed and was attacked and captured on three separate occasions. And it speaks volumes that it was used as a base by the Cromwellians, according to Enda Houlihan's seminal work on Ballyragget Castle: "It was a formidable and imposing structure, militarily and politically.

the fact that it was upgraded on a number of occasions and considered the main defence to quell those on their way to take down the seat of the Ormondes, Kilkenny Castle, Ballyragget was the biggest defensive structure it had to the north.
(Kitco News) - Yamana Gold Inc. (TSX: YRI; NYSE: AUY) reversed to a profit in the first quarter as gold production rose and costs per ounce fell, more than offsetting the impact of lower prices.

Net earnings were $38.4 million, or 4 cents per share, a big turnaround from a net loss of $135.2 million, or 15 cents, in the same period of 2015.

Adjusted earnings from continuing operations were $28.8 million, or 3 cents, compared to adjusted loss of $37.5 million, or 4 cents, for the same period of 2015. This was higher due to greater sales of gold -- partly offset by lower sales of silver and copper, along with lower realized metal prices for all metals -- plus lower depletion, depreciation and amortization, Yamana said.

All-in sustaining costs from continuing operations were $804 per ounce of gold, down from $889 in the year-ago period. On a co-product basis, AISC were $786, compared to $898 a year ago.

The company listed cash flow from operating activities, after the net change in working capital, of $122.8 million, or 13 cents per share, an increase of $108.4 million from the year-ago quarter.

First-quarter gold production was 308,061 ounces, up 3% from 299,108 ounces in the year-ago period. Yamana listed year-on-year increases of 61% at Jacobina, 8% at Canadian Malartic, 54% at Fazenda Brasileiro and 14% at Pilar.

Silver output in the January-March period was 1.9 million ounces, down from 2.5 million a year ago, as mine sequencing meant extraction from areas with lower grades. Still, the company said production was in line with expectations. Copper production was above expectations at 25.9 million pounds, although down from 26.8 million pounds in the same period of 2015.

The average realized price of gold in the first quarter of 2016 was $1,189 per ounce, down 2% from $1,217 in the same quarter of 2015. The average silver price of $14.94 per ounce was 11% lower than $16.74 a year ago, and the average copper price of $2.25 per pound was down 22% from $2.89.

The company remains committed to debt reduction and cost improvements, Yamana said in its earnings statement. Following net debt reduction of approximately $286 million during 2015, the company plans to further decrease debt by at least $300 million between 2016 and 2017. This will be achieved through organic generation of cash flow and other available means.

However, the company said it does not consider any of its assets to be non-core.

Last weeks closing of the acquisition of the Riacho dos Machados gold mine, located in Brazil, increases the production profile of the companys Brio Gold division. With the addition of the mine, Yamana updated its 2016-2018 gold production guidance and 2016 gold cash cost guidance. Yamana now looks for gold output this year of between 1.264 million and 1.335 million ounces with cash costs of $615 on a co-product basis and $535 on a by-product basis.

Yamana also announced the promotion of Daniel Racine to the position of executive vice president and chief operating officer. Previously, he was senior vice president for northern operations.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

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Endeavour Silver Corp. (NYSE: EXK; TSX: EDR) reports improved first-quarter earnings from a year ago, helped as costs fell even though production and silver prices did likewise. Net earnings increased 35% to $1.8 million, or 2 cents per share, compared to $1.4 million, or a penny, a year ago. All-in sustaining costs fell 17% to $11.12 per payable silver ounce, after gold credits. Silver production decreased 17% to 1,510,065 ounces, but gold production was up 1% to 15,960 ounces. The companys realized price for silver fell 11% to $15.18 an ounce. In the first quarter of 2016, we delivered on our plan to minimize all-in sustaining costs and improve after-tax free cash flow, says Bradford Cooke, chief executive officer. We also raised $9.1 million of equity financing during the quarter to improve our working capital and fund some of our growth projects, primarily exploration and engineering at Terronera. Aggressive step-out drilling is now under way at Terronera to further test the Terronera vein and other prospective veins.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Dundee Precious Metals Lists 1Q Net Loss But Higher Gold, Copper Output

Dundee Precious Metals Inc. (TSX: DPM) lists a net loss but higher output in the first quarter. The company reports a first-quarter net loss from continuing operations of $3.8 million, or 3 cents per share, compared to $1.6 million, or a penny, in the same period in 2015. Dundee says the bottom line was impacted by several items not reflective of the company's underlying operating performance, including unrealized losses and gains attributable to hedging future copper and gold production and foreign-denominated operating costs, and net gains or losses on Sabina special warrants. Excluding these items, the adjusted net loss during the first quarter was $1.3 million, or a penny per share, compared to $0.1 million, or zero cents, for the corresponding period in 2015. The higher loss was due primarily to lower realized copper prices, lower volumes of payable metals in concentrate sold as a result of the timing of shipments, and higher depreciation following the commissioning of the acid plant in the third quarter, Dundee says. Gold output from continuing and discontinued operations was 52,024 ounces, up from 45,499 in the same period a year ago. Copper output rose to 11.2 million pounds from 8.7 million. The output was in line with guidance. The company also produces zinc and silver. "Chelopech and Tsumeb operations performed well in the quarter, both increasing their production as planned, however, weaker copper prices negatively impacted the company's financial results," says Rick Howes, president and chief executive officer. "Our focus in 2016 is to increase throughput at Tsumeb, further optimize Chelopech and advance our Krumovgrad project to the construction phase. The sale of Kapan in the second quarter is expected to strengthen our balance sheet and support the advancement of the Krumovgrad project."

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Great Panther Silver Incurs Net Loss On Forex Charges, Cuts AISC Sharply

Great Panther Silver Ltd. (TSX: GPR; NYSE MKT: GPL) reports a net loss for the first quarter, although costs fell sharply from a year ago. The net loss was $4.5 million, compared to a net income of $3.6 million in the same period a year ago. The company blames the loss mainly on unrealized non-cash foreign-exchange losses of $6.4 million on inter-company loans and advances to subsidiaries, which are marked-to-market exchange rates in subsidiaries accounts at the end of each period. Also, revenue declined 9% year-on-year due to lower sales volume, the result of timing of concentrate shipments, plus lower prices for metals. Otherwise, metals production increased 2% year-on-year to 1,009,828 silver-equivalent ounces. Silver production of 539,472 ounces was a decrease of 10%, while gold production increased 19% to 5,599 gold ounces. Great Panther says all-in sustaining costs per payable silver ounce fell by 36% to $9.25. "Great Panther continued to deliver strong performance from its operations in the first quarter, including continued reductions in cash costs and all-in sustaining costs, while staying on track with our full-year operating guidance," says Robert Archer, president and chief executive officer. Full-year guidance was left at 4 million to 4.2 million silver-equivalent ounces.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Endeavour Silver Announces At-The-Market Offering Of Up To $40 Million

Endeavour Silver Corp. (NYSE: EXK; TSX: EDR) announces an agreement with Cowen and Co., LLC, in which Endeavour may from time to time sell a number of common shares that would result in gross proceeds of up to $40 million. Shares will be distributed at the market prices at the time of each sale, and, as a result, prices may vary. Net proceeds of the offering, if any, together with the company's current cash resources and free-cash flow, will be used to advance the exploration and development of the company's Terronera project with further drilling, engineering and related work to expedite underground mine development of new mineralized zones at the Guanacevi mine, to undertake brownfields exploration drilling programs at existing operations in order to extend their mine lives, and to add to working capital, including debt reduction, the company says.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Franco-Nevada Ups Dividend After Record 1Q Ounces, Revenue

Franco-Nevada Corp. (TSX: FNV; NYSE: FNV) has hiked its dividend as the streaming company reports a record number of ounces and revenue in the first quarter. Gold-equivalent ounces of 106,621 represent a 25% year-on-year increase, while revenue of $132 million was a 21% increase, Franco-Nevada says. The company lists net income of $30 million, up from $19.2 million in the same period a year ago. Adjusted income was $28 million, or 17 cents a share, up from $22.9 million, or 15 cents. The board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 22 cents per share, up from the previous 21-cent dividend. This is the ninth consecutive annual dividend increase for Franco-Nevada shareholders. The dividend will be paid on June 30 to shareholders of record on June 16. "Franco- Nevada's recent investments at Antamina and Antapaccay helped generate the record quarterly GEOs and revenue results," says David Harquail, chief executive officer. He notes the company raised equity financing and is debt free. The company now has over $186 million in cash and short-term investments and $1 billion in available credit facilities, so is well positioned to continue to grow the portfolio, Harquail adds.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Golden Star Reverses To Profit In 1Q As All-In Sustaining Costs Fall 22%

Golden Star Resources Ltd. (NYSE MKT: GSS; TSX: GSC; GSE: GSR) reversed to a profit in the first quarter as production slid from the same period a year ago but all-in sustaining costs fell 22%. "The results of the first quarter continue to demonstrate that the company is in the final stages of the transition to a non-refractory, lower-cost producer and that the company has effectively executed on the strategy as originally stated back in 2013, says Sam Coetzer, president and chief executive officer. Net earnings were $2.1 million, a turnaround from a net loss of $13.1 million in the same quarter a year ago. After special items, adjusted net earnings were $4.2 million, or 2 cents per share, compared to an adjusted loss of $9 million, or 3 cents, in the same period a year ago. During first quarter, 53,217 ounces of gold were produced at AISC of $963 per ounce. A year ago, output was 63,245 ounces at AISC of $1,239.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Osisko Posts Adjusted First-Quarter Profit, Announces Dividend

Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd (TSX: OR) reports first-quarter adjusted earnings of $8.7 million, or 9 cents per share, compared to $6.5 million, or 14 cents, in the same period of 2015. The still-young company also says a quarterly dividend of 4 cents per share will be paid on July 15 to shareholders of record as of June 30. This is the seven consecutive quarterly dividend. Osisko lists 9,404 gold ounces earned and 9,417 ounces sold in the first quarter, compared to 6,985 earned and sold in the same period a year ago. Osisko also reports 8,092 silver ounces earned and 8,100 ounces sold, compared to 7,825 ounces earned and sold a year ago. During its first 22 months of existence, the company has been focused on positioning itself for growth, says Sean Roosen, chair and chief executive officer. With approximately $440 million in cash and cash equivalents and up to $200 million in available credit, Osisko is well positioned to grow its royalty portfolio through the addition of a large, high-quality, producing, precious-metals royalty or stream."

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com
Retired TCC librarian Kendall Reid, right, shared his memories of working at the college as part of the Oral History Project. TCC instructor Christie Fierro, whose public speaking class created the project, is on the left.

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The project was an assignment for students in Christie Fierro's public speaking class.

By Charlee Glock-Jackson, For Gig Harbor Life

With no budget but good support from the TCC administration, Christie Fierro and her communications students have put together an oral history project that is currently on display at the Gig Harbor TCC campus.

The students, all members of Fierro's public speaking class, interviewed more than 40 people who were either military veterans or long-time TCC faculty and staff members.

The interviews were video- and audio-taped and will be preserved in the college's new archive.

"I wanted the students to learn that public speaking isn't just getting up in front of a room full of people and making a speech," Fierro said.

"It's also sitting down one-to-one and listening to what the other person has to say. The students had to get comfortable talking to people and they also had set up the interviews and formulated their own questions."

Everybody has a story, she added, and this project "gave the students a chance to collect some of those stories.

"Those who interviewed family members heard new stories, and those who interviewed vets got to hear the veterans' point of view," she said.

Fierro filmed each interview and photographs from about half of them are included in the current display on the Gig Harbor campus. All the interviews are being added to the college's archive.

The purpose of the archive, which began in 2012, is to collect and preserve official reports, student newspapers, photographs, audio and video interviews and other items related to the college's history. Archived information will be available to the public and the campus community who want to do research about TCC. The college will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2015.

The archive will have its official grand opening in September and the oral history interviews "will be some of the first entries," Fierro said.

The veterans' interviews also will be sent to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., to be included in the Veterans' Oral History Project.

"It turned out that at least half of the veterans are female," Fierro said. "And there's also a very interesting interview with a soldier from Poland who came to the U.S. as a youngster and then joined the U.S. military. So there's really a lot of diversity in the interviews."

Kendall Reid, recently retired TCC librarian, was one of the interviewees. He also was in charge of setting up the display of photographs and other items from the project at the Gig Harbor campus. Reid worked in the TCC library for more than 16 years.

According to Reid, the oral history project is "a big deal for TCC. But one thing that made it so successful is the fact that it's easy to build relationships and get access to just about everybody here.

"When I first started working at TCC, I hadn't had any experience as a college teacher, so I needed to have another teacher work with me when I went into classrooms to talk to students about how to use the library for research, where to find certain materials, and so forth.

"Surprisingly, we found that having two people working together worked really well, because students responded to having two voices, two perspectives," Reid said.

He also recalled that, back then, librarians "were very interested in learning about technology, because technology was just starting to be used in colleges. I ended up being the chair of the Academic Technology Committee and a group of us actually put together the funding for the very first distance-education at TCC."

Since then, the idea of online education has burgeoned to the point that today, about 20 percent of the college's courses are online.

"This has given our students a lot of flexibility. It's especially helpful to Gig Harbor students because with online courses, they don't have to worry about bridge tolls and going into Tacoma for their classes," Reid said.

Several of the students involved in the oral history project are veterans, Fierro noted, including Gig Harbor residents Jeremy Trenhaile, Christine Parthree, Christine Robinson, and Megan Ladesh.

Trenhaile joined the Army Reserves as a high school student in Arizona, then went on active duty at age 25 as a watercraft technician and later as a medic. "I did my basic training between my junior and senior year in high school," Trenhaile said. "That was pretty intense for a 17-year-old. I didn't like it at all. I was pretty homesick most of the time. But it was a good experience and it definitely taught me that I could do a lot, lot tougher things than I had done before."

In 2006, at the height of the Iraq war, Trenhaile decide he wanted to deploy overseas. "We were taking a lot of casualties at that time, and I decided that the best way I could serve was as a medic, taking care of people on the battlefield," he said. "I was ready to go out and see the world and serve my country and do something adventurous."

After completing a second AIT (Advanced Individual Training) as a medic, he was assigned to a Stryker brigade stationed at Fort Lewis, where he became an evacuation specialist and led his own medical Stryker team.

"We were told we were going to Iraq, so we did a lot of closed-quarters training, a lot of urban drills. Then we were told we were going to Afghanistan instead. It's pretty nerve-wracking to know you're going to deploy. There are lots of unknowns ? lots of things you just don't know. Then I was deployed two months early because I was the junior E-5 in the group."

As it turned out, initially there wasn't a need for Trenhaile's evacuation training "because all the units had their own med-evac units," he said. So most of his time was spent doing mechanical work on vehicles.

But coming home, seeing his family and being able to "do all the normal things that you take for granted in your everyday life was about the best feeling of my life."

Reid's and Trenhaile's stories are just two of the interviews included in Fierro's oral history project.

For Reid, it was an affirmation of his many years working at the college. "Here I am at the end of my career at TCC. Normally, I'd just walk out of the door and be gone. But first I have this nice interview. It made leaving much more special."

For Janine Mott, executive director of the Gig Harbor campus, the oral history project is a way to put a spotlight in TCC's place in the community. "I'm very pleased any time we do something that gets people into the building. Believe it or not, I still run into people who don't know that TCC has a campus in Gig Harbor," Mott said.

She credited Fierro with a job well done. "Christie Fierro has an enormous amount of energy and is constantly thinking of innovative ways to engage students, create visibility for the college and foster relationships with our communities, both in Tacoma and in Gig Harbor," Mott said.

"This oral history project is a great way to help students learn more about communication, in all of its forms, and to forge deeper connections between instruction and the college's archive project.

"The focus on veterans is just brilliant, as the college is working very hard to support these students as they transition from their military lives.

"And the people who helped create and install the artwork did a fantastic job. The portraits are vivid and compelling and are a wonderful addition to the TCC Gig Harbor Campus Gallery."

To see the Oral History Project interviews, visit oralhistoryproject.tacomacc.wikispaces.net.

The visual exhibit will be on display at the Gig Harbor campus through the end of summer.
The lobby of Scripps Networks Interactive in West Knoxville is shown in this file photo. The company reported positive earnings for the first quarter of 2016 on Thursday, May 5. (SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL)

SHARE The entrance of the Scripps Networks Interactive corporate headquarters in West Knoxville is shown in this 2014 file photo. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

By Chambers Williams of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Scripps Networks reports 1Q revenue increases 24%, profit rises 32%

Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc., (SNI) said today that it had a 24 percent increase in revenues in the first quarter of 2016, compared with the same period last year, and profit rose 32 percent.

The Knoxville-based operator of TV networks such as HGTV, the Food Network, Great American Country, the Travel Channel and DIY Network, said the positive results were "driven by [an] increase in ratings at all six U.S. networks, coupled with the strong advertising market."

HGTV had its highest-rated quarter ever among adult viewers age 25-54, while the Food Network and Travel Channel continued prime-time ratings growth, and the DIY Network posted its highest-rated quarter ever among adults 18 and over.

Additionally, the Cooking Channel had its highest-rated quarter ever, and for Great American Country, it was the best quarter since 2008, both in the prime-time 25-54 year-old adult audience.

SNI said it realized the highest quarter-over-quarter advertising percentage growth for the U.S. networks' segment in five years. It said that it also had double-digit international revenue growth, "driven by the inclusion of TVN, Poland's leading multi-platform media business."

Because of the strong performance in both the U.S. and international segments, along with the continuing strength of the U.S. advertising market, SNI said it has increased its adjusted segment-profit guidance to 8 percent for the full-year.

"This has been a tremendous quarter for Scripps Networks Interactive," Kenneth W. Lowe, SNI's chairman, president and chief executive officer, said in a release. "The power and appeal of our lifestyle networks continues to grow in the U.S. as evidenced by the increase in ratings at all of the U.S. networks and strongest advertising growth in five years.

"Meanwhile, our international business is really delivering on the high expectations that we have for the segment," he said. "The consistent financial performance that our networks produce demonstrates our ability to deliver on our proven strategy of developing lifestyle content and creating deeper connections with consumers around the world."

SNI said that it was the only major media company "to generate positive ratings growth at all of its U.S. television networks compared with the prior year period, making it one of the best quarters in the company's history."

Consolidated revenues for the quarter were $816.9 million, the company said, including advertising revenues of $571.9 million -- up 31.4 percent. Consolidated distribution revenues -- including payments from cable and satellite systems carrying the channels -- were $228.1 million, up 9.1 percent.

First quarter consolidated net income was $290.9 million, or $2.24 per diluted share, compared with $123.8 million, or $0.94 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2015, the company said, while first quarter adjusted diluted earnings were $1.37 a share, up 34.3 percent.
The Bijou Theater (JESSICA TEZAK/NEWS SENTINEL)

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VENUE CHANGE

The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra will perform a free, family-friendly concert at the Bijou Theatre at 7:30 p.m. today. This performance has been moved from Market Square to the Bijou due to expected low temperatures. No tickets are required.

TURKISH FEST

The Tennessee Istanbul Cultural Center, 7035 Middlebrook Pike, will host a free Turkish Festival from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, May 8, featuring Turkish foods including doner and kebabs, vegetarian dishes, baklava, cookies, coffee and tea; hand crafts; children's activities; and water marbling demonstrations.

TAI CHI DEMOS

The Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA will offer demonstrations and free lessons at two open house events on Saturday, May 7. The first is at 9:30 a.m. at the Oak Ridge Taoist Tai Chi Center, 362 E. Tennessee Ave., the second at 11 a.m. at the Knoxville Taoist Tai Chi Center, 1205 N. Central St.

The society practices a 108-move Tai Chi set that consists of gentle turning and stretching movements.

New classes will start the following week at the O'Connor Senior Center, Strang Senior Center, Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church, Peace Lutheran Church and Oak Ridge Synagogue.

Info: 865-546-9222 or 865-482-7761
Sandi Swilley holds Casey, an eight-year-old Havanese she rescued as a puppy.

By Gay Lyons of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Despite having lived in her three-story townhouse at Kendrick Place for only three months following a six-month renovation by Tillman Companies, Sandi Swilley says it already "feels like home."

As Director of Introduction Knoxville and Alumni Services for Leadership Knoxville with offices on Market Square, Sandi is familiar with downtown. But there is more to it than that.

Sandi, who grew up in a small town  North Bay, Ontario, Canada  moved to Toronto to attend college and later started a job as a fashion buyer there. At that time  30 years ago  Toronto was revitalizing.

"The city was starting to redevelop old working class neighborhoods, refurbish old warehouses, and convert old row houses into residential spaces," says Sandi. "I was always attracted to living and working in the heart of the city. I loved the walkability and old neighborhoods with their history. I loved the exposed brick and creative revitalization of these older buildings and houses into urban spaces. I bought my first home in one of those neighborhoods. I believe that is why I am drawn to my current home. There is history in its walls, and it feels very familiar to me."

"I've come full circle."

Kendrick Place, built in 1916 and originally known as Masonic Court, was saved from dereliction by Kristopher Kendrick, who converted the structures to condominiums in 1982. The row houses maintain their distinctive red brick Victorian exterior, but the interiors of each of the 14 units  seven on the north side and seven on the south side with a private courtyard in the middle christened "The Mews" by Kendrick  are all unique.

As with all the units on the north side, a front door and a back door lead to the main floor. The back door leading to the mews is unusually narrow; Sandi calls it "the hobbit door."

The previous owner used the main floor for kitchen, dining and living space. Sandi increased the openness of the connection between the kitchen and the living area by removing some kitchen cabinets, and she dispensed with a dining area entirely.

"It's not how I entertain," she says. "I'm casual. I don't give dinner parties."

A central staircase connects the main floor with the den in the basement and with the third floor master suite.

On the exposed brick wall of the staircase between the main floor and the basement, vintage posters from the Canadian Pacific Rail Line pay tribute to Sandi's upbringing. The other wall of the staircase consists of interior glass windows leading to glass French doors that separate the stairs from the cozy, low-ceilinged den. Sandi says that being from Canada, she loves to ski, so "the den has a ski lodge theme," Next to the den is a small bedroom and bath used by son Matt when he visits.

The staircase from the main floor to the third floor is enhanced with a skylight. A pretty bedroom at the top of the stairs was created for daughter Alex when she visits. A barn door at the end of the hallway provides the master suite with privacy. There is also a barn door separating the master bedroom and dressing area from the master bath. A door on the landing leads to a balcony.

Throughout the condo, the colors are neutral and the furnishings contemporary. Art, mirrors and objects with personal meaning add interest.

"I buy quirky art," says Sandi. "I buy it because I love it, not because I have a spot on the wall to fill. If you love it, you'll find a place for it."

Family photos fill one wall in the living room. In the center is a rare photo of Sandi's Ukranian grandparents. Her grandmother came to Canada from the Ukraine at age 17 with an address sewn in her skirt. She met her husband, also Ukranian, in Canada.

For years Sandi has wondered why she wanted the crystal door knobs from her grandparents' house after they died. She had no use for them, but she kept them anyway.

"I'm going to try to use them here," she says. "I've landed in a space where they can be used. Whether I use them or not, I'm in a place that makes sense."

"It's a new beginning, but I'm honoring my past."
Former Knoxville police officer Joshua Hurst, right, appears with his attorney Jeff Whitt, left, for his arraignment on drug conspiracy charges Thursday, May 5, 2016, in Knox County Criminal Court. Hurst and seven other defendants are to return to court Aug. 19 for a status hearing, which will also be the deadline to enter their pleas. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

By Hayes Hickman of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Joshua Hurst stole heroin, methamphetamine, prescription narcotics and driver's licenses from people on the street and handed them off to drug dealers, sometimes in exchange for pain pills he used himself  all while on the job as a Knoxville police officer, according to court records.

Hurst, a decorated 13-year veteran of the Knoxville Police Department, had been trading the would-be evidence for OxyContin and other painkillers since at least 2014, the records state.

And as recently as April 14, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents shadowed him to a home at 2105 Grenada Blvd. in West Knox County's Foxfire subdivision  less than a mile from Blue Grass Elementary School  to witness Hurst make one of many drug buys from fellow defendant Pamela Moretta, according to search warrants filed in Knox County Criminal Court.

Hurst, 38, Moretta, 43, and six other defendants appeared Thursday before Criminal Court Judge Scott Green on charges they conspired to distribute prescription painkillers in Knox and other counties across East and Middle Tennessee. His attorney, Jeff Whitt, said little during court.

Green ordered the eight to enter pleas by Aug. 19.

Hurst remained free on $100,000 bond.

The TBI launched its probe in late February after Police Chief David Rausch alerted District Attorney General Charme Allen to "possible criminal conduct" within the department, authorities said. Officials haven't said what led to those suspicions.

KPD spokesman Darrell DeBusk said Hurst's police powers were suspended when the investigation began. Hurst submitted his resignation after his April 20 arrest. KPD officials notified the state Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission of the resignation but had made no request Thursday that he be stripped of his certification as an officer, according to the commission.

DeBusk would not say whether Hurst had been selected for the department's random drug screening within the past two years.

Over about six weeks, TBI agents kept Hurst under surveillance, recording his cellphone calls, reading his text messages and trailing along as the officer repeatedly bought and traded pain pills with the other suspects in their homes and in the parking lots of local businesses, according to the warrants.

Records received from Sprint included "several thousand contacts between Hurst's cellular phone and the phones of the other co-conspirators," TBI Agent Darren DeArmond wrote in a warrant.

In several instances, Hurst stopped at various Walmart money services locations before making the drug buys to receive wire transfers from his brother and co-defendant Jacob Hurst, 35, of Clarksville, according to the warrants.

On March 18, TBI agents used a GPS device to track the officer traveling to the home of 41-year-old fellow suspect Erin Keenan at 6141 Western Ave.

Later the same day, agents also reviewed video surveillance from outside the house to see vehicles coming and going throughout the day, pulling around to the back of the residence and leaving after a few minutes, the search warrants state.

"GPS data and video obtained from the in-car camera of Hurst's cruiser indicated Hurst had traveled to 6141 Western Avenue on multiple occasions during the past several months while operating his city police car," the warrants read. "The analysis indicated most of the stops at the residence were short in nature."

According to the warrants, pharmacy records showed that between Jan. 1 and March 6, Keenan was prescribed more than 1,200 oxycodone pills, approximately 392 doses of morphine, 858 OxyContin pills and 336 units of clonazepam, a tranquilizer.

TBI agents executed a search warrant at Keenan's Western Avenue address April 15, seizing oxycodone, morphine and clonazepam, as well as two suspected drug ledgers, two pill crushers and a loaded .25-caliber semi-automatic pistol.

An April 20 search of Hurst's apartment at 600 East Inskip Drive turned up no drugs, but a cache of guns and ammunition, according to the warrants.

Agents also interviewed a confidential informant who claimed to have bought heroin in 2014 from Paul Gilbertson, 44, at 8509 Wisteria Way in Karns, who's charged along with Hurst. The informant said he twice saw Hurst at the house with Gilbertson  once in uniform.

"The (informant) stated Gilbertson later told him not to be worried because the officer brought him narcotics he confiscated from individuals on the street," the warrants state. "Gilbertson also advised the (informant) that he was providing the officer with OxyContin pills."

GPS data and in-car camera footage from Hurst's cruiser also placed the officer at Gilbertson's home repeatedly.

Agents raided the Wisteria Way home on April 12. Among the evidence seized were five Tennessee driver's licenses and one Alabama driver's license.

"One of the Tennessee driver's licenses was issued to an individual that Joshua Hurst arrested in 2015 while performing his duties as a Knoxville police officer," according to the warrants. "During a subsequent interview, Gilbertson said that he and others used the identifications to make fraudulent returns of stolen items to retail stores in the area."
SHARE Rita Anette Dalton. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office)

By News Sentinel Staff

DANDRIDGE  A former nurse at the troubled Mountain View Youth Development Center has pleaded guilty to sexual conduct with an inmate and was sentenced to two years in prison.

Rita Anette Dalton pleaded guilty on May 2 to six counts of sexual conduct with an inmate and seven counts of official misconduct, according to the Jefferson County Court Clerk.

She was sentenced to two years at the Tennessee Department of Corrections, to serve 30 percent of the sentence before she's eligible for release.

Dalton, 41, was indicted in January on those counts in connection with several incidents in 2014.

On April 11, a former Mountain View guard, 25-year-old Breanna Rose Garber, was indicted on charges of statutory rape by an authority figure, two counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, two counts of sexual contact with an inmate, two counts of official misconduct and bringing alcohol into the facility.

Misty Neeley, Tennessee Department of Children's Services director of residential operations, was named acting superintendent at Mountain View on Friday after the previous superintendent was fired.

His firing was the latest in a series of staff issues at the Jefferson County facility housing 46 male juvenile felony offenders.

Among the new staff joining Neeley at Mountain View are Dave Anderson, a DCS internal affairs officer who's expected to be on site at least one day a week, and a new interim security manager, Neeley said at a news conference earlier this week.

Six Mountain View staffers were injured in an incident the day after that new management team arrived last week following the firing of the superintendent Tommy Francis.

Francis had been on the job for about 90 days and was accused of using a racial epithet against a student.

DCS administrators would not cite a specific reason for Francis' departure, describing it as a mutual decision to end his contract. No other staffers were fired, officials said.

At the news conference they also would not speak specifically to a number of staff-related incidents reported at the state facility that preceded Francis' firing.

DCS is seeking accreditation for its three youth development centers across the state from the Council on Accreditation, a nonprofit accrediting group for a variety of social services agencies.

Tennessee would be the first state to receive COA accreditation for its juvenile "hardware security facilities."
Buzz Thomas. (CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL)

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By MJ Slaby of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Knox County school board members on Wednesday unanimously approved the contract for the schools system's interim superintendent.

The one-year contract for Buzz Thomas was updated since the board's meeting on Monday and included a monthly cap of $3,350 for benefits, bringing the total to up to $235,2000 with an annual salary of $195,000 and benefits.

The revised contract also made clear that Thomas would have "primary decision making responsibility" for the district starting June 15, roughly three weeks before Superintendent Jim McIntyre leaves on July 8.

McIntyre said the transition would be as if he was "the flight instructor in the co-pilot seat and Buzz will be flying the plane."

Thomas, who is currently president of the Great Schools Partnership, said after the meeting that the overlap time was his idea so McIntyre, who has been superintendent for eight years, could help as Thomas starts the role.

Board members spent time discussing the total payment for the temporary role. Mike McMillan told the board that taking past criticism of superintendent pay into consideration, he worried that total compensation of around $235,000 would be too much.

Thomas then approached McMillan to talk during the board discussion, which drew criticism from several board members, who said they were confident in Thomas, but he couldn't do that during a meeting.

Thomas shared with the board that the salary is roughly equal to his current pay plus the performance bonus he's received for several years.

"I don't want you all to feel that you're being nickel and dimed by me," he said, adding he would take the job for less if that's what the board wanted.

In the discussion that followed, board members were split on if they would support lowering the salary to $185,000 or $180,000, but no one proposed an amendment. Instead, board members stressed that the role is a large one.

"This is a demanding, big job," board member Lynne Fugate said. "We ask a lot of this person and we have to compensate them."

Several board members echoed her comment saying the job wasn't easy, especially in a district the size of Knox County, and the salary should reflect that  yet they were appreciative of Thomas's offer to do the job for less.

"This is the hardest job in town," board Chairman Doug Harris said, adding he wouldn't support lowering the salary.

Vice Chair Tracie Sanger said she worried it would be difficult to find a permanent superintendent if the board didn't offer a salary reflective of what the job entails to the interim.

Thomas said after the meeting that he was honored the board came together to vote in favor of his contract.

The school board also approved a three-year agreement for county government to provide workers' compensation for school employees and to close the district's adult high school and shift resources to the Dr. Paul Kelley Volunteer Academy.
Oak Ridge High School senior Thomas Colburn, left, is pictured during a recent presentation explaining his research into plastic decomposition. He won first place in the chemistry division of the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium competition. Board of Education member Bob Eby is second from right. (HOLLY CROSS/OAK RIDGE SCHOOLS)

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By News Sentinel Staff

OAK RIDGE  An Oak Ridge High School senior has won a national award and a $12,000 scholarship for his research on ways to speed up the decomposition of plastic waste.

Thomas Colburn was recently named the winner in the chemistry division of the 54th annual National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, a program of the Army, Navy and Air Force designed to encourage student research in the STEM  or science, technology, engineering and math  fields.

More than 7,600 students competed at the regional level, but fewer than 1,000 students were invited to give oral presentations at the symposium, held recently in Dayton, Ohio.

Colburn's project explored additives that would be incorporated into plastics that would help the plastics break down more quickly. He was mentored by Dr. Todd Toops from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Colburn also won a $1,500 scholarship for his second place win in the Tennessee regional Junior Science and Humanities competition in March.

In the national competition, "He really displayed his full knowledge of the research as well as so much scientific information," said Oak Ridge High educator Karla Mullins, who chaperoned Colburn and other members of the Tennessee delegation that traveled to Ohio.
Cherokee Health Systems has received $1 million in federal money to connect its two East Knox buildings at 2200 and 2202 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and to expand services there. (CAITIE MCMEKIN / NEWS SENTINEL)

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By Kristi L. Nelson of the Knoxville News Sentinel

A $1 million federal grant will help Cherokee Health expand its East Knoxville clinic, CEO Dr. Dennis Freeman said, connecting two "cramped" buildings on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.

The U.S. Health and Human Services grant was announced Wednesday, but Cherokee had applied about a year ago for funding to expand its East Knoxville clinic, Freeman said.

Cherokee began operating the clinic in 2010, at that time in cooperation with Knox County Health Department, which had previously operated the county's Hardy clinic there  named for prominent East Knoxville physician Walter Hardy, who originally owned the building and had his practice there.

In 2012, Cherokee received an HHS grant for $875,417 to improve the clinic, with a recurring $650,000 each year for operations, which it still receives. Later that year, it purchased the 1960-era, two-story buildings at 2200 and 2202 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. for $550,000 and now operates a five-day-a-week clinic there with a medical doctor, nurse practitioner and psychologist, seeing about 2,000 patients at year.

When Cherokee purchased the buildings, they were owned by the nonprofit Tennessee Conference of the AME Zion Church Community Development Corp., which had acquired them with a 2004 donation from a trust set up by Hardy and received large city and county grants to renovate them.

Under order of former Knox County Community Services Director Cynthia Finch, who had ties to TCCD, the health department had moved its offices in 2006 from Asheville Highway to one of the buildings, leasing it for 10 years at $3,800 a month. The move, then-health department director Mark Jones said, was done under duress, and the health department saw patient visits drop by about 25 percent. When Cherokee began offering services, the county didn't charge Cherokee rent, and Cherokee paid for some of its own renovations, including high-speed Internet access. Meanwhile, TCCD dissolved, and the buildings were auctioned and purchased by Jefferson Federal Savings and Loan, which had a lien on them. The Morristown-based bank sold them to Cherokee.

With the new $1 million grant, Freeman said, Cherokee plans to connect the two side-by-side buildings on both stories, more than doubling usable space to 8,200 square feet. It will expand the lobby area and add three exam rooms, four behavioral health offices, and a large conference room that can be used for group therapy or community meetings, he said. Freeman said the nonprofit community health center will meet with architects next week and hope to finish construction within a year, though the clinic will stay open during renovation, he said.

Freeman said the clinic has 175-200 patient visits a week.

"I expect we'll double that" after the expansion, which will also add behavioral health providers, he said.

Freeman said the clinic serves primarily people in the neighborhood, most of whom walk there. Dr. Brad Carter, board-certified in both pediatrics and internal medication, provides primary care for all ages, he said. About 40 percent have no insurance, with more than 30 percent on TennCare, almost 20 percent on Medicare and less than 10 percent with commercial insurance.

"We're just really thrilled to be able to expand in an area where the need is so great," Freeman said. "It's the area of Knoxville that's most underserved."

This grant was part of $4,232,706 awarded to five Tennessee health centers for "facility renovation, expansion and construction." The money is from the Affordable Care Act's Community Health Center Fund, authorized in 2015.

Maury Regional Hospital in Columbia also received $1 million, with $685,000 going to Mercy Health Services Inc. in Franklin; $947,260 to Rural Health Services Consortium Inc. in Rogersville; and $600,446 to United Neighborhood Health Services Inc. in Nashville.
An entrance to Horizon Center Business Park in Oak Ridge BOB FOWLER/NEWS SENTINEL

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By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel

OAK RIDGE  Facing strong opposition, the U.S. Department of Energy has backed off a plan to build a mercury testing and research center on a natural area of Horizon Center, a business park owned by the city's Industrial Development Board.

That proposal would have been "absolutely the opposite" of restrictions DOE placed on any development of those natural areas years ago, board chairman David Wilson said. "They (DOE) wanted them (the natural areas) set aside, and they didn't want them built upon," he said.

Wilson in a recent meeting with DOE officials expressed strong concern about the proposed testing center near East Fork Poplar Creek, which meanders through the park. "We felt it would extremely hamper the further development of the park," he said Thursday.

Horizon Center is a 957-acre tract off Oak Ridge Turnpike in the west end of Oak Ridge. Under an agreement, 489 acres deemed natural areas remain owned by DOE, while the remainder is owned by the board and set aside for economic development as sites for industries and businesses.

Wilson in this week's board meeting expressed his objections and concerns about the planned testing center, which he described as a 1,800-square-foot metal building.

"It would be detrimental to this park to have that kind of facility in it," he said.

The testing center "would provide a location where ORNL (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) scientists can evaluate a variety of approaches to reducing the concentration of mercury in East Fork Poplar Creek and in fish tissue," said Michael T. Koentop, executive officer of DOE's Office of Environmental Management.

DOE has directed its environmental management contractor, UCOR, "to suspend its efforts to select a contractor interested in constructing the facility," Koentop said in an email.

"We are currently in the process of identifying alternatives that will meet the needs of the Department of Energy and the city of Oak Ridge."

Koentop said results from such a testing center "could provide insight into how to most effectively proceed with environmental cleanup of the (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation."

The release of mercury, a toxic liquid metal, from the Y-12 National Security Complex, a nearby nuclear weapons plant, into East Fork Poplar Creek has been a vexing, expensive DOE problem for decades.

About 24 million pounds of mercury were brought to Y-12 in the 1950s to process lithium for use in hydrogen bombs. Some 700,000 pounds were lost to the environment and the government can't account for another 1.3 million pounds of the stockpile.

Several grams of mercury a day still seep into East Fork Poplar Creek from a building where lithium was processed, and DOE is building a $149 million treatment plant at Y-12 to help filter it out before it reaches the creek.
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Bivins (ADAM LAU/NEWS SENTINEL)

SHARE Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby (PAUL EFIRD/NEWS SENTINEL) Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger A. Page

By Richard Locker of the Knoxville News Sentinel

NASHVILLE  Three Tennessee Supreme Court justices and seven intermediate state appeals court judges are up for retention elections statewide in August, and the Tennessee Bar Association is asking all judges on the ballot this year to sign a campaign code of conduct "to assure fair and impartial judicial elections."

The Tennessee Fair Judicial Campaign Code of Conduct is a joint effort of the bar association and the Tennessee Supreme Court, which last December revised the Code of Judicial Conduct's Canon 4 to reflect changes recommended after the 2014 judicial elections that involved an unsuccessful campaign led by Republican state Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey to defeat three Supreme Court justices appointed by former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen.

The TBA's fair judicial campaign code incorporates Canon 4 and asks judicial candidates to abide by them. The canon specifies how long a campaign can last (one year), how funds can be raised, and what candidates can say and do while campaigning.

"Judicial elections are different," TBA President Bill Harbison, a Nashville lawyer, said Thursday in announcing the initiative. "Judges are not permitted to make promises or pledges about how they will rule because we expect them to proceed case by case to apply the law to the facts and come to fair and impartial decisions. The code helps to ensure this impartiality by committing the judges not to make pledges, promises or commitments on how they will rule in cases."

Judicial elections on this year's Aug. 4 ballot include retention elections for three Tennessee Supreme Court justices and seven state appeals court judges appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam and seated since the last regular judicial election in 2014. Voters across Tennessee will cast vote on whether to retain or reject each of the 10 judges.

In addition, 15 candidates for state trial-court judges will be on the ballot in eight judicial circuits across the state.

In the 2014 elections, where all judges were on the ballot, more than 116 judges subscribed to the code. The Tennessee Bar Association this week is sending letters to judges and judicial candidates on this year's ballot. The Bar will post the names of judicial candidates who subscribe to the code on its website  http://www.tba.org/node/83222.

The three state Supreme Court judges up for retention elections in August are Justices Jeffrey S. Bivins, Holly Kirby and Roger A. Page.

The code of conduct changes put in place in December by the state Supreme Court include rules that make it clearer that judges and judicial candidates are permitted to endorse other judges; allow judges to seek, accept or use endorsements from any person or organization; permit judges to speak on behalf of his or her candidacy through any medium, including campaign ads, websites and campaign literature; and clarify the prohibition on judges simultaneously seeking judicial and nonjudicial office.

The Tennessee Bar Association is the state's largest association of lawyers, with more than 13,000 members.
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Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican national holiday that commemorates an all-day battle in Puebla, Mexico, when the Mexican military defeated the numerically superior French forces that invaded Mexico in 1861.

The French, along with the Spanish and English, had occupied Veracruz, Mexico's major port, in response to Mexican President Benito Juarez's moratorium on Mexico's European debt. Spain and England withdrew while the French began collecting port revenues from incoming ships in lieu of payment on the debt and ordered their troops into the interior.

Although the 1862 defeat in Puebla slowed down the advance, the French capitalized on political divisions in the country and a weak treasury in order for Napoleon III to establish a monarchy with Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph at its head.

The French takeover did not occur without either a military response or a popular reaction of significant nationalist proportions. The defense of the homeland acquired extra meaning from the earnest Juarez, who continued to exercise his authority as president and national symbol of mourning in his elegant black suit and riding in a black horse-drawn carriage. Hostilities finally ended when Mexican forces defeated the French in 1867 and Juarez ordered the execution of Ferdinand together with some Mexican monarchists who had opposed him.

The celebration of the battle of Puebla also acknowledges the heroic role of Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a 33-year-old officer from Goliad, Texas. Soon after the surrender of Veracruz, Juarez had appointed him minister of war and navy, and assigned him to lead the defense of Puebla. Soon after the battle of Puebla and before the French had advanced on Mexico City, Juarez hosted a celebration of Zaragoza as a national hero. The president also declared May 5, 1862, a national holiday and changed the name of Puebla de Los Angeles to Puebla de Zaragoza.

Zaragoza has a special place in Mexican and Texas history. He not only originated in Goliad and claimed relations with Tejanos from the colonial period, but he began his military career in the Monterrey-Saltillo area. In preparation for the famous battle of Puebla, Gen. Zaragoza recruited around 500 Tejano cowboys from the Jim Wells County area of South Texas who served as cavalrymen in the fight against French intervention even in the months and years following that actual battle.

News of the battle and Zaragoza's role as "the General from the Border" and "the native son" of the region, according to the scholar Americo Paredes, arrived in South Texas as early as 1867 when performers sang ballads about both. Newspapers from Texas and California also acknowledged their histories and announced the celebrations by the 1870s. Texas cemented his memory as an iconic transborder and transnational hero against foreign aggression by establishing the General Zaragoza State Historic Site near Goliad.

So why should we continue finding relevance in the memory of the Battle of Puebla, Juarez, Zaragoza and Zamora? Because it affirms enduring and shared values such as advancing the just defense of the homeland and the necessary cause for marginalized and maligned people. These tenets are still upheld today.

Recognizing and practicing this kind of valued behavior also grants a good measure of humanity to the descendants of the heroes of Puebla, including the Mexican immigrants among us who have historically labored long and hard for low pay and little positive recognition. History, after all, is not just a record of things past; it is also the binding arc of humanity and the ennobling opportunity to recognize the equal worth of others and to act on their behalf.

Emilio Zamora is a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin.
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The myth that the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima to end World War II has been perpetuated by Victor Davis Hanson's column in the News Sentinel on April 24. He invoked a long-discredited justification for the use of nuclear weapons to "cut short plans for an invasion of Japan  that might well have cost a million Allied lives." This was a political defense intended to shape public opinion, written by Secretary of Defense Henry Stimson in Harper's magazine. Military leaders at the time estimated the number of casualties (dead and wounded) at 27,500. U.S. military deaths would have been a small fraction of that number.

There is now a broad consensus among historians that the bombs were not dropped to save American lives but to head off the Soviet Union's entry into the war and limit its influence in post-war Asia. The actual facts support that reading. Japan was not shocked into immediate surrender by Hiroshima on Aug. 6 or even by Nagasaki on Aug. 9. On Aug. 9, Russia invaded Manchuria, which was occupied by a Japanese army. The U.S. then offered Japan a surrender that preserved the emperor, a term Japan had been seeking for many months. On Aug. 14, Japan surrendered.

What happened in 1945 and why it happened matter. But what matters more is the profound threat posed by the monstrously larger thermonuclear weapons still being produced by the U.S. and other nuclear powers. If President Barack Obama visits Hiroshima and meets with survivors of the bomb, he will not hear them ask for an apology. What he will hear is them asking him to do everything in his power to make sure there is never another Hiroshima or Nagasaki by taking concrete steps to eliminate nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth.

Dennie Kelley, Knoxville
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I am such a good little patient. I follow my doctor's orders and helpful suggestions to the letter. I try to ignore the folks who get all worked up over the possible side effects of some vaccines. However, I had to rethink my position recently.

In 2006 I received a pneumonia shot at the urging of my doctor. I was of a certain age and could not afford to be struck down by pneumonia. Two weeks later I was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. This disease is very sneaky. It begins with vomiting, high fever and chills. When I asked my doctor why I had contracted this after receiving a pneumonia shot, she responded that viral and bacterial pneumonia were two very different animals.

On a recent Monday, I visited my doctor for a routine check-up. I was told I was due for another pneumonia shot. I was given a choice between a shot that lasted a few years or a "one and done" version. I inquired about both cost and side effects and was given vague answers. I opted for the "one and done" version. I felt great all week until Saturday morning, when I awoke knowing I was really, really sick. This is not my first rodeo with bronchitis or pneumonia, so I knew exactly what was happening. It has been almost four years since I have had any respiratory issues. I began running a fever right away but am happy to report that the fever is now gone. Did I call my doctor and head straight for the Levaquin and steroid shot? No. I am still trying to sort out why, after receiving a pneumonia shot on a Monday, I became really ill on Saturday. Is there a connection? I honestly don't know, but it does give one something to ponder.

Kay Thompson Fields, Dandridge
8:17 a.m. May 5, 2016

Neogen CEO speaking at UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources spring commencement







University of Tennessee Animal Science alumnus Jim Herbert, Chairman and CEO of Neogen Corporation, returns to campus May 12 to deliver the commencement address to spring graduates of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR). Photo courtesy Neogen.



KNOXVILLE  University of Tennessee Animal Science alumnus Jim Herbert, Chairman and CEO of Neogen Corporation, will return to campus May 12 to deliver the commencement address to spring graduates of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR). The ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m. in Thompson Boling Arena. Neogen is a publicly held company located in Lansing, Michigan, focused on the development, manufacturing and marketing of products for food and animal safety.



Herbert founded Neogen in 1982. He pioneered rapid diagnostic testing, and its test kits have gained worldwide use as the gold standard for numerous domestic and international regulatory agencies and industries.



Neogen has been named one of Forbes magazine's 200 Best Small Companies in America and one of Fortune magazine's 100 Fastest-Growing Small Companies in America.



Herbert graduated from UT in 1963 with a double major in animal science and journalism and completed advanced studies at Emory University and Harvard. He has been an officer or member of the Board of Directors of more than 30 corporations during his career and has served as a special advisory for business development to two Michigan governors. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Tennessee Foundation.



Herbert was born in Memphis and grew up on family cotton and cattle farms. He is the owner of Bar-H Ranches, a commercial beef cattle operation in the hill country near Hamilton, Texas.



Joining Herbert at the podium to address graduates will be 2016 CASNR Outstanding Faculty Advisor Gina Pighetti, associate professor of animal science, and Will Freeman, a senior in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications who served as the 2015-16 president of the UT Knoxville Student Government Association.



For more information on the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, visit ag.tennessee.edu.

Published May 5, 2016














16th Vestival pays tribute to Knoxvilles 225th Birthday



The 16th annual Vestival is scheduled for Saturday, May 7. Image courtesy of marblealley.com.





Then and Now is the theme of the 16th Annual Vestival, South Knoxville Arts and Heritage Festival, sponsored by Candoro Arts & Heritage Center The event will be held Saturday, May 7, 11 am to 7 pm on the grounds of Knoxvilles Historic Candoro Marble Building off Martin Mill Pike in the historic neighborhood of Vestal. A Friday evening reception on May 6th (6 to 9 pm) serves as the official kickoff event prior to Vestival 2016. The birthday theme will include balloons and birthday cake to collaborate with the 225th Birthday of Knoxville. The Friday night reception features historic images of Knoxville from the local and much-beloved Thompson Photo Collection paired side by side with nowaday scenes captured by photojournalist Saul Young.



Vestival began as a way to celebrate the rich heritage of marble artisans and sculptors who lived in Vestal and worked nearby at the Candoro Marble Company. This festival has a direct impact on Knoxville because it brings over 1,300 people together in an artistic way. Artists and musicians have always been drawn to the Vestal area of Knoxville. Everyone who attends gets a sense of the Vestal Spirit legacy of the former marble workers and cultural renewal currently in motion. This year, we are also celebrating Knoxvilles 225th Birthday. explains Chairwoman Sharon Davis.



From acrobats and belly dancers to local cuisine ranging from Egyptian to Vietnamese, this festival is a full assault on the senses, adds Chairwoman Davis Its an eye-popping experience. Spices fill the air adds Sharon, Festival goers immerse in fantastic local music and local art. Anyone with an artistic spirit will appreciate seeing the architecture of Charles Barber and strolling the grounds. This is Knoxvilles premiere event for art while snacking and marveling as Dragonfly aerialists twist in the sky above, children paint, and pickers unite in jam sessions. If you are a musician, be sure to bring your instrument.



The historic Candoro Marble building is such an important part of Knoxville history. Every Knoxvillian needs to know that this architectural treasure is the origin of Knoxvilles famous nickname, The Marble City.



There will be two stages of local musicians all day, children's art activities, an old-timey cake walk. A traditional Mothers Day brunch from 11 am to 12 noon, provided by South Knoxville farmers and Three Rivers Market.



The Friday evening reception and the all day Saturday Vestival takes place rain or shine. Admission is by donation; a $5-$10 per person/family donation is requested to help support the programs of Candoro Arts & Heritage Center.



Future plans for Candoro Arts & Heritage Center include the launch of Pink Marble Trail Tours, an original idea of South Knoxvilles own Molly Gilbert. Keep an eye out for the launch of Candoros new mobile-friendly website, which is developed and underwritten by Slamdot.



For more information, visit CandoroMarble.org. Published May 4, 2016






Man gets life in prison for operating violent sex trafficking enterprise



CHARLOTTE, NC  Shahid Hassan Muslim, aka Sharp, 33, was sentenced today to life in prison for operating an extensive sex trafficking enterprise that recruited women and girls  some as young as 16 years old  into prostitution.



Muslim was also ordered pay $13,840 in restitution to the victims of the two sex trafficking counts. On August 11, 2014, a federal jury found Muslim guilty on all counts, including two counts of sex trafficking, one count of kidnapping, one count of production of child pornography, one count of witness tampering and five counts of promoting a prostitution business enterprise.



Evidence presented during Muslims four-day trial, including the testimony of five victims, revealed that Muslims sex trafficking enterprise operated in Charlotte, North Carolina, and other cities from at least 2010 until his arrest in November 2013. Muslim recruited vulnerable young women and girls from the Charlotte area and advertised them for prostitution on the internet. He lured them into his scheme by promising that they would be part of a family when they had none. Once the women and girls were a part of his enterprise, Muslim demanded all of their proceeds and used brutal violence to control them. As one witness explained, he never hit the victims in the face because it would damage his merchandise.



According to evidence established at trial, Muslim accused one teenage victim of withholding money from him and then proceeded to handcuff and beat her until she admitted to keeping some of her earnings. Muslims assaults on other victims included burning one victims leg with a cigarette to teach her a lesson; and punching a third victim in the stomach, without warning, as she balanced with her eyes closed during a DUI test he forced her to perform. After punching her in the stomach, Muslim then dragged her by her hair to a bathroom and repeatedly punched her until she vomited.



The evidence further showed that Muslim kidnapped one of the victims and viciously beat her after she left and reported him to the police. Witnesses testified that he lured her to a hotel, pretending to be a customer, then attacked her and shoved her into a storage trunk. After transporting the trunk to his house, he handcuffed her, bound her feet and continued to beat her, breaking a toilet in the process. Muslim then left her in the shower  still handcuffed  overnight with cold water running on her until she managed to escape and report the kidnapping to a neighbor the next day.



The evidence also demonstrated that Muslim continued his efforts to intimidate and control the victims even after his arrests on both federal and state charges. He convinced the kidnapping victim to submit a false affidavit declaring his innocence, resulting in dismissal of state charges. He further harassed a victim in the federal case to submit a false affidavit regarding a sexually explicit video that he produced of her when she was 16 years old.



This defendant preyed on and abused vulnerable young women by running a violent sex trafficking operation, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. While no amount of jail time can undo the harm he caused and the trauma he inflicted, this sentence sends a clear message that people who engage in human trafficking and violate the most basic standards of human decency will face the full force of justice.



Shahid Muslim is a ruthless predator who used lies to lure vulnerable young women and underage girls into his criminal enterprise, said U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose of the Western District of North Carolina. But instead of finding the better life his young victims had been promised, they endured unspeakable violence and exploitation in the hands of Muslim for his financial gain. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who engage in this illegal business that dehumanizes victims and strips them of their dignity.



Shahid Muslim promised his victims the loving support of a family, instead he controlled them through beatings, fear, and intimidation, said Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong of the FBIs Charlotte Division. The FBI devotes a significant amount of resources to helping sex trafficking victims recover from the trauma they suffer at the hands of ruthless people like Muslim. Todays sentence is a stark warning, there is a harsh punishment for those who choose to sacrifice another persons civil rights and freedom for their own profit.



Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that Homeland Security Investigations fights as one of its highest priorities via a coordinated global effort with our law enforcement partners, said Special Agent in Charge Nick S. Annan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta Division. The sadistic abuse inflicted by this defendant is unspeakable and hopefully victims can now find some relief in knowing the monster who exploited them will be safely locked away for many years. Published May 5, 2016
By Choi Sung-jin



As Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are all but certain to clash in the U.S. presidential election in November, attention also is on their policies' effect on the world economy.



Major pledges of the two contenders are poles apart, but whoever becomes U.S. president, they will likely strengthen protectionism in trade and foreign exchange policies compared with the Obama administration, experts here said Thursday.



Both candidates, for instance, oppose the U.S.-led 12-nation free trade accord, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), threatening its successful launch, they said.



If Trump slaps import duties of 45 percent on products made by major trading partners, including China and Mexico, it will be catastrophic for global trade, touching off trade and currency wars between the United States and the rest of the world. Korea, a major exporter enjoying a sizable trade surplus with the U.S., will be one of the biggest victims.



According to the International Finance Center and other sources, behind the enhanced trade protectionism found in the two otherwise contrasting politicians is the economic polarization among Americans, which sharply eroded their support for free trade.



When survey agency YouGov last May asked whether free trade helps the U.S., positive replies outweighed negative ones by 46 percent to 30 percent. In March, however, only 42 percent of respondents said "yes" to the same questions and 40 percent said "no." Among Republicans, negative answers dominated positive ones, 48-38. Nearly half, 48 percent, approved a tariff rise on imports compared with 29 percent who opposed it.



This explains why Clinton is attempting to keep some distance from President Obama in trade issues, withdrawing her support for the TPP. The Democratic runner said she could not be certain the TPP would preserve jobs for Americans and increase their wages.



Her Republican rival is far more extreme.



Trump has said he opposes "unfair" free trade that takes away Americans' jobs, pledging to impose prohibitive tariffs on imports. He called the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement a "total calamity," vowing to nullify it if elected. He naturally opposes the TPP, too, citing job insecurity and other reasons, and calling it a horrible negotiation.



"Accelerating polarization of income in the U.S. society has given rise to an extreme type of trade protectionism," said Kim Hyeong-ju, a fellow at the LG Economic Research Institute. "If their pledges become reality, Korea cannot help but suffer serious damages, so the nation needs to diversify its export items and destinations while increasing overseas production."



If Trump turns his 45-percent tariff pledge into action, China and Mexico will fall into recession, according to Moody's. It will also add fuel to global concerns about the hard landing of the Chinese economy, which exported $481.9 billion of goods and services to the U.S. last year.



Nor will the U.S. economy remain unharmed. The global credit rating agency said if China and Mexico slap on retaliatory import duties of the same rate, the U.S. economy is estimated to contract 4.6 percent, destroying 7 million jobs, pushing the unemployment rate back to 9.5 percent and widening the federal budget deficit by 60 percent or more. "The U.S. economy will slide back to a recession in just one year," it said.



Local economic experts said there is a silver lining in the dark cloud of trade  the two candidates' common opposition to the TPP.



If the 12-nation free trade pact goes into effect, Korea's exports are expected to fall 1 percent and the nation's gross domestic product shrink 0.3 percent. "The more the ratifications of the TPP get delayed, the greater the benefits for Korean exports that have preempted markets, including automobiles," said Kim Ba-u, a researcher at the Korea Institute of Industrial Economics and Trade.



Also worrisome for Korean officials is the U.S. presidential hopefuls' common hard-line stance on currency issues. Trump has vowed to designate China as a currency manipulator and Clinton, too, pledged to include the currency issue in the TPP.



"Both candidates shared the view that foreign countries' intervention into currency markets has pushed the U.S. dollar's value and vowed to rectify such situations," said Ha Keon-hyeong, a researcher at Shinhan Finance and Investment. "If Trump designates China as currency manipulator, Korea will not be safe, either."



Korea is one of five countries, with Germany, China, Japan and Taiwan, on the U.S. monitoring list of foreign exchange policy for sustaining a trade surplus of $20 billion or more with the U.S., with its current-account surplus accounting for 3 percent or more of GDP.




President's $45.6 bil. business deal in Iran raises questions



By Jhoo Dong-chan



Local media reports said President Park Geun-hye's historic visit to Iran could generate up to 52 trillion won ($45.6 billion) of economic and industrial benefits for Korean companies.



But the claims are drawing criticism because most agreements signed by Korean firms and their counterparts in Iran are non-binding, raising questions over the contracts' validity.



On May 2, The Tehran Times reported that Iran and Korea signed 19 cooperation documents, pledging to increase their annual trade volume from around $6 billion to $18 billion. But the Korean government said a total of 66 contracts were signed, including 59 economic projects.



"Those memoranda of understanding (MoU)s don't mean all projects will proceed according to the agreements as there will be more discussions to make the agreements real," an industry official said.



A transport ministry official said: "The MoUs signed during Park's visit to Iran need to be discussed further in detail over how to finance the projects and to share technological expertise between two countries."



Other sources said: "There are many other countries who want to establish economic ties with Iran as we do. If they offer better terms, the MoU deals signed during Park's visit to Iran will be just mere scraps of paper," adding that external and internal factors may influence the development of business talks.



They said the possibility of a deal being nullified, even if it was signed as a MoU, remains because most of the agreements were related to social infrastructure projects, in which Korean companies have a weak presence compared with their chief international rivals.



While Korean companies are competitive in manufacturing, given their on-time delivery, output commitment and better pricing, they have so far been winning infrastructure projects in the Middle East with more discounts and longer guaranteed maintenance.



For a comparison, the previous government had claimed it had a total of 96 MoUs for natural resources across the world under President Lee Myung Bak's "energy diplomacy." Of them, however, only 16 MoUs have become legally binding contracts, while the government suffered huge losses by investing in a heavily debt-ridden energy company.



The Park administration also showed off its diplomatic accomplishments during the President's visit to the United States last year, claiming it clinched a total of $380 million in MoU deals with seven major U.S. companies.



Of them, however, only the U.S.-based defense company Boeing invested $114 million while the remaining companies have not yet made any investment.



Experts also questioned Iran's financial health as the country has been suffering from the decline in oil prices and was blocked from increasing outside trade for more than three decades because of economic sanctions over its nuclear development.



Iran remained positive about boosting the bilateral economic partnership with Korea; however, the country remained cautious in making any more favorable expectations.



The Tehran Times said that during the summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Korea said it will provide $25 billion in finance for infrastructure projects in Iran to support relations with the country.



Park is the first Korean president to visit Iran since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1962.



She was accompanied by several ministers and a 230-strong business delegation.



Korea imported $2.2 billion worth of crude oil from Iran last year, down 51 percent from the previous year and far lower than the $9.36 billion in 2011. Oil is one of Iran's largest exports and Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh has said it hopes to increase exports to Korea by 400,000 barrels a day on the 100,000 barrels now.




By Kim Jae-won



The financial regulator said Thursday that it will recapitalize the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) by giving the lender stakes in state-run companies because of the bank's capital losses through heavy exposure to troubled shipbuilders.



The Financial Services Commission (FSC) said it will let the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) hand over stakes in government-controlled companies to Eximbank as part of efforts to increase the BIS ratio of the lender above 10 percent. The ratio, which measures a bank's capital to risk assets, is a yardstick for financial soundness.



The regulator said it is considering KDB's stakes in Korea Land & Housing Corp. (LH), Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), among others, but has not yet decided.



"We are looking for the most adequate stake owned by the KDB, including LH, KAI and KEPCO," the FSC said. "But nothing has been decided yet."



Eximbank's BIS ratio has dropped quickly because loans to Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and other mid-sized shipbuilders  worth more than 10 trillion won  are souring.



According to Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) data, Eximbank's BIS ratio reached 10.11 percent in March, up from 9.44 percent three months ago. It was the lowest among the nation's 17 banks whose average was 13.92 percent.



A task force of the financial regulator, the finance ministry and the central bank is discussing ways to recapitalize Eximbank, which leads a tough corporate restructuring program of the shipbuilders, along with the KDB. At its first meeting on Wednesday, participants acknowledged the need to increase the resources of policy lenders, according to the finance ministry.



"The related agencies agreed on a need to boost the capital of policy banks as a contingency plan to preemptively prepare for a possible rise of financial uncertainties in the process of corporate restructuring," the ministry said.



The vice finance minister heads the panel. Also at the meeting were officials from the Bank of Korea (BOK), the FSS, the FSC and the two policy lenders  the KDB and Eximbank.



The task force was set up soon after the government handpicked five industrial sectors  shipbuilding, shipping, construction, steelmaking and petrochemicals  it says will need a massive overhaul to survive. The shipbuilding and shipping industries are the first to face government-led action.



The government says a lot of money will be needed to restructure the shipbuilding industry alone, after the country's top-three shipyards racked up a combined loss of 7.7 trillion won in 2015.



One way to get the additional funds is to have the BOK print new banknotes that will be used to buy bonds issued by the policy lenders, the government has proposed.



The central bank had opposed the move, saying it would require public consensus or at least parliamentary approval. Under the law, the BOK is prohibited from directly purchasing the bonds of state-run banks. But its head, Lee Ju-yeol, changed his stance earlier this week, saying the central bank will play its role in corporate restructuring by cooperating with the government.




Bank of Korea Governor Lee Ju-yeol



Gov. Lee against recapitalization of KDB, Eximbank

By Yoon Ja-young

Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol rejected Thursday the government call for the central bank to print more money to recapitalize state-run banks.

Lee suggested that the BOK provide them with collateralized loans instead to fund restructuring of troubled shippers and shipbuilders.

At the Asian Development Bank (ADB) annual meeting held in Frankfurt, Germany, Lee told reporters that it was against the principles of the central bank to directly invest in the Korea Development Bank (KDB) and the Korea Export-Import Bank (Eximbank).

"The basic responsibility of the central bank is to minimize losses," he said. "There should be guarantees that the BOK can recoup all of its money when it helps recapitalize other banks. It shouldn't be in the form of a direct investment."

His remarks mean that the central bank and the government remain divided on how to support the banks rescheduling of the debts of ailing shippers and shipbuilders.

The government and the BOK have been discussing ways to strengthen the lending capability of the KDB and Eximbank, and created a task force, Wednesday.

With the state banks lacking funds to inject into the troubled companies, the government has been pressuring the central bank to use its exclusive right to print money to fund them.

As it is the second largest shareholder in the Eximbank, the BOK can inject capital there. To invest in KDB, however, a relevant law must be revised.

The government and Cheong Wa Dae have been suggesting that they would push for the revision of this if the central bank's investment in the state-run bank is needed.

While explaining that the government measure is against the principles of the central bank, the governor cited the U.S. Fed as an example. Lee pointed out that the Fed provided loans to businesses such as AIG instead of investing in the ailing companies.

"It was due to the basic principles of the central bank that it should minimize losses. In the case of the AIG loans, AIG had to put up all of its assets as collateral," he said. "If the U.S. Fed had sustained losses by supporting businesses, would the decision have been justified?" he asked.

The governor suggested that the BOK can provide loans to the state-run banks based on collateral, as was the case with the bank recapitalization fund that was set up in December 2009 to ease liquidity problems at banks with a low capital adequacy ratio.

The banks borrowed money from the central bank to set up the fund, offering bonds as collateral.

He said that measure met the principles of the central bank.

"We have consistently said that the central bank is willing to play any role it can during restructuring."

The governor added that his remarks should not be interpreted as a confrontation with the government.

"The government should play the main role in restructuring, and there should be reasons that are convincing enough if there are plans to make the central bank print money for it," he stressed.

Lee said he agrees with Minister of Strategy and Finance Yoo Il-ho who pledged to talk with the National Assembly and acquire public consensus on the mobilization of the BOK's money-printing power.

"The BOK does not have the power to distribute national resources at a loss. The money-printing power can be mobilized as long as sufficient collateral is secured," Lee said.
Belle-Essence Seoul Hotel, former Renaissance Seoul Hotel, presents a special food promotion at its Chinese restaurant, Kabin, until May 30.

Guests can choose five dishes out of 20 Sichuan-style delicacies including crab meat soup, hot and sour soup, abalone soup, prawns with mayonnaise sauce, fried chicken with garlic sauce, Chinese black noodles, Chinese red noodles, fried rice, lobster with chili sauce, beef with fried green peppers, assorted shredded seafood and desserts. The promotion costs 43,000 won for lunch and 73,000 won for dinner. Tax and service charges are included. For more information and reservations, call (02) 2222-8657.





Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel's 41st floor Lobby Lounge Bar presents "All About Tropical," a dessert promotion featuring tropical fruits from May 7 until Aug. 31. The promotion will be available only on weekends and holidays.

The featured menu will include tropical fresh fruit tarts, banana and almond pie, tropical rainforest cake, exotic fruit mille-feuille, passion fruit Swiss rolls, banana cake with passion fruit, mango verine, oranges and more. Tea and coffee will be served complementarily. The dessert promotion costs 35,000 won, including tax and service charges. For more information and reservations, call (02) 2211-1740.







Grand Hyatt Incheon is running a fundraising campaign to sponsor a child from Incheon in the month of May.



Hyatt Thrive is part of the hotel's corporate social responsibility project, and the hotel was paired up with the boy, whose identity is not disclosed, through the Incheon Child Welfare Organization. The hotel will take care of him until he turns 20 years old.



To raise funds the hotel will sell caramelized apples, which will be available at the deli of the hotel's restaurant May 8 to 31. Apples cost 6,000 won for two. The hotel employees are also raising their own money. For more information or to donate, call (032) 745-1234.





Sheraton Grand Incheon presents its "Soul Foods" promotion, with the hotel's chefs presenting their own comfort foods from their mothers' recipes, until May 30.

Chef Park Jyung-yoon makes abalone soup, while chef Kim Jong-hwan presents bossam (boiled pork wrapped in lettuce) from his grandmother's recipe. Other featured dishes include Chef Choi Sung-moon's Ganghwa-style pickled rib stew, Lee Jong-suk's webfoot octopus, Hwang Sung-sik's grilled galbi and Lim So-jung's BBQ chicken in a special garlic and soy sauce.

The soul food menu will start at 55,000 won per person, and SPG members will receive a 15 percent discount. For more information call (032) 835-1711.



Park Hyatt Seoul is presenting its "Seoul Jazz Festival" package for those planning to attend the 2016 Seoul Jazz Festival.

The festival will take place at Seoul Olympic Park May 27-29. The 10th annual festival will start with a night event, "Royal Night Out" featuring spectacular performances from four famous musicians: Damien Rice, Jamie Cullum, Kings of Convenience and Wouter Hamel. Other musicians will be Pat Metheny, Mark Ronson, Corinne Bailey Rae and Redfoo, as well as Korean musicians such as SangJi Go, Yoon Seok-chul and Hyukoh.

Two types of packages are offered. One includes a one-night stay in a Park King room with two one-day festival tickets, worth 524,000 won. The second one includes a two-night stay in a Park King room with two two-day festival tickets worth 904,000 won. Guests will receive a special rate for breakfast at Cornerstone, the hotel's authentic Italian restaurant. Guests also have access to the fitness center, swimming pool, sauna and free Wi-Fi.

For more information and reservations, call (02) 2016-1100 or 2016-1234.
Brooklyn





The film tells the story of an Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn. She gets a job at a department store while taking bookkeeping classes at night, hoping to find a better future in New York. There she falls for an Italian plumber. Directed by John Crowley.

Captain America: Civil War





Damage from past incidents involving the Avengers suggests a need for a governing body to oversee and direct them. Captain America believes superheroes should remain free to defend humanity without government interference. Iron Man disagrees and supports oversight. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo.

By the Sea





Set in the 1970s, the film centers on the unique relationship of a troubled American couple vacationing in France. Interacting with local villagers leads them to strengthen their bond and reaffirm their marriage. "By the Sea" is written and directed by Angelina Jolie, starring herself and her husband, Brad Pitt.

Phantom Detective





Hong Gil-Dong (Lee Je-hoon) is a private detective possessing an extraordinary memory and a unique personality. While tracking down Kim Byung-duk for his own revenge, Hong becomes involved in a massive criminal case. Directed by Jo Sung-hee.

45 Years





One week before his forty-fifth wedding anniversary, Geoff (Tom Courtenay) receives a letter from Switzerland that the body of his first love has been found. His wife (Charlotte Rampling) discovers through the letter that he was once engaged to her. Directed by Andrew Haigh.
The party plate of steak, grilled chicken, sausages, potato wedges, salad, and pizza and is served with three glasses of beer. / Courtesy of Fraser Place Central Hotel



By Kim Se-jeong

World-renowned Fraser Hospitality's two Korean properties, both in Seoul, are offering group packages for female guests.

Fraser Place Namdaemun Seoul is offering "Happy Girls Day" package. Designed for groups of three, it includes a one-night stay in a Deluxe room, breakfast at the hotel restaurant, "First Floor," one pizza and three bottles of beer for room service and buy-2-get-1-free cocktail coupon at the 16th floor Panorama Lounge Bar, which has a view of the historic Namdaemun.



The package also includes access to the fitness center and sauna, in-room Wi-Fi and a photo session at the property, complete with photo props. Guests who reserve over the telephone will receive a 20,000-won facial treatment mask, developed by Woobo Oriental Hospital specialized in beauty and spa treatments in Seoul.

The package is available until Dec. 31 and starts at 179,000 won, excluding taxes. For more information and reservations, call (02) 2098-0800.

Fraser Place Central Hotel, a sister property in Seoul, also is offering a similar package.

The "Ladies Night Out" package, also designed for groups of three, includes a one-night stay a Deluxe room with free Wi-Fi, three Bourjois lipsticks and a party plate at the hotel's restaurant, "First Floor" during dinner hours. The party plate consists of steak, grilled chicken, sausages, potato wedges, salad, and pizza and is served with three glasses of beer.

This package also includes buy-1-get-1-free cocktail coupon at the rooftop Panorama Lounge. Guests can also use the in-door swimming pool, fitness center and sauna. The first 15 guests, who reserve over the phone, will receive an Aveda aromatic candle. This package is also available until Dec. 31 and starts from 219,000 won per night, excluding taxes. For more information and reservations, call (02) 2220-8000.
By Lee Kyung-min



Criticism mounted against Oxy Reckitt Benckiser Thursday over allegations that it offered compensation to victims of its humidifier sterilizers in return for including clauses in a settlement contract that would enable it to evade liability.



The scheme is alleged to have occurred shortly before the company's Korean unit head Ata Safdar offered an official apology on May 2, amid an intensifying prosecution probe into the firm over the deaths and chronic respiratory illnesses allegedly caused by the company's products.



Oxy allegedly offered an additional 100 million won per person in settlement to more than 50 families of the victims with whom it is embroiled in a civil suit, according to the local daily Chosun Ilbo.



The additional cash was offered in return for inserting clauses in the settlement contract such as "the issue is resolved by Oxy offering the money, and thus the company is no longer held liable," as well as "the money is not offered in direct recognition for the damage caused after using the company's products."



The exact total amount offered has not been disclosed.



Most of the victims, faced with financial hardship, reportedly accepted the condition after determining that accepting the offer is preferable to not receiving anything at all.



Criticism is that Oxy sought to secure a speedy agreement with conditions favorable to the company from those who took legal action against it, as the ongoing probe by the prosecution is expected to prompt more lawsuits that may entail greater compensation measures.



Earlier on Monday, Reckitt Benckiser (RB) in the United Kingdom, the parent company of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, posted a statement of apology on its website, saying that it assumes full responsibility and promising to provide full resolution to the victims who filed the cases.



Meanwhile, a group of families of the victims visiting the British company's headquarters in London said it will soon meet with the RB CEO Rakesh Kapoor.



"We have met with public relations officials and expressed our frustration, and demanded that a meeting be arranged with the CEO," Choi Ye-yong, director of the Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health helping the victims, said.



Local media including the BBC and Reuters showed interest in covering their stories, he added.



The group plans to file a complaint against the executives of the British company with the prosecution in London, it said.



The probe here into Oxy is expanding over suspicion that it knowingly sold humidifier disinfectant containing the deadly chemical PHMG, as well as bribing university scholars to falsify the test results.




By Kim Hyo-jin





Kim Yo-jong

Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, will emerge as a central figure in the regime's leadership during its ruling Workers' Party Congress, North Korea observers said Thursday.



Kim is expected to be promoted to either a department director or a secretary of the ruling party, equal to a ministerial post in South Korea.



The 28-year-old is now identified as the vice director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department. Kim may assume the top position at the department, Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said.



The organization orchestrates propagandist publications and activities, acting as the mouthpiece for the North Korean regime. It is on the list of the sanctioned institutions by the Obama administration.



"Kim is deemed a reliable person by the young leader. She has been recognized as a capable official over the past four years so may be allowed to assume a position with larger responsibility," Yang said.













"Their relationship has similarities to the bond their late father Kim Jong-il shared with his sister, Kim Kyong-hui," said Koh Yoo-hwan, a North Korean studies professor at Dongguk University. "Kim Yo-jong, a pure blood of Kim's family, is likely to keep assuming key positions while Kim is in power."



He added her role in consolidating Kim Jong-un's power will be expanded with a higher position after the ruling party's rare event.



Experts said that Kim Yo-jong could be also moved to other bureaus including the Organization and Guidance Department or Light Industry Department as her aunt Kim Kyung-hui moved from the International Liaison Department to the Light Industry Department.



Ri Sol-ju, Kim Jong-un's wife, is less likely to be given an official title at the congress, they said.
By Jun Ji-hye





James Clapper

The top U.S. intelligence official visited South Korea this week and met with security and foreign ministry officials to discuss North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, a source here said Thursday.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper arrived in Seoul, Wednesday, the officials said.

Clapper leads the United States Intelligence Community and serves as the principal intelligence advisor to President Barack Obama.

"Clapper visited the Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday morning in an unofficial visit and met with Defense Minister Han Min-koo," said a government official on condition of anonymity.

The two discussed the possibility of another North Korean nuclear test and other security issues, the source said.

His visit came amid speculation that the Kim Jong-un regime may push ahead with a fifth nuclear test as a means to mark the seventh Workers' Party congress, only months after it carried out the fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6.

Clapper also met with other ranking security and military officials, as well as Gen. Vincent Brooks, who was sworn in on April 30 as the new commander of U.S. Forces Korea, the United Nations Command and the Combined Forces Command, according to officials.

"The visit is believed to have been made in time for the appointment of Gen. Vincent Brooks," said another government official, noting that the two U.S. officials are believed to have exchanged intelligence on recent developments in the North's nuclear activities.

Clapper previously visited South Korea in May 2014 when increasing activities were detected at the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

At the time, Clapper met with then-Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin as well as President Park Geun-hye.

In the meantime, officials refused to provide any information on Clapper's current location.
By Lee Kyung-min

An increasing number of "Kopinos" are filing suits with the courts in Korea to legally establish relationships with their biological fathers, who refuse to acknowledge their parental responsibilities.

The number of children born to a Korean father and Philippines' mother is estimated at some 30,000.

According to the Seoul Family Court, six cases pending with it were filed by Kopinos to seek official recognition of their relationship with their fathers.

Dozens of similar suits are believed to be under review by family courts nationwide.

Most of the children are seeking court-ordered paternity tests via short tandem repeat analysis (STR), because many men who are believed to be their fathers refuse to recognize their children as theirs, much less provide child support for them.

"If the court recognizes their biological relationship through such tests, some men will offer to share responsibility by paying at least something to the cost of their child's upbringing," said Lee Young-hee, director of Tacteennaeil, a Seoul-based women and children rights group.

"If the man refuses, then the children file another suit seeking child support," she added.

The first ruling to recognize parental responsibility of a man, who fathered an illegitimate child in the Philippines, was made here in 2014.

The court at the time said that if the mother has an unstable income, the financial burden of raising the child must be shared by the father.

Last May, Suwon District Court ruled against a Korean man who had fathered two sons in the Philippines, ordering him to pay 500,000 won ($432) in child support until 2017, along with 20 million won in compensation for the mother for the costs she has spent raising their sons thus far.
Workers' Party congress to open today

By Jun Ji-hye

North Korea's ruling Workers' Party will open a seventh congress today that is expected to focus on cementing leader Kim Jong-un's grip on power and extending his rule.

The congress comes 36 years after the previous event was held in 1980 under Kim Il-sung, grandfather of Kim Jong-un.

The meeting is expected to last for about three or four days, according to South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS).

During the event, Kim, who is believed to be 33 years old, is expected to replace top brass with younger people to build a foundation for a prolonged one-man rule.

The congress is also likely to serve as a key event that will reveal the leader's policy direction as he has entered a fifth year in power. Kim inherited leadership of the nation following the sudden death of his father Kim Jong-il in late 2011.

Observers say that it is also possible that the isolated state will attempt to strengthen the personality cult of its young leader in order to strengthen solidarity among the North Korean people.

According to the Ministry of Unification, the congress is expected to begin with Kim's opening address in Pyongyang.

Then, Kim is also expected to explain the achievements the repressive state has made since the sixth congress was held in 1980 and make suggestions for the future plans of the party.

During the last congress, Kim Il-sung reported the regime's achievements since the fifth congress in 1970 as well as the regime's future tasks to some 3,000 participants for about five to six hours, according to the ministry.












By Choi Sung-jin

North Korea has invited a large number of foreign journalists to cover its Workers' Party congress, the first in 36 years, a Japanese broadcaster said Wednesday.

"North Korea has invited more than 100 journalists from Japan and the West in time with the rare party congress," NHK reported. "This seems intended to demonstrate the nuclear and missile developments as the accomplishments of its young leader, Kim Jong-un, and that his grip on power has been firmly established."

The Japanese journalists, who arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday, toured facilities that commemorate the North's first weapons factory, NHK said.

A North Korean female tour guide quoted Kim Jong-un as saying at the site last December: "We have become a country that can produce the great sounds of a hydrogen bomb exploding," which the Japanese reporters interpreted as the North's intention to push ahead with its nuclear programs, the Japanese broadcaster said.












Hyundai Rotem, a train-making unit of Hyundai Motor Group, said Wednesday that it has signed a tentative deal to supply diesel-driven trains to Iran for about $260 million.

The deal signed with Iran's state-run railway corporation calls for Hyundai Rotem to produce and supply 150 train cars. An official contract is expected to be inked in late July, the company said in a press release.

The trains to be supplied will be deployed on the 960-kilometer line in operation in the suburban region of Tehran.

Hyundai Rotem said that the contract from Iran was possible in part thanks to its continued cooperative business ties in Iran even after international sanctions were imposed on the country.

Hyundai Rotem signed a similar deal in 2004 to supply 150 train cars to Iran but it had to be put on hold after 2010 due to the sanctions. Before the suspension, the company had supplied 68 cars of the total without receiving pay.

As the sanctions were lifted earlier this year, the company said that it will hold negotiations to settle the unpaid bill worth around 87.6 billion won ($76.1 million) and supply the remainder of the promised train cars to Tehran.(Yonhap)
By Donald Kirk

Kim Jong-un celebrates his "coronation"in Pyongyang today while forgetting about one unpleasant reality that deepens North Korea's isolation in an already hostile world. He presides over North Korea's biggest-ever party, the Seventh Workers' Party Congress, while Iran, his longtime partner in nuclear crime, vastly improves its ties with South Korea  so much so that we have to believe Iran won't be cooperating quite so much with North Korea as it has been for years on nukes and missiles.

While South Koreans, and everyone else, worry about North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, President Park Geun-hye has returned from Iran with a phalanx of ministers, chaebol chieftains and other businesspeople. They've spent much of the week in Tehran striking deals that should definitely convince Iran's top leaders that further collaboration with their North Korean friends is really not a good idea.

That figures considering Iran's potential as both a growing market for South Korean exports and a major source of the oil needed to fuel the South's massive industry. Might South Korean companies also begin producing electronics products and assembling cars in Iran? Direct investment and broadening trade plus development of Iran's infrastructure were all on the agenda during Park's visit.

Park's mission to Tehran would not have happened, of course, before the U.S. and others forged the agreement under which they've lifted sanctions so long as Iran swears it won't be fabricating warheads on the basis of all it's doing to produce nuclear power.

For Kim Jong-un, the bad news has to be that maybe Iranian and North Korean scientists, engineers and technicians won't be working together so closely on North Korea's nuclear program, which is all about testing nuclear warheads, not nuclear energy. Teams of Iranians have been reported in North Korea during all its nuclear tests at the site near the village of Punggye-ri in the mountainous northeast, and they've also worked with North Korea on missile tests, notably from sites near the northeast and northwest coasts.

North Korea and Iran may still be cooperating, but the level of interaction is believed to have gone down considerably while Iran warms up to much more profitable opportunities doing business not only with South Korea but also with Japan and a range of other partners.

Indeed, it's possible, perhaps likely, that Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will also be making a pilgrimage to Tehran. He too will quest for expanding a market for Japanese exports and developing another source of much-needed oil with a country whose 80 million people will obviously be better off by increasing business with both South Korea and Japan than with dickering with impoverished North Korea.

Park struck the right note with Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a half-hour get-together in which she managed to, said her senior secretary foreign affairs, "cement support inside Iran for the development of bilateral friendly cooperative ties." If that assessment sounds politely vague, it represents a reversal from the days when South Korea had to toe the American line and forego overly close relations with this most lucrative Middle Eastern market.

Nobody dealing with Iran can forget that President George W. Bush in his January 2002 State of the Union Address included Iran in an "axis of evil" along with Iraq and North Korea. Iraq lost its place in the axis after U.S. forces invaded the next year, got rid of the dictator Saddam Hussein and installed a government in Baghdad to its liking at the time. Iran and North Korea, however, did seem to have formed a relationship that lived up to Bush's assessment.

The basis for that relationship was their collaboration  whether for weapons or energy  on highly enriched uranium. Iran and North Korea got the knowhow from A.Q. Khan, "father" of the Pakistan atomic bomb, who profited immensely from his dealings with both of them until finally being put on trial, found guilty and confined to his lavish estate near Islamabad.

Korea and Iran were exchanging technology  and possibly materiel too  in their HEU programs. Revelations of North Korea's HEU program resulted later in 2002 in the breakdown of the 1994 Geneva framework agreement under which the North had shut down the five-megawatt reactor under which it had been making warheads with plutonium, not HEU.

Now the question is whether North Korea will still be exporting Scud and Rodong missiles to Iran, which had been a steady market along with other Middle Eastern countries, including Libya, Egypt and Yemen. Burdened by UN sanctions imposed after its fourth nuclear test in January and the launch of a satellite in February, North Korea may well have lost that lucrative source of badly needed funds.

Certainly Iran will be far less enthusiastic about North Korea's programs than before, now that both President Park and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani have agreed, yes indeed, nuclear weapons are bad. Park of course urged Iran not to "cooperate" with North Korea on nukes while Rouhani said he too opposed their "development."

How much do all these nice words mean? They may not stop North Korea from going through with a fifth nuclear test  and more missile tests too  but they have to have an inhibiting effect on Iran-North Korea cooperation  and destruction of that "axis" for which Bush was widely criticized for mentioning more than 14 years ago.

Donald Kirk, www.donaldkirk.com, has been covering the conflict of forces on the Korean Peninsula for decades. He's at kirkdon4343@gmail.com.
The North Korean regime is likely to collapse within 10 to 15 years because of worsening economic difficulties following tightened U.N. sanctions, according to a Chinese political commentator on Wednesday.

Deng Yuwen, who was a former deputy editor of the Study Times, a paper controlled by China's ruling Communist Party, made the claim in his recent article posted on a Chinese military-related website named "Tiexue."

North Korea has been slapped with tougher U.N. sanctions following its fourth nuclear test in January and launch of a long-range rocket in February.

Deng claimed that the tougher sanctions have begun affecting North Korea's isolated economy, including a decline in international food aid, a shortage of foreign currency and a rise of defections.

Unless North Korea changes course under the U.N. sanctions, Deng said, "The possibility of the North Korean regime faltering is a matter of time."

The North Korean regime of leader Kim Jong-un is likely to collapse "within 10 years or 15 years at the longest," Deng said.

Still, few analysts believe that China, North Korea's economic lifeline, would put crippling economic pressure on the North because a sudden collapse of the Pyongyang regime could deal a blow to the stability of China's northeastern region. (Yonhap)
Hong Soon-man

By Lee Min-hyung

Hong Soon-man, a former vice mayor of Incheon, has been named head of the state-run Korea Railroad Corp. (Korail).

Hong, 60, will start as early as next week, after President Park Geun-hye officially nominated him, according to reports, Thursday.

The position has been vacant since Choi Yeon-hye resigned as Korail president to become a ruling party proportional representation candidate in the April 13 general election.

The government started accepting applications for the vacancy last month and 16 people applied.

Hong has had key positions in state-run organizations including the Ministry of Construction and Transportation and the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. He is best known for serving as head of the Korea Railroad Research Institute.

Yonhap News Agency quoted a government official as saying the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recently drew up a shortlist and recommended Hong to Cheong Wa Dae as the sole candidate.

The decision is interpreted as the government's move to halt growing criticism over "parachute appointees" for the Korail presidency, which have included former politicians or high-ranking government officials with no expertise in railroad operations.
Ha Seung-soo, co-chairman of the Green Party



By Kim Ji-soo

The April 13 general election had interesting elements other than the result that produced the Minjoo Party of Korea as the dominant party while the ruling Saenuri Party lost its majority. Throughout the elections, voters noticed numerous political parties, including the Green Party Korea.

The party fielded five candidates in electoral districts and listed five proportional representation candidates. None of the five won, including Ha Seung-soo, co-chairman of the Green Party, who ran in Jongno. The result dented the party's objective to obtain 3 percent of party-preference votes so it could produce proportional representative lawmakers. But he sees a future possibility.

"We saw a positive response from the women and young voters during the campaign," Ha said Wednesday. "And we earned 0.76 percent in party-preference votes. But in Seoul, the vote for the party recorded 1.13 percent."

He said these voters were concerned with the values of life, security and sustainability that the Green Party espouses. The party is young, having been founded in 2012 with values of grassroots democracy, social justice, de-growth or sustainable growth, nonviolence and peace and ecology.

"These issues are universal values that Korean politics should rightly deal with in the political arena," Ha said.

The party may have failed to get the votes needed to enter the 20th National Assembly, but Ha said more constituents will see the relevance of the party's platform.

"The party will start working toward the upcoming domestic political schedules, such as the 2017 presidential election, and in particular the 2018 local elections," he said.

The party has some 10,000 members and policies such as shifting energy production from nuclear to renewable in this era of low economic growth to protect the environment. Ha said the party first hopes to vitalize through local movements. "That is also in accordance with the Green parties around the globe, who first built locally," Ha, 47, said.

Ha, a graduate of Seoul National University's business major, was an accountant and a lawyer before engaging in such civic groups as People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy. He became a staunch opponent of nuclear energy following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. Asked if the party might move to align with mainstream political parties, Ha said that would be speaking too much of the future.

"We remain as the alternative political party," Ha said.

He said the party's most immediate plan is to campaign to change the electoral system so smaller minority parties can enter the National Assembly, and to focus on the 2018 local elections.
A screen capture of a Netflix' notification addressed to Vanessa Staley, an expatriate living in Korea. The company said she should update her payment method with a Korean-issued card, due to a recent billing policy shift.

/ Screen capture from Vanessa's e-mail account



Streaming giant forces customers to pay with local credit cards



By Lee Min-hyung

Video streaming giant Netflix is under fire for applying a discriminative billing policy to local customers forcing them to only use "Korean-issued cards" when paying for its services.

A Netflix user told The Korea Times that the firm decided to accept credit or debit cards issued by domestic card issuers for its services available in Korea. The decision was "unilateral" without notification given to users.

"We have been loyal customers of Netflix since it started in the United States, but now we cannot use their full services here in Korea without signing up for a Korean-issued card," Vanessa Staley, a Netflix user living in Korea, said.

"The only way to get a Korean bank account is to have an alien registration card, which is not required for military families."

She also expressed frustration over the absence of its Korea-based customer centers.

"Oddly enough, when I called customer service, they claimed they knew nothing about the problem," she said. "The app's help center calling option only calls the U.S."

Netflix said credit or debit cards from nine local card companies  including Shinhan, Samsung and Hyundai  are available for payment. But no specific reasons were given to customers, nor did it give any alternative payment methods for such users as expatriates who have a hard time in applying for cards from Korean companies.

A spokeswoman from a local public relations agency representing Netflix's Korean operation on a contractual basis, said specific reasons for the sudden billing policy change should be verified from Netflix U.S. headquarters, which will take some time.

Localized business policy?

The company's latest decision is in contrast to its previous billing policy under which the company had been accepting MasterCard or Visa credit cards issued by any company across the world, since Netflix became available here in January.

Critics say the shift was due to the absence of a Netflix Korean branch. The company previously said it plans to open its Korean subsidiary, but declined to comment on the exact timeline.

On its website Netflix stated that those who don't have a Korean-issued card can make payment through Google Play, but added that the method may not currently be available to all users, as it is being gradually rolled out.

A card industry official said he cannot understand why Netflix made the decision.

"Netflix does not have to bear the burden of commissions, even though it accepts payment from MasterCard or Visa cards issued from other countries," said a Shinhan Card spokesman.

"Commission fees are charged to card companies and customers. So Netflix could accept cards issued from both Korea and other countries," he said.

The change may be part of its localized policy for Korean users, as the company previously charged Korean users in US dollars. For this reason, their monthly fees slightly changed each month, depending on exchange rates.

But the policy shift is not applied to some other countries, including Japan.

Netflix states on its webpage for Japanese users: "We accept Visa, MasterCard, JCB, American Express, and Diners Club credit cards." There is no statement that payment should be made only by Japanese-issued cards, raising further confusion why the company made the decision for the Korean market.

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, Netflix announced its global expansion into 130 new countries, including Korea.

Expectations were high that the U.S.-based content streamer would be a huge challenge to local counterparts, mainly mobile carriers  such as SK Telecom or KT  which offer Internet protocol television (IPTV) or mobile streaming services.

But the company has failed to meet its previous expectations, with its user base here far below that of its rivals  Oksusu of SK Telecom and KT Olleh mobile streaming service.

According to a report released in March from Neilsen Korea, the number of Netflix's weekly users here is estimated to be around 50,000 to 60,000. This figure, however, cannot match its rivals including KT's Olleh TV mobile service with more than 1 million weekly active users in Korea.
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This article appears in the May 6, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

NATOS NEW OPERATION BARBAROSSA

What Business Does the German

Military Have in Lithuania?

by Helga Zepp-LaRouche, chairman of the German political party BuSo

[PDF version of this article]

April 30If you look at the range of NATOs actions against Russia, as well as those of the U.S. armed forces against China, a picture of deliberate encirclement and provocation emerges, whose only result will be a great catastrophe. For example: The German government now proposes to station soldiers in Lithuania as part of NATOs thousand-man battalion71 years after Hitlers crushing defeat in his demented expedition against the Soviet Union. That is simply scandalous.

After President Obama signaled, prior to his recent visit to Hannover, that he expected greater military engagement and funding from Germany, German Chancellor Angela Merkel found nothing better to do than to pledge this contribution of troops at the mini-summit in Hannover of the heads of government of Great Britain, Germany, France, and Italy with Obama. This permanent rotating mission is expected to be finalized at the coming NATO summit in Warsaw in early July, along with an array of other offensive measures against Russia.

At the Moscow Security Conference of April 27-28, Russian Ambassador to NATO Alexander Grushko warned against the consequences of NATOs policy of confrontation on Russias western flankincluding measures such as the permanent troop rotation (of which the German troop deployment is to be only a part), the permanent relocation of heavy weapons systems to eastern European countries, endless maneuvers, continuous air surveillance, and the reinforcement of naval forces in the Baltic and Black Seas.

In the latest incident in the Balticwhen Russian fighter aircraft flew over U.S. warships operating about 75 miles off the coast of Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuaniathe U.S. side invoked what it calls anti-access/area denial (A2AD) under the pretext that Russia was denying free access to NATOs military support for the Baltic states. In fact, NATO was questioning Russias right to self-defense in the immediate vicinity of its borders.

RIA Novosti archive #44732/Zelma/CC BY-SA 3.0

Also in process is the formation of military brigades comprising troops from Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine, or Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine. The expansion of the U.S. Ballistic Missile System into Eastern Europe is also going forward, although after the P5+1 agreement with Iran, any pretext that this system is for defense against Iranian missiles has been dropped. It is perfectly clear that the system is oriented toward neutralizing Russias nuclear second-strike capability.

See No Evil

Virtually no one in Germany asks why the Obama Administration intends to spend a trillion dollars (a trillion!) in the coming years on the modernization of the entire U.S. nuclear weapons arsenalincluding the B61-12 tactical nuclear weapons to be stationed in Germanyan action which would make them (along with the stealth bombers) operational, as was recently pointed out in a U.S. Senate hearing by Sen. Dianne Feinstein. That no one in Germany questions this, can only be explained as collective paralysis and amnesia. All of this is happening in an environment that U.S. military analysts such as Ted Postol and Hans Kristensen have identified as more dangerous than at the high point of the Cold War, namely the Cuban Missile Crisis. That is why figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev and the recently deceased Helmut Schmidt warned not long ago of the danger of a Third World War.

This time the overeager obedience of Mrs. Merkel and the fealty of the careerist military have gone too far. Germany is increasingly involved in NATOs encirclement strategy against Russia, moving NATO ever closer to Russias borders, not Russia moving westward as claimed. (Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called that claim a dirty attempt to turn reality on its head.) Germanys involvement puts its very existence at risk: In a nuclear war, nothing will remain of Germany, and no one would be left alive. No one can convince us that Mrs. Merkel, Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, and the military leadership are not perfectly aware of that.

Along with the NATO operations against Russia are the U.S. armed forces escalating provocations against China. The United States insists on freedom of the seas in the South China Seaalthough China has not once hindered passagea demand the United States uses to justify flights over contested islands and reefs in violation of Chinese territory. Then there is the attempt to use the crisis over North Korea to station the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea, a system that threatens Russia and China, and the deployment of an additional 250 U.S. Special Forces personnel to Syria without Syrian government invitation, without a UN Security Council mandate, and without the authorization of the U.S. Congress as required by the American Constitution.

A Policy of Brinksmanship

These are all elements of a policy of brinksmanship. Are they designed to lure Russia and China into a trap and provoke reactions which can be used as a pretext for large-scale punitive actions? Is it a deployment for a first strike, in accordance with U.S. war doctrines such as Prompt Global Strike and Air-Sea Battle? Is it seriously believed that the costs of a new arms race, combined with color revolutions, will result in regime change in Moscow and Beijing, because the people will rise up against Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping? All of these scenarios are insane. In every case they risk the obliteration of mankind in a global thermonuclear war.

It is not Russia and China that are the problem, but the neo-liberal financial policy which underlies the supposed necessity for the imperial expansion of the trans-Atlantic sector. The commitment to this policy is the underlying reason that no one addresses the causes of refugee flight in the refugee crisis; those causes are the result of the wars in Southwest Asia based on lies, and a policy that has denied development to Africa through the imposition of the notorious IMF conditionalities. It is this policy which has intolerably widened the gap between rich and poor in many parts of the world, and which seems ready to sacrifice everything to the Moloch of high-risk speculation for the advantage of the few, at the expense of the many. And even this policy is hopelessly bankrupt, as the lunatic debate about helicopter money shows.

Just the idea71 years after the total defeat of the Nazis, who inflicted untold suffering on the Russian people and many others, including our ownthat we Germans could participate in a new Operation Barbarossa against Russia, must be rejected in the strongest terms and in practice. If the escalations now plannedincluding the granting of NATO special status to Ukraine and Georgia as associate partners, long identified by Russia as a red line, possible NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, and the deployment of German forces to Lithuaniaare adopted at the upcoming NATO summit, then in all probability we will find ourselves on the direct road to Hell.

The Alternative

We must therefore use the remaining two months before the summit to get the alternative underway. That means win-win cooperation with Russia and China, without which none of the life-or-death problems facing usthe war danger, the impending financial crash, the refugee crisis, and terrorismcan be solved. And we can show no greater friendship to the true United States than by insisting on this cooperation.

There is a way out. We must join with Russia, China, and India in building the New Silk Road to ensure the economic development of Southwest Asia and Africa, and the reconstruction of our own productive economy. We must make it clear to the United States that we are not willing to commit suicide to maintain an empire. For the America of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy, however, a place of honor is reserved in the community of nations.

This article was written for the May 4 issue of Neue Solidaritat and has been translated from German.
This article appears in the May 6, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

LaRouche Policy Committee Statement

KESHA ROGERS

A Unified Mission for the

Common Aims of Mankind

[PDF version of this article]

May 3On April 24, China celebrated its first official National Space Day. Russia celebrated Yuris Night, honoring Yuri Gagarin, the first man to fly into space, on April 12. But despite Americas former leadership in space exploration, the United States has no national day of recognition for our entry into the Space Age, marked by Alan Shepards historic space flight. Shepard was the second human being and the first American to fly in space, on May 5, 1961, soon followed by John Glennflights that led to the realization of President John F. Kennedys vision to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth.

No, in the United States we dont have a national space day, we just have Americans who are spaced out. The fact that there is not an adequate fight coming from the scientific community and the American people to demand the immediate removal of Obamafor his continued policies that destroy our space program and the future of our nationshows that the people have given up on the vision for a true future for our nation and the generations to come. That commitment must be restored now!

LaRouche PAC TV

China and Russia are not celebrating their respective national space days just because they want to celebrate the achievements of a single person or event; no, these days reflect the achievements of a nation and its commitment to the future, the commitment to those not yet born, to advances in science, and the discoveries that still await us.

The deputy commander of Chinas Manned Space Program, Lt. Gen. Zhang Yulin, announced on Chinas National Space Day that China plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2036. Zhang remarked, China must raise its abilities and use the next 15 to 20 years to realize manned lunar exploration goals, and take a firm step for the Chinese people in breaking ground in the utilization of space.

Seize the Opportunity for Mankind

Chinas President Xi Jinping encouraged scientists and engineers on National Space Day to seize the strategic opportunity and keep innovating to make a greater contribution to the countrys overall growth and the welfare of mankind. That day, China made a point, a very important point, of inviting the United states to collaborate in the development of space, as it had also done in the offer to cooperate in the development of the Silk Road and what Xi has called a policy of win-win.

Instead of accepting this offer of cooperation, Obamaon behalf of the British/Saudi empire, whose murderous policies he continues to defendis escalating the drive towards nuclear war and total chaos. Not only is the Obama Administration continuing to escalate with military exercises in the South China Sea, bringing future increased tensions between the United States and China, but it is also instigating an insane NATO policy of heightening tensions with Russia as our forces move nearer to its borders, provoking the threat of war.

Stop the FBI, Restore JFKs Vision

For the decades since the assassination of President Kennedy, but going back even further to the death of President Franklin Roosevelt, the people of the United States have been held in a choke hold by the thuggish tactics of the FBI to frighten people into submission, going after anyone who tries to put up a fight for creativity and discovery. The policy of the FBI and the British has been to destroy any remaining commitment in the United States to real scientific progress and to force those in the scientific community to accept the idea that they are impotent and without any means to fight for a true mission for our nation in the exploration and development of space.

The advances and creative discoveries of mankind in space exploration are our strongest and most vital achievements in securing the potential for peace among nations, an idea which President Kennedy truly understood and expressed in his inaugural address when he said,

So let us begin anewremembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us. . . .

Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.

Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiahto undo the heavy burdens . . . [and] let the oppressed go free.

And if a beach-head of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let both sides join in creating a new endeavor, not a new balance of power, but a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved. . . .

Now the trumpet summons us againnot as a call to bear arms, though arms we neednot as a call to battle, though embattled we arebut a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulationa struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself.

Today, the only chance we have to restore peace among all nations is to remove Obama now and shut down the Empire and its bankrupt trans-Atlantic and Wall Street system that is destroying the possibility of progress. We must restore the principles of true scientific progress, which our American system of economy was founded on, under Alexander Hamilton. Those are the principles which China has adopted as it leads in the exploration of space, starting with its remarkable mission to explore and develop the far side of the Moon, leading to potential breakthroughs in such areas as the mining of helium 3 and radio imaging of the universe.

We ask again today, as President Kennedy first asked, Can we forge against these enemies [tyranny, poverty, disease, and war] a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?

The answer to that question, my friends, depends on you. A unified mission for advancing the common aims of mankind and the development of the creative powers of all children, must be brought into being now. That is the intention and purpose for which mankind pursues the exploration of space.
This article appears in the May 6, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

Prelude to War in the Pacific

by William Jones

[PDF version of this article]

April 30President Obamas provocative policy in the Pacific is leading to a conflict between nuclear powers, and can have no other result if the policy is not quickly reversed. These provocations have gone so far as sailing destroyers straight into waters legitimately claimed as territorial waters by the Peoples Republic of China, in alleged freedom of navigation patrols, and attempts to line up local allies to join in. While the naval deployments are accompanied by all sorts of high-falutin moralizing rhetoric from the U.S. government, in reality they have less justification than the European gunboats on the Yangtze in the 19th Century.



View full size CC/CartoGIS, College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University

In response to Chinese attempts to assert their legitimate claims to the Nansha (Spratly) and the Xisha (Paracel) Islands, the United States has organized joint sorties with its ally, the Philippines, to patrol the seas right up to the 12-mile limit off the shore of the Chinese mainland. Obama refers to a supposed threat to freedom of navigation, but China has never threatened or contested that freedom in the South China Sea, where the overwhelming majority of all navigation is to and from China itself.

Freedom of Navigation or Gunboat Diplomacy?

Freedom of navigation in non-territorial waters has long been a staple of maritime law, from Hugo Grotius classic Law of the Seas to the more recent UN Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS). When the UNCLOS Treaty was promulgated in 1982, the United States did not sign it, ostensibly because of the limitations the treaty would place on its offshore drilling operations.

In reality, the United States had already, during the Carter Administration, pre-empted joining such a treaty by elaborating what it called its Freedom of Navigation Policy, which in effect guaranteed the right of U.S. naval vessels to sail freely anywhere in the world that was not considered sovereign territory (that is, within 12 miles of any countrys land borders). This included freely sailing within any countrys Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ, defined by the UNCLOS as a region within 200 miles of a countrys land border). While the UNCLOS also allows innocent passage within the EEZ for military vessels that are not conducting military or reconnaissance operations, the treaty does not prevent a country from requiring notification of such passage.

U.S. Airforce/Senior Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz

The U.S. policy effectively allows the U.S. Navy to sail wherever and whenever it wants, unimpeded by the strictures of any treaty. The Freedom of Navigation forays have often been used to warn nations against any restriction on the innocent passage of U.S. military vessels, essentially making them a modern form of gunboat diplomacy, even though no shots have been firedat least not yet. But those operations have never before been ratcheted up in the way they are now by the Obama Administration against China in the South China Sea.

Chinas Territorial Claims

The Western media, in their typical manner, have depicted Chinas claims to the Nansha (Spratly) and Xisha (Paracel) Islands as a Chinese power grab, although for most of Chinas history, these claims have never been contested. In the 1970swith the growth in the importance of the seabeds for offshore drilling and the expansion of the fishing industry with a diminishing fish populationother countries in the region have raised their own claims to the islands, and the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia all began, with the help of their militaries, to build facilities on some of the islands, which China solemnly protested at the time.

After World War II, the United States fully supported China in reclaiming these islands from Japan. But the Cold War and the peaceful rise of China to become a world power have changed all of that. And recent U.S. actions have effectively sent signals to China that the United States will not accept the Chinese claims and is prepared to go to war to prevent China from asserting them, despite Obamas hollow pretense that the United States is not taking sides with respect to those claims.

As early as the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), the islands are found in Chinese records, clearly documentating their recognition, and perhaps their discovery, by the Chinese. They were incorporated into the administrative region of Qiong Zhou during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and further consolidated into the Chinese Empire during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

Later, during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1912), the islands were incorporated into the administration of Wanzhou in Guangdong Province. During this time there were extensive activities by Chinese on the islands, including fishing and planting, and some Chinese even lived on the islands for years. Many Chinese relics and remains have been found there, including the remains of temples. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Nansha (Spratly) and Xisha (Paracel) Islands were incorporated into the defense of the Chinese Empire, with regular patrols, coastal defense, and administration by Chinas naval forces.

When the Japanese moved into Southeast Asia in World War II, everything changed. The islands were occupied by Japan until the end of the war. After the war, it was clearly recognized by the Allied Powers that the islands were a part of Chinese territory and should be returned to China. Both the war-time Cairo Declaration and the subsequent Potsdam Declaration are explicit in their demand that Japan should give back these occupied islands to China.

In fact, the United States sent warships to the Kuomintang in 1946 to enable the recovery of the Nansha Islands! And books, periodicals, and maps published in the United States clearly indicated that the Nanshas are part of Chinese territory. While the San Francisco Treaty in 1951 also affirmed that Japan must give up the islands, it did not explicitly state that the territory belongs to China, an argument that is now being used by the Philippines to bolster its own claims. But China was not represented at all at that conference, and had no say in the formulation of the treaty. While the United States wished to invite Taiwan to represent China, Great Britain wanted the Peoples Republic of China, and the dispute resulted in no Chinese representative being invited.

Xinhua News Agency/Xing Guangli

But even after World War II, none of the present claimants challenged Chinas sovereignty over the islands. In 1955, the International Civil Aviation Organization, at its conference in Manila, asked Taiwan to improve meteorological observation on the Nansha Islands, with no objection from any of the participants.

Chinese possession of the islands would have a beneficial effect on navigation in the region. Already China has constructed two lighthouses on Huayang Reef in the Nanshas, and emergency rescue facilities have been established on the Nanshas and Xishas. So why is Obama now so determinedly opposed to the Chinese claims?

Occupation of its coastal islands would definitely be beneficial to Chinese defense capabilities. Even if China did not decide to place military installations there, they would provide a somewhat more advanced perimeter from which to monitor any threats from the region. And given the increased U.S. naval deployments here, such a capability becomes of increasing importance for China.

Remember that the United States in 1872 sent General John Schofield to the then independent kingdom of Hawaii to investigate those islands for the purpose of eventually putting U.S. military facilities on an advanced perimeter in the Pacific. But the Hawaiian Islands are 2,390 miles from the coast of California, while the Nansha Islands are 500 miles from the Chinese coast and the Xisha only 180 miles. And while the United States had no claim to the Hawaiian islands (but would soon annex them in rather murky circumstances), China does have such a claim, a claim which was once universally recognized.

Sabotaging a Resolution of the Conflict

China is clearly aware of the conflicts that have arisen with its neighbors over its attempt to make good on its claims. It is also concerned to maintain amicable relations with its neighbors, including those against whom China fought in the last great war. It is therefore engaged in coming to agreements with the various claimants through a process of bilateral negotiations.

The agreements between the countries of the region, encapsulated in the 2012 Declaration of Conduct signed by the members of ASEAN and the Government of China, therefore call on the parties to resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

This declaration committed the parties to resolve their difference through bilateral negotiations. But the Philippines, in its dispute with China on one of the islands, has taken the issue to arbitration, with the blessing of the United States, hoping that the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague will rule in its favor. China, which continues to adhere to the agreement signed in 2012, has clearly said that it is not prepared to accept any judgment stemming from such unilateral action on the part of the Philippines.

If the disputes involved only the countries in the region, they could be resolved amicably. Given the economic strength of China and its clear willingness to use that strength to create a win-win situation for its neighborsas we have seen in Chinas Belt and Road Initiativethere is no reason that satisfactory arrangements beneficial to all could not be worked out.

One of the options that has often been put forward would involve joint ventures to exploit the mineral resources of the area. In fact, in 2004 the Philippines and China agreed to joint exploration for oil in the Nansha islands, and the exploration began, only to be sabotaged by a manipulated anti-China uproar in the Philippines. It was discussed again in 2013, only to be rejected by the Philippines under heavy pressure from Washington.

But the U.S. invasions of Chinese waters, and the attempts by the United States to create a mini-NATO to target China using the few allies it has in the region, have made such a solution all but impossible. And unless the war-mongering Barack Obama is soon removed from office for his crimes, and his policy reversed, we may be looking at another war in the Pacificand the threat of a nuclear tsunami.
This article appears in the May 6, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

EDITORIAL

Expose the Saudi-British Role

In 9/11! Dump Obama Now!

[PDF version of this article]

Host Matthew Ogden began the LaRouche PAC International Webcast of April 29 by quoting from an April 28 National Public Radio interview with former Senator Bob Graham, who was the co-chairman of the Joint Congressional Inquiry into 9/11. Ogden then summarized what Lyndon LaRouche had said after hearing that interview.

Senator Graham: The reason why the 28 pages are so important is that they were the conclusion of the congressional inquiry into 9/11 as to how that plot was financed. Who paid for it? And while I cant discuss the details of that chapter, they point a strong finger at Saudi Arabia. What we do know publicly was that there were agents of the Saudi government which assisted at least two of the hijackers who ended up living in San Diegoprovided them with financial support, with anonymity, with a place to live and with flight lessons, and protected them for, in one case, over a year. The FBI has turned over to a federal court, through a Freedom of Information Act case, 80,000 pages involving an investigation that took place in Sarasota, Florida, of the relationship between Mohammed Atta, the leader of the 19 hijackers, and two of his henchmen, and a prominent Saudi family, which had lived in Sarasota for six years. Two weeks before 9/11 they left under what were described as urgent conditions to return to Saudi Arabia, creating the inference that they were tipped off and decided they would be better off someplace else than in Sarasota when 9/11 occurred.

NPR asked Graham: Do you believe that consecutive administrations have been protecting the Saudi royal family against the interests of United States citizens?

Yes. And I think its been more than a cover-up. I think its been what I call aggressive deception. There are instances in which the FBI has publicly released statements which I know from personal experience were untrue. They stated that in this Sarasota situation, they had completed the investigation, that the investigation determined that there were no connections between the hijackers and the prominent Saudi family, and that they had turned over all of this information to both the congressional inquiry and the 9/11 Commission. I know for a fact that none of those three statements is true.

NPR: Let me get this right, sir. You are alleging that the FBI deliberately lied about this issue and that there has been a cover-up.

Sen. Graham interrupted to say: Its more than a cover-up. The FBI misstated what is in their own records relative to the situation in Sarasota.

He was asked: What do you think needs to happen?

He replied: I think we need to have a general re-opening of the investigation into 9/11. Both the Congressional [Inquiry] and the 9/11 Commission operated under tight time restraints, which precluded the full inquiry that needs to be held when the 9/11 issue is reopened.

Mr. LaRouche said, after listening to this interview, that this is cut and dried. it cannot be argued with. Everything that Sen. Graham said was absolutely right. He said,
Mexican novelist Yuri Herrera, Brazilian poet Angelica Freitas and their translators are the winners of the 2016 Best Translated Book Awards, it was announced Wednesday at a ceremony in New York City.

Herrera and translator Lisa Dillman took home the fiction award for Signs Preceding the End of the World, about a young woman who travels from Mexico to the United States in search of her missing brother.

The novel, pubilshed in the U.S by small press And Other Stories, beat out several high-profile books shortlisted for the prize, including Elena Ferrantes The Story of the Lost Child, Clarice Lispectors The Complete Stories and Valeria Luisellis The Story of My Teeth.

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The poetry prize went to Freitas and Los Angeles-based translator Hilary Kaplan for the collection Rilke Shake. Originally released in Brazil in 2007, the English-language version is published by L.A. press Phoneme Media.

Chad Post, the founder of the awards, praised Herreras novel as masterfully written, and wonderfully translated, and said Freitas collection won for its playfulness, and for its great shifts from irreverence to heartbreak and back again.

Each writer and translator will receive $5,000; the cash awards are underwritten by the Amazon Literary Partnership program.

The Best Translated Book Awards were founded in 2007 by Post, and are sponsored by the literary site Three Percent, which is affiliated with the University of Rochesters Open Letter Books press.

This award is really competitive, Post said. There were 500 eligible fiction works this year, and at least six that couldve won, and might have in a different year.

Post said he started the awards to bring attention to translated literature, which is frequently overlooked by American audiences.

The fact that Elena Ferrante and Karl Ove Knausgaard  two very different writers  are both bestsellers, proves to me that people are aware that great literature can be written in languages other than English, he said. Its fun and helps take translated literature out of the ivory tower and helps combat the idea that reading books from abroad is like eating your vegetables.

Previous winners of the awards include Tove Janssons The True Deceiver, Can Xues The Last Lover and Dorothea Dieckmanns Guantanamo.

This years winners celebrated their victories on Twitter. Freitas tweeted, We won!!! in Portuguese on her account, while Herrera posted in Spanish, The great [Lisa Dillman] has won us the Best Translated Book Award for her translation of Signs Preceding the End of the World.
Whether a child actress or an undocumented immigrant, I had always lived more than one life at once, Janine Joseph explains. From a childhood in TV commercials in the Philippines, she came to California with her parents on tourist visas in 1991, and the family stayed  overstayed, although she didnt realize it  settling first in Riverside and then in Arizona.

Those events shaped her first book of poems, Driving Without a License (Alice James Books: 100 pp., $15.95 paper). The young poet discovered that she was undocumented only when colleges refused her financial aid. Nonetheless, she found paths literary success.

First she attended Riverside Community College, and at a writers retreat in 2003 she met the future U.S. poet laureate Natasha Trethewey. That year she transferred to UC Riverside, following up with graduate programs in writing in New York and Houston.

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Joseph had almost finished the sheaf of poems that became her book when, back home for Christmas in 2008, she and her father were rear-ended at a stoplight. The resulting concussion had severe effects for months and years, memory loss among them.

You can find all these events in Driving Without a License, but Joseph has made them into arresting creations. In its sometimes headlong, always exciting lines, the poet, her friends and her family (known by initials  S., J. and so on) pretend, evade and hesitate their way through the stages (dating, driving, leaving home) that are supposed to govern American lives.

In Always Hiding she pretends to own  as American teens are supposed to own  a car: say my car is parked/ over there,/ behind the dumpster,/ where the tree is/ in the way. The next poem communicates fears about immigration enforcement, filtered through childrens gossip: I hear they raid when youre naked/ In bed Packed like a sardine.

She discovered poetry in high school through Sylvia Plath  her muscular language reminds me of Tagalog, Joseph says when we correspond by email. Her parents had split up and her mother disappeared; she later turned up in the Philippines, mentally ill. Because she, too, had overstayed her visa, she isnt able ... to visit us when she gets better, Joseph explains. I havent seen my mother in over twenty years.

Josephs poem Liquor Lot honors but undermines conventional teen concerns about fitting in: If youre underage, shes asked  while holding up my wallet/ with its empty slot  what good is it then  to be legal? Cast in clear, careful free verse, this poem and some others meet instructional goals: They show how it felt to be someone like Joseph and what undocumented girls, in particular, can go through.

Yet they are fictions based on her story, not documents: Theyre too careful, too ironic, too self-aware for that. Facts, the poet says, are what I included in my immigration paperwork.

Poems are something else. They are inventions, and Driving is nothing if not inventive, the more so as it moves its young protagonist forward into adult life. A set of linked sonnets applies, to the interviews and legal tests that precede legal residency, the forms and tricks traditionally reserved for romantic love: It is just an inspection./ There is nothing you need to know by heart. Wreck, about her concussion, is a ghazal, the Persian and Urdu poetic form in which many lines end the same way: Janine, your head might have hit something in the car. Come to/ and quickly. Opening your eyes might take hours. Janine, come to. The struggle to see life clearly, to isolate telling moments, gets stranger still when remembering anything has become a chore, when its work to retrieve the same idea (like the word at the lines end) again and again.

Yet the book itself is no chore: It stands far apart from most first books, and from most books of autobiographical or narrative poetry, for the unpredictable vigor in its rhythmically irregular lines, especially in its depictions of youthful adventures. The poet takes us along with her, her friends, her boyfriend, Junkyarding Through the Great Moreno Valley or packed and map-marked outta Ocotillo Wells: When their car breaks down in the desert, you tore the straps/ from my work apron to make a stopgap belt/ that spun the engine on fire  And no search party for me  I started pushing. Their suddenly life-threatening situation  stuck in the desert with a car on fire  echoes those faced by the desperate people who trudge, each day, across a nations border.

Another poem dominated by automobiles, called Where Theres Smoke, imagines Josephs life as a road trip, a sudden switchback of borders; theres no destination, no linear plot, just remembered desire  I was interested in it and doing what with it,/ I didnt know, but wanted it, and wanted it/ fast. Other poets with rich life stories lay everything out right away; Joseph speeds and skips around instead. She has lived in five states and four time zones: This year shell leave Utah to teach at Oklahoma State University. Yet her book keeps coming back to Southern California. Roads, highways, commutes, the myth of the open road and the technical language of auto repair pop up throughout: I dated someone who was a car aficionado, she recalls, but I would have drifted from car culture entirely had I not been involved in a car accident.  Now the cars will always be there.

Her changing legal status shaped parts of her work. I was a poet in hiding and as a result wrote poems with a speaker always in hiding, she says of the poems written before 2006, when she became a legal permanent resident. She also felt distant from other Filipina American writers who could be open about their immigrant backgrounds: Being undocumented made it so I found reading those literatures frustrating and isolating. I certainly dont feel that way now. A poem called Ayala Alabang, Philippines (the title names a barangay, or district, south of Manila) portrays a literal tornado of childhood memory: Was it night when it rained mudfish,/ bangus and tilapia  and did all that fish dart down like flint? Another poem recalls the broad comedy of a child raised on coconut juice, mango juice and water, one who appeared in Filipino ads for cheese, coming to America and gorging herself on the mild, oh god the grade A,/ vitamin D milk. No one knew what it was doing to me. Her newest poems, though rarely straightforward, have opened up.

If you come to Driving Without a License for immigrant stories, family stories, childhood stories, Filipina stories and coming-of-age stories, you will find them, transformed by a fast-forward imagination. Theres quite a bit of my life in that book, Joseph confirms, but  I dont even think of the speaker  as being me.

If you want to see formal variety or syntactic verve, youll find them too, at almost every imaginable speed. If you want acerbic commentary on the American immigration apparatus, on a culture that says she belongs and yet doesnt belong, youll find that too: If Joseph ever has a child, she quips, my child/ will be called an anchor/ with hands at its throat. (The brutality of the mixed metaphor helps make her point.) Youll also find lighter language play and even puns: Extended Stay America. (Filipinas love puns, Joseph says). But youll find rare intelligence about what its like to tell just part of your story, to know that no life can be wholly explained or revealed, that something of her story  of anyones story  will always remain to be told.

Burts books include Belmont (poems) and Close Calls with Nonsense; Belknap Press will publish The Poem Is You: Sixty Contemporary American Poems and How to Read Them this fall.
American Apparel is soliciting ideas through a crowdsourcing campaign for products that are made in the U.S.

The Los Angeles-based company, which recently announced that it might start outsourcing some manufacturing to another U.S. clothing maker, is asking vendors to submit proposals for U.S.-made goods that would retail for $100 or less. The company said it wants ideas for certain types of goods, including footwear, jewelry and leather products.

Vendors must submit their ideas via a 90-second video, American Apparel said in a statement Wednesday. All proposals are due by June 17. Vendors must be able to make and deliver 500 items to American Apparels distribution center within a 30-day period.

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American Apparel will review each submission, with an eye toward what resonates with the spirit and DNA of American Apparel, the statement said.

Theres no guarantee that any of the ideas will ultimately be sold by American Apparel. The company said it will contact the selected vendors to discuss the terms for a future business relationship.

On Thursday, six different vendors had submitted ideas, including a bow-tie maker based in Brooklyn, N.Y., and a Venice company that makes scarves. The public is invited to vote on each submissions originality, style and creativity.

Kate Thorson, whose jewelry line Uma K is produced in downtown Los Angeles, said working with American Apparel would be a chance to reach more customers. If selected, the Laurel Canyon resident said shed like to create a collection of brass rings to be sold by American Apparel.

Its a wonderful opportunity for me as a young brand to reach a younger demographic, Thorson said. People can be introduced to Uma K at a lower price point.

Mitch Cahn, president of Unionwear in Newark, N.J., said American Apparel and similarly sized companies are a good fit for his firm. Founded in 1992, Unionwear makes hats, bags and other accessories for retailers, designers and other customers. Cahn said the company employs about 150 factory workers.

We have a number of customers that have two to 500 stores, he said. It makes sense for a company of that size to buy domestically. Thats where our bread and butter is.

Cahn said orders usually surge in a presidential election year such as 2016, when media scrutiny tends to bring more awareness of American-made goods. He said Unionwear often gets a 50% sales boost during such years; the company has already churned out items including hats and bags for Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump (and anti-Trump groups as well).

We see this cycle every four years, he said. There is way more attention to made-in-USA merchandise, whether it has to do with political campaigns or not.

For American Apparel, its Made In campaign comes on the heels of its decision last month to lay off about 500 workers, and the announcement of its possible plans to outsource some garments.

Experts said American Apparel may eventually move all its manufacturing out of Los Angeles and to a part of the country, such as the South, where production costs are less. Californias recently enacted minimum wage of $15 an hour will put pressure on the company as well as other clothing manufacturers, analysts said.

The company reiterated Wednesday that it is committed to American manufacturing.

We want to continue to support manufacturing in the U.S. by giving small businesses the opportunity to thrive and succeed, said Cynthia Erland, senior vice president of marketing.

American Apparel has faced a period of turmoil following the ouster of founder Dov Charney as chief executive and chairman in 2014. In February, the company was taken private after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

shan.li@latimes.com

Twitter: @ByShanLi
Contracts that prevent consumers from filing class-action lawsuits against banks could soon be illegal under new rules to be proposed Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The centerpiece of the proposal  more than a year in the making and fiercely opposed by the finance industry  would prevent banks, credit card companies and other financial-service firms from including class-action bans within contracts that consumers sign when they open accounts.

Those bans have become a common part of contract language that also requires consumers to go to private arbitration rather than to court to settle disputes with banks and other companies. The proposed rules could end up also discouraging banks from including those arbitration clauses in their contracts.

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Although industry groups argue consumers are better served by arbitration than by class-action lawsuits that can pay individual account holders little, consumer advocates and consumer bureau Director Richard Cordray say class-action bans prevent consumers from keeping banks accountable.

Signing up for a credit card or opening a bank account can often mean signing away your right to take the company to court if things go wrong, Cordray said in a statement, calling the practice a contract gotcha that effectively denies groups of consumers the right to seek justice and relief for wrongdoing.

The rules, an initial draft of which were first disclosed in October, are being released before a public hearing in Albuquerque.

The bureau is asking for public comments on the rules, which could take effect in about a year, though banks and industry groups will probably try to block the rules in court.

The bureaus proposal would not specifically ban arbitration clauses, which have become common in consumer contracts. Rather, it would prevent those arbitration clauses from including language that bans consumers from joining class-action cases.

Such bans are common, and theyve become more widely enforced after a 2011 Supreme Court ruling that said federal law requires state courts to honor bans, even if state laws prohibit them.

Arbitration clauses and related class-action bans have since become a hot topic among consumer advocates, who argue consumers are prevented from joining together to take on big companies in lawsuits that can result in millions of dollars in damages  payouts large enough to prompt changes in practices harmful to consumers.

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For instance, a Santa Barbara attorney last year filed a class-action case against Wells Fargo on behalf of customers who say the bank created fake accounts in their names. But a federal judge ruled that arbitration clauses signed by customers prohibited the case from moving forward.

Alan Kaplinsky, a partner at the law firm Ballard Spahr who will testify at Thursdays hearing on the industrys behalf, acknowledged the main attraction of arbitration clauses was that they prevented class actions and their potentially multimillion-dollar judgments.

What made arbitration clauses attractive was their impact on class-action litigation, he said. Most banks and companies using it now will conclude its no longer worth it.

That will mean, he said, consumers have no option but to take banks to court if they believe theyve been wronged. And in court, Kaplinsky said, consumers can easily be outgunned.

Companies, in general, believe they have an advantage over consumers in court, he said. If a consumer wants to go to court, they have to take time out from work. Cases last longer [than in arbitration]. Thats good. Companies like to drag things out.

Travis Norton, executive director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerces Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness, called the proposed rules a backdoor ban on arbitration clauses, which he said can provide individual consumers the chance for more financial relief than a class-action suit.

Thaddeus King, an officer with the nonprofit Pew Charitable Trusts consumer banking project, said its probably true that banks will ditch arbitration clauses if the CFPBs rules take effect. But he said consumers will probably be just fine.

That wouldnt mean a consumer and a bank cant go to arbitration. Theyre always free to choose that option, he said, noting that some banks and credit unions without arbitration clauses still resolve consumer disputes through arbitration.

King added that some consumers who might have preferred arbitration could be forced into court instead and might opt against the hassle and expense of filing a case. But he said more consumers will be helped by being able to participate in class-action cases.

Class actions allow many consumers, all with relatively small claims, to band together and file cases that it would otherwise make no sense to pursue.

Mark Greenstone, a partner at L.A. class-action law firm Glancy Prongay & Murray, said that if a bank charged an illegal fee of $10 a month, no individual consumer would hire a lawyer to sue the bank  nor would any lawyer handle the case.

The consumers cost of hiring an attorney and litigating that is going to quickly exceed the value of the claim, he said. Only a zealot doing it for a moral purpose would do that.

But if the bank has charged the same fee to hundreds or thousands of consumers, a class action can make sense.

Class actions are able to be brought by large numbers of consumers who have been harmed a very small amount individually, King said.

Kaplinsky said in cases where bank practices cause small amounts of harm to many consumers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, federal prosecutors and state regulators should intervene rather than letting class-action cases set the agenda.

Thats where the CFPB and the government steps in. Theyre very good at dealing with that kind of wrongdoing, he said.

james.koren@latimes.com

Twitter: @jrkoren

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At least three patients died last year at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena in an outbreak suspected to have been caused by tainted medical scopes, according to a newly discovered regulatory report.

Huntington hospital officials had confirmed in August that three patients were sickened the previous month but declined to say more about their condition. They later told Olympus Corp., the scopes manufacturer, of the deaths, according to the companys report to federal regulators.

Hospital officials said this week that they believed patient privacy laws prevented them from telling the public that the unnamed patients had died.

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In an earlier similar outbreak at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, officials confirmed that patients had died.

What were those three families told? asked Lawrence Muscarella, a medical safety expert who discovered the Pasadena outbreak in a report in a Food and Drug Administration database. The new norm for hospitals appears to be silence.

The FDA removes the names of hospitals from those injury reports, but Olympus said in the filing that it had contacted the hospital after a news report on Aug. 19  the same day the Los Angeles Times published a story reporting that patients had been sickened after scope procedures at Huntington. The hospital then told the company that the patients had died.

Muscarella said that hospitals have an ethical obligation to tell the public when patients die in an outbreak.

It is still not clear how many patients may have been infected during the outbreak at Huntington or if only three died. The hospital will not say how many patients may have been exposed to the dangerous bacteria.

The new report also shows that the reusable scope suspected of causing the outbreak had a different design from the one Olympus recalled in January. That means that far more patients across the country could have been exposed to dangerous bacteria through the hard-to-clean devices known as duodenoscopes.

Over the last two years, as the string of deadly outbreaks have continued, authorities have focused most of their attention on the device that has now been recalled.

 Animation breaking down the uses and problems associated with the Olympus duodenoscope.

The duodenoscope is a long snake-like tube with a tiny camera on the tip that is inserted into a patients throat and upper gastrointestinal tract. It is used to treat cancer, gallstones and other problems in the bile or pancreatic ducts.

Last month, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) released FDA data showing that as many as 350 patients at 41 medical facilities around the world had been infected or exposed to tainted duodenoscopes from January 2010 to the end of October 2015.

Peter Kaufman, a Los Angeles lawyer, filed lawsuits on behalf of three patients treated with the scopes at Huntington. Two of those patient died, he said, including 69-year-old Azniv Tavidaghian of Pasadena.

It is not clear if those patients are among the three in Olympus report.

Tavidaghian, who was suffering from cancer, had been treated twice with an Olympus scope before she died Aug. 11.

Kaufman said that doctors had told the Tavidaghian family that they were trying to determine why Azniv had died and couldnt provide more information until the investigation was over.

Theyve told the families basically nothing, Kaufman said of the hospital.

Huntington officials alerted government health officials, including state regulators and the city of Pasadenas Public Health Department, soon after the patients were sickened.

An investigation into the suspected outbreak is still continuing, said William Boyer, a spokesman for the city.

We alerted the affected patients about a potential link, said Dr. Paula Verrette, Huntingtons chief medical officer, and have continued to be in contract with patients and families, as well as health officials.

In compliance with  privacy statutes, Verrette said, we feel it would be inappropriate to discuss patient health status or any patients passing publicly.

Both Huntington and Olympus said they dont comment on pending litigation.

Olympus report to the FDA said that the three patients had been diagnosed with septicemia  a serious bloodstream infection  after undergoing treatment with a duodenoscope in mid-July 2015.

All three patients tested positive for a similar drug-resistant bacteria called pseudomonas. The hospital told Olympus that health authorities would determine the patients cause of death.

In January, Olympus recalled one of its duodenoscopes  model TJF-Q180V  after independent experts said its design, with a closed internal channel, made it almost impossible to clean before use in the next patient.

The Olympus device suspected of sickening the Huntington patients was an older duodenoscope called the TJF-160F, used since 2002.

Two months ago, Olympus issued new instructions for cleaning the TJF-160F, which included extra steps for safety. The company took that action after the FDA said tests that Olympus performed didnt prove the devices could be cleaned properly.

Huntington hospital officials said they had followed the older cleaning guidelines that were in place when the infections occurred last summer.

Previous outbreaks included the one at UCLA, where three patients died and four more were sickened, as well as another at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, where four patients were infected. Both of those hospitals notified dozens more patients that they may have been exposed to scopes tainted with a lethal superbug.

Mark Miller, a spokesman for Olympus, said the company understands and shares the publics concern regarding reports of infections.

We remain committed to understanding the potential root causes, Miller said, and are partnering with authorities and other stakeholders to address the causes to continually enhance safeguards.

Follow me on Twitter @MelodyPetersen

melody.petersen@latimes.com

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Two miles apart in Palo Alto, workers from Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. are hustling to establish a role for their companies in a future where consumers dont own cars and the vehicles steer themselves.

On Thursday, it became ever more clear that the Michigan automakers and their West Coast outposts wont be going at it alone. Theyll be depending big time on software-developing neighbors in Silicon Valley and San Francisco.

Ford announced an $182.2-million investment in Pivotal Software Inc., a San Francisco company whose programs are already used by the likes of Lockheed Martin and Allstate Corp., to quickly develop their own computer applications.

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Expanding our business to be both an auto and mobility company requires leading-edge software expertise, Ford Chief Executive Mark Fields said in a statement.

And officials at General Motors and ride-hailing app Lyft Inc. said they had made significant progress toward developing self-driving Chevrolet Volt cabs for use at the automakers Warren, Mich., campus by the end of the year. That could put Lyft on a faster course than larger rival Uber Technologies Inc., which hopes to bring self-driving cars to passengers by 2020.

The internal test would be a major step before Lyft, which received a $500-million investment from General Motors in January, offers self-driving cabs to everyday passengers on public roads. The public testing could come within a year and involve the upcoming, all-electric Chevrolet Bolt EV, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing an interview with a Lyft executive, Taggart Matthiesen.

Lyft and General Motors spokespeople said, in fact, no timetable has been set for introducing self-driving vehicles to the San Francisco start-ups customers. But the Bolt -- with its spacious backseat and tech-friendly interior that includes multiple USB ports -- is a strong candidate to become an automated cab, officials and analysts said.

We believe electrification blends perfectly with autonomy when it comes to technology integration, General Motors said in a statement.

The major investments Ford and General Motors are making in California technology are being fueled by surging profits. Ford and GM both recently reported that earnings doubled in this years first quarter compared with the same period in 2015, as cheap fuel prices led to soaring sales of trucks and sport utility vehicles in North America.

The spending is sorely needed, concerned analysts and shareholders have said. Many of them saw last year as peak for car-buying in America. The self-driving cars and ride apps could cut into consumer sales.

Theres also heightening competition from Tesla Motors, which recently began taking pre-orders for its most affordable vehicle yet from several Chinese automakers and potentially iPhone-maker Apple Inc. Automakers traditional rivals worldwide are making similar multi-million dollar technology investments in companies developing digital maps and apps for purchasing or renting cars.

Earlier this week, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said it would work with Alphabet Inc.'s Google division to develop 100 self-driving minivans. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said at an event Thursday that the deal allows his company to partner with others, too.

All the partnering up suggests traditional car companies are becoming more agile as the concept of commuting changes, said Jeremy Carlson, senior analyst at research firm IHS Automotive.

A lot of these companies, including Ford and GM, are playing around, trying their experiments and making sure they keep moving forward, he said. Its certainly interesting, but well see how agile they really are.

General Motors has been able to accelerate its development of self-driving technology since agreeing to purchase San Francisco start-up Cruise Automation for an estimated $1 billion in March. The deal hasnt closed, but the two companies are collaborating.

Cruise originally created technology to bring autopilot capabilities to conventional cars before shifting to fully autonomous driving technology. Its one of the few firms that has a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to test self-driving vehicles on public roads.

Those regulations still require a driver who can take control of the vehicle, and its unlikely any cars would be driver-less anytime before the 2020s because of safety concerns, technology consultant Rob Enderle said.

Were not at the point where we can take the driver all the way out of the car, he said.

The Lyft and Pivotal deals complement internal efforts, the automakers say.

For example, General Motors is testing a carpooling app among its employees in Shanghai. Its also trialing a car-sharing app similar to Zipcar for employees shuttling between its Detroit headquarters and its Warren office.

In March, Ford announced the creation of Ford Smart Mobility, a subsidiary focused on designing, building and investing in such things as connected vehicles and autonomous technology. At the time, Ford said the subsidiary would function as a start-up and would have operations in Palo Alto and Dearborn, Mich.

Ford and Pivotal previously partnered on FordPass, an app that enables drivers to book shared rides and reserve parking. Now, Ford Chief Information Officer Marcy Klevorn is to join Pivotals board of directors, and the two companies plan to open new software labs in strategic locations nationwide. A Ford spokeswoman said details would be released later.

Three-year-old Pivotal is picking up another $72 million from Microsoft Corp., General Electric, cloud computing and data company EMC Corp. and software company VMware.

Ford shares were down a penny, or 0.1%, to $13.32 in Thursdays trading in New York as General Motors shares fell a nickel, or 0.2%, to $30.54.

paresh.dave@latimes.com

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com
An influential pioneer of assemblage. Intimate portraits of fighting men. And a show that captures odd clay sculptures in paint. Plus: Flower paintings in time for Mothers Day and a pair of piano performances  one of which features an ax. Here are seven shows to see this week (and next):

Berman, American Aleph, at Kohn Gallery. This is the first comprehensive Los Angeles retrospective for the pioneering Southern California assemblage artist in roughly four decades. The artist, who was also the publisher of the influential arts and literary magazine Semina, had an international influence. The exhibition gathers works from the 1940s to his death in 1976, including numerous examples of his Verifax collages, photocopied and painted assemblages that play with the tropes of popular culture. This is one not to miss. Opens Friday and runs through June 25. 1227 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, kohngallery.com.

Salomon Huerta, at Christopher Grimes Gallery. A new series of works by the Los Angeles artist features his watercolor portraits of celebrated boxers, including Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano and Mike Tyson  an intimate look at the hyper-masculine figures of one of the worlds most brutal sports. Opens Saturday at 6 p.m. and runs through July 1. 916 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, cgrimes.com.

Two Pianos: An Evening of Piano-Based Compositions, at Blum & Poe. Tonight brings a pair of unusual piano performance to Los Angeles (and it promises to be waaaay better than any ridiculous Cinco de Mayo happy hour). Artist Jim Brown re-creates Raphael Montanez Ortizs Piano Destruction, a performance that ends with artist taking an ax to the instrument (the first time Montanez has allowed another artist to do the piece). This will be followed by artist-composer Tom Recchions Drishti Point, in which he creates sound by manipulating the strings without using the piano keys. Totally righteous. Tonight at 7; doors open at 6:30 p.m. 2727 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City, blumandpoe.com.

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John Kilduff, at Daniel Rolnik Gallery. Kilduff, known as Mr. Lets Paint for his wild painting performances on treadmills, has a new show opening at Daniel Rolnik that is part conceptual flower shop, part paean to vintage Americana. For the former, the artist is painting specially commissioned canvases of flowers for $100 a pop (just in time for Mothers Day) and in the area he calls The Cavern he is featuring works inspired by the show American Pickers, which includes renderings of bits of garage sale detritus, as well as a full-blown pinball machine crafted out of cardboard. Opens Saturday at 6 p.m. and runs through June 1. There will be a special performance by the Radioactive Chicken Heads and appearance by MQ Schmidt as the Michelin Man during the opening. 2675 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City, danielrolnikgallery.com.

43: From Ayotzinapa to Ferguson, at Self Help Graphics & Art. In partnership with the Social Public Art Resource Center (SPARC), the venerable Eastside print workshop and gallery is bringing together a panoply of L.A. artists  including David Botello, Sandy Rodriguez and Eye.One  to take on the issue of abuses of the state around the Americas. Through June 10. 1300 E. 1st St., Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, selfhelpgraphics.com.

Peter Opheim: Fables of the Eleven Rooms and Six Houses, at Zevitas Marcus. Opheim paints clay renderings of bulbous Venus of Willendorf-ish figurines that are charmingly grotesque. The show includes 11 paintings, as well as a series of sculptures made from the discarded clothing of friends and family members. Opens today and runs through June 25. An opening reception will be held Saturday at 5 p.m. 2754 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City, zevitasmarcus.com.

Callings Out of Context: Junglepussy and Dan Deacon, organized by the Broad museum. As part of its public programming initiatives, the Broad has teamed up with performer Ted Hearne and Pitchforks Brandon Stosuy to host a concert by bawdy-smart New York rapper Junglepussy and electronica master Dan Deacon. This sounds like its going to be a serious jam. May 12 at 8 p.m at the Teagram Ballroom. 1234 W. 7th St., Westlake, Los Angeles, thebroad.org.

FINAL WEEK

Donald Baechler, Lily Stockman, Mike Davis, at Gavlak Gallery. Gavlak is opening a trio of solo shows that feature Baechlers early paintings and collages, Stockmans biomorphic abstractions and a series of funny-wry watercolors by Davis that explore the topics that occupy his thoughts  namely, Picasso, artists and Kermit the Frog. Through Saturday. 1034 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, gavlakgallery.com.

Lawrence Weiner, Made to Be, at Regen Projects. Weiner is a leading conceptual artist whose work plays with language and the ideas and images that it conjures. In his ninth solo show at Regen, he once again works with the power of words to tease the viewer in wry and canny ways. Through Saturday. 6750 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, regenprojects.com.

Catherine Opie: 700 Nimes Road at MOCA Pacific Design Center. For six months in 2011, Los Angeles photographer Catherine Opie documented the Bel-Air estate of Elizabeth Taylor  the clothes, the photographs, the jewelry, the little bits of personal ephemera that make a house a home. Now she is showing the series, one that chronicles a life of wealth and fame, at the Museum of Contemporary Arts West Hollywood space. Through Sunday. Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, moca.org.

Wayne Koestenbaum, A Novel of Thank You and Other Paintings, at 356 Mission. Koestenbaum, a poet and cultural critic, is also a painter  known for vivid canvases that play with desire and bold patterns to electric effect. Through Sunday, 356 S. Mission Road, Boyle Heights, 356mission.com.

House Housing: An Untimely History of Architecture and Real Estate in Thirty-one Episodes, at the MAK Center. An ongoing research project by the Temple Hoyne Buell Center for the Study of American Architecture at Columbia University, this exhibition looks at the intersection of real estate development and architecture  from pre-fab apartment blocks to suburban gated communities. A timely show for Los Angeles as it furiously debates the future of development in the city. Through Sunday. Schindler House, 835 N. Kings Road, West Hollywood, makcenter.org.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

John Divola: Dents and Abrasions at Gallery Luisotti. This exhibition features a series of new works by Divola, who is known for capturing abandoned buildings and their environments in decidedly cool and unromantic ways. (No ruin porn here.) The pieces continue Divolas tradition of marking the buildings in some way  with spray paint or found paintings  and then capturing the entire scene in a photograph. Through May 14. An artists reception will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Building A2, Santa Monica, galleryluisotti.com.

Ed Ruscha, Editions, at Leslie Sacks Gallery. The show is a gathering of recent and vintage print editions  from 1982 to 2015  by the L.A. pop artist, including his inscrutable word-and-image pieces, which he has produced throughout his career, as well as his ghostly prints of ships from the 1980s. Through May 14. 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica, lesliesacks.com.

Noir: The Romance of Black in 19th Century French Drawings and Prints, at the Getty Museum. Figures in deep penumbra and sprightly creatures in dim settings. In the middle of Europes industrial revolution, some artists became intrigued by the non-color of the color black, creating prints and charcoal drawings that evoked the nocturnal, the dark and the deep recesses of the cosmos  not to mention the not-quite-real state of dreaming. Through May 15. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, getty.edu.

Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College, 1933-1957, at the Hammer Museum. Black Mountain College in North Carolina wasnt open very long, not even 20 years. But in its short lifetime it brought together bands of seminal artists, musicians, dancers and thinkers  John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Cy Twomby, Ruth Asawa, Robert Rauschenberg and countless others  as both teachers and students. Key to that dynamism was the presence of Josef and Anni Albers, a pair of Bauhaus artists who fled Germany to join Black Mountain in the late 1930s. This critically acclaimed exhibition, which first opened at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, shows the far-reaching effects a single institution can have. Through May 15. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood, hammer.ucla.edu.

Jasmin Sanchez, Flux, at the Grand Central Art Center. The Orange County-based Sanchez is taking over the walls of the art center with drawings that meld landscape with abstraction and mapping to produce images that feel just a little bit magical. Through May 15. 125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, grandcentralartcenter.com.

Daniel Joseph Martinez, If You Drink Hemlock, I Shall Drink It With You at Roberts & Tilton. A hallucinatory environmental installation by the L.A.-based artist takes on Jacques-Louis Davids seminal French revolutionary painting The Death of Marat as a point of inspiration. Martinezs mise en scene features the artist as the key figures in this famous murder, including Marat, and his killer Charlotte Cordray, among others. Through May 21. 5801 Washington Blvd., Culver City, robertsandtilton.com.

Linda Arreola: Architect of the Abstract, at the Vincent Price Art Museum. This one-woman exhibition looks at roughly a 10-year period in the work of this abstract Los Angeles artist. Arreola is known for creating taut, grid-like arrangements using bright blocks of color. Her work extends into the sculptural realm too. Through May 21. 1301 Cesar Chavez Ave., Monterey Park, vincentpriceartmuseum.org.

LA Rebels: Photographs by Janette Beckman, at Project Gallery. Beckman, who is known for photographing some of hip-hops most iconic figures (including Ice Cube and Dr. Dre), is showing two sets of works at this show. The first features her collaborations with artists, who often drew and painted over her photographs; the second is a series from the 80s that documents the El Hoyo Maravilla gang from East L.A. Through May 21. 961 Chung King Road, Chinatown, Los Angeles, projectgallery.com.

Deveron Richard, at Good Luck Gallery. Unicorns get groovy on light-up disco floors, polar bears rock lipstick and buxom birds wear rainbow dresses in the humorously electrified scenes imagined by this South Bay artist. Through May 21. 945 Chung King Road, Chinatown, Los Angeles, thegoodluckgallery.com.

Portraits and Autobiographies by Kim Abeles, at Post. The Los Angeles artist known for using smog  some of her works literally trap particulates onto their surfaces  takes a more inward view in this, her latest solo exhibition. The show includes self-portraits, photo-based works, research projects and sculptural works that often employ the body. Through May 21. 1206 Maple Ave., Los Angeles, postlosangeles.org.

PLAN, at the El Segundo Museum of Art. An exhibition organized by the Wende Museum and the El Segundo Museum of Art brings together works by disparate figures  from Camille Pissarro to Egon Schiele to Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid  exploring the idea of plans and planning. This includes references to five-year plans, a map for the projected Soviet invasion of West Berlin and other works that play with the idea of fate versus meticulous intention. Through May 22. 208 Main St., El Segundo, esmoa.org.

Abel Alejandre, Public Secrets, at Coagula Curatorial. The Wilmington-based artist, known for his hyper-detailed graphite drawings, is unveiling a new series of paintings at the gallery that contend with secrets  from the family sort to UFOs. All of this comes in advance of the opening of his public commission for the Westwood/Rancho Park Metro Station in May. Through May 22. 974 Chung King Roa., Chinatown, Los Angeles, coagulacuratorial.com.

Gerald Davis, House With Buried Figure, at Ltd. Los Angeles. The Los Angeles painter has his first solo exhibition at the gallery with a series of eight, large-scale expressionistic canvases that depict quivering house-like structures obscuring a human figure within. Through May 27. 7561 Sunset Blvd., No. 103, Hollywood, ltdlosangeles.com.

Ramiro Gomez, On Melrose, at Charlie James Gallery. In his third solo exhibition at the gallery, the Los Angeles artist, known for creating works that insert the often invisible laborers who makes luxury possible, is turning his sights to Melrose Avenue  creating a series of paintings that take on iconic sites such as the Paramount Studios and Fred Segal. Through May 28. 969 Chung King Rd., Chinatown, Los Angeles, cjamesgallery.com.

TRI(ed): Reivisiting TRI Gallery, at Wilding Cran Gallery. In 1992, artist Rory Devine established a gallery in his home at Hayworth Avenue in L.A., in which he showed one work by three artists in one room of the house. That evolved into a storefront in Hollywood that lasted for 4 1/2 years. Over its life, the gallery presented more than 30 exhibitions. This show gathers work by artists who showed in the space, including figures such as Mary Heilmann, Kathleen Johnson and Leonardo Bravo, Trudie Reiss and George Stoll. Through May 28. 939 S. Santa Fe Ave., downtown Los Angeles, wildingcran.com.

Margie Livingston: Holding It Together, at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles. Livingston doesnt make paintings; she makes paint objects  canvases wrapped in acrylic paint skin that she straps to her body, then drags through the citys streets. Part penance, part performance, these actions leave behind a work that is as much a wall hanging as it is evidence of something darkly destructive. Through May 28. 2685 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City, luisdejesus.com.

Lily Simonson, Midnight Sun, at CB1 Gallery. The painter known for her electric renditions of icy snowscapes is having her third exhibition at the gallery, showcasing work that was inspired by a recent trip to Antarctica with the National Science Foundation. Expect otherworldly vistas from both above and below the ice. Through May 29. 1923 S. Santa Fe Ave., downtown Los Angeles, cb1gallery.com.

Catherine Fairbanks, Two Chimneys, at Wilding Cran Gallery. A pair of chimney sculptures crafted out of geologic layers of papier-mache evoke the ruined domestic buildings throughout the West. But while they may call attention with their scale and their dexterous construction, dont miss the pair of abstractions, on a rear wall, exquisitely woven together from different shades of horse hair. Through May 28. 939 S. Santa Fe Ave., downtown Los Angeles, wildingcran.com.

Delicious Taste, Re-Corded History, at C. Nichols Project. The duo of Grant Levy-Doolittle and Bruce Yonemoto, known as Delicious Taste, has created an installation that takes on the ephemera of our digital lives and marries it to pre-Columbian tradition. Phones, monitors and surveillance cameras are connected by a vast array of knotty wires that evoke ancient Andean quipus, the knotted strings that served as record-keeping devices. Through May 28. 12613 Venice Blvd., Mar Vista, cnicholsproject.com.

Amy Park, Ed Ruschas Every Building on the Sunset Strip at Kopeikin Gallery. Park takes Ruschas iconic 1966 photo book, which documented every building on West Hollywoods Sunset Strip, and re-creates it as a series of watercolor paintings  a 97-foot immersive environment that wraps the gallery and therefore the viewer. Its a new way of seeing a familiar Los Angeles work. Through June 4. 2766 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City, kopeikingallery.com.

Joan Snyder, Womansong, at Parrasch-Heijnen. The prominent abstract painter is having her first solo exhibition in Los Angeles at this new Boyle Heights space. This will include seven new canvases that explore aspects of landscape and the female figure, as well as one of the early stroke paintings for which she is well known. These are canvases composed of bold strokes of paint on gridded backgrounds  works that ride the divide between abstraction and conceptualism. Through June 10. 1326 S. Boyle Ave., Los Angeles, parrasch-heijnen.com.

A Shape That Stands Up, at Art + Practice. A group show that treads the line between abstraction and figuration features works by Amy Sillman, Henry Taylor, Sadie Benning and a host of other interesting names. Through June 18. 4339 Leimert Blvd., Leimert Park, Los Angeles, artandpractice.org.

Morgan Fisher and Karina Nimmerfall, Past Future Housing, at the MAK Center. This exhibition brings together two artists  one German, one from Los Angeles  who look at the question of mass-produced housing in the United States. This includes the creation of a fictional prototype for a new utopian city inspired by historic development plans for Los Angeles. Through June 25. Mackey Garage Top, 1137 S. Cochran Ave., Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, makcenter.org.

Ed Moses, Moses@90, at William Turner Gallery. To celebrate the prominent L.A. painters 90th birthday, this survey exhibition gathers works from throughout his career. This includes drawings from the 1950s to the 1970s, his more gestural paintings from the 1990s, as well as a slew of recent works. Through June 25. Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., E-1, Santa Monica, williamturnergallery.com.

Making Waves: Japanese American Photography, 1920-1940, at the Japanese American National Museum. In the early 20th century, groups of Japanese American photographers all along the Pacific coastline launched photography clubs, through which they published and exhibited their work. Their striking imagery  ranging from abstract compositions to scenes of everyday life  drew the attention of artists such as Edward Weston and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. Unfortunately, much of their work was destroyed or lost when Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps by the U.S. government during World War II. But examples remain and JANM has gathered more than 100 of these prints for a show that explores the history and legacy of the clubs. Through June 26. 100 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles, janm.org

Popol Vuh: Watercolors of Diego Rivera, at the Bowers Museum. The Popol Vuh is a nearly 500-year-old Mayan text, written in Quiche, that recounts that cultures creation myths. This sacred text inspired a series of watercolors by Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, an artist who was preoccupied with indigenous themes. Now 17 of these paintings, on loan from a museum in Mexico, are on view at the Bowers. Through May 29. 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, bowers.org

Marilyn Minter: Pretty/Dirty, at the Orange County Museum of Art. The New York-based painter and photographer has long played with the tropes of feminine beauty in works that seamlessly stir the alluring with the mildly grotesque. Through July 10. 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach, ocma.net

Alex Israel, at the Huntington. In 2012, the San Marino library and museum unveiled the first of its contemporary interventions with low-key works by Ricky Swallow and Lesley Vance. Now the museum is getting bolder, with a series of installations by painter Alex Israel, whose pop-inspired canvases and objects touch on topics such as celebrity, glamour and power. Through July 11. 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, huntington.org

Jose Montoya, Abundant Harvest: Works on Paper / Works on Life, at the Fowler Museum. Throughout his life, activist, poet and painter Jose Montoya drew  on whatever was at hand: napkins, hotel stationery and notebooks. And in those drawings he recorded the quotidian aspects of Mexican American life in the United States: dogs and children, women and sailors, pachucos and pachucas, the architecture of low-lying Central Valley neighborhoods, industrial warehouses and agricultural settings, as well as the glamorous profile of lowrider cars. It is the first comprehensive look at this vital Chicano artists drawing practice. Through July 17. UCLA, 308 Charles E. Young Drive North, Westwood, fowler.ucla.edu.

Robert Mapplethorpe, The Perfect Medium, at the L.A. County Museum of Art and the Getty Museum. A two-part exhibition spread over a pair of L.A. museums explores the photographic legacy of an artist who brought as much grace to images of flowers as he did to S&M. The LACMA portion features early drawings, collages, sculptures, Polaroids, still lifes and archival material. The Getty will present his more formal portraits, along with the infamous X Portfolio, with its elegant S&M imagery. The LACMA runs through July 31. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, lacma.org. The Getty exhibit also runs through July 31. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles, getty.edu.

Sam Maloof Woodworker: Life/Art/Legacy, at the Maloof Foundation. The foundation is celebrating the centennial of the birth of the renowned Southern California woodworker, whose elegant objects and furnishings are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the L.A. County Museum of Art and the Smithsonian. The exhibition will feature more than 60 objects from throughout the artists life, including furnishings, drawings, photographs and other ephemera. The show is part of a years worth of events that will celebrate Maloofs life and work. Through Aug. 27. 5131 Carnelian St., Alta Loma, malooffoundation.org

In Focus: Electric! at the Getty Museum. Electricity: It powers your home, it powers your work and it powers the phone on which you are likely reading this post. This photographic exhibition at the Getty gathers historic images that showcase the allure of light and power. Through Aug. 28. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles, getty.edu.

Art of the Austronesians: The Legacy of Indo-Pacific Voyaging, at Fowler Museum. A look at the legacy of Austronesian-speaking peoples gathers art and artifacts from the Philippines, Indonesia and other points in the South Pacific. This includes nearly 200 works, from wood sculptures to ceremonial textiles to canoe prow ornaments. Through Aug. 28. 308 Charles E. Young Drive N., Westwood, fowler.ucla.edu.

Duchamp to Pop, at the Norton Simon Museum. Drawing mostly from the Norton Simons permanent collection, this exhibition looks at the influence Duchamp likely had on generations of artists, from assemblagists to pop painters  figures who have appropriated elements of the everyday world and transformed them into art. Through Aug. 29. 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, nortonsimon.org.

Revolution in the Making: Abstract Sculpture by Women, 1947-2016, at Hauser Wirth & Schimmel. The debut exhibition at the citys newest gallery tackles more than half a century of sculpture by women, featuring key works by important international figures (Louise Bourgeois, Lee Bontecou) and key California artists (Ruth Asawa, Clare Falkenstein). Pieces range from the ethereal (Lygia Papes golden threads) to downright hilarious (Lara Schnitgers lacy/cat/fur assemblage sculptures). Altogether, the show offers an alternative to the narrative of the macho man postwar painting scene that has so dominated the story of 20th century art. Through Sept. 4. 901 E. Third St., Los Angeles, hauserwirthschimmel.com.

Claire Falkenstein: Beyond Sculpture, at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. The 20th century California artist, whose name has is circulating once again after being included in the debut exhibition at Hauser Wirth & Schimmel, is now the subject of her own retrospective, tracking her entire career, from the 1930s to the 90s. (She passed away in 1997.) The artist, who worked in San Francisco and Los Angeles  as well as Paris  produced prints and murals, among other works, but she is best known for her sculpture: in particular, her often gritty assemblages made out of wire studded with chunks of glass. Through Sept. 11. 490 E. Union St., Pasadena, pmcaonline.org.

Hito Steyerl: Factory of the Sun, at the Museum of Contemporary Art. A video installation by the German artist takes the viewer into a dystopia where the movements of workers are harvested to create artificial sunshine. The piece, which debuted at the Venice Biennale in 2015, is a mash-up of contemporary communication, told as video game, news report documentary film and Internet video. Through Sept. 12. MOCA Grand Ave., 250 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, moca.org.

MOLAA at Twenty: 1996-2016, at the Museum of Latin American Art. The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach is celebrating two decades in existence with a show that draws from the museums permanent collection of more than 1,600 objects. These include works by renowned Modernists Joaquin Torres-Garcia and Wifredo Lam, Argentine conceptualist Leon Ferrari as well as contemporary figures such as Alexandre Arrechea and Patssi Valdez. Through Jan. 1. 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach, molaa.org.

Senses of Time: Video and Film-Based Works of Africa, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. For one of its long-term installations, the museum has gathered works of video or film by contemporary African artists that explore the body and the looping nature of time. This includes pieces by figures such as Yinka Shonibare, Sammy Baloji, Berni Searle, Moatax Nasr and Theo Eshetu. Through Jan. 2. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

Non Fiction at the Underground Museum. An emotionally charged exhibition curated by the late Noah Davis, in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles brings together works that explore issues of race and violence. This includes important works from MOCAs permanent collection by artists such as Robert Gober, Kara Walker, Henry Taylor and David Hammons. Through March 2017. 3508 W. Washington Blvd., Arlington Heights, Los Angeles, theunderground-museum.org.

Geographically Indeterminate Fantasies, hosted by Providence College Galleries. Dont worry if youre nowhere near Providence College in Rhode Island. A new digitally-minded exhibition by the art writing team at Art F City features more than two dozen works by artists who use animated GIFs to create work  from Brenna Murphys dizzying electronic architecture to Jacolby Satterwhites pulsing alternate universe. Its the sort of thing that will encourage you to spend quality time online (and away from awful Facebook). pcgalleries.providence.edu.

Islamic Art Now: Part 2 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Contemporary works from LACMAs permanent collection by 20 artists who live in or have roots in the Middle East look at questions of society, gender and identity. Runs indefinitely. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, lacma.org.

Find me on Twitter @cmonstah.
Comcast Corp. executives sought to calm nerves among employees at DreamWorks Animations headquarters Wednesday as the cable giant prepares to acquire the Glendale-based animation studio.

The deals announcement last week raised questions over the future of the animation studio founded and led by Jeffrey Katzenberg, who will step down as chief executive if the transaction closes.

Comcasts Universal Pictures already has a successful animation unit in Despicable Me producer Illumination Entertainment, which is known for making profitable toons while managing costs. Philadelphia-based Comcasts NBCUniversal last week said it would pay $3.8 billion for the company behind Shrek and Kung Fu Panda.

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At the staff meeting, NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke assured DreamWorks Animation employees that their firm would remain in Glendale creating movies to bolster Universals film business.

Are we going to continue making films here in Glendale? Of course we are  thats the whole point of what were doing, Burke said.

The purchase is about more than just the movies, though. Comcast is expected to funnel DreamWorks Animations robust library of characters into businesses such as consumer products and theme parks.

Burke sought to emphasize the benefits of joining the media conglomerate, including the promotional prowess DreamWorks Animation lacked as a stand-alone studio.

You are going to be part of the company that televises the Olympics, that has Jimmy Fallon, that has 22 cable channels, that has great theme parks around the world, Burke said.

Burke was joined at the staff meeting by Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and NBCUniversal Vice Chairman Ron Meyer.

Katzenberg, who has led DreamWorks Animation for more than two decades, took pains to explain to his employees why he chose to sell the studio with which his name has become virtually synonymous.

The 65-year-old Hollywood veteran had wanted to secure a future for the firm. DreamWorks Animation has launched multiple animated franchises but has struggled in recent years to consistently put out box-office hits.

What became incredibly clear to me very quickly is, the opportunity for this company for the next five years in their hands  with their resources, with their ambition  was just absolutely beyond anything I could achieve leading the company in that same time frame, Katzenberg said.

I owe this to you, he told the staff. I owe it to you because in their hands  your future is actually greater, and filled with more opportunity, than it is in mine. I really feel I owe you that.

DreamWorks Animation last year was forced to cut about 20% of its staff after a string of box-office flops.
In staging a lavish premiere screening of Netflixs first French-language series, executives arrived Wednesday in the countrys second-largest city with a long list of things for this show to accomplish.

Of course, they would like the show, Marseille, to be its latest buzzworthy hit. They also hope that spending millions of dollars on a French show will demonstrate to critics in this film-mad country that they came in peace, not to conquer and eviscerate its creative industry.

But more importantly, Netflix needs to demonstrate that its massive bet on creating original content for local markets is on track to be a winner. As more streaming services offer more content, Netflix believes its global scale and investment in new programming will keep it on top of an industry that seems to be evolving faster by the minute.

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No one has ever built a global production operation in this way, said Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings. We have to figure out how to do that. The Internet is the first global distribution channel. We can be sure well get some wrong. But we hope to get enough right so we can keep investing in more local content.

At the moment, Netflix has 30 original shows or films in various stages of production in countries around the world. Hastings and content chief Ted Sarandos, the man who runs the production business, believe they are already creating as much original programming as any of the largest traditional broadcasters in the world.

With Netflix having expanded to 190 countries late last year, the two men expect that slate of original programming to grow by many magnitudes so they can offer local programming to local viewers. Its a staggering pace of expansion for a company that was primarily in the business of delivering DVDs by mail a few years ago, and introduced its first series, House of Cards, in 2013.

The companys annual budget for such content is on track to grow from $5 billion last year to $6 billion in 2016. That has made investors nervous at times, wondering if and when this big gamble will pay off.

The gala premiere of Marseille on Wednesday and the release of the first season of eight episodes at midnight seem to encapsulate all the excitement and risks that flow from Netflixs ambitious content plans.

The new show arrives about 20 months after Netflixs launch in this country stoked national anxieties about whether it would undercut the carefully calibrated economic system that produces much of the TV and film.

There were some comments that this would be Armageddon for French media, Hastings said. And that turned out not to be true.

But amid the sometimes heated rhetoric in 2014, Neflix also announced that it had agreed to produce Marseille, a move that was part of emerging content, but also seen here as a kind of olive branch.

As Hastings and Sarandos discussed the show Wednesday, they sat in a restaurant on the seventh floor of the Sofitel Hotel that offered a jaw-dropping view of Marseilles Old Port. A cascade of white buildings climbed the surrounding hills leading out to the water, and the sun overhead seemed to bathe them in a bronze glow.

However, rather than being associated with art or architectural wonders, Marseille is more often synonymous in France as a foothold for the Mafia, corrupt politicians, drugs and gangs. Not so good for tourist brochures. But as it turns out, perfect fodder for an edgy series from a company that likes to take risks.

Marseille tells the story of a coke-snorting mayor, played by Gerard Depardieu, who may or may not be corrupt. The mayor is near the end of his career and is preparing to step down and hand power over to his chosen successor when things go sideways. There is violence, sex, manipulation and beautiful, luminescent panoramas of Marseille mixed with gritty slums.

Were very happy with it, Sarandos said. The reviews are quite positive. This is an example of very good storytelling.

Alas, that is only partly true. In France, the previews of the first two episodes have been widely savaged by reviewers, a sign of just how tricky it can be to target local tastes. One wonders how Netflix  did not anticipate its French ship going straight into the wall, wrote one reviewer for Telerama.fr. Le Monde, one of Frances largest newspapers, likened it to an industrial accident.

However, executives and producers said reviewers in Britain and Germany had offered praise for the series. And they noted that reviews of Netflix shows, such as the recent Fuller House, tend to not have much effect on viewing.

All the Europeans love it, said Marseille producer Pascal Breton, as he paused on the red carpet before the screening. Everyone except the Parisians. Its funny, no?

The screening was held inside the Palais du Pharo, set also on the waterfront and built by Napoleon III for his wife in the 19th century. On this night, it was illuminated by bright red lights matching Netflixs signature color.

As cast members ran the gauntlet of press, French journalists appeared perplexed that someone had filmed something outside of Paris. Again and again, they asked, Why Marseille?

Meanwhile, Marseilles real mayor darted from journalist to journalist, basking in the attention his city was receiving, though the series itself promises to not necessarily paint a flattering portrait of its namesake.

Sarandos said he hopes the show will drive tourists to Marseille and raise its international profile. And Hastings said he hopes the reach of its platform will persuade Frances creative industry that it is more opportunity than threat.

As the crowd gathered in the theater for the screening, Hastings stood at the front with a microphone. Behind him was a massive poster for Marseille beamed onto the screen.

Tonight, all eight episodes will be available around the world, he said. People in 190 countries will be able to binge watch the first season. It shows whats possible because the Internet is the first global medium the world has ever known. And it shows the kind of reach a show made right here can have.

OBrien is a special correspondent.
Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

The board earmarked $1.54 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the dredge, designed to keep channels open and supply sand to nourish eroding beaches up and down the York County coast and beyond.
As a child, Sebastian Stan occupied more countries than most people do houses. At the age of 8, he moved from his native Romania to Vienna, and then, four years later, to New York.

Now 33, Stan doesnt think all that dislocation was always healthy. But it may have given him a certain psychological edge in understanding characters who slip from one guise to another.

It was hard. Youre inhabiting different worlds, speaking different languages, Stan said in an interview recently. But it helped me in a way. When youre young you just want to fit in. And when youre older you realize that what it really did was make you OK with feeling different.

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Stan is decidedly a man caught between two worlds in Anthony and Joe Russos Captain America: Civil War. The new and well-reviewed superhero movie, which begins its U.S. run Thursday night after a massive opening overseas, has Stan revisiting his role as James Bucky Barnes, a.k.a The Winter Solider. As viewers of the erstwhile film named for him know (and the first Captain America before that), Barnes was a respected U.S. military man  and childhood friend of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans)  later brainwashed into working for the Soviets as a kind of human instrument of torture, before (possibly) remembering his roots and seeking redemption.

As viewers of the new film soon learn, Barnes will continue to evolve, as will the significance of his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character in Civil War becomes, owing to past actions, a key fillip in the tension between emerging rivals Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Rogers Captain America. He is, in a real sense, the pivot point around which all the action revolves.

As Stan eats a burger at a restaurant near his downtown Manhattan apartment on a recent Friday afternoon, he shows little of the prepossession of a man whose actions are about to viewed and scrutinized by hundreds of millions of people around the world.

His long hair hangs straight to his chin, a ballcap sits in his hand and his face wears the kind of stubble that is neither shadow nor beard. A pair of designer-casual shoes are the only hint of someone with a more upscale day job.

Stan recently moved to the neighborhood, and hes taking a breather from the kind of media siege that wasnt exactly standard for past roles on the likes of Gossip Girl, Once Upon a Time and several New York theater projects. In a few days he will appear on a morning show (GMA) for the first time and is about to embark on the type of circuit of late-night hosts (Stephen Colbert, James Corden) usually reserved for Super Bowl MVPs

It is a far cry from the actor who, on graduating from a theater program at New Jerseys Rutgers University, just wanted to stay busy.

I really wanted to work. And for a long time that was key  the hustle, he said. I was never really in fully in control of the jobs I had. And in a way it didnt matter.

Now, after being an ancillary part of the Marvel machine, he is set to become a central cog in it. And as with so many things for a man of a split past, he is of two minds about the idea.

Thoughtful with an earnest streak, the actor speaks enthusiastically of the comic book universe, invoking cinema history in a way that might enliven even the most superhero-fatigued  these movies are like the Star Wars or Back to the Future of our era. People will look back 20 or 30 years from now and say, Man, those were great movies. Its a stamp of this point in time we find ourselves in.

But Stan can also seem ambivalent about playing a personal part in helping a global capitalist wheel turn, offering a skepticism that would be refreshing to the general public if no doubt nerve-racking to his agents.

You get to a point where you say, Whats my life about besides flying around the world in first class? he said. You take stock and say, Maybe theres something more. He says hes yet to figure out what that is, but at the very least it means other, very different kind of roles, including character dramas that require physical transformations and more theater. A name that comes up often with Stan is Joaquin Phoenix, and one senses in him an admiration for the kind of devil-may-care shapeshifting the actor is known for.

Anthony Mackie, who plays the Falcon in the Captain America movies and came to be good friends with Stan on the Winter Soldier media tour, puts it simply: Celebrity is not something Sebastian considers to be a human emotion.

Of course, those ideals have a way of disappearing with the fame and riches of a summer blockbuster. To talk to Stan at the moment is to encounter someone whose own arc contains a comic book-level of uncertainty; there are few clues yet as to where hell fit in on the spectrum of glee to grudging that applies to dramatic actors in Marvel movies. Will he be Mark Ruffalo, say? Or Chris Hemsworth?

And how much will be seek to become as well-known a face as some of those who surround him in Civil War? Anonymity is nice, but without recognition, theres also not as many of the perks.

At the very least there is much to chew on with this role. Stan sees in the Winter Soldier character some timely lessons, as there are with many characters in the MCU. If Stark represents the fears and hopes of a technological future, and Spider-Man epitomizes a culture in a state of perpetual gangly youth, Bucky Barnes offers another paradigm.

Theres a lot to [Bucky] thats very real to our world, Stan said. This ambivalent place hes in. Should there be a government thats able to control things in a different way? Or is it about individuals and liberties?

The lack of any clear answer is encoded in Stans style of acting. Mackie notes of the performer that he has this innate ability to make people want to watch him. Its this charismatic quality thats hard to explain or teach.

He has the most difficult role, Mackie added. Most actors would play [Bucky] in a way that made you want to kill the guy by the end. And Sebastian puts you in a position where youre torn.

Joe Russo called Stans performance more complicated than any person in any Marvel movie because hes essentially playing three characters--Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, and now this third iteration.

Anthony Russo said that Stan brought a kind of physical nuance to his performance that made them confident in his increased role. He did things in Winter Soldier that blew us away, finding a way to put forth a complex character even though he didnt have many opportunities to speak, said the co-director, noting the actors on-set Method style that could have him being calm and a little aloof to maintain that intensity.

Stans ethic may come in part from his Romanian heritage. The actor speaks English fluently and without any trace of an accent, and hasnt been back to Romania in more than a decade (he doesnt have much family left there). But at least some of his go-getter attitude could be traced to his parents coming-of-age in a communist country. An only child, Stan said idealized notions of America were pressed upon him from an early age.

The things I learned from my parents, what was deeply ingrained in their generation, is this idea of opportunity and the freedom to have an opportunity. The way the United States was thought of is as a place you can have this chance to do anything, to say, This is my idea, and I get to offer it to you, and if you like it, I can profit from it. Its why they were so encouraging of me to act too, because they knew how much easier it was to do here.

Stan worked on many theater productions in high school before eventually making his way to Rutgers and the hustle for roles shortly after.

In one of those projects, a Broadway staging of Eric Bogosians play Talk Radio in 2007, Stan was part of a story about a local disc-jockey about to blow up big, and the complications that can follow. Stan feels like sometimes hes living out a version of that now.

I think it gets a little harder as you find more success, he said. As success happens, you have to figure out this question of What I am going to do next that stands out? Because then you get seen as this thing. Which is a part of you. But its not really you.

Twitter: @ZeitchikLAT

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The L.A, Film Festival will close with the U.S. premiere of Jonas Cuarons immigration thriller Desierto, starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

The festival will also host the world premiere of James Wans The Conjuring 2, starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as paranormal investigators, according to an announcement.

Desierto transforms the journey of a group of Mexican immigrants crossing the border into America into a chase thriller. The film was co-written by Cuaron and Mateo Garcia, and among the films producers is Cuarons father, Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuaron.

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Jonas Cuarons Desierto is a gripping thriller and a perfect way to close the LA Film Festival, Film Independent President Josh Welsh said in a statement. Cuaron again reveals himself as a powerful new director.

The festival also announced a series of master classes and conversations. On June 2, a conversation will be held with the filmmaking team behind The Birth of A Nation, including writer, director and star Nate Parker alongside actress Aja Naomi King and other members of the cast. The film tells the story of the 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner. It won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award when it premiered this year at the Sundance Film Festival.

The final episode of FXs The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story will be shown on June 7, followed by a conversation with writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski and actors Sarah Paulson, Sterling K. Brown and Courtney B. Vance.

Creed director Ryan Coogler will participate in a master class that focuses on the films soundtrack, along with sound designer Steve Boedekker. A separate class will feature Alex McDowell -- production designer of films such as Man of Steel and Fight Club -- discussing virtual reality.

The festival will also present its Glory to the Filmmaker award to cinematographer Maryse Alberti, who recently shot Cooglers Creed and the upcoming film Collateral Beauty starring Will Smith and Kate Winslett.

The LA Film Festival runs from June 1 to 9 at the Arclight Cinemas. For more information, go to lafilmfestival.com

Mark.Olsen@latimes.com

Follow on Twitter: @IndieFocus
Justin Simien is continuing the conversation as Netflix announced Thursday the production of a comedy series based on his celebrated indie film, Dear White People.

The film, a satire centered around the racial tensions at an Ivy League college, starred Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris), Tessa Thompson (Creed) and Teyonah Parris (Chi-Raq) and garnered Simien the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

During the films release, I had the pleasure to speak with hundreds of students and faculty across a variety of college campuses dealing with these very issues in real time. Im so grateful to have this platform -- not only to give a voice to those too often unheard in our culture, but to also tell great stories from new points of views, Simien said in a news release from Netflix. From day one, Lionsgate has been remarkably supportive of the vision for the show, and working with Netflix is every bit as harmonious as Id imagined it would be. Bringing this show to such a vibrant platform is an honor I dont take lightly.

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The series is the second original series Lionsgate has produced for Netflix, its first being the services staple series Orange is the New Black, which returns for its fourth season June 17.

Simien will write all 10 of the 30-minute episodes for the series, as well as direct the first installment. Production is set to begin later this year, with the series premiering in 2017.

Follow me on Twitter @midwestspitfire
When Krysten Ritter signed on as the titular character in Netflixs noir drama Marvels Jessica Jones, she was drawn to the idea of the series serving as a psychological character study.

Crashing into street signs would come later.

Deviating from the norm of most Marvel screen properties, the drama is CGI-deficient and relies almost entirely on practical effects and stunts. Jones primarily uses her powers, which include jumping high and being super-strong, when they are absolutely necessary.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour >>

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And in those moments when they are absolutely necessary, Ritter has her fun.

I had a lot of fun doing the stunts, Ritter said when she stopped by the Los Angeles Times studio earlier this week. The jumps were really fun.

 Krysten Ritter talks about how she feels about being a symbol of feminism on Netflixs Jessica Jones.

So was Ritters introduction to hanging from a wire to help with such scenes.

My first time, I swung into a street sign, Ritter said. I was like, this is my first experience on a wire! Once you get comfortable with it, its a blast. I love the wire. And I love throwing punches. The best is when someone else is on a wire, and you [punch] them, and they go real far."The 13-episode first season of the drama was released on Netflix last fall and was a critical favorite. It has been renewed for a second season -- though it will be a while before those episodes hit the streaming service.

VIDEO: Exclusive interviews with TV stars from your favorite shows

Production on a sophomore season has been held off to make time for the Avengers"-esque The Defenders, the miniseries that brings together the Marvel-Netflix heroes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

Check out the video below to hear what Ritter thinks about the timeline, how shes feeling about being part of a Marvel hero ensemble, and being a symbol of feminism through her character.

 Watch Krysten Ritter talk about her role as the trash-talking, tough-as-nails heroine at the center of Netflixs Jessica Jones.

Watch more exclusive video chats:

Jeremy Piven

Melissa McBride

Allison Janney and Anna Faris

Follow me on Twitter: @villarrealy
Fox is staying in the Seth MacFarlane business.

The network announced Wednesday that it has ordered 13 episodes of a new comedic drama created and executive produced by the Emmy-winning mind behind Family Guy and Ted.

But in a noteworthy twist, MacFarlane will also star in the as yet untitled, hourlong, live-action series, which is set 300 years in the future aboard the Orville, a not-so-top-of-the-line exploratory ship in Earths interstellar Fleet.

Seth has one of the most original voices -- in every sense of the word -- and weve been waiting for him to bring us a project as special as this one, said Fox Television chief executives Dana Walden and Gary Newman in a statement, describing the series as classic Seth -- fresh and funny, incredibly smart, wickedly subversive.

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The networks long-standing partnership with MacFarlane dates back to the premiere of Family Guy in 1999. The animated series is in its 13th season and has been renewed through the 2016-17 season.

MacFarlane has also been involved as a co-creator or executive producer on the animated series American Dad!, The Cleveland Show and Bordertown, and on the documentary Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, all for Fox.

The network currently plans to air the new series in the 2017-18 season.

Twitter: @MeredithBlake
Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) need a vacation  desperately  to ease the strain of their incredibly stressful lives.

For not only do they serve as KGB officers whose assignments could get them killed, theyre struggling to keep their arranged marriage intact, raise two teenagers, operate a travel agency and appear innocuous to a nosy FBI agent living next door.

Then there are the numerous murders this spy couple commits on behalf of the Soviet Union. Since Philip and Elizabeth arent sociopaths, their consciences are increasingly burdened by doubt and remorse.

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These tensions boil over in The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears, Episode 408 of The Americans on FX.

The episode begins with Philip bidding a sad goodbye to his other wife, fugitive FBI secretary Martha Hanson (Alison Wright). She committed treason for love, not political ideology, and now shes flying to Cuba and eventually Russia where a bleak future awaits.

Dont be alone, Martha tearfully implores Philip, unaware hes married to Elizabeth and living in the suburbs.

You, too, says Philip, who defied his KGB bosses by rushing Martha to a safe house when she was on the verge of arrest. By doing so, Philip partially atoned for wrecking Marthas life.

Elizabeth also loses a valuable asset. Shes Lisa (Karen Pittman), an aerospace worker receiving Soviet money to reveal military technology secrets.

Pressure overwhelms Lisa, who goes on a drinking binge after her husband, Maurice (Thaddeus Daniels), steals the KGB cash and runs off to Florida with his new girlfriend.

I need to make things right and you do too, Lisa tells Elizabeth, insisting they must surrender to authorities. If we go in there together, they will give us immunity.

Thats obviously a no-go for Elizabeth, who adds to her homicide tally by smashing Lisas skull.

Elizabeth tries to deal with her mounting anxiety by attending an EST self-actualization seminar, like Philip does. Shes somewhat impressed with the content but cynical about the steep cost.

They manipulate you to get at your wallet, Elizabeth says dismissively. I just think its very American, the whole thing.

Then she sparks a terrible fight with Philip by belittling his tender feelings for Martha.

At least shes alive, Elizabeth exclaims. You didnt have to send her out onto the street to get mowed down!

Thats a reference to one of Elizabeths early recruits, Gregory Thomas (Derek Luke), a civil rights activist shot by police.

Well, Philip retorts, Im sorry the man you loved died and youre stuck with me!

I am stuck with you because I took you back, Elizabeth yells, still blaming Philip for fathering a child with another woman and lying about it.

When KGB handler Gabriel (Frank Langella) meets with his overworked, sleep-deprived spies, hes stunned at the level of hostility.

Things have to change, Gabriel announces. Its been too much, too much for anyone. Accordingly, there wont be any new operations until tensions ease.

This will be the closest you two ever come to a vacation, Gabriel tells his surprised charges. Take as long as you need.

Enjoying a semblance of normalcy, Philip and Elizabeth watch TV with their kids, Paige (Holly Taylor) and Henry (Keidrich Sellati). Its April 1983 and magician David Copperfield makes the Statue of Liberty seem to vanish during a live broadcast.

Copperfields spectacular illusion is meant to dramatize how Americans often take their freedom for granted and how quickly that freedom can disappear.

Its a timely reminder for these Cold War spies, who are one botched operation away from spending the rest of their lives confined to prison cells.
Richard Florczak left his career as a celebrity chef (Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Garner are just a few of his former clients) to open a pizzeria in a mini-mall in the San Fernando Valley last year.

Why leave such a sweet Hollywood job for a shopping center in Reseda? Because he fell in love with making pizza after building a wood-fire oven in his backyard, and spent five years perfecting his pizza crust.

So he opened Flame Pizzeria, a small restaurant with year-round twinkling lights and a 700-degree pizza oven that serves as the only heat source in the restaurant.

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Florczak uses the oven to make meatball sliders, a puffy table bread, grilled lemon garlic chicken breast, his thousand-layer potatoes (more on that later) and, of course, pizza.

The Neapolitan-style pies are similar to what youll find at Pizzeria Mozza, Settebello and Olio  a paper-thin middle gives way to a thick outer crust with a nice char, chew and plenty of crisp bubbles.

And the topping list isnt as long as you might expect, with a curated selection of caramelized red onions, oven-roasted mushrooms and red peppers, fennel sausage, fresh garlic, soppressata and olives.

Florczak does potatoes just as well as he does pizza crust. Potato on a pizza isnt new  just ask anyone whos tried the egg, bacon, potato and onion pizza from Pizzeria Mozza. But on the Nana pizza at Flame, Florczak treats the potato like pieces of really good prosciutto.

The potatoes are slivered into ribbons, with the skins still on, making them both crispy, and chewy. The pizza is covered in the potato slices, along with caramelized red onion, flecks of dill and a drizzle of truffle oil.

The thousand-layer potatoes from Flame Pizzeria in Reseda. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )

Then there are the thousand-layer potatoes. Those same slivers of potato are stacked with cream, asiago cheese and garlic, then baked in that pizza oven to create a sort of potato gratin/lasagna on steroids.

All this in a shopping center next to a gun shop, a pet supply store and a Sees Candy.

19309 Vanowen St., Reseda, (818) 578-3888, www.flamepizza.la.

If you like extra cheese, follow me on Twitter & Instagram @Jenn_Harris_.

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Californias highest court is slated to hear arguments Thursday on whether Gov. Jerry Brown may ask voters in November to allow an early release from prison for some who were convicted of nonviolent crimes.

The California Supreme Court hearing, scheduled for 9 a.m. PDT, can be watched live on the courts website.

Browns proposal, unveiled in late January as part of a plan to reduce the prison population, was amended into an existing proposed initiative that dealt solely with juvenile justice.

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The California District Attorneys Assn., arguing that Browns proposals resulted in an entire rewrite of the original measure, persuaded a Sacramento judge in February to prevent the proposal from being circulated for voter signatures.

The California Supreme Court put a hold on the judges order a few days later and agreed to decide whether the measure could go on the November ballot. A decision is due within 90 days.

At issue is a 2014 California law that says a proposed ballot measure may be amended 35 days after being submitted as long as the changes are reasonably germane to the subject of the initiative.

Browns changes were added on the 35th day, five days after a public comment period ended, and prosecutors contended they gutted, rather than amended, the previous proposal.

Kent Scheidegger, legal director of the conservative Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, said the state high courts decision to allow signatures to be gathered before deciding the case was not a good sign for prosecutors.

Still, he said, the election law at the heart of the dispute is new and untested, and it is hard to predict how the Supreme Court will interpret it.

You are kind of at sea, he said.

Juvenile justice and criminal defense groups have urged the court to allow the measure to go forward.

The proposed initiative replaced one submitted in December by Hollywood director Scott Budnick and other advocates for juveniles. Budnick later praised Browns involvement.

The measure now being circulated would require a judge instead of a prosecutor to determine whether someone as young as 14 should be tried as an adult and allow for parole hearings after inmates complete their sentences for their base crime.

Depending on the governor and the parole board, some inmates could get years sliced off their sentences. Judges could continue to extend sentences for secondary offenses or the use of a gun or gang involvement, but those added years would have less effect for some offenders.

The official deadline for an initiative to qualify for the Nov. 8 ballot is June 30, but signatures must be submitted in the next few weeks to allow elections officials enough time to complete their work.

The timeline looks very, very tight, said Dan Newman, a political consultant working on the governors ballot measure campaign.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

So far, that effort has cost more than $2.8 million, with almost all that coming from Browns own political campaign funds.

As of last month, the campaign was paying circulators as much as $5 for each signature obtained.

Newman declined to say how many signatures have been collected, noting only that the campaign is in the home stretch and has supplemented its paid efforts with many volunteers.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan

john.myers@latimes.com

Twitter: @johnmyers

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San Francisco city leaders unanimously granted landmark status to a tall, slender pine tree that a San Francisco property owner wants to cut down but that neighbors rallied to save.

The vote Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors protects a Norfolk pine hybrid that stands in the backyard of a small parcel of private property. The trees age is in dispute, with proponents saying it was planted more than a century ago and others saying it dates to the 1940s.

The tree, which is estimated to be 85 feet to 100 feet tall, is not rare in California but not abundant in San Francisco, according to one tree expert.

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Neighbors and others have been trying to save the tree for a year, saying the pine is an important part of the streets landscape. A biology professor submitted testimony that the tall tree probably provides a resting spot for raptors and other birds making their way to Golden Gate Park.

The saga began last year when Dale Rogers, who bought the house in 2012, cut down three trees in his backyard  two palms and one of two pines  as part of a plan to redevelop his property.

Afraid that the owner would cut down the remaining pine, a couple living in the house in the backyard and another couple living nearby got a restraining order to stop its removal and began the process to get the tree landmarked, over the owners objections.

The Urban Forestry Council, which recommends landmark status to city leaders, declined to nominate the tree on a tied vote in October. But in March, the council granted landmark status after substantial public testimony.

I was very moved by the community concern for the tree, vice-chairwoman Carla Short said. Its a very striking tree; you can see it from lots of different places in the neighborhood.

Eighteen trees or groves of trees have landmark status in San Francisco, prized for their rarity or historic significance. Six are on private property, often in back or side yards.

They include an impressive Moreton Bay fig tree in the citys Mission District and a coast live oak in residential Noe Valley. A giant sequoia near the Castro District received landmark status over the owners objections, Short said.

Attorney Barri Bonapart, who represents the homeowner, said the tree is an ordinary pine that poses problems for the homes infrastructure. Granting it landmark status would be a severe infringement on private property rights, she said.

There is no question the ordinance has been misused and misapplied, Bonapart said. This is the wrong tree in the wrong place.

But Vanessa Ruotolo, a musician and neighbor who has been leading the landmark charge with her husband, said the tree and its visiting songbirds are what give the neighborhood its beauty and music.

Were thankful that the tree was given its due process, she said.

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The northbound 101 Freeway was briefly shut down on Wednesday night as Los Angeles police arrested two people in connection with a murder case, authorities said.

Officers detained two suspects in a black pickup truck about 6:20 p.m., LAPD Officer Matthew Ludwig said. They were stopped by officers about one block before the Woodman Avenue exit, Ludwid said.

At least one of the suspects was wanted in connection to a murder case, he added.

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Several lanes on the freeway were shut down, but shortly before 7 p.m. the road had reopened, California Highway Patrol Officer Michele Bond said.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno.

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A pregnant womans boyfriend was charged Thursday with fatally stabbing her 2-year-old daughter during a domestic dispute in South Los Angeles this week, prosecutors said.

Lataz Gray, 22, faces one count of murder in the death of Maliaya Tademy, with a special allegation that he used a knife, and two counts of attempted premeditated murder for allegedly stabbing his live-in girlfriend and unborn child, according to the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. Prosecutors requested that his bail be set at $4.5 million.

Grays father notified investigators about his son, who had gone to the hospital for treatment of cuts to his hands, said Det. David Garrido of the Los Angeles Police Departments Criminal Gang Homicide Division.

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Detectives said the stabbing occurred shortly before 10 p.m. Monday at the couples home in the 3500 block of Arlington Avenue. Gray and his 22-year-old girlfriend had been dating for about six months and moved into the home about a month ago, police said. Gray was not Maliayas father, detectives said.

Officers arriving at the home found Grays girlfriend and Maliaya inside with multiple stab wounds.

Both were taken to the hospital, where Maliaya was pronounced dead, police said. Grays girlfriend remains hospitalized. Her unborn child was not injured in the attack, detectives said.

According to court records, Gray, a known gang member, was convicted of second-degree robbery in 2011 and false imprisonment in 2014.

For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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The Los Angeles Fire Department is battling a brush fire in Pacoima, officials said Wednesday.

The fire broke out in a wooded area at 12100 Osborne Street near the Hansen Dam.

Officials initially said they were having trouble accessing the fire because of dense brush in the area. But they now say firefighters are getting the upper hand and that about eight acres have burned.

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The LAFD said no structures were immediately threatened.

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California has become the second state after Hawaii to increase the smoking age from 18 to 21. The law was passed in May and went into effect Thursday.

Backers of this campaign say raising the smoking age could make a major dent in what remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., with as many as 34,000 Californians dying each year.

Why do those three years matter so much?

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The group Tobacco Free Kids say those three years are critical in whether someone becomes a smoker.

National data show that 95% of adult smokers begin smoking before they turn 21, the group wrote. The ages of 18 to 21 are also a critical period when many smokers move from experimental smoking to regular, daily use. While less than half of adult smokers become daily smokers before age 18, four out of five do so before they turn 21.

Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >>

Other experts say raising the age would reduce peer pressure to smoke. For example, if older high school seniors are not allowed to smoke, it would make it harder for younger high school students to pick up the habit.

The likelihood of a 16- or 17-year-old having 21- or 22-year-old friends  it is less likely, Joshua Yang, a Cal State Fullerton associate professor of health science told the Orange County Register.

When Hawaii raised the age earlier this year, state heath officials said they expected the law to have a big impact.

In Hawaii, about one in four students in high school try their first cigarette each year, and one in three who get hooked will die prematurely, said Lola Irvin, administrator with the chronic disease prevention and health promotion division of the Hawaii Department of Health.

Do we know what kind of dent this could have?

A 2015 Institute of Medicine study estimated that increasing the tobacco purchase age to 21 would result in 200,000 fewer premature deaths for those born between 2000 and 2019.

Does the California law have any exceptions?

After some lawmakers objected that 18-year-olds can join the military but would be banned from smoking, Hernandez changed his bill to exempt people in active military service.

Will this hurt business?

New York City raised the age for buying tobacco products to 21 in 2013, with a big push from then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Some store owners objected to the law, saying it would bring a drop in business not just for cigarettes but other items.

Bloomberg rejected that criticism.

People always try to put things like selling cigarettes in the context of jobs and whether or not it helps or hurts stores, he said when signing the bill. I think that is just so outrageously misplaced. This is an issue of whether were going to kill people. This century a billion people will die from smoking around the world. And we dont want any of the people to die to be New Yorkers.

What are people saying about Californias action?

The package of bills was touted as the most expansive effort to control tobacco use in the state in more than a decade. The bills were backed by a coalition of medical groups including the American Heart Assn., American Lung Assn., American Cancer Society and California Medical Assn.

It is long past due for California to update our approach to tobacco, and with the governors signature on these life-saving bills, we have done just that, said Steven Larson, president of the CMA.

When the smoking age bill was introduced, spokesman David Sutton said the industry preferred that the issue be handled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has been studying the matter through the Institute of Medicine.

We believe states and localities should defer to this regulatory process and give the FDA, the IOM and others the time to review the science and evidence, before enacting different minimum age laws, Sutton said at the time.

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The California Supreme Court appeared inclined Thursday to clear the way for a November ballot measure allowing the early release of some prison inmates.

The case carries high stakes for the states criminal justice system and Gov. Jerry Browns political legacy. It will test Browns effort to grant parole to perhaps thousands of inmates serving time for nonviolent felonies.

But the crux of the legal fight is whether officials properly followed state election law. That law requires amendments to a ballot measure be reasonably germane to the purpose of the original measure.

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During a hearing, several justices of the state high court suggested that Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris had acted properly in allowing Brown to amend an initiative that had dealt solely with juvenile justice.

It seems pretty clear to me that the Legislature wanted to give great latitude to the proponents of any initiative, said Justice Carol A. Corrigan.

Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye observed that reasonably germane could be a broadly defined term.

It is hard to imagine an amendment to a proposal that would not be reasonably germane, she said.

Brown unveiled his plan in late January, too late to start the initiative process from the beginning and still qualify for the Nov. 8 statewide ballot.

Instead, his campaign team added the parole provisions to an existing proposed ballot measure on juvenile justice.

That the amendments were allowed at all was a result of a law signed by Brown in 2014 to revamp the ballot initiative process. That law also requires that proposed initiatives be posted for public comment for 30 days. At the end of that period, proponents then have five more days to make any final changes.

Browns amendments were made in the 35th day, after the public comment period had expired.

Justice Ming W. Chin expressed concern that the original proposed initiative would merely have amended existing laws, while Browns revision would amend the California Constitution, a change that would be much harder to reverse.

When you propose a constitutional amendment, it seems to me you would want the public to put in their two bits worth, Chin said.

But other justices said the Legislature clearly knew it was not providing for public comment on amendments when it passed the election law.

The overall design of the statute is to leave the proponents in the drivers seat, Justice Goodwin Liu said. The real public forum for this kind of thing is the signature-gathering process and, ultimately, the vote.

Browns proposal is intended to ensure Californias future compliance with a federal court mandate to reduce overcrowding in the states prisons.

His amendments would create a constitutional right to parole. Inmates whose primary conviction was nonviolent would be entitled to early release, provided they enroll in prison education programs or find other ways to earn enough good behavior credits.

Analysts say the changes would give prosecutors less power in negotiating plea bargains.

The California District Attorneys Assn. challenged the initiative in court and won the first legal battle in February.

Brown and Harris then appealed to the high court, and the governors campaign team was allowed to begin gathering voter signatures while the seven justices weighed the ultimate fate of the measure.

The initiative will qualify for the ballot if backers gather at least 585,407 voter signatures and have them certified before June 30.

Political watchers believe the final ruling in the case will send a strong signal about the practical impact of the 2014 law that changed the initiative process.

In the past, attorneys general have been given wide latitude to prepare ballot measures for signature gathering. Should Harris and Brown prevail, that role may include almost unilateral power to accept or reject last-minute changes.

Corrigan suggested that the court should defer to the judgment of the attorney general, unless it is beyond the realm of reason.

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An annual elk hunt held at Ft. Hunter Liggett in Central California has been canceled, state officials announced this week.

The U.S. Army training center has held hunts since 1996 but the area on the 165,000-acre facility where tule elk are generally hunted is being used for training this year.

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Prospective hunters have to apply for a permit. Over the past five years, non-military personnel have killed 80 elk.

Once endangered, there are about 4,300 tule elk in 22 isolated herds, according to state officials.

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Nearly 30 years after the first victim was found sprawled in a South Los Angeles alley, the man authorities believed was the Grim Sleeper serial killer was found guilty Thursday of murdering nine women and a teenage girl in a series of slayings that took decades to connect.

The verdict means that Lonnie David Franklin Jr., a former Los Angeles police garage attendant and city garbage collector, officially becomes one of Californias most prolific serial killers. The murder counts at his trial spanned from 1985 to 2007, with a gap of 14 years from 1988 that earned him his infamous nickname.

For families of the victims the jurys decision caps years of anguish over whether the killer would face justice, and bitter feelings that authorities didnt do enough in the early years to solve the murders.

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I cant even begin to explain. You wait so long and you dont think it will come. You knew in your heart it would be this, but its surreal, said Samara Herard, sister of Princess Berthomieux, who at age 15 was found strangled and beaten in 2002 in an Inglewood alley. She deserved to live a full life. Im here for her.

All the victims were young and black, some leading troubled lives during the chaotic 1980s in South L.A. Many of the women were left strewn along a corridor in the Manchester Square neighborhood, their partially dressed or naked bodies  some decomposing  found amid the filth and garbage of alleyways.

All had been discarded without identification, and each was initially labeled Jane Doe.

They suffered from the same frailties and the same imperfections that all humans do, and they had the same hopes and the same dreams for their futures that we all have, Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman told jurors during closing arguments in the trial.

None of them deserved to be brutally dumped like trash as if their lives had no meaning.

The killing of the women, some of whom were drug addicts or worked as prostitutes, failed to elicit the same alarm that put Los Angeles on high alert during rampages of other prolific serial killers in the Southland, such as the so-called Hillside Strangler or Richard Ramirez, who was dubbed the Nightstalker.

The deaths attributed to the Grim Sleeper in the mid- to late 80s coincided with a surge of homicides linked to the crack cocaine epidemic. In addition, several other serial killers were operating in the same area in those years. Michael Hughes was later convicted of killing seven women, Chester Turner of 14 women and a fetus. Both are on Californias death row.

But the Grim Sleeper proved to be the most persistent. His victims deaths would not be connected for decades, and police kept the slayings quiet despite suspicions that a serial killer was stalking young black women.

That decision led to outrage and condemnation from many who attribute Franklins longevity as a killer to police indifference.

After the verdict, Porter Alexander, his eyes bloodshot and filled with tears, said he has yet to understand how a man could be so cold-blooded.

He took my baby  it crippled me. But it didnt stop me. I got that from my daughter, he said. What goes around, came around. Now its his turn. Eye for an eye.

Franklins fate will be determined in the next phase of the trial when jurors hear evidence to help them decide whether he should be executed or sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Prosecutors are expected to present evidence that Franklin, 63, killed at least five more women for which he wasnt charged.

The courtroom audience remained mostly silent as the clerk read the 11 guilty verdicts, but with each one another section of spectators would erupt in tears.

The daughter of victim Henrietta Wright, her chin in the air, nodded slowly as the clerk read the guilty verdict in her mothers killing, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Franklin, 63, remained completely still except for his right foot bouncing quickly up and down. As the verdicts were recited, he stopped and remained still, his eyes fixed on the clerk as she read.

Before the verdict in the nearly three-month trial, Alexander and his wife Mary, whose daughter Alicia Alexander was killed in 1988, interlocked their fingers. Mary Alexander rocked with her eyes closed, tears dripping into her lap as she sat waiting. Porter Alexander clenched his other hand in a fist.

As they heard the verdict in their daughters killing, their hands clasped more tightly. Porter opened his fist.

Prosecutors argued that Franklin was connected to each of the 10 slain victims, as well as an 11th who survived, by DNA evidence, ballistics or both. Franklins DNA was found on seven victims.

A gun found in Franklins home was used to kill one woman, according to court testimony. Police criminalists testified that bullets from eight victims  seven whom were killed and the one who survived  were fired from another weapon that was never recovered. Franklins DNA was on the bodies of three of those women, according to testimony.

The evidence in this case is the voice of the victims who can no longer speak for themselves, Silverman said during the trial.

Franklin did not testify. The defense argued that other men could have committed the murders, pointing to DNA not belonging to Franklin that was found on some of the womens bodies, their clothes and the crime scenes.

In his closing argument, defense attorney Seymour Amster suggested that a relative or an associate of Franklins who called him uncle was responsible.

He seized on testimony by Enietra Washington, the woman believed to be the Grim Sleepers only known survivor, who told jurors that she was raped and shot by an assailant nearly 30 years ago. In court, she identified Franklin as her attacker.

Amster, who did not attend the reading of the verdict, pointed to one account Washington gave police in which she said she accepted a ride from a youngster in his 20s who told her he needed to make a stop at his uncles house to pick up some money. Washington testified that the house where he stopped was Franklins home on 81st Street. After the stop, she said, she was sexually assaulted and shot.

Amster said Washingtons description of her attacker did not match Franklin, who would have been 36 at the time.

It is our position that there is a nephew, or a youngster, who is involved and did each and every murder, the defense attorney told jurors. He did not name a possible suspect.

The prosecutor mocked the argument as a grand conspiracy theory, noting that Amster had waited to raise it until the last day of trial. Silverman pointed out that Washington told police that her attacker took photographs of her. Police later found a photograph of Washington in the wall of Franklins garage, Silverman told jurors.

Ballistics tests showed that Washington was shot by the same firearm used to kill seven victims in the case, the prosecutor argued. Franklin was also found guilty of attempted murder for the attack on Washington.

The victims, in the order they died, were: Debra Jackson, 29; Henrietta Wright, 35; Barbara Ware, 23; Bernita Sparks, 25; Mary Lowe, 26; Lachrica Jefferson, 22; Alicia Alexander; Berthomieux; Valerie McCorvey, 35; and Janecia Peters, 25.

The trial highlighted the difficulty authorities encountered in identifying the perpetrator until breakthroughs in DNA science helped detectives zero in on Franklin. Police began to connect the victims after the discovery of Peters, whose body was found in a garbage bag inside a dumpster in 2007. DNA taken from her crime scene matched evidence from two earlier slayings, prompting investigators to begin matching the DNA with killings from the 1980s and more recent deaths up to the early 2000s.

Investigators, however, did not know to whom the DNA belonged.

In 2008, officials checked DNA taken from state prisoners but didnt find a match.

A year later, then-state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown approved a new technique called a familial search that allowed officials to check whether a crime suspects DNA partly matched that of anyone in the states offender DNA database.

Another check produced a partial match to Franklins son, whose DNA had been taken when he was arrested in 2008 and charged with firearm and drug offenses.

Investigators focused their efforts on the elder Franklin and launched a surveillance operation.

Jurors were shown a video of an undercover LAPD detective posing as a busboy at a Buena Park pizza restaurant where Franklin was attending a childs birthday party in 2010. The detective could be seen retrieving a half-eaten slice of pizza, a fork, two napkins, two plastic cups and a piece of chocolate cake from Franklin.

The items were used to analyze his DNA  which matched genetic material found at some of the crime scenes and on the bodies of some of the women.

The next day, Franklin was arrested and authorities launched a search of his green house on 81st Street. There, investigators found inside a dresser drawer a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun. It was the same weapon, two criminalists testified, that was used to shoot Peters.

Times staff writer Joseph Serna contributed to this report.

For more news on the Grim Sleeper murder trial, follow @sjceasar on Twitter.

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A family is suing the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department for major injuries they said they suffered after a deputy aboard a helicopter fatally shot a wrong-way driver, who then crashed into their SUV on the 215 Freeway last year.

Attorneys representing Jose and Maria Villegas and their 13-year-old son, Aldo, said the family accumulated millions of dollars in hospital bills after they suffered broken bones and internal injuries as a result of the shooting. The couples son, who was born without a knee and used crutches to move around, is now confined to a bed because he cant use his arms after they were broken in the Sept. 18 crash, they say.

The San Bernardino County couple and their attorney say the sheriffs departments actions were reckless.

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There are situations where shooting in the air is appropriate, but not on a crowded freeway, said attorney V. James DeSimone, one of the lawyers representing the family.

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Sheriffs spokeswoman Cynthia Bauchman said the department has not been served with the lawsuit.

According to the sheriffs department, Nicholas Johnson, 32, of Fontana had committed a home invasion robbery on Sept. 17 in Devore. Deputies identified Johnson as a suspect and tried to the stop him in his beige Chevrolet Tahoe the next day.

But he continued driving and police followed him through Fontana and San Bernardino. As the wild pursuit reached speeds of 100 mph, Johnson nearly hit pedestrians and drove through red lights and stops signs.

He eventually sped onto the northbound 215 Freeway in the wrong direction, driving into oncoming traffic.

Meanwhile, a sheriffs helicopter was flying over the pursuit.

The sheriffs department said Johnson continued to jeopardize the safety of the public, so a deputy aboard the helicopter fired and struck his Tahoe several times.

Villegas attorneys said Deputy Paul Kowalski fired at least nine shots at Johnsons vehicle.

Johnson, who was struck by the gunfire, jumped out of the moving Tahoe and ran a few yards before collapsing along the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

But Johnsons Tahoe continued barreling forward and crashed head-on into the Villegas Dodge Durango.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

The couples sons arms were broken and he developed an infection, they say.

DeSimone, the Villegas attorney, said a family member is looking after the boy because the couple have their own medical complications and cant care for him. Aldo Villegas will require ongoing care and rehabilitation.

Jose and Maria Villegas also suffered broken bones and complication with their lungs, the lawyer said.

DeSimone said deputies created a guarantee of a dangerous situation.

A day after the crash, sheriffs spokeswoman Jodi Miller said the deputy made the decision to fire because the suspect had been threatening the safety of the public by traveling at a high rate of speed, running stop signs and red lights, narrowly missing pedestrians and traveling southbound on the northbound freeway.

Law enforcement experts have said such shootings are rare, but are justified in desperate situations.

If the officer reasonably perceives an immediate threat to the public, that justifies reasonable force, including deadly force, said Ed Obayashi, a deputy sheriff for Inyo County and special legal counsel to multiple law enforcement agencies.

For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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Kern County has agreed to pay $3.4 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit brought by the family of a day laborer who died after he was struck with batons, bitten by a police dog and hogtied as deputies sat on him, attorneys said Thursday.

The settlement comes nearly three years after the death of David Sal Silva, 33, who according to witnesses had been beaten by deputies on an East Bakersfield street.

It is a bittersweet end to a long journey to achieving justice, Neil Gehlawat, an attorney for Silvas family, said Thursday at a news conference in Bakersfield. Its bitter in that David is not here with us. He is not here to be a father to his children  but it sweet that we know that [the settlement] we have obtained in this case is going to go a long way to helping Davids children secure a brighter future.

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A makeshift memorial for David Sal Silva set up on an East Bakersfield street corner in 2013. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

Sheriff Donny Youngblood has defended his department and said that his departments investigation and coroners findings cleared them, as did county prosecutors and the U.S Department of Justice. He chastised the media for creating hysteria with its coverage.

On the night of May 7, 2013, Silva slept outdoors across from the Kern County Medical Center after he tried to get treatment for what his family described as depression. Shortly before midnight a deputy said he rubbed his knuckle on Silvas sternum to try to wake him. Worried that Silva might be on PCP, the deputy said he tried to handcuff him. When Silva tried to stand up, another deputy released a police dog on him.

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For the Record

7 p.m., May 7: An earlier version of this post said David Sal Silva died in 2014. Silva died in 2013.

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The 260-pound Silva struggled with the dog and grabbed its neck. The dog ended up biting one of the deputies. Silva was struck with batons and bitten 30 times by the dog before being hobbled and hogtied. A spit shield was placed on his head, according to court records.

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Silva vomited and stopped breathing at 12:44 a.m. on May 8. A number of witnesses stepped forward calling what happened a case of police brutality. Two people were detained until they turned over their cellphones with video recordings of the incident.

A Kern County coroners report declared Silvas death accidental, attributing it to hypertensive heart disease. A pathologist said Silvas condition was complicated by acute intoxication, chronic alcoholism, severe abdominal obesity, chronic hypertension and acute pulmonary-cardiovascular strain. His blood alcohol level was 0.095%, slightly above the legal driving limit, and he had small amounts of methamphetamine, amphetamine and the anti-anxiety drug Clonazepam in his system, the report said.

Thomas Seabaugh, another attorney for the Silva family, disputed that Silvas death was accidental.

He said it was not credible that Silva happened to die of natural causes moments after being beaten with batons, bitten in the face by a police dog and hogtied with deputies sitting on him. Seabaugh said his lawyers retained the former medical examiner for Ventura County, who determined that Silva died as a result of asphyxia because he was hogtied chest down with multiple deputies on his back for as long as 10 minutes.

This settlement represents for the Kern County Sheriffs Department a richly deserved black eye, he added.

Youngblood on Thursday said he did not favor a settlement and there was no wrongdoing by his deputies. Their actions were in policy and they were within the law, he said. The sheriff said the District Attorney brought in another pathologist who agreed with the Kern County pathologist. Youngblood blamed drug abuse as catalyst for the death.

I havent heard the Silva family talk one time that they wish their loved one hadnt been a meth addict, he said.

Gehlawat said $3 million of the settlement will go to four of Silvas children, his mother and brother, while another $220,000 will go to his girlfriend and $180,000 to his oldest child, who lives in Northern California.

For SoCal crime & investigations follow me on Twitter @lacrimes

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Los Angeles police investigators obtained a method to open the locked iPhone belonging to the slain wife of The Shield actor Michael Jace, according to court papers reviewed by The Times.

LAPD detectives found an alternative way to bypass the security features on the white iPhone 5S belonging to April Jace, whom the actor is accused of killing at their South L.A. home in 2014, according to a search warrant filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The bypass occurred earlier this year, during the same period that the FBI was demanding that Apple unlock the iPhone 5C of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. The FBI eventually said it found another method, without using Apple, for unlocking the phone, which was equipped with a newer and more advanced operating system than April Jaces phone.

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LAPD Det. Connie Zych wrote that on March 18, the department found a forensic cellphone expert who could override the locked iPhone function, according to the search warrant. The search warrant did not detail the method used by the LAPD to open the phone, nor did police reveal the identity of the cellphone expert.

Its unclear what operating system April Jaces phone had, although her killing occurred months before Apple rolled out the operating system iOS8, which has more enhanced encryption.

An Apple technician had previously helped the LAPD access information from April Jaces phone, but investigators later sought an alternative way to bypass the phones lock, according to the warrant.

Jaces attorney, Jason Sias, said in an email that police have not shared how they unlocked her phone. The prosecutor assigned to his case could not be reached for comment.

The LAPDs move comes as law enforcement across the U.S. struggle to crack the encryption and other security features on digital devices that may hide potential evidence in criminal investigations.

April Jaces iPhone has been at the center of the criminal case against her husband, who is charged with carrying out the May 19, 2014, killing, according to court papers.

Investigators have contended that the actor and his wife argued about their relationship via text message shortly before he opened fire, according to the search warrant.

His attorneys have countered that April Jace, a well-liked financial aid counselor at Biola University in La Mirada, was having an extramarital affair, the Associated Press reported. Earlier this year, a judge delayed the actors murder trial, after his defense attorneys argued that the dead womans phone should undergo a more exhaustive search than one initially conducted by police.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

Shortly after her killing, April Jaces cellphone was locked by a passcode, which hindered the investigation, Zych wrote. An Apple technician was ordered by an L.A. judge in June 2014 to help police extract data from the phones hard drive, according to the search warrant. The technician successfully extracted the data and met with detectives in February 2015, when the LAPD received the hard drive, the warrant stated.

In late January, an investigator with the L.A. County district attorneys office again tried to extract data from the phone but could not, and only obtained the contents of its SIM card. Zych wrote that the phone was disabled, according to the warrant. The following month, authorities tried to inspect April Jaces iPhone but it didnt even turn on, the warrant stated.

1 / 6 A March 2004 photo of actor Michael Jace and his wife, April. Jace has been arrested in the shooting death of his wife at their home in Hyde Park. (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images) 2 / 6 An investigation was underway at the Hyde Park home where actor Michael Jace was arrested in the shooting death of his wife, April. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 6 Reporters interview a next-door neighbor of actor Michael Jace. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 6 A camera operator takes exterior footage of the home of actor Michael Jace in the Hyde Park area of Los Angeles. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 6 Police tape blocks access to the scene in the Hyde Park area of Los Angeles where actor Michael Jace was arrested in the shooting death of his wife. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 6 Actors Michael Jace, left, and Michael Chiklis at an after-party for the fourth season screening premiere of FXs The Shield in March 2005. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

But in March, investigators learned that a forensic cellphone expert could override the security features and let authorities view the phones contents, according to the warrant. A senior investigator with the district attorneys office was able to examine the phone in April, as was Jaces private cellphone expert, the warrant states.

Jace, 53, is currently awaiting trial. Authorities allege about 8:30 p.m. on the day of the killing, a man called police from the actors cellphone, saying that he had just shot his wife to death. Police allege that Michael Jace placed that call.

Two children, both reportedly younger than 10, were inside the pink stucco home in the 5400 block of Brynhurst Avenue when April Jace was killed.

At very least they heard the shots, then-LAPD Det. Sal LaBarbera said at the time. It is a terrible tragedy, made all the more worse by their children being there.

Within hours, Jace had been booked on suspicion of murdering his 40-year-old wife.

A handgun was later recovered in the home.

Michael Jace had no arrest history, according to public records, but divorce papers from a previous marriage include allegations of threats and domestic violence.

Ex-wife Jennifer Bitterman alleged in a November 1997 divorce filing that Jace threatened to kill her if they went to war over his visitation rights to their son.

From 2002 to 2008, Jace played Los Angeles Police Officer Julien Lowe on The Shield. He also had roles in Planet of the Apes, Forrest Gump and Boogie Nights.

The actor filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection in March 2011, when he listed his liabilities at more than $500,000 against assets of $325,000, according to federal court records.

At the time he was more than $22,000 in debt to the government, more than $16,000 in debt to credit card companies and still owed on two mortgages.

After the killing neighbors expressed shock, saying Jaces family appeared to be happy.

They were the Huxtables on the block, who neighbor said, referring to the fictional family in the long-running sitcom The Cosby Show.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno

richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimes

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An Orange County Board of Education trustee plans to ask his colleagues to order an investigation of the conduct of a fellow board member after learning of emails the member sent inquiring about a county employees sexual orientation and referring to gays as Sodomites.

Any investigation of trustee Robert Hammond, who represents District 1, would require a majority vote of the five-member board if it takes up the matter at its meeting Wednesday at the Orange County Department of Education headquarters in Costa Mesa.

Whats being asked for is the determination as to whether the conduct of a trustee has exposed the department for potential litigation, trustee David Boyd, who plans to request the investigation, told the Daily Pilot on Wednesday.

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To my knowledge, no lawsuits have been filed related to Mr. Hammonds conduct, but the board and the department need to get ahead of this problem before it becomes a liability, Boyd said in an earlier statement. But more importantly, we need to insure that all of our employees are treated with the respect that they deserve.

If there is an investigation, the board would decide who would conduct it, Boyd added.

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Boyd, who represents District 2, said he became aware of Hammonds emails after another person obtained them through a public records request to the Department of Education.

Does this problem go further than what weve discovered through the public records act? Thats what were hoping to determine, Boyd told the Daily Pilot.

The public records request was made March 31 by Susan Mercer of Orange, according to a copy of the request that the department provided Wednesday evening. She asked for all emails that Hammond and board member Ken Williams exchanged with department staff from July 1, 2012, to Jan. 31, 2016.

Earlier this week, Boyd said the person who filed the request  whom he would not name  is not an employee of the Department of Education but was considering running for a seat on the board a few months ago.

In one email acquired through the records request, Hammond wrote to a Department of Education employee in April 2014: I hope you dont mind, but I plan on asking you about your sexual orientation publicly during our next board meeting.

Boyd, who has been on the board for six years, said he doesnt recall Hammond asking about an employees sexuality during a meeting.

I dont have any history on what took place beyond what the emails said, whether something took place behind the scenes, Boyd said.

Hammond said in an email to the Daily Pilot on Wednesday that his email to the employee was regarding the California Healthy Kids Survey and a question that asks seventh- and ninth-graders for their sexual orientation. He said he was addressing his concerns about that question, which he considers inappropriate.

In another email obtained through the records request, this one from last June, Hammond ended a message to Williams with PS  The Supreme Court ruled (5-4) that Sodomites can now be married!

Hammond said Wednesday that he was merely stating a fact.

In a Board of Education news release, Laura Kanter, director of policy, advocacy and youth programs for the LGBT Center OC in Santa Ana, stated that asking any employee about his or her sexual orientation is a wildly inappropriate and outrageous violation of their right to privacy.

The California Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits harassment and discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation, including derogatory comments, slurs and jokes.

Mr. Hammonds tone is alienating to multiple groups, not only the LGBT community, Kanter said. Trustee Hammonds ignorance and threatening behavior create an unsafe and hostile work environment for other board members and OCDE employees.

In an email to the Daily Pilot, Department of Education communications officer Ian Hanigan noted the concerns raised about Hammonds 2014 email to the department employee and said, Staff immediately addressed the remark with the board member, discussing departmental standards of conduct and civility.

The Orange County Department of Education strives to ensure a safe, caring and courteous work environment, and we are committed to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and respect for all employees, Hanigan said.

Before being elected to the Board of Education in 2012, Hammond earned a degree in broadcast communications with a minor in religion from the University of La Verne in 1991 and began a teaching career in 1993. He has taught special education, English immersion and teacher training. He is running for reelection to the board this year.

Former trustee Liz Parker, a Costa Mesa resident who left the board in 2014 after 32 years, said there had been friction between Boyd and Hammond in the past.

She said that during her time on the board, Boyd supported grants from federal and state governments for mental health services geared toward children of the LGBT community.

On the other hand, she said she remembers Hammonds opposition to Assembly Bill 1266  allowing students to use male or female bathrooms in public schools based on their gender identity  as it was about to be signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013.

Wednesdays board meeting will begin at 10 a.m. at 200 Kalmus Drive, Costa Mesa.

Chan writes for Times Community News.

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After meeting with Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell on Wednesday, Muslim leaders said they are ready to work with law enforcement officials to move past the racist emails forwarded by one of McDonnells top aides.

The aide, Tom Angel, resigned last weekend under pressure from those Muslim leaders and other civil rights activists.

Angels emails, which included derogatory stereotypes of Muslims, blacks, Latinos, women and others, were published last week by The Times.

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At Wednesdays meeting, which was attended by McDonnell and dozens of high-level commanders, the Muslim leaders agreed to work with sheriffs officials on a diversity task force.

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The partnership will alleviate fears from the larger society about Islam and fears in our own community about law enforcement, said Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

In addition to strengthening relationships between law enforcement and Muslim communities, sheriffs officials said they would try to increase the diversity of their workforce.

Of about 9,500 sworn deputies, most are white or Latino, with 9% black and 7% Asian. About a dozen are Muslim, according to Sgt. Mike Abdeen, who heads the Muslim Community Affairs Unit.

African American civil rights leaders had also reacted strongly to the emails, calling for Angel to be disciplined or fired. Sheriffs officials agreed to randomly audit employees emails for offensive language after some of the leaders called on them to do so.

In a written statement, sheriffs officials said Wednesdays meeting was the first of many they will hold with community leaders in the coming months.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department is engaged in a committed effort, currently underway, to meet with over 30 community groups throughout the County of Los Angeles to share thoughts and ideas about how we can improve understanding of our many diverse cultures, the statement said.

The Sheriffs Department has long cultivated relationships with Muslim communities. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, then-Sheriff Lee Baca reached out to Muslim leaders to express his support for them, recalled Haroon Manjlai, a spokesman for the greater Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Those strong ties were threatened by the emails, which Angel sent from his work account during his time at the Burbank Police Department in 2012 and 2013.

Four of the emails contained strings of jokes that Angel received and then forwarded. 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?

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 email 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.

Angel 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.

McDonnell initially emphasized that the emails were sent while Angel was employed elsewhere and said the incident would be a teaching moment for Angel to explain the negative consequences of forwarding some types of emails.

But as the outcry from community leaders grew, McDonnell accepted Angels resignation, which was announced by the Department on Sunday.

Angel, a longtime sheriffs official, went to Burbank in 2010 as part of a team of outsiders charged with reforming the Police Department.

McDonnell, who was elected in November 2014 on a reform agenda, brought Angel back to the sheriffs office as his chief of staff, relying on him to navigate the 18,000-member department and manage a wide array of projects.

This incident is not reflective of the department and its history, Manjlai said. The sheriff has truly made an opportunity out of this unfortunate incident.

Umar Hakim, executive director of the ILM Foundation, said he hopes the renewed partnership between the Sheriffs Department and the Muslim community will include an understanding of the new Los Angeles, which includes some economically revitalized areas but growing problems with drugs and poverty.

At local mosques, some worshippers are suspicious of law enforcement because of concerns that they will be profiled as terrorists, said Ahmed Azam, a board member of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California.

There is a fear factor in the community, Azam said. We can bridge the gap by bringing law enforcement to mosques.

As the Muslim leaders left the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles after the meeting, Abdeen embraced Azam and said parting words in Arabic.

Abdeen, who was born in Jerusalem, has headed the Muslim Community Affairs Unit since its inception under Baca nine years ago. He and two sheriffs deputies visit mosques, attend community events and serve as liaisons, in addition to educating their colleagues about Islam.

I pray with them, talk to them, have lunch with them, Abdeen said.

cindy.chang@latimes.com

Twitter: @cindychangLA

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An hours-long standoff Thursday between police and a man with an apparent grudge against commuters disrupted light rail service in the San Francisco Bay Area through the morning rush hour and into the afternoon.

Standing atop a train in San Jose, the man refused to come down and told Santa Clara County sheriffs deputies he wanted to mess up the commute for everyone, KGO-TV reported. Bay Area news stations have reported that the man spat at officers and fell asleep at one point during the more than nine-hour standoff.

Sheriffs officials told KTVU-TV that they planned to wait the man out. Authorities negotiated with the man until they took him into custody after 1 p.m., officials said.

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A train operator first spotted the man on the tracks just after 1 a.m. The man then apparently climbed onto the roof of the train.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority reported major light rail service impacts near North 1st Street and Component Drive.

This activity prevents us from getting trains into service north of Metro station, train service said in a statement. Service was restored for evening commuters.

For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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The owner of Urth Caffe has hired a law firm to counter allegations by a group of Muslim women that they were thrown out of his Laguna Beach restaurant because of discrimination.

Shallom Berkman confirmed Wednesday he retained the American Freedom Law Center after a civil rights lawsuit was filed by seven women this week in Orange County Superior Court. He did not offer details, referring questions to his attorneys. The law center has previously represented private businesses that have sought to create so-called Muslim-free zones.

David Yerushalmi, the law centers co-founder and senior counsel, called the womens lawsuit a fraud and a hoax. He said the cafes owners plans to countersue.

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The claim that these women were asked to leave the cafe because they were wearing hijabs is laughable, Yerushalmi said. That night, as every Friday night, a large number of young people, including a majority who are Muslim and of Arab descent, make up the base of Urth Caffes customers. Not surprisingly, many of these customers are women wearing hijabs. None of these other Muslim women were asked to leave.

According to the lawsuit, the women had gathered on April 22 to meet with friends when a manager interrupted them about 8 p.m. to ask if they were waiting for more orders.

Sara Farsakh, 29, far left, stands with three other plaintiffs and one of their lawyers. The women are suing Urth Caffe in Laguna Beach, alleging they were discriminated against in April for being visibly Muslim. (Anh Do / Los Angeles Times)

The same manager returned before 8:15 p.m., saying he expected a busy evening and needed to clear tables of patrons who had been seated for longer than 45 minutes, according to the lawsuit.

One of the women, Soondus Ahmed, said the alleged ouster left us shaken, disrespected and shocked.

Her group was ushered out by two police officers after a manager said they had violated the eaterys policy allowing just a 45-minute stay during peak times. We committed no crime, and it felt surreal that we were escorted out, the software engineer added.

Yerushalmi said the plaintiffs were asked only to abide by the cafes policy to give up their high-demand outside patio table after 45 minutes to allow other customers, including those wearing hijabs, to enjoy the experience. He said the cafes security video showed long lines outside the restaurant door the night of the alleged incident.

On Friday nights, 90% of the cafes customers are usually people of Arab descent or Muslims, Yerushalmi said, adding why would Urth Caffe antagonize the basis of their customers?

In Oklahoma, Robert Muise, co-founder of the law center along with Yerushalmi, represented the owners of a gun range sued by an Army reservist after they allegedly told him to leave when he identified himself as a Muslim.

The incident at the Save Yourself Survival and Tactical Gun Range in Oktaha involving Rajaee Fatihah was later dismissed because the plaintiff could not prove discrimination, according to Yerushalmi. According to Fatihahs lawsuit, the gun range had posted a sign that said Muslim-free. only.

Weve represented Muslims who were attacked in the past and were representing a Muslim in this case, Yerushalmi said, alluding to Jilla Berkman, who co-owns the cafe with her husband. The point is, we defend free speech. We are strong advocates of the 1st Amendment. Theres a big difference between having a sign in an establishment declaring that a business is Muslim-free, which is protected speech, versus outright discrimination based on race or religion. This case is wrong, and this case will come back to haunt them.

The cafes hiring of Yerushalmi proves our clients case, said Mohammad Tajsar, lawyer for the plaintiffs, citing the Southern Poverty Law Centers labeling of the attorney as an extremist and anti-Muslim activist.

This individual has proposed outlawing Islam, advocating for deporting Muslims because he wants to protect what he considers the national character of the U.S. as a Judeo-Christian country, he said.

His clients said none of the other patrons appeared to be targeted on the night.

Sara Farsakh, another plaintiff, said the manager came up to us and said it was rush hour, but around us, there were at least 20 empty tables. Farsakh, a college student, said she had gone to the cafe once before with her husband without a problem.

All the plaintiffs live in Orange County or were born there. Six of the seven regularly wear a head scarf  or hijab  as an expression of their religion, Tajsar said.

He cited a pattern of neighborhood hate crimes against Muslims, including egg-throwing, tire slashings and racial taunts during March and April this year, even though the restaurant is popular with the large Muslim American population in Orange County as well as tourists and students visiting from the Middle East.

These women were singled out and targeted because Urth Caffe chose not to make this location a welcome space, he said. His clients seek to end alleged discriminatory practices and to hold those responsible accountable, so these incidents do not happen again. They are also seeking compensation for loss of dignity.

anh.do@latimes.com

Follow me @newsterrier

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You cant say it doesnt sting. Californias role as the closing prize of the primary campaign season has been sundered by little Indiana, where a sweeping victory handed the title presumptive Republican nominee to Donald Trump.

Gone are visions of GOP candidates chowing down at In-N-Out, walking the beach in their oxfords, pretending to understand the innards of high-tech inventions in Silicon Valley, gaping at cow herds in the Central Valley and braving the wind-swept cultural wilds of the City by the Bay.

All that, along with the enticing possibility of the first decisive GOP presidential contest here in half a century, was wiped out because of voters in a state California outnumbers by more than 32 million people.

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Yes, California will still have the Democratic primary, but that has more value for its bragging rights and convention leverage than for its effect on the Democratic nomination, which is pretty much in Hillary Clintons pocket.

The intensity of the Democratic campaign here is in question. Challenger Bernie Sanders is navigating how to maximize his impact on the party going forward, and likely nominee Clinton is taking on Trump and raising money for the general election. She will be in California on Thursday and Friday for fundraisers and events; Sanders has not yet announced plans to campaign in the state.

In short, that whoosh that could be heard from Tuesday into Wednesday was the California political ecosystem exhaling, a bit sadly.

The great dream of a California competitive race is gone, and today was a very depressed world, said a gently sardonic Bill Carrick, a Democratic strategist who hasnt seen a fully competitive primary here since he arrived a generation ago. Theres a little bit of, Oh, we didnt happen after all.

Yet the absence of something can also have an impact.

Among Republicans involved in June primary campaigns, calculations of voter turnout based on a contest that would determine whether Trump avoided an open convention were being hastily redone. Turnout is highly important to GOP candidates because without it they are doomed in much of California; the expectation until Tuesday had been that their voters would swamp Democrats at the June 7 ballot box.

The states top-two system  the two candidates with the most votes face off in November, regardless of party  is now a prime concern.

Harmeet Dhillon, a state Republican Party leader, said that the effective cancellation of a competitive primary could harm Republicans in top-two races across the state. GOP operatives had been saying all morning, she added: Oh, my God, my turnout model just went straight to hell.

Lower turnout is harmful, she said. We can only hope Bernie Sanders drops out so Democratic turnout is suppressed as well.

The U.S. Senate seat on the June ballot is among the races in which the absence of a contested GOP primary could hurt Republicans.

The top two candidates, according to polls, are California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris and U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Orange, both Democrats. It was always a long shot for one of the three somewhat known Republicans  former state party Chairmen Duf Sundheim and Tom Del Beccaro, and former gubernatorial candidate Ron Unz  to unify the party and knock out Sanchez for the second slot. Now the long shot is dramatically longer.

But not everyone sees a huge Republican drop-off. Dan Newman, a Democratic strategist whose firm is working for Harris, suggested both sides could see a small one, if that.

As impossible as it seems, I actually think well be talking about Trump even more than before now that the unthinkable is reality, Newman said. He still actually inspires people to vote both for him and against him, and he gets people riled up like no one else does.

Even a Democratic primary that will not be determinative could drive a big turnout. Will Clintons forces go all out to give her a final victorious day heading into the convention? Will Sanders boisterous army of supporters give him another dramatic win with which to boost his influence over the partys direction?

Ben Tulchin, Sanders campaign pollster, suggested that without Trump dominating attention and driving voters, the Vermont senators ability to attract younger voters is now even more relevant.

That is particularly true among independents, who can vote in Californias open Democratic primary. Once at the ballot box, those voters presumably will stick around to pull the electorate left in top-two races and local campaigns.

The challenge for Democrats will be to keep those voters around for the November election, particularly if their preferred candidate doesnt win the nomination. The challenge for Republicans, however, will be more difficult.

In his campaign so far, Trump has offended women, who make up the majority of the states voters, and Latinos and Asians, Californias swiftly growing demographic groups. Every California election in which immigration has been a key element has seen a big turnout among minority voters. Not all of them, as with women, vote Democratic, but most of them do.

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Trump likely wont campaign through the fall in this strongly Democratic state, but his message  and the build the wall! chants of his supporters  will reach California. The result, Democrats and Republicans agree, will be an attempt by the states voters to repudiate him in November.

A lot of Republican candidates are going to need to put on their running shoes, because they need to run as far away from Donald Trump as possible, said GOP strategist Kevin Spillane.

He, too, was boggled at how swiftly things had changed.

In a week, he said, we went from being a decisive primary to completely irrelevant.

Twitter: @cathleendecker; @LATSeema

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A political showdown between North Carolina and the federal government loomed Thursday as Republican state leaders vowed to defy the U.S. Justice Departments deadline to repeal the states contentious new bathroom law.

The Justice Department notified Gov. Pat McCrory in a letter Wednesday that the states House Bill 2, which restricts transgender bathroom access and has become a focus in the LGBT rights fight, violates sections of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. It gave the state until Monday to remedy the violations.

On Thursday, North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said legislators would not meet the federal governments deadline.

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We will take no action by Monday, Moore told reporters in a video broadcast by the Raleigh News & Observer. That deadline will come and go. Obviously, we dont ever want to lose any money, but were not going to get bullied by the Obama administration to take action prior to Mondays date. Thats not how this works.

In a statement, McCrory said he would review the letter to determine the states next steps. The Obama administration has not only staked out its position for North Carolina, but for all states, universities and most employers in the U.S., the governor said. The right and expectation of privacy in one of the most private areas of our personal lives is now in jeopardy.

Other Republican leaders also reacted strongly against the letter. Phil Berger, president pro tempore of the North Carolina Senate, called the letter a gross overreach by the Obama Justice Department that deserves to be struck down in federal court.

If the state refuses to repeal or amend the legislation, the Justice Department has several options, legal experts say. The civil rights division can apply for a federal court order to require compliance, putting the case in the hands of a federal judge. It could also start initiating action to limit the distribution of federal funds. Last year, the Department of Education gave North Carolina $4.3 billion for public kindergartens, schools and colleges.

This sets up a battle between the state and the federal government, said Jane R. Wettach, a professor of law at Duke University, a private university in Durham, N.C. Our state officials are saying that this is federal government overreach, but the federal government has the power, certainly over federal funds.

There is no recent precedent for the federal government threatening to withdraw public education funds over a state law, although federal agencies have threatened to exert sanctions on some school districts to change their transgender restroom policies.

In November, federal education officials found that a high school district in Palatine, Ill., violated Title IX antidiscrimination laws by not allowing a transgender student who identifies as a girl full access to the girls locker room. The school eventually backed down.

Yet on Wednesday, a group of families filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Education, the Justice Department and the school district, alleging that their actions trample students privacy rights and create an intimidating and hostile environment for female students.

The North Carolina standoff has echoes of the federal governments battle with states over desegregation more than half a century ago, Wettach said. For about 10 years, school systems across the South refused to follow the landmark 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education court order that they desegregate  until the federal government threatened to cut off education funds.

There is a precedent for the federal government holding the purse strings and saying, Unless you follow our interpretation of civil rights, you wont get your money, she said.

Justice Department officials have yet to comment on whether they plan to send letters to other Southern states that have passed similarly controversial legislation. Last month, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed a law that, among other things, permits businesses and faith-based groups to deny services to people based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. The law, which would also allow employers and schools to refuse to allow transgender people to use the restrooms or locker rooms of their choice, goes into effect July 1.

The North Carolina conflict initially began as a showdown between city and state. In February, the states largest city, Charlotte, passed an ordinance that expanded nondiscrimination protections to sexual orientation and gender identity and allowed people to choose restrooms according to the gender with which they identify.

Before the citys ordinance went into effect, however, Republicans rushed through a law that orders schools and public agencies to require multiple-occupancy restrooms to be used by people based on the sex listed on their birth certificate. The law, which was signed by McCrory in March, also prevents cities from extending anti-discrimination laws to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and from passing any increase in the minimum wage.

In a letter to McCrory, Vanita Gupta, principal deputy assistant attorney general for the civil rights division, stated that HB2 violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employers from discriminating, as well as Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, which bars discrimination in education based on sex.

Specifically, the state is engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against transgender state employees and both you, in your official capacity, and the state are engaging in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of Title VII rights by transgender employees of public agencies, the letter says.

To remedy the violations, the Justice Department required the state to confirm that it will not implement HB2 and to notify state and public employees that they can access bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity.

The Justice Department also sent letters to the University of North Carolina, citing an alleged violation of Title IX, as well as to the states secretary of public safety, citing an alleged violation of the 2013 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.

On Thursday, Democratic legislators urged their counterparts in the Republican-dominated General Assembly to repeal the law by Monday.

#HB2 became law in less than 12 hours, Cecil Brockman, a Democratic state representative, said on Twitter. 5 days should be more than enough time to decide how to clean up after it.

State officials should not be too surprised by the intervention. In December 2014, then-Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. instructed the Justice Department to include gender identity, including transgender status, in Title VIIs prohibition against sex discrimination.

In her letter, Gupta noted that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2015 held that equal access to restrooms is a significant, basic condition of employment and that denying transgender individuals access to a restroom consistent with their gender identity constituted a form of discrimination.

While McCrory has previously said he would roll back some provisions of the law, he has been unwilling to reconsider the section requiring transgender people to use public bathrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate  a measure he describes as common sense.

A recent poll by RABA Research, a bipartisan polling company, found that half of North Carolina voters disapprove of the new law. When asked, Do you approve or disapprove of HB2  the states new anti-transgender law? 50% disapproved and 35% approved.

Jarvie is a special correspondent.

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From his perch on the 7th floor of FBI headquarters, Andrew McCabe is one of the most powerful figures in U.S. law enforcement, but most Americans would be hard-pressed to pick him out of a lineup.

Responsible for overseeing investigations of terrorists, spies and corrupt officials, as well as the sensitive inquiry into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server, the longtime FBI agent toils mostly behind the scenes, and he likes it that way.

My focus is on the inside [of the FBI] and all the work we do that is not talked about in the newspaper, on CNN, on the Hill, McCabe, 48, said in his first interview since he was named FBI Director James B. Comeys second-in-command in January.

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Comey is totally focused on high-profile issues like the recent legal fight with Apple over an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers and questions from members of Congress, McCabe said.

My focus is on the stuff we have done for 100 years and do every day that people never hear about, he added.

The deputy directors job always has been both influential and grueling. It has become more so under Comey, who took over the FBI in 2013 and is considered less detail-oriented than his predecessor, Robert F. Mueller.

On any given day, McCabe gets briefings on terrorist threats, major criminal investigations, personnel matters and even plans to build a new FBI headquarters. His choices often come down to a simple calculus: making the least worst decision.

By the time a problem gets to his office -- my old office -- many people have tried to solve a problem, said Mark Giuliano, the former deputy director. Really, most of the hardest issues for the organization both externally and internally come to that office.

McCabe, who joined the bureau in 1996, said his top priority is finding and stopping terrorists who are inspired by Islamic State or other extremist groups.

That is the scariest thing for me right now, he said. Its the broadening and intensity of the terrorism threat, the crowd-sourcing of terrorism, the flood of propaganda, the enormous number of folks who have become swept up in that propaganda.

He also wrestles with how to keep tabs on suspected terrorists who communicate with encrypted apps and emails, a growing problem that the FBI calls going dark.

He echoed Comeys recent call for a national conversation about the trade-off between national security and privacy of electronic communications and devices.

Comey didnt have to look far for a replacement when Giuliano retired. McCabe was working down the hall as the FBIs third-ranking official, running the bureaus administrative functions.

Before that, McCabe had held several top counter-terrorism and national security posts and had run the Washington field office, the second biggest in the country.

In 2009, he was tapped to launch a new Obama administration program called the High-Value Interrogation Group. The newly elected president had banned waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics that the CIA had used against interrogation suspects overseas, and was trying to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Known as the HIG, the program McCabe started supports research into effective interrogation practices and has an elite group of FBI agents and intelligence officers who are dispatched to question key suspects.

Trim and tall with thinning gray hair, McCabe takes style cues from his boss. In a recent interview, he wore a blue shirt and no suit coat. (Under Mueller, agents famously followed their leaders example and wore starched white shirts and rarely took off their coats in meetings.)

McCabes only bit of flash were FBI-badge cuff links that dotted his shirt sleeves.

Assigned to the New York City office as a young agent, he helped build complex cases against Russian mobsters and helped take out a dangerous gang of Russian-speaking gangsters in one of his first big assignments.

Fellow agents recalled McCabe as a methodical investigator who assiduously worked to earn the trust of victims and, particularly, informants and witnesses.

He was the kind of guy who wants to make sure everything is done by the book, said Raymond Kerr, a former supervisor. He was also very good with people.

A 1990 graduate of Duke University, McCabe obtained a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He had considered a career in law enforcement, perhaps as a prosecutor.

He decided to join the FBI instead when he was in law school and interned in the Justice Departments criminal division.

I spent a lot of time reading agent reports, and I thought, Boy, that would be a cool job, he said.

At the time, the FBI had a hiring freeze. So McCabe spent three years in private practice in Philadelphia until he could join the FBI. He doesnt regret the move.

On the civil side, its ultimately about people arguing about money, he said. On our side, its about passion, violence and intrigue. That is the stuff that makes people tick.

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@delwilber
The Obama administration on Thursday commuted the prison sentences of 58 federal convicts, including 18 who were given life sentences.

The action is part of a broader effort to overhaul the criminal justice system and ease punishments for nonviolent drug offenders.

Most whose sentences were cut short are now due out on Sept. 2, though some will be released over the next two years.

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Deputy Atty. Gen. Sally Quillian Yates said in a statement that the prisoners have been granted a second chance to lead productive and law-abiding lives.

The Justice Department revamped the clemency process two years ago to encourage more applications from nonviolent federal offenders.

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New Yorks iconic Stonewall Inn, where the modern gay rights movement took root, will become the first national monument honoring the history of gays and lesbians in the U.S. under a proposal President Obama is preparing to approve.

Designating the small swath of land will mark a major act of national recognition for gay rights advocates and their struggles over the last half-century. Since the 1969 uprising in Greenwich Village, the U.S. has enacted anti-discrimination protections, allowed gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military and legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Though land must still be transferred to the federal government and other details worked out, the president is expected to move quickly to greenlight the monument following a public meeting Monday in Manhattan, according to two individuals familiar with the administrations plans. They werent authorized to discuss the plans publicly and requested anonymity.

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Next month marks Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month in the U.S.

The gritty tavern, known colloquially as the Stonewall, became a catalyst for the gay rights movement after police raided it on June 28, 1969. Bar-goers fought back, and many more joined in street protests over the following days in an uprising widely credited as the start of large-scale gay activism in New York and around the word. Annual pride parades in hundreds of cities commemorate the rebellion.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

The White House declined to comment. Yet Obama has paid tribute to the site before, most notably in his second inaugural address in 2013. In whats believed to be the first reference to gay rights in an inaugural address, Obama said the principle of equality still guides the U.S. just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall.

New York lawmakers have long advocated for a national designation for the Stonewall. Last year, New York City made it a city landmark  the first named primarily because of significance to LGBT history. In Congress, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Jerrold Nadler  both Democrats  are pushing legislation to make the Stonewall a national park while urging Obama to commemorate the site through executive authority.

Nadler said the site would serve as an important reminder of the struggle for equality in our country, including the ongoing fight for rights for transgender people.

Proposals the Obama administration is considering include Christopher Park, a small public area on the street where the Stonewall is located, as well as the surrounding vicinity. At 51 Christopher St., where two adjoining buildings once housed the gay bar, the building where the current Stonewall Inn operates is still a popular gathering place. Originally built as stables in the 1840s, the structures still have the brick-and-stucco facade that greeted bar-goers in 1969.

A number of procedural steps stand between the Stonewall and formal designation by the president. The first step comes Monday evening at a public school in Manhattan, first reported by the Washington Post. The Interior Department said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis will attend an open meeting about proposals to protect Christopher Park for future generations.

Obama has made wide use of his power to designate monuments, not only to protect millions of acres of wilderness and ocean but also to honor groups whose struggles for equal treatment have become milestones in U.S. history. Last month, Obama named a historic Washington home as the Belmont-Paul Womens Equality National Monument.

The Human Rights Campaign and other gay rights groups cheered the forthcoming announcement. Corey Johnson, an openly gay New York City councilman who represents the area, said it was incredibly important for the federal government to recognize the site.

What happened at Stonewall and at Christopher Park is a key chapter in American history, Johnson said.

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Suddenly, Republicans are confronting a reality that seemed fantastically implausible not long ago: Donald Trump as their all-but-official presidential nominee.

The response Wednesday in some quarters was a combination of denial and resistance that was unlike anything seen in recent history.

Republican leaders, including some who sparred with Trump, pleaded for unity. Prominent GOP lawmakers announced their support. So did some tea party activists.

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But many Trump detractors were unmoved. Talk of finding a third-party alternative continued unabated. Big-money donors, including the Koch brothers and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, were notably silent, as was Mitt Romney, Republicans last presidential nominee and a fierce Trump critic.

The overwhelming sentiment  at least within the party establishment, which Trump vilified but now must work alongside to win in November  seemed to be resignation mixed with a determination to make the best of things.

The final stage is acceptance, which I think a lot of people will get to, said Josh Holmes, a Republican strategist unaligned with any candidate. But, he added, I dont think were going to see a seismic shift in people supporting Trump.

The prospect of a primary fight extending all the way to a contested July convention instantly vanished Tuesday night after Trump roared to victory in Indiana and his closest contestant, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, unexpectedly stepped aside. Trumps sole remaining rival, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, followed suit on Wednesday, becoming the last to abandon a field that once comprised 17 hopefuls  including many of the partys most acclaimed leaders. Pointedly, Kasich made no mention of the presumptive nominee.

Trump must still collect the 1,237 delegates he needs to officially clinch the nomination, which will take him until the end of the primary season on June 7, when California and four other states vote.

His critics werent yielding, despite the lack of any Republican opponent.

Ample time remains for Trump to disqualify himself, said Katie Packer, a GOP consultant and head of Our Principles PAC, which has spent millions on advertisements across the country attacking Trump.

We continue to give voice to the belief of so many Republicans that Trump is not a conservative, does not represent the values of the Republican Party, cannot beat Hillary Clinton, and is simply unfit to be president of the United States, she said in a statement that defied party efforts to rally behind the nominee-in-waiting.

Trump will enter the general election, presumably against Clinton, as a decided underdog.

There are a few Democratic-leaning states he might make more competitive, such as Pennsylvania, with its large population of disaffected working-class whites. But there are others that have been reliably Republican, like Arizona and Georgia, that could come into play if Latinos and other minorities, antagonized by Trumps insults, turn out in high numbers.

In Nevada, a major battleground in the last few elections, the state Democratic Party sent a taunting letter Wednesday urging Trump  Dear Dangerous Donald  to campaign there, figuring it would hurt his candidacy and other Republicans as well.

General election, wrote Nevada Democratic Party Chairwoman Roberta Lange, here we go!

Trump spent much of Wednesday looking ahead to the November election, including how he might finance a campaign costing up to $1 billion.

Do I want to sell a couple of buildings and self-fund? the Manhattan real estate developer mused on MSNBC. I dont know that I want to do that necessarily.

Later, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said he would not self-fund his general election campaign but rather create a world-class finance organization.

The move carries some risk. After spending months accusing rivals of trading government favors for donations and claiming, inaccurately, that he alone was paying for his candidacy, Trump faces the danger of undermining his outsider image by accepting big campaign contributions. He has raised more than $12 million, mostly in small sums.

Trump also said he was searching for a seasoned politician with expertise in navigating Congress to be his vice presidential running mate. I have the business  lets call it talents, Trump said on MSNBC. And I think Ill probably go the political route.

First, Trump must pull his party together, which will not be easy.

Some, more or less grudgingly, said they were coming around to the idea of supporting the businessman and reality TV star, even if he was not their first, second or third choice.

Donald Trump has struck a chord with a lot of people, said Jonathan Barnett, a member of the Republican National Committee from Arkansas and a longtime supporter of the states former governor, Mike Huckabee, who quit the presidential race in February. Even though they may not care for him and may not like him personally, and he may not represent their values ... they want to give him a chance to try to work these issues out.

But others insisted, in the words of Rory Cooper, a spokesman for the Never Trump political action committee, that never means never.

In a highly unusual snub, the partys last two presidents, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, have both ruled out a Trump endorsement, the Texas Tribune reported Wednesday. Trump was relentless in mocking Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, during his unsuccessful attempt to follow his father and brother into the White House.

Social media were filled Wednesday with images of voters burning their Republican registration cards, professing their abandonment of the party or vowing to cross party lines to support Clinton.

Among them was Mark Salter, a former top aide and confidant to Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee.

The GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks its on the level, Salter wrote on Twitter, referring to Trumps embrace of an unsubstantiated report that linked Cruzs father to President Kennedys assassination.

Im with her, Salter said of Clinton.

The resistance to Trump extends beyond party elites.

Even as he rolled to victory in Indiana, more than 4 in 10 of those who voted in Tuesdays Republican primary said they were scared or concerned about the prospect of a Trump presidency, a finding consistent with previous exit polls.

Curt Anderson, who worked for another of the unsuccessful 2016 GOP candidates, former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, said some in the professional political class will never support Trump.

The question is ... will it just be a couple hundred of these folks? Anderson said. Or will it be millions of normally reliable Republican voters who refuse to come over to Trump?

mark.barabak @latimes.com

Twitter: @markzbarabak

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

Twitter: @LisaMascaro

Barabak reported from San Francisco and Mascaro from Washington. Times staff writers Melanie Mason in Indianapolis and Michael Finnegan and Seema Mehta in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

ALSO:

Analysis: GOP voters wanted an outsider who could fix the economy, and Trump fit their bill

Ted Cruz was right: GOP voters wanted an anti-establishment candidate, just not him

Trump ties Cruzs father to JFK assassination. His source? The National Enquirer

UPDATES:

6:21 p.m.: This story has been revised throughout for additional details and for clarity.

This story was originally posted at 10:12 a.m.
Good morning. It is Thursday, May 5. Sales of ping-pong tables are down in the Bay Area. Is that a sign that the technology bubble is about to burst? Heres what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Living on the streets

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In Los Angeles County, an estimated 47,000 people live on the streets or in shelters, according to figures released Wednesday. The latest homeless count represents an 11% increase in the city of L.A.s homeless population from a year earlier, despite recent efforts to fund multibillion-dollar plans to address the problem. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti suggested the increase was driven by a more accurate tallying of homeless people under the age of 25, a group that was not as intensely counted in previous years. The county saw a 5.7% increase. Los Angeles Times

Ready to roll

Get ready to duck and cover. An expert says the San Andreas fault is locked, loaded and ready to roll. The southern San Andreas hasnt had a major earthquake since 1857, when it experienced a magnitude 7.9 quake. Thomas Jordan, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center, said people should focus on preparing for a quake that could be as powerful as an 8.0 magnitude. Los Angeles Times

Smoking laws

The smoking age in California will soon rise from 18 to 21, after Gov. Jerry Brown signed the Tobacco 21 bill into law. The governor also signed legislation to restrict the use of electronic cigarettes in public places and to expand no-smoking areas at public schools, but he vetoed a bill allowing counties to ask voters to approve local tobacco taxes. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Trees disappearing: Californias trees are dying at the fastest rate in 15 years. An estimated 27.6 million dead trees were found last year by the U.S. Forest Service. The dead trees can increase the chances of dangerous wildfires because they burn faster and hotter. Sacramento Bee

Whats in the water? In the Central Valley, people are fighting Dow and Shell for allegedly selling products that contained 1,2,3-trichloropropane and contaminated the drinking water. You talk to somebody from anywhere in the middle of the nation, you say, What do you picture when you think of California? I bet you thats not what comes to mind, said Visalia resident Louie Campos. Representatives for Dow and Shell declined to comment. Pacific Standard

Water warning: Borrego Springs is facing a water crisis. For decades, water has been pumped out of the underground aquifer faster than nature can replenish it. Now, the water table is dropping and soon it may be too expensive to pump the water out. The state is demanding that the community  in this case, the Borrego Water District in conjunction with the County of San Diego  come up with a plan by 2020 to bring the basin into sustainability. If they dont, the state will take over. San Diego Union-Tribune

L.A. AT LARGE

Dirty scopes: A newly discovered regulatory report shows at least three patients died last year at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena in an outbreak suspected to have been caused by tainted medical scopes. Hospital officials had confirmed in August that three patients were sickened but said this week they believed patient privacy laws prevented them from telling the public about the deaths. Los Angeles Times

Under construction: The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to revise planning and zoning laws on a Sunset Boulevard site so that an under-construction Target store would comply with the citys rules. Work on the project stopped two years ago when a judge found the city had failed to show Target would suffer an unnecessary hardship by meeting the citys height restrictions. The projects opponents, however, say they will sue again. Los Angeles Times

Goodbye Bob Hope: The airport named in honor of the comedian will now brand itself as Hollywood Burbank Airport. Airport commissioners say the change is needed to attract travelers east of the Colorado Rockies who have no idea where Bob Hope Airport is located. Los Angeles Times

All of the lights: The Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier is getting a $1-million lighting upgrade. Curbed LA

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Legal defense: Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles) has used more than $300,000 in campaign funds to pay for legal services, but his attorneys say that shouldnt be taken as a sign that hes the target of a rumored federal investigation. More than a dozen people who worked for or donated to politicians in the San Fernando Valley have been subpoenaed by federal investigators. Los Angeles Times

Young gun: Daniel Lopez is just 27 years old, and already hes the political director to state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris as she runs for the U.S. Senate. His political career began five years ago when he ran a slate to take control of the Los Angeles County Young Democrats. LA Weekly

Help on the way: San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer blames budget cuts from 2008 through 2012 for the citys troubles in answering 911 calls within the standard 10 seconds. To address the problem, the mayor wants to beef up staffing in dispatch centers and release monthly reports with dispatch statistics. Regardless of how we got here, the longer 911 wait times that have been reported are unacceptable, Faulconer said. San Diego Union-Tribune

CRIME AND COURTS

Under conservatorship: Pop star Britney Spears has come a long way since her very public breakdown in 2008, which was later attributed to mental illness and substance abuse. Despite being one of the most successful musicians today, every detail of her life is controlled by her father and an attorney who are her court-appointed conservators. Is that about to change? New York Times

Police search: Traffic in Hollywood was a mess Wednesday as police spent the better part of a day searching for a man they believe was shot at by an off-duty police officer about 5:30 a.m. A bloodhound named Sam was brought in to help find the man, described as being between the ages of 18 and 25 and wearing a blue sweatshirt. Los Angeles Times

Shooting at cars: The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department continues to shoot at people in cars, a dangerous practice that was supposed to be phased out a decade ago. Between 2010 and 2014, there were nine instances of deputies firing at suspects in vehicles. We are probably shooting at moving vehicles too much, said Assistant Sheriff Todd Rogers. 89.3 KPCC

Ticket quotas? Two police officers in North Hollywood are suing the Los Angeles Police Department over what they claim was a practice of citation and arrest quotas. Officers Michael Marciano and Andrew Cota say they were retaliated against for refusing to meet to the quotas. The city attorneys office declined to comment on the pending litigation. Daily News

Mug shot: Authorities say a man stole an iPhone from a Huntington Beach AT&T store  but he did so after taking a selfie with the phone, which was uploaded to the AT&T iCloud account. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Right on red: Woody Allen claims to have never said he hates Los Angeles. In fact, it sounds like he may even tolerate it. I enjoy going out there for short periods of time. I dont like to drive. I can drive, but I dont like to, he says. The Hollywood Reporter

Californias Gold: Huell Howser died three years ago, but his work lives on. KCET will air a new episode of his famous show next week thanks to lost footage that was recently discovered. The subject will be El Alisal, the former residence of author and historian Charles F. Lummis. LAist

Breakfast of champions: Its the 15 best breakfast sandwiches in San Francisco. SFist

Headed out west: Natalie Morales of Today is headed to Los Angeles. The NBC news anchor will be a West Coast presence and host of Access Hollywood. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will have thunderstorms and a high of 62 degrees. Sacramento will be stormy and 70. Los Angeles could see thunderstorms in the evenings as temperatures reach 66. Riverside will have lightning and thunder. San Diego will see thunderstorms as temperatures reach a high of 67.

AND FINALLY

Todays California Memory comes from Zane Vorhes:

I grew up in Napa. About 65 years ago, Napa was prune country and had very few grapes. We would start high school in late September when the trees were ripe. Occasionally, the high school start date would be postponed until the crop was harvested. The farmer would shake the trees, and kids would pick up and place the prunes in lug boxes. This was a big social, happy time for teenagers, especially the prune fight wars that ensued.

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.
Im Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I dont want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

You want a description of hell? OxyContins 12-hour problem

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We just published a massive investigation about the untold story of Americas bestselling painkiller: OxyContin. A lot has been written over the last 20 years about OxyContin and its role in the nations prescription drug epidemic. But our investigation uncovered something totally new.

More Deaths Linked to Medical Scopes

Huntington Hospital officials in Pasadena had confirmed in August that three patients were sickened last year after undergoing scope procedures. What they didnt say publicly: At least three patients died, according to a newly discovered regulatory report. So whom did they tell of the deaths? Olympus Corp., the scopes manufacturer. Hospital officials this week said they believed patient privacy laws prevented them from telling the public about the deaths.

#NeverTrump? Well 

Donald Trump still needs to reach 1,237 delegates to clinch the GOP nomination. But with Ted Cruz and John Kasich folding their hands this week, its all but official. And though some are calling for unity, others are still working through the five stages of Republican grief. Does #NeverTrump mean never, ever?

In His Hour of Need, Sanders Cash Is Drying Out

With renewed momentum after a win in Indiana, Bernie Sanders is running short on cash, just when he needs it most. Enter California, where its expensive to run a campaign (or, for that matter, rent a house, go to school, etc.). Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has money to spend. Read on to see why that will force the Sanders team to run a different kind of race in California.

L.A.s Homeless Crisis Keeps Growing

The number of homeless veterans is down, but new figures show homelessness has increased in Los Angeles: up 11% in the city and 5.7% in the county over last year. Though some say the methodology of the survey may have inflated those percentages, no one disputes the problem is getting worse. Meanwhile, officials are still looking for the money to pay for the billion-dollar plans they OKd this year.

Are You Ready for the Big One?

A leading earthquake scientist says Southern Californias section of the San Andreas fault is locked, loaded and ready to roll. The last big quake to strike there was in 1857. The best thing to do: Dont worry. Prepare.

Pyongyang Is Putting on the Ritz

North Koreans are gearing up for something they havent seen since 1980  a Workers Party Congress. How to get ready? New propaganda banners, freshly painted buildings and rehearsals. Julie Makinen takes you inside Pyongyang ahead of Kim Jong Uns big event  and pays a visit to a North Korean nursery school where armed cartoon characters Squirrel and Hedgehog adorn the walls.

CALIFORNIA

-- The smoking age is raised from 18 to 21 under bills signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

-- The state Supreme Court hears arguments today on whether Gov. Brown may ask voters to decide on an early release of nonviolent offenders from prison.

-- Overnight, California Republicans lose the promise of a competitive primary and high turnout.

-- The LAPD hacked into the iPhone belonging to the slain wife of The Shield actor Michael Jace, documents show.

NATION-WORLD

-- Why Michigan has been lurching from crisis to crisis.

-- In Europe, theres a sense that Trump, boorish or not, could become president of the United States.

-- The federal government says North Carolinas LGBT law violates civil rights.

-- In the Philippines, the presidential election comes down to a government with heart versus the rule of the fist.

-- A study says a planes first-class section fuels air rage among passengers flying coach.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- From nanny to international art star: Ramiro Gomez on how his paintings reveal the labor that makes California cool possible.

-- Movie review: Captain America: Civil War may split the audience between true believers and puzzled newbies.

-- Rihanna remains an enigma onstage in her tour stop at the Forum.

-- Natalie Morales of The Today Show is moving to L.A. to join Access Hollywood.

-- Video: Jeremy Piven talks about his show Mr. Selfridge, based on the life of a department store magnate.

-- Hulu officially confirms it is developing a cable-like digital bundle, set to reach 12 million subscribers.

BUSINESS

-- Takata agrees to recall another 35 million to 40 million air bag inflators.

-- Tribune Publishing rejects Gannetts $815-million offer to buy the company.

SPORTS

-- Trojan Nation, a long-shot, is looking to make a name for himself in the Kentucky Derby.

-- Its another strong showing for Dodgers minor league pitcher Julio Urias.

OPINION

-- George Skelton: How did Trump become the presumptive nominee? Blame broadcast and social media.

-- We cant slow L.A.'s growing homeless crisis unless we know why its happening.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- A massive wildfire in Alberta, Canada, forces a city of about 80,000 to flee. (Edmonton Journal)

-- An interactive graphic shows how the supervolcano underneath Yellowstone works. (National Geographic)

-- Patton Oswalt remembers his wife, Michelle McNamara, who died last month. (Time)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

Thanks for the memories. Bob Hope Airport is being rebranded as Hollywood Burbank Airport in the hope that more people outside Southern California will know where it is. But there was a battle over whether to include Hollywood or Los Angeles in the new name. One official said, Los Angeles does not belong in Burbank. Shhh: Dont tell the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.
Donald J. Trump is now what he has claimed to be for some time: the presumptive Republican nominee for president. His attainment of that status this week is a triumph for him and a tragedy for both his party and the country.

Trumps lopsided victory in Tuesdays Indiana primary, the latest in a string of double-digit wins, prompted Sen. Ted Cruz to suspend his campaign even before the final ballots were counted. On Wednesday Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the last, best hope of Republicans appalled by the bombastic businessmans ascent, announced that he too would leave the race. Kasichs departure deprives voters in the remaining Republican primaries  including Californias on June 7  of a meaningful choice.

Trumps imminent capture of the Republican nomination is a monumental and mind-boggling political achievement. Over the last several months, to the surprise and embarrassment of pundits and political professionals alike, this political novice has eliminated one prominent and better qualified opponent after another. The casualty list includes current and former governors  most notably Jeb Bush, the well-funded scion of a political dynasty  and two senators who were considered rising Republican stars: Texas Cruz and Floridas Marco Rubio.

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Clearly Trump has connected with many voters, channeling anxieties about cultural change, a long-stagnant economy, globalization and a series of failed military interventions. Yet Republicans have ample reason to fear the consequences of a Trump nomination, not only for the presidential election but for contests further down the ballot.

After the 2012 election, an autopsy commissioned by the chairman of the Republican National Committee concluded that the partys future success would depend on reaching out to women and minorities. Young voters are increasingly rolling their eyes at what the party represents and many minorities wrongly think that Republicans do not like them, the report of the partys Growth and Opportunity Project observed. When someone rolls their eyes at us, they are not likely to open their ears to us.

Expect plenty of eye-rolling and deaf ears once the party nominates a man who demeans women, describes Mexican immigrants as rapists and proposes a ban (albeit a temporary one) on any foreign Muslim entering the United States.

The peril Trump poses for Republican electoral prospects doesnt alter the fact that the country as a whole would also be endangered by his selection as the Republican standard-bearer. Yes, some polls suggest that Trump would fare disastrously in the general election. The problem is that, armed with a major-party nomination, even an unqualified underdog might squeak into the Oval Office in the event of a national catastrophe or a crisis in the opposing campaign.

In the coming weeks and months, we can expect Trump and his advisers to attempt a series of makeovers to smooth out the rough edges of his persona. Indeed, the cosmetic surgery has already begun with the uncharacteristically restrained (but still muddled and self-contradictory) foreign-policy speech Trump delivered in Washington last month.

Its important that voters not be fooled by the revisionist project, and instead focus on Trump as he is and as he may be again if he wins the Oval Office in November: a superficial, poorly informed, vindictive and egotistical man who seems incapable of stifling the impulse to lash out at critics, political opponents and anyone else who bruises his vanity. Those traits may not be liabilities in a business career or on a reality television show, but they could be fatal in a commander-in-chief and the representative of the U.S. on the world stage. That Trump is nevertheless on the verge of being acclaimed as the Republican nominee is deeply depressing.

Trumps nomination may be a foregone conclusion, but prominent Republicans who recognize the threat he poses to their party arent obliged to fall into line. They can strike profiles in courage by saying publicly what they believe in their hearts: Never Trump.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook.

MORE EDITORIALS

We cant slow L.A.'s growing homeless crisis unless we know why its happening

Gov. Scott, try to create jobs in Florida instead of stealing them from California

Hillary Clinton speaks to the L.A. Times editorial board about war, women and her ability to navigate partisan obstructionism
Perhaps as early as this November, Los Angeles County voters will have the chance to vote on a new transportation sales tax  Measure R2. If it passes, it will increase the county sales tax by half a cent for the next 40 years and raise roughly $120 billion for the countys transportation future.

Certainly $120 billion can pay for a lot of smart and necessary projects  light-rail extensions, the completion of the Wilshire subway line, new bus lines and bikeways. All of those projects, and more, are covered in the Metropolitan Transportation Authoritys preliminary plan for the R2 money.

In broad terms, Metro is suggesting setting aside 35% of the money for rail, 17% for highway work, 25% for transit and Metro rail operations, and smaller percentages for bike and pedestrian projects, improved paratransit and other needs. The plan also sets aside 16% of the funds for local return, which means each of the 88 cities in the county would get a share of $19.2 billion for projects they designate and design.

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Unfortunately, Metros plan so far earmarks no money for repairing the countys surface streets, except in a few instances where they may intersect with other projects. And yet L.A.'s surface streets are the foundation of all the other elements in our transportation system. Bikes use streets; buses use them; FedEx, the post office, the police and the fire department use them; even the rail system requires streets to get people to and from the stations, and so will autonomous Ubers, Lyfts and other transportation innovators of the future.

My constituents ... cant be confronted with a depressing choice between fixing the streets and preserving L.A.'s ability to respond to new transportation needs.

As every Angeleno knows, our streets are in very bad shape. In the city of Los Angeles, motorists spend $1,000 a year in increased repair costs and fuel consumption because of rough and broken roadway surfaces. A third of the citys streets are in such poor condition that they can no longer be resurfaced with a new layer of asphalt, and must be reconstructed from the gravel base on up. An independent 2013 report by the engineering firm Harris & Associates estimated that it will cost $3.86 billion to bring all streets in the city of Los Angeles into a state of good repair.

The single best way to fund the repair of the citys failed streets would be to use L.A.'s local return dollars from Measure R2. However, 16% simply isnt a big enough slice of the pie.

L.A.'s portion of the R2 revenue, based on its population, would amount to about $4 billion. Theoretically, that is enough to pay to fix the streets, but the money wont come in all at once, and the cost of fixing the streets is estimated to double about every 10 years. The bottom line is that L.A.'s share of the 16% local return can fix only half our streets, and only if we spend all the money as it comes in, with nothing set aside for maintenance (which is how we got the streets we currently have), and with nothing left for any other city-designed transportation project  for the next 40 years.

If my constituents are going to help contribute $120 billion for transportation with every purchase they make, they cant be confronted with a depressing choice between fixing the streets and preserving L.A.'s ability to respond to new transportation needs. Instead, Measure R2 should mandate a 25% local return, which would provide enough money to fix the streets, keep them in good repair, and still allow for new transportation projects.

A 25% return in general strikes a better balance between regional and local projects for all of the 88 independent cities in Los Angeles County. I suspect many of my colleagues in other cities will want to do as I have proposed in L.A., and dedicate the majority of local return revenue to street repair. But the needs of Long Beach, Pasadena and Torrance may not be the same as those here, or in El Monte, Palmdale or Santa Monica. Each city should have the greatest possible flexibility to decide how to spend revenue from a countywide sales tax that everyone pays. Local mayors and city council members  and the residents they serve  know best which projects are most needed for the neighborhoods in their individual cities.

The future of transportation in Los Angeles County will incorporate bikes, buses, rail, cars and new services we cant even imagine now. The key to all of it will be a mobility network that is regional in scope yet sensitive to local context. Measure R2 deserves Angelenos support, but only if we can ensure that it will provide funds to stabilize L.A.'s now shaky transportation platform  its currently crumbling surface streets  and to meet important city transportation needs far into the future.

Joe Buscaino represents Watts and the 15th District on the Los Angeles City Council.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Huma Abedin, a close aide to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, was questioned last month by FBI agents investigating whether classified material was mishandled on the private email server used by the former secretary of State and her aides, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

Abedin was interviewed for about two hours at the FBIs field office in Washington on April 5, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Abedin is one of Clintons longtime confidantes and the interview is the latest indication that FBI agents have completed much of their background work and are nearing a conclusion in the politically sensitive probe.

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Abedins lawyer, Karen Dunn, could not be reached for comment. Mike Kortan, a spokesman for the FBI, did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment.

Clinton said recently that the FBI has not approached her for an interview, but that she would fully cooperate if they do.

Brian Fallon, a spokesman for the Clinton campaign, said she has offered to answer any FBI questions and remains confident that she and her aides acted appropriately.

From the start, Hillary Clinton has offered to answer any questions that would help the Justice Department complete its review, and we hope and expect that anyone else who is asked would do the same, Fallon said in an email. We are confident the review will conclude that nothing inappropriate took place.

It could not be determined if other aides have been questioned, or what was the scope of questions Abedin was asked.

Most legal experts, including a number of former federal prosecutors, believe that Clinton faces little risk of being prosecuted for using the private email system to conduct official business when she served as secretary of State.

Using a private email system was not banned at the time, her supporters note, and other senior government officials also have used personal email to transact official business.

The FBI investigation has caused Clinton considerable political pain as Republican rivals insist her use of a private email server should lead to her indictment.

In a statement, Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, accused Clinton of putting national security at risk by using the private email server.

These FBI interviews are another reminder of the gross negligence Hillary Clinton displayed as Secretary of State when she set up an off the books email server that exposed classified information on thousands of occasions, he said. This reckless attempt to skirt government transparency laws put our national security at risk, and underscores just how big of a risk a Hillary Clinton presidency truly is.

As investigators interview Clinton aides, they will try to verify information and look for inconsistencies.

The primary question is whether Clinton or her aides distributed classified material in email systems that fell outside the departments secure classified system.

Even if prosecutors determine that she did, the chances that she will be found criminally liable are low, experts say. Federal law makes it a crime only if someone knowingly or willfully retains classified information, handles it in a grossly negligent manner or passes it along to someone not entitled to see it.

Based on what we know now, it is extremely unlikely that Clinton will be charged for mishandling classified materials, said Steven Levin, a former federal prosecutor in Maryland who handled cases involving classified information.

For a prosecutor to bring a case, even a misdemeanor, against such a high-profile target of a criminal investigation, he or she would want to have overwhelming evidence of guilt. To date, we have yet to see that kind of evidence as significant questions remain about what materials were classified at the time, whether Clinton knew any materials were classified, and whether Clinton mishandled any classified materials with a bad purpose in mind. 

ALSO

Clinton is campaigning and raising cash in California

House Speaker Paul Ryan not ready to support Donald Trump

Mitt Romney joins list of Republicans who plan to sit out GOP convention

UPDATES:

3:45 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from the Republican National Committee chairman.

The first version of this post was published at 2:03 p.m.
Im Christina Bellantoni, and this is Essential Politics.

It was a whirlwind day in politics, from the rapidly evolving presidential race to major policy shifts at the state level.

In a chat Wednesday with the Los Angeles Times, Hillary Clinton outlined her views on the presidency and running as a woman. California also became the second state in the nation to forbid anyone under 21 from smoking cigarettes.

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But first, a lightning round on the Republican race that was suddenly over.

Cathleen Decker chalks it up to two overarching reasons: GOP voters were desperately concerned about the economy. And they wanted an outsider to fix it.

That left Republicans confronting a reality that seemed fantastically implausible not long ago: Donald Trump as their all-but-official presidential nominee.

The response Wednesday in some quarters was a combination of denial and resistance that was unlike anything seen in recent history, Mark Z. Barabak and Lisa Mascaro write.

And while some big-money donors, including the Koch brothers and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, were notably silent, a pro-Trump super PAC kicked into gear.

To remove any possible hope that California would remain competitive, Ohio Gov. John Kasich bid farewell to the presidential race, taking his sunny optimism along with him.

You cant say it doesnt sting, Decker and Seema Mehta write for the California section.

Gone are visions of GOP candidates chowing down at In-N-Out, walking the beach in their oxfords, pretending to understand the innards of high-tech inventions in Silicon Valley, gaping at cow herds in the Central Valley and braving the windswept cultural wilds of the City by the Bay.

The enticing possibility of the first decisive GOP presidential contest here in half a century was wiped out because of voters in a state that California outnumbers by more than 32 million people.

Still, the Democratic candidates are making their way here. Sen. Bernie Sanders hasnt announced plans to hit the Golden State just yet, but his campaign says he will. And just when he needs it most, the Sanders campaign is running low on funds, Chris Megerian and Evan Halper write. In April, Sanders fundraising for the month fell to $25.8 million, a drop of roughly $20 million from March and February. And hes been spending more than his opponent lately.

Clinton in the meantime, is asking voters for their support and donors for their money.

CLINTON TALKS WITH THE TIMES

In a wide-ranging, nearly hourlong discussion with The Times Editorial Board and two members of the newsroom, Clinton outlined how she thinks she can pursue economic progress if elected this fall.

Asked about the nagging perception from voters that she cant be trusted, Clinton said via phone that her best response is to keep fighting for the people who need somebody on their side.

Its what Im doing in this election. Its why Ive got 3 million more votes than Bernie Sanders and 2 million plus more votes than Donald Trump, despite all the negative ads that have been run against me, she said.

The former secretary of State gave a nod to a potentially competitive landscape for Democrats this fall, saying she hopes to have the benefit of a new Democratic majority in the Senate if she wins the presidency.

I think that is very possible. ... And I even think there are some House seats that we can target, she said, adding she will do everything she can to raise money for other Democrats to really help achieve that.

It would make my agenda more achievable more quickly if we did have a Democratic Senate and a greater number of Democrats in the House, she said.

As for her priorities, Weve got to move on the economy, Clinton said, from raising the federal minimum wage from its current $7.25 an hour (she didnt say to what rate) to passing equal pay measures.

She lauded California Gov. Jerry Brown for recently signing into law a measure expanding paid family leave in the state.

Clinton also said she would prioritize comprehensive immigration reform in those first weeks because I think we got to start dealing with it early.

And Im hoping that  if the Republicans lose another presidential election maybe they will see the light and work with us.

The former First Lady also shared her advice for aspiring female leaders and pointedly defended Megyn Kelly and Carly Fiorina from Trumps gender-based attacks. Colleen Shalby posted the audio.

We will publish a full transcript of the conversation. Here is our March discussion with Sanders.

THE CLINTONS COME TO TOWN  FOR CASH

The candidate heads to Los Angeles today, and former President Bill Clinton was in town Wednesday.

As Kurtis Lee reports, the former president took a subtle jab at Trump over his comments about Muslims while campaigning for his wife at a Koreatown hotel.

Beyond the official appearances, Clintons campaign has a host of fundraisers planned in California over the next week.

Hillary Clinton will be downtown today to attend an early afternoon fundraiser with Los Angeles City Council member Jose Huizar. Donors can give $2,700 or raise $10,000 to be a co-host and take a photo with Clinton. Hosts who raise $27,000 can attend a reception with the candidate and become members of the campaigns Finance Committee, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by The Times.

At roughly the same time, top Clinton aide Huma Abedin attends a separate downtown Los Angeles afternoon fundraiser hosted by Dr. Asif Mahmood. Contribution levels range between $1,000 and $5,000.

As we have reported in this space, Bill Clinton attends an evening fundraiser Friday at the Los Angeles home of Laura and Sanford Michelman.

On May 12, campaign manager Robby Mook and chief digital and technology strategist Teddy Goff will appear for a lunchtime conversation at Craigs in West Hollywood. Contributions range from $250 to $2,500 as a co-host who can attend a reception with Mook and Goff.

On May 13, Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin will join Lily Tomlin, Meredith Baxter, Suzanne Westenhoefer and Stephanie Miller at the Santa Monica home of Baxter and Nancy Locke.

Event chairs include Roberta Conroy, Ashley Kennedy, Rosezetta Cummings, Claire Lucas, Judy Dlugacz, Andrea Meyerson and Valerie Ploumpis. Contribution levels range from $500 to $10,000 as a co-chair, which comes with the promise of an invitation to a future event with Hillary or President Bill Clinton.

Hillary Clinton will attend an early evening event in Los Angeles on May 23 at the home of Bryan Lourd and Bruce Bozzi. Anna Wintour also is listed as a host. Donors can give $2,700, or raising $10,000 as a co-host includes a photo with the candidate.

Bill Clinton also will give the commencement address at Loyola Marymount University this weekend.

LOUD AND BRASH WINS

A victor has been crowned. How did Trump become the Republican Partys presumptive presidential nominee? Blame broadcast and social media, says George Skelton, who writes in his Thursday column that incivility has become the status quo in our political discourse.

Find the latest campaign news on Trail Guide and by following @latimespolitics.

21 TO SMOKE

The smoking age in California will soon be raised from 18 to 21 thanks to a law signed by Brown on Wednesday. Brown OKd a package of bills aimed at curtailing tobacco use, including legislation that outlaws vaping in many public places including restaurants, theaters and schools.

Track whats happening in Sacramento in real time on our Essential Politics news feed.

REPUBLICAN CALLS OPPONENTS DUMMY POLITICIANS IN NEW AD

Republican Sean Flynn, who is running to unseat Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar, released an ad for TV and radio this week to introduce himself to voters in the Inland Empire. He wasted no time attacking his fellow GOP candidates in the spot. The ad refers to Republicans Paul Chabot and former Rep. Joe Baca as dummy politicians who dont have a clue while presenting Flynn, an economist, as an outsider who can fix an ailing economy.

A spokesman for Chabot, a military veteran who narrowly lost a 2014 contest for the then-open San Bernardino congressional seat, shot back, criticizing Flynn for having zero experience fighting crime and terrorism.

Chabot and Flynn are taking two different tacks as they attempt to oust Aguilar, the former mayor of Redlands. Chabot is focusing on national security and combating terrorism  he is even selling stickers that read ISIS Hunting Permit to support his campaign. Flynn is tacking to the center and leveraging his credentials as an associate professor of economics at Scripps College in Claremont.

ASSEMBLYMANS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HEARING POSTPONED UNTIL TWO WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION

Congressional candidate and state Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina) will have to appear in divorce court two weeks before the June primary for a hearing on allegations he repeatedly abused his estranged wife.

Hernandez was at the hearing in Los Angeles but declined to comment. His lawyer said the allegations were fabricated and meant to harm Hernandezs political career.

Susan Rubios sister, Blanca Rubio, who is running for Hernandezs assembly seat, had plenty to say, Javier Panzar reports.

TODAYS ESSENTIALS

 Progressive organizations are challenging the Chamber of Commerces influence at the Capitol.

 Dexter Thomas spoke with three Asian American leaders about the work that prompted the White House to honor them this week.

 Democrat David Guzman said Wednesday ended his bid for the 29th Congressional District seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Tony Cardenas, saying it was a mistake to run for Congress as a first-time candidate with little political experience. With the California primary less than 35 days away, Guzmans name will remain on the ballot. On his website, Guzman urged supporters to examine the remaining four candidates, rather than vote for him.

 What do you think of Trump? Readers can weigh in with our quick survey.

LOGISTICS

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Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.
Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed a pack of bills that will raise the smoking age in California from 18 to 21, restrict the use of electronic cigarettes in public places and expand no-smoking areas at public schools.

However, Brown vetoed a bill that would have allowed counties to seek voter approval of local tobacco taxes to pay for healthcare expenses for those with tobacco-related illnesses.

Although California has one of the lowest cigarette tax rates in the nation, I am reluctant to approve this measure in view of all the taxes being proposed for the 2016 ballot, Brown wrote in his veto message for a bill authored by Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica).

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Brown did not comment on the other bills that he signed, but state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) said approval of his bill raising the smoking age will save lives.

The governors signature on Tobacco 21 is a signal that California presents a united front against Big Tobacco, Hernandez said in a statement. Together, we stand to disrupt the chain of adolescent addiction.

The package of bills was touted as the most expansive effort to control tobacco use in the state in more than a decade. The bills were backed by a coalition of medical groups including the American Heart Assn, American Lung Assn., American Cancer Society and the California Medical Assn.

It is long past due for California to update our approach to tobacco, and with the governors signature on these life-saving bills, we have done just that, said Steven Larson, president of the CMA.

The tobacco industry has threatened to seek a referendum vote to overturn the bills increasing the smoking age and restricting e-cigarettes. That threat led lawmakers to employ procedural tricks to make it harder to qualify a referendum.

The governors action was criticized Wednesday by the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Assn., which represents makers of electronic cigarettes and said it would work with voters to educate them about the industry.

California took a step backwards today by reclassifying vapor products as tobacco, the group said in a statement. Stigmatizing vapor products, which contain no tobacco, and treating them the same as combustible tobacco while actively seeking to economically penalize smokers attempting to switch is counterproductive to public health.

Representatives of tobacco giant Altria did not return calls for comment Wednesday. When the smoking age bill was introduced, spokesman David Sutton said the industry preferred that the issue be handled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has been studying the matter through the Institute of Medicine.

We believe states and localities should defer to this regulatory process and give the FDA, the IOM and others the time to review the science and evidence, before enacting different minimum age laws, Sutton said at the time.

The bills were approved during a special session on healthcare and will become effective sooner  June 9  than other bills, which take effect Jan. 1, 2017.

Supporters of the bills noted that tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., with as many as 34,000 Californians dying each year.

Browns signature makes California the second state in the nation to raise the tobacco age to 21, following Hawaii. Hernandez authored the bill in an effort to reduce the number of young people who start smoking.

Some 90% of tobacco users start before the age of 21, and about 80% first try tobacco before age 18, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

A 2015 Institute of Medicine study estimated that increasing the tobacco purchase age to 21 will result in 200,000 fewer premature deaths for those born between 2000 and 2019.

After some lawmakers objected that 18-year-olds can join the military but would be banned from smoking, Hernandez changed his bill to exempt people in active military service.

Under other legislation signed by the governor, electronic cigarettes are considered to be tobacco products and cannot be used in restaurants, theaters, bars and other places where smoking has long been banned. They also cannot be marketed to minors.

Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) authored the e-cigarette law, complaining that the so-called vaping devices are aggressively marketed to young people with candy flavors such as bubble gum.

Leno cited a study last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found the use of e-cigarettes by high school students tripled from 2013 to 2014.

The e-cigarette is nothing more than a new delivery system for toxic and addictive nicotine, Leno said Wednesday. Ensuring that e-cigarettes fall under Californias comprehensive smoke-free laws is critical to protecting public health, especially given the alarming rate at which young people are picking up these devices.

Vaping devices  which heat a liquid often mixed with nicotine and other chemicals to generate an inhalable vapor  have become the most popular delivery system for tobacco products used by high school and middle school students, government researchers said.

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Other measures signed by the governor will:

 Close loopholes in the ban on smoking in workplaces to include warehouses, gambling clubs, motel lobbies, covered parking lots and other public areas left out of the existing law.

 Expand the tobacco-free campus law to include more areas of charter schools and public school facilities and offices.

 Raise the licensing fee for tobacco retailers from a one-time $100 charge per location to $265 annually, and boost the annual fee for distributors and wholesalers from $1,000 to $1,200 to better cover the states enforcement costs.

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

Follow @mcgreevy99 on Twitter

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Updates from Sacramento
The odds that youve seen a doctor in the last year vary quite a bit depending on where you live  but so far, the way your state has implemented the Affordable Care Act doesnt seem to have much to do with it, government data show.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that 17.3% of American adults did not have a home base for their medical care in 2014, and 34% had not seen or talked to a doctor in the last year.

But those figures ranged considerably from state to state.

Residents of Vermont had the best access to medical care: 84.1% of them had visited or been in touch with a doctor in the past year, and 97.2% said they had a place to go if they needed medical attention.

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In four other states  Delaware, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Hawaii  at least 90% of residents had a medical home, and in two other states  Delaware and Virginia  at least 75% of residents had seen or talked with a doctor in the past year.

At the other end of the spectrum, in three states  Nevada, Idaho and Texas  more than 25% of residents didnt have a regular place to receive medical care. In three other states  Montana, South Dakota and Alaska  more than 45% of people had gone more than a year without seeing or talking to a doctor.

California was close the national average on both scores. In the Golden State, 36.7% of adults hadnt seen or talked with a doctor in the past year, and 18.9% lacked a usual place to seek care.

Although access to medical care varied greatly by state, the researchers found little difference when they grouped states according to their response to the ACA (also known as Obamacare).

Among the 25 states (plus the District of Columbia) that expanded their Medicaid programs in the wake of the federal law, 66.7% of residents had seen or spoken with a doctor in the last year, on average. In the other 25 states that did not expand Medicare, the figure was 65.2%  a difference too small to be considered statistically significant.

The researchers did find a slight but real difference in residents likelihood of having a usual place of care: 83.4% had a medical home in states that expanded Medicare, on average, compared with 81.8% in states that didnt.

Many factors likely influence rates of healthcare utilization, and rates may change as the length of time since ACA implementation increases, the report authors concluded.

The findings are based on adults ages 18 to 64 who participated in the CDCs National Health Interview Survey. The report was produced by the agencys National Center for Health Statistics.

Follow me on Twitter @LATkarenkaplan and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

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An Orange County Board of Education trustee plans to ask his colleagues to order an investigation of the conduct of a fellow board member after learning of emails the member sent inquiring about an employees sexual orientation and referring to gays as Sodomites.

Any investigation of trustee Robert Hammond  whose District 1 includes Fountain Valley  would require a majority vote of the five-member board if it takes up the matter at its meeting Wednesday at the Orange County Department of Education headquarters in Costa Mesa.

Whats being asked for is the determination as to whether the conduct of a trustee has exposed the department for potential litigation, trustee David Boyd, who plans to request the investigation, told the Daily Pilot on Wednesday.

To my knowledge, no lawsuits have been filed related to Mr. Hammonds conduct, but the board and the department need to get ahead of this problem before it becomes a liability, Boyd said in an earlier statement. But more importantly, we need to insure that all of our employees are treated with the respect that they deserve.

If there is an investigation, the board would decide who would conduct it, Boyd added.

Boyd  a Costa Mesa resident whose District 2 includes Huntington Beach and portions of Costa Mesa and Fountain Valley  said he became aware of Hammonds emails after another person obtained them through a public records request to the Department of Education.

Does this problem go further than what weve discovered through the public records act? Thats what were hoping to determine, Boyd told the Daily Pilot.

The public records request was made March 31 by Susan Mercer of Orange, according to a copy of the request that the department provided Wednesday evening. She asked for all emails that Hammond and board member Ken Williams exchanged with department staff from July 1, 2012, to Jan. 31, 2016.

Earlier this week, Boyd said the person who filed the request  whom he would not name  is not an employee of the Department of Education but was considering running for a seat on the board a few months ago.

In one email acquired through the records request, Hammond wrote to a Department of Education employee in April 2014: I hope you dont mind, but I plan on asking you about your sexual orientation publicly during our next board meeting.

Boyd, who has been on the board for six years, said he doesnt recall Hammond asking about an employees sexuality during a meeting.

I dont have any history on what took place beyond what the emails said, whether something took place behind the scenes, Boyd said.

Hammond said in an email to the Daily Pilot on Wednesday that his email to the employee was regarding the California Healthy Kids Survey and a question that asks seventh- and ninth-graders for their sexual orientation. He said he was addressing his concerns about that question, which he considers inappropriate.

In another email obtained through the records request, this one from last June, Hammond ended a message to Williams with PS  The Supreme Court ruled (5-4) that Sodomites can now be married!

Hammond said Wednesday that he was merely stating a fact.

In a Board of Education news release, Laura Kanter, director of policy, advocacy and youth programs for the LGBT Center OC in Santa Ana, stated that asking any employee about his or her sexual orientation is a wildly inappropriate and outrageous violation of their right to privacy.

The California Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits harassment and discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation, including derogatory comments, slurs and jokes.

Mr. Hammonds tone is alienating to multiple groups, not only the LGBT community, Kanter said. Trustee Hammonds ignorance and threatening behavior create an unsafe and hostile work environment for other board members and OCDE employees.

In an email to the Daily Pilot, Department of Education communications officer Ian Hanigan noted the concerns raised about Hammonds 2014 email to the department employee and said, Staff immediately addressed the remark with the board member, discussing departmental standards of conduct and civility.

The Orange County Department of Education strives to ensure a safe, caring and courteous work environment, and we are committed to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and respect for all employees, Hanigan said.

Before being elected to the Board of Education in 2012, Hammond earned a degree in broadcast communications with a minor in religion from the University of La Verne in 1991 and began a teaching career in 1993. He has taught special education, English immersion and teacher training. He is running for reelection to the board this year.

Former trustee Liz Parker, a Costa Mesa resident who left the board in 2014 after 32 years, said there has been friction between Boyd and Hammond in the past.

She said that during her time on the board, Boyd supported grants from federal and state governments for mental health services geared toward children of the LGBT community.

On the other hand, she said she remembers Hammonds opposition to Assembly Bill 1266  allowing students to use male or female bathrooms in public schools based on their gender identity  as it was about to be signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013.

Wednesdays board meeting will begin at 10 a.m. at 200 Kalmus Drive, Costa Mesa.
Got your Derby hat and nowhere to go? Santa Anita Park brings Saturdays Kentucky Derby to Southern California with a live simulcast and a $1,000 contest for the best toppers.

The competition in the first leg of the Triple Crown will be broadcast on more than 2,000 TV screens at the racetrack in Santa Anita as well as on big screen where visitors can watch from the grandstands.

Live races at Santa Anita begin at noon.

See the most-read in Life & Style this hour >>

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When the Kentucky Derby race begins (its a two-minute race, by the way), Santa Anita will pause its live races to broadcast the simulcast. Guests will be able to place bets on the Derby from tellers and machines too.

But the party doesnt end there.

The racetrack is hosting a KROQ Beer Festival ($30) in the infield as well as a formal meal in the Chandelier Room with a menu overseen by L.A.-based chef Neal Fraser ($85).

And about the hats. Visitors can compete for a $1,000 prize in each of three categories: best hat, best fascinator and best overall fashion.

For $20, you can buy a Trackside Package that will get you admission, a drink voucher, racing program, a seat in the stands and a tote bag featuring American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown winner.

Info: Santa Anita Park, (626) 574-7223
Like the story of its biblical namesake, the 81-year journey of the Noahs Ark walk-through attraction at Pennsylvanias Kennywood theme park is a tale of survival against seemingly insurmountable odds.

The last theme park ark ever built has survived repeated rehabs and misguided makeovers to emerge as the last-of-its-kind attraction in operation and an icon of the Pittsburgh-area park.

The fourth major rehab of the 1936 arks history is expected to be completed in time for Kennywoods opening day on Saturday. A grand re-opening of the classic attraction is scheduled for May 25.

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The West Mifflin, Pa., theme park dates to 1898, when the Kennys Grove picnic area was transformed into a trolley park with the addition of a carousel, casino and dance hall. Over the next few years, the park added an Old Mill dark ride and a figure eight toboggan coaster.

With more than a dozen pre-World War II rides, the quaint and nostalgic 92-acre park has been named to the National Register of Historic Places for its collection of rare, exceptional and highly representative historic amusements.

Kennywood boasts a long history of carnival funhouses dating back to 1902 when the first pavilion of fun opened with a crazy staircase and an earthquake floor. Over the first two decades of the 20th century, a string of funhouses operated at the park under names like House of Trouble, Laughing Gallery, Daffy Dilla Fun Factory and Hilarity Hall. The gags and stunts  including electric shockers, upside down rooms and a human roulette wheel  remained Kennywood mainstays until the funhouses fell out of favor in the 1950s. Noahs Ark remains the last link to the parks funhouse heritage.

Built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the Kennywood ark underwent major overhauls in 1941, 1969 and 1996. The latest rehab seeks to restore the retro attraction to its 1969 state.

The worlds first Noahs Ark attraction appeared at the Venice Beach pier in 1919. More than three dozen copies followed in the 1920s and 30s at places like New Yorks Coney Island and Ohios Cedar Point as well as parks in the United Kingdom and Australia. The Kennywood ark was the last one built in 1936 and remains the last one in operation today after the closure in 2008 of the ark at the U.K.s Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

All of the Noahs Ark walk-through attractions were essentially carnival funhouses in the shape of the biblical boat from the Genesis flood story  complete with appearances by the prophet ark builder and pairs of animals. Visitors walked through a maze inside the boat filled with physical stunts and visual gags as the massive ark gently rocked back and forth on an inverted pendulum.

Over the decades, Kennywoods ark changed with the times, usually for the worse. During World War II, an Adolf Hitler corpse filled a coffin prop. In the 1950s, a television antennae appeared on the roof of the ark. By the 1960s, Snoopy and a menagerie of other animals circled the ship on a motorized track.

The original 1936 Kennywood ark was built at a cost of $20,000 and featured hand-carved animals, according to Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts, a volunteer organization dedicated to the classic attractions. Construction of the Kennywood ark was delayed by the great St. Patricks Day flood, the worst flooding in Pittsburghs recorded history.

The first major revamp in 1941 added stunts like falling barrels, shaking floorboards and tilted rooms along with ghosts and skeletons. Air jets hidden in the arks entrance ramp were a favorite gag of delighted onlookers who watched the powerful blasts blow up womens skirts and knock off mens hats.

The 1969 renovation introduced new funhouse stunts as well as a ground-level entrance to the ark through a whales mouth along a squishy tongue.

As the ark entered its sixth decade of service, the attraction was beginning to show its age. As work crews embarked on the attractions third major overhaul, they made a startling discovery: The ark was on the verge of falling apart. Kennywood management had to make a choice: Tear down the old ark or completely rebuilt it.

Opting to save Noahs Ark, the 1996 overhaul sought to modernize the aging attraction with a high-tech storyline that turned visitors into archaeologists touring the recently uncovered dig site of the ancient ark. As fate would have it, severe flooding in the Pittsburgh region once again accompanied construction on the ark.

Parkgoers were not pleased with the updated 4.0 version of the ark. Long-time fans bemoaned the passing of the quirky old attraction and longed nostalgically for the beloved whale mouth entrance  replaced by an Elevator of Doom in the modern makeover.

The latest rehab effectively guts the octogenarian ark of the storytelling inconsistencies introduced in past renovations and reintroduces 20-plus classic scenes from the attractions original Bible story. Returning to the roots of the attraction, the Mach V ark brings back the menagerie of 50 wild animals along with favorite funhouse gags and stunts.

Ultimately, it was clear that our guests did not want a high-tech Noahs Ark, said Kennywood spokesman Nick Paradise. They wanted the kitschy, cheesy gags of the classic Noahs Ark and the retro funhouse. So we are going back to the beginning in a lot of ways.

After the latest rehab is complete, all that will remain of the original 1936 attraction will be the subterranean ark-rocking mechanism, the shaking floorboards and the cement foundation. Much to the delight of old-time fans of the classic ark, visitors will once again enter through the mouth of a blue whale along a squishy tongue made of rubbery playground flooring.

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An airstrike on Thursday hit a crowded refugee camp in Syria close to the border with Turkey, killing at least 28 people, according to Syrian pro-opposition activists. Images posted on social media, said to be of the aftermath of the strike, showed at least a dozen tents burned to the ground and bloodied women and children being loaded onto a pickup truck.

The camp in Sarmada, in rebel-held territory the northwestern Idlib province, is home to between 1,500 and 2,000 internally displaced people who fled the fighting from the surrounding Aleppo and Hama provinces over the last year, according to activist Mohammad Shafie in the town of Atareb, about 7.5 miles from the camp.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 28 died, but the Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, said more than 30 were killed. Images on social media showed charred bodies and men pouring buckets of water on fires that erupted within the camp.

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The attack came just hours after a twin bombing in the central province of Homs killed at least 10 people and wounded scores, state media and the regional governor, Talal Barrazi, said. A car bomb first exploded in the main square of village of Mukharam al-Fawkani, located about 28 miles east of the central city of Homs, Syrias third-largest.

As people gathered to help the victims, a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle detonated his explosives belt nearby, authorities said. Four children and three women were among those killed, Syrian state TV said, and as many as 49 were wounded in the attack.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Islamic State group has claimed to be behind several similar deadly attacks in Homs province. The area of the blasts is close to where Syrian troops and Islamic State gunmen have been fighting for control of the vital Shaer gas field, which fell to Islamic State on Wednesday after the extremists overran 13 government checkpoints and captured a Syrian soldier. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 34 government troops and 16 militants have been killed in three days of fighting there.

Meanwhile, relative calm prevailed in the northern city of Aleppo, which has been the center of violence in recent weeks, following a truce announced the day before by U.S. officials in agreement with Russia -- an effort to extend Syrias fragile cease-fire to the deeply contested city. The Syrian military said the truce would last 48 hours.

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Syrian state media reported some violations of the truce in Aleppo, saying militants fired more than 20 shells into government-held parts of the city, where 280 civilians have been killed over the last two weeks, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights . The activist group said Thursdays shelling killed one person.

Also Thursday, renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev led the Mariinsky Orchestra from St. Petersburg in a concert at the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, badly damaged by Islamic State extremists who held the town for 10 months before Syrian troops captured it under the cover of Russian airstrikes in March.

The concert, dubbed With a Prayer for Palmyra, was to support the restoration of the UNESCO world heritage site and in honor of the victims of Syrias war. It was held in the towns amphitheater, and the audience included Russian servicemen and combat engineers who have been doing demining work in the town to remove bombs left by Islamic State militants.

In opening remarks, Gergiev said that with the concert, we protest against the barbarians who destroyed monuments of world culture.

There was also a video linkup in which Putin addressed the audience, saying he regards the concert as a sign of gratitude, remembrance and hope.

Elsewhere, a salvo of rockets struck southern Turkey from Syrian territory, wounding four people, Turkeys state-run agency said. The Anadolu Agency said three rockets hit the Turkish town of Kilis early Thursday.

The rockets were fired from Islamic State-controlled territory in Syria, according to the private Dogan News agency. It said one policeman was among the wounded. The agency carried photographs of damaged buildings and vehicles.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

Such incidents have become a regular occurrence in the border town, which is home to a significant Syrian refugee population. Cross-border fire has left 20 people dead and dozens of others wounded this year.

The Turkish military typically fires back in line with its rules of engagement, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Islamic State on Wednesday that no attack on Turkey would go unanswered.

A Lebanese TV station embedded with the Syrian army said Syrian rebels are waging an offensive on a government-held village south of the city of Aleppo. Al Mayadeen TV, broadcasting live from near the fighting, said armed groups launched their assault for Khan Touman earlier in the afternoon on Thursday.

The TV says government jets are bombing rebel positions outside the village. Bomb blasts are seen in the stations feed from the hilly countryside.

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South Korea said Wednesday that it will shut down a joint industrial park with North Korea in response to the Norths recent rocket launch, accusing the North of using hard currency from the park to develop its nuclear and missile programs.

The decision to end operations at the industrial complex in the North Korean border city of Kaesong, the last major cooperation project between the rival countries, comes after North Korea on Sunday launched a long-range rocket considered by other nations to be a banned missile technology test.

By closing the complex, South Korean President Park Geun-hye has done something her conservative predecessor resisted, even after two attacks blamed on North Korea killed 50 South Koreans in 2010. It is among the strongest punitive measures available to her.

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South Korean Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said at a news conference that the suspension of operations at the park would stop the North from using hard currency earned there to develop nuclear and missile technology.

The park, which started producing goods in 2004, has provided $560 million in cash to impoverished North Korea, Hong said.

It appears that such funds have not been used to pave the way to peace as the international community had hoped, but rather to upgrade its nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, he said at the televised briefing.

The unification ministry said in a statement that the government had decided to completely shut down the park. It notified North Korean authorities of the decision and asked them to help ensure the safe return of South Korean citizens from Kaesong.

There was no immediate reaction to the move from North Korea.

South Koreas government will provide financial compensation to companies that operate at the park, the finance ministry said in a statement.

South Korean businesses that operate factories at the park reacted with a mixture of disappointment and anger. In a statement, the association of South Korean companies in Kaesong denounced the governments decision as entirely incomprehensible and unjust.

Lee Eun-haeng, chairman of Ilsung Leports, which produces fashion goods at the park, said the companies had become victims of a political situation.

For the companies and for their suppliers to survive, the government should give enough compensation, Lee said by phone. There are hundreds of thousands of South Korean workers and families who rely on the Kaesong park for their living. They have become jobless overnight.

Nonetheless, he said, he had no choice but to accept the governments measures because they were for the sake of national security.

Combining South Korean initiative, capital and technology with the Norths cheap labor, the industrial park has been seen as a test case for reunification between the Koreas. Last year, 124 South Korean companies hired 54,000 North Korean workers to produce socks, wristwatches and other goods worth around $500 million.

In addition to the business benefits, the park also allowed people from both Koreas to interact with each other and catch glimpses of lives on the other side of the border. Some South Korean snacks have become popular among North Korean workers.

South Koreas government and companies invested more than $852 million to pave roads and erect buildings in the park zone, which lies in a guarded, gated complex on the outskirts of Kaesong, North Koreas third-largest city.

South Korean companies in Kaesong survived during past periods of tensions that led to the suspension of other inter-Korean projects. A major interruption to the parks operation came in 2013, when North Korea pulled out its workers in protest of South Koreas joint military drills with the United States.

North Korea launched a long-range rocket Sunday carrying what it said was an Earth observation satellite into space. The launch, which came about a month after the countrys fourth nuclear test, was quickly condemned by world leaders as a potential threat to regional and global security.

Japan announced Wednesday that it will impose new sanctions on North Korea to protest the rocket launch. The U.S. Congress is also considering imposing more stringent sanctions on North Korea.

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The Turkish prime ministers announcement Thursday that he will resign is a move that many analysts contend stems from President Recep Tayyip Erdogans relentless bid to bolster his power and pursue unchallenged his vision of a New Turkey.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, whom Erdogan selected for the post after becoming president in 2014, said during a speech in Ankara, the capital, that he would leave out of necessity. He refrained from criticizing Erdogan after months of speculation in the Turkish media that a rift between the two had emerged.

Erdogans honor is my honor, Davutoglu said. We have always stood shoulder to shoulder.

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The ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, is expected to hold an emergency meeting May 22 to name a new prime minister. Davutoglu said he does not plan to resign from the party.

Erdogan picked Davutoglu to succeed him in the post of prime minister, expecting a pliable ally to head the Turkish parliament.

Davutoglu largely complied, but he also sought to shape Turkish politics, falling afoul of the controlling president on issues, including whether to resume peace talks with Kurdish militants, the treatment of journalists accused of spying and a more authoritarian system of government.

Davutoglu dared to be an active prime minister, by taking initiatives on his own, said Sezin Oney of the political science department at Bilkent University in Ankara.

Many observers say Erdogan is seeking to establish a presidential system of rule, absent checks and balances, that will amount to a dictatorship.

He wants absolute micro and macro power, total control, said Cengiz Aktar, a scholar at the Istanbul Policy Center. The country is heading towards one-man rule. There is no politician that can challenge Erdogan.

Davutoglu often appeared uneasy with Erdogans broader goals. The pro-Erdogan media had repeatedly accused the prime minister of not showing enough support for implementing the system.

A core feature of Erdogans broader designs is a pivot away from alliances with the West  the U.S., the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization  that have shaped Turkey since the end of World War II.

Erdogans disdain for the West and its democratic values has become increasingly clear since the Arab Spring revolts, which he perceived as an opportunity to pursue his broader regional and domestic goals.

Davutoglu, according to Oney, was a proponent of alliances with the West and of powerful state institutions that wanted to designate a more symbolic role for Erdogan.

Since July, Turkeys Kurdish southeast has turned into a war zone as three years of peace talks collapsed, with security forces battling Kurdish insurgents in some of the worst violence to beset the country in decades. The fighting flared after Erdogans party lost its parliamentary majority in June, largely because of the rise of a pro-Kurdish party, the Peoples Democratic Party.

Critics contend that Erdogan incited the violence to whip up nationalist sentiment and delegitimize the Kurdish movement, as he sought fresh elections and the opportunity to regain the ruling partys majority. Davutoglu recently suggested that there could be a return to peace talks, a statement that enraged Erdogan, who flatly rejected any cessation of hostilities.

Davutoglu aggressively pursued the EU-Turkey agreement to address the issue of migrants trying to reach Europe, which he believed would give him leverage over the president and strengthen his position.

The premiers success in getting Europe to ease visa restrictions for Turks by June was seen as a slight to Erdogan, who had previously said he would deliver visa-free travel by October 2016.

I dont understand why bringing it forward four months is presented as a win, Erdogan said this week. Im saddened by the presentation of small things in a bigger light.

It is widely rumored that Erdogans son-in-law, Berat Albayrak, may ascend to the position of party leader and prime minister.

Johnson is a special correspondent.

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MOSCOW -- Ukraines acting president said Tuesday that it would be at least two more days before an interim government is in place as further negotiations are needed to ensure that a genuine coalition of national faith agrees to see the divided country through to May 25 elections.

Interim President Olexander Turchynov made the announcement to the parliament now dominated by opposition figures and defected members of fugitive ex-President Viktor Yanukovichs Party of Regions. A provisional government, on which sympathetic Western countries are waiting to work out an urgent bailout for deeply indebted Ukraine, had been expected on Tuesday.

Turchynov also warned of the dangers of separatism threatening Ukraine, which is torn between Russian-leaning eastern citizens and pro-European city dwellers in the western regions.

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[Updated, 5:48 a.m. PST Feb. 25: Yanukovich is being sought for trial on charges of mass murder since a warrant went out for his arrest on Monday.

On Tuesday, the ex-presidents former chief of staff, Andriy Klyuyev, was reported to be hospitalized after being wounded by gunfire, the Associated Press quoted Klyuyevs spokesman as saying.

No details were released as to the circumstances of his injury, his condition or where he was being treated.]

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin assembled his national security team for a Kremlin caucus on the turmoil in Ukraine, a former Soviet republic that Moscow has dominated for centuries. Rossiya-24 television showed top Cabinet ministers and Russian security advisors gathering in an ornate hall but gave no report on their discussions or decisions.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later told journalists at a Moscow news conference that Russia would refrain from interfering in Ukraines domestic crisis and expected other countries to do likewise.

Ukraines industries and economy are dependent on components and trade with Russian companies, and Russias Black Sea naval fleet is based in the port of Sevastopol, which became a Ukrainian city after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Most of the eastern half of Ukraine had voted for Yanukovich and supported his decision late last year to continue strengthening economic and political ties with Russia rather than entering into an association agreement with the European Union.

Though Russian officials have made disparaging remarks about the Yanukovich opponents now running Ukraines government following the presidents de facto ouster last week, Putin has said little about how he expects the power struggle and fight over Ukraines future to play out.

Lavrov seemed to be conveying a Kremlin message that it was taking a hands-off approach while watching to see what leadership emerges from talks underway in Kiev.

We have confirmed our principled position to not interfere in Ukraines internal affairs and expect all [foreign powers] to follow a similar logic, Lavrov said.

Lavrov added that Russian leaders consider it dangerous and counterproductive for outside political forces to be presenting Ukraine with any youre with us or youre against us ultimatums.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has been in Kiev for meetings with political and economic strategists for the last two days, and a broader international gathering of foreign policy and civil society experts, including U.S. officials, is expected in Kiev in the next few days.

Although Lavrov delivered his comments on Ukraine in a calm and businesslike manner, he also criticized the Ukrainian oppositions decision to move up elections after previously agreeing on Friday to see legislative reforms enacted first and the vote held after September.

The EU-brokered agreement that brought a tentative peace to chaotic Kiev specifically underlined that the presidential election was due only by the end of the year, Lavrov said, expressing the Kremlins frustration with the fast pace of political changes in Ukraine that have empowered a pro-European leadership.

Both Russian and Western officials have complained that the other side has been trying to influence Ukraines future political and economic course over the last three months of unrest.

Anti-government protesters took to the streets of Kiev and other western Ukrainian cities in late November after Yanukovich rejected the EU association deal that had been three years in the making. The protests escalated in January, when the parliament then dominated by Yanukovich allies outlawed the public demonstrations and began a brutal crackdown on those disrupting traffic and government business in central Kievs Independence Square, known as Maidan.

The clashes reached a bloody crescendo last week, with at least 82 killed in melees sparked by the presidents allies delay of promised legislative reforms to reduce the powers of Ukraines presidency and restore the parliamentary democracy in place before Yanukovichs 2010 election.

[For The Record, 9:22 a.m. PST Feb. 25: An earlier version of this post identified Stavropol as a Black Sea port. The correct name is Sevastopol.]

carol.williams@latimes.com



Twitter: @cjwilliamslat
On 4 May Costa Ricas foreign minister, Manuel Gonzalez, called on the US government to change its wet-foot, dry-foot policy of granting residency to Cuban immigrants that make it to US territory (according to which Cuban nationals who set foot on US soil can stay, while those captured at sea are sent back to Cuba).

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On 28 April Haiti Special Coordinator and US Deputy Assistant Secretary Kenneth Merten travelled to Haiti. According to a US State Department press release, the aim of Mertens visit was to assess progress toward the completion of the 2015 electoral process and the installation of a democratically elected government in Haiti. During his stay Merten is due to meet with Haitian government officials involved in the implementation of the February 5 accord [signed by former president Michel Martelly (2011-2016) and the heads of congress ahead of Martellys departure on 7 February] and with international community partners of Haiti. Merten visits the country, which is currently run by a caretaker government led by Jocelerme Privert amid an electoral crisis caused by the failure to stage delayed presidential and partial legislative run-off elections. These were last due to take place on 24 April, as per the 5 February accord which also set 14 May as the date for the new president to be installed. But Haitis provisional electoral council (CEP) had made it clear that meeting that deadline was impossible. In remarks to US media published on 17 April US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed US frustration with the delay in holding the elections, saying that, The Haitian players, the so-called leaders, need to understand theres a clear limit to the patience, the willingness of the international community to condone this process of delay.

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The 154th anniversary of the Cinco de Mayo holiday is set for Thursday, and revelers across the globe are breathless with anticipation.

For many it's a time to eat, drink and be merry. Still, others see it as a time calling for spirited reflection, a reason to pause and give thanks for the way Mexican natives were able to hold off a much more equipped Napoleon III-controlled French army back in 1862 during the Battle of Puebla, preserving their homeland for what it largely remains.

"The French army was about four days from Mexico City when they had to go through the town of Puebla, and as it happened, they didn't make it," said David Hayes-Bautista, director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School of Medicine at UCLA.

Celebrations are Boundless

It was a sight to behold and has become a time to remember. All across Mexico, reenactments of the history-making battle often play out on the holiday. But no matter how you chose to celebrate or otherwise mark the occasion of Cinco de Mayo, it figures to be a festive gathering. The party-friendly atmosphere now commonly associated with the date goes all the way back to more than half a century.

"The 1970s and '80s really is when the U.S. beer companies began to kind of look for ways to target the Spanish-speaking population," said Jose Alamillo, a professor of Chicano studies at California State University.

Still, the day's unique history and widespread appeal from Mexico to the U.S. put it in a class all of its own.

A Day Like No Other

Alamillo reflects he was born in Mexico, but didn't learn of the day's historical significance until after he moved to the U.S. at 8-years-old.

"I thought, 'Why would I hear about it in a classroom in the U.S., but my parents and uncles never heard about it in their schooling in Mexico?'" he said. "It's not a Mexican holiday, not an American holiday, but an American-Mexican holiday."

Here is a list of Cinco de Mayo greetings quotes made famous over the years:

1. "Cinco de Mayo has come to represent a celebration of the contributions that Mexican Americans and all Hispanics have made to America."

~ Joe Baca

2. "If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost."

~ Aristotle

3. "People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote -- a very different thing."

~ Walter H. Judd

4. Freedom is when the people can speak, democracy is when the government listens."

~ Alastair Farrugia

5. "Honor to the soldier, and Sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause. Honor also to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as he best can, the same cause."

~ Abraham Lincoln
A New York man refused to leave Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, city police said.

Joseph Magro Jr., 64, of the Bronx, was asked to leave the casino by security officers in March 2014, police said. Magro allegedly stole cash from the casino at 77 Sands Boulevard on South Side Bethlehem.

He then returned to the casino several more times -- May 21, 2014; May 29, 2014; May 30, 2014; and Dec. 3, 2014, according to police. A security supervisor told Magro to leave and he allegedly refused.

Magro then returned to the casino again in January 2015 in a separate case.

Magro was arraigned overnight on defiant trespass charges before District Judge Antonia Grifo on both cases. The judge set bail at $1,000 in both cases.

In lieu of bail, Magro was taken to Northampton County Prison. The judge allowed 10 percent of $1,000 bail in both cases if approved by Northampton County Pretrial Services and ordered Magro to stay away from the Sands property.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The South Bethlehem Greenway soon will have multiple connections to Saucon Park's ball fields.

This summer, construction will begin on a trail extension from East Sixth Street to Traveler and Auburn streets in Bethlehem. And Tuesday night, Bethlehem City Council approved hiring Boucher and James Inc. to design the fifth phase of the greenway project.

This next phase that's under design will link the stretch of trail built this summer to Saucon Park's ball fields, explained Darlene Heller, city planning director. It will be an offshoot from the main greenway trail, she said.

"This would give access ultimately to both ends of Saucon Park," Heller said of the next two phases. "It is a large regional park."

The construction this summer will allow trail users to get to the park via Auburn Street, although they will have to exit the trail and walk a few blocks to the park.

Council's vote Tuesday sets the final design phase in motion with the hope of putting the project out to bid this winter. Construction would start in the spring or summer of 2017.

The contract council approved is for $72,606 but that's just a fraction of the project cost. Given the grade of the land and the proximity to Saucon Creek, it is expected to be an expensive undertaking.

"We have grants from (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) to do phase four and phase five," Heller said.

Phase five will be funded by $500,000 in grant funding and a $500,000 local match from the city.

"That's a pretty big expenditure but it gets easy access from South Bethlehem neighborhoods to those ball fields," Heller said.

The city is continuing to try to negotiate with Norfolk Southern the sale of the last 0.9 mile of land needed to connect the greenway with the Saucon Rail Trail.

It has been identified as one of the top 10 trail gaps in the Lehigh Valley by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Heller said.

"Hopefully, we can correct that in the near future," she said.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
An Easton resident has filed an appeal he says will force the Diocese of Allentown to keep St. Joseph Church open for at least a few more months.

It's part of resident John Dagon's plan to form a nonprofit organization to finance the $2.6 million needed to keep the landmark open.

The diocese announced in early April the church at 129 Davis St. would close by the end of May. The diocese maintains there isn't enough money available to fix it, although that's not necessarily the case, Dagon said.

Dagon filed an appeal under Canon Law, saying there's still a chance to raise the necessary money. He sent the letter in mid-April, and Bishop John Barres has 30 days to respond, according to Brody Hale, an adviser to Dagon.

"The diocese has received a letter from Mr. Dagon and the bishop will respond within the 30-day period," said diocesan spokesman Matt Kerr.

If Barres rejects the appeal, Dagon intends to appeal to Rome. An appeal of that kind typically takes at least six months and up to two years before it's resolved, during which time the diocese can't close the church, according to Hale.

Kerr said the diocese disagrees with that.

"It is our understanding that an appeal does not constitute a stay," he said.

Those months during the appeal would buy Dagon time to raise money to repair the church.

"There are many people quoted about being upset with the loss of this church," Hale said. "Now it's a question of whether they want to step forward and help out."

According to Hale, 70 Catholic churches across the country have been saved by community efforts similar to the one Dagon has proposed.

Hale has been involved in saving many of them. His interest in saving churches started when his church, St. Francis of Assisi, closed in 2006 in Lee, Massachusetts.

"That didn't need to happen," he said. "I was not given the information I needed to form a group to preserve the church. I felt my rights were not well respected."

Now Hale scours the Internet looking for churches similar to his so he can help save them. He saw news accounts about St. Joseph's in Easton and reached out to locals to help.

Hale has a law degree but isn't a member of any bar association. He is pursuing a master's degree in public administration at Columbia University and lives in New York City.

Dagon said the church is clearly worth saving.

"It's a beacon on South Side," he said. "It can be seen from almost anywhere in the city."

It has stood for about 100 years, and Dagon cringes at the thought of marble and windows being sold off and the site leveled.

"It would be a shame to lose a structure like that," he said.

If locals can't raise the money to save St. Joseph's, then Hale has no problem with the diocese closing it.

"If the people of Easton want to see this church remain, they need to step forward," he said.

Dagon said those wishing to contribute to the appeal effort can send checks payable to Saving St. Joseph's at 314 W. Berwick St., Easton, PA 18042.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Barbara Rossi moved to Easton about a year and a half ago from the Long Valley region of New Jersey, in Morris County.

While many people move for reasons of work or family, for Rossi, the historic preservation movement in the Easton area attracted her.

As someone who works in the historic preservation field, she was looking for something that had a lot of original features. When she saw the house on Wayne Street on Easton's College Hill, she knew it would make a perfect home.

The house was built in the early 1900s and still has much of its original splendor.

The staircase, floors, woodwork and windows are mostly all original, but the home does not have an old-style feel to it. That's because Rossi says it was considered a Modern Foursquare when it was built.

Rooms flow from one to the other with beautiful accessories, each with some sort of personal significance. Much of the framed photography was taken by Rossi herself during travels across the United States and to Europe to attend U.S. Ski Team events. Now retired, her son Mike Rossi -- or "Jersey Mike" as he was known -- was a member of the U.S. ski team, ranking as high as No. 11 at one point.

Rossi's decorating style reveals a love of antiques and family treasures. A very rare 1939 World's Fair flag hangs proudly in her a dining room -- something she inherited from her father.

There are modern touches to the home, too, like a renovated kitchen with a butcher block island and concrete countertops, and a newly redecorated mud porch. But all the new areas blend in well with the existing areas, such as a butler's pantry with original cabinetry and beautiful hardwood emerald pattern floors. All combine to create a beautiful cool space.

The house is one of many stops on of the Historic Easton House Tour, which runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 14. Tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 the day of the tour and are available at various locations.

Do you know of any cool spaces that you'd like to share? Let us know by leaving a comment below or email me at kjfrantz@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow lehighvalleylive.com on Twitter at @lehighvalley. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Palmer Township police asked for the public's help Wednesday in finding the perpetrator of a theft at a Palmer Park Mall store.

The female customer about 1:30 p.m. April 25 placed numerous items of clothing in a large bag she was carrying and left the store, township police Detective Sgt. Timothy Ruoff said in a news release.

She is described as black, in her 30s, standing about 5 feet 4 inches tall and heavyset with black straight shoulder-length hair and last seen wearing a pink long-sleeved top and black pants.

Police ask anyone with information on her to contact Ruoff at truoff@palmerpd.org or 610-253-3556, ext. 1211.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Jeffrey Werkheiser

Jeffrey M. Werkheiser appears in district court Nov. 19, 2015, on burglary charges. He was sentenced March 24, 2016, in separate burglary cases and was reported missing from work release May 4, 2016. (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo)

A Bethlehem Township man sentenced in March in two burglary cases failed to return Wednesday to work release in Northampton County, authorities said.

Jeffrey Michael Werkheiser, 48, was last seen leaving the county Department of Corrections' West Easton facility, where he was due back at 6 p.m. Wednesday, a news release states.

He is described as standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes, and a tattoo on his left upper shoulder of a blade with the word skull, according to the release.

Werkheiser pleaded guilty to two separate felony counts of burglary for allegedly burglarizing the homes of seven neighbors on or near the 4000 block of Wilson Avenue in the township. He was sentenced March 24 to 11 to 23 months in prison followed by four years' probation.

Anyone with information on Werkheiser's whereabouts can reach authorities through the county's 911 non-emergency number at 610-759-2200.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A 20-year-old East Stroudsburg University student was buying LSD off the dark web and selling it to fellow students, the Monroe County District Attorney's Office reports.

East Stroudsburg University student Michael Mancini, 20, of southern Chester County in Pennsylvania, is charged with buying LSD on the dark web and selling it to fellow students, authorities say. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Michael Mancini, of southern Chester County in Pennsylvania, was taken into custody on Wednesday in his dorm room after a letter arrived from Hawaii that contained 25 hits of the hallucinogen, the DA's office said in a news release.

University police on April 19 received a tip from an informant that Mancini was accessing the dark web -- a part of the World Wide Web that uses public Internet but isn't indexed by search engines and generally requires specialized software to get to -- to buy the drug, the news release and court papers say.

A resident director at Lenape Hall, where Mancini lived, intercepted the letter and advised university police Chief William Parrish that a "suspicious" letter from Hawaii arrived for Mancini, the news release said.

The chief brought in the Monroe County Drug Task Force, and district attorney's office narcotics Detective Kim Lippincott obtained a search warrant, the news release said. The letter, from Fun Stuff LLC in Wailuky, Hawaii, contained a plastic bag with collective cards inside, the news release said.

The cards were sealed in a plastic bag that said "Mint Condition," the news release said. Inside that bag, police found perforated paper between two of the cards. When a small portion of the paper was field tested, it proved to be saturated with LSD, the news release said. The 2-inch by 2-inch square contained 25 hits of LSD, the news release said.

Detectives got a search warrant for Mancini's dorm room where they took his computer, cellphone, currency and drug paraphernalia, the news release said. Mancini was in the room when authorities arrived, authorities said.

After being advised of his rights, Mancini admitted to buying 10 hits of LSD from the dark web and taking two hits himself and selling the eight others to students for $9 a piece.

It was his second delivery that was stopped by authorities, court papers say. He used his cellphone to arrange delivery to students before the package arrived, the news release said.

Mancini used Bitcoin to buy the drugs and used The Onion Router -- also known as Tor -- to access the dark web, the news release said.

Mancini was arraigned at 11 p.m. from Monroe County jail on charges of possession with intent to deliver drugs (one count), criminal use of a cellphone (two counts), possession of a controlled substance (two counts), possession of drug paraphernalia (three counts) and purchasing a controlled substance (two counts), court papers say.

District Judge C. Daniel Higgins Jr. set unsecured bail at $20,000 and Mancini was released.

A preliminary hearing is tentative scheduled 10 a.m. Tuesday in Higgins' court.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Crime-fighting in the Lehigh Valley is getting a boost from Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem is seen in June 2013 on South Side Bethlehem. In the foreground is an ore crane that had been used by the former Bethlehem Steel Corp., prior to the company's bankruptcy and site's redevelopment fueled, in part, by the casino's opening. (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo)

Northampton County law enforcement agencies are joining the Lehigh County Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center, thanks to a $407,000 gaming grant awarded last week to the Northampton County Sheriff's Department.

"All of the police departments in the county now and I will have access to the RIIC expertise," said Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli, who supported the sheriff's department application for the money. "It will help to solve crime. It's a good thing."

Morganelli had viewed as prohibitive the one-time cost of about $400,000 to gather data from Northampton County's police departments and integrated it into the center.

"Jim Martin and I have been talking about this for years," Morganelli said, referring to his counterpart in Lehigh County. "I indicated we didn't have money in the budget for this."

Northampton County will now have to face annual costs to continue using the center, but Morganelli's hope is gaming funds will help cover the burden beyond this initial grant.

"It will cover the changeover, getting data put in by the police departments into the RIIC computers' database and Northampton County's portion of being in the program," Morganelli said. "It's a big startup cost. We'll have to see what happens from year to year thereafter."

According to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which has provided about $250,000 in support for the center: "The primary purpose of the RIIC is to offer investigative case support, strategic analysis and situational awareness to county law enforcement. The RIIC provides a secure web-based portal as the single access point where investigators can post and search important information regarding alerts, BOLOs (be on the lookout for) and officer safety items."

The center opened in 2013 and is based at 640 Hamilton St. in Allentown, according to Martin's office.

"Criminal investigators can post and share information about alerts and suspects and can search more than 3 million police and prison records," the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office says. "Director Julia Kocis, who led the development team for the RIIC, and intelligence analysts at the center have assisted investigators in solving five homicides as of March 2015.

"In 2014, there were 150 requests for RIIC analyst assistance. Analysts spent 2,082.50 hours on those requests."

The grant was awarded to the sheriff's department by the Northampton County Gaming Revenue and Economic Redevelopment Authority at its meeting April 25, part of $1.54 million in funds from Sands Casino revenue.

The grants do not require a local match, said Karen Collis, economic development specialist with the Northampton County Department of Community and Economic Development.

The authority distributed $10.3 million in gaming grants from 2010 through 2015, through up to three rounds of grants per year, Collis said.

The grants awarded last week went exclusively to county agencies and municipalities contiguous to Bethlehem, the host city of the casino. A new round of grants totaling a projected $228,098 is expected to be awarded later this year, with an invitation going out in June to municipalities to apply.

Those grants will be for a maximum $25,000 and will be available countywide for projects falling in at least one of the qualifying categories: municipal public infrastructure improvements, public facilities, human services, emergency Services, public health and public safety.

Other grant recipients

The other grants awarded April 25 by the authority were as follows:

$6,813 to Bethlehem Township for the purchase of Taser devices.

$42,400 to Bethlehem Township for the purchase of two license plate recognition systems.

$104,734 to Bethlehem Township for the purchase of two police vehicles.

$73,854 to Bethlehem Township for the purchase of a public safety software system.

$110,000 to Freemansburg for a full-time police officer.

$50,633 to Hanover Township for a Ford Police Interceptor Utility.

$219,150 to Hellertown for two police officers.

$164,777 to Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township for Dewey Fire Co. No. 1 to buy a new ambulance.

$105,438 to Lower Saucon Township for a police officer.

$37,571 to Lower Saucon Township for a police vehicle.

$112,076 to the Northampton County Coroner's Office for office equipment modernization.

$10,000 to Northampton County Court for interpreter fees.

$100,442 to Northampton County Drug and Alcohol for gambling addiction treatment and support services.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
TRENTON -- Two New Jersey state troopers cuffed a woman along a Warren County roadway and hauled her in on an obstruction charge because she refused to answer questions during a routine traffic stop, according to dashboard camera footage obtained by NJ Advance Media.

The October 16 incident, which happened near the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border on Route 519, is now the subject of a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the woman, Rebecca Musarra, an attorney from Philadelphia.

Musarra claims in the suit the troopers violated basic rules familiar to anybody who's ever watched a police show on TV, including the right to remain silent.

She claims at least three troopers insisted during the ordeal that her refusal to answer questions was a criminal act.

Spokesmen for the State Police and the Attorney General's Office, which is representing the troopers in the lawsuit, declined to comment on the allegations.

But, State Police spokesman Capt. Stephen Jones said in an e-mail, "in every instance where misconduct is alleged against a trooper or troopers, as is the case here, (the division's internal affairs office) will review the allegations and investigate the facts.

"In the event that problems are identified, training and/or disciplinary measures are implemented where appropriate."

Attorneys for the state have sought in federal filings to have the civil case dismissed, claiming the troopers "acted in good faith and without fraud or malice." They have not yet addressed the specific charges in court papers.

NJ Advance Media obtained the footage, along with a dispatch log from that evening, through an Open Public Records Act request filed in April.

The documents show Trooper Matthew Stazzone pulled Musarra over just before 9:30 p.m., suspecting her of speeding. He was quickly joined by a second trooper, Demetric Gosa, records show.

The dashboard camera footage shows Stazzone approached the vehicle on the passenger side and asked Musarra for her license, registration and insurance.

"While you're looking for that, do you know why you're being pulled over tonight?" the trooper asked her, according to the tape. She claims she provided the documents but didn't respond.

After asking her several more times, Stazzone walked to the other side of her car, rapping on the window with his flashlight and again demanding a response.

"You're going to be placed under arrest if you don't answer my questions," he told her. Musarra claims the force of the flashlight chipped her window.

The footage shows she eventually told the trooper she was an attorney and that she did not have to answer questions. Stazzone then ordered her out of the vehicle.

As the two troopers cuffed her and walked her toward a troop car, Musarra asked them, "Are you detaining me because I refused to speak?"

"Yeah," Stazzone replied, according to the video. "Yeah, obstruction," Gosa added.

The troopers placed her in the back of the car and Stazzone read Musarra her Miranda rights -- including "you have a right to remain silent" -- before taking her to the nearby State Police barracks in Washington.

State Police did not provide any video from inside the station in response to NJ Advance Media's records request. In her lawsuit, Musarra claims she was patted down twice and cuffed to a bench inside a holding cell. She also claims the troopers denied her request to call her parents, promising to call on her behalf but never doing so.

She claims a supervisor, Trooper James Butler, later entered the cell to ask her what had happened.

"I said, 'Well, the trooper arrested me for not answering his questions,'" Musarra told NJ Advance Media. "And the supervisor indicated (to me) that was obstruction."

New Jersey's obstruction statute defines the criminal act as impeding law enforcement through "flight, intimidation, force, violence, or physical interference or obstacle, or by means of any independently unlawful act."

Musarra said Butler then left to review the dashboard camera footage. After about 30 minutes, she claims, he returned and told her "a mistake was made, and to chalk it up to training, and that (Stazzone) was just a rookie."

Both Stazzone and Gosa joined the division in 2014, public payroll records show. Reached by phone, Stazzone declined to comment. Gosa and Butler could not be reached.

Musarra claims Butler then offered to get her car, which had been towed from the scene, out of impoundment for free as "a favor" and apologized for the incident.

She was never charged with obstruction or issued a summons as a result of the stop, records show. The whole ordeal lasted about two hours.

Musarra, a private attorney for a Delaware firm who sometimes represents immigrant children in legal matters pro bono, said she comes from "a law enforcement family." Her father is a former prosecutor in Warren County and her mother is a former probation officer, she said, and she understands "cops have a difficult job to do."

But, she added, "there has to be some sort of accountability."

"Who knows what will happen to the next person who comes down the road who decides they have these constitutional rights they want to assert?" Musarra said.

"What happens to them when they don't have the sort of privileges I have?"

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A 42-year-old Pohatcong Township man is accused of smoking marijuana in his bedroom with a teen girl and groping her.

Gary P. Taborelli, of the first block of River Road, was known to the 16-year-old victim, according to charges filed at state Superior Court in Belvidere.

Taborelli allegedly kept smoking paraphernalia in a bedroom safe. On Sept. 12, the charges say he smoked a small amount of weed with the girl and provided an unspecified amount of alcohol, at some point fondling the girl's breasts, leg and buttocks.

Taborelli is charged with child abuse, criminal sexual contact, debauching the morals of a child and three drug-related counts.

His first court appearance was this week and he was sent to the Warren County jail in lieu of $75,000 bail and the condition he have no contact with the victim.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Hang on: Gloomy weather forecast to break this weekend

The bugler atop the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Easton's Centre Square is reflected in a puddle May 4, 2016, as the Lehigh Valley region remains bogged down in a chilly, rainy weather pattern. (Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com)

The good news is the 1.28 inches of rain the Lehigh Valley's seen so far in May has nearly erased the precipitation deficit for the year to date.

The bad news, at least for those getting tired of the gloom? There's more rain in the forecast, including a chance of showers Saturday and Sunday.

"By early next week we're looking Monday, Tuesday to be partly sunny, low- to mid-70s," National Weather Service meteorologist Lance Franck said Wednesday from the Philadelphia region forecast office in Mount Holly, New Jersey. "So this weekend really is the transition between this recent pattern we've been in with a lot of cold and showers and cold weather to the opposite by early next week."

Spring can bring this kind of lingering weather, thanks to what is known as a blocking pattern, he said.

"The jet stream gets stuck in the same position so we get the same type of weather," Franck said, referring to the pattern of late as "cloudy, cool and showery."

Temperatures for May, through Tuesday, have been running 2.8 degrees below the average normal of 56, according to the weather service. Wednesday's high of 54 was well below the normal high for the date of 68.

Rainfall for the first three days of May totaled 0.90 of an inch, with an additional 0.38 of an inch through 5 p.m. Wednesday. After just 1.79 inches of rain fell on the Lehigh Valley in April, compared to the normal 3.56 inches, May's rainy start pushed the total for the year to 13.06 inches, nearing the norm of 13.15 through Wednesday evening.

Following scattered showers Wednesday night, Lehigh Valley International Airport has a 50 percent chance of showers Thursday and 70 percent chance Friday before the odds drop to a 30 percent chance Saturday and Sunday, according to the weather service.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Portlaoise's Catholic secondary schools have been turning away prospective students because there are not enough places and the church has warned that more pupils will be refused if it is not given patronage of the promised new school.

CEIST, the Catholic Education Irish Schools Trust, announced this week that it was interested in being the patron of the new school.

Through the CBS and Presentation Sisters, the church is already a patron of the town's most established secondary schools. There are 1,600 in these schools. Portlaoise parish also maintains close ties with Portlaoise College.

All three schools moved into new homes in the last decade but the Church warns that pressure for places has already had an impact, despite the fact that the two new schools on the Borris Road were built less than a decade ago.

Already some parents who wish for a Catholic post primary education for their children are disappointed as they cannot get places in a Catholic post-primary school.

We are also conscious that students from neighbouring parishes such as Timahoe/Stradbally and Emo have traditionally attended Catholic post primary schools in Portlaoise.

In future we will not have this opportunity due to the shortage of places, said the statement.

CEIST says that between 2017 and 2021 there will be 100 extra pupils in 6th class aross Portlaoise's primary schools.

If the Department gives the green light to CEIST's application, the Catholic Church would control three out of the four schools. Nevertheless, CEIST says it wants to give families choice.

We believe a co-educational Catholic school will provide families of Portlaoise and environs with an opportunity to avail of an education of their choice.

In the coming weeks CEIST will be surveying parents about enrolling in a co-ed school.

Two other groups have expressed an interest.

The Gaelscoil movement want to set up a Gaelcolaiste in town on the back of an established primary school.

The Educate Together, non-religous group, will also be applying in response to the growing number of families who have chosen a non-denominational education.

The Department decided that Portlaoise needed a new school on the back of educational growth.

It was one of just 10 areas in Ireland where the demand for places was strong enough to merit a new school.

CEIST say that the Department will invite potential patrons to apply for patronage in the coming months and will consider diversity and parental demand in reaching its decision.
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The extension of Waterways Ireland navigation from Lough Allen to Dowra is not going to be feasible for the foreseeable future.

Fianna Fail Deputy Brendan Smith from Bawnboy, Co Cavan asked Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphries the status of the proposal to extend the River Shannon Navigation from Lough Allen in County Leitrim northwards towards Dowra in County Cavan.

He enquired when this project will proceed to the next stage and if Minister Humphries was willing to make a statement on the matter.

The Minister said Waterways Ireland has advised her that, following the refusal of An Bord Pleanala to award planning permission for the extension of the Shannon Navigation towards Dowra, the various issues raised in the planning process have been reviewed and reassessed.

Having regard to this review, Waterways Ireland considers that any proposed extension to Dowra is not feasible at this time.

The Minister also answered questions on the possible extension of the Erne Navigation from Belturbet to Killeshandra and Killykeen in West Cavan.

Minister Humphries told Deputy Smith, I have been informed by Waterways Ireland that it commissioned a Strategic Environmental Assessment for the proposed extension of the Erne Navigation from Belturbet to Killeshandra and Killykeen in Co. Cavan.

Based on the environmental information obtained from this process, Waterways Ireland considers that the environmental designations of this lake complex make the feasibility of the proposed navigation extension unviable at this time.

So Deputy Smith said it was clear that no extensions of the waterway's existing channels are being considered for the foreseeable future at this location.
A WOMAN who stole bedding products from a city centre department store was sentenced to three months imprisonment.

Throughout a contested hearing, Erica Landers, aged 29, of Silverbrook, Corbally denied stealing the property, worth 59, from Guineys William Street on November 4, last.

Limerick District Court was told the defendant and another woman entered the store at around 2.15pm and that both were observed by security staff placing items in a buggy.

Two security officers gave evidence of approaching the the two woman after they had left the store without paying for the property.

While it was accepted that Ms Landers did not physically push the buggy from the store, her child was in the buggy and Sgt Donal Cronin said it was essentially a case of joint enterprise.

Garda Mairead Hayes told the court that when she arrived she heard the defendant racially abusing one of the security guards.

Paul McNulty BL, submitted his client had no case to answer as she did not leave the premises with the stolen property.

The property was in the possession of the other person, there is no case to answer, he said seeking to have the case dismissed.

However, Judge Marian OLeary refused the application and convicted the defendant.

She imposed a three month prison sentence and fined her 150 for failing to appear in court on a previous occasion.

Ms Landers was released on bail pending an appeal against the severity of the sentence.
IRISH Cement has formally resubmitted proposals to change the way it operates its plant in Mungret.

It was last week revealed the firm is planning to halve the amount of alternative fuels it burns to 90,000 tonnes.

It comes after a public outcry against the original proposals, which will see tyres and other materials being burnt at up to 1,400 degrees. Irish Cement had announced it is investing 10m to replace the use of fossil fuels at its cement plant, a move which will create 40 construction jobs and secure the future of 80 staff.

But these proved controversial, with almost 470 people signing a petition in opposition, citing fears over the impact on the environment of burning tyres at such high temperatures.

Irish Cement withdrew its initial planning application, with the council referring it to An Bord Pleanala to decide whether the project should be classed as strategic infrastructural development  a move which would have seen the project bypass local planners.

The companys new application is almost identical to its original one, with the key difference being the cut in fuel use. Council will decide on the project by June 21 next.
LIMERICKs Augustinian community is to provide student accommodation in the heart of the city centre.

Planning permission is being sought to convert the former St Augustines School at Augustinian Lane into a student complex which will house six young men.

The church will be looking to recruit students attending one of Limericks third-level colleges to form a new religious community, known as the Ostia brotherhood.

While the first batch of students  who are expected to move in September 2017  will be drawn from two Augustinian secondary schools in Co Wexford, in subsequent years, any young man who is an active member of an Augustinian church can apply.

Fr Noel Hession, the priest who is leading the initiative in Limerick said they will be helping students make the bridge from secondary school to university. We have been talking a lot for a long time about how we should engage with young people as we are getting older, he said.

Essentially, these students will live as a type of religious community in a simplified form. They will have prayer time, some common meals and some involvement in the church and other aspects.

The Ostia programme can only last for one year before a new intake of students will move in, but Fr Hession says he would hope the six founding students will form a close link with the church throughout their time in university, and support their successors.

As part of the plans, the Augustinians are planning to give the former school a lot of refurbishment.

The entrance door will be moved to the centre for fire safety reasons, while the windows will be replaced.There will be a kitchen, a sitting room, and a prayer facility, with all bedrooms en-suite.

An outdoor communal area will also be used.

Fr Hession said it was not the case that the facility was being set up with vocations in mind: Ive been asked a lot about this. No, its not. Its a way of supporting them. But if somebody was interested in joining us, it would be a good way to come a bit closer without making a commitment, he said.

While the rent may be cheaper than comparable student accommodation, Fr Hession acknowledges the programme is not for everyone.It is for this reason that he, and another Augustinian priest will conduct interviews with students to ascertain their suitability.

Having students in the old school, he added, will also bring a new lease of life. The lane behind the church is very sad looking. So hopefully some activity, some comings and goings, would raise the tone of the lane in the sense you would have a bit of life in it.
A COUNTY Limerick man has pleaded guilty to charges relating to spate of arson attacks at farms across East County Limerick.

When arraigned at Limerick Circut Court this Wednesday afternoon, John Ryan, aged 24, of Carraig Beg, Doon admitted three charges of arson relating to incidents at Clonlusk, Doon; Ballyvalode, Oola and Toomaline, Doon on dates last September and October.

Hundreds of bales of hay, straw and silage were destroyed after storage barns and sheds were set alight.

A car trailer was also damaged in one of the fires while two bullocks died in another.

Around 90,000 worth of damage was caused as a result of the fires.

A major garda investigation was launched following the spate of arson attacks resulting in the defendant being arrested and charged last October.

The Director of Public Prosecutions subsequently directed trial on indictment and the case was formally sent forward for trial last month.

Last week, lawyers representing Mr Ryan asked that the case be listed this Wednesday afternoon for arraignment.

Wearing a black Adidas tracksuit and sleevless jacket, the defendant replied eh guilty to each of the charges as they were put to him by the court registrar.

Michael Collins BL, instructed by State Solicitor Aidan Judge, said the guilty pleas were acceptable to the State and he requested a sentencing date in July.

Anthony Sammon SC, defending, commented that his client had pleaded guilty to very serious offences and he asked that the legal aid certificate be extended to facilitate a psychologicial assessment of Mr Ryan.

Judge Tom ODonnell granted the application and he remanded the defendant in continuing custody until July 27, next.

On that date he will hear evidence from investigating gardai relating to the circumstances of each of the fires.

A number of other young men were also previously arrested and questioned about the spate of fires but none have been charged.
Apr 29, 2021, 9 PM

Described as the earliest recorded usage of any Pony Express stamp, this 1861 cover franked with the $2 red stamp and mailed from Placerville, Calif., to Newburyport, Mass., is also included in the May 30 Gaertner auction.

This example of Austrias unissued 1850 12kr Coat of Arms stamp will be offered during the May 30 sale by Christoph Gaertner in New York City.

By Michael Baadke

The Christoph Gaertner auction firm is traveling from Germany to New York City for World Stamp Show-NY 2016, and to present the Gaertner Worldwide Rarities auction.

The sale will take place May 30 at the show, in the Javits Center at 655 W. 34th St.

Bidding opportunities are also available online.

The auction catalog is divided into two sections with a total of 936 lots. Volume 1 covers Australia and Oceania, Asia, Africa and Europe, plus airmail, ship mail, thematics, and more. Volume 2 includes South America, Central America, and North America.

The worldwide offerings range from single item lots to multiples, postal history and collections.

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This auction includes a strong showing of Germany and German states, beginning with the Rolf Goldschagg collection of Baden.

The award-winning collection contains 97 important stamps, multiples, pieces, and covers of Baden philately, according to Gaertner, including three first-day covers from May 1, 1851, and many other unique items, described at length in the auction catalog.

Among the single stamp rarities from Europe is one from Austria that was never issued.

The 1850 issues of the Austrian monarchy are five values of 1 kreuzer, 2kr, 3kr, 6kr, and 9kr, each showing the double-headed eagle coat of arms.

A sixth stamp, the 12kr blue, exists, but was not issued. The German Michel specialized catalog for Austria describes the stamp and lists it with a value of E150,000 ($172,500).

Just six examples of the 12kr are known, all marked with cancels; this one has the ornate Franco experimental marking across the front. Gaertner also notes a small tiny marginal tear. This example was formerly in the collections of Thurocy, Baron Alfons de Rothschild, Leavitt J. Bulkley and others, and is accompanied by a 2011 Uwe Steiner VOB certificate signed by Friedl and Ulrich Ferchenbauer. The stamp is listed by Gaertner with a starting price of E90,000 ($103,500).

The Americas section offers the earliest recorded use of any Pony Express stamp. The 1861 $2 red stamp (Scott 143L1) is affixed to a paste-back envelope and tied with the blue Placerville, Calif., Wells Fargo datestamp for April 28.

The cover, addressed to Newburyport, Mass., traveled east by a relay of riders, entering the U.S. Mail at St. Joseph, Mo., on May 10, 1861, and struck with a green arrival circular date-stamp.

The cover is documented by an American Philatelic Society expert committee report from Jan. 16, 2002, identifying it as the $2 red used on the earliest documented cover, genuine in all respects. A 2013 Philatelic Foundation certificate also identifies the cover as genuine. The starting price from Gaertner is E150,000 ($172,500).

The auction is listed online, or contact Auktionshaus Christoph Gaertner GmbH, Steinbeisstrasse 6+8, 74321 Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany.

What else is happening at WSS-NY 2016?:

Vintage Curtiss Jenny biplane to be displayed at World Stamp ShowNY 2016

A personal stamp exhibition odyssey: from Ameripex to Pacific 97

Olympian to speak on stamps and sports at World Stamp Show-NY 2016: Linns Buzz
May 4, 2016, 11 PM

By Michael Baadke

American chef James Andrew Beard was born May 5, 1903, in Portland, Ore. Initially hoping to find work as an actor, he traveled to France and became a devotee of French cuisine. He returned to the United States in 1927 and moved to New York City 10 years later. Still an aspiring actor, Beard opened a catering business that turned out to be a hit.

In 1940, Beard published his first book, Hors D'Oeuvre and Canapes, the first of some 20 cookbooks he would published during his career. He began appearing on television cooking shows as early as 1946, successfully combining his interests in acting and in cooking, and he opened his own James Beard Cooking School in 1955.

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In a press release issued as the Celebrity Chefs forever stamps were being introduced, the United States Postal Service wrote, Teacher and author James Beard (1903-1985) avidly fostered a more vibrant food culture in the United States. He was a passionate advocate of local ingredients and markets, and his popular books covered everything from seafood to bread.

The James Beard forever stamp (Scott 4925) was issued Sept. 26, 2014.
May 5, 2016, 7 AM

A die proof of the 12 claret-brown Franklin (Scott 417P1), pulled on India paper with the proving room control number on the face. It is very similar to the Southgate die proofs except that this is on India paper and not bond. The only other value from

W. Curtis Livingston once owned this 5 Louisa May Alcott trial color large die proof on wove paper and die sunk on card (Scott 862TC1). This proof originally came from the estate of vignette engraver John Eissler. Ex-Livingston.

Small die proofs of the 1 yellow-green and 3 purple Century of Progress pulled on wove paper (Scott 728P2 and 729P2). These two examples, along with the rest of the P2 proofs in Livingstons collection, originally were auctioned for the benefit of the P

A 3 bright rose-purple Pan American Union small die proof on wove paper (Scott 895P2). This proof originally came from the 1973 Manning Philatelic Foundation sale. Ex-Livingston.

A 3 rose-pink Moina Michael large die proof pulled on wove paper and die sunk on full size card blotter (Scott 977P1a). This proof came to the market during the Jacques C. Schiff sale of the C.A. Brooks estate. Ex-Livingston.

By James E. Lee

At the international stamp show in Washington, D.C., in May 2006, the Shreves Philatelic Galleries booth served as the catalyst for setting the stage for the most important assemblage of United States 20th-century essays and proofs to ever cross the auction block.

For almost three decades, W. Curtis Livingston had been quietly acquiring 20th-century material.

Curt started out as a closet collector, a closely held client of Purser and Associates Inc.

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Missi Purser acted as his agent and purchased almost everything 20th century that came up at auction and pursued those pieces that would turn up privately.

During the last decade of his philatelic pursuits, Curt moved outside the box. His intellectual curiosity drove him to study the history and story behind the production of the material he held. That curiosity drove him to my doorstep.

He knew about my acquisition of the Brazer records, and I arranged for him to come to my office, then in Wheeling, Ill., and spend a week going through the files.

We had many wonderful dinners at Don Roths Blackhawk restaurant in Wheeling, reviewing what he had learned.

Curt would also give back to the philatelic community by becoming an ardent supporter of the National Postal Museum and member of the Council of Philatelists.

Now back to the auction that was held two weeks after the close of the Washington 2006 show. For a dealer in essays and proofs, this was the opportunity of a lifetime.

I have often advised clients to be prepared to spend whatever it takes to acquire the keystone pieces for your collection when they come up, for the opportunity will probably not present itself again in your collecting lifetime. The day had arrived to follow my own advice.

When a collection of this magnitude arrives at auction, you have no idea where the bidding will end.

Usually the pre-sale estimates go out the window when the agents, floor and Internet settle in for a slug fest. This certainly proved true for the Livingston sale.

Between bids for clients and my own account, 90 percent of the lots in the sale were covered. After almost nine hours of continuous phone bidding, the results were known and both my clients and I had done very well.

But this sale was merely the crescendo to one collectors great achievement and marked the rebirth of a market for 20th-century essay and proof material. That is the story that follows.

During the years that Curt Livingston was active, his appetite for material had a serious impact on 20th-century collecting. With so much material concentrated in one place, collectors sought out other avenues to collect.

Previous to the Livingston sale, there had only been four other major sales of this type of material, and they all occurred long before he was active.

The first was the Caroline Prentice Cromwell collections offered by Irwin Heiman in 1957 and 1958. These sales featured Bureau of Engraving and Printing material from 1900 to 1935.

Much of it came from either the collection of Franklin D. Roosevelt or Hugh M. Southgate. The Southgate material also contained what are now known today as the Southgate die proofs.

In 1973, Greg Manning Auctions sold by order of the Philatelic Foundation a virtually complete run of commemorative small die proofs from the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition issue through 1945, including the complete set of 1938 Presidential series small die proofs.

Daniel F. Kelleher offered in 1977 a collection of primarily 20th-century essay and proof material. Finally, during the same year, Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries offered two sales featuring the material originally acquired by Thomas Morris Sr.

While the focus of the Morris sales was 19th-century essay and proofs there was a decent showing of 20th-century material. Each of these four sales had plenty of collector participation and lead to a wide distribution of material.

Much of the material dispersed during that 20-year period gradually found its way back to the auction marketplace during Livingstons years of pursuit.

In addition, there were several other sales that brought new finds onto the market.

Jacques C. Schiff brought the portfolios of Bureau of Engraving and Printing engravers C.A. Brooks and M.D. Fenton to market. The Dispersal of the American Bank Note Company archives brought 1943-1944 Overrun Countries essay and proof material into the public domain.

Other engraver material that had been unearthed 40 to 50 years earlier by Clarence Brazer also began to reappear on the philatelic market.

And last but not least, 20th-century treasures held by Falk Finkelburg were slowly fed into the market through various Robert A. Siegel sales over a period of 10 years. Most all of it found its way into the Livingston collection. Everything had come full circle.

Five standout items that once graced the Livingston collection are illustrated nearby. These items originally came from the sales discussed in this column, and they provide visual testament to the scope of Livingstons achievement.

The net result of the Livingston sale was that the material once again became widely dispersed throughout the collecting and dealer community.

In the past 10 years, there has been a slow but steady newfound interest in 20th-century essay and proof material. Today it is the most active segment of the essays and proof market.

We are left with the memory of a wonderful man of great philatelic achievement and an auction catalog that today serves as a primer for collecting 20th-century essay and proof material.

Related Articles:

Bureau of Engraving and Printing die proofs created between 1923 and 1961

U.S. die proofs of the 20th century present a collecting challenge

North American international stamp exhibitions, a personal odyssey: Washington 2006 and New York 2016
Apr 29, 2021, 5 PM

The gold postmark on this first-day cover for Canadas 2016 No. 2 Construction Battalion stamp was a special service available only on the official first-day covers made and sold by Canada Post.

By Lloyd de Vries

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the beloved television series Star Trek. Both the United States and Canada are issuing stamps to mark the occasion: the U.S. Postal Services stamps are expected sometime around Sept. 8, the anniversary of the first broadcast in 1966, and Canada Posts set was issued May 5.

Many first-day cover collectors may prefer the Canada Post designs and would like to service their own FDCs with the stamps.

Although Canada Post produces its own cacheted covers, it is possible for individuals to submit their own covers.

However, there are some notable differences from how the USPS services customers own FDCs.

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Like the USPS, Canada Post gives collectors (servicers) a 60-day grace period after the date of issue, and sufficient postage must be affixed to meet current mailing rates. If the FDCs are being returned in another envelope, that means the first-class domestic rate. If the FDCs are being mailed individually, then the current rates prevail.

All FDCs for servicing by Canada Post, however, must be submitted to the FDC canceling unit at the National Philatelic Center, 1-133 Church St., Antigonish, NS B2G 2R8, Canada, and not to the first-day cities. The street address recently changed, so if you have sent cachets previously to Canada Post for servicing, be sure to note the new address.

There is a charge for each cancellation: 15 if the stamp or stamps are already affixed, 20 if the stamp or stamps need to be affixed (plus the cost of the stamps). Canada Post will even supply an uncacheted envelope for 25 plus the price of the stamps. Several sizes of envelopes are available, too.

Canada Post will not cancel covers that bear foreign postage or previous cancellations. That means no combination FDCs with another countrys stamps, such as the 1999 U.S. Star Trek stamp (Scott 3188e).

Earlier Canadian stamps, however, are acceptable for combination covers.

A dual-canceled U.S./Canada FDC is possible, if the Canadian stamps and cancel are applied first.

That will be easy to do, with several months between the release of the Canada and the U.S. Star Trek stamps, but some planning that takes advantage of the 60-day grace period will be required if you try to make a combo FDC when the U.S. stamp is being issued first or on the same day.

Canada strongly prefers that its stamps be in the traditional upper-right corner of the envelope.

As Ive already mentioned, Canada Post produces its own cacheted FDCs, and they are quite attractive. Amateur cachetmakers intending their FDCs for sale will be competing against Canada Posts professionals. Also, the OFDCs (official first-day covers) as theyre called, often have cancellation varieties that are not available to private servicers.

The gold postmark for the 2016 No. 2 Construction Battalion stamp (Scott 2895, issued Feb. 2) was available only on the OFDC, as shown here. These special covers are produced and serviced by another unit of Canada Post.

There is no minimum number of covers that must be submitted for servicing, and no difference in procedures between dealers and individuals. All orders must be paid by credit card, which takes care of currency conversion. Currently, the exchange rate is about $1 Canadian to 80 U.S.

World Stamp Show-NY 2016 FDCs

Collectors servicing covers for the U.S. issues being issued at World Stamp Show-New York 2016 should note that not all stamps released at the show will be available for sale at local post offices.

Some of the issues can be requested by local offices, but others will be available only at the show, or by ordering from USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services or calling the toll-free number, 800-782-6724.
In his final weeks, Prince hid signs of trouble from his fans, stonewalling reports of an overdose that required an emergency landing and making a brief public appearance to reassure them. But privately, the superstar was in crisis, seeking help from a prominent addiction expert that ultimately came too late.

The day before he died, Princes representatives reached out to a prominent California doctor who specializes in treating addiction and set up an initial meeting between the two, the doctors Minneapolis attorney, William Mauzy, said Wednesday. He said the doctor, Howard Kornfeld, couldnt leave right away so he sent his son, Andrew, who flew out that night.

It was Andrew Kornfeld who called 911 the next morning after he and two staffers found Prince unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park studio complex, the lawyer said. Prince was declared dead shortly thereafter on April 21. He was 57.

The details about Princes death that emerged Wednesday raise questions about whether he received appropriate care and whether those who sought to provide it could face legal consequences for their actions.

Although autopsy results havent been released, Mauzys revelations, which were first reported by The Star Tribune, buttress reports that Prince had been fighting  and ultimately lost  a battle with prescription painkillers.

Mauzy confirmed that Andrew Kornfeld, whom he also is representing, flew to Minnesota on behalf of his father in the hopes of connecting Prince with a local physician the morning he was found dead.

He said Dr. Kornfeld hoped to get Prince stabilized in Minnesota and convince him to come to Recovery Without Walls in Mill Valley. That was the plan, referring to Howard Kornfelds California treatment center.
A world of food on Swedens stamps; local cuisine in Norden series: New Stamps of the World

May 3, 2021, 5 AM

The theme for the 2016 multination Norden series of stamps is food. Norway features dishes from Maaemo in Oslo and a Hurtigruten passenger ship on its stamps and scenes from the two locations in the selvage of the souvenir sheet.

Sweden issued five stamps March 17 honoring food cultures from around the world. The stamp showing a hamburger represents American food.

The ingredients typical of Swedish food found on this stamp include: herring, chives, a potato, an egg, a slice of cheese, and crisp bread.

By Denise McCarty

A hamburger represents American cuisine on a new stamp from Sweden.

The hamburger has the works on it, including cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Separate images of tomato, onion, and corn also are included in the design.

The stamp was issued March 17, one of five different designs in a booklet called Food in Sweden but picturing food from other parts of the world.

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The Postnord press release announcing the stamps includes a quote from Richard Tellstrom, a researcher at the Department of Restaurant and Culinary Arts at Orebro University: It is possible to view the food depicted on the stamps in two ways  in part as our choice of what we want to eat and in part as an indication of how we pick up food cultures from others.

Food culture is constantly evolving, and the trends are often taken from New York, London and Paris. One example of this is sushi, which we did not bring directly from Japan. This dish, which is so popular today, came to us in the 1980s via New York.

Sushi is pictured on one of the stamps. Other food cultures represented on the stamps include Mexican, Italian, and Middle Eastern.

The Mexican cuisine stamp depicts a taco, a chili pepper, and slices of lime, avocado and onion.

The stamp for Italian cuisine features pasta being twirled around the tines of a fork. Other ingredients for a pasta dish, including a mushroom, mussel, cheese, tomato, and spice, also are illustrated.

Selected to appear in the design of the Middle Eastern cuisine stamp are shish kebab, stuffed grape leaves, and eggplant.

All of the stamps are nondenominated with the word brev, indicating that they pay the basic domestic letter rate. The booklet contains 10 stamps (five of each design).

Veronica Ballart Lilja created the illustrations for the stamps.

She also designed a coil stamp displaying typical Swedish food for the multination Norden series.

Every other year, the eight Nordic postal administrations of Aland, Denmark, Faroe, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden issue stamps on a common theme. The theme for 2016 is Nordic food culture.

The 13-krone Norden stamp from Sweden shows crisp bread, a slice of cheese, a hard boiled egg, a potato, chives, and herring.

Tellstrom called the crisp bread and cheese a historic combination that reaches back to at least the time of the Vikings.

Norden

Many of this years Norden stamps feature some type of seafood, especially fish.

For example, the 9kr stamp issued April 26 by Faroe reproduces a photograph of fish, strips of pilot whale and other meat hanging in a drying shed known as a hjallur.

The new-issue announcement calls the hjallur, the Faroese variety of the pantry, adding that it serves both as cold storage and a setting for various forms of food preservation.

Iceland shows fish and other local food ingredients on a nondenominated stamp issued Feb. 18.

According to Stamp News, a bulletin for collectors published by Icelands Posturinn, The essence of the Icelandic kitchen is its focus on natural ingredients, fresh seasonal vegetables, fresh and processed fish.

Oscar Bjarnason designed the stamp. Its is nondenominated, paying the rate for mail weighing up to 50 grams sent to European countries.

Denmark, Greenland, and Norway each issued two stamps and a souvenir sheet containing both stamps. The issue dates were Jan. 4, March 12, and April 15, respectively.

The 8kr stamps from Denmark picture two open-faced sandwiches, both with fish.

One is called stjerneskud, which translates to shooting star. Some of its ingredients are shown on the stamp, and others are listed in the lower left of the design. They include plaice (a type of flounder), bread, prawns, mayonnaise, caviar, asparagus, and a slice of lemon.

The other stamp features sol over Gudhjem (sunshine on Gudhjem), a dish with smoked herring, a raw egg yoke, chives, and rye bread.

This dish originated on the island of Bornholm, and the newspaper shown in the background of the stamp design includes a description of this lunch dish in Danish and in the islands local dialect.

Jakob Monefeldt designed the Denmark stamps and souvenir sheet.

Bolatta Silis-Hoegh created the designs for the 12kr and 13.50kr stamps from Greenland.

In Greenland Collector, published by Post Greenland, the designer said of the seafood shown on the stamps: The small ammassak come to Greenlands waters in large schools throughout the year and may be eaten cooked or dried and I like to dip the tit bits stored in seal fat.

Whale mattak is the greatest delicacy in Greenland. It is packed with, inter alia, Vitamin C and tastes like an avocado but is, inversely, very tough. The stamp features mattak from a narwhal.

Photographs of dishes from two restaurants are pictured on Norways 14kr Norden stamps: Maaemo in Oslo, and on aboard a Hurtigruten passenger ship.

The two stamps were unveiled at Maaemo.

On its website, Maaemo describes its menu as a journey through the Norwegian landscape. The stamp shows langoustine on spruce, and the selvage of the souvenir sheet shows the view of Oslo from one of the restaurants tables.

The selvage also depicts one of Hurtigrutens ships, Polarlys, traveling along Norways coast, and its menu is represented on the stamp by Atlantic cod on beetroot barley risotto.

Kristin Granli designed the stamps and souvenir sheet, using photographs by Mette Randem, Bandar Abdul-Jauwad, and Orjan Bertelsen.

The stamps from Finland and Aland are not related to seafood.

Finlands nondenominated first-class stamp issued Jan. 22 depicts a tray of freshly baked Karelian meat pies. In announcing the stamp, Finlands Posti said, The Karelian pasty is a traditional baked product familiar to all Finns, suitable for both everyday life and festive moments.

And, for the final course, Aland features dessert on its nondenominated international-rate stamp issued March 18.

Prepared by Aland chef Michael Bjorklund, the dessert combines parfait glace, vanilla ice cream, chocolate, and frost-bitten buckthorn berries.

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Finding Americas natural treasures on foreign stamps

U.N. International Dance Day stamps show dances from around the world

Photographs of Finlands barns on stamps
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Carlisle is on the lookout for a new police chief after Stephen Margeson retired March 11. To help with that, borough officials have turned to a consultant.

During its April 14 meeting, the borough council approved the hiring of The Novak Consulting Group, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, for a cost not to exceed $30,000. Novak was brought in to aid the borough in its nationwide search to fill the vacant police chief position Lt. Stephen Latshaw is temporarily holding.

According to Assistant Borough Manager Debra Figueroa, the borough is working mostly with Catherine Tuck Parrish, executive search practice leader for The Novak Consulting Group.

Since the two entities began working together on the search, Parrish has met various local community groups and business organizations to gather a better feel for what type of candidate would fit best for the borough.

Q. Can you explain what type of work The Novak Consulting Group does for our readers?

A. The Novak Consulting Group provides executive search, strategic planning and organizational assessment services to local governments and nonprofit organizations across the country. We are staffed with local government professionals. Our mission is to strengthen organizations for those within the organizations and the people they serve.

Q. Other than the police chief position, what, if any other positions could you help a municipality search for?

A. We assist in recruitments for municipal managers, department directors and other key positions in local government.

Q. Are firms like yours utilized usually by smaller or bigger municipalities, or is the size of a particular municipality not a factor?

A. We have worked for local governments of all sizes  from populations around 1,000 to more than 350,000. We are hired for a variety of reasons. Some jurisdictions dont have the capacity to conduct the searches because they dont have the staff or the staff they have are busy with day-to-day work. Other times it is helpful to have a neutral third party facilitate the process to avoid any doubts about it being an open and fair process for all candidates, whether internal or external.

Q. What has the experience been like working with Carlisle thus far?

A. It has been great to meet so many different people who all care so much about Carlisle. Its a special community, and it is clear people love to live and work here.

Q. What happens now in Carlisle at this point as far as the process is concerned?

A. We will use the stakeholder feedback we have gathered to develop a recruitment profile of the Police Chief position that focuses not just on the required and preferred qualifications, but also paints a picture of the ideal police chief. Then we will advertise the position nationally and begin our direct outreach once the position is posted.
NEW BLOOMFIELD  The father of a 12-year-old girl accidentally shot by a constable serving eviction papers pleaded not guilty Thursday to homicide charges.

Donald Meyer also asked the judge for a new lawyer during the arraignment. Meyer said he has a conflict of interest with his attorney but offered no further explanation.

Authorities have accused the 58-year-old Meyer of pointing a loaded rifle at Constable Clark Steele on Jan. 11. Steele fired a single shot in return, which went through Meyer's arm and struck Ciara Meyer, who was standing behind her father. She was apparently home sick from school at the time.

"I hope we get justice and that murderer goes to jail," Meyer told reporters as he entered the courthouse. He has blamed the constable for his daughter's death. Steele has been cleared of wrongdoing and isn't facing charges.

Meyer should have anticipated Steele's visit to the apartment near Duncannon because the constable had been there "numerous times" about the pending eviction and had given Meyer a Jan. 11 deadline to move out, authorities said.

Court documents showed Donald and Sherry Meyer owed about $1,780 in back rent and court costs. State police said the family had not appealed the eviction order.

In Pennsylvania, constables are elected officials with limited law enforcement powers. They serve warrants, transport prisoners and perform other duties for Pennsylvania's district courts, the lowest level of the judiciary.
OTTAWA, Ill.  A Pennsylvania man is headed to prison for up to 10 years after an Illinois jury found him guilty Wednesday of most of the charges from an October high-speed chase.

A jury deliberated 50 minutes and convicted Andrew Smith, 35, of New Cumberland, of three felony counts: aggravated fleeing and eluding, forgery and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. He faces an extended sentencing range of 2-10 years for forgery and gun possession, his most serious counts, due to his criminal history.

But Smith was lucky on one count: Smiths convict brother, Jeremiah Smith, took the stand Wednesday and left the jury unconvinced the two stolen guns recovered were in fact Andrews and not Jeremiahs. Andrew Smith was given the benefit of the doubt and spared a conviction of unlawful possession of stolen firearms, which would have meant up to 30 years.

Andrew Smith will be sentenced June 30.

The Smith brothers were charged after their Nissan Versa was stopped on Interstate 80 in Ladd, Illinois, for a minor speeding infraction and for a cigarette butt tossed out the window. When a drug dog alerted to a tiny amount of marijuana, Andrew Smith hit the gas and led police on a high-speed chase through La Salle-Peru, narrowly missing several cars.

The two were apprehended after the Nissan sustained a flat and they fled on foot, swimming the Illinois and Michigan Canal while trying to make their getaway.

While Jeremiah Smith pleaded guilty and accepted a 7-year sentence, Andrew Smith fired his court-appointed lawyer and represented himself at trial begun Monday.

He hammered at the lack of direct evidence that he insisted was needed to convict him beyond a reasonable doubt. He cited in particular the lack of a taped confession and video surveillance that might have shown him passing some of the fake $20 bills recovered in their car.

Youre not here to make assumptions as to whether you think something happened, Smith told the jury during closing arguments.

But there was no doubt it was Smith who sped from police at speeds of about 100 mph and blew several stop signs and red lights. Jurors also had little trouble linking him, indirectly or not, to the counterfeit money.

Aside from the fact Andrew Smiths wallet contained a fake $20  soaked from his swim in the I&M Canal  the serial numbers matched a stack of freshly-minted fakes found in the Nissan. Police also seized a notebook mapping out the service stations from Pennsylvania to Nebraska where the brothers planned to change the bogus $20s for legitimate change.

Then there were the guns, tossed out the windows of the Nissan as Andrew Smith briefly gave the slip to pursuing police cruisers near downtown La Salle. The stolen firearms were recovered on or near Crosat and La Salle streets.

What are the odds that two Pennsylvania citizens, in a Pennsylvania car, and two Pennsylvania shotguns drop out of the sky into La Salle? prosecutor Jeremiah Adams asked jurors, adding sarcastically, and he (Andrew) didnt have a clue they were in (the car)  not a clue.

Jurors bought the premise that Andrew Smith, a convicted burglar prohibited from possessing a weapon, couldnt realistically disavow knowing the guns were in his car, though jurors gave him on a pass on whether he knew the guns were stolen.

For more on this story, check out the LaSalle NewsTribunes coverage at www.newstrib.com.
A Spring Grove man is accused of stealing $250,000 from his employer in Upper Allen Township.

Jeffrey P. King, 61, was charged with theft by unlawful taking in connection with an investigation that Upper Allen Township Police said began in late 2014.

Police said they began investigating theft from a business in the township around that time, and determined that King had stolen more than $250,000 from his employer.

Police said he stole the money through a combination of unauthorized pay increases and bonuses, unauthorized credit card expenses and unauthorized check disbursements.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for King on Tuesday, and he surrendered to Magisterial District Judge Mark Martin's office. Bail was set at $15,000 unsecured, which he posted.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 2.
Pennsylvania American Water Thursday announced it has signed an agreement to acquire the wastewater assets of New Cumberland Borough.

The company said the total value of the transaction is about $23 million.

PA American Water and the borough will seek approval of the acquisition from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and other necessary approvals from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The signing of the purchase agreement is a culmination of negotiations between Pennsylvania American Water and borough officials since the borough council unanimously voted in March to accept the companys proposal, the company said. The borough initially issued a request in January for the potential acquisition of its wastewater system.

The New Cumberland wastewater system serves about 3,100 customers.

PA American Water said New Cumberland residents would have faced significant rate increases if the borough continued to operate the system. Under the purchase agreement, the company will not change the rates any earlier than Jan. 1, 2018, with a maximum 2.5 percent increase in both 2018 and 2019.

The company also noted that the purchase will enable the borough to eliminate all debt, which is about $16 million, by retiring outstanding bonds within the next three years.

PA American Water said it has also committed to invest $2 million in wastewater and/or water improvements within New Cumberland over the next five years. The company will partner with the borough to identify areas where aging wastewater and water facilities can be replaced in conjunction with street and sidewalk improvements.

The company expects to close the transaction by the end of 2016, pending regulatory approvals.
The human eye belongs to a general group of eyes found in nature called "camera-type eyes." Just as a camera lens focuses light onto film, a structure in the eye called the cornea focuses light onto a light-sensitive membrane called the retina.

Structure of the eye

The cornea is a transparent structure found in the very front of the eye that helps to focus incoming light. Situated behind the pupil is a colorless, transparent structure called the crystalline lens. A clear fluid called the aqueous humor fills the space between the cornea and the iris.

"The cornea focuses most of the light, then it passes through the lens, which continues to focus the light," explained Dr. Mark Fromer, an ophthalmologist and retina specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. [The 7 Biggest Mysteries of the Human Body]

Behind the cornea is a colored, ring-shaped membrane called the iris. The iris has an adjustable circular opening called the pupil, which can expand or contract to control the amount of light entering the eye, Fromer said.

Ciliary muscles surround the lens. The muscles hold the lens in place but they also play an important role in vision. When the muscles relax, they pull on and flatten the lens, allowing the eye to see objects that are far away. To see closer objects clearly, the ciliary muscle must contract in order to thicken the lens.

The interior chamber of the eyeball is filled with a jelly-like tissue called the vitreous humor. After passing through the lens, light must travel through this humor before striking the sensitive layer of cells called the retina.

(opens in new tab) ) (Image credit: LiveScience Graphic/Image courtesy of 3DScience.com

The retina

Fromer explained that the retina is the innermost of three tissue layers that make up the eye. The outermost layer, called the sclera, is what gives most of the eyeball its white color. The cornea is also a part of the outer layer.

The middle layer between the retina and sclera is called the choroid. The choroid contains blood vessels that supply the retina with nutrients and oxygen and remove its waste products. [Image Gallery: Eye Implant Restores Some Vision to Blind]

Embedded in the retina are millions of light sensitive cells, which come in two main varieties: rods and cones.

Rods are used for monochrome vision in poor light, while cones are used for color and for the detection of fine detail. Cones are packed into a part of the retina directly behind the retina called the fovea, which is responsible for sharp central vision.

When light strikes either the rods or the cones of the retina, it's converted into an electric signal that is relayed to the brain via the optic nerve. The brain then translates the electrical signals into the images a person sees, Fromer said.

Vision problems/diseases

The most common problems with vision are nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness, (hyperopia), a defect in the eye caused by nonspherical curvature (astigmatism) and age-related farsightedness (presbyopia), according to the National Eye Institute.

Most people will develop presbyopia in their 40s or 50s, and start needing reading glasses, Fromer said. With age, the lens gets denser, making it harder for the ciliary muscles to bend the lens, he said.

The leading causes of blindness in the United States include cataracts (clouding of the lens), age-related macular degeneration (deterioration of the central retina), glaucoma (damage to the optic nerve), and diabetic retinopathy (damage to retinal blood vessels), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Other common disorders include amblyopia ("lazy eye") and strabismus (crossed eyes), the CDC says.

Additional reporting by Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer

Editors Note: If youd like more information on this topic, we recommend the following book:

Related pages about the human body

Parts of the human body

Systems of the human body

Additional resources
After tying up his much larger mate, a male Darwin's bark spider prefaces sex by drooling on her junk. As one does.

When it comes to sex with a much bigger mate, one type of spider has the problem licked.

Males of the Madagascar spider species Darwin's bark spider (Caerostris darwini) address sex head-first, performing highly conscientious oral stimulation to the female's genitals, according to a new study.

And they don't skimp on it, either. The oral attention  which the researchers described as "obligatory," and which they observed before, during and after mating  could occur "up to 100 times" in a single encounter, they said in a statement. [Video: Spider Sex Is Freaky -- Oral, 'S&M' and Cannibalism]

A male Darwin's bark spider orally stimulates the larger female. (Image credit: Biological Institute ZRC SAZU)

"A rich sexual repertoire"

Mouth-on-genital stimulation is relatively rare in the animal kingdom, and is most commonly found in mammals. Fellatio has been observed in lions, hyenas, bats, lemurs, cheetahs and dolphins, to name a few, while cunnilingus is known in bonobos and fruit bats.

Before this study, oral stimulation was not unheard of in spiders  it also occurs in the Latrodectus genus, commonly known as widow spiders. But it has not been well documented, and this is the first detailed evidence of the activity, the scientists reported.

The Darwin's bark spider exhibited a "rich sexual repertoire," the scientists wrote. Males mating with older females would restrain them with silk bonds. They would also break off "genital plugs" and leave them behind in the female, to prevent them from mating with other males. [Weird and Wonderful: 9 Bizarre Spiders]

And invariably, the male spiders would lubricate females' genitals with saliva  essentially drooling on their mate's naughty bits.

This kind of sexual activity isn't recreational. It's an essential reproductive technique, typically driven by sexual dimorphism  significant physical differences between the sexes.

Size matters

"Sexual dimorphism  especially size dimorphism in general  is linked to bizarre sexual behaviors," Matjaz Gregoric, the study's lead author, told Live Science in an email.

A male Darwin's bark spider mounts a newly molted female, which is more vulnerable and therefore less likely to eat him. (Image credit: Biological Institute ZRC SAZU)

And the Darwin's bark spider certainly qualifies as sexually dimorphic. Males typically measure about a quarter of an inch (6 millimeters) in body length, while females can be about four times their size, with a body length of about 1 inch (20 millimeters). In the study, the researchers described their spider females as 14 times heavier than the males on average, and about 2.3 times larger.

Gregoric, an evolutionary biologist with the Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, explained that unusual sexual behaviors link directly to conflict between the sexes brought about by dramatic size differences.

"Usually, the small and numerous males evolve mechanisms to monopolize females," Gregoric said. These can include guarding females, binding them, using oral sexual contact, even breaking off bits of their own bodies and using them as plugs, to keep other males from penetrating their mate.

Meanwhile, females evolve counter-adaptations to keep the males in check  like eating them. Sexual cannibalism, Gregoric said, is a female mechanism used to control the duration of sex, or to choose among males, which are usually much more numerous than females in sexually dimorphic species.

Prove it all night

But even among unusual mating behaviors, oral stimulation is extremely rare  especially in spiders  and Gregoric and his colleagues considered several possible explanations.

Could they be using oral sex to keep from being eaten? Probably not, the researchers determined. In their observations, they noted that males performed oral stimulation on all females regardless of how aggressive they were. They even orally stimulated females that had recently molted, and were incapable of attacking them.

What was more likely, they concluded, was that oral sexual contact served as a means for the male to signal his fitness as a potential mate. There could also be enzymes in the spider's saliva that benefitted sperm transmission, and potentially impeded the success of sperm deposited by other males.

Further tests would be needed to know for sure what reproductive purpose the prolonged oral stimulation serves. In any case, the female spiders don't appear to be objecting to the attention in the slightest.

The findings were published online April 29 in the journal Scientific Reports (opens in new tab).

Follow Mindy Weisberger on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
A new Nazca geoglyph (top) found in Peru has been uncovered  below, its hypothetical reconstruction.

A new Nazca geoglyph has been uncovered by Japanese scientists in Peru, and it could be linked to a major ceremonial center.

Measuring 98-feet long, the geoglyph is located within the central area of the Nazca pampa, a large, flat, arid region of Peru between the Andes and the coast. The line drawing is of an animal, with many legs and spotted markings, sticking out its tongue.

"It certainly represents an imaginary or mythical creature," Masato Sakai at the Yamagata University in Japan, said.

Ancient Peruvian Mystery Solved From Space

Last year a team lead by Sakai discovered dozens of new geoglyphs of animals in the same area using to 3-D scans of the ground.

This time, the researchers just spotted the new lines when walking on the Nazca plateau.

"Because the geoglyph is located on the slopes, it can easily be identified on the ground level," Sakai told Discovery News.

Peru's Nazca Lines Reveal Mysterious New Animal Images

Mostly known for their massive desert images of animals and birds, the Nazca flourished in Peru between the first century B.C. and the seventh century A.D. and slid into oblivion by the time the Inca Empire rose to dominate the Andes.

The new geoglyph is estimated to date back to the Late Paracas Period (400 B.C. to 200 B.C.). The dating comes from earlier versions of the motifs previously found on the pampa, which are believed to have been created at the Late Paracas period.

The geoglyph features a different technique than most famous Nazca lines. Typical of the Late Paracas Period, the technique relies on the white ground which lies underneath the black oxidized pebbles of the pampa.

Mysterious Nazca Lines Formed Ancient Pilgrimage Route

"This new animal drawing was created by removing dark surface stones and exposing the underlying whitish ground," Sakai said. "The removed stones were then piled up to shape the animal image like a relief."

He believes the animal drawing might be linked to the vast ceremonial center of Cahuachi, which contains about 40 mounds topped with adobe structures.

"We discovered another geoglyph in 2011, not far from the newly found one," Sakai said. "It was created using the same technique and showed a pair of anthropomorphic figures in a scene of decapitation." Decapitation was a popular activity within the Nazca civilization, which was obsessed over trophy heads. They seem to have used the human heads for their ceremonial activity.

More than 50 'Nazca Lines' Found in Kazakhstan

Both geoglyphs were located on the slopes, so that they could easily be identified on the ground level.

"Between these two geoglyphs, there is an ancient path leading to the ceremonial center of Cahuachi," Sakai said.

He believes the geoglyphs were probably related to the pilgrimage to Cahuachi.

"They seem to make the path worth walking," he added.

Originally published on Discovery News.
Experience!

Hillary Clintons primary voters share a common mantra: she has experience.

They say she has experience as first lady, which includes fending off bimbo eruptions and tactically demeaning and intimidating women used and abused by Bill Clinton.

She used her experience to choose nominees for U.S. Attorney General. Her first nominee was forced to withdraw due to revelations she had employed illegal immigrants as nanny and chauffeur for her child. This limousine liberal also chose not to pay the illegal employees social security taxes.

These actions are known to authorities as crimes.

Failing to learn from this experience, Hillarys second choice for U.S. Attorney General was compelled to withdraw for the same illegal behavior.

Finally, Hillary selected Janet Reno, whose tenure was so disgraceful that Bill Clinton called Reno my worst mistake.

Her leadership as first lady was also the iceberg that sank the titanic known as HillaryCare.

But wait, her supporters would cry out: she has experience in the Senate!

Last month, the San Francisco Chronicles editorial board sat down with longtime Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein. She was asked, As someone who worked with Hillary Clinton for nearly a decade in the Senate, what in your view was her signature accomplishment as a senator?

Feinstein couldnt name a single accomplishment of Hillarys in the Senate, so an aide helpfully suggested Sen. Feinstein Google Hillary and her record.

Asking the internet, Feinstein would learn that, in Hillarys nearly nine years in the Senate, this woman of experience authored three pieces of legislation.

These important services to the American people were designating a highway, a post office and a government building in New York.

Not so fast, her supporters scream out. Hillary has mountains of foreign policy experience!

Yes, and that experience is marked by stumble after stumble, interrupted by disastrous failure after disastrous failure, highlighted by stumble after stumble with the occasional additional disastrous failure mixed in.

It was her years of experience that created the infamous Reset button presented to Russia which actually read, Overcharge, in Russian.

It was the Russians who benefitted most from the Obama-Hillary policy reset, breaking the U.S. promise of missile defenses for Poland and the Czech Republic that enabled Russia to battle Ukraine and invade Crimea.

And to think that with all of this experience, she couldnt even find a government employee fluent in Russian for the most basic of tasks, no matter how culturally ignorant a Staples office supply store-style Reset button would be in and of itself.

Hawk Hillary waged her policy in Egypt and Libya, enabling Islamic radicals to take control of Egypt and fuel the ongoing civil war in Libya.

Pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq too soon left the predicted vacuum to be filled by terrorists, and thus the Islamic State.

She forcefully supports the failed nuclear deal John Kerry and President Obama made with Iran, allowing Iran to develop nuclear weapons within a few years, which she lauds as a success.

In her decades of living off the taxpayer, Hillary does have one real positive accomplishment.

While first lady, she did push for money to create the State Childrens Health Insurance Program.

She didnt actually create the legislation. Republican Orrin Hatch and Democrat Ted Kennedy sponsored the bill. Ted Kennedy credited her with convincing President Bill Clinton to push for $24 billion to fund the program, whereas the House had authorized only $16 billion.

Its nothing like actually creating something, but begging for money is actually considered a real job in Washington. Its an area Hillary does actually have a lot of successful experience, especially when it comes to foreign interests.

So, what experience are Hillary supporters talking about?

Race car driver J.D. McDuffie also had experience. He drove 653 races without even one win. His record for the most last-place finishes was unsurpassed for 23 years after his tragic death.

But, hey, he had experience!

Just as millennial women say they want the right woman in the White House, not Hillary, Democrats might want to thoughtfully consider their definition of experience.

Rick Jensen, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate, is Delawares award-winning conservative talk show host on WDEL. Email him at rick@wdel.com.
The eyes, long described as the windows to the soul, appear to be windows to the brain, as well: Scientists have developed an eye-scan technique that may detect Alzheimer's disease at its earliest stage, before major symptoms appear.

With early detection, a person could seek treatment for Alzheimer's at a time when therapies would be most effective at slowing the progression of the memory-robbing disease, the researchers said.

The research was presented today (May 5) at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in Seattle.

Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is an epidemic that shows no signs of abating, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Death rates for Alzheimer's disease are increasing: More than 5 million Americans live with the disease, and by 2050, this number is projected to rise to 14 million, according to CDC statistics.

There is no cure for Alzheimer's, but medicines can slow the development of many of the classic symptoms, such as loss of memory and communication skills, mood swings and depression. [7 Ways the Mind and Body Change With Age]

The cause of Alzheimer's is unknown. The disease appears to be associated with the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the brain called beta-amyloid and tau. The misfolded proteins can form tangles in the neural network of the brain, disrupting normal communication between neurons.

Doctors can only be sure that a patient had Alzheimer's after he or she dies, because an autopsy is needed to provide definitive proof of the presence of these microscopic brain tangles. PET scans of the brains of living people can provide doctors with evidence that amyloid and tau are accumulating, but these scans are expensive and invasive, requiring the patient to be injected with radioactive tracers that bind with these proteins and glow during the scan.

In the new report, researchers in New England devised a different, noninvasive approach to finding Alzheimer's early, using optical coherence tomography (OCT), an established medical imaging technique used to observe microscopic details. The OCT machine can be configured to painlessly scan a patient's retina, the tissue in the back of the eye, to look for abnormalities.

The researchers recruited 63 study participants who were at high risk for Alzheimer's disease, based on emerging symptoms and family history. The researchers first conducted PET scans to establish the extent of the participants' beta-amyloid accumulation. Then, they performed OCT scans and compared the results. [6 Foods That Are Good For Your Brain]

The researchers used a technique called blue laser autofluorescence in conjunction with the OCT, which causes certain cellular components to glow without requiring the injection of any dye or chemical tracer.

The OCT scan could not directly detect beta-amyloid proteins, but it did reveal shadow-like inclusion bodies  aggregates of cellular material, likely proteins  that correlated well with the level of beta-amyloid close to the retina revealed by the PET scan, according to Claudia Santos, a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island who led the study.

"There is no treatment for Alzheimer's, [but] it may be because we are trying to intervene too late in the disease [process] and can't reverse the dementia," Santos told Live Science. This OCT technique "might be a good screening tool for preclinical Alzheimer's, since the OCT can be performed at any ophthalmologist clinic."

Santos said the OCT technique, once perfected, could be a first step in assessing the development of Alzheimer's disease. Should the OCT scan reveal evidence of beta-amyloid, doctors could then perform PET scans for a more thorough diagnosis and then prescribe medicines.

"Our study is longitudinal [conducted over time], so we will perform the OCT and PET scan again in about 20 months after these baseline results  to see [if] the level of amyloid-beta is increasing," Santos said. "We hope this study can be replicated with different subjects."

The research was conducted at Lifespan-Rhode Island Hospital in Providence and was co-led by Peter Snyder, a professor of neurology at Brown University, also in Providence.

Follow Christopher Wanjek @wanjek for daily tweets on health and science with a humorous edge. Wanjek is the author of "Food at Work" and "Bad Medicine." His column, Bad Medicine, appears regularly on Live Science.
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A monster festival is currently being planned for Lanesboro and Ballyleague next year.

The Lough Ree Monster Fest, which organisers promise will be bigger than anything ever seen in counties Longford and Roscommon before, will kick off during the Bank Holiday weekend in August, 2017.

Such are the plans for the event, fundraising is now key and it is with this in mind that the committee members are now gearing themselves up for a huge fundraising night in Longford town that is expected to take place next month.

On June 17 next the committee will hold a Greyhound Night at Longfords Greyhound track and members are encouraging everyone to come out and support the event on the night.

We decided to put on a huge festival and so 2016 will focus on fundraising and then we will hold the festival in August 2017, a delighted Joe OBrien, committee member told the Leader.

This is going to be a huge festival - we have decided to involve all communities from both sides of the bridge and bring all sides together, he added.

We are very excited about it; we are going to build a monster and the students at Lanesboro Community College are currently helping us with that.

Our plan is that this monster will come down on the lake during the festival.

The area is no stranger to festivities and with both villages nestled on the banks of the River Shannon it is an ideal location to celebrate all that is wonderful there.

The interest in this is huge and our aim is to bring people back home to Lanesboro and Ballyleague; we also want to encourage people in Ireland to come to our area and see it for themselves, continued Mr OBrien.

All support is greatly appreciated and this is something that we are all really looking forward to.
Local News, National & World News, Health & Wellness, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 05 2016

Under the leadership of officers from four of the largest fire service organizations in New York State, volunteer and career firefighters descended on the Capitol today for their annual Government Affairs Day, meeting with their ...

Albany, NY - May 4, 2016 - Under the leadership of officers from four of the largest fire service organizations in New York State, volunteer and career firefighters descended on the Capitol today for their annual Government Affairs Day, meeting with their elected representatives to discuss the Issues of United Concern. While the participating organizations support a variety of legislation, the unquestioned, universal priority for 2016 is presumptive cancer coverage for volunteer firefighters. A full list of the Issues of United Concern for 2016 can be found below.

The presumptive cancer coverage bill (S. 3891 / A. 5518) is sponsored by State Senator Michael Nozzolio and Assemblymember Aileen Gunther. It unanimously passed the State Senate on April 11 and is now before the Assembly Local Governments Committee. The bill expands the already existing Volunteer Firefighters Benefit Law (VFBL) to cover all instances of melanoma, as well as cancers of the lymphatic, digestive, hematological, urinary, prostate, neurological, breast, and reproductive systems. VFBL functions much like workers compensation, in that it provides medical coverage for injuries and illness sustained in the line of duty.

Although fire service leaders and organizations have implemented robust education and awareness campaigns in an effort to lower cancer rates, the truth is that cancer is endemic to firefighting. Firefighters are routinely exposed to smoke, toxins, and other cancer-causing agents in the line of duty, which account for much higher diagnosis rates than the general population. Fires have become even more dangerous in recent years as synthetic materials have become commonplace in building and furniture construction. This, coupled with the ubiquitous presence of electronics in homes and offices, means that modern fires are more toxic than ever before, and produce a much greater volume of carcinogens.

As a volunteer firefighter and cancer survivor, I am intimately familiar with this issue, said Daniel Schwertfeger, President of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs. Volunteer firefighters gladly and willingly sacrifice their time, their safety, and too often, their health in service to their communities. No firefighter, career or volunteer, should have to face cancer alone.

We are grateful to the State Senate for acting in the best interests of New Yorks volunteer firefighters, and unanimously passing this critical legislation, said President Robert McConville, President of the Firemens Association of the State of New York. The onus is now squarely on the Assembly to do the right thing, and protect those who sacrifice to serve their communities. This is a benefit that career firefighters rightfully enjoy, but fires, and the cancers they cause, do not discriminate. Neither should the New York State Assembly.

The Fire Districts of New York stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of our brothers and sisters, said Tom Rinaldi, First Vice President of the Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York. We do not foresee a major escalation in insurance premiums, but regardless, the cost is immaterial. We simply cannot put a price on a benefit that our volunteer firefighters need and deserve. Their health and well-being are paramount.

The nature of firefighting has changed, said Richard Martinkovic, President of the County Fire Coordinators Association of the State of New York. Fires today are far more toxic than those of just a few years ago. The proliferation of synthetic materials and electronics means that even a simple house fire produces a staggering variety of carcinogens. Presumptive cancer coverage is necessary to protect 21st century firefighters against 21st century dangers.

Other groups present at Government Affairs Day included the Volunteer Fire Police Association of New York State and the New York State Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association. The New York State Building Officials Conference attended as well, to lend their support for the Issues of United Concern.

2016 Issues of United Concern

CANCER PRESUMPTION  Amend the Volunteer Firefighters Benefit Law, adding a new section 11-d to provide a presumption that a volunteer firefighter who was cancer-free when they commenced service and now has one of several specifically identified cancers incurred such condition in the performance and discharge of their duties. (A.5518 Gunther / S.3891 Nozzolio)

CODE ENFORCEMENT/ILLEGAL CONVERSIONS  Enact legislation to provide criminal sanctions and/or enhanced civil penalties when unauthorized, illegal modifications to buildings in violation of the Uniform Code and/or local laws create conditions that are hazardous to ingress, egress, and/or firefighting efforts. Numerous injuries/deaths to residents and firefighters have occurred in such circumstances. Three existing bills deal with Uniform Code enforcement and toughened sanctions: S.291-B Martins / A.6154-A Schimel, S.1189 Carlucci / A.2865 Zebrowski, and S.4638 Martins / A.5856 Zebrowski. One bill would create a felony when such a violation impedes egress and results in injury or death to emergency personnel (including firefighters)  (S.1188-A Carlucci / A.5539-A Zebrowski).

FAIR BILLING FOR AMBULANCE SERVICE  Remove the prohibition in the General Municipal Law against fire companies, departments, or districts billing for providing ambulance service. Municipal and volunteer ambulance services provide exactly the same services and they can bill Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers; emergency medical services units within firefighting entities cannot exclusively because of this prohibition. (S.1914 Little / A.3721 Brindisi)

PERMIT EMPLOYMENT OF RETIRED FIREFIGHTERS AS FIRE SCIENCE INSTRUCTORS  Retired firefighters who are less than 65 years of age who are employed as fire science instructors by state or local governments risk severe pension reduction penalties under present law. Addition of a new section 214-C to the Retirement and Social Security Law would remove this impediment to obtaining experienced and highly qualified instructors. (S.2747 Larkin / A.4876 Gunther)

UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE SAFETY  Enact legislation to eliminate/reduce use of carcinogenic, toxic chemicals in flame retardant furniture. (S.5585 OMara; S.3844 Ritchie / A.7837 Brindisi)

INCREASE PERMANENT DISABILITY BENEFITS IN VFBL/VAWBL  The amount payable in permanent total disability benefits has not been increased since 1998. Enact legislation to create an automatic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). (S.1000-A Funke / A.5133 Morelle)

About FASNY

Founded in 1872, the Firemens Association of the State of New York (FASNY) represents the interests of the more than 90,000 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel in New York State. For more information, visit www.fasny.com.

About the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs

Organized in 1904 the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs represents nearly 11,000 career and volunteer chiefs throughout New York State. For additional information visit, www.nysfirechiefs.com

About the Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York

The Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York, a not-for-profit corporation, works to improve the fiscal responsibility, efficiency and effectiveness of the fire district management through education, training and advocacy for commissioners and other fire district officials in the 57 counties outside of the City of New York.

About the County Fire Coordinators Association of the State of New York

The County Fire Coordinators Association of the State of New York is a professional non-profit organization whose membership consists of active County Fire Coordinators and their Deputies. The organization provides a mechanism for these fire officials to meet and discuss issues amongst themselves and with partners at the state level, and to represent issues important to their mission and responsibilities.
Sports & Recreation, Press Releases, Seasonal & Current Events

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 05 2016

Thousands of racing fans from throughout the region will journey to Belmont Park on Saturday, May 7 in conjunction with the New York Racing Association's celebration and live simulcast of the Kentucky Derby, featuring Kentucky-themed ...

Elmont, NY - May 4, 2016 - Thousands of racing fans from throughout the region will journey to Belmont Park on Saturday, May 7 in conjunction with the New York Racing Association's celebration and live simulcast of the Kentucky Derby, featuring Kentucky-themed cuisine, a wing festival, and numerous family activities.

Saturday, May 7, Kentucky Derby Day at Belmont Park

Breakfast at Belmont: The Breakfast at Belmont program returns from 7 - 9 a.m., enabling guests to enjoy a breakfast buffet in the Belmont cafe while watching thoroughbreds train on the main track. Following breakfast, attendees are invited to take a free tram ride tour (weather permitting) through the stable area, enjoy a free paddock show, and participate in a free starting gate demonstration. At the conclusion of breakfast, Belmont Park will briefly close and admission gates will re-open at 10 a.m. for admittance for the day's events and live racing program.

Derby Day: Horseplayers and racing fans from across the region will travel to Belmont Park on Saturday, May 2 for a live simulcast of the Kentucky Derby. Admission gates at Belmont Park open at 10 a.m.

Live Racing : Live racing commences at 12:45 p.m., and features a 12-race card. Highlights include the running of three graded stakes races: Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay, Grade 3 Fort Marcy, and Grade 3 Westchester. Reserved seats are available for $10, including admission and can be purchased by calling 844-NYRA-TIX. Box seats are available for $15 each, including admission, and can be purchased by calling 718-659-2226

Food and Fun: Derby Day is Family Fun Day at Belmont Park, featuring face painting, pony rides and a petting zoo for guests of all ages from 12 - 4 p.m.

Ultimate Wing Fest: . Attendees on track can participate in an 'Ultimate Wing Festival' contest from 1 - 5 p.m. in which individuals can enjoy chicken wings from local area restaurants, craft beer, cider, wine, and live music. Unlimited beer and wings tickets are available in advance for $45. Please visit . Attendees on track can participate in an 'Ultimate Wing Festival' contest from 1 - 5 p.m. in which individuals can enjoy chicken wings from local area restaurants, craft beer, cider, wine, and live music. Unlimited beer and wings tickets are available in advance for $45. Please visit here

Gourmet Dining: Guests can enjoy premium hospitality with a special upscale buffet in the Garden Terrace Restaurant for $75 per person. Deal includes admission, tax, gratuity, and a Post Parade program.

Woodford Reserve Bourbon Tasting: A special Woodford Reserve Tasting will take place in Belmont Park's spacious backyard from 2 - 4 p.m.

College Day: Representatives of more than a dozen colleges throughout the New York City metropolitan region will be on hand for NYRA's annual College Day, taking place from 12 - 6 p.m. Cash prizes will be awarded to students and the first 500 attendees will receive a t-shirt and $5 betting voucher.

About the New York Racing Association (NYRA)

Founded in 1955 and franchised to run thoroughbred racing at New York's three major tracks (Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course) through 2033, the New York Racing Association's mission is "Meeting the highest standards in thoroughbred racing and equine safety." With a lineage of nearly 150 years, NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of New York State's thoroughbred industry, which contributes more than $2 billion annually to its urban, suburban and rural economy.



NYRA tracks are proud to be accredited by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Safety & Integrity Alliance. Leading the industry in safety and welfare initiatives, NYRA tracks have earned "best practice" ratings in virtually every primary area examined by the Alliance since 2009.

In 2015, more than 1.75 million people attended live races at NYRA tracks. Factoring in nationwide off-track wagering, the average daily betting handle on NYRA races totaled nearly $11 million. For more information, visit www.NYRA.com. Stay connected with New York Racing by following NYRA on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Local News, Press Releases, Seasonal & Current Events

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 05 2016

On Saturday, May 7 residents will be given a unique chance to tour a modern wastewater treatment plant in Suffolk County.

Mastic, NY - May 2, 2016 - On Saturday, May 7 residents will be given a unique chance to tour a modern wastewater treatment plant in Suffolk County. The tour is being offered through Legislator Kate Browning (WF-Shirley) and the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, fulfilling a promise to residents to be able to see and experience an enclosed facility that is similar to the plant being proposed at Calabro Airport in Shirley. Transportation is being provided by Suffolk County.



Suffolk County secured almost $200 million dollars in Federal and State aid to design and construct a treatment plant and sewer district for the Forge River watershed. The project is estimated to begin in 2017. At various public meetings for the project residents expressed concerns over the treatment plant, so Legislator Browning promised to organize a tour of a similar facility that is currently operating in Suffolk County.



Over the last several years, residents living near Calabro Airport have expressed fear over a facility being constructed in the area, stated Legislator Kate Browning. What better way to educate constituents about what is fact and what is fiction, than to let them experience a facility first-hand. Our engineers have said all along, this state-of-the-art plant is nothing like the old facilities built in Nassau and Western Suffolk, and we are confident it will not come with the negative impacts property owners are concerned about.



County vans will be available to transport attendees from Calabro Airport to the Miller Place facility at 10:30am on May 7. Residents living near the airport are urged attend and RSVP to Legislator Browning at 631-852-1300 since space is limited. Residents may also drive themselves to the site. The tour will begin at 11am.
Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 05 2016

Free family event featuring giveaways, raffles, food and petting zoo open to public May 6-8, 2016.

Sayville, NY - May 5, 2016 - Sayville Ford, Long Islands Ford Giant, is set to unveil its newly renovated showroom and business facility during its grand re-opening weekend event Friday, May 6 through Sunday, May 8, 2016, Friday, 9:00 a.m.  9:00 p.m., Saturday, 10:00 a.m.  6:00 p.m. and Sunday, 11:00 a.m.  5:00 p.m. Located off of Sunrise Highway in Sayville, New York, the multi-generational dealership will mark the occasion with a free, family-friendly celebration complete with giveaways, raffles, food and petting zoo. The family owned and operated dealership will celebrate its 60th year in 2017, and this event defines the beginning of a new era.

In 2015, Sayville Ford underwent major renovations, and after more than a year of construction, Sayville Ford is bigger and better than ever. The new facility houses a large, showroom, second floor conference and office area, drive-in service lanes, on-site car wash and a state-of-the-art customer lounge -- all in an effort to provide customers the ultimate dealership experience.

Three generations later and three buildings later, Sayville Ford, has been part of the local community since 1957 when Neil Spare, Sr. opened Sayville Ford at 102 Main Street, Sayville (where present day Walgreens is located), selling both Fords and gasoline from street side pumps. In 1966, after college and serving in the US Navy as a submariner, his son, Neil Spare, Jr. joined the business. As the dealership grew, Spare, Jr. relocated the dealership and in 1975, a new facility opened at its present location. In 2008, Neil Spare Jr.s daughter, Melanie Spare-Oswalt, joined the business after an 18-year career in the insurance industry and became the third generation Spare to operate the business.

Sayville Ford proudly serves as a local institution, providing employment to more than 90 people, supporting local events including Drive 4 UR School; Sayville Ford Annual Mustang Show with proceeds going to the Make A Wish Foundation, Long Island Cares and more.

Sayville Ford is located at 5686 Sunrise Highway, Sayville, NY.

ABOUT SAYVILLE FORD
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Columnists Press Releases
The Missouri Legislature considers a handful of bills each session relating to our various utilities like water, electric and gas. These measures are often complex in nature, and it can be easy to get bogged down in the minutiae of rate-making and kilowatts. As they say, however, the devil is in the details, which is why it is so important for state lawmakers to understand a bills finer points as well as its broader implications.

Every year and without fail, utility companies attempt to find new ways to more easily raise rates on Missouri consumers. While much of the need to do so stems from the rising costs of maintaining and improving our various utility infrastructures, its important for consumers to remember that at the end of the day these privately owned utilities must answer to their stockholders. One way they have often tried to raise rates is by supporting legislation that would allow them to bypass the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC).

The PSC exists to regulate investor-owned utilities and ensure our citizens receive safe and reliable utility services at fair and reasonable rates. To adjust rates, an investor-owned utility must go through the general rate-making procedure with the PSC. This includes hearing dates and public comment opportunities. This critical vetting process allows the PSC to verify that utility corporations can truly justify any rate increase, preventing wasteful spending and protecting consumer rates.

When considering a utilities bill, I am always looking for balance between the interests of utility corporations, which employ thousands of Missouri citizens with good jobs, and consumers, who feel the effects of every single rate increase. Unfortunately, I dont believe there is a bill fitting that description this session. In fact, one piece of legislation that is still advancing through the process contains some very unbalanced provisions.

Utility corporations have the benefit of operating as monopolies because the infrastructure needed to generate and deliver water or electricity is enormously expensive; however, in exchange for a being a monopoly, they agree to certain regulations and objective external oversight. The legislation currently under consideration takes all the risk away from the utilities and places it on consumers by removing the PSCs oversight ability in determining rate increases and replacing it with a formula that guarantees an annual rate increase.

Proponents argue this move will provide customers with more predictable rates. And while predictability is generally a good quality, in this case it would mean customers could predictably expect a rate increase even in years when it isnt necessary to cover operating expenses. My chief concern is this legislation is more about driving up stockholder dividends than improving and maintaining our utility infrastructures and power grids. This concern isnt unfounded.

Just this week, the Missouri Office of the Public Counsel (OPC) filed a formal complaint against two Missouri gas corporations. The complaint states that both companies have enjoyed actual returns on equity that significantly exceed what state utility commissions previously determined as reasonable for 2015. Additionally, both companies currently collect millions of dollars from consumers through their Infrastructure System Replacement Surcharges (ISRS).

An ISRS is meant to be a temporary funding solution that investor-owned gas corporations may apply for in order to more quickly recover unexpected costs that go above and beyond their usual budgetary planning, such as emergency repairs due to a natural disaster. Perhaps unsurprisingly, ISRSs have become less temporary and more permanent in recent years. The OPCs complaint goes on to claim that without PSC action culminating in a rate reduction, these gas companies will likely continue charging and collecting unjust and unreasonable rates from customers through the overearnings as well as the improper adjustments to their respective ISRS matters.

Many Missouri families live paycheck to paycheck, but these large utility corporations do not. While it is imperative that our utilities function safely and efficiently, I do not believe it is right to expect the public to bear higher costs than what is necessary  especially just so stockholders can line their pockets a little more.

Throughout my time in the Senate, I have been working hard behind the scenes to protect Missourians from undue hardship brought about by bad policy. During my very first session, I helped stop a water utility bill on its last leg of the legislative process because it would have had some very real, negative consequences for consumers. Just like I said earlier, once I was able to explain what the bill would actually do  those finer details  my fellow senators agreed it was not right for Missouri. Three years later, Im still fighting to prevent the same type of harmful legislation from becoming law, and I assure you I will continue fighting to protect Missouri consumers for as long as Im in office.

I was pleased to meet with the following residents from back home this week: Dennis Atkins and Rhonda Payne with Disabled Citizens Alliance for Independence; Dr. Mike Redlich from Southern Reynolds County R-II; Mr. John Eaton from Bunker R-III; Lisa Umfleet; Marge Hinkebein; and Betty Weiderholt. Thank you to everyone who stopped by.

Finally, this week, my staff and I (and I think its safe to say the entire Senate) were very happy to welcome back Chris Schillinger and crew from Baylee Jos BBQ Seafood & Grill in Ironton. This is now the eighth year Chris and his staff have brought their amazing barbeque to the Capitol. I know our Senate family always looks forward to seeing the folks from Baylee Jos, and I thank them for making the drive up to Jefferson City.

I always appreciate hearing your comments, opinions and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at 573-751-4008. You may write me at Gary Romine, Missouri Senate, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101; or email me at gary.romine@senate.mo.gov; or www.senate.mo.gov/romine.
Islamic State fighters overlook at a facility at the Shaer gas field.

The Islamic State and forces loyal to Bashar al Assads regime are battling for control of the Shaer gas field in Syrias Homs province once again. The two sides have fought at Shaer and other nearby gas facilities on multiple occasions since 2014.

Amaq News Agency, which reports on the so-called caliphates fighting, has posted updates on the clashes at Shaer over the last few days.

Islamic State fighters took control of the Shaer Gas Company in the countryside of Homs after the collapse of all Syrian regime checkpoints west of the company, one of Amaqs updates, issued earlier today, reads. A martyrdom operation reportedly hit the last Syrian regime positions west of the Shaer Gas Company before it was seized. An earlier update noted that the jihadists have overrun 13 checkpoints surrounding the facility. Amaq says that the Islamic States men have captured various arms and tanks.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has confirmed some of the Islamic States claims. SOHR reported this morning that the group was attacking Shaer gas field for the 3rd day in a row. The jihadists advanced behind two suicide cars (meaning vehicle borne improvised explosive devices, or VBIEDs), taking control of more than 50% of the gas field as regime forces pulled back. At least one of the martyrs has already been identified in the Islamic States propaganda.

Previously, on May 1, SOHRs sources said that 16 Syrian soldiers had been killed during the fighting at Shaer and in the area of Huwaysis, which is also in the eastern countryside of Homs. Seven Islamic State fighters were eliminated during the clashes. Amaq described it as a major assault on Syrian regime forces.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has released footage purportedly showing seven Russian helicopters heading to Shaer in support of the ground forces. The video was posted online on May 2 by Al Masdar News. But the Russian choppers havent stymied the Islamic States offensive, assuming recent reports are accurate.

Shaer has changed hands multiple times since mid-2014.

In early July 2014, according to SOHR and the Associated Press, at least 115 Syrian troops, guards and workers were killed when the Islamic State initially overran the gas field. Some sources indicated that the so-called caliphate mustered 2,000 fighters for the assault. The reported death toll at Shaer climbed in the weeks that followed, reaching at least 270 soldiers, guards and staff loyal to Assad.

The Syrian army quickly reclaimed Shaer during that first battle, but the Islamic States offensive in Homs and elsewhere that same month came with a heavy toll. At least 1,100 soldiers and pro-Assad fighters were eliminated after the Islamic State intensified its attacks against government forces in July 2014, according to Reuters, which cited a tally compiled by SOHR.

However, the Islamic State didnt give up on Shaer. In late October 2014, the group launched an effort to regain control of the gas field and the surrounding area. By early November, the jihadists were claiming victory, publishing a set of photos that documented their control over key facilities in the vicinity. But the victory was short-lived, as Assads regime reclaimed Shaer just a few weeks later.

Shaers gas is used to generate electricity for Damascuss suburbs. Sources connected to the Assad government have said that the Islamic States control over the area has contributed to disruptions in the capitals power supply. Abu Bakr al Baghdadis men have also attacked natural gas pipelines running from Homs into Damascus.

Given the back and forth at Shaer over the past two years, it wouldnt be surprising if the fighting is far from finished. The SAA is already claiming to have regained the momentum, but the claim cannot be independently verified at this time.

Elsewhere in Homs, the Islamic State says it overran a checkpoint northeast of Palmyra, which was recaptured by Assad and his allies earlier this year. Several Syrian soldiers were killed, according to Amaq, and another was captured. The jihadists have released a set of photos showing the Syrian soldier being dragged by his head.

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
We reported yesterday that the Islamic State and forces loyal to Bashar al Assads regime were battling for control of the Shaer gas field in Homs province. The two sides have clashed at Shaer multiple times since July 2014, when the jihadists first tried to claim the area for themselves.

Today, the so-called caliphate released a set of photos advertising its spoils at Shaer. The photos can be seen below and are similar to images posted online in early November 2014, after the groups second assault on the facility.

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
You might think a girl who grew up in Warrensburg, Missouri, would not stand out in a crowd. In the four short years Kiley Dougherty, 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs media relations chief, has been in the Air Force, shes been a shining star wherever she finds herself. The Air Force took notice and gave her back-to-back Air Force-level awards.

I embrace whatever task is there, Dougherty said. I pour my whole heart into it.

According to her boss in PA, theres a lot more to it than just that.

Kiley is an extraordinary talent, said Lt. Col. Matt Hasson, 56th FW PA officer. She is passionate about her job and deeply committed to serving her country. She comes to work every day with ideas and an energy thats infectious  she wants to have impact on the mission every day.

Dougherty attended Northwest Missouri State University at Maryville and graduated with a double major  broadcast and journalism  and has a masters degree in public affairs with an emphasis in disaster emergency management.

While in school she had a couple of internships in Washington, D.C., where she met people in public affairs.

Listening to them, I realized working in PA for the military was what I wanted to do, she said.

She paid no heed to the fact that Defense Department jobs usually go to those who have served in the military, and the odds of her getting a job were slim.

She entered the Palace Acquire Intern Program in July 2012. Competition was stiff and there were only five positions available, but she acquired one and headed to Minot, North Dakota. She was handed the nuclear deterrence program and she threw herself into it. Two years later she received the Air Force Outstanding Communication Civilian, Category I Award.

When it was time to move on, Dougherty accepted the media chief position at Luke Air Force Base. The F-35 Lightning was already at Luke, but the program was in its infancy.

It was the perfect time for me to come here, Dougherty said. The program was just ramping up and presented so many opportunities for media.

Hasson had been at Luke for less than a year. A seasoned PA professional, he could see the need was crucial for a media chief who could hit the ground running. The office was preparing to be deluged with opportunities that could make or break the new face of the F-35 program.

Telling the Air Force story is far more than a picture, an article, or a social media post, he said. It is understanding the strategic impact on Big Air Force of what we say here at the wing, particularly when we are telling the story of the F-35.

This year Dougherty received the Outstanding Communication Civilian, Category II Award. She demonstrated outstanding leadership and management in communication outreach by generating over 100 media events and key engagements that highlighted the F-35 mission to more than 800 million people. As the social media subject matter expert, her skills publicized command information and increased viewership 48 percent.

When Dougherty came to Luke, she wasnt sure what to expect.

I absolutely love Luke, she said. It was the best assignment for me after leaving Minot. Its a completely different mission from nuclear deterrence to fighter jets. Everybody here is very inspiring and eager to help tell the Air Force and F-35 story. I would not have won the award if everyone we work with on base had not embraced PA and let us do our job.

She believes it was also the support of her co-workers and the leadership in PA that helped her win the award.

It is an awesome office to work in, she said. The PA team is very motivated. It was them taking photos, writing stories, supporting PA that enabled me to increase social media and have numerous media events. Their names should be on the award too. Its a PA office award as well as a base award.

She is modest about her success and gives the credit for her success to others.

I dont class myself as being good, Dougherty said. Ive had a lot leaders in the PA career field that took time to guide me and allowed me to figure out my own lessons learned and how I could better myself. People took the time to groom me into who I am.

Hasson is one of those mentors.

Theres too much to learn from him, she said. Hes amazing at what he does. I hope to obtain as much knowledge from him as possible.

Only four years into her career, she sees there are many more opportunities.

I want to continue to learn, she said. I apply for all the courses I can. You never know who will deliver that valuable aha moment of learning something new. Or, that minute when you see it work  when you get a negative reporter to write something positive or you prep someone to speak to the media, and they come through with the huge money quote. Those are the moments I live for.
Luton is a large town, borough and unitary authority area of Bedfordshire. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 258,000. Luton is home to Championship team Luton Town Football Club, London Luton Airport and The University of Bedfordshire. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. For all the latest news from Luton sign up to our newsletter here.
Meeting in regular session on Wednesday night, the Leadwood Board of Alderpersons started off by discussing the possibility of obtaining a credit/debit card machine at city hall for use by citizens in paying their water/sewer bills and/or court payments.

Melissa Hosna, a representative from US Bank in Leadington, was unable to attend the meeting to provide a full accounting of the costs and details of the machines use. Since she was unable to attend, the issue was tabled until the next public meeting.

In old business, board members briefly mentioned the citywide yard sale scheduled for May 7 and the all you can eat breakfast being offered at the Leadwood United Methodist Church from 8 to 10:30 a.m. The cost will be $5 for adults and $3 for children five and older. Breakfast is free for children under five years old.

Mayor Dennis Parks asked for board members to modify the time limit for which new business can be added to agendas for public meetings. Currently, there is a 48-hour limit prior to the meeting. Board members voted to change the timeframe to 72 hours in order to give City Clerk Charlotte Lewis more time to prepare documents and other materials for the meetings.

Next, Alderman David Henry proposed that the city either lease or purchase a lighted sign so that city meetings, events and other announcements can be posted to help keep the public better informed. Henry said the city could lease a sign for $37 a month or purchase one for about $400.

Henry suggested placing the sign on the former city hall parking lot.

I believe this would be a major step in eliminating some of the confusion and frustration about communication of city events, he said, since everyone in town drives by the old city lot at least once a month when they come up to pay their water bill.

Alderman Charlie Lewis suggested looking into placing the sign at the intersection of Hunt Street and Warner Drive, if one was obtained by the city, because it is a high-traffic intersection.

The issue was tabled until the next meeting so board members can consider it and also find out how much a set of letters would cost.

Parks and Henry also proposed the purchase of a used van, currently owned by the First Church of God, for transporting inmate workers and lawncare equipment throughout the spring and summer work season. The church agreed to sell the van for $1,000. Board members unanimously voted to purchase the van, which will be paid for through the general revenue fund.

A short discussion ensued regarding the need for a complete inventory of city property possessed by each department to be provided to the city clerk on a regular and ongoing basis. Board members voted to set a deadline for providing a full inventory of such by the end of the month so Charlotte Lewis can, in turn, provide the inventory to the auditing firm conducting the current city financial audit.

Board members then discussed the issue of pay for the citys elected officials. In the past, the mayor and board members voluntarily waived their pay for a period of six months until new officials were elected in April.

Parks pointed out that monthly pay is set by ordinance and that officials can voluntarily refuse their pay, but it must, by law, be offered to them. The current pay scale is $50 a month for alderpersons and $200 a month for the mayor. It was agreed that it will be left up to individual officials whether to accept or refuse their pay.

In other business, board members voted to have the steering rack in a city vehicle checked for malfunction and a repair estimate obtained. They also voted in favor of purchasing two loads of asphalt for repair of potholes for approximately $720, an asphalt roller and trailer for $1,250 and to purchase two city limit street signs for $50 each.

Board members also voted to pursue the possibility of annexing certain properties outside of current city limits in the vicinity of state highways M and 8 in order to, among other reasons, offer the property owners city water and sewer services. In order for such annexation to proceed, the owners of the properties must first agree to annexation.

Toward the end of the meeting, it was announced that two movies will be shown in Leadwood City Park on May 20. The movies will be free, but food and drinks will be available for sale. The proceeds will be used to help purchase body cameras for the police department.

Prior to adjourning the meeting, the next regular session was scheduled for May 23 at 6 p.m.
Edith Rogers has given dozens of talks about the Holocaust, educating local communities for decades about the dangers of institutionalized hatred and prejudice. On Saturday, shell be given the N. Gayle & Rowena Simmons Distinguished Service Award at Mineral Area Colleges commencement ceremony.

Born in 1929 in Stuttgart, Germany, Rogers  now of Farmington  is one of the youngest survivors of the Holocaust. On the Night of the Broken Glass (Kristallnacht), Rogers guardian wrapped her in a blanket and together, they watched the atrocities the Nazis committed on Jewish residents as they vandalized Jewish businesses, beat and killed Jews in the street and destroyed their homes. Rogers guardian wanted the little girl to bear witness to the horror, to remember the crimes perpetrated on a people identified by their religion.

The horrors of that period in Nazi Germany are partly shared in a book she wrote, No Childhood, (2002, AuthorHouse), which narrates the life of a child during the Holocaust. It describes feelings of a girl who never really got to be a child, hiding constantly, having no school or citizenship. Rogers eventually lost a mother and brother at Auschwitz.

After the war, Rogers moved to the U.S. in July 1952 and turned 21 in October of that year. She lived in Illinois and gave presentations there and a few around the Farmington area. She moved to Farmington a few years ago and has been speaking in the area ever since.

The Rev. Eddie Bone, a MAC adjunct faculty member, annually asks Mrs. Rogers to speak to students and community members about her experience, a story shes been telling ever since the mid-90s, after the movie Schindlers List was released. Before the release of that Spielberg movie, she was reluctant to talk about the Holocaust, but she eventually decided she needed to talk about it, teach others about it, so that it doesnt happen again.

Bone, in his nomination of Rogers for the award, said every time hes called her to speak to his students in classes or to the whole community, she has never said, I can't do it.

Bone said her words often have life-changing impact on those who hear her speak.

I have seen my students be brought to tears and be moved by her words, delivery, and stories. She makes it real for students, although she has to relive the horror and emotions from long ago and for her it must seem to have happened just yesterday, he said.

Bone had another reason to nominate Rogers.

I was blessed to be Gayle and Rowena's pastor and to know and love them, he said.

They would be thankful, honored, and proud to have such a great person as Mrs. Edith Rogers to be honored with this much deserved award for distinguished service.
ILO INTER-REGIONAL KNOWLEDGE SHARING FORUM

5 to 7 May 2016

Hotel Colbert, Antananarivo

Welcome remarks by M. Christian Ntsay

Director ILO-Antananarivo





Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the ILO-Antananarivo staff, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you all - tripartite constituents, colleagues of Addis Ababa, Colleagues of Geneva and resource persons - to Madagascar for this knowledge sharing forum.

I express my gratitude to the ILO Regional Director, M. Aenaes Chuma for his choice to carry out this forum in Antananarivo; I see this decision as an opportunity for my office to enhance the capacity of the country to deal with the issues on migrant domestic workers. I indeed want to share with you that the ILO Antananarivo has been contacted by tripartite constituents to undertake concrete action to tackle the issue that are affecting vulnerable women. And this request also aims to contributing to achieve the two country priorities of the Decent Work Country Programme of Madagascar: (i) Promote access of vulnerable groups to employment by enhancing their employability and boosting employment generating sectors, (ii) improve labor productivity by promoting social dialogue, fundamental principles and rights at work and social protection. The presence of Honourable Minister at this opening ceremony witnesses the commitment of Madagascar to be part of global solution on migrant workers.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is recognized the fact that Madagascar is a source country for women subject to migrant domestic workers. Though official figures are missing, it is estimated that thousands of Malagasy women are employed as domestic workers in Lebanon, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia; a smaller number of workers seek employment in Jordan, Mauritius, and Seychelles. Many of the women migrating are illiterate single mothers from rural areas and vulnerable to deception and abuse by recruitment agencies, mostly informal, and employers. Victims returning from Gulf countries report various forms of abuse and exploitation they endured during their work experience.

Given the situation, I am confident that the participation of Malagasy tripartite constituents in this forum will be helpful to acquire knowledge to strategize future action for the country. I also can anticipate that you all will be learning from the experience of the country. The discussion during this forum will help all the participating countries to build capacities to overcome the problem.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To end my allocution, I would wish you a very fruitful forum and hope you will enjoy your stay in Antananarivo. If this is your first time in Madagascar, please enjoy the tourism feature that the country is offering you. And for those who had been here before, let take this opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the country.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you.
A city official for Park Hills and Desloge has been charged following an investigation into a hidden camera allegedly placed in a bathroom in his residence to record a person staying at his home.
In the last two years, more than 84 billion Saudi riyals have been invested in the country's tourism sector, according to the general manager of a leading five star hotel in Riyadh. Around 11 million people visit the Kingdom each year, primarily for religious tourism. By 2020, that number is expected to soar to 88 million.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities-- headed by Saudi Arabia's first astronaut, Prince Sultan bin Salman-- has made a clear commitment to developing its meetings- and event-hosting (MICE) infrastructure.

As young people come to dominate the employment scene, prudent planning means that the government can achieve rapid economic growth by diversifying its tourism sphere and incorporating the cosmopolitan know-how of its fledgling workforce.

All indicators for Saudi Arabia point towards an economy flexible in reacting to economic variables at global, regional, and local levels. The best evidence for its successive achievements can be seen in annual world rankings. Saudi Arabia continually places in the top four countries in terms of financial freedom worldwide; its tax system has also merited acclaim for stimulating the economy. Saudi Arabia accounts for a full 25% of the Arab GDP, and it owns about 25% of all oil reserves in the world.

The Kingdom's boom is nowhere more apparent than in Riyadh. Various figures list the population of the buzzing Saudi capital as between 6 and 7.5 million. The capital's skyline, already iconic as the business hub of the Middle East, is set to change as more than 85 hotels open in the next few years, of which more than 40 will be five star. The spurt of investment in Riyadh reflects the dynamism of one of the most watched cities in the GCC region. The competition will certainly intensify, quips Ali.

Tiara is one of the leading butique hotels in Riyadh

Of note is the King Abdallah Financial District, a 29 billion riyal project (or $7.8 billion in US dollars). which is slated to provide more than three million square meters of space for various uses,and may well soon become the largest financial center in the Middle East. According toMeed Business Review magazine, it should bring 44,000 new jobs to the Riyadh metro area.

As of 2011, the District also became the largest project in the world to seek accreditation as a green development. To meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards, developers must demonstrate initiatives which consider water and energy usage, waste management, erosion reduction, and alternative transport options. In addition to 62,000 planned parking spaces, the center will include a multi-station monorail system as well as changing rooms and parking for bicycle commuters. This metro will connect to the downtown area of the city as well as to the airport, which will itself be expanding to accommodate 35 million, up from its current capacity of 12 million. As the High Commission for the Development of Riyadh told Taweer magazine in 2013, a total of SR264 billion ($70.4 million USD) is being spent on development projects in the suburban areas surrounding the city.

Saudi Arabia, and Riyadh in particular, have certainly stepped up to demonstrate the flawless planning that MICE tourism requires. Until 2011, the MICE segment was considered side income for the country when juxtaposed with the oil-based revenue, but this started to shift in 2010 and 2011 after an International Bank study generated real numbers. In 2011, a new Bureau for Conventions and Exhibitions was formed to promote the MICE trajectory. The 88 million figure the Bureau forecasts for tourists per year as of 2020 includes not only foreign visitors but local tourism as well, with Saudis taking holidays or attending training or work-incentive events in Riyadh.

Tiara hotels offers some of the top facilities in Riyadh

Cherif Ali, general manager of the Tiara Hotel in Riyadh, confirms that the hotel sector is the fastest growing industry in the Kingdom. The hotel opened a mere two years ago, but has already achieved a fantastic market share compared to similar hotels. The company plans to open up six additional properties. The focus, he says, will be on four holdings in Riyadh, and then to expansion into the Eastern Province, Medina, and Jeddah.

Tiara is currently one of the leading boutique hotels in Riyadh, with a unique location halfway between the city center and the airport. Two minutes away, laughs Ali. You walk ten minutes past any restaurant or shop you'd ever want and you're downtown.

Tiara's design makes an architectural statement in a quiet, upscale neighborhood, and features 115 contemporary guest rooms and suites along with a business center, meeting rooms, spa, and theater. In response to this planned activity in the city, the hotel has signed a partnership agreement with its neighbor, the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center (RICEC).

Abdullah Alomran, CEU of RICEC, spoke to MarcoPolis last year. He noted even at that time that the Riyadh of the present is nothing like the city ten years ago, and that side industries-- boating, for example, and insurance, plus suppliers of all kinds-- are setting up shop in Saudi Arabia in order to be close to the buyers.

It may seem easier for some exhibitors to go to the neighboring countries, Alomran says, explaining that some minor bureaucratic issues, such as visa process, which the government is still tweaking. But I read a few months ago that more than 70% of the visitors attending events in Dubai come from Saudi Arabia. Therefore we have the buyers here in Saudi Arabia. It is why many of the main suppliers are very interested in being here. And that pushes the government to tie up any loose ends.

Tiara is one of the top five star hotels in Riyadh

The Convention Center is one of the pioneering companies in the business sector segment. Business tourism revenues in Saudi Arabia numbered at USD $2.3 billion for 3.2 million exhibition and conference visitors. In fact, the World Bank report found business tourism accounted for 47 percent of all visits to the Riyadh region in 2010, with business tourist expenditure amounting to 60 percent of all visitor expenditure. Of those visits, a full 10 percent took place at RICEC specifically, generating US$97.9 million (SAR367.24 million).

Around 10 percent of those business tourists were attending events at RICEC, with total meetings taking place at the facility in 2010, generating US$97.9 million (SAR367.24 million) direct spending in the Riyadh region economy.

According to the Meet Arabia Magazine, Every US$267,000 spent on meetings at RICEC resulted in direct added value of US$162,619, including delegate spending on tourism services, as well as another US$178,881 (SAR671.000) in related activities across other parts of the economy.  The direct effects of the meeting industry at RICEC contributed US$42.1 million (SAR158.1 million) to the Riyadh regions GDP in 2010, the report says. Meanwhile, the indirect and induced effects on GDP are an estimated US$46.36 million (SAR173.9 million).

The Riyadh Economic Forum, in conjunction with the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, likewise seeks to be a strategic and intellectual center, a seat for national and international discussion of economic and scientific questions. Operating on a think-tank model, the Forum's operates roundtables every two years with the goal of focusing beyond the immediate investment in Riyadh to the broader issue of sustainable economic development of the whole country. Recent topics have included food security, balanced development across the regions of the Kingdom, technical education, and transportation challenges in Saudi Arabia. As momentum builds for these types of projects, the Convention Center and related MICE industry venues will begin to see their full potential realized.

The strategy for the Tiara Hotel, Ali says, is to become the official hotel for the center, and to host events on its own campus in parallel to the goings-on at the Convention Center per the needs of its guests.

In the meantime, hotels in Saudi Arabia will continue to welcome tourists on personal vacations as well as parts of larger events. Today's clients base their travel decisions not only on the best prices, but also on safety. They will only go where there is virtually no risk, explained Marcel Siekel, manager of the European travel firm Firo.

Saudi Arabia offers an excellent alternative to the neighboring states in this sense, and many hotels offer a soft introduction to Arabia as part of their service package, fusing international luxury with local flair. Tiara, for example, has a full-time personal butler service for guests, premium Arabic coffee offerings and local juices, and top-notch cuisine featuring specialties from around the world. This attention to detail has earned the hotel superior ratings of 8.4 on Gullivers and booking.com.

Superior service means you give each of your guests personalized service. It means you serve each guest as if he or she was the most important person in the world. We care for our guests the same way that we would care for our staff members, adds Ali. He notes that with more than 12 years' experience in hospitality, he considers himself a kind of ambassador on the world stage. As market dynamics change, I am glad to see that hotels will be competing on the quality of their service rather than on price alone. Reputation is one's most important asset in the market.

For now, adds Ali, business opportunities continue to expand. The return on investment in the sector averages 22%. The time to do business in Saudi is now.
Turkish terminal operator Yilport Holding has gained full control of Gavles terminals.

Yilport Holding acquired 100% shares of Gavle Container Terminal (GCT) and Baltic Sea Gateway (BSG). The Port of Gavle is Swedens third-biggest container port, situated just north of Stockholm.

The 30+10 year concession signed with Gavle Municipality awards Yilport Holding, a Yildirim Group subsidiary, the rights to operate container, bulk, general cargo, rail and CFS services in Port of Gavle terminals.

Yilport already owns 80% shares of Gavle Container Terminal since 2014, and Gavle Municipality awarded Yilport the remaining 20% shares in the new deal signed on 2 May 2016. The concession also includes 100% shares of Baltic Sea Gateway AB, another subsidiary of Gavle Municipality.

The agreement appoints Yilport to undertake all operations as the sole operator at Port of Gavle. The 40-year concession (10 years optional) gave Yilport the right to operate container, bulk and general cargo, rail, and CFS warehouses of the port.

Robert Yuksel Yildirim, Chairman of Yilport Holding said: Yilport Holding has become a global port terminal operator since 2004 as a result of global investments. We are proud to be the only Turkish company to be listed among international terminal operators. We are delighted to enter into a 40-year concession agreement with Port of Gavle. Gavle welcomed us in 2014, and we acquired 80% shares of Gavle Container Terminal."

He adds: "Today Yilport is very happy to be awarded the remaining 20% shares and Baltic Sea Gateway terminal as well. I believe that we will maximize efficiency and profitability by consolidating Port of Gavle operations. We are excited to bring our experience to BSG and GCT, expand further and offer end-to-end terminal services in Gavle. We welcome new terminals in our portfolio, and take another step towards our goal to be ranked among top 10 international port operators by 2025. As part of this objective we strive to enhance our global presence further.

The Turkish operator aims to break into the worlds top ten port operators by 2025 and this acquisition is part of that strategy, the company said in a statement. Yilport currently operates 22 terminals across seven countries, mostly located in Europe.
Louisiana shipbuilder Bollinger Shipyards announced it has secured a contract to build Phase II of the Sentinel Class Fast Response Cutters (FRC) for the United States Coast Guard (USCG).



The FRC, the newest generation of USCG patrol cutters, is a replacement for the Coast Guard Island Class cutters that Bollinger built over three decades ago.



Bollingers CEO and President Ben Bordelon said, We are pleased with this award to build 26 FRC Coast Guard cutters. Our relationship with the Coast Guard began over 30 years ago and we are proud to continue building on that legacy. This is a testament to the skilled Louisiana based team of Bollinger employees.
Capesize rates fall in a quiet market as holidays weigh; 20 charter-free capesize ships could add to downward trend.



Freight rates for large capesize dry cargo ships on key Asian routes are set to drift lower next week unless there is an uptick in chartering activity from major miners, ship brokers said on Thursday.



"Unless there is a rush (by charterers) to the market to fix cargoes, we will not see any positive signs," a Shanghai-based capesize ship broker said on Thursday.



"I think rates can fall further - maybe 25 U.S. cents per tonne from Western Australia."



Rates from Brazil to China could drop faster to around $7.50 per tonne, the broker added.



That came as freight rates for the Brazil-China route fell to $8.31 per tonne on Wednesday from $9.02 per tonne on the same day last week.



Capesize charter rates for the Western Australia-China route slipped to $3.94 per tonne on Wednesday from $4.37 per tonne a week earlier.



Freight rates could come under added pressure as more than 20 capesize ships, which can each carry around 170,000 tonnes of iron ore or coal, will be available for charter from mid-May, the Shanghai broker said.



Capesize rates fell this week due to public holidays in Asia and Europe, which curtailed chartering business.



Eighteen new capesize charters were fixed in the week from April 28, compared with 40 for the week between April 21 and 27, data on the Reuters Eikon terminal showed.



Rio Tinto was the only one of the big four miners to fix vessels in the open spot market since April 28, chartering data on the Reuters Eikon terminal showed.



"We're coming to the end of a very quiet week," a Singapore-based capesize broker said.



This lack of activity could push rates from Western Australia to China down to $3.50 per tonne by Monday, that would be the lowest since April 1, the Singapore broker said.



"If there was a bit more cargo volume then there would have been more resistance from owners against charterers pushing rates lower," the Singapore broker added.



More charters from Brazil to China would also support freight rates because the longer voyage distance would reduce available shipping capacity, the Singapore broker said.



The journey time from Tubarao in Brazil to Qingdao is around 45 days, compared with 11 days from Port Hedland in Australia to Qingdao, shipping data showed.



Charter rates for smaller panamax vessels dropped to $4,816 per day on Wednesday for a north Pacific round-trip voyage, from $5,156 per day a week earlier.



"We do not see any immediate signs for recovery and believe this sliding tendency will continue short term," Norwegian shipbroker Fearnley said in a note on Wednesday.



Freight rates in the Far East for smaller supramax vessels were affected by public holidays, although attempts by charterers to draw the rates down were largely unsuccessful, Fearnley added.



The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index dropped to 652 on Wednesday from 715 the same day last week.

Reporting by Keith Wallis
DEAR ABBY: My beautiful, kindhearted, loving daughter "Cora" has a "best friend" she used to be very close with. However, her friend now has a boyfriend, so Cora doesn't see her on weekends or receive texts from her very often anymore. Everything they plan to do together, the girl cancels. My daughter is so distraught that it is affecting her emotionally and physically.

Cora has told her friend many times how she feels, but it has made no difference. Her friend promises her things and never follows through. My daughter suffers from social anxiety, so making a good friend is a rarity for her. I tell her I love her and that I'm always here for her, but although Cora sees a therapist, nothing seems to comfort her.

The school she attends stops accepting new students after ninth grade, so there is no chance of her meeting anybody new. We have tried having her join other activities, but they don't last. I'm desperate to help her. Any advice? -- BROKENHEARTED MOM

DEAR MOM: If you haven't already, talk to Cora's therapist. There may be a medication that will help to lessen her intense social anxiety, or she may need a different therapist.

What's going on between your daughter and her former best friend isn't unusual. When romance intervenes, it is common for teenage girls to focus their attention and energy on the boyfriend and less on their girlfriends. Expecting this girl to be your daughter's sole support system is unrealistic and unfair to the girl.

Because it is unlikely that Cora will find new friends in the context of school, continue to find outside activities that will give her something to do as well as contact with other teens. And, if Cora is open to it, you might consider having her volunteer at an animal rescue group or letting her adopt a pet from a shelter.

DEAR ABBY: A friend sent me a sample line of face care products from a company she works for. She included a lip balm I used, and sunscreen that contains a chemical to which I am allergic. I offered to send that sample back.

When I researched the ingredients of the other products, I was dismayed to see that they contain many chemicals, too. (I try to use organic products as much as possible because I have sensitive skin.) Should I return the whole unused sample kit? I obviously can't return the lip balm. Or should I just thank her and keep -- but not use -- them? These are high-end products from Europe, and she has been so "wowed" by them that she has become a consultant and is excited to promote them. -- RETURN TO SENDER?

DEAR R.T.S.?: Talk with your friend and thank her for her generosity, but explain that you are unable to use the products. Ask if she would like the unused products returned to her and take your cue from her. If she has had to pay for the products she's representing, she may be glad to have them back to share with others.

DEAR ABBY: I have a hard time differentiating between enabling and just helping out my sister. Throughout her adult life, even while she was married, she has never been able to make ends meet.

She's single now and in her 50s, a hardworking but underemployed, depressed individual. I have a good job and I feel guilty if I don't help her each month. (She doesn't ask, but drops enough hints that I know things aren't going well.)

I have suggested repeatedly that she needs to find a better job. I even send her job leads, but I'm not sure she actually ever applies. My friends and relatives say I should use tough love and stop helping her. But I hate to see her struggle, and I don't want her kicked out of her apartment.

I will be retiring soon and won't be able to continue giving her money. What should I do? -- SYMPATHETIC IN SAN DIEGO

DEAR SYMPATHETIC: Have a frank talk with your sister NOW. Ask her how many of the leads you gave her were followed up on. Because you say she is chronically depressed, encourage her to see a doctor and find out what kind of help there is for her. It may be the reason for her divorce and for her inability to seek other work and improve her financial situation.

That you will no longer be able to continue assisting her financially is something your sister needs to know ASAP, so she won't be cut off abruptly. This isn't tough love; that you will be on a fixed income is a fact of life. You have been a wonderful sister. You have done more than many people would, so do

DEAR ABBY: Im a teenage girl who is frustrated with my family. I am the middle child, and it seems like my parents prefer my brother and sister over me. I am constantly in trouble for things they have done, and my parents are aware that they did. When I try to express my feelings, nobody will listen. Several times I have almost committed suicide or run away. I am lost and I dont know what to do. Please help me.  NOWHERE IN INDIANA

DEAR NOWHERE: When a person cries out in pain and feels she (or he) isnt heard, it can be doubly painful. But suicide or running away is not the answer. What you need to do is explain to an adult  an aunt, uncle, school counselor or close family friend  how you are feeling, so that person can intercede on your behalf with your parents, who may not realize what theyre doing and the effect its having on you.

DEAR ABBY: How long is too long to wait when it comes to hearing the highly anticipated phrase, I love you? My boyfriend and I have been dating for eight months. We have been through a lot together during this time, and his actions suggest that he loves me. When I finally asked him why he hasnt said it to me, he said, Why havent YOU said it? I want it to happen naturally, and, Just be patient with me. We get along amazingly well. We have a wonderful time every time we see each other (which is almost every day), and he has told me he can see a future with me. Am I wrong for thinking I deserve to hear the L word at this point, or am I rushing things? I dont understand why he is so reluctant to say it, and his reluctance makes me think maybe he just doesnt love me.  STILL WAITING IN NEW JERSEY

DEAR STILL WAITING: Not all men are comfortable expressing their emotions verbally. Actions speak louder than words. Many men have told women they love them, only to have their behavior prove otherwise. That your boyfriend has given you three different answers to your question indicates to me that you may have been pushing him to say it. I would caution you against that because it could push him away. Hearing the words I love you isnt something a person deserves. Its important that the words be genuine.

DEAR ABBY: When I approach someone to hug, is there a correct side to go for? Does a relative or friend have a bearing on your choice, or does it matter if its a man or woman or how well you know them? Is the left side as good as the right side?  WHICH SIDE? IN OHIO

DEAR WHICH SIDE: Hugging anyone you dont know well is a mistake because some people have an aversion to intimate contact with strangers. That said, I dont think it matters a lot which side you go for  although I have heard some people bear to the left because that way their hearts are closer together. Personally, I tend to feint to the left because Im left-handed  but thats just me.

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are in our 70s and have been married five years. I dont understand his telling me that the reason we dont have sex is because I always have too many clothes on. He says its too much trouble. I wear normal clothing, and I undress for the occasion. What am I not understanding about his thoughts on this subject?  CONFUSED IN THE MIDWEST

DEAR CONFUSED: I suspect your husband may not be giving you a straight answer because hes embarrassed. When a man says sex is too much trouble, its usually because hes having trouble performing. The problem may be his sex drive has diminished or it could be physical. But it wont be resolved unless hes willing to have a frank conversation about it with his doctor. For your sake, urge him to do it.

DEAR ABBY: I have been seeing Tony for a few weeks. He is kind, caring and will make a great boyfriend, husband and father someday. My problem with him is he thinks Im a status digger. (Its similar to a gold digger, but he means I care only about someones standing in the community.) His rationale is based on my friendships. I come from a privileged background. While some acquaintances in my circle are spoiled and superficial, my close friends and I are not. Because I grew up here, it was only natural Id date guys from a similar background. While I was not opposed to dating outside my social circle, the opportunity never presented itself.

Abby, I have never measured a guy because of his position in society. The thought never occurred to me. I admit I would probably be more inclined to date someone from a similar background because thats what Im familiar with, but I dont think this makes me a social climber, status digger or elitist. How should I address this with Tony? Im afraid our relationship will end if he cant see me for who I really am.  JUST ME IN HOUSTON

DEAR JUST ME: Tony may come from a bluecollar background. Because he perceives you and your friends as having had so much given to you, he may feel inadequate, so hes putting you on the defensive by accusing you of being solely interested in social status. Of course, thats stereotyping, and it isnt fair to you. Because someone comes from inherited status/wealth there is no guarantee that it wont disappear. Thats the reason some women prefer self-made men to those from a privileged background. You and Tony should have a frank talk. When you do, suggest that before he assumes any more preconceptions about you are true, he should get to know you  because if he doesnt, he will miss out on someone who is not only very nice, but who thinks HE has a lot to offer.

DEAR ABBY: When I was in my 20s, I was involved in a long-term relationship with a married man. I became pregnant, we ended the relationship and I gave birth to an amazing, intelligent and well-adjusted son, Kyle. There has been no contact with my former lover, and we have no mutual acquaintances. Now that Kyle is an adult, he has expressed an interest in contacting his father. He is curious, but doesnt want to disrupt his fathers life. Kyle doesnt feel he missed out by not meeting his father; he simply wonders what he is like. The man is easy to locate on social media because he has an unusual last name. I dont want to see my son hurt by rejection or lack of interest from this man. Should I make the initial contact? If so, what would be the best way to do it?  PROTECTIVE MOM IN TENNESSEE

DEAR PROTECTIVE MOM: Your impulse may be to protect your son, but Kyle should make the contact. When he does, he should tell the man that you are his mother, and that he would like to meet him for no other reason than to ask him some questions and get his medical history. The response Kyle gets will tell him a lot about the man who fathered him. But there is no guarantee that a man who never provided financial support for his son will be receptive, compassionate or polite, and your son should be prepared.

DEAR ABBY: I am a retired widow, crippled with rheumatoid arthritis. Every October, I start dreading Halloween, which I consider to be a legal form of extortion. Living on Social Security, I really dont want to waste money for candy. Also, it is difficult for me to get up and down every five minutes to hand out candy. Too many of the children are 16- to 19-year-old males. I have tried keeping the lights off and hiding in my bedroom, but I wake the next morning to find toilet paper in my trees and shrubbery. Once, my front door had been sprayed Stingy Old Witch. The police said they couldnt act because I didnt see who did it. Of course, even if I had seen them, they probably would have been in a costume. Do you have any suggestions?  GROUCHY GRANDMA IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

DEAR GRANDMA: Yes. Because what youve done hasnt worked, buy a large bag of inexpensive candy  they are often for sale at this time of year  and when the extortionists knock on your door, pay up. Because your physical condition makes it difficult for you to get up and down, enlist the help of a relative or neighbor to help you dole it out, or leave the bowl outside by your door with a note saying: Take ONE.

DEAR ABBY: I have been HIV-positive for more than 20 years and I am in good health. I never told anyone in my family about it. I have now returned to my hometown after being away for 40-plus years. I want to tell my father and brothers that Im HIV-positive, but I dont want to alarm them or have them start meddling in my life. I feel like Im lying by not telling them. What should I do?  IVE GOT A SECRET

DEAR GOT A SECRET: Maintaining ones privacy is not lying. Because your intuition tells you that if you disclose your HIV status to your family they will be alarmed or start meddling, dont do it. Youre in good health, your HIV is being well managed and the only person who has to know is your sex partner.

DEAR ABBY: If I name my son after myself, he will be called Jr. or II. But what if my wife named her daughter after herself? I have never heard of it happening, but I just wondered. Would she be called Jr. or the II, too?  HARRY IN ATHENS, GA.

DEAR HARRY: According to Emily Post, the answer is yes. Junior, Senior, II and III are suffixes used by men, but can also be used by women.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
1943 - USS Permit (SS 178), USS Snook (SS 279) and USS Sawfish (SS 276) damage two Japanese ships and sink two freighters and a gunboat.

1944 - The hospital ship, USS Comfort (AH-6), is commissioned at San Pedro, Calif., and is the first ship to be manned jointly by U.S. Army and U.S. Navy personnel.

1948 - Fighter Squadron Seventeen A (VF-17A), with 16 FH-1 Phantoms, becomes the first carrier-qualified jet squadron in the U.S. Navy.

1961 - Cmdr. Alan Shepard Jr. makes the first U.S. manned space flight. USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39) recovers the capsule after the 15 minute flight.

1979 - USS Robert E. Peary (FF 1073) rescues 440 Vietnamese refugees from their disabled craft 400 miles south of Thailand.

2007 - USS Hawaii (SSN 776) is commissioned at Groton, Conn. The Virginia-class submarine, the first to be named after the Aloha State, arrives at its homeport of Pearl Harbor July 23, 2009 following her maiden underway period.

2012 - USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14) is launched at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, Calif. The Military Sea Lift Commands dry cargo ammunition ship honors the prominent civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, who served in the Navy during World War II and later founded the National Farm Works Association, which becomes the United Farm Workers union.

(Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division)
Maersk has been welcomed to the Port of Liverpool with a formal reception for its feeder vessel Antwerp. The event on April 27 was attended by Seago and Maersk representatives along with customers, and was followed by a port tour, including a trip to the top of the 90m Grain Tower.

The 1,100 TEU Antwerp made its first call last week. Operator Seago is the latest carrier to introduce a new service via Liverpool and will provide a new cargo route between Algeciras-Liverpool-Dublin. The feeder service will further strengthen Liverpool2s Irish Sea Hub offering and establish direct cargo connections to and from the north-west of England to Ireland and onwards to the Mediterranean, providing trade links to North and West Africa. The new service will offer six days transit time between Algeciras and Liverpool, with vessels arriving and departing on Wednesdays.

Patrick Walters, Commercial Director at Peel Ports, said, This is a significant step in the transformation taking place at the Port of Liverpool. Seago is one of several new services that we have secured already in 2016. Along with the progress at Liverpool2, the imminent opening of the Port Salford national import centre, and the backing weve received from cargo owners joining our Cargo200 initiative, there is a real sense of momentum about the North West. Supply chain providers, and their customers, are all looking for ways to reduce costs, congestion and carbon emissions. The interest were getting from the industry clearly indicates that they are increasingly looking at Liverpool as the place to be.

Seago Line General Manager for U.K. and Ireland, Robert Clegg said, We were very pleased to host this event to celebrate the new [Irish Sea Service] and appreciate the warm hospitality shown by Peel Ports. The views of the port, including the Liverpool2 development, plus much of the city are exceptional from the top of the Grain Tower.

We are thrilled to offer this new connection to Liverpool and expand our product portfolio for markets in the U.K. and Ireland. With competitive transit times and convenient berthing windows, we are well placed to serve customers who seek new opportunities through this Mediterranean connection. Furthermore, our customers located in the Liverpool hinterland can now access South European and North African markets with Seago Line as a complementary addition to our existing offer.

Brian Godsafe, Managing Director at Maersk Line U.K. and Ireland added, This service is a positive addition to our current portfolio. The Irish Sea feeder offers flexibility to customers in the Liverpool area and the wider north-west region.

This is the first time that the Maersk Group Company has used Liverpool for U.K. cargoes in over 10 years and will be Maersk Groups first ever direct connection to the Irish capital.

Earlier this year WEC Lines, which is owned by MSC, introduced a number of new services to the Port of Liverpool, and X-PRESS, the worlds largest independent common carrier of containers, has also launched a new service via the city.

Liverpool2 is to have a phased opening, with marine trials beginning soon and other elements of the semi-automated terminal coming online throughout Q2 of 2016. The first phase of the new terminal will be fully operational in the autumn.
A 29-year-old man arrived in good condition to Honolulu Wednesday aboard a Coast Guard small boat after being rescued by merchant mariners in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean and surviving a two- month ordeal at sea.



A Coast Guard 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Station Honolulu safely transported the man from the motor vessel Nikkei Verde offshore of Honolulu to the Coast Guard Base Wednesday morning to meet awaiting EMS in stable condition.



This mariner had great fortitude and is very fortunate the crew of the Nikkei Verde happened upon him as the area he was in is not heavily trafficked, said Lt. Cmdr. John MacKinnon, Joint Rescue Coordination Center chief with the Coast Guard 14th District. The Pacific is vast and inherently dangerous and all mariners respect that. These merchant mariners did the right thing in rendering assistance and most mariners heed the obligation to render assistance at sea, found in the Safety Of Life At Sea Convention, out of a sense of duty and understanding rather than required compliance.



JRCC watchstanders in Honolulu received notification April 26, from the master of the motor vessel, reporting while on their voyage to China his crew had located a man stranded at sea aboard a 23-foot skiff. They brought him aboard and requested medical advice and assistance to return the man to his home country. They were located about 2,150 miles southeast of Hilo, but still within the Coast Guards area of responsibility for search and rescue at the time of the report.



A Coast Guard flight surgeon provided medical advice to the crew. Coast Guard officials worked with the Nikkei Verde crew to arrange a transfer near Honolulu and coordinated with the Colombian consul in San Francisco who arranged for transportation, Customs clearance, lodging, any hospital care, and an escort ahead of his arrival to Honolulu.



According to the survivor he and three companions set out from Columbia more than two months earlier. Once the skiffs engine became disabled they were adrift. He said he caught and ate fish and seagulls to stay alive. The three other men reportedly perished at sea. Their bodies were not aboard the skiff when located by Nikkei Verdes crew; however, the survivor did surrender their passports to officials.



The Coast Guard assisted in the mans rescue but is not investigating the case as the circumstances fall outside Coast Guard purview.



The Nikkei Verde is a Panamanian-flagged 618-foot bulk carrier. JRCC Honolulu is located at the Coast Guard 14th District in Honolulu and has responsibility for search and rescue across 12.2 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean to include the Main Hawaiian Islands, Guam and Saipan extending out in all directions. The Coast Guard maintains several search and rescue agreements with sovereign Pacific Island nations and regional partner countries.
Another massive reduction in the Korean shipbuilding workforce may come as most shipyards are still struggling with falling orders and mounting losses, reports Yonhap quoting industry sources.

Hyundai Heavy Industries plans for large layoffs amid a prolonged recession in the global shipbuilding sector and the governments move to restructure the ailing industry.

Over the past few weeks, the troubled worlds No. 1 shipbuilder is rumored to be planning an additional cut of 3,000 employees -- most likely from its production line -- in the form of voluntary retirement programs. The firm already cut around 60 executives in April and around 1,500 office workers last year.

The Korea Herald reports that the companys spokesperson denied rumors of an imminent layoff plan, but said, We are considering diverse ways to streamline the business although nothing has been confirmed.

The speculation came as Hyundai Heavy -- along with two other shipbuilding giants Samsung Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering -- has continued to see weak ship orders in the sluggish shipbuilding market globally.

Meanwhile workers at shipyards of Hyundai Heavy Industries, located in Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province, raised concerns over a possible massive layoff on Friday, insisting that CEOs and executives have to be responsible for their poor management before considering a workforce reduction or downsizing.

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 Co. has been implementing an early retirement scheme since last year, and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., is working to streamline its business lines through a spin-off.
Aydin Marine  the manufacturer of industry-leading, type-approved displays, computers and peripherals, announced today the release of a 17-inch multi-touch, sunlight-readable display in its popular KMGBL series of pilothouse and flybridge displays, the KMGBL-17T.



Joining the existing line up of 12-, 15-, 19- and 24-inch models, the new 17-inch Glass Bridge Light Display is a crystal-clear, dimmable, LED-backlit LCD monitor, manufactured to Aydin Marines high-quality standards. The slim profile and lightweight case is constructed of milled billet aluminum and provides IP68 dust and water ingress protection on the front face and IP65 protection when console mounted.



The overwhelming popularity of the KMGBL series and requests from customers led us to add this 17-inch model, said Mark Bidinger, business unit director, Rugged Electronics, Aydin Marine. By expanding the KMGBL series line, we have simplified the selection process for boaters and builders to pick exactly the right size screens for their glass bridge installations.Every unit gives our customers the peace of mind that comes from the quality Aydin delivers.



Our new display epitomizes the KMGBL series  providing the very best value for a huge number of features at a modest cost, said Louis Houde, business unit director, Aydin Marine. Aydin has built a reputation for high-quality products backed by excellent service and support. We are confident our new 17-inch display will be well received by our customers.



KMGBL displays have an operating temperature range of 15 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 to 55 Celsius) and are designed to withstand the harshest marine conditions. Certified to IEC60945 standards, the USB multi-touch displays are ideal for navigation and vessel monitoring systems that require touch functionality. The new 17-inch display emits 1000 nits, has a 5:4 aspect ratio, 1280x1024 pixel resolution, and HDMI, DVI, VGA and composite inputs.



The full line of KMGBL displays is protected by a one-year warranty on parts and service.




South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. posted a first-quarter loss after incurring more costs to finish some offshore projects.

First-quarter operating loss came to 26.3 billion won ($22.8 million) , sharply narrowing from an operating loss of 1.06 trillion won in the last quarter of 2015, while sales plunged 21.6 percent on-year to reach 3.53 trillion won.

Net profit came to 31.4 billion won (US$2.7 million) in the January-March period, compared with a loss of 1.12 trillion won in the previous quarter, the company said in a regulatory filing.

The shipbuilder did not provide comparable figures on a yearly basis.

The troubled shipyard's results failed to reach the companys projection of reaching KRW 500 billion in operating profits for the first quarter of this year.

The expectation was based on the companys major restructuring efforts including cost-cutting measures which are projected to bring about job cuts ranging from 12,000 to 30,000 by 2019. The cuts are expected to be implemented gradually across the board.

A company official said, "As our profitability is getting improved, we hope we could turn to the black by the second quarter."

Daewoo Shipbuilding was the only shipyard among Korea's Big-three shipbuilding firms to have incurred an operating loss in the first quarter.

Its local rivals also managed to return to the black in the first quarter on the back of cost-cutting measures. Hyundai and Samsung Heavy Industries posted a first-quarter operating profit of 325.2 billion won and 6.1 billion won, respectively.

The shipbuilding industry, once regarded as the backbone of the country's economic growth and job creation, has been reeling from mounting losses caused by an industrywide slump and increased costs.

The big three shipyards racked up a combined loss of 7.7 trillion won last year. It was the first time that all three of the nation's largest industry players registered losses.
The Turnbull Government today signed a contract with Austal Ships Pty Ltd to build and sustain up to 21 steel-hulled vessels to replace the existing fleet of Pacific Patrol Boats as part of Australias new Pacific Maritime Security Program.



As part of the $280 million (ex-GST) contract Austal will design and construct the first 19 vessels in Henderson, securing more than 120 jobs for Western Australia.



Two vessels have also been offered to a new member of the Program, Timor-Leste, with an option for these additional vessels to be constructed by Austal at an agreed fixed price should Timor-Leste accept the offer.



Austal has also been awarded a $24 million (ex-GST) contract to provide support services to the replacement vessels for an initial seven-year period. The total investment in support and sustainment of the vessels, including the conduct of deep maintenance in Cairns, Queensland, is estimated at more than $400 million across the life of the vessels.



Construction of the new vessels will commence in mid-2017, with the first vessel to be delivered in late 2018.



The gifting of these larger and more capable replacement vessels will build on the success of the current Pacific Patrol Boat Program to assist our Pacific Island partners to protect their maritime resources and security interests.



The existing fleet is approaching its end of service life, and will be replaced with a fleet of new Australian-built vessels to assist our Pacific Island partners to continue to take an active role in securing their extensive exclusive economic zones.



After years of Labor inaction in which they failed to order a single naval vessel from an Australian shipyard during their six years in office the Turnbull Government is getting on with the job of providing long-term security for the Australian shipbuilding industry.


Egypt will receive the first of five agreed shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia's Rosneft this month, an official at the state gas board EGAS told Reuters on Thursday.



Last year Egypt and Rosneft signed a memorandum of understanding for a slew of petroleum products as well as 24 LNG cargoes. Only five of the 24 initially agreed cargoes were later inked into a final deal.



"We're receiving the first shipments of LNG from Rosneft this month out of the five shipments that were agreed upon," said the EGAS official, declining to provide the value of the shipment or its size.



Once an energy exporter, Egypt has turned into a net importer because of declining oil and gas production and increasing consumption. It is trying to speed up production at recent discoveries to fill its energy gap as soon as possible.



Rosneft, Russia's biggest oil producer, does not produce its own LNG yet but plans to launch production jointly with Exxon Mobil after 2018.





Reporting by Abdel Rahman Adel and Ehab Farouk
Al Qaeda's Yemen branch remains a powerful force and poses a growing risk to merchant ships in vital waterways nearby despite efforts by Yemeni government forces and their allies to push back the group, Reuters reports quoting a top officer in an international naval force.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) confirmed on Saturday it had withdrawn from the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla - a week after Yemeni government and Emirati soldiers seized the city that was used by the Islamist militants to amass a fortune.

Captain William Nault, Chief of Staff with the multi-national Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), told Reuters the gains by government forces were "heartening" and a "setback" for AQAP, but added the group still had capabilities due to the ongoing civil war.

"AQAP has taken advantage of that chaos and moved into the void. In doing so they have gotten stronger," said Nault of CMF, whose mission includes counter-piracy and counter-terrorism in the region.

AQAP has exploited conflict between Yemeni government loyalists backed by a Gulf Arab coalition and Houthi rebels allied to Iran and has sought to carve out a quasi state.

The group still controls the Arabian Sea towns of Zinjibar and Shaqra, about 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Mukalla.
Vietnam has asked Japan to provide vessels to strengthen its coastguard, a Japanese official said on Thursday, in the latest sign of growing ties among the states locked in maritime rows with China.

The request emerged during talks between visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, a Japanese spokesman said.

"Vietnam wants new vessels," Masato Otaka told reporters, adding that timing, methods of delivery, costs and quantity of vessels had not yet been decided.

Vietnam has been modernising its military, and recently bought six advanced Kilo-class submarines from Russia.

Russia and India are the main source of advanced weapons, training and intelligence cooperation. Hanoi is also building ties with the United States and its Japanese, Australian and Filipino allies, as well as Europe and Israel.

"Vietnam feels it needs to strengthen its coastguard generally, and that's why we've responded," Otaka told reporters, adding that the vessel delivery "was not directly linked to the South China Sea".

On Friday Kishida is scheduled to attend a joint government meeting that will mainly focus on economic cooperation, Otaka said.

Japan is the second-biggest investor in Vietnam after South Korea, with existing projects totalling $39 billion as of April 2016, based on Vietnam's government data.

Two Japanese warships visited Cam Ranh Bay in central Vietnam in April, the first port call of its kind.

Japan also has warming relations with the Philippines, with which it signed a deal last year on defence equipment and technology.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas, and is building islands on reefs to bolster its claims. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the waters, through which about $5 trillion in trade is shipped every year.

Tokyo has no claims in the waterway, but worries about China's growing military reach into sea lanes through which much of Japan's ship-borne trade passes.

(Reporting by Ho Binh Minh; Editing by Andrew Roche)
China's biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) importer CNOOC has started building two storage tanks at a receiving terminal in Fujian province for the super-chilled fuel, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The new tanks are part of a plan to increase the receiving capacity at the terminal in the southeast coastal province to 6.3 million tonnes a year, Xinhua said.

The tanks are each able to store 160,000 m3 of LNG are part of a $3.7 billion in LNG projects that the Fujian government plans for the province to supply city gas to Fuxhou, Putian, Quanzhour, Xiamen and Zangzhou.

CNOOC imported 13 million tons of LNG last year, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the total intake in the world's third-largest LNG importer.

CNOOC has built seven LNG terminals with a total capacity of 28 million tons a year in receiving capacity in China's eastern and southern coastal regions.

The global glut and sluggish economy will continue to drive down prices of LNG, which means that imports of the super-cooled fuel is cheaper than domestic production, experts said. They added that China's LNG imports are expected to rise in the long term amid mounting pressure caused by air pollution.

Since 2008, CNOOC has formed a team to develop the LNG storage technology called full containment LNG storage tank. Just a few countries in the world have the ability to produce such facilities.
International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) says it continues to deal on a regular basis with claims resulting from errors by agents involving transhipment cargoes.

In one case, an agent in Argentina failed to declare a cargo as transhipment cargo within fifteen days of the vessels arrival at Buenos Aires. This was the result of a simple oversight in the agents office. The obligation to make the declaration was strictly enforced and an automatic penalty of one per cent of the value of the goods was immediately imposed, amounting to $122,204. The agent who had failed to make the necessary declaration had to pay the sum demanded by the authorities.

In another case, an agent in the Dominican Republic was involved in the transhipment of two containers arriving from Cuba with a final destination of Haiti. Under Dominican customs law, in common with many customs regimes, cargo awaiting re-exportation can only be held in storage without paying the relevant customs duties if time limits and other regulations are complied with.

The agent maintained regular contact with the shipper, who was waiting for relevant documentation to be provided by the consignee in Haiti. The agent also obtained an extension of the time limit for storage of the containers, but unfortunately made a typographical error in an email sent to the shipper which noted that the extension expired on 26 January, when it should have stipulated 6 January. As a result, the cargo was impounded by customs when the containers were not exported before the deadline. Ultimately, a penalty of just over $25,000 was settled by the agent.
Investing After the Global Commodities Super-Cycle

While cyclical challenges remain tough in global commodities, structural realities look more tolerable.



According to conventional wisdom, the challenges of global commodities can be attributed to Chinas slowdown and poor growth prospects. Advanced economies are not immune. In the US, just two commodity-related sectors  oil and gas, as well as metals and steel  accounted for more than half of the defaults in 2015.





And yet, the rebound of most commodity price indexes in the first quarter suggests different realities. From iron ore to aluminium, most commodities have rallied. Silver is surging. And in China policy authorities have begun to clamp down the frenzy in the commodities markets.Conventional wisdom is off, once again. But why?

The fall of the commodities super-cycle



In cyclical terms, the rebound of commodity prices reflects a weakening dollar and stronger market sentiment. Energy prices were still down 21% but non-energy prices only by 2%. Crude oil forecast for 2016 has climbed to more than $40 per barrel.



The decline of metal prices is still anticipated to decrease 8% further. Agricultural prices are projected to fare only mildly better. By 2017, most commodities are expected to enjoy a modest price recovery.



The simple reality is that in the course of the commodities super-cycle resource-rich and commodity-exporting economies saw surging production, investment and exploration activities, which amplified their growth prospects.



Thats when Brazil enjoyed a dramatic expansion, which benefited directly lower social classes as ensured by President Lulas social policies, whereas in most commodity-exporting nations  from the Middle East to Africa, Asia and Latin America  the benefits filtered down only indirectly.



As these patterns have now been reversed, these economies are coping with reverse scenarios in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf economies, and much of Africa. Now all seek to accelerate diversification to avoid reliance on oil, while coping with destabilization, friction, even wars.



In still other nations  for instance, Russia and Iran  better economic performance would have been viable even in the new normal, but thanks to sanctions by the US and EU their growth prospects have been restricted externally.

When fall does not mean end



Today, conventional wisdom projects the full end of the super-cycle. In this view, the rebound in commodity prices can only be attributed to speculation. The idea is not entirely without basis. Thats why China has moved to curb the excessive trading.



However, if China has been the prime cause of the demise of the super-cycle, that should be reflected in the eclipse of Latin American prospects, which rely significantly on resources and commodity exports. And yet, realities are more subtle.



Argentina and particularly Brazil have been hardly hit, as evidenced by the political turmoil in the former and the efforts at a soft coup in the latter. Yet, Chile and Peru have fared better. Even though the two have greater exposure to Chinas deceleration, they rely on longer-sighted economic policies and greater risk aversion.



Certainly, much of the super-cycle can be explained by the rise and fall of Chinas most energy-intensive phase of industrialization. The cycle began when the Beijing joined the World Trade Organization (2001), and it has slowed only after the effect of Chinas huge 2009 stimulus package has diminished.



Nevertheless, Chinas economic rebalancing efforts are intensifying takeoffs of lower-tiered cities in the inland and the west. In turn, Beijings new plans  e.g., the One Belt One Road initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the BRICS New Development Bank  are likely to spread economic development from China and emerging Asia to the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. And many emerging and developing economies have only begun modernization.



All these massive activities mean continued urbanization, infrastructure investments, and thus the need for oil and gas, metals and minerals, raw materials and food for prospering nations, while investors seek to diversify risk via precious metals as well.



The world of commodities is not ending. Its stabilizing and differentiating.

Dr Dan Steinbock is Guest Fellow of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS). This commentary is based on his project on China and the multipolar world economy at SIIS, a leading global think-tank in China. For more about SIIS, see http://en.siis.org.cn/ ; about Dr Steinbock, see http://www.differencegroup.net/

 2016 Copyright Dan Steinbock - 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.




Thirty years ago this week two suspects were being sought for an arson fire in South Hadley. The fire destroyed the Odyssey Book Shop which had been previously destroyed by a fire five months earlier. The previous fire was caused by a faulty oil burner which burned down the entire College Inn complex.

Earlier in the week a story about pharmacist Alan Levine of Longmeadow. He was trying to donate $2,800 of medicinal iodine to areas affected by radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The owner of Bliss Pharmacy found out quickly how difficult it would be to get his donation to people in Europe although he finally found an organization to accept his charity.

Twenty years earlier, Mrs. George Wallace won the democratic nomination for Governor of Alabama. She was standing in for her husband George Wallace who was barred from running for another term as Governor.

These are some of the headlines you'll see from Page 1 of The Republican and its predecessors over the past fifty years for the week of May 1 - May 7. Each week I'll put together a slideshow of Page 1 images from selected years over the course of that week. We're starting with a look back at one, five, thirty, forty and fifty years ago, with Page 1s from each day of the week for those years.

The slideshow for May 1 - May 7 is embedded at the top of this article.

From the May 4, 1966 edition of The Springfield Union

We'll also find some humor printed out on page one over the years. In 1966 'Dennis The Menace' could be found on the bottom of page one six days a week.

Five years ago President Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden. Osama had been tracked down and killed by a Navy SEAL team flying into Pakistan.

And a year ago, Huntington's Amy McGarath was named a finalist for Overdrive Magazine's 'Most Beautiful Truck Driver' contest.

You'll find with looking through the slideshow, that while many stories come and go, many of the issues and topics that affected lives in the past, continue to have an impact on our lives today.

Copies of these and other stories can be found in the online archives. Links to the archives are at the bottom of the page at www.masslive.com/republican

The historic archive includes stories prior to 1989, and the Newsbank archive covers 1988 through the present day.


art1.jpg

Portraits like this one earned Patricia H. Lincoln Low regard as the "Norman Rockwell of Longmeadow." An exhibit of her works is on display for the next month at Storrs Library.

(MICHAEL S. GORDON / THE REPUBLICAN)





LONGMEADOW - This week marks the opening of an art exhibit at Storrs Library in Longmeadow, 693 Longmeadow Street, will highlight the work of a longtime resident of the town, the late Patricia Henderson Lincoln-Low, whose portraits and book illustrations are filled with the likenesses of residents.

Lincoln-Low died in 2014.

In a personal reflection by her daughter, Melissa Lincoln Holmes, the self-taught artist is described as the "Norman Rockwell of Longmeadow." She even corresponded with that well-known illustrator and received encouragement from him, according to her daughter.



A native of Plainfield New Jersey, Lincoln-Low virtually grew up backstage at Radio City Music Hall in New York City where her father was director. She graduated from Mary Washington College in Virginia and moved to Longmeadow in 1950.

According to her daughter, Lincoln-Low had "a strong artistic bent." Wrote Melissa Holmes in the reflection about her mother, "She thought, 'I could do that,' and so she did." Lincoln-Low's copy of a painting from a book hung in her mother's living room for more than 60 years, and her daughter said, "I never knew my mother painted it until after her death - a humble artist she was."

Lincoln-Low became something of a celebrity as a portrait artist among her family and friends, and many of those portraits still hang in Longmeadow homes today.

She began working in pastels, but later taught herself to paint with egg tempera, a long and tedious process to which her daughter attributes her unique style.

Her first published artwork came about because friends urged her to submit a piece to the magazine Country Journal. After that, Yankee magazine and Readers Digest came calling, as well as other publications that wanted her to illustrate stories, using "everyday friends and family from around Longmeadow as models," her daughter said. Her painting of Santa Claus was included in the hardcover edition of "Best of Yankee."

Eventually, publishing companies were contacting her for book illustrations. Her first was in 1980, entitled "And God Bless Me," by Lee Bennett Hopkins. In 1987, she illustrated the story of Lillian Gish in the book, "An Actor's Life for Me!"

She was also fully engaged in the town that she loved, serving as president of the library board and Long Meddowe Days and as one of the founders of the Field Club.

The exhibit runs through June 10 in the Betty Ann Low Room of the library. A reception will be held tonight from 5:30 to 7 with family members on hand to talk about their mother and her art.

Some of her portraits will be on display at the exhibit, as well as an example of the artist's process of creating a book illustration from beginning to end.

Articles about the artist, books she illustrated and some of her smaller pieces will be shown in the display cases at the front of the library. And, some special additional items will be brought in for the reception only.

For more information, visit the library's website, longmeadowlibrary.org, or call (413) 565-4181.
Sonja Farak 2014

Sonja Farak is led from Hampshire Superior Court after pleading guilty to charges of tampering with drug evidence while she worked at the state lab in Amherst.

(Don Treeger / The Republican file)

SPRINGFIELD -- Former state crime laboratory chemist Sonja Farak, who pleaded guilty two years ago to tampering with evidence, began using drugs from the now-closed Amherst facility as early as 2004, according to court documents.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey on Tuesday ordered the release of previously impounded documents, including a report done by the state attorney general's office. Farak, who had already been convicted of drug tampering at the time, testified under an immunity agreement at the grand jury convened by the AG's office.

In January 2014, Farak was given an 18-month jail sentence after admitting she stole some of the cocaine she was supposed to be testing. Hampshire Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup also ordered Farak, of Northampton, to serve five years of probation and perform 500 hours of community service following release from custody.

The following are five key revelations from the attorney general's report.

1. Farak testified about her extensive drug use, including her siphoning of drugs from the lab.

The Amherst lab kept on hand up to 200 different types of drug standards -- including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone and LSD -- which were used to test drug samples confiscated in criminal investigations. Farak said she began to use the methamphetamine standard in late 2004 or early 2005. The methamphetamine standard was the largest or most voluminous standard at the Amherst lab.

In early 2005 Farak began to consume methamphetamine every morning, and over the course of the next four years she increased her usage to multiple times a day.

It wasn't until 2009 that Farak had nearly exhausted the lab's entire methamphetamine standard and sought out other standards that would give her the same effect and help with her withdrawal symptoms.

2. Lab director James Hanchett testified at the grand jury frequently there were budget problems at the Amherst lab.

Hanchett said the state Department of Public Health would resist requests to order certain supplies, including standards. He said in those instances it was necessary to make new standards. He said he would frequently make "secondary standards" when the lab ran out of the primary standard that had been purchased from an outside vendor.

3. Security at the lab was nonexistent, the report says.



Hanchett told the grand jury he voiced concerns to the state Department of Public Health about the lack of security. In fact, the Morrill Building at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which housed the lab, also contained an auditorium that was used by UMass students on the next floor.

Access to the lab was possible by use of a key or a swipe card that was given to each employee. Employees could use the key or swipe card interchangeably and the swipe card did not keep a record of the employees who entered or their entry time. There were no security cameras in the lab. Every chemist had access 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Every chemist also had access to all the work stations, the work station safe where the lab kept samples overnight if they were still being tested, the drug vault, the standards cabinet, the standards refrigerator, and the computer inventory system.

4. Annie Dookhan, another former state chemist convicted of tampering with drug evidence, was interviewed by the AG's office in connection with the Farak case.

Dookhan, who had worked at the Department of Public Health's Hinton lab in Jamaica Plain, pleaded guilty in 2013 to charges including perjury, evidence tampering, and obstruction of justice for falsifying drug tests in criminal investigations. She was sentenced to three to five years in prison.

Dookhan worked with Farak at the Hinton lab in Jamaica Plain. Farak worked there for the first year of her employment starting in July 2012.

Accompanied by a lawyer, Dookhan testified in March that she and Farak probably worked together for about six month, but they did not have a close relationship at the lab. They both held the position of Chemist 1, so they were only doing preliminary testing.

Dookhan said there was never any talk between her and Farak about the recreational use of drugs. Dookhan said she never believed Farak was under the influence of narcotics while working at the Hinton lab.

5. Farak testified about her use of drugs in various situations, such as at court and during interactions with state police.

Farak said that on Jan. 9, 2012, she performed some tests in the morning and later consumed a police-submitted sample that was a liquid form of LSD. At that point she was also using crack cocaine on a daily basis.

She was "very impaired" and could not operate a car, perform tests or attend a therapy appointment. Farak claimed she didn't perform any tests but her lab notebook and analysis certificates for 11 drug samples suggest that she did.

In October 2012 the state police inspected the Amherst lab in order to assess its work and move it toward full accreditation. State police interviewed Farak and other chemists. She testified that she smoked crack on the morning of the inspection and at lunchtime, prior to her 1 p.m. interview.

On Jan. 18, 2013, she was scheduled to testify at a criminal trial in Springfield. During the lunch break she went out to her car and "got pretty high."
eagleton school

9 more former employees of the Eagleton School for boys with autism and other behavioral disabilities have been charged with abuse. (Gillian Jones/The Berkshire Eagle via AP)

(Associated Press photo)

Nine employees of the Eagleton School, a former Berkshire County school for boys with autism and behavioral disorders, were charged with physically abusing students, on Monday, according to The Berkshire Eagle.

Several employees were already charged in connection with the case in February, and Monday's charges brings the grand total of employees accused of abusing students to 16.

The scandal concerning the treatment center began in January after investigators raided the school in response to multiple allegations of physical and emotional abuse.

The school was subsequently shut down in April after the Department of Early Education and Care revoked its license.

Charges for the nine who were arraigned on Monday include various forms of assault and battery.

The eight who appeared in court on Monday are Alexis Lopez, 23, Eric D. Williams, 34, Derek L. Saunders, 42, all of which are from Pittsfield; and Martin G. Schmidt, Jr., 46, of Lenox; Justin Senecal, 26, of Palmer; Michael Bell, 44, and Christopher O. Welch, 24, of Watervliet, N.Y; and Darien C. Sinclair, 24, of Albany, N.Y.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of one former employee, Issac Harris, 41, after he failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment on Monday. Allegations state that Harris punched one student in the ribs, put him in a head lock, and cut him with a key, according to court documents. In total, Harris has 15 charges against him, including assault and battery.

All who were arraigned on Monday pleaded not guilty. They will return to court on June 9.
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How a "builder of things" is on a quest to tackle the search engine giants, and give people a chance to encounter the hidden, neglected parts of the world wide web.

Studies have shown that over 90 percent of people dont go beyond the first page of their search results, and over 50 percent click on the top one or two listings. Whats more, close to 70 percent of people use Google as their search tool. The search engine giants infamous algorithm has therefore become a monopolizing, highly sought-after secret SEO specialists around the world are trying to crack.

Full Story: http://www.springwise.com/wise-words-with-sanjay-arora-the-entrepreneur-taking-on-google-search/
An upstart Missoula company is leading the way in three-dimensional photography, allowing people to represent themselves in both digital and physical form. The likeness of an actual bride and groom can now adorn the wedding cake. Vampire slayers can play as themselves in video games.

If youre so inclined, you can even own your own bobblehead.

"This last week, I was at a military base scanning soldiers in their full uniform," said William Pedersen, manager of Dimensions 3-D Portraits. "They can print out army men of themselves for their kids, or create tactile memorabilia where you can remember them by placing their statue on a hearth."

Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1024080075/dimensions-3-d-portraits

By Martin Kidston/MISSOULA CURRENT

Full Story: http://www.missoulacurrent.com/business/2016/05/3-d-photo-business-looks-reshape-industry/
Six years ago, I set foot in a very different Missoula. Our economy was struggling to stay afloat amid a deep recession; job growth was not only stalled, but slipping.

Fortunately, our community leaders were united in their commitment to true economic development: job creation, job retention, creation of wealth, tax base enhancements and quality of life.

This month, the Missoula Economic Partnership http://www.missoulapartnership.com/ celebrated its first half-decade of successes, and looked ahead to the next five years.

By James Grunke

Full Story: http://www.missoulacurrent.com/business/2016/03/1643/
The Montana Department of Commerce works with statewide and local partners, private industry and small businesses to enhance and sustain economic prosperity in Montana. - Montana Is On The Move
Gross Value Added (GVA) at current basic prices for the second quarter of 2022 stood at R113,933 million, compared to R90,873 million for the corresponding quarter of 2021.

In the second quarter of 2022, indirect taxes net of subsidies amounted to R17,769 million, and GDP at current market prices to R131,701 million compared to R104,362 million for the corresponding quarter of 2021.

GDP at market prices increased by 15.9% during the second quarter of 2022 compared to the growth of 15.5% during the corresponding quarter of 2021.

GVA growth rate for the second quarter of 2022 over the corresponding quarter of 2021 is revised downwards to 8.8% from 9.9% as estimated in June 2022.

Year-on-year growth rates for the second quarter of 2022 are compared with the year-on-year growths one quarter earlier.

Total GVA growth rate for the second quarter of 2022 over the corresponding quarter of 2021 is estimated at 17.9%. Growth rates by industry group were as follows:

Agriculture, forestry and fishing grew by 7.4%, compared to the contraction of 8.5% registered in the previous quarter. The 7.4% increase is explained by a growth of 8.1% in Other agriculture, partly offset by a decrease of 4.3% in Sugarcane.

QNA_2Qtr22_300922



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The MRIC in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation and the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology is organising the first of a series of training workshops (from the 30th Nov  4th Dec 2020) entitled: Building of a Simplified Antenna for Satellite Communication and Ground Station Operation. These workshops are in line with the First Mauritian Satellite in space initiative which the MRIC is leading .

For the period 2020-2021, the MRIC envisages to train 4 students and 1 teacher from around 100 secondary and tertiary education institutions in Mauritius and Rodrigues combined. The training programme will consist of a series of hands-on workshops being conducted over school holidays showing students how to build a simple Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Antenna and a receiving station. At the end of the workshops, each participating institution will be gifted the completed antenna and accessories.

This will enable them to receive satellite telemetry and imagery from open (LEO) satellites such as weather satellites. The main aim of the workshops is to introduce our younger generation (from Mauritius and Rodrigues) to basic satellite technology and empower them with a tool with which they could explore novel initiatives and endeavours in the New Space Era1. It is envisaged that the basic training provided through these workshops, if studied further, could lead to unlocking of bigger opportunities in the New Space Era.

The first of the 6 sessions of the training programme will be held on the 30th November to 4th December 2020 at the Forest Side Girls SSS, Curepipe, in which 12 secondary schools, each comprising 1 Educator and 4 students and 5 Universities are participating. The participation to these workshops is free of cost. The honourable Minister of Education and Hon Minister of Technology will be the guests of honour for a ceremony on the 3rd of December 2020 as from 13h00.

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The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a consultation into whether changes should be introduced to the chilling requirements of Qurbani meat and offal supplied from slaughterhouses in England and Wales during the period of Eid al-Adha.
Russian scientists at the Lomonosov Moscow State University are reporting the development of new drug ferrying nano-capsules that work fundamentally differently than existing nanoparticles. Each capsule consists of two concentric polymer shells that swell at different temperatures. The outer shell protects the capsule and also prevents the capsules from sticking to one another when theyre releasing their cargo, a problem that has confounded researchers for a while. The inner shell has pores that grow larger as it swells in size, allowing the release of compounds within.

Building the structure was difficult and involved using a silica core around which the shells were created and then the core dissolved to create an empty space.

More from Lomonosov Moscow State University:

At this stage, the work was purely fundamental and was intended primarily to demonstrate the effectiveness of the concept. Experiments were carried out in the temperature range of 32-42C. It is slightly more than the temperature range favorable for a human, although in the future this range can be easily narrowed, states Igor Potemkin. The scientific collaboration is going to be prolonged for another four years. There are still many questions, the scientist says. For example, we have caught a structure in which a cavity does not collapse as the pores are closed. Now we need to understandwhy it happens, how does the density of the layers crosslink effect, i.e., what is the minimum amount of crosslinker that does not lead to a collapse of the cavity, and so on.  Potemkin is sure that in any case the created nano-containers are the ideal carriers for targeted drug delivery. Moreover, their synthesis is neither complex nor really expensive. Although at current stage of research it is difficult to pronounce the precise cost, the collaborations plans already include the creation of the large-scale,commercially acceptable production of nanogels.

Study in Scientific Reports: Multi-Shell Hollow Nanogels with Responsive Shell Permeability

Source: Lomonosov Moscow State University
by Tanya Gazdik , May 5, 2016

Many consumers appear to have strong preferences about the origin of the products they buy, but how important is this attribute really when they consider a purchase? How does it stack up against other selection factors?

The short answer, according to a report from Nielsen: It matters a lot.

One of the more surprising findings from the survey is that country of origin is as important as  or even more important than  other purchasing criteria such as price and quality, said Patrick Dodd, group president, Nielsen Growth Markets, in a release.

In a crowded retail environment, brand origin can be an important differentiator between brands, but sentiment varies by category and by country, and leveraging a powerful brand presence needs to be managed carefully regardless of whether it is global or local. Ultimately, the brands that deliver on a strong value proposition and connect personally to consumers needs will have the advantage in any given market.

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The Nielsen Global Brand-Origin Survey polled more than 30,000 online respondents in 61 countries and examined whether consumers prefer goods produced by global/multinational brands (defined as those that operate in many markets) or by local players (those operating only in a single marketthe respondents home country).

While respondents were asked to consider these definitions in their selections, preexisting notions about brand origin could prevail  a global brand might be so pervasive in a local market that a respondent may think it is a dominant local brand.

Nielsen also explored the factors driving brand preference and the role of the Internet in purchasing decisions for local and global companies. Finally, the report examined what local and global players can learn from each other.

More than four in 10 global respondents (46% on average) say brand origin is as important as nine other purchasing drivers, including selection/choice, price, function and quality. And more than one-quarter (28% on average) say brand origin is more important than other selection factors. Respondents in Asia-Pacific and Africa/Middle East are more likely to say origin is more important than the other selection factors (33% and 32% on average, respectively). European, North American and Latin American respondents, in contrast, are more likely to say brand origin is less important than the other selection factors (35%, 32% and 31% on average, respectively).

The top reasons for choosing a brand are the same for both global and local brands: better price/value, positive experience with the brand, safer ingredients and processing, better product benefits, and sales/promotion.

Nearly six in 10 global respondents (59%) say they buy local brands because they support local businesses, with sentiment highest in North America (65%). When shopping online, global respondents say they are more likely to seek out global brands for durable and electronic products and local brands for consumable products.

One-fifth of global respondents (21%) say national pride is one of the most important reasons they buy local products, with sentiment highest in Africa/Middle East (25%), Asia-Pacific (24%) and Latin America (21%).
by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, May 4, 2016

Last week, after years of delays and false starts, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that would require law enforcement officials to obtain warrants before accessing all emails and documents stored in the cloud.

The Electronic Communications Privacy Act currently requires law enforcement authorities to get a search warrant before accessing material that is less than six months old, but not emails that are older. For those, the authorities only need a subpoena.

That's important because subpoenas are far easier to obtain than search warrants. Officials typically can get subpoena by showing that an email account might contain information that is relevant to an investigation -- a relatively lax standard. But search warrants can only be obtained if a judge thinks there is probable cause to believe that the material sought will yield evidence of a crime.

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The digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation supports the new email privacy bill, but points out that it would be stronger if it also required the government to notify people when it sought warrants for their messages.

Not surprisingly, some government officials are pushing back against the bill. The Securities and Exchange Commission reportedly says that obtaining warrants for emails will make it harder to investigate. The agency wants the bill to contain an exception for civil law enforcement agencies, Politico writes today.

It's worth noting, however, that the measure wouldn't make it impossible for the SEC or other agencies to gather evidence; the House bill only requires them to show they have grounds for a search warrant.

Digital rights advocates, along with Web companies that host digital files, have long pushed to revise the current electronic privacy law. They rightly say that differentiating between documents based on how long they have been stored doesn't make sense today, given that companies like Google now allow people to keep old files in the cloud indefinitely.

The trade group Direct Marketing Association agrees, arguing that grounds that protecting emails from government surveillance will help preserve the so-called data-driven economy.

While debate about the issue has been percolating, at least one federal court has ruled that ECPA is unconstitutional. In that case, the the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2010 that the Fourth Amendment requires law enforcement authorities to obtain search warrants to access people's emails.
Solidifying its position as a go-to between businesses and their customers, Instagram is testing brand pages and contact buttons. As with any Facebook Page, the contact buttons let users email businesses directly, and retrieve directions to a nearby store.

Instagram only recently began offering more sophisticated targeting capabilities to advertisers. Last summer, its ad technology finally started leveraging Facebooks ads infrastructure -- something brands had long asked for.

Now, Instagrams global mobile ad revenues are expected to reach $2.81 billion -- or about 10% of Facebook's global ad revenues -- by 2017, according to eMarketer. If accurate, Instagram will by then have higher net mobile display ad revenues than both Google and Twitter.

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The change is part of a broader effort by Facebook to turn all of its properties into open lines of communication between users and brands.

To that end, the social giant recently began encouraging partners to reimage their consumer-facing business in terms of bots. Directly within Messenger, they can now provide automated subscription content like weather and traffic updates; customized communications like receipts and shipping notifications; and even live automated messages.

What Facebook is doing with Messenger and its other properties is a big deal for businesses and their customer relationships, according to Josh Engroff, chief digital media officer at The Media Kitchen, and managing director of KBS+ Ventures.

To such an immense degree, the industry has never really had direct communication between brands and consumers, Engroff recently told OMMA Boston attendees. Technology and media are at a tipping point.

Among other features, Facebook recently rolled out Links and Codes, which are simple ways for people to begin conversations with other people and businesses by scanning a unique code they have been given. This can be done in-person -- standing side by side with someone -- or virtually. No prior connections are needed.

In 2015, Instagram racked up $595 million in mobile ad revenue around the globe, by eMarketers estimate.
by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, May 5, 2016

With horse racing fans counting down to the Kentucky Derby, Kantar Media says the event is gaining in sponsorship value. And  in the wake of last years excitement with the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years  it expects those gains to continue.

From 2013 to 2015, the event grew from 27 to 37 sponsors, with 16 companies sponsoring in all three years. And Kantar found that the top five sponsors have gotten between 30 and 40% of overall media exposure value. In 2013, the value of media exposure totaled $2.1 million, dropping to $1.9 million in 2014, despite sponsors increasing from 27 to 32 year-over-year, Kantar says. Last year however, the media exposure value jumped back up, more than doubling to $4.9 million.

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The data is based on Kantar Medias Sport Intelligence, which monitors logo and signage exposure during sporting events and then calculates the value of media exposure, based on duration and impact. Analyzing sponsors for the last three years of the Derby, it found that although the event only lasts two minutes, the sport of kings has plenty of impact.

As expected, Yum!, the presenting sponsor, got the most value in each of the three years. And in 2014 and 2015, it says the top five sponsors were the same, including luxury watch brand Longines, Woodford Reserve distillery, Dodge RAM and Twinspires.com, the wagering arm of Churchill Downs. But only RAM showed consistent growth year-over-year.

Sponsors for this years event also include Brisnet, which handicaps races; Pepsi, Stella Artois and GH Mumm champagne.

About 170,000 fans, hats and all, are expected to attend the event at Churchill Downs -- the 142nd Kentucky Derby, while some 16 million people watch on TV. Nyquist is the early favorite, with Exaggerator the second choice in the 20-horse race.

But it will be hard to top last years event, won by American Pharoah. He went on to take the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, winning the sport's first Triple Crown in 37 years.
by P.J. Bednarski , Staff Writer @pjbtweet, May 5, 2016

The effort to marry live events to online video got a new addition at NewFronts when Hearst Magazines Digital Media unveiled plans for a Magic Mike Live stage show in Las Vegas that will be supported by a Cosmopolitan-fronted video series.

That was one of the more fleshed-out projects floated at the Hearst NewFronts presentation Wednesday night. The presentation began with a dance routine featuring several hunky, bare-chested men giving way to a surprise appearance by Magic Mike star Channing Tatum, who said the Vegas idea is simply a matter of asking women what they want and then giving it to them.

The male revue is set to debut next March, originating from the Hard Rock casino.

The 2012 Magic Mike film actually was credited with making some feminist points within the context of a film about male strippers, and in a Facebook Live post, Tatum amplified on that theme discussing the the stage show and Cosmo series centering on it, asking women for suggestions. Its up to you, its up to you to help us create it, he said. It should be woman-empowering instead of about the guys going and getting naked.

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Though, being that its Las Vegas teaming with Cosmo, so its fair to bet there will be some strong interest in guys getting (mostly) naked. Hearst connected the show to conventional onlinine series, articles, more Facebook Live appearances, Snapchat opportunities, Instagram applications, quizzes and even virtual reality projects.

The rest of the evening included details of ambitious slate of programs introduced by Lee Sosin senior vice president, marketing solutions and branded content and video and Troy Young, HMDM president. The scope of the projects shows the impact video has had on the magazine business; indeed, some of the video packages have names that seem reminiscent of what were once magazine section features.

Hearst Magazines Digital claims 170 million site visitors each month and 97 million social media followers across 21 brand Websites.

It touted those sites, and new video content, and at least one reconstituted one, Delish, that started, stalled and was relaunched with a more comical, personal and way more millennial touch.

Hearst also announced a video documentary from its Cosmo site, Back On Two Feet, about Kirstie Ennis, a Afghanistan War Marine veteran who needed to have a leg amputated, and her extraordinary life journey afterward.

Also, the spotlight was on Cosmo's new "WhoHaHa," the provocatively titled digital spot for female comedians and humor fronted by actresss Elizabeth Banks, that actually debuted last month. In an introductory video, she mused, looking down at her torso, I took a good, hard look at my who-ha. Its hilarious! Lets brand it! (Refinery 29 also announced a new female comedian digital channel, Riot, at its NewFronts presentation.)

Other new video ideas (and some already existing projects) showcased included Bazaar-fronted Unbridaled, which dresses brides in unconventional gowns; Beautiful Nights, a make-up series; The Younger Games, which delves into all the ways women try to make themselves look younger, and from Esquire, the humorous How To Be A Man with Frank Kobola" and Whos That Guy that delves into the style and substance of famous dudes in the form of a game show/talk show, hosted by Esquires new editor-in-chief, Jay Fielden.

A couple other women-focused series, All In from Cosmo, and My Turn from Elle with star turns from Chelsea Handler, Margaret Cho and Wanda Sykes were touted.

More seriously Esquire is partnering with Wieden + Kennedy to create Manhood, an unusual eight-part video series that intends to look at the changing perceptions of what makes a man a man in the confusing 21st Century . (Wieden + Kennedy is the agency behind Old Spices Manhood clever commercial campaign, by the way.)

pj@mediapost.com
by Sara Guaglione , May 5, 2016

Engadget underwent a major redesign in December to better reflect a change in the brands editorial mission, a shift that had been quietly taking place for the last year and a half.

Engadget was once a tech blog, but the new layout communicates to readers that the publication has changed.

As a result, traffic hit an all time high of 13.6 million unique users in January. Publishers Daily sat down with Engadget editor-in-chief Michael Gorman and executive editor Chris Trout to discuss how the redesign helped the brand increase audience growth.

Later, Publishers Daily spoke to general manager of AOL's technology brands, Ned Desmond, about ad opportunities for the new Engadget. (AOL is Engadget's parent company.)

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Publishers Daily: How did the redesign in December change Engadgets brand identity?

CT: Traditionally, Engadget was a gadget blog that was all about hardware, software, smartphones and tablets. It was that way for 10 years. When Michael and I took over, we decidedto take a close look at everything and what we saw was a much broader audience for technology. Everybody has a smartphone in their pocket. So two years ago -- one year before the redesign launched -- we decided to broaden the scope of the site to look at technologys impact on life. Basically the human experience as it relates to technology.

MG: The redesign was crucial to better reflect the new work. We shifted from a place where the vast majority of the content we were doing was re-blogs. We pushed our staff to do more original work. The site design didnt make it clear that this editorial shift had happened unless you were paying close attention and reading everything. It wasnt going to help new readers.

CT: [The Web site] is not as intimidating to people that are not super geeky. Our new approach is that we are not just talking about a spec sheet -- but the impact of that devices have on your daily life. Engadget is a grown-up, multimedia site. We are not just nerds in our basement writing about smartphones; we are now a large international team of journalists, video producers, designers and photographers. We wanted the visual language to reflect that.

Publishers Daily: How did the redesign help increase audience growth?

MG: It was reflected in the shift of people coming to the site. Before the redesign, [traffic] was about 50-50 returning versus new [visitors]. Now, its about 35% returning and 65% new coming to the site. We provide all the in-depth information to the hardcore Engadget reader, but we are writing it in a way more approachable to people not deep in it.

Q: I noticed there is growing Engadget readership by women. How have you manage to draw more women to the brand?

CT: Thats due to the diversity of voice on our site. Years ago, our staff was much less diverse, and everybody was taught to write in the exact same voice. Now, we let our writers use their experience and voices to tell the stories in a way that makes sense to them, which is why weve seen such a drastic change in demographics. And more women work for us now.

Publishers Daily: Engadgets new growth is coming from mobile and video. Why do you think readership is coming from there?

CT: We werent really doing video, and our video was produced by our editors. Quick and dirty stuff. Last year, we hired a director of video to build out a team of people. We created different series and upped our game on production. Everybody is rushing to get the ad dollars that are out there with video, but you do that and you betray your audience in some way. We have been selective about how and when we do video. We dont produce anything just for the ad dollars. That gives us a sense of trust with the readership.

Publishers Daily: Will there be a greater focus on native advertising?

ND: The base layer remains the same - we carry display advertising and thats a pretty rich market for us although in general, its gotten tougher for a lot of brands. But its still strong in the tech category. We are also working hard on the native content front. Our expansion of video has created a nice sort of platform for longer-term sponsorships around our video programming and new types of integrations. We are shifting to integrate sponsors to the show graphics, like the brought to you by show graphic and a shout out from the host thanking the sponsor.

Publishers Daily: Will there be more ad sponsorships?



ND: Our highest expectations are on native content, and I imagine that will grow a lot over the course of the year. Theres a lot coming up soon.

Publishers Daily: What are Engadgets media strategies for 2016?

MG: When were trying to think about where we can go in the future we are not trying to play follow the leader.

CT: A lot of growth has been on AOLs video platform. We are now going to concentrate to go off platform, to be where other people might be that dont necessarily know about Engadget. There is a lot of opportunity to grow on social. And its not just going to be repurposed content from our web site.

MG: Another big focus for us is to build a network for freelancers around the world because we do a lot of event coverage. Also there is a central internal AOL team, AOL Studios, that we worked on last year for Citizen Mars that turned out well for us. Now we can leverage the studios team to create more polished, documentary-style videos.

CT: There are a lot of new mediums coming, like virtual reality. We are not just going to jump in there to be the first -- we want to be the best.
A study of the embryonic nervous system of the fruit fly throws light on how two neuronal cell lineages that develop at different times and in different places in the ventral nerve cord of the embryo can ultimately result in very similar neuronal subtypes. The study, publishing in the Open Access journal PLOS Biology, is a collaboration between research teams in Madrid (Spain) and Linkoping (Sweden). In the paper, Hugo Gabilondo, Johannes Stratmann and their colleagues report that a crucial terminal selector gene, col, is activated by different sets of spatio-temporal selector genes in the two different neuronal cell lineages. In dAp neurons, which are present throughout the thorax and abdominal segments, col is activated directly by the action of the early temporal genes Kruppel (Kr) and pdm, and the GATA transcription factor gene grain (grn). By contrast, in Tv1 neurons, which are specific to the thoracic segments, col is activated by the late temporal gene cas, together with several other genes that feed forward onto the terminal selector gene cascade downstream of col. The result is expression of the neuropeptide Nplp1 in both dAp and Tv1 neurons.

The developing nervous system generates many different neuronal cell types; understanding this process of cell fate specification remains a major challenge for biologists. Complex cascades of regulatory genes are known to be involved, starting with spatial and temporal selector genes and finishing with terminal selector genes, all of which act in various combinations to dictate the ultimate neuronal cell type. A particular neuronal cell type often arises in several parts of the nervous system and at different stages of development, however, suggesting that different spatio-temporal cues can converge on the same terminal selectors to generate a similar cell fate. This study reports evidence of this phenomenon in an example from the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster.

Previous work had shown that expression of Nplp1 in Tv1 and dAp neurons depends upon a single terminal selector gene cascade beginning with col. The progenitors of Tv1 cells were already well defined and several genes upstream of col were known to impinge on the terminal selector cascade in these cells. By contrast, the progenitor cells that give rise to dAp neurons were not known. By using sets of markers that identify progenitors of neuronal cells in the fly embryo, the Spanish and Swedish teams were able to identify the progenitor lineage that gives rise to dAp neurons, to show that that this lineage is entirely unrelated to that of the Tv1 neurons, and that it expresses distinct genes and has a different proliferation mode.

Then, by using gene expression analysis in mutant and misexpression backgrounds combined with cross-rescue and combinatorial misexpression studies, the authors determined that dAP neurons depend upon the early temporal genes Kr and pdm for their specification, whereas Tv1 neurons, which arise later, depend upon the late temporal gene cas. They also showed that grn is an early spatial cue acting upstream of col in the dAp specification cascade and that the Kr and pdm genes act further upstream to activate grn. The authors think it likely, however, that they are still missing additional upstream and feed-forward regulators to explain the highly localized, specific triggering of col in the dAp lineage.

Strikingly, the researchers found that grn is not involved in triggering the terminal selector cascade in Tv1 neurons. By contrast, another gene, ladybird early (lbe), identified in a previous screen for genes involved in Tv4 neuron specification, is required for Col and Nplp1 expression in Tv1 cells. lbe acts in parallel with the other spatiotemporal cues in this lineage in a feed-forward loop, first activating col and subsequently acting with col to activate the rest of the cascade.

Such feed-forward loops are common in bacteria and yeast gene regulatory networks and they have been identified during nervous system development in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. They act as regulatory timing devices that allow a single gene, such as col in this case, to have different regulatory outputs at successive times in development. The feed-forward loop identified here, incorporating five steps between Kr and Nplp1 in dAp cells, and ranging in developmental time from mid to late embryonic stages, is exceptionally long.

Article: Neuronal Cell Fate Specification by the Convergence of Different Spatiotemporal Cues on a Common Terminal Selector Cascade, Gabilondo H, Stratmann J, Rubio-Ferrera I, Millan-Crespo I, Contero-Garcia P, Bahrampour S, et al., PLoS Biology, doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1002450, published 5 May 2016.

This work was funded by Swedish Research Council (VR-NT; 621-2010-5214; www.vr.se) to ST, Wallenberg Foundation (KAW2012.0101; www.wallenberg.com/kaw/) to ST, Swedish Cancer Foundation (120531;www.cancerfonden.se) to ST, Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (BFU2013-43858-P; to JBS. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
For the first time, guidelines have been developed by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for rehabilitation after a stroke.

"Previous guidelines have focused on the medical issues involved in the initial management of stroke, but many people survive a stroke with some level of disability. There is increasing evidence that rehabilitation can have a big impact on the survivors' quality of life, so the time is right to review the evidence in this complex field and highlight effective and important aspects of rehabilitation," said Carolee J. Winstein, Ph.D., P.T., lead author of the new scientific statement published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.

Whenever possible, the American Stroke Association strongly recommends that stroke patients be treated at an in-patient rehabilitation facility rather than a skilled nursing facility. While in an in-patient rehabilitation facility, a patient participates in at least three hours of rehabilitation a day from physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. Nurses are continuously available and doctors typically visit daily. An in-patient rehabilitation facility may be a free-standing facility or a separate unit of a hospital.

"If the hospital suggests sending your loved one to a skilled nursing facility after a stroke, advocate for the patient to go to an in-patient rehabilitation facility instead - unless there is a good reason not to - such as being medically unable to participate in rehab. There is considerable evidence that patients benefit from the team approach in a facility that understands the importance of rehabilitation during the early period after a stroke," said Winstein, who is a professor of biokinesiology and physical therapy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.

Caregivers should also insist that a stroke survivor not be discharged from the hospital until they have participated in a structured program on preventing falls. This includes education about changes to make the home safer (such as removing throw rugs and improving lighting), minimizing the fall risk resulting from the side effects of medication, and safely using assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers and canes.

"This recommendation will probably change medical practice. Even the top stroke centers may not have a formal falls-prevention program, but it is very important because a high percentage of patients end up falling after a stroke," Winstein said.

Other recommendations include:

Intense mobility-task training after stroke for all survivors with walking limitations to relearn activities such as climbing stairs.

Individually tailored exercise program so survivors can safely continue to improve their cardiovascular fitness through the proper exercise and physical activity after formal rehabilitation is complete.

An enriched environment (which might include a computer, books, music and virtual reality games) to increase engagement and cognitive activities during rehabilitation. There is not yet enough research to determine whether specific promising new techniques, such as activity monitors and virtual reality games, are effective at helping patients.

Speech therapy for those with difficulty speaking following a stroke.

Eye exercises for survivors with difficulty focusing on near objects.

Balance training program for survivors with poor balance, or who are at risk for falls.

"For a person to fulfill their full potential after stroke, there needs to be a coordinated effort and ongoing communication between a team of professionals as well as the patient, family and caregivers," Winstein said.

The new scientific statement is the eighth set of stroke guidelines from the American Stroke Association, completing the association's recommendations for the continuum of care for stroke patients and their families.
Viral respiratory infections during the first six months of life are associated with an increased risk for type 1 diabetes. This is the conclusion reached by a team of scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen during a study published in the current issue of the renowned US magazine JAMA.

The scientists headed by Prof. Dr. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, Director of the Institute of Diabetes Research (IDF) at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, examined anonymized data from almost 300,000 children born in Bavaria between 2005 and 2007. This represents roughly 85 percent of all newborns in Bavaria during this period. The Kassenarztliche Vereinigung Bayern (KVB - Bavarian Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians) provided the data material for research purposes.

Ziegler's team, which is also a partner in the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), systematically evaluated all available data on infections with respect to the later development of type 1 diabetes. The infections were broken down according to the localization of the symptoms (such as dermal, eye, gastrointestinal or respiratory infections), the causes (bacterial, viral or mycoses) and the age (quarter-yearly from birth).

First author Dr. Andreas Beyerlein summarizes the results as follows: "Our findings show that viral respiratory tract disorders during the first six months of life significantly increase the risk of children developing type 1 diabetes." Infections that occurred later or that involved other organs were not associated with a significantly higher risk. For the researchers, these findings are a further piece in the puzzle of understanding how type 1 diabetes develops, with the interaction of genetic and environmental factors still largely unclear.

Previously there were only relatively inconsistent indications from studies with children with a genetically higher risk of type 1 diabetes regarding the influence of infections. "Now for the first time we were able to confirm this in a population-based dataset of almost 300,000 children. In particular, we found strong indications that the first six months are an especially sensitive stage in life," explains lead scientist Ziegler. "This is also consistent with other results that we have published based on data from children with increased familial risk, which already suggested that the first half year of life is crucial for the development of the immune system and of autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes."

In the future the scientists want to determine whether there is actually a causal relationship and if yes, exactly which pathogens are involved and how they trigger this effect. This could then serve as a basis for attempting to develop an appropriate vaccine.

Infections in early life and development of type 1 diabetes . Andreas Beyerlein, PhD; Ewan Donnachie, MSc; Sibille Jergens, MSc; Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, MD. JAMA. DOI:10.1001/jama.2016.2181. Published online May 3, 2016.
In a new study of anesthesia providers in the U.S., most report not having used or received any education in acupuncture or acupressure. However, the majority of those participants recognize the potential benefits of acupuncture on acute postoperative and chronic pain, and of both acupuncture and acupressure on reducing anxiety. About 75% of providers expressed interest in acupuncture/acupressure education, according to the study published in Medical Acupuncture, a peer-reviewed journal from by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Medical Acupuncture website until June 4, 2016.

The article "Perceptions of Acupuncture and Acupressure by Anesthesia Providers" reports that more than half of the providers in the study would consider using these alternative medicine techniques in their practice. Coauthors Amanda Faircloth, PhD, DNAP, CRNA, Arkadiy Dubovoy, MD, Chuck Biddle, CRNA, PhD, and John Butterworth IV, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, and Diane Dodd-McCue, DBA, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Allied Health Professions (Richmond, VA), suggest that this receptiveness presents a strong argument in favor of incorporating aspects of alternative medicine into the curriculum for anesthesia education.

"Clinical trials would eventually make this information even more meaningful as to whether these modalities are useful, but the article demonstrates that anesthesiologists are willing to investigate acupuncture and acupressure for pain and anxiety in their practices," says Richard C. Niemtzow, MD, PhD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief of Medical Acupuncture and Director of the United States Air Force Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

CME Article: Perceptions of Acupuncture and Acupressure by Anesthesia Providers: A Quantitative Descriptive Study. Faircloth Amanda C., Dubovoy Arkadiy, Biddle Chuck, Dodd-McCue Diane, and Butterworth John F. IV. Medical Acupuncture. DOI:10.1089/acu.2015.1161. Published online March 17, 2016.
A new study of gay Latino and gay white men suggests different ethnic groups experience "coming out" differently.

The research, appearing in the peer-reviewed journal Self and Identity, examines verbal disclosure of one's gay identity to others as reported by the two groups of gay men.

"Verbal disclosure is what most people think of as 'coming out' as gay," said lead author Adrian Villicana, a doctoral student in social psychology at the University of Kansas. "It's verbalizing to other people, 'I am gay.' It's a proclamation, it's yelling from the rooftop -- at least that's a common understanding of what it is and should be."

Indeed, Villicana and his co-authors Kevin Delucio of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Monica Biernat of KU, suggest that verbal disclosure is emphasized by National Coming Out Day as a kind of "cultural directive."

But the researchers sought to discover if positive benefits of verbal disclosure -- shown to enhance subjective well-being-- apply equally to white and Latino gay men.

"In the literature there are various models that detail the process by which gay men form their gay identity and integrate it into their sense of self," Villicana said. "This 'integration' is when you finally start to accept your gay identity, internalize it into how you think of yourself and start to 'come out' to others about being gay. Generally, these models assume coming out is verbal disclosure, and it's associated with the extent to which you're comfortable being gay -- the more you disclose and the more people know you're gay, the more you've accepted and are comfortable with being gay."

In two separate studies, the research team recruited gay Latino and gay white men via Amazon's Mechanical Turk and asked them to complete extensive questionnaires.

Their results show that verbal disclosure of gay identity increased subjective well-being for gay white men but didn't influence subjective well-being for gay Latino men.

As a result, the investigators suggest verbal disclosure might accurately be seen as an effective strategy within a "white framework" that doesn't account for facets of identity like race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and religion.

"When scholars talk about gay identity as a white construction, it's because the data we have comes from gay white men for the most part," Villicana said. "While it's good to understand this identity and related process, it limits our understanding of gay-related processes for other people. It's confusing and potentially misleading to use data from one group and apply it to another group in the same way."

New data revealed by the team's research reveals this difference, he said.

"We found two reasons why gay white men who verbally disclose have higher well-being," Villicana said. "First, verbal disclosure leads to more feelings of authenticity, so feeling that they are showing their 'true self.' Second, as they verbally disclose to others, they begin to incorporate others into how they view themselves. But for gay Latino men, verbal disclosure is not related to these two things. For gay Latino men, authenticity and incorporating others into how they view themselves is not influenced by their sexual identity, but may be more tied to their ethnic identity."

The researchers suggest that gay men of color could gain the same benefits to their well-being through implied disclosure rather than verbal disclosure of their gay identity.

"This paper looks at disclosure by other means," Villicana said. "Disclosure can be nonverbal. It's more action-based, like bringing a same-sex partner to family events. More stereotypically, you might bring your same-sex roommate of 20 years. So, there's tacit acknowledgement, but there isn't discussion or verbalization. You're still sharing it with other people, but not in verbal ways."

"Coming out" among gay Latino and gay White men: implications of verbal disclosure for well-being. Adrian J. Villicana, Kevin Delucio & Monica Biernat. Self and Identity. DOI:10.1080/15298868.2016.1156568. Published online 15 March, 2016.
Ablynx has announced positive top line results from the first-in-infant Phase I/IIa study of its wholly-owned, inhaled, anti-RSV Nanobody, ALX-0171, in 53 infants, aged 1-24 months, hospitalised as a result of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.

The study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating the favourable safety and tolerability profile of ALX-0171 when administered daily by inhalation in the target infant population, with no treatment-related serious adverse events reported.

ALX-0171 was detected in the serum of subjects after treatment, consistent with lung exposure. Anti-drug antibodies had no effect on the pharmacokinetics and no relation with adverse events was seen. Treatment with inhaled ALX-0171 had an immediate impact on viral replication and also reduced viral load, as compared to placebo. Analysis of a composite of clinical efficacy endpoints, the Global Severity Score1, led to an encouraging initial indication of a therapeutic effect for infants treated with ALX-0171.

Dr Robert K. Zeldin, CMO of Ablynx, commented: "We believe we are pioneers in the development of a treatment for infants infected with RSV, an area of significant unmet medical need. We are very pleased that the positive safety and tolerability profile of our inhaled Nanobody observed in adults has now been confirmed in this vulnerable target population. In addition, we demonstrated ALX-0171's marked anti-viral effect in RSV-infected infants and saw encouraging initial signs of clinical efficacy. We believe these results strongly support advancement into a Phase II efficacy study in infants."

Dr Steve Cunningham, Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK, and Principle Investigator of the study, added: "RSV infection is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract disease leading to hospital admission in infants. It is often associated with continued coughing or wheezing after the acute phase of the infection and evidence is accumulating that it increases the risk of asthma later in life. There is no effective therapy available at present and the positive outcome from Ablynx's first-in-infant study is therefore an important step forward in the development of an effective therapeutic for this serious infection."

About the first-in-infant Phase I/IIa study

The first-in-infant Phase I/IIa study recruited 53 hospitalised RSV-infected infants, aged 1-24 months, in multiple clinical centres in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The study consisted of an open-label lead-in phase with 5 infants, aged 5-24 months who received ALX-0171 and a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase with 48 infants, aged 1-24 months, who were randomised to ALX-0171 or placebo.

The primary endpoint of the study was the assessment of safety and tolerability for once daily inhalation of ALX-0171 for three consecutive days. Secondary endpoints included assessments of clinical effect (including effect on feeding, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, wheezing, coughing and general appearance), immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of inhaled ALX-0171.

Serum samples were collected for PK analysis on the last day of treatment (day 3) post-dose. Anti-viral activity (viral load and time to undetectable virus) was measured in nasal swabs (plaque assay and qRT-PCR2), prior to dosing and then 6 hours post-dose on each day of treatment. An analysis of the clinical effect used the Global Severity Score, a clinical score that categorises infants with respiratory infections based on 7 parameters: feeding intolerance, medical intervention, respiratory difficulty, respiratory frequency, apnoea, general condition and fever. The data collected in the study were matched to corresponding parameters in the Global Severity Score to assess the time course of disease severity in the treated group versus placebo.

About RSV and ALX-0171

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections and the leading viral cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease in infants and young children worldwide. It is the primary cause of infant hospitalisation and virus associated deaths in infants, with estimated global annual infection and hospitalisation rates of 34 million and 3-4 million respectively3. It is associated with an estimated 3,000-8,500 deaths in infants <2 years globally per year4. In addition, RSV infections have been linked to an increased risk of asthma development later in life5. Current treatment of RSV infections is primarily focussed on symptomatic relief, hence the need for an effective and specific anti-RSV therapeutic.

Ablynx's ALX-0171 has been developed to address this unmet medical need and is a potential breakthrough for the treatment of RSV infection in infants. This wholly-owned trivalent Nanobody binds to the F-protein of RSV, thereby inhibiting viral replication and neutralising RSV activity by blocking virus uptake into cells. The physical robustness of the Nanobody allows administration via inhalation directly to the site of infection, i.e. the respiratory tract including the lungs. ALX-0171 has shown a potent anti-viral effect against a broad range of RSV strains in vitro and it has demonstrated a marked therapeutic effect following administration via nebulisation in a neonatal animal model for infant RSV infection6. Repeated daily inhalation of ALX-0171 was proven to be well-tolerated in multiple Phase I clinical studies in adults, including a study in subjects with hyper-reactive airways.

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The plant is commonly used in Taiwan and between 1997 and 2003, 8 million were exposed to this herbal remedy; wherein they are now at risk of developing AAN. Though the use of Aristolochia has been dated back to millions of years, its effects were not recognized until a long-term study on AAN revealed its association with the herb.Aristolochia complexes are formed between aristolactam, a compound in Aristolochia and DNA in renal tissues when the herb is taken for a long-term. These compounds, in turn, lead to mutations in a gene called as TP53, responsible for suppressing tumors. TP53 genetic mutations initiate the process to kidney cancer, which, in turn, lead to the development of bladder and liver cancer.Therefore, researchers suggest that all carcinogens and toxins take a longer time to show specific symptoms and unless the patient is observed for a longer period, it may be difficult to identify the health problems accurately."The history of Aristolochia indicates that other herbs that have been used for a long time may also have toxic and/or carcinogenic compounds," said the authors. "It is prudent to assume that many herbs may contain toxic or carcinogenic substances that can cause subsequent health problems for humans."Authors report that they are not against the use of traditional medicines and only want to shed light on the possible health concerns associated with these herbs, which are not scientifically proven.Source: Medindia
On May 14, 2016, the third Holocaust International Cartoon Contest is set to open in Tehran.[1] Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has denied that there is any connection between the Iranian government and this event.[2] He told The New Yorker magazine, in an interview published April 25, 2016, that "it's not Iran" that is holding the contest, and that it is organized by an NGO that is "not controlled by the Iranian government. Nor is it endorsed by the Iranian government." He added that the NGO "doesn't need a permit to hold the function" but that "[w]e need to issue visas for people who come [to the exhibition], and we take into consideration that people who have preached racial hatred and violence will not be invited."

However, Massoud Shojaei Tabatabaei, the secretary of the contest and of the two previous contests, said that Zarif was speaking for himself alone. On April 27, in an interview with the Iranian website Nasimonline, Tabatabaei explained that the organization he heads "cooperates with the Ministry of Culture" and that everyone in the regime "knows that this exhibition is highly respected. Therefore, the foreign minister's statements are not in line with the [activity of] the Ministry of Culture." He added that the exhibition was not aimed at proving or disproving the Holocaust, but at asking why the people of Gaza and Palestine should be the ones to pay for it.

On April 29, exiled Iranian journalist Aida Qajar wrote, in an article titled "The Holocaust Cartoons and Zarif's Lies" on Iranwire, a website of exiled Iranian journalists, that the foreign minister had either lied about or ignored the Iranian regime's and government's connection to the cartoon exhibition.

The following is Ms. Qajar's article, in the original English,[3] and some of the cartoons submitted to the cartoon exhibition that is set to open later this month:

Aida Qajar: "The Holocaust Cartoons and Zarif's Lies"

"On May 14, Iran will host the second Holocaust Cartoons contest, a competition that was widely condemned around the world when it was first launched a decade ago.

"In an interview with the U.S. magazine The New Yorker published on April 25, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denied that the Iranian government had anything to do with the competition and the accompanying exhibition. 'It's not Iran,' he told the journalist Robin Wright. 'It's an NGO that is not controlled by the Iranian government. Nor is it endorsed by the Iranian government.'

"But Zarif was not telling the truth, or at least not the whole truth. The fact is that this competition has the official backing of the Iranian government, and the government has helped with its preparation.

"The Holocaust Cartoons competition and festival was first launched in 2006, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the president of Iran. After the Danish cartoon scandal, when the newspaper Jyllands-Posten published several cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad, the Islamic Republic retaliated by organizing a two-day International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust.[4] Manouchehr Mottaki, [Iranian president] Ahmadinejad's foreign minister, opened the conference proceedings. Holocaust deniers from around the world attended, including David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan leader.

"The newspaper Hamshahri, published by the office of Tehran's mayor, sponsored the event, and Ahmadinejad had strong links to the office since prior to becoming president he had served as mayor. His press advisor, Mohammad Ali Ramin, was among the officials who publicly supported the exhibition.

"The Cartoon Mafia

"The exhibition was organized and refereed by the cartoonist Massoud Shojaei Tabatabaei. Following the exhibition, he was banned from entering 25 countries. At the time, he was the director of Iranian House of Cartoons, a position he was supposed to hold 'for life' until a number of cartoonists objected to his unlimited tenure and he resigned in a huff. He threatened to establish the 'House of Revolutionary Cartoons' to punish dissenting cartoonists. However, he did not act on his threat, and after a period, returned to the House of Cartoons. For the past few years Tabatabaei has been a member of Tehran Mayoralty's Culture and Arts Organization which, since 1996, has been run by a board appointed by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and the Islamic Propaganda Organization.

"But Shojaei Tabatabaei's position at the helm of the House of Cartoons was not merely a job. As Kianoush Ramezani, an Iranian cartoonist who now lives in Paris says, 'I do not want to say that we were afraid of him, but in spite of his smiling face his role was to intimidate us.'

"Ramezani also points out that Tabatabaei has close working relations with his relative Hossein Niroomand who, like him, is a member of the Iranian arts establishment, dubbed a 'mafia' by many Iranian artists. 'They both started early after the revolution with Kayhan - the Kayhan organization, the newspaper Kayhan, Kayhan Cartoons, etc.,' says Ramezani. Kayhan operates under the direct supervision of the supreme leader's office and its managing editor is appointed by Ayatollah [i.e. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei. 'They replace each other as chief editor and the boss of Kayhan Cartoons,' says Ramezani. 'Whoever works in the field of cartoons needs their approval for whatever he does, and as a result sometimes they have to yield to them.'

"Tehran Mayoralty is accountable to Iran's Ministry of Interior, but the Islamic Propaganda Organization is under the direct supervision of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who appoints its president. The government allocates an annual budget to the organization, which is also approved by the parliament.

"In turn, the Islamic Propaganda Organization runs Sarcheshmeh Cultural Institute, one of the organizers of the second Holocaust Cartoons competition. Another backer of the competition is Owj Media and Arts Organization, which is affiliated with [Iran's Islamic] Revolutionary Guards [Corps]. After the nuclear agreement was signed last July, Owj launched a campaign called American Honesty, and covered billboards around Tehran with anti-American posters. With the support of this organization, the award money for the winner of the Holocaust Cartoons competition has been increased from $25,000 to $50,000.

"Owj claims it is an NGO, but its affiliation with the Revolutionary Guards is an open secret. And the senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards are directly appointed by the supreme leader, who started voicing his own doubts about Holocaust in the 1990s, and finally stopped mincing his words in around 2000, when he said, 'in many Western countries, nobody dares to question the myth of the Holocaust.'

"No Permit Required? Really?

"This chain of command leaves no doubt that the government of the Islamic Republic directly supports the Holocaust Cartoons competition. And the government has played other roles as well.

"Zarif told The New Yorker that the exhibition did not need a permit. But the fact is that any exhibition or conference in Iran needs a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. A condition for such a permit is that the exhibition or conference must not insult beliefs through 'sight, sound, paintings, or caricatures.' When asked about Zarif's statements, cartoonist and organizer Shojaei Tabatabaei told Nasim news agency, 'We are coordinating [the competition] with Ministry of Culture and officials... have been kept informed about the event.'

"In the New Yorker interview, Zarif also said that Iran would be vigilant about not issuing visas [to attend the event] to people who promoted hatred or racism. 'People who have preached racial hatred and violence will not be invited,' he said. Iranian diplomatic missions are normally responsible for issuing visas, but when it comes to the cartoon exhibition, organizers coordinate with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance concerning who gets visas.

"The Islamic Republic's persistent Holocaust denial has been roundly condemned by several Western countries and prominent international figures, including former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan. After the launch of the first competition, the mayor of Paris said it mocked millions of Jews who had died in the Holocaust. In Germany, both the government and various political parties have repeatedly condemned the Islamic Republic for its antisemitic stance.

"It is true that [Iranian President] Hassan Rohani's government is not directly and officially responsible for the exhibition. But if it seriously opposed it, the administration could refuse to issue a permit and deny visas to participants. Zarif once tweeted that 'the man who denied [the] Holocaust is gone.'[5] But is Rohani's government ready to tangle with the Supreme Leader and the Revolutionary Guards over this issue?

"When The New Yorker asked Zarif, 'Why does Iran allow a cartoon festival on the Holocaust?' the foreign minister answered with a question of his own, 'Why does the United States have the Ku Klux Klan? Is the government of the United States responsible for the fact that there are racially hateful organizations in the United States?'

"But of course, Zarif ignored the main point, shying away from the key difference between the two racist and discriminatory groups: The U.S. government does not fund the activities of the KKK."

Cartoons Submitted For The Holocaust Cartoon Contest

Endnotes:
Following the massive attack on the city of Aleppo by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally, which included the destruction of a hospital, Saudi columnist Khalaf Al-Harbi penned an article in which he harshly attacked the Syrian regime as well as the leaders of Russia, Iran and Hizbullah. Writing in the government Saudi daily 'Okaz, he accused these leaders of committing a "genocide" of the Syrian people, and the international community of silent complicity in this crime. He added that this crime was comparable to, if not worse than, the crimes of terrorist organizations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

The following are excerpts from the article:[1]



Khalaf Al-Harbi (image: All4syria.info)

"In disaster-ridden Aleppo, a [Syrian air force] jet dropped barrel bombs on a hospital that was treating victims of previous airstrikes. The wounded [victims], the doctors and [other] patients were killed, and at the same time another jet bombed the rescue teams and civil defense [forces]. All this, of course, under the pretext of combatting terrorists!

"What action can terrorists carry out that is worse than the destruction of a hospital[?]

"Look at all the terrifying ISIS videos and the barbaric Al-Qaeda statements, and you will see the same [acts], possibly even less severe ones. If ISIS sends a suicide [bomber] to blow up a vegetable market, Bashar [Al-Assad] and Putin's jets, together with Iran and Hizbullah, have already erased an entire city, and strove with all their might to exterminate its peaceful residents.

"What's the difference between Putin and [ISIS leader] Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi? Is it possible that [Iranian Supreme Leader] Khamenei any more humane than [Al-Qaeda Leader] Al-Zawahiri? Did [Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader] Al-Zarqawi commit any crimes that [Hizbullah leader] Hassan Nasrallah has refused to commit? And as for Bashar Al-Assad - he cannot even be compared to the most satanic among people and demons, since he is the number one terrorist butcher, who receives the blessings of the international community, and in most cases has even conspired with it.

"Moreover, one could say that the case of Al-Baghdadi, Al-Zawahiri, and other terrorist leaders is simpler than that of Putin, Khamenei, Nasrallah, and Bashar, since these terrorist leaders are wanted all over the world, whereas the leaders of the barrel bombs are presidents of UN member-states. The silence regarding the crimes [of these leaders] provides certain legitimacy to the methodical extermination [they carry out in Syria], while we thought that such matters have long ago disappeared from the world.

"If the horrible crimes taking place in Aleppo today are classified as 'combatting terrorism,' then we say to the supporters of the barrel bombs - you will surely lose [this] campaign. This, because the child whose good family was destroyed in front of him will not become a peace activist or a human rights activist, but will seek an organization even more barbaric than ISIS to [join, in order to] avenge his family that was wiped off the face of the earth. Shame will continue to hound all those who, for political or sectarian reasons, supported [the dropping of] barrel bombs..."

Endnotes:

[1] 'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), May 2, 2016.
In a lecture posted online on March 21, 2016, Egyptian-German scholar Hamed Abdel-Samad said that the Prophet Muhammad had "lowered [the Jews] to a subhuman level, viewing them as animals" and compared the treatment of the Jews in the years following Muhammad's death to that of the Nazis. "This hatred is poisoning us" and "preventing us from dealing with our problems in a serious way," he said, adding that "instead of poisoning one generation after another with this hatred, we should let them learn something from humanity," in order to enable them to "overcome the barrier of hatred and of fear of the other." The lecture is titled "Islamic Fascism and the Jews."

View this clip here.

The following are excerpts from the clip:[1]

"We Have Had A Fixation About The Jews Since The Inception Of Islam"; "When I Was Studying In Cairo... Popular Books That I Used To See... Were Hitler's Mein Kampf... And The Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion"

Hamed Abdel-Samad: "Today, we will talk about Islamic fascism and the Jews. We have had a fixation about the Jews since the inception of Islam, and this fixation refuses to come to an end. The Jews have always been small in number, but they cause us some mental reaction and we cannot get them out of our mind.

"When I was studying in Cairo, two of the most popular books that I used to see in libraries and on the streets were Hitler's Mein Kampf, which was banned in Germany because of its racism, and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which is a forgery. Without even checking, we accept it as a historical fact. This was one of the first books to be translated into Arabic in modern times. It is shameful that before translating Kant, Spinoza, Descartes, Rousseau, John Locke, or David Hume, the masters of the Enlightenment, we translated the forged Protocols of the Elders of Zion, in order to use it to fuel our hatred towards the Jews. Do you know when The Protocols was translated into Arabic? In 1929 - before the State of Israel was established and before anyone was even thinking about it.

"Can you imagine a religion whose adherents pray every day, reciting the most important chapter in their holy book, which consists of curses towards others? Have you ever asked yourself what the verse 'those who incur wrath and those who have gone astray' means? What does it mean to pray and curse others?

"Imagine what would happen if the Jews, the Christians, the Buddhists, or the Baha'is had a verse cursing the Muslims. We would go to the UN and ask for this verse to be erased from their books, right? But for us it is very normal to curse others, because ours is the last religion and our Lord pampers us a little.

"Ask all the interpreters, and they will tell you that "those who incur the wrath" are the Jews, and that "those who have gone astray" are the Christians. But, of course, ours is a religion of tolerance, and Islam accepts all the religions, right? This is hypocrisy.

[...]

"The Jews have caused a crisis for Islamic identity right from the start, because they were the model. It is from the Jews that Muhammad borrowed the notion of legislation. Were the notions of legislation, shari'a, and so on familiar in the Arabian Peninsula? There were norms, and that's it. They weren't even written in any book. But when Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Al-Madina, he began to see what the Jews were doing, and to copy some things from them. You ban pork? What a great idea! I'll ban pork too. There weren't any pigs in the area anyway. The Arabs did not live on pork or anything, but Muhammad would do anything to ingratiate himself upon the Jews.

"He was trying so hard to ingratiate himself upon them that he borrowed their direction of prayer and said: We will pray towards Jerusalem. Jerusalem bore no significance whatsoever for the Arabs. Why Jerusalem of all places? He chose the place that was holy to the Christians and the Jews [...]"

"Similar In Fascism, Nazism, And Islam Is The View That Jews Are Like Animals"; "Muhammad... Lowered Them To A Subhuman Level, Viewing Them As Animals"; "The 'Pact Of Omar'... Is Identical To Hitler's Treatment Of The Jews'

"Another issue that is similar in fascism, Nazism, and Islam is the view that Jews are like animals. Hitler used to call them ungeziefer in German, or 'vermin.' In Nazi publications, they used to draw them as mice. Likewise, when Muhammad had had enough of them, he called them 'apes and pigs' and 'the worst beasts in the eyes of Allah.' By 'the worst beasts in the eyes of Allah' he meant the Jews. He lowered them to a subhuman level, viewing them as animals. What do you do with animals? You slaughter it, you sell it, you ride it. This is the logic with which Islam treats not only the Jews, but non-Muslims in general.

[...]

"After the death of Muhammad, Omar ibn Al-Khattab drafted the so-called 'Pact of Omar,' which is identical to Hitler's treatment of the Jews. Jews and Christians had to wear a badge so that the Muslims could identify them. Only Muslims were allowed to part their hair in the middle. The Jews and Christians had to cut their hair straight like that, so that the Muslims could recognize them from afar. They had to wear belts in order to be recognized." [...]

"When ISIS Marked The Homes Of The Christians In Mosul - Where Did They Get The Idea From? From That 'Pact Of Omar'"

"Fascism did exactly the same thing. This notion was adopted by fascism. When ISIS marked the homes of the Christians in Mosul - where did they get the idea from? From that 'Pact of Omar.' When the Lord says that they are "those who incur wrath and those who have gone astray," and that He would burn them in the Hellfire, how can I, as a Muslim, possibly live in peace and coexistence with them? People say: 'The Prophet has instructed us to...' and whatever... What are you talking about?! Didn't He call them 'those who incur wrath and those who have gone astray?' Didn't he say that [the Jews and Christians] were infidels? Didn't he say that they should pay the jizya in humiliation? So why are you going on about tolerance, telling us stories about how Muhammad went to the funeral of a Jew, and so on? They were supposed to be humiliated. The Lord Himself plans to burn them in the Hellfire - so should we show them more compassion than Him?! Of course not." [...]

"This Hatred [Of The Jews] Is Poisoning Us"; "We Should Get Rid Of This Hatred... For Our Own Sake"

"After all this, some people say: "We have no problem with the Jews. It's all about the Arab-Israeli conflict.' The Arab-Israeli conflict is the cause of all these crises?! The Prophet Muhammad vowed that Judgment Day would not come unless the Muslims fight the Jews. Imagine that Israel came to you today and said: "Man, take Jerusalem. Take Haifa and Tel Aviv as well." Would that be the end of our enmity with them? In that case, we would miss out on Judgment Day. Our Lord linked Judgment Day with our conflict with the Jews. The story is not about land, occupation, and rights. The source of the crisis is that we do not view these people as humans.

"Is the Mossad paying me to say these things? Am I saying this because it serves Israel, the Jews, or someone else? No. I'm saying this because this hatred is poisoning us. We have wasted vast efforts on this hatred. We have invested a lot in this hatred. This hatred prevents us from dealing with our problems in a serious way. You always need an enemy on which to pin all your catastrophes. Anything that happens to you is a conspiracy. Whenever something does not work your way, the Jews are the cause. It's much easier this way.

"We should get rid of this hatred, not for the benefit of the Jews and Israelis, but for our own sake. Instead of poisoning one generation after another with this hatred, we should let them learn something from humanity. They should overcome the barrier of hatred and of fear of the other. We should view all human beings as human beings." [...]

Endnote:
Former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said, in an interview with Al-Ghad Al-Arabi TV, that when Hitler came to power in 1932, he did not want to kill the Jews. He just wanted to "deport all the Zionists to Israel," said Livingstone, who further claimed that Britain and the U.S. should have absorbed the Jewish refugees following WWII, rather than enabling the establishment of the state of Israel, which was "fundamentally wrong." Livingstone added that he never buys Israeli products and that the failure to resolve the Palestinian problem leads Muslims to join ISIS. The interview was conducted on May 4, 2016.

Following are excerpts

Ken Livingstone: The simple truth is that the situation in Iraq today is worse than what it was under the rule of Saddam Hussein, and the same is true of Libya, which is much worse now than it was under Qadhafi. All the Western interventions in the Middle East had nothing whatsoever to do with introducing democracy. Their goal was to control the oil reserves, and to secure governments that would support the Western plans in the region.

[...]

I believe that the endorsement of double standards in the Middle East was one of the causes that led to the development of the terrorist Islamic groups today. We imposed harsh sanctions on Iran for almost a decade, because we believed that it was developing nuclear arms. We also believed that Saddam Hussein had nuclear arms, and we invaded [Iraq], but then, we could not find them. On the other hand, Israel has possessed nuclear arms for 40 years. It is the first country to introduce nuclear arms into the Middle East. But we still have not acknowledged that, and have not imposed sanctions upon it. The angry youth can see that this world is completely unjust. I think this is what encourages many youths to fight alongside terrorist groups like ISIS.

[...]

There has always been a solid bloc of Labour Party MPs who believed that an independent Palestinian state must be established. There have also been many Labour Party members who opposed intervention in the Middle East. But Tony Blair became America's lapdog, and he carried out anything dictated to him by George Bush. The consequences were catastrophic.

[...]

If you reexamine the bombings that took place in London in 2005 - the bombings in the Tube were carried out by young angry Muslims. In the weeks that followed, there was not a single case of an anti-Muslim attack - no screaming at Muslims, no attacks on mosques. We were not divided then, but recently, things have begun to change.

[...]

The creation of the state of Israel was fundamentally wrong, because there had been a Palestinian community there for 2,000 years.

[...]

The creation of the state of Israel was a great catastrophe. We should have absorbed the post-WWII Jewish refugees in Britain and America. They could all have been resettled, whereas 70 years later, the situation is still very tense, and there is potential for many more wars, potential for nuclear war.

Interviewer: Do you support the global movement for boycotting Israel?

Ken Livingstone: I never buy anything [that comes from Israel]. I could make mistakes sometimes. I like dates, but I don't buy dates that come from Israel.

[...]

Interviewer: Europe decided that the solution, in order to get rid of the Jews, was to establish their own national state in Palestine. Is this not unjust?

Ken Livingstone: This is the interesting thing. There was a lot of antisemitism in Europe. The Christians were very hostile toward the Jews. When Hitler won the elections in 1932 and came to power, his policy was not directed toward killing the Jews. He wanted to deport all the Zionists to Israel [sic]. If you look at the Arab world at the time, there were large Jewish communities that never suffered threats or attacks. They lived in peace alongside their Arab neighbors. But all of this was destroyed with the establishment of the state of Israel, and all the Israeli [sic] communities in the Arab world were deported to Israel. This is unparalleled. If you examine the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad - he recognized Moses as a divine messenger. He also recognized that the Jews could live alongside the Arabs in the Middle East. All of that was destroyed, and I think it was catastrophic.

[...]

I have always believed that the failure to resolve the [Palestinian] problem fuels the terrorist attacks. What makes a 15- or 16-year-old boy go and fight with ISIS, or carry out the barbaric attacks that we saw in Paris or Brussels? They don't do it because they enjoy killing, but because they believe that they are the victims of injustice. The West must deal with the injustice, or will continue to fuel terrorism.

[...]
The Alternate Foreign Minister of European Affairs, Nikos Xydakis, met at the Foreign Ministry today with the Finnish Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Hanna Mantyla, who is on a three-day visit to Athens.



During the very friendly meeting, the two sides reaffirmed the need and opportunity to further tighten Greek-Finnish bilateral relations. The conversation focused on current developments and in particular on the issues of the Greek reform programme and the refugee/migration crisis.



Mr. Xydakis briefed Ms. Mantyla on the course of the Greek programme and the Greek governments initiatives for completing it. After six years of harsh austerity, we are at a turning point where the differences between the European Institutions and the IMF are becoming apparent. The Greek government has presented its proposals in detail, with the aim of overcoming issues that have arisen and are creating delays in the completion of the review, Mr. Xydakis noted. Ms. Mantyla conveyed to Mr. Xydakis the experience and understanding of the Finnish government, which is also expected to implement difficult reforms.



Ms. Mantyla showed particular interest in the developments in the refugee and migration issue, and especially in the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement, while she noted that Europe is faced with a global crisis. In turn, Mr. Xydakis underscored that the current agreement remains fragile but is perhaps the only solution under the existing circumstances. Europe needs Turkey and Turkey needs Europe at this difficult time of crisis and instability, Mr. Xydakis noted.



He also stressed that the refugee issue cannot be dealt with through proposals that address only current problems. Europe needs to shape a mid- and long-term strategy for the solution of a multidimensional issue, Mr. Xydakis pointed out, adding that we are facing major geopolitical turmoil, and our goal has to be to restore stability not only in the Mediterranean  with Syria and Libya at the center  but also more widely in Africa.



The two Ministers agreed that the member states of the European Union must remain united and mutually supportive so that they can work in a common direction towards resolving the refugee crisis, with respect for the people in a dire situation. At this point, Mr. Xydakis conveyed warm thanks to the Finnish government for its contribution to solving the problem. We do not forget that Finland is showing its solidarity not just through contributing personnel to Frontex, but also by participating in the European relocation plan, accepting refugees. This stance is a symbolic and substantial example to all of the countries of the European Union, Mr. Xydakis stressed.
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The AC Quickstop opened to a small crowd Tuesday in Bethel, a community of about 6,200 people in southwest Alaska that was founded by Yup'ik Eskimos. The new business is owned by Alaska Commercial Co., which has 31 stores in remote communities around the state.

The Bethel store had about 50 customers within the first hour of business, AC general manager Walter Pickett said. The company already has eight Alaska stores that sell alcohol, he said.

"We're very aware of our accountability as a good citizen of the community," he told The Associated Press in a phone interview. The Bethel store has full-time security staff, and its sales staff has been trained in alcohol sales, he said.

But Bethel Police Chief Andre Achee said he worries about having enough officers in his short-staffed department because of the easy access to alcohol. His department is budgeted for 15 sworn officers, but only six of those slots, including his, are filled. The challenge is finding people who want to live and work in an isolated community where the cost of living is exorbitant.

Achee also worries about intoxicated people traveling by river boats between Bethel and surrounding villages.

Scores of rural Alaska communities have long struggled with the effects of alcohol abuse. As a result, many are "dry" or "damp," meaning locals have passed laws banning or restricting the sale of alcohol, where a 750-milliliter bottle can fetch up to $250.

In 2009, Bethel voters decided to lift a decades-long ban on liquor sales and remove monthly limits on alcohol shipments. That prompted counter efforts to ban bars and liquor stores in the town, but ultimately the majority rejected those restrictions the following year.

With the new business, alcohol  including hard liquor  is easier to come by.

Achee expects police calls to spike by this weekend as well as certain times of the year, such as shareholder dividend distributions from Alaska Native corporations. Even without a liquor store, police already respond to a jump in alcohol-related calls each October with the distribution to most Alaskans of the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend from the state's oil wealth account.

"With a liquor store here, it just becomes a lot easier," he said. "It just makes it easier if people want to binge drink."

Police, however, have had no calls involving Fili's Pizza, which last month became the first establishment to sell alcohol by offering wine and beer on the menu, Achee said.
The Kent County sheriff's office says the girl told investigators she was waiting for a school bus Tuesday morning near her home in Gaines Township when she decided to play in a nearby creek.

Sheriff's officials say the girl admitted she fabricated the story because she didn't want to get in trouble for missing the bus.

The girl had said a man wearing a mask forced her into a white pickup truck and drove around for about an hour before she was able to escape the vehicle and run home. Her mother called police.

Investigators also reviewed surveillance cameras in the area.
BAD AXE  Whats it take to topple a 400-foot, 485,000-pound wind turbine?

Mechanical failures, an imbalance and the ensuing violent act.

Essentially, self-destruction.

And a dose of irony.

Or as officials call it, an overspeed event.

Thats the determination wind energy developer Exelon Wind Generation, turbine manufacturer Vestas and a third party have made after a months-long investigation into the root cause of a turbines collapse onto an Oliver Township farm field at the site of the states first utility-scale wind energy project. It happened on Feb. 25.

The turbines in Harvest 1 Wind Farm are eight years old. On the turbine that fell, near Berne and Gagetown roads, seals failed on all three cylinders in its pitch system, which controls how the turbines blades move back and forth, officials said.

The turbine exceeded designed rotation speeds  14.4 rpm (revolutions per minute) is nominal, and at that speed, blade tips are moving at about 200 mph, according to Exelon. It created an imbalance as blades picked up speed. At the time of collapse, rotation speeds reached 18 rpm, officials said.

At that high of an rpm, the thing just basically shook itself apart, said Chris Higgins, an Exelon operations manager.

It was a pretty violent act going on at that speed with an imbalance in the blades.

Mark Van Diepenbeek, senior operations manager at Vestas, headquartered in Denmark, told county planners Wednesday the seal was worn on all three cylinders in the turbine.

And it would take all three cylinders to be worn to cause this event, Van Diepenbeek said.

Exelon says the pitch cylinder seals leaked internally and werent able to hold the blades out of the wind. A hydraulic pump also shut off, and oil pressure couldnt be maintained, officials said.

It happened during an eight-hour period, according to Exelon.

It was there, we just didnt see it, Higgins said. We werent monitoring it at the time.

Checking for such cylinder wear was not part of normal maintenance, officials said.

We are finding wear and anything thats showing wear will be replaced, Van Diepenbeek said, adding recent inspections found wear on no more than one cylinder.

May that become part of normal maintenance? Planning Chair Clark Brock asked.

Yes, Van Diepenbeek said.

The company will now have remote, 24/7 monitoring of turbines, and that maintenance will be added, he said.

Adding to the irony, officials say a contributing factor to the collapse was wind speeds near 45 mph.

Any lower than that, the winds wouldnt have had enough force to push the blades into that position which created an overspeed, Van Diepenbeek said.

However, the explanation left county planners with some uncertainty.

Member John Nugent asked Van Diepenbeek whether a turbine that exceeds designed rotation will always result in catastrophic failure.

I cant answer that question, Van Diepenbeek said.

Typically  do you expect it to? Nugent said. Thats a pretty thin line.

Exelon Spokesperson Kristen Otterness says the company is fully committed to ensuring an event that happened in the Harvest Wind Farm doesnt happen anywhere else across our fleet, and that Exelon has shared this information with the industry.

Worldwide, this is the first (failure) for the V82 model turbine, Van Diepenbeek said.

The turbine was valued at $1.5 million, Exelon says. The company said in March it hadnt made a decision on whether it will be replaced.
Philly Jesus' real name is Michael Grant. He dresses like Jesus, carries a large cross, preaches on sidewalks and poses for photos. He also performs baptisms in city fountains.

Police say the Apple store's manager told them Grant refused to leave Monday night despite being asked multiple times. They say his cross was blocking an aisle. He was handcuffed and arrested.

According to online court documents, Grant was charged with defiant trespassing and disorderly conduct. No lawyer information was listed. He was released after an arraignment early Tuesday.

Grant tweeted Tuesday that he was "free at last."
Tobacco companies had protested a 2014 EU directive containing the new rules, calling it disproportionate. But the European Court of Justice on Wednesday upheld the directive, arguing it's in line with efforts to fight smoking and protect public health.

The court said it is OK to ban menthol and other flavorings that make tobacco more appealing. The directive also requires standardized, plain labels that cover at least 65 percent of all cigarette packs with health warnings.

The rules will require warnings for e-cigarettes, limit their nicotine levels to 20 grams and restrict advertising and sponsorship by their makers.

The Independent British Vape Trade Association said in a statement that it is disappointed by the ruling and argued it could push some e-cigarette smokers back to tobacco.

Among those welcoming the decision was French Health Minister Marisol Touraine, who said plain cigarette packs will be required in France starting May 20.

"It's a victory for public health, a victory in the battle against lobbies, because in the fight against smoking ... the obstacles are numerous," she told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

The EU Commission has come under criticism in the past for failing to fully disclose information about its dealing with tobacco lobbyists.
HARBOR BEACH  The largest fishing tournament in Harbor Beach, if not the county, is scheduled for this Saturday.

Weather permitting, tournament officials are expecting the largest number of boats and payout in the Can2Can Fishing Tournament history.

Last year, the event had 84 paid entries. First prize, a whopping $10,200, went to Team Bazooka Joe.

We paid out (about) $35,000 in cash and prizes last year, said Ben Milosevic of the hosting Steelheaders club.

If tournament expectations are fulfilled, this years first place payout could be as high as $18,000.

Art Farden, Thumb Area Steelheader and owner of Lets Go Fishing, said the captains meeting will be at his establishment at 7 p.m. Friday. Team captains must attend to be eligible for the event. In addition, this will be the last chance a team will have to enter.

Farden said 90 percent of all funds will be paid out in prizes, with 10 percent going to support the Thumb Area Steelheaders.

All in all, the money is put back (into the community), he said.

Teams may have as many as four members, but the contestants may weigh in only the Michigan DNR two-man catch limit from any one boat. Points will be given for lake trout, steelhead, brown trout and salmon (including kings). In addition, cash prizes will be given for the largest fish caught in each of the categories. Although walleye are not part of the overall contest, a $250 cash prize will be given to the team that enters the largest walleye taken that day.

This is our 10th year. We started with eight boats. Last year, we had 84 boats, Milosevic said.

Milosevic said spring fishing has been late, but he was optimistic about the tournament.

Salmon, healthy salmon are starting to show up. Lake trout are plentiful now. By this weekend, we should see a lot of silver (salmon). Steelhead should turn on any moment.

He is pleased to have many sponsors come forward, helping with the overall expenses. The tournament would not likely have reached this type of success without the sponsors. In particular, he said Tri County Equipment is their biggest supporter.

Milosevic has heard at least one state official will be at the tournament to join volunteers and help out.

State Sen. Mike Green is expected to be there. Hes a sportsman and he likes to help out.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter received pledges -- and only pledges thus far -- from main allies Wednesday in the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS to contribute more to the fight while increasing their own defense spending.

"With your help it will go faster," Carter told the defense ministers of 11 allied nations at the start of a meeting in Stuttgart, Germany. He said additional help will back his plan to "accelerate" the campaign against ISIS but added, "The fight is far from over.

The meeting with representatives of the largest contributors to the 65-member coalition came a day after Navy SEAL Charles Humphrey Keating IV was killed in Iraq during a major ISIS counterattack.

"His mission was to advise and assist the (Kurdish) Peshmerga," Carter said. "That was a dangerous mission that took him into combat and that's where he perished heroically."

The meeting included the defense ministers of Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Spain. The Australian ambassador to Germany represented Australia.

In a joint statement, the ministers and Carter said, "We reaffirmed our strong support to further accelerate and reinforce the success of our partners on the ground and for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term.

"However, we also recognized the vast resource requirements of the stabilization effort and the considerable challenges that remain in funding those requirements," the statement added.

The ministers appeared to leave the specifics of how they would meet those resource requirements to another meeting later this year. In addition to calling on them to boost their contributions to the ISIS campaign, Carter has also been pressing the allies to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic products on defense.

Following the group meeting, Carter met separately with Danish Defense Minister Peter Christensen to thank him for Denmark's recent decision to send an F-16 fighter squadron of seven aircraft for use against ISIS in both Iraq and Syria, a C-130J transport aircraft, and 400 troops to train and support front-line Iraqi forces.

Earlier this week, Norway agreed to send Norwegian special forces troops to Jordan to train vetted Syrian rebels and a medical team to Iraq.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
LEEUWARDEN, Netherlands  A 22-year-old maintenance millwright was eager to join the Massachusetts Air National Guard, but he didn't want to just build upon his mechanical skills. He wanted to make a difference and serve in a unique career field that wasn't found in the civilian world.

While meeting with a recruiter to choose a career field, Donny Masciadrelli looked out onto the flightline at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts. His bright-blue eyes widened as the recruiter pointed out the service members working underneath an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft.

"Those are the weapons guys," the recruiter said as he pointed to the airmen arming the aircraft. "And the ones with the trailers are the munitions workers."

"What's the difference?" Donny asked.

The recruiter explained that the munitions shop assembles the ammunition and delivers them to the aircraft, whereas the weapons personnel inspect and re-inspect the weapons and load them onto the airplane.

His choice was simple.

"Weapons," Donny replied. "I want to work on airplanes!"

Father's Long Military Career

Today, 35 years later and deployed to the Netherlands, Donny looks out on the flightline at Leeuwarden Air Base here, sees his son working as a crew chief on an F-15C Eagle fighter aircraft, and a big smile comes to his face.

After a full career working on A-10 and F-15 aircraft, Air Force Master Sgt. Donny Masciadrelli, now an avionics technician at the 104th Fighter Wing, finds joy in deploying for his final time alongside his son, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Danny Masciadrelli.

Donny will retire from the Massachusetts Air National Guard in 2018 when he turns 60. Looking back on his career, he said, this deployment has been a dream come true. He's been able to see his son in action and feels a sense of accomplishment from the hard work that they have done along with other members from the 104th Fighter Wing, based in Westfield, Massachusetts.

"We're always here for the airplanes and the pilots," Donny said. "That's our job  to make things go."

The 104th came to the Netherlands as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, showing NATO allies the U.S. commitment to security in Europe, building relationships, and increasing interoperability among allied nations.

"We're really here to show them that they know they can count on us to have their backs," Donny said. "That's what it's all about. We're not just working with them and training together, but we're showing them some of our capabilities. It means the world to me to be a part of this, and to share the experience with my son."

In 2001, Danny was eligible for the delayed entry program and decided to enlist during his senior year of high school. In the 15 total years that father and son have both been part of the 104th Fighter Wing, this is their first time deploying together for an F-15 mission. Both Masciadrellis worked on the A-10, until Barnes Air National Guard Base converted to the F-15C/D Eagle in 2007.

Because they work in different career fields, Donny doesn't typically get to see his son doing his job as a crew chief.

"This is the closest we've ever worked together," he said. "I've been able to come out and work in the tool room and actually experience watching him this close."

Pride in Son's Accomplishments

Donny said he has always been proud of his son, but that pride has increased as they've spent time together in the Netherlands. "Every day, I watch him and it just makes me proud," he said. "It brings tears to my eyes."

Like any protective father, Donny used to worry a little when his son would deploy, but through the years, and during this deployment especially, he said, he's seen Danny mature and be a leader.

"I don't worry any more," he added. "He's been stepping up to the plate. Danny's out there showing guys what to do, training them. He's leading; he's not watching."

Both Masciadrellis have the same positive and fun attitude and laugh all the time. Donny has seen his son apply these attributes while working during their joint deployment. "He's pulling the guys with him, like I used to do," Donny said.

Danny's grandfather and great-grandfather worked as maintainers during their civilian careers, which motivated Donny to become a maintainer, too.

"He's the hardest-working guy I know," Danny said about his father. "He's really smart, and he's always taught me a lot. He'd also always have fun. That 'work hard, play hard' mentality  he's always had that."

Over the years, Danny watched his father work hard, whether it was on cars, houses or in the military. Donny's co-workers would often spend time at the Masciadrelli home, and Danny became friends with their kids.

Following in Father's Footsteps

Through their mutual friendships, and the example of hard work set forth by generations of Masciadrelli maintenance men, Danny said, he was inspired to follow in his father's footsteps and join the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

In 2012, both Donny and Danny deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom, but were assigned to different bases. Donny went with the avionics shop to Al Udeid, Qatar, and Danny was sent elsewhere in Southwest Asia.

About a week before Father's Day that year, Danny Skyped with his wife, who was pregnant at the time with their first child. Tears fell down his face as his wife opened the envelope from the doctor, he said, and they learned they were having a boy.

With heightened emotions while being away from home, Danny decided to write his dad a note, thanking him for all he had done throughout the years, and mailed it to Al Udeid. On Father's Day, Danny told his dad over the phone that he would be having a son.

"He's given me a lot to strive for in being a father," Danny said. "My dad is my biggest role model. Hopefully, my boys will look at me the same way that I look at him someday."

Danny has been married for five years and now has two boys. It is tough having two little ones at home, which makes deploying strenuous on his wife, he said.

"My wife and stepmom have been very supportive of both of us being away from home," Danny said. "They understand  especially when they see us going away together and know that at least we get to spend some time as father and son."
Despite Flipping in Surf 4 Times in a Year, Marines Say New ACV Is the Future of Amphibious Warfare

Some Marine veterans familiar with the vehicle and its operations have worried about the reliability of the ACV.
Waminn Group of Companies has settled a dispute with Yangon residents and local politicians after fears were raised that it had blocked a nearby creek with earth.





Residents worried about flooding in the rainy season asked local MPs to inspect the Mayangone township factory and speak with Waminn Group, a local conglomerate with a famous vice president  actor U Lwin Moe. They accused the company of digging up earth to rebuild a factory wall and dumping it into nearby creeks. They had dug out more soil than was necessary, and people were worried about the creek silting up, said U Yan Shin, MP for Mayangone township.

Engineers have since agreed to work under Yangon City Development Committee supervision, said U Yan Shin.

Waminn CEO U Naung Kun Myint Wai said the Thamin creek always overflows in the rainy season. In March, YCDC dredged the stream, creating a slope that weakened the factorys foundations, he said.

Thats why we needed to re-build the wall, so we applied to YCDC and received a permit. We have since negotiated with [all parties]. It was a misunderstanding.
A temporary ban on logging has been proposed to the government and is likely to be approved, according to Myanma Timber Enterprise managing director U Saw John Shwe Ba, though restrictions are not yet in place, as has been widely reported.





Though U Saw John Shwe Ba told The Myanmar Times that a one-year ban on logging is 90 percent sure earlier this week, a senior official at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation and others said logging had not yet been outlawed, with restrictions only an option.

The logging sector in Myanmar faces a host of challenges, from illegal extraction to insufficient official data, and the new government must balance the business interests of stakeholders with environmental concerns.

A September 2015 report by UK-based watchdog the Environmental Investigation Agency said about one-half of Myanmar is blanketed in natural forest  but that its cover is shrinking at a quick clip.

Myanmars forests are in the midst of rapid decline and are increasingly degraded, with natural forest cover declining by 2 percent every year, the report said. [Its] deforestation rates are among some of the highest in the entire region.

The country lost a total of 1.7 million hectares of forest cover from 2001 to 2013, according to the report, which predicts that by 2030 forest loss could hit 30 million hectares.

Exports of raw timber have been outlawed under Myanmar law since 2014. In the fiscal year 2013-14, these exports were worth US$637.5 million according to government figures, although that number is likely to be much higher given the volume of illegal trade, mostly with China and Thailand.

Now, a ban has been floated regarded logging all wood species, according to U Saw John Shwe Ba.





The plan is just for one year for the moment, because the nature of this industry goes year-by-year. But this plan depends on the government and the people, he said.

If they want a long-term ban, they have to do it.

Despite its unofficial status, activists worldwide have applauded Myanmars apparent move toward a logging ban. Environmental organisation Greenpeace tweeted out congratulations on April 29 on the news logging had been prohibited in the countrys forests.

And petition group ForceChange called the countrys choice to outlaw logging worthy of praise, even drafting a letter of commendation for users to sign and send to President U Htin Kyaw.

However, it is not certain that any ban will go into effect.

As far as Im concerned, this is one of the options to be included in the management plan, said timber trade expert U Barber Cho when asked about a potential ban on logging. He said estimates put Myanmars teak stores at 200,000 tonnes and its other hardwood stock at 500,000 tonnes. It will be enough for at least two years for the local consumption, he said.

Meanwhile, some say a ban could create issues for the logging sector, as restrictions could make illegal logging an even bigger problem.

Currently, illegal exports are estimated to make up about three-quarters of Myanmars timber trade, according to Oxford Business Groups Myanmar 2016 report, which also said 10,000 tonnes of illegal timber were seized in the first half of 2015.

Questions remain whether a ban could help save Myanmars forest cover. If we do not have the maximum level of law enforcement, can a logging ban contribute to our conservation objectives? asked U Barber Cho.

Additional reporting by Aung Shin
The third annual &PROUD photo exhibition opens at Myanmar Deitta Gallery on Saturday, May 7 at 4:30pm, with an awards ceremony and a short film screening. It is designed to promote greater understanding of the LGBT+ community and demonstrate its diversity.





The exhibition will combine the works of 12 amateur and professional photographers with a high quality series from elsewhere in Southeast Asia by photographer Vlad Sokhin.

The sole criterion for entries is that they illustrate Myanmars lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBT+) community in a positive light.

An international jury of photographers will preside over the contest, with the best photo story or best single shot receiving a K300,000 prize. The runner-up will receive K150,000 and the best #selfie K100,000.

They will be judged on their photographic quality, creativity, LGBT+ positivity and story.

In addition to the competition, the opening evening will also include the screening of two short films from Vlad Sokhins series, Being Gay in Papua New Guinea.

The series portrays the life of Speedy, a gay resident of Hanuabada village  described as one of the few places in Papua New Guinea where gays and transgenders can live in relative safety as well as the underground queer nightlife in the nearby capital.





Jeeweevan Rooij, the organiser of the exhibition, explained that the event is deliberately scheduled to fall in the same month as IDAHOT (International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, May 17), to underline the fact that Myanmar doesnt have proper gay rights.

Although perceptions towards LGBTs are changing, on a day-to-day basis LGBTs still face prejudices and difficulties. Theres still very little knowledge on what it means to be gay, or about the issues that LGBTs face. Mr van Rooij told The Myanmar Times.

In Yangon, were seeing more young people come out as gay to their families and communities, but the majority are still living in the closet for fear of not being accepted. He said, On top of that, section 377 of Penile Code criminalises unnatural sex, which still includes homosexuality.

&PROUD is an initiative created by Colors Rainbow, YG, and Abadi Art to organise cultural events for and about Myanmars LGBT community, to celebrate LGBT culture, and attempt to bring the community together. They also run the annual four-day long LGBT+ Film Festival at the French Institute.

The exhibition runs from May 7 to May 15 at Myanmar Deitta Gallery (lower block, 44th Street), open daily (except Monday) from 10am to 5pm.
Nationalists are trying to strong-arm the government into making a statement about the use of the term Rohingya, using the threat of a protest as their leverage.





Since taking office, the new government has largely avoided the controversy, shying away from using either the terms Rohingya or Bengali to refer to a persecuted Muslim ethnicity living mainly in Rakhine State. When asked, officials and spokespeople have declined to comment on whether the previous governments policy of using the term Bengali stands.

The issue flared after the US embassy in Yangon released a statement last month expressing condolences for victims of a boat sinking accident who were widely misreported to be mostly Rohingya. Nationalists accused the diplomats of encroaching on state sovereignty by adding to the Union list of 135 officially recognised ethnicities.

After staging an unsanctioned march and protesting at the gates of the US embassy on April 28, the nationalists threatened an even larger column on May 5 unless the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called out the embassy.

Bowing to the pressure, the ministrys deputy director general said the embassy was told to avoid the term Rohingya in the future, following from an order by Foreign Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Now hoping to wield their leverage even further, the nationalists said they will not hold the protest slated for today if the government makes a public statement about the official terminology.

Currently, we are waiting on the governments statement to decide if we are marching, said U Tint Lwin, a senior member of the Peace and Diversity Party, which is closely aligned with nationalist group Ma Ba Tha. If they are solving the matter through diplomacy, then they should release a statement about the outcome.

In the statement, the new government should clarify its stance on the matter of the Rohingya, he said, adding that the protesters are prepared for the long haul, and will camp outside the US embassy if necessary in order to draw out the governments reaction.





We cant be sure whether we will march or camp, or have a moving camp if we launch the protest. But for now we are watching for the statement. It all depends on the government, said U Tint Lwin.

The nationalists April 28 protest, organised by the Myanmar Nationalist Network, was not officially authorised by the township or ward administrator. But police appear to have backtracked from initially saying the organisers would face charges.

We will give them a warning for staging an illegal demonstration, Kamaryut township police officer Major U Zaw Win said. If they continue to do it, we will charge them under the existing laws.

The Peace and Diversity Party was started in 2010 and claims to have 8000 members. Party chair U Nay Myo Wai is currently facing charges under the Electronic Transactions Act for posting alleged hate speech on social media about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Htin Kyaw and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
The immigration minister yesterday confirmed that Chinese residents of Shan State given new identification cards do not count as an additional ethnic group.





In one of his last acts in office, President U Thein Sein ordered new national identity cards for Chinese residents of northern Shan State identifying them as a Bamar group.

But the Mone Wun (Bamar) were not added to Myanmars list of 135 official national races, Union Minister for Labour, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe said, responding to a question in parliament yesterday.

The ministry just allowed them to write their race name as Mone Wun (Bamar) so I would like to reply that there was no official recognition of an ethnic group, the Union minister said.

By the ministrys count, about 60,000 Mone Wun live in the Tarmonye region of Kutkai township and are descended from immigrants from Yunnan province. They speak Chinese and maintain many Chinese customs. Prior to the presidents March 11 order, they were officially identified as Mone Wun (Chinese).

In Depth: On the trail of the Mone Wun

U Sai Thant Zin, the MP from Thibaw/Hsipaw township, Shan State who raised the question, disputed the classification of the Mone Wun as Bamar. He said they do not speak Burmese and their traditions are unique.

U Thein Swe replied that Mone Wun have lived in Tarmoenye for generations and proved loyal to the country. The Mone Wun have organised peoples militias and actively cooperated with the Tatmataw in fighting insurgents, he said. In return, the ministry replaced their old identification cards with the new ones specifying their name.

We asked them to write what they identify themselves as. It doesnt mean an official recognition of ethnicity, he said, adding that government officials cannot decree new ethnicities at will.





Mone Wun have held national registration cards since the 1949 Union of Myanmar Residents Registration Act and were granted national identity cards in 1989. Under various previous administrations their cards have listed them as Chinese Mone Wun, Mone Wun Burma, Mone Wun and Mone Wun + (ethnic).

Translation by Zar Zar Soe
Parliament today is to hear a presidential proposal to establish a new ministry reported to be tailored for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as she takes a further step to consolidate her powers in government.





The one-line agenda item was announced yesterday by the Union parliament, giving no details of what kind of ministry President U Htin Kyaw is intending to create.

U Zaw Htay, deputy director general of the Presidents Office, confirmed a new ministry would be proposed to the hluttaw but he told The Myanmar Times that he could not reveal details out of respect for parliamentary procedure.

Local media reported, without sourcing its information, that the new ministry was being established for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in her position as state counsellor. She also holds the positions of foreign minister and minister for the Presidents Office.

Foreign diplomats, while admitting they were in the dark over the governments plans, expressed concern over the apparent concentration of powers within the hands of one 70-year-old individual surrounded by ministers with little or no experience of politics or government.

With the formation of the government still in flux five weeks after it took office, senior diplomats said they were worried that important policy initiatives were being left on hold.

Already tense relations between the government and military could be further complicated by the reported intention to formalise the position of state counsellor within a ministry.

Brigadier General Maung Maung, speaking for the militarys 25 percent bloc of unelected MPs, last month accused the majority National League for Democracy of democratic bullying during heated parliamentary sessions when the government used its majority to ram through the bill to create the state counsellor position specifically for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.





Military delegates challenged the constitutionality of the powers of state counsellor which the NLD created because the military would not budge over the charter provision that bars its leader from the presidency. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi made clear in an interview on the eve of her partys landslide election win last November that she intended to run the government above the president.

U Htin Kyaws administration initially slashed more than a dozen ministerial posts in what it said were cost-cutting measures. It has also eliminated deputy ministers in all but five ministries, with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi naming U Kyaw Tin, who has long experience in the United Nations, as her deputy in the foreign ministry.

However government ranks have expanded since then. U Tun Win, an agriculture expert who worked for the Myanmar Rice Industry Association, was appointed deputy minister for agriculture, livestock and irrigation on May 2, according to the Presidents Office.

On May 3 the Presidents Office also confirmed the reappointment of three senior military officers as deputy ministers for home affairs, defence and border affairs, which come under the control of the Tatmadaw.
Fear of communal and armed conflict is delaying action against a monks stupa-building spree in religiously diverse Kayin State.





Myaing Kyee Ngu Sayadaw, who attracted controversy when he built a stupa in the compound of the Saint Mark Anglican Church in Hlaingbwe township on April 23, built another one near the same religious building on May 3. He also erected a stupa near a mosque in a Muslim village, despite promises of various government officials to stop him.

Naw Sar Wah, secretary of the Hpa-an Anglican missionary, said nobody was actually preventing the Buddhist monk from building stupas and that the government should take charge.

We will not react to the Buddhist monks actions. We want the government to solve this. We dont want to blame others but we want it to stop, she said.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs said the conflict would take time to address so as not to jeopardise the countrys volatile peace.

If we solved these issues immediately, national reconciliation and the peace process could be affected, because ethnic armed groups are involved on both sides, said Religious Affairs Minister Thura U Aung Ko.

He added that the State Sangha Maha Naryaka Committee thought it better not to rush.





It is not the first time the prominent monk has provoked the ire of local communities. The same sayadaw built a stupa in a Baptist church compound in Hpa-an township last year and enshrined a small Buddha statue in a Muslim residential area.

Organisations like the Karen Human Rights Group have also linked him to the split of the Karen National Union (KNU) in 1994, when disgruntled Buddhists formed their own army  the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).

Kayin State Religious Minister U Min Tin Win said Myaing Kyee Ngu Sayadaw still enjoys the support of the DKBA and that fighting with the KNU could erupt if the issue was not handled carefully.

Our minister for security and border affairs said that the DKBA supports the sayadaw, while the KNU stands with the Christian groups. Therefore, the government is worried how this will affect the peace process, he said.
President U Htin Kyaw and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi are set to leave for their first foreign trip on May 6, when they will be travelling to Laos together.





While Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was not mentioned in the state newspapers announcement of the visit, spokesperson U Zaw Htay confirmed that the state counsellor  who is also the foreign minister  will join the delegation to the landlocked nation.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said that she will be above the president, including during foreign visits. Ill go there. Ill go along with the president, and he can sit beside me, she told The Washington Post last year.

Myanmars first lady, Daw Su Su Lwin, will also travel to Laos to meet President Bounnhang Vorachith and his wife.

Mr Vorachith was selected for his countrys top position by the communist party in January this year. Laos communist party, which gained power in 1975, is known for its repression of the opposition and the press.

Both Myanmar and Laos joined ASEAN in 1997 and this year Laos will chair of the regional body. Laos will host the foreign ministers meeting in July and the ASEAN summit in September.

Opinion: Laos a tough test for Foreign Minister Daw Suu

An ASEAN senior officials meeting will be held in Luang Prabang this weekend, after the one-day visit of the Myanmar delegation.

Ties between Myanmar and Laos warmed last year with the opening of the first friendship bridge linking Tachilek district in Shan State and Laos Long district in Luang Namtha province.
Supervision of jade mining in Hpakant is to be stepped up with regular engineering and pollution checks following a visit to the controversial and deadly wasteland by U Ohn Win, Union minister for natural resources and environment.





U Win Htein, Ministry of Mines director general, told The Myanmar Times that the disposal system will be given air and water pollution checks weekly or monthly.

He said the area, which resembles a desolate lunar landscape, had no systematic system of excavation and that incorrect mining had caused landslides. Random digging of mines  causes landslides, he said.

More than 100 migrant workers scavenging for jade in giant piles of tailings were killed in a single accident last November when one of the heaps collapsed. Locals say that many people have died in similar but smaller accidents since then.

U Win Htein warned that the number of jade scavengers were increasing. He said the ministry wanted tailings to be discarded in old mine workings.

Discussions over the disposal of tailings were continuing with the state government and would not be part of the governments 100-day plan, he said.

However the 100-day plan would include trying to reduce corruption among mining staff and illegal jade trading, he said. The ministry will also ensure that companies are licensed to mine.

Jade bounty is disappearing in front of our eyes: Hpakant MP





Engineers involved in extractive industries expressed scepticism that the government would root out corruption in an industry worth billions of dollars a year, unless senior officials were sacked and powerful companies sanctioned.

U Win Htein said Myanmar wanted collaboration with the World Bank and Japans development agency JICA as well as South Korean and German organisations to help develop its mining sector.

Translation by Emoon
Environmental laws should be strengthened to protect vulnerable coral reefs and other natural resources, tour groups are urging. The need to protect the countrys environment could take on greater importance as more and more visitors, both international and domestic, join eco-tours.





Visitors to Tanintharyi Regions Myeik peninsula swelled over the past year, thanks to the unspoiled beaches and pagodas in Dawei. But the increased interest is taking a toll.

Lounglone Bok Island and Maoungmakang beachare particularly popular with domestic visitors during the water festival, U Htein Win, founder of Dawei Eco Tourism Association, told The Myanmar Times.

The previous Tanintharyi regional government initially allowed tour operators access to Lounglone Bok Island in October 2015. But the damage to the environment has become apparent, he said.

Some visitors took three or four pieces of coral, which should not be touched. We want to see the protection of coral incorporated in environmental protection law, he said.

U Moe Kyaw Thu, an official with the Department of Hotels and Tourism in Maw Taung, Myeik, said coral could be damaged by climate change, diving for sea leeches, dropping anchor and illegal coastal fishing.

It may have been the visitors took dead coral from the beach or were sold as a souvenir, rather than taking it from below the sea. But there is a lack of environmental maintenance in marine tourism, he said.

Restrictions on marine tourism were loosened only last year, when the authorities allowed day trips to some of Myeiks islands, attracting tourists from across the Thai border.





The number of foreign visitors reached 268,757 in 2014 and rose to 331,157 last year, according to the tourism department in Dawei.

Immigration rules require tourists to apply for a permit a week in advance, which is why so few come [to visit]. If they want to improve marine tourism, they should change the rules, said U Htein Win.

The director general of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, U Tint Thwin, said they would take action to protect the coral based on advice from residents and conservationists.

We need recommendations from environmental experts because we dont know how much damage is being caused, he said, as the department lacked specialist knowledge, and no reports were submitted to the department.
All parliamentary business has been pushed to the backburner in Mandalay, while MPs strive to solve land grabbing cases, according to the hluttaw chair.





Mandalay Region hluttaw will take a months hiatus from its usual schedule, and will instead focus solely on addressing land complaints, said chair U Aung Kyaw Oo.

Land problems will be investigated by the respective region hluttaw representative, he said. Hluttaw meetings will be held again during this time if we need to urgently draft or amend laws. If not, then important land complaints will be solved this month.

The National League for Democracy pledged to address long-simmering land grab issues that outlasted the previous governments similar promise to resolve such disputes, many involving military officials. The NLD Central Committee for Farmers Affairs on December 28 urged its offices nationwide to .

Mandalay Region Hluttaw will assign two MPs in charge of field investigation team to probe the cases, the Hluttaw chair said.

In the past, the hluttaw transferred complaints to the regional government. But now, the Hluttaw is trying to directly solve those cases. Some complaints havent been solved by the past hluttaw. But I hope we can finish addressing all complaints, U Aung Kyaw Oo said.

Currently there are about 150 land complaints, including cases involving the military, government offices and civilians, according to the hluttaw chair.

Translation by Khant Lin Oo
Recently there have been some startling warnings about the rise of radical Islam in Indonesia and the threat it poses to the stability of the regions biggest and most important nation.





They detail a few acts by assertive Islamists, such as blocking clerics from other sects from speaking and assaults on unsanctioned churches in Aceh, and then imply that visiting Indonesia would be inadvisable right now.

Frankly, these cautionary reports are not just startling, but bizarre.

They are comparable, say, to recalling the killings five years ago by Anders Breivik in Norway, and the 1986 murder of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, and then urging people not to travel to Scandinavia.

It is ridiculous. In truth, what needs highlighting is the miraculous way that Indonesia is largely free of radical movements and continues to remain harmonious, peaceful and democratic.

Other nations in the region, including Myanmar, which have a unitary land mass and a much smaller population, seem endlessly plagued with the kind of problems that Indonesia routinely deals with on an almost daily basis.

It is indeed a miracle. Indonesias 13,000 islands stretch across more than 5,000 kilometres of ocean and are home to hundreds of ethnic groups speaking different languages and practising different religions.





Even multi-ethnic Myanmar appears almost homogenous in comparison.

As the fourth-most-populous nation in the world, Indonesias 260 million people make up almost half the entire population of ASEAN.

Most of its citizens are Muslim about 87 percent  but more than 25 million are Christian and a sizable number are Hindu or Buddhist.

Somehow they co-exist in relative harmony, which is a feat other ASEAN members, such as Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines, would love to emulate.

As well, Indonesias 34 provinces each have their own legislature and governor, and they exercise a degree of autonomy that the states of Myanmar can only dream about.

There are many more amazing statistics, but what is truly astonishing and that almost defies logic is the fact that Indonesia is a wide-open, multi-party, secular democracy.

Okay, it is not unique in the region, for there is now a limited form of democracy here that is like the disciplined versions in Malaysia and Singapore; but there is none at all in the likes of Brunei, Laos and Vietnam.

Yet Indonesia, despite its size and endless diversity, somehow manages to respect human rights and allow its people a degree of freedom unseen in much of the rest of the region.

So let us view the recent warnings emanating from various partisan think tanks, mostly in the Christian West and in Singapore, in a more measured and relative way.

Of course, there are occasional outbreaks of communal violence, as there are in Brussels, Paris and Mumbai, and there is religious animosity that sometimes flares into open conflict.

But such incidents are infrequent and quickly stamped out. Certainly, Indonesia has seen nothing recently to compare with Meiktila or even the Little India riot in Singapore.

So it is strange that its social stability has not received the recognition it deserves, and even more perplexing that many potential visitors still view it with a measure of trepidation that borders on fear.

When holidaying in London and other Western capitals last month, I was asked which countries in this region are the safest and most interesting to visit.

My answer was always Indonesia. After all, there is no scenery anywhere in Southeast Asia that cannot be found there, and nothing that can be done in Hanoi or Mandalay that cannot be done in Bali or Makassar.

Most of all, however, there is the fact that Indonesians, men and women, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Hindus, can all speak, travel, pray and vote freely.

And no ones citizenship is questioned because their ancestors arrived unannounced from Mesopotamia or Mughal India or the Netherlands.

So please dismiss any absurd trepidation and forget the fear of radical mullahs and their ilk.

Of course, as elsewhere, there is a tide in the religious fervour of Indonesians, and there is currently an upsurge in the assertion of Islamic values by some hardline groups.

One of them is the Islamic Defenders Front, whose leaders I interviewed 15 years ago, and who periodically raise their profile by blockading a nightclub or agitating against a sultry songstress.

Like Lonesome Rhodes, they have the courage of their ignorance, but their pantomime acts elicit little public support and almost none in elections.

Still, the headlines they generate can foster a perception among outsiders that Indonesian Muslims are becoming less tolerant of religious minorities and allegedly lascivious behaviour.

And there is some truth to this, for it is part of the democratisation process that has re-established itself across the nation and which allows Islamists, and all other citizens, the right to speak out and protest.

It is only when they cross the line and attack members of other faiths that real trouble arises, and fortunately that happens infrequently.

According to the Wahid Institute, an Islamic research centre in Jakarta, there were only 190 violations against freedom of religion in the whole of Indonesia last year.

The most serious were the burning down of several unlicensed churches in the fervently Islamic province of Aceh, and the harassment of the minority Ahmadiyah and Gafatar religious sects.

Of course, these acts must be condemned and the perpetrators punished. But they hardly compare to the razing of Rakhine villages, the bombing of Bangkoks Erawan Shrine, or the serial machete murders in Dhaka.

So instead of harping on about these rare incidents as if they indicate the rise of a revolutionary caliphate, we should celebrate the Indonesian miracle and hope that it might be emulated across the region.
[May 05, 2016] NAIC Warns Consumers About Costly Cybersecurity Breaches

KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2015 alone, there were 781 U.S. data breaches affecting more than 150 million records.1 As cyberattacks become more widespread, John M. Huff, President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), advises consumers to act now to learn how to protect themselves from inevitable data breaches. "With millions of data records stolen each day, cybersecurity is more important now than ever," said Huff, who also serves as the Missouri Insurance Director. "It's imperative consumers learn their options for defending themselves against growing cybersecurity threats." Secure data can be compromised through physical theft and accidental access via email; however, hacking is the most common method for stealing data. More than one-third of all data breaches were due to hacking in 2015, an 8.4 percent jump over 2014. The business sector suffered the most attacks in 2015, followed by the health/medical field and banking/financial institutions. Insure U offers a cybersecurity risk management consumer alert about how to safeguard against cyberattacks and what to do in the event of a breach. In addition, the following tips can help consumers get educated and protect themselves: Keep your information safe online: Protecting personal information online means maintaining strict privacy settings on computers, devices and browsers including complex password. Sharing personal information on social media should be weighed and considered as it could increase vulnerability. The more hackers know about a person, the easier it is for them to build data profiles to target individuals.

Protecting personal information online means maintaining strict privacy settings on computers, devices and browsers including complex password. Sharing personal information on social media should be weighed and considered as it could increase vulnerability. The more hackers know about a person, the easier it is for them to build data profiles to target individuals. Understand policy terms: Banks and credit card companies typically offer fraud protection, so take time to learn the policy terms. Identity theft victims may be eligible for free security freeze services as provided by each state's security freeze law. And, consumers who keep money in investment accounts should ask their advisors about protection in the event of a security breach.

Banks and credit card companies typically offer fraud protection, so take time to learn the policy terms. Identity theft victims may be eligible for free security freeze services as provided by each state's security freeze law. And, consumers who keep money in investment accounts should ask their advisors about protection in the event of a security breach. Learn the options: Small business executives who rely upon mobile devices and personal computers to access financial data or other sensitive information may need more coverage. These business owners should talk to their insurance agents to understand options.

Small business executives who rely upon mobile devices and personal computers to access financial data or other sensitive information may need more coverage. These business owners should talk to their insurance agents to understand options. Weigh costs against risks: Some homeowners' and auto policies now offer identity theft protection, including access to credit monitoring and repair services in the event of a breach. This coverage may not refund what was lost, but instead cover the costs associated with restoring a person's identity.

Some homeowners' and auto policies now offer identity theft protection, including access to credit monitoring and repair services in the event of a breach. This coverage may not refund what was lost, but instead cover the costs associated with restoring a person's identity. Reconsider fancy features: Technological advances in vehicles means new risks to personal data and safety. Before buying that fancy new car, consumers should understand the technology features and how accidents caused by technology malfunctions are covered.

Technological advances in vehicles means new risks to personal data and safety. Before buying that fancy new car, consumers should understand the technology features and how accidents caused by technology malfunctions are covered. Be proactive: With personal health records now commonly stored electronically, sensitive patient information is a frequent target of cyberattacks. If health records (or any other related data) are stolen from an insurance provider, consumers should carefully read recommendations from the provider and closely review financial statements.



Roadmap for Cybersecurity Consumer Protections to help consumers understand what to expect from insurers. For more tips and information to help consumers protect themselves from data breaches and other technological intrusions, visit InsureUonline.org/cybersecurity. Consumers interested in insurance information specific to where they live can contact their state insurance commissioner.

Sources

1 Identity Theft Resource Center ABOUT NAIC

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization created and governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Through the NAIC, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer review and coordinate their regulatory oversight. NAIC staff supports these efforts and represents the collective views of state regulators domestically and internationally. NAIC members, together with the central resources of the NAIC, form the national system of state-based insurance regulation in the U.S. For more information, visit www.naic.org. Logo- http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120814/CG56783LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/naic-warns-consumers-about-costly-cybersecurity-breaches-300263073.html SOURCE National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)

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BAE Systems Awarded $29 Million Maintenance Contract for USS Gettysburg

BAE Systems (News - Alert) has received a $29.4 million competitively awarded contract from the U.S. Navy to maintain the USS Gettysburg (CG 64), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser. The contract includes options that if exercised would raise the total value to $31.8 million.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505006028/en/

BAE Systems will perform repai, maintenance, and modernization work aboard the 567-foot-long USS Gettysburg (CG 64) under a new U.S. Navy contract. (Photo: U.S. Navy)





The special selected restricted availability of the Gettysburg will begin in June and be completed in December. BAE Systems' Norfolk, Virginia shipyard will perform the repair, maintenance, and modernization work aboard the 567-foot-long ship. The Gettysburg is equipped with the Aegis Combat System, which provides air defense for aircraft carrier battle groups. The ship was commissioned in 1991.

"We have a very successful history of working on the Navy's fleet of Aegis cruisers," said Dave Thomas, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems' Norfolk shipyard. "This maintenance availability will prepare the Gettysburg for more extensive modernization later."

BAE Systems is a leading provider of ship repair, maintenance, modernization, conversion, and overhaul for the Navy, other government agencies, and select commercial customers. The company operates seven full-service shipyards in Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, and Virginia, and offers a highly skilled, experienced workforce, eight dry docks, and significant pier space and ship support services. The company also has commercial shipbuilding and module fabrication capabilities at its Mobile, Alabama, and Jacksonville, Florida, shipyards.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505006028/en/
Several manufacturers have been affected by the blanket ban on diesel vehicles in Delhi as well.

Cash registers have been ringing for the Indian auto industry, with most manufacturers recording growth in sales for the month of April. Admittedly, it has been a rough couple of months for the sector as a whole, especially since the 2016 Union Budget had nothing in it to promote sales. Several manufacturers have been affected by the blanket ban on diesel vehicles in Delhi as well.

Call it increase in spending capacity of the junta or lucrative pricing on the manufacturers part, the passenger vehicle sales for the first month of the fiscal year showed positive movement by 11 per cent, at around 2.47 lakh units. Driven by the sales volumes of the top manufactures, the industry would be hoping for this growth to set the tone for the rest of the financial year.

Maruti Suzuki

Boosted by the sales of the new compact SUV Vitara Brezza and the hot-selling hatch Baleno, Indias largest car manufacturer registered a growth of around 16 percent to 1,17,045 units. Experiencing an increased demand across all segments, a slight slack for Manesar-carmaker appeared in the small car space, with both Alto and WagonR falling by almost 10 percent.

Hyundai

The Korean automaker carried forward its volumes from the previous financial year into April as well. It recorded sales of 42,351 units last month, at a y-o-y growth of 9.7 percent. Senior vice-president for sales and marketing Rakesh Srivastava cited strong demand for Creta, Elite i20 and Grand i10 models for the performance.

Mahindra & Mahindra

The domestic car major posted 16 percent rise at 22,655 vehicles. While the company expects to maintain its growth momentum, concerns remain on the ban of large diesel vehicles in the National Capital Region.

Renault

The French carmaker has become a household name in India of late. It replicated the success of the Duster SUV from earlier this decade with the small car Kwid in the previous financial year. Powered by the latter, it registered a mindboggling 200 percent-plus y-o-y growth in April 2016 at 12,426 units.

Others

Indian carmaker Tata Motors' passenger vehicle sales rose 7.9 percent in April 2016 to 11,161 unit from 10,341 units reported for April 2015. Elsewhere, Honda was among the few car majors in India to record a downward spike last month. At 10,486 units, its sales fell by 17 per cent.

Its been a good start to the new fiscal year for Indias carmakers. Do let us know your thoughts on this positive consumer sentiment in the comments section below.

Source: CarDekho.com
The Voting Period for the innovative audition-free music contest started on Sunday, May 1st and will end on May 12 th , 2016 after which the judges shall decide on the ultimate winner at the national grand finale on May 13 th at the National Theatre, Accra;

, 2016 after which the judges shall decide on the ultimate winner at the national grand finale on May 13 at the National Theatre, Accra; Winner of Airtel TRACE Music Star walks away with GHC 50,000 and will represent Ghana at the Pan African finals

Airtel Ghana and TRACE have announced the opening of Airtel Trace Music Star Competition voting period following the selection of the top 5 contestants from over 200,000 entries;

Accra, 4th May  Airtel Ghana and TRACE have announced the opening of the voting lines for the mobile phone based music talent search competition, Airtel TRACE Music Star. The voting lines, which opened on 1st May 2016 allows friends, families and supporters to vote for their preferred contestants with the overall national winner walking away with GHC 50,000 and a trip to Nigeria to compete in the Pan African grand finale.

The Top five contestants, who have each been given a unique code through which their supporters can vote for them, are Moses Ugheighele (MOS), Ama Yeboah (AMA), Sedem Afaglo (SED), Fathia Gyimah (FAT) and Harry Gantuah (HAR). Airtel customers can vote for their favourite contestants by simply sending their unique code to 533 and increase their chance of winning the coveted competition.

Speaking to the voting process, Cornelius Kakrabah, Head of Brands and Marketing Communications said, We are now in the final stage of the most exciting music talent search and competition in Africa  Airtel TRACE Music Star. This is the stage where Ghanaians can power their favourite contestants into stardom by voting for them via the short code 533. As part of the process to outdoor the contestants and to make it easier for Ghanaians to vote for their favourite contestants, they will be granted some promotional interviews on various media platforms.

He continued  Airtel TRACE Music Star has truly lived up to the bill as the most popular and exciting music talent search with over 200,000 entries recorded over a two months period. We want to encourage Ghanaians to actively participate in the voting process to select the best candidate to present Ghana. We also want to invite all and sundry to join us on 13th May 2016 at the National Theatre for the grand finale.

Judges of Airtel TRACE Music Star finale includes Grand papa Reggie Rockstone, super diva songstress and songwriter Becca and Radio personality Sammy Forson.

Airtel Trace Music Star is a breakthrough music competition which has simplified the otherwise tedious auditioning processes that typifies most music competitions. Season 2 of Airtel TRACE Music Star has been a huge success, with over 200,000 entries it is obvious that Ghanaians have truly embraced this innovative, stress free talent search that enables budding music talents to simply call, sing and stand the chance to become a star.

About Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 353 millioncustomers across its operations at the end of January 2016. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com

About Airtel in Africa

Airtel is driven by the vision of providing affordable and innovative mobile services to all. Airtel has 17 operations in Africa: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Airtel International is a Bharti Airtel company. For more information, please visit www.airtel.com, or like the Airtel Ghana Facebook page via www.facebook.com/airtelgh or follow us on Twitter via the handle @airtelghana.
05.05.2016 LISTEN

Born to the Ibezims family in Owerri, Imo State, Onyekachi Ibezim had a humble beginning. He is an erudite scholar, a local and international business practitioner, an experienced politician, grassroots mobilizer and a relentless crusader of justice.

Kachi, as he is fondly called, is a rare and radiant gem in his own right. Intelligent, enterprising and generous, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Kajotech Consulting Limited- a Nigeria-based consultancy outfit; a philanthropist, bridge-builder and the leader of Ibezim Political Associates (IPA). But, like all other gems, Ibezim sparkles from reflected light. His radiance, alluring as it is, originates from a decent, but humble home training. He is an ardent promoter of social and moral values.

Onyekachi is an unrepentant, but loyal member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He is a former Chairman of the GRA Ward, Owerri, where he served diligently. For twelve (12) years as a PDP member, he has remained committed to the ideals of the Party. For him, the supremacy of the Party is non-negotiable.

With a Masters Degree (M.A) in Conflict Resolution and diplomacy (International Relations) and Bachelors Degree in International Relations, both from Imo State University, Owerri, Ibezim has very rich credentials, with an excellent blend of essential leadership qualities and high personal standards. He has an exciting career and leadership experience, backed with self- discipline and transparency. He has held leadership and administrative positions in core private and public institutions.

While in the Deputy Governors office, Ibezim performed Administrative, Protocol, Public Relations and Human Resources functions. His exit created a gap that took a long time to fill.

As Supervisor for Health, Mbaitoli Local Government Council, he left lasting legacies which are reference points till date.

A good listener, an eloquent and charismatic orator, he is a community leader, peace advocate and above all, a God fearing man. As a renowned philanthropist, Onyekachi and his soul mate, Joy Ibezim are on the board of Kajotech Foundation, a non-profit organization involved in youth development and empowerment programmes. Their central focus is education support through scholarship, capacity building and youth empowerment.

He has volunteered to serve the PDP in Owerri Municipal with the vision of taking the Party to the promised land. With him as Chairman, our great Party will be greater in Owerri Municipality. May this special blessing not elude PDP! For greater PDP, IBEZIM is the answer.

Destiny Ugorji
05.05.2016 LISTEN

One of the major reasons why former President Olusegun Obasanjo distanced himself from the Peoples Democratic Party was that it made Senator Buruji Kashamu its National Vice Chairman, South-West. Kashamu is believed to be a fugitive wanted for drug peddling and other criminal offences overseas. In Enugu State, something close to it is in the offing.

A lawyer friend said something that kept me thinking. Rhetorically, he asked: where is the opposition in Enugu State? Is it the APC where that ex-lawyer is chairing? Is he not on the payroll of the incumbent governor? Is it the same Party that has a joker as permanent governorship candidate-Ideke? When I asked who he was referring to as ex-lawyer, he retorted- Ben Nwoye of course. He was debarred in the U.S. He is a wanted man, a fugitive. Thereafter, I began my investigations and realized that the situation is actually of a greater magnitude.

From one controversy to another, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State appears to be at crossroads. The situation gets from bad to worse daily, with no end in sight, as the national leadership appears not interested.

From one financial scandal to another; from allegations and counter allegations of misappropriation of funds, to issues of credibility and criminal records against the leadership of the Party in the state, especially, the Chairman, Ben Nwoye and the Governorship candidate in the 2015 elections, Okey Ezea (Ideke).

The entire controversy appears to be centered on the duo of Ben Nwoye and Okey Ezea, whose continued stay as leaders of the party has further reduced its acceptance level, considering what many see as their dirty records. The call for change in leadership really did not start today, but what have the authorities done, or is it about having long legs?

In a letter dated 29th April, 2015, a stakeholder-organisation, the Enugu APC Integrity Group petitioned the then President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, raising issues, ranging from misappropriation of funds to betrayal of trust and other integrity issues.

The 15-point petition, signed by the groups Coordinator, Kingsley Eze and Secretary, Victoria Ani, also made a 5-point recommendation to the President. The Petition reads in part:

We have observed with total dismay, the indescribable and irresponsible manner in which the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in the state has been piloting the affairs of the party, a situation that was responsible for the abysmal performance of the partys candidates in the state during the last general elections. Permit us to say that the Party is unfortunate to have Chief Okey Ezea and his partner in crime, Mr. Ben Nwoye as leaders in the state, as they have become sources of embarrassment to the Party. They have neither shown any credible leadership nor shown any transparency in their conduct as leaders.

We are also worried that Ben Nwoyes record in the United States of America, where he lived and practiced will soon be a source of embarrassment to the Party in the State and beyond. For instance, as a lawyer in the United States, he was barred for corruption, indiscipline and immoral conducts.Is this the kind of Minister you would have in your cabinet or the kind of Chairman, Enugu APC will continue to have? Opposition parties members are watching and we must not allow the Party to be an object of caricature. A visit to the link below could be a guide: (M.R.25750): http//www.state.il.us/court/SupremeCourt/Announce/2013/031513.pdf.

Similarly, in a two-page Petition dated 17th February, 2015, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Committee, Osita Okechukwu sent a Save our Soul message to the National Chairman of the Party, alleging that the partys leadership and candidates for elections in Enugu were formed via consensus.

However, immediately funds trickled in, the Chairman and some stakeholders formed a clique; that today, the chairman, in cohorts with the governorship candidate, is working at cross purposes with the secretary, deputy chairman, two vice chairmen, women leader and a host of state and local party officials who are silently grumbling.

the unfortunate outcome is low morale of members resulting from less than transparent management of funds.

As of date, only N2.5m has been given to the Presidential Campaign Committee, of which all stakeholders are members, out of N150m which came from national coffers; making the committee incapacitated to even place posters or jingles when our vice presidential candidate visited on Monday, 16th February, 2015. In fact, it was the national that paid for local press.

In another development, a letter dated 24th November, 2015, addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir Lawal, complained over nomination for appointments into boards and parastatals of the Federal Government and the highhandedness of the Chairman.

The Petition, signed by the Deputy Chairman of the Party in the State, Comrade A.C. Ude, Deputy Governorship candidate in the 2015 election, Barrister Juliet Ibekaku, State Secretary, General Chris Eze (Rtd), State women leader, Lolo Queen Nwankwo, Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Kate Offor and five others, accused the state chairman of nepotism and disobedience to the guidelines for such nominations, as prescribed by the national leadership of the Party.

Pursuant to the guidelines of our great party of October 26th 2015, wherein you requested nominees from Enugu State for appointment into Federal Boards and Parastatals, kindly note that contrary to your guidelines, our state chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye flouted all the guidelines, didnt in spite of advice from Stakeholders, hold any State Executive Committee, State working Committee or Stakeholders meeting for the purposes of the nominations.

Sir, our understanding of the intendment of the guidelines is that 50 names are large enough for our imperial chairman to convene an open and transparent compilation meeting, so that we can reward those who worked hard for the party. Unfortunately, rather than rewarding hard work, our Party chairman and the South East zonal Chairman, Chief Emma Eneukwu secretly compiled a skewed crony list. The outcome is a list made up of those who sabotaged our great party, those who embezzled campaign funds and non-members of our great party.

The petition also accused them of deliberately excluding members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and President Buharis Presidential Campaign Organisation, Enugu State chapter.

More so, on the 6th of January, 2016, the Enugu State Deputy Chairman of the APC, A.C. Ude petitioned the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, itemizing massive diversion of funds by the Ben Nwoye-led Administration. The issues; Mr. Nwoye, who is also accused of anti-party activities has refused to address, till date.

Investigations revealed that Mr. Nwoye was indeed, disbarred by the Illinois Supreme Court, Chicago, United States in 2013. Ideally, by that decision, which was not challenged, he remains debarred and may not have been qualified ab initio to head the Party at any level.

Again, there is nothing to suggest that the funds that have entered the coffers of the Party in the state under his administration were judiciously used. No financial records are available anywhere. Funds were not available for the members to work during the elections, but monies were released to the State, where are all the monies?

In addition, the same party members that practically killed a lion with bare hands are about being denied their reward for hard work. Haba! Monkey dey work, Baboon dey chop!

Meanwhile, there is no evidence to suggest that Federal Board membership slots were sold, as alleged. However, the list of 50 persons from Enugu State for appointment into Federal Boards submitted by Ben Nwoye contained names of persons who are known members of the Peoples Democratic Party and relatives of Ben Nwoye. For instance, Senator Fidelis Okoro was until recently, a member of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, courtesy of the PDP.

Not even the Deputy Governorship candidate of the Party in the 2015 polls, Barrister Juliet Ibekaku, whose entry into the race enhanced the fortunes of the Party in the state, was considered for a Board appointment. In fact, she was the face of the party during the polls. Senatorial candidates, House of Representatives candidates, Local Government chairmen and other important stakeholders were all left out. Friends and relatives of the leadership, who were not part of the partys activities all the while, had their names listed. This is most unfair!

But, what has the national leadership of the party done in the midst of all these anomalies, especially, as the Party in the state is at the verge of collapse? Members are beginning to see the APC family in the state as synonymous with injustice, while others accuse it of condoning fraud.

The least, one expects from the Partys national leadership and indeed, the President is to direct the partys leadership in the State to step aside, set up an independent committee to investigate all the issues raised and submit a detailed report within a specified time.

First, there is need for an audit of all the funds received by the Party towards the 2015 general elections and how they were expended.

Also, the list submitted for consideration for appointment into Federal Boards and parastatals should be screened/reviewed, to ensure that justice is done to all stakeholders.

In practical terms, it is a case of the Chairman and gubernatorial candidate on one minority side and other members of the state Executive Committee, stakeholders and majority of other party members on the other side. It is no doubt, a case of declaration of no confidence.

Given the obvious loss of confidence in the present leadership of the party in the state, coupled with the several allegations of misappropriation of funds, criminal indictment and several other issues inimical to the partys stability and growth, it only makes sense to dissolve the partys entire leadership structure, conduct fresh Congresses to allow a new set of State, Local Government and Ward executives emerge.

Until this is done, the Party will remain a subject of caricature in the state and beyond; or is anyone trading with the PDP in the State to keep the party perpetually immobile?

Everyone cant be wrong at the same time. Even at that, democracy is tyranny of the majority. Let the majority have their way! The Party is bigger than any single individual or clique, no matter how connected or highly placed.

Let credible and transparent leadership be entrenched in Enugu APC!

Destiny Ugorji
Lawyer Egbert Faibille Jnr. has explained there is nothing wrong with obtaining an out-of-court settlement for a politician accused of assaulting a Member of Parliament (MP).

The lawyer who is counsel for New Patriotic Party (NPP) regional chairman, Mr. Bernard Antwi Bosiako explained that an out-of-court settlement he secured for his client does not mean the law has been stopped from taking its full course.

A magistrate court in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, granted Mr. Bosiako bail to the sum of 20,000 with two sureties.

Mr. Bosiako allegedly assaulted Manhyia North MP, Collins Owusu Amankwah last Sunday. But the lawyer told the court the incident is a family matter.

Sections of the public are calling for Chairman Wontumi to be punished. The NPP regional Chairman's bail and subsequent out-of-court settlement have also been interpreted as preferential treatment for a politician. It has been suggested that the possibility of punishment for Chairman Wontumi has been removed.

But Egbert Faibille has dismissed these suggestions. He said the law is also interested in promoting reconciliation and not retribution.

The reconciliation option is also part of the rule of law, he explained, noting that the NPP's brand as a promoter of a rule of law has not been damaged by the out-of-court settlement.

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There are no double standards. There is a single standard, which is the law of Ghana and the law of Ghana promotes reconciliation he said.

He said Mr. Bosiako's supposedly gentle treatment by the law was not because he is a politician.

The charge sheet does not indicate that Mr. Bernard Antwi Bosiako is a politician, he said. The law only recognizes Wontumi as a private citizen, he noted.

He also said the withdrawal of the complaint by the MP is also not an abuse of his rights. A man's rights is not enhanced by exacting punishment, he suggested.

We should not reduce peoples' rights under the law to an equalization conundrum, the lawyer said.

His client was entitled to bail by the nature of his offence stated as a misdemeanor under the law and out of court settlement is an option available to persons if the law so permits.

We should not be emotional about some of these things, he dismissed suggestions of double standards.

-myjoyonline


Wife of the Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo has urged Ghanaians not to limit their desire for change in government come November 7th, to hope; but rather actively join in spreading the message of the need for change, to all corners of the country.

According to Aunty Becky, as she is affectionately called, effects of the country's current economic hardship have not been selective to only members, and supporters of the NPP. The effect of the unbearably high utility bills, the high transport fares, high medical cost and school fees, and high unemployment rate are not being felt by only members of the NPP. Everybody; whether NDC, CPP, PNC, or even Independent, is feeling it. The suffering is everywhere and if we want to end it, then we must all work together for change, by voting for Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP, come November 7th, she stated.

Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo made these comments when she joined hundreds of people led by the Professional Women for Change, and the Change Crusaders, in a morning walk along some streets of Accra, to galvanize support for the NPP and its Flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Accompanied by some leading members of the NPP, the walk dubbed Walk for Change, saw the group walk from the Osu Salem School Park, through the Oxford Street, Danquah Circle, the Ghana Police Headquarters, and Nima Police Station and ended at the NPP Headquarters in Asylum Down.

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They made various stops along their route, to interact with pedestrians, traders, and commercial drivers among others, listening to their concerns. Most of the traders along the Oxford Street complained of poor sales. They said the Oxford Street which was once noted for heavy traffic and high patronage of goods on weekends, was now a shadow of its past. Sales are poor, yet cost of living continues to rise by the day. Nana Akufo-Addo, please, come and save us they cried.

Assuring them of better days when the NPP wins the November 7 elections, Mrs. Akufo-Addo said her husband, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is determined to work to fulfill his promise to the people of Ghana, of building a prosperous nation with free quality education, quality health care, buoyant agricultural and manufacturing sectors, and huge job opportunities.

Leaders of the two organizing groups, Maame Yaa Aboagye (Professional Women for Change) and Ezekiel Obeng Agyekum (Change Crusaders), said they decided to organize the walk to sensitize Ghanaians on the need for all to take part in working to ensure that victory for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP on November 7th, is a patriotic national agendum.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako has been granted bail after he was detained overnight by the Police.

The Asokwa District Magistrate court granted him bail in the sum of 20,000cedis with two sureties. One of the sureties should have a landed property or deposit an amount of 10,000cedis. The judge Owusu Korkor adjourned proceedings to June 1, 2016.

Egbert Faibille Jnr acting as counsel for embattled NPP leader commonly known as 'Chairman Wontumi', had asked for a two-week period to settle out of court a case of assault.

He says the alleged assault by the NPP regional chairman against an MP is a family matter. It can be resolved in the interest of the opposition NPP, he noted.

Mr Antwi-Boasiako allegedly slapped MP for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwah, and constituency secretary Felix Ibrahim at a polling center during a during the limited voter registration exercise, Sunday.

Mr Boasiako reported at the Central Police Station in Kumasi, Tuesday after being declared wanted. Some supporters of the NPP besieged the Central Police Station to protest his detention hours after he reported.

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They considered it a simple assault, which should be handled by party executives and not the police.

Chairman Wontumi was hailed by party supporters as he entered court for the start of proceedings Wednesday. Party supporters, some of whom had camped at the Central Police Station, were loudly chanting while proceedings were ongoing.

Inside the packed court, Chairman Wontumi was buoyant and was seen occasionally winking at party leaders who were keen to secure his release.

The chamber was heated as power supply had been cut, leaving everybody inside the court sweating, Luv FM's Erastus Asare Donkor reported.

During the tense proceedings, lawyer Egbert Faibille Jnr suggested that the continued detention of the party chairman would distract the NPP from monitoring the on-going limited voters' registration exercise, the lawyer suggested.

Mr Boasiako who is also known as Chairman Wontumi has been charged with assaulting a public officer.

 Myjoyonline


The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the National Peace Council and the Ghana Christians Council have been lackadaisical in their move to condemn New Patriotic Party (NPP) vice presidential candidate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumias religiously bias comment.

Also, they are surprised that the NPP flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has still not come out to condemn the divisive comment of his running mate.

Speaking on Joy News' Majority Caucus political program, host, Ali Dawud, a legal practitioner, said the two Councils have been too quiet for my liking, I dont know what they are waiting for.

Ali Dawud, who is also a member of the governing partys communication team added that the statement ought to be condemned without any hesitation.

A panelist on the show, Prince Kassim Alubankudi, also a member of the communication team of the NDC said, they [the two Councils] must ask him [Bawumia] to retract and apologize to the good people of Ghana. They are quick to ask other people to retract and apologize for trying to divide this country into ethnic lines.

The host and panelist expressed surprise in the swiftness the two Councils condemned former Transport Minister, Madam Dzifa Attivors very innocuous statement.

Mr. Dawud said if Bawumias strategy is to say that the NPP have a Muslim running mate then it may not work because Ghana has already witnessed a vice-president in the late Aliu Mahama.

Whatever Bawumia wants to bring on board, we have been served that bitter pill in the past. I remember the embarrassment meted out to Aliu Mahama when he drove all the way from the Castle, leaving important state function, came to the NPP headquarters to be vetted only to meet an empty vetting room, Dawud said.

He warned this is the treatment the NPP sees fit to a vice president and not a running mate.

He said Bawumia fails to learn from history and questioned the logic behind saying Muslims must be considered for office merely based on their religion.

If the argument is that, I am a Muslim running mate so vote for me then it presupposes that Muslims are unmeritorious of any position except for their religious persuasion. As a Muslim I find that unfortunate and very offensive Mr. Dawud said.

He also questioned if Dr. Bawumia's suggesting that where a Christian parliamentary candidate is running against a Muslim, the people should ignore the NPP candidate and vote for the Muslim regardless of his/her party.

Aspiring parliamentarian for Ablekuma, Alhaji Halidu Haruna, also questions the NPPs love for Muslim when they keep challenging their registration in the ongoing Limited Biometric Registration exercise calling them foreigners.

The Zamarima in my area are referred to as non-Ghanaians meanwhile, there is Fusseini Maiga, a former chairman of the Nasara Club of the NPP, who is a Zabarima, said Alhaji Haruna.

The NDC Communicators said they are not surprised by the NPPs picking and choosing who they want to associate with when it is convenient for them.

The host recounted, the time the NPP went to congress in 2007 in Legon and Aliu Mahama was the most qualified, highest ranking NPP leader and longest serving vice president, but he was not elected.

"If the NPP wanted a Muslim, why did they not vote for him then, " one of the panelists said.

The panel called the idea by Bawumia for Muslims to play second fiddle to anyone ridiculous, laughable and dangerous. They took offense with his idea which they say limits Muslims.

M. Dawud said, "Muslims are very discerning and I think they know better, you just don't bring tokenism within the Islamic community and think that you can get away with it. People can read in between the line. Muslims want economic policies alternatives, sound debate based on which they will make an informed decision and choices subsequently. Merely calling yourself Muslim without really believing in the tenets of Islam is not eh way to go."

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim | Email: [email protected]
Port Sudan (Sudan) (AFP) - Dockers began unloading tens of thousands of tonnes of food from a US aid ship on Thursday destined for war-torn areas of Sudan, an AFP correspondent reported.

The bulk carrier Liberty Grace docked in Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast with a cargo of 40,500 tonnes of sorghum, a staple food in Sudan.

Dozens of stevedores were unloading the shipment onto waiting trucks.

"It will take 14 days to unload" the entire shipment, said the ship's captain Peter Matesic. It was his third trip to Sudan with a cargo of food aid.

A member of the crew said the vessel took 25 days to reach Port Sudan from Houston, Texas.

The food aid organised by the US Agency for International Development and the World Food Programme was to be delivered to several war-torn areas of Sudan but mainly to Darfur.

A brutal conflict erupted in the western region in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels rose up against the Arab-dominated government of President Omar al-Bashir.

Some 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict and more than 2.5 million been displaced, according to the United Nations.

Since 2011, when South Sudan became independent, Khartoum has also been battling insurgencies in two areas on the border -- Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.
The company had pleaded guilty to seven felonies relating to the manufacture and distribution of certain adulterated drugs made at units in India.

New Delhi: In a major setback for erstwhile promoters of Ranbaxy Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh, an arbitration tribunal in Singapore has asked them to pay Rs 2,562 crore in damages to Daiichi for concealing and misrepresenting information while selling their stake to the Japanese firm.

In 2008, the Singh brothers had sold their entire stake of about 35 per cent in Ranbaxy for $ 2.4 billion to Daiichi Sankyo. The Japanese pharma major had also spent Rs 22,000 crore to gain a majority stake in Ranbaxy.

While Mr Malvinder Singh is currently heads Fortis Healthcare, his brother Shivinder has stepped down from the executive role in the group to join sect Radha Soami Satsang Beas. In 2013, Daiichi had alleged that former shareholders of the company had hidden information about US regulatory probes into Ranbaxy and filed an arbitration in Singapore.

In 2013 Ranbaxy, under Daiichi, was forced to pay $500 million to reach a settlement with the US justice department on accusations that it faked test results to get approval from the US FDA for its products. The company had pleaded guilty to seven felonies relating to the manufacture and distribution of certain adulterated drugs made at units in India. It agreed to pay the money to settle criminal and legal suits.

The arbitration tribunal has issued an award by a majority of 2:1 in favour of the claimant for damages of an amount of Rs 2,562.78 crore, RHC Holding said.

RHC Holding is among the sellers of shares of Ranbaxy, which have been named as respondents in the arbitration suit by Daiichi. RHC said it is exploring further legal options.
Nairobi, Kenya, May 5th, 2016  Bharti Airtel, a leading telecommunications services provider with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, today announced the appointment of Anwar Soussa, as the Managing Director of Airtel Uganda, with effect from 1st June 2016. Mr Soussa was the Managing Director for Airtel Chad since 1st May 2015.

Commenting on the appointment, Airtel Africas Executive Chairman, Mr. Christian de Faria said: I am confident that under Anwars leadership, Uganda will continue to consolidate its position whilst providing the best in class services to Airtels customers in Uganda. Anwar will focus on strengthening our external stakeholder relations, consolidating commercial capabilities and help build a superior network.

As the new Managing Director in Uganda, Anwar Soussa is expected to provide further impetus to Airtels mobile commerce services while ensuring availability of the fast growing data network and providing winning customer service support.

Anwar takes over from Tom Gutjhar, who will be leaving the business at the end of May 2016 to pursue other opportunities. The New Managing Director for Chad will be announced in due course.

Anwar has had a long stint in the telecommunication industry in Africa. He joined Airtel from MTN Cyprus where he served as the Chief Operating Officer. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the American College of Greece and a Master of Science degree in Marketing from Concordia University, Canada.

About Bharti Airtel:

Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G, 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 357 million customers across its operations at the end of March 2016. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com
QUOTE:

It may be asked, why should what allegedly went on during Nigeria's elections be of any interest to us in Ghana? The answer is that the two countries are socially and politically linked together. When the Internet crime known as 419 became rampant in Nigeria, it soon made its way to Ghana too. The Ghanaians refined it to become what we call sakawa.

More seriously, after supervising an election in which such huge sums of money (as revealed by Punch) were allegedly distributed to officials of the Nigerian Independent National Elections Commission, the chair of that Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, came to Ghana in December 2015, to give two lectures  one in Accra and the other in Kumase-- on how efficiently INEC had conducted the Nigerian elections. The intention, no doubt, was that Ghana should follow Nigeria's example UNQUOTE:

My late friend, Fifi Hesse, who was Principal Secretary to the Ministry of Education in the 1970s, told me how he and his Minister once attended a conference in Nigeria shortly after the June 4 1979 events in Ghana.

At one social gathering, their Nigerian hosts surrounded them and interrogated them:

Ei, (they asked ) so your soldier rulers shot some big people for eating government money?

Yes.

How much money at all did the dead people eat?

Well, the trials were conducted t in secret so we don't really know. But we heard that someone used his office to borrow $50,000 or so....

And because of $50,000 they shot him? Ei, then what would they have done, were they in this country? Here we don't eat small moneys like that o! Here, we eat budget!

Everyone laughed.

But it wasn't a joke, as the following report from the Punch newspaper, one of the oldest newspapers in Nigeria, illustrates:

QUOTE: [A] panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari.. to probe arms procurement between 2007 and 2015 has allegedly uncovered massive fraud in the Nigerian Army...

"It will be recalled that the panel had, so far, submitted two reports on its probe to the President.

While the first interim report was submitted in November 2015, the second report was submitted in January [2016] following which Buhari ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] to investigate 18 serving and retired military officers, mainly from the Air Force. The  panel, which has Air Vice Marshal J. O. Ode (retd.) as its chairman, was concluding work on the probe of the Army.

It was gathered that part of the panels discovery was that the total amount involved in arms fraud was $15bn and not $2.1bn..... The $2.1bn earlier reported as the mismanaged arms procurement money, was just for one transaction.

A top government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said .The committee is still working. What they discovered in the Army is enormous....

When asked when the third report would be submitted to the President and be made public, the source said Buhari had directed the panel to change tactics. The President has directed that we explore the option of prosecuting indicted persons immediately, instead of first publicising their names, thereby giving some of them the leeway to escape justice, he explained.....

"Meanwhile, in a continuation of the probe into how the People's Democratic Party [PDP] allegedly bribed some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] before the 2015 presidential election, the EFCC has arrested an oil tycoon, [name withheld] for his alleged role in the $115m (N23bn) bribe funds. It was learnt that [the tycoon] who is the Chief Executive Officer of [an oil company] was arrested by the EFCC in Lagos on Friday [29 April 2016].

The anti-graft agency had [also] arrested the Managing Director of [a bank] and the banks Head of Operations.... [The MD] was alleged to have handed $1.85m to the bank, based on the instructions of a former Minister....Other companies, which allegedly handed over money to the bank MD, included [a] Gas Company ($60m); [another petroleum sector company] ($17.8m); and [a third] Oil and Gas [Company] ($9.5m).

[The former Minister] was also alleged to have given the bank MD $26m in cash which was ultimately disbursed to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the 2015 presidential election as bribes.... The money was given to the bank for safekeeping and there was no intention for it to be used to open an account..The money was meant for distribution to INEC officials. When the bank MD was collecting $26m cash from a serving minister, why didnt he ask where [it came] from? UNQUOTE

http://punchng.com/15bn-arms- scandal-presidential-panel- uncovers-massive-fraud-army/

Now, it may be asked, why should what allegedly went on during Nigeria's elections be of any interest to us in Ghana? The answer is that the two countries are socially and politically linked together. When the Internet crime known as 419 became rampant in Nigeria, it soon made its way to Ghana too. The Ghanaians refined it to become what we call sakawa.

More seriously, after supervising an election in which such huge sums of money (as revealed by Punch) were allegedly distributed to officials of the Nigerian Independent National Elections Commission, the chair of that Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, came to Ghana in December 2015, to give two lectures  one in Accra and the other in Kumase-- on how efficiently INEC had conducted the Nigerian elections. The [unstated] intention, no doubt, was that Ghana should follow Nigeria's example.

Prof Jega also met with key stakeholders, including the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Wood, Ghanaian political party leaders and candidates, traditional rulers and religious leader, as well as members of civil society and international development partners.

Of course, there is no reason why Prof Jega should necessarily have been aware of everything that was going on inside some pockets of the Commission over which he presided. But if the allegations levelled against the PDP are true, then it is clear that it is not enough just to have an upright or efficient person in charge of an institution, for it not to become corrupt. The current chair of the Ghana Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, does not seem to understand this, as she appears to fight doggedly against a number of the measures through which some of the political parties wish to ensure that a free and fair election takes place in November 2017.

In an election, the ruling party always has an advantage over its rivals. For one thing, it is the ruling party that ensures that the electoral body obtains, in a timely fashion, the funds and other resources necessary to do its electoral organisation functions. In Mrs Osei's case, her very appointment seemed was greeted with distrust by some of the opposition parties. And that has placed an obligation on her to prove the doubters wrong. She doesn't need to bow down to everything the opposition parties say, of course, but she definitely needs to win their trust, for they speak on behalf of the people, and the people need to perceive that the Electoral Commission, under Mrs Osei, is totally neutral and trustworthy.

The revelation in Nigeria that a seemingly competent a Chairman as Attahiru Jega was, managed to be blind-sided by subordinates cherry-picked by the party in power to rig the vote in its favour, must make Mrs Osei first shudder, and then -- reflect deeply. She must realise that she is not the only one working at the Electoral Commission, and if she wants to run the place with transparency and integrity, then she must, as stated before, be perceived to be someone to whom -- for instance -- secret information can be passed, without the whistle-blower(s) engaging in an exercise in futility.

All Mrs Osei needs to do, in order fully to understand why the opposition parties are so apprehensive, is to read what some of the Supreme Court judges who sat on the 2012 election petition, had to say about her predecessor, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, (who had an international reputation even greater than that of Prof Attahiru Jega.)

In a much-quoted finding, Mr Justice John Dotse said: QUOTE: My observation is that Dr. Afari Gyan appeared to have concentrated his oversight responsibility at the top notch of the election administration, therebyabdicating his supervisory role at the grassroots or bottom, where most of the activities critical to the conduct of elections are performed. In this instance, he even appeared not to be conversant with some of the basic procedural steps and rules that are performed by his so-called temporary staff.

So far as I am concerned, Dr. Afari Gyan has cut a very poor figure of himself, and the much acclaimed competent election administrator  both nationally and internationally-- has evaporated into thin air, once his portfolio has come under the close scrutiny of the Courts."UNQUOTE

Mrs Osei has to understand that elections mean so much to the people of a country that even where an incumbent political party tries to subvert the process  as the PDP did in Nigeria  it can still fail.

But that does not mean that the PDP didn't try or that other parties elsewhere won't emulate what the PDP did.

In Mrs Osei, Ghanaians would like to find a person who will ensure that whatever the blandishments dangled before her eyes (and these need not necessarily be monetary) she will rise above them and protect and preserve the will of the people of Ghana, as expressed in a free and fair election.

If she fails, and allows the coming election to be gamed,she can be sure that, as was the case with Dr Afari Gyjan, her fellow citizens will detect her inadequacies and pronounce judgement on them; a judgement that will turn her name into mud in Ghana.

Does she care enough about her good name to avoid that? Only she alone knows that  for the moment, at any rate.
05.05.2016 LISTEN

Women and children abuse is a hot button issue and dates back to ancient times. Religious leaders at the time condemned the practice and warned the perpetrators to stop it or they will one day stand accountable before God for their misdeeds.

Having recognized women and children abuse to be an evil habit, the prophet Jacob warned: Wherefore, it burdeneth my soul that I should be constrained, because of the strict commandment which I have received from God, to admonish you according to your crimes, to enlarge the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and healing their wounds; and those who have not been wounded, instead of feasting upon the pleasing word of God have daggers placed to pierce their souls and wound their delicate minds. (Jacob 2: 9).

He also lamented the wickedness of the people in his time when he said: Behold ye have done greater iniquities than the Lamanites, our brethren. Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God against you. And because of the strictness of the word of God, which cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds. (Jacob 2:35).

Abuse can be defined as the systematic pattern of behaviours in a relationship that are used to gain and or maintain power or control over another. It can also be taken to mean treating or speaking to someone in a way that is demeaning or that causes injury or serious offense.

Women and child abuse is pervasive in our society today.

Child abuse occurs when someone who is in a position of trust or control does anything that causes physical or emotional harm to a child. We can think of physical abuse or neglect, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse among others.

Spouse abuse is widespread but under reported. It may be physical, emotional, or sexual.

Physical abuse includes hitting, pushing, biting, choking, scratching, pinching, burning, restraining etc

Emotional abuse involves attacking the persons self-esteem, name calling, derogatory statements or using spirit killing terms on the victim, threats, solitary confinement, intimidation or manipulation.

Sexual abuse is non-consenting behavior or act.

Sexual abuse is either emotional or physical. It includes sexual harassment, inflicting pain or the use of force and intimidation.

There are several factors that may precipitate spousal and child abuse.

Abusers have been found to have been abused in their childhood years.

Those who are into alcohol or drugs are more likely to abuse their spouse or children.

In some cultures people are made to believe that women and children are their bona fide property and have the right to control or dominate them. Women are generally thought to be inferior to men. The men take advantage of this wrong notion to subject their wives to abuse.

The lack of skills in parenting, poverty, lack of education and unemployment may accentuate the abuse of children by parents or guardians.

Children with malformations or disabilities may also face neglect by parents or other caregivers. The perception is that such children have no bright future.

The effects arising out of the abuse of women and children can be far-reaching. Physical abuse can result in bodily harm such as broken bones, visible marks on the body, burns, lost teeth, perforated ear drums, muscle pain, concussion, head injuries, stomach pains, joint pains, loss of hair, injury to the eyes, headaches etc.

As a coping measure some victims resort to the use of alcohol, drugs or medication. Those who have no means to get medical care are left to their fate.

Sexual abuse can result in sexually transmitted diseases, tearing or bruising of the vagina, painful intercourse, chronic vaginal or urinary tract infections, unwanted pregnancies, infertility, fear of sexual intercourse, miscarriages, tearing of the anus etc.

There are psychological effects. They include low self-esteem, difficulty in forming or maintaining relationships, anxiety, unusual fear response, sleep disorders, memory loss, loss of concentration and decreased productivity, depression, negative eating habits develop, increased watchfulness, feelings of hopelessness and suicidal tendencies.

Women and children have the fundamental right to live in safety and security in their homes and communities-free from threats of violence or abuse of any kind.

There are various enactments to protect women and children from abuse.

Our national constitution which is the supreme law has provisions on human rights to which every citizen is entitled. These provisions are based on common law and other international conventions to which Ghana is a signatory. For instance Ghana was the first country to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in February 1990.

Children have a right to protection from abuse, neglect or sexual contact with adults. They should be protected from child labour. They have a right to education and medical care. They should not suffer discrimination of any kind.

They should not be exposed to cultural practices (eg female genital mutilation) that are harmful and adversely affect their health.

Street children also deserve protection because of their vulnerability.

The Domestic Violence Act, 2007 was passed to protect women from any form of abuse.

Abuse of any kind violates the right of people to live in safety, security, and dignity.

We must work together to prevent the abuse of women and children.

There is the need for a vigorous campaign to educate and curb women and children abuse in the country. Most people are not aware of the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act, Childrens Act, the Criminal Offenses Act and others. Awareness creation should precede the implementation of laws.

The media should report on women and childrens issues especially when right violations occur.

All existing laws on women and children should be rigidly enforced to the letter. This requires discipline on the part of law enforcement officials and other stakeholders.

As indicated earlier, our laws proscribe abuse of any sort. It is an offence to systematically subject anyone to abuse.

Abusers who have been prosecuted and found guilty of human abuse should be punished severely to serve as a deterrent to others.

Women and children should be encouraged to report all cases of abuse to the law enforcement agencies, for instance, the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service to obtain legal protection.

Women and children who become victims of abuse should be assisted to have access to medical and counseling services.

In conclusion, religious leaders, chiefs, political authorities, opinion leaders, women and child rights advocates, NGOs and civil society organizations must collaborate and put programmes in place to address the complex problem of abuse in our society. It is everybodys right to live in safety and dignity.

ABUNDANT ROBERT K. AWOLUGUTU

DEP. DIR OF PRISONS/REGIONAL COMMANDER

TAMALE CENTRAL PRISONS

Cell: 0208 455 296
Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia

05.05.2016 LISTEN

5th April 2016. ACCRA - The National Executive Council of Zongo for NDC joins the ruling party the NDC, the National Peace Council, the Christian Council of Ghana, and all other well meaning Ghanaians in condemning in no uncertain terms Dr. Mahumudu Bawumia's divisive, dangerous, reckless and highly unfortunate comments about the so-called religious imbalance at the Flagstaff House.

It is important to remind Dr Bawumiah that Ghana is a peaceful country, and that the two major religions of Christianity and Islam have been co-existing peacefully since the attainment of independence. He must also be reminded that such reckless and unfortunate comments coming from a high profile political figure like himself does not only divide a peaceful nation like ours, but also has the ability to cause instability throughout the country.

At a time when the whole sub-region is working hard to fight religious extremists and terrorists, the last thing we need in this country is for any politician to make such an unfortunate comments to unsuspecting Ghanaians.

It is now very clear that Dr Bawumiah, who is the darling of the NPP on economic issues, has totally lost the debate on the state of the economy of Ghana. And, therefore, he has now decided to enter the realm of cheap religious bigotry as his new campaign message to Ghanaians.

We wish to remind Ghanaians that the NDC as party has been at the forefront of championing the cause of Muslims in Ghana over the years. Ghanaians will recall that it was an NDC administration that made the very important Islamic Festivals of Eid-ul-Adha and Eid-ul-Fitr as statutory public holidays in the country. It is also under an NDC administration that the Ghana Education Service established the Islamic Education Unit to coordinate and support the activities of Islamic schools in Ghana. And during this years' State of the Nation address to Parliament, H.E. President John Dramani Mahama announced for the commencement this year of the first Islamic College of Education in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Furthermore, during the past administration of the NPP who had a Muslim Vice President, Muslims became the laughing stock in the country due to the humiliation and in-humane conditions they find themselves during Hajj periods. However, it took an NDC administration under the able leadership of H.E. John Dramani Mahama to restructure the whole organization of Hajj in Ghana. Today we have the Pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana that Muslims are very proud of when it comes to the organization of Hajj.

It is also on record that Muslims and the people of Zongo communities feel safe and well-recognized under NDC administrations than under the administrations of the UP traditions. The Aliens Compliance Act that humiliated Muslims and the people of Zongo communities by referring to them as aliens and foreigners, and who were eventually sacked from the country is still fresh in our minds.

Dr Bawumiah and the NPP cannot deceive Muslims and the people of Zongo communities with such cheap divisive and dangerous comments. Muslims in Ghana have absolutely no problem living under an NDC administration that is focus on championing their cause in the country. Muslims in Ghana are law abiding citizens who believe in the concept of separation of religion and the governance of the country. The constitution under the Directive Principles of State Policy is an important guide and a reminder that regional balance, and not religious balance should be the prime consideration in the appointment of public office holders.

We wish therefore to advice Dr Bawumiah and the NPP to focus on the main issues that will help move Ghana forward and eschew such divisive and dangerous comments.

God bless our homeland Ghana.

Signed

Zeinab Alhassan

National Communications Director

054-5540001

Issah Ali

Zongo for NDC (ZNDC)

National Headquarters (HQ)

Mobile: 024-4057950

Telephone: 030-3934021

WhatsApp: 026-4057950

E-mail: [email protected]
05.05.2016 LISTEN

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Folks, the Supreme Court today ordered the Electoral Commission to do a number of things to make the existing voters register credible for Election 2016:

1. To delete from the electoral roll names of all dead people and persons who used the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card to register to vote.

2. To allow those whose names will be removed because they used the NHIS card as proof of citizenship to register, an opportunity to register if they qualify.

3. To remove from the register all minors who registered in the last elections in 2012.

4. The EC must do all it can to consult others in its work.

(See http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2016/May-5th/supreme-court-orders-ec-to-clean-up-voters-register-immediately.php#sthash.Ipb8PmhE.dpuf).

The Supreme Court noted that the register in its current form, is not "reasonably credible". The Court's verdict was in response to the suit filed by two opposition politicians Abu Ramadan (a former youth leader of the People's National Convention) and Kwame Baffoe (an NPP youth leader) who claimed that the voters' register in its current state is not fit to be used for the November election.

Their suit followed the Electoral Commissions rejection of demands to compile a new voters' register. The plaintiffs had argued that the EC should at least conduct an exercise to clean up the document by removing names of persons deemed ineligible to be on the roll. To them, then, this validation process would be deemed a compromise after months of pressure from opposition parties on the EC yielded no results. Thus, the Supreme Courts verdict would compel the EC to clean up the register.

MY COMMENTS

Some in the opposition camp may be tempted to celebrate this verdict and tout it as a validation of their concerns. But any celebration will be misplaced and short-lived. First, I dont think that the Courts verdict signals any victory for the plaintiffs and their political camps. It is a verdict that will not be easy to obey. It isnt any different from what the Justice Atuguba-led Supreme Court panel suggested at the end of the NPPs useless 2012 petition hearing. How many of those recommendations have been implemented by the EC? Why add more?

The EC has already begun the limited registration exercise; and we are already being told about improprieties regarding the registration of minors or undesirables from neighbouring countries. The NPP and NDC are blaming each other for those improprieties while the EC grapples with technical hitches here and there. Who will solve these problems before they add up to what the Supreme Court is asking the EC to tackle?

Second, the minors registered in 2012 may no longer be minors four years down the lane. So, if the EC goes ahead to delete their names from the registerwhich may be possible only at a later date from the limited registration exercise currently going onwhen again will they be registered to participate in Election 2016 on November 7?

Again, by asking the EC to delete names of those registered on the basis of the National Health Insurance Schemes cards, the Supreme Court hasnt given the EC any concrete and workable solution. On what basis will those people now be re-registered, granted that there is no other authentic national identity card to validate their identities?

Furthermore, by asking the EC to do all it can to consult others in its work, the Supreme Court has opened a can of worms. Who are those others? Already, there is no consensus among the political parties on how to solve problems of this sort. The Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) cant solve any problem of this sort either. Neither can identifiable civil society groups, clearly because almost all of them have become politically inclined and lost credibility when it comes to non-partisan handling of issues that are politically interested. Why has the Supreme Court thrown the door so open to cause more confusion?

By declaring that the register in its current form, is not reasonably credible, the Supreme Court is pandering to the whims and caprices of those putting needless pressure on the EC. What is its definition for and justification of a reasonably credible voters register?

The EC has already given indications that it will take appropriate steps to clean up the voters register. What the Supreme Court is adding to its workload will be useful only if it fits into the ECs own agenda and will be done expeditiously. Otherwise, I foresee danger.

I think that the Supreme Courts verdict is itself problematic and wont solve any problem. Granted that time is of the essence, the EC is needlessly being put on the spot to be blamed if major problems crop up at Election 2016. Is that what we want?

I am also more than concerned about the ultimatum: to clean up the voters register IMMEDIATELY. Why so, when the EC is already occupied with another major national exercise of limited registration? Has the Supreme Court considered constraints regarding time, resources, and money involved in such a clean-up exercise?

It is one thing giving such an ultimatum and another implementing it within the context of availability of resources. We know that the EC has already complained of not being given adequate funds for its tasks. Parliament failed to meet its request, if our recollection is right. So, how is it going to do what the Supreme Court is imposing on it?

What happens if the EC fails to do what the Supreme Court has instructed it to do? No reasonably credible voters register, so no general elections or a rejection of the outcome of the elections? More problems loom, I daresay.

I shall return
BEIJING, ACCRA, May 5 - (UPI/GNA) - China delivered a measured response after presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump accused Beijing of "rape".

Prior to his victory in Indiana on Tuesday, Trump told supporters in Fort Wayne, Ind., that he would fight the United States' trade deficit with China.

"We can't continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what they're doing," Trump said during a second rally held Sunday, according to CNN.

Trump expressed his grievances about other economic issues - blaming Beijing for manipulating its currency to make exports more competitive and as a result, "killing" the United States on trade.

Trump has previously used the word "rape" to describe trade ties with China. In 2011, the candidate had said, "China is raping this country" while touring a defense manufacturing plant in New Hampshire.

China's state-owned Xinhua News Agency published an article Tuesday quoting critical comments regarding Trump's statement, Bloomberg reported.

The Global Times, China's state tabloid, called Trump's ideas of foreign policy "hollow, nationalistic and inconsistent."

Trump is "seriously wrong about how economies work in the present world," the newspaper stated last Friday.

But on Wednesday Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters the Trump comments were a U.S. domestic affair.

"It's important to point out that the core of bilateral economic-and-trade cooperation is mutually beneficial and accords with the common interests of both sides," Hong said. "We hope all the American people from different sectors view this relationship in a rational and objective way."

GNA
05.05.2016 LISTEN

No sooner had I landed my rebuttal to the inchoate's insults on the person of Honourable Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, than abominable revelations about Kojo Twum Boafo begun to dance about, resurfacing after taking a temporary bow of absence from social media discussions.

He had never been up to anything good, and the least opportunity he got to speak in the media, he drew in the name of Akufo-Addo to blithely run him down. The President, John Dramani Mahama, I was informed from reliable sources, put him in charge of the impossible mission to attempt destroying the credibility of this honourable man.

But in all that, GOD serves justice whether anyone likes it or not. Not knowing to this buffoon, Kojo Twum Boafo, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo was invited to South Africa to be proffered with the Honorary Dr of Law title for his outstanding achievements in this field. So armed with numerous feats, including being the best legal brain in neo times at whose feet many renowned lawyers have learned, he traveled to South Africa to receive this all-important PHD in a respectable and dignified manner, unlike the confused and insulting way John Mahama got his in Scotland.

That notwithstanding, there is an adage that says that if your house is made of glass, do not pelt others' with stones. In other words don't throw stones at people's houses if yours is made of glass. I was horrified to hear that Kojo Twum Boafo had an Oedipus complex having done the unthinkable with his step mother. Further information gathered indicated that he was cursed by his father when he caught the duo in this ungodly affair. The heavens must have cursed him absolutely.

I direct my message to H.E. John Dramani Mahama. "The unpardonable follies of your administration, the obvious lack of progress which your outfit has to camouflage with nauseating untruths, and the lack of confidence of the people in you, Sir, emanate partly from your association with such abominable characters as Kojo Twum Boafo. I surmise that if you banish him, that will be a step in the right direction. His curse may drop off your trail and maybe, just maybe, you will be able to steer back onto a more positive track. You cannot have such an Oedipus head in your government. Any leader worth his salt would do well to shun away from curses, especially one induced by an abomination of the most dastardly evil."

So my people, this nation has finally gotten its share of such inhuman immorality. I wished I never heard of this most useless person; I wished that my sense of cognition had stopped such that I would not have imbibed his story. I wished....I wished he were obliterated by the doom of GOD's wrath. But it is better not to ask for the speedup of issues, for GOD's time is the best.

Kojo Twum Boafo would have been better off practicing bestiality than incurring a blight due to his oedipus complex . The scenario is like this. Imagine a young man in his 20's nibbling the life out of his mother's breasts and deriving sexual pleasure from it too, is that not blasphemous, disgusting, and abominable? If you agree, then how would you feel if you were told that that person was having a deeper sexual affair with his step mother. At least such is the word making the rounds. SHAME! SHAME!! SHAME!!!
05.05.2016 LISTEN

One of the most challenging things to write about is religion. This is because, religion-an institution created by man-has been so abused by the class of animals that created it in the first place. In many cases one is either applauded for a position or chastised depending on the religious beliefs of the person who is exhibiting the reaction(s). If you dare remind some Muslims that a verse as violent as this: ''And when the sacred months are passed, kill those who join other gods with Allah wherever ye shall find them; and seize them, besiege them, and lay wait for them with every kind of ambush' (Quran 9:5) exists in the Holy Quran, the reply you will get will either be, You have to look at the context Allah reveals that verse or you are told not to interpret the Quran literarily. Most interpreters of the good Book find no arguments in it for the murder of innocents. But it would be naive to ignore in Islam a deep thread of intolerance toward unbelievers.

The use of religion for extreme repression, and even terror, is not restricted to Islam. For most of its history, Christianity has had a worse record. From the Crusades to the Inquisition to the bloody religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, Europe saw far more blood spilled for religion's sake than the Muslim world did. Many Christians will deny that Jesus the Christ made a statement such this: I have brought you not peace but sword in the New Testament (Matthew 10:34).

Questions that this writer often asks himself are: Why is religion so misunderstood by those who should even know better? Why do some people do negative things in the name of religion?

At this point let me bring in a quote from foremost Western Philosopher Bertrand Russell who writes: Religion is based...mainly upon fear...fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand in hand.... My own view on religion is that of Lucretius. I regard it as a disease born of fear and as a source of untold misery to the human race. The truth is that fear often make people turn to something other than themselves in the peak of disaster or calamity which they consider bigger than them. They look for freedom, often without responsibility. They hope, but not on faith. They believe, but with no faith. This appears to be the case with our so-called religious people in Nigeria.

Instead of worship, what we have is warship. The leader is seen as a reincarnation of God or something. The leader tells the followers what to do and they accept without question(s). Only the leaders interpretation(s) of the Holy Books are acceptable. The rivalry between Sheik Gumi and Sheik el-Zakzaky, both preaching Islam but of different traditions, with the former being Sunni and the latter being Shiite, is legendary. Both mens supporters are reported to have clashed on several occasions in Kaduna.

One will wonder why anyone will want to fight for God. If God is so big or massive, who are His creatures to fight for Him? I imagine a situation where a school bully beats up my four-year old cousin and comes home to report for me to come to his aid. This is normal because my boy can be powerless to deal with the bully. Let us look at another case where I was slapped by a bus conductor at the commercial motor park only for me to get home to report to my four-year old boy to fight for me. That sounds absurd isnt it? This is the case with anyone fighting for God.

To show that most of us, especially in Nigeria, appear to now be more Catholic than the Pope. We will do anything in our power to fight for God. Recently, the Kaduna state Government introduced what it calls A Bill For A Law To Substitute The Kaduna State Religious Preaching Law, 1984 popularly known as Preaching Bill. Inasmuch as bodies representing Islam and Christianity have condemned the bill, professional politicians hiding under the large cover of religion, in their attempt to score a point set up an us-versus-them argument. Some of them went as far as saying that el-Rufai, the Governor of Kaduna will die if he does not withdraw the bill.

The passion with which these people speak one will think they love their religion that much. Their supporters, forming a congregation, believe them so long as it is coming from their father in the Lord. They take whatever they say as gospels, no matter how false their messages are. The displays of some of these politicians hearing from God do not deter their members at all. These ones capitalize on the fears of the people. They mirror their own fears in the minds of the people as Gods anointed My own Bible tells me to believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1), but not our religious people who have been infected by the disease of religion!

Still on the controversial bill, let us be quick to add this writer is no fan of the Kaduna Governor as some might have speculated. To regulate preaching is highly needed if we are not to produce outlaws like Terry Jones. Many may probably not remember him as the man who, in 2010, threatened to burn over 2000 copies of the Muslim Holy Book, the Quran on the ninth anniversary of 9/11 by calling Islam a religion of the devil. The pastor (if not so-called) of the Dove World Outreach Center, Florida, a church with less than 50 members, invited Christians to his Church on the said date to burn the Muslim holy book. Though, he would later cancel the planned event, his congregation did burn the Muslim holy book in March 2011 and in 2012, his Church promoted an anti-Muslim film. All three incidents sparked violence in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Let us be clear at about some points now. Mr Jones, on his own, did not physically attack anyone. He promoted his ideas, his religious beliefs (as he knows it) under existing laws. His Constitutionally-protected freedom of worship is guaranteed to express himself (burning of the Quran), within his Church and on his congregation. Again, at the time, no one could arrest him, other than appeal to him to shelve his planned burning of the Quran since US does not regulate religious expression. The effect of this rascally unregulated behavior, transcend the US border, reached far away Afghanistan!

To those who said about regulating or minimizing the effect of a dis-ease, We do not have a problem, regulate your own people only proves to me how soon something that is supposed to be a symptom becomes an epidemic. Its time to put a check on this rampaging dis-ease in our land!

Olalekan Waheed Adigun is a political risk analyst and independent political strategist. He can be reached via [email protected], [email protected] Follow him on Twitter at: @adgorwell.
05.05.2016 LISTEN

From Issah Alhassan, Kumasi

A TENSED moment of anxiety and curiosity surrounding the arrest and detention of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, aka Chairman Wontumi, came to an end yesterday after the Asokwa District Magistrate Court granted him a conditional bail to the tune of GH 20,000 with two sureties.

This was after the two complainants in the case informed the court, presided over by His Honour, Justice Korkor Owusu Antwi that, their clients had agreed to settle the case out of court.

The NPP Regional Chairman, who was standing trial for allegedly slapping the Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwaah and the Secretary for the Constituency, Felix Ibrahim, was detained on Tuesday and arraigned before the court yesterday, over the alleged assault of the two complainants on Sunday during the registration exercise at Krofrom in the Manhyia North Constituency.

The NPP chairman was alleged to have assaulted the MP and the Constituency Secretary following confrontation over the registration process at Nana Fordjour Registration Centre located at Krofrom.

In a tension-filled atmosphere with hundreds of supporters, the presiding judge gave the two feuding parties up to June 1 to settle their differences, failure of which the case would be reverted to court for determination.

Lead Counsel for the accused, Lawyer Egbert Fabille, pledged that the matter would be settled within the stipulated time frame, as it was in the interest of both the complainants and the accused that the matter be amicably settled to pave way for the party to concentrate on the ongoing limited registration exercise and the upcoming elections.

Prosecution.



The Lead Police Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Emmanuel Akonnor, told the court that the Tafo Divisional Police Command received complaints from the MP and the Constituency Secretary that, they had been physically assaulted by the accused and were subsequently issued with medical forms to attend hospital.

Chief Inspector Akonnor said just about the same time, the accused person also made similar complaint to the Krofrom Police of an assault and was also issued with a medical form.

He said considering the high profile personalities involved, the Central Police Command took interest in the case and asked for the two dockets to be presented to the main headquarters for consolidation and subsequent investigation.

After preliminary investigations, we preferred charges of assault against the NPP regional chairman and he was invited for questioning, he stated, stressing that though the accused could not honour the call immediately, he later submitted himself and was arrested and detained.

Genesis



The incident, according to information gathered by The Chronicle, occurred on Sunday when the NPP Chairman led a team of party executives to embark on visits to some registration centres, including the Krofrom Constituency.

Confusion, however, ensued between the accused and the first complainant, Collins Owusu Amankwaah, at the said registration centre after the MP was alleged to have raised objection against one of the partys agents, who was said to have been selected by the Election Committee, headed by Mathew Opoku Prempeh.

In the process, the MP was alleged to have seized a print-out belonging to the party and accosted the agent, drawing reaction from Chairman Wontumi, who was alleged to have attacked the legislator. The NPP regional boss was said to have slapped the MP and additionally attacked the second complainant, Felix Ibrahim, who was also acting as agent in the ongoing registration exercise.

The two complainants subsequently filed a case at the Tafo Divisional Command, alleging that they had been assaulted by the NPP Chairman. Chairman Wontumi on his part also filed a counter case at the Krofrom Police Station, also alleging similar assault by the MP. According to the NPP Chairmans account to the police, the MP warned and threatened to kill him if he did not stay away from issues concerning Manhyia North.

Police invitation

According to information, on Monday, the Ashanti Regional Police Command issued an invitation to the NPP regional chairman to come and assist with investigation, but Chairman Wontumi could not honour the invitation, with excuse that he was not around. He later told a radio station in an interview on Tuesday morning that he went into hiding because the MP had threatened to kill him.

Chairman Wontumi, notwithstanding, availed himself to the police later in the day. He reportedly went to the Tafo Divisional Police Command before dashing to the Regional Command. According to information gathered by the paper, Chairman Wontumi was made to understand that he was only being invited to write his statement, in reaction to the accusations, after which he would be allowed to leave.

But that was not to be, after he was made to sit at the police counter-back for several hours, raising anxiety amongst executives of the party.

Order from above

According to information gathered by The Chronicle, just when the NPP chairman finished writing his statement and was about to be set free, the Central Police Command received an order, allegedly instructing them not to release the accused and that, he must rather be kept in cells.

As the regional executives were anxiously waiting for the return of their chairman, news started filtering in that he had been detained at the Central Police cells, compelling supporters to gradually mass up at the premises of the Regional Police Command to demand his release.

As suspicion heightened about the alleged government complicity in the whole episode, some radio stations sympathetic to the cause of the NPP started ringing alarm bells, inciting supporters to gather at the police station. Within one hour, hundreds of supporters of the party, including heavily built men, had massed up at the premises of the police, chanting songs and calling for the release of their chairman.

Few minutes later, a police armoured car, carrying fully armed personnel, also arrived at the scene, ostensibly to maintain law and order. As the crowd thickened and was spiraling out of control, a military reinforcement, made up of about 15 soldiers also entered the premises to support their colleagues but that did little to calm the enraged loyalists of the party who kept on chanting and casting insinuations against the police and the President.

As Members of Parliament, regional executives and legal representatives ran up and down trying to secure bail for the embattled NPP Chairman, who had at that time been hurled inside the police cells, so was the crowd thickening, compelling the combined security personnel to drive everyone out of the premises of the police.

However, their efforts amounted to nothing as their hero, whom they described as Chairman One, was made to spend the rest of the night behind bars.

Fear of BNI & vigil



The supporters therefore vowed not to leave the premise of the police for fear that the accused would be transferred to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for further interrogations. We didnt want to leave the premise because we had information that they wanted to transfer our Chairman to the BNI, Special Assistant to Chairman Wontumi, Andy Owusu told The Chronicle.

Transfer to the court

The premises of the Central Police Command momentously erupted on Wednesday morning, after Chairman Wontumi made his first public appearance, responding to waves and cheers from the teeming crowd that had gathered to catch a glimpse of him. After responding to cheers, he was then hauled into the police car and driven straight to an unknown destination, which was later revealed to be the Asokwa District Magistrate Court.

But remaining defiant, the supporters chased the police to the court premise in taxis and trotros, whilst those who could not afford to hire vehicles, walked in groups. No sooner had the police arrived at the court premise than a crowd of supporters also gathered, compelling the security personnel to erect barriers between them and the supporters. The angry supporters, numbering over 1000 insisted on entering the courtroom but were prevented by the police. Even journalists who had their ID Cards had a tough time entering the premises.

Proceedings

When hearing commenced, the Lead Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Ackonnor informed the court that just when he was stepping into the courtroom, he received a letter from Obeng-Manu Chambers, signed by the two complainants, declaring their decision to discontinue the case and settle out of court.

The letter, which also bore the signature of the lawyers of the complainants, Shadrack Yeboah and Yaw Owusu Ansah, read: We act as Solicitors for the Hon. Collins Owusu Amankwaah and Mr. Felix Ibrahim and it is on their instructions that we write to you. Our clients are the complainants in the above mentioned case against the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako. Our clients have instructed us of their decision to pursue settlement and have accordingly instructed us to serve notice of their said intentions.

After reading the letter to the court, Chief Inspector Ackonnor, however, argued that though the police had no objection to the decision, they would plead that their intention be made conditional, so that in an event that the two parties fail to reach an agreement, the case must be reverted to the court for adjudication.

The Police Prosecutor argued that he was aware of a pending case concerning both parties and, therefore, it was necessary for the court to grant a conditional bail to enable the parties sort out the matter without completely discarding the involvement of the court.

To this end, Lawyer Egbert Fabille, who led the legal team for the accused, moved for bail to be granted to their client, which was readily accepted by His Honour, Justice Korkor Owusu Achaw. Mr. Fabille pointed out that the out of court settlement would be in the supreme interest of both parties, as they would be able to work assiduously for the progress of the party.

The judge, however, asked that the settlement be expeditiously done to forestall any future disturbances. Justice Korkor, therefore, set bail at GHC 20,000 with two sureties and asked that the parties appeared before the court on June 1 to inform him about the progress concerning the settlement.

Wontumis triumphant exit



After the ruling and other bail processes had been completed, the accused was subsequently released and was met with loud applause from supporters who had gathered at the court. Chairman Wontumi was then chauffeured through the main Asokwa Street in a convoy-style entourage, through to Amakom, right away to the party office at Krofrom, as he responded to cheers and applause from by-standers.

Acting chairman and general secretarys appearance

It was, however, an emotional moment for the freed NPP regional chairman, after the acting Chairman of the party, Mr. Freddie Blay, as well as the acting General Secretary, John Boadu, made surprised appearance at the court to provide moral support to the chairman.

Acting Chairman Freddie Blay later told journalists the party would not be cowed or intimidated by the machinations of the government and the security, stressing that the party would continue to pursue due cause to help bring changes to the lives of the teeming Ghanaians who are yearning for it.
Diesel taxi drivers holding a protest in Delhi on Monday, a day after the Supreme Court ban on diesel taxis in the national capital came into effect. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The court-mandated blanket ban on plying of diesel cabs in Delhi and NCR may cause a loss to the tune of USD 1.2 billion as BPOs may choose to go out of India, the Centre told the Supreme Court. Referring to a recent communication of IT industry body National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) to the Centre, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar said the BPOs, also known as 'call centers' may shift out if their work is adversely impacted due to the ban.

"The BPO industry would be affected as diesel taxis had been used for pick and drop facilities of the employees. It will affect the economy," he told the bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice R Banumathi. "The ban would affect the business generated by inter-city cabs engaged by the BPOs to ferry employees and this could cost India USD 1.2 billion," the law officer said.

He also said the Centre will be filing an application shortly on the issue as it also pertains to the safety and security of the BPO employees. "Due to the inconvenience caused to the BPO employees, the companies may choose to move out of the country which will be affecting the economy," he said.

To this, the bench asked as to why cannot they (BPO companies) hire CNG buses for providing the pick and drop facilities to the employees.

The women employees have to be dropped at their door step during night hours and the buses cannot be plied in narrow lanes, Kumar replied. Meanwhile, the counsel for Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) informed the court that it is discussing the issue arising out of the ban on diesel taxis with the Delhi government. The apex court then said it would hear the matter on May 9 and asked the EPCA and others to come out with the road maps and suggestions.

EPCA also said the existing diesel cabs can be allowed till the expiry of their five years licence period and the permits should not be renewed after the expiry. The EPCA said that diesel cabs, which are not permitted to ply in Delhi and NCR, are being affected by the ban as they have an all India permit to travel to destinations across the country where CNG is not available.

The apex court had on May 3 given two days time to Delhi government to file a detailed plan on phasing out diesel taxis from the city after it had moved the court seeking the same.

The AAP government had said in the wake of Supreme Court's order around 30,000 diesel taxis have stopped plying in the national capital which is causing inconvenience to the common people and creating a law and order situation.

The bench had then said whenever such decisions are taken, inconvenience is bound to be caused to people. The Supreme Court had on April 30 refused to extend the deadline fixed for conversion of diesel taxis into less- polluting CNG mode.

The court had on December 16 last year considered the contention of senior advocate Harish Salve, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, that all diesel taxis be moved to CNG fuel within a reasonable time but not later than March 1, 2016.
05.05.2016 LISTEN

Unlike Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr who is not sure if Paul Afoko will consider him (Baako) a friend due to his huge respect for him in the past, I still like Mr. Baako for his claim of discharging his burden of proof.

Although I have sometimes decided not to patronize Kokrokoo for lack of balance content and panelist, I made time to listen to the embarrassing response Mr. Baako was going to give to Paul Afoko on the challenge he invited him to. While the Wednesday panel continued in their usual boring, uninspiring and skewed analogy, I still stayed glued to my radio set because I have heard the host Sefa-Kayi announced among his topics Afoko dares Baako.

But to my dismay, Kweku began playing a victim of venom and assault on him by people he (Baako) describes as loyalists of Afoko rather than proving his claim that Afoko knew about the presence of the SERBIAN TRAINERS in the country, a claim Mr. Afoko has disputed.

Hypocritically, Kweku, who thinks he should be allowed some space to state his position against Mr. Afoko when it comes to politics, is vehemently opposed to a person who reacts to him on his position against Afoko.

Staying on my track, Abdul Malik is yet to provide evidence that suggests Paul Afoko as a national chairman of the New Patriotic Party was had a foreknowledge of the importation of the Serbian Trainers.

On page 40 of AfricaWatch Magazine, Paul Afoko was asked So the governments statement that the NPP brought some Serbian nationals into the country in 2014 to train selected people drawn from across the country in the art of civil insurrection, dubbed Assaulting the Pillars of Power, is true?

In his response, he said 'the NPP as a group did not bring any Serbians into the country. When I called a Steering Committee meeting on this issue, I was told that Ken Ofori-Atta, a cousin of the presidential candidate, paid the four Serbians and brought them into the country to train our party people. As the chairman of the NPP, I wasnt aware of it and the Steering Committee also had no knowledge of it.  He insisted that when people who are related to the presidential candidate or people who are close to him, do their own things without authorization from the NPP leadership, it is unfair to blame the party. And people should stop associating the party with these crazy things by the intolerant militant wing.

I wont blame Mr. Baako because he said elsewhere that he does not glorify AfricaWatch but his Crusading Guide. I thought Mr. Baako has a standing Order not to attack the works of another Journalist?

The Crusading Guide managing editor told his Wednesday Kokrokoo listeners that before Afoko went to address the Serbian Training College, Freddy Blay, and the First vice National Chairman had inaugurated the training programme. The question, therefore, is how Afoko could have fore-knowledge of the program but wouldnt know when it was inaugurated according to Mr. Baako?

How can Kweku conclude that, because Afoko told AfricaWatch that he, Paul Afoko, as chairman of the NPP, would never allow them to take the party on that crazy route in the presence of the two Serbians, and admonished his party people and asked them to leave the hotel immediately and go home amount to lies?

In any case, the I HAVE THE DOCUMENT journalist is yet to salvage his dented image. As for credibility, I am still looking around if he still has some left because almighty Kweku Baako was unable to provide a strip of evidence to substantiate his claim, let alone attempt answering the SIX BULLET POINTS QUESTIONS from the office of the man he cherished so much to destroy.

All if not most of last Wednesday listeners of KOKROKOO were left wondering as Baako danced naked to the applause of his apple-polishing and acquisitive colleague in the name of journalism.

Uncle Baako, what has occasioned your hatred for a man you describes your good friend in the past? I want to know. Tell me why you failed to listen to your good friend before you began your mission to wane his hard earn reputation? Is that how good friends behave?

It is obvious Afoko as Chairman of NPP could not satisfy your needs and wants like your street agitator friend would do as President of Ghana. I would have done same if I were you, however with utmost diligence and care so you dont hurt your relations with another only to enrich your pocket.

I dont Know Mr. Afoko that much, but one thing I do know is that he is very honest when it comes to his politics because that is where I know him.

Kweku, there is no further challenge than put up or forever hold your head in shame!
Kampala (AFP) - The Ugandan government on Thursday banned all live television coverage of protests organised by the country's main opposition leader against the re-election of President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for 30 years.

"Government has taken decision to stop live coverage of (Kizza) Besigye defiance campaign. The ban takes immediate effect," Uganda information minister Jim Muhwezi told AFP.

"Any media which contravenes this directive issued in furtherance of a court order stopping Besigye from carrying out a defiance campaign risks loosing its broadcast license." he added.

He accused Besigye of carrying out a campaign to disrupt Museveni's swearing-in ceremony "and to cause anarchy with an objective of using unconstitutional means to take over power and we can't allow that."

Besigye, who came in second in the February presidential poll, had called on his supporters to protest against Museveni's fifth term in office.

He has accused Museveni's camp of fraud during the vote which, according to international observers, was carried out in an "atmosphere of intimidation" by the regime.

Museveni is set to be sworn in on May 12 in Kampala.

The US embassy in Uganda said on Twitter that "the government of Uganda's decision to ban media coverage of FDC (Besigye's party) is truly disappointing just days after the World Press Freedom day (May 3)".
The Electoral Commission has indicated that it had already been preparing to delete the names of ineligible persons from the voters register even before a Supreme Court ruling ordering it to do so.

The good thing is that what the court is asking the Electoral Commission to do is something we have put in place a programme to do, a Deputy Chair of the EC, Georgina Opoku Amankwa said.

She told Joy News, the EC will start cleaning the register in June when the roll for the polls is opened up for exhibition.

All eyes are on the Electoral Commission following the Supreme Court verdict Thursday, directing the removal of deceased voters and those who used the NHIS card to register.

But the operational details could be daunting, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has noted.

Identifying those who used the NHIS card to register could mean the Electoral Commission goes through at least 15 million forms one after the other, NDC National Organiser Kofi Adams explained.

Kofi Adams

Every registered Ghanaians form would have to be pulled out.

If the ID card used to determine citizenship as a basis of registration is the NHIS card, the voters name is to be removed. A court ruled last year, that the NHIS card cannot be used to prove a person is a Ghanaian citizen.

Explaining the challenges ahead, Kofi Adams observed that even a process used weeks ago to rid the public teachers payroll of ghost names was a very hectic task.

In view of this difficulty, how are you going to go through 15million forms?. How workable the order is, I believe that when we reach IPAC, we will discuss, he said.

Kofi Adams also explained that the ECs decision to use the Exhibition of the voters register also poses serious challenges. The Exhibition exercise is done to help voters to verify if their registration has reflected.

The Electoral Commission is conducting a Limited Voters Registration exercise to allow new eligible voters to register.

After the Limited Voter Registration is over, an exhibition will have to be done, a period which the EC says it will use to implement the Supreme Court order.

But after removing the names, the EC will have to conduct another Limited Voters Registration exercise to allow those NHIS-card holders whose names have been removed another opportunity to use the right ID card to register as the verdict has indicated.

This will later be followed by another Exhibition exercise for the re-registered voters to check if their names have been captured.

Kofi Adams who painted this daunting scenario said the ball is in the ECs court.

We all are waiting how the EC will implement the ruling, he said and backed an NPP call for a meeting of all political parties with the EC, known as IPAC.

On the part of the NPP, the ruling should not be difficult to implement, its campaign manager Peter Mac Manu told Joy News' Evans Mensah on Top Story.

Peter Mac Manu

He said Nigeria used six months to register more than 80million eligible voters, suggesting Ghanas 15 million only needs commitment.

He said Ghana has reached this point all because of the intransigence of the Electoral Commission. Mac Manu said, although the NPP wanted a new register, it learned to back down in the best interest of democracy

We are not hard on that request. We are flexible so we believe that the EC should also be flexible. He hailed the ruling, saying the Electoral Commission must now meet the NPPs demand half way.

Compromise and change is what democracy is about and the Supreme Court has impressed on the Electoral Commission to recognize this reality, Mac Manu explained.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected]
Food security and climate change has become a major challenge to most African countries. In Ghana, about 1.2 million people, representing 5 percent of the population, are food insecure, according to data from the World Food Programme (WFP).

The Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions are the most affected with 34 per cent, 15 per cent and 10 per cent of the respective populations affected.

It did not use to be so, however.

Ghanas first president, Kwame Nkrumah attempted to use agricultural wealth as a springboard for the country's overall economic development.

Similarly, the Rawlings government initiated the first phase of the Economic Recovery Program (ERP) in 1984, with agriculture identified as the economic sector that could rescue Ghana from a financial ruin.

Still, beginning with the drop in commodity prices in the late 1960s, Ghanaian farmers have been faced with fewer incentives to produce. Farmers have also had to deal with increasingly expensive inputs, such as fertilizer, because of overvaluation of the cedi.

Presently, the contribution of agriculture, hitherto the backbone of Ghana's economy, to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has dropped by an alarming 12.8 per cent from 31.8 per cent in 2009 to a mere 19 per cent as of September 2015.

Specifically, it dropped 29.8 per cent in 2010; 25.3 per cent (2011); 22.9 per cent(, 2012); 22.4 per cent (2013); 21.5 per cent (2014).

It dropped from 31.8 per cent in 2009 to 29.8 per cent in 2010, representing 2 per cent GDP contribution lost. In 2011, agriculture's contribution dropped by 4.5 per cent to 25.3 per cent while 2012 recorded a 2.4 per cent drop to 22.9 per cent.

The year 2013 recorded a 0.5 per cent drop in the contribution of agriculture from 22.9 per cent in 2012 to 22.4 per cent in 2013.

The contribution of the agric sector to GDP growth recorded further decline of 0.9 per cent in 2014, and as of September 2015, the sector had lost another 0.4 per cent of its contribution to GDP.

The contribution of the agriculture sector is likely to drop further in 2016 as government has cut its 2016 expenditure on the sector by GHC40 million despite growth in the sector stalling to 0.04 per cent this year, when government had targeted 3.6 per cent growth.

This year, government's budgeted expenditure on the agricultural sector is GHC395.19 million while for 2016, GHC355.14 million has been budgeted, indicating a 10.1 per cent decrease.

By the end of September 2015, GHC91.54 million had been spent out of the GH0395.19 million budgeted.

Out of the GHC91.54 million spent, about GH082.57 million of this actual sector expenditure, representing 90.21 per cent, was spent on poverty-focused expenditures.

In 2015, 90,000mt of fertilizer, out of a target of 180,000mt, was procured and distributed to farmers countrywide under the Fertiliser Subsidy Programme.

For 2016, a total of GHC355.14 million has been allocated for this sector. About GHC302.46 million of this allocation, representing 85.17 per cent, is to be spent on the Fertiliser Subsidy Programme and the Agricultural Mechanisation Service Centres, among others.

The Ghana Statistical Service estimates that the sector will grow at an average of 3.3 per cent between 2016 to 2018, indicating that the sector's future remains far from bright as services and industry look to narrow agriculture's contribution to GDP.

But Morocco presents an example that Ghana could borrow a leaf from. Faced with similar food security challenges, the country has had different outcomes that should be of interest to the former Gold Coast.

Confronted with a choice between change and political and economic inertia in his deeply traditional kingdom, Moroccos King Mohammed VI fifteen years ago, set his country on the course of becoming a stable, peaceful Arab nation, through deft economic policies.

Key among these was the green plan, which created 900 agricultural projects with an investment of US$4 billion. The plan offered intensive programs for the benefit of the small farmers in order to modernize the agriculture and develop the production, together with the evaluation of the agriculture production and the development of rural areas. In fact, the Moroccan green plan supported about 800,000 small farmers and improved the living conditions of about 3 million persons in rural areas.

The Green Morocco Plan has greatly improved farmers' incomes and reduced poverty in rural areas said Aziz Akhannouch, minister of agriculture and fishery in the opening of the eighth edition of the Agriculture Debate in Meknes. Indeed, the share of the population suffering from malnutrition dropped from around 7.1 per cent in 1990 to 4.9 per cent in 2015.

Following guidelines from the King Mohammed VI, the agriculture department became actively involved in the formulation of a new agricultural development strategy that sought bring a new dynamism able to withstand the profound changes facing the global food system.

Irrigated agriculture, thereafter, became part of the national and regional economy as a lift of wealth and job creation.

As a result, though irrigated agriculture in Morocco occupies only 15 per cent of the cultivated area, it contributes with around 45 per cent on average of the agricultural added value and accounts for 75 per cent of agricultural exports. This contribution is more important in the years of drought where production of rainfed land is severely affected. On average the irrigated sector contributes with 99 per cent for sugar production, 82 per cent for vegetables, 100 per cent for citrus fruit, 75 per cent for fodder and 75 per cent for milk. In addition, this sector provides almost 120 million working days per year, or about 1 million 65 thousand jobs, including 250,000 permanent. Furthermore, there is the improvement of farmers' incomes, which have increased by 5-13 times depending on the perimeters, and the opening up access to other municipal public services such as drinking water, electrification, etc., as well as the significant impact on upstream areas of public works, industry and services, and downstream in the agribusiness sector.

Moroccos plan is to double the long-term added value in agriculture through the creation of 1.5 million jobs by 2020. Morocco green plan is at the heart of the country's agricultural strategy, and aims to expand opportunities for small and big farmers that will improve competition and economic development in rural areas. The World Bank approved on March 2013 a loan from the Development of US 203 million dollars, a policy to promote the modernization of the agricultural sector in Morocco in the framework of accompanying the Morocco green plan since its launch in 2008. The first loan of this kind had already been approved in March 2011 in favor of Morocco. The objective was to support key reforms envisaged in the national plan to strengthen domestic markets to help small producers, strengthen agricultural services and to improve the distribution of irrigation water.

As part of its support of Morocco green plan, the World Bank has worked closely with other donors. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provided technical support for the reform of local abattoirs, the Belgian Development Agency (BTC) that contributed to the financing of an economic analysis on irrigation sector reform, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The institution of the World Bank provides finance to the private sector, and it has funded work aimed at improving the legal and institutional framework of wholesale markets.

The field of agricultural production is linked to land ownership structure, relationship to the land, powers, status of schools in rural areas, the quality of public services in villages. Morocco green plan is defined as a break with the past and as a vision that wants to create sustainable and equitable relationship between two worlds and two realities of the agricultural sector. This is meant to integrate medium and small farmer in the cycle of emancipation through the valuing the land working which is also a national unity cement in its deepest meaning.

The department of agriculture considers as priorities the national agricultural promotion and its integration in the international environment. It undertakes a series of actions to strengthen cooperation relations with partners of the Kingdom in the world. Major actions are so engaged in promoting national expertise through the development of South-South cooperation through tripartite or quadripartite agreements and the development of inter-institutional and inter-linkages through direct agreements signed with the Ministries of Agriculture in some countries.

With its 32,987,206 people, Morocco is the 38th largest country in the world by population; and, the 58th largest country in the world by area with 446,550 square kilometers.

Sultan Mohammed V, the current monarch's grandfather, organized the new state as a constitutional monarchy and in 1957 assumed the title of king. King Mohammed VI in early 2011 responded to the spread of pro-democracy protests in the region by implementing a reform program that included a new constitution, passed by popular referendum in July 2011, under which some new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch. In November 2012, the Justice and Development Party - a moderate Islamist party - won the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections, becoming the first Islamist party to lead the Moroccan Government.

Today, life expectancy of the average Moroccan is 76.51 while in Ghana it is 65.75.

Taking a leaf from Morocco to guarantee the food security of her people may not be a bad idea for Ghana.

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Another battle between the Electoral Commission (EC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) looms over how to implement a Supreme Court verdict ordering the removal of ineligible voters.

The Commission has indicated it will use the Voter Exhibition exercise to implement the order, but the NPP has raised questions about the constitutionality of this plan.

Lawyer Nana Asante Bediatuo, who secured a Supreme Court order on behalf of his clients, said he was a bit baffled by the ECs plans.

Photo: Nana Asante Bediatuo, counsel for two politicians who went to court

The Supreme Court ruling Thursday directed that identities of deceased voters and those who used the NHIS card to register are to be expunged.

By the ECs estimation, there are almost 600,000 dead voters on the roll for the polls . It remains to be seen how many voters registered with the NHIS card which the Supreme Court ruled in 2014 as illegal means of registering .

Nonetheless, the Supreme Court says the removal must be done immediately.

According to the Deputy EC Chair, Georgina Amankwah, the earliest opportunity to do this is in June when the register will be public exhibited to allow voters to check if their names are indeed captured in the register.

The exhibition process will also allow a person to challenge the inclusion of names suspected to be ineligible.

But according to Nana Asante Bediatuo, this process is illegal.

The lawyer explained that the exhibition process puts the responsibility of identifying ineligible voters on private individuals.

But referring to the court order, Nana Asante Bediatuo said the EC must by itself identify and delete the names.

He explained that during the hearings, the Electoral Commission told the Supreme Court that it could identify those who used the NHIS card to register by examining a registration document, Form 1 A.

So if they are still talking about using the exhibition processthat would be in my view a violation of the court order, he argued.

The NPP has employed every means to press home demands for a validation of the voters register which all stakeholders admit is bloated.

For more than a year, the main opposition party in concert with pro-NPP pressure groups and the Peoples National Convention (PNC) have used demonstration and court action to compel the EC.

Photo: Pro-NPP group, Let My Vote Count Alliance, demonstrated in September 2015 demanding for a new voters' register

Any disagreement over how to implement the Supreme Court order could unsurprisingly end up in another court action.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected]
My mission is to meet the knowledge needs of our society. For I believe I will surely amass wealth by solving ignorance issues in my beloved continent, Africa. Most people oppose my thinking which they perceive as literally absurd because I strive to change the status quo with the power of writing. Well, "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds," Albert Einstein revealed. Yes, I want to solve Africa's problem of ignorance. Everything else is secondary. And nothing can curtail my burning ambition to impact our African society with my life-changing writings. Donovan Bailey's famous quote remains my guiding principle, "Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and, above all, don't let anyone limit your dreams."

Our dear continent of Africa is plagued with a myriad of problems. Surprisingly, our academically oriented brains have failed to fix those common problems. I tell you, young African geniuses with social entrepreneurial initiatives are rather solving such troubles. I find the story of Sulley Amin incredibly inspiring. This Law student sacrificed his school fees just to start a charcoal business which manufactures tonnes of branded charcoal in Ghana. Indeed, there are other success stories which prove that Africa is steadily rising to the challenge of the 21st Century. In fact, many African youths brimming with priceless passions are pursuing excellence, discipline and hard work, and are always measuring their works with global standards. That was the dazzling instruction of Sangu Delle, the CEO of Golden Palm Investments.

Moreover, I have committed myself to eliminating general ignorance in Africa in my lifetime. That is the pathway to my greatness, success and prosperity in life. I remember when Pastor Chris Oyakhilome said that success is triggered by identifying a human need and reaching out to meet that need. Also, I am destined to emerge as a rare titan in the world of writing because I will do the unthinkable with my gift of writing in the world. So why should I merely chase higher academic qualifications without effecting any significant change on planet earth? However, my lifelong responsibility is to purify the defiled mindsets and attitudes of the black race. Believe it. I am 19 years old now, but I am actually working on it with a great deal of passion, innovation and excellence to make that dream a reality one day.

Okay, do you also want to make any far-reaching impact on the African continent as an African youth? Discard the ridiculous notion that the future of Africa looks bleak. There are a plethora of economic opportunities in the resilient economy of Africa. Really? Oh yes! Our recurrent problems in various sectors are those economic opportunities which can generate wealth if they are well maximised. I therefore challenge young Africans in every nook and cranny to take risks, make sacrifices, defy the odds, and dare to be different, as they endeavour to meet everyday needs of the African people.

Source: sirarticle.blogspot.com
Ford says it plans to incorporate Pivotal's software development methodology across its information technology, product development and engineering teams.

Dearborn: Ford says it is investing $182 million in a San Francisco software development company called Pivotal. The Dearborn, Michigan, automaker says the investment will sharpen its software expertise as it moves toward becoming a mobility company.

Pivotal helped Ford develop Ford Pass, system that gives customers remote access to vehicles through a smartphone app. The system also gives member customers access to parking and car-sharing services.

Ford says it plans to incorporate Pivotal's software development methodology across its information technology, product development and engineering teams.

Ford and Pivotal also plan to open software labs in the US and Europe.The deal will close after it is reviewed by government regulators.
IVA Struggling with debt? Compare your debt options and write off up to 80% of your unsecured debts  from 80 per month Get Started for free

What is an IVA? With an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) you can make affordable monthly payments towards a percentage of your debt for 5 years. At the end of the 5 year plan, your remaining debt will be completely written off.

Benefits of an IVA

Here is a list of the cost common advantages of an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA):



 Affordability  You will only be asked to pay back what you can afford, with allowances taken into account for food, bills, entertainment, travel, childcare and others. You may be sacrificing certain essential costs at the moment. With an IVA they are budgeted for so they will no longer be neglected

 No upfront costs  When you set up an IVA, there are no upfront costs whatsoever. This means that you can put a debt solution in place today without spending a penny

 You have a finishing line  Do you feel like there will be no end to your debt problems? With high interest costs and charges, the balances of your credit accounts may not reduce as you need them to. With an IVA you will become totally debt free at the completion of the IVA (usually 5 years). You can use this as an opportunity to change your financial life, for good

 Confidential  Your IVA is not advertised in the London Gazette or local newspaper. It is your decision whether you would like to disclose it to other people or not

 No more contact from creditors  When you are in an IVA, your creditors will no longer have the right to contact you or refer the debt on to debt collectors/bailiffs. This is a great benefit for most people as it will take away the stress caused by constant calls/texts/emails and home visits

 Stay in your house  Unlike some debt solutions, an IVA will allow you to stay in your current home. This is even the case if the property has a mortgage or is owned outright

 Your pension  An IVA does not have an impact on your pension. You will not have to surrender your pension or withdraw money from it to pay into your IVA

Risks of an IVA

Here is a list of the cost common disadvantages of an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA):

Equity Release  If you own your property and it has value, you may be asked to release the equity in the property

Credit Rating  If you have a perfect credit rating, this will be damaged and you will not be allowed to take out more debt whilst in an arrangement

You must keep up with repayments  If you do not keep up with your monthly repayments, there is a risk you will be made bankrupt

Who qualifies for an IVA?

There is no office guidelines to who qualifies for an IVA. It is a legally binding, Government legislation designed to help all people. Generally speaking, insolvency practitioners (IP) will look at your situation if they think the IVA proposal they submit is beneficial to both yourself (the debtor) and your creditors. This often restricts people to a certain criteria which you will have to meet:

Over 5000 worth of unsecured debt You must have 2 or more creditors of 2 or more lines of credit Must live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland Must be insolvent Must be willing to pay at least 70 per month into their IVA Must have some type or types of regular income

What debts can I include in an IVA?

You can include a wide range of unsecured debts within your IVA. These include:

Credit card debt/credit cards

Loans/loan debt

Payday loans

Council tax arrears

HMRC debt

Overpaid benefits

Catalogues

Gas and electricity arrears

Overdrafts/overdraft debt

Water arrears

Income tax arrears

Debts to friends and family

Other unsecured debts

Note: If you are a resident of Scotland, you will need to apply for a Scottish Trust Deed (legally binding). Speak to our advisors for Scottish Debt Advice.

What debts cant be included in an IVA?

Secured loans

Your mortgage (if you still live in the house)

Car finance (if you still have the car)

Rent arrears for your current property

Court fines/Police fines

Hire purchase arrears (if you still have the product)

Log book loans (if you still have the vehicle that the debts are secured on)

Student loans

Other secured debts

What does I.V.A stand for?

IVA stands for Individual Voluntary Arrangement. It is a formal way to consolidate your debts into one affordable monthly repayment, resulting in the debtor becoming debt free at the end of their payments.

Can I apply for an IVA online?

Use the IVA Calculator to check your eligibility Prepare your IVA proposal and apply for your IVA. When your IVA is accepted, your creditors can no longer contact you. Pay 60 low monthly payments. After 5 years, you are out of your IVA and completely debt free.

Will an IVA affect my employment?

In most occupations, your credit rating or credit scoring is not a factor and it may never have been checked in the past, it may also be likely that it is not checked in the future either.

There is no law to tell you that you must advise your employer that you have entered an IVA or that you owe money. They will not be notified by your insolvency practitioner. If you wanted to keep it a private matter, in most cases this would be absolutely fine. With some roles such as financial advisors, solicitors or bank workers it may make up part of your contract to advise them of changes like this. In these situations we would advise to inform your employers of your intentions before you enter into any arrangements. This way there will be no nasty surprises for you later down the line. More often than not, we find that your employer would not be concerned by your IVA and that it would not affect your employment status. An IVA is a formal solution and could affect some employments, such as if you were a solicitor or accountant for example. We would always recommend that you receive approval from your employers that your job isnt affected before you sign up for anything.

Will an IVA impact my partner?

There are certain situations where you may not want to involve your partner at all in your IVA proposal due to personal reasons. Insolvency Practitioners are very aware of these circumstances and can operate solely via telephone and email and at your convenience, so rest assured that your matters can be kept completely private.

If the debts which you are looking to place into your IVA are in joint names, then this would be different. Your IP would look to place all of your debts into an IVA, including joint debts therefore you would have to inform your partner of your plans.

If your debts are solely yours, then there would be no negative impact on your partner, their credit score would remain unaffected and they would not be entered onto any registers or be tainted in any way.

Will an IVA affect my credit score/credit file?

Whilst you are in your arrangement, you will not be able to get any credit. An IVA will stay on your credit file for 6 years, so 12 months after a typical IVA. When this time has passed and your monthly payments have ended, you will be able to rebuild your credit rating.

What proof will I need to apply for an IVA?

Proof of ID  Passport/driving license/birth certificate/utility bills/national insurance identification/credit agreement Bank statements  3 months bank statements with all transactions displayed Proof of income  3 months payslips/P60/proof of benefits

How long does it take to set up an IVA?

Your initial call will only last around 5-10 minutes. The IVA process will be explained to you and you will be told what further information you will need to provide to proceed with your IVA proposal. Once you have returned the required information, an IVA will usually take between 7-14 days to get into place. You will be protected from creditors within this time, your advisor will provide you with documentation via email.

How long does an IVA last?

Most IVAs will last for a length of five years. The i v a will remain on your credit file for a period of six years and is placed on the Insolvency Register for that period. You can work out what date it will be removed from your credit file, it will be six years from the start date of the IVA term. So if the IVA started on 1 January 2000, it should be removed from your credit file six years from that date, which would be 1 January 2006. When you apply for an individual voluntary arrangement your Insolvency Practitioner (IP) will tell you if you qualify for an IVA, how long it lasts, how much it costs and provide you with any other debt advice which you may need.

How much will debt advice cost for an Individual Voluntary Arrangement?

The advice cost for individual voluntary arrangements is free of charge. Your I.V.A company will tell you if you qualify for an IVA. They will talk to you about your different debts, provide you with free debt advice and check if your creditors are likely to approve your proposal for your IVA for debt.

How does an IVA affect your life?

By taking out an IVA you may affect your overall financial position. You will not be allowed to take out credit for 6 years. You will struggle to get a mortgage or remortgage your existing property. It also may affect any future increase in earnings or windfalls you may receive, as these will need to be paid to your insolvency practitioner. Your insolvency practitioner will take control of your debts for this period, they will deal with all of your creditors and this is legally binding. That means you will not be allowed to take out any more debts whilst in the IVA.

Once the plan is completed, any debts which you accrue will be managed by yourself. Your ability to take out further debts in the future will not be impacted once the IVA has completed.

What is the IVA protocol?

The I.V.A protocol is a voluntary set of guidelines which your Insolvency Practitioner (IP) can sign up for which improves the efficiency of Individual Voluntary Arrangements. When you apply for debt advice, it is important that you understand the steps of the debt solution, so you can decide whether or not the solution is the best one for your circumstances.

How do I know if creditors will accept my IVA?

Generally speaking, most creditors will approve voluntary arrangements for unsecured debt. But some debts can not be included within one formal debt solution. Your Insolvency Practitioner will tell you how likely it is that your creditors will be willing to accept your proposal, based on the voting creditors.

Can I pay in one lump sum?

There are occasions when you may be eligible for a debt solution which is payable in a one off lump sum as a final settlement to your creditors. This is usually when the money is being gifted from some one else, or you have received inheritance or a windfall for example. With a one-off lump sum payment, the advice is usually the same as when you normally apply for an IVA. You wouldnt have to make regular payments into the solution, your IP can provide you with more advice on one off lump sum solutions for your debts. Your IP will provide you with more advice on the debt IVA and explain what is IVA to you.

Who regulates the debt industry?

At present the debt industry is not regulated. Some Insolvency Practitioners offices choose to sign up to the Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA) or register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You can contact the IPA using the contact details or email address on their website. Your creditors do not regulate the debt industry and your creditors will not be able to impact any decisions which the IPA or FCA make. In our experience, the regulators will take assertive action on any advisers or businesses which do not comply with their strict codes of practice. To check if a person is regulated by the FCA, enter their name into the search box in the FCA website.

Should I use a debt charity?

There are thousands of companies which provide debt help in the UK. You may be looking for an alternative to a private company. You should know that charities usually pass their fee charging products to sister companies which charge fees and disbursements, just like private companies. So what you initially thought was a good option, on further analysis could be different to what you originally thought. Charities do have their part to play though. They can help you if you have a problem with your bank accounts, maintenance arrears, living costs, credit reference agencies, child support arrears, bankruptcy, assets, accountancy issues, mortgages, creditor issues, insurance providers, mobiles, your bank account, rates arrears, PAYE contributions or if you want to work out your expenditure. They can make sure that you speak to an adviser or supervisor and look at proposals to offer your lender. A petition has started with the possibility of a debate in parliament about how charities represent themselves and their services.

Which charities help with debt?

You can contact Money Advice Service, National Debtline, Step Change, Shelter or a combination of the three. Charities are particular useful for a low debt level under 1,000. If the debt is high (such as a debt value of 10,000 or more) you would usually seek an assessment from a professional adviser. If you do decide to use a charity to guide you, make sure you check their charity number and the registration number on their website to make sure you are content that their team can answer your questions in the right ways. A lot of clients of charities have a minimum debt level which does not meet the basis for an IVA, so you could always chat to a charity that is happy to act on your behalf for low debt levels.

Although an I.V.A could be the answer to your debt problem, its important to understand the monthly payment so call us on our free phone number. Anyone customers can receive expert feedback on their rights from debt charities, if they cant help they will usually point you in the director of firms which help with IVAs.

We are homeowners, will lenders see my proposal differently?

In some cases yes. In the majority of cases, if you are a homeowner you will not need to remortgage or take out any additional finances that will effect your property. You will need to sign a additional restrictions which remove your ability to take out additional credit tied to your property, which is something that is restricted once you are in an i.v.a. There are exceptions to this, such as when you have a lot of equity in your property/properties. If you own half of a property and another party owns the other half, only your equity will be affected.

If you are landlord and you are in a position of equity, your IP may review your trading position or business to make sure the figures in question are in order. This is usually the case if you have two or more properties, as sometimes the equity can be used to form a repayment to your creditors. But this usually depends on the amount of value built up in your properties.

Banks and building societies will not change the terms of your mortgage as long as a contribution is still being made for the duration of your arrangement. Your mortgage payments will be added to your expenses and accounted for within your budget, as long as you can provide evidence that you can afford to continue to make payments into your mortgage for duration of the plan.

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business Bankruptcy Law a step closer to reality now The Lok Sabha passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2015 on Thursday. Once the law is implemented, resolutions will be speedier, and improve ease of doing buisness in India.
business Ex-Ranbaxy promoters fined $400mn for hiding info from Daiichi Malvinder and Shivinder Singh had sold their stake in Ranbaxy Laboratories to Daiichi way back in 2008, following which Daiichi-led Ranbaxy was forced to pay the US Department of Justice a sum of USD 500 million over non-compliance with US Food and Drug Administration's testing norms.
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business Opening a bank is easier than a restaurant: Pratip Chaudhuri The Reserve Bank of India has sought views on its draft guidelines for 'on tap' licensing of universal banks in the private sector. The former State Bank of India Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri also said it is easier to start a bank but difficult to run it.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the proposal.

New Delhi: India is considering setting up an independent panel to help state-owned banks negotiate settlements with big businesses on bad loans, in order to shield bankers from a populist backlash they say is hobbling efforts to clean up their balance sheets.

India's $121 billion troubled debt pile, over $100 billion of which is on the books of state-owned banks, has come under close scrutiny from prosecutors, the media and politicians. Some have blamed banks for going too easy on corporate tycoons, and do not want taxpayers propping up the struggling banking sector.

The proposal, being examined by the government and in its early stages, would give the panel power to define the "haircut" a bank should face on a loan gone sour, protecting bankers from critics who want failed Indian firms to pay back in full, two finance ministry and two central bank officials said. Bad debt has hampered banks' ability to lend, threatening to throttle a nascent economic recovery.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made repairing bank balance sheets his administration's "top-most priority," a senior government official said.

"Banks have been very reluctant to take a haircut where they face newspaper criticism," said a second senior official, who is familiar with discussions on the panel. He declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The second official added that the proposal had run into hurdles already, however, amid questions over how it would fit into India's existing legal framework. A finance ministry spokesman declined to comment. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the proposal.

Fear of bad headlines was one reason why state-run banks declined to consider embattled tycoon Vijay Mallya's offer to pay up to $900 million in tranches to settle about $1.4 billion his defunct Kingfisher Airlines owed, two banking sources said.

Mallya now also faces a money laundering investigation. Mallya told the Financial Times late last month that he wanted a "reasonable" settlement that he could afford and banks could justify. He has denied any wrongdoing. Bad loans have piled up as subdued consumer demand hits corporate earnings, making it harder for big businesses to repay loans.

Gaping capital hole

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has set a deadline of March 2017 for banks to clean up their books, and the government said it would inject $11 billion in state banks by March 2019 to help them repair their balance sheets.

India Ratings and Research, a local affiliate of Fitch, has said the government would have to cough up as much as $45 billion if the lenders failed to raise funds from markets to address expected future capital shortfalls.

Negotiated settlements, in which a bank takes a writedown on a loan gone bad, can help speed up the process. They would allow banks to more quickly establish how much money they would need to bolster their balance sheets.

All state lenders including State Bank of India, the largest, are trading at a steep discount to their book values. Healthier institutions would be able to raise money from the market, reducing the burden on taxpayers. Several finance ministry officials said stake sales were more likely once valuations of state-run banks improved.

Mahesh Patil, co-chief investment officer at Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co, said an independent panel for deciding haircuts on non-performing assets would accelerate decision making and help banks focus on their core lending business.

"As long as these issues are there, a lot of attention goes in terms of addressing the NPAs," Patil said. "The decision-making will be much better under an independent panel."

Panel Proposal

The proposal envisages setting up a panel comprising leading bankers and government and central bank officials, to review some larger outstanding loans and try to arrive at a settlement, finance ministry and central bank officials said.

There is also a suggestion to include judges, they added. The idea was first floated in 2014 after Modi took office, but did not gain much traction then, one of the finance ministry officials said.

It resurfaced at a two-day bankers' retreat in March where lenders saw it as a way of giving them some kind of insurance while breaking the logjam on bad loans, one of the central bank officials said. Banks are trying other means to reduce non-performing loans.

In March, for example, SBI asked industrialist Naveen Jindal's Jindal Steel and Power to speed up a deal to sell a power plant to JSW Energy, run by his elder brother Sajjan, to pare debt, several sources familiar with the matter said. The deal was announced on Wednesday.
Almost 19% (NZ$13.6 billion) of all NAB loans in NZ have been made to agribusinesses. Of these loans, 62% (NZ$8.4 billion) are to the dairy industry alone.

Dairy prices in New Zealand have fallen by more than half in the space of two years. This trend is not limited to NZ. As a whole, global dairy prices have fallen to six-year lows. At the Global Dairy Trade auction last night, overall prices fell another 1.4%, to US$2,203 a tonne.

Source: Global Dairy Trade

How does this affect NAB?

The decline in NZs dairy industry has forced National Australia Bank [ASX:NAB] to take action. NAB has had to add $522 million in new impaired assets. But the bank claims this hasnt added any bad debt on their books. The security offered by farmers is enough for NAB to expect no losses for the moment. But the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has warned that these losses could soon materialise. According to the RBAs April review:

Persistently low milk prices as well as a decline in dairy land values over the past year have increased the probability of defaults and likely losses on lending to the sector, especially if the banks assessments of borrower viability prove too optimistic.

Almost 19% (NZ$13.6 billion) of all NAB loans in NZ have been made to agribusinesses. Of these loans, 62% (NZ$8.4 billion) are to the dairy industry alone. NAB said 64% of their dairy portfolio is fully secured, while an additional 38% is partially secured.

Milk prices arent holding up

NZ commodity export prices have dropped 32% between their February 2014 peak and March 2016. Dairy prices have dipped more than 56% during this period. Westpac Banking Corporation [ASX:WBC] also pointed to a milk price stress in their half-yearly results on Monday.

Dairy giant Fonterra [ASX:FSF] recently dropped their forecast for milk prices by 20 cents this year. Previously, at $4.70, Fonterra had put a more realistic price of $4.50 per kilo for the current season. The total return to farmers is expected to be between $4.70 and $4.80. This is compared with $8.50 just a year ago. The recent forecasts suggest an earnings drop of about $6 billion for Fonterra farmers alone.

What does this mean for share prices?

Since Monday, NABs share price have been tracking well. Its climbed 4.7% higher, to $28.06 per share. And they could climb even higher as we trek into May. Yet the move lower in trade today was likely due to their half-yearly results for 2016.

Source: Google Finance

On a positive note, cash earnings were up 6.5%, to $3.31 billion. However, they also announced a statutory loss of $1.74 billion, reflecting discontinued operations. One-off items such as the demerger and initial public offering of Clydesdale and Yorkshire bank contributed to NABs losses.

Though small, NZ dairy will remain under the watchful eye of NAB.

Harje Ronngard,

Junior Analyst, Money Morning

PS: If you want to lay down a little money on the hottest corner of the ASX right nowbut you dont know your way around the small-cap sectorthis report is for you. Get access now (free).
The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana.
Childrens of Railway employees aged between 5 to 12 years will get full leave trave concession on train fare. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: Relaxing Leave Travel Concession (LTC) rules, the Centre will now reimburse full train fare incurred by its employees on purchase of tickets for their children aged between five and 12 years.

The move comes after Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) received several references from various ministries seeking clarification as to whether the full fare charged by the railways for reservation of berth for children between 5 years and 12 years shall be reimbursable while availing LTC facility.

The matter has been examined in consultation with Department of Expenditure, Finance Ministry.

Subsequently, it has been decided that for the family members of the government servant, aged between 5 years and under 12 years, the actual rail fare shall be reimbursed for LTC, as per the choice of rail tickets purchased by the government servant, an order issued by the DoPT said.

Ministry of Railways had earlier decided that in case of children above 5 years and under 12 years of age, for whom full berth or seat is sought at the time of reservation, full fare shall be charged.

The order said if a berth or seat has not been sought for such children at the time of reservation, then half of the adult fare shall continue to be charged.

This would be effective for travel with effect from April 10, this year. As per norms, a government employee gets to and fro journey cost reimbursement when he avails LTC.
Though Deepika's audition took place last month in Los Angeles, the makers of 'The Mummy' are yet to take a final decision.

Mumbai: Deepika Padukone, who is busy shooting for her Hollywood debut xXx: The Return of Xander Cage opposite Vin Diesel, has been auditioning for few other roles while being away from home.

According to a report in SpotboyE, the actress has auditioned for a pivotal role  that of an Egyptian girl  in Tom Cruises 'The Mummy'. The audition took place last month in Los Angeles.

A source close to the project said, They are looking at other options. Even if Deepika doesnt make the cut, the very fact that she was in the running for an important role in a Tom Cruise starrer is quite a high in itself.

Sadly, Deepika couldn't make the cut and failed the test.

Meanwhile, famous Hollywood makeup artist Hung Vanngo posted a video of her on his Instagram with the caption, "Looking flawless like this at 6AM should be illegal @deepikapadukone #DeepikaPadukone #BollywoodActress #HungVanngo #makeup"
May 05, 2016

One Way The White House Manipulates

A portrait of Obama's spokesperson and policy guru Ben Rhodes explains how government propaganda works. This part is about selling the Iran deal to the U.S. public:

As Malley and representatives of the State Department, including Wendy Sherman and Secretary of State John Kerry, engaged in formal negotiations with the Iranians, to ratify details of a framework that had already been agreed upon, Rhodess war room did its work on Capitol Hill and with reporters. In the spring of last year, legions of arms-control experts began popping up at think tanks and on social media, and then became key sources for hundreds of often-clueless reporters. We created an echo chamber, he admitted, when I asked him to explain the onslaught of freshly minted experts cheerleading for the deal. They were saying things that validated what we had given them to say. When I suggested that all this dark metafictional play seemed a bit removed from rational debate over Americas future role in the world, Rhodes nodded. In the absence of rational discourse, we are going to discourse the [expletive] out of this, he said. We had test drives to know who was going to be able to carry our message effectively, and how to use outside groups like Ploughshares, the Iran Project and whomever else. So we knew the tactics that worked. He is proud of the way he sold the Iran deal.

You can replace the "Iran deal" with "regime-change in Syria", "Russia's aggression" or some big trade deal the White Hosue wants to push through. It works the same way with every issue. Some experts in some (well paid) thinktanks get fed some juicy bits, they go out to cheerlead clueless reporters who then write whatever validates the various White House claims.

It is all test driven and works. Unless of course people have time and energy to inform themselves through other than the usual sources. Only few are able to do so.

Posted by b on May 5, 2016 at 19:19 UTC | Permalink

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More than 1,000 wine drinkers visiting from throughout the South Bay and farther took over downtown Morgan Hills streets April 30, glasses in hand, for the ninth annual Wine Stroll.

The event, organized by the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, aims to spotlight Santa Clara Valley wineries and local merchants and restaurants, while providing ticket holders with a fun experience in the company of family and friends both old and new. For the first time this year, the Wine Stroll featured arts and crafts vendorsa total of 11 who set up on Third Street, according to MHDA Vice President Kathy Sullivan.

Early attendees of the Wine Stroll, which took place throughout the afternoon, were mostly local, with one exception being Fernando Delsotto of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Delsotto, a software engineer, is in California for work, and his friends invited him to join them at the Wine Stroll.

Im just getting to know the wines from California, said Delsotto, who described those featured Saturday as very good.

Local couple Louise and Darryl Brothers said they have fallen in love with Morgan Hill and the surrounding wineries since they moved here about two years ago.

Were here to support the community and the local wineries, and the restaurants. Weve got good weather, good wine, good people. What more do you want? Darryl Brothers said.

Mark Knisley of beautiful San Martin is a frequent attendee of the Wine Stroll. This years event was at least his fifth consecutive annual Wine Stroll, he estimated. He showed up downtown April 30 by himself with a ticket, but quickly ran into some friends.

You see people you havent seen in awhile. You get to see what new stores are here, that maybe werent here a year ago, and you meet up with friends, Knisley listed the reasons why he enjoys the Wine Stroll. He said Clos La Chance winery is his favorite in the region.

Sullivan described the Wine Stroll as very successful with no unfortunate incidents reported. She added that this year, organizers added more tasting stops, which helped disperse the crowds. A total of 24 different wineries from Santa Clara County set up tasting stations at different restaurants and shops downtown.

The MHDA Wine Stroll takes place the fourth Saturday of April every year.
Teachers forced to rent rooms in strangers houses because thats all they can afford on their current salary. Educators taking on second jobs to pay their monthly bills, including the rising rental costs that eat up more than half their income. A revolving door of young teachers coming into Morgan Hill Unified School District, cutting their teeth for a couple of years and then moving on to a higher-paying gig at a different local school district.

These are the harsh realities of certificated employees for the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers who poured their hearts out and divulged personal hardships to district leadership and school board members May 3 in a push for higher wages.

Teachers should not accept the fact that struggling to pay rent is simply part of the teaching profession, said Britton Middle School teacher Jacob Goldman, one of about two dozen teachers who addressed the board Tuesday night. Teachers should not accept the fact that they will never be financially able to own a home of their own, ever.

All the teachers who spoke up May 3whether from Britton, Ann Sobrato High School, Barrett and P.A. Walsh Elementary Schools or Jackson Academy of Math and Musicpraised their work experiences since joining MHUSD. But several explained that they are either searching for new teaching opportunities elsewhere or leaving after accepting jobs in other districts that paid more and fully covered their health benefits (MHUSD teachers pay about $1,100 monthly premium for a family).

Unfortunately, I will not be returning next year, said San Jose resident Kayla Benton, a second-year mathematics teacher at Britton who is leaving for another teaching job in a more affordable area. I believe in living in the town you work in, especially when our job is about building communities.

Teachers, like Britton science teacher Jim Levis, even brought facts and figures to back their words. Levis shared the average teacher salaries: $74,000 statewide and $78,500 in Santa Clara County, compared to $69,000 in Morgan Hill. He also introduced the average home price as $440,000 statewide, but $840,000 in Morgan Hill.

If you are looking for highly qualified teachers.if you want to keep those teachers, I think we need to consider increasing that salary so that we reward the teachers for their hard work, Levis said.

Negotiations underway to modify existing contract

The local teachers union is currently operating under a 3-year contract, one that came with a 5 percent raise and approved by a 6-0 board vote in June 2015. However, in the spring they started new negotiations on designated articles of that agreement, which runs through 2018, including compensation.

Along with the local workforce, Jeff Freitas, secretary treasurer for the California Federation of Teachers and Ben Field, representing the South Bay Labor Council, spoke in support of their union brethren.

The teachers in this district are not able to make ends meet, Field said. Todays compensation structure is not competitive in this labor market. You are at the very low end of the spectrum.

A statewide teacher shortage, coupled with rising home prices and rental costs, has impacted districts throughout California. School districts with higher pay scales for employees and other perks such as no cost health benefits, first-year signing bonuses and even talks of subsidized teacher housing have made for a highly competitive market from an employers standpoint.

A first-year MHUSD teacher salary starts at $50,365.35, which is more than neighboring Gilroy Unified School District ($49,748 first year) but lower than other local school districts in Santa Clara County such as San Jose Unified ($53,358), Eastside Union ($54,131), Los Gatos Union ($55,053) and Fremont Union ($60,125). The wage gap increases with years of experience and the take-home pay magnifies with other districts covering medical benefits with little to no cost to the employee.

Trustee Rick Badillo said after the meeting that the salaries of other MHUSD district employees dont set a good example.

Its concerning to me that our administrators are near the top of the (pay) scale for comparable districts (while) the teachers are at the bottom of the same scale, said Badillo, adding that he heard their concerns but at the same time a contract is in place already thats still good for another two years.

Sobrato math teacher Mario Araujo is another second-year teacher at the lower end of the existing pay scale, which increases with years worked and credits toward higher degrees attained such as a Masters. Araujo explained he was forced to take an out-of-the-area summer job because it paid more and is necessary to pay bills.

My rent starting this June is going up and my salary is not. How am I going to pay those bills? said Araujo, who shares an apartment to split the monthly rent. Im here because math is my passion, but it is also my job.

MHFT President Gemma Abels, who also serves on the SBLCs executive board and as a local representative with the CFT, hoped that the teachers true stories of struggle opened the eyes of district leadership and board members as they continue with negotiations.

What is happening in this district is that we are continually building the foundation of a great teacher workforce; but when teachers leave, that foundation is weakened and we must rebuild it with new teachers each year, Abels said. A stronger salary schedule would mean a stronger foundation for us to build upon, not to rebuild every year.

Late the same Tuesday evening, Trustee Donna Ruebuscha retired MHUSD teachersaid: Certainly comments from our teachers tonight are very valid and heard.

Teachers should not accept the fact that struggling to pay rent is simply part of the teaching profession. Teachers should not accept the fact that they will never be financially able to own a home of their own, ever.
Mumbai: Kangana Ranaut and Amitabh Bachchan, who won National Awards for their films 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns' and 'Piku' respectively, bonded at the ceremony recently.

At the trailer launch of TE3N, Amitabh was asked to comment on her ongoing legal battle with Hrithik Roshan, he said, "Can't decide the behaviour of a person, or what he or she is going through, by sitting beside them... But I appreciate that women are empowered, they stand on their feet. We've always believed that women should have their own strength. Fifty per cent of the nations population, so there should be as many women and that much strength should be there. They should have importance in society and we have always believed that."

Read: Success is my sweet revenge: Kangana on being labelled whore, psychopath

Vidya Balan said, "I really think it is none of my business to be judging anyone but I have the greatest admiration for Kangana because she is standing up for herself. I think that is very creditable because as women we find it very easy to stand up for other people, our family members, children, husbands, parents but we rarely stand up for ourselves. She (Kangana) is standing up for herself, so kudos to her and more power to her for that."

From her ex Adhyan Suman calling her "psychopath" to people on social media trending "Characterless Kangana", Kangana has been mocked, derided by various sections as she has been fighting the case with the superstar.

However, Kangana hit back at her critics saying no amount of slamming will bog her down and she doesn't care about being called "psychopath or a witch."

The feud between Hrithik and his "Krrish 3" co-star turned nasty after they slapped legal notices on each other. Hrithik, who was the first to send the legal notice, has demanded that she apologise in a press conference and clear the air about their alleged affair which he firmly refutes.

A defiant Kangana 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.
Mumbai: Since the time another thriller from Sujoy Ghosh 'TE3N' has been announced, curiosity among the fans had arise. An intriguing trailer of the film was launched in the presence of Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan, director Ribhu Dasgupta and producer Sujoy Ghosh. Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who was busy with other professional commitments, didn't turn up for the launch.

When asked about the film, director Ribhu said, "When I went with the script to Sujoy, he told me how we will shoot the film since crowd in Kolkata which is a task to handle. There were about 5000-10000 people to see Mr. Bachchan daily."

Vidya Balan, who is playing a fearless cop in the film is quite elated about the film. "It's a special film for me since I am doing a special appearance (laughs). Mr Bachchan has been a constant inspiration. Sujoy and I share a very crazy equation. I felt like working with Ribhu because I totally loved the way he told a story. I had enough reasons to do this film. I have especially flown for the trailer launch," the actress said.

She further said, "I think there is never a thing like returning back to Kolkata since my debut film was in Bengali every before Paineeta. I love to show my Bengali side wherever I can. I even know few rhymes, songs and slangs in Bengali. Funnily people back there think that I am Bengali. Nawaz and I did Kahaani six years back and after that we haven't met. We again met on the sets of TE3N. It was great catching up with him since most of my scenes were with him. I even learned driving for this film and Sujoy was my instructor. I am playing a cop for the first time."

After 'Aladin', Amitabh Bachchan joined hands with Sujoy Ghosh yet again for 'TE3N', talking about the association, the actor said, "I and Sujoy go long back and we have always appreciated each other works. I was introduced to Ribhu by Anurag Kashyap. I did a TV series Yudh with him. He came up with the idea of TE3N. Ribhu actually came up with an another idea earlier which was set in Kerala but than TE3N happened. The film was suppose to shot in Goa but due to permission issues we shot in Kolkata. Sujoy was happy with this decision. I am delighted to work with Vidya Balan and Nawazuddin. It is great to see such young talent. I watch and admire them the way they perform. The story of the film was very unique. I want to thank the entire team to put this film together."

Amitabh further added, "Ribhu doesn't wanted me to be the same as in my earlier films. I am playing an Anglo Indian old man. I had to modulate my voice. Since I have done 'Piku' so I knew the dialect but when we did research on Anglo Indians, they hardly spoke Bengali. This film is different from 'Wazir' but there might be a similarity since both are mystery films. In Piku, I rode cycle but in TE3N I drove an old scooter. It was tough to make the balance."

The actor even got nostalgic and shared few anecdotes from his time in Kolkata, he said, "Not many know that my first ever job was in Kolkata in 1962 where I worked in coal mines for 7-8 years. A lot has been changed in the city. Many flyovers have been made now. I love eating puchka pani opposite to Victoria memorial. Several theatres where I used to watch movies have been demolished but the people are same as ever. They are very hospitable. I think the people are very cooperative during the shoot of the film."

On the recent controversial statements made by Amar Singh on Amitabh and Jaya, the actor said, "Amar Singh is my friend and he has right to say anything to me."
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To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.

Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
A recent federal decision has made sales data in the housing industry accessible to the public, which would open the floodgates for intensified competition according to a veteran analyst.



The Competition Tribunal ruled in favor of the Commissioner of Competition, which has argued with the Toronto Real Estate Board for years over the publics right to MLS information. The TREB, which maintained that free access to this data would be a violation of client privacy, encompasses around 40,000 GTA realtors that would now have to comply with the ruling.



Writing for MoneySense, licensed realtor Romana King argued that while the full effects of the tribunals verdict last week remain to be seen, the democratization of MLS data would lead to greater transparency and a more streamlined industry.



While many Canadian real estate agents may not agree, opening up sold data will actually help improve Canadas real estate industry; competition weeds out inefficiencies and creates innovation and in a multi-billion industry, thats welcome news, King wrote in her May 2 breakdown piece.



The analyst noted that removing the advantage of exclusive access to information, as was the situation prior to last weeks decision, would force industry professionals to adapt to a new environment characterized by readily available home sale prices.



Access to data wont be the only market change. Some industry insiders are suggesting that last weeks federal ruling will also help to open up the real estate sector to technological innovation, King said.



In recent years some online brokerages were fined or denied access to MLS for sharing too much information. Now, this new ruling would enable these tech-savvy online brokers to offer much more information and analysis about the market to buyers and sellers, possibly giving them a competitive edge, she added.



While the specifics of how the MLS data would be made accessible to the public remained unclear as of press time, the Commissioner of Competition assured that it is already in the process of ironing out the details to be released in the near future.
Marvels first Avenger returns for another spectacular superhero adventure in Civil War

 And we say, we like Pepsi better than Coke! What?! Dems fighting words! L to R: Black Panther/TChalla (Chadwick Boseman), Vision (Paul Bettany), Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), and War Machine/James Rhodey (Don Cheadle) prepare to square off against their fellow superheroes in a scene from CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. Credit: Film Frame.. Marvel 2016.



WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:











KEY CAST MEMBERS: Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Martin Freeman, Emily VanCamp, Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie with Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Marisa Tomei, Daniel Bruhl and John Kani.



WRITER(S): Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (screenplay); Mark Millar (comic book); Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (characters)





DIRECTOR(S): Anthony & Joe Russo



WEB SITE: http://marvel.com/captainamericapremiere

60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): Following up after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War does something most Marvel movies dont do: Flashing back in time to 1991 to find Joseph Buchanan Bucky Barnes in the control of Hydra agents being read a seemingly innocuous series of words that have a very specific purpose: Triggering the Winter Soldier, a near-unstoppable one-man killing machine capable of crimes on command.





The Avengers, however, have their own problem in the modern world: The Sokovia Accords, a document that 117 countries have come together to sign in favor of get the team under control given all the collateral damage they have done in New York, Washington, D.C., Sokovia and most recently Lagos in dealing with Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo), which has earned the ire of King TChaka (John Kani), ruler of Wakanda (the African nation where the vibranium comes from. If you dont know what vibranium is, youre watching the wrong movie. Anyway )





Iron Mans human alter ego Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) knows which side he is on. Its the same one his best friend James Rhodey Rhodes a.k.a Iron Patriot (Don Cheadle), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), the Vision (Paul Bettany) and now Secretary of State Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) is on: Putting the Avengers in check and signing off on the document. Unfortunately, Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans) is not  and neither is Wanda Maximoff a.ka. the Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Sam Wilson a.k.a. the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) nor the now-retired Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). But despite their objections, the countries are going to sign the document, making it a foregone conclusion that the worlds protectors must play by the rules or be subjected to the law lie anyone else when they wantonly break it.





Then theres a bombing in Geneva the day the accords are to be signed, which kills King TChaka, much to chagrin of his son TChalla (Chadwick Boseman). And to make things worse, the Winter Soldier is believed to be the culprit. So now, with the world placing blame on the Avengers for even more trouble, the suspected bomber being Steve Rogers former best friend Bucky Barnes whos been on the run since the events of the last Captain America film. So now, Captain America is trying to protect his friend and fight off the Sokova Accords, while Iron Man is trying to bring Cap in before the government does  and not in a nice fashion. And therein lies a bit of a conflict in terms of how far will someone go for friendship and does the end justify the means when people are dying in the process?





And that would be bad enough  But since no one is quite sure what in the world Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) is up and why, Captain America is going to have his hands full if he is to prevent the world from falling apart.





WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Fans of just about every other Marvel movie; Chris Evans fans; Robert Downey, Jr. fans; Chadwick Boseman fans; people who were worried about how Black Panther and Spider-Man would fit into the mix; people who love Stan Lees cameos



WHO WONT (OR SHOULDNT) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Pretty much anyone who still thinks D.C. makes better movies than Marvel and/or anyone who doesnt like superhero movies

SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? OK, show of hands  How many of you would have picked the Captain America franchise to be the one to turn out three terrific (dare I say classic) superhero films when you heard about Marvel Studios plans to make films centered around its core Avengers characters? Exactly. For while Captain America might be the oldest, he certainly was never considered to be the coolest of the bunch in the comic book world.





Now, not only is Captain America an essential part of the Marvel Universe, hes possibly its on-screen MVP, with Civil War being another top notch on his belt  or shield, as the case may be.



Civil War would work without the actors behind the characters layering and committing their respective selves to their roles as well as they do in the movie. Fortunately, directors Joe and Anthony Russo and their cast continue their excellent precedent set in The Winter Soldier by ACTING AS IF THEY ARE ADJUSTING TO THE WORLD and NOT AS IF THEY ARE ACTING IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE. If youve seen last summers disastrous Fantastic Four reboot, you know exactly what I mean. Instead of acting like they are doing something heroic, Evans, Downey, Jr. and company are simply trying to do what each thinks is best to secure the world. Yes, there are moments of cracking jokes and some really dynamic action sequences, but none of it would matter if the characters were not presented in a fashion were you felt their highs, lows and the relationships between them felt as real as possible. Civil War delivers on all those fronts to the point where you are emotionally invested in their individual outcomes, which is enhanced by the storytelling which never drags, features major incomprehensible sequences (looking at YOU, Batman Vs. Superman) and manages to tie up most if not all of its loose ends well. Say what you want about superhero movies; there is no way  and if I was to channel my inner Dwayne Johnson, no way! would work without the actors behind the characters layering and committing their respective selves to their roles as well as they do in the movie. Fortunately, directors Joe and Anthony Russo and their cast continue their excellent precedent set inby ACTING AS IF THEY ARE ADJUSTING TO THE WORLD and NOT AS IF THEY ARE ACTING IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE. If youve seen last summers disastrousreboot, you know exactly what I mean. Instead of acting like they are doing something heroic, Evans, Downey, Jr. and company are simply trying to do what each thinks is best to secure the world. Yes, there are moments of cracking jokes and some really dynamic action sequences, but none of it would matter if the characters were not presented in a fashion were you felt their highs, lows and the relationships between them felt as real as possible.delivers on all those fronts to the point where you are emotionally invested in their individual outcomes, which is enhanced by the storytelling which never drags, features major incomprehensible sequences (looking at YOU,and manages to tie up most if not all of its loose ends well.





Thrown in the grand introduction of a major character seamlessly into the mix and the interpolation of the one that many fans wanted to see in the main Marvel universe and Civil War hits high marks at every turn. Instead of being a typical good-vs-evil story, this is a battle of principles that turns high stakes and adds to the overall Marvel canon. Evans holds the Captain America mantle with ease and aplomb as the moral center while Downey, Jr. serves as the hotheaded-even-though-hes-calmer-and-less-impulsive perfect adversary (even though both should be concerned with someone else). Meanwhile, Bettany brings the Dr. Manhattan-like (yes, I DID mention a D.C. Comics character in a Marvel review in a positive sense!) nature of the Vision to life better than he did in Age of Ultron and Boseman does a strong job of establishing the man you can now look forward to seeing in two years in his own solo flick.





While the film is fairly serious in tone, subject matter and its battles, Civil War does feature some great joke exchanges of near Deadpool like quality (but NOT subject manner and language!) Rudd delivers giant comic relief as Scott Lang (a.k.a. Ant-Man) and Tom Holland may have found a way to master a role that some may have thought near impossible for another actor to make his own. To say much more about that would ruin how well things are tied together and excel  And that would be enough to cause a war between myself and anyone who reads this review.





But if youre still reading this, you likely havent figured out you need to just go see the movie, Im not sure what I can say that will. For Captain America: Civil War is another great Marvel flick  and one worthy of your time and interest  If youre into that sort of thing.





OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
Rani Mukerji and Pamela Chopra pose with the Yash Chopra statue along with Swiss ministers and senior bureaucrats.

Legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra has been honoured with a bronze statue at the heart of Interlaken, Switzerland. The late filmmakers wife Pamela Chopra and daughter-in-law Rani Mukerji were present at the event to unveil the statue.

Chopra, who captured the breath taking locales of Switzerland in his films for decades, was given this prestigious honour by the Swiss government. A sculpture made of pure bronze, and weighing about 350 kilos, shows Yash Chopra in his iconic pose with the camera by his side.

Switzerland honours Indian filmmaker Yash Chopra with a statue in #Interlaken. pic.twitter.com/7S0OtbNLoe  swissinfo.ch (@swissinfo_en) May 4, 2016

This statue has been installed at the heart of Interlaken, inside the Kursaal area. A prime, popular spot with tourists, the statue will remind many of the cinematic splendor that Yash Chopra had created for this picturesque nation.

Chopra, who passed away in October 2012, had first visited Switzerland during his honeymoon in 1970. He was a frequent visitor to the country, where he shot a number of films like Faasle, Chandni and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

Yash Chopra immortalized by Switzerland with his statue. https://t.co/6JPAgsSYmM pic.twitter.com/U2sT7ggFd0  Yash Raj Films (@yrf) May 5, 2016

Many ministers and senior bureaucrats from the Swiss government attended this inauguration with Pamela and Rani. According to swissinfo.ch, Pamela Chopra was quoted as saying, "He did some of the best work of his life here in Interlaken.

Rani, who took her baby Adhira along said, "It feels amazing that I am here with my daughter today, I really miss him."

Aditya Chopra was not present at the event. He is currently shooting for his next film Befikre, with Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor in Paris.
Her face lights up as she chats about her teams victory. Im happy about my team KKR winning the match in Bengaluru against RCB. Were on top right now, says Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla, adding, I travel to Bengaluru and Kolkata often for the matches, although the team is in good hands under COO Venky Mysore.

I love Bengaluru as I started my career with Premaloka, which I shot at the same time I was shooting QSQT. After Premaloka became a huge hit, I worked with the same actor-director Ravichandran in his film Kindar Jogi. Then we did another film Shanti Kranti. Now. Ive made a comeback and just shot in Bengaluru for a Kannada film song, she says.

Talking of her long drawn association with the Kannada film industry, Juhi reveals, Im playing myself in the film Pushpak Vimana. I play Juhi Chawla who is performing an item number, a very well shot song and dance sequence in the film, which showcases at a very crucial time in the story. Theres a twist in the plot during this song. The song is part of an annual day in a jail. Its also the 100th film of Ramesh Arvind and the last time worked together was in Shanti Kranti where he was cast opposite Khushboo and I was cast opposite Ravichandran.

Spilling beans on her recent shoot that brought her to Bengaluru, Juhi says, The song was shot at a studio here. Its a lovely track with a catchy tune. When I heard it for the first time I knew this is going to be superhit. They didnt tell me I was dancing initially and when I got there they showed me a few steps to dance on. Since I was doing this after so long, it didnt come easy, but soon I got into the groove and had a great time.

Juhi admits she loves coming to Bengaluru to meet her relatives and friends here. I love the citys green cover. I have friends and distant relatives here, she says.
Analysts from a number of financial institutions set their sights on Midlands Concho Resources as the company discussed its first quarter results.

Were operating in one of the toughest commodity price cycles weve experienced in the past 30 years, Tim Leach, Concho chairman, chief executive officer and president, said as the conference call began.

Weve responded with deep cuts to capital budgets. The U.S. rig count is at an all-time low since we began keeping records. Meanwhile, the industrys leverage is at historic highs. Lower 48 oil production is set to decline by nearly a million barrels per day in 2016, according to the EIAs current estimate.

Think about whats happened in our industry over the past two years: underinvestment and overstretched balance sheets mixed with a growing global population, a decline in U.S. oil production and a service sector thats been cut to the bone, Leach said. The long-term implications to the balance of supply and demand mean more volatility, not less. Amid that volatility were focused on the things we can control.

Dont expect the company to change its budget or rig count based on quarterly swings in oil prices, he said. Its steady as we go.

Leach told investors the company had delivered a strong quarter, including a third straight quarter in which cash flow exceeded drilling and completion spending. The company now expects to keep production flat with record-high 2015 levels this year, returning to double-digit growth in 2017, he said.

With its strong balance sheet, efficiency gains and quality asset base in four core areas  North and South Delaware Basins, Midland Basin and New Mexico Shelf  the company will be uniquely positioned for growth when the current down cycle ends, Leach told analysts.

He said Concho has been successful at improving efficiencies and listed new infrastructure allowing for more efficient saltwater disposal, drilling longer laterals, continuous tweaking of completion designs and a move toward more pad drilling among those successes. He estimated that 50 percent of Conchos drilling activity will involve multi-well pad drilling with three or four wells per pad.

Asked about the companys focus on its North Delaware Basin holdings, where 45 percent of its capital is expected to go this year, Leach said North Delaware Basin wells have been very, very strong.

We see the Midland Basin improving. Weve seen several efficiency breakthroughs. The Midland Basin is getting stronger and should compete with the Northern Delaware Basin; were on a trajectory to ramp up capital spending in the Midland Basin.

He sought to dispel the notion Concho was a Delaware Basin-focused company, pointing out that its 2008 acquisition of Henry Petroleum brought it a company that was among the first to move into the Wolfcamp on the western end of the Midland Basin.

For all our Delaware activity and New Mexico Shelf activity, the Midland Basin got lost in the bigger picture, he said.

The recent completion of a swap of acreage within the Southern Delaware Basin had an immediate impact on Concho, Leach said. The swap with Clayton Williams Energy brought 12,000 new acres and 350 more drilling locations around its core North Harpoon prospect and prompted Concho to immediately put two rigs to work.

The company plans to run an average of 14 horizontal rigs in 2016, with the uptick in activity coming in the back half of the year. Currently, Concho has an inventory of 30 drilled, uncompleted wells.

The additional infrastructure, lower diesel and trucking costs, lower labor costs and lower rental equipment demand and rates have helped the company lower its lease operating costs by 5 percent, the company reported.

Asked how Permian Basin service companies, which have been hard hit by the downturn, will respond when activity recovers, Leach said the Permian is in better shape to respond because the Permian is where all the equipment wants to come to. Our rig count is at historic lows and we have a ways to go to get back to half of where we were two years ago. It will take the industry some time to respond to increased activity. 
Early in the history of the worlds oil and gas industry, the Texas Railroad Commission wielded the ability to set crude prices. Currently, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries wields that ability.

But at least one Texas oilman believes the U.S. is poised to retake the crown as the worlds energy swing producer.

If you look at what happened when oil prices peaked and the bottom fell out, the U.S. reacted more quickly than other places. U.S. producers moved more quickly than state oil companies, said Dan Eberhart, chief executive officer of Canary LLC, in a phone interview from his Dallas office.

Already, domestic production has fallen below 9 million barrels a day in response to low prices and is forecast to fall further this year.

Eberhart dismissed concerns that U.S. oil companies could be accused of collusion if they try to coordinate production cuts to boost prices.

This is a bunch of individual companies reacting for their own economics, their ability to draw capital and provide returns to their shareholders, Eberhart said.

He said OPEC member nations have been afraid or unwilling to act.

The Saudis will act against their own economic interests if it pokes Iran in the eye, he said.

He called OPEC a paper tiger.

They have gone from producing 30 million barrels per day to 33 million barrels of oil per day. A cartel that increases production in the middle of a glut is non-active, he said.

The shale revolution that has seen the U.S. almost double its crude output in recent years has provided us a seat at the table weve not had for 30 or 40 years, Eberhart said.

That could lead to increased energy independence, he said. But it could also lead to more fits and starts in prices. With global oil markets more in balance, he said producers could see a medium-sized bandwidth of price levels, as opposed to peaks and valleys.

The reason is shale operators can be more reactive, including in the Permian Basin, he said.

If the Permian were its own country and an OPEC member, it would be a mid-size producer, he said.

The Permian Basin is stronger than the other dominant shale plays in the Bakken and Eagle Ford because it has a good mix of horizontal and vertical wells, as well as a good mix of shale and conventional production.

Factor in all that, and the Permian Basin has a large amount of upside, he said.

Even in the downturn, the Permian has been able to maintain production volumes and a semi-active oil field, Eberhart said.

Compared to the Eagle Ford and Bakken, the Permian has been more of a steady performer for us, and we operate in all three. Its cost per well is cheaper, he said.

The downturn has forced producers to push the fast-forward button, Eberhart said.

There is a normal production cycle curve, but theres also a technology cost curve. This oil bust has made people push the fast-forward button on the cost curve and move further down the curve than they would have, he explained.

When OPEC members decided in November 2014 to maintain production levels rather than cutting production levels to boost prices, thus accelerating the downturn, they didnt think it would take this long to cause this small amount of pain, Eberhart said.

The U.S. is more creative and resilient than OPEC thought. Sure, weve taken a beating, but were still standing, were still creating.

When prices fell to $26 a barrel in February, they were oversold at $25-$26-$27, he said. Now the market is close to getting back to balance with supply and demand equal in the back half of the year.

Eberhart acknowledged that the next 90 says will be tough, but I expect to put a few more people back to work.
Uber appears set to return to Midland. The City Council will consider an ordinance at Tuesdays meeting that amends an existing transportation-network company (TNC) ordinance to make it more business-friendly, At-Large councilman Spencer Robnett said.

Robnett said that he reached out to Uber after it ceased operations on Feb. 1 once the dust settled and they agreed they had gotten off on the wrong foot. They worked to streamline a process that addressed Ubers desire for less-burdensome regulations and the citys desire to create basic safety guidelines.

We decided to put that behind us and move forward working together to draft a new ordinance that made sense for Uber to bring them back to town and also (made sense) to the city of Midland, Robnett said.

Uber sent copies of other cities ordinances that they liked, and after reviewing them, Robnett said he agreed they were more conducive to Uber while maintaining basic safety protocol. The proposed ordinance is similar to ones developing between Uber and the cities of Odessa, Lubbock and El Paso.

(The amendment) places a lot of responsibility on Uber, and Ive got full faith that they are going to be able to do all of that, Robnett said. Uber as a company operates clean vehicles and safe drivers. They have a lot of incentives to operate efficiently and cost-effectively.

City documents indicate changes included:

-- removing a previous requirement that a TNC (such as Uber) require a monthly report of its drivers and their vehicles;

-- removing the licensing requirement for TNC drivers;

-- decreasing the TNC Permit Fee from $3,000 to $1,500;

-- decreasing the airport pickup fee from $2.50 per ride to $1; and

-- allowing for the city to audit a TNC yearly to ensure compliance.

Another change is that background checks on drivers will be performed only by TNCs.

They are required to provide a certification from a company that specializes in background checks that they performed a background check annually... and allows the city to audit a random sample of their drivers to confirm that theyve performed (background checks), Robnett said.

Documents obtained from the city of Midland also show that a vehicle does not have to adhere to standard vehicle requirements or specifications. The TNC ordinance currently in effect prohibits drivers from using vehicles manufactured before a certain year or that exceed a certain mileage.

Per city documents, a TNC is a company that facilitates ride-sharing services through a software application or a digital network.

Uber sent a letter to city officials stating that if the ordinance was amended, it would begin operating in Midland again, according to Robnett.

Uber released the following statement to the MRT: We are encouraged by the city councils willingness to update the ride-sharing ordinance. The new proposal upholds strong safety standards while preserving peoples access to flexible earning opportunities. We are hopeful that the council will adopt this updated version so the people of Midland can once again press a button to request a ride and make money.

Robnett said that in the two years he has been on city council, the issue hes received the most feedback on is Uber and residents wanting the TNC to return.

Other council members also heard feedback, he said.

We heard loud and clear that they wanted Uber back in Midland, Robnett said.

Taxi companies will most likely have their competition increased if Uber and other TNCs operate in Midland, which Robnett believes is a good thing.

Taxi drivers must pass a background check and indicate they are clearly a taxi cab driver on their vehicle, facts that Midland taxicab companies voiced last year at city council hearings for the existing TNC ordinance.

Uber operated in Midland beginning last fall and participated in the crafting of the TNC ordinance passed in December. The ordinance included a monthly report to the city of drivers and their vehicles to cross-check with police reports, which Uber proposed in lieu of requiring a second background check done by the Midland Police Department, according to previous Reporter-Telegram articles.

When the regulations went into effect on Feb. 1, Uber announced to its customers, employees and city officials that it was leaving because of the ordinance, namely the monthly report, according to the articles.

A change.org petition -- Bring Uber back to Midland -- was launched shortly after Uber stopped operating in Midland and garnered 1,605 signatures. Providing a safe alternative to drunken driving and supplemental income in an economic downturn were two of the major reasons Uber should be allowed to operate, according to petitioners comments.

Uber also withdrew from Galveston and Corpus Christi since February, citing burdensome city ordinances.

In Austin, voters will go to the polls on Saturday to decide on a Uber measure. If Proposition 1 is rejected, city council regulations for fingerprint-background checks will stay in effect for TNCs. Uber and Lyft said this outcome will lead to their departures. If it passes, Uber, Lyft and other ride-share businesses will operate virtually unregulated, unlike taxi drivers.

The one Texas city that has created and enforced stricter guidelines without Uber ceasing operation is Houston, which currently requires Uber drivers to be fingerprinted and pass a separate background check. However, Uber said April 27 that it would cease operations if city officials did not overturn the fingerprint requirement.

The Midland ordinance could be amended at either of the two city council readings that it must pass before going into effect.

Follow Cassie on Twitter at @Cassie_Burton51
The Reporter-Telegram on Tuesday reported that beleaguered teen clothing retailer Aeropostale would not shutter its location in Midland Park Mall, and closure lists published Wednesday morning by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and others indicated the Tall Citys store will remain open.

Aeropostale Inc. is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and will close 113 of its 739 U.S. stores and all 41 of its locations in Canada, according to an Associated Press report Wednesday.
Checking Out Tom Platz - Just Before He Retired

Written by Peter McGough

05 May 2016

TBT 1987 - Checking Out Tom Platz

Just Before He Retired

MAY 1987: In the lead pic, a bespectacled me (on right) is checking out Tom Platz at Redhill Leisure Centre, Nottingham, UK. In centre is the late and irreplaceable competitor, gym owner and IFBB judge, Bill Boyd. This was during Toms annual tour of UK, where Bill would drive him from venue to venue. My wife and I staged the Nottingham seminar at Redhill Leisure Centre, which was held that evening.

The next day he told me he was thinking of retiring and a few months later having failed to qualify for the 1987 Olympia at the Detroit Pro he did. Last year we remembered that 1987 conversation as follows:

Peter McGough: So in 1987 you said you were thinking of retiring and you did. You once told me you would die trying to win the Olympia. What transpired for you give up that dream?

Tom Platz: I remember I told you in May 1987 I was about to retire. I was realizing it then Peter, with you there as a friend -- Im getting chills talking about this. Back in 1982 or so I had a cabinet made just for the Sandow trophy; it represented everything to me. And I came to realize I would never fill that cabinet and never did. That being said it was so much part of my dream that I only got rid of it a couple of years ago.

But the decision to retire I guess was fuelled by walking around, all the time having a gym bag full of posing trunks and different copies of Ride Like the Wind and Twist and Shout and for 20 years doing the same thing. Of flying somewhere every weekend for a decade to guest pose. And as financially rewarding as it was and as gratifying as it was to be treated like a rock star, it was time to try something else. It was never about the money. Granted, I enjoyed the money; to make 20 grand a month [worth $40,000 today] posing and selling t-shirts and pictures, that was pretty good.

Not to compare myself but why did Jerry Seinfeld stop doing his show? They offered him more money, millions and millions of dollars more, and he said, No, Ive got to do something different. And, most of us thought, Why did he do that? He was successful at doing that. But, he did it for so long and he was so good at it, he wanted to give himself another challenge.

I believe firmly that when youre uncomfortable that is when you grow. And, I was becoming more and more comfortable with the stage, to the point where I could walk on in less than good shape and still provoke the audience. And, Im not trying to pump myself up here, but Im just trying to be truthful to the experience. It was a craft; an organic acting experience, and it was very important and meaningful to my life and my existence. And, it was very sad to say, Im not going to do it anymore. But, much like being the anointed zombie in 1977, coming out to California, I was now the anointed zombie going, Its time to close the door, or pull the cord. Not forget, but just apply it to another arena in life. Nothing lives forever.

And so a force of nature left the stage nearly 30 years ago, never to return. But his onstage charisma and offstage demeanor left an indelible, unique and unforgettable impression on all who saw him. There was only ever one

Tom Platz and we will never see his like again. Today he lives in Southern California with his wife of 15 years Cha and the couple are idyllically happy



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Telugu cinema can dream big now: Krish

For an industry that is considered relatively small compared to Bollywood, Kanche has gone far. Today thanks to Rajamoulis Baahubali, Telugu cinema can dream big. I dared to dream with Kanche. I am daring to dream even bigger, much bigger for my next film. I had never worked on a film with such a budget (for Kanche) before. As I received the National Award I felt happy that the barriers between Bollywood and regional cinema are dissolving. I also received a cash prize which Ive donated to the Indo-American cancer society.

The director also Tweeted: I'm donating d Natl Awrd prize money to Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hosp which treated my mother & many with utmost care n excellence (sic).

 Krish (won the best Telugu film, for Kanche)

Want to guard my humility: Neeraj

Its an incredible honour to receive the award from the President of India. After the Cannes win, the National Award feels great. Alongside extreme gratitude for what all has happened to me so far in my film career, I want to guard my humility and honesty.

As I walked up to get the National Award from the President, I felt happiness, contentment and a feeling of great pride in being Indian.

 Neeraj Ghaywan (won the best debut director, for Masaan)
In an attempt to intimidate his nephew, Aemond threatened to take out Lucerys' eye and later went after the young prince on dragon's back. The situation escalated to a bad one when Lucerys' dragon Arrax blew fire on Aemond's dragon Vhagar.
Some men with limited life expectancy may have needed biopsies because they had painful symptoms. (Photo: AP)

About one in five elderly U.S. men get invasive tests to look for prostate tumors even though they may not live long enough to benefit from treatment, a recent study suggests.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a government-backed panel of independent physicians, in 2008 recommended against routine prostate cancer tests for men at least 75 years old or with a limited life expectancy.

The USPSTF cited concerns that widespread screening often caught harmless tumors that didnt need treatment and led to unnecessary procedures with side effects like impotence and incontinence.

But when researchers reviewed data on 3,035 men over 65 who received prostate biopsies from urologists in Michigan in 2013 and 2014, they found 18 percent of these patients had a life expectancy of less than a decade.

Some men with limited life expectancy may have needed biopsies because they had painful symptoms, said senior study author Dr. Khurshid Ghani of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Or, Ghani said, they may have had elevated blood levels of a substance called prostate-specific antigen (PSA). But PSA levels cant reliably distinguish between dangerous tumors and tumors that are growing so slowly that they dont need treatment, he added.

Men with a limited life expectancy and a minimally elevated PSA, with no symptoms, and a normal prostate on clinical examination are unlikely to benefit from a biopsy, Ghani added by email.

At least half of the men in the study were about 74 years old, and they were typically overweight. The men with limited life expectancy tended to be older and have more medical problems.

Across 42 locations in Michigan that participated in the study, the proportion of biopsies done on men with limited life expectancy ranged from about 4 percent to 39 percent.

Overall, 547 men with limited life expectancy received prostate biopsies, the researchers report in the journal European Urology. These men were a bit older and, compared to men with longer to live, they had significantly higher PSA levels as well as abnormal results from rectal exams, the study found.

Biopsy results led to a prostate cancer diagnosis for 69 percent of men with limited life expectancy, and within this group 74 percent received treatment - but fewer than half had aggressive tumors.

One limitation of the study is that some tools for estimating life expectancy can be cumbersome, and many doctors may not use them to determine whether patients needed biopsies, the authors note.

Even so, older men also tend to have higher PSA levels and are more likely than younger men to have enlarged prostates for reasons that are benign or due to slow-growing tumors, said Dr. Victoria Tang of the University of California, San Francisco, and the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

Men with limited life expectancy should not be getting a prostate biopsy if a diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer will not improve the quality or length of life, Tang, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email.

For these men, it makes sense for doctors to be selective about ordering a biopsy, said Dr. Quoc-Dien Trinh, a urologist at Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston who wasnt involved in the study.

For example, I am not interested in diagnosing low-risk prostate cancer in a man who is 85 with three recent heart attacks, Trinh said by email.

In a perfect world, doctors would be able to accurately pinpoint exactly how long it might take for tumors to have an effect on patients lives and objectively compare this to the competing risk of death from other causes, said Dr. Alexander Kutikov, a researcher at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia who wasnt involved in the study.

In reality, we are still in the Wild West era with regard to our abilities to accurately assess risks surrounding each disease, Kutikov said by email. Indeed, predictive models for cancer prognosis and life expectancy are far from perfect, while effects of many treatments are not wholly known.
Ramgarh: A 31-year-old B.Ed student was shot dead outside her college at Ramgarh with one of her hands found severed.

Sonali Murmu, a married woman, was allegedly being harassed by one Suken Mandal of Dumka for long who had even threatened her after marriage, Superintendent of Police, M Tamilvanan said.

Prima facie, it appeared to be Suken Mandal's handiwork as he was in love with her, the SP said, adding Mandal is absconding.

Sonali's husband Chitranjan Tudu used to drop her to college, about 15 km from her in-laws place, everyday on a motorcycle. On Wednesday, her brother-in-law Naresh Tudu, had dropped her to college.
Someone should sue the President for ...
Policemen who failed to carry out their duty when the incident came to light on Monday.(Representational image)

BENGALURU: A police inspector and a head constable from the Channammanakere Acchukattu police station were suspended on Tuesday night after the city police commissioner ordered a departmental inquiry into the kidnap, molestation and attempt-to-rape case involving a 22-year-old North-eastern woman on the night of April 23 in Kathriguppe.

The suspended officials are Inspector Sadashivayya and Head Constable Ramchandrayya. The C.K. Achchukattu police station did not have an inspector for four months and Sadashivaiya had taken charge only 15 days ago.

The policemen were suspended after Home Minister G. Parameshwar directed the city police commissioner to submit a report against the policemen who failed to carry out their duty when the incident came to light on Monday.

The PG owner, Manjunath, informed the police about one of his boarders being attacked, but the Head Constable Ramachandraiya and Inspector Sadashivaiya did not take it seriously, said DCP (South) B.S. Lokesh

The accused, Akshay, who was arrested on Monday night and was produced at the house of Koramangala ACMM Court Judge on Tuesday evening, was remanded to 14-day judicial custody.

Akshay is a repeat offender and was arrested last year (under IPC Sec 307) for assault on and attempt to murder Shashi, during a Ganesha procession on Kathriguppe Main Road. The Channammanakere Achchukattu police had his name in their rowdy-sheet. During a rowdy parade on April 13, he was called up at his current address, asked about his current occupation and was told not to indulge in any anti-socila activities, a police officer said. The South division police have sent a request to the magistrate for recording the statement of the survivor on Wednesday, a senior police officer said.
Chennai: Results of DNA tests have come to the rescue of a youth in a rape case here. A Mahila Court acquitted him from a case of allegedly raping his aunts daughter and impregnating her in 2009. The girl delivered a child.

According to prosecution, a woman was suffering from cancer and undergoing treatment. To assist her, a close relative sent her daughter, aged 14, and studying in Class VIII, to the womans house.

The womans son, P. Santhosh alias Sathiyan, 22, befriended the girl. When she attained puberty, the woman assured her relative that her boy and the girl would get married. Thattu Varisai was exchanged in an informal manner at the function.

Then, Santhosh impregnated the girl and later refused to marry her. The victim delivered a girl child in March 2010. Based on a complaint by the victims mother, Secretariat Colony police station registered a case against Santhosh under sections 376 (Punishment for rape) and 417 (Punishment for cheating) IPC. He was in jail for 90 days.

Challenging the prosecution allegations, Santhoshs senior counsel, A. Sirajudeen, submitted that the first DNA test showed that the accused was not the father of the child.

Subsequently, on Madras high courts directive, a second DNA test was conducted. The result of the test again revealed that Santhosh was not the biological father. The result co firmed that the girl was the biological mother of the child.

Acquitting the accused, Mahila court judge R. Kalaimathi said, DNA test is of course a strong piece of evidence. It is not possible to ignore DNA test results, which were negative. And, the result is a big dent on the prosecution case. Under the circumstances, the evidence of the girl cannot be taken as reliable and trustworthy.

Viewed from all angles and totality of the circumstances, both oral and documentary evidence, the evidence of the girl does not inspire confidence, especially with the interference of DNA test reports. Hence, the prosecution has not proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. Santhosh is found not guilty of the alleged offences, the court said.
The first documented US based Cinco de Mayo celebration was held 154 years ago in Columbia, California.

The former President of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Gary Neubert, was Thursdays Newsmaker of the Day.

According to Neubert, that first celebration wasnt even on the fifth of May. The news of the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, took a few weeks to finally reach the Mother Lode.

Once word reached Columbia, via newspapers from San Francisco, a spontaneous celebration broke out. The date was May 27th, 1862.

According to a paper published by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture regarding the origin of the observance of Cinco de Mayo in the United States, Far up in the gold country town of Columbia (now Columbia State Park) Mexican miners were so overjoyed at the news that they spontaneously fired off rifle shots and fireworks, sang patriotic songs and made impromptu speeches.

So will there be a celebration tonight for the 154th anniversary of Cinco de Mayo in Columbia?

Neubert said, Not town-wide. We tried to stir interest a few years ago during the 150th anniversary and for the most part, people here today just dont find it to be a big deal.

So while there are large celebrations nationwide on this Thursday May 5th 2016, downtown Columbia itself (unlike 154 years ago) will likely remain fairly quiet tonight.

For more information about the Columbia Chamber and the numerous Chamber sponsored events that take place in Columbia log onto http://www.visitcolumbiacalifornia.com

You can also call (209) 536-1672.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard each weekday morning on AM 1450 KVML at 6:47, 7:47 and 8:47am.
Statewide Conservation Savings Chart, through March 2016 View Photos

Sonora, CA  While state water officials mull over relaxing water conservation standards this month the latest data shows Californians are still reining in water use.

According to the State Water Resources Control Board, across the state, residents collectively squeezed nearly twice in water savings over the month of March than they did in February. March savings came in with a 24 percent improvement over the same period three years ago; 2013 is used for measurement purposes as the benchmark year.

Board Chair Felicia Marcus called the March result a stunningly welcome number for the time of year. However, she notes, Its not time yet for a droughts over party. That said, March brought us much needed rain and snowstill less than average but huge compared to the worst in 500 years, which is where we were last year.

Hold The Hall Pass

Subsequently, Weve gotten a bit of a reprieve, but not a hall pass, Marcus states. Now we are figuring out how to appropriately adjust to a better but not ideal situationwe may not need the same levels of conservation as last year, but we still need to keep all we can in our reservoirs and groundwater basins, in case this winter is just a punctuation mark in a longer drought.

In locally reported figures, Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD) and Groveland Community Services District (GCSD), whose standards were last month reduced to 21 percent, show respective cumulative savings of over 30 and 27 percent when compared to 2013. For March, TUD reported a 12 percent improvement in water savings compared to March 2013; GCSD showed an increase of 23 percent. Calaveras County Water District (CCWD), which was reassigned a 13 percent conservation rate, reported just over 28 percent in cume savings, and over 27 percent for the month of March.

The Water Board, following stakeholder meetings, conference calls, a public comment period and a public workshop April 20, plans to shortly release draft regulatory language on new standards with an eye on adopting them May 18. If approved, the new measures would become effective June 1. Water Board staff reports that, during the engagement period, common themes included requests to exempt suppliers those water sources were deemed adequate to meet normal demand, and recognition of suppliers past performance in reducing customer demand beyond the conservation target.

TUD: One-size Does Not Fit All

During the comment period TUD General Manager Tom Haglund chimed in with the districts thoughts as to how the emergency regulation standards might be rescinded or extensively relaxed, based in part, on this past winters snowpack readings and the unique method under which TUD obtains its water supply. As he detailed to the board, TUDs supply resets itself each year, based upon precipitation and snowpack. As long as the latter is sufficient to both fill and spill from the Pinecrest and Lyons reservoirs, the district is able to receive its full contractual allocation of water from PG&E for consumptive and agricultural water uses, without impacting other uses.

In his communication, Haglund stated, [TUD] believes that the broad brush approach of the original Emergency Regulation, adopted amidst sustained weather patterns that reasonably forecast no substantial precipitation in California generally, has served its purpose, but should be substantially modified from the current one-size fits all scheme. While the original Emergency Regulation substantially conserved water during a period in which hydrological replenishment was notably absent, the regulation nonetheless also imposed economic harm to water purveyors, local economies and customers, and is no longer necessary in its current form in Tuolumne County and many other areas of the state as well.

Also on record for weighing in, 5th District/Mother Lode Assemblymember Frank Bigelow, in tandem with 6th District Assemblymember Beth Gaines, co-authored a letter echoing similar arguments. Both requested that the board acknowledge and accommodate regional differences in local water supplies as it contemplates extending mandatory conservation requirements.
California Supreme Court Building View Photos

Sacramento, CA  The California Supreme Court will hear arguments today regarding a lawsuit aimed at a ballot measure being pushed by Governor Jerry Brown.

The Governors initiative would allow for the early release of some state prisoners that were convicted for non-violent crimes. It would also require a judge, and not a prosecutor, to determine if a juvenile should be tried for a crime as an adult in certain situations. Browns initiative was merged with a related ballot measure, focused soley on juvenile crimes, that was already going through the review process. It was a way to speed things up and ensure that it appears on the November ballot. However, a lawsuit filed by the California District Attorneys Association argues that the measure needs to go through the full review, and should go back to start line. Oral arguments begin this morning and a ruling is expected in the weeks ahead.
New Delhi: The Home Ministry has asked the Law Commission to deliberate on the issue of criminalising marital rape, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

"The Ministry of Home has requested the Law Commission to deliberate upon the subject of marital rape during the course of its comprehensive review of Criminal Justice System," Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said in a written reply.

The minister said that the Pam Rajput Committee had made certain recommendations for safety of women which also included criminalisation of marital rape. The recommendations of the Committee had been sent to the concerned ministries/departments for taking action, she said.

"Ministry of Home Affairs has informed that the Law Commission of India, while making its 172nd Report on 'Review of Rape Laws' in March 2000, did not recommend criminalisation of marital rape.

"However, the Justice JS Verma Committee, while giving its report on 'Amendments to Criminal Laws' in January 2013, recommended that the law ought to be amended to delete the marital rape exception," she said.

"The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs presented its 167th Report on their Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012 in the Rajya Sabha on March 1,

2013. While giving its report the Committee, inter alia, considered both the 172nd Report on Review of Rape Laws given by the Law Commission of India and the Report of Justice JS Verma Committee," Gandhi said.

The Committee deliberated on the amendments to section 375 of IPC including the issue of marital rape and observed that if it is brought under the law, the entire family system will be under great stress and the Committee may perhaps be doing injustice.
Project developer apparently has offered to give up the entire 5.85-acre as any land acquisition here will derail their project plans. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: The six-lane skyway project at the Jubilee Hills Checkpost has hit a roadblock in the form of the Jubilee Hills Landmark Project. The government needs to acquire nearly an acre from Landmark but the project developer apparently has offered to give up the entire 5.85-acre as any land acquisition here will derail their project plans.

In the costliest real estate deal in the city in 2006, the ICICI Ventures-led consortium had purchased the land for a whopping Rs 335 crore from the government. The consortium is now seeking up to a Rs 800-crore compensation to hand over the land. While the cost of the skyway has been pegged at Rs 500 crore, the government feels paying a `800-crore compensation would make the project financially unviable.

The government is exploring other options like offering alternative land on the citys outskirts similar to what was done by the Rosaiah government in undivided AP in 2010 when it offered 3.12 acre to Kurnool MLA T.G. Venkatesh near Shamshabad airport, when his land was acquired for the Outer Ring Road.

The government has offered alternative land on the citys outskirts in lieu of the existing land. But the consortium is not in favour of this since the project they had envisaged on this site would be suitable and viable only at Jubilee Hills.
Raging wildfires in the Canadian province of Alberta have moved south, forcing three more communities to evacuate and an emergency operations center to move again  taking it far from the devastated oil sands city of Fort McMurray.

In Alberta, Canada, a massive, raging wildfire has moved south

Fire has forced three more communities south of the country's main oil sands city to evacuate.

Fire has forced evacuations of more 80,000 people and torched 1,600 homes and other buildings in Fort McMurray.

The Alberta government said Thursday that more than 1,110 firefighters, 145 helicopters, 138 pieces of heavy equipment and 22 air tankers were fighting a total of 49 wildfires, with seven considered out of control. Officials said conditions remained extreme and that strong winds were helping spread the fire.

The communities of Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation, an aboriginal reservation, were evacuated overnight after the wildfires moved south. The fire has already forced the evacuation of more than 80,000 people and torched 1,600 homes and other buildings in Fort McMurray. There have been no injuries or death from the fires. The province of Alberta declared a state of emergency.

"Homes have been destroyed. Neighborhoods have gone up in flames. The footage we've seen of cars racing down highways while fire races on all sides is nothing short of terrifying," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Parliament on Thursday, calling it "the largest fire evacuation in Alberta's history."



Trudeau called on all Canadians "to support our friends and neighbors at this difficult time," saying the federal government will match individual charitable donations to the Red Cross.



Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. Fort McMurray is surrounded by wilderness in the heart of Canada's oil sands  the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.



The emergency operations center relocated southward for the second time in a day and is now in Lac La Biche, Alberta  about 175 miles (280 kilometers) south of Fort McMurray. In the early hours Thursday, weary evacuees from Fort McMurray were sitting on buses headed for the provincial capital of Edmonton after being forced out of their temporary shelter in nearby Anzac.



They had arrived in Anzac late Tuesday after being evacuated from their homes 30 miles (50 kilometers) north in Fort McMurray. On Wednesday morning, the Anzac recreational center was a bustling hub filled with people, tables of food and rows of cots. By that evening, it was eerily silent and empty. North-bound traffic on the main highway to Fort McMurray was restricted to emergency vehicles and other essential travel. Emergency fuel stations have been set up on the highway.



There was some good news  Fort McMurray's water treatment plant was saved, and Scott Long of Alberta Emergency said the downtown core was being held "through some Herculean efforts" of firefighters. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley flew up to survey the situation firsthand, and tweeted "heartbreaking" pictures of the fire from above. As high as her helicopter was, she said the plumes of smoke reached even higher.



About 10,000 evacuees moved north, where oil sands work camps were being pressed into service to house people. But the bulk of the evacuees fled south to Edmonton and elsewhere, and officials said they eventually would like to move everyone south.



The fire has dealt a blow to the region's crude production, with companies curtailing production or stopping it altogether. Nexen shut down its Long Lake facility, just south of Anzac, to ensure the safety of staff in the event that the fire reaches the site.



Shell said it has shut down production at its Shell Albian Sands mining operations about 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Fort McMurray  so it can focus on getting families out of the region. Suncor, the largest oil sands operator, said it is reducing production at its regional facility about 15 miles (25 kilometers) north of the city. Syncrude also reduced the number of people working at its Mildred Lake mine.



Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.


Only in Florida! A 200-pound alligator was spotted on a busy street in Palm Bay Thursday and had to be captured.

Gator spotted on Babcock Street in Palm Bay

Trappers had to catch the gator

The animal was 10 feet long

In phone video provided by Cory Luke, you can hear about 15 people screaming in the background as a trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission tried to catch the alligator.

Cory Luke said the gator was about 10 feet long. He was spotted taking a stroll on Babcock Street in Palm Bay late Thursday night.

Im backing up in case he breaks free, said an onlooker.

Luke saw what was happening and pulled over to shoot the commotion.

It happened like right in front of that house right there, said Luke.

I see a cop car just parked on the side of the road, and I pulled past the cop car and there was a giant alligator sitting there, said Luke.

Cory also said he thinks the alligator could have come from a nearby canal. The last time he went fishing in the canal he said he spotted five gators.

It was laying all the way across the road, almost into the other lane, said Luke.

The city of Palm Bay cant stop talking about the infamous gator and the video that is going viral.

123,000 views and 2,900 shares, said Luke.

Cory said the experience has inspired him  and he now wants to work for Florida Fish and Wildlife.

FWC said if the gators are considered nuisance alligators they are removed from the area. To learn more head to the FWC website.
Residents in east Orange County are being told they have to get their water re-tested after initial results showed high levels of a chemical byproduct.

Preliminary results of tests on water for 18 Wedgefield homes show high levels of THM

Orange County insisting on a second test

Pluris, private water company, has had complaints before

Preliminary test results in the Wedgefield neighborhood showed no lead or bacteria in the water, but high levels of Total Trihalomethanes, or THM, a chlorine by-product.

The tests were conducted by Orange Countys Department of Environmental Protection, at Commissioner Ted Edwards request earlier this month.

Its not something we should have to worry about in our county, said Jessica Kohl. Its not something we should have to worry about in our state or our country right now.

Kohl and her family moved to Wedgefield four years ago, unaware of water concerns -- only the prices.

[Pluris] kept on raising the prices and we werent really sure what the money was going towards, she said.

Kohl said the utility company, Pluris, only mentioned costs were associated with infrastructure.

PREVIOUS STORY: Wedgefield water tests reveal troubling results

Kohl said her family got energy efficient, replacing items like hot water heaters and washers in their home. They decreased water flow with every toilet flush and made sure their pool and irrigation systems were instead hooked up to a well.

While it made a dent, Pluris raised rates again, now to $7.76 per thousand gallons.

Kohl said thats not their biggest concern now.

To me, its not safe drinking water for me. Its not safe drinking water for my daughter, she said. If we go take a bath, take a shower, we still have a chlorine smell thats coming out of our baths and showers.

Kohls home was one of 18 tested by the county. But she said shes yet to receive back her first round results. Some residents got their results back, showing the high levels of THM. The county decided, based on those results, to move forward with a second round of tests.

Kohl was told if she cant schedule the second round on Monday or Tuesday, Orange County will not continuing testing of her home.

In a statement Wednesday, Commissioner Ted Edwards said in part:

Further testing is being done to determine if THMs which are a byproduct from chlorine meets state guidelines and, if not, whether the source of origin is the water company or the piping in individual homes.

In 2013, Commissioner Ted Edwards reached out to the state, following resident concerns over quality and price.

EPA records also show the facility has been noncompliant with one or more facets of the Safe Drinking Water Act for the past three years.

Edwards said Wednesday he was unaware of the EPA noncompliance. He says only the state has jurisdiction to take action, if warranted, against Pluris.

The commissioner also said Pluris has made upgrades to their facility, has cooperated with the testing and should address problems directly with customers themselves.

We have reached out to Pluris over the last several days, even stopping by their Wedgefield facility; there has been no response or comment.

As for Kohl, her family will continue using bottled water, conserving to keep high bills down and hoping that someone takes action.

I would be willing to pay a higher price for water if I knew it was great, safe drinking water. And we dont have that, said Kohl. I want to know why were having these chemical buildups, and why were having it in such quantities.

Wedgefield is not the only community with complaints about Pluris Water:

Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner said constituents in several communities lodged similar complaints over the taste, quality and price of water.

As the company asked to raise rates in 2013, Hillsborough considered the complaints and instead, purchased the Pluris utility.
The Himalayan nation witnesses fast-paced political developments after the Maoists announced withdrawal of support to the K P Oli government only to reverse the decision later. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: India on Thursday said it was closely monitoring the situation in Nepal as the Himalayan nation witnesses fast-paced political developments after the Maoists announced withdrawal of support to the K P Oli government only to reverse the decision later.

"These are internal political developments in Nepal and it will not be appropriate for me to comment on those. But, of course, as a close neighbour, we are following the developments in Nepal very closely," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, replying to a question.

Nepal's main Maoist party UCPN (M) had plunged the country into a new political crisis as it announced the decision to form a new government under its leader Prachanda with support from Nepali Congress.

However, the Maoist party today made a U-turn and decided not to withdraw support to the coalition government "for the time being".

The decision to continue support to the coalition came following a meeting of the top leaders of the coalition at the residence of the Maoist chief Prachanda at Baluwatar this morning.

Prachanda, known for his anti-India stance, had served as Prime Minister of Nepal for a brief period from August 18, 2008 to May 25, 2009.

Asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to to Lumbini in Nepal for the Buddha Purnima function this month, Swarup said, "There are no immediate plans for the Prime Minister to visit Nepal. We are aware of the invitation that has been received for the conference in Lumbini."

He said India will be represented at the event at an appropriate level.
New federal rules announced Thursday have the potential to upend the multibillion-dollar electronic cigarette industry just as it is attempting to position itself as an alternative to traditional cigarettes.

Under the long-awaited rules issued by the Food and Drug Administration, hundreds of e-cigarette brands will have to undergo a lengthy federal review to stay on the market. The rules will bring the burgeoning industry under federal oversight for the first time.

The changes will limit e-cigarette sales to minors and require new health warnings. In a shift vigorously opposed by the industry, manufacturers must seek federal permission to continue marketing all e-cigarettes launched since 2007, making up the vast majority of the market.

Most companies will have to submit premarket applications that will undergo review to assess their impact on the "public health." Those that don't submit the required information or don't meet federal standards would have their products removed from the market.

The vaping industry says the reviews would be time-consuming and costly, and could put many of the smaller companies that make the products out of business.

The regulations "will cause a modern-day prohibition of products that are recognized worldwide as far less hazardous than cigarettes," said Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association. "If the FDA's rule is not changed by Congress or the courts, thousands of small businesses will close in two to three years."

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that turn nicotine into an inhalable liquid vapor. Though nicotine can be addictive, e-cigarettes lack the chemicals and tars of burning tobacco.

Yet the devices haven't been extensively studied and there's no scientific consensus on any potential benefits or harms from "vaping," including whether it leads young people to become regular smokers.

The FDA action comes five years after the agency first announced its intent to regulate e-cigarettes and more than two years after it floated its initial proposal.

Public health advocates applauded the news.

"Ending the tobacco epidemic is more urgent than ever, and can only happen if the FDA acts aggressively and broadly to protect all Americans from all tobacco products," said Harold Wimmer, president of the American Lung Association.

The new requirements are likely to setup a legal showdown with manufacturers, many who have warned that the costs of complying with FDA regulation could wipe out their industry.

The agency has stumbled before in its efforts to regulate the space. In 2010, a federal appeals court threw out the agency's plan to treat e-cigarettes as drug-delivery devices, rather than tobacco products. The ruling was seen as a win for manufacturers who opposed the stringent and expensive requirements of conducting pharmaceutical-style studies.

House Republicans are already pushing back. A House spending committee last month approved industry-backed legislation that would prohibit the FDA from requiring retroactive safety reviews of e-cigarettes that are already on the market and exempt some premium and large cigars from those same regulations. E-cigarette products introduced in the future would still undergo the safety reviews.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have long enjoyed a close relationship with the tobacco industry, which has already given more than $1.8 million to members of Congress this election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The FDA first gained authority to regulate some aspects of cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products under a 2009 law. But since e-cigarettes do not actually contain tobacco, they were not covered by the original law.

In April 2014, the FDA first proposed bringing e-cigarettes and other nontraditional tobacco products under its authority, including cigars, hookahs, nicotine gels and pipe tobacco. The agency was expected to finalize that proposal last June, but the deadline slipped for months due to industry resistance.

Some smokers like e-cigarettes because the nicotine-infused vapor looks like smoke but doesn't contain the thousands of chemicals, tar or odor of regular cigarettes. Some smokers use e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking tobacco, or to cut down. However, there's not much scientific evidence showing e-cigarettes help smokers quit or smoke less, and it's unclear how safe they are.

E-cigarettes sales grew to an estimated $3.5 billion in 2015, according to Wells Fargo. After ballooning in over several years, sales have recently begun to slow due to negative publicity and questions about safety. Retail sales are dominated by a handful of traditional tobacco companies, including Reynold's American's Vuse and Imperial Tobacco's blu brands. Those products are sold nationwide at convenience stores and gas stations.

Hundreds of smaller companies sell more specialized products - often with refillable "tanks" and customized flavors - at vape shops and over the Internet. That space alone may be worth $2 billion in sales, according to estimates, though precise figures are not available.

---

AP Writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this story
A Melbourne boy is battling a disease so rare that it's thought he is the only person in the world with it.

It means frequent doctors visits, missed school and daily worry.

Aydyn Stewart, 4, is used to

needles, IVs, doctors, nurses and hospitals. Wearing a surgical mask in public is normal.

"Because we don't want to get sick by people," Aydyn said.



It's hard to believe this is the norm for such a young boy.

"We are dealing with a real life bubble boy," said his mother, Andrea Cannizzaro. "Imagine if you woke up today and you're ready to face the world, and you're up and out. And within three hours you have a 106-degree fever and you can't even move."

Aydyn was diagnosed with Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVI) in October after a lifetime of poking and prodding.

The CVI combined with other factors make his specific condition so rare it affects one in 6 billion people. In other words, he is thought to be the only person in the world suffering from it.

Simply put, his plasma cells aren't capable of producing antibodies to fight infection.

His mom describes it as trying to build a house without having a foundation.

"There are treatments available, but they may not work for him or 'stick' traditionally as someone who already has their foundation, or their walls, or their bricks," Cannizzaro said.



It's a new normal for this family. They have to be careful around crowds, taking extra precautions on Disney trips and sporting events.

Aydyn has missed more than 60 days of school this year being sick or in the hospital.

But for his mom, not knowing how to treat her son's disease is the hardest part. They've seen several specialists, but she's still hoping someone in the medical field can take on his case to find a way.

"The grim reality is, if I can't help you, at least I can pass it along to someone who may be able to help you," Cannizzaro said of the specialists they've seen so far.

Aydyn's family is holding a fundraising event for his treatment. It takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. June 3 at the Jersey Mike's located at 90 Hibiscus Blvd. in Melbourne.
A Seminole County Sheriffs deputy has been released from the hospital after being rescued from a burning home last month.

Margo Feaser was released from the hospital last week

Feaser's Longwood home caught fire last month

The family is expected to recover

Margo Feaser was discharged last week, but shes been with her husband and two children, who are still in the hospital.

They are all expected to recover.

The family and their dog was rescued after a fire broke out in their Longwood home last month. The house was destroyed.

A fund was set up to help provide assistance to the Feaser family for medical, veterinary and other expenses. Contributions can be made to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office Employee Benevolent Fund.



People in the community have been donating to the family through a GoFund Me page.

Feaser said she is thankful for the outpouring of support.
National Conference MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi was perturned for not being invited to a train flagging off ceremony in his constituency. (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: National Conference MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi on Thursday criticised the railways for not inviting him for the flagging off ceremony of two new train services held in his Homeshalibugh constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.

"I was not invited by the railway authorities but by the Deputy Commissioner as I am the local MLA," he said.

The MLA questioned the motive of the PDP-BJP government to include the name of Sartaj Madni, PDP General Secretary and uncle of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed, in the advertisements for inauguration of the new trains while his name was excluded.

The function took place at Anantnag railway station.

"I left the function when PDP supporters began hooting as my name was being called on the podium," Larmi said.

He said he told the Chief Minister that he would not want to be part of a function where political opponents are being disrespected.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah earlier said, "What a shame that an office bearer of a political party is a 'guest of honour' but the local MLA isn't included."

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu flagged off the two new DEMU train services between Banihal-Baramulla and Baramulla-Budgam through video conferencing from Rail Bhavan in New Delhi.

"What a pity that the @BJP4India & @jkpdp conspired to denigrate the institution of elected representatives! Cc @sureshpprabhu," Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.

In another tweet, he said, "The station where the function is being held is in Homshalibugh constituency @sureshpprabhu sahib."

Omar said, "Was he (Majeed) snubbed because he is @JKNC_ MLA? I remember Mufti Sahib (former Chief Minister and PDP patron) being given a seat on the dais with (then PM) Dr Manmohan Singh and Mrs (Sonia) Gandhi during my term (as CM) even though it wasn't his area".


Image: Gramercy Property Trust.

Real estate investment trust Gramercy Property Trust has gone through some major changes lately, having completed its merger with Chambers Street Properties last December. That has required Gramercy to take some important steps to realign its real-estate portfolio and find out where best to seek out new profit opportunities.

Coming into Wednesday's first-quarter financial report, investors in Gramercy Property Trust wanted to see ongoing progress of those restructuring efforts, and Gramercy's results reflected a big move forward that investors could celebrate. Let's take a closer look at how Gramercy Property Trust expects to make even more progress in the future.

Gramercy Property Trust moves ahead

Gramercy's first-quarter results weren't entirely consistent with what investors had hoped to see, but they still were indicative of the impact that the Chamber Street merger has had. Revenue climbed by more than 150%, to $120.5 million, but that was significantly less than the $133 million consensus forecast among those following the stock.

GAAP earnings were negative, but adjusted funds from operations more than quadrupled, to $72.7 million. That worked out to adjusted FFO of $0.17 per share, which was up more than half from year-ago levels despite the huge increase in outstanding common shares and units outstanding.

Gramercy took several steps toward making changes to its portfolio. On the disposition front, Gramercy sold off four multi-tenant office portfolios in Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, and Virginia. Those properties encompassed 2.48 million square feet, and the sales generated proceeds of $646.3 million, which worked out to a strong average capitalization rate of 5.7%. That low rate is good news for a selling institution because it translates to a higher sales price compared to the income that the property is generating.

Meanwhile, Gramercy also made moves with acquisitions, albeit on a less-dramatic scale. The REIT purchased three properties in two separate transactions, paying a total of almost $53 million. That works out to a capitalization rate of 7.6% on an initial basis, and 9.3% on an annualized basis, and here, higher cap rates are more favorable for Gramercy as the buyer. Moreover, after the end of the quarter, Gramercy said that it had spent another $115 million for a 12-building industrial portfolio of properties.

One thing investors need to understand about Gramercy is its relationship with Gramercy Property Europe, a property fund focusing on European real estate. Since late 2014, Gramercy has contributed more than 25 million euros to Gramercy Europe, including 2.2 million euros during the first quarter.

After the quarter ended, Gramercy agreed to sell an 80% interest in a European real-estate joint venture to Gramercy Europe, which will take full control of the venture by buying out Gramercy's other partner. The buildings add up to 5.4 million square feet and are entirely leased to single commercial tenants. Even before the move, Gramercy Europe had acquired 15 properties for about 275 million euros, but the new properties will more than double the portfolio's square footage.

Gramercy's asset-management business was slightly stronger during the quarter. Fee revenues rose about 6%, to $5 million, with incentive fees being partially offset by declining property-management fees due to divestitures from its managed portfolio of properties.

Can Gramercy keep growing?

Gramercy has put itself in as strong a position as any to keep executing on its overall strategy. The company said that it has almost $940 million in available liquidity, which is up by nearly $260 million compared to its balance at the end of the prior quarter. In addition to freeing up $175 million from its revolving credit facility, Gramercy has also improved the health of its balance sheet, cutting $330 million in mortgage debt just during the first quarter alone.

Gramercy's dividend also remains attractive. With quarterly payments of $0.11 per share, Gramercy yields more than 5% at current market prices. That's important for REIT investors, who value the income distributions that come from real-estate investments.

Gramercy's shareholders reacted favorably to the news, sending the stock up 2.5% at midday following the announcement. As long as commercial real estate stays healthy -- and it looks like it will -- then Gramercy has the potential to rebound further during the rest of the year, and thereafter.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity

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The article Gramercy Property Trust Keeps Moving Forward originally appeared on Fool.com.

Copyright  1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Dreamworks' characters will have to find a place in the Comcast family. Image source: Dreamworks Animation.

What: Shares of animation company Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc jumped an incredible 60% in April, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence, after the company sold itself to Comcast .

So what: The offer Dreamworks Animation got from Comcast was for $3.8 billion in cash, or a stock price of $41 per share. The acquisition is technically being made by NBCUniversal, the media arm of Comcast. It aligns with Comcast's desire to acquire content and remake itself into a media company, as opposed to just a cable company.

Now what: There's not a lot of upside here for Dreamworks Animation investors given the current share price of nearly $40 per share. But for Comcast it presents an interesting acquisition that builds out the content library for a media future that may not include as much cable revenue. Dreamworks Animation owns titles you might think of like Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda, but it also owns Where's Waldo and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Those assets will be a key addition to the content library, and could also lead to future content creation. It's not an earth shattering move by Comcast-NBCUniversal, but it's adding more content to its overall offerings -- and in an age where content is king, that's not a bad thing.

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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 Why Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc's Shares Popped 60% in April originally appeared on Fool.com.

Copyright  1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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John Carneys Sing Street, about troubled Irish schoolkids who form a band in 1985, has enough charms to overcome its prefab material. The directors skill pushes what could have been the same old song into a likable testament to the powers of young love and rock n roll.

The mid-80s date is important  it establishes the musical period (Duran Duran and other New Romantic bands), and the tough economic times that saw many Irish heading to London for better prospects.

His parents have been losing work, so 14-year-old Connor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), who looks a bit like an adolescent Paul McCartney, is sent to a rough-and-tumble school that happens to be located on Dublins Synge Street. Connor is catnip to the schools ample supply of bullies.

He handles the tough kids with equanimity, meanwhile noticing a beautiful young woman, Raphina (Lucy Boynton). To catch her eye, he uses the time-tested strategy of putting together a rock band, and among his first recruits is Eamon (Mark McKenna, the John Lennon to Connors McCartney), who happens to have all the required instruments.

One of the films best scenes follows as the fledgling band sets out to make a video of its unintentionally daffy song The Riddle of the Model, with Rafina as the glam girl. She offers grooming and costuming tips to these sad-sack youngsters, and it all adds up to a nice parody of the pretensions and plain silliness of the Spandau Ballet era.

Carney attended a similar school in Dublin, and became bassist for the Frames, Glen Hansards band. Switching to movies, Carney won acclaim in 2006 with Once. In Sing Street, he doesnt ignore the foibles of his young rockers but is filled with obvious affection for them.

Sing Street *** Quick take: A familiar song, still worth hearing See More Collapse

Among the more melancholy strains is Connors older brother, a college dropout who hangs around the house smoking dope but redeems himself by mentoring the boy.

Its best not to question its plausibility  the film is a wish fulfillment and an exercise in nostalgia. Dont be deterred by the timeworn material  as a romantic vision of youth and rock, Sing Street is No. 1 with a bullet.

Running time: 106 minutes
Industrial water purifiers should be installed in the drought-hit areas, he suggested, adding that Janata Sahakari Bank, with the assistance of Municipal Corporation, had laid a pipeline with industrial water purifiers in Solapur. (Photo: Representational Image)

Mumbai: Maharashtra government on Thursday assured the Bombay High Court that it would provide potable water to each and every citizen in drought-hit areas of the state.

In an affidavit, government outlined the measures taken to tackle the situation and informed the court that water was being sent by tankers and trains.

Senior advocate Ashutosh Kumbhkoni, acting as Amicus Curiae to assist the HC, suggested that every tanker should be equipped with the global positioning system (GPS) device to ensure that it is not diverted.

Industrial water purifiers should be installed in the drought-hit areas, he suggested, adding that Janata Sahakari Bank, with the assistance of Municipal Corporation, had laid a pipeline with industrial water purifiers in Solapur.

The division bench headed by Justice V M Kanade also asked government to consider putting restrictions on water supply for wedding functions, parties and get-togethers, etc.

The court is currently hearing a public interest litigation filed by Loksatta Movement. Earlier, in response to the same petition, the court had directed shifting of IPL matches out of the state.

Acting Advocate General Rohit Dev said a policy to tackle the drought was in place.

To the court's query as to why a drought was not declared officially, Dev said it was not necessary as statutory provisions were being implemented and short-term measures had been taken.
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The Brass Tap

Address: 17619 La Cantera Parkway 2-208 (in The Rim)

Phone: (210) 670-7090

Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday; 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.

Web: brasstapbeerbar.com

Cost/noise: Medium/High

Snapshot: Florida-based chain enters San Antonio's bustling craft beer market and quickly feels right at home with a welcoming attitude and a focus on made-in-S.A. beers. The smallish room is simple and clean, with dark wood and brick-colored walls festooned with brewery signs, and rows of tables that run parallel to the long bar. The beer menu is packed, with more than 50 taps and more than 150 varieties in bottles.

Who goes there? A rare keg tapping may draw more than 100 members of The Brass Tap's "Brew Crew," But the place also taps into a lively bar-hopping scene of twenty- and thirtysomethings who are flocking to the corner of The Rim shopping center that is home, as well, to General Public, Mash'd, Bowl and Barrel and the new Hopdoddy Burger Bar.

Behind the bar: The draft menu highlights San Antonio breweries such as Branchline, Freetail and Southerleigh. Beer aficianados also can take a deep dive into a single brewery  there recently were 15 Ballast Point beers on tap, including several limited releases  or sip something hard to find, like a Prairie Limo Tint milk stout. Cocktails and wine also are available.

Munchies: Brass Tap's kitchen turns out bar food  burgers, wings, lots of snacks  with flavorful twists, plus a few healthy options. Pretzels with pale ale chipotle mustard are a popular nosh. Other options include jalapeno corn fritters, angus sriracha chili, a house salad with Peppadew ranch dressing and a prime rib sandwich. The bar schedules beer dinners at least once a month.

The skinny: You wouldnt expect a corporate bar in a shopping center to feel like a neighborhood pub, but The Brass Tap does.

Jim Kiest
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Brown Coffee Co. is releasing a documentary May 12 about, well, coffee.

"Coffee Hunting: Kenya," from San Antonio-based filmmaker Lee Eubanks, focuses on Brown's owner and coffee buyer Aaron Blanco's visits through mountainous jungles of coffee to visit coffee farms in Kenya in search for the right beans for the best cup.

"It was important to capture the feeling of being right there with Aaron, standing next to him while he went through literally hundreds of coffees, and get that overwhelming sense of looking for a needle in a haystack," Eubanks said in a statement

The film will have its theatrical premiere at 6 p.m. May 12 at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Park North, 618 NW Loop 410, in the Park North shopping center. A question-and-answer session with the cast and crew will follow.

"We really wanted to show how not-so-quick and not-so-easy it is to build from scratch a direct chain between quality minded farmers, roasters, and customers against a quick-and-easy world," Blanco said in a statement. "It's all there, all the guts and glory of 'coffee hunting.' "

Tickets for the premiere can be purchased at BrownCoffeeCo.com. The film will have a wider release later this year.
Welcome to your one-and-only stop for seriously fun, lasting music education  School of Rock San Antonio. With passionate instructors, an impressive selection of instruments, and killer program offerings, School of Rock San Antonio equips students with the tools they need to rock their worlds.

Music is about way more than solo acts. School of Rock San Antonio is as focused on community, teamwork, and friendships as it is on inspiring awesome music. Through our performance-based approach, we foster an inclusive community of rockers in San Antonio to build a unique type of confidence only gained through cool, real life experiences.

Whether were into serious shredding-mode or just jamming along with the band, our team spurs the growth of real, practical skills for music-minded students.

At School of Rock students are encouraged to experience different genres of rock from the 50s to current day. So whether youre into Elvis, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Van Halen, Fleetwood Mac, Green Day, Foo Fighters or another lifelong favorite band, we have something for everyone.

Not sure youre ready for weekly lessons and rehearsals right now, try our fun-filled, band-oriented, one-week summer camps for all skill levels  which have your kids performing by the end of the week. At School of Rock San Antonio, we believe everyone deserves to have fun and feel like a rock star. So from our year-round programs to summer camps, awesome opportunities for your child are waiting just around the corner.

School of Rock San Antonio is conveniently located a quarter mile north of Loop 1604 just off of Stone Oak Parkway at 109 Gallery Circle, Suite 101. Visit us today to get a feel for how we crank up the voltage of music education for todays students and musicians. School of Rock is the No. 1 music education destination, so come by for a tour or call us at (210) 314-7671 and set up a FREE LESSON now! No strings, no commitments  just come and experience School of Rock San Antonio.

Editors Note: This content is made possible by San Antonio School of Rock. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at hearstmediasanantonio.com.
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A Houston man was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison for his role in the death of his prom date in 2014.

Eddie Herrera, 20, who attended Aldine's MacArthur High School, was convicted of assault for choking 17-year-old Jacqueline Gomez during sex in a hotel room after prom on May 16, 2014. She was found dead the next morning in the hotel bed.

Prosecutors had recommended a sentence from 40 years to life, while his attorney asked jurors to consider probation.

THE CRIME: Teen girl found dead in hotel after Aldine ISD prom

"Eddie Herrera had absolutely no motive and no reason. He did not choke her to death," defense attorney Doug O'Brien said during closings. "He could have just as easily died in that hotel room."

Herrera, then 18, told police he and his mother worked together to rent the hotel room, get two bottles of whiskey and at least 20 pills of hydrocodone, a prescription painkiller. He told detectives that he and Gomez drank a bottle and a half of whiskey and took most of the pills before having consensual sex.

CLUES: Texts hint girl may have overdosed after prom

It was during the sex, he told police, that she asked him to squeeze her neck. Prosecutors said it was more likely that Herrera choked Gomez until she was unconscious during rough sex. He then passed out next to her and woke to find her dead.

Herrera was not charged with murder. He was convicted of assaulting someone in a dating relationship, a first-degree felony. Herrera's defense lawyer argued that she died of an overdose.

The medical examiner's office ruled the cause of death "undetermined."

LAWSUIT: Mom claims daughter's prom date choked her to death

Prosecutors blasted the suggestion that Herrera could walk out of the courtroom after being convicted of serious domestic violence.

"The facts in this case are horribly tragic," said prosecutor Justin Wood. "You cannot imagine a more horrific set of circumstances."

The trial, in state District Judge Vanessa Velasquez's court, began Monday.

brian.rogers@chron.com
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The intoxicated driving case against a prominent Houston lawyer has been reset to May 31, according to Harris County criminal records.

Houston police arrested Anthony "Tony" Buzbee on March 31.

Buzbee  who worked on the team representing Rick Perry after the then-Texas governor was indicted in an abuse-of-power case in 2014  was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, and was later released after posting bail set at $500.

In 2009, a federal jury awarded more than $100 million to 10 plaintiffs, seven of which were represented by Buzbee's law firm, who alleged they were injured in 2007 by toxic emissions at a BP plant in Texas City.

In addition to being a high-profile Houston lawyer, Buzbee also is a regent at Texas A&M, his alma mater. He also helped with former Texas Gov. Rick Perry's 2012 presidential campaign.
NEW DELHI: Mounting pressure on the government, a group of doctors, health activists, civil society members, parlimantarians and former health secretaries joined hands launching a national coalition to press for restructuring of the Medical Council of India.

The move comes a day after the Supreme court used its powers and set up a committee, headed by former Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha to oversee the functioning of the MCI for at least a year, following a damning Parliamentary Standing Committee report in March that stated the MCIs composition as opaque and biased against the larger public health goals.

The formation of coalition, Dr Samiran Nundy, dean, Ganga Ram Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education and Research said, was needed for improvement in ethics in people in medical practice, to make MCI responsible for fair accreditation of medical colleges, for improvement in graduation standards etc.

The MCI should have half the members from the public and half of them should be nominated doctors and not elected. The MCI needs to be restructured, he told this newspaper. A letter drafted by the former health secretary Sujatha Rao, calling for an urgent need to reform and restructure the MCI has already been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Adopting a resolution- that demanded scrapping of the Indian Medical Council Act, the doctors said its provisions were lenient and that it should be replaced with a new law to check corruption in medical education.

UKs GMC could be a good model in restructuring MCI

A group of doctors, health activists, civil society members, parlimantarians and former health secretaries joined hands launching a national coalition to press for restructuring of Medical Council of India (MCI).

The alliance was announced by Dr Abhay Shukla of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (Peoples Health Movement) with representatives of a number of doctors bodies including Indian Doctors for Ethical Practice (IDEP) and SATHI.

Dr Jasodhara Dasgupta of Medico Friend Circle, another partner of the alliance, said the time was ripe for the government to take strong action against MCI which she said has failed to equip doctors to handle even primary health care issues.

Dr Nundy suggested that Britains General Medical Council could be a good model to follow in restructuring MCI. The MCI is so corrupt that everything they do it is for money. There is a huge capitation fees, people bribed the examiners, the doctors charged hugely and ask for unnecessary investigations. 67 per cent medical fraternity have not published a single research paper from year 2005-2014. We therefore felt to form a group of like-minded people to presurise government and Parliamentarians to revamp the MCI, he added.

A former health secretary on condition of anonymity said, Even as the SC direction was a great shot in the arm, the coalition will further build pressure on the government to comply with the parliamentary standing committee report.

City doctors call for new clear system

Scrapping of the Medical Council of India is not a good idea and a transparent system has to be created, council members said here on Wednesday. MCI member Dr Ramesh Reddy said, Whatever deficiencies are there, they need to be worked upon and rectified. In 2005, there was a body of governors and they seem to have not been able to handle the issues due to which MCI was formed again. We have to look for a remedy within, wherein discipline and ethics are enforced. Other doctors said the MCI was becoming a body of people who are trying to please each other. Medical education was suffering due to this, they said.
A case out of Central Texas landed one woman in jail with a third-degree felony charge for allegedly being married to two men simultaneously.

According to a criminal complaint filed by McLennan County, 46-year-old Teresa Weatherford married Billy Simmons on Nov. 7, 2015. He told authorities he learned of his wifes other marriage after tying the knot.
Attorneys for the city and the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association sparred in district court Thursday over whether the union would be allowed to depose several city officials, including City Manager Sheryl Sculley and Mayor Ivy Taylor.

After the fire union asked the city for dates when the depositions could take place, the city sought action from the court, asking that the union's discovery in a countersuit it had filed against the city be blocked until the 4th Court of Appeals rules on the city's appeal in the primary case.
Three Texas residents who were kidnapped in northern Mexico in April were rescued this week, Mexican officials said.

In a news release, the Tamaulipas state government said police freed the trio  two women and a man from Dallas who are American citizens of Mexican descent  from their captors camp Monday near Ciudad Victoria. Police killed the leader, Edgar Ariel Gallegos Gallegos, 45, when the criminal group attacked officers, the release said.
The animal that greeted Neil Griffin as he guided his kayak around a bend in the Guadalupe River looked more at home on a lazy Gulf Coast bayou than a rushing Hill County river.

It kind of took my eyes a second to focus, said the 23-year-old Austin resident, who floated the river Sunday with a group of friends. Then he realized what caused the stirring in the reeds along the riverbank.
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SEGUIN  This citys attempt to rebrand itself  emphasizing a certain gritty authenticity with the slogan, Its Real  includes a campaign to sell the brand to skeptical locals.

The slogan, the accompanying logo and the $59,000 cost of the marketing strategy unveiled last month by a Tennessee firm has some people wondering about the value of having a promotional catch-phrase at all.

Critics say the money could better have been spent on more pressing matters like filling potholes or hiring police, and suggest that conducting a slogan contest locally would have been a cheaper alternative.

The real character of Seguin is revealed via the local news, as city leaders waste time and money on a pretentious slogan, said one post to newspaper story here.

Theres a lot of pushback in the community about whether the city got what it paid for, Darren Dunn, of KWED radio, said in a broadcast.

The campaign was to replace Seguins former motto: Theres a story here. Earlier taglines, created by the chamber of commerce and visitors bureau and going back decades, described Seguin as A Texas Sensation, A Lone Star Legend and Jewel of the Guadalupe.

But this was the first time the city had taken the lead on branding itself.

All of those other logos have come and gone without ever being sold, said Stephen Tschoepe, a real estate agent who was among civic and business leaders recruited as Branding Rangers at a meeting Monday to promote the initiative.

Local officials say its important to create a distinct and appealing public image of the Guadalupe County seat to lure tourists, would be residents and business prospects.

Read the whole story at ExpressNews.com.

zeke@express-news.net
A drug smuggler unhappy with the sentence he got for his marijuana cases tried a novel way of getting even with the jurist, federal officials say: He allegedly forced U.S. District Judge Alia Moses into bankruptcy proceedings and falsely claimed she owed him $5.8 million.

Prosecutors and the FBI say Leandro Cardenas Luna, 58, filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition against Moses in 2014 to retaliate for the way she handled his 2006 marijuana smuggling case and a similar conviction four years earlier.

Involuntary bankruptcy petitions are normally filed against a debtor by a creditor worried that the debtor is depleting assets. But the ploy got Luna charged with mail fraud and two counts of bankruptcy fraud. He now faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted in a trial set for Aug. 22 in San Antonio.

The unusual case prompted U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez, to decide not to preside over it after he learned last week that Moses is expected to testify. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans then appointed U.S. District Judge Nancy F. Atlas, who is from a different federal district than Rodriguez and Moses, to oversee the case.

More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday

At a hearing Tuesday, Lunas lawyer, assistant federal public defender Molly Roth, asked Atlas to limit the language in the indictment, which is given to the jury at trial.

The indictment never mentions Moses  the lone federal district judge in Del Rio  by name.

Roth argued that the indictment contains irrelevant information like the case numbers and the sentence Luna received, and that the charging document states Luna filed the involuntary bankruptcy petition to retaliate.

Its inflammatory and prejudicial, Roth said.

U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg told Atlas that Luna, while incarcerated, made separate attempts in 2014 to try to get the bankruptcy petition filed and duped a former stepson to help mail the paperwork  which was accepted by the bankruptcy court in San Antonio on Aug. 6, 2014.

The judge does not have a civil judgment against her, Roomberg said.

I believe (the disputed language) is highly relevant and not inflammatory  and shows he didnt just pick someone at random, Roomberg said. He went after the judge who put him in jail.

Atlas ordered the case numbers and length of sentence redacted from the indictment but told Roomberg, Im not preventing you from explaining that shes the judge who sentenced him.

Records show Moses, during a bench trial in 2007, found Luna guilty of smuggling more than 280 pounds of marijuana near Comstock.

Moses sentenced Luna to 10 years on the marijuana charge and tacked on another year after finding the arrest violated his supervised release in a 2002 conviction that connected him to 660 pounds of marijuana near Alpine, records show.

While in federal prison in Bastrop, Luna escaped with a fellow inmate in a government van on Nov. 20, 2009. The van was found in South Austin, but both had managed to get to Mexico, where they were arrested. On Nov. 27, 2009, they were turned over to federal marshals in Del Rio, records show.

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks of Austin sentenced Luna to 24 months in prison on top of the 11 years Moses gave him, records show.

gcontreras@express-news.net

Twitter: @gmaninfedland
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AUSTIN  Attorney General Ken Paxton is the latest Texas official to take aim at Targets decision to allow shoppers to use the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity, contending its a crime risk.

Fox News said Wednesday it had exclusively obtained a letter from the Republican attorney general telling the retailers chief executive officer that allowing men in womens restrooms could lead to criminal and otherwise unwanted activity.

As chief lawyer and law enforcement officer for the State of Texas, I ask that you provide the full text of Targets safety policies regarding the protection of women and children from those who would use the cover of Targets restroom policy for nefarious purposes, Paxtons letter said.

Paxton acknowledged Target can set its own bathroom policies but said he wasnt sure Texas would welcome its action, Fox News reported in its article charmingly headlined, Texas raises stink over Target's transgender bathrooms.

Equality Texas, which fights discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression, said there have been no cases of a person who is transgender committing a crime in a public restroom in any of the municipalities or states where lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) people are protected.

The groups CEO, Chuck Smith, said the rhetoric by state officials and others in the national debate over the issue worries him.

I am concerned about the rhetoric. If we really care about public safety, we would leave this non-existent problem alone and we would stop doing things and saying things that might incite violence against transgender people, Smith said. This whole exercise by the attorney general is creating a vigilante-type environment, and it needs to stop.

Target in setting its policy last month said "Inclusivity is a core belief at Target.

Its action prompted a petition by the American Family Association to boycott Target stores.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also has weighed in on the issue, saying Stay out of the ladies' room if you're a man and suggesting he would support legislation if necessary to support his view.

Although Patrick and Paxton are Republicans, the party isnt of a single mind on the issue. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said people should use the bathroom they feel is appropriate.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for his reply to the debate on AgustaWestland chopper deal in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, saying he had presented "all relevant facts" rising "above politics".

He also put the speech of Parrikar on his Twitter account, urging his followers to listen to it.

"Yesterday's speech by RM @manoharparrikar in the Rajya Sabha was one of the best speeches, displaying best parliamentary traditions," Modi tweeted.

Yesterday's speech by RM @manoharparrikar in the Rajya Sabha was one of the best speeches, displaying best parliamentary traditions.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 5, 2016

"RM @manoharparrikar rose above politics & placed all relevant facts on the table. Urging you all to hear his speech," the Prime Minister said in another tweet.

RM @manoharparrikar rose above politics & placed all relevant facts on the table. Urging you all to hear his speech. https://t.co/2YhvBDqn4o  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 5, 2016

Parrikar had targeted the previous UPA regime over the controversial deal and suggested the role of an "invisible hand" in preventing a proper investigation earlier.

He had said that ongoing probe will focus on those named in the Italian Court judgement on the controversy surrounding the Rs 3600 crore deal for 12 VVIP helicopters.
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The hot mic has claimed its newest victim.

RELATED: Ted Cruz elbowed his wife Heidi in the face after quitting the Republican presidential race

MSNBC host Chris Matthews was caught raving about Melania Trump's physical appearance during the network's coverage of presumed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's victory in the Indiana primary elections on Tuesday.

"Did you see her walk? Runway walk. My God is that good," Matthews , the host of MSNBC's Hardball, said.

RELATED: Meet the family of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump

Matthews, who doesn't seem to know he's still wearing a live microphone, added, "I could watch that runway show."

Co-anchor Brian Williams then moves the coverage to a commercial.

Melania Trump, a former supermodel, launched her own jewelry collection in 2010 and a line of skin care products in 2013.

A spokesperson for Melania Trump told Variety, "Melania Trump is an accomplished businesswoman and entrepreneur in her own right, achieving tremendous success in a variety of industries, including an illustrious modeling career, as well as being a dedicated wife and mother. It is unfortunate to see the continuous inaccuracies and misrepresentations made by the media of Mrs. Trump as anything less than the independently successful woman that she is."

RELATED: 'God is on my side' says high school football player who exposed himself in yearbook

The 70-year-old anchor of MSNBC's Hardball has received criticism for making sexist-sounding remarks in the past.

In June 2011, Matthews said Sarah Palin, former Republican vice presidential candidate, "could not be hotter as a candidate."

And, in January 2008, Matthews claimed Hillary Clinton, then a U.S. senator running for the Democratic presidential nomination, was only successful because of former President Bill Clinton's infidelity.

"I think the Hillary appeal has always been somewhat about her mix of toughness and sympathy for her. Let's not forget the reason she is a U.S. Senator, the reason she is a candidate for President is because her husband messed around. We keep forgetting it. She didn't get there on her merits, because everyone felt, 'My God, this woman stood up under humiliation.' Right? That's what happened."

Matthews later apologized for his remarks and said he sounded "nasty."

Scroll through the slideshow for 13 facts about Melania Trump.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports
Jimmy Don Mills discovered his talent for sales by accident.

Discharged from the Air Force in the mid-1950s, Mills was looking for a way to make a living when he walked into a Fort Worth car dealership and was hired. Hed found his calling.

He was sales manager of several dealerships, his daughter Amber Mills Quirk said. He would tell us some funny stories, about how he would work deals; he was a good salesperson, always honest.

Eventually opening his own wholesale car dealership in Houston, Mills was able to make good money in fleet sales, providing vehicles to a variety of companies.

Mills died April 24 at 83.

Raised by his mother in the tiny North Texas town of Strawn, Mills had a disjointed childhood.

More Information Jimmy Don Mills Born: April 17, 1933, Ranger Died: April 24, 2016, San Antonio Preceded by: Wife Sondra G. Mills; parents Christine Summers and Doc Mills. Survived by: Daughter Amber Mills Quirk and son-in-law John; grandson Payton Joseph "PJ" Quirk; and brother L.F. "Pete" Fuston. Services: Memorial at 2 p.m. Thursday at Lakewood United Methodist Church, 11330 Louetta Road, Houston, followed by a reception. See More Collapse

They would tell me how they had nothing, Quirk said, referring to her father and grandmother. To support her son, his mother would put him on a cotton sack and pull him behind her, and pick cotton at the same time.

Although his mother later remarried, Mills didnt get along with his stepfather and stayed away from home as much as possible, joining the rodeo circuit at 15. He had a knack for the sport, but it was tough on his health.

He  broke every bone in his body, Quirk said. His collarbone, neck, ankles and legs; he was doing it for money.

Even so, Mills was able to graduate from high school, enrolling at Texas Tech University in Lubbock before enlisting in the Air Force after just one semester.

After his discharge, Mills returned home for a time before moving to Fort Worth, where he got his first job at a car dealership, and later to Houston, where he opened Mills Motor Company.

Marrying in 1963, Mills and his wife adopted their only child in 1970, but his family saw very little of him.

Car dealerships were totally different back then, Quirk said. Theyd all be drinking bourbon and playing cards.

Often continuing to drink after work, Mills and his wife split up in the late 1970s, staying close despite their differences.

He always took care of us, Quirk said. My mother never had to work  I never had to ask for anything.

Mills stopped drinking in 1981, attending countless support meetings and joining a Methodist church, where he made many friends.

Remarrying his ex-wife in 1991, Mills sold his business to take care of her after she was diagnosed with cancer in 2010.

He was so devoted to her, Quirk said. He was not going to let her go in the hospital.

Mills moved to San Antonio about a year after his wife died in 2012.

mheidbrink@express-news.net
Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican national holiday that commemorates an all-day battle in Puebla, Mexico, when the Mexican military defeated the numerically superior French forces that invaded Mexico in 1861.

The French, with the Spanish and English, had occupied Veracruz, Mexicos major port, in response to Mexican President Benito Juarezs moratorium on Mexicos European debt. Spain and England withdrew while the French began collecting port revenues from incoming ships in lieu of payment and ordered their troops into the interior.

Although the 1862 defeat in Puebla slowed the advance, the French capitalized on political divisions in the country and a weak treasury in order for Napoleon III to establish a monarchy with Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph at its head.

The French takeover did not occur without a military response or a popular reaction of significant nationalist proportions. The defense of the homeland acquired extra meaning from the earnest Juarez, who continued to exercise his authority as president and as a national symbol of mourning  in his elegant black suit, riding in a black horse-drawn carriage that managed to keep him ahead of the French military. Hostilities finally ended when Mexican forces defeated the French in 1867 and Juarez ordered the execution of Ferdinand.

The celebration of the battle of Puebla also acknowledges the heroic role of Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a 32-year officer from Goliad. Soon after the surrender of Veracruz, Juarez appointed him minister of war and navy, and assigned him to lead the Army of the East and the defense of Puebla. Soon after the battle of Puebla and before the French advanced on Mexico City, Juarez hosted a celebration of Zaragoza as a national hero. He declared May 5, 1862, a national holiday and changed the name of Puebla de Los Angeles to Puebla de Zaragoza.

Zaragoza has a special place in Mexico and Texas history. He not only originated in Goliad and claimed relations with Tejanos from the colonial period, but he began his military career in the Monterrey-Saltillo area and married a woman from Monterrey. In preparation for the battle of Puebla, Gen. Zaragoza recruited around 500 Tejano cowboys from the Jim Wells County area of South Texas who served as cavalrymen in the fight against French intervention even in the months and years following that battle. Capt. Porfirio Zamora of Palito Blanco served as one of the commanders and received a promotion to major after the war, as well as the second-highest military medal for bravery, La Condecoracion de Segunda Clase. 

Zaragozas personal connections to Texas alone do not fully explain his exalted place in history. Active efforts to remember him and the battle of Puebla also contributed to the memory. News of the battle and Zaragozas role as the General from the Border and the native son of the region, according to scholar Americo Paredes, arrived in South Texas as early as 1867 when performers such as Onofre Cardenas of San Ignacio sang ballads about both.

Newspapers from Texas and California also acknowledged their histories and announced the celebrations by the 1870s. Texas cemented his memory as an iconic transborder and transnational hero against foreign aggression by establishing the General Zaragoza State Historic Site near Goliad.

So why should we continue finding relevance in the memory of the Battle of Puebla, Juarez, Zaragoza and Zamora? Because it affirms enduring and shared values such as advancing the just defense of the homeland and the necessary cause for marginalized and maligned people. These tenets are still upheld today.

Recognizing and practicing this kind of valued behavior also grants a measure of humanity to the descendants of the heroes of Puebla, including the Mexican immigrants among us who have historically labored long and hard for low pay and little recognition. History, after all, is not just a record of things past; it is also the binding arc of humanity and the ennobling opportunity to recognize the equal worth of others and to act on their behalf.

Emilio Zamora is a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin.
After years of turmoil and dysfunction, the Southside Independent School District appears back on track.

The school board has named Mark E. Eads, superintendent of the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District, as the lone finalist for the job of Southside ISD superintendent.

That is indeed good news.

For most of the current school year, the district has operated under co-superintendents who have shared the duties of running the district. At the same time, the district has been paying two other superintendents fired by the school board. Thats hardly an efficient way to run a district, and it is not a good use of taxpayers money.

After bungling the last two superintendent searches by doing it themselves, school board members had the Texas Association of School Boards conduct the latest one. Unlike the previous hunts for an executive, this one included community involvement, and a leadership qualifications and characteristics report.

Eads, who has been with the San Marcos school district for five years, has a well-rounded resume and the credentials needed to run this troubled district. Now, the board should step back and let a professional do the job board members have been trying to micromanage.

If all goes as planned, Eads begins his new job Monday, after the state-mandated 21-day vetting period is complete.

This is a person we believe cannot only help stabilize Southside ISD, but unite the district and the community. We believe he gets Southside and can move the district forward in academics and increase morale, board President Julian Gonzales said in a written statement following the selection.

Gonzales should remember that actions speak louder than words. If the Southside board truly wants to engage the community, it needs to rethink its meeting schedule.

A review of the 18 regular and special-called meetings this calendar year shows that one-third of them were held at unusual times. Public meetings at 7 a.m., 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on workdays dont instill public confidence that the elected board is inclusive.

This is a working-class community, and parents in the district often juggle multiple jobs. There is no expectation of community input at meetings that are scheduled when most people are heading to work, or dropping off their children at school or picking them up.

We appreciate the eagerness to announce the new superintendent and get the clock rolling on the waiting period, but we fail to see why that decision was so urgent that it was made on a weekend during Fiesta  San Antonios biggest party of the year.

There was great optimism about the future of Southside ISD when the school board election last spring brought much-needed change to the board. But it has been disappointing to see more of the same.

We hope the district is finally on the upswing.
Team PK will hold extensive tours of districts falling in 14 divisions from May 8 to 22. (Photo: PTI)

Lucknow: Seven teams of poll strategist Prashant Kishor will tour districts falling in 14 divisions of Uttar Pradesh this month to plan out an electoral campaign for Congress for Assembly polls due next year.

Team PK will hold extensive tours of districts falling in 14 divisions from May 8 to 22, a party release said here on Thursday.

The team had earlier met UP Congress leaders of different cells and departments and also toured three divisions including Gorakhpur and Allahabad.

The divisions which will be covered by the teams are Devi Patan, Basti, Azamgarh, Faizabad, Mirzapur, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Kanpur, Saharanpur, Meerut, Aligarh, Agra, Moradabad and Bareilly, the release said.

During these tours, the team will stay in each district for two days and will interact with office bearers of the district Congress committees, leaders of frontal organisations, blocks, cells and divisions, it said.

The team will also visit the sitting and former peoples' representatives. Meanwhile, a meeting of all block presidents has been called in Lucknow on May 10. On May 11, 12 and 13 meetings of leaders belonging to Varanasi, Allahabad and Gorakhpur respectively have been convened for detailed discussions in which AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry, UPCC president Nirmal Khatri and Prashant Kishore will be, the release said.
Hyderabad: The six-lane skyway project at the Jubilee Hills Checkpost has hit a roadblock as the government needs to acquire nearly an acre from the consortium of the Jubilee Hills Landmark Project, but the developer has offered to give up the 5.85-acre site.

The consortium argues that its investment of Rs 335 crore on land has been stuck for the last 10 years due to the real estate slump and delay in granting approvals from the government. As a result, they have already suffered huge losses.

They have said that if some portion of the land is acquired again, the project will plunge into a deep crisis. They have offered to return the land provided the government pays a compensation up to `800 crore as per existing market rate and an interest burden for 10 years, said an official of the municipal administration wing.

The consortium had planned to construct a star hotel, multiplex, retail outlets and multistoreyed residential buildings on this site. It is of the strong opinion that these ventures will not work if they are built on the citys outskirts.

The government has thus ordered halting of the skyway works for now.

A senior GHMC engineering wing officer said, We have submitted a fresh proposal altering the skyway design without touching the site.

However, the CMO is learnt to have rejected the fresh proposal citing that the altered design would make the skyway congested and not serve the intended purpose. The government has constituted a five-member committee of senior IAS officers headed by the chief secretary to find a legal way out for the project.
Path to the plate shows how the overall food industry has grown to about $1.4 trillion in sales.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. & CHICAGO  Since 1985, much has changed in the food industry, when about 60% of food sales took place in the grocery aisle, and only about 40% of sales occurred in foodservice outlets. Today, the foodservice share of spending now accounts for more than half of all food sales, surpassing grocery retail by 1.2 percentage points, according to new research by Acosta and Technomic.

The second edition of The Why? Behind The Dine provides an update on diners path to the plate as the overall food industry has grown to an estimated $1.4 trillion in sales, driven by the emergence of new food and meal solutions.

There have been a variety of factors affecting the food landscape over the past 30 years, said Colin Stewart, senior vice president at Acosta. Consumers desire for more convenient options in todays fast-paced world is driving new technologies like mobile apps that can be used to track nutrition, find restaurant and retailer promotions and offers, or order foodservice and groceries for home delivery. Coupled with the local ingredient food movement gaining momentum, foodservice operators must continue to adapt within the evolving food consumption space by embracing digital and mobile tools, and being transparent about ingredients.

Bob Goldin, vice chairman of Technomic, said the edition of the report showed the complex meal decisions consumers make each day, and our new research indicates that those options have become even more varied as new food and meal solutions gain traction. Its also clear that what diners are eating, and where its from, matters.

Convenience is driving how diners purchase and consume their meals, according to the report, noting that younger diners, those with children at home and diners with a household income of $45,000 or more utilize many of the convenient meal solutions more frequently.

Over the past three months, the top five methods of food consumption were:

Eating a meal at home (95%)

Eating a restaurant meal (85%)

Getting carry-out (63%)

Using a drive-through (63%)

Eating grocery-prepared foods (57%)

Over the past three months, diner methods of food and beverage consumption varied by demographic:

64% of millennial diners (age 1834) have consumed grocery-prepared food, versus 51% of boomer diners (5169).

53% of Gen X diners (3550) have ordered restaurant delivery food, versus 23% of boomer diners (5169).

20% of diners with kids have ordered an online meal/ingredient kit, versus 2% of diners without kids.

Diners are also reading menus and labels more carefully, asking questions about foods and exhibiting a growing interest in more authentic food choices. Foodservice operators can help diners solve the healthy eating dilemma by delivering great tasting meals made with nutritious ingredients, according to the report:

Almost nine in 10 diners indicated they feel very confident or somewhat confident selecting healthy foods from a menu.

Two-thirds of diners agree with the statement: It's important for me to feel good about the food I'm putting into my body.

Nearly half of diners surveyed agree with the statement: I actively seek out nutritious foods that are good for me.

Location and budget are no longer the only guiding factors in deciding how, what, where and when to eat. Diners are increasingly using digital and social tools, as well as loyalty cards, to navigate their dining decisions.

Four in 10 diners are using the Internet to find the best restaurant deals.

Six in 10 millennials and four in 10 Gen X diners agreed that they often read restaurant menus online before going out to eat.

15% of U.S. diners use social networking regularly for restaurant dining.

Acosta and Technomic suggest that foodservice operators, distributors and manufacturers can continue to look for innovative ways to deliver convenience for consumers. Additionally, menu choices will need to evolve to meet the growing interest in ingredient transparency, with these changes communicated on the menu and in marketing materials. Operators should also engage with diners through digital tools and social networks.

To access the full report, visit www.acosta.com/thewhybehindthedine.
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday summoned former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat for questioning in connection with the controversial sting CD. The minister, caught on tape, was purportedly seen talking to middlemen in a bid to strike a deal with dissident Congress MLAs.

Rawat has been called by the CBI to join the probe on Monday, sources said. The inquiry was registered on the recommendation of the state government and the notification was issued by the Centre. The state is under President's Rule.

Read: Harish Rawat accepts his presence in fake sting CD, denies any wrongdoing

Two days before Rawat was to face vote of confidence on March 28, nine rebel Congress MLAs, led by former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, had alleged that they were offered bribe by Rawat for support during the floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly and released a video of the "sting" operation.

Read: CBI summons part of plan to influence Uttarakhand floor test: Harish Rawat

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 BJP in the Assembly, purportedly shows Rawat negotiating a money deal with the journalist to buy the support of MLAs who had revolted against him.

Read: BJP dares Congress to say Harish Rawat sting video was false

Rawat, who had been insisting that the sting was fake, last week 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 BJP chief Amit Shah to put him in jail if he is found in the wrong.

Read: Sting CD testifies criminal conspiracy to topple Uttarakhand Govt: Harish Rawat

Claiming innocence, Rawat had 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.
It looks like a pervasive abuse is about to bite the dust.

A major way that financial firms have tipped the playing field even further in their direction is the inclusion of mandatory arbitration clauses in their contracts. The argument has been that this feature is beneficial to consumers, since arbitration is cheaper that litigation in the event of a dispute. But studies have repeatedly found that to be bollocks. The arbitrators that are chosen to serve are not only screened to be big institution friendly; arbitrators that wind up ruling in favor of customers have this funny way of being moved to the bottom of the selection list, while hanging arbitrators get regular assignments. For instance, from a 2009 report by the Center for Responsible Lending:

Arbitration cases can be unfair not only because consumers have no choice in the matter, but also because prior results from Public Citizen research suggests that consumers may win only 4% of the time. The relationship as currently structured gives arbitration forums and arbitrators a strong incentive to side with repeat players that control the flow of ongoing business, rather than a consumer seen only once. In the credit card context as well as many other consumer transactions, it is very difficult to find a product without a forced arbitration agreement hidden somewhere in the fine print.

And a New York Times investigation found that individuals almost never avail themselves of arbitration for amounts under $2500; they found only 505 examples from 2010 to 2014.

Similarly, the forced arbitration clause means class action attorneys cannot take up these cases. Despite the regular demonization of their efforts, banks find it profitable to engage in penny-ante grifting which is just not worth it for a customer to pursue, like charging undisclosed fees, or timing and ordering deposits and check clearing during the day so as to maximize the amount of consumer fees. While consumers dont net much from these lawsuits, the bigger point is to stop this behavior going forward and to put financial firms on notice that if they engage in small scale ripoffs across large numbers of customers, they face good odds of being caught out and having to pay back a lot of their ill-gotten gains. The New York Times series also identified consumer abuses that class action lawyers had targeted but were stymied by the presence of mandatory arbitration clauses, such as Citibank selling consumer insurance they could not actually use, and merchants who disputed American Express hefty processing charges.

The New York Times today reports that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will soon bar mandatory arbitration clauses in consumer financial products. Even though the rule is not final and is subject to a comment period, the tone of the Times report is that the provision becoming final is close to a certainty. From the account:

The nations consumer watchdog is unveiling a proposed rule on Thursday that would restore customers rights to bring class-action lawsuits against financial firms, giving Americans major new protections and delivering a serious blow to Wall Street that could cost the industry billions of dollars.

The proposed rule, which would apply to bank accounts, credit cards and other types of consumer loans, seems almost certain to take effect, since it does not require congressional approval. In effect, the move by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau  the biggest that the agency has made since its inception in 2010  will unravel a set of audacious legal maneuvers by corporate America that has prevented customers from using the court system to challenge potentially deceitful banking practices.  Its going to spell the end of arbitration, said Alan S. Kaplinsky, a lawyer with the firm Ballard Spahr in Philadelphia, who pioneered the use of arbitration clauses to thwart class-action lawsuits and thus opposes the proposed rule. It will lead to a huge upsurge in litigation and take away a benefit to consumers.. It is a good start, said Berle M. Schiller, a federal judge in Philadelphia who has been critical of arbitration clauses that dismantle class actions and tip the scales in favor of companies. Class actions are the only way that companies can be brought to heel. The agencys proposed rule would be the first significant check on arbitration since a pair of Supreme Court decisions in 2011 and 2013 blessed its widespread use. Those decisions signaled the culmination of an effort by a coalition of credit card companies to stop the tide of class-action lawsuits.

Note that the rule will apply only to new accounts and loans, but consumers can cancel existing ones and sign up again.

Ive been generally critical of Dodd Frank as delivering much less than it promised, but this is an important exception. Dodd Frank not only established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but also tasked the agency to investigate arbitration. Its 2015 report showed how the process was skewed in favor of bigger players. Again from the Times

For the few who did go through with the process, the report also showed the lopsided nature of the rulings. Businesses won bigger judgments against consumers in arbitration  a total of $2.8 million in 2010 and 2011, largely for debt payments  than the consumers obtained in relief, according to the agencys analysis. During that period, only 78 arbitration claims resulted in judgments in favor of consumers, who received less than $400,000 in total relief.

Its rare to see a clean win for consumers versus banks, particularly given that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has tended to be cautious. However, previous research and reporting and the agencys own analysis showed that forced arbitration was a clear-cut abuse, paving the way for action. And the Administration generally has been pursuing various bank settlements and fines to burnish Obamas tough on bank claims, even though these actions are rounding error compared to the massive wealth transfer represented by the stealth bailouts. But even though this is a comparatively small step, it will still over time curb a lot of misconduct, particularly the type that hits low-income customers disproportionately hard. The howling by the Chamber of Commerce and bank allies says that the financial services industry expects this measure to hurt them where they care most, in their wallets. About time.
By Sigrun Davisdottir. Originally published at Tax Justice Network

In a matter of a few years tiny Iceland became the worlds most offshored country, both proportionally in terms of the number of clients the banks sent offshore, and in the pervasiveness of offshore companies in the business community. The Icelandic mini-cosmos provides some intriguing lessons on the offshore world. Most strikingly, offshore is in a profound sense onshore  a bubble that exists within the country: a free space to escape from the social compact.

And, as the recent TJN blog explained, it undermines financial stability. It is a myth that Iceland got away easily: the Icelandic banking collapse ranks among the costliest finance calamities since 1970, according to IMF economists.

When you see a bowl of smarties you take a handful. Thats how offshore shell companies were used in the end by Icelandic banks and businesses: a handful thrown into every new venture, said a lawyer working for one of the Icelandic companies making headlines in international media before the failure of the three largest banks  90 percent of the Icelandic banking system  in early October 2008.

Unlike in many other Western countries hit by the 2008 banking crisis, Icelands collapse has been thoroughly documented: the events leading up to the collapse were carefully recounted and analysed in a 2010 report by a Special Investigative Committee, SIC (here are some excerpts in English). In addition, over twenty charges brought by the Special Prosecutor, investigating alleged crimes related to the collapse, have spelled out many stories in detail. Offshore figures in most of them.

The surprising aspect of the Icelandic offshorisation is the speed of its growth  it all happened in only around a decade  and how many small business owners and how many well-off but far from wealthy bank clients were offshored by the banks. Even a fisherman who sold his vessel for what then amounted to 125,000, was offshored: he didnt ask for it, but his bank made him an offer he could not refuse.

What the Panama papers have added to earlier stories is information on the craft of offshore: the relationships shaping the offshorisation, and how offshore comes onshore. The secrecy havens themselves are far away, but they create a bubble at home in which the normal rules of democracy do not operate.

What Icelanders Knew  and Didnt Know

The introduction of transferable fishing quotas in the early 1990s meant that a quota, which earlier had just been the right to fish, could be sold for ready money. This released a flood of money into the Icelandic economy. In the late 1990s, Icelandic banks were discovering that now there was a moneyed class in Iceland, which could be offered wealth management services, as is done abroad.

Just over a year ago, Landsbanki started offering a so-called offshore service.

Thus began a January 2000 article on Landsbankis new service, run via Guernsey. The Landsbanki managers interviewed were bursting with pride: not every bank was welcome in Guernsey but the good reputation of Landsbanki had opened this door, according to a Landsbanki manager. Yes, they acknowledged that offshore was often linked to crime, but that couldnt happen in Guernsey because of the islands diligent authorities.*

In 2000, Landsbanki was still state-owned: its CEO a former private secretary in the Ministry of business and industry. By the end of 2002, all the Icelandic banks had been fully privatised. Their offshore services were already well developed, mostly organised through Luxembourg, truly the gateway to offshore Iceland. Only after the banking collapse did Icelanders realise how extensive the offshorisation was.

Between 2000 and 2008 Icelandic banks and businesses expanded abroad, mostly in Denmark  where the press remained sceptical  and in the UK where the press greeted them with greater adulation. Icelanders generally felt that the Danish attitude reflected envy towards the brilliant bankers and businessmen from the former Danish territory.

Luxembourg: Make-Belief Regulations Without Enforcement

When rumours about alleged misconduct in the banks started to swirl around in the press in the weeks after the collapse I remembered having seen some Luxembourg documents related to Baugur owned by Jon Asgeir Johannesson, who had bought up eye-catching UK high street chains including Iceland, Karen Millen and Goldsmith.

By searching through the Luxembourg Memorial I came across dozens of companies set up offshore by Kaupthing bank, many owned by people unconnected to the big businesses. In the Panama Papers there are almost 600 companies related to Landsbanki alone.

When I turned my attention to financial regulation in Luxembourg experts told me that, just as had been stated for Guernsey, it was unlikely that anything dirty had gone on in Luxembourg. This upstanding European country, after all, houses the European Parliament when its not meeting in Brussels, along with the European Court of Justice. Luxembourg boasted that it had good financial regulation and a well-functioning regulator, Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier, CSSF.

Slowly, I realised that yes, there was indeed a regulator and a legal code but all of this was only a make-believe: there was neither the manpower nor the will to enforce the law.**

At the Tax Justice Network Workshop on Corruption and the role of tax havens Omri Marian from the UC Irvine School of Law gave on overview of his research into tax agreements, which surfaced thanks to the LuxLeaks scandal. He concluded that Luxembourg certainly has tax laws that look like the tax laws in any other Western country.

The difference is they are not enforced  not at all.

Instead, Luxembourg is prosecuting two journalists and an accountant for the Luxembourg leak exposing how Luxembourg grants companies special tax agreements.

Luxembourg: No Enforcement, No Consumer Protection

According to the CSSF 2014 Annual Accounts, the most recent one, there are 144 credit institutions, 15 pension funds, 315 Personal Financial Specialists, 4,193 so-called Undertakings for Collective Investments and 32 Securitising Undertakings operating in Luxembourg. The banks combined balance sheet in 2014 was 737bn: other financial institutions had a combined balance sheet or assets amounting to 45bn.

In a country of 542,000 people 44,000 people work in the Luxembourg firms regulated by the CSSF; the CSSF had 555 employees in 494 full-time jobs in 2014. That year, 99 people had been on CSSF ad hoc committees: fourteen of them were from ministries or universities; intriguingly, 85 came from banks, accountancy and law firms, and other firms servicing the offshore industry.

According to a TJN report on Luxembourg, victims of Bernie Madoff found no help among Luxembourg authorities. It is the same story with a group of Landsbanki Luxembourg clients who took out so-called equity release loans: Luxembourg authorities have cold-shouldered claims that its court-appointed administrator ignored pleas for an investigation, in spite of investigations in Iceland, prison sentences for some Landsbanki managers and lastly, criminal investigation in France into the Landsbanki Luxembourg operations in France (extensively covered on my blog).

The Panama Papers and the Craft of Offshore

There is much material on Iceland in the Panama papers adding more names and further insight into the mechanisms of the Icelandic offshorisation. The operations can be seen from emails and other documents recording contacts between Mossack Fonseca and their clients. So far, six Icelanders have resigned because of the revelations.

On April 3 international media published the first Panama stories: an interview with Sigmundur Davi Gunnlaugsson, then prime minister of Iceland, where he denied owning offshore company Wintris, garnered international fame. Within 48 hours of the interview being broadcast, Gunnlaugsson was forced to resign.

In the infamous interview, recorded on March 11 but embargoed until April 3, he lied about Wintris. Knowing that his ownership of Wintris would be made public he had in the meantime attempted damage control by feeding Icelandic media false and misleading information on Wintris. As the media grew more suspicious, he attacked journalists who didnt swallow his version.

It was bad enough that in a country with capital controls he chose to keep his family wealth offshore. In addition, Wintris was a creditor in the three failed banks, creating a conflict of interest for Gunnlaugsson: he led efforts to resolve issues regarding the failed banks without ever mentioning Wintris.

Icelandic media has also done some intriguing reports on the on- and offshore ventures of the chair of Gunnlaugssons party, the Progressive party, Hrolfur Olvisson. He resigned, as have two pension fund CEOs. A conservative member of the Reykjavik Council resigned when the Panama papers exposed his ownership of an offshore company set up as late as 2014. There might well be further unexplained stories here on money and politics. The sixth to resign following Panama reporting was a cashier to the Social Democrats and an investor in Kjarninn, a media company.

The Offshore Effect in Iceland

The offshore effect on Iceland has been as in other countries: less tax, and opaque business environment: inter alia, undermining competition.

The Icelandic banks sold their offshore solutions with promises of less tax. Anecdotal evidence from owners of small businesses lured by these offers indicates that if they ended up both paying tax and paying the offshore fees the offshoring was a losing proposition. According to officials from the Inland Revenue in Iceland their investigations show that offshore companies were seldom included in tax statements; in other words, taxes were rarely paid. In other words: taxes were not part of the offshore package.

From 2003, by which time the banks had been entirely privatised, Icelanders quickly became nonchalant about sales of assets with escalating prices where the only obvious reason for the rising prices was the willingness of other buyers to pay; and this was based on banks willing to fund the extravaganza. Those involved in the most staggering deals were the banks largest shareholders.

Offshore companies were widely used to hide ownership. All form of such hiding was common in the febrile business activities around the big shareholders in the banks, resulting in a hugely distorted business environment.

Also, the offshore galaxies owned by some of the largest shareholders came in handy when bankruptcies were on the horizon. Assets could be separated from debt  offshore companies are good for the pulling assets and debts apart, leaving the debt in companies that go bankrupt, making others carry losses  while the assets migrate elsewhere unscathed.

In a small offshorised economy the effect is both visible and strong.

Offshore, Onshore

The Icelandic experience of a rapid offshorisation over just around a decade, and the subsequent crash, highlights how destabilising the lethal combination of tax evasion and harmful  often criminal  business practices can be.

The collapse also exposes the nature of offshorisation. The word offshore implies something taking place abroad, far away. At a closer look, this is actually misleading. The planning of offshore practices takes place onshore: in Icelands case by bankers, lawyers and accountants for businesses and businessmen living in Iceland, assisted by experts abroad.

The wealthiest Icelanders could in effect behave as if the rest of the country didnt matter. In this bubble they were outside the social compact, beyond tax and democracy. They paid taxes as suited them and practiced business as was best for their businesses and their own personal gains.

Offshore splits society in two.

On the one hand, there are those who follow the rules, partly through the deterrent effect of rules and regulations, and partly because they see it as reasonable behaviour.

On the other hand, there are those who, aided by lawyers, bankers and accountants  the offshore industrys experts  can live outside the social norm even though they live onshore. When their bubble expands, as it had done by 2008, it threatens financial stability and democracy because democratic tools such as investigations and punishment dont apply in the offshore bubble inside our Western countries.
Yves here. Readers may recall that we flagged the incursion of protestors into Iraqs Green Zone, where both the US Embassy and Iraqs Parliament had safely sat, well protected from citizens. The initial reports were that the occupiers appear to have been let in and were peaceful (only one politician injured and some damage to furniture in the Parliament). Most important, they did not want to overthrow the government but wanted an end to corruption, seeing it as necessary to get improved delivery of services to the population.

Lambert highlighted the minimal mainstream media coverage of this development and the lack of crisp talking points from sources close to the Administration. And the story appears to have dropped from the news radar.

This Real News Network segment gives the background on the protests. Theyve been underway for some time, are secular in nature, and to a significant degree, cross sectarian and ethnic lines.

SHARMINI PERIES, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, TRNN: Its the Real News Network. Im Sharmini Peries coming to you from Baltimore.

Iraq made headlines this past week, first when an American service member was killed on Tuesday just north of Mosul. Then, this past weekend, two suicide car bombs claimed by the Islamic State killed at least 32 people and injured 75 others in southern Iraq.

Then, on Saturday, protesters staged a sit-in at the Iraqi Parliament in the countrys green zone, which is an enclave for US military, Iraqi government offices and embassies. The protesters were demanding political reforms against corruption. These protests were targeting Iraqi Prime Minister al-Abadi, who is trying to appoint technocrats in ministerial positions as an anti-corruption measure, but the Iraqi Parliament has been in a deadlock on this issue due to ongoing debate.

On to discuss these developments is Sabah Alanasseri. He is associate professor and director of the graduate program in political science at York University in Canada. Sabah, thank you so much for joining us.

SABAH ALNASSERI: Good afternoon, Sharmini, [inaud.]

PERIES: Sabah, so, give us some details as to why these protesters are having a sit-in in Parliament, and I know they have disbanded for the time being, but they have promised to come back.

ALNASSERI: Yes. Well, these protests started, actually, last year in July, almost one year, and had three significant moments, ever since these protests started in July. The first one is that the protest movement was spontaneous. It was not organized by a party or a religious movement, or a religious figure. It was spontaneous and people went in on the street in different provinces of Iraq, especially in the so-called Shiite majority provinces, in Basrah, An-Najaf, Karbala, Baghdad, et cetera, and at first they were asking for better services, for electricity, clean water, et cetera.

It coincided at that time, as you remember, with protest movement in Beirut for the same reasons, against garbage collection, water, electricity and so on. So it was spontaneous at that time, and at that time minister president Abadi promised to introduce reform and to fight corruption and deliver better service to the people. Nothing happened, and the demands of the protesters then escalated from better services to anti-corruption. They wanted reform, to get rid of all these corrupt politicians and ministers within the state apparatus.

Then, the second significant moment, I would say, the religious and the so-called secular, I mean, I dont use this term, secular, its problematic, but let me just, for the sake of the argument I will use this term secularreligious and secular forces within Iraq were forced, actually, to collaborate, to re-approach each other and side with the protesters. The second significant moment is not only the protester push the government and minister president Abadi to at least start some, or initiate some reform, but they forced all the religious and non-religious political forces in Iraq to come together and [inaud.] the protesters their demands.

The third significant moment in the formation of this protest movement is the non-sectarian, non-ethnic character of these movements. You have forces from our Sadrists, of Muqtada al-Sadr, their religious figure, but you have even Khomeinists among the protesters and liberal, et cetera. So, for the first time since the occupation of Iraq in 2003, the urban civil character of the Iraqi society has come to the fore against all these religious and sectarian, ethno-division of the country.

And I think its significant, because, for the first time, when I was listening to Muqtada al-Sadrs speeches since March 2016 in front of the Green Zone, for the first time he not only did not differentiate between a Kurd and an Arab, and a Shiite and a Sunni, but for the first time he made a statement that there is no difference between a religious Iraqi and non-religious Iraqi, and I think this is significant because he realizes that the nature of the Iraqi societies, which is different than, lets say, Iran, or Lebanon, for that matter, is so heterogenous, it has such a long history of non-radical, non-extremist, non-religious, mostly civil, urban character, that this is the only way forward against the entrenched interests of corrupt political parties and politicians.

These are three significant moments and I think they can help us understand that why, for instance, for the first time the protesters were actually protected by the Sadrist militias. This is the first time you have such a massive mass movement in Iraq, probably since 1958, since the revolution in Iraq, where the militias of the political parties and the interior ministry didnt dare shoot at the people just like they used to before because they were protected this time by the Sadrist militia.

And the second thing which also indicates cracks within the security apparatus of the state is that when the people tore down these concrete walls, which reminds me, by the way, of 1989 in Germany when people tore down the wall between east and west, a similar moment happens in Baghdad last week. So, when people tore down these concrete walls, the security forces not only, especially the police, not only did not stop them or shoot at them. They de facto supported them to enter the Parliament, occupy the Parliament and other offices of the ministers and the MP.

This is significant, when you have a crack within security apparatus. Think about Tunisia and Egypt when the army refused to shoot at the people, and so on. It was significant that it contributed to the momentum of the protest movement.

PERIES: Right. Sabah, theres a lot to be discussed here, particularly Muqtada al-Sadr and

ALNASSERI: Yes

PERIS: His back story, in terms of why most of the reporting that has been taking place on what happened in terms of the sit-in. A lot of the media outlets reported that this was enticed by him and a speech he gave, quite contrary to what youre saying. But we would like to have a back story on who he is, but lets do that in our second segment, enticing people to continue to listen to us.

Thank you so much for joining us, Sabah.

ALNASSERI: My pleasure.

PERIES: And thank you for joining us. Please come back to part two with Sabah Alnasseri.

Part 2

SHARMINI PERIES, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, TRNN: Welcome back. Im speaking with Sabah Alnasseri from York University in Toronto. Were talking about Iraq and the most recent developments there.

So, Sabah, when we were speaking in the earliest segment we were speaking about Muqtada al-Sadr. Now, a lot of the media reported, as at the sit-in in the Green Zone and in front of the Parliament was being agitated by him, and that after listening to a speech he had given people just, you know, crossed the Green Zone, jumped over walls to get to the Green Zone and occupy the Parliament. How accurate is that reporting?

SABAH ALNASSERI: Well, the movement started spontaneous and of course, as I said, this spontaneous movement forced not only the MPs and the government to debate some reforms, but also imposes on the existing and non-religious forces in Iraq a form of [reapportionment] because they realized if they dont associate themselves with this protest movement they will be marginalized, so you can see Muqtada al-Sadr and other political forces in Iraq, they are [riding] on this wave of this protest movement. They did not cause them, nor they initiated them.

But, its true that when the al-Sadrists joined the movement [inaud.] enormous potential on supporters of all of Iraq so, yes, Muqtada al-Sadr became a significant figure within the movement and thats for a good reason. What we are witnessing in Iraq with this protest movement is an intra-Shiite conflict of a political power, because what Muqtada al-Sadr is trying to push back. Hes against other Shiite forces within the Parliament and within the government, especially [the al-Dawa Party], and here we can see that thats why Muqtada al-Sadr actually invoked an Iraqi nationalist card and not a sectarian and Shiite one. So

PERIES: And tell us about Muqtada al-Sadr and, sort of, his bloody history in Iraq as well.

ALNASSERI: Yeah. Well, you know, al-Sadr family is totally one of the most prominent Shiite, Arab families in Iraq, and thats why you can see Muqtada al-Sadr, just like his father and grandfather, hell always invoke the Arab nationalist card compared to other religious figure in the religious institution in Iraq like al-Sistani and so on, who have a different ethnic background. So he come from an Arab Shiite families within these religious institutions, and thats why even Saddam Hussein in 1990 appointed his father to be the head of the religious institution in Iraq precisely because hes an Arab, because of this nationalist card.

And, historically, this other family, if you compare them, lets say, to an [inaud.] family, they were always closer to the popular classes in Iraq, especially the peasants, the unemployed and so on, whereas other Shiite families and religious figures within the institution, they were the speaker and the intellectual of their own classes, at that time the landlords, so you can see the al-Sadr family, historically, has much more credibility among the popular classes, the peasant worker and the unemployed, than other Shiite forces.

And the third movement, I think why al-Sadr became so significant and has much more credibility to be a prominent figure within the movement, because he distanced himself in the last three years from Iran and he opposed the US occupation, and he is invoking a united Iraq against the fraction of Iraq in ethnic-sectarian terms, Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. And he can rely on this historical, you know, record of his family as being a national, popular force within the Iraqi societies, so he has much more credibility when he talks to the people and gives a speech in front of the Green Zone saying that, if the government will not implement the reform, will not respond to the demands of the people, then people would occupy the Green Zone, and he starts speaking of a popular revolution.

So there are historical, social and, especially since the occupation of Iraq, political, ideological movements that give much more credibility to Muqtada al-Sadr and his, you know, speeches to the popular classes in Iraq than other Shiite political parties. Think, on instance, one of his rivals, al-Maliki, the ex-minister president. Al-Maliki, when he saw the protests and saw al-Sadr, you know, heading the protests in the last few weeks, he starts speaking of an attack on the Islamic project, and the forces, he did not name al-Sadr, but he implies that al-Sadr is trying to bring back the secular, urban, civil character of the Iraqi societies against the Islamic project, and he starts threatening with some kind of civil war rhetoric.

So, you can see theres an inter-Shiite conflict of political power about which we, by the way, we talk many times on the Real News since years that the main struggle in Iraq is not inter- but intra-sectarian.

PERIES: Right. And, Sabah, the crisis in governance is going on, but add to that the massive budgetary deficit also being experienced as a result of the declining oil prices giving away to further instability. What impact is that going to have on whats happening, in terms of the political destabilization going on?

ALNASSERI: Yes. Partly, you know, affected and caused, but only partly, the protest movement and the conflict within the Parliament and the ministry itself, because the almost 20 percent reduction in states income due to the low oil prices, which we talked about in January of last year, we anticipated on the Real News that this will happen.

That created not only difficulties for the government to introduce reforms, but and also, and worse still, to introduce austerity measures which created a lot of conflict within the state ministries because most of these bureaucrats are the client list pf the Shiite political parties, so it creates conflict among these ministries, who gets what and how much? How much reduction to this ministry vis-a-vis the other. That created internal conflict over the redistribution of income and, of course, makes difficult for the government to introduce services for the people. So it caused, partly, the protest movement but its not the real cause of the protest movement.

As I said, we have this wave of protests in Iraq since years, but for the first time, and due to the different circumstances, this, you know, sporadic, spontaneous protest moment evolved into a massive popular force that present as a serious crisis, not only for the political regime but for the whole state itself, because I think people start realizing, and thats why their demand escalated compared to July 2015. People realized that even if al-Abadi introduced reform and he reshuffled the cabinet and, you know, bring in independent politicians not affiliated with party, et cetera, this will not change anything of the current situation because all the ministries, all these apparatus of the states are occupied according to this so-called muhassasa, the quarter system, the ethno-sectarian system.

That means if you bring an independent minister, even if he, you know, he or she is a good person, try to introduce reform, the whole ministry, the undersecretaries, the managers, the bureaucrat are all affiliated with the Shiite party, so theyll make it almost impossible for any government to introduce any reform under the current structure of the state. And I think this is becoming much more clear to the people, that, you know, a simple reshuffling or personal shifts or changes will not change anything on [inaud.] on ground, will not satisfy the demand of the people, and I think the demands of the people will get more radical in the next few weeks and month.

PERIES: All right. Well be looking out as Im sure you will be, Saba. Thank you so much for joining us, and we hope to have you back very soon.

ALNASSERI: My pleasure, and thanks for having me.

PERIES: And thank you for joining us on the Real News Network.
Made Better through science: Calcite tuned to be mollusk-tough (Nanowerk News) No self-respecting construction engineer would ever choose pure calcite  a weak, brittle mineral found in chalk  as a building material.

But what if you could somehow strengthen calcite by a factor of two or more, the way a mollusk has done through the evolutionary process to protect itself from sharp-toothed predators?

Well, you still might not choose hardened calcite to build your home, but it might have other applications that, by virtue of its availability, could make it an attractive option for low-strength fabrication needs.

Cornell researchers, together with a team from the University of Leeds (U.K.), have jointly led an expansive, years-long international collaboration that has resulted in a paper detailing the ability to control and increase resistance to deformation in pure calcite through the introduction of amino acids.

The paper is published this month in Nature Materials ("Tuning hardness in calcite by incorporation of amino acids").

Top: Aspartic acid molecules embedded in a crystalline lattice. Middle: A dislocation in the crystal, represented by the black line, gets hung up on the molecules. Bottom: The dislocation cuts one of the molecules. The strength of a covalent bond in the molecule ultimately determines the hardness of the crystal.

Why is it that a mollusk at the bottom of the ocean can make a single crystal of calcite thats solidly twice as hard as a naturally occurring, pure geologic calcite? asked Shefford Baker, Cornell associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

That was the question he and colleague Lara Estroff, also an associate professor of materials science and engineering and a member of the Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, had sought to answer through approximately six years of research.

Estroff and Baker worked with an international team. Fiona Meldrum and Yi-Yeoun Kim from Leeds co-led the study; additional collaborators included current Cornell graduate student Joseph Carloni and former grad student Miki Kunitake, both jointly advised by Estroff and Baker, and nine others from the United Kingdom and Israel.

I dont think theres any way that all of these teams, having done their parts in isolation, could have come up with this paper, Baker said. I dont think all the connections would have been understood.

The answer lies in aspartic acid (Asp) and glycine (Gly), amino acids that  when added in precise, controlled amounts  increased single-crystal calcites hardness to values equivalent to biogenic calcite.

To create the model biominerals, the Meldrum group grew single-crystal calcite samples in a solution containing either Asp or Gly, the amount of amino acid present in the mineral dependent on the concentration of molecules in the solution.

This was really a breakthrough, Estroff said, to be able to have controlled and very well quantified amounts of amino acids within single crystals.

The structural characterization of these crystals required highly specialized techniques and the expertise of multiple researchers. Kirsty Penkmans group (University of York) precisely quantified the concentration of amino acids within the calcite crystals, and Melinda Duers group (University of Cambridge) demonstrated that the molecules were distributed individually rather than in clumps.

In parallel, a group led by John Harding (University of Sheffield) conducted atomistic computer simulations to determine how the amino acid molecules were fit into the calcite lattice, and Kim, along with Boaz Pokroy (Technion) and researchers at the Diamond Light Source (U.K.), characterized the distortions the molecules induced in the calcite lattice.

Using this data, the Cornell team determined how far apart in nanometers the molecules were from each other. Then by comparing hardness measured by nanoindentation, they showed hardness was determined by the force needed to cut, or break, the covalent bonds within the amino acids.

The hardness of the model biominerals were the largest reported to date in man-made synthetic calcite and are consistent with those measured in naturally occurring biogenic calcites.
FILE -- Gov. Rick Scott speaks during a pre-legislative news conference, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon)

If you'll allow me the indulgence of paraphrasing Shakespeare twice in the same week, the governors doth protest too much, methinks.

Governors Jerry Brown of California and Terry McAuliffe of Virginia all but mocked Florida Gov. Rick Scott earlier this week for his efforts to recruit businesses to Florida from other states.

Brown wrote Scott a letter scolding, "If you're really serious about Florida's economic well-being, then it's time to stop the silly political stunts and start doing something about climate change."

"Doing something about climate change" is code for restricting the use of fossil fuels.

Maybe Brown's idea of economic stimulus is choking off the fuel that drives the economy. But while solar and wind hold promise for the future, in the short term, oil and natural gas will power progress.

McAuliffe posited that recruiting businesses from other states requires hefty taxpayer incentives that cause states to compete with each other.

To a degree he's right, but he overlooks the fact that Florida has a powerful incentive that doesn't cost taxpayers anything. It is one of a handful of states that doesn't assess an income tax on residents.

States like California and Virginia have been losing residents, and the money they spend and the taxes they pay, to low tax states like Florida for years.

Scott is selling Florida to those residents, just like he said he would when he ran for office.

The results are startling, as evidenced by a fascinating website, howmoneywalks.com.

An extension of Travis H. Brown's 2013 book, How Money Walks, the website offers in comprehensive detail a look at where people move to and from within the U.S.

Using data from the IRS, the website identifies every state and county in the nation and shows how much income is flowing into or out of the area as taxpayers move around.

California is among the losers. Only New York has seen more wealth flee. Florida is hands down the big winner. Of particular interest locally, Lee and Collier counties show up as the favored destination of taxpayers leaving dozens of communities across the country.

It's validation of what we see so often on the streets, Cubs bumper stickers and Ohio license plates.

Even though the Southwest Florida counties don't compare in size to destinations like Miami and Tampa, they attract as much wealth, sometimes more.

And as wealth moves, so does prosperity, says Brown, the author not the governor.

"Imagine, if you will, that over the last 15 years you received, just by being you, a windfall of over $86.4 billion dollars. Congratulations. You are the state of Florida," Brown wrote in the book.

Of course, people don't move to Florida and give all their money to the state government. The reason many of them move here is exactly the opposite  they want to give less to their state government.

But they end up spending money, paying sales tax all the while, and more importantly, driving the economy.

"Seventy percent of America's gross domestic product  the measurement of the country's total economic output, including production, spending and everything else  is based on consumer spending," Brown writes. "Our economy cannot grow if people do not spend money."

The fact that people are now spending money in Florida, as opposed to California or Virginia, is the windfall Brown spoke of. "The presence of aggregate income, of real working wealth, is the biggest contributor to and barometer of the health of your local, state and national economy," he notes.

Anyone who's moved to Southwest Florida from somewhere else can have fun with the website, clicking on counties and cities to see where your high school chums and former co-workers are relocating.

There's a good chance you'll discover some of your former neighbors are finding their way here.

Some examples:

Ohio has lost about $23 billion in income and a total of about 431,000 taxpayers since 1986. More than 100,000 of those taxpayers found their way to Florida. Stark County, near Akron, saw most of the wealth leaving the area head to four Florida counties, three of them _ Pinellas, Lee and Collier _ on the West Coast.

Collier County was among the top spots for people leaving Lake County, Ill., abutting Chicago.

Lee and Collier counties are the top out-of-state destinations for people leaving St. Louis.

California showed a net gain in population and wealth until 1993, when things began trending downward. Since then it has lost more than 600,000 taxpayers accounting for $54 billion in income. Not many move to Florida, opting for new homes in Nevada, Arizona and Texas.

After experiencing some strong growth between 2004 and 2012, Virginia is doing a little better than breaking even in terms of annual income gained through taxpayers moving in and out, with annual gains measured in the millions, as opposed to Florida's billions. Taxpayers leaving Virginia favor Florida over even neighboring North Carolina.

Scott correctly notes that the more people spend in Florida, the more money the state has to do things like restore the Everglades and renourish beaches.

Far from being a political stunt, his recruitment of businesses and people to Florida seems to make other governors nervous.

(Connect with Brent Batten at brent.batten@naplesnews.com, on Twitter@NDN_BrentBatten and at facebook.com/ndnbrentbatten)
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WASHINGTON  For the next six months we must watch the mortifying process of Republicans girding their loins to support Donald Trump's bid for the White House.

This is not just someone who has made inartful, irrational statements.

This is a man who has spouted nonsense, insulted three-fourths of the population, embarrassed himself by his lack of knowledge of foreign policy and economics, has quoted the National Enquirer, boasted unbearably, dissembled about almost everything and alarmed the world.

This is an arrogant, ill-mannered, graceless blowhard who has come to define words most of us know only from high school English: misogynist, xenophobe, chauvinist.

There's a 50-50 chance Trump could become the 45th president even though the wily New York real estate mogul is exceedingly unpopular among independents, women, Latinos and minorities.

A Hillary Clinton victory is not inevitable, and here's why:

It costs about a billion dollars to get elected president. Even Trump does not have that kind of cash. (He's loaned himself about $36 million so far and expects to get it back from donations.) So he needs money to pursue this once-fantastical venture that could, heaven help us, become a sure thing in November.

The drumbeat has begun for Republicans to hold their noses and donate millions to Trump because the GOP faithful want to block a Clinton presidency more than they are afraid of what Trump will do to their fractured party.

There is also the matter of Republicans maintaining control of the House and the Senate. Because fewer American voters split their tickets, GOP leaders think that encouraging a Trump victory translates to millions of votes for Republicans down ticket. If conservatives stay home, chances for a Democratic takeover of the Senate (less likely for the House) improve.

Some Republicans will rationalize that even if they can't stand Trump, they'd rather he, not Clinton, nominate the next Supreme Court justice.

Many independents think Trump could not keep his promises  to make Mexico pay billions for a wall, deny entry to America to Muslims (including legal U.S. citizens who go abroad), put women who have abortions in jail, tear up multinational trade agreements, deploy nuclear weapons in Europe, start a war with China. So they will choose simply to ignore his most ridiculous assertions and hope he gets some sense.

Republicans who want to retake the White House simply will forget that Trump accused President Barack Obama of not being a legal citizen, said Ted Cruz's father helped assassinate President John F. Kennedy, said Clinton would not get more than 5 percent of the vote if she were a man, said "it doesn't really matter what (the media) write as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of ass."

They won't care he said Mexico is deliberately sending criminals, drug dealers and rapists north and that if Ivanka weren't his daughter, perhaps he'd be dating her.

Many voters now loath to vote for Trump will decide they dislike Clinton so much they'll shrug their shoulders over such Trump statements as, "The beauty of me is that I am very rich," that "my fingers are long and beautiful, as, it has been well documented, are various other parts of my body," that "the point is, you can't be too greedy," that "my IQ is one of the highest  and you all know it! Please don't feel so stupid or insecure; it's not your fault."

Ha. Trump being Trump.

Some will vote for Trump because he is a rich celebrity, outrageous and entertaining. And, they'll figure, how could he be any worse than those clown politicians we have now?

Oh, he could. He would.

Some Americans are so frightened about their finances and the future that they figure a businessman must know how to fix the economy. But Trump buys and sells stuff with his name on it  he doesn't create wealth. He is against a higher minimum wage. Stopping trade to punish rivals won't create high-paying American jobs. He's the consummate 1 percenter  he wants the rich to get richer. He has no serious plan to help the middle class.

It's painful to watch rational people rationalize jumping on the Trump bandwagon. They're certain to take a serious bruising when they inevitably fall off.
SHARE Donors help place boxes and bags full of supplies inside the 26-foot U-Haul truck parked outside the Coffee Cup Breakfast and Lunch. Submitted photo Santiago Cabrera and Florencia Egas pose inside the Coffee Cup Breakfast and Lunch next to the poster they used during the donation drive, which was held on April 23. They collected supplies to send to Ecuadorians, who were affected by the earthquake that struck off the country's Pacific coast on April 16. Ashley Collins/Staff Donors stop loading up the 26-foot U-Haul truck to take some pictures. The donation drive, which was held on April 23 outside the Coffee Cup, benefitted Ecuadorians who were affected by the magnitude-7.8 earthquake on April 16. Submitted photo

By Ashley Collins, Staff

Distance couldn't keep Florencia Egas, 41, and Santiago Cabrera, 43, from feeling the vibration caused by the magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck off Ecuador's Pacific coast on April 16, killing more than 600 people and injuring thousands.

Nearly 2,000 miles away, the Ecuadorian-born couple from Naples knew they wanted to do something.

And something they did.

That following Saturday, April 23, they hosted a donation drive at the parking lot outside their restaurant, the Coffee Cup Breakfast and Lunch on Collier Boulevard.

While the drive wasn't supposed to start until 2 p.m., people came out in droves starting at 6 a.m. after hearing about it via the local radio station, Latino 97.7, and seeing Egas and Cabrera appear on the local television program, D'Latinos.

Egas said they contacted both stations in order to get the word out quickly.

As a result of the drive, they collected hundreds of bags and boxes filled with water bottles, tents, sleeping bags, canned food, pet food, baby wipes, face masks, batteries and flashlights.

Egas said the community's immediate response was more than they could've asked for.

"People were crying and hugged us and said thank you," Egas recalled, smiling at the memory.

As she spoke about how much the support from the community meant to her, she immediately noticed goose bumps on her arms, clearly still emotional about the tragedy that struck her homeland and the support she found in Naples because of it.

Egas said they met many donors within the past couple of weeks who didn't have money to spare, but were willing to give, without hesitation, to those more in need.

"With that, we were able to fill up the truck with love and blessings," Egas said.

All donations were placed inside a 26-foot U-Haul truck, which was completely full that night.

The truck was then taken to Miami, where donations were being collected by Provex, Inc., which began transporting donations to the affected areas in Ecuador immediately following the earthquake.

All donations collected from the drive arrived safely in Ecuador by the end of April, Egas said.

Long after the drive was over, Egas continued receiving supplies from the community. She made a recent trip to Miami to drop off the rest of the donations.

She said she doesn't plan to collect any more supplies because there aren't as many shipments being made to Ecuador as there were immediately following the natural disaster.

Besides donating supplies, locals also contributed money. Egas said they plan to put the money to use and buy tents for Ecuadorians. They also plan to save some of it and possibly collect more in hopes of building several houses in Ecuador.

Egas and Cabrera had just visited family in Ecuador last November and were fortunate enough not to have any family members injured as a result of the earthquake.

They moved from Quito, Ecuador, to Naples 18 years ago in order to live closer to Cabrera's family. While much of Egas's family still resides in Ecuador, she visits regularly, but is happy with the home she's made in Naples with her husband and two children, Mateo, 11, and Nicole, 13.

Despite the tragedy, Cabrera and Egas found a silver lining  they met many other Ecuadorians unexpectedly miles away from home.

"It was a very sad experience, but a time of union. We met many Ecuadorians and did this out of love," Cabrera said.

Egas said they couldn't have done it without the community and feel at home now more than ever.
New Delhi: Widening its probe in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal, the ED has begun a trail of cash which is suspected to have been paid as alleged kickbacks for the purchase of 12 helicopters from UK-based Agusta-Westland.

The financial probe agency has set the ball rolling with the second round of questioning of witnesses and accused in connection with the scam and is likely to quiz former IAF Chief S.P. Tyagi on Thursday, provided his recording of statement with the CBI ends on Wednesday.

The Enforcement Direct-orate (ED), which has been probing the money laundering angle in the case, has summoned cousins of Tyagi after his round of questioning is over besides realty firm Emaar MGFs boss Shravan Gupta.

Guptas name cropped up after it was found that the alleged middleman Guido Haschke was an independent director of the firm between September to December 2009. Company officials said Gupta will cooperate with investigative agencies.

The ED, in its charge sheet filed last year in a court, had claimed to have detected flow of alleged kickbacks sent from abroad to companies of the accused Gautam Khaitan and cousin brothers of the former IAF chief.

Officials said the flow of funds is being probed as it is alleged that it was quid pro quo to make AgustaWestland eligible to get selected for the final delivery of the 12 AW-101 helicopters to India for VVIP flying duties.

The ED, as per the charge sheet, had traced two payments of Euro 1,26,000 and another two lakh Euros from a company based in Tunisia and others made to Tyagi brothers camouflaged in the form of consultancy fee and its probe had found that the said remittances correspond with the developments taking place in alteration/reduction of mandatory servicing ceiling of the helicopters.

The ED claimed that besides these two remittances, the Tyagi brothers including the then IAF chief Tyagi, also received some amount of cash from Haschke and Gerosa.

The ED probe found that the alleged middlemen Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, in collusion with the Tyagi brothers Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep managed to make inroads in IAF through Air Chief Marshal Tyagi and thereby could influence and subvert the consistent stand of IAF regarding mandatory service ceiling of the helicopters.

Tyagi questioned for third day

The CBI on Wednesday questioned former IAF Chief S.P. Tyagi for the third consecutive day in connection with the controversial Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper deal. The agency has called the then Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans) N.V. Tyagi to be examined in connection with the alleged irregularities in the deal.

N.V. Tyagi was part of a team of senior officials who were involved in the deliberations to reduce the specifications of the helicopters for the VVIPs. Sources said S.P. Tyagi has not been called on Thursday for questioning.

The CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen. The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal without which its choppers were not even qualified for submission of bids.

Tyagi has denied allegations against him and said the change of specifications, which brought AgustaWestland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of Indian Air Force, SPG and other departments were involved.
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By Allen Weiss, Citizen Contributor

A proposed constitutional amendment to allow medical use of marijuana in Florida will be back on the ballot in November. A similar measure narrowly failed in 2014. With that in mind, I thought it would be instructive to look at Colorado's experience with marijuana.

Physicians, as sources of credible public health information, have a responsibility to share both potential risks and unexpected consequences of legalization of marijuana.

Marijuana has had a complex effect on the health of the citizens of Colorado, according to a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Colorado's state constitution was amended in 2000 to allow the use of medical marijuana by patients with "chronic debilitating medical conditions." Federal law in place at the same time prohibited the possession or distribution of marijuana until 2009. With the liberalization of the federal laws and the lucrative financial incentives associated with medical marijuana, the number of licensed sellers increased from under 5,000 in 2008 to more than 115,000 in 2014.

In November 2012, Colorado's state constitution allowed for the use of recreational marijuana and opened a floodgate of activity. Two classes of sellers were created  medical and retail. Medical sellers have no minimum age for consumers and are restricted to residents of Colorado. Retail sellers can sell to anyone from anywhere over the age of 21. In November 2014, there were 497 medical marijuana dispensaries and 292 retail outlets in Colorado.

The easy access to marijuana has led to exacerbations of chronic health conditions, particularly mental health disease. It is difficult to fully quantify the worsening of psychosis, anxiety, depression and other mental health diseases, but easy access to marijuana and other narcotics makes a bad condition worse. Without question, the combination of marijuana plus alcohol increases the risk of motor vehicle accidents more than either substance used alone.

Emergency room treatment for marijuana intoxication was rare in Colorado until the laws changed. Now patients appear in emergency departments with anxiety, panic attacks, public intoxication, vomiting and other symptoms of marijuana use.

Safer medications are already on the market for all medical uses for marijuana. Ameliorating the side effects of cancer and chemotherapy can be accomplished without medical marijuana. The same is true for glaucoma and seizure disorders. But the financial rewards for marijuana purveyors are astounding, which I'm sure contributes to their tenacity.

The unforeseen harm with the increased production and distribution of marijuana includes burns, cyclic vomiting syndrome and potential overdoses by ingesting marijuana in edible forms.

The extraction of the active ingredient THC in marijuana (tetrahydrocannabinol) uses butane as a solvent, and many purveyors have experienced significant flash burns. Cyclic vomiting syndrome  which presents with severe abdominal pain, vomiting and unusual sweating  is now also more prevalent.

Smoked marijuana reaches a peak between 30 and 90 minutes, whereas the edible form peaks at 3 hours. This delayed effect from the oral form can seduce a user into ingesting additional amounts due to the delayed reaction  and thus can lead to an overdose.

One of the worst unforseen negative outcomes is children inadvertently ingesting edible THC in the form of cookies, candy (gummy bears) or baked goods.

Overdosing, widespread distribution, impairment of cognitive function, addictive potential, loss of self-control and worsening of mental illness are all negative influences of marijuana.

The only reason that I see that medical or recreational marijuana is being pushed by a small group is for financial gain, which can be huge for the producers, sellers and distributors.

Let's stay informed as the election approaches and as we consider the welfare of our entire community.

- - -

Allen Weiss, MD, MBA, FACP, FACR, is the president and CEO of the NCH Healthcare System.
SHARE Mobile Mammo bus

1. One mother of a weekend on Marco Island (with hats!)

Mother/Daughter Mad Hatter Tea Party: The city of Marco Island Parks and Recreation Department invites all mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, nieces, and friends to the annual Mad Hatter Tea Party at Mackle Park. The Mad Hatter and all the usual characters will celebrate Mother's Day on Saturday, May 7. Mad Hatter tea time is 10 a.m. until noon. There will be delightful delicacies, tea sandwiches, scones and various teas; games and crafts. Cost is $20. Registration deadline is Thursday, May 5.

The city of Marco Island Parks and Recreation Department invites all mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, nieces, and friends to the annual Mad Hatter Tea Party at Mackle Park. The Mad Hatter and all the usual characters will celebrate Mother's Day on Saturday, May 7. Mad Hatter tea time is 10 a.m. until noon. There will be delightful delicacies, tea sandwiches, scones and various teas; games and crafts. Cost is $20. Registration deadline is Thursday, May 5. Talk Derby To Me: Upon A Star Foundation's 10 Annual Talk Derby To Me fundraiser will be Saturday, May 7, at the Marco Island Brewery. VIP seating from 3 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. General admission starts at 4 p. m. There will be live and silent auctions, best hat contests, games and more. Benefits Upon A Star and Marco Island Charter Middle School.

Upon A Star Foundation's 10 Annual Talk Derby To Me fundraiser will be Saturday, May 7, at the Marco Island Brewery. VIP seating from 3 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. General admission starts at 4 p. m. There will be live and silent auctions, best hat contests, games and more. Benefits Upon A Star and Marco Island Charter Middle School. Information: 239-272-3090.

2. Saturday is Nature Cat Day

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has partnered with WGCU to host Nature Cat Day, featuring PBS Kids television character, Nature Cat, on Saturday, May 7, at the Conservancy Nature Center. Children are invited to leave their inner house cats behind and explore the natural world as the Conservancy of Southwest Florida presents a special day of activities and character appearances by PBS Kids newest television show, "Nature Cat." Throughout the day, visitors will have the opportunity to learn and experience nature as they encounter animals and enjoy interactive children's activities that are based on the popular PBS Kids show.

Information: Conservancy.org/Nature-Center.

3. Next week: Health Plus lecture series with the Mobile Mammo

The next Health Plus lecture series begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by the presentation at 6 p.m., Wednesday, May 11 at Iberia Bank, 605 Bald Eagle Drive.

Within the last few years, there have been several different recommendations for when and how often women should be screened for breast cancer.

Dr. Taha will discuss the data supporting breast cancer screening, along with the latest recommendations and newest diagnostic imaging tests.

The Radiology Regional Center Mobile Mammo will be on site performing private breast cancer screenings. Appointments are recommended by calling 239-936-4068. Health Plus lecture series are open to the public, and admission is $3 per person.
Supervisor of Elections Jennifer Edwards discusses election requirements. The Caxambas Republican Club hosted a Candidate Challenge Wednesday evening at the United Church, bringing together six contenders for three county and state government positions. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent

SHARE Candidates join moderator Jim Curran in the Pledge of Allegiance. The Caxambas Republican Club hosted a Candidate Challenge Wednesday evening at the United Church, bringing together six contenders for three county and state government positions. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent The Caxambas Republican Club hosted a Candidate Challenge Wednesday evening at the United Church, bringing together six contenders for three county and state government positions. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent Candidate Georgia Hiller speaks against Clerk of Courts Dwight Brock, at rear. The Caxambas Republican Club hosted a Candidate Challenge Wednesday evening at the United Church, bringing together six contenders for three county and state government positions. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent Candidate Georgia Hiller speaks against Clerk of Courts Dwight Brock, at rear. The Caxambas Republican Club hosted a Candidate Challenge Wednesday evening at the United Church, bringing together six contenders for three county and state government positions. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent

By Lance Shearer

On an evening when rain poured down, giving a preview of the summer thunderstorms to come, the Caxambas Republican Club hosted a Candidate Challenge, bringing together six Republican candidates for three offices, all of whom are competing in the Aug. 30 primary election.

The session was stormy inside the United Church meeting hall as well, with County Commissioner Georgia Hiller, who is challenging Dwight Brock for the Clerk of Courts position, opening with a blistering attack on his performance in office. Brock, who has been Collier County's Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller since 1993, was the only incumbent among the candidates in the room, and Hiller excoriated his record and demeanor in office.

Brock's actions, said Hiller, are "self-serving, designed to undermine confidence in county government. He uses his office to pursue a personal agenda and tarnish the reputation of those who oppose him," one of whom has been Hiller, from her seat on the County Commission. "As a commissioner, a CPA, and an attorney, I find Mr. Brock's conduct has put county assets at risk, and harmed you, the citizens." She said he had cost the county over a million dollars due to frivolous lawsuits filed or judgments against the Clerk, and accused him of holding the county's vendors "hostage."

Like Hiller, Brock is both attorney and CPA, and a longtime Florida resident  Brock was born in Panama City. When his turn came to speak, Brock addressed nonpayment of invoices, one of the bones of contention between him, the commission and county staff.

"We pay about 110,000 invoices per year," with a staff of under 30, he said. "If I did pay bills, I would be derelict in my responsibility," an accusation he leveled at the County Commission. "Someone says, 'Here's a bill for $150. Pay it.' How do I know what it is? If you provide us the backup, we will pay the bill."

He realizes and accepts that watchdogs and bean counters don't win popularity contests, said Brock. "I understand that auditors are sort of the pricks of the world. But I will follow my oath, and do my job." Brock had a cheering section wearing matching blue T-shirts sitting near the podium, and they applauded his comments.

After the nearly cage-match atmosphere of the first race, the remaining two faceoffs were more cordial. As it happened, each of the three races features a man running against a woman, so it was sort of "boys against girls," a perception that was highlighted by each female being introduced by Litha Berger, often with glowing praise, and each male introduced by Jim Curran. Each candidate was given 10 minutes for a statement, followed by audience questions for the pair of opponents, before moving on to the next race.

Candidates Lavigne Ann Kirkpatrick and Bob Rommel, both of Naples, who are running for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives, are both first-time office seekers. They are vying for the District 106 seat currently held by Kathleen Passidomo, who sat on the stage as they presented, waiting to make her pitch for the Florida Senate.

Kirkpatrick stressed her background as a registered nurse and health care administrator, including serving as chair of the Florida Board of Nursing, as well as claiming an affinity for Marco Island as she was named for an island her family owned in Canada. Without a record to run on or against, both she and Bob Rommel, her opponent in the upcoming primary election, stressed their personal stories.

Rommel's personal story leaned heavily on his experience as a businessman. He spoke of rising in 10 years from auto mechanic to running "one of the largest Buick dealerships in the country" at age 28. He then built a mortgage company, and currently owns three restaurants Florida and New Jersey.

"Why run? I love our country, but I really hate the direction our country is going. Maybe that's why Donald Trump is the Republican nominee," he said.

Passidomo and Matt Hudson, both sitting state representatives competing for the District 28 state senate seat, do have records, and both touted their experience and accomplishments in the Legislature. Passidomo, whose House district included Marco Island, would have to be considered the home team on Marco Island, where a group of prominent local residents have joined together as "Team Marco" to support her candidacy. She has also secured the support of Garrett Richter, the term-limited incumbent Senator.

Along with both House candidates, both Hudson and Passidomo said they would support Marco Island's quest to be allowed to control its own emergency medical or ambulance service.

After each candidate spoke, Supervisor of Elections Jennifer Edwards, who is running for re-election unopposed, went over rules and procedures for the upcoming election. With the election scheduled for August 30, there will be eight days of early voting, from Aug. 20 to 27, and Marco Island's early voting location is the Collier County library branch, she said.
Rajesh Bose portraying Afzal, right, listens as Director Emily N. Wells gives directions during the Gulfshore Playhouse's tech rehearsal of the play "The Who and the What?" at the Norris Community Center in Naples, FL on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. (Photo by Gregg Pachkowski/Special to the Daily News)

SHARE Mahwish (portrayed by Lipica Shah), left, reacts to her father Afzal (portrayed by Rajesh Bose) talking about sex during the Gulfshore Playhouse's tech rehearsal of the play "The Who and the What?" at the Norris Community Center in Naples, FL on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. (Photo by Gregg Pachkowski/Special to the Daily News) Rajesh Bose portraying Afzal, left, and Lipica Shah portraying Mahwish perform during the Gulfshore Playhouse's tech rehearsal of the play "The Who and the What?" at the Norris Community Center in Naples, FL on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. (Photo by Gregg Pachkowski/Special to the Daily News) Gregg Pachkowski/Special to the Daily News Lipica Shah, as Mahwish, right, and Rasha Zamamiri, portraying Zarina, perform during the Gulfshore Playhouse's rehearsal of the play "The Who and the What" in April at the Norris Community Center in Naples. Left to right: Stage Manager Emily Hauger, Lighting Designer Michael Barnett, General technician intern Megan Navia, and Scenic Designer David Arsenault work during the Gulfshore Playhouse's tech rehearsal of the play "The Who and the What?" at the Norris Community Center in Naples, FL on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. (Photo by Gregg Pachkowski/Special to the Daily News)

By Harriet Howard Heithaus of the Naples Daily News

An evening at the theater can be fascinating. An evening at the theater when you've already peered into the cracks and crevices of the work onstage can be outright exhilarating.

Naples offers its ticket holders a cultural appetizer buffet in that regard. TheatreZone and Naples Players offer talkback sessions after selected plays and post-play opportunities to mingle with the cast.

In addition to its 7 p.m. conductors' talks, the Naples Philharmonic puts its full program online for the Masterworks Series weeks in advance. That enables people to read at leisure about the stars and the music they'll be hearing and delve into a list of suggested readings and films from Music Director Andrey Boreyko.

It also offers free admission to The Baker Museum the day of performances for ticket holders; concerts are allied with many exhibitions there.

Gulfshore Playhouse, however, offers the most breadth in horizon programs, which it calls its Synergy Series, for its six-play season. All are free:

The Script Club invites theatergoers to read the play and discuss the script at one of Naples public libraries.

Panel discussions offer a chance to hear from experts in subjects the play deals with.

Talkbacks, such as the audience at its current production, "The Who and the What," bring the cast, director and audience together after the play to discuss what the viewers have seen, what questions they may have about characters, themes and dialogue.

Preshow talks give the theatergoer some background on what they'll be seeing, clarifying some of the terminology or historical background and themes around the show.

"The Who and the What" is a play brimming with opportunity for synergy. Its themes rotate around a young American woman's relationship with her Muslim family and their own relationship  partly evolving, partly mired in tradition  with the world at large.

Open-topic talks

For an end-of-season play, the Script Club session on April 28 attracted a cozy group the day before the play opened. Discussion centered on the playwright's use  or lack of  stage directions, the play's terminology and, somehow, the price of tickets for the musical "Hamilton." (There is another session May 10; for all events in Gulfshore Playhouse calls its Synergy Series, see the accompanying box.)

"These can get pretty crowded during season," Director of Education Leah Parrata told the group at the Collier County Headquarters Library. "We cap it at around 20 to 25 so we can give everyone a chance to ask questions or talk." Preregistration with Collier County Public Libraries is required, but with acceptance comes an online copy of the script to peruse.

Talks are free-ranging, such as whether this play, which works best with an Pakistani-American cast, is tough to cast and whether it was on Broadway (the impromptu comments on ticket prices and "Hamilton" came in here). Participants also pointed out how script talks for Gulfshore's more physical plays, such as "Boeing Boeing," with door slamming that bordered on slapstick, benefit from bringing the stage manager to Script Club talks. The stage-direction terminology "beat," which often shows up after a cathartic or witty line, came in for discussion when a participant asked Parrata how long a "beat" should be.

Script Club attendees have another advantage over other playgoers. From reading the printed version of "The Who and the What," they know the tender term patriarch Azfal is addressing his daughters with is "behti," a title of endearment for a female.

"I think in the Script Club, every one is different. It depends on who's in the audience. You can learn a lot of different things," said retiree Karen Lang, who has come to a number of them. "I love to talk about authors, and plays and this gives you that opportunity."

Digging deeper

Gulfshore Playhouse artistic associate Jeffrey Binder said the theater looks for ways to engage the playgoer beyond that two hours of theater. The panel discussions bring in expertise: This Sunday's includes Mohamad Al-Hakim, assistant professor in the Department of Communication & Philosophy at Florida Gulf Coast University. He has taught courses on Islamic philosophy and customs.

The preshow discussions have a different mission: to "plant seeds of things to think about before they come to the play, so they can be looking," Binder said.

But Gulfshore Playhouse even looks for opportunities to engage theatergoers right in the lobby, he added.

"Sometimes it may only be only costume renderings or production notes. Or it can be something more interactive. For 'An Enemy of the People' we had a scale with marbles that allowed people to either vote for the doctor or his brother (who were philosophically divided)," he said. "There's always a synergy piece there."

Enrichment opportunities

Gulfshore Playhouse

These opportunities are for its current production, Ayad Akhtar's "The Who and the What." Participants need not have gone to that day's production except for preshow talks. All events are at the Norris Community Center, 755 8th Ave. S., Naples, unless otherwise noted:

Actor and director talk-back: Following the 8 p.m. performance Thursday, May 5

Script Club: 4 p.m. May 10, Collier County Public Libraries, South Regional branch, 8065 Cultural Parkway, East Naples; free, but advance registration is required (online at gulfshoreplayhouse.org/2015season/2015synergy.asp)

Preshow discussions: 2:15 p.m. May 15 before the 3 p.m. show; theater ticket required

Panel discussion: After the matinee on Sunday, May 8

Artis Naples Masterworks

All opportunities are at ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., North Naples:

Preconcert lecture and Q&A: 7 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, May 5 and 7

Full program availability: Online at artisnaples.org/events/masterworks-beethovens-fifth (programs are different; Thursday includes Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini" and Saturday's includes Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue")

Free museum admission: Holders of tickets may visit The Baker Museum any time during the day or between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. that day free of charge

If you go

'The Who and the What'

What: Gulfshore Playhouse production of family drama by American Pulitzer Prize winner Ayad Akhtar

Where: Norris Community Center, 755 8th Ave S., Naples

When: Tuesdays through Sundays through May 15; times vary

Tickets: $20 to $64

To buy: 866-811-4111 or gulfshoreplayhouse.org
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By Ben Brasch, The News Press BBRASCH@NEWS-PRESS.COM

Kadie lived the first four years of her life in a cage. Her feet didn't touch the ground.

After two years of rehabilitation, 12-year-old Kadie wants to help other victims of neglect and abuse.

Kadie, a goldendoodle, could be one of several dogs to help calm children appearing in Lee County dependency court after a push by Circuit Judge Robert Branning.

The program would entail dogs helping children not inside the courtroom but in the wings while attorneys pepper them with questions about sometimes tragic experiences.

"It's very visceral, very emotional," Branning said Tuesday.

Branning runs dependency court, which deals with cases of kids who were abandoned, abused, or neglected.

He said that his job is to be there for children, so it only makes sense he would do everything he could to help them, which includes making the court experience less stressful.

"My entire compass is to seek the best interest of the children," he said. "Their entire world has been turned upside down."

The only thing left is for Chief Judge Michael McHugh to sign off on the proposed pooch program. The proposal will be written by Branning and the Children's Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida, which certifies the dogs as therapy animals and connects their owners with the courts.

Branning said this has been in the works for more than six months with the advocacy group, which has the dogs spend hour sessions with abused children at their center.

Courtrooms in Polk, Wakulla and Leon counties have used dogs in similar or more extensive ways and noted how they soothe kids enough to give vital testimonies.

When asked if dogs could ever be in Lee's courtrooms, Branning said: "Yes ... This is the first step in that."

But he admitted there could be issues of fairness and due process with jury's being swayed by the presence of a precious pooch, which are problems he doesn't have to deal with in his non-jury dependency court.

Court pet therapy programs around the state talk about how children are able to connect with the dogs who have had a rougher life.

JayL Solomon still remembers when she paid $1,000 for Kadie, who she thought was a prime breeding dog: "She was about dead ... full of every kind of parasite." Solomon carries Kadie, covered in white fluff, to cheer up Hospice patients and CROW  Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife  where she has made friends with Sheldon the rescue turtle and Sneezy the tailless possum.

And it's not just Kadie.

Monty, a mocha pit bull and Labrador mix, spent eight or nine months in the shelter system before Jeremy Spink rescued him from euthanization.

Spink of Fort Myers said that 86-pound Monty also educates children about pit bulls.

"It was me trying to change people's perceptions about big dogs ... and that not all pit bulls are mean," he said.

Spink said Monty is happy being in a hospital or being mobbed by 30 school students, but many of the dependency court children will be able to connect with Monty's story of rejection.

"Some kids don't have anybody or anything on their side, and that the dog came from nothing means a lot," he said.
Mark Sievers appears in court for a DCF arraignment on Monday at the Lee County Justice Center. (Jack Hardman/The News-Press)

By Jacob Carpenter of the Naples Daily News

A Lee County grand jury indicted Mark Sievers and Jimmy Rodgers on first-degree murder charges Wednesday in the June 2015 killing of Sievers wife, Teresa.

The indictments, announced at about 7 p.m., mean Sievers and Rodgers now face two possible sentences if theyre convicted by a jury: life in prison, or the death penalty. Prosecutors are not commenting on whether they will seek the death penalty or have made a decision on it, State Attorneys Office spokeswoman Samantha Syoen said.

Under Florida law, prosecutors had to seek a grand jury indictment to elevate the charges against Sievers and Rodgers from their original charges of second-degree murder to their new first-degree murder charges. A second-degree murder charge carries a possible sentence of life in prison, but unlike first-degree murder, that sentence is not required.

Sievers' lawyer, Antonio Faga, said Thursday morning that he hasn't received any indication as to whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty. But Faga added that he wouldn't be surprised to see prosecutors go that route.

"We are going to meet with Mark over the weekend to see what he wants to do now that they've upped the ante again," Faga said. "It certainly puts Mark in a different position."

Local Public Defender Kathleen Smith, whose office is representing Rodgers, said she had no comment on the indictment Thursday morning.

Sievers is accused of coordinating with his lifelong friend, Curtis Wayne Wright Jr., to have his 46-year-old wife killed at the couples home. Investigators said Wright and Rodgers traveled from their home state of Missouri to carry out the killing.

Wright pleaded guilty in February to a second-degree murder charge and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for a 25-year prison sentence. Wright told deputies that Sievers offered to pay him money from life insurance policies in exchange for killing his wife, the lead case investigator testified at a hearing last month. That investigator, Lee County sheriffs Sgt. Michael Downs, said the $4.43 million worth of life insurance policies taken out on Teresa Sievers was the motivation for the homicide.

The indictments come as little surprise given the documents released by prosecutors and statements made by investigators.

To get a first-degree murder conviction, prosecutors must show the homicide was premeditated, or that it was committed during another of several listed felony crimes, known as the felony murder rule. Both Sievers and Rodgers are charged with conspiracy to commit murder, and Rodgers is charged with burglary, one of the listed felony murder crimes.

By getting a first-degree murder indictment, the case does become more difficult for prosecutors in one way: Florida requires 12 jurors in a first-degree murder case, as opposed to six jurors in a second-degree murder trial. Also, if prosecutors seek the death penalty, the jury pool would be narrowed -- potential jurors who oppose capital punishment on moral grounds would be excused -- and the appeals process, should it reach that point, would be significantly more costly and time-consuming.

Sievers and Rodgers remain in jail as they await trial. They are scheduled for arraignment on their new charges on May 9. A State Attorney's Office news release said the court has ordered them to be held with no bond.

Sievers previously had bonds set totaling $4.43 million, equal to the amount of the life insurance policies. Rodgers has previously been held on no bond.

Last week, Sievers filed court documents claiming that he can't afford the services of Faga, the private attorney representing him. On Thursday, Faga said he's still representing Sievers, and that he plans to ask the state judicial system to help fund the defense.

Whether Faga's office stays on the case is Sievers' decision, Faga said.

"I felt we've had a good relationship with him," Faga said. "It's really just a matter of whether he thinks we're able to do this at this point."

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Members of the Jewish faith and other community members recite the mourner's kaddish during a commemoration ceremony held at Temple Shalom in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day Wednesday, May 4, 2016 in Naples. The mourner's kaddish is spoken in remembrance of Jewish brothers and sisters that perished at the hand of evil and to honor the unbroken Jewish faith. (Luke Franke/Staff)

SHARE Marcel Fachler, a survivor of the Holocaust, speaks with a group of people shortly after giving a presentation of his life growing up. Members of the Jewish faith and other community members attended a commemoration ceremony held at Temple Shalom in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day Wednesday, May 4, 2016 in Naples. (Luke Franke/Staff) Rabbi Miller speaks during the commemoration ceremony held at Temple Shalom in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day Wednesday, May 4, 2016 in Naples. (Luke Franke/Staff) The American flag is taken out by the honor guard during a commemoration ceremony held at Temple Shalom in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day Wednesday, May 4, 2016 in Naples. (Luke Franke/Staff) Marcel Fachler, a survivor of the Jewish Holocaust, speaks to members of the Jewish faith and other community members during a commemoration ceremony held at Temple Shalom in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day Wednesday, May 4, 2016 in Naples. (Luke Franke/Staff)

By Alexi C. Cardona of the Naples Daily News

Marcel Fachler doesn't consider himself to be a Holocaust survivor. But he does think he's one of the lucky ones.

His parents hid him in a children's home in Belgium when he was 18 months old. He stayed there until he was 5 years old.

Fachler, 76, spent his formative years hiding from Nazis  sometimes in the attic, other times in a cylinder drum with a false bottom. Always in the dark.

"To this day I don't like walking into a dark room," he said. "I need all the lights on in the house, much to my wife's chagrin. She follows me around the house turning off the light switches. I follow her around turning them on again."

Fachler shared his story with about 100 people Wednesday night at a Holocaust Remembrance Day event at Temple Shalom in Golden Gate Estates.

Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah, commemorates the approximately 6 million Jews who were killed during the Holocaust.

"The theme is rising from the ashes," said Temple Shalom Rabbi Adam Miller. "Of all the horrors the Jewish people experienced, we still celebrate life and faith, we remember, keep our history and customs alive and lead vibrant Jewish lives."

Miller quoted the work of Avraham Shlonsky, an Israeli poet, about taking an oath to remember and learn from the past.

"We add to Shlonsky's text the following," Miller told templegoers, "An oath  to not forget those among us who survived the terrors first-hand. An oath  to honor those who have made Holocaust education a priority in their lives and possible in our community."

Miller said Jewish philosopher Emil Fackenheim taught that another commandment was added after the Holocaust.

"He said we can't give Hitler and the Nazis a posthumous victory by abandoning our faith and culture after the horrors of the Holocaust," Miller said. "We have to keep them alive.

Fachler, after spending his formative years hiding from Nazis in a children's home and experiencing anti-Semitism throughout his life, said he didn't want to be a Jew.

"I wanted to separate myself from everything Jewish," he said.

He refused to marry a Jewish girl and legally changed his name to Lawrence McColm.

Fachler only became comfortable with using his birth name and sharing his story in the last four months, when he became involved with the Holocaust Museum and Education Center of Southwest Florida.

"After the Holocaust the world said, 'Never again,' " he said. "But look at the genocide in Cambodia, the Rwandan genocide and the killings of Christians in the Middle East. It has to stop."

Fachler agreed to record his testimony with the Holocaust Museum and will continue to give presentations about his experience in the Holocaust.

"It's important to remember," he said.
Credit: Getty Images

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By Arek Sarkissian of the Naples Daily News

TALLAHASSEE  The Florida Supreme Court questioned on Thursday whether the new death penalty law passed by the Legislature earlier this year cements sentences for the 390 people sitting on death row, or whether they should be given life in prison.

Florida Supreme Court justices Barbara Pariente, James E.C. Perry and Peggy Quince pulled apart the construction of the law hurriedly passed by state lawmakers after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the previous law on Jan. 12, the first day of legislative session. The justices wondered if the new law could be applied to inmates already on death row.

Pariente said she was particularly concerned the new law may violate the Eighth Amendment, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment. The law only requires one "aggravating circumstance" to make the death penalty eligible  issues such as criminal history or the severity of a crime  which Pariente said was not enough.

"If we want a death penalty in Florida, it's got to be constitutional," Pariente said. "It's got to be narrow."

The state's high court took up the issue during oral arguments about the death penalty case of Timothy Lee Hurst, which led the nation's high court to reject the former law.

The federal justices ruled 8-1 that Florida's death penalty law gave judges too much power and violated the U.S. Constitution. The new law requires juries to agree unanimously to circumstances that warrant a death penalty sentence, and the jury must agree 10-12 to the death penalty sentence itself.

Hurst was convicted of fatally slashing and strangling a co-worker at a fast-food restaurant in Pensacola in 1998. His defense attorney, David Davis, argued before the state Supreme Court that Hurst should get life because the previous sentencing system was defective.

Assistant Florida Attorney General Carine Mitz said that Hurst should still face the death penalty because the error found by nation's highest court was the law itself and not the actual case.

"There was no fault with the case," Mitz said

Defense Attorneys from around the state filed friend-of-the-court briefs with the Hurst case that called for all death row inmates to receive reduced sentences. The justices grappled with ways to apply the new law to old cases when the Legislature only applied it to prospective ones.

Perry said the same process the U.S. Supreme Court found unconstitutional with the state's previous death penalty law  placing so much sentencing power into the hands of judges  may be the only remedy for appellate judges for the 390 existing cases.

One of the attorneys who helped filed the briefs ancillary to the Hurst case was Sonya Rudenstine, of Gainesville, who said she was heartened to see the justices take the issue so seriously. Balancing constitutionality with the state's desire to carry out death penalty sentences would be difficult, Rudenstine said.

"The only other solution will lead to years and years of litigation," Rudenstine said.

Gov. Rick Scott signed the new death penalty law in March. The Senate version of the bill wanted unanimous jury recommendations on both the aggravating circumstances such as criminal history and severity of the crime- that made the death penalty eligible and the sentence itself.

Senate Democratic Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, said she preferred the unanimous jury recommendations on both the aggravating circumstances and the actual death penalty sentence. Juries in Florida are made up of 12 citizens and a judge can still overrule a jury verdict.

She had predicted after the Senate passed the bill that it would face future court challenges.

"I could see why Justice Pariente was concerned because it doesn't make sense not to have it unanimous," Joyner said. "But they wanted their death penalty and I thought it was better than what we had."

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said earlier this year that there were 43 death penalty cases that are now eligible for life. Those cases have not yet been heard by the state Supreme Court.

Contact Daily News reporter Arek Sarkissian at 850-559-7620.
The state Irrigation Department on Wednesday released 600 cusecs of water from Khadakwasla reservoir to Indapur and Daund tehsils, which are reeling under severe water shortage. (Photo: Screengrab)

Pune: Water woes in Pune further strained relations between BJP and its ally Shiv Sena as the latter on Thursday launched a signature campaign to oppose District Guardian Minister Girish Bapat's decision to release water from Khadakwasla dam to adjacent Daund and Indapur talukas.

Joining the anti-Bapat campaign already launched by other parties, including NCP, MNS and Congress, Shiv Sena city president Vinayak Nimhan said the memorandum accompanying citizen's signatures, being collected by activists at various public places, would be sent to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to oppose the "arbitrary" decision of the minister.

The Sena activists also staged a demonstration before the minister's office in Kasba Peth area last night. They organised a prayer in front of the famous Ganesh temple there seeking "wisdom" for Bapat, who, however, has assured Pune residents that there would not be any further cut in their current water supply owing to the sharing with the two neighbouring towns.

Notwithstanding political opposition and the ire expressed at different citizens' forums on the issue, the state Irrigation Department on Wednesday released 600 cusecs of water from Khadakwasla reservoir to Indapur and Daund tehsils, which are reeling under severe water shortage in wake of the prevailing drought situation in Maharashtra.

However, Pune Collector Saurabh Rao has assured people that there would not be an additional cut in water provision to the city, which currently is getting municipal water supply every alternate day to tide over the shrinking storage in Khadakwasla dam.

Mayor of Pune Prashant Jagtap had earlier condemned Bapat's decision to divert the water, saying the civic body was not taken into confidence or consulted on the issue. Bapat, in a joint meeting three days ago, took the decision to release 1 TMC water to Indapur and Daund tehsils.

It was opposed by corporators of various parties in Pune Municipal Corporation and a delegation, led by Mayor Jagtap, even submitted a memorandum to the district Collector on Tuesday to "rethink" the decision.

Barring BJP, all other parties demanded that the decision be revoked and also sought Bapat's resignation.

On Tuesday, MNS activists had vandalised the state Irrigation Department's office here protesting the decision of sharing water from city reservoirs, prompting police to tighten bandobast outside Bapat's office in the city.

Meanwhile, Pune's Guardian Minister Girish Bapat on Thursday urged all parties not to "politicise" the issue of water sharing with neighbouring talukas and assured that the released water is only for drinking purpose and will not be used for farming or sugarcane cultivation in the region.

"The water crisis has become a question of life and death for people living in Indapur and Daund tehsils and I urge all political parties from the civic body not to politicise the issue as everybody in the district has right over the water," Bapat said addressing a press conference here.

"I assure that the released one TMC water will only be used for drinking purpose for approximately four lakh population and for cattle and we will make sure that the water is not used for sugarcane and farming purpose," he said.

Reiterating the stand of the district administration, Bapat said the city reservoir has adequate water stock until mid-July and Pune city will not face any further water cuts in the coming days.

"Even if the situation aggravates, we have one TMC water in the dead stock in the reservoir, which can be lifted. However, looking at the present condition and forecast of monsoon arrival, we will not have to touch that dead stock water.

"Water is being released from one of the two dams from Lavasa and that will be reserved in the reservoir," he said. The minister said the decision to release water was taken after thorough deliberations and considering the present stock in reservoirs.

Bapat said adequate measures have been taken by the district administration and Irrigation Department to curb water thefts from the canal leading to Indapur and Daund.

The Irrigation Department had on Wednesday released 600 cusecs water from Khadakwasla reservoir to Indapur and Daund. The entire one TMC water will be released in a phased manner in the next 12-13 days.
S O, it is happy birthday to the County Tipperary Chamber!

The moves towards creating an all-county Chamber began in 2011 and, at that time, we started to engage informally with many business groups around the county.

However, over time we were unable to find a common ground with associations that were focusing on micro issues within their own towns.

That is why we, as Clonmel Chamber, decided to create the County Tipperary Chamber by ourselves and to move forward with its development.

We have always been at pains to point out that the town Chambers, including Clonmel, are best placed to look at the micro issues within their respective towns. The focus of the County Tipperary Chamber since its outset has been different.

The County Tipperary Chamber is focused on facilitating growth within member companies.

Representing Member Companies

The county now has a strong business voice representing the concerns of the business community and the local economy at a national level. We are represented on a national level on the board of Chambers Ireland, Ireland's largest business group.

We employ registered lobbyists to represent the views of our members to local and national government decision makers. Furthermore, we spend a considerable amount of time seeking to solve the problems of member companies by liaising with the aforementioned decision makers in meetings in both County Halls and Leinster House.

The President of the County Tipperary Chamber Mark Small, as a member of the County Council's Strategic Policy Committee, was the driving force in the new Commercial Incentive Scheme. The scheme aims to drive business growth amongst start-ups in defined urban areas. Furthermore, he alone is currently actively driving the creation of a similar scheme, to be funded by the Tipperary County Council, to benefit existing businesses within the same defined urban areas. In his work, he has sought to enable businesses across the county to grow. The presence of a strong voice for the business community is essential for economic growth in Tipperary and Mark, in his role as President, provides that.

We also serve on the Local Community Development Committee and we will be looking at apportioning LEADER funding from later this year to help business across the county.

In fact, it was the lobbying of the Chamber that ensured that Clonmel will be included in the next round of LEADER funding.

Changing World for Chambers of Commerce

One thing that I have come to understand from my time as CEO of Clonmel and County Tipperary Chambers is that the nature of business networks is changing. Historically, a Chamber could encourage everyone to participate by circling the wagons and keeping all of their business within a very small defined geographical space.

However, with the advances in technology the concept of 'shutting the town gates' is now virtually redundant. That is why we have operated as we have in recent years.

The companies that own the Chamber are the members. The members have told us, time and again, that they want to grow their businesses. As a result, the programming and initiatives that we have created have been done to meet the needs that the member companies have.

Late last year we launched our first international network in London. The Chamber International Network is now firmly established as a means for our member companies to meet with UK based companies. Our first event, at the RBS headquarters in Bishopsgate in London, was attended by a group of thirty business people.

On the night Tipperary businesses got to meet with some of the most influential decision makers at some of Britain's biggest companies. In short, our members were exposed to companies with a combined annual procurement spend of just over stg3,000,000,000 at that event.

Many of our member businesses won business on the night. We will be continuing these events later this year with more events to be announced in the coming days.

This, as we know, is the 21st century and how business is done has changed. As a result, what a Chamber of Commerce can do to deliver a return on investment to its members has also changed. Chambers of Commerce cannot continue to focus on micro issues and just one sector, oftentimes fighting fights that cannot be won.

We represent an amazing array of businesses in every sector. What we can do is to help members to grow their business through our suite of services and events. What we cannot do is reduce commercial rates at the tap of a magic wand, we cannot solve parking problems and we cannot create a consumer demand.

However, we can provide training to help businesses to attract customers, we can lobby to change bye-laws regarding traffic flow, we can highlight solutions to problems and we can help you to grow your business through the provision of information and the creation of new business relationships.

Misconceptions

Perhaps one of the most frustrating things that I consistently come across is the belief, held by many people that we are a constituent part of the local Council. We are an independent member owned organisation that is only funded through membership fees and commercial income. We are not part of the Tipperary County Council and are not funded as an arm of the aforementioned organisation. At times some of the frustrations that some people have with us are borne out of the misguided belief that we are an arm of local government.

Who We Really Are

We are an organisation that is laser focused on its member companies. We are the largest business group in the county and one of the largest in Ireland. Our staff, based in Sarsfield Street and on Cahir Road in Clonmel, have helped many members with individual problems that were impacting on the success of their businesses.

Our organisation continues to operate the Clonmel Chamber and we are still working on issues relating specifically to the town. One of our Directors, Julian Smith, is an active participant in the Clonmel Retail Forum where he provides significant input into how the town should be marketed as a retail destination. I, along with three of our members, serve on the board of the Clonmel Business Development Park in Carrigeen which provides cost effective office space for early stage companies. In short, we continue to serve our Clonmel Chamber members in tandem with the County Tipperary Chamber.

This has been a particularly exhilarating year filled with 'interesting times'. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the tremendous voluntary effort of the board and members and the work of my colleagues into working towards creating an organisation that is fit for purpose in the 21st century.
Under the Federal Housing Finance Agency's new mortgage modification program, less than 1% of all seriously underwater properties might qualify for principal loan forgiveness, according to a report from housing data firm RealtyTrac.

RealtyTrac estimated that 33,622 properties could potentially qualify for the FHFA program, out of more than 6.7 million seriously underwater properties nationwide, according to a news release Thursday. RealtyTrac's analysis included properties with loan-to-value ratios of at least 125% that were actively in foreclosure, owner-occupied, and have an estimated loan amount no more than $250,000 on a loan that is guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

To determine what properties were eligible, RealtyTrac analyzed publicly recorded mortgage and deed-of-trust data it collects and licenses along with eligibility criteria for the new modification program. New Jersey had the highest share of properties possibly eligible for the program at 2.56% of seriously underwater homes, followed by Illinois and Florida. Philadelphia was the metropolitan area with the biggest portion of potentially eligible properties, with 1.65% of its seriously underwater homes possibly eligible.

"This new principal reduction program is designed to reach a highly targeted group of borrowers, so it's not surprising that the share of seriously underwater borrowers who potentially qualify is razor-thin," said Daren Blomquist, senior vice president at RealtyTrac, in the release.

Blomquist said that if the FHFA wanted "to make a more serious dent in the 6.7 million seriously underwater loans" it would need to open up its program homeowners who are not seriously delinquent or investors, noting that 98% of all seriously underwater loans are not actively in the foreclosure process and that 59% of all seriously underwater homes are not owner-occupied.

Altogether, the more than 6.7 million U.S. properties were seriously underwater at the end of the first quarter, representing 12% of all properties with a mortgage, RealtyTrac said. The figure is 8% lower than a year ago and 48% down from the peak reached in the second quarter of 2012.

Additionally, more than 12.3 million properties were equity-rich during the first quarter, which equates to 22% of mortgaged properties nationwide and is up roughly 11% from last year.
Raipur: Expanding the high speed Internet network facility, the Indian Railways will launch the Google's free Wi-Fi service at Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada, Hyderabad's Kachiguda and Chhattisgarh's Raipur stations on Thursday.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will launch the facility through video conferencing from Rail Bhawan in New Delhi. Last month, Wi-Fi service was launched at the Bhubaneswar Railway Station.

Designed to offer passengers the best internet experience, Wi-Fi will be available to any user who has a smart phone.

Under the 'Digital India initiative', the Railways is committed to provide better internet facilities to the passengers at 100 busiest stations by the end of this year.
New Delhi: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy told a Delhi court on Thursday that he would submit the "complete list" of witnesses in National Herald case against Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and five others after the high court passes order on pleas filed by some of the accused.

The Delhi High Court had on April 18 reserved its order on application filed by some of the accused against the trial court's orders summoning documents from Ministries of Finance and Corporate Affairs, other agencies and the balance sheet of the party for the year 2010-2011 in the case.

Swamy had accused Sonia, Rahul and others of allegedly conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by just paying Rs 50 lakh by which Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI) obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which Associated Journals Pvt (AJL) owed to Congress party.

Sonia, Rahul, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, who were summoned as accused along with YI in the case on June 26, 2014, have denied all the allegations levelled against them.

During the hearing today, Swamy told the court that he was awaiting the high court order. "I will submit my complete list of witnesses once I know what the high court order will be. Then everything will be in a continuity," he told Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen.

Senior advocate R S Cheema, who appeared for one of the accused, told the court that high court would pass its order on the applications challenging the January 11 and March 11 order passed by the trial court.

The trial court, on January 11, had allowed Swamy's plea seeking summoning of documents from the Ministries of Finance, Urban Development and Corporate Affairs, Income Tax Department and other agencies in the case.

Later, on March 11, the court had allowed Swamy's another plea and summoned certain documents pertaining to financial details of Indian National Congress for the year 2010-2011.

Congress party had submitted its balance sheet for the year 2010-2011 in a sealed cover before the court on April 8.

Besides the Congress, Associated Journals Pvt (AJL) had also submitted in a sealed cover its balance sheet for the same assessment year before the court.

Both Congress and AJL had requested the court that the documents may not be opened or brought on record without hearing the defense counsel. They had also said the summoned documents were already on court's record.

The court had on December 19, 2015, granted bail to Sonia, Rahul, Vora, Fernandes and Dubey, who had appeared before it pursuant to the summons issued earlier. Pitroda was granted bail on February 20 this year when he had appeared before the court.

Sonia, Rahul, Vora (AICC Treasurer), Fernandes (AICC General Secretary), Dubey and Pitroda were summoned for the alleged offences under section 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) read with section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.
Monsanto lobbied EPA against refuges that would have helped deter resistant pests

(NaturalNews) The chickens are coming home to roost for American farmers who adopted the chemical agriculture model. Reports indicate that genetically modified (GM) Bt corn, which is currently grown on millions of U.S. acres, is no longer working. And farmers who grow the crop are having to throw everything in the chemical arsenal at it just to produce workable yields.This includes applying all sorts of insecticides to soil, something that the chemical industry promised during the early days of GM technologies would not be necessary. But because pests are now growing resistant to the Bt insecticide produced inside GM corn kernels, farmers are desperate to find a solution, which in the case of crop chemicals is actually making the situation worse.According to, soil insecticide use dropped initially by some 90 percent through 2010 as a result of Bt corn being introduced. But in the past several years, the emergence of resistant superbugs -- in this case, resistant western corn rootworms -- has created a massive problem for which there does not seem to be a workable solution."Farmers say they need to do whatever it takes now to control the western corn rootworm, the most damaging U.S. corn pest," wrote Jack Kaskey. "Although Monsanto Co. designed its corn to kill the worms, resistant bugs have been found in four states and growers say pesticides are needed again to protect their crops."In other words, all those promises made by Monsanto and other chemical companies about GM crops requiring less or no chemical applications were false. And now farmers who adopted the proprietary technology are suffering with no workable options other than to continue increasing the chemical load, or abandon GM crops altogether."It's pretty clear where the science and the scientific community is on this point," stated Michael Gray, an entomologist at the University of Illinois, to. Gray published a paper earlier this year in thewhich found that long-term pesticide use on Bt corn crops is useless and will only exacerbate the situation. "It really does not add much."Chemical companies disagree, of course, as they are reaping huge profits from the situation thanks to increased chemical sales. But in terms of long-term viability and sustainability, throwing more chemicals at the problem is a ticking time bomb that will have disastrous consequences if a permanent solution is not discovered."Entomologists... warn that the additional insecticide may exacerbate the resistance problem that farmers fear," added Kaskey. "That's because pairing pesticides with engineered corn exposes insects to extra toxins, delaying maturity. That leads to increased mating between resistant worms, hastening the evolution of rootworms that aren't vulnerable to GMO corn ."The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in fact, issued a warning back in March that taking the insecticide route is a bad idea. The agency wrote that combining soil insecticides with Bt hybrid corn "should not be done," and that using chemicals as a type of insurance policy to protect crops "will only increase insect resistance."Farmers themselves are largely responsible for the emergence of resistant rootworms. Many of them failed to set up non-Bt corn refuges to deter resistant pests, resulting in a literal breeding ground for the critters to take over. The EPA has been complicit in this as well, as the agency failed to require these refuges, instead setting up voluntary guidelines that many farmers simply ignored."Resistance was caused because the farmers did not plant the required refuges and the companies did not enforce the planting of refuges," stated Cornell University entomologist Elson Shields toFor more information and breaking news on transgenic crops, visit GMOs.NaturalNews.com
Gorski is very active on social media

Unbridled arrogance



The hijacking of Wikipedia's health topics

(NaturalNews) Karmanos breast cancer surgeon Dr. David Gorski is probably the last person you would want operating on you. This is a guy who disguises himself under various usernames to attack ideas and philosophies he vehemently opposes. Strangely, he devotes his time to "debunking quackery," instead of caring for his patients.When we think of doctors, we think of them as professionals who work so many hours they rarely get to see their families, and when they're not slaving away at the hospital or their private practice, they are maintaining or advancing their credentials through continued medical education But this does not seem to be the case with Dr. Gorski. The surgeon has multiple social media accounts, including two Facebook pages , two Twitter accounts, and accounts on Foursquare and LinkedIn.One quick glance at his Twitter page and you'll notice this guy is more than just "active" online. A typical day for Gorski includes posting numerous tweets, at least four to five on each account, which involve either responding to the criticism directed at him, or offensively criticizing others.Gorski has great disdain for natural medicine , and truthfully, anyone who thinks outside the paradigm of conventional medicine. He routinely attacks vaccine skeptics and individuals who choose to forego chemotherapy , as well as philosophies based on naturopathy, acupuncture, homeopathy and chiropractic.Gorski constantly pushes false ideas, including that cancer rates are on the decline; there's no way to treat cancer except through conventional methods; vaccines are 100 percent safe and effective; chiropractic could cause strokes; and acupuncture is worthless.His constant focus on blogging and social media raises concerns about the standard of care he provides his patients."One of the most dangerous things any medical system can do is put scalpels into the hands of people who are obsessed with pathological rage and unbridled arrogance," says Mike Adams, founder ofand celebrated author of Food Forensics "The combination is a sure recipe for medical negligence lawsuits and malpractice claims against clinics and hospitals. Dr. David Gorski's pathological personality makes him a prime candidate for lawsuits stemming from medical negligence, I'd imagine."Just like Dr. Farid Fata who was arrested on multiple charges of felony cancer fraud, Dr. Gorski seems to me to be a ticking time bomb of malpractice, medical negligence and patient complaints," adds Adams."It is highly unfortunate that the state of Michigan has granted Dr. Gorski the authority to treat patients whom he probably disdains. Healing can never come from a physician who is mentally obsessed with extreme hatred and spite."Dr. Gorski strikes me as the kind of personality who would have probably felt right at home in the Third Reich, conducting illegal medical experiments on prisoners. But he certainly does not belong in a modern-day medical environment where patient care should be the top priority."Patient care is clearly not Gorski's top priority. When he isn't posting on social media, we have strong reason to believe that the surgeon is controlling and manipulating information regarding holistic medicine on Wikipedia, the largest free online encyclopedia.Trusted sources recently toldthats biased and defamatory entry onwas written by none other than Gorski, who absolutely loathes the anti-vaccination movement.unveils the corruption inside the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that has purposely hidden the side-effects caused by the MMR vaccine , specifically the risk it poses to African-American children.Wikipedia's entry onpreferentially gives the floor to the documentary's attackers, listing five nasty and discrediting reviews calling the film a "hoax," while accusing it of relying "on tons of random factoids positioned out of context to drive home his [Wakefield's] agenda."In another VAXXED "review" featured by Wikipedia, Gorski and his team of skeptics accuse the documentary of putting "the viewer through a well-trod gauntlet of emotional pleas, context-free statistics ... and shadowy conspiracies."Clearly,entry was not written by "tens of thousands of regular editors," including "casual readers," as it so claims under its "Overview of editorial structure," which dishonestly insists it has "mechanisms" for weeding out "bad edits" and "problematic editors."If it were truly written by ordinary citizens, we would be willing to bet that a few not-so-biased (and not-so-hateful) reviews would have made their way ontoentry, especially considering the film sold out 10 shows before theater doors even opened in California.Asreports, Gorski is a "Vaccine industry front man, spokesperson and ultimate apologist for the blogosphere," who "leads the pack in his efforts to obscure the vaccine-autism connection, promoting mercury in vaccines and calling everybody a skeptic who doesn't bow down to chemical medicine."
Research fraud can kill

Just the tip of the iceberg

(NaturalNews) A recent study in thehad some shocking figures about the effects of conflict of interest in drug research  or perhaps not that shocking to those who follow news of drug industry research scandals. The study evaluated 185 published meta-analyses, studies that compile the data from prior research to be able to draw more conclusions.The researchers found that one-third of the meta-analyses analyzed had been authored by employees of the pharmaceutical industry, while 80 percent had been authored by people with other financial ties to the industry  either through funding of the study itself, or through receiving personal or professional gifts, speaking fees, grants or other boons from drug companies.Unsurprisingly, studies authored by drug company employees were 22 times less likely to make negative statements about a drug than those authored by independent researchers.The recent scandal regarding concealed side effects of the antidepressant Paxil provide a clear example of the real-world consequences of this systemic research fraud.In 2001, Paxil manufacturer SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline) published a trial concluding that the drug was effective in treating depression in children and adolescents, and that it was "generally well tolerated." In the following year, two million youths were prescribed the drug In fact, a recent re-analysis of the data from this study  conducted by Australian researchers and published in the journalreveals these conclusions to be an outright fraud. The data clearly show the drug to be no more effective than a placebo. In addition, 12 of the 93 children assigned to take the drug developed suicidal thoughts. The new study called this side effect rate "clinically significant."The researchers also found that the study had been typed up by a writer employed by the drug company, and that one of the senior researchers was under federal investigation for conflicts of interest In 2012, GlaxoSmithKline was fined $3 million for engaging in fraud for its marketing of Paxil (also known as paroxetine or Seroxat) between 1997 and 2004. The charges included paying doctors to attend recreational events  such as meals, spas and hunting trips  where the company promoted the drug.Alarmingly, the proprietary nature of research means that GlaxoSmithKline's data doctoring would never have been revealed if the company had not been forced to disclose its research documents as part of a lawsuit filed against it by the New York attorney general. And that lawsuit, in turn, would never have happened if not for a Scottish TV reporter who looked over the initial study and was puzzled by the term "emotional liability"  a label that the researchers had invented in order to conceal the more accurate term "suicidal thoughts."Experts warn that there is nothing particularly unique about Paxil; nearly every drug on the market got approved based on company-funded studies, the raw data of which are proprietary and concealed from public view.This concealment has a very clear motive: According to a 2006 study, 78 percent of industry-sponsored drug trials found favorable results. In contrast, only 48 percent of independently funded trials found the drugs being studied to be safe and effective.editor Fiona Godlee said that the Paxil case, "shows the extent to which drug regulation is failing us." It is common practice, she said, for drug companies to exaggerate the benefits of their products and minimize the risks. She particularly singled out the cholesterol-lowering blockbuster drugs known as statins , noting that little independent research has been conducted into their side effects."This long running saga has within it all the seeds of our current discontent - industry malpractice, paid opinion leaders twisting the results of trials, hidden data allowing manufacturers, academics and clinicians to overstate the benefits and underplay the harms of treatment," she said.
Other 'concerns' outweigh those of public safety

'Astroturf'

(NaturalNews) The world's biggest biotech and Big Pharma companies have a nearly unlimited supply of cash, so they can essentially purchase whatever they desire  and more than anything, they desireto the world.And nothing perpetuates that endless cycle of sales like manipulation of the media and so-called "official" sources of information, as well as government agencies and academia.For instance, as noted by the Center for Research on Globalization, the biotech sector loves to scream "peer-review" when anti-GMO factions refer to scientific analyses and research-based findings in order to state their case. But even when such research is published in, the industry unleashes its attack shills (like Jon Entine ) to discredit and ruin the individual researchers, the methodology of the research, and anything else related to the study.As the center notes further:"Peer review or no peer review, it seems to matter little to the biotech sector when research findings have the potential to damage its interests. In any case, peer review is only for the sector's critics. It doesn't seem to apply much to it. For instance, in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists had continually warned regulators that GM crops could create unpredictable and hard to detect side effects, including allergies, toxin production, nutritional problems, and new diseases. They recommended that long-term studies were needed to fully assess the effect of GM foods on other crops, the ecosystem, and animal and human health, but these warnings were ignored."And why? Because in nearly every instance, financial concerns outweigh any related to public safety. For this industry  and, really, for Big Pharma as well  "Commercial interest, political strategy and lobbying, not science, is what really counts," the center observed. Monsanto, Syngenta and other biotech giants collude with government agencies and officials to "educate" the public about GMO products (meaning), while Big Pharma does the same when it comes to getting vaccines and other drugs that have not been properly vetted or tested to the market.These companies use the media as well as key reporters  Entine being a case in point  to propagandize and misinform about their products. These kinds of tactics are the same ones that are currently being used against the explosive new documentary , which exposes the legitimate link between autism and vaccines, and even features Centers for Disease Control and Prevention whistleblower Dr. William Thompson, who admitted that his agency covered up that link. Powerful pro-vaccine forces have so far managed to censor the film by having it removed from the list of films to be screened at various festivals, including the recent Tribeca Film Festival. The showing at the annual event, which was co-founded by Hollywood mega-star Robert De Niro (that story is here ), was cancelled, even though De Niro has an autistic child and was initially very interested, in the interest of fairness and science, in the film's content."A much-awaited and explosive documentary film ... was suddenly pulled from Robert De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival following an intense censorship effort waged by the vaccine-pushing mainstream media and pharma-funded media science trolls," Mike Adams, author of, science lab director of CWCLabs.com , editor of NaturalNews.com and creator of Medicine.news , initially reported."The vaccine totalitarians and media science trolls who demand absolute obedience to the fraudulent narrative that vaccines are 'safe and effective' have zero tolerance for any intelligent conversations about vaccines," Adams wrote, noting that after De Niro scheduled the film, he was forced to change his mind and pull the film.Media people who are honest with readers and the American people in general know all about the tactics used by biotech giants and Big Pharma, and that includes former top CBS News investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson, author of the book,. In a recent TED talk , she discussed one of the propaganda techniques, "astroturfing," an artificial, bought-and-paid for "reality" that supplants the truth."Astroturf seeks to manipulate you into changing your opinion by making it seem as if you're an outlierwhen you're not," she says in her talk."Hallmarks of astroturf and propaganda include use of inflammatory language such as quack, crank, nutty, pseudo, paranoid and conspiracy. Beware when an interest addresses an issue by controversializing or attacking the people, personalities and organizations surrounding the issue rather than the facts. That could be astroturf.""Is science to fall victim to outside pressures? Claire Robinson and Jonathan Latham argue that unless radical reform is achieved, peer-reviewed publication, which many hold to be the defining characteristic of science, will have undergone a remarkable inversion," the Center for Research on Globalization noted further. "From its origin as a safeguard of quality and independence, it will have become a tool through which one vision, that of corporate science, came to assert ultimate control."As Don Huber, Professor of Plant Pathology at Purdue University, has indicated, getting research findings published that do not coincide with the aims of key commercial interests can be difficult and comes with certain risks," the center continued. "With some hugely powerful players involved, many of whom have influence over journal content and have successfully infiltrated important government and official bodies, much of the science and the debate is being manipulated and hijacked by vested interests for commercial gain."
Importance of bees

Aldi's decision

(NaturalNews) Aldi has been getting a lot of good press lately, thanks to more environmentally and ethically conscious decisions being made by its leadership. Just last week,reported that Aldi is going to be replacing processed, sugar-packed snacks in the checkout aisles with healthier alternatives, and earlier this year the retailer announced that it would be banning neonicotinoid pesticides which are harmful to bees According to, the German supermarket chain has also decided to remove various artificial ingredients from its products, expand its gluten-free range, and step up its game regarding organic food . It seems that Aldi is doing something that many other major retailers are as yet failing to do  listening to the needs and wants of its customers. Bees play a crucial role in keeping the planet alive , and yet bee populations are at risk of collapse . Bees are responsible for the pollination of approximately one third of U.S. crops, as reported by, including produce like almonds, peaches, apples, pears, cucumbers and strawberries  to name but a few.Globally, honeybees pollinate almost 75 percent of all plant species directly used for human food, and "the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) estimates that out of around 100 crop species, which provide 90% of the world's food, some 71 are bee-pollinated," as reported byColony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is a phenomenon that "sees bees getting confused and not returning to their hives or simply dying off in the wild." According to, each winter for nearly a decade, an average of 31 percent of bee colonies have collapsed  and in 2015 this number reached a catastrophic 42 percent.It is believed that neonicotinoids  which are the world's most widely used insecticides  are playing a huge part in the decline of bee populations.Manufacturers claim that these insecticides are completely harmless to species other than the pests they are designed to target, but they are now known to be a major cause of the decline of bees and other critical pollinators, according to. When bees, butterflies, beetles and other pollinators feed from the flowers of crops that have been sprayed with these highly toxic pesticides , they absorb enough of the chemical to compromise their survival.Aldi made an announcement on January 1st 2016 that eight pesticides which are known to be toxic to bees would no longer be permitted for use on their fruit and vegetable produce, according to. This marks an important step for the food industry as a whole, with the chain listening to the concerns of its consumers, and taking measures to make sure its products are sourced in an environmentally and ethically conscious way.Aldi also has plans to expand its selection of fresh and organic meat, including its popular brand of "Never Any!" meats that contain no added antibiotics, no added hormones, no animal by-products and no other nasty additives.also reports that Aldi's "SimplyNature" and gluten-free lines are also expanding, showing that the company is broadening its organic produce and giving the food giant the competitive edge when it comes to other chains like Whole Foods and Kroger. Hopefully more food giants will follow in Aldi's footsteps.
Indonesia was chosen to host the next World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) in 2017.

According to Tempo, Indonesian Ambassador to UNESCO Hotmangaradja Pandjaitan confirmed the news on a statement received by Antara news agency from Vicka A. Rompis from the Indonesia representative office at UNESCO in Paris.

Andy Smith, a member of the Executive Committee of the National Union of Journalists in UK and Ireland, explained the significance of WPFD when he spoke to Georgia Gogarty

According to Smith, WPFD is an "opportunity to mark the importance of the freedom of the press" once a year, 25 years after the Windhoek Declaration in Africa. However, the situation for free media is worsening.

Every year, there are journalists and staff dying on duty. According to Vatican Radio, in this year, 26 journalists and media staff have been killed. Some people in media received threats.

One of the people who works in media, and has received threats, is the 40-year-old director of the Somali TV station Horn Cable, Abdiqadir Dulyar. Chicago Tribune reports that every time Dulyar received threats, he avoided going home and would instead stay at his office for weeks at a time. One of the threats that he received via phone reads, "Keep doing what you do, and we shall come to give your well-deserved reward: death."

May 3 was marked as World Press Freedom Day (WPFD). This special day was proclaimed by the United Nation General Assembly in December 1993, and it is the celebration of the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, celebrated worldwide.

In this day, there is an opportunity to "celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom" that includes assessing the state of press freedom throughout the world, defending the media from attacks on their independence, and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty, according to the official website of U.N.
Shreya Ukil, the 39- year- old former sales and market development manager of IT major, Wipros back office operations in London, filed a lawsuit with the central London Employment Tribunal last October, claiming she was forced into an affair by Manoj Punja, former head of Wipro BPO in London, though he resigned last year.

BENGALURU: A day after the landmark judgement of the London Employment Tribunal handing her victory in her case of sex discrimination at the workplace against IT major, Wipro and particularly, Manoj Punja, former head of Wipro BPO in London, 39-year-old Shreya Ukil, a former sales and market development manager with the companys back office operations in London, spoke to Deccan Chronicle about the trial and her trauma during it.

In a telephonic interview from London, she said she was shocked at Wipro calling it a win-win judgement. Do they mean to say that they won by victimising me or by unfairly dismissing me from work? Do they mean to say that they won by underpaying me and forcing me to put up with sexist remarks? she asked indignantly.

How do you feel about the judgment? Do you think there is widespread discrimination against women at the workplace?

I am thrilled and happy about the judgment. It was a fight for my rights and dignity. Yes, there is a widespread discrimination against women at the workplace. If you look at the surveys done by various organizations on the victimisation and discrimination women have experienced at the workplace, you will see it yourself.

How do you see your experience?

It was undoubtedly a hard struggle, a tough battle that I fought for one-and-a-half years. But the only way to change the equation was to come out of the darkness and ensure that it was brought to light. I had served the organisation for several years and had toiled hard for it. But, they called me names like 'un-European' and B****. It was a fight for my dignity, my rights and my respect. No one has the right to destroy it. I never wanted things to come to litigation, but the company didn't leave me any choice.

You were a top executive as sales head for Europe . How did you feel about being targeted for credibility and substance?

It was disappointing and more than that I felt betrayed by my own company, my colleagues and my bosses. This is the thing about being a woman, it only gets tougher as you reach the top as the line drawn between men and women begins to thin and when it gets on the verge of getting even thinner a woman may face sexist behaviour.

What kind of discriminatory treatment did you face?

I was underpaid although I did the same work as my male peers of the same grade. I was paid almost 50per cent lesser than what was being paid to my male colleagues. The colleagues, who were male, used to verbally abuse me, pass sexist remarks like B*****, etc. It hurts when you have worked with the company for over 10 years. After it all started I tried every possible way to escalate the issue at the top level , approaching everyone from human resources to ombudsman. But I was forced to sign an indemnity letter by the head saying I would not bring any sexual victimisation claims against Wipro. In fact, I even sent an email to Wipro chairman Azim Premji, who promised a fair probe into the issue. But I was fired.

Do you think the company had no business getting into personal details like your relationship with a colleague?

Yes! Absolutely, it was not like I was violating any code of conduct or breaching the policy. I have not broken any law. Having said that, how can they justify underpaying me, passing sexist remarks against me, victimising and abusing me and unfairly dismissing me from the job?

Were there times when you felt low during the battle you took on?

Yes, there were. When I initially decided to break my silence and stand up for my rights, there were times I felt alone, dejected, hurt, betrayed and lost. I used to sit in a corner and cry. I shut myself off from the outside world. But the immense support of my counsel, Slater Gordon and lawyers, who are women too, gave me the courage to fight with my head held high.

What do you think needs to be done to bring parity between men and women at the workplace?

Well,firstly it is essential there is parity between them as women are no lesser then men in the business. Women should not sit back and let a company or a man alone take charge of their rights and victimise them. They need to stand up for their themselves and be aware of their rights at the workplace .

What advise would you like to give other women in employment now that you have become a symbol of courage in the face of victimisation?

The only thing I want to tell my fellow women in the workforce is never walk away from the problems or any issue they are facing, be it at the workplace or at home. There is nothing you should be ashamed of when you are not wrong. Fight for your rights, speak up and let the world know. Make sure you approach the right people, follow a proper, recorded channel to make your voice heard and ask the right questions. All the companies are not bad. They are doing well for their women employees unlike others, who are only paying lip-service and nothing beyond.

What do you plan to do now? Will you fight for the cause of women like you?

It's an interesting question. What do I say to you? There are so many things lined up for me right now. Many have suggested writing my own book on the struggle. You never know what strikes when. But as of now my hands are full with the ongoing case. Hopefully, once things are settled, I will join work again somewhere or may be sit down and write a book.
For the first time since the 1870s, the gap between the lifespans of rich and the poor people in England is widening. Research suggests that the diffreneces is because of inequality and lifestyle choices between socio-economic groups.

Despite huge increases in life expectancy in both groups, rich people's lives are still extending faster, academics from Cass Business School and the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK) found.

The paper reveals that though 20th century have seen better life expectancy because of improvements in health facilities, clean drinking water and the introduction of vaccination, gap is big because improvements were unreasonably shared among the poor.

"Based on data from the Human Mortality Database we measure the differences in age between the first 10% of adult deaths and the top 5% of survivors. We find that in the period from 1879 to 1939 this gap steadily closed," the report said.

"Although life expectancy continued to rise after 1950, the inequality gap remained roughly constant and in recent years," it added.

The authors also said those from the lower socio-economic groups tend to make more damaging lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking alcohol and partaking in unreasonably riskier activities.

Professor Les Mayhew, who co-authored the report explains that the aforementioned acts are mostly done by the poor because wealthy people easily adapt to their healthy lifestyle choices.

"As medical knowledge and living conditions improved, a person's own choices, including whether they drink, smoke and what they eat, became much more important," DailyMail notes

The authors suggest lack of wealth is not directly responsible for the difference, but the poorest groups are more likely to suffer the snowballing effects of decades of poor lifestyle choices and income inequality.

They say it is vital to encourage healthier lifestyles and to counter pressure on individuals. Moreover, the trend is worrying for policymakers and they should make it a priority for policy action.

Below are statistical findings of the study as summarized:

In England and Wales, 5% of men that have attained the age of 30 are living on average to the age of 96, 33.3 years longer than the lowest 10%.

This gap grew by 1.7 years between 1993, when it was at its narrowest, and 2009

For women, the longest surviving are reaching 98.2 years-old, 31 years longer than the lowest

In an email, a Department of Health spokesperson appealed and told Peter Russell of WebMD that everybody should have the same opportunity to live a long and healthy life.
The ocean can be unforgiving. But earth's real life aquaman, William Trubridge is pushing the limits of the human body.

In less than 72 hours after setting a new world record with the deepest free dive in human history, Trubridge defied the ocean again.

Plunging 124 meters deep, holding his breath for four minutes and 34 seconds, Trubridge set his 17th world record in an unplanned dive, May 3, National Post reports.

On April 30, the New Zealander dove 122 meters at this year's Vertical Blue competition in the Bahamas, breaking his own record of 121 meters set in April 2011.

In an interview, he recalls that the dive was "pretty difficult."

"I had a beautiful descent, everything went well with the descent," the 35-year-old said in a video posted to the Vertical Blue website.

However, he recalls the return was terrible. "At that point I was completely out of the headspace that I need to be in for a deep dive," he explained.

Freediving is an extreme sport that involves people diving without any breathing apparatus. In Free Immersion, the category in the competition which Trubridge joined, there is a rope that can be used by the divers to guide their paths down and up. However, there are no fins nor weights.

To put the difficulty and length of his dive in perspective, Stuff.co said, "Trubridge plunged straight down more than the height of Wellington's tallest building, the 116m Majestic Centre, before rising back to the surface."

Trubridge is the only human diver to ever make it more than 91 meters under water as the human body normally cannot withstand the pressure changes.

Emedicine health enumerates three kinds of injuries from pressure changes when diving:

Barotrauma - This can occur as the pressure increases as you go down the water. By 30 feet, your lungs will shrink as the volume of air in your body decreases.

Decompression sickness - As explained by the website, nitrogen gas goes into the body as divers descend. "if a diver rises to the surface (decompresses) at the right rate, the nitrogen can slowly and safely leave the body through the lungs. But if a diver rises too quickly, the nitrogen forms bubbles in the body. This can cause tissue and nerve damage. In extreme cases, it can cause paralysis or death if the bubbles are in the brain."

Nitrogen narcosis: This simply means getting literally drunk because of the nitrogen gas in the ocean. This usually happens only dives of more than 100 feet.

Last August, Russian diver Natalia Molchanova, one of the world's greatest divers, disappeared during a recreational dive in Spain.
Despite successful explorations on the surface of the red planet, there are a lot of things mankind is yet to uncover. During a recent mineral mapping project, NASA said they have discovered mineral deposits underneath the ice sheets of Mars suggesting that volcanoes erupted under the ice.

In a recent press release by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, it is stated that volcanic eruption beneath the ice sheets on the red planet might have happened billions of years ago based from the findings by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

According to NASA, this new findings will help researchers understand the history of volcanic eruptions on Mars. Scientists used the mineral-mapping spectrometer to study the surface of Mars where a different topography is clearly visible, they zeroed in on an area called "Sisyphi Montes."

Sheridan Ackiss of Purdue University said "Rocks tell stories. Studying the rocks can show how the volcano formed or how it was changed over time...I wanted to learn what story the rocks on these volcanoes were telling."

Cosmos Magazine said that the evidence suggesting that there were volcanic activities underneath the surface of Mars can give light to the ongoing debate on whether organisms lived on Mars before, they said it "could have set the stage for microbial life to thrive". There's a specific technology design for the purpose of finding whether or not any form of life existed on Mars, which is the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). It is tasked to "find rock records of past environments that could have supported primitive life, and to search for evidence of whether or not life formed."

Although CRISM is yet to find signs of life, NASA said they were able to arrive at new and great findings because of it. . "We wouldn't have been able to do this without the high resolution of CRISM."

NASA said their latest research found new minerals underneath the ice sheets on Mars. "Characteristic minerals resulting from such subglacial volcanism on Earth include zeolites, sulfates and clays. Those are just what the new research has detected at some flat-topped mountains in the Sisyphi Montes region examined with the spacecraft's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), providing resolution of about 60 feet (18 meters) per pixel."

Currently, NASA has two active orbiters and two rovers exploring the red planet, in preparation of the anticipated Journey to Mars.
As technology continues to progress, the demand for artificial intelligence experts has reached a point where the best minds are treated as diamond mines and are being offered great opportunities by corporations, entrepreneurs and other organizations like Facebook and Google. There's nothing wrong with that since these companies are recognizing the valuable contribution of AI experts in their future endeavors. The downside is that the academe is fighting to retain their own talents to help shape even more future AI experts.

The Economist calls AI talent "million dollar babies". In a world run by computer programs and algorithms and new technologies, it is not surprising that companies are fighting to hire the best of the best. In the same report, they said that last year alone tech giants spent a total of $8.5 billion on artificial intelligence deals.

The unlikely industry directly affected by this high demand is the academe. According to the report by The Economist, 40 staff of the National Robotics Engineering Centre at Carnegie Mellon University were recruited by Uber last year. This means the 140 headcount of the university is now down by nearly 30% because they decided to dedicate their talent to the high technology firm. And this trend is happening everywhere.

It has caused alarm in many universities. "I cannot even hold onto my grad students... Companies are trying to hire them away before they graduate." Pedro Domingos, Professor at the University of Washington said in an interview.

Again, there's nothing wrong with choosing a company instead of the academe, but the question is how can this problem be addressed? Can there be a harmonious relationship between artificial intelligence investors and the academe?

It is safe to say that due to technological development in various fields, there will be more demand for artificial intelligence experts to sustain the visionary projects of giant companies like Facebook and Google.

Facebook for example, just developed an artificial intelligence program for the blind which will enable their hand phones to read captions of photos posted on their social media platform. And they are surely creating more of this helpful technology and thus, will continuously require more talents to help created their projects.

Andrew Ng, a former Stanford talent who moved to Google said ""AI is so hot right now. There are so many opportunities and so few people to work on them". AI talents also decide to leave the academe due to "astrological" wages offered to them said Tara Sinclair, Chief Economist at Indeed.

Nature said the depleting number of AI experts in the academe greatly concerns some individuals like Pieter Abbeel of the University of California who said that "Losing faculty members reduces the number of students that can be trained, especially at PhD level."

But experts recognize that what's happening is part of the intrinsic nature of the academe which is to supply talents to the world outside the universities, just like artificial intelligence experts.

It also means that the depleting number of experts is equivalent to less progress in artificial intelligence research. They are also encouraging scouted AI talents to continue their job at universities, because no matter how small their contribution is, it will still help in producing the next generations of talents.
Hundreds of newborn babies at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital in Scotland are being tested for alcohol after a pilot study revealed that 42% of women continue to consume alcohol during pregnancy. More so, 15% drink over one glass of wine a week.

Metro UK reported that the researchers are currently collecting 750 samples of meconium - the first feces of a newborn - to be sent to toxicology experts for analysis.

Consultant neonatologist Dr. Helen Mactier, who is leading the research, explains to The Herald that although alcohol molecules crosses the placenta easily, the by-products might be stuck In the placenta and get laid down in the baby's meconium. They therefore aim to look for high levels of alcohol by-products in the feces.

Aside from the samples, the study, funded by Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity, also required mothers to answer questions pertaining to their lifestyle.

Over four decades ago, the term "fetal alcohol syndrome" has been coined to describe babies born to alcoholic mothers. The disease include symptoms such as short height, low body weight, poor coordination, learning issues, behavior problems as well as issues with hearing and sight.

The findings, according to Mactier are relevant at the same time alarming because "Alcohol consumption in pregnancy is almost certainly contributing to a lot of learning disability in Scotland and learning disability is associated with poor school performance and criminality in the long term."'

While it is acceptable during 1950s for pregnant women to drink and even smoke, recent studies have shown that alcohol, no matter how much, is bad for the baby.

A study published on March 2014 shows that maternal alcohol intake prior to and during pregnancy increases risk of adverse birth outcomes such as malformations. It is specially worse in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirmed that no amount of alcohol in pregnancy is ever safe, stating in their report that "Neurocognitive and behavioral problems resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure are lifelong."

"The growing trend towards monitoring pregnant women, and blaming all issues that children face on their mothers' behaviour in pregnancy, is something that should concern all of us involved in women's reproductive healthcare and advocacy," a spokesperson of The British Pregnancy Advisory Service told BBC.

The study hopes to intervene and help mothers and babies as early as possible.
Greenpeace has already expressed its disappointment with how the fashion industry increases the world's problems with pollution. Good thing there are fabric makers who are currently developing sustainable materials such as Pinatex, the leather made of pineapple fiber.

The new and innovative pineapple leather was seen during the Greenshowroom Salonshow, part of the AW Mercedes Benz Berlin Fashion Week. Designer Mayya Saliba used Pinatex or the fiber made from pineapple leaves in creating the pieces for the exhibit.

A photo posted by Pinatex (@pinatex_official) on Jan 20, 2016 at 2:33am PST

Pinatex was developed by Dr. Carmen Hijosa designed to become a sustainable source of fiber without needing additional space and water to produce after recognizing that creating leather has its toll on the environment. It is made from pineapple byproducts such as the leaves which undergo industrial treatment to turn it to fiber.

According to its website, Pinatex sells sustainable natural textiles. They wanted to produce sustainable fabrics to help save the environment from further damage due to pollution. And because more and more companies are developing sustanable textiles, it looks like fabrics like the pineapple leather is the future of fashion.

The materials for this innovative textile are sourced from the Philippines and then shipped to the UK and Spain for further testing and development. Pinatex leather can be used as a normal leather material including bags, clothers and shoes.

Style.Mic quoted Dr. Hijosa when she said that this leather can replace the traditional one known to man. "It's very fine... It has very good strength and flexibility, which is really what we need to make a non-woven substrate."

Pinatex added that aside from being eco and budget-friendly. they make sure that their products are equally competitive when compared the textiles available in the market today. "To bring onto the market a new and sustainable textile which can fill the gap between leather and petroleum-based textiles and that is good value for money."

Other companies have expressed interest in using sustainable materials in their clothing.
The worsening problem with climate change has urged the public and the authorities to formally and legally commit to saving the environment. Just like San Diego who recently signed a Climate Action Plan which will make sure that they will be using 100 percent renewal energy by 2035.

In a news report by Digital Trends, they said that San Diego initiated the Climate Action plan which legally binds them to achieve their goal of using 100 percent renewable energy by 2035. The government of San Diego said the plan is their constitution for development.

Their Climate Action Plan indicates that they hope to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50%. But what's surprising about CAP is that is a bipartisan agreement by both the Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer and the Democrat-dominated city council.

The San Diego solar installations have seen growth up to 76 percent in the last two years making people believe that the Climate Action Plan can actually be achieved. To add to that, they will continue developing various projects to usher in the CAP including the expansion of its wind energy resource, the further proliferation of their urban tree canopy coverage to 35 percent and the promotion of alternative transportation systems to lessen carbon emission.

The Climate Action Plan states that "By striking a sensible balance between protecting our environment and growing our economy, San Diego can support clean technology, renewable energy, and economic growth."

Kevin Faulconer, the Mayor of San Diego said, "This Climate Action Plan sets forth common-sense strategies to achieve attainable greenhouse gas reduction targets."

Because of the visible projects geared towards this goal, which has been going on for quite some time now, and of course the legally binding promise of the Climate Action Plan, the goal of San Diego to be 100 percent powered by renewable energy in 2035 can easily be translated into reality.
The water train with 10 wagons carrying water for Latur left from Miraj in western Maharashtra this morning and will traverse a distance of around 350 km to reach Latur. (Photo: Twitter)

Lucknow: The Akhilesh government in Uttar Pradesh has turned down the centres proposal to send a water train to Bundelkhand that has been severely affected by drought and water crisis.

The Centre had earlier sent two water trains to Latur in Maharashtra. We do not have a Latur-like problem here. If we need water, we will inform the railways, said a letter sent by the state government to the railways ministry.

UP minister Shivpal Singh Yadav said that there was no need for a water train because there is no paucity of water in Bundelkhand because the state government had made arrangements, Besides, he said, there was a problem of storage.

The water train with ten wagons of water had reached Jhansi district late on Wednesday night and has been stationed there. The train was to reach Mahoba but officials are now waiting for further orders.

Interestingly, Mr Akhilesh used his official twitter handle on Thursday to ask the district magistrate of Jhansi to verify if the water train has water or not. The terse letter and the UP governments stand reflects a battle for credit in the state and also deriving political mileage for relief in Bundelkhand region.
The first nonstop flight from Silicon Valley to London was set to depart Wednesday night, marking the debut of a key daily connection for the tech industry.

British Airways will operate daily flights between Mineta San Jose International Airport and London Heathrow International Airport, deploying a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for the 10-hour, 30-minute trip. The 787, which carries about 220 passengers, has 20 percent better fuel efficiency than similar-size commercial planes, according to the airline.

The partnership with British Airways is expected to provide a $100 million boost to San Joses economy, according to the Mercury News.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and British Consul General Priya Guha were expected to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the airport before the flights 8:05 p.m. departure.

The flight from San Jose to London will offer connections to 130 other destinations, airport officials said. The San Jose airport hasnt had a direct flight to Europe since 2001.
Hillary Clinton is headed back to the Bay Area on Friday evening for a low-dollar fundraising event.

The cheapest ticket was priced at $45 for young professionals under the age of 35. General admission seats sold for prices between $125 and $250.

Tickets for the upcoming event have sold out. In comparison, tickets for previous Clinton fundraisers in the Bay Area have been less affordable with guests being asked to shell out thousands of dollars.

In April, a couple looking to sit next to Clinton, and actor George Clooney and his wife, attorney Amal Clooney, were asked to fork out around $353,000, according to Politico.

The Democratic presidential frontrunner will be speaking in San Francisco with a number of celebrity guests, including Sen. Barbara Boxer, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Elizabeth Banks, and Cheryl Strayed. Mary Nichols, the California Air Resources Board Chair, will also be in attendance.

Former President Bill Clinton will be in Los Angeles at the same time Friday evening speaking at a reception in support of his wifes campaign.
A parent claims the Gilroy Unified School District put students in danger because it did not act on her complaint about a teacher accused of having illegal relationships with minors online.

Celest Benn said she complained about Douglas Le, a Gilroy High School science teacher, in 2014. Benn, with high-profile attorney Gloria Allred by her side, on Wednesday told the board of education no one wanted to hear about what she calls sexually-explicit conduct directed at her 15-year-old daughter.

"They should have taken me seriously. They should of done something," Benn said. "The principal would not see me."

Le stayed at Gilroy High after Benn's complaint. Benn in response transferred her daughter out of the school.

San Jose police officers arrested Le on campus last week. Investigators accuse the teacher of catfishing, posing as a female online and forming relationships with young men.

Police said Le convinced hundreds of minors to send him lewd pictures.

At 11: Gilroy parent says she complained about teacher Douglas Le in 2014. Says district should have acted. pic.twitter.com/Y9eKIiVIP8  Jean Elle (@nbcjeanelle) May 5, 2016

At 11: attorney Gloria Allred at Gilroy Unified School District meeting. Connected to arrest of teacher. pic.twitter.com/jZNIUozb57  Jean Elle (@nbcjeanelle) May 5, 2016

A school district board member said the district served Le a notice of unprofessional conduct following Benn's original complaint. The board member also said the district had no indication Le was catfishing and received no further complaints.

Allred said she is meeting with the alleged victims' families and wants to know why the district did not involve police in 2014 -- a move Benn said would have kept kids safe.

"These poor fellas. My heart breaks for every parent," Benn said. "This shouldn't have happened."

Allred said she plans to announce some kind of legal action on Thursday.

Le resigned from the district last week and is out of jail.

The District Attorney's Office said police are still investigating and have not handed the case over.
It was the first SSC to be conducted after the formation of the separate Telangana state. (Photo: Deccan Chronicle)

Hyderabad: The Telangana Board of Secondary Education is likely to announce the results of Class 10 or Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations today.

The results will be available on the official website of the board.

Check here for results: Telangana Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Class 10 Results 2016

More than 5 lakh students appeared for the SSC exam held from March 21 to April 9. About 5.13 lakh students had appeared for the exams conducted in 2015.

It was for the first time that SSC was conducted after the formation of the separate Telangana state. The results in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh will also announce the results on the same day.

Check here for results: AP Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Class 10 Results 2016

Andhra Pradesh minister for human resources development, Ganta Srinivas Rao, will release the results in Vijayawada. Over 6 lakh students appeared for the exams in all 13 districts of the state this year.
An Antioch police officer was allegedly shot by a carjacking suspect in Pittsburg late Wednesday, according to police.

The alleged carjacking occurred in Bay Point and was reported to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, who notified Antioch police at 5:52 p.m. that a man with a shotgun had last been seen driving a stolen BMW toward Pittsburg and Antioch.

At 6:11 p.m., an Antioch officer saw the vehicle in the vicinity of West 10th Street and Verne Roberts Circle, and pursued it when the driver fled.

"We could hear the car speeding by with the cops following," witness Jennifer Gonzales said. "You could hear a couple of sirens.

The driver crashed at the intersection of Leland and Loveridge roads, then opened fire on officers as they approached, striking one. Other officers returned fire, but the suspect surrendered without getting shot.

The injured officer was transported to a hospital for medical treatment, but has already been released, police said.

No other information was immediately available.

NBC Bay Area's Cheryl Hurd contributed to this report.
The UC Berkeley Police Department on Wednesday released a sketch of a suspect in a three-year-old Berkeley hills homicide case in which a 21-year-old Fremont man was fatally shot after trying to break up a fight.

Alberto Santana-Silva was shot and killed on Mothers Day 2013 after he intervened in a disturbance between two groups of strangers on Grizzly Peak Boulevard. The suspect is believed to be Hispanic or Filipino, in his mid-20s to mid-30s, about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing about 200 pounds. He had hair close to his head, possibly pulled into a pony-tail and was seen with a young woman who was black, Asian or Filipino, with dark hair and a pony-tail.

UC Berkeley police said they have identified persons of interest, but no arrests have been made. They also have identified three cars that may have been associated with the groups: a red 2000 Chevrolet Caprice with large chrome wheels, a white Chevrolet Suburban and a dark-colored compact car with a chrome exhaust pipe.

Police are offering a $10,000 reward for an arrest and conviction in the case, and the victims family is making a plea for justice.

"No matter how much time passes, were going to stand and fight for justice," said Maribel Santana, the victims sister. On the day her brother was killed, she and her mother were waiting to join him for a Mothers Day lunch, she said.

Santana-Silva enjoyed going to the East Bay hills, his sister said, because it brought him peace. On the morning of May 12, 2013, he went to outlook No. 16 on Grizzly Peak. There, he saw two groups fighting and tried to intervene. The suspect, who was among the groups, left the scene and returned with a gun, according to a police report. He then shot Santana-Silva in his car. Santana-Silva was able to drive a short distance before he died on the side of the road.

Santana-Silva was a student at Ohlone College, where he was studying to be a paramedic.
One of California's top schools in the South Bay is under close examination by education officials.

San Jose's Leigh High School is under review for renewal of its accreditation, a voluntary process to rate a school's program and operation. The Campbell Union High School District superintendent in a letter said campus officials and the district are working with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, or WASC, to renew Leigh High's accreditation.

Leigh High, known as a California Distinguished School, currently has an accreditation good through next school year.

WASC is looking at issues like the achievement gap, percentage of English language learners and Latino students, and examining how the school is increasing college and career readiness for all students.

If the school fails to renew its accreditation, some educators said it could impact college admission for future students.

Some parents at the school do not seem too concerned about the issue.

"I'm actually pretty happy with Leigh High," parent Tracy Hudson said, who has three kids attending the school.

The superintendent plans to hold a parent meeting on campus Monday night to discuss the accreditation issue.
Officials in New Jersey said that the inmate who busted out of a minimum security prison in New Jersey earlier this week has likely left the town where he was spotted Wednesday.

Barnegat police spent the day Thursday through Ocean County for 38-year-old Arthur Buckel, an inmate at Bayside State Prison who was missing when guards performed a prisoner count at a satellite unit at Ancora Hospital in Hammonton Tuesday morning.

Buckel, who previously served time for the 1996 death of a 10-month-old girl before his latest stint behind bars, was spotted walking into a CVS in the town on Wednesday, prompting school lockdowns.

But late Thursday, officials in the town said that Corrections Department officials developed leads that Buckel had left the Ocean County town. It's not clear where he went.

Barnegat officials said there would still be additional police posted at schools to help abate fears about the escapee.

"This is not normal for Barnegat," said Mayor John J. Novak.

Buckel, whose last known address was in Clifton and had been serving a sentence for aggravated assault, was caught on surveillance cameras at the CVS Wednesday morning wearing construction boots, khakis, a T-shirt and yellow safety jacket.

Barnegat police said that when they responded to the pharmacy they found a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado stolen from Hammonton, about 40 miles from Barnegat. Authorities said that they think Buckel was getting around in the pickup truck.

Buckel was serving a sentence for crimes including aggravated assault, burglary and receiving stolen property. He was set to be eligible for parole on May 21.

A Corrections Department spokesman said Buckel could face an addition 3 to 5 years in prison for escaping once he's recaptured.

Buckel was also convicted of aggravated manslaughter in the death of a 10-month-old girl in 1996, according to NJ.com. Buckel, who was 18 at the time, admitted to slapping the girl, who died from skull fractures.

Corrections Department records show that he was in prison from 1996 to 2010 for the killing, NJ.com reports.

It's the second such escape from Bayside State Prison's Ancora unit in six months. In October, NBC10 in Philadelphia reported that Panagioti Souris busted out of the prison and traveled to Philadelphia.

He surrendered to authorities without a struggle in the Old City district and was returned to the prison.

Anyone who sees Buckel is asked to call 911 and to avoid making direct contact with him.
A massive fire at a warehouse complex in Houston that spewed black smoke and hazardous materials Thursday was under control, according to fire officials, who also lifted a shelter in place advisory to residents.

The fire was under control by mid-afternoon, the Houston Fire Department said in a statement. While there were no reported injuries, residents were still urged to precautions.

"Although the fire threat is over, the HFD would like to advise all citizens to avoid water run-off to nearby areas," the statement said. "The area of Spring Branch Creek and surrounding ditches and culverts should be avoided until authorities complete testing and deem them safe."

The four-alarm fire ignited just before 10 a.m. in the back yard of a nearby home, then jumped to an industrial area at 1700 Laverne Street, NBC affiliate KPRC reported. Fire officials told KPRC the home served as an auto service company.

Authorities declared a "hazardous material incident" as flames ripped through the industrial complex, which houses several businesses, including a gun store, fire officials said. Aerial footage showed explosions erupting as plumes of smoke poured from the roof.

The complex is also home to Custom Packaging and Filling, which fills and labels containers of "powders, granules, liquids, and gels," according to KPRC and the company's website.

Fire officials said they were working with the property owners to "identify the products of combustion" but that petroleum and pesticides may have been involved.

The shelter in place advisory for Spring Branch residents was lifted by mid-afternoon, according to the Houston Fire Department. Fire officials urged residents to take precautions as they fought the fire. An elementary school was evacuated, along with nearby businesses, KPRC reported.

Residents were allowed to leave their homes again around 2 p.m. Thursday but were asked to avoid the industrial complex, where 175 firefighters from 64 units doused the flames.

No injuries were reported. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze, which erupted on a gusty day with temperatures in the 70s.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, the nation's highest-ranking elected Republican, says he's not ready to support Donald Trump as the party's nominee.

Ryan's stunning announcement, on CNN Thursday afternoon, came after freshman Republican Sen. Ben Sasse said America should draft an alternative to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, someone who would be an "honest leader" and "an adult."

"Why are we confined to these two terrible options?" the Nebraska senator wrote in a manifesto titled "An Open Letter to Majority America."

"This is America. If both choices stink, we reject them and go bigger. That's what we do," Sasse said.

Ryan says he wants to be able to support Trump but that he's not there yet. He says Trump has work to do to unify the party.

In a statement, Trump responded that he himself isn't ready to support Ryan's agenda, either.

"Perhaps in the future we can work together and come to an agreement about what is best for the American people," Trump said. "They have been treated so badly for so long that it is about time for politicians to put them first!"

The party is grappling with whether to endorse the outsider, who bested more than a dozen established politicians in the primary, including Sen. Ted Cruz, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a longtime critic of Trump, now plans to support the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Adviser Jeff Miller said Perry "believes Trump is the nominee and will be supporting him over Democrat Hillary Clinton." Perry also told CNN on Thursday that he wouldn't rule out being Trump's vice presidential pick.

At a rally in West Virginia, Trump revelled in his primary victory, though he did not address Ryan's statement or anyone in the so-called "#NeverTrump" movement by name.

"It's like a boxer, you gotta knock 'em out, then you don't worry about the judges," said Trump, who has often suggested his critics were a part of a Republican party system rigged against him.

Sasse, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump, doesn't offer a preferred candidate  although over Twitter he's mentioned former Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn.

But he said after discussions with his constituents it's clear that voters want a better option. Nebraska's Republicans have yet to vote in the presidential election; their primary is May 10.

Numerous Republican strategists and politicians have publicly spoken out against Trump before he became the presumptive nominee following the sudden departures of Cruz and Kasich from the GOP race this week.

According to MSNBC, the list includes Patrick Ruffini, Republican strategist and early #NeverTrump adopter, Ben Howe, contributing editor to the conservative website RedState and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker.

Sen. John McCain told supporters last month that having Trump as the GOP nominee would hurt his own re-election bid in Arizona, according to a recording of the event obtained by Politico.

If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life, McCain said, according to the recording. If you listen or watch Hispanic media in the state and in the country, you will see that it is all anti-Trump. The Hispanic community is roused and angry in a way that I've never seen in 30 years.

On Thursday, McCain addressed Trump's candidacy in Phoenix, Arizona, saying it brings "more uncertainty" into the presidential campaign.

"I support the nominee of the party, but I will work very hard to continue my work on national security and I will do what I can to influence the campaign in the areas of national security that I think are most need to be addressed," McCain added.

Gearing up for a battle with Trump, Clinton took another swipe at him with a list of conservatives who seem to oppose him. The list was sent out yesterday, but was updated Thursday with former Presidents George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush.

The senior Bush has thrown his support behind party's nominee in the past five election cycles. But his spokesman confirmed to NBC News that the former president will not endorse Trump and "is retired from politics."

George W. Bush's personal aide told The Texas Tribune he is also staying out of politics and "does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign" this year.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval  who supported Marco Rubio and more recently, John Kasich  said he would support the presumptive nominee, even though he made it clear in the past that he was not a fan of the real estate mogul, according to NBC News.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Sandoval warned about the damage Trump would do to the party's attempts to attract Latino voters.

Meanwhile, Trump announced Thursday that he is tapping private investor Steven Mnuchin to lead his presidential fundraising.

The real estate mogul has largely financed his primary bid through personal loans to his campaign. He said while he will continue to put up "substantial money," he must also develop a more traditional fundraising approach now that he is likely to face off with Clinton in the general election.

Mnuchin is chairman and chief executive officer of Dune Capital management LLC, a private investment firm, and previously worked at the New York bank Goldman Sachs.

Trump said in a statement that he has worked with Mnuchin "in a business capacity. Mnuchin "brings his expertise in finance to what will be an extremely successful fundraising operation for the Republican Party," Trump said.
UC Berkeley students and workers are organizing a noon protest on Thursday over looming layoffs.

Last month, Cal announced plans to eliminate about 500 staff positions during the next two years.

The university says it's currently about $150 million dollars over budget -- those cuts do not affect teachers or faculty.

But protesters say one person getting the axe is a clerical worker who's been with the school for 30 years.

The execs are getting paid more and more every year while staff arent getting enough to live, said Joseph Meyer, aCal Human Resources employee. 98 percent of clerical staff dont make enough to live based off of one parent, one child.



School spokesperson Dan Mogoluf said there could be cuts to the executives  the school is looking at restructuring from top to bottom. The only group that will not be touched is faculty, so there will be no reduction in number of professors.



He also said that Cal went from 69 executives in 2002 to 67 last year, but increased its total pay from $10 million to $15 million, largely because of inflation in those 13 years.



As for the final picture, Mogulof is optimistic most of the 500 slashed staff positions will come through attrition, turnover. The final data on layoffs is set to come out in June. So far, the campus has already begun the process of laying off roughly 60 employees.




Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a past fundraiser for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has been released from a Chicago halfway house after being sentenced in 2012.

Rezko's attorney, Joe Duffy, said he was released by the Department of Justice Thursday. He was first sent to the halfway house last July.

Rezko was convicted in 2008 on 16 counts of fraud, bribery and money laundering crimes. Prosecutors said he extorted millions of dollars from those hoping to do business with the State of Illinois and was responsible for much of the wrongdoing in the Blagojevich administration.

In January 2012, Rezko was sentenced to 126 months, or 10.5 years, in prison. At that time, he had already served more than three years of his sentence.

The Illinois fundraiser served time in solitary confinement at Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Center and was later moved to a county jail in Wisconsin.

Besides connections to former Blagojevich, Rezko worked as a fundraiser for President Barack Obama prior to his election to the White House. He did not have any involvement with Obama's presidential campaign, however.

Rezko also volunteered to be a witness to Blagojevich and power broker William Cellini trials, but he was never called upon.
A Mill Valley, California doctors office became Ground Zero for all-things Prince on Wednesday, a day after a newspaper reported that the late pop artist had been trying to get drug recovery help from him the day before he died.

But Dr. Howard Kornfeld, who runs Recovery Without Walls, did not answer the door or phone at his practice, which became a media stakeout in the affluent Marin County city. News outlets from NBC News to Extra! were there, all trying to get an interview with the man who reportedly was trying to help Prince overcome his problems.

While Kornfeld didn't want to speak, his attorney in Minneapolis did speak with reporters.

"Dr. Kornfeld felt his mission was a life-saving mission," William Mauzy said. "He felt it to be urgent."

At Kornfeld's home nearby, a Do Not Disturb sign hung on the door. When a reporter went to the door of the doctors home, a man came out to say no comment. [[378148331, C]]

The Minneapolis Star Tribune first reported that Mauzy said Prince had been trying to seek Kornfelds help on April 20. But Kornfeld was busy, the newspaper reported. So the doctor sent his son, Andrew Kornfeld, from San Francisco International Airport to Paisley Park in Minneapolis to help.

"Andrew's purpose for being there was to describe the Recovery Without Walls Program to familiarize Prince with that," Mauzy later told a bank of reporters on Thursday. "Prince could go there for pain management and any addiction issue."

It was Andrew Kornfeld, a consultant at the practice, who made the 911 call when he found the 57-year-old unresponsive. Prince died on April 21.

"He arrives to see him dead in the elevator," Mauzy said, deeming it "certainly a difficult time."

Complicating matters, however, is that Andrew Kornfeld, who is not a doctor, brought pills with him to help Prince and carried them over state lines. Mauzy said that Andrew Kornfeld intended to deliver the pills to a Minnesota doctor, who would administer them to Prince. Andrew Kornfeld never gave Prince any drugs, Mauzy said.

The Kornfelds hoped that Prince would agree to go to California for long-term care, Mauzy said.

Prince's Purple Shadow in San Francisco, Oakland

The artist had performed in San Francisco and Oakland, less than a month before he died.

On his website, Kornfeld described his practice as a personalized outpatient clinic, specializing in innovative, evidence-based medical treatment for chronic pain and drug and alcohol addiction.

Kornfeld described himself as a nationally recognized leader in the utilization of the opioid pain medication, specifically buprenorphine, also known as Suboxone or Subutex. In 2013, he was profiled in the San Francisco Chronicle in an article called "Controlling Chronic Pain Without Dangerous Drugs."

Kornfeld is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Medicine and teaches at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicines Pain Medical Fellowship Program. According to his biography, Kornfeld is the founding medical director at the Alameda County Medical Center, Pain Management and Functional Restoration Clinic.

His son, Andrew Kornfeld, is a University of California at Santa Cruz graduate, where he studied neuroscience and psychology. He has worked on several papers with his father, his biography states, and occasionally, he's acted as a peer mentor to younger patients.
The embattled state's attorney of Cook County, Illinois, has asked to recuse herself from the murder prosecution of Officer Jason Van Dyke, the white Chicago police officer who shot a black teen 16 times.

Anita Alvarez requested that the court appoint a special prosecutor to handle the case. Van Dyke is accused of shooting and killing 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in October 2014. He was charged with first-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty.

"My primary goal in bringing a charge of First Degree Murder in this case is and always has been about seeking justice for Laquan McDonald," Alvarez said in a written statement in court Thursday. "Today I believe that I am fulfilling this obligation by requesting that the court turn this case over to a special prosecutor."

Alvarez has faced mounting criticism over her handling of the case, with many questioning why it took more than a year to bring charges against the officer involved in McDonald's killing.

Activists and civil rights attorneys previously asked Judge Vincent Gaughan to appoint a special prosecutor, alleging Alvarez was "disqualified from representing the people."

Alvarez has defended her handling of the case, but has since lost her campaign for re-election.

"More than anything else, our role as prosecutors is to seek justice and do all that we can to promote confidence in our criminal justice system," Alvarez said Thursday. "It is my greatest hope that the citizens of Chicago who have been shocked and polarized by this crime and this tragedy will understand and welcome this decision and respectfully support the efforts of all elements of the criminal justice system as the prosecution of Jason Van Dyke moves forward.

Gaughan said Thursday he plans to make a decision about the request for a special prosecutor June 2.

Van Dyke is accused of shooting McDonald 16 times while the teen was walking away from police in October 2014. Dashcam footage showing the shooting was released to the public in November 2015, sparking protests and outrage nationwide.
Wipro found comfort in the judgement in as much as the tribunal dismissed Ukils complaint of wrongful dismissal and did not ask the company to revoke her dismissal.

Bengaluru: A London tribunal has handed Wipro employee Shreya Ukil, whom the company sacked in October 2015, a partial victory, saying that she had been victimized by several senior company officials for complaining against pay disparity and that she had been unfairly dismissed. Wipro found comfort in the judgement in as much as the tribunal dismissed Ukils complaint of wrongful dismissal and did not ask the company to revoke her dismissal.

The tribunal has also reserved judgement on the main issue -- whether Ms. Ukil did like work with the comparators of her grade and whether Wipro had or had not established a material factor in defence of the alleged pay disparity. It is also yet to rule on the settlement that Wipro would need to pay Ms. Ukil, who had sued the company for a million pounds.

Wipro had sacked Ms. Ukil (39), who was the companys head of sales for Europe, and a senior colleague Manoj Punja (54) charging that they had failed to disclose to the company their romantic relationship, but the dismissal came in the midst of a running battle inside the company after Ms. Ukil, who had been with the company for almost 10 years, had begun to complain since 2012 that she was being paid only half the salary, about 75,000 pounds a year, that her male peers were being paid although she was a star performer.

Ms. Ukil had told the tribunal that she had been frequently targeted with innuendo and sexist remarks, including being called manipulative bitch, by former colleagues Sid Sharma and George Joseph. Her escalation of the matter through Wipros hierarchy, passing through the companys HR head Saurabh Govil, its diversity chief Sunita Cherian, chief legal counsel Inderpreet Sawhney, right up to then CEO T.K. Kurien, only resulted in intense victimization.

She was not allowed to find another job in Europe, was forced to return to India to contain legal damage, and finally even her resignation  sent directly to Wipro chairman Azim Premji, who had assured her of fair treatment -- was not accepted, instead she was sacked, Ukil had alleged. The tribunal upheld the charges of victimization, sexist remarks and unfair dismissal. The judgement also said that the direction had come from the very top to ensure that she was forced to return to India and that she was removed from the job.

Wipro responds

Wipro Limited is pleased the UK Employment Tribunal has upheld the dismissal of the complainant from the services of the organization as appropriate and rejected claims of adverse cultural attitude towards women in the organization. The company has built its business over the years by ensuring it adheres to the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and ethical corporate practices. Any transgression of these beliefs and policies will continue to be dealt with expeditiously and with the strictest action. We have been recognized in various fora for our progressive and proactive Inclusion & Diversity frameworks. For several years now, Wipro has had a Global Prevention of Sexual Harassment Committee (PSHC), an impartial body for investigation, with members across locations, including an external expert. All such matters are reviewed at the highest level at Wipro and we will continue with this practice."
At least three police chases took place in Chicago in less than 12 hours Wednesday and several suspects remained on the run Thursday.

Two of the chases resulted in crashes in the city, with at least one person hospitalized.

A study by the U.S. Department of Justice called police chases the most dangerous of all police activities and found there are far more police chases than police shootings, nationwide. And a recent investigation by USA Today found that more people are killed or injured in the Chicago area, as a result of police pursuits, than anywhere else other than Los Angeles.

The first chase began during the evening rush hour, just before 5:30 p.m., when police said a wanted vehicle was seen in the citys Englewood neighborhood and attempted to flee from police.

The vehicle entered the Dan Ryan Expressway going southbound, before traveling onto Interstate 57. The car was seen traveling erratically at a very high rate of speed.

It was ultimately surrounded at a stoplight at 167th Street and Kedzie in south suburban Markham.

Chicago police said four suspects were taken into custody at the scene and no injuries were reported. Illinois State Police confirmed the chase involved a stolen vehicle.

At 9:43 p.m., Illinois State police started chasing a vehicle on the Eisenhower Expressway in suburban Lombard. The driver, accused of drug-induced homicide, led police on a chase into Chicago, where state police confirm the vehicle traveled 80 mph up Lake Shore Drive to Sheridan, then over to Ashland Avenue before heading back south.

The vehicle at one point crashed into a Nissan near Ashland and Berteau, sending the vehicle and its driver plowing in a nearby apartment building.

State police ultimately stopped pursuing the vehicle around 10:30 p.m., saying it was too dangerous to continue. Chicago police soon followed and the suspects vehicle was later located abandoned in Bensenville.

Less than two hours later, another chase in Chicago ended in a mangled mess in the citys South Loop.

Illinois State Police were chasing a stolen vehicle in the city when it crashed into two other vehicles at the intersection of Michigan and Roosevelt.

The suspects fled the scene and remain on the loose.

A man in one of the vehicle involved in the crash was found unconscious and rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where his condition was not immediately known.
A former Comcast worker already serving a life sentence for raping and killing a customer was found guilty Wednesday of murdering another woman who had called for cable services, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

Anthony Triplett, now 35, sexually assaulted and strangled Janet Ordidge in her Hyde Park high rise just weeks before he attacked Urszula Sakowska in her Southwest Side home in December 2006, Cook County prosecutors said.

Triplett was convicted of Sakowskas murder in 2013 and was sentenced to life behind bars by Judge Kevin Michael Sheehan.

A jury weighing in on Tripletts second trial found him guilty of Ordidges murder on Wednesday after just 40 minutes of deliberation, according to court personnel.

Ordidge, 39, body was found in her bathtub hours after she called Comcast for cable TV service.

Seven weeks later, Triplett strangled, sexually assaulted, robbed and killed 23-year-old Sakowska.

At the time Triplett killed Sakowska, he was already being looked at by detectives for the Ordidge murder.

Police say they informed Comcast at that time that Triplett had been interviewed as a witness.

Detectives were waiting for DNA results before making an arrest.

While they waited, Triplett continued making house calls for Comcast, and thats when he murdered Sakowska.

Editor's note: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal, which owns this site.
A suburban homeowner said a major utility put his future plans on hold by leaving an eyesore on his driveway right as he was about to list his house for sale.

Balint Mezei of Buffalo Grove told NBC 5 Responds he reported a strong outdoor odor to Nicor Gas in February. A utility crew soon responded and repaired a gas valve under his driveway. Meanwhile, a temporary patch of asphalt was poured in the driveway hole and Mezei said he was told a paving contractor would pour concrete sometime during April.

Mezei said he made it known to the utility that he was planning to sell his house. He said he originally wanted to market his house by April 1st, but he and his wife delayed it to accommodate the repair.

People may drive by and may be interested in the house and then they wont even stop if they see this, Mezei said.

While Mezei said he understands weather may have played a factor in how quickly his driveway would be paved, he said it still was not completely repaired by the end of April.

Mezei said he was even considering spending his own money to pour concrete on his driveway in order to get his house on the market. According to an independent concrete expert contacted by NBC 5 Responds, Mezeis bill could have totaled almost $3500 had he paid for it himself instead of waiting for Nicor.

My problem was time. I was pressed for time and they did not respond, Mezei said.

Thats when he sent a letter to Nicor demanding the gas utility take action. NBC 5 Responds also contacted Nicor and asked if the utility could help.

Interestingly enough, the following day Nicor contacted me and told me that the driveway is going to be repaired this week, Mezei said.

Nicors media relations office did not respond to our numerous calls and emails.

However, a contractor arrived at Mezeis address on Monday and removed the asphalt patch. The concrete was poured on Tuesday.

This is great news and without NBC 5, I couldnt have done it, Mezei said.

He said the repair was made just in time for a weekend house showing.

Its important to note that utilities may own rights-of-way where repairs are needed. Mezeis section of driveway in question is located between the sidewalk and the street.

The Illinois Commerce Commission said in some cases utilities must restore landscaping as much as possible to its original condition. But it is ultimately up to consumers to contact their municipalities to see if there are rules that utilities must follow if private property is damaged.

According to Citizens Utility Board, utility repair work is often delayed by weather conditions. CUB urges consumers to find out whether the repair is an item that could be scheduled for the spring instead of fall or winter.
A Chicago man is behind bars after police found about 500 pounds of marijuana inside a building he owned near west suburban Naperville.

On April 26, the Naperville police Special Operations Group learned that a large amount of cannabis was being stored in a building in an unincorporated area just south of Naperville, a statement from police said.

A search warrant was issued and Naperville detectives, along with the Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad and Will County states attorneys office searched the building and found approximately 500 pounds of cannabis with an estimated street value of over $2 million, police said.

Authorities traced the marijuana back to 28-year-old Dovydas Diburys of Chicago, and learned that he was planning to leave the country within the week, according to police.

He was arrested Monday in Chicago and charged with possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, a Class X felony, and is being held without bond in the Will County Jail, police said.
A group of Illinois-based human and social service agencies and companies filed a lawsuit against Gov. Bruce Rauner and members of his administration Wednesday seeking payment for over $100 million in work performed since the beginning of the states ongoing budget impasse.

Illinois has been without a budget since July 2015. As a result, the state has failed to make payments on a large number of contracts, including those with human and social service providers.

This suit is about upholding a contract and paying your bills, basic good business practices, Andrea Durbin of Pay Now Illinois said in a statement. We have delivered services under binding contracts, and now the state needs to pay us. We have delivered- and we continue to deliver- essential services to Illinois most vulnerable population of men, women and children as required under our contracts with the state.

The coalition consists of 64 agencies and companies that provide services including housing for the homeless, healthcare, services for senior citizens and sexual abuse counseling. A release from the coalition cites acute financial hardship and claims staff and programs have been reduced and the viability of organizations is threatened.

The suit notes that funds were appropriated to pay providers contracts, but Rauner vetoed the bills.

The governor vetoed appropriation bills, and then his administration entered into contracts for those same services, Durbin said. The state agencies have enforced these contracts, and have never suggested suspending or terminating them. They cant simultaneously have us enter into a contract and perform services and then say there isnt money to pay for them.

The state has been having its cake and eating it too. That is just not good business, Durbin added.

Rauners office responded to the suit, placing the onus on lawmakers in Springfield.

While we understand that frustration is driving many worthwhile organizations to seek solutions anywhere, including the courts, the only solution is for the General Assembly to pass a balanced reform oriented budget as soon as possible, Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said in a statement.
A judge has allowed the Chicago police officer charged with Laquan McDonald's murder to the protection of Cook County sheriff's deputies as he enters and exits his next court hearing.

Officer Jason Van Dyke's attorney, Daniel Herbert, made the request in a Wednesday court filing, citing that Van Dyke worries about what someone could do to him before he sees the judge.

The judge will not make a final decision on mandating the special protection for all future court appearances, but it was decided Thursday that it would be allowed until his next scheduled hearing June 2.

In January, protesters pushed and surrounded the officer as he entered the Leighton Criminal Court Building to face a judge, chanting 16 shots" and screaming murderer!

Van Dyke faces murder charges for the October 2014 shooting death of 17-year-old McDonald and has pleaded not guilty.
A renowned Russian conductor led a triumphant concert Thursday in the ruins of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, once terrorized by the Islamic State group, even as an airstrike on a refugee camp in the north left at least 28 people dead and dozens wounded, including many children.

The performance in the same ancient amphitheater where ISIS militants carried out widely publicized killings  and called "A Prayer for Palmyra"  was intended to send a message that Russia's presence in Syria would bring hope and stability.

But even as strains of Bach and Sergei Prokofiev's First Symphony echoed through the Roman theater packed with an audience that included Russian servicemen, Syrian government ministers and children in colorful native dress, the war raged elsewhere.

Images posted on social media of the aftermath of the airstrike that tore through the Sarmada camp in rebel-held territory close to the border with Turkey showed tents burned to the ground, charred bodies, and bloodied women and children being loaded onto a pickup truck.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack on the camp in Idlib province where some 2,000 internally displaced people had taken shelter from the fighting in nearby Aleppo and Hama provinces over the past year. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 28 people were killed while the Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, said more than 30 died.

The White House called the strike "indefensible." There was "no justifiable excuse" to target civilians who had already fled their homes from violence, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, calling the situation "heartbreaking."

Earnest said it was too early to say whether Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces carried out the attack, but he said he had no knowledge of any U.S. or coalition aircraft operating in the area.

U.N. Humanitarian Chief Stephen O'Brien called for an independent investigation, saying that if the camp was deliberately targeted it "could amount to a war crime."

The footage of charred bodies and desperate men pouring buckets of water to try to douse the flames was in stark contrast to the concert at the UNESCO world heritage site of Palmyra, where renowned conductor Valery Gergiev led a performance by the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra from St. Petersburg.

The world-famous archaeological site was badly damaged by the ISIS militants who held Palmyra for 10 months before Syrian forces backed by Russian airstrikes retook it in March. During the concert, which was broadcast live on Russian television, images of the military action were shown, as well as footage of the destruction of monuments and ISIS militants marching residents to their deaths.

Among those in the audience were Russian sappers who have been carrying out demining in the town to remove bombs left by the ISIS militants.

In opening remarks, Gergiev, a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that with the concert, "we protest against the barbarians who destroyed monuments of world culture." In a video linkup, Putin also addressed the audience, saying he regards the concert "as a sign of gratitude, remembrance and hope."

The upbeat tone was at variance with the violence elsewhere in Syria, where a double-suicide bombing in central Homs province killed at least 10 civilians and a fierce rebel assault on a government position in the north overshadowed a shaky cease-fire imposed over the city of Aleppo.

At least 49 people were wounded in the attacks on a village 45 kilometers (28 miles) east of homes, Syria's third-largest city, according to state media and the regional governor, Talal Barrazi.

A car bomb first exploded in the main square of the village of Mukharam al-Fawkani. As people gathered to help the victims, a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle detonated explosives nearby. Four children and three women were among those killed, according to Syrian state TV.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Islamic State group has carried out several similar deadly attacks in Homs province. The area is close to where Syrian troops and ISIS gunmen have been fighting for control of the vital Shaer gas field, which fell to the Islamic State on Wednesday after the extremists overran 13 government checkpoints and captured a Syrian soldier. The Observatory said 34 government troops and 16 militants have been killed in three days of fighting there.

Meanwhile, relative calm prevailed in the deeply contested northern city of Aleppo, the center of the worst recent violence, following a truce announced Wednesday by U.S. officials in agreement with Russia. The Syrian military said the truce would last only 48 hours.

But a Lebanese TV station embedded with the Syrian army said Syrian rebels were waging an offensive on a government-held village south of Aleppo.

Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar Assad vowed in a letter to Putin that Syrian forces will eventually be victorious in Aleppo, comparing the government troops' resistance to the protracted World War II battle of Stalingrad. In the letter, carried on Syrian state media, Assad vowed to defeat "the aggression" the way the Soviet Red Army defeated Nazi forces in Stalingrad.

Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Jim Heintz in Moscow, and Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report.
The Connecticut Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether a doctor charged with killing a Yale University physician can be medicated against his will so he can be competent to stand trial.

A prosecutor and a public defender for Lishan Wang are set to go before the court today.

A trial court judge last year ruled that Wang was not competent to stand trial and should be given antipsychotic medications by force.

Wang appealed, insisting he's competent and doesn't need medication and wrote in a letter to The New Haven Register, in which he said he believes he is competent, and being forced to medicate "will compromise my mental status" at trial.

Wang, a Chinese citizen from Beijing, is charged with fatally shooting Dr. Vajinder Toor outside Toor's Branford home in 2010.

Authorities said the shooting appeared to stem from a 2008 dispute Wang had with Toor and other doctors when they worked at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in New York City.
A former executive director is under investigation for stealing funds from the Derby Senior Center.

No charges have been filed and Derby Police have not yet made an arrest but NBC Connecticut obtained court documents showing Sarah Muoio is the focus of a second-degree larceny investigation.

A search warrant lists the items police seized from her Milford home, including a Baxton white queen-size bed, a carpet sample and eight used paint cans.

City officials contacted police in February after an audit discovered discrepancies in the centers financial records dating back to 2011, according to court documents.

One detective wrote he received, information that Sarah Muoio had used the DSC Webster Bank accounts to purchase personal items on numerous occasions.

NBC Connecticut tried knocking on Muoio's door to see if she had any comment, but nobody answered. Her attorney was out of the office and has yet to respond to an email.

In the days leading up to Muoios termination, a senior administrative assistant said she Muoio missed work for personal reasons.

Then on the day Mayor Anita Duggato fired her in January, that assistant told police Muoio gave her three filed folders and told her, hide them and then asked her to shred the contents.

Instead, she reported this to the mayors office.

The Senior Centers treasurer told police they should have $28 thousand in a savings account, but the detective wrote the, account shows an actual balance of $15,559.44.

The court documents say there were more than, 200 questionable transactions from the DCS account for more than $21,700.

Detectives also searched two of Muoios computers and a bank account.
New Delhi: Wrong depiction of the map of India could land the violators in jail with a maximum term of seven years and fine upto Rs 100 crore.

This measure has been envisaged by the government against the backdrop of instances where certain social networking sites showed Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as part of Pakistan and China respectively.

Recently, 'Twitter' had shown the geographical location of Kashmir in China and Jammu in Pakistan triggering protests from the Indian government after which it was corrected.

Read: Twitter goofs up on location service; shows Jammu in Pakistan

According to the draft 'The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016', it will be mandatory to take permission from a government authority before acquiring, disseminating, publishing or distributing any geospatial information of India.

"No person shall depict, disseminate, publish or distribute any wrong or false topographic information of India including international boundaries through internet platforms or online services or in any electronic or physical form.

"Whoever acquired any geospatial information of India in contravention of the law shall be punished with a fine ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 100 crore and/or imprisonment for a period upto seven years," according to the draft bill.

Geospatial Information means geospatial imagery or data acquired through space or aerial platforms such as satellite, aircrafts, airships, balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles including value addition or graphical or digital data depicting natural or man-made physical features, phenomenon or boundaries of the earth or any information related thereto including surveys, charts, maps, terrestrial photos referenced to co-ordinate system and having attributes.

The government also proposed to set up a Security Vetting Authority to carry out security vetting of the Geospatial Information of India in a time bound manner and as per the regulations framed by an apex committee.

The Security Vetting Authority shall consist of an officer of the rank of Joint Secretary to the government of India or above as chairman and two members--one a technical expert and the other, a national security expert.

"Any person who wants to acquire, disseminate, publish or distribute any geospatial information of India, may make an application alongwith requisite fees to the Authority for security vetting of such geospatial information and licence thereof to acquire, disseminate, publish or distribute such Geospatial Information in any electronic or physical form," the draft bill says.

The draft bill will ensure that online platforms like Google will have to apply for a license to run Google Maps or Google Earth in India.

According to the draft bill, the Security Vetting Authority, on receipt of an application and after examining the application in terms of the guidelines, shall either grant the licence or reject the application as the case may be.

If a licence is granted and the licensee fails to comply with the terms and conditions of this Act, rule, regulation or guidelines or order made there under, the Enforcement Authority may, after making such inquiry as may be thought fit, revoke the licence granted to such licensee.

The licensee shall be supplied with the security vetted Geospatial Information, by the Security Vetting Authority, within a period mutually agreed upon, based on the quantum and nature of the subject matter to be vetted, on best effort basis.

"Licensee shall not acquire, publish, disseminate or distribute any geospatial information of India through any media or by any means, unless such geospatial information are security-vetted by the Security Vetting Authority.

"Licensee shall display the insignia of the clearance of the Security Vetting Authority on the security vetted geospatial information by appropriate means such as water-marking or licence as relevant, while disseminating or distributing of such geospatial information," the draft bill says.

Licensee will indemnify the Security Vetting Authority for any consequential loss or damages whatsoever that might be caused to any person or agency in India or abroad, due to the use or supply of security vetted geospatial information.

The Act will extend to the whole of India and also applies to citizens of India outside India, persons in the service of the government, persons on ships and aircrafts, registered in India, any person who commits an offence beyond India.

No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against the central government or apex committee or Security Vetting Authority or Enforcement Authority on whom powers have been conferred pursuant to this Act, for anything which was done or purported to be done in good faith in pursuance of this Act or for any rule or regulation made under this Act, the draft says.
The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters brought you the story of facial recognition software possibly being used on you while you shop and a Suffield lawmaker saw our report and decided she had to act.

The growing number of stores using facial recognition software got the attention of Representative Tami Zawistowski, so much so that she co-sponsored a bill that got through Connecticut's House with bi-partisan support.

Last November, the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters told you about FaceFirst, a California company at the forefront of facial recognition software development.

It captures every curve and shadow on your face -- paired with cameras than can access that information in seconds -- to identify who you are and what you do.

FaceFirst said a growing number of retailers use it to identify shoplifters.

But FaceFirst also services stores wanting to "build a database of good customers, to recognize them when they come through the door," or to businesses that want to "get alerts when known litigious individuals enter."

That's where Representative Zawistowski drew the line and had a bill written up to force stores in Connecticut using this kind of technology to have a sign in front to notify customers.

They can record what you're doing in a store what you're looking at what your kids are looking at or your grandkids, so it just has such an invasive quality to it. I just wanted to open this conversation," Zawistowski said.

Zawistowski said her bill died on the Senate floor, not due to a lack of support, but rather because the last-minute budget voting crowded out any other legislation from being raised. She plans to reintroduce her bill next year.

The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters have reached out to FaceFirst for comment. The company so far has not responded.
Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is reportedly facing a four-game suspension for a violation of the NFLs substance abuse policy, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says Lawrence is appealing and the team still has some hope that it could be reduced.

But of course Jones isnt taking anything for granted.

"Very similar to [the Scandrick suspension]," Jones told Shan & RJ on 105.3-FM The Fan, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. "But I wouldn't want to be presumptuous enough to, it's under consideration and it's just like if something were being judged, you don't want to get out here and be trying to tell them what to do.

"Let them look at all the facts and the entire situation, which is what is required and will be done. And then maybe we can get a reduction."

There is some precedent to back up Joness hopefulness: Two years ago cornerback Orlando Scandrick saw his four-game suspension for the same violation reduced to two games on appeal.
A feud is brewing between Dallas and Irving over services for the Cypress Waters development off Interstate 635.

The commercial and residential development is going up in a remote piece of Dallas surrounding North Lake, sandwiched between the cities of Irving and Coppell.

According to Dictionary.com, a "feud" is: "a bitter, continuous hostility, especially between two families, clans, etc., often lasting for many years or generations."

Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne said the disagreement between the normally cordial neighbors of Irving and Dallas over dense development plans for Cypress Waters dates back about a decade.

"And for nine years now, Dallas has understood that they're going to have to provide services to this area," Van Duyne said.

Cypress Waters' location near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has helped Dallas make big corporate relocation deals, including Zales, recently poached from Irving. But the Irving mayor claimed there are no hard feelings.

"This has nothing to do with feelings or not. It comes down to finances," Van Duyne said. "One-hundred percent of the revenue is going to Dallas, but Coppell and Irving are going to have 100 percent of the impacts."

Over strong objections from neighboring Irving and Coppell, Dallas allowed the 1,000-acre development to one day include 4.5 million square feet of office space, 150,000 square feet of retail, 10,000 housing units and 30,000 residents  about as many people as all of neighboring Coppell. The project is within the Coppell Independent School District, which faces a tremendous influx of new students from Cypress Waters.

Dallas predicts the project will eventually generate $8.8 million a year in property taxes based on $1.1 billion in assessed value, with sales tax revenue on top of that.

But Dallas faces a $37 million shortfall in the upcoming general fund budget this fall. The bigger city is now asking smaller Irving to help provide utility and fire service to Cypress Waters.

"Governments need to work together," Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said. "We've got to be able to break down silos and say what's good for citizens of Irving and what's good for citizens of Dallas."

Rawlings said Irving would be paid for service it provides.

"We're interested in purchasing services at a fair rate that's great for the citizens of Irving. If they don't want to do that, we'll serve it ourselves," Rawlings said.

The Dallas City Council heard a Cypress Waters update Wednesday.

Dallas City Council Member Carolyn Arnold was especially unhappy about the investment and attention so far from her Southern Dallas district where many old parts of Dallas need improvement.

Rawlings said new taxes and revenue benefit all Dallas neighborhoods.

"And we want to make sure we've got growth plans in place for each and every one of them," Rawlings said.

Van Duyne said the city of Irving wants a better deal than what's been offered.

"We fully understand being regional and we're supportive of that," she said. "We just want to be sure that we have the resources to take care of our own residents."
A pink toilet is popping up in yards across Lake Highlands in Dallas, and it's all for a good cause.

The Pink Potty Project was started by Jennifer and Reed Wilcox as a way to raise awareness for Crohn's disease and colitis. Their nephew, Gavin, suffers from Crohn's disease and the couple wanted to help raise money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Reed Wilcox turned to the internet for ideas.

"One of them was put something in your neighbor's yard that they don't want there and pay to have it removed, so kind of extortion," Reed Wilcox said.

He got his hands on a pink toilet and the effort picked up steam. People can donate $50 to have the toilet removed from their yard or $100 to have it moved to another yard of their choosing. The toilet has made its way to more than a dozen lawns so far.

"I didn't know what to expect. It was Reed's idea and I just went with it. The response has been fantastic," said Jennifer Wilcox. "We have had many houses and people who give well above the money we're asking for. The last five houses have been somebody I haven't met yet in the neighborhood, but they donate to the cause."

The toilet is a strange, but welcome, sight in the neighborhood. People have stopped to to take photos of, and with, the toilet.

Phil Macnamara returned home from a business trip Wednesday to find the Wilcox family in his front yard, assembling the toilet. He didn't know what was going on, but his son Waylon did. He recently took his own picture on the toilet.

"It's amazing," he said. "It was a toilet that's not in a restroom, so it is very amazing."

Though he's already received some odd looks, Macnamara said he's happy to contribute.

"It's a very cool way and a creative way to raise money and we'll gladly support it," he said.

To find out how you can help support Reed and Jennifer Wilcox's cause and the Pink Potty Project, click here.
Quinisha Johnson, the wife of accused gunman Ricci Bradden, said a picture she posted on Facebook led to the deadly chain of events which took place outside a Walgreens in Arlington.

"When I tried to go back into the store, I heard him take the gun out. I screamed, 'No!' When I went out there, I didn't think he had a gun," Johnson said. "I didn't think the man who told me he loved me, would shoot me. I didn't think that would happen."

Bradden, a U.S. Army soldier at Fort Hood, was upset and drove to Arlington to talk, Johnson said.

"He said, 'You like attention. Attention from your husband just is not enough,'" Johnson said. "You know when somebody is upset, you can hear it in their voice, even if they're talking calm. I didn't think anything was happening. When he pulled the gun out, he didn't scream. He wasn't yelling or anything. He just shot."

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the two got into an argument and Bradden shot his wife in the ankle.

Anthony Antell Jr., 35, saw the confrontation in the parking lot as his wife sat in their car. Police said Antell, a Marine, got out his gun and tried to stop Bradden from leaving, acting as a good Samaritan.

"He's a true hero. He didn't deserve to lose his life over something so stupid. He didn't deserve this. Justice needs to be served for this," Johnson said. "I just want to say I am very appreciative for what he did. He was heroic at that moment and I truly apologize to his family for putting him in this situation. I didn't mean for this to happen. If they blame me, I understand because they may need somebody to blame. I'm sorry. I just hope they forgive me."

Bradden surrendered at a Texas Department of Public Safety office in Hillsboro while on his way back to Fort Hood. According to the affidavit, Bradden's commanding officers urged him to surrender to civilian authorities Monday.

Bradden was brought back to Arlington Tuesday afternoon and is currently in the Arlington City Jail with a bond set at $500,000.

Antell's funeral is scheduled for Friday afternoon at Saint John the Apostle United Methodist Church in Arlington.

In a statement to NBC 5, the Antell family said: "We would like to thank all of our family, friends near and far, and especially our Crossfit family for the overwhelming support and prayers. We would also like to thank our community as well as surrounding communities for your support. Words cannot express our gratitude."
A group that served as guardian of the Alamo for more than a century said Wednesday it had prevailed over the "bureaucratic bullying" of a Texas agency with the state's acknowledgment that about 38,000 books and artifacts at an Alamo library don't belong to the state.

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas filed suit in March 2015 against the Texas General Land Office, alleging the agency headed by George P. Bush "unilaterally declared" the state owner of the organization's private library collection. That came after Bush announced he was ending the group's management of the downtown San Antonio mission-turned-fortress.

The suit argued the items were donated to the Daughters -- who began caring for the Alamo in 1905 -- and that the donors wanted the items maintained under the group's stewardship, not the state's.

"The Daughters are committed to standing up to bureaucratic bullying," Betty J. Edwards, president general of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, said Wednesday. "We may just be a nonprofit organization of women, but we are Texas women, and we are more than 7,000 members strong. We will stand up for what is ours."

The Texas Attorney General's Office, in a Bexar County court filing last week seeking dismissal of the lawsuit, said that with the possible exception of a few items still being reviewed, "There is no ownership dispute in this case."

"Having now finished its review and analysis, GLO is not claiming ownership over the overwhelming majority of the Library Collection," Benjamin Dower, an assistant attorney general, said in his court filing asking for dismissal.

A civil court judge in San Antonio has set the case for trial June 9, Jim Suydam, a spokesman for the Daughters, said.

Edwards said her group welcomed the General Land Office's "newfound respect for private property."

But she also said by July, the library collection would be moved from the Alamo, where it had been based for more than 70 years, to new donated quarters at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.

A spokeswoman for the General Land Office declined to comment on the case Wednesday, deferring to the agency's court filings.

The suit was filed last year about two weeks after the Land Office took over management of the Alamo, ending the Daughters' 110-year management of the site where in 1836 some 180 defenders participating in the Texas Revolution were killed during a siege by Mexican forces. Weeks later, those deaths provided Texas soldiers with their rallying cry -- "Remember the Alamo!"-- that they carried to victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, which clinched Texas' independence from Mexico.

The Land Office became involved in 2011 at the behest of the Legislature. Lawmakers had grown concerned about the care of the Texas landmark amid accusations of mismanagement and financial incompetence by the Daughters, who had continued day-to-day management even after the Land Office took control.

The library collection includes books, maps, flags and other artifacts used by researchers.

Edwards said her organization raised private money to build the Alamo Library in 1945, then donated it to the state.

"The Daughters of the Republic of Texas cared for this collection when the state had no interest in it," she said.
A man is in stable condition after he was trapped for more than three hours Thursday in a partially collapsed construction trench in Irving.[[378314751,L]]

The 34-year-old man was working with a crew that was repairing a sewer line on the 2100 block of Ridgewood Street when he stepped outside the fortified "safe zone" within the trench, and the soil collapsed around him, according to Irving Fire Department officials.

The City of Irving released the 911 call to emergency workers after a worker got trapped in a trench outside 2110 Ridgewood Street Thursday. Irving Fire Chief Jack Taylor says while it doesnt sound like theres a lot happening on the phone, personnel and equipment were being dispatched while the caller was on the phone.

The man, identified as Jorge Vasquez of Garland, is a married father of three who immigrated from Mexico 16 years ago, family members said.

He was initially buried above his head, but other workers were able to quickly uncover the top half of his body so he could breathe. A piece of metal beneath the surface then prevented the man from freeing himself, so emergency crews were called.

Irving firefighters attempt to rescue a worker trapped in a construction trench Thursday.

He remained buried waist-deep at the base of the trench, which was approximately three to four feet wide and eight to 10 feet deep, while firefighters from Irving and Coppell worked to carefully remove the dirt from around him without causing more dirt to settle and cover him.

Though Vasquez remained conscious and talking to paramedics, Irving Assistant Fire Chief J. Taylor said crews gave him some sort of medication to keep him calm and prevent him from inadvertently causing more soil to cover his body.

Once he was pulled to safety, Vasquez was transported by ambulance to an awaiting medical helicopter, which then rushed him to Parkland Memorial Hospital.

The worker is employed by a third-party contractor hired by the city of Irving.

Irving Assistant Fire Chief J. Taylor gives an update on the efforts to rescue a construction worker from a partially collapsed trench.
Viewers frequently contact NBC 5 Responds with questions about lease agreements -- usually they want to know how to get out of one.

If you need to get out of your lease, there's one situation where you nearly always have the protection of federal law -- if you're a member of the military facing deployment. So when one military family couldn't get out of dad's lease, they called NBC 5 Responds.

Since Saturday, April 23, Lori Wroblewski and her children have been going it alone. On that day her husband, Kyle, was deployed.

Kyle can't use his leased mobile phone overseas, so Lori tried to turn it in under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. SCRA is a federal law that mandates, among other things, that servicemen and women be able to terminate a lease when they're deployed.

The couple was leasing the phone through Citizens Bank, whose employees told her she couldn't get out of the lease.

"I'm not covered under the Servicemen [Civil] Relief Act. I'm a spouse. Even though it's his phone and a joint account and our money. I'm not covered."

Here's the complication. Lori said she signed the paperwork for her husband's phone.

"They're telling me that because I signed for the phone that day, it's technically in my name and they can't do anything about it," said Wroblewski.

Over the rest of the 24 month contract, the couple would pay almost $630. That amount of money worries the military wife and full-time college student. It's money she'd rather use caring for the home front as her husband serves a world away.

Citizens Bank declined to comment, citing customer privacy. But the day after NBC 5 reached out to the bank, a representative contacted Lori. He told her if she returned the phone, they would end the lease agreement at no cost. Her cell phone provider is also waiving her bill for two months, saving her $660.

If you're being deployed, you have other protections under SCRA. For example, service members are protected from home foreclosure and can terminate a home or car lease. Click here to learn about other SCRA protections under the law.
On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, pulled out of the Republican race for president. One day later, his supporters at the Fort Worth Stockyards were pondering where to turn next.

"Ah, I really don't know," said Allen Carter. "I think I'm between a rock and a hard place."

Carter and his wife were visiting Fort Worth from Idaho.

"Yeah, I was a supporter of Cruz as well," Barbara Carter said, shaking her head. "I guess now it's going to be (Donald) Trump."

In September, Cruz packed the Stockyards for a rally with 2,000 cheering supporters. Wednesday night the Stockyards were empty, and Cruz supporters were left feeling empty.

"You know, a lot of people don't like him in Washington," said Brad Hines, also a Cruz supporter. "That's because he's trying to change the way they're doing business."

Hines said he'd be supporting Trump now.

"I mean, there are definitely some things he said that made me go, 'Oh, he shouldn't have said that,'" Hines said. "I think it's time for a change. I think we really need it."

"I think Trump is going to be the next president, because there's no such thing as bad publicity," said valet Julian Vasquez, as he waited to park cars near the Stockyards.

Vasquez will vote in his first election this November.

"I was a Cruz supporter," he said. "I would rather choose Bernie Sanders than Trump, because I feel he's kind of racist toward Latinos."

"I think the Republicans have really hurt themselves," Carter said, thinking about the campaign thus far. "Trump is my man now!"
Sean Penn has settled a defamation lawsuit he filed against "Empire" co-creator Lee Daniels over remarks that accused him of domestic abuse.

The confidential settlement Wednesday ends the case filed after Daniels made comments comparing Penn to "Empire" star Terrence Howard, who's been repeatedly accused of domestic violence. Daniels apologized to Penn and retracted his statements. He also made a donation to Penn's charity. No details of the size of the donation to Haitian relief were made public.

Penn accepted the apology. The statements were contained as exhibits in the legal paperwork.

Penn filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against Daniels in Manhattan civil court in September denying he had abused women, including ex-wife Madonna.

Madonna filed a sworn declaration in December supporting Penn and saying the two-time Oscar-winning actor had never physically abused her.

Penn won best actor awards for "Mystic River" in 2004 and "Milk" in 2009.
Tenkasi/Pattukottai: Attacking the AIADMK and the DMK for practising politics of corruption, BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday said the demographic graph of Tamil Nadu has been pulled down by both the parties during their 50-year rule of the state. He urged the electorate to vote for the NDA to usher in politics of development.

Observing that the leaders of the AIADMK, DMK and Congress, who are in fray, have corruption cases and have been exploiting the people, Shah said there had not been even one allegation of corruption in the BJP government in the two years since it assumed power.
An LA man says his trip to the Middle East is in jeopardy because of a state department terror warning, but the airline refused to give him a refund.

Rich Bloom booked a trip that goes through Turkey, not expecting there to be a terrorist attack a few weeks ago. Now that the state department's put out a warning not to travel through parts of Turkey, he's postponed his trip, but that leaves him having paid for a ticket he can't use.

A tradition for more than three decades, Bloom makes a point to visit his grandparents in Israel every few years.

"(I) was planning to go, until I started hearing about these terrorist incidents in Turkey," Bloom said.

Deadly terror attacks led to the U.S. Department of State issuing a warning saying "tourists have been explicitly targeted by international and indigenous terrorist organizations. U.S. citizens are reminded to review personal security plans and remain vigilant at all times."

Bloom booked his flight on Turkish Airlines and has a layover in Istanbul.

Because of the State Department's warnings, Bloom refuses to fly into Turkey. He still plans to travel to see his grandparents, just on a different airline with a different route. He's asking Turkish Airlines for his money back.

"Because of the risk, there should be a refund that's issued by Turkish Air," Bloom said.

Travel agent Tama Holve said you can purchase insurance that covers acts of terrorism if something happens within 30 days of your trip.

"You have to look at what the insurance policy covers," Holve said.

But Bloom didn't buy any insurance.

"He basically is beholden to the rules of the fare he purchased on Turkish Airlines," Holve said.

NBC4 reached out to Turkish Airlines, which told us "the travel warnings published on U.S. Department of State website are not prohibitions and not binding on airlines since they are mostly for advisory purposes for the travelling passengers. Therefore, such warnings do not create a general valid grounds for re-booking or any other travel arrangements for travelling passengers."

Meaning no refund, Bloom's choices are eating the cost of his ticket or paying a $300 cancellation fee so the ticket price can be credited at a later date.

"It made me somewhat angry. I mean, quite frankly I'd rather go through this process than place myself at risk and go to an area that is where terrorist incidents have occurred," Bloom said.

Turkish air pointed out the travel warning does not specifically mention Istanbul airport, which it said has "has tight airport security standards."

Holve echoes that, and said she's travelled through Turkey many times without incident and says many of the state departments warnings are focused on travel in Southern Turkey, near the Syrian border but says travel insurance is a must if you are squeamish about travel warnings and advisories.
After the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $1.3 million settlement for the family of a father of three who was struck and killed by a sheriff's patrol car during a pursuit, the family said it wanted justice, not money.

"I don't want the money. I want to have them behind bars. I want justice," Alvaro Cerda, the victim's brother, said Wednesday at a news conference.

The relatives of Alfonso Cerda, who was struck and killed by a sheriff's patrol car during a pursuit in October 2012, said Wednesday that they would decline a $1.3 million county-approved settlement if the deputies involved are punished.

On Oct. 8, 2012, Alfonso Cerda was riding his bike when sheriff's deputies tried to make an arrest. The squad car from the South Los Angeles station collided with Cerda about 1:25 a.m. in the 3500 block of West 107th Street in Inglewood.

Cerda, 44, was pronounced dead at a hospital.

"There is not a single day that I don't think about my brother," Alvaro said. "He was known in this community. He was known as the most friendliest person."

The Sheriff's Department initially reported that deputies believed Cerda was armed with a gun, but later retracted that statement.

"While the deputies exited their vehicle, the suspect fled on his bicycle," according to the original statement released by the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau. "Seconds later, the suspect brandished a gun toward the deputies. One deputy took cover, while the other deputy followed the suspect in his marked unit. The deputy attempted to get ahead of him, and a traffic collision occurred between the marked unit and the suspect."

Four days later, the Sheriff's Department issued a statement saying the earlier report of a gun was inaccurate.

"No weapon was recovered or was believed to be in Mr. Cerda's possession at the time of the incident," according to the later statement, which failed to disclose the original reason deputies tried to make an arrest.

At a vigil for his father, Alfonso Cerda Jr. said his dad never carried a weapon.

"If he was on his bike he had a flashlight, his wallet, and that's it  and his happiness," his son said.

Cerda died of blunt force upper body injuries, according to records on the county coroner's website, which also listed "cardiomegaly; probable methamphetamine effect" under "other significant causes." Cardiomegaly is an enlarged heart.

Citing the risks and uncertainties of litigation, county lawyers recommended settlement.

"Now we feel like it's not the money. We would gladly give it back if they put them behind bars in jails for their cowardly acts. They are criminals hiding behind their badge," Alvaro said.

Requests for the board to approve a settlement in excess of $100,000 typically include a Corrective Action Plan that includes some detail about the incident that sparked the lawsuit, a review of investigations that followed and actions taken in order to avoid similar future incidents, including disciplinary action.

In this case, the Corrective Action Plan was not publicly disclosed because it contains "confidential peace officer personnel matters," according to a county spokesman.
A 74-year-old man was killed when he was struck by a car as he crossed the street in Downey Wednesday night, Downey police said.

The deadly crash occurred at 8:11 p.m. at Brookshire Avenue and Gallatin School House Road.

Police say the pedestrian was not in a crosswalk when a white car struck him, and left the area.

The driver, later identified as 64-year-old Quddus Kahn, of the white Honda returned to the crash site an hour later, Downey police said. The car showed significant damage, with the windshield bashed in.

It appeared the victim's shoe was knocked off in the crash.

The 74-year-old Downey resident was taken to the hospital following the crash, and later died.

Thursday morning, Kahn was arrested on felony hit-and-run charges and other charges were pending, according to Downey Police Department.
The number of homeless people in Los Angeles County increased 5.7 percent over the past year to reach 46,874, according to results of the 2016 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count released Wednesday.

The figure is up from 44,359 in 2015, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. The vast majority of the county's homeless -- 34,527 people -- are unsheltered, up from 31,025 in 2015.

Despite the overall increase, homelessness among veterans dropped by 30 percent across the county, from 4,362 in 2015 to 3,071 this year. In the city of Los Angeles, the number of homeless veterans fell to 1,617, down from 2,733 last year. Family homelessness throughout the county fell by 18 percent over the past year.

The decrease in the homeless veteran and family population "reinforces the importance of resources and (a) collaborative system to deliver them," said LAHSA Executive Director Peter Lynn.

"Homelessness responds to resources," he said. "When we have systemically applied city, county and federal resources, we see results. Strategic investment through coordinated systems.''

The city of Los Angeles overall saw an 11 percent jump in the number homeless people, to 28,464, representing 65 percent of the county total, according to the count. Of the city's homeless, 21,338 are unsheltered. The San Fernando Valley saw a 35.2 percent increase, while the San Gabriel Valley had a 15.7 percent decrease.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he has proposed $138 million in the city's budget for the coming year to affordable housing and homeless services, and noted that the city housed more people last year than any other city in the country.

"Despite our progress, Los Angeles is facing a historic housing shortage, a staggering mental health crisis and veterans are becoming homeless every day," Garcetti said. "As a city, we have launched efforts to tackle these issues, securing record federal investments in supportive services for veteran families, producing a comprehensive homelessness strategy report and expanding a robust winter shelter program. This year, we are doubling down on our work."

While county and city officials pointed to the success of targeted efforts on homeless veterans and families, others said the count's results also show that solutions will likely not come soon enough. Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles staff attorney Shayla Myers said recent plans adopted by the city and county to tackle homelessness won't address the challenges faced by the homeless counted in LAHSA's survey.

"Everyone agrees the City Council plan and the county plan -- these are long-term," Myers said. But the latest count, as in past years, shows "that there are thousands of people who are homeless and on the streets of Los Angeles every night. They are compelled to live on the street every night."

Myers and other attorneys recently secured a court injunction that prevents Los Angeles police and sanitation officers from seizing and destroying homeless people's property without sufficient notice, and requires that the city segregate and store impounded belongings where they can be recovered.

She said the city has not come up with immediate solutions that prevent homeless individuals from being criminalized, but instead plans to implement 56.11, an ordinance that would allow the city to cite homeless encampments set up during the day.

"Where are individuals who are on the street --- where are they supposed to go?" Myers said. "That's what those numbers say to me."

Councilman Jose Huizar, whose district includes Skid Row, said the new numbers are a reminder that homelessness is a persistent problem.

"This year's budget is a good start at funding our homeless strategy report priorities, and I am hopeful that there will be a measure on this November's ballot to raise an ongoing source of new revenue to finally address this issue like the urgent humanitarian crisis that it is," Huizar said.

Huizar's district had a homeless population of 5,590, which is down 11 percent from last year.

Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents the Venice area, said the "results are both disturbing and unsurprising."

The results, which shows Bonin's district has 2,529 homeless people, were predictable because many of the strategies for tackling homelessness being discussed by the council haven't "kicked in yet." But the results also show "rapid rehousing" strategies -- offering financial assistance for housing and other services to veterans and families who are homeless -- have yielded results, he said.

"The significant drop in family and veteran homelessness is telling and underscores the type of strategic decisions we made and the investments we're making are the right ones," Bonin said.

He said he hopes the results put "fuel into the fire" on pending city measures aimed at increasing housing for the homeless, "because we cannot get affordable or homeless housing built quickly enough."

Measures to tackle homelessness are being discussed by the City Council and include a linkage fee on development projects to raise money for affordable housing, policies to allow the construction of micro units and the fast-tracking of affordable housing projects.

The results also showed large homeless populations in parts of the San Fernando Valley.

Councilman Paul Krekorian -- who represents North Hollywood, Valley Village and Studio City -- said homelessness is "a significant and growing issue" in the valley.

"The numbers underscore that the valley absolutely must get its fair share of funding for region-specific services to tackle this problem," he said. "I'm going to keep fighting for our neighborhoods and working to get people off the streets and into jobs and affordable housing."

The latest count put the number of homeless people in Krekorian's district at 1,084, which is a 79 percent spike from the previous year's count that found 607 people.

The latest figure, however, is in line with past years, with the 2013 homeless population in Krekorian's district at 1,024 people.

Krekorian said he worked with LAHSA in the latest count to ensure it was "the most accurate count possible in the East Valley."

"We went with volunteers to every area of the district that we know homelessness to be an issue, which gave us a real way to assess the impact on the area," he said. "What we found was a significant increase over last year across the valley."

Krekorian aide Ian Thompson said the councilman's office pointed LAHSA volunteers to places like the Los Angeles River, the Tujunga Wash, near railroad tracks and North Hollywood Park -- places where there are often homeless people living in encampments or out of RVs.

The Sixth Council District, which includes Van Nuys, Arleta and Sun Valley, had the largest San Fernando Valley homeless population this year with 1,856 people.

South Los Angeles also had high numbers of homeless individuals, with 3,458 people in the Ninth Council District.
Southland air-quality regulators said Thursday they will be actively monitoring this weekend's planned restart of a the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance that was damaged by an explosion last year.

ExxonMobil officials have begun notifying residents near the refinery of the planned restart, which is expected to occur between 7 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday.

Restarting the plant is expected to temporarily result in pollutant emissions higher than normally permitted at the refinery. A South Coast Air Quality Management District hearing board, however, has approved the re-start plan, and regulators said they would be keeping a close watch on the operation.

"We are taking a number of steps to protect nearby residents when the refinery starts up and resumes operations,'' said Wayne Nastri, acting executive officer of the AQMD. "One of those measures includes deploying an air monitoring network to measure fine particulate levels in the air around the refinery during the startup process.''

ExxonMobil officials said the restrictions imposed by the AQMD on the operation will "minimize impact to the community and the environment as we resume full operations.''

The refinery has been largely out of operation since Feb. 18, 2015, when an explosion caused extensive damage to the facility, injured four people and led to spiking Southern California gas prices.

Under the restart agreement approved by the AQMD hearing board, ExxonMobil must pay about $5 million in penalties for air pollution violations that resulted from the February 2015 blast. It must also follow a multi-step procedure aimed at minimizing emissions during the re-start procedure.

AQMD officials have said restarting the damaged facility will result in excessive emission of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, as a result of an altered start-up procedure "necessary to improve the safety of their operations.''

Agency documents indicate the refinery "is not currently in violation of district rules'' or its operating permit, but the restart "is expected to result in a violation of district rules and the facility's existing Title V permit conditions.''

The refinery was sold to New Jersey-based oil refining company PBF Energy in September. The $527.5 million deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2016.

The 750-acre refinery has a capacity of 155,000 barrels per day. With the purchase, PBF will increase its total capacity to about 900,000 barrels per day, according to the company.

Federal authorities blamed a breakdown in safety procedures for causing the 2015 explosion. According to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, the trouble began six days before the blast when a problem developed with a piece of equipment known as an expander, forcing the plant's "fluid catalytic cracking'' unit to be shut down.

That shutdown led to steam being forced into a reactor, and some was leaking from an open flange that was preventing plant employees from carrying out repair work, the board found. When a supervisor reduced the flow of steam, it caused hydrocarbons to flow into the plant's electrostatic precipitator, where the hydrocarbons were ignited, causing the explosion.

According to the board, plant employees deviated from standard procedures while trying to repair the catalytic cracking unit, but they used an outdated "variance'' that is required prior to moving ahead with the work. Investigators noted that a similar situation led to a 2012 fire at the Chevron refinery in Richmond.

State regulators issued 19 citations against ExxonMobil and proposed penalties totaling $566,600 in response to the explosion. Cal/OSHA officials said a 2007 safety review found problems with flammable vapor in the plant's electrostatic precipitator, but no corrective actions were taken. Regulators noted that the plant's fluid catalytic cracker had not been working properly for as long as nine years prior to the blast.

Copyright City News Service
Grocery chain Trader Joe's is voluntarily recalling a salad containing broccoli slaw, kale and chicken, due to possible listeria contamination.

More than 33,600 pounds of Trader Joe's Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat, Sunflower Seeds, Cranberries, and a Sweet & Spicy Vinaigrette, which is produced for Trader Joe's by California-based Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods, is affected by the recall, the grocery chain announced Wednesday.

While no illnesses have been reported, the chain is urging anyone who purchased the salad that contains a "USE BY" date of 05.02.2016 through 5.07.2016 to avoid eating it and return it for a full refund or throw it away.

The possibly contaminated salads were distributed to stores in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah.

Trader Joe's decided recalled the product and removed it from its shelves when the company's vendor of sunflower seeds notified Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods that the product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Products with a "USE BY" date of 05.08.2016 or later are being produced with a different source of sunflower seeds.

Anyone with questions can call Trader Joe's Customer Relations at 626-599-3817 from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. PT from Monday through Friday or email the company at http://www.traderjoes.com/contact-us/product-feedback.

For more information, visit the Trader Joe's recall page.
Four people, including a pregnant woman, were rescued Thursday after being trapped for six days in a collapsed apartment building in the Kenyan capital, a Kenyan officials said.

Nairobi's police chief Japheth Koome said two women and a man were rescued late Thursday after a woman who is eight months pregnant was freed from the rubble of the seven-story structure that fell amid heavy rains and killed 36 people.

A crowd broke into applause as Elizabeth Night Odhiambo, under a blanket and with her face covered with an oxygen mask, was carried away on a stretcher to an ambulance in a scene broadcast live on Kenyan TV.

"I cannot say the happiness I have," said her husband, Stephen Onyango. "I have never had such happiness like this in my life."

The truck driver said his 24-year-old wife was eight months pregnant.

"This is a miracle," said Pius Masai, head of the unit.

Before military engineers broke through slabs of concrete that had trapped her in a small corner of her room in the building, medics had managed to give her oxygen and an intravenous drip of water and glucose, according to Kenya's Disaster Management Unit.

"We are very happy that even after six days, someone has been found alive," said Abbas Gullet, head of the Kenya Red Cross.

On Tuesday, a nearly 6-month-old girl was found alive in a washbasin in the debris, raising hopes for more survivors in the April 29 collapse of the building.

At least 70 people remain missing, Gullet said, and rescuers were working around the clock to find any other survivors. Authorities initially used backhoes in the search, with firefighters and volunteers also removing chunks of debris by hand in the frantic rescue effort. A day after the collapse, the military brought in special equipment. President Uhuru Kenyatta visited the scene.

Odhiambo was found after trained dogs were brought in, along with special equipment to detect breathing and movement, said military spokesman Col. David Obonyo.

Authorities say it is rare for anyone to survive more than 72 hours without water in such instances.

Following the 2013 collapse of the eight-story Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh, a 19-year-old woman was rescued after being trapped in the rubble for 17 days, surviving on four packets of cookies and some water. It was the worst garment-industry disaster in history, killing 1,127 people.

In Haiti's 2010 earthquake, a 17-year-old girl was found severely dehydrated and near death in a collapsed home 15 days after the quake struck. Rescuers said she may have had access to water from a bathroom.

The April 29 collapse in Nairobi's low-income Huruma neighborhood that killed 36 people and injured more than 130 came amid Kenya's April-May rainy season. The Kenya Red Cross said 150 building units and adjacent homes were affected in local .

A neighbor said the collapsed building had been constructed rapidly and poorly, and its 126 single rooms were snapped up quickly at a rent of $35 per month.

It was built less than 5 meters (15 feet) from a river, when it should have been six times that distance, said local lawmaker Steven Kariuki. The National Construction Authority said it had marked the building as unfit for habitation, but the county government failed to follow up.

The building's two owners were taken into custody but released on $5,000 bail Wednesday, pending formal charges.

Most of Nairobi's 4 million people live in low-income areas or slums. Housing is in high demand, and unscrupulous developers often bypass regulations to maximize their profits.

After eight buildings collapsed and killed 15 people in the country last year, Kenyatta ordered an audit of all the country's buildings to see if they are up to code. The National Construction Authority found that 58 percent of buildings in Nairobi are unfit for habitation.
A homemade bomb exploded on the campus of a Southern California school for foster youths Thursday morning, authorities said, but no one was hurt.

Deputies with the San Diego County Sheriffs Department (SDSO), as well as CAL Fire officials, responded to San Pasqual Academy in Escondido around 9:15 a.m. after getting word of a reported threat to the school.

San Diego County Director of Communications Michael Workman told NBC 7 a student made some sort of bomb and the contraption exploded at the school. No one was injured, officials said.

He said the school was on lockdown for a period of time Thursday morning while officials swept the campus for any other potential threats.

Ultimately, the school was deemed safe. As of 10:50 a.m., students were in the auditorium being briefed on the situation, Workman said.

The incident remains under investigation. Officials said a 15-year-old male student at the school was detained on campus for allegedly making the device. He was booked into Juvenile Hall for possession of a destructive device.

Workman said that after an initial investigation, the homemade bomb appeared to be made out of bathroom products, including toilet bowl cleaner and some sort of aluminum foil. SDSO Sgt. Tom Vrable said the device was placed within a plastic soda bottle.

Deputies said this type of homemade device is more commonly known as a "pressure" or "acid bomb."

SDSO officials said a staff member at the school spotted the device and picked it up in front of the teenage student accused of making it. The teen suspect warned the staff member to get rid of it, as it would explode.

Vrable said the staff member quickly tossed the bottle into nearby bushes and a few minutes later, the bomb exploded.

Although no one was injured, SDSO bomb arson investigators said the bottle bomb was dangerous and someone could've gotten hurt if the school staffer hadn't thrown the device into the bushes.

One official told NBC 7 the detonation times on these kind of homemade devices vary "anywhere from 10 or 15 seconds all the way to five minutes."

"They are very unpredictable; very dangerous," the officials added.

San Pasqual Academy is a residential education campus for foster youths located on more than 200 acres in Escondido at 17701 San Pasqual Valley Rd.

Students are 12 to 18 years old and need stable, long-term placement and guidance, according to the school's website. The Academy opened in October 2001 and has a capacity to serve 184 youths.
New Delhi: A day after high-voltage debate on AgustaWestland issue, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was targeted in Rajya Sabha on Thursday by Congress members who wanted to know how he got access to sensitive and secret files of CBI and ED and whether he had authenticated the documents quoted by him.

Deputy Leader of Congress Anand Sharma raised a point of order, saying sensitive documents of CBI and ED had been referred to when Swamy spoke in the House on Wednesday.

The House "must know how an honourable member or rather less honourable member" was given access to sensitive and secret files, which he has refused to authenticate and place on the table of the House, Sharma said.

Read: Agusta deal: Take action if you have evidence, don't threaten us, Cong tells govt

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the Rule will take its own course if Swamy had not complied with his ruling that all documents he was quoting must be authenticated by him and placed on the table of the House. "It (the ruling) has to be complied with... That has to be complied with," Kurien said.

As Congress members protested, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Swamy had authenticated and placed on the table of the House the documents he had quoted. Swamy has taken care of the issue, Naqvi said.

Read: Gautam Khaitan admits receiving money from AgustaWestland via shell company

Later, another Congress member Jairam Ramesh wanted to know whether the documents, which were quoted by Swamy to target the opposition party, were authenticated or not.

"Yesterday you had asked a member of the House to authenticate documents. Have all those documents been authenticated and made available to the House? Have all those authenticated documents been submitted to the House," he asked the Deputy Chairman.

Read: Does Agusta report say Cong leaders took bribe? Ahmed Patel asks BJP

Ramesh alleged that the member was making "innuendos" on the basis of those papers. Kurien said he will get it examined.

Ramesh, however, persisted asking "How much time it will take? You say you will expunge (unparliamentarily comments) but can you expunge them from YouTube, from the live television? He has not authenticated till now."

Kurien said he will ask the Rajya Sabha Secretary General to put up a note in this regard.

Read: Agusta rocks August Houses: Who benefitted, asks Parrikar

Swamy, a newly-nominated member, had yesterday said he was quoting Italian court's documents to allege that a bribe of 30 million euros was paid in the Rs 3600 crore deal for 12 VVIP choppers. Out of this, 6 million euros went to IAF personnel, 8.4 million euros to bureaucrats and Rs 125 crore to 'AP', Swamy had claimed.

Congress members had insisted then on authentication of whatever he was reading from.

Read: At whose behest changes were made in Agusta chopper deal: Amit shah asks Cong

He replied that he was reading from the same note that Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi read from and that if he were to authenticate, then Singhvi also should do so as there cannot be separate rules for different people.

In the midst of exchanges, Kurien had said both will have to authenticate.
Two teens have been arrested for stealing a marked Miami-Dade Police cruiser that was found submerged in a lake last week.

The teens, both 16, are facing grand theft and dealing in stolen property charges, police said Thursday. NBC 6 is not identifying them because of their age.

The car was found in the lake in the area of Southwest 380th Street and 187th Avenue on April 26. Police said the car was stolen from an officer's home in the area of 169th Avenue and 274th Street the day before. The officer awoke to find it missing from her driveway.

No firearms were taken but a police vest and helmet were stolen, officials said.

According to arrest reports, one of the teens stole the car and gave the police vest to the other teen. The second teen confessed to storing the vest for the other teen in his bedroom, the report said.
An Allegiant Air flight was diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Thursday after severe turbulence injured multiple people.

Allegiant Flight 7001 from Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic to Pittsburgh landed safely at the airport at 2:43 p.m., officials said.

Airline employees and passengers suffered injuries, airport officials said. Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue officials said seven patients were transported with non-life threatening injuries.

"The injuries range from bruises, lacerations, facial fractures, to a head injury. Of the seven injured, none were life threatening," said Mike Jachles with BSO Fire Rescue.

Allegiant officials said the crew reported the flight experienced severe turbulence while flying about 240 miles southeast of Nassau, Bahamas, at an altitude of 36,000 feet.

"It's always a good idea to keep your seatbelt on, listen to the pilot and the flight crew, even when you reach cruising altitude. Keep that seatbelt securely fastened, in case there is turbulence. It could minimize anything like this," Jachles said.

There were 137 passengers and 6 crew on board, airline officials said.

The flight eventually departed Fort Lauderdale at 8:33 p.m. Thursday with an estimated arrival time of 10:29 p.m. in Pittsburgh.

The FAA is investigating the incident.
The Broward Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help identifying an alleged car burglar, who should be considered armed and dangerous.

In the early morning hours of April 24, BSO said a male suspect smashed his way into a Yellow Cab Toyota Prius that was parked outside the owner's Lauderdale Lakes apartment in the 2700 block of Somerset Drive. The community is gated and has security guards.

A rear-view camera captured the suspect's face as he rummaged for valuables. He left with nothing, according to the taxi driver.

BSO said the same man is suspected of breaking into two other vehicles in the complex that same morning including a marked police officer's Chevrolet Tahoe. He took a vest carrier that has "Police" patches and $143 worth of LED flares from the North Miami Police Department's SUV.

His third smash-and-grab from a Dodge Charger, netted him a Glock 26 gun with two magazines that hold 21 bullets.

"We're thinking it's an isolated incident, especially for that area. The officer's lived there for several years, something to this magnitude has not occurred before, especially with a marked police vehicle," an investigator explained.

BSO said the suspect is considered armed and dangerous since he has police equipment and a loaded 9mm gun.

"The danger with that is unimaginable with someone just posing as a police officer," the investigator said. "If anybody is being pulled over, especially by an unmarked car, go to a well-lit area."

Anyone with information about the suspect or these crimes is urged to contact Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.
A bail hearing has been delayed for a man charged with plotting to bomb a Jewish synagogue and school in South Florida.

The defense attorney for 40-year-old James Medina of Hollywood said Thursday he needs more time. The hearing was reset for Tuesday in Miami federal court.

Federal prosecutors oppose bail for Medina, calling him a flight risk and danger to the community.

Medina faces life in prison if convicted of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. The FBI says Medina plotted with an undercover informant to bomb the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center during recent Passover observances.

Medina was arrested after the informant gave him a fake bomb.

FBI recordings show Medina allegedly supported the Islamic State group and claimed an obligation to attack Jews in the U.S.
A Miami Beach Police K9 who was reported missing early Thursday has been found.



MBPD shared the news via Twitter just before 1:15 p.m. that K9 COLT had been found safe.

"To say I'm ecstatic doesn't even give it credit," handler Michael Angulo said.

K-9 COLT had last been last seen around 2 a.m. near 213 Street and Southwest 92nd Avenue.



The black and tan Belgian Malinois is in training, and had just returned from a training session when he escaped through the front door.



He had three weeks left to complete in four months of training.

Police from all over Miami-Dade were searching for the dog. A local landscaper helped find him.

"The dog came up to my dad normal. He came up to him and then by that time, by the time my dad was right next to the dog, the police officer was already outside," Armando Zamora said.

The dog was found hanging out on a porch in the area of Southwest 90th Place and 227th Street.

"He's my son basically. It's not so much the quantity of time it's the quality of time that we spend with these dogs and the quality of just being with them for six months," Angulo said. "From the deepest most sincerest part of my heart I can only say thank you so much. You reunited a family."
Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz has been found not guilty in his Key West DUI case.

Jurors heard closing arguments Wednesday before quickly deliberating the case.

"I want to start out by thanking God, this has been quite a roller coaster, it's very emotional," Diaz said after Wednesday's hearing.

Diaz had pleaded not guilty to the DUI charge, which stemmed from his arrest this past October.

Key West police said Diaz was arrested after he stopped his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and it fell down because he failed to put the kick stand down. Diaz reportedly was doing 74 mph in a 30 mph speed zone before he was stopped.

Police said they placed him in handcuffs after he failed field sobriety tests, which included swaying during an eye test and losing his balance while trying to walk a straight line.

In court Tuesday, Diaz's attorney argued that there's no real proof the commissioner was unstable.

Diaz was elected to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners in September 2002. He was reelected in August 2014.
Deputies apprehended a bank robbery suspect following a brief chase that ended on I-95 Thursday morning.



According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, the suspect robbed a TD Bank, located at 1011 South Federal Highway, then drove off.



After a chase, authorities stopped the suspect on I-95 at Atlantic Avenue just after 10 a.m.

FBI responded to the scene and will be handling the case. They identified the suspect as 34-year-old Eric John Lamb, of Pompano Beach.

Lamb is expected to appear in federal court in Fort Lauderdale Friday, officials said. It's unknown if he's hired an attorney.



Stay with NBC 6 for updates.
Theres a big display in Isaiah Thomass 7th grade classroom. It looks sort of like a science fair project, only with more emotion and heartbreak behind it. Its called "Done With The Guns," an effort to stop the epidemic of teen gun violence in South Florida.

"At first it was a sense of hopelessness, like oh, you heard some students saying no one can fix this problem, its gonna keep going, now they actually feel like hey, theyre empowered, we can fix this issue if we come together as a community," said Thomas, who teaches civics and law studies at Carrie Meek-Westview K8 Center.

As part of the school districts Project Citizen initiative, the students in the class researched the topic and came up with possible solutions. They want the state legislature to try again to pass a law which would protect witnesses of gun violence, hoping to stop the "stop snitching" mentality while encouraging everyone to "see something, say something." They also want funding for more after-school activities to keep kids busy and conflict resolution programs to teach peace.

"Maybe we should try a little harder and help these teens so they dont feel so cornered, they dont know what to do with themselves," said Tasanii Jenrette, a student in the class. "Almost every day you hear that teens are getting killed and its really aggravating because sometimes its like kids dont care, they just shoot, shoot, shoot."

In the past decade, more than 300 teenagers have been killed with guns in Miami-Dade County. Gun violence is so pervasive, its tentacles have reached right into this classroom.

"You never know who could be the person who could kill you, you never know," said student Kevin Jones, describing the fear that many kids have once they leave their school, located between Opa Locka and North Miami.

Their teacher has had friends killed in gun violence, and one student is still in mourning. Shaketha Allens life turned upside down a few months ago when her little brother, six-year-old King Carter, was killed in the crossfire of feuding teenagers.

"So its an issue that we all deal with and as a community we cant continue to ignore this issue," Thomas said.

His class is certainly doing its part, writing letters to legislators, meeting with lawmakers and public officials, and using social media to get their message across with the hashtags #SaveOurKings and #SaveOurQueens.

"It just sends a message that at any age, students have a voice to solve problems, write policy, to do good things," said the schools principal, Tracey Crews.

Now maybe its time for the grownups to follow the lead of these committed teenagers.
On Thursday, 40 companies, including Amazon, Boeing, BAE Systems, AT&T and Tesla, pledged to hire more than 110,000 veterans and military spouses over the next five years in support of the Joining Forces initiative, the White House announced.

Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces in 2011. The nationwide initiative calls all Americans to rally around service members, veterans and their families by supporting them through education and employment opportunities.

At the time, the unemployment rate for veterans of the 9/11 generation was more than 12 percent, according to the White House Office of the First Lady.

Obama and Dr. Biden challenged the private sector in August 2011 to hire 100,000 veterans and military spouses. Since then, more than 1.2 million veterans and spouses have been hired or trained by the private sector and the unemployment rate among veterans is now lower than the national average, the White House said.

In addition to creating employment opportunities, 15 companies and organizations have committed to lead training programs, sponsor scholarships and support certification courses for nearly 60,000 veterans and their spouses.

In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal Thursday, Obama and Dr. Biden said the U.S. military has been "largely overlooked" by American companies looking to hire top technology talent.

"Whether they were establishing wireless networks in Baghdad, repairing communications equipment in the mountains of Afghanistan, or maintaining data-storage units on 100,000-ton aircraft carriers in the South China Sea, these military personnel have often done their jobs in conditions that most people cant even begin to imagine," the op-ed said.

Obama and Biden noted these experiences demonstrate America's men and women in uniform "can handle whatever comes their way in an office building in Silicon Valley."

"Despite that remarkable achievement, there is plenty left to be done: 200,000 service members are returning to civilian life every year, and as far as were concerned, one unemployed veteran is one too many," Obama and Dr. Biden wrote.
Bengaluru: The state government is contemplating instituting a probe into large scale misappropriation of funds earmarked for the scheme under which bicycles were distributed to high school girls by the previous BJP government.

Law minister T.B. Jayachandra told the media after a meeting of the cabinet: Though this scheme was launched in 2006, only three companies are participating (in the tender process).

While in states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Haryana where similar type of schemes are operational, bicycles are being purchased at Rs 2780, Rs 2021 and Rs 2075 respectively by respective governments, but here each bicycle costs Rs 3650, or about Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 more than elsewhere.

Therefore, the state government feels that there is some kind of nexus exists among traders and manufacturers. As a result, we have decided to tweak existing tender rules for purchase of bicycles in future.

Though media persons sought more details about the proposed probe, Mr Jayachandra declined to spell out any details about the nature of the probe, but only hinted that the state government suspected large scale misappropriation of funds since 2006.

Taking a tough stand against hoarders and black marketers, the government has decided to invoke Prevention of Black marketing Act  1980 to prevent pilferage in Anna Bhagya scheme. It was in Tumakuru that the first case of black marketing came to light a couple of weeks ago.

Therefore, we decided to invoke this Act. The Act provides an opportunity to the government to deal with hoarders and traders involved in black marketing. Once a trader is arrested, he or she will not get a bail for at least for six months, he added.
The most recent episode of "The Good Wife," leading up to Sunday's series finale, ended on a cliffhanger: news of a jury decision in the corruption case against Illinois Gov. Peter Florrick.

The drama, though, didn't center on him as much as the title character, his spouse-largely-in-name-only, Alicia. A guilty verdict likely means she'll remain his wife throughout his prison term. Exoneration means they'll finally divorce and she can get on with her life.

"The Good Wife," which started with Alicia (played by Emmy winner Julianna Margulies) sticking by Peter (Chris Noth) through a prostitution scandal, comes full vicious circle as it wraps a seven-season run as one of the best dramas on network television. Once again, Alicia's stuck in the middle  her long, slow emotional jailbreak threatened by her own sense loyalty and evolving redefinition of what it means to stand by your man.

It's a fitting set-up for the end of a show whose creators redefined the possibilities of primetime network drama in an era when cable and streaming outlets dominate the genre.

The intricate CBS program began in 2009 with a simple premise: a look at political sex scandals from the perspective of the publicly silent spouse. Alicia Florrick went from shell-shock victim to powerhouse, reinventing herself as a big-time Chicago lawyer, while raising two teenagers and maintaining a sham marriage to her ambitious, wayward husband (Noth imbued the cad with deceiving depth).

Alicia endured heartbreak (the murder of her lover/boss Will Gardner), betrayals (too many to mention) and even NSA surveillance, amid her ongoing comeback. That all sounds like soap opera fodder, but rarely played that way  even if at times the show stretched boundaries of coincidence with the same investigators, politicos, lawyers and lovers frequently set on new collision courses.

The Good Wife packed enough twists (Alicia giving up elected office after a scandal-tainted victory) and unraveling of old threads (Alicia learning this season of a loving, potentially life-changing phone message from Will that she never got) to keep viewers from turning away. Intelligent courtroom renderings of ripped-from-the-headlines legal issues, from abortion to gun control, also helped enliven plots.

Credit creators Robert and Michelle King with keeping the quality high while turning out nearly two dozen hour-long episodes per season. The top-notch writing was matched by strong performances from the likes of Christine Baranski (as Alicias boss and sometimes nemesis Diane Lockhart), Archie Panjabi (as Alicias mysterious co-worker/pal Kalinda Sharma) Alan Cumming (as conflicted political operative Eli Gold) and Michael J. Fox (as Louis Canning, a brilliant lawyer who uses his physical disability to his advantage).

But the clear star is Margulies, whose equal adeptness at verbal and nonverbal expression has grown more sophisticated since her ER days.



Sundays series farewell promises memorable final words as much as last looks. Perhaps its destiny the finale comes on Mother's Day, when Alicias best present to herself would be to break the bonds of wife and motherhood, and move on  presumably with hunky law firm investigator Jason Crouse (Jeffery Dean Morgan).

Whatever the decision of the jury that will determine the Florricks intertwined fates, the final verdict is that "The Good Wife" made for great television.

Jere Hester is Director of News Products and Projects at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also the author of "Raising a Beatle Baby: How John, Paul, George and Ringo Helped us Come Together as a Family." Follow him on Twitter.
New federal rules announced Thursday have the potential to upend the multibillion-dollar electronic cigarette industry just as it is attempting to position itself as an alternative to traditional cigarettes.

Under the long-awaited rules issued by the Food and Drug Administration, hundreds of e-cigarette brands will have to undergo a lengthy federal review to stay on the market. The rules will bring the burgeoning industry under federal oversight for the first time.

The changes will limit e-cigarette sales to minors and require new health warnings. In a shift vigorously opposed by the industry, manufacturers must seek federal permission to continue marketing all e-cigarettes launched since 2007, making up the vast majority of the market.

Most companies will have to submit premarket applications that will undergo review to assess their impact on the "public health." Those that don't submit the required information or don't meet federal standards would have their products removed from the market.

The vaping industry says the reviews would be time-consuming and costly, and could put many of the smaller companies that make the products out of business.

The regulations "will cause a modern-day prohibition of products that are recognized worldwide as far less hazardous than cigarettes," said Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association. "If the FDA's rule is not changed by Congress or the courts, thousands of small businesses will close in two to three years."

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that turn nicotine into an inhalable liquid vapor. Though nicotine can be addictive, e-cigarettes lack the chemicals and tars of burning tobacco.

Yet the devices haven't been extensively studied and there's no scientific consensus on any potential benefits or harms from "vaping," including whether it leads young people to become regular smokers.

The FDA action comes five years after the agency first announced its intent to regulate e-cigarettes and more than two years after it floated its initial proposal.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of Dec. 18, 2015, at least 48 states, including New York, Massachusetts and Illinois, and two territories prohibit sales of electronic cigarettes or other vaping tobacco products to minors. Pennsylvania is among the states where minors can buy e-cigarettes.

Public health advocates applauded the news.

"Ending the tobacco epidemic is more urgent than ever, and can only happen if the FDA acts aggressively and broadly to protect all Americans from all tobacco products," said Harold Wimmer, president of the American Lung Association.

The new requirements are likely to setup a legal showdown with manufacturers, many who have warned that the costs of complying with FDA regulation could wipe out their industry.

The agency has stumbled before in its efforts to regulate the space. In 2010, a federal appeals court threw out the agency's plan to treat e-cigarettes as drug-delivery devices, rather than tobacco products. The ruling was seen as a win for manufacturers who opposed the stringent and expensive requirements of conducting pharmaceutical-style studies.

House Republicans are already pushing back. A House spending committee last month approved industry-backed legislation that would prohibit the FDA from requiring retroactive safety reviews of e-cigarettes that are already on the market and exempt some premium and large cigars from those same regulations. E-cigarette products introduced in the future would still undergo the safety reviews.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have long enjoyed a close relationship with the tobacco industry, which has already given more than $1.8 million to members of Congress this election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The FDA first gained authority to regulate some aspects of cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products under a 2009 law. But since e-cigarettes do not actually contain tobacco, they were not covered by the original law.

In April 2014, the FDA first proposed bringing e-cigarettes and other nontraditional tobacco products under its authority, including cigars, hookahs, nicotine gels and pipe tobacco. The agency was expected to finalize that proposal last June, but the deadline slipped for months due to industry resistance.

Some smokers like e-cigarettes because the nicotine-infused vapor looks like smoke but doesn't contain the thousands of chemicals, tar or odor of regular cigarettes. Some smokers use e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking tobacco, or to cut down. However, there's not much scientific evidence showing e-cigarettes help smokers quit or smoke less, and it's unclear how safe they are.

E-cigarettes sales grew to an estimated $3.5 billion in 2015, according to Wells Fargo. After ballooning in over several years, sales have recently begun to slow due to negative publicity and questions about safety. Retail sales are dominated by a handful of traditional tobacco companies, including Reynold's American's Vuse and Imperial Tobacco's blu brands. Those products are sold nationwide at convenience stores and gas stations.

Hundreds of smaller companies sell more specialized products  often with refillable "tanks" and customized flavors  at vape shops and over the Internet. That space alone may be worth $2 billion in sales, according to estimates, though precise figures are not available.
Actor Danny Glover will receive a human rights award at a historic site in the Adirondacks honoring abolitionist John Brown.

The first Spirit of John Brown Freedom Awards will be presented Saturday at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site near Lake Placid. Organizers said Glover is expected to attend.

Other recipients are Albany civil rights leader Alice Green and the late Brother Yusuf Abdul-Wasi Burgess, a youth advocate.

Glover is a long-time political activist for humanitarian causes. He's known for leading roles in the "Lethal Weapon" films, "The Color Purple" and "Angels in the Outfield" as well as many other movies and television shows.

John Brown was hanged in 1859 for trying to start an armed slave revolt with a raid on a U.S. arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He's buried outside Lake Placid.
A federal jail guard was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in prison after an inmate gave an in-court account of how he sexually assaulted her inside a New York City lockup last year.

"You raped me," the unnamed woman told Rudell Mullings, as she read from a statement in federal court in Brooklyn. "It wasn't consensual sex. It was rape."

The inmate, who was sentenced to 30 years for a homicide, told U.S. District Judge Edward Korman that Mullings had harassed her over the course of several weeks before finally accosting her Feb. 14, 2015 in a hallway of the Manhattan lockup where she was waxing the floor. She described how the hulking man approached her from behind and restrained her. She said he pulled down her pants and raped her.

Court papers say the guard afterward warned the woman not to report him because he would lose his job. They say he also told her there were no security cameras in the hallway that could corroborate her story.

Choking back tears, the inmate said she was already traumatized from being molested by relatives as a child. The assault, she said, "has caused me tremendous pain, humiliation and grief."

After DNA testing confirmed Mullings had sex with the inmate, he initially told investigators it was consensual. But last year, he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a prisoner, a charge carrying a term of up to three years in prison under sentencing guidelines.

On Wednesday, Mullings told the judge: "I am ashamed of my conduct. I was in a position of authority and I abused that authority." And his lawyer asked for six months of jail time and six months house arrest.

But Korman  after criticizing prosecutors for not making Mullings plead guilty to more serious charges  called the guidelines "ludicrous" given the circumstances of the case. A harsher sentence was needed to send a message to other guards "that this conduct is totally unacceptable and deserves severe punishment," he said.
The subway tunnel connecting Manhattan to several north Brooklyn neighborhoods could either be closed entirely for 18 months or severely curtailed for three years, NBC 4 New York has learned.

The MTA is expected to present the two options for work on the L train's Canarsie Tube, which runs under the East River and connects several lower Manhattan neighborhoods with several trendy enclaves in Brooklyn as well as some of the borough's poorest neighborhoods, at a public hearing on the project Thursday night.

MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast says the project is "the most impactful capital construction project we've ever had to do," and that while work isn't scheduled to begin until 2019, it's crucial that the 90-year-old Sandy-damaged tunnel be repaired soon.

The chances of a derailment, he cautions, increase the longer the tunnel stays in its current state.

"The worst place seems to be with a derailed train is an under-river tunnel. None of this is unsafe right now, but it does require a high level of inspection and maintenance," Prendergast said.

Add to that the incredible surge in ridership on the L -- currently 400,000 people ride the line each day, triple the number since 1990, making it the 10th largest subway line in the U.S., according to the MTA -- and officials say it's about time the crosstown corridor gets relief.

Nine of the 14 East River tunnels were flooded during Sandy. The L tunnel, also known as the Canarsie Tunnel, was ravaged by 7 million gallons worth of saltwater.

The MTA will present two options for work on the L train tunnel:

3-Year Partial Shutdown in the Canarsie Tunnel, One Tube at a Time

IMPACT: 80-percent reduction of service between Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, resulting in a "very constrained level of service" on one track; service between Bedford and Canarsie in Brooklyn would remain near normal

18-Month Shutdown of Both Tubes in the Canarsie Tunnel

IMPACT: Shuttle buses and ferries would service the stops between Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan; service between Bedford and Canarsie in Brooklyn would remain near normal.

In the latter scenario, the MTA says it will expand service on other lines to accommodate the crowds displaced by the L train shutdown by:

Increasing M train service by 25 percent

Adding two trains per hour on the J line

Adding subway cars to the G trains to make them full-length

Adding three trains per hours on the G line

Adding 10-percent capacity on the A/C train

The following shuttle options would also be in place for the latter scenario:

Williamsburg Bridge shuttle bus from the J/M/Z trains

Ferry slip to the planned new dock on 20th Street in Manhattan

Extra Select Bus Services described by NYC Transit President Ronnie Hakim as "SBS on steroids"

Riders could also take the G train to Court Square and the 7 to Grand Central

In either case, there will be full shutdowns on nights and weekends before 2019 in preparation for the work, the MTA says.

Depending on the scenario of the L tunnel work, there could be "extreme overcrowding" and "long waits," Prendergast says.

When construction gets underway, the First Avenue subway station will get a new entrance at Avenue A, which residents of the Lower East Side have long clamored for.

And by the time the project is complete, the MTA says it will be able to run more trains per hour, thanks to the new substations and more electrical capacity. Currently, L trains travel through the tunnel 40 times per hour during peak times.

The Bedford Avenue and First Avenue stations will also be ADA-accessible, with new stairs and elevators.

The public hearing on the L tunnel work is being held at 6 p.m. at the Marcy Avenue Armory in Brooklyn. Another hearing will follow at the Salvation Army Theatre in Manhattan on May 12 at 5:30 p.m.

The MTA says after the meetings, it will continue to meet with residents, businesses, community boards, merchant groups and civic associations in both Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Brooklyn residents have already held their own community meetings to express their displeasure over a potential shutdown.

Before the L tunnel work begins, the M train renovation must take place.

Hakim said that the city could risk losing hundreds of millions of federal Sandy dollars if they don't get the repair work underway.

Some work on other Sandy-damaged tunnels was done during nights and weekends, while the R line's Montague Tunnel under the East River was closed for more than a year, and the G line's Newton Creek tunnel was closed for two months, both for complete renovations.
Perundurai: Ruling AIADMK on Wednesday promised a slew of freebies in its manifesto for the May 16 Assembly elections, assuring mobile phone to all ration card holders, free 100 units of power and Wi-Fi in public places if it was voted to power for another term.

Strategically timed on a day when Congress President Sonia Gandhi was scheduled to address a poll rally along with ally and DMK President M Karunanidhi, the manifesto was unveiled by Jayalalithaa at a public rally here, in a departure from usual practice of release at party headquarters in Chennai.

Highlighting key aspects of the much-awaited manifesto containing series of populist measures covering various sectors, she promised that her party, if voted again to power, will provide mobile phone to all ration card holders.

Steps will be taken to ensure employment to one member of each household through various programmes including vocational training, Jayalalithaa said.

Read: Tamil Nadu polls: Know your candidates

She said her party-led government will provide 100 units of power to all households under the present consumption calculation method, saying it will benefit 78 lakh consumers "who need not pay electricity bills," if it came to effect.

"The free laptop scheme for students of Classes XI and XII will continue and free internet connection will be provided along with this," she said amidst loud cheers from the large gathering in this rural town in Western Tamil Nadu.

Jayalalithaa promised to increase financial assistance under a maternity scheme from Rs 12,000 to Rs 18,000 and assured to double the quantum of gold for thali (mangal sutra) from the existing four gm.

Further, the party assured to give a Rs 500 coupon for people to buy handloom clothes from state-run Co-optex during the harvest festival of Pongal.

Waiver of cooperative farm loans, creation of Amma Venture Capital Fund of Rs 500 crore to promote first generation entrepreneurs, a Rs 100 crore Amma Collateral Guarantee Fund to provide collateral-free loans to SMEs were some of the other promises made in the manifesto.

Read: Will AIADMK retain its western fort?

The manifesto also said government will repay educational loans of persons who remain unemployed, and assured to provide 50 per cent subsidy for women to buy scooter or moped.

The party promised to provide 'Amma Banking Card' in association with banks and this can be used for all banking transactions and receive government services.

In the farm sector, AIADMK promised to give Rs 40,000 crore of crop loan for the 2016-21 five year period, and assured to expedite mechanisation of farming activities besides a host of other welfare measures including various subsidies.

Genetically-modified seeds will not be allowed in the state and nature farming will be encouraged, it said and reiterated its commitment against implementation of Coal Bed Methane and shale gas projects in the Cauvery delta area as well as the GAIL pipeline through farmlands in the state.

On the inter-state river disputes, the AIADMK manifesto promised to strive for 'complete implementation' of the 2007 final award of the Cauvery Tribunal while efforts will be taken to raise the water storage level at Mullaperiar in Kerala to 152 feet.

For fishermen, the party promised hiking the dole during fishing ban period to Rs 5,000, a separate housing scheme for them and retrieving the islet katchatheevu from Sri Lanka.

In the power sector, the party promised to add 18,500 MW of power from various sources in the next five years and assured that power infrastructure will be upgraded for proper distribution of electricity.

AIADMK also promised implementation of prohibition in a phased manner, besides establishment of Lokayukta, expanding the Metro Rail projects to other cities like Coimbatore, a series of projects in highways, infrastructure and a new granite policy.

Efforts by neighbouring states to "deny water" to Tamil Nadu will be countered through talks and by approaching the Supreme Court, the party said.

Various schemes aimed at mitigating price-rise, such as 'Amma Cement,' 'Amma Dispensaries' and free mineral water schemes will be upgraded and expanded.

A Dr BR Ambedkar Foundation will be established at a cost of Rs five crore to spread the ideals of the leader, it said while promising a series of welfare measures to SC/ST and minority community members.

Flagship schemes announced in the 2011 poll manifesto, like providing free milch animals, will continue, the party said.
Suffolk Police are investigating the death of a Stony Brook University student following a party at an off-campus fraternity house last week.

The school says the student died at Mather Hospital on April 30, several days after he was taken there from the party.

The national Alpha Phi Delta fraternity identified the student as sophomore Nicholas Holt, a member of the campus fraternity. It said in a separate statement that Holt was at a party at the house of the local chapter and that it's investigating reports that he had been consuming alcohol the evening of April 24.

The fraternity's statement said it has a longstanding policy that forbids underage drinking, and that it has suspended the Stony Brook chapter as the police investigation continues.

"The university community deeply mourns this loss, and expresses its heartfelt condolences to the student's family and friends," a statement from Stony Brook University says.
A teenager was convicted Thursday of setting a mattress fire that killed a New York City police officer and severely injured his partner after the two were overcome by smoke and carbon monoxide.

Marcell Dockery, 18, was convicted of murder, arson and assault charges in connection with the April 2014 fire that killed Officer Dennis Guerra and injured his partner, Rosa Rodriguez.

Prosecutors alleged Dockery set fire to a mattress in the hallway of a public housing apartment building in Coney Island on April 6, 2014. Guerra and Rodriguez were responding to the scene when they were overcome by smoke and carbon monoxide. Firefighters found the two officers unconscious. Guerra died three days later and Rodriguez spent six weeks in a hospital.

After the fire, Dockery, who lived in the building, told detectives he used a lighter to set the mattress on fire. A videotape of Dockery's interrogation was admitted as evidence during the trial.

"I decided to take a lighter and light the top of the mattress because I was bored," he told police.

But Dockery, who testified in his own defense, said he lied to the detectives and claimed he discovered the fire and tried to save other residents. He said police threatened to evict his family if he didn't tell the truth and that detectives told him he wouldn't be charged if he confessed.

Dockery's attorney, Jesse Young, said his client was a "patsy" and maintained his innocence. He said police did not find Dockery's fingerprints or DNA connecting him to the mattress and they found no accelerants on his clothes.

"Police Officers Guerra and Rodriguez showed great courage when they rushed into that building to save the lives of others," said Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson. "Tragically, Officer Guerra lost his life and his partner suffered severe and permanent life-threatening injuries  all because the defendant was bored and set a mattress on fire, and did so despite being clearly warned about the dangers of setting fires."

Jurors deliberated for nearly four hours Thursday at state Supreme Court in Brooklyn. In their note announcing they had reached a verdict, the jurors said they believed Dockery "didn't mean to harm anyone" and that they "hope leniency can be shown."

Patrick Lynch, president of the city's rank-and-file police union, the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, said jurors reached a "difficult but just decision." He said Guerra's family was satisfied with the verdict, but that it wouldn't bring their loved one home.

"So this doesn't fix everything," he said. "But it does bring justice and it does send a message that you cannot kill a New York City police officer no matter how that's done."

In Dockery's Coney Island neighborhood, people were divided.

"That's a little excessive for me," said Steven Williams. "Twenty-five years just for an accident."

"He did a crime, he should pay for it," said Elizabeth Morales.

Dockery faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced in June.

Andrew Siff and Michael George contributed to this report
More than a decade after it was first proposed and nearly $25 million later, The Inn at Swarthmore is finally complete, and on Wednesday officials from the college and surrounding community will celebrate the project aimed at improving the connection between the school and its neighbors.

"We are excited about the fact that it provides us with a physical and social link between the Borough and the college," Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith told the Philadelphia Business Journal. "It will give us opportunities to work more collaboratively with the borough and create a space for engagement with the entire community."

To read the full article, click here.

For more business news, visit Philadelphia Business Journal.
A Philadelphia Police officer who chased down a gunman after being shot during an ambush attack earlier this year was honored by law enforcement officials from around the world Wednesday night.

Officer Jesse Hartnett received the Man of the Year award during the annual National Police Defense Foundation (NPDF) Awards Dinner in Howard Beach, New York. Hartnett spoke to NBC10 about the honor during his first on-camera interview since the shooting.

Its a big deal and its nice to be recognized, Hartnett told NBC10s Aundrea Cline-Thomas in an exclusive interview. Especially after something tragic like that.

On January 7, Hartnett, 33, was shot by a gunman in an ambush attack while he was sitting inside his patrol car. Despite being struck in the arm and bleeding heavily, he chased after the suspect and returned fire. The gunman, whom police identified as 30-year-old Edward Archer, was captured a few blocks away.

During Wednesdays award ceremony, attendees praised Hartnett for his heroic actions that night.

In 40 years of police work this is the first time Ive ever seen such an incident that turned out good, said Joseph Occhipinti, of the National Police Defense Fund.

Hartnett couldnt discuss the details of the shooting while speaking with NBC10 due to the pending court case. He did say, however, that his military and police academy training ultimately saved his life.

Im sitting here speaking to you, he said. So did it keep me alive? I would say, yes. It definitely kept me alive.

Hartnett also addressed what he believed to be the unfair depiction of police officers involved in shootings.

A lot of the media coverage you see a lot of bad, negativity of police when you see different shootings and different cases, he said. Everything is obviously a different scenario but you have split seconds to react to something where lawyers can just attack it for months, sometimes years.

Archer faces multiple charges in connection with the shooting. He allegedly told police after his arrest that he was acting in the name of Islam, though Archer's defense attorney has said he may have mental problems.

Hartnett suffered extensive nerve damage and has limited use of his left arm after undergoing eight surgeries. He just started physical therapy and continues to recover.

I really look forward to getting my hand back, Hartnett said. Its difficult. You dont really realize what you have. Its a real eye-opener when you lose something. But Im working with really good people at Penn Hospital and everything is going really well.

Hartnett says hes spoken to police recruits about his experience and plans to do more volunteering in the future.

I think it helps to focus their minds and let them realize what theyre getting into, he said. Its not just you, its your family involved, so many other people and yourself. Its a huge decision that theyre making. I think its an eye-opener, me sharing my story.

Watch the full interview in the video embedded above.
As the search for an inmate who escaped from a minimum security prison weeks before he was due for parole continued Wednesday, police advised all Barnegat Township residents to stay inside their homes and keep their doors locked. Police also said a helicopter would be in the air during the search.

The advisory was sent out the same day some South Jersey schools were put on lockdown.

Barnegat Township Police sent out a Nixle alert that all schools in town were on lockdown "however there is not threat to schools." The Surf City Police Department also put out an alert that LBI Schools, including EJ School, were put into a "shelter in place" as a precaution with "no immediate danger" to anyone. Wednesday night Barnegat Township Police announced all schools in the district would be open Thursday. They also said police officers would be present at each of the district schools during the entire day.

The lockdowns in the Ocean County Township came as police searched for escapee Arthur Buckel in the area, said police sources with knowledge of the investigation.

Corrections Department spokesman Matt Schuman said the 38-year-old inmate was missing when guards at the Ancora unit of Bayside State Prison in Winslow Township did a count at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Schuman said Buckel, whose last known address was Clifton, was serving a sentence at the minimum security lockup for aggravated assault. He was scheduled to be paroled on May 21.

Barnegat Police posted surveillance photos of Buckel at a CVS Wednesday morning.

Buckel -- who stands 5-foot, 9-inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds -- worked as a janitor in the prison.

On Tuesday, Winslow Township Police sent out a Nixle alert about the escapee and asked anyone who spots Buckel to immediately call 911.

It wasn't clear how (and if) Buckel could have made the more than 40 miles journey from the Camden County prison to the Ocean City township.

Schuman said Buckel could face an addition 3 to 5 years in prison for escaping once he's recaptured.
The information on your drivers license is a gold mine and Pennsylvania is cashing in. The NBC10 Investigators found the state has earned more than $157 million since 2010 selling driver records.

An NBC10 analysis of the more than 32,000 private companies and government agencies to which PennDOT sold driver information traced it to every state in the country.

The companies include credit agencies, insurance companies and car dealerships. The information PennDOT sold includes names, addresses, and driving histories.

"The state should not be doing this unless they can control it," Pennsylvania driver Albert Lopez said. "It doesnt belong to whoever runs PennDOT. That information is mine."

Lopezs phone number and address are unlisted. He pays for ad blockers and browser protection software. But, somehow, he says solicitors found him. He says they werent able to when he lived in other states. He attributes it to when he applied for a Pennsylvania drivers license.

"I dont know why specifically an individual business on a particular case would need access to a particular record," PennDOT deputy secretary Kurt Myers said.

Myers said companies sign contracts with PennDOT agreeing to use driver information for legal reasons, including background checks. Myers said he was unaware of any solicitation or identity theft related to the sale of Pennsylvania driver records.[[377975151, C]]

However, the NBC10 Investigators learned it is unlikely PennDOT would be aware if information was misused. The state has only checked to see how one company used driver records since 2010. The audit of Sterling Info. System discovered "inadequate security," "inadequate controls over the use of personal information" and found the company "was reselling PennDOT driver records."

Their access to information was immediately taken away based upon the audit, Myers said. They still to this day dont have access to records.

In a prepared statement Sterling Info. Systems said, These types of audits are typical and part of the ordinary course of business. Due to the ongoing nature of the audit, Sterling cannot comment further at this time.

Not every state sells driver records. Delaware only shares the information with law enforcement.

We consider their information their information and it shouldnt be spread, Mike Williams with the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles said.

Public records in New Jersey show the state sold its drivers records to more than 1,500 companies.

"Theres always risk whenever information is being exchanged, Tiffany George with the Federal Trade Commission said. Giving them notice and allowing them to opt out gives them a chance to take themselves out of the information loop.

In Pennsylvania drivers are not given the chance to opt out. PennDOT has planned to audit other companies buying driver information. Governor Wolfs office said auditors have been added to PennDOTs staff.
Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush will refrain from endorsing or commenting on Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

The senior Bush has enthusiastically endorsed the party's nominee in the past five election cycles. But the 91-year-old's spokesman confirmed to NBC News that President Bush will not endorse Trump and "is retired from politics."

George W. Bush is also staying out of politics this year and "does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign," his personal aide, Freddy Ford, told The Texas Tribune.

Trump repeatedly attacked Bush 43's administration on the campaign trail, saying it failed to prevent the 9/11 attacks and lied to get the U.S. involved in the Iraq War.

Neither Bush attended the 2012 or 2008 Republican conventions.
New Delhi: Rubbishing Congress' claim of having blacklisted AgustaWestland, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said he had as defence minister in June 2014 put the transaction to buy 12 helicopters from the Italian firm on hold and in July barred any future contract with it.

The NDA government, he said, has no political motive except to identify the beneficiaries of the kickbacks received in award of the helicopter contract.

Read: Agusta rocks August Houses: Who benefitted, asks Parrikar

"Today we are at a stage that we have reason to suspect that bribes have been taken. And therefore that is a launching pad for a proper investigation.... Today it is only reason to suspect that somebody has taken bribe," Jaitley said here.

Maintaining that the government has no political intention in pursuing the case except that the beneficiaries should be identified, he said "The identity of the beneficiaries cannot be camouflaged behind a political controversy".

Read: Agusta deal: Take action if you have evidence, don't threaten us, Cong tells govt

Noting that defence procurement decisions were influenced by "extraneous factors", he said bribe givers have been identified and convicted in Italy, and now the beneficiaries of the bribes in India have to be identified. "So, obviously this is a ground for a serious investigation," he said.

Attacking Congress, Jaitley said they "invented" an argument that UPA had blacklisted Agusta and NDA had removed it from the black list.

Read: Does Agusta report say Cong leaders took bribe? Ahmed Patel asks BJP

"The UPA never blacklisted Agusta. On June 9, 2014 I had put the whole transaction on hold and then a formal order was issued on July 3 after taking Attorney General's advice that no new contracts will be entered into till the matter is investigated," he said.

Jaitley had held additional charge of Ministry of Defence from May 2014 till early November 2014. He said the July 3 order of the Defence Ministry still holds.

"If they (Congress) are rubbishing the allegations (of bribe being paid), then why is that (AK) Antony claims that he had blacklisted Agusta? Why should the Congress party feel that the cap fits them?

"In fact, if they have no connection they should say there should be a proper investigation and the truth must be found out. When the truth is found out and it is somebody else it will vindicate them also," he said.

Asked if the AgustaWestland case may also meet the fate of Bofors scandal, he said: "I don't know. It will all depend on kind of evidence that come".

Jaitley said there were inherent challenges in the investigation even for CBI as the crime is being investigated in India but evidence is located outside the country.

"Therefore unless the outside jurisdictions cooperate with us through a process of Letters of Rogatory.... the investigation only then moves forward. The CBI has said they sent requests," he said, adding some countries including Italy have responded while some are yet to respond.

He said it was incumbent on all including decision makers, defence officers and suppliers to cooperate with the investigators and find out the identity of the bribe taker.
Feliz Cinco De Mayo, SoundDiego! Time to hit the bars, nightclubs and beaches to celebrate...not Mexican Independence Day! For those not in the know, its actually the Battle of Puebla thats commemorated through the festivities, so spread the knowledge as you take shots with a stranger! The month of May has plenty of opportunities for you to hit dance floors with your amigos, from San Diegos first House & Drum & Bass music conference, Memorial Day weekend festivities to a new record store coming to town, and even Lucha Libre Wrestling!

Thats right. On Cinco de Mayo, shoot back shots of Patron to live action Lucha Libre, hosted by 2010 Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, Mil Mascaras, at Fluxx Nightclub. At Bang Bang on Friday (May 6), shake your money maker as debuted-on-BBC-Radio, house-music-new-comer Throttle takes over the big discoball dance floor for his first trip to San Diego.

Saturday night (May 7), you have plenty of options throughout the city. With plenty of hits and impressive collaborations from A-Trak to Ghetter, local world-headliner Ookay is set to have the party going off all night at Omnia. If you fancy proper techno, Carlo Lio will be getting dark and heavy at Spin Nightclub. Also Saturday, the truly unique sounds of Anamanaguchi will be performed live at the Irenic. Featuring the warped productions and hyperactive melodies of songwriters Peter Berkman, Ary Warnaar, and Luke Silas, theyll be playing under custom-fabricated lights made by bassist James DeVito to accompany their soundtrack for the evening. Closing out the weekend, Lovelife presents a hidden location Lovers Masquerade Ball -- a masked gathering of love, lust, and dance featuring M.A.N.D.Y -- where masks, capes and cloaks are encouraged!

The following weekend, starting with Friday the 13th, San Diegos first three-day house and drum & bass music conference will kick off events catering to over 3,000 music aficionados. Talent from across the country will participate in daytime panel discussions (moderated by DJ Times and Fusicology) and perform at parties that will run from afternoon to early morning ranging from house music to drum & bass with a full Funktion1 sound system pushing the frequencies through your system. Catch me speaking at the Saturday panels and performing at the Sunday night party -- along with a fabulous lineup all weekend featuring Aphrodite, Ben Soundscape with Colette, Christian Martin, Dara, Doc Martin, Friction, Gene Farris, Halo Varga, Makoto, Manik, Miguel Migs, Oscar P, Wally Callerio, and many more.

Also Saturday night for those looking for a heavy dose of bass, all the way from Australia comes Joel Fletcher. Known for the big Melbourne sounds, the bass will be rattling whether on the 18-plus dance floor or the 21-plus bottle service tables. On Thursday, May 19, Omnia kicks off their one year anniversary with Marshmello followed by the legendary Tiesto Friday (May 20) with plenty of bottles ready to be popped throughout the weekend. If youre seeking more 18-plus dance action, techno legend Carl Craig makes his way down minutes across the border to Tijuana at the WhereHouse. The Mexico dance music scene is flourishing with heavy European influence so expect the party to go late into the morning.

With Memorial Day weekend around the corner, preparation is highly recommended. The star-studded event on Friday, May 27, will follow hanging out at the beach and BBQs with Martin Garrix at Omnia. The globetrotter resident of the Hakkassan nightlife family has been exploring with new sounds -- catch him live. For those looking forward to having Monday off work -- LED Presents hosts the annual My Life Everyday USA shabang with Dillon Francis, Zeds Dead, Cash Cash, Ghastly, Troyboi, Mat Zo, and many more at Valley View Casino Arena. LED events are no dissapointment and as always, expect unknown surprises in addition to their over-the-top production of quality sound, lasers and blowups of your favorite zoo animals.

If you cant make the two-day fiesta, Saturday (May 28) John OCallahans extended trance set shall satisfy all the late-night euphoria seekers. Ill be dropping a DJ IDeaL set at Circo Sexta in Tijuana and the Stafford Brothers will be at Parq. On Sunday, May 29, you have Sunday-funday options with Coyote Kisses and Robatiki dropping tricked-out heavy bass tunes at Quartyard while house diva DJ Heather is at the Souleil season six opener at the WorldBeat Center.

Last but definitely not least, make sure to head over to Artifact Record Shop and sign up to stay posted on when the grand opening of San Diegos newest record shop will be. Remember to support your local music scene, artists and shops -- and see you on the dance floors!

May 5: Cinco De Mayo at Fluxx Nightclub

May 6: Throttle at Bang Bang

May 7: Ookay at Omnia

May 7: Carlo Lio at Spin Nightclub

May 7: Anamanaguchi at the Irenic

May 7: M.A.N.D.Y. at Lovers Masquerade Ball

May 13-15: West Coast Weekender

May 15: Joel Fletcher at Bassmnt

May 19: Marshmello at Omnia 1-Year Anniversary Weekend

May 20: Tiesto at Omnia

May 21: Carl Craig at the WhereHouse (Tijuana)

May 27: Martin Garrix at Omnia

May 28-29: My Life Everyday USA feat. Dillon Francis, Zeds Dead, Cash Cash, Ghastly, Troyboi, Mat Zo, and more at Valley View Casino Arena

May 28: DJ IDeaL at Circo Sexta (Tijuana)

May 28: John OCallaghan at Lucent/Spin Nightclub

May 28: Stafford Brothers at Parq

May 29: Coyote Kisses and Robatiki at Quartyard

May 29: DJ Heather -- Souleil season six Opener at WorldBeat Center

Tomas Serrano, aka DJ IDeaL, is the electronic dance music correspondent for SoundDiego, covering the best of San Diego's electronic music events and culture. Follow his whereabouts on Facebook, Twitter or contact him directly.
Classmates of a San Diego 18-year-old fighting cancer are hoping to lift his spirits by arranging a meet up with his heroes: the cast of Captain America.

Grossmont High Schools ASB club is taking their mission to social media and have shared Ryan Wilcoxs story on Facebook.

In the post, which has been shared nearly 3,000 times since it was posted Tuesday, classmates say Wilcox is a die-hard Captain America and Avengers fan.

They feel his health would benefit from a visit with Chris Evans, the actor who plays the title role.

He isnt doing too well and this would be a major way to boost his spirits and quite frankly be the best moment of his life if he literally got to meet his hero, the post reads.

The ASB is hoping to the momentum on social media will grab the actors attention.

On Friday, the school is having Captain America Day, and students will don movie gear in support of Wilcox and in honor of the movies release that day.

In a post Thursday, the ASB said it was "close" to arranging a visit from Evans.
The mother of Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV, killed fighting ISIS in Iraq, spoke about her sons life and death Wednesday.

Krista Keating-Joseph said she had a sick feeling about her son Charlie the night before the news broke, perhaps a mother's intuition.

I woke up in the morning and saw one U.S. soldier was killed and I knew it was him, she said.

Keating, a 31-year-old Navy petty officer 1st Class, died Tuesday about 14 miles north of Mosul in a complicated attack launched by 125 ISIS fighters, Pentagon officials said. Keating was part of a small force sent to fend off the attack.

Keating-Joseph said he was mortally wounded by a bullet that slipped under his body armor.

She enjoyed a close relationship with the son she called Charlie, even though her marriage to his father broke up when he was just 3. From her home in Ponte Vedra, Florida, she described Keating as wanting to protect and save people.

I'm so proud of him, Keating-Joseph said. He's my hero, he's our family's hero.

The sad thing is he could have done so much more had he lived a little longer, she added.

Keating-Joseph is proud of the way Charlie lived his life, his bravery in battle and love of country.

I will never forget his 150-percent attitude, his positive attitude, his million-dollar smile, his eyes that twinkle, she said. "He made everyone his best friend."

Now it is her turn to be strong as she brings him home.

Keating-Joseph said it was her son's wish to be buried as closely as possible to Coronado Amphibious Naval Base in San Diego, California. He wanted to be near his beloved SEAL Team One, she said, instead of Arlington National Cemetery.

The journey to bring Keating home began Thursday. His mother and the rest of the family were on their way to Dover Air Force Base, where they will receive the fallen SEALs body Friday morning. Funeral services are planned for May 12.

A grandson of an Arizona financier involved in the 1980s savings and loan scandal, Keating is the third U.S. service member to be killed in combat in Iraq since U.S. forces returned there in 2014.

In addition to the American quick-reaction force on the ground, 31 American aircraft  including 29 warplanes and two drones  launched 11 airstrikes, killing 58 ISIS fighters, according to Pentagon officials.

Two medical helicopters were struck by ISIS ground fire. The aircraft returned safely to base, according to Col. Steve Warren, the U.S. military's main spokesman in Baghdad.

Keating lived in Coronado with his wife, Brooke, and her family. The two married before he deployed, the family tells NBC 7.
Students and civil rights activists at San Diego State University are calling for President Elliot Hirshman's resignation over student safety concerns.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations and other groups held a news conference Wednesday to outline why they want President Hirshman to step down.

Last week, students gathered on campus to protest after they claim administrators did not openly condemn hate speech posters. The posters allegedly named specific SDSU students as being terrorists.

Students swarmed a car carrying President Hirshman and demanded that he address their concerns.

Monday, students from SDSU's Justice in Palestine and Muslim Student Association met with Hirshman. They gave him two days to condemn the acts.

"It is the job of the President of any body of people to make sure that those people feel safe and secure but in this case Elliot Hirshman didnt do that. Even after we gave him 48 hours to condemn the hate speech on those flyers, he didnt do that, which is why he must go," said Reverend Shane Harris, President of National Action Network.

NBC 7 San Diego reached out to President Hirshman for a response Wednesday.

Spokesperson Jill Esterbrooks says President Hirshmans office is standing by a joint statement that was released on Monday to SDSU students, faculty and staff.

The statement in part, read, We concluded by agreeing that in cases where racism, islamophobia, misogyny, homophobia and all forms of bigotry result, we abhor the content of such expressions, even as we recognize the protected status of these expressions."
U.S. Border Patrol agents are seeing a spike in non-Mexican immigrants crossing the U.S.- Mexico border, particularly among Chinese immigrants, they told NBC 7 San Diego.

"Anytime we see an increase it's a concern to us. We want to make sure we apprehend people as they're coming across the border," Jose Hernandez with U.S. Border Patrol San Diego sector said Wednesday.

In 2015, U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees apprehended more than 2,000 immigrants not from Mexico crossing the border illegally. In just the first four months of 2016 there were more than 2,500 such immigrants apprehended. Hernandez says they've seen a 225 percent jump compared to this time last year.

"It takes a little longer to process someone who is other than Mexican simply because of the paper work that's involved in it, but that's part of the job," Hernandez said.

In April, a passerby spotted a group of young men walking along State Route 94 near Potrero. Agents responded and detained seven Chinese nationals.

Those seven are just a handful of more than 660 apprehended Chinese immigrants to cross the Tijuana-California border this year. It's a jump from fewer than 50 Chinese immigrants apprehended in 2015 and just five apprehended the year before.

"All the people we are apprehending are circumventing the port of entry," Hernandez said. "So they're coming across in the mountains or through the deserts."

Hernandez said agents have had to shift personnel and adjust the way they operate a bit in order to cover those areas where more non-Mexican immigrants are crossing the border.

"Pretty much everybody who comes across the border is assisted in some way, shape or form with the transnational criminal organizations along the border," Hernandez said.
He's co-president of his school's mock-trial program, made top 50 for the National Chemistry Olympiad, and plays water polo for his high school.

Westview High School Senior Emmit Pert can now add being a prestigious Presidential Scholar to his resume.

Im just totally honored to have basically national recognition for what Ive done. It's amazing, Emitt said.

The Poway resident beat out 56-hundred students who qualified to become one of the 160 students awarded the honor.

But Bob McHeffey, the teacher who Emitt says wrote his recommendation letter and influenced him the most, isn't there to share the joy.

The 18-year-old was one of the students with McHeffey last month on a school trip to Ireland. During the trip, the Westview literature teacher fell ill with the H1-N1 virus.

An online fundraising blog page has been set up to help with cost while McHeffey remains overseas recovering.

Back at home in Poway, Emitt has been emailing his inspirational teacher to tell him about winning the Presidential Scholar honor and being invited to go to Washington DC in June as Emmit's distinguished teacher.

I'm one student among numerous others whose lives have been changed, whose writing abilities have been improved by Bob. And he's absolutely deserving of being recognized as such and being able to be the person who goes with me would be an honor, said Emitt.

Students and faculty at Westview have created an 18 minute video to show how much they miss Bob and the impact he's made.

The Presidential Scholar ceremony is scheduled for June 19th.
An Amber Alert for a missing 3-year-old Virginia boy has been canceled after an unknown person returned the toddler to his family. The boy's father was taken into custody early Thursday afternoon.

A stranger brought Zion Williams to his paternal grandmother's house Thursday, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office said. He is now with his mother and grandmother.

The little boy's father, 28-year-old Joshua Christopher Williams, was found about 1 p.m. at a home in the 11800 block of Falcon Drive in Spotsylvania County. Authorities said they didn't know to whom the house belongs.

It's unclear how Zion Williams came to be under the care of the unknown person who returned him.

Police began their frantic search for Zion Williams Wednesday night, after his father assaulted the toddler's mother and put him in a car wearing only a diaper, authorities said. The two disappeared around 7 p.m. Wednesday on Cleveland Court in Spotsylvania.

The toddler's mother was hospitalized for a short time after the assault.

Investigators believed Zion Williams was in extreme danger because Joshua Williams had threatened the child's life in the past.

"He's made threats against the child -- to either harm or kill -- in the past," said Captain Jeffery Pearce with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities said they planned to charge Joshua Williams with abduction and malicious wounding.

Joshua Williams was arrested through a cooperative effort between the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office, the Secret Service and Virginia State Police. They conducted surveillance on the house and found him.

Zion Williams, his mother and maternal grandmother were at the sheriff's office Thursday afternoon speaking with investigators.
A jury found Steven Briel guilty Wednesday of first-degree murder, strangulation and abduction in the death of a University of Mary Washington student last year.

Grace Mann, 20, was killed April 17, 2015, at the Fredericksburg, Virginia, home she shared with Briel and two other roommates.

The jury recommended Briel be sentenced to life in prison with an additional 11 years.

Much of the courtroom was in tears during the verdict, and jurors passed tissues to each another.

"All I ever wanted to do was be Grace's dad," Mann's father, Thomas Mann, said in a statement. "I want my daughter back."

"How do I explain to you what we've lost? How do I explan the hole in my arms and the hole in my heart," Melissa Mann, the victim's mother said.

The defense spent the first three days of his murder trial trying to show Briel was insane at the time.

"It's clear something is deeply and disturbingly wrong," defense attorney Mark Gardner said in his closing argument. "How could he be afraid of these young women? It's what most of us would say sounds insane. He's lost his damn mind."

In her closing argument, prosecutor La Bravia Jenkins urged jurors to reject the insanity defense, saying, "To make an excuse is inexcusable ... For a jury to accept that excuse would be dangerous for all of us."

Deliberations began shortly after 5 p.m. and lasted about three hours.

Dueling Diagnoses From Forensic Scientists

Forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Eileen Ryan, testified Wednesday that Briel did not understand the nature, character and consequent of his actions - the definition of insanity.

Ryan said Briel believed Mann had been tasked with killing him and was pumping poisonous gas into his bedroom.

When Mann returned home the day of her death and walked closely by Briel, he believed she was moving in to kill him, so he pushed her away, she fought back, he put his hand over her mouth, she bit him and he strangled her.

"He believed he was incapacitating Grace in self-defense," Ryan said. "He believed in his delusional mind he was about to be killed."

The prosecution called its own forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Avram Mack, who testified he believes Briel was sane at the time of the attack and does not exhibit signs of schizophrenia.

The most powerful prosecution evidence came at the very end: A jailhouse phone call from Briel to his parents, recorded two weeks after Mann's death. Jurors heard a completely normal-sounding young man chatting and joking with his parents about books and jail food.

Briel's Mother Takes the Stand

Briel's mother, Mary Briel, took the stand for the defense Tuesday to explain her text messages with her son the day Mann was killed.

Mary Briel testified she began to worry about her son in the weeks before Manns death. When he sent his parents a rambling, troubling email, Mary Briel testified she thought he might kill himself. He also expressed concerns about his roommates.

His mother recalled a visit home five days before Manns death.

"He did mention he felt the girls were going to kill him and make it look like a suicide," she testified.

Steven Briels parents urged him to give his roommates notice and move out. The morning of Manns death, he confirmed plans with his mother to take the train home, she testified.

That afternoon, he sent a text message saying he was cleaning the house. During the following 30 minutes, Mann was strangled.

Steven Briel then sent another message to his mother, writing, Hey, made a mess. Someone's at the door knocking. What should I do? Run?"

She wrote back, "Are you serious? Don't answer.

A few minutes later she wrote, What the hell are you on? This is not funny.

I know. I'm scared, he replied.

Pack your clothes and get to a coffee place until the next train comes. Stat!!!! Mary Briel texted back.

She testified Tuesday she did not know what he was scared about at that moment.

He would send her another text, writing, Hey, I'm in the woods. What should I do?

Get to the bus. You still have time, she wrote back.

When she got home a short time later, she got a message from Fredericksburg police and learned her son was accused of murder.

Grace Manns Best Friend Testifies About Confronting Accused Killer

Before the defense began its case Tuesday, Manns roommate Kathryn Erwin testified for the prosecution about confronting Steven Briel, introducing herself as Manns best friend.

She testified she received puzzling text messages from Briel as she and another roommate walked home that afternoon.

"I made a mess in Holly's room," texted Briel, referring to roommate Holly Aleksonis. Once the roommates were in the house, Briel emerged from a room.

"He'd sweated through his shirt. He seemed confused, Erwin testified.

Briel then asked what she would you do if Mann wasn't there anymore.

Erwin testified she demanded to know what was going on, and Briel answered, Grace came home and was a b---- to me. I slapped her. She bit me. So I strangled her.

Erwin said she ordered Briel to go upstairs to his room, then she spotted Mann, whose skin was blue.

Manns parents broke into tears as prosecutors played Erwins 911 call. She can be heard counting out her CPR compressions -- the number rising higher and higher -- with no response from Mann.

Grace Mann's Roommate Testifies on First Day of Murder Trial

Aleksonis testified Monday about returning to the home and finding Briel drenched with sweat and speaking very quickly. She testified he stood before a closed bedroom door and said, "Grace and I got in an altercation. She hit me so I had to defend myself ... She bit me. What would you do if she weren't here anymore?'"

Aleksonis opened the door and saw her purple comforter on the floor.

"I pulled the comforter off," Aleksonis testified, "and Grace was there with a plastic bag over her head. I pulled it off and screamed and ran from the room."

As many in the courtroom sobbed, prosecutors played the 911 call from Aleksonis that day. She was so distraught, the dispatcher had trouble getting information until Aleksonis finally shouted, "My roommate strangled her!"
The Prince George's County man who killed his stepfather, a D.C. detective, over yard work has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Antwan James was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison, including time served. He will be eligible for parole in about two years, News4's Kristin Wright reports.

James was found guilty of fatally shooting his stepfather, Metropolitan Police Department detective Joseph Newell, 18 times outside the family's home in Upper Marlboro, Maryland on April 22, 2013. The entire shooting was caught on surveillance video.

During his trial, James' mother, Bernadette Newell, testified that her husband asked his three stepsons for help outside their home in a gated community on the 6700 block of Green Moss Drive. James, then 27, refused, and his mother told him if he didn't help, he had to leave.

"He jumped up and said, 'You're doing it because of him,' and said, 'Watch this,' and he was out the door," she said.

Moments later, she heard a hail of gunfire. After Newell, 46, fell to the ground, James stood over him and fired four more rounds into his body.

A memorial to Newell was installed last year at the new office of Washington, D.C.'s Sixth District detectives, the investigators Newell worked with for 24 years.
In awe of the cathedrals lofty height

I have no thought for the God within

Just so when thirsting eyes alight

Upon earthly beauty, dont count it a sin

To appreciate and want a book for its cover

Thus spake the youthful undiscerning lover.

From The Case of

the Ashamed Bahu

by Bachchoo

The Labour Party of the UK has stumbled upon or exposed this week a fundamental schism in its ideological foundations as a party that aspires to gain a mandate and govern through the ballot box. It didnt begin with an MP called Naz Shah who was suspended from the party on April 27, but the ideological chasm, which has rapidly deepened, was precipitated by revelations of her anti-Semitism. The potential for a divide in the party was initiated when Left-winger Jeremy Corbyn was elected last year to the leadership. Mr Corbyn has always been a rebel and has appointed to his shadow Cabinet a fair number of MPs who have hitherto been seen as a radical fringe.

Ms Shah of Pakistani origin is the MP for Bradford West, a constituency with a sizeable if not dominant population of Mirpuri origin. She is a recent recruit to the Labour Party and admitted that she voted for George Galloway  a maverick politician expelled from the party when he supported Saddam Hussein and called for British troops to mutiny during the US-UK invasion of Iraq. In the 2015 election, Ms Shah stood as the Labour candidate against Mr Galloway and beat him by more than 11,000 votes.

Last week, it was revealed that in 2014 Ms Shah had exchanged messages on the media with anti-Israeli campaigners and had called for the state of Israel to be relocated to the middle of the US. In her election campaign she called for the Muslims to vote for her because the Jews were rallying  a remark or campaign tactic that probably escaped Labours central command. When the posts and remarks came to light,

Ms Shah, who had been appointed parliamentary secretary to the shadow chancellor John McDonnell, resigned from her post. The hierarchy of Labour, including Jewish donors who generously fund the party, called for further action and Ms Shah was suspended and the whip withdrawn from her pending an investigation, though what there remains to investigate is unclear. Ms Shah has now apologised through the media and in the House of Commons. She admitted that her tweets and posts could be construed as anti-Semitic though she insists that she is not an anti-Semite and meant the remarks as opposition, albeit ill-considered, to Israeli government actions in bombing the Palestinians of Gaza.

Then matters got curiouser and curiouser. Ken Livingstone, former mayor of London and close friend and associate of Mr Corbyn, appeared on radio and TV defending Ms Shah.

He made the usual distinction between anti-Semitism and having critical opinions of the policies and actions of the Israeli government. Fair enough. He went on to say that Hitler had in 1932 advocated an Israeli homeland in West Asia. Why he brought Hitler into the argument only he knows. His remarks and subsequent insistence insinuated, with no historical justification, that Hitler was a supporter of the state of Israel. He did go on to say that Hitler then went mad and persecuted the Jews. Nevertheless, the episode threw the Labour Party, which boasts of being a bastion against racism and anti-Semitism, into turmoil. Influential voices in the party insisted that Mr Livingstone be suspended and they prevailed upon Mr Corbyn to suspend him. This in itself was remarkable. The parallel in Indian politics would be Narendra Modi suspending Amit Shah from the Bharatiya Janata Party for allegedly anti-Muslim remarks.

Laffaire Ms Shah and Mr Livingstone has set the Labour Party back. It has always had a large Jewish and liberal vote and the allegiance of those voters is certainly challenged and endangered by what is being characterised as racism within the party. Sadiq Khan, the Labour candidate for London mayor in May 5 election, needed these shenanigans like a hole in the head. He was quick to denounce anti-Semitism and associate himself with being the victim rather than the perpetrator of racism and Islamic fundamentalist opinion. (At the time of writing the election result is still a day away and my prediction is that despite the row and the suspension of three Muslim councillors for anti-Semitic statements, Mr Khan will win the mayoralty.)

The Livingstone statements may not of course have anything to do with an aversion to people of a different race or religion. It may have more to do with the residual Stalinism or Trotskyism (not strictly speaking scientific Marxism) of the Livingstonian tendency in the party and in Britain, which sees all American actions and alliances as the enemy. The inclination stretches to a my-enemys-enemy-is-an-ally and so to sympathy and calls for talks with Hezbollah, Hamas and some of the corrupt dictatorships of South America.

Ms Shahs remarks dont originate in any residual Trotskyism. They were born and nurtured, as she was, in Bradford. Her predecessor as MP, Mr Galloway, a white Scotsman, won the seat for his Respect Party by campaigning on the grounds that he is an implacable enemy of the Great Satan, an opponent of the Iraq War and one who suffered expulsion for it; a campaigner against the allied presence and drone strikes in Afghanistan, for the Palestinian cause and, short of support for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, all things Islamic.

It wasnt enough. At the 2015 election, Ms Shah was promoted by the Labour Party as all these things and a daughter of Bradford whose life reads like a melodramatic novel  an abandoned mother who later murdered her lover, a tragic arranged marriage in Pakistan when she was 15 and more. The investigations into anti-Semitism which the Labour Party has instituted promise to bring to the fore not racism within the party, but the split between the US-hating Left tendency and those who feel that this ideological stance is historically idealistic and loses elections.
An intersection in Montgomery County may need further improvements after two crashes happened at the intersection in the past four days, including one that killed a man in a wheelchair trying to cross the road.

A 57-year-old man using a wheelchair was struck by a Toyota Scion while using a crosswalk in the 600 block of East Gude Drive in Rockville, Maryland, about 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, police said.

He died a few hours later.

His name was not made public, but Susie Sinclair-Smith with the Montgomery County Coalitition for the Homeless said the man was headed to its shelter nearby.

"One client who has been with us, coming in and out of the shelter since 2009, was a double amputee, had throat cancer, was in a wheelchair. He was the bravest person I've ever met in my life," Sinclair Smith said.

Two cars were involved in a crash at the same intersection on Wednesday morning and while there was serious damage to the cars, no one was hurt.

The current crosswalk signal was created to improve the intersection and blinks yellow. It turns red when the crosswalk sign is pushed and allows pedestrians 11 seconds to cross the six-lane road.

"You can never quite make it across the street with the timing of the go and everything. Plus, the cars don't always make it stop," said David Stone, who knew the man who was struck and killed.

He said the man used a manual wheelchair and often struggled to cross the road in time.

The man was also struck in the westbound lanes of East Gude Drive, where the road curves ahead of the signal.

The Montgomery County Police Department said it is investigating the crash and will try to determine what the traffic signal indicated when the man was crossing.
A man shot and killed his estranged wife as she sat in the parking lot of a Beltsville, Maryland, high school Thursday, Prince George's County Police said.

Police are searching for 62-year-old Eulalio Tordil of Adelphi. They said he followed his estranged wife, 44-year-old Gladys Tordil, onto the property of High Point High School about 4:40 p.m. Thursday.

Gladys Tordil was in the school parking lot to pick up her daughters when the suspect got out of his car and confronted her as she sat in her SUV, police said.

A man who witnessed the altercation tried to intervene, Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski said at a news conference.

Eulalio Tordil took out a handgun and shot the bystander in the shoulder, police said. He then turned the weapon on the woman and shot her several times, killing her, Stawinski said.

The injured man was taken to a hospital and is in good condition with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

No students were directly involved or harmed. Some may have witnessed the shooting, police said.

School had been dismissed for more than an hour when the shooting occurred.

Gladys Tordil was a science teacher at Parkdale High School in Riverdale, Maryland, Prince George's County Bureau Chief Tracee Wilkins reported.

One student said it was her friend's mother who was killed by the gunman.

Student just told me her friend's mom was killed in #HighPointHighSchool shooting. Cops searching for shooter. pic.twitter.com/YHlBurTmHy  Shomari Stone (@shomaristone) May 5, 2016

Another student said she was just about to start playing in a softball game at the school when she heard the shots.

"Everyone was just crying, like we didn't know what to do. We were just crying," she said. "We have a crate where we put all of our equipment. They rushed us in there and after about half an hour they moved us to a locker room and they kept us in the gym after that."

Prince George's County Public Schools said students were secured inside the school after the shots were fired.

Students participating in after-school activities at High Point and Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School were placed in lockdown at 4:50 p.m., the school system said in a statement.

Many parents gathered across the street from High Point waiting to hear what had happened, News4's Tracee Wilkins reports.

"When situations unfold like this it takes some time even for us to know what's happening," said Kevin Maxwell, CEO of Prince George's County Public Schools.

There was a large police presence at the scene and officers could be seen taping off an area outside the school.

The lockdown at High Point was lifted at 6:50 p.m., PGCPS said. Students from DuVal, Oxon Hill and Suitland high schools who were participating in athletic events at High Point were taken back on buses to their schools.

High Point High School is expected to open Friday. Maxwell said a crisis team will be at the school in the morning to support students and staff.

Police said school security cameras captured video of the shooting.

Police have not released a description of the Eulalio Tordil's vehicle that used to drive away from the scene.

Tordil is an employee of the Federal Protective Service, police said.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. Prince George's County also has a special unit that responds to domestic violence crimes.

Find more services and programs for individuals affected by domestic violence here.
Natalie Morales is taking on new roles at NBCUniversal, moving to Los Angeles this summer to host "Access Hollywood" and become West Coast anchor for "Today."

Morales has been the news anchor for the "Today" show and co-hosts the morning program's third hour, which begins at 9 a.m. ET.

Noah Oppenheim, NBC News senior vice president in charge of the show, said in a memo to staff that Morales will become the "Today" show West Coast anchor, reporting on stories as the program increases its focus on news from the region.

She will also continue her work on "Dateline" and will host "Access Hollywood Live," according to the memo sent to NBC staff Wednesday.

Morales joined "Today" in 2006 as a national correspondent. She became co-anchor of the third hour two years later and moved to the earlier hours in 2011.

It hasn't been determined whether Morales will continue to host the third hour from California or if that role will go to someone else.
A first-in-the-nation partnership between an electric utility and Tesla, the automotive and energy storage company, has resulted in the installation of new battery units in some Vermont homes.

"Storage is a game-changer," said Mary Powell, the CEO of Green Mountain Power. "It truly is a revolutionary step forward when we think about energy delivery."

Green Mountain Power is helping customers access the Tesla Powerwall. The company best known for its premium electric cars also makes rechargeable lithium ion units that can store energy for use during power outages.

The wall-mounted batteries and accompanying inverters can be purchased through the utility for $6,500, which includes installation. However, customers have the option to lease the whole system for approximately $1.25 a day, with no up-front cost, Powell said.

The batteries can keep critical operations of a home going for several hours through a power failure, Green Mountain Power said.

The electricity provider can also call on the batteries to discharge juice during peak times, like a heat wave. That will help lower demand on the transmission system, and cut costs to customers, the utility said.

"Having something like battery storage is going to give us a ton of flexibility to shift when that peak is occurring," added Josh Castonguay, GMP's director of renewable innovations.

Powerwalls can be filled overnight, when electricity is cheaper than during the day, Castonguay noted.

Troy Turner was among the first consumers to obtain a Powerwall for his St. Albans home through GMP's new offering.

"It's green, and it's practical," Turner said of the new battery.

Turner said with northern Vermont's reputation for harsh winters and thunderous summer storms, he does worry about power outages. He preferred the Powerwall to a generator, he told necn, believing those to be more unwieldy, and dismissing them for their reliance on fossil fuels.

Right now, Turner's Powerwall receives energy from the old-fashioned power lines that run to his home from the street. In the future, the homeowner said he'd like to connect solar panels to the Powerwall, to become even more energy independent and generate power hell store in his battery.

"Could there be a day that I'm off-grid? Possibly," Turner told necn. "Those are thoughts in my head."

Originally, Green Mountain Power obtained 500 Powerwalls from Tesla. After announcing the launch of the project, the utility received 700 inquiries from customers, Powell said. She told reporters the company plans to get more of the home batteries soon, to meet customer demand.

Eventually, the power company hopes to expand its storage options in a big way, moving to more and more locally-produced and distributed energy, Powell said.
Police in Barnstable, Massachusetts, say a person was hospitalized after an armed assault Wednesday night.

The incident happened around 11 p.m. at 45 Oreo Lane in Centerville.

The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated and released from a hospital.

No names have been released and police have not said if there is a suspect in custody.

No other details were immediately available.
A 16-year-old boy is charged in the shooting of another teen over the weekend in Rowley, Massachusetts.

Police say an 18-year-old male was shot in the leg near a shopping plaza on Newburyport Turnpike Sunday afternoon. Another man also reported being shot at in the area.

Authorities had said a 16-year-old from Rowley was wanted in the shooting, but they did not release his identity due to his age.

Just after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, police say the suspect turned himself in.

The teen faces charges including assault with intent to murder, assault and battery by a firearm, firing a gun within 500 feet of a dwelling and carrying a gun without a license.

He has been held at a juvenile detention center on $500,000 bail.

The suspect is due to be arraigned Thursday morning.
Take a close look at the surveillance video above, because Boston University police are releasing it from last Saturday night in the hopes that someone recognizes the person or people who put up posters with racist and neo-Nazi messages around campus.

"They all had swastikas, one referred to black lives don't matter, one said the Nazis are coming, so those posters were all put up within a few hour period that evening," said BU police Lt. Peter DiDomenica.

Lt. DiDomenica says while they can't prosecute the suspect or suspects for a hate crime because it is protected free speech, they could face felony charges.

"This was a trespass onto private property, it was a defacement of private property and that's not tolerated," said Lt. DiDomenica.

We showed the video to students to get their take on it.

BU junior Brent Heineman said, "People have to be responsible with what they post and where they post it."

"If you're posting something like that that's going to offend so many people you understand that it has this awful connotation, you kind of have to know you're going to get in trouble for it," said BU junior Megan Rodgers.

But these students are concerned the video may not be clear enough to identify the person hanging this poster on the Yawkey Center.

"It was definitely hard to recognize the person because it was very generic clothes and you couldn't really see the person's face at all so I don't know how much it'll really help," BU sophomore Marissa Lawrence said.

BU Police say they're hoping someone who knows this suspect or saw someone wearing a similar outfit on the BU campus Saturday night may recognize the person in the surveillance video and give them a call.
A neighborhood in Rockland, Massachusetts, is coming together to help a very special young man missing a very unique bike.

"I see Dillon riding his bike every day with a huge smile on his face, carrying his stuffed animals, and he's the happiest boy in the world on that bike," said neighbor Sara Rogers.

But now, 13-year-old Dillon Doyle's famous smile and bike are gone.

"When I heard it was stolen, I was heartbroken," said Rogers.

The "bike" is actually an adult tricycle, specially suited for Doyle's special needs.

Autism has limited what the boy can do.

"He can't ride a normal bike [because of] sensory issues," his mother, Jeanne Doyle, said.

But this bike transported him to a whole new world.

"The kids ride and and down the street, and they're bike riding every day, and he wanted to be a part of it," said Jeanne Doyle.

Police say the bike was taken from the family's shed in broad daylight sometime between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Authorities are still searching for the suspect and the bike.

"Bikes get stolen, things happen, but it was his whole world," said Rogers.

But already, the boy's caring community is stepping up to help.

"He's got his own little aura around him that everybody loves," said Jeanne Doyle.

Neighbors are generously donating a bike just like the one Dillon Doyle once rode.

"The fact that they all stepped up like that - my husband and I are overwhelmed," said his mother.
Former Rhode Island House Minority Leader Robert Watson was arrested in East Greenwich Wednesday night on charges of vandalism, disorderly conduct and operating on a suspended license.

According to necn affiliate WJAR, the charges originated from an incident in North Kingstown.

Watson was pulled over in Connecticut in April 2011 and was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The charges were eventually dropped.

He was also stopped in January 2012 in South Kingstown and was charged with marijuana possession and having open cans of beer in the vehicle.

A pre-trial date was set for June 7. He pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday and was released on personal recognizance.
The reason for the freeze was not made public due to legal secrecy in an ongoing case in a Sergipe state court. (Representational image)

A Brazilian judge on Tuesday overturned a 72-hour suspension of the application used by roughly half the population of the South American country

A Brazilian congressional commission on Wednesday recommended a bill that forbids authorities from blocking popular messaging applications, just two days after a judicial order left 100 million Brazilians without Facebooks WhatsApp.

A Brazilian judge on Tuesday overturned a 72-hour suspension of the application used by roughly half the population of the South American country, triggering popular outcry over its second judicial suspension in only five months.

The reason for the freeze was not made public due to legal secrecy in an ongoing case in a Sergipe state court, but authorities have in the past demanded data from the Facebook's encrypted messaging service.

A congressional commission investigating cyber crimes proposed removing messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, from a bill that regulates the suspension of websites and other applications used for crimes such as drugs and arms trafficking.

"This way the legislation makes it very clear that judges cannot block these applications, because those suspensions do not fulfill their objectives," lawmaker Sandro Alex, who helped draft the bill, said in a WhatsApp message.

The legislation will now have to pass through several other congressional committees before being put to vote in the floor of the lower and upper house.

Critics have said the bill would actually make it easier for judges to shut down websites and applications, hurting the freedom of speech of internet users.

The judge who ordered Monday's 72-hour suspension, Marcel Maia Montalvao, in March ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive in a dispute over law enforcement demands for data from the companys encrypted messaging service for use in a drug trafficking investigation.

The executive was freed after about 24 hours, when an appeals court overturned his arrest.

WhatsApp had said in a statement on Monday that it was "disappointed" at the judge's decision to suspend its services, saying it had done its utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals but did not possess the information the court was requesting.

The company has said in the past that it does not store encrypted information from WhatsApp messages. Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg had urged Brazilians in a Facebook post to gather outside Congress on Wednesday to demand the messaging service never be blocked again.

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A Salem, Massachusetts, man is facing charges that he attemtped to defraud Home Depot of more than $35,000.

Robert Dooley, 56, was charged with one count of wire fraud. He was arrested on Thursday morning and was expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Boston later in the day.

The criminal complaint alleges that between January and February 2016, Dooley engaged in a scheme to defraud Home Depot by "returning" items that he never purchased from the store to receive store credit.

On each occasion, he entered Home Depot stores empty handed and gathered merchandise totalling $500 to $900. At the returns desk, he then falsely claimed that he had previously purchased the items but did not have a receipt. He was then issued a Home Depot card for the fraudulent return.

According to the complaint, Dooley perpetrated the scam more than 40 times at Home Depot stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine, racking up over $35,000 in fraudulent returns.

Dooley was convicted in 2007 of federal wire fraud charges related to a nearly identifical scheme in which he defrauded Home Depot of more than $330,000 from 2004 through 2007.

He wound up being sentenced to five years in federal prison.
A Holyoke, Massachusetts, man has been convicted of first-degree murder for stabbing another man in the neck during a dispute in 2014.

The Republican newspaper reports that a Hampden Superior Court jury took less than four hours Wednesday to find Jorge Rodriguez-Nieves guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing of Angel David Morales.

The 42-year-old Rodriguez-Nieves faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole when he is sentenced Friday.

Prosecutors say Rodriguez-Nieves stabbed the 33-year-old Morales in the neck on July 13, 2014, severing a major artery and his windpipe. They say the suspect was angry because he thought Morales was saying that Rodriguez-Nieves was cheating on his wife.

A defense attorney pointed to inconsistencies in witness statements.
A school bus and an SUV crashed in the O'Neill Tunnel on Thursday morning causing massive traffic delays.

Massachusetts State Police said there were no children on the school bus and both drivers were uninjured.

The vehicles came to rest on Interstate 93 southbound, causing all lanes to be blocked. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said traffic was backed up all the way to Wilmington at one point, which is more than 15 miles from the accident scene. Commuters were advised to use alternate routes or mass transit due to the backup.

State police and tow operators were able to get one lane open about 20 minutes after the crash and the rest opened a few minutes later.

The SUV, a Lexus RX350, was operated by 52-year-old Thomas P. Wells, of Saugus.

The bus was operated by a 60-year-old Randolph man.

State Police cited Wells as the cause of the crash but did not have the exact charges yet.
The MSPCA is giving a glimpse into the secret lives of animals.

Some of the organization's shelters in Massachusetts have teamed up with Logitech during May for "National Pet Month."

The company has donated 400 new Bluetooth-enabled cameras, and some have been mounted at shelter in Boston, Methuen and Cape Cod.

Viewable online, the feeds show the pets available for adoption, and MSPCA staff can see what the animals are up to when they're not around.

The cameras confirmed that 10 terrified cats from a hoarder, who wouldn't appear at all during the day, were healthy and active at night.

Some are mounted in the dog pens, too - and they depict what a dog day afternoon is really about.

All through May, if you adopt a dog or cat from the MSPCA, you also get one of these cameras for free to place in your home, allowing you to keep an eye on your furry friend on a computer or mobile device.
The leader of the Latin Kings street gang's Springfield chapter has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges.

Prosecutors say Jose "King Black" Cartagena pleaded guilty Wednesday to heroin distribution charges. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced Aug. 3.

Cartagena was arrested in October after a former Latin King cooperated with government officials in making controlled purchases of drugs and firearms from high-ranking gang members. He was brought in along with several other suspected gang members following a yearlong FBI investigation.

He pleaded guilty to distributing 300 bags of heroin in July 2015.

FBI Special Agent Mark Karangekis says Cartagena is the Springfield Latin Kings chapter's "Inca," or chief gangster.
State police say a 13-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the foot while hunting in Waitsfield, Vermont.

Authorities say the boy accidentally fired his weapon Wednesday afternoon and shot himself in his left foot while hunting on a property in the town.

The boy was taken to a hospital and was expected to be released later Wednesday. State police did not release his name because he's a juvenile.

No other injuries were reported.
Maine Governor Paul LePage said hes seeking a spot in Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps administration, but may settle for a Senate run against Sen. Angus King if that doesnt work out.

According to necn affiliate WCSH, LePage spoke at a town hall Wednesday night, LePage said he wanted a spot, but did not want to be vice president, because he said hes too similar to Trump.

LePage accused King of using his previous position of governor to increase personal wealth.

LePage also endorsed Trump for president in February.

He added that he would not run for Senate unless he got his wifes approval.
On Saturday St Stephens in Norwich hosted Bouncing Forwards as part of a national tour by the mental health charity Kintsugi Hope.

On Saturday St Stephens in Norwich hosted Bouncing Forwards as part of a national tour by the mental health charity Kintsugi Hope.

Painting and biblical feasting in Overstrand There will be opportunities to improve your painting skills and indulge in some biblical feasting next month at the Pleasaunce in Overstrand in North Norfolk. Read more

National award for Dereham Christian bookshop The Green Pastures Christian bookshop in Dereham has won a national award for providing boxes of Christian books to 21 local schools. Read more

Norma's care home jigsaw challenge complete A resident at Norwich-based care home Corton House has completed an incredible 70 jigsaw puzzles in celebration of the homes 70th anniversary this year. Read more

Norwich charity's appeal to support Palestinian students A Norwich educational charity, set up in memory of a Norwich Anglican priest, to support students from a Palestinian refugee camp, is inviting people to support its Christmas appeal  to be launched on November 29. Read more

Norfolk drug and alcohol charity pays tribute to its founder Andy Sexton, CEO of the Matthew Project, introduces a series of tributes from the charity to its founder, Peter Farley. Read more

Cliff look alike at Cromer Church breakfast Cliff Richard tribute performer Will Chandler will be the speaker at a special Mens Breakfast at Cromer Parish Hall next month, and all men are welcome to come along. Read more

Heartsease Lane Methodist church to close As part of a reorganisation of the Norwich Methodist Circuit, Heartsease Lane Methodist Church will be closing towards the end of the year. Read more

Free Julian of Norwich reflection and prayer day The Friends of Julian of Norwich present a free Quiet Half-Day with Robert Fruehwirth, author and former Priest Director of the Julian Centre, on Saturday November 12, 10.30am-2pm. Read more

What it means for us to repent Nigel Fox believes that now is the time for a tide of repentance, and shares his thoughts about what that actually means for our society. Read more

Christmas card shop opens in Norwich church Thousands of Christmas cards from around 30 local Norfolk charities have gone on sale today (October 19) at the Original Norwich Charity Christmas Card Shop inside St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich city centre. Read more

Revelation Christian Resource Centre and Cafe Revelation in Norwich is a Christian resource centre, offering a bookshop, a meeting place and a welcoming refuge for refreshment open to visitors of any faith or none. Read more

Farewell as Yarmouth church leader moves on Captain Marie Burr, the Salvation Army leader in Great Yarmouth, has paid tribute to everyone at the church and charity after she left her post at the end of last month to move to a new role. Read more

Norwich Cathedral chorister in BBC final Norwich Cathedral chorister Alice Platten has her sights set on being crowned BBC Young Chorister of the Year after reaching the final stages of the prestigious nationwide competition. Read more

Norwich to hear pastor, Policeman and tramp tale Essex Baptist Pastor Dave McDowell has been a Policeman, fed orphans in India and lived under a boat as a tramp. He will tell his remarkable story at the October dinner of Norwich FGB on Wednesday October 26. Read more

Pioneer UK leader speaks at Sheringham church Ness Wilson, national leader of the Pioneer network of churches, was the main speaker at a day of teaching and worship held at Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham on 12 October, to be followed up by Word and Worship sessions at October half term. Read more

Norwich event to give tips on bouncing forwards St Stephens in Norwich will be hosting an evening in October with Patrick Regan OBE, as he explores themes from his book Bouncing Forwards. Read more

Youth for Christ lights a fire in north Breckland North Breckland Youth for Christ will be putting on a mini residential camp this year to coincide with Bonfire Night. Read more
As Director of Program Management for Azure at Microsoft, Corey Sanders heads the compute team which is responsible for the VM-based offerings on Windows and Linux, the new microservices platform, and container services, among other things. Sanders joined the Azure team about six years ago, before which he was a developer in the Windows Serviceability team. Network World Editor in Chief John Dix recently visited Sanders in his Redmond, WA, office to get a better sense of how Microsofts cloud business is taking shape.

Corey Sanders, Director of Program Management for Azure, Microsoft

Lets start with a big picture view of Microsofts cloud efforts, what the company offers and how the pieces fit together.

We like to break down our overall cloud offerings into three big buckets. One is SaaS based solutions like Office 365 and Dynamic CRM, and we think of these as being the fastest time to value for customers. They can sign up and immediately get the benefits the cloud offers, like massive scale and global coverage, without much change to anything theyre doing. Thats the top level.

There there is the infrastructure level, which is a lot of the work I do. This offering is about virtual machines, application mobility, lift-and-shift type workloads, taking your data center and moving it to the cloud. And the third category is higher level or advanced services that make it simpler to scale, simpler to get high availability and build next-generation applications that really take advantage of cloud agility.

We have competitors that offer just SaaS solutions and we have competitors that offer just infrastructure and platform solutions. We feel were uniquely positioned to offer all three.

Do you break out revenue for the segments?

We dont break out revenue, but our annualized cloud revenue is $9.4 billion. I will say that revenue for the infrastructure and advanced services that we combine as Azure is up 140% year over year. Were adding 120,000 Azure customer subscriptions per month.

Can you give us a thumbnail description of the physical plant that supports all of this?

We break down our global coverage into regions, with the goal of being close to customers with low latency, and also having scalability within those regions. Weve announced 30 of these globally and 22 are live today. They are of varying architectures and varying sizes, and a lot of that is based on when they were built. They keep up with hardware innovation and physical build-out and cooling systems, and so on. Almost all regions have multiple data centers.

Is there a total data center count or total server count that would help put it in perspective?

We dont share those numbers publically, and frankly, even if we did, by the time we said it they would have already changed.

On the Azure front, is there a typical user profile emerging?

Its a great question. One of the exciting parts about Azure is its a broad, open, diverse platform that includes everything from services built from .NET microservices to partnerships and solutions with Linux providers. This wide variety of solutions has resulted in an amazing variety of customers.

Weve seen a huge uptake in enterprises using both infrastructure and advanced services. Folks like GE Healthcare, Alaska Airlines and NBC are using the platform for both existing applications and next-generation apps. But were also seeing new customers and startups using open-source parts of our platform. Jet.com is a good example, an e-commerce site based in New Jersey that is deployed completely on Azure. Its been pretty impressive to see the amount of growth from startups and ISVs. In fact, I think 40% of our revenue today is driven by startups and ISVs.

So, were seeing small companies do big things and were seeing big companies do some small things. Its running this amazing range of opportunity from customers and partners. I would be hard-pressed to give you a sense of either the size of the company or the size of the workload that the companies are typically deploying.

How about use cases? Are there particular use cases that are more prevalent?

The first wave for many customers follows similar patterns. We see a lot of development and tests in the cloud, and we see a lot of bursting workloads. We recently had Milliman [an actuarial and risk management services company] on stage at our Build conference showing how it can burst actuarial risk analysis workloads, which was a really exciting example of the flexibility and versatility the cloud brings.

So these use cases are getting really hot, and both take advantage of that immediate on/immediate off capability and having huge amounts of compute power to deploy quickly. But were also seeing an uptick in full data center migrations as enterprises big and small start looking at their next wave of capital expenditure. There is more excitement around, Lets just move everything. We have a few customers that are in the process of doing just that, but none have actually made public statements yet.

I would imagine most enterprises would be afraid to put all their eggs in one basket.

Were seeing a lot of interest in multi-cloud deployments and hybrid deployments where customers deploy both on-prem and in the public cloud and have bursting capabilities between the two. In fact, one of the things that differentiates us from other cloud providers is our focus on multi-cloud with our own Operations Management Suite (OMS) that allows monitoring across multiple clouds.

How about disaster recovery?

Disaster recovery and backup are two additional hybrid services we offer. Both are popular and growing quickly and were seeing them coupled with solutions like